[Kyle sighing]
Mm. It's way past midnight,
but here is one last lonely toast to 2024.
[doorbell ringing]
Happy New Year.
[noisemaker blowing]
Sit down.
Thanks for coming back down and meeting me.
Yeah, of course.
Honestly, I couldn't sleep anyway.
I was just channel surfing,
watching everybody ring in the New Year around the globe
and everybody's all happy and hopeful.
This year's going to be better than last.
I mean, it's got to be, right?
[Daniel exhaling]
You know, I talked to my dad.
Did it help?
It did. It did.
Good.
I'm glad you got a chance to talk to him,
especially since our family New Year's Eve got cut short
when Mom bolted out of here.
Seeing Dad with Christine, it still gets to her, you know?
Yeah, I was just hoping that she wasn't going to cause a scene.
Mm-hmm.
I thought maybe because Christine stepped up
to defend me when you know I got charged
with killing Heather that maybe she cut her some slack.
-Wishful thinking, brother. -[Daniel laughing]
Yeah, yeah.
It's probably a good thing that she left to blow off some steam.
She did say she was going to be right back, though.
[Daniel exhaling]
She did, and it has been a while.
Should we start worrying about her?
Do you ever stop worrying about her?
Look, let's just hope that she's not out there
making trouble for herself or for anyone else.
-[car honking] -[car crashing]
[Phyllis gasping]
[Phyllis sighing]
No.
I can't-- I can't do this anymore.
♪♪
Well, you and your family all look well.
-Shut your mouth. -How's Nikki?
You know, I read recently that
she's assumed leadership of Chancellor Industries.
You all must be so proud.
Stop talking about my family.
You could show a little more generosity of spirit, you know?
Your namesake is celebrated for giving gifts,
and Nicholas is also the patron saint of prisoners.
You know, it's nice that you have someone to pray to,
because when that cop finds out who you are,
she's going to come down here and haul your ass back
to prison where you belong.
Oh, I'm afraid that's not going to happen, Nicholas.
See, I'm free now, both in body and spirit.
His story checks out.
He's the prison's new chaplain, released a few months ago.
IAN: I've served my time,
but I will forever do my penance
for all of the sins that I've committed
against you and your loved ones.
So what, you're just going to let him walk?
So, did you and Harrison get to watch the ball drop together?
Oh, the little guy tried his best,
but he calmed down a little after 10,
after about 20 rounds of that new video game he got.
I'm sure he crushed you.
Hey, I won once.
He may have let me win that one time,
but he also forced me to watch one of those
sugary sweet holiday movies.
-Oh, that sounds awful. -Mm-hmm.
I'm glad I couldn't find a sitter.
Got to spend the last few hours of the year with my son.
I have to admit, I'm a little bit jealous.
When the clock struck 12, I was wishing I was with you.
I was a little lonely counting down the midnight all by myself.
Well, I certainly don't want your first memory of 2025
to be one of loneliness.
You know, it is still 2024 in some parts of the world.
You're saying we could still ring in the new year together?
Mm-hmm.
Look, we both know how strong mom is,
but everything that's gone on with you and Sharon,
it's really hit her hard.
Well, she fights like hell for you and for me
and for anybody else that she believes in.
Even when nobody has her back.
I mean, she'll tell you that it doesn't matter.
But it does.
It does.
I mean, she has your dad, my dad, and even us convinced
that we don't really need to worry about her,
that she can take care of herself.
She's done that her whole life.
I mean, that's all she knows how to do.
Maybe it's time that we show her.
Actually make her see that she's not alone,
that we can take care of her too.
You are going to have a hard time
making her see anything that she doesn't want to see.
Come on, look at this whole mess with my dad and Christine.
You think that she would have let that go by now?
Puts you in the middle, doesn't it?
It does.
It puts me right in the middle.
And you know, to me, it just seems like
it's a lot less about her actually wanting to be
with my dad and more about just not
wanting to lose to Christine.
Oh, she does not like to lose.
No.
And she doesn't like to admit when she's wrong either.
Oh, maybe this year is going to be different for her.
Why do you say that?
Come on, you heard her earlier.
She said that she was going to let things go, right?
Oh, and you believed her?
I suppose seeing as I've never known our mother
to let go of anything,
I, yeah, I have my doubts for sure.
Have your doubts about what?
-Oh! -What are your doubts about?
-Mom! -Hey, I-- I had my doubts
that we were going to see you again tonight.
But here you are.
-I am here. -Mm-hmm.
Sorry, I, uh, wanted to come out for a drink.
I needed to calm my nerves before I went upstairs.
I didn't expect to see you guys here.
Yeah, I guess we're all a bit restless tonight.
Where'd you go anyway?
For a drive.
I just wanted to clear my head.
That's all.
Yeah, I'm glad I did.
I can prove your brother wrong about something.
Yeah, what's that?
Yeah, that I can let something go.
Everything that happened in 2024,
all the bad stuff, I'm letting go.
I am facing 2025 with a clean slate.
No, no, no, no. You got his name right?
You checked his record? It's a mile long.
He ran a cult.
He preyed on young women.
He's guilty of extortion,
false imprisonment, kidnapping, assault.
I've confessed my sins to God and he has forgiven me.
Please do not let the Holy Roller act fool you.
This is a deranged psycho and he belongs behind bars.
Unless you witnessed him committing a crime,
there's nothing I can do.
-Have a good night. -Mm-hmm.
All right.
I don't know what you have planned in Genoa City.
I have no intention of harming anyone.
I am not that man anymore.
No one is going to believe that for one second.
I accept that challenge and I will prove to you
and your family that I have been blessed with redemption.
You're not going to prove anything to my family.
You will stay the hell away from them.
Do you understand that?
Oh, Nicholas.
Let me put this in terms that you might understand.
If you do unto others anything that causes them
the slightest bit of distress,
what I do unto you will make you wish you were never born.
-Tessa, are you okay? -Oh, yeah, I'm fine now.
Are you okay, Dad?
Yeah, I'm fine.
What-- what happened with the police? Where's Ian?
Well, he was released from prison
and is, in fact a chaplain.
I have no idea how that happened.
You're saying that he's free and he can just--
he can just roam anywhere he wants.
He can come in here anytime he wants?
He claims he's here to make amends to our family,
which obviously is a lie.
He's here to cause trouble
and I will do whatever it takes to stop him.
-Let's see. -Mm. Oh.
Almost midnight in Mazatlán.
Mexico.
Hey, you know, I still have that passport
that I never got to use.
Getting your first stamp.
Let's put that on the list of New Year's resolutions.
I like that very much.
All right, well, it's almost time.
You need a hat.
Yes, means you do as well.
Okay.
Thank you. All right.
-All right. -Let's see.
-Mm. -Oh.
-Ten. -Ten.
BOTH: Nine, eight, seven,
six, five, four,
three, two. One.
Feliz Año Nuevo, Claire.
Happy New Year, Kyle.
Come here.
You know, I can tell that you
really believe what you're saying.
Oh, but you don't. Okay, don't worry.
I'm used to that with you.
Okay, to be fair, Mom, we have heard a version
of this a few times.
I know, I know.
And I'm saying that I'm going to go with the flow
for the one millionth time.
I get it, I get it, I get it.
I mean it.
I can't keep doing this.
Change is overdue, you know?
Okay, what-- what brought about this realization?
Well, I had to go for a drive to clear my head
after I saw that make out session between
your dad and Christine.
Gross. It turned my stomach.
Yeah, a little hard to watch.
Yeah, for you too, right?
I mean, definitely.
I mean, get a room, stay there.
They got a room.
Where'd you drive to?
Ah, out in the area where I had my accident.
Why'd you go back out there?
I don't know.
I didn't intend to go there, but...
Uh...
When I was there, I-- I started having memories
of the accident and the crash and the truck
that made me swerve into the tree.
This time, I clearly saw the face
of the person who was behind the wheel.
Was it Sharon?
It wasn't Sharon.
Dad, I don't know if I've ever seen you this angry.
I'm nervous about you going after Ian alone.
I'm not alone.
Damn right, he's not.
When everybody finds out this nut job is out of prison,
there is going to be a whole mob of people
ready to run him out of town.
I can't believe I was so taken in by him.
No, you are not the first person to fall
under his spell.
He had a ton of followers back in the day.
This is what he does.
He gets you to think that he's-- he's kind
and he's gentle and that he cares about you.
And then the next thing you know, you're following him.
You don't realize where you're going
and he's led you off a cliff.
Mariah, after everything that he put you through,
I cannot imagine how you are feeling right now.
I'm fine.
I have gotten over what he did to me.
It is the people that I love that I'm worried about the most.
[Tessa sighing]
I can't believe I showed him a photo of Aria.
I mean, you don't think that he's going to--
If he goes anywhere near my daughter--
Mariah, I'm not going to let him hurt anyone else.
I promise.
You know what?
What if he's the one who tainted your mom's medication?
It looks like this new year is going to be a good year.
[Claire moaning]
Right after the accident, I was certain
it was Sharon driving the car.
I mean, that would make all the sense in the world, right?
Yeah, I mean, she certainly seemed to have the motive.
You were the most vocal
about her being guilty of murdering Heather.
I mean, that made all the sense in the world to me at the time.
And then I started having these flashes.
The car crossing the line,
the flashes of the headlights in my face.
And it was not Sharon's car that I saw, by the way.
No, it was a dark truck.
You did tell me that at breakfast,
but then you walked it back.
I can't deny the truth anymore.
I can't do it. I can't.
It wasn't Sharon's car.
Oh, God, it wasn't Sharon behind the wheel.
It was another face I saw.
Who was it? Is it someone that you know?
I had the same thought about Sharon's meds.
I mean, lacing them with hallucinogens, that would be...
It's definitely something that Ian would do.
Why?
Why would he do that to Mom?
NICK: Well, I hate to say it,
but his actual obsession is with...
Me.
Mariah, you can't blame yourself
for what this sick bastard did to your mom.
MARIAH: No, I don't.
Getting inside of my head, making me feel things
that I don't want to feel, that would be letting Ian win.
We need to call Mom now.
Yeah, she should be here by now.
Has anybody heard from her?
-No. -FAITH: I've tried to call her,
but it went straight to voicemail.
All right, let's not jump to conclusions.
I'm sure she's fine. She can take care of herself.
Like Mariah said,
we're not gonna let this guy get in our heads.
I'm gonna head home and check on her.
Maybe she got cold feet on her way here, headed home.
We were surprised that she was up for coming out tonight.
Yeah, I'll go with you.
Are you two okay?
If that man is stupid enough to come back here tonight.
Lock the door behind us
and call us if you hear anything from Sharon.
Yeah, I'll let you know.
-All right. -Okay, bye.
Has she been out this whole time?
Uh, she stirred a little bit
and I hit her with some more chloroform.
Ah.
Well, we can't keep her here for much longer.
What are we gonna do with her?
Say goodbye.
[Kyle sighing]
Now, that was a pretty good way to ring in the new year.
Yeah, it was.
I'm not talking about just the physical,
which was amazing, by the way.
I feel really close to you, Claire.
Like our connection's gone to another level.
Does that scare you?
I feel safer with you than anyone else.
It's been that way from the beginning,
even before things got romantic between us.
You know, I don't usually open myself up to someone so quickly,
but I've been okay with that with you
since day one.
Things have been moving fast.
Yeah.
Yeah, but at the same time,
it feels like it's taken me forever to get here.
And things with you, they...
feel new.
But also the way that it should have always been.
I mean, I should be asking you the same question.
Does this scare you?
Wait, so who was it, Mom?
Who ran you off the road?
It was an older woman with wavy hair and glasses.
I didn't recognize her.
So, it-- it could have been an accident.
It-- it might not have been intentional at all.
Okay, we're not gonna know that. We can't be sure of that.
We won't know anything, really, until they find this woman.
-But this is big, right? -Yeah.
We need to tell Chance about this.
I'm not gonna hold Sharon accountable
for a crime she didn't commit.
However, I will hold her accountable for framing my son.
That's it right there. So much for letting it go.
I am letting it go. I am.
All right? I'm just gonna sit back and watch it play out.
All right? I'm gonna believe that justice will be served.
What about, uh, things with Dad and Christine?
Okay, that might be a bit much to ask right now.
Okay, let me be clear about that, okay?
Just because I don't want to sit here
and watch this make out fest
right here in the middle of the bar
doesn't mean, you know,
like I'm-- I'm carrying a torch for your dad.
Okay, so you're gonna let that go too?
Yes.
Guys.
Remembering my accident, I almost died.
I almost lost everything.
It made me realize some things,
like all those old habits of mine,
they just gotta stay in the past
and, you know, in the rearview mirror.
And I have to just focus on the future and a new beginning.
Mom?
Sharon?
Her car's not here.
Maybe she broke down, got a ride back.
I'm gonna go check upstairs, okay?
Okay.
Yes?
NICK: Dad, sorry to wake you.
You didn't, what's wrong?
I need to come by the main house.
I have to talk to you and Mom. It's urgent.
Can it wait 'til morning?
Afraid not. I'll see you soon, Dad.
She's not here.
Where could she have gone?
Would you please stop that?
I mean, you almost passed out.
You were barely breathing.
I have to do something to keep my mind off of that man
and what he did to you.
I can't tell you how much it upsets me
that he actually laid his hands on you.
It just doesn't make much sense, does it?
Everything that you've told me about this man, he is pure evil.
But he stopped to help me.
Maybe he even saved my life.
[phone pinging]
It's Faith.
Well, they haven't connected with your mom yet.
She's not at the house.
Okay, I'm trying her again.
Come on, Mom. Pick up.
Pick up.
Voicemail.
Um, hey, Mom. It's-- it's me.
Could you please, please call me back?
Or-- or Faith. Or Nick.
We need to know that you're okay.
We have to get this right.
We can't have this blowing back on us.
Yeah, and our plan is already at risk
now that the police have reopened the investigation
into Heather Stevens' death.
But this opportunity
may allow us to tie up all the loose ends
into one neat little bow.
I see.
So, kill the blonde
and hang the blame on your redhead.
-Mm-hmm. -Mm.
They have a history of animosity.
I'm surprised that they haven't already,
one hasn't already done any other.
You know what I mean?
It's a perfect setup for us.
And we can use it to our advantage.
Ah, you know the hate for Sharon
that Phyllis harbors in her heart...
will be her undoing.
I'm going to be brutally honest with you.
Whoa, well, my goodness.
I would expect nothing less.
Mm-hmm.
Even though I hear how committed you are to this new course,
um, I am going to have to see it to believe it.
Okay, well, you want proof. That's fair.
-Is it, though? -Yeah.
Hey, you've been to hell and back.
You have too. You've been right there by my side.
That doesn't mean that I don't worry about you
-making things worse... -Oh, thanks.
...even if you have the best intentions,
I just know how hard it is for you.
Look, Mom, we know how tough you are.
But that doesn't mean that you still can't get hurt.
Don't worry about me.
Well, you should also know that that's not possible.
You're not going to always get what you want.
Okay, okay, listen.
I'm not going to apologize for going after Sharon.
I'm never going to apologize for that and getting her to confess.
Ever. Okay?
I was protecting you and my family.
You saved my life. I know that.
Yeah, but I can't-- I can't keep on doing this.
If I keep on obsessing over Sharon, I'm...
I'm just going to kill me, so I need to stop.
And I need Michael a chance to just do their thing
and carry out their investigation.
Even if it means Sharon was innocent and that I-- I was...
-wrong. -Wrong.
But yeah, even if it means I was wrong.
Let me tell you something.
I will always protect my family.
And I want justice for Heather.
And I want justice for you and for Lucy.
And if that means that I'm wrong,
so be it.
We need to make it look like Sharon's death is an accident.
And we need to make it look like Phyllis is at fault.
Well, Phyllis is convinced that Sharon killed Heather.
She's running all over town as it is
trying to convince everyone
that Sharon ran her off the road, so.
Phyllis wants justice.
Wouldn't it be poetic
if when she forces Sharon's car off the road
and into the river, she does it at the exact spot
where Sharon dumped Heather's body?
[both chuckling]
So, those are the deep waters you're preaching about?
Yeah. And when Sharon lands in her watery grave,
we'll have Phyllis take the fall for it.
Okay.
So, we frame Phyllis
the same way that Sharon framed Phyllis's son, Daniel.
-Mm-hmm. -Oh.
Isn't it a beautiful symmetry to that?
As much as I appreciate your attention to your agenda,
I would appreciate if we can get this over with
so you can help me with mine.
Ah, you want to shift the focus to Claire.
Yes, I do.
I think I've been patient enough.
While she's been traipsing all over town
and all over the Newman estate
like she was born to some kind of royal bloodline.
Well, technically she was.
No, no, no, no, no, no.
I nurtured her for a higher purpose
and I've gotta put that girl back in her place.
Oh, ye of little faith.
Can't you see how this has come full circle?
How achieving my goals
has brought you so much closer to yours?
I can't deny that
all of this does make me a little nervous.
Hey, you're scared I'll hurt you?
No, it's not that. Um...
-I trust you. -Mm-hmm.
I'm just not sure that I trust all of this.
You know you're my first everything.
Yeah.
I'm so happy right now.
I just don't know if I deserve it.
Do you believe in redemption?
That people can actually change?
I do.
It just takes...
love.
You never got any growing up
and now that you're getting it,
your light can't help but shine through
and I realize how cheesy that is.
[both laughing]
Okay, all right. Um...
I have a confession,
but you can't tell Harrison
-and you can't tell anyone else. -Okay.
I love those sugar-sweet holiday movies.
-I know, I can tell. -Of course, you could.
Figuring out other people's feelings I'm pretty good at.
When it comes to my own though, not so much.
What are you feeling now?
-Good. -Mm-hmm.
Safe.
Cared for.
Happy?
Definitely happy.
Definitely.
Where's Mom?
She called it a night.
I was about to turn in myself until you called.
Why are you shivering like that?
You all right?
No, no. I'm not okay, Grandpa.
What's going on, son?
It's Ian Ward.
He's out of prison and back in Genoa City.
It's getting late.
I should probably go.
You should, but you shouldn't be driving.
I did only have a half a glass of champagne.
If I seem drunk to you, I don't think that's why.
Oh, no, I didn't think that.
Truth is,
I'm just not ready to let you go.
Well, good. Because honestly?
I'm not ready for you to let me go either.
Then don't.
Sun will be up in a couple of hours.
Stay with me for the rest of the night.
I believe you, Mom.
You know what? I do too.
You're giving me the benefit of the doubt?
Wow. That means a lot to me.
I'm proud of you, mom.
Me too.
Thank you.
I want you guys to know
that I'm letting go of all those things
that have taken up all my energy.
I'm just gonna put emphasis on everything
that would make the two of you proud of me.
Ooh, I don't know about that.
Now, I'm really worried.
Yeah, I kind of am too.
PHYLLIS: No, don't be worried.
It's gonna be good.
It's all good.
You know, just because it's January in Wisconsin
doesn't mean you can snow me.
Oh, I'm not sure what you mean.
Oh, sure you do.
You can use all that voodoo charm on other women
with half my amount of wits, but no, no.
I think you're going to use me
and then leave me out in the cold.
Crisscross, remember?
-Crisscross. -Oh, I do.
And I have been crissing and you have not been crossing.
You really don't get it, do you?
Oh, I tell you what I get.
I'm starting to believe that you think I'm stupid.
And maybe because I don't understand
all the details of your plan.
Or maybe, maybe you just want to play me.
And I don't know which I like less.
I do not, for a moment,
want to insinuate that you are not as astute as I am.
I have nothing but admiration for your intelligence
and your gift for strategic planning.
And I-- I hold you in very high regard.
And I hold you as an equal.
But somehow, I have made the opportunity before us
somewhat unclear.
Can I lay this whole thing out for you, please?
Oh, please do.
Okay.
Once Sharon reaches her watery grave,
Mariah,
she will be inconsolable.
She will be grief-stricken at the loss of her mother.
The only thing that will console her
will be the love and comfort of a parent.
And so I'm going to convince her that I have been reformed.
And then I'm going to slip into my old role
as a father figure.
I say you're nowhere near any of that.
Well, a journey of a thousand miles begins
with the first step.
Oh, again with the Bible, huh?
Well, actually, that's an ancient Chinese proverb.
But my-- my point is,
I took the first step last night
by saving Tessa's life.
Well, it's a good thing that she doesn't know
that you're the one that tried to kill her.
I know there'll be challenges, but I--
I-- I think that I can lure Mariah
back into trusting me again.
And you know why that is?
No, I do not.
Because I got you,
and you're not nearly as innocent as that young girl,
to trust me.
I trust you.
But it's on life support.
I know you're intelligent.
You are intelligent.
Because you wouldn't be so stupid as to give up our union
when we're right near everything that we've ever wanted.
To give us an in to her new friend, Claire,
I will win Mariah.
Yeah, I-- I don't like this.
Sharon would never ignore our texts or calls
unless something was really, really wrong.
Okay, I-- I get you're worried.
I am too.
But like Nick said, Sharon can handle herself.
Yeah, but this is Ian we're talking about.
Ian was at Society and was in my sight most of the night.
I doubt he could have slipped off
and done something to Sharon.
Honestly, I'm more worried about you right now.
I'm fine.
Like you said, this lunatic is obsessed with you.
Look, I know how strong you are, but...
aren't you worried that he might be able to get to you
like he did before?
No, no.
There's no chance of that ever happening again.
I am stronger now.
And I will do whatever it takes to keep my family safe.
You don't know where Sharon is?
She was supposed to meet us at Society.
She never showed.
Now, she's not answering any of our texts or calls.
Do you think Ian did something to mom?
He didn't seem agitated when we saw him.
He seemed calm, like he would never hurt anyone.
Did you call the cops on him?
Yeah, they came.
And they didn't take him to custody?
They called and checked out his story about him being released.
-And? -Apparently, he has, in fact,
paid his debt to society.
Well...
he hasn't paid his debt to me,
nor to this family.
We will have him found.
And then I'll have a talk with him.
ANNOUNCER: Next week on The Young and the Restless...
It's not every day I get a cold call
offering me a job,
let alone an exec flying out to meet me.
When I see someone I like, I don't waste time.
JORDAN: You should be grateful
that you're not at the bottom of the river.
At least not yet.
What's going on? I heard voices.
[Nikki gasping]
What the hell is he doing here?
Captioned by Los Angeles Distribution and Broadcasting, Inc.
Captioning provided by Bell Dramatic Serial Company,
Sony Pictures Television and CBS, Inc.
Join us again for "The Young and the Restless."