Bold and the Beautiful continues to keep Stephanie Forrester’s memory alive (Nov. 6 recap)

I don’t know about you but that ending moment between Eric and Ridge on today’s episode of The Bold and the Beautiful left me with tears in my eyes. It turns out that the stapler that Eric has been going on about since he learned Ridge threw it away didn’t just have historical value, it was priceless. The stapler had been given to him by the love of his life, Stephanie Forrester (played by the indomitable Susan Flannery), who passed away in 2012 on the soap. On the bottom of the stapler, she’d inscribed, “Love, Stephanie.”

Ridge hadn’t seen the inscription otherwise he would have never been careless with it. Thankfully, he hadn’t thrown it away after all and instead it was languishing in retirement in a box of his father’s things he’d had moved to storage. He was grateful when Luna recovered the items and found it mixed among Eric’s accolades.

For the first time since their feud, Ridge truly understood why winning the fashion showdown was so important to his dad. It’s not just that he’s sick, though Eric isn’t aware that Ridge know he’s dying, it’s that he wants to be surrounded by the dream he created with Stephanie. Together, they set out to change the world and his desk is where they did their dreaming with one another. His late wife, and Ridge’s mother, bought him the stapler when they purchased the building that’s now the world renowned fashion house it’s grown into.

Moved by his father’s words, Ridge shared that the office is also a window into the past. When he looks at the couch, he sees himself as a little boy admiring Eric’s work. It’s because of him that Ridge knew he wanted to be a designer before he even knew what the word meant. Eric told him that he saw the same light in him that he’d carried in his own heart when it comes to fashion.

He also expressed to his son that one day he would surpass him, that he’ll go on to do bigger and better things than he did. Ridge said that wouldn’t happen, but Eric said it would and noted that it just wouldn’t be now. The two shared an emotional ‘I love you’ and before Ridge left the room, he told his dad to look in the top left drawer.

Eric was amazed to see his old stapler and when he turned it over, he saw the inscription again. Getting up from the desk he’s reclaimed, Eric signaled for Ridge to come to him and then he pulled his son into an embrace. It was at this point that I wish I had a tissue on hand because the tears were rolling. John McCook and Thorsten Kaye brought it in this scene in such an understated but beautiful way that spoke to their abilities as veteran actors.

To be honest, they were the only part I liked about today’s episode of The Bold and the Beautiful because Steffy’s plot left me feeling irritated.

Steffy cracks Sheila in the face, warning her to stay away from her family

I’ll be the first to say that I’m glad Jacqueline McInnes Wood is back on our screens. The soap truly isn’t the same when she’s absent. However, Steffy asserting herself through punching Sheila in the face when she was neither provoked nor in any immediate danger was irksome. We get it. She was made to feel like she couldn’t stay in the city she calls home because Sheila nearly killed her and she managed to escape a life sentence (thanks to Deacon).

I’m there with Steffy on her making it clear to her nemesis that if she steps one foot out of line, she’ll have her to deal with. Not Deacon, not Finn, and not Ridge. Sheila will have to go toe-to-toe with Stephanie Forrester II. If there was anyone who could give the infamous women what for it was Steffy’s grandmother, so it’s understandable she’s channeling her. But giving Sheila a shiner was weaksauce for one obvious reason.

Our girl knows Sheila can’t hit her back. If she were to do so that would just “prove” to everyone that she’s still the same person and she deserves to rot in a maximum security prison. This is what baiting looks like. It’s the same thing Li did at Il Giardino when she shoved Sheila’s face into a steaming plate of bolognese. I’m not saying either woman has to give her a chance but both actions were assault and harassment that now Sheila has to “rise” above.

It’s also just bravado. There’s a reason Sheila’s a terror on not one but two soaps. She’s an over the top baddie who actually is quite threatening and dangerous when she wants to be. What’s keeping her on the straight and narrow right now is Deacon and his love for her, but she’s going to reach her limit on what she’s willing to tolerate and so is he.

I’ll be interested to see what happens when that becomes the case. The pair aren’t just a good couple because they’re loving to one another. They’re also wily and are great at manipulating circumstances to their favor. I wouldn’t mess with them if I were the Forresters, Spencers, or Logans.

What else happened on The Bold and the Beautiful:

• RJ told Luna he shared Eric’s diagnosis with his parents. He was relieved to have the burden off his chest. He also told her that his father selflessly stepped down as CEO even though Ridge was the one who actually won the showdown. The two shared a kiss after Luna expressed that, with exception to everything going on with Eric, her life has never been better. RJ said that Eric wouldn’t be upset that they were living in the moment because that’s exactly what he’d want for them.
• Brooke and Katie met up with Donna who was excited to share that Eric had gone to reclaim his office. She’s still unaware that Brooke knows Eric is dying. Whether or not she’ll be told is a spoiler so click through to the next article to find out!

New episodes of The Bold and the Beautiful stream on Paramount+.