Canadian Y&R day ahead recap for Wednesday, December 23, 2021 episode, which airs in the USA Thursday, December 24. (Recaps live by 5:45 PM EST daily.) In the previous episode, Nicholas extended an olive branch to Ashland on Christmas Eve. In this episode of CBS’ The Young and the Restless, it’s still Christmas Eve and Nicholas’s family and friends help him figure out who he is in this standalone episode.
Santa presses a button on a globe…fake snow begins to fall.
At Crimson Lights, Faith tells Nicholas that he has a long way to go before tomorrow comes. He brags that he’s got his Christmas shopping done. She’s skeptical but he tells her not to worry her pointy little ears. He thanks her for sacrificing Christmas eve to help give out presents. She’s happy to do it. She can’t imagine what it feels like not to belong. She says that’s where Grandpa lived. Each kid they meet tonight has their own story. Faith is reminded of her incredible family.
Nick gets a call from Summer. Faith disappears. Nick looks around, confused. “What? Where?” He takes the call from Summer, but all he hears is the music to Up on the Housetop. “Hello?” He asks. “We must have a bad connection.” He laughs, assuming she has pranked him. “What, you got a party? Too much egg nog? Dialed me by accident? Supergirl, are you there?”
Nikki appears and reaches out for him. She tells him to come with her, saying it’s Christmas Eve, a night of love, and discovery. Nick’s confused. She tells him dressing as Santa was a kind gesture that could make a deep and lasting impact. She wants to show him his gift.
Nikki holds her hand out and Nick takes it. They’re teleported to the ranch and they see Adam and Victoria. Nick thinks it’s an ambush. She laughs. It’s not what he thinks. He reminds her he pulled this with him and Dad when she wanted them to work things out. Adam’s shocked she did that. Victoria hopes the talk was productive. Victor appears and lets them know it was. He pats Nick on the back. Nick talks about digging into Ashland’s past.
It can’t be undone. He thinks she married an opportunist without scruples. He misses their friendship. She asks if he didn’t think about the impact this would make. He figured she’d appreciate what he did for her. Victoria calls him the moral one and says their dad has done everything he wanted and Nick’s not satisfied.
Nick liked that his father called him the best dad he knows. He thinks they have a different idea of what success means. Victor didn’t understand why his son wouldn’t follow in his footsteps but he respected his decision. Nick says he couldn’t handle the family infighting but he hasn’t found peace.
He doesn’t think the fighting will change. Adam reminds him that they work together because of him. “Your ideas, your dedication.” Adam’s grateful for all he’s learned from him. If he could have given him a chance to prove he’s changed, anything is possible. They give him a gift from the family. He doesn’t open it and Adam asks, “What is it ticking?” He opens it. It’s the book that Victor read to them as kids. He leafs through it and reads, “The children rushed from the house to greet their father, racing across the freshly fallen snow…”
Faith appears. She recalls him reading it to her as a kid. It was magical. Victor reads from the book and Nick asks why they gave him this book in particular. They’re trying to show him where he fits in. Summer calls again, but music plays and she says nothing. Sharon appears. “It’s not Summer. It’s Noah. She brings him to Society. Eeyore Noah’s drinking and she says he’s been like this the whole time.
Noah reveals the woman he was with has gotten married. She reconnected with a childhood love. She sent him a letter to tell him she finally found true happiness. She regretted hurting him but realized she was only with him to be part of the scene. He tears up. It wasn’t serious for her. Nick’s sorry. He knows what it feels like to be uncertain. He knows there’s no such thing as a perfect relationship.
Noah cries and asks why Nick keeps screwing up his own life. Phyllis appears and blames herself while Noah disappears. She thinks it’s because he’s confused about his place in the world. “So everyone keeps saying,” he says. She thinks their argument over his family made him think. He thought he’d have more answers. He’s not sure who he is, what he wants, or how to make his life more meaningful. Phyllis tells him to relax. She can’t fix it but thinks he has a need for… she trails off. “What?” He asks.
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At Society, Phyllis disappears and Cassie turns up. She thinks he’s doing great. He’s the greatest dad in the world. He misses her. She thinks she’s alive in his heart and the family. Life’s about change. It’s how we grow.
She doesn’t think he wants to stagnate. He laughs that his kids are all philosophers now. He thinks there’s too much soul searching. She quotes Socrates. He remembers telling her mom that Cassie was an old soul. She thinks he’s looking in the wrong direction.
She hints that what he’s looking for is all around him tonight. Sharon reappears as Cassie goes. Nick talks about what he should have done, what he should have known. Sharon’s saddened that he feels to revisit this. It wasn’t his fault and he can’t change it. He talks about Faith, who was going down the same path. He couldn’t lose her.
Sharon says Faith is fine. They both thank Adam. Sharon says he has changed. Nick gave Adam another chance because he’s a compassionate and caring man. Cassie knew. No kid could have asked for a better dad. She talks at length about their loss. Faith appears and Sharon disappears.
Faith tells her dad not to get swept along in this riptide of life. She thinks he’s made an impact on so many lives even if he can’t see it. She tells him everything that he’s done for every single person in his life in detail, recapping his life. As she sings his praises, Silent Night plays. He realizes now what she meant by when she said his answer was all around him.
Nick wakes up in a Santa suit. Faith returns with coffee and she asks if he dreamed about her. He says the whole family was there but he can’t remember much. She tells him her friend Marcy is a dream fanatic.
She says their dreams tell them stuff about their lives. Faith leaves the room and Summer calls. Nick is hesitant to pick up the call. He does. “Summer, are you there?” Summer (Hunter King) sits at home in a red dress and laughs. She called him. Of course, she’s there. She wanted to wish him a Merry Christmas.
Christmas wouldn’t be the same if they didn’t talk. Nick looks relieved and smiles. He assumes it’s late there. She tells him people stay up later. She says Harrison wanted to catch Santa put Christmas gifts under the tree but he thankfully just fell asleep. He tells her he’s in a Santa suit and he’ll wear it tomorrow when they video chat to watch Harrison open his presents. He wants to visit. She jokes that she’ll be far too busy partying with rock stars.
She says she’d love the idea. They plan for him to come after Christmas and celebrate his birthday. “I’m so excited,” she says. “I am too, Supergirl,” Nick says. Faith, Noah and Sharon appear. They’re thrilled he’s so happy right now and that he’ll visit Summer. They quote the book that Victor gave him and embrace. Their scene winds up in the little globe.
Next week on Y&R!
Victoria says to Billy, “So you want me to stay silent while you set a trap for my father.”
Abby says, “It sounds like you’re asking for shared custody?”
Devon says, “Practically speaking, yeah that’s what I’m talking about.”
Sally asks Adam if he’s considered her proposal to do nothing for New Year’s Eve or to hang out and do nothing together.” Adam says, “It all depends on what the nothing is that you want to do.”
Monday’s Day Ahead recap!
Monday’s Y&R recap: Sally eavesdrops on Chelsea and Adam’s private discussion, Chance has issues feeding Dom and Devon steps up, while Tessa and Mariah get a new apartment.