<snip> And the Adrian/Jack confrontation would have been cool, had EP been able to stand his ground against PB. Unfortunately, it was so uneven, Adrian came off as a spoiled child, complaining about not getting his lollipop.

Yes, I have felt this way about EP's Adrian for a long time. In Out of the Ashes, he was written as ineffectual...waiting for rescue. When Colleen screwed his book deal, he whined. Basically, I think LML had this idea of a "studly academic" [many of us thought she was going for Indy Jones/Mossad]...but it never happened.

Podell is okay...I couldn't stand the idea of a professor who had sex with a student. That put him in the same heap as the two previous professors who did the same...Anthony Herrera's Jack, and Prof. Tim Sullivan. And I know this is tangential, but Podell was often so pasty, with dark circles under his eyes. I don't know...I just never really felt anything for him. I really think he has been ruined, like David, and needs to go. I'd like to see them wrap up that Heather-roommate murder first.

Nikki's dream was ultra freaky, i.e. highly enjoyable, soapy, and fantastic!

Unexpected, terrifying, seat of your pants. It highlights the horrible scary place that is Nikki's mind. Wouldn't YOU drink to shut it up???

I almost got a heartattack when I realized that Lauren would finally talk about a different storyline other than Gloria's! Who would have thought that's possible? By the way, TEB's reaction to the news of Sabrina's baby was just amazing. In those few seconds, she just made me want to see her in a front-burner story more than ever!

This didn't work for me. I love TEB, but I could only think (i) why doesn't her face move? (ii) why does she squint?, and (ii) isn't Michael talking about his daddy in the midst of this Newman tragedy a heavy-handed story segue? But, I like Michael and Lauren in the support role for Gloria, so I'm weird that way.

And how lovely that they're using this death to start new stories, like Michael realizing he has to find his father (I'd have him fall in love and terrorize Lauren just to give TEB something to do ) and Victor blaming Nikki...

Yes, like all good deaths, they generate long-term spinoff. And this story DOES seem poised to give us 3-6 months of story, with longer-term repercussions, which is what it should do. Cassie's death achieved that too. John's death, kinda-sorta (mostly because of the ghost), but not really.

(Braeden was so heartbreaking). Nikki couldn't have walked into the room in a worse moment. That scene, the writing, the blocking, the music, the reactions, was absolutely old school Y&R, and a total classic. What a way to end the week!

Braeden...single tear falling off his nose onto the sheet below. The actor gets dissed...A LOT...often for his repetitive dialogue changes (you got that? you pipsqueak of a man?)...but damn, it is his FACE and BODY that do the acting...always have. We even got a patented jaw-chomp, which I don't recall seeing in a long while. We saw a total-Nikki-wracking-sob (it has been too long!) and we saw everything great about Victor. Even when Nick faux-died, EB was heartbreaking at the funeral...but that didn't hold a candle to the panoply of emotions we were treated to this week.

I'm rather late for the tea party but I just managed to watch Friday's cliffhanger...

Victor sitting next to his dead wife, Nikki entering room, him turning around, glaring with the greatest anger and condescendence at her... Cue: soap staring; extra long, classic score.

Y&R is back! I love it!

Okay, I agree with you--every word--about that episode.

But I am very very very cautious and cynical now. 'Cause when Victor started sniffing lavender, I thought the show was also destined to all-time heights.

So, it was a good episode, and it has been followed by good episodes. And I have been a committed viewer for most of my life, and I plan to continue. And I feel rewarded for that.

But is it back?? I need the creative team to be consistent, I hope the ratings go up, and I hope Sony/CBS LEAVE THEIR F*CKING MITTS OFF and let the creative people do their jobs :-). I am nervous, for example, about the new casting announcements. Does this show need new people yet, or do they need to clean up still? That said, all the new people are in the right (younger) age group, and in core families.

Now if we could just get DRU. Normally, I wouldn't care, but she is critically needed.

Now if we could just get DRU. Normally, I wouldn't care, but she is critically needed.

ITA. Since Y&R does still do segregation in the adult love department (I mean c'mon: they were burnt by viewer backlash for Vickie & Neil but it was TEN YEARS AGO) and the Winters bunch is ultra-boring (I still love KStJ) and charisma-free these days with the exception of Devon's aunt maybe, they really need someone to shake things up. And if they want to continue to paint Phyllis that blandly - my choice would of course be to ship La Stefford off - but since it ain't gonna happen, Phyllis needs Dru as an adversary...

As for the overall quality of the show: I'm one of those few who actually enjoyed Y&R for the most part of this year. Often a lot. Ever since MAB got rid of JG's bogus stories like Alistair and came to her own I had no issues with her writing. The rest of the writing is another issue. I hope that the current group of people will be homogenous - on a positive note of course. LML's writing team was also homogenous...

Y&R has nearly always been better with set-up and fall-out than actual climax and I think the current "sudden impact" - you can see me yawning at this branding but it seems to be not just a event filler - could actually have impact on several characters. I'm cautiously optimistic, especially since all that "funky" music and quick-cutting to meaningless scenes vanished last week...

Edited August 5, 200817 yr by sheilaforever

Oh, I'd give anything to have Dru back. That would be the thing that would immediately push Y&R to the "most improved" list.

Phyllis is allowed to be judgemental, we have had over 2 years of EVERYONE being judgemental of Phyllis. That being said, what Jack did, with Sharon's bobblehead backing, effects ALL of the partners of the magazine. What if Phyllis had published an article about Ashley using a turkey baster to impregnant herself with Victor's sperm thus giving birth to little Abbey...I am sure Jack, Ashley, Brad and bobble-head Sharon would be doing the "judgemental" tirades. But it seems that no matter what Phyllis does it is wrong in some fans minds.

I guess all the matters is that no matter what Phyllis does, EVERYONE is talking about her and that is what TPTB love!!! good or bad she is all people talk about.

I guess all the matters is that no matter what Phyllis does, EVERYONE is talking about her and that is what TPTB love!!! good or bad she is all people talk about.

Ehm, no. Just no.

People are talking about Phyllis because they don't like what has become of her.

Y&R definitely has many more characters/actors people are way more interested in. Thankfully. Dear god in heaven!

Ehm, no. Just no.

People are talking about Phyllis because they don't like what has become of her.

Y&R definitely has many more characters/actors people are way more interested in. Thankfully. Dear god in heaven!

LMAO. Amen.