Colleen’s death on “The Young and the Restless” was upsetting to many long-time viewers who believed that the character wasn’t treated with the respect she deserved by the show’s writers, according to CheatSheet. Some fans disagreed with the decision to kill off the only child of legacy character Traci Abbott, especially in the same year as her father Brad, when they could have easily left the door open for an eventual return by leaving her in a coma — as soaps often do.
Others were enraged that Colleen’s death was used simply as a plot device to save Victor. The show had previously killed off teenager Cassie Newman (Camryn Grimes) and her death was the catalyst for several significant storylines, though that was not the case with Colleen. Rather than causing repercussions for Victor, Patty, or even her first love J.T. — who was now married to Victor’s daughter Victoria Newman (Amelia Heinle) — Colleen’s death had little impact besides saving Victor’s life. It seemed “Y&R” just needed a body that could donate a heart, and after she fulfilled that need, Colleen was mostly forgotten.
