It's been more than a decade since The Bold and the Beautiful viewers last saw Emmy-winner Susan Flannery (Stephanie Forrester) -- and it's safe to say that most fans probably thought that they'd never see the actress again in the CBS soap.
But extraordinary situations require extraordinary things.
Flannery's alter ego made a surprise return at the end of Friday's episode as a dying Eric saw a vision of Stephanie emerging from the light. Stephanie told Eric how much she had missed him and assured him that everything would be okay.
“Eric,” Stephanie said. “Sweetheart? Hello. I’ve missed you so much. Eric, it’s going to be alright. It’s going to be OK. Everything’s going to be fine. Everyone's been waiting for you.”
What fans are left to wonder is whether Stephanie was welcoming Eric to heaven... or if she was letting him know that he had more life to live.
It's unclear if Flannery actually returned to the show or if her appearance was created using stock footage and audio. Soap Central has reached out to CBS for more information.
Flannery was an original member of The Bold and the Beautiful cast. The actress shocked fans when she opted to exit the CBS soap in in 2012. Fans were doubly shocked when the show announced that the role of Stephanie Forrester would not be recast and that the character would die.
From 2000 to 2003, Flannery won three Outstanding Lead Actress trophies at the Daytime Emmys. The actress has an additional win for her work on Days of our Lives in 1975. Since 2000, Flannery has been nominated for a Daytime Emmy on eight different occasions.
The Bold and the Beautiful is not saying whether fans can expect to see more of Flannery in the days ahead.
Were you surprised to see Stephanie Forrester? Have you missed seeing Susan Flannery on your screen? 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.
