Sharpe Disapproval

Although people have been complaining about the writing of The Young and The Restless for years, within the past few months, there has been a reactionary uproar in online communities about the state of the televised program. I have tried to focus on the positive aspects since there are good parts to balance the bad parts. As rightfully maligned as Ashley's hysterical pregnancy has been, the Mary Jane saga has been written well, aligning enemies, showcasing the power of family loyalty, and including tragedy and showcasing permanent consequences of manipulation.

Still, I am inclined to join the chorus of criticism, about the ill-defined art thief/art forgery story, which has just concluded. This particular plot was lackluster when it first began and has simply continued spiraled in quality ever since. At first, it seemed to be a vehicle to push Jana and Daniel closer out of necessity, with an intent to pair Kevin and Amber as well. Fortunately, my initial feelings about the romantic direction of this story proved to be wrong, but that did not mean the story improved. Instead, it seemed to languish into a mediocre tale that seemed to follow the pattern of so many plots involving these parties (someone gets into trouble with the law, a related party behaves ridiculously and illegally in an attempt to prove the wronged person's innocence, and at last everyone is ends up hostage to another manipulator). However, this story took a turn for the worse with the introduction on the very character who was supposed to revitalize it -- Deacon Sharpe.

In my opinion, this is a result of trying to reap the benefits of a character's established history while having him serve the purpose of driving the plot. When done well, this brings the best of both worlds, lifting a tale to a quality beyond that of either of the basic sources; when done poorly, it results in both the alteration character and the diminishing quality of the plot. In this case, it has been the latter, as the character of Deacon Sharpe has not kept true to his roots. As a longtime fan of The Bold and the Beautiful, I am not only aware of Deacon's past, but I have watched it play out year by year. It is surprising how poorly the transition of this definitive character was handled, especially in comparison with that of Amber, another transplanted character from The Bold and the Beautiful.

Amber, at least, has been written consistently while on The Young and the Restless, if not always well. In fact, much of the animosity she generates in both other characters and fans are from character traits which have either been established with the character from the beginning or have evolved over time. Even in this tale of art thieves and stolen paintings, her actions line up with her history more than they did at the last year of her stay on The Bold and the Beautiful, and she has integrated well with the residents of Genoa City.

So far, I do not believe the same has been done for Deacon. To be fair, Deacon has always been manipulative and selfish man without refinement in judgment or tact. However, underneath his amoral actions lies the heart of an antihero. Deacon was dismissed as an outsider of the fashion industry, but he was very quick to point out the hypocrisy of the Forresters. Ironically, despite all of the lies the character told, Deacon was fundamentally direct about his intentions, afraid of what no one thought of him. When he wanted Amber, he made no secret of wanting her. Admittedly, he has been more open about his desires and his behavior than when he first appeared on The Young and the Restless, but it continues to feel as though Deacon is playing a cat-and-mouse game when in previous years, he cut to the chase.

In fact, the introduction of Deacon to The Young and the Restless is highly uncharacteristic. For Deacon to even pose as an art collector would have required an extensive, calculated, process that would require levels of foresight the character has not displayed in the past. Deacon was a wily opportunist who at times found himself in situations he could exploit for his benefit, but he was not a chessmaster or a strategist. Even though recent dialog clarifies that Deacon is working for another party, for him to even execute the complicated plan would require a degree of premeditation from him unseen on the Bold and the Beautiful.

Furthermore, Deacon had evolved past the base creature that is on The Young and the Restless. He was still despicable scum, of course, as he gleefully tortured a paralyzed Massimo Marone, who sat helpless to watch as Deacon drugged and carried on an affair with Mrs. Marone. Yet, he had grown to develop moral lines (albeit weak), in part through fatherhood, and in part through love. For example, despite him offering up his parental rights for sale, he never sold them; not only did he give up the money, but he also willingly released Amber from her agreement to live with him in exchange for his right to visit his son.

Deacon -- at least the Bold and the Beautiful, incarnation -- would never frame someone else for murder, even for the benefit of his son. He would instead figure out a way out of the desperate situation and turn the tables on the person blackmailing him.

Another problem with the presentation of Deacon is his "love" for Amber. The driving force of this story is that Deacon is still obsessed with Amber. However, Deacon moved on from Amber several years prior to his exit; in fact when Amber and Deacon were on opposite sides of a custody battle with Little Eric, there was not even a hint of attraction between the two. This makes his chase of Amber unbelievable several years later, when the paths of their lives diverged radically. Both Amber and Deacon, at the ends of their respective runs on The Bold and the Beautiful, were different people than they were when their characters first aired. For him to cling to her, even as the closest living blood relative to his son, rings false given their history.

These problems could be overlooked, though, if the story itself were compelling. Instead, this plot varied from serious to humorous, never having a consistent tone. This entire storyline has been a rehash of prior plots and contrivances with no redeeming effects. If those in charge of driving the story would have skipped this preamble, I may have been more forgiving of the incompatibility between Deacon's past and his current actions. However, the Deacon Sharpe on the Young and the Restless is just like the Terroni painting he eventually obtained -- a forgery.