What I really hope to see next for The Young and the Restless’ Newman family

With at least The Young and the Restless chapter of Jordan (Colleen Zenk) behind us (as viewers know Ian [Ray Wise] is alive and likely plotting his next move), the Newmans can temporarily breathe a sigh of relief, able to live another day. Although Victor (Eric Braeden) suffered a gunshot wound in this latest chaos, he’s expected to make a full recovery.

If the recent showdowns taught me anything, they reminded me once again that when the going gets tough, Victor’s cantankerous brood will rally together when The Mustache’s life hangs in the balance. They put aside all their differences with each other and him to unite as a family, which is nice to see considering how many times I’ve witnessed Newman relatives at each others’ throats over business and romance.

Having said that though, in The Young and the Restless episode airing on January 31, Adam (Mark Grossman) has an interesting conversation with Nick (Joshua Morrow). Adam wonders what would have happened if Victor died. Specifically, he questions what happens to his place in the family if Victor is no longer around to defend it given Nikki (Melody Thomas Scott), Victoria (Amelia Heinle) and Nick don’t think highly of him.

In response, Nick doesn’t offer the most comforting words, but says, “You know, Vic and I, we accept or reject you based on your actions, not Dad’s orders. And that is not gonna change if, heaven forbid, anything does ever happen to our dad.”

Adam’s concern and Nick’s response have me thinking it’s finally time for something to happen with this family that I’ve been wanting to see for years. The proverbial black sheep, aka Adam, needs to be fully welcomed into the Newman fold and not just treated as the blemish the Newmans put up with. Yes, he’s done some pretty awful things to his stepmother and siblings, but no one in this family is squeaky clean. Yet, he’s the only one treated as the permanent outcast. It just seems unfair.

Now in order for this to happen though, I’m pretty sure Adam has to finally make peace with one person — Victoria. While there’s an argument to be made that Adam and the matriarch of the Newmans need to truly make amends first to set an example for her children and grandchildren, I honestly believe Victoria and not Nikki hold the cards here.

Victoria and Adam have been like oil and water from the day they met, and they’re both to blame for their poor relationship. For her part, Victoria holds a grudge like her father and is unable to forgive the laundry list of Adam’s transgressions, never giving him the benefit of the doubt that he can change. On the other hand, Adam has always seemed a bit jealous of Victoria’s bond with Victor and knows how to push her buttons. Plus, he did happen to accidentally run over her stepdaughter years ago. I should also mention the fact that Victor constantly playing the two against each other in the past when it came to Newman Enterprises didn’t help matters.

So how do Victoria and Adam fix things? Heck, they can go to Alan (Christopher Cousins) for a counseling session or maybe even Sharon (Sharon Case) when she’s able to put her own trying ordeal behind her. Or maybe Chelsea (Melissa Claire Egan) could help bridge the gap between the siblings given she and Victoria seem to be getting friendlier these days and she now lives on the Newman property.

If it has to be a real soapy resolution, I wouldn’t mind Ian returning and putting Adam and Victoria’s life in danger, leaving the two of them to rely on each other to survive. Perhaps the experience will help them realize they should give their relationship the reset it desperately needs.

I may not be able to say for sure what will come of the Newman family dynamic going forward, but I can only hope some more unity is in store for the second generation. Especially given Claire (Hayley Erin) and Summer (Allison Lanier) are headed on a collision course.

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.