The Bold and the Beautiful Performer of the Week: Rebecca Budig as Taylor Hayes

There is nobody quite as compelling as the women of The Bold and the Beautiful. Every week, at least one of the talented females of Bold delivers a powerhouse performance that leaves everyone speechless. Sometimes, it's a brash and brazen set of scenes like last week's recipient, Jacqueline MacInnes Wood, and other times it's the subtle, muted pain of this week's winner, Rebecca Budig.

The Bold and the Beautiful, Rebecca Budig, Performer of the Week

Rebecca Budig had a tall task while stepping into the role of Taylor Hayes. Hunter Tylo was synonymous with the role for decades, and Kristen Allen bore a resemblance to Tylo. Budig entered into the role looking absolutely nothing like viewers brwere accustomed to seeing Taylor as, and she brought a more muted, demure vibe to the character. However, she and Thorsten Kaye's Ridge have electric chemistry, so pairing Ridge and Taylor back together for the millionth time seemed like a no-brainer for the soap. Unfortunately for Taylor, Ridge did as Ridge does and waffled back to Brooke (Katherine Kelly Lang), leaving Taylor broken and alone again.

This week, Deacon (Sean Kanan) forced Taylor to confront her unresolved feelings regarding the fallout of Ridge choosing Brooke over her. Budig was stellar in these scenes, as she showed Taylor's buried resentment toward Ridge. She also openly conveyed her long-simmering anger at Brooke. Even though Taylor is supposed to be helping Deacon through his issues with Sheila, he helped her to finally release those emotions. The way Budig built up Taylor's tearful release was a masterclass in how to fill up emotional wells before opening the floodgates and breaking down completely.

Ridge has ultimately selected Brooke over Taylor for decades, but she still gives him a chance after the change, seemingly not recognizing the pattern or simply choosing to ignore it. While it might be naive to think so, under Budig's portrayal as a woman splintered beyond repair, it appears Taylor might be ready to put Ridge in her past. While it's for the best that Taylor forgets about Ridge and opens herself up to a different man, the one who caught her eye poses a different, more ethical dilemma.

Taylor's tango with temptation

The biggest talking point from Taylor's scenes this week was the song and dance about taking things to the next level with Deacon. He's her patient, so the dynamic is complicated, and although she exhibited a desire to become intimate with him, her dedication to her profession ultimately gave her pause, and she dialed it back. However, the consummate professional that Taylor is, she explained to Deacon why it couldn't happen and things needed to remain the way they were meant to be.

One of Budig's best lines of the week was to Deacon, and she said, "You both have to be reliable partners willing to follow through on promises, or else words are just words." The words slipped from Budig's lips like a haunting echo of Taylor's past. She may have been speaking about the state of Deacon and Sheila's (Kimberlin Brown) marriage, but her words harkened to the sad state of affairs regarding her and Ridge. At her core, Taylor wants to be seen, loved, and above all else, understood. Ridge is only willing to do that when he's punishing Brooke about something, but Deacon provides a new opportunity for her to break free of that cycle.

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Taylor felt incapable of being a dynamic character for the longest time, and although it started off slow, it feels like Budig has fully made the role her own. She still feels like Taylor, but an elevated, evolved version of the character. It remains to be seen if she pursues Deacon after all, but with the threat of Sheila lurking in the shadows, she should tread lightly.

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

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