Deconstructing Y&R: Adam & Victor’s Latest Round of Acrimony Falls Flat and Begs a Fresh Approach

Credit: Image: Howard Wise/JPI

I’ve been enjoying some of the more emotional material and got a good laugh out of the scene with Summer, Kyle, Nick and Phyllis at the hotel, but remain disappointed overall. I feel so unenthused with Young and Restless and feel continually frustrated at the mystifying reluctance to delve deep, take risks, and/or play out any real drama over time…so many missed opportunities. At best it’s ‘Y&R Lite’.

Tears and fears

The Abbotts headed up the emotional family drama this week as they rallied together for Dina. I enjoyed Traci and Ashley’s sister talk that ended in them laugh-crying. So real! The difficult side of Sharon’s cancer fight took a bit of a time-out as she helped Victoria, and Rey dealt with Faith. While I liked the conversation Faith had with Lola, this really felt like ‘giving Rey something to do’ as it made no sense that Nick asked him to intervene. As for Sharon meeting with Victoria, who later lashed out and accepted she needs help, their friendship works, and I appreciate the effort to show Victoria’s struggle.

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Make it stop

As touched on in the previous Deconstructing Y&R, the Phyllis/Abby rivalry isn’t working, as Abby comes across as snippy rather than formidable. Having her show up to needle Phyllis about her employees and going on an adventure with Chance was such a ‘make it stop’ moment for me. In related commentary, the scenes where Summer and Kyle met with Phyllis and Nick and realized they were hooking up again were quite funny. Summer and Kyle’s facial expressions were gold.

Falling flat

Rather than taking a fresh approach to Victor and Adam’s relationship, which seemed an intriguing possibility only a week ago, we’re once again headed down same old road of them questioning one another and Adam wanting to get back in at Newman Enterprises to prove something, which feels uninspired. I’ve little faith the mystery originating in Kansas will amount to more than another plot point that’s solved in a week, but here’s hoping.

So Adam & Chelsea are thinking and/or might accuse or set up Victor for another death. 🤦‍♀️ Wash, rinse, repeat. Same storyline since Adam has been on canvas. 🙄 Hence why I didn’t think he is needed on canvas. #YR

— Amanda Nicole (@AmandaNicole047) March 13, 2020

Please don’t tell me that we have to sit through ANOTHER Victor vs Adam father son corporate UFC match. 🤦‍♂️ How many times have we been on this merry-go-round? #YR

— BigBoss (@News_Dr252) March 13, 2020

More messiness

Mariah and Tessa are truly bringing the emotional hits in the fallout from Mariah cheating. I have a nagging feeling that this will all be resolved very soon, however. Everything seems to get tidied up quickly on this soap now, with everyone being as helpful and understanding as can be. It’s like the writers go out of their way to avoid soapy drama or to go deep and play out a storyline over months, lest the unpleasantness lingers too long. I mean, how nice and totally uninteresting was it of Tanner to help the girls get back together with only a throwaway line about him and Tessa? And for Lindsay to be completely rational and accommodating by not pursuing Mariah? This should get far messier before it gets better, just as so many other breakups in the past year should have.

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Shaking my head

The latest entry in ‘switching jobs around passes as a storyline’ is Billy and Lily moving into the former Dark Horse offices. Don’t get me wrong, I was feeling a mild bit of panic that they were actually going to run the company out of Katherine’s parlor, so it was a relief in that sense, but still not a story. We’ll have to see what will be written for them (and whether it will work) as many seem to be tired of Billy. I’d guess they would hire Amanda and a love triangle would develop, but they seem to be moving Amanda toward Nate, Devon, and Elena. In Soaps.com’s poll on Amanda’s love life last week, Billy and Nate were the front-runners with Billy taking the edge. In other Jill news, she learned Colin laundered Devon’s money through Chancellor. Again, all off-screen and Devon not involved…leaves me shaking my head.

This is just my opinion. Feel free to join the conversation below.