A Critic’s Review of The Bold and the Beautiful: Mixed Messages and No More Mrs. ‘Nice’ Guy

Every fan of The Bold and the Beautiful has their own opinion — and we at Soap Hub does too. For five days, we sat and watched it all — good, bad, and in between. We always lead with optimism, but unfortunately, we don’t always get what we want. So here’s a review of B&B’s week that was, including a Steffy and Sheila confrontation, Liam being Liam, close talkers (and kissers) Hope and Thomas. And yes, more mint-popping madness with Luna, Zende, Poppy, and RJ.

What I’m Feeling This Week: Steffy vs. Sheila

What I’m feeling this week was an easy choice especially because my main focus didn’t have to be the Luna (Lisa Yamada)/Zende (Delon de Metz)/RJ (Joshua Hoffman) of it all. I’m excited to step right on by that doozy of a story and switch back to the Steffy (Jacqueline MacInnes Wood) versus Sheila (Kimberlin Brown) showdown we knew was coming at some point.

I’m all for Steffy showing no fear when it comes to Sheila Carter. For recent reasons alone, Steffy deserves to bring the heat any second she spends confronting this psychopath. It galls me that Sheila’s still walking around and playing the “I’m minding my own business, so leave me alone” card. She feels that’s her idea of being a changed woman. She’s not doing the work. She’s just lying dormant, waiting for the next chance to pounce. And that’s exactly what’s happening.

Hopefully, this particular punch-y interaction will teach Steffy a lesson. Any playdates with Kelly (Sophia McKinlay) or any kid of hers from here on out should include an NDA requiring parents to agree to prohibit any visits to a) Il Giardino (again, the only restaurant in Los Angeles); and b) the beach. Because Kelly is a magnet for Sheila run-ins. Better to be safe than sorry.

However, Steffy has to know that her coming at Sheila with the ferocity of a thousand fiery suns is risky and dangerous. This dormant schtick Sheila’s been riding as of late… it won’t stick. By the end of the week, Ms. Carter tore up Deacon’s (Sean Kanan) place as if she were Johnny Depp tearing up a hotel room. And she’s back to familiar territory: lurking among palm trees outside Steffy and Finn’s (Tanner Novlan) Malibu residence. Welcome back, Sheila!

Other B&B Thoughts

What I’m Not Feeling: Shockingly (or not), I’m going to have to go with Mr. Liam Spencer (Scott Clifton). His every conversation with Steffy contains roughly 17 different ways of how she shouldn’t be married to Finn. Yes, we know, Liam. You don’t want Steffy married to Finn. You actually want her for yourself. But, you’re going to have to try harder. After all, Finn just saved the Forrester family from being down a patriarch. Eric (John McCook, who really felt the love from fans) is recovering and thriving. Until selective amnesia sets in (which happens on this show), the entire Forrester clan owes Finn everything.

Finn, Leave the Waffling to Liam: Finn has collected a lot of goodwill when it comes to his in-laws. Clearly, it’s his to lose. And defending his wife to Sheila (his bio mom) is great. More of this, please. But then to question Steffy wishing his mom dead is a whole other issue. Sure, any normal conversation exchange that includes a woman wishing her monster-in-law death would be suspect. But in this case, I think we should all give Steffy a pass. And, Finn should, too. But I fear this is not the way it’s going to play out.

Close Talkers (and Kissers), Unite: The entire week, Hope (Annika Noelle) and Thomas (Matthew Atkinson) stood thisclose to each other in their small office at Forrester and had conversations about work, their relationship, their love, and Hope’s relationship with Deacon. Even about RJ’s love life. Is this closeness their factory setting? Because they look most comfortable when there’s not much space in between them.

Burning Questions

• Is RJ okay with Hope and Thomas now? Because he walked in on them kissing, and he didn’t bat an eye or come up with a reason why Hope and Thomas were offending the world with their relationship.
• Luna and Zende are acting like Poppy (Romy Park) purposely wanted Luna to take those special happy mints. Having said that, why are those mints so important to Poppy? Why is she so righteous about not drinking when she takes mints that can cause quite the altered state?
• Why is Zende asking Luna to leave RJ for him after they had what was probably one of the worst nights ever? Or at least should be considered one of the worst nights ever?
• Why do they insist on showing Sheila and her four-toed foot?
• I was going to ask, who do you think will snap under the pressure first, Sheila or Thomas? Clearly, my burning question was answered quickly: Sheila Carter. So far, Thomas’s psyche is holding up, which is great.
• How many flashbacks of the Luna/Zende night from hell are we going to have to endure?
• When will everyone find out about Steffy and Liam’s secret kisses?
• Has Liam said boo to Beth lately?
• Why are the Spencers — Liam and Bill (Don Diamont) — having a conversation at Forrester offices?
• Where did Sheila disappear to? And will she ever tell Deacon?

Speculation Theory: I know Sheila’s faked her death before, but what if she pulled a Diane Jenkins (Susan Walters, The Young and the Restless)/Phyllis Summers (Michelle Stafford, Y&R) and tried it again? This time, making sure Steffy goes down for it? (She and Finn can work together to make sure Sheila doesn’t get away with it — that’s the end game here)

What do you want to see happen with Sheila and Steffy? Let us know in the comments below.

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.