Y&R: Week of September 08, 2008

[JSROCKS]

Heather showed some moxie today when she told Adam that he was just like Victor-- hearing only what he wants to hear. I was begining to think that she had really " drank the koolaid".

[MarkH]

Yes. During the Danny Romalotti era, with EITHER actress, she was one of the best things on Y&R. Total attention.

I must confess, when she left (Sandra Nelson), I didn't miss her much. So, I guess I agree with Sylph.

I was lukewarm after her return. I never bought her romance with Jack. I never "felt" her rivalry with Susan Walter's Diane. I never felt her despair in prison for harming Diane. I never felt her passion for Damon. (I did like the brief scene of Damon beating the crap out of Alex!).

I never felt a thing for her, upon her return, UNTIL Phick started. The flirtation signs started (for me) my first real enjoyment of her since the Danny Romalotti era. I enjoyed that "Daniel on the run" story. I was totally sold during the "slam-you-in-the-wall....monkeys-see-no-evil" era. That was unbridled passion, and I loved it.

My feelings for Phyllis began to wane when Pheila's dead slab picture was first shown. This is when Phyllis entered her "giggly heffa" phase...twirling her hair, making nice with Noah, smiling all the time. At the time, I thought it was because Pheila had taken over Phyllis' life.

When that wasn't the case, then I didn't understand the "giggly" at ALL.

I haven't felt anything for Phyllis since then.

My favorite story idea REMAINS this one: Daniel is with Colleen, and Liam turns out to be Billy, who will enter a quandrangle with Chloe and Cane and Lily. That leave Amber at loose ends. Meanwhile the stress of Restless Style somehow causes tension between Phyllis and Nick. Amber and Phyllis intensify their battle, since Amber blames everything on Phyllis. Amber's upset over Daniel, Nick's ennui AND his attraction to this damsel in distress, and Amber not *fighting* her attraction to Nick because -- well -- she doesn't care about Phyllis and Nick is hot....these all combine to produce Nick's next Grace-like affair.

I don't care about the affair. What I care about is that this will position Phyllis and Amber as mortal enemies. Then, I want to let those two women get VICIOUS. That is what I want to see.

[Manny]

I loved Phyllis vs Diane storyline! LOVED IT!

[Queen]

Personally, I don't see what else they could do with the character of Phyllis. I never bought her relationship with Jack either. I liked her with Nick during the beginning of the affair but I'm over her. She can stay on the back burner until they find something interesting for her to do that DOESN'T involve terrorizing Blondes!

[Y&RWorldTurner]

Phyllis used to be a complicated character that was interesting to watch. However, she's been horribly written for a good couple of years now. I wish Stafford would announce her plans to leave the show soon, Phyllis has become useless, contrived, and boring. I can also tell that Stafford's heart just isn't in the character anymore.

[Rhiannon]

I caught Monday's episode of Y&R on Soapnet this morning.....

It pissed me off that Victor kicked Victoria and Nick off the Ranch, it's not like they live IN the main house with him like Adam and the staff did. He could have just told them not to come to the main house and that he wanted to be left alone. Restless Style isn't interesting at all anymore, all I ever really hear when they show that storyline is Jack saying how they need to do an "exposé " on whatever idiotic thing that's going on. It would be nice if they had at least one person that worked at Restless Style that had some kind of experience in journalism experience......

[JackPeyton]

Heather

I have not loved a char like this since Marah on GL...

[Cat]

Um, WTF is JT doing firing people alongside Neil? Has he suddenly been promoted to Head of Human Resources? The Board of Directors? No! He's shtupping the decrepit boss's boring daughter. And acting as NE's lone security guard when not running around with Paul pretending to solve crimes.

For f*ck's sake. At least Brad (who I hate) has got some years in the business behind him as an exec. JTwerp is somebody who thinks he's important -- and isn't. Time to get rid of this bland void of a pretty-boy!

The problem with Jack & Phyllis, though, was not Michelle Stafford's fault.

I say this as a fan of Peter Bergman -- he is the perfect country-club, East Coast-educated Jack Abbott. He exudes power, entitlement, scheming and rage. He has amazing chemistry with Eileen Davidson and Jerry Douglas. Which makes the destruction of the Abbotts especially sad. Man, the scene where he said goodbye to his father was heart-rending.

But PB does not do sexual charisma. In fact, he looks downright uncomfortable in the few (very few!) love scenes he has with SC. He's not like Terry Lester who made Jack look like he wanted to jump anything in a skirt. An inveterate womanizer. PB's Jack doesn't feel like an ex-rogue, a womanizer, to me.

[MarkH]

I think rtc, a poster on Usenet, has correctly speculated what is going on with Victor.

The speculation seems SO right to me, I am sure it is what is happening. So, for that reason, I am putting it under spoiler protection:

If this is right, and I think it is, it is a brilliantly scripted thing.

.

[Roman]

Mark, right on. I NEVER thought of that. I was so focused on the speed of the story wrapping up I never considered that the Mob wuld be gunning for Victor. That's why he shoved everyone out of his life.

TGVN.......just when you think you have the answers, he changes the questions (Roddy Piper, 1982).

[DaytimeFan]

Well I for one am thrilled that Jill decided to torpedo Brad...he had it coming!

[lmfan]

I never thought of that but it makes perfect sense. Now Heather is going to be nosing around something she has no clue about. Nikki and Victor are the only ones who know what happened in Mexico. I like this theory. It is better than Victor doing a Garbo.

[MarkH]

Let me add that I loved Janice Ferri Esser's script on 8/10/08 US.

Why?

1. Genuine, relatable romance (Heather & Adam; Victoria and JT).

2. Phyllis sounded a bit like Phyllis...from not blithely accepting Nick's vision for Restless Style, to her insecurity vis-a-vis Sharon.

3. The Jack and Nikki scene worked on many levels. Yes, they continued the animosity arc (that started in the post-epilepsy Senate phase)...but now there was also a familiarity and a fondness. Jack remembered tea for Nikki. Nikki knew immediately what Jack was up to. But they almost seemed to enjoy the sparring. In other words, the relationship worked on many levels...which is what it should be.

4. Jack's taunting of Adam, to get him to join the conspiracy to bring down Victor...a little rushed, but delicious nonetheless.

I have seen complaints, here, about this woman's scripts, but since she returned there has not been one I didn't enjoy immensely. In part, this is because she seems to understand the characters.

[Toups]

Janice also wrote tomorrow's US episode script. The Jack/John scene is VERY good. Janice needs to come home to Y&R permanantly.

[MarkH]

Wait! She's only a temp at Y&R??