Ridge is in a losing battle on The Bold and the Beautiful. Once again, he’s being forced to choose between his wife and his daughter. It’s a tale that dates back to the end of last century. Ridge flip-flopped between Brooke and Taylor so much that Steffy has trauma over it. Mainly because he struggled to be an active and present father during her childhood.
Historically, Steffy has blamed Brooke for Ridge’s absenteeism. She wasn’t the kind of stepmother who considered their needs. Brooke concentrated on her marriage, and that trumped everything. Time has passed since then, but the tug-of-war over Ridge’s attention hasn’t lessened. It’s simply extended to the boardroom.
Whenever Ridge has to make a decision that could upset one of them, Steffy feels like she’s reliving her childhood. She has always been expected to make room for Brooke, even at the detriment of her own happiness. Now history is repeating itself with the co-CEO position, much to Steffy’s disappointment.
Key Takeaways
- Why Ridge usually folds to Brooke’s requests.
- The issue that keeps popping up for Bridge.
- Ridge and Steffy’s complicated relationship.
Brooke’s Power Over Ridge
Brooke (Katherine Kelly Lang) and Ridge (Thorsten Kaye) refer to their love story as “destiny.” But it’s come at a cost. Not just for them, but their loved ones, too. Brooke is a woman who knows what she wants. She goes after it with very little hesitation and rarely is she apologetic about it. Over the years, this has included her pushing Ridge to prioritize their romance over everything, including his kids.
While she has been mocked for her giggle and her indulgence in seduction, those are the very tools Brooke uses to get her way. It’s why she donned a beautiful green night set to discuss the co-CEO position. It’s also why she tried to lure Ridge back upstairs for some alone time before he headed off to work.
Make no mistake, Bridge is very much in love. But Ridge’s lust has led him to make many a poor decision. He finds it hard to tell Brooke “No” and carries immense guilt over how that’s hurt his children. Yet Ridge continues to allow himself to be dragged into making choices he knows will hurt them.
Brooke did make a compelling case for what they could do together as the heads of Forrester. But she failed to do so regarding why Steffy (Jacqueline MacInnes Wood) should be demoted. That’s why he couldn’t get anywhere with his daughter on the subject. For every half-baked opinion he held, she had a strong counterargument.
Aside from Brooke wanting Steffy’s job, there’s no reason for a changing of the guard. But this is just another instance of the same issue that Ridge has faced for years. When push comes to shove, his wife wants to know that he will choose her over his kids. Whether it’s reasonable or not.
Steffy’s a Daddy’s Girl with a Chip on Her Shoulder
For the most part, Steffy kept her opposition to Brooke’s request focused on Forrester. She extolled her own contributions, acknowledged Brooke’s significant role at the company, and stood her ground against stepping down. But she did remind her father about their turbulent past with Brooke.
Though saying Ridge has never chosen her is a stretch of the truth, he often hasn’t. Ridge was in and out of Taylor’s (then Hunter Tyloe) home when Steffy was a child. His waffling left her feeling unstable and abandoned whenever he left.
After the loss of her sister Phoebe (MacKenzie Mauzy), Hope’s (then Kim Matula) presence in his life didn’t help matters. As Hope’s on-and-off again stepfather, Ridge has been made to choose between the two more than once. That’s been true in matters of the heart and business.
The Choice Ridge Has To Make
Over the past few years, Ridge has stood by Steffy’s business decisions regarding Hope for the Future. Her most recent pause for the line received no pushback from him. But Steffy deduced that the only reason she and Ridge are talking about her stepping down is because of Hope (Annika Noelle). Brooke’s grasp for power came out of nowhere, and the only change at the company that explains it is HFTF being sidelined.
Steffy knows this is a power play from the mother-daughter duo. If Ridge were to force Steffy out of her position, it would be a two-fold betrayal. First, because he chose Brooke again, demoting Steffy, not because she deserves it, but because his wife asked him to. Second, because Brooke’s doing it to get Hope her line back, which means Ridge would be choosing Hope, too.
This would be in spite of him agreeing that Forrester’s resources should be focused on Eric (John McCook) and couture. And his immense pride in all Steffy has accomplished at the company as co-CEO.
Choosing Brooke would reinforce to Steffy that no matter what she does, no matter how good she is, her father will always make her feel small, so Brooke can feel powerful. That’s a confirmation that will break their relationship, regardless of whether Ridge thinks he’s making the best decision for Forrester.
