We’ve said it once and we’ll say it again, when it comes to The Young and the Restless’ Nikki (Melody Thomas Scott) and her latest relapse, things are different this time around.
For starters, this recent stepback in her addiction was due to Jordan (Colleen Zenk) manipulating Claire (Hayley Erin) into forcing vodka into Nikki’s veins while the Newman matriarch was held hostage in Oregon. Prior to the events, Nikki had been sober for years and there was no indication that was going to change.
What also makes this time around different in terms of Nikki falling off the wagon, is the fact that two of the big players in her usual support system aren’t around to help. Unfortunately, both Katherine Chancellor (Jeanne Cooper) and Neil Winters (Kristoff St. John) have both passed away. Having both gone through substance abuse problems themselves, they were great friends to have around in the past to help Nikki get back on her feet.
Now Jack (Peter Bergman) is also a great friend of Nikki’s who has suffered from addiction, but up until now, he hasn’t been looped into her recent trials and tribulations. He doesn’t know she’s been held hostage, he’s unaware that her captor turned out to be her granddaughter and he certainly is in the dark about her drinking again.
Thankfully for Mrs. Victor Newman, that is all about to change thanks to Lauren (Tracey E. Bregman). As seen in the following preview clip for The Young and the Restless episodes airing during the week of January 15, Lauren sits down with Jack and tells him that Nikki is in trouble. Take a look at the video below and see for yourself.
#yr Preview pic.twitter.com/raPR1zkjuyJanuary 11, 2024
With all that being said, we can imagine Jack hearing the news about his longtime friend, and immediately stepping up to help her. He’s likely to have long talks with Nikki about what she’s been through, he may accompany her to AA meetings and there’s a possibility that he makes himself available to Nikki around the clock until she gets better.
For those wondering why Jack would need to be Nikki’s defacto sponsor when Seth (Brian Gaskill) her actual sponsor is around, allow us to point to Victor (Eric Braeden).
In the episode airing on January 12, he expresses a bit of discontent about Nikki going on an alcohol bender and Seth not being there to stop her before she did. Although Nikki points out that no blame should fall on Seth because she didn’t reach out to him before she started drinking, Victor seems unmoved. So it’s possible Nikki comes to rely heavily on Jack to appease her husband.
Now how Diane (Susan Walters) fits into all of this, is she may become jealous if Jack spends too much time helping Nikki. Diane and Nikki are rivals, and Mrs. Jack Abbott may not pleased having to share her husband’s free time with Nikki. Not for nothing, Diane could also become worried about the friendship bond that Jack and Nikki share blossoming into something romantic. It’s worth noting, that Jack and Nikki used to be married and were even expecting a child once upon a time.
Should Diane actually become too jealous, we can picture Nikki herself halting on relying on Jack as much and instead relying solely on Seth for help. After all, The Young and the Restless introduced Seth for a reason, so we think Seth will play a significant role in Nikki’s foreseeable future. We just hope he’s not an agent of Jordan or becomes a problem in Nikki and Victor’s marriage.
New episodes of The Young and the Restless air weekdays on CBS. Episodes become available to stream on Paramount Plus the next day.
