Y&R: Week of April 27, 2009

[Scryber96]

Abby saying it makes it even worse. Eden isn't goth and Abby, being a teenage girl, should know that.

Eden, at best, is some kind of hippie-light chick with her Ashram 'love everything in the universe' upbringing.

I guess this month's alloted research time was all used up on googling chipmunks.

[Cashton]

Noah's turning into a little Devon - preachy, judgemental and boring. Not the direction I want for him.

[Cheap21]

It wasnt meant to be accurate...it was meant as an insult. That came across and fit well with the scene

[Scryber96]

Because the best insults are the ones that make no sense.

Calling her a hippie would have made sense. Or, you know, murderer's daughter. But calling her 'goth girl' when she clearly isn't one is the kind of writing that gives soaps a bad name. That entire scene was just badly written from start to finish.

And, obviously, not everyone thought it fit well with the scene or it wouldn't have bugged me. It was a clunker of a line in the middle of a horrible scene that sounded like it was written by someone in middle age that hasn't gone to the mall in a long, long time.

Much the same way it's like fingernails on a chalkboard every time Daniel refers to Kevin as a 'kid'. No guy in his twenties is going to say things like 'he's a good kid' or 'the kid has been through a lot' about someone that's the same age. Guy, yes. Dude, yes. Kid, no.

They should leave all the youth slang to Amanda Beall. It might be hyper-articulate but at least it sounds plausible.

[Chris B]

If Mary Jane truly is Patty then this is poor planning on MAB's part and IMO her first poorly written story. First of all, it's a waste to have two long term characters in a romance off screen when they have such potential. There's genuine chemistry and story potential with Adam/Heather and then Victor. If Mary Jane were Patty, they should be developing Paul as an important character now. Again, considering the fireworks she's bound to set off...where is Mary Williams? Why aren't they building a family unit with Mary, Paul and Heather? Where is Ricky? It would just be such a waste since she's tied to a core family that they haven't mentioned or shown any interest in for ages.

[MTSRocks]

I agree/disagree. If they start building Mary/Paul right now, it would make it all the more obvious.

[DeeeDee]

Or greasy haired howler monkey

[Cheap21]

I thought Eden was a goth girl when I first started watching again. The dark hair, the dark clothing she wore, gloomy personality and the fact that she doesnt smile much unless she's with Noah. To someone who doesnt know her, its easy to see why she'd be called that

[y&r_fan]

[Chris B]

Paul and Mary should be built regardless of what happens with Mary Jane. When they brought on Heather they should've had long term plans to integrate her into the cast. Instead she's written like a day player with no friends, no family, no luck and a barely there romance. Hell, forget Mary and just focus on Paul and Heather or Nikki and Paul and you atleast have something.

And I'm not sure how shocking this can be in the long run...how many characters can it be? Patty? Mari Jo? Lindsay? Who else? Diane would just be an insane and illogical choice no matter how it's explained.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

Doug Davidson said the actress that played Mary is retired from acting and I think is too sick to act again.

[JackPeyton]

The scenes with Abby, Noah, Eden, and the other teens played out like a bad moment from twilight.

[MarkH]

If Mary Jane truly is Patty then this is poor planning on MAB's part and IMO her first poorly written story. First of all, it's a waste to have two long term characters in a romance off screen when they have such potential. There's genuine chemistry and story potential with Adam/Heather and then Victor. If Mary Jane were Patty, they should be developing Paul as an important character now. Again, considering the fireworks she's bound to set off...where is Mary Williams? Why aren't they building a family unit with Mary, Paul and Heather? Where is Ricky? It would just be such a waste since she's tied to a core family that they haven't mentioned or shown any interest in for ages.

I agree. The absence of Mary Williams, meddling in Heather's life, is a HUGE omission. It would even have been worth recasting if the original actress is retired.

And, if they followed our advice (i.e., that Patty = Tawny; I don't care if Andrea Evans plays it or Haiduk plays it or whatever), you'd want Mary in the middle of that.

For a team that has done so nicely with Kay-Murph, and even gave us Doris back (in some fashion), not having Mary in town is really glaring. For me, it is another sign that Doug Davidson is on the "DD" plan (i.e., Don Diamont).

[MarkH]

Yes, we commented on that in our home. That collection of "young dayplayers" at CL...confronting Noah...each leaving ample pauses between line readings to ensure that the dialogue doesn't flow remotely naturally...felt like something I have recently seen on the high school stage.

Youth casting and writing is soooooooooo hard.

[DRW50]

The complete collapse of the Williams family is one of the reasons I don't know how much dramatic impact Mary Jane being Patty would have. We'd be left with this stranger playing a woman Jack wronged in 198...4? 1985? Will viewers just shrug? They know Jack's done bad things. Will a new face playing someone he knew decades ago impact them? If Jack were a stronger character, possibly, but he's already taken so many kicks, all we would see is a reminder of his long ago status as a character who did more than smirk at Victor and hold Sharon's hand.

I would rather they make her a woman who has no history on the show. I thought Luan was a wonderful character and a wonderful story, even though her presence was a rewrite.

I hope they will at least bring in Corbin Bernsen or Brett Hadley (is he still alive?), or recast the other long unseen Williams brother (or was there not another one).

Paul is dating a woman who was once one of the most important characters on the show, and he finally has his daughter back, and we see him much less than when his only story was holding Lauren's hand and dating Maggie.

I have fond memories of Paul, but I think they should have written him out and kept Brad. There was still so much story for Brad with Ashley and Abby.