Taylor who? It's all about Brooke!

Taylor who? It's all about Brooke!

Last week, all the buzz was about who Ridge will choose, Brooke or Taylor. For Deacon and Bill, it's a resounding "Brooke." Even Liam condemns Ridge's waffling ways. Besides, isn't it a bad omen for Tridge to proceed with any union ill-gotten by Sheila? Speaking of Sheila, Brooke and Steffy confronted the captive, and our writer will explain why it's important that Deacon does, too. Plus, here's why Brooke needs to tear into Taylor and Ridge for their roles in Sheila's destruction.

We've got you surrounded

At the cliff house, Sheila eyed all the exits after she confessed to shooting Steffy and killing Finn. Sheila's gonna "sheila," which means she'll give her own self-serving version of events. Usually, I roll my eyes at her self-pitying statements; however, when she pointed the blame for Finn's death at Steffy, I couldn't deny that she kind of had a point.

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Sheila asked if she'd tracked Steffy down, followed Steffy into an alley, or told Steffy who she could and could not talk to. It had been selfish and self-serving of Steffy to go after Sheila herself instead of following Finn's advice and confronting Thomas. Is Sheila right? Did that move lead to Finn's death?

It's worth noting that Thomas immediately associated Sheila's secret with the reason for Finn's death. Taylor asserted that it was Sheila's fault, and that's true as far as who'd pulled the trigger; however, it cannot be ignored that Thomas and Steffy's handling of Sheila's secret contributed to Finn's death. I'd love to see a scene in the future in which Thomas and Steffy argue about whose negligence placed Finn's life in danger that night.

When it comes to negligence, I ultimately blame Taylor, whose reckless disregard for how dangerous Sheila really is led her to open her family up to a psychopath. Brooke had been right to stand by Ridge's wishes and castigate Sheila from the family, but that isn't the only thing Brooke is right about. She was also right about Taylor's arrival in town causing trouble.

When Brooke's right, she's right

Brooke has been right about so many things during this whole storyline arc that it's hard to know where to start. Brooke was right to give Deacon a chance to know his daughter. Brooke was right to be leery of Sheila and to override Taylor's "graciousness" about inviting Sheila to Christmas Eve. Brooke was right to defend Steffy and Finn against Sheila, and I often wonder if Brooke would have been a formidable foe against Sheila had Sheila not sabotaged Brooke.

When Brooke fell off the wagon, she was right to suspect that outside forces were at work. She was absolutely right to stop Ridge from catching a court case for pummeling Deacon to death, no matter how butt-hurt Ridge still is about that to this day. Brooke said to Ridge, "If we could have just kept her away somehow..." The elephant in the room blared because we all know that they could have kept Sheila away if it hadn't been for wrong-headed-BFF-making Taylor.

Brooke has been kind and understanding throughout this disaster. She just wants her life back, but Ridge, the Ping-Pong in the triangle tournament, can't stop bouncing between women or using Brooke's defense of Deacon as his excuse to creep around Taylor. As Deacon said the other day, Taylor ain't no Brooke. If hard-headed Ridge doesn't hurry up and figure that out, he might lose Brooke to a new hobby like "horseback riding" or "martial arts."

Brooke expressed righteous anger against Sheila when Brooke confronted her at the jail. Sheila turned Brooke's life upside down by being petty over Brooke defending her stepdaughter. But some of that righteous anger needs to go around. In fact, Brooke needs to serve some of it in Ridge's direction and in Taylor's.

Sheila never could have come against Brooke the way she had if Ridge wasn't a weak-sauce, insecure husband who runs to another woman at the first sign of trouble. Sheila also couldn't have used Taylor to infiltrate the family if Taylor wasn't a narcissistic, know-it-all therapist hellbent on making Brooke walk the line while Sheila streaked wheelies all over it. Sheila used the Tridge Mafia's desperateness to win against the "Logans" and Ridge's inability to stop the warring within his own family to fracture Ridge's family and cost them all a family member.

After losing Finn, the Tridge Mafia still doesn't get it. They hopped right back into war mode with Brooke, trying to keep Ridge from returning to Brooke, despite the revelation that Sheila had orchestrated the Tridge reunion. Taylor pined for Ridge at the window like a crushing teen, scouting for the boy next door, completely oblivious to the fact that her time with Ridge is ill-gotten time procured for her by Sheila -- who will come back, expecting repayment for any Tridge reunion born from the fruits of Sheila's labor.

Steffy has no problem with the Sheila-ordinated union. As far as Steffy is concerned, Brooke lost because she defended Deacon when she should have defended her husband. What did Steffy expect Brooke to do? Throw plates at Deacon while Ridge punched him?

Steffy also insisted that Ridge can't have lasting peace with Brooke the way he can with Taylor, but I never saw Brooke BFFing murderers the way Taylor did. Steffy tells Taylor not to let Sheila tarnish what Taylor has with Ridge, but Taylor wouldn't have anything with Ridge had it not been for Sheila. Steffy should be on her knees, thanking Sheila for her beloved Tridge reunion.

When Ridge asked Brooke to tell him which woman he should hurt, I was done with him. Well, Ridge, the answer is, "Not your wife." Since he can't figure that out, I hope Brooke makes up his mind for him and wraps him up in a bow for Taylor, who can't survive without him, unlike Brooke.

Spencer men's night in

Hope gets out a lot with the girls, doesn't she? Maybe that's the key to keeping her from obsessing about her parents' business. Hope's night out gave Bill and Liam a chance to socialize Spencer-men style, which meant lots of put-downs, boasting, disparaging of the dressmaker, and pontificating about Bill's favorite subject, Brooke.

Bill always has the dressmaker pinned dead to rights, but Bill had better watch what he says and does if he actually wants Katie back -- if Katie will ever let him come back and if we will ever see Katie again, that is. Bill went on about how Brooke shouldn't be groveling to the dressmaker, who'd repeatedly proven himself unworthy, but when will Bill get enough of groveling to the perfectionist publicist Katie?

Next, Bill brought up Ridge's history with Taylor, reminding us that Bill has his own history with Taylor. It's one of perpetrator and victim. Isn't Taylor lucky to be free to cuddle with her daughter on the couch instead of with Sheila in a prison cell for two?

Wyatt was present for Spencer men's night, too, offering his humorously snarky barbs at his father. When Bill asked Wyatt what he would do if he'd been a husband in Ridge's shoes, did anyone else look around, thinking that Wyatt actually has to get married first? It's been well over a year since Wyatt proposed to Flo. Times must be tough when it comes to saving money for that happily-ever-after minivan.

It takes a waffle to know one, and Liam laid down some expert knowledge on Ridge's waffling ways. "I think Ridge is not being fair to your mom...I don't love that Ridge went running to Taylor right away. I think that feels hypocritical," Liam told Hope. Well, maybe this means Liam learned his lesson about running to Steffy when Thomas kissed the mannequin. Wonders never cease.

Odds and ends around town

When Eric told Quinn what had gone on with Brooke and Sheila, I was waiting for the moment Quinn would look into the camera and stare knowingly at us. When she heard that Sheila had spiked Brooke's drink, the writers could have at least let Quinn murmur, "Been there, done that." Ridge walking out on Brooke again over a kiss is definitely a conversation starter for Ridge and Quinn if they happen upon each other by the outdoor shower again.

Additionally, Eric had the nerve to talk to Quinn about Ridge's divided heart while Donna was undoubtedly greasing up for another Pickleball session as Eric and Quinn spoke.

When Deacon learned that Sheila had killed Finn, his response was, "Well, this changes everything for your mom and Ridge." Not exactly the reaction I was hoping for. I need Deacon to confront Sheila for setting up Brooke, for lying to him for months, and for leading him to believe she was anything but a legless reptile. For me, a confrontation between Deacon and Sheila would only be tantamount to a fight between Brooke and Taylor in which Brooke walks away with clumps of Taylor's hair in her fist.

Did anyone else hear Steffy say they have to "track Li down" to tell her what Sheila did to Finn? Where are Jack and Li? Hiding in Witness Protection or something?

Who loves the way Deputy Chief Baker fills out his suits these days? Looking good, Chief. Taylor looked elegant when she finally took off the band jacket she stole from Kelly. Loved Taylor's swept-back hair, but speaking of Kelly, shouldn't Taylor, the world-renowned psychiatrist, have been there when Kelly learned of Finn's death? Confronting Thomas could have waited.

Lastly, I don't think anyone could be happier about Brooke learning why she drank than Lope, who can each stop reassuring Brooke every second and finally get down to some wine and sexy time together without worrying about Brooke walking in on them.

In a look ahead: another "big shocker" ahead

Don't shoot the messenger, but on this week's Bold Live, Casey said another "big shocker" is ahead. I'm gonna just side-eye that one for now. The only big shocker I want is for Steffy to track Li down and learn that Finn is really alive. Let me guess -- the wire wasn't recording, and Sheila gets out of jail on a technicality?

I might yet get the slap fest of my dreams between Brooke and Taylor. They have a peaceful "moment" together, but soon, they are at each other's throats over Ridge. Look to Eric to get between the women, but really, Ridge ought to grow up and deal with it himself for once. I wish Brooke would flirt with Deacon or Bill and let Ridge get jealous enough to come for her. It works every time, just like "that" (Brooke finger snap).

Speaking of fighting, Paris and Grace go at it about Zende and Carter. Insert another side-eye. When is Grace going to match up against Quinn over Paris? That's what I'm waiting to see.

Thanks for getting two scoops deep with me this week! Let me hear your thoughts and feelings in the comments section below. Until we scoop again, stay bold and beautiful, baby!Chanel

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