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This week’s Forrester turmoil picked up right where last weeks left off. With Maya facing off with Caroline, Ridge facing off with Rick and me taking a shot every time the word “matriarch” was spoken. The verbal smack down between the four characters at the center of this arc continued to be hard hitting, honest and revealing. Throw in subtle references to class stereotypes, love ultimatums and unrelenting temptation and you’ve got yourself another solid showing from Bell and Co.
Either You Do Or You Don’t
Maya Avant’s confidence loomed larger than the portrait hanging high above the fire place on Monday as she continued her reign of words over Caroline Spencer. She made sure to let Caroline know just who she was dealing with. No longer would she be pushed around and bullied by Caroline and her air of superiority. The notion that being of a lower class somehow stripped her of anything wasn’t going to fly anymore. Caroline didn’t once attempt to defend herself as Maya recounted the many put downs she faced from her. And really, could she? All she could do was stand there and hold on to idea that Maya wasn’t worthy of the pedestal she was hoisting herself on to. Maya didn’t bat an eyelash to Caroline’s dismissal, but thought twice when confronted by Carter.
Love can be a many splendored thing… when acknowledged. This is basically what Carter clued Maya in on in regards to her relationship with Rick. That while she was living in this fantasy world of power and prestige, she might be in it alone if the benefactor of it all wasn’t on the same page. It became clear rather quickly that Carter wasn’t telling Maya anything that she hadn’t already considered herself as she broached the topic to Rick without hesitation. Faced with either saying the words, or watching Maya sashay out the door, Rick blurted out what she wanted to hear. Whether or not he meant it the way he should is yet to be seen. I hope the constant reminders of the love Rick and Maya once shared aren’t for not when this entire situation blows up even further. There is quite a lot of truth in the belief that everything Rick is doing is to hurt Caroline, which was rather clear from that post love making Facetime stunt he pulled. But at the same time, for this triangle and/or quad to really work, there has to be some equal parts to it.
Everyone Has A Limit
Ridge Forrester hasn’t exactly been someone to know such limits or boundaries when it comes to affections of the opposite sex. Rick was quick to point that out to him in yet another stand off the CEOs office. “Thorne’s wife, dads wife, my wife…” Connecting Ridge’s many indiscretions to the fact that he’s not truly a Forrester spoke volumes in these scenes. And bringing up the fact that he has never been able to fully commit to any woman sounded a bit like foreshadowing with Caroline being just another coin for Ridge to collect on his journey to the castle. Yet, after issuing a final warning to Rick, Ridge decided that Caroline was now fair game. And what Ridge wants, he gets and keeps temporarily. So it was no surprise that he started first by easing Caroline into the reality that her marriage was over and she should stop fighting. And when that didn’t seem to work, he imposed his will on her lips.
Caroline has been told by Rick, Liam and Maya that she should give up on her marriage and move on and she refused. Ridge gives her a fall back and just like that, it’s done. The way they discussed it made it sound as if Caroline had been fighting to get through to Rick for months when in actuality it was days. Even after telling Ivy that her future was to have a family and not with someone who had been there and done that already.
The chemistry between Ridge and Caroline is debatable. What isn’t is that fact that Caroline is in over her head and naïve to think that whatever happens between them will have a better end result than the many Ridge conquests before her.
The Lives Of Others
I said this last week and I will say it again this week: Aly and Ivy need to either get a history lesson or shut up. All week they did nothing other than float from one scene to another and offer up unsolicited and ill-informed advice. With Aly having the nerve to at one point compare the love Caroline and Rick share to her and Oliver. No, I am not joking. A couple trips to Medieval Times and Aly thinks she’s found true love.
The supporting characters in this storyline are necessary but only a few of them offer up anything of substance. Carter being the main one. He seems to know Maya better than she would like and makes that known in every scene they share. It’s great to see them finally use Lawrence Saint-Victor both on screen and behind. Letting actors write episodes isn’t done often so when it is, it’s great to see. Something else that was great to see was that in the episode Saint-Victor penned, there were four African American characters on screen. An appreciated change for a soap where a one time the only black character on the show was R&B singer, Usher. Speaking of, we got a very small glimpse of the new Avant in town. Played by Reign Edwards, Nicole Avant strutted into Forrester Creations looking for her big sister. Time will tell if she is friend or foe, but by the look on Caroline’s face, two Avant’s may be two too many.
This week was yet another strong one for all those involved, but I have to be honest in saying that I can’t wait to see other characters next week. While I appreciate the awesomeness of whatever B&B’s A story is, I wish they had the capability of showing a B story at the same time. Oversaturation can turn an audience off rather quickly. Just ask Hope Logan.
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