Escape from Danger Island: The Young and the Restless Two Scoops for the week of July 28, 2025

Finally, the Abbotts, Newmans, et. al. escaped from Danger Island. Yes, we know The Young and the Restless characters weren’t on an island, but it sure felt like they were. They'd all come to “Aristotle Dumas’s” party and found that they soon had no way to communicate with their loved ones, and they were trapped on Cane’s estate.

The Young and the Restless, the Cane Mutiny

For weeks, we watched folks wander through a maze of shrubbery in brightly colored outfits. If only Brad Carlton, the Abbott’s former gardener, had lived and accompanied everyone abroad. He could have brought his hedge clippers and cut a path to freedom.

This past week began with the walls closing in on Carter. Yes, folks, the butler did it. Okay, he wasn’t truly a butler. But he was the most devoted majordomo we’d see on television since Blake Carrington’s loyal associate Joseph on Dynasty. If Cane were on trial for murder, we suspect that Carter would have committed perjury a hundred times over.

Carter killing Damian makes sense as he was trying to create a path to reunion for Cane and Lily. But how did Carter’s homicidal tendencies track with the fact that Cane sensed his life was in danger? Carter didn’t want to kill Cane -- he wanted to help him. Was someone else trying to kill Cane? Why didn’t he have that security guard who escorted Nick and Sharon to a dungy room sticking by his boss 24//7?

If Cane thought someone was trying to kill him, why did he invite several people to his estate who could have reacted negatively to him being Dumas? Why didn’t the multi-millionaires who went to Cane’s party bring some security of their own?

Always in Fashion

We do have to give major props to Y&R’s costumer and wardrobe department. Nikki, Lauren, Phyllis, Sharon, Lily, and Audra packed more fashions for a weekend trip than Lovey Howell did for three seasons on Gilligan’s Island.

Something we have trouble wrapping our heads around is why Y&R killed off Chance! The show has honored the Newman and Abbott clans with spiffy new sets over the last year. We were hoping that the late Katherine Chancellor’s home was going to get a makeover, too, but now with Chance, the grandson of Katherine’s husband, dead, there’s no blood tie to the mansion.

But think of the folks who could have occupied the grand estate. Jill, Nina, and Mac could all be living in her home. We don’t care how much money or property Esther inherited from her late boss; Esther should be in her maid’s uniform, greeting visitors, annoying Jill, and keeping watch over Katherine’s home. It would be a way for her to feel close to the great lady.

Take a Chance from me

Speaking of poor, dead Chance, we are still hoping that there’s a memorial service for him, which will be attended by the previously mentioned Jill and Nina. And let’s not forget about Phillip III, Chance’s father. For years, we believed he was dead, and now, some have forgotten that he’s alive! Illness kept him from Chance and Abby’s wedding years ago. Why bring Phillip back to life if he’s never going to be seen? We saw Phillip die on-screen, yet he still managed to do the Lazarus routine. Memo to Y&R: If you want to bring Chance back to life like a Phoenix (IYKYK), we’re perfectly fine with that.

We like to think that Billy somehow whisked his nephew away so he can get better because Billy’s not showing much remorse. He didn’t even want to call Jill out of concern that she might not take the call. Are things that bad? Can we not get Jess Walton back as Jill to honor Chance? Nina, too?

Billy and Phyllis were both kind of cold about Chance’s passing. “He was a good man,” Phyllis said. But, hey, who cares about Chance’s red blood when there’s some green, green money to be made with Cane!

RIP, Damian

Back in Genoa City, Nate had the unenviable task of telling Amy that Damian was dead. Brava to Valarie Pettiford for the scenes in which Amy sailed down denial and cut loose with grief. Her nervous rant before Nate delivered the devastating news had us thinking that Amy knew on some level that Nate was going to tell her something that she simply did not want to hear.

Life is strange. Amy was worried Damian was going to have to bury her. Now, she’s going to have to bury her only son. Well, maybe Amy has another child out there. She has been gone for a long, long time. Maybe there’s a daughter they can bring on for her?

Lauren Fenmore, Esquire

Chance wasn’t the only hero in France, by the way. Lauren may not be a lawyer, but she’s been paying attention to her lawyer husband, Michael, and her business colleagues at Fenmore’s department stores. Nikki’s gesture to simply sign over Chancellor Industries to Cane was the definition of “duress.” And that’s just what Lauren told Amanda it would be. What kind of lawyer is Amanda that she wouldn’t know this? She may be a corporate lawyer, but didn’t “kidnapping is a crime” come up in law school?

Though Amanda is worth every penny that Cane pays her, as she managed to work with local authorities over the murders that occurred on Cane's estate so quickly. Money talks, people.

Nick and Sharon were being held against their will. Nick’s “motive” – if it could be called that – to want to hurt Cane had more holes in it than Swiss cheese. Carter and the big burly bodyguard weren’t properly vetted. It’s one thing to put Nick and Sharon under “house arrest,” but why did they have to be brought to such a dingy room when Cane had a big chateau?

When Amanda saw that a struggle had taken place, she repeated a few times lines along the lines of “this wasn’t supposed to happen.” Well, you play with fire and people get burned. Victor and his family should sue Cane and his billions into oblivion on charges of false imprisonment and whatever else Michael Baldwin can come up with.

Cane's consequences

Jack Abbott and Victor Newman don’t see eye to eye on much. But both patriarchs were spot-on in calling out Cane for everything that had gone wrong. Cane saying he didn’t know what Carter was capable of only carries so much weight.

When Billy casually mentioned they’d all be going home, Jack was quick to point out that Chance would not be, and that Jill and Nina would be devastated. Before everyone left Cane’s vacation getaway, Victor informed Cane that he was responsible for everything that had gone down. Three people (Damian, Chance, and Carter) were dead, Nick had been injured, and Cane was responsible for all of it. Billy Flynn is a terrific actor, and he is doing a great job in his new role, but lines like “it wasn’t supposed to be this way” only carry so much weight.

We expect as Cane is the new owner of the Genoa City Athletic Club that he’ll be running into pretty much everyone in town. Get ready to hear "I never meant for anyone to be hurt," "my plans will be revealed," and "Lily, you're looking well" to be spoken a lot. However, the Newmans and Abbotts may want to throw their dining budget to Society so they can avoid Cane.

Dear Abby

Speaking of Abby, where has she been? She kind of disappeared midway into the Dumas/Cane story like Thelma Ritter did halfway through All About Eve. Chance and Abby were husband and wife. Dominic wouldn’t be alive if they hadn't decided to have a child and asked Devon to be the donor. Where is Abby? The beauty of soaps is that they have time to explore emotions, reactions, and relationships. It's bad enough that Chance has been killed, but don't deny us the reactions from his loved ones.

And how has the fact that Dumas was Cane Ashby not gotten out? Wouldn't the news have leaked via Newman Media, Abbott Communications, or Lauren Fenmore's social media accounts?

It’ll be interesting to see how things settle now that everyone is back in Genoa City, and Cane is on his way to execute his big plan. He’s made promises to reveal what’s going on. Will that happen? Stay tuned.

Catch all-new episodes of The Young and the Restless weekdays on CBS and Paramount Plus