Monsters and Boogeymen. They really do walk among us. At least they do if you're unlucky enough to live in Genoa City. And if your luck is really, really bad, they might even be wearing your face.
I believed my elders when they told the little girl me that "no one was all bad; there was a little bit of good in even the most evil." Thankfully, that is probably true for 99 of the next 100 people we will cross paths with. But woe be unto us if the 100th turns out to be like Rhoda Penmark, the murderous little girl in the 1956 flick The Bad Seed. Wasn't one bit of good in that horrid little lass. And in Daisy, Genoa City's resident boogeywoman, there seems to be a matching amount of non-existent goodness.
Some villains, you hate what they do, but are secretly pulling for them to somehow be redeemed. Then there are those you hate so much, instead of counting leaping sheep in an attempt to drift off to dreamland, you fantasize about the many pain-filled ways that they might die. For me, Daisy is such a villain. What kind of a hateful, horrible person takes such pleasure in the pain she brings to others? And to think she could be doing it to her own aunt! But as bad as Daisy is, Mama Bear, as the puppet master manipulating her twins' strings, will probably be a thousand times worse. I think we've all pretty much guessed that Mama Bear is likely going to turn out to be a dead ringer for Lauren. The question yet to be answered, however, is whether Lauren will just go missing or have her life literally taken over by her identical double.
While Ryder is obviously in cahoots with his supposed twin sister, his bad seed tendencies are probably only on the surface. Clearly, he's too frightened of his domineering mother and sister to put up more than a token resistance against anything they order him to do. But he at least has the decency to feel remorse and regret for the way Jana is being treated. Ryder is definitely the weak link in Mama's Bear chain of revenge and I'm crossing my fingers the women will one day take things one baby step further than Ryder's conscience will let him go.
In other evil twin news, Patty continued her alternate reality as Dr. Emily Abbott. Most of this makes little sense, but parts of it are entertaining enough to keep me watching. One of the week's high points was watching Adam fit the missing puzzle pieces into place that showed him Patty's wild eyes staring out of Emily's face. It was great fun seeing someone turn the tables on Patty for a change, even if it had to be Adam doing so, and was almost worth the months of Adam's demonic activities, just to see Patty shocked nearly speechless as he taunted her with Mr. Kitty and his memories of the potting shed.
By the way, this is one extremely extraordinary woman. On the one hand, she's so crazy, she had a surgeon stitch Emily's features on top of her own, yet is sane enough to successfully convince everyone she was first a public relations specialist, then a psychiatrist with years of college and medical experience. And now, simply by perusing a few medical volumes, she can choose which drug and how much of it to inject into her hapless victims to get whatever result she's seeking. At the same time, she's so crazy, she has mentally transported herself back to a time that never existed - that of a happy married life with Jack. I can't wait for things to start unraveling in this witch's pretend world.
With all the aforementioned monsters running rampant through this tiny town, it certainly doesn't need another, but another it definitely has in Adam. When it comes to this bad seed gone rancid, although lights can be seen from the windows of his carcass, there's plainly not a soul inside. But perhaps he won't be around much longer now that he's blackmailed Patty into helping him escape. I don't believe our scribes write things into the script just for the heck of it. Which means there must have been a reason for that meeting Adam had with the mysterious stranger.
Most fans are convinced his disappearance, allegedly to visit Hope's grave, was a lie told to explain his absence and that he was really undergoing some medical procedure that seemed to benefit someone else, but was really for himself. Because we know Adam never does anything for anyone that isn't completely in his best interest. In order to avoid possibly spending the rest of his life behind bars, Adam has to disappear. Permanently. It appears that it's time for Adam to die, or at least appear to have done so. And with resident after resident overheard expressing their desire to do him in, there will be no lack of possible perpetrators should his "body" turn up absent of life.
Whew! That's me, finally heaving a deep sigh of relief at the end of this part of the baby Faith drama. Of course, I feel for Ashley. It's not her fault Adam was a sleazy sociopath who caused her baby's demise, but there was nothing about this story I could really root for. Yes, I know, this was somewhat standard soap opera fare, but still, start to finish, it was distasteful and heartbreaking and from day one, all I wanted was Faith returned to her rightful parents.
Of course, now that Faith has been returned to the arms of her mother, we must move to the next chapter of this story. Which is whether or not her parents will reunite to raise her. Well this time, fans, I refuse to clamber aboard the Nick-Sharon express. You know what they say: fool me once, shame on you, fool me 15 times, I'm the idiot. Talk about déjà vu! Every time it appears there's even the slightest outside chance Nick and Sharon might toss their hats in the ring together, what happens? Someone in the Phyllis camp gets sick, regressed, or injured and Nick and Phyllis carry on. Well, maybe I'm the only fan who feels this way, but if you knew beforehand that no matter what you watched with your very own eyes or heard with the two ears stuck on each side of your head, things were going to remain the same, would you invest your hopes and tears or nibble your nails down to the quick, if the payoff was only to see Nick remain with Phyllis?
And how could Nick possibly leave Phyllis now, Faith notwithstanding? After all, the already new and improved Phyllis has, over the past couple of weeks, literally become a saint. Who is this soft-spoken, tolerant, understanding, perfect mother, wife, daughter, and sister-in-law, and best friend to so many? The woman once ostracized by practically the whole of Genoa City has become a paragon of perfection. It's a miracle! But, as I mentioned before, if not with Nick, who else can the redhead be paired with?
Unfortunately, Genoa's City sparse pool of eligible bachelors is the fate facing Sharon. I can't guess where the scribes will lead her, but I already don't like the way she's coming across. I don't want her longing for Nick, because the way it's looking now, it can only mean heartbreak is in her future. Enough of that for this woman. If she's not going to be put back with Nick, find her a decent man of her own and just let her move on. Nikki already made sure a little pain was in Sharon's present with her catty and insulting treatment, rude and nasty enough to make me glad Adam had previously jabbed Nikki's button with a hard thumb with that stripper comment. The woman just got her baby back, and instead of showing some joy on her behalf, Nikki comes in with her nose in the air, implying Sharon might use Faith to retrieve Nick. Were I Sharon, I would have shown Ms. Pursed Prune lips the hotel door.
The blue ribbon for best of week goes to Nick and Faith. Was that not the most adorable thing you've seen since Delia's last scene? The way that beautiful little girl was looking up at him and cooing and gurgling? Every scene with those two was a prolonged Awww moment. I loved them!
Also almost too cute for words, is my still favorite couple, Billy and Victoria. This is a pure gold pairing, and has finally enabled me to look at Victoria with interest, something that just didn't happen in married life with J.T. One of the most delicious aspects is Victor's obvious distaste and dislike for any interaction between the two. I nearly toppled from my couch, when Billy told Victoria about Victor's "warning" in Victor's exact disapproving tone. This one is going to be absolutely delicious and I can't wait to see what will happen next!
On the other side of the Hellstrom camp, J.T. and Mac's interactions have certainly accelerated. All that dropping in and attention to Reed and his father. Maybe I'm the only fan who thinks it feels a little bit contrived and comes somewhat out of the blue, but I guess since Victoria is having her secret fun with Billy, J.T. has to at least appear to be matching his straying wife tit for tat.
Winding up a pretty decent week was the icing on the cake - the start of the Policeman's Ball on Friday. Listening to the many conversations from behind their masks was a particularly ingenious stroke of inspiration on the scribes' part, proving to be both amusing and sinister, depending on who was doing the talking. Friday was the beginning of what will undoubtedly lead into an explosive next week and you couldn't pay me to miss the next five episodes.
Until I return, enjoy what some of your fellow fans contributed to the e-bag.
My first time writing in to Two Scoops and wanted to say hello and thanks to you two for your endlessly entertaining analysis of our favorite soap. I always look forward to Monday's column! I want more screen time with Phyllis... she can make me laugh, cry and plan someone's demise all in the span of an hour! When Diane showed up a few weeks ago I could barely contain myself as to what would unfold, and how soon the celebrity death match would start. What a letdown it was when the "explosive face-off" between the two turned out to be a dud by comparison to earlier encounters. I don't understand why so many on here don't care for the character of Phyllis. She's a complete dynamo and, whatever she's knee deep into this week, you can be certain I'll be front and center clamoring for more! Viva Phyllis Newman and Brava to the astounding Michelle Stafford! -- Kalamaty
