Young & Restless blindsided fans with the reveal that Traci’s fiancé was the “sick freak” behind Sharon and Phyllis’ kidnapping, leaving us not only to fear for the beloved Abbott, but also to try and figure out what his motivations could possibly be. As it turns out, the real reason behind the plot might not be what you’re thinking at all!

Even more unbelievable than Phyllis not returning Daniel’s calls right after he agreed to join the team at Abbott Communications, was the idea that Sharon would go missing yet again on Young & Restless after all she’d been through. But that’s exactly what happened.

Both Phyllis and Sharon went MIA, and we soon discovered they were locked up in an abandoned mental facility… together.

Young & Restless blindsided fans with the reveal that Traci’s fiancé was the “sick freak” behind Sharon and Phyllis’ kidnapping, leaving us not only to fear for the beloved Abbott, but also to try and figure out what his motivations could possibly be. As it turns out, the real reason behind the plot might not be what you’re thinking at all!

What ensued was nothing short of what you’d expect; loads of bickering brought to a fever pitch by panic, with fleeting moments of cooperation — not to mention comic relief — thrown in for good measure.

They soon learned they were part of an experiment, seemingly to test whether or not they could work through their considerable differences in order to survive. Just as realization was dawning on Sharon that they might not be freed anytime soon, Young & Restless viewers learned who their captor was… and it was a shocker.

We came up with a pretty solid theory as to why Alan/Martin targeted Sharon and Phyllis, but we still had to question why the writers would put Sharon through this again so soon after her ordeal with Ian and Jordan. Phyllis, too, had been through the wringer with Heather’s death and nearly being killed in a car wreck. No sooner did they start to get back on their feet than the rug was pulled out from under them. Why?

If you’ve been paying attention to the way this has played out, you may already have a clue. The kidnapping took place immediately after Valentine’s Day, which featured Sharon imagining a reconciliation with Nick, and Phyllis dreaming of reigniting her old spark with Billy in Paris.

When it was revealed that Sharon and Phyllis had both gone missing, the story centered around Daniel, Summer and Nick, with Chance being pulled in to help investigate their disappearances. It wasn’t long, however, before Billy got in on the action… and it’s worth noting that he’s been like a dog with a bone since he discovered Phyllis might be in danger.

He kept calling her burner phone relentlessly. Fast forward to the present, and we have, not Daniel and Nick, but Billy and Nick, racing to Havenhurst like the proverbial white knights to save the damsels in distress.

It stands to reason then, that the plot may have been conceived by the writers as a means of reigniting the feelings teased in the Valentine’s Day dream sequences between “Shick” and “Philly”.

Still not convinced? There has to be some sort of payoff for the Sharon character after all she’s been through… what better than a do-over with the man she’s never stopped loving? As for “Philly”, while that pairing seems less likely given he’s still in the honeymoon phase with Sally, Young & Restless teased a Phyllis/Billy/Sally love triangle this year, and with Phyllis and Billy working side-by-side, it’s not a stretch.

Phyllis has already been dreaming about Billy, and his protectiveness of her is clearly evident. Should the rescue make him realize there are still feelings there, it’s only a matter of time. Be sure to vote for what you want to see happen below: