Has your week been bold and beautiful? Did your sun salutation become a love salutation? Did you want to shop at Target for your baby, not make your baby a target? Did you see the signs of love, or just dollar signs? These and more situations faced the Forrester-Logan-Spencer-Spectra-Buckingham clan this week!
Ho, ho, ho, Scoopers! B&B's delivered us a real Christmas present this year, because this tale of Taylor's takedown suddenly has tons of tantalizing tangentials. (How's that for alliteration?) Not only is Taylor's self-examination fascinating, but the long-departed Phoebe also got some luv, and Mama Tay is right in position to upset the apple cart of Leffy/Lope's blended fam. And then there's Reese! Rut-ro! Let's Scoop about it!
MY GIRL WANTS TO PARTY ALL THE TIME
Note to self: next time I feel awkward at a party, all I have to do is spout my personal business to a total stranger, and I'll feel much better. That's what Taylor did at Steffy's Intimates thank-you party, which was so intimate, pretty much none of the models were actually there. Maybe they heard ahead of time that Taylor was going to pop off with a Brooke rant and decided it'd be more fun to face hordes of holiday shoppers instead.
Even more a fish out of water was Zoe's dad, Reese, who took Taylor's diarrhea of the mouth in stride. There seemed to be a bit of a spark between these new acquaintances, but Taylor was saving her longing looks for any container that happened to contain some Ernest & Julio. Hot damn! Could that be why Taylor has gone off the deep end lately, why she only seems crazy? She could be drinking again!
For some reason, that never occurred to me, even with all of Taylor's erratic behavior, but now that the show's pointed it out, it makes perfect sense. Her conversational hydroplaning, the way she fixates on anyone who causes Steffy pain or just mild discomfort, her paranoia -- it's totally plausible. Maybe when Ridge insinuated Bill raped Steffy, Taylor got so upset, she took a drink, and bang! She's Annie Oakley.
Taylor could have been in a blackout when she shot Bill, and the guilt certainly could push her to the edge. She could also be what's called a "dry drunk," where the alcoholic isn't drinking but is still "in the same headspace as [she] was when [she] drank. Hope described Taylor as easily upset, confrontational, and stuck in the past. That fits the definition of "dry drunk" to a T.
Steffy had to be wondering, too, because the second she saw her mom thinking about the cheese that could go with all that wine, she texted her dad faster than you could say "wannabe intervention." It was on Ridge's mind, anyway, as he and Brooke had just been discussing the third corner to their perennial triangle. "I've had my issues with alcohol," Brooke empathized, "so I understand." Great reference to #DrunkBrooke!
I'M GONNA NEED TO SEE SOME IDENTIFICATION
Of course, #DrunkTaylor lasted way longer than Brooke's three-second addiction to the bottle. When Ridge "happened" to stop by, Taylor recognized what was going on and got realer than real with her ex and daughter. She questioned her mothering skills and felt that her apparent failure was responsible for Steffy's loss of Liam. Taylor thought she should have fought harder for Ridge and wondered if maybe Brooke was right!
You heard it here first! Taylor lent credence to Brooke's fear that she shouldn't be alone with baby Kelly. But it got better. "I used to be so different," Taylor reflected. She had been confident, a beacon for her wayward patients... "What happened to that woman?" Taylor wanted to know. "I can't get my bearings...my emotions are all over the place." This is turning into an identity crisis story for Taylor, and I love love love it.
It's just not something you see on soaps very often -- especially this one. B&B characters just do what they do, whether it gibes with their personality or not, then move on as if they never acted out of character. Which is why it's so refreshing to see Taylor taking stock of herself. We know this is not the same woman we watched for years, and now we're being told it isn't just us. I am genuinely impressed.
The cherry to this sundae would be an answer to Taylor's query of how she got to this point. As I outlined in my last column, there are any number of legitimate reasons Taylor could have gone to the Dark Side. And Tay-Tay, don't beat yourself too much with all that "I shot a man!" stuff. Steffy shot Sheila last year and never gave it a second thought! And Ridge got shot in the head 30 years ago. So, it's all in the family.
THIS EPISODE SPONSORED BY...
Having been up front with Steffy and Liam that she had been tempted to take a drink the night before, Taylor announced, "I have to go see my A.A. sponsor now." Good on her! My only nitpick is...well, Taylor hasn't lived in L.A. since 2013. One would assume she got a new sponsor in Paris. Yet she walked into the office of one Dr. Lisa Burr like the woman had been her sponsor all along. Over FaceTime, maybe? Cyber-sponsoring?
It didn't matter, because Lisa was awesome! I immediately felt comfortable with her, and she rightly reminded Taylor that she had to keep striving for sobriety for herself, not just for granddaughter Kelly. Hopefully this also means Taylor is still attending Twelve-Step meetings. I would be happy to meet Taylor's therapist, too; bring back Katie's one-day shrink, Chris McKenna! Okay, that's for my well-being, not necessarily Taylor's. Woof.
Hopefully we'll see more of Lisa; maybe she'll even become a bigger part of the canvas. Reese already beat Lisa to it, since he strolled by Dr. Burr's office just in time to recognize Taylor -- a woman, by his own admission, he'd only met twelve hours ago -- from the back. Hmm, coincidence, or was it a sign, as Reese suggested? At least Reese acknowledged it was wild, considering millions of people called L.A. home.
...SPONSORED BY VASELINE LIP THERAPY
Taylor chuckled that maybe their impromptu second meeting was a sign of something. I should say so! Remember in 2011 when she was told a cat on her rainy doorstep was a sign and then Thorne showed up as if he was the answer to her prayers? Yeah, she probably doesn't, either. They should seriously have Thorne weigh in on Taylor's mental state. He had his third (if I'm counting right) failed romance with her in Paris in 2014.
Reese had a glint in his eye like he wanted to take his own shot at romance with Taylor, and conversed with her leisurely. Not exactly the job performance you want to exhibit when you've just been hired on at a major hospital. Imagine all the patients jamming their call buttons while Reese stands there, looking like he wants to prescribe Taylor a hot beef injection!
Not that the ego boost wasn't good for Taylor. Her crazed look of late mellowed into a certain gleam, and she admitted it had been a while since she'd worn that expression. She'd been on her own for a long time. She could barely remember what it was like to...well, she didn't have to do any more memory work there, because Reese busted a move on her like it was 1989 and he was Young MC! "You want it...baby, you got it!"
Reese admitted he was impulsive...and Taylor laughed and said that she liked him but wasn't ready for kisses. Maybe she's recalling that Twelve-Step manifesto that advises against involvements early into sobriety. But...why did I get a "moved on her like a bitch" vibe from Doc Buck? Not that I've never kissed someone impulsively or been kissed impulsively...maybe I'd have thought nothing of it had I not been privy to Zoe's doubts.
SUPERFREAK! SUPERFREAK! HE'S SUPER FREAKY...YOW
Backtracking to the Intimates party, Zoe assured her dad that she and Xander weren't there as a date. But later, the cyber-stalker was grateful that she had gotten a second chance with her X-Man. And that's all great, but...what did Zoe do to drive Xander clear across the Atlantic to begin with? This kid was so spooked by her, he hid his British accent to avoid anyone making the connection between them. Now he's all good?
It would inform both Buckinghams (not the most original British name, and Reese isn't even a Brit) if we could learn what Zoe's misdeed was. She's been described as possessive...now she's describing her pop as "a little intense." Could the heather berry not fall far from the heather? Probably not important, since Xander told Zoe he wouldn't have her any other way. That's not what you were about a few months ago, bro.
Zoer, or Zoe-ander, or whatever smoosh name would actually work for them, got their mojo jinxed by new intern Tiffany, who isn't really that new, since she was the one who reminded Emma in October how Emma had "gotten" toward a "Jonathan", not that we found out what the deal was there, either. Then Reese showed up, probably wearing just a hint of Taylor's lip gloss, to meet the Tiffster.
Yes, sure, it was kind of a trip to see Wayne Brady "meet" his daughter Maile. I'll reserve any further judgment until Maile gets more relaxed in front of the camera. At least her presence told us Emma was working part-time while in school (does Forrester not pay their interns?), and led to the revelation that FC is still working with Fenmore's. Lauren made that arrangement with her department store chain back in 1995!
After Reese made no secret of his interest in Taylor, Zoe made it clear to Xander that her dad hadn't been with her mom, or any other woman, for very long. He couldn't be alone, and when it came to romance, he jumped right in. And what came from that was Kiara Barnes getting to deliver a serious, understated performance, which her flamboyant character hadn't allowed for thus far.
Privately, Zoe reminded Reese that he usually went after loaded ladies. Reese countered by asking questions about Taylor...and then if Zoe knew anything about Brooke! Hey...is Reese going to make inroads with Taylor by tormenting Brooke? And let's not forget, Reese is an OB/GYN. Didn't y'all see The Hand That Rocks the Cradle? Maybe Reese's examinations aren't appropriate! He could be trouble.
GIVE IT AWAY, GIVE IT AWAY, GIVE IT AWAY NOW
The Logan sisters all blew off work to help Hope pick out a name for her baby...without the baby's father anywhere near. Surely this bunch is out of family names to repurpose; Brooke was fine with anything as long as the child wasn't called Taylor. Donna and Katie, both being, like totally, kids of the '80s, fully picked up the cluephone, which rang loudly because of Brooke's barely hidden hostility toward her one-time/current nemesis.
Brooke dropped so many hints about Taylor's misdeeds and mental state that Katie and Donna's ears definitely perked up. Hope was desperate to keep Brooke from blabbing, and that Brooke even peripherally went there with her sibs was out of line. La Logan milked the hell out of her reveal, but before she could actually come out and say Taylor had used Bill for target practice, Katie saw Hope's unease and ushered Donna out.
Hope was furious that Brooke almost squealed! She and Steffy were trying to build a bridge between their families, and the last thing they needed was tension between their mothers! Isn't that a funky twist, though? For once, Steffy and Hope are getting along and have accepted each other's relationships with Liam, and instead of more of their triangle, it's their moms who could end up flushing the whole thing down the toilet. Cool!
Brooke felt her sisters had a right to know what Taylor was capable of and was most worried about Hope and her baby. Finally! There has been so much talk the last couple of weeks about what Taylor could do to Kelly. Yeah, Taylor could get drunk and/or snap and endanger the tyke, but Taylor bears no ill will toward her own granddaughter. The baby keeping Steffy and Liam apart...that's another matter!
Hope should find that tower Bill once locked Katie in and stash herself there until after she delivers, and then keep her kid under armed guard as long as Taylor still shows signs of instability. But even Liam was more concerned with Kelly's fate at the hands of Taylor than he was his unborn baby. Until he wasn't! Liam didn't want Taylor alone with Kelly then resisted the same idea when it came out of Hope's mouth.
But if you thought the Waffle King had been conflicted before, that was nothing compared to the pressure cooker he found himself in now. Taylor and Steffy wanted Liam to talk to Brooke and Hope about not turning Taylor in to the cops. Yet Brooke and Hope wanted Liam to talk to Taylor and Steffy about not having solo time with Kelly and maybe leaving town! The boy was whipped from four sides! It was priceless.
Liam really didn't get to say much of anything, which was just as well because Steffy spent no less than three episodes telling Liam that Taylor wasn't a danger to Kelly. So frustrating! And head-scratching, considering just the night before, Steffy was so worried about Taylor that she called Ridge in as a reinforcement. How can Steffy turn around and insist that Kelly would be perfectly safe around her grandma?
DOWNWARD, DOG!
Getting a chance to show her flexibility -- and why Wyatt is a very happy man these days - Sally struck a yoga pose and tried to get Wyatt to do it with her. Let that sink in. Wyatt doing yoga. Wasn't it not long ago that Wyatt referred to half-bro Liam as Yoga Boy, and not as a compliment? Oh, the irony. Yeah, it's harder than it looks, isn't it, Wyatt? Bet you won't be so quick to rag on Liam the next time!
Anyway, Wally, also playing hooky, was fresh off Steffy telling Wyatt the night before that Sally wanted a baby. I love the BFF connection between Steffy and Sally...if only we'd seen a transition into it. A year ago, Steffy was pissed at Sally for kissing Liam when they were trapped under the Spectra rubble. Speaking of Spectra, Sally thought it was easier running that biz than it was to merely be a cog in the wheel at Forrester.
Did anybody ever tell the O.S. (Original Sally) that Sally didn't reboot the company as requested, and that her beloved company was torched and demolished? But Sally 2.0 wasn't about the past, she was about the future. She wanted to do a yoga line at Forrester, or at least an active wear line. Wyatt thought a surf line would fit better. Obvi, he wasn't around in 2009 when Forrester did a surf line which Pam crocheted bikinis for.
After stretching through a few poses of their own (ahem, ahem), Wyatt got unusually awkward and dorky. He was sure he'd shown Sally, but he'd never said the words. Sally caught on. But she wasn't the type of girl who needed to hear those words...until Wyatt uttered them. Aww! And double aww! Wally's been together six months, which is about four years in soap time. Nice to hear them finally exchanging L-words! Triple aww!
SOMETHING IN THE WAY SHE MOVES
While the normally gentle Hope took a hard line with Liam and told him in no uncertain terms that Taylor would not be allowed around her baby, Steffy was at the cliff house, reassuring her mom. "Hey, you can survive anything -- you've proven that over and over," Steffy bragged. Right? I mean, anyone who can survive being "dead" twice...but I digress. Things got poignant when the ladies' chat turned to the subject of Phoebe!
I'm kind of surprised we don't hear about Phoebe more often. On Y&R, the no-longer-with-us Cassie Newman got remembrances almost every year. Phoebe Forrester beefed it and the show seemed to forget about her soon after. And you'd think if Taylor wanted vengeance against anyone, it would be Rick, who played a part in the death of her daughter. Hey, maybe that's why we don't see Rick anymore. Taylor offed him!
Taylor wondered what kind of woman Phoebe would be now, and Steffy confided that at one point, she had thought she was having twins and was disappointed to learn she wasn't because her daughter wouldn't get to grow up with a twin like Steffy had. The tribute was great...if you ignore that Phoebe and Steffy were identical twins until they were suddenly fraternal. But, you know, details. What do I know about them?
Steffy surmised she'd been right about having twins in the form of Hope's baby being a "twin" to Kelly, which is actually a really cool correlation, not to mention it boosts Steffy's motivation for creating a blended family with Hope. Too bad we didn't get flashbacks of Phoebe; Jacqueline MacInnes Wood was on at the same time as Mackenzie Mauzy. Still, 'twas a meaningful ten-year anniversary commemoration of Phoebe's death.
Steffy held to the contention that Liam should talk to Hope and Brooke about not ratting out Taylor...until Steffy finally read my mind and decided to talk to the Logan ladies herself. Like, duh, Steffy. You think your namesake, Stephanie, would have sent Eric to do that job? Unfortunately, Brooke had the idea to talk to Steffy at the same time. Unfortunate because Steffy chose to leave Kelly in Taylor's care in her absence!
Again, would Steffy really do that if she was worried Taylor might drink again? Maybe that was the reason Steffy up and asked Taylor to move in with her and Kelly! Much easier to keep an eye on her mom if she's under the same roof. But if that was on Steffy's mind, she didn't tell us. Nor did she tell Liam about the idea before proposing it to Taylor! For real? Steffy knows Liam isn't comfortable with Taylor being near Kelly.
Hope was as upset at the news as Liam was. But when Steffy reminded Hope it was none of her business, Hope said it was definitely Liam's business. Tell it, gurl. Why did Steffy not run this by Liam first? I mean, I love her "I choose me" mantra of late, but this is ridiculous. As was Liam just standing there drooling. "I do see both sides," he told Hope and Brooke of the Taylor situation. Now we know why he waffles!
Well, Taylor wasn't serving waffles when she opened up the door to Brooke, just Meow Mix. Question: why is Kelly blonde? Both Liam and Steffy have dark hair. Is Steffy taking Kelly with her when she gets her highlights done? Anyway, Brooke, who has been a little more holier-than-thou about Taylor than seems necessary, was none too thrilled to learn Kelly was hanging out solo with her gun-toting grandmother!
Taylor didn't want to hear another lecture and said she'd die for Kelly. "I also think you'd put a bullet in somebody's back just to protect her," Brooke added. Logan thought Doc should split L.A. -- what if something triggered Taylor or made her snap? Oh, you mean like harassing Taylor constantly about what a danger she is? Conflict drives drama, of course, but I wouldn't mind Brooke having a little more compassion toward Taylor here.
After all, friendly moments between enemies rock. Like Brooke comforting Taylor when she was dying of tuberculosis. Or when Taylor grabbed Sheila's gun so Brooke wouldn't get shot. But don't visit Hallmark, because they don't make a card for finding out your unstable nemesis is moving in with their infant granddaughter! It was exactly what Taylor needed! And what made Valley Girl Brooke say, "Like, gag me with a spoon!"
What do you think of Taylor moving in to Casa Steffy, Scoopers? Who's overreacting, Team Hope/Brooke or Team Steffy/Taylor? Do you like the delving into Taylor's identity crisis? Will Reese using Taylor be what sets her off? And where the hell has Taylor been living all these weeks? Fill out your change of address card in the Comments section below or on the Soap Central message boards, or simply click here to submit feedback. Your comments could wind up in a future column! Like these!
"I used to be Team Taylor...I now dislike Taylor, and here's why. Taylor keeps saying 'Brooke stole my husband and broke up my family!' What about Ridge? Why is there no anger towards Ridge for his total disregard for Taylor, his marriage and his family? Why did Ridge not set Brooke straight when she would pull one of her stunts in order to entice him? Because Ridge loved the attention! Brooke couldn't do anything that Ridge didn't allow her to do, yet Taylor places the blame for Ridge leaving solely on Brooke?" -- "thomascd"
"All the people wondering why Taylor is unhinged confuses me. Ridge told her something horrific happened to her daughter and when she saw Bill she shot and nearly killed him. From what I have seen, the fact that she tried to kill someone and that she could spend her life in prison for it seems to have been the straw that broke the camel's back." -- Danielle
"I used to be totally be on Brooke's side. She was a lot like Steffy by [knowing] what she wanted and was constantly undermined by Stephanie who was in Taylor's corner...but now Brooke is sanctimonious and Taylor unhinged? Seriously B&B you have turned [two once] incredible women into caricatures of [themselves]!" -- Marlene
Thank you for supporting me and my columns all year, Scoopers! (Hey, examining TV shows is what I do; you and/or the Bewitched fans in your life might like my take on that series.) Next week, Chanel will get the year-end ball rolling with her Best and Worst installment, and after that, it'll be me delivering my own, just in time for New Year's. You ain't gonna wanna miss 'em!
Taylor's shaking things up for the holidays, so keep watching, be alert, and most of all, be bold. And, however you celebrate this time -- or if you don't celebrate it at all -- remember: no matter color, creed, religion, gender identity, orientation, or nationality, we're all beautiful.
What are your thoughts on The Bold and the Beautiful? What did you think of this week's Two Scoops? We want to hear from you -- so drop your comments in the Comments section below, tweet about it on Twitter, share it on Facebook, or chat about it on our Message Boards.
