You may have noticed I took last week off. In January of this year, I was a victim of downsizing from my regular, everyday job, and I have been searching for work since. Mercifully I was recently hired by a small company, and on April 30, I began a new job. This new position is very different hours, and is substantially different work than I was doing previously, and I am having to adjust to a radically altered schedule…meaning I’m having a problem with time management. I’m hoping you’ll all bear with me as I get used to the changes. On the upside, I am no longer stuck on my couch, and can once again buy groceries. Always a plus.

I had hoped that taking a week off would let allow my level of discontent with this show cool a bit. I haven’t even watched all the episodes of late (which seems to be a trend for me during the last three sweeps periods.)  Alas. I am still completely disgusted.

What can I say? It’s sweeps month and THIS….THIS is what they’re giving us. Newlywed Tucker jumping in bed with Yolanda…who’s trying to keep from jumping in bed with newlywed Neil. Sharon having a fling with her father-in-law several times over. HER FATHER-IN-LAW. All the years of Victor claiming he looks at Sharon as a daughter make this especially creepy. Daniel has decided his best move is to marry crazy Daisy…so, yet another loveless marriage. What the hell is this? They’ve left me with nothing to write about. All of these things are what we were told would be happening, but it’s so terribly uninteresting, I have no actual commentary.

There is one bright spot: Chelsea and Adam. Their relationship started as a friendship, and seems to be built on a mutual respect. They know the other’s crimes, so there is a level of honesty, and that in itself is refreshing.  But the rest of this show? Utter garbage. Look at some of the choices the writers have made in their version of “romance.” Nick dumped Phyllis for Sharon, and then he slept with Phyllis’s sister, Avery. Why in the world would Phyllis ever marry him again? And Phyllis, who had previously been told she would never have another child (before Summer was born) is miraculously pregnant AGAIN…at a time when the character would more likely be facing menopause.

But here’s more evidence these writers put little or no thought into things. Daniel ostensibly married Daisy (the woman who RAPED HIM) to keep Lucy safe. He then IMMEDIATELY got Daisy drunk and left her ALONE with the baby…so he could go have a booty call with Eden. So…Daniel, who up until now has been relatively sympathetic, in one episode neglected Lucy and used Eden. Did he think Eden wouldn’t be upset to discover he was a newlywed? I can’t tell if this is just a way to destroy Daniel or if it’s some lame campaign to try to make us feel something besides loathing and contempt for Daisy. And Daisy’s declarations of love for Daniel? Only serve to make my skin crawl. (Not to mention her effusiveness about the sex. Just. Stop.)

If you really want evidence at how much the stories have deteriorated, one need only look at the EMMY nominations. Firstly, I put no stock at this point in the noms for writing, directing, best show, etc. There are so few shows from which to choose, quality is no longer necessarily a factor to making the list. They need five shows on the list, and there are only six to choose from this year. It stands to reason lesser quality shows will receive a nod. Examine instead the acting nominations. There are six acting categories, with a total of 28 actors nominated. Only three…THREE…are from Y&R. That’s pitiful from a cast which boasts so many previous nominees and winners. I do not, however, blame the actors. If all your character has to play is illicit, meaningless sex, you aren’t like to garner an award. Nor will you receive accolades if your only function is to be a prop or a doormat for Victor Newman.

I’m actually sad for the actors. It’s apparent they continually give their best effort even when they must be losing hope. They deserve better. Instead, their treatment continues to deteriorate…as evidenced by the abhorrent writing for the character of Ashley and the subsequent dismissal of fan favorite Eileen Davidson. 

So who is in the running for a shiny statue? Genie Francis (Genevieve) and Elizabeth Hendrickson (Chloe) both received nominations in the category of Outstanding Supporting Actress, and (as I had hoped) Christel Khalil is nominated in the Outstanding Younger Actress category. I adore Hendrickson and nearly worship Francis, but given what they had for stories this past year, I’m not convinced either will win their category. This, however, may very well be Khalil’s year...at least it should be. 

E-mails and Notes

Your comments and questions.

“Martini Kitty, what are your thoughts on the latest Y&R casting news that ATWT alum Jennifer Landon (who's also the daughter of the late legendary primetime tv actor Michael Landon) has been cast as the third actress to play Heather Stevens as an adult, along with your first impression of the SORAS'd NuKyle?  Chris”

Chris…you should know before I answer I am an unabashed fan of Michael Landon…who apparently really was a kind, hardworking, and genuine as he always seemed. I recently read quite a bit of biographical material on him, and was surprised at how much of himself he put into his roles. He was far more than an actor.

Given that, I was primed to love his daughter, Jennifer, when she appeared on ATWT, and she exceeded my expectations. Not only is she a fantastic actor, she is also a marvelous singer. If I were to base my opinion on my admiration of her, I would be very excited to have her coming to Y&R, in spite of the fact she is nearly unrecognizable as a redhead these days. Landon is certainly a better choice to embody Heather than (the also very talented but terribly miscast) Eden Riegel. However, the writers have made it clear they have no idea WHO Heather is these days. The last incarnation bore little or no resemblance to how Heather was originally conceived. The other problem, of course, is the track record of hiring EMMY winning actresses only to completely misuse them.

And I don’t know what to make of NuKyle. Because Kyle skipped about 14 years, NuKyle is essentially just a new character, and he’s barely been established as anything more than angry and horny. It’s hard to base any kind of opinion on so little information. My only comment is he certainly looks a lot like Adam (Michael Muhney.)

“I don’t think Eileen (Davidson) should have been fired.

However, given the writing of late I am totally turned off by Ashley's behavior. She ran a marriage as if it was merely for her and her alone. Her husband was there simply to worship her, give to her and bow to her. She rarely if ever listened to him and when she heard something she did not approve of she ran and refused to talk. She chased her husband away quite simply in much the way she did to Brad.

Worse this time is listening to little spoiled Abby. This over grown child had nearly killed Tucker and left him comatose for months. She suffered not at all for her crimes yet feels a moral superiority to lash out at a man who shielded her (as few in real life would). Worse is listening to Billy a fan favorite who just had lied to his wife about illegally buying a baby, ran away got drunk and had an illegitimate child. He too, feels he can condemn Tucker? How is that possible? And dear old Jack, well before even speaking of Ashley he was angry Tucker may have bid for BON! Right Jack, Tucker never had a right to conduct business in the manner Jack always does? Again, I’m stricken by horrible hypocrisy. Instead of caring for the Abbotts I now find them hard to tolerate.
Great writing guys?  Jaime”

Jaime…your observations are spot on. First the writers deconstructed Ashley until she was nothing more than a shrill harpy, and then they used that as an excuse to get rid of her. Her relationship with Tucker could have been that of a powerful, brilliant couple. Instead it was turned into a farce.

And you could not be more correct about those sitting in judgment of Tucker, ESPECIALLT Abby. I still don’t know what function Abby serves, and I have never warmed up to Marcy Rylan in the role. I’m certain it is partly due to my abhorrence for Super SORASing (as was recently done to Kyle, and is about to be done to Summer and Fen,) but also because the character seems to have no purpose or direction, and any facts established about her are forgotten as quickly as they’re written. Does she still have a substance abuse issue? Does anyone remember she tried to kill Tucker? Anything that might inform the character’s behavior has been erased, so she is nothing more than a blank slate. The worst part is Abby SHOULD be central…she is a legacy/heritage character from TWO of the show’s anchor families.  Instead she is formless, and ultimately boring. And that’s the last thing an Abbott/Newman offspring should be.

Incidentally, I saw a photo of NuSummer (Lindsay Bushman). The casting people are ignoring reality again, and have cast a blonde in the role of the child with a brunette father and a redheaded mother. She also looks decidedly like Abby did before she was fast-forwarded into her mid 20s…begging the question if TPTB wanted a blonde teenager, by did they insist on rapid-aging Abby?  Don’t worry, though.  We all know writing for teens is “hard,” so they will probably make her twenty-onee sometime in 2013.

 

 

Until next time, remember: it’s shaken, not
stirred and there should always be a twist!!

 

 

 

 

 

Young & The Restless
Eileen Davidson (Ashley) is out. What’s your opinion?	I’m fine with it. I didn’t like Ashley. I’m angry. I love Ashley, or at least what Ashley used to be. I’m sad. It demonstrates TPTB have no commitment to the Abbott family. I’m annoyed. Too many vets leaving and newbies coming in. I’m ambivalent. Her departure does not move me.
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