Despite Steffy and Liam's declarations that they'd already apologized for their one-night stand, their apology tours continued with encore stops at Hope and Finn's feet. Liam probably apologized at least once, maybe twice, per episode, taking his tour on the scenic route to Wyatt and Bill. Flo even partook in it. One stop Liam hasn't made yet is Bridge Station.
Why is it that Brooke can leave her property to berate Steffy for her indiscretion, but neither Brooke nor Ridge can manage to stroll down to the cabin to put their feet in Liam's behind for what he's done yet again to their daughters? Liam might make it through this entire storyline without incurring the wrath of Bridge, but the wrath of "John" is inescapable.
John, as Liam condescendingly likes to call Finn, loves Steffy so much that he plans to be her hunger police, her well-being police, and her Liam police, too. Finn might also want to consider policing Steffy's texts, because with one FYI message to Liam, Liam donned his "L" for "Loser" cape and rushed over to Uber Steffy to a routine doctor's appointment as if she doesn't have a boyfriend who works at the hospital and can take her there himself.
Listen, Liam, Steffy sent you a text about a routine appointment. She didn't flash the Eggos distress signal in the sky. Liam needs to let that woman live her life and enjoy a real man looking out for her for once. Even though Steffy told him to focus on his own wife, Liam managed to tell Hope that she was his priority -- when he isn't taking care of Steffy and the baby, of course, which will be any time he deems necessary without even asking if Steffy needs him first.
And that's the very reason Hope and Finn needed Steffy to answer the important question they asked this week. They wanted to know if Steffy would want to reunite her family with Liam if it were possible. In other words, would she, even though she is happy with Finn, hop at the chance to be with Liam again if Liam asked her to. Steffy managed to say a lot of words without answering the question.
Steffy wasn't the only person dodging questions. Thomas picked up on Vinny's super-sized hints that he'd done something significant to help his buddy out. When Thomas demanded to know if Vinny had tampered with Steffy's paternity test result, Vinny dodged Thomas like he was a collections agent calling at the first of the month. Now viewers want to know two things -- did Vinny alter the test, and will Thomas rat out his friend or let another baby scandal occur right in front of him?
Speaking of baby scandals, Flo wants to finally be forgiven for the felonies she committed against her family. Shauna thinks the Logans should be worshipping Flo for her kidney donation, and Wyatt doesn't see why Hope can't forgive Flo if Hope can forgive Thomas and Zoe. Has anyone asked Flo and Wyatt if they've forgiven Sally yet? Just curious.
Let's get two scoops deep into whether the Logans should forgive Felony Flo, why some of us thought they already had, and why some won't blame them if they never do. We'll delve into why Steffy is sorry but doesn't even get why she's apologizing if she can't answer the above-mentioned question. Lastly, we'll weigh in on Vinny's role in the paternity test mystery this week on The Bold and the Beautiful.
I just don't give a kidney about Flo!
I really do not care about Flo Fulton, do you? Would you be surprised to hear that it's been about a year and a half or so since Flo was exposed for her role in Reese's baby-napping scam? Do you even care? Back then, some viewers were hopping mad at the idea that Shauna thought urging Flo to give up a kidney would be Flo's ticket to Loganville. Some of us were hopping mad all over again when, this week, Shauna and Wyatt each suggested that Flo's kidney donation ought to buy her some forgiveness. And a portion of us big enough to crash the Flo stock market still do not give a kidney about Flo.
First of all, someone please remind Shauna that Flo donated the kidney anonymously and didn't want any golden invitations to Thanksgiving Dinner because of it. Even so, Flo wound up getting something out of the donation, anyway. Flo got Wyatt. Katie happily reminded Wyatt that, because of the donation, she'd urged Wyatt to forgive Flo and reunite with her.
Second of all, why is Flo at Spencer, meeting with her mom like she owns the place? Flo needs to get herself a job because sticking to her guy like a stamp to a letter ain't working. Having her gold-digging mama yapping about Wyatt as the Spencer heir isn't helping, either. In fact, it just reminds me of one of the major reasons the Logans might have a problem forgiving Flo -- the Uncle-Ridge-obsessed Shauna!
Last January, Katie said she and Flo had been talking daily, and during the meeting Katie called at Spencer, Donna told Flo that she had Aunt Donna on her side, too. The only Logan holdouts were Brooke and Hope. Can we really blame Brooke for being cold to the idea of welcoming Flo into the family while Flo's mom was trying to cut Brooke out of it?
As for Hope, people claim she's forgiving, but truthfully, she really ain't that forgiving. Think about how long Hope held a grudge against Bill and Quinn. Even though Hope had good reasons, it was still for a long damn time. In fact, the show changed Hope Logan actresses before those hurts gave way. Contrary to what Wyatt thinks, Hope has not forgiven Thomas or Zoe, either.
Hope was forced to work with Zoe when Steffy rehired her, and it wasn't until after Zoe teamed up with Hope against Thomas that Hope decided to call a truce and move forward. As for Thomas, Hope worked on things with him for Douglas' sake. Thomas had to get a brain hematoma in order for Hope to soften up toward him. I'd very happily knock Flo upside the head with a brick to help her gain Hope's sympathies.
Even if Hope has forgiven Thomas and Zoe completely, it's because those two have made efforts. Flo can't even be bothered to reach out to the family. When Katie asked Wyatt when Flo had last tried, Wyatt asked why Flo would do that if she felt unwanted. Well, Wyatt, it's so she can make inroads, prove herself, and earn forgiveness instead of sitting on her rump in her shirt dresses while you do all the forgiveness begging.
What I find strange is that Hope hasn't forgiven Flo, but Liam was at Spencer, talking to Wyatt and Flo and taking advice from Flo about Hope as if Flo hadn't human-trafficked his own daughter to his ex. Maybe that just adds to the disconnect that is deeply part of Liam and Hope as a couple. Liam simply doesn't ever get or respect how Hope feels.
Should the Logans forgive Flo and accept her as part of the family? Enough time has passed in reel life and in real life, that's for sure; however, in my book, Flo has put in more effort getting a tan than she has into gaining the acceptance of the family she betrayed. No matter how much Wyatt tried to mitigate Flo's role in the crime, it is no small thing to sell off a family member to the highest bidder and watch the family mourn that missing member.
The most absurd thing Wyatt said to Katie on Flo's behalf was that Flo was Storm's daughter, and Storm probably wouldn't take kindly to the family shunning her. First off, Storm didn't know his spilled seed in Vegas had taken root, so there's no use wondering what he would have thought about it. Second, if he had known about Flo, I doubt that Storm, a lawyer, would have been very proud of all the felonies she'd almost racked up while selling his grand-niece.
What do you think? Is it time for the Logans to forgive and embrace Flo? Or should they snub Flo for the length of the prison sentence she avoided when Ridge let her off the hook?
Just answer the question
Flo isn't the only person looking for forgiveness. Steffy is, too, but as sincere as she seems, I just don't know if she really understands what she's sorry for or what Hope and Finn feel threatened by. If Steffy can't ever grasp it and conquer it, she's doomed to fall back into the same old patterns with Liam and to hurt Finn and Hope all over again.
Finn and Hope are dumb enough to stay with Steffy and Liam and probably deserve what they get because of it, but the relationships might have chances if Steffy can finally disavow Liam, regardless of his feelings toward her. Steffy has to be the one to break the cycle because rocks-for-brains Liam just does not understand boundaries whatsoever.
Steffy had her chance to disavow Liam this week. Finn asked if Steffy would reunite her family with Liam if it were possible. Hope seconded the question and was highly interested in Steffy's feelings about Liam. Steffy said that it was complicated, but her feelings for Finn weren't. Hope wouldn't let that answer stand and reminded Steffy that Finn had asked if the baby being Liam's had reignited Steffy's desire to be a family with Liam -- if it were possible.
The "if it were possible" portion of the question is significant because Finn said he already knows how Steffy feels about him, but he doesn't know her feelings for Liam. It's easy for her to say she wants to be with Finn. She's said that she loved Finn before, but she still slept with Liam. Finn and Hope need to know if Steffy has finally gotten Liam out of her system and would turn him down if he presented her with another chance for them to be together.
The answer? We still don't know. Instead of answering, Steffy launched into a speech about how great Finn was. She thanked her unlucky motorcycles that she had a man who'd stood by her after what she'd done. Her speech had nothing to do with accountability or lessons learned. It had everything to do with her loving Finn because of what he'd done for her and because he still wanted her after what she'd done to him. Those are not stable reasons to love someone.
Steffy didn't say to Finn or Hope what they wanted to hear, which was that if Liam were single and wanted Steffy back, she would choose to stay with Finn. When Steffy was unable to say that, Finn wordlessly left her office and made a beeline for Liam, ready to sting him good because, if he can't get his woman to self-reflect, maybe he can get her lousy ex to see the light.
Finn warned Liam that Finn wouldn't let Liam hurt Hope or Steffy again. Finn raged that the women deserved better than Liam. For all the good it did, Finn even got Liam to admit that he'd wronged them all. However, Finn couldn't get Liam to see the real problem. The real problem is that Liam needs to stop trying to be a husband in two different households.
We know that Liam didn't get that message, because as soon as Steffy sent him the informational text about her doctor's appointment, Liam headed to her office to pick her up and take her to it without even asking her if she needed a ride. Liam didn't stop to consider that it is Finn's role to take care of Steffy, not Liam's, or that Steffy gestating Liam's baby doesn't require his presence for every moment of the pregnancy.
Steffy's not Liam's wife or girlfriend, and Liam needs to learn that if he expects to keep his marriage. He has to draw his own boundaries with Steffy. Liam wants to have his waffles and eat them, too; however, cheaters shouldn't get to reap the rewards of going through the pregnancy with their mistress while their brokenhearted wives still have to wait for their undivided attention. Sorry, Liam, sometimes you have to pay for your misdeeds and lose out on something important to you. It's called consequences.
On the other hand, Steffy needs to learn to stop calling or texting Liam with moment-to-moment developments. Had she resisted the urge to tell Liam the first thing out of the paper bag that she was pregnant, she might have gotten the paternity test result she wanted, untainted by Vinny -- if Vinny, in fact, did it. She could have submitted Finn's DNA without telling anyone and announced her pregnancy once she got those results back.
Steffy also shouldn't have even told Liam about her routine appointment unless something had gone wrong at it that he needed to know about. That way, she could have avoided turning down Liam's offer to accompany her to the appointment or feeling that she had to play fair by turning Finn down, too. The theory that she turned Finn down to make it fair to Liam is a strong indicator that Steffy still cares way too much about how Liam feels, and he still has a hold on her.
Some viewers think Steffy texted Liam, hoping that he would show up and offer to drive her without her asking. They think Finn was the one Steffy hadn't counted upon also showing up and wanting to attend. I don't know about that; however, it is kind of strange that Steffy wants Finn to be in the baby's life, but for no reason, she chose to attend the appointment alone.
Why do you think Steffy decided to attend the appointment alone? Was she trying to be fair to both men? Why wouldn't she want Finn at the appointment if Finn is the man she'll spend her life with?
Thomas has been struck by a Smooth Criminal
"Vinny, did you do it? So, Vinny, did you do it? Did you do it, Vinny? Vinny, did you do it? Will you tell us if you did it, Vinny?"
For days, Thomas sounded like a hit song from Michael Jackson as he tried to get answers to his paternity test result suspicions. Even with a daily cliffhanger of Thomas putting the question to Vinny, we still do not know if Vinny is a smooth criminal who tampered with Steffy's paternity test results.
Thomas became suspicious of Vinny because Vinny suddenly had a lot of knowledge about paternity test results and described them in awfully scientific terms. But, come on ,Thomas, Vinny also used phrases like "Mr. Waffle Man" and "knocked up," which aren't that scientific, even if accurate, in describing Liam and what he'd done to Steffy.
It was either dumb or suicidal for Vinny to talk about Steffy in those terms in front of her father and brother. It caused me to wonder how Vinny even got a second job processing tests in a hospital lab. Don't you have to have a degree for that?
While Thomas was deciphering the mystery of Vinny's obvious clues or unwitting red herrings about the test results, I pondered what would make Vinny want to change the test results, anyway. Sure, it would give Thomas a shot at Hope, but the last I remember, Vinny deplored the kind of man Thomas' obsession with Hope turned Thomas into. Vinny also didn't like Thomas manipulating a woman and child to land Hope; therefore, I found it antithetical that Vinny would manipulate a woman and child to land Hope for Thomas' sake.
I don't know, though. Vinny has changed. He seems on edge and attitudinal lately. Hopefully, he isn't getting high on his own supply. Lord knows there was enough of it on the table at his apartment. I still wonder what the subtle appearances of Vinny's drugs has to do with the storyline.
I'm also curious to know what issue Douglas had that was urgent enough for Thomas to drop his inquisition of Vinny to rush to Douglas' side. It apparently was something that Hope knew nothing about because she and Thomas didn't bring it up to each other in later encounters. After Thomas left Vinny that day, Vinny dodged Thomas amazingly long enough to grow a short beard!
If Vinny changed Steffy's paternity test results, what will Thomas do with that information? Would he risk his best friend going to jail just so that Liam can get the girl he doesn't deserve? Could Thomas, in good conscience, deny another set of parents the truth about their child? Thomas claims that he's a changed man and wants Steffy and Hope to be happy. This secret will test the change that Thomas has worked hard to make.
Kudos to Joe LoCicero for his betrayal of the sneaky, beard-growing Vinny Walker. Vinny's an average working man, possibly from the Valley, with a couple of side hustles and a loyal soft spot for old friends. He's the kind of regular, down-to-earth character that we grew to know and love in the old days of the show, characters like Rocco Carner, Adam Alexander, Owen Knight, and Jake MacClaine.
The Bold and Beautiful could definitely use more relatable characters who have to punch a time clock for a living instead of wandering from office conversation to office conversation. What's your opinion? Should Vinny stay on the show? Would you like to learn more about what makes Vinny tick?
In a look ahead
Next week, 'tis the season for interceding. Donna and Brooke interceded for Bill, and now Katie obliges her sexy ex and talks to her sisters about bringing Flo into the Logan fold. I wonder if Hope is so preoccupied with Liam being the father of Steffy's baby that she lets Flo slip right in under the "hate-dar" for some forgiveness.
Zoe goes full throttle after her lost love, Carter. Did her little speech to Ridge convince him to intercede for her with Carter? Nah, I seriously doubt it. While Zoe romances Carter, Zende sets out to woo Paris.
We look forward to reading your thoughts about the week in the comment section below. Thanks for scooping with me again this week. Until next time, stay bold and beautiful, baby!
Chanel
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.
