Risking everything

Victor took a risk to frame Adam for murder. Billy and Phyllis risked everything to find out if what they felt for each other was love or lust. Sharon risked her sanity to hold on to the lie that Sully was her son. Hilary risked her marriage to keep her health crisis a secret. Read this week's Two Scoops for risky business-as-usual in Genoa City.

When Phyllis asked Billy, if it was worth risking everything to explore their connection, Billy answered in the affirmative. I couldn't help but wonder, in the wake of the recent shakeup at the top, if CBS and Sony had asked themselves that same question in regard to The Young and the Restless -- which has seemed, at least to me lately, more "old and boring." It turned out that my friend Bessie felt the same way, and while we don't always agree on the stories and characters, we sure agreed on that!

Avoidance is something I'm really good at, and I've done everything that I could to avoid watching the last few days. Me, the laziest person on earth, preferred to pull weeds, dig up beds, and plant things to avoid doing my columnist duty to watch Y&R. Let's just say that watching grass grow was more exciting than the last few weeks of Y&R.

Tonight, before I could start this column, avoidance struck again. I was forced to rearrange the artwork on my walls and the furniture in my living and dining rooms. I also vacuumed everywhere -- twice -- and I hate vacuuming. Eventually, I ran out of excuses, and I had to watch the show so I could find something to write about that I haven't already written about in a previous column. Once I got done catching up, I estimated that there were probably about ten important minutes during the entire last week. The rest was mostly repetition and storyline stalling, but who's keeping track? Oh, right. I am.

As it turned out, last week wasn't all bad. There were a few important developments in those worthwhile ten minutes. I'm fairly certain that I can turn that into a few hundred words of something -- I'll leave it to you to say what! So, if you want to risk ennui to find out who's at risk in Genoa City, read on.

In a major reveal, we learned that Victor did indeed frame Adam for murder. We saw Victor talking to his mysterious female facilitator, who at Victor's behest contacted a forger to alter Sage's diary and a techie to fake the Constance Bingham autopsy results. Both Bessie and I think that the woman who is doing Victor's dirty work is a familiar, soon-to-be returning character that we all know (hint, hint, wink, wink). I don't want to give it away for those who like to be surprised, but for those who have already guessed, it's you-know-who!

Victor is certainly risking everything in the name of revenge, or is this just another way that Victor is trying to control his family? Will he actually let Adam go to prison for a crime that Adam did not commit? That would be "Heinous" with a capital "H." I'm amazed that Victor still doesn't have any remorse for what he did to Phyllis. He completely believes that he was betrayed and does not belong in prison -- talk about an old-school chauvinist from another century! I don't know about you, but I think that putting Phyllis in the jeopardy that Victor did in the way that Victor did it deserved an even longer sentence than the one he got, plus, he owes Phyllis a H-U-G-E apology.

There was a time when I admired Victor, but not so much these days. The Victator has been playing Dr. Gates -- honestly, how nave can one woman be? -- taking advantage of her loneliness, manipulating her, and setting her off to be his advocate, all the while, cheating on Nikki, framing Adam, selling Brash & Sassy, and who knows what else he's done that hasn't come to light yet? Victor has been very busy being bad. Victor is working as hard from his prison cell as he did from his office in Newman Towers -- a more luxurious prison, some might say.

Phyllis and Billy are risking everything for love, or is it lust? They aren't quite sure yet. I can understand why Phyllis would cheat on Jack. In her heart of hearts, she does not believe that he protected her, and she blames him for Marco, even though Jack was as much a victim as she was. Jack's image is tarnished. He is no longer her knight in shining armor; he's a victim, too. Billy is her new champion because he supported Phyllis unconditionally as she sought revenge against Victor, even though Billy had his own reasons for taking Victor down. Jack was much more a "Casper Milquetoast" and wasn't as willing to go for Victor's jugular as Billy was.

For the time being, Phyllis and Billy have a lot in common, but I suspect that inevitably, Billy will be drawn back to Victoria and their children, just as I suspect that Victor and Nikki will eventually be drawn back together. At heart, Billy is a family man and loving father. Phyllis may end up losing everything, so she is the one who is risking the most. Phyllis will bear the blame from the Abbott women for the family catastrophe that will ensue once her affair with Billy becomes public knowledge.

What Sharon is risking is her sanity because she feels guilty about not telling Nick and Dylan that Sully is actually Christian. Ironically, Adam, not Nick, is Christian's dad. If only Sharon knew. I'll bet Sage would stop showing up in Sharon's dreams. (This just occurred to me. Why isn't there something about Adam being Christian's father in Sage's diary. There ought to be. I think both Adam and Chelsea should wonder about that too.)

Sharon is going down the same path with this that she did when she remembered that she had changed Summer's paternity test. The outcome will likely be the same. Sharon is risking the loss of everyone and everything that she holds dear. I got a laugh when Nick told Sharon that she could tell him anything. I yelled at the screen, "That's what you said before you found out that Sharon faked the paternity test and that time you took Faith away from her!" (I also gave Nick a pat on the back when he gave permission for another autopsy on Constance. Surely Darth Victor can't tamper with this one, too.)

Hilary is risking her life to continue her social-climbing ways and potentially snare Jack, apparently a bigger fish than Devon. I guess 250 million dollars is not enough. Or maybe she likes older (much older) men because she has "daddy" issues. Personally, I'd prefer Devon and those really nice muscles any day to Jack, even though Jack is very well preserved for a guy who served in Viet Nam. I do expect Hilary to lose Devon, but as always, some knight will emerge, likely Jack, to defend this bad girl when Dr. Neville's drug stops working and she lapses or nearly lapses into another coma. Maybe this time when Hilary wakes up, she'll be the good girl again.

Ashley is risking her freedom for Dr. Neville so he can keep working on a cure for Hilary and the other patients who are relapsing. At the club, Jack was trying to get the truth out of Ashley about paying off the lab technician. Will he succeed? I doubt it. Jack has been none-too-sharp lately.

I'm sad that Michael E. Knight is leaving. I looked forward to his time on-screen. He was a bright spot for me. Maybe Dr. Neville can check in to GH. They can always use another demented doctor over there.

Adam is another Genoa City citizen who is taking a big risk, though from Adam's point of view, he probably doesn't think that he has much to lose. Making a deal with Ian Ward is always tricky because Ian is the proverbial loose cannon. He's not reliable or trustworthy, but he is vengeful. I'm still convinced that Ian has a plan that will hurt both Adam and Victor while helping himself. Ian is very sneaky that way, and I love it!

Chelsea is certainly a nosy Nellie, but I admire how she keeps Adam truthful and is willing to share the responsibility for a plan as daffy as breaking Ian out of jail so that he will give evidence that vindicates Adam. I've got my fingers crossed that Adam's upcoming trial will have some entertaining moments -- on purpose -- unlike the last few excruciatingly slow, frequently boring, weeks.

My fancy was tickled when Victoria took Travis to her office. I wondered if it was "Bring your boyfriend to work" day at Newman. At least she finally showed up for work. I can understand Victor's skepticism that Victoria could run the company. She's been spending a lot of time with Travis -- who did not reveal his past to her -- and she has not been paying attention to Newman's own risky business. She is starting out with Travis exactly like she did with every other man who lied to her, disappointed her, and broke her heart. Victoria is risking her family's company and her heart for a man who may have a hidden agenda.

Rather than blather on, I think that I will wrap up this week's edition. No need to risk belaboring the point, or have I already done that? I look forward to the coming weeks. I do so hope that risk-taking in storytelling will be at the top of the agenda for the newly installed show-runner, as well as major changes in the writing and the pacing. Ever the optimist, I cling to the hope that fresh ideas and snappy dialogue will make a comeback on Y&R, a soap that used to have it all but has been taken for granted and ill used of late. The Young and the Restless has been the number one drama for 27 years. I'd like to see that continue for 27 more, but on merit, not because we are hooked and, like watching a train wreck, can't turn away!

Please join me in two weeks for the next meeting of Soap-aholics Anonymous. We will gather in the pool area of the Athletic Club. Our topic will be "The risks of trysting in one's own home" with guest speakers Billy and Phyllis Abbott. Imaginary friends are welcome but are cautioned not to skinny-dip in the pool. Hope to see you there.

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