Well, hello, Two Scoopers! I want to start out this week's column by thanking Dan for filling in for me this past month while I dealt with a personal family emergency and took some much-needed vacation time. It's good to be getting back to a normal routine again, and I've had a lot of fun catching up on The Young and the Restless, too!
Why does binge-watching episodes make a show better sometimes? Does that happen for anyone else? I had about two weeks of Y&R episodes saved up and really enjoyed binge-watching them over the course of a couple of lazy mornings. I really like a lot of the new developments on the show lately. So, let's get to it and discuss the latest gossip coming out of Genoa City!
First of all, how great was it to have Veronica Redd returning for more episodes as Mamie?! It was a nice treat to see her earlier this year for the show's 50th anniversary, but it feels like Y&R is just spoiling us now by bringing her back in such a fun (and secretive) way! I never would have thought that Mamie would end up being the mystery investor that Victor sold his share of Chancellor-Winters stock to. That reveal actually took me by surprise, and I loved every minute of those scenes.
When we first learned that Victor had sold his stock in Chancellor-Winters to an investor that wished to remain anonymous, all sorts of crazy ideas started flying through my head, and I was very concerned for the CW crew. Now that we know Lily and Nate's Aunt Mamie is the investor, I'm a little less worried about the potential harm she may do; however, I'm still slightly concerned about what her ultimate motive is for investing, given her history with Jill. I don't think she would set out to hurt Lily and Devon in any way, but I know she would love to be able to be a thorn in Jill's side, which is likely her larger motivation.
How fun was it to see all those Mamie and Jill flashbacks?! I had forgotten the reason that Mamie had left town all those years ago, so the flashbacks were a good reminder of their history (that Jill paid her a million dollars to leave). After seeing those scenes again, it was even more impactful when we learned that Mamie is now using some of that money she invested to gain a large control in Jill's company.
I can't say that I'm not looking forward to the possibility of Mamie getting some well-deserved revenge against Jill after all these years, but I hope she does so in a way that doesn't impact her family members that work at Chancellor-Winters because Lily and Devon also own a large stake in the company, too. I'm very curious to see how the rest of this storyline plays out, and I hope we see a lot more of Mamie in the coming weeks. I can't wait for her eventual showdown with Jill, which is likely to happen very soon. We learned in the "Next Week on Y&R..." preview at the end of Friday's episode that Jill will actually be back in town (instead of just appearing over video chat). Jill and Mamie's showdown is imminent!
Aside from Mamie's rivalry with Jill being reignited, I'm also thrilled to see Mamie in scenes with her family, too (and, yes, I am including both the Winters and Abbott family when I refer to Mamie's family). Her scenes with Traci and Jack were very touching, and I really enjoyed her interaction with Nate, too. I like that she confided in him about her investment in Chancellor-Winters and that we got to see those scenes play out with the scenes of Lily and Devon trying to figure out who the mystery investor was.
Mamie's investment in Chancellor-Winters is what has me most invested in the show as a viewer right now, but there are some other things I'm liking and that I'm looking forward to seeing play out a bit more, too. For starters, I'm begrudgingly hopeful about Sally's attitude change toward Adam lately. I've been intrigued by how she has been encouraging Nick to give his brother the benefit of the doubt when they've had conversations about Adam lately. And, of course, there's the matter of the kiss they shared last week that they tried to pretend didn't happen.
Their kiss caught me a bit off guard because, until now, the show has been fervently pushing Adam and Sally apart for months. Even as an Adam/Sally fan who wants to see them together, I am wary of having any feelings of hope that a romantic reunion for them may happen still. I don't know if Adam/Sally fans can handle being put through more torture that never ends in relief, so I sincerely hope that they aren't teasing this coupling again only for it to end up being nothing more than a letdown for the umpteenth time. Regardless, I am enjoying their scenes again recently, and it has been especially nice to see Sally written in a more enjoyable way. Regardless of what happens with her and Adam in the long run, I hope that the writing team keeps the positive momentum going for her character.
As for Adam's character growth of late, I don't know what to think of his new desire to "do things the right way" and avoid causing friction or discord within the Newman family. I can't decide if it is all an act or if Adam truly is humbling himself to his father and making a real effort to change his attitude. It should be humorous to see Adam working as Nate's assistant, but I sort of hope that they end up actually becoming friends -- they both could certainly use some! But I don't see Victoria changing her attitude about Adam anytime soon so, as long as she is involved with Nate, she may be a roadblock to Adam and Nate forming a friendship.
Speaking of Victoria, I sort of hope this storyline of her implying Victor is unfit to run Newman Enterprises doesn't just fizzle out and go nowhere. This could be a really interesting battle of Newman vs. Newman, should the writers forge ahead with it. I can't say I blame Victoria for being so upset about being demoted that she would find ways to seek revenge against her father. I agree with her that he's not making decisions with a sound mind. Victor is taking back control of his company just to prove to everyone that he can do it, and that is not what is best for the company in the long run. I'm a little on the fence about this blossoming storyline, so I'll just have to wait and see what they do with it next.
Another storyline I'm a little on the fence about is Tucker's return to town without Ashley. For the life of me, I'm still unsure if Ashley and Tucker have really split or if this is all part of their larger game plan to make everyone think they have split up. They were talking about doing this exact thing not too long ago, so part of me wonders if this is all a ruse. But would Tucker go so far as to sleep with Audra just to try to convince her that his marriage to Ashley is already over? I can't image Ashley would be okay with that, so that cast some doubt in my mind, and now I'm thinking they really did break things off -- and what a shame that is!
I was so happy to see Tucker and Ashley tie the knot and commit to one another! This breakup of theirs feels very random and very sudden. I've been enjoying Tucker's scheming since he's been back in town, but I'm disappointed that he and Ashley may really be over. They have been one of my favorite on-screen pairings on the show throughout the year, and I have been rooting for them since Tucker returned to town, seeking her forgiveness. Part of me hopes that there is something more going on here, though, and I hope we see more of Ashley again soon and get some answers to these questions.
Tucker certainly has been keeping busy, hasn't he? He bedded Audra, schemed to get control of Jabot, coerced Phyllis into helping him with his plans for Jabot, and then got blackmailed by Billy at the end of the week. As much as I hate that Tucker and Ashley have seemingly split, I've really enjoyed Tucker and Audra's scenes together since he's been back from his honeymoon. I like their relationship, and I appreciate that there doesn't seem to be a romantic connection between the two of them, even though they have sex sometimes. I don't think I'd like them as a couple, but as friends (with benefits) and scheming partners, they are a fun kind of trouble that Y&R has been missing.
As for Tucker's plans for Jabot and the way he roped Phyllis into his plot, that's where I have mixed feelings. I get that Phyllis needs the money Tucker offered her, but it was disappointing to see her get tied up in another messy situation like this when she is supposed to be making an effort to turn her life around. And I just wonder where this whole storyline is leading because Jack and Billy are already wise to their plot to make it look like Billy is embezzling from the company. I really can't figure out how this embezzlement plot is supposed to benefit Tucker and put him in charge at Jabot somehow. I feel like we are missing a piece of the puzzle here, so hopefully that will be revealed soon, and we'll learn Tucker's full plan as it comes to fruition.
I've been happy to see Jack and Billy growing closer again as they face Tucker's threats together. It was nice that Jack believed Billy when Billy insisted that he was not the one moving the money from Jabot to a personal bank account. Jack didn't hesitate to lay the blame on Tucker and Phyllis once Billy shared his theory with Jack that they are the ones behind it all. I hope we see more Jabot family unity like this and less infighting as the story progresses, but who knows what Tucker has up his sleeve that may wreak more havoc!
That's all I've got to say about what went down on Y&R this past week, but I do want to take a moment to speak about Billy Miller. He was my favorite actor in the role of Billy Abbott, and it was a shock to me (like it was to so many others) when I first heard the news of his death. Not only did I love him as Billy on Y&R, but he was also a favorite of mine in the role of Drew on General Hospital. He was a brilliant actor and will be sorely missed by many. Mental health is important for all of us to stay vigilant about -- our own and those around us. Check in with your friends and loved ones to see how they are doing and offer to be a source of support when you can be.
On that note, I'll just wrap up and remind you all to hit the Comments (here on the site and on our social media posts throughout the week) to share your opinions about this past week on Y&R, too! I'll be looking for you there!
Until next time,
Vance
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