In today’s The Young and the Restless episode, Michael extended an olive branch of sorts to Victor by letting him know Cane had put Nicholas and Sharon under house arrest. Christian LeBlanc, Michael’s portrayer, sat down with Soap Central to talk about Michael and Victor’s relationship and if it can be repaired.

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“It’s been great,” LeBlanc tells Soap Central about the ongoing tension between Victor (Eric Braeden) and Michael. “Eric and I have just been having a ball since they planted this seed.”

Michael’s fondness for Victor dates back decades to a holiday episode in which the attorney longed to have the close family that Victor does. “There was a really important Christmas episode where Michael is looking through a snowy window at the Newmans’ having a great time,” LeBlanc recalls.

The actor points out that this isn’t the first time Victor has canned Michael, but the two always find their way back to each other, which was a good thing since Michael stood by Victor when Ian Ward (Ray Wise) held a gun on him.

“Michael stepped in front and said, ‘I’m not going anywhere,’” LeBlanc remembers. Despite this, Victor and Michael parted ways over Michael’s refusal to be a part of Victor’s scheme to take down the Abbotts.

“Michael was so worried that there was going to be a war,” LeBlanc says. “He told Lauren [Tracey Bregman] that someone has got to be the guardrail on this because they’re going to hurt themselves or other people.”

Break up to make up

Victor and Michael have been at odds in the past. The attorney represented Diane (then, Alex Donnelley; now, Susan Walters) when she and Victor divorced. It took a while for Victor to get over that. “Michael thought the trust was back, but then he just exploded and yelled at Victor [when he quit],” LeBlanc recalls. “It was fun to do. We hadn’t planned it. That’s the kind of great stuff they’ve given us.”

Is it possible that Victor and Michael will become friends again? “I think the nature of daytime and the long lives that we live allow for a long arc of history,” LeBlanc ponders. “Both Victor and Michael are complex enough, and their history is so entwined [that reconciling] is possible. But I think the ramifications [of what they’ve been through] will still go on.”

LeBlanc suspects that the Victor/Michael dynamics may continue to play out when everyone gets back to Genoa City, where Cane (Billy Flynn) has been buying up properties left and right. “It will be interesting to see what happens,” LeBlanc says.

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