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Y&R’s Melissa Claire Egan Delivers The ‘Power Performance of the Week’

By Michael Fairman

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Photo: JPI

The Young and the Restless prepared its viewers for last Friday’s episode with a warning that viewer discretion should be advised. The daytime drama series tackled an important issue of our time, mental health, and in particular, a person’s battle with depression and where it can lead them.

In the trustworthy and capable hands of actress Melissa Claire Egan (Chelsea), the story illustrated how the culmination of difficult decisions and moments in our lives – that often are compiled one on top of the other – could drive someone who feels there is no hope to consider ending their life.

Photo: JPI

Chelsea, who just had a run in with her biological son, Johnny (Paxton Mishkind) and Victoria (Amelia Heinle) is banned by Victoria to ever see him again. In the park and devastated, Billy (Jason Thompson) comes upon a broken Chelsea. She fills him on what Victoria told her and admits to him that she misjudged the situation and shouldn’t have pushed for Johnny to know she is his mom, too.  Billy tells Chelsea to be careful not to set her expectations high, especially when she says she will be patient, and maybe a few years from now, Johnny will come around to accepting her.  Chelsea asks Billy to assure both Victoria and Johnny that she won’t be bothering them again.  That prompts Billy to realize that something is very off about Chelsea’s demeanor.

Now alone in her hotel suite, Chelsea begins to eerily hear the voices of Billy, Chloe, Victoria, Connor, Johnny, and Adam all saying upsetting things to her and she becomes overwhelmed.  Sad and isolated, Chelsea pulls up a pillow and lays down. Next, Adam (Mark Grossman) arrives trying to lift Chelsea’s spirit and she agrees to go get a drink with him at Noah’s club.  However, once in the bathroom to freshen up before heading out with Adam, Chelsea looks in the mirror and hears voices in her head. She begins to sob as she stares at herself in the mirror. Chelsea screams out “Stop!” as she holds her head in agony.

Photo: JPI

Things go from bad to worse once Adam and Chelsea are at the club. Chelsea sees Noah (Rory Gibson) and Allie (Kelsey Wang) kiss, and Billy and Lily (Christel Khalil) happily dancing together as Adam talks at her, but she doesn’t take in a word he’s saying.  She is focused on the couples in front of her and how she has no one in her life. Now the voices in her head have returned, and Chelsea quickly excuses herself to Adam to go to the restroom. Billy looks on and is extremely worried by what he sees.

Chelsea needs air.  She goes to the rooftop to breath, but soon the voices catch-up with her again.  She utters, “I can’t take it anymore. I just need the pain to go away.” Just then, she looks down from the ledge of the building and sees the streets and cars below, contemplating ending her life.

Throughout all of the aforementioned scenes, Melissa Claire Egan never overplayed a moment. Even though we are watching a soap opera, Egan pulled us in and made the audience understand how Chelsea got to the place she is at – feeling there is nothing left to live for.  It was compelling and raw, and for that, and everything we have previously noted, Michael Fairman TV names Melissa Claire Egan’s work, The Power Performance of the Week.

There’s more to this story and this performance to come on Monday’s episode of Y&R, when Billy tries to come to Chelsea’s rescue. Melissa could be right back here next week with back-to-back nods for her work. Stay tuned!

So, what did you think of Melissa Claire Egan’s performance and how Y&R has written Chelsea’s depression? How do you feel about a Billy/Chelsea pairing? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.

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Well since I have been there a long time ago I sincerely hope as much as I hate to say that Billy saves Chelsea! But they need to send her to a hospital where she can get help please! She is doing a great job showing how severe depression looks! Chelsea can always come back,but really not on this show! Melissa Claire Egan is a fantastic actress to pull this off too!I have lived through two really bad marriages for very short times; so I know of what I say here both are gone now, thank goodness! I asked God to help me get through the abuse, HE took their lives! I made it through and finally found the right man now after 25 years of marriage, I am very happy and have a really dear husband now! Who I can trust without reservations too! I know how much he trusts me and vice versa! God has really blessed me big time!

Why don’t you think she should come back to this show? She has done such a good job esp when they had her sitting in that wheelchair saying nothing for so long. I think she is doing an amazing job of portraying someone who has tried to turn her life around but seems to be spiraling downwards. BUT she has Connor to live for so why isn’t she thinking of him? I could never do that to my child.

MCE can really deliver. I first saw her in AMC where she and Billy Miller were brother and sister, and she had amazing scenes there too. I’m not unfamiliar with depression and this is heart wrenching to watch; but a great showcase for Melissa. She finally has something to sink her teeth into. Performance of the Week is well deserved.

JenW
I remember the two of them on AMC.He was so scary and believable. Iam not a MCE fan and FF through a lot. We knew why she was there and Billy would talk her down and Adam the eternal fool was just in the way thinking he was the only one who could help Chelsea.

I thought Sharon was married to Rey and why is she crying around about Rey?? Oh and when is she going to burn down Victors Ranch ? Oh and didn’t she rape Billy? Only on a soap opera!

She’s always been underrated. I rarely tear up while watching soaps but Melissa’s performance was so compelling and realistic, that I gave into a wave of resonating emotions. Chelsea sinking into hopelessness, self-loathing and depression was so strong that it was palpable. It did not just come through her words but through her mannerisms and facial expressions. Juxtapose the aforementioned when Chelsea was earlier speaking rapidly and almost manically and you get a sense of the roller coaster-like plunge of emotions that clinical depression affords. This is a case when great acting merges powerfully with solid writing, direction and production which sends the message to viewers who suffer from depression that they are not alone. Well done!

NO! Please don’t do that to Lily! I’m quite sick of Chelsea’s mental issues!

I do not like the way this story is going. I am tired of all the cheating and relationships not lasting. No one is loyal or respects the lives of others or is happy. Money isn’t everything. Chelsea needs therapy and so does Chloe and the entire Newman family. Nate is an idiot and he needs therapy too. To be honest, the entire cast would benefit from therapy. I am going to stop watching and focus on the positive feel good shows like the Hallmark Channel. This soap opera is depressing.

Yeah Queen. One would think it was a soap opera or something.

I believe Melissa Claire Egan deserves an award for her performance as someone battling depression. She exuded raw emotions that can go from one end of the spectrum to the other when battling severe depression. My sincere hope is that people will see that depression does not have to end in suicide, and that help is available.

She was amazing such great work very powerful suicide is one big killer in the us played her part very well emmy comes your way girl

A fabulous job done by MCE. I was really drawn into her state of mind. I’ve never been severely depressed but I felt her pain. Great job!

It was a powerful performance I cried an I never cry I watched it a second time an I cried again , I guess that’s why they said viewer discretion. She is a excellent Actress .

She should of jumped.

People like are are part of the problem…

I can’t handle an episode like this.I lost my son’s father to suicide.

Does it cost anything to subscribe?

No Billy/Chelsea pairing please.

They were already a pairing back when a blonde haired guy played Billy. Right???

Yes, she did. Grammy worthy

I’ve been an avid watcher of Y&R since the 1970’s, which makes me pretty damn old. Today’s episode with Chelsea’s mental break on the roof, is she or isn’t she going to jump was one of so many powerful episodes I’ve ever seen. I broke down and cried. Our world is so full of uncertainty, people in despair, whether it be financial, societal, families, personal.
Thank you to your wonderful writing staff to bring some powerful insight into our lives. Suicide should be brought into our drama even though it’s a very uncomfortable subject even for daytime entertainment.

I thought Chelsea’s (Melissa Claire Egan), performance on Monday was fantastic, she was so convincing, I was pulling for her all the way! She plays such a convincing role all the time, I actually didn’t like her…as her character, but what a good actress!
Billy, Jason Thompson, gotta love him. He too plays a winning role and on Monday, he really came through. Great work!

An amazing performance this week by MCE!!! Haven’t cried this much in a while. Felt her pain. Also thumbs up to Jason Thompson for his compassion and wonderful acting skills!

I surely hope that Melissa Claire Egan wins an Emmy for her extraordinary performance this week, she had me sitting on the edge of my seat in tears because she was so realistic!! This was the best performance, hands down, in a long time!!

it was awesome.

I have felt that she is a sub par actress. She plays the mousey character well because that is what she looks like. Her character is not a power role person. I do think giving the boring relationship between Lily and Billy a change somehow would be good. It is mundane. Locking Chelsea in a ward for care would be the best time to get rid of her
tmz

Tina
Omg, you might make a good roommate for her, show her what NOT to be!

The haunting look MCE was able to convey on that rooftop was shattering. Her performance was on par with any I’ve seen from A listers, and surprising for a Soap. What great work! She deserves all the credit coming her way.

Well done!! Soaps should use their platform to tackle these serious issues. I’ve suffered with depression all my life and this performance is spot on! Broke my heart but done beautifully.

Melissa and Jason both deserve awards!!! They were able to draw me into the storyline and neither of them overacted their parts. Bravo!!!

So proud of Jason Thompsons work lately. I know a lot of people dislike him but as Billy he seems to care and is always there for family and friends. Lily doesn’t deserve him and criticized him for being just that.As usual, Adam will be blaming Billy for Chelsea’s breakdown and ” putting her in an institution” because Adam is the only one that does the right thing and because she’s Connor’s mom, thinks he owns her and should be making all the important decisions in her life. As much as I can’t stand Chloe’s ranting about him all the time, she knows what she’s talking about.

Violet, my friend, the reason you feel that way about Adam is because bad writing keeps backing him into a corner. Just when he makes progress, they put him in an impossible position so they can make Nick and, heaven save us, Victoria, look like the “good kids”. PLEASE! It gets so old! And I agree about Jason Thompson. Though I’ll never be a fan, he’s doing his best work lately.

Soaphound
You are the last person I want to argue with and have tried to avoid it by not disgussing Adam with you. Yes, I know you like him and I never have, so let’s agree to disagree , if it’s OK with you. I have liked Nick since he was a kid but his sister, Victoria is everything you say about her and more. Glad you kind of agree with me about Billy. I have come to admire the man he’s become but not his choices in women.

MCE delivers performance of the year not just the week. Perfection personified. Mesmerizing. Felt so real. One of the best performances in any genre. “Tell Johnny I slipped” were going to be her last words. But Billy (Jason Thompson) came to the rescue. And Jason’s performance was also terrific. Subdued and on point throughout. I hope they dont spoil it by linking them romantically. Billy belongs with Lily (Christel Khalil)

General Hospital

GENERAL HOSPITAL: Carly Fears Escalating Tensions Between Sonny and Josslyn: ‘I’ve Already Lost One Kid Because of That Man. I Won’t Lose Another’

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General Hospital

On the Thursday, November 12 episode of General Hospital, as battles line are drawn by Carly’s (Laura Wright) ex-husband, Sonny Corinthos (Maurice Benard) and her daughter, Josslyn Jacks (Eden McCoy), she realizes things are about to get a whole lot worse, and she expressed her fears to Valentin Cassadine (James Patrick Stuart).

After Sonny came to see Carly to get her daughter to back off of him; especially when Josslyn lit into him in front of nuAvery (Ayla Bullington), Carly is terrified that Sonny could retaliate against Josslyn. Realizing, Josslyn is in danger, Carly won’t sit by and let anything happen to her. She tells Valentin, “I’ve already lost one kid because of that man. I won’t lose another.”

Viewers won’t soon forget the devastation Carly felt when Morgan (Bryan Craig) died in a car bomb explosion back in 2016 because of Sonny’s dealings in the mob in a complex story involving Julian (William deVry) and Olivia Jerome (Tonja Walker).

Avery

Courtesy/ABC

SONNY IS READY FOR WAR

Meanwhile in the aftermath of his visit with Carly, Sonny told his brother Ric what went down when Josslyn disrespected him in front of his own daughter and hurt Avery. Since Josslyn already make it known that she no longer considers herself part of Sonny’s family, he’s decided to treat her accordingly.

Sonnys first step in payback is to take away her support system at JJE by approaching Hudson Parker (Troy Lennon Appel) again, but this time in a much less-friendly way.

Ric points out that this would go against every move Sonny made as a legitimate businessman in Port Charles and would mean he’s back in the mob? Sonny doubles down, saying Josslyn changed the game when she involved Avery. While he showed concern of how bad Carly would feel over all this year, he said he is ready to finish what Josslyn started.

At the Metro Court, Ava (Maura West) is listening to Avery explain what happened between Sonny and Josslyn and how much she hates Josslyn right now, which Ava seems to be OK with.

WILL JOSSLYN’S WORLD BLOW UP ON HER?

Speaking of Josslyn, she is on the pier still after her talk with Hudson and still crying over her confrontation with Sonny and Avery overhearing it, and what she told her sister. Lucas comes across her at the pier while out for his run.

Explaining how badly she feels for what she said about Sonny to Avery, Lucas says that eventually Avery will discover the truth about Sonny. He explains to Josslyn that even though Avery hates her now, she will come to realize that what she said about her father was the truth, and that Josslyn was not lying to her at all.

So, what do you think about Sonny ready to play dirty to take down Josslyn? How will Carly ensure her daughter does not wind up dead? Who do you think is in the right here? Is Josslyn’s vendetta against Sonny justified, at the cost of the relationships with her family? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section.

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THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL: Katie Kicks Bill to the Curb … for Now

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Bill and Katie

The future isn’t looking so bright for longtime loves Katie Logan (Heather Tom) and Bill Spencer (Don Diamont), when on the Wednesday, November 11 episode Katie wants Bill to leave and give her some space, and to stay away from her!

Katie explains she wanted none of this, but now her insecurity and fear of Brooke (Katherine Kelly Lang) and Bill has made it impossible. Bill pleads his case, “I was just trying to help” by speaking with Brooke. Katie tells him, well he didn’t, far from it, it’s all backfired in his face.

Bill insists to Katie that everything he did was for her and her sisters. Katie isn’t buying it. In her mind, Bill has always wanted to stick it to the Forresters. So what changed? She then asks him point blank, if he is still attracted to Brooke? Bill says “no,” but Katie said she wishes she could believe him. He tries to explain that him getting together with Brooke was to broker peace between the Logan sisters.

Katie

Courtesy/CBS

THE TRUST IS BROKEN

Katie speaks to how she is building her own company, making something of herself, and Bill says to her, “You don’t have to lose the people that you love to prove that you can win.”

Next, Katie is convinced Bill was flirting with Brooke because he texted Brooke a Stallion emoji (she has a point, no?). That reminded Katie of the worst time in her life when he was having an affair with her sister!

She points out how Brooke destroyed her life and took Will away from her and he was sent to boarding school, so why shouldn’t she strike back? Bill tries to point out again, that Katie is going to lose her sisters. But, a defiant Katie fires back, “If they can’t accept me for who I am … so be it!”

Next, Bill says he doesn’t buy it and becomes very emotional calling his wife, “my Katie”.  However, now in a puddle of tears, Katie says those words can’t fix everything. Seeing he is not getting anywhere, Bill walks towards the door and says, “I will hate being apart from you, but I’ll do it for you.”

He vows to never stop fighting for them. Katie’s says, “Goodbye, Bill.”  The music swells, Bill exits, and Katie crawls into a ball on the couch in a dramatic overhead shot to end the episode.

Photo: JPI

WEDDING BELLS?

In the same episode, it should be noted that Taylor (Rebecca Budig) asked Deacon (Sean Kanan) to re-propose to her, and this time she accepted.

It looks like Taylor or Deacon are headed down the aisle at some point, but not so fast, because Sheila (Kimberlin Brown) was flirting with Deacon, and she won’t take this news lying down.

Check out the emotional scenes featuring Heather Tom and Don Diamont below.

Now weigh-in: were you touched by the moments when Bill left his house to give Katie the space she says she needed over her feelings of betrayal by her husband and her sister, Brooke? How does this all end? Will Katie end up destroying everything in the process on her way to the top? Will she have a mental or physical crisis in days to come? Let us know your thoughts via the comment section.

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Dancing with the Stars

DANCING WITH THE STARS: A Shocking Elimination on Grammy Night Leaves Ballroom Silenced

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In what could only be the stunner of this season of Dancing with the Stars, the Tuesday night, November 1o episode saw one of the heavy favorites Jenna Dewan and pro partner Val Chmerkovskiy eliminated right before next week’s all-important semi-finals for the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy.

Week 9 was Grammy night, where the contestants performed routines related to the Grammy Awards with songs that have either won or been nominated for the music industry’s highest prize.

After each couple performed their usual routine, they had to dance a second time vs, another couple doing the same dance style. Only Harry Shum Jr. and Jenna Johnson earned immunity from having to participate in it.

Dancing with the Stars

Photo: ABC

THE RESULTS

When all was said and done during the results portion of the show; the following couples were deemed safe and will dance another day: Shum Jr. and Johnson, Amber Glenn and Pasha Pashkov, Ezra Frech and Daniella Karagach, Maura Higgins and Mark Ballas, and Connor Wood and Rylee Arnold.

That left former Y&R actress Tatyana Ali (ex-Roxanne) and Jan Ravnik and Dewan and Chmerkovskiy in the bottom two. It was then revealed that Jenna and Val would be going home. The ballroom fell silent and Dewan said her “thank you’s “in the most gracious way about her dance journey.

Dewan is a dancer, having worked professionally with the likes of Janet Jackson (who also popped up in a special message to her former back-up dancer in the episode) while currently being an actress, and appearing as a series regular on The Rookie. Chmerkovskiy has been controversial figure all season especially after being suspended one week after comments made towards judge Carrie Ann Inaba.

BREAKING THEIR SILENCE

This begs the question: did America want the couple gone, because they had an unfair advantage with Dewan’s dance prowess, or did the show want the couple booted off too?

Later, Jenna and Val broke their silence on the elimination to Extra. Chmerkovskiy shared “It’s’ definitely a sad result. I thought we had a great season.” Dewan admitted, “I know this was a particularly tough week for a lot of the online noise … but I know that we went out there and had the best time of our life.”

Val is married to pro dancer, Jenna Johnson, who remained in the top slot on the leaderboard during the competition with Harry Shum Jr. However, she also had a bad week breaking her nose in rehearsal!

Dancing With the Stars airs on ABC and Disney+ Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET and next day on Hulu.

So were you happy, or sad to see Jenna and Val voted off of Dancing with the Stars? Of the remaining couples who do you hope make it from the semi-finals to the finals and hoists the Mirrorball Trophy? Weigh-in via the comment section.

 

 

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