On an Island

I’ve said it before and this week did nothing to change my mind — this “storyline” with Mariah and Tessa taking Aria to get fitted with hearing aids is pointless. Did it provide a few heartwarming moments? Yes. The baby is adorable, Tessa singing to her was sweet, and so was Sharon learning to sign ‘Grandma’ just in case, but the plot isn’t driving story and the gals remain on an island.

Stir the Pot

Keeping the pointless coming is Daniel’s love life. This is a strange one for me because Graziadei and Khalil have chemistry, yet somehow Daniel and Lily are like watching paint dry. I’ve found myself rooting for Heather to stir the pot just to liven things up. That said, there’s nowhere much for this to go either. Heather is clearly a roadblock that’s been brought in to facilitate Khalil’s impending maternity leave, and that feels temporary. So why invest?

Big Problems

Speaking of love triangles, there are big problems with the latest one Young & Restless has rolled out for November Sweeps, with the main issue being a total lack of build up. We’ve barely seen Sharon and Chance together, their relationship has not even been properly defined or established, and neither has Chance’s “friendship” with Summer. If the writers aren’t going to invest, why should we? Even Chance’s shooting took place offscreen — why can’t we have nice things like onscreen drama?! Chance seemed genuinely bewildered to see Summer agonizing at his bedside and frankly, it was weird. Which is not how your love triangle should be starting out.

The other big problem is the characters involved. For a viewer like myself, who lived through the entirety of the Phyllis/Nick/Sharon era, there’s just something off about having Sharon vying with Phyllis’ daughter for a man. Even more off-putting? Phyllis egging Summer on by telling her that Sharon is always all about Nick. First of all, she’d be loathe to admit this, second, that’s just not what we’re seeing and feeling onscreen, third, Nick is Summer’s dad — why was Phyllis referring to him as “Nick” and not “your father” in the convo? Worse, by adding this commentary, they just told us the outcome of the storyline, which is now… pointless. Meanwhile, as predicted, Nina apparently has an issue with Sharon/Chance. Why were we “told” this by Christine? Show don’t tell. Fans had a lot to say:

Make It Make Sense

Victor’s big test was also pointless, aside from the fact that it cut Nate loose so he could go back to Chancellor-Winters. He didn’t let the ruse go on long enough to truly see who would have done what, and he’s no further ahead with his children. As for Nate, family or not, I can’t imagine why Devon or Lily would ever want to work with this guy again given the history, or why Jill would allow him to come back. I also don’t understand how Mamie has any say in what happens with the company as a silent investor with a minor stake in the company or how Tucker would help her to get Jill out. It’s all such a muddle. Anyway — spoiler alert! — Jill and Tucker will butt heads this week as she confronts him about Mamie etc. If nothing else, we will be treated to some brilliant acting. Also coming up: Watch for Victor to dole out yet another ultimatum. Family unity or bust!

Zero to Psycho

If the preview is to be believed, Claire is going from zero to full-on psycho very quickly. Again, very little in the way of build-up aside from a few creepy moments. That said, the clip of Claire stabbing Nikki in the neck could be something the young woman merely fantasizes about doing — either way, it’s shaping up to be a nightmare for Nikki. We also heard Victor mention a visit to Nikki’s sister Casey in the promo, which was super exciting for the long-time viewers hoping for a Roberta Leighton appearance. She was one of my faves back in the day, so I’d love to see it. Is Claire connected to Casey? Too soon to say… perhaps Nikki never makes it to Casey’s place, or Claire somehow incapciatated Casey and used her phone to lure Nikki out of Genoa City? Some have wondered if Claire is related to Casey, but if that’s the case, I can’t imagine her wanting to harm Nikki. Anyway, feel free to share your theories in the comments. While this is arguably the most intriguing offering in November Sweeps, if it’s over and done in a week like Cameron’s storyline, it will be — you guessed it — pointless.