Y&R: Week of March 2, 2009

[DaytimeFan]

I still love the kidnapping storyline. Clint, Roger and Annie are a treat.

[Cheap21]

The kidnapping is great. I love it especially now since Esther was thrown in.

[Cat]

RE: Michael and Lauren.

I like that they represent some stability and loving loyalty on this show (unlike, say, Nick who automatically goes wherever his peen takes him).

I also think that a story where one or the other is confronted with temptation (Lauren with either Daniel or JT would be SMOKING hot) or where they are pitted against the other (sparked by a returning Scotty or JoAnna Manning) would be a great SL for them.

Eventually they would find their way to each other because, deep down, they have always longed for this kind of stability and calm, centered family haven. I don't think Lauren and Michael particularly like themselves when they are cruel and out-of-control. Michael, in particular, seems to wrestle with acute bouts of self-loathing.

Oh, and CLB had great chemistry with Lauralee Bell (and Cricket always bored me to tears). I mean, scorching chemistry which always played at odds with the SL they got given (Cricket being Michael's victim) and yet also made it all the more compelling to watch. Honestly, if Cricket ever returned and sparked Michael's interest again, Lauren would have her work cut out for her. Cricket = Michael's heroin, always making him do awful things in her name.

[JackPeyton]

MAB has made the entire baldwin family back into humans with real emotions, feelings, and some depth. They are no longer over the top cartoon char's.

i love lauren and michael, i dont mind them on the back burner at all. they are very much supporting players and right now are minor supporting, not major supporting. they have also had a fair share of front burner story over the years.

im sure something will come sooner or later, and im willing to late. much bigger issues needed fixing and MAB is taking them on.

and Cat, i loved it when they toyed with the idea of Lauren with JT or Raul. And you are correct, her and Daniel would be on fire.

[lmfan]

Minor supporting is where they are at, and they have been on backburner more than most characters over the last few years, so when should they be allowed off backburner? What story are they even supporting at this time?

It sure isn't Michael as Kay, Cane or Victor's lawyer. He has been shown as their lawyer in 2 mins of airtime in the last month. The only thing they have going is playing Eden's guardians and they have been on this one week off, one week on schedule lately. Same thing happened last year from late Jan to mid March when Maria Bell wrote Michael and Lauren off and they appeared in three episodes in 7 weeks.

They haven't had a front burner story in over two years. And that was the short Sheila as Phyllis story in Jan 2007. Think of all the storylines that characters like Victor, Nikki, Jack, Sharon, Phyllis, Nick, Victoria, Gloria, even Kevin, Amber, Daniel, Cane and Lily have recieved in the last three years and then think of the storylines Michael and/or Lauren have recieved. I bet you can list storyline after storyline for most of these characters, but you would be hard pressed to name many Michael and Lauren stories. The perception that they get front burner story regularly is beyond me, because they haven't had front burner story in a long time.

I'm not so sure something will come up for them, and their fans have been hearing ever since Maria Bell took over that she will get to them and that she has to clean up the mess LML left and nothing happens. Oh yeah, she gave them the Michael's father story which turned into maybe 20 episodes spread over 5 months and which was turned into another Gloria story.

Oh and how could I forget how Lauren helped Sabrina get her wedding dress and Michael arranged her funeral for Victor. You're fine with the way these actor and characters are utlized. As a fan of the characters, I think it stinks and as a fan of the actors, I think Maria Bell and crew are wasting the talents of two very good actors.

It's fine that so many don't mind them as supporting, but even supporting characters deserve some story. Maria Bell has had to deal with alot of problems, but at this point she has managed to involve most of the characters on the canvas into her stories. How about writing them into her stories.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

Would you prefer one of them having an affair? Because, if they decide to give them major storyline, I can see them going in that direction. No one wants to watch a front burner storyline about a happy couple, and often, the only way to TPTB create friction in a stable relationship is by having one of them sleeping with someone else.

I for one never liked how Lauren stood by Michael as he cleaned up Gloria and Kevin's illegal activities. I understand being a loyal wife, but Michael was more than often an accessory to Gloria's crimes, Lauren too by extention. If she wants to raise her son in a good environment, then she should keep Michael's family as far away from her son as possible.

Lauren needs to be fed up with Michael's family and him always putting Gloria and Kevin's needs before her's. I just don't get the dynamic in that relationship.

[lmfan]

You see, you just came up with a handful of compelling stories for Michael and Lauren in just a few minutes. All of your suggestions could work and would showcase the acting talents of Christian and Tracey and could easily be "B" stories.

All those happy with Lauren and Michael as more supporting characters would only have to see them on screen and in their own story for maybe two to three days a week. I think most of their fans would be thrilled if we saw them three days a week for a few months in a "B" story. And the best thing, Maria could still keep as her "A" stories her Newman, Abbott and Chancellor stories.

Then everyone wins.

[brimike]

What about the three months of Michael dealing with his father being back? I feel like they just got out of a front-burner story, and are now supporting again. It's not like they're Nancy Hughes on ATWT, where we see her once every eight months, if we're lucky.

I do agree with Y&RWT that Lauren should finally have it up to *here* with Michael bailing out his family, and a trial separation would be interesting to me. But this uproar over them never having story is baffling to me. They were on front-burner during the River/Lowell stuff, and LeBlanc delivered some amazing performances during it.

[BadZoe]

I hope Noah doesn't have a key to Sharon's room, no kid needs to walk in on their mother doing the nasty.

Finally this kidnapping seems to be coming to an end.

[lmfan]

I keep saying that I don't need them being in a frontburner story. I just don't want them to continually being backburned. I want them to get some story, some romance, some thing for the actors to sink their teeth into.

How about a story about conflict between them over business, Lauren's resenting his family's intrusion, Michael's work hours or her sacrificing her career for him. How about pitting Lauren and Phyllis against each other in an issue and Michael is in the middle. You can do health scares for either them or Fen. Maybe Fen develops kidney problems and needs a transplant. Michael is a match but only has one kidney. Talk about the drama of Michael's guilt and Lauren's desperation at the thought of losing another child. What about Michael having a heart issue because of stress and Lauren coming down hard on his schedule which would be in conflict with Michael's need to fix things and his A type personality. Again good drama between the two and it would not need to dominate the show. Just some good character based drama for them to play.

I don't want to see them having and affair, but why does every couple have to have an affair to get a story. I just don't get that at all. You can show conflict in their marriage with out either sleeping with another character. I wouldn't even mind showing one of them be tempted or even anothe person trying to break them up, but them making the decision to stay faithful. Now that would be different for daytime.

Lauren initially was fed up with Michael's family but then LML started writing her as giving everything they do a pass, and Maria Bell has not changed that either. I would love for Lauren to say enough is enough.

[lmfan]

This is how the Michael father story went. He met his father in August over three episodes. Then Lowell showed up again in late September and the early part of October for maybe ten episodes spreak over 4 weeks. There were no episodes in November of Michael's father story and then it was all neatly wrapped up in December when I agree Michael was frontburner for a few weeks which culminated in the stand alone "It's a Wonderful Life" episode. And again this story turned into a Gloria vehicle in October.

I would hardly classify that as a front burner story. It was a "B" story that was used as filler over a period or months and wrapped up neatly so that Eden was left on canvas for Noah and so Maria could wrap up the Gloria cream story and make her somewhat pay by being in jail for a few months.

Prior to that Michael was support for all of last year and most of 2007. CLB rarely is on more than 10 episodes in a month. I don't know who Nancy Hughes is, but I just don't think they utilize CLB very well. He did win two of the past four lead actor emmys which I know is not the be all and end all, but it does mean the guy can act.

I agree CLB did deliver some great performances but he is given great scenes maybe three or four times a year. He is my favorite actor and character on this show and just as others complain when their favorites don't get much story and are grateful when they do, that is all I am doing.

Hionestly, Michael and Lauren really haven't had much story other than being the happily put upon married couple for a long time. What story beside the Lowell story have they had in the last few years?

Ok, I vented enough and don't want to dominate the board with this one topic.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

I thought it was pretty disgusting during the time when both Phyllis and Lauren were pregnant how Michael was there for support to Phyllis more so than he ever was to Lauren.

Sadly, it just proves to me that Lauren has always been thought of as a prop to Michael and his family and that is never going to change.

If they're handled properly health stories can work, but more than often they come off as an afterschool special. However, an ovarian cancer scare for Lauren could be good, as she could be faced with the possibility of having to remove her ovaries, therefore never being able to have kids again. I'm tired of breast cancer on soaps, it isn't the only type of cancer that exists.

I feel like the story needs to be centered on Lauren, not Michael. We've seen too much of Michael's point of view and his family's, and not enough of Lauren's.

Affair storylines are easy for TPTB to come up with, hence why they're always used. But I don't think they'll be going in that direction with Michael and Lauren.

[brimike]

But wasn't there a much-publicized vacation LeBlanc took in October? I remember him saying he was going away for a few weeks, and the story had to be put on hold, or something like that. I'm sure that had something to do with it.

I'm TOTALLY not criticizing you, lmfan. I love LeBlanc, and I really wish he had a story. I'm not denying it at all. But I do think an effort was made. I mean, the guy had an entire episode devoted to him. I can't remember the last time that happened - not even Victor Newman had an entire episode where he appeared in EVERY scene. That, to me, shows me they're invested in the character, and want him front-burner.

[Heyou]

After Nia's little interview, Karen may be the one diagnosed with Ovarian cancer.

As much as I wanted this kidnapping storyline over with, I have to admit, I'm looking forward to the upcoming storyline with Kevin. Michael will probably get more airtime since his bro will be in trouble. Again. Once again, Lauren will be used to console Gloria.

Cane and Lily are pissing me off and I can't wait for them to get their dues... damn goody two shoes that they both are.

[lmfan]

Oh I know you are not criticizing and the stand alone episode was a nice treat. It just feels though that sometimes Maria throws these bones at Christian because she realizes he is a good actor and needs some challenge, and probably realized he had nothing to submit for emmy contention and so gave him good stuff to play in December.

Christian takes off a week here or there just like other actors, but he went weeks last year being off screen, and we are only in early March and already Lauren and Michael have been off screen completely in three of those 9 weeks. And used as minor support when they were on. I though December would mean she finally was getting them into the story rotations and instead we are right back where they were at the start of 2008.

I just wish though that instead of these stunts she gives him and instead of using Lauren as just a prop, she actually would write a story about just them and what they are going through as a couple. Just like she has done for so many couples on the show. I know they are happy and that makes it harder for the writers, but so much of their married life happens off screen.

And I also would like Maria to write them an uninterupted romantic episode. I watch soap partly for romance and they get so little romance to play. Every single romantic scene they have had over the past two and a half years has been interrupted. Every single one and they are pretty rare. If Phick can get it on after Nick cheats on Phyllis and if Sharon can sleep with three men in the matter on months, why not show a commited married couple in a love scene once every few months.