Friday, April 21, 2006
Jack informed Ashley that Phyllis has returned to Jabot. Katherine was surprised to see Phyllis, and wondered what happened. "Let's just say Victor is back to his old ways," Phyllis responded.

Dru was furious that Brad stole the spotlight from Neil, and told Nick so. Neil got a job offer from another company. Dru thought he should jump at the opportunity, but Neil was hesitant because being COO at Newman carries a lot of weight.

Nikki bickered with Victor over forcing Phyllis out of N.V.P. Victor warned her that he expects 100 percent out of her, even though she no longer has Phyllis. Victor stormed out and walked down the hallway in slow-mo (what's up with that?). He ran into Nick and chewed him out for letting Brad take over Neil's deal. "I don't think you know much of anything, do you?" Victor asked, before walking away. He went to the GCAC, where he joined Ashley for lunch. He tried to make her feel better about the whole GloAgain debacle. Then he had an idea: market Jabot products at N.V.P. spas. Let's just say that didn't go over well with Nikki and Jack — or Drucilla, for that matter. "I do as I damn well please," reminded Victor, when Nikki insisted it was a terrible idea.

Gloria blabbed to Kevin that Lauren is pregnant; Michael was annoyed, because everything Gloria does annoys him. "When your grandchild is born, we can both be in jail," Michael hissed. Gloria told Will that Jabot sent out that tainted cream because John wasn't there. So it was all Will's fault! (For sending John to prison in the first place.)

EOE (end of episode), Ashley got stuck in the elevator with Will; Nikki warned Nick to be careful when it comes to Victor; and Neil cried to Victor about being consistently bypassed at Newman now that Victor is no longer in charge. But Victor had a plan....

Thursday, April 20, 2006
Phyllis asked Jack for her old job back. But of course, he said. He asked if she was in the mood to celebrate, but she said not tonight. Phyllis went home, turned on some music and reminisced about her relationship with Nick. (Back at Newman, Nick was torn over Sharon leaving for Paris and his feelings for Phyllis.) As Phyllis began to wolf down a pint of ice cream and feed her feelings, the phone rang. But it was Jack, not Nick. Nick was calling Sharon instead. "Other couples get divorced, Sharon, not us," Nick left on her voicemail. Only THEN did he call Phyllis, because he wanted to hear her voice! Phyllis put down the phone when the doorbell rang. It was Jack; Nick heard and was jealous. Cue the "Goodbye, my lover," music...fade out.

After Neil laced into Victoria for letting Brad close the deal he was working on for Newman Enterprises, she revealed that she put "Bradley" in charge of the entire project. Neil went crying to Victor, who coddled his top exec. Then he clashed with — and warned — Brad in one of those action hallway scenes. Meanwhile, back at the ranch, Victor reprimanded Victoria for undermining Neil's power by letting Brad close the deal.

Nick pleaded with Sharon to give their marriage another chance. She told him she's going to Paris to think things out. Nick balked when she said she was taking Noah with her, but then he said he wouldn't stop her from going.

J.T. and Paul brainstormed about Cleveland native Brad and what he could be hiding in his past....

Wednesday, April 19, 2006
Victor informed a livid Nikki that he's no longer backing N.V.P. "This is classic Victor Newman and it disgusts me," she spat. She ran into Phyllis in the hallway and broke the news to her, then Nick said he'd speak to his father. No dice — Victor stuck to his decision.

Next up, Jack confronted Victor about pulling out of N.V.P. "Where the hell do you get off treating Phyllis like this?" Jack barked, as mail-boy Daniel eavesdropped outside the conference room. Daniel gave Phyllis the heads-up, so Phyllis walked in and interrupted the execs. Phyllis whisked Jack away, continuing to hide the truth. Jack promised he'd always be there for Phyllis. (Cue the guilt flashbacks of her affair!) Then Phyllis asked Jack if he still wants her to join Jabot.

Meanwhile, Victor called Nikki back into his office, where they went back and forth again about Phyllis. Enter — you got it — Phyllis, who announced she's quitting N.V.P. but she's retaining her stock in the company. "What I've done...sometimes it's not worth it," Phyllis said. Across the hall, Jack to Nick: "I'm rooting for you, buddy. Hang in there." LOL! Nick left and ran into Phyllis, who shared that she quit and she's going back to Jabot. Later, Nick told Sharon the "good news."

Michael and Gloria covered when Lauren asked what they were arguing about. Michael ran off to meet Paul at the GCAC, while Lauren revealed to Gloria that she's pregnant. Gloria jumped for joy. "I'm going to be a grandmother," she marveled.

Jack to Sharon: "All couples have problems." Little did he know Sharon's No. 1 problem right now is Phyllis.

EOE (end of episode), Victor put his funding back into N.V.P.; Daniel hugged his mother; and Nick asked Sharon if they could start working things out now that Phyllis is gone. "I'm thinking that it's too late," Sharon responded. "Our marriage is over."

Tuesday, April 18, 2006
Victor informed Nikki that he refused to stand up for Victoria at her wedding. She in turn informed him that she wanted Phyllis to remain at N.V.P. "This is business, and I would think of all people you would understand that," Nikki remarked. "Family comes first," Victor argued, but Nikki held her ground.

Phyllis asked Jill how Jack is holding up. Phyllis said she'd pick Jabot over Newman, if given the choice. Back at the house, he and Ashley felt out Gloria, who continued to bug out. She swore she had no idea who could be responsible for the face cream tampering and was offended that Jack and Ashley would even consider the possibility that she knew something.

Lauren told Michael that she gave Scott the good news that he's going to have a new sibling. Lauren asked Michael what's bothering him, suspecting it had something to do with Gloria. Michael was torn up about the situation with his mother, but didn't share that with Lauren. He told her he wondered if he was father material. "You are nothing like Tom Fisher," Lauren assured him.

Neil plotted to take over a company for Newman Enterprises. Back at the office, Brad asked Victoria to put him in charge of Newman's latest acquisition — the same company Neil was eyeing. Victoria agreed.

EOE (end of episode), Lauren walked in on Gloria begging Michael to help her; Neil went ballistic when he learned Brad closed Neil's deal; Nikki told Phyllis she doesn't want her to quit; and Victor pulled his starter money out of N.V.P.

Monday, April 17, 2006
Victor fired Phyllis. "I will make absolutely certain you will never hurt my daughter-in-law again," he vowed. "I don't trust you, Phyllis. And I cannot work with anyone I don't trust." Phyllis argued that firing her wasn't his decision to make, because Nikki is also involved.

Sharon told Nikki that Nick and Phyllis had an affair. "That's impossible," Nikki gasped. When Sharon said it was true, Nikki gave her a big hug, seemingly unfazed by the news. Sharon was shocked when Nikki wouldn't fire Phyllis. "This has nothing to do with work," Nikki noted. "You've got to get past this. I remember a time when the show was on the other foot." Touché! Nikki left, and went to see Phyllis. "What on earth possessed you to do this?" Nikki asked her. Then Nikki asked her to quit, but Phyllis refused. "This is our dream," Phyllis reminded her.

Abby asked to be the flower girl at Brad and Victoria's wedding. "Of course," they said. Victoria already asked Colleen to be her maid of honor, so she asked Victor to walk her down the aisle. He wasn't amused, and he refused. Meanwhile, Colleen shared with Brad that she and J.T. are getting back together. He wasn't amused.

J.T. made out with Colleen, but stopped short of making love to her, claiming he didn't want to "rush things." Later, J.T. fished for details about Brad's past when he ran into Jill at the coffee shop. Cut to an '80s flashback of Brad trimming the Abbott hedges!

Michael was furious with Gloria for poisoning Ashley's face cream. "It's only a matter of time before the D.A. hauls you in for questioning," he spat. "From now on you're on your own." At the Abbott mansion, Jack pointed the finger at Victor when he and Ashley were trying to figure out who sabotaged the face cream (Ashley nixed that idea). Then Ashley remembered running into GLORIA outside the lab that day....

2005 recaps