A gathering storm marks Katherine's passing

A storm signaled Katherine's homecoming. No muss, no fuss, no hospital needed for birthin' Chelsea's baby. Billy used history to woo Victoria. The blogger struck again. Could Carmine be Billy's evil twin? Victor backs Adam, or does he? Fans vent about Melanie's lies.

Fasten your seatbelts and get out the hankies, fellow fan addicts, because we are about to find out that Katherine is dead. The massive storm that roared through Genoa City is a harbinger for the change that is about to follow. Especially for the friends and family of Katherine Chancellor, who were summoned to her home in response to postcards that Katherine had sent to them from around the world.

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Jill, Esther, Cane, Lily, Devon, Chloe, Victor, and Nikki were eager for Katherine's return and blamed the storm for keeping Katherine and Murphy away. Jill had a few choice words for Katherine's tardiness, but during one violent flash of lightning and loud thunderclap, Jill felt a momentary chill that no one else did. Her phone rang. It showed Katherine's number, but Jill heard only static. I don't know about you, but I started misting up right there.

The hair on the back of my neck stood up, and I took that as a sign that Katherine had contacted Jill. For a moment, I thought that Jeanne Cooper was going to appear to Jill in a ghostly form as substantial as that of John Abbot, who appears regularly to Jack.

I can hardly wait for the coming weeks. Jill thinks that those postcards represent Katherine's bucket list. She's probably right. I know for sure that we are going to cry buckets as we learn all about Katherine's death, possibly at the precise moment that Jill felt the chill. I think that Y&R is off to a great start with Katherine's send-off, and it should only get better as the repercussions are felt in Genoa City. Let me know what you think about this tribute to a legend!

No muss, no fuss, no hospital. Does anyone remember the last time that a soap baby was born in a hospital? I can remember them being born in cars, motels, elevators, and lofts, but somehow, no soap mother ever seems to realize soon enough that it's time to get in a car or call a taxi and get thee to a hospital, doctor, midwife, or the nearest nunnery. Maybe that's because labor is such an easy process on a soap.

Witness the birth of Terrence Connor McAvoy. Three grunts and presto, out popped one immaculately clean baby, with no umbilical cord to cut. Longtime viewer Cathy said it all with this comment:

I never saw a woman give birth in a wedding gown and have the dress look so perfect afterwards. If I were Chelsea, I would of changed first. Did you notice the baby didn't cry like a normal baby? If I were Chelsea, I would have been worried about that. Y & R really messed up on this one.

I'm with you, Cathy -- show me the blood!

There are definitely viewers out there who like this couple, but most of you hate this storyline, period. I agree. Dylan is dumber than a rock. I'm embarrassed for him. How can he possibly believe that the baby is premature? Viewer Arlene gets the I-Couldn't-Have-Said-It-Better Award:

Are we to believe that Dylan is so stupid that he can't count? He slept with Chelsea in March and 9 months later would be Dec. He is buying the story that the baby is a "few weeks" premature. How about 4 months? And a baby that early would be in an incubator. Or maybe he doesn't know that a full term is 9 months. I also can't believe that Adam will let this pass without having some serious doubts. Even in soap opera time, there is still a 2 month difference in due dates. The writers need to give us all credit for having some intelligence

I do like Chelsea and Dylan as a couple. The problem is that I don't like either one of them enough as a stand-alone character to think that they deserve to be a happy supercouple. Dylan is too gullible -- surely someone will soon sell him a bridge somewhere and he will lose all his money -- and Chelsea is a liar, who is unreasonably keeping her child away from its father. I don't want her to succeed, even though I thought Chelsea's fairy tale wedding to Dylan was very sweet. I don't think that she deserves happiness at Adam's expense.

Adam will find out the truth. In typical soap style, expect Connor to develop the same hereditary vision defect that Adam has. Let's see what Saint Dylan does then.

The other problem, as I see it, is that neither Chelsea nor Dylan belongs to one of the core families, so neither one of them has any real anchor in Genoa City. They work if they are together and you ignore the baby issues, but once Adam is revealed to be Connor's real father, either character could exit town and hardly leave a ripple behind. Chelsea's family does provides some comic relief, but Dylan has no one.

A casting call has gone out for a twenty-something actress. I was thinking that giving Dylan a sister might anchor him, though I don't remember any mention of siblings, and he might be an only child. If you haven't already read the article, check it out, and tell me what you think. We'll discuss the possibilities of who this might be next time. Also think about this. Is there a future in Genoa City for Dylan with anyone other than Chelsea?

Many of you have taken me to task about my opinion of Adam. I bask in the warmth of your comments! I am certainly willing to reconsider some of my thoughts about this character. Here's what Marcia said:

Why is Adam always the dark cloud when everyone else has done worse? Just like real life, the same people get away with everything and the same people take the heat.

Marcia is right about that. I believe that the reason that Adam can never find redemption is because the writers have patterned Adam after Loki, in the Norse legend. If you've seen the movies Thor and The Avengers, you will notice that not only does Adam bear a striking physical resemblance to Loki, he has many similar emotional characteristics as well. Both Adam and Loki believe that they will never gain their father's love. Both can be extremely duplicitous.

The difference between Loki and Adam is that Loki has turned to the dark side and is not redeemable. Adam is basically a good person who retaliates quickly, usually with verbal barbs when hurt, but he feels regret later. His pride and insecurity won't let him apologize or admit to his sensitive feelings. After some correspondence with Marcia, I asked her what she thought about Adam's comment to Jack that Victor would stab Adam in the back, despite the fact that Victor had staunchly defended Adam publicly to a reporter.

I was elated that Victor had supported Adam. I thought that was what Victor had to do in order to bring Adam into the family fold and to prove to Adam once and for all that Victor valued Adam as much as he valued his other children. I will be crushed if Adam is right, as Marcia contends, and Victor throws Adam under the bus. In that case, I will cast my vote to Adam and hope that Jack is the mysterious moneyman backing Adam. I will happily watch those two send Victor into retirement and take Newman away from him, especially after the way that Victor is treating Jack in regard to Summer.

On the other hand, this is a real opportunity to bring this very powerful family together and to show solidarity and healing. Adam, Victoria, and Victor, no longer at odds, working together, would be a powerful combination. Victor should love all his children equally. Adam deserves no less from Victor than Nick, Victoria, and Abby get from him. The spiritual healing of this family would be a great opportunity for us to feel and express emotion in a good way -- even though for me that means eye leakage.

For Adam's part, he would have to trust and support his siblings instead of taking every opportunity to ridicule them. I suspect, however, that Marcia is correct; if the irrational possessiveness that Victor expressed to Jack in regard to Summer is an indication of Victor's control issues, then I imagine that Victor will do the expected and try to outmaneuver Adam any way that he can, and he will prove to Adam that Adam was right all along to distrust Victor. If Adam does prove to be correct about Victor, I have to wonder why Adam bothered to save Victor's life in the first place.

So thank you, Marcia, and you others who were brave enough to pen kind-hearted differences of opinion. I've changed my mind about Adam. Does it make me seem weak if I bow to the logic of your superior reason? I hope not. Just don't expect me to change my mind every time you disagree with me!

Good news -- or not, according to Eric Braeden -- for those of you who have been venting about the quality of the writing. The head writer for Y&R is changing. You can read about it by clicking here.

To those of you who have expressed your displeasure with me because you thought that I had a hand in writing Y&R*, please know that I have no more influence over what is written for the actors than you do. One of the reasons that I print your emails is because I believe that your opinions are as valuable as mine. So, if someone from the show does occasionally read my opinion, they will also reads yours. On the up side, I do want you to know that I am totally flattered that you think I'm good enough to be a bad writer for such a great soap!

*If any Y&R writers are reading this, here is a viewer's synopsis that says it all. So lend an ear to Jennifer:

Some of the story lines lately are just so lame... Cane and Lily seem to have lost the passion they once shared, bickering over stupidity is boring. Neil and Leslie, don't even get me started on those two, I'd rather watch my dishes dry! Dylan apparently has much bigger issues than PTSD, are we supposed to believe that he is actually that dumb? Sharon, Sharon, Sharon...enough said about how flat she is being portrayed. I really miss the days when I had to sprint to the kitchen or restroom during commercial breaks so as not to miss a moment of Y&R. Now it's like...well you can watch once a week and not miss anything interesting. It's so repetitive and gotta say boring. Maybe it's because I'm getting older and can't see how the characters could possibly be so successful and stupid at the same time. Bring back the passion and brilliant writing of days gone by, please?

Billy and Victoria are back together at last, and I say about time. I think all of us are relieved that that these two lovebirds have kissed and made up. Now they need to get back to trying to have that baby. As a victim of SORAS, Victoria is now in her early forties and has to be getting worried that time is running out for her -- or maybe not! Perhaps Victoria, like Lauren, lives in the anti-aging part of town and is now younger than Nick, making her biological clock a non-issue.

Victor is bound to be livid when he finds out that none of his scheming has worked out the way he intended. Now more than ever, Victoria needs to stand behind Billy. Billy said it all when he told Victoria that he could not guarantee that she would not fall, but he could guarantee that he would be there to pick her up. Victoria needs to be a true partner, "woman up," and tell Billy the same thing and mean it. She has to stop running home every time she and Billy Boy hit a rough patch.

Facing the reality that a loved one is an addict and helping them beat back that addiction is what a real partner does. Support and encouragement are not the same thing as enablement -- Is that even a word? Well, you know what I mean!

Billy and Victoria do have their detractors. Joan said:

I videotape Y & R so that any scenes portraying the characters Victoria and Billy I can fast forward. The Victoria character is more than annoying...supposedly CEO material but acts like an eleven year old. As to the Billy character, he is a very good actor but it annoys me he is portrayed as such a weakling.

Billy Miller is an amazing actor. I didn't spot the Emmy on the shelf at On the Boulevard in a recent episode. It had to be pointed out to me. Hope you saw it. I recently caught Miller's performance as the "Honeymoon Killer" in Fatal Honeymoon. It was haunting and chilling and very, very believable. He will be making a guest appearance on Castle this fall. You can find the story by clicking here, if you are interested.

I think that Y&R is missing a golden opportunity to give Billy an evil twin. What if Carmine had a Billy mask made and then substituted himself for Billy? He wouldn't even have to be Billy all the time at first. Billy could get in all kinds of trouble for stuff he did not do but could not prove because he was alone when Carmine impersonated him. Carmine could keep terrorizing Lauren for a long time before he had to kidnap Billy to keep anyone from finding out about him.

Never mind that Carmine is an unemployed bartender on the run. Villains and stalkers, even on nighttime television, always seem to have plenty of cash and computer access to get to anyone, anywhere, anytime, no matter what kind of protection the person has. There must be a secret bank account available to such villains. Maybe the password is "psycho."

Have any thoughts on this? I know this is recycling an old story, but what can I say, Billy Miller is as good at playing evil as he is at playing daddy. Were you as touched as I was when Johnny's first word was "da-da?"

I don't think that I have received any positive responses about the blogger story. We now know that Hilary is the blogger and that she is Rose Turner's daughter, Anne. Her agenda clearly includes causing trouble between Lily and Cane. The only question is why. If Anne does hold Neil responsible for her mother's death, why wait six years for revenge? Does anyone care? If you are interested in this story, let me know.

Some of you are still lamenting Phyllis, and some are cheering that she is gone. I am conflicted. I love Michelle Stafford as an actress, but I really did not like the Phyllis who first came to Genoa City and lied about Daniel's paternity, tried to murder Christine, and did murder Dr. Tim. She is not the loving, caring, gutsy Phyllis who just went to a clinic in Georgia, where she will linger in a coma until she is recast or until Michelle Stafford decides to return. Naturally we all hope for Stafford's return, but many of us would settle for a good recast, just like the one that gave us Peter Bergman as Jack.

I am equally conflicted about Sharon. I loved the old Sharon, who married Nick and created a family with Nick, Noah, and Cassie. I can understand why Sharon would want that time in her life back. I'm sure all of us have wondered at one time or another what would have happened if we had made different choices in our past. This Sharon really needs professional help. It is truly sad that there is no one in her life close enough to her to realize just how delusional Sharon is and to help her get the compassionate care that she needs.

The scene that Avery witnessed with Nick on the couch, holding Faith on his lap while Sharon slept in his arms, was eerily reminiscent of Nick, Sharon, and Cassie. What made it so heartbreaking was that what Sharon imagined as real was as delusional as her visions of Cassie. Sharon continues to plunge forward with her plot to win Nick, aided and abetted by her imaginary dead daughter, all the while unaware that the noose is tightening.

Summer is already questioning the lipstick found at the scene of her mother's fall. How long before Avery finds out about the speeding ticket? Who will eventually discover Sharon's lie? My bet is on Summer with an assist from Avery. Like a lot of you, I do find Avery and Nick boring as a couple, and it won't bother me if they break up.

I like both Avery and Adam much better as people when they are together. They might have the makings of a good couple. Avery is someone Adam can trust, and he needs that in his life. They have healthy adult conversations. I hope to see this duo spend more time on-screen together. Adam should ask Avery to be his character witness.

I know that Adam had a previous relationship with Sharon that many of you are still rooting for, but after the mean-spirited way that Adam dumped Sharon when Victor snapped his fingers and told Adam to get rid of her, I think that Adam should have to crawl back to Sharon with a lot more than an apology.

There is no doubt now that Sharon is off her meds and around the bend. What Sharon needs is treatment, not criticism or insults. Despite the heinous thing that Sharon has done, she is not responsible. Sharon is out of her mind. Sharon is legally, and probably clinically, insane, no matter how normal she seems. Sharon's illness is as serious as Nikki's illness, and I think that it was very unkind of Nikki to call Sharon names when Nikki found Sharon at Nick's place.

I hope that Sharon gets the treatment she needs -- and soon -- because it is definitely not safe for Faith to stay with Sharon unsupervised. I want to see Sharon back on her meds, living a normal life. Give Sharon some friends and a love interest she can call her own. Show that Sharon can overcome her illness, not be felled by it.

Finally, several of you were as hot under the collar as I was about the false rape storyline. I was somewhat mollified by Leslie's speech to Adam on the subject, but I was still bothered because it called up deeper issues. The I-Could-Not-Have-Ranted Better Award goes to Annie for this diatribe:

I sort of FF a lot of Y&R, and usually confine my close viewing to plotlines involving Sharon and Adam, either separately or together. I am really finding it difficult to watch either one of them because of how poorly women are being portrayed in all aspects of their plotlines. Melanie had a case for maybe wrongful dismissal and a hostile work environment, but to turn it into sexual harassment and then rape? It's like a 60s argument against allowing women in a workplace. Sharon, although mentally unstable, is willing to destroy her children's happiness so that her ex-husband will love her? Yuck. And Chelsea is willing to lie and risk her child's health to hide the kid's paternity from a man who has never threatened to take her child or hurt her except in her idiotic imagination. And meanwhile, Adam, Nick and Dylan are the "innocent victims" of these evil women. Can we maybe get the soap operas out of the dark ages? These motivations are not anything I can relate to. How about some strong female characters who don't need to break the law, lie and manipulate people -- or at least who do these things for a better reason than because they're obsessing over some man.

Amen, Sister Annie, you are preaching to the choir. Women have worked and struggled to become independent and to experience partnership in the truest sense of the word. We want stories of integrity and hope, not ones of deceit and dishonor. What Victor and Adam did to Melanie was terrible, but she did not have to go along with it. If she felt that either Victor or Adam was forcing her to do something that she did not want to do, she had the option of reporting their behavior. Instead, she waited until she could manipulate the situation to her best advantage.

Meanwhile, the next few weeks will be "must-see TV." Get out the Kleenex and settle in to savor the last of Katherine Chancellor. Attend the reading of her will and grieve with friends and family. Lives will be changed forever as the storm of Katherine's passing washes over Genoa City.

Until next time, fellow fan addicts, may the soaps be with you!

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