Hello, I Must Be Going: The Young and the Restless Two Scoops for the week of June 9, 2025

We haven’t even gotten to France yet, but The Young and the Restless makes us feel like the party at Aristotle Dumas’ has already begun. This past week, we saw some people leave town and two favorites return!

The Young and the Restless power games

There’s more than just the revelation of Dumas’s identity that viewers are anticipating. Is Kyle going to fall for Audra’s plan? Will Audra's potential success cost her Nate? Will Phyllis and Sharon play nice in Nice? (See what we did there?) And will Dumas’s agenda be revealed along with his identity? These questions just scratch the surface when it comes to what we’re anticipating when the action shifts locales next week!

Before they boarded their private jets, we saw characters do more than overpack – or at least that’s what Diane and Lily were ribbed about doing by the men in their lives. We saw a lot of drama building in several stories, and we were treated to the returns of Christine and Danny.

Concern for Cole

Alas, not all dramas played out on screen as much as we would like. We’re not doctors – and we don’t play ones on TV – but we can’t figure out what the heck is wrong with Cole. How worried are we supposed to be about the guy? First, he was sick. Then, he recovered. Then, he relapsed. And, now, he’s been transferred to a hospital in Chicago, which is preventing Victoria from going to Dumas’s chateau.

Cole’s story shines a light on why Y&R should have a regular doctor and hospital set. Sure, soaps are facing economic realities, but hospital sets have been a staple in daytime drama for a long, long time. It’s hard for us to feel truly invested in Cole and his health because we’re not seeing this story play out. We’re being given updates from his loved ones.

Y&R is great about bringing characters from the past back to the program. Why not have Dr. Olivia Barber Hastings Winters return to Genoa City Memorial and act as a specialist on Cole’s case?

Mariah's mystery

One story that we are starting to see play out on-screen is what went down with Mariah on her business trip. She did something bad that involved drinking. It’s not a romantic infidelity, but it sure has us worried. Mariah doesn't want to burden Tessa with the facts. But they’re so close, Tessa certainly knows something is going on! Finding out Dumas's identity wasn't the only mystery that held (and holds) our attention. Mariah, what did you do?! And how does soap veteran Michael Swan play into this?

Conscious couplings

Y&R certainly does have the right people paired up with the correct significant other these days. Who better than Chelsea to help try to keep Adam on the straight and narrow so that Adam and Billy don’t become the next Victor and Jack? Is there a more supportive partner than Sally Spectra? She is regularly on top of Billy, acting as a loyal business associate and a loving partner, whose goal is for the man she loves to succeed.

Diane and Jack certainly had their struggles over the years, back to when he was married to Phyllis, and he learned that he was Kyle’s father. We thought they’d never get back together, especially after, you know, Diane was killed. The show asked us to take a huge leap to believe that Diane and Deacon faked her death. And Diane purposely stayed away all those years, letting Kyle grow up without a mom? Seriously? Well, some leaps are worth taking.

Diane’s return has paid great dividends. She’s firmly established as the love of Jack’s life and his partner in both their personal and professional lives. Diane and Jack have each other’s backs. Their tight union is evidenced by their mutual support of their son, Kyle.

We hardly ever hear her detractors point out that Diane faked her death and stayed away for many years. That’s just as well. The character was too valuable to lose, and Diane’s return proves that soap opera viewers will go on any journey if the actors/characters commit to making it work.

Phyllis never gives up

Genoa City may feel tame while Phyllis and Victor are overseas at Dumas’s gala. Do we need to explain why? Phyllis never fails to entertain us. She has no plan to win over Dumas, and she has no tools – unless you count unbridled passion, enthusiasm, and determination to get what she wants. Watching Phyllis go after something she wants is like watching Wile E. Coyote pursuing the Road Runner. No matter how many times an ACME product blows up in her face, Phyllis keeps coming back, more determined than ever to reach her goal.

Phyllis surprised us a bit this week when she showed a vulnerable side by telling Tessa she was thankful that she was able to help Daniel. She made time to give Sally a hard time and also attack her all-time favorite target, Christine, before leaving town. Phyllis probably doesn’t want to get back together with her ex-husband, Danny, but the sight of Christine will always set her off.

Victor, victorious

Nobody plays cat and mouse better than Victor Newman. He had meetings with Audra and Chelsea this past week. Each woman thought that they could emerge as a partial victor with Victor. Sorry, ladies. Nobody plays games better than the mustached mogul!

Victor is successful at beating his enemies in no small part due to the pauses he takes in his conversations with his adversaries. Audra raved about how well her company was coming along, hoping that Victor would respond positively because there’s a financial aspect, we assume, to his backing her venture.

Victor deftly changed the subject and asked how Audra’s plan with Kyle was coming along. Audra pretended it was all systems go, but Victor didn't give her an inch. Nothing less than satisfying him totally will suffice.

“You will have to do better than that, okay? Otherwise, this whole endeavor is for not,” Victor calmly but effectively communicated to Audra after he witnessed her failing to win over Kyle at the Genoa City Athletic Club. A scolding like that is like being reprimanded by your grade school principal!

Chelsea, an experienced con artist, didn’t fare much better against Victor. She did her best to convince Victor that Dumas was, in reality, Tucker McCall. Sure, it was a valid theory – one that others have had. But you can’t beat Victor at the information game. He took the wind out of Chelsea’s sails by letting her know that Tucker was languishing in a prison in India. Whether he is or not, we don’t know for certain. But Victor convinced Chelsea that he knew more than she did.

Fortunately, for Chelsea, Victor was amused by her gutsy approach. He warned her to back Adam and not Billy, as a courtesy. We suspect that the next time he has to remind her to do that, he won’t be so gentle.

Who is Aristotle Dumas?

The mystery of Dumas has been going on for months. Slowly, the show has been giving us bits of information. We know (likely) he’s not Tucker. But is he Cane? Someone else that viewers already know? We also saw Mariah open up a bit about what happened to her while she was out of town. She revealed she drank too much, but what else went on? Stay tuned!

Story movement

There was also progress in terms of Damian’s relationship with Lily. He's attracted to her, and she’s slowly but surely starting to trust Damian. At the least, she’s starting to like him a bit more. Damian gifting Lily with a book on the history of jazz was a touching gift. It touched Lily’s heart.

Holden got some nice character development this week, too. He showed his vulnerability to Audra, only to be shot down. Hurt by Damian’s firing of him, Holden lashed out at his buddy. Holden could go in a lot of different directions right now. He might be the man who helps Audra pick up the pieces if and when her alliance with Victor blows up in her face!

Viva La France!

Next week's shows – with our heroes, heroines, friends, and foes all in France – are set to be must-see TV. The fashions alone will be worth tuning in to see! We do have to suspend our belief that savvy business people are walking into a potential lion’s den. They’re spending at least tens of thousands of dollars on private jets, and they’re taking time away from their businesses at home to attend Dumas’s gala. But soap viewers love watching characters get dressed to the nines and all be in the same room, trading quips as secrets are revealed!

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