With everything going on, or about to go on, as it pertains to The Young and the Restless’ Newman family, you’d think all the Newmans would be around for the life-altering events.
So yes, Victor (Eric Braeden) and Nikki (Melody Thomas Scott) are in Genoa City, leading the pack, and Victoria (Amelia Heinle), Nick (Joshua Morrow) and Adam (Mark Grossman) are around for the family fun and drama too (I know Abby [Melissa Ordway] is in town as well, but as in most cases, she’s out of the loop on all things Newman). The first and second-generation Newmans have been around for Jordan’s (Colleen Zenk) obsession with Nikki, Nikki’s subsequent relapse and recovery, the reshuffling of corporate jobs with the Newman businesses, the acquisition of Chancellor, the addition of Claire (Hayley Erin) to the family and more.
Speaking of Claire, she may be new to the family, but she’s also seen her fair share of family antics as a part of the third generation of Newmans. In fact, one could argue that Claire is more knowledgeable about all the drama than her siblings and cousins. Victoria and Nikki have come to embrace Claire and truly trust her. Heck, Nikki even handpicked her to work for her at Chancellor.
Having said all that, through all the changes that have occurred over the last year for the Newmans, I can’t help but notice who’s never around regardless of the family crisis or monumental celebration.
Let’s start with Noah (Rory Gibson). Nick’s oldest son has been MIA working in Europe for a long time and I find it odd that he hasn’t popped back up in Genoa City given all that’s been going on. Sharon (Sharon Case) and Nick almost died because of Cameron Kirsten (Linden Ashby), Nick almost died again because of Jordan and even now, Sharon is facing a lengthy prison sentence for the murder of Heather (Vail Bloom); and, this is after Sharon’s bipolar medication was laced with PCP. Noah hasn’t shown up during any of these traumatic circumstances, and as close as he is with his parents, you’d think he might.
To add, Nikki just became the sole CEO of Chancellor Industries, a massive company with only Claire to have her back. The Newman matriarch could use her oldest grandson’s business savvy to help make sure Chancellor runs without a hitch and without the sabotage of Billy (Jason Thompson) and Phyllis (Michelle Stafford).
I might as well bring Noah’s little brother Christian into the mix. He’s been off the soap’s canvas for a long time too. He may be a child still, and too young to concern himself with the more adult issues the family is going through, but he could at least appear at big family events.
Most noticeably, he was absent from his grandparents’ anniversary party, and even Harrison (Redding Munsell) was in attendance. And as far as birthdays and holidays go, whenever Christian is mentioned, he’s at home or playing with his cousins (who we do actually see every now and then). I have to wonder, is The Young and the Restless waiting until the time is right to give Christian a touch of soap opera rapid aging syndrome, and bring him back as a teen with a juicy storyline?
Finally, let’s talk about Reed (Tristan Lake Leabu). His absence may be the most egregious of them all as a viewer. Jordan almost poisoned his mother to death and burned down his family home, and he hasn’t shown up once to extend support to his family. He even has a new sister in Claire, and he has made no attempt to meet her or offer some sage words of advice and encouragement to his little brother and baby sister. I know he often becomes disenchanted by the Newman’s unique brand of chaos, but I also know he loves his family enough to check in on them. Additionally, if he’s no longer in the music scene, Nikki could also use his help at Chancellor.
Look, I understand in the full scope of The Young and the Restless, there are already quite a few characters with pressing storylines. However, it would be nice to see some of the lost Newmans appear every now and then. Don’t you think?
New episodes of The Young and the Restless air on weekdays on CBS. If you miss an episode, you can catch up on Paramount Plus.
