Bold & Beautiful Just Featured The Most Inappropriate Conversation Ever — and It’s Not the One You Think

Credit: Howard Wise/JPI (2); CBS screenshot

And they said it couldn’t be done. This week, The Bold and the Beautiful proved naysayers (read: me) wrong by telling two stories at once almost every single day. As if that weren’t enough, Quinn was allowed to speak a rarely-uttered truth, Finn at least tried to do the right thing, and someone actually managed to out-creep Sheila… which ain’t easy! 

Say What?!?

As I mentioned in the headline, there was a conversation during this week’s episodes which I found wildly inappropriate. And while it did involve Quinn and Eric, it wasn’t the scenes in which he came clean about his erectile dysfunction issues. In fact, while it would have been very easy for the sequence to come off Afterschool Special-y, the script avoided that trap, instead allowing John McCook and Rena Sofer to deliver incredibly powerful performances.

McCook, in particular, stood out here as Eric went from embarrassed to angry to reluctantly and somewhat gracefully accepting the reassurances offered by his wife. Far too often, McCook is treated as a talk-to, making it easy to forget just how phenomenal an actor he truly is. I’m hoping this story continues to give him strong material as it moves into the next phase.

No, the awkward conversation in question took place at Forrester Creations, where Carter inexplicably — and with zero prompting — took it upon himself to tell Brooke and Ridge that Eric and Quinn had reunited. Obviously, the scene was crafted for no reason other than to compel the Buttinskys to dash over to the mansion and confront Eric. But surely there had to be a better way to get from Plot Point A to Plot Point B than by having Quinn’s lover dropping the news!

For me, the highlight of the week might have been Quinn calling out the endlessly hypocritical Ridge and Brooke.

You can almost hear Brooke hoping against hope that Ridge doesn’t realize Quinn’s brought up a valid point.

Credit: CBS screenshot

More: John McCook gets a new, familiar leading lady

Brooke may have found Quinn’s remarks worthy of an epic eyeroll, but I gave them a standing ovation. This is not, as some will call it, Brooke-bashing. I’ve loved Brooke since back in her reluctant cater-waiter days. It is, however, crediting the writers for doing something they almost never do, which is to acknowledge in any way, shape or form that Brooke and Ridge have routinely wandered from their “destined” path.

Brooke has a special endorsement on her driver’s license that allows her to drive in any and all lanes, reverse course, and travel in the wrong direction. Also never has to pay a parking ticket, and a get out of jail free for any hit and runs. #BoldandBeautiful

— Mary Brown (@marybrownatl1) August 26, 2021

Frankly, I can’t wait to see where they go with the Carter/Eric/Quinn story. If I was in charge? Eric would encourage Quinn to seek satisfaction elsewhere. “Not have an affair,” he would say, “because that implies an on-going relationship with emotions. I’m saying find someone to satisfy your needs until we can resolve this issue.” Maybe they’d even wind up inviting a third person into their bedroom, with Quinn wanting to make sure that Eric is an active participant, if only as a voyeur, in her encounters.

All this and permission, too?

Credit: Howard Wise/JPI

Maybe Eric would even suggest Carter as Quinn’s lover, thinking theirs was a one-night stand and not knowing the true depth of their feelings. I mean, I’d watch the heck out of that.

Coming Attractions

If there’s one thing this show ain’t, it’s subtle. So the moment Steffy told Finn she’d be taking an overnight business trip, we knew exactly where things were going… even if it took four full days for us to get there. But here’s the other thing about this show: It somehow manages to make big moments we know are coming — including those they’ve already shown us in the previews — work. Maybe because what we’re really here for isn’t that moment when Steffy walks in to find her baby in Sheila’s arms, but rather what comes next.

As Shonda said on Twitter, “Time to go on a slapping spree!”

#BoldandBeautiful.. Time to go on a slapping spree. pic.twitter.com/lKRh2tllcC

— Shonda972 ❤ The Westons (@Cin4DWin) August 26, 2021

And sure enough, that’s exactly what happened.

After reclaiming Hayes, Steffy warmed up her slapping hand and snarked, “Hold my beer… er, child!”

Credit: Howard Wise/JPI

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I want to give Finn credit here, because while he’s been put on blast by viewers ever since the wedding, he really did try and do the right thing here. When Jack showed up with his whole “Let Sheila hold her grandbaby once and she’ll go away” line, Finn immediately saw it for the crap it was. And he did not at any point give Jack permission to summon the she-devil.

That said, once she showed up on his doorstep, he should have known exactly how things were going to play out. I almost feel a little sorry for him, but come on. Once he was told (repeatedly) that Grammie Sheila killed Grammie Taylor — even if Steffy’s mom didn’t actually stay dead — he should have done everything in his power to keep her out of his home. Ultimately, though, he did the wrong thing for the right reasons.

Random Thoughts

“Sorry, Hope. Given our history, I had the lights set on ‘throwing shade’ mode.”

Credit: Howard Wise/JPI

• Why was the jet on which Steffy and Hope were hanging out while waiting to depart so dark? We know, based on what was happening in the episode, it was daytime. But even if they were taking a redeye, it’s not as if they couldn’t have turned on a light!

• What was up with that creepy conversation between Sheila and the hotel manager? When he started asking her if she was into younger guys, I wondered if maybe he was hitting on her. I suspect he might be the equivalent of a “red shirt” on Star Trek… the disposable character who, when Sheila goes (further) off her rocker will wind up being killed.

• Remember a few months ago when all anyone could talk about was the outrageous fashions some of Bold & Beautiful‘s characters — particularly the women — were sporting? I’m happy to say that things seem to have calmed way down in that department. Yes, we still get some fashion-forward looks (like that killer yellow suit of Steffy’s), but the outfits are no longer more dramatic than what’s unfolding on screen.

So what did you think of this week’s episodes? Before hitting the comments section with your favorite (and least favorite) moments, check out this gallery in which we ponder the possibility that Sheila might soon wind up dead… as well as who’d be most likely to kill her!