Week of November 10 - 14:
Seems November sweeps jolted the writers out of their lethargy. There were some fabulous scenes this week, but unfortunately, the majority of them weren't in Paris! Much of the offering from France was a snore - too much walking and pointing! However, the location scenes were interspersed with some fantastic emotional stuff back in Genoa City as it came to light that Katherine Chancellor had died. It took until Friday, but the writers finally put out an entire rockin' episode of Y&R! Maybe it was partly due to the old, familiar faces in the crowd, but it felt like vintage Bill Bell stuff to me! Some of the overly dramatic 'frozen poses' caused me to raise an eyebrow (like sick Nikki & company when Victor walked in), but, hey, it was entertaining! Here's how sweeps week rolled out:
Eden and Noah in Paris: Most of their interaction in Paris was "wake me when it's over" worthy, but things started looking up when they got in the cemetery fight! The choreography was so cringe-worthy it was funny! I laughed right out loud when Noah took his sucker punch - it was like he paused, with his face in the right position, and waited for it! Too much! I giggled and snickered, too, because for a bit, it looked like Eden was faring better than Noah. But let's give credit where it's due - it was amazing to see Noah step up like that, and I actually found myself liking them together when Eden ran into his arms in the police station! But how about Nick's 'stern dad' routine, "So are you the young lady that was dancing with my son at the party?" Good lord, man, lighten up!
Sharon and Nick in Paris: I want some of what she was on in Paris!! Gimme' some!! Boy, was she havin' a good time, or what?! I have to admit, if I was in a marriage like hers, and got the opportunity to roam around Paris with a hot ex-hubby - I might go for it too! There was that one little detail of the - oops - kiss, but who hasn't got caught up in the moment, right?! Seriously, there's a lot of history between these two, and I don't find it at all unbelievable that there are still feelings there. The fact that they haven't discussed the kiss since it happened is what makes this such an effective hook. Viewers were left wondering: Did Nick want things to go further? Does he regret it? Does Sharon want to leave Jack? Does she want Nick back? Did Sharon take the kiss to mean more than it did to Nick? And so on… Bravo, writers - we'll be tuning in to find out! One complaint though - are we supposed to believe that in all the time they were together they never discussed what they had wanted to do with their lives? That Sharon never mentioned that she had once had aspirations of getting a higher education? That conversation on the boat was bizarre to me!
Nick and Sharon Back Home: Saying goodbye to Nick at the Abbott Mansion, it became clear to me that, for Sharon, this is about more than co-parenting Noah. Nick, however, was about as expressive as a statue, and I wasn't able to read him at all. Sharon's attitude toward Jack, and the fact that she sought Nick out as soon as they arrived at the funeral, only served to cement my feeling that she is still in love with him. For her sake, I wish she wasn't, because he's behaving like a dog again, and methinks he should end up alone!
Phyllis: Wow, did her good day at work ever go wrong! While her shock at seeing Nick and Sharon kissing didn't resonate with me right away, I was totally intrigued by her very un-Phyllis like retreat! It's almost scarier when she doesn't come out all claws! Back in Genoa City, when Jack came over, I was as taken aback as he was when she staunchly denied having any suspicions about Nick and Sharon! When she trashed the house, my heart was beating a mile a minute knowing that Nick was on his way home, but when she calmly opened the door in the sexy outfit and began to seduce him, I was thrown for a loop again. "What is she doing?" I said out loud, " Why isn't she confronting his sorry butt?" Well, that's not exactly what I said, but this is a family site. She did make a pointed reference to their 'commitment to one another' before the funeral, but still it all simmers inside her. When she saw Nick and Sharon talking at the funeral, and turned to stand by Amber, I could practically feel her whirring nerves and the flip-flops in the pit of her stomach. Say what you like about Phyllis, but Michelle Stafford is a very talented actress. And again, writers, we're hooked, waiting to see how Phyllis will play this out!
Victor and Ashley in Paris: It was very difficult for me to watch these two together. Why, you ask? I'll tell you why - because I couldn't stand watching the fresh and gorgeous-looking Ashley pawing all over Victor in those same clothes he's been wearing for weeks on end!! It was grossing me out! Bleh! In any case, the agony all turned around for Victor in a mind-numbingly quick fashion - Ashley sure was successful in 'getting through to him', wasn't she?! Here's wishing they would have left a tad more to the imagination on the visuals, but at least Victor's finally going to put us out of our misery and come back to GC! I've always thought these two have real chemistry, and I love how much it irks Jack when his sister is with Victor! Yay!
The Crash: The wreck scenes were really eerie - enough to make you think twice about driving near ravines after dark! Awesome! The search for Katherine was just long enough, and when Nikki and Jill found her it was very realistic, except for the fact that she was laid out a little too pristinely for my taste - she hardly had a hair out of place!
The News Spreads: Kudos galore! Cane's choked voice, as he held the telephone receiver and conveyed what Jill was telling him to the group in the living room, was perfect. People in that situation DO strangle on the words. Amber's anguished cry was so heart-wrenching that most viewers were stopped in their tracks and became riveted to the screen, or were moved to tears, like me. Esther's shuddering sobs, Chloe letting the walls come down and holding her mother, Jill nearly collapsing in Cane's arms, Billy running to his mother like a small boy, Jack getting misty-eyed, and Nikki raw and devastated, lying her head on Victoria's lap and crying for all she's worth - all were done just right. Amazing.
Cane and Chloe: I have to mention their little 'moments'. As they paced the room, waiting for news about Katherine, Cane thanked her for 'trying' to be comforting to her mother. Chloe opened up and told him that she didn't know how to show compassion, but he kindly told her that he had never been very good at it either, and that she could learn how, just as he did. He also pointed out that just her being there showed that she cared. She smiled and told him he's pretty okay sometimes. They eventually wound up in an embrace, after they found out Katherine was gone - and I liked it. I know! I know! But I couldn't help it! Especially when she ended up making tea for Esther and finally being real with her mother and holding her too! She actually transformed into 'Chloe: Queen of Comfort' there for a while - hugging everyone in the room! I know - you're all so disappointed in me… It's all Elizabeth Hendrickson's fault!
Kevin and the money: Good scenes! Greg Rikaart is just so amazing as he depicts the great struggles that Kevin has within himself. He does conflicts with others so well too! Love how moody he gets - it's good fun to watch him snap and snarl at people like Amber - especially Amber - because she doesn't back down! Wonder what he'll do with the money now that he thinks Katherine has kicked the bucket? Can't wait!
Adam/Heather/Paul: I was jarred when Adam and Heather came on, hadn't seen them in a few days, but then there was Paul! Remember Paul?! I love him! Yes, I'm exaggerating, but this 'now you see 'em, now you don't' business, where characters go missing for days or weeks on end is really on my nerves. Where has Brad been? What about River? Okay, we know where he is, but you catch my drift. Anyway, back to Adam - how delicious was it when Frank the forger got hauled in wearing cuffs right in front of him?! I was excited - Adam and Jack are in so much trouble! Heather's scene with her dad was nice. Good that she got his blessing, except that he pulled the 'spying through the window with a suspicious air' thing afterward. I'm wondering if Paul will be the one to figure out the whole diary scam. Heather would hate that!
Neil/Karen/Tyra: Yay! A wedding! Not the most romantic proposal I've ever seen, but it seemed to work for Karen. However, Neil's hyper-interest in Tyra's dating life really bugs me! He just proposed to someone else! Mind you, he claims that he's just looking out for family, but Karen senses, as we do, that there's more to it. It's true, he has always been very protective of family, but c'mon Neil, don't be a chump! Here's hoping Neil won't get so caught up in Tyra's business that Karen gets fed up and dumps his butt! As for Tyra's dating life - the hot police officer seems pretty fine to me, but she's still coming across like a bit of a cold fish. Maybe he should have asked Olivia out!
John's Ghost: What a riot he is! Turning up just long enough to tell Jack that he's a total screw-up, toss him a few crumbs of advice, and weigh-in on the meaning of life, then 'poof', he's gone! So funny!
Friday's Episode: The opening gambit was Marge's little speech in the church - at first I thought it was Jeanne Cooper doing a public service announcement! Although the 'Marge's ghost' bit tied in nicely later in the episode, it seemed so bizarre at the beginning - especially the way she addressed viewers!
Moving on, things were really in a tailspin at the Abbott household! Not a cheery place to be right now, as Noah is snarking at his mother, Jack is getting the cold shoulder and/or being yelled at (by the way, Jack, the hugs and 'I love you's are too little, too late, especially if you're going to keep lying), and Dina Mergeron and the FBI are knocking at the door! Dina looked fabulous of course, every bit the regal ice queen, but how about the FBI getting the brush off by Jack?! Hilarious! After lying to Sharon yet again, I have to agree with John's ghost - Jackie's got no one to blame but the face in the mirror. It's like he has never learned anything - even since the last time he almost lost Sharon! Egad!
The Nick and Phyllis scene was downright creepy - why doesn't she just tell him that she knows and go all 'red menace' on his butt - it's driving me crazy!
Brock's arrival brought me to the brink of tears - it was really like a loved one coming home. So good to see him! Jill's little power play right before he arrived left a bad taste in my mouth though - couldn't discussing business with her sons have waited until after?!
Ashley's scene with Nikki at the GCAC was intense - just like the old days, except Nikki totally invited her rival to the dance this time!
At the funeral, it was just amazing to see Danny, Gina, and Nina there, and to see them spark up old relationships and mention the right things - like Nina getting the 411 on Cane from Esther, and Nina asking Paul about Cricket (Christine). Amber's little chat with Mrs. C. was heartbreaking - so well done. The undercurrents in the church as Sharon arrived and sought out Nick were perfect. The Jack and Billy 'checkpoint on business' was in bad taste, but appropriate for the Abbott men. Jill confronting Nikki up at the casket was horrible - I could so empathize with what Nikki was thinking. Why would she pick that moment to attack her? She might be jealous of her relationship with Katherine, but there couldn't have been any doubt in Jill's mind that Nikki was in genuine pain - her attack could have waited. Granted, shock and grief can make us do inappropriate things. Phyllis's little truce with Amber was weird - she obviously felt she needed a buddy at that moment - but what strangeness for poor Amber! And Daniel! I enjoyed the scene though - it was unexpected. Victor's grand entrance (just like a man who wants to be ignored) was predictable, but great all the same. The gaping mugs on practically everyone in the church were fun, but Jack's 'foiled again' scowl was the best!
The end of the episode, where Marge's ghost found Katherine, and we realized that she is still alive, was a great way of letting viewers know what the score is - I just hope they don't go the amnesia route! All in all, this was the best Y&R episode I've seen in recent memory. I laughed and cried, and felt engaged and invested. Magnificent!
To sum up, the success of November sweeps was due entirely to the focus on emotional scenes with characters we know and care about. Not location shoot scenery, not contrived plots, just regular human emotion. In Soaps.com most recent Y&R poll, 62% of respondents said that they preferred to see 'stories involving love and romance'. That was followed closely by 'stories about family'. Thanks for helping me make my point Soaps.com readers - you guys rock - the writers need to keep listening to you! Let's hope they keep the momentum going!
Don't forget to leave a rant of your own, or add your thoughts to the comment section below! Remember, it's all in fun, and it doesn't matter if you agree with my view or not!
-Candace Young
