Of the four soaps left on the air, there wasn’t one that gave us a consistently good year in 2023. The Young and the Restless definitely had its moments that kept us tuning in but there were also clunker storylines, missed opportunities, and quite a few things that made us go ‘hmmmm…’
Here we highlight what Y&R did right and what it did wrong while giving honorable mentions to the good and the bad that was the year that just passed.
What Went Right On The Young and the Restless
While there were many ho-hum hours of Y&R in 2023, it was also the show that knew how to keep us on the edge of our seats by delving into its history and delivering pure soap opera deliciousness with its talented vets.
Linden Ashby’s deranged portrayal of ex-con Cameron Kirsten actually gave Sharon Case’s Sharon a real storyline this past year with all the trappings. We had terror, angst, fear, determination — and even a bomb scare with a kidnapped teen. As Cameron slinked around town and Sharon tried to deal with the fact that he was free, we couldn’t wait to see what happened next and what happened next was amazing, nail-biting soap that told us endgame is still Sharon and Nick (Joshua Morrow). If only we could get there already…
As 2023 comes to a close, Nikki Newman (Melody Thomas Scott) has battled a previously unknown enemy twice over the course of a month while also battling alcoholism. And, the only reason she was thrown off the wagon was because said enemy hooked her up to an IV and injected (watered down?) vodka right into her veins. Landing As the World Turns legend Colleen Zenk was casting coup we never expected and it’s nothing short of a delight sinking her teeth into this campy and crazy role.
The story also leaves us with so much 2024 potential because it introduces the character of Claire (Hayley Erin), who was just revealed to be Victoria (Amelia Heinle) and Cole’s (J. Eddie Peck) presumed dead baby Eve, all grown up. That is if Cole didn’t take Nikki’s DNA from that hairbrush. Keeping Claire as Eve will lead to years of soapy drama so all we can do is hope Y&R doesn’t drop the ball with this gem of a story.
Honorable Mentions: The Things We Loved
While the Nick/Sally/Adam triangle was mainly a snore because Nick and Sally (Courtney Hope) were just so wrong for one another, we got plenty of heartbreaking soap angst when Sally tragically lost her baby while Nick battled Cameron and Adam made the decision to save Sally’s life and not their daughter’s if it came to that.
The show’s 50th anniversary gave us quite a few returns, including Veronica Redd as Mamie Johnson, Michael Damian as Danny Romalotti, and Tricia Cast as Nina Webster. Keep those vets coming because familiar faces are what make soaps seem like extended family.
What Went Wrong On The Young and the Restless
While Sharon found herself in the spotlight with the Cameron Kirsten comeback story, she did little else through the year than serve coffee and make plans to re-launch the company Cameron left her — mainly off-screen. Sure, she’s in a lackluster pairing with Chance (Conner Floyd) that doesn’t really work as she has to battle Summer (Allison Lanier) for his affections, but that just leaves a bad taste in our mouths. Let’s not forget that Summer is the product of Nick cheating on Sharon soon after the death of their teenage daughter, Cassie. She shouldn’t have to fight that SORAS’d character for a man.
Then we have Sharon’s daughter, Mariah (Camryn Grimes) and her wife Tessa (Cait Fairbanks). They finally became parents. Off-screen. Yes, Y&R gave us a same-sex couple adopting a baby and we didn’t even get to see it. Instead, Mariah and Tessa returned to Genoa City after months away with a little girl they adopted. The show tried to throw fans a bone by giving Baby Aria a hearing impairment, but that story lasted all of five days and we rarely get to see it play out.
Finally, there’s Tucker’s (Trevor St. John( plan. Do we care about his plan? Do we even know his plan since it seems to change just about every day? Does Tucker know his plan? Is he still plotting his plan? Will the Abbotts come up with another plan to thwart him if their latest one doesn’t work? Do we really need more of it in 2024?
Honorable Mentions: The Things We Hated
Musical CEOs seem to be the name of the game in Genoa City and it’s both confounding and confusing how all these people switch jobs on a dime, and always end up in the corporate world. Chance spent years chasing the bad guys, but now he will embrace his business side. (Does he have one?) Nate was a successful doctor turned executive. Billy(Jason Thompson) can’t stay in any job more than five minutes. Kyle goes from company to company wanting the top spot.
Let’s not forget that Nikki now suddenly runs the media company that Sally once ran. And now Sally, who started out as a fashion designer is now an interior decorator. And that doesn’t even scratch the surface of Genoa City musical jobs.
The Young and the Restless airs weekdays on CBS. Check your local listings for times. Remember, you can always find the latest Y&R spoilers, recaps, and news on Facebook at The Young and the Restless Daily. Also, meet fellow fans and talk all things Y&R with our Facebook community group.
