Nick Newman and Matt Clark crawl back from rock bottom: The Young and the Restless Two Scoops For the Week of April 27th

It's hard to keep a good man -- or a bad man -- down. That's the lesson The Young and the Restless reminded us of last week. Both Nick Newman and Matt Clark looked like they were going down for the count, but both have shown us that they're not done yet!

The first step in solving a problem

Nick could lie to a lot of people, but he couldn't lie to his father, Victor, on Y&R | Image: CBS

Nick's (Joshua Morrow) been lying about his addiction to pills for months. One reason he was able to do so is that he wanted everyone to believe he was fine, and everyone wanted to believe Nick was okay. But Nick was far from okay. Fueled by his desire to take Matt (Roger Howarth) down all by his lonesome (later, accepting some help from his brother, Adam, played by Mark Grossman), Nick made some near-fatal errors.

Going to Las Vegas without Newman security and only Adam? Nick placed both of their lives in jeopardy. Nick didn't want to show up with an entourage. Or did he want to bring Matt down by himself? Security details can be subtle when necessary. They are trained professionals after all. And, unlike Nick, they're not on drugs.

One reason Nick fell prey to Matt was that he was not at the top of his game. The drugs messed with his mind and alertness. That nearly cost Nick his life after Matt overpowered him, tied him up, and left him and Adam, someone else Matt overtook, in a hotel storage room.

Oddly, Matt left them, allowing Adam to call for help. Didn't Matt know there was a phone in the room?

For some inane reason (the drugs, maybe?), Nick insisted that Sharon (Sharon Case) not be called, which made no sense. First, she'd want to know Nick was okay. Second, Sharon needed to be told that Matt had both Adam's and Nick's cell phones. That way, Sharon and Noah never would have fallen for the phony text from Matt, allowing him to take them hostage.

Ultimately, it became a numbers game. Matt wasn't just up against Nick and Adam, but also Riza (Tina Casciani), Chelsea (Melissa Claire Egan), Noah (Lucas Adams), Sharon, and Sienna (Tamara Braun). On top of that, Chelsea wisely reached out to Victor (Eric Braeden) to make sure that he used his muscle to help his loved ones get away from Matt.

Sienna has sworn up and down that Matt was dead, but even before Matt showed up alive, we figured he hadn't gone to that great soap on the sky yet. May Sweeps are just underway, after all!

The Nick of time

Nick needed a hug from his father, Victor, and he got one on Y&R | Image: CBS

Nick lied to himself, to his ex-wife, his son, and his brother, but the one person he could not lie to was his father. "I took a lot of fentanyl -- willingly," Nick said. "Yeah. I did. Some of it was because of Matt, but most of it was on me."

Nick tearfully went on to explain that he thought he could have managed his pain even though he blew through his prescription meds. Nick shared the history of how he got hooked on pills, going back to when he reached into his pocket and he found a stash of pills. "I was desperate," Nick said. "I took the fentanyl."

Nick added that he was deeply ashamed that he was so weak. "I'm going to make this right, and I'll get better," Nick said.

Adam explained that Nick was already on his way, as Sharon had set up an outpatient treatment for Nick. "Dad, I'm so sorry. I know this is the last thing you or this family needs," Nick emoted, in tears,

Rather than blast his son for his fall, Victor embraced him, showing him love and support when he needed it the most. Victor's next biographer may not get away with calling him "ruthless."

Brothers in charms

Adam (Mark Grossman) and Nick (Joshua Morrow) on The Young and the Restless | Image: JPI

One great thing that has come out of Nick's woes is a greater bond he has with his half-brother, Adam. Watching Adam and Nick try to give each other credit to Victor was downright endearing. We haven't seen sibling support like that ever since five of the Brady kids fessed up to breaking Carol's favorite vase so that Peter (the true culprit) could go on a planned camping trip. You'd never know that Adam and Nick fought each other for years over Sharon. If these two end up at odds, it'll be after something big comes between them.

Great minds think alike

Christine's return to the district attorney's office is giving Phyllis a big headache on Y&R | Image: CBS

We suggested back in January that Y&R could revive the Christine/Phyllis feud by adding the former to the AI storyline. What can we say? Great minds think alike! Having Cricket (Lauralee Bell) rejoin the district attorney's office has put her squarely up against Phyllis (Michelle Stafford), the woman who got away with running her over with a rental car over 30 years ago.

Christine isn't rejoicing in being positioned to stick it to Phyllis, which is probably going to irk the aggressive redhead even more! Chris follows and upholds the law. Phyllis has been breaking it left and right with Cane's (Billy Flynn) AI program. (Yes, Victor used it unlawfully, too, but two wrongs don't make a right, do they?)

It would be amazing to see Cricket finally get to cross-examine Phyllis on the witness stand for her crimes. Is this the crime Phyllis should pay for in terms of karma? Probably not, but that's irony for you!

The welcome Matt

No one was surprised when Matt Clark (Roger Howarth) turned up alive on Y&R | Image: CBS

Sharon and Nick were right to have doubts about Matt's "death." For starters, they didn't see a body. Secondly, even when there has been a body, Matt's managed to come back. Third, they don't know Sienna all that well, despite their shared ordeals.

We saw Matt alive in the desert. Teasers for next week reveal that he'll be showing up in Genoa City. Will this be his last showdown with Nick and Sharon? Or will Matt somehow worm his way out of the criminal charges he's facing?