Villains, murder, and heartbreak… oh my! 😱 It’s time for the #YR Year In Review… plus, a look at what’s coming! From Sharon’s Hair-Raising Ordeals to Matt Clark’s Return — Plus, What’s Ahead In the New Year
As 2025 kicked off on The Young and the Restless, Sharon believed she’d killed Heather, Ian and Jordan were back on the scene, Claire got a makeover to go work with her Gram, and we got our first glimpse of Nate’s new brother, Damian, in Los Angeles. Except he wasn’t really Damian. As we ring out the year, there’s still a lot we don’t know about Holden, Matt Clark’s back in town, and the Abbotts and Newmans are once again locked in battle.
Sharon’s Ordeal(s)
Having no idea she was being drugged with PCP by Ian and Jordan, Sharon was hallucinating Dead Cameron and certain she had bludgeoned Heather to death and flung her body into the river. It turned out that was only partially true. She did dispose of the body, but it was later revealed that Ian and Jordan had offed the attorney and set up Sharon to take the fall. Even after she realized she was innocent, Sharon wound up chained to a pipe in the sewer. Happily, she had a bit of a break before Martin Laurent captured her and Phyllis and locked them up together in an abandoned psychiatric clinic.
Romeo and Juliet
Claire had a tumultuous year, what with killing Aunt Jordan with poisoned tea, her father Cole passing away and her grandfather trying every move in the book to come between her and her beloved Kyle. The Newman patriarch was back on hating the Abbotts thanks to Jack helping Nikki (make it make sense!) so he promised Audra a company of her own in exchange for coming between them. As it turned out, Kyle did Victor’s work for him by lying to Claire about his encounter with Audra in France.
Nate’s New Brother
It’s been a whirlwind year for Nate, who found and lost a brother, and gained a mother figure in Amy. When we were first introduced to Damian, it was actually his right-hand man, Holden, playing stand-in. When the real Damian showed himself, it turned out he was a man of mystery with a chip on his shoulder where his mom was concerned. He quickly thawed toward his family members and fell for Lily, only to be murdered on the grounds of his boss’ chateau in Nice.
A Love…Square?
Chelsea and Adam blew up their respective relationships with Billy and Sally by cheating on them and then covering it up. Once Sally dumped Adam, telling him he still had feelings for his ex, it was time for a swap. Adam ended up back with Chelsea (and moving into the old ranch with her and Connor), and Sally and Billy’s commiseration turned to love… and, of course, business.
Dumas, Dumas, Dumas
For months on end, everyone in Genoa City questioned the real identity of a business mogul named Aristotle Dumas, including his employees, Damian and Holden. When half the town was invited to Dumas’ chateau in Nice, France, we got a reveal at long last. The mystery man was none other than Lily’s ex-husband Cane Ashby, who had somehow shed his Aussie accent and gained a billion dollar empire. This didn’t go over well with anyone, particularly when Chance also died at the hands of the tycoon’s loony assistant, and Ashby’s plans to take over every business in Genoa City with a nefarious AI program were revealed. OK, we lied. Billy and Phyllis were intrigued.
Traci’s Heartbreak
Jack’s sister was shattered to discover not only that her lover, Alan Laurent, was actually his demented twin brother, Martin, but that he’d taken Sharon and Phyllis captive and put them through a series of traumatizing riddles in a bid to stay alive. Just being together was torture enough in the beginning, at least until they began to work through their issues and work together. As fascinating as the experiment was, Laurent planned to gas them to death as a grand finale, but Billy and Nick ran to their rescue.
A Stunning Split
If you’re wondering why Ian Ward returned to town and went after Sharon, it was to isolate Mariah, the true object of his obsession. Much to Mariah’s chagrin, he managed to charm Tessa, which caused a crack in their marriage. That crack broke wide open when Mariah came home from a work trip having done something too horrible to admit, and told Tessa they had to separate. It turned out Mariah nearly killed a man who reminded her of Ian on a drunken night at a hotel. Tessa wanted to work through it together, but Mariah signed herself into a clinic in Boston to sort herself out. Ian, who everyone wrongly assumed died at Victor’s hand after taking a bullet, later showed up to taunt her.
Second Time’s the Charm
Danny and Christine finally put the curse of Phyllis behind them and tied the knot in a lovely wedding event held at the Athletic Club and attended by old favorites such as his sister, Gina, and her bestie, Nina. But never fear, Phyllis was sure to stop by and propose a toast!
Claire Gone Wild
When Nate dumped girlfriend Audra after learning of her deal with Victor to hurt Kyle, we thought she might hook up with Holden, with whom she had a connection from the past. Alas, it was Holden and Claire who found themselves drawn to one another and took off to see the sights in Los Angeles, topping it off with a sexy romp in her hotel room. As an added bonus for Claire, she got some dirt on Audra when Holden revealed that she’d stolen some money from a rich jerk and shared it with him in exchange for keeping quiet. It all happened at a bar that was owned by none other than the next villain to return from the dead…
Noah’s Peril
Just as Nick and Sharon began to settle into the idea of a romantic reconciliation, they learned that Noah had been critically injured in a car crash in Los Angeles… caused deliberately. When Sharon went to grill the owner of the bar where Noah was seen before the incident, she came face to face with none other than her rapist, Matt Clark. It was shocking to say the least considering we’d seen him pull the plug on himself years before in a bid to frame Nick for his murder. Anyway, it turned out Matt, who was going by the name Mitch Bacall, was married to Sienna, who was having an affair with Noah, who was cheating on poor Allie. Oh, what a tangled web…
What’s Coming
As we close out 2025, Kyle’s contemplating a clean break with Claire, which is odd because she already considers herself single. She’s focused on getting vengeance on Audra, whose secret with Holden involves covering up the death of the rich jerk. It’s only a matter of time before it comes out! Jack, meanwhile, is focused on saving Jabot, thanks to Phyllis stealing her lover Cane’s AI program and handing it over to The Mustache in hopes of getting the cosmetics firm for herself. Unsurprisingly, that backfired and she’s trying to do damage control by re-teaming with Cane, who is caught between his passion for the redhead and his true love for Lily.
Nikki and Victor are at odds over his war with Jack, Chelsea’s trying to pry Adam away from his father, Billy and Sally have launched Abbott Communications, and Victoria is moving on with Nate. Noah’s new love, Sienna, has gone missing, which has set up a confrontation between Matt Clark and Nick. As for Mariah, she remains at the clinic while her estranged wife, Tessa, moves on with Daniel. A curious move, given that she’d declared herself gay on screen, but we’re rolling with it, given their chemistry.
