Matt Clark’s return to The Young and the Restless had most fans scratching their heads in confusion.
On The Young and the Restless, October 31, Sharon Newman faced Matt Clark after 20 years. The Halloween episode left her spooked after the man she thought was dead had returned in Los Angeles.
Key Takeaways
- Sharon discovered that Matt Clark is still alive.
- He’s going by the name Mitch Bacall.
- Y&R fans are reacting to Matt’s return from the dead.
Sharon Gets Spooked By Her Past
Sharon (Sharon Case) has been trying to get answers about Noah’s (Lucas Adams) accident. Sienna Bacall (Tamara Braun) mentioned that Noah collaborated with a man named Mitch (Roger Howarth, who gave fans a sneak peek at his new role).
Sharon bumped into that man, who is actually Matt Clark. This man wreaked havoc on her and Nick (Joshua Morrow) before. Matt acted as if he weren’t the man who had once tormented them.
Didn’t Matt Clark Die?
Matt tried to break up Sharon and Nick, but it never worked. When he returned in 2000, the actor Russell Lawrence played the role. Matt had another moniker at the time. He went by the name Carter Mills and got plastic surgery to fool everyone.
This time, Matt wanted to frame Nick and used the Newmans to get closer to Sharon. But his attempts were stopped by Victor (Eric Braeden).
Matt was hospitalized after Tricia Dennison (Sabryn Genet), one of his rape victims, drove him off a cliff. He was trying to use her to frame Nick for the crime. At the time, Matt had a breathing tube.
He dramatically pulled it out and made one more shot to frame Nick. He claimed that he raped Sharon, which didn’t turn out to be true. When Sharon learned she was pregnant, Nick suggested that she get a paternity test.
But it came to a tragic end. Sharon fell, which led to the baby being born early. Unfortunately, it was a stillbirth. Nick found out he was the father.
Y&R Fans React to Matt’s Return
It’s been 24 years since Matt’s been on Y&R. So, his appearance came as a shock to the viewers, who had never given him a second thought. Even some of the newer viewers were confused about the Mitch/Matt situation.
Most of them took to X, formerly Twitter, where they shared their divided opinions. Most were confused as to why the writers would bring Matt Clark back.
One fan posted, “Soap fans are willing to go along with a back-from-the-dead storyline that doesn’t make sense if it is a character that shouldn’t have died, like Diane. Bringing back a villain who died onscreen so Roger Howarth can be on a few months is shakier ground.”
Someone else asked, “Bringing back Matt Clark, who died onscreen and even came back as a ghost at some point? Really? They didn’t have any better idea for Roger Howarth?”
Not all the comments were negative. Some fans are interested in seeing what Howarth will bring to this role, despite the fact that Matt Clark’s past is somewhat disturbing to consider.
Meanwhile, other soap fans are looking forward to the mini GH reunion on Y&R. They’re excited to see what trouble these actors will cause.
One fan wrote, “I had no idea Roger Howarth was joining #YR. Matt Cohen, Tamara Braun, AND Roger! #GH Plus, Billy Flynn #DAYS. I love it!”
Some naysayers claimed Howarth is “too old” to be a villain. Others didn’t want another rapist to join the soap, especially one terrorizing Sharon.
One self-proclaimed “Rogerbot” argued, “Roger Howarth tries to make soap magic where often there is none. Roger cannot change the year he was born or the roles that he is offered and paid to do. However, Roger CAN bring his light to every scene he is in, and he does.”
What are your thoughts on Matt Clark’s return? Are you excited about Howarth’s new role? Let us know in the comments section below.
