Bye, Bye, Bye
Lily and Billy were away on a business trip, and Elena’s presumably still in Hawaii, but we also saw nothing of Devon, Amanda, Nate or Imani. Considering we were gearing up for Imani to make her move on Nate while Elena was out of town, their sudden absence was odd. Abby was also completely MIA, which was weird given that both her husband and her family were front and center. Do the Newmans ever tell that girl anything?!
Quit Playing Games

Sally busted Adam when she overheard him admitting to Sharon that he broke it off with her to save her job. Knowing the truth didn’t do her much good though as she was unable to persuade him to come clean and reunite with her. For me, there could be little doubt about how he felt after that kiss in Crimson Lights, which I suppose is part of her frustration. I actually got a chill when she slapped him and then pulled him into a kiss — so hot. Adam then indulged in yet another deeper kiss before pushing her away and reverting to his act.
Sally confronting Adam in his hotel room brought more solid scenes, especially the foreshadow-y way she left, warning him that by the time he realizes what a terrible mistake he’s made, it may be too late because she’ll have moved on. What with her suddenly sharing scenes with Nick — who got a little “caveman” while trying to convince her to stay at Newman Media — and confiding in Sharon, there’s gotta be a new love triangle coming up.
In related, I love Sally and Chloe working together, but why on earth would Sally go to her, of all people, for advice on Adam?!? Chloe figured she wanted her to talk her out of leaving (which she did), and that, at least, makes sense.
As Long As You Love Me
Mariah and Tessa were so relatable worrying about Tessa’s procedure. There’s always a risk with surgery and it’s scary! That said, I’m disappointed to feel that they’ve been so written into a corner that what happens to them doesn’t really seem to affect anyone on the canvas other than Sharon.
"I'm so lucky to have a mother in law that feels like a mom"
— FridayInCanada (@FridayInCanada) July 28, 2022
🥰😍😋😭😭😭
Also please be an anvil about Tessa's actual mom showing up #YR #Teriah pic.twitter.com/N6iTDBW96W
I Want You Back
I felt for Kyle having to break such terrible news to his little boy, especially given that he knows exactly how it feels to be in that position, but it made no sense whatsoever for the Abbott to be lamenting Ashland’s death/absence. Kyle and Summer had already banned the man from ever seeing the kid, so it was bizarre for them to be so torn up about the prospect of Harrison never being able to visit with him again.
Every Little Thing I Do

Diane made major inroads with Kyle in the aftermath of Ashland’s death as she inserted herself into the delivery of the difficult news to Harrison. What might have been a catalyst for Kyle to have conflict with his mother, since it brought back terrible memories, turned into a bonding moment like no other — he even told Harrison that she’s his grandmother! Yep, Ashland’s misfortune worked out well for Diane, which is bad news for the likes of Phyllis, Nikki and Ashley, who desperately want her to mess up.
Phyllis certainly will have an uphill battle ahead of her now if she manages to finagle a job at Marchetti — Kyle may be a tougher sell than even the skeptical Summer. As for sabotaging Diane on the job, it could so easily backfire and harm not only Summer’s Marchetti, but Jack’s Jabot — a disaster if Phyllis is caught doing the deed! Given how everything is coming up roses for Diane lately, it’s a risk and a half. Then again, who better than Red to take up the challenge? Game on.
Gone
I have to confess to being very disappointed with the way Ashland’s story went since he and Victoria were in New York. I can’t understand them not keeping him around as he’s the only formidable opponent Victor’s had in ages and the closest thing the show had to a villain. Rather than make Victoria fleecing him another installment of their cat and mouse game, with an eye to eventually reuniting them, they wrote him right into a, well… ravine.
I’d have been all in for the Locke Ness Monster finally showing himself with a cunning revenge scheme, but instead, all the hype ended with the guy spiraling out.
As for the cover-up, it seems obvious that Victor’s “security team” cleaned up Nick and Victoria’s mess by scooping up the body (which is when the ring fell out of his pocket), putting it in his car, driving to the ravine and putting it in there to make it look like a crash. Pretty stealth. I did wonder, though, what would they have done if Nick and Victoria hadn’t conveniently decided to step outside in a raging wind storm to get a breath of fresh air. Anyway, it seems clear that Chance will figure it all out. Then what? A trial?
Ashland could still come back — we haven’t seen a body, and even if we did, just look at Diane — but Locke physically attacked Victoria, so there’s a limit to what they’d be able to do with the character unless they redeem him. It’s not like they can give him a tumor, they already did that with JT… besides, who would believe him after his fake cancer scandal?
This is just my opinion. Feel free to join the conversation below.