- The Young and the Restless
- Soapbox

The Stunning Young & Restless Twist for Sally’s Baby That Could Turn the Show Upside-Down — Plus, Billy and Lily’s Split Irks Fans
January 2 - 6
Friday, January 6th, 2023

Credit: Howard Wise/JPI
Young & Restless has plenty going on — lots of characters in lots of scenes — and yet nothing really happens. Thoughts on the week:
Musical Partners
Unsurprisingly, Devon and Abby hooked up again and it looks as though predictions that they’ll end up living together soonish are right on the nose. They will probably be as boring as all get out together, but maybe there will be a challenge from Elena at some point if Nate keeps bonding with Victoria. Chance, meanwhile, had dinner with Sharon, and I can’t wait to see what kind of heat these two can generate together. Will the writers go there? It’s a risk, as the pairing may find more popularity than the Billy/Chelsea match they’re so keen on.
There’s just so much about this “Chelly” story that doesn’t work or feels forced. Aside from the fact that Chelsea raped Billy, she also cheated on him when they were engaged, which has never been addressed. Writing Chelsea out of character was the first misstep. Being so blatant about wanting to absolve Chelsea of any potential blame for the break up of Billy and Lily, who suddenly realized they have nothing in common after one off-screen therapy session, was also transparent. When you’re pushing an agenda fans see right through it:
I don’t like Lilliam but I’m not… what? Lily and Billy decided after one session. They absolved Chelsea of anything when she was a source of tension in Billy & Lily’s relationship? And they couldn’t break up in their home? This show misses all the small nuances. Huh? #YR
— erika (@erika_kay10) January 6, 2023
I’d have been a lot more willing to buy into this story if Chelsea had conned and connived her way into coming between Billy and Lily.
More: Jason Thompson defends ‘Chelly’
Ticking Tucker Bomb
Tucker lurking around being quirky is getting old. It’s time to put his storyline into gear. Devon realized he has a connection with Audra at least, which, if nothing else will be a setback in their relationship (unless McCall can schmooze his way out of it). It should also cause issues with Lily, who is bent on doing the IPO. I wish Jill was on the canvas for this, and — sorry, Heather — but I think Daniel will be the one to pick up the pieces when it all comes crashing down for Lily.
What is Tucker’s purpose on this show? He’s done nothing for months. #YR
— Tracey (@sweetsucre) January 4, 2023
Dirty Diane
It was amazing that Young & Restless cast James Hyde as a baddie, but the character has done less than nothing since they brought him on. Don’t tell us he’s dangerous, show us! The writers couldn’t even let Stark give Diane a loyalty test, instead, he told her, “Surprise me.” So disappointing. So, Diane is playing these hapless men (Jack, Jeremy, and Kyle) and the only ones who see it are Phyllis, Nikki, and Ashley. That’s why it was so entertaining watching Ashley lay down the law to Jack about Diane. What a fool he’s being! Maybe he should consider this:
So Diane was terrified of Stark but now isn’t. That makes no sense. #YR
— Roslyn 🦖🏀📚 (@calirozzy) January 4, 2023
Also satisfying was Summer finally wising up. It’s about time this situation caused conflict between her and Kyle, who only gets a free pass on being duped by Diane to an extent because of the complex emotions involved for him. I wished they’d gone further with their argument, but maybe next time.
Danny and Cricket
Danny and Christine’s reunion left no doubt that they still have feelings for each other. I thought it was strange that they went out of their way to have Chris say everything was hunky-dory with Paul. If they plan to bring Danny back (and whispers are saying just that), why wouldn’t they have her reveal problems in her marriage as a door opener? In any case, much of the emphasis was on their past with Phyllis, which made me wonder if the writers are planning on revisiting that ancient history. Not sure where they’d go with it at this point in time.
Sally Baby Twist
Sally’s pregnancy was confirmed and she’s clearly panicked about the whole idea of being a parent. Between her reaction to the news, her concern about it interfering with her career plans, and her conversation with Nick last week about not believing she’d make a good parent because of how she was raised, one can’t help but wonder if this is going to lead to a storyline in which she doesn’t want to keep the baby.
Of course, she’ll only be able to hide this from Adam and Nick for so long unless she decides to terminate the pregnancy. If she continues with the pregnancy, they’ll both want to know if they’re the father and will have opinions. I’ll tell you what — I’ll be watching to see if Mariah and Tessa’s arrangement with the elusive Delphine falls through. If it does, it’s a good bet that if Sally’s baby is Nick’s, there might be a decision to let “Teriah” adopt it. Why would Nick agree to this? He loves Mariah and Tessa and has already had his children. If Sally is adamant that she doesn’t want to be a parent… well, Bob’s your uncle.
With all of that said, Victor is bound to get involved. Would he want a Newman heir to be given up for adoption? Hmm.
More: Victor’s about to play dirty to get Adam back
What did you think about this week’s storylines on Young & Restless? Let me know in the comment section below.
Don’t miss our photo-filled look at soaps’ sexiest men in the gallery below.