Y&R: Week of February 16, 2009

[Paul Raven]

I would love to see Traci back.Maybe she could guide Colleen re the position on the board.Traci could still be in NY with Steve but make regular visits back to GC.

I hope that ,in the coming months,MAB finds a way to structure the show so that characters like the Winters,JT/Victoria etc aren't offscreen for weeks at a time.

It makes it hard to invest in the characters and their stories.

For example,this week Neil/Karen/Tyra appeared after weeks and Tyra planted the kiss on Neil.Had we seen them working at Indigo,seen Karen's interactions with Ana(perhaps a growing obsession with being a mother).Maybe Karen and Tyra could have had some disagreemnts over decisions with Ana etc,

There needs to be build up.

Same with JT and Victoria.We have no idea how their marriage is going.If some friction comes about,it may seem unmotivated because it will seem out of the blue.

We are seeing every step of Nick/Sharon/Phyllis and Katherine's stories and that's why ,overall,they are working.

Other stuff:

I hate that Ashley is made to look like an idiot around Victor.I would have her questioning him a lot more,rather than supporting his every move(eg treating Adam like garbage)

Cane is written and portrayed badly.Eye candy ain't enough.

[DaytimeFan]

I too would LOVE to see Traci Abbott onscreen on a regular basis. The Abbotts need a gracious figure and since John is gone and Dina (who I also LOVE) doesn't appear to be a character MAB is interested in having around regularly, Traci is the perfect choice.

She's just so much smarter/gracious/classy than Jack and Ashley. She's got the stuff matriarchs are made of. I don't care what they have to do with Steve...he can die, she can leave him, he can leave her...I don't care, I just want Traci Abbott back in Genoa City. She, like Nina, is always a welcome sight.

I think Ashley's being made to look like a total idiot so that when she and Victor go Ka Boom she will be able to go ape [!@#$%^&*] on him and really dig deep with Jack and just engage in all out war. Plus, somehow, Ashley and Nikki will have some further source of conflict, always a good thing.

In terms of Victoria. I have accepted Heinle, I don't like her as much as Heather Tom, but a while back, I just instantaneously accepted her. The only thing I like is when Heinle gets to play Victoria in full BITCH mode, the sweet/dumb/happy stuff is nauseating. Victoria vs Sharon is always reliable good fun. JT and Victoria are a snooze and a half, it's time to bust that relationship wide open and let Victoria go after Neil like she's always wanted to! JT can go join the Cane/Billy/Chloe/Lilly/

group...or he could just be a lovable single dad which could be a very sweet storyline to play.

[y&r_fan]

A lot of people want JT and Colleen back together. They were a big fan pleaser back in the day. And if JT cheated on Vicky with Colleen and it ended their marriage, it would also strengthen the Victor/Colleen rivalry. Come to think of it, MAB would be insane not to go there.

A while back I would've said yes to a Neil/Victoria rehash (if for no other reason than to spite all those racist trolls who lobbied against the pairing in the 90s ), but I've come to love him with Karen. (TYRA. MUST. GO.)

[DaytimeFan]

I think it's fairer to say that a lot of people want Thad Luckinbill and Lindsey Fonseca back together on the show...I'm not saying Sursok wouldn't work well with Thad, in actual fact I think she WOULD, but the affection I have for JT and Colleen is derived solely from Luckinbill and Fonseca who were magic together. If JT cheated on Victoria, boring as she is when she isn't a bitch on wheels, with Colleen, that couple wouldn't be rootable...I'd just like to see them crash and burn which isn't ever a good thing when it comes to a soap couple. I'd MUCH prefer Victoria cheat on JT because Victoria's bitchy ways would somehow make her seem sympathetic. It would take a slow build to get there, MAB would have to invest a few months of story to establish that Victoria and JT's marriage was in the crapper...but if she did it, I think the story could make a lot of sense.

In theory, I like Karen and Neil. But in practice, it's like Neil's married himself because neither character is particularly exciting. I would prefer that Karen get some backbone and find someone else (Adam, Paul, Michael, Victor, Jack?) who she could spark up with because I think Nia is a terrific actress. It's Kristoff's problem, he is always the soft, sedate person in the relationship.

Tyra is a dud and so is her demon spawn Ana. They are both moronic, annoying, lifeless, stupid characters that I won't ever get on board with. Those two, plus Devon, need to be sent packing. They suck the life out of every scene they're in.

[MarkH]

That is a great selection. But I didn't buy it then...and I don't now.

See, for me, the key line is "I haven't felt this way in so long...". That is referencing Mackenzie. Everything about Billy today is a man who got lost when he lost the love of his life. He's made rotten choices since then...acting out....because the thing he needed to feel complete and good was ripped away from him. I do not for a second believe his feelings for Lily, because I don't think he can love anyone but Mac.

I think, in Lily, he's trying to see "another Mac". I think that's a bad comparison, because Mac had so much more substance than Lily.

So, his interest in Lily will disappear in a *poof* if Mac ever returns. For this reason, more than any, I hope this DNA thing sticks. Jill and Kay should not be family. And Billy and Mac should be one of the "end games". I hope, if Mac ever returns, the casting is perfect.

I agree totally. I think this is emerging as the team's single biggest weakness. Backburner should NOT be "off the stove".

Yes, I agree, and I find this to be a very odd choice. Eileen is playing this well, though. EACH DAY that passes, each event with controlling Victor, you get the sense that she is becoming just a little more crestfallen, a little more disappointed. She has wasted her entire adult life pining for the fantasy of this man who "rescued" her when she was a very young woman....but he has never been the hero she imagined.

So, I agree that the end of this story -- hopefully before she is "destroyed" again -- is to have Ashley wake up and say "enough is enough!". (Eric Braeden won't like that, though). But I'm not sure what I want to see, following that, is "angry Ashley". I think I'd rather see "Awake Ashley", who goes forth and makes good choices.

I was going to say "She could become the next John Abbott....moral center...wise". Except then I remembered John's romantic choices over the years (Dina, Jill, Rebecca, Gloria, toying aimlessly with Mamie and Gina's hearts), and remembered that he wasn't always the best example in the romance department either. So maybe she's a lot like him in that way too.

I don't want that . I want Ashley to take the high road. But I realize that might not work on a soap.

I like just about everything you write here.

I have realized lately that I a sucker for "young love"...and I realized with Noah and Eden. As much as I have questions about the actress who plays Eden, when they were on that sofa, kissing, and Noah put on the brakes....they *had* me! First of all, Kevin Schmidt is the finest young actor on this show in ages -- so natural and open and sweet -- and that whole couch scene just felt right.

And then I realized that my two other favorite couples in recent years were JT-Colleen (Fonseca) and Billy-Mac (originals). It bothers me that both of those couples never got to play out the "soul mate" thing (and trust me, I can't believe my cynical heart is typing that). But they were so sweet and wonderful.

I think I could buy Sursok in this place if she could hide the snark, and just release herself to play -- fully committed -- a renewed love for Colleen. To restore that dynamic, Colleen has to get into trouble...physical or emotional...and JT needs to swoop her into his big arms and make her feel safe. THAT is the dynamic that did it for me. The other part of that is that JT used to be a donkey. And Colleen "made him a better man". So, if they could sweeten up Colleen and put her in some jeopardy...while increasing the snark (and shirtless scenes) with JT...I think we go back to supercouple mode. And, yes, I think Sursok could pull that off.

It is virtually the same dynamic that could work with Billy-Mac, except Mac was never all that sweet. She was a tough "get a grip" girl, while Billy was all spoiled entitlement. So, in their case, I think a very different dynamic has to work. He is now damaged, plunged into a debauchery trying to anesthetize the fact that his soul got RIPPED away...and she has obviously plunged herself into an endless string of distant 'rescues'...working herself to exhaustion...trying to distract herself from her feelings.

So, what I want to see--when the DNA reveal happens--is that these two INSTANTLY come together...fully, passionately...because at some level they have always been waiting for this day. And once they are together (which should happen quickly, too quickly), I want to see Billy screw it up...time and time again. Because, like his brother Jack, Billy can't stay on the straight and narrow.

Yes, yes, yes. They must leave Genoa City. Nothing is helping this story.

[sheilaforever]

I wouldn't care a bit - they'd be as hellish boring as JT & Vickie.

I was never a big fan of Colleen & JT to begin with, but even worse I don't see any chem between him and Tammin. Luckinbill is effing awful (only out-performed by Daniel Goddard these days) and really needs a way more than average strong charaismatic female to make his stories work... He needed someone like Jess Walton or Melody Scott (Adriene Frantz could also work it although it would made zero story impact) or...

...I'm still saying that JT should screw with Abby. Now this would be fireworks! Little Miss Abby seems to be slutty anyway, so she's totally JT's type. LOL

Oh and as MarkH just mentioned Dina I can only take it totally out of context and say: Sigh!

[MarkH]

That's someone they should bring back much more often!

I'd love to see her come back and "support" Kay (i.e., stir up sh*t) when the DNA mismatch is properly explored, and Jill-Kay are back to being unrelated.

[sheilaforever]

Exactly.

Dina'd be overjoyed with glee and totally stir up the mansion, throwing subtle and not so subtle remarks at Jill.

[dm.]

With Dina there we wouldn't need Gloria. Actually we don't need Gloria overall.

[MarkH]

LOL. Nah. Gloria is the matriarch of a core family on this show -- a family that deserves unrelenting time on the front burner -- and I would not have it any other way. Wanna start a Love/Hate thread ?

[dm.]

Sure, go ahead.

To tell you the truth, I would have nothing against Gloria staying, but on a backburning (serving as comic relief or something).

[ian]

Would have liked to see what John Abbott would have thought of all this Katherine stuff, especially since Jill is involved... plus Dina would be that much more interesting with John around, but... oh yeah. Latham killed him.

[dm.]

No matter how much the writers try, some of her errors just can't be fixed. This one, especially, should never have happened.

[TheRedWarrior]

I guess I'm a sucker then cuz I bought that little speech Billy gave to Lily that you quoted (thanks for that btw).

I dunno I think Billy and Lily have a chance and I'm truly rooting for them but I understand that the odds are stacked against them. Especially with stupid Cane and moron Chloe hanging in the shadows....

[ian]

I would seriously accept it if Maria Arena Bell came out on screen and said "Hey, I'm MAB, headwriter for the Y&R. I've spent a lot of time trying to fix my predecessor's messups, the most glaring being the dismissal of the wonderful Jerry Douglas as Abbott patriarch John Abbott. We're really in a corner on this one, please let us just say John was alive the whole time and on tomorrow's episode he'll wake up like he's been in everyone's life since forever and fit right into the tapestry of our show. Sorry we had to do this but desperate times call for desperate measures"

hah! Could you imagine if they did that?