Y&R September 2021 Discussion Thread

[kalbir]

Since Billy's 1999 SORAS, Jason Thompson has played Billy the longest.

[Paul Raven]

Billy is the most recast Y&R character and suffers for it.

David Tom (twice) Ryan Brown,Billy Miller,Burgess Jenkins and Jason Thompson all played Billy and this in addition to all the writer changes have contributed to the destruction of the character.

In that time only Phyllis has been recast and is back to Stafford. And Victoria (and that character changed with Heinle))

So all the other actors are the same faces and that helps a lot with going along with some of their characters 180's.

[Milesaway]

Jason Thompson reminds me of a young Abraham Lincoln 

[kalbir]

Today (September 28) is Melissa Claire Egan's 40th birthday.

[Broderick]

Same here.  Billy Miller often got on my last nerve with that Cheshire cat grin and all those strange tics, but he looked as though he was trying to make the character stand out (for better or for worse).  Jason Thompson sometimes seems to be performing at gunpoint.  "I'll deliver these lines if I must, but it's because my captor is forcing me to."     

[Faulkner]

Billy Miller also had a man-child innocence that was right on the surface. Jason Thompson doesn’t have that same vulnerability, even though Billy is still extraordinarily immature. (I don’t know what they were thinking with Burgess Jenkins, who looked like Peter Bergman’s contemporary.)

Y&R has an adult-male problem and has for many, many years. All of the dudes feel a bit “arrested development.” Remember when Cane, Billy, and Nick were all “finding themselves” at the same time during the SSM/Mal Young days?

Edited September 28, 2021 by Faulkner

[Broderick]

Yeah, Billy Miller actually had a RESTLESSNESS about him, even if he could be awfully annoying at times.   Jason is so much more stoic, staid, unadventurous.  It's difficult sometimes to accept him as a more matured version of Miller's character.   Burgess Jenkins.  Yikes.  lol.    

[Forever8]

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[YRfan23]

It seemed like when Miller first came on it was almost like they were trying to recapture the magic of Terry Lester. At least that’s what it seemed like to me. He did and does resemble him yet the writing was just so inconsistent at that point we never knew exactly who Billy Abbott was suppose to be other then the overgrown playboy. 
 

[Paul Raven]

I agree. I remember a scene when Billy returned with Jack and they were pushing that similarity.

But as you say with writer changes and the decision to go with Billy/Victoria began the downhill spiral.

As much as Victor can be overbearing, having him just walk away when Billy was haranguing him at the Grey Pumpkin was a nice touch. Billy is unbearable at this point.

[Paul Raven]

Where to begin?

The nauseating Faith/Moses 'romance' that included a musical montage and moved their story not one iota.

Chloe and Sally wanting a fashion shoot at the Gross Porpoise because there are NO other possibilities in town. I can see it now- models posing in between the swivel chairs.

Lauren meeting Victoria at Green Platypus WHY? Victoria has a home and an office as does Lauren and the designer one would presume. At least there was a mute extra involved. 

The scriptwriters missed a beat here - surely Lauren should have revealed that the dress was an exclusive Lara Belara gown. 'OMG'. Victoria could exclaim. 'But Lara Belara only designs for royalty.'

'Why don't we use a Media company to start a fashion dynasty?' enthuses Chloe. 'Greta idea!!' responds Sally. 'Let's do it tomorrow!!'

Looks like we're going to Italy. Can't wait to see the Palazzo set. Probably Ashland's NY penthouse redressed.

Or better yet the room at the Newman Ranch untouched. 'Victor wanted the Italian residence to have the same feel as home', explains Nikki.

[Faulkner]

Josh Griffith is so in love with crafting these elaborate character backstories that he can’t dramatize on screen. Like we don’t need all this convoluted madness with Ashland. Nor did we need it with Adam. Nor did we need it with Amanda and Sutton.

[Forever8]

He thinks he is still writing his novels. You get to craft extensive backstories for novels, but this is a soap opera tell stories that actually began on the screen. 

[Faulkner]

Indeed. It feels like all drama happened in the past or in somebody’s dreams.

[Soap-princess]

Ha. It’s a society issue too. 20 years ago Michelle Stanford’s Phyllis returned at age 35 and seemed emotionally and physically mature to be paired with Jack. Now actors appear and act forever 25 years old despite being over 30 and sometimes 40s.