I've been watching The Bold and the Beautiful for several months. While I'm a relatively new fan, I didn't have a favorite episode or a story that really stood out to me. Until now.
The November 6 episode had everything you could hope for. The focus of the episode was split between the standoff with Steffy (Jacqueline MacInnes Wood) and Sheila (Kimberlin Brown) and Eric (John McCook) moving back into his old office at Forrester Creations.
Seeing Eric and Ridge's touching moment in the office pulled at the heartstrings and made the episode my favorite by far. It's also a testament to the writers who put this whole story in motion with a stapler.
The past several weeks have seen Eric and Ridge preparing for a big fashion showdown. The Forrester patriarch wanted to re-establish himself as the head of the fashion house while Ridge was vocal about his father enjoying his "retirement." The whole idea came about after Eric discovered that his stapler was missing from "his" desk at the office. Ridge said the stapler had probably been tossed and that he's running the company. They could always get Eric a new stapler, so what did it matter?
What Ridge didn't realize was that Eric was dealing with health issues that were keeping him from being able to design on his own, hence his desire to create his "final line" and the need for Eric to call in his grandson, RJ (Joshua Hoffman), to help.
Eric's health declined in the lead up to the fashion showdown, with his doctor giving him a terminal diagnosis (the details of which haven't been revealed) and less than half a year to live. RJ knew about his grandfather's diagnosis, but he had to keep it from his father even though Ridge was pressuring RJ about Eric's "grand finale" fashion line.
After the the show, RJ confessed the big secret to his parents. Eric doesn't know that Ridge knows. Ridge lied about the winner of the fashion showdown to give his father the victory he needed. He then quickly vacated the CEO's office because he now understood why the office meant so much to his father.
Watching Ridge handing over the office was a very special, very touching moment that will no doubt leave a lasting impact for fans. Now that Ridge has so much more insight into Eric's recent behavior, his motivation for the show and getting back into the office, it all makes sense. With this knowledge in hand, all Ridge wants is for his father to be happy.
Thanks to Luna's (Lisa Yamada) help, Ridge found the stapler Eric had been talking about so long ago. The battered old relic had a message from his mother engraved on the bottom and as soon as he presented it to Eric, the older Forrester lit up. He wasn't being passed over anymore like an old relic and that's exactly what he needed to know. Who knows, maybe this moment will help him overcome his health issues (remember, we still don't know what's ailing him).
The two men, who had previously been pitted against each other in a head-to-head fashion showdown, were able to take a walk down memory lane together, sharing memories and offering each other the kind of praise that their relationship had been missing. At the end of the conversation, after Ridge passed the office back to his father, Ridge and Eric shared those three little words that often remain elusive between fathers and sons: I love you.
This episode of The Bold and the Beautiful represented a turning point for Ridge and Eric, and it's one that will stick with me for a very long time.
The Bold and the Beautiful airs weekdays on CBS and the following day on Paramount Plus. Check your local listings to see when it comes on where you are.
