The Young and the Restless comings and goings: Ray Wise and Colleen Zenk unite as Y&R's Ian Ward and Aunt Jordan

Viewers of The Young and the Restless were in for a shock on Thursday, November 14, when Ian Ward (Ray Wise) and Aunt Jordan (Colleen Zenk) appeared on their screens.

In a week of flashbacks and memories, thanks in part to Victor recreating the original ranch house as a gift for Nikki and a surprise venue for Abby and Devon’s wedding, two characters from Y&R's past were able to stun viewers by not only resurfacing but by working together.

Evil minds collide on The Young and the Restless

On Wednesday’s episode, Phyllis received a text from Sharon’s number, saying that she couldn’t take it anymore and wanted to confess but needed to strike a deal with Phyllis first. Sharon’s message requested that Phyllis meet her at Sharon’s house. Phyllis didn’t tell anyone (in fact, she lied to Daniel that it was the wrong number), jumped in her car, and sped over to the ranch.

Meanwhile, Sharon was looking for her phone at Crimson Lights but couldn’t find it. She told Faith it was probably at home, and she was headed there after closing up shop.

On the way home, both women crashed. Phyllis was run off the road, and Sharon passed out while driving. Phyllis was unconscious and taken to the hospital. Thinking she had caused Phyllis’ crash, Sharon panicked and called Nick.

However, at the end of the episode, viewers see Jordan Howard enter a motel room and tell Ian Ward that “it’s done” and everything has gone exactly according to their plan.

Who is Ian Ward on The Young and the Restless?

Ian Ward first appeared on the show in 2014. He was Nikki Newman’s former cult leader and lover, and for a while, Nikki thought he was the father of Dylan McAvoy. Aside from his history with Nikki, Ian also raised Sharon’s daughter Mariah in his cult, and she considered him her father. At Ian’s command, a woman named Helen stole Mariah when she was born, and it wasn’t for many years that Sharon even knew she existed.

Ian has come and gone from Y&R a few times. At one point, he was working with Adam Newman (Mark Grossman, then-Justin Hartley) to bring down Victor. Phyllis had met Ian when he was disguised as “Fred,” but it was all part of his plan while working on a project called Paragon.

Ian crossed paths and made enemies with Victor Newman and Dylan McAvoy — Sharon’s ex-husband, Nikki and Paul Williams’ son, and Heather Stevens’ half-brother. After burning down Newman Tower, Ian disappeared with Paul’s sister, Patty Williams, but she was found living on the streets after Ian left her.

Who is Jordan Howard on The Young and the Restless?

As she is unaffectionately called, Aunt Jordan (Colleen Zenk) has been tied to the Newman family longer than they ever knew. Despite being the child of her nephew, Cole Howard (J. Eddie Peck), Jordan swapped Cole and Victoria’s (Amelia Heinle) baby Eve, renamed her Claire (Hayley Erin), and raised her to hate the Newmans.

Claire was an obedient helper. She spent the first couple of decades of her life researching everything she could about the Newmans to help Jordan take them down. Jordan had a long-term grudge against the Newman family. She blamed Victor for causing her to be estranged from her sister, Eve Howard (Margaret Mason), and she was never able to reconcile with her before Eve died.

In 2023, Claire helped Jordan exact revenge on Victor. She got a job working for Nikki but ended up kidnapping her and injecting her with alcohol. The plot thickened until Jordan almost killed Nikki, Victor, and Nick (Joshua Morrow).

Claire was discovered to be Victoria and Cole’s kidnapped daughter, and after she was released from the psych ward (and kidnapped by Jordan), Claire was reunited with her parents, rebuilt trust with her new family, and even changed her name to be officially Newman.

What happens next?

Jordan spent at least the last 20 years following the Newmans. Surely, she would have known about all of their troubles, including their issues with Ian Ward. Tracking him down to be a partner in crime would make sense for someone as vengeful as Jordan. Two evil people with grudges against similar people may be a surprise for fans to see together, but it is not unrealistic that they teamed up for long-term viewers. But what is Ian and Jordan's goal, and who is their main target?

Clearly, there are plenty of options, but none of them are good. The car accident looks like Sharon tried to kill Phyllis, but only we know it was Jordan who ran her off the road. Why would she want to frame Sharon?

Our best guess right now is that Ian and Jordan will be able to fill in the missing moments when Sharon was unconscious at Heather’s. Does Heather's death go all the way back to Ian’s feud with Heather’s half-brother Dylan? Does Ian hold resentment for Mariah and Sharon being close after raising her as his own?

Jordan’s original revenge plot began with Claire working with Nikki — and she’s about to again. Is Claire also in danger, or is she in on the plan?

We'll have more clues soon about where this twist is going to take us, but one thing we do know is with both Jordan and Ian in town, there won't be a dull moment, and no one is safe.

Watch full episodes of The Young and the Restless weekdays on CBS or stream on Paramount Plus.