The Young and the Restless Diaries

So who will be the next big bad wolf of daytime television?

Jack Abbot has had his day in the bad guy limelight. He's older, a little more mature, but he's lost his edge as a master manipulator. Without his youthful sex appeal, he's just another guy with money. Considering the per capita income of Genoa City, Wisconsin, he ain't all that. My guess is he'll be too tied up with domestic issues and cat fights (Phyllis, Sharon and Diane) that he'll hardly have time for the bigger projects of yesteryear.

Nick Newman, the heir apparent, can't even manage a fling properly (case in point: Diane, Phyllis, Christine) so he's completely out of the running as the next big dog.

Tucker McCall had potential as a big dog. Now that he's made a tenuous connection with his mother, Katherine Chancellor, he's taking a more secondary role. His troubles will be domestic once the million dollar wedding with Ashley Abbott takes place. Personally, I have doubts about that wedding happening. Eventually, that little one-nighter with Diane is going to bite Tucker in the butt.

Jeffrey Bardwell had potential. He's tried running numbers but failed miserably and proved he's simply small-time and just not made for the big time badness necessary in Genoa City.

Michael Baldwin, though a cutthroat lawyer, retired from being superbad long ago.

Adam Wilson, the black sheep in the Black Knight's family, has potential but his weakness for Sharon provides Victor with a vise grip to squeeze whenever he wants Adam to jump.

Enter Colin Atkinson.

Now Colin has got great potential! Granted, manipulating the ridiculously self-involved Jill Fenmore (formerly Foster Brooks Abbott) is easy enough but it is what we don't know about Colin that gives him great potential as the next big bad guy. He's spending time with his grandchildren under the guise of step grandpa, Cane is out of the way and Lily is lost in her grief. Speaking of Lily, she's really setting herself up to lose the children she risked her life for with all this talking to Cane business. Perhaps that is the point. We already know Colin is capable of dirty deeds. If it comes down to a battle of the grandfathers, neither Neil nor Malcolm can hold a candle to the fires Colin can light. I have a bad feeling those babies will disappear to Australia with Colin while Neil and Malcolm put Lily into a nuthouse for what they'll believe in their limited knowledge is her own good. The road to Hell is paved with good intentions and the Winters brothers have been known for some brilliant paving in the past.

I don't think we've seen the last of Colin.