The Young and the Restless: 3 major developments to expect this week (December 29, 2025 to January 2, 2026)

The Young and the Restless shows a preview of the dramatic events planned to happen from December 29, 2025 to January 2, 2026. This week, the people in Genoa City face high-stakes confrontations and big changes in their feelings. At 12:30 pm ET, CBS will show these events as they happen, and fans can also stream the newest episodes on Paramount+.

The show is about rich families, like the Newmans and the Abbotts, and their fights for power and love. The story lately has been about the return of the evil Matt Clark and the fight over an AI program that is still going on. The story involves corporate spying and personal issues, forcing the characters to make difficult decisions.

Everything to know about what happens in the episodes (December 29, 2025 to January 2, 2026)

Victor and Nick Form a Strategic Alliance

The fight with Matt Clark reaches an important point as Victor and Nick Newman join forces. For weeks, Nick tried to deal with things on his own, but when Detective Annie Stewart kidnapped Sienna Bacall, the situation changed. Victor decides to step in because he knows that Matt Clark is a uniquely dangerous enemy who knows a lot about the Newman family.

The father and son begin to work together to stop Matt's plan for revenge. Victor uses his business power and cruel strategies, but Nick gives personal motivation to protect his family. They don't want to react to what Matt is doing in Genoa City anymore. Instead, they start planning to take action before he can do more harm. This teamwork is a big change because it shows that the Newmans are ready to put their problems with each other aside to face a common enemy. They are all working together to trap Matt before he can make his next move against the family.

Mariah Copeland Struggles with a Ghostly Presence

Mariah Copeland can't get away from her past as the new year starts. Mariah is troubled by the fact that Ian Ward is in Genoa City, even though the city is full of happy celebrations. In this case, the "ghost of Christmas past" is not an actual spirit but a mental representation of the bad things that happened to her.

Ian Ward is connected to one of the worst times in Mariah's life, and she suddenly thinking about him again makes her very upset. She is stressed out when she enters 2026 and has trouble staying in touch with reality as her visions continue. This news shows how cult-related trauma can last a long time and how hard it can be to get closure. While people near Mariah are happy about new beginnings, she has to deal with old hurts that have come back.

Daniel and Tessa Navigate a New Romantic Path

As the relationship between Daniel Romalotti and Tessa Porter grows stronger, the feelings in Genoa City change. The two have had a clear chemistry for a while, and now they are finally trying to figure out how they really feel about each other. Daniel makes a big promise to Tessa about their future and his dedication to her during the week. This promise is meant to make Tessa feel safe as she shares her feelings.

But Daniel's history with his last partner, Lily Winters, makes this promise hard to keep. Tessa is excited to see where this connection goes, but people in Genoa City are closely watching to see if Daniel can keep his promise. Their relationship is a big step for the series in the romance department; that which initiated as a passing interest has turned into a more serious partnership that could last a long time.

The Young and the Restless episodes are available to stream on CBS.