Young & Restless Is a Hot Mess: The Top 5 Plots That Make *No* Sense

Credit: Howard Wise/JPI

Young & Restless has some issues with plots we’re just not buying lately. Here’s a look at the worst offenders, as well as kudos for what’s going right.

1. The Battle for Dominic

It didn’t make sense for Devon to volunteer to be a sperm donor for Abby, and it didn’t make sense for Mariah to offer to carry a child for her… and it’s been all downhill from there. Most recently, Devon went to bat for shared custody after falling in love with the little boy with whom he shares blood. Of course, there was no actual “battle” because Young & Restless seems to have developed an aversion to big drama, so Abby and Chance simply agreed. Devon’s premise for wanting shared custody didn’t make enough sense given that the show failed to big-up Chance’s PTSD issues enough to warrant such a move, and Abby having a meltdown over the kid going to Devon’s one night a week doesn’t make sense given she didn’t blink an eye at leaving him there indefinitely to go off in search of her husband before.

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2. Tessa and Mariah’s Engagement

Almost every moment of this magical event for “Teriah” has become a beat in a story about Noah’s man pain. His renewed interest in Tessa doesn’t add up given the plot we saw play out when they split, and we’re all pretty much over watching the males on this soap sulk around town. To add insult to injury, Noah went to work with Nick in a place that doesn’t even exist onscreen, much less have love interest or storyline possibilities.

I was going to write a tweet about how they’ve put a ring on it… twice but, creepy Noah in the background of one of the scenes in question made me cringe about it. Mariah’s proposal was e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g but this (the man pain) is so not right. #yr #teriah pic.twitter.com/D4U0KYzS8r

— 🌉🌈📓🎃💰🎸🌻💍 (@nathaliavirtual) January 26, 2022

3. Sharon’s Non-Existent Storyline

Talk about things that make no sense – how do you not use one of your most popular leading ladies? Not only have they left Sharon in a lukewarm marriage rather than capitalize on chances to have re-paired her with Adam or Nick, but she became a therapist seemingly for no reason other than to dole out advice to random people while she pours their coffee. They’ve missed numerous opportunities to reignite her rivalries with Phyllis and Chelsea, and didn’t bother to develop a new one with Sally.

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4. Regressing Adam

I’ve been mystified by the implied narrative emerging that Adam lacks the necessary cunning and experience in the business world to keep up with Victoria. They have always been quite evenly matched in that arena, which is what made their interactions so intriguing. I don’t understand the move to make him seem so easily duped and/or rattled. In related, this is funny:

So let me get this straight, vicky is using Victor’s money from Newman to buy his other company? #yr pic.twitter.com/G2k7bI1mty

— Stephon ♉ (@StephonJS87) January 25, 2022

5. Selling Out Sally

First, they put her in a pairing with Jack that was not well-received and went nowhere, then they missed a golden opportunity to blow her rivalry with Phyllis sky-high by having her hook up with Nick. They moved all of the other characters in her age group – Theo, Kyle and Summer – off the canvas, and then stuck her on hold until Chelsea returned. At the very least, they could have paired her with Adam in the meantime, which would have given Chelsea an actual reason to hate her.

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The Runners Up

* Phyllis wants to leave the hotel that we’ve been told is her absolute reason for existing; that she battled Chelsea and Abby to keep? To go and work for her daughter? Please. Her reasons for not getting back together with Jack (as much as I dislike the pairing for both characters) don’t jive either.

Phyllis wants to go to work for Summer? Instead of the hotel she HAD TO HAVE? #YR

— Phyllis’ Cake 🎂🍾 Team Chadam (@sheet_cake) January 25, 2022

* We went through an entire plot with Billy and Lily only for absolutely nothing to change. They ended up in the same offices, still working together and saying the same dialogue, with a different sign hanging over head. Writing characters hopping from job-to-job and office-to-office isn’t a story.

What’s Going Right

* Using Michael more. The way he riffs off other characters such as Lauren, Victor and Phyllis in scenes is absolute gold. His family members are equally as valuable and entertaining. More of this… and of them, please!

* Re-establishing Victor’s dominance. It never went over well with fans when The Mustache took to wearing a cardigan and sipping tea at the ranch, nor when he sat back as Newman Enterprises became Newman-Locke. It’s satisfying to see the turn things have taken with The Black Knight.

* Making Ashland Locke into the big bad he was supposed to be all along.

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This is just my opinion. Feel free to join the conversation below, but first, don’t miss a pictorial of classic soap characters who made soaps what they are today, in the photo gallery below.