A Critic’s Review of Young and the Restless: Where’s The Beef?

When it comes to 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: A Critic’s Week In Review

Diane Jenkins (Susan Walters) being alive and well and upending Jack Abbott’s (Peter Bergman) existence continues to the be the best thing about The Young and the Restless.

Well, all the accompanying flashbacks to her second to last reign of terror in Genoa City is actually the best thing about Y&R at the moment, but the storyline that they’re helping bolster is a close second.

Gosh, remember when Jack had a discernible – and downright sexy – personality? I do. And thank goodness those flashbacks have backed up my memory. I was almost ready to admit that I’d imagined all that and Jack had actually been dithering “Uncle Jack” for all this decades. Can you imagine the Jack of the last, oh say 10 years, actually stripping down for some moonlight skinny-dipping? Me either.

If only the whole of The Young and the Restless could be so interesting…as those long past days. Heck, if only the whole of Y&R could be so interesting as the Diane Is Alive storyline.

Victoria Newman Locke (Amelia Heinle) continues to grate; Ashland Locke (Robert Newman) is still patently unappealing; and Victor Newman (Eric Braeden) is just so mind-numbingly frustrating. It’s honestly his fault that all this has transpired on the first place. If he’d just let Billy Abbott (Jason Thompson) out Ashland as the duplicitous snake that he is Ashland and Victoria wouldn’t be married and Ashland wouldn’t be Co-CEO of Newman/Locke.

But least you think I’m only going to say nice things about Billy, think again. Thank goodness that sorry sap has got Lily Winters (Christel Khalil) in his corner, because anybody else would have already kicked his whiny, self-pitying behind to the curb. How can someone so blessed be so blind?

Well, I ask that question of Billy, when I should be asking it of about half The Young and the Restless’ male population. Rey Rosales (Jordi Vilasuso) and Chance Chancellor (Conner Floyd) have lives that some men spend lifetimes dreaming of, and all they see fit to do is complain. If they’re so hard done by, why don’t they just cut their losses and go?

Rey can divorce Sharon Rosales (Sharon Case) and go find himself a young chicky that he can knock-up and start a family with, and Chance can just ditch Abby Multiple Last Names and Dominic More Last Names Than You Can Shake A Stick At and go off adventuring to his hearts content. Why stay when you’re so patently unhappy? What’s that you say? If they left they wouldn’t have things to complain about and complaining is half the fun? Got ya! If only that made for compelling TV.

Further Y&R Musings

* Why in the world would Allie Nguyen (Kelsey Wang) actually go back to Diane’s and engage that clearly crazy woman in conversation? Maybe Ashley Abbott (Eileen Davidson) is right to worry. That’s not the actions of a rational, all together person.

The Young and the Restless (YR) airs weekdays on CBS. Check your local listings for airtimes. For more about what’s coming up in Genoa City, check out all the latest that’s been posted on Y&R spoilers, and for an in-depth look at the show’s history, click here.