The Young and the Restless: The best and worst of 2025 in the USA
What a rollercoaster of events in 2025 on The Young and the Restless in the US! Some old characters have reappeared, while others have died. Kidnappings, blackmail, hidden identities, betrayals, plot twists, and even artificial intelligence software—here’s the best and worst of The Young and the Restless for 2025:
The most tortured character: Sharon Newman
After surviving attacks by Ian Ward (Ray Wise) and Jordan (Colleen Zenk), Sharon is kidnapped along with Phyllis. This storyline has changed the dynamic between the two characters, but… it’s hard to believe.
While it’s normal for a writer to “torture” their characters, the fact remains that Sharon has been put through the wringer for several years now. After the return of Cameron (Linden Ashby) and Ian Ward, Sharon ends 2025 facing off against Matt Clark (Roger Howarth).
What if we changed the victim in 2026?
I sometimes feel like, apart from David Kimble, the series has brought back all the villains from the past… when tons of other characters could have returned in a more relevant way.
The failed comeback: Cane, aka Aristotle Dumas
Suddenly, in Genoa City, rumors swirl about a mysterious billionaire, a formidable businessman and rival of Victor Newman (Eric Braeden). The entire town is invited to Nice, France, where Aristotle Dumas turns out to be Cane Ashby.
This story had all the makings of a truly significant plotline, yet, despite Chance Chancellor’s death, it fizzles out. Lacking coherence, the story failed to resonate with fans.
However, the series took a big gamble, introducing Billy Flynn and several new locations.
We’re happy to see Cane again, except he’s unrecognizable, both physically and morally. Cane is a billionaire, but all it took was for Victor to claim that the original funds came from a scam perpetrated by Colin Atkinson (the late Tristan Rogers) for everything to be called into question.
The “artificial intelligence software,” a kind of invisible supervillain, managed to completely ruin Cane in just a few episodes, without it seeming to have the slightest consequence. Far from seeking revenge or rebuilding his empire, Cane now has only one thing on his mind: winning back Lily Winters (Christel Khalil)…
Where on earth has the formidable and feared businessman introduced before Nice gone? The same thing happened when the “formidable” Ashland Locke arrived a few years ago…
The eternal rivalry: Newnam vs. Abbott
In 2025 alone, Victor has harmed Kyle Abbott (Michael Mealor), Billy Abbott (Jason Thompson), and of course, Jack Abbott (Peter Bergman). It seems to be his sole and ultimate goal in life. To achieve his ends, Victor doesn’t hesitate to use or manipulate those close to him. Unfortunately, this eternal vendetta struggles to captivate us.
The stable and reassuring couple: Jack and Diane
Since Diane Jenkins’ (Susan Walters) dramatic return, she has carved out a place for herself in Genoa City and in Jack’s heart. There were fears that Diane might revert to her old ways, but so far, that hasn’t been the case, and Diane and Jack form a solid couple, standing up to the Newmans.
It was high time Jack had a reliable partner, and Diane seems to fill that role perfectly. Her presence, like Harrison’s, strengthens the Abbott clan.
The Lost Storyline: Mariah’s Secret
Since May 2025, Mariah (Camryn Grimes) has been hiding a terrible secret, which we discover in bits and pieces, at a snail’s pace. She resides in a clinic in Boston and refuses all contact with Tessa (Cait Fairbanks) and their daughter.
Feeling rejected, Tessa grows increasingly close to Daniel (Michael Graziadei). This whole affair remains shrouded in mystery for the time being. We’d love to know more about what’s happening to Mariah, but other storylines have taken precedence, relegating her to the sidelines.
A mixed review: Matt Clark
Roger Howarth is a very talented actor, and bringing back Matt Clark, who had been dead since 2001, was a bold move. For the moment, we’re not satisfied, primarily because we have no explanation. How did he survive? How could he have lived so long without anyone recognizing him? Why did he target Noah Newman (Lucas Adams)?
It’s a shame because the series has a seasoned actor at its disposal, capable of playing a complex character. Let’s hope we learn more in the coming months.
The wasted character: Phyllis
Years go by, and some characters are hard to defend. Phyllis (Michelle Stafford) is surely the champion in 2025. She was kidnapped along with Sharon, slightly altering their relationship. But aside from that, Phyllis spent the year plotting against one person or another to get her revenge… without ever succeeding.
The pointless deaths: Cole and Chance
It’s perfectly understandable that a series might decide to kill off characters, but these two deaths seem to serve little purpose from a storytelling perspective.
Cole Howard (J. Eddie Peck), gravely ill, could have recovered. Claire (Hayley Erin) would still have been isolated from Kyle during the crisis and forced to manage it alone while Kyle was off flirting with Audra. And Victoria would have kept a lover…
Chance Chancellor (Conner Floyd) could have been seriously injured, once again, and then sent on a mission to the other side of the world. His death didn’t bring Nina Webster (Tricia Cast) or Jill Abbott (Jess Walton) back to town; both returned later that year, and the series didn’t even capitalize on the death of this iconic character.
The casting mistake: Damian
Nate Hastings discovers he has a half-brother, Damian Kane, played by Jermaine Rivers. Despite the actor’s talent, he never quite struck the right balance in his interactions with Nate or Lily. Especially with Lily. Their brief relationship only served to add a somewhat artificial tension to Nice, and the character died quickly.
This may not have been the writers’ original intention, as they built his arrival over several months, creating a veil of mystery around him. Unusually, the actor was featured directly in the opening credits of the series, but the decision was still made to kill off the character…
The best use of the past: Danny and Christine’s wedding
It took decades, but Danny Romalotti (Michael Damian) and Christine Blair (Lauralee Bell) are finally (re)married! This storyline allowed the show to revisit its past and bring back Gina Roma and Nina, which is always a treat. Phyllis got to unleash her venom, Christine retaliated as usual—no surprises there. Unfortunately, since the newlyweds only visit Genoa City occasionally, the stakes surrounding their relationship aren’t the same as they were 20 or 30 years ago.
But hey, that’s just my opinion!
And you, what are your top picks for the best and worst things to look forward to in 2025?
