Desperate measures

It must be drastic times in Genoa City because this past week on The Young and the Restless was all about characters taking drastic measures! Nikki, Phyllis, and Ashley plotted to get rid of Diane; Adam dumped Sally; and Ashland stalked Victoria! Join our Two Scoops columnist as he reviews all that went down and discusses the potential fallout that is sure to follow.

My, what a week it has been in Genoa City! There is a lot of drama for us to unpack from this past week's episodes, but thankfully, it wasn't all doom and gloom. Noah and Allie's budding romance has been adorable, and Lily popping in to see Phyllis with a business proposal was a fun little surprise. I was shocked that Lily offered to buy the Grand Phoenix away from Phyllis, and, although Phyllis ultimately turned her down, I have a feeling that won't be the last we hear of this. I don't understand why Lily didn't just take Phyllis up on her offer for a collaboration to use her hotel for Chancellor-Winters business guests and musicians after Phyllis turned her down. It would certainly be cheaper to just pay for their hotel stays than it would be to buy the entire hotel! It was fun to see Lily and Phyllis interacting in that way, and I'm curious to see how that storyline thread plays out.

I also thought that the scenes with Nikki, Phyllis, and Ashley plotting against Diane were a real treat! I love seeing these three leading ladies in a storyline together that doesn't have them at each other's throats! It was really nice to see Nikki and Ashley supporting Phyllis when they discussed how her relationship with Jack ended. Everyone close to Phyllis has been making her feel like the bad guy in the situation, which has been taking a toll on Phyllis, so it was refreshing to see her find comfort with these two new unlikely allies. I don't think they will be using the "F word" (friend) any time soon to describe their newfound camaraderie, but it's great to see them all working together toward a common goal and being friendly toward one another.

The common goal they share is, of course, to get rid of Diane Jenkins by proving to their loved ones that she hasn't changed and is still just as manipulative and predatory as she ever was. Now they just need to come up with an actual plan to accomplish that goal! I don't doubt that they will be taking drastic measures and doing whatever they deem necessary to get Diane out of their lives and away from their families. Hell, the fact that these three have decided to work together at all is a pretty drastic move (for them), and I don't doubt that things will escalate quickly once they find the "smoking gun" to take Diane out with.

The three of them had better remain a united front and operate at the top of their game in this battle because Diane is certainly still at the top of her game. She knows just the right strings to pull to get the people in her life to do what she wants and to garner a specific reaction from them. She is a true puppet master, and it is a lot of fun to watch. I love to hate her so much, and I can't wait to see what she does next!

Phyllis, Nikki, and Ashley are definitely fighting an uphill battle, given that most of the people they care about that are in Diane's orbit have decided to give her the benefit of the doubt and grant her a chance at redemption. And there are those who just don't want to get involved at all, like Allie. I've got to say that I like Allie's character even more after the way she expertly handled both Phyllis and Ashley when they tried to get information about Diane out of her. She sort of reminded me of Traci in the way that she was both firm and friendly when letting Ashley know where she stands and that she wouldn't be party to her "fishing expedition." I'm looking forward to continuing to get to know her character more and more! She is smart to not want to get more involved because she was already manipulated by Diane and doesn't want to be used in the same way by Phyllis and Ashley.

And Diane may have more problems to look out for than just Phyllis, Nikki, and Ashley now that she has betrayed Ashland and had a hand in getting him arrested for violating his restraining order. Sure, he posted bail and is out already, but I doubt he will forget that his new friend stabbed him in the back. And given the way he has been acting lately, she may want to watch her own back to avoid him literally stabbing her!

Ashland is definitely at the end of his rope and clearly spinning out of control. The way he trashed his hotel room indicates a propensity for violence, and he may decide to vent his frustrations by taking drastic measures and harming someone physically. It was downright creepy the way that he was stalking Victoria. It sent chills down my spine when he tapped on the window at her house and she found him lurking outside. I was surprised that Victoria wasn't more wary of him and that she allowed him to come into her home. If he hates her now as much as he loved her before, then she could very well be in real danger -- and I'll be on the edge of my seat all weekend until we find out what happens next!

But the show wouldn't actually kill off Victoria, would they? It would certainly be a shocking storyline that would get a lot of people talking, but I just can't see them killing off such a legacy character on the show in that way. She should have listened to Adam's warning that Ashland was "out for blood" and steered clear of him altogether.

Speaking of Adam, I was really proud of him for stepping away from his over-before-it-started alliance with Ashland once he realized that Ashland's plan for revenge was going down a much darker road than he was willing to travel on. Adam just wanted to make a move against Newman Enterprises and hurt his family's company, so I was happy to see he didn't want any actual harm to come to his family, regardless of how they have treated him like a doormat lately. And later, after the way Adam reached out to warn Victoria about Ashland, I hope that she will start to give her brother the benefit of the doubt and begin to show him more kindness in the same way that Nick has.

Someone who may not ever give Adam the benefit of the doubt again, though, is Sally. Their breakup was so hard to watch this week because they are my favorite couple on the show! It's clear that Adam still loves her, and it is killing him to end things with her, which makes it even more frustrating. I get that he is trying to be noble and ensure that Sally keeps her job at Newman Media because Victoria and Nick would have fired her if they were still together, but it is really annoying that he is completely ignoring her when she tells him she would rather have him than her job.

But, of course, Adam thinks he knows best and took drastic measures by ending their relationship without giving her a say in the matter. They say you sometimes have to be cruel to be kind -- and Adam does think he is doing her a kindness by letting her go -- but it was hard to watch him be cruel to her, nonetheless. I know he felt that he needed to be harsh and hurt her so that she would believe him and let him go without putting up much of a fight, but it wasn't fair of him to tell her that they were a mistake from the beginning. I really am hoping that the writers have a larger plan at play here and that these two will make their way back to each other soon.

I'm really not sure what Adam's agenda is lately where his family is concerned. I doubt he has given up on wanting revenge on them, but it almost seemed like that was the case this week. It seemed like he truly wanted to prove himself to his father and gain Victor's respect. That was part of the reasoning he gave to Sally for their breakup, and whatever Adam's plan is, it is working because Victor seemed pleased that Adam and Sally had ended their relationship. Is Adam trying to build a false sense of security so that Victor lets his guard down in some way that Adam can find a way to hurt him? It would be great to see Adam outsmart his father and get the upper hand for a change. If he doesn't, then ending his relationship with Sally and all the heartache he caused her will have been for nothing.

Even though I hate what Adam is doing to Sally, I was happy that Nick and Victoria ultimately decided to keep her as Newman Media's CEO. I had been looking forward to seeing her and Chloe work together at the company, so I am happy to see that is still happening. Chloe needs this chance to forge a new career path and prove herself just as much as Sally does, so I'm really happy for both of them. I just wish that Sally's relationship with Adam hadn't needed to be the tradeoff for her and Chloe to get their fresh start.

Ugh, and I hated that Chelsea got the opportunity to rub it in Sally's face that she knew Sally's relationship with Adam wouldn't last. She could have commiserated with Sally and shown some compassion, since she is one of Adam's exes, too, but, of course, she took the low road and had to get some jabs in. I'm really not sure why she still has this vendetta against Sally. Sally has tried to be nothing but kind to Chelsea (and it's not like they are after the same man anymore), so Chelsea really has no reason to act that way toward her. It would be nice if Chelsea, Sally, and Chloe could all form a friendship together, but I also kind of hope that Sally steals Chloe away from Chelsea and becomes her new best friend because Chelsea really does not deserve Chloe's friendship any longer. I wouldn't be surprised if she is secretly hoping that Chloe and Sally crash and burn in their new business venture at Newman Media.

Speaking of people being unnecessarily cruel, I think Jack was really out of line when he ran into Phyllis, and she asked for his opinion about Lily's offer to buy her hotel. It's frustrating that he refuses to give Phyllis the benefit of the doubt and assumes the worst of her while at the same time also giving Diane a second chance after all that she has done to him. I don't believe that Phyllis was trying to manipulate him or trying to "back him into a corner" when she mentioned that she doesn't feel like she belongs in Genoa City anymore. And if their breakup hurts him so damn much because he never stopped loving her, then he needs to get over himself already and open his heart back up to her.

I swear, sometimes I think Jack has gotten so used to being miserable and alone over the years that he subconsciously sabotages any chance at real love that comes his way. It's like he expects a relationship to be perfect, but love is always messy. You've got to stick it out with a person and learn to be forgiving if you truly love them and want them in your life. It's so frustrating to see him continue to push Phyllis away and keep her at arm's length. I can't wait until Diane shows her true colors again and Phyllis gets to say "I told you so" to Jack. By then, it may truly be too late for them to reconcile if Phyllis won't want him back anymore. And, honestly, maybe that is for the best because she deserves better after the way he discarded her and threw away their relationship.

What do you all think? Has Jack overreacted in regard to Phyllis? And what about the other happenings in Genoa City this week? Do these "drastic times" warrant the drastic measures that all these characters have been taking (or are plotting to take)? Do you think Adam has a plan to reunite with Sally? And will Ashland attempt to murder Victoria?! Don't forget to hit the comments and share your opinions!

Until next time,

Vance

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