It’s not lost on many viewers of The Young and the Restless that Phyllis (Michelle Stafford) has been flopping in the romantic department over the last few years. Arguably, since Diane (Susan Walters) resurfaced from the dead in 2022, blocking a rekindling between Phyllis and Jack (Peter Bergman), Phyllis’ love life has been in the pits. After that, she got married to Jeremy Stark (James Hyde) as part of a twisted revenge plot and then attempted to build something with Cane (Billy Flynn), who didn’t hide that he’s been in love with Lily (Christel Khalil).
Fast forward to the present, and it’s starting to seem as if she may be able to find a connection with the newly reformed Matt (Roger Howarth). When the two initially met, she had no idea he was this old-school villain of the Newmans, and it appeared they had a spark.
However, once Phyllis learned of Matt’s identity, she instantly viewed him as a bargaining chip, hoping to use him to maintain her control of NewmanEnterprises and, at the very least, her freedom from prison. Clearly, her plan in that regard fell through, as Victor (Eric Braeden) got to Matt. But in an interesting turn of events, Matt and Phyllis wound up saving Nick (Joshua Morrow) from an overdose, and she saw him as a guy who was truly remorseful for all the evil he’s done.
Victor Gives Matt a Second Chance… Kind of
Matt truly saved his life when he saved Nick’s. Victor is thankful for the heroic act. However, The Mustache isn’t thankful enough to just let Matt walk away and take advantage of his second chance. Victor has Matt doing his bidding in a revenge scheme against Cane. However, the plan only works if most of Genoa City is in the dark about Matt’s true identity.
That being said, as part of Victor’s gratitude toward Phyllis for her part in rescuing Nick, he actually rewarded her with Cane’s old company, Arabesque. But, he made it seem as if he was giving Phyllis the company with the understanding that she has to keep her mouth shut about what she knows about Matt.
Will Phyllis Help Matt Gain Freedom from Victor?
It’s not hard to imagine that Phyllis and Matt will keep running into each other around Genoa City and agree to hit the restart button on their dynamic. Then, after a few times spent meeting at the Athletic Club bar or Society, he complains to her about not wanting to be Victor’s attack dog against enemies. Feeling drawn to Matt and knowing how the Newman patriarch can be, she may develop a healthy dose of sympathy for the “newcomer.” She may even go as far as to help Matt come up with a counterplan to get from underneath Victor’s thumb. Could their working together push the duo into a solid relationship? Not for nothing, given that Phyllis and Matt are both town pariahs, they have something to bond over.
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