‘The Young and the Restless’: Fans Speculate Ashland Didn’t Marry Victoria for Love
In its 48 years on the air, The Young and the Restless has featured some of the most exciting weddings in soap opera history. The marriage of Sharon and Nick is a classic, and was even selected by Y&R star Sharon Case as her favorite. Fans of the ’90s era love the couple, nicknamed “Shick,” while more recent fans are clamoring for Mariah and Tessa to finally tie the knot. But every wedding isn’t as full of joy. Recent episodes of The Young and the Restless have been leading to Ashland and Victoria’s wedding preparations, and some suspect that Ashland’s motives aren’t as pure as Victoria deserves in a partner.
How likely is the marriage to succeed?
It’s been a whirlwind romance for Ashland and Victoria, as the two of them got married after only a few months. Plenty of other characters have expressed their concerns about the speed of the process and how it seems like Ashland might be hiding something. Only a few months ago, Ashland was wrapped up in suddenly trying to prove he was his son Harrison’s father.
It felt like there was no break at all between Ashland leaving Tara and falling for Victoria. Some fans can’t help but point out that marrying Victoria would make the merger between Locke Communications Group and Newman Enterprises much smoother — and he’d be married to the future CEO.
An additional wrinkle is the fact that for a long time, no one was 100-percent sure that Ashland’s diagnosis was real. A Soaps.com write-up of an August episode lamented, “Will Victoria find out Ashland faked his terminal illness and seduced her into a quickie marriage with no prenup only to rob her family of their company and assets?” It was a fair question, especially given Ashland’s propensity for business deception. But at this point, it’s clear that his illness is (probably) real, and that the newlyweds are doing everything they can to hang on for as long as possible.
What else might Ashland be up to?
Just because he isn’t faking cancer doesn’t mean that Ashland is keeping all his cards on the table. He’s undergoing all the treatment options possible and it’s entirely possible that he could make a full recovery. If the Locke Ness Monster does return to full strength, we could see an arc in which he wrests all the power from the newly-formed Newman Locke company. Perhaps he’s choosing to roll the dice and give himself motivation to make a full recovery. What better reason to get back to full health than to carry out an evil plan?
From the proposal, to the wedding dress, to the ceremony itself, it has seemed like Victoria and Ashland might wind up happy together despite fans’ suspicions. But just like Victoria’s hair, the relationship is still stirring discontent among the Y&R fandom. It’s entirely possible that Ashland is still up to something (or Victor Newman is pulling the strings behind the scenes). Since Ashland’s introduction on Y&R, a sense of mystery has followed him. He’s been careful not to let anyone get the better of him — not in business, and it appears not in love either.
Could there be a happy future for Ashland and Victoria on ‘The Young and the Restless’?
Like all things in the soap world, the future is unclear. Though it’s unlikely, perhaps Ashland has been faking it all along, and he’s simply waiting to spring a trap and take control of the company. Or maybe the new couple will wind up with everything working out perfectly; Ashland will recover, and they will lead the Y&R cast into a new era of happiness and harmony. Either way, the marriage of Ashland and Victoria will likely be a source of potential storylines for years to come.
