Y&R: Week of April 27, 2009

[Greg's GL]

I'm enjoying the - possible - redo of "Rebecca" on the show as well. I really don't see anything wrong with soaps using stories like this on their own canvass. It's been done for the longest, and as long as it doesn't rewrite history completely (cough - Maryanne Carruthers on GL - cough), I usually enjoy it. Watching today's show now and I have to say I'm really getting into this story now.

On a side note, that fall Adam took over the table looked awfully real. I doesn't look like CE held anything back in trying to make that look believable.

Just my thoughts halfway through....

[AllAboutAngst]

I agree with you. As much as I adore GT, if they fire Amelia, why on earth wouldn't they just get Heather back, she's right there!?

However, if Heather for some reason chose not to return to Y&R (did she leave on bad terms with the show, I don't remember), then my very next choice is Tognoni.

[Greg's GL]

I frickin' LOVE Tognoni and think she would be awesome as Victoria. Just sayin'.

[MarkH]

Now, expressed in that conditional way, I am totally on board.

Thad Luckinbill said in an interview last week -- and I know he is biased -- that Amelia is 'THE MOST LOVED" person among the cast and crew of Y&R. Now, if he's right...then that means she brings some personal charm that is not showing on screen.

Maybe she's a good confidante? Maybe she remembers cast mates birthdays? Maybe she tells WICKED dirty jokes and flirts with all the boys? Maybe she the kind to touch your arm and sincerely convey that she's happy to see you?

I don't know. But if she's really that popular, she ain't goin' anywhere. I remember when Melody Thomas had a baby shower for her. I remember how upset Melody was when Heather left...and I thought "Well, she's not holding any grudges. That's more than decent, to have a shower in your home for your castmate".

So, really, I feel Amelia is in the story for the long haul. I think the show feels like they helped bring Thad and Amelia together, and they want to preserve and protect their beautiful, happy little couple. Which I consider laudable, except Amelia is not bringing all this loveliness to the set.

I also know Thad has range. I know others here disagree, but I saw him when he was a snarky, slutty bad boy in high school. I've seen him as the hero who has faith and muscles to rescue his true love from a fire and carry her to safety with orchestral accompaniment...when everyone else thought she was dead. And Thad's beautiful to look at. So I'd like to see him in a story that is more worthy of him that constantly cringing every time Victor or Victoria bark.

Sometimes I wonder if they should just script a Friday basketball game for all the guys. Every Friday, they all meet at GCAC, shoot some hoops, and then get a long table at the GCAC and shoot some sh*t. It would be fun to watch, it would be fun to make, it would serve a great "recap" function. And, in that setting, all the guys would get their "balls" back.

Actually, since Hogan is famous for restoring testicles, I guess I'm kind of appalled that two such milquetoast characterizations (mostly Thad, but sometimes Adam--whining) have been allowed to continue.

[AllAboutAngst]

See and this is what I always believed to be the case. I always believed that they KNOW that Amelia is not Victoria and just does not fit the character, but she is so nice and likable offscreen they keep her on board. That's unfortunate, because while I'm sure she's great and nice, because of the way she plays Victoria, the character will never be what she was originally intended to be and I'm afraid she'll continue to be the rarely discussed, not very interesting OTHER Newman child.

I like Thad, but Victoria and JT never worked for me. I mean, I guess with AH's interpretation of Victoria, they're fine, but I could never in a million years picture Heather's Victoria with JT.

I saw some discussion earlier about how Colleen/JT/Victoria should be a big triangle. I don't know, with AH's Victoria, I suppose, but if Heather Tom ever returned, I'd like JT/Victoria dropped pronto and a Victoria/Michael/Lauren triangle.

By the way, did everyone see this interview with Sharon Case?

http://tvguide.sympatico.msn.ca/Far+From+H...e_NB.htm?isfa=1

[classicmoment]

Loved what she said about Phyllis' character and interesting she made a suggestion that Phyllis should be the one Nick has an affair with. Loved how they discussed many instances JM's performance was underrated, good interview

[MarkH]

Thank you for saying that. You are clearly remembering, as I am, that shortly before she left Heather had some scenes with Christian. And they were AMAZING. Chemistry neither of them had ever seen before in other pairings. That was the biggest loss.

However, JT actually falls into Victoria's pattern of picking "male Nikkis" (as Victor's daughter), by which I mean beautiful himbos who are not necessarily her intellectual equal. Ryan, Diego...JT. Some might also add Brad to that list, but I always thought Brad had more going on upstairs -- and downstairs -- than all the other boybanders she so adored.

And Cole. What can I say? I have forgotten him. He was like a piece of wet tissue paper for me each and every day he graced that show. THAT was Eve Howard's son?? Uh uh. That cowboy? No way.

Awesome interview. The emmy neglect of Thomas, Case, and Morrow (and, more recently Braeden) is APPALLING. Although, some of it is embarrasment of riches. Folks like Bergman, Stafford and Leblanc do certainly earn their Emmy noms...but some of the neglected nominees really were FAR AND ABOVE the actual prenominees this year and in previous years. All of which confirms Victoria Rowell's "popularity contest" critique.

On that show, for harmony, SERIOUSLY, they should ask each person who wants a prenom to submit a tape/show to a panel of objective judges (ideally chosen from something like respected movie critics or something). And then they should abide by what these EXTERNAL reviewers say. Because there is too much "clique" in those nominations. People are getting rewarded for being nice/fun people.

[DRW50]

I think it depends on who the story is being recycled for. Ashley's lost her sanity over and over, and I don't think the twist that she's not actually losing her mind this time means bringing her back just to turn her into Victor's unstable girlfriend. She has no purpose of her own. I think this type of story would have worked better with Sabrina, but then I never had as many problems with Sabrina as some fans did.

Adam is probably more about showing us about Victor's toughness. A big part of his toughness is now contrasting him with weak, pathetic Adam. They do the same with Nikki, who gets to enjoy endless verbal abuse from him so we can see how strong he is.

[MarkH]

Interesting observation. I have always loved Victor, especially when he gets angry. The thing with Nikki never bothered me because, mostly, he hasn't been THIS awful to her as he's been since the David Chow implosion. Braeden ramped up the meanness then, Melody started to fight back...and it is a much uglier dynamic now.

But I just LOATHE how he treats Adam, Colleen, JT, and Neil. In each case, there is no warmth or generosity. I'm actually starting to dislike Victor...which really means something, 'cause I'm about his last fan

[DRW50]

I was bothered by the Nikki scenes not only because Victor spent so long browbeating her, but also because I thought they were implying Victor was right, and Nikki knew he was right. We got to see her fall off the wagon, have the breakdown at the beach, and only belatedly has she stood up for herself. We also see very little of her outside of Victor, whereas we get to see most of Victor's life outside of Nikki. The only time we get to see her outside of Victor is when she's with Katherine, and even then Katherine has told Nikki she sees Victor's behavior as proof they should be together.

I've always been a big Nikki fan, so that heavily colors, probably too much, my opinion of her stories over the past year.

[dm.]

I constantly feel like it's Braeden asking to always be right.

I hate it that he ALWAYS has to win over ANY character on canvas. That is not real. Each character should have a strong and a vulnerable side.

[MarkH]

It's a fine line to walk with Nikki. You don't want to make her "senatorial" or a "CEO"...but you'd like her to show growth. If Victor could just rediscover his softer side...

... because he HAD one!

We saw it with Hope. We saw it with Cassie, ESPECIALLY when she died. We saw it when he saved Ashley during their early coming together. He had this trademark "single tear tricking down cheek".

But now, when Sabrina died (and before) we didn't see that single tear. All we saw was his rage--planning a revenge trip even on the day of Sabrina's funeral.

I think Ashley helped him get over his DESPAIR, but NOT his RAGE.

When he sets that aside...then I think maybe this Nikki-Victor endgame could happen.

Let me also say that my all time favorite time for them as a couple was when he had epilepsy, and the roles reversed. Right down to him constantly begging her to stop working at NVP. I wish we could get SOME of that dynamic back.

The Nikki I loved the most, ironically, is the force-of-nature without makeup who emerged in the aftermath of Clear Springs, and who was a ROCK for her family as Victoria recovered from that crescent-role induced coma. I like her like that...but I realize we'll mostly get her as the snooty nouveau riche dame .

[dm.]

I know he had one, and so I hope they will re-add that layer of Victor in the future. Also, they need to play out Nikki's relationship with Paul too. It would be nice seeing Victor have at least a second of jealousy over Nikki. It doesn't always have to be Nikki trying to talk to Victor. He isn't God, even though he thinks of himself as one.

I'm very glad Neil quit at Newman. For Victor to choose a daughter who had recently fought with him instead of someone that's always been there for him, it just shows again what Victor is all about.

Meanwhile, Victor is also working against Jack; he recently put his own precious Ashley down by making that deal with Gloria. He's been collecting quite a lot of bad karma.

[AllAboutAngst]

You know what Nikki I loved most? The one who hung out with Bobby. I didn't necessarily like her working at the strip club and calilng herself "Nicole" but I remember that she actually stood up for herself against Victor time and time again. In fact, I remember Victor asking her, and I quote, "Why are you being so defiant?" as though she was a child or a puppy. As someone who likes Nikki more often than not, I find it very very difficult to like or even tolerate Victor.

[MarkH]

Beautifully put. I do look forward to seeing that explode.

Hmmm. I liked her with Bobby, yes. But because I hated every other piece of that story, from the mob to the torchsinging singer, to Nikki's sudden inexplicable "need" to hang out the revamped Bayou (Bobby's Place) for no clearly established reason.

I'd love Bobby back (we know he's not dead). That would have had more chemistry, and would have been more threatening to Victor's machismo, than this current limp tale with Paul.

The main reason I HATED that story, and I'm very regretful you brought it up...