Y&R Wasted Brian Gaskill’s Seth…Why?

Oh, Seth, Seth, Seth. We — and The Young and the Restless — barely knew you! You said you were going to keep an eye on Jordan. But then you turned your back on her. And she shoved you into traffic this week, tragically ending your life. Dude, why did you (or Jordan) do us dirty like that? Or, more to the point, why did Y&R waste such a potentially useful character, especially one that fans actually liked because Brian Gaskill engaged them so frequently?

Blood Lines

First and foremost, Seth (Brian Gaskill) wasn’t related to anyone in Genoa City — that we know of. And you know what that means? He could have dated ANYBODY. Abbott, Newman, Chancellor, Winters.

Sure, Nikki (Melody Thomas Scott) would seem like the obvious choice. But why not consider more intriguing possibilities? Maybe Seth could have gotten Ashley (Eileen Davidson) over her obsession with Tucker (Trevor St. John). Or, even better, shoved Phyllis (Michelle Stafford) back into sanity. (Well, back into as much sanity as she ever had to begin with.) He might have been sweet with Traci (Beth Maitland). Or hot with Amanda (Mishael Morgan). Dating Victoria (Amelia Heinle) would have annoyed Victor (Eric Braeden). And a dalliance with Lily (Christel Khalil, who is back filming) would have allowed her to dump Daniel before he got the chance to dump her. The point is that there were endless possibilities. They are all dead now.

Welcome to the Family

On the other hand, if we had to connect him biologically to the canvas, how about Seth as the baby Ashley thought she’d lost over 30 years ago? Hey, if it was good enough for Claire (Hayley Erin). Or, what if he’s the son whom Jack (Peter Bergman) and Nikki lost? Again, see Claire. He could be a returned Brooks Prentiss, which would tie him into Genoa City’s original pair of core families. Or, hey, he’s the real real Phillip Chancellor IV. It was the other two who were imposters. The point is that there were endless possibilities. They are all dead now…or are they?