A Critic’s Review Of The Young and the Restless: Foolishness, Drive-bys & Flying Chairs

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 Ponders

Have you ever heard the expression “Well I didn’t have [insert some such nonsensical happening] on my bingo card”? Well, I didn’t have Phyllis (Michelle Stafford) stabbing Jeremy Stark (James Hyde) to death with a pair of scissors on my bingo card.

Do you know what else I didn’t have on there? Foolish Phyllis cleans up the crime scene and absconds with the baddie’s body. Why waste such a pitch-perfect opportunity for Phyllis to be hailed a hero for ridding the world of a villain like Jeremy whom she could falsely accuse of kidnapping and torturing her and doing it all on Diane’s (Susan Walters) say so?

There I go playing armchair head writer again. I’ve got to get that under control.

Further Y&R Musings

* After a decade of being written further and further afield of who he truly is, it’s nice to know that with Jack [or, at least Peter Bergman’s version] there’s at least one constant: he loves to throw a chair.

* Delight of the Week: Ashley’s (Eileen Davidson), Abby’s (Melissa Ordway), and Victor’s (Eric Braeden) drive-by interaction.

* I might not be able to wrap my head around just what TPTB at The Young and the Restless is doing as it pertains to Phyllis’s story, but I can see — and appreciate — the fine performances being eked out by the likes of Christian Le Blanc [Michael Baldwin] and Lauralee Bell [Christine Blair]. Their blistering back and forth at Crimson Lights was delicious. [Is it too much to hope that we’ll actually get to be privy to Lauren’s (Tracey Bregman) reaction to her husband’s defending Diane?]

What I can’t bring myself to appreciate, however, is Michael Mealor’s bullish, grating arrogance. I suppose Kyle’s eventual “thank you” to Billy (Jason Thompson) for distracting him from his worries was supposed to negate his pissy, prissy attitude beforehand, but it didn’t. Not as far as I was concerned.

* I see that Young and the Restless is still slowly, ever so slowly heading towards a Sharon/Chance pairing, and I approve. Not because I think Sharon Case and Connor Floyd have any discernable chemistry you see, but because this is better than anything and everything else that they’ve had Sharon [both the actress and the character] doing in years.

* I want to feel for Tucker (Trevor St. John), really I do. I’ve even tried to squeeze out some sympathy for this particular Devil. But then I think about the Audra (Zuleyka Silver), of it all, and there I am standing firmly behind Ashley (Eileen Davidson).

* It pains me mightily every time Y&R has Victor Newman (Eric Braeden), of all people, arbitrate what and who is best for his children. Nick, Adam, Sally, and Nikki were all in his cross-hairs this week. And for him to utter questions like “How does this situation look to people”, just, ugh. This coming from a man who married a stripper, immediately impregnated his business rival’s daughter then browbeat her into a nervous breakdown, went on to marry a plethora of other women INCLUDING HIS FORMER DAUGHTER-IN-LAW, and once hired a Colombian criminal to impersonate Jack. Won’t somebody, anybody remind this man of his OWN past doings?!

* It was nice to see Esther (Kate Linder) welcome Devon (Bryton James) back into the Chancellor-Winters fold. And Mrs. C and Neil would be pleased to see Lily (Christel Khalil) and Devon make nice with each other.

* Okay, surely the little darling playing Aria has stolen the title of “Most adorable daytime TV baby”.

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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