- 0Facebook
- 0Twitter
- 0Pinterest
- 0LinkedIn
- Total0
Neil (Kristoff St. John) was part of a two-man team on ‘The Young and the Restless’. Then, Jack (Peter Bergman) bailed on him and Neil was forced to lead the newly created non-profit on his own. But, the Winters Foundation can still become an important part of Genoa City.
Jack’s world was upended when he learned that Billy (Jason Thompson) and Phyllis (Gina Tognoni) were involved. The fact that this deeply personal matter went public only compounded Jack’s impossible situation. So, Mr. Abbott flipped out. In so doing he severed his connection to a foundation that was just recently established to do good work.
Abandoning a long-time friend and his sobriety sponsor was crass, regardless of whatever crisis Jack was confronting. However, Neil’s stature within the business world and his own life experience might well fuel success independently. Plus, this positive venture comes at a time when he just gained a very meaningful personal perspective.
The scenes that Nichelle Nichols (Lucinda) played with St. John were terrific. The appearance of this Star Trek icon allowed Y&R viewers to become reacquainted with, or introduced to, a solid veteran actor. Nicholls guest starring role also enabled Neil’s backstory to be significantly deepened. The heretofore unknown explanation about his younger days, combined with the revealing alcoholism story, enabled fans to further flesh out who this beloved character truly is.
Neil was forced to overcome career bumps in the past. Victor’s (Eric Braeden) erratic behavior eventually led to the end of Neil’s long tenure at Newman Enterprises. In this instance, he’s chosen to move away from the corporate world and pivot toward helping others achieve balance and redemption. The developing storyline that’s been created for St. John’s character clearly provides an opportunity to move past the type of tortured tales that seemed to push Neil out of character.
Executive producer Mal Young has demonstrated respect for Y&R’s history since he assumed the helm earlier this year. Returning alums Sally Sussman (former writer, now head writer) and Kay Alden (former head writer, now story consultant) were part of the team that led Neil in many engaging directions years ago. Together with Young, it’s become possible that St. John will again be given fresh scripts that take his iconic character in a better direction.
Soap Opera Spy is a leading source for everything linked to ‘The Young and the Restless’.
Share your thoughts in the Comments section below, on our Facebook Page, join our Facebook Group or Head over to our Discussion Board to Talk Soaps Daily!