The Bold and the Beautiful's executive producer and head writer, Brad Bell, keeps saying that this year will go down in history as one of the show's best years ever, and judging from a recent preview he gave to Soap Opera Digest, he really means it!
One of the shocking twists that played out as soon as the CBS soap opera returned from a forced hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic was the reveal that Ridge (Thorsten Kaye) got married to Shauna (Denise Richards) while he was in Vegas, even though the woman he truly loves is Brooke (Katherine Kelly Lang). Obviously, that puts the fashion designer between a rock and a hard place.
"Ridge is a man who sticks to his commitment. He takes [this marriage] seriously," Bell says of the dramatic storyline. "He's torn between two women and we'll have to see how it plays out."
Of course, things will get all the more complicated by the fact that Shauna wants her first marriage to work out -- as does Quinn (Rena Sofer), who will do anything to make sure that her rival, Brooke, doesn't get the chance to have a happily ever after with the man she loves.
Meanwhile, viewers will be thrilled to hear that Bell has written a couple of members of the Avant family back into storyline. Bell doesn't say which members of the Avant family will return, but that hasn't stopped fans from putting together their wish lists. Bell also states that he has written a lot of story for the show's other Black characters, including Carter Walton (Lawrence Saint-Victor, who was recently put back on contract), Zoe (Kiara Barnes), and Zende (now being played by Delon de Metz). "We're building a great core group to tell some drama," Bell states.
As for B&B's other core group -- Liam (Scott Clifton), Hope (Annika Noelle), and Steffy (Jacqueline MacInnes Wood) -- Bell says the addition of Tanner Novlan in the role of Finn "is going to be a great breath of fresh air and will add to Liam and Hope and Steffy and the whole mix."
As for Steffy specifically, just as fans guessed and Soap Central hinted at during our recent interview with Tanner Novlan, she will soon find herself in the middle of a very dramatic story arc.
Says Bell, "She will have a big battle ahead. Jacqui's delivered such amazing performances throughout the years and I'm excited to challenge her with this next story."
Some viewers are guessing that Steffy might develop a drug addiction while she recovers from her motorcycle accident. Bell didn't reveal details about the story arc he has planned, but he says that both Bill (Don Diamont) and Ridge will be involved.
"The whole rivalry [between the two men] is flaring up again. They went from dislike to disdain and now they can't stand one another. Ridge, especially, he's had it with Bill," Bell previews. "We're going to see a great rivalry continue to unfold with Bill and Ridge, and Steffy will be right in the middle of it."
For Bell's full B&B preview, check out Soap Opera Digest.
What do you think about the storylines coming up on B&B? Which are you most excited to see in the weeks and months ahead? Which, if any, could you do without? 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.
