The Bold and the Beautiful fans were shocked when a long-anticipated marriage proposal turned into a breakup in March. Thomas set the perfect romantic scene for him and Hope as he got down on one knee and once again asked Hope to marry him. For the first time, Hope told Thomas that she loved him -- before quickly turning him down.
Hope just wasn't ready to marry him -- yet -- and thought he would wait for her as he had promised. Instead, Thomas took Steffy's advice and jetted off to Paris with Douglas, devastating Hope and leaving her without her man and without her son. A stunned Hope tried to forge on as if nothing had happened, wrapping herself in her work and her father's situation with Sheila Carter.
That situation drew her closer to Sheila's son Finn, who also happens to be Steffy's husband. Hope now finds herself fantasizing about Finn but trying to put those images out of her mind. With Hope in conflict, it's the perfect time for Thomas to reenter the picture, which is exactly what he does on Friday, June 21.
"From Thomas's point of view, he knows nothing about [Hope's feelings for Finn], and so maybe that helps my point of view," Mathew Atkinson told Soap Opera Digest. "I'll just say I know nothing about it. But yeah, there have definitely been some interesting changes [while] Thomas was out of town."
While Thomas was out of Los Angeles during the three-month break, so was Atkinson. He took advantage of his time off to travel with his new wife, Brytnee Ratledge, who he wed last November. However, he was flattered by all the messages he received from fans wanting to know when he would be back.
When he does return on Friday, fans are sure to be thrilled, but they may also be stunned.
"Thomas has had one particular very large change in his life since he left town," Atkinson said. "And when he comes back, it is something that shocks everyone."
Does that mean it won't be smooth sailing for Thope now that Thomas is back? Hopefully, since there is nothing better than some good old-fashioned soap opera angst.
What shocking news will Thomas return with? Are you ready to have him back on the scene? 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.
