Two Scoops: Cuckoo for Coco, Sharon’s Bad Idea, and Wedding Bells: The Young and the Restless Two Scoops for the Week of October 12

After what seemed like way too many stories about Artificial Intelligence, boardroom battles, and kidnappings, The Young and the Restless got back to some soap opera basics with interpersonal relationships among family members. The week of shows starting on October 12, 2026, showed us two families preparing for a wedding and a secret affair getting more and more complicated.

Going to the GCAC of Love

The Abbott family and the Spectra sisters | Image: JPI

Weddings join together two people, Billy and Sally in this case, in holy matrimony. They’re also about bringing two families together; in this case, the Abbott clan and the Spectra gang (Sally, her sister, Coco, and her “Grams,” Shirley, who we expect to see later this week).

Soaps, at the end of the day, are all about families, and we saw the Abbott clan united as Billy’s big day approaches. The dialogue in the episode involving Sally and Coco coming over to the Abbott mansion for dinner was so realistic. We saw how the Abbotts talked privately as a family about Sally before her and Coco’s arrival.

Ashley commented on the situations Sally had been involved in when she lived in Los Angeles. Ashley, too, lived for a time in L.A., so it’s only natural that she’d hear bits and pieces of stories of Sally’s life in Los Angeles.

Coco Channel

Sally and Coco have been embraced by the Abbott family | Image: JPI

Kudos to Y&R Daytime Emmy-winning cast director Greg Salmon for finding Ashley Campbell. She bears a resemblance to Coco’s previous portrayer (Courtney Grosbeck) and also looks like she could be Sally’s sister. If we didn’t know better, we’d swear Campbell and Courtney Hope (Sally) had been playing scenes together for years! There was a fond rapport between the two that just emanated sisterly love.

When references were made to Coco’s and Sally’s childhoods and their past, we believed fully that the two were talking about the same life. The chemistry between Hope and Campbell was filled with love, sisterly warmth, and a history shared by two women who rose above not having so many other things in life that many take for granted.

Just as Ashley privately shared with her family concerns about Sally, we saw Sally privately give Coco the lowdown on their new family. Sally gave Coco the scoop on Mrs. Martinez, the Abbott family’s housekeeper, telling her that the Abbotts treat her more like family than the help. (Although, wouldn’t it be nice to actually see Mrs. Martinez every once in a while? She’s mentioned often, but practically never seen.)

Coco told her sister that she was used to being around rich people, referring to the Forresters on The Bold and the Beautiful. Coco had a short stay on B&B, but she had relationships there, and Y&R didn’t forget that.

Y&R’s writers get credit for including Sally’s namesake, Sally Spectra (the late, great Darlene Conley), into the family dinner by having Sally and Billy reach out to her via video conferencing on their cell phones.

The conversation between the Abbott and the Spectra families at the dinner table was lively and friendly, as both parties entered the night with open hearts and minds. There was playful teasing as characters politely got to know each other.

We caught Coco stealing a look at Kyle. Might she show additional interest in the Abbott heir if she sticks around? That would add a dynamic to Kyle’s secret affair with Victoria.

The exchanges between the two families ran the gamut from light-hearted to sincere. Jack telling Sally and Coco that the Abbott home was now their home and the Abbotts were their family was especially touching. When Diane, Traci, and Ashley saw how touched the Spectra siblings were by Jack’s words, they realized that Sally and Coco were good people, and they welcomed them into their family, too. Further inter-family bonding occurred after Sally let Diane feel her tummy as the baby kicked. Sally and Jack bonded over being named after relatives and the challenges that come with that. There were references to Jill (we, too, wish she were there) and to John, Billy's late father.

Friday’s tag was perfect as the show ended with Sally looking like the beautiful bride that she is about to walk down the aisle. Bringing the Genoa City Athletic Club back a few years ago was one of Y&R’s smarter moves. The days of going on lavish remotes for weddings may be over, but the GCAC is perhaps the largest set the show has, and it serves nicely for big events like weddings.

Love Affair

Speaking of Kyle and Victoria, do they know how close they’re becoming? Sure, they know they’re having fun, but they’re quite compatible, and they both get a kick out of keeping their union a secret. Do they know that they’re falling in love with each other? Maybe it’s too soon to call that. Maybe not. They are having trouble keeping their affair a secret, and they’re becoming distracted, which is not a good thing. Victoria spaced out on an important meeting. She pulled herself together quickly enough and managed to get through the video conference. But her father, Victor, knows that something’s going on with this daughter.

It had better not come as a surprise to Vicki or Kyle, for that matter, when Victor has a “light bulb” moment and realizes that his daughter is literally sleeping with the enemy.

Kyle and Vicki, for now, might want to be careful about how they behave in public when they’re together. If they’re not careful, they’re going to reveal just how fond they are of each other. We can’t wait for that look of realization to wash across Victor’s face. If Kyle’s not careful, he might end up in Victor’s basement eating rats! (IYKYK.)

Sharon Needs a Therapist

According to the Internet, there’s a law against therapists dating their patients in Wisconsin. The onus falls upon the therapist to be the one to stop things from getting complicated. It’s probably a good idea given that there could be a power imbalance. Seriously, the therapist knows all the details about their patient’s personal life. But what does that patient know about the therapist -- that he or she validates parking?

You know what’s also a good law to have on the books? Therapists should not take on patients if those patients have sexually assaulted them!

To quote the late, great Katherine Chancellor, “Dear God in heaven!” Sharon, what are you thinking of doing by trying to help Matt Clark, given his past? The dialogue on the show doesn't sweep this under the rug. How can you offer to help Matt? Even if you do have his best interests at heart, can’t you realize that there’s a conflict here? What if you treated him and your treatment failed? Would you wonder if you subconsciously sabotaged it?

You cannot be alone in the same room with Matt. He could trip, hit his head, and wake up, realizing that he’s just a bad guy. And he could attack you. Again.

Why aren't the police arresting Matt or sending him back to Las Vegas, where he tried to kill Noah, Sharon, Nick, and Adam?

Nick should rethink giving up his hero complex if Sharon is going to make decisions that are going to put herself in jeopardy. If Y&R wants to keep Howarth on the canvas, perhaps he could come back on as another character. Decades ago, Matt got plastic surgery and started going by the name Carter Mills. Was Carter a real person? Did Matt take his picture to a doctor and say, “Make me look like him?” If so, Howarth could play that person.

Villains (with rare exceptions – Victor, Sheila, Michael Baldwin) can’t be redeemed beyond a certain point. Matt’s history of committing violent acts is extensive. No one should feel safe around him.