To say The Young and the Restless’ Kyle (Michael Mealor) and Claire (Hayley Erin) have a lot stacked against them would be an understatement. First, there’s Victor (Eric Braeden), who’s vehemently against Kyle dating Claire and has just partnered with Audra (Zuleyka Silver) to ensure the couple’s destruction.
Then there’s Hurricane Summer (Allison Lanier). Now that Summer has finally acknowledged she wants her life back with Kyle, it’s probably only a matter of time before she hatches some preposterous scheme to win him back. Adding to all of this, it should go without saying, #Kylaire also has the longstanding Abbott/Newman feud to contend with.
Again, Kyle and Claire’s relationship in many respects seems doomed. Despite Nikki (Melody Thomas Scott), Victoria (Amelia Heinle) and Jack (Peter Bergman) all professing to protect Kyle and Claire’s romance from The Mustache and other detractors, I don’t think any member of this trio is the right person to adequately defend the young partnership. The individual who should adorn a cape this go-around is someone who hasn’t been spotted in Genoa City for quite some time — Cole (J. Eddie Peck).
Cole not only has a vested interest in protecting #Kylaire, given this is his only daughter’s first romance, but he can uniquely relate to Kyle being in love with a princess of the Newman empire and staring down Victor’s disapproval. Years ago, when #Vole was an item the first go-around, Victor was staunchly opposed to his daughter dating Cole, but Cole put up a good fight and stood his ground, even running away to Vegas to elope with Victoria.
Fast forward to more recently, and when Cole "betrayed" Victor’s trust in the midst of the writer rekindling things with Victoria, Cole again made it clear that nothing Victor could do would deter him from loving Victoria. Cole maintained the vibrato through and through, while also remarkably earning Victor’s trust again. Heck, the Newman patriarch even stamped his seal of approval on the new and improved version of the relationship, and he offered Cole a job.
With all that being said, and considering Cole seems to like Kyle, the Abbott heir should turn to Cole for help. If he did, there’s a good chance Cole could respectfully tell Victor that he’s Claire’s father, not Victor, and he wants to give his daughter the space to love who she wants. Cole could also advise Kyle on the dos and don'ts of trying to win Victor over, which wouldn’t include doing what Kyle has been doing lately and antagonizing Victor at every juncture. Yes, Kyle is the son of Victor’s all-time rival, but come on. Cole is the son and nephew of two women who literally tried to kill members of the Newman family on multiple occasions.
Look, I’m not naive enough to think that Cole is definitely the x-factor in Kyle earning Victor’s seal of approval for Claire, but Kyle would be wise to try everything he can if he truly wants to be with Claire long-term.
New episodes of The Young and the Restless air weekdays on CBS. Episodes become available to stream on Paramount Plus the next day.
