The Young and the Restless: July 2009 Archives
The Young and the Restless has wavered in quality as of late and much of this is due to the return of Phillip Chancellor III. To be sure, as a longtime viewer, there is a certain pleasure in watching Nina return to the cast of characters, even if the role is only a supporting role. I also admit that I believed the initial developments concerning Cane and the presumed-dead Phillip would bring promising stories to follow. In time, this may prove to be the case, but currently, the stretches of credibility needed to sustain this plot have broken it beyond my level of enjoyment. The problem here is that this reveal reverses an act that has been one of the strengths of The Young and the Restless -- the death of a character.
To be fair, soap opera deaths usually come in three flavors. First, there are the deaths of temporary, minor characters whose sole purpose is to be killed to advance the plot. These deaths often have little long-term impact on the story, and are often forgotten within a few episodes. Next, there are the apparent deaths of individuals who are integral to the cast, but these demises are almost always ambiguous at best, providing an opportunity for the character to return. Finally, there are the actual deaths of central characters. When handled horribly, they can be as meaningless as the first type. When handled well, they unless potential for both plot and character development for years to come.
It is in the latter area in which The Young and the Restless had shined until now.
Most of the deaths in the past few years have had a lasting impact. The twin impacts of Cassie Newman's demise and John Abbott's death affect the entire canvas, even though many viewers remain upset at the loss of these beloved characters. More recently, the deaths of Sabrina Newman and Brad Carlton have thrown the characters connected to them most closely into a cycle of destructive behavior. Phillip's death was one of these deaths, one that impacted those around him for years to come.
To be fair, of course, Phillip's re-emergence has not undone the 20 years of story that has played out in his absence. However, while it is wonderful for there to be a link between the characters of years past with those of the present, the sudden nature of the revelations creates very serious problems for the more recent history. The explanation that Cane was aware that he was not baby Cordelia's father only heightens the inconsistency between his current demeanor and the previous scenes where he believed Cordelia was his biological child.
Most importantly, the reason given for Phillip's absence is underwhelming and pitiful, in my opinion. He faked his death because he realized he was gay.
I can put aside the onscreen history in which the character of Phillip Chancellor III seemed to be heterosexual. I cannot put aside that he would actually fake his death over this. Typically in soaps, people fake their deaths for the purpose protecting their loved ones or for furthering a scheme. Instead, Phillip seems to have faked his death for the sole purpose of whining about how hard it was for him to live up to the expectations of being a Chancellor. His attitude annoys me given that in real life, people have been killed for being outside of the "normal" realms of sexually acceptable behavior. For him to be able to come back from the dead and then immediately complain about his anguish is disrespectful to the real victims of persecution.
I am also further angered by the reaction of his loved ones. Nina went from angry at his sudden reappearance to completely supportive upon learning the reason behind his departure. While Katherine and Jill are furious at him for the various lies and schemes he perpetrated, they seem a little too ready to forgive him. The problem is that Phillip deserves more anger from these people and others regarding his actions, and the mitigating factor does not seem to be that he is a prodigal son, but that he is gay. When another character pretends to be gay and gets a similar treatment from his victims, this sends the undeniable impression that claiming to be gay is a get out of jail free card (literally, in the case of Adam). Their coddling trivializes the more central issue -- not that he's gay but that he faked his death. It brings the focus away from what he did to who he is, and as a result, the consequences of his return diminish with each passing day.
Phillip's death did not just shock the residents of Genoa City, but the ripples of his passing never completely faded. Sadly, I cannot say the same for his return. Despite the nostalgia I feel for the character, I start to wonder if Phillip Chancellor III should have stayed dead.
