BTW, I also had to mention that there was only one false note this entire week. I usually love watching Billy, but his "Mommy!" was a rare acting miss-step by Miller. It took me out of the scene dramatically.

Edited November 17, 200817 yr by Dan

I've always thought that recycling stories was never a problem per se. They just need to do it well. And they are IMO.

After all, most every type of soap "story" has been done before in the past 72 years of soapdom.

Edit: Not to mention that, unlike "Chuckie P's" (Thanks Marlena!) AMC tornado for his sweeps (sorry for bringing another show into this but I couldn't resist), Y&R has been rocked by a tempest of character. Characters actually acting as they should, not to mention how real people ACTUALLY ACT. I can TOTALLY understand Phyllis' anger, Nick and Sharon's love, Jill's resentfulness of Nikki and her regrets about Katherine, Ashley's love for Victor, Victor's mourning Sabrina (even if I hated her), Adam's drive to get back at a family that never accepted him, Jack's blinding need for revenge against the man who constantly overshadows him, Noah acting out against parents who constantly keep him in check because of their fear for losing another child. This ability to relate to the characters (more than any nostalgia trip) is classic soap and it what is truly breathing life back into this show. And it's the actors and also MAB who is doing this with writing that may not be the most unique we have ever seen, but is deeply rooted in what makes these characters tick. I'd much rather see that than some "new" storyline that does not fit into a show or its cast of characters (that's partly how my fave show GL got off the rails).

After all, as Jean Rouverol wrote in her book about writing for soaps, if we cannot relate to the characters as people, we may as well be watching shadow puppets on a cave wall.

Great post, as usual, Dan.

Amber... omg. Frantz made me cry.

Ashley & Victor

Nikki shoulda beat the [!@#$%^&*] outa Jill.

Edited November 17, 200817 yr by JackPeyton

BTW, I also had to mention that there was only one false note this entire week. I usually love watching Billy, but his "Mommy!" was a rare acting miss-step by Miller. It took me out of the scene dramatically.

Me too, that was way over the top.

Y&R on Friday goes to show, they truly have the most talented cast. Who they featured, in terms of the Abbots, the guest stars and recurring players, they were stunning. They are the sliver of Genoa City that should be front and center. They could easily cut out everyone who was not there (Lily, Colleen, Bryton, Brad) and this show would rock. A highlight was Nina and Jill's brief exchange, I never got to see their feud, but already I felt and knew that there was a lot of unresolved history and animosity there.

The whole story felt so organic. Compared to AMC, this episode made want to cry. I have not felt that way on AMC since the culmination of the baby switch at Christmas 05. And they have had their oppurtunities to pull at my heart strings from Phoebe's death, Edmund's death, Dixie's return and reunions, to the tragedies of this tornado. The 10,000 episode touched me, but not to same level as Friday's Y&R. You all know, I am not a devote watcher, I have tuned in and out for years at Y&R, but the recent eps have me considering jumping ship (maybe even launching a Y&R history site if anyone wants to collaborate).

Also, the sets they have built, and the lighting so help. It felt so real. Ellen Wheeler, Y&R is what your baseline measurement of reality should be, not the Hills and Laguna Beach.

I think the best moments for me were the light humor thrown in amongst the tragedy. When Dinah meets Sharon at Abbott Mansion and subtly reclaims her title of woman of the house... oooo, I fell in love with Marla Adams immediately. I love when she reprimanded Billy as well. Traci was just hilarious. Her eyes and facial features worked really well in those scenes.

I agree with the poster who said Frantz made them cry. She is a wonderful dramatic actress, evident in her early days at B&B. Hopefully they will tone down her comedic tendencies a little to explore that dimension of the Amber character.

I forgot how weirdly everyone says "McKenzie." I work for a company that sounds very similar to "McKenzie," so my ears kept on processing things wrong.

The whole story felt so organic. Compared to AMC, this episode made want to cry. I have not felt that way on AMC since the culmination of the baby switch at Christmas 05. And they have had their oppurtunities to pull at my heart strings from Phoebe's death, Edmund's death, Dixie's return and reunions, to the tragedies of this tornado. The 10,000 episode touched me, but not to same level as Friday's Y&R. You all know, I am not a devote watcher, I have tuned in and out for years at Y&R, but the recent eps have me considering jumping ship (maybe even launching a Y&R history site if anyone wants to collaborate).

Thank you for saying this. I LOVED the baby switch, and I LOVED its' conclusion. That story made me feel that MMcT was right ('write') for the show. I don't know what happened after...but that story was amazing. A total umbrella that used the whole canvas well, IMO. I did tune back in for EACH of those deaths you mentioned on AMC...and you're right, they all left me cold.

Also, the sets they have built, and the lighting so help. It felt so real. Ellen Wheeler, Y&R is what your baseline measurement of reality should be, not the Hills and Laguna Beach.

Well, Y&R's "reality" is more sumptuous than any I live in . But, I do prefer Y&R's look (even though, sometimes, the right exterior at GL is not bad on the eyes...at least on my computer screen). I think the "look" of Y&R is a place where soap escapism is warranted. We don't WANT to see fields and dilapidated porches. We want that beautiful universe. Y&R was always an outlier on this dimension. I have had people tell me 'Y&R wastes money on scenework that they should be putting into other things'. But...for my tastes...Y&R is understanding now that ALL the elements...sets, and talent, and writing, and music, and hair/makeup/fashion, etc. etc. play together to make the show a daily feast to which people want to return.

My recent ratings posts make me sad that fewer and fewer people are seeing this show.

I think the best moments for me were the light humor thrown in amongst the tragedy. When Dina meets Sharon at Abbott Mansion and subtly reclaims her title of woman of the house... oooo, I fell in love with Marla Adams immediately. I love when she reprimanded Billy as well. Traci was just hilarious. Her eyes and facial features worked really well in those scenes.

.

"Thank you dear, I know the way", and handing Sharon her coat...PRICELESS!