The Young and the Restless spoilers documented all things Philly within the last year-plus. A recent close-up two-shot at the Genoa City Athletic Club reaffirmed that Phyllis (Gina Tognoni) and Billy (Jason Thompson) got it going on.
Are they quirky? Yes, that’s part of their appeal. Philly has been and remains a fun couple. Tognoni and Thompson’s pairing has proven to be, dare this scribe say it, okay, genius.
Let it be stated for the record and as can be search-engined for digital proof otherwise, this keyboard was not in favor of Philly’s pairing during the period when Burgess Jenkins was then playing Billy. Thompson took over shortly thereafter, but this scribe still believed that coupling two characters who never looked twice at each other was simply unbelievable and wouldn’t work.
Well, consistently strong, not just good, but solid writing and the great comic skills of both actors have completely won me over. That’s quite an accomplishment, as other viewers also might admit about their own perspectives having changed.
Interestingly, Vickie’s (Amelia Heinle) redo with J.T. (Thad Luckinbill) is serving to bolster the idea of Philly’s ongoing reign. Yearning for yesterday drove many to hold tight to the theory that Vickie was the only woman for Billy.
Uh, no. Vickie was Billy’s soul mate, but he’s moved on. Thank you.
Seeing Vickie happy and in love reminds viewers that Billy wasn’t her one and only. He was just the most recent man she gushed over, had a child with and married multiple times. She might have loved him the hardest, but J.T. came before Billy in soap time and fathered Vickie’s first-born, Reed (Tristan Lake Leabu).
Now, back to Philly. A few weeks ago the writing staff winked at the audience when Billy bought one-half of a race horse and named her Philly. Phyllis loved the gesture and the nickname, as did savvy soap fans.
An apt couple moniker in these modern social media times helps fans to organize around a hashtag. Resulting social promotion helps to popularize said couple’s stature.
Phyllis and Billy’s on-again, off-again romance finally led to a committed relationship happening in 2017. Each offers the other a reprieve from more serious connections that had existed in recent years; specifically meaning Jack (Peter Bergman) for Phyllis and Vickie for Billy.
Philly is the type of couple someone and his wife would enjoy double-dating, or living next door to in that luxurious condominium setting. Yes, they are the envied jet set. Advancing this duo’s storyline should lead directly to engagement. Here’s hoping that a Valentine’s Day episode sees Billy pop the question, or maybe Phyllis will and he’ll accept.
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