Spicy Meatballs and Secret Affairs: Looking Back on Five Years of The Bold and the Beautiful’s Forrester Family Thanksgivings
What would Thanksgiving be without a little drama with the person seated on your right?
Each year The Bold and the Beautiful fans look forward to the annual Forrester holiday dinner with its love and chaos. Pam and Charlie volleying risqué double entendres over the sweet potato casserole amid the Logan sisters’ attempts to help out in the kitchen is classic soap fodder at this time of year. Viewers especially anticipate the Forrester Thanksgiving tradition of saying something kind to the person seated to your right, which sometimes proves to be quite a feat given the interpersonal drama among the assembled guests.
Due to social distancing, we didn’t get to see a big gathering in 2020, and this year it was a little different, so we think it’s a perfect time to recall the traditional Thanksgiving gatherings in the not-all-that-distant past to see how things have changed and to add a little of the Forrester Thanksgiving spirit to the holiday…
2019
Sadly, we didn’t get to see the Forrester Thanksgiving dinner in 2019, though it was alluded to by several characters after the fact. It’s possible the traditional dinner including everyone was glossed over because the rifts between certain main players were so bad that it wasn’t feasible to set aside that many differences. We know Shauna attended at Quinn’s request, and Hope, Douglas, Beth, Steffy, Kelly and Thomas were also there. Some will recall that Ridge spent the lead up to Thanksgiving kissing Shauna after dumping Brooke for lying to him about Thomas dying, and for helping to facilitate Hope’s adoption of Douglas. Liam and Hope marked Thanksgiving with the kids in the cabin before the big day, and Liam, who was splitting his time between the two women, had a holiday visit with Steffy and Kelly as well.
2018
Brooke and Ridge were together, while Bill, who still wanted Logan, spent the holiday with Justin and Emma. Hope was expecting and all was well between her and Steffy, who was happily co-parenting Kelly with Liam. Zoe was there with Xander, Katie was with Thorne, and Wyatt attended with Sally. The drama of this particular holiday came from Pam and Quinn, who were at odds. Pam was plotting to bring Donna back into Eric’s orbit, and tricked Quinn by getting her to eat a very spicy meatball before dinner. Naturally, Quinn was seated to Pam’s right. Pam mentioned Stephanie’s new, smaller portrait on the wall behind them and remarked she was thankful it was too small for Quinn to put her foot through. She did manage to thank Quinn for welcoming them into her home for Thanksgiving, however, and the dinner ended with Liam making a toast to Hope and Steffy — the two women he admires most.
More: Jacqueline Wood shares adorable ‘home security system’
2017
Thanksgiving 2017 brought tension between Quinn and Katie, who had moved in next door. Quinn was bristle-y with Katie, who she worried might be moving in on her husband, having no idea she was actually hooking up with her son, Wyatt. The Avants attended with Nicole, and were welcomed by Rick and Maya, and Zende and Nicole were about to depart for Paris after Maya suggested it. Sally was there with the Spectra crew and Coco, who was seeing RJ. Eric questioned Steffy about recently spending the night in the guesthouse (where she had sex with Bill after an argument with Liam), and Quinn and Charlie dished on crazy Sheila Carter who was back on the scene, though not at the dinner. Liam, blissfully unaware of Steffy’s night with his father, told Katie that he and Steffy had renewed their marriage vows. During dinner, Wyatt was seated to Katie’s right and she gushed about collaborating with him and teased about him teaching her how to take risks. Bill was awkwardly seated between Brooke and Steffy. Brooke told him he’d always be in her heart, and Bill credited Steffy with holding the Spencer family together.
2016
Steffy brought everyone together at the Forrester mansion for Thanksgiving in 2016, for which Quinn was particularly grateful. Bill was on hand to snark about Quinn’s portrait over the fireplace, and when Brooke arrived with Ridge and RJ, Bill pointed out he’d be the one taking her home as they were engaged at the time. In the kitchen, Pam and Charlie struggled with his new technology and when Katie and Brooke went in to help, the result was smoke pouring out of the oven and screaming. Nicole attended with Maya, Rick, and Lizzie, and when Zende reminded her he had the engagement ring, she asked him not to push her. Highlights from the Thanksgiving tradition of saying something nice to the person on your right included Quinn telling Bill she didn’t hate him anymore, Ivy thanking Wyatt for his forgiveness, and Wyatt conceding that Liam was a good man and a good brother after their falling out.
More: Grey’s Anatomy teases unexpected post-Thanksgiving romance
2015
Eric kicked off Thanksgiving 2015 by saying a quiet, “Happy Thanksgiving” to Stephanie’s portrait before assuring Brooke that Hope would be proud of their holiday efforts. Deacon Sharpe made the scene with Quinn, Ridge was anticipating becoming a father again as Caroline was pregnant, Nicole was carrying a baby for Rick and Maya, and the Spencer and Forrester men engaged in a game of football outside. Thomas, recently returned, was flirting with Ivy and happy for Ridge and Caroline, having no idea she was actually carrying his child, and Steffy and Liam were engaged. As they went around the table, Liam jokingly tried to skip over Bill before expressing gratitude for all his father had taught him, Maya told Julius she wouldn’t forget all the hurtful things he’d said and done but would remember him saying he loved her, Pam told Deacon he’d done so much good for Quinn, and Deacon was thankful his marriage to Quinn was anything but boring.
Which was your favorite Forrester Thanksgiving? Let us know after taking a holiday journey through Thanksgiving with beloved soap opera families in the photo gallery below.
