B&B: Week of June 29, 2009

[bellcurve]

Quagmire's GOTTA GO!

[P.J.]

As much as I appreciate the few Brooke/Steph bonding moments we've ever gotten...today's was mostly horse****. After like 25 friggin' years, now Steph understands Brooke loves Ridge? Who the HELL would put up with Steph's interference from practically the minute they met, if they didn't LOVE someone?

But I did think KKL's acting was a LOT better today than during the actual "breakup".

[MarkH]

Watching B&B is a little like dealing with cancer. (I can say this, because we're actually dealing with both in our house right now). You hope for good days. In a generally bleak prognosis, you hope for good days.

So, I guess today's episode was a good day.

I basically like the Nick-Bridget-Owen-Jackie hijinks in Hawaii quad. It is a nice change of pace, and I like the clever location and stock footage work. Today's show was written by Mulcahey, and he doesn't have the slapstick down as a well as Jack Smith (yesterday). But it was nonetheless amusing and entertaining.

I'm ambivalent about this dialog below. On the one hand, as soon as I heard it I thought "ugh, Mulcahey florid again!". Those blasted monologues sound so unlike real life. On the other hand, the combination of the words and the performances...as much horsesh!t as it was (I agree, Stephanie knows Brooke loves Ridge)....was strangely affecting.

[Cashton]

I really, really wanted to like today's episode. Especially the exchange btween Steph and Brooke, but as many have pointed out, how could Stephanie not know Brooke loved Ridge? And Steph HAS acknowledged that before in their other heart-tohearts. It just seemd like an excuse to have our two faves conversate, which we love, but it had no teeth.

I hope Brooke really does fall for Whip this time. I really want to see Tridge chadsing Rick and Steffy all over the place while Brip just sip mojitos and enojy LA's wonderful weather right now.

[P.J.]

I know what that speech of Brooke's was supposed to say. But I don't think it succeeded.

But I did chuckle at both Steph and Taylor's halting admissions that Brooke's actions were noble and mature. I'm surprised either of those old battleaxes would give Brooke any credit. Then I laughed because Taylor's actions were so self-serving. She knows Ridge still loves Brooke, so she used her kids to get him to stay within her web.

[MarkH]

Respect to B&B for shooting on the beach at sunset. While that pink-orange filter they had to use was a little messed up, it was still remarkably shot. It seemed like a bonafide location, shot on a local-LA budget!

Damn! I thought Stephanie was going to be sympathetic to Brooke. Instead, she lectures her on how these are her "consequences" and "Taylor gives Ridge what he needs--stability"?

What????????????

Isn't Taylor the drunken hot mess who killed Darla, lost her mind over scrambled eggs, slept with Brooke's SON, and drugged Ridge to have her way with him??

I'm disappointed that they couldn't have played up the part where Stephanie said "I have lost everything too". These women now are at common ground. It is from that place that sympathy and a genuine friendship could be forged. After all, in some ways, we all believe that it is Stephanie as surrogate mother that Brooke REALLY wanted all along.

[BadZoe]

Jack Ass Smith is the second biggest hack in the industry, next to Bradley Bell.

[DRW50]

Darla was married to Thorne, so Stephanie doesn't care about her.

[P.J.]

Yeah...instead of leaving the Steph/Brooke conversation where it ended yesterday, they just had to have Steph go back and twist the knife. I'll never understand why EVERYONE is so damned determined that Ridge's "true" family is the children he had with Taylor. He was a father figure to both Rick and Bridget (and for quite a while thought he was Bridget's father), but that never mattered to Steph or Taylor. He's probably the only father Hope knows---again, that doesn't matter, because he "lost" Phoebe and Thomas now has "problems". It doesn't matter if RJ has to deal with a broken home--because Ridge's adult kids want daddy back at home with Mother. *eyeroll*

HECK...even according to Bell's revamped history, BROOKE spent years raising Thomas and the twins, when Taylor was undead, with Taylor's blessing...and it's just NOT ENOUGH to prove anything to anyone.

It would have been uniquely profound for Stephanie to realize she and Brooke were at the same place in their lives--and show her some true compassion. Instead Bell took the cheap way out, and made it nothing more than another "praise St.Taylor" speech.

[Juliajms]

It's even more strange considering that RJ is Ridge's child and he's still a little kid. He probably needs Ridge more than Steffy and Thomas at this point. He's Stephenie's grandson too, but she doesn't seem to think about him in all this.

[Cheap21]

The Stephanie/Brooke scenes were bad. I have to say Brooke hasnt done anything wrong here. For Stephanie to say that Brooke is paying for the consequences of her actions here seemed ridiculous

[MarkH]

Yup! Best summary I have seen.

Poor RJ. Great point!!!

I was so disappointed in the knife-twisting.

[Cashton]

Brooke and Steph's rivalry is the most complex relationship on this soap and they're just ruining it.

[ian]

I'm just coming back from a long B&B hiatus, mostly because of scheduling... full-time job all that... but I found a spot where I can check it out online in Canada so I'm happy. I'm enjoying what's developing in spite of the holes (kind of like Y&R) maybe I'm just turning my brain off more lately, but I imagine the honeymoon will soon be over again.

I think Taylor has to do something that will make her fall out of grace with Stephanie so that she will stop defending everything she does simply because she hates Brooke so much more.

[DeeeDee]

Donna Logan is a pekingese.