Y&R: Week of June 15-19, 2009

[Juliajms]

You wound me Mark. Chloe and Bill do it for me. I need her to be more than his Diane. At the very least she should be his Ashley. I prefer they turn out like Alan and Monica on GH. Maybe not the original loves of each others lives, but two people who do belong together and when it's all over they were IT for each other.

[MarkH]

Oh, I should be clear. I think they could BECOME this to each other...just not in the near future .

[DRW50]

I'm not sure if Billy's there yet. The writing for Billy is all over the place and people seem to be tired of the vacillation, it's all come to a head now that they are shoving Billy/Mac at people. He has no soul, no vulnerability, it's just constant self-pity and sleeping around. I think they have pushed this character much too quickly because they have little else in his age range, and the strain is showing.

Jack was a much more complex character. Billy is a pout, a smirk, and a lowered zipper.

I also think if Y&R goes forward they can't just try to mold characters based on past names.

[DeeeDee]

:lol: :lol:

Cane is built like a half squeezed bottle of ketchup.

[dm.]

Damn, I'm losing my enthusiasm for this show as well, much like some you. It kinda dawned on me that things never actually got that better; it's just that a good story fell in the writers' laps. They used history to revisit a certain storyline and it was all going well until they realized that it was a success and basically decided to have most of the other storylines also revisiting history. It works well for fixing the storylines that sucked and retconning something that was never approved of, but after a little time it just becomes boring. And where new storylines are concerned, it all turns out to be really bad. Pretty much all the new storylines were equally bad, and it's worse when MAB thinks she's doing wonders with the show.

That said, here is how I stand with certain characters at the moment:

I feel as if the writers don't know what to do with any of their character. They push story to the fullest and are blindsided when they have to come up with new stuff, and then we all wonder how exactly did all storylines conclude and new ones began all in a few episodes.

They brought in Adam with a fairly good storyline and decided to write him into a corner by teaming up with Jack. That was okay, until they decided that they are going to try to write for him again, and of course, another corner came. I feel sad for Adam because they don't have the ability to come up with a single good amazing storyline and instead choose to push something that just won't work. Why ruin a legacy character? Same thing with Heather. There is a lack of interest in building character. And the few times that they tried (Heather getting hired at Jabot; getting that disease) they decided that she wasn't worth it because they didn't have the brains to pursue story, so they just used her as a prop.

I never bought Sharon and Jack as a couple and wanted to see Nick and Phyllis broken up, but now it seems as if something is missing. Reuniting Sharon and Nick shouldn't have happened so fast. I'm sure we'll get another few months of Nick not being able to decide what the hell he wants. He should just be sent on another plane. I'm sad they dropped that whole thing with Sharon stealing and sleeping around, and pregnancy was the most easiest way out.

It pains me that both Ashley and Victor have turned into brainless people, because I would personally always be vary of Adam. I hope it won't take them long to figure this one out. Still, at least I'm interested in where all of this is going. Will they be able to work something out for Adam or will we have another murder? Nikki and Paul should have had more airtime because they are interesting to me; even just watching them talk. If MTS doesn't come back, things will only get worse.

I could care less about Gloria and Jeff. There seems to be some sort of deficiency on the show because the writers can't realize when a character is played out. Waaaaay played out. Gloria should have been left in prison or just left with Jeff. Another tumor on the cast board is Sursok, who seems to have made a pact with the devil that is keeping her on this show all the time, and for some reason she has more power than anyone on that show.

Kay, Jill and Murphy were all great for a long time, but now I'm wondering where is this going next. I agree that Kay and Murphy need some time to rest after being on for so much, so I don't really have a problem there except Jill teaming up with those two losers. I hope, in the very end, she ends up winning over them. I wanted Michael and Lauren to appear as supporting character because frontburner storyline just doesn't work for them. However, this is where the writers' inability to write for backburned characters come in. They both made barely any appearances lately. Eden can be forgotten, for all I care.

And now onto the worst written family... the Winters. There was no interesting storyline there ever since Dru left, and it's only getting worse. First we have to suffer through a talentless model winning over Karen, and now we're having the world's most demented kid lusting after his aunt? Sick, sick, sick. I can't even come up with words to describe how disgusted I am with this. Lily and Cane were always a thorn in my eye and they aren't getting better. CK could care less about acting, she just wants to watch Ellen, while Goddard is obsessed with showing his failing body and trying to act, which he can't.

The writers are set on keeping Amber, Kevin, Daniel and Jana together for a long time, and they can't exactly come up with anything good for them besides breaking them up. Jana and Kevin might have been interesting, but now they're just way too boring. Jana needs to die just for being a horrible Latham creation (plus the fans won't ever forget about her past). Amber was entertaining mostly in scenes with Katherine, but when in scenes with these three, she's just whining way too much. I don't even care about Daniel one bit and it's a shame because I used to. I can't remember when exactly I started yawning on his scenes, but it shouldn't be that way.

I loved Billy when he returned and I always loved Chloe, but the writers became obsessed with Mac ever since she came back so everything fell into the water. I no longer care so much for Billy and I don't really know what to say about Mac. Chloe apologizing to Lily and Cane is something that I just don't understand. Lane fans are getting what they want, and it's sickening. Moving on to J.T. and Victoria, I don't feel as if I have to explain because yesterday I said it all.

Mary Jane had potential and I love her antics, but I'm worried that the writers won't know when to stop with her and she won't be around. They need to stop for a second and thing long-term before planning storylines. It's always either about the storylines that fall into their lap or something else, but they don't think ahead.

I agree with Alvin and Sylph regarding the need for a change, but can we get one in these times? Will there be a good soul that will actually go looking for someone better, or have MAB's thrilling interviews and compliments from the cast pretty much cemented her position for a long time? I feel as if I'm back to last year after LML was fired, thinking things might get better yet getting disappointed every step of the way. The production and acting has improved and it can save the show from time to time, but it can't do anything for it long-term. I will continue watching, but my interest in the show is once again failing.

I would like to apologize for this long post... It was nothing knew, just to make some people see that I know where the problems are. We all have the answers as to how to fix the show, but I don't see it happening. I'm being comfortable watching the show, I'm acknowledging it's problems, and I think I'm one step away from quitting watching. I felt like this all of last year, so nothing has changed, right?

[Juliajms]

Yes, Jack had the Jabot and John. They need to give Billy some sort of job he's passionate about.

She won me over today. She's definitely about to bring Cane down and I'm ready for this story to kick into high gear.

Fine. As long as there is some hope there is no need to rush it.

EB was formidable today. The writing let him down, but he was fierce.

[DeeeDee]

A lotta that's Miller.

He does vulnerability like Engen does crying scenes.

[MarkH]

Jack was a lowered zipper too...but also smouldering! As selfish and petty as he was, he was just so damned attractive and charming. He could be pouty (I guess, more whiny), but he was sex on a stick. And there was always a laugh behind the eyes. IMO, anyway.

[DeeeDee]

Pretty much.

Chris Engen looked like he wanted to run away.

[DRW50]

That's true, he does check out of some of the emotional scenes, which is one of the reasons I can't see him as Y&R's big star of the future yet. I also think the show fell down by having him completely cut off from all the Abbotts, aside from the one he screwed over, Jack. I felt nothing for Billy when Jack railed at him because I couldn't believe Billy cared about Jack, or anyone but himself. At least the scoundrel version of Jack still cared about his father and his sisters.

[Juliajms]

He's not called smilin' Jack for nothing. I completely agree, but Jack always did care a lot about Jabot, his rivalry with Victor and John. Billy needs that sort of foundation as well.

[MarkH]

I guess.

While sleeping with his father's woman (twice).

While blackmailing his sister to give up her CEO or President position (I forget which) if he was to keep his silence about the Brent Davis paternity.

I guess he cared?

[DRW50]

That's what made the stories work. He did care. He never wanted to hurt his father, or his sisters, even when he did. Didn't they also set up relationships between Jack and his family for several years before he started hurting some of them? They haven't done that with Billy. He's been all about his penis, and moping over Mac (or Lily) since BM's time in the role. They also wasted time on that rivalry with Cane which I think was supposed to be much bigger than it turned out to be.

[DeeeDee]

Exactly.

He's good but his emotional scenes need a lotta work.

Yes!!!

BM looks almost as lost as Engen does.

Rauch needs to fix that.

Adam Vs. Billy.

It writes itself.

[Juliajms]

He definitely cared. That was the one thing that always redeemed Jack. How many times did Ashley try to write him off? But he always won her back because they loved each other. Ashley knew that Jack was selfish and would try to manipulate her to his purpose (and still would just like Victor), but he does love her. I have never doubted that.