A Critic’s Review Of The Young and the Restless: Wasted Return, History & Judgment

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 Complains (Big Surprise!)

On the one hand, how wonderful to see Shemar Moore back as Malcolm Winters. On the other hand, what a waste. Firstly, why not play Malcolm opposite the likes of heavy hitters Victor Newman (Eric Braeden) and Jack Abbott (Peter Reckell) — whose absence at the memorial was very conspicuous — and Tucker (Trevor St. John) with whom he was once involved in shady shenanigans?

And would anybody who wasn’t already aware of the character’s histories have even gleaned that Malcolm was once Nate’s (Sean Dominic) stepfather and that Nate had looked upon Neil as his actual Pops? Ditto the fact that he and Phyllis (Michelle Stafford) used to be the best of friends — and a wee bit more? Would it really have killed Josh Griffith to include some one-on-one scenes between Malcolm and Nate and Malcolm and Daniel (Michael Graziadei)? Then again…is Josh Griffith even aware? He has sort of proven in the past that he doesn’t quite care about a character’s history and/or throughline.

If anything, the episode seemed less about integrating Malcolm back into the canvas for his pitifully brief return and even less about honoring Neil Winters’s (Kristoff St. John) memory [nothing but a solitary flashback to a scene between Neil and Lily] than it was a further propping of Devon (Bryton James).

Now he decides to take Neil’s last name? Not during all the years that Neil and Drucilla raised him nor all the subsequent years when Neil was still alive and such an action would have meant the world to him but now? Okay…makes about as much sense as anything else going on on The Young and the Restless these days.

Speaking of, I just cannot with Daniel and Summer (Allison Lanier). Daniel especially. In his desperate attempt to get the truth about Phyllis out and the open without exposing his sister’s complicity, Daniel will most assuredly expose his sister’s complicity.

Now, if this was any other soap opera [well, barring B&B], I’d probably be all for that. The dramatic fallout would enliven the canvas, the consequences would be far-reaching, and a whole swath of the cast would be enveloped in the tale. But this is The Young and the Restless. I’m not holding my breath.

Further Y&R Musings

* Nice to see Y&R is no longer wasting that nice, talented Elizabeth Hendrickson [Chloe Mitchell] in nothing scenes. Oh, wait…

* Oh, yay, more brooding, pouting Connor (Judah Mackey). How I missed — said no one…I’m guessing. [If I’m wrong, let me know in the comments below.]

* Score one for Victor (Eric Braeden), natch.

* Yea, yea, I get it. Nate is a damn dirty dog. That granted, Miss Elena (Brytni Sarpy) really should reserve some of that judgment for her own fast self — though she does gain a point for at least acknowledging that she did cheat with Nate. If only she’d added that she turned right around and cheated on him with Devon and started the whole roller coaster all over again.

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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