Michelle Stafford had to play Phyllis as being totally justified in swiping Victor Newman’s (Eric Braeden) company, Newman Enterprises, from him on The Young and the Restless. Otherwise, the story wouldn’t have worked. Last week, a variety of circumstances beyond Phyllis’ control prompted the fiery redhead to give the conglomerate back to the mustached mogul.
Phyllis lost, but viewers of Young and the Restless won — courtesy of watching the three-time Daytime Emmy-winner turn in a series of emotionally-wrought performances in which Phyllis interacted with loved ones and foes.
We all have the one person in life who’s our Achilles’ heel, and for Phyllis, that person is Nick Newman (Joshua Morrow), her ex-husband. Stafford will dig into Phyllis’ stilettoes and trade barbs with pretty much anyone, but not her video-game playing ex. Stafford plays a vulnerability with Morrow’s Nick that she doesn’t with any other character with the exception of maybe her children. After helping save Nick’s life, Phyllis likely thought their bond had only become stronger.
Nope. Nick threatened to turn Phyllis over to the police (with made up charges, no less) if she didn’t give Newman Enterprises back to his father. Stafford didn’t play Phyllis as outmaneuvered. She played hurt.
“Are you kidding me right now?” Phyllis asked Nick. “I saved your life. I saved your life.”
Attorney Michael Baldwin (Christian LeBlanc) reminded Nick that it was Christine’s (Lauralee Bell) decision — not Victor’s — whether or not Phyllis would be prosecuted. Stafford never misses an opportunity to show her disdain for the woman whom she not-so affectionately calls “the Bug.” The camera cut to Phyllis, shaking her head over Michael’s remark, as if she were saying, “How can this get any worse?”
“The Newmans have me over a barrel,” Phyllis commiserated to Michael at the bar after Nick left. We saw on-screen Stafford play Phyllis realizing that it was time to put the torch down, even though she didn’t want to.
The next day, however, in true unpredictable Phyllis fashion, she casually shared with Michael that she had simply changed her mind! It’s a woman’s prerogative to change her mind (again), however, and in the same scene, Phyllis said that she’d acquiesce, provided that Christine dropped all the charges.
One of the many reasons that viewers are, and have always been, since day one, compelled to watch Stafford on screen is the sense of volatile unpredictability that she brings to her role. No matter how “wrong” Phyllis might be, Stafford manages to find a way to justify her outlandish actions.
Next, a bargaining session took place at the Newman Ranch with Victor, Christine, Nick, Victoria (Amelia Heinle), Michael, and Phyllis.
Stafford played Phyllis as barely being able to contain her happiness as she saw things going her way, but she wasn’t in the clear just yet. Christine didn’t think she could make charges against Phyllis stick if Victor had indeed fabricated emails implicating her in illegal activity. Would the mogul confess?
Victor blinked, as much as he was ever going to, and got Christine to drop the charges. Phyllis and Victor (aren’t Stafford and Braeden electric together?) exchanged cordial “thank you’s.”
Victor was victorious, and Phyllis didn’t exactly walk away a loser as she managed (again) to stay out of court and jail.
Back at the GCAC bar, Phyllis lamented to Michael that she’d lost. But the worst was yet to come. The writers heaped an additional challenge on Stafford as Phyllis had hoped that by “doing the right thing” (in her mind), she’d reconcile with her son, Daniel (Michael Graziadei).
Phyllis met with Daniel at Society, cautiously optimistic that all was going to be well between them once again. In fact, Phyllis not only wanted to move forward, but she wanted Daniel to congratulate her or thank her for doing the right thing.
Stafford played Phyllis as hurt and rejected that Daniel focused on the fact that his mom had been backed into a corner. Daniel asked his mother if she was sorry for the things she did or was she a victimized martyr? Phyllis felt like she couldn’t win. “I just wanted you to think I was a success,” she said, her voice breaking before she bolted for the exit.
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Sharon (Sharon Case), who had seen Daniel and Phyllis’ talk, tracked her frenemy (actually, more friend than enemy at this moment) down at Crimson Lights. “I gave it all back,” Phyllis lamented. “And what do I have to show for it?”
Phyllis may not be going to jail, but she’s in another kind of prison, one in which she feels she has less than she did before. Sharon reminded Phyllis that she’s no quitter and suggested she get back out there and prove her right.
Brava to Stafford for another brilliant week’s worth of episodes that ended with her playing Phyllis as down, but not out. She’s defeated but it’s not a final defeat. Like the name of the hotel she once owned, we’ve no doubt that Phyllis will rise again…like a Phoenix!
The Young and the Restless, Weekdays, CBS