Week of October 6 - 10:
Victor's not the only one missing - the writers are playing hide and seek, aka, "Where's that storyline?" with viewers! Please stop! After the big face-off between Chloe and Billy on Tuesday, they haven't been seen or heard from since! Amber and Daniel left Crimson Lights together on Tuesday, and are MIA! Lily and Cane had a huge moment in the elevator on Tuesday and she hasn't re-hashed it with Colleen yet! Hello?! By the time we see these characters again, it will be difficult to recall what was going on with them! It certainly takes the edge off of a good revelation like, "Billy is the baby's daddy"! After Tuesday, the week was downright dull! What makes the writers think that we want to have River and Eden featured heavily when we've barely had a chance to get to know, or care, about them?! Here's the week's rant:
Victor/Nikki/Heather: To get through this endless Victor 'mystery', we're all going to have to start drinking a shot every time someone says, "Victor's activities in Mexico"! Nikki is being written as a total witch, with no emotion other than anger, Heather is seeking out a criminal case against her boyfriend's father and doing the investigating herself - why?! Are there so few cases in GC that she has to invent them to keep her job? Yeesh! How about Nikki running to Paul and telling him to get Heather to back off? Where was that scene? Oh wait, Paul's MIA too! One thing's for sure, as much as the character of Victor has the ability to irk me - I miss his strong presence on the show.
Kevin/Gloria/Katherine: Wasn't that car hiding trick the meanest thing you ever saw?! I really hate that they did that to her - and I'm ashamed of Kevin, especially for not coming clean with Jana and wising up about his mother. I'm missing Kevin's comic relief lately too - is it me, or has it been watered down?
The Tarot Card Reading: I loved this idea! It was a great way to bring out the characters' issues without simply re-hashing them as per usual. I loved the ominous warning about the 'lie Amber lives with' (Billy) ruining many lives. I just hope they don't make him into a total villain - he's better as a mix of good and bad qualities.
Nick/Phyllis/Sharon/Jack: So, about Phyllis's letter in the magazine - why not wear a t-shirt declaring, "I'm feeling jealous and insecure." I was puzzled that the character wasn't more devious about her baiting of Sharon - the letter was so obvious! That said, the other characters' reactions to the disaster were pretty well written. I was glad Nick got mad and never backed off of his stance that it was an unacceptable thing to do. Sharon, perhaps, could have been a little more ticked off than she was - a confrontation would still be nice to see - but Jack's conversation with Phyllis was bang-on - she will be the downfall of her own marriage if it crumbles, and not anyone else. Phyllis has never been good at controlling her impulses, and even though she may love Nick deeply and want to love and be loved successfully, she has always been written as a self-destructive character. I have to mention, though, that Jack is no better than Phyllis in his own actions. He lied outright to his wife recently - he just didn't get caught - and would do well to heed his own warnings! Nick returning to Newman caught me off guard. After all the posturing about the magazine and maintaining his independence, he leaves the magazine with nary a moment's thought?! And can you believe Jack? Agreeing that Sharon should go work at Newman with Nick? You know he just wants to keep her busy, so she won't find out what he's up to! Jack, your priorities are showing! Anyway, Nick and Sharon working together will spell more trouble for the marriages - ho hum, let's all go to Predictable Land.
Adam/Jack: I was surprised that Adam went back to Newman Enterprises to ask Neil for help, although the rejection was clearly a plot point to propel him into joining forces with Jack again. And how about that Jack? Although he's more like the 'old' Jack, which is a positive, his repeated scheming against Victor is grating on me - perhaps it's because Victor isn't there to participate in the rivalry, or maybe it's because I've forgotten what Jack has to be so angry about - because Victor gave Nick money? Jack has done that and far more in the name of family!
The Winters/Karen: I felt so bad for Karen this week! Nice to finally hear some of her back story. It helps explain some of her actions too - like when Lily was pregnant. Wonder what's going on with Tyra and Ana disappearing? It's certainly peculiar - especially with Devon getting the letter from Ana saying she doesn't like the school - a real mystery! I'm not sure I want Tyra showing up again and interfering with Neil and Karen either...Hmm...
Lily/Cane/Chloe: The scene in the elevator evolved realistically from awkwardness to re-discovering the old 'comfort zone' between Lily and Cane. One thing is for sure - it certainly made me ask again what the heck Cane is doing with Chloe! It's totally unrealistic that a guy this much in love with his girlfriend would marry someone else - baby or not. I think it would have been more realistic just to have Lily dump him over his perceived infidelity and totally freeze him out. I still don't get Lily's rush to date someone new - especially over the Internet - she met Kevin in a chat room back when he was a creeper - remember?! Neil gave her good advice this week, but I think Lily is so determined to move on and find a distraction that she'll keep using the dating site - where she'll encounter an incognito Billy, of course. It was a neat little story point to have him overhear Lily tell Cane her screen name in the elevator!
Chloe/Billy: Finally! I've been waiting for a reason to see Chloe as a real human being, and now I do. When those big, brown, sad, doe-eyes looked into the camera as she told her baby that she had met 'daddy' on purpose, but never meant to fall in love with him, women viewers everywhere were able to relate to Chloe and her desperate situation. We still don't like her bad behavior, her deviousness, or her disrespect of her mother, but we definitely understand her pain! And who could blame her for falling for Billy Abbott?! Naturally, she was smart enough to realize he wouldn't do right by her, so she hatched the plot to collar Cane! Incidentally, a whopping 76% of over 400 voters in the Soaps.com weekly poll chose Chloe as the woman they most want to see Billy get together with - 'Chilly' (Chloe + Billy) is born! Now, how long will it take for someone else to guess what Billy figured out his first couple of days in town - Cane's NOT the father!!
The Great Escape: While I love seeing Michael onscreen, and I like the River storyline, there's been entirely too much Eden for my taste! Perhaps if they had given us more time to get to know Eden and River before thrusting them into front burner story, we might care more about their lives and feelings. The exchanges between Michael and his father have been great though, and the timing of River's decision to escape (just as Michael gets him bail), is brilliant! Not sure about the bobby pin trick - why are police guards always such dummies?! Oh, and have I mentioned giving Lauren something better to do?! She was one of the feistiest characters in the past!
Brad: I liked the way he put Nikki in her place. Okay, it was a little rude, but she got in his face for what amounts to him pulling David's strings. Is he an aggravator? Yes. A schemer? Sure. But, he definitely has the right to defend himself against money laundering charges, and for Nikki to suggest that he is in any way responsible for David's choices is ridiculous. Also worth mentioning - the undeniable chemistry when he's in the same space with Sharon! She just lights up, and he seems to soften somehow. Great flirtation, but I'd like to see him in a sizzling front-burner relationship!
So, this week, overall, I'm a little jarred by storylines being forgotten for days on end - I like a little more continuity and flow. There's some great story being told, and some fabulous acting happening, but this week's Y&R felt like a wheel with a lump in it - off-balance!
Please leave a comment or your own rant, within guidelines. It's all in fun and doesn't matter a bit if you disagree with me - I love reading everyone's point of view! Food for thought!
Candace Young
