B&B: January Discussion Thread

[NorrthCafe]

Will 2010 be a banner year for The Bold and The Beautiful?

Will all of the big emotional moments be linked to the death of a beloved character?

Can the Logan women pull it all back together and stand strong as a family?

Will Stephanie Douglas grow a heart?

Will Stephanie realized that her namesake granddaughter has inherited her penchant for covering her sleazy behavior with moralizing about her purity while hurting others?

More partner swapping? Less partner swapping? Would it be tbe BnB without partner swapping?

[Cat]

No.

Yes.

Only until some guy hovers into view and then it's all "True love! This time it's For Real!"

Momentarily.

Yes but she'll continue pretending that Steffy shits silver.

Yes. No. Honestly -- no. More's the pity.

[NorrthCafe]

I got that sick gooey feeling that you're right after watching today's show, Cat. If Nick falls for Sandy while helping her investigate her rape, I'll blow my lumch. Why isn't WHIP helping her? Nick is such a putz it makes me ill. I'm sure the writers want the character to make amends for being such a louse, especially to Bridget, but all I can think of is his betrayal of Bridget and the fact that she's not included in this mess.

The only thing I can give the writers credit for is that they learned from the criticism of how they handled Brooke's rape. They treated it as the prelude to a fairytale romance rather than a violent assault against a woman. What a misogynistic misfire on their part. Having Brooke and Ridge investigate Andy, track down other victims, and bring him to justice would have had far more dramatic impact, given what we saw of that pig and what he did to Brooke. At least they're trying to make amends.

As for Steffy, she's clearly taking over for her emotionally dead beat mother! Stephanie refused to acknowledge that taylor didn't crap silver (gold or bronze... she craps more a cheap overlay). What mother goes as far a covering her DIL's adultery, forgiving bigamy, and even lying to try to keep her dalliances with other men a secret? That's a lot of hate for Brooke gets to wear out another generation of 'useful idiots' in her war against Brooke - this time her own granddaughter. Shouldn't Steph's name be changed to 'Big Pimpin'? It's what she does so well.

[MarkH]

Nick has that sick rescue thing going on. Remember Katie and the island? Or for that matter, his whole fracking relationship with Brooke.

I liked your (Norrth's?) idea of having Sandy/Aggie fall for Bridget instead.

[NorrthCafe]

It wasn't my idea, but I find it intriguing. What will Nick do then? He tends to get physically violent when he's emotionally threatened. I don't know how he'd handle Sandy.

[P.J.]

I know today was supposed to be completely, utterly dramatic and serious...but I kept waiting for Sarah Brown to do her patented tear finger flick.

That and the complete uber-earnestness of that speech of hers....there are times Bell tries too hard to be serious, and it comes off as manipulative and cloying.

But I frakkin' floved the Brooke/Whip talk. Why, oh why, couldn't we have gotten some Whrooke (Brip?) rehash?

[MarkH]

Oh, don't rule out a Whip/Brooke rehash. Relationships on this show only last 13 weeks.

[alphanguy74]

I'm gonna just say this.... I think Sarah Brown kinda oversold it today. I like her.... but it was almost verging on Joan Crawford type stuff. Perhaps that damn Dark shadows type music they were using caused the problem.

[MoTheGreat]

Once he really move on from Brooke. Or should I say seem like he moved on. Brooke would come knocking & He'll be open for business.

[NorrthCafe]

Good graciousness, can someone stop taylor from lying and whining!?!?!?!? Brooke took NOTHING from her, NOTHING. taylor continued to hook up with men she KNEW loved Brooke - they freakin' told her, REPEATEDLY! The triangle started when Ridge USED taylor to try to make Brooke jealous when she wouldn't leave Eric for him. Even worse, Ridge dumped taylor the MOMENT Brooke told him that she would be with him. Their entire lives, the woman has tried to force Ridge to stay away from Brooke and he wouldn't, no matter how much she cried. He told her he'd never gotten over Brooke and she still tried to force him to love her. DITTO on Nick, who did exactly what Ridge did, swore he was over Brooke - but got involved with taylor not long after Brooke gave him the boot.

The only grounds taylor has for complaining is the mess with Jack. Other than that? She's just making excuses for throwing herself in Brooke's life and then trying to make herself a victim.

[NorrthCafe]

No matter which board you read, BnB boards are like ghost towns...

:::tumbleweeds blowing by on cue:::

What is it about this soap? I strong suspect that because the plots are repeated so often, fans feel as if they're writing the same thing over and over again and just get board. Example:

"Who would sleep with their (mother's/daughter's/sister's/brother's/father's) spouse?"

"Stephanie is really going to kill (Brooke/Donna/Jackie) this time"

"Isn't he too old to keep sleeping with women that young?" (Usually a reference to Eric

"He's such a pervert" (fit for any BnB male)?

"They do realize that they're still family right? Who dates in their own family?"

"I knew the spoiler was wrong and that a 'major' character wouldn't die!"

Have I covered the major BnB plots for the past 20 + years?

[MarkH]

LOL. I'm off B&B again. Mostly because of a lack of time...but also because I seem unable to sit through it for long periods now. If the stories aren't great (and they currently aren't), I can't sustain it.

But I now what you mean...B&B is getting no fan reaction. Are the boards over at theboldandthebeautiful.com so dead too?

You're making the same point as that excellent "Soaps in the Bunker". (I paraphrase) "B&B has been running the same story for 20 years. Did they think no one would notice??"

[y&r_fan]

Sandy was supposed to be a Sheila-esque psycho (something B&B has needed since... well... Sheila) - not a walking, talking PSA who falls victim to Nick's enchanted genitals. If they go that route, I'll be pissed.

[P.J.]

I can't stand Sandy. I'm completely uninterested in yet another "save me Nick" story.

I don't like Katie and Bill (heck, I just don't like Heather Tom or Katie) and even though I stopped watching Y*R too many years ago to count, I still get a skeevy little chill at the thought of Brad doing Victoria.

I don't think the retaking of Forrester story makes a bit of sense. Lemme get this straight---their "big" plan is to prove Bill's got no fashion sense---when even HE can see those designs are crap? Do they swat flys with sledgehammers too out in LA?

And I'm really REALLY disappointed Rick Hearst is being thrown under Hunter Tylo's inflatable fun bag ride. I adore Rick Hearst. I've had a crush on him since his GL days. And THIS was the best they could come up with for him to do? Eat lemon bars, look out for his mopey cousin and TAYLOR the rubber lipped woman? *eyeroll*

ATWT is on fire...and it's canceled. B&B is crap, and it's the most watched show in the world (last I heard anyway.) There is no justice in the world at all. NONE.

[MarkH]

Ditto

I like the portrayers. I thought there was ENORMOUS potential when Bill talked about being damaged, and Katie was intrigued. I liked the idea of a long and troubled tale in which he's a bad man, she's a good girl...she keeps trying to reform him, but he's resistant to being reformed. Rather than marry them, I wanted to see years of tortured romance. I truly think Bill could have been positioned as a "Victor Newman" (controlling, arrogant, cold) and Katie could have been positioned as a "Nikki" (not quite...but a girl with a troubled past and father-abandonment/self-esteem issues) who always tries to see the good in him. True love could have continued to fail in the face of all their baggage. THAT'S the story I want. Not...this.

When you put it like that, I feel stupider than ever.

So this is what we get when Jerry Birn passes on, and Patrick Mulcahey becomes the new story consultant? Dude has LOST his mojo!

Early nominee for quote-of-the-decade! I think a slow, beautiful Dark Victory death for Taylor is needed. Then, if Tylo ever gets her act together, they can always say Omar replaced her cancer-riddled body with a CGI facsimile...and healed her.

I can't comment on the justice...but I'm thinking I've seen lots of evidence that B&B is in decline internationally...cancelled in New Zealand, shrinking ratings in Europe, anemic near-death ratings/demos in the US. Put it all together and I keep wondering about Brad Bell's optimism.

It seems clear that B&B will be around until Fall 2011, and may persist as long as Brad sells CBS the show "at a deficit" (translation: at Game Show prices). But when the international sales stop making up the costs, not even Brad Bell can continue to keep this sick thing around.

I want to love this show. I have watched it from the start. But it is such continuous betrayal of trust with this show -- and such repeated misuse of strong actors -- I can't seem to find any faith.