The Summer of our discontent

Nick jumped to conclusions about Adam faster than Superman could leap a tall building. Victor got stabbed in his sleep, but instead of being scared, he decided to get even. Summer was discontent when she received a summons to testify about PassKey. Michael feasted on sour grapes and pondered the consequences of his ill-fated decision to sabotage Victor's case. Get the lowdown in this week's Two Scoops!

Poor Summer. She is definitely in a no-win situation since that summons arrived and she has been called to testify in the PassKey lawsuit that the Newmans are bringing against the Abbotts. If she tells the truth, it will hurt her mother and Summer's friends, if Summer doesn't, it will hurt her father and grandfather. Oh woe, what to do?

Summer is a lot more discontent than I would be. After watching soaps for forty years, there's one thing that I'm sure of -- lying about anything never, ever works out, at least not on the soaps. Just look what happened to Michael. After cautioning all the plotters that they had to be extra careful never to discuss that he was going to sabotage Victor's defense and get Victor convicted, Michael, himself, was the one who gave away the farm by discussing his plan with Lauren in a public place where anyone could overhear him.

I doubt, though, that Summer will learn anything from Michael. Her only hope is that the Newmans and the Abbotts decide to play Let's Make a Deal instead of Family Feud. Summer is a ditherer at best, and she has definitely proved herself worthy of the "dumb blonde" stereotype. I blame the writers. Or maybe it's her parents, who are such strong people that Summer gets lost in their shadows. At any rate, she has not shown us that she has made the best decisions in the past, and her whiny self-pitying attitude is annoying. I thought that both Natalie and Mariah were spot on when Summer voiced her discontent about being in the middle of the feud, and they pointed out that at least she had a family who loved her, as they were alone.

I do expect Summer to cave in to peer pressure if she does have to testify, but hopefully it won't come to that. Before I go on, let me be clear that any criticism I may have about a character is not a criticism of the actor. In Summer's case, I think that they could do a lot more with this actress, who has been nominated for an Emmy at least three times and has shown a remarkable flair for comedy on Life in Pieces. Summer could be a very strong character embodying the best traits of her parents, but instead, she seems to have inherited the worst. I wonder how long we can expect a talented actress like Hunter King to stick around when she is given such weak material to work with. Am I discontent with the content? You bet. Will it cause me to stop watching? Not in a million years!

It is nice to see Nick all spiffed up in a suit and tie, but, boy, can he leap to conclusions faster than Superman can stop a speeding bullet. Not only did he make a total ass out of himself when he jumped all over Adam and Victor, but he was so rude that he walked away without listening to an explanation. I think Adam has proven that he's changed. It's about time that Nick gave Adam a little slack. Chelsea, too for that matter. She's been quite the little shrew lately. Adam has kept his promises to her. She needs to accept the person he is. It's no wonder Adam doesn't confide in her -- she blabs all their business to anyone who will listen.

I have no doubt that Adam will eventually go back to Newman, but after all, that's his heritage, his birthright, so it makes sense for him to be there. I just wish that he, Nick, and Victoria could actually work together as a team, but that is asking too much, I guess. Even the sainted Abbotts are having family issues, and they've always been the poster children for functional families. I wonder if John needs to visit all his children and have a little talk with them.

John could start with Billy, who is arrogant yet optimistic about success in court. Jack wants to play Let's Make a Deal so that Jabot can be assured of at least half the pot, but Billy figures that if they all just lie about what happened, they will win in court. Bad, bad plan. Someone will crack under questioning, and the whole charade will be exposed. Billy thinks it will be easy to take down Newman Enterprises because Victor is out of the way. I'm pretty sure he will be sadly mistaken, and once again, his rash actions will put Jabot in jeopardy, and big brother Jack will have to step in and save the day.

Even though he got stabbed, I think that Victor fits right in at the prison. He's tough, he can fight, and now all that boxing practice he's had over the years is about to pay off. He definitely surprised his punk cellmate.

I admit it. I have a crush on Victor. Yes, he does despicable things (repeat after me, "It's only a soap!), but these are larger-than-life characters, and everyone in Genoa City has done something terrible at one time are another -- well, maybe with the exception of holier-than-thou Christine -- just like we have. We may not kidnap our friends and replace them with exact doubles, but I've lost my temper or been hurt and had a revenge fantasy or two. I just never acted on it. Victor acts on his, and he acts on them as soon as he feels threatened, even if he doesn't know who's threatening him. That's probably where Nick gets his conclusion-jumping. Victor acts the same way. Eventually it led to Victor's downfall, as well it should have, but like Rocky, he'll be back on his feet before the ten count ends.

Telling the truth is just another lesson never learned by our soap friends. I suppose, though, if they wised up, there would be no drama. All the characters would be happy and honest and boring! Something that won't be boring is Victor in the "big house" with Ian Ward. I do hope that Ian is telling the truth and that someone else is Victor's true enemy. I think that Ray Wise and Eric Braeden will make excellent (verbal) sparring partners. Ray Wise is very good at comedy -- he's a regular on Fresh Off the Boat, which I enjoy -- and he is just as good at the comedic as he is at sinister. Victor was hilarious at his trial, so I hope we get some comedy from these veteran actors as they interact in the weeks to come.

My friend Bessie is not fond of Victor. She is predicting that Victor will get killed off so that Eric Braeden can retire. I certainly hope not. Y&R without Victor would be like a day without sunshine. He's the yin to Jack's yang. At first I thought that Victor would have a brain tumor, which would explain his horrible, dishonorable behavior, but now I think that Victor will get pardoned for doing some heroic act in prison. I'm pretty sure there is no way that the Victator will serve ten years, a very light sentence for the crimes he committed. In real life, he'd probably be up for parole in 18 months or so. I'm guessing that Victor will be out of jail long before the summer is over, and when he gets home, anyone who helped put Darth Victor in the slammer better find a hidey-hole and stay under the radar because Victor's discontent will cause him to start settling scores with those he feels wronged him.

I felt so sorry for Sage when the adoption fell through. I cried with her, which makes me think that Kelly Sullivan deserves an Emmy nomination next year. The stolen baby story may be recycled, but the acting is so good that my heart is breaking for Sage, and I don't care that it's recycled. I'm in the emotional moment, and I like it! It's cathartic, and I feel cleansed. Sage is getting closer and closer to Sully. I still believe that her mother instinct will kick in, and she will bond with Sully. She might even run away with him. Hopefully this will resolve soon, or Sully is going to be in high school before Sage gets to be a mother.

I also feel really bad for Dylan, who is going to lose yet another child, and Paul is going to lose his grandchild. It will be a very sad time for one family and a happy time for another. I wonder how many marriages will break up. There are three that will be affected. So if all three break up, Nick and Sharon could get back together, ditto Adam and Sage, and Dylan and Chelsea. Nick and Sharon already have children together, and Dylan would have a kid around that he could pretend was his. Actually, I hope Sage and Nick stick together, rather than Nick's usual behavior of "When the going gets tough, Nick opts out."

Hilary has reverted to her old mean self, and I really wonder how long before Devon kicks her to the curb. I can't believe that Ashley is still putting up with Hilary's antics instead of taking her job back. Maybe her near death experience has cause Ashley to stop and smell the roses, even if they were sent by Abby pretending to be Dr. Neville. Abby is happy now, but I think the attraction between Ben and Ashley is still smoldering and just waiting for the slightest breeze. I believe that we can count on Max to fan that flame.

Michael is munching on a big plate of sour grapes now that the consequences of his ill-advised effort to sabotage Victor's defense have set in. Michael must have been momentarily out of his mind when he agreed to do Phyllis' bidding. Not only did his "loose lips sink ships," but also Michael did a terrible job, and his plan was exposed in court. Adding insult to injury, Victor was convicted without Michael's "help." Deliberately tanking the case seemed out of character for Michael, who has been so loyal and dedicated to the law -- another example of writing that is uncharacteristic for a character we have known and loved for years. (Note to self: "It's only a soap!") If the worst does happen, I predict that Michael's disbarment won't last any longer that Victor's prison sentence.

Picky, Picky, Picky: Did the Underground close? Neither Nick nor Sage has been to work lately. In fact, Sage took a job with Chelsea, and Nick went back to work at Newman. That leaves Noah and Mariah running the place -- if they are still working there. Noah is spending a lot more time with Marisa, and Mariah is busy trying to get a piece of PassKey. Maybe The Underground is more like a hobby for Nick than an actual business. Nick doesn't have to work to provide for his family, so he can do what he wants when he wants to do it. Lucky Nick. Most of us have to wait for retirement to have that kind of flexibility.

That's all I've got for now. Be sure to join us at Newman Towers in two weeks for the next meeting of Soapaholics Anonymous. Our topic will be "Imaginary friends: now you see them, now you don't." No host bar, and, as always, imaginary friends drink free.

Till next time, let your imagination roam free, enjoy your friends and family, and remember, you write your own script and can even ad lib if you want to, unlike our dear friends in Genoa City.

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