When Mishael Morgan rejoined The Young and the Restless as attorney Amanda Sinclair, she didn’t have a ton of dramatic material to play — mostly, she was busy absorbing the reactions of everyone around her over the resemblance she bore to the late Hilary, the woman she’d later discover was her twin.
Mishael Morgan — Performer of the Week
However, Morgan had plenty of opportunities to shine this past week as Amanda finally sat down with her birth mother Naya Benedict (Ptosha Storey) — and shine she did! As a lawyer, Amanda is trained not to bring emotion to her legal arguments, however, she was desperate to get every bit of info she could from her mother.
For taking us on an emotional roller coaster this week, Soap Hub bestows Performer of the Week for YR honors to Morgan.
Part of Amanda was hoping that Naya would be filled with nothing but regret and tell her that she didn’t want to give her and her sister away, but she did because she had no choice. Amanda, however, was stunned that Naya said she moved on after giving her daughters up for adoption. Naya finished her education, married, and had a daughter — Imani (Leigh-Ann Rose).
Morgan vulnerably played Amanda growing hopeful after Naya admitted that giving up her twins helped her be a better mother to Imani. Amanda tried to take solace in the fact that something good came out of there being an empty space in her heart — even though she wasn’t the direct beneficiary.
During their talk, it was revealed that Rose (Leslie Stevens), Hilary and Amanda’s unnamed father, and Hilary, too, were all dead. Amanda hoped that all that loss would somehow result in her and her mother becoming closer, but instead of more Naya, Amanda got nada.
When Imani showed up, so did Amanda’s ire. Imani maintained that there was no way that Amanda was her sister, prompting Amanda to shoot Naya a look that read really?
Naya came clean with Imani and Amanda watched her mother walk out on her again, taking her half-sister with her. When a tearful Amanda showed up at Devon’s, seeking solace, her eyes filled with tears. Morgan truly got to show how utterly devastating it was to come face to face with her mother, but not being able to bond with her the way she so desperately wanted.
“I want a mother to love me, unconditionally — more than anything in the world…” Amanda lamented, bearing her soul to Devon.
Amanda’s brother-in-law gently informed her that he went through his own ups and downs after reconnecting with his biological dad, Tucker (Stephen Nichols), offering her hope.
Alas, Amanda’s hopes for a possible future with Naya and perhaps even her newly discovered sister were dashed when she was served with a restraining order. Amanda connecting with her biological family has allowed Morgan to play a myriad of emotions — sadness, hope, and anger.
Ironically, the attorney first came to Genoa City trying to take something away from Devon, but now he’s the one who stands to give Amanda what she so desperately needs — an emotional anchor. The Young and the Restless (YR) airs weekdays on CBS. Check local listings for airtimes.
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