The Young and the Restless Performers of the Week: Valarie Pettiford as Amy Lewis and Tricia Cast as Nina Webster

The Young and the Restless aired not only the wedding of the year this week, but the payoff of 2025, too, at Danny and Cricket's big day. Valarie Pettiford and Tricia Cast gave the best "wedding" gifts of all as their respective characters, Amy Lewis and Nina Webster, blasted Cane for his role in the deaths of their sons, Damian and Chance. Soap Central is bestowing Performer of the Week honors on the two actresses for showcasing their dramatic talent.

The Young and the Restless, Tricia Cast and Valarie Pettiford Shine Brightly

While it was referenced a while back that Cane Ashby (Billy Flynn) had bought the Genoa City Athletic Club, we can't say that plot point was referenced much over the last several months. But that tidbit was in the back of our brains, and we hoped that Cane might be present for Danny (Michael Damian) and Cricket's (Lauralee Bell) wedding, which would have placed him in the same room with Nina, Cricket's bestie.

The setup was ripe for a huge payoff. Cane had indirectly caused the death of Nina's son, Chance (Conner Floyd), and Amy's son, Damian (Jermaine Rivers), as his unbalanced aide, Carter (Vincent Stalba), ended up killing both men over some sense of misguided loyalty to Cane.

When Amy and Nina spied Cane in the GCAC, they couldn't help but go over to the billionaire and give them a piece of their minds. Cane, as usual, pulled the stoic "I didn't mean for this to happen" bit, but that didn't stop the two mothers from laying into the man who lives on a train.

"Donations," scoffed Amy, referring to Cane's financial contributions to charity in Damian and Chance's names. "Because money just wipes the slate clean as if their lives could be measured in dollars!"

"They were both decent and honorable men," Cane said as if those words were going to mean anything to the women who had to do the one thing no parent should ever have to do -- bury their children.

Cane feels bad

"I will always regret the part that I played in their deaths," added Cane.

Those of us who watched Y&R back in the 1980s and 1990s recall numerous powerhouse performances from Tricia Cast. The actress was tasked with going up against power players Katherine (Jeanne Cooper) and Jill (Jess Walton) as they tried to act as a barrier between a pregnant Nina and Jill's son, Phillip (Thom Bierdz).

"I'm standing here [and] I just have too much to say," Nina said as she barely contained her fury. "I have so much anger!"

"A mother's rage," said Amy. "The moment you realize that no amount of fury is going to bring them back."

Pettiford and Cast did more than have their characters vent their fury at Cane. We saw them supporting each other. As horrible as what they're going through is, it's comforting that Amy and Nina have each other to lean on, and that's just what they did in this scene.

Cast and Pettiford are MVPs of The Young and the Restless

"You say that you'll always regret your part, and I hope that's true," Nina stated. "It's your ego that created the circumstances. Neither man had to be there, and they were because of you."

"Our grief will never leave us," Amy added. "Nothing will ever be the same."

"And you better not be either," Nina fired back in that classic snark she perfected as a teenager.

"I promise both of you I will never forget," Cane stated. He's not the only one. We're not likely to forget Cast and Pettiford's performances anytime soon.

Y&R mined for years the animosity between Kay and Jill after a drunk Kay drove her car off a cliff, killing Phillip II (Donnelly Rhodes), who was going to marry Jill. Wouldn't it be great to see Y&R do the same with Amy, Nina, and Cane?

Cane's enemies on the canvas don't have to be limited to Victor (Eric Braeden) and Jack (Peter Bergman). Those three men only have business in common. But with Nina and Amy, it's blood. There's nothing stronger than a mother's love for her child. Amy's and Nina's feelings towards Cane would fuel storylines for years.

The other actors from The Young and the Restless in this scene were all wonderfully supportive as they couldn't help but feel for Amy and Nina. We could feel the pain that they were feeling for the two mothers as they silently observed.

Brava to Daytime Emmy-winner Cast and Daytime Emmy nominee Pettiford for their incredibly dramatic (but all-too brief) performances!

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