Devon Hamilton

Devon Hamilton
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The Young and the Restless character
Portrayed by	Bryton James
Duration	2004–
First appearance	June 1, 2004
Created by	John F. Smith, Kay Alden and Trent Jones
Introduced by	William J. Bell, David Shaughnessy and John F. Smith
Classification	Present; regular
Profile
Other names	Devon Hamilton Winters
Occupation	Hotel owner Businessman Marketing executive Record producer
Residence	Penthouse at the GCAC Genoa City, Wisconsin
Family Family Chancellor Barber/Winters (adoptive) Father Tucker McCall Mother Harmony Hamilton Adoptive father Neil Winters Adoptive mother Drucilla Winters Sisters Lily Ashby (adoptive) Half brothers Moses Winters (adoptive) Half sisters Ana Hamilton Wife Hilary Curtis (2015–) Grandfathers Arthur Hendricks Walter Barber (adoptive) Grandmothers Katherine Chancellor Lillie Belle Barber (adoptive) Uncles Brock Reynolds Malcolm Winters (adoptive) Aunts Olivia Winters (adoptive) Nephews Charlie Ashby (adoptive) Nieces Matilda Ashby (adoptive) First cousins Mackenzie Browning Nate Hastings (adoptive) Lily Winters (adoptive) Ana Hamilton (legal)

Devon Hamilton is a fictional character from the original CBS daytime soap opera The Young and the Restless. portrayed by Bryton James. Devon was introduced in 2004 as a troubled teenager from a broken home. Devon is taken in as a foster child of Drucilla (Victoria Rowell) and Neil Winters (Kristoff St. John) and raised along with their daughter, Lily (Christel Khalil). During his college years, Devon contracts meningitis leaving him completely deaf. He learns sign language to communicate and later gets a cochlear implant which restores his hearing. Devon's most significant stories include his affair with Tyra Hamilton (Eva Marcille), his music career, the revelation of his paternity which makes him the long lost grandson of Katherine Chancellor (Jeanne Cooper), and his love affair with Neil's wife, Hilary Curtis (Mishael Morgan).

The foster care, meningitis and deaf story arcs received critical acclaim for its social impact and earned James 5 Outstanding Younger Actor Emmy nominations, which he won in 2007. James also earned 4 consecutive NAACP Image Award nominations for his portrayal of Devon and he won the award in 2009.

Storylines

Devon is born to a young Yolanda Hamilton (Chene Lawson) on February 7, 1988. Struggling to care for him, Yolanda turns to drugs and Devon is sent to live with his grandmother at the age of six when his mother suffers an overdose. His grandmother is the only person he can depend on and he has very fond memories of her up until her death. Devon and Yolanda eventually reconnect but he is forced to care for himself because of her addiction. Devon acts out and is even arrested for assaulting a guy who teases him about Yolanda's habit. Devon grows up believing his father is some random guy from the neighborhood who got Yolanda pregnant and rejected her. That man dies before Devon actually gets the chance to meet him.

The character was introduced onscreen in 2004 as a delinquent living out of group homes. The homeless teenager was fostered and eventually adopted by Drucilla Winters (Victoria Rowell) and her husband, Neil (Kristoff St. John). Devon initially develops unrequited feelings for his adopted sister, Lily (Christel Khalil) unaware that her friend, Sierra Hoffman (Asia Smith) has a crush on him. In 2006, Devon contracts meningitis and completely loses his hearing; he later gets a cochlear implant. In the fall of 2006, Devon is implicated in the murder of Carmen Mesta (Marisa Ramirez). Fortunately his name is cleared when Jana Hawkes (Emily O'Brien) admits to the murder. In December 2006, Devon is officially adopted by Neil and Dru but his happiness is short-lived when Dru is presumed dead in April 2007. Later that year, Devon starts dating Lily's friend, Roxanne (Tatyana Ali). In 2008, Devon meets his "aunt" Tyra (Eva Marcille) for the first time and he learns that Tyra's adopted daughter, Ana (Jamia Simone Nash) is actually his biological half-sister, also abandoned by Yolanda.

Meanwhile, Neil's new wife, Karen Taylor (Nia Peeples) wants to adopt Ana. Neil has an affair with Tyra which Devon witnesses, destroying the family and any chance of Karen adopting Ana. In May 2009, Devon tracks down his great-aunt Virginia (Della Reese) and invites her to Lily's wedding. Virginia reveals that Tyra is adopted and Devon disapproves when she starts dating Neil. However, Devon realizes his disdain for Tyra stems from the fact that he is attracted to her and after she splits with Neil, they end up sleeping together after he berates her for breaking up Neil's marriage. Roxanne finds them together and immediately dumps him while Tyra skips town with Ana. Devon and Roxanne reconcile in October 2009 and he graduates from college in 2010 with a degree in music and a minor in business. Neil and Devon butt heads over his career path when he takes a job as a photographer's assistant to support his musical career. After a failed partnership with Noah Newman (Luke Kleintank) at Resurrection Music, Devon convinces label owner, Tucker McCall (Stephen Nichols) to give him another chance which ends in Tucker firing him. Katherine Chancellor (Jeanne Cooper), Tucker's mother, launches her own label and puts Devon in charge of it. In October 2011, Devon is shocked to learn that a comatose Katherine had recently discovered that Tucker is his father. Devon immediately rejects his new relatives and decides to keep the news to himself until it is leaked to the press. Yolanda, known as Harmony (Debbi Morgan) resurfaces to explain and hopes to make amends. Ana convinces Devon to give his family a chance.

Seeing Devon is struggling with hearing while launching his label, Harmony gets Tucker to help him get another surgery to improve his hearing. Devon also befriends Abby (Marcy Rylan) who invests in his label as he signs Angelina Veneziano (Diana DeGarmo). His success is short-lived and Devon joins Jabot's marketing team. Devon also considers a permanent position with Resurrection that would send him to England, but he turns it down. Roxanne is upset that Devon considered the position without consulting her. Devon is devastated when Katherine passes away but shocked to learn that he has inherited half of her estate worth nearly 2.5 billion dollars. With his inheritance Devon does several good deeds including offering a million-dollar reward for Cordelia Abbott's hit-and-run driver and funding a charity in her name. But, Devon's paranoia over his new wealth leads to Roxy leaving him. Devon befriends Mason Wilder (Lamon Archey) and the reformed bad girl Hilary Curtis (Mishael Morgan) who tips him off about Mason stealing his identity after Devon gets arrested for destroying a hotel room in Las Vegas. Devon also defends Hilary against Lily's attacks.

In 2014, Devon buys the Genoa City Athletic Club and hires Lily and her husband, Cane Ashby (Daniel Goddard) to run it. After Hilary rejects him again, Devon starts dating Esmeralda (Briana Nicole Henry). Despite showering Esmeralda with lavish gifts, Devon is furious to learn that Hilary and Neil are sleeping together and exposes them to Lily. Devon refuses to go along with Lily's plan to seduce Hilary but instead breaks it off with Esmeralda and confesses his feelings for Hilary the day before she marries Neil. Hilary rejects him after he kisses her and Devon decides to stand in as Neil's best man.

Devon drowns his sorrows in alcohol, getting Hilary's attention, and she urges him to forget about her. Devon admits his love for her and after several close moments, Devon decides to leave town. Though she doesn't want to hurt Neil, Hilary admits her feelings for Devon and they grow closer after they are stranded on the side of the road over night. Devon later agrees to a date with Abby (Melissa Ordway) hoping to get Cane and Lily off his back just as Hilary is ready to make a decision about their future. Hilary finally professes her love for Devon and they agree to tell Neil the truth just as Neil lands in the hospital after being electrocuted and left blind. Because Hilary refuses to leave Neil until he recovers, Devon and Hilary give in to temptation and begin an affair. They are later discovered by Cane who orders them to end it immediately. However, they continue seeing each other in secret only to be caught by Cane's father Colin Atkinson (Tristan Rogers) who blackmails Devon into paying him off in exchange for his silence. Colin later demands more money so he can help Jill acquire Chancellor Industries from Victor Newman. Cane neutralizes Colin and Devon gives the money directly to Jill and makes her promise to cut Colin out of the company. Devon wants to wait for Neil to adjust to the news that his condition isn't treatable, only for Neil to confront them when they are on a plane trip to Chicago looking for office space for Chancellor. The plane later crashes leaving the group stranded in a blizzard and they are eventually rescued. Devon is devastated when Hilary announces that she faked her love for Devon to avenge her mother's death. In March 2015, during a drunken binge, Neil causes a car accident that leads to district attorney Christine Blair (Lauralee Bell) and police chief Paul Williams (Doug Davidson) losing their unborn child and to keep Neil out of prison, Devon immediately contacts Leslie to represent him. Devon is shocked when Hilary blackmails ADA Winston Mobley (Ryan Caltagirone) into giving Neil a suspended sentence. Hilary finally comes clean about her schemes and tells Devon she is still in love with him and she only left him so he could salvage a relationship with Neil. Devon and Hilary reunite and announce their engagement shortly after Hilary and Neil's divorce is finalized. Devon and Hilary support Lily when her marriage falls apart after an affair and she starts helping them plan the wedding. At Devon's bachelor party, he presumably gets drunk and cheats on Hilary with a prostitute. While he doesn't remember anything, Lily warns a devastated Devon to keep quiet because he doesn't know for sure what happened. Devon and Hilary exchange vows, and Neil comes to give them their blessing. The couple then leaves for their honeymoon to Virgin Gorda. Devon is suspected of fowl play when Hilary suddenly goes missing during their trip and he is nearly arrested for her supposed murder when she turns up suffering from amnesia believing she is still married to Neil. Devon is furious to discover that Neil was behind Hilary's disappearance and that he hired Dr. Simon Neville (Michael E. Knight) who used experimental medicine to bring Hilary out of her coma. Thanks to Hilary's pleas, Devon decides to keep quiet about about Neil's crimes. He also rescues Neil from Neville's blackmail by investing in Neville's medical research.

Ashley Abbott (Eileen Davidson) joins the company and lets the group set up shop in the Jabot Cosmetics lab. Devon hires Neil to oversee the project and to protect his investment while Hilary comes on board as the spokesperson. Meanwhile, Neil orchestrates Devon and Hilary's reunion and Devon is devastated when he finds them sleeping together accusing Neil of finally having gotten his revenge. Devon serves Hilary with divorce papers after Neil rejects her only for Hilary to suddenly remember her love for Devon and refuse to sign them. But Devon doesn't believe Hilary's sudden turnaround.

Development

Casting and creation

Bryton James, then known as Bryton McClure and for his six year long stint as Richie Crawford on the sitcom, Family Matters was cast in the role of Devon in April 2004 and made his debut on June 1, 2004. Just before completing high school, James took up acting once again and one of his first auditions was for The Young and the Restless. In a 2014 interview with Soap Opera Digest in honor of his 10th anniversary with the series, James reflected on the audition process: "I remember very vividly walking through the big door on the third floor for the read. The scenes for my audition were heavy drama so I had a sense of what I would be in for." James also screen tested opposite his longtime friend and co-star Christel Khalil. James and Khalil had previously worked together on Family Matters where she had a guest role. After almost five years with the series, rumors spread in the spring of 2009 that James had been dropped to recurring status due to his lack of story. Nelson Branco commented on the rumors and said Bryton had indeed been taken off contract. However, Bryton immediately denied the rumors. In September 2009, James once again confirmed on Twitter that he was still under contract with the show. With the arrival of new executive producer, Jill Farren Phelps, rumors began circulating that the role of Devon was to be recast. The show's casting call for a brand new character very similar to Devon fed into fan speculation. However, Phelps later confirmed that Bryton was secure and the casting call was indeed for a new character. In 2013, onscreen events hinted at Bryton's potential exit once again. James revealed that he signed a new contract with the show in July 2013 during an interview at the 40th Daytime Emmy Awards. James told Soaps In Depth that he would have been worried just like fans had he not already signed a new contract with the series. Bryton revealed that even when he was not getting much story development, he never considered leaving the series because he felt a sense of loyalty to the series.

"The character is so complex" Bryton James said of his character. Devon is introduced as a "homeless foster kid with trust issues." In a 2004 interview with Soap Opera Weekly, James described Devon as a "very guarded kid." Devon is not the kind of guy that likes to be "babied" the actor said in an interview with Soap Opera Digest in 2006. Devon has a tendency to lash out if he feels like he is being sheltered. Of the character, Scott Hamner said "Devon is very independent and confident in his ability to care of himself and shape his own destiny." James described Devon as being very "down to earth." Over the years, Devon has become accustomed to dealing with huge life changes.

Foster care and deafness

Of James introduction storyline as the troubled homeless foster kid taken in by Neil and Drucilla, Soap Opera Digest said the character landed on the "front burner in a social-issue saga." James commented that the story was very special for him because it was pitched by Victoria Rowell herself. "It was something very close to [Rowell's] heart and I wanted to do the best I could" said the actor. Of his character, James said that Victoria Rowell was a "huge part" of developing the character of Devon due to her own experience with the foster care system. James appreciated that his introduction was not the "traditional" soap story but instead it was very socially relevant. The foster care story was also "very different" from his own life. However, because Rowell grew up in foster care, "[Bryton] got to learn about it through [Rowell]" and a lot of Devons' experiences within the series are incorporated from Rowell's real life. "I tried to understand how to portray this character from the person" with first hand experience. "It was a big challenge" James said.

"Devon struggles a lot more with then he lets on. He believes that things are going to get better but at the same time, he doesn't want to be treated different. He doesn't want to feel like a handicapped person."

James on Devon's feelings about his condition.

Bryton James as Devon wearing his cochlear implant.

From 2006 to 2007, James who had been asking for the writers to challenge him with a great storyline got the chance to show off his acting chops when his character contracts meningitis and the disease nearly kills him. When Devon starts college, he refuses the recommended immunization shots for the infection. However, the most significant part of the storyline is Devon losing his hearing. Though Devon definitely needs help, he wants to keep everyone at arms length because he wants to deal with the situation on his own. He puts on that tough "exterior." Devon who already has to make his own way in the world due to his chaotic childhood, is forced to re-learn to communicate with his family and friends while starting college. After learning from doctors that surgery is his only option, Devon gets the Cochlear Implant surgery on November 26, 2006. At the time of Devon's meningitis scare, Neil and Dru are on the verge of divorce and it is his illness that brings the Winters family back together. Devon's illness helps them to realize that there a lot more important things to deal with then their "trivial problems." James did a lot of online research to prepare for the storyline about the different levels of severity in meningitis cases, to how much hearing one could lose, to how much of their hearing a person could get back. James also reached out to some of his own real life friends who are deaf to get a feel for what Devon would feel. James compared it to Devon's foster care storyline: "[Y]ou can't completely understand unless you have been through it. Losing any of your senses is difficult. You can act it all you want but to do the best job, it is something you need to explore with someone who really has been through it." James admitted that he was worried about the storyline not knowing if he could completely grasp the situation because he had not experienced it. James had to "wing it." However, Devon is not completely hopeless; he believes anything is possible because of he's already survived so much. Devon does not just accept that he will always be deaf. However, James said it was difficult to ignore his co-stars in scenes as if he could not hear them. Bryton and his co-stars immediately had to learn sign language from an onset coach. Fortunately, Devon can still speak, so James does not have to use sign language that often. The Young and the Restless worked in conjunction with Advanced Bionics for the storyline. The storyline was revisited in early 2012 when the character's hearing is fully restored due to another surgery. James revealed that Devon's most recent surgery to restore his hearing was actually inspired by real life advances in cochlear implants. His co-star, Eileen Davidson, whom at the time played his stepmother, Ashley Abbott, brought the information to James's attention, who presented the information to Maria Arena Bell. The advances were eventually incorporated into the show. Of the decision to incorporate the real life medical advancements into the story James said, "For it come to fruition and for me to play someone going through is very humbling." The story culminates on April 11, 2012, with Devon getting his new implants activated restoring his hearing completely. Of the story, James said that Devon's hearing loss was "something you can't really understand unless you experience it, so you just try to the best you can." The actor praised the writers for giving him the opportunity to play the story.

Lineage and inheritance

"While James clearly had fleshed out his fantasy, nothing could have prepared him for the reality of being informed that Devon's father is actually Tucker, making him the grandson of Genoa City's matriarch, Katherine."

Julie McElwain on Devon's paternity (SID)

When Devon was introduced, his paternity was a mystery. In 2009, the character of Virginia (Della Reese), Devon's great aunt was introduced to the canvas. Virginia reveals that Devon's father was not even aware of his existence. In 2011, it was announced that daytime legend Debbi Morgan would join the cast and Yahoo! TV pitched several scenarios for her potential character including a recast of Yolanda, originally played by Chene Lawson or the mother of Tucker McCall (Stephen Nichols)'s. In May 2011, Daytime Confidential confirmed that the character of Devon would be involved in two major stories, one of which hinted at him discovering his paternity. Head writer Scott Hamner said the manner in which Devon's paternity is exposed "leaves a very bad feeling" and Devon is bitter about it because of his prior expectations. Devon is turned off by the "bad judgement" of his new biological relatives, his father Tucker and grandmother Katherine (Jeanne Cooper). He feels slighted because it takes them so long to find him despite their wealth and power. Additionally, Devon is angry with Katherine because she had recently put him charge of the music division at her company, a job she assured him was based on his talent. However, he quickly realizes that it was because of their biological connection and Devon is insulted.

Jeanne Cooper played Katherine Chancellor, the matriarch of Genoa City and Devon's grandmother. Devon inheriting half of her billion dollar estate stirred controversy within story, and among viewers and critics.

James first learned of the story plans in March 2011 when he requested time off for his honeymoon. While he had always hoped that Devon's father would be an already established character like Michael Baldwin (Christian LeBlanc) James easily accepted the decision to go with Tucker because of the connection to Katherine, the show's matriarch. James explained that he had discussed the possibility of exploring Devon's paternity with Maria Arena Bell but he was shocked when it led to him being Katherine's grandson. However, the revelation makes Devon feel even closer to his adoptive father, Neil. "Devon always will be Neil's son" James insisted. According to James, it is the character's connection to the Winters family that keeps Devon on the right track when he suddenly comes into such wealth. While most people would allow money to change them, James insisted that nothing could ever make Devon turn away from Neil. As a unit, the Winters family was given several stories over the years, but not many of which allowed the family to intermingle with the non African American characters often. Devon's connection to Katherine further removes the family from the proverbial "Black Box" in which the characters only interact with other African American characters. As Tucker's son, Devon is the first biracial character within the series, much like his adoptive cousin Marcus Forrester (Texas Battle) on The Bold and the Beautiful. Similarly, James also has one African American parent, and one Caucasian parent.

Upon Jeanne Cooper's passing in May 2013 and the subsequent announcement that Katherine's death would soon be acknowledged onscreen, many wondered who would benefit from Katherine's vast empire. Deanna Barnert concluded that Devon would be the biggest winner considering he would be Katherine's only blood relative still on the canvas at the time of Katherine's death. Because Devon's connection to Katherine was still fairly new compared to her other more well established relatives, many wondered exactly just how much Devon would benefit. In an interview with Soaps In Depth's Julie McElwain, James hinted that there was quite a bit of story coming for Devon while McElwain questioned if someone could come after Devon's new inheritance. Devon has no problems using his new wealth to shower his loved ones with expensive gifts, but he is caught off guard when his longtime girlfriend Roxanne (Tatyana Ali) suddenly puts a down payment on a new place for them. The money brings a new dynamic to the relationship and Devon starts questioning Roxy's motives. According to James, Devon feels very guilty for accusing Roxy and though he doesn't really believe she is with him for the money, he would have rather they made a decision like that together. While James insisted that Devon's new wealth would not change him, Devon struggles to keep up with the sudden changes, from billionaire Victor Newman (Eric Braeden) suddenly taking an interest in him to Roxy's decision to move in together, and Mason Wilder (Lamon Archey)'s schemes to suck up to Devon. It would be even harder for Devon to find his "passion" because the money brings him so many more opportunities leaving him a bit overwhelmed.

Relationships

File:Mishael Morgan 2014.jpg

Mishael Morgan portrays Hilary, Devon's first major love interest within the series. Their "forbidden love" garnered fan support very early on, and even more so after Hilary marries Neil (Kristoff St. John).

James appreciated that his character was not immediately thrust into a romance but was instead "given extremely meaningful and big stories over the first nine years." The actor believed it gave the audience time to see Devon's grow into a "believable" leading man. Since his introduction in 2004, Devon had seen very little romantic development. While the character has brief dalliances here and there, he has a stable girlfriend in Roxanne (Tatyana Ali) starting in 2007. However, the couple receives very little development. The character's most controversial story to date involved Devon's affair with his "aunt" Tyra (Eva Marcille). In May 2009 the writers introduced Devon's great-aunt, Virginia (Della Reese) who reveals that Tyra isn't his biological aunt, but was taken in by his grandmother as an infant. In June 2009, Daytime Confidential published a spoiler article which revealed that Devon would begin to develop romantic feelings for Tyra and Devon even fantasizes about kissing her. At the time, Devon is upset with Tyra for breaking up Neil's marriage to Karen Taylor (Nia Peeples). During an argument on August 12, 2009, an angry Devon brings Tyra to tears and when he comforts her, they end up sleeping together; the two are caught by Roxanne. Devon can be a bit judgmental, and some view him a hypocrite because he comes down so hard on Harmony (Yolanda) for sleeping with Tucker, and destroying his marriage. Bryton defends Devon by reminding fans that Devon was only 19 years old when he slept with Tyra, and Devon that is the only big mistake Devon had made in his romantic life. Devon has grown up a bit since his tryst with Tyra.

Further information: Devon Hamilton and Hilary Curtis

Devon's most significant and popular pairing proved to be his romantic pairing with Hilary Curtis (Mishael Morgan). The couple faces several obstacles before they even become a couple including Hilary's "denial" of her feelings and Hilary's misunderstood attraction to her boss Jack Abbott (Peter Bergman) which sends Devon into the arms of the gold digging supermodel Esmeralda (Briana Nicole Henry). Jean Passanante said "Esmeralda is unabashedly attracted to Devon's money, perhaps as much as she is to Devon himself." Devon thinks he has missed his chance with Hilary after seeing her with Jack. Writer Shelly Altman insisted that the duo shared a mutual attraction but they would need to overcome yet another and "very surprising obstacle!" That obstacle comes in the form of Hilary's short lived romance and sudden marriage to Neil. James viewed the situation differently then he did Devon's affair with Tyra because at the time, he was very young, still only a teenager when it occurred. In the triangle with Neil and Hilary, Devon is an adult and he can come at Neil as an equal. Despite unflattering circumstances, the pairing was a hit with most fans and critics which James accredited to the writers for "taking the time, and letting the fans get invested in really caring about Devon and Hilary’s feelings for each other." According to James, Devon believes he has found "true love" with Hilary. Devon and Hilary face a long uphill battle once their affair is exposed. James was "thrilled" to finally get the opportunity to play a more "traditional soap" story like Devon and Hilary's affair. Devon and Hilary married in August 2015 with their wedding airing over the course of 4 episodes.

Reception

Devon is often criticized for being so overprotective, and Soap Opera Digest said that at times it is "uncomfortable" to watch. Bryton James on the other hand been received praise for his portrayal of Devon overall. Bryton was nominated for the Daytime Emmy Award in the Outstanding Younger Actor in a Drama Series category 5 times from 2006 to 2009, and once again in 2013. For his 2009 Emmy nomination, James submitted the scenes of Devon's reaction to losing his little sister, Ana to the foster care system, after interference from his biological mother. Bryton's portrayal of Devon has also garnered him several NAACP Image Award nominations for Outstanding Actor in a Daytime Drama Series, from 2005 to 2009. James won the award in 2007. Jillian Bowe described Bryton as "woefully-underused" when the actor was cast in the prime time series, The Vampire Diaries due to his lack of storyline on Y&R.

Foster care

Deanna Barnert of Soap Opera Weekly said "The foster care community has taken note" of the storyline and fans immediately took a liking to James. Soap Opera Digest praised the storyline as the "Best Social Issue" arc for the year 2004. The magazine said, "A social-issue soap story needn't be constorversial or shocking to be effective, as Y&R proved with an intelligent and realistic tale about foster care. Not an inherently 'sexy' topic, the story was nonetheless compelling" specifically due to Victoria Rowell, who played Devon's foster mother Drucilla was so heavily involved in the story. "The result was an involving storyline" that received several accolades. "By allowing for vastly different viewpoints, it wasn't preachy or emotionally manipulative" and like all great soap stories, it added layers to an existing relationship.

Hearing loss

"Bryton's accurate depiction of a cochlear implant (C.I.) recipient has been so well-acted that we continue to receive many comments from actual C.I. recipients inquiring if the actor is a real C.I. patient!".

Sue Greco on Bryton's portrayal. (2007)

He won his first and only Emmy Award in 2007 for his portrayal of Devon during the hearing loss storyline. Despite some thinking the characters picked up sign language too quickly, Bionic Ear experts praised the storyline and James for his portrayal. The storyline also led to increased interests in cochlear implants and provided hope for those dealing with hearing loss. James also thanks and praise from viewers thanking him for his portrayal of Devon's situation. James earned his fifth Emmy nomination in the Outstanding Young Actor category in 2013, for his portrayal of Devon during the scenes where Devon's hearing is completely restored after a new cochlear implant.

Paternity and inheritance

The storyline about Devon's paternity received both positive and mixed criticism. Yahoo! TV praised the series for catching up the "current times" by making Devon the biracial grandson of one of the core characters. The website also said the storyline was the best reveal of 2011. Wordwiley complimented the series for making an established character like Devon Tucker's son instead of introducing a new character. The article also commented that the dynamic between Katherine, Tucker, Devon and Harmony was rich with potential story. Yahoo! TV included the character of Devon, along with the other young characters as the future of The Young and the Restless. Carolyn Hinsey said Nichols's Tucker was not a strong enough character to hang such a heavy story on. Naomi Rabinowitz appreciated that the plot cemented both Tucker and Devon to the canvas, and that it made for an interesting dynamic pitting Neil vs. Tucker, but disapproved of the constant rewriting of Katherine's history. Luke Kerr said that while he wasn't a big fan of the initial story, he enjoyed seeing Devon and Tucker bond over their shared interest in music. Sara Bibel praised the story arc because it allowed James to showcase his talent, and it provided the very underused character with a storyline, and described the plot twist as a "juicy way of defining" the character. However, Bibel admitted that the execution could have been better. During the week of Devon's paternity reveal, the show gained 282,000 total viewers rebounding from a previous week of a new ratings low.

In response to Devon's inheritance, Sara Bibel referred to the plot twist as a "doozy." Bibel praised the twist because of "transforming" Devon without having to make him act "out of character." Boone of Soap Central said "I'm kind of curious to know what Devon's role will be in the future." However, the column also said that Devon has never been a leading character. Others were completely dumbfounded by the twist and said it didn't make any sense. Sara Bibel appreciated that the storyline was the most upbeat of the storylines on the series, but disapproved of Devon's need to maintain his normal way of life; "God forbid we should get to see someone having fun even though aspirational, wish-fulfillment storylines are a daytime staple," Bibel said. Bibel later criticized how instead of having some fun, pursuing his own dreams, or a new business venture, Devon reacts to his inheritance "by feeling guilty about unearned wealth despite being surrounded by people with trust funds." CBS Soaps In Depth also criticized the writing for Devon's reaction because of the money bringing him more misery than happiness. ABC Soaps In Depth said of Devon becoming the go-to-guy for money, "Why are the numerous rich folks of Genoa City treating The Young and the Restless' Devon like their own personal piggybank?"

Romances

Despite fans being very vocal about their disapproval two months before Devon and Tyra's one-night stand, the storyline progressed. The storyline was compared to fellow CBS soap, Guiding Light's incest storyline in which first cousins, Tammy Winslow (Stephanie Gatschet) and Jonathan Randall (Tom Pelphrey) fall in love and marry. Ironically, Tammy is killed off just days after their wedding. TV Guide listed Devon and Tyra's one-night stand as the "WORST AFFAIR" of 2009. Naomi Rabinowitz of Soap Opera Digest also disapproved of the storyline and described the dynamic between Tyra and Devon as "creepy." At the time of the affair, Tyra and Devon are so interconnected, as she is the adoptive mother of his sister, and his father's girlfriend. Despite no biological connection, Devon had only ever known her as his aunt. On the other hand, while Lauren Flynn agreed that the plot was a turn off to viewers due to their relation, Flynn argued that the tryst was a "welcome twist" to an otherwise lackluster storyline. However, Flynn liked that the storyline gave Devon something to do instead of serve as a talk to for his adoptive sister, Lily. Jamey Giddens who immediately disapproved of the storyline agreed to wait until after the storyline played out and said the plot was "ridiculous," due to their attraction coming out of nowhere. Bryton also wished he could change that storyline because it made Devon look like a hypocrite when he comes down on his biological parents for having an affair, despite Tucker being married. Fans tend to hold Devon's affair with Tyra against the character because of how judgmental he is.

CBS Soaps In Depth noticed Devon's chemistry with Hilary in their very first scenes together. The magazine also praised the decision to put an end to Devon and Roxy's romance, and accused prior regimes of treating James and Ali as glorified day players. "We're digging the idea of them together!" the magazine said of the potential Devon and Hilary pairing. In response to the reveal of Neil and Hilary's affair, Teddi Giggy of Soap Central said that while Lily and Devon should have seen the signs, Neil should have known that his children would not approve. Soaps In Depth also praised Devon's reaction to the news of Neil and Hilary's affair listing the confrontation at #1 in the "5 Things We're Loving Right Now" section. Soaps In Depth ranked "Devon's love life" at #5 in the "5 Things We're Loving Right Now" and said "Finally, they're playing him like the catch he always was!" For the week of June 30 to July 4, 2014, Candace Young of Soaps She Knows said "Best of the week was a wasted Devon drunk-dialing Cane in Paris. Baha! He continued to keep things entertaining by showing up at Hilary and Neil's Jabot celebration (held by the only two people in town who support the union) and nearly giving Hilary an ulcer as she waited to see what alcohol-fueled declaration he had come to make." Soaps In Depth praised the scene in which Neil confronted Devon about his disapproval over his relationship with Hilary and when Devon showed up to the wedding in a cliffhanger. According to a poll on the Soaps In Depth website, a large majority wanted Hilary to leave Neil for Devon. TV Guide's Michael Logan described the triangle as "Daytime's hottest and juiciest mess." Fans online coined the portmanteau "Hevon" for the pairing. In July 2014, Bryton James debuted in fan polls on both We Love Soaps and TV Source Magazine at #10 on the top 10 actors list. Meanwhile, the pairing of Devon and Hilary debuted at #8 and #9 on We Love Soaps and TV Source respectively in the top 10 couples polls.