With Candace Young on vacation this week, I’m stepping in to write the Young & Restless column. And I’ll be honest… it’s been a while since I watched an entire week’s worth of episodes because, frankly, I’ve just not found the featured storylines grabbing my attention. This week, however, a story did exactly that… only to then, like the characters around which it revolves, go completely missing.
Riddle Me This
To say that this show is not particularly action-packed would be an understatement. For quite some time, it’s heavily invested in business storylines, apparently thinking we’re a lot more interested in who’s running what company than we are. But the kidnapping of Phyllis and Sharon definitely caught my attention. It involves two dynamic characters and a mystery person who’s using their history against them. I’m all in!
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So imagine my surprise when the women were given a new riddle to solve on Tuesday… only to completely vanish for the rest of the week. How was something involving this story not the Friday cliffhanger? Make it make sense, people!
Meet the Bickersons
Much of this week was spent on petty squabbling between people who’ve been battling against one another for years. Decades, in some cases. Billy and Adam butted heads over their dueling communications companies because, again, someone at this show thinks we’re really, really invested in who comes out on top in the battle of the bigwigs. Then there were Jack and Victor, having the same fight they’ve been having for so many years that they dragged the long-dead ghost of Jack’s dad into the ring.
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But hey, fighting with Jack gives Victor something to do other than (checks notes) interfere in the lives of his granddaughters. Both of these activities are certainly within the character makeup of the mogul, but it all has a “been there, done that” feel. Here’s hoping we really are getting a new threat, as indicated by the endless name-dropping of Aristotle Dumas. It might be fun to see all of the local power players — including Jack and Victor — work together against a common enemy.
Show ‘Em How It’s Done
I’d like for the folks at Young & Restless to check out the literal new kid on the block, Beyond the Gates. During its first two weeks, that show has managed to become must-see TV for my household, and there are more than a few things it could teach the rest of the CBS Daytime lineup. Like what?
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The pacing, for starters. The past two weeks in Fairmont Crest have seen a wedding, an attempted murder and a threesome — for starters — while Genoa City folks argued over their companies. And although the majority of Gates characters are wealthy, they’re conversations aren’t about anything as trivial as who’ll be the new CEO. The show also has a whole slew of “have nots” whom every single person in the audience can relate to.
I could go on, but you get the point. Young & Restless was the first soap I became addicted to a whole lotta years ago. (For context, a supposedly-dead Katherine was “haunting” Suzanne, wandering the halls in a diaphanous gown singing “I’m Gonna Live Till I Die.” #IFKYK) I have loved it for longer than Jack and Victor have been feuding, so I know what this show can be when it’s firing on all cylinders. That‘s the show I’d love to get hooked on again.
Given that Beyond the Gates has been doing boffo numbers in the all-important ratings, it’s time for someone at CBS to recognize what is — and what’s not — working at its other soaps. Should they need help in that department, call me. I’ll happily offer an assist.
Random Thoughts
• Why in the world did Kyle and Summer leave the GCAC, where they were both picking up food, and then — after saying they were going to the office — go to Crimson Lights? And why, if Nikki was having lunch with Claire and a business associate, were the ladies seated at a table clearly set for two?
• I’m not sure how to feel about Amy’s new doctor. The show used the fact that she’s dying to introduce Damian. I’ve sort of been assuming that her dying would create drama between him and Nate, so her getting a miracle cure — which is the direction we seem to be heading — would be yet another case of this show saying, “No, no, that would be too much drama. Let’s back away quickly!”
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• I’m worried about this big renovation over at the Abbott mansion. We all remember the Chancellor Estate disaster of a few years back. Also, I’d like to recommend that the show stop spending money on new sets — the Newman ranch, Billy’s pad, now this — and focus on what’s unfolding within them. Remember, when Hamlet set out to capture the conscience of the king, the play — not it’s setting — was the thing with which he endeavored to do so.
Want to dive into the question of who’s holding Phyllis and Sharon hostage? We’re taking a look at all the suspects — including a few you might not have considered — in the gallery below!
