Former General Hospital star Roger Howarth will be making his way to Genoa City this fall. He’s been cast in a mystery role on The Young and the Restless. Howarth will start taping in mid-September, which gives us plenty of time to speculate about who he’ll be playing.
While it’s entirely possible the actor will portray a new character, let us suggest a soapy option. What if Howarth is set to bring someone with ties to Cane back from the dead? It would take some finagling and a total flub of Y&R family history, but Cane could use his brother by his side or, better yet, as the thorn in it.
Imagine Howarth is playing Caleb Atkinson.
A Brother’s Return From The Grave
It’s been nearly 15 years since Caleb died, which means Y&R is in the prime position to fiddle with his characterization. Yes, he was killed, but a bullet has yet to keep a character down if the writers don’t want them to be. Caleb is Cane’s identical twin brother, so that’s a bit harder to get around. But that detail could be dropped to serve the story.
Y&R last “saw” Caleb involved in a plot where Colin Atkinson (the late Tristan Rogers — his last appearance on Y&R) was attempting to steal Cane and Lily’s (Christel Khalil) twins, Mattie and Charlie, away to Australia. But, in a switcheroo, it was revealed that Cane was posing as his brother and that it’d been Caleb who was gunned down.
Colin killed Caleb by accident. He grieved, but he ultimately moved on. The soap made a point of showcasing Cane and Colin reconciling years later. The former criminal turned his life around, and now the “good brother” has amassed riches while the “corrupt” one has been left as a footnote in history.
So what if Caleb wasn’t dead? What if he’d been in the shadows watching the father he was loyal to give all his attention to the brother who strayed? That would breed resentment, would it not?
A Deadly Reunion?
Cane dropped his plans to take over his rivals’ companies. He didn’t want to leave behind the same legacy that Colin did. A legacy that prioritized empire building over family. Caleb would have no such qualm. After all, his family would have left him behind. And if Cane won’t fulfill the goal of making Genoa City’s elite pay, then he could. All while putting his brother on the back foot.
Phyllis (Michelle Stafford) could be rolled into this plot as well. She believed in Cane’s plan and fully signed on board. He may be through with it, but she certainly isn’t.
Michelle Stafford took to Instagram to express her excitement over Howarth’s upcoming Y&R role. In response to his casting, and that of Tamara Braun, she shared, “Our show just got a little more bad a–. Just so you know, more surprises to come.”
Caleb rising from the dead and partnering with Phyllis to wreak havoc would certainly be a surprise!
NEXT: Phyllis, not Cane, could become the Newmans’ biggest threat on Y&R.
