Twisted sister -OR- Horny in Genoa City

In a truly twisted twist, Ashley came back and created a tailspin at Jabot, ousting Phyllis, putting Jack back in charge, leaving Lauren wanting to run for the hills, and intensifying the battle between Jack and Ashley. And that was just Monday! Changes are afoot in Genoa City, and it's anyone's guess where things will end up. Let's jump right in and see what our new writers are preparing to serve us in this week's Two Scoops.

Rey and Sharon finally got together, and they had a lot of sex. I'm on the fence with them as a couple. They have chemistry, which is a plus. He's not yet single and may have a baby on the way, which is a negative. They're both on the rebound, him from his marriage and her from her jail stint, both negatives. I don't know how much to invest in this pairing until I see how other things play out. It has both a finally and a not yet vibe to it.

Mariah's apology to Rey came before she knew Sharon and Rey were a thing. I don't know if it would have made a difference if she had known first. I believe she still regretted her behavior because she is a nice person. I'm not sure how much she'll support this relationship, but if Sharon tolerates Tessa, Mariah will likely tolerate Rey, too.

I know Mia bought someone else's pee, but what if she's really pregnant? And if Mia is pregnant, who do you think the baby's father would be? I have a feeling it would be Arturo. There are too many variables in this Rey and Sharon equation to know what the resolution will be. Sharon did turn down Nick's offer of a PR job with Dark Horse to spend time with Rey. We'll see how or if that changes. The baby bombshell clearly hit her hard when she read Mia's note. And now Nick is feeling lonesome after hot sex.

When I saw Rebekah Barlow back in town, I thought, she is horny in Genoa City. She seemed flirty with Billy then had sex with Nick, but she left him alone for the night. When Nick told Rebekah he and Phyllis weren't together anymore, Rebekah said, "I'm sorry to hear that," but her big smile certainly didn't agree with her words. Phyllis was clearly jealous of Nick and Rebekah. But it looked like Nick wanted more than Rebekah did, too. It remains to be seen how this loving in the afternoon will play out, or if it's already all over. Will he and Sharon end up together eventually? Probably. They always do.

It looks like Devon might have a new romantic interest, or at least a hint of a romantic interest, in Jett's niece Elena. It's okay for him to move on, and they have a cute vibe. The bonus is they both seem cautious, and hopefully if this happens, it won't be rushed. I don't want Devon hurt when he's still so fragile.

After the Jabot board meeting, Summer's words of greeting to her beloved husband were, "Finally" when he walked into Crimson Lights. Summer is having doubts. She should have had them before she got married. She knew Kyle loved Lola, but perhaps she thought that through sex and manipulation, she could get him to fall for her, but that rarely works.

Summer's mother hates Kyle. Hates him. He worked to undermine her, and I wouldn't be surprised if she works to undermine the marriage. Turnabout is fair play, right? All's fair in love and war? Some clich is bound to fit. But I know that if my mom hated my romantic partner and actively worked to undermine the relationship, I'd probably get tired of it -- or he would. Phyllis told Summer, "Loyalty means nothing to Kyle," but I think loyalty does mean something. It's just that he was loyal to Lola, to the point of marrying a woman he didn't love to save Lola's life.

How soon after transplant is sex safe? My casual Internet searches show that not enough time has passed for Summer. I do wonder, though. Husbandly duties are... what? Kyle and Summer are definitely having sex, and he said he wouldn't perform husbandly duties. That lasted about five minutes after they said, "I do." I'm sure he thinks the sex is nice, but perhaps the only way Summer can win Kyle's heart is saving the family company. And even then, aren't they really just good work colleagues?

Here's my biggest issue with this couple: they have a sibling vibe. Yes, they love each other, but I don't see it as a passionate, romantic love. I see it as a familial, comfortable, familiar love, not the stuff a healthy marriage is made of. When we saw Kyle and Summer acting as young Ashley and Jack for Dina, it looked like the way Ashley and Jack should behave, but their parents played favorites and set up a lifetime of unhealthy competition. I wonder, though, will Dina flip if she sees "Ashley" and "Jack" kissing?

Time away from the rigors of soap acting seemed to do a world of good for Eileen Davidson, who looked lovely and well-rested. However, I wasn't thrilled with Ashley at all.

Kerry is British now. She is not the American-born chemist Kerry Johnson, she is Dominique Carroll. How did Dominique travel to Bora Bora with Jack with either a fake passport or him not noticing that the name on her ticket didn't match her passport? That wouldn't pass TSA muster at all. A crime was definitely committed there.

Can Ashley and Kerry be sued (or worse) for what they did? I feel like they can. "Kerry" was under contract with Jabot, but she wasn't actually Kerry, so she has committed fraud, at a minimum. And a lawsuit in which Ashley is shown for what she did does not bolster Ashley's case for taking over the company. I suppose it would come down to who had the better lawyer and the PR people that could best frame the situation. What exactly was Dominique doing in the lab? And nobody noticed? The real Kerry was making products for Ashley and pretending Dominique was making them, and Dominique was filing patents for Ashley. That's a lot of duplicity. Jack of Hearts was perhaps the cruelest piece.

Nobody is blameless in the Abbott family, but Ashley seems especially vindictive. Apparently, there was no non-compete clause for Dominique, per Phyllis, but the woman signing the contract wasn't the woman who supposedly signed the contract or whose name was on the contract, so does that hold water? The real Kerry was never under contract, and the woman pretending to be Kerry took money for services not rendered. That should put her in jail, and honestly, could possibly put Ashley there, as well.

Ashley kept insisting she did all she could to help Jabot, which struck me as similar to the way Phyllis did all she could to help Nikki, Victoria, and Sharon. Arranging things so you win isn't really helping others, the way I see it, but I don't live in that kind of world, either. Do any real businesses run this way? I would hope not.

Voting Phyllis out as CEO and off the board was appropriate because she was so adamant about winning the seat that she didn't follow proper protocol. Unlike in many real businesses, the CEO who damaged Jabot didn't get a good severance package (I don't think Billy did, either), but the leader who took the company down shouldn't get a severance package. I don't get rewarded when I fail.

I feel we can't blame Jack for not monitoring Kerry at a company he didn't even work for. From what he knew, she left the lab to have lunch and/or sex with him. His connection to her wasn't ultimately about her contribution to the business, but that "contribution" is what ended the relationship, too. Too many lies to build anything real, and he definitely chose right to not leave with her when she offered.

Traci voted for Ashley, "for my family," not because there wouldn't be pain, but probably because she thought it was the only way to save Jabot, which would reward the person who had arranged to defraud the company to the brink of collapse. Jack and Billy hugged after Billy supported his brother, and Abby wisely refused to vote because she was in an untenable situation. Ashley later told Abby that whether Jack liked it or not, she was taking over the family business. When she answered her hotel room door to him, she said, "Hello, Jackie." Talking to him like a child, the way Dina talked to young Jack, was not going to help her argument, and when she asked him to let her buy Jabot, his response was clear: "No way in hell."

Call me silly, but I don't see why it has to be Jack or Ashley. Why can't it be Jack and Ashley as co-CEOs? Decisions could be made jointly, which could actually increase the strength of corporate choices. Instead of doing things to undermine one another, they could do things to build one another up, which would help both the health of the company and the family. But this is a soap, and it's black and white, no shades of grey, so it will be a battle for the survival of Jabot. I'm cheering for Jack.

When Jack and Billy met at the Abbott family home to brainstorm ways to save the company, I wondered, why isn't Kyle with them? However, when everyone got together and worked together, they came up with some new ideas. With Rebekah Barlow on board for a six-month consulting contract, Jabot could have a different look, but it might survive.

As for Phyllis, I wonder why she expects people to be nice to her. It's not that people should really be mean, but she wasn't always warm and fuzzy with them. She keeps explaining her choice to testify, defending that the truth would set them free (and the only truth that set them free was that J.T. wasn't actually dead). She complained that she got fired and Jack got promoted, but she was the figurehead and the boss. In a lot of companies, that's how it works. It's not personal, although in this case, there was a bit of that, too.

As a result of the whole corporate mess, Lauren wants to buy back Jabot's stake in Fenmore's. She admits she doesn't have the money for it, but that's what she wants, and she expects Phyllis to help. Jack/Jabot bailed out Fenmore's when it was failing, buying 49% of the company, and that is why Fenmore's exists now. Now, when Fenmore's is doing okay because of that bailout, Lauren wants to bail, insisting, "I can't believe my company is involved in a family squabble," which is nothing like, say, what happened when Jill learned she was Lauren's sister, right?

So, Lauren was in financial dire straits, and Jack saved her. And now that Jabot is in tough shape, she wants to be separated, not be used to help the company that saved her from failing. I see how this works.

Lauren asked Michael to look into a loophole, which he has done, and he deemed the agreement ironclad. I hope he doesn't find a loophole. I just feel like this behavior is selfish. Did she want to have to accept help? No. But she needed to and she did. In my world, you don't turn your back on the person who saved you.

Jabot saved her. She can save Jabot. She does still own 51%, so I'm sure if Jabot goes down, and if she can come up with that money, she'll be fine. Phyllis apparently did think up a plot to use Summer in the situation. It could get messy. It's a soap. It will get messy! It's already messy. It will get messier. But for a show with so many corporations, it is good to have some of the plot centered on corporate intrigue, too.

As an aside, this would be a great time for Ravi to return. I'm starting a petition now.

Michelle Stafford created the role of Phyllis, so my heart will always belong with her in the role. Yes, it was nice to have Gina Tognoni fill in while Michelle was away, but the news of the shakeup felt a little like a homecoming to me. I realize not everyone liked Michelle in the role, but for me, I see this as a positive change, and I wish Gina Tognoni all the best! I feel like, despite Phyllis not always being a stellar person, Michelle Stafford brought a warmth to the role that made her more likeable.

Darnell Brooks is out as Nate. I could see him starring in a superhero movie. Good guy, mild-mannered, whipping off his disguise and saving the world in his unitard. I wish him all the best. I'm not sure what kind of change the character of Nate will be making with Sean Dominic in the role. He has been the go-to doctor for Genoa City, but he hasn't really had any big storylines. Perhaps that will change. It will be too bad if Nate changes before the memorial service for Neil, though. It always means more when the person doing the mourning is someone who actually knew the actor and the character, and Darnell's Nate lived with him.

Lily is getting out of jail early for good behavior. Will we see more of her? It's hard to say. She doesn't want to live in Genoa City, but with her father's unexpected death coming up, she might end up sticking around to process the loss with family. Will she take time to be single? I hope so. Strong women are healthy women, and she's been in a relationship with Cane since she was a kid. Even if they end up together again eventually, she needs to know what adult life outside of that relationship looks like and return in a position of strength.

Lily told Cane she won't be free if she walks back into the same life. She looks like she aged in jail, which is a testament to the makeup people and stylists. She sagely told Cane, "Prison didn't end our marriage -- we did." I liked therapist Traci with Cane, helping him see the light, and when he told the kids, he didn't make Lily look like a bad guy. But he also wouldn't sign the divorce papers (divorce will be granted whether he signs or not). My hope is that they separate and then work their way back to each other once she realizes that he is her soul mate. But they need to be apart and grow as Lily and as Cane before they can grow as the entity LilyAndCane.

Adam is coming back with a new face. It's not Justin Hartley, who is busy with other projects (This Is Us and a new movie). Michael Muhney was let go for undisclosed reasons, but usually when that happens, the actor isn't invited back. So, a new actor it is, and he has some acting experience, so it could be a lot of fun! He is a great character.

Kevin is also returning. Greg Rikaart ended a successful run on Days of our Lives and is available for the new (old) writers to bring him back. Paul has also returned, and while his start was a little rough as he fired Rey, he showed up for Nikki in a tender moment of support. Hopefully, he becomes an integral part of story again and not just a dude who shows up when a cop should be around.

Victoria is clearly torn over her feelings for Billy. He's been her rock, but Phyllis planted that seed to "help" Victoria see the truth about Billy and feel she was a second choice. When Billy and Phyllis had that moment where they worked together and he suggested reuniting, a big part of me felt that offer was part of his plan to undermine her. I may be totally wrong, and it never went beyond that, but I never viewed it as a legitimate effort at getting back together.

Billy is worried, of course, but Jack told him that Victoria was probably practicing self-care. Victoria is single and can do what she wants, but she has kids and just got out of jail, so the kids haven't seen her. I would imagine they're feeling a bit abandoned (especially with Billy busy saving Jabot).

It's clear Victoria is having some sort of emotional break or meltdown. She basically told her mother (didn't ask) to watch the kids 'til Billy came home, loveyoubye. She needs time away and wants to be anonymous for five minutes to collect her thoughts. A handsome, talented plaything comes along and spends a few minutes with her. She's a free agent. She can do what she wants, and what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas -- unless it shows up on Instagram.

Victoria said she was an artist named Jeni who studied in Florence, but Brandon knew she was Victoria. I was amused at the girl from the band in the background, doing a ton of selfies in Victoria's room. Brandon Rose, of the up-and-coming band Bloody Thorns, wrote his number on Victoria's hand, and she was definitely interested. When she let him in later, she told him, "In this room, I'm Jeni." She said he could accept that or leave. Victoria is having a fling with an exciting man. It doesn't seem like a lifetime commitment from him. She is having fun, but... is she too fragile for this? I suspect she is.

When she answered the door to who she thought was Brandon but was actually Billy, her escape was shattered. I want Billy and Victoria together. I loved Billy Miller's Billy with Victoria and didn't think I'd want this version there, but I really do. So now I have to wait to see what happens!

Michael to Lauren, about Fen, who's struggling with the hard work of his music career: The dreams don't pay the bills.

Lauren, to Phyllis, when Phyllis asked if Lauren still had her back: Yes, to a point.

Jack about Jabot: John Abbot built this company from nothing. Whoever sits in that chair next will have to do the same.

Jack to Phyllis about her frequent defense of the truth: The truth is a good thing, Phyllis, when it isn't used as a rocket launcher.

Jett's singing is the best singing I've heard on the show in a long time, and the actor is an actor, not a musician. But he has a great voice!

Lola is clearly not ready to go back to work. I hope she doesn't damage herself making Abby happy.

Fen is sounding tired and frustrated, according to Lauren. Nothing against programs that make instant celebrities in talent contests, but it's more than just having talent. People who really make it in the entertainment industry usually have to put in a fair amount of work.

Mariah unpawned Tessa's guitar. Love or hate the couple, Mariah is super sweet! I suspect Tessa will get a second chance at a recording contract before too long.

Is there going to be more to the J.T. story, or does J.T. just disappear because he confessed? Paul told Nikki he'd serve his sentence, and apparently, it's just resolved off-screen.

Viewer Joyce Burke had a lot to share, and here's some of it:I won't miss Arturo ... he is a victim of his junk ... he has no impulse control and is bad for Abby. Rey, on the other hand, is drop-dead gorgeous and needs more screen time.... Rey deserves so much better than Mia. Rey is honest and home-loving and he will be a good match for Sharon who comes from poor roots, not the elite Newman and Abbott class. As it turns out, Nick is also a pig ... he and Phyllis were two sex mongers who deserved each other. ... All this sex is not attractive --- monogamy is sexy ... loyalty and trust are sexy. Lola would have been so good with Kyle ... surely you can work a storyline around them getting back together. Viva Nikki and Victor. When will Jack ever find a forever love .... Lily had a good career at YandR but for some unforeseen reason, has chosen to go off on her own. Cane is a lost cause ... another screwed up victim of his junk ... what is it with these men --- they can't keep their junk in their pants? You asked viewers what they do with the hour that YandR usually airs (but not during March Madness) ... I am totally addicted ... suffer through the weekends until Monday. ...Ana is totally talented and needs more singing screen time. ...love Mariah ... she is such a breath of fresh air ... everyone needs a friend like her. Thanks for listening! Welcome back to Paul ...Joyce Burke later added: I don't know what happened between Darnell and YandR, but recasting his character is a terrible idea! Darnell is super-hot and could have had a long-term storyline. I'm worried about the judgment of the people at the top -- namely the writers: They are dumping wonderful actors and keeping terrible ones. I have watched since the very first episode, but even though YandR's ratings are stellar, I wonder if it's slowly going down the tubes, and accounts for the reason their actors are seeking other gigs.

Viewer Maureen Shaperosoapnes shared some thoughts on the big casting shakeup: Gina would be a perfect fit for the role she is awesome actress she can play any part. She is already very stylish so she make excellent magazine editor. They would be lucky to have her.

What will happen next on The Young and the Restless? I really have no idea, but I can't wait (seriously can't wait), so I'll be right here watching with you until we meet again.Christine

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