Up, up, and away: Fun times in Aspen while the world falls apart in L.A.

When the people you love the most are going through terrible traumas, what do you do to handle the problems? If you're Bill, Brooke, Liam, and Steffy, you take off for Aspen and try hot air balloon rides and paragliding! Katie's on the verge of being institutionalized for postpartum depression, and Stephanie's facing the last days of her life, but you'd never know it by the way their family members are acting in Colorado. It's time to go up, up, and away in our beautiful Two Scoops balloon.

Welcome to Aspen, friends, a beautiful oasis in the Rockies. Take in those fabulous views, enjoy the sweeping landscapes, imagine the wind blowing through your hair...and try not to think about all the problems going on back in Los Angeles where you really should be as a responsible human being!

But no, not Liam, Steffy, Bill, and Brooke. They decided to take some time off from reality to act like tourists on a Rocky Mountain high! To me, this past week's storylines were mind-boggling. What kind of people act like that? Oh, right, soap opera characters!

So tell me, if you were seeking out someone to help you at the height of a crisis, would you turn to Liam Spencer? That was the thought I had when Brooke ask Liam to come help her because it looked like Bill had tried to commit suicide. I don't know about you, but I was laughing out loud. Liam is the last person who handles crisis well. In fact, I would have called for Steffy first because she has some wiles and can actually accomplish things. She's far more responsible.

Of course, it was sort of ridiculous to think that Bill Spencer would try to commit suicide. Selfish characters like Dollar Bill don't try to kill themselves; they kill other people first. Then, to make matters worse, they turned the entire scene into comedy. Bill was just taking a nap! Ha, ha, ha, they dumped water on his head. Hilarious.

If your grandmother was dying of cancer and had just weeks to live, would you go paragliding in Colorado? That's the question I had to ask as I watched Steffy having a grand old time with Liam, completely oblivious to the fact that Stephanie is in the final stages of lung cancer. Call me crazy, but I found that element of the story completely out of step with what was going on back in Los Angeles. While I understand why Steffy is in Aspen with Liam, I can't forget the fact that she should be telling him -- and Bill and Brooke -- that she's returning home because she wants to spend as much time with Stephanie as possible before her death.

Bill should also be back home, looking for Katie. We know she's not in Colorado. But can you tell me why she's living in a hovel? Seriously, what kind of a flea trap have they found for Katie to live in while she's on the run from Bill? It's utterly ridiculous that she is in such a disgusting place. You mean to tell me she couldn't check into a Comfort Inn or a Motel 6? Come on, this is just ludicrous. It's one thing for Katie to be going through postpartum depression. It's quite another for her to wallow in this degradation. Unless we're supposed to think that the horrible room is a metaphor for how she sees herself.... That's possible.

Taylor deserves quite a bit of scorn for what she's been doing as well. While I fully understand that she's a professional therapist, a psychiatrist, and must keep Katie's confidence, she also has to consider the health and welfare of her patient. Katie's condition -- her transplanted heart -- makes her unique.

Katie's issues are not only mental. When Taylor suggested that Katie's postpartum depression could become postpartum syndrome, it became clear that there was something medically wrong with Bill Spencer's wife. Because of that, I think Taylor needed to find a way to tell Bill where Katie was. Sure, Taylor has medical ethics to uphold, but there's also a point when she should have considered what was best for her patient in the long run.

Remember, this is a soap. It would be very simple for Taylor to call Steffy and let it leak that she knows where Katie is. The storyline would make a lot more sense than Bill and Brooke flying over Aspen in the hot air balloon to get their minds off of Katie's problems.

The very idea that in the middle of a crisis you'd have all these characters in Aspen, soaking in the local color, paragliding, and hot air ballooning, instead of worrying about the problems at home is just stupid -- and insulting to the viewers. Once Bill learned that Katie was not in Aspen, he should've flown back to Los Angeles to search for her from where she'd disappeared.

Bill has Will with him, and that just adds to my contention that Bill should not be on vacation. That little baby is not even two months old! He belongs in his own crib, being taken care of by a nurse or a nanny, not babysitters like Liam and Steffy who don't even know how to change a diaper. It's irresponsible of Bill to be on holiday.

Another aspect of this storyline that's making me nuts is how unforgiving and dim-witted these characters are about Katie's problem. They keep saying, "How could Katie have done this? How could Katie have abandoned her child?" Well, I guess they never heard of postpartum depression or have no idea what happens to some women after giving birth.

There's also something very sexist about their criticism. Do you suppose if Bill took off after the baby's birth they'd consider him a terrible father the way they're considering Katie a terrible mother? Don't you think they might cut him some slack and suggest that he was having trouble adjusting to fatherhood? Or that he was called away on business? All that would be accepted because he's only the father!

These characters are operating under the notion that all mothers love of their babies, no matter what, the very moment that they give birth to them. That point of view is antiquated because there have been many cases where we've learned otherwise. You know, Bill is in the media. He runs a media empire, so he should know about these kinds of stories better than anybody.

It makes no sense that characters like Bill, Steffy, and Liam have a 1950s mentality when they're living in the 21st century. Why doesn't someone just Google postpartum depression and look up the symptoms instead of continually blaming Katie for a condition over which she has no control? Katie doesn't want to feel the way she does. Also, considering the fact that she's the only mother in the group, why doesn't Brooke defend Katie to Liam, Steffy, and Bill? Brooke knows how pregnancy and childbirth can change a woman. And more than that, Katie is her sister. Where's Brooke's sense of family loyalty?

But if we're talking about Brooke, we have to also wonder about her feelings for Ridge. Instead of caring about where Ridge is now and possibly bringing him back home, she's off with Dollar Bill. What's that all about?

I suspect this is Brad Bell's way of diminishing the character one more time. I know many of you despise Brooke and think she's the world's worst character. However, I truly believe Brooke wants Ridge back. With Stephanie dying, this is the perfect opportunity for Brooke to go find Ridge and bring him home before his mother passes away.

It's one thing for Ronn Moss to have stopped playing Ridge, but it's just wrong that the character would not return home to see Stephanie before she succumbs to cancer. If they complete Stephanie's demise without Ridge coming home, I am going to be sorely disappointed in The Bold and the Beautiful. I've said this before, but I'll say it again. They simply should have shot some scenes between Ronn and Susan Flannery before he left the show. Since I brought up Ridge, it might be a good time to talk a little bit about Forrester Creations and what's happening in the office. For the longest time, we've been told that Forester is haute couture and that without the input of Eric and Ridge's designs, the company would lose its identity. Well, suddenly, Thomas becomes interim CEO and turns the entire company upside down. I do not believe that this is what Ridge wanted his son to do while he was on this extended honeymoon/sabbatical.

I think Ridge named Thomas as his replacement because Thomas is a designer. Rick, on the other hand, is not a designer...but he has more business experience. Ridge would've been smarter to have named Thomas and Rick as co-CEOs while he was out of town. And on top of that, he should've asked Eric to be the arbitrator in case Thomas and Rick disagreed on anything.

That would've set up a really terrific dynamic at the company. Instead, we have this false conflict based on Thomas becoming an autocratic dictator and someone I don't recognize anymore. And you know all these new ideas he's initiating are going to be dumped in the wastebasket as soon as Ridge -- whoever is playing him - returns to the scene.

The entire Rick/Caroline/Thomas storyline is nothing but a big bore. I find the question of whom Caroline is interested in to be thoroughly without passion. Are we really supposed to think that she finds Rick that attractive? Or that Thomas has dazzled her by adding her name to his fashion? Give me a break. When Caroline was introduced, she seemed like a much more savvy character than that.

If it weren't for Stephanie dying, I believe that Eric would have already stopped Thomas dead in his tracks. And even though it's no longer addressed, I would've enjoyed seeing Thorne step up and stop Thomas. After all, Thorne is a true Forrester, and he has run the company in the past. I think Brad Bell really lost the opportunity to create a better show when he marginalized Thorne all those years ago.

So, that's it for me. Please share your thoughts with me about what's going to happen in the weeks ahead... I'm anxious to read what you all have to say. I welcome your comments 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. All you have to do is click here to send me a message. And keep on reading Two Scoops every week!

Meanwhile, here are some letters from the readers!

• -- I didn't think I could stomach any more of B&B's triangle, so I'm beyond shocked to find myself LOVING Steffy and Liam. They are putting a smile on my face. This is the romance that has been missing from B&B during this past year. My hate for Liam is decreasing. Their chemistry and passion are signaling the makings of a supercouple. I'm becoming invested in this storyline. - Sheryl

• I am not pleased about Steffy and Liam's relationship. How could Bell allow someone to take away another person's fiance? What sort of message does this send to young adults, especially when the stealer is so evil and conniving. Please let the truth come out and let Hope and Liam get back together again. Moreover, Hope's brother Rick needs to tell his sister the truth about that night before her wedding with Liam and what did not happen. Also, Bill needs to tell the truth to his son about destroying Hope and Liam's marriage and how Steffy knew what he did to destroy Liam and Hope's relationship. I am getting pretty much tired of The Bold and the Beautiful. Please do not pair Brooke with Bill. Match Brooke with a new man, if Ridge is not going to return to his wife. -- DBR

• My problem is with Steffy. If I knew my beloved grandmother was dying, I would spend as much time as I could with her. Not sucking face with some guy. Liam isn't going anywhere. He's already proven that. Steffy should get back to Stephanie before it's too late. -- Jackie

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