The Young and the Restless spoilers tease that Tessa (Cait Fairbanks) may eventually form a relationship with Mariah (Camryn Grimes). Y&R viewers who internalized the dialogue and know their soaps realized that Tessa’s “not now” feeling implies that this storyline isn’t over.
Addressing so-called identity issues is understandably polarizing. Those who are often mocked as traditionalists are part of a group that has experienced life one dominant way for thousands of years. No one who is rational would expect every member of that group to instantly embrace an alternative point of view, or to do so after being made to feel that they were stupid or (cliche) intolerant.
Those who are often mocked as modernists have, in their hearts, a yearning for fairness. However, various members of this group often come across as rigid thinkers who believe that they will impose change. That’s not how life flows in free societies.
Tessa may, or may not be heterosexual. Her backstory must be significantly deepened before viewers could gain a better understanding of her soul.
As for Mariah, Ian Ward (Ray Wise) attacked her life. So one wonders if it was necessary to have this specific damaged soul later question her identity? Doing so indicates that Mariah’s mind is disordered and therefore so might be her thoughts about sexual attraction. Science and faith often agree that individuals who live what are deemed alternative lives are not abnormal. They are just oriented differently than the majority. This distinction must be made to recognize, understand and fully preserve their complete dignity.
Grimes’ choice for this specific arc is intriguing. She remains Y&R’s most famous young star. The now-veteran actor returned to the cast full-time in 2014. This scribe and many others considered her write-back to be brilliant at that time. However, it does feel like Grimes’ legacy may have influenced the decision to take her current character in this new direction.
Fans who mourned Cassie’s (Grimes’ initial Y&R character) terrible death were offered occasional solace through the years. Grimes would appear sporadically as an angelic spirit.
The brilliance of her rehire involved having Victor (Eric Braeden) use Mariah’s seeming doppelganger appearance to gaslight Sharon (Sharon Case). Doing so allowed hardcore fans to reconnect with a favorite persona, while also introducing newer viewers to one of this soap’s most famous and enduringly controversial storylines.
Mariah’s subsequent reveal as Sharon’s unknown twin daughter served to provide Genoa City’s characters and its fans with as close a glimpse of Cassie as possible. Y&R’s writing staffs, which now includes Mal Young’s, since established Mariah as her own unique character.
Mariah’s internalizing must be more clearly defined as this arc unfolds. Issues regarding her past influencing present considerations should be lessened in order for an honest and potentially great story to be told. How, or if Tessa plays into it could also prove vital.
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