Apologies in advance if this sounds harsh — and it probably will. But we have loved The Young and the Restless for more years than we haven’t, and it pains us too much to see the shape the show is in now not to say WTH.

The latest preview really drove home the point that, when there’s not a psycho on the loose, nothing of import happens. (And no, that is not our way of saying that there should always be a psycho on the loose; after Cameron, Jordan, Ian and Martin, all back-to-back-to-back, we need a dang break.) If you’ve seen the clip — you can watch here — it reveals that we learn there’s news about the prognosis for Amy, a rewritten recast of a long-ago character about whom we didn’t care that much even the first time around. Daniel is navel-gazing with Tessa. And Diane is unveiling the results of her revamp of the Abbott mansion.

Well, the living room, anyway.

Not a love story in sight. Zero conflict. No stakes. It’s like Young & Restless put out an ad that said, “We couldn’t think of anything interesting to put on this week, so you might as well skip.” How does a daytime drama full of magnificently messy and mercurial characters do that? We have our issues with Bold & Beautiful, too, but at least when it finishes treading water every week, stuff happens. (In the days ahead, it’s throwing a fashion show and threatening to kill off a major player.)

It’s not just this week of Young & Restless that has brought this issue to the fore, either; it’s a lot of them. Look at what’s been done to the iconic Victor Newman; he’s like a broken record with literally nothing better to do than poke at archenemy Jack because… because what? That’s just what he does? Victor’s freaking dynamic; write him a story that doesn’t leave the aftertaste of stale leftovers. And please and thank you, while you’re at it, make it make sense. (The less said about what he’s doing to Audra, the better!)

Also, could someone please remind the powers that be that love and romance are cornerstones of the genre? Young & Restless is sorely lacking in that department. Sure, it moves characters from one relationship to another occasionally, but there’s never any real impact. And when was the last time that the show made your heart skip a beat? If you don’t find talk of corporate mergers swoon-worthy, we’re gonna guess that it’s been a long while.

The Young and the Restless has everything that it needs to again sparkle like the jewel in the crown of CBS Daytime. A talented cast. Characters that should be interesting. A rich history and a future that’s open wide. The ingredients just need to be remixed in such a way that we feel less like the show is going through the motions and more like it’s actually going somewhere. And as critical as this article may have been, we’re rooting for the show to get back on track.

Tough love is, after all, still love.

If Young & Restless needs any pointers — and it does — it might try tuning into Beyond the Gates, which moves at an admirable pace, leans into, not away from drama, and has a few characters on the canvas who aren’t filthy rich!