Y&R: Episodes discussion., Week of June 29,2009

[MarkH]

OMG

Brimike, yes...it was easy. But I saw that as several things: First, it was almost completely unstated. Indeed, Rafe was only straightening his tie by the time we rejoined the boys. So EVERYTHING was behind the scenes. What you write would more clearly have signalled that "Adam doesn't really want to do this...Adam has to 'steel' himself...Adam didn't enjoy it". What we got is something that is less black and white. That opens up a lot more story potential, actually.

I wouldn't want it to stay thus forever. But right now, a number of my unspoiled viewing colleagues were SHOCKED at what they saw today. So it was for the best that it was all so subtle...it EASED the viewers into this fairly unprecedented scenario. We have plenty of time to make it all clearer. I do hope what you describe...if that is the truth of it...does play out before too long.

She is definitely the find of this last year...along with Haiduk. I hope she gets a story worthy of her. I'd like to see her (don't shoot me) more in the orbit of the Scoobies.

And they should stop smoking, drinking, eating too much, and making Perez Hilton the # 1 gossip site.

Until then....my view is "enjoy the buzz" and focus more on the bare "facts" he presents...less on the interpretation.

Chloe was terrific. I'd like to see her more with her mother and Kay. I'd also like to see her, once this Billy crap is past, develop more of a 'sisterly' dynamic with Mac.

I thought Adam's story was done beautifully. I thought he had fine control of facial micro-muscles. We KNEW what he was thinking and feeling...he effectively conveyed the subtext...and I don't believe I would have trusted CE to do so.

I agree that Rafe was shockingly "wham-bam". But that opens up a whole new possibility that Rafe is not the sweet baby-face he seems. Maybe his is the OPPOSITE of twink he comes across as! That would be interesting. (Kind of like my new favorite vampire on True Blood, a sweet-faced young redhead girl...with fangs that'll gouge you!) Maybe Rafe is more kick-ass than we think...and maybe he just totally screwed Adam in ways that Mr. Wilson can't even imagine!

To be clear, Rafe has now earned easier passage into Adam's bedroom into the future...and more proximity to the botox and other psycho-gear Adam has amassed.

Having Adam "used" a little by Rafe could actually begin to help redeem Adam in some ways.

This, right here, is where I want an HBO primetime 13-week spinoff (like Night Shift) of Y&R!

[Chris B]

I thought this was a great episode with the exception of the Rafe/Adam/Heather triangle which I'll start with. I still don't understand why I should care about Rafe. He's less developed than other peripheral characters like Miguel, Estella, Esther, etc. At this point that's all he is. We've seen him as a lawyer with very little character development. The show had the time to develop the character but have chosen not to. Now they throw Adam at him with no build up which made it impossible to get behind. The actual scenes were choppy and I wish we'd at least gotten a kiss or the two on the bed or them shirtless or something. This is so plot driven it's clearly being done for shocks, so why not go for broke ala Passions with Chad and Vincent? Then you have Adam calling Heather, another character the show has dropped the ball with. MAB did great things with Heather when she first arrived, but now? She's regressing. We're no longer seeing her friendships (like with Daniel) or her family ties with Mary Jane and Paul. She serves only as a plot point in this Adam story. That's sad considering she's a legacy character that should be better utilized when you look at all the frontburner stories right now. Removing her as Jabot lawyer and making her DA again is the fatal blow to her character. It makes her the villain going against everyone's favorite criminals (which is just about everyone in GC).

The quad was improving until Sharon told Jack it was his baby. This story has too much back and forth and it's always too soon. I wish they'd pursued the story with Sharon's kleptomania with her mother and past, then have her move on with a new guy (Neil?). Then let Jack and Nick duke it out for Phyllis. There needs to be a major shakeup that doesn't involve them going back and forth with each other if they want this to be a viable long term triangle. Nikki/Victor/Ashley went on for decades, but that didn't stop all three from having countless notable love interests. These writers have turned this into the typical modern love triangle. I loved the twist with Summer getting sick and I wish they'd played it longer before the paternity test arrived. Michelle Stafford's acting is finally back on track and I'm enjoying her. Joshua Morrow did an okay job today and I anticipate him upping his game in coming weeks. Unlike most, I don't think this is going to harm Mary Jane too much. They just need to show her emotional distress over how sick Summer gets. If she didn't intend for Summer to end up in a coma and they show that, the viewers could understand she's damaged. If she pulls a Gloria and doesn't give a toss, forget it! Depending on how the show handles this will tell me if they intend to use her long term or not.

It's shocking just how unlikable Billy is and how far downhill his story has gone. The character has lost his charm because this story has become plot driven as well. They're no longer developing Billy as a character, just pushing this rushed reunion with Mac. It doesn't make Mac look good either and it's incredibly dull. The show missed a good thing in bringing David Lago back. He energized the canvas and would've blown Greg Rikaart and Michael Grazaidei's dull asses out of the water! Liz Hendrickson is suffering too. I wish they'd kept Lago and let him and Hendrickson go to another side of the canvas and shake things up.

The highlight of the month would have to be Victor discovering Kitty. I wonder if Eric Braeden played that for laughs or what. It was hilarious. They are sick. I hope that through it all Mary Jane is allowed to keep Kitty. Even if she ultimately becomes Big Blue Plate, she needs to remain.

[leevo64]

I know! I must give props to Y&R for doing this story. It's REALLY daring. I can only imagine the more conservative viewers must have been thinking!

[DRW50]

They may have been thinking Adam is crazy and desperate. I think the big shock for them would have been if someone like Nick suddenly had sex with a man.

[Errol]

Pardon my idiousy, but what is the spoiler tag code? Yes, I know I run the board...but I never had the need to use that code.

[DRW50]

I just go type a [ bracket, then type the word spoiler, then a / and then type spoiler again, then a ] bracket.

[Sylph]

How about, instead of using those new spoiler tags, just use:

[lmfan]

From my perspective, it was pretty clear how Adam felt about having sex with Rafe. He looked sick. There was little ambiguity for me. As for Rafe possibly manipulating Adam, I guess it would be a better story but frankly makes little sense. If Rafe believes that Adam is setting up his aunt then why didn't Rafe just continue to look for evidence against Adam. It was pretty obvious that Adam was trying to distract Rafe from looking through Adam's room, so if Rafe is really trying to help his aunt he should have looked further through the room instead of sleeping with Adam.

But I don't think the writers were going for this. Again it was all about shock and then to have Adam have to take a shower and immediately call Heather to have sex with her to validate his sexuality is just tacky. Is this really the groundbreaking way they wanted to tell their first gay storyline? Have an up until now decent man (Rafe) who is homosexual be used by a manipulative psycho and then have said manipulator be so upset about his gay encounter that he needs to shower and immediatley sex up his gilfriend?

And if Rafe isn't the sweet guy he has been portrayed in the handful of scenes he has been in, then why is it up to the audience to fill in his motivation and the fact he may be using Adam? Watch the writers will read these boards and pick up on that fact and integrate it into Rafe's manipulation in 6 weeks just like they did Adam's retcon when he spoke to Hope's picture about his own motivation. We have seen so little of Rafe that who knows who this person is.

Chloe was the best thing about today's show. She is pitch perfect and frankly too good for Billy at this point. Hook her up with Philip IV and set up a triangle with her and Billy when the writers finally wake up and realize that Mac and Billy are a no go.

[Soapsuds]

I love EH. It must be the in thing to have the initials EH. Elizabeth Hubbard?? Cause EH women rock! I didnt care for her on AMC. What a difference a character and a different soap makes.

[lmfan]

I like Sharon Case, but did anyone find her scenes in the hospital chapel just painful today. Bad writing and the acting was not there. And the writers manipulate the Phick/Shick fanbases once again and those of us who don't care are stuck in this never ending quad while some of us never get to see our favorites get any screentime.

I was finally enjoying Phyllis when I though she was freeing herself from Nick and now this. And poor Jack getting pulled into this quad again. For what, to set up a babyswitch between Sharon and a hysterical pregnant Ashley. Either story is depressing. Sharon will lose a child after already losing Cassie and a previous daughter at birth or Ashley will lose another child after all her issues with lost babies.

[DRW50]

Don't forget about the much missed Eileen Herlie. Another great EH.

lmfan, you make a lot of good points about the Adam/Rafe story.

[DeeeDee]

Yep.

[alphanguy74]

Imfan... I think what your'e missing is that although Adam DID look "sick" as you say after doing the deed... the question is WHY did he look sick? Was it because he used Rafe to distract him, and felt guilty? Was it the sex itself because he's straight? Or was it because he had the sex, and LIKED IT, and is now having to deal with that? That's where all the ambiguity lies. Is it groudbreaking? YES, YES, and YES... because theyr'e not doing this Politically correct SL, a gay character is being USED, like so many straight women over the years. True equality is having a storyline such as this, where they are not afraid to make a gay caracter imperfect, for fear of media backlash. And it makes all KINDS of sense that Rafe would have sex with Adam, instead of continuing to look for evidence. He can have better opporotunity to look for evidence later, when Adam's guard is down.... or even get Adam to let something slip (when all of his blood is in his penis, and not in his brain) Or... Rafe may just have been HORNY. MAB said that this gay SL would be told in a different way than what has been done before. And this is what I see. I agree that Rafe needed more development, the scoobies needed FAR less screen time in the last month, and RAfe needed more. I guess that episode a week or so back (Where Yani Gellman was wearing teh tight jeans) was supposed to be our setup for this, Rafe saying things like "Whatever you need, I'm here for you..." and the caring and concern RAfe was showing Adam, getting him aspirins, telling him he was entitled to blow off steam, etc...

[Cashton]

So I finally caught up with the last few eps of Y&R. Still a bit numb after all the deaths last week and all the crazy details. For the first time in a long time, i was looking to Y&R to cheer me up and engross me, but it just didn't.

Rafe and Adam - just reminds me of my college days "You won't tell anyone, right?", and who wants to be reminded of that. It WAS believable though. And I think if Rafe had shown any sort of flirtation with Adam prior to not being Adam's lawyer, it would have been unprofessional and Adam HAD to make the first move. MM is doing a great job all around. Can't believe these are his first days. Yani is a bit green and I hate his hair and that suit he was wearing, but he definitely played the scenes with truth. Rafe just could not believe it - he sort of knows its too good to be true but my guess is (and it's only a guess, cause you know we haven't seen Rafe outside of the Newman Ranch and the courtroom) that Rafe has been really lonely in GC and Adam is a stud, so why not?

MJ poisoning Summer. Certainly not a feel-good moment. Again, through the eyes of this grieving soul, it was the last thing I wanted to see, although the execution of it was quite inventive - a poisoned kiss. MJ is certifiably insane and it wasn't premeditated, so I think she can still be salvaged, but that road is getting longer and longer. Glad the "big reveal" is this week so we can get some more layers on who MJ is and what she's been through. Her being in the dark in the beginning, "I don't look so good" comment, tells me she has a doozy of a sad story to tell.

Sharon's decision really hinged on SC selling it to us, and while she's been brilliant this year, she couldn't make the sale. I just don't see Sharon denying Nick his child, causing him even more pain. They SHOULD have kept up the craziness, the guilt about Brad, the internal turmoil she's in everyday, in order to make us believe that Sharon would make such an insane choice.

Chloe spills the beans. Well, Mac went from saint to sinner pretty fast. There just doesn't seem to be any real connection between Billy and Mac. when Chloe is the voice of reason, you know there's trouble. Glad they addressed why Chloe is back to running after Billy. With EH's performance, I buy her basically wanting Billy to get better - if not for her, then for Delia. and that him chasing after Mac is only going to further derail him from that.

[alphanguy74]

Thanks for pointing out a legitimate reason for that lack of flirtation on Rafe's part. And he thought Adam was straight, why would he even try? Muhney has done ADMIRABLY well, considering he's been thrown into the deep end of the pool like this. My only complaint is this: we got to see Muhney wet and wrapped in a towel (Quite HAWT, BTW) but we STILL have yet to get Yani Gellman out of his clothes??? DAMMIT. I do love these sly little beats that Yani plays in these scenes... like today, when he told Adam... "I can go, or I can stay"... on that "I can stay" line, he had this little mona lisa smile on his face as if to say, "I can stay, and we can go again" .