Brooke and Ridge’s Righteous Indignation Made Them Downright Unbearable — Plus, Is Hope About to Steal Steffy’s Man?
Credit: Howard Wise/JPI (2); CBS screenshot
Determined to remain the most schizophrenic show on television, The Bold and the Beautiful this week put the pedal to the metal where their controversial Carter/Quinn/Eric story is concerned, then ended the week by suggesting that Steffy’s marriage may soon be facing a threat from not only Sheila and Paris, but… Hope? Read on, and I’ll explain…
Buckle Up!
Whether because of the controversies we discussed last week or some other reason, the writers decided it was time to ramp up the Eric/Quinn/Carter storyline, and they did it in the most bizarre way possible. Did years of serving as Bill’s henchman teach Justin nothing? Rather than capture photographic evidence of the illicit tryst he’d stumbled upon, Justin barged right on in, all but pointing at the lovers and shouting “J’accuse!”
Justin eventually told Brooke and Ridge what was going on, but in true Bold & Beautiful fashion he did such a bad job of spitting out the facts that the Righteously Indignant Duo — and at this point, they really are basically a Saturday Night Live skit waiting to happen — dashed out without all the facts. This, of course, meant we got to watch Brooke roll her eyes and Ridge huff and puff upon hearing from Quinn and Carter that the had Eric’s approval. (I’m not even kidding when I say that I seriously expected Carter to show Brooke and Ridge Eric’s crumpled-up permission slip.)
Above: Even in their former lives, Brooke and Ridge were pointing fingers.
Credit: Courtesy of The Everett Collection
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At this point, things got downright ludicrous, with Ridge heading off to confront Eric while Brooke went, for no good reason, to the office. There, she shared the “shocking” news with Katie who, fresh off a conversation with Eric, confirmed that Quinn was, in fact, telling the truth. I can only assume this was done so that we could practice this show’s other favorite tactic… two different sets of characters having the same conversation. But then, something crazy happened…
The Loneliest Man
Ridge was, of course, completely oblivious to his father’s pain. No matter how often Eric explained the situation and how it had come about, Ridge would hear none of it. And then, pushed to the breaking point, Eric spoke of how empty the house was. He rattled off the names of all the Forresters who’d once lived in the house — including the late, much-missed (by him and us) Stephanie — and spoke of just how lonely he has been in recent years.
Above: The thought bubble above Quinn’s head totally read, “Bite me, Ridge!”
Credit: Howard Wise/JPI
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“When I told Quinn to get out, she left and I remembered what it was like to be left alone here,” said a deeply emotional Eric. “So I asked her to come back, and she did. We love each other. She fills my heart. She drives away that emptiness that I’ve felt in my heart and my home. This is what I want. This is my house. This is my life. I will not be alone!”
Yes, this story has been flawed in many ways. But in this moment, it was hard not to see what the writers clearly had in mind: A story about just how far a man might be willing to go in order to keep the woman he desperately loves happy. It was beautiful and heartbreaking and, in that moment, it was gorgeous soap opera.
Hypocrites ‘R’ Us
Over the past few weeks, I’ve been almost giddily anticipating the moment when Brooke’s head exploded upon finding out that Eric had given Quinn permission to sleep with Carter. This week, it finally happened… but it wasn’t nearly as fun as I’d hoped. Why? Because… how to put this? Well, they’ve become downright insufferable.
I’m so sick of Ridge and Brooke hell ridge almost slept with Quinn himself and Brooke cheated with ridge when she was married to Eric they both need to have several seats
— Gabriel Quinney (@GabrielQuinne16) September 30, 2021
I think what bothers me the most about Ridge and Brooke’s reaction is that it’s not only wildly hypocritical but it also completely ignores the history of the characters. How is this the same Ridge who, upon finding out that Brooke had slept with Oliver (aka daughter Hope’s boyfriend) at a graduation party, literally laughed and said, “Logan, who else would get themselves into such a mess except you?” and adding that having a wife who was “always ready and willing” had its downsides.
Above: Hey Brooke, remember when Deacon gave you something to cry about… like the fact that you slept with him behind Bridget’s back?
Credit: Image: Aaron Montgomery/JPI
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I don’t think I’d mind so much if the show occasionally let someone, anyone, point out Brooke’s hypocrisy. How has Eric, frustrated as he is with his son and daughter-in-law, not thrown history in their face by pointing out that they slept together behind his back? Why is Quinn not allowed to point out that Hope is the result of Brooke’s affair with Bridget’s husband, Deacon? The audience remembers these events and is literally shouting them at the screen. Having characters reference them as well would be simple and yet add so much to the unfolding drama.
Watch Out, Steffy
Meanwhile, Sheila made the kind of move that you’d expect of a rank amateur, not a professional scheme queen: She simply wandered into Steffy and Finn’s house as if totally unaware the reaction her presence would provoke. Worse, she did it knowing full well that Finn had just left, meaning she’d have absolutely nobody in her corner. Surely if Sheila was hoping to change Steffy’s mind, having Finn in the room would have helped? And barging in uninvited was definitely not the way to prove she wasn’t a threat!
Above: “Listen, lady, I learned everything I know about finger-pointing from my father!”
Credit: Howard Wise/JPI
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So far, Sheila’s latest return has been kind of a bore for me, and that’s a shame. We’re talking about one of the most iconic villains in daytime history. I suppose I shouldn’t be terribly surprised, however, as during the character’s last stint she was reduced to serving up breadsticks at the local eatery. At least this time we’re getting a few confrontations and the occasional arched eyebrow.
Meanwhile, the real threat to Finn and Steffy’s marriage — and are they actually man and wife? We seem to have dropped the whole never-signed license thing — may be something hinted at a few months ago. Anybody else remember those episodes in which Finn and Hope were getting to know each other and it seemed as if perhaps the show was chemistry testing them? Well, Friday’s episode saw a bit of mixed-doubles being played as Finn opened up to Hope while Steffy was hanging out (off-screen) with Liam.
Above: “You know,” thought Liam in that moment, “maybe Quinn and Eric’s thinking about open marriage isn’t so bad… “
Credit: Howard Wise/JPI
When Finn opened up to Hope about wanting to know his mother, she didn’t shut him down. And when he received a text from Sheila, he was able to read it aloud and talk about his feelings. Now, it’s a pretty safe bet that Liam — who never met a situation he couldn’t overreact to — will join Steffy in wanting to do whatever it takes to keep Sheila far from the children. Could this wind up causing a rift between both couples which leads to a partner swap?
Look, I’m pretty sure no one wants to take another ride on the Hope/Liam/Steffy-go-round. But that doesn’t necessarily mean we aren’t going to take one anyways. Liam and Hope have been cooling their heels on the backburner ever since the Poor Dead Vinny story was resolved, and this isn’t a soap which plays scenes casually, so it’s a relatively safe bet that we’re in for, at the very least, some tensions between the foursome.
Random Thoughts
• Wednesday’s scenes between Eric and Katie were gorgeously scripted and beautifully acted by John McCook and Heather Tom, the latter of whom proved yet again she is being criminally underused. Of course, even here there were bits of dialogue which completely contradicted one another. For example, soon after admitting how deeply Brooke and Bill’s relationship had hurt her, Katie said that she never felt more “loved and protected” than when with her sisters.
Above: “Katie, I’m not sure the words ‘protected’ and ‘loved’ mean what you think they do.”
Credit: CBS screenshot
• The Forrester family is rich. Knowing that Sheila is lurking, why don’t they have guards stationed at every door? For that matter, why didn’t Ridge get Justin to tail Sheila as opposed to Quinn? Guess we know where his priorities are!
• When Eric was talking about being all alone in the mansion, did he completely forget that Zende lives there? And instead of looking for her own place, why isn’t Paris simply moving into the guest house on Steffy and Finn’s property?
• Sheila needs to stop saying she “lost” Finn for years or that they have to make up for “lost” time. She gave him up. Plus, she’s kept tabs on him all these years and could have inserted herself into his life at any point. Meanwhile, Keith — the most overattentive hotel manager in the world — might wanna be careful. Men who become Sheila’s sounding board tend not to fare well in the long run…
That’s my take on this week’s episodes… now let’s hear yours. Were you as moved by Eric’s speech as I was? Did it change at all how you feel about the open marriage storyline? And do you think I’m right in predicting that things might get too close for comfort between Finn and Hope? Then, join us as we mourn the loss of beloved daytimer Michael Tylo — who played many parts during his soap career, including a short stint on Bold & Beautiful — and other stars we’ve lost this year.
