At the conclusion of today’s October 21st episode of The Young and the Restless, viewers were in for a shock when Ian Ward reappeared in the form of actor, Ray Wise.
However, it may be just be a short-term visit as it appears that Ian is a figment of the imagination of Mariah’s (Camryn Grimes) as she walks through the traumas she has dealt with all her life in an effort to heal herself.
In story, Mariah has been pushing away her wife, Tessa (Cait Fairbanks) over being wracked with guilt for trying to kill a man (Michael Swan) while she was away from Genoa City. According to Soap Opera Digest, while Wise’s return is just for one episode on tomorrow’s Wednesday, October 22nd episode (in addition to the tag of today’s show), Mariah will confront Ian and all the trauma that he’s put her through.
Photo: JPI
However, it should be noted, Y&R viewers know that Ian is actually alive and out there somewhere. When back in January of 2025, Ian was shot and presumed dead in a tussle with Victor Newman (Eric Braeden) as part of his plot with his partner in crime, Jordan Howard (Colleen Zenk). It was later revealed, that while being taken away by ambulance, Ian opened his eyes, never to be seen or heard of again, thus far!
Photo: JPI
Wise is a veteran TV and film actor, known to soap fans as Jamie Rollins on Love of Life (1970-1976), Leland Palmer on Twin Peaks (1990–1991, 2017) and of course, as Ian Ward, a role he has played on and off since 2014, and winning a Daytime Emmy along the way for his work back in 2015 in the Outstanding Guest Performer in a Daytime Drama Series tying with Donna Mills (then Madeline, GH) and the late Fred Willard (ex-John Forrester, B&B.
So, do you think Mariah will work out all of her trauma from being in Ian’s cult years ago? Do you think Ian is alive and well and soon will strike the Newman clan back in Genoa City?
