I don't know about you, but I am in love with all things Tuscany this week on Y&R. From the sets to the storylines, it's been an all-around win so far. The goings-on in Tuscany are even spreading storyline love all the way back in Genoa City as Ashland and Victoria's big day takes center stage and becomes the talk of the town. Billy helped Jesse plot revenge against Ashland, Adam tried to thwart Billy's plans to stop the wedding, Sally and Chloe schemed to make Victoria's big day all about them, and Mariah and Tessa squabbled about whether a trip to Italy was the right move for them right now (to which the answer should always be yes). There was plenty of drama in Tuscany, too, as Ashland's past yet again threatened his future with Victoria.
Before we dish on the Y&R drama, I want to say a formal hello to all the Two Scoops readers and introduce myself briefly. I am so excited to be writing my first official Two Scoops column for you all this week! I've been a Y&R fan since my high school days, when an ex-boyfriend of mine got me hooked to the show. He lured me into watching by informing me Eileen Davidson had just returned to the show as Ashley. He knew I was a big fan of hers from my years of watching her as Kristen on Days of our Lives (I had been watching DAYS since I was about 12 years old, and the original Marlena possession storyline got me hooked to my first soap opera).
It didn't take me long to get hooked on Y&R once I started watching. I grew up with Billy, Mac, Brittany, Raul, and J.T. as they navigated their high school drama at the same time I was dealing with my own teen drama -- we even graduated the same year! I've been hooked on the show ever since, and for a couple of years, I even ran a Y&R fan page on Facebook called Crimson Lights, which was a lot of fun and had a large following. I'm thrilled to be getting back to that Y&R fan service, in a way, by scooping Y&R here at Soap Central for you all. Anyway, enough about me and Y&R's past -- let's talk Y&R's present!
First of all, I just want to say how much I was loving Adam this week as he took on the protective brother role for Victoria. He is really making a genuine effort to show the Newmans that he has changed and wants to be a true member of the family. I was thrilled when he insisted to Sally and Chloe that he wanted nothing to do with their wedding dress scheme (other than offering Sally a ride to Tuscany in the Newman jet) because he wanted Victoria to know he was only there to support her and the family.
Then, to learn Adam had also been keeping tabs on Billy to stop him from wreaking havoc on his sister's big day was just fantastic. We have seen Billy and Adam spar plenty of times in the past, but it was different this time with Adam in the protector role, which gave a fresh spin on their never-ending rivalry. After they threw insults at one another, Adam ultimately left Billy to his own devices and warned him that things would blow up in his face if he didn't drop his vendetta against Ashland. I couldn't agree with Adam more.
Billy is about to do what he does best and shoot himself in the foot when he makes his "big revelation" to Victoria about the secret she's already privy to. He will ultimately just make things worse for her and put her company in jeopardy if he makes Ashland's secret public knowledge. I'm very anxious to see how it all plays out, and I love how the writers are building the tension.
I was also loving Sally and Chloe this week! These two are a lot of fun as friends, and I hope we continue to get more scenes with them together. It was nice that their plots were not nefarious in nature and that they were only scheming to give Victoria "the dress she deserves" while also giving their new fashion line a splashy debut in the public eye. Chloe continued to warn Sally about flirting with Adam, but I sort of hope that she continues to ignore her.
I think an Adam and Sally romance could be really great if the writers approach it in the right way -- and so far, they are off to a great start with a slow burn. Sally's character is starting to feel like she could have some solid ground to stand on in Genoa City. I hope she sticks around if the writers keep going in the direction with her that they have started this week (more fun and less angsty). I'm very much looking forward to her arrival in Tuscany in next week's episodes.
Tessa will also be making her way to Tuscany next week, but it looks like she'll be making the trip on her own. Mariah has decided to stay in Genoa City just in case Dominic gets sicker and she needs to be there for him. Oy vey! I doubt Mariah would be Abby's first call if something more happens with Dominic because it is clear that Abby is a little uncomfortable with the way Mariah subtly judges her parenting skills. Mariah absolutely should be getting more distance from Dominic, and taking this mini-vacation with Tessa could provide some much-needed stress relief. She is another character that can't help but get in the way of her own happiness. I hope she changes her mind at the last minute and joins Tessa, but I am doubtful she will. This could be the beginning of the end for these two if they don't find some common ground soon.
Abby is staying in town rather than venturing to Tuscany with her newborn, which is a little disappointing -- but also understandable. I think we will see her and Devon interacting more and more the longer that Chance is out of the picture. I have a suspicion that his sleepover at the Chancellor mansion this week was just the first of many to come, and we may have a love triangle building between Amanda, Devon, and Abby.
At this point, the writers really need to kill off Chance or bring him home. I don't know why the writers have had such a hard time with writing for this character over the years. They are constantly trying to find excuses for him to be out of town for one reason or another, even though he should be a major fixture on the Genoa City canvas. I'm really hoping that the writers give us some updates on him soon.
Now, let's talk about Tuscany. I am loving the beautiful sets that they have built for this storyline. It really feels like we have been transported out of Genoa City, and I love seeing all our favorite characters in a new setting. To me, it has been a breath of fresh air, and I hope they don't leave too soon. I was even enjoying Nate and Elena's coupling more this week, and I feel like they are a nice addition to the storyline. I have nothing against those two characters in general but have been on the fence about their renewed romance. Not anymore! I feel like they are sort of in the same position that we are as viewers and are just there to watch all the drama unfold without being mixed up in it directly. It's nice seeing them just relax and have fun.
The grander story in Tuscany this week was, of course, Ashland confessing yet another dark secret from his past to Victoria. I was a little hesitant to get on board with this storyline at first because I couldn't believe everyone was so invested in digging up Ashland's past when it seemingly had nothing to do with his present relationship with Victoria. That ended up being only half true, of course, because this latest reveal does put Newman Enterprises (and Victoria's leadership there) in jeopardy. I was happy to hear Victoria say that Ashland taking over his friend's identity after their car crash was not a dealbreaker for her, and she even sympathized with what he went through and why he made that decision. It really bothered me that the writers were seemingly going to use that secret as the nail in their relationship's coffin.
Instead, there was another big secret looming that was more of a threat to their current relationship -- and it was a big one! We all know business is incredibly personal to Victoria, so her reaction to learning that Ashland conned his way into receiving the inheritance that started his empire, which is now merged with Newman Enterprises, is completely understandable. She has every right to be concerned that if his secret goes public, it could have a major impact on Newman and all that she has worked so hard to build there.
I hope Billy doesn't manage to blow up her world by going public with what he knows. I wish Victoria would answer his calls and listen to him, if for no other reason than to assure him she already knows the secret he is dying to tell her and that she is going ahead with the wedding, anyway. The drama-fiend in me does secretly want to see the secret go public, though, just to watch Billy's machinations blow up in his face; however, for Victoria's sake, I hope someone is able to stop him.
Amelia Heinle absolutely deserves a "Performer of the Week" award for all the different emotions she was taking us through this week. I couldn't keep my eyes off her! She had me enthralled, wondering what she was going to do next or how she would react to everything she learned. You can see that she truly cares for Ashland but is torn over the best way to handle the truth about his inheritance. The logical part of her brain is telling her that it would be a bad business move if she were to call off the wedding, but it's clear that she is also motivated by the love she has for Ashland. She is fully aware that they are living on borrowed time because of his illness, which makes it almost seem petty to harp on things he did when he was much younger -- even if those choices threaten to tear down what they've built together professionally.
In wrapping up, I have to give a shout-out to Richard Burgi's performances this week. Whether commiserating with Victor over Billy's tenacity, having a heart-to-heart with Nikki, buddying up with Nate and Elena, or reassuring Victoria of his love for her -- he knocked it out of the park! I never expected to be so invested in his character, but this storyline has truly become must-see TV. I can't wait to tune in next week for the climax to all this tension the writers have been building! There are sure to be fireworks, but it remains to be seen who will get burned by them.
And I hope to be seeing you again here in the Two Scoops column, too! Until next time,
-Vance
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