The Young and the Restless (YR) was the last soap to include LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, transgender, questioning) characters in their stories. That changed when Mariah and newcomer Tessa shared an onscreen smooch.
Has the same-sex pairing been a hit with fans? Or might Y&R have to go back to the drawing board to get a same-sex couple that the fans will rally around?
Soap Hub asked viewers if they thought Mariah (Camryn Grimes) and Tessa (Cait Fairbanks) should be together and the results may surprise you!
Timing Is Everything
There was a day when gay characters were nothing more than “talk to’s” on soaps or their lovers were talked about but they lived in another state, off-camera. That changed with duos like Sonny and Will on Days of Our Lives (DOOL) and Parker and Kristina on General Hospital (GH).
While fans root for those pairings (if, that is, they can see past the age difference in the GH couple), the majority of you, just under 90%, don’t think that Tessa and Mariah should be together. Perhaps it’s because Mariah has already been linked to men on Y&R: she was engaged to Tyler and has been dating Devon.
What’s interesting is that Devon and Hilary have a huge following so many of their fans would be happy to see Mariah move on to someone else, but it doesn’t appear if many of the “Hevon” (Hilary/Devon) fans want Mariah to be with Tessa.
Keeping An Open Mind
A little over 10% of you voted that yes, Tessa and Mariah should be together. These voters may feel that Mariah, who’s still young, has had failed relationships with men for a reason. Perhaps she’s looking for someone else in life — and that someone could be Tessa!
There hasn’t been a lot of in-depth analysis as to why Mariah is hanging out so much with Tessa. Grimes has been doing a great job of taking a lot pauses and expressing thoughtful looks as to what her character is experiencing but she hasn’t had a confidante with whom she can share this part of her life.
The story is developing slowly. Right now, Mariah and Tessa are more concerned with finding Crystal, Tessa’s sister, than anything else. Hopefully, when that’s resolved, they can examine exactly what their relationship is and if they want it to move forward.
The Young and the Restless airs weekdays on CBS. Share your thoughts, leave a comment in the section below. Win exclusive member-only Y&R spoilers, prizes, and more: sign up here. Also, join the conversation on our Facebook page.
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