Credit: Howard Wise/JPI (2); CBS Screenshot
We all knew the week would end with a fluff episode in which everyone gathered around the piano to sing for us. This is, after all, aBold & Beautifultradition. But what I didn’t expect was to see actual character growth and a thrilling car chase in the days leading up to everyone chugging spiked eggnog.
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Run, Sheila, Run!
I absolutely despise when soaps have characters climb into cars. It almost inevitably means we’re about to have one of those really badly-staged crashes in which the poor actors throw their hands up in front of their face as the camera jerks to the left and we fade to black.
That’s not, however, howBold & Beautifulrolls. I’ve often raved about their production values, and this week was no different. I was actually excited as Sheila led the LAPD — okay, one lone LAPD officer — on a high-speed chase. And how perfect that this unfolded on this particular show, which is set in California. For those not in the know, Southern California residents love nothing more than a good, old-fashioned high-speed chase. Don’t believe me? Go to YouTube and search for high-speed police chase, and you’ll find dozens of California folks on the run!
Dark Shadows
The last we saw of Sheila, she appeared to be approaching a home somewhere in Beverly Hills. And as we watched a shadow making its way up a driveway, I couldn’t help thinking it all felt very, very familiar. And then it hit me…
Unless I’m mistaken, that’s the exact same footage they used when we saw a mysterious figure approaching Bill’s home just before he was shot (by Taylor, you’ll recall) a few years ago. Was the show hinting to us that for some reason, Sheila was heading to Spencer’s manse? Could he be the person who has supposedly been funding her all this time? And if so, why?
SomeBold & Beautifulfans have had about enough of Sheila’s latest run and are hoping that she’ll soon be back behind bars (or, as we’ve been theorizing, murdered by one of these people). I suspect, however, that we have a few more twists and turns in this story. In fact, I recently heard a so-crazy-I-really-need-it-to-be-true rumor that would sure as heck keep me tuning in!
… And Just Like That
I don’t really understand how it happened, but it feels as if Ridge, Taylor and Brooke all went to sleep one night and woke up the next morning having had brain transplants. Did I miss an episode in which the trio were haunted by the ghosts of Christmas past, present and future and realized they’d spent three decades wandering around in circles? It reminded me of those old commercials where people would slap themselves in the head and say, “I coulda had a V-8!”
“I don’t mean to overstate this,” Katie said upon hearing of Brooke’s new-found independance, “but this is huge for you!” Then there was Ridge’s talk with dad Eric, in which he admitted, “I have to find a way to be a better man.”
And the hits kept coming all week. We later got Steffy saying to Taylor, “You know how much I wanted you and dad together, but not at the cost of your own self worth.”
Maybe all of us shouting at our screens simultaneously over the past few weeks did a little good. Although that smooch Ridge and Brooke shared at the end of the week left me worried that she might already be thinking, “You know, heisvery rich and very handsome, and if Taylor’s really moved on… “
Suspicious Minds…
The other big story point this week, which came out of nowhere (as often happens on this show) was Katie’s appointment with her cardiologist… who just happened to be Paris’ mom, Grace.
Don’t get me wrong… anytime this show wants to give the incomparable Heather Tom something to do, I’m all in. Especially if it involves something other than the endless back-and-forth with Bill. But I have absolutely no idea what the point of this story was. Are we supposed to think that Grace, seeing Katie has now moved on with Carter, lied about the test results, perhaps keeping her patient in the dark about a worrisome condition? Or was this just, I don’t know, a random way to fill some time on a Wednesday episode.
But here’s why I don’t buy that last theory: This is not a show that does that. Ever. If they need to “fill time” they just have people endlessly discuss whatever people in other scenes are doing. So yeah, I can’t help thinking there’s something more going on here…
Meanwhile, I wish the writers had been a bit more thoughtful in the message Grace delivered to Katie during their chat, as illustrated by the exchange below.
As almost 19 yrs post heart transplant I agree! Had one scare around year 9 but none since!
— jamie bendure (@BendureJamie) December 22, 2022
Random Thoughts…
• When Brooke explained to Katie that she and Taylor “weren’t punishing Ridge or belittling him in any way,” I couldn’t help responding, “Girl, leave that to us. We’ll take care of it.” And yes, I routinely talk to the television.
• Anybody else just about fall outta their chair when Brooke mentioned R.J.?
• While Steffy looked downright adorable in that white outfit — complete with a beret and feathers — I was like, “Wait… so even knowing Sheila was on the loose, you took the time to get glammed up before heading to the office to tell your mom and, for some reason, Carter? Priorities, woman!
• Nice mention of Storm, whose heart Katie now has. On other shows, that would be an indication that he was on his way back from the dead, but that wasn’t the case here.
• This is a soap which overuses flashbacks on a regular basis. But the one showing Brooke urging Katie to live after her heart transplant was great in that not only was it years old, but it gave us some context into how Katie’s feeling of late.
Ready for our annual Best & Worst picks? From the lamest couple to the most gripping storyline, here’s what made our list in 2022!
