Over at The Young and the Restless’ Abbott Mansion, the tension between Kyle (Michael Mealor) and his parents is thicker than reinforced concrete in the wake of his firing from Jabot. He feels betrayed that Diane (Susan Walters) would fire him from his "birthright," and he’s disappointed that Jack (Peter Bergman) pretty much took her side. Of course, Kyle receiving his pink slip came just in the knick of time as it was the final push he needed to accept Victor’s (Eric Braeden) offer to be co-CEO of Glissade.
In The Young and the Restless episode airing on July 3, Jack and Diane confront Kyle at home and ask him if he’s aligned himself with The Mustache. Kyle plays coy, never really answering their questions. They go into protective parent mode, warning their son not to get tangled up with Victor. They try their best to get Kyle to realize that if Victor recruited him, it’s likely to use the Abbott heir.
Unfortunately, Kyle doesn’t listen and throws somewhat of a temper tantrum. He becomes adamant that he’s an intelligent and capable adult, one who can make his own decisions and can remain above Victor’s tactics of manipulation. Kyle then delivers a low blow to Diane and blasts her for trying to parent him now that he’s an adult, when she purposefully disappeared for years when he was a kid. Diane is left feeling absolutely gutted as Kyle leaves the room to go check on Harrison (Redding Munsell).
When Kyle returns, he makes the announcement that he’s moving out. Naturally, Jack and Diane try to convince him to stay in the family home around his loved ones; but, Kyle is determined to move with Harrison citing the tension isn’t good for the young Abbott. Kyle also hints that things are only going to get worse, which is a statement that leaves Jack and Diane puzzled. However, they’ll soon be clued in when the press release goes out announcing Kyle as the co-CEO of Jabot’s new direct rival.
With all that being said, we wondered where Kyle might go. Having a young son, we don’t think he’ll look at the Athletic Club as his long-term solution to his living predicament. It’s possible he and Harrison would move in temporarily, but Kyle may want more playroom for his son. Plus, with Summer (Allison Lanier) likely not to be happy about Kyle uprooting Harrison from the Abbott Mansion, Kyle may not want to aggravate her further by saying he’s moving into the Athletic Club, which would be a very different home environment for their son.
That’s when we started thinking of the possibility that Kyle may move into the Newman Ranch. It’s easy to imagine Victor offering his home as the answer to Kyle’s problems. Not only would Victor be able to keep a close eye on Kyle and spend time with his great-grandson if the duo moved in, but Victor would also love the fact that such a shakeup would get under Jack’s skin.
Kyle may see the idea as viable because the ranch gives Harrison plenty of space to play and gives the young boy the opportunity to be close to the infamous Newman horses. Additionally, Claire (Hayley Erin) lives in the tack house on the property, so Harrison being near his nanny is a bonus benefit. Kyle would also probably find having Claire nearby a win, as the two appear to be on the cusp of exploring a romance.
Should our theory prove true and Kyle and Harrison move to the Newman Ranch, we think there’s one person on the property who may not be that welcoming. We’re referring to Nikki (Melody Thomas Scott). Jack is her best friend, and she probably wouldn’t want Kyle staying with her if it hurts her bestie. She may even push Kyle to return home to his father.
New episodes of The Young and the Restless air weekdays on CBS. Episodes become available to stream on Paramount Plus the next day.