PS. I also wanted to add that this was both an act of desperation and rebellion on Michael’s part. He has so much turmoil going on inside of him. ….and anger!!!! This struggle is probably suffocating him….but, he recoils from the one person, other than himself, who can really help him…..Lauren!
I would love to say so much more on this delicate and heartbreaking subject, but I will drive all of you nice people to distraction. LOL.

Sickness and in health? A good spouse is a good friend. If you cannot talk to whomever you marry about ANYTHING, your marriage is in big trouble!

@Timmm.
Absolutely, Timmm….If a spouse cannot turn to his/her better half, then there is no bond…where there is no bond, there is no marriage.
That is the crux of the matter, I think. Michael’s and Lauren’s relationship has been a precarious challenge way before his illness. The trust had been severed since her affair with the bar tender, I don’t care how rosy their relationship seemed to be. Some people’s marriage cannot prosper or survive after a betrayal like that. I could never remain married to a husband who had cheated on me….not for the kids, not for anything.
So, Timmm, I do believe this turn of events is very telling.
There is, of course, another side….what Harry said makes much sense also…..in that, Michael is trying his damnedest to alienate Lauren. He wants to alleviate the pain by hurting her. He is opening the door for her…preparing her for his death.
Michael came a long way to gain such a noble heart. I do not want to see his departure from Y&R.

I agree with all of these comments.

I have to say that for most of this storyline, I’ve been annoyed. Lauren and Michael survive Sheila Carter, the return of Sheila Carter, and then the return of Sheila’s evil sister Sara who LOOKS like Lauren; they survived all of Kevin’s shenanigans, all of Gloria’s shenanigans, Michael’s past; and my favorite, they survived the unappealing task of raising the most INSIPID child on the planet, Fenmore. And after all that, including Carmine (Good Lord, how could I forget him?), it’s cancer that brings them down???

Then, I thought about it and realized that they never survived Carmine and that Michael’s fears are to a certain degree, a result of Lauren’s infidelity.

I thought Christian LeBlanc did a beautiful job, as always, of making me believe every word coming out of his mouth. I have to add that I have never seen the actress who played Felicity but I was mesmerized. A small role but beautifully played against Michael’s anguish. Wow.

I have to add one thing. I truly hope that this is not the ENTIRE focus of the storyline. I know that Michael’s fears and insecurities are real, but I would love for the storyline to expand beyond his preoccupations with pleasuring Lauren. He is facing a life-threatening battle and it seems to me that a complex character with history like Michael, would be thinking about a lot more. The opportunities seem endless for what they could write …please go there.

Perhaps reading is not your strong suit su……..nowhere in the above article did it say Michael bangs…….as you so crassly phrased it…….her.

Ended up he didn’t have sex with her, they just talked.
Is all this leading up to that mikey will die? I sure hope not.
The last thing I want to see is Lauren playing the senior sex kitten and acting like a cat on a hot tin roof.

What Cee Cee said.
No, nothing sexual did transpire. Michael wants Lauren to think something did so she will be disgusted and be done with him in order to abate the grief that his impending death will cause. He also needed to confide with an indifferent stranger so he can get out all those demons, the fears, the abject sadness without dragging her down. Because the kind hearted prostitute doesn’t know him, he can let it all out without hurting her. He can’t do that with Lauren because he doesn’t want to destroy her chance of leading a happy and passionate life. Also, Michael has prostate cancer and when you couple that with chemo, it tends to make a man unable to perform which is another reason why he wants to stay away from Lauren–he doesn’t want to feel, as he put it, like “half a man.”

Michael is confused and scared. He knows his wife is a sexual and vulnerable woman. He doesn’t know how to handle the cancer and possibly losing his ability to satisfy his wife. The scene with the hooked showed he is terrified and must find the answer within himself and not Lauren.

duh .. I know that..
I was giving the boring scene a new twist.. something interesting to happen..
The stupidest thing I have ever seen;
a man gets himself an attractive prostitute and and doesn’t even attempt to see if he can get it up (the purpose) but instead he puts all his self-pity on her..
that is ridiculous stupid..
They went through the whole thing for a self-pity scene with a prostitute aha only in soap would a man not do it, or try to.. now that would have been truly interesting; could he or couldn’t he.. 🙂

Jim, I am outraged you compared a doctor to a prostitute. Outraged, I tell ya!
Why……why……why…..(stammer, stammer, stammer)………………………………..a prostitute has MUCH better handwriting.

Pratt did the same storyline on Melrose Place when the character kimberly had cancer and hired a prosit ute for her husband Michael! Yep this bunch of writers for all daytime shows are real gems!

Just repeating a dumb joke one of my doctors recently told me to cheer me up…i do apologize if it offends anyone!!!

Jim–I was kidding–I thought your joke was not only funny, but it was appropriate.
Maybe you’re kidding back!

Yes, Pratt said right here to Michael Fairman that it’s not a storyline he would’ve written because it’s about a man’s privates. Geez..I guess if a female cancer had breast cancer he couldn’t tell it because it’s just about a woman’s boobies? Immature. To be fair, it’s Phelps story and she only had Michael on 1 day a week! LeBlanc, Bregman & Rikaart did awesome with almost no material. Even Tognoni nailed it upon Phyllis finding out. But then nothing.
I don’t like the direction Pratt’s taking it. At least push Lauren toward a single man-not a married one with kids! Why destroy his family? The hooker scenes could’ve gone so wrong but LeBlanc & McKeon saved the day! It would be a crime if he is being written of Y&R. As a GH fan though, I’d love him there if that happens.

Lauren is a Barbie doll…and just as old.

oh CeeCee

you had me “laughing OUT Loud” about Lauren (Barbie)…. “and just as old”

I used to get so angered… ie: for and with, Traci Abbott, the heated rivalry and arch nemesis w/ Lauren Fenmore Baldwin

Lauren always seemed to come out on top… and the much maligned Traci persevered.. had Colleen…. and married Steve Connelly

alas, Colleen died

if ever , there was a human interest story… it was with Beth Maitland… Traci Abbott

being the youngest child… in her mind… “least” successful… of her older siblings Jack and Ashley

the overweight sister… living in the shadow of Ashley

the death of her only child

I just love her returns to Genoa City

ie: Christian LeBlanc… is another human interest

from the male perspective… a Mans’ STORY…

hasn’t he always done a sterling job sharing the male species emotions ?

I’ve finally decided this is why I like DAYS, of the 4 remaining soaps

the police station… and for the most part… the hospital… and LOL the park… and Horton Square…are just that, a backdrop… a part of the scenery

DAYS still attempts to showcase… both male and female perspective and points of view

Michael from Y & R isn’t a cop… a mobster, a doctor… and certainly within the category of legalese male presence

but… he showcases… men… with emotion
from A to Z he’s premiered all his tenure… and this includes his ATWT

I don’t know if Christian LeBlanc is being let go…
Charles Pratt … had better be licking his wounds, this includes JFP

this would be an amazing get for Lauren to feature herself… should this be the route Y&R forwards

after BM and MM… Christian LeBlanc is leading the pack…

@Patrick
Thanks for replying.
I am impressed by your post Patrick. So honest, so fresh….and yes, I agree about Traci. As far as I’m concerned, she is the most real character on Y&R. Somehow, the bosses have always featured her as a backdrop, within the rest of the scenery. The only real story she had was her infatuation and consequent love for the pool boy, Brad. But, even then she was upstaged by Carlton himself. There is something to be said about that…..had she been thinner and scheming, would she have had all the applause? Sad, isn’t it?…..how the pressures of society dictate what’s good, bad, thin, fat, ugly or beautiful!
Michael, as his brother Kevin, came in like a wrecking ball….a story of good versus evil, where good won. I hope CL is not on his way out….I love him as an actor…always delivers, never disappoints. He could have won this year if Tony G had not hit a home run and then some, with the Fluke storyline. I do have a strong antipathy for Geary, but I cannot deny his suprlative acting.
I am glad you liked my attempt at humor, Patrick. But, every time I see Lauren, I shake my head. Granted, she’s old enough to be my mother and she looks great. Her body is stunning…petite but voluptuous. However, she is as ageless as Barbie. So, I cannot help but assimilate her to a piece of plastic. Soon enough she will look younger than her son Finn, yes?
I know these are soaps……..but try to keep it real. There is not one muscle on Lauren’s face that moves. Her hair doesn’t even move.
I should not judge because I may get “itchy” when I start to see wrinkles. However, I would never want to look like a dressed-up, made-up doll. I like my hair loose, free of chemicals.

As yourself, I do not mind the boring, and sometimes antiquated scenery that is DAYS. It’s comforting….and I love Victor. That is one baddie I do not mind seeing. I don’t know what it is about him….but, his one-liners crack me up.

You are a very philosophical writer, Patrick….not too obvious; but I feel you. And, I bet you have a big heart. I see my female version in you. Your counterpart, Patrick. Later.

You are being too kind to Lauren, Harry…LOL. At least the muppets have personality and ‘movable parts’.
I think it’s great to look so good ….but, we are all aware Lauren is too artificial. I believe in plastic surgery, but not to be overdone……just a little nip and tuck here and there. She looks half her age….very unrealistic. If Lauren would be placed in a boutique’s window, she would be mistaken for a manikin.

….out of context, but I must say…. from what I am observing, it seems to me, that both Sage and Chelsea have been impregnated by no other than Gabriel/Adam. I have said it first. If I am wrong? I will bury my head in the sand in shame.

Timm, that is how I feel about the next presidential election.

Harry 🙂
He wanted to test it, she if he could get it up/do the deed..
and then it turned into self-pity rant with a prostitute aha!
c’mon, that is stupid.. now we’ll never know know; can he??

Christian LeBlanc is excellent, he is a prime actor, we all know that..
He gave a good performance, no doubt of that..
but-
the whole idea of scene was stupid..
it went from interesting, could he, to a self-pity rant.. aha!!
but it was good ..

Thanks for explaining it to me, Su00.
I didn’t get it.
What would I do without you?

I see your point Harry, I’m not connecting well with Gina either!

Oh, Lordy, Lord, Su. I am having so much fun reading your posts. Give it a test ride? That is hilarious…’ Hey, buddy, let’s go give it a test ride”.
Su, this scene had nothing to do with sex, and everything to do with emotion. I agree with Harry. He needed to bounce things off and vent, to a certain extent, with someone impartial….a stranger. Moreover, if he wanted to show Lauren that he is not worthy of her devotion, then, what better way than hire a lady of the night?
If you consider this fantastic and realistic show of human struggles as campy, then we have two completely outlooks/takes on this scene, and most importantly what despair does to people and their mental state.

Yes, that is probably the only thing we agree on, Su. Michael may well be experiencing self pity and self loathing. But, he is not looking for pity from anyone else. I doubt that’s what he wants. ….neither is he looking for validation that what he feels is justified. His mind is on a dark voyage….he is looking for that elusive place which may shed some light into what he is experiencing. He knows he is on the edge of a precipice ….he does not know if he will fall.
But, I do think he is trying to get his house in order….that includes having his wife despise him to ease her pain if he dies.

Yes. ..what about the way he treated Sophia, the mother of his son (Moses)?
and when he got his sight back. ..he still acted blind. …
he simply can not act.