It’s time for Steffy to take action on The Bold and the Beautiful. It’s the only way she can save her marriage and protect her kids.
We pick up right where we left off. Liam (Scott Clifton) won’t accept Finn (Tanner Novlan) telling him how to protect his family. When Finn says that Steffy (Jacqueline MacInnes Wood) isn’t his family, Liam points out that they have a daughter together so that makes her his family. Finn says they’re going to work through their issues so that’s why he needs to back off.
At Forrester Creations, Ridge (Thorsten Kaye) praises the marketing for their Rome trip. He tells Steffy he’s glad she pulled the kids and went to his father’s house. He’d do anything to protect his kids, too. She thanks him for his help. “I will always be here for you,” he tells her. She reassures him that she feels they’re safe at Eric’s. Hope (Annika Noelle) and Brooke (Katherine Kelly Lang) come in and are both surprised to see Ridge and Steffy. Hope says she didn’t think Steffy would be working in the office with everything going on. Steffy tells them that she’s taken the kids and moved into Eric’s house, leaving Hope to wonder if she’s left Finn.
Back at Spencer Publications, Liam admits that it must be very hard for Finn because the kids are gone. Finn says Liam has no idea how much he loves his wife, but Liam says he does know. “I know a lot about loving Steffy,” he admits.
Brooke and Hope can’t believe that Sheila was at the beach. Hope is struggling to understand why she’d leave Finn, but Steffy says it’s because of the video and the fact that her daughter almost got hurt.
Brooke agrees that she needs to think about protecting herself, given that Sheila shot her in addition to shooting Finn. Steffy worries that Sheila has gotten inside Finn’s head. Ridge says Finn’s connection puts them all at risk.
Finn is infuriated that Liam has feelings for Steffy. Liam says the feelings have evolved. Finn thinks that Liam wants to be back with Steffy now that he’s lost Hope. Liam reminds him that he had his arms around the woman who tried to murder his wife. He says he had no issue with Finn until he saw that. Embracing Sheila — physically and emotionally — opens the door for Sheila to come into all of their lives and he’s not going to allow it.
Hope is shocked because Steffy’s marriage has always been so solid. Steffy agrees, noting that it was up until Sheila came back. She’s devastated. Ridge agrees that they did what they had to do. Brooke knows Finn must be devastated as well, and Steffy knows he is but her top priority is the kids. Ridge is going to set the ground rules with Finn so he leaves to go speak with him. Hope tells Steffy she can relate to what she’s going through as her life seems like it’s imploding. Steffy makes it clear that she’s not looking to get back with Liam, but Hope reminds her that Liam is single now and probably waiting in the wings.
Finn doesn’t think Steffy will walk away from their marriage. Liam reminds him that he put everything at risk so she’s going to stay away from them. Finn tells him outright to stay away from Steffy but Liam keeps reminding him that Steffy is Kelly’s mother. Liam comes at Finn for what happened at the beach and Finn tells him to stop using that as an excuse. Liam says Finn never saw what he had with Steffy and he messed it all up. Finn calls Steffy “the best thing that ever happened to [him]” and that’s why he’s going to fight.
Back at Forrester Creations, Hope says she thinks it best that Steffy went home to work. Brooke can’t believe she left Finn, but Hope is relieved that she doesn’t have to be in the middle of it worrying about Liam. When Brooke wonders if she’s actually upset about her marriage falling apart, and Hope isn’t. She’s having new ideas and is full of energy. Besides, she knows that Finn won’t give up his marriage.
Ridge finds Finn at work. Finn says he can’t say anything Finn doesn’t already know. Ridge is furious that Finn created this problem and now he’s the one who has an attitude about it all. “What’s going on with you? What are you doing?” he demands.
Steffy sends the kids out for ice cream, leaving her alone in Eric’s house. She looks around for a moment before she’s interrupted by Liam. He was there to pick up Kelly but Steffy forgot. This gives them time to talk about Finn’s visit. Liam wants to tell her about something he said to Finn, namely that he loves her. He hasn’t forgotten their love. He bets that she hasn’t lost her love for him either because it’s part of her. They’re part of each other. Liam takes Steffy’s hand and tells her that he was a fool to ever let her go. He’d never make that mistake again. She looks on with wide eyes.
Liam has made his feelings known, but does Steffy feel the same way? She’s not exactly running into his arms, and she’s already pushed him away during the two occasions when he kissed her.
Steffy wants to mend her family. If she can find a way to trust Finn again, or at least exact promises from him that Sheila will be gone from his life, then all signs point to her taking Finn back and going home. (Provided, of course, that returning home is safe for her family.
We all know that Steffy is smart. She saw the way Hope looked at her when she said that Liam would be waiting in the wings and the last thing Steffy wants or needs is to prove Hope right.
The only way Steffy can move forward with Finn is to push Liam away. Sure, he’ll always be in their lives because of Kelly, but frankly he doesn’t need to be as involved as he has been. This won’t be easy for Steffy, who doesn’t want to hurt Liam while he’s vulnerable after losing Hope, but it must be done. It’s time for Steffy to shut Liam down once and for all.
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.
