Collateral Damage or Cruel Intentions: Is there more to Carter's motivations on The Bold and the Beautiful?

On The Bold and the Beautiful, Things seem to be going perfectly according to plan for the new power couple, Carter (Lawrence Saint-Victor) and Hope Logan (Annika Noelle). They’ve accomplished a lot for something that started as a whim and quickly turned into the takeover of an international company.

It’s got us wondering: How much of this coup was actually planned?

Was Carter’s coup pre-planned on The Bold and the Beautiful?

When Carter and Hope designed this coup, there was every chance that they both knew that one of the outcomes would be the strain and eventual breakdown of Brooke's (Katherine Kelly Lang) and Ridge's (Thorsten Kaye) relationship. In fact, it stands to reason that they counted on it. Divide and conquer is not a new concept, and Carter is a smart man. He and Hope lose an enemy but gain an ally by causing a rift between Brooke and Ridge.

Even better, all the supporters of Brooke and Ridge then need to pick a side. The teasers for next week say Brooke is returning to her old role as CEO of Forrester Creations, and there is no way Carter would do that if Brooke were standing by her man — it would be akin to having Ridge back in Forrester as CEO. As an additional blow to Ridge’s ego, seeing Brooke siding with Hope and Carter and working with them would be too much for Ridge to consider fixing things with Brooke. What's broken remains broken.

Carter has known Ridge for ten years; they were best friends. It goes without saying that Carter knows Ridge well enough to predict how he would react to Carter’s betrayal. Ridge is a hothead on a good day and often says things without weighing his words first. Carter must have known that Brooke and Ridge would split when push came to shove.

The enemy of my enemy is my friend

It’s said on almost every episode these days that Hope is manipulating Carter. She’s in his head, and Carter wouldn't have — and couldn’t have — done it without her. Maybe so, but here's another angle: Carter seems to bexn manipulating Brooke, too. Aside from his dedication to Hope’s cause, Carter began adding how he was there to save all of the Logans. “I'm doing it for you as well, Brooke,” said Carter.

But here's the thing. Brooke didn't seem to feel too hard done by or like a peasant until Carter and Hope began their rhetoric. Carter knew that as soon as they began that line, Ridge wouldn't have a bar of it and would go after Hope. This caused Brooke to regurgitate the same speech her daughter had given to protect her and show loyalty. All that was needed then was to make popcorn and watch the fireworks.

If this was Carter’s agenda, that plan seems to work well. Carter and Hope sit on the throne at Forrester Creations, Ridge left Brooke, and Brooke is more than ever #TeamLogan after Ridge lost his cool.

And what better way to cement that new ally? Give the gift of being someone that matters: The new CEO of Forrester Creations, Brooke Logan.

The Art of War

But what would be Carter’s motivation? Simply, longevity. To stay in power, he would need the Logans all on board. He must have known that Ridge would never accept staying on as lead designer, and the other Forresters would follow suit. To keep in control of the company, Carter would need someone from the top line of the Forrester family on his side: Brooke.

Hope was furious and hurt that Ridge took Steffy's side when she was fired — he even ordered her out of the building and escorted her to the elevator. Was that someone she wanted at the dinner table? Or was this a great way to break them up without making her mom pick a side?

Trending

Was it a deliberate and calculated part of Hope and Carter's plan to break up Ridge and Brooke? Or were they just collateral damage in a random idea that was executed to perfection?

Watch full episodes of The Bold and the Beautiful weekdays on CBS or stream on Paramount Plus.

×

Was this article helpful?

Thank You for feedback