Cane Ashby appears to have finally revealed his plan on The Young and the Restless, but I have reason to believe it goes beyond Genoa City. Several characters in The Young and the Restless cast have given various theories as to what Cane’s up to, but perhaps the Genoa City takeover he revealed to Phyllis was merely a stepping stone.
Ashby’s storyline slowed down enough for a while that there was little to do other than look for The Young and the Restless Easter eggs, but the story’s been revitalized by the revelation that Cane’s looking to take over every major business in Genoa City. Yet, there’s always been reason to believe that there’s even more to it than that.
Cane Ashby’s Chancellor Obsession Makes No Sense Without Extra Steps
He Was Willing To Give Up Billions For One Company
Eric Braeden as Victor Newman and Billy Flynn as Cane Ashby in The Young and the Restless
When Cane first revealed himself, you could have played a drinking game every time he mentioned Chancellor. Port Charles’ medical experts are still researching how anybody played that game without being shuffled from this mortal coil. But Cane doesn’t actually seem resentful enough to sacrifice billions over one company, and it’s not just how Billy Flynn plays the character.
That’s not to say he isn’t resentful. He looks at his Nice party attendees the same way Patrick Bateman looks at a well-made business card. It’s nonetheless odd that Cane holds himself together more ably when talking to Victor than when explaining to others why he cares about Genoa City. Leaving a place doesn’t always change what feels like home.
But it’s odd that he specifically focuses on Chancellor. Even if what Cane said to Phyllis is true, taking Chancellor alone wouldn’t turn Genoa City into his own personal conglomerate without billions left in the bank to acquire more assets. So, what if he had another plan, one so big he’d never reveal it to a small fry like Phyllis?
Cane’s Talk With Chelsea Hints At A Game-Changing Scheme For The Young & The Restless
“Taking Over The World” Might Not Be A Figure Of Speech
Billy Flynn as Cane Ashby in The Young and the Restless
Victor’s Eric Braeden might be one of the longest-running The Young and the Restless stars, but Cane’s Billy Flynn has been the most interesting to watch. His emotional scale when he tells Chelsea that he’s back in Genoa City and ready to “take over the world” is off the charts. And there might be a very good reason behind that.
If anyone’s liver survived the “Chancellor” drinking game, then the next game on the list should be every time Abbott Communications has been referred to by its full name. Abbott Communications summarizes what most of the companies Cane’s aiming for have in common, as Chancellor, Newman, and Abbott all currently have major stakes in the communications and media industries.
By modern standards, taking over the media really would equate to taking over the world. Cane could control the entire narrative about himself and Colin with extensive media control, which would facilitate his stated desire to return to Genoa City peacefully. And Abbott’s not big enough yet for Cane to care about it unless it plays directly into that plan.
Furthermore, every company he names that isn’t associated with media control is at least associated with Victor. It might seem odd to gun for Chancellor instead of Newman if media control is the game, but Victor doesn’t have the same hold on Chancellor’s stakeholders as he does with Newman Media, and that could be where Abbott Communications comes into play.
Billy’s Offer To Sally Is Conveniently Timed With Cane’s Disappearance From The Party
It’s A Strange Offer To Sign Without Knowing His Future At Chancellor
Jason Thompson as Billy Abbott and Courtney Hope as Sally Spectra in The Young and the Restless
While it might have seemed early on that Lily and Cane Ashby’s The Young and the Restless romance played a major role in his plan, that no longer seems to be the case. Perhaps he still has feelings for her, but Lily’s influence doesn’t actually feed into the overall plan that Cane’s establishing.
Billy leaves after Sally demands to become CEO of Abbott Communications, and he returns right after Cane leaves for Genoa City. Although Billy swears this didn’t happen, it makes sense to believe he met with Cane during that interim. If Cane has eyes on Abbott, then he could very well have eyes on all media companies in Genoa City.
The appeal of Abbott Communications for a person like Cane was unintentionally revealed by Sally Spectra herself. Sally says that Billy should care about Abbott because it provides a chance to build his own company from new ground, which is something Cane doesn’t get from acquiring Chancellor.
But Sally also signs a deal that makes her CEO while retaining Billy as a key member of the board. Although Billy says this deal would put Sally in control, CEOs notoriously have less control over their companies than their board of directors. If Billy’s working for Cane, this deal gives Ashby control over Abbott without technically spending a dime.
How Holden Could Factor Into Cane’s Media Control Scheme In The Young & The Restless
That List Of Names Is Odder Than Holden Seems To Realize
Although Holden realizes immediately that the list of names given to him are all relevant to major Genoa City holdings, he doesn’t remark on the fact that the people on Cane Ashby’s list are of curiously varying significance to the companies they represent.
If his goal is to topple Newman and establish a media empire, Adam and Chelsea make a lot of sense. The only issue is that Chelsea figured out what Holden was up to almost immediately when he approached her, and Adam hasn’t yet had as much to say about that as one might expect.
But if Cane’s as smart as he’s made out to be, he should’ve seen that coming. Everyone on his list either distrusts Victor or has good reason to distrust him. Chelsea doesn’t know Victor’s role in Audra’s current attempts to seduce Kyle, but Holden’s new relationship with her could allow him to deliver that news from a seemingly trustworthy face.
Mariah’s also tied to Victor and embroiled in an infidelity scandal. Amanda said she trusts Cane as his lawyer, but The Young and the Restless could be setting up that the key points of Cane’s Aristotle Dumas plan are non-legal. If he uses Victor’s personal schemes to topple him, gaining those media companies might prove easier than it otherwise should.
