Every year in the fall, The Young and the Restless viewers anticipate some major events and shocking developments that change the landscape of Genoa City.
As it stands now, fans are preparing for Phyllis’ (Michelle Stafford) trial to kick off and her showdown with longtime nemesis Christine (Lauralee Bell). Plus, the Abbott family feud continues to get more dramatic with Ashley (Eileen Davidson) and Jack (Peter Bergman) both content on going to new lows to prove they know what’s best. So the fight over Jabot stands to only rage on in the coming weeks. There’s also a pending Tucker (Trevor St. John) bombshell and the outcome of this Adustus merger.
With all this pending drama on the horizon, it’s natural that some relationships will be impacted and others formed. Considering The Young and the Restless has been hinting for a while now that some big romantic shake-ups are coming, we have some pretty good guesses as to which new "It" couples will soon be walking around town.
Summer and Chance
Summer (Allison Lanier) and Chance (Connor Floyd) has been teased since Phyllis’ days living on the run. Although Chance had a job to do in finding Phyllis, he and Summer grew a connection that was arguably not really present before. He often consoled her as she dealt with the fallout of her mother’s bad decisions and he continues to comfort her in the wake of her separation from Kyle (Michael Mealor), all while claiming to be Summer’s "friend."
The term friend appears to be a buzzword for these two because they toss it around more than anyone else in town. If you ask us, their banter is increasingly coming off as less friendly and more flirtatious.
Now although Chance is currently in a relationship of sorts with Sharon (Sharon Case), it’s looking like he’ll continue to be pulled to Summer. Additionally, Sharon is about to embark on some long hours helping to get the newly formed merger of Adustus and Kirsten Incorporated off the ground, which would understandably limit her availability to be around Chance.
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Phyllis and Adam
We previously mentioned that there is a possibility that Phyllis and Adam (Mark Grossman) soon become an item, and with good reason. They are both single and it appears that they will be working rather closely soon as she seems ready to accept Adam’s job offer as the Head of IT of Adustus, and he’s likely to assist Phyllis in finding dirt on Tucker. More time together could have them see each other in a new light and create some sparks.
There is also the fact that Phyllis and Adam actually have a lot in common. Both are routinely painted the town pariahs, both are not above using questionable methods to get what they want and despite some of their past unfriendly exchanges, they mutually respect one another’s unique capabilities.
So perhaps it’s time for two of the show’s "big bads" to try a little romance. Besides, Phyllis may help Adam finally shake Sally (Courtney Hope).
Sharon and Nick
We originally assumed that Cameron Kirsten’s (Linden Ashby) return would have been enough to push Sharon and Nick (Joshua Morrow) together. While the soap villain’s presence certainly forced the duo to spend some more time with one another and clearly strengthened their bond as good friends, Nick ultimately stayed with Sally and Sharon took another step forward with Chance.
However, the idea of Nick and Sharon is still dangling in the air, especially with them now working together. They’ll be in close quarters on a regular basis, allowing plenty of time for the chemistry to brew.
While we already touched on Chance's draw to Summer, as far as Nick and Sally, one glaring thing has bothered us about their relationship. While they’ve faced many hurdles, Sally continues to be coy about saying she loves Nick. Even as recent as the week of July 24, when Adam questioned Sally about her feelings for Nick, she never confirmed that she was in love. While she claimed in that moment she didn’t state her love for Nick to spare Adam’s feelings, it’s not a far stretch to believe that she just isn’t madly in love with the older Newman. Perhaps she loves the idea of him, but doesn’t feel the passion for him.
If that proves to be the case, fans will gladly welcome the return of the very popular Nick and Sharon relationship.
As the fall approaches, we’ll be keeping a close eye on the romantic landscape in Genoa City.
New episodes of The Young and the Restless air on weekdays on CBS. Episodes become available to stream on Paramount Plus.
