Y&R: Discussion for the Month of July

[DeeeDee]

Cast bloat isn't the issue.

It's possible to have a large cast & write for everyone.

Maria & Hogan's problem is that they just don't.

[Cyberologist]

Diane has steady been written unlikeable and rumor has it MAB didn't want to hire the actress but Sony insisted. I'm not understanding her giving her son to Victor at all it just makes no sense on so many levels.

[aMLCproduction]

Cast is the issue. When your cast is too big your stories aren't as strong. Thus hence why we only see folks a few times a month. Big or small cast the main point is MAB and co can't write

[lovely_m]

Victoria was compared to Rupert Murdoch in the Washington Post.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/erik-wemple/post/murdoch-and-the-young-and-the-restless-what-do-they-have-in-common/2011/07/21/gIQADr0USI_blog.html

[DeeeDee]

Cast isn't the issue.

The writing being horrible isn't their fault.

If Y&R had decent writing/stories cast size wouldn't be an issue.

Indeed.

[P.J.]

Cast certainly isn't the issue. Three characters are consistently written for---Victor, Adam and Phyllis. They lead story, and if you're lucky enough to be in it with them, you get some scraps. If you're not, you get three eppys a month of filler story.

MAB better be praying for EB's health. 'Cause she'd be up [!@#$%^&*] creek without being able to make Victor the omnipresent badass in town.

[DRW50]

They've been very blatant in making Adam the new Victor. MAB and Sheffer love Victor most when he's destroying women, and Adam also loves destroying women. I'm surprised he hasn't punched Diane. I'm sure a lot of fans would say it was hilarious and she deserved it.

Even with their favorites, they have zero idea where to go. It is embarrassingly bad writing to have Phyllis torch every relationship she had (aside from her pet monkey) and then within a week this is all dropped and she's back to obsessing over Sharon.

[P.J.]

Yeah, Adam is the new Victor. But even the worst of villians have to have some kind of conscience, otherwise they're simply cartoons. Victor may be a villian now and when he first came on the show...but for many, MANY years, he had a conscience, in spite of his hard-ass attitude.

I haven't seen anything that convinces me Adam has any redeeming qualities. If this show had any kind of a future, there's no way Y&R could build the show around him long-term. Who would be Adam's nemisis? NICK? *guffaws*

[cattykittens]

Yep, Victor used to have a good side and some redeeming qualities. I used to like him sometimes, but I haven't for the last year or so and after that ambulance scene with Diane I fast-forward him quite a bit.

The show may also be setting Tucker up for the long term. I heard he was working four days a week for quite awhile and into the future,and I notice they have been careful not to make him lose. I think the writers feel the hard-ass attitude is attractive and masculine, soon all the main families will have their own Victor at the helm. Even Nick is becoming more of a jerk.

When I watch the show, I don't get into it as a continuing family drama anymore, it's really just out of curiosity of what they are doing to the veteran cast & characters I care about who are still on. (Although I'll admit I do have moments of hope and a turnaround when I see something familiar.) Y&R may still be on, but it's in name only, there is no question the Y&R I loved has already ended.

[ParkWestfan]

Maura was flipping fantastic today. Yes, I am a big fan but I'll be honest, I've cheered on Diane really BECAUSE of Maura, and not because I love the character. It's hard to love a woman that you so desperately want to step out of the horrible writing and have her say something far more intelligent or make better choices. Also, I think all of the other characters are just as if not more loathesome than Diane, so I kind of looked at it like - I'm not invested, I'll root for Diane...

Today, she made me cry. I cared about Diane. And today was especially sad to me because it showed the hope and the promise and the talent of this woman THAT WAS WASTED.

Y&R, you can have your less than stellars - I'll keep rooting for Maura (my odds are better, I think)...I'm done.

[BecauseILoveIt~]

Maura's fantastic every damn day! Yet she's fired.....over it. I'm still veryyyy irritated/mad over her being let go.

*giggles* @ Sharon being dumped. Good. Dumb beyotch.

YAY a Sofia sighting! And gasp...away(well Neil was there) from Mal and the others! Loved her stuff with Ash and Tucker.

[DRW50]

I saw some of today's show....why is Sofia wearing purple lipstick and a purple blouse? She looked like a talking eggplant.

Awful awful lines. Tucker is "street smart"? "Dance with the one who brought you...I'm dancing with Tucker"???

But Julia Pace Mitchell does seem to be improving.

[Antoyne]

Meh, I think she's still pretty awful..and awful dialogue does her no favors. She's exactly what I imagine the girl who plays Destiny on OLTL will look and act like when she's an adult.

[DRW50]

I see her (and Destiny) as being similar to cast members in some really bad movies that become cult favorites or are interpreted as art masterpieces by some random foreign critic. They both have such flat line readings and seem to be so non-acting that this can occasionally produce some kind of very strong moment you can connect with.

I think I would like her in some other role, in another soap era. But as a businesswoman, and caught between Neil and Superfraud? I don't get that at all.

[Cat]

I concur with BecauseILoveIt -- Maura is awesome every day. But you know how it is on Y&R. True talent gets you fired or backburned because it might, you know, distract the audience from the raging talent of somebody like Stafford or Braeden.

Speaking of, how many more times are we going to see Phick rutting on a desk because OMG the overwelming passion they just can't keep their hands off each other blah blah etcetera. I guess Morrow got his wish!