Old times, new faces

There was a lot of action on The Young and the Restless this past week. Where will everything land when the wheel stops spinning?

Was that Cricket? Is Meggie moving in to Genoa City? Ryder's on the way out and Ronan's on the way in ... or are they? Lots of action on The Young and the Restless this week, and I for one am thrilled. Keep all those balls in the air, Maria Arena Bell! Let's see where everything lands when the wheel stops spinning!

Before launching into all the new developments and plot twists, a moment for something sweet and nostalgic. Wasn't it great to see Victor propose to Nikki again? I feel like this was proposal number eight or nine, but who's counting? These two are going to keep on getting engaged and married and divorced until they get it right! But I've always thought these two belong together, don't you? It made sense that after all the travails and troubles, not to mention the joys and successes, they should realize that when they're together, it's better.

Not that everyone can have that, though. Phyllis, I thought, finally had an epiphany regarding her relationship with Nick. It's hot, it's steamy, it's passionate... but Nick still loves Sharon. It's just that simple. No matter what Phyllis does, she's always going to be in second place. That's no way to live, and she figured it out.

How and why Sharon chose that time to walk away, however, is just mystifying. I'm not buying that she has lingering feelings for Adam. ...Certainly not the kind of feelings that she has for Nick. So what's the point of taking a flyer now when chances are that Nick will be available again?

While on the subject of the Newmans, let me put in my vote for Victoria and Billy to make it. Yes, they're an odd pair. She's straight-laced and Daddy's little girl. He's a wild man. They could be combustible in the worst kind of way. But they're also fun and bring out different things in one another. And you've got to love the fact that Victor and Jack are not thrilled about their pairing.

Adam's getting on my nerves. He's annoying and obnoxious and I don't understand where Maria A's going with his character. Clearly he's an evil person. He has done horrible things. Even if we believe that Patty killed Richard Hightower thinking that he was Adam, it was Adam who lured Hightower there in the first place! And what about the little boy who lost his father? That's despicable. Why did he have to do that - just to get away? Why not use a dead body to fake a dead body?

Here's what I'm hoping - Skye should play Adam for his name and all he's worth, and then destroy him! That's right, turnaround is fair play. He should get his comeuppance. And if he gets anywhere near reuniting with Sharon, I'm going to lose my lunch! Adam had a brief window of time when he seemed like a normal human being, but even for a soap, he's done stuff that's just beyond the pale. The Botox to the eyes, for instance. Yeeech! And this Hightower stuff was just reprehensible.

Cricket's return is certainly a mystery, although judging by the cryptic call the other day, she's clearly working with someone, and I'm guessing it's Ronan. And you know she must be keeping some secret involving Nina and Paul. She was just too weirded out by the fact that they were a couple. And when Chris mentioned what a great father Paul's been to Heather, it just made me go "hmmm..." Could Chris have a little Williams she never told Paul about?

Another mystery in Genoa City is Meggie from Ottawa. Ottawa, a major cosmopolitan city that the writers have reduced to a waterfront for scrubby sailors. Our readers are incensed! Anyway, what's the deal with Meggie? Is she just a good-hearted soul who's looking for Victor to give her a break, maybe help her relocate or improve her life? If so, that takes a lot of nerve. Would you come five hundred miles to visit a guy you met in a bar on the hope that he'll show you some charity?

It could be that Meggie is an innocent, but more than likely she's not. If nothing else, she's offering some conflict for Nikki that is a good thing. She's been reduced to doing nothing but taking care of Faith and feeding lines to Victor. Give the lady something to do!

Jill, on the other hand, needs to be zipped! She's really off-base with this Fenmore stuff. It's presumptuous of her to assume that Lauren wants her in her life, in her business, and sharing the Fenmore name. You need more than DNA to establish a relationship. Why doesn't Jill get that?

I'm also fed up with Jana. Seriously, can her brain be so damaged that she's buying the lies Ryder is dishing out? Doesn't she have any loyalty for Kevin, the man she married even if she can't remember him? And while we're on the subject of characters who are acting strange, are we supposed to believe that Mac has postpartum depression? If she's really concerned about that empty feeling in her heart over the twins, she needs to see a therapist right away. Going to a video arcade isn't going to solve your problems, any more than it was going to make Lily get well. I did like Billy and Victoria at the arcade, however, because it was a fresh take on those two.

Finally, I have to say I was stunned that Chance had sex with Heather. Not that I'm not rooting for them, but I believed in his Boy Scout image. I'm sort of surprised that he could be tempted like that, and it makes me wonder if Chance is not going to be as we've been led to believe. Could he have a dark side? Could he be a psychopath? Oy vey, what will Nina do if that's the case!

Here are some letters from the mailbox -- keep 'em coming, fans!

I live in Ottawa Canada. Recent episodes have had Victor going to Ottawa and today he spoke from the ranch to police in Ottawa asking about a woman named Meggie. In the phone call he refers to the "water district" in Ottawa and also when he was supposedly in Ottawa he was in a dive bar in the "water district". PLEASE NOTE there is no water district in Ottawa, there are basically no bars of any type on the water here. Ottawa is absolutely NOTHING like you are portraying it and you are revealing your extreme ignorance by going with this representation. Please STOP this at once. You have thousands of Y & R fans in Canada and specifically in Ottawa. Get smart and correct this misinformation. -- Elizabeth R.

I absolutely love the Billy/Victoria pairing!!! They are so cute and you can tell that they are so much since the love literally comes at you through the screen! If you guys can, please keep them together -- and make the characters soulmates -- because it is so meant to be. I would love it if they are actually the one pair that stays together their entire lives-and please do not change the actors that portray Victoria or Billy -- the ones you have are perfect for their roles! As for Lily and Heather-please kill them off -- they are annoying, and a waste of time to watch. -- Stephanie

Sorry that Adam HAD to come back. Where is the imagination of the writers? Now all of the soaps are patterning themselves after Y&R. Does no one have any morals anymore? Not everyone in the world is crooked! Get rid of Adam once and for all. This makes me and many others want to totally stop watching. -- Janet D.

Your comments are always welcomed here at Soap Central, so stay in touch. You can send me your thoughts at any time and you can also post your own version of Two Scoops over in our Blogs section -- and keep on reading Two Scoops every week! Best,Allison