The Young and the Restless Recap, May 12, 2025: Tessa pleads with Mariah to let her in

On the Monday, May 12th episode of The Young and the Restless, Claire slows things down, Billy reveals his plan for Victor and Dumas, and Daniel comforts Tessa.

What happened on The Young and the Restless

At Crimson Lights, Phyllis spotted Daniel at a table while she was picking up coffee, and she swore she wasn’t stalking him. He reluctantly invited her to sit and reported that he was feeling better. He quickly warned her not to start campaigning for him to go back to Abbott Communications, and he was surprised when she understood. Phyllis declared that she wanted to move on from the company.

Phyllis proclaimed that she was too good for Billy, so she quit. Daniel guessed she’d been fired. Phyllis insisted it didn’t matter because it was upward and onward for her, but Daniel was skeptical. Phyllis claimed that she’d been excited for the chance to work with Daniel, but that was over, so she was moving on. She grumbled that Billy would go down – especially since he’d decided to replace her with Sally.

Daniel noted that Sally was very talented. Phyllis sourly acknowledged that Sally was good at sewing things and putting pillows on sofas, but she anticipated that Sally would be back shopping at fabric stores within a week. Daniel asked if Phyllis would ignore Billy if he begged her to take the job back. Phyllis maintained that she’d moved on, and she proposed that she and Daniel find a new direction by doing something on their own together.

Daniel loved Phyllis’ enthusiasm, but he stressed that they both had work to do on themselves before they created an empire. Phyllis reiterated that finding a purpose would help him fight off his demons. Daniel sensed that her desperate push for them to work together was more about what she needed. Phyllis conceded that she needed somewhere to go and something to do, and she wanted to do it with him.

Daniel cautioned that he was in no place to think about what happened next, but he knew there was no magic cure. He bemoaned that he still rolled over every night, expecting Heather to be there, and he couldn’t move on until he figured out how to deal with the void. Daniel encouraged Phyllis to do her own soul-searching, find something that inspired her, and then see if it sparked something for him. Phyllis was determined to find something that would set a fire under them to find a find a new life.

Billy joined Sally at Society and revealed that he’d just had an interesting conversation with Victor, who’d threatened to use Newman Media to bury him in bad press. Sally bet Adam would be right there with Victor. She proposed that they focus on letting their product speak for itself, so any attack would be meaningless. Billy announced that they might avoid an attack altogether because Victor had offered not to start a media war if Billy told him about Dumas’ intentions for Chancellor.

Billy admitted that Dumas had approached him with a deal about taking back Chancellor, and he believed Dumas’ intention was to use him to get inside information. Sally hoped it had made Billy see the logic in forgetting about Dumas and focusing solely on Abbott Communications. Billy planned to use Victor’s concern about Dumas to his benefit by using inside information to put a bullseye on Victor’s back. Sally realized Billy intended to pit the two moguls against one another.

Billy envisioned using the rivalry between Victor and Dumas to set the stage for battle and then just sit back and watch. Sally wondered if he was willing to let go of the idea of taking back Chancellor for himself. Billy declared that the only thing Chancellor represented was a means to take Victor down. Sally considered it progress if Billy was willing to walk away from a direct battle with Victor.

Billy imagined Victor wouldn’t see anything coming with Billy staying behind the scenes, but Sally worried that Victor would only become angrier if he lost and then found out Billy had been involved. Billy reasoned that Victor couldn’t hate him more than he already did, and the potential of watching Victor go down in flames was worth the risk. Sally pressed Billy to officially confirm he didn’t want to take back control of Chancellor, even if Dumas handed it to him.

Billy swore Chancellor wasn’t part of his endgame, but he was willing to set things in motion for Dumas to take Victor down while keeping his distance. He pledged to focus on making Abbott Communications a solid media company with Sally by his side. Sally cooed that they were in it together, and she had a feeling it would be “one hell of a ride.” They kissed as Phyllis eavesdropped nearby.

In Chancellor Park, Claire proposed that she and Kyle work together to show Victor how strong and committed they were. Kyle doubted she really thought that would work, and she was taken aback that he wouldn’t even make an effort. He insisted that he loved Claire, but he believed there was nothing either of them could do because her grandfather’s mind was already made up.

Claire protested that Victor hadn’t had a chance to spend time with them as a couple except on occasions when he had his defenses up. Claire envisioned getting Victor in situations where he was more relaxed, like family gatherings or a picnic with Harrison. Claire expected it to take time and patience, but Kyle was convinced Victor would never stop hating him. Claire was determined to find an answer.

Kyle pointed out that some things couldn’t be fixed, but Claire believed they had a shot if they led with understanding and kindness instead of defiance. Kyle argued that the act of them being together was defiant to Victor, and an Abbott would always be the enemy. Kyle added that there wasn’t enough love or kindness in the world to change it. He wondered why Victor’s opinion was so important to her.

Claire admitted that even when she’d been under Jordan’s influence, she’d secretly been in awe of Victor because of the empire and family he’d built after growing up in an orphanage. She recalled that she’d felt like an orphan herself, and Victor had given her a sense of belonging that she’d never thought she deserved. Kyle encouraged her to also see that Victor’s hate ran as deep as his love, and Victor had no greater hate than for the Abbotts. Kyle implored Claire to stop excusing her grandfather’s behavior and tiptoeing around Victor’s feelings.

Kyle lectured that Victor should be supporting Claire instead of stressing her out with his ultimatums and anger. Kyle also saw how important Victor’s approval was to her, so he was willing to try. Claire shared Nikki’s recommendation that they slow things down. Kyle was confused, since Nikki had encouraged them to move in together. Claire explained that her grandmother had given different advice after seeing how furious Victor was.

Kyle balked at giving in to Victor’s demands, and he complained that it sometimes felt like there were three people in their relationship. Kyle preferred to make decisions based on what was right for him and Claire and not what Victor wanted. Claire assured him it would only be complicated until they found a way to change Victor’s mind. Kyle swore he would do anything for her, but he didn’t know what else he could do to change Victor’s mind. Claire had an idea.

Elsewhere in the park, Mariah sat on a bench, wistfully staring into space. Tessa joined her and mentioned that Mariah’s office had told her Mariah had stepped out. Tessa noted that Mariah went to that spot when she needed to think. Mariah remarked that it was a beautiful day. Tessa questioned when Mariah would let her in and tell her what was wrong.

Tessa asked why Mariah had been avoiding her, but Mariah swore she hadn’t been. Tessa pointed out that Mariah had been leaving for work early and returning home late, only to head straight to bed because she was exhausted. Mariah chalked it up to having a lot of work while covering for Sharon. Tessa protested that they hadn’t even tucked Aria into bed together since Mariah had returned from her business trip.

Tessa surmised that something had happened but that Mariah didn’t trust her enough to tell her about it. Tessa wailed that they used to share everything, but it seemed like Mariah couldn’t even stand to look at her. Tessa wondered if Mariah couldn’t forgive her for suggesting that Mariah give Ian a second chance. Mariah admitted that it wasn’t that, but it was about Ian.

Mariah lamented that seeing Ian again had made her revisit the horrible, twisted things he’d done to her, and she struggled to live with being the reason he’d returned to Genoa City. Tessa assured Mariah that no one held her responsible for Ian’s evil actions. Mariah whimpered that she’d been weak not to see Ian for who he was years earlier because she’d been needy and broken, and maybe she still was. Tessa assumed Mariah blamed her for suggesting Ian had needed forgiveness.

Tessa regretted that she’d overshared their family’s private information with Ian, and she sobbed that she’d been foolish to even engage with him. She offered to apologize for the rest of her life, but she didn’t know how else to say she was sorry. Tessa agreed to try therapy if it would help Mariah find a way to forgive her. Mariah blurted out that it wasn’t Tessa who needed to be forgiven.

Tessa recognized that Mariah was tormented by her history with Ian, but Mariah recognized that Ian’s misdeeds weren’t her fault. Tessa begged Mariah to reveal what she needed forgiveness for. Tessa insisted that Mariah could tell her anything, and she was ready to listen, no matter how bad it was. Tessa promised they would find their way through it together and be stronger than ever. “I’m sorry,” Mariah cried, and she ran off.

Tessa glumly sat alone on the bench as Daniel approached. He joked that he should have taken up the harmonica instead of the guitar so they could have a jam session when they felt bluesy. He asked if she was okay, and she began to cry. He put a comforting arm around her.

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