2013: THE YEAR-IN-REVIEW:
• Read Tracy's Best and Worst of B&B 2013 column.
• Read Mike's Best and Worst of B&B 2013 column.
• Listen to our special two-part year-end podcasts: The Best of 2013 and The Worst of 2013
Happy New Year, scoopers! With the addition of new and reinvented characters to the show, it looks like we're off to a bold and beautiful start to the New Year. Get your dishes ready; it's time for your first helping of Two Scoops of 2014!
I have two words: Thorsten Kaye. This man has made the character of Ridge Forrester completely his own. I'm in no way saying that he's better than his predecessor. I'm just saying that he has brought a whole new sexy vibe to the show. I love him. From the way he walks to the way he talks, Thorsten has got me hooked. This is probably one of the best casting moves that Mr. Bradley Bell has made.
This week, New Ridge was not buying Brooke's crocodile tears and sorry excuses in regards to her affair with Half-Dollar Bill Spencer. Brooke told her once soul mate that Katie had pushed her and Bill together. Ridge had the same look of disgust on his face when he heard the words as I did on mine when this whole triangle came about.
His reaction was on point. He didn't respond with an "Oh, Logan..." followed by a loving pat on the head. He said everything that I said. "I'm sorry to interrupt you, but I got to ask you something. What is wrong with you? First Bridget, now Katie. They're your family. They trust you. They count on you. They believe in you more than anyone else in the world. You just take whatever you want, whenever you want it. Don't you?" I'm surprised you scoopers didn't hear me scream with delight.
I know that some people feel the need to call Katie a hypocrite because she was in a very familiar position a few years back when she got pregnant with her niece's (Bridget Forrester) husband. The difference between Brooke and Katie is the fact that Katie acknowledged that what she had done was wrong. She regretted what it did to Bridget's marriage and their relationship, and she hasn't done anything like that again.
Brooke, on the other hand, slept with her daughter's husband and got pregnant, which resulted in Hope; then she slept with Hope's boyfriend, Oliver, by accident (how do you accidentally sleep with someone?), and now she's doing/did the same thing again with her sister's husband. It just seems to me that Brooke never learns. She's always making the same silly mistakes and expects everyone to forgive her. Sorry, Logan, not this time.
Brooke was speechless or on "hush mode" as my students love to say. How did Brooke respond to such a tongue-flogging? She shifted the blame on someone else. She narrowed her beautiful green eyes and said, "You left me, Ridge!" That fine, sexy man took one look at her and was like, "Yeah...I'm done. I can't."
Brooke was absolutely right. Ridge did leave her on her honeymoon. In fact, he left her over a text message. Brooke slept with another man by accident, and Ridge forgave her, but to leave her over a text? I digress. I don't really think Ridge expected Brooke to sit around and wait for him. But I really don't think he expected her to fall into bed with her brother in-law.
My point is, yes, Ridge walked out. Yes, Brooke was hurt. Just because your husband leaves you, that doesn't mean it's okay for you to jump into bed with your sister's husband. No matter how many times she took off her ring or said take him. Just say no.
Did anyone catch the smirk on Katie's face when Bill told her that Ridge was back in town? She had this "I told you so" look on her face. I'm happy she didn't go there with the "I told you so" bit with Bill. I bet deep down, she wanted to. Instead, she gently reminded her ex that Ridge always gets Brooke. In other words, Bill was just another notch on Brooke's bedpost. Ha!
What was up with Bill's flashbacks of a happy life with Katie? I thought he was infatuated with Brooke. Is he wishing we had stayed with his wife? The woman who loved only him?
Katie says she wants to forgive Brooke, but she just can't. She's trying, but it's just hard. That's understandable. Brooke was her sister, confidante, and best friend. You really don't expect your sister to betray you, no matter the circumstances.
Ridge dropped by Spencer Publications to check on Katie. She put on a brave front, and Ridge read her like a book. He wanted to know how she was really doing. She had a minor meltdown. It actually almost brought me to tears. Heather Tom always knows how to draw the audience in. This is why this woman is a multiple Emmy winner.
Okay, I'm thinking that Katie and Ridge are going to get involved romantically. First, it will start out as them being friends, both hurt by Brooke's actions. They will commiserate over that and eventually find comfort in each other. One thing will lead to another, and then we will have the birth of Kridge or Karidge, which will then evolve into a super quadrilateral of Bill/Brooke/Katie/Ridge. I hope you scoopers realize that Bill will all of a sudden want Katie back because she won't be pining over him anymore.
I'm just a little skeptical about this. I want Katie to hook up with Ridge just so Brooke can see how it feels when your sister hooks up with the man you love. The only difference is that Brooke and Ridge are no longer an item. What's good for the goose is good for the gander right?
On the flip side, I'm tired of everyone sharing men on the show. Katie knows deep down in her gut that Ridge will always love Brooke. I mean, look at Taylor? Regardless, Ridge has been off and on with her sister for years, Katie shouldn't travel down that road again, even if the man is single. Anyway, the chemistry between Thorsten Kaye and Heather Tom is electrifying. I really enjoy seeing these two together on-screen.
OMG, can Liam, Hope, and Wyatt just fall off a cliff somewhere? Don't get me wrong; I love Wyatt. Anyone that can make Liam squirm is great in my book. I'm just starting to get tired of the same thing over and over again.
Another failed wedding. Hope ran away instead of confronting the problem head-on. I understand why she ran. It's her first instinct. Here's Steffy again, interfering in her life with Liam. So here's my question: why didn't Hope bust in the door like she did when she busted into Bill and Katie's house with the golf clubs? Why not say something like, "Oh no, Steffy! Not today!" Why not pull a Taylor, open the door, and eavesdrop?
I'll tell you why she didn't do anything. It's because she didn't want to marry Liam in the first place. If she did, she would've told Wyatt to leave when he showed up, and she would've beaten the snot out of Steffy for showing up on her wedding day.
I think that Wyatt and Hope are better-suited for each other, just like Liam and Steffy are better-suited for each other. Hope and Liam make each other miserable. Hope is always on edge, looking over her shoulder and questioning Liam's loyalty to her. She doesn't have to be that way with Wyatt. She actually has more fun with Wyatt. Same with Liam and Steffy. It's not as complicated with them.
I like the fact that Wyatt didn't present Hope with her fifth or sixth engagement ring. I thought that the necklace and the impromptu Hawaiian dance party was a very sweet gesture. Again, Hope looked happy and carefree with Wyatt. I rarely see her like this with Liam.
I'm Team Quinn. She reminds of Queen Stephanie in regards to her devotion to her son and her meddlesome ways. She needs to realize that her meddling is a disservice to her son. Wyatt is now the fallback guy.
I kind of admire Liam sticking up for his relationship with Hope. I highly enjoyed Liam trying to stand up to Quinn. I thought it was very comical. Liam went from whining to his daddy about his situation, to this big bad wolf type of dude. Quinn gave Liam this look like "Boy please! Have a seat." When she called him "waffling, weak little boy," I laughed until I cried. She's a great character. She's very meddlesome, but I love her.
I was almost rooting for Liam during his confrontation with Quinn, but then he said something that reminded me of how much I hated him. He had the nerve to say that he considered Steffy as an interference with his relationship with Hope. In the beginning of his relationship with Hope, yes, Steffy interfered constantly. However, on the last ride of the Leffy/Lope merry-go-round, she didn't interfere. She got pregnant, and he chose to marry her. He made the decision. He wasn't forced.
How dare he call the mother of his deceased child interference? Most of you scoopers know that I am not a Steffy fan. But come on, to call the girl interference? That's cold. He wouldn't dare say any of the crap he said to Quinn to Steffy's face. He would say something like, "Oh, we have such a deep connection" or "a love that will never die." Now she's interference? Liam is acting more and more like his dumb father everyday. It's not a good look, Liam. Not at all.
I'm disappointed with Bill in regards to his elder sons. It seems to me that he's taking Liam's side in the matter. That is very odd. Bill hates Hope. Shouldn't he be encouraging both of his sons to stay away from her?
Quinn is the type of person not to back down from a fight. She's not scared of anyone. She's determined to make sure that she and her son have a secure, happy future. Yes, some of her methods are very twisted, but her heart is in the right place.
I know lots of people are saying that Quinn has no right to be all up in Liam's personal affairs the way that she is. I disagree. It's no secret that I can't stand the character of Liam. Love me some Scott Clifton, but Liam, not so much. Anyway, people are forgetting Liam's ultimatum to Hope regarding Quinn Artisan Jewelers. I'm sorry. Once you interfere with my money, we have a problem.
Yes, Quinn shouldn't have sent Hope that stupid tribute video, but Liam shouldn't have made it to begin with. I'm sick of hearing it was a goodbye video or a tribute to the marriage. Liam went to Paris to try and work it out with Steffy, and she sent him away; that was enough of a goodbye. If Steffy was feeling nostalgic, she should have popped in her wedding video or looked through both wedding albums. Hope shouldn't have allowed Liam to have any say in her business life. I don't ever recall her demanding that Steffy be dropped from the Spencer Board of Directors.
The feud between Quinn and Donna is a breath of fresh air. I really enjoy the little jabs they give each other in regards to scheming with Hope and Wyatt, Forrester Creations, and most of all, Donna's honey bear Eric. I've loved Jennifer Gareis (Donna) since her stint on The Young and the Restless as Grace "DisGrace" Turner. She was a woman who had spunk. It's nice to see a little bit of that come out again. It is also very refreshing to see her have a storyline rather than playing the middle woman between Brooke and Katie.
This is usually the part of my column where I would respond to some of you readers' comments and/or questions about the show. Since we're into a New Year, I thought it would be cool if I made up some New Year Resolutions for some of the characters on The Bold and the Beautiful. Please feel free to share your character resolutions in the Comments section below the column if you'd like.
Brooke: This year, Brooke will not sleep with a relative's significant other, and then try to shift the blame on someone else. She will also try to be a good mother to R.J., and to do something productive, like, I don't know, get back in the lab and create something.
Katie: Katie will discontinue her subscription of Doormat Wives in Los Angeles. She will prove to her ex-husband that she can run a company, be a devoted mother to her son, and not pine over Bill. She will open her heart to a new love.
Ridge: Ridge will continue to be as sexy as ever. He will try his best to work out his feelings for Brooke. He will also do his best to work with Rick at Forrester without being a bully. He will fulfill his promise to Katie and make sure that 2014 will be a good year.
Bill: Bill will try is best not to be an obnoxious pig. He will not choose sides regarding his sons. He will also stop his pursuit of Brooke, go climb a mountain, and fall off.
Hope: Hope will not plan another wedding for at least two years. She will not be the waffling fool that she was in 2013. Make a decision and stick with it. Go to school. Take a couple of business courses or something. Please, no more weddings.
Liam: Liam will stop being an idiot. He'll let the dream of marrying Hope die. Maybe, he'll open his eyes and notice another woman, preferably someone other than Steffy. But any other person would just be another distraction or interference with his quest for Hope, right? (Did anyone else flip out when he said that the mother of his unborn deceased child was an interference?) He will also try his best to be cordial with Wyatt.
Wyatt: I need Wyatt to stop whining and pining over Hope. I get it. He likes her. He likes her a lot. Let it the relationship blossom naturally. It wouldn't hurt if he told his meddling mother to mind her own business. Try to develop a relationship with your brother.
Quinn: Even though I think that Quinn is fabulous (fabulously crazy), she really needs to calm down the meddling mother routine. I hope she works on moving her company on to great things.
Donna: It's time for Donna to channel her inner bad girl and stake her claim on her honey bear, Eric. Quinn is a vampire, out for Eric's blood. No more Ditzy Donna, please and thank you!
Eric: I would like to see Eric continue to be the patriarch of the Forrester family and actually act like a CEO of Forrester Creations. Stop letting Hope hire and fire people. Eric needs to get his employees in check.
Aly: Time for a wardrobe makeover. Aly needs to burn the cardigans and start wearing some Hope for the Future designs. Hell, she should be the new face of Hope for the Future. If not that, then maybe she should move ahead on her quest to design a shoe line for Forrester. It's time for AlyCat to get on the map. For the love of God, please stay way from Liam. Crush on Oliver!
Thorne: Get out of the dungeon. Get a woman.
Rick and Caroline: It would be great to see Rick and Caroline continue to support each other at Forrester and in their marriage. I'm hoping that Linsey Godfrey's pregnancy gets written into the show. I would also like to see Rick put on his big boy pants and go toe-to-toe with Ridge over Forrester. Rick is president and is doing a great job, however, Ridge is a large shareholder, and I bet he thinks he could be doing a better job.
Pam and Charlie: I want them to continue to be cute and happy. Lord knows, we need a happy couple on this show. Oh, I also want Pammy to learn how to make a new desert. I'm tired of seeing lemon bars all the time.
Maya and Carter: I hope these two get a great storyline this year. It would be so sad to see such a beautiful woman and a yummy piece of Godiva chocolate of a man go to waste.
R.J.: Wouldn't it be cool if R.J. vows to beat the crap out of Liam for screwing with both of his sisters for years? Wouldn't be awesome if R.J. went all crazy on Bill for being involved with his mother? Or have him curse Brooke out for her promiscuous behavior and tell her to get in the kitchen and bake some cookies?
Well, I think that's about it for me. Mike will be back next week to give you his hopes and dreams for B&B 2014. If you missed his Best and Worst B&B 2013 column last week, click here. It's a great read. And, of course, you can also read my Best and Worst column from the week before.
Keep calm, and have a Bold and Beautiful New Year!
What are your thoughts on The Bold and the Beautiful? What did you think of this week's Two Scoops? 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.
