Y&R: Y&R Hump Day Hot Take: Victor and Nikki Are Living Proof That Marriage Does Not Mean Death

On The Young and the Restless, and other serials, there's an adage that once a couple on soaps is married, they have no more story, no more conflict. Hence, the saying that "marriage is death." However, that's not true with Victor and Nikki, who recently renewed their vows!

A New Newman Beginning

Nikki and Victor have started anew | Image: JPI

Victor (Eric Braeden) and Nikki (Melody Thomas Scott) flew off to Italy for a second (sixth?) honeymoon after they had a small, but intimate ceremony at the ranch.

We didn't expect to see the sights of Italy as overseas remote are a thing of the past. (Although Y&R's sister soap, The Bold and the Beautiful, manages to get to Monaco and other locales with some regularity.)

Victor and Nikki cut their trip short because of Nicholas (Joshua Morrow), their son, who relapsed, hit rock bottom, and then checked himself back into rehab.

Nikki and Victor have been fraught over Nick's condition. Nikki even fretted over telling Nick a white lie about not going back to Italy as she didn't want to cause a setback with his progress.

The breakdown of Victor and Nikki's marriage was epic. He kicked her out of their home shortly after Christmas. The two had been fighting over Nikki's friendship with Jack Abbott (Peter Bergman), the man Victor has been driven to destroy!

Victor's got a bone to pick with Jack, but it's not just because Jack intervened in Nikki's quest to regain her sobriety. Is Victor angry at Jack because he jeopardized Nikki's safety? Or is he furious that Jack was there for his wife when he, Victor, was not?

The Past Is Present

Ashley, Jack, Victor, and Nikki have a complicated past | Image: JPI

Victor also has a long, complicated past with the Abbott patriarch, which dates back to the 1980s. Jack had an affair with Nikki when she was married to Victor. The mustached mogul wasn't a saint in all this, as he, too, had a love affair with Ashley (Eileen Davidson), Jack's sister.

Victor got even with Jack by gobbling up shares of Jabot Cosmetics. Jack conspired to wed Nikki, hoping to use her as a bargaining chip to get his family's company back. Jack didn't count on falling in love with Nikki for real.

Despite Jack regaining control of Jabot, he and Victor have continued to clash. And clash again.

When Victor and Nikki found their way back to each other this summer, they needed to come to a meeting of the minds as Victor's animosity towards Jack wasn't going to end.

However, he shared with Nikki that his love for her outweighed his hatred of Jack. That's something Nikki gently reminded Victor of as tempers started to flare.

The battles that Victor and Nikki shared over the last several months have been among their biggest ones (and they've had some doozies over the decades!).

Victor had an epiphany after Nikki was blinded due to a mass pressing on her optic nerve. He showed great vulnerability; ironically, Nikki couldn't see it as she was without sight.

It wouldn't be logical for Victor to suspend his feelings towards Jack. It wouldn't be logical for Nikki to put up with Victor's wrath towards the man, either. Recently, we've seen Victor and Nikki meet each other halfway. The vow renewal ceremony wasn't held lightly.

Victor and Nikki have committed to one another, but they're always going to have conflicts, and Jack is certainly one of them!

Something "Vyle" This Way Comes

Vicki and Kyle could create conflict in Victor and Nikki's life | Image: JPI

Of course, Victor and Nikki may be on the same page when Kyle (Michael Mealor) and Victoria's (Amelia Heinle) developing relationship comes to light! Victor's not a fan of Kyle's, but Nikki doesn't want her daughter getting hurt!

Kyle could be playing with fire here. If he mistreats Vicki, he'll have the wrath of Victor Newman -- and maybe Nikki Newman -- come down on him!

Victor and Nikki have agreed that they'll disagree on some things in life. But they've committed to one another, and we have a feeling that this time it's for keeps!

So, it turns out that you can have a happy marriage and be in conflict on Y&R!