Y&R’S GOOD GUY CRISIS: WHY DEVON NEEDS TO EMBRACE HIS DARK SIDE!

Is anyone else SICK of watching Devon Hamilton play nice all the time? Because I sure am!

The Chancellor-Winters drama could be absolutely EXPLOSIVE right now if only Devon would stop being such a Boy Scout and start fighting dirty for what rightfully belongs to his family. Where’s the ruthless businessman willing to cross moral lines to secure Chancellor Industries for his sister Lily Winters?

Instead, we’re stuck watching yet another “good guy” in a show DROWNING in good guys. And let me tell you, soap fans—it’s getting boring as hell!

TOO MANY HEROES, NOT ENOUGH SCHEMERS

Let’s face the painful truth: Y&R has a serious problem. Just look at our current lineup of leading men:

Jack Abbott? Total good guy. Billy Abbott? Reformed wild child now playing nice. Devon Hamilton? Noble to a fault. Even Adam Newman—who once used to be deliciously wicked—has been defanged into another do-gooder!

Meanwhile, poor Victor Newman is carrying the ENTIRE villain workload for the show! The man is 85 years old, for crying out loud! Can we please give The Mustache a break and spread some of that villainous energy around?

My sources behind the scenes tell me that ratings dip significantly during storylines that don’t feature Victor’s scheming. Why? Because without morally complicated characters, daytime drama becomes as exciting as watching paint dry!

WHAT DEVON SHOULD BE DOING RIGHT NOW

Here’s what SHOULD be happening: Devon should be channeling his inner Katherine Chancellor (his grandmother was a MASTER manipulator when she needed to be!) and fighting tooth and nail for control of Chancellor.

Imagine Devon secretly allying with the mysterious Aristotle Dumas to outmaneuver Jill Abbott—only to double-cross Dumas later! Picture him uncovering dirt on Billy to force him out of the picture. Envision him using his resources to plant false evidence that the company is failing, tanking stock prices so he can buy up shares!

Instead, we’re watching him furrow his brow in board meetings and express “concerns” about his sister’s bold moves. YAWN!

As one frustrated fan tweeted last week: “I miss when soap characters weren’t afraid to be bad sometimes. Devon has billions but no backbone!” I couldn’t agree more!

THE ANTI-HERO VOID KILLING Y&R

For those who might not know their soap terminology, an anti-hero isn’t a full-blown villain. They’re morally complicated characters who do questionable things for understandable reasons—like protecting family or fighting a greater evil.

Think back to when Adam was stealing babies and gaslighting people, but we still somehow rooted for him. Or when Phyllis Summers was burning down buildings but we understood why! THAT’S compelling television!

A recent Soaps.com critique perfectly captured the problem: “When there’s not a psycho on the loose, nothing of import happens on Y&R.” Ouch! But where’s the lie?

My industry contacts confirm that the writers’ room has been instructed to keep most characters “relatable and likable”—but that’s a DISASTER for drama. Soap operas thrive on conflict, betrayal, and moral complexity… not board meetings where everyone behaves reasonably!

HOW DEVON COULD BECOME THE ANTI-HERO WE DESERVE

It’s not too late for Devon to embrace his dark side. The Chancellor-Winters storyline still has potential if the writers would just let him off the leash.

Picture this: Devon receives mysterious evidence about Jill’s past dealings that could destroy her reputation. Does he use it? Does he threaten her with it to secure Chancellor for Lily? That inner conflict—doing something wrong for the right reasons—is EXACTLY what Y&R is missing!

Or imagine Devon making a deal with the devil (possibly Tucker McCall or this mysterious Dumas character) to help him gain control, only to realize too late the terrible price he’ll have to pay. Now THAT’S a storyline!

Bryton James (who plays Devon) has the acting chops to pull off this transformation. We’ve seen glimpses of his range when Devon faced losing his fortune or when he discovered Elena’s betrayal. Let the man WORK!

FAN REACTIONS: I’M NOT ALONE!

I took to social media to see if others shared my frustration, and the response was overwhelming:

“Remember when Billy had a gambling addiction and was actually interesting? Now the entire male cast except Victor is just different flavors of vanilla,” wrote one fan on Twitter.

Another commented: “Y&R feels like it’s written by a committee afraid to offend anyone. I miss the days when characters would actually DO something shocking once in a while!”

Even longtime viewers who’ve watched since the 80s are getting restless. As one put it: “Katherine Chancellor would be HORRIFIED to see what’s happened to her grandson. She’d tell him to grow a backbone and fight dirty!”

WHAT SHOULD HAPPEN NEXT

If I were writing this show (and hey, Y&R producers, I’m available!), here’s what would happen:

Devon would discover that Lily’s bold move with Damian has unexpectedly backfired, putting Chancellor at risk. Rather than just comforting his sister, he’d secretly make a deal with Tucker McCall—rumored to be connected to Dumas—to secure Chancellor, but at a terrible personal cost.

He’d have to lie to Lily about his methods. He’d have to betray Jill’s trust. He’d have to cross lines he swore he never would. And we, the audience, would be RIVETED watching this good man make increasingly questionable choices for noble reasons.

By the time November sweeps rolled around, Devon would be facing the consequences of his actions, torn between the company he secured for his sister and the moral compromise it required. THAT is soap opera gold!

THE BOTTOM LINE

Y&R desperately needs to shake things up. The show has become too comfortable with clearly defined heroes and villains, forgetting that the most compelling characters exist in the morally gray space between.

Devon fighting for Chancellor using questionable tactics would instantly inject life into what’s becoming a tepid corporate storyline. It would honor his grandmother Katherine’s legacy of being both business-savvy AND willing to play dirty. It would give Bryton James juicy material to sink his teeth into.

Most importantly, it would give us viewers something to actually CARE about!

What do YOU think? Is Y&R suffering from too many good guys? Would you like to see Devon embrace his darker instincts to fight for Chancellor? Or am I the only one falling asleep during these boardroom scenes?

One thing’s for sure—if something doesn’t change soon, I might have to start fast-forwarding through anything that doesn’t involve Victor… and that’s no way to watch a soap!