Theo exit Y&R
Credit: CBS screenshot

The Young and the Restless viewers’ reactions ranged from resigned to angry to blaming the writing.

As the news broke that The Young and the Restless’ Tyler Johnson had announced his exit as Theo, viewer reaction began to roll in, with most expressing disappointment, and even anger, over the move, while others were less taken off guard and more resigned.

The move came at a peculiar time, given that Sally Spectra had just arrived in Genoa City and was a fantastic fit as either a love interest for Theo, who, it turns out, she knew from her time in New York, or perhaps even more intriguing, as a co-conspirator against the wealthier, more established residents in town.

This also leaves the younger set wanting for males as Kyle is the sole potential love interest for Summer, Lola, and now Sally. Not all that appealing given Kyle’s recent demeanor. He made up with Theo, then suddenly they were totally at odds again, he appeared to have no regret over Theo being left out of his grandmother’s final days, and turned on Summer, going full cold shoulder when they were trying to work things out. Add in Kyle acting like a sulky stick in the mud at Dina’s memorial, and he’s not exactly the guy we’re dying to see paired with any of the women. It makes you wonder if more casting news is coming up for this age range. In any case, losing Theo from the equation was another disappointment and a head-scratcher.

Still other fans were understandably upset by the loss of potential for a character who the writing team connected to one of The Young and the Restless’ original families, and perplexed at the powers that be having made that connection; making Theo a legacy character, then never developing the angle or taking advantage of it. Particularly when the complex character had such potential. A darned shame!

Some exhausted fans blamed the writing as they added Theo’s name to a growing list of characters who were interesting but their potential was squandered before they ultimately exited amid disappointment.

Not all fans were upset to see Theo go, as the writing made it difficult to get a handle on him one way or the other as he ran the gamut from sweet and vulnerable to unlikable and annoying often without rhyme or reason. Some simply took this as a sign of a lack of commitment to the character and weren’t shocked by the actor’s announcement.

As far as Theo’s exit from the canvas, it’s anyone’s guess if he’ll be killed off as part of Adam’s nefarious plans, or will take his revenge on the Abbotts as he leaves.

What was your reaction to Tyler Johnson’s announcement that he was done as Theo? Let us know in the comments after peeking at the photo gallery of other notable soap opera exits below. Get your free daily soap-opera fix for The Young and the Restless — and all of the other daytime dramas — delivered straight to your email inbox by signing up for Soaps.com’s newsletter.