Sharon Case's Excuse For Her Y&R Character Flatline Doesn't Hold Water

Sharon Case has dazzled as Sharon Newman on "The Young and the Restless" since 1994 and has become one of the show's most celebrated actors. For decades, Sharon was at the forefront of the soap's prominent storylines, but there was a seismic shift in 2022. At the time, Sharon was married to Genoa City detective Rey Rosales (Jordi Villasuso) and things were going great until his untimely death. After Rey's death, Sharon became a shell of herself. No longer was the talented Case featured in anything of importance. Instead, she was relegated to serving coffee and listening to the problems of all of her customers. 

It's easy to be disappointed in the treatment of Sharon, but Case has spoken out about the state of her character, coming to the defense of her recent arc. In an interview with Soap Opera Digest's podcast, Case said, "I think that after a horrific loss like that, nobody's feeling very amorous for at least a year in reality. That's a lot to endure, and it's a big life adjustment that takes time. I thought it was told very realistically that she take that time." 

Let's not forget, though, that this is the same show that had no qualms about bringing Diane Jenkins back from the dead after a decade and randomly appoints former surgeons to the CEO position of major media companies. Now is not the time to forget the show's genre and what stories they're capable of crafting. 

The words spoken by Sharon Case about her character's lack of screen time or overall story make sense on a surface level only. Sure, if "The Young and the Restless" were the type of show to always tell things from a realistic point of view, it would be a plausible excuse. However, this is a soap opera. Honestly, there's nothing to say that down the road, Rey Rosales won't rise from the grave and creep back into Sharon's life. Case is saving face with her excuse, and that's fine, but please don't insult the intelligence of those watching. 

It's understandable that Sharon had major trauma stemming from her husband's death. However, the writers have wasted one of their most talented actresses for the last year while parading around tired characters with stagnant stories. In that amount of time, Diane Jenkins (Susan Walters) and Phyllis Summers (Michelle Stafford) have been locked in a stalemate with no forward progress in either of their stories. Some of that could've been put to the wayside to create scenes giving Sharon something to do on the canvas. 

The Cameron Kirsten story was a fantastic opportunity to bring Sharon back to her former glory, but it doesn't feel like it will last. Until there's evidence this can last beyond the initial shock factor period, it feels like a stunt for the show's 50th-anniversary celebration instead. Sharon needs to remain in the mix for this to mean anything.