News
Y&R’s EP and Head Writer Josh Griffith Teases Jordan and Ian’s Targets: “It’s the Entire Newman Family … But I Think Mariah and Claire, Specifically”
The Young and the Restless just re-introduced baddies, Jordan Howard (Colleen Zenk) and Ian Ward (Ray Wise), to the Genoa City canvas, and just in time, as Sharon (Sharon Case) just confessed all to Nick (Joshua Morrow), but is he truly believing she is capable of what she said she did — killing Heather Stevens (Vail Bloom) … and trying to run Phyllis (Michelle Stafford) off the road? On, Monday’s November 18th episode, Sharon told Chance (Conner Floyd) to arrest her and to take her into custody.
However, Y&R’s executive producer and head writer, dropped several Easter eggs, such as Sharon’s blackouts, and now with Jordan and Ian holed up at a seedy hotel revealing themselves, it’s clear they have had something to do with Sharon’s mental state, Heather’s death and Phyllis’ car accident, but how, and why?
Now, Griffith has opened up about crafting the storyline of Heather’s death, and his plans for Jordan and Ian in an interview with Soap Opera Digest. The head scribe explained, “I knew that it needed to be somebody who not only we could come up with motive for the killing, but that also the reveal would be massive,” Josh explained. “It wouldn’t just be, ‘Oh, who’s that?’ And I started looking into, historically, who had a beef with the Newmans. And, we landed on Ian Ward.”
Photo: JPI
However, once again in his career, Griffith was inspired by an Alfred Hitchcock movie, and this time it was Stranger on a Train. Josh thought, “Wouldn’t it be interesting if Ian had an accomplice that equally needed something to happen because they were angry and they felt they’d been wronged?’”
Putting Jordan and Ian together for a diabolical plan was Griffith’s endgame as he reveals, “In a nutshell, the idea is that these two wonderful villains — who both have reasons to want revenge in Genoa City — would find each other and team up. It seemed perfect and that this murder could be the catalyst for the whole thing. As we were putting the pressure on Sharon and we were slowly starting to reveal that things were not exactly as she thinks they are, at the perfect point, we would then reveal to the audience these two mastermind criminals.”
Photo: JPI
Josh urged for fans to be on the lookout for Jordan and Ian’s next leg of their story, “The ramifications throughout Genoa City as we slowly reveal (their plans), it is just going to be a powder keg of excitement.” But who are the actual people that Jordan and Ian want to inflict pain and suffering on? Griffith noted, “It’s the entire Newman family. They all need to watch their back. But I think Mariah (Camryn Grimes) and Claire (Hayley Erin), specifically….”
So, how do you think Jordan and Ian managed to frame Sharon? Run Phyllis off the road? How could they time Sharon’s blackouts? What will be there plan for Mariah (who used to be in Ian’s cult) and Claire (who supposedly turned her back on her Aunt Jordan)? Weigh-in on your theories via the comment section.
But first, check out this video ditty from the Y&R Insider, You Tube Channel featuring Colleen Zenk and Ray Wise answering some burning questions on their returns as Jordan and Ian below.
I think it sucks. The whole story. Don’t you think out of anybody Victor Newman would be the first one to know that Jordan was out of jail or broke out of jail whatever happened. Come on writers were not that stupid.
100% correct Dolores! Saw online that Zenk said she was told in June she’d be headed back to Y&R in the fall. Right, the fact that the whack job escaped from prison wasn’t even newsworthy in this town. Griffith just wings it, doesn’t care about any kind of accuracy. The whole story is nonsense. Victor still having the prison cell….what these poor actors must go through to deliver these lines. They know this guy can’t write. And so do we.
Maybe Mariah isn’t Mariah after all and she was brainwashed, it’s actually Cassie…fans would be excited to learn their beloved Cassie we watch grow up has so much story, she’s a legal Newman, the thought of Daniel and opening the same storyline because he’s very much entrenched in the story with Cassie, more possibility to create story for Cassie then “Mariah”
I just want to see Colleen on our screens for as long as we can. I miss seeing her all the time like we did when she was on ATWT.
I agree with you 100% James. I am 58 years old and I remember watching ATWT with my mom when I was 12 and I was forever hooked. Barbara was my favorite. I thought she was so classy. I was thrilled when she first appeared on YandR. It doesn’t matter to me that this storyline looks like it might be ad thrilling as people are saying. I am just glad that the beautiful Colleen Zenk is back on daytime TV
I actually am looking forward to these two “playing” on screen together. It will be a lot more fun than all of the back and forth company/merger/acquisition angst. I just hope that there will be a youth element arriving in Spring/Summer. The show is called The YOUNG and the RESTLESS.
Mentioning Griffith’s name in the same breath as Hitchcock is beyond idiotic.
Griffith says he was inspired by Hitchcock. We all know he’s nowhere near Hitchcock in talent.
But what’s sad, is HE doesn’t know it, dilutions of grandeur or Victor Newman, which is it?
Ok,if this is like Strangers on a train, then Jordan is going after Sharon for taking Mariah from him and Ian will return the favor by torturing Victoria and the other Newmans. I dunno!! Maybe it’s Josh’s way of honoring the monumental number of episodes, by bringing back characters from the past –dunno.
A fun interview with Colleen Zenk and Ray Wise about their return. Seeing them return was a shocker – I don’t even care how they got there. I love Ray Wise.
I rarely watch Young and the Restless and now i know why. It sucks. Can’t they write a soap about interpersonal relationships without resorting to psycho and Chucky 3. The cast is way too large. The corporate drama always leads to no where. The hottest couple on the show is Nicky and Victor. The writer is mining the golden years as he doesnt have a clue. The show is a mess.
Thank you! Can’t even read the nonsense anymore the guy never knew the end game just throwing stuff against the wall to see if it sticks. The first thing that they should have done was test Sharon’s meds . Duh
Mariah is so boring no one will miss her
Tessa will!!
Well. Maybe they will finally write for Camryn. Then she would be terrific! She has 2 Emmy’s for her work their! The actor is damn talented. Enough of the newman’s and abbott’s. Use the whole town-cast for story
So this year we had Cameron come back to seek revenge on Sharon, now Ian, who’s next Matt Clark getting a third kick at the can.
And I already see coming the attempt on Victor’s life which he survives but convinces Elena to tell everyone he is dead so he can remain safe until they figure out who wanted him dead–OR, where Jordon puts Victor in a cell and everyone thinks he is dead– either way we will get weeks of Chance questioning everyone in town who had a motive to “kill” Victor– I hope I’m wrong, but if not out of two I am rooting to see Jordon put Victor in a cell because that would be a bit more interesting.
So as much as I applaud the actors playing Jordon and Ian for trying to give these one note characters depth– I missed the old days where the line between good and evil in a villain was blurry and some days you actually felt sorry for them or think they had a good reason for it, like Kevin in the early days of his character, or Michael Baldwin– heck even Adam– they all did horrible things, yet had enough humanity to make them interesting.
And if JG really wants to shock us, write a back story to help us understand why Jordon and Ian are “evil”– turn them into real characters and not cartoons because right now, whenever I see them, I think moose and squirrel might show up at any moment to save the day– and for those of you too young to get the reference “google” Rocky and Bullwinkle, because Jordon and Ian are Natasha and Boris without the Russian accents.
Here is a thought, the whole Newman family is already entangled with different story lines, Claire mixed with Kyle Abbot and that whole scheme that Jack and Diane Pulled. Victor being Victor getting Chancellor Industries from Jill and Billy. Nick was the one who needed some drama and he got it with this triangle and not to mention he has 5 kids to think about from Noah (who hasn’t been around and this would a great time to bring him back.), Faith, Summer, Mariah, and Christian. Victoria is busy trying to rekindle with Cole, Nikki is about to be busy running Chancellor. Adam being the regular Scumbag he always has been. I know Ian wants revenge on Mariah from her time in the cult. Jordan wants revenge on the Newman family for what she thinks they did to Claire by brainwashing her against Aunt Jordan. I mean Ian and Jordan teaming up does make sense, since Ian is a good manipulator as much as Jordan, what if they concocted to get Daisy out from wherever she is, since as Jordan said to Ian, “with your resources” he could get anybody out of prison or a mental hospital.
I want to know how these two horrible people met, and is he really after, Mariah, via kidnapping her baby? I will stop watching if that happens. It’s been torturous enough with the Sharon and Daniel thing.I would also think that Jordsn would want to get as far away from Genia City as. Possible.
Don’t know if I feel relieved or more frustrated. Nor did I see the program when Ian was apparently a cult leader. Jordan truly frightened me and so did Victor when she was in a cell in his basement. Nikki didn’t know about it? However, both those in the above dialog seem delightful!
Please don’t make the storylines all so dark! Nick has been on the sideline for many years it seems. I still record and watch.
General Hospital
Kelly Sullivan Gives High Praise to ‘General Hospital’s’ Maura West Recalling When Ava Shot Connie (Exclusive)
It was just over 13 years ago on General Hospital when Ava Jerome (Maura West) shot and killed Kate Howard/Connie Falconeri (Kelly Sullivan) in an effort to keep her quiet from revealing that Derek Wells was actually Ava’s back-from-the-dead brother, Julian Jerome (William deVry). It’s a crime that somehow Ava never has quite paid for either.
The episode back aired on August 13, 2013 and viewers had to say goodbye to Kelly Sullivan who played Kate and her alter, Connie. In the story, just before she died, Kate/Connie scrawled the letters AJ in her own blood, initially making the PCPD and Sonny Corinthos (Maurice Benard) think that it was AJ Quatermaine (Sean Kanan) who did the deed.
Now, Sullivan recalled sharing scenes with the three-time Daytime Emmy-winning West, during a live conversation on You Tube’s Michael Fairman Channel. Kelly was the special guest talking about her recent return to the soaps in her new role as The Bold and the Beautiful’s Darcy Dylan.
Photo: JPI
FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF MAURA WEST
Speaking of her final GH scenes and working with Maura West, Sullivan gave her then GH co-star major props. “If you’re going to be shot by somebody (on the soaps), you want to be shot by Maura West, c’mon!”
Maura West debuted back in May 2013 as Ava, and Sullivan remembered when the As the World Turns favorite began on GH. “I remember when Maura West first arrived at GH. She walked in with this cute little bob (hairdo) and she’s just delicious,” shared Sullivan.
A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE
Kelly revealed more about Maura, adding “I think she’s amazing! I remember right before I left the show, someone suggested, and I would still love to do this with her, if she ever want to, but someone suggested that they wanted to direct the stage play A Streetcar Named Desire with Maura and I, where I would play Stella and she would play Blanche! Wouldn’t that be great?”
Speaking of the Ava/Connie showdown scenes, Sullivan expressed, “On television and on General Hospital specifically, Maura West is able to play a character who does the most horrendous things and you still care about her and that’s the mark of a really great actor. In other words, you’re able to be liked in the midst of the most horrendous things, and as a performer not shying away from that, and to just have the courage to do what’s on the page (in the script).”
Photo: JPI
KELLY SULLIVAN PARTING THOUGHTS AS SHE LEFT GENERAL HOSPITAL
Kelly also shared her sentiments when she walked off the set of General Hospital after her run back in August of 2013. “I really was honored. Every day I would go to work and I would say a little prayer, which is I want to do justice for my character, explained Kelly. “It’s between me and my character. I get to walk this path with her and to leave the show on that note, which is, I left every out there. I just gave it my all and again what an honor it was to play Kate/Connie.”
You can catch the full conversation with Kelly where she talks about her time on General Hospital, The Young and the Restless where she played Sage Warner and now The Bold and the Beautiful below.
So, do you remember the Ava and Connie scenes where Ava shot and killed her? What did you think of Kelly Sullivan’s sentiments about Maura West? Share your thoughts via the comment section. But first, watch the reveal where Ava recalls murdering Connie below!
The question of will Steve Burton (Jason Morgan) stay awhile at General Hospital after his recent extended hiatus from the show earlier this year, has reportedly been answered.
TMZ via court documents obtained in Burton’s ongoing legal battle with his ex-wife Sheree Gustin, shared that Steve actually inked a new three year deal with the ABC soap opera back in June.
That is significant because it was June when Burton returned back to work as Jason. In addition, the court filing confirmed that Burton had already moved back to California from Tennessee.
Photo: ABC
STEVE’S HIATUS AND HIS RETURN TO PORT CHARLES
GH fans will recall, it was back in February of 2026, that Burton announced via his Instagram that he was stepping away from his role of Jason Morgan for short break and pointed to wanting to spend quality time with his new wife, Michelle Lundstrom Burton with whom he tied the knot back on May 17, 2025.
Steve expressed at that time, “I’m newly married and looking forward to spending some quality time with my family.” It was back on March 25 that viewers saw Jason carted away by the WSB after taking the fall for Rocco Falconeri (Finn Carr) who shot then WSB Director Ross Cullum (Andrew Hawkes).
Burton returned to work on June 1, and due to General Hospital taping roughly six weeks ahead of air, made his on-screen comeback on the July 13 episode.
GOING FOR GOLD AT THE UPCOMING DAYTIME EMMYS
Then, Steve and his enduring fans got an extra special treat on the same day, when it was revealed on Extra that he was nominated for the upcoming 53rd annual Daytime Emmy Awards in the Outstanding Lead Actor in a Daytime Drama Series category.
Steve previously won in the Supporting Actor category for his work as General Hospital’s Jason in 1998 and as The Young and the Restless’ Dylan McAvoy in 2018.
Now with Jason and Britt’s (Kelly Thiebaud) relationship seemingly hitting the skids, plus Jason’s commitment to staying out of mob life to focus on being present for his son Danny Morgan (Asher Antonyzyn), what does the future hold for the fan favorite character? Stay tuned.
So, happy to hear that Steve Burton signed a new three year deal with General Hospital? Knowing that, what storyline would you like to see Jason get involved and with who? Share your thoughts and theories via the comment section.
The Young and the Restless enduring favorite and two-time Daytime Emmy-winning actress, Jess Walton (Jill Foster Abbott) is set to release her memoir!
Kensington Publishing has revealed on their website that Walton’s book The Young and the Rest of Us is now available for pre-order while listing an April 27, 2027 release date. In addition, in June of 2027, Walton will mark her 40th anniversary with The Young and the Restless and her debut as Jill.
The official log lines for the memoir share, “Emmy Award-winning actress Jess Walton, known to millions as the iconic Jill Abbott on the #1 soap opera The Young and the Restless, shares her extraordinary journey to stardom, sobriety, true love, and self-discovery in this startingly candid, intimate, and star-studded memoir.”
Photo; Kensington Books
CAKE FIGHTS AND CORPORATE INTRIGUE
The book description for The Young and the Rest of Us adds, “In June 1987, Jess Walton walked through the artists’ entrance at CBS for her first day on The Young and the Restless,where she had just been hired to play the recast role of Jill Abbott. Two Emmy awards, four decades, and countless onscreen affairs, marriages, corporate takeovers, and cake fights later, she’s a beloved icon with an astonishing tale to tell.”
“In her refreshingly candid style, Jess shares her journey as a young actress from Toronto theaters to Los Angeles, where she found herself at the center of a Laurel Canyon circle that included the likes of Neil Young, David Geffen, Laura Nyro, and Joni Mitchell. Landing a Universal contract and a steady stream of guest starring roles, Jess embraced everything 1970s L.A. had to offer—including Hollywood parties fueled by limitless booze and drugs, and trysts with stars. She recounts with candor and gratitude the surprising path that eventually led her to sobriety, true love—and ultimately, to fictional Genoa City, Wisconsin, and the role of a lifetime.”
“Brimming with behind-the-scenes drama and celebrity cameos to delight fans, The Young and the Rest of Us is also rich in personal, relatable truths about marriage, motherhood, empty-nesting, self-discovery, and finding the courage to start over—as often as it takes. In a voice as fearless and frank as Jill’s, but with, humor and grace all her own, Jess Walton looks back on a life as unpredictable, and adventure filled as anything she has portrayed on screen.”
WHO ELSE PLAYED JILL FOSER ABBOTT?
Fans of The Young and the Restless know that Walton became the fourth actress to take on the role of Katherine Chancellor’s original nemesis Jill Foster back in 1987. The OG Jill was played by Brenda Dickson, also Deborah Adair, Bond Gideon and Melinda O. Fee played the part.
This year, Days of our Lives star Lauren Koslow (Kate Roberts) filled-in for several episodes for Walton who was unavailable to travel from her home in Oregon to Los Angeles where Y&R was taped. Walton is still with the long-running soap opera as Jill.
So, excited to learn of Jess Walton’s upcoming memoir, ‘The Young and the Rest of Us?’ Will it be it a must-read for you? Drop a comment below.
Kelly Sullivan Gives High Praise to ‘General Hospital’s’ Maura West Recalling When Ava Shot Connie (Exclusive)
Steve Burton Reportedly Signs Three-Year Contract with ‘General Hospital’
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Jess Walton Memoir ‘The Young and the Rest of Us’ Set for Release in 2027
Kelly Sullivan Gives High Praise to ‘General Hospital’s’ Maura West Recalling When Ava Shot Connie (Exclusive)
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