Succession -- Genoa City style

Diane dreams of being adored, Phyllis hits the pavement with her face, Summer spins a web for Sally, and Tucker just may redeem himself yet. How can you tell when anyone in Genoa City is telling the truth and when they're just trying to get rid of the competition? You read the Two Scoops commentary, obviously!.

Dear readers, do you watch Succession on HBO? It's a fantastic show about a family of vipers swarming around their elderly father, trying to maneuver themselves into being his successor. You can't root for any of them because they are all terrible human beings, but you can't look away.

This week, I couldn't help but think of the Roy family when I watched Victoria's steely gaze after Victor shared his intentions to have Adam run McCall without being under Victoria's thumb. Her face dropped, and her eyes seethed. Amelie Heinle is a master of those angry gazes.

In fact, I think The Young and the Restless reigns supreme in the "eye acting" category, the best of which was the Queen, the late, great Jeanne Cooper. My mother affectionately called her "old shifty eyes" because there were so many scenes when the camera was just focused on her eyes shifting back and forth in worry, despair, or sometimes in drunken confusion.

But frankly, I think the Newman family will lose out on the McCall acquisition completely. I believe that Devon will buy McCall to strengthen his portfolio and cautiously bond with his father. So, my prediction is that when Victor realizes that Victoria blew the deal by going to see Devon, he will give Adam her job as CEO. Wouldn't it be highly satisfying to watch Victoria have to crawl to Adam for permission? Gimme. When I say "prediction," I mean "hope," because I want to see Victoria subservient to Adam for a change. She's been nothing but mean to him since he came to town three Adams ago.

Meanwhile, Ashley is holding Tucker's debt and playing her mind games. Still, I am beginning to believe she genuinely wants to see if Tucker can become a better man. It's a crap shoot.

In college, I was engaged to a guy who was your typical drunken frat boy. But I saw enormous potential in him. I saw what he could be. He was talented and creative, and I could see in my mind's eye the person he might be someday, once his urge to party fell away.

I talked to my pastor about our relationship, and he gave me sound advice. He said, "You're in love with someone who doesn't exist, a fantasy you made up in your head. You must ask yourself, 'Will I be happy being married to this man if he never changes into the guy I think he can become?' Because there is no guarantee he will ever change." So, I broke off our engagement and dumped him. Years later, I concluded that my pastor was a prophet because that dude was still a drunk.

But back to Y&R. Ashley hopes she can coax Tucker into making decisions to heal his relationship with his son, which seems to be working. Devon is considering Tucker's offer and having sincere conversations about how the business can be streamlined and fixed. I laughed when Devon asked Tucker how and why he acquired a trucking division. Tucker replied that a truck driver cut him off, so he bought the company and fired the driver. I thought, "He's living my dream!" Imagine being rich enough to stick it to everyone who wronged you! (Sorry, God, I know that's not nice.)

I would love to see Devon and Tucker get close. They need one another. Since Devon lost Neil, he's been floundering and trying to find his footing. Tucker admitted to Devon that his company is the only thing he has had all these years and the only thing he thought about day and night. In my humble opinion, if the two of them find a way to heal their relationship, it would make both men better.

Ashley is pleased with her progress where Tucker is concerned. However, when she ran into Billy, he did not believe Tucker could change. Thankfully, Ashley reminded Billy how often he had fallen, failed, and begged for second chances. Billy didn't deny it, but he still didn't think Tucker deserved the same level of grace. My dad used to say, "We judge ourselves by our intentions, but we judge others by their actions." Billy can look at his failures and come up with reasons why he did what he did, but he doesn't want to hear Tucker's reasons.

Have you noticed that all the Abbott siblings disapprove of each other's love interests? Except for Traci. She's Switzerland right now. Ashley hates Jack being with Diane. Billy hates the thought of Ashley being with Tucker. I can imagine Ashley's unhappiness when she discovers that Billy's love interest is Chelsea. It makes me really miss Jerry Douglas. His kids sure could use a visit from the Ghost of John Abbott right about now.

Readers, I cannot decide if my favorite scene this week was a sloppy drunk Phyllis with raccoon mascara smeared all over her pretty face or a delusional Diane dreaming about a perfect wedding where all the people who hate her will suddenly accept her with open arms. Both were sparkling gems of scenes. Michelle Stafford and Susan Walters are both such engaging actresses. It's only a matter of time until we get an exciting, old-fashioned hair-pulling catfight between them. (She said hopefully.)

Phyllis is spiraling out of control and lashing out at everyone -- friends, family, and mortal enemies alike. Having Jeremy Stark find her passed out drunk in the street was probably the worst-case scenario. Phyllis was angry, jealous, and hungover enough to get sucked into Jeremy's scheme to bring Diane down.

I am torn. Part of me thought that Diane was running a long con, was married to Jeremy Stark, and was playing Jack for a fool. But after that dream sequence, I am starting to believe maybe Diane is sincere. Perhaps she truly wants to marry Jack and be a member of the Abbott family and has no agenda other than reuniting her family. Oh, no, maybe she has me conned, too! What do you think? Sincere and repentant, or still a bad girl?

Diane's dream where Traci, Ashley, and Summer fawn over her made me giggle. When Traci told Diane she was writing a book about Diane and Jack's relationship and that it was going to become a movie, I laughed so hard that I almost spit my kombucha out. But the dream turned into a menacing nightmare when Jeremy arrived at the dream cabin door! That nightmare will come to pass soon enough, since Phyllis discovered where Jack and Diane are hiding and texted Jeremy to tattle.

Summer thinks it is a nightmare that Sally is having Adam's baby and still dating her dad. As soon as she heard the news, she began hurling accusations about Sally using Nick as a buffer between Sally and Adam. You know, I'm not entirely sure she's wrong. Sally thinks Nick is a good, decent, stable guy. He is an honorable man. But does she have the passion for him that she had with Adam? I don't think so. Close your eyes and think about the person who makes your whole body tingle whenever you see their face or hear their voice. Is that what Nick and Sally have? I don't think so. It's pleasant enough. It's safe. It would be wise to stick with the stable guy in the real world. But in the soap world, we root for people to let their passions run free and make the wild decisions we mere mortals rarely dare to make.

I'm team Adam. He's unpredictable and messy but so loyal to the people he loves. Eventually, as Sally and Adam get closer during her pregnancy and after she gives birth, I doubt she will be able to ignore the fire that will certainly reignite between them when they are in close proximity to one another.

Daniel and Lily. Oh, they are still so pretty together. Daniel gave Lily a pep talk and wished she and Devon could find a way to make things right between them while Nate creepily eavesdropped in the background. Nate is becoming less and less likable to me. He's macking on Victoria behind Elena's back and spying on his family. He wants to make peace with Devon and Lily, but spying on them isn't how to get there.

Billy is contemplating Jack's offer, and no one can believe that Jack would give Billy another chance. But you know, after Kyle and Victor worked so hard to get Adam away from Jabot, no one seemed to consider that Jack genuinely needed someone in that role. Kyle won't like that Jack went to Billy with that offer instead of him, even though he was in cahoots with Victor and can't be trusted.

Likewise, none of the Newmans can be trusted, either. Summer meets with Nikki to inform her of Sally's pregnancy. The two of them concoct a scheme to reunite Sally and Adam to get Nick away from Sally and the mess that will happen because of her pregnancy. So, let me get this straight, Nikki and Summer are now on Team Adam?

When Summer cozied up to Sally to discuss Sally's pregnancy with respect and support, savvy Sally noticed an extreme shift in Summer's attitude and called her on it. Summer waxed poetic about how right she thought Adam and Sally were together back in the day and planted the seed that the universe was trying to keep them together by having her one night with Adam lead to pregnancy. I can hardly wait until Monday to see if Sally falls for that. But somewhere in Sally's heart, she may still believe that herself.

I am enjoying the scenes where Adam and Nick are talking and trying to work together to make peace and live in harmony together for the sake of Sally and her baby. I want to see these two brothers genuinely become friends someday, but I won't hold my breath. Nikki has asked Michael to put the kibosh on the McCall merger, pitting him directly against Victor and Victoria for the sake of peace in her family. Unfortunately, I don't think she will get the desired outcome, and I anticipate Victor going mental when he finds out. And he will find out.

Hearing Lauren and Nikki talk about the masquerade ball of days past was fun. I can see those costumes in my mind's eye. I won't mind a flashback or two if they exist. I am genuinely excited about the Genoa City bicentennial gala. Costumes, big hair, masks, and maybe even Y&R stars from the past popping up. Anything could happen -- good or bad.

Here is some interesting news: The company that purchased CBS's Television City lot is remodeling the studio where Y&R is filmed. Thus, Y&R, along with other shows filmed there, such as The Price is Right, Dancing with the Stars, and American Idol, will all have to move to a new location. Imagine having to pick up the entirety of Genoa City and schlep it across Los Angeles and rebuild it!

My husband, who pretends he doesn't watch Y&R, said, "Say hi to Cricket for me," when he found out I was writing about it this week. Hmmm. How does a guy who doesn't watch Y&R know the characters' nicknames from 20 years ago? Another soap mystery.

What will happen tomorrow, dear readers? Will someone please steal/burn/destroy that creepy ventriloquist dummy from Crimson Lights so I can stop having nightmares about it? Will Chelsea and Daniel's video game idea really help families communicate better? If so, where can I buy a copy? Will Harrison ever get that gift that Phyllis told Summer about but didn't buy him yet? Will we ever see Mariah and Tessa's baby that we have heard about for months but never seen? Will Sharon continue to psychoanalyze everyone who stops by Crimson Lights for a latte? Will Summer tell us where she got that groovy peach satin suit so I can buy one and immediately spill coffee on it?

Will Chelsea ever get involved with someone that Chloe approves of? Will Daniel continue gently speaking the truth to Lily until she finally hears him? Will Sally stop being independent and take the damned free house and private jet? (I would.) Will Michael retire and stop lawyering to plan parties with Lauren? (Methinks no, as Genoa City is shy of lawyers right now. Unless, of course, CBS can lure Jessica Collins back from Acapulco to bring Phyllis' sister Avery Bailey Clark back to town. But I doubt it. Who would willingly leave Los Colinas?) Will you all tune in for the Y&R 50th anniversary primetime special on CBS on March 27 at 8 p.m.? I know I will be there. Maybe even with a Marie Antoinette costume on.

Only tomorrow knows, dear readers, and I will tune in tomorrow as long as there are tomorrows.Tamilu

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