Withholding Judgment

One of the most difficult aspects of evaluating a soap opera is to determine what the program is doing right. When a particular plot does not work, many viewers will react immediately and pick apart the faults in detail, leaving a scathing analysis of why it does not work. For instance, on The Young and the Restless, while Adam's "haunting" of Ashley plays upon the history of Ashley's mental breakdowns, it raises too many questions and concerns. Why would he drive Ashley crazy in the first place? Why would Ashley so easily trust the most obvious suspect? The miscarriage that resulted also seems especially cruel, especial for a woman with a checkered history regarding pregnancies.

However, when a specific story is told well, it can be hard to pick out what precisely about the writing makes it worthwhile. At times, a character may be behaving outside the boundaries established by his or her prior behavior or demeanor, but a plausible reason can provide the development of a plot that would reap greater rewards than if the character remained static. As a result, many viewers, including myself, may make snap judgments about a character's particular decisions and cry, only to find out weeks or even months later that our opinions had changed.

A prime example of this is the fall of Sharon, who was emotionally fragile to even prior to her descent into kleptomania and serial sex partners. At first, the idea of Sharon's sanity crumbling after Brad's death seemed to be somewhat out of character for her. Although she has abandoned her family in the past, her coital escapades were usually limited to one extra partner, and she was never a thief.

The passage of time, though, has revealed her actions and the subsequent pregnancy to be a shining example of how to weave together a cast of characters in a tale of broken hearts, attraction, and desperation -- the essence of a soap opera. Although the characters involved have little moral ground to stand on, I am amazed at how well this story has tested the relationships between characters. The crumbling of two marriages points toward the reunion of Nick and Sharon, but this reunion, tentative and teasing at times, is not a simple expression of two long-lost loves reconnecting. Because Sharon's pregnancy is interconnected with nearly all of the other plots on canvas, it allows a reshaping of characters and relationships. Love turns to hate, hate turns to love, and most of all more can be told and every twist unfolds.

Now with Mary Jane added to the combination of characters, and her insanity slowly revealing itself, this story has become even more complicated. At first it seemed that Victor's obsession with bringing Jack Abbott down would tear him and Ashley apart, but the foreshadowing was misdirection at its best, as Mary Jane not only has her own agenda, but her presence has slowly reached out to ensnare Jack, Phyllis, Sharon, Nick, and even Paul. Her associations with Victor only deepen her connection and unlike a threat such as Sheila Carter, or Clint Radison, her presence connects characters instead of isolating them. Even without the mystery of her true identity, she has enriched the show, not by taking over every plot, but by inching her way into the lives of Genoa City residents.

Of course, not all plots that start out poorly evolve into brilliant stories. I do not care about the "art thief/forgery" plot (unlike the action regarding Clint, I cannot imagine any worthwhile conclusion to this plot), or the recent interactions between Tyra and Devon. There are other plots such as the questions surrounding the identity of Cane, which have yet to disappoint, as it allows old favorites to return while shaking up what we know about the established ones. Still, withholding judgment on a particular plot allows for a more thorough analysis. I am learning to wait before declaring a couple "boring" or a plot "ludicrous." Soap operas are a serial medium, and the principal joy of watching them comes not from each particular episode, but from the plots and characters as a whole.