Why is Y&R Going Soft on #Harder?

                                                                 Is Kevin a furry? It would explain a lot….

Yes, I did write that title. And I am so here for it!

Way back in September, I wrote a piece for We Love Soaps about the scorching chemistry between Kevin Fisher (Greg Rikaart) and Mark Harding (Chris McKenna) on The Young and The Restless.

I argued then — as I do now — that despite Kevin’s storied heterosexual history on the show, a same-sex relationship would make sense for him – and Harding/Fisher, aka Harder, was the one.

A few things have happened since then. Daytime’s own Jack Kervorkian, Chuck Pratt, surfaced as head writer on Y&R.

Jill Farren Phelps served a “Not Bothered” expression filled with shade and icicles (“I don’t go online.” Oooooh. Cold, ma’am, very cold) when Michael Logan asked about Harder in an interview.

And Hard….er, Chris McKenna was busy filming Affairs of State, the NBC freshman series he booked (which has subsequently been canceled).

But after all those pauses, they still had great chemistry in a throwaway scene with Kevin back at the police station. It’s certainly more exciting story than the serial killer who, thus far, has me on their side. I mean, it’s in gratitude for killing some annoying Genoa City folks.

The potential pairing – the chemistry, which a number of fans noticed — it all still works. It still makes sense.

But this is the show that took one look at Peter Bergman’s face and thought “Yes! Peruvian drug lord!”

This is the writer who, again, thought a suitable story for two-time Emmy winner Cady McClain involved violence, ugliness and death. How very empowering.

This is the show that has no fewer than three grown, ostensibly intelligent women fighting like dragons over a character with a silly name, who, despite his generic brand of monster truck pull handsomeness, seems to have all the intelligence and emotional range of a golden retriever.

This is the show that turned a master chess player (TGVN, of course) into something more diabolical. (Victor is many things, but he’s never been Stefano DiMera.)

So I’m not exactly optimistic on the #Harder front, I must admit.

And I’d love to see a story like that. It’s not even the gay angle – if this was a flash-in-the-pan effort to just have A Gay Storyline ™ it wouldn’t make sense. But there’s something more here, and a slow burn story, a la Otalia, would be a site for these sore eyes.

Check that box, Jill Farren Phelps! Get a Sharpie and check that damn box already!!!!!

        ( From TVInsider interview. See link in article for full text.)