News that The Young and the Restless has a new pair of head writers, Jamey Giddens and Dan O’Connor, made us think about how to breathe life into the show. Here are 3 things the new writers absolutely must do right away.
Key Takeaways
- Y&R needs more romance.
- Y&R needs Victor to lose.
- Y&R needs someone to root for.
Bring Romance Back to the Heart of Genoa City
Soaps are, first and foremost, about romance. Name the hot couples of Genoa City. Go ahead. We’ll wait.
Sally (Courtney Hope) and Billy (Jason Thompson) have negative chemistry. Adam (Mark Grossman) and Chelsea (Melissa Claire Egan) just talk about business. Claire (Hayley Erin) and Holden (Nathan Owens) sit around, worrying about their parents. Phyllis (Michelle Stafford) and Matt (Roger Howarth) are both psychopaths. Noah (Lucas Adams) and Sienna (Tamara Braun)… we honestly have no idea what they’re doing. And Lily (Christel Khalil) and Cane (Billy Flynn) change their minds about each other daily. This is not romance.
Let Victor Face Real Consequences
Victor (Eric Braeden) always wins. Always. It doesn’t matter if he’s wrong, like with bringing Patty (Stacy Haiduk) to Genoa City. It doesn’t matter if he’s a criminal, like with kidnapping Jack (Peter Bergman). It doesn’t matter if he was outplayed, like with Phyllis.
Victor always wins in the end. Which means there is no drama, no suspense. And it’s particularly disgusting to watch him make Michael (Christian Le Blanc) grovel, and Nikki (Melody Thomas Scott) feel guilty for calling him out.
Victor needs to lose once in a while. Not only because it would be the karma he long deserves, but because it would make his conflicts less dull.
Give Viewers Someone Worth Rooting For
Finally, Y&R needs characters we want to root for. Not just in romance, but overall. In the fight over Newman Enterprises, everyone — and we mean EVERYONE, including Victor, Phyllis, Cane, and Billy — was insufferable. We were rooting for them all to lose. We weren’t rooting for anyone to win.
We need to want characters we care about to succeed. We don’t. No one is fighting for anything; no one wants anything honorable. At best, we have Diane (Susan Walters) and Jack trying to escape Patty, and Sally and Audra (Zuleyka Silver) getting out of the Victor-Adam-Newman wars. That’s a good start.
But we need so, so much more. We need likable characters —for Pete’s — Dan’s? Jamey’s? — sake?
