*SPOILERS BELOW*

What a week on Y&R; as storylines unfolded and in one case, exploded! It’s intriguing writing considering the head writer torch is being handed to Mal Young, whose episodes will start airing next week. Sally Sussman, however, is leaving on a high note. Even though one storyline had us on the edge of our seats, some storylines are still stuck, leaving the audience wanting more…

Ashley, “The Untrue Abbott”

When Dina and Graham first came to town, they were an interesting pair with a mysterious and promising storyline. Also, it was nice to see a storyline based on events that happened so many years ago, opening wounds that hadn’t yet healed. But, the mystery surrounding Dina and Graham’s relationship dragged on for so long that many of us lost interest. Is Dina dying? Is she depressed? Why is Graham so close to her? Just tell us already!

The slow pace may have been worth it as everything came to a head in one climactic episode with Ashley exposing Graham as Brent Davis’s son, and Dina in turn (accidentally) exposing Ashley as Brent Davis’s daughter. The blow-up brought out stand-out performances from Eileen Davidson (Ashley) and Marla Adams (Dina). The tension between them leading up to the dinner was polite, but present, making the blow-up even better when it happened. Ashley is usually a tightly-wound character who could blow a fuse at any moment, but at the dinner her emotions unraveled so far that you were almost embarrassed for her. No matter what you think about Dina and her immoral past, you couldn’t help but feel for the elderly woman as she cried and begged Graham and Ashley to stop fighting. Jack was impressive as he stood up for his sister, trying everything to divert the conversation so that no one would hear Ashley’s shameful secret. He was even doing it when the Abbott family was alone, up until Ashley told him he could stop. We barely get to see this soft side of Jack, and it further solidifies how connected he and Ashley are.

But, some questions still remain: Did Ashley really think that if she publicly confronted Graham for being “Graham Davis” that her big secret wouldn’t come out? Why would they leave Dina all alone after a stressful situation like that, knowing that Graham would obviously come knocking? And, after keeping that secret for years, and knowing the impact it would have on Ashley, why would Dina just blurt it out so casually in a room full of people?

Nick The Philanthropist

Nick went on ‘The Hilary Hour’ and announced that he would be giving away all of his trust fund money to charity. For some reason, this fell flat for me. Maybe because it seemed stupid on Nick’s part, but also because, who cares? Giving away his money won’t stop Victor from ruining his life. Speaking of Victor ruining lives, Chelsea is getting quite bold with her disapproval of Victor. Does she need a reminder that he can expose that she’s always known Christian isn’t Nick’s son?

Sex Ring Snoozefest

Also, falling flat is Sharon’s investigation into the sex ring, which has come to a stand-still. The only thing still interesting about that storyline is that Zack can be outed as the ringleader, and under Victor’s watch no less. Mariah and Tessa’s friendship (?) is getting more and more confusing by the day. Mariah and Tessa have more chemistry with each other than they do with their boyfriends (and that’s saying a lot for Mariah who’s never had romantic chemistry with anyone). So why are they forcing themselves to be with other people? It’s becoming obvious to everyone with eyes, as Hilary put it, that Mariah is in a passionless relationship for no apparent reason. I don’t think the writers should be dragging out Mariah and Tessa’s confession of their feelings for one another, because the two have already kissed. The cat’s out of the bag.

That’s enough from me. What do you think? We’d love to hear your comments below!

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