Bet Your Bottom Dollar, the Sun'll Come Out, Tamara Braun: The Young and the Restless Two Scoops for the week of February 2

The Young and the Restless is firing on all cylinders lately as power moves are being made, secrets are being revealed, and Sienna has written a "Dear John" letter to Noah, but it's it really over for "Nienna"?

What happened on The Young and the Restless

Tamara Braun, who plays Sienna McCall, has been a fan favorite since she debuted on daytime way back in 2001, when she debuted as Carly on General Hospital. She's hopped around to other soaps -- Days of our Lives (twice), All My Children, and even gone back to GH as another character (Dr. Kim Nero, for which she won her second Daytime Emmy in the category of Outstanding Supporting Actress -- her first came for playing DAYS's deliciously evil Ava in 2009).

So soap viewers were thrilled that she was coming on as Sienna Bacall on Y&R. The character's devotion to Noah (Lucas Adams) endeared her to us -- once, of course, we got past the fact that the on-screen lovers played on-screen mother and son on DAYS, where she was Ava and Adams was her son, Tripp.

Last week, Sienna sent Noah a "Dear John" letter, telling him that he was compassionate, brave, and kind. Sure, Nick (Joshua Morrow) and Sharon (Sharon Case) had concerns about Ava, given that she'd been wed to their longtime nemesis Matt Clark (Roger Howarth), and there was the age of difference.

Sharon and Nick also had concerns about Noah going back to Los Angeles without a support system outside of Sienna. Plus, the family has been through so much over the last few years with the attacks from Jordan (Colleen Zenk) and Ian Ward (Ray Wise). Mariah's (Camryn Grimes) has run off with Dominic (Ethan Ray Clark), and Victor (Eric Braeden) is embroiled in a war against Cane (Billy Flynn) and Phyllis (Michelle Stafford), and also with Jack (Peter Bergman).

They're justified in thinking that now is not the time for Noah to leave town. And now, it looks like he won't be. Or will he? Sienna appears to be gone now that she's done the tender, voice-over, farewell note....but maybe not.

Braun hasn't made any social media posts about exiting the show, and there hasn't been an exit interview published. Also, Holden (Nathan Owens) and Claire (Hayley Erin) are headed back to Los Angeles. That's a strong indicator that maybe we're going to see some of the action pick up in Hollywood again.

Braun is one of daytime's most talented performers. The two-time Daytime Emmy-winner can make audiences feel for her characters. Any show would be lucky to have her. Who knows? Maybe that show is still Y&R!

San Fernando Valley of the Dolls

Nick Newman was looking pretty good this week. We suspected that the character was headed down a pill-addiction storyline once he lamented that he was running out of pills pretty soon after he'd had the prescription filled.

While he's still in pain, we're not seeing him contacting a local supplier to get an illegal refill. This doesn't mean that Nick still won't develop an addiction to pain pills. We know that Morrow would hit such a storyline out of the park. The man turned in a tour de force when Nick ripped into Phyllis for her duplicity regarding his father's and family's company, Newman Enterprises.

There was a Spanish playwright, Lope de Vega, who lived in the 1600s. He subscribed to the theory that storytellers could "trick expectancy." Perhaps that's what Y&R is doing with Nick? We're all expecting him to develop a pain pill addiction. After all, it runs in the family -- Nikki was numbing her back pain with vodka till she had surgery. Nick's surgery was fairly standard. Stay tuned to see if he starts popping too many pills!

Sour milk cartons

We love having Camryn Grimes back on our screens as Mariah. Y&R scored a casting coup in newcomer Ethan Ray Clark, the show's new Dominic. But we're not fans of "kids in jeopardy" stories. It wasn't fun watching Mariah be held captive by Stitch (Sean Carrigan) when she was pregnant years ago, and it's not fun watching Mariah run away with the youngster. What's her plan? Raise him in motel rooms and keep him distracted from what's going on by playing yet another game of hide and seek?

The good news is that Y&R appears to be giving something for Matt Cohen's Det. Burrow to do. Genoa City has been down a lawman since Chance (Conner Floyd) was killed off and Paul Williams (Doug Davidson) went to Portugal to have a heart attack. Maybe Det. Burrow can be the one to find Dominic? That'll make him an instant hero, and he'll win the support of Victor Newman. "Young man, you have found my grandson. I am in your debt," we can hear Victor saying.

Zuleyka Silver lining

Audra Charles (Zuleyka Silver) cut open a vein at the Chancellor Park Cafe over a latte with Holden Novak (Nathan Owens). On paper, it sounded like a true pity party that Audra was throwing herself as she lamented her economically challenged childhood to Nate. But Audra's nobody's victim. She's a fighter and a survivor. She knows who she is, and she's not going to let the "Claire Newmans" of the world bring her down. Read about Silver's performance in our Y&R Performer of the Week article here.

Is there a reason, by the way, why Audra's the only person in Genoa City who ever refers to Claire's duplicity and evil alliance with her Aunt Jordan (Colleen Zenk)? She did try to kill members of her family, after all! Diane (Susan Walters) remarked to Kyle last year about Claire's past. Is she capable of being evil again? Stay tuned!

Billy and Jill went up a hill

Jason Thompson gave a heartbreaking performance as Billy continued to deal with his mother's illness. Most of this is happening off-screen and in one-way phone calls. Y&R can't get Jess Walton (Jill) back on our screens fast enough so we can see for ourselves how Jill's doing. We're guessing that Billy will put his priorities in order as he continues to process his mother's prognosis. He may surprise us -- and Sally -- with what he decides.

Phyllis, it sure is you

We're not forgetting that Phyllis and Cane have used illegal means to overtake Newman Enterprises. This will all probably end up in court someday, and those who have broken the law should have to pay. In the meantime, it's been a treat to watch Phyllis revel in the fact that she and Cane are currently on top! Phyllis may not be legally right in what she's done, but she has a point when she talks about how Victor has walked over people throughout the years. She's going to lose a lot -- like, Nick. But Phyllis is too wrapped up in the fact that she feels justified in what she's doing. She's fabulous.

Victor Newman is indeed Ruthless

In the late 1980s, Nora Randall (AKA Leanna Love, played by Barbara Crampton) penned an unauthorized biography of Victor Newman, titled "Ruthless: The Victor Newman Story." Perhaps that title wasn't so unwarranted? Victor is playing serious hardball with Phyllis and Cane. Either they give him back his company, or Victor, well, he's implying that Cane will never see his family again.

Would Victor truly harm Lily and the twins? (By the way, for any newer viewers, "the twins" are not toddlers in a stroller; Mattie and Charlie, Cane and Lily's twin children, are grown and out of college now, or at least they're old enough to be.)

Anywho, we don't think Victor would harm an innocent. But can Cane truly trust that? Phyllis hammering away at Cane that Victor would never harm the late Neil's (Kristoff St. John) children isn't as calming as Phyllis would like it to be.

Cane's worried, and why wouldn't he be? He loves Lily, Charlie, and Mattie more than anything. We're wondering, though, does Cane ever think about this son, Sam, with the late Juliet (Laur Allen)?

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Maybe Victor could track the youth down, adopt him away from the relatives of the late Juliet, who are raising him, and use little Sam as leverage against Cane? That'd be...well, ruthless.

Catch all-new episodes of The Young and the Restless weekdays on CBS and Paramount Plus.

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