Four, actually. The shindig is going to seem even bigger and more poignant with Eric’s kids Thorne and Bridget in attendance. If this really is curtains for the dressmaker, he’s obviously going to want to see his offspring one last time. But only some of them? Wouldn’t Bridget have assured that brother Rick was on hand? Wouldn’t Thorne have tipped off fellow second-class Forrester Felicia?

Also, given that Eric adopted Donna’s son Marcus, why hasn’t she brought him back to L.A. to support her, if not Dad, at this crucial juncture? At least we can understand why Kristen would be MIA. Since Zende has basically been relegated to Thorne’s old office in the basement, he doesn’t even know that his adoptive grandpa is dying to inform his mother! (That’s a whole other mess; Carter has a right to know but not Zende; that’s cold, people.)

Maybe a better way for the show to have had Eric go about his seemingly imminent exit would’ve been to have him go on a farewell tour a la Cher. Let him visit each of his children — off screen, if need be (although that’s never very satisfying) — so that there aren’t these glaring omissions at his goodbye party.