Toasting to a Bright Future: The Young and the Restless Two Scoops for the week of March 24, 2025

What a week on The Young and the Restless with Sharon and Phyllis still dealing with the fallout of their ordeal, the Newmans gathering for a joyous event, and a beloved favorite getting some well-deserved screentime!

The Clinic Aftermath

Y&R wasted no time in giving viewers what they wanted last week. At Society, Sharon and Daniel cleared the air. As hard as it was for Daniel to separate Sharon's actions from what truly happened regarding Heather's murder, he managed to do just that. Did Sharon handle things the right way? No. Was she guilty of not handling the aftermath the right way? Yes.

Daniel and Sharon waded into sensitive waters carefully. Daniel was sympathetic to Sharon and Phyllis's ordeal and showed interest in what it was all about. Daniel asked Phyllis a question. Is she truly moving on from her animosity towards Sharon?

It's the question we're all wondering. And it's one we're still getting answered. Sharon and Phyllis's trauma over being kidnapped and nearly dying isn't going to be forgotten any time soon. We're watching both women try to keep it together as they try to move forward with their lives.

Have they each received an official PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) diagnosis? They don't need to get that! We can see each of them handling it differently. Sharon, a trained therapist, is more cerebral about the whole thing. But she still has her moments. Phyllis is more reactive. She's giving Sharon a break but not her captor. There won't be any turning of the other cheek if and when she finds herself alone with Alan (or Martin, as Jack and Traci suspect).

Is Change Possible?

Phyllis isn't just trying to be a more confrontational person with Sharon — we saw her trying to make peace with Diane. Understandably, Diane was guarded and, in turn, was ready to fire back zingers at Phyllis. How could she trust that Phyllis would turn over a new leaf? And even if she was more cordial to Sharon, why would that extend to Diane? Or anyone else?

The fun part is watching Phyllis try. She's almost surprising herself with her behavior. She's being open about her feelings, which is what soaps are all about. Phyllis wants to know what she'll be left with if and when she's able to move on from her hatred of Sharon. She may be out of the room she and Sharon were kept in, but, in a sense, she's still in a prison.

What's fascinating is that Sharon and Phyllis finally have a common goal, and it's not just wringing the neck of their captor. We don't know what Alan's (or whoever he is) goal was in trapping the two of them, nearly killing them. If it were to force them to get along and move past their animosity, um, well, it kind of worked. Or at least the two women are willing to give getting along a shot.

Think about it. Sharon and Phyllis being cordial to each other? The implications boggle the mind. They're still human, though. If Nick were to remarry one of them could the other truly let it go?

Feels Like Home

Can we just say that the biggest gift Y&R has given viewers in recent months is the return of the Newman ranch? Victor and Nikki are the show's premiere couple, and they deserve to have a set that befits their status. Sure, the door is on the other side from where it was originally in the old ranch — but there's a staircase for Nikki to descend and a foyer through which visitors can enter!

The living area is also big enough so that when characters from larger group scenes want to break off and have more intimate talks, they don't have to go far, and they can speak privately. The show makes great use of this beloved, rejuvenated set.

The Newmans don't have to argue every time they gather. Victor, Nikki, Victoria, and Nick were upbeat about Chelsea and Adam's news that they're back together. Are Nikki and Adam ever going to be BFFs? No. We loved seeing the subtle skepticism Nikki had over Adam and Chelsea and how she shared that with Victor both in a group scene and privately.

The "Christian" Thing To Do

Kudos to Y&R for the Christian shout-out. We haven't forgotten that Nick is raising the biological son of his half-brother, Adam, and the late Sage. Someday, we expect to see Connor and Christian on the battlefield in the boardroom and as they fight over the love of the same woman. Oh, sure, it's not definite, but it's a likely story path. Keeping Christian's name alive is a smart idea, so his likely reintroduction in physical form won't come as a big surprise.

The Newman Ranch isn't the only set that's giving us a warm, familiar feeling. The Genoa City Athletic Club (GCAC) has been back for a while, and we hope it never, ever, ever, goes away again. It looks spacious and open.

A mogul like Victor (there's only one Victor) and a savvy, rich attorney like Michael shouldn't be having meetings in coffee shops or other unlikely places. They belong in a lavish set surrounded by opulence. They need to stir their coffee with a choice of three different spoons — not coffee shop wooden sticks.

Y&R has always been a good-looking — no, make that great-looking — show, and it appears to have upped that in recent months.

Familiar Dynamics

Soap operas are all about relationships. Michael has long been one of Victor's most loyal confidants, so he's the perfect person to be the one in which Victor confides about Dumas. We see Michael filing away every bit of information that Victor shares. Victor's always lining up his allies, and he knows Michael will be there for him.

It was also great seeing Victor meet with Lily at the Newman Rach and share his information with her. Victor admired Lily's late father, Neil, and it's good to see that dynamic continue with Neil's daughter.

We see wealthy Genoa City citizens populating the background. This helps give scenes some extra energy and vitality. Characters make entrances through the revolving door and step down the stairs. It's a bit jarring when sets don't have noticeable entryways and characters end up saying, "I just let myself in." The extra space that these larger sets take up is 100% worth it to viewers.

Love Is In The Air

Something else that Y&R seems to be highlighting these days is romance. We watched Billy, Adam, Sally, and Chelsea go back and forth as they figured out their love lives. Now that Sally and Billy are together, as are Chelsea and Adam, there's still plenty of drama.

Smart Moves

Sometimes, soaps just shuffle kids off to boarding school once custody and paternity are established, but Connor remains a big presence in his parents' lives. They regularly talk about his OCD and how he's doing. Like Chelsea and Adam, we wondered how Connor was going to take the news of his parents' reconciliation. Surprise! He thinks it's great!

The show surprised us with a Tessa appearance! We almost didn't recognize her with blonde hair, so — scripted or not — it was good to hear Daniel comment on it. Then, we could move into the scene with them and not be wondering, "Who's that blonde woman with Daniel?"

Tessa doled out some words of wisdom. Her brief appearance just made us want to see even more of her and Mariah. Representation matters, and they're are all kinds of families. Daniel told Tessa that Mariah was lucky to have her. We'd be lucky to see more of Mariah and Tessa and their daughter. They need to have their own story, not just pop up for family gatherings and impromptu therapy sessions.

"Traci, You in Danger, Girl"

We love, love, love that Traci is in a front-burner storyline. The sibling dynamic between Jack and his younger sister is heartwarming. Traci's headed for heartbreak, and she pretty much knows it. And how great is it that Chance is back as a detective and not playing another executive in town? Traci must feel like she's a character in one of her novels — but what she's facing is very real!

Putting a beloved fan favorite in danger is one surefire way to keep veteran viewers on the edge of their seats.

There weren't many background players at Crimson Lights when Jack and Traci were having their discussion about Alan. That's totes cool! Given the nature of their discussion, it was best had alone. And we appreciate the show loading up other scenes in other sets (GCAC, Society, etc.) with patrons. Our favorites can't exist in ghost towns. We need to believe they're living in a city with other people in it. Y&R does a great job of that!

We're not suggesting that Nate give up his aspirations in the business world, but we'd be okay if someone on the scene was a physician to help tend to medical needs in a timely fashion. Maybe Elena could pop up more often? Or Nate's mom Olivia could return to town and check back in at Genoa City Memorial? But we've got our regular lawman back in Chance, and for that, we are very grateful.

Y&R did an excellent job this week of building anticipation over revealing the identity of Alexander Dumas (that can't be his real name, right?) Billy and Victor have their feelings about the man. Billy is playing what he knows about Dumas incredibly close to his vest...and we want to know why. Michael, Sally, and Phyllis don't know much about Dumas, but they do know that he's someone who could make a huge impact on all of their lives!

Until next time...!