The Bold and the Beautiful recap (Dec. 16): Newfound friendship

Friday’s episode of The Bold and the Beautiful, returned us to the newly minted friendship between Taylor and Brooke. This really doesn’t feel like it’s going to last, but the two sure do look like they’re having fun together reveling in the choice to be done with Ridge and focus on themselves. Again, we don’t know how long that’s going to stick, but their daughters, Steffy and Hope, were let in on the celebration as well for a giggly, cake filled sugar rush of a scene.

Elsewhere, at the Spencer mansion, Bill spoke to Liam about his high hopes for a reunion between “his Katie” and himself. Liam looked incredibly concerned for his father’s emotional well-being. Katie felt the same. She declined a dinner invite from Carter so she could go check on her ex-husband and she was unfortunately presented with another plea for her to let Bill back into her heart…again.

Here’s the full recap of events.

The Bold and the Beautiful recap (Dec. 16)

On Friday, Steffy and Hope were anxious to find out who Ridge chose but, unexpectedly, they found the office empty. Not a single one of their parents was present. They tried to get some information from Charlie, but he oversold the knowledge he’d been privy to which added up to a whole lot of nothing. He had no idea what Ridge’s decision had been only that he’d left the Co-CEO and his two loves to talk.

Deciding to go straight to the source, both women texted their respective mothers and were surprised to learn that they were together at Logan Manor. Yes, Taylor and Brooke didn’t just stop at high-fiving one another on Thursday’s episode, they took their jubilant energy with them, bought a cake, and proceeded to extol each other with compliments as they settled in Brooke’s living room.

It should be noted that it’s not like the two haven’t acknowledged each other’s accomplishments before. They have on more than one occasion. They’ve even chatted in a somewhat friendly manner despite the unavoidable tension of their feelings for the same man. However, their recent laughter and sheer joy being around one another was startlingly different. It was like watching a dark shroud be cast off and sunlight let in.

But, truthfully, it’s a bit over the top for my taste. While it’s true that Brooke and Taylor haven’t primarily seen eye to eye because of their war for Ridge’s heart over the decades, they also didn’t seem to mesh personality wise either. Taylor often mocked Brooke’s sensuality and the way “following her heart” usually meant the emotional ruin of those who are supposed to be near and dear to her.

And Brooke rarely had kind words for Taylor’s “sainthood,” how in her view, Taylor’s goodness boiled down to self-righteousness and a disdain toward her for daring to throw herself into love come what may. Brooke hated how much Taylor often doing the right thing was always thrown in her face especially when it came to whether she deserved the love she received from the men in her life.

Now, however, they’re eating huge slices of cake and embracing this newfound friendship of theirs. It threw their daughters off so much that when they initially found them, Hope had assumed the two were about to get into a food fight a la their paint incident at the Forrester Mansion. It wasn’t until their mothers explained that Steffy and Hope got to see how much had changed in such a short amount of time.

Taylor and Brooke both said they didn’t need Ridge to be happy. Brooke’s comment that if Ridge was in their lives that’d be fine and if he wasn’t that’d be fine, too, had me raising my eyebrow and wondering if she’s going to be the one to cave and accept Ridge back (if he wants to come back, he still hasn’t told her that’s what he even wants to do). But for now we’re living in the euphoria of the two women having chosen themselves.

Ecstatic for them, Steffy and Hope expressed how proud they are of their moms and then immediately wanted cake. When they rushed off to get actual plates and cutlery instead of relying on Brooke’s letter opener, Taylor was smiling from ear to ear seeing their girls’ happiness. She and Brooke embraced. Obviously, both of them feel this negative chapter in their lives is over and, perhaps, the same can be said for their children as well. We’ll see.

Meanwhile, Bill was also hoping he’d be seeing a brighter day soon. There was a desperate excitement to him that felt like it came out of nowhere considering he’d stormed out on Liam the last time he’d spoken to his son at the mansion. But, on Friday, Bill had asked Katie to stop by.

Though she’d rejected him, he hasn’t give up on her. He shared this with Liam along with his hope that he’d be reuniting with her after he spoke to her about his intentions. Bill misses the family he had with Katie. The gatherings they’d throw, the love in the house, the feeling of being loved and supported by a woman who’d been unwavering in her devotion. He wants that back and believes he can have it back if he can just convince Katie of his sincerity.

Liam, like plenty of Bold fans, is skeptical. However, he didn’t share too many of his misgivings with his dad. Mostly, Liam worried over his father’s emotional state. Bill’s heart is very much on his sleeve right now, there’s a vulnerability there that hasn’t been present in sometime and heartbreak feels like it’s just around the corner. And there’s nothing Liam can do to stop it because Bill has always been a man who reaches for the impossible and for what he shouldn’t.

It’s possible though that he is chipping away at Katie’s resolve. She’s been enjoying her relationship with Carter. Their budding romance gives her butterflies, makes her blush, and her heart is safe with him. She’s sure of Carter’s feelings and her own, but it’s still new. There’s nothing fraught about their connection. They don’t have history yet, so when Bill asked her to come see him, she went.

She didn’t take Carter up on his dinner invitation, and she reasoned that she needed to check-in on her ex-husband because he sounded off. Carter pointed out that he’s not her responsibility anymore, but Katie gently pushed back on that idea. Due to their son, Will, Bill will always be in her orbit. She’ll always feel the need to make sure he’s okay because he’s the father of her child and their son needs him.

Honestly, if Katie delved a bit deeper, she’d also catch onto the fact that she’s still emotionally tied to Bill in a way that has nothing to do with Will. She wants to move on, that’s clear. But she’s very much in love with Bill. It was all over her face when she went to see him and he asked for her to give them another chance.

The obstacle in their way is that he fell in love with her sister, Brooke. He told Katie to her face that Brooke is the love of his life. Bill tried to deny it and walk back that statement as something he said but didn’t truly mean. But Katie doesn’t believe him. The two were in tears as Bill talked about missing their life together, the family they created. And she reminded him that he threw it away.

It was a heart-wrenching scene. Don Diamont and Heather Tom were excellent. The two are magic together and this moment was a reminder for anyone who’d forgotten the power they have as acting partners. The trouble is, Bill has apologized so many times for hurting Katie. He’s promised to change, but he inevitably hurts her in galling similar ways and, for a long time, it’s always come back to his feelings for Brooke.

Katie can’t trust Bill with her heart. He’s burned her over and over again. He’s had her looking like a fool every time he’s asked for another chance. There’s nothing that proves he won’t leave her once more, so I don’t see how they can keep doing this to her character. Enough has to be enough, and if we’re in the middle of a storyline about empowerment for Brooke and Taylor, that should also be extended to Katie as well no matter how many tears Bill sheds.

Until next time, Bold fans. Stay beautiful!

Stay tuned to Hidden Remote for more The Bold and the Beautiful news and coverage! New episodes of the soap air Mondays-Fridays on CBS. Evening viewing is available on Paramount+.