In the September 1 episode of The Young and the Restless, Phyllis finally admitted just how deep her connection with Matt has become, even as everyone around her warned that she’s making a dangerous mistake. The biggest problem for Phyllis may no longer be convincing everyone else that Matt has changed. After his unsettling conversation with Patty, Matt himself is starting to wonder whether Phyllis is wrong about him.
Key Takeaways
- Phyllis finally admits that she and Matt slept together and reveals how safe and seen he makes her feel.
- Patty convinces Matt that the darkness from his past will eventually return, leaving him terrified that he’ll hurt Phyllis.
- Matt nearly says goodbye to Phyllis before deciding that she’s the person he needs most.
Phyllis Admits What Matt Means to Her
Phyllis (Michelle Stafford) has spent days insisting that everyone misunderstands Matt (Roger Howarth). Sharon (Sharon Case) became the latest person to warn her away from him, questioning whether loneliness might be making Phyllis see a connection that isn’t really there.
Then Lauren (Tracey Bregman) got considerably more of the truth. Phyllis admitted that she and Matt slept together and that being with him made her feel amazing. More importantly, she explained why. When Phyllis feels demeaned by nearly everyone else in her life, Matt makes her feel safe and seen.
That helps explain why every warning about Matt seems to push Phyllis closer to him rather than scare her away. She isn’t defending some casual friend anymore. Matt gives Phyllis something she’s been missing, and she believes she gives him something equally important in return.
Patty Makes Matt Doubt the Man Phyllis Sees
While Phyllis told Lauren that Matt isn’t the monster everyone believes he is, Patty (Stacy Haiduk) told Matt almost exactly the opposite. Matt went to Patty because he feared that her return to darkness could be a preview of his own future, and Patty offered him no reassurance.
Instead, Patty told Matt that his sins are still inside him and that becoming evil again isn’t a question of if, but when. Matt rejected her argument that his vicious actions were somehow justified, but he couldn’t dismiss her warning quite so easily.
Back at the motel, Matt stared at himself and repeated Patty’s verdict: “You’re just evil.” For perhaps the first time, the person Phyllis has been trying so hard to convince about Matt’s redemption is Matt himself.
Matt Chooses Phyllis Instead of Saying Goodbye
Matt’s fear nearly made the decision for him. He started writing Phyllis a goodbye letter, thanking her for making him feel human and admitting that he didn’t want to be around if the evil inside him ever returned. In Matt’s mind, leaving Phyllis may have been the best way to protect her.
But Matt couldn’t finish that goodbye. He crumpled the letter and called Phyllis instead, tearfully telling her that he needed her. The timing couldn’t have been more revealing because Phyllis had just told Lauren that she believed she was the person Matt needed most.
Everyone else wants Phyllis to question her faith in Matt. Now, Matt is questioning it for her. Everyone keeps telling Phyllis she’s wrong to believe in Matt. What none of them realizes is that Matt may need her belief precisely because he’s losing his own. He was ready to disappear rather than risk becoming the monster Patty told him he inevitably would be, but instead of saying goodbye, he called Phyllis and admitted he needed her.
MORE: Here’s what’s next on Y&R.
