At Steffy's house, Liam and Steffy talked about how much fun they'd had with Kelly and how important it was to see the world from the child's perspective at times. Liam said that Steffy could be making things difficult for him, but she wasn't that kind of person. He was grateful that she'd let him be a big part of Kelly's life, despite him being with Hope.
Later, Steffy grinned at the portrait on her wall, sat down, and touched the baby monitor. Liam exited Kelly's room, hoping Steffy didn't mind that he kept checking on their daughter. He loved watching the child sleep and did the same thing at home with Beth. He wished he could say the same for Douglas, but whenever Liam looked at Douglas, Liam would just worry.
Steffy asked what Liam was worried about. Liam thought Douglas was a good kid, and Liam asked what bad luck it was for Douglas to have Thomas as a father. Steffy rolled her eyes.
Liam insisted that he'd be failing Hope as a husband if he just took Thomas at his word that he was all better. Steffy contended that Thomas didn't mean Hope any harm and wasn't focused on Hope. Steffy believed that he was focused on himself and being a better man and father. Steffy reasoned that the old Thomas wouldn't have let Hope and Liam have Douglas but would have instead used the child to spend time with Hope.
Liam began saying that when Thomas chose to manipulate, he manipulated everything. "Oh, my God," Steffy replied, and her eyes bugged in a display of her irritation with Liam's words. Undaunted, Liam recounted what Thomas had done by keeping the Beth secret.
Steffy said that losing Liam and Beth had been the hardest thing Steffy had had to live through. Knowing that her brother had been part of it had made it even worse for her, but she had to believe that Thomas was growing and changing. She contended that she and Liam had been forgiven for mistakes. She asked if Thomas didn't deserve that.
"Not from me. I don't think so," Liam responded. Steffy asked if he could at least lighten up on her brother, and she asked, for the love of God, if they could stop talking about Thomas. Liam agreed to the hiatus for the night and decided to talk instead about how grateful he was to have two daughters and that Hope and Steffy had helped cultivate their extended family, which included Douglas.
Steffy replied that she would have laughed Liam out of there a few years back if he'd said she and Hope would be getting along, but they'd proven they could do anything for the kids. Liam praised the mothers of his kids. He thought that Kelly was resilient, smart, and well-adjusted because of Steffy. Steffy said she'd had a lot of help. Liam stated that Steffy hadn't had as much help as she should have. He wanted her to know that he respected and admired her.
The topic turned to how cute Kelly had been that day at the beach, especially during the three-legged race with Liam. Liam marveled at the fact that they'd made Kelly. Steffy said Kelly was the reason Steffy would never regret any moment of what she and Liam had shared, good or bad. Steffy asked him to remind her to thank Hope for "sharing" him with her.
Liam replied that Hope was good about stuff like that, which was why he was concerned about her spending all that time with Thomas. At the mention of her brother, Steffy whined that they'd been doing so well. He whined, too, asking what was wrong with himself. He didn't know why Hope couldn't see what Thomas was doing. Steffy replied that it was because Thomas wasn't doing anything.
Liam believed that Thomas had many ways of trying to convince Hope that he wasn't obsessed with her, but Thomas clearly was, in Liam's view. Steffy replied that Liam wasn't even giving Thomas a chance to prove he'd changed. Liam speculated that Thomas hadn't changed and was the same manipulative guy. Liam wasn't thrilled that, because Hope was Douglas' mother, Thomas would be a constant in their lives.
At Thomas' apartment, Thomas watched Hope and Douglas outline a robotic hand and talk about where the robot would live. Thomas' vision blurred, and he heard the pseudo-Hope voice call to him. Looking behind him, he saw white eyes glowing from the handle slit in the mannequin's box. The voice said it was the night for him and Hope. It asked if he was ready.
Thomas seemed to internally struggle against the notions coming from the box. The voice urged him to make his move. "Stop it!" Thomas ordered. Hope glanced up and asked what Thomas had said. Douglas noted that he had heard Thomas, too. Thomas explained that he'd been talking to himself, which was a pitfall of living alone and a reason he was glad that they were there.
Hope suggested that Thomas get out more and stop being cooped up in the apartment. Thomas replied that it was because of her that he wasn't at the apartment all the time. Because of Hope, he was at work and designing. Douglas asked if it was fun for Hope and Thomas to work together. They affirmed it, and Hope thanked Thomas for working well with Zende.
Thomas thanked Hope for dropping off Douglas, and she wondered if that was her cue to leave. Thomas hadn't been hinting that, but he was sure Liam was looking for her. Hope replied that Liam had plans with Steffy.
Later, Hope left Douglas in the bedroom to play a video game. In the main room, Thomas said it was nice to have Douglas there, and she offered to let it happen more. She'd seen the changes Thomas had made and wouldn't stand in the way of his relationship with Douglas. Thomas replied that Hope was his barometer for change, and it meant something to him when she recognized his changes.
Thomas asked about Liam being with Steffy. Hope explained that they'd taken Kelly to a beach party. Thomas assumed they'd be together the whole day. Hope said that, with Beth at Brooke and Ridge's house, Hope was free to have some time for herself before picking up Douglas later. Thomas suggested that she stay and have dinner with him and Douglas.
From the doorway of the bedroom, Douglas expressed his desire to have dinner with his mother and father. Thomas told Douglas not to make Hope feel guilty if she couldn't stay, and he promised that he and Douglas could have a great dinner with just the two of them. Douglas begged Hope to stay. He wanted to have his family "like it used to be."
Thomas started to admonish Douglas, but Hope, who couldn't resist Douglas, agreed to stay. Douglas, who missed them all being together, said they'd had fun in the past. Thomas replied that Douglas still had fun, but Douglas stated that being with his mother and father was better than anything.
Hope and Douglas went to set the table. Thomas' vision blurred. The white eyes peered from the box, and the pseudo-Hope voice said that Hope and Douglas were Thomas' family, and he needed to make it happen that night.
In the CEO's office at Forrester, Zende concluded the tour of the building that he'd taken Paris on. He'd figured that if she'd be in and out of there, she needed to know her way around. She remarked that it was far removed from her world, and he wondered if she thought of it as frivolous. He noted that what she did mattered, but Forrester just made clothes.
Paris reasoned that people needed clothes, and HFTF had a message. Fashion was fun, and Paris believed that fun was important, too. She was impressed that she'd garnered a personal tour from him and figured that she needed to keep up whatever she was doing right.
The discussion turned to Zende, and Paris wondered if he'd always known he'd wanted to design. Zende had, but he hadn't always acted upon the desire. She asked why not. He said he hadn't been sure that he could live up to the high standards at Forrester. She revealed that Zoe was a big fan of his designs. Paris considered that she might be, too, if she'd seen them.
Zende wondered what was really going on. He asked if Paris had been sent there as a spy. Grinning, he replied that it had happened before, and it was always the last person one suspected. She offered to let him check her for cameras. Gazing over her sleek frame, he replied that it could be interesting to do that.
Zende motioned to the drafting table and gave Paris permission to preview his drawings. "Wow. So, this is the kind of beauty you carry around in your head," Paris remarked. She noticed that the model in the drawing resembled her sister. He agreed that it did resemble Zoe, who was the face of the line. He asked if Paris was sure she didn't want to model. He thought she was pretty enough. Paris joked that one had to be graceful, too, and she'd faceplant in heels.
Paris concluded that she liked what she did and was good at it. She didn't always get the desired result, but there was no feeling like changing a person's life for the better. Embarrassed, she apologized for going on about herself, but Zende stated that he liked getting to know her. He looked forward to getting to know more.
At Thomas' place, Hope had just set Douglas up to play video games in the bedroom until dinner was ready. Once she was in the living room, Thomas let her know that the food would be there soon. He figured she had to tell Liam about her plans. About to do just that, Hope said she and Douglas would probably be home before Liam, but Liam still needed to know.
Thomas didn't want to get Hope in any trouble. Hope stated that if she and Liam needed to talk about it later, then they would. For the time being, she was happy that she and Douglas could help Thomas feel less isolated in a place where he was pretty much alone.
Thomas spaced out. His vision blurred. Hope asked if he was okay and noted that he seemed "a little..." She seesawed her hand to illustrate her meaning. Thomas claimed to be fine. He was happy to be spending time with the two most important people in the world to him.
Hope glanced away. He asked her not to misinterpret it. Thomas was just happy that they were able to come together as a family and raise Douglas the way Thomas had always wanted it to be. He couldn't help but feel positive about it and feel positive about her being the mother of his child. He said he'd always care about her.
In the awkward silence, Hope left to get Douglas to wash his hands before dinner. Calling himself an idiot, Thomas asked what he'd done. He warned himself that he'd scare her away.
At Steffy's house, Liam knew Steffy was tired of hearing about Thomas, and Liam admitted that he was tired of talking about Thomas. "Well, you could just stop," she suggested. Liam would do just that if his gut didn't keep screaming out warnings.
In Steffy's opinion, Liam had become grumpy after an afternoon of fun, and she was irked that he kept ripping on Thomas. Liam said he wasn't grumpy. He was just concerned. Steffy shot back that she wasn't. Liam wished Hope could just keep her distance from Thomas.
Liam realized that he was ruining a perfectly good day by arguing with Steffy about her brother. Steffy recommended that Liam stop it, but Liam's skepticism persisted. She defended her brother, who'd put in work at the office and with his son. "With Hope!" Liam blared out. Steffy didn't know what was wrong with that. Liam exclaimed that Thomas wouldn't ever leave Hope alone, and Liam didn't think Thomas would ever stop obsessing about Hope.
Later, Liam and Steffy left Kelly's room. Naptime for Kelly had turned into bedtime. Normally, Liam would take that as his cue to go. "Although..." Liam began to say. Steffy said she'd already told Liam that there was no reason to get wound up about Thomas again. Liam reasoned that there was no reason but all the "hell" Thomas had caused -- including with Douglas.
Liam said that he and Hope had done everything they could to provide stability for Douglas, but Hope wanted Thomas to be in Douglas' life. Liam asked if Steffy got how disruptive that could be. "Or beneficial," Steffy replied. Liam said it was beneficial for Thomas, who wanted to get closer to Hope.
Steffy sighed as Liam went on about Thomas spending more time around Hope at work and in their home. He figured there wouldn't be a part of Thomas' life that Hope wasn't involved in.
Steffy said that Thomas was getting his life together and had changed. Liam claimed it was what Thomas wanted everyone to think. "Everyone but you," Steffy concluded. Liam was about to say something as he checked his phone, but his thought was forgotten when he became galled by a message from Hope that Thomas had invited Hope and Douglas over for dinner.
Later, Liam was still upset about Hope being at Thomas' place. Steffy noted that Liam had said the text had been from a while back. She assumed Hope was probably home by then. Liam used a GPS tracker on his phone, and it indicated that Hope was still at Thomas' house.
Steffy tried to calm Liam down and get him to realize that Hope was doing it for Douglas. Liam stated that Hope could have dropped Douglas off and run errands, but instead, Hope was in a position for Thomas to make moves on her. Enraged, Liam grabbed his keys and sweater, saying it had to stop that night, and he was "so sick of it."
Back at Thomas', Thomas was straightening up after dinner, and Hope was typing away on her phone. He asked if they could hang out for a while. Hope didn't think so and said she'd just told Douglas to finish up his video game. Thomas thanked her again for the family dinner, even though he figured that family dinners were common for her and Douglas.
Hope complimented Thomas because his choice of takeout had scored with Douglas. Thomas hoped it had with her, too. He recalled that she'd really liked that place. His vision blurred again, and she asked if he was okay. He claimed to have a headache, but she said that had happened the last time she'd been there.
Thomas muttered that the headaches came and went. The latest one had come on when Liam had been there and after Thomas had hit his head. Becoming concerned, Hope said he hadn't told her about that. She'd known that things had gotten intense with Thomas and Liam.
Thomas explained that he'd gotten upset, and after Liam had gone, Thomas had hit his head. He only thought he'd been knocked out for a few seconds. Hope recalled that he'd said he'd merely been working really hard.
Thomas assured Hope that it was nothing to be concerned about, but he was glad that she cared. He said that was just the type of person she was. He noted that she'd brought Douglas there because his father had been lonely, and she'd done it after all Thomas had done to her. Thomas asked if she knew how rare that was.
The eyes of the mannequin glowed from the handle slit in the box. Thomas moved on to discussing how lucky Douglas was to have Hope as a mother. He didn't know if Hope saw how much Douglas loved her, and "how much I -- how much I owe you." Thomas was happy that she'd brought light back to Douglas' life, and she'd brought that light to Thomas. Thomas couldn't help but think it could be their future. It could be their family.
In Hope's silence, Thomas stated that he hadn't meant it the way it had sounded. He was referring to the future of their family. He wanted Douglas to see his parents getting along. Hope understood but suddenly was anxious to leave. Thomas offered her some dessert, but she thought it was a little late for that. When she went to retrieve Douglas from the bedroom, Thomas asked himself "what the hell" he was doing.
Later, it was dark in Thomas' place. Shirtless, Thomas walked to the window. He grimaced, saying he'd blown it, and Hope hadn't been able to get out of there fast enough. His vision blurred, and he careened from a pain in his head. Nearby, the mannequin box was empty. Thomas heard the pseudo-Hope voice tell him to stop whining.
Thomas turned and saw the Hope mannequin in the "flesh," wearing the white boho design. He said that he'd done what it had told him to do; he'd told Hope how he felt, and she'd left. The mannequin replied that he wouldn't lose Hope. He believed he already had. He'd seen it in Hope's eyes. The mannequin stated that he was wrong, and it ordered him to go after Hope.
Thomas couldn't do that. He knew it would drive Hope away, and he'd lost her many times before. He said they'd been "so close." The mannequin told him that Hope had been his wife, and Douglas was his son. It ordered Thomas to take his family back. Thomas shouted at the thing to stop. He said he was trying very hard, and he was better. He couldn't push Hope. It was how he'd ruined it the last time.
The "flesh" mannequin glared at Thomas. Thomas yelled that Hope deserved a better man, and he was trying so "damned" hard to be that man. "You are that man!" the mannequin declared. It taunted Thomas, calling him a coward and asking if he wanted Hope. He admitted that he wanted and loved Hope. The mannequin instructed him to tell Hope. It yelled that the two were meant to be together, and Thomas needed to do it that night.
Someone knocked at the door. On the other side of it, Hope announced herself. Thomas' eyes darted to the mannequin. It had turned back into an inanimate object. He picked up the thing and carried it toward the patio door. He answered the front door and greeted Hope.
In the hallway, Hope explained that she and Douglas had run into one of Douglas' friends and had stopped into the friend's apartment for a while. Hope had realized that she'd forgotten her purse. She'd left Douglas with the friend and had returned to Thomas' place for her purse.
Hope looked around the dark apartment for her purse. Thomas recalled that she'd taken it into the bedroom. Hope retrieved it from there. He said he was glad she'd returned. It gave him a chance to apologize for the night ending badly. Hope didn't think it had ended badly. She thought it had been good for Douglas -- and for her and Thomas, too.
Thomas approached Hope. He thanked her again for being an amazing mother, for giving him a second chance, and for believing in him. He was glad she'd returned. He hadn't wanted the night to end. He'd wanted more nights like that, and he wanted to grow closer. He'd always wanted Hope to look at him the way she was, as if he were a good man.
Outside the front door, Liam was about to knock. He heard Thomas tell Hope that it would be a night they'd never forget. Liam slowly cracked upon the front door and saw Thomas kissing what appeared to be Hope in a white boho dress. Liam halted, gut-punched.
In Brooke's cabin, Hope folded laundry as her kids slept. Finn arrived after his hospital shift. Hope assumed he was looking for Liam. Aware Liam was with Kelly and Steffy and that Kelly had been looking forward to the beach party, Finn revealed that he had arrived to talk to Hope alone about Thomas.
Finn said he knew that Thomas and Hope worked together and that Thomas was talented. Hope explained that she'd had to think long and hard about bringing Thomas back onto her team. Finn assumed she'd had to make sure Thomas had moved beyond his obsession with her. Hope replied that Thomas had given her every reason to believe that he had, but she'd still needed to be certain. Finn asked if she'd become sure.
Hope inquired about why Finn was interested in Thomas. Finn conveyed that he was dating Steffy, whose brother meant a lot to her. Finn wondered if Hope agreed with her husband that Thomas was a threat. Hope didn't. She stated that Steffy didn't, either, but Liam was protective of those he loved. Finn figured that Hope didn't think she needed protection from Thomas, who was no longer fixated on her.
Hope flashed back to Thomas saying that it could be their family and their future. Finn snapped her out of her thoughts, and she divulged that she and Douglas had had dinner with Thomas earlier that night. Surprised, Finn asked how that had gone.
Hope launched into a string of positive statements about Thomas, who was changing for his son and had become an important part of HFTF. A few months back, Hope wouldn't have believed that she'd ever say that. Thomas had also let Douglas live in the cabin, even though Hope knew Thomas would rather have his son living with him.
It all sounded good to Finn. Hope affirmed it, saying Thomas had made strides. She was sure Steffy had told Finn as much. Finn had heard that from Steffy, who'd also told him how supportive Thomas had been when she'd gone through her own "hell." Finn remarked that sometimes people saw what they wanted to see, and he noted that Hope hadn't answered him about whether it was possible that Thomas was still obsessed with her.
Later, Hope returned to the living room after checking on the kids and told Finn that he'd be happy to know that Douglas wanted to be a doctor -- and an astronaut and a nuclear physicist. Finn thought Douglas might want to design like his father. She figured it was possible and said Douglas admired his father. Finn asked if it were so, even after all Douglas and Thomas had been through. Hope affirmed that it was and that Thomas was devoted to his son.
Finn asked about Thomas' devotion to Hope. Hope noted that they were back to that. Finn pointed out that she kept evading the question, but he acknowledged that it technically wasn't his business. Finn was concerned because he knew how important Thomas was to Steffy, "and when I see a possible red flag..."
Hope asked if Thomas had done anything to alarm Finn. Finn informed her that he'd had some exchanges with Thomas, who had an intensity to him, especially when the topic was about Hope and Liam. Finn described Thomas as definitely down on Liam and insistent that Liam would eventually circle back to Steffy despite being married to Hope.
Hope scoffed. She knew about the conversation and cautioned Finn to keep in mind that Thomas was aware of Liam's issues with Thomas, which might have factored into what Thomas had told Finn. She wasn't defending Thomas. She figured that she had the option to never forgive Thomas for the heartache he'd caused, but she didn't know how she could do that when he was taking real steps to turn his life around.
Hope believed that Thomas was doing it for Douglas, and she'd seen Thomas make his son the center of his world. "Instead of you?" Finn asked. Hope concluded that she had to believe in Thomas for Douglas' sake, and it wasn't as if she'd let her guard down.
Finn asked if Hope wasn't suspicious of Thomas the way Liam was. Hope got why Liam couldn't let go of what Thomas had done and why Finn might have concerns. She believed that Thomas had the answers Finn was looking for, not her.
Later, Finn had gone, and Hope text-messaged Liam to see if he'd be home soon because she was missing him.
In the corridor outside Thomas' apartment, Liam slowly pushed open Thomas' door. Through the darkness of the room, Liam saw what appeared to be Thomas kissing Hope, dressed in the white boho dress, by the moonlit patio door. Liam closed the door and stomped off angry.
Back in the apartment, Thomas looked at Hope and realized that he had actually been kissing the mannequin. Thomas backed himself into a wall, crying out in denial. He wiped his mouth and asked if he'd just kissed a doll. "You are not Hope! Stay away from me!" he yelled.
Putting on his shirt, Thomas complained that after Hope had retrieved her purse, the mannequin had come out. "You kissed me," he said and stated that Hope didn't even want him. The "flesh" mannequin shifted and told Thomas to go after Hope. He called it evil. Looking at its pasty hand, he said it wasn't even alive.
Thomas sank to the floor, crying and wondering what was happening to him. The "flesh" Hope mannequin asked him why he was still there. It asked if he wanted to lose Hope to Liam all over again. Thomas replied that Hope wasn't his to lose, and Hope was married to Liam. The mannequin stated that Hope wanted Thomas and had been over there for him.
Denying it, Thomas asserted that Hope had been there because he'd asked to see Douglas. The flesh mannequin insisted Hope wanted to be close to Thomas and had even forgotten her purse as an excuse to return. Thomas said that wasn't true, either, and Hope hadn't gotten out of there fast enough after retrieving her bag.
"You're imagining things," the mannequin replied. With a high-pitched laugh, Thomas nervously repeated that he was imagining things. He agreed that he was imagining things. Wiping sweat from his cheeks, he added that he was talking to a mannequin. "I don't want to be this person anymore. I don't wanna be obsessed with Hope, and I don't want her frightened of me," he said.
The flesh mannequin robotically stepped forward. It said that Hope had kissed Thomas. Thomas asserted that it wasn't true. "I kissed you," he admitted. He downed some aspirin. The mannequin continued to goad him into going after Hope. He told the mannequin that it wasn't real. The mannequin insisted that that night was the night.
Someone knocked upon Thomas' door. Finn called to Thomas from the corridor outside the apartment. The mannequin returned to its inanimate state. Thomas put away the mannequin and let Finn in. Finn wondered if it was a bad time. Thomas said it kind of was. Finn asked what was wrong. Thomas questioned why something had to be wrong. Thomas said he just had things to do.
Thomas drank water, and Finn asked if Thomas was okay. Thomas asked what was with the 20 questions. Finn was concerned about Thomas, and by the way Thomas looked to Finn, Finn felt that he had a reason to be concerned.
At Steffy's house, Steffy gazed at the portrait on her wall and smiled. She sat down to do some work. Liam stormed into the house. She assumed he'd left his phone or something, but when she noticed that he was reeling and saying "anyone but him," she asked what was going on.
Steffy asked if Liam had gone to see Thomas. Ripping off his sweater, Liam affirmed it. She assumed Liam had confronted Thomas. Liam said he hadn't, and she asked what it was all about. "Hope," Liam breathily stated. Steffy asked what it was about Hope.
The angry and unnerved Liam told Steffy what he'd heard Thomas say when Liam had been outside of Thomas' apartment, that it would be a night Thomas and Hope would never forget. Liam said he'd pushed open the door. It had been dark, and he had been unsure. Steffy asked what he'd seen. Liam replied that Hope had been in Thomas' arms. Liam raged that Thomas had had his paws around Liam's wife." And she...was kissing him..." Liam quietly added.
Due to the Thanksgiving holiday, The Bold and the Beautiful did not air. This was a planned preemption and there were no "lost" episodes as a result of the programming change.
Regular programming resumed on Monday, November 30, and picked up where the Wednesday, November 25, episode concluded.
Due to the Thanksgiving holiday, The Bold and the Beautiful aired an encore presentation of a Thanksgiving episode from November 21, 2018. This was a planned preemption and there were no "lost" episodes as a result of the programming change.
Regular programming resumed on Monday, November 30, and picked up where the Wednesday, November 25, episode concluded.
