Stephanie Forrester is about to die and this makes me sad

I fell in love with Bold and the Beautiful in 1989.  I was on a Greek island, population a mere 1000 and I kid you not, for that half hour every afternoon, eerie silence fell in the streets.

I remember it like it was yesterday, my dad’s elderly sisters, widows who dressed in black, hot footing it up the hill from the marketplace to their village home, intent on watching “Ridge and Carolina”, back when things were good between Ridge and Carolina.

Unbeknownst to me then, this soap opera, Bold, which is what true fans call it, would be one to bring the guiltiest of pleasures for so many years to come.

In the afternoons during high school, while my parents worked, Bold was my electronic babysitter.

During university, I missed it at times but it was nothing a little light reading at the newsagency couldn’t correct. Throughout the long uni break, I would stop whatever I was doing for that half an hour a day and get my fix of all things Forrester.

Any fan would concur, there is no other plot quite like the Bold plot.

In case you’ve been living under a rock for the past 26 years, I’ll tell you about a few of my favourite characters.

Brooke Logan

Why I love her

The torrid love affair between Brooke and Ridge, Brooke and Ridge’s brother, Thorne and Brooke and Ridge’s father, (who, as it turns out, is not his true father), Eric, has always been the central focus of the plot. Huge.

Since Brooke swanned into the Forrester’s life all those years ago, she’s brought nothing but drama.  After developing the Belief Formula as a young Chemist, she’s held them over a barrel, taking not only the Forrester men but also their money, pride and the Forrester name.

My favourite story lines

My favourite scenes incorporate Brooke’s countless weddings, both bikini-clad and traditional and also the numerous vow affirmations.  Without doubt, the best wedding scene of all time would have to be Brooke on horseback at the beach, galloping through the scrub to stop Ridge’s wedding to Taylor.  Un-bloody-real.

The plot to end all plots involved Brooke’s sexual encounter on the dance floor, as you do, whilst chaperoning at her daughter’s party.  She was wearing the same dress as her daughter, pendant included and after a horrible identity mix-up, she had stand-up sex on the terrace with her daughter’s boyfriend, Oliver, who she thought was Ridge!  Ridge’s response to this tragic mistake: “Oh Logan!”

Above all, what I admire most about Brooke is not her determined character, her love for her man or her strong drive and passion. No. I most admire her ability to cry, on demand, with a single, elegant tear coming out of one eye, each and every time.  Epic.

Taylor Hayes 

Why I love her

What I love most about Doc, Ridge’s pet name for her, is that she is actually a Doctor – a Psychiatrist.  And she is the dumbest, most short-sighted and naïve Psychologist in LA.  Taylor Hayes, with her Botoxed face now void of all expression, is a complete idiot, making mistake after mistake, destroying her life with her ridiculous choices.

 

But what a life she’s had!  She’s been married and divorced more times than I can remember, she’s had her heart broken, repeatedly – a result of her incorrect partner selection, she’s been killed and brought back to life, she’s been a ghost, she’s been kidnapped, she developed amnesia and was subsequently found by a Moroccan Prince, (who changed her name from Taylor to Layla).

Taylor too, has had it off with all of the Forrester men at different points but she has steadfastly remained an important third of the longest running love triangle in television history.

My favourite story lines

Aside from the murder attempts, kidnappings and broken hearts, the hardest thing, Taylor has had to endure was giving birth to Brooke’s baby. Yes, Brooke’s baby.  After a mix-up at the IVF clinic, where Brooke’s daughter, (who grew up so very rapidly), worked as a Specialist, Taylor was impregnated with the incorrect egg.  Brooke’s egg.  What happened to baby Jack I am not sure but I can guarantee that he will return as a 20 year old some time soon.

Poor Taylor.  Taylor Hayes is the biggest moron on Bold but I do love her.

Lastly, my reason for writing this post…

Stephanie Forrester.

My favourite lady on daytime television. 

Just like Brooke, it brings a tear to my eye to announce that the matriarch of the Forrester family is finally dying.  She has been there for every integral part of the story.  She has schemed and lied and cheated her way through life, always with the greatest motivation in mind – her family.

She’s had her husband, Eric,  ripped from her under dramatic circumstances, more than once.  Both Brooke and Taylor have copped a feel of the Big E, with other names such as cray cray Sheila Carter and Lauren Fenmore, springing to mind as well.  Stephanie has had a lifetime of her nemesis, Sally Spectra to contend with, with Sally always finding a creative way to steal Forrester designs.

Until recently, her life’s mission was to keep Brooke Logan away from her sons, namely Ridge. She has plotted and conspired against Brooke in so many situations, it’s actually difficult to remember them all.  One stand-out memory is the Big Bear incident, where Stephanie got into serious fisticuffs with Brooke and terrorised her with a fire poker.  Unexpectedly violent.

Stephanie.  She’s been shot, been sick, had amnesia, been homeless, she’s had affairs, children out of wedlock and she’s had cancer, more than once.  Towards the end of her life, after becoming a philanthropist for the homeless down at Skid Row, she finally reconciled with Brooke and realised while riding the Ferris Wheel, that despite all of the affairs, lies and turmoil between them, they really are kindred spirits. BFF.

Cancer will bring Stephanie’s life to an end.  My last couple of Bold episodes involved an outstanding family bash at the mansion, complete with Celtic performers, then Eric driving Stephanie to the Big Bear cabin and making her comfortable.  Just today, Brooke arrived to stay with her for a while.

Stephanie Forrester is about to die and this makes me sad. I’m predicting one more episode before it finally happens.

There will always be Forrester Creations and the Forresters, and there will always be delicious scandal but there will never be another Stephanie.

RIP Stephanie. Godspeed.  I’m sure we’ll meet again via some tasteful montages and flashback scenes.

Robo X