Nick Newman Is Running on Pain Pills and Pride on The Young and the Restless

NICK NEWMAN IS HURTING AND HIDING IT AND NOBODY IN GENOA CITY IS ASKING THE RIGHT QUESTIONS

TL;DR: Nick Newman (Joshua Morrow) is pushing himself back into Newman Enterprises while recovering from a car accident and leaning on pain pills on The Young and the Restless. Victoria and Adam have it handled. So what is Nick really running from?

Nick Newman’s On and Off Loyalty to Newman Enterprises

Longtime The Young and the Restless fans know very well that Nick Newman (Joshua Morrow) is not always all in at Newman Enterprises. If he’s fully committed even half the time, that’s saying a lot for Victor and Nikki’s only son. So it seems more than a little off that Nick is suddenly channeling his inner Victor Newman, doing everything in his power to stay involved, all while still recovering from the car accident involving Matt Clark. His sister Victoria and half-brother Adam are more than capable of handling whatever is happening at Newman Enterprises, with or without him, regardless of his condition. So what exactly is driving this? And is it really about the company, or is it about something else entirely?

Nick Newman is spiraling and we need to talk about it. Write to our editor Amber at [email protected] with your thoughts!

Is Nick Newman Running on Fumes and Pain Pills?

This is hardly the first time Nick has had a complicated relationship with the family business. Over the years, he has walked away from Newman Enterprises more than once, to pursue his own ventures, to distance himself from Victor Newman’s (Eric Braeden) iron grip, or simply because the Newman way of doing things didn’t sit right with him. Fans respected that about him. Something was refreshing about a Newman who didn’t live and die by the company. But that history is exactly what makes his current intensity so hard to take seriously. You don’t get to clock out whenever it’s convenient and then come charging back in like you never left.

Right now, Nick is hurting, physically and emotionally. Since checking himself out of the hospital following the accident, it hasn’t gone unnoticed that his pain pills are making regular appearances. Those little pills practically look like Smarties, often handed out to children at Halloween, but there is nothing sweet about what could be developing there. A man who is potentially leaning on pain medication while refusing to fully rest is not a man operating with a clear head. When Nick is hurting, he tends to channel it into control, into action, into inserting himself where he feels needed. It’s easier to fixate on Newman Enterprises than to sit with whatever is still unresolved inside him.

Victoria and Adam with Victor ARE the Trifecta

Meanwhile, Newman Enterprises is in perfectly capable hands. Victoria Newman (Amelia Heinle) has been running this company at the highest level for years, navigating threats far bigger than whatever is currently on the table. And Adam Newman (Mark Grossman), whatever his faults, is sharp, driven, and deeply invested. Together, they are more than equipped to handle the situation, with their pops, The Almighty Victor Newman. Nick stepping back wouldn’t be abandoning the family. It would be trusting them. And right now, that might be exactly what everyone with the last name Newman needs.

Love or Hate Nick Newman, What Is He on the Brink Of?

At the end of the day, Nick Newman is a complicated guy, and that’s why fans have always had complicated feelings about him. He’s not a villain. He’s not even wrong to care. But caring and being all in are two very different things, and right now it’s hard to tell which one he’s actually doing. Is he genuinely committed to Newman Enterprises this time, or is he running from something he hasn’t dealt with yet? The Young and the Restless fans have been watching the Newmans long enough to know the difference.

So we’re asking you: is Nick Newman really all in this time, or is history about to repeat itself?

Do you think Nick Newman is committed or cracking? Sound off and share this with every Y&R fan who has an opinion!

WATCH THIS: Are YOU Team Victoria?

@soapoperamag Victoria's going all out… To protect her children but um, honey, you should have been protecting them from your own family this whole time! #YoungandtheRestless ♬ original sound – Soap Opera Magazine