The Bold and the Beautiful Performer of the Week: Matthew Atkinson as Thomas Forrester

Something's been missing from The Bold and the Beautiful since Thomas Forrester left the building last year. His presence left a wide, gaping hole in the canvas, but now he's back, with Matthew Atkinson proving more than ever why Thomas is needed in the Forrester fold.

Atkinson didn't miss a beat

The Bold and the Beautiful's Thomas was thrilled to see his mother | Image: CBS

As soon as we first saw Thomas' face, that familiar twinkle in Thomas' eye was there. While Atkinson had never worked with Rebecca Budig before as Taylor, you knew how joyful Thomas felt upon seeing his mom. The two performers had an immediate rapport, and you believed they'd had a lifelong relationship.

However, the rivalry between Brooke (Katherine Kelly Lang) and Thomas became apparent the moment he walked into Eric's (John McCook) office and saw Brooke and Ridge (Thorsten Kaye) in an embrace. That usual disdain Thomas has always felt for his sometimes stepmother was written all over his face and heard in his tone of voice. Atkinson walked in as if he had never been gone, which was just the way it should have been.

Is Thomas regressing?

Thomas is desperate for his parents to wed on The Bold and the Beautiful | Image: CBS

The next day, we saw that old, broken side of Thomas that Atkinson had not gotten a chance to play in a while. The last time we saw the character, he seemed like the soap opera poster child for therapy. He was even able to walk away from the former object of his obsession, Hope (Annika Noelle), when she turned down his marriage proposal for the second time in three months.

The Thomas that Atkinson showed us this past week was hurting and a little desperate. It was easy to see how broken and alone Thomas had become once again. Douglas was leading his own life, Paris (Diamond White) and Thomas had split up, and Thomas' happiness hinged on his parents getting remarried. He demonstrated that both with Ridge and with Eric.

While that's never a healthy place to be, it was right in character, and makes us wonder how many other sad and broken scenes Atkinson will be playing in the weeks to come. He hasn't even laid eyes on Hope yet, so we expect the drama, the angst, and the incredible performance to break our hearts.

Catch all-new episodes of The Bold and the Beautiful weekdays on CBS and Paramount Plus.