The Truth Behind Diane Abbott’s Co-CEO Promotion on Y&R

Diane Abbott has spent weeks scheming to put her son, Kyle, on the Jabot throne…er…The Young and the Restless co-CEO position. But, just like when it seemed that Mommy’s plans were coming to fruition, Kyle threw her a curve-ball. He doesn’t want the job anymore. But he knows the perfect person to replace him. Diane! When Jack popped up a few minutes later, he confessed he’d been thinking the same thing. Diane was shocked — shocked, we tell you! But could this all be part of a larger plan?

Setting the Stage

One of the reasons why Kyle (Michael Mealor) claimed Diane (Susan Walters) would be perfect for the co-CEO position (which he did here) is because she already backs up all of Jack’s (Peter Bergman) plans. So if Diane is just there to rubber-stamp Jack’s decisions, what’s the point of having a co-CEO?

Isn’t the reason you invite another person to share your power so that they can offer an alternative opinion and, hopefully, keep you from making at least a few stupid mistakes? If she’s just a “yes” man for Jack, well, then, that’s a job anyone can do. Harrison (Kellen Enriquez) is awfully good at nodding. Hire him!

Long Con

Ever since Diane returned to Genoa City, viewers have been wondering what her endgame was. Making sure Kyle was the Jabot heir? Sure. Getting Jack to fall in love with and finally marry her? Why not? But, honestly, is that it? That’s some pretty low-hanging fruit. Diane could — and did — pull all that off without breaking a sweat. Surely, there has to be more to this schemer?

Center of Power

Could all of the above just been laying the groundwork for what Diane really wanted — control of Jabot? She pretended to be in this for Kyle. She pretended Jack’s love was the peak of her ambition. But it was all just step one. That’s the Diane we know and love to hate. And that’s the Diane we’d love to watch.

The Young and the Restless airs weekdays on CBS. For an in-depth look at the show’s history, click here.