Secrets and friends: The Young and the Restless Two Scoops for the week of May 12, 2025

fRomance and secrets are the hallmarks of daytime soap operas including The Young and the Restless. However, as we saw this past week, there are plenty of ways to tell stories that aren't based in romantic love. Also, not everyone has to keep a secret for stories to build.

Best ex-husband on The Young and the Restless

Is there a nicer guy in town than Nick Newman? We don't think so. The dude was on his way to have a workout at the Genoa City Athletic Club when he saw that his ex-wife, Phyllis, could use a friendly ear. He put off getting his blood pumping so that Phyllis's blood pressure could go down.

Nick knew that Phyllis wasn't going to open up easily. He is also keenly aware of all the trauma she's been through this year. Nick knows Phyllis's defense mechanisms and her tendency to deflect. He was very patient as she slowly let down her guard. Nick got Phyllis out of her head by getting her out of the GCAC and into the park, where she could take in some fresh air. There, Phyllis dropped her front and let Nick in a little bit.

These two may not (or may) get back together romantically, but that's not what these scenes were about. Phyllis needed a friend, and she found one in Nick. Sharon coming along and witnessing their friendly intimacy was a bonus.

We love watching Sharon and Phyllis get along so well after years (decades?) of animosity. This will last a long time, right? Maybe not. We suspect that if and when these two go at it, the showdown will be epic.

Prognosis: positive

Amy's treatments for her cancer, taking place in Boston, made it somehow more okay that we weren't witnesses to the procedures that have resulted in her improved health. Make no mistake, we were thrilled when Amy returned to Genoa City looking better.

Audra Charles, meanwhile, is juggling a lot given her alliance with Victor Newman. She's — dare we say it — ruthless in her quest to have her own company. And if Kyle's relationship with Claire becomes collateral damage, well, that's what will have to happen. But we see a nicer side to Audra when she shows genuine concern about Amy. Nate, a former doctor, was realistic when he said that doctors don't like to use the word "cured," but we're all hoping that Amy's condition continues to improve. She's become an unofficial matriarch of the Hastings/Winters family.

We're also hoping that Cole gets a clean bill of health. Ironically, we seem to know more about Amy's condition, yet she's been spending time out of state. Once Cole referenced he'd been traveling internationally, and he began coughing, viewers on the web began speculating that the poor guy had picked up a dangerous bug during his journey.

It wasn't long before Cole began coughing up a storm. He didn't leave town to get treatment, but he did disappear from our screens like Amy did when she went off to Boston. While Amy was away, we heard updates on her health from Lily, Damian, and Nate.

But Cole? All we know is that he's been in self-imposed seclusion at the GCAC while awaiting test results. It's been days and days since we've last seen him. We have to say it's been difficult to stay involved in his story. If and when it picks up, will Cole be all better? Will he be the same? Will he be worse? If it's worse, we will have missed out on the progression of his condition.

Despite the trip to Boston, we feel like, up until now, we've been kept apprised of Amy's condition. Yet we don't know if Cole is ordering room service and Netflix, getting caught up on the latest streaming series, or if he's passed out on the floor, unable to reach the telephone.

Viewers have cared about Cole for decades. He and Vicki aren't fully reunited romantically. If they were, she'd be a delinquent significant other in that she hasn't been sticking by her beau's side. Is Cole's condition dire? It's hard to stay invested in this story when it's not playing every week.

We're hoping that Cole's health improves as much as Amy's has and then some. We just got him back a few years ago. Cole and Victoria deserve time with their long-lost daughter.

The Grand Phoenix

The Grand Phoenix may not be around anymore, but the hotel's owner, Phyllis Summers, is a phoenix in her own right! We're seeing her be more bombastic than ever before. Phyllis has no qualms about barging into people's private conversations, stealing cell phones, or trying to get mogul Aristotle Dumas on the phone.

We're watching Phyllis dance as fast as she can as she strives to hang onto her sanity, put a painful ordeal behind her, and be a loving mother to her son, Daniel. Phyllis may have made peace with Sharon, but no one else is safe from her wrath.

Secrets and truths

We've seen secrets and deceptions tear couples apart. However, Adam and Chelsea haven't been back together for all that long. Similarly, Kyle and Claire have only recently committed to one another.

Therefore, both couples were doomed because Adam wasn't going to tell Chelsea about Victor's edict to destroy Billy in the press. Ditto, Kyle not telling Claire about his scheme to get Audra's confidence. Surprise! Surprise! Kudos to Y&R for actually having Adam come clean with Chelsea about Victor, and also, Kyle informing Claire about his next move with Audra.

It's a pleasant surprise to see partners take their significant others into their confidence. Honesty is so refreshing! Of course, what will happen as these particular dynamics start to unfold?

Will Adam bring Chelsea into the loop if Victor forces his son to take down Billy? Will Kyle tell Claire if he becomes attracted to Audra? We think that ship has sailed.

Kyle is downright flirty with Audra in their scenes together. The banter between these two at Crimson Lights is more delicious than any pastry treat behind the counter. Kyle is playing with fire by thinking he can get closer to Audra and not get burned. He's already playing into Victor's hands!

Speaking of Victor, just how many plates can this man spin at the same time? In addition to ordering Adam to take down Billy in the press and enlisting Audra in his scheme to take down Kyle, Victor is also fielding offers from Phyllis. The man doesn't seem too worried about the enigmatic Aristotle Dumas. But why should he? After all, Dumas is just another mogul whom Victor can obliterate if he so chooses! You got that?

Court appearance

It's great to see Amanda return to town. There's unfinished business between her and Devon. Abby and Devon are still in their honeymoon phase. But the stakes are even higher now that we know Amanda is working for the mysterious Dumas.

Tying Amanda to the enigmatic mogul is a smart move. Dumas may have a business interest in Lily, Devon, and Nate, but there's tension between Amanda and Devon. The Dumas mystery has taken on a whole new dimension courtesy of Amanda's involvement.

But can we hurry up and meet this guy? We've been hearing about Dumas since what feels like forever. Amanda has given us some clues as to the mogul's motives. She claims he means no harm to Lily or her family. Does that mean he's someone who already knows her? Could it be her ex, Cane?

The working class

There are a lot of business storylines on Y&R. There's Newman Media and Abbott Communications. Nikki's at Chancellor. Sharon has her company named after her late daughter, Cassidy. But to be honest, we rarely ever see these folks actually doing their jobs.

A recent rare exception was Kyle dropping by Jack's office at Jabot Cosmetics. Jack and Diane were working on a lipstick case that doubles as a piece of jewelry — including a beat like that in a scene is worth its weight in gold.

Stories have to be grounded in some sense of reality. Once Abbott Communications picks up, we're going to want to see what that's about exactly. What kind of communications company will Billy be running? Will it be a news site? If so, it'd be ideal to have a newsroom set or something that will give the media company some believability. We don't want to just hear people talking about work, we want to see them doing work.

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