Y&R May 2021 Discussion Thread

[Paul Raven]

Sharon and Rey was a marriage that never needed to happen, especially in light of the fact that it was doomed from Day One. This story could be playing out as angst to keep Sharon and Rey from marrying rather than adding yet another marriage to Sharon's resume.

Same with Kyle, if he weds Summer again, it will be 3 marriages for each of them. They are in their 20's for crying out loud!!!

[FrenchBug82]

On all the small ways soaps are out-of-touch, youngsters feeling the urge to marry and marry usually young and fast is one of the most obvious.
It is longstanding - I remember being completely unimpressed by Victoria's obsession with marrying Ryan when she was 17! - but it is one of these ways soaps show their age and lack of modernity. Makes no sense.
It'd be more believable that Kyle wouldn't want to marry *at all* (that could even be a plot point and an organic source of tension with Summer instead of plopping a insta-baby on him).

[Faulkner]

Ugh, Chelsea and her confession… I hate this show. There’s no one rootable in this story.

[FrenchBug82]

Also, may I say that I groaned when I realized that once again, it would be Victor who unlocked the situation?

I am so over this Victor-knows-everything-can-do-anything-always-wins stuff. It is just no fun; there are no stakes.

[David_Vickers]

   Until Josh Griffith came back, Sharon hadn't had anything to do with Adam for years.  Sharon and Justin Hartley's Adam NEVER acted like they were obsessed like now.   

Edited May 11, 2021 by David_Vickers

[FrenchBug82]

 

Indeed. That's the major plot hole. But it still doesn't come out of nowhere that she is drawn to him in a self-destructive manner.
I suppose they could have addressed it by pointing out that when she didn't interact with him, she was able to move on and make that an argument for Rey to ask her to cut ties completely.

But instead they are playing it as a passionate attractive they can't resist which we know doesn't work with what happened since their first relationship.
Also, I like Grossman fine as Adam but the chemistry between him and SC is adequate, not off-the-charts, which makes it a lot harder to swallow the stupid destructive behavior of the characters than when the chemistry is undeniable, like it was with MM.

In any case I agree the writing is off and the story tedious. But I think ranger is right that this doesn't "ruin" Sharon in any significant way. If you are mad at her for getting with Adam, then she would have been ruined on their first go-around. And bad relationship decisions is certainly a long-held pattern of Sharon.

[Ponds]

How many times has Sharon been married??  Easy come, easy go.

[FrenchBug82]

Seven times to six men (technically she married Victor twice).
 

I wonder what the record on the show is.
Victor has been married 14 times to 9 women. Nikki has been married 11 times to 7 different men. Jill had nine marriages to seven men. Ashley had seven marriages to six men. Jack also had seven marriages to six women. Victoria had seven marriages to five men. Phyllis has seven marriages to only three men. Katherine had six marriage to five men. Paul was married five times to four women. Same for Neil: five times to four women. John was married four times to three women.
Lauren has only been married three times to three men (which surprised me in hindsight considering how many men she dated).
Nick has had many weddings to Sharon but most were interrupted so he was actually only married to her once vs three times to Phyllis which also surprised me. That makes for five marriages to three women.

Which other long-time character am I forgetting that could be a potential record-breaker? Looks like Victor (of course) is the heaviest marrier and Nikki the heaviest female marrier unless I am forgetting someone.
But compared with the length of existence of the character Sharon certainly seems to have the highest rate of marriages per year on the show - again not even counting her multiple failed trips to the altar with Nick.

Edited May 12, 2021 by FrenchBug82

[Ponds]

Interesting info.....THANKS!

[Paul Raven]

Those numbers speak for themselves.

What's annoying is that many of those marriages didn't need to happen eg Sharon/Jack, Ashley/Blade/Cole

and currently Sharon/Rey. just to name a few.

The stories could have been told w/o a wedding.

The ridiculous worshipping and at the same time minimizing the importance of marriage is so damaging to long term characters.

[FrenchBug82]

Yes. This is why I mentioned the Lauren number because Lord knows she has not suffered from a lack of men in her life and yet her marriage history is pretty reasonable and makes sense. That should be the model. Let the characters just date!

[Faulkner]

These shows always have to go too far to raise the stakes, and it has a weird dulling effect over time. Big weddings, a new “love of my life” every other year (before returning to an “old love of my life”). They don’t know how to play story peaks without them. It’s a very clunky way of storytelling IMO. Writer turnover over the years hasn’t helped.

[irishguy1985]

Melissa Egan plays crazy really well! Reminds me of her AMC days!

[FrenchBug82]

If you don't know how to write characters, you have to resort to plot points to, as you said, raise the stakes.

If you don't know how to write a compelling organic love story, all you can do is have the characters repeat they are in love every day and get married and, surely, that will send the message more effectively rather than just SHOW us them falling in love through dialogue and acting.

I fully agree with your diagnosis. 

[Sapounopera]

 

These numbers are insane. At some point you have to rest some characters, if the only thing you can write is marriage and divorce. Or start telling a different kind of story.