Mariah left Genoa City for a clinic in Boston, where she’s focusing on her mental health. On the October 21 episode of The Young and the Restless, she saw Ian Ward sitting across from her. Actress Camryn Grimes explained why now is the time for Mariah to confront her trauma.
Key Takeaways
- Mariah is dealing with the aftermath of what happened during her business trip.
- She seemingly killed an older gentleman, which brought up repressed trauma.
- Now, she has to confront that trauma while at a Boston clinic.
- Grimes explained what’s going through her alter ego’s mind.
Tackling The Past
Mariah’s past trauma stems from Ian Ward (Ray Wise) stealing her from Sharon (Sharon Case) at birth. He brought her up in a cult and groomed her.
Ian also kidnapped Mariah and drugged her. Then, he dressed her in a wedding dress, so they could get married. Mariah’s past came back to haunt her when she went on her business trip. She encountered an older gentleman, who reminded her of Ian.
Ultimately, she ended up suffocating him with a pillow, but didn’t kill him. Now, Mariah has to come to terms with her past. In an interview with Soap Opera Digest, Grimes explained that Mariah hasn’t completely moved on. This situation brought her back to her past trauma.
It’s not just hard for Mariah, who’s been going through it. It’s also challenging for the actress, who described the scenes as “heavy” and “intense.” The reason why Mariah has to tackle her trauma head-on is so she can leave the past and that person behind.
Y&R viewers are seeing that play out now, with Mariah confronting an image of Ian. Is Mariah following in Sharon’s footsteps on Y&R?
Is Ian Ward Back From the Dead?
Some viewers have wondered whether Ian was really back and causing trouble in Genoa City again. Is Ian Ward responsible for Mariah and Noah’s criminal cases on The Young and the Restless?
However, Grimes confirmed that he’s just a figment of her imagination. But he’s a pertinent part that she must confront. Grimes explained that her character needs to gain some “self-awareness,” so that she can come to terms with “her responses to the life that she lived and the consequences of that and where she’s responsible.”
Some part of her still wants to blame Ian for what happened. But he’s seemingly dead. So, it’s up to Mariah to come to terms with what happened and figure out how to fix this situation, rather than running from it.
While she desperately wants to fix this situation, she still gets drawn into the past. Grimes noted this is a storyline that most viewers can relate to. Everyone has experienced trauma in some form that pops up later in life.
Y&R viewers also hope that this will mark the beginning of Mariah’s healing process, which is a long and arduous journey. Grimes joked that she’s been crying for “almost a year now,” but she’s glad that they’ve given her the opportunity to tell Mariah’s story.
