Since we're edging closer back to new episodes airing, it's somewhat appropriate that Y&R is showcasing some of the most shocking moments from throughout the years. I actually included some of my most shocking moments in my fan favorite list a couple weeks back, notably when Brad gave up his life rescuing Noah from an icy pond and when Nick pulled off his J.T. mask and admitted to Victor that he had been impersonating J.T. to gaslight his father. So, let me put on my thinking cap to come up with some other moments that really caught me off guard. I love surprises, and I enjoy watching an unexpected twist in a story, so let's give it a whirl.
In a crazy twist, Colleen escaped her kidnapper, Patty, and only had to row across a lake to secure her freedom. Just when the viewers believed Colleen had gotten away and would be saved, she fell from the canoe and drowned in the lake, just as her father had several years before. In one of the most memorable moments of the soap's history, Brad was shown taking Colleen's hand to lovingly guide her in the water to the afterlife. It was an awesome and eerie vision, and although we missed Colleen afterwards, we loved it. Don Diamont took a small break from his role as Bill on The Bold and the Beautiful and returned one last time to give Brad's daughter an exit, and he was truly a welcomed sight, as Brad and Colleen created a totally unique and classic moment together. And then, Victor getting Colleen's heart? That was a shocker! The drama as Traci made the decision was heart-wrenching.
One episode that I listed as an honorable mention for a favorite was when Drucilla was with Sharon and Phyllis at a photoshoot, and as they wrestled over a cell phone, Dru fell off a cliff, and Sharon was left hanging onto Phyllis on the cliff. Hey, that was really a cliffhanger. Dru's fall off a cliff was truly shocking, especially when nobody was able to find her (or her body) afterwards. Dru and Neil were a popular and fan favorite couple, so it was tough to lose Dru on the show, even if there were rumors of some controversy behind the scenes that resulted in her exit.
I always wondered if they would ever chance bringing Dru back, but now that Neil is gone, there's probably not much reason to do so. If amends could have been made, it would have been great to have found Dru alive and well years later, and then we could have wondered where she had been all that time. That probably won't happen now.
The death of our beloved Delia was heart-wrenching and devastating and impacted everyone's lives, both on the show and on the other side of the screen. Billy had only left for a minute to get ice cream from a store when Delia ran out to chase after her dog, Dash, who had jumped out of the car. The young girl was then plowed down by a hit-and-run driver, who may have been Adam.
This tragedy has driven storylines for years and is still doing so to this day. Billy still blames Adam for her demise and has had trouble getting past his anger and hatred, which has kept his demons alive. It will be interesting to see if Billy will be able to really move on after triumphing over his dark side in the last battle. Also, we have witnessed many amazing performances thanks to this tragic storyline.
Just as Chelsea ran from the car to meet Adam, the cabin exploded into smithereens. This episode was also selected by Y&R, so it will be great to see it again. I absolutely loved Justin Hartley's Adam, and I thought there was great on-screen chemistry between Adam and Chelsea. They were both misunderstood and were ready to get out of Dodge, when Chloe put a stop to their plans.
You know, Chloe didn't want to lose her best friend, that's all. Plus, she was still a teensy-weensy bit upset, since she believed that Adam had run down her beloved daughter. We lost Justin Hartley to This Is Us (which I watch), and Adam appeared to be gone for good. But, of course, since it's a soap, we always knew there was a chance he would return. And he did. Thank goodness.
Jack learned (erroneously) that he was not a blood Abbott. It was so sad to watch Jack wandering around like a lost puppy as he tried to search for his identity. He had always been so proud of being the son of John Abbott, the man whom Jack had loved, admired, respected, and desired to emulate. When he believed he wasn't an Abbott biologically, Jack felt he had lost everything that he had ever known about himself, even though his father had raised him in his own image. But another OMG moment later was when Ashley admitted that she had concocted the scheme to make Jack believe he wasn't blood related to the Abbotts, after he created the non-blood Abbott clause to keep Phyllis from being in charge of Jabot. To say that Ashley wasn't happy about the clause would be an understatement.
I loved Ashley's reveal that Jack was a blood Abbott, after all, and I enjoyed hearing how much effort she had put into her scheme to be able to convince Jack it was true. Ashley sure took sibling rivalry to the extreme. I mean, she really got her brother back for the non-blood Abbott clause. I was so happy when Jack was back to being a blood Abbott again, so he could regain his identity and the confidence he'd had as his father's son. Jack was truly Jack Abbott again, and all was right with the world.
In a shocking (if somewhat anticlimactic) moment, J.T. was revealed to be alive after our fearless foursome of Nikki, Victoria, Phyllis, and Sharon had tried to hide their secret for almost a year. Yeah, Nikki sure beamed her ex-son-in-law pretty good on the noggin'. However, the blow apparently hadn't been severe enough to kill the guy. But since none of the four was a doctor, it wasn't too surprising that they had gotten their diagnosis wrong. However, this drove a lot of story during that time, especially once Phyllis threw the other three under the bus to save her own skin. Yet we all breathed a sigh of relief when J.T. returned from the dead to forever bury the story in a grave after having to wait so long for it to finally die its long and lingering death.
Jealous over Christine and Danny's kiss, a vindictive Phyllis deliberately ran down Christine and hit Paul as collateral damage to get back at her. Okay, Y&R just showed that episode a few weeks ago, and it was cool to see it again. Phyllis has always had a tendency to be her own worst enemy, especially when she's on a rampage. Phyllis' fury can be worse than a hurricane's, and her rage was fueling on all cylinders, when she plowed Christine down with her car. One thing's for sure, though -- the blustery redhead is never boring.
A few shockingly honorable moments: Sage tragically died in a car accident as she raced away from Sharon to tell Nick the truth that Sully was actually Christian. When Phyllis and Sharon tussled on a flight of stairs, Phyllis fell and eventually lapsed into a coma...and a year later, Phyllis awoke from her coma with a totally brand-new look. And any one of the many times that Victor has turned on his own children, such as when he had Victoria arrested on her wedding day, when he set up Adam to be imprisoned, or when he disowned Nick. There are just too many times to count.
Oh, and how about when Victor knew that Marco was impersonating Jack and kept it quiet from Phyllis, knowing that she believed she was sleeping with her own husband?! No one could blame Phyllis for being furious and for feeling totally violated. Shoot, Y&R could have a week (or two, or three...) of shocking classic episodes based on Victor's antics alone.
Like Michael, Nick is another man who has just gotten better and better looking throughout the years, which is not the least bit surprising.
I still miss Katherine! She had some rather startling moments of her own, especially whenever Marge was around.
Another terrific OMG episode was Cassie's deathbed scene after the car accident, when she said goodbye to her loved ones and even accurately predicted that her father and mother would have another daughter. We witnessed for ourselves again why Camryn Grimes is a multiple Daytime Emmy Award winner, first as Cassie and next as Mariah, in an episode that I should also have listed as one of my favorites of all time. Cassie's episode was one of the most touching yet saddest ever, and bravo to Y&R for showing it again.
Until next time -- which I think will be my first column about new material since the spring! -- take care and please stay safe!
Teddi
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