Tucker from Young & Restless saves Ashley from Alan’s twin brother?!

Credit: CBS screenshot

This could go down as one of the more disappointing May sweeps. Young and restless ever published. Here’s a look at what happened, what didn’t happen, and what lies ahead.

May Sweeps Bulletin

The month started with all sorts of stories and conflicts escalating and they all died down with little to no drama. What a disappointment when there was so much potential. Story after story, the writer’s choices flirted, then turned into far of, golden opportunities for soapy drama. Ashley’s story may turn out to be an exception, but it hasn’t reached its climax yet. Overall grade: C-, which is generous and relies heavily on setting up plots that then peter out.

Connor’s story

The choice to play this off-screen is confusing. Why bother if you’re not going to reintegrate the child into the web and to show How does OCD affect your life and the lives of those close to you? Mark Grossman and Melissa Claire Egan can tug at the heartstrings with the best of them, but there’s a limit to how invested we feel when it’s all “telling,” not “showing.” There is value in using this story to raise awareness and educate, but this half-assed plot has led many viewers to fast forward, which defeats the purpose of telling the story in the first place. As Chelsea and Adam leave to visit Connor, I wonder if this was partly designed to allow the actors to take some time off.

Victor’s story

What was the point of Victor taking Jordan captive if he wasn’t allowed to use him in a revenge plan against Jack? Everything was perfectly organized! He kept hinting at having a “plan” for her, and it was as if the writer had gotten cold feet. After Cole found Jordan, the dramatic potential disappeared faster than it did when they chloroformed her. What a disappointment to see her simply return to prison! On a related note, I got a huge kick when Cole was throwing those “concrete” cinder blocks with one arm. Either way, there’s still a chance to profit if Jordan manages to escape maximum security, wreaks more havoc, and Victor’s family finds out he’s been lying all along and he is indirectly responsible for another affair with the psychopath.

Claire and Summer’s story

Another fizz. Summer had good reason to doubt her new cousin, and there was plenty of potential drama to mine in an ongoing rivalry (especially if they’d written Claire with a few layers), but overnight we were thrust into another “Kumbaya” from the writer. ‘ moments. Summer also resolved her issues with Sally in record time, in order to allow a new job exchange. Where is the soap opera in this?! People don’t just press what they feel. To show tell us how summer has arrived! Meanwhile, Claire, a character with so much potential to be complex and interesting, has been reduced to a one-dimensional Mary Poppins. Find out here why this landmark story was a failure for fans. Looking ahead, the preview hints that Kyle has feelings for Claire…maybe that will reignite his rivalry with Summer.

Phyllis and Sharon’s story

Yeah…they don’t. One of them. In May, the sweeps. What is the real %$…?

The Chancellor-Winters Story

This is one of the great battles that are being prepared. I guess Devon and Lily are going to come across as bad guys for trying to break up the societies while Jill battles a heart condition. Even if they are not aware of it. I’m bracing myself for a lot more scenes of Billy butting heads and bickering with the Winters siblings. I can understand that there’s an emotional element to the story now, but it’s hard to know what we’re supposed to expect here. For me, it’s the slim possibility that they could In fact unlink the merge and we can move on to new stories for these characters. Something that I did I appreciated the shout out to Jill’s brother in the dialogue. Learn more about Snapper Foster here.

More: Jill’s bombshell could change everything for Lily/Devon

The story of Jack, Nikki and Diane

When Diane told Jack that it was hard to see him putting his ex first and worrying that he might make a mistake, it was hard to argue with her logic. Jack, of course, couldn’t see the forest because of the trees and she had to threaten to leave to get him to realize it. Being of the opinion that he was a very poor choice as Nikki’s sponsor, I was okay with him refusing to continue. That said, it is clear that he will feel resentment towards his wife. On top of that, I think Jack is about to have his hands full dealing with Kyle and Diane’s feud in Jabot, which is the second big battle brewing on the soap. I fully expect Ol’ Smilin’ to remain distraught to the point of driving out his heir or Diane taking the company away from him. As Victor pointed out, she’s a viper…and her true colors will shine through; It’s a question of “when,” not “if.”

Audra and Tucker’s story

Another story. Congratulations to Audra for actually TO DO something about going to Paris to take meetings behind Tucker’s back, but one has to wonder why she feels entitled to his company? I’m sure this is all just a way to get McCall to Paris to be part of Ashley’s story. After this, I’m not sure what the writers will do with Audra. Dating Nate isn’t much of a story and no one is about to hire him in Genoa City.

Ashley’s story

As most have already figured out, Ashley rushes toward a horrific revelation about why her personality was shattered. Of course, not everything makes sense. If Alan and/or his brother are involved, why was Mrs. Abbott determined to kill Tucker? Why did an unrelated trauma cause McCall to remember the cafe scene poorly? If Ashley’s trauma was caused by someone who looks like Alan, why aren’t her changes triggered by his presence? Why did Alan insist on taking him across the world and sitting on another couch to explore his brain? In any case, I appreciate the dark twist and dramatic potential here…and I look forward to Tucker playing hero to his beloved in some capacity. Therein lies the reward.

The opinions expressed are my own. Do not hesitate to leave your impressions on Young and restless in the comments.

Weigh in on our picks for the best and worst May Sweeps storylines in the photo gallery below.