Young & The Restless Update
Recap written by Christine
At that Abbott house, Tara groused that she was in a no-win situation. She maintained that someone was lying about her. Her money was on Phyllis, but it could be Sally, and since Jack was fond of both of them, no matter what Tara said, heâd take offense. He said that Sally and Phyllis could take care of themselves. His concern was Tara, and his primary objective was to make sure Harrison wasnât subjected to unnecessary drama. She thought he had a funny way of showing it â repeating all these hurtful accusations. He urged her to trust him enough to tell him the truth. He got the sense she wanted to tell him something. Jack didnât judge. Heâd made his share of mistakes and hurt people he cared about. He wasnât proud of that, but he was proud of the moments he took responsibility. He said people could earn trust and respect, but it had to start with honesty. She said not everyone was as compassionate as him. He was sure being married to Ashland taught her not to be vulnerable. He said she was on safer ground now â as Harrisonâs mother, she was always going to be part of this family. He thought she knew how much family meant to him.
Tara said, despite what everyone thought, she didnât stay with Ashland for his money or status. Back then, Kyle was wonderful, but by the time they parted ways, she knew he wasnât ready to be a father. Jack agreed â Kyle had a lot of growing up to do back then. Tara said that when she got in contact with Kyle again, he was ready to settle down, but with someone else. That was hard for her to see. To know things might have been different if the timing hadnât always been so off. Sheâd smiled and congratulated Summer and Kyle on their engagement, and she tried to mean it. Jack asked what changed. Tara said that Sally pushed her to go after what she wanted and get Harrison what he deserved. Tara wished that sheâd heeded the warning to stay away from Sally. She said if there was a chance she could give her son a stable household with a loving mother and father, she was going to take it. Jack asked what Sally proposed. Tara explained that Sally said she got Summer a fabulous job, and all Tara had to do was get her to take it. Jack asked how Tara accomplished that. She was sure he could figure it out. He said sheâd threatened to take Harrison away from Kyle. Tara reminded Jack that he promised not to judge. She said she was only fighting for what she knew was best for her son. He nodded.
Kyle was at Crimson Lights when Summer video called. He said it was good to see her face. She was confused about the cryptic message he sent, but she didnât think she needed the details. She stated that they’d already said their goodbyes. She didnât think they should talk, because itâd just make it harder for them to move on. âSo, itâs hard for you too,â he noted. He said he was going to find out the real reason she broke up with him. Near tears, she asked why he couldnât let this go. He said he tried, but Phyllis wouldnât quit digging for evidence that Sally and Tara conspired against her. Summer said she begged Phyllis to stop. He asked why sheâd do that if there was nothing for Phyllis to find. Summer insisted that she made her own decision to leave him. He believed that, but he asked what kind of pressure she was under when she made it. He said there was more evidence coming out every day â Phyllis would never stop, and Nick was getting suspicious too. The truth would come out, and Kyle thought he deserved to hear it from Summer.
Summer implored Kyle not to make her say things that would only hurt him. He said he was already hurting â if sheâd told himself he was fine and moving on, she was way off base. He missed her like crazy. She missed him too, but that didnât mean it was right for them to be together. She said, for his own sake, he had to stop coming up with these alternative theories for why they broke up. âWhy for my sake? What are you trying to protect me from? What could be worse than losing you?,â he asked. She covered and said it was just a phrase. She tried to end the call, but he quickly asked if she was worried he might lose Harrison. She asked why heâd say that. He told her Jackâs theory that Tara used Harrison for leverage. Summer admitted it was true. She tearfully said she was going to tell Kyle that night at his familyâs place, but then Tara came downstairs and said if Summer said anything, sheâd take Harrison and leave the next day. Summer was so sorry for hurting Kyle, but she didnât know what else to do. He said she shouldâve told him â they couldâve come up with a plan, called lawyers. She said she thought about it from every angle, and there was no way out. She couldnât be the reason he lost his son. She said that poor little boy was stuck with that awful woman, and he needed Kyle. Kyle said heâd call Summer back, and he ended the call, as she tried tell him him he couldnât confront Tara.
Phyllis and Nick went up to her suite so they could talk in private. He asked why she slammed her computer shut so he couldnât see what she was doing. She stated that she was trying to protect him. He reminded her that they agreed to be partners in crime. He insisted that she tell him everything. He asked if she learned something new about Tara and Sally targeting Summer. She said she was past that. She was following up on the tip Lauren gave them about Taraâs shoe company holding back on their financials to Fenmoreâs. Nick asked what this had to do with Summer. âWell, they got Al Capone on tax evasion. So whatever it takes, you know?,â she replied. Sighing, Nick assumed Phyllis planned to hack Taraâs accounts and go through her business records. He was sure the DAâs wife would enjoy hearing that. Phyllis said that if they found something incriminating, Lauren would be appreciative. Nick wasnât so sure about that. Phyllis said she hadnât even done anything yet, mainly because she hadnât been able to breach Taraâs firewall, but she was sure sheâd be able to get in. Smiling, she got back on her laptop.
Nick thought Phyllis was probably right about Taraâs financial records being shady, but he was concerned this could backfire on Phyllis. Hacking was next-level, and it put her at risk, he stated. She promised sheâd be careful. He said that if Tara and Sally found out what Phyllis did, theyâd have a powerful weapon to use against her. He asked why she couldnât just keep investigating what Tara and Sally did to Summer. Frustrated, she said because no matter what theories she came up with, it might not be enough to take those girls down. She said Jack forgave Sally once, and he probably would again. She figured heâd go easy on Tara. Nick thought that was true, since Jack wouldnât want to alienate his grandsonâs mother. Phyllis said they couldnât count on the Abbotts. She was near tears because Summer wasnât fighting for herself either. She said it was up to her and Nick to neutralize Tara.
Nick said the whole â should Phyllis or shouldnât she â debate would be moot unless she could get through the firewall. âI mean, um have we met? I mean you know who youâre dealing with right?â she asked. He offered to help. She thought it was so sweet that he was volunteering to be an accessory to the crime. Sweet was the last thing he felt when he thought about what Tara and Sally did to Summer. In a sultry tone, Phyllis promised Nick theyâd challenge their rage together later. He asked what that meant. âYou know what I mean,â she said.
Phyllis downloaded a program to bust through the firewall. It was only supposed to take a few minutes, but the time remaining kept going up instead of down. Nick was concerned the program wasnât going to work. He said they needed a backup plan, and he asked if she knew another way to get into Taraâs records. She said that depended on how criminal he wanted to get. They could hire a forensic accountant to pose as an IRS agent. He thought that sounded like multiple felonies. She suggested an anonymous tip to ChancComm to start the rumor mill. He thought they needed something more immediate. Summer video called and snapped at Phyllis for ruining everything and stirring up trouble.
Summer said Kyle just told her that Phyllis had been relentless and getting Jack all worked up. âWhy would you do this to me? Why couldnât you just drop it when I asked you?,â Summer cried. Phyllis said she wouldnât let those girls manipulate her daughter and get away with it. Summer said it wasnât Phyllisâs call. Nick wanted Summer to hear Phyllis out. Phyllis noted that Summer wasnât denying any of this. She didnât think Summer knew how devious and repulsive those girls were. Phyllis revealed that Sally flew to LA and got Eric Forrester to recommend Summer for the job. Summer didnât know that, though sheâd assumed Sally was involved somehow. She said it didnât matter though. Nick asked what Sally was involved in. Summer broke down and told her parents the whole story. Phyllis felt vindicated, but Summer told her to stop celebrating, because this was not a good thing. Nick thought the truth coming out was good. Summer said she was trying to protect Kyle from losing his son, but because Phyllis kept prying, Jack guessed what happened, and when Kyle called, Summer blurted it all out. She had a horrible feeling that Kyle was on his way to confront Tara, and it was all going to blow up. âAnd if it does, Mom, itâs because you wouldnât stop,â Summer yelled.
Phyllis said Nick was right â the truth was out, and that was for the best. Summer asked if theyâd still be saying that when Kyle lost his son. Phyllis said that wasnât going to happen. Summer said Phyllis wasnât a judge, and she had no power to stop Tara. Nick couldnât believe the sacrifice Summer made for Kyle. Summer said it was all for nothing. Phyllis disagreed. She said she was digging into Taraâs past. Summer begged Phyllis to just stop. She ended the call. âWho was right?,â Phyllis asked. Nick admitted she was. She made a little speech about how sheâd been right about Tara and Sally all along. He believed that Summer made a good point. âIf your actions lead to Tara taking off with Harrison donât expect to hear any gratitude from me or from Summer or especially Jack. He is crazy about that little boy and if Taraâs not around, who do you thinkâs gonna wind up getting blamed?,â he asked. The laptop pinged, and Phyllis said now all she had to do was access to Taraâs hard drive and all her financials. âThat bitch isnât getting away with this,â Phyllis vowed.
Kyle burst into the Abbott house and asked Jack where Tara was. He said she was upstairs with Harrison. Kyle was enraged, and he told Jack that Tara bullied Summer into leaving. Jack calmly said he already knew â Tara just told him. Kyle snarled that now Tara was telling the truth as the walls were coming down. Jack didn’t blame Kyle for being livid, but he said Kyle and Tara shared a child, so Kyle had to find out a way to get past this. âShe forced Summer to break up with me! She tried to wreck my life!,â Kyle bellowed, as Jack urged him to calm him down. Tara rushed downstairs and firmly asked Kyle to keep his voice down or Harrison would hear him. He asked how she could do this to him. âIâm sorry. It was wrong,â Tara flatly replied. âOh, well, thatâs that. As long as sheâs sorry,â Kyle sarcastically said to Jack. Kyle turned back to Tara and brought up all the hours she spent consoling him over a breakup she caused. She said she thought she was doing what was best for their son. He growled at her not to make this about Harrison. He thought that she put herself first and didnât care who got hurt. Kyle was in Taraâs face, so Jack grabbed his arm and called a timeout. He thought Kyle needed to calm down. Tara figured there was no coming back from this. She asked what happened now. He glared at her.
Michael and Amanda met at Society. She assumed heâd been in touch with Suttonâs attorney about the recording she made. Michael said Suttonâs lawyer didnât think Suttonâs remarks on Richard Nealon comprised a confession or established guilt of any time. The lawyer was going to use the same strategy that Amanda proposed before â deflecting attention to possible suspects at Newman. Amanda was infuriated that her own argument would be used to defend the man who killed her father. She said Naya refused to acknowledge Sutton could be guilty; Naya even hoped Michael wouldnât press charges. Michael intended to pursue the case, but he wasnât sure he could get the charges reinstated unless they found more substantial evidence. Amanda looked disappointed, and Michael told her to hang in there. He left.
Amanda called Imani and asked if she was with Naya. She was. Amanda needed a favor. Imani and Naya arrived at Society, and Amanda said lunch was her treat. Amanda asked how Naya was. Naya was having nightmares about being back in that jail cell. Imani said she and Naya were grateful Amanda was able to get Naya released. Naya asked if Sutton knew he was being recorded. She thought itâd be really clever of him to say just enough to get her released without incriminating himself. Imani said Sutton did incriminate himself. She felt that heâd proven his guilt when he had Naya confess to a crime she didnât commit. Amanda said that the things Sutton said might not be enough to get the charges reinstated. Naya asked if that meant her father would go free, and Amanda said no. she was confident the trial would move forward. Imani knew Amanda wouldn’t be okay with it if Sutton was acquitted. Amanda said sheâd have other options, like filing a civil suit against him. Imani noted that the burden of proof was lower in civil court. Amanda said if Sutton was found liable, itâd be the final blow to his political career, and the financial judgment would ruin him. âYou canât do that!,â Naya insisted.
Naya asked how Amanda could even think of suing Sutton for Richardâs death. He was elderly, and his reputation took a hit, which meant everything to him. Amanda hissed that Suttonâs reputation was far more important to him than her fatherâs life, and she told Naya not to dare say she didnât think he did it. Naya said even if Sutton had something to do with it, did Amanda really want him to lose his lifeâs work? She thought that was so vindictive. Amanda said that was exactly what she wanted. Amanda understood Naya loved her father, but Amanda never got a chance to love her father, because he was callously disposed of before they could meet. Amanda asked if Naya was really okay with Sutton not facing consequences for what he did. Amanda asked if Naya didnât care about Richard â the father of her firstborn children. Naya said she didnât know what happened to Richard at first. She thought it was just a terrible accident, and sheâd cried for days. She didnât want to believe Sutton was guilty. Imani gently said that Naya knew in her heart that Sutton did it. âIf I admit that? Would it be enough for you? Would you let go of this crusade? Let Sutton live out his days in peace?,â Naya asked. Amanda said it wouldnât be enough, but it could be a start to healing the mother/daughter relationship. Imani said Amanda would be there in a way Sutton never was.
Naya felt so terrible about dragging Amanda into this mess. She was the one who suggested Sutton hire Amanda for his defense team. Naya hoped Amanda knew that, back then, Naya truly thought Sutton was being wrongfully accused. âI never wouldâve tried to trick you into defending your own fatherâs â even now, itâs hard for me to say the word,â Naya said. She tearfully said she grew up idolizing her father and believing he only wanted the best for her. Imani was sure Amanda understood how hard this was for Naya. Amanda said of course. Naya went to the restroom to fix her makeup. Amanda and Imani agreed that was one hell of an admission. Amanda never thought itâd happen. Imani asked if Amanda was serious about the civil suit. Amanda was serious about seeing Sutton in court. Imani understood the symbolic value, but that would be hard on their mom. She suggested Amanda should think about whether itâd be more productive to build her own future than to litigate their grandfatherâs past. Amanda asked if Imani had a problem with her holding Sutton accountable.
Imani admitted that, her first reaction was to agree with Naya that it was vindictive. Bringing a suit whether or not Sutton was guilty, tying it up in court where the legal fees alone could bankrupt him. Amanda started to defend her position, but Imani interjected that this was just her first reaction. Imani said she was raised in the same distorted environment as Naya was, and any criticism for their grandfather set off warning bells. The thought that there was an actual threat of consequences for Suttonâs actions felt downright dangerous to Imani. Imaniâs rational side knew this was the least of what he deserved. Imani said Amanda grew up without a family, and Imani didnât want to minimize that, but there were some things in the Ames household that Amanda was lucky not to experience. Imani hoped Amanda could be patient with her and their mother. Itâd take effort to learn to separate the reality from the misconceptions they were raised with. Amanda knew Sutton was a smooth operator and heâd honed the skills over a lifetime. Even she was taken in by him at first. Sheâd felt a pull to please him and live up to his lofty expectations and soak up all his praise. Imani said that was one of his most powerful tools. Amanda said Sutton knew how to find your vulnerabilities and exploit them. Amanda said she understood how hard it was for Imani and Naya to shake off the need for his approval, since heâd trained them to prize it over all else. Near tears, Amanda said she appreciated that they were willing to try. Imani said they had to stop letting him influence them. In time, she thought Naya would get there. Amanda cried about what it meant to her to have a relationship with her sister and mother â it was new, so she was trying, but it was incredibly precious.
Victoria was in NY at Ashlandâs place. She remembered him proposing to her. He returned, and he said heâd been meeting with a Realtor about putting his homes on the market. Heâd taken his time to give her a chance to absorb the shock of his proposal. She wondered whoâd been more surprised by it â him or her. He called it a draw. He said the impulse struck, and he felt no need to hold back, because he knew she wouldnât either. He wanted her to give it to him straight. She wasnât sure how to react â heâd caught her off guard. He didnât regret asking, even if she turned him down. He felt exhilarated to feel the hope and possibility instead of the limitations of the disease. She wanted him to feel optimism, but they couldnât ignore reality. She didnât think that this move would make logical sense, but logic didnât bring them to this point â theyâd thrown caution to the wind. She didnât have any complaints though. He knew that she would at some point, since this would all end in tears. She said, in the meantime, the whirlwind romance had been the best most intense thing that ever happened to her, and she didnât want to rein herself in. She told him that was a yes. They kissed.
Victoria and Ashland had a champagne toast. He said heâd have to tell his doctors he had another reason to stay alive. She suggested he say he wanted to stay alive long enough to get sick of him, and he said that would take another 50 years. They toasted to their golden wedding anniversary. He thought they should keep this news between them. People loved to pass judgment on what they didnât understand, and he didnât want her dealing with that. She knew people would think she took advantage of him, just like they assumed thatâs what happened with the merger. However, she didnât give a damn what people thought, and she didn’t think they should elope. She said this love was big, bold and death-defying. She wanted an epic celebration, unless he didnât have the energy. He thought having something to plan and look forward to would keep him going. He loved the idea, and he loved her. They kissed.
Ashland wanted to take Victoria out on the town to celebrate. She was concerned heâd overexert himself, but he said heâd rest on the plane ride home. He wanted to at least take her to his top five places. She wasnât sure theyâd make it to all of them, but theyâd try. He said that was kind of their thing â never letting a moment go to waste. They kissed and headed out the door.
Back to the Main Days of Our Lives Page
