The Young and the Restless turned up the psychological drama a notch or three this week as Cane and Phyllis put it all on the table at Crimson Lights, Matt Clark showed up outside at the Genoa City Athletic Club, and Sharon gave Sienna the third degree over Noah.

The Young and the Restless, a train wreck relationship

It’s not just Cane’s (Billy Flynn) business life that’s gone awry on Y&R. Since his return to Genoa City, the man’s personal relationships are a train wreck. Sure, he’s making a smidge of progress with ex-wife Lily (Christel Khalil) as she agreed to let him be her plus one to the long-awaited Abbott Communications release party. But it’s his totally messed-up, unhealthy relationship with Phyllis that has us totally captivated!

After several episodes of going back and forth with each other playing mind games, Cane and Phyllis (Michelle Stafford) put it all on the (coffee) table at Crimson Lights. Phyllis finally fessed up to having stolen Cane’s AI software program. She told him he wasn’t smart enough to keep the coveted program from someone like her. Cane told Phyllis that he slept with her to try to prove she stole from him. He accused her of never being able to keep anything unless she stole it. Phyllis tried to slap him, but Cane blocked her, and then he kissed her. She responded. And this happens right when Lily is starting to bend a little towards Cane? Brilliant timing! What Y&R has now is a bona fide triangle! Cane may still want to reunite with Lily, but his affair with Phyllis has crossed over into official messy territory.

Thank goodness, we finally got to find out more of the secret that Audra Charles (Zuleyka Silver) and Holden (Nathan Owens). A money-grab went bad, and it looks like Holden did something that he wishes he had never done. He’d also like to keep the whole thing a secret, which is good because soaps are all about secrets, and this is a doozy of a one for Audra and Holden to have between them. Audra’s not very nice to Nate, but given how he jumped in to defend her with the man whose money she stole, you’d think she would be.

Could Claire (Hayley Erin) ever forgive Nate once she learns of his past? We can’t see why not. He was defending Audra, after all, from harm. The real question is, why does he so easily look past her past, as she is the woman who tried to take out the Newmans? Audra certainly reminds Claire enough times that she did that in Holden’s presence.

We’re glad to see what finally went down between Holden and Audra in Los Angeles. Perhaps Y&R can also circle back with delving more into the specifics of what happened – or didn’t happen – with Mariah and her mystery man? Cue the black and white noir-style flashbacks now!

Nick and Sharon don’t have to have a lot of lines of dialogue in which they voice their disapproval of Sienna being in Genoa City and in their son Noah’s life. They didn’t really need them as their portrayers, Joshua Morrow and Sharon Case, did so brilliantly with their body language and the looks on their faces.

Of course, when Sharon and Sienna (Tamara Braun) sat down for what the late Katherine Chancellor (Jeanne Cooper) used to call a “little chat,” there was no denying where Sharon stood. She does not want her son to get hurt, and she isn’t thrilled about Noah being with Sienna.

Noah’s a new man

Y&R had a solid young leading man in Rory Gibson, the last actor to have played Noah before the show cast Lucas Adams in the part. Whatever happened to Gibson, anyway? Just kidding. If you watch General Hospital, you know that Gibson’s lighting up the screen as Michael. In turn, Adams is poised to do the same on Y&R.

The writers had Noah run into ex-flame Audra Charles (Zuleyka Silver), and it was clear that there were still some feelings between the two exes. Nick was mostly silent as Audra and Noah got caught up, but it was easy to see that Nick did not want to see his son get hurt again. But he knows that Noah’s a grown man and has to learn the hard way the folly of getting involved again with someone who hurt him. Or not. Audra and Noah aren’t the same people anymore. Maybe this time, Audra and Noah will have a different ending. But first, we have to find out if he and Sienna can make it in the long haul. They both seem to care about each other a great deal. No matter what happens, we feel that this time, Noah’s not going to be wasted.

Life begins at 20

Michael Baldwin (Christian LeBlanc) and Lauren Fenmore Baldwin (Tracey Bregman) have been married for two decades, but the two are as in love as much as they ever were. Soap fans are fans for life, and we suspect a solid majority of viewers today were watching when Michael and Lauren first tied the knot. The show did its homework history-wise. Michael prepared a casino-themed evening for his wife, a throwback to the night he proposed to her. Family members Gloria (Judith Chapman), Scott (Daniel Hall), and Fenmore (Zack Tinker) all got shoutouts. The flashbacks enhanced the emotional episode. Viewers truly have been with Lauren and Michael through a lot. China, emeralds, and platinum may all be appropriate for 20th anniversaries, but what Y&R gave viewers was pure gold!

Mixed singles

Y&R continues to surprise us by having character interactions that we simply don’t see coming. Phyllis and Adam (Mark Grossman) had a meeting of the minds, and Lily and Audra’s sparring at the Genoa City Athletic Club was interrupted by Nate (Sean Dominic). We’re sensing Nate may be softening towards Audra. At the very least, even if he doesn’t want her in his life, he certainly doesn’t want her to be unhappy.

The worst for last

Y&R gave viewers a great Friday tag by revealing that Matt Clark (Roger Howarth) had found his way back to Genoa City. He muttered something about how much he hated the city in which he used to live. We imagine the feeling is mutual. Will Matt Clark get caught before or after Christmas? It’d be a nice present if the Newmans could spend one holiday all safe and secure, and free from thinking a villain from their past was going to show up and destroy them.

Catch all-new episodes of The Young and the Restless weekdays on CBS and Paramount Plus.