What's the key to success in business? Location, location, location. What does that have to do with The Bold and the Beautiful? This past week, B&B gave us some really dreamy location work. After a metaphoric, knockdown, drag out brawl between Ridge and Brooke, we followed the duo as they went off to think by themselves. We saw Ridge on a cliff overlooking the Pacific looking like a eagle with sunglasses and Brooke riding horseback on the beach, her blonde hair blowing in the wind. Gorgeous blue skies and California splendor all around (minus the horrific fires in Santa Barbara). It was glorious, but really, did the fight warrant it? And did we have to watch those flashbacks to one of Ridge and Brooke's weddings, one that looks really hideous in retrospect. It looked overdone and corny.
But let's get back to the fight. Have you ever heard such moral outrage and righteous indignation as the words that issued forth from the lips of Ridge Forrester when he believed that Brooke had wronged him in the corporate podcast? The man was practically frothing at the mouth, going on and on and on about how Brooke had cut him to the quick, how she had failed to take his side 100% even if it meant turning on her own son? Brooke was beside herself, saying over and over that she was doing what she thought was best. She was. Really. But Ridge didn't really hear what Brooke had said because sneaky Rick had doctored the podcast to take all her good words about him out of the digital feed. (See, just like altering DNA results or switching babies in a hospital nursery, anybody on a soap can master technical skills by osmosis it seems!)
But back to Ridge and Brooke; why didn't Brooke just repeat to Ridge what she said on the podcast? Why didn't he just ask her why she didn't mention his name once? If those two things happen, there's no miscommunication and they clear things up very quickly. But that, apparently, is too easy. We had to see Ridge fume and hear the roar of his motorcycle and watch as Brooke cried her eyes out over him one more time. Then we got to see the motorcycle which was hardly the Hell's Angels bike I envisioned and Brooke decided that the comfort of her son's embrace wasn't as good as a ride on a horse. Hmm...if I were Rick, I think that would have ticked me off as much as Mom's allegiance to Ridge.
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Still, I have to be honest, that fight was really ridiculous. Ridge was talking about why they weren't married yet, completely denying their history that includes four trips down the aisle, legal or not. There were four occasions when they went through the ritual, a fact underscored by the flashbacks to the garish beach wedding, so I don't think his argument about their relationship not being destiny really holds up.
Back at the house, Rick was throwing off his crutches and 'fessing all to Stephanie. Considering all she's done, how could Stephanie be stunned to find that Rick was such a schemer? She couldn't believe that he would be so diabolical. Why? She's capable of that kind of duplicity and manipulation, why not another member of the family? Remember Stephanie's fake heart attack? What about the time she locked Brooke in a closet and kept her away from Brooke? She pulled a gun on her once, too. Is Stephanie really the only one who can scheme and plot? After hearing Rick explain the wisdom of breaking Ridge and Brooke apart, giving him back his mother and Stephanie back her son, Stephanie should have been in total agreement with him. She cannot deny the fact that they have the same goal, even if she's turned off (yeah, right!) by his tactics.
The fact is that Rick has seen it all. He's been an eyewitness to all kinds of chicanery and I think he's really snapped. Being thrown off a roof can obviously shake your morale compass. His has gone due south. Like I said a couple of weeks ago, no more Mr. Nice Guy for Rick.
Eric has always been a nice guy, and his decision this past week to reward Rick and reorganize Forrester should have been seen as a father's attempt to be fair. Ridge, not surprisingly, took Eric's choice to promote Rick as a slap in Ridge's face. He refused to share power and acted like a petulant child.
But two things occurred to me while Ridge was stomping around and threatening to hold his breath until he turned blue: first of all, Ridge is not legally a Forrester. Eric is not his father and while they still consider themselves father and son, the truth is that Eric's boys are Thorne and Rick. Second, what about Thorne and Felicia? Where are they in all this Forrester free-for-all? They acted all supportive of Ridge during Eric's hospitalization, but now that Eric is well, are they in agreement with Ridge about hating Rick? Excuse me, B&B writers; can we have a word with you? You're forgetting about the rest of the family.
Ah, the family. Will Eric ever make a decision about Stephanie and Donna, or are they going to continue the Three's Company lifestyle? Is Taylor going to just wait around to see if Ridge comes over for another set of tennis or will she get off her butt and become pro-active? I don't mean she should talk about it, I mean she should do something.
So, for now, I will do something and wrap this up. Write with your thoughts, fans, and see you online right back here at Soap Central.
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