Click here to read Mike's take on the best and worst of 2014 in his The Bold and the Beautiful: The Year-In-Review
Has your week been bold and beautiful? Did you punk your wife and company? Did you sign in haste not knowing you would repent in leisure? Did you dream of a B&B that could be? These and more situations faced the Forrester-Logan-Spencer clan (and Two Scoops) this week!
Well, Scoopers, it's a new year full of bold and beautiful possibilities! We're in that rare pocket of the year where the holidays are still lingering, yet we're not quite ready to jump back into our lives already in progress -- even if we are thinking about what we want the next twelve months to hold. And that's what we're going to do here, in my yearly "If I Wrote B&B" column!
Before we can fantasize about a B&B that could be, however, we have to look at where we are right now so we can have a proper springboard into that fantasy. I'm a little muddled over this whole Rick-irrevocably-becomes-CEO-for-a-year thing. Even Brooke, who ran Forrester forever as CEO, never required this kind of security. Plus, Brooke, with 51% ownership of the company, was the majority stockholder. How much does Rick have? Oh, yeah, that's right. Zero.
Now, I'm not a businessman per se, and I'm rusty on Dynasty-esque boardroom battles, so I had to do a little research into this. According to Wikipedia, a CEO "typically reports to the board of directors." And, if a new CEO is installed, that board first has to be "aligned on the strategy of the company and expectations" of the incoming leader. Also, while I'm not clear about the role of stockholders in the installations of chief executive officers, they do have "the right to vote on directors nominated by the board."
Many of you have wondered how Rick can amass this kind of power when he has no ownership in the company. I don't know that Rick has to own stock in order to be CEO, but I do know that Forrester Creations currently has five shareholders: Eric, with 37.5%; Steffy, 25%; Bill, 12.5%; Ridge, 20%; and Thomas, 5%. Of this quintet, only Eric wants to see Rick in the CEO chair, but the show has made no mention of Eric's ownership, and he's not a majority stockholder besides. No one is.
It's tradition for soaps to play fast and loose with the inner workings of the business world to drive a story, but B&B is working against its own history, establishing Eric, Steffy, Bill, Ridge, and Thomas as stockholders while giving Rick full power as CEO. So, somewhere, we need to make business sense in addition to making soap sense. Perhaps this is where my musings for 2015 can come in. Mind you, I haven't had time to fully form these ideas, so there are going to be plot holes. But there'll also be fun!
On Friday's episode, Rick, who had just become Irrevocable CEO of the Year, let Caroline know that Maya is the woman he wants at his side at Forrester. Rick fires Caroline and demotes Ridge to a junior designer, bringing A-list designers in from the outside. Ridge quits and warns Rick he still owns 20% of the company, but, with Eric on holiday with his brother John, Rick just scoffs and gives Maya a position of power.
Caroline, finally having had enough of Rick's treatment, divorces him and takes half his fortune with her. Tapping into her Spencer side, Caroline seeks out an old enemy of Rick's: C.J. Garrison. C.J., who sold Insomnia to Stephanie years ago (which became Dayzee's), has been in Italy, trying to help his father, Clarke, get a revived Spectra Fashions off the ground in memory of Sally, who is revealed to have died (complete with flashback episode). Caroline invests her settlement from Rick in the new Spectra and brings C.J. and Clarke to Los Angeles to compete against Forrester.
Though the electricity remains between Caroline and Ridge -- especially now that she's single -- Ridge is uncomfortable with the idea of designing alongside her at a rival company, recalling when he turned Spectra into Logan Designs. This keeps Caroline and Ridge from pursuing any romantic relationship. However, she does find herself growing closer to C.J.; this further infuriates Rick, who already competed with his former friend for Amber. In the meantime, one-time lothario Clarke finds unexpected romance with Donna.
Brooke returns from Milan and discovers a Rick she barely recognizes -- or does she? Noting Rick's single-minded hatred for Ridge and overall hostility, she begins to think back to the time a pre-teen Rick went into a fugue state and shot Brooke's then-husband Grant Chambers with no memory of the event (even Katherine Kelly Lang touched on this in a recent interview). Knowing Rick once denied recalling the shooting as an adult, Brooke wonders if Rick is regressing and goes to psychiatrist (and former fiancé) James Warwick for help.
Concurrently, Hope comes back to town and doesn't seem at all like herself. The one-time good girl has gone bad, partying 'til all hours and carrying on with several men. Hope coldly divorces Wyatt and flaunts her one-night stands in his face. She even sneers at Liam and ridicules their past relationship. The Spencer brothers go to Brooke with their concerns; everyone figures that Hope has gone off-track mourning her baby, but Deacon recognizes some traits in his daughter and realizes she is hooked on drugs.
Brooke remembers that Hope was once dependent on antianxiety medication; Deacon reminds Brooke that Hope is also a Sharpe and shares his tendency toward addiction. The former lovers team up to help their daughter, which doesn't sit well with Quinn, who has been slowly losing her grip on reality in her grief over her part in killing her grandchild. Meanwhile, the detective from Mexico City who was investigating the death of Ricardo Montemayor returns hoping to solve the case, making Wyatt very nervous. When Quinn learns how horribly Hope has treated Wyatt, she vows to teach her former daughter-in-law a lesson.
Maya receives a surprise visitor: her sister, Nicole, who wants to reconnect. Maya doesn't want Nicole there and bristles when her sibling asks if everything is okay with her "old problem." Maya is especially perturbed when Nicole asks about the death of her baby. Now married to Rick, Maya begins pushing for them to have a baby, but Rick is resistant from having lost two of his own. Nicole meets Carter, and they begin dating. Carter becomes angrier and angrier about being Rick's whipping boy at Forrester.
Ivy is shocked when her mother, Claire (played by a beloved soap veteran), comes to Forrester from Australia, looking for John, whom she hasn't heard from. Ivy assures her that Eric and John are simply away enjoying some bonding time, but then Eric returns, reporting that John disappeared during their trip. With Liam in tow, Ivy pays a visit to New York to see the one person she thinks John would have gone to: her half-sister, Jessica Forrester Shaw. Last seen in the '90s, Jessica grew up to be an environmentalist, and her husband, first love Dylan, is a successful fashion designer.
Neither Jessica nor Dylan has heard from John, so they travel with Liam and Ivy to Iowa, where Jessica's mother, Maggie Forrester, is still living. Maggie reports that John was there and spoke of a get-rich-quick scheme in Australia backfiring on him. Ivy and Jessica team up to find their father, bringing Liam, Dylan, Eric, and Claire on a sumptuous remote through the cities and outback of Australia. Before leaving L.A., Ivy, who is sick of Rick's tyrannical stranglehold on Forrester, calls Steffy, begging her to come home and fix things.
Steffy brings Thomas and Taylor back with her to Los Angeles. Thomas seems different, and particularly distressed that Oliver is in a relationship with Aly. Ridge understands, while Taylor appears upset. Taylor finally takes Ridge aside and tells him that their son came out to her; she feels betrayed when Ridge says he already knows. Ridge explains that he attended a pride parade in Paris to support Thomas (substantiating the photos that Bill and Justin saw last year), and Taylor admits that she dumped Thorne because he had helped Thomas come to terms with his sexuality without telling her.
While Ridge and Taylor bond over accepting their gay son, Thomas tells Oliver about his long-held feelings for him. Oliver insists he's with Aly and offers only his friendship, but soon Oliver finds himself confused, pulled between both Aly and Thomas. Aly overhears Oliver discussing the matter with Thomas and is none too thrilled, especially when she can no longer summon the ghost of her mother, Darla, for assistance.
Steffy balks at Rick's irrevocable control over Forrester, insisting that she, Ridge, and Thomas own stock in the company. Rick reminds Steffy that his CEO position is secured legally, so she goes to the one man who knows something about hostile takeovers: Bill. Steffy complains that no one at Forrester is a majority stockholder, but Bill, who wants to get back at Rick for how he treated Caroline, gives Steffy his 12.5% stake in the company; Steffy's share now matches Eric's 37.5%.
Although Bill and Katie have found their way back to each other, Bill begins spending time with Steffy to teach her how to use her stock to push Rick out of Forrester. Bill and Steffy reignite their affair; although Bill isn't married to Katie this time, the tension between Katie and Steffy is thicker now because the women were confidantes at one time (after Steffy lost Liam's baby). Katie, who has learned a few things since the first go-round, proves to be stiff competition against Steffy but loses Bill once again. Katie swears revenge.
Ridge and Bill's hatred for each other intensifies over Bill's relationship with Ridge's daughter. Steffy convinces Thomas to transfer their own Forrester stock over to Ridge; now armed with 62.5%, Ridge is the majority stockholder. Rick battles with a drugged-out Hope because he wants to discontinue her HFTF line then fires Carter for his perceived disloyalty. Since Forrester's thunder is consistently being stolen by Caroline and the new Spectras, Rick arranges the biggest showing in Forrester history, featuring the work of his A-list designers.
Forresters, Logans, and Spencers alike attend the showing; Caroline, Clarke, and C.J. arrive to see what Rick has in store. Forrester's line is breathtaking and sets the fashion world on fire. But, before Rick can revel in his glory, Ridge confronts him privately and reveals that Carter helped him lay the legal groundwork to oust Rick from Forrester completely. When Maya, who has continued to hound Rick about having a baby, wonders what will happen to her, Rick cruelly pushes her aside.
With the fashion show still going on downstairs, Ridge settles into Eric's office, assuring Stephanie the company is back where she would have wanted it. Rick sneaks into the office and pulls a gun on Ridge, going on about how no man is going to hurt his mother. Taylor walks in on the confrontation and helps Rick realize this is exactly what he did to Grant when he was young; Rick stops himself and concludes that his hostile behavior these past months -- cheating on Caroline, taking over the company, acting out against Ridge -- not to mention his tormenting Ridge by seducing Steffy in 2009, all goes back to the break from reality he had in the '90s.
Rick agrees he needs help and apologizes to Ridge. As the half-brothers are about to make peace, a violent explosion destroys half of Forrester Creations!
Multiple combinations of characters are trapped in the wreckage, forced to rely on each other to survive. Brooke is critically injured, and Carter, who is found near explosives, dies. After everyone is rescued, Charlie begins investigating to find out who blew up the company, but he needs help, so he calls in a friend: Genoa City P.I. Paul Williams!
As Charlie and Paul sift through the rubble, the suspects mount. Who did the deed? Carter, who wanted revenge against Rick? Katie, who wanted to hurt Steffy? Quinn, who promised to get back at Hope for hurting Wyatt? Aly, who slipped back into old behavior over Oliver's confusion about Thomas? Bill, who still hated Ridge? Hope, who was furious with Rick and apt to do anything in her drug-induced state?
Carter is posthumously exonerated, but evidence points to Justin, who has disappeared; everyone remembers how Justin once dumped Ridge out of a helicopter on Bill's orders. Bill insists he is innocent; recalling that Justin has ties to South Africa, Bill launches a search through Johannesburg, providing B&B's second remote. Donna, who agrees Justin would go to South Africa for help from their son, Marcus, also makes the trip.
In Johannesburg, Marcus and Dayzee haven't seen Justin, but they aid in the search; when Justin is finally found, he reveals that he only fled because he knew he would be accused of causing the explosion at Forrester. Donna learns that Marcus and Dayzee have been raising baby Rosie, but not alone -- Amber lives nearby, and has made quite a name for herself as a South African recording artist!
While Marcus mourns Carter's passing, Dayzee is chloroformed by a hooded figure -- it's Maya! Held hostage, Dayzee listens as Maya confesses how she wanted Rick and everyone at Forrester dead, the way her baby daughter is dead. Maya wants Dayzee's help in escaping, saying Dayzee owes her for putting her baby with the adoptive family the girl died with. Maya brags that she blew up Forrester!
Dayzee manages to text Nicole, who flies to South Africa and tells Marcus and the gang how Maya suffered dissociative identity disorder when she first gave her baby away. Nicole explains this is how Maya engaged in a life of crime with babydaddy Jesse, then turned sweet after meeting Rick only to become a gold-digger later on. Nicole insists Maya's alternate personality is in control; Bill, Justin, Donna, and Marcus rescue Dayzee, but everyone learns that Maya couldn't have caused the explosion. Nicole has Maya committed to an institution and stays behind with her in Johannesburg.
Back home, fingers naturally point to Quinn -- her long history of criminal activity and being the prime suspect in Ricardo Montemayor's murder makes her the logical choice. Hope, who is now getting help for her drug problem (and who has been released from suspicion about the explosion herself), recalls how Quinn once threatened to hurt her for cutting her out of her unborn baby's life. Wyatt sadly admits that Quinn issued similar threats after Hope was so nasty to Wyatt and that Quinn knew Hope would be at the fashion show.
But Quinn has received an unwanted visitor -- her father, Frank Fuller. Quinn shrinks from her aggressive pop then tells Deacon how he used to beat her and tie her up when she was little in an effort to control her. Realizing this explains Quinn's predilection for S&M, Deacon confesses how his own father brutalized him, sympathizing with Quinn.
Frank, demanding money from his daughter, terrorizes Quinn when she won't give it to him; he rages at her and assaults her. Frank is about to kill Quinn when Liam, who is back from Australia and looking for Wyatt, walks in on the scene and saves Quinn, now understanding her behavior. Frank has a heart attack and dies, while Wyatt now sees how Quinn could be attracted to Bill; Wyatt is also horrified by the confirmation of the violent streak in his family.
It turns out Quinn didn't try to blow up Forrester Creations, but she did have a hand in killing Ricardo Montemayor so that Wyatt could have the special blue diamond. Quinn agrees to turn herself in, but she is joined in prison by Wyatt, who confides to Liam that, after being pressured by an out-of control Quinn, he was forced to kill Ricardo to placate her. Paul Williams has to get back to Wisconsin, but tells Charlie he could use an excellent investigator; Pam and Charlie get married and move to Genoa City.
The trail having gone cold in the search for John in Australia, Eric and Ivy return to the ruins of Forrester with Jessica, Dylan, and Claire in tow. While Steffy and the other Forresters swear to rebuild, John arrives, telling his family he's been on the run from some underworld types in Australia who threatened to hurt Ivy and Jessica if he didn't pay back the fortune he borrowed. Eric perks when John mentions that a man came to see him for the specific purpose of offering him money -- in return, John was supposed to help ruin Eric, and was tasked with taking Eric on trips while Rick was running the company.
John tells Eric he ditched him during their getaway because the man had contacted him about the money, but, when John heard about the explosion at Forrester, he decided to come back to warn his brother. John casually mentions that the mystery man had an Italian accent, and Eric realizes there's only one person fitting that description who would want to destroy him: Massimo Marone!
Brooke has made it through multiple surgeries and is still in the hospital, but with excellent chances for recovery. She comments how often Eric has been visiting, and he admits that her near-death experience has made him realize he's always loved her. Brooke agrees that they should explore a new relationship, smiling that Stephanie did want her to take over as Forrester matriarch...
Meanwhile, in a swank, high-rise office, Massimo Marone turns around in his swivel chair and tells his visitor that the explosion failed to accomplish his goal. His visitor says he set the explosion as instructed, but Massimo states he has still other ways to destroy Eric Forrester. Massimo orders his visitor to step things up before Eric reunites with Brooke -- the visitor reveals himself and declares that Brooke belongs with no one but him: Nick Marone!
Well, that gets us through 2015 -- and even sets us up for 2016! What can I say? I like umbrella stories, B&B needs a disaster, and yeah, I brought Massimo back like I did in last year's "If I Wrote B&B," but he's too big a presence to leave off the canvas. How would you write B&B? Tell us in the Comments section below, on the Soap Central message boards, or by simply clicking here to submit Feedback. Your comments could wind up in a future column, like these! Check it out!
• "A trip to Brazil with Thomas, Rick, Maya, Caroline, Steffy & Jesse. A fashion show & Maya's baby kidnapped." -- Maya Fans• "Ousted from Forrester, Rick and Maya open up a supper club to strike out on their own. Both [Jacob Young and Karla Mosley] are singers." -- D_AJW
• "Any storyline where Katie takes a lead. She's barely on anymore!" -- Jennifer
• "I would promote Deacon and make him awesome and put him with Katie to live happy forever." -- Elisa
• "Caroline & Ridge opening a rival fashion house and Brooke & Eric are forced to save Forrester." -- KC
Thank you for indulging me in this extra-long, extra special look at the way B&B could be -- according to my whims, anyway. I'll be back with you January 19, but first, next week, we'll have a special columnist who Scoop about all the B&B's shenanigans! So keep watching, be alert, and most of all, be bold!
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.
