In one of my favorite movies of all-time, The Way We Were, Robert Redford sees how committed and passionate Barbra Streisand is when she sets her mind to something and says to her, "Go get 'em, Katie." I was thinking of that line this week as I watched our Katie, one of the infamous Logan girls, go after the truth about Steffy's MRI. Unfortunately, I didn't see Bill cast in the Redford role, because while he's nearly as good-looking -- and you are, Don Diamont! -- Bill had no interest in supporting Katie's efforts to set the record straight. In fact, Bill would have liked to have told Katie, "Back off!"
It pains me to say it, friends, but that marriage is doomed. They were once a great power couple, but not anymore. It looks like Katie and Bill are not going to make it. He's a liar and a manipulator, and she's a good person with principles. They're like oil and water; they don't mix. Bill doesn't really deserve a wife as good as Katie's been. She's put up with a lot of crap from him, not the least of which was his inappropriate obsession with Steffy when he nearly left Katie to be with her. (Memories of that near-seduction in Steffy's childhood bedroom still give me the creeps!) That was followed by Bill's inane interference with Steffy and Liam's weekend in Aspen, also known as the Great Gondola Conspiracy. Finally, we've had the recent Mexican MRI mischief... Seriously, only Bill would think to look at a brain scan and find a way to make it say what he wanted it to say!
But you have to admire Katie; at least I do. She didn't buy the coincidences. It was just too convenient that as soon as Liam was ready to end his sham of a marriage with Steffy, the brain scan showed that Steffy had a life-threatening blood clot that might be dislodged -- and kill Steffy -- if she were stressed out in any way, shape, or form. And who was it that was in with the doctor when this information came to light? Bill. I still don't like the way he ran roughshod over that Mexican doctor, by the way. I would have loved it if the doctor picked him up and threw him out of the examination room!
What I love about Katie is that instead of just simpering and stewing about whether Bill did something to alter the MRI, she took the file from Allison's desk and went to see her doctor to find out what was what. Unlike Donna and Brooke, those other Logan ladies, Katie's a woman of action. She wanted answers, and she got them. Kudos, too, to the doctor who had the wherewithal to look into Steffy's medical records and get the previous brain scan from the bathtub accident. That was excellent storytelling by Brad Bell. It made perfect sense that there would be a record of Steffy's past hospital visits. I'm kind of surprised that Taylor and Ridge didn't think to ask a doctor if Steffy's prior head injury might impact this current one. It was a logical assumption.
Now that Katie is onto Bill and he hasn't denied that he lied through his teeth about Steffy being dangerously sick, do you think that'll open the door for Liam to finally walk out on Steffy? I'm beginning to doubt it. Even armed with the truth and aware of the fact that he's been duped, Liam's not likely to act. He's in a quandary of his own making. See, I think he does love Hope and wants to be with her...but he also loves Steffy and wants to be with her. In fact, the more sexually involved Liam is with Steffy, the less inclined he'll be to give up what he has with her. Or else he will go for the pure love with Hope, only to then realize that he's still yearning for Steffy in bed. Can you imagine if he gives up Steffy, marries Hope, and then finds out that they don't enjoy each other in an intimate way? Wouldn't that be a kick in the head!
That is one legitimate advantage to today's looser morals: you can take out your partner for a test drive. You know, find out if you want to be driving that car for the rest of your life! Maybe you discover that a stick shift isn't your fancy and you'd prefer an automatic transmission? Maybe being in the fast lane is too much on a regular basis? But don't misunderstand -- I'm not saying that being with Hope would be like driving a Volkswagen Beetle compared to Steffy's Porsche. We just don't know because Hope hasn't left the showroom yet. Nobody's been behind her wheel, so to speak. She's still got that new car aroma; she's still has plastic on the car seats; she's still all new and shiny... Okay, enough car analogies, you get the idea. Let's move on!
One last ironic twist in the Steffy MRI story: did you notice that Liam was being asked to stay with Steffy for medical reasons, in much the same way that Bill chose to stay with Katie after her heart transplant became an issue again? Was that in the back of Bill's mind when he came up with the idea of cementing Liam to Steffy because of a medical issue the way he's been chained to Katie? Is that how he sees his marriage? I wonder...
I'm trying to block from my memory the other "major" plot point from last week: Nick and Pam's trip to Let's Make A Deal. I guess CBS was thrilled with all that daytime cross-promotion, but it was painful to watch. Really. Like nails on chalkboard. Who was more embarrassed -- Jack Wagner in the lobster suit or his character, Nick Marone? I never saw so much squirming with discomfort. Alley Mills is great; I love her. This was clearly a scene designed to give her a chance to shine, but she's capable of more than just obvious sketch comedy.
Maybe Brad just can't write comedy... But at least this hokum set up a dramatic -- albeit obvious -- scene when Donna saw Nick and Pam on TV. Never mind that Let's Make A Deal shoots six weeks or more in advance, or that Nick was trying to avoid being seen on TV. That's too much reality for Brad. No, he had to arrange for Donna to see Nick and Pam instantly. Give Donna credit, though; she connected all the dots and figured out that Pam was the Forrester Creations mole working for Jackie M. Wow! Such enlightenment! Good for you, Donna.
What remains unanswered, however, is Nick's motivation for becoming a thief. As I've said from the start, stealing designs is not Nick's style. He's ethical. He's not comfortable with this kind of duplicity. Why did he allow it to happen? Even if it was Jackie's desire, Nick is not a pushover. He could have refused to cooperate. He does run the company. Wouldn't it be great if Nick could articulate his reasoning, like maybe there's some rational reason other than keeping the business alive?
Another thing about that scene, Nick was very quick to declare his love for Donna. Have they even been dating three months? Is Nick looking at Donna and seeing the love he had for Brooke? Is it a case of mistaken identity, because I can't for the life of me see what Nick is getting out of his relationship with Donna other than sex! Donna may have been wise enough to see through the Let's Make A Deal ruse, but she's not an interesting woman. She's a pretty face and a goofball. Nick should be attracted to a smart woman, not a blonde bimbo.
By the way, if Amber and Rick have such amazing designs but Ridge won't use them because he's prejudiced against Brooke's son (and former daughter-in-law), how come Amber and Rick don't go to Jackie M? They both have experience on the other side of town, in the only other fashion house that seems to exist in Los Angeles. If I were Rick and feeling disrespected by Ridge, I'd definitely give Jackie and Nick a chance to look at my designs. At the very least, Eric and Ridge would have to pay attention if Rick was taking quality work to the competition. He could force the issue with the Forresters by threatening to go to the Marones.
Finally, I guess there's something about Hope we should discuss. She's having a crisis of conscience. Or maybe it's a question of character, as in she's not sure if she really can live the Hope of the Future ideal. I thought it was completely ridiculous that a street-smart girl like Beverly would look at a privileged princess like Hope and see her as a role model. That's just unreal. Hope has talked a lot about her beliefs, but she's just a kid. She's not even 20 years old yet. How can she lecture about how a woman should live her life when she's not out of the nest? Beverly has had far more life experience and a tougher road to hoe. Wouldn't Beverly be more likely to admire Dayzee or Stephanie or Brooke?
In fact, Brooke would be the perfect role model -- don't get mad at me, all you Logan haters -- but it's true. Brooke was a pipsqueak from the Valley, a caterer's daughter. She went to community college, studied science, became a chemist, and learned the fashion business from the bottom up. She did invent BeLief and she has designed successful lines. I know, I know, she also married her way up the ladder, but someone like Beverly wouldn't know that. She'd only see the press kit biography of Brooke, and that's got to be darn impressive. By comparison, what has Hope accomplished? She graduated high school and was given an invitation to work in the family business.
Back to Rick... I realize we're watching Jacob Young's version of Rick, not Kyle Lowder, but I can't forget what the character has been for the past couple of years. Rick falling back in love with Amber is like putting a square peg in a round hole -- it doesn't fit. And you know the old saying, "If it don't fit, don't force it."
So, what do you expect from The Bold and the Beautiful as we head to Valentine's Day? Will Hope and Liam get back together? Is Katie going to walk out on Bill or vice versa? Will Ridge get the stick out of his... well, you know what I mean, right? I hear there may be a wedding coming up, on location, but no details. Who could it be? Donna and Nick? Rick and Amber? Jackie and Owen -- again! Share your thoughts with me. Your comments are always welcome at Soap Central, so stay in touch. And tell me which other characters you want to see fixed or changed, or return to the show. Contact us at Soap Central. And keep on reading Two Scoops every week!
Meanwhile, here are some letters from the readers!
• Does Liam ever wear any color but gray? Yikes, his tee-shirts are either always unwashed or they just want him to appear as a gray personality. That does kind of fit him. He is such a wimp. They make women look even worse when they are obsessed with him. I am also sick of the Pam/Nick thing. It's disgusting how they've made their characters. -- Annie
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.
