For a time this past week on The Bold and the Beautiful, I was truly touched and teary-eyed. No, not when Jackie was hanging on for dear life as she parasailed over the Pacific coastline. More on that ridiculousness later, but first, let's talk about the revelation that Beth Logan is a seriously ill woman. For months, the story of Beth's mental illness has been back-burnered. Occasionally, Stephen would pop up and hint at Beth's problems, but for most of the year, the Logan girls were seemingly out of the loop. Finally, Brooke learned the truth that her mother was suffering from Alzheimer's disease. There's no cure and the prognosis is grim.
For a time, I thought I had wandered into another soap. The Bold and the Beautiful, for whatever reason, rarely deals with dire issues like this. Perhaps that's their recipe for success, allowing other soaps to dwell on disease while they frolic in fashion. I think this week showed that B&B can do both. In fact, compared to the nonsense with Jackie, I preferred Brooke learning that she would have to become the true matriarch of the Logan family because her mother was facing a horrible and inevitable death.
When Brooke shared her mother's prognosis with Ridge, I think something altered in their relationship. It wasn't about who Ridge belonged with or what he wanted. He saw that Brooke was in pain and when he learned why, he comforted her. If there's any question that Brooke and Ridge are right together, I think this scene said it all.
One thing that was a positive manifestation of Beth's illness was when she turned on Stephanie. This was long overdue, somebody taking Stephanie to task for her past sins. Even if Beth is impaired, what she said was true. And so what if she shook the heck out of Stephanie, Stephanie has done far worse to others. Remember when she pulled a gun on Brooke? And what about tipping off a guy to break into her home, setting her up for a rape? Stephanie has been guilty of some heinous crimes. Forgive me if I don't feel bad about Beth rattling Stephanie's fillings!
The Beth storyline and the affect on the Logan family is like a shot of reality into what has been a very goofy B&B the past few months. Like I said, this past week was like a combo of both real and goofy. You had two women - Jackie and Beth - facing very different dilemmas. Beth's was a matter of life and death. Jackie's is romantic fluff. Jackie is a romantic fluff! Who else would seriously take advice from Pam when it comes to winning a man's heart? I truly thought Pam was going to suggest that Jackie bake a cake to get Owen back. But no, she had a more outlandish idea - and Jackie took it. She agreed to parasail over the Pacific Coastline with a banner attached to her rig that read, "I (heart) Owen."
This was broad humor and, really, completely nuts. First of all, why would Jackie think that Owen would even see her in the sky? She didn't call him. She just assumed he'd be hanging by the patio and see her flying by. What is she now, the flying Marone? Are you trying to make the audience click off the show with this baloney? Jackie is a sophisticated, classy woman. She would never do something as wild and dangerous as parasailing to get Owen to realize she loves him. Can't you imagine her doing something more Jackie Collins/Danielle Steele romantic, like having herself delivered to him in a cake or have him kidnapped to a rendezvous on a private plane or something equally extravagant and flattering.
And while we were flying over the beach, I couldn't help but wonder how Owen can afford some of the most expensive real estate in Southern California. Even as a rental, a beach house is way, way, way beyond his means. Remember, this was supposedly his place before he got the cushy gig at Jackie M. Was he making enough at Forrester to foot the bill for an ocean view? I highly doubt it. And now we're supposed to believe that Owen not only paid the rent then, but since moving in with Jackie, he's still keeping that place? Umm, pardon me for asking, but why? Perhaps Owen's secretly a multi-millionaire surfer dude who's just dabbling in the fashion biz...
If Owen has a secret identity, then what's up with Bill Spencer? Not that I mind his sudden transformation, but it is sudden. Is it really just the love of a good woman that's turned hard-hearted Junior into a true, blue good guy? I would love that for Katie. Like I said last week, she's deserved a love of her own for a long time. But this is a soap, my friends, and nothing can be this good. Something is going to mess it up. Could that something be that Bill is not really transformed? I don't know... However, the Whack-A-Mole scene was fun. The perfect addition to a corporate office.
You know, happiness is overrated in the world of soap. Look at Nick and Bridget. They're happy as can be. You know what else? They have no story. Since we know that a baby is not the direction they're going to take - please, not again - I'm anxious to see what Brad Bell is cooking up to keep Nick and Bridget relevant. I sure hope it's something different.
So, what did you think of the past week? It's great to read your comments, so keep 'em coming. Here's a couple of recent letters:
• Loved the comment about Ridge moving to Utah and setting up a compound. That would be pretty funny if they took that storyline down the "Big Love" path! I think I might go back to watching and not just reading the updates if they did! - Leanne
• Put Brooke back with Nick...with whom she actually had chemistry and it wasn't pathetic to watch...and let ridge be jealous and maybe Taylor will get over him and find a real man. She's just pathetic. - Lorie Kay
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