Young & Restless is definitely in a drama deficit at the moment, and nothing illustrated this better than the previews for next week, which were utterly devoid of it.
Shot In the Arm, Stat!
The past week felt like Young & Restless was on life support. After the abbreviated ending to the Alan/Martin plot, we were treated to a week of, well… dialogue. Zero “show,” all “tell.” The only soapiness coming courtesy of some mild verbal sparring. Here’s some fan reaction:
What captured my attention most this week were interpersonal interactions… although I wish they’d be taken to another, soapier level. Lily and Damian have chemistry; they’re doing the “dance” soap characters do before falling for each other, but they’re not allowed in close proximity to generate heat, and she talks down to him, which is off-putting. Why does she feel he has to answer to her? She and Devon must be drinking the same water, because he’s become such a pill. Sad, because he used to be one of my favorites.
Audra’s situation is providing a bit of anticipation, but is overshadowed by the ickiness of Victor using a woman in this way. Diane confronted Michael, and Nikki confronted Victor about going after Jack, but we’ve been on this same script for eons and nothing ever escalates. Why doesn’t Nikki leave Victor and walk out of Chancellor to shake things up?! Something. Anything. It feels pointless. Sadly, the entire iconic rivalry between Jack and Victor has become a repetitive snooze. Even the developing stories are being hampered by the exhausting predictability of it all:
It’s difficult to get excited about another corporate villain when we’re suffering such fatigue with business stories on the whole. The writers’ comfort zones, this being one of them, are rarely deviated from, and thus the stories have become unremarkable. We need some risks to be taken, some gasp-worthy twists, mind-blowing payoffs, and big passion plays. Curiously, when we do get to the verge of something that could be amazing, that’s when the writing pulls back or the plot concludes, leaving us with a feeling of letdown.
Our most interesting characters have been reformed and are now well-liked, which may be great in real-life, but is disastrous for a soap opera. Finally, the missing “young” in Young & Restless is being sorely felt. The generations that should be making messy mistakes and causing all sorts of melodrama are either non-existent or behaving like 60-somethings.
Defining Moment of Disillusionment
Nothing illustrated the current state of the soap better than the previews for next week, which featured an update on Amy’s health and the reveal of a home reno. Riveting stuff, right? In what might have been the only bit of an eyebrow-raiser, Daniel and Tessa appeared to be spending time together again, which left me wondering if the writers are eyeing the idea of pairing them up. Do you think they’ll go there? Vote below.
The opinions expressed are my own. Feel free to share your thoughts on this week’s Young & Restless in the comments.
