Elena Dawson is an underutilized character and we’re having problems figuring out why. After all, she’s smart, professional, beautiful, patient, and cool under pressure. Plus, Elena’s an extremely nice and empathetic person who’s not always a good girl. Like everybody else on The Young and the Restless, she’s flawed. Her bad decisions have resulted in a boatload of pain, angst, and hurt for her and for those affected by her giving into temptation.
Elena Dawson: Missing In Action
Elena’s (Brytni Sarpy) MIA status is perplexing. When she walked on as Chance’s (Conner Floyd) doctor after he was shot, it was beyond good to see her. She was her usual capable, competent self as Nina (Tricia Cast) and Christine (Lauralee Bell), Sharon (Sharon Case), and Summer (Allison Lanier) visited the police chief. The medical expert informed them of his injury and she came up with comforting words for them. She did just what a doctor should do.
The problem is, she could do so much more than be the doctor occasionally called on when there’s an emergency. Back when Nate (Sean Dominic) cheated on her with Victoria (Amelia Heinle), she showed us how formidable she could be. She also came close to getting down and dirty with a plan to bring Victoria’s ex-husband/abuser back to town. But that little plot point somehow disappeared along with her presence.
It would have been great to see her sit back with a tub of popcorn while Nate and Victoria suffered in the wake of Victor’s (Eric Braeden) manipulation games. She’d be classy and discreet about her glee, of course. Let’s hope she gets to have some sort of reaction to Victor kicking Nate to the curb and possibly slinking back to Chancellor-Winters. It’s only fair. Should this happen, can she have a big ol’ “I told you so” waiting for him, pretty please?
Unexpected Romance
Romantically, Nate and Devon (Bryton James) have both moved on from Elena. Devon’s living with Abby (Melissa Ordway) at the Chancellor mansion and Nate is licking his wounds. Sure, he can turn to Elena for advice, but do we really want that for Dr. Dawson? No. Do we want a Nate and Elena reunion? Hard pass for the moment, maybe down the line.
Why not give her an unexpected romance? How about Nick Newman (Joshua Morrow)? Every blue moon they actually share space and it’s pleasing to see. Nick’s currently a free man and his past loves — Sally (Courtney Hope) and Sharon — aren’t thinking about him now. Sally’s building her new business and “reconnected” with Adam (Mark Grossman) not too long ago. Meanwhile, Sharon’s rebuilding a business and is in a relationship that’s morphing into a triangle.
Therefore, this is a perfect time for Nick to break out from his usual (stay away from Phyllis [Michelle Stafford], she’s too unstable right now) and go for someone like Elena. Added bonus: Nick and Nate despise each other. Can you imagine how Nate would react to his ex-girlfriend and his business rival being together? Hopefully, this would cause Nate’s jealous side to erupt.
Fun Friendships
As far as we’re concerned, Elena is too isolated a character. Sure, she converses with Mariah (Camryn Grimes) and Tessa (Cait Fairbanks) occasionally, but how about beefing up their friendship? Maybe she and a back-in-town Heather (Vail Bloom) can interact? They’re both hot, single, and professionally badass. They both have their acts together career-wise, yet personally, they can use help. As a result, they can commiserate, compare notes, and conquer the Genoa City social scene together.
At this point, we don’t want any more time on the sidelines for Elena. Her presence could mix things up on the canvas nicely. We sincerely hope the powers that be find it in their hearts and computers to write a brand new story for the character and her portrayer, Brytni Sarpy.