Tragedy struck last week when the families gathered to mourn Caroline, who died of a blood clot. Despite not being on-screen, her passing radiated all kinds of memories for those who remember her best. Her partner, Thomas, returned to Los Angeles with their young son, Douglas. Here, he reunites with his family, including his mother, Taylor.
With Brooke out of town, Quinn and Taylor take on the role of Forrester matriarch. But, in the most recent episode, Ridge’s ex-wife fumes that her arch-rival isn’t in town to mourn with them. Ridge ultimately defends his absent wife, saying she’s doing everything she can to get back ASAP.
Thomas admits he’s overwhelmed with the love and support. He thanks his family and friends for the support. What makes his loss more bearable is Hope who, despite her own loss of her daughter, helps Douglas understand his mother isn’t coming back.
This didn’t escape Taylor’s notice when she entered the kitchen at the wake to see Hope and her grandson bonding. She brings it up with Ridge, and we’re already watching the cogs of her mind going into overdrive.
The Plan
The mother of three tells her ex-husband what she witnessed in the kitchen. He doesn’t catch on straight away. Damn it, Ridge! Being the shrink she is, Taylor explains that seeing Hope and Douglas bond over their losses could be the key to getting Steffy and Liam back together. While she doesn’t say this outright, we longtime watchers can imagine what she’s implying.
Hope ‘lost’ her daughter in childbirth, while Douglas lost his mother to a blood clot. Taylor explains to Ridge that witnessing them bond has her seeing improvement in Hope.
Taylor’s vindictive plan includes breaking Hope and Liam up and having Spencer return to Steffy so he can be a full-time father to Kelly and Phoebe.
Observations From The Audience – Taylor Might Have A Plan
Okay, now we know what Taylor might plan; let’s go over what we as the audience view from our recliners. When she returned to LA, the former wife hated Hope was pregnant with Liam’s child. Worse, she despised Bill for seducing Steffy to get her away from Liam. She also shot the media mogul in the back for ‘taking advantage’ of her daughter despite Steffy telling her otherwise.
Despite what Taylor and Steffy’s fans recall, Hope isn’t her mother. Not by a long shot. Steffy is no saint. If she were a criminal, her rap sheet would be far longer than Hope’s, which is almost spotless.
Thomas is forever thankful to Hope for making his son see the light at such a dark, traumatic time in his life. However, I don’t imagine he’d want to damage Hope’s marriage.
Because Steffy is now in Paris on business, she’s taken the girls with her. Hope doesn’t have access to them, though she has access to her stepsister’s nephew. Not to mention, the Forrester heiress wants Hope and Liam to work on their marriage and not having the girls around as a distraction is her way of helping.
Will Ridge Help Taylor?
Now Ridge and Taylor are an exciting pair. They don’t love Hope though Ridge has to tolerate her because she’s his wife’s daughter, hence his stepdaughter whom he raised. Taylor doesn’t like her because she considers Hope, a home-wrecker.
Ridge and Taylor share a kiss while Brooke catches them in the act. She hits the roof!
So, will Ridge help his ex-wife push Thomas and Hope together? He doesn’t need a reason not to help her out, but he disrespects Brooke for assisting Taylor in her scheme. He’s already tried to talk Liam into returning to his precious daughter once.
For now, Liam is standing firm on his decision to get through the pain of Beth’s death with Hope. Sure, people view him as weak, but he’s not. He committed himself to Hope, and despite his multiple marriages to Steffy and losing their first child, he loves his current wife and will do anything to help her through their shared pain.
Would Thomas Fall For Another Fake Sob Story?
Bill had Caroline fake; she was dying, so Thomas would crawl back to her. Thomas, once he found out, was devastated and pissed at Bill for having his niece lie to him.
However, would he fall for the same stunt if one or both of his parents came up with a fake sob story? Thomas has changed since he and Caroline got together. Sure, he tried kidnapping Douglas when he found out the boy was his son, not his brother.
Let’s not forget he and Caroline tried to be a couple a few times, but it didn’t work. During a conversation with his parents in the recent episode, he tells them this exact thing, and it hits Taylor and Ridge for six. He explains that despite the relationship not working romantically, Caroline was his son’s best friend and mother. This triggers something in Taylor to create the plot. I don’t think Thomas would 100% fall for the sob story.
Conclusion
Caroline’s death is by far the cruellest death on Bold in the last couple of years. But unfortunately, she got killed off-screen, and we as the audience, don’t get a good chance to absorb it the way the characters do. As for Taylor’s pending scheme, it’s cruel as it’s playing out just as her son and grandson are mourning. She might claim to be doing what’s best for them, but does she realise what her scheme will bring if it goes as she planned?
Be sure to catch Bold and the Beautiful on Channel 10 at 4:30 pm on Weekdays, or to see the episodes airing the States, head to TenPlay.
