Bold and the Beautiful Random Weekly Wrap-Up
Week of April 30, 2012
Need versus needy? Liam’s a guy who needs to be needed. Yet there is legitimate need such as Steffy with her accident and dysfunctional need such as Hope has with Liam. One makes Liam feel good about himself. One makes him feel guilty. After all, he invited Hope to Aspen, so it’s kind of sort of his fault, right? Even Rick thinks Liam should have blown off work, the reason why he was there to begin with, to stay at the retreat and hold Hope’s hand. Yet Hope can’t be expected to do what she said she would and stay at Liam’s house. Liam would have to be a fool not to see that in the future he will be blamed for every meltdown Hope has. I mean, if Steffy isn’t around to blame. Yet, I somehow think it will be difficult to break free from Hope at this point. Every time she is not on drugs, she’s telling him how much she needs him. The guilt over taking Hope’s virginity is certainly not going to just melt away either. It will take a lot for him to face the wrath of Hope’s entourage if he does break it off with her. I can’t imagine an incident serious enough for Liam to say that’s it and feel good about it. Certainly nothing Hope does will ever be bad enough for Liam’s entourage to let him off the hook. So, Liam will have to be the bad guy to leave Hope for Steffy. I’m not sure he’s strong enough for that. Maybe if he’s lucky, Hope will move on. I wouldn’t hold my breath on that one.
So, how much slack does one give Hope for being under the influence? She takes off on Steffy before assessing her injuries and helping her because she’s on something. How is Hope any better than anyone else who’s under the influence? We expect them not to drive. But Hope gets a free pass because she’s stressed. Once Hope knew those pills weren’t prescribed, she can’t use that excuse. To me, there are a lot more convincing reasons why people start using drugs than a desire to sleep with a married guy and the resulting fallout. Yet people feel sorry for her and don’t view her as they would any other addict. I guess relating to Hope has always been about taking responsibility for her mistakes. I wonder if telling someone that they’re feelings are so fragile is a self-fulfilling prophecy. Maybe Hope believes she can’t handle it when things don’t go her way, so she has these panic attacks. Or maybe she just knows everyone else believes it, and it helps her get her way. It’s hard to say.
I can understand why Steffy wanted to let Liam go. For her own sanity, it makes sense. She probably wanted Liam to choose her, not out of obligation but because he wants and needs her. However, you can’t just annul a marriage because you want to. It’s either real or it’s not. Maybe Liam’s actions make Steffy think there’s a question about that. I personally think Liam should have renewed his vows with Steffy after he found out about gondola incident. It would have caused Hope’s entourage to back off. Maybe her signing the annulment papers will allow Liam to reassess and recommit to Steffy without feeling as though he’s being pressured. Certainly waiting for the divorce with Liam digging in his heels determined to make it work with Hope wasn’t going anywhere. And Steffy emotionally would be at a bad place if she waited until the end. In the end, I don’t see a happy future between Liam and Hope at this point. But as I’ve said, I have my doubts Liam will be strong enough to leave Hope as long as she still wants him. But, on the other hand, it is nice to see Steffy so at peace with herself. And perhaps this may turn out for the best. The gondola incident may have made Liam feel that his choice was taken away. Now he has it back. Hopefully, he’ll choose Steffy in the long term. To me, she is the one with the deeper feelings, and he married her. I guess time will tell.
I remember watching soaps as a kid. Spoilers weren’t much of an issue back then. Cliffhanger Fridays were a big deal. And there was always a feeling if you missed a day that might be the day something big would happen. Now all you have to do is read the show descriptions written by the cable or satellite providers to know what it is happening in a given week. These aren’t always completely accurate, by the way. There is even more info online. And if you miss an episode, the network’s website will post it. So, why tune in if you know what’s going to happen next? My answer is that you have to enjoy the ride. You have to like watching it play out. It can’t be just about shock value or trick endings anymore. You have to like the acting, the dialogue, the subtleties. That’s why I’m writing about Bold and the Beautiful. It may not have explosions every day, but there is a depth to the interactions that give me a lot to think about and analyze. I don’t like everything that’s written, but I like quite a bit of it.
