Jump to content

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


Recommended Posts

  • Replies 375
  • Created
  • Last Reply
  • Members

Yep--all individuality has been erased.

I think the current characterizations play on the way some fans conceive those characters--a lot of people always saw Sharon as a slut, regardless of any other character traits shown before, so her being constantly portrayed as a slut actually confirms their feelings on the character. Same with Ashley--she was a good businesswoman, loyal, a bit of a cold bitch at times, but also very much interested in her family... oh, and she was also very much into Victor, and... delicate at times. So many people who only saw her as the poor crazy victim really see no difference at all. Of course, the really fucked up thing is that the writers themselves see these characters--and all the rest--in the same, dare I say, prejudiced way: Ashley: Crazy victim, Sharon: Unstable slut, etc. And that's how they portray them.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

I have to admit Mark that I felt the same way you did. I know the rivalry is supposed to be between Adam and Nick, but I think one between the two Harvard men (Adam and Michael would be better). Everyone has been written some dumb around Adam, that I like Michael having his number.

As for Victor's trust in Michael it developed slowly but the big change occurred when Michael was willing to sacrifice himself for Victor when the bribery charges came down because Victor had a family that needed him. That Christmas we saw Michael watching the Newmans celebrate Christmas while he was alone and outside and then the next year Michael was invited in to share. Then when Lauren supposedly died, Victor and Nikki were the first to come to Michael to bring a food basket and console him. Victor was even there when Michael was worried about Fen and Lauren surviving after Fen's birth.

In return, Michael kept Victor afloat when Sabrina was dying and he and Lauren were two of the few people who were genuinely nice to Sabrina. Michael has bailed him out of some pretty sticky messes. Hence the trust was earned but you know Victor, he can turn on you on a dime. But Victor knows that Michael is smart and let's be honest Nick is no rocket scientist, Adam can't be trusted and Victoria isn't HT's Victoria so he has turned to Michael for that trust.

Plus seeing Lauren in between an Amber/Phyllis fight and being snarky to Kevin (What is your favorite coffee? Tea) is all kinds of good. I actually like Amber when she is working with Bregman and Cooper.

I will take what I can get, but I like the turn towards business and the fact I am seeing Michael involved with something other than propping his family, and I am just happy to see Lauren.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

Nikki's interesting and famous quotation from yesterday's epi I believe "The definition of crazy is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results" I think with that there these writers have told us they believe these characters are crazy so it will be painful to watch for anyone who thinks differently. Someone has a warped idea of these soap characters and how to write them

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

We are totally on the same wavelength here, lmfan.

Lauren also was talking about her BUSINESS with Amber...which is another nice step forward.

Nick is no challenge for Adam. Not by a mile. But Michael.... Poor Adam won't know what hit him. Because, if he has to, Michael just has to look back into himself, and he can figure out the mind of a devious man. I think fighting Adam could drag Michael back into the gutter a bit...possible in ways more "changing" than the Fishers ever could. Indeed, I could see Michael becoming quite ruthless, and that starting to cause a rift between Lauren and Michael.

I really felt like we were seeing some build toward this lately, and I hope it continues.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

I'm not sure what you're referring to. Here is the dialogue:

Now, I actually thought the intent of that dialogue was the "looking like" (multiple lines in several episodes have emphasized Faith's resemblance to Nicholas which -- I imagine -- over time will help people buy a clue).

But, then, they decided to play that for laughs...because "looking like Nicholas" would make some people think "poor girl--she must resemble a Neanderthal man". So, they added in the "still come out looking feminine and beautiful" to reassure us that Faith was not ugly. I don't think this was about asserting the testosterone of the Newman men in any particular way.

Later in the conversation:

I thought that this was a fairly clear exposition that being with Newmans is a mixed bag -- good and bad. The problem is not masculinity, but the "dark" side. Had JT been in the room, he could have been saying the same words about Victoria.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

O h I get that it was subtext for the baby is Nick's but then again "Newmans" Victor is a Newman too. So Phyllis didn't say the baby look like Nick she said wow she looks like a Newman, I know the intent is for the viewer to use Phyllis' adoration and inclination to Nick (specially in physical form) to somehow connect it to her recognizability. But part of the subtext of that same dialogue, imo, seem to be hinting at the supposed strong patriarchial, machismo characteristics that are suppose to affiliate themselves with being a Newman man...

The point is not to sell Masculinity as a problem, but with OVERTONES of misogony the lead male characters on the show are falling under that same problematic territory. These characterstic, written well, can make for good drama but Y&R need a more diverse representation there within these individual characters. TPTB should Stop trying to write each character (males and females alike) to one beat. Victor Newman is dark, yes he is and BB and others have managed to unfold complicated layers out the character, but Nicholas and Victoria Newman not so much

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

I thought the point of that scene was to say, in a roundabout way, that this is still a Newman child but not Ashley's child, and they were sort of having a laugh with Phyllis because she's going on about how her husband's love child looks like a Newman.

The dialogue was a bit odd, and made even more odd because Ashley and Phyllis rarely have scenes. It was one of those moments which just seemed somewhat forced onto the characters.

That caricature of Victor does not look bad at all. At heart I think Billy still likes Victor.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

You just want Billy to be Victor's son, LOL. Which I wouldn't mind either, since the ground was laid a long time ago.

I did find the Phyllis-Ashley scenes odd, but I guess they were bonding over their "Newman" men...and it gave them a chance to discuss this "resemblance" issue. I did wonder if Phyllis and Ashley would now be turned into friends. That works, actually...because eventually, if Phyll discovers the truth before Ashley, she might be torn about whether to reveal it (at the possible cost of her husband).

As for the Victor caricature, can you see that he is twirling his moustache? I thought that was a nice touch.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

I think the last few episodes have seen a definite change in direction based on viewers complaints. There is more character interaction and business storylines but there is still so much wrong. The cast is overbloated and filled with a whole whack of actors the audience and the writers care nothing for. My main problem is that the writers obviously have no long term vision for the characters and the show, so everyone is shallow and the whole show is hollow.

Why was Mac brought back? She has added absolutely nothing to the show. I think it would have been better story wise to develop Chloe and Billy's relationship and marriage. They should have addressed the Sharon affair and try to move past it successfully or not. Then once they were established bring back Mac and add Chance. That would have gone a long way to developing a working triangle or quad rather than having four undeveloped core characters being used as nothing but filler.

Why is Jack to blame for everything? Is Peter Bergman next on the contract hit list? It’s his fault and not Victor's that Patty is in the state she's in? He might have treated her like a toy, but Mary Jane never came across as vulnerable. Billy is the good brother who goes to help Ashley while Jack is too self-involved. Something stinks here.

And why didn't they write that Ashley's miracle pregnancy was a hysterical one to begin with.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

I didn't see that at first. It's a very clever caricature. They're really a lost artform don't you think. I guess they're doing an unintentional homage to the old Y&R opening.

I do think this version of Billy would fit in quite well as Victor's son. I think he's more like the Newmans than most of the Newman children are at the moment. For all the show's effort to make him the young Jack, he reminds me more of Victor, only without the control freak tendencies (he doesn't care enough to want to control). I also think he fits the outcast role better than Adam, since Adam is now a total psycho, more than just an outcast.

I also want to see how they can pull off barely having Jill in another story that she should have a central role in. It takes a lot of effort.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

I totally agree about Mac. She was brought in for a big Friday cliffhanger, coincident with the undoing of the Jill-Kay debacle...but there seemed to be no plan. So, too, your comment about Ashley's pregnancy is a good one. I don't know if they changed direction, or if they had to do it that way because they wanted to villainize Adam.

It could even be that it was ALWAYS hysterical, and that the blood that (a blind) Adam mopped up (in the dark) was really related to her fall...not a real pregnancy. They could even script it that way, if they wanted to absolve him of leading to her miscarriage.

As for Jack, here I disagree with you. He has long straddled this line of good and evil. While that was always there, it dissipated a lot under Peter Bergman...so that Jack started to earn the label "Aunt Jack" in some quarters. He was so sappy for Nikki and Luan. But he also stepped over Victor's lifeless body. But compared to Terry Lester, he was much less of a b*stard.

Under LML, we saw a ramped up evil in Jack, most notably when Jack took advantage of brain-damaged Victor's "friendship" to buy NVP and to get a favorable loan. Then, under MAB, Jack is the (still-unpunished) mastermind behind the whole diary debacle that has ultimately ruined Adam's life.

As for Patty, Jack IS responsible...ultimately. It was Jack who took that young girl and played with her emotions (so he could get the Presidency of Jabot). It was Jack who regularly used women as sex toys, and he drove both Lindsey Wells and Patty out of their minds by doing so.

Now, he doesn't bear responsibility for what has happened to Patty since then, or for Victor's using her.

But Jack also was very comfortable having a casual sex relationship with Mary Jane--he even called her "Sugar"! Which goes to show that the woman-using Jack is still in there...not so far from the surface. Now, I realize that Jack construed it as an adult, consensual, no-strings relationship with Mary Jane. But isn't that the same mistake he made Patty over two decades ago? Wasn't Jack insensitive to some of Mary Jane's signs of fragility? Or--when he noticed them--didn't he go ahead and screw her anyway?

My feeling is that Jack deserves a share of the blame. It is true that, lately, he was not as malevolent as Victor. But he deserves a heaping helping of "guilt pie" where Patty is concerned.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

I think Mac is there because they want us to see that Billy can't go back to the past, he can't be a saint. He has to be the a$$hole Billy that they think viewers love. Chloe is supposed to be his soulmate, the one who knows the "real" him. Not Mackenzie. Mackenzie is a frump who drags him down.

The problem with this is that the Chloe/Billy relationship was never developed enough to make this triangle work. I don't believe that Chloe knows the real Billy any more than Mackenzie does. I don't believe that Billy cares a bit about Chloe. I think giving them a baby was a dumb idea, and the child seems completely irrelevant to the storyline now. I actually forget they have a child half the time.

It was all very lazy writing which was built on underpinnings which were never very well put together in the first place.

They keep putting blame on him more to make others look better than to actually make any point or character growth for Jack. They do this to Jack to give excuses for Victor, and also to make Billy look like the better brother.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.



  • Recent Posts

    • Kobe/Long had their own template and pretty much gutted the cast. As soon as contracts were up established characters were dropped. They needed to free the budget for the new characters. Going back to Ann,I wonder why the Dobsons renewed her contract around 78? After her initial story she became supporting and they didn't seem to want to pursue a romance with Mike. Maybe the feedback was that viewers blamed her indirectly for Leslie's death. If Mike hadn't taken on her case etc. Did she decide not to disrupt her son's life? Seems odd after everything she didn't claim him back. 1976 continues... Joe Werner is just not bouncing back after his recovery as he should, and Sarah, concerned about his sometimes morbid-seeming depression, consults Justin Marler. They agree that Joe is becoming a “cardiac cripple,” and know this kind of overcompensation for illness and overprecaution can not only be a permanently depressed condition but can actually cause a setback for him physically.  Marler releases Joe into Sarah’s care, but it’s soon apparent that just being out of the hospital hasn’t done anything to boost Joe’s spirits about his return to a normal existence. Marler finally lays it out to Joe—the choice has to be his. He can choose to lead a normal, productive life as a doctor and as a husband to the best wife he could have, or he can choose to become an invalid and live on the outside looking in for the rest of his days, sentencing Sarah to the same fate. Realizing the selfishness of what he’s doing to —Sarah as well as the narrowness of the confinement he’s set for himself, Joe begins to see his preoccupation with his illness as the self-pity it really is and decides he’s ready to return to the hospital for a one hour shift each day. Sarah is overjoyed by his turnabout, but full happiness is hers on the day she overhears Joe telling a fearful patient that the world is beautiful and worth any. effort to get back into it. Steve and Adam are thrilled to learn that Cedars has been the recipient of the Levy Grant for expansion of hospital property. But they have learned, as they report to Ed, that the land they were hoping to build the new research facility on, the land immediately adjacent to the hospital, has been purchased by Dr. Justin Marler. Both Adam and Steve feel that Justin is expanding a power base at Cedars and the land purchase is just one more block in Justin’s power play. When Ed asks Marler why he purchased this particular parcel of land, Marler explains that he bought it with the express intention of someday building his own offices and facilities convenient to the major facilities of Cedars. When the subject of the hospital’s needing the land arises, Marler meets with Adam, and they agree that he should realize a fair profit from his property and that an unbiased assessor should be engaged to evaluate the market value of the land so they can agree on a selling price. When Sarah comments on the fact that Marler is to realize a profit on the land, he bitterly replies that no matter what he’s done since coming to Cedars to prove that he has changed. since she last knew him, she refuses to see him as anything but what he was all those years ago. Sarah insists this isn’t true. But Marler then calls Adam for a meeting and informs him that the land is not for sale at any price. As Adam begins to grow alarmed, Marler continues that the site for the new building will be his personal donation to the hospital. As Adam expresses profuse thanks and appreciation, Marler wryly notes that the tax deductions he’ll realize on this contribution to a charitable institution will benefit himself almost as much as Cedars. When Steve Jackson learns that Marler is to be elected head of the research wing that will be built on his property, he expresses the conviction that this was the exact intention of the gift. Adam, however, assures Steve that the donation wasn’t a factor in the hospital  board’s decision, they were concerned only with Dr. Marler’s reputation as a doctor. | After lengthy consultations and meetings. with the hospital  staff, Ed assured by the head nurse that her nurses performed commendably despite the added pressure of the train wreck, presents his findings to the hospital review board. Steve arrives at two possible explanations for the facts. Either Grainger, more active than usual due to the previously delayed medication, reached for the writing pad and inadvertently disconnected the breathing tubes, or he was in a state of extreme upset because of the delayed medication and.in the excitement a surge of adrenalin within his system caused his brain aneurism to start hemorrhaging. " Upon learning that the review board has ruled out negligence in Grainger’s death, Ed tells Rita, who takes her first free breath in a long time. But Ed hasn’t thought to tell Rita that he’s been in touch with Grainger’s attorney, Mr. Schafer, who, knowing that a woman was at the base of Grainger’s investigation, is coming to Springfield to try to find out who the woman - was who walked out on Grainger when he collapsed —in the restaurant. Peggy, learning that Rita’s “forgetting” to deliver Holly’s message was instrumental in their divorce ‘being finalized, tells Ed that Holly wanted to reach him to stop the divorce. Immediately after, Peggy is torn by doubts, wondering if she did the right thing.She confides in Barbara, who then discusses the situation with Ed. He tells her he and Holly have discovered a new closeness now that they are building their separate lives. Barbara quickly contradicts him: Holly is not building a new life. Barbara gently cautions Ed, saying, “People change, feelings change, and what seems right now may not be right a year from now. No decision is irrevocable.” Ed agrees with this. Now that Ben has declared his love for her, Hope finds herself apprehensive, fearing that she might be making a mistake, as she did a few years ago, when she was sure she was in love with her college professor. Explaining that she doesn’t want to make another mistake, she asks Ben to be patient, and he agrees. When Mike expresses his disapproval of Ben’s overstated independence, his need to be beholden to no one, Hope quickly jumps to Ben’s defense, and Mike apologizes. But Ben, surprisingly, accepts Mike’s assessment as constructive criticism. Later Hope, examining her feelings and desires, tells Ben she does love him and wants to belong to him. Later that evening, after they’ve made love, Ben asks Hope to marry him.And, delighted, she replies that she will. At Hope’s instigation, Bert has a family dinner to which Ben is invited, and Hope announces their intention to marry over glasses of wine. Mike politely offers best wishes while Bert thrills the couple with her offer to' make a Christmas wedding for them. Bert later tells Mike he must accept this engagement with good spirits for Hope, and later, seeing the joy she’s feeling, he gives his daughter his approval. But Ben finds another problem on his very own doorstep: his brother Jerry, who announces he’s left home after several bad fights with their parents. He refuses to tell Ben what they were fighting about. As Ben is showering, Jerry borrows his car and goes out for an hour. The phone rings, but Ben can’t hear it. Shortly after, two uniformed officers visit Mike at home to tell him that his late wife’s car has been involved in a delicatessen robbery earlier in the evening. Since Ben bought Leslie’s car, Mike accompanies the officers to Ben’s apartment. Ben curtly informs the police that he had nothing to do with the robbery and makes it clear that he feels they wouldn’t be there if he didn’t have a record and that his exoneration doesn’t prevent his being hassled like any ex-con,as they tell him he has to go to the police station for questioning. Hope tells Ben she called him earlier, and when he replies that he must have been in the shower, she accepts his word unhesitatingly.Jerry finally returns to Ben’s place and under questioning from Ben admits that he robbed the store,explaining that he has debts. Ben is now in a quandary,as he feels he must protect his brother but doesn’t want to be unfair to Hope. He tries to ease the situation by withdrawing $185 from the joint checking account he opened with Hope and repaying the delicatessen owner. He then sends Jerry out of town to stay with a friend. His relief at having solved the problem is short-lived, however, when Mike informs him that, despite the reparations, the robbery was a felony and the police will continue to investigate. Hope is badly upset to learn while making a deposit that Ben withdrew’a sum which Mike tells her is equal to the amount stolen. This shakes her belief that he _was really home when she called, and she goes to him, asking for an answer to put her mind at rest. Ben can’t betray Jerry and asks Hope to trust him, promising she will have the whole story eventually. But Hope can’t accept this; she needs complete honesty and openness in her relationship and without it cannot goon. She painfully tells her father that the wedding is off despite her love for Ben, and tells Bert to stop preparations. Mike goes to Ben, reminding him that half the money in the account is Hope’s and she has the right to an answer. But Ben won’t say any more and refuses Mike’s offer to represent him legally, again stating that he doesn’t need a lawyer, because he’s done nothing wrong.     
    • And not since. I recall it was quite small for a house that size. And I don't know why you would walk down a narrow corridor to get to the main living area. I hate when the sets on soaps don't have a logical layout! As for Andre his clothing is fashion forward and suitable for his character.He ain't gonna wear no blazer!
    • The last I remember seeing Ben, he was divorcing Amanda. He came to tell Evie that he still loved her, but was leaving town so that Amanda wouldn't blame Evie for his divorcing her. I'm not exactly sure when, but Evie doesn't leave town until sometime after Nola and Quint's engagement ball. I'm not sure if she leaves before or after Justin leaves in Sept(?) of '83. I grew to like Helena when she became friends with Vanessa, once she's edging her way out of Quint's life.
    • Please register in order to view this content

    • Please register in order to view this content

       
    • It sure was!  With respect, how does that make sense?  These men are young, I don't see that. 
    • I hope this played better than it sounds, because I'm imagining two separate scenes (the attack by Arnie, and later Charles getting shot). In my mind, it should have been a fluid single sequence. I wonder if or how often "bastard" was uttered in this scene. Fare thee well, Christopher Reeve. I've said it before, but pop culture's gain was daytime's definite loss. Imagine seeing HIM day after day, year after year, decade after decade, conceivably until they stopped producing soaps in NYC.   Well, that answers my "bastard" question. Good lord, the roads of Rosehill are packed with high-strung drivers and/or pedestrians. More sequences that I hope played better than they sound.

      Please register in order to view this content

    • I think Ben had already left while under Marland and only returned briefly to reconcile with Eve. The whole thing confuses me as I thought for a long time that Eve left the show to go be with him and that was when they reconciled, but it seems like he returned, they got back together, then he left and maybe they were still together until she left to join him? I have no idea.  It does seem like the interim writers were using some characters like Justin and Helena who were quickly dumped under Kobe/Long, which is a shame. Helena is one of those characters who likely always had a shelf life but Rose Alaio was such a vibrant screen presence, if Kobe/Long had just been patient, she likely would have fit in well in the Reva era.
    • Also, the lawsuit story was not the right story to bring Naomi and Bill into a court battle since those types of lawsuits are usually resolved via settlements.
    • I know that Sara did eventually become Carrie's therapist, but I was curious if the show had her make comments regarding Carrie's stunts of making it seem as though Justin was cheating on Jackie.  Given that Justin cheated on Sara with both Jackie and Brandy, I wondered if it was wise of her to counsel Carrie given the conflict of interest involved. @DRW50I think once Adam/Sara end up married.. Marland didn't see any reason to explore Sara's personal life after the actor playing Adam was released.  I know that Sara lasts until at least Christmas 1982 on the show.. but I don't think she ended up staying on for very long into 1983. The period between Marland quitting and Pam Long starting was the perfect time to clean house on characters that had outgrown their usefulness  (i.e. Ben, Evie, Sara, Jennifer, Morgan).. and tying up stories started by Marland that were too complex (Mona Enright, Mark/Jennifer/Amanda triangle).
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy