Y&R: Week of October 20th, 2008

[MarkH]

I have no history with Buffy or other vampire shows...so the whole genre is new to me. I only saw Tom Cruise/Brad Pitt's take, and a young 'un in my environment was quite taken with that Stephanie Meyer series.

It is true that there has been very frank sexual content in this show. I did NOT find it gratuitous. Like, if you look at the male characters we have seen sexually:

Jason Stackhouse: Sex has been his drug. He loses himself in it. Initially, it showed just that he was a creature of flesh, not a creature of mind. But now that he has a REAL drug (V), sex is now a drug-fueled experience. Plus, well, any excuse to uncover Ryan Kwanten is okay, no?

Bill Compton: We only saw him in that freaky scene with Sookie...first where he drained and lapped at her jugular for a bit, and then when he sat naked in the tub with her. I found it both "weird" (in a good way...we're being dragged into this strange chemistry between them) and hot (these two jump of the screen, in terms of sexiness). Since this was Sookie's loss of virginity, and her plunge into real love, I found it wonderful to be witness to. Especially since we later learned it was also a "healing" for her.

Lafayette: We see him as a beautiful but hard-scrabble man who will do ANYTHING to make a buck. We don't yet know WHY he needs to make so much $$, but he does. For now, it's nice to see both his flashes of pride (showing himselff off when he can), his hard-ass nature (e.g., beating up the bigots), and his mercantile nature (flashing his booty for the camera).

Merlotte: We've only seen him from the hazy distance, running naked in the woods. I don't think we've seen much of his sex with Tara, have we? So, the "streaking" episode raises amazing questions about this corpse-sheet-sniffer with a constant doggie companion.

I'm in love with this show, and will miss it during the hiatus.

[Toups]

There is a True Blood thread.

[Sylph]

Yeah...  No one commented on my Dior comment.

[MTSRocks]

Those Katherine/Gloria scenes were just GOLDEN.

[Chris B]

Today's episode was nice. I loved the Jack/Jill scenes (especially with Jill rushing out) and Gloria/Katherine as well. The Newman story is good, but I find myself still more drawn to the Chancellor/Abbott side of things. Something needs to happen in the Newman story to jump start it again. I wonder if the writers would consider romantically pairing Jack with Jill after Sharon leaves him? I don't see another love interest in the wings for him and certainly not one for Jill. They've been playing up their relationship as adversaries. I could see something happening even if only a one night stand. I just want Jack to have someone with more fire for this next go round.

[Cashton]

Cat - that was beautiful - snap!

The business with Victor is good except for the fact that this whole s/l evolved out of EB's vacation - not a real advancement of story. Nikki's quest to save Victor and Heather's rush to convict him has the same tinge of contrivance when everyone was blaming Victor for Ji Min's death - which is possibly on purpose, but nonetheless boring for me. Who is to say that Victor would be caught if Nikki hadn't interfered with the "Rio" madness. The only difference is that VN prolly did have something to do with Walter/Tony's death but it will probably be revealed that he didn't do it and everyone will look stupid for caring...again.

The travesty of the whole thing is what they've done to Adam. I believe that when everything is against u - your true character is revealed. And adam, sans power, family and a job is a very repulsive character. He constantly lies to his only supporter Heather, and is following Jack who seems to have more contempt for adam than any of the Newman's! He's been reduced to a begging, groveling, lying, spineless wimp. He is a schmuck! He's not just flawed, he's weak and that doesn't fit with the "i am my father's son" credo he so triumphantly howled a few months ago.

Victor come home soon, please. And talk to your boy!

[DeeeDee]

I wonder if the writers would consider romantically pairing Jack with Jill after Sharon leaves him? I don't see another love interest in the wings for him

*cough*Diane*cough*

[DaytimeFan]

I said the same thing last week. I don't know what the hell happened...but Amelia Heinlie has gained my acceptance as Victoria Newman...I am still dumbfounded by it...but it's true.

Today's episode was nice. I loved the Jack/Jill scenes (especially with Jill rushing out) and Gloria/Katherine as well. The Newman story is good, but I find myself still more drawn to the Chancellor/Abbott side of things. Something needs to happen in the Newman story to jump start it again. I wonder if the writers would consider romantically pairing Jack with Jill after Sharon leaves him? I don't see another love interest in the wings for him and certainly not one for Jill. They've been playing up their relationship as adversaries. I could see something happening even if only a one night stand. I just want Jack to have someone with more fire for this next go round.

I love me some Jack and Jill...the writers, for decades, have played with those two. It's always satisfying...all Jess Walton has to do is GROW OUT HER HAIR and she and PB could ignite a forest fire once again. I would love to see the two of them get into it with a big fight and then, um, actually get into it. On the boardroom table. At night.

Only if Alex Donnelly is playing her! A Jill vs Diane rivalry would be awesome!

[YRBB]

Now that would be a titanic battle of Divas!

[y&r_fan]

I would love to have Diane back but I'd rather have Susan Walters. Or even another recast.

[Cat]

OMG! Victor uttered the word "egregious" in Tuesday's episode!

[Cat]

May I ask why? Not being facetious, just an honest question. I always thought Donnelly was the better Diane, not just because she was the original but because she was fierce -- fiercer than Susan Walters who, although fierce in or herself, didn't have the same magnetism as AD for me.

[Cat]

The Cane and Billy scenes were awesome, btw. The tension between the two -- incendiary! I liked when Cane admitted that Phillip had been more of a son to Jill then he had ever been.

Heather is so over her head (and in some ways, so is the actress). I liked her scene with Paul, though, confirming my suspicion that Heather is too isolated from the rest of the regular cast in terms of friendships or working relationships.

I will be so ready for Kay to drop-kick Gloria when her scheme is revealed. Gloria needs a beat-down. Although OMG! OMG! Gloria and Katherine's scene had a piece of music I haven't heard since the early 90s.

All the background music in yesterday's episode was stunning. I wish I could download it.

[Paul Raven]

For me,this episode was a bullseye!

Everything-the acting,music,direction,pacing was spot on.

Loved Jill arriving just as Katherine was about to sign.

I thought Heather was just fine-the argument with Paul was well played.

Conflict is abundant,and it's all coming from characters actions.

[MarkH]

I apologize for that. I realized it too late, before I posted.

Thanks to all of you, I paid attention and heard that old music. It is amazing how much it fueled the tone of the scene AND signalled (to old school viewers) "this is back to classic material".

I am sorry Gloria is being sacrificed at the altar of this story...Kevin too...but it is very good.

I wonder where the decision to use classic music came from? Did Bill Bell Jr., with Maria, request it...and Paul implemented it with the music directors? Or did Paul Rauch, a classic producer himself, review the strengths of the old show and float the idea? We'll never know, but I really would love to know about this process.

So, I have no problem with the fact that the writers made lemonade out of lemons (i.e., turned Braeden's absence into an amazing plot twist). I agree with you about Adam. But I'm thinking it is more like this: Adam THOUGHT he was the next TGVN. All of this has shown us--AND him--that this will not be the case. This story will either grind him into a kind of humility (more Hope's son), or make him--like Jack--a perpetually ornery bad man once he realizes how suckered he has been.

I cannot believe that they will keep TGVN permanently estranged from Adam. Somehow I believe the long-arc story here will be about the Newmans circling the wagons around Adam and making him "one of the clan".

Count me as a Donnelly fan too...and I like Walters. But Donnelly added a strident, on-edge, too-skinny (in the sense that it reflected, corporeally, that she is fueled by nervous energy) vibe to the role that worked for me. This is a woman who has sacrificed every romance in her life for Jack Abbott. Then, she gave it back to Jack by marrying Victor...and then TGVN pulled the rug out from under her. So, she returns to her Jack-lust...only to find out that Jack is no longer into her. What a BEAUTIFULLY damaged woman. But I really never got all that from Susan, who seemed just so much more bland to me. With Alex, we have history. They could show Diane-vs.-Ashley scenes from the early 80s!

Billy was better than ever. That fake smile with Cane. That "selling glitter to 13-year old girls" comment to Jack. The implied threat to Jack ("keep me happy"). I thought Adam (initially) was the richest new character introduced in ages...Chloe is okay...but Billy is AMAZING. He has ties to almost everyone on the canvas, and the actor is terrific. It feels to me like he was always on the show.

Careful. Some balloon popper might come along and say it is all blah...it is not purple lip gloss...it is reheated leftovers...the show has no central theme or identity...the nostalgic return to music and dialogue of the past signals creative stagnation... .