I've been accused of being a Logan-lover, and while it's true that I don't think every Logan lady is evil and awful, I'm not thrilled with Brooke. Brooke is wrong. This past week she was really, really wrong. She has to put the Liam and Hope situation behind her because it's none of her business. Her teenage daughter -- yes, Hope's 19 at the most! -- doesn't need to break up Liam's marriage to Steffy even if the schlemiel was tricked into a mountaintop wedding. That's Liam's problem, not Hope's; not anymore.
Hope's been smart enough to move on, and so should Brooke. Her argument this past week with Ridge and Taylor over this fractured romance was inane. Brooke needs to get back to work on her Stephanie Foundation or go serve some dinners at Dayzee's to the homeless because she's lost her focus. Brooke doesn't know what's important anymore. She should be grateful for all her good fortune; she's got Ridge back; she's in good health; she survived a plane crash and the psychedelic berries. She's living happily ever after. Brooke, here's my advice to you: butt out of Hope's romantic life.
And Ridge should take this advice, too, and butt out of Eric's romantic life. If Eric's marriage to Stephanie is in trouble, big boy Ridge should let them work it out. It's not Ridge's place to shove a finger in Eric's chest and dictate to him what's proper behavior. Ridge is a grown man, but Eric is the parent (blood or not). And explain this to me: how can Ridge tell Brooke to let Hope live her own life and then turn around and lecture Eric about how he should live his? Does that make any sense? Sure, Brooke wants to protect Hope from being hurt, and Ridge wants to protect Stephanie from Eric disappointing her, but what if Hope and Stephanie just protect themselves and deal with their own relationships?
My heart goes out to both Stephanie and Eric. They're both suffering, and it's a real issue. If it was as simple as Stephanie having sex with Eric, I think she'd do it. But Stephanie has intimacy issues, and that's not unheard of for older women. It's also not unheard of for cancer survivors. What Stephanie needs to do, though, is see a doctor. I suspect that's where the storyline is going. Stephanie's hormones are probably out of whack. She needs medication or something to reignite her desire.
At the same time, Eric's not wrong to expect affection and love from his life partner. He's got healthy desires, and he's not asking for Stephanie to become a sexual Disneyland for him. If Stephanie were at least willing to cuddle with him, I think Eric would accept that. He wants her to kiss him and touch him and respond to his urges. It doesn't necessarily have to be going all the way, but Stephanie doesn't even want to kiss him! How is Eric supposed to handle that? It's got to be hurtful. Remember, this is a couple that have had nearly 50 years of history. They been in and out of love; they may have had this kind of issue before. Maybe if Stephanie won't see a doctor, Eric should ask her to see a marriage counselor with him?
How would Ridge feel if Brooke went through what Stephanie has health-wise and then was no longer interested in him sexually? Would he be happy with a celibate relationship? So then why does he think Eric should be? Stephanie has as much as told Eric to go find someone else to fulfill his needs. So far Eric hasn't done anything except try to convince Stephanie to meet him halfway. Yes, he's had a few drinks with Jackie and she's been a sympathetic friend...but they have not made love. Just one kiss. But something will happen at the rate they're going. Remember, it's not so long ago that Eric was Donna's honey bear. He's still prepared to growl given the right female encouragement.
The food that comes to mind when discussing Liam Spencer Jr. is not honey. It's vermicelli. Or linguine. He's an overcooked strand of spaghetti with no substance. How else can you explain his complete lack of backbone? I know I've called him spineless before -- I think that was when I labeled him a gummy bear -- but he's continually living down to my expectations. Instead of telling Steffy that he was through with her for tricking him into marriage, he decided to forgive her for telling him the truth about being a liar. That's right, she told him that she lied and he took that as a ringing endorsement to remain married to Steffy. What? You love her because she told the truth about lying? How twisted is that?
Steffy is also so desperate to stay married to Liam -- God only knows why? -- that she'd do anything for him. Do you know how deviant that is? What -- she'd lie, cheat, steal, and kill for the love of Liam? Come on? That's not real love; that's obsession. And why is Steffy so in love with Liam anyway? This is the same guy who was an IT flunky a little over a year ago. He's nothing special except she learned that his father is Bill Spencer.
Steffy could meet a whole batch of more interesting men if she ever walked out of Forrester Creations! She's a beautiful, interesting woman, but she seems determined to follow in her mother's footsteps by getting involved with a man who's already in love with another woman. Steffy has known that Liam's heart is Hope's, but she's forced the issue. Brooke is right when she predicts that Steffy will wind up with a broken heart. Liam's not over Hope.
In fact, what are we to make of Liam's admission to Katie that he's in love with two women? It's so like Ridge and his Brooke-Taylor fandango that it's laughable! Brad Bell is recycling the classic storyline for a new generation. Is that really the best he could come up with? Well, perhaps not, because if Bell follows through with the Thomas-Hope romance, he'll be flirting with incest.
Okay, okay, so Thomas and Hope are not blood relations. I know. However, they were raised in the same family. They celebrated birthdays together. They swam in the Forrester pool as kiddies together. They probably sat on Santa's lap at the same time before unwrapping their gifts. When you've been in that kind of family dynamic, how do you look at a stepsibling and suddenly think, "Hmm, I want to make love to him/her?" It's inappropriate and icky.
On the surface, Thomas and Hope look beautiful together; a regular Ken and Barbie. Those pearly whites on Thomas are dazzling, and Hope has the cutest little pert nose. However, I do not feel right watching them kiss. And I don't think I'm alone in feeling that way. If Brad takes us down the road and forces Thomas and Hope into a relationship, I could foresee some serious psychological issues for Hope. Her first inclination when Thomas kissed her was to say, "No way." She should have stuck to her guns.
By the way, was that Oliver loitering at Dayzee's the other day, serving turkey to the veterans? Is there some reason he didn't ask Hope to go to the movies or out to dinner? He's never gotten over her, and she's now a free woman again. What is he waiting for -- other than a storyline from Brad Bell?
Taylor, meanwhile, is taking her time with Thorne, although I'm not sure why. They should set the date or move in together because life is too short to be dating at their age. Just go for it! I'd like to see Taylor happy, but I'd also like to see her gain some perspective on her grown children. She hasn't done Steffy any favor by encouraging her to cling to Liam like he's her lifeline. Taylor should be giving Steffy sage advice about being her own best friend and not looking to another person for validation. But first maybe Taylor needs to take that advice herself. For too many years, she allowed herself to be defined by her relationship with Ridge. Steffy should be learning now not to do that with Liam.
You know what I would love Hope to do? Tell Thomas that she's flattered by his attention, but turned off by his kisses. Seriously, Hope, just say no. No to sex. No to kissing your sometime stepbrother. No to the idea that Thomas will be the answer to your losing Liam. I would have great respect for Hope if she told Mom and Dad, "I'm taking a leave of absence from Forrester to enroll in USC and learn about art, science, history, and all those other good things the university has to offer." Wouldn't you admire one of these kids actually getting a degree in something other than being born into the fashion business?
There was another Forrester Creations fashion story bubbling to the surface with the revelation that Rick Forrester wants to be a designer! Yes, believe it or not, the son of Eric and Brooke, the dude who cannot draw stick figures, has decided to give Ridge a run for his money. And Amber, who's dabbled in designing, is just the collaborator for her ex-love. She found his portfolio, gushed over his chicken scratches, and took it upon herself to augment his artistry with her own touches. Before you could say Christian Dior, Rick and Amber were talking about doing a new line all their own. Knowing how quickly things move on this show, I fully expect a catchy name -- Ramber? Amrick? BerickAm? -- and a runway fashion presentation by the end of November! Move over, Hope for the Future, take a backseat, Taboo...here comes the Amberick-fic Collection!
The Veterans Day salute was very nice -- appropriate and all that. But isn't it weird that nobody in the Forrester, Marone, or Logan families has ever served in the military? Brad Bell missed a golden opportunity to write in a backstory about Eric being in the National Guard or having done a tour of duty during the Vietnam era. It's not out of the question; goodness knows they've rewritten the backstory of other characters. Maybe Nick had some military duty before joining the Merchant Marines? Then Veterans Day might have resonated more personally if Brad had written it that way. Then the day would have been something more than just a token holiday remembrance.
Have you been playing the latest drinking game for the show? Every time someone says the word "gondola," you take a drink. This week, you would have been sloshed before 2:00 p.m. Eastern Tme Monday to Friday!
Meanwhile, here are some letters from the readers! Your comments are always welcomed at Soap Central, so stay in touch. And tell me which characters you want to see fixed or changed, or return to the show. Click the Feedback option at the top of the page, the email me link at the bottom, or click here. And keep on reading Two Scoops every week!
• Eww! Thomas and Hope? What is it with this show and pseudo-incestuous relationships?? Hope and Thomas, Ridge and Bridget, Brooke and Ridge and Eric and Thorne.... Not only is this relationship unrealistic and stupid, but the writing is ridiculously bad! We all know that Hope and Thomas aren't blood relatives, but they were raised as stepsiblings. Yet not a single person reacted as a normal human being would, by saying "he's your brother" or "she's your sister." Completely absurd. And as if Liam's behavior lately hasn't been appalling enough, he actually had the gall to say to Hope that jumping into a new relationship while on the rebound isn't a good idea! At least Hope's reaction was written to be how a normal person would react to such blatant hypocrisy. I understand that she can't just cut off her feelings, but why would she actually even WANT Liam back after the way he treated her? -- Erin
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