A Critic’s Review of Bold and the Beautiful: Variety vs. Laser Focus

When it comes to The Bold and the Beautiful, every fan has their own opinion — and Soap Hub is no different. For five days, we sat and watched the good, the bad, and everything in between. Here we lead with optimism. Unfortunately, we don’t always get what we want. So here’s a review of B&B’s week that was.

What I’m Feeling This Week: Variety, Variety, Variety

It really feels like The Bold and the Beautiful is opening up again. For weeks we were treated solely to Eric’s (John McCook) health journey. Following, the spotlight was laser-focused on Xander’s (Adain Bradley) return and his accusations of murder directed at Thomas.

This week, Thomas (Matthew Atkinson) and Hope (Annika Noelle) were still talking about that night Emma Barber (Nia Sioux) died. And Eric’s health improved enough for him to leave the hospital and go home. But it was nice to see other characters pop back in like Bill (Don Diamont) and Poppy (Romy Park) who aired on multiple days.

There was even a Deacon (Sean Kanan) and Sheila (Kimberlin Brown) sighting at Il Giardino. And it was really great that Wyatt (Darin Brooks) came back into the picture and had scenes with his dad. Unfortunately, his presence isn’t lasting long in the Bold universe.

Instead of Forrester Creations, the hospital, and occasionally Eric and Hope’s places, we got to see Deacon’s restaurant and Bill’s beach house. I hope the show continues to open up more and focus on multiple storylines at a time. Because it’s refreshing and much welcome when a show can broaden its scope.

Other B&B Thoughts

The Power of Persuasion: Thomas Forrester. Boy, is he able to talk his way out of anything. Granted, he’s not in the clear with Hope yet, but he’s on the verge. Hope might focus on the man that he is now, but it’s hard to overlook the Dark Thomas years.

The designer said all the right things, at one point I worried that it was too much of a hard sell coming from him. He realized he handled it all wrong and was caught up in his own fear. For me, the jury’s out about whether I believe him. But I really want to, I can’t help it. More importantly, Hope wants to believe in his redemption.

Be Careful What You Wish For: I have been waiting for Dollar Bill to move on from Brooke (Katherine Kelly Lang) and Katie (Heather Tom). The Logan sisters have their own lives going, and it really seemed for a minute that Bill was going to hardcore go after Katie again. Now he’s all about Poppy. And as much as I have loved seeing him focusing on a new woman, I wonder why he’s so 100% sold. When not that long ago, he was ready to burn down the world to get back with Katie. And before that, Brooke.

Favorite Couple: As intrigued as I still am by Thomas and Hope, Finn (Tanner Novlan) and Steffy (Jacqueline MacInnes Wood) were it for me this week. First, I had to learn to separate some of my emotions regarding Finn going after Steffy’s brother. I feel like there’s a different way he could go about all of this.

Even when they were having issues with each other they still spent time making out in Finn’s office. That’s perfection. Plus, she knew her husband bent over backward to save Eric. And the fact that Eric was well enough to go home after being so down and out, Finn has made serious points with the Forresters. They liked him before, but now they know what he did, he can probably do no wrong. They will forever be grateful.

Minor Adjustment Needed: RJ (Joshua Hoffman) and Luna (Lisa Yamada). When these two first connected I was excited. They were young and I wanted to see how they would progress. It was a refreshing break from the couples we’ve been seeing for years and decades. My only complaint right now is I wish the show could scale back a little bit on them. It feels like they are on all the time and that’s not good for any couple.

Where Is…: Carter (Lawrence Saint-Victor). It’s been difficult to see Carter pop in and pop out of an occasional scene on various days. We don’t see Carter with Katie. The two have never really had their own story, maybe half of one. This week, he enters the room, says something nice about what Eric means to him, and then leaves. Please, give Lawrence Saint-Victor something to do.

Burning Question: Why did we finally see Wyatt again only for him to immediately say he was leaving LA for a fresh start?

The Bold and the Beautiful airs weekdays on CBS. For more about what’s coming up in Los Angeles, check out all the latest posts on B&B spoilers, and for an in-depth look at the show’s history, click here.

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