Young and the Restless has turned back the clock to the mid-90s by having Phyllis Summers, Danny Romalotti, and Christine “Cricket” Williams be involved in a triangle. Phyllis has decided she wants Danny for herself and she is going to make that happen no matter what. But she can’t execute her schemes alone. She needs a confidante.
Phyllis Summers Needs Her Friend Joani Garza
We couldn’t help but notice Phyllis (Michelle Stafford) talking to herself the other day as she conspired to snare Danny (Michael Damian) once again. It’s going to look a bit odd if she continues to do this. Folks are going to start wondering to whom is Phyllis speaking. And, it’s one thing to proclaim what your next move is but what about when you need to hash out a few ideas? Phyllis can’t bounce off Michael (Christian Le Blanc) or Lauren (Tracey Bregman) her next semi-diabolical move she’s preparing to make because they’re both pals with Christine.
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Who better to return to the canvas than Joani (played by Marita DeLeon) to resume her role as Phyllis’s friend? Joani made the scene in the mid-1990s and stuck around for a few years as Daniel’s nanny. Someone had to watch the little guy while his mother went off to Nevis to give newlyweds Christine and Paul (Doug Davidson) a hard time on their honeymoon.
Of course, Daniel (Michael Graziadei) doesn’t need a babysitter anymore. Heck, even Daniel’s daughter Lucy (Lily Brooks O’Briant) has aged out of needing someone to watch out for her. But wouldn’t it be great to see Daniel and Joani reconnect? The grown man might have a flicker of recognition for the woman who took such good care of him for the first few years of his life. Perhaps they’ve stayed in touch over the decades?
Joani’s best role, however, would be to listen to Phyllis as she voiced her feelings and contemplated what she was going to do next. Hopefully, her next move will not involve renting a car! Joani always did a great job of hearing what Phyllis had to say. Joani didn’t always think Phyllis was playing with a full deck but she managed to never cross her boss. There are plenty of ways to bring Joani back to the canvas. Time will tell if Y&R adds De Leon to the list of past performers who’ve brought greater familiarity to Genoa City.
Since wrapping up her role as Daniel’s caretaker, De Leon has continued to act, appearing in such shows and films as L.A. Doctors, Strong Medicine, CSI: Miami, and The Curse.