'The Young and the Restless': The Best and Worst of 2014

2014 will soon draw to an end and it's only appropriate to name the best and worst of America's number one daytime soap opera The Young and the Restless. This year, I will not only be counting down the Top 5 best and worst storylines, but actors and actresses too! Don't take what I say too seriously as it is only my opinion. Let's get started, shall we?

Top 5 Best Storylines:

5. Nick and Sharon reunite
Fans of "Shick" had to know that their long awaited reunion most probably wouldn't last (and it didn't), but the good few months we had of Nick and Sharon Newman (Joshua Morrow and Sharon Case) were written fairly well. As for now, well, lemme just not get into that.

4. Billy and Victoria split, Stitch and Victoria get busy
I'll be honest, I'm a "Villy" fan and as much as I love them, I was beyond ready for them to spend some time apart (given the fact that Billy Miller had left and at the time, David Tom really wasn't bringing it). But I really enjoyed their split. Not only did Victoria fall into the arms of Stitch (Sean Carrigan), but clearly her tryst with Stitch wasn't well spaced as she became pregnant... and didn't know who the daddy was. The paternity reveal over 10 months later wasn't exactly the best but everything leading up to that was pretty fair game, including the acting. At least Amelia Heinle's acting.

3. Ian Ward targets Summer
This storyline didn't really last that long, but I found it to be pretty solid. Cult leader Ian Ward (Ray Wise), who arrived in town amidst accusations of fathering Dylan (Steve Burton) with Nikki (Melody Thomas Scott), started to target Nick's "daughter" Summer (Hunter King), who was unaware of everything. While Nikki and Ian's history was pretty much made up out of thin air within the past year, it just seemed to flow. Maybe it was the acting, maybe it was the writing. Whatever it was, it just worked. Not to mention Ian's secret, secret history with Mariah (Camryn Grimes)!

2. Phyllis wakes up
I'm not gonna lie, the main reason I'm including this storyline on this list is because of Gina Tognoni, who stepped into the role of Phyllis Summers Romalotti Abbott Newman in August. I've always dislikes Phyllis...but Tognoni is almost responsible for changing that. Phyllis woke up thanks to Victor (Eric Braeden), who was hell bent on finding out Sharon's afforementioned secret and heard a tip that Phyllis, who had been comatose since last July, may know the truth. Phyllis woke up and escaped her Georgia clinic in time to crash Nick and Sharon's wedding... and all hell broke lose. While it wasn't exactly fun for me as a Sharon fan to see her a wreck again, I admit Phyllis wreaking havoc by waking up was well written, well paced and well acted.

1. Mariah is Sharon's biological daughter
Bringing back Camryn Grimes for the umpteenth time wasn't anything new last summer; we all knew it would mean Cassie's ghost would be paying Sharon a visit...that never seemed to end. Ghost Cassie was helping her plot to get Nick back which eventually lead to her "secret" of switching Summer's paternity test. But then, suddenly, Sharon could touch her ghost of a daughter. Before long, we found out Victor had hired a Cassie lookalike to gaslight Sharon to find out information on this secret of hers. By the summer time, Sharon had grown attached to the girl who looked so much like her daughter and sure enough, there was a reason: She's Cassie's twin sister! Of course, a soap opera-esque move. But the main point was bringing back Camryn Grimes, who was killed off in 2005, as a brand new character! Not to mention great writing.

Top 5 Worst Storylines:

5. Tyler and Abby: The Mariah Caper
Tyler and Abby... What can I say about Tyler and Abby? Their pairing was honestly just a waste of time. As I've already established, Melissa Ordway's portrayal of Abby isn't the best. It's far from it. So how would you react when she and Tyler (Redaric Williams) are on basically every second day bitching about Tyler's ex "Mariah"? It went on for months. Mariah was secretly sneaking into their hotel room and then locked Abby in an empty apartment overnight. We knew it was her because she had a distinctive tattoo of a sun on her wrist. There were rumors that Christel Khalil, who plays Lily Winters, would turn out to be playing Mariah as well... but out of nowhere the Cassie lookalike turns out to be Mariah. Which was...okay. Camryn Grimes can pull anything off, but it just seemed like that wasn't the initial plan despite producers saying it had been in the works since the beginning. It just didn't work and was unsatisfying, considering Tyler and Abby broke up thereafter and Tyler has since disappeared from the show.

4. Jack and Kelly's romance
We groaned everytime Jack (Peter Bergman) called the clinic in Georgia where Phyllis lay comatose and told a nurse to hold the phone to her ear so he could proclaim his love. It was only necessary that he move on... but he chose unwisely. From the moment he and Kelly (then Cynthia Watros, now Cady McClain) first shared scenes, I was yelling NO! at my television. Okay, I'll admit, I'm not a Kelly fan. She tore apart Billy and Victoria's marriage and just has an annoying presence which continues to this day. But, Jack and Kelly started a relationship just in time for McClain's debut in the role. Honestly, I wish Watros had stayed, because McClain has made me hate the character even more. We continued to groan as Jack fell hard for Kelly and even let her start to redecorate the iconic Abbott mansion. Whoa. In what universe would Jack's sisters let that happen?! And then, as all of this came to a head, Phyllis woke up and made her long awaited return. Jack failed to make a commitment to Kelly nor tell Phyllis about their tryst... she had to find out herself. And now, Kelly continues to pine over Jack to anyone that will listen. Make. It. Stop.

3. Dylan is Paul's son
In all honesty, this storyline wasn't that terribly written. It was gold compared to the reveal that Nikki is Dylan's biological mother. But it was just too...propped. Executive producer Jill Farren Phelps will always say that she doesn't prop Steve Burton, her bestie, but has she watched what she's producing? Dylan is like Genoa City's guardian angel. He gives Paul a liver transplant when he was shot, he found Faith (Aly Lind) just recently when she ran away from home and just last week, his coffeehouse magically had power when the rest of the town went dark. Seriously? It's just really bothersome.

2. Summer and Austin got married!
Summer Ann Newman (Hunter King) is not the sharpest tool in the shed. In fact, she can't even find the shed. So how would anyone expect to enjoy hearing her bitch about losing everyone in her life when she has two millionaire daddies and anything she ever wants but oh, her mom was in a coma at the time. So as soon as she met cameraman Austin (Matthew Atkinson), she sank her claws into him and didn't let go. They got married, even after Austin kidnaps and nearly killed Avery (Jessica Collins), and are now playing house in an expensive condo that was bought with money made from selling Phyllis' penthouse while she was sleeping. We're supposed to enjoy seeing Austin work so hard to provide for the rich princess he "loves" but guess what... No one cares.

1. The Internet is being mean about my cupcakes!
I was speechless when Avery (Jessica Collins) having her own online cooking show became an actual storyline. Then, someone is posting mean comments about her precious cupcakes... oh no! And the police aren't going to do anything? The nerve of some people! Not only that... we then find out that the cupcake meanie "4MJ" leaving comments is none other than Austin, her cameraman, who only took the job because apparently a few years ago Avery freed the man who killed his mother, or something like that. So in his final plot for revenge, Austin kidnaps Avery and plans on killing her but Dylan to the rescue! He wrestles Austin for the gun and Paul (Doug Davidson) ends up with a gunshot wound. The storyline was just so bad, you laughed at first, but once it sunk into your brain, the laughter turned into tears that said, "Is this what things have come to?"

Top 5 Best Actors:

5. Doug Davidson as Paul Williams
Always a pleasure. His decades-long portrayal of Paul, the P.I.-turned-police-chief, is timeless. You can't NOT love Doug.

4. Billy Miller as Billy Abbott
Miller only appeared as Billy for the first month of 2014, but even in that short time, his performances warrant him on this list. That is all.

3. Eric Braeden as Victor Newman
What need be said about Victor Newman? The Dark Knight is classic. Irreplaceable. Impeccable. Amazing. Cunning. Mind-blowing. At times aggravating. Should I stop there?

2. Joshua Morrow as Nicholas Newman
I don't always like Nick, but I'll always say that Morrow is a great actor. He plays Nick with such passion that is forever held dear.

1. Christian LeBlanc as Michael Baldwin
Even if he doesn't have much of a storyline sometimes, LeBlanc will always be one of the best actors on Y&R. Ever. And I can't wait to see how he handles Michael's cancer storyline that will continue into 2015.

Top 5 Worst Actors:

5. Steve Burton as Dylan McAvoy
Burton has the ability to do good work. We saw that on General Hospital. But I have to admit that since joining Y&R in 2013, he has made minimal magic. Scratch that. NO magic. I debated whether or not to include him on this list, but...I just don't see it. Perhaps with better material will come better deliverance.

4. David Tom as Billy Abbott
We were sort of intrigued when they announced David Tom would be reclaiming the role of Billy...but it wasn't good. He is definitely not that strong of an actor, and didn't hold the weight of Billy Miller. At all.

3. Burgess Jenkins as Billy Abbott
I also debated whether or not to include him on this list, but it has to be said. Jenkins is not that terrible of an actor. He's not Richard Gere, but he's not awful. But his ordinary and dull deliverance of Billy is just too out of touch with everything that had been created in previous years. The current writing for his character is absolute sewage. And that being said, Jenkins doesn't exactly hold the weight of Billy Miller either. Dear Lord, will anyone?

2. Hartley Sawyer as Kyle Abbott
Sawyer only appeared in the first month of 2014, but his godawful portrayal of Jack's son that made us cringe for most of 2013 was too bad not to be recognized. Thank god they cut their losses in that department.

1. Matthew Atkinson as Austin Travers
The horrific storyline that surrounded Austin's introduction didn't help Matthew Atkinson. But even then, there's not much more to say. He's not an Emmy-worthy gem and most probably never will be.

Top 5 Best Actresses:

5. Amelia Heinle as Victoria Newman
Heinle always brings something interesting to the table as ruthless businesswoman Victoria.

4. Camryn Grimes as Mariah Copeland
Bringing Grimes back as Cassie Newman's previously unknownn twin was the best move the show has made in years, because Grimes has showed us she can pull off anything and make it enjoyable to watch.

3. Melissa Claire Egan as Chelsea Lawson
Whether she's mourning her sociopathic husband, fighing off her crazy best friend, or shacking up with the man she was paid to date rape just a mere three years ago, Egan always manages to make Chelsea memorable, spunky, seductive and fun.

2. Sharon Case as Sharon Newman
Year after year, Case is given more and more out-of-character storylines that she continues to knock out of the park. She's always snubbed for an Emmy and I'm hoping that will change in 2015. I'm allowed to dream, aren't I?

1. Gina Tognoni as Phyllis Summers
I can't believe that me, a well known Phyllis hater, is naming her actress as the number 1 best actress of 2014. But I couldn't resist. Tognoni is the best recast this show has seen in years. She brings something to the table that her predecessor Michelle Stafford never ever brought in 16 years. She captures everything about Phyllis' character and still finds time to add her own twist to it. Pure soap opera magic.

Top 4 Worst Actresses:

4. Catherine Bach as Anita Lawson
I mean... Bach isn't a gem. She never was. Anita is annoying. She always was. Sometimes the embarassingly bad portrayal Bach brings is just hilarious.

3. Jessica Collins as Avery Bailey Clark
I've said this before, and I'll say it again. Collins is not lead actress material. She did fine as a supporting actress when she was introduced by former executive producer and head writer Maria Arena Bell in 2011, but since having more airtime and more storylines (if that's what you want to call them, then sure) she proves time and time again she's not worthy of the material she gets.

2. Cady McClain as Kelly Andrews
I'm probably going to catch hell for going against a daytime soap opera veteran, but McClain's portrayal of Kelly, Billy's mistress-turned-Jack's bed buddy, has been abysmal since her first week on the air. Her boring and ordinary portrayal just doesn't match up with the characteristics Cynthia Watros created before she vacated the role. And when McClain finally got some good material, she overacted the hell out of it. Sorry not sorry.

1. Melissa Ordway as Abby Newman
Ordway is not that strong as an actress. She's not the worst thing you'll ever see, but she's nowhere near a future daytime treasure. Which is why she comes across as so annoying when she flaunts her stuff around town acting like she's been perfect all her life. Try again, honey! I'd say they need to recast her again... but it seems at this point we're better off seeing where they take her next. It's almost amusing some days. Other days I wish Abby were hit by a bus.

Here's to a great 2015! Watch The Young and the Restless weekdays on CBS.

'The Young and the Restless' recasts... How have they truly worked out?

It's been about a year since Michael Muhney was infamously fired from the set of The Young and the Restless as Adam Newman amid horribly ugly harrasment rumors. It's been well over a year since Michelle Stafford ended her 16-year long portrayal of Phyllis Summers, and Billy Miller's departure as Billy Abbott is just about reaching its one-year mark. The top CBS soap announced their plans to immediately re-introduce David Tom as Billy, wait "3 to 6 months" to recast Adam, and no plans were initially announced for Phyllis. Since then, Tom was fired and replaced with Burgess Jenkins, Gina Tognoni (ex-Kelly Cramer, One Life to Life; ex-Dinah Marler, Guiding Light) took over the role of Phyllis this past August, and Justin Hartley recently stepped into the role of Adam Newman... with a brand new face. Literally.

So how have these recasts worked out, a year after three fan favorites all vacated their roles? Well, David Tom was a flop. None of us were instantly taken aback by his skills as an adult actor, and evidently it wasn't what the powers-that-be were looking for the long run. Burgess Jenkins is...fine. I was really pleased with him within his first weeks in the role because it truly was a step up from Tom. But now it's six months later, and what can I say? Jenkins does bring something interesting to the table. I get serious John Abbott, Sr. (Jerry Douglas) vibes from him some days, and other days I realize there is no comparison to Billy Miller. It's not like David Tom was much to compare to, but still. Jenkins is fine. But given the noticeable effort the directors put into other roles like Phyllis and Adam, it makes one wonder why that amount of effort wasn't put into Billy Abbott.

Speaking of Phyllis... Gina Tognoni? Best recast in years. Years. All anyone spoke about when Tognoni's casting was announced was "She's waaay too young for Phyllis" and "This will be Maura West as Diane Jenkins all over again". But Tognoni as Phyllis has gotten me like Michelle Stafford WHO?! Tognoni brings something to the table that Stafford never in 16 years ever did. I always considered what Stafford created as Phyllis was irreplaceable. Her cartoonish villainess style made me love to hate Phyllis. But within two months (it's really only been since October. Tognoni did debut in August, but she wasn't exactly speaking yet) Tognoni has captured every element of Phyllis' character plus adding her own twist to it. It's pure soap opera magic. I'm so looking forward to what's ahead for Phyllis in 2015...

Speaking of looking forward to things... Justin Hartley as Adam is another thing to look forward to next year. In November, we found out that the sociopathic Adam Newman had reconstructive surgery to look like a man named Gabriel Bingham, who supposedly died years before. His partner in crime? Sage (Kelly Sullivan), whose relation to Gabriel is still a bit fuzzy, who has now followed him back to Genoa City. The catch? Nobody knows it's Adam. It's quite the breath of fresh air, considering several other recasts have been the new person walking in and an announcer saying "the role of so-and-so is now being played by so-and-so". I'm quite intrigued by what's in store for Justin Hartley as Adam Newman-masked-as-someone-else in 2015.

Watch The Young and the Restless weekdays on CBS.

Tortured Love: The Baffling Plight of Nick Newman on 'The Young and the Restless'

Nicholas Newman has quite the history with the ladies on The Young and the Restless. And after recently discovering Sharon (Sharon Case) switched the paternity test results of Summer (Hunter King), meaning that Jack (Peter Bergman) was never her father and it was Nick all along, Nick was thrown into quite the tailspin. 

First of all, I really don't understand why Nick is being played as the complete victim in this situation. Yes, Sharon "lied" to him and somewhat messed with the life of his daughter (even though Summer isn't much, perhaps a spoiled little brat with NO perception of the real world outside her demented little brain, AND the fact that Nick continued to sleep with the mental patient who repeatedly told him she had a devastating secret. But, I digress.) In retrospect, Jack is the victim; he's the one losing a daughter, so to say, and back to having no children. Because Keemo Volien Abbott disappeared from existence decades ago, and the producers are physically incapable of casting a decent Kyle Abbott.

But back to the topic at hand -- Nick being the victim. Despite the fact that he was the one who lied in the first place for 18 soap opera-ized years. He was given his own episode in which he leaves Genoa City and heads to the country, where in a drunken stupor he encounters all the women he's had physical relationships with since 1994. These include: Amy Wilson (Julianne Morris, her first appearance in 18 years), Grace Turner (Jennifer Gareis), Sharon, Phyllis (Gina Tognoni) and of course Avery (Jessica Collins), even though she probably doesn't even know his middle name, but again, I digress. In the end, Nick decides that he needs to embrace his kids, even though he still wants to sue Sharon for sole custody of daughter Faith. 

Taking Faith away from her mother *again* really won't solve much, because Sharon switched those test results well over a year ago and has been seemingly stable for several months now. Nick has just decided that he is the victim and he needs revenge, even though he retained his relationship with Summer throughout the year they believed she was Jack's daughter. So please, if you see it, because really it's not there, how is Nick the victim in this situation?! Sure, Sharon hurt him (even though she expressed her concerns about hurting him everyday they had scenes for MONTHS, but for argument's sake I'm gonna say she hurt him), but other than that his life remains the same. 

And where is Nick now? While looking for a dog's owner, he gets his foot trapped in an animal trap and the pain causes him to pass out. Maybe karma finally came a knockin', Nick the dick! But who does the dog belong to? That would be Sage (Kelly Sullivan), the woman who's been hiding Adam Newman (Justin Hartley) after he had major reconstructive surgery. I guess all I can say is that if Nick had to be played as the victim, at least he got what was coming to him. Watch Y&R weekdays on CBS.

Find your everything in 'Begin Again'

I didn't blog about this when I saw it for the first time in July, but since buying it on DVD and watching it a second time, I realized just how amazing it truly is. I loved it the first time, and the second time was even better. Begin Again is just such a gem of a movie that probably comes only once or twice in a decade, and I recommend you ALL see it!

Gretta (Keira Knightley) and Dave (Adam Levine, in his first film acting role) are college sweethearts. She accompanies him to New York City after he lands a record deal. Dave's growing fame takes its toll on the couple, and he ends up stealing her lyrics (Gretta is a minor league songwriter). Meanwhile, Dan (Mark Ruffalo) is a struggling record producer whose company has lost all faith in him. At the lowest points in their self-worth Gretta and Dan meet at a bar where Gretta's friend convinces her to go up and sing. Dan is immediately hypnotized by her voice, her lyrics, her everything. He convinces her to meet with his recording company, who want a demo of her songs before going any further. With both of them broke and down on their luck, they record songs in all the wildest spots of New York City, leading to one magical, musical summer! Catherine Keener (The 40-year-old Virgin) co-stars as Dan's ex-wife, as well as... Cee Lo Green! 

The music is dazzling, the scenery is as vibrant as ever, and... Whoever knew Keira Knightley was such a good singer?! Certainly not me. The movie's leading track, "Lost Stars", with versions by both Knightley and Levine, is purely intoxicating. Begin Again just seems...relevant. To everything. To people, to our lives, to the struggle to keep our heads above water. All with an amazing tone of music. Just watch it. Buy the movie, buy the soundtrack, and blast it on repeat. Your life will be better for it!

NBC's 'State of Affairs' breaks new ground

Katherine Heigl, famed for her five-year portrayal of Izzie Stevens on Grey's Anatomy (let alone numerous romantic comedy flicks thereafter), has returned to television, this time in a lead role on NBC's new politicial thriller State of Affairs. Heigl stars as Charleston Tucker, a CIA anaylist working for the president. And who co-stars as the fictional President of the United States? Alfre Woodard. Not only is she female, but also African American; diversity times two. It's like NBC is hoping State of Affairs is taking place in some parallel universe where things in American politics progress as the general society hopes it will in real life.

The series premiere, which aired this past Monday, gave a promising outlook for what's ahead. The action, however, was extremely fast paced and lost me at time. Fast paced action is definitely a plus side for a series like this, but Woodard had minimal airtime in what is supposed to be a series premiere, where usually the entire main cast is introduced to the viewers. But, I digress. Most television critics gave State of Affairs a negative review, some of which were understandable, but several of the storylines introduced in the hour-long premiere definitely pave way for whatever the people behind the scenes have planned. Overall, I'd give the premiere an 8 out of 10. Heigl gave a great performance as a CIA anaylist who has to work hard and then appear in front of the President of the United States, sometimes having to put on somewhat of a smile when really, there is nothing to smile about in the world.

Heigl, who is known for being bold and "hard to work with", has spoken out several times, clarifying why she has spoken out publicly in the past on certain topics. In 2008, she refused to submit herself for the Primetime Emmy Awards, citing insufficient material on Grey's Anatomy. In 2010, she had several more issues with Grey's creator Shonda Rhimes, at one point not even showing up for work. She then requested to be let out of her contract early, not to augment her growing film career, but to spend time with family. So it was no surprise when, in 2012, Heigl stated she wanted to come back to Grey's to wrap up Izzie's story and Rhimes basically said in a respectful way, "No way in hell." Recently, before the premiere of State of Affairs, Rhimes blasted Heigl while describing her "no assholes" policy. She stated: "There are no Heigls in this situation…I don't put up with bullshit or nasty people. I don't have time for it." Long story short, Heigl has gotten a reputation for being hard to work with and, according to Shonda Rhimes, an asshole. Which is why every time she has opened her mouth to clarify anything she has said in the past, she struggles to be taken seriously. In response to a fan who said they'd heard rumors that Heigl is "very rude", she said:

"Yeah I've heard those too….honestly I don't think I am…nothing makes me more uncomfortable than confrontation or hurting someones feelings and I would never, ever, actively do so on purpose. Of course just like any human being I've made mistakes and unwittingly or carelessly spoken or acted but I always try to make any wrong right. That doesn't mean I won't stand up for myself by drawing boundaries and asking to be treated kindly and respectfully but I don't do that with any rude or unkind intentions just with the same strength and honestly I think every one of us is entitled to."

As a self-proclaimed Katherine Heigl fan (which may or may not affect my vision on this situation), I don't quite think it matters what she did in the past behind the scenes of another show on another network. This is State of Affairs, not Grey's Anatomy, and Heigl deserves to be given the chance of any other lead actress on television. Half the actors in Hollywood probably stir up trouble behind the scenes, yet we only hear about a rare few who had the guts to go public with it. So yeah, maybe Katherine Heigl can be a little bold and hard to deal with at times. But now she's on a new show, on a different network. So as Indina Menzel says, "Let it gooo!"

State of Affairs airs Mondays at 10/9c on NBC.

Wishful Winter Storytelling for 'The Young and the Restless': Nikki's quest for sobriety

It's been awhile since my last Wishful Storytelling for Y&R... and considering winter will soon be upon us, more storylines are bound to take place. And may I just say, in my last Wishful Storytelling for the summer, I'd proposed they bring back Jennifer Gareis as Grace Turner. I had hoped she would seduce Noah Newman (Robert Adamson), but instead she returned to help place together the events of Sharon (Sharon Case) giving birth to twins as a teenager. She returned a second time this past week to visit her former best friend and all the Sharon vs. Grace drama we loved over a decade ago come flooding back. It was great!

Self-proclaimed alcoholic Nikki Newman (Melody Thomas Scott) has since fallen off the wagon and has been getting hammered in the comfort of her own home. All things considered, can you blame her? She found out her long lost son Dylan (Steve Burton) was not fathered by creepy cult leader Ian Ward (Ray Wise) but by her former lover Paul (Doug Davidson). Ian continued to stalk her and target her until he was finally caught. And where was her darling husband Victor (Eric Braeden) during all of this? Obsessing over Sharon's "secret" and attempting to get Phyllis (Gina Tognoni) out of her coma...just to uncover this secret. Long story short, Nikki has definitely had reason to return to the bottle. In my idea of where this story could go, Victor could find out about her falling off the wagon... They have a big blowout and she decides their marriage is definitely over. Nick and Victoria convince their mother that she has to go to rehab. She reluctantly agrees and admits herself to a treatment clinc outside of Genoa City. She decides to see the positive light from her being forced to go to rehab and get some rest and relaxation out of it...but anything but that happens. During counseling, she faces her demons against why she started drinking again and decides that it would be best to divorce Victor and be by herself. During this journey of self-discovery, however, she realizes that Victor is and always will be the love of her life and she should at least see if Victor would be willing to rebuild their marriage. She completes treatment and returns to Genoa City clean and sober... to find Victor in bed with Ashley Abbott (Eileen Davidson), his ex-wife.

Nikki explains that she was ready to divorce Victor but her love for him made her reconsider and return home, but Victor doesn't want her anymore... While she was away, Victor and Ashley reconnected and decided to start dating again, with much dismay from their respective families. Nick and Victoria tried to reach Nikki at the clinic but evidently never received any of the messages. Stitch (Sean Carrigan) is also hurt because he thought he and Ashley might have been building something of a relationship, but clearly not. Nikki decides to go through with the divorce as Victor asks Ashley to move in to the Newman ranch. Ashley, who works for Jabot Cosmetics, agrees to stay out of Victor's business situations, and Victor seemingly agrees to do the same with her. However, all of this was a ruse; Ashley had been stealing money from Victor's bank account to fund her top secret project at Jabot. Ashley is an Abbott, why didn't she just use some of their fortune? Well why use that when you can get payback from The Mustache for all the crap he's pulled on their family? Ashley sees it as a win win situation. Afterward, Victor files a civil suit against Ashley and Jabot, but the case is quickly thrown out due to lack of evidence. During a confrontation, Ashley simply tells Victor that one can't always intimidate people with power... Sometimes other people have to intimidate them. Or in this case, blindside them and leave them over a million dollars in the hole.

Victor then visits Nikki in her suite at the Athletic Club and begs for forgiveness. She is extremely hesitant to accept him again, but he proves himself to her by reducing his duties at Newman Chancellor. After an evening of recollection, Nikki agrees to work on her relationship with Victor and decide to not go through with the divorce. But that draws the question... If Victor is reducing his duties at Newman Chancellor, then who will be sitting in the CEO seat while he's off at couple's counseling with Nikki?

Watch The Young and the Restless weekdays on CBS.

'Before I Go to Sleep': Brilliant, riveting and simply genius

After waiting months to see the film adaption of Before I Go To Sleep, based on the internationally bestselling novel by S.J. Watson, it finally happened yesterday. And boy oh boy, was it worth the wait! I was really hesistant on Nicole Kidman playing the main protoganist Christine Lucas (I actually pictured Robin Wright in the main role while I was reading the book...) but Kidman was PERFECT. Colin Firth also was the perfect choice for Kidman's opposite, her husband Ben.

I'm not a fan of radically changing plot points from a novel in its film adaption. But any minor changes made in the Before I Go To Sleep movie were done explicitly well. One main change they made is instead of Christine keeping a diary to record her thoughts like in the book (she suffers from anterograde amnesia and loses her memories when she goes to sleep at night) she keeps a video diary in the movie, which worked out very well. Watching a video instead of reading a diary gave Kidman the ultimate chance to show true emotion. 

The time frame in which the story takes place is slightly different in the movie as well. Christine's son Adam, who she believes to be dead, is a young teenager in the movie but was said to be quite older in the book, at least 21, if I correctly recall. But any changes, minor as they were, were all for the sake of bettering the film. And it definitely worked! Before I Go To Sleep is an amazing novel that was turned into an excellent movie. 

S.J. Watson is definitely one of my new favorite authors to watch as he publishes more novels. Speaking of which his next novel, titled Second Life, is due to be published in February 2015 (I can't wait!) Before I Go To Sleep was released in North America on October 31. Catch it in a theatre near you.

5 Television Series That Went Off the Air Too Soon

Any television fan knows the feeling: finding out that one of your favorite shows has been cancelled. Some deserved to go off the air, some don't. Why? Here are 5 television shows I've encountered that went off the air too soon.

1. Moonlight (2007-08, CBS)

Moonlight followed Alex O'Loughlin as Mick St. John, a vampire struggling to adapt to normal life even after decades as a part of the undead. The show had a great cast and the stories were relatively well written. So why was it cancelled after one season? Many factors weren't in Moonlight's favor. The 2007-08 writer's strike caused it to lose a bunch of episodes, plus, vampires weren't really the norm yet. Twilight hadn't become popular, and The Vampire Diaries a mere two years away. I believe that should Moonlight had premiered one season later, it would've ran for a bit longer. Crazed vampire fans have probably never heard of this great supernatural-turned-crime drama that was all too short.

2. Malibu Country (2012-13, ABC)

Malibu Country followed Reba McIntyre in her first sitcom role since her previous long-running sitcom Reba. McIntrye played a mother named Reba, who found out her country music star husband was cheating on her in Tennessee. Faced at a crossroads, she grabbed her two kids and headed for a new beginning at a beachhouse in Malibu. Sara Rue co-starred as their nosy but loveable rich neighbour. It was a really great comedy, so what happened? Well, ABC put Malibu Country in a crappy timeslot; Fridays at 8:30. Inevitably, the show became a victim of the Friday night death slot. The show got minimal advertisements on top of a crappy timeslot, so what else would you expect but low ratings? Malibu Country was axed after a first season of 18 episodes, but somehow Neighbors, a sitcom about aliens, repeat ALIENS, received a second season.

3. Body of Proof (2011-13, ABC)

Body of Proof was a great show. That's really the only way to put it. Great cast, great characters, great stories. Former Desperate Housewives star Dana Delany starred as Dr. Megan Hunt, a former neurosurgeon who had taken up a new career as a medical examiner. The show was essentially a police procedural while briefly following Hunt's personal life. Co-stars included Jerri Ryan and Sonja Sohn. So what happened to a seemingly great show? Well, it was partly their own fault. After an amazing season two finale in which one of the lead cops is stabbed protecting Megan, season three opens some time later, with the cop in question said to have died and the two other cops said to have moved away because of the trauma. Two new cops were introduced, one who had romantic history with Megan. Body of Proof seemed to have committed suicide, in a way. Why should anyone be interested in a new cast, pretty much, the original dynamic was gone, when the old cast was just thrown out? It was especially sad because season three went down the road of the death of Megan's father, a topic brought about several times earlier. ABC cancelled the show after three seasons in May 2013. Several other networks expressed interest in picking it up, but none of this ever materialized.

4. The Carrie Diaries (2013-14, The CW)

The Carrie Diaries. What can I say about The Carrie Diaries. Perhaps TV really just wasn't ready for it. The show followed AnnaSophia Robb as a younger Carrie Bradshaw, and her life before the legendary HBO series Sex and the City. The show, in a way, was more of a cult hit. It was different, and honestly, really didn't offer much for older Sex and the City fans. But the chemistry between the cast, AND the fact it was set during the 1980s, just made it overly enjoyable. Austin Butler worked magic as womanizing stud Sebastian Kydd, Carrie's high school sweetheart, as well newcomer Lindsey Gort as younger Samantha Jones. The Carrie Diaries was great while it lasted. It was one of those shows that really shouldn't have lasted two seasons, it wasn't a show for everyone, but it did. And it was amazing. At least for me.

5. Accidentally on Purpose (2009-10, CBS)

I debated whether or not to include this one on this list, because really, it wasn't surprising that Accidentally on Purpose didn't run longer than one season. But should it have presented itself differently, it could've worked out extremely well. Jenna Elfman starred as Billie, a working class woman who finds herself unexpectedly pregnant by her one night stand, who is significantly younger than her. They eventually decide to live together, and its one and only season follows their strange situation while Billie is pregnant. They included a little too many vulgar and perhaps inappropriate jokes for 8:30 on a Monday, but really, if they had worked Accidentally on Purpose out differently, it could've been a great show that would've lasted longer. In my opinion, they really just didn't create and produce the show the right way.

And that's my list! There are so many more shows, but these were the first 5 that came to mind. The struggle will never not be real when your favorite show is cancelled. I guess we just gotta rejoice in watching reruns, if we can find any!

'The Young and the Restless': What a Difference a Year Makes

Well kids, it's been a year since The Young and the Restless made the bold decision to kill off Delia Abbott (Sophie Pollono), the young daughter of Billy Abbott (then Billy Miller, now Burgess Jenkins) and Chloe Mitchell (Elizabeth Hendrickson). The decision did not sit well with audiences, and it eventually lead into the storyline of Adam Newman (Michael Muhney) being Delia's killer, the result of a tragic accident, and he was later presumed dead. (But the term 'dead' is used loosely in soap operas...)

Several casting changes began to unfold thereafter. Billy Miller, legendary for his portrayal of Billy since 2008, announced his departure from the role last November. David Tom, who played Billy from 1999 to 2002, was brought back to take over. Tom's portrayal received widely mixed reviews. In May, it was announced that Tom had been let go from the role and Burgess Jenkins had been cast (after Miller declined to return). Several bogus-sounding reasons were given for Tom's departure, such as he was too young in contrast to Cady McClain's Kelly Andrews, even though Billy and Kelly's storyline had long since concluded. Clearly the series thought that Tom's portrayal wasn't in it for the long run. Jenkins debuted in June to even larger mixed reviews, many saying he was far too old to be a convincing Billy Abbott (Jenkins is 40, Miller and Tom are 34). I for one have grown to like him in the role, as I get major John Abbott, Sr. vibes from him.

Kelly Andrews is also another story. Cynthia Watros played her during her initial storyline of being Billy's grief buddy (in more ways than one). Watros later left the role to launch her MTV pilot Finding Carter, which has been an instant success. Cady McClain was hired to take over Kelly, starting in April. While I like McClain in the role, we all have to admit that 90% of the character's edge disappeared when Watros vacated the role. McClain's ordinary and occasionally boring portrayal is good, but some days I yearn for Watros' version of the character and how she would've played the several curveballs the character has been thrown lately, especially the revelation that she and Stitch (Sean Carrigan) are siblings. 

Delia's mother Chloe had undergone significant change too; she had a nervous breakdown. Unfortunately it wasn't the fun, soapy breakdown you'd picture in your head, no. She went berserk; she got a little too close to godson Connor (she kidnapped him to Paris), and eventually had to remarry Kevin (Greg Rikaart) to avoid being institutionalized. She also asked ex-hubby Billy to have another baby with her, just out of the blue (say what?!) Chloe eventually agreed to go to a treatment centre, in California (Hendrickson had confirmed her departure from the series). What her loved ones did NOT know is that she left town with a fresh batch of stolen Billy Abbott sperm in her handbag. Last I heard Hendrickson was supposed to return for Delia's anniversary... We'll see how that works out.

Billy and Victoria's marriage also took a turn off a cliff, after a long and tumultuous time apart during which she got with Stitch and became pregnant with a child, unsure of the paternity. Billy has been getting his sweet loving from Adam's wife Chelsea (Melissa Claire Egan). Victoria STILL doesn't know the baby daddy and obviously still loves Billy and he loves her. Meanwhile Adam is on his way home (Justin Hartley takes over the role in November), and he'll definitely find trouble when he gets back.

What a difference a year makes. But at least Delia is in peace, right?

Watch Y&R weekdays on CBS. 

'Red Band Society': Fox's next breakout hit?

When I heard Dave Annable (Brothers & Sisters, 666 Park Avenue) was gonna play a doctor in a new teen drama for Fox, I was intrigued. Then when I heard Octavia Spencer (Oscar winner for The Help) would be playing a no-nonsense nurse, I basically said I would be watching Red Band Society even if I was the only one in the world.

The series follows a group of teens in a special hospital. Obviously, they all relate on some level as having health issues, whether it be cancer or an eating disorder, but the cast all has amazing chemistry together. The series is narrated by Griffin Gluck, who portrays a young boy in a coma who has the ability to hear all the problems and everyday drama around the hospital. 

Ever since Glee proverbially crashed and burned last year, Fox is in desperate need for a new breakout hit that everyone is talking about. Musical numbers probably wouldn't be appropriate for a hospital drama, but I still don't see what would be stopping Red Band Society from being the network's next big hit. Annable portrays a great and convincing doctor, Dr. McAndrews, and is just overall excellent with the rest of the cast. Catch it Wednesdays at 9/8c on Fox.

The Annoyance of Abby on 'The Young and the Restless'

Is it just me, or is Abby Newman (Melissa Ordway) bordering on insufferable on The Young and the Restless? For multiple reasons she's just become... There are no words. She's now even bordering on irrelevant. Talk about hypocritical. Ever since she came back to town in early 2013 and was said to be more grown up, it's like all the immature stuff she pulled a couple years back didn't even happen. Yet, she walks about like she owns everything and everyone.

I know Mariah (Camryn Grimes) pulled a lot of crap on her relationship with Tyler (Redaric Williams), but it was laughable when she framed her for stealing a wallet and was scolded like a 9-year-old. Is that her idea of a catfight? Are we sure she's even mature enough to have a job? I mean, she works for Jabot, but I wonder what the powers-at-be would say about all the crap she pulls in her spare time. (Not that they'd care, actually, she's an Abbott after all.)

Her attitude towards everyone who's ever did something even slightly wrong in their life is also laughable. Stitch (Sean Carrigan) killed his father in self defense and served time, but no, in Abby's demented little brain, he's a criminal mastermind who never payed for his sins. Not to mention she still belittles Stitch's sis Kelly (Cady McClain) for her affair with Billy (Burgess Jenkins) almost a year ago. Okay Abby, like you've never thought of destroying a marriage or two. Kelly ain't perfect and is damn far from it but really? Remember when you staged your own kidnapping just so you could shag hunky weirdo Carmine (Marco Dapper)? So do we.

On top of it all, Melissa Ordway is unfortunately, not that strong of an actress. We knew that going in, of course, soaps are where the biggest of stars have started. And sometimes she's actually not that bad. But others, like during relationships, she's completely terrible. She doesn't even play insecurity convincingly. And to top it off, they still tend to write her as a dumb blonde. If the producers have any hope whatsoever she'll grow as an actress while on their show, drop the dumb blonde crap and any relationship storylines for awhile, while you're at it. Watch Y&R weekdays on CBS. 

The Thing About Mariah on 'The Young and the Restless'

A part of us all had to know that even in soaps, people don't have identical lookalikes. Which is why it wasn't completely surprising The Young and the Restless finally went down the road of why Mariah (Camryn Grimes) looks so much like Cassie, Nick and Sharon's late daughter.

We all grabbed our barf bags when we saw Mariah was setting her sights on seducing Nick (Joshua Morrow), the man who gave her a job, as well as betraying Sharon (Sharon Case), the woman who gave up so much to accommodate her (well, mostly because she looked like her daughter.) Even Grimes herself was hoping it wouldn't go too far, stating in an interview: "Other than Ian, Mariah hasn't really had a father figure, and Nick is a good guy, so it makes sense. I just hope she starts to realize that it's not actually the right avenue to explore! I really don't think Nick would be responsive to someone who looks like his dead daughter!" But Ian Ward's (Ray Wise) strange connection to Mariah was making us all scratch our heads, especially when Nick contacted Mariah's mother Helen, who comes to town and denies his suspicions only to be overheard telling Ian Nick, nor Mariah herself, know who Mariah truly is.

As I always say, surprise returns make everything better. This is why is it was so amazing when Jennifer Gareis made a surprise return to the show as Grace Turner, her first appearance since 2004. No, she didn't sleep with Nick again (not for a lack of trying) or seduce his son Noah (as I'd been hoping), but Nick did fly her in on the Newman jet to inquire what she remembers about the day in 1991 when Sharon, a scared 16-year-old, gave birth to Cassie and gave her up for adoption. Grace remembers a nurse refusing to let her or Sharon's mother Doris into the delivery room, the nurse in question being named... You guessed it. Helen.

Of course, Nick isn't giving up now! So now he decides to go to Madison, Wisconsin, Sharon's hometown, to find out more about this decade-old mystery that was so simply covered up. He finds the very doctor who delivered Cassie, who is trying very hard to lie and hide the truth. Because he's Nick Newman, of course he gets the truth out of him: Sharon had TWINS! Mariah looks so much like Cassie because they both came from the same egg. Meanwhile, back at home, Sharon finds Mariah ready to seduce Nick and very angrily throws the woman out of her house. Nick comes home to inform Sharon of the devastating news; she was so drugged and taken advantage of that she didn't even know she gave birth to 2 babies. Helen ended up stealing one of the babies, Mariah, and raising her in Ian's cult.

The fact that this entire storyline has been consistent with history, unlike a certain other storyline, is quite amazing. The fact that they brought Jennifer Gareis back in the flesh, even for one short episode, is amazing. The fact that Nick and Sharon recall everything that they went through trying to obtain custody of Cassie, including the mention of her adoptive deadbeat mom Alice (Tamara Clatterbuck), is amazing. It's also great that they decided to go down this route, because the circumstances in which Sharon gave birth to Cassie was years before Sharon even debuted on the show. Viewers only knew what Sharon has chosen to reveal over the years. Now all we need is Sharon to tell Mariah the story of who her father was, but perhaps we'll save the Frank Barritt/Cameron Kiresten story for another day.

The truth isn't yet revealed to everyone, but I'm sure like the buildup to it, it will be amazing. It will also be amazing having Camryn Grimes back, also in the flesh, as a Newman family member. I must give koodos to the writers for bringing Grimes back long term even after Cassie's tragic death in 2005. Catch The Young and the Restless weekdays on CBS. 

Phyllis is returning to 'The Young and the Restless'... Good, and bad

                       Gina Tognoni

With Gina Tognoni's debut as Phyllis Summers just weeks away, I thought I'd make a list of all the good things that will happen now that she's returning, and all the bad. I have loved to hate Phyllis for years, but even I must admit, things are out of order when she's drooling in a hospital bed in Georgia.

First off, she will slap some sense into her naive daughter, Summer (Hunter King), who just married Austin (Matthew Atkinson), who is about to stand trial for attempted murder. She claimed she fell in love with him and that she will stand by him through his trial (for shooting Paul Williams) as he was grieving the loss of his mother when he shot him. Summer also said she didn't have anyone who understood her after Jack moved on from Phyllis with Kelly (Cady McClain). So, with mommy dearest returning, Summer will breathe a sigh of relief. Hopefully...

Speaking of Kelly, that is also another good thing that will go down after Phyllis returns... Kelly, who had started off her run in Genoa City by sleeping with Billy (then Billy Miller, now Burgess Jenkins), later took up a relationship with Billy's big brother Jack, who hadn't moved on from Phyllis. Kelly's character has become very annoying, and honestly, I'd very much enjoy a bitchy catfight between her and Phyllis.

One of the many bad things, most of which I won't get into, that will come about with Phyllis' return is her feud with Sharon (Sharon Case). Sharon was the last person to see Phyllis before she fell down the stairs that night last summer, right after Phyllis overheard her confessing to having switched Summer's paternity test results. Of course, Sharon is not innocent. But she was off her bipolar medication and was not in the right frame of mind when (and even IF) she switched the results. But, now that Phyllis is returning, the peace will be ruptured. Even then, she's already become a topic of conversation between Sharon and Nick (Joshua Morrow). 

Besides, Phyllis has committed so many more crimes then Sharon, when she was IN her right mind! Let's see, she tried to kill Cricket (Lauralee Bell) and Paul (Doug Davidson) with her car years back when she thought Danny (Michael Damian) was falling for her again. Sharon hasn't killed anyone. Yes, she's messed with people's lives so to say, but again, SHE WAS ILL. Phyllis wasn't ill. She was just insecure and insane. Not to mention Phyllis lead Danny to believe Daniel (Michael Graziadei) was his son when all along he was fathered by some other man she slept with. Let's not even get into the crap she pulled when she worked for Restless Style, posting stories about the people in her town that weren't even true. Like I said, Sharon isn't innocent. But the woman has a legitimate illness, shouldn't a judge or whoever take that into consideration? What does Phyllis have? Nothing. What does the Great Victor Newman have? Nothing, yet he can still have people beaten up and gaslight people and no one even takes a second look. They just sigh and basically say, "Well, that's Victor for you." But no. Sharon must pay. Someone please point out the logic in that for me.

I guess you could say that there are fewer good thing than bad things that will happen when Phyllis returns. But I'm none the less looking forward to it, because it makes for great drama. Gina Tognoni is scheduled to debut as Phyllis on August 10. Watch The Young and the Restless weekdays on CBS.

Rosie O'Donnell returns to 'The View'... Elisabeth Hasselbeck still immature as ever

Today, news broke that Rosie O'Donnell will be returning as a moderator on season eighteen of The View, alongside Whoopi Goldberg. O'Donnell previously appeared on the morning talk show's panel for one season from 2006 to 2007 as moderator, replacing Meredith Vieira, during which she and fellow panelist Elisabeth Hasselbeck engaged in an infamous argument over the war in Iraq (the split screen view of the two women is seen above). Days after, O'Donnell announced that she'd decided to leave The View prematurely (after previously confirming she wouldn't be back for a second season) due to the argument, which garnered significant media attention.

Hasselbeck, who was always vocal about how she was the bigger person in the infamous onscreen debate, decided to leave The View last year after ten years on the panel. However, rumors circulated that she was asked to leave and was told she could announce she was leaving on her own. She joined FOX news shortly after. Now, that both Sherri Shepherd and Jenny McCarthy have confirmed their exits from the ABC talk show, the network has announced that Rosie will return in the fall as moderator.

In a guest appearance on the show in February 2014, O'Donnell joked, "Hasselbeck isn't here, is she?", but the jokes are all too real. After the announcement of Rosie's return, Hasselbeck spoke out in a call-in on Fox and Friends, stating:

         "Talk about not securing the border. Here in comes to The View the very woman who’s spit in the face of our military, spit in the face of her own network, and, really spit in the face of a person who stood by her and had civilized debates for the time that she was there – coming back with a bunch of control, ready to regain The View with a seat at that table. Not surprising, I do believe this has been in the works for a long, long time. "

Talk about not securing the border? Talk about becoming the definition of immaturity, Ms. Hasselbeck. Very professional. I always say that in situations like these the best thing you can do is keep your mouth shut. But no, you saw the need to speak out on Rosie returning to The View. Never mind that you caused so much controversy in your ten years on the panel, the incident with O'Donnell being no different. Entertainment Tonight tweeted a story about Hasselbeck's reaction, to which Rosie replied, "Shocker." Why should she care about what Hasselbeck has to say about her return? She's gone, for whatever reason or whatever story, no one really cares. Maybe she's just jealous that she's no longer on the panel, and Rosie is back. Well honey, that's just how the wind blows. Deal with it like a professional adult. Not like an attention-seeking loser. Catch The View weekdays on ABC.

MTV's 'Finding Carter' delivers smashing series premiere!

MTV's latest drama, Finding Carter, gave a great and promising two-hour series premiere last night. Kathryn Prescott stars as Carter, a 16-year-old girl who lives with her young mother Laura. After being arrested for breaking into an amusement park with some friends, the police find out that Carter isn't who she thinks she is; the mother she loves is really the woman who kidnapped her. Her real name is Lynden, and her real parents have been looking for her for years. She has a twin sister, and a younger brother. Cynthia Watros (Guiding Light, Lost, The Young and the Restless) stars as Carter's real mom, a cop who struggles to reconnect with the daughter she lost.

Her abductor mother, whom she believes to be her real mother, is now on the run from the law. I found the show's premise to be very interesting and fresh. Much like the infamous Girl on the Milk Carton children's novel, it seems as though the people running Finding Carter have a firm grasp on what this must be like for a girl to have a bombshell like this dropped on her, in this day and age. Kathryn Prescott was the perfect pick for Carter; she nails the character's ruthless, wacky and fun persona in every way. 

Navigating through this bombshell and trying to keep her life in one piece, Carter tries to be a normal teenager while still wondering where her abductor mother is. I'm very excited for what's to come this summer for Finding Carter! Catch it Tuesdays at 10/9c on MTV. 

Dylan is Paul's son on 'The Young and the Restless'... Is this a good thing?

Well, we knew something else was on its way. Recently on The Young and the Restless we found out that Dylan (Steve Burton) is in fact Paul's (Doug Davidson) son, and not that of cult leader Ian Ward (Ray Wise). It wasn't completely shocking, as I in fact predicted this months ago, but I kind of enjoyed the outcome. However, Paul is currently in the hospital after being shot and needing a liver transplant, which he got from Dylan. 

It's becoming clear that the powers that be are desperate to have Dylan relevant, as that is one of the reasons the character just doesn't work. But the writers are beginning to write Dylan dumb and somewhat stupid again, like when Chelsea (Melissa Claire Egan) made him believe she was carrying his child. The underlying story in which Paul is revealed as Dylan's father wasn't immediately bad, much better than the reveal that Nikki was Dylan's mother, and I actually enjoyed everyone finding out that Ian cannot father children. 

But I hope the writers stop there. As much as the writing is a tad better than before, this all still feels forced. Which it is. I feel like the writers could just rewrite everyone's lives to have Dylan be relevant. I'm torn. Paul is a great character, so maybe Dylan can evolve with him. But this happens all the time; Dylan is revealed to be related to someone and we hope it will make him tolerable. Will this time be any different? Watch The Young and the Restless weekdays on CBS. 

Wishful Summer Storytelling for 'The Young and the Restless'

                                                                   Terrell Tilford

If The Young and the Restless head writers Shelly Altman and Jean Passanante have taught us anything, it's that they can both work magic and bore us to death. I'm sorry, but I just have to say it. Avery's (Jessica Collins) current storyline is an absolute JOKE. First, she gets her own cooking show when she really should be bitching at judges in courtrooms. That's not a storyline, it's boredom and a motive to hit the fast forward button. Then, someone is posting mean comments about her online and it has to become a whole ordeal. I don't even think I could count the amount of times I've been yelled at by a crazy person online. If you're active in that area, it's bound to happen. And secondly, we already had to endure a mysterious blogger/stalker storyline last summer that was one of the biggest head-scratching stink bombs I've ever seen on daytime. Why must you put us through that again? Turns out Avery's stalker is her cooking show producer who he holds a grudge against for freeing the man who killed his mother. Big whoop. No one cares. That's why I have some good ideas for the residents of Genoa City this summer.

In the coming weeks, Terrell Tilford will debut as the mysterious Dr. Barton, Leslie's (Angell Conwell) impromptu husband who she met on the Internet just a short while after breaking up with her boyfriend of two years, Neil (Kristoff St. John). Meanwhile, Neil has hooked up with Hilary (Mishael Morgan), the formerly wacky schemer who arrived last summer to terrorize the Winters family for something that happened off-screen over five years prior. Long story short, Neil almost hooked up with Hilary's mother Rose in 2007 and is now sleeping with her daughter. Messed up and inappropriate, I know, but you gotta admit it's pretty soapy and creates tons of drama. We have no idea who this Dr. Barton is and why he decided to marry Leslie so suddenly. Hilary has mentioned a few times that she had a father who was never around... What better reason for her pappy to marry Genoa City resident Leslie to get close to his daughter? He might even have to resort to some pretty strange measures to get her attention as well, not to mention a showdown with Neil.

Secondly, Noah Newman (Robert Adamson) needs a storyline. A romance with a recurring cop is not a story. It's fluff. As history dictates, Newmans don't settle for fluff. Noah has been trying to get his life together for over two years, possibly longer. He briefly worked at Newman Enterprises which showed promise when he battled with Kyle (Hartley Sawyer), even though that didn't make sense when Kyle is supposed to be much younger than Noah, and clearly wasn't. Then that was dropped. By this time in his parents' lives, Nick and Sharon were already married with Noah and Cassie and were having marital problems. Speed it along. Victor could send Noah to New York on assignment and he could run into Grace Turner, the woman who almost broke up his parents' marriage multiple times. Unknowingly, Grace gets Noah into bed and he is so smitten that he breaks up with cop Courtney (Kelli Goss) over the phone. Noah and Grace return to Genoa City in tow, causing even more pandemonium in Nick and Sharon's lives, not to mention their daughter lookalike Mariah (Camryn Grimes). The only problem would be that the best Grace, Jennifer Gareis, is currently starring as Donna on The Bold and the Beautiful. But there are other soap vixens the show could grab... It would never happen, but hey, I'm allowed to dream, right?

Many people have been complaining that Noah's "sister" Summer (Hunter King) also has no story, but with her comatose mother Phyllis making her long awaited return to town later this summer, I predict she will have plenty material. Jack (Peter Bergman), Phyllis' fiance who has moved on with Kelly (Cady McClain), will feel obligated to return to Phyllis when she comes back, but will still dream of Kelly and eventually leave Phyllis for her. Phyllis will enlist the help of her little girl to help win Jack back, even if it means getting rid of Kelly...

So, these are my wishful storytellings for this summer on Y&R. All we can hope for is less Avery and more of everyone else, because everyone else is pretty much tolerable. Watch The Young and the Restless weekdays on CBS.

Exclusive: Huge casting scoop at Y&R

Looks like there's never a dull roar over at The Young and the Restless. Yesterday, the hit soap announced that they finally have a solution to comatose Phyllis, formerly portrayed by powerhouse Michelle Stafford, who left the show last August and just joined General Hospital. The show announced yesterday that they'd cast Gina Tognoni as the new Phyllis Summers, who will debut in "late summer". Tognoni definitely is not new to the soap opera genre, having previously been recognized as Kelly Cramer on One Life to Live and Dinah Marler on Guiding Light. While some say Tognoni is a bit young for Phyllis, and I concur, I'm nonetheless happy that the show chose to cast a soap opera veteran over yet another newbie to the genre.

However, today, news broke that the soap has chosen to replace David Tom as Billy Abbott with Burgess Jenkins, who has had numerous primetime roles and is new to daytime. Honestly, I was not surprised at all that the show chose to replace Tom in the role, who just returned in February after previously portraying the role as a teenager from 1999 to 2002 (winning a Daytime Emmy for the role in 2000). But it soon became easy to see that there was a reason for Tom not gaining very much notibility after leaving Y&R in 2002. So to say, he's not the strongest of actors. At first I thought he had some good chemistry with his onscreen wife Amelia Heinle, but as time passed I realized that there wasn't really much there, let alone chemistry with anyone else.

Despite there being a lot of fanfare with his long awaited return (first announced in November), Tom being replaced just doesn't surprise me. What I think happened was that the brass at CBS Daytime wanted to give Tom another shot in the role because he was clearly liked during his first run. Bold executive producer Jill Farren Phelps, who probably had her own idea of who she wanted to portray Billy, agreed to give Tom another shot in the role. Now, she has decided that it isn't working and has cast Burgess Jenkins to take over. (I don't know if this is actually the case, this is just what I think happened.)

I usually try to go into a recast for a role with an open mind. However, it takes me time to get used to them as the character. Unfortunately, it seems that actors have a tendency to exit just at a time where I have gotten used to them and have started to like them a bit (the case with David Tom). I will go into both Gina Tognoni as Phyllis and Burgess Jenkins as Billy with an open mind, however, the last time Y&R cast a "primetime" actor to replace someone in the cast was the sad, sad tale of Blake Hood being replaced as Kyle Abbott with Hartley Sawyer, a completely terrible actor who was finally let go after a short-lived 8-month run as the character (in fact, his character just fizzled out in January; his absence was explained sometime later.) So, I'm praying to Lord Jesus that Jenkins is a good actor and a nice fit for Billy Abbott. And I am praying that this is the end of replacements over at The Young and the Restless, at least for awhile. Give me a chance to get used to everyone together. Catch Y&R weekdays on CBS.

'The Young and the Restless' Shocker: Fake Cassie is Mariah!

Yet another nice plot twist has taken place over at The Young and the Restless. This past week, viewers learned that Fake Cassie, a lookalike to the late Cassie Newman portrayed by Camryn Grimes who had been hired by Victor Newman (Eric Braeden) to mess with Sharon (Sharon Case), is also in fact Mariah, the scheming ex-fiancee of Tyler (Redaric Williams) who had been messing with his relationship with Abby (Melissa Ordway), offscreen, for months on end. And now, we finally have a face to put to the name. And it's a face we've known and loved since she was a little girl!

Grimes originally portrayed Cassie Newman, the daughter that Sharon gave up for adoption as a teenager, beginning in 1997. Some time later, she became a major character when Sharon and husband Nick (Joshua Morrow) obtained custody of her. Grimes, just a little youngster, received widespread praise for her portrayal of Cassie, becoming the youngest person ever to win a Daytime Emmy Award in 2000 (she was 10). In 2005, after Cassie had become a rebellious 14-year-old, the writers chose to kill her off in a tragic car accident that would eventually lead to the demise of Nick and Sharon's eleven-year marriage. Ask anyone; the tragedy of young Cassie's death was felt in storyline for years to come. And it still is felt in storyline today.

Grimes reprised her role several times after she was killed off as a ghost to her onscreen parents. In 2013, she was announced to be making another return that was said to be long term. Grimes, now grown, began portraying a full grown version of Cassie's ghost who helped Sharon scheme to win Nick back. The storyline, which received a lot of negative reception, went on for months (thanks for that, Josh Griffith). Sharon barely talked to anyone else but Cassie, who was really never there and a hallucination caused by her subconscious after she stopped taking her bipolar medication. After agreeing to start taking them again, Cassie seemed to be gone. But then, she reappeared and we all groaned, because we as viewers were over the scheming ghost who wouldn't go away. But then Sharon was able to touch her hallucination. What was this madness? Cassie was real, and hired by none other than Sharon's former father-in-law and ex-husband Victor. When he found out from Nick and Sharon's son Noah (Robert Adamson) that Sharon had been talking to Cassie's ghost, and after he overheard Sharon's former therapist say in public that she had a secret that would devastate Nick, Victor ran into a woman that was a spitting image of Cassie. He hired her to pose as Cassie's ghost and get her secret out of Sharon, which she subsequently failed to do.

After Nick found out that Victor had hired this woman to pose as his dead daughter, all hell broke lose. He wants nothing to do with his good old dad and their entire family is stunned at what Victor has done. Meanwhile, the fascinatingly boring couple of Tyler and Abby lingers on. They have minimal chemistry and barely any storyline other than this Mariah, who was essentially driving their story from offscreen, which is a big no no. Then, out of the blue, Tyler runs into Fake Cassie and asks Mariah what she's doing there. Bingo! It all makes sense now. Fake Cassie was clearly hiding something. She was always following them. The only thing that wasn't explained and probably should've been was the fact that Tyler had remarked a few times in the past that Mariah looked like his former crush Lily (Christel Khalil). There had been rumors that Khalil would portray Mariah and she would be a strange Lily doppelganger, which also would have been great, but I still find Fake Cassie being Mariah to be another great twist, just as the twist that Ghost Cassie was real.

Camryn Grimes might just be the key that unlocks the door to interesting for Tyler and Abby. Because honestly, I can't take anymore of Abby freaking out over nothing and getting all whiny. I enjoy Melissa Ordway's portrayal of her, at times, but then at others she just proves that she's still growing as an actress and boring stories are the absolute last thing she needs. I also find it brilliant how the producers and writers found a creative way to bring Grimes back, at least for awhile, after her original character died 9 years ago. And Fake Cassie/Mariah's intrigue doesn't stop there; she is also involved somehow with cult leader Ian Ward (Ray Wise), is she possibly one of his cult correspondents? Watch The Young and the Restless weekdays on CBS.

'Devious Maids' sizzles even hotter with season 2

Lifetime's hit drama from last summer, Devious Maids (the latest work of art from Marc Cherry), recently returned for a second season, and a brand new bundle of secrets to be discovered, affairs to be covered up, the scandalous lifestyles of the rich and fabulous in Beverly Hills and of course, their maids who surround them. As Marc Cherry did with his previous series Desperate Housewives (another work of art), a new season follows a new mystery. Marisol (Ana Ortiz) is dating a new man named Nicholas, who was once married to a woman named Dalia. Their longtime maid, Opal, knows of something drastic Nicholas possibly did over fifteen years ago. On a dark night in 1999, Nicholas and Dalia's young son possibly witnessed a crime that was said to be suicide; Dalia jumping off a bridge. But was it suicide? What did Nicholas do, and why is Opal so territorial over him? We the viewers would like to know.

On the other hand of things, Carmen (Roselyn Sanchez) has agreed to marry her employer, musician Alejandro, who is secretly gay. In return, his lawyers agree to produce the studio album that was denied to her last season. Carmen's frenemy Odessa (Melinda Page Hamilton), also the head of the maid staff at Alejandro's, is less than pleased that Carmen is "with" her boss now. In this week's episode, Alejandro's former beau returns and asks him to move to Spain with him. Not yet married, Carmen fears she won't get her album unless they are married so she goes to much trouble to plan a surprise ceremony at their engagement party. Moments after Alejandro assures Carmen she will get her album no matter what, the party is robbed by a group of men and Alejandro is accidentally shot... fatally?

Another great arc I am loving this season is the Powells. Last season they were still somewhat of a question mark, but this season they are providing the best comic relief I've seen in ages. Not only that, the robbers who robbed Alejandro and Carmen's party were the same robbers who broke into Evelyn Powell's dinner party and stole her new necklace, worth a fortune. But it doesn't stop there; one of the robbers is revealed to be none other than Nicholas and Dalia's son, who supposedly works as a pool boy. Everything about Devious Maids is a puzzle, and where the final piece falls is yet to be determined. Catch it Sunday nights on Lifetime.

Possible Storytelling for Y&R: "Phyllis" comes back, or does she?

I have thought of a great way The Young and the Restless could bring back Michelle Stafford. Notice I said the actress, and not necessarily the character she portrayed for 16 years, Phyllis Summers. I am no Phyllis fan. I adore Nick and Sharon. But, I thought of a way Stafford could return to the soap opera without necessarily portraying Phyllis, who currently lays comatose in Georgia. Remember back from 2006 to 2007 when Stafford briefly portrayed one of Genoa City's greatest villains Sheila Carter? Well, here's how my idea goes...

Without warning, a woman believed to be Phyllis (as portrayed by Stafford) returns to Genoa City, revealing she's awakened from her coma and resumes her relationship and engagement to Jack (Peter Bergman). Jack is shocked yet overjoyed at her return, despite the doctors saying there wasn't any change in her condition. Summer (Hunter King) is also ecstatic to have her mother back. Shortly after, "Phyllis" goes into the home of Lauren and Michael (Tracey Bregman and Christian LeBlanc) and looks at a picture of their family. It is then revealed that this woman was never Phyllis at all. She is Sheila Carter, who never truly died after Lauren shot her in 2007. Sheila, who heard about Phyllis being in a coma, decided to take advantage of the situation and assume Phyllis' identity, yet again, in order to secretly target Lauren and her family again.

Jack, still so happy that "Phyllis" woke up and made her way home, starts planning their wedding. However, he becomes troubled by "Phyllis" not remembering things that happened (things that only the real Phyllis would know). Meanwhile, Summer is also worried as her mother seems different. The way she talks, acts and feels around her. She expresses her concerns to Jack, and they decide that being in a coma for so long must have changed "Phyllis". On the other hand of things, Sharon (Sharon Case) is terrified of "Phyllis" being back in town, but wonders why she hasn't told everyone what she heard Sharon say the night she fell down the stairs.

Sharon goes to see "Phyllis" at the Abbott mansion, and is weirdly comfortable around her. Eventually Sharon flat out asks her if she is going to reveal her secret, and "Phyllis" blankly says, "What secret?" This leads Sharon to believe she has forgotten the secret, and she sighs a sigh of relief. For now. Meanwhile, Sheila has been plotting to kidnap Fen (Max Ehrich) from the Baldwins so she can hurt Lauren. As Phyllis, she spends time with Fen, which he begins to find bizarre. Sharon then finds out that Summer and Jack find "Phyllis" has been acting strange and not herself. Lauren also realizes that she has been spending a little too much time with Fen and alerts Michael, who also realizes she has been acting strange. While Lauren and Michael try to figure it out, Sharon confronts "Phyllis" and demands to know why she has been acting so strange. She realizes that this very well might be a different Phyllis and asks her, "Why do we hate each other? What started it?" When "Phyllis" cannot answer, Sharon is alarmed. She leaves the Abbott mansion and calls Jack, asking to meet with him to discuss "Phyllis"' strange behavior. As they are talking, Sheila hits Sharon over the head, rendering her unconscious.

Summer goes to see Lauren and Michael to talk about her mom, as they are still trying to figure out what could be causing "Phyllis" to act strangely. As a joke, Michael recalls that Sheila once had surgery to look like Phyllis before Lauren shot her. Lauren blankly looks at her husband as Michael says, "No. You don't think..." Summer is confused, but Lauren and Michael grab her as they go to find Fen. Meanwhile, Sheila decides she has blown everything and puts her plan into action. She finds Fen outside of Crimson Lights, knocks him out, and puts her in her car. Before she can drive off, Lauren, Michael and Summer arrive and save Fen, demanding to know what is happening. Lauren downright asks "Phyllis" if she is Sheila, and all she says is, "What do you think?" She grabs her and Michael and Summer call the police. However, Sheila manages get away before the police can arrive. Summer is devastated that her mother never really returned to town. Meanwhile, Jack finds an unconscious Sharon on his doorstep as he is called down to the police station. Before leaving he calls an ambulance for her.

Michael, Lauren and Summer meet Jack at the police station, where he is told the whole story and is devastated. The first thing he does is calls the clinic where the real Phyllis was in Georgia and asks about her. But Jack is told she is gone. Gone where? Was she checked out? Did Sheila check her out? Or someone else? Fade out...       Watch The Young and the Restless weekdays on CBS.

All the Reasons Devon and Hilary should get together on 'The Young and the Restless'

As my Twitter followers may know, I have been a die hard shipper of Devon (Bryton James) and Hilary (Mishael Morgan) since they shared one of their first scenes together last August. It's clear that something has to happen between them given how much they encounter each other, and given that she is obviously warm for his form!

After months of growing closer and Devon's sister Lily's (Christel Khalil) forehead vein close to popping, viewers just about got the two together on Valentine's Day, but Hilary ended up walking in on Devon in the sauna with Esmeralda (Briana Nicole Henry), a Jabot Cosmetics model who has made it very clear that she is just with Devon for his money. It is also very clear that Devon's family disapproves of Esmeralda except for Lily, who just wants to keep her brother dearest away from Hilary (who tried to destroy her marriage last summer). All I can say is it's beyond time we got some Devon and Hilary action on Y&R!

It's not like the writers haven't contemplated pairing Hilary with someone else, as just awhile back she kissed her boss Jack Abbott (Peter Bergman) in a spur of the moment, confessing that she had feelings for him but she decided to get past that. I wouldn't have minded a little Jack and Hilary affair, even though he's old enough to be her father, but hey, that's never stopped anything in daytime. And now, just this week, Hilary has had some pretty sweet scenes with Neil (Kristoff St. John), Devon's pappy who she had initially come to town to destroy as she blamed him for his mother's death. First of all, NO. Just no. We cannot have Neil and Hilary together. It would be too weird. She tried to destroy him, his son is crushing on her and his daughter would like to see her dead on windshield. So no. I'm here not for that.

So we must get Devon and Hilary! It would be perfect in every way. It would send Esmeralda the gold digger packin' and Lily would be so bothered by it but wouldn't be able to do anything about it. So I'm hoping this is the way the writers are headed! Catch The Young and the Restless weekdays on CBS.