Second verse, same as the first

After his latest legal maneuver, the Mustache seemed to become Victor "Old-man" Newman. Will Nick prove to be a better partner than Jack in Victor's twisted square dance? Can a baby help write a new and refreshing verse in Hilary and Devon's sad, old love song? And it's Summer in the summer in Two Scoops.

Whenever I hear Victor talk about how he has to hang onto Christian to protect the family, I can almost hear Peter Noone of Herman's Hermits yelling out, "Second verse, same as the first," during the song, "I'm Henry the VIII, I Am." I mean, hadn't Victor already been humming this same tune regarding his kids? It's getting monotonous. Plus, the whole getting-revenge-on-his-foe-of-the-month is starting to become a tired, retread sequel of the original saga. Victor soundly defeated Jack, once and for all, so he had to find a new adversary that would be worth his while on the playing field, and that opponent was, again, his very own son Nick. And we all saw how well it worked when Victor battled his son Adam -- who is, to the best of our knowledge, dead as a result of it.

While Jack never really won any battle he fought against Victor, Nick hasn't really fared all that much better. Maybe that's why he was dead set on leaving town, and who could blame him? Nick had seen his dad trounce on Jack time and time again, like a cat who preys on a defenseless little mouse. And Victor's claws are always sharp and his teeth are always bared. Victor batted Jack around like a worn-out toy.

It became obvious, once he learned he wasn't John's biological son, that Jack didn't have much life left in him. The Mustache just had nothing left to take from Jack. So, just like a cat, Victor grew weary and bored once his quarry quit trying to scramble away. Jack was no fun now, so Victor needed new blood -- and who better than Vic's very own flesh and blood.

But how much of a challenge would Nick prove to be? Honestly, Victor seems to enjoy the sport more than he enjoys the rewards of his victory. Even when the feud makes no sense, it doesn't matter, as long as Victor gets to take part in his next mental spar. Victor seems to live to defeat his enemy, and he will always find a new one to give his life meaning. For heaven's sake, he was determined to battle Nick to get custody of his grandson, Christian. Why would Victor think that providing his special brand of protection would work out better for his grandchildren than it ever did for his children? It's almost like he failed with Nick, Victoria, Adam, and Abby, so he had to make up for it with their offspring.

The victor of this skirmish will reap the reward of a boy that Nick loves deeply as his father, so this feud may be worth watching. The question is just how bad do you want it, or in this case, him? Nick may have the heart to protect his son from his father's treachery, but he never has had the drive to win at all costs, no matter what the price. Victor has that, but then again, Victor has never had to pay a hefty price, because he's never cared for anyone enough for him or her to have that kind of value. If Victor truly loved Christian, he would wish for the boy to stay with the only father he's ever known. Victor shouldn't even dream about uprooting the lad from his loving home and family. Christian is only another trophy that Victor could figuratively display on the mantel of his fireplace.

When he handed Nick the court document, which was an injunction to prevent Nick from leaving town with Christian, it felt like Victor was changing partners in some twisted, warped square dance. Swing your partners round and round...and round and round...and round and round. Actually, it's quite dizzying, even if the tune's the same. A little do-si-do and an allemande left followed by a roll away with a half sashay, and Victor accomplished a successful pass through from Jack to Nick. (Okay, I admit that I had to look some of those square dance terms up.) Victor apparently needed some new steps, so he hoped his son would prove to be good on his feet as an adversary.

Come on, we all knew that Nick and Sharon weren't going anywhere. Once they realized that Nikki would quickly run to Victor with the news of their move, they should have quit packing. And it was just like Victor to stop them legally. After all, he owns most of the Genoa City court system. Nick sure seemed to be worried, especially since his dad already had the advantage of having shark attorney Michael Baldwin on his payroll. And Victor was clear that he would use Sharon against Nick for the custody battle. One minute, Victor was giving Nick and Sharon his blessing, and the next, he was threatening to tear them apart through exposing her past in court. So sincere.

Michael risked the wrath of Victor by consorting with the enemy and advising Nick, who refused to let Sharon out of his life, even temporarily. It really didn't seem fair that Victor could use Sharon's past against her when she had taken so many steps to get mentally well. In fact, because she had sought help, Sharon had proven she was stable and healthy. Victor had no such proof. You would think that would be a plus for Nick, but it won't be. Nick and Michael decided on arbitration, and that seems to be the way to go -- if they can get an honest and impartial person to preside over the proceeding. That's going to take some doing, since Victor already seems to have everyone in the court system in his pocket.

Sharon should have known it would be a total waste of time to try to convince Victor to drop his custody case. Victor was not capable of listening to reason. So, Sharon's ex-mother-in-law seemed to be the better choice, only Nikki dug in the heels of her pumps against interfering in matters between her husband and her son. However, Sharon still had leverage -- the truth about what happened to J.T. -- and she used it on Nikki. Hooray for Sharon! That's the way to battle a Newman. I don't know what Nikki can do to stop Victor with his suit against Nick, but Sharon may just have inspired her to find a way.

Jack was fortunate, in a way, to be finally able to escape Victor's tyranny, which would be great if he didn't seem to be so lost. Jack couldn't fool Gloria with his claims of future prospects headed his way, and I doubt if he was kidding anyone else either. Only himself. Jack should have stayed with Jabot until he had the connections to break out on his own. Jack only looked like a loser, trying to redeem himself from being someone he felt he never was. If Jack wanted to prove he could be successful in his own right, he sure was going about it the wrong way.

Jack really needs to move back to the Abbott home for Dina's sake. She loves her "Jackie" and will treasure any remaining time she has mentally, if not physically, that she can spend with him. Dina moved in with the Abbotts for just that reason, so it really didn't make sense for Jack to move out. Jack felt something was missing, but he wasn't going to find it outside the home. Dina is the one with the answers, so he can only hope she will eventually remember the name of his biological father. Jack needs to be with her in case that happens.

Shoot, Billy was lucky his sunscreen was a success, because Kyle was right. Billy's interview was snoozy, and Kyle was the one who really got the product's name on everyone's lips. Sure, Jabot could have been hit with huge fines, and the company still might be. Billy kept saying he was the one bringing new life to the party for Jabot, but it seemed to me that person was actually Kyle. Billy had better hope that Kyle doesn't change his mind about going into business with his father. If Kyle left, Billy and Phyllis might then learn just how new and fresh Billy's ideas really are. Ho-hum.

Talk about same old song, same old dance -- or even the same old song and dance, and that's Hilary and Devon. You and me and baby makes three. That's surely one too many for a sexy and seductive tango. As much as Devon would like to believe otherwise, Hilary has been controlling the whole baby-making scenario. She wanted Devon's baby, she's having Devon's baby. She wanted to move in with Devon, she's moved in with Devon. I'm only wondering what took Devon so long to ask her. Hilary probably thought she was losing her touch. Yeah, she had to pretend to want to purchase Chelsea's penthouse so that Devon would ask her to pack her duds and move in with him -- but hey, it worked. You can't say Hilary doesn't know how to get what she wants. She always has.

It's almost like Hilary thinks a baby will seal the deal in her relationship with Devon and put a Band-Aid on any boo-boos she has made in the past. Of course, the reality is it will still be the same old song but with a new verse. A baby only complicates things, but Hilary will never have to worry about that, since the kid will be banished to the nursery the second it is born. The tot won't know what its mother even looks like with Hilary's busy, buzzy schedule. Devon will make an effort to devote some time to his child, though, I am sure. But if Hilary believes a baby will solve all her problems, she's sorely mistaken.

And since Neil has become their newest neighbor in his "fabulous new digs," maybe not everything will be all sunshine, lollipops, and rainbows for Hilary and Devon. We can only hope. I can't think of anything more boring than to have Devon jumping at Hilary's every command, which is where this seems to be headed. You know that Hilary's stuff will eventually find its way into Devon's master bedroom, along with Hilary -- and that it will happen in record time. Devon has gone back to being the guy who can never say no to Hilary. Yawn.

But, of course, if Mishael Morgan really leaves Y&R, the writers will have to come up with something creative that would lead to Hilary's exit. It sounds like there may still be hope that the contract negotiations will be resolved, but in the meantime, Hilary will need to have a reason to exit, in case that doesn't happen. Could that be why Devon suddenly decided to give Hilary another shot -- just so he would be in a situation to have his heart crushed by her again?

As much as I hate to say this, it's a shame that Shauna isn't more like Hilary. That would make an interesting teen storyline. I had hoped the writers would have learned from the love story between Reed and Mattie, which I found dull, but apparently not. Actually, Reed finally got a teensy-weensy bit interesting once his dad, J.T., disappeared. Well, okay, we know J.T. died -- unless he found a way to dig himself out of the grave. Reed could have had something he could sink his teeth into if he'd only been given the chance to search for his missing dad. But instead, Reed was immediately shipped off to boarding school, where wayward youths have disappeared to before. But since it was for music, we'll just say it was a glorified boarding school.

So, even the youth will only be more of the "same old, same old." Wouldn't a more interesting story be for nicey-nicey Shauna to idolize Hilary so much that she would try to become just like her? It could start out small and then grow as time passed, so that Charlie wouldn't see it coming at first. And just think of Lily's reaction to a younger version of her nemesis, Hilary, who has always been a thorn in her side. Lily would not only have to deal with Hilary messing up Devon's life, but she would also have a devious Shauna fooling with her precious son. This is the stuff soaps are made of.

I guess Shauna's drama will come from the adults in her life -- her rehab brother, her missing parents, and her neglectful aunt. Wouldn't it be nice if the girl had lied about it all? It would be more interesting, anyway. Lily and Hilary started a tug-of-war over Shauna's living arrangement, which will probably entice her relatives to come out of hiding. I loved how Hilary offered Devon's penthouse as Shauna's new residence without even asking him first. Hilary probably figured she had it made in the shade and that she could wield her pregnancy in a way to have Devon cater to her every whim.

Only Devon's backbone hadn't completely disintegrated, at least not yet. Hilary already had Shauna moved in by the time Devon got home from work. Sheesh! That took some nerve, and Devon wasn't quick to jump to the idea. However, Neil's pay-it-forward speech swayed Devon to give Shauna a key to his place. Yes, Shauna was going to be Hilary's new roomie in the guest bedroom. You know that Hilary won't let that sleeping arrangement last for too long. Hilary will be cozying up to Devon in his bed soon, if she has her way. And she always does.

Well, it's summer, and it's Genoa City...so, of course, it was all about Summer back in Genoa City. And there's hope that something new, fresh, and exciting will take place with Summer's return. It won't be if Mariah's just going to walk around calling her "Snowflake" all the time, although the feisty redhead was right when she said that no two were ever the same. Summer will actually be more interesting if she turns out to be like her mother. We don't need the same Summer from the past. And since she was driving a cute, flashy sportscar; dancing and flirting with Arturo; and totally ready to party, maybe Summer has changed. Good! We have enough Miss Goody Two-Shoes on the show already.

It was even more promising when a cop announced to the entire nightclub that Summer was under arrest for felony auto theft, and she didn't appear the least bit scared or remorseful as she sat behind the bars of her jail cell. Hey, I might just like this version of Summer. She announced to Nick that she was becoming more of her mother's daughter, which probably wasn't too much of a comfort to her father. After all, even as exciting as Nick always thought Phyllis was, he also knew she could bring a world full of hurt and trouble along the way. That was before Phyllis lost her "edge," though.

I have to agree with Summer that Phyllis has become somewhat of a square. She only showed her vital spirit when she was meddling in someone else's business -- and that someone was usually Sharon. And that would never change, not as long as there was a breath left in her body. But apparently, Summer was there to pick up the slack, which was very welcome. With Phyllis and Hilary both suddenly becoming so sweetie-sweetie that it was enough to make one puke, we need another vivacious vixen to stir things up, and Summer fits the bill. It's true that I didn't care much for the last version of Summer, but this one is rather intriguing with her married ex-boyfriend, Pax, and his jealous wife, Poppy. This could be a new and invigorating chapter in her tale.

Summer was on the verge of becoming a carbon copy of the schemer that Phyllis once was, and she was using the same tricks that Phyllis had most likely forgotten. Summer even ran to her grandfather to buy her a new pony...I mean, a brand new shiny sports car. And Victor was more than happy to oblige. I rather enjoy watching Summer's antics, and it only promises to get better. Summer seemed to have her eye on one of her mother's prized possessions -- Billy -- as she kept flashing her young, supple body right under his nose. And Billy didn't even pretend not to notice, as he told her she should put some clothes on. Oh, this could be fun.

Great observation from Abby about Arturo's winning the Newman trifecta with "stepmother, daughter, granddaughter." It makes you wonder who he will place his bet on next.

At this point, I'm not sure if Kyle was really interested in Tessa or if he truly was intent on being a matchmaker for Mariah with Tessa. It's probably a source of entertainment for him either way.

I couldn't help but notice that when Summer called Billy's supposedly planned publicity stunt "fearless" and "brilliant," Billy never disclosed to her that the "wardrobe malfunction" had actually been Kyle's idea.

Victoria had the line of the week when she told Victor, "Well, you should be careful, Dad. You can only push your children away so many times before they stop coming back." Apparently, Victor still has a few more hundred times left in his tally, though, for both Victoria and Abby.

Until next time, please stay tuned.Teddi

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