One of the strangest aspects of *The Young and the Restless* right now is that violent rapist and attempted murderer Matt Clark is roaming Genoa City freely, dating, and regularly showing up at the business owned by his primary victim… yet almost nobody seems alarmed. Even that very victim! So what on earth is happening?
Sharon has been surprisingly calm about Matt Clark wandering around town. She hasn’t even barred him from Crimson Lights. She doesn’t appear worried about Noah leaving her alone to deal with Matt’s continued presence while Nick is in rehab, and she barely reacted when the murderous rapist was practically camped outside her doorstep at the ranch!
When Sienna admitted to Noah’s mother that she was too unsettled to remain in town with her ex lurking nearby and asked how Sharon was handling it, Sharon simply shrugged and said she wasn’t going to let him get the better of her. Really?! Not only is that completely unlike the way she has traditionally reacted to the dangerous figures from her past, but it makes even less sense considering Matt only recently forced Noah off the road, nearly killed him, and tried to blow everyone up at a gas station.
On top of that, Sharon has only recently endured one traumatic ordeal after another involving Cameron Kirsten, Ian Ward, Crazy Aunt Jordan, and Martin Laurent, who even imprisoned her alongside Phyllis of all people. After surviving all of that, Sharon should realistically be emotionally shattered. Matt Clark walking free should be enough to push her completely over the edge. Instead, she’s carrying on with everyday life as though it’s no big deal. So what explains it?
The real answer appears to be that her reaction is being driven by the plot. Yes, SOAPS readers, one of the biggest frustrations in daytime television: characters behaving in ways that feel completely out of character simply because the storyline requires it. Put simply, Sharon can’t completely fall apart over Matt because it would make it nearly impossible for viewers to accept the show’s apparent attempt to redeem him. The story just wouldn’t function the same way.
That being said, plenty of viewers already aren’t buying the redemption arc, especially those who object to redeeming a rapist. Some *Young & Restless* fans — ourselves included — even suspect Matt Clark is merely playing the long game, making him far more dangerous than he appears. Hopefully, Sharon will ultimately be the one to expose who he really is.
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