Can B&B Survive without Susan Flannery?

[DaytimeFan]

Can and Will Surivive.

B&B will be forced to evolve without Flannery. The mistake would be to phase out John McCook...Stephanie Forrester should be like Phillip Chancellor II on Y&R: the start of a lifetime conflict (one between Ridge and Thorne would be good). I don't know how she'll be written out but if I was at the writer's meetings that's what I'd pitch. Her exit should be monumental but also something that triggers a whole new direction for the show because that's what it's going to take to keep the momentum going.

[AMCHistory]

I think B&B is showing signs of that evolution now. The cast is slowly inflating with more of Brooke's family, be them Forresters or Logans. It is especially prevalent with the current cast photo which has Brooke front and center, and Steph in the corner, almost an after thought.

I think the transition will cause a few major cast changes including Flannery. I can see Winsor Harmon off campus soon. I think Lesli's airtime on Y&R is her only chance of continuing as Felicia. I also think Taylor will be an after thought soon as well.

I hope they give Flannery a great exit storyline, something big a dramatic, something very Stephanie. How about some sort of cancer that gives her only a year to live? In that year, she will try her hardest to make things the way she wants it: Ridge with Taylor, her back with Eric, Brooke out of everyone's lives, etc... but the harder she tries to fix, things, the more screwed up they become.

I would love Stephanie to die not at peace, but still very much restless. She would have a grand epilogue to deliver as the final part of B&B's first chapter.

[dragonflies]

I think it will be okay, but the show will take a huge loss.

Honestly, people watch for what they watch for. If they want to watching for a particular actor/actress/character/couple, then they should, obviously then if they're only watching for a certain thing, then the show must not be giving them much else to WANT to watch......

[bakedghoti]

Yes this is exactly what the show should do. It should ste off conflicts between all characters. brooke and the forresters could battle for ownership of fc. ridge and thorne could battle for ceo. felicia and ridge should battle over head designer duties at fc.

and stephanie definitely should be killed off. i don't think a major character like steph should be written off in a lame "she goes to europe" storyline. steph has always been so involved, so for her to just up and leave would not make sense.

i think the "who shot steph" storyline should've been reserved for la flannery's exit of the show. a murder mystery could be drawn out for years. the first time steph was shot, it had not dramatic effect, because everyone knew la flannery wasn't leaving.

and if stephen and nick were somehow responsible for steph's death, then it could hinder ridge/brooke romance, reignite eric/ ridge/thorne/felicia vs. nick, create a brooke vs. felicia rivalry and reignite the logan vs. forrester feud with rick, bridget, hope and ridge jr. caught in the corssfire.

also, beefing up ashley and felicia as worthy adversaries to brooke would be a good move. brooke meddling in her children's lives and brooke becoming more of a corporate biotch at fc would be good moves.

[PJA]

Well she has hardly been on lately and the show has still been good and when she was on I wasn't particularly interested in her scenes...so yes.

[YRBB]

Is the show starting to diminish Stephanie's role already?

You know, I bet this wouldn't even be happening if Bell hadn't turned Stephanie into a carricature. The only reason the character works is because of La Flannery and the poor woman has to work hard.

[ian]

They shouldn't kill her off though if she's retiring she can come back for a few scenes here and there from time to time, but, the lady deserves a break!