When Amy returns, she’ll be happy to see that several of her friends are still around. So reuniting and reconnecting has to be on her agenda, right? Maybe not her main purpose for coming back to Genoa City.

The Young and the Restless recently surprised us with an unexpected casting. Amy Lewis, a character not seen since 1988, will return to Genoa City on October 29, and the great Valarie Pettiford will play her.

What You Need to Know About Amy Lewis

Back in the day, Amy Lewis was a supporting character who was sweet and supportive. When Pettiford reintroduces Amy to the people of Genoa City — many of whom are still around after all these years — it’ll be wonderful to see how much the character has changed. After all, if you’ve seen Pettiford in any of her roles, like the late great UPN sitcom Half & Half, she’s naturally larger-than-life.

Here’s what you need to know about Amy Lewis:

• The OG Amy Lews was Stephanie E. Williams, who played the character from 1983 to 1988 before she moved on to play Dr. Simone Hardy on General Hospital in 1990.
• Law enforcement was in Amy’s blood. In fact, her dad, Frank Lewis (the late Brock Peters), was Genoa City PD’s Police Commissioner in the early ’80s.
• She was the secretary for the detective agency that Paul Williams (Doug Davidson) started. His friend Andy Richards (Steven Ford) was his partner. Sometimes, she got involved in the cases.

• One of Amy’s former boyfriends was Tyrone Jackson, who was an attorney. Actor Phil Morris played him. Seinfeld fans should recognize him as another lawyer, Jackie Chiles.
• Her main love interest, however, was former mobster Nathan Hastings (then Nathan Purdee). He would go on to marry Olivia Barber (Tonya Williams), and the two had a child — Nate (Sean Dominic). Recently, Nate recently received a mysterious text from Amy.
• Amy taught Nathan how to read and write. He eventually paid it forward when he taught Olivia’s feisty sister, Drucilla Barber (Victoria Rowell), how to read.
• Amy’s friends included people current fans know and love, including Danny Romalotti (Michael Damian) and his sister Gina Roma (Patty Weaver). But she was also friends with Traci Abbott (Beth Maitland) and Lauren Fenmore (Tracey Bregman).

In 1988, Amy left town to take care of her father. So, it’s been almost 30 years since the character touched Genoa City’s terra firma. Who will Amy be when she returns? Will she ultimately reconnect with former enemies Traci and Lauren? What was she up to all that time she was away? And, most importantly, why did she get in touch with Nate?