Over the river and through the woods...

...to Zack's motel we go. Don't call Paul or charge your phone or let your loved ones know-oh! Scott and Abby aren't the only Genoa City residents who aren't out of the woods yet. Find out who else might be going up the river in this week's Two Scoops.

The last few weeks of The Young and the Restless have been so entertaining that I have been watching the show in real time, not just storing it on DVR to pick over later, and as you know, I do enjoy picking the soap apart, even when I like it as much as I do at the moment. The dialogue is sparkling. The stories have taken a couple of twists that I did not anticipate, and the writing feels more down to earth. If this is what we can continue to expect in the future, then the only thing left for me to do is point out those little inconsistencies that make us cry out, "It's only a soap!"

It was no surprise that Scott and Abby slept together, we've all been expecting it since they first clashed in Victor's office, but it did surprise me that, after being released from that storage locker, no one, including the person who released them, called the police, which is what I would have done, unlike Scott, who took both Abby and a tire iron to what was sure to be a gunfight. Friday ended with shots fired and Zack aware of Abby's tryst with Scott.

It's more than possible that someone took a bullet -- my guess, Abby -- unless Paul got there in time to shoot Zack. I assume that Scott will not tell Sharon about his interlude with Abby, but eventually it will all come out. Since Abby insisted that she was on birth control, I suspect that she will get pregnant and have to determine whether it is Scott's or Zack's -- especially because the actress is pregnant in real life, and soap pregnancies fly by. No matter who got shot, Scott and Abby are not out of the woods, and there are lots of ways this story could go. Yee-haw! I just hope Abby and Scott confront their feelings for each other.

Another story I'm really enjoying is the Dina has Alzheimer's tale. Dina's behavior is eerily similar to that of the brother that I watched sink into dementia before he passed. Marla Adams is a powerhouse. Her depiction is both heartbreakingly realistic and delightfully humorous. I hope Dina gets an experimental drug to slow the disease. Marla Adams is so awesome that I'd like to see her stick around for a while, especially the Dina with the biting Don Rickles wit who is more worried about her chafing ankle monitor than the charge of attempted murder she is facing.

This will certainly be a crisis for Jack and Ashley. Jack wants to be in denial, but Ashley won't let him. I don't think that Thanksgiving is going to be very happy for the Abbotts if Abby's hurt or missing and Dina's condition worsens. I can't believe that we've seen the last of Graham, but Y&R villains do sometimes just slink away, so maybe he is gone for good.

Hilary's scoop about Jordan's duplicity caught Chelsea in the spotlight and exposed her con artist past for everyone to see, including Nick, who took it as well as could be expected under the circumstances. Everyone knew Chelsea had a past, but flashing her picture with Jordan made it real. I really liked it when Mariah stood up for Hilary. Once Mariah breaks up with Devon -- and I think that she will -- I hope Mariah and Hilary can become unlikely, but very entertaining, verbal sparring partners!

Neither Nick nor Chelsea is out of the woods, especially with an arson charge hanging over Nick's head. I do wonder how the truth will come out. I think that there is some likelihood that Nick may even believe that he was responsible. Hopefully the kids will remember that someone else came in after Nick left, and Dina's accidental arson will be revealed before Nick is sent up the river.

Nick and Noah's heart-to-heart showed Nick to be a very understanding and loving father, unlike Victor. I look forward to seeing what happens to the Top of the Tower when Noah takes over. Will they start having a karaoke night or open mic there? Will teenagers have to dress up in tuxes? I think I'm going to miss the Underground, and I'm sorry to see it go out of business, but at least Noah has a job and a chance to show off his skills. I'm anxious to see how these changes play out.

I knew that Juliet would have to leave the canvas so Lily and Cane could reunite. I just thought she would depart Genoa City, not this earth. It was a surprise twist, and I like where it's headed. Instead of having the baby die and Juliet live, Cane's son is alive, and I believe that with Juliet out of the way, Lily will forgive Cane and become a mother to Cane's now motherless child. With a baby in the family, the twins and Reed could go on a "Blair witch hunt" in the woods, never come back, and never be mentioned again. We might miss them a little, but I think we'd get over it.

The Mal express seems to be on track. He's done a decent job of projecting Victoria as a strong, competent businesswoman who is taken seriously and backed up by Victor. For the moment, she has broken the glass ceiling and attained equality, but she's done it by emulating Victor's stereotypical male behavior. I would have preferred it if she had been able to achieve the same result by using stereotypical female qualities like finding solutions through compromise and nurturing. I think if I were Victoria, I would have found a way to protect Newman without blaming my sister.

I've always liked the workplace drama, and this recent rearrangement of the players will be fun to follow. I remember when Victoria, Neil, and Victor worked together several years ago. They have come full circle, but now, instead of fighting with Jabot, they are going to have to deal with a whole lot of legal troubles as a result of Zack and Newman's backing of Design Date. I have to wonder if that original check that Abby got from Jack to start the warehouse project will get traced back to him and if Victor will ultimately blame Jack for the whole debacle, reigniting that feud for another round.

A few things that had me scratching my head:

1) Whether it's nighttime TV or daytime TV, nobody ever has working dome lights in their cars, and they never notice or hear anyone or smell another person's perfume in the backseat of their compact car. I look in the backseat of my car every time I get in. It's impossible not to do it.

2) On nighttime TV, a S.W.A.T. team would have tracked Abby and Scott through witnesses, traffic cams, and satellite images. Genoa City police must not have the budget to use those methods. They do get high marks for the dither and wait approach.

3) So sprinklers in a warehouse, but no sprinklers in the Underground. Hmm. Also, no cameras?

Some things I really liked:

1) Victor was actually truthful with Victoria -- a rare occurrence and something that I would like to see continue, even if that makes Victor and Victoria coconspirators of some kind. At least they would be demonstrating a true partnership.

2) I loved Nikki's speech when she tried to play peacemaker and said, "Abby belongs to all of us."

3) I also liked it when Nikki said to Victoria, "Don't let going back to Newman destroy your soul."

4) There seems to be a more lighthearted, tongue-in-cheek approach in the writing that is very appealing. I hope it continues. I think the writing is some of the best it's been in the four-plus years I've been writing this column. Please keep it coming, Sony & CBS!

A Happy Thanksgiving to all. I hope all of you have a joyous celebration with family and friends. Thank you for letting me share my thoughts with you this week. As always, dear friends, I welcome feedback about this column in the section provided below. I enjoy all your comments, even when you don't agree with me. Everyone's opinion counts and has validity, even if "It's only a soap!" Please return in two weeks for another edition of Two Scoops.

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