Bold & Beautiful’s Latest Shock Laid the Groundwork For a Liam/Hope Split — Plus, Did Taylor Just ‘Save’ Ridge?
Credit: Howard Wise/JPI (2); CBS Screenshot
It was a crazy week on Bold & Beautiful, where Brooke got multiple proposals, Hope got a major shock, Wyatt got the boot, and everybody decided that they simply weren’t going to acknowledge a certain aspect of a story that’s being revisited. Ready to talk it all out? Then let’s go!
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Welcome Back, Fauxpe!
Y’all know I love nothing more than when a soap manages to make me gasp in shock, which is what I did when Hope discovered the infamous mannequin lurking in the design office. Truth be told, I shouldn’t have been surprised, given that several characters had recently made reference to the dummy while discussing Thomas’ behavior. And this is a show that never, ever mentions things casually. (See also: Douglas’ voice-altering app.)
This was one stare-off Hope could never, ever win.
Credit: Howard Wise/JPI
What I don’t get is why when Brooke brings up the whole mannequin incident of yore, nobody points out that at least some of Thomas’ delusions were caused by a brain bleed. Wouldn’t Steffy, in defending her beloved brother, take this opportunity (as she does every other) to trash talk her former stepmom. “Brooke, that’s really low,” I can easily hear her saying. “At least he had an excuse. Did a brain injury make you kiss Deacon? Or Oliver? Or any of the other men you’ve kissed behind my father’s back?”
A New Hope
Anybody else notice that over the past few weeks, Hope has been something of a changed woman? She’s stood up to (and gotten frustrated with) her mom on numerous occasions. She got to share some fun scenes with dad Deacon. She had some real spunk while butting heads with Steffy. Frankly, I’ve loved it.
“Mom, follow along: Here is the church, here is the steeple, open the door, and see all the people!”
Credit: CBS Screenshot
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Hope has always been a bit of a… how to say this? Well, a wuss. That’s just the way the character is written. It was true when Kim Matula was playing the part, and it’s remained true since Annika Noelle stepped into the role. These are two really strong actresses (each of whom play humor exceptionally well), so it’s frustrating to see them stuck in a relatively one-note role. That is, however, the nature of this show.
That said, seeing Noelle get to toughen Hope up has been a blast, and I hope we see more of it in the future. What I really don’t want is for this to simply be the show setting her up to fall for Thomas’ crap yet again. Even as she defends Thomas to her mom, I need Hope to be smart enough to be wary of the designer. She needs to set boundaries and keep them firmly in place in order to avoid becoming poor, victimized, clueless Hope again. I don’t think anybody really wants that.
“Come back home, and I promise to stop making you eat tofu burgers.”
Credit: Howard Wise/JPI
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Unfortunately, they seem to be setting up trouble between Liam and Hope, which will no doubt cause her to lean on Thomas. How else to explain those scenes in which Liam basically tried to emotionally blackmail Douglas into moving back into the cottage?
So Many Men, So Little Time
Watching Brooke be courted by both Deacon and Bill within seconds of Ridge declaring he planned to have their marriage annulled amused me. I mean, does she bathe in Hex, the pheromone-based perfume developed by Young & Restless‘ Ashley a few years back?
“Brooke, one drop behind your ears and this pencil will want to make out with you.”
Credit: Aaron Montgomery/JPI
All of the scenes which unfolded this week left me with questions. Like, on what grounds does Ridge think he’s going to get the marriage annulled? And how downright cruel of him is it to take that route, which is to basically say, “Our marriage never happened.” Honestly, every time I think I can’t possibly hate Ridge more, I do. And yet…
“Stick with me, Ridge. I’ll make them love you again!”
Credit: CBS screenshot
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I’ll be damned if Krista Allen and Thorsten Kaye don’t have incredible chemistry. I mean, I don’t want to like Taylor and Ridge. He’s a jerk and she deserves better (although maybe not, given that she keeps throwing herself at this guy despite knowing how it always ends). But geez, Kaye and Allen just create magic together. The scenes in which she blindfolded him and took him to their former/new home were adorable.
And you have no idea how much I hate saying that!
Wherefore Art Thou, Wyatt?
First Quinn disappears without a trace, and then Wyatt is basically booted from his home so that Taylor can move Ridge into their former lovenest? What the dippity-do is going on with the Fuller clan? I am a huge fan of both Wyatt and his portrayer, Darin Brooks, so this vanishing act is not pleasing me. I get that a lot of people don’t care for “Felony Flo,” but she exists and is currently engaged to Wyatt (unless, like everything else that’s happened to him of late, their relationship fell apart off screen).
“Dad, don’t look now — I said don’t look! — but there’s some strange dude at the table with us… “
Credit: CBS screenshot
I want Wyatt’s reaction to Bill throwing himself at Brooke again! I want Wyatt chiming in on the whole Thomas/Hope situation. I want Wyatt to have a story again, dang it all!
Random Thoughts
“Maybe if I just stand still, he’ll think I’m the mannequin.”
Credit: CBS screenshot
• Having Hope and Paris walk in on a stripped-down Thomas was downright ridiculous. For one thing, there was a changing screen about three feet away. Why wouldn’t someone undressing in an office used by everyone in the company be used for it’s god-given purpose? Also, Forrester Creations has a sauna, which means they probably have a shower and changing room.
• Speaking of those scenes, how wildly inappropriate was it for Paris to “coerce” Hope into admitting Thomas is hot? Paris knows the history there. And why didn’t Hope suggest that if Paris finds Thomas so hot, she should pursue him. They’re both single, after all, and God knows Paris has nothing else going on.
• Well, Katie said that Bill would run off to Brooke the second she was available and that’s exactly what happened. Bill always said that nobody knew him better that Katie, and that definitely proved true.
• Hope for the Future might be the most ill-defined line in the history of the show. Years ago, they established that it was a sort of casual line in keeping with Hope’s own style. Now, based on the sketches and dresses we’ve seen, it’s practically indistinguishable from gowns you might see Eric or Ridge designing for the Forrester Creations collections.
Need a little inspiration in the Halloween department? Check out our all-time favorite disguises and costumes worn by characters from around the daytime dial!
