Y&R: Week of December 22, 2008

[marla0518]

I love the fact that those characters are not the same as they were when they first came on the show, who wants that for your favorite soap opera characters....all characters are suppose to change, evolve, grow up, mature....at least that is what I want for my favorites, those characters that are the same year after year after decade are not my favorties....

[rangethatrover]

Why does everyone hate Shari Shattuck as Ashley? I thought she was a very solid actress and quite beautiful.. My memory is vague on her....

Let me know why I must hate her!

[Adam]

She just wasn't Ashley. What more do you need?

I of course at the time didn't know that for myself, because I was like 4 years old when Eileen left the first time. Then when she returned, I saw the light and realized Shari sucked!

[rangethatrover]

Guys. I am half way through my DVR of Y&R today.

I am completely BORED.

Did you guys enjoy this tedium?

If this is their "emmy" episode they need to rethink their submissions....

Y&R doesn't need these types of episodes, even at Christmas.

Also, there is WAY to much conversation between Michael and Paul.

I was 12 when Eileen left- When did Shari come on The late nineties? Probably like 98-01?? I remember thinking she was quite a good actress!

But Eileen IS Ashley.

[kalbir]

Eileen Davidson: 1982-1988, 1999-now

Brenda Epperson: 1988-1995

Shari Shattuck: 1996-1999

[rangethatrover]

As much as I am bored by this episode, I think all of the women look EXCELLENT! All of the heavy eye makeup on Lauren, Janna, Phyllis.. I guess I like my women to look a little hoe-ey. LOLLLLL

And I like Tracey being back.

[P.J.]

I watched today, thinking it would be a "fun" eppy to see. Boy, was I wrong. Gee...I get that Michael and Lauren are together (no matter how much I hate the idea....) but gmafb....they somehow rewrote Lauren's entire life post-Paul to make her into a pathetic child-hatin' b!tch??? :eyeroll:

I liked Tracy being in it (and that wig! Gorgeous!) But other than the last little bit where Lauren was at Paul's grave, it was a big snooze.

[rangethatrover]

This episode has its own thread?

Like I said in the Y&R thread. What a BORE.

The women look great.

If this is Y&R's "emmy submission" episode I will be pissed off. It blows.

I did like seeing Gloria's softer side though. And Tracey was a treat.

WAY to much of Paul giving backstory and talking with Michael.

This episode just doesn't work for me at all. Glad its over and Y&R will be Y&R again next week!

[Drew]

You grow and evolve your characters, but to make them lose their bite is not a good thing. Lauren used to be fierce. She should atleast have some element of that still in her personality. I dont think removing all of her edge is something Bill Bell would have done to the character if he were still around.

[boldfan01]

Shari just didn't feel like Ashley to me. A good recast of a longtime character holds onto some part of that character's past and then makes the part his or her own, and I just never felt anything from Brenda Epperson carry over to Shari. As others stated, Brenda had built on the softer side of Eileen Davidson's Ashley, even though she didn't have Eileen's bitchy side. That soft side didn't carry over to Shari, IMO, nor did she bring anything from Eileen back to the character.

Admittedly, the stories didn't help much, since they took Ash away from Jabot for most of Shari's run. At first, they had her involved with a colleague at Jabot named Adam, played by Grant Cramer (who played Lauren's psycho-stalker/manager Shawn Garrett in the 80s), but that went nowhere. Then they hooked her up with newcomer to town Kurt Costner, which eventually led to a triangle with Ash, Kurt and Hope that ended when Kurt chose Hope and left town with her and Victor Jr. Then Ash married Cole, who had just divorced Victoria, and there was that weird story with her and Brent Davis's step-son the art forger that Eileen had to wrap up when she resumed the role in 99 - and along with Eileen, Ash went right back into place at Jabot and interacting with Jack again.

[Rhiannon]

Fish Lips just didn't have what it took to play Ashley at all, I remember my Mom and I being gleefully happy when it was announced in the mags that she was leaving. My Mom is the one who came up with the Fish Lips nickname because of the way Shari kissed her costars...

If she hadn't been married to Ronn Moss at the time I don't think she would have even been considered for the role of Ashley.

I really liked Leigh McCloskey (Kurt) when he was on Y&R and have always wished they had found a way to make his character more interesting so he could have been kept around.....

[Y&RWorldTurner]

At least Brenda and Eileen have a resemblance, Shari looked NOTHING like either one of them. And even though she was older than Brenda and younger than Eileen, she looked a hell of a lot OLDER than both of them for my taste. She was just bland, ugh.

As for today's episode, CLEARLY FILLER, so they can air the Christmas episodes in consecutive episodes next week. Honestly, I think they knew the latter part of this week was going to be slow for them with people enjoying the holiday's, away from home, or caught up with the hectic-ness of the holiday season, which is why they aired a classic episode yesterday and this stand alone episode today. I seriously doubt this episode was for any type of Emmy reel, they already have their Emmy reel, this was just for fun/filler for them

[Y&RWorldTurner]

CBS posted a preview clip of Monday's episode. Looks like Sharon moves OUT of the Abbott mansion! Sharon, take your trashy and Gloria-inspired decorations with you!

[boldfan01]

The resemblance definitely helped Brenda take over the role, and I bet people who who only know Eileen in the role and watched the '89 classic episode probably had no problem identifying Ash with Brenda in the role. But as Peter Bergman and Jess Walton prove, you can have a recast who looks different from their predecessor if the character feels right under the recast. Shari had neither the look nor the feel and got to play in bland, un-Ashley-like stories that suggested that even Bill Bell and Kay Alden weren't sure what to do with her. Just nothing clicked.

[Heyou]

I admit, I was skeptical about this episode especially since Michael was the focus but I really did enjoy it. Gloria was even bearable and I loved the wild meaner Jana and Michelle Stafford's hair looked alot better than it normally does all straightened out.