Oh, yes, John Donne was so right when he claimed that "no man is an island entire of itself." And even though Mr. Donne said "man," I am sure he meant "woman" too. It's true that humans do not thrive when isolated from others. Just ask Tom Hanks. His Chuck Noland in Cast Away appeared, at times, to be going a little bonkers after his plane crashed and he was swept away at sea, only to be stranded afterwards on an uninhabited island. I mean, sure, Chuck had Wilson, his trusty companion...who happened to be a volleyball. Okay, that may be where the bonkers part comes in. However, that just proves that Chuck had to pretend that his faithful friend was alive for the sake of his own survival. And if Sharon thinks she can heal on her own after Dylan's departure, she's got another thing coming.
Sure, Sharon probably preferred to be washed away on a deserted island once Dylan left, since her sorrow totally engulfed her. I can almost picture her sitting by the shore, waiting for the man of her dreams to return. She may even send out a message in a bottle, hoping against hope that it would reach the man previously and briefly known as the spy Derek. Hey, if she quit taking her meds again, she wouldn't even have to leave her house. Her delusions could carry her through. I jest, but still, that actually proves a point. The worst thing Sharon could do would be to stop taking her medication again. Heck, she might wind up talking to and kissing a baseball disguised as a coconut.
So, even though Sharon may prefer to be alone in her grief, there's too much danger in that for her and too much heartache for the people who love her. As long as Sharon still has those who care about her, she could never be alone, and she shouldn't be. Faith is still growing and will need her mother's love, guidance, and support as she matures into a beautiful young lady. Even if Faith is living with her grandparents, she has always been concerned about her mother, and she obviously loves her. Sharon is still her mom, after all.
Even when times were at their worst for Sharon, Noah never turned his back on her. Not this version of Noah, anyway. I like this Noah. I always have. I didn't like the younger Noah, who always sided with his stepmother, Phyllis, over his mother, Sharon. That kid was a brat who always treated Sharon like an outsider. It was good riddance to bad rubbish when Y&R decided to SORAS Noah. And this Noah has always tried to guard and protect Sharon when her mental health was not exactly stable -- to put it mildly.
Wow, Noah really is a chip off the old block. Somehow, I doubt it Nick would appreciate being called an "old block," although he might be cool with it, since he is proud of his son. See, it just goes to show that a father can be pleased with his son, even if his offspring is "a lowly bartender," as Victor once referred to Noah. Being ashamed of a man doing an honest day's work, outside of the corporate field, tends to be Victor's "bag," not Nick's. But anyway, Noah has shown that he is his father's son, and his protection of Sharon has been so typical of Nick's throughout the years. But for Nick, those days are gone...or are they?
It was a relief to hear Nick admit that he had been just a wee bit hard on Dylan after the huge Christian reveal. I wonder if he will stretch that sentiment to include Sharon also. Nick already appears to have eased up on Sharon for Faith, which was good for his daughter's sake. But now that Sharon seems to have lost everything (except her children, of course), will Nick relent even more and let Sharon back into his life, as a friend? Sharon can use all the friends she can get, especially since one of the few she has is Chloe.
Oh, my gosh, I still can't believe it! I thought my eyes were deceiving me when I saw it. Nikki actually almost tried to comfort Sharon. It was shocking. When Nikki reached out to touch Sharon's shoulder, I almost expected lightning to strike or the living room floor to crack and swallow them both. It was that earth-shattering. But how long will Nikki's good graces last toward her former and current daughter-in-law? Sharon was sure right when she stated that Nikki finally had the chance to get Sharon out of her son's life. You would have thought Nikki would have broken out the Champagne and flung the confetti. But to cut Nikki a little slack, she was grieving over Dylan too. I guess grief can make some pretty strange bedfellows, so to speak.
I could understand why Sharon would wish to be away on a desert island after all the nastiness Nikki has dealt her in the past. Even back in the good old days when Victor and Sharon were very good friends, Nikki made it perfectly clear that she didn't like or trust her. Nikki had always thought Sharon was not good enough for Nick, and she certainly hadn't changed her tune when Sharon was with Dylan. Nikki's song was always "You're no good" -- although I'm not sure Linda Ronstadt would have approved. Baby, Nikki was gonna say it again -- and again.
Yes, sir, that record sure wasn't being changed on the old Victrola (which, to set the "record" straight, was before my time). For Nikki, it's always been the same old song and dance in regards to Sharon -- until now. When Nikki reached out to Sharon, it was bizarre -- almost like we were watching an episode of Night Gallery. Rod Serling couldn't have asked for more.
How nice of Paul to try to console Sharon in her grief -- while he requested, at the same time, that she take the entire blame for Dylan's sudden decision to leave town. Sharon drove Dylan away. That's the way it had to play out so Dylan could remain alive and safe. So everyone in Genoa City will still think Sharon is the huge loser Nikki has always claimed she was. How convenient that it all worked out so well for Nikki...well, except for the part where she may never see her son again. She probably wasn't too crazy about that. Yet, never fear, Mrs. Mustache. I am certain we will see Dylan again, somewhere down the road, with Steve Burton's face or with another's. A good superhero/spy can never stay away from his loved ones for too long. After all, who could possibly do a better job of protecting them than the caped boy wonder? Plus, Paul would want the other half of his Dynamic Duo back.
Sharon certainly looked like she needed Dylan to rescue her from her self-imposed island of misery, especially after Faith blamed Sharon for driving Dylan and every other man in her life away. I almost felt like Night Gallery had collided with The Twilight Zone when Victor pointed out that someone needed to convince Faith to forgive Sharon, and then Nikki volunteered and told Faith that Sharon was hurt and sad and that her mother had done the wrong thing for the right reason. Who were those imposters posing as Victor and Nikki? It was truly eerie.
And speaking of protection, someone sure needs to save Jack from himself. His strategies are starting to look a little suspect, and he almost seems to be playing it by ear at Jabot these days. Could Ashley be right that, by being a part of Fenmore's, by hook or by crook, Jack was ensuring he would stay in Phyllis' zip code, so there might be a future chance of "playing footsies under the table" with her? You could say Jack was another one changing his tune; however, I don't think he ever wanted to cut ties with Phyllis in the first place, although he would never admit it. But Jack appears to have completely gone over the edge by jumping into booze with his new BFF, Gloria. What?! Jack claimed he had been addicted to pills, not alcohol, but still. An addiction's an addiction, Jack. He was dead-on, though, when he pointed out that Gloworm always tends to break the rules, but is that Jack's destiny now?
Later, Jack woke up to the most disgusting nightmare of all -- lying in bed next to the woman he had earlier referred jokingly to as "Mom." Ugh! I know they are not blood related, but still. Yuck. And it appeared Jack felt the same way about it, as do I. Crazy, huh? As much as Jack tried to block out that he and his deceased father's wife had just done the deed, he could not deny it. John would be so proud. Jack skedaddled out of the Athletic Club room as fast as his feet could carry him. He was so scruffy looking, it's truly amazing that not one single person he saw in the bar/restaurant part of the club suspected a thing. And forget that Gloria acted very strangely around Jack. She was even dressed in the same clothes as the night before. People in Genoa City can be so clueless.
It's a good thing Lauren was running late for their meeting at Jabot, because it gave Jack a little time to freshen up. Sadly, Jack had spilled the beans to Jill about the meeting, which was the cause of Lauren's tardiness. It's really no wonder that everyone forgets Jill is half owner of Fenmore's. It's not like she pays any attention to the boutique, since she spends all her time at Brash & Sassy. Jill decided to become the not-so-silent partner once she heard of Jack's so-called rescue attempt of the company. If Jill only knew about Jack's recent romp with Gloria in the sack, she would have had even more ammunition in her little tiff with Lauren.
Fenmore's is just a little diversion for Jill, though, since her loving yet wayward husband returned home from Australia to crow, spread his feathers, and rule the roost. Yes, Colin was back, and he was the last one to want to get involved in the "civil war" between his wife and her sister. It seemed Jill was most upset that Lauren hadn't turned to her for help when she'd realized Fenmore's was in dire straits. But it was all so easy for Jill to be willing to sabotage her sister's company, all in the name of "principle and honor," since Jill had two other companies, Chancellor Industries and Brass & Sassy. Jill just had a little trouble grasping that Lauren was trying to save her father's company and her family's legacy.
But Jill was like a snarling dog with a rag in his mouth, who shook and jerked it around but wouldn't let it go. No matter how much Colin begged, Jill refused to let her self-righteous anger go so she could spend some quality time with her husband. I was rather astonished. I would never have thought Colin had a romantic bone in his body. It's no surprise Lauren didn't trust him when Colin said he was on her side. But all the pleading in the world couldn't stop Jill in the pursuit of her nearest attorney, who had no idea what she wanted. I could almost hear Jill growling.
Then, bam, Jill had another crazy brainstorm. She would sell Brash & Sassy to Cane, Billy, and Victoria so she would have the funds to buy control of Fenmore's from Jack. That is just ridiculous. In the first place, who's to say he would even consider selling it to her. And Jill would sell a successful company just to try to get back at her sister? Jill should be more concerned that her actions could ruin her relationship with her sister. After working so hard to have a loving respect for each other, Jill will blow it all up by trying to wrestle Fenmore's away from Lauren. Their sisterhood should be worth more to Jill than a business she never that cared much about anyway.
But, naturally, Colin had his own agenda and owed a sinister phone caller a large sum of money. So he wanted to take his romantic notions with Jill out of town, quickly -- and Jill was willing to go and rest up so she could come back fresh for the fight against Jack and Lauren. Jill reminds me of a terrier in her dogged pursuit. Her fangs may turn to Colin next if she learns his motives were not so pure and were all for the glory of love. Colin's illusion of a passionate night under the stars may leave Jill howling to the moon.
Of course, Lauren wanted to keep ownership of her company, but Jill only saw Lauren's deal with Jack as somewhat of a betrayal. Plus, Jill definitely was not happy about Phyllis' involvement either. After all, Phyllis was the vampy vixen who had tarnished her virtuous son's name by sleeping with him -- numerous times. Jack had problems swallowing that, too. However, why let his throbbing heartache get in the way of profits? Jack looks more and more like "a big bad wolf" these days, by his constant attempts to try to wipe his good guy image off of everyone's minds. And he's doing a great job of the brainwashing too. The way Jack's been acting, nobody could accuse him of being Mr. Nice Guy. Sure, nice guys finish last quite often, but at least Jack could still look at himself in the mirror. Would he even recognize himself if he took a peek at his own reflection now?
Jack claimed he only valued Phyllis as a member of the team, nothing more, nothing less. But talk is cheap, Jack. It will be interesting to see him work again with the woman he once loved so deeply. His actions will speak louder than words. Will Jack be able to retain his "utmost professionalism" with Phyllis then? And Jack may think he has the upper hand with Gloria, but he had better watch out. Glo yelled she would not be tossed aside, dismissed, and ignored, and I believe her. Besides, there's that little secret about their one-night stand that Jack would prefer to forget forever. Gloria has quite a bit of ammunition she should be able to use to grab his attention.
Of course, Cane was utterly thrilled about his father's return to Genoa City. Or not. Actually, Colin's advice to Cane about money and love is bound to doom Cane's marriage to Lily, since all the "wise old man" has ever been able to see is the dollar sign. Colin's philosophy was to find a wife who could enrich his life in every way, and he sure did that with Jill. Cane is fortunate he does not take after his "dear old dad" though.
Devon's eyes certainly seemed wide open in regard to Hilary, since he could finally acknowledge that he had a TV tabloid for a wife. But how long will that last? Hilary's always been able to bat her eyes and wet her lips in the past, and with Devon, all would be forgiven. But even Hilary was sharp enough to realize she had to switch gears -- and strategies -- and give Devon the illusion that she had changed her spots to become the kind, benevolent person her husband would love for her to be. But you know what they say about leopards. Hilary's camouflage will last long enough for her to get Devon back into her piercing claws, and then all bets will be off.
Even when she's appearing to be sweet, nice, and apologetic, Hilary is constantly scheming and conniving. How can Devon and Mariah not see through her masquerade? But Devon only sees what he wants to see, and Mariah will end up taking the brunt of Hilary's wickedness. Again. Mariah may have been joking when she was wary about wishing Hilary to "break a leg," but she shouldn't have been. Mariah may get more than just a nasty bump on her head in the second round of this one-sided rumble. Eventually, Mariah will be the one down and out for the count.
However, Mariah could see right through Hilary and felt the apology was insincere because it had only been for Devon's benefit. But as much as Devon wanted to let Hilary go, he couldn't stop loving and missing her. Yeah, Hilary sure has Devon's number. That guy has never had a chance, when it comes to her. He's too nice of a guy, and Hilary knows how to take advantage of what she perceives as someone's weakness. And in this case, love is Devon's weakness. Hilary has her dagger aimed straight at Devon's heart -- and Mariah's back.
Oh, no, Mariah! I honestly fear your juicy sexual harassment story, as told by "Clarissa," is going to backfire and bite you in the rear. Didn't you learn anything when Hilary named names in her story about Victor? Plus, you didn't check your facts first and verify the story through an interview with Jack before you aired the story. You are a clever, smart lady, but you really dropped the ball with this. How long will it take for Jack to go running straight to GC Buzz with a lawsuit of his own. Hilary probably figured that, without any guidance, Mariah would eventually tank her career all on her own. It's probably why Hilary refused to review the story beforehand. Gotcha!
The Wicked Witch of Orchard Road, Victoria, seemed to be over her head in trying to deal with a teenager in the house. I know she hasn't had much experience in that department, but she had better get smart fast. Her son is not like a business she can manage and run. Teenagers tend to resent that. Victoria should really listen to the advice Billy has been trying to hand her, since, after all, he had once been a 15-year-old boy. Plus, she should take advantage of the fact that Reed thinks of Billy as his role model. Seriously, Victoria used to be a teenager herself. How would she feel if her mother had "reamed" her out in front of a boy she had a crush on? Victoria would have been crushed herself. It would be totally humiliating.
But in this day and age, it's even worse, since kids now seem to think they should share every second of their lives with the whole world through the Internet. There's seriously no such thing as privacy anymore. That blonde tootsie Zoey didn't waste any time announcing to just their friends at school, that's all, the kind of welcome she had received at Reed's house. Did she really think Reed would thank her for that? Girls really need to think before they do such silly stuff.
But Victoria finally listened to Billy's advice and gave Reed two tickets to a concert. Hey, that beats milk and cookies any day. I can see that Victoria shouldn't make Reed pay the price for being a normal teen, but she needs to watch out that she doesn't throw prizes at him to make up for any misunderstanding between a mother and her son. Reed could expect it and could even take advantage of it. There are always disagreements and conflicts between children and their parents, and it's just a matter of keeping the line of communication open in order to patch any bumps in the road. And with teenagers, there's always road construction going on.
Oh, no! Victor advised Victoria to forget the grifter and the gambler and to buy Brash & Sassy out, all on her own. Oh, yeah, that's just what Reed needs -- a mother whose entire focus is wrapped up in her company.
Oh, no! An irritated Billy and a frustrated Phyllis ended up doing the hanky-panky in the elevator. Please, not another ride on the Phyllis and Billy merry-go-round. And Jill thinks she's angry now.
Man, it sure looked like Ravi almost needed to be cooled off -- with a bucket of water -- when Ashley seductively announced their food order of "sweet and succulent" chicken and hot, spicy noodles hot. The tech guru looked like he was going to melt. If Ashley was aware of Ravi's crush and wasn't the least bit interested, you would think she would have chosen tamer adjectives to use. I wonder if Ravi was disappointed to learn Ashley's ideal partner was an alpha male who could take charge and give as good as he gets. That doesn't exactly describe Ravi, does it?
I had to laugh when Phyllis referred to her dating pool as more of a puddle. That was a good one, Phyllis.
It was shocking to see Mariah in tears and to look as if she had been bawling like a baby. She's come a long way.
Let's see. Devon noted that Hilary had wanted to "come clean" with her televised apology, and Sharon told Mariah that Dylan had wanted "a clean break." Then, when Hilary was supposedly owning up to all her mistakes to Dylan, I happened to spot a "cleaning service" ad on the bulletin board. Maybe Hilary and Dylan should give it a call.
Until next time, please stay tuned.
Teddi
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