Y&R storylines continued to make viewers wish there was drama.
Young and the Restless used to dazzle. They seem now to be allergic to drama or afraid to give too much drama to any character. It’s meant that viewers have been watching other soaps, even Days of our Lives’ possession storyline, just to get some entertainment.
This month we saw Jill return, which was a highlight of December, but she came home not to share scenes with Esther, but to tell Billy how much he disappointed her and to sell her company. It was a good visit but we haven’t seen her since, and we haven’t been told if the actress is gone again. Billy’s on a trip about wanting revenge, and Lily’s doing her co-dependent thing.
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Y&R spoilers up to December 31
Chance finally came home and just when we thought the Abby surrogacy storyline was over, they hit us with a twist. Devon, not Mariah, wants shared custody. What should be an interesting twist has turned off many viewers who simply wanted to be done with it. The one thing this story has done is divide fans over who should rightfully be Dominic’s parents.
I felt for poor Kevin who has been relegated to being Chloe’s sounding board and felt that Chelsea’s return will make waves for Sally, especially with what’s coming on Monday’s Y&R episode where (spoiler) Chelsea eavesdrops on Sally and Adam during a cozy moment.
For some reason, the show has Phyllis not knowing what she wants which is ridiculous for a grown woman and that Noah (Eeyore) continues to mope around, making us think he needs a shot of B12 to get his energy up, and last, but not least, what secret does Ashland have this time? We saw that mysterious phone call that amounted to nothing, and if the 2022 Y&R previews tell us anything it’s that (spoiler) he has another secret.
A few highlights of Young and the Restless that amused, intrigued or annoyed…
Billy's silver spoonAdam and Victor went after Billy, with Gaines' help, and manipulated him into ruining ChancComm. To be fair, it didn't take much. Our Billy Boy Abbott is prone to ruining things for himself. When he asked Victor why the Mustache hated him so much, Victor's response was a puzzle.
"Because you were born with a silver spoon in your mouth and I resent that," he bellowed.
Um...Victor's kids were born with silver spoons in their mouths. Does he hate them? I found his response so unexpected. Billy can't help that he was born into a privileged family, much like Victor's own children.
It was an interesting scene with a few funny lines but would have made more sense if Victor ranted that he was taking revenge for Billy's misdeeds against his children. Instead, Victor sounded jealous.
"Because you were born with a silver spoon in your mouth and I resent that," he bellowed.
Um...Victor's kids were born with silver spoons in their mouths. Does he hate them? I found his response so unexpected. Billy can't help that he was born into a privileged family, much like Victor's own children.
It was an interesting scene with a few funny lines but would have made more sense if Victor ranted that he was taking revenge for Billy's misdeeds against his children. Instead, Victor sounded jealous.
Chance could go on the run forever and I wouldn't mindI've never been a fan of the character Chance. It doesn't matter which actor portrays the role. I find the character a snooze. Pairing a snooze with Abby doesn't help matters but this whole surrogacy storyline has been a mess since the get-go. Having a child with a man who isn't even around on purpose is irresponsible. Abby should have bought a new handbag to carry around instead of a towel.
We just finished with the storylines for Ashland Locke and Sutton Ames that were based on something that didn't even happen on canvas forty years ago and we had to endure yet another story and characters that we're not connected to.
Chance needing his wife to force him to return with him to meet his son and be a father to him was a complete turn-off. Having Abby constantly mother Chance is another stomach turner. Instead of wanting to be with her and Dominic, he wanted to stay in Spain and finish his mission. I can't recall what his mission was because my eyes glazed over when they discussed it. He allowed his wife to believe he was dead and when he apologized, Abby jumped to quickly tell him just how much she forgave him. Give. Me. A. Break.
Chance, "I was trained to complete my missions no matter what, Abby." I've got news for ya, Commando. Nobody cares. This is supposed to be a soap opera, not a movie about the military.
If you think that was bad enough, we have to sit through Chance adjusting to civilian life. Why does the show insist on telling us a story instead of showing us what's happening on screen?
We just finished with the storylines for Ashland Locke and Sutton Ames that were based on something that didn't even happen on canvas forty years ago and we had to endure yet another story and characters that we're not connected to.
Chance needing his wife to force him to return with him to meet his son and be a father to him was a complete turn-off. Having Abby constantly mother Chance is another stomach turner. Instead of wanting to be with her and Dominic, he wanted to stay in Spain and finish his mission. I can't recall what his mission was because my eyes glazed over when they discussed it. He allowed his wife to believe he was dead and when he apologized, Abby jumped to quickly tell him just how much she forgave him. Give. Me. A. Break.
Chance, "I was trained to complete my missions no matter what, Abby." I've got news for ya, Commando. Nobody cares. This is supposed to be a soap opera, not a movie about the military.
If you think that was bad enough, we have to sit through Chance adjusting to civilian life. Why does the show insist on telling us a story instead of showing us what's happening on screen?
Mama's return!I love that Jill returned though her stay seems to have ended. I don't love that she had to bail her grown-assed son out and that she had to sell her company because of him, but I liked the tough love. I am torn on whether I agree that Lily could probably be a fine CEO for Chancellor Industries considering she was complicit in allowing Billy to ruin ChancComm and was rewarded with a CEO position. I don't buy that Jill would even allow Billy to work at Chancellor Industries after what he did.
Jill advised Lily to stop putting her son's needs ahead of her own and Lily found that to be cold. Well, she's not wrong. It did sound cold but Jill is a savvy businesswoman and knows that to make it in business you do need to separate your emotion. Right now, she gets to be as cold as she wants because her business will likely take a loss when she sells.
There were a few touching moments such as when Billy was supportive of Lily when she revealed Jill's job offer and when Lily reassured Billy that though he felt he was losing everything, he wasn't losing her.
Jill advised Lily to stop putting her son's needs ahead of her own and Lily found that to be cold. Well, she's not wrong. It did sound cold but Jill is a savvy businesswoman and knows that to make it in business you do need to separate your emotion. Right now, she gets to be as cold as she wants because her business will likely take a loss when she sells.
There were a few touching moments such as when Billy was supportive of Lily when she revealed Jill's job offer and when Lily reassured Billy that though he felt he was losing everything, he wasn't losing her.
Homecoming partyChance just got back from a top secret mission. Nobody's supposed to know he's in Genoa City, so Victor decides it's a good idea to have a party for his homecoming.
I guess at this point it doesn't matter. When Chance told Abby to keep quiet about him being alive, she told her mother, who was told to keep it quiet and of course, Ashley told Jack. Everyone knows. There's supposed to be security detail all over the place, but if they're truly worried about someone taking him out, should he really have been at the party and not in a safe house?
The party was really lame. There wasn't an ice bucket in sight and everyone was dressed as if they were at a Blanche Deveraux theme party.
I guess at this point it doesn't matter. When Chance told Abby to keep quiet about him being alive, she told her mother, who was told to keep it quiet and of course, Ashley told Jack. Everyone knows. There's supposed to be security detail all over the place, but if they're truly worried about someone taking him out, should he really have been at the party and not in a safe house?
The party was really lame. There wasn't an ice bucket in sight and everyone was dressed as if they were at a Blanche Deveraux theme party.
Billy's revenge plansI don't have many good feelings about this storyline. Billy could have easily recorded Ashland, Adam and Victor's confessions that they gaslit him and then moved on with his life and started his own company with the millions he has sitting in the bank. Instead of doing something healthy, he came up with this elaborate plan to make everyone believe he's back on the sauce and gambling. And Lily's once again going along with it, knowing that he's an addict and this could send him over the edge. Whether or not you like this couple, nobody can deny the codependency.
I really don't get his endgame. He wants to what, wait until Adam writes an expose on how he's fallen off the wagon and then sue him for libel? It's truly weird and from what I'm hearing from the viewers, they're just not into it. There are two camps. Those who can't stand Billy and roll their eyes at his antics and those who like him and want him to have a win. Billy having a win for once would be out of the ordinary. I'm not sure where he'd go from there, but if he loses once again, how quickly will he truly be back on the sauce? Putting himself in this position just for revenge isn't good for his mental health.
I'm not sure which side I'm on but I do like Billy, and Lily. Sometimes I even enjoy their chemistry. It's good to have his constant drama, considering there is so little on this soap.
I really don't get his endgame. He wants to what, wait until Adam writes an expose on how he's fallen off the wagon and then sue him for libel? It's truly weird and from what I'm hearing from the viewers, they're just not into it. There are two camps. Those who can't stand Billy and roll their eyes at his antics and those who like him and want him to have a win. Billy having a win for once would be out of the ordinary. I'm not sure where he'd go from there, but if he loses once again, how quickly will he truly be back on the sauce? Putting himself in this position just for revenge isn't good for his mental health.
I'm not sure which side I'm on but I do like Billy, and Lily. Sometimes I even enjoy their chemistry. It's good to have his constant drama, considering there is so little on this soap.
Half of the audience looks like these two right now.This whole surrogacy storyline was doomed from the beginning. I already ranted about it in past opinion articles so I won't rehash any of that but it wasn't a fan favorite of any viewer. I can't recall one person who has enjoyed this story.
I thought it was obvious that you don't ask your friends to become surrogates. It's asking for trouble, trying to keep them from getting attached but both Mariah and Devon are.
The Baby Whisperer:
I love Devon but he is a sperm donor who signed away his rights to a baby, who now claims that he now wants shared custody not because of how miserable Abby and Chance seem to be at parenting but because he's attached to Dominic. A big part of me wonders if the baby whisperer is lying to Abby and to himself about the real reasons behind wanting custody.
It doesn't matter if Devon lost his baby with Hilary. It doesn't make any difference if the child is biologically his. The child is legally Abby and Chance's. However, he has Amanda at his side, who could very well have a case for shared custody. Devon's been a consistent in the child's life. He cared for the baby when Abby left the country, and let's face it, the baby responds to him better than anyone.
Telling it like it is:
Abby abandoned Dominic with Devon to go in search for a husband that she was told died. She chose her husband over her child, which in many people's eyes, immediately makes her impossible to root for. I don't find her easy to root for at all, in any capacity, but to be fair, we could argue that she didn't abandon the child but left him in the care of someone she knew would love him and keep him safe. As far as we can tell, the baby benefited from being in the care of a calming presence.
Many don't think Chance wants to be a father. I mean, the guy left the country, knowing about the surrogacy. He essentially choose his career over the child and his wife, so it's easy to wonder if this is true.
Chance doesn't appear to be a good father, either. He can't calm the baby down, he doesn't seem to be able to feed him. I'm not a Chance fan in any capacity but lets be objective. The guy just got back from a top secret mission where everyone he knew was blown to smithereens. He hasn't been diagnosed but appears to have PTSD. He's not in therapy, he hasn't even been at Crimson Lights to get the freebie Sharon offers on a daily basis. But he's a new father. He's adjusting.
For now, I don't see this as one-sided, but I highly doubt Abby will give Devon shared custody, now that Chance is back. If Chance never returned or died, I might think otherwise.
I thought it was obvious that you don't ask your friends to become surrogates. It's asking for trouble, trying to keep them from getting attached but both Mariah and Devon are.
The Baby Whisperer:
I love Devon but he is a sperm donor who signed away his rights to a baby, who now claims that he now wants shared custody not because of how miserable Abby and Chance seem to be at parenting but because he's attached to Dominic. A big part of me wonders if the baby whisperer is lying to Abby and to himself about the real reasons behind wanting custody.
It doesn't matter if Devon lost his baby with Hilary. It doesn't make any difference if the child is biologically his. The child is legally Abby and Chance's. However, he has Amanda at his side, who could very well have a case for shared custody. Devon's been a consistent in the child's life. He cared for the baby when Abby left the country, and let's face it, the baby responds to him better than anyone.
Telling it like it is:
Abby abandoned Dominic with Devon to go in search for a husband that she was told died. She chose her husband over her child, which in many people's eyes, immediately makes her impossible to root for. I don't find her easy to root for at all, in any capacity, but to be fair, we could argue that she didn't abandon the child but left him in the care of someone she knew would love him and keep him safe. As far as we can tell, the baby benefited from being in the care of a calming presence.
Many don't think Chance wants to be a father. I mean, the guy left the country, knowing about the surrogacy. He essentially choose his career over the child and his wife, so it's easy to wonder if this is true.
Chance doesn't appear to be a good father, either. He can't calm the baby down, he doesn't seem to be able to feed him. I'm not a Chance fan in any capacity but lets be objective. The guy just got back from a top secret mission where everyone he knew was blown to smithereens. He hasn't been diagnosed but appears to have PTSD. He's not in therapy, he hasn't even been at Crimson Lights to get the freebie Sharon offers on a daily basis. But he's a new father. He's adjusting.
For now, I don't see this as one-sided, but I highly doubt Abby will give Devon shared custody, now that Chance is back. If Chance never returned or died, I might think otherwise.
Poor KevinIt's never easy to see poor Kevin relegated to being Chloe's sounding board as she gossips about her friends' private lives. I don't know how she thinks that he's remotely interested in chatting about Sally and Chelsea and Adam. Look at him. He's dying for some fun! This is a misuse of Greg Rikaart's talents. At least he gets to shine on Days of our Lives.
Weird position for a grown womanIt's no secret that I love my Phyllis. I love the bad girls. I love her over-the-top expressions. She's entertaining AF. But I don't like that Amanda and Lauren have been basically pushing her to figure out how Jack fits into her romantic life. She just got out of a relationship that was mostly a plot-driven mess, and honestly, at her age, she should know how she feels about a man. This constantly questioning whether or not her feelings for him are romantic is stupid. Having Amanda and Lauren push her to talk to him about this has too much of a bloody elementary school feel to it than a soap. Can we move on from this couple?
Stop mooning over the lesbianI don't understand why they brought Noah back if only to turn him into Eeyore who looks as though he needs five Redbulls for breakfast and a B12 shot for lunch daily, just to stay awake.
He's heartbroken over his ex-girlfriend that we've never met. We've never even heard her name, which means we're not connected to her or their relationship. That means nobody bloody cares.
And now, to make the story more annoying, all the guy does is mope around Genoa City refusing job offers and seeming to still be pining over Tessa when he got over hear years ago. It's embarrassing. I want better for him, not for him to be having feelings for a woman who is self-professed gay, who is in love with and having a baby with his sister.
He seems creepy and desperate, though he's a handsome guy, who we're told is artistically talented.
My advice to Noah is to move on. Leave the lesbians alone, love. There are plenty of straight, single women out there. No gay woman watching this story wants Tessa to suddenly become bisexual. It's offensive. They wouldn't do this to a gay man so please...end it.
My guess is that once Tessa and Mariah look into adopting, they'll realize that it can take years to get a baby and they'll start shopping around for a donor. Noah's got nothing better to do so will offer himself.
He's heartbroken over his ex-girlfriend that we've never met. We've never even heard her name, which means we're not connected to her or their relationship. That means nobody bloody cares.
And now, to make the story more annoying, all the guy does is mope around Genoa City refusing job offers and seeming to still be pining over Tessa when he got over hear years ago. It's embarrassing. I want better for him, not for him to be having feelings for a woman who is self-professed gay, who is in love with and having a baby with his sister.
He seems creepy and desperate, though he's a handsome guy, who we're told is artistically talented.
My advice to Noah is to move on. Leave the lesbians alone, love. There are plenty of straight, single women out there. No gay woman watching this story wants Tessa to suddenly become bisexual. It's offensive. They wouldn't do this to a gay man so please...end it.
My guess is that once Tessa and Mariah look into adopting, they'll realize that it can take years to get a baby and they'll start shopping around for a donor. Noah's got nothing better to do so will offer himself.
What's Ashland hiding this time?Ashland made a mysterious call to a mysterious person about a Christmas gift for Victoria but that gift never materialized. We know at Ash is keeping yet another secret, one that he could have told Victoria before they married and didn't. That'll come up within the next few weeks.
Could it be that he was never sick in the first place, as I suggested countless times in other Y&R opinion pieces?
Could it be that he was never sick in the first place, as I suggested countless times in other Y&R opinion pieces?
Nick's standalone episodeY&R is making these standalone episodes a regular thing.
Most seem to prefer episodes that feature many cast members and more than one storyline to stave off the inevitable boredom that they can experience focusing on one character for too long. Even if these episodes focus on a fan fave, I've heard viewers complain that they get on their nerves.
Some viewers enjoy them. They feel that it allows the actors to shine in their own element and provides insight into their character. True.
This may be an unpopular opinion:
Nick's standalone episode was rather melancholy for me. I enjoyed Faith's adorable elf ears and Summer's surprising return, but I didn't like Cassie's reappearance. I don't feel nostalgic when Cassie appears because it feels as though they're trotting her out as a plot device to make the audience cry. This wasn't relatable. We've all had loved ones die and none of us have seen them return as a ghost or even in a dream to provide advice. It's annoying. Besides, didn't we already have a Nick standalone with Cassie as a ghost who returned at Christmas?
Instead of constantly revisiting the past, I think it's safe to say that everyone would love to see new, exciting storylines.
Most seem to prefer episodes that feature many cast members and more than one storyline to stave off the inevitable boredom that they can experience focusing on one character for too long. Even if these episodes focus on a fan fave, I've heard viewers complain that they get on their nerves.
Some viewers enjoy them. They feel that it allows the actors to shine in their own element and provides insight into their character. True.
This may be an unpopular opinion:
Nick's standalone episode was rather melancholy for me. I enjoyed Faith's adorable elf ears and Summer's surprising return, but I didn't like Cassie's reappearance. I don't feel nostalgic when Cassie appears because it feels as though they're trotting her out as a plot device to make the audience cry. This wasn't relatable. We've all had loved ones die and none of us have seen them return as a ghost or even in a dream to provide advice. It's annoying. Besides, didn't we already have a Nick standalone with Cassie as a ghost who returned at Christmas?
Instead of constantly revisiting the past, I think it's safe to say that everyone would love to see new, exciting storylines.
Sally and Adam's chemistrySally and Adam are arguably one of the most interesting potential love interests on the show. We know both are attracted to each other, they shared those really hot kisses, and they've chemistry to spare. He told her that they should keep their relationship professional, which had me ranting that it would have been impossible for him to deny such a sexy woman since he hadn't had sex in ages. It was for the best since he was her boss and that's rather off putting. Now that Chelsea is back and will be Sally's boss, maybe something between Adam and Sally can be revisited.
I'm still into these two as a pairing, but I don't like how he's been playing her to do his bidding to get the dirt on Billy. I'm also not a fan of how she's falling all over herself to get that dirt. It screams of desperation that I don't want to see for these two.
With Chelsea back, since she's out of her mind, we're already seeing her jealousy burning a hole through her stomach. Could 2022 be the year that we finally get some drama? Could Chelsea and scheme to get rid of the redhead by using her henchwoman...or so-called friend Chloe?
I'm still into these two as a pairing, but I don't like how he's been playing her to do his bidding to get the dirt on Billy. I'm also not a fan of how she's falling all over herself to get that dirt. It screams of desperation that I don't want to see for these two.
With Chelsea back, since she's out of her mind, we're already seeing her jealousy burning a hole through her stomach. Could 2022 be the year that we finally get some drama? Could Chelsea and scheme to get rid of the redhead by using her henchwoman...or so-called friend Chloe?