Victoria Newman has gotten shock after shock on The Young and the Restless. First, her mother is kidnapped, then she’s poisoned. Then she learns that Nikki’s assistant is actually the daughter Victoria thought she lost at birth.
Now, Victoria is trying to connect with Claire. While battling Victor’s advice not to fall in love with Cole again. We get it while she’s on edge. But, Victoria’s outraged response to the questions Adam asked about the new Newman was beyond what the situation warranted. Let’s sit Victoria on the couch for a poke through her noggin to figure out why.
On the Couch: Victoria Newman
Adam (Mark Grossman) asked some reasonable questions about Claire (Hayley Erin), and the nutsy Aunt Jordan (Collen Zenk) who raised her. Instead of answering Adam’s questions, Victoria (Amelia Heinle) tore into him for daring to ask them. The only reason for that was because Victoria had the same questions. In private. She doesn’t dare raise them in public.
Victoria is just as worried about Claire and Jordan as Adam is. But she feels disloyal to her daughter for even entertaining them. Which is why Victoria yelling at Adam for asking was Victoria actually yelling at herself for not asking. Someone has to suffer. And it might as well be the family’s designated whipping boy.
Moving Up the Ladder
And, there is one more thing: Victoria has invested a great deal of her time and energy to make sure that Victor (Eric Braeden) wouldn’t prioritize Adam over Victoria and Nicholas (Joshua Morrow). (She didn’t bother to do the same with Abby [Melissa Ordway], since no one remembers her, anyway.)
She put a lot of effort into ensuring that Adam was Victor’s least favorite Newman. But if Claire were to slip into that slot, then Adam would rise in Victor’s esteem. And Victoria can’t have that. It’s not so much that she needs Claire to win, as Victoria needs Adam to lose. And yelling at him is as good of a method as any to accomplish that.