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The November episode 21 of The Young and the Restless showed Cole Howard walking into the Lakehouse, calling out Nikki and Victoria. The re-entry of Cole was much-awaited after the soap announced bringing J Eddie Peck on the role this month. With things not going right for Nikki and the disturbing behavior of Claire towards her boss, the entry of a familiar figure into the scenario was a welcoming move.
The long-running show has had various characters coming in and exiting over the years. Often, some characters leave as children and return after many years as adults. For Cole Howard, this has happened multiple times. The character introduced as a child in The Young and the Restless left the show at some point, returned as a young man and then left again to pursue his dreams. However, according to the last episode, he is back again and seems to seek out Victoria and Nikki.
Disclaimer: This article may contain spoilers for the recent episodes.
Cole is Victoria’s ex in The Young and the Restless
As shown in The Young and the Restless, more than two decades ago, Cole Howard was Victoria Neuman’s former husband. Cole is Eve Howard’s son, and Victoria is Victor Neuman’s daughter. The initial connection can be traced back to Victor Neuman having a quick affair with his secretary, Eve Howard.
Taken to a sanatorium for attempting to kill both Victor, played by Eric Braeden, and his bride, Nikki, Eve ran away from the sanatorium with a man named Rick Daros. However, she soon gave birth to a baby boy, who she assumed to be her boss, Victor’s son.
When informed, Victor was ready to have a trust for his son. But Eve and her son Charles Cole Howard remained out of contact for many years and absent from the storyline of The Young and the Restless. After more than a decade, Eve planned to return to Genoa City.
In the 1993 The Young and the Restless plot, Eve arrived in Genoa City with her son, who she claimed to be going by his middle name, Cole. They found that Victor was presumed dead, leaving behind his daughter Victoria and his widow Nikki in charge of the ranch. Nikki offered Cole the job of a stable hand, which the aspiring writer accepted.
As The Young and the Restless presented, soon Cole had an affair with his boss, Nikki. However, upon Victoria's return following her breakup with Ryan, she developed an interest in Cole and approached him. After initial resistance, the young couple got together and eloped to Las Vegas to marry.
When Eve learned about the marriage between apparent siblings, she tried to stop them. However, she had a stroke and landed in a coma before being able to do so. At this time, a very much alive Victor Neuman returned from Kansas and dissolved the marriage between his daughter, Victoria and his presumed illegitimate son, Cole Howard.
While going through some letters in Eve’s possession after her death, Victor started doubting Cole’s parentage and called for a DNA test. The test results revealed that Rick was Cole's biological father, leaving the possibility of a remarriage for Cole and Victoria. While fraught with suspicions and misunderstandings, both Cole and Victoria worked to keep their marriage intact.
However, Victoria’s long absence from home made it easy for Ashley Abbot, Cole’s subject for his book, to take Victoria’s place in his life. Realizing that she has lost Cole, Victoria divorced him and got together with Neil. However, she was pregnant at the time and had to undergo a Caesarean delivery due to medical complications. Cole stood by her side throughout the medical procedure and her hospital stay.
She named her newborn daughter Eve, after Cole’s mother, but they lost the baby to an infant infection. As per the story of The Young and the Restless, Victoria and Cole’s daughter is presumed to be dead.
After both Victoria and Ashley attempted to win Cole's affection, he decided to settle down with Ashley. However, when Ashley wanted to have a baby, he divorced her with the aim to go to Oxford and take up the position of professor. Therefore, Cole has not made any appearances in The Young and the Restless plot for more than two decades.
What seems to have brought Cole back in The Young and the Restless
The last few episodes of The Young and the Restless have been raising the tension in the plot with Claire kidnapping Nikki and trying to destroy the reformed lady by seducing her into Vodka. Also, the storyline has brought actor Colleen Zenk as Claire’s Great Aunt Jordan, who is conspiring with Claire against Nikki.
Moreover, Claire is bringing the Neuman family, which includes Victor and Victoria, back to the lake house. The words that transpired between Claire and Jordan about not going soft on anyone hint at a menacing plan in action.
While Nikki is absolutely devastated, drunk and locked in the lake house, Cole knocks and walks into the house. He then calls out to Nikki, asking about Victoria’s wellbeing and informing her that he has received her message.
If the rest of the Neuman family arrive at the lake house, Cole and Victoria will possibly meet after years of separation. What may happen between the former spouses remains to be seen.
Watch The Young and the Restless on CBS every weekday to know what happens next.
