Wait, What’s Going on With Tessa and Daniel on Young and the Restless April 23?

This can’t be going where we think….

Tessa started giving Daniel guitar lessons on the April 23 episode of The Young and the Restless, and we don’t exactly understand why. We realize we’re supposed to think it’s Tessa’s way of being supportive and Daniel’s way of dealing with Heather’s death, Lucy’s apparent invisibility, and Phyllis’ ongoing psychosis. We understand why Tessa and Daniel are doing it, but we don’t understand why Y&R is doing it.

Friends Forever

We realize that, in the real world, most people who become friends just stay friends. And we certainly believe that men and women can be friends without it turning into anything romantic. We’re big fans of that.

But that’s not how things work on soaps. On soaps, friendship takes a definite second seat to love. You know who started out as friends? Tessa (Cait Faribanks) and Mariah (Camryn Grimes), that’s who. And look at them now.

Lessons in Chemistry

Were this a different set of characters, we’d assume Tessa and Daniel (Michael Graziadei) suddenly spending two consecutive episodes together — and making plans for a lot more — was a straightforward chemistry.

Yes, even if they were with other people. This is a soap. No relationship is forever. Daniel is a recent widower. But Tessa is married…to Mariah. They have a baby girl who is as invisible as Daniel’s Lucy (Lily Brooks O’Briant). They are a happy family. Off-screen. We think.

No Future

Here is what else we think: There is no way Y&R will break up their only same-sex couple, especially for a man. The blowback would be too severe. So, what is the reason for Daniel and Tessa’s new pal-dom?

Will it turn into a story about how working with Daniel inspires Tessa to go back to performing? Will she yearn to return to the road? Will that cause friction with Mariah? Is Daniel being set up to come between the two women, but not in a romantic way? Are he and Tessa the next Sonny and Cher? Ike and Tina? Donny and Marie? Give us a hint, Y&R, what is the point of this story?