Y&R Discussion: Week of 11/30

[lmfan]

I agree. Michael is a gray character and always has been. He has turned his life around, but he can't seem to let go off that shady side and the truth is his clients use that and it makes him a lawyer people will hire to get them out of big messes. I really didn't see what Michael did that was all that out of character although he is doing it for a reason which is to protect someone he cares about who is innocent. I also can't see why he would be hated for doing it because although it is a shady thing to do, it is for a good cause. Now with Adam I can see the hate, but not with Michael now. He isn't being that bad. He is walking that edge which he is prone to do. I hate him always doing it for his family and friends, who never seem to learn from their mistakes, but it is in his character to be that way.

[classicmoment]

I agree, before his evil was a bit self serving now in an attempt to have some sort of twisted amoral, anti- heroic ideal they justify his evil with serving the dysfucntional people around him. That's is not using the character at his best, I just don't think this part of the story beat is out of character. But in the bigger picture I see your point

[Y&RWorldTurner]

Michael is inconsequential to the overall story, so is Heather, so in the bigger picture it probably matter very little. It's just a pet peeve and a nasty trend that been going on with the Michael character too much over over the past couple of years.

[lmfan]

Yes, the manipulation of the law gets a bit old, but does it even rise to the standard of evil? Adam is evil. Victor can do evil things, but Michael manipulating the law out of a misguided sense of loyalty is not evil. I do agree they are not using the character to his fullest though. They desperately need to get him out of the orbit of his mother and Jeffrey more than anything. I like the contrast of Michael being a decent man for the most part but fighting that dark side but as long as Gloria is in the picture, he will be constantly used as a prop to her and her schemes. He also has been stuck in protector mode for Kevin and that is getting old. Kevin is a grown man with his own family and business. He needs to grow up and Michael needs to stop saving him all the time.

[classicmoment]

Well I notice with most of the discussions on here when we speak, we speak in terms of characters (the way we see and interpret or try to interpret Y&R as we know it), when these writers tell a story it is not from a character logic perspective so yeah lol when we try to make sense of each characters these days it is almost as if for no reason lol

[Y&RWorldTurner]

That makes it alright? His job is to craft the best defense for his clients, and that's what he should be concentrating on doing, not some cheap scheme to always get them off. I wouldn't have a problem if he did this very little, but he's always doing something like this. He's no better than the people he's trying to get off most of the time.

But again, this makes his actions alright? Michael is a lawyer, he's getting paid to do things the ethical way. He's not a private investigator or some hitman.

[JimTolkien]

Spot on post!!!! Michael is a very compelling character and frankly I love seeing him in this mode more than the family side. The family side is wonderful too and I love Michael & Lauren but this is where CLB talents should be focused on, the lawyer who can be both scheming and on the up and up too when the occasion rarely shows itself :lol. I want the writing for Michael to be more focused on the lawyer side of thing say 70% and 30% all the other stuff. My husband is a lawyer and finds Michael amusing LOL!!

[lmfan]

It doesn't make his actions alright, but he really isn't any different than most of the other characters. How is Jack and his continual scheming much different. Sure he isn't a lawyer, but Michael isn't out to make a big profit either. He is doing it to protect others. Look, I said it is getting old and I am also sick of Michael being nothing more than a prop to his family and select friends. I just don't see Michael as being some evil character.

Half the time, MAB and LML have Michael doing these things to move their story. Just like Michael blackmailing Heather to find out about Deacon's and Ryder's testimony. Is it unethical? Yes, but they needed an easy way to get this information out and they use Michael to further the plot. Do you think these writers are capable or even interested in writing Michael as an ethical lawyer who finds some oh so clever way to bail out his clients? I don't think they are and we are left with this. Plus I think they purposelly do this to show that even though Michael has made himself a better life he is still tempted by his darker side and can play fast and loose with the law. I think they also need to show the other side of Michael by defending more deserving clients, but he is just a prop to MAB.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

The problem is, criminal activity and court cases are treated like a joke on Y&R. So, attorneys like Michael don't have much room for a big part of any of it that happens. All we see is Michael blackmailing or tampering with evidence, but the actual court case itself is almost never explored.

Also, again, it's done repeatedly with this character, and it gets old after a while. Michael didn't always have to resort to such tactics to win court cases.

It also doesn't help the that person on the other side that's supposed to be more ethical, Heather, is written as such a misguided idiot that always screws herself over and can never win anything.

But again, Michael and Heather are pretty much secondary and useless on this current incarnation of Y&R anyway, so it probably doesn't matter.

[Juliajms]

It's painful. I don't know how I watched before DVR's.

Sharon is the new Nikki and I hate it. Nikki always had to wait around for Victor and never had another real love besides him (well maybe that doctor, but he was just a speed bump until Victor was back in the picture). Meanwhile Victor has had several true loves and children by many women. Now we have Nick who will probably be spreading his seed for the next 50 years, while Sharon goes from one disaster to another only loving Nick and only having children by him (and yes, I remember Cassie, but she was the expendable one, of course). It's beyond annoying!

[lmfan]

I would go with 60% and 40% with than 40% being mainly with Lauren and Fen. LOL. Michael also needs to be in the mix with the top characters and not constantly bailing out the Scoobies. Having Kevin hired to work with Katherine and Neil is a joke. He is not on that level of top management, but Michael is. He needs to be interacting more with the likes of Katherine, Jack, and of course Victor and spend less time cleaning up after the Scoobies. Then he needs to face some family drama with Lauren at the end of the day. Lauren at the same time should be in the business mix also, but I doubt that will happen, but she is a CEO of a chain of department stores and is written as stay at home mom.

[JimTolkien]

Exactly, just maybe if we throw out logic when talking about soaps some of this craptastic stuff won't seem all that bad LOL!!! I can't even stand Sharon and there I was shouting at the screen, Sharon, don't sleep with Adam,don't do it!! I was even laughing hysterically at Phyllis, my favorite telling Amber she is impulsive, blah, blah..and all I could say was but but Phyllis, that is you!!

I think I have come to the realization that perhaps this is all we can get out of MAB and her crew so my expectations are low and I have also adjusted to the fact that some parts of this soap is different now and does needs to be different. I am very intrigued by Tucker McCall and what his role is going to be so I am looking forward to that. But I have to say from what I have been seeing the past few weeks they appear to be setting up for a "few tremors", I just don't know how much of that will play out for the remainder of the year. But contrary to most, I sort of like the premise of the Daniel murder trial because it looks like this could be a bigger story than we think and not really about any artwork and will tie into some other stuff. I mean when you look at it, we have parts of the Baldwin, Newman, Fisher, Romalotti, Williams family being pulled into this and they themselves have other things going on too that could probably connect here. So I am going to just say this week was not so bad and hope next week will be better than last week.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

There need to be another attorney on this show to represent the other side, and one that can actually win something. Heather is definitely not that character. Not only is not convincing, but most of the time they write her incompetence as the main reason why she's losing every case. Where is the balance in that?

Thee needs to be shrewd attorney on this show, preferably a woman (oh wait, this writing team can't write for strong women, but ideally) that fights nasty in courtroom, but does it within very legal and ethical parameters.

Michael has no competition on this show as an attorney, and it makes his unethical and criminal practices as an attorney even more jarring.

But again, this is just speaking of an ideal situation, MAB and company obviously have little interest in the character they fail massively at character writing.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

It's sad when we have to constantly lower our expectations to "get" this show. It's more reason why those currently writing this show aren't qualified for the job and should be replaced immediately. No one seems to care about bettering the dire situation at this show though.

[Toups]

I agree. Those scenes with Michael/Heather was the most interesting Michael has been in a long time. I like seeing the darker side of Michael which CLB plays very well.