Y&R: Victorial Rowell Message to Fans

[DeeeDee]

Wrong.

From 03 (arguably before) all the way up through now Dru/VR (and the rest of The Barber-Winters) have been nothing BUT front & center (and drove a TON of story) EVERY year.

That 'Supporting Actress' crap is just code for "Know your place Black Girl".

[Darn]

You're actually saying Judith Chapman was more of a lead than Victoria Rowell? Holy crap, what show was I watching? You wouldn't consider a murder mystery stemming from her husband "affair" as a lead story? Dealing with her daughter getting married at 18 and her son almost dying? Judith Chapman is a supporting actress playing a supporting character.

And liking Phyllis' story isn't the point, Michelle Stafford' performances were subpar, on everyday or not, she showed up to work twice in a whole year.

[juniorz1]

I take exception with that. I certainly wasn't saying that Rowell isn't a lead actress because she's black. I'm merely saying that her story wasn't front and center for much of the year. They dropped the ball with the Lily reveal- it played for like 2 days. She was on vaca for much of the summer and after that, just commiserated with Sharon for some time.

I agree that Chapman is a supporting actress playing a supporting character. But Y&R didn't use her that way for the first 8 months or so of the year- she was used as a lead. As far as the murder mystery goes, they killed off Carmen Mesta and my BIGGEST complaint was the lack of focus on Dru. That story seemed to become about everybody else. Devon's near-death was just an overlong PSA. Rowell was killer, agreed. I just never felt she had the leading story of the show.

Victor's Epilepsy. Jack/Phyllis/Nick/Sharon. Reliquary Madness: Brad's Mysterious Past. The jailing and death of John Abbott.

Those 4 storylines were the focus of 2006. I LOVE Victoria and Dru, but she was treated as an afterthought on Y&R in '06, like she has been for much of her return.

[Darn]

I just disagree about her being an afterthought and not a lead. I can't understand MS being a lead just because she had more screentime, doesn't talent and material factor in? Screentime does not always equal lead.

I look at it this way, actresses have been nominated for lead with much less material and far less screentime. I consider her lack of a nom a travesty and insult the same way I consider EB's, baffling.

[DeeeDee]

She wasn't front & center? Wait..what?!

First there was Devon's issues with the law, school & Yolanda, then Lily's return, then Lily overhearin her paternity, then Lily blackmailin Dru, then Lily/Daniel running away (again), then Lily/Daniel's marriage fallout, then Neil realizin Lily's paternity, then Dru's European vacation & Neil's Carmen infatuation, then Lily/Daniel's marital woes, then Dru vs. Carmen, then the seperation with Neil & friendship with Sharon, then Devon's almost death, then the opening of Indigo, then Devon's hearing loss, then The Mesta Murder Mystery, then the reopening of Indigo & total reconnection with Neil, then Devon's adoption & now the gaslighting.

She's been front burner all year long.

2 Days?! It played til December.

Much of the summer?

She was gone about a month (roughly the same amount of time as MS was).

[juniorz1]

double post

[juniorz1]

It was more like this: First, they played her every 3rd day during the Devon/Yolonda story, which went nowhere. Then Lily came back. Then Lily moved out. So we're in like, what, March/April now. (Note: Thusfar, I've summed up the actual story without having to even use Dru's NAME!?!) Then Lily 'accidentally' emails the truth about her paternity. KSJ & VR are given two days of powerful material and then we barely see any follow-up. Then Victoria/Dru go on vacation. Then Neil starts his flirtation with Carmen. Then Dru returns and gets the cold shoulder from Neil. Then Dru and Sharon start comparing notes on their failing marriages. Then Carmen begins taunting Dru and Dru starts actin a fool, inadvertantly pushing Neil right into Carmen's arms. Then Carmen gets a restraining order. Then Devon almost dies. Then she, Neil, and Lily type on a computer while talking for weeks on end, and attempt to hide Dru's court case from Devon. Then Carmen was murdered and it was revealed that there were 30 suspects in town, 26 of which had nothing to do with the Winters family.

I still give you that Y&R actually wrote for her this year. Unfortunately, it's a case of with the storylines mentioned, she should have been the lead of Y&R in 2006, but the reality is she wasn't.

What show are you watching? They barely addressed the situation, except for it causing an initial rift in their marriage. The story quickly turned into Neil turning to Carmen and their teetering on the brink of inappropriate behavior. Have we even had a scene where Neil & Dru have an honest discussion of the impact of what she did? Because last I saw, Neil didn't buy Dru's story of being drugged up when she slept with Malcolm and seemed to be under the impression that she knew about Lily's true paternity throughout the ENTIRE course of their marriage.

She was gone a while and wasn't used as much as she should have been when she initially returned. As I said, everything that wasn't addressed because of her absence (RE: Lily's paternity) still was not addressed when she returned. Instead, we were treated to the Carmen Mesta story and all but told to move the hell on.

[DruRocks]

SIGH. :(

[DeeeDee]

They did not. She was frontburner the whole time.

In fact Dev (and to a lesser extent Yolanda) was her sole focus until Lily returned. That's in addition to the whole letter drama with Daniel.

Lily returning, realizin her paternity, sneakin around with Daniel, blackmailin Dru, runnin away & gettin married then returning played from Feb through May.

Then there was the paternity reveal in May that played until Dru left at the beginning of June through when she returned in mid-July.

Then the whole Carmen vs. Dru (which was a huge part of Lily's paternity) played all the way till the end of October.

Then Neil/Dru only temporarily reconciled when Devon almost died.

They didn't fully reconciled in December (something which, as usual LML botched).

That's not a DRU issue. That's a NEIL issue.

And if the writing for NEIL is subpar (which it is) that's a NEIL/KSJ problem, not a DRU problem.

The writers attempted to tell two stories at one time (in addition to the subpar writing for Neil) but that doesn't mean that Drucilla wasn't Lead and/or didn't drive story cause she did.

Vicky Rowell was hands down a Lead Actress this year & has been since 03.

Especially compared to Michelle Stafford who spent the entire year bein a Mary Sued Giggly Heffa all year long?

However, as usual there's always an excuse. Always.

[DeeeDee]

What?

[juniorz1]

It's cool DeeDee. We clearly disagree. Again, I love Victoria Rowell and every bit think she's a leading lady if I ever saw one. I just wish Y&R used her as such. Maybe if they did, she wouldn't be leaving the show.

I don't want to fight with you. BUT...

What's the point of this? It's a WRITING issue. A writing FOR Dru & Neil issue (or lack thereof). Sorry, but Lily's paternity was a HUGE reveal and I felt they deserved better and far more than they got. The issue of DRU's lying to Neil for a period of time and the fact that DRU had an affair with Neil's own brother when they were first married never had the long-term ramifications that they should have for Drucilla. And the character certainly should have grown as a result of what ensued. Instead, the writers decided to test a new love interest for Neil and Drucilla was written like a jealous, insecure, pathetic person, which was painful for many of her fans to watch. That, DeeDee, is very much a DRU issue.

[DeeeDee]

For them to use her as such they'd have to acknowledge her as such.

They did deserve better but there wasn't a whole lot of good writing with the Nick/Phyllis reveal either.

Good acting, yes. Good writing, Hell No.

Dru never had an affair with Malcolm. Ever.

She was raped.

And BB himself, said Neil was Lily's Father.

...End Of Story.

She had plenty reason to be insecure & jealous cause her husband was havin (at the very least) an emotional affair with another woman when in reality she was as much a victim as he was.

And if anything it was no worse than Phyllis bein turned into a toothy, spastic, constantly muggin Giggly Heffa either.

...Yet MS recieved a Lead nom & VR didn't.

[juniorz1]

Exactly my point, which incidentally is one of my main reasons for thinking she shouldn't have submitted herself as lead. Like it or not, Y&R didn't treat her as such in 2006.

Apples and oranges. You may not have liked the Phyllis/Nick reveal and thought it good, but there was a WHOLE lot of writing period. They were written for- ESPECIALLY Phyllis. While I was usually more unimpressed than not with Stafford and Phyllis this year, she was clearly Y&R's leading lady.

Agreed. Both characters were trashed. Maybe other wives/women would have plenty of reason to be insecure & jealous, but not the Drucilla I know and love. She wouldn't have taken half of the crap that Neil was dishing out. It may have gotten to her, but she wouldn't have worn it on her sleeve like she did.

In any event.....it seems we mostly actually agree. Maybe there was just a communication problem somewhere!?!

[DeeeDee]

They never have. That doesn't mean she wasn't Lead or didn't deserve a nom.

Cause she was & she did. More than anyone (save possibly Sharon Case).

It's not "apples & oranges"

Michelle Stafford may've been TREATED as a Leading Lady, but Phyllis however was a cypher.

And the writing as a whole was bad (as much for Stafford) as it was for Rowell.

Yet Stafford has an nom while Rowell (who totally out acted her) doesn't.

Yeah she would've. But only for Neil.

And it's a testament to VR's sheer talent that as dreadful as last year's writing was, that she kept just about everything Dru went through somewhat plausible (the same can't be said for MS).

The problem is the paternity story should've NEVER been done.

BB said Neil was Lily's Father (which is still possible, btw).

LML tried to tell 2 stories & neither one worked.

One, (Lily's Paternity) because it was totally unnecessary & cause that particular story can NOT be told without Olivia, Nate & Malcolm in addition to Dru, Neil & Lily.

And Two, (Neil's Midlife Crisis) because it's all but implausible that Neil would cheat on Dru (and vice versa).