Is Dropping Brooke in Big Trouble — and She Has No Idea
With Bold & Beautiful‘s Taylor currently helping daughter Steffy settle into her new Sheila-free life, who knows when Thomas’ mom (and portrayer Krista Allen) will next appear on screen. Even before Taylor was rushed off the canvas — without so much as an on-screen farewell to those she’d be leaving behind — fans were unhappy with the character’s complete lack of storyline.
For ages, we’d been hoping for a storyline that didn’t rely on Taylor and Brooke jumping back on the Ridge-go-round. The story had served its purpose and run its course, and we truly believed that both women deserved better. Ultimately, Ridge chose to reunite with Brooke — for no discernible reason other than “Destiny” — Taylor, rather than being shifted into a new storyline/romance, was essentially pushed to the back burner.
What we didn’t anticipate was that where Taylor went, Brooke would follow, if only metaphorically. But let’s face it: Once the endlessly-discussed “friendship pact” was severed and Brooke claimed Ridge as the ultimate booby prize, she, too, became… kinda irrelevant.
Once one of the most intriguing characters on the canvas thanks to her tendency to leap before looking while following her heart, Brooke has become a glorified talk-to. Sure, she’s planning her umpteenth wedding to Ridge — and designing her own dress for the occasion — but there’s no actual obstacle to their happiness, so how excited can we be? It’s not as if when the priest — or, more likely, Carter — suggests anyone with objections speak now or forever hold their peace, there’s any reason to believe someone will voice an objection.
Even Brooke’s anti-Thomas stance is something of a snooze, seeing as she’s not actually taking action against him. Instead, she just has long, circular conversations with Hope about why she shouldn’t be involved with Ridge’s son. Somewhere, the late, great Stephanie is looking down at her rival-turned-friend and lamenting, “Did I teach you nothing all those years?”
The budding rivalry between Eric and Ridge will no doubt lead to Brooke’s loyalties being divided. Does she support husband Ridge or their son (and Eric’s literal right hand) R.J.? But that seems likely to involve little more than her spouting a whole lot of repetitive dialogue from the sidelines.
While we desperately want Taylor back on the canvas, the last thing anyone needs is to have her and Brooke fighting over Ridge’s affections again. (Were the soap to never revisit that storyline, most viewers would be perfectly happy.) But Brooke needs something to do other than sit on the sidelines offering color commentary regarding the games other people get to play.
At the very least, let Brooke tear a page from Stephanie’s book and begin manipulating those in her circle rather than simply talking their problems to death. How would Ridge react to seeing his wife become more and more like his late mother? Heck, Eric — who has long had a soft spot for Brooke — might find himself looking at her through new eyes, and consider pushing Donna aside for her sister!
Yes, there are fans out there who’d be perfectly content to see Brooke sidelined for good. But that’s both unlikely and someone preposterous given that Brooke — and portrayer Katherine Kelly Lang — have been with the show from the start. We suspect that were Brooke given a strong storyline, as opposed to her simply being Ridge’s destiny, those minds could be changed. The question then becomes: What should Brooke’s next storyline be?
