Y&R: April 2017 Discussion Thread

[Soapsuds]

Where is @BetterForgotten? I'd like to hear his opinion on how Mel is running the soap.

[RavenWhitney]

Mal needs to go! As does Sally.  Poor Eileen D having to act this crap they are giving her, particularly Friday's episode with those two horrible male actors and that dialog.  I don't blame Esser though; Sally's material just basically sucks. But Mal is signing off on bad casting decisions with Reid, Scott, Ravi.  The casting director is lost these days because no one behind the scenes could possibly be inspired by this stuff.  It's amazing how Michael Logan and Jamey Giddens are so muted about YR right now.  If Carlivati were writing YR and it was this poor, Logan would be pissing himself to criticize on social media.  But they all love Sally.  Every week the show just gets more non sensical and lame.

[LondonScribe]

I make you right regarding how the soap journalists react. Whether they say they are still gauging the mood of the room or it is because none wants to be seen as a dissenting voice, their silence is conspicuous, and actually says more about their opinions than anything they could say, in my view.

 

I'll definitely keep an eye out on the (speed of) responses if Ron Carlivati's DAYS isn't considered to be firings on all cylinders right from the starting line. 

[ajsp35801]

 

Logan has be quiet but not Giddens. He's weighed in on the absurdity of some of these story decisions. 

[Soapsuds]

You got receipts....LOL

[ajsp35801]

 

DC podcasts. 

 

Mariah isn't wasted on Kevin. Het story isn't limited to him. She's in multiple SLs and interact with more characters than anyone else on canvas. 

[Soapsuds]

She still isn't doing anything.

[DeeeDee]

There isn't anything wrong with Abhi Sinha as an actor or Ravi as a character.

 

The problem is Eileen disliking the story and Y&R forcing the pairing instead of letting them happen naturally.

 

 

'Scott you're one of the few living relatives I have left so allow the govt send you on another super dangerous mission! I can promise you probably won't be detained this time, but a little waterboarding isn't necessarily out of the question!'

[ajsp35801]

 

I've never understood the whole "natural" discussion for scripted series. The only things that happen naturally are things the show doesn't intend but fans pick it up. That doesn't happen when a character is created for a specific story. How could they possibly let this happen naturally? 

 

I never disputed that fact. 

[DeeeDee]

 

Abhi and Eileen aren't without chemistry but instead of forcing them into awkward situations and having them act out scenes from a bad 80s teen film to make their pairing happen, Y&R should be focusing on what Ashley needs as a character (FUN) and letting THAT guide the story.

 

If there were any stories that should be the guide for this one it would be Jill & Sean and Jill & Jill Min. In both pairings Jill allowed herself to open up as a mature sexual woman who was having fun as a refreshing change of pace WITHOUT acting like a glorified babysitter. 

[Soapsuds]

I'm wondering if they made him this secret agent so that if her writing fails they can easily write him off like Dylan.

[ajsp35801]

 

Loved Ji Min and his sexy voice. He was gone too soon. 

 

JWs Jill can pull that fun cougar thing off. ED's Ashley just comes across to bitter and dry. I can't remember a time where I thought Ashley was a "fun" character. I can't imagine any scenario/writing where I think this would work 

 

Nah. I think they did it cause journalism wasn't exciting enough and didn't provide a solid enough basis or high enough stakes for the adventures/danger they are planning.  They think he'd be better as an action hero. And his pairing, which I do believe is Mariah, would work better in that kind of story rather than as a typical romantic heroine. CG struggles to generate romantic chem/heat with these guys. 

[DeeeDee]

 

ED's Ashley was an incredibly youthful & sexy character for years which essentially ended when Y&R threw her and Brad's relationship under the bus for Grambo & Nikki. Since then Ashley's been a humorless spinster in between underwritten relationships & chemistry free marriages.

 

Instead of Y&R introducing Ravi as a majorly shy tech geek who needed a makeover, the show should've had him look & act more like Abhi (sexy & charismatic) in real life.and let the characters have fun by mixing age appropriate pursuits like attending foreign films & wine tastings with more youthful fare like participating in water balloon fights and having strip scrabble tournaments.

 

That way ED wouldn't have to do all the heavy lifting emotionally and Abhi wouldn't be stuck in forced scenes with random dayplayers Ashley would NEVER give a second glance to under any other circumstances.

[RavenWhitney]

The Eileen story, in my humble opinion, is Sally's absolute worst failing.  She has a gold mine with ED and for nearly six months she's been stuck in the lame ass story with a young newbie who has a way to go before he's considered a first rate actor.  And this on top of the trash she was given from Pratt with that horrible actor who played Stitch, not to mention Ordway's awful Abby.  Dena has given her vets better scenes in the last six months than Sally has given ED.  And Mal is not a great fit for the show.  The EP needs to be someone who can take the best of classic YR (sets, casting) and bring it to a new level.  At least MAB tried in the first months with the lush directing and use of Katherine's music and bringing Marge on.  Viewers are tuning out because it's become a stale and vanilla. And now, after separating Billy and Phil, and sticking Gina in those absurd catfight scenes with ED over Ravi, plus the no-chemistry test with Daniel, now they are thrown back together overnight.  Here's the deal: Sally has no long story; she's making up dull sh_t to fill each week.  She was never an "in-demand" soap head writer like Doug Marland.  Doug made magic on GL, GH, TD.  She had a failed soap, was a consultant on YR when it was at its peak under Bell, flush with cash to spend and she had the luxury of feeding Bill ideas; she never executed the overall story or vision; and we can see why.  On Days, she had two years after JER and her uncredited co-head was Tom Langan who wrote many of the story beats.  

[ranger1rg]

 

LOL at another doom & gloom post. Everyone's a terrible actor, every storyline sucks, blah blah blah. I can't take any of it seriously when DENA is mentioned as giving her vets better scenes than ED is getting from Sally. I mean seriously.