Legal adoption notwithstanding, Stepford child, I mean Abby, is at heart and, of course, by blood, a Newman through and through. And to prove it, she borrowed the hammer hatefully being wielded by Ma and Pa Newman in order to pound a few of her own half penny nails in the lid of Uncle Jack's coffin.
"I own Jabot" she parroted her Uncle, thumping her little chest in giggling pride, describing for Pa Newman the funniest thing she'd supposedly witnessed the day before. I saw that scene as well, and if Abby found it funny, I certainly couldn't pick out the moment when she was most amused. Though I looked closely, I failed to see a grin alter her serious expression, nor did I hear so much as a stifled giggle at Jack's outburst. I guess you had to be there to get the joke, in flesh, not just through the hard glass screen. Note to the Abbotts: When Abby is on the premises, take a moment to lock up all the videotapes and look in all four directions before uttering self-incriminating information.
Equally unamusing, to me if to no one else, was the way Abby was like an unplugged faucet when talking with the Newmans, gushing information until her eavesdropping well had run completely dry, yet when on the elevator with Stepmommy-half-sister, Victoria and Jack, she had apparently learned the fine art of discretion and even when asked by Victoria the exact nature of the brother-sister fight, did not disclose the I own Jabot 411.
Isn't there something said about eavesdroppers never hearing anything good? I guess it's the opposite in this town. Every time you turn around, or in this case, every time someone fails to look before, behind and all about them, their eavesdropper is being rewarded with a veritable gold mine of information. Victor, Nikki, Kevin, Michael, Gloria, just to name a handful; it seems everyone is intuitively capable of listening closely, reading between the lines and figuring out the whole sordid story. Except Jack and Ashley, of course.
Nikki practically drew Ashley a picture of what Abby said, but Ashley retained that deer in the headlights look and didn't appear the least bit suspicious. Speaking of Nikki, I am so sick of that sneering down her nose, sourpuss expression; I scarcely know what to do. You know the one that always looks as if she's the only one who bathed and dabbed on scent that day.
And why couldn't Jack have overheard or caught a glimpse of Victor and the Senator when Victor was stripping the flesh from his government paid hide? Then he might not have been gullible enough to buy that flower making, stress relieving act Victor pulled on him? Why couldn't Jack have seen the tip of Nikki's upturned nose as she scurried back to the table to tell Victor what she'd sniffed out from Jack's overheard cell phone conversation? Why can't Jack be the one lucky enough to be lurking unseen in plain view just outside the break room or office door and catch a snippet of suspicious conversation? Why? Why? Why?
I recently read a blurb where Peter Bergman said he hoped fans didn't think the current contention between Jack and Victor was just more of the same old, same old, you know, where Victor gets to step on Jack like Jack's an ant Victor the giant purposely crushed when he reached the top of his beanstalk and tried to scurry unseen to Vic's castle? Well forgive me, if even after reading the words for myself, I still don't believe them. Not that I wouldn't love to be surprised to see Jack just once prove to be an equally armed and formidable opponent for Victor. Balance, scribes, balance. I adore a good hissing cat or growling mutt skirmish. But what fun is watching a battle when all the might and power is on one side? Much like seeing a 10-year-old snatch a lollipop from a two-year-old tot. Not even a contest. Oh well, at least one thing has changed. In the bad, old days, Victor used to be capable of taking down Jack all by his ruthless self. These days, it appears the aging Oz needs an army of underlings to help him accomplish his mission.
And once Newman and his henchmen and women have bested Jack, then what? Both have invested heavily in Jabot (not that Mr. and Mrs. Moneybags would miss the lost profits, no matter how astronomical the amount) but what good would come of embroiling Jabot in a lawsuit which would cause the company to go under for the third and final time? What is Victor's goal anyway? I mean, other than the complete and total humiliation and ruination of Jack and another opportunity to rub Jack's muzzle in yet another mess Jack's made? So that he can force Jack to give up NVP in exchange for keeping quiet about his ownership of Jabot? Will there even be a Jabot to secretly own by then? The way the scribes are eliminating Abbots, when the dust has cleared and settled, will there even be an Abbott left in town to moan and groan about the loss of the family company?
Of course, Victoria ought to be covering Jack's face with kisses. Because Daddy's single-minded pursuit of all things Jack has kept him from training his hot spotlight of suspicion on Bradley. Once Jack has been dispatched, with nothing to do but twiddle his thumbs and pet his dog and his wife, in that order, I wouldn't be surprised to see Victor begin sniffing and snarling around Brad's heels.
But, back to the Abbotts. Okay, I probably detest the Glo-pig as much as they do, but as Drucilla used to say, "enough is enough and too much is just foolish." Jack stripped Gloria of her inheritance, tossed her, her cheap wardrobe and her law-breaking son out of the mansion and had her demoted (if a person can actually be demoted when they hardly work in the first place). Now Jack and Ashley have decided to go after the name?! Even I will concede that they've moved into the land of overkill now. Isn't Ashley, and Jack too, for that matter, hated more than enough by many fans, both old and new? Ashley didn't even want the Catwalk gig. You would think they'd be grateful for anything keeping Gloria content and out of their hair. Instead, they continually stir up that hornets nest. And expect not to be severely stung? Give it a rest. Let the carrion crow keep the name. If she has her way (and since she appeared on the GC scene, she always has gotten it) it won't be long before she's tormenting some other moneyed family. Namely the Bardwells.
Speaking of families, the Fisher-Baldwins have apparently become the new Abbotts. Soon Michael will have to move into a bigger place with a dining room so we can watch them munching on muffins around the breakfast table. Albeit, burned ones since Glo can't boil water and Lauren's too baby-stressed to bake. I have to confess, though, as much as this growing family has been forced down my gullet, I'm not having much luck giving a care about what happens to them. While I still retain some liking for Kevin and Michael, even the Abbott's heavy handed persecution of Gloria still doesn't make me like her any better. By the way, no that article didn't call Gloria "a breath of fresh air!" More like a blast of fetid air, in my cynical opinion. And while I'm sure many women have walked in Lauren's shoes, I'm having difficulty drawing from my well of sympathy on her behalf. What are those shoes, by the way? postpartum baby blues, anxiety, agoraphobia, Sheila-phobic, baby hates me, bad mother, sleeplessness, what? Instead, she makes me want to yell, "come on, Lauren, you well-heeled heiress, suck it up and get a damn grip." I know, that probably sounds mean, but please. The rest of us mortals should have it as hard as she does. As for extended almost family member, Kevin's girlfriend, Jana, I still don't know to make of her. True crime buff, mistress of all trades, murderess, potential child stealer, Sheila stand-in, Reliquary seeker?
Brad's family isn't making me feel all warm and fuzzy either. If she isn't visiting the Newmans, Abby's precocious little self is only trotted out for display on special family occasions, and the only thing Brad ever talks about is reliquary-related. Actually, I would enjoy Brad and his past being dug up and dissected. It shouldn't take more than an overlong explanation to clear himself of the Kaplan murders, omitting the murder of the Cleveland reliquary-seeking thugs, of course. At least that way that loose end could be tied up for all time, and Brad's persistent paranoia with it, and we could move on to something I might like better.
And lastly, the Winters family. Like a warm, bracing beam of bright sunshine after a dismal, dank, rainy day, Devon's gorgeous smile has come out, reminding me how handsome this young man is when he isn't forcing his mouth downward into a melancholy moue. And now that Devon's implants are working and he has returned to the land of the hearing, that should end the signing and tap-tapping on the computer keys. I quite enjoyed the whole adoption thing, and Michael's sweet, sentimental side peeking out for a touching moment was definitely one of the highlights. The emotions of the Winters parents and the Winters boy to be were realistic and believable.
What I couldn't believe, even after I heard the words for myself, was Will's decision to go after the Winters parents with everything he has for perjuring themselves before the Grand Jury. I know, I know, before any of you tell me, he's just doing his job. The Winterses did lie and for that they must pay! Right. Like everyone else who has committed crimes way worse than telling a lie has paid their criminal debts in full! Is Will just p.o.'d because the Winterses refused to accept his plea? Or is it because Michael's argument convinced the Judge to accept the duck tape and garbage bag evidence at Jabot? If it comes out that Brad's fingerprints on the tape prove he's not who he swore before the Grand Jury he was, will Will prosecute him? What about Victoria? She had to lie as well when she testified about not-Brad. Will she be slapped with an arrest warrant too?
In a family that's currently getting along, though I doubt that blissful state of affairs is going to remain so much longer, Katherine continues to try to interpret her hazy dreams about a mysterious ring and a crying baby. Since I've read that DNA will continue to link Mother and Daughter Chancellor, perhaps the dream baby is either a twin or Jill's long-dead son, Phillip. Who just possibly may not be who we, including Jill, have always thought him to be. Do we smell a baby switch?
So, Paul's conflict of business interests has forced him to decide to back away from the Mesta murder mess. I don't blame him. I wish I could back away from that smelly pile myself. It's not the murder case itself that irks me, it's the continued pursuit of Devon, who we all know did not kill Carmen Mesta. Nor did his mother. I did have to chuckle a bit at Paul's belated decision. Interesting that he didn't quit the case until he had relayed all Michael's current collected information to the very man he's conflicted about, Mr. Paranoia is my middle name Brad. Nice to know, though, that Brad and J.T. are officially off the clock but still unofficially on the job. After all, someone has to solve this caper; Lord knows Will's probably not capable.
Before I go, don't forget the Best of 2006 column is coming up in a couple of weeks. So, send me your "Best of" by Friday, December 15th. Thanks.
And now, I will leave the podium and let each of you step up to the mic and speak your opinionated piece.
CABC - Thank goodness for you Nita, you totally get it! Balance, Balance, Balance. I've said from the beginning that's what the show lacks. I like the changes, but come ooonnnn, how the hell does Nikki the vamp all of a sudden have a clean slate, and a halo over her dam head, and Phyllis the straight up nutcase, is being portrayed as this outstanding citizen ... very insulting to the viewers. I don't understand why they can't find a more suitable role for Victor and Jack, they're great actors, they're good-looking, so it shouldn't be that difficult. I would love to see them pair up and do damage to the senator, instead of each other. They seem to do great as friends. The reliquary: joke, old/new Lily, beautiful girl, but not suitable for the role, just doesn't work all the way around, drop the dam s/l. P/N, love the actors, but nothing but a sexfest goin' on. Can we get some morals and decent values somewhere in the s/l, this show will be just like all the others in no-time. The decent and realistic s/l is what actually made the show popular for so long, they had meaning, and they had balance, all gone with the stroke of a pen!
FRIEDA - Amber was the reason I stopped watching B&B! Yuck!
JOANNE - Nita you say exactly what I feel - it's like you are in my head - spooky! I agree with everything you have said about all of the characters. Do the writers read any of these feedback sites, including their own on CBS? Many of the fans on the CBS Y&R site have stated the same thing that they fast forward and hate the way the storylines are going. Do they read it and take it to heart? I hope so, because I fear, after watching the show off and on for over thirty years, I will have to stop very soon. Please let the sanity return and make me care about the characters again. Don't make it the Newman-Fisher show. Neither family has any redeeming qualities that would make me care enough to watch.
CHANTEL - Love your column Nita! What I can't understand is why Y&R is so fire-happy these days, letting go of new and veterans alike because they think the fans don't like them, yet they continue to torture us with the whining of Adrienne Leon (Colleen)? If they want to do something productive, fire Adrienne and bring back Lyndsy Fonseca!
LONDA - Ugh, Giggles and Grins, what a great nickname for Phyllis & Nick. So tired of them, and I was onboard with their chemistry at first. It's waning. I'm pretty sick of seeing them grope one another at every second and Nick seems so wimpy now. Sharon could really get on my nerves, but I think she and Nick made a great pair, there was chemistry and a genuineness about their relationship that I find missing in Giggles & Grins. They both seem like two different people now. Is Phyllis going to challenge Nick at every turn the way she did Jack, whom she was really great with by the way? Maybe Malcolm will come back and sweep Sharon off her feet. Then how will Nikki, Vicki, and Philly find ways to mock and demean her, I mean my goodness, the woman lost her husband to the other woman, you'd think all three of them would be a tad gentler, especially Mrs. My husband and I are so hot together and are about to have our dream daughter. Isn't happiness supposed to make one softer and more understanding to others pain/unhappiness? Oh yeah, this is Genoa City where what goes for me sure as hell don't go for you. Oh, bring back Davetta, will ya? Or else show us good love scenes with the young Romalottis so we can feel the love. Because all we're getting is like, Lily might as well be married to Devon and Daniel to Colleen the way they act. Please bring Lauren out of her funk, PPD may be real but it's also boring, at least on Y&R. Maybe it would have been better suited to give it to Phyllis. Whoa, what zaniness she could have gotten into! Here's hoping Jill remembers some of her past self, she needs to dust off her con game so she can land her man. Glo's not playing!
KENDRA - Someone once said, "I am sick of being sick and tired!" Hello! I am sick and tired of these storylines for goodness sake! Why are the writers butchering Dru's character? All this screaming and self doubt and wild hair and not listening to her lawyer when he says to "shut up." Please leave her alone. The writers have trashed just about everyone on the show. Can you leave at least one character as is please? Next, on to Neil, finally he admits that because he took it there with Carmen, "we" are in this mess. Finally. That's all I've been waiting for him to say. Now... Phyllis! We all know she has been a skeez from day one and has done some horrible things. Why oh why are you all, not me, so easy to accept this new found Phyllis and throw Sharon over the coals? She, along with Sharon and Nikki have done their ill will in GC many times. But because some of you like to see kissy face make out with Little Nick, then all is forgiven. Give me a break! And I need Sharon to cuss Phyllis and Darling Nikki out just one good time! Please! For me! And did she forget she has a son named Daniel? And on to Nick, because the writers love Phyllis now, Nick has been knocked down to a one or two lines a week mush boy! What happened? The boy doesn't even have anything mature to say these days besides sucking face! At least with Sharon he acted like a man and not a little boy. And please let this kid not be Nick's. Next, can we just please find this dang reliquary and put this stretched out storyline to rest! Speaking of overdone storylines, who cares about Carmen? This unnecessarily drawn out mystery storyline is tired! Let it go. Let's move on. Announce the killer why don't you! On to J.T.. Boy, get a backbone and leave Colleen alone. She's a brat. Can we find a woman for him to date please?! The old/new Lily is not the right fit for the role and never was. Where's Davetta! Lastly, the crying baby nightmare/dream that is going on with Katherine, Esther and Jill, please make it stop. Solve this mystery please! Have you sensed that I am growing to be more and more annoyed with this soap that I have watched for over 20 years! I usually rush home to watch it during lunch and will then watch it again at 7 on SoapNet. Now I find myself flipping between Y&R and some judge show during the day. And shopping for stuff I really don't need at Target at 7. The last few months of Y&R have been like one bad dream. Can someone snap me out of it and promise me the storylines will change for the better and fast! Thank you! P.S. Can someone tell Amber to dye her hair a couple shades darker and take that bright red lipstick off. Who brought the hoochie to Genoa City?
NEK - Ok I killed Carmen and put her behind the club! Can we get past this already? It's beginning to get really old. Victor bring Jack down, bring him down! I've had it with his smug attitude. Goodbye Ashley, not one of my favorites on the show. The nerve of her to rain on Gloria every chance she gets, less I remind her that SHE stole Victors sample to have his child.
JODI - Great column. I've been a fan of Y&R for about 20 years. I stopped watching the show a few weeks ago. The storylines are awful. Let's see more of Jill and Katherine. I can't stand the Victor/Jack feud anymore. Phick makes me sick. Who cares about Carmen? What happened to my favorite soap?
THERESA - Nita, please tell me someone of significance and influence at Y&R will actually read my (and all of our comments ) about this show. I say this because ... listen up writers ... get real close to the screen and read what I am saying. Hire me to write the Y&R scripts because as God is my witness, I can do better than you! I have a degree in English and I know this soap and its characters! I can help save this show and its viewers! Hire me! I surely wouldn't be making the insane decisions someone, somewhere has been making regarding this once stellar soap. If Katherine dies (and I think she will ) we must boycott Y&R. If Peter Bergman is "let go " I will never watch again. It was bad enough to kill off John Abbott and not even give him a decent memorial from all of GC, now they have fired Eileen. I will really miss her. I didn't always like her character, but I loved her acting. This is so unfair to the actors and to my favorite soap. What are the writers and producers thinking? Who are they trying to attract and appeal to when they make these crazy decisions - 12 year olds? How can people actually want to watch this show after what they've done? Let this be an example to everyone in the soap industry and the viewing audience - this is what happens when money is the only priority and everything else - writing, characters, acting - is ignored or sacrificed for the almighty dollar. This is exactly how to ruin a perfectly good soap. Hire me or any loyal fan with an ounce of creativity and a flare for all these Y&R characters, especially the ones we haven't seen for years, and I/we could do better. Mainly because we care, we would have the budgets we need to write a show viewers would actually sit down and watch and forget how their FF buttons even worked. As for the current SL's- let Jill have Bardwell, please. She needs someone, especially since Kay will probably be leaving soon. Wrap up everything else and start fresh for the New Year. Thank you Nita - you're a lifesaver as always.
PAT - Y&R was on my Tivo but I rarely watched the past 3 months. Yesterday I just deleted it because it was wasting space (since I wasn't watching). I lost interest with the Phyllis/Nick thing. Also, Gloria just brings down a company, nothing happens, Michael breaks all kinds of legal laws, nothing happens. And why must Victor always trample over Jack? Can Jack win just once out of 20 years? Jabot was Jack's dad's company for goodness sake. But mainly, I just couldn't take more of Phyllis & Nick. How would she like it if she and Nick were having problems and some other woman got involved with him, saying the marriage was over? She wouldn't like it one bit. She's always been a ticking time bomb.
LAURA - Hey, remember when Phyllis killed Sasha? Isn't she the pot calling the kettle black?
SANDY - I for one agree that Amber is funny looking. I really don't see the point in bringing her to Genoa City. Did the writers forget that Lauren is a wonderful singer. Instead of Amber filling in for the band, why not let Lauren do a couple of numbers? It would've given her something to do besides call and check on the baby. I also agree Davetta was a much better Lilly. Much better acting skills and more chemistry with Daniel. The Winters Family and the Nick/Phyllis storyline are about the only high points of the show for me. I believe Ji Min or Devon's Mom killed Carmen. We'll see. I for one am not sad to see Ashley leave. Her character always came across so arrogant and judgemental. I really hope Bardwell takes off the rose colored glasses about Gloria and hooks up with Jill. He seems a little boring for her, but can't stand him with Glo. She's so fake and totally overacts. Can we please see Jack get what's coming to him? It's one thing to get the family company back, but at what cost? He tricked his father into signing a new will. This is unexcusable. Also, he took advantage of a very ill and trusting Victor. Victor has never been a saint, but this is an all time low. I know that he hates Glo, but she didn't deserve to go out like that. No matter what her faults, she really did love John.
DEE - This is a rant about Gloria. I absolutely love what Jack and Ashley are doing to her. For all the misery she brought to the Abbott family (put that wonderful man behind bars) and to the family company, I hope she's stripped of the Abbott name - she doesn't deserve it. Since it's clear she's never going to be punished for what she did to Jabot with that cream stunt that caused the death of that poor woman and got Jack thrown out of his family company for life, she deserves whatever other punishments can be thrown her way. Once the Abbott name is gone, she'll be bounced from that TV show which serves her right. Had John Abbott ever really known Gloria Fisher, he would not have loved her nor would he have ever married her. But he was killed off before he had a chance to know what kind of woman she really is. While his "ghost" was dragging his chains around and appearing to haunt and condemn Jack, he should have paused for a moment and taken a glance at what his dear "wife" was up to. He was hardly cold before she was back to her old tricks that fooled John in the first place - pulling all kinds of dishonest shenanigans to find ways to sink her fangs into the next wealthy man. It's amazing how a woman who was as poor as she was can't cook, but voila! can suddenly know so much about the business world that she can have the title Vice President, and overnight be a creative and financial whiz. And if that wasn't enough, she knew John for about two years, but suddenly she was always going on and on about how it was up to her to protect his "legacy" - never mind his children had been doing just that for all their adult lives. What a conceited, self-centered witch! Can someone explain to me how it is that she doesn't make enough money to get her own apartment? In any company I've ever heard of, Vice Presidents make a nice healthy salary and don't have to sponge off their children. Go get her, Jack and Ashley! You've got at least one fan who is totally on your side!
HELEN - I'm sorry to hear Eileen Davidson (Ashley) has been fired. I'm a new watcher and think Eileen's character has much potential for plot lines - i.e., why would such a strong female character not have the chance to do as her brother (Jack) did and steal Jabott out from under him? This keeps the Jabot company in the family, honors her father's memory as well as teaches Jacky a lesson and, it's what any daughter/sister would do. I'm thinking the real problem may be your "creative" writing because I can think of many possibilities for Ashley. She has the potential to be the female version of Victor!
ERIN - I try very hard to overlook all the silliness on this show when it comes to how they deal with legal issues, but I can't let this one go. Since when is a plea deal offered to the "legal guardians" of an 18 year old accused of a crime, while the accused himself is not even invited to the meeting? Dru and Neil can't accept Bardwell's plea bargain on Devon's behalf. That's just plain ridiculous! Another thing that drives me crazy is how the DA and other attorneys (Michael included) just jump to go see someone in person whenever they are beckoned, even though a phone call would suffice. Do these people not have any other cases that they have all this free time?
MYRA - I would like to say I have been watching the Y&R for over 23 years. It is so different now. I do like some of the storylines, it makes it more interesting but some of the characters need to go. Gloria ... eew - I can't stand her and I tape the show everyday so I fast forward when she's on. She is so irritating. There is no way John would have married someone like her. She has absolutely no class. I've always liked Lauren but she is such a "sucky baby" now. I'm glad Ashley will be off the show, she is totally useless. I liked the other Lily better - not the original who is back now. I too agree with one of your other fans that Jack should win this one with Victor and own Jabot. What's so wrong with that? It belongs to his family. Why the hell would Victor care? You would think he would agree with Jack on this one out of respect since it was John's company. I do love Nick & Phyllis together but for the love of God, please let her have that baby, too much whining with this pregnancy. Sharon, I can take her or leave her. I do feel bad for her sometimes especially lately with "snobby" Nikki. I have always loved Nikki but I can't stand her snobby face lately. That was ok once in a while. Nita, this is my first time writing and I have to tell you that you are so "right on". I agree with you and I love reading your column.
WANDA C - One character arrives and another one leaving, come on writers. I'm getting whiplash trying to keep up. The first time I saw the "New-Old" Lily with Daniel, it was startling. I kept worrying that his wife was going to catch him with another woman. Aand then I remembered, Ooooh yes, she is his wife. Someone tell Amber Halloween is over - she can take off the scary mask. Ooops that was ugly of me, but do they really need her on the show? Are the writers suffering from writers' block?
KAI - I have watched Y&R since 1990 and I think it is a ghost of what it used to be. The characters are being written so one dimensionally. For Victor and Jack (the only real reasons to watch the show) to work, they both have to win a little and lose a little. You were right on with the mention of balance; it is exactly what is missing. I personally do not want to see Jack go down, I want him to be the "Victor" in this, get Jabot and get by with it, expose Gloria as the person who contaminated the cream at Jabot and get her comeuppance in spades. Nikki makes me ill, and Phyllis and Nick get the fast forward button every time. The new old Lily is boring and bland, as she always was, and who cares about Katherine and Jill anymore? The bite is gone from both of them. I fast forward through all of the Colleen stuff, the Brad and Victoria stuff and the Kevin and Jana stuff. All of these characters can go away. I like Sharon and Jack and hope they triumph over the Newman snake pit!
JACKIE - First things first. YIPEEE, Ashley is going! I hope she is the killer because Carmen found out she isn't an Abbott. Why take the name from Gloria when you don't deserve it yourself! Gloria was on my "get-rid-of-list", but not anymore, she makes me laugh. I would love to see Dru leave though, every time she enters the show, I exit to another station. If Colleen whines about the trust issue one more time I am going to scream. If J.T. was a doctor, she would want to know who he did a pap smear for, and who has what illness. I like the return of Victor the vicious. Look out Jack, your days are numbered and it's about time. Jack would have let Victor die instead of helping him, so let's hope he ends up on the receiving end of a medical nightmare. I love the fact that Jill and Kay have a good storyline coming their way, it's about time.
CHANDRA - Nita, love yr column. I will stop watching Y&R and just read the synopsis on soapcentral.com & read yr column. The storylines are tired and boring. Very shallow acting by some of the actors. Re Phyllis' sex drive, when I was in my last trimester and my last month of pregnancy w/ both of my children, I was not walking fast and getting up and down quickly the way Phylllis does. Pregnancy is and can be demanding, uncomfortable and difficult during the last trimester! And why is she always thinking and talking sex like a ho? I am just too through w/ this soap. Amber: The intro of Nordic/Slavic Amber is just unnecessary and ridiculous. Soaps need more ethnic, diverse actors of color. From the first day, characters were talking about Amber's so-called "beauty". She can't sing worth a lick! Will:Why is Will acting like a wimp? Devon/Devaughn: How did the Winters and Daniel learn sign language so quickly while Devon was never even attempting to learn it - yet could understand it? I got sick of him yelling all the time. Kay: Why do the elderly have to be seen in a condescending negative light? With Kay having nightmares, being weak. She is a successful career woman! Brad's Mom: Does she have any skills or education? What does she do w/ her time? How was she supporting herself before Genoa City? Why is she bothering to spend any time w/ Korbel? Nick: Does he have a conscience? Zapato: Can a language coach of Hispanic heritage please coach all the actors to show respect for the Spanish language by pronouncing Zapato correctly? Nita, you are the greatest! Love your observations!! You are very insightful!
