Has this all been a dream... or a nightmare?

Does it seem like we're stuck in a loop? Has the Liam-Steffy-Hope storyline ever been more tedious? Maybe it's really just a bad dream? Maybe Liam is going to wake up and we'll discover that he's been in a coma since the trailer park explosion! On the other hand, Marcus managed to get off the hook with just one night in jail, thanks to Thomas and Caroline doing the job that the police should have been doing on the case! It's not a dream, it's this week's Two Scoops column.

Are we sure that the word bold really belongs in the title of this soap opera? I'm not. How can you describe the perpetual indecisiveness of one Liam Spencer as bold? The boldest thing that could happen for this show would be for us to discover that the past two years of the show have been a dream, that Liam comes to after the trailer explosion, and all the action -- and inaction -- can be erased! Please, let the nightmare triangle end already!

Somebody wrote that in an email to b>soapcentral.com, but I think it makes a lot of sense. After all, this horrific triangle in which Steffy, Liam, and Hope are locked is dragging this show into a ditch. Brad Bell doesn't seem to know how to get the B&B-mobile out of the ditch and that's why a redo might be in order. Note to Brad: check out the primetime soap Dallas, circa 1986, specifically Bobby coming out of the shower. You'll recognize Bobby right away; you cast the same actor (Patrick Duffy) to play Stephen Logan! That's when Pamela revealed that the entire previous season had been a bad dream.

Of course, this is just a fantasy for fans. Brad's not going to hit the restart button, no matter how much we beg. He's going to continue reeling out this torturous triangle until we're either beaten into submission or are hypnotized into believing that this is entertainment.

Liam has to be brain-damaged by that explosion because he just doesn't get it. He thinks there's nothing wrong with continually spending time with Steffy in intimate situations while still claiming that he's in love with and committed to Hope. What woman would accept that from her husband/fianc/partner? "Oh, you love me, but you have a better time shooting the breeze with Steffy and laughing about Bob Hope movies." Yes, that's just what every young girl wants from the man of her dreams.

By the way, I have another note for Brad Bell (he should put me on the payroll!) Brad, all those Bob Hope movies that Liam's loves are on DVD. Just click over to Amazon, and you can order every one of the Road pictures and Big Broadcast of 1938. Are the folks out in Hollywood -- or do the Bells live in Malibu? -- unaware of technology advances since the days of videotapes? Do they think we'd buy that VCR is broken nonsense? Come on! Liam was a former IT guy. He has a smart phone, an iPad, and every kind of tech toy. Don't you think he would have bought the Bob Hope DVDs or downloaded the movies to his laptop or uploaded them to his Cloud?

But getting back to the Hope Logan situation, why shouldn't she have been incensed by Liam's lies? He didn't want Hope to know what he did on their wedding day, so he shaded the truth. He chose to keep the whole truth from her, and that's wrong in a myriad of ways. Hope was devastated to learn that Liam said vows to her with the taste of Steffy's kisses still on his lips. I would be turned off by a guy who did that, wouldn't you?

Instead, Liam talks a good game. He says he understands Hope's feelings, but then he goes back to the beach house and lets Steffy rip Hope to shreds. Steffy tore down Hope in every way imaginable. The only thing she didn't criticize was her choice of nail polish. Did Liam protest? No, he just sat there and listened. Imagine if he had some gumption? Imagine if he got off his butt and pushed Steffy out the door, telling her to stay away unless she can speak about Hope with respect. Wouldn't you expect your spouse to defend you from that kind of criticism?

Hope's not completely off the hook, however. It was immature and ridiculous of her to walk out on Liam. You stay and fight if you want to be with the man. You tell him to sleep on the couch, but you don't run home to Mommy. And you sure don't listen to big brother Rick for romantic advice. I've said it before, but I'll say it again: Rick has the worst track record of all time when it comes to love.

Rick has just recently been bamboozled by Amber and that undermined any chance Rick had with Caroline. Rick also wasted years as Amber's boy toy. The closest Rick came to a long-term love story was his engagement to Steffy, but he messed that up, too. Remember his pursuit of Taylor? He was very happy with the cougar romance... All this adds up to one thing, in my humble opinion. Rick is no authority when it comes to love and relationships.

And let's not forget that the last time Hope relied on Rick for help with her romance with Liam, the first trip to Aspen. Instead of helping Hope to reach Liam so she could tell him her true feelings, she wound up trapped in a gondola, forced to watch Liam marry Steffy. Sure, Bill had a lot to do with that debacle, but Rick was of little help. Rick talks big, but he never comes through.

Actually, I think the only person whom Hope should seek out right now is Dr. Stacy Barton! Brooke and Ridge have never given Hope good advice about love, and neither has Stephanie or Eric. We've already seen what Rick's "help" has wrought. Is R.J. old enough to offer her some counsel? Has anybody seen R.J. lately? Does he live in the house or have they dumped him a military school when we didn't notice?

Thinking of R.J., shouldn't he have been in Italy for his sister's wedding? He is part of the family. I don't even recall anybody saying who was taking care of him while everyone was in Puglia. Oops to Brad for that set of scripts.

So what was Hope's solution for her problems with Liam? After a night back home in her teenage bedroom, Hope decided she needs another wedding. Are you kidding me? How many weddings does this girl require? Does she think this is like playing Barbie, where she can just have a wedding every week with a Liam doll and a Hope doll marching down the aisle again and again? I can't stand all the importance being placed on a ceremony. I mean, does Hope even remember that Brooke and Ridge are currently an unmarried couple, happily living together in unwedded bliss? Doesn't that tell her something?

While on the subject of fantasy, isn't it time for Steffy to become a realist and stop mooning about her few months of marriage to Liam? It was so inappropriate for her to hang out at the beach house in anticipation of Liam coming back to her. I don't care how modern she is, Steffy is looking like a 1950s drama queen who's waiting patiently for her man to come back to her. Why is she constantly throwing herself at Liam? A woman -- modern or old-fashioned -- wants to be wanted. Liam keeps saying that he wants Hope first, then Steffy. Why doesn't Steffy hear that? If she wants a recipe for romantic success, find a man who's crazy about you and only you. Steffy would actually like it if a man chased her.

This past week it was refreshing to see Taylor tell Ridge that she doesn't want her daughter to suffer the continual romantic heartbreak that Taylor's endure by loving Ridge. Just like Liam, Ridge just sat there and let this beautiful woman throw herself at him and admit she's still in love with him, and he led her on...again. Instead of saying, "Taylor, I made my choice and it's Brooke. The end," he smiled and said, "I love you." Are men like Liam and Ridge incapable of understanding that words have meaning? That indecision is damaging? That if you really love someone, you put their needs ahead of your own. Can't they just close the door once and for all!

It is bizarre, though, to realize that in all those years of the Taylor-Ridge-Brooke triangle, it was Brooke who was characterized as a slut. Taylor was the good one, the paragon of virtue. In the Steffy-Liam-Hope triangle, Taylor's daughter is the slut and Brooke's daughter is the good girl. Of course, it's all subjective, because I don't think those labels apply. The only one that does, and the only one that really matters is this: Liam is a jerk.

Don't tell me that he's a nice guy or a good person, because his actions -- and inaction -- is why this thing is such a mess. He has the power to set everything right. Whether that's Liam with Steffy or Liam with Hope, he's the key player. But as long as he refuses to assert his ultimate desire, he just deepens the angst for Steffy and Hope. That, to me, is unforgivable.

So, as predicted, the Marcus-Dayzee storyline was wrapped up in a week. One security tape was all it took to clear him. Of course, it might have been nice if the police had done the investigating to clear Marcus, instead of Caroline and Thomas. Exactly what were the fabulous Baker detectives -- father and son -- doing on the case? What evidence convinced them that Marcus was guilty? There was no presumption of innocence. Once Marcus said he'd been distracted while driving, the cops rushed to judgment. They laid a guilt trip on Marcus, characterized him as a spoiled, rich kid, called him a serial text addict, and wanted him behind bars for as long as the law would allow.

Even though Marcus had no record, acted responsibly, showed remorse, and offered restitution, the authorities were out to turn him into an object lesson. Even Anthony, who has been down on his luck for much of his life, was quick to vengeance. Then the video was uncovered and suddenly, everything changed. The Bakers still never apologized, but the judge freed Marcus after one night in jail.

Anthony returned to Dayzee's and admitted that he had overreacted. He sought forgiveness, and naturally, he got it. Maybe I'm not as nice a person as Dayzee and Marcus, but I would have accepted Anthony's apology only after giving him a damn good piece of my mind! What's the line from the Bible, "Judge not lest ye be judged!" Anthony should practice that.

Regarding Rick's return to the scene, I suspect he's going to make another play for Caroline. You know the Thomas/Caroline romance needs some conflict, and don't be shocked if Steffy urges Thomas to pursue Hope so that Steffy and Liam can hook up. Believe me, there's going to be more consternation among these characters, especially since Brad Bell seems to be ignoring the more mature characters. Not that I'm hoping for another Taylor-Ridge-Brooke go-round, but what about some corporate craziness with Eric, Stephanie, and Bill?

Isn't it time for someone to wonder if Forrester Creations is turning a profit? It's been a while since they've dealt with the business. Instead they've been spending weeks and weeks on weddings, in Italy and Malibu, and whether or not Hope belongs with Liam or Steffy belongs with someone else, yada yada yada!

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!

• What is going on with B&B? I can't believe that Mr. Bell cannot see that the storyline involving Hope, Steffy, and Liam is nauseating. How many times do we have to go through the same story line? Hope and Liam are together, he misunderstands something she said or did and he runs back to Steffy. Hope finds out and he goes back and forth between the two. Why would any self-respecting woman go through that over and over again. The funny part is that they think he's a great guy -- in what world? The parents are ridiculous too. Who would want their children to have their heart broken over and over again by a jerk like that. -- Tameka

• I can't take this ridiculous storyline anymore! I cannot believe any Mother (Taylor or Brooke) would ever want their daughters with a creep like Liam! He is a wimp! Why do these writers keep these characters involved with close family members sharing and recycling lovers? How come Hope never catches her husband kissing her stepsister and why is Steffy so desperate to have someone like him? Why can't they dream up new characters when these characters work at a huge corporation and live in LA for goodness sake! Who writes like this? I could do better! - CM

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