What the heck is in that drinking water in Genoa City that former baddie Diane Jenkins has become the pinnacle of goodness on Young and the Restless? She’s trying to save marriages, she’s doling out forgiveness, and she’s oh-so-in-love with Jack. Huh?
Diane Jenkins: Y&R Good Girl?
There was a time when Diane (Susan Walters) was able to give Phyllis (Michelle Stafford) a run for her money in the scheming and vengeance department. But, then she “died” and headed to the west coast for enlightenment. My goodness, she must have had the best therapist in the country because the Diane that is in Genoa City today is practically a saint.
She has redeemed herself in Jack’s (Peter Bergman) eyes as well as her son Kyle’s (Michael Mealor). Sure, the rest of the town is a bit wary but that doesn’t stop Diane from her do-good mission. Look at how she handled Summer (Allison Lanier) and her treachery, allowing her to rot in prison for murdering her mother while she hid the fact that Phyllis (Michelle Stafford) was actually alive. How did Diane fight back?
She forgave her. Diane forgave Phyllis’s daughter (but not Phyllis — she hasn’t completely gone Mother Teresa on us). She recognized that she was manipulated by her mother and therefore, she deserved some grace. Diane even wanted to help Summer and her son reunite — because she doesn’t blame her for her mother’s bad choices. Well, that’s awfully generous of her. But, that’s not who Diane has always been.
So what gives? Is the real Diane simmering underneath, waiting for Phyllis’s return before she reveals herself? Has she really turned a corner and become a heroine — the love of a good man like Jack changing her? Hard to say. But there is no denying how adorable Bergman and Walters are together and we can’t help but root for Jack to finally find a woman he can love and believe in…even if it’s just for a little while.