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The Young and the Restless decked the halls (and the GCAC, the Abbott mansion, the Newman Ranch, and just about everywhere else) with boughs of holly as drama was on everyone’s holiday shopping list!
The Young and the Restless family drama
Y&R did not take the holidays off when it came to serving up drama, heartfelt emotions, and familial connections this week. The show began this latest week’s worth of episodes with a special conversation between Traci (Beth Maitland) and Lily (Christel Khalil). Longtime Y&R fans know that Traci’s late daughter, Colleen (Lyndsy Fonseca), was Lily’s best friend. Traci’s lost her daughter, and Lily has lost her mother, Drucilla (Victoria Winters), presumed dead since she fell off a cliff years ago.
Lily’s a grown woman with grown kids of her own, but she could still use a mother to talk to, and that’s where Traci comes in. The two women have remained good friends and provide each other with an emotional lifeline. Let’s hope Y&R plays this dynamic more in 2026.
Our Gal Sal
Courtney Hope (Sally) had an amazing week. We saw her open her heart up to Victoria (Amelia Heinle) on Christmas Eve, talking about the similarities between her unnamed dad and Billy. We suppose it’s not uncommon for a person to look for in a mate something that’s unresolved with a parent. Deep stuff. But make no mistake – Sally loves Billy, and she’s the best thing that ever happened to him.
With all due respect to Chelsea (Melissa Claire Egan), Sally might have been the best thing that ever happened to Adam (Mark Grossman), too. She read him the riot act for Newman Media’s attack on Jabot, refusing to let him hide behind “freedom of the press,” knowing fully well that the hit piece all emanated from Adam’s father, Victor (Eric Braeden). Sally reminded Adam that when she was with him, he went against his father to some degree. It was good to see Chelsea put Adam on notice. She will walk away if she has to. Sally didn’t hesitate to tell Adam exactly what she thought about him even though they were in public.
Quiet as a mouse
Crimson Lights is one of the most popular hangouts in Genoa City. Everyone from Victor Newman to Esther Valentine (Kate Linder), granted she works there, is known to frequent the establishment. People talk over their problems at the coffee house, and they’ve been known to speak loudly at times, too! We’d love to give some kind of award to Lauren (Tracey Bregman) and Michael (Christian LeBlanc) for talking about their dilemmas in hushed tones! Not letting everyone around you hear what your plan is? What a concept! Michael would do well also to stay quiet about his slipping his mother, Gloria (the much-missed Judith Chapman), a "mickey" so she wouldn’t be disruptive for the holidays. Then, he has the gall to be offended (albeit playfully) with Esther, who commented on Gloria’s drinking making her the preferred grandmother to sit with Kevin (Greg Rikaart) and Chloe’s (Elizabeth Hendrickson) kids.
Put an IV needle in it, he’s done
What better time than to realize something is over than the end of the year? Nothing Kyle (Michael Mealor) ever did was good enough for Claire (Hayley Erin). So, he decided to pack it in and move on with his life. Good for him. He told Claire at Society that he was done, and she went running after him, kind of shocked. If this doesn’t move the (IV) needle with Claire, then nothing will; not that that’s why he ended it. Kyle just got tired of chasing someone who doesn’t want him. Who’s his next love interest? We recommend bringing back Summer (Allison Lanier) and/or Tara (Elizabeth Lenier).
Episodes of Christmas Past
Y&R chose wisely in terms of a holiday encore episode to air on Christmas Day. The show chose, appropriately, a show from 2010 in which Victor was at a crossroads, having alienated his family. He was visited by the ghosts of his father, Albert (George Kennedy), Hope (Signy Coleman), his late wife, Sabrina (Raya Meddine), his other late wife, and, finally, Colleen Carlton, whose heart beats inside his chest. While Y&R has one of the more stable casts in soaps, we got nostalgia feels seeing Stephen Nichols as Tucker McCall, Emme Rylan as Abby Newman-Carlton, Maura West as Diane Jenkins, and the late Billy Miller as Billy Abbott.
Victor is in a similar boat these days. He’s pushing too hard against people and not everyone is happy with him. Nikki has (Melody Thomas Scott) drawn a line in the sand. Chelsea has threatened to leave Adam. What’s next?
The Welcome Matt
Y&R did a good job of keeping Matt Clark (Roger Howarth) as a threat on the canvas without having him distract too much from the holidays. Sienna (Tamara Braun) didn’t get to spend the holidays with Noah (Lucas Adams) as rogue lawman Annie Stewart (Catherine Kresage) presumably took her hostage on Matt’s orders. Nick (Joshua Morrow) and Sharon (Sharon Case) were downplayed during the actual holiday so that their dilemma didn’t detract from the holidays, but we also knew they were okay.
Money helps!
It was nice to see Jack gift Diane with a piece of jewelry that once belonged to Coco Chanel, the famous French fashion designer and businesswoman. Ditto Victor with the necklace for Nikki that was owned by Marie Antoinette’s mother.
Diane gave Jack a first edition of Max Factor’s biography, a man admired by the late John Abbott (Jerry Douglas). She put thought into her gift as she knew Jack would relate to the story. Nikki gave Victor original journals belonging to Hannah Arendt, a German and American historian and philosopher.
It sure seemed that the Abbotts and the Newmans have similar tastes when it comes to picking out thoughtful gifts. While soap characters will be the first to say money can't buy happiness, it sure can rent it!
A toast to the New Year!
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Y&R has excelled at battles between women over the years. There was Jill (Jess Walton) and Katherine (Jeanne Cooper), Nina (Tricia Cast) and Victoria (Heather Tom) in the 1990s, and now, we have Audra Charles (Zuleyka Silver) and Claire Newman (Hayley Erin). After Audra delighted in Kyle walking away from Claire, the Newman heiress had had enough. She threw a drink in Audra’s face, hoping it would get her to cool off and lay off her caustic remarks! We’re doubting that's going to be the case!
Catch all-new episodes of The Young and the Restless weekdays on CBS and Paramount Plus.
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