Dear readers, perhaps you have noticed that Summer is adamantly anti-Claire. But I wonder if this is completely about her suffering trauma over Harrison's kidnapping, or if it is the spark she sees when Kyle gazes at Claire? I think there's a bit of jealousy intermingled in Summer's strong opposition to Claire spending time with Harrison. Summer indignantly asked Kyle "How can you do this to me?" Hey, Summer, remember when you let Kyle's mother rot in jail while you knew Phyllis was alive? I think that's a lot worse of a transgression than letting Harrison feed ducks with Claire at the park.
Summer has moved on with Chance, but Chance hasn't been around much. Where is he? I had high hopes that Chance would be a calming influence on Summer like Sally has been for Adam, but throughout this storyline, Chance sightings have been few and far between.
Are the writers trying to set up a love triangle with Summer, Claire, and Kyle? If so, what are their plans for Chance? This is all just conjecture, of course, I have heard no credible information to back up my wild guesses.
As for me, every time Harrison sees Claire and goes running into her arms, it makes me happy. He is such an adorable young man, and his reactions don't feel stiff or forced. It makes me wonder if Hayley Erin is taking Redding Munsell to Disneyland on weekends to build up their genuine bond.
There has been much debate online about what Summer's actual rights are where Harrison is concerned. I do not remember and could not find anywhere that Summer ever officially adopted Harrison. I have two stepdaughters, and while I love them with all my heart, they have a mom. I never adopted them, and in a legal fight, I would have no rights to make decisions for them. (They are both adults now, but you get my point.) I think Summer is in the same spot. Tara could get out of jail any day and come back to fight for Harrison. Considering all the other crimes all the other citizens of Genoa City have gotten away with, Tara's seem tame in comparison. Surely, she didn't get life in prison, right?
Therefore, if Kyle decides to hire Claire as Harrison's nanny over Summer's objections, does Summer have any legal pull to overturn Kyle's wishes? I don't know. And if I am wrong and Summer adopted Harrison, please show me, because I couldn't find it anywhere.
Some people have said, "It's implied." But what that means in soap-ese is that the writers left details vague on purpose so they could revisit the storyline one day without too much history to unravel.
There is so much tension in the Abbott household right now. Diane is furious with Jack for his actions with Nikki, and in this matter, I am Team Diane. While we all would wish for a friend who loved us so much they'd do *anything* to save our life, I must agree with Diane that it was a reckless choice. I admire Jack's loyalty, passion, and determination to save Nikki, but popping pills with vodka to the point of collapse may have been an overreach. But now that Diane is saying she needs time and says she is going to move out and have some space of her own, is this the end of Diane and Jack? So, while I agree with Diane's opinion on Jack's choices, I can't forget that Jack forgave Diane for faking her own death, so her outrage is a bit laughable.
The tension doesn't end there. Diane and Kyle are still in a power struggle at work and are allowing it to spill over into their family life. For months Diane campaigned for Kyle to have that job and supposedly only took it to keep his seat warm while he atoned for his sins. But now, she's clutching that chair with both fists and snarling at Kyle when he second-guesses her work. Have you ever worked at a job where the person above you was incompetent, and you had to spend all day correcting their shoddy work? Yeah, me, too. I'm guessing that's how Kyle feels right now. When Kyle made a point of telling Jack he admired what Jack did for Nikki, I thought Diane's hair might catch fire. She is so angry at her son and her husband, I think she may take up popping pills with vodka, too.
But wait, there's more! Ashley, Ms. Abbott, Belle, and Li'l Ash are all still swimming around in Ashley's brain, and from one minute to the next, we don't know which personality will show up. I want Ashley to ultimately get help, but not too soon because I am thoroughly enjoying watching Eileen Davidson's genius performance as four distinct personalities. I hope she is having the time of her life with this storyline. Soaps have done multiple personality storylines in the past, but this may be the best one ever, in my humble opinion.
It's wonderful to have Dr. Allen visiting from France, but if he does diagnose Ashley with dissociative identity disorder, what will happen to her? Will she be institutionalized? In Genoa City or in Paris? And where does Tucker fit in? I know he is not done with Ashley, and I know she is not done with him.
Perhaps this disorder was already at play on their honeymoon in Paris and explains why she didn't correctly recall what happened? I was so frustrated when they kept replaying that scene over and over, but now I think it may be woven into this current storyline. If I had my way, Tucker and Ashley would reunite, and the power-hungry ladder climbers Nate and Audra could be the new power couple trying to take over all the businesses in Genoa City. They look at each other like tigers wanting to pounce, but as of today's writing, they have not succumbed to their desire.
I know Audra. As in, I know a woman like Audra. I worked with such a woman, and everyone at work was terrified of her. She was brash, power hungry, and abrasive. But one day, she came to work sick and was sniffling and coughing all day. At lunch, I bought her some Kleenex, some O.J., and a bottle of Dayquil and said, "I noticed you weren't feeling well. I thought this might help."
She visibly softened. She was never mean to me again. We became friends. She had a tortured childhood, abusive and harsh. That hard shell she wore was protection to keep people from messing with her. (I'd use the F word, but this is a family-friendly column.)
I think Audra is the same. She's tough because she's had to be, but inside her is a lonely little girl looking for a safe place to land. Audra hopes that she has found that in Tucker, yet she harbors doubts and panics every time she sees Tucker with Ashley. Perhaps deep down, she knows that Ashley will eventually take him back, so she hedges her bets with Nate as a backup.
Nate told Audra that Tucker was only trying to recreate his failed honeymoon with Ashley in Paris. Audra dismissed his concerns and said that she had a history with Tucker long before he had his failed marriage with Ashley. But we could see his words got to her. She asked him if he wanted her, and he dodged. But he totally does.
Billy has his own issues because Aunt Mamie tried her darndest to oust him and mama Jill from Chancellor-Winters, but Devon, Lily, and Nate banded together to tell Mamie she was the problem. They reminded Mamie that they had been working successfully with Jill and that they only started having problems when Mamie came blazing into town, trying to torch the place. Mamie was outraged and gave her best "You haven't heard the last of me!" speech.
I was very excited when Mamie came on, a happy surprise. But then the anticipated Jill/Mamie showdown never transpired, and it all just kind of fizzled. Mamie turned into a troublemaker, not the tough but loving aunt we used to know. I'm disappointed. On many counts, Y&R is excelling in its phenomenal storytelling, but this one fell flat for me. We were teased with a possibility of Shemar Moore coming back. I thought that might be Mamie's last surprise, but that doesn't seem to be happening anymore.
Abby is caught in the middle between not one, not two, but three warring families, the Newmans, Abbotts, and Winterses. But being wrapped up in work drama means she doesn't have a clue what is happening with her mom. Tucker could have told her when he ran into her and Devon, but since she was being so witchy and wouldn't let him come to his grandson's school performance, he just dropped a hint. I think Abby will be furious when she finds out how far gone her mom is. I loved (and laughed) the day when one of Ashley's alters complained about having to spend time with Abby.
Across town in the Newman household, there is also chaos, although some of that chaos is hidden away in the wine cellar. Question... Where does Jordan pee? Where does she bathe? Does she only have the clothes she was kidnapped in? I always knew Victor was a mean old bastard, but even for Jordan, having to pee yourself every day seems like cruel and unusual punishment. Jordan spat at Victor, "You are a damned cruel bastard!" Victor responded, "You make it easy!" Funny.
Victor and Jordan are playing some twisted cat-and-mouse game, and Victor said he is considering his options. My heart sank. Is he really going to let this crazy witch out on the street again to avenge Jack for him? Does he really think she will follow through with his orders? I mean, she has mad disguise skills. She could go undercover as an Alaskan fisherman and end up in Juneau, catching salmon, before he found her. I hope that isn't his plan, but her bragging about her skills plus Victor being insistent that no Newmans should be at the Abbott household has me jumping to the worst-case scenario.
Nick and Victoria, Jack's former stepchildren, were much more gracious to Jack and thanked him for helping Nikki get into rehab, even though everyone agrees that he went to extreme lengths.
Readers, there have been so many conversations with Phyllis about Jordan that I can't help but think we are heading toward a Phyllis and Jordan showdown. When Phyllis confessed to Nick that she wished she could have watched Jordan drown and take her last breath, Nick advised her not to say that in front of anyone else. Then they discussed Summer's peanut allergy and how that crazy woman exposed Summer to peanuts and nearly killed her. I hope Jordan isn't allergic to peanuts, or Phyllis might get a bright idea.
I am happy that Danny is out of town, so Phyllis has something to do besides lust over Danny and writhe around on his hotel door. I like to see her stirring up trouble like normal. When Phyllis tried to enlist Diane in her war on Claire, and Diane declined, Phyllis caught a tone when Diane said, "I am not going to involve Jack in this."
I think Phyllis' next stop might be to visit Jack. She will not be pleased about him popping pills, either, but I think she will stand by him and make sure to take advantage of the wedge between Jack and Diane. There were a lot of comical lines this week, but the best was when Diane reminded Phyllis that either one of them calling someone a psycho is not a good look for them, because they have both been considered psycho in their lives. She's not wrong.
In addition to Nikki being in rehab, Adam's son, Connor, is still in the school to help kids cope with OCD. Adam is beside himself with worry, and Sally said her job is to support Adam so he can focus on supporting Connor. Chelsea and Billy are having a similar discussion, and all the adults in Connor's life want to do whatever it takes to help him get well. Adam and Chelsea plan to visit Connor, but both are worried about his reaction. I think Y&R is handling this storyline very gently and very responsibly. I appreciate the PSAs at the end of the episodes, directing families on where to get help. All the writers and actors in this story arc are doing fantastic and meaningful work.
Cole and Victoria continue to dote over Claire. They are all about Claire, day and night. Victor urged Victoria to come back to work, and his head almost exploded when she suggested she might not come back to work at Newman. How will this play out? It seems like they are heading for a Cole and Victoria reunion, but it's going so slowly, I can't decide if it's ever going to happen.
What will happen tomorrow, dear readers? Will Victor let Jordan out to pee, and will she accidentally run into Claire feeding ducks with Harrison? Will drunk Jordan be exponentially crazier than normal Jordan? Will Belle seduce Dr. Allen before Ms. Abbott murders Tucker? Will Victor find out that Jordan is terrified of spiders and have the Arachnophobia movie streamed on the walls of the wine dungeon?
Will Victor become a spokesperson for the brand of soundproofing he has at his house, where someone screaming at the top of their lungs in the basement jail cell cannot be heard? Will Claire ever remember how efficient she was as an administrative assistant and decide to go back to the corporate world, since no one wants her near their child? Will Sharon ever tell Nick that the universe told her they are endgame? Will we ever see Mamie again?
Only tomorrow knows, dear readers and I will tune in tomorrow as long as there are tomorrows.
Tamilu
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