However, JFP gave him more to do and work with than MAB ever did.

Not really.

JFP has just put him in two placeholder pairings with black actresses which is about the same as MAB did.

The writing is somewhat better but the end result is the same.

He and AC were given a real shot.

They never had much (if any) chemistry but their success or failure as a couple was never the point.

But the other pairings with the exception of Ashley (which was never going anywhere anyways) were designed to failed.

Neil & Ashley had significant chemistry (which is surprising because Eileen has always been a very difficult actress to pair male actors with in onscreen romantic relationships).

Their relationship was never going anywhere because Tucker (a relatively new white character) needed a romantic pairing & who better to screw then Neil (played by a dependable, if unsurprising, two time emmy winning veteran minority actor).

Instead of sticking with any pairing and giving the viewers a chance to adjust, they moved on very quickly.

Because Neil's success in romantic relationships doesn't matter.

He & Devon are there to be tokens (not actual characters).

People do blame Peter Bergman for his failed pairings just as much as they blame KSJ.

Viewers usually blame Bergman for his self indulgent acting tics when Jack is placed in relationships (the crying, the GREATEST LOVE EVER stuff) but he's rarely (if ever) held responsible for the inevitable failure of Jack's relationships.

In fact, most of the audience wants Bergman's Jack to be paired with an actress that reciprocates his love, is not a garden variety psycho or has feelings for Victor.

However, it doesn't stop them from wanting Hilary to be paired with Jack where they didn't want her paired with Neil. Therein, lies the rub.

Because they know that being paired with Jack means more story & more airtime.

The Winters may get a couple more minutes of airtime a week under JFP but things haven't really changed.

What failed pairings has DD and JW had over the last 7 years? I can't name one for DD besides MTS, which we all know was never going to last.

In the last 10 years Doug has had failed pairings with Ashley, Maggie, Nikki, Nina & several flirtations with Lauren before being thrown into a quickie marriage with Cricket last year.

In the past 10 years Jess has had failed pairings with Will, Ji Min, Jeffrey, both Tuckers & a one night stand with a GCAC bartender before being thrown into a quickie marriage with Colin this year.

Edited March 27, 201411 yr by DeeeDee

I can not. But does it have to be this way?

The better question is WHY is it that way.

Not really.

JFP has just put him in two placeholder pairings with black actresses which is about the same as MAB did.

The writing is somewhat better but the end result is the same.

They never had much (if any) chemistry but their success or failure as a couple was never the point.

Neil & Ashley had significant chemistry (which is surprising because Eileen has always been a very difficult actress to pair male actors with in onscreen romantic relationships).

Their relationship was never going anywhere because Tucker (a relatively new white character) needed a romantic pairing & who better to screw then Neil (played by a dependable, if unsurprising, two time emmy winning veteran minority actor).

Because Neil's success in romantic relationships doesn't matter.

He & Devon are there to be tokens (not actual characters).

Viewers usually blame Bergman for his self indulgent acting tics when Jack is placed in relationships (the crying, the GREATEST LOVE EVER stuff) but he's rarely (if ever) held responsible for the inevitable failure of Jack's relationships.

In fact, most of the audience wants Bergman's Jack to be paired with an actress that reciprocates his love, is not a garden variety psycho or has feelings for Victor.

Because they know that being paired with Jack means more story & more airtime.

The Winters may get a couple more minutes of airtime a week under JFP but things haven't really changed.

In the last 10 years Doug has had failed pairings with Ashley, Maggie, Nikki, Nina & several flirtations with Lauren before being thrown into a quickie marriage with Cricket last year.

In the past 10 years Jess has had failed pairings with Will, Ji Min, Jeffrey, both Tuckers & a one night stand with a GCAC bartender before being thrown into a quickie marriage with Colin this year.

As I read your replies, I am wondering if you think we disagree about any of this. We don't. However, I still think that JFP have given Neil more than MAB. For one, he has a friendship with Jack and interacts with other people in a work capacity. But it falls very short of what it should be.

The better question is WHY is it that way.

Okay. I will bite. Why is it this way?

I know this comment is going to be slightly off topic but what's with those comments at the bottom of MF's interview with MM and KSJ? One of the comments stated that they hoped that Dru and Neil would bilk Devon out of his billions? Huh?! Are some of the posters on that site hitting th bottle before they post?

As for the interview, I don't know what to say except time will tell whether any of this pans out. Writers and producers often make changes on the fly and we often see storylines that start out at one point and go in another direction. For all we know, this could be a detour to lead fans to actually wanting a Neil and Leslie pairing after all. Or it could be a genuine attempt to test whether Neil and Hilary will work out. Or this could be some sort of weird re-staging of Jack, Jill and John 2014 with Neil, Hlary and Devon.

When all is said and done, nothing will be set in stone, the creative team reserves their right to change their minds (and change again) and the storyline, even in mid-stream several times over. I think KSJ knows that more than most, hence his jocular (keeping it loose) tone.

I saw that comment. I just assumed the person misspoke and meant Hilary and Neil. But yeah, folks are steal smarting over Kay leaving Devon a larger inheritance that the Chancellors, Mac, or Brock. There seems to be a fair amount of support for him to lose it to someone.

Edited March 27, 201411 yr by ajsp35801

As I read your replies, I am wondering if you think we disagree about any of this.

We differ over smaller details (MAB vs. JFP) but agree about most larger issues.

For one, he has a friendship with Jack

Which makes no sense.

Neil has never liked Jack (their 'friendship' is a convenient plot device because Hilary works for Jabot).

Of the character on the current canvas Neil would be much more likely to confide in Victoria, Nick, Victor, Sharon or Jill.

But it falls very short of what it should be.

A massive understatement.

Okay. I will bite. Why is it this way?

Because they're tokens.

The only purpose they serve is to deflect criticism of Y&R's horrible track record post-Dru of minority actors.

Think about the initial media blitz for Lamon & Redaric vs. the amount & quality of story both actors now receive.

Tyler is in an afterthought pairing with an aimless core character & Mason has all but disappeared.

Leslie is the odd woman out of The Black Storyline as Hilary becomes the latest black actress forced to be Neil's love interest while Devon is in a pointless relationship with a glorified dayplayer.

The only actor 'of color' who escapes such treatment is CK (mainly because she doesn't identify as Black nor does she have a desire to be paired with non-white actors).

We differ over smaller details (MAB vs. JFP) but agree about most larger issues.

Which makes no sense.

Neil has never liked Jack (their 'friendship' is a convenient plot device because Hilary works for Jabot).

Of the character on the current canvas Neil would be much more likely to confide in Victoria, Nick, Victor, Sharon or Jill.

A massive understatement.

Because they're tokens.

The only purpose they serve is to deflect criticism of Y&R's horrible track record post-Dru of minority actors.

Think about the initial media blitz for Lamon & Redaric vs. the amount & quality of story both actors now receive.

Tyler is in an afterthought pairing with an aimless core character & Mason has all but disappeared.

Leslie is the odd woman out of The Black Storyline as Hilary becomes the latest black actress forced to be Neil's love interest while Devon is in a pointless relationship with a glorified dayplayer.

The only actor 'of color' who escapes such treatment is CK (mainly because she doesn't identify as Black nor does she have a desire to be paired with non-white actors).

Neil and Jack's friendship is not based on Hilary. The were considered friends and confidantes long before she arrived. I agree that Neil's history lends itself to a friendship with others on canvas. But I won't quibble over that detail. It seems trivial because most relationships on soaps are fluid. Both needed a friend. They gave them one in each other and it makes sense for how it developed (AA sponsor).

Everything else. Agree.

Because the only way for a black woman to have front burner story is to be paired with Neil?

Nope.

I was referencing Hilary being paired with Jack. Peter Bergman has carried a lot of front burner storylines over the past 25 years.

Nope.

I was referencing Hilary being paired with Jack. Peter Bergman has carried a lot of front burner storylines over the past 25 years.

Sure he has. However, if a female is a lead and they want to write for HER, then it doesn't matter who she is paired with (her supporting characters can be anyone). MAB constantly wrote for Phyllis. Do you think that would have stopped if she had been paired with Neil or Paul. I doubt it. If anything, they would have gotten more airtime out of it instead of her getting less.

My point is this, if the writers are going to write for Hilary, they will write for her whether she is paired with Neil, Devon, Nick, Jack, or Victor Newman himself.

Edited March 27, 201411 yr by ajsp35801