1 step forward, 3 steps back

This past week on Y&R, Cameron's reign of terror ended as quickly as it began (but not as quickly as Sally's pregnancy scare). Did you miss a moment? If so, you missed a lot -- but is that a good thing or a bad thing? Join our Two Scoops columnist as he examines the blink-and-you'll-miss-it storylines we were just served and discusses whether this type of storytelling is the best route for Y&R to take. And, of course, he'll be serving the gossip on all the other happenings in Genoa City this past week, too!

After the past couple weeks of watching Y&R and trying to understand where certain storylines are headed, I feel like I am now channeling my inner Olivia Rodrigo in her song, "1 step forward, 3 steps back," because "no, I don't understand." What is it that I don't I understand, you might ask? Well, I'll tell you (even if you didn't ask). I don't understand what the writer(s?) at Y&R are thinking. What journey are they trying to take us on? Lately, I feel like my emotions are being treated like a pinball in a pinball machine when I am watching this show. I think I like it? But I also am extremely frustrated at the same time with some recent developments. What is going on?! To quote Olivia's song again, "It's back and forth -- maybe this is all your fault" (and, of course, I'm referring to this all being the writers' fault).

Let's start with Nate. Maybe it is just the charisma (and looks) of Sean Dominic that has me really wanting to root for his character, but the writers seem to be going out of their way sometimes to make Nate unlikeable. Perhaps that is the point? Nate is a man who went through a major life change when he was suddenly no longer able to perform surgeries and ventured into the corporate world; so I suppose it is not a surprise that his character feels a bit unbalanced as he tries to find his footing in this new life and career. He was certainly more carefree and easier to love before he went through this major upheaval. But some of his actions truly are like pinballs in a machine, in that he is making big swings and hoping that they hit something -- anything -- that is worth some value (and will make him feel valued).

I think that is why he is so drawn to Victoria and why his relationship with Elena fizzled out. Victoria makes him feel valued, whereas Elena was always comparing him to Devon, the man that Nate used to be, and the man that she wanted Nate to be. Now, don't get me wrong -- I am placing no blame on Elena for the way their relationship ended. I don't think she did anything wrong. She is only guilty of wanting Nate to be the man that she fell in love with before his life did a complete 180. People change, though, and sometimes that is just how relationships end. Nate could have handled it all better, but in the end, they just weren't right for each other anymore and were inevitably headed for "Splitsville."

What I don't like about Nate's character sometimes is how he tends to lash out when he should be trying to build bridges. Granted, he tried to build bridges with Nick this week when they spoke about Nick being forced to take a leave of absence from Newman Enterprises, and he wondered why Nick was so hostile toward him, since they used to be friendly. But alas, when Nick shut him down and told him all the reasons he is not friendly toward him anymore, Nate reverted back to being a dick (to put it plainly) and went so low as to bring the death of Sally's baby into it and call out Nick for not being there for her when it happened. That was an incredibly low blow and made me feel disappointed in Nate.

I agree with Nikki and Victor that Victoria shouldn't have forced Nick to take a leave of absence and that the distraction of work might have actually been good for him after everything he's been through lately. Victoria clearly just wants Nick out of the way so she can have someone that fully supports her by her side, which she proved when she immediately made the offer to Nate to take Nick's job as COO. I am a little surprised, though, by Nick being so upset by this, because he begrudgingly took that job at Newman at his father's request months ago, and it has never felt like it was something he was passionate about. I think he's more upset about the choice being taken away from him than he is about having to step away from the job itself, which is frustrating because his anger is only creating more drama.

What else am I frustrated with? Let's start with the back-and-forth of one storyline in particular that has been plaguing us for well over a year (which also involves Nick, who seems to be the literal pinball in the writer's pinball machine this past week): Why. Do. The. Writers. Hate. Adam and Sally?! And, furthermore, why does the writing team (or lack thereof) seem to hate Adam and Sally fans? I'm pretty sure it is just the Executive Producer writing at this point (after a large portion of the writing team was fired just before the WGA strike) but perhaps there are others helping him out. I just don't get a lot of the decisions. Why did they even make Sally pregnant in the first place? Was it so they could have some "Who's the Daddy?" drama for a few episodes? And did they only make Adam the father because they knew they were just going to kill off the unborn tot, anyway?! I just -- ugh, I just can't with this anymore.

I'm sure I'm not the only Adam and Sally fan that thought this baby was our glimmer of hope that these two would eventually reconcile and become a family. And the writer(s?) had to have known that. They lured us in with this false hope, only to dash that hope once again. Not only did they kill off the baby, but they also set it up so that during Sally's health crisis, Adam was forced to choose between potentially losing both the baby and Sally or just saving Sally's life. Of course, Adam chose to save Sally over the possibility of losing them both, and of course, Sally now hates Adam for the choice he made that led to their unborn child dying. Ugh! I am seriously starting to think that the writers are seeking out ways to torture Adam/Sally fans any chance they can get. And in the fallout of it all, Nick is now asking Sally to move in with him?! Please just kill me and put me out of my misery already. I'm so done with all of this! It literally is one step forward and three steps back for Adam and Sally -- constantly! -- for well over a year!

Are there any Nick and Sally fans out there that are rooting for them through all of this foolishness? Because, if so, I'd like to slap each and every one of you for encouraging the writers in their torturous endeavor. Just kidding, that would be much too exhausting and time consuming. But I just don't get it. Are they supposed to be the couple we are rooting for? I have literally never been rooting for them and have always seen them as merely a roadblock to Adam and Sally's happiness. Hopefully, I am not alone in this because, if so, I may actually be driven crazy by all of this!

Since we're on the topic of Nick (and how couldn't we be, since he was involved in three major storylines this past week), let's discuss the other storyline development that has left me feeling frustrated. Although frustrated may be putting it mildly because I am literally feeling like a pinball that's just been dumped out of a pinball machine after being bounced back and forth about a thousand times! Yes, I'm talking about the blink-and-you'll-miss-it Cameron storyline. I'm torn on my feelings about how this all played out. Cameron is a great villain. The buildup and surprise of Cameron's re-emergence was suspenseful and thrilling, which I loved. But then, just as quickly as it began, it was all over. Has it even been a full month since he came back to town? And now he's dead already?!

How is it that we've been subjected to seemingly never-ending storylines over and over again, but then when something really interesting and exciting happens, we only get about three to four weeks of it on our screens? I was fully ready for Cameron's return to be wrought with a plethora of "is he redeemed or is he still evil?" moments over the next few months. I knew he was ultimately going to still be a villain, but I didn't expect for his villainy to be revealed -- and thwarted -- so quickly! And it kind of bums me out.

Have fans complained too much about drawn-out storylines, and that is why this one was rushed to the finish line so quickly? Could the show not afford Linden Ashby for long enough to keep Cameron around Genoa City for an extended stay? Or were the writers just looking for a quick summer thrill to throw at us? It certainly was a thrilling story, and I was fully invested in it, but that is why I was so disappointed by its quick resolution.

I was really excited to see Sharon front and center again in a storyline, but now that it is all said and done, I'm concerned she's just going to be put back on the backburner. She literally seemed unfazed by the fact that she stabbed a man to death that had been tormenting her and that had not only kidnapped her daughter Faith but had also strapped an explosive device to Faith that was meant to take them all out in Cameron's final "blaze of glory." Instead of being traumatized by all of this, she has seemingly shrugged it off as quickly as the writers shrugged off this half-assed storyline. I'm thankful that everything worked out for the best and that no one was hurt, but the climax we got after a few weeks should have come after a few months instead. We got our first villain in a while that actually felt like a real threat, and then he is killed off almost immediately. While I appreciate that the writers may want to provide more fast-paced storylines, this was a storyline that deserved more time and finesse. The show needs a better balance. It's really aggravating to me how this whole storyline was treated.

So, before I go off the deep end about my current frustrations with Y&R, let's talk about something a little more pleasant -- the "very special episode" featuring John Abbott (the late, great Jerry Douglas)! I always love a good flashback, and this episode had plenty of them, so it did not disappoint. As a "newer" viewer who started watching in the early 2000s during John's "gray hair years," it was fun to see some of the older scenes with a younger Jerry Douglas (and a teenage Beth Maitland as Traci)! I wasn't incredibly close with my family growing up, so soaps provided me with a sense of belonging to a close-knit family in my teenage years, and John always felt like a father figure to me -- the dad I always wished I had. It's fitting that this special episode aired in June (even if it didn't quite air in conjunction with Father's Day; but it was close enough).

To me, Traci has cemented herself as the new head of the Abbott family since John's death (even if Jack and Ashley both think they are worthy of that "head of household" moniker), so it was fitting that it was she who tried to use John's legacy to build a bridge between the sparring Abbott siblings. Granted, it seems like it will take something closer to a miracle to get Jack and Ashley to stop their infighting these days, but Traci had the right idea. I always get excited whenever she shows up in an episode because she just makes me smile and makes me feel at home. It seems like she was working some of that "Traci magic" on Jack and Ashley as they reminisced about their father; unfortunately, I have a feeling any ceasefire between her brother and sister will be temporary. And Billy will likely be caught in the crossfire when this latest Abbott war blows up!

But how fun was it to have Jerry Douglas' real-life widow featured in this episode as Traci's publishing agent?! I thoroughly enjoyed her character, Zelda, and thought she did a great job in the episode! I wouldn't be opposed to her being featured more regularly -- maybe she will get that book deal out of Diane that she was clamoring for!

Well, that's all for this week, folks! Don't forget to hit the Comments section -- and our social media posts throughout the week -- to share your opinions, too! I'll see you there!

Until next time,Vance

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