Y&R: Episode Discussion for the week October 19

[Cashton]

I love Y&R now - and it's not boring. That's all I care about really. I remember Tuvia, and the long, drawn out Cassandra Rawlins saga. This stuff is interesting, vivd and makes me want to see each episode everyday. I could care less about the old shows I used to watch - B&B included. Y&R still continues to elicit pages and pages of interest. When Y&R has a mothly Episode discussion, then Y&R is truly dead.

- i love this new Doctor. I see some potential there.

- giving Ryder a big bad mama with ties to GC is good spice.

- Ashley/Sharon is pretty cool so far with Ashley in a whole new attitude.

There's not so good stuff too for sure!! But I can't remember a time when there WASN'T not so good stuff on Y&R. It's a soap! there's always improbable happenings. The same people hate the show and they have every right to, but I'll never understand why they don't put their energy into something that's fruitful. MAB ain't going nowhere and you can beat all the drums you want to.

I'm truly bummed about EB and now possibly MTS - will the show be the same? No. But as long as I watch it everyday, and it still entertains, I'm a fan of the show. When things get ATWT bad and people no longer even care what happens cause it's so ludicrous, that's the sign that the show is off the rails. People still care about Y&R good or bad, for a reason, cause it still interests us. The other shows are sort of an afterthought or a - oh what's going on there, not a must-see this event.

What also perplexes me is that if Y&R ever got good to the haters, would they be able to admit it? Would they say Wow - great show today? No - cause all the hate they've spouted for the past year, and calls for people's heads on a platter would be invalidated. There's roughly 20 regular posters on Y&R threads here and I hate to say it but we don't represent the entire viewing public. I understand why people HATE that I revealed that people from Y&R read this board cause now people think they have some democratic voice in the show - we don't. Make 100 more fire everybody threads and it won't make a difference to anyone, or create change.

[DRW50]

It's short term gains with bad long term consequences. Patty murdering an animal and nearly killing a child wasn't boring, and they had to bring in a doppleganger because they ruined her. Adam having a pervert "treat" Ashley after he threw her fetus in the fireplace wasn't boring, but the character was ruined. In other cases, like Phillip's return, there really wasn't even short term gain.

The question is not if the show is completely unentertaining, but what are they building to? Does anything on the show have any impact for future storylines?

I'm probably always going to have a hard time praising anything which Sheffer is involved with, because of the damage he's inflicted on the soaps I've watched. I think a lot of other people here don't have that issue and were genuinely enjoying the show for a while. There's a reason they have stopped liking it.

Ultimately, most of the older actors will be written out, and so will a lot of other legacy characters. What will be left? Will a show about Kevin, Amber, Sharon, Nick, Chloe, and Billy be watchable?

[Cashton]

They didn't show Adam throw a fetus into the fireplace and if they did - so what? Adam's a bad guy. He does bad things cause he hates his life and blames everyone else. Didn't disgust me or shock me. Was he ruined? Like when Victor fed rats to his prisoner? It's a soap and things can turn around on a dime or they can't. if anything ruined Adam it was Muhney in the role. The soap goes on.

These vendettas against the the writers are so arbitrary - do you know for a fact if Sheffer wrote that? Or does your gut tell you that? ony's treating the actors like crap not MAB and Rauch.

What's it all leading to? I don't know, armegeddon as some would think? But it still generates energy and interest and we all take for granted that Y&R is the #1 soap in ratings but it's kept its presence there for a reason - it's still good soap. You may not like where it's going and some things are sloppy and aggravating, but it still keeps u up at night posting about it.

[DRW50]

Adam's not supposed to be a bad guy. They had him cry over memories of Hope and they now pass off his taking Sharon's baby as a sign of how good he is, because he wanted to repent for what he did to Ashley. I don't really see how what Victor did makes the Adam story any better. Bill Bell knew how to get out of story corners. This group doesn't.

Even if we're not talking about Adam, what about other stories? Why did Devon have to sleep with Tyra? Why did they kill Colleen and give Victor her heart when they knew they were probably writing Victor out anyway? Why did Billy and Sharon sleep together? Why did they need to have the Amber/Deacon stuff where he made her have sex with him? Why did Jill go work at the nail salon? Why did they bring Phillip back? Why did they have Adam sleep with Rafe?

Since I've seen Sheffer do stories about woman-hating weirdos on various soaps, I assume he has a hand in a lot of this, along with Rauch. Pet killing and she says no but she means yes, like the Amber/Deacon story, are also his trademarks. He did the same stories on his other soaps.

Rauch treated actors poorly for years. I'm happy if he is now a changed man, but I find it hard to believe.

Y&R is #1 in the ratings because of what was built up in the past, not what we're seeing now. The very foundation of the show, which is basically being eaten away. If anything, MAB's tenure has driven away big portions of the audience that made the show #1.

If you're enjoying the show, then I'm glad, and I'm sure you're not the only one, but a lot of people have become disillusioned, even some of their biggest backers, like Branco. It's not just about haters.

[dm.]

This "give Adam a second chance" would work so much better if he hadn't committed all of those crimes. I know that I personally would enjoy the time when Adam would finally get out of jail and try to win over Victor's trust. Sadly, the entire family has fallen into pieces with crappy storytelling.

[Cheap21]

WTF! Stacy Haiduk was given a double role playing Patty's doctor?

[DRW50]

Yes. Brilliant, isn't it?

If they were going to do this Restless Style vendetta story with Billy, then why not bring back Leanna Love, who also hates the Newmans and has plenty of experience with publishing and the media?

I guess then it wouldn't be about what a big tough man Billy is.

[Sylph]

Brilliant brilliant or brilliant awful?

[alphanguy74]

I agree with everything you say. The show is just bittersweet for me right now, because there are alot of things that I'm liking... but I'm so incredibly let down from the apparent abortion of any major gay SL. I was so looking forward to it, and I just feel like I had the rug pulled out from under me. I guess the only thing I can do is move on, and get over it. I've had to do it before, and I guess I'll be doing it again. As long as Y&R still LOOKS relatively like Y&R (And they don't pull out any un-steady cams or GL production values) then I'll be there watching. I'm sad to see Eric go, and I have to say... if this were Jess, I'd a WHOLE LOT MORE upset. If it were Jeanne, I'd be LIVID. But time marches on, and I guess we have to let go. I'm just not one who likes to.

[Sylph]

You revealed? It was known eons ago!

And people hate "your" revelation? LMAO!

[DRW50]

A little of both, although I lean more towards the latter. I'm waiting to see whether they will turn this one into a headcase too.

They're probably not going to get rid of Jeanne, as that would be a PR disaster. I think Eric and Melody are the first scalps and either Jess will be written out, or just slowly fade away.

[Chris B]

What a rude thing to say. So if you dislike the show at any given moment, you're no longer a fan, but a hater? So the years of devotion and the generations of my family watching this show means nothing? Wow. Thanks. If we didn't care we wouldn't still be watching the show. I know that even though the show is bad now, it'll be watchable again which is why I keep watching. And yes, I can admit when something is good. Everybody has been raving about Beth Maitland's performances. I've enjoyed some things here and there, but that doesn't make a good show. It doesn't mean everything is okay just because it's better than the worst soap on TV.

Not only is the show incredibly mediocre, but it's making decisions this year that will damage the show in the long term. We've already lost Victoria Rowell. Eric Braeden and Melody Thomas Scott are most likely gone. Next year let's say Christian LeBlanc, Tracey Bregman and Kristoff St. John are gone. Jess Walton is dropped to recurring or simply continues to be minimized. Do you really think that won't affect the show? Ratings will continue to erode as they have since MAB began. She took us from 6 million (which was fairly consistant from Jack Smith/LML) to around 4.8 million, always treading downward. When next year Y&R is barely getting 4 million viewers, you don't think that'll lead to more budget cuts and more exits? So we basically have tons of newbies on top of newbies that will be the new faces of Y&R combined with mediocre writing. That won't work. If Y&R continues on this path it'll be in the gutter with the other soaps within two years. Then when it's too late they'll bring Victoria Rowell and Eric Braeden back. Try and get the fans back, but they'll be too burned to care.

So say what you will, but the trends are so negative that it's clear we ARE the majority, no matter what you say. Tell me where that 1.2 million viewers went and how that's a good thing, if you want to call us haters. Otherwise, focus on discussing the show and not insulting the fans.

[alphanguy74]

I don't know why you think this, Carl. If they wanted to get Jill out, they would enver have tried to recast her when Jess was in negotiations. There's been no inkling of a casting call for Nikki, so I think the handwriting's on the wall for Nikki. I LOVED the previews for tomorrow.. the !@#$%^&*] decides to walk into the christening with Nikki on his arm. He's such a jackass. It'll be sad to see Beth go, but I'm glad we got her for as long as we did. Alvin said that her last day was going to be Monday October 12 a couple weeks ago... I'm glad his source turned out to be wrong.

[Cat]

Cashton, alphanguy, I can absolutely relate to your love for the show mixed with the bittersweet.

I am fully aware that I am excited about the show this week (especially after the last three episodes) because we are entering into a new cycle of SLs and everything feels a bit more peppy and vibrant.

I also adore the Abbotts and yesterday's show was Abbotts Central, so I was thrilled. I was thrilled because it was about Abbotts AND business. The fact that Jill and Jack are about to be sparring at Jabot... damn, it has been YEARS since those two were mentioned in the same breath as the show's signature company. (I consider Jabot the signature corporation -- NE was always "the rival" to me). Coupled with Billy having scenes with Traci and Ashley about a business venture, and it was like somebody opened a window in a stuffy room. All three characters seemed strangely energized.

Actor of the day HAS to be Stacy Haiduk. You know, I am SO not into the idea of this doppelganger SL. Genoa City is becoming Mutant Genetics City with all these lookalikes running around. I half expect Stefano Dimera and his brain chips to move into the Newman Ranch and give Adam some mustache-twirling/DNA-mutating advice. But Stacy is bringing it. Bringing it as Patty AND as Dr. P. Even though her speaking voice is SO distinctive, I really felt like I was watching a scene with two different women and that is testament to Haiduk. I think she walked in there and decided exactly how she wanted Dr. P to come across and it worked. I am not sold on the story... but I am intrigued by this new character. It is also cool seeing SH playing sane and rational.

I am also kinda intrigued by Ryder and his mystery mom. The actor looked familiar to me and when I saw yesterday that he had been one of the leads on Generation Kill yesterday (a GREAT HBO show by the same people who did The Wire about the US marines invading Iraq in 2003), I've got to see that biased me in his favor. He is a newbie and probably won't be on all that long but I am confident that this guy has some acting chops.

I am bracing myself for

because that is going to change the face of Y&R, more than any of us can fully anticipate right now. I just wanted to point out what I felt was a solid episode filled with some interesting character interactions.

[DeeeDee]

Pretty much!