Y&R February Sweeps: Hostage Drama and Shocking Returns!

The Young and the Restless (Y&R) spoilers imply that Ian Ward (Ray Wise) might not be as dead as the Newman family thinks he is.

While the EMTs did proclaim his passing during the Thursday, January 30 edition of the soap, later on that episode, Y&R viewers were horrified to see Ian gasp and wake up while being driven in an ambulance to the morgue.

So, as it stands, it looks like Ian is very much alive; however, will the show sit on his return or have the villain come back during February sweeps?

Sharon Newman & Phyllis Summers’ Life-Threatening Situation

Y&R spoilers remind fans that the soap’s Head Writer & Executive Producer, Josh Griffith, previewed “what’s to come” on the show in 2025 in late December 2024, and one interesting tidbit was that Sharon Newman (Sharon Case) and Phyllis Summers (Michelle Stafford) are slated to be placed in a life-or-death situation that has them re-evaluating their relationship.

As this hasn’t happened yet but seems like a situation that would be very February sweeps-ish, could this storyline unravel in the coming weeks?

Will Ian Ward Be Behind It?

If Sharon and Phyllis go missing and are held hostage together, could Ian be behind the entire thing?

He may linger in the shadows over the next couple of weeks waiting for the right time to strike back. As Sharon was his target the last time around, Ian may decide to lash out at Mariah Copeland’s (Camryn Grimes) mom as she blew his plan to pieces.

Still, how could Phyllis get wrapped up in things? She and Ian also have a history, so there are a number of ways she could get involved in the mix.

Regardless of whether or not Ian will be behind the ladies’ life-threatening circumstance, one interesting thing that might come out of all this is a potential common ground for the two women that have been at each other’s throats for decades now!

Will Ian return for February sweeps? Share your thoughts below! Don’t forget to tune into the Y&R on CBS daily to catch all the drama and check out the site regularly for the best Young and the Restless news, spoilers, and updates.