Y&R: Week of April 07, 2008 Discussion!

[DaytimeFan]

I totally agree with you. Felicia is fantastic and should definitely stay around. Nick and Phyllis are BORING and need to be imploded. I'll hand Felicia the matches, gasoline and the damn wick, burn baby burn.

Lily and Cane = Absolutely Ridiculous. Has Y&R learned nothing? Lily is an unlikeable character. She's a spoiled moron and Cane is coming up fast behind her as Y&R's #2 doofus.

And you're right, there are lots of little stories but nothing BIG. I would also say the show is missing it's darker side, nothing seems really serious. Remember Y&R till the middle of Jack Smith's run, there was tragedy and melodrama left and right and it was great. Emotional, character driven melodrama. Kay Alden knew how to write that.

Finally, oh yes the show is back to being fragmented. Sorry to say but a lot of the writers need to be fired. It just seems like all of them contribute to each script and the whole thing seems so damn choppy and sloppy. A bit of a more classic approach to the breakdowns would be appreciated.

I'm still reserving judgment on MAB, her solo stuff has yet to air...however...if the show doesn't improve I'm afraid a Kay Alden Letter Writing Campaign may be in the offing, she wrote the closest thing to Bill Bell's vision and I am confident she'd easily do it again.

[rhythmchyc]

I guess I'm in the minority but I guess it's because I still remember Jack and Nikki being married and Jack and Jill getting it on. He's so darn old, this character. I suppose it isn't as disgusting because Peter is so much younger than Victor and because Sharon has been on the show as long as she has. But to me, it's still gross. He was Nick's step dad, for God's sakes.

Also, the fact that Sharon's now doing these underhanded tactics things with Jack, it makes me hate them even more. Sharon Case was better suited as a character with inner turmoil and guilt-- although, I admit, I did get tired of her screwing up things for whatever reason, I liked her character better, then. Now, she's scheming like a ruthless pro. I hope she doesn't remain like this and evolves into something else.

And ever since the much more entertaining Restless Style Party, the show has seemed to fall into a rut. I hope the slow-down does develop into something. Sweeps is coming, after all.

[YRBB]

Absolutely co-sign on this. There is no umbrella story. Every story starts and ends in 2, 3 months tops. All the drama comes from not-so dramatic stories. Y&R used to be hell-dark--even the sets were dark-colored. Even those like Nick's office, which was much more light, still managed to look dark a few years back. And, yes, up until now, Alden is the closest approximation we can get to the show being the way it was. Who knows, maybe MAB will pull it off? I really hope so.

[Cat]

So I guess nobody wants Jack Smith to return, huh? He was privy to William J. Bell's vision, too.

IA that Y&R needs more cohesiveness. More melodrama, as incapsulated by their beautiful, strirring background music which LML unceremoniously canned. I do like some of the more realistic dialogue, though.

Basically, it needs to feel like a community again. A country-club community of wealthy people with dark secrets, ambiguous motives and tragic romance.

[YRBB]

I wouldn't mind him as part of the writing team .

And that thing about the music.... It sure is nice to hear more of it lately, but I get the feeling that it is sometimes used to create the drama, rather than support it. It works, but not as much as it used to.

By the way, while the whole Restless Style thing is fun and all, look at what we have: Newman Enterprises: The only conflict comes from Victoria and Adam. Restless Style: A magazine with friends who get along. No drama. Jabot: Nikki and Brad together are fine, but David is such a light character, it doesn't work. The Jill vs Nikki thing doesn't look like it's going to be long term so all you've got is these separate companies, with little or no drama. Oh, and Jack can't even be back at Jabot. Don't let me start on that.

[Cat]

You've hit the nail on the head, really. I know the show cannot ALWAYS be about Jack vs Victor or Jabot vs. Newman, but it was the cornerstone upon which Y&R was constructed in the 80s, 90s and first half of the 21st century. Now that rivalry has been neutered.

And LOL at Restless Style: For friends who relentlessly agree with each other. Sharon and Nick and Phyllis and Jack all in one workplace SHOULD be a powderkeg of drama and repressed emotion!

I would dig a Jill vs. Nikki war at Chancellor. Especially with David (mis)advising his personal ATM wife. And who would Kay choose amid all the bickering? And would Jill ever jump to Newman in a fit of anger?

[LoyaltoAMC]

So very little seems to make sense. I think the whole Restless Style thing is ridiculous on a number of levels. First off, Sharon and Phyllis all giddy working together makes no sense. Phyllis just got released from jail for blackmail related to Sharon's affair with Brad! Then there's Jack. He goes from high-end businessman to starting up some silly magazine. This is someone, as businessman and state senator, who probably would've amassed tons of business associates and contacts throughout the years, yet he saw only Forrester Creations as a viable means of advertising support?!?! WTF!? And while on the subject of Jack, his hiring Alistair went totally against character. Jack is someone that the writers have shown having a deep respect for his father. Damn the guy even became Jack's conscience. Yet, he has no problem making a joke of his father's memory by hiring Alister to play his ghost. Just didn't make sense to me. The rest of the show seems boring and pointless. I liked Adam when he first came on, and Chris Engen is a good actor, but he has become very annoying. For a new character, he is way too overexposed and his conflict with Victoria and Nick just seems so contrived. Don't get me started on Victor/Sabrina. Contrary to many posters here, I like the actress playing Sabrina. Yes, the accent goes in and out LOL, but she brings a certain elegance and sophistication to the show, and she's an interesting actress to watch. I'm just not buying her attraction to Victor. Hopefully she's got an ulterior motive, and her romance with him is motivated by something other than lust. Ick! Lily/Cane, Karen/Neil, Daniel/Amber...snoozeville. Uh oh! David's gambling again. To care about this story, you really have to be invested in Nikki/David as a couple, which I don't think many people are, including the writers. Jeff and Gloria...enough already! Their storyline has become one big joke. I just find that there's just so little on this show to enjoy nowadays.

[rhythmchyc]

I think the writers are still trying to wrap up the mess. Although, it is a shame that they don't follow through on a lot of interesting side stories that would develop into something more, i.e. Nikki/Jill. However, I'm thinking the faster they resolve and get rid of The Fisher dramaticals, Lily/Cane-- Nikki/David-- Victoria/JT-- Neil/Karen etc. etc. snoozefests, the now-cool vibe at Restless Style (which I have a feeling will turn nasty this summer) and this Victor/Sabrina fiasco, the more time they'll dedicate to the backburned characters. It's a time of transition. Once they reach their stride, it'll be good again.

I hope.

[LoyaltoAMC]

I'd love a good Jill/Nikki feud. In today's climate of catering to the 18-34 demo, I just don't see them writing an all-out storyline involving 2 post-menopausal women. If you look at all the characters over 50 in relationships, they're all paired with younger men/women. Hell, even most of Katherine's scenes these days involve Amber. That's why they'll never revisit Jill and Jack, and why a recently suggested coupling of Victor and Jill would never get the green light. I'm really worried for the character of Jill and for Jess Walton. I can't imagine her getting a storyline of her own anytime soon. She, and not Gloria/Judith Chapman, should be the 50-something anti-heroine (for lack of a better term) getting substantial airtime.

[Cat]

LOL. Dun dun DUUUN!

[Cat]

CO-SIGN on that. IMO, Jill is the Stephanie of Y&R... the Erica Kane of Y&R. And should be respected and treated as such. Jess Walton is phenomenal and as a member of that very 18-34 dynamic TIIC are so desperate to impress, I do not understand why my favorite character is backburned in such an egregious way.

As for the ixnay on Victor & Jill, what's the scandal? The 'Tache is still a good 10-15 years older than Jill, surely?!

[dm.]

I'm hoping that the only reason why things aren't changing more is because Josh Griffith is still signed as a HW. There is a lot of hope coming from my side that Maria Arena Bell will somehow turn things around. However, there is a great deal of fear that she won't do anything different. The only thing I can do is to nervously wait and see what will become of the show.

[DaytimeFan]

Co Sign this post! You're so bang on it isn't even funny. A Nikki/Jill feud would be phenomenal. I'm hopeful that they'll still go through with it, but who knows, if MAB sees this GO THOUGH WITH IT. Jill should absolutely be in the position Gloria is in...but I've heard rumblings that a Gloria/Jeff/Jill triangle may be in the future.

[LoyaltoAMC]

Jess Walton's Jill would wipe the floor with Jeff. Jill used to be a force to be reckoned with, but for some reason, most likely her age, she's been so marginalized. I don't think a Jeff/Gloria/Jill triangle would do much for Jill. She'd probably just play second fiddle to Gloria anyway and be used as some plot device. She really should be the Stephanie Forrester of the show. The problem is that she has very little family on the show to meddle in. And removing her from Jabot to run Chancellor was a HUGE mistake. In doing that, they effectively removed her from all the corporate intrigue to run a company WITH NO SET! Great, even less screen time. They really need to give her something of substance, and I don't mean going back to non-stop bickering with Katherine. Something romantic! Jess Walton is still a sexy, vibrant woman, and it's a shame not to capitalize on that. Walton nearly walked before LML gave her the Cane storyline, which they majorly screwed up by not adding more conflict and layers to the story. I hope she doesn't bolt, or is asked to go recurring, when her next contract cycle is up.

[DaytimeFan]

Jess Walton would not go to recurring status. She'd can afford to walk. That being said, I don't think that's the situation because Jess Walton has very high Q scores, in fact she's one of Y&R's most 'likeable' stars and Jill is one of Y&R's most 'likeable' characters. Sony knows it, CBS knows it and the Bells know it (they also happen to like her personally). I think it's just lazy writing to not have her front burner.