Y&R: Week of May 11, 2009

[cara mia]

The problem isn't with Cane as a character, it's with him being forced on us as the real P3.

A good soap will have a variety of different characters because you're trying to reach a broad audience. I liked early Cane a lot. He was fun, cute, laidback. He was sort of a poor man's version of AMC's Leo. (Okay a very very poor man's version but you get the idea). OLTL Rex is also a similar type.

I talked before about the three types of soap viewers, the Escapists/Romantics, the Coffee Clatchers (long-time viewers who value realism) and the Obsessives (folks like us on the board). Cane (or early Cane) is exactly what the escapists like in a soap character. He was just fun. When LML made Cane into P3, she annoyed the Coffee Clatchers and outraged the Obsessives. So MAB has a problem with Cane. He's too popular with the Escapists to cut (sorry Dee) but too irritating to the other fanbases to leave as is. TB's willingness to come back gives MAB a chance to bring back Cane to his earlier incarnation and to make things right with all three fanbases.

I don't mind if Cane is really a Chancellor or even turns out to be an Abbott (referencing the bloodtest/Billy connection). I don't mind though if he's a free agent like Amber either. The Winters are a core family and if Cane is Lily's true love, then he's tied to them and that's more than enough justification to keep him on canvas if that's what MAB wants to do.

[MarkH]

Apparently that is because of love affairs.

But seriously, don't you think it is a credit to the show? To engender this level of enthusiasm and excitement?

Me, it's pushed me to Usenet and my Cassata and Irwin book....to remind myself of the backstory that got us to this place.

I watched that Phillip deathbed scene, and except for Rex (dead) and Christine...they're all still there, and ALL STILL PLAYED BY THE SAME PEOPLE. They could literally use that flashback. WHAT AN ACCOMPLISHMENT.

That is not a historgasm...that is a show that effectively uses the bank of character and story it has invested in.

It does make me feel (again...please don't hit me) that we need Christine back.

Her second husband is about to remarry.

Her first husband's son (and godson) is about to get in trouble.

Her early boyfriend (and best friend's STILL HUSBAND, and father of her other godson) is back from the dead.

Honestly, when she comes back, I will feel the show is almost "whole" again. Then, for me, the biggest missing link will be Rowell. And that may be a permanent loss.

[MarkH]

Terrific, terrific post!

[dm.]

Of course I did. I never said it wasn't.

[Sylph]

cara mia is definitely one of the best SON additions lately!

[sheilaforever]

Great post, Mark!

That said, I simpy can't catch up with these Y&R threads anymore. They are overlong for my available time frame these days and way to all over the place...

[DRW50]

I hope they aren't going to make TB's character an impostor, a doppleganger, or evil. They like to re-use history at the moment for darker storylines, so they may think showing the horror of Jill, Katherine, and Nina if they meet a twisted doppleganger of their Phillip would be good story, but I think this one would be a mistake. I think if they have brought Thom back, this HAS to be Phillip and they HAVE to play out the beats of his "death" and return. They committed to this, and there are many years of story that can be played out.

I don't hate Cane, I think he could have use in some context, but I don't think he's ever fit into the heroic leading man role, nor did he work when they tried to pit him against Billy and make him the self-righteous foil for Chloe. I think he would work best going to an edgier place, and away from the current slate of characters. I actually think Goddard would have been a good love interest for Jill.

I'm not a great writer, obviously, but if it were me, I would say that Phillip got involved with some dangerous stuff when he started drinking again and was working at Chancellor. Rather than endanger his family, he faked his death, and that's why he's stayed away. Then a few years ago, he heard that Jill and Kay were starting to go back to the past and he was worried they might stumble onto his secret. He paid Cane to go pretend to be the "real" Phillip and distract them from finding out what had happened to him.

[dm.]

Something similar to Jesse's story on AMC, minus the cop thing.

[DRW50]

Yes. I actually didn't think that story was too bad, the acting really made it work, as I think would happen here. I think it would have to be something big to tear Phillip away from his son, because he would never have wanted to abandon his son, as he grew up without a father.

[dm.]

It works. It's a good explanation. Plus, I'm sure the writers would work on getting him a good story once resolved, unlike Jesse.

Sadly, I don't know if it was worth the effort of getting Jesse back from the dead since the entire family isn't exactly being written as they should.

[cara mia]

Could Cane and P3 (assuming that's who TB is playing) be fraternal twins? Did we see Jill give birth on camera? Just a wild thought.

I love this idea. It keeps P3 a good guy.

Aw! It's the excellence of the forum and the quality of the show that's brought out the secret poster in me. It's fun to read everyone's posts and fun to chime in!

[DRW50]

That translates to writing good story for black characters, which is difficult for any soap, apparently.

Phillip is a core character (which Jesse wasn't, at least not on his return), so there's years of story to be mined if he returns.

We probably did, but I doubt that footage exists today, so they could get away with the rewrite without visual contradiction. They could just say she was drugged or something and didn't remember, as they did with Iva on ATWT.

There are all types of explanations, but for me the real key is to make sure he's actually Phillip, not someone pretending to be him or any of that.

[MarkH]

CarlD2's idea is quite good, in the sense that P3 stayed away to protect his clan. There was nothing in the on-screen backstory to lean us in this direction but...

I don't think the writers are afraid to make core members of core families bad though. See Adam. Or "Patty Jane".

TB must not be playing the sixth doppelganger in 2-3 years. He must not be! I also don't want a repeat of the Carl Williams story (i.e., Carl lost his memory). In that sense, I much prefer CarlD2's version.

And please, NO, to Cane being a fraternal twin. They did that on Another World (Donna Love gave birth to twins and didn't know it), but...please no.

Cane is much more interesting to me if he arrived as a con (basically good hearted), and is basically now grateful and trying to become a better person. That makes him fight the internal moral war that I really wanted Adam to be fighting.

[dm.]

Yeah, a big no on the fraternal things stuff. It just doesn't seem right.

[MarkH]

TB has

.

No, this was 1976. I do remember seeing this...and I really think it was still a matter of wheeling her into the delivery room. I don't remember exactly, of course, but I'm positive we didn't see an Lamaze-pushing or anything . That was left to the imagination.

Total agreement. I think it helps that P3 was not attached to any monitors--did not flatline--when he died. (Although even that is reversible with a shock to the heart). Everyone ASSUMED he was dead.

But the mystery is "who fixed him, and why? why did he stay away? how and why did he hook up with Cane?"