Thurs May 2, 2024: Today on Young and Restless, Jack tries to get Nikki to AA and when she won’t, he tries to get down to her level by calling his old dealer and taking pills, but everything goes sideways when he collapses
Wednesday’s recap: Jack Finds Drunken Nikki, and Mrs Abbott takes Back Control After Belle Fails Alan’s Test
(This day ahead recap episode airs in the USA on May 2. Expect spoilers! Recaps go live by 4:15 PM EST daily.)
Nikki struggles to keep Jack out of her hotel suite but he pushes his foot in the door and begs her to let him in.
She asked for his help, after all.
Nikki finally lets him in.
“My God. What happened here?” He asks.
She slurs her words sniping that he’s running scared now that he’s in.
She reaches for a new bottle of vodka and he takes it from her. It’s over.
He wants to take her to a meeting but she’s done with those.
Going to AA only got her drinking more, she says. Jack tells her it works if she tries.
“Oh shut up,” Nikki says. She can’t do it. Not this time. She has given up.
Jack refuses to let her. Not on his watch.
He calls her a mess, making her snark that this is some crappy pep talk he’s giving her.
Jack makes the bed and gets on a call, asking for water, coffee, an omelet, and toast.
The thought of food disgusts Nikki. Jack puts the room to rights, and Nikki rants that she’s not eating.
Jack looks at her phone. Everyone’s looking for her.
How did she wind up like this?
He tells her that Claire’s okay. Nikki knows.
She got the texts and is glad she’s safe. She finds a flask under the sofa and Jack grabs it.
He asks why she didn’t call but she figures it’s a waste of time for him.
She calls herself a lost cause. Jack manhandles her and tells her she’s no lost cause.
She looks longingly at the other two bottles and repeats herself. It’s too late for her.
Jack calls her compassionate and knows her.
She comes out stronger and better after these battles.
Nikki denies it. She thinks her family hates her. Jack says that’s not true.
They’re sick with worry and he wants to call them. She won’t let him and tells him about her nightmare which she feels is a look into the future.
They hate her so she’s moving on without them. Jack calls it her fears coming out in her dreams.
She tries to grab the bottle again and he stops her, reminding her that she’s the rock of the Newman family and they count on her.
So do her friends.
Nikki says Katherine and Neil are gone. Jack says he is, and so is Lauren and Michael.
She thinks anyone counting on her is an idiot. Jack wants to talk about rehab.
Nikki says no way, no how. Jack pushes it but Nikki’s been through it all before. She’s tried everything.
“And they worked. Relapse is part of recovery,” he tells her. Nikki shoves him.
You have to want to get sober and she doesn’t. Jack’s not going anywhere until she agrees to go to a meeting.
Nikki finds him smug. She thinks he should go to an Al-Anon meeting which will remind him he can’t change an alcoholic.
Nikki finds another bottle under the pillow. “Ah, there you are. Come to mama.”
She tries to drink but there’s only a drop left. Jack knows she’s scared and that the booze is telling her she failed.
She needs to drown out that noise. Nikki doesn’t want to and can’t fight this.
She seems exhausted and tells him she deserves peace and quiet.
She smashes the bottle for effect and runs into the bathroom while Jack pulls at his hair.
Jack’s seated on the sofa with coffee and the rest of the food that room service brought when Nikki reappears, surprised he’s there.
He tells her they cleaned up a little and invites her to eat. She’s not hungry and the food smells nauseating. Jack tells her that’ll go away after a few bites.
“Oh are you a doctor or do you just play one on TV?” She snarks. He pours coffee and she asks for a cold towel in the bathroom.
She doesn’t feel well. He refuses her, knowing she’ll just drink when his back is turned.
They drink some coffee and she tells Jack she doesn’t have the strength. Jack tells her Jordan’s gone but Nikki can’t celebrate that. She worries about Harrison’s horrific nightmares to come.
She worries about what Jordan did to poor Claire.
Jack insists Nikki’s not to blame. She needs to do what she does best.
“Hand me that bottle and I will,” she says. Jack says what she does best is fighting for those she loves. She snarks at him but he reminds her of all the fundraising she’s done.
The liquor keeps her bitter and he knows this isn’t her.
He keeps reminding her of how she can help everyone, being there for Harrison and Claire.
She thinks he’s right. She should help them. They deserve her to pour the vodka down the sink.
She picks up the bottle as she says they deserve her to go to rehab. He wonders if she means it. “Nice try, Jack,” she says, opening the bottle.
He’ll have to rip this from her hands if he wants her to stop.
She opens it and starts guzzling.
Jack looks like he’s at his wit’s end. He won’t wrestle her for the bottle.
She laughs. It’s too proper. “You won’t get down in the mud with me.”
He again brings up going to a meeting but she’s not going. He wants to talk about positive things like family but she accuses him of making it worse.
He tries to wrestle the bottle from her but she takes it.
His lectures aren’t working and she’s sorry she picked him as her sponsor.
She smacks his arm. He failed! She blames herself. Now Victor can tell her ‘ I told ya so’.
She takes another long drink which feels good. Jack looks stricken. “Join the party or get out,” she tells him.
He will. Jack snags another bottle and drinks.
Unamused, Nikki asks how that’s supposed to get her to stop. Jack gets an idea and makes a call to Kieran.
It’s been a while but he asks if Kieran can make a delivery to the Athletic Club.
He gives Kieran the room number and tells him, “Yeah, the same stuff.”
He disconnects and says he’s been wound up for too long. “It’s time to get loose,” he says, undoing his tie and taking another drink of booze.
Nikki asks who he called. “Patience my dear,” he says as she tries to get the bottle from him.
He reminds her she called him a failure as his sponsor, so so be it. She is on to his reverse psychology.
She wants him to go or she’ll start screaming. He’s not leaving.
If she tries to drink all of these bottles, she’ll wind up in the hospital and then be sent to rehab.
Since she doesn’t want that, Jack’s helping her out. He wants to do toasts and pours vodka into the coffee mugs.
They can toast to Jordan’s downfall, her anniversary being married to Victor or their friendship that has lasted decades.
Nikki seems to soften at his words but says she won’t do it. She asks him to go.
Jack tells her that her problems aren’t the only issues in the world.
He tells her all about his problems, his family issues with Ashley, Diane and Kyle and says it’s all too much for him.
Nikki’s reminded that alcohol was never his problem. He says no, she’s wrong.
It was never his solution. It takes the pain away but he needs something stronger.
Kieran arrives and Nikki blocks the door. “This is about me, not you,” he says, gripping her arm and flinging her away from the door.
He takes a paper bag and closes the door, showing Nikki a little bag of white pills.
“Now this is what hits the spot,” he says as Nikki’s jaw drops open in shock.
She asks him to stop.
This is dangerous.
Jack pours more vodka.
He has to put himself in her shoes to get through to her. He has to remember what it feels like.
Holding the pills in his hand gives him comfort. Nikki reminds him of the damage they can do.
Jack tells his old friend he’s grateful for her, and for the bond they have.
He’d do anything for her. Nikki says not like this! He can’t ruin his life for her.
Jack holds on to the pills. He will follow her to rock bottom so they can climb out together.
She can’t believe he has his dealer’s number after all these years.
He says it’s a test to know they have the power over their addiction, much like how she had bottles at the ranch.
Nikki calls him strong. He has too much to lose to do this.
Jack admits Diane worried that helping Nikki might draw him back to the pills, but the stress built up and for the first time in ages, he thought just one pill would give him a release.
Then his family wouldn’t have to deal with “Mr. Uptight.”
Nikki says nobody calls him that. Jack says she did. She claims she was only angry.
Jack wants this. Just for one night.
Nikki knows that’s bull. That’s the disease talking. He’s the glue that holds his family together. “I said that about you,” he reminds her.
She calls it a lie. Nikki thinks Summer blames her for this whole thing with Jordan.
“I saw it in her eyes.” Jack says it’s untrue.
She hits him in the chest, telling him she wants no company on her trip. Jack doesn’t care.
She’s stuck with him. He pours more vodka and she calls him cruel. He reaches into the baggie and gets out a pill.
She yells to get out but they’re in this together, he says, showing her the pill.
She opens the door and tells him to go.
She threatens to start yelling and he makes a show of popping the pill into his mouth.
Nikki slams the door. “Jack, no!”
He asks how it feels not to be able to stop someone you love from hurting themselves.
He chases the pill with vodka straight from the bottle while Nikki pleads with him.
Jack takes another pill and washes it down with booze, then pours another glass.
Nikki tells him his life is perfect.
He says on the outside.
Nikki realizes she’s been too selfish to ask.
Jack feels he let Nikki down.
He takes another pill and Nikki begs him not to do that.
She’ll get sober. She’ll have coffee and eat. She goes to get the food and he pops another pill.
Nikki says he can’t mix those with alcohol.
He laughs. He’s starting to slur his words. A ping from Nikki’s phone comes in. It’s Victor.
Jack answers it though Nikki tries to stop him.
“Hello, Mr. Mustache. It’s me, Mr. Uptight,” Jack says.
He invites Victor to join him for the fun.
Nikki takes the phone. She looks saddened for her friend.
Jack asks her to stay there and look out for each other.
Nikki says she was wrong. He was right. She needs a meeting and so does he.
Jack asks her to dance with him and then falls on the sofa, unconscious.
Nikki cries for him to wake up as she tries to rouse him.
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