The Young and the Restless Recap for Monday, December 2, 2024: Kyle makes a decision about returning to Jabot

At Crimson Lights, Summer presented Phyllis with a scone and coffee, and she offered to switch seats to keep Phyllis from feeling the draft when the door opened. Phyllis asked why Summer was making such a fuss when Phyllis had been given a clean bill of health. Summer shuddered at the thought of seeing her mother still and quiet in the hospital when Phyllis was usually a force of nature. Phyllis vowed to stop being quiet if it made Summer feel better, and she declared that she was back to her old self and ready to fight every fight that came her way. Sharon entered the coffeehouse, and Phyllis glared at her.

Phyllis referred to the draft Summer had mentioned. “There it is,” Phyllis muttered. She couldn’t believe Sharon had the gall to show her face around town. Phyllis loudly bet that Sharon would love to pretend Phyllis didn’t exist, but she declared herself alive, well, and ready to make Sharon’s life “hell.” Sharon calmly insisted that she was glad Phyllis was alive and feeling like her old self again. Phyllis questioned whether Sharon was going to pretend she hadn’t tried to kill her.

Summer suggested that she and Phyllis keep their distance, but Phyllis spat that Sharon didn’t scare her. “What are you going to do? Kill me like you did, Heather?” Phyllis testily asked. Summer urged Phyllis to tread lightly since they didn’t know what Sharon was capable of. Phyllis ranted that Sharon was completely unhinged, and she wondered if she would kill her in broad daylight in front of witnesses. Summer suggested that she and Phyllis leave, but Phyllis felt Sharon owed her answers.

Sharon wished she could explain what she’d done and why she’d done it. Phyllis sarcastically found it fortuitous that Sharon had blacked out, painting a beautiful picture of her being a victim again. Sharon recognized that she’d hurt Phyllis and her family, and Phyllis questioned why Sharon wouldn’t take responsibility for it instead of making up excuses for her actions. Sharon wished she could remember, and Phyllis assumed Sharon was laying the groundwork for her defense.

Phyllis accused Sharon of manipulating others to make excuses for her, but she refused to be shut up. Phyllis raged that Sharon had crossed the line and deserved to go to prison for the rest of her life. Sharon swore she felt a great amount of remorse, but Phyllis ordered her not to apologize. Phyllis vowed to never forget or forgive, and she hoped Michael’s defense failed in court. If Sharon got off, Phyllis said she would seek her out to get justice – and she would show no mercy.

Sharon conceded that there was no defense for what she’d done, and the only thing she could do was try to show remorse. Phyllis questioned who Sharon’s performance was for since there was no judge and jury present, and neither Phyllis nor Summer believed anything Sharon was saying. Summer tried to pull Phyllis away, but Phyllis refused to calm down when Sharon was getting away with murder. Wagging a finger in Sharon’s face, Phyllis warned Sharon not to pretend to be the victim or claim to be insane. Phyllis pledged to make sure Sharon didn’t get away with it. Sharon confirmed that Phyllis was right.

Sharon declared that she was ready to take full responsibility for all the crimes she’d committed, but Phyllis hesitated to take her word for it. Sharon professed that she wanted to do everything she could to help Phyllis’ family heal, but Phyllis demanded actions and not just words. Phyllis proposed that Sharon fire Michael and plead guilty to make sure the court showed no more mercy than Sharon had shown Daniel and Heather. Phyllis continued that Sharon should serve her sentence in full so no one else in town had to experience the pain of being in her presence. “That’s enough!” Michael bellowed as he entered the coffeehouse.

Phyllis informed Michael that he’d lost a client because Sharon intended to plead guilty and pay for her crimes. Michael argued that Sharon was still his client no matter what she decided to plead, and she still needed someone to represent her interests in court. Phyllis expressed disappointment in him, but Michael thought their friendship had suffered worse trials. Phyllis spat that she could never forgive his betrayal, and she couldn’t figure out which one of them repulsed her more. Phyllis started to leave, but she stopped and noted that Sharon hadn’t yet explained her motive.

Michael instructed Sharon to ignore Phyllis, but Phyllis imagined that it all went back to one horrific night years earlier. Sharon cited the night Phyllis’ child had made it home alive, and Sharon’s hadn’t. Phyllis guessed that all the things Sharon had done had been an attempt to get over the pain and grief of losing Cassie. Sharon agreed that it had a lot to do with it. Phyllis acknowledged that Sharon had gotten justice for her kid, and she promised to fight just as hard to get justice for hers. Phyllis walked out.

Michael said he was sorry for what Phyllis had put Sharon through, but Sharon sympathized that Phyllis had every right to be upset. Sharon added that she had no right to defend herself, but Michael argued that everyone had the right to a defense. Sharon found it ludicrous to hide behind the protection of the law after she’d broken it so many times. Michael implored her to let him do it as her attorney while she got her life back on track.

Sharon stood by her decision to plead guilty, but Michael advised her not to take rash action after an emotional confrontation. Sharon realized that wanting to do right by Cassie had led her to do all kinds of wrong, and she needed to take responsibility to honor Cassie and her goodness. Sharon adamantly stated that she didn’t need a trial because she wanted to plead guilty to all charges and go straight to prison.

Outside Society, Jack told Diane how much he’d hated hiding their affection for one another from the world. She cooed that they had to make up for lost time, and they kissed. She groaned when she looked through the restaurant window and spotted Nikki and Victor dining inside. Jack urged Diane not to let Victor get her down, but she asserted that it would make her day to ruin Victor’s. Diane griped that Victor had thought he’d pulled the rug out from under her with Glissade, but saving Kyle had been worth any price. Jack suggested they ruin Victor’s day together, and he led her inside.

Nikki voiced surprise to see Jack and Diane together, and Victor commented that misery loved company. “I see the cat has ordered the canary for breakfast,” Jack quipped as he and Diane walked by. Diane huffed that Victor thought he’d been “so damn clever,” but Victor feigned ignorance. Nikki was curious about the lack of animosity between Jack and Diane, and she inquired whether they had reconciled. Jack confirmed that he and Diane were very much together, and it was all because of their son.

Victor doubted Kyle had gotten his parents back together after they’d done everything in their power to tear him apart. Jack snapped, saying that Victor had been the one to hurt Kyle by using him to try to get payback for what Jack had done to help Nikki. Victor barked that if he’d wanted payback, Jack wouldn’t have seen it coming. Diane called Victor a coward for stabbing people behind their backs. Victor surmised she was upset about the Glissade deal.

Diane chided Victor for leaving her with an empty shell, but Victor found it fitting because she was an empty shell of a person. Diane inquired whether Victor had gutted the company when Kyle had believed he was still in charge. Jack accused Victor of setting Kyle up to fail, but Victor retorted that Kyle’s parents had done that to their son. Victor wished them luck trying to figure out his motives. Jack huffed that Victor seemed to think he’d bested them, but the chess match wasn’t over yet.

Nikki observed that Jack and Diane appeared to be “so together” again, and Victor pondered whether the couple had really been fighting or if they’d been putting on a show to fool him. Victor stated that it didn’t matter because the Abbott family was still in turmoil. Victor taunted that failure was part of the Abbotts’ genetic makeup, and both Kyle and Billy were fitting in. Jack warned that he wouldn’t count Billy out and that Kyle was poised to do great things after getting out from under Victor’s toxic influence. Victor mocked Jack for pretending to stand up for his son after a lifetime of putting Kyle down.

After retreating to a table, Jack remarked to Diane that Victor was being ugly because he’d failed to destroy their relationship with Kyle. Diane lamented that Kyle hadn’t forgiven them, and Victor had done his best to rub salt in the wound. Jack contended that they knew Kyle better than Victor did, and Kyle would eventually forgive them and rejoin the family. Jack noted that a few weeks earlier, he never would have predicted that Kyle would be at Thanksgiving dinner, and he suspected the mess would be behind them by Christmas. Diane reached for his hand.

Nikki scowled at how cozy Jack and Diane seemed after the scene they’d caused at Abby’s wedding, and she surmised the vitriol had been a ruse. Victor barked that the two deserved one another. Nikki hated that Jack was stuck with Diane, and she asked if Victor regretted what he’d done to Kyle. Victor replied that he didn’t regret a “damn thing.” Nikki sensed that there was more to it than Victor was saying.

Nikki approached Jack and Diane and lectured that for a nanosecond, she’d thought Jack had regained his senses. Nikki sighed that one could always hope, and she stalked off. Jack chalked Nikki’s attitude up to not liking to be fooled. Diane was pleased they’d gotten the best of Nikki with their show, but she wondered if it had worked. Diane pondered whether they’d saved Kyle from Victor at the expense of losing their son themselves.

Jack encouraged Diane to have faith, but she wailed that she couldn’t lose Kyle again. Jack received a text message confirming that a few deals had closed. He revealed that when he’d first heard the former owner of Glissade was selling all the company’s divisions, he’d had someone buy them on his behalf. Jack crowed that in Victor’s haste to get rid of Glissade’s assets, Jack had bought them for pennies on the dollar, and the company was very much whole again. Diane squealed that he was brilliant, and she was lucky to be the one who got to love him. Jack reveled in not letting Victor have the last laugh.

At Chancellor, Esther greeted Victor and Nikki as the new owners, but she grappled with what to call the company. Victor stressed that it always had been and always would be Chancellor. Esther thought Katherine would have loved that her best friend was running her empire. Esther hoped the Newmans would let her stay on as the receptionist. Nikki assured Esther that Katherine wouldn’t have had it any other way.

Victor observed that Nikki had made her office her own. Nikki pointed out the gifts her family had given her on her first day as CEO, and she pulled out a framed photo of Katherine to add to them. Victor murmured that he missed their good friend, but he knew Nikki would honor Katherine’s legacy. Nikki gushed that she never should have doubted that Victor would get Chancellor for her because he always got what he set his mind to. Victor stressed that he did when it involved her, and they embraced.

Victor snapped photos of Nikki sitting in the executive chair, and he planned to send them to everyone in the family. Nikki marveled that it felt right, and Victor insisted it was. “I am ready to take on the world!” Nikki proclaimed. Victor commented that the world better watch out.

In Chancellor Park, Kyle had a flashback to Jack and Diane explaining their plan to fake their breakup to save him from Victor. Claire called Kyle’s name, and he said he was glad she’d found him. She appreciated him trying to put on a happy face, but she clucked that he didn’t have to pretend because she knew it wasn’t. Claire assumed that Kyle had been thinking about his parents, noting that things had seemed tense when she’d left the Abbott house.

Kyle relayed that his mom had offered to leave Jabot and give him the co-CEO job back to repair the damage she’d done to their relationship. Claire thought it sounded wonderful but sensed Kyle didn’t feel the same way. He conceded that he wanted what his parents were offering, but he wasn’t sure he could accept it because he didn’t know if it was a sincere gesture or just another manipulation. Claire wasn’t sure of Diane’s intentions, so she had to go based on what she’d seen while watching Kyle and Diane together. Kyle compared it to having front-row seats to a prize fight where the competitors knew how to hurt one another.

Claire pointed out that there wouldn’t be hurt if there wasn’t love there, and Diane seemed sincere. Kyle questioned where the sincerity had been when Diane had pretended her marriage to Jack was disintegrating. Kyle pondered whether he could trust what his parents said and did. Claire recalled that she’d been raised by someone who’d been masterful at pretending to be sincere, and Kyle imagined Diane could give Jordan a run for her money. Claire insisted that Diane was nothing like Jordan. Claire added that it was easier to fake anger than love or heartbreak – and she’d seen the latter two from his mom.

Claire recounted that Kyle had put up a wall of anger against Summer to protect himself, but he’d decided to let that wall down. Kyle explained that he’d wanted what was best for Harrison. Claire considered it likely that Jack and Diane wanted what was best for Kyle, too. Kyle changed the topic and asked how the rest of Claire’s Thanksgiving had been.

Claire reported that she’d loved the big plates and small talk. Kyle loved how she lit up when she talked about the things most people took for granted, and she figured that family holiday stuff was new to her. He insisted that she deserved to be surrounded by love and family. Claire mused that she hadn’t believed in it before, but Kyle told her to believe it. They kissed.

Later, Kyle and Claire entered the Abbott mansion, clearly hoping to spend time alone, but Jack warmly welcomed them. Diane asked if Kyle had given thought to their proposal to take her former position at Jabot. Kyle requested to speak to Diane alone, and they stepped out. Jack asked Claire if Kyle had given any indication of what he’d decided. Claire thought Kyle was still trying to wrap his head around everything that had happened.

In the dining room, Diane told Kyle that she’d known the plan to shake sense into him could backfire, and he called it manipulation on a grand scale. She swore that she and Jack had only been trying to push Kyle past his anger toward them, and they’d thought if Kyle had seen their marriage fall apart without him as the center, it would show him how important they all were to one another. Kyle shared that he’d felt for his dad when he’d seen Jack in pain. He stressed how twisted the plan had been.

Diane defended that she and Jack had needed to do something, noting that seeing Victor pull Kyle in had crushed Jack. Diane added that she and Jack had hoped their plan would enable Kyle to get back to feeling the love they had for him and perhaps the love he still had for them. Diane regretted that her failure as a mother was at the core of Kyle’s sense of betrayal and anger. Kyle recalled that she’d leaned into it by pretending to be everything he hated about her.

Diane swore it had killed her to do it, but she’d needed Victor to believe she was out for revenge to stop Victor from using Kyle to hurt Jack by making Kyle fail. Kyle grumbled that it had succeeded on all fronts, but Diane pointed out that Kyle was free of Victor because of what she and Jack had done. Kyle countered that it had made him hate her all over again, and she’d had to know there might not be any bouncing back from it. Diane considered it worth the risk because as much as she’d hurt him, Victor had stood to hurt him more. Diane cried that she would give up anything to save Kyle – even his love for her.

Meanwhile, Jack contemplated whether he and Diane had only managed to push Kyle away forever. Claire soothed that they’d also given Kyle a chance to love them again. Diane and Kyle returned to the room. Kyle announced that he understood and accepted what his parents had tried to do, but he didn’t condone it because it had caused a lot of damage.

Kyle also acknowledged that perhaps he hadn’t given Jack and Diane any other choice after he’d wrongfully chosen his anger over his love. Diane asked where they went from there. Kyle pledged to try to put the hard feelings behind them. He declared that he would be honored to accept their proposal and return to the family company. Kyle and his parents embraced.

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