The Bold and the Beautiful Watching The Bold and the Beautiful

[Daniel Avery]

It wasn't even a proper renewal. The last agreement included an option for one more year (as in "one more year to be added to the same agreement") and CBS quietly picked up that option. It might be something as simple as CBS deciding they can put off a proper renewal decision because of that option.

 

[Monzo]

In the week in which Sheila died there was an increase in viewers of only 57,000, although B&B had already lost a number of viewers in the two weeks before (Luna's rape) compared to the beginning of the year and only a few came back to mourn Sheila.

Unfortunately, there is hardly anything good about the story of Sheila's death. Finn had barely grieved when a bear tore Sheila to pieces, and now that Steffy was in great danger, he is shocked that Sheila is dead. The police were also very casual towards Steffy at first. Doesn't Steffy have a police record? Isn't it suspicious that Steffy first killed her cousin and now her mother-in-law in self-defense? Doesn't anyone at the police wonder if Steffy's way of resolving family conflicts is simply to kill the family member? And why is Steffy so beaten up about killing another person (Sheila) when she was able to quickly dismiss the fact that she killed Aly?

 

[Daniel Avery]

Today's lesson, boys and girls: always take an inventory when it matters. Count your blessings...and your toes.

 

[DallasFanForever]

Today's lesson, boys and girls: always take an inventory when it matters. Count your blessings...and your toes.

I must say this really is quite the shocker, isn’t it? I got a good eye rolling chuckle out of it when it popped up in my feed late last night.

Perhaps they should count how many times she’s been presumed dead compared to how many toes she has left? That’s probably the larger number at this point.

 

[Monzo]

Why did B&B get five nominations in the lead acting categories? I assume that the actors' Emmy reels mainly used Eric's "fatal" illness., As far as Scott Clifton and Annika Noelle are concerned, the hundredth separation (and the same overdramactic acting) of Liam and Hope is enough to give them another nomination.

B&B has always been good at rigging the Emmys. I remember stand-alone episodes with Stephanie and the homeless people or her information about lung cancer and although the whole B&B year was a mess in terms of the big storylines, thanks to the special episode it won the Emmy for best drama. It seems to me that a big reason for Eric's "death" were the Emmys, although I wish Katherine Kelly Lang an Emmy win because she has transformed from a bad actress to a pleasant one over the years.

 

[DallasFanForever]

It seems to me that a big reason for Eric's "death" were the Emmys, although I wish Katherine Kelly Lang an Emmy win

I would like to see her win another one. When it comes to daytime actresses I feel she never got enough credit. She’s playing that character 37 years now and I think she got better and better as the years went on.

 

[Monzo]

Actually, I didn't expect that it would ever be mentioned again that Sugar looks like Sheila - just as it is ignored that Sheila should actually look like Phyllis - but now I'm particularly surprised that the Sugar card was played for such a weak storyline. Even though Steffy stabbed Sheila, she and Finn are still together and Steffy doesn't have to worry about going to prison. So Sugar was sacrificed for nothing. If Sheila/Sugar had been murdered and it had turned out that it was Eric who did it, so he had to go to court and be convicted, how great would it have been if Sheila had turned up alive before the verdict was announced? Normally B&B likes big drama and makes a big deal out of every little thing, so I'm amazed that the chance for really big drama was missed.

 

[DallasFanForever]

If Sheila/Sugar had been murdered and it had turned out that it was Eric who did it, so he had to go to court and be convicted, how great would it have been if Sheila had turned up alive before the verdict was announced

I’m convinced at this point that Sheila cannot be killed. She is indestructible and will never die, outliving us all. Heck, she may outlive the show.

I do laugh every time the other characters think the wicked witch is finally dead or that they finally killed her. Of course we know better.

 

[Daniel Avery]

I recall As The World Turns had one of those "nine lives" characters named David Stenbeck. After faking his death several times, he got killed off for real, even having an open-casket funeral. Julia Lindsey had been victimized by David repeatedly, so when she showed up at the funeral, people hoped she was there to gain closure and start to heal. Instead, in her quest to be absolutely sure he was "dead dead," she pulled out a gun and unloaded all its bullets into the corpse as he laid in the coffin, just to be sure. And Julia just got crazier and crazier over time. But could you really blame anyone on B&B (and especially Y&R's Lauren) for doing something similar if given the chance? Soap characters rarely are allowed to "learn" from these wacky plots---they just keep reacting the same way no matter how many times characters rise from the "dead" or have their babies switched/stolen, or (in B&B's case) take back the same lover/spouse you've dumped a dozen times.

 

[Monzo]

One entertaining part of soaps is that you can think about what's going to happen. You try to read the details to see what could happen, but with B&B that hasn't been possible for a long time. The direction is constantly changing, like with Luna's father and Li's conflict with Poppy, which was actually resolved and is now just back. It doesn't make sense to cancel Hope For The Future either, because even without Thomas, Zende and RJ are still there as possible designers.

It seems to me that Bradley Bell is constantly changing his mind behind the scenes. Bill as Luna's father is too boring, how about Jack, which would explain Li's hatred of her sister, but even better, how about Finn, which would incorporate Sheila into the plot? That would be a big twist! The writers had to lay the foundation for Bell's idea, but then Bell changed his mind again and chose the boring father solution. B&B actually has a lot of potential, I don't understand why Bell tells his stories without a masterplan.

 

[Monzo]

If there is a murder mystery on B&B, my expectations have become quite low after the resolutions regarding Vinny's death and who shot Bill. Nevertheless, I wonder whether anything interesting will happen in the new mystery after the death of two unimportant characters. I'm guessing Justin or Jack will be the killer, who have absolutely nothing to do in the show and are dispensable.

As for Sheila: If she were the killer (which I don't think she is), her behavior would be okay as a charade, but portraying her as a fragile flower who screams hysterically when she finds Hollis' body and amateurishly checks for a pulse as a trained nurse was not fun to watch for a long-time viewer. What did the writers do to Sheila?

I was never a fan of Bill, but I actually prefer the classic Dollar Bill to the New Age Bill of recent weeks.

 

[Rove]

I don't understand why Bell tells his stories without a masterplan.

It's often referred to as a Bible and an exceptional writer/showrunner will refer to this to ensure the characters never drift too far from their personalities, previous storylines and the potential for future stories. The only risk to this is how long it takes from thought to writing, to producing and editing before it finally hits the airwaves for the viewer to decide if that idea was great or a stinker.

My main criticism of B&B for a number of years - and why I no longer watch - is its lack of direction, respect to legacy characters, recasts, but mainly the poor focus on engrossing storylines...those water-cooler moments.

 

[DallasFanForever]

What did the writers do to Sheila?

I haven’t watched much of the show in recent times but from what I understand there is very little interaction between Sheila and the other legacy characters, is that right? I would be writing more one on one scenes with her and Brooke, Eric, Ridge, etc. given all the history there that they can draw from. Sheila seems a little misused to me at this point.

 

[Monzo]

from what I understand there is very little interaction between Sheila and the other legacy characters, is that right? I would be writing more one on one scenes with her and Brooke, Eric, Ridge, etc. given all the history there that they can draw from. Sheila seems a little misused to me at this point.

Yes, it's true, Sheila is usually with Deacon. Now and then there is a confrontation with Steffy, usually when Sheila has reached out to Finn. Ridge and Brooke talk about Sheila, but not directly with her. Any encounter between Sheila and legacy characters is avoided. Lauren, of all people, told Deacon about Sugar and convinced him that Sheila is still alive, but when Sheila found out about Lauren's help, she just looked surprised instead of calling Lauren and thanking her.

 

[DallasFanForever]

Lauren, of all people, told Deacon about Sugar and convinced him that Sheila is still alive

This caught my attention. I’m surprised anyone in their right mind would even think she’s really dead at this point. Doesn’t he know Sheila is immortal? She can’t die!

 

[Monzo]

This was the second time Lauren came to LA to celebrate Sheila's death, first when Sheila was mauled by a bear and now when Steffy stabbed her. Lauren even told Michael on Y&R about her second visit to LA and the hope that Sheila was really dead this time, but she hasn't mentioned her resurrection yet.

 

[DallasFanForever]

This was the second time Lauren came to LA to celebrate Sheila's death, first when Sheila was mauled by a bear and now when Steffy stabbed her. Lauren even told Michael on Y&R about her second visit to LA and the hope that Sheila was really dead this time, but she hasn't mentioned her resurrection yet.

Yes I actually do remember the bear and now the stabbing and the switched corpse with 10 toes instead of 9. I will say they are definitely getting their 35 years worth out of the character.

 

[Daniel Avery]

I haven’t watched much of the show in recent times but from what I understand there is very little interaction between Sheila and the other legacy characters, is that right? I would be writing more one on one scenes with her and Brooke, Eric, Ridge, etc. given all the history there that they can draw from. Sheila seems a little misused to me at this point.

This could be a conceit to scheduling. Kimberlin Brown lives away from LA (I want to say San Diego, though I recall a story about her owning property in Montana, also). They may schedule her to film all her scenes in blocks a few times a month, then drop her scenes into episodes later. This leads to her likely doing scenes with a limited number of actors on a limited number of sets, since it would take a lot longer for them to dress numerous sets. GH does this block filming for many of its actors, which means certain characters seem to do all their work with the same actors on one or two sets over and over.

 

[Emelee]

B&B hires Rebecca Budig as the new Taylor.

 

[Daniel Avery]

Bizarre casting choice, given Budig's age and how she typically "plays younger" than she is. Scenes between Taylor and her daughter Steffy will be.....awkward.