Young and the Restless isn’t airing today here’s why (and how the Thanksgiving classic gave a clue about Claire’s story)

No episode of The Young and the Restless will be seen on Friday, Nov. 24, because CBS will broadcast a college football game, Iowa versus Nebraska. So, fans will have to wait for Y&R’s return next week. When that happens, dramatic developments will play out for the Newman family.

Viewers who watched the classic 1993 episode that was shown on Thanksgiving received a mini primer. Fans know the intention of classic episodes can be strategic, as topics from past shows are connected to current developments. Such is the case with Cole Howard’s (J. Eddie Peck) 2023 return linked to three-decade-old scenes.

His mother’s, Eve Howard (Margaret Mason) appearance on the Feb. 4, 1993 episode provides context for sinister developments that are currently happening in Redmond, Oregon. Claire Grace (Hayley Erin), who was believed to be a welcome addition to Newman Enterprises as Nikki Newman’s (Melody Thomas Scott) personal assistant, has recently revealed herself as a villain.

While no new show is set to air on Nov. 24, viewers learned during the week of Nov. 20 that Claire’s Aunt Jordan (Colleen Zenk) was orchestrating a complex revenge attack against the Newmans. Claire lured Nikki to a remote destination under her aunt’s direction. Based on many cloaked comments about family, it appears plausible to believe Jordan is a relative of Eve. If Zenk’s character is Claire’s biological aunt, then Erin’s character would also be part of Eve’s family.

Young and the Restless devotees know that Eve is said to have died years ago, with a SORAS’d (soap opera rapid aging syndrome) Cole being the ’90s era link to Mason’s character. Life is fluid in the soap world. So, it is possible Zenk is playing a recast Eve if that character didn’t die. Otherwise, Jordan could slot in as Eve’s sister.

Past storylines had Eve tormenting Victor and trying to kill him and Thomas Scott’s character. Casey Reed (Roberta Leighton) helped to prevent Eve from ending her sister Nikki’s life. So, savvy soap fans can assume Nikki’s intention to visit Casey was a purposeful plot insertion, as it plays off the past and potentially provides a hint at a future climax.

As for Claire, Erin’s name is listed with the regular cast members in the credits. That implies the actor (who originally played a younger version of Abby Newman Abbott) will not be a short-term player but could be a Newman or Howard family member. Cole and Victoria Newman’s (then played by Heather Tom and now played by Amelia Heinle) daughter, Eve, was believed to have died shortly after birth. So, Erin’s current character might be Cole and Victoria’s daughter. That scenario would cement Claire in Y&R lore as she would not only be a Howard but also a member of the Newman family.

New episodes of Y&R resume airing on Monday, Nov. 27.

Stay tuned to Hidden Remote for more The Young and the Restless news and coverage! New episodes stream on Paramount+.