Best episode this year! Melody Thomas Scott was amazing which once again proves how rediculous MAB was in wasting her talent.

I smell an Emmy nod for Melody Thomas Scott! This episode had it all: comedy, drama, great flashbacks! And kudos to Maria Bell for not cluttering up the show with a bunch of extraneous characters that didn't matter. For once, they did a great episode that was well-written from beginning to end and didn't leave me searching for my remote control.

Ditto Alstonboy! This was THE. BEST. EPISODE! I'll be pissed if she doesn't get the emmy for this.

The sad thing is that Y&R could be this good everyday. They kept their main core characters. Why not use them? Jill & Kay are from 1973, will there be another story for this classic pair why both actors are w/the show, or will both be wasted as they are farmed out to prop newbies? You don't have to be Shakespeare to write for well developed characters with strong families, all with rich layered histories. What the writers can't do the audience will fill in. Everything has so much more meaning when we know the character(.

1 or 100 murder ,2 or 200 affairs, 3 or 300 weddings, the number doesn't matter, it all means nothing if we don't know them. I would rather see one longtime character search their history for a whole episode, week, or month than multitudes of weddings, murders, affairs, and new children of a pile of newbie cast and /or out-of-the-blue family members of characters.

Y&R should use ALL their long-time cast and reduce the newbies drastically. I turned on the show last week to faux-Katherine and Angie and was punching my remote or CBS not realizing I was on it. Although I knew they were both on the show, I just wasn't thinking about it. It's just too much work to watch these days,I constantly have to remind myself who is who and why they are there and after I do I realize I don't care.

0ooooooooh MY GOD! Melody Thomas Scott brought such Classic personality of Beauty, Glamour, Sophiscation, Class, Smiles, Laughters and Tears...she brought 0ld Hollywood acting! A Classic....LOVE the flashbacks of Quin Redekker as her father Nick Reed, Love that sister Casey, the clips of that super hot Johnny Cashman when she was a Stripper at the Bayou..
(rest in peace Johnny Cashman!) Victor & Nikki, Daytimes Most glamour supercouple of all time...This was an incredible show...Flasbacks of that cute little Victoria Newman, Nikki bein their for her young son Nicholas....wow, Ashley and Nikki talking about Victor....WOW! I LOVE that Grande Dame, Katherine Chancellor in tears about being alone in that flashback...Nikki Newman is one classic Diva who is truly one of the best characters...Nikki met her angel...later it was her Mom that she never met in childhood....another classic!
MELODY THOMAS SCOTT is a true gem, one dame, and this is what I expect...MTS will get her EMMY nod and win!!!

MTS knocked it out the park! It was amazing enough for me to almost say Auntie RiRi again

I admit that I felt this episode was really quite very good. The downside was that it brought back vivid flashbacks as to how good Y&R actually has been in the past ... rather than the "junque" we are being force fed these days.

(I think that the MTS naysayers need to give it a rest. We really don't know just what goes on behind the scenes so it gets annoying seeing so many jumping onto the MTS as a spoiled selfish diva bandwagon.)

It was also good to see Jeanne Cooper back, but worrying to see her looking much more frail and drawn. On that side, it was also amusing that her flashback scene was JC at her scene chewing, wall paper peeling best.

loved it. Loved it....LOVEDDD IT.

And the writing was actually REALLY good today. Making the angel NIkki's mom was brilliant....Kudos to everyone (haven't said that in a while) tho Y&R has been pretty good all week give or take an angelina

The key scenes were Nikki talking about what a failure she'd been, and the angel encouraging her and praising her. This was anathema to what MAB, Sheffer, and Hamner usually write on Y&R. Where was the parade of tiny men who would sneer and smirk through bad one-liners, as Nikki, Sharon, et al bathed their manly feet? No, this was about a woman finding strength on her own terms, not on how a man feels.

I wish they'd bring Casey back.

I haven't seen Y&R in 8 months and I did want to see this eppy because of MTS. I will give credit where it is due to MAB, it was very good. The flashbacks were awesome and brought back such great memories of Y&R. Like Tedew said it shows you how good this soap was and could be and as Alston mentioned it wasn't cluttered up with a bunch of non-sense with other players, it was focused on Nikki....Nikki ROCKS, I know there are many naysayers of MTS but I'm not one. She is my Nikki Reed and I LOVE HER...excellent episode. I agree Casey should came home for Christmas. T he ending when Nikki asked her angel who she was and the angel said just call me mom...I fell out of my chair. A+

DP

LOL Harlee, I did the same thing! I was wondering earlier why Nikki's guardian angel wasn't some gimicky thing like a former Gilligan's Island actress or one of the main actors on Y&R like they used Paul one year. Wow when she said just call me Mom and blew out the door, my heart just broke for Nikki. This was one time that Hogan's big surprise ending to story line actually worked. So bitter sweet the whole experience became to her!
This goes to show that there is talent somewhere on this show, it just needs to be harnessed in.

It was simply AMAZING!!!

I was wondering why they didn't have Cassie as Nikki's guardian angel...then when it was revealed that was her mom I was shocked! It was absolutely brilliant twist.

The flashbacks with Jeanne Cooper got me! I have always loved Nikki and Katherine's relationship and seeing Jeanne finally back for this special moment...I just lost it!

This was definitely my favorite of the stand alones! Truly a great episode from start to finish!

The only parts I found enjoyable in this "special episode" were the flashbacks - other than that, it didn't move me at all. It just reminded me of how great this show used to be once upon a time. Once I saw the previews for the next episode, all I could do was taste the bile.

After reading about what is going to come this week, I cannot help but wish that the New Year brings about a brand new writing team to "Y & R" - I don't know if I can stand this plot-driven drivel any longer!! Too many secondary/needless characters (Angelo, Angelina, Harmony, Patty, Genevieve - my list can go on!) Too many convoluted/drawn-out 'stories'(Diane's murder is now over 5 months old - END THIS MESS ALREADY!!) MAB and her co-hacks Sheffer and Hamner SORAS'ed Paul & Isabella's kid Ricky, yet nothing is being done with him. Phyllis now has a kid sister, yet nothing I have seen regarding their past has drawn me to their so-called story. Phyllis stole Lucy from 'Villy'; Michael & Lauren wanted nothing to do with her anymore, but there they were all together and friendly at Christmas - WTF?!?

John Gibson RIP! I remember your Playgirl centerfold SO well!

I can add nothing to what has been said above about Melody Thomas Scott's brilliance. Ny favorite Y&R character of all time! Give her the Emmy now!

I just watched it and like a cup of egg nog it was delicious.
Just fabulous kids! Fabulous!
I loved the flashbacks. I loved the mention of Colonel Douglas Austin. I loved the actress playing "Mom". My eyes filled with tears when our Jeanne Cooper appeared in the window.

But of course, Melody Thomas Scott brought it like she always does and it was great to watch. I've loved her since I started watching this show when Nikki fell off the horse and was hooked on the pills and booze.
She is a big part of this show and I'm glad she is back.
Thanks to all who were involved in this episode.

@Everyone: I have to give it a b-. While I loved the flashbacks to earlier times on Y&R and the setup was great, there was some spotty acting in the "present" where Nikki was supposed to be at. In parts, the tears were more visine eye-drops (Melody's trademark for crying) than real (see Slezak, Morgan and Flannery for comparison). Yet the parts of serious reflection were excellent.

Also while I like the focus on a core character like Nikki, this same old plot used and remixed year after year where a specific character (Billy, Michael & Victor in the past few years) has these reflective moments around the holidays due to some self-inflicted or emotional tragedy is a bit overused and proves that these writers can only produce halfway good material when they are focused on 1 episode and a few characters. Not a good sign.

As for an Emmy nod? Well this depends on the category. It would be dishonest of Melody to submit herself as lead since she was not even on the show most of the year and would just fall in line with other supporting actresses who submit themselves in the wrong category. So I would suggests supporting as the appropriate and right category to submit her self in (Jeanne Cooper has done this in the past) and heighten her chances at a win.

I'm sure though she would not heed that advice. And would submit herself as lead. But ask yourself this does she have chance against Susan Flannery's medical crisis scenes as Stephanie(I'd assume she would submit), Debbie Morgan's Angie learning that her baby died, Allison Sweeney as Sami thought her son was kidnapped and possibly dead and Erika Slezak's 40th anniversary episode as Viki where all her personalities came back? Those are just a few. So I don't see her holding a candle to any of those actresses with this episode despite it still being her.

Yet that does not mean I don't they could possibly still etch her out a nod if she put herself up as leading. Then again with the new Emmy nomination rules the game could change.

And this was just an actor's view on the episode.

The reason episodes like this about Billy or Adam failed for me is they were based on rewritten history, and history that didn't make any sense (I gave up on Adam's backstory a year or two ago, and Billy's hostility toward his father and the Abbotts never had any history onscreen). Nikki's story was at least true to her background and her character.

@Carol2: Now that is true!

I have noticed lately that we are all holding the main characters of soaps to a standard of acting that we once did not. Some people think Nikki is a bad actress on Y&R some people hate John Black on Days. Some thought Susan Lucci's acting choices were like fingernails on a blackboard (well I do anyway) I am not exactly sure when that started. All I can remember in the past when it was Drake vs. Wayne Northrop as the one to get Marlena's heart, Drake won. Despite his lack of acting ability. Now he suddenly has to be able to act! Same goes for alot of beloved actors in daytime. They have skated by on looks or charm without having an ounce of actualy acting ability. I wonder why that is suddenly a criteria. I am not trying to be critical of either these actors or the viewers, I am just wondering why now? Once upon a time, we only critiqued the acting abiities of the newbies (which was generally pretty terrible) (Charity Rahmer!) Now we don't give ANYONE a break. Even the great ones better not start calling it in (Jess Walton, Eric Braeden). The good ones better not step out the box (Genie Francis). When Eileen Davidson went over the top in the 90s with her toothsome group of characters she played on Days, she was "brilliant". Genie goes over the top on Y&R for a few months and she is blasted. What changed? I KNOW that Genie's acting ability didn't suddenly disappear.
Just a thought that I have noticed lately and wondered if someone had any ideas as to what changed.
Maybe we are more critical because with other types of tv, the acting level has risen. Maybe we are just have less time for bad acting than we used to. There are too many other things we can do besides watching actors chew scenery. Maybe reality tv has changed our perception of drama. We see how untrained people sponaneously handle crisis and it makes the daytime group seem fake. Anyone have thoughts on this issue. Perhaps this needs to be a long conversation with alot of povs.

Melody Thomas Scott killed it! That first and foremost. Maria Bell's song on DC has been "Nikki Minaj's shited on them" because she has shitted on every character on that show. However Friday's show was the best in a long time. Did you all see those flashbacks from back in the day? I just wish Maria & Company could produce a good show like this everyday. Look at how OLTL is just so great! Oh, Maria if you would listen and stop fukking things up this show could be on OLTL wavelength.

Melody Thomas hit every beat in the story, and the acting was boss! That whole show got me. It reminded me of how Bill Bell made Y&R so classy and different from the rest.

People have been ragging on Drake Hogestyn's acting for years (especially after Joey on FRIENDS started the "smell a fart" scenes).

David46208--

If Melody was using Visine drops to simulate tears, I couldn't tell. There was nothing about her crying or angst that seemed fake or unbelievable to me. It all seemed genuine. Some actresses are simply bad criers (not necessarily Melody, but we all know a few veteran actresses who can't cry worth a damn!. But it's the end result, not the acting technique, that count for me.

marknsprmo, I think part of it must come from the fact that we all know soaps are on their last legs and are seeking an explanation as to why that is exactly. One of the reasons that so much of the viewing audience has given up on soaps may be that they no longer have a tolerance for terrible acting when there are so many other options out there.

I've been rather harsh in my criticism of Drake Hogestyn, but that's not new. I feel that he hasn't brought much to Days since the Aremid storyline.

Now on the topic of MTS, I would be lying if I said I was a huge fan of hers. That does not mean that I dislike her. Nikki is an important part of Y&R. I cannot comment on the episode; however, because I did not watch it. Y&R is no longer a part of my TV viewing habits and won't be so again until major changes are made to improve it. Besides, these Christmas Carol stories are an extremely overused plot device that I can no longer bear to see every year at this time.

Happy Holidays to all my fellow soapfans! We may not always agree, but we all want the best for this genre that we love.

FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF

coffeejunkie, aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mark, I have noticed the same thing reading the past comments and future for that matter. The one thing I quickly found out some just like to start fires on the boards. As you mention now some the great actors phoning in their scenes could be simply because they are not happy about the story or writing on their soaps. As for Genie, I think between the story and how she came on canvas (due to MAB & Y&R stunt casting) and doing this over the top crap says a lot about the story boards. Fans are more sophisticated and know rehash and all soaps are guilty of doing rehash the last few years and fans have left because of the story and the acting keeps getting more over the top from stories. MTS was amazing in this episode and Visine or not, I didn't see that as Alston but effecting acting of MTS. I'm not going to be picky and criticize MTS about "supposedly" using Visine when the acting of MTS shined brightly in this episode. I still give it a her an A

I'd be more impressed if the show aspired to this on a daily basis, including of the revolting train wreck that makes me wanna wretch. And if the Xmas episodes with Victor and Billy are any indication, Nikki will be falling down drunk again in a day or two. Bah humbug!

The BEST Y&R I have had the pleasure of watching of late. MTS is amazing, I loved the flashback scenes of her sister Kasey Reed. As a long time viewer I could relate to all of it. Having Nikki's mom as her guardian angel was BRILLIANT! Evoked many emotions within. I feel MTS has been overlooked in the lead acting category for many years, looking forward to the new process this year. Maybe it won't be the same old popularity contest this go round. KUDOS MTS and Y&R. Maria A Bell this is where your focus should be, core characters with rich history that long time viewers love and relate too. Stay focused so we won't have to watch this show go through a cancellation.

I dont think anyone is less tolerant of bad acting. How can you compare an era of online watchers and comments with folks that tend to over analyze everything and to an era where people just tended to watch and enjoy, kind of like I assume offliners still watch. And most watchers I guess just tune out when there is something they don't enjoy rather than passing the blame on bad acting which 99.99999% of the time has nothing to do with it.

I have enjoyed watching many an actor onliners constantly bash including CK on Y&R at times. IS she a great actress no but who cares. (Its kind of interesting to me that some of those mentioning this have no issue themselves bashing actors they don't like but seem to be offended when their faves are bashed.) Do I hate her story a lot yes. IF bad acting were the basis for watching soaps, viewers would have tuned out years ago. And the acting stds haven't changed. There are as many lousy actors on primetime and in feature films than ever.

I like most actors on soaps that touch me emotionally and that doesn't include what soaps now consider the classic heroine, chicks that run all over canvas and snark and manipulate but are supposed to be considered good and strong like that awful Kendall, Carly, Phyllis, Sami, Greenlee these are who soaps now epitomize as the "strong good girl" - melrose place clones. I don't find a character that manipulates a heroine, more a bad girl or anti heroine like SBr's Carly was and the canvas actually got to treat her Carly accordingly and not call her actions justified. I miss the traditional heroines like Jennifer on DOOL who were good hearted were decent warm and kind and always tried to do the right thing. Like heros, soaps can't write for heroines anymore either. Look at what Y&R did to Sharon. She's now only interesting because she sluts around on the show. Thats not progress in terms of writing for women in my book. what is so awful about Rafe on DOOL that causes so much hate online. I am not a fan but he's a genuinely good guy who protects his lady. I don't like him but he's much more the traditional hero type. It is his fault DOOL or any soap can't write for heros anymore either. CHance and JT on Y&R were good examples also. How about GV's Lucky. Is it GV's fault Guza could not write for a good and decent "heroic" and Laura-Like Lucky?

MTS's Nikki to me is one of the classic type good girls. Is she a great actress no. BUt she's warm and overall a decent kind hearted woman who has always stood up for those she cared about. And at one time was the perfect complemnt to the darker and ruthless Victor.