Y&R: Episodes Discussion, Week of Nov. 9th, 2009

[dm.]

The only reason: this is the writers way of saying that there's no freakin' chance Lily would be killed off. She's their STAR.

[DRW50]

You'd think that being in Darfur, where she must have seen many young children growing up without parents, would make Mackenzie less likely to go along with this plan.

[DeeeDee]

My problem is Mackenzie's life IS full.

Everything she said today felt like Maria pushing an agenda.

Mackenzie wanted to enjoy life a few months ago now her life is so empty she is willing to bear a child for two people who are acquaintances at best to feel fulfilled?

[sheilaforever]

Indeed.

Those ladies have been rocking the show since last Wednesday...

...and they propelled Bierdz to rather solid performances. Loving the Chancellors these days. Can't say the same about the Winters: Cane ugh! Where's OLIVIA!? It's just too painful to have Kristoff St. John to try singledhandledly save this cancer story.

EDIT: here comes Phyllis getting on my nerves again; more and more by the minute. She's worse than Cane!

[DeeeDee]

Yep.

Except given Maria Devon would be absent as Liv is now.

Indeed.

She's Y&R's Evangeline.

[Juliajms]

I wouldn't necessarily think that myself. I can see Darfur making Mac want to be part of the life cycle. If Lily weren't in immediate danger of dying, I would say it's not really anyone's right to judge her for wanting a biological child. I do think Mac should hesitate to jump in when this child could lose her mother within 5 years though. When Lily said she wanted her child with Cane to be in the world no matter what, I was just flabbergasted. Anyone who would say that is too young and dumb to be a mother, but Lane is written for an age group that doesn't take the possibility of their own death seriously, never mind how it affects young survivors.

[alphanguy74]

This is a very accurate assessment. I don't think his acting had anything to do with the lack of writing. Tricia's not been on for a whole month, nobody's gonna tell me that HER not being on is because of acting. It almost seems like Tricia was not available for a while, and the rested Thom until she could shoot again. But who knows. today they were ALL fabulous. Tricia was AMAZING today (The whole "You don't get to be scared" thing was the BEST... but I'm grasping at bits and pieces, when this type of thing should have been the meat and potatoes of this SL. . And I have to say this... Stafford and Haiduk together in scenes is electric. I'm still pissed that Thom is still lacking any real gay SL. I'd THINK Nelson would be carping about it. If it was CBS intereference, then I am sure that Maria would ahve leaked such info to Nelson and let HIM dig up and expose the dirt, thus keeping her hands clean in regards to the network. But alas... MUM is the word.

[dm.]

I can only wish she'd meet the same fate Evangeline did.

[DeeeDee]

He was literally wandering from actress to actress having awesome scenes.

He doesn't have to be a Lead but he could easily be a solid supporting character with some effort.

Yes!

It is SO insulting that Tonya & Bryton are absent.

Katherine telling Neil they are family isn't enough especially when Lily has a TON of family of her own not being used.

The pacing was SO bad today.

First she's hanging around at Newman all relaxed then at the asylum acting like somebody set her hair on fire?

It makes no sense.

[Juliajms]

IA. They were great. Overall, I thought today had some good moments. We are back to business stories, that's a very good thing, imo.

Jack "divorcing" Billy was a good scene. I like seeing some conflict there. It reminds me of the Jack/Ashley relationship. Jack reasserting his love for Nick was love. I wondered if he still felt that way. I wish we could see a little more from Nick in that regard.

Neil having scenes and coming off as the strong paternal figure is always good. Same with Murphy.

Jess Walton and Tricia Cast were really good. The Jill/Phillip scenes were again rocked by Jess and TB is holding his own, clearly elevated by Jess.

Lane and this idiotic baby story brought the episode down, but even that wouldn't completely suck if only the characters had a little more self awareness.

[DeeeDee]

Pretty much.

I can't even buy CK's Lily as wanting the baby as a connection to her Mother.

CK's Lily has never existed beyond the man in her life.

There was no depth to her little baby speech beyond her trying to fulfill what she thought Cane wanted even if it meant it she might die.

[DeeeDee]

Even then Maria could have used him with Jeanne, Jess & John.

All of whom he has chemistry with but they thrust him on the backburner as soon as Cane was back in Lily's good graces.

You aren't the only one.

[DeeeDee]

Yup.

And I liked Nicholas being smart enough to know not to trust Aunt Jack.

Nicholas being smart.

Go figure.

[Juliajms]

The sad thing is the wasted potential here. At first I thought Y&R was being original by having a young character have to deal with infertility. There is hardly ever a situation on soaps were a woman truly can't have children, especially not a young lead. So often they can't and then their "miracle" comes along. I can't remember a story where a woman has really mourned the loss of being able to have a biological child and then accept and overcome that loss.

Lily is really the perfect person for that kind of story because of Devon and Dru. She might mourn the loss of of a child with her mother's eyes (I'm loosely stealing from Deidre Hall's biography here), but realize she is carrying on a part of Dru by adopting a foster child and sharing the same experiences with that child that she shared with Dru. With a better actress that could be a nice family drama, but Y&R doesn't care enough about family to do that kind of story now. It's more important to give Lane a couple story and to create angst for them and Billy /Mac, which is too bad.

[alphanguy74]

I know, that's why it doesn't make sense to me. He does really well in scenes with Jess... and those two should have been really front and center this whole time, but they haven't been using Jess worth a damn either, have they? It's obvious that he needed soem time to get his groove back, people gave Clementine Ford all this time to settle in, but so many didn't give Thom that luxury... why? I think some of them simply didn't want to see a big ole faggot on "their" soap and used the first thing they could latch onto to hopefully get rid of him. But I will say this about him today... SOMEONE needs to comb his hair! Now, although I liked the "divorce" scene with Billy and Jack.... today Miller's ticks and eye rolls were really bothering me, when they ussually don't. He seemed to really be over the top in that scene.