Last week on The Young and the Restless, Sharon threw a baby shower for her daughter Mariah, and Mariah’s wife, Tessa, congratulating them on the arrival of their baby girl, Aria. Oh, yeah, the baby’s name is Aria. We found out in a throwaway line. Just like we found out about her being born in a throwaway scene. Because she was born off-screen.
A Young and the Restless Problem
We don’t know what actor appearance minimums are in Sharon Case (Sharon) and Camryn Grimes’s (Mariah) contracts, nor Cait Fairbanks’ (Tessa) deal. But we do know that just popping them on-screen every few days to satisfy them, does not a story make.
Y&R Delivery Room
It’s hard to say that the actors can’t deliver material beyond what’s currently being written for them when both Case and Grimes are Daytime Emmy winners. We’re pretty sure they’ve demonstrated that they can do more than play cute shower games and coo over an admittedly adorable infant. Grimes did more acting when Mariah took time out from her own celebration to worry about Summer (Allison Lanier) with Kyle (Michael Mealor) than during the scenes that were ostensibly about her.
Young and the Restless: Seen But Not Heard
Why are Sharon, Mariah, and Tessa being treated like children? They are seen — usually in the background — but rarely heard from, unless it’s to gush that being moms is, like, totes great. Bye, now!
Mariah bringing Aria to visit Sharon at the coffeehouse even turned into a chance for Sally (Courtney Hope) to think about her own pregnancy more than it did about Sharon spending time with her first grandchild. To be fair, Elena (Brytni Sarpy) was also in that scene to coo and not much else. What are her appearance minimums?
Y&R: Out and About
It feels like the show is writing around these characters, not for them. Adopting and naming a baby off-screen isn’t a storyline. If anything, it draws more attention to how these powerhouse actresses don’t have one.