Young & Restless fans who have been hoping against hope that Adam would come to play a bigger role in the ongoing Newman drama are about to get their wish… but be forwarned that a looming return may drive him back to the dark side.
As soon as Sienna revealed that Matt Clark’s drug connection in Las Vegas was a woman named Riza, we leapt to attention. As Sharon pointed out, how many Rizas could there possibly be in Vegas… or in Nevada for that matter? It had to be the same edgy character that Adam associated with during his time card-sharking on the strip.
For those who need a refresher, Adam (then played by Justin Hartley) was presumed dead after Chloe rigged the cabin he was hiding out in to explode. Despite the burned corpse being identified as the Newman, he later turned up in Vegas, with Mark Grossman in the role. Adam, going by the name Spider, had lost his memory and was raking in cash hustling gamblers. Riza was the ringleader of the operation.
Sharon ultimately found Adam, who had to relearn his entire sordid history and the complexities of his difficult relationship with his father and estrangement from his siblings before reintegrating into life in Genoa City.
Fast-forward to the present, and we have Young & Restless setting the scene for Adam to face down that heavily traumatic history.
*Spoiler Alert* In Thursday’s episode, despite his misgivings, Adam will volunteer to accompany Nick to Vegas to make contact with Riza, in hopes of locating the slippery Matt Clark. While he hides his fears from his loved ones, including Chelsea, his dread and foreboding is clear.
The foreshadowing from other characters has also been heavy, suggesting that the sight of Riza and being back to his old stomping grounds will trigger Adam to return to the dark side. Frankly, it’s long overdue (find out why here).
Whether Tina Casciani will reprise her role of Riza remains to be seen, but Nick, who is popping fentanyl like the candy it resembles, has accepted Adam’s offer to accompany him to Vegas, so the scene is set for big trouble.
We certainly hope this won’t be one of the increasing number of significant events to play out offscreen on Young & Restless… it’s the first hint of Adam getting a storyline and we want to see every detail.
