Y&R: Week of August 18, 2008

[MTSRocks]

But I'm not comparing CLB to anyone else. On his own, CLB descended from a brilliant modest performer, to an overwrought annoyance. BTW the reason why such actors like Morrow are "lauded" for a compelling scene, is because most times they are just phoning it in. With Leblanc, we already know that he is a good actor (and capable of those scenes), which makes it disappointing to see him become a Judith Chapman clone. Like I said though, he's doing better these days.

[JackPeyton]

this entire post

[MarkH]

CLB did pretty well in his Ashram scenes. I didn't think he was over the top.

Daddy, on the other hand, was over the top--intentionally. I loved Daniel visibly guffawing in the background at that line that said something about "The River of Life has come full circle" or whatever. The writers were winking with us.

Bregman is totally devoted to playing the supportive wife. Searching looks in her husband's face, total support...I enjoy her in that role.

I also want the pair to stay together, but it would be an interesting twist if for once Lauren returned to her roots and did something morally ambiguous (ideally involving Traci or Traci's daughter), and it was Michael who -- for a change -- got to play disappointed and chiding.

[JackPeyton]

I agree. I think it would be great if they built the friendship between Amber & lauren up and playefd the Lauren used to be alot like Amber card. Then as this is going on push Daniel & Colleen together. Then have Lauren help Amber get Daniel back and somehow have Colleen hurt. And im not gonna lie i want it done for history use because TRACI's daughter/DANNY's son/LAUREN's friend ... yes please.

They could also throw her into a buisness storyline using Fenmores. I just think she needs a storyline away from michael/kevin/jana

[Greg's GL]

OK. So I will be totally PISSED if the local affiliate preempts Y&R today because of the "storm". I'm waiting to see what happens with GL at 9.

"Breaking News - It's RAINING OUTSIDE!!! RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!!" ugh.

[Greg's GL]

ICAM about Jana. I love her quirkiness.

Yup. And this one OT for Dee:

"I's MARRIED now! I say, I's MARRIED naw!"

And it looks like GL is preempted because of the storm. Gov. Crist has to give a press conference to tell everyone it's raining outside.

[rhythmchyc]

Yup on the first and whoever said he said a lot with his eyes the entire episode. Almost made me care about this annoying story. Almost.

I LOLed when Daniel tried to hide his chuckle. Man oh man, I thought that was completely Graziadei improvising.

[Cat]

So did I. The whole wedding and aftermath was great (especially when River warned Gloria about karma!). And I was also impressed by CLB in this episode. I was once a HUGE fan of CLB -- during the Isabella days, I really hoped he would get a bigger role on the show. I even had a little crush on him (back in the Cricket days)!

His performance yesterday, with the eyes brimming and the justifiable anger at his father who is extraordinarily selfish -- who chose his own "enlightenment" instead of facing up to his responsabilities -- felt real and relatable.

I do find it interesting that Michael & Lauren and Kevin & Jana are the "happy couples" of the show. Probably because the Baldwin-Fishers are purely comic relief nowadays. I liked MarkH's idea of having Lauren embrace some of her sneaky scheming roots and Michael cottoning on to it. As for Kevin, I always thought the anger chemistry GR shared with Adrianne Leon very interesting to watch. So much so that I still did a double-take when I saw Colleen at the wedding. Why would she be there? I know they forgave each other and stuff but still. Both bride and groom tried to kill Colleen once upon a time.

I don't want to keep harping about Christel. But Liz Hendricksen was hilarious today. BTW, the background music at Indigo was so 80s jazzy. I loved it! It took me back to memories of being trapped for an hour in an Embassy Suites elevator back in 1988 and the fire dept people slipping me People and SOD through the crack of the door. That music (along with some Kenny G) was playing the entire time.

[rhythmchyc]

Yah, love Liz. Glad the writers spotted a shining bright light on the pretty ho-hum young cast and now uses it to drive the story.

Really hate TS's Colleen. Really, really, really hate her. No chemistry whatsoever with Daniel.

And why have the writers undone what they decided only a couple of episodes ago. Both Colleen and Daniel thought it a bad idea to be together, for very valid reasons I thought. Then, out of nowhere, just to piss Amber off most likely, she goes to Malibu and they're making out??

OK, this would make a load of sense if these two did have loads of sexual chemistry and couldn't keep their hands off of each other during the first date. It would also make sense if Daniel and Amber hadn't shared that intimate, sweet, loads-of-chemistry moment on Friday's episode. But neither is the case. Yet another amateur set-up by the writers to cause friction between characters.

Can someone begin to write with a shred of common sense, please?

[dm.]

Yes, the Cane-daddy and the Daniel-Colleen stuff is just wrong. I really don't know who to put the blame on.

I adore Amber/Daniel, but this setup with Colleen is nothing new, and it's all being done already. It only makes us hate notColleen even more.

[MarkH]

Great phrasing! "incredibly selfish".

And with those words...which totally hit the mark...I understand where the writers are going!

Michael has a dark side and a good side. We have been thinking the dark side came from Gloria.

Now, what we'll learn, is that Gloria is the one who STUCK AROUND. Gloria is the one who provided love and heart to the best of her ability. We think Gloria is jealous...but now we'll see what a monster daddy was!

So, this donkey left Gloria high and dry. With a young child, no education, no man, in that era....it makes total sense that she went to Terrible Tom.

Many of us blame her for STAYING with him...but that is totally authentic (sadly typical)...especially for women of that generation.

We'll now see that Lowell's selfishness is what made Gloria make the choices she made...and this will start to rehabilitate Gloria! THAT is the end game...not Michael's reunion with his daddy.

I'm starting to like the story I'm writing in my own mind . But I am also Gloria's second biggest fan!

[Greg's GL]

I just caught yesterday's episode. IA with everyone who enjoyed the wedding. I thought the set was fantastic and for the first time in a long time I saw the chemistry between Kevin and Jana. Those two are growing on me. And by the way....Greg R. has some sexy feet!

I thought the scenes between Gloria and River were good as well. She was great in those scenes and I thought the dialogue was well done. You could see in Gloria's face that she holds such contempt for this man that abandoned her and Michael years ago.

CLB was superb IMO. I can't add any more than what others have already said.

Last but definitely least...Lane. Ugh. I am HOPING we have a break from this story today. So - this is like the 5th day or so of Lily dealing with this breakup and still NOT ONE TEAR. What's goin on with this? Today, especially, seeing Chloe with the ring that she once had on her finger she should have broke down in Neil's arms at the end. It takes away from their "love story" if I can't really feel that Lily is crushed by what's happened. And I'm not feelin' it, y'all. She's way too cardboard.

[rhythmchyc]

I'm all for them re-humanizing Gloria, if that's their intention. However, if they're doing this so that WHEN the creme fiasco is out in the open (just a hunch but I think it'll be over and done with by May sweeps 2009), we haven't built enough sympathy for Gloria to NOT want her to pay for her crimes. I like Judith enough not to see her imprisoned-off Y&R. But I don't want to feel like I'm being played. Goshdarnit.

Besides, it would be nice if this storyline didn't focus on Gloria. The last 3 years is enough LOL.

[MarkH]

Feet??? After I posted, inadvertently, Brandon Beemer's (B& feet (as part of a photoset showing his debut on the show), Cat threw up in her mouth . So, ease up on the foot-talk for the sensitive stomachs around here .

I am so with you about Lily. THIS STORY MUST END yesterday. It is RUINING a somewhat improved show.

I think Gloria should go to prison. She should fess up and do some time. We've seen from Phyl/Jana that it doesn't have to be a long time. They can give her a 6 month sentence.

The audience and the character need to move past it...why not just fix it? It is simple. I personally don't care as much as the rest of you all, but this is such a burning cinder for many of you, the show should just deal with it. It didn't kill Erica Kane's story on AMC . She got a new luv-ah out of it.

[Cat]

I like Gloria, too. It took me some time to get used to Judith Chapman, but now I know why Y&R chose her. She is Michael's hellish mother, pure and simple. Her acting choices can be hammy -- but always brave and always just right. I have never, ever felt that Gloria wasn't acting like herself -- even when she gave her money away to charity.

But no soap -- not even the venerable Y&R -- can do "subtle." None. And unless it is uber-subtle, this possible SL is going to play like yet another Let's-Rehabilitate-Gloria story. More calls for the poisoned-cream issue to come to light. More complaints about Gloria being on the show too much.

I love her, but she does devour each and every scene she is in. I would rather have measured doses.

And since TPTB are tossing the word around, they need to think about what "karma" actually means for somebody like Gloria. She needs to answer for the poisoned cream thing because soaps represent a world where divine-but-harsh justice is, at the end of the day, always meted out. Gloria's intention may not have been to kill that woman. But it happened and she needs to answer for it. And the fact that she let her "beloved" John take the fall for her. That, to me, reeks of selfishness.

Similarly, marrying an abusive husband like Terrible Tom. Yes, it was the era and many women felt trapped by social convention to stay in bad marriages. Certainly my own mother who is of that era could relate. But lots of divorced mothers without education or serious prospects did NOT marry abusive husbands. Instead they pioneered working outside of the home. And some also would not let their small children bear the brunt of the domestic abuse so as to avoid a beating themselves. I cannot remember the exact episode, but I do recall there was some intimation that Gloria did that (perhaps when JVA was playing her). If that is the case and viewers other than myself (who actually enjoys Gloria) remember that, then rehabilitating her is going to be an uphill battle. RiverLowell or no RiverLowell.

Thus suffering + payback = rehabilitation. Heck, it worked for Michael!

(And probably a flashback involving Gloria in an Angie Dickinson wig and psychedlic mini-dress).