The Young and the Restless Recap for Thursday, January 16, 2025: Claire's dark plans are revealed

At Crimson Lights, Phyllis was happy to be with Daniel. Billy walked in, and they asked him to join them. Phyllis explained that she was just telling Daniel about her and Billy’s plan to bring down the Newmans. Daniel thought it was a gutsy endeavor. He didn’t understand why they thought that this time would have a different result than any other.

Billy recognized that thinking he would fail was practically a national pastime but noted that questioning Phylis was bold. “She can basically pull off anything when she puts her mind to it,” he said. Daniel suggested that Phyllis put the energy towards something unrelated to Victor. Daniel wondered if she was fighting Billy’s fight, but Billy thought of it more as one giant step for mankind type of thing.

Daniel asked what would happen if they failed; Billy said it was not an option, but Daniel pointed out that it could happen, and Phyllis couldn’t afford to fight and lose. Billy realized Daniel wasn’t concerned that Victor was unbeatable. He thought that Billy would just fail. Daniel said win or lose, it was Billy’s fight, not Phyllis.

Daniel thought Phyllis should be putting the effort into something reasonable. Billy explained the situation at Chancellor-Abbott and why he fired Phyllis. He appreciated her loyalty and being a team again. Daniel wanted to know exactly what Billy’s plan was, but he wouldn’t divulge what it was. Phyllis reminded him they were in a public place.

Billy noted that Phyllis wanted Daniel to have a corner office, but he didn’t seem to be part of the team. Phyllis intervened, saying that she and Billy knew they could win and that it was good for all of them, including him. Daniel reminded his mom that she could work with him and have what they’re offering without Chancellor or Billy.

Phyllis was torn between working with her son and fighting Billy’s fight against Victor. Billy and Daniel about it. Daniel told Phyllis to think about it and then left to pick up Lucy. Once alone, Billy said it was clear Daniel wasn’t interested in being involved in the company when they took it back. Billy said he needed a clear answer from Phyllis about whether she was in or out.

Billy told Phyllis he trusted her and thought she deserved a top spot at Chancellor. Phyllis said she didn’t know his plan, and she should if they were in the trenches together. Billy said the best way to get to Victor was through his family, and the most obvious was Adam. Billy told Phyllis he was going to destroy Victor’s black sheep son.

Phyllis wasn’t impressed with Billy’s master plan. She reminded him she was at Restless Style when they published “Satan’s Understudy” and said everyone read “Making of a Monster.” “What are you going ot say about him that hasn’t already been said?” Phyllis asked. Billy explained it was a multi-pronged attack that would hurt Newman financially and hurt Victor personally.

Billy was sure it would all be worth it, but Phyllis looked doubtful. Billy thought it was a viable blueprint to take back what was his. Phyllis asked if he meant the company or Chelsea. “I don’t appreciate cheaters. This is not a revenge play,” Billy told her. Phyllis understood Billy’s issues with Adam but thought it all sounded like a vendetta, not a plan. “It’s a grandiose vision of a guy who’s spinning out again. That’s not good, Billy,” Phyllis said, concerned.

Nick met Victor at Society and told him that his team was great, but they didn’t have any clues yet to find Sharon. Nick shared that he warned Ian if he hurt Sharon, there would be hell to pay. Nick thought Ian wasn’t working alone and felt that if they figured out who Ian was working with, that person would lead them to Sharon.

Nick needed to know Victor’s plan for Ian. Victor said Michael Baldwin was looking into a legal way to get rid of him, while Adam would remind everyone that Ian was using Newman Media. Nick said he knew Ian was behind Sharon’s disappearance, and he could feel that time was running out. Victor promised they would find her if it was the last thing they did.

Nick shared how upset he was thinking about all the possibilities of who took Sharon and why, as well as what she was going through at the moment. He wondered if that was the plan, to torture them before they killed her. Victor told him not to go there. “I promise you. She is the mother of my grandchildren. No one is going to hurt her!” Victor bellowed. Chance messaged that the police had news. They asked him to join them.

Chance came over and said they had a big break: Sharon was on security footage of someone knocking her out, dragging her into the backseat of her car, and driving off. Victor said he would share the information with his security team. Nick told them they needed to identify the driver as soon as possible. “We find them, we find Sharon,” Nick said adamantly. Chance showed them the security footage. Victor and Nick agreed that the person looked familiar.

In the sewer, Sharon was starting to panic, needing to find a way out. She struggled to talk herself into calming down and finding the resolve to live. She stretched as hard as she could and managed to get the steel rod she spotted lying on the stairs. She tried to use it to break free from the handcuff and chain.

Claire went to the ranch house and told Nikki and Victoria that she had something to tell them, but it had to stay between the three of them, or she wouldn’t talk. “It’s a matter of life or death,” Claire said. She said they could talk it out but needed their word first. Nikki worried it was about Ian, but Claire said it was something just as bad. She shared that Jordan was in Genoa City, and she had just spoken to her face to face.

Nikki panicked and grabbed the phone to call Victor, but Victoria got her to stop and hear Claire out first. Claire said that Jordan had gotten out of jail and wasn’t going away until she got what she wanted. Claire admitted she hadn’t called the police because Jordan told her she had come back for her. Claire wasn’t sure that Jordan was there to hurt her. She thought Jordan felt pain and loneliness.

Claire explained that she told Jordan how much it meant to see her again. Nikki and Victoria were shocked. Claire explained that she had called the prison, and they said she was still there, but Jordan implied that someone had taken her place. She added how she ran into her at the coffee house and followed her to the overlook. “I couldn’t lose her, and suddenly we were face to face, and it all started pouring out of me,” Claire said.

Claire told Nikki and Victoria that she told Jordan how lonely and isolated she was and that she felt distant from the Newman family and would never fit in. Claire added she told Jordan she was the only one who would ever understand her. “Part of me will always be that person Jordan raised me to be,” Claire added. She said her instincts kicked in, and she lied.

Claire said Jordan wanted to believe everything she said to her. Nikki assured Claire that she did the right thing. Claire said that the conversation proved something to her: Jordan would never give up, she would never let Claire go, no prison could hold her, the police couldn’t catch her, and Newman security couldn’t keep her away.

Claire said there was only one way to stop Jordan for good. Victoria asked her to slow down, but Claire listed all the horrible things Jordan had done. “She’ll always be one plan away from ruining all of our lives. We will never be safe. We will never be free. And I can’t go through this again,” Claire told them. “We held back last time. That’s where we went wrong. We saved Jordan from herself, but look. She’s here. She’s back,” Claire said.

Claire said they couldn’t make the same mistake twice. All of the hatred in Jordan was still there, and she would kill again. “Jordan will never stop inflicting her evil on this world, so we have to stop her. Jordan has to die,” Claire said.

Nikki told Claire she spoke from experience and advised her that if they murdered Jordan, she would think more about her for the rest of her life. “It haunts you, and then even in death, Jordan would have won,” Nikki told her. “That would be my problem to deal with if that’s the price I have to pay to keep you all safe,” Claire said.

Nikki pleaded that Victoria couldn’t bear to lose Claire again, and she’d be in prison. Claire reasoned that Jordan didn’t just cause death; she enjoyed it, and she would kill again given the chance. Claire said she was responsible for stopping her before someone else got hurt.

“If she’s breathing, she’s coming after us. After me. And it has to stop,” Claire told Nikki and Victor. She said it was the only way, then listed off more things that Jordan had done, like setting fire to a prison and pushing Nikki’s friend in front of a car. “Everyone that we know is at risk unless we stop her forever,” Claire said. “How would we even make that happen?” Victoria asked. Claire smiled and said they could do what Jordan had planned for them and use Claire as the lure. “Come on, you have to back me up on this,” she added. Nikki and Victoria empathized but tried to talk sense into Claire. “I will not let Jordan hurt anyone else, so we can do this all together, or I am going to do it on my own. But Jordan will die,” Claire concluded.

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