Y&R: Episode discussion, week of January 11, 2010

[MarkH]

Posting a day early, in honor of a pretty good last Friday!

[Sylph]

Very YRBB/dmarex of you, Mark!

[YRBB]

LMAO

And poor Victor, unable to get it up!

[MarkH]

WIN! WIN! WIN!

Yes, that scene was when Victor was impotent (from Rick Daros' harpoon), and he "dismissed" Nikki. Nikki eventually reluctantly left town...but then Douglas showed Victor Nikki's stripper pics.

Victor's erection miraculously returned, and they rushed to stop Nikki before she could leave town. The wedding of the century followed.

You win!

[Y&RWorldTurner]

I had to roll my eyes and keep my mouth shut from vomiting when the episode title for Monday's show on my episode guide was "Adam May Redeem Himself."

It's a perfect example of the manipulative, poorly planned, and contrived writing from this writing team. Just because Adam "saves" Eden and Noah in this stupid and necessary fire, that will never absolve him of tormenting Ashley for months (and when she was pregnant), and stealing Sharon's baby and continuing to mislead her about it. The fire was their way of pimping Adam as some romantic hero who saves the day to make people who hate the character like him. Sorry, it didn't work for me. The audience aren't a bunch of lab rats for agendas.

One also has to question how Adam with his tunnel vision isn't distracted by the fire and the darkly lit house, how could someone with that type of vision keep his focus under those circumstances?

For all you dog lovers, Fisher is saved, not that it absolves them from unnecessarily killing Zapato.

And then Ashley pestering Adam to move Sharon and himself back into the Ranch. Is this fire supposed to be the cleaver way Ashley, Adam, and Sharon end up living together? I could have just as easily go for Adam asking Sharon to move into the Ranch, and Sharon renting the house or something. Hey, it's not like Sharon's stupidity hasn't been a common thread throughout this horrendous story.

I found it all very anti-climactic. Is this how the show is going to always be? Shoddy build-up and unnecessary hyper plot points until the next fire or murder or stunt? It makes everything feel very hollow.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

Oh, you'd think they'd try to milk some real dramatic value from this fire, but the rescue scenes seemed like they took place within 5 seconds. There was no struggle to escape or anything really dramatic happening at all during this fire and Adam's rescue mission. It's like, what the hell is the point? Shock value? AGAIN!? VERY anti-climactic... Whoever wrote this breakdown should be beheaded. Hopefully, they don;t write it so that the whole house set isn't burnt to a crisp and they can possibly use this as an excuse to remodel the set. Who am I kidding? They won't...

[MarkH]

Thanks for the spoilers.

It's clear, at some level (every level?), somebody at Y&R or Bell/Sony or CBS (or all three) has firmly embraced event-driven story, 13-week arcs, etc. It seems clear that we're going to ride that methodology to the end now.

My feeling about this week is that we're going to see a CRITICAL return to the canvas of some "pot-stirrers"...and that will much improve things for me. Also, since it seems clear that the fire will be the contrivance to put Ashley and Sharon in the same room...I see lots of uncomfortable moments surrounding Sharon's "mysterious" connection to Faith.

I hope they save Cassie's picture!

[DRW50]

I don't know if it's about 13 week arcs. 13 week arcs would suggest the stories actually have an ending in mind. Most of the stories seem made up as they went along. Do you think when they brought MJ in, they thought the story would wind up with Patty Williams in an institution while her doppleganger therapist is marrying Jack?

I think they are doing what they have done for most of their run, they are shrugging their way through actual plotting and motivation, hoping that viewers will be satisfied because of the latest stunt. Even their supposed golden period, summer 2008-early 2009, had stories which seemed rushed and reliant on gimmicks (Sabrina's death, Skye's gratuitous murder, Chloe drugging and straddling Cane, the endless singing child saga).

If they want to go this route they should have had Sharon grieving for the baby she believed she'd lost. For her to just turn to Adam, say she's happy and fine without the baby, and then suddenly push her towards Faith, it just makes her look even more confused and plot-driven. It also means people have less reason to care about seeing her reunited with Faith. There is no real motivation for any payoff in this story. Nick is an ass, Sharon exists only for men and the only child she seems to care about is Cassie, and the idea of Ashley going back to her crazy lady/Victor-please-help-me ways is not one I look forward to.

[alphanguy74]

Once again.... Stafford has her knockers on display in sub zero temperatures. anyone notice how heartfelt Bregman's line delivery was when she said, "I don't even know what's coming next!" I get the feeling she may have been referring to the writing as well!

[DeeeDee]

Giggly Heffa is SUCH a hypocrite.

Nobody cares about Kevin Maria.

HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATE.

[DeeeDee]

Don't forget poor Nikki.

Stuck propping TPTB's pets.

[Leia]

What is the show I'm supposed to be watching here?

[DeeeDee]

A murderer & a serial rapist telling themselves they're good people?

HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATE.

Daniel bashing Danny?

HELL NO MARIA.

[BadZoe]

Do these writers not remember what they have shown on screen? When did Sharon buy Brad's house, because tomorrow Micheal is offering to pay the deductible for Sharon. It is Colleen's Estate's house. Jack was just offering to let Sharon rent it, so the owners would be the ones claiming the deductible, not the tenant. I think a better plot point would have been for Jack to rescind the offer to Sharon if that bastard Adam was going to be living there, thus leaving Sharon homeless and forced to move in with Ashley.

Why does Maria hate all things connected to the Carlton's. Did Don Diamond stand her up on a date once?

[DRW50]

I think the Carltons were budget cuts, and since MAB does not seem to seriously care about the show (aside from Katherine, I guess...and art), I guess she might have gone with the idea or agreed to the idea of just killing off father and daughter for shock value. The whole "this will change (soap town) forever!" only to be forgotten in a few weeks.

All this danger stuff has become so predictable and hollow.