Perhaps it was naive to believe that The Bold and the Beautiful wouldn’t have RJ follow in his brother Thomas’ footsteps and develop an attraction to his cousin. But, alas, history is repeating itself, this time between Ridge’s namesake and Electra Forrester.
Key Takeaways
- How RJ and Electra are related.
- Speculation on whether Ivy will weigh in.
- What this could mean for Will.
RJ and Electra Are Cousins, But They Don’t Share a Bloodline
When it comes to potential love stories, B&B doesn’t shy away from taboo romances. The soap also doesn’t always treat them as problematic. For instance, RJ (Brayan Nicoletti) and Electra’s (Laneya Grace) first meeting had the same romantic wonder as when she first laid eyes on Will (Crew Morrow). Ridge (Thorsten Kaye) revealed his son as the hero in a love story for the ages, and the instant zing of attraction was very much apparent between the two young Forresters.
If their shared last name was incidental, it wouldn’t be an issue. However, the Forresters tend to pick and choose when their family tree is relevant to their romantic prospects. In this case, RJ and Electra were working overtime to establish that they’re cousins in name but not by blood.
Electra is Ivy’s (Ashleigh Brewer) niece, making her RJ’s third cousin on his grandfather Eric’s (John McCook) side. But because Ridge is Massimo’s (Joseph Mascolo) biological son, RJ’s bloodline follows the Marone family tree even though he is a Forrester. Therefore, RJ and Electra are not blood-related.
They also hadn’t met each other prior to their first scene together. The two managed to miss each other while growing up, so they don’t share childhood memories, and they weren’t raised alongside one another. They’re still cousins, though, no matter how they try to spin this, but this isn’t the first time B&B has decided to go the “kissing cousins” route.
Ivy and Thomas 2.0 for the Next Generation
Years ago, after Ivy’s relationship with Liam (Scott Clifton) petered out due to Steffy’s (Jacqueline MacInnes Wood) return to town, she developed an attraction to Thomas. They went from referring to each other as cousins to having clandestine meetings at night at the Forrester mansion. She was in a relationship with Wyatt (Darin Brooks), but that didn’t stop her from cheating on him with Thomas.
Ivy knows all too well about getting caught up in the allure of a Forrester man while in a committed relationship with a Spencer. She’s given her opinion on the state of Electra’s love life more than once, so she’ll likely do so again. Though it’s anyone’s guess whether she’d encourage Electra to sort out her feelings rather than burying them if the attraction does catch fire.
Though Ivy has been supportive of Will and Electra’s relationship, her opinion of him began to sour during Luna’s pregnancy. Her concern was that Electra was sacrificing a lot to be with him.
Prior to Luna’s miscarriage and death, Electra intended to be there for Will as he came to terms with being a young father. In time, this would have meant going on his parental journey with him, which would have been a huge step and a major life change. They’re in their early twenties, and Ivy wanted her to weigh the reality of that choice. The chaos of that time is behind them now, but it’s unclear if Ivy’s opinion of Will has rebounded.
Ivy didn’t blame him for his assault, but she did think he should have told Electra what happened before choosing to sleep with her, especially because it was Electra’s first time. His decision to omit the truth hurt her niece, and it tainted Ivy’s opinion of their relationship. She may think Electra should explore her options before putting all her eggs in Will’s basket, even if that means looking within the family for love.
A Will/Electra/RJ Triangle May Be on the Horizon
On Monday, January 19’s episode of B&B, RJ and Electra spent time together in the Forrester salon. Between praising Electra for her abilities as a jeweler and noting how they don’t really know each other, the cousins talked about Electra’s boyfriend, Will. RJ didn’t sleight him, but he did inform Electra that they’re related through their mothers, Brooke (Katherine Kelly Lang) and Katie (Heather Tom). As in, they’re cousins, too, though RJ neglected to use that term.
While Electra did nothing but sing Will’s praises, RJ did press on a wound in their relationship—Luna Nozawa (Lisa Yamada). She’s RJ’s ex, but the soap may not bring it up. The focus could stay on how Luna’s actions impacted Electra and Will. RJ said he’d been briefed on what happened, but he wanted to know how Electra feels about it.
Though she and RJ don’t know each other well, she could open up to him. He did say that her heart is safe with him during their first scene. But doing so may inadvertently damage her relationship with Will. Unbeknownst to the Forrester pair, he’s just outside the door to the salon. He’ll be able to hear her answer and RJ’s response, which likely won’t be in his favor. The two are supposed to have a rivalry, and it looks like Electra could be the catalyst for it getting worse.
We’ve only had a couple of scenes with Electra and RJ, but their setup does seem romantic. Whether that grows into a triangle in which Electra strays from Will may be determined by how open she is with RJ.
