A Critic’s Review Of The Young and the Restless: Bad Optics & A Chef’s Kiss

When it comes to The Young and the Restless, every fan has their own opinion – and Soap Hub is no different. For five days, we sat and watched the good, the bad, and everything in between, and now we offer you a handy review, and a cheeky critique, of Y&R’s week that was.

The Young and the Restless: The Critic Offers HIS Take

The threat — promise? — of Sharon (Sharon Case), Nicholas (Joshua Morrow), Phyllis (Michelle Stafford), and Adam (Mark Grossman) all toiling alongside one another at No Longer Adusts had my Restless Style-era loving heart going pitter-patter, but, unfortunately, I think Josh Griffith has overestimated how many of us would find exploiting a subject like statutory rape “entertaining.”

Tucker (Trevor St. John) cheating on Ashley (Eileen Davidson) and cheating business partners is one thing, but purposefully covering up, even for a brief moment, such a heinous act is another thing entirely. And just as Tucker has been tarnished with this storyline, so too has Audra (Zuleyka Silver) and Phyllis and Adam — Audra for allowing her sex to be used and abused and the latter two for capitalizing on the assaults.

Poor plotting and bad optics aside, there’s also the incongruity of a company extending a job offer to Phyllis when she, you know, if facing possible jail time.

Further Y&R Musings

* Imagine the multitude of possibilities if the character of Christine (Lauralee Bell) existed outside the vacuum of the oft-repeated, never-ending, no longer pleasurable to view “Bug” vs. “Red” feud.

* Nikki (Melody Thomas Scott) putting Nate (Sean Dominic) on notice was delectable, but the true *chef’s kiss* was Elena’s (Brytni Sarpy) excoriation of her ex. One of the many sins JG has to answer for is the criminal underuse of the divine Ms. Sarpy.

* You Win Some: Abby (Melissa Ordway) speaks for the viewer when she accuses Ashley of prioritizing her need to revenge herself against Diane (Susan Walters) above all else… You Lose Some: …only to immediately be snowed by her mother’s apparent about-face.

The Young and the Restless airs weekdays on CBS. For an in-depth look at the show’s history, click here.

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