This past week on Y&R certainly was all over the place (but not in a bad way). There was tension, there was business drama, there was family drama, a tearjerker, a cliffhanger, and even a good laugh or two. It's a soap opera, so of course, there was a bit of "campiness" and a few things worth nitpicking over, but I found it to be quite the entertaining week overall.
Ashley's latest alter, Belle, was especially entertaining. I wasn't a huge fan of Belle's accent, but I get why they need to give each alter something unique like that. It helps the audience to be able to tell each of them apart easily so that we can immediately identify which alter, or Ashley herself, is in control at any given moment. It helps, too, that Eileen Davidson is such a powerhouse of an actress and is able to seamlessly play each of these identities so uniquely and, when appropriate, have a little fun with it.
I think what I am loving the most about Ashley's scenes lately is how much screen time she has shared with her sister, Traci. Beth Maitland is another powerhouse actress, and these two ladies have not been disappointing us. As Traci tried to understand "Belle's" behavior, which is so vastly different from how her sister would normally behave, the reactions that she had and the looks on her face were priceless. Beth expertly walked a tightrope of emotions as her character, Traci, tried to care for Ashley without publicly humiliating her for the strange way she was behaving. It was incredibly touching to see how much empathy, concern, and -- most importantly -- love she has for her sister.
But of course, the real highlight of the week was when "Belle" told Traci that she wanted them to do shots of tequila together. I had a good laugh as Traci looked shocked by the suggestion while "Belle" kept trying to insist that Traci should relax and have fun with her. I have to admit, part of me really wanted Traci to let loose and have the shots with her sister! But, of course, she knows her sister is going through a mental health crisis, and alcohol won't help anything. So, I guess the most we can hope for is that they go out for mimosas and get tipsy together once Ashley is healed. I'll be keeping my fingers crossed that happens because, as much as I love to see these actresses deliver the drama to us, I also love to see them letting loose and having fun together when the occasion arises. In the meantime, though, I'll take the family drama!
I have to admit, though, that I was sort of hoping Tucker was going to play more of a role in "saving" Ashley by helping her through this mental health crisis (and who knows, maybe there is still a chance that he will be able to be her hero). I think it is very interesting that they are bringing Ashley's psychiatrist friend from Paris into the mix now, though. Even though "Belle" has ulterior motives for wanting an appointment with him, it's definitely a step in the right direction that one of Ashley's alters is finally allowing her to seek professional help.
Sure, it's not ideal that "Belle" just wants to seduce the good doctor so that she can help Ashley get over Tucker, but it's a better idea than what her other alter, "Ms. Abbott," had in mind -- which was to kill Tucker. Tucker better hope that alter doesn't end up in control again anytime soon! I would much rather see them reunite than to see their story end tragically, but it is a soap opera, so you never know if you are going to get the tragedy or the happy ending.
I was eagerly anticipating that this storyline was just a long ride on the road to a reunion for Tucker and Ashley, and maybe it still could be, but it is becoming more and more unclear as to whether that is the direction the writers are taking us or not. I'm still firmly keeping my fingers crossed for an Ashley/Tucker reunion. They have great chemistry and a great love -- something that Audra and Tucker are missing in their relationship.
Don't get me wrong: I love both Tucker and Audra; in fact, they are two of my favorite characters currently. But I really don't like them as a romantic pair. I have not been a fan of this sudden change in their dynamic. I didn't believe Audra when she told Tucker that she loved him -- and clearly, she doesn't believe it, either, since she keeps turning down his marriage proposal. In general, I do think that Audra has a fondness for Tucker that is a type of love, but it just doesn't feel like it's a romantic type of love between them. Their dynamic worked better when they were just business partners, occasional "bed buddies," and best friends.
I think that Audra and Tucker's sexual attraction for one another (and their obvious fear that they will end up alone with no one to love them) blurred the lines between their desires and their emotional feelings. But these things do happen, and relationships built on that type of foundation can lead to long and fulfilling partnerships. So, I suppose that only time (and eventual spoilers) will tell us whether or not they have the staying power to make their relationship last. My bet is that Ashley continues to send waves toward Tucker and Audra's already rocky relationship until she causes them to capsize.
Ashley wasn't the only Abbott making waves around Genoa City this week. Billy was making his rounds at Chancellor-Winters (CW) trying to create as much havoc as possible. Why? Because the more unstable that CW appears to be, the easier it will be for him to continue to push the need for operating the two halves as separate companies again. He also seems convinced that Lily will ultimately agree with his vision of the two of them running things together as a team and leading their families' companies. Thankfully, Lily seems firmly rooted in not going along with any of Billy's plans, so I'm remaining hopeful that he will not succeed in turning her against her own family.
However, after some of the decisions she made recently and the way she and Billy were cozying up to one another, I am not confident that I know for certain what she might do anymore. And I sort of love that she has become a loose cannon! Even if I don't agree with all the decisions she's made recently, I appreciate how she has stood up for herself and started to show some of the fire and backbone that comes from her presumed-dead mother, Drucilla (may she hopefully not be resting in peace and return to Genoa City one day). Given that Dru and Phyllis had an infamous rivalry, it's sort of fitting that the torch is passed to Lily -- especially since she will need to be prepared when Phyllis puts her revenge plot into motion against Chancellor-Winters for how they've treated her son, Daniel.
Lily may have another rivalry brewing, too, since it seems that she and Devon may find themselves at odds again when it comes to certain business decisions. Like Devon, I was surprised when Lily voted against giving Nate more power in the company at this time. But I was more surprised (and really impressed) with how well Nate took it! Nate was gracious and made sure Lily knows he holds no ill will regarding her decision. Devon, on the other hand, took it personally when she didn't uphold his motion to add Nate back to the board and seemed to be the most upset about the decision.
Surprisingly, the writers gave us some great scenes this week that reminded us why Abby and Devon are a great couple and should be featured together more. I wasn't sure about her recent appointment as a board member at Chancellor-Winters, but after this week, I am very thankful that she is there. Abby was like a breath of fresh air as she became the voice of reason for Devon while he vented about Lily's decision. When Devon gets all "holier-than-thou," he really starts to irritate me, so I was prepared to do some eye rolling as he started griping.
But then the writers threw us a curveball as Abby reasoned with Devon, talked him through his concerns, and actually had a real conversation with him about what is really bothering him. I don't think any other character has ever been able to get through to Devon like that since Neil died, and it was a thing of beauty. I give kudos to the writers for breaking from their formula to show us some real character growth. He and Abby have the potential to stay together for years to come if they can continue to communicate the way that they do.
A different couple on the show, though, does not seem to have the same staying power to make their relationship last. Yes, I'm (begrudgingly) talking about Summer and Chance. With how much resentment Chance seems to have toward the Abbotts and Newmans, her family's "bad behavior" was bound to be an issue between them at some point; now, it appears we have reached that point. And honestly? I don't really care if they stay together or not. I'm just not invested in them as a couple; so, let's move on.
Summer had much bigger issues to deal with throughout the week as she waited to hear news about Harrison. At the start of the week, Jordan was still holding the boy as her hostage, and it was so heartbreaking to hear her say things to him about how his parents didn't want him anymore. I got a little teary-eyed when, during Harrison's rescue, he stopped and asked his mom about why they didn't want him anymore. You could feel Summer's heartbreak as she realized the awful lies her stepson had been told by the madwoman who had kidnapped him. Hopefully, Harrison isn't traumatized for life! But, as a soap opera character, I suppose it's only a matter of time before your first trauma.
Speaking of Harrison's rescue, maybe Kyle should take Chance's place on the police force and leave the corporate world behind. It was a bit of a stretch the way all the pieces came together for him to be the one to rescue his son, but I was relieved that the kidnapping plot wasn't drawn on for too long. I don't think I could have handled many more scenes of Jordan bullying Harrison -- it was so heartbreaking!! No adult should treat a child that way. I can only image what she might have done to Claire, who is still missing.
While Harrison was being rescued, Jordan was away from the motel that she had been hiding out in because she couldn't resist Nikki's offer to switch places with Harrison as her hostage. Nikki gave up on waiting for her to show up, though, so of course Victor took advantage of the trap that Nikki had set and snagged Jordan for himself with the use of some chloroform. I was so confused when he started telling everyone that she had managed to jump off a bridge and was presumed dead. It's sort of awful that he's knowingly letting the police waste their resources searching for her now that we've seen he has her locked up in a cage on the Newman property!
I had to do some research as to why Victor had this soundproof cage ready to use on his property, and boy, that was a rabbit hole I wasn't prepared for. Do yourself a favor and check the Character Profiles here on the site for Julia Newman Martin to learn why Victor once kept a man named Michael Scott prisoner in the same spot! Back then, the surroundings were not so glamorous around the cage. The nicely decorated wine cellar where the cage for Jordan resides now was just a bomb shelter back when Michael Scott was Victor's prisoner.
It will be interesting to see how long this standoff between Jordan and Victor goes on. I can't imagine he is going to let her out of there, but I also can't imagine that she won't demand her freedom in exchange for information Victor wants regarding what she did with Claire after kidnapping her along with Harrison. All I can say for sure is that I don't think it is going to end very well for Jordan one way or the other!
Well, that's about all I've got say about this past week on Y&R, but I didn't want to wrap up without adding a few extra tidbits here at the end to both congratulate some of the cast and also to give my condolences regarding some recent losses within the Y&R family. This past month, both Meg Bennett (ex-Julia) and Marla Adams (ex-Dina) passed away. Coincidentally, Meg's character Julia is the Character Profile I suggested that you read here on the site to learn more about the history of Victor's cage! Now you've got even more incentive to check out her profile and remember her by reliving some of the storylines she was involved in.
And, of course, Marla's character, Dina, was the Abbott matriarch who recently passed away from Alzheimer's in a storyline that won Marla her first Daytime Emmy (for Outstanding Supporting Actress) after portraying the character of Dina on and off for four decades. They will always be an unforgettable part of Y&R's history, and I hope that their families find some comfort in knowing that their legacy lives on as part of the rich tapestry of this long-running and much-loved drama series.
And lastly, on a happier note, congratulations to Y&R for their Daytime Emmy nominations for Outstanding Daytime Drama series, Outstanding Writing Team, Outstanding Directing Team, Outstanding Casting, Outstanding Art/Set Direction and Design, and Outstanding Hairstyling and Makeup!
And a big congrats to the six actors from Y&R that nabbed nominations, too:
• Outstanding Guest Performance: Linden Ashby (Cameron Kirsten)
• Outstanding Supporting Actress(es): Courtney Hope (Sally) AND Allison Lanier (Summer)
• Outstanding Supporting Actor: Bryton James (Devon)
• Outstanding Lead Actress: Michelle Stafford (Phyllis)
• Outstanding Lead Actor: Eric Braeden (Victor)
Congrats to all the nominees!! I'll be rooting for them in June when the awards ceremony will be aired on CBS and Paramount+. What do you think of the nominees? And what are your thoughts on this past week of Y&R? Don't forget to hit the Comments (here on the site and on social media posts throughout the week) to share your opinions, too! I'll see you there, folks.
Until next time,
Vance
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