Week of November 17 - 21:
All in all it was a good week of episodes for Y&R. There are still some issues, but on the whole the show seems to have undergone a significant improvement. To tighten things up, they may want to decide which characters are going to be on the canvas and then use them all consistently. The trend of having characters, or plot points, go MIA for days at a time remains unsettling and totally hampers the momentum of a story. Also, let's not go the route of some other daytime programs where the characters repeat themselves for Days on end! It gets old real fast!
The Funeral Part 2: Someone is writing that knows these characters well! Brock's eulogy was spot on! Having Liz Foster turn up and speak was inspired! Both Billy and Cane's speeches were very believable and well-delivered. Amber's heartfelt and honest words were the best of the bunch! Esther's remembrance of Mrs. C. was heartbreaking! When Jill got up to speak about Katherine, there was real evidence of an emotional struggle, but her actions will be the true measure of how she felt about her mother. Hearing the private thoughts of some in attendance was a nice touch, particularly with the undercurrent of drama provided by Victor's late entrance. Having Jeff checking out Dina gave us just a small giggle to offset the heavy mood of the day. The only thing I didn't enjoy was Jack's overly theatrical scowling! While it was somewhat amusing, it was over the top and somehow rang false for me. Ana and Devon singing 'Amazing Grace' was appropriate and tear jerking, as was Nikki's emotional response as she placed a rose on the casket - along with herself. She has had a long and loving relationship with Katherine, and has also undergone a lot of other emotional upheaval in her life recently - I'd be having a breakdown too! Sweet added touch - having Mitchell Sherman arrive at the funeral and bait Jill by informing her the will had recently been changed! Perfect!
Heather/Adam/Victor: Amazing that both of them have already been bested by Victor once before, and yet they still blithely fly in the face of logic and attack him again with barely a second thought as to the sanity of such actions! Heather's constant snippiness, especially to our beloved Paul, is on my last nerve - I'm all about her getting a big piece of whatever the Mustache dishes out! I admit that I would have liked Adam to remain a redeemable character, but at this point, I don't see how they can salvage him. He's toast - and deservedly so - no matter how he tries to justify his position by saying that the Newmans treated him like dirt, the fact is that Victor all but rolled out the red carpet for him in the beginning. He has no one to blame but himself for the poor choices he's made. The build up to both Heather and Adam receiving their respective threats from the Big Man was very well done. Who didn't love seeing Michael summon Adam with the help of the 'heavies'! Hilarious! And did anyone else virtually stop breathing when Victor told Adam he would crush him 'like a cockroach'?! With the added threat of Frank the forger getting ready to cut a deal, and Phyllis learning that Jack was in Mexico, methinks that Adam is going down big time - and his fiancée will be going with him!
Katherine/Murphy: The concept of his finding her in the ravine, and thinking she was Marge on a bender etc., is a good one. I just find myself hoping that this 'interlude of confusion' doesn't drag on too long or it will quickly become unbelievable and tiresome. I already found myself fidgeting during some of the scenes in Murphy's trailer.
Kevin and the Money: Here is an example of how even the most wonderful actors can get dragged down when the dialogue and scenes become repetitive. I don't need, or want, to see Kevin hovering around a safe for days on end, nor do I want to hear Amber needling Daniel about Kevin's suspicious behavior endlessly. These actors are too good for throwaway scenes like that - thankfully he finally spent the money - this story needed to move along!
Returning Characters: I totally loved this! Danny, Gina, and Nina all fit right in like they've hardly been gone. It would be a smart move to have Nina return full time to the show - she's a fan favorite and a great character! Brock is amazing - a hunk with a heart - and having the Abbott's back together on screen is fantastic. I even enjoyed the interaction between Lauren and Traci immensely, in spite of the fact that I prefer Lauren with more of an edge.
Sharon/Lauren/Eden/Noah: Everyone saw it a little differently, but make no mistake, Lauren was hugely offended by Sharon's suggestion that Eden was to blame for Noah's recent troubles, and so she should be - Noah is quite capable of making his own decisions! Lauren is a pretty tough chick (or at least she used to be), and I wouldn't want to be on the wrong side of her. Sharon, of course, can be just as vehement when she's defending her offspring - so it was quite an interesting and electrically charged bit of conversation! While it appears that Eden is responsible for leading Noah astray, let's not forget it was his 'guy friends' that he got into hot water with when they were caught 'almost' drinking beer - my point being that Noah may not be the instigator, but he's certainly been a most-willing participant - and that's all on him. The upcoming drama between the adults may wind up being the most interesting thing about the Noah/Eden relationship! Here's wishing Erin Sanders well - she has now left the role of Eden - just as some were finally getting used to her. I am eager to see what Vanessa Marano will bring to the role though - she's a talented young actress. This time, I'm going to wait and reserve judgment until she's had a few weeks to settle in. This goes to show that the writers do listen to fan response, and when so many people came out negatively where Eden was concerned right from the get-go (as the character was kind of unpalatable), this may have had an unanticipated impact on the situation.
Karen/Neil Engagement: I so love them together! Of course, we know it will likely be short-lived, since Tyra's all but salivating on his lapels! Just a suggestion - if they want this triangle to become viable, the writers need to develop the character of Tyra more - at this point, there is very little rooting value for the her - she's basically an interloper and an irritant! Wasn't it nice to see Roxanne and Devon together again this week?! Roxanne is a character I would like to see them use more often - she makes stuffy ol' Devon much more interesting!
The Reading of the Will: Awesome! It was a last opportunity to see Brock, Danny, Gina, and Nina interact with the cast, which was an unexpected treat. Who didn't love watching Jill gape as Esther was awarded half the house, and Amber won the rights to the memoirs! It was so satisfying when Jill threatened to contest the will and Mitchell Sherman shut her down completely! The best, of course, was seeing the 5% of Jabot shares go to Gloria. Much as we don't want Gloria to get her way - it was the perfect way to stick it to Jill! I might add here that I'm sincerely hoping that Cane isn't going to be written as Jill's lackey from here on out. It was starting to appear that way after the reading of the will. I'd like to see him be a strong character and stand up to her - much more interesting that way! One more thing - Go Amber - print those memoirs, girl!
Phyllis/Jack: Nice set up, having Phyllis as the one who discovers Jack's indiscretions. There are just so many implications to her being 'the one'!! She can use this information in so many ways that it's just juicy and delicious! No wonder she's considering her options carefully first! I absolutely can't wait to see what she does next - excellent storytelling! There is some question as to how viable is it that Jack filed expenses from Mexico with Restless Style, but, hey, you've got to suspend reality somewhat in order to indulge - it's fiction after all!
Gloria/Jeffrey/Jack: I'm hoping Gloria gets shafted in this Jabot deal somehow. Not only do I not like what she did to Katherine, but now she's pulled back from helping Lowell? Such a selfish woman - she deserves what she gets! Jeffrey's character continues to entertain me, but is dangerously close to becoming an underdeveloped one-note villain - listen up writers! Jack doesn't deserve Jabot either, so it will be interesting to see them all try to stab each other in the back!
Chloe/Cane/Billy/Lily: It's funny that the writers seem to hear so much of what we say on the message boards, and in our rants, but when it comes to Lily, they just don't get it! This storyline has the makings of an excellent quadrangle except for the consistently sulky Lily. At great risk of sounding like a broken record - please give this character an edge, an interesting personality - something! It is too hard to root for someone who is always feeling sorry for herself, or stomping out of a room, or giving 'the look'. Please do right by this actress! I've realized that I prefer Chloe with Cane - and with Billy! That means the quadrangle is not working as it's being written! Read the boards, writers, I'm not the only one rooting for the bad girl! If Lily is going to be the 'heroine' in this tale, something is going to have to change - drastically! I want to like her, I really do! I liked 'drinking Lily' in New York...
It's been a good week on Y&R! While having the former cast members back really helped things along, the writing seems to have improved as well!
**Spoiler Alert** Wait until Monday's U.S. show, when Jack threatens Phyllis, Nick and Sharon discuss the kiss, Heather starts to doubt Adam, Nikki and Victor meet up, and Phyllis asks Brad for help! That's what I'm talking about! I feel excited about the show for the first time in a long while. Keep up the good work!!
Don't forget to add your two cents! It doesn't matter if you agree or disagree with my point of view - it's all in fun!
- Candace Young
