COVID-19 still has most of us in lockdown, and it has given many folks a chance to see some of the classic episodes from the Bill Bell era when there was pomp and circumstance, large hair, gorgeous clothes, and big budgets, which I loved. I know shows run on tighter budgets these days, but I wonder if there might be a big deal once in a while, even on a tight budget. I do miss the big events! This past week was all about Katherine Chancellor. She was the matriarch of the show, and I believe she wore that role extremely well. We all miss Jeanne Cooper, but what a legacy she left us with.
Last week was such a wonderful walk down memory lane for me. When Katherine first appeared in Genoa City, there were times that I just hated her, but there were more times that I loved her. My hatred of Katherine ended once she stopped being a drunk. I found that as a drunk, Katherine had a mean streak three miles wide. Her confrontations with Jill had been epic, but funny enough, during those arguments, I always seemed to side with Katherine. She certainly was a force to be reckoned with. I don't recall anyone outsmarting the Duchess.
I loved how her son Brock Reynolds always called her Duchess instead of "mom" or "mother." The words "mom" or "mother" were few and far between. She deserved the name Duchess. It suited her. And it said something about their relationship that he called her that. It was an unconventional relationship, for sure, but the love was there!
Back in the day, I think many of us were stunned when a paternity test revealed that Katherine and Jill were mother and daughter. I believe that was a time when they managed to get along, and they had fewer spats. It was nice for them to get along, but their battles were the stuff of legends, weren't they? I could never decide how I liked them best. When they got along, it seemed too good to be true. When they were fighting, I wished they would get along. But they always owned the screen when they were on together.
What a shock it had to be for Jill when they discovered the original paternity test had been wrong and that she and Katherine weren't related. My heart broke for Jill because, in spite of the fact that she and Katherine were always at each other's throats, Jill was truly devastated with this news, and it led to Katherine and Jill reverting to their old bickering ways.
Just as I think Victor and Jack are each other's strongest rivals, so, too, were Jill and Katherine. Yet, despite Katherine and Jill's contentious relationship, I felt that there was always a deep love for each other between them, and that could be seen in some of their comments or actions when the other wasn't looking. I loved watching Jill constantly seeking Katherine's approval, yet she abhorred Katherine's drinking. Katherine appeared to worry about Jill, and in her own way, Katherine tried to protect Jill as a mother would her child.
Let's take a minute to focus on Katherine's drinking. She loved her booze way too much, and her drinking reached a point where she was constantly in an inebriated state. Last week, we saw a time when friends and family became concerned and staged an intervention. I thought it was funny how Katherine was almost rubbing her hands in glee, waiting for everyone to arrive for her intervention. Katherine had decided to make it a social event, and she had the whole affair catered. Of course, no one ate or drank anything because everyone was too heartbroken over what had happened to Katherine as a result of her drinking.
I was almost in tears with everyone else. It was so heartbreaking to hear what everyone said to Katherine, but Katherine either pooh-pooed their comments or made a joke of them. To me, it seemed like Katherine was almost lovingly stroking her glass of booze. I think Mackenzie was the one who really broke all our hearts, and, yes, I will admit that I did shed a tear or three when Katherine asked Mackenzie to give her grandmother a hug, and Mackenzie said she would, but only if Katherine put her drink down. I nearly jumped out of my seat at Katherine's ferociousness when she yelled that she couldn't put her drink down. In my opinion, Katherine seemed to dominate any scene she was in. Jeanne Cooper certainly was a powerhouse.
It was so sad to watch Katherine when she discovered that her intervention party had backfired. One by one, family and friends approached her and said their goodbyes. Mackenzie told Katherine she couldn't condone her drinking, and she, too, had to say goodbye with everyone else. The only way Katherine could retaliate was to yell at Mackenzie that Mackenzie had never loved her. Jill was the last to say a tearful goodbye. I was heartbroken when Katherine said she'd known that in the end, Jill would abandon her. That had to be a stab in the heart for Jill. Katherine suddenly realized that she was alone. She wrestled with whether she needed family and friends or not.
It did something to me to see Katherine fall asleep on her couch, still not letting go of her glass. And then, Rex Sterling appeared in her booze-soaked dream. He told Katherine that he was happy he hadn't known her during her inebriated days. Katherine's grandson Phillip III also appeared and gave Katherine a great shot of reality when he alluded to himself and what a great life he could have had if it hadn't been for his drinking. He admitted that he'd been behind the wheel and driving drunk, and it had ended his life. He also reminded Katherine that her husband Phillip II had died because she'd been drunk and behind the wheel. Both Rex and Phillip told her it was a long time on the other side of the grave. I was happy when Katherine resolved to start the rest of her life without the booze.
It was very soapy that it happened as a result of visits from the dead and sad that it wasn't because of her living loved ones, but what mattered were the results. Those relationships were full of love, and her friends and family did rejoice at her eventual sobriety.
At the other end of the spectrum last week, there was the joyous event of Katherine and Murphy's wedding. How great was that occasion? Katherine looked fantastic in her white lacy suit. Once again, everyone was dressed in all their finery and arriving at an equally lavish venue, the Chancellor estate. Weddings seem to happen faster on soaps these days -- if they happen at all! I would love to see the drama of the planning, the decorations, the "will-she-or-won't-she" moments. Of course, we knew Katherine and Murphy were going to marry.
Like any other event in Genoa City, it could never happen without a little extras drama. Enter Jill! What comic relief that was. I love where Nina's head went when she opened the door to a drunk Jill. Nina used pink ribbon and tied Jill to the hanger bar in the front hall closet . I would love to know how Nina managed to wrestle and hogtie Jill. Jill has always been a scrapper, and she could usually win her battles. Obviously, this time, Nina won that battle. Go Nina! Jill has met her match.
However, Jill's disruption didn't stop there -- thanks to the kindhearted Lauren finding Jill and untying her. Jill was hilarious when she shouted and demanded that the police be called to arrest Nina for assault. It took Cane and Billy to restrain Jill and get her out of the room. In spite of being drunk and belligerent, Jill still came across as someone who loved Katherine and someone who was concerned that Katherine might be marrying "trailer trash." But in the end, Jill said she had only wanted to wish Katherine well. Now, if that isn't love, call me a monkey's uncle -- or aunt, as the case may be!
Katherine and Murphy's vows were so sweet. I have to admit, I love to see seniors get married. To me, there is something really adorable about it. People tend to think that seniors are past the love game, but they aren't. My mother-in-law worked as a volunteer in a seniors' home, and she told us about one-tooth Bill and Pearl getting married at the home. They were in their late sixties. The blushing bride wore a pale blue suit and the handsome (in spite of only having one tooth) groom wore a black suit. Love just never dies, no matter what form it takes. It could be the kind of love that is openly exchanged, like that between Katherine and Murphy, or it could come in the form of love hidden by frequent battles, but in the end, the love is still there.
I'm really excited that right after seeing the Duchess, Katherine, we will get the most iconic romantic couple on Y&R, possibly on all of daytime television: Victor and Nikki Newman. The stories I could tell! But let me just share a few of my favorite memories and moments of this dynamic duo.
Victor and Nikki have had an off-and-on, sometimes volatile relationship, but they were like magnets -- they always wound up together. I have a love/hate relationship with Victor. I hate how he always tends to strong-arm his way into getting what he wants, but I love how he comes to his family's -- especially Nikki's -- rescue. Victor has a funny way of showing the love he has for his family, but we have to remember, he never got core family nurturing while he was growing up. Orphanages only provide the bare necessities for the children under their care. Victor really loves his family, and his love for Nikki is undying.
Nikki and Victor have had other partners, but the love they had for each other never waned. No matter who they were with, their first love was always for each other. Victor treats Nikki like fine china, and Nikki sees Victor as her knight in shining armor.
Nikki's one and only love has always been Victor. I believe Nikki is the only one who really stands up to Victor. No matter the situation, Victor can't bully her into anything. Nikki has his number, and she knows which buttons to push. Nikki and Victor have a unique relationship, one that only comes along once in a blue moon. Their love is timeless, and at this point, they know there will never be anyone else for either of them. I'm so glad we're visiting some of their classic episodes this week!
And that's a wrap from me for this week. Until we meet again!
Nel
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