It was a week of twists and revelations, but is The Bold and the Beautiful really hitting the mark these days? I love of good mystery. Seriously, I loved those old Sherlock Holmes, The Thin Man and Charlie Chan movies, you know, the ones where all the suspects are rounded up for the big climax when Holmes and Dr. Watson or Nick and Nora or Charlie and number one son explained not only how the crime was committed, but who did it (or whodunit, in the vernacular of the genre). We had a scene kind of like that on B&B Friday afternoon. Lt. Baker and his number one son were called to the Forrester mansion because Bridget's lab tests proved that a spike of potassium to his system caused Eric's heart attack.
It was infantile to me how all the nattering Forresters - and they really have been coming off as dolts lately - showed up to point fingers at Donna. Excuse me, but do you really think Donna knows diddley about chemistry? If they were going to point fingers, Brooke is the one with the background in beakers and Petri dishes. Remember, she created BeLief, which is how she owns such a big chunk of the company.
But I digress... The finger pointing was really ridiculous, especially when some characters were thrown into the scene for window dressing. Stephen and Beth Logan, for instance, are suddenly potential suspects! That last shot where all the faces of the suspects were presented like boxes on the Hollywood Squares was, I'm sure, somebody's idea of a clever digital image. Umm, no; instead it just made it clear that only one person is the most likely attempted murderer. Pam! It's already been established that she's bipolar and off her meds, and she has had a major crush on Eric which was nipped in the bud when he got the hots for Donna, and she's got an axe to grind with Donna over the death of Tiny, her Doberman Pinscher. All the other characters are a smoke screen, including Owen.
Owen, by the way, is most assuredly not what he pretends to be. He can't be. There must be some connection to somebody else on this show because he's been focused on the Forresters like a laser beam since he appeared. I don't dislike the character, although I do think it's really off base that Donna is spending so much time with him. Comfort, shmomfort! She should be spending her time at the hospital with Eric. She should look like hell, wearing sweats, no makeup, and circles under her eyes. She should be at her husband's side.
On the other hand, why oh why does Nick Marone look so bad? If this is Jack Wagner's choice, the producers need to step in and fix him up. When he was with Katie at the hospital to hear the baby's heartbeat, he looked like he'd just returned from a weekend of fishing. Can't he clean up a little, get a haircut, and put on a jacket? Maybe I'm getting hung up on the superficial, I don't know. The scene itself was interesting, if only because they broached the subject of whether Katie should consider carrying the baby to term if it puts her life at risk. They probably won't go in the direction I would suggest - showing Katie rehabilitating from the heart transplant - but the fact is that she's not 100% healthy. This could be a potentially dangerous pregnancy.
I don't think Steffy will be worrying about pregnancies any time soon. She and Marcus may be making out a lot, but if Ridge has anything to say about it, their romance is doomed. I don't really understand why the writers have turned Ridge into such a conservative parent. The way he's written is all "do as I say, not as I do or did." Thankfully, Brooke reminded him of just that fact this week, urging him not to do to Steffy now what he did to Phoebe last year in Sydney.
My main concern with B&B is that the whiplash development of Owen and Marcus has shifted the focus of the show away from Brooke and Ridge and Nick and his women. I'm not invested in Owen and Marcus. They're new and unknown. They're not why I'm turning on the TV or DVR'ing the show. Also, the fashion is completely out the window! I realize that Eric is in a coma, but isn't Ridge the main designer? If Donna has thrown him out of the company, maybe Ridge should start his own label or take a job with Ralph Lauren or Donna Karan! Please, don't lose the fashion on B&B because that's key to the show's success.
One last thought, did you notice that the opening credits have been updated. Marcus, Stephen, Beth and Owen are all included. Look, I don't mind new/old characters joining the show. Every soap needs new blood. But day in and day out, the show can't revolve about Marcus and Donna and Owen. Sorry, but that's wrong-headed and B&B needs to refocus. Give Felicia and Thorne a story, please! And let's get Brooke and Ridge married already - or if not, let's get them a story.
So, that's what's on my mind this week. What's on yours? Write with your comments. See you online soon.
