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THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS: Jason Thompson Delivers ‘Power Performance Of The Week’ As Billy Falls Back Into Temptation

By Michael Fairman

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Courtesy/CBS

Last week on The Young and the Restless, Summer (Hunter King) was really doing a number on Billy (Jason Thompson), and it’s unsettling to watch, because viewers know how difficult of a time Mr. Abbott has had fighting off his inner-demons, which in the past have cost him nearly everything.  That being said, Y&R has set the stage for a storyline that puts Jason Thompson front and center as temptation will be all around Billy.

Kicking things off, Thompson was fantastic in several scenes last week, which all rolled into the other setting up the beginning of Billy’s downfall.  First, Billy gets a visit from his brother Jack (Peter Bergman), who is telling his younger brother that he believes that he could be the bio-son of Phillip Chancellor II.  What Billy is trying to wrap his head around is what Jack is really up to.  An upset Billy says, “Phillip is dead, what direction do you see this going?” Jack says he needs to know, because he could inherit health concerns.  When Billy hears him say the word ‘inherit’, he recoils thinking this search for Jack’s father is a scheme to take over Chancellor Industries, in which his mother Jill (Jess Walton) owns.  Billy lowers the boom on Jack and throws him out of his office.  He does not want to hear another word.  Great work by Thompson.

Then, when Billy returns home, Summer snidely greets him with, “Bad day at the office, honey?” Billy says he is upset over Phyllis (Gina Tognoni) being out of town and misses her, and goes upstairs. Then, Summer makes a call, and all of a sudden a poker game is going down in the living room!  Billy eventually comes downstairs and sees this, is drawn to it, and he struggles not to join in, but ultimately does.

The next day, seeing all the beer bottles strewn around the room, and remembering that he gambled, he is sick about it.  Summer comes downstairs and he tells her this can never be mentioned to anyone.  Then, Billy goes into a monologue of huge importance, with questions asked by Summer along the way.

Courtesy/CBS

Billy explains to her: “I’m a gambling addict.  I’d assume someone would have informed you of that by now.  There is no past tense.  I am still a gambling addict whether I am recovering or not.  It’s a lot like substance abuse, it messes with your brain with the same kind of composite patterns as a drug would.”

He goes on to talk about this addiction: “Every day revolved around the bets that I placed.  I couldn’t concentrate on anything  else, unless I knew how much I won, or how much I blew, and it didn’t matter how much I won, or how big it was, because I would only get the thrill, or the high, if it was bigger than the last time that I got my last payout.”

As to what made him stop, Billy says: “The sudden realization that I was losing everything good in my life … all the things that money couldn’t replace, like family, and friends, and love, or the last bit of respect, or dignity that I had. The obsession and the drive to feed the addiction, almost took my life.  I needed a brutal wake-up call, and I got it, and it worked, and if I hadn’t gotten clean when I did, I would be missing out on everything … Phyllis, my kids, being the CEO of my dad’s company, and yet, I still sat down at that table, and didn’t give a damn about it.”

He goes on to say, “I was already gambling by the time I sat down at that table.  By the time I touched the first card and the first chip, I was already willing to risk all of it just for the sweet taste of victory.”  Summer claims she understands, but that he is being much to hard on himself as it was just one game.  He asks her how she got into poker, and she tells him while she was in Belize.  He tells her there are better ways for her to challenge her mind.  Summer goes upstairs and as Phyllis is about to walk through the door, Billy sees a poker chip beneath his feet and has to hide it.

Looks like Summer is going to use Billy’s addiction against him to trash him life, and to either  … have him for herself, and/or destroy her mother’s happiness in the process.

Jason Thompson is our pick for the ‘Power Performance of the Week’ for his honest portrayal of a man knowing his addiction, understanding what has happened to him before because of it, yet still being pulled in the direction of the thrill of winning and excitement at all costs.  It will be heartbreaking to watch as this story progresses, but Thompson is setting himself as an early Emmy contender for next year.

So, what did you think of Jason’s performances in these key scenes?  What do you think about Summer’s machinations of Billy? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.

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I have zero interest in gambling addiction storylines. I’ve never seen a good one and with the current writing team at Y&R I don’t think those odds are about the change any time soon.

Same here, Alan….no interest, whatsoever!!!! Especially because it is not Billy Miller—I’d care a bit more, in that case.
Jason Thompson has not won the title of ‘Billy Abbott’ for me….and, since it has not happened after all this time? It never will. The same goes for his counterpart, Gina.
Plus, I am soooo tired of reruns.

I feel like I’ve already seen this exact same story with Amelia Heinle and Billy Miller. Wash, rinse, repeat.

I don’t give a damn to Billy Miller and Amelia Heinle and I can’t wait to see this story played by an actor who knows what nuances are.

Really – is Billy Miller returning to “Y & R”???

The fact you truly think Billy Miller has nuances in his “acting” say all I need to know.

Right back you re Jason Thompson and his so-called “acting”.

LOL. I obviously hit a nerve.

Good for you! I’ve already seen this story more than once and find it repetitive and boring just like every other Mal Young storyline.

Jason Thompson did a wonderful job…I know a lot of people don’t care for Jason in the role of Billy but I think he is great in the role of Billy as he was with his role of Patrick on GH…I am liking the storyline between Billy and Summer but I hope he doesn’t fall victim of Summer’s scheme of trying to seduce him… I hope he fights the tempetation of sleeping with her for there is enough of that with everyone sleeping with one another…

The temptation of sleeping with Summer ?

Sorry but when has Billy ever shown any romantic or sexual interest in Summer ?

Jeanne, we know how soaps go and it’s just a matter of time with Summer prancing around the apartment with barrely nothing on…

I saw naked Summer trying to seduce Kyle. Just me ?

Jeanne, OMG, that’s all she’s been doing since her return, is seduce Billy! That’s her objective to get him between her and her mother. Billy won’t know what hit him!

An addendum to reply to Jeanne. I think I meant to say that Summer’s objective is to come between her mom and Billy.Somehow my prev.comment sounds a little naughty,ha!
Oh,God, it all sounds bad!!

I like Jason Thompson and like him as Billy Abbott. I just don’t like this storyline and I don’t like Summer.

I’m in a group of over 10000 and the vast majority think Jason is doing as good or better than Miller. I’m looking forward to seeing his character dealing with the disease of gambling as this is his first crack at it. He hasn’t failed me in any of his interpretations of Billy Abbott.

GramS,here’s another Gram that agrees with you. I also think Jason, as Patrick was held back from his full potential.He has shown his worth as Billy.Like any thoroughbred, once they took the bit, out of his mouth, he outran them all.Even, old Victor hasn’t called him Billy Boy,in quite a while.

He was great ,i do love Phyllis getting her karma,

How Billy gambling is Phyllis getting her karma ? SMH.

And why should Phyllis get her karma?
When will Sharon, Victoria, Nikki, Victoria, Nick or Jack “get their karma” ?

Look, I had high hopes of JT when he was hired to play Billy. For the most part, it hasn’t worked for me. He tends to talk with a deep voice, lacks chemistry with the major players and seems disinterested most days. And I think him and Phyllis are the worst, But anyway, yes, he was very good this week with jack and the gambling angle. He seemed interested. I hope it continues since it doesnt seem like Jason is going anywhere.

I strongly disagree.

Billy and Phyllis are amazing together, all they need is a writing to fit the actors’s talent.

I think he has great chemistry with Gina, Jess, Peter, Eileen, Beth, Michael and Melissa. His scenes with his kids are always cute.

I will agree that Jason is good with kids. His relationship with Emma at GH was great!

With Billy and Phyllis it’s all about the sex

No it’s not but I guess people see what they want to see.

Same. It was better but still not a fan. I watched Miller already do this story multiple times. Pass.

Summer had to know about Billy’s gambling addiction. I am not interested in seeing Billy get sucked back into gambling.

I have zero interest in this storyline. Summer’s return is awful. What a wretched character; and the acting is awkward and uncomfortable with no reason as to why she is so hateful and vindictive. No thank you.

I agree, not interested in the Summer character. I also agree that Mal Young is a disservice to Y&R. I do not care for his writing style at all. No happiness in any of the characters. Victor getting temp custody of Christian is disgusting and immoral. The only character I do like at the moment is Dina. That is a good storyline. Abby and Arturo, please give me a break. I could go on and on, so disappointed in the show right now. I have been watching since it began in 1973.

Hi Bev, I really had high hopes with Sally and Kay handling Y&R and a lot of people complained about them but I really think if given time Sally and Kay would of put Y&R back to what Bill Bell envision and wrote but unfortunatley the powers that be let them go…(WHO KNOWS what the real story is)…anyway I agree with you about Mal Young and I will say it again, Y&R doesn’t feel the same and hasn’t in years and I still LONG for the beautiful CLASSIC backgroun MUSIC back along with some great directing, production and writing.

Jason Thompson was fine in a supporting role on GH but he’s an epic fail as a lead on Y&R, no matter how long or how hard Mal Young tries to force the issue. He’s just not that good. And he and Phyllis are……let’s just leave it at awful and forced.

He’s FF material and has been for quite some time. And now, this nonsense with Summer? Another epic fail on Mal Young’s part.

Just look at the ratings and send Mr. Thompson either back to GH or the backburner.

Jason is on YR and isn’t going anywhere.
Are you seriously blaming the guy for the ratings ? SMH !
I don’t remember Amelia, Mishael, Peter, Eileen or Joshua bringing the ratings.

Jason on GH got three Emmy nominations in the LEAD CATEGORY.
It wasn’t a qupporting role.

Billy is making huge mistakes which will lead to his breakup with Phyllis. 1. He should have moved out of Summer’s apartment the moment she moved back in. 2. He should have come clean with Phyllis and tell her that her daughter is making a play for him. 3. He should tell Phyllis that he relapsed and gambled with Summer. Should of, should of, should of….. As soon as Billy and Summer agreed to keep his relapse a secret from Phyllis, they betrayed her. The next step will be Billy sleeping with his girlfriend’s daughter which wouldn’t be the first time he has crossed boundaries.
I don’t like this story line at all. Suffice to say, it’s just plain icky. Moreover, I liked Summer better when she was snowflake. Summer playing a bad ass is not working for me. It’s akin to watching Bambi play the Big Bad Wolf.
That said, I think Jason Thompson is a fabulous actor and he can pull this story off in a convincing manner.

PS. Is JT alive? Good Golly, I hope so. He had a heart condition so it may be that is why they didn’t feel a pulse. Please don’t let this be a red herring. I really didn’t like the idea of Nikki killing him and the rest of the women being accomplices.

Harry, agreed with all you said. Wouldn’t it be something if they found out that J.T has this heart condition ( right after Victor dies),and they give him Victor’s, which was previously Coleen’s. How ironic.

At first I had a hard time with Jason as Billy, but now I think he is great. I really hope he doesn’t fall into temptation either with gambling or Summer.
I could definitely do without Simmer, she sure came back a little spoiled bitch.

Never liked Summer before but hate this part she plays now.They brought her back not Adam
Hope she is short lived on there
Love Billy character don’t put him down the dark path again.
It’s nice to see someone change for the better on these soaps

I think Billy should give back CEO to Jack because he doesn’t now what he is doing.Victor Newman schuld stop being so mean. Ever since Kathryn Chancler leaft the show any moor a the writers don’t know what they doing because the show is not that good any Moore . please change the story

Billy knows exactly what he is doing at Jabot and he is doing well.

I don’t like where the storyline of Billy & Summer is going. I like how Billy storyline was going, him being CEO of Jabot Cosmetic. I like how mature & how he had worked hard to change his live. Summer on the other hand I’m not impressed with how much she changed & how much of a spoiled brat she has become. She needs a big reality check & really needs to grow up.

I think the writers should be focusing more on Victor’s character, he should get what he deserves. He has gotten away with too much & he needs to pay for his crimes. Nick needs to get his son back & have Victor loose everything he hold deer, from loosing his kids & grandkids. He’s a bully & had been for a long time. I hate how manipulative he has gotten by wrecking other people’s lives. He keeps saying that family is the most important thing in his life, but if he truly felt that way he wouldn’t be doing all the terrible things he has done & his still doing to the ones he says be loves.
Please do something about Victor’s storyline.

Sorry gang
Love Jason Thompson in this role.Granted, Billy Miller is great actor, but he needs to return fully to primetime. Like #Bull #BlueBloods, anything Shonda Rhimes is doing, hint

To me, this storyline turn is further proof that I STILL CANNOT STAND Summer!!!!!

N-E-X-T……….

I have no problem with Jason just please get rid of the white sneakers ! Ok

Oh, I love his white sneakers, so cute! Can you imagine any of the other men, with them? Makes me laugh just picturing them.

I think his performance was fine, but character wise, I can’t stand seeing him fall under that little bitch, Summer’s spell. Then again, as the saying goes about where “the apple falls”, maybe it serves him right. How many times does it take for some men to learn?

Justin Hartley was NOT fired for groping anyone. WTH is the matter with you? In fact nobody was fired for groping HHK and both actors ( MM AND HHK)have said that did not happen. It was a rabid fan in Florida who started that rumor and fans who kept it going.

Well that is good to know…. what the hell is the matter with being polite? Storyline is still terrible.

I don’t feel polite when I see someone saying Justin Hartley was fired. He left the soap because he got a prime time job in This is Us. Check your facts.

General Hospital

GENERAL HOSPITAL: Ric’s History of Jealousy Where Elizabeth is Concerned Has Come Back Around

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Ric

On General Hospital, Ric Lansing (Rick Heart) is about to fall back into dangerous old patterns by the foreshadowing during the Wednesday, August 19 episode. After first coming to see his brother, Sonny Corinthos (Maurice Benard) and telling him of his plan to propose to Elizabeth Webber (Rebecca Herbst) his longtime love tonight, Sonny has concerned.

Next, Sonny reminds his brother of what has happened in the past, when things have gone south with Elizabeth and wonders if it’s too soon for him to propose to her. What Ric did not tell Sonny is that he has seen the developing closeness between Sonny’s son, Dante (Dominic Zamprogna) and Elizabeth, which is propelling his urgent need to propose.

Meanwhile, Dante ran into Elizabeth at the park during a break from their mutual team softball games. She needs help with a bookcase after the game at her house. Dante wants to put it together for her. Later, Dante arrived at Elizabeth’s house, limping after injuring his knee during the game. Head nurse Liz wanted to check out the injury as much as Dante protested, which required him to take off his pants.

Courtesy/ABC

RIC BEGINS TO UNRAVEL

Outside Elizabeth’s widow, Ric arrives with a bouquet of roses and the engagement ring. When he leers through the widow he is shocked to see Elizabeth rubbing Dante’s leg while Dante is in his boxer/shorts. He storm troops into the house, demanding to know what is going on here? Both Elizabeth and Dante look surprised by his reaction. In the pick-up of today’s Thursday, August 20 episode (see GH video teaser below), viewers will learn the upshot for all three characters.

A VENGEFUL PAST

As longtime GH fans know, Ric has done some horrible, vengeful things in regards to Elizabeth starting back in 2003 after she lost her baby after Ric’s ex, Faith Rosco pushed her down a flight of stairs. Ric accused Sonny for the accident and to get revenge, Ric kidnapped Carly (who was married to Sonny at the time), and stashed her in a panic room below the house where he was living with Liz.

On top of that, Ric fed his wife Elizabeth birth control pills to keep her from getting pregnant so that they could raise Carly’s baby together after it was born. Eventually, Elizabeth found Carly in the panic room but ended up having a pulmonary embolism. When she woke up in the hospital, Elizabeth was all confused by what happened, and Ric convinced her that her vision of  Carly was just a bad dream. Eventually, Elizabeth learned the horrifying truth and divorced Ric.

Years later, Ric noticed the connection between Elizabeth and “Jake Doe” who eventually turned out to be Drew (Billy Miller) A jealous Ric hired Hayden Barnes to show up and claim to be “Jake’s” wife. Elizabeth stepped aside, and when Ric planned to propose to Elizabeth at the 2015 Nurses Ball, Carly exposed his manipulations, and Elizabeth dumped him yet again. And those are just two examples of the lengths Ric will go to for Elizabeth!

So, we ask you, given the history of Elizabeth and Ric, how do you see this playing out with Dante in the picture? How will Ric derail their growing bond? Share your thoughts via the comment section below.

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THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL: Steffy and Carter Get Lame Excuses From Their Spouses, and Try to Shake Off Their Night Together

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Steffy and Carter

If you caught the Wednesday, August 19 episode of The Bold and the Beautiful, and if you were Carter Walton (Lawrence Saint-Victor), and your wife, who literally took off, threw of her wedding ring and abandoned their marriage to head to Paris, shows back up saying she overreacted and wants to be with him, would you bother to even take her back?

As for Steffy (Jacqueline MacInnes Wood), now that Finn (Tanner Novlan) is giving her the spiel about how he took her for granted, how he is so sorry for not listening to her, and that Sheila will never be in their lives again, would you want to listen to that, either, after so many broken promises?

That’s the situation hungover Steffy and Carter found themselves, while still reeling from the seeming fact that they had sex the night before while drunk in the Forrester Creations CEO office.

Courtesy/CBS

STEFFY AND CARTER GETS EARFULS

Daphne (Murielle Hilare) doesn’t understand why Carter is being so distant, and he says, “You said I wasn’t family.” She wants to put all of what she said and did behind them and now explore other ways to have a child. Carter seems hurt and annoyed.

Back at the cliff house, Steffy is so upset between sleeping with Carter and getting drunk, and Finn and his mother, Sheila (Kimberlin Brown) in Monaco. She tells Finn, “I need you to stand up for me. I can’t live like this. I won’t.”  Finn begs her not to let “one terrible mistake” (get it!?) tear us apart.

Finn promised Steffy he will get a restraining order on Sheila if it calls for it. He understands why Steffy is so scared of Sheila after she shot her … and him. In the closing moments of the episode, Finn pronounces how lucky he is to have the “perfect wife.” To which a rattled Steffy in tears goes, “Oh, I’m not perfect.”

Photo: JPI

STEFFY’S GUILT

Steffy is losing her grip at this moment as Finn says he wants to step up and be the husband he deserves. Along with Daphne, I kind of want to kick Finn to the curb, too. Then Finn lays it on real thick and adds, “You’re pure, you’re honest, you’re loyal.”  Steffy interrupts, “Not quite.”

Suddenly a guilt-ridden Steffy says to Finn, “There’s something I need to tell you.” Can she actually get the words out about getting drunk and having sex with Carter …or,  will she keep it under wraps so we can have months of the line “one terrible mistake?”

Take a look at some of the scenes between Steffy and Finn from today’s episode below.

Now let us know: would you bother to take back Daphne or Finn, if you were Carter and Steffy? Would you like to see Steffy just blurt out she had sex with Carter to her husband? Weigh-in via the comment section.

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THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL: Carter and Steffy Have Drunken Sex … Or Did They?

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Carter and Steffy

On the Tuesday, August 18 episode of The Bold and the Beautiful, viewers were tuned-in to see if Steffy (Jacqueline MacInnes Wood) and Carter (Lawrence Saint-Victor), who were were both on benders, wound up having sex in the Forrester Creations CEO office.

As the Monday, August 17 episode concluded, Carter and Steffy shared a close moment where it looked like they would kiss. Now in the pick up which starts the morning after, Steffy awakens from the couch in the office, and realizes she has no clothes on and is mortified to see Carter on the end of the couch also naked and under blankets.

In that moment, Steffy realizes they had sex, and begins to unravel to Carter as she scrambles to get dressed: “We shouldn’t have done this. Oh my God, I shouldn’t have done this!”

Photo: JPI

STEFFY RACES TO GET HOME

Steffy’s panic of the situation escalates when she finds her phone, and sees multiple text messages from her husband, Finn (Tanner Novlan), desperately trying to reach her. He told Steffy he was on his way home from Monaco.

Suddenly, a hungover Carter speaks up and agrees. He says to Steffy they made a terrible mistake and wanted to talk about it, but Steffy kiboshed any discussion, not dealing with Carter, and racing home to be with her kids and Finn. As a disheveled Steffy ran out of Forrester, Carter stayed behind to straighten up the office and get rid of any remnants of their drunken binge.

Just then, Daphne (Murielle Hilaire) showed up as Carter is shocked. She apologized for running out on him, and details how when she got to the airport to board the plane to Paris, she realized she couldn’t leave him. She loved him too much, and asks him to please forgive her and her, “terrible mistake.” Daphne hugs Carter and he looks like a man who has no idea what to do or make of this entire situation in the moment.

Finn and Steffy

Photo: JPI

WHAT WILL BE THE REPERCUSSIONS OF CARTER AND STEFFY’S DRUNKEN NIGHT TOGETHER?

Cut to: Steffy comes home and runs into her mother, Taylor (Rebecca Budig). She explains what happened with Finn and Sheila (Kimberlin Brown) in Monaco. Next, Steffy details how she took off her wedding ring after Taylor noticed it was no longer on her finger. Just then, Finn arrives. Taylor leaves the two to talk. Finn begs for Steffy’s forgiveness and the episode comes to an end with Steffy facing away from Finn and towards the camera, trying to figure out what to do next. Take him back?

Now the real story begins: it would appear that the intent was to have Carter and Steffy face long-lasting consequences of their drunken night together. So that, Steffy would become pregnant with Carter’s child, which would cause the ripple effect in Carter’s marriage to Daphne, who is unable to carry a child.

One other theory, unless, Carter and Steffy believe they had sex, but they passed out in compromising positions but nothing ever happened? Perhaps one of them, or both will have flashbacks of them carrying on together on the couch? Were they set up? Stay tuned.

So, we ask you. What happens from here? Steffy gets pregnant with Carter’s child? Does Steffy goes back to Finn? Carter goes back with Daphne? They really never had drunken sex? Weigh-in via the comment section. But first, take a look below, and a bit of what went down when Steffy and Carter realize what happened between them.

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Jonathan Bennett joins the cast of GH as Joe Fitzpatrick. Catch the latest promo! Leave a comment.Leave A Comment

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