New love and revenge

In the war of the ladies, Taylor's on a power trip. She's more in love with her revenge on Brooke than with Eric, however, which could be a problem. Bill, meanwhile, is the big bad wolf, and Brooke is Little Red Riding Hood...in lingerie! Check out this week's column, it's all the better to scoop you with!

Did you know that it was Frank Sinatra who once said that the best revenge is massive success? It sounds like something Old Blue Eyes would have said, and I think Taylor Hayes has adopted it as her new personal philosophy. Instead of being satisfied that in her mind she's a better person that Brooke Logan, she's now seeking to prove it by getting massive success. She's out to win and win big, and that means using Eric to get what she wants. She may love him, but she's definitely using him.

In Brad Bell's tradition of creating ambivalent male characters, Eric waffled this past week from his current lover to his former wife. First he showed allegiance to Taylor, but after seeing Brooke in a hot red two-piece bedroom ensemble, he sided with her and slapped down Thomas' plan. Now, whether I agree with his decision or not, it does seem that Eric has become a complete slinky. Doesn't his indecisiveness remind you of Ridge and Liam? It sure made me think of those guys. They're all from the school of never making up their minds, just wanting it all and driving the women in their lives crazy.

For a while there, it seemed like whatever Taylor wanted, she manipulated Eric to think he wanted, too. It was shocking because, in my memory, Eric Forrester wasn't acting like the guy we've known and loved all these years. Oh, yes, it was odd when he was Donna's "honey bear," but at least he seemed in charge. This thing with Taylor has been looking a lot worse and will probably look like that again after she forgives him for agreeing to resurrect Brooke's Bedroom. I would really enjoy it more if Eric were pulling Taylor's strings more than I think she's pulling his.

No doubt that Taylor fans are in their glory because their lady has finally been dubbed the queen, the Forrester matriarch. Hell, even Thorne told his father that he approved of Taylor moving into Stephanie's bed. Of course, I didn't believe a word of what Thorne said, and neither should you. Realistically, Thorne should have pointed out to Dad that his sheets were still warm from when Taylor was rolling around in bed with him. It's too close for comfort to see father and son boffing the same woman within the same few months, especially the saintly Taylor.

This transformation by Taylor feels out of character to me. Taylor's a psychiatrist and a classy lady! She should be above petty jealousy and the desire to get even. And if she's not, she should want to know why. Her medical training should be gnawing at her to question her motivations. Also, why hasn't she been seeking the counsel of a therapist? While it is not a requirement, it is strongly recommended that psychiatrists be regularly analyzed by another therapist so that they can understand what's going on inside their own heads. Has Taylor seen a shrink since James left the show?

Meanwhile, let's talk about Taylor's counterpart, the slut of the valley, Brooke Logan. The idea that a mature, albeit beautiful, woman like Brooke could front a new line for Forrester Creations is a reach. I love the idea of fashion being ageless, but that's just not reality. A lot of modeling agencies won't hire models over 20!

Thankfully, when the Brooke's Bedroom reboot was presented, the stage was filled with hot, young bodies in Victoria Secret-inspired frills. Brooke had the star spotlight, but she wasn't the only attraction. To be honest, she looked amazing and very voluptuous. I'm pretty sure the only man in the room who didn't need to adjust his junk was Thomas. He wouldn't let "little Tom" stand at attention for Brooke. It wasn't always that way, though. When he and Brooke were stuck on the island with psychedelic berries, he sure lusted after the cougar then.

Anyway, the whole point of the Brooke's Bedroom line is more about Bill Spencer than Forrester Creations. Those quarterly numbers were not a reason to revamp the entire company. Thomas, Taylor, and even Thorne were ready to throw Rick under the bus because of the downturn in sales, but Eric signed off on all of Rick's decisions. The buck stops at Eric's desk. Think about it; if Eric had demoted Rick in order to promote Thomas, it would have made Eric look bad. Sticking with Rick was really Eric's only decision.

Bill Spencer, on the other hand, is not motivated by money when it comes to Forrester. He's looking for something more earthy -- sex. Bill's turned into the big, bad wolf with Brooke taking on the role of Little Red Riding Hood. He wanted to rip that fire engine red lingerie off her body with his teeth. And that would have been just an appetizer. There's no doubt that Brooke looked quite bodacious in the get-up (has she grown a cup or two up top?), but it did take a lot of chutzpah to put herself out there like a sexpot. Not even Mae West was able to pull that off as she grew older.

The fact that Brooke's Bedroom is the most successful product line in the history of Forrester Creations must have sent a shudder up Eric's spine. Hasn't it been the couture collections by Eric and Ridge that made the company, branded it, and made them rich long before Brooke ever appeared on the scene? I'm kind of confused by all this rewriting in the storytelling. A few more questions have occurred to me, too.

Isn't Steffy's Intimates collection just another version of lingerie fashion? Does Hope for the Future make money or is it just a vanity project for Hope? Also, if Thomas' designs (the ones he was collaborating on with Caroline) haven't generated big-time sales in the last quarter, shouldn't Thomas also be worried about his place in the company, too? Are we really supposed to think that every Forrester Creations product line took a dive?

Actually, I thought Thomas' ideas for the future of Forrester were pretty damn good. Brick and mortar stores are struggling (that's why you see so many shops closing down from coast to coast), and more and more consumers prefer the convenience of online shopping. But Rick's point of view is also valid, because if Forrester Creations wants to continue appealing to its loyal customer base, those consumers (mainly the ladies who lunch) prefer the experience of being pampered in a boutique or high-end department store. So, why don't Rick and Thomas just compromise and do a mixture of both? Originally, Thomas' idea was approved as an experiment in just one boutique. Were we ever told the results?

Speaking of the hierarchy of the company, I think I was as shocked as Steffy when Hope asked her to walk away from Forrester Creations like it was no big deal. Was Hope serious? Does she think that Steffy is just going to return to the beach house and build a baby nest for seven months? And if the shoe were on the other foot, would Hope appreciate Steffy telling her to leave the building because she didn't want to have a front-row seat on Hope's happy life with Liam? If Steffy's the woman I think she is, I expect her to tell Hope to "go to hell." If Hope has a problem with Steffy bursting with happiness while doing her job, Hope should quit the business and go do volunteer work or, for goodness sake, get an education! All these Forrester/Logan kids would benefit from some book learning!

Hope needs to grow up. In the weeks since Steffy told Liam about the pregnancy and those two have recommitted to a future together, Hope has pretended to do the right thing. Yes, she's brokenhearted and feels cheated and wronged. Those are all legitimate reactions for a woman who suffered the wedding-interruptus ordeal on the Malibu cliffs. She had and still has every reason to feel like the rug has been pulled out from under her.

But since then, Hope's hidden behind a sanctimonious pose that she's the bigger person, acting like she's accepted the new reality that Liam will raise his son or daughter with Steffy, the mother of his child. However, if you really listen to her words, Hope's been a spoiled, whiny brat about it all! It doesn't matter anymore that Liam probably would have chosen Hope and said goodbye to Steffy if not for the baby, the truth is that Hope's been a sore loser.

First, right after the faux-wedding flop, she tried to convince Liam that Steffy had trapped him by getting pregnant. When he wouldn't buy that, Hope suggested that Liam could still marry Hope and be the father to Steffy's baby on the side. Again, Liam said that wasn't right for him. So, in that initial reaction, Hope struck out and wound up crying on Brooke's shoulder about how Fate had screwed up her happily-ever-after.

But in the weeks since, Hope's continued to show a nasty selfish streak. Instead of letting Liam and Steffy figure out how they want to build their life together with the baby, Hope asked Liam to "do her a favor" by marrying Steffy. Even though she knows full well how Steffy refused to give Liam up after the Aspen wedding, Hope basically is pushing Liam to tie the knot again. Well, suppose they do get married, but Steffy loses the baby. That might be reason enough for Liam to leave Steffy to return to Hope, only he wouldn't be able to because of the marriage license. Don't these characters ever think these things through?

I'd ask the same question of Hope's big brother, Rick. How could he let Maya believe he was just a waiter at Dayzee's without a dollar in his pocket or a last name? Sure, he was enjoying the fact that she liked him for who he was, not his family name, but he knew he was deceiving her. That's not the way to get somebody to love you. When he finally had to tell her, after his cover was blown when he brought her to the Forrester Boutique, Maya reacted as most women would. She felt betrayed by him. And if you think Caroline is going to feel any better about his lying to her, think again.

So, what's my pet peeve of the week? There are too many music videos inserted into The Bold and the Beautiful. For a show that's only 30 minutes long, and that includes commercials, why are there so many musical interludes? Instead of dialog scenes to explain Liam's feelings about Steffy, we get music. Hope's longing for Liam? Find a song that will tell the story. This past week, Rick takes Maya to Rodeo Drive and it turns into a scene from Pretty Woman! Come on, Brad Bell; stop cheating us out of storytelling by padding the show with music.

I hope you enjoyed this Two Scoops look back at B&B -- and don't forget to read Mike's take next week! Also, please write and share your thoughts with us about what's going to happen in the weeks ahead, whether you agree with my assessment or not! Let's just keep the conversation going! Send comments to Soap Central, and keep on reading all the great Two Scoops here at Soap Central!

Meanwhile, here are some letters from the readers!

• I can't believe how they are portraying Taylor as a psycho, fit-throwing psychiatrist. She is about as far from medicine as she can go. Give me a break! She sure is not a designer, so she needs to get her big old overgrown lips out of Forrester Creations. Also, why does she want Eric? He's great, but she only wants what Brooke has or has had. It seems really sick to me. She is the one who needs a psychiatrist. And what in the world is wrong with Eric? They just don't seem right together. It seems unnatural that she is trying to constantly put on lingerie for Eric. Pat C.

• Enough already! Why do either Steffy or Hope have anything to do with such a noodle as Liam? And how can Steffy say anything about Hope interfering in their relationship when that is all she's done with Hope and Liam? This rag is wrung out! As for Brooke, when did she turn into such a push over? Cheri M.

• I am so tired of Logans. I can't stand them. I think Steffy should be with Liam if he is the only choice. If Steffy was not pregnant, I would have preferred if she got a better love interest and have Liam chase her and Hope chase him. I can't stand Brooke and her whimpy daughter Hope. Both of them need to get a life. Come on, writers, give Taylor, Thomas and Steffy some position and power kick the Logans to the mailroom, including Brooke! Vangie W.

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