The week of April 6 ended with some unexpected treats for our viewing enjoyment. The sweetest one was the rebroadcast of one of our favorite HFTF fashion shoots in Paris that culminated in Quinn shoving Ivy Forrester off a bridge. Let it be a cautionary tale for all those who are willing to go to the edge to get that perfect selfie!
Thank you, B&B, for taking us around the world with these Flashback Fridays as we viewers stick together in staying apart through social distancing. The episode caused me to ponder what other fashion-fab episodes I'd love to see again. While I wouldn't mind seeing every on-location shoot on the show ever, in this week's Two Scoops, we'll narrow the shows down to one per decade that viewers new and old might be thrilled to experience again.
The other unexpected treat we had this week was the replaying of Meredith LaMarche's song "Destiny Appears," written by Brad Bell, probably for our destined lovers Ridge and Brooke, whose original song (when Ronn Moss played Ridge) was "Unforgettable." LaMarche's song perfectly fits Bridge, who has an uncanny way of making destiny appear. However, through the couple's ups and downs, viewers question just what that destiny is. Is it to be together or apart?
This week, destiny is on life support because Ridge appears happier eating burritos and thumbing through racks at outlet malls with Shauna than he is about taking a call or text from Brooke. Destiny isn't looking too good for Katie and Bill, either. Katie isn't ready to forgive, and why should she when her fiancé is still rapping on her sister's door? Or is Bill her ex-fiancé? Or is Bill really Katie's husband as contradictory dialogue has suggested?
Brooke is leery of maintaining a friendship with Bill. More afraid than Rockwell, who always feels like somebody's watching him, Brooke is paranoid that somebody's lurking around, waiting to capture footage of her and Bill in another "innocent" moment. With a media-hounded past like hers, she should be used to that by now, but Shauna's undercover work has given Brooke VTSD, video-taping stress disorder, causing her to cringe if Bill so much as pats her arm.
In another wince-worthy moment felt around the world, Wyatt rejected Sally's kiss. He turned his face in a full-frontal denial, and Sally recoiled as if she'd been zapped by the Flo force field around him. Wyatt told Flo that he'd never betray their relationship by kissing Sally and that he'd given Sally the rules for until death would they part.
It really says something about Wyatt and Sally's past relationship that Wyatt didn't have a problem betraying Sally by kissing Flo while Sally visited Grams; however, when Sally is on her supposed deathbed, he can't even offer a kiss for the dying. Sally thinks her destiny is to be with Wyatt, but if she doesn't cut her losses, cure herself, and move on, her destiny will be wasting away in pathetic, manless, jobless-ville.
Let's get two scoops deep into how Shauna and Flo have upset the dynamics of many Los Angeles couples and put destiny in jeopardy for Katie, Sally, and Brooke. We'll scoop on fashion classic episodes and take a look ahead at what's in store on the Bold and the Beautiful.
"Are you really expecting him, Brooke?"
The highlight of the week this week was the interaction between Bill and Brooke. Don Diamont, who just celebrated 35 years in daytime, has a humorous and arrogant way of delivering his lines that encapsulates everything that is Bill in one look and/or accompanying line. The talent was on display when Brooke refused to let him in because Ridge might come home. With a sultry cock of his head, Bill asked if Brooke was seriously expecting Ridge. I chuckled as Brooke sighed and let Bill in, silently acknowledging that she and Ridge were a long way from solving their issues.
Brooke has been calling all over the world, but she can't find her man. She even called Forrester International in search of him because she refuses to accept Quinn's word as true -- which is that Ridge is with Shauna. What Bill said to Brooke is also true: Ridge ran off because he's a child who seeks to lose himself in someone else instead of dealing with his problems.
Ridge is in Las Vegas, seeing how the other half lives. You know, the half that eats burritos for breakfast, lunch, and dinner; trolls outlet malls; and drinks and gambles all night. He seems to know more about Shauna; however, I doubt the swoony fantasies Shauna enveloped herself in as she waited for Ridge to file divorce papers involved giving tours of her hard-luck beginnings as a single mother who stretched every dollar as she peddled polyester lines at the casino boutique.
Shauna is wary of letting Ridge into her heart because he has a wife, a career, and children in Los Angeles -- children who still need a lot of help, if you know what I mean. Where is Thomas, anyway? Shauna doesn't know why Ridge is sampling life in the desert when he has a full buffet at home. Ridge admits that Shauna isn't the only one feeling something. What is Ridge feeling? Burrito indigestion? Inflammation of the ego due to Shauna's incessant adulation?
Ridge and his ego will become obese due to the way Shauna feeds them, but how long can he stand to wake up with sand in his pants and burritos on his plate? Ridge sticks out like a sore toe in Shauna's world. She advised him to go home because he isn't ready for anything with a new woman. "How do you know what I'm ready for?" I don't even know," Ridge responded.
That statement might be the most insightful thing Ridge has said during this whole messy situation. He doesn't know what he is ready for, and he is using Shauna to avoid dealing with it. The best he could say to Shauna about his feelings was that he "hoped" he wouldn't end up back with Brooke, and then he kissed Shauna, probably to avoid further discussion.
Shauna shouldn't take the statement or kiss as any reassurance from Ridge, whose motto is "Done today, home tomorrow" when it comes to Brooke. When he's hurt, he runs off like a wealthy vagabond. If Brooke were wise, she'd approach Ridge like Little Bo Peep approached her sheep problem. "Leave them alone, and they'll come home, bringing their tails behind them." Brooke should be warned because by "tail," I mean his latest piece of tail.
In the meantime, should Brooke be taking friendly house calls from Bill? It seems to me that Katie, not Brooke, ought to be the one trying to get Bill out of her face right now. Bill can't keep any promise to Katie if he can't keep his hands and mind off Brooke. He proved that he can't by waltzing into Brooke's house and putting his hand on her arm within five minutes of his arrival and insisting that he is Brooke's friend to the end, which will be long after Katie dumps him.
Whether or not Katie and Bill solve their issue, the question on my mind is this: Are Katie and Bill experiencing relationship problems or marital problems? Since the video fallout at Brooke's house, some characters have referred to Katie and Bill's relationship as a marriage. When Quinn did it, Shauna corrected her, saying that Bill and Katie are not married. Brooke called the pairing a marriage in conversation with Bill this week, but he remained silent on the issue.
To set the record straight, to my knowledge, Bill and Katie got engaged a year prior to this writing. Since then, we have not seen an on-screen wedding. We have not heard talk of an off-screen elopement, either. I bring this up because, if Katie and Bill do reconcile, will they recommit by renewing their vows, or will they finally get married? Or will we just never know why some characters refer to Bill and Katie's relationship as a marriage and others don't?
"Please don't be hurt by that"
Just when you think you know where Sally's fake death storyline is going, you get thrown for another loop. We wondered if Sally's prognosis would cause a resurgence of love between Sally and Wyatt. Then we learned that her prognosis is actually good, and she is faking her deathly symptoms. We pondered whether she'd get revenge on Flo and Wyatt for the crappy way they walked all over her for their "destiny," but then we figured out that Sally actually still wants Wyatt.
Next, we wondered whether Wyatt would fall for the plan. After Wyatt's undeniable rejection of the "dying" woman's kiss, we have our answer. Now we're left questioning the endgame once again.
Wyatt's rejection was painful. I even felt it. Instead of letting Sally into the end zone, he drop-kicked her to the friendzone. If you're in the friendzone, you're like a suspended football player in the last parking space of the lot of your stadium -- nowhere near the field with no permission to be on the field even if you wanted to make a touchdown.
Wyatt showed Sally that, if she were dying, he would not give her a meager peck on the lips. He wasn't even tempted. He looked like he might throw up a little bit in his mouth at the thought of it. But he doesn't want Sally to be hurt by it because, after all, he and Flo are there for her. Yeah, now I want to throw up in my mouth at the thought of that. I'm still #TeamSally, guys.
Sally has a big problem. Wyatt doesn't want her -- at all. It's becoming like emotional blackmail to get his affection, and he's still not giving in to it. He cheated on her with the skank that ruined her life, but he refuses to cheat on the skank with her. That's gotta make Sally's heart cells die.
It would be humiliating for any self-respecting woman if her ex turned his face away when she tried to kiss him. It would be utter confirmation that it's over. Rejection like that would be an embarrassment enough to make one pack up, move, and never show one's face to the ex or his new love. But what does Sally do? She smears on more death makeup and searches for plan B, that's what.
Sally, friends don't let friends make fools of themselves As your friend, Penny is advising you well. It's time to abort mission impossible. It's time to jump in a lifeboat before there are none left. It's time to get out of the house before the staircase starts bleeding. It's time for whatever other movie metaphor makes you understand that you are about to once again lose your home, your career, and your self-respect over a man who wants someone else.
Courtney Hope is knocking this Wyatt obsession thing out of the park, but Sally's fans are hemorrhaging common sense as we strive for reasons to continue to support or tolerate this madness. Sally -- like the ghost in the Amityville house ordered, "Get out!" Get out, girl. Just get out of this now and get out of this in a way that helps you keep your job at Forrester and a modicum of self-respect. Don't let Flo take your man and your self-respect.
Flashback Friday: Fashion for the Decades
On Friday, things were oh, la, la! So chic. The scenery, the romance, the fashion -- and Quinn on a scooter! What a way to cap the week. Location shoots and fashion shows have always drawn me to the Bold and the Beautiful. The show's expertise is glamorous getaways. During today's times, the sights and sounds of bustling cities provide an escape for those of us cooped up at home, and they remind us that there is a beautiful outdoor world awaiting us at the end of this crisis.
Last Friday, B&B re-aired their 30th anniversary episode, which transported viewers back in time to Steffy's Australia photoshoot and wedding to Liam. The next classic that aired this past Friday was a rebroadcast of episode 6886 on location in Paris. In case you missed it or care to recall the plot unfurling around Hope's HFTF diamond fashion shoot, you can read up on the week in our episodes archive.
The Bold and the Beautiful has done some of its best work on location, and the shoots give Forrester Creations the opportunity to remind us that it is a premier fashion house, revered worldwide. From Aspen to Dubai, from Los Cabos to Sydney, major storylines climax on location. The most-prized shoots are the ones where fashion and drama collide, and as we are riveted by the plot, we are thrilled by the latest fashions.
Below, I compiled a list of on-location episodes I deem worthy of replaying as the soap manages its broadcasting during a pandemic. With the exception of the 80s, whose biggest on-location shoot was the fashion showdown on the Queen Mary, I chose one on-location episode for each decade that B&B has aired.
Milan Preview Fashion Show, Lake Como, Italy, 1997
In the fall of 1997, Eric was worried about Forrester's decline. He feared that the fashion house would be doomed if their 1998 Spring collection bombed. He bet everything on a preview showing in Milan, Italy, but to his family's chagrin, the press didn't seem too enthralled by what Forrester had to offer. If the tide hadn't changed as the show segments progressed, it would have marked the end of Forrester. Check our recap archives for a review of the events surrounding the Milan fashion show.
It isn't what happened at this fashion preview. It's about what followed it. In the October 31, 1997, episode, Ridge proposed to Brooke as she contemplated whether to tell him that she'd just found out that Taylor was pregnant with his baby, not Thorne's. Stephanie and Sally brawled on a water taxi, placing Stephanie in jeopardy of missing her elopement with Eric. The Stephanie and Sally Sr. catfight alone is reason enough to replay the show from October 31.
The Portofino Challenge, Italy 2002-2003
In 2002, Sally Sr. flailed in foreign waters once again after another international brawl with Stephanie, who must have been the Queen of water wrestling in college. Keeping Sally dry wasn't the only challenge that failed on this trip. Brooke failed to keep Hope's paternity a secret, and Alfonzo failed to keep Macy from reuniting with Thorne. Massimo also "failed" to keep Bridget from learning Ridge's paternity, but to be honest, I don't think Massimo was really trying to keep the secret.
Despite the drama in the personal lives of the employees of the fashion houses, the Portofino Challenge managed to take place with spectacular endings for the Spectras and the Forresters. The on-location shows aired for the Christmas holiday, and the actual fashion competition between Ridge and Eric didn't begin until January 3, 2003.
Though any of the Portofino episodes are replay-worthy, the January 3 episode deserves a re-airing, in my book, because, as the fashion show began, Thorne saw Macy outside the church, where he'd asked her to meet him.
The Forrester/Spectra Fashion duel, Monte Carlo, 2017
In July 2017, the Forrester and Spectra teams headed to Monte Carlo for a fashion duel for charity. Harkening back to the Queen Mary fashion competition between the two companies, Jarrett claimed that Spectra/Forrester showdowns were the stuff of legends. For Sally and Thomas, it was a way to get their new fashion partnership off the ground, but Bill sabotaged them when he changed the rules of the competition and gave Caroline a deathly prognosis.
The fashion duel occurred on July 31, 2017. A part of a plot full of twists and turns, the fashion wasn't the most intriguing part of the storyline. It wasn't that Bill rigged the competition or that Thomas left Sally for the "dying" Caroline, either. It was that Katie and Wyatt fell in love! For this reason, July 31, 2017, makes my replay-must list.
If you think of an episode that combines action with passion that you'd like to see again, let us know in the comments section below.
In a look ahead: Flo Versus Sally
In next week's preview video entitled Flo Versus Sally, it appears that Flo is about to pull the plug on Sally's destiny fantasy with Wyatt. Hair and makeup is doing a stellar job on Courtney Hope, who really does appear sick in the video clip. Wyatt believes that the trio has made progress because Flo and Sally aren't at each other's throats any longer, but Flo confronts Sally and orders her to admit that she's a fraud.
According to the video, Quinn finally weighs in. That's a good thing. She's been sorely absent from meddling in her son's life these days. It's ironic that Quinn was so busy butting into Ridge's life that she left Wyatt's to go to hell in an Easter basket. Maybe if Wyatt had sought Quinn's advice instead of relying solely on Flo for support, Quinn would have exposed Sally's scam before it had even begun.
Flo gets a peek at Sally's medical records, and I'm intrigued to know what they reveal. Will Flo be viewing Dr. Pappas' records or Penny's faked records?
In other spoiler news, Brooke really does make destiny appear when she drags Ridge's drunk and passed-out butt all the way back to Los Angeles. Will Ridge boomerang himself back into the desert like the spoiled child Bill thinks Ridge is, or will Ridge finally stop running away and deal with his issues?
Let us know what you think about the show, current storylines, and news surrounding the Bold and the Beautiful. Have a safe and blessed weekend. 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.
