I was so excited to start watching Y&R this week because I've been looking forward to the Diane and Kyle reunion scenes --- and they did not disappoint! As predicted, Michael Mealor and Susan Walters had great screen chemistry as mother and son, and I really enjoyed their first scenes together. Kyle has definitely matured during his time away in Italy, and he held his own when confronting Diane.
Kyle was right to call Diane out for the way she manipulated Jack with the mysterious text messages she sent to unite him with his granddaughter, Allie. Diane certainly will have a hard time convincing people she has changed when they learn how she insinuated herself back into Jack and Kyle's lives. Sure, she claims it was a gesture of goodwill meant to soften Jack toward her before she revealed she had faked her death, but the whole plot stank of her old shenanigans. So, I was happy to see that Kyle didn't just immediately welcome her back with open arms after the way she abandoned him all those years ago. And by playing games with other people's lives in order to rebuild a relationship with him, she hasn't really proven that she's changed.
Like Phyllis, I still don't trust that Diane is an entirely changed woman. As she told Jack when he wondered if they should give Diane the benefit of the doubt, "we're not talking about a person. We're talking about Diane Jenkins!" That moment literally made me laugh out loud! You've got to hand it to Phyllis for always calling it like it is.
And while I do hope that Diane keeps some of her edge and we don't lose that bit of mystery about the character, I also am hoping that she has changed in some ways for the better. I believe her when she says she has done all this work on herself so that she can be a better mother to Kyle and form a bond with him again (and her grandson, Harrison). Even though Diane used Jack's relationship with their son to manipulate him in the past, I have never doubted her love for Kyle or her willingness to do what she thinks is best for him.
Jack certainly seemed to agree with me on that when he pointed out to Kyle that they only have the close father-son relationship they have today because Diane made the tough decision to let him go when she went into hiding. I really enjoyed those scenes with Kyle and Jack at the end of the week. It made sense that Jack drew parallels between Kyle's situation with Diane and Jack's relationship with his own mother and how she abandoned him as a child. Although Dina didn't fake her death when she abandoned her family, it still provided a relevant perspective to the situation. I have to give kudos to the writers for pointing out those similarities and giving us some insight as to why Jack is hopeful for Kyle to have a similar reunion and renewed relationship with his own mother (even if he doesn't trust Diane farther than he can throw her).
I can't tell you how excited I am for next week when Diane faces off against all the Abbotts! It was a stroke of brilliance for Kyle and Jack to bring Diane over to their home to face their family and address all the wrongs she has committed toward them. It makes sense to just get everything out on the table right away if they have any hope of moving beyond their past grievances and trying to move forward as a family.
Ashley certainly doesn't seem like she is ready to move on, though! I am probably most excited to see Ashley and Diane going toe to toe next week and hashing out their past. Eileen Davidson is so much fun every time she recurs on the show, and I hope this showdown with Diane gives us plenty of fireworks. Ashley and Diane sparring is almost as fun to watch as Phyllis and Diane's catfights, so bring it on!
Speaking of next week, I was happy to see Michael and Diane reconnecting in the "Next Week on Y&R..." preview at the end of Friday's show. I love that Michael has these friendships with the most devilish women in town, and it makes it even better that he remains friends with both Diane and Phyllis, even though they are bitter rivals. Michael certainly understands where Diane is coming from in regard to seeking redemption for past misdeeds (and Phyllis has certainly had to seek redemption and a second chance, too, just as Jack pointed out).
Before I move on from Diane, I also want to say how much I enjoyed her scenes with Victor this week. "The Mustache" was at his best when he surprised her in her own hotel room to tell her to get the hell out of town! Their interaction was a lot of fun, and I feel like the writers are hitting all the right notes with Diane's return so far. I'm loving every minute of it! But I promised I would move on from Diane, so let's talk about the other happenings in Genoa City this week.
Ashland dropped a bombshell on Nick when he offered to give half of his takeaway from his deal with Adam -- a quarter of a billion dollars! -- to Nick's charity, New Hope. And the icing on the cake was that he wanted to donate it in the name of Rey Rosales! Damn, Ashland really knows how to push everyone's buttons in just the right way while still avoiding looking like a total ass! I thought it was a brilliant move on his part, and I even think he was sincere in his reasoning for wanting to memorialize Rey in such an honorable way. Even though Rey's death was no one's fault and the crash was determined to have occurred because of Rey having a heart attack, it was still a nice touch (and very much on brand) for Ashland to capitalize on that.
Nick is a prideful man, but I hope he doesn't let his hate toward Ashland stand in the way of all the good that his money could do for the people who depend on Nick's charity. Yes, Ashland is undoubtedly using this gesture of goodwill to further his own agenda and work toward redeeming himself, but that is not the type of money you just brush off when it could do so much good for so many people. I'm glad that Victoria encouraged Nick to take the money. She is standing firm in not reuniting with Ashland, and she is just stubborn enough to keep him at arm's length, regardless of her residual feelings for him; so Nick really shouldn't blink an eye at taking Ashland's money because it won't get Ashland any closer to a reunion with Nick's sister.
Although it is nice of Ashland to make the donation to New Hope in Rey's name, Rey was doing his own part to spread goodwill before his sudden death. It was so sweet to learn that he had arranged for the charges against Tessa's sister, Crystal, to be dropped and that he had the fugitives who were after her arrested! And just in time for her to be able to attend her sister's wedding! I barely even remember the actress that portrayed Crystal, but based on the casting news I have read, it looks like they will be bringing back Morgan Obenreder to the role. I don't remember liking her or disliking her as the character -- or even as an actress in general -- so it will be nice to have her back to refresh my memory.
This gesture of goodwill from Rey for Mariah and Tessa's wedding makes me miss his character even more now. He really was a genuinely good guy, and we don't see a lot of those on soaps (or in general, to be honest). Sharon was incredibly touched when she learned the news, too, and her scenes this week when she "spoke to Rey" were incredible. I'm glad to see that she is facing her feelings about Rey's death, and I hope she is able to get the closure she needs from his memorial service.
As much as I loved her scenes this week, I also don't just want to see her constantly moping around for the foreseeable future. Hopefully, she is able to find solace in the fact that his death couldn't have been prevented and she will be able pull strength to carry on from the memories of the time they had together. Rey wouldn't want her to put her life on hold or close herself off from finding love again. Personally, I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a Nick/Sharon reunion this year (if the writers take it slow and handle it properly)!
Okay, well, enough about all this goodwill! Here are my other random thoughts from this past week:
Adam and Sally are so great together!! I love seeing their relationship grow stronger, and I hope this power couple is together for a long while! It's refreshing to see a couple that doesn't have to prove anything to one another and accepts each other for who they are at face value. These two have usually had to scheme or manipulate when it comes to love in the past, so it's nice to see them not actively working against each other or being worried about when the other shoe may drop. If they can keep being honest with one another, then they may have what it takes to last for the long haul.
Wouldn't it be interesting if sparks flew between Noah and Crystal while she is in town for Mariah and Tessa's wedding?! Hmmmm... I wonder if Tessa would be jealous!
Thankfully, we only had to suffer through one short scene of Billy recording his podcast this past week! I really wish the writers would find something better for him to do or find a way to make this storyline more interesting. I don't usually ever fast-forward through any of the show, but as soon as I saw him in front of that mic, I considered reaching for the remote! And I agree with Lily that Billy needs to get over his obsession with Ashland before it starts to consume him again. Perhaps that was a bit of foreshadowing? Let's just hope that Billy's plan to get rid of Ashland doesn't involve his podcast! I find it funny that his podcast started as a health and wellness spotlight, and now it has turned into a way for him to badmouth people he doesn't like!
It was a smart move for Victoria to offer Nikki the co-CEO position at Newman Enterprises, even if I was still holding out hope that Victoria and Adam could finally work together and get along. I guess that wouldn't be nearly as entertaining as a fight over the company, though, eh? It will be interesting to see how Adam tries to take the company away from her (as teased in the "Next Week on Y&R" preview on Friday).
Why do I have a feeling that Diane and/or Ashland will somehow become involved in this battle between the Newman siblings? Maybe it's just wishful thinking! I would definitely like to see more interactions between Adam and Diane. They always had an interesting friendship/partnership, and it would be fun to see that explored further again. I enjoyed their "reunion" this week when they ran into each other at the Grand Phoenix, so I'm crossing my fingers for more run-ins between these two.
Well, I think that's all for this week, folks! Don't forget to hit the comments and share your opinions on this past week in Genoa City, too!
Until next time,
Vance
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