Y&R March 2018 Discussion

[ajsp35801]

 

Couples have been a problem since Sally's regime began. She took a sledgehammer to every couple to push different, if not new, pairings, none of which really worked by the way. Prime example, that jack and Nikki redo. The pairing was written and played like they were 25 years younger. None of it made sense for where the characters were in their lives. We've seen Nikki be with jack to the point of marriage many times and it always ends up with her never being able to follow through. I don't think a single viewer bought into their romance this go round. 

 

Sally dumped Lane and Hevon to try to push Lily/Jordan/Hilary, Cane/Vikki/Billy/Phyllis, and Devon/Mariah/Tessa. None of which worked. I still don't know what she was hoping to achieve. Was there an end game? 

 

Chelsea and nick were dead in the water from day 1. Seemed more mandated than a story anyone associated with writing the show wanted to tell.

 

Sharon/Abby/Scott were a waste. I really thought the show was interested in Scott. All that story and development only to dump him cold. And seemingly without a fight BTS. 

 

So now Mal has to try to fix it. His frantic pace and lack of cohesion in story telling doesn't help matters. 

 

 

 

There is no story on a soap for a happy couple. I maintain that. I've tried to explain this to some Hevon fans on Twitter who are disgruntled accusing the show of just stringing out the couple's reunion. When they get together the romance/story is over. If they are going to remain in story then the very next day begins the break up. Savor the reunion. Cause it's the happiest they'll ever be unless they are backburned to supporting. 

[Antoyne]

I want Hevon together again even if it means another break up but can it not ALWAYS be Hilary's fault? It would be fascinating to see her leave him over something he did when they inevitably end up back together.

[DeeeDee]

 

She wouldn't be a villainess. She'd be a vixen.

[soapfan770]

 

Given how many hearts that Devon has broken (Roxy-twice, Esmeralda, Gwen) it would be easy to see Devon potentially cheat on Hilary or have another vice that pushes Hilary away.

 

Sheesh Nikki and Victor pretty much an entire decade of having close calls, occasional co-habitation, loving each other from afar before they finally reunited all because Nikki was on her deathbed, and once she lived we Nikki and Victor were all happy in love the shoe dropped that their marriage wasn't valid and they both still had unresolved feelings for others. It always made for some compelling drama at least til got extremely stale by their 2007 separation. 

[DeeeDee]

 

That's the point. It wouldn't be a redo of Neil's post-Dru relationships.

 

Neil wouldn't rush into a relationship (preferring to remain heavily focused on work after being away for so long & being tired of being unlucky in love). 

 

Also Neil would even begin considering dating again except after encouragement from one of his most trusted family members/friend (Olivia) who also insists it would also be good for his health to slow down at work.

 

This new pairing would be about Neil. Everything about the pairing would treated maturely & with care.

 

Not Devon, not Lily, not Hilary, not the twins, not Sophia, not Malcolm, or anyone else. Just Neil.

 

The problem isn't the transition itself. That's been way overdue for the better part of 20 years now.

 

It's the casting & the writing.

 

The reason most of the younger characters have failed is because they're played by mediocre actors who can't elevate bad writing.

 

Philly being awful has nothing to do with them being 'happy' and everything to do with them not being remotely realistic.

 

That's not true. There's plenty of story for happy couples in daytime.

 

There have been plenty of soap couples who have been happy without lacking story.

 

It's simply a matter of making the obstacles they have to deal with realistic to who they are as individuals and as a couple.

[ajsp35801]

 

I've said the same thing. I want them to get together now and Devon's not so special lady, Simone, to show (fake) pregnant while he lies to hilary's face about it. I don't know why I find that idea gratifying. Maybe cause I want him to get some tarnish. He's far more interesting when he's sneaking around lying to everyone. 

 

Mmm...look at Vixen!Hilary. She's a mustache twirling evil villain. This show long stopped being able to write a vixen. 

 

Name me 3 stories for Hevon while married and happy where they aren't supporting? Just one liners. 

[DeeeDee]

 

Hilary is a villain because MM is the strongest younger actress on the show & because they're never gonna have a WOC win over white female characters.

 

Those two things coupled together is why Hilary doesn't work as a vixen.

 

Y&R stopped writing effective vixens around the time Phyllis arrived and the show became more focused on pushing agendas than character based writing.

 

And it's not as if this show writes anyone well. Philly is the show's pet couple & even they struggle to remain relevant.

 

1. Hevon parenting their toddler.

2. Hevon transitioning GC Buzz into a talk show like The View.

3. Hevon establishing a college fund for deserving poor and/or at risk kids of color.

[titan1978]

It’s not that a couple has to stay happy.  But the cycle needs them to be happy for a little while at least to keep the viewers invested and to keep them from burning through 5 years of story in 2.

 

Soaps used to know how to do this.  Characters with full lives don’t have to constantly be in romantic jeapardy.  Even during the super couple era on DAYS they balanced breaking up/ making up with adventure stories, mysteries, friendships, family dramas, careers, and also moving the relationships forward with children, etc.

 

It is the writers fault if a happy couple is not still sexy and interesting.

 

[ajsp35801]

 

I won't argue with you on those two points. As you see, Hilary is primed to win right now. And lo and behold, lily returns as her main antagonist after a full year of Hilary rivaling every white women on this show as their antagonist. Unsurprising. 

 

Parenting a toddler is not a soap. Not one I want to watch, at least.  Not unless that toddler gets a serious illness and needs Sam's organs or is kidnapped by Devon's not so special lady, Simone. 

 

We've seen Devon and Hilary building a TV show. They weren't happy. It resulted in Hilary tripping Mariah culminating in Devon basically leaving her for Mariah. I can't imagine the story if it wasn't something similar. 

 

The at risk kid thing could work and is probably the only story where the could possibly be happy. It has to involve fostering a kid. Probably adoption. Kinda like what is being played now. 

 

@titan1978 I agree with you. Having couples happy not only gives viewers a chance to invest but also keeps characters from overexposure. Characters going from story to story to story becomes tedious. 

[ranger1rg]

I enjoyed the hell out of Wednesday’s episode. It all worked for me.

 

Arturo and Nikki? LOL I thought it was fun and crazy and that it worked. Let Nikki get her groove back! Arturo seems to be enjoying himself as much as Nikki is hehe

 

Eileen Davidson has been doing great work the past couple weeks. No one better on daytime.

[DeeeDee]

 

Parenting a toddler can be great soap. It's one of those realistic experiences that soaps abandoned long ago that used to be commonplace in the genre because it was a universal issue. Them working to parent a kid with Devon's compassion & stubborness coupled with Hilary's sweetness & ambition would be a lot of fun.

 

Devon & Hilary weren't allowed to be happy building their TV show because the show was never about them.

 

Since it's inception GC Buzz has served whatever function the plot necessitated it ought to be. Plus they've had to babysit Mariah as an extension of that story which also hasn't helped. Ideally them building GC Buzz into a panel talk show would be about THEM.

 

You asked for suggestions about stories Hevon could face as a happy couple. NOT if the show would allow them to actually BE a happy couple which we both know they won't for a bunch of agenda driven reasons.

 

 

 

+1.

[edgeofnik]

Gosh, I hope that MM & Bryton don't get the 'happy couple' treatment- that's soap equivalent of purgatory! If MY can figure out pacing, the push-pull between Hilary/Devon could be a great long-running storyline. Hilary's desire for career advancement, a family etc.  with Devon's undeniable attraction to Hilary but having a real apprehension based on the past, etc. Victor/Nikki have perfected this type of storyline. 

[Faulkner]

Ending up like the sour and toxic Victor/Nikki sounds like another type of purgatory. At least Victor and Nikki got to take long term breathers and have other successful love stories even as they were always connected. Hevon is just a vortex of repetition, and their obvious chemistry can’t override that. 

[DeeeDee]

Hevon aren't gonna get other love stories unless Y&R commits to hiring and maintaining other actors of color. Which isn't gonna happen.

 

So they're stuck with each other for the foreseeable future.

[Juliajms]

This sounds good to me.  I think another woman getting in Hillary's way right now is a great idea.

 

Devon and Hillary having a baby together, but not being together is not sitting well with me.  Why would Devon complicate his life in this way? He went from being suspicious of Hillary to wanting to have a baby with her in a week. It's ridiculous.