Genoa City, Wisconsin - ghosts check in, ghosts check out. Or maybe it just seems that way. There aren't any more apparitions on Y&R than the other soaps. It's just that there needs to be some selectivity. For instance, poor Ashley is doubting her sanity, fearing for her pregnancy and freaking out over this Sabrina haunting. It's not real, but that's not making Ash feel any better. And Victor's supportive, "I'll take care of everything, my darling," isn't solving the problem. Maybe he should be asking Paul Williams to handle the ranch security because his guys are really lame. They haven't figured out that Adam has the motive, the opportunities and the wherewithal to do all this stuff. Estella is the likely culprit, and yet do we really think she'd risk her career with Senor Newman just to spook Ashley? I loved it when Adam threw suspicion on Victoria. That was slick, but then Adam's a snake, what do you expect from him?
No, no. Ashley is not really being haunted, but if things were correct, she would get a visitation from John. Yes, her father! Why should Billy and Jack get all this wonderful fatherly advice and spend time with the vision of John Abbott but not Ashley? When Jack heard about Ashley's troubles with the moustache, forcing her to take a leave of absence from Jabot to have bed rest for the baby, he should have told Ash about John. Maybe if Billy and Jack shared their John experiences with Ashley, she could feel better about her ghost. Maybe ask Sabrina to be like Casper, the friendly ghost, you know - a friend? Ash should offer to name the baby Sabrina, but that would only stop a real ghost and Sabrina is not one of those.
Sharon had a visit this week from the other world, too. Cassie showed up at the playground in her dreams, and how nice that Cassie is all grown up now and looking so pretty. Of course, Sharon had no idea what Cassie meant when she said that her daughter was Summer. Is there some weird twist coming where it's going to turn out that Phyllis didn't give birth to Summer? How did she fake a childbirth? Like I said, weird.
Sharon was at least upfront and honest with her mother about who's the daddy - Billy, Jack or Nick? You know, for a supposedly "nice girl," Sharon has had more sexual partners than most. And that's just in the past two months. Also, what's with birth control? You mean to tell me in this time of safe sex, Sharon was having unprotected sex with her two ex-husbands and the brother of one of her exes? What is this, all in the family will protect me from an STD?
I thought Billy's eyes were going to fall out of his head when Jack told him about Sharon's baby! This new Billy is terrific, and he really does look like a junior version of Jack. I love him. He's such a mess, you know? Married to Chloe, daddy to Delia, hung up on Mac, and possibly the baby daddy to Sharon. Maybe John should have spanked him when he appeared, because Billy could use a good kick in the ass. Jack proved once again that he's a fool for love. His heart really is Sharon's and his offer to be the father of her baby, even if it's Nick's (he still doesn't know about little bro Billy), was really sweet. Sharon doesn't really deserve such loyalty, but she's blonde and pretty so I guess that's enough. No, I'm being cynical, but seriously, Jack is a stand up guy when he's not fighting dirty against Herr Newman.
It was some kind of busy week for our Wisconsin friends; Kay and Murphy said "I do" for starters. It was so nostalgic to hear Ana sing, "Let Me Call You Sweetheart" - my grandmother used to sing that song when I was a kid! The wedding was also really funny, with Nina tying up Jill in the closet. Way to go, Nina - too bad you couldn't have left her there. Has Jill been taking new "super-bitch" pills? She has been on a rampage. She's like some misguided missile determined to screw things up for anyone who gets in her way. Her brilliant notion to team up with Gloria and Jeffrey is bound to blow up in her face, but I doubt if her one-night-stand with the bartender will result in a miracle pregnancy. It's enough that Y&R is making us buy Ashley as still a baby-maker; Jill would be one baby too much. Yet, it certainly reminded us what a slut Jill is. Oh, right, she's an independent woman free to sleep with whomever she wants. Right on, lady! By the way, did she leave him a tip on the nightstand?
Getting back to the Newmans, I really felt for Nick this week. He was caught between a rock and a hard place when his father offered him the COO job. It meant walking away from Restless Style, which didn't sit well with Phyllis. Do you disappoint your father or your wife? I think ultimately that Nick answered the ancient call of all children with a family business - he has to prove to his father that he can run the company. But working for Papa Victor is no easy task. Talk about your tough characters. Did you see Victor graciously offer Neil his best at Chancellor, then he ripped into Kay - on her wedding day! - for not asking him first before hiring Neil? That, my friends, takes chutzpah. But he is Victor Newman. He invented the word hubris (look it up, it's a great word!)
The Newmans are an interesting lot, no doubt about it, and wait till Vic finds out that the child who is most like him isn't Victoria or Nicholas or any other off-spring - it's Adam. Yes, Adam has all the brains and the evil that Victor has. He's a liar and he's filled with rage against the old man. He's so angry that he is sabotaging his eyesight to get revenge. By far the most disgusting thing I've ever seen on a soap was Adam taking a syringe to inject something in his eye! Ewww! I did not want to see that, let alone imagine him doing it. (Couldn't he have used eyedrops?) But think about the overarching story? He's faking blindness - or risking the real thing - because he hates his father. What the hell did Victor do to deserve that? Adam plotted with Jack and tried to frame Vic for murder. How did he think the old man would react to that level of betrayal? But like Nick and Victoria, Adam wants back into the business. They can't control themselves.
It's like Jack with Jabot. He can't help himself either. He wants to be in Daddy's big chair. But Nick going back to Newman is going to be tough on him. Phyllis is not going to be a quiet, supportive little wifey about this. You know that editorial photo shoot that Nikki and Phyllis and Chloe were forcing Cane and Lily to perform, the one about the reality of marriage, that's a reflection of some bitter brides. Not that every marriage is bad, but the rose-colored glasses do come off. Nikki, however, will soon be back in "Blissville" thanks to Paul's proposal. It's coming, Y&R fans, maybe some happy times for Ms. Nikki.
I'm also hopeful that Jill's interference with the Governor won't carry any sway and Kevin and Amber will get off the hook. There's no story if they're behind bars, so I'm expecting Kay's influence to trump Jill's seduction. By the way, is she stocking up on condoms? She's been sleeping around like a tramp as much as Sharon!
Whew! I told you it was a busy week in Genoa City. If you'll excuse me now, I'm going to join the ghost of my Grandma Gussie and sing a few bars of "Let Me Call You Sweetheart" in honor of Mother's Day. Till next time, read my daily blog Lathered Up here on Soap Central, and please, share your thoughts. We love to hear from you!
Best,
Allison
