Summer’s doing her utmost to insist she’s not jealous of Kyle and Claire, but absolutely no one is convinced, including fans. I, for one, can’t blame her. She never stopped loving Kyle, they share a son, and it would be hard to see him with anyone else, let alone her cousin. Chance isn’t a serious contender for her heart after the debacle of an investigation he conducted around her family’s tragedy, and Victor, however infuriating his meddling may be, isn’t wrong about Kyle being the worst pick for Claire’s first love. If you don’t believe it, ask Lola. In related news, there has been way too much airtime devoted to Jack and Diane discussing redecorating. The writers must do better with their “B” stories.
Picking Up Where He Left Off
Victor announcing to Michael that he was putting yet another plot against the Abbotts into motion felt, in a word, exhausting. You could all but hear the groans of Young & Restless fans far and wide. The problem isn’t that we don’t love their rivalry, it’s that it’s too much lather, rinse and repeat. There’s never anything fresh to offer, and these schemes tend to fizzle out with little payoff. Viewers are tired. Bottom line: If you’re getting this reaction to Victor vs. Jack, something is very wrong. Also, let’s make this stop and give Michael and Lauren a real story please:
An Emotional Breakthrough
The raw scenes between Damian and Amy on Friday’s episode, as we finally found out why the man cut contact with his mother, were super soapy. While the explanation itself was borderline flimsy (it’s hard to believe this didn’t come up between them before now), the emotion of it all had me riveted. Kudos to Valarie Pettiford and Jermaine Rivers for taking the material to another level. I felt totally invested despite this involving two characters who have just been introduced (or re-introduced in Amy’s case), and that deeper connection should help drive the story’s momentum going forward.
How did Damian rise to such “meteoric” heights, as Victor put it, so quickly? As Lily pointed out, we’ve been left with yet more questions than answers in that regard. My take? Given that Damian is putting the moves on Lily and she’s entertaining it, I’d say Nate’s half brother is more than likely the “true love” we were teased was coming for her. However, the road to true love can be rocky. So, I’d expect Michael to come through with an unpalatable answer to the question of how Damian became a successful businessman overnight… right as Damian and Lily start to fall for each other. A hurdle, if you will. Also, might the writers be trolling by giving Damian the last name “Kane”?
Missing Misses
Per the preview, not only has Phyllis gone missing, but Sharon will do a disappearing act as well. Given that the Ian and Jordan storyline concluded the way it did, it left the tension between the ladies, who had previously been civil, simmering and unresolved. At one point, we were expecting their issues to be ironed out within that plot, but it didn’t happen. That’s why I’m not surprised they’ve both gone missing. Whatever is going on, I’d be willing to bet they’ll have to work together to get themselves out of it (as Lauren and Sheila once had to back in the day), thus forcing them to come to some sort of understanding. As for what’s happened to them, well, it’s possible that [Spoiler]’s got them.
The opinions expressed are my own. Please feel free to weigh in on this week’s Young & Restless in the comment section.