New Life: How Kyle Rejuvenated the Abbott Family

Kyle’s return has rejuvenated the Abbott family and The Young and the Restless (YR). The revered clan was getting a tad stagnant and predictable. They needed an infusion of new blood.

Enter Michael Mealor as the new Kyle, an actor who grabbed the role by the horns and promptly made it his own. In the process, he’s amped up the drama and caused lots of friction for Jack (Peter Bergman), Ashley (Eileen Davidson), Traci (Beth Maitland), and Billy (Jason Thompson).

The Real Deal
Mealor’s Kyle is more than just a pretty face. This Wilhelmina model can really act. There’s an energy and exuberance to his Kyle, and he has bona fide presence and tons of charisma.

He’s reminiscent of a young cocky Jack. He knows how to stir the pot in every scene, and it’s afforded Bergman, Davidson, Maitland, and Thompson great moments to rise up, react, and put him in his place.

The Abbott family had been seriously lacking in the millennial department, with Melissa Ordway’s 30-something Abby as its sole rep.

They needed a strong younger leading male, and 20-something Mealor has delivered.

His Kyle is the beginning of a new generation of Abbotts, and once he starts mixing it up romantically things are bound to get even more interesting; particularly if that love interest is someone like the fiery Mariah (Camryn Grimes) or the devious Hilary (Mishael Morgan).

Man in the Middle
Torn between Jack and his arch nemesis Victor (Eric Braeden) for most of his life, Kyle embodies an intriguing duplexity. It could serve him well as a future villain along the lines of Victor’s black sheep son Adam.

In the process, a new Newman/Abbott feud could ignite. The show could pit Kyle and a returning Noah Newman, meaner and angrier since being betrayed by Mariah and Tessa (Cait Fairbanks), against one another. Just imagine the fireworks.

The Young and the Restless (YR) airs weekdays on CBS. Check your local listings for air times.