CBS
Billy (Jason Thompson, l.) faces off with Victor (Eric Braeden).
This week on Young and Restless, Billy enters the Genoa City Athletic Club and is immediately met by Victor, who wants to speak with him privately. Billy glances over and spots Lily sitting at a table engaged in a cozy conversation with Nikki, which he finds disconcerting. Billy’s portrayer, Jason Thompson, previews the upcoming Young and Restless confrontation. According to Billy’s portrayer, Jason Thompson, “He’s coming around to the idea that Lily could betray him.”
The actor elaborates, “It’s not far off to understand that would happen. He really wanted to trust Lily and partner with her and really knock [Chancellor] out of the park. He really does believe in her instincts and her capabilities as a person. And up until this point, he really did trust her. I mean, they had a relationship and they trusted each other in that relationship. It went sideways at the end but it wasn’t based on lies and deceit or anything like that. But as far as the business, he believes in her ability but I think it becomes pretty clear that she’s not being above board and that she’s being dishonest to him. They were committed to doing it together, so when it starts to unravel, it’s pretty disheartening and then at that point, he has to figure out what action he has to do in a self–preservation kind of way.”
Victor ushers his former son-in-law down to the empty Jazz Lounge. “Billy doesn’t really have anything to say to Victor in private or public,” says Thompson. “Also, Billy is aware of Victor wanting to remove Billy from Chancellor. Look, it’s Victor so you’ve [got] to take it as a serious threat, but I don’t think Billy is intimidated by him. He knows this is a fishing expedition and it’s classic Victor to throw out a line and see who bites.”
Talk It Out
Billy asks Victor why he wants to chat, since he’s sure that Victor doesn’t want to offer congratulations for running Chancellor. Victor then orders Billy to stop spreading unsubstantiated rumors that Victor wants to steal Chancellor out from under him. Newman also claims he has a full plate with his own empire. “Billy doesn’t trust a word out of Victor’s mouth,” Thompson scoffs. “There are people coming after him all of the time, but Victor has always wanted to take Billy down just simply because he’s Billy. That’s annoying and frustrating. If he had a little more space, Billy could show what he’s capable of, but he gets suffocated pretty easily by everyone around him.”
Victor points out that the Abbott scion always fails at his business endeavors. “Billy obviously has a pretty checkered past but he doesn’t shy away from it,” Thompson opines. “I think the mistakes or the things that he’s done in the past are the past and he’s trying to be better. Obviously, he says that a lot, that he’s trying to change and be better, but he also doesn’t shy away from some of his actions in the past and he owns them, unlike other people. Billy does wear his heart on his sleeve and I think that he is pretty honest and upfront about who he is and the ownership that he has of his past.”
In Bad Company
What Billy doesn’t know is that Michael has found out some intel about Jill’s health and has apprised Victor. Now he’s using that information to toy with Billy by asking just why his mother would put him in charge of Chancellor, especially when it’s adrift from Winters. “Billy wants to build this company with his mother’s legacy attached to it and at the same time, honor her request not to tell anybody her personal situation,” Thompson explains. “So he has to keep that to himself, but also have the goal to push something like this forward for reasons that he can only know himself and everyone else is going to think is completely selfish.”
Billy refuses to disclose Jill’s motives, so Victor says he won’t elaborate on the rumors he’s heard regarding Jill. He then asks Billy how she’s doing, which tips Billy off to the idea that his adversary knows something about his mom’s condition. Still, he’s determined not to confirm anything and continue on with his vision for Abbott-Chancellor. “At the end of the day, he’s going to do and drop everything to try and do right by his mom,” Thompson shares. “I believe that gives him carte blanche to do whatever he needs to do. Billy finds himself basically on somewhat of an island, but in his mind, he has to make decisions in order to make sure that he stays in control of Chancellor. He really does believe in himself and what he’s capable of — if other people would just get out of the way and let him do what he feels is the right thing to do and follow through with his plan without anyone trying to sabotage it or stab him in the back or lie to him and defeat him.”
Thompson teases that there will be an upcoming twist with the Abbott-Chancellor leadership. “There’s someone else who steps up and wants to do it with him.”
