Y&R Episodes Discussion, Week of October 26, 2009

[Y&RWorldTurner]

Coming during November sweeps - Jack and Paul fight over Patty's lookalike, never mind she looks like Paul's sister and looks like the woman that raped Jack and was indirectly responsible for his niece's death!

[DeeeDee]

Unless Emily's a lesbian.

Then they will just rape her, shoot her in the heart & put her organs on ice just in case Victor needs a spare part.

[alphanguy74]

She wouldn't DARE.... would she?

[DeeeDee]

CLB needs to stop acting like he's gonna summon Zordon with that cast.

[alphanguy74]

Honey, since his jazz hands are temporarily out of order, he has to use them to infuse SOME sort of drama, you know!

[MarkH]

Well, I typed this while watching. I have a different interpretation of the cast, LOL (at bottom)

===

I loved Victor's challenge to Nikki: "You always focus on the past!" Nikki is appropriately scooped. I hope these two can take it more slowly. Honestly, I'd prefer them apart (as friends and supporters), with a very slow build toward their end game (in 2012). I am surprised, though, that Victor is up and around. I guess he is supposed to be a "strong man", eh?

Kay is being nice and stern...not allowing Nikki to get away with any of her "crap". Seeing Jeanne support Melody over tea...brings back a long history of their scenes together. I'm a little surprised that Nikki talks about "staring at the bottom of a bottle" in Mexico. She really only slipped once. "I don't care what decision you make, in or out. Just cut the crap and get on with your life already!" I did like Nikki's explanation. "Without him, I would not have this life." It's a tricky road for them to negotiate. How can she love him so (is it love, or is it gratitude?), and yet maintain her self-respect? It's tricky because -- as we saw today with Victor's taking a firm hand with Victoria -- Victor is NOT going to change.

I wish I bought Victoria as "ruthless", fighting against the press and never saying die. But she's so soft, imploring/begging her father to defend her own name--not taking control. I think I have a deeper problem with this whole SEC investigation thing. Okay, maybe Victoria soft-pedaled Victor's illness...but here he is, walking around and taking back his company. Victoria's "lie" became the truth. I can't believe SEC would investigate this trumped up Savaneur sh!t. Thus, this part of the story flounders on a flimsy premise.

We all know that Victor's "big changes" will relate to the device to get Braeden off canvas. But I still find that formulation intriguing. Victor is STILL so cold with Adam. Why?

I did like the carry-forward of the "dancing" metaphor from Kay-->Nikki to Nikki-->Victoria.

===

"This is all wrong, Billy. You want to bring down 'old Mumbles'? Watch and learn!" That's pretty good, actually.

I wish Billy Miller could maintain eye contact with his scene partners. Today, when he was railing about "epic fails", he was performing--rather than just relating to Peter Bergman. Miller is talented and charismatic, and he plays the rogue well--but he's trying too hard to play the humor and the bombast, rather than the truth of the moments.

I do love that Restless Style set, though. If the magazine ever goes away, I hope they find a way to repurpose it.

===

Sharon Case is unusually out of character with Adam today. She seems to be suppressing a laugh or smile the hole time Adam is confessing his gay manipulation. I found the dialogue about Rafe odd:

"The poor kid?"

"Not a kid, actually. He's my age. He just looks young".

If he's not a kid, why did they bring up that he looks like a kid? And, of course, the facts don't support this. Yani Gellman was born in 1985 (24 years), Michael Muhney was born in 1975 (34 years), and Sharon Case was born in 1971 (38 years).

I'm on record as saying I like Muhney and Case together. But how would they so quickly get to this place as "12-step sponsors"? Scott Hamner's previews suggest that Adam's confessions to Sharon are not sincere--they are manipulative, ultimately designed to mess with Nick. But I'm not reading that AT ALL in these scenes.

On another note, some of Sharon's most self-destructive behaviors this year were with Billy. (Drunken romps and unprotected sex). Why, then, would she consider drinking champagne with him OR working with him again? And, barring that, why would Billy consider it? How will Chloe or Mac react to this?

===

Do you think they're building Haiduk/Davidson chemistry? I don't think so. I think not--I think Haiduk is friend/confidante (Dr. Emily), but I'm sure her eventual romantic target will be Jack.

Haiduk does very nicely with Bergman...simply because she takes none of his stuff. She's cold, polite, direct. Bergman plays nicely against that. "I'm trying to own it, grow from it, to steal a few words from your profession. Ease up on the judgement, okay?"

===

Are they setting up a Michael-Adam rivalry? Michael is the only SMART person in town who has Victor's back. A Michael-Adam rivalry could be tons of fun, especially if Adam goes after Lauren in some sense (even if it is just to damage Fenmore's).

But did you see notorious cut-ups Muhney and Leblanc mess with each other? Muhney asked "is that a threat?" And Leblanc waved his wrist cast back and forth in front of Muhney and said "With one hand". The line was a non-sequitur from Muhney's cue, and when Leblanc said it, they both started laughing--especially Muhney. Maybe that's a little unprofessional, but it defines "chemistry". I'd much prefer a Michael-Adam rivalry, with Michael thrust into the corporate scene.

===

All in all another decent episode--I think that makes 3-in-a-row!

[DeeeDee]

[Y&RWorldTurner]

Oh dear god in heaven, we agree on something. I must have missed this, but Katherine wouldn't say that. She'd probably roll her eyes, utter her "dear god in heaven" talk and get to the bottom of the "crap" without saying "crap."

I guess they want us to believe Kay's all hip and cool these days and Amber is one of the reasons why. Speaking of Amber though, the only time she;s ever tolerable is when she's mixed up with Katherine.

Homosexuality has been a joke on this show, I don't even know why they bothered if they were going to be treating it this crassly. I don't necessarily mind having characters on the show openly opposing homosexuality for some bigoted reason, but this Y&R writing regime isn't that cleaver and they'd never do it properly.

Michael Muhney ...ugh. It's either time for prison for the Adam character, or a more younger looking actor that can add some sincerity in this one-note and crappy material. Muhney isn't selling this crap AT ALL.

[DeeeDee]

Billy Miller is just as bad.

His grinning & teeth chattering are horrible.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

Agreed on both accounts.

They've already recycled that set like a million times before. But yeah, Restless Sh!t needs to go, like yeasterday...

Does Adam have one solid relationship on this show? You know, one that isn't based on his manipulation? This character needs prison time and a recast.

the LAST thing he needs is another "rival" or "enemy." The list is too damn long already.

Disagreed, I thought today's episode was a disjointed mess with very a flimsy structure. I'm not finding any of these current characterizations or stories intriguing. The writing regime still seem like they're making up everything as they go along.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

Yep.

This Restless Sh!t expose crap on Victor is a joke. Why is this writing regime repeating crap they themselves told a only a year ago? Remember when Jack did that expose on Sabrina last year that mostly impacted only Victor? Why did they need to go there again?

They try so hard to pimp Billy Miller and Billy, it's too forced and something isn't working with this character. Miller is apart of that, though they will never admit it.

Does anything feel organic or well planned on this show anymore? I feel like they've just throwing things out there to see what sticks.

[DeeeDee]

And tomorrow is another of TPTB's propped favorites...Deacon The Tangerine Goblin.

[MarkH]

I don't think D will be around long. His story feels like it is winding up. It was very satisfying to see JT take a swing at him in the previews.

[YRBB]

Thank God I never saw ANY of that painful stuff--really, I don't think I could take it!

[lovely_m]

When Jack tells Billy not to do the expose, Billy mentions the one Jack did about Sabrina. It's nice to know that the writers are at least aware that they are repeating.

Posts like these make me feel like I'm in a minority opinion board. SON=Billy Abbott is a jerk and ruined. Other Places and critics=Billy Abbott is the best character on the show.

When Billy Miller first came on I liked his character, then the writers started to exaggerate his bad boy tendancies and he became over exposed. Even then I still like the character just not as much. The only thing that really pisses me off with Billy is that people are saying he's the new Jack. While I don't mind them setting up Billy as Jack's successor, it feels like they are already replacing Jack and Bergman too soon.

Other Thoughts:

I like that Sharon is going to work. Hopefully it'll give her some independance and something to do other than Nick.

Restless Style looks like the family newsletter your aunt give out to announce little Jimmy is potty trained and the family reunion is now on the 3rd. The only recognizable person outside of Genoa was Katy Perry.

Didn't Micheal help Brad and Jack try to take over Newman Enterprises? If so, then it feels hypocritical that he would tell Adam not to even think about doing the same.

Pray to God that Billy never finds out he and Ashley aren't blood related.

From the previews: It's nice to see Deacon get punched.