After the last few days the Forresters had, Eric should consider putting an indefinite ban on family gatherings -- or at least really examine relationships before deeming them worthy of the money and time spent on the celebrations. This week, we learned that the Bridge relationship isn't worth the case it was framed in, but was the predictable fallout from the kiss even more disappointing than the kiss itself?
The smug Quinn set a trap to publicly expose Brooke's intimate kiss with Bill so that Shauna can have Ridge. Brooke and Donna wound up discovering and "deleting" the video footage Quinn had uploaded to Brooke's digital frame, but thanks to the miracle of dumb sisters, the footage was removed from the frame, but the playlist remained in the frame's cloud storage. Using his phone app, Ridge reset the frame and detonated a video bomb that could demolish Batie and Bridge and pave the way for Shauna and Ridge.
Katie, under the false belief that she was dying, created a romance between Brooke and Bill. In a similar unfolding plot, Sally created the false belief that she was dying to snag her fiancé back from the clutches of his high school sweetheart, Flo Fulton. Viewers still don't know what Sally is falsely dying from, how she pulled off the fake diagnosis, or even what her point of the fraud is in light of the fact that Flatt seems more in love than ever despite Sally's "deathly" prognosis.
Apparently, Sally's motto in romance is "do unto others as those have done unto you." Sally's been through this before, but she was in Flo's shoes when Bill concocted a deathly illness for Caroline to keep Thomas by her side. It worked for Caroline. Maybe Sally calculated that it could work for her, too, but Sally is missing a vital piece of the equation that made it work for Caroline: Douglas. Can an anchor of mere memories keep Wyatt from drifting back to Flo?
When there is a Forrester party, the hypocrites are sure to show up to witness the flogging. From a pregnancy exposed on her birthday to "Pose" wall sex with Oliver, Brooke is a pro at this humiliation for family entertainment gig, but, as usual, it's a little outrageous for the outraged to scoff and roll their eyes when there but for the grace of Eric goes each of them.
Before Ridge runs off to find Shauna, his therapy Barbie, let's get two scoops deep into Sally's "swan dive" for love and Batie and Bridge's swan song duet during a week that marked the 33rd anniversary of the Bold and the Beautiful.
Hey, I'm dying over here!
This week, we learned why Penny Escobar is the most unprofessional doctor on the planet. Penny hates her job and would rather be a fashion gofer. Sally promised Penny her spot in fashion-lackey heaven, and all Penny has to do is keep her mouth shut about Sally's fake death prognosis. Penny is more anxious than a cricket on a hot skillet, and with the right pressure applied to her, Penny might just start chirping.
Does Penny draw or have any real fashion talent? Does Penny want to shake her little tush on the catwalk? We don't know what's motivating her to choose fashion over medicine any more than we know what's motivating her to change her mind about helping Sally lie. Penny merely says that it's just not right, and Sally should tell the truth about her diagnosis to poor Wyatt.
Until we know how Sally roped Penny into it, it's difficult to have an opinion on what's going on with Penny and what makes her so jumpy. Did she falsify records, or is she plagued by the verbal lie she told Katie at the hospital? Why is it so hard for Penny to keep the secret? It isn't as if any of Sally's family or friends are hounding her for answers about Sally's condition -- not yet, anyway. In my view, Penny made it worse for herself and Sally by forcing Sally's hand, causing Sally to reveal the fake diagnosis to Wyatt.
Sally had the perfect plan. By refusing treatment and swearing Katie to secrecy, Sally got all of the benefits of her lie and none of the fault. Having Katie do her dirty work gave Sally plausible deniability. With the wave of her gossiping fairy godmother's tongue, Sally's designs were in the couture collection, Sally was in Wyatt's house, and Flo was on the sidelines. It all happened without Sally having to tell any further lies, fake any doctor's appointments, or seek miracle "cures."
Before today, if Sally ever had to answer any questions about her "illness," she could have said, "I never told you I was dying." She could have told people that Katie had it wrong or that the doctor had eventually found out that it had been a mistake. Now that Sally has told Wyatt about the diagnosis, she's responsible for the lie. She'd better think fast because Wyatt is going to want to know the name of this illness and talk to Dr. Escobar -- or Sally's initial doctor -- about possible treatments or making her comfortable in her final days.
Wyatt won't be the only one with questions. The well-meaning Flo has already gone to Sally to pledge her desire to support Sally and lend her boyfriend to Sally -- as a friend. And by the way Flo was eyeing the yoga-posing Sally, it's just a matter of time before Flo starts wondering what this illness is really all about. Sally had better remember that game recognizes game, and the longer it goes on, the more likely it is that con woman Flo will sniff out Sally's scam.
Where did Sally get the idea to pretend to be dying to get her man back, anyway? Wyatt can probably blame his father for that. When Sally was dating Thomas, Bill dreamed up the plan that Caroline was dying from some unknown illness. I'm surprised that con man Bill didn't think of this when Katie told him about Sally's prognosis. He has set up two women, Steffy and Caroline, with fake impending deaths, but his Spency senses can't detect someone pulling one over on him?
Bill's death con on Thomas worked. Thomas left Sally partnerless at work and in the bedroom to care for Caroline and Douglas in New York. Thomas found out that Caroline was faking and returned to Sally, but the bond between Caroline and Thomas had already been formed by then. Thomas wound up leaving Sally for Caroline again.
Sally could be banking on her fake illness going the same way with Wyatt. For her sake, Sally had better have considered the main factor Caroline had going for her in her romantic con -- Douglas. Caroline had something going against her, too -- a fatal blood clot in her future. So, Sally might want to stop tempting death. I'm just saying...
Are Sally's fans disappointed that Sally is pulling a scam on Wyatt? Yes. Of course. It's an awful deception. But it's hard to say Flatt doesn't deserve it. After all, Wyatt left Sally twice for Flo, and Flo and Wyatt tried to pull a breakup scam on the "dying" Sally. The writers seem to be aiming to continue the Flo redemption party by throwing Sally under the evil villain bus; however, it's really a Sally-fan party bus, and we fans intend to enjoy every bit of misery Sally causes Flatt as Sally ups her dying game to win back her man.
Same old Stallion Rodeo
Here we are at another Forrester event, too disgusted to even look other guests in the face. After the gathering of the hypocrites charbroiled Thomas a couple of weeks ago, I wasn't ready for a new round of finger-pointing and denigration. Especially not when it's being led by Ridge, the man who had another woman literally waiting in the wings of his father's house for his marriage to fail. But there Ridge was in a room with at least three women he's betrayed Brooke with, telling Brooke that everything had changed due to her one wayward kiss with Bill.
Truth be told, Ridge has shared an intimate kiss with every woman at that reunion party except for Steffy, and that's just because he is her daughter. Brooke forgave Ridge for smooching her daughter Bridget and Quinn, kisses that ruined two engagements between Bridge. Brooke also had to get beyond Ridge having an affair with Katie when Brooke and Ridge were engaged once. Though Brooke and Ridge hadn't been together at the time, Brooke had been disillusioned when Ridge had shared kisses and flirtations with Donna, too.
It's critically sanctimonious of Ridge to stand before that particular crowd and stake the moral high ground. And it's not like Brooke was the only person in the relationship playing patty-cake with her lips. Ridge shared several kisses with Shauna during his and Brooke's estrangement, and he has no room to berate Brooke for sharing one kiss with Bill in a vulnerable moment.
What happened to Ridge's view that Bill takes advantage of vulnerable women? Wasn't that Ridge's excuse for Steffy when Bill had taken her to bed? Why can't Ridge consider that Bill might have taken advantage of the vulnerable Brooke, whom Ridge had admittedly left alone in her fear for her daughter's entanglement with the obsessed Thomas?
Ridge has a funny way of seeing things. When Taylor shot Bill, that was just Taylor's mistake. When Steffy bedded Bill, that was Bill taking advantage of Steffy. When Thomas got Emma killed and stalked Hope, that's just Thomas, whom Brooke should support. When Ridge kissed Shauna, spent hours talking to her at the mansion, and gave her a sketch, that was just him making a friend. When Brooke kissed Bill once while estranged from Ridge? Ultimate betrayal. Whatever, Ridge.
We've been here before with Bridge dozens of times, whether it's Brooke kissing somebody else or Ridge kissing somebody else. What we haven't been is bored by the fallout. Viewers have seen this moment in the making ever since Shauna batted her eyelashes at Ridge in the police station. From that moment on, it was like sitting around in the doctor's office, waiting for endless amounts of time to finally see the doctor for the dreadful, inevitable "bend over and cough."
I'm sure some viewers enjoyed the shellacking of Brooke and the punchout of Bill. Some are always down for a good Brooke dragging, but so far, this one doesn't place in the top 20. For one, it was contrived. As I keep saying, Ridge cheated first, and Ridge cheated the worst. He has no standing to judge Brooke when he did the same thing several times, both before and after the divorce papers were signed but never filed.
For another, Ridge talked a big game about being unable to live without Brooke, so to walk out on her and into the arms of the awaiting other woman is trashy. We know that is where it's headed. B&B is famous for their "rush to the other lover" scenes -- like when Hope rushed off to Hawaii with Wyatt. Ridge proves what a cheating louse he is for the mere fact that there's another woman on standby. It's the first rule in the players and cheaters handbook: String along other women to keep your options open.
Next, Bill and Brooke's kiss was contrived, and so was the filming of it. Out of nowhere, Bill just lays one on Brooke, and Shauna, of all people, just happens to be on Brooke's property with a phone, making homemade softcore porn for Quinn's maniacal enjoyment. Yes, Quinn enjoyed it. Did you see how many times she watched it? She was probably remembering all the times she spanked Bill when he lived at the cliff house with Liam.
Shauna just so happens to feel guilty about filming it and chooses to delete it. I'd almost respect her more if she had used it herself, but no, Shauna doesn't want to be "that woman." Eye roll. We all know it's just that the writers don't want to bloody Shauna's hands in the latest slashing of Bridge. So, instead of going after Brooke herself, the dumb ding-dong hands her phone over to Quinn and turns her back on Quinn as if she does not know how clever and devious her own best friend can be.
Next, Ridge conveniently buys Brooke a digital frame and asks Eric, of all people, to load pictures on it via an app. The very same day, Quinn gets lucky again. Eric turns his back on her, too, just long enough for her to figure out the app and upload the video to Brooke's frame. Again, it's contrived.
In a bad stroke of luck, Brooke and Donna are the only ones in the scenario with no clue about digital files and technology. They thought they deleted the frame's files, ridding Brooke of the video, but really, they only wiped the files off the frame. The files and playlists remained on the server for the app, and Ridge easily retrieved them. At least, this is what I deduced happened with the files because when Ridge reset it, all the pictures he and Eric uploaded returned to the frame, in addition to Quinn and Shauna's video.
I'll bet plenty of viewers rolled their eyes when Donna and Brooke hid the frame in a drawer instead of stomping it to smithereens. The file still would have been on the cloud, on Quinn's phone, and possibly on Eric's tablet, but destroying the frame would have bought Brooke time to tell Ridge herself, something she should have done two days prior in soap time.
I was unimpressed with the kiss reveal, also, because Quinn, who'd salivated over it for hours, wasn't really a part of it. She uploaded the video and dressed like the dark queen for the occasion, but the climax occurred without her lifting a finger or saying much of anything except to date the video by mentioning that Beth's monitor was in it. Back in Stephanie's day, Stephanie directed her takedowns like any ringmaster worth her salt. Maybe Quinn will have her say in the days to come, but up to now, she's been as silent as a black mamba snake observing her prey.
Katie's response to the betrayal was somewhat muted, just like mine is. Folks, I just can't get passionate about it. The kiss plot was lazy, rushed, and convenient writing. Yes, Katie got upset and managed to get the vapers, but her pain seemed to be an afterthought in the unfurling of the betrayal. She stayed mostly in the back of the room, behind Bill, and as Ridge's pain took center stage, Katie stood in stunned silence most of the time. She managed to break a glass and hit and shove Bill, but her heart really didn't seem into it.
Maybe that's because Katie's heart really shouldn't be in it. She doesn't need to keel over and die for this mess. She just had major organ surgery, and she has a son to live for. Maybe Katie is practicing restraint for those reasons, the same reasons that Bill should have, too, but Bill has proven to her time and time again that her condition and Will will not stand in the way of his ego or his libido. Even while she stood behind him, agonizing over the betrayal, Bill was facing Brooke and Ridge, defending Brooke to Ridge instead of pleading his case to his fiancée.
It could be that Friday's scenes were just about Bridge, and in upcoming scenes, Katie will rain fire and hail down upon Bill and Brooke for their transgression. I almost don't even want Katie to bother. It's a waste of her energy, and it causes needless stress. Besides, when has her righteous anger ever made Brooke and Bill hold themselves responsible for their actions?
And I'm not even sure if it's about Brooke for Bill or if it's just about cheating. He cheated on Katie with Steffy years back, and after finally sleeping with Steffy, he declared her the true love of his life. When he was trying to get back with Brooke once, he was around the same time swept up in a sexual relationship with Quinn. Katie's the love of his life, Brooke is the love of his life, and Steffy is the love of his life? No. Bill is the only love of Bill's life, and if Katie stays with him or ever goes back to him again after this, she deserves whatever she gets.
As much as I love Bridge and tolerate Batie, I wish Brooke and Katie would just move on from Ridge and Bill. What do you think should happen to these relationships? Should there be a reset or permanent delete for Bridge and Batie?
In a look ahead: Don't Come After Me
In next week's preview video, Ridge walks out on Brooke, telling her not to go after him. Quinn urges Ridge to find Shauna before she leaves town. Ridge tells Shauna that he can't lose her, and Shauna replies that he can't use her to get over his wife.
Ridge has used Shauna as a distraction from his troubles with his wife for months, and this time is no different. If Brooke hadn't kissed Bill, Ridge wouldn't even be thinking about Shauna, and something tells me that when he's with Shauna after the fallout, he still won't be thinking about her. He'll be thinking about Brooke. If Shauna doesn't want Ridge to use her to get over Brooke, I suggest she tell Ridge to take a hike for the next year or so.
But that won't happen. Ridge will probably file his divorce papers and fly off to Vegas with Shauna. Maybe Shauna and Ridge will elope. Who knows. They say that what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. If Ridge and Shauna's romance happens there, I hope it stays there, off my screen.
Thanks for scooping with me this week. Please chat below in the comments section about your view of Sally's fake illness and the reset of Bridge and Brill. Until we scoop again, stay well, and remember: Social distancing is bold and beautiful, baby!
What are your thoughts on The Bold and the Beautiful? What did you think of this week's Two Scoops? We want to hear from you -- so drop your comments in the Comments section below, tweet about it on Twitter, share it on Facebook, or chat about it on our Message Boards.
