The Young and the Restless (Y&R) spoilers tease that Victor (Eric Braeden) will remain mean for awhile. Forced back to his old ways by Nikki (Melody Thomas Scott), the classic Moustache appears to be the one fans like best. Working clean since the start of the New Year apparently was just a temporary moment in time.
The Young and the Restless fans know that Braeden’s character has long been the anti-hero in Genoa City. It can be argued that Victor became Y&R’s response to Tony Geary’s classic Luke Spencer character that was offered by ABC’s iconic General Hospital starting in 1978. GH was the top-rated broadcast network soap opera from the 1979-80 season through the 1987-88 season. Y&R has been number 1 ever since, which stands as a towering feat in television history.
There’s no doubt that Victor Newman ranks with the all-time greatest lead characters in the soap genre. The Young and the Restless continues to ride high with its stable of legacy characters, which includes the travails of Niktor (Nikki and Victor, for those who somehow weren’t aware of this fabled couple).
The demise of the modern soap opera has been shouted as certain since the 1990’s. Yet the genre endures. It also deserves noting that Y&R has actually been increasing it’s year-to-year Nielsen TV rating since the 2013-14 season. The increases have been gradual (4.4 in 2013-2014, 4.7 in 2014-15 and 4.8 in 2015-2016), yet are impressive in this Peak TV era. That term references the presence of the highest number of currently running television shows in the history of the medium, due to countless cable channels and the advent of streaming internet services.
Mean Victor literally means drama. He’ll be giving Nikki a tongue-lashing in one scene, manipulating one of his children in another, plotting the downfall of some business after eastern time zone viewer’s clocks cross 1 p.m. and then demonstrating vulnerability before that day’s episode ends. Thus the dilemma. Is he a bad guy, or a good guy who gives in to his inner demons?
Clean Victor plans large family gatherings at the Newman Ranch. He ignores his foil Jack Abbott (Peter Bergman) in order to live a more productive life. He’s a wise grandfather figure, offering sage advice to his grandchildren. And he’s semi-retired, advising Vickie (Amelia Heinle) to buy back Brash and Sassy and grooming Abby (Melissa Ordway) so she can eventually take the helm.
However, Nick’s (Joshua Morrow) discovery of Chloe’s (Elizabeth Hendrickson) crimes forced Victor to acknowledge his role in Adam’s (Justin Hartley) frame last summer. That bombshell The Young and the Restless plot point reset this character once again. As a result, his family now believes that the new Victor they’ve seen in recent months was just a ruse.
Tenured Y&R fans or newer viewers of this classic steamer surely must have an opinion. So which Moustache feels right at this time in Y&R’s history? CDL is a leading source for everything linked to The Young and the Restless. Check back regularly for Y&R spoilers and news! Please come and join in the LIVE discussion on our Facebook Page!
