The Bold and the Beautiful Fans React to Thomas and the Talking Hope Mannequin: From ‘I Feel Bad’ to ‘Freak Show’

Monday, October 26th, 2020

Image: CBS

The Bold and the Beautiful viewers’ reactions span from ridiculous to horrified.

When The Bold and the Beautiful’s headwriter and executive producer, Brad Bell, teased back in August that the show would be incorporating a storyline for the mannequins, most of us imagined the dolls talking to one another after hours at Forrester Creations or something along that line, and when Thomas stole a box from the office, our minds went to some sort of sabotage of Zende’s new designs… So to say we weren’t prepared for Thomas cohabitating with a talking Hope blow-up doll would be, well, beyond accurate.

Bell had previously teased, “We have a storyline coming up that actually involves a doll as a character and not just a stand-in,” and elaborated, “They can make dolls the spitting image of someone, so the dolls are just getting started on The Bold and the Beautiful.” Okay, so it’s possible we should have seen this coming, but fans were also taken by surprise and the reactions, as you’d expect, spanned from those who were delighted to those who were downright horrified.

After a really long storyline arc featuring Thomas obsessing over Hope, many were relieved to see a bearded and seemingly reformed version of the Forrester heir when the show reconvened after the production shutdown. For them, Thomas sweating it out over velvet-voiced coaxing from a Hope blow-up doll while holed-up in Vinny’s apartment, was an unwelcome, and rather huge, step backward.

I feel bad for Thomas, this is what happens when you have an untreated mental illness.

That's the only way I am accepting this storyline with the Hope doll. Thomas going years without having his mental illness treated because he's not aware of having one.#BoldandBeautiful

— Tia (@expressrealism) October 22, 2020

Others found the twist highly amusing and heartily approve, in fact, they can’t wait to see how far the powers that be will take things with Thomas and the amazingly life-like mannequin.

I'm looking forward to seeing how this Hope doll storyline plays out. 🤷🏾‍♂️ I've always gotten a kick out of soap psychos. 😈 Thomas is a good one. #BoldandBeautiful @BandB_CBS

— Wayne Pittman, Jr. 🌊 🌊🐐💪🏿🙋🏿‍♂️ (@Sony12Play) October 22, 2020

How long until Thomas dresses the doll in the lingerie he bought for Hope for their wedding night? 😂😂😂😂#BoldandBeautiful

— No Seriously Stop (@torymisspelling) October 22, 2020

Another contingent feels the plot development is simply ridiculous. Instagram user lisa_mdavis4 commented, “The Thomas story line is absolutely stupid like come on it’s so far fetched I almost want to stop watching it’s just so stupid makes no sense to me!!!!!” Though The Bold and the Beautiful has certainly had its moments, such as Hope’s head appearing in Liam’s drink in Mexico, Bill’s wailing head on Steffy’s baby, the floating head of Darla, and the ghost in Douglas’ bedroom, many still thought the talking blow-up doll concept was just too much.

I ain’t about to watch this freak show episode with Thomas talking to a Hope doll ✌🏾 #BoldandBeautiful

— #bidenharris2020 (@sharthaqueen) October 22, 2020

All-in-all, the reveal of Thomas peering into the box and seeing a Hope mannequin was laugh out loud funny, and it’s perfect that this is going down in October just as we come up on Halloween because it’s undeniably creepy, but whether it’s a hit or a miss from here on out remains to be seen, and probably will have a lot to do with how far they decide to take things and for how long.

Omg LOL this creepy. I don't even want to even think of what's going to happen with thomas and that Hope doll figure. Now she's talking to him? Ugh nooooo #BoldandBeautiful

— Tyrell Coxson (@CoxsonTyrell) October 22, 2020

I can't get over the Hope doll. It felt like a horror movie. #BoldandBeautiful

— DavidCosloff #SaveDaredevil (@DavidCosloff) October 23, 2020

What was your reaction to Thomas shacking up with a Hope mannequin? Let us know after peeking at 20 (other) crazy things that only happened on soaps in the photo gallery below. Get your free daily soap-opera fix for The Bold and the Beautiful — and all of the other daytime dramas — delivered straight to your email inbox by signing up for Soaps.com’s newsletter.

1/20

Ben and Ciara on Days of our Lives are just one example of characters who seem to be permanently living in the Salem Inn. Kate lived there before them, Eve Donovan, Brady Black, the list goes on and on. These are hotels, not apartments! On General Hospital Valentin and others take up residence at the Metro Court, even though Valentin has the money to buy the place. Dr. Finn also previously lived there, as did Hayden Barnes, and recently a displaced Brook Lynn Quartermaine. And The Grand Phoenix is becoming the new place to live on Young & Restless, with Philip Chance Chancellor seeming to take up residence their. Living in these fancy hotels has got to cost more than renting an apartment. Though the no cleaning and cooking thing sounds kind of nice.

2/20

Why is it that all these adults over thirty still live in their family’s mansion, along with similar family members, all of who can afford their own homes? On Days of our Lives, Brady, Xander, Sonny and Will all live at the Kiriakis mansion, and now Philip has joined them once again. On General Hospital, the entire Quartermaine clan tends to live in the Quartermaine mansion. And on Bold & Beautiful, the Forrester Estate houses half the cast. Other than the obvious, because we need it for soapy drama, it’s a little Dynasty or Knott’s Landingish. And let’s face it, most of these characters have the money to be living in their own separate mansions.

3/20

Only on soaps can a character have been serial killer, but later a medical reason is used to explain their crime spree, and once treated, they are suddenly reformed. Franco on General Hospital once terrorized the masses, but it was because of a brain tumor, so all is forgotten. Ben Weston on Days of our Lives was The Necktie Killer, but it was the result of mental and physical abuse as a child and he’s now on medication. Half of Salem is over his rampage, even Will, who he ‘killed’. No one in real life would trust either of these guys, let alone with their children! Then again, on the soaps, almost every character has killed someone or tried to.

Kristian Alfonso, Drake Hogestyn"Days of our Lives" SetNBC StudiosBurbank05/8/19© XJJohnson/jpistudios.com310-657-9661Episode # 13745U.S.Airdate 12/17/19

4/20

People are often brainwashed as a part of a cult. However, only on soaps are people brainwashed into believing they are someone they are not. Days of our Lives holds the record for brainwashings, led by John Black, aka The Pawn, who the late Stefano DiMera brainwashed more than three times. Then there is Hope Brady, who he turned into Princess Gina time and time again, by way of an injection of a chip into her neck, attached to a satellite, and more recently Stefano’s mad scientist Dr. Rolf turned Steve Johnson into Stefano DiMera. General Hospital has also gotten into the memory swapping game, giving Jason Morgan’s memories to his twin Drew Cain, and Drew’s memory to Franco. Hey, we all have those days we wish we were someone else, but on soaps, they literally can be someone else.

Chelsea, Nick butt heads Young and Restless

6/20

It’s not out of the norm for soap opera characters to have kids who are hardly seen until they are aged to a teenager. Heck, soap parents tend to be terrible parents and are rarely shown with their little ones. Then there is the case of Max Brady on Days of our Lives, who was adopted along with Frankie Brady by Shawn and Caroline Brady. One day in 1992 young Max went up to his room in the Brady attic and wasn’t seen again until 2005 as a grown adult and race car driver.

sonny and jason want to kill shiloh on general hospital

7/20

Soap opera characters seemingly get away with anything and everything, including murder. General Hospital’s Sonny Morgan is a known mob boss and Jason Morgan his enforcer, but they almost never get caught, and when they do, they are in and out of jail in the blink of an eye. Victor Kiriakis on Days of our Lives is another example, who recently admitted to police detective Eli Grant that he and Xander swapped Sarah and Kristen’s baby. Eli shrugged it off and nothing became of it! Victor Newman on Young & Restless is another character who should be in jail, along with his son Adam Newman, yet they are out walking free. Seriously, why even have lawyers and police officers on the soaps when the notion of prison is just a threat for the most part.

chelsea and chloe talk in the park on young and restless

8/20

Only in soapland do people share their deepest, darkest secrets with one another in public places, usually a park, and often nobody hears them. Not only do they share their secrets, but they also talk loudly about them. They could at least try to whisper! When they are overheard and their secret gets out, they are then in disbelief they’ve been found out. Just last week on General Hospital, Ava overheard Lulu and Nikolas arguing about his plot to oust her, Brook Lynn listened in as Nelle spilled her entire kidnapping plan over the phone to Julian, and Liz overheard Nina and Ava talking about Ava and Nikolas’ divorce clause. On Days of our Lives years ago, everyone would go to The Pier to relieve themselves of their confidential affairs, knowing that was the popular spot for someone else to overhear them.

Thomas, Douglas message Bold and Beautiful

11/20

It’s one thing to gaslight your enemies, but on soaps, characters have to worry about being gaslit by their own family. Talk about dysfunctional families! On Days of our Lives, Peter Blake once gaslit his mother-in-law Laura Horton in order to cover up his own crimes. And on Bold & Beautiful, Thomas Forrester used a fake ghost to scare the bejeezus out of his son Douglas as part of his twisted plan to marry Hope Logan. He sure won’t be getting any Father’s Day cards! Remember when Adam gaslight Ashley on Young and the Restless? He dressed up as Sabrina and gave her such a fright that she fell down a staircase and miscarried her baby, Adam’s would-be sibling.

14/20

Soap characters have no problem starting up businesses from scratch which quickly become worth millions. Also, it’s not about your education and experience, but who you know, when it comes to running a multi-million corporation. Nikki Newman is the latest example, being appointed to COO of Newman Enterprises on Young & Restless by her daughter Victoria Newman. Resume? What resume! She used to strip for a living, but that was her only job. She’s not even a homemaker, since she has hired staff who take care of her household. Xander on Days of our Lives was a conman who knew more about gardening and diamond smuggling than anything, but he’s now running multi-conglomerate, Titan Industries. And nobody bats an eyelash!

Brad, Sharon, pool party Young and Restless

Thorsten Kaye, Denise Richards "The Bold and the Beautiful" shauna ridge hw

16/20

What happens in Vegas doesn’t always stay in Vegas. Take Bold & Beautiful’s Ridge Forrester and Shauna Fulton, who were “married” in Vegas and Ridge was so drunk he couldn’t even remember it. It’s also not out of the ordinary for a long lost spouse to be introduced out of the woodworks for a character. Remember on Days of our Lives when Trent Robbins, Nicole’s long lost husband, suddenly appeared? How does someone like Nicole, who had at that point been married to or involved with several other men, forget to mention her other husband?

Britt tells Brad not to let Nelle win at courthouse General Hospital

17/20

Hospital security is almost nonexistent on the soaps, which allows lab tests to be switched constantly. On General Hospital, Brad Cooper has switched a number of tests for people. And on Days of our Lives, Sami Brady and Kate Roberts have done their fair share of test swaps. Even Caroline Brady, the sweetest character in Salem was able to break into a lab and change a DNA test result. Yet, year after year, nobody comments on this happening, and they all keep sending test results to the same lab, instead of oh, I don’t know. Out of town? Out of the country? And have you ever noticed that the hospitals are never sued after the truth is revealed about these switches?

Nelle wants to hold Wiley on General Hospital

18/20

If you found out the child you’ve been raising for over a year isn’t yours, then you are probably a soap opera character. The dreaded baby swap is a constant plot device used to cause heartbreak for the characters, and frustration for the viewers. Wiley on General Hospital and Mackenzie and Rachel on Days of our Lives were the latest babies swaps. Does nobody notice their babies look different once they get them home? And knowing that baby swaps are the norm in their towns, they may want to automatically file for DNA tests every few months and maybe tattoo their kids – just in case.

19/20

Soap opera characters fake things all the time, and rarely face the consequences for it. Julie Williams faked a heart attack three times in a single year on Days of our Lives but it was glossed over because everyone was hating on Gabi for being “the so-called cause.” Victor Newman on Young & Restless faked his death to punish his son Adam, which seems pretty illegal from an insurance standpoint. And of course, Andre DiMera faked half of the character’s deaths on Days of our Lives in the Melaswen storyline.

20/20

Only on soaps do people die and then return from the dead, and sometimes more than once. And sometimes, we the viewers, would have preferred them to stay dead. Stefano DiMera on Days of our Lives was called The Phoenix due to his ability to rise from the ashes. We can’t count how many times that man returned from being so-called dead. Recently half of Salem has been revived by Dr. Rolf’s serum. But other shows have their fair share of returns, such as both Julian Jerome and his sister Olivia on General Hospital. Adam on Young and the Restless was thought to have perished in a fire and on Bold and Beautiful, Taylor was presumed dead after a plane crash and after her husband Ridge remarried, she was revealed to be alive – <a href="https://soaps.sheknows.com/soaps/news/538107/12-soap-opera-tropes-we-could-use-a-break-from/" target="_blank">with amnesia, of course</a>.

Previous in News

The Bold and the Beautiful's Don...

Next in News

Paris Buckingham's Arrival Could...

The Bold and the Beautiful

The Bold and the Beautiful Fans React to Thomas and the Talking Hope Mannequin: From ‘I Feel Bad’ to ‘Freak Show’

Newswire

Kylie Jenner Sizzles In Black Bikini Selfies As She Shows Off Long Dark Hair — See Pics

Lady Gaga’s Dogs Recovered Unharmed at L.A. Police Station

Bill Maher & Megyn Kelly Talk Frankly About Race, Kids, Sexuality & “Victimhood” On ‘Real Time’: “This Is Hyperbole”

Amber Ruffin and Her Big Capricorn Energy Are Taking Over Late Night