Except where they stop, of course we all know. With Victor grinning in victory while Jack groans in defeat. Does Jack never get tired of chewing chunks of hard to swallow crow? Or perhaps he suffers from recurring bouts of severe selective amnesia? How else to explain why he never seems to learn from any of his mistakes, just keeps endlessly repeating them. I never really thought of Jack as an overly optimistic individual, yet, though history has shown that when it comes to getting even, he's always limping in last, he still begins each get Victor vendetta with an inexplicable expectation of winning. As for Adam, he really must learn to do his homework or at least stop, look and listen before leaping into the next pot of scalding hot water. Because throwing his Harvard cap in the ring with Jack's can only lead to more bumps and bruises. Jack hasn't even come up with a plan for payback this time. And really, what diabolical plot could Jack possibly concoct that would cause Victor so much as a missed moment of slumber? Victor has so much money, he makes Jack appear a pauper. Jack certainly can't compete with the man in business, because, well, Jack doesn't even have one of those. And even if he is somehow able to wrest his former family firm back from Chancellor, it's not as if it could ever be in the same league as Newman. Not to mention Jack will likely be so busy skirmishing with Gloria and Jeff, he'll hardly have a second to spare to simultaneously spar with Victor.
Speaking of Victor, after wracking my poor pea brain to near mush, I'm coloring myself completely baffled. Is he channeling Greta Garbo? Or Howard Hughes? Firing staff, dimming lights, drawing blinds. I would imagine Victor could manage to feed and water himself and Zapato, but who will feed, water and exercise all the horses? Who will hop on the riding mower to scalp the grass? Why is Victor really hiding in plain sight? I know we saw him staring at her sketched likeness, but is all this really because of his deep and inconsolable sorrow over Sabrina? Well, I might have been able to buy into that scenario, except that level of mourning doesn't usually leave one with much of a desire to address such earthly and mundane matters like disowning one child, propping up two others, detailed directions for Newman and keeping chortling counsel on speed dial. Is it because of Walter Palin? Even if he did have something to do with sending Walter to his afterlife destiny, why would he need to hide? The mob wanted Walter dead, they aren't likely to come looking for confirmation that Victor did the deed. Or is it simply that Victor is just overwhelmed with it all? Or off his meds? I'll go with those two for now, though, just my opinion, he's not really behaving like a man overwhelmed and undone.
Though I concur he may deserve much of what he's been dealt, I still think it's wrong that Adam wound up with the Joker in his hand. It's not his fault Victor doesn't know him like the other two siblings that bear the Newman name and therefore has less love in his black heart for the boy he abandoned. And no matter how Victor rationalizes it now, he did indeed abandon the boy. So what, Hope asked him to stay away? Since when does Victor do anything but exactly as he pleases? He should understand why Adam has no love in his own heart for Victoria and Nick. Those two gave Adam just about as good as they received. Unfortunately, for Adam, he's about to make an already impossible situation so much worse by willingly becoming a party to one of Jack's ill-thought out schemes.
Unlike Adam, for the other two Newmans, despite their hateful enmity toward Daddy and his then dearly beloved until she was tragically murdered, all has been forgiven. The daughter who vowed to unite with Mommy to destroy Daddy has been taken back into the NE fold. All is now well with the world for the woman who wants to be Daddy's only girl. I couldn't help but scoff and make an ugly face at her overdone excitement as she squealed her joy at rejoining Newman under Neil's rein. The same Neil, by the way, she so callously kicked aside when she was propping up her then beloved Brad. For all their brave bravado and assertions of independence, it has been proven yet again that neither of the Newman kids can really make it on their own. Where will I go, what will I do, whined Victoria. With Daddy on strike and Mommy unemployed, where was her paycheck to come from. And though I like Nick, I couldn't help but giggle as he just about did a back flip of bliss when he read the words limitless line of credit, courtesy of Daddy. I guess being shaded in Daddy's forbidding shadow isn't so bad after all.
Of course, it was impossible to feel much sorrow on Jack's behalf as he was once again bested by Victor. The one thing that made Jack and all his convoluted machinations bearable was that little core of human-ness or vulnerability he showed every now and then. But these days, the only time we get even a tiny glimpse of that is when ghost father comes to call. It's long past time for a little retooling of this character. Because unfortunately there just isn't much to like or root for about Jack anymore. Although I'm pinning most of my hopes on this take back Jabot storyline, my expectations aren't very high, especially with Jeff and Gloria involved up to their necks. Not to mention the Baldwin brothers who are also likely to be drawn into the fray. Because like Victor, the Fisher-Baldwin faction are always smarter than anyone else and rarely pay so much as a pittance for any crimes they care to commit.
Of course, if I'm lucky, Michael will be too busy fighting family battles of his own, when he isn't asking how high every time Victor commands him to jump, to have much free time left to help out Mommy. The little I saw of a River runs through him Lowell Baldwin, didn't exactly leave me panting with anticipation for more. Just another new character I care nothing about gumming up the Genoa City works. So what if he becomes a third wheel between the dysfunctional Bardwell duo. These two used to tickle my funny bone and seemed like two perfect peas in a pod. But since then, most of the love and all of the fun seems to have flown far, far south.
And fun continues to play no part in anything having to do with the lying leprechaun, Chloe, and her baby daddy bamboozle. Just my opinion, but this storyline has made Cane look dumber than dirt, and unfortunately, everyone else connected with this family farce was forced to give away brain cells until they matched his limited intellect. And we're supposed to believe these are the three brains behind Chancellor and Jabot (said sentence being written in an incredulous and disbelieving tone). I don't know about Jill, Katherine or even Cane, but Lily is in college and supposedly a former bright student of Walnut Grove Academy. I would have thought the rudiments of DNA would be covered in introductory biology. And even if it wasn't, were I Lily in this situation, I would probably have cracked open every book the library had on the subject before I just gave away my guy.
Sharon and Nick and Jack and Phyllis. Perhaps, while the foursome at RSM were flipping that coin to determine future business ownership, they should also have considered flipping one to determine future personal relationships as well. I'm guessing Jack and Phyllis aren't going to be thrilled to bits and pieces once they learn what Sharon has done. And, of course, you know they're going to find out. Now, in my opinion, big deal Sharon asked Victor to bail out his son by taking him back at Newman, even though I'm sure the spouses won't see it that way. Maybe I'm the only one who thought so, but that whole thing felt way contrived to me. Why would Sharon ask Victor to offer Nick his old job back when there wasn't even the tiniest indication Nick wanted it? I mean, Nick never once waxed nostalgic for his Newman way of business life and likely wouldn't have leaped at the chance had Victor offered it. On the other hand, Victor only knows one way to solve a problem, by tossing truckloads of money at it, and there was no way he would have passed up another chance to do something that would insure Jack's arrogant backside landed in the dirt once again. Then there is Phyllis. The magazine hadn't even officially changed hands and already she was sniping at Nick about how she wasn't Sharon and had her own rebellious brain. A brain that was telling her to keep those exposes coming. Well, my cloudy crystal ball tells me there will likely be more disagreements ahead. When it comes to alliances, will Nick and Sharon form one, while Jack and Phyllis form another?
Speaking of alliances, I bet no one will be rushing to form one with Bradley. Too bad for him, being a Carlton and not a Fisher or a Baldwin. Because unlike them, his chickens have come home to roost. And they're crowing to beat the band. Jill's not normally one to let grass turn brown under her feet and she's proven she's much better at the sleight of hand than Brad was when he and Skye tried to hoodwink David. She yanked an ace from her sleeve and snatched a rabbit from her hat and managed to get Brad arrested for money laundering. After all the dirt Brad has pushed under everyone else's rugs, looks like it's time for spring cleaning at his house. I won't bother feeling too sorry for him, though, because he'll probably eventually exit this mess smelling like the proverbial rose.
Remember when Colleen was this demure and innocent teenager with stars still shining from her eyes? Infatuated with knight in tarnished armor, J.T.? Well, thank goodness for memories, because there's certainly no trace of that girl-woman now. I pity the fool (yes, I stole that ancient line) who gets himself entangled with her possessive behind. Like too many Genoa Citians, there isn't much about this character that's likable. And when it comes to chemistry, there was zero with Adrian and J.T., and I can't say there's any sizzle with Daniel either. Like Chloe, she's determined to throw herself at Daniel's head until she hits him hard enough to knock him senseless. She did the same thing when she was trying to snatch J.T. back from Mac and once she'd finally succeeded, turns out she didn't want him after all, she wanted Adrian. I'm totally in Amber's skeleton-crowded corner in this one and I will be leading the cheers, pom poms punching toward the sky when she wins Daniel back. Since Colleen is so good at going after her friends' discards, when she loses her grip on Daniel, maybe she can set her crooked cap for Kevin.
Looks like Victor might soon have another reason to hate Heather. He's still smarting from her single-minded pursuit of him over JiMin, and now she's sniffing at the slightly stale scent left on his Mexican trail. With his friends, Nikki and Victor on one side and the daughter whose total love he's still trying to win on the other, I can't help but wonder which way Paul will jump?
With all the possibilities on the GC table, fall in Genoa City should be interesting to say the least. And I plan to be there for all of it. Until next week, enjoy what your fellow fans thought about GC things.
Ellen - I was disappointed in the way the writers handled the Adam storyline. The vengeance Victor has taken on Adam, a young immature lad to be sure, seems out of place and over the top. While there is no question Adam acted like a horse's behind, I really couldn't blame him. The first action taken when Victor went missing was for Neil to have a secret meeting with the Newmans and plot against Adam. Then Vikki had to act even uglier and order him off the ranch. Of course, none of this was relayed to Victor who seems to have quickly forgiven (and rewarded) the children that have treated him like crap for months. Nick and Victoria spent weeks searching for Victor while Adam went to work crowed Michael. Really? I could've sworn I saw Vikki in Dubai. What was Victor thinking anyway putting a 20-something kid in charge of a multi-billion dollar conglomerate? That was a disaster waiting to happen no matter what.
Mary - So Adam is kicked out of Vic-den. I have for now quit taping Y&R. One of the reasons is how Victor is treating his long lost son. I may tape again, but I think the treatment of Adam by his father and half-brat siblings is deplorable. All of a sudden he is disowning him, after being a father in name only all of those years. I think Adam would have been better off if he had never found out Victor was his father. I think the scribes are overdoing Adam being ruthless, after all he had Hope's genes also. Why bring him back if the storyline is going in that direction? And even though Hope (rightfully so it seems) wanted him away from Victor's dog eat dog type of life, he could have made an effort, he is after all his son. Meeting Daddy Dearest and his half brat siblings was a kick in the groin. Hope was right to keep him away from them, but I guess her illness clouded her judgment.
Catherina - I feel sorry for Adam, no matter how annoying he got at Newman he was not more annoying than his sis or dude of a bro. He literally came to GC right after his mother died and the poor guy never really got to grieve her and no one even cared about him or gave him any kind of real friendship. I hope things turn out good for Adam and I hope Heather doesn't abandon him.
Melissa - While I don't believe Adam deserved to be kicked off the ranch, he did deserve and earn his firing from NE. Victor left Neil in charge and the first chance Adam got he bypassed Neil and ignored an entire board of directors! The boy is no little lost lamb, he came there with fangs and he bared them.
Carol - That little twit, Adam, got exactly what was coming to him. I might have been able to come up with a teensy iota of sympathy if he hadn't screeched it's all mine, I'm not sharing with anyone!
Heather - Yay! I'm so happy Adam finally got a dose of reality (not to mention humility)! It seems all these months he thought he was Victor's favorite, but it was just a matter of time before the new wore off and Victor started treating him like the other kids. Nick and Victoria might seem ungrateful for what they have at times, but no matter how estranged they may get from Victor, no one forgets that they're all family at the end of the day. It's like the Newman family dance - the kids reject Victor's heavy-handed guidance, and he pushes them away when they want to do things their own way. Adam definitely shows no interest in being family, unless it benefits him with money and/or power.
Angela - I am so disgusted with these absurd storylines. This Victor in hiding at the ranch is just so absolutely not believable. I've been watching since 1984 but the past couple of years have been brutal. Never thought I would stop watching but I'm slowing missing an episode here and there and finding that I just don't care anymore. Sad.
Kit - Y&R is going down the tubes with such stupidity. Unless I missed it, there was no DNA taken from Chloe's baby. As said by others, in the ball park of possibility of being the father is not a home run. Cane is not too bright when it comes to women but surely Lily is a bright girl and should have caught on to that asap. But the real frosting on the cake was when Cane gave Chloe the ring he gave Lily. His grandmother's ring. Couldn't the idiot have at least bought another ring?
Joe - I've been a loyal viewer of Y&R for over 20 years. The Victor/Jack saga has been a hit and always will be in my eyes and I look forward to more of those showdowns. There have been some really pathetic storylines over the years but none compare to the Cane/Chloe/Lily punch line (because it's just a joke). And what's with old bug-eyed Gloria? Another joke of a storyline. I hope the writers wake up and realize this is a drama, not a crack at trying to be a serious Saturday Night Live show. I just wish they'd get some storylines that are believable, get rid of Chloe, Gloria, the new Victoria and run over to B&B and get the other Vicky back. I will continue to watch and complain like everyone else because through it all to me Y&R is #1.
Judy - The only interesting twist in the Cane-Chloe disaster is the fact that she is Esther's daughter. That being said, I still want the annoying character gone! As for Victor, I hope he doesn't sit in solitude too long. He needs to re-embrace Nick and Victoria so they can all unite and kick Jack (and Brad) to the curb where they belong. Since Ashley is coming back full-time (yea!) perhaps she and Victor could re-wed. That would tick Jack off even more!
Kamal - I'm no fan of Chloe and nothing the writers do will make me feel any sympathy for her. However, I'm not broken up about Cane and Lily and their failed romance due to Chloe's manipulations either. I've never been a Lily fan and this storyline makes her look even more pathetic than I think she already is. Cane I liked up until he hooked up with Lily. Both Cane and Lily are stuck on stupid to allow Chloe to come between them with such a lame coinky-dink reason. I'm no lawyer and I know states have different family laws, but don't most fathers have parental rights to begin with? If she's claiming he's the dad then he'd have certain rights I'm sure. I don't get why those rights need to be established through marriage. This is such a weak plot point all around.
Dee - Am I the only fan who likes Chloe? Her storylines are awful but I think she's pulling off a great acting job to make everyone hate her as much as they do. Nikki was embarrassing on the beach; Victor needs to retire; Daniel and Amber are cute together; Jeff is up to something and Gloria needs a new hairdo.
Terri - I hope they find out Cane is not a true Chancellor. Lily came out ahead by letting him go. I think it's ridiculous the way Victor treated Adam. Adam did what he thought was right for him and the company. He may have acted harshly, however, his step siblings have never warmed to him. I would just about die if my father ever treated me that way, to just throw him out after never being a father to him. Seems they all fight for money and power when there is enough to go around. That's boring and pointless.
Colleen - That whiney Adam, fired and thrown out of the house and none too soon. Neil reinstated, but when he told Devon you can't force your kids to follow what you want, I gasped. Isn't that what he did to Lily and Cane? Jumped in, where he had no business, moved Lily out of Cane's house and forced her to leave. I wonder what Neil will have to say when it comes out Cane is not the father. Nikki needs therapy for more than alcohol. To throw herself at Victor's feet after he insulted and verbally abused her is a slap in the face to women. There is just not that much love in the world.
