On the 15th Wedding Anniversary of Young & Restless’ Michael and Lauren, We Propose a Risqué New Storyline for the Genoa City Supercouple
Those who say that romance is dead… have obviously never seen these two Genoa City marrieds in action. The Baldwins tied the knot 15 years ago today, and look at ’em now!
No one was more surprised — or worried — when The Young and the Restless paired up Machiavellian Michael Baldwin and heat-seeking miss Lauren Fenmore than the lawyer’s portrayer, Daytime Emmy winner Christian Jules LeBlanc. As he recalled for Soaps.com, those initial love scenes were like, “Aw, crap! Are you serious?”
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Instead of what actually aired on the show, “you should see me sitting there with a bagel in my mouth, and wardrobe comes in, ‘Oh, you’re shirtless tomorrow!’” he said in 2007. “Your eating disorder kicks in right away!
“Plus, there’s Tracey [E. Bregman, Lauren],” he adds, “and we just look at each other like, ‘For God’s sake! What person does this?!’”
As naturally smokin’ as LeBlanc is — he recently set the Internet aflame with a pic in his skivvies — “I’ve gotta keep up with [my leading lady]. Tracey’s stunning. So that’s all I’m trying to do is keep up — I’m going to end up playing her father at one point.”
“Who wants to tell Fen this is how babies are made?”
Credit: John Paschal/JPI
To date, that hasn’t happened. But considering that the CBS soap has over the years made Lauren and Jill Abbott sisters and turned Sheila into Phyllis, hey, who knows? Christine damn near married her brother!
Needless to say, the longtime co-stars get along like a house on fire. Bregman even told CBS Watch that LeBlanc was “one of my favorite people on earth.” He’s one of ours, too, come to think of it.
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So it bugs us no end that the silver fox and his on-screen better half aren’t better utilized on the show these days. We know just how to fix that, though. Are you sitting down? You’re gonna wanna be. Here goes…
Remember when Victor and Nikki decided to have an open marriage? It didn’t go well. The Newmans’ union was closed again faster than a burger joint in a vegetarian town. But Michael and Lauren are most decidedly not Victor and Nikki. Michael, you’ll recall, once dabbled in S&M with Phyllis. And Lauren is such a handful between the sheets, she gave no less than playboy Brad Carlton a heart attack.
So we would heat up the couple’s storyline by spicing up their relationship. We’d have them make clear that they were as hot for one another as ever — and frankly, who wouldn’t be hot for the two of them? But we’d also have them acknowledge their adventurous sides. Just because they have each other’s hearts doesn’t mean they can’t enjoy someone else’s body, they’d reason. And adding a third to their romance, however briefly, would be just one more experience that they could share.
“Where did I put that whip? Hmm… ”
Credit: Howard Wise/JPI
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It’s risky. We know. It’s daring. But it’s 2020. If The Young and the Restless wants to appeal to an audience that actually is young and keep it from getting restless while tuned in, it’s going to have to roll the dice on some material that’s edgier than “Who shot at the most hated dude in town?” and “Oo, I’m carrying on with my co-worker! How naughty!”
Plus, the point of the plot, at least in our minds, wouldn’t be the titillation factor (although it would be fascinating to watch the Baldwins discreetly feel out their Genoa City friends and acquaintances to see who might be up for getting down). The point would be the impact that the experiment would have on the couple we all adore. Would it just be a fun affair, one they might want to keep going for a spell? Or would it immediately awaken in one or the other the kind of jealousy that has plagued them in the past? How would they navigate such a development? Would they be open about it? Could they? Or would the green-eyed monster be too ashamed to own up to their insecurity, creating hard feelings and a secret that could do them far more harm than a few romps with an attractive third ever could?
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Also, in whom would Lauren and Michael confide? In a town full of serial monogamists, it would be tough to find an understanding ear to bend. Would the individual to whom one of them ultimately revealed their flirtation with polyamory be miffed that they hadn’t been considered? Would that person then offer him or herself up to the jealous party, thus adding to the Baldwins’ shared experience a series of hookups that only one of them would have had (or even know about)?
“I’m not mad that you didn’t ask me, Lauren, but… I mean, I am surprised. Have ya seen me?”
Credit: Howard Wise/JPI
This is deep [bleep]. And before Lauren and Michael figured it all out, they’d have spent a year or more back on the front burner where they belong. What do you think, Young & Restless viewers? Would you be open to the idea of the Baldwins inviting a Special Guest Star into their sex life? Hit the comments with your thoughts. And while you’re here, celebrate the couple’s… er, coupling on December 9 with the below photo gallery that tees up highlights of their lasting love story.
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