The Young & Restless Death We All Saw Coming But *Still* Aren’t Prepared For — Plus, How It Will Impact Dina’s Loved Ones
Get your tissues ready; it’s going to be an emotional week!
Admit it: On some level, you hoped that The Young and the Restless’ Dina might be the recipient of a miracle cure. Sure, it would have been unrealistic, as any family who has dealt with Alzheimer’s will tell you. But Genoa City isn’t the real world, so collectively, we held out hope. But the sad journey which began with Dina’s diagnosis reaches its tearful, inevitable conclusion when this week, the Abbott matriarch — as played on and off since 1984 by Marla Adams — passes away.
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If there is a bright side to Dina’s final months, it is that she has been able to reconnect with her family. This is no small feat, given that her abandonment of the clan when Jack, Ashley and Traci were children left deep scars on their hearts. When first Dina returned to Genoa City after years away, things with her offspring were… well, the word “strained” doesn’t begin to describe the situation. It didn’t help when Ashley discovered that she and her mother had shared a lover in Eric Garrison, let alone that she was not Jack and Traci’s sibling but the illegitimate daughter of another of Dina’s playmates, Brent Davis. (Though rocked to the core by this revelation, Ashley kept the secret from John, allowing him to go to his grave without ever finding out that the ties which bound them were of the heart but not the blood.)
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When Dina again re-entered the lives of her children in 2017, Ashley not only refused to reconnect with her mother but resented Jack and Traci for attempting to do so. But everything changed when Dina stabbed Nikki, prompting Jack to take his mother to a doctor in an effort to discern the cause of her increasingly erratic behavior. It was then that Dina received her Alzheimer’s diagnosis, changing everything for the family with whom she’d long had so complex a relationship.
Ultimately, the story has proven the power of love. Like so many in the audience, the Abbott family circled the wagons in order to deal with Dina’s crisis. Now, however, no amount of love can cure what ails her, so we will this week join her loved ones in preparing for the end, as previewed in the video below.
Except, this being a soap, it’s not really the end, is it? Just as Dina will be going to the hereafter, her children will find themselves having to find out what happens here, after she passes on. Already, we saw Dina’s offspring having to deal with not only her decline but also the fact that their family tree had sprouted an unexpected branch in her grandson, Theo. With his closest tie to the clan now gone, will Theo wind up drifting away from the Abbotts? Or might Dina’s death help cousins Theo and Kyle at long last deal with the resentments, jealousies and ill will which were causing them to butt heads long before discovering their familial connection?
For Ashley, Dina’s death could lead to some serious self-reflection. How will she reconcile the fact that she is so much like her mother, with both having often chosen to pursue triumphs in business over a fulfilling home and family life? Perhaps the loss of her mother will finally lead Ashley to examine her priorities. Traci, too, could use a push down this particular path. Sure, she’s had great success in the publishing world, but her dating life has been practically non-existent. How refreshing would it be for The Young and the Restless to take this opportunity to show the audience — many of whom would likely say they relate to Traci more than anyone else on the canvas — that adventure, excitement and love can be found at any age?
And then, of course, there is Jack and his attempt to reunite Dina with the Teardrop of Love necklace before it is too late. His efforts to locate the bauble have led him from one unlikely source of information (Lauren) to another (Victor), but will his quest prove successful before time runs out? And could this trip into his mother’s past actually be leading him — as many viewers suspect — into the arms of a future significant other? Something tells us it’s not a coincidence that just before beginning this quest, Jack had decided it was time for him to find love again. (Far past time, if you ask us!)
Share your thoughts on the storyline — and memories of your favorite Dina moments — in the comments. Then visit the gallery below to see if you agree that Jack should find love with one of these lovely ladies.
