Y&R: Bring back Chene Lawson as Yolanda

[y&r_fan]

If TPTB want a "new Dru" (and it's clear they don't have that with Eva Marcille), they need look no further than Chene Lawson's Yolanda. Lawson was amazing in that role and Jack Smith was a fool to let her go rather than developing the character more.

Y&R should cut their losses with Tyra and bring Yolanda back. That would be a step in the right direction to revitalizing the Winters/Hamilton family.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

No need for a "New Dru" because Dru is in no form replaceable.

I liked Chene Lawson as Yolanda, but really, that character was always so short-term. I don't see how and why they would ground her over time to make her more of an integrated character.

Who else does she have on the show besides the boring, bland, and barely used Devon anyway? Also, hooking her up with Neil wouldn't work.

Tyra and Ana need to go though.

[MarkH]

Shockingly, I agree with every word.

[Cashton]

if they bring back Yolanda - I want Vivica A. Fox. Chene was great in the role and she played all the beats Y&R gave her. However, she never had that soap magic, star power I felt her character needed to sparkle.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

Vivica's too busy pimping the Psychic Friends Network. Ah, I guess she's enough of a has-been to jump back to soaps.

[Cashton]

LOL! You're so funny. When you post, with your Bea avatar, I always hear it delivered in her droll, sarcastic, biting voice. Makes me smile!!

[Heyou]

At least Chene' and the character of Yolanda were both more interesting than what we have now with Eva and her character.

[Cashton]

Totally agreed!!

[Heyou]

It does me as well!

[rhythmchyc]

Tyra and Ana would work if they worked on them correctly. If they were done truthfully. But they're not.

I think they should look to the future. I don't think they should bring back anyone, nothing against Yolanda. But what would she do to tell Devon's story any more than it's been told? She's served her purpose. What else does she have to tell?

I think they should bring in someone who has absolutely nothing to do with the Winters initially, who establishes fire and spirit with other members of the cast before exhibiting it within the Winter's sphere. That way, the transition won't be as unsettling and the audience won't compare her to Dru right off the bat. That's the problem with Tyra. Everyone's gonna compare her to Dru and she'll never be able to be her.

Any Black actress who joins the cast will be immediately believed to mingle with the Winters (as we've seen with just many Black actresses in the past), so it would be ideal if her race were ambivalent. Thus, the transition will be more believable.

I wish they would use someone in the cast who has fire and spirit but there aren't any women unfortunately. I'm kind of sick of the writers introducing weak characters to fill space then waste it. I like the idea of TPTB looking into their inventory rather than restocking.

The Winters' black hole would all be solved if the Winters were treated as a white family. IMO, Victoria (the original version) and Neil would've been married, divorced, had a triangle with Ashley, Phyllis, Sharon, then with Brad, and Michael lost a baby, then had one all in the last ten years. Neil is exactly the executive businessman for the feisty Victoria.

Since we'll never see that, MAB's gonna either have to get over her fascination with Eva, transform her through some life-altering calamity that shakes her to the core and invigorates her into becoming as lively as Dru was, or put her in an entirely different sphere in Y&R. She does not belong with Neil. For God's sakes, it's so obvious how much those two suck together.

[rhythmchyc]

Also, everyone loves Vivaca to come back but not as her original character. Why not bring her back as Stephanie Simmons?

I was too young to remember the show back then. Was she boring as well? All I've been able to find was that she was Olivia's colleague at the hospital who dated Malcolm for a short period before they broke up. I can't find any youtube clips either.

[Cashton]

Good post. There's certainly a BLACK HOLE when it comes to the attention and depth of the Winters family!

[Y&RWorldTurner]

I'd personally rather they write the Winter's out if they can't write for them at all. I'd rather have no minorities than poorly written stereotypes on my screen.

Neil is simply too boring to lead a family on his own, it was Dru and Malcolm that brought any spark to him.

I'm not even gonna comment on how boring and bland Lily and Devon are.

[rhythmchyc]

A vortex to be exact, sucking the life out of them.

ITA.

If Y&R were just the Chancellors, Newmans and Abbotts, I'd totally still watch. If I need to watch a solid Black TV family, I can watch The Cosbys on TVLand. And if I want to see hot, passionate Black love, I can always watch VH1. j/k

[Paul Raven]

Vivica's Stephanie made zero impression,she was only on a handful of times.

The cute guy in the Psychic Friends ad would be a good Nate!