Why, it's Wyatt!

Chickens came home to roost as Hope reeled over Thomas' involvement in Emma's death -- meanwhile, Eric came home from the hospital, and R.J. was about to find out the bedroom in his new home was already occupied. But Wyatt only made us miss him more by coming home to say goodbye. Get the home team advantage with Two Scoops' Mike!

Has your week been bold and beautiful? Were you convinced that your brother couldn't possibly be a road runner? Did your evening of dinner and dancing start out with only dinner? Did you answer the call of the fans and return for the exit scene you should have gotten before? These and more situations faced the Forrester-Logan-Spencer-Avant-Barber-Finnegan-Nozawa clan this week!

Holy Spencey senses, Scoopers! I am getting the biggest kick over Thomas' Emma-related past coming back to ride his bumper like he rode Emma's. And could it be? Bill seems slated to get a love interest that isn't a Logan sister, though I wonder if he's choosing the right Nozawa sister. But forget about all that. The soap gods listened and have finally given Wyatt a proper goodbye! Ready, all? Let's Scoop about it!

Thomas must like obstacle courses, because he found himself figuratively driving one as he navigated Hope's reaction to the admission of high-speed chasing Emma in 2019. Now, before we go on, there's still too much "alternative facting" about exactly how Emma died. Watch the scene: she was not holding her phone as she went off the road; both her hands were on the wheel.

Now, it's not like Thomas could have seen that from his vantage point; let's be fair. But he told Hope, who strangely wanted to hear Thomas recap the entire tale again, even though she had just heard it the previous episode, that it had seemed to him that Emma had looked down and reached for something just before she'd crashed through that guardrail.

That's a big assumption to make, and I think the bigger thing Hope ought to be freaked out about is that Thomas did absolutely zero to help Emma. According to him, Emma was already beyond saving. Was that Thomas' call to make? And really -- any decent human being would dial 9-1-1 immediately, even if they thought the driver they'd witnessed plummeting into a ravine was dead.

Hope decided she needed time to assimilate the information she'd just received, yet a second later told Thomas that she believed him. Then, why would she need time? Not that the I'm-not-obsessed Thomas would give her any, because he immediately launched into his greatest hits about how loving Hope had changed him, and couldn't they just focus on their own life and future together?

That's Thomas, epitome of sensitivity, wanting to secure his relationship moments after revealing that Emma was dead because he'd played Autopia with her, only a lot faster than they let you wheel along at Disneyland. I know this chapter of Thomas' life coming back to bite him has seemed random, but I'm really pleased the show is revisiting it. Of course, if Hope continues with Thomas after this, she needs a therapist more than he does.

Hope was joined in the River Denial by Steffy, who splashed around in her designer water wings, insisting that Xander was just talking smack. She wouldn't even consider the possibility that Xander was right, because Thomas just wouldn't hide something as gruesome as a crime. Wasn't that exactly what Thomas did when he let Steffy keep believing that Beth was Phoebe? It was Reese's crime, but still.

Steffy was not happy that Finn was still giving Xander's story credence and insinuated Finn would be in the doghouse unless he let the whole thing go, so Finn agreed. Steffy has already accused Finn of trying to be Hope's champion -- do you guys really think he'll give up on trying to confirm Xander's claims? I'm Team Finn here. The more heat on Thomas, the better.

Thomas paid a visit to Ridge and admitted he was afraid he'd botched things with Hope...yet didn't say a word about the whitecaps on the sea of love being because of Emma. Inexact writing, or was that because Ridge is the one person who knows exactly how Emma died and how Thomas walked away when he could have saved her? Remember, Thomas confessed to Ridge when he was in the hospital from cliff diving.

Ridge conceded that Thomas' romance with Hope was a shock, but if Thomas was happy, Ridge was happy. As I've mentioned, it's not surprising that Ridge doesn't have a problem with his son's pseudo-incestuous relationship, given his journey through all the Logan sisters. Why no one has taken Thomas and Hope aside and reminded them that they were raised in the same extended family is beyond me. There's no normalizing this.

Brooke took Hope aside, though, and suggested, not even knowing that Emma's death had come back for a visit, that Hope break things off with Thomas. Hope wasn't having any, naturally, and maintained that Thomas loved her unconditionally, which was all she had ever hoped for. This when the man who had been devoted to her thusly had slinked back into town, but we'll get to that man in a minute.

Meanwhile, Eric, who last week still had trouble putting sentences together, was this week released from the hospital. Overcrowding? At Eric's homecoming, Brooke said that she'd wanted to get everyone together but that she'd thought it might be overwhelming for the patriarch. Is that how we're explaining why Bridget and Thorne are once again AWOL?

I know that soaps are still dealing with budgetary constraints more than they used to, but would it have broken the bank to have Winsor Harmon and Ashley Jones back in for a final scene? And I guess Rick, Felicia, and Kristen must have gotten lost on that African safari, because we haven't heard anything else about them. As for the heir apparent, Ridge, Marone or not, he was still worried about what Eric's reaction would be to his not letting Eric die.

Ridge divulged to Eric that he had been torn, stuck between what he thought Eric wanted and what Thorne and the others had demanded Ridge do. Eric laid the matter to rest with "It's okay, son. I understand," which is just what one would expect from the mellow Papa F. Eric relayed how he had seen Stephanie on the other side. Too bad he didn't lament Stephanie only being on-screen for a single shot.

Then Zende came in, all glad his grampie was all good, and I had such mixed feelings about it. While I sense Zende's feelings for his adoptive grandfather are genuine, I also can't help thinking that Zende made the move to tilt the scales in Zende's favor. Had Zende not just tried to steal R.J.'s girlfriend and started up that whole "golden boy" thing after Zende had already buried that hatchet, I wouldn't wonder. Zende is on my nerve of nerves right now.

The unfortunate winner for the category of Worst Exit in my Best & Worst column closing out 2023 was Wyatt, since, in his waning days, he had only clocked in to be a sounding board for his father and brother -- before just disappearing without a trace. I like to think the show heard our collective outcry, because suddenly, Mr. Solar Shower was back on our screens! For, as we found out, a proper farewell.

Wyatt paid a visit to Bill and admitted he was checking out of this heartbreak hotel, thank you Meryl Streep. But Wyatt noticed that Bill looked to be moving on from his own heartbreak. Seeing his pop was smitten, and learning of Bill's original meet cute with Poppy, Wyatt snarked, "I just can't picture Bill Spencer slumming it for three days in a tent while eating mystery meat out of a commune truck."

Ah, that's the Wyatt we know. And the Wyatt we'll miss. I'm glad he at least got in one more zinger before leaving us. Wyatt was on board with "Boppy," but I think someone in the writing room got bopped when it came to details. We all know that Taylor bought Wyatt's house from Bill, but here, Wyatt said he owned it in the same breath that Bill told Poppy that the pad was one of Bill's properties. This isn't hard. Can we establish a particular and stick to it?

I will miss Wyatt. I was glad he phased out of the jerk he was when he first joined this crew, and I quite enjoyed the camaraderie he developed with Liam -- especially the way they'd humorously gang up on Bill. Now that we got a true exit scene for Wyatt, albeit belatedly, let's continue the trend. No major character on a soap should simply fall off the face of the earth -- something B&B has allowed too much these last years.

Something else B&B does too much of anymore is focus on one story several episodes at a time, so I was pleased that this week featured a wider array of characters. Deacon and Sheila were on hand for Il Giardino's hungry customers and also for Bill and Poppy, who weren't just hungry for food. There was some comedy on the menu as Deacon purposely had Sheila wait Boppy's table.

Deacon thought it would be fun to torment Bill with Sheila's presence and suggested also sitting a toddler nearby the Dollah, as only Deacon would do. Bill was uncivil with Sheila and explained it to Poppy by recalling how Sheila had tried to kill Li. Amazingly, Poppy was ready to throw a drink in Sheila's face to avenge her bitchy sister. I'm glad Poppy didn't, because the high-schoolish taunting of Sheila has gotten old.

Sheila and Deacon watched as Bill and Poppy canoodled, with Sheila scoffing that Bill's lies were easy to fall for. Sheila should know, since, at this time last year, she herself was listening to Bill's sweet nothings! No wonder Sheila is bitter. Poppy was blown away when Bill whipped out his...phone, and just happened to have the song on it to which he'd first witnessed Poppy dancing two decades prior. He dared Poppy to give him a repeat performance.

And she did, which I'm not sure was appropriate for a fancy-schmancy Beverly Hills ristorante. But then again, it was a dare. Sheila scowled, Deacon was into it, and Bill called Poppy a magical surprise he'd been needing. This is where I become conflicted. Poppy is so not Bill's type, but she does seem to bring out something softer in the hard-ass.

Yet I'm still disappointed that the show never built on the sparks generated between Bill and Li after he rescued her amnesiac self from that alley. Granted, Li is being so nasty lately that I don't want to reward her with love, but she's as much of a barracuda as Bill is. Hmm. Could we be building up to a Poppy/Bill/Li triangle? That might be kind of fun. Li already hates Poppy so much that it might really be entertaining.

R.J. made a major life decision this week, missing a major detail. He told Luna that he had been enjoying living at home with his parents, specifically because Ridge had just moved back in. Yo, dude. Are those tight short sleeves around your muscles cutting off your circulation? Bridge only re-Bridged in July. So, Ridge has been around six months! Oy.

Nevertheless, R.J. decided he wanted his own place so he and Luna could have some privacy. Following that, Luna asked R.J. to get his own place as if R.J. hadn't just expressed the desire to do so. Did R.J. need to hit Zillow or Craigslist for a rental? Nope! Just so happened, Wyatt was waiting with some keys to hand to the young designer. Eh, it's all right. Only so many sets to go around. And we love the beach house!

Wyatt, in his concluding moments, wasn't sure where he was going; he considered sticking around L.A. but also thought spreading his wings might be a good idea. Maybe Wyatt still has that camper he wanted to tour around with Hope in. Wyatt did seem to lose that earthy quality about him once he got Spencerfied. R.J. couldn't wait to show Luna his new crib and made a beeline for the seashore.

Now, I should mention, Luna's mom has already been seen chowing down on "special mints," which one has to assume are cannabis-laced. Luna, for that matter, has also been seen popping mints into her mouth. Is Luna also doing the grassy chewables? It can't be a coincidence that mother and daughter Nozawa have both been seen masticating candies. Unless it's a fake out and Luna is really just sucking down Altoids.

Maybe these ladies need the relaxation, given the way wicked witch Li is still hovering about them. Finn's mama just shows up to piss and moan anymore, and our latest session involved Li assuming Poppy was targeting "another lonely wealthy suitor" or a "sugar daddy." Li also repeated her demand that Poppy and Luna ditch L.A. As with her crusade against Sheila, Li has consistently been all talk and no action.

If Li really wanted her sister and niece gone, wouldn't it be fun to see her enact a plan to see that to fruition? Li might have a legitimate gripe with Poppy, but she's just so one-dimensionally vitriolic that siding with Poppy is the only natural recourse. Poppy recalled Li's indictments and voiced them to Bill before he could continue with his seduction. Bill didn't believe that Poppy was that kind of girl.

And where was this imminent bedding down happening? At Wyatt's beach house! What on earth for? Bill has a perfectly good mansion of his own. With R.J. and Luna en route, we know that this is only so the young couple can catch the mature couple in flagrante delicto. Luna had said that she liked Bill, and I hope she does, because she's about to see exactly how she was conceived.

Yes, the show has not been subtle about Bill having another mystery kid in Luna -- ironically, just as his last mystery kid is out the door. Luna did say that Li's head would explode when Li found out about Poppy dating Bill, which hints at Li's potential jealousy. But honestly, setting Luna and R.J. up to catch Bill popping Poppy is just silly. Wasn't there a less juvenile way to have them all run into each other?

How did these last five episodes strike you, Scoopers? Do you feel satisfied now that Wyatt came back for a goodbye? Does Thomas deserve to have Emma's ghost haunting him? Is Zende just cozying up to Eric as a way of positioning himself against R.J.? And who do you think is better for Bill -- Poppy or Li? Set up camp in the Soap Central message boards, or simply click here to submit feedback!

I am officially done Scooping for y'all for this go-round, so I'm going to try to find some of Poppy's special mints and see what that's all about. There's only one way to see what B&B's all about, and that's to keep watching, be alert, and most of all, be bold!

What are your thoughts on ? What did you think of this week's Two Scoops? We want to hear from you -- and there are many ways you can share your thoughts.