There's an app for that

By some magical twist of fate or technology, Liam and Steffy's secret encounter in Italy -- the one that nearly resulted in his leaving Hope -- was recorded an iPad. How's that for a miracle app? Does Brad Bell worry that Apple might sue him for this storyline? After all, there is no way that a device will record secret meetings without someone pushing the button...right? Learn more in this weeks app-propos Two Scoops column.

Does Brad Bell know that he's risking a serious lawsuit with Apple computer over the latest iPad kerfuffle in Italy? I mean it; did you know that an iPad will videotape an entire secret conversation that can endanger a marriage and blow up a storyline without you even pushing a button? Talk about automation!

Okay, I'd kidding about the lawsuit, but you do have to wonder exactly how the clandestine encounter between Steffy and Liam in the Puglia hotel room wound up recorded on Hope's tablet. After the way Liam had hurled the device across the room when he thought Hope had walked out on him, I'm shocked the iPad even was operational again. But we're to believe that somehow, someway, that cracked glass mini-computer sat up from the table, focused on Liam and Steffy, and filmed their near-reconciliation. ...Umm, no.

I don't know about you, folks, but I just went through a two-week period in which my relatively new, top-line desktop computer crashed. I hadn't thrown it or jiggled it or cracked the screen. I hadn't even breathed on it in an offensive way. And yet, no matter how I nursed it, there was a chunk of time in which I couldn't get it to work. So when I saw how easily Brooke was able to access a video off the damaged iPad, I was skeptical. Heck, I was shocked.

You know, it might have been better storytelling if Liam -- the former IT guy -- had fixed the tablet. Then it might have made sense that Brooke would have found the file and been able to open it so easily. But that wasn't the case. And it still begs the question: how was the record button pushed to film the encounter at all? If you have a tablet or PC, does yours record video all by itself? I didn't think so.

Clearly, there is no good answer for this; we just have to accept the fact that it happened and it's a done deal. Liam and Steffy were unaware that they were on Candid Camera, and Brooke and Katie have watched the video. And now it's a ticking bomb because other people are going to see it, too. And once again, we have a situation in which Hope is seemingly the only one who doesn't know the truth. Remember the torn annulment papers? Brooke and Katie knew about that. Liam and Steffy knew about it -- they were there. But Hope? Completely in the dark.

But Hope is bound to see this evidence because the iPad is right there. If it's not hers, it's Liam's...which means it might as well be hers. Presumably, Brooke gave it back or plans to...but is Brooke going to delete the file or leave it there to be found? That's the question. Considering that Brooke confronted Liam with the truth within minutes of seeing the video, I cannot believe that she's going to remain quiet about what she saw. Brooke was not only shocked; she was emotional about what she'd seen. In her scene with Liam, Brooke was in tears. And kudos to Katherine Kelly Lang for playing the hell out of that scene!

Brooke was impassioned and angry. She wanted to know how Liam -- this young man she'd grown to care for and trust -- could have taken vows to love, honor, and cherish her daughter Hope just a few hours after groping Steffy and plotting to fly away with her. Brooke demanded an answer and an explanation for Liam's callous, shallow, and emotionally bankrupt behavior. I'd like to know, too!

You all know if you've been reading my Two Scoops column for a while that I have had it with Liam. He's a man without a backbone, so I don't expect for him to have a decent response to his mother-in-law. Instead, we can expect for Liam to waffle and stammer and pull at his hair and beg Brooke to understand that he was so emotionally shattered by the note he thought Hope had written that he just couldn't keep his hands off of Steffy. We'll have to listen to Liam blame everyone but himself for what happened. And Brooke, who's going to want to protect Hope, will struggle to find a way to forgive her weakling of a son-in-law.

But she shouldn't -- and I'll tell you why. Liam is incapable of changing his ways. He doesn't learn from his mistakes. After Hope walked out on their engagement, leaving the ring at his place and then confirming on the phone that she was ending things, Liam turned to Steffy in a flash. The diamond engagement ring was still warm from Hope's hand when Liam slipped it onto Steffy's finger. Less time had passed then it takes you to empty the dishwasher or brew a cup of coffee. Liam couldn't be alone for a few hours, let alone a few days or a week. Without even taking a night to sleep on it, to think things over, to consult a priest or a rabbi, Liam had moved on emotionally from Hope to Steffy.

In Italy, the situation was repeated. Liam found the note, which he assumed was written by Hope (although it was not addressed to him nor did it include a signature), and jumped to the conclusion that Hope had left him. Not only had she not shown up at the site of the wedding, but he thought she'd left him entirely. He didn't stop to think; he simply reacted. Now, I ask you, is that rational? Do people act that way in real life? Think about it. If you were in his shoes, would you have believed that Hope had done a 180-degree reversal on you? Remember, Hope and Liam had talked that morning while she was dressing for the wedding. Liam knew that she was determined to marry him. But when there was just a hint of adversity, Liam gave up on Hope and was ready for Steffy again.

I know that Brooke has her detractors, but even her most ardent haters have to admire the way she went after Liam. The fact is that she was right. Liam had no business going through with the wedding to Hope based on how he'd reacted to that note and his willingness to run away with Steffy. Anyone with a modicum of self-awareness should have realized that he wasn't prepared to get married. If Liam were really a mature young man, a man of integrity and honor, he would have asked Hope to stop talking and told Steffy to come out from the bathroom. Liam had the opportunity right then and there to hash it out with both women. But he didn't.

Had Liam done the right thing, had he decided to think for himself instead of letting Hope hurry him back to the church or Steffy tell him what he was feeling and what he should do, Liam could have been in control of his destiny. You see why I have no respect for Liam? He just goes along with the strongest voice in the room. He's not the master of his destiny. He's a go-alonger.

On the other hand, I do respect Steffy for seeing the way things really were. Steffy recognized Bill's fine hand in creating the situation, setting them all up for a misunderstanding to blow up into a catastrophe. It's only because of Steffy's unselfish decision that she didn't get the man she loves. I think Steffy deserves credit for refusing to be a pawn in Bill's game. But she woke up to the fact pretty late in the game. She should have known better than to go to Italy in the first place.

And why has she let Bill get away with it? That's what has irked me, and I suspect you, too. Yes, she told off Bill before leaving Italy, but since returning, Steffy has only confided in her mother about her decision not to have sex with Liam (which is a good thing because now the pregnancy storyline is off the table).

At this point in the story, Steffy's in a tough spot. She did the noble thing by letting Liam and Hope get married -- practically orchestrating the entire thing by not stepping out of the bathroom when she had the chance to let Hope know about Liam's ambivalence. But as Steffy told Taylor, she still feels like Liam is her husband. Are we to believe that Steffy is going to be satisfied to wait around a few years until Liam and Hope break up and then swoop in to claim him? Or is Steffy resigned to go on with another man, another relationship? So far Brad Bell won't answer that question.

If we judge the future based on the past, the Ridge-Brooke-Taylor triangle, this Liam-Hope-Steffy thing could be just as endless. Jeez! This is what happens when characters like Ridge and Liam are created; men who love but cannot choose. Frankly, I sick of that kind of man. I prefer Eric. At least he knows what he wants and does something about it.

As for Bill, this past week was all about him being a good man. What a farce! That scene of Bill's excitement about the new baby boy he's having was a turn-off to me. I cannot forget that the picture of that baby he was holding was the very same fetus he was ready to have aborted when Katie told him she was pregnant.

Then, backtracking a bit, we had Bill's sudden conversion to the supportive father-in-law. After his plot failed, magnanimous Bill was the accepting, loving father of the groom that Hope had wanted him to be. He even went so far as to compliment Hope for jumping over all the hurdles to get Liam to the altar. Of course he never bothered to mention that he'd created those obstacles, or that he had sprung Deacon out of prison to turn Hope into a basket case on her wedding day. Nope; Bill was just Mr. Nice Guy. What a crock!

Bill also was the man of the hour in the big Karen-Danielle story update: the revelation. Did you really think that Bill was going to blow up when he learned about his sister's sexual orientation? As I wrote a few weeks back, when Thomas learned that Caroline had two mommies, this is not groundbreaking material. We've had plenty of gay characters on soap operas.

The fact that Bill was so obtuse that he didn't recognize that Dani and Karen were more than roommates and best friends still strikes me as ridiculous. So what if Karen dated Thorne a decade ago... she's been living with Dani for 20 years! To portray Bill as so dim-witted was ludicrous. Thankfully, the scene when Katie found out about Karen and Dani was played a lot better. Katie only wondered why they'd kept it quiet when it was so blatantly obvious to her that they were lovers.

Karen's hang-ups, based on Bill Spencer Sr.'s threats that her sexuality would ruin the family reputation, were valid. She clearly has scars from dealing with her domineering, cruel father. But Bill has no good memories of his father, either, so it made sense that when Karen shared her truth, her brother wanted nothing to do with their father. He doesn't want to be like the old man at all. In that way, Brad wrote it right. Bill refuses to be his father's son, even if that means overcoming his prejudice to accept his sister's lesbianism.

Finally, we had some movement on the Dayzee-Marcus front, although there's nothing quite as boring as a happy couple. I guess we're going to get some activity regarding their wedding. I wish I could get more excited, but there's just no drama with Dayzee and Marcus. Maybe they should give Dayzee a past... a nasty boyfriend who returns to cause trouble? How about the mysterious family in Texas that Marcus left behind when he moved to Los Angeles? There has to be some conflict, doesn't there?

In light of the Emmys, a shout-out to Heather Tom for winning as Outstanding Lead Actress for her portrayal of Katie. She's definitely had some good storylines, and one thing about Heather, she's a great crier. I mean that as a compliment. As an actress, she can cry the biggest, fattest tears of any performer I've ever seen on the soaps. I don't know if that's genetics or talent, but kudos to her for being able to summon up the emotion on cue and make you believe those tears are real.

By the way, did you know that was Heather's fourth Emmy? She's won twice as Younger Actress, once as Supporting Actress, and now as Lead Actress. And that doesn't even include the ten other nominations she's had for work on The Young and the Restless, One Life to Live, and The Bold and the Beautiful.

So, looking ahead, I see Apple taking Brad Bell to court. No, seriously, I expect that Liam will plead with Brooke to let him deal with telling Hope. Katie's blasting Steffy should result in some issues with Bill... Even if Steffy hasn't taken Bill to task, Katie will. I am really looking forward to that, especially if Katie discovers the extent of Bill's machinations. And wouldn't it be a great twist if Allison is pregnant with Deacon's baby? That would mean she's carrying Hope's brother or sister!

So, that's it for now. Please share your thoughts with me about what's going to happen in the weeks ahead. Your comments are always welcome at Soap Central, so stay in touch. And tell me which other characters you want to see fixed or changed, or return to the show. Contact us at Soap Central. And keep on reading Two Scoops every week!

Meanwhile, here are some letters from the readers!

• Why does Steffy think that she almost had Liam without Bill's manipulation? Without Bill plodding her along every chance Liam has, Steffy would not have been near Liam. Remember how Bill had Steffy drive Liam home after the bachelor party, begging Liam give her a kiss in the car, always persuading Liam that Hope was not treating Liam right, Hope was not right for Liam, but she is, etc. And she always hangs around Liam, almost stalking him. Steffy caused the break up of the engagement, not Hope. Steffy's stubborn pursuit and Bill's plot made the whole saga of Steffy, Liam and Hope connections. Liam plays the naive dumb-ass the whole time not figuring out the truth of the matter as far as many strange coincidences where Steffy conveniently places her conniving self per Bill's prompt whenever the situation occurs? Now Steffy blames Bill, thinks her self-respect and integrity made Liam go back and marry Hope? She has been acting heartless bitch going along with Bill's plot knowingly or not, all along every opportunity including Puglia wedding, let's not forget. She is fooling herself if she thinks for a second that she's a respectable human to let Liam go because she is so noble minded with self-integrity. No one including the writers seemed to consider the true story line. - Emily

• I was very disappointed in the whole Puglia story....it was boring and as far as Liam goes, yes he jumped the gun like an immature boy but then when he tried to tell Hope what happened she would not shut up. Once again it became about Hope, "I met my Dad.. He said he loved me." If Hope was that BLIND not to see the look on Liam's face then she gets what she deserves! As far as Bridge and the olive groves, another snoozefest. For all the build up about the wedding, Italy, blah blah it was one hell of a boring week if you ask me! -- Diane

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