Goodbye to you, my trusted friend

Everyone bid farewell to Adam, and it was time to move on. But will Chelsea be able to start a new life with reminders of Adam everywhere she goes? And will Nick's attention toward her turn into something more than friendship and support? Just as Phyllis was ready to mend the holes in the fence of her marriage, Jack built a sturdy brick wall of distance between them, which was good, since he finally learned the truth. Did Jack see ''Red'' once Phyllis admitted she had betrayed him? I bid goodbye to my favorite Adam Newman (so far) in this Two Scoops.

I know this may sound a bit bizarre, but that's how I think of Adam -- as a trusted friend. With the possible exception of Jack and Chelsea, I can't say anyone else in Genoa City would share my view, and they would have reason not to. But I could always trust Justin Hartley's Adam to entertain and to deliver the drama. Whether he was in disguise as Gabriel Bingham or whether Adam was being just...uh, well, Adam, Mr. Hartley could keep the fans glued to their seats like no other soap character, since Adam was always such an enigma. Justin Hartley's Adam Newman could easily wear his heart on his sleeve for Chelsea while also keeping his guard up against his enemies, who, most times, included his father. This made Adam a truly complex and fascinating character.

So, I bid a fond farewell to a character that I had absolutely hated at one time, when Adam was not played by Justin Hartley. Wow, what a turnaround! I would have never, in my wildest dreams, ever believed that I would become such a huge fan of Adam Newman's. But Mr. Hartley highlighted all of Adam's characteristics, both good and bad, which made him fun to watch. With Justin's portrayal, we did not see just a man with black or white qualities, because Adam was an honest blend of shades of grey -- and isn't it that way in the real world? It's true that sometimes Adam's grey got a little close to black, but that made him all the more intriguing to watch. And while I strongly suspect Adam's days may not yet be done, we may have seen the last of Justin Hartley's version.

The strange thing is Mr. Hartley's exit is not all that much of a shock. I guess we were lucky to have him making Adam his own character for as long as we could get him. There had been rumors in the past that Justin could be cast in a primetime show, but we were fortunate those other opportunities never developed (even if he wasn't as fortunate). So, I am not surprised he scored with the new primetime television show This Is Us. It was just a matter of time before the rest of the world (in other words, the fools who don't watch Y&R) got to witness the brilliance of this talented actor also. Still, it was sad to see him go, although it may not be forever. Could CBS be crossing their fingers (as much as a TV network can, that is) that the NBC show will bomb in the ratings, so Adam Newman can return to Chelsea's loving arms sooner rather than later? Only time will tell.

"We had joy. We had fun. We had seasons in the sun." Well, okay, maybe not the last part. I remembered back when this song was very popular, my friends told me they would cry over this song. I never did. I mean, I felt bad for the guy, but it never really brought me to tears. Now, if you play a sad song about a pet, for instance, "Shannon" or "Wildfire," I would bawl every time. And heaven forbid I watch a heart-wrenching movie about an animal. My eyes will well up faster than spit. But now, if "Seasons in the Sun" reminds me of Justin Hartley's Adam, I could get misty-eyed quickly. Goodbye, my friend, you "skinned our hearts," if not our knees, but "the stars we could reach were just starfish on the beach." Or something like that.

How do we start life anew without Adam Newman? Chelsea would like to know that, too, so we if have any answers for her, I am sure she would appreciate a heads-up. One way, for sure, is for Chelsea to stay clear of her dear, dear friend, Chloe -- who could vie with Hilary for the honor of being the most incredibly self-centered and selfish woman on the face of the planet. I couldn't help but notice that now, since Chloe has returned to town, Hilary has eased up on the obnoxiousness. Genoa City must not be big enough for the humongous egos of these two terrors. They could never be friends, because neither would give a holy ding-dong about the other. But back to Chelsea. Seriously, she needs to get far, far away from Chloe. Fast!

Chloe probably had more of an agenda with getting Adam out of the picture than she may even know. Chelsea's entire world revolved around her husband, and Chloe couldn't have that. No, in Chloeland, everything must be all about Chloe, so Adam was a goner. But did Chloe really kill Adam? I'm not so sure. She told Victor several times she didn't kill Vic's son, and she may have been telling the truth about that. But she could have eliminated Adam in another way, especially if she could have convinced Adam, through persuasion or threats, that Chelsea and Connor would be better off without him. With Adam's low self-esteem, it wouldn't have taken too much persuasion, I would think. But no, Adam has always been about protecting his family from his father, so maybe Chloe found another way to get rid of him. I just love these debates with myself.

I have to admit that Chloe never seems to feel too guilt-ridden when she's around Chelsea, but that could just be the psychotic side of her peeping out. Chloe looks to me as if she's running around town, making sure every detail involving Chelsea and her tragedy is going according to plan. And if Chloe can use Kevin to do that, so be it, as long as he doesn't ask any more questions about Bella's father. That's the storyline I am waiting for, especially if Billy is in the mix. I hope the writers don't keep me waiting too long. Heaven forbid if they don't go there at all.

And it appeared Chelsea finally got Victor out of her life, since Connor's granddad gave her back his 35% of her company, Chelsea 2.0. But, come on, we know that won't really happen. Victor's conscience has never bothered him enough to let go of any member of his family. And you (and Billy Boy) can bet that Victor won't let Connor go that easily. Sure, he seemed sincere when he handed her the contract, but how many times have we seen that kind of fake sincerity from Victor before? Still, it's good that Chelsea grabbed control of her company while she could. It's just a matter of time before Victor will decide he wants Connor back in his life, and Chelsea will need all she can get to prepare for that fight. But knowing Victor, Chelsea will probably never see it coming.

Finally, at long last, Phyllis has seen the light. It's about time. It was always obvious to me that Phyllis wasn't betraying Jack because she had a hot desire to be with Billy. For Phyllis, it had to be more than sex and passion, and it makes sense that Phyllis kept running from Jack due to his resemblance to Marco. Shoot, Phyllis had ample time to leave Jack, and Billy was willing to make it so very easy for her to do so, but she never did. If she had really wanted Billy, Phyllis would have left Jack in a flash. That should have been a red flag for Billy, but somehow, he never saw her reluctance to depart from her husband. He was just too obsessed.

So, just when Phyllis was ready to open up and seriously work on her marriage, Jack suddenly and completely shut down. I would say Phyllis had it coming, except I truly like Jack and Phyllis as a couple. I want them to work it out. But even if Jack gives up on their relationship, Phyllis will still have Billy always hovering around on the sidelines. Billy is close to humiliating himself by constantly following Phyllis around everywhere she goes. How many times does she have to tell Billy it's over between them before he will take the hint? I'm telling you, that is not love; it's an obsession. In fact, it's almost stalking.

But Jill did something stupid by blabbing to Colin about her son's affair with his brother's wife, and with Colin, any smattering of knowledge is always a dangerous thing. Now, since Phyllis and Jack had a desire to repair the damage to their marriage, you knew something would happen to threaten that. I thought it would come from Billy, but he seems to have completely backed off, which is strange, especially since he followed Phyllis around like an annoying little puppy for weeks. However, if there's any chance of squeezing a buck out of any information, Colin is always ready to take advantage of the situation, no matter whom it hurts.

I had given Jack a huge thumbs-up, when he refused to entertain Colin's offer, so I was sad I had to take it back later when Jack brought Colin the million dollars. But, really, does Jack need to throw away his money when it was pretty clear he already suspected, in the counselor's office, there was something more than friendship and comfort between his brother and his wife? Jack was talking about how close Billy and Phyllis were one minute, and the next, Jack constructed "a wall ten feet high with barbed wire on top" between him and his wife. It was almost like a lightbulb clicked on in his head.

However, Colin shocked me when he denied to Jack that he knew anything sleazy at all about Phyllis and claimed it had been just a bogus story so he could take Jack's money. I loved it when Colin had to cover the money so it couldn't look at him. Even though Jack and Colin may be as different as "chalk and cheese," they sure love the ladies in their lives. I am still stunned that Colin picked Jill over a million dollars. This is probably one of the biggest plot twists that has come around in a long time.

But Jack just took Colin's word for it that he had made it all up and ran to apologize to Phyllis for ever doubting her. Boy, was that a slap on the knee in a hysterical kind of way. Phyllis probably would have cracked up laughing if it hadn't been so ironic and sad. Phyllis cheated on her husband with his brother, and Jack was the one sorry for betraying her. If she hadn't already needed a counselor, that should have sent Phyllis right over the edge. She then ran straight to the therapist and cried out "the whole, honest, dirty truth" about her affair. However, I am afraid it was too little, too late, since Ashley decided it was time to have a little chat with Billy.

And Billy admitted everything to his sister...well, except for the physical, hot sex of his trysts with Phyllis. So, basically, he lied through his teeth. I especially found Billy's version to be absolutely hysterical. You know, the part where, after Phyllis declared it was over, he agreed with her completely, because to do otherwise would have been selfish. Funny! Every act and motivation for this affair has been nothing but selfish on Billy's end.

Billy also told Ashley he was in love with Phyllis, and she made lickety-split record time in delivering the news to Jack, who then rushed to get verification from Billy. Seriously, everyone in the family should learn how to keep their mouths shut. None of it was Ashley's business, but she didn't hesitate to spread the word. Even though she blabbed to Colin, at least Jill knew how to keep quiet to Jack, even if Jack felt, as his friend, she should have told him. This really was a lose-lose situation, no matter how you looked at it.

Phyllis realized that also in the counselor's office, when she pleaded with her therapist to give her answers. She felt that the guilt over being an idiot about Marco caused her to turn to another man, who also didn't have a resemblance to the thug. But could it also be that she hated herself for not being able to tell the difference between her beloved husband and a total stranger? Phyllis believed the entire community saw her as an imbecile, which was something she couldn't tolerate. There's no doubt she was plagued with self-hatred, and she realized she would lose the man she loved if she told him the truth. But when it came down to it, the decision was taken out of her hands.

After his little visit with Billy, Jack tracked down Phyllis and demanded the entire truth, which she surprisingly told him. And, of course, Jack thought Billy and Phyllis had made a fool out of him. Can you blame him? Isn't it always that way? The person who does the betraying should be the one considered the fool, not the victim of the betrayal. It's just one of life's little ironies. It sure didn't help matters any when Phyllis told Jack she loved both Jack and Billy. Oh, that's a good way to save your marriage. Well, Jack wanted the truth -- and he got it. Maybe next time (and I'm sure there will be a next time), Jack will just prefer to stay in ignorant bliss.

So, Billy didn't realize just how much yet, but he got exactly what he wanted after Jack blurted out the truth about the affair in the interview for the foundation. Now, everyone in town will know about it. Billy will be so thrilled. He has always wanted everyone to know about his "connection" with Phyllis. That's the only way he would ever have a shot with her. However, Billy probably didn't want Victoria to know about their tawdry fling, which, again, just proved what "a complete and utter disappointment" he was. Well, Billy Boy, sometimes you have to take the bad with the good -- such as how will he ever get Phyllis to give up on her marriage to Jack?

Then we have silly Sharon, who almost seems to want Dylan to discover the truth about Sully. Mariah is dead right that everything Sharon does will lead Dylan straight to the truth about his supposed son. But Sharon just can't seem to help herself. But it didn't really matter, since Dylan had no desire to give up on finding the truth anyway. But which truth was he hunting for? Dylan has no idea there is a secret about Sully, so Sharon should let it go. But she won't.

However, Sharon may have more to worry about if Chelsea chased her out of her job -- for good. But actually, it was more of a knee-jerk reaction from Chelsea rather than having to face mourning the loss of her husband. Chelsea was practically biting off everybody's head, and Nick got the worst of it. Nick felt Chelsea wouldn't be able to just get over it and felt she should take the time to grieve on her own and with her son. After all, time heals all wounds. Or in this case, maybe it's time wounds all heels, after the way Chelsea treated her friends. But I guess she deserves a little slack, and Nick may have been the best therapy for Chelsea, since she started crying as soon as he left. Tears were probably what Chelsea needed.

It looks as if Nick's future could possibly be changing in more ways than one. Will he finally learn that his precious son Christian -- the son he had with Sage -- is, in reality, Sully? And even more compelling, could Nick's next love interest be his apparently late brother's widow? What a terrific storyline it would make for Adam to later return and find his wife being more than just comforted by the brother he had asked for help. That kind of storyline always goes far in delivering some good old soapy, sudsy drama.

In another peculiar twist, now that Ben wants to have another child with Abby, she was the one who put the brakes on. What? That's all Abby has talked about since she lost her baby, but maybe that's what it was all about. Once some time had passed, she realized it was better to grieve and not to rush into having another child right away. Abby seemed almost disappointed that Stitch wasn't ready to give up on his marriage, and since she has always been the one to care more about that than Ben, it looks like it may be curtains for them before too long.

Other notable (or humorous) items that happened during the week:

I guess we should all breathe a sigh of relief that Victor has "nothing in the works" in his ongoing feud with Jack. At least not yet, but how long will that last? If the past is any indication, not long.

Colin is always good for a laugh, and he didn't disappoint when he wanted to celebrate because of his "gorgeous wife's almost clean bill of good health" after her acid reflux attack. Yes indeedy, it was heartburn, not a heart attack. Keep those antacid tablets on hand, Jill.

All I can say is that Dylan and Chloe should know "the cops and robbers game" better than anyone.

Actually, the Boy Wonder appeared almost ready for a mutiny when Dylan refused to let Paul prevent him from proving Adam's innocence. Dylan was intent on protecting his mother from Victor. Nikki should be proud her son was willing to risk his career and his integrity to ensure her safety. But she only saw it as a threat to Victor.

This was a week of understatements. Billy commented to Victoria that he didn't think Travis liked him very much.

Jack proved he should be the foundation's inspirational speaker when he told the interviewer that addicts were their own worst enemies who could fall down a hole, hit rock bottom, and then drag you down with them. And he added that they didn't deserve second and third chances. Those are words to motivate any down-and-outer to try to be a better person.

Another understatement was when Travis told Victoria, "Your ex is kind of a train wreck."

Did I see that clearly? Did the brochure Summer was looking at for college business classes really say on the back, "Persue your calling?" I guess the person who created the brochure should look into taking a few classes also -- mainly in the area of spelling. P-u-r-s-u-e. How especially embarrassing on a pamphlet promoting education!

A third understatement of the week was when Billy told Ashley he had been selfish and stupid and that he never should have pursued Phyllis. Yes, that's right -- pursued." P-u-r-s-u-e-d.

Until next time, please stay tuned.Teddi

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