Friday the 13th: A New Beginning

If the past still haunts you... you're not alone. As Tessa and Mariah started their new life together this past week on The Young and the Restless, several other Genoa City couples flirted with the possibility of a future together. Join our Two Scoops columnist as he reviews "Teriah's" Friday the 13th nuptials, the seemingly renewed couplings of Jack and Phyllis, and Nick and Sharon, and a potential new coupling on the horizon -- Noah and Allie (plus, all the other happenings in Genoa City this week)!

What a fun week of romance we were treated to this past week on Y&R! Mariah and Tessa's wedding was great, and it is always a lot of fun when so many characters gather together at the same event -- especially when the event acts as a "kick-starter" for new storylines on the horizon!

The lead-up to the wedding was great, too. It was nice to see Mariah and Sharon sharing some sweet moments at home with Faith while Tessa and her sister got to catch up at their apartment. I feel for Sharon right now because she is dealing with the fallout from Rey's sudden death, but she really pulled herself together and poured all her efforts into ensuring that Mariah and Tessa had a perfect wedding day. It was a nice touch that, although the couple wanted their wedding to be unconventional, the show still added some traditional elements (like Sharon and Faith giving Mariah something old, new, borrowed, and blue) for the big day.

Those traditional elements were a nice touch, but, of course, this wedding didn't need to be traditional or conventional in order to be romantic and heartfelt. It's fantastic to see Y&R embracing the world as it is and celebrating the love between any two people, regardless of gender. Mariah and Tessa are both bisexual but that wasn't the main focus of their wedding or used as a plot device, which was also fantastic! These are just two people in love who wanted a nontraditional wedding (something many straight couples opt for, too), and it was nice to see the show honoring their love in the same way they have done for heterosexual couples over the years, without making a big deal about the fact that they both happened to be women. Personally, as a gay kid who grew up watching soaps, I always hoped that my favorite daytime dramas would tell these types of stories in this way, and I really felt that the wedding was a sweet culmination of Mariah and Tessa's journey.

I really enjoyed and appreciated the scenes between Tessa and her sister, Crystal, before the wedding, also, because we needed to see that connection again to make us care about Crystal's return. Crystal didn't make much of an impression on me the first time she was on the show, but I've really enjoyed her (so far) this time around and am hoping she sticks around. I haven't read any recent casting news about her, so I'm not sure if she was just brought back for the wedding or if we should expect to see more of her, but I have my fingers crossed for the latter.

I mentioned this as a joke in my previous column, but it would be interesting to see if Crystal and Noah hit it off romantically and we see a new love triangle form with Crystal/Noah/Allie. It certainly seemed like the writers might be teasing at that possibility during this week's episodes! And, as much as I hated Noah's wedding outfit and overall look for the big event, it was nice to see him finally moving on from Tessa and looking at other romantic possibilities on the horizon. I'm honestly just thrilled that he wasn't moping throughout all the wedding episodes, which is pretty much all we have seen him do since he returned to the show. More of this, please!

I also really enjoyed Noah and Allie this week, so, whether Crystal is thrown into the mix or not, I am excited about the potential for this pairing and what could be a great new beginning for them both. It was fun to see another side to Allie and learn more about her and her personality as everyone else in Genoa City was introduced to her. Noah was definitely awkward during their first encounter, but their scenes were really sweet by the end of the week when they ran into each other at Crimson Lights. I'm glad that Summer convinced Allie to crash the wedding and have a fun night out; otherwise, this potential new relationship could have been dead on arrival.

Allie wasn't the only party-crasher this week, of course. I guess Diane decided she needed to get some skulking done, so she hung around in the shadows at the wedding and reception. I love (or love to hate?) Diane and am thrilled that Susan Walters is back on the show, but her wedding crashing was a bit creepy and off-putting. It was worth it, though, because of the visit she got from Phyllis afterwards as a result -- and her interaction with Jack toward the end of the week made me laugh (but I'll get to that in a minute because I am getting ahead of myself, and there is more of Jack and Phyllis' tale to tell first).

The turn that Phyllis and Jack's story took this week took me by surprise. Their reunion itself wasn't surprising to me, but I didn't expect it to happen so suddenly or for Mariah and Tessa's wedding to be one of the events that nudged them toward one another. Given the way that some plots tend to move a bit slowly on this show at times, I thought the kiss they shared at the end of the night in the Abbot house was going to be all we got from them this week, so I was nearly cheering when Jack took her back to her hotel and shut the door behind him instead of leaving her alone! I truly did not expect them to end up in bed together, but I was here for it! I'm very excited about their new beginning!

Which brings me back to Diane and her comment toward the end of the week that had me laughing. When Phyllis and Jack suddenly moved their relationship to the next level, I had said to myself that I bet they wouldn't have moved so quickly if Diane weren't back in town with her eyes set on Jack. So, when Diane said nearly the same thing to Jack after witnessing the two of them being romantic with one another at Society -- that she found the timing "interesting," and "it was almost like Phyllis was marking her territory" -- I literally laughed out loud (it's funny because it's so true)! This was a classic Diane line, and Susan Walters delivered it perfectly -- you could tell it even caught Jack a little off guard for a moment and maybe got him thinking about whether Diane might be right!

Amanda even called Phyllis out about this later in the week, too, suggesting that she should thank Diane for pushing Phyllis and Jack's relationship to the next level. Phyllis, of course, denied that Diane had anything to do with her romantic rendezvous with Jack. Regardless of what the catalyst was for the romantic reunion between her and Jack, though, I am thrilled! I am very much looking forward to what is next for them -- and to see how Diane is undoubtedly going to try to come between them again!

Diane was definitely a hot topic this week, as Summer warned Kyle not to let his mother get too close right away, and Ashley and Phyllis discussed their shared enemy. I am excited by the prospect of Ashley and Phyllis teaming up against Diane (especially if Amanda joins their posse)! The scenes with them were a lot of fun as they discussed how they were going to deal with Diane and protect their family from her. I am definitely up for seeing more from this trio in the future! They would certainly be formidable opponents for Diane, who, I might add, doesn't need a posse of her own to fight back (which is a good thing, since she doesn't have many friends in town). Bring it on -- and let the fireworks begin!

Diane did manage one friendly interaction this week, which was nice. I like that Michael is supporting her and giving her a shoulder to lean on because I am fairly certain he may be her only friend in town. When Phyllis attempted to scold him for his friendship with Diane, Michael was quick to point out to her that he has defended her for some serious offenses in the past, too, and let her know that he would continue to do the same for Diane. Michael is one of those characters that you want as a best friend in real life because he will stand by you (and even defend you legally, if it comes to it!) no matter what you do. I was glad that he didn't totally let her off the hook for letting him think she was dead and for having to grieve her, though, because that is very true to his character. Just because he is your friend doesn't mean he won't call you out on your bullsh*t -- and isn't that what true friends are for, anyway?!

But moving on from Diane, love was certainly in the air (or maybe someone spiked the punch?!) at Mariah and Tessa's wedding because their ceremony and wedding party certainly seemed to inspire romantic feelings for a number of other Genoa City residents (both during and afterwards). Aside from Noah and Allie, and Jack and Phyllis, there were some other notable interactions that indicated a new beginning might be on the horizon for other characters, too.

Let's start with Nick and Sharon. Was it just me, or did it seem pretty clear that the writers are heading toward a romantic reunion for these former spouses? Their scenes together have been really sweet in the weeks since Rey died. I've always thought that they would find their way back to one another eventually, so all I can really say is that it is about time! I do hope that the writers take their time with this story, though, because they have tried to put these two back together in the past, and it seemed to always feel a little forced. I want them to take their time and show us why these two belong together. They had a great love story as high school sweethearts who then raised a family together, and I want to be excited to root for them again, so I hope the writers do them justice this time around!

Another honorable mention this week regarding characters who may get another shot at romance and a new beginning is Ashland and Victoria. They weren't featured much, which was a nice change of pace, but what we did see made it clear that Victoria has not gotten over Ashland. This is not surprising because, as she has stated herself, she can't just turn those feelings off right away. It was a little surprising, though, that she did some skulking of her own this week and eavesdropped on Ashland's conversation with Kyle and Summer regarding Harrison. If he was having some sort of conversation about business, I could understand why she would want to listen in and be sure he wasn't plotting anything, but to do so regarding such a personal matter shows that she is still invested in him and what happens to him on a more personal level. Perhaps Victoria doth protest too much when insisting that she would not give him a second chance. Could they make a relationship work now that all their cards are on the table and Ashland seemingly has no more lies to uncover?

I am not surprised that Summer and Kyle don't want Ashland to be a part of Harrison's life anymore after his latest lie was revealed -- one that directly impacted the son he raised as his own for so many years. It wasn't right of him to let anyone think he was dying of cancer, but Harrison is right at the top of the list, next to Victoria, of people that his lie hurt the most. I also see a benefit to Harrison being able to continue to have a relationship with Ashland, though, so I am a little torn. In any case, Ashland needs to earn the right to have any sort of relationship with him (or Victoria, for that matter).

And last, but certainly not least, the writers teased us about a potential new beginning for Esther in the final episode of the week. It was a treat to see her hanging out with her daughter, Chloe, but the real treat we were served was all the flashbacks from throughout her 40 years on the show! It was bittersweet to see Katherine again in many of those flashbacks after so many years have passed since Jeanne Cooper's death, but I loved seeing her again (her scenes were always must-see TV). And I always like to see a soap tapping into their history to tell new stories, so I'm happy to see that they are honoring Esther's legacy by giving Kate Linder a new storyline to dive into after all these years. I'm very curious to see who reached out to her on the dating app after Chloe helped her update her dating profile. Given Esther's history with love, I am sure it will be an interesting storyline! I do hope she ultimately finds some happiness because, like Chloe, I think she deserves it!

Now, there's just one last thing that I would be remiss not to mention before I sign off this week: I am pretty impressed so far with Allison Lanier in the role of Summer! I loved Hunter King in the role, so I wasn't sure how quickly I would take to a new actress, but the transition was very smooth, and she did a great job of jumping right into all the drama. She seems to have good screen chemistry with everyone she's interacted with so far, so I'm looking forward to this new beginning for Summer and Kyle. I'm really glad to see both characters back on the Y&R canvas.

All right, that's all from me this week, folks! Don't forget to hit the comments and share your opinions, too! Are you liking the new actress portraying Summer? Are you excited about the new storylines and romances that are starting to pick up steam on the show? Who do you think Esther will match with on her dating app? Can't wait to hear your thoughts! I'll see you in the comments!

Until next time, Vance

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