Young & Restless Explodes: Jack Eyeballs [Spoiler], Victor Puts Adam In Play, and Summer’s Deal-Breaker Reignites a Dangerous Rivalry
Credit: CBS screenshot
Watching Young & Restless these days is like laboring through a serial comprised almost entirely of B-story/filler material, but there are some gems to be found amid the therapy-speak and job swaps. Here’s a look at what happened… and what’s coming up.
Not Working
I love a good cheating scandal, but this Adam/Chelsea plot isn’t giving good drama or juicy and salacious. There was no heat or unfinished business between Chelsea and Adam to make this believable or inevitable, and it feels like the writer doesn’t know the characters or remember things we already know to be true about them. It’s ridiculous to try and sell Chelsea as someone who can’t keep a poker face when she literally went through life successfully pulling cons. Perhaps Adam should have been written as the one coming apart considering that he also managed to forget the one-year anniversary of Ava’s passing (which was actually in June). One of the gems this week, however, was the flashbacks to his and Sally’s intensely emotional scenes in the hospital. Heartbreaking.
As for Connor’s homecoming, that noise you heard was viewers collectively groaning when he said, “It feels like we’re a family again.” We can all see where Connor’s story is going, which makes it predictable. Young & Restless should cut its losses on trying to make Chelsea a tragic romantic heroine and regress her to scheming to get Adam back, undermining Sally at work and at home, and using Connor to do it. It would be true to her character, set up Connor as the next generation Adam, and it would be soapy.
Used-Car Salesman
Business Billy is giving used-car salesman energy as he tries desperately to hang onto Chancellor (or Abbott-Chancellor) by wheeling and dealing to keep Lily on board whilst managing the threat presented by Victor… and he’ll use his mother’s health condition to do it. Egad. I wonder how many viewers still care who runs this company, given how fatigued we’ve all become with the musical CEOs theme. Anyone else get glassy-eyed through a lot of this? One thing that has been refreshing is Lily’s confidence to tell it like it is with the men in her life. Can’t get enough of that. Coming up: Victor gives Adam an assignment he won’t have a problem with… going after Billy. Also, Lily finds herself dealing with Phyllis, who insists they have things to talk about. I can’t imagine what, but hopefully it’s entertaining.
Love In the Afternoon
We all want to see more romance, so it wasn’t hard to appreciate that aspect of Devon and Abby’s picnic in the park proposal, but they’re written as bland as can be. They weren’t even allowed to revisit their “sex on the stairs” energy in their bedroom scene. As excited as “Dabby” were about setting the date for their nuptials, there’s not much to get enthused about from a viewer’s standpoint. There are zero prospects for drama at the wedding or in their relationship as it stands. Remember Devon and Hilary?! Yeah, this has made me miss them… a lot.
Reignited Rivalry
Jack’s troubles continue to multiply even as he tries to pretend everything’s fine. Fascinatingly, he’ll make matters even worse for himself next week when Jack has a go at Billy for using the Abbott name. On top of that dust-up, it’s clear that Diane and Phyllis’ rivalry will be reignited. Why? Because Summer’s demand that Kyle cut ties with Audra is going to be a deal-breaker in that little ceasefire Victor thought he was negotiating between the two. Kyle’s laser-focused on using Glissade to stick it to Jabot, so he won’t agree to walk away from his partnership. Which means this whole custody thing is going to explode. Let me just say that Diane and Phyllis going at it in the Club dining room was one of the highlights of my week, perhaps month. Susan Walters and Michelle Stafford just know how it’s supposed to be done and they do it. Brilliantly. Summer and Kyle’s scraps have been pretty intense too, but the fact that there’s no actual basis for a custody dispute is making Summer look nuts. If this had happened when Kyle was involved with Audra, it might make sense.
Devil On My Shoulder
Cameron’s “return” is delicious because having that dastardly devil on her shoulder will give Sharon license to do all sorts of out-of-character things. It also makes sense that she’d have this sort of a breakdown after all she’s gone through, even if it did come a little out of the blue. I’m less enthused about Sharon and Cameron debating psychology in the middle of her living room. I happen to find the subject fascinating, but give it a rest already. It makes every plot feel like a thinly-disguised PSA. We’re here for drama, scandal, mystery, sex, and romance, but not for every character digging into why they do what they do.
Anyway, there’s a boatload of potential for Sharon’s story with Cameron in the picture. P.S. Daniel should also be headed on a downward spiral, not designing a Cassie video game. This is a soap. Come on! In related, we’re starting to see the signs in Lucy (lying, drinking) that may be the lead up to devastating history repeating itself.
The opinions expressed within are my own. Please feel free to share your take on this week’s Young & Restless in the comments.
