Hope is out of time as Thomas makes a major life decision on Bold and the Beautiful (March 27, 2024 recap)

It was a good soap today, Bold fans! Between Steffy making it clear that she doesn't care about Hope's feelings, she's concerned about her brother, to Thomas telling Hope the clock had run out on their relationship, I was living. The dialogue was perfection, and Jacqueline MacInnes Wood and Matthew Atkinson were fully displaying why they're fan favorites on The Bold and the Beautiful.

Let me set the scene. Hope and Thomas were in the design office. She was trying to get him to focus on their love and not listen to his sister but, for him, this wasn't entirely about what Steffy said to him. Thomas took his sister's talking points and used them as a mirror to look at himself and the choices he's been making. Hope is not doing that because to focus on how she might have caused this would be to put some blame on herself and do some self-reflection herself.

Thomas breaks up with Hope

Thomas asked her if she thought she could ever see herself having a future with him, but she didn't answer his question. Yes, Hope talked about how he makes her feel and the way they are together, but he doesn't want to just have a breezy relationship that feels like it's not working toward any kind of life together. Hope felt that he was downgrading what they have by insinuating that's how she sees their connection, but he honestly doesn't know where they stand as such he told her he's leaving.

Hope was shocked to learn that he's going to up and leave. Not even the line is going to keep him in LA. This isn't about Thomas "taking some time." He wants a clean break. Hope blames Steffy for this, but the end of their romance has to do with her rejection of his proposal. It was fully in her right to say, "No," if she's not ready, but the idea that he's supposed to hold onto hope that she might be ready one day with no assurance on when that day may come isn't okay.

Choosing to stay in a relationship with a woman who may never love him the way he loves her isn't a choice Thomas wants to make anymore. He told Hope that Steffy reminded him about his own dignity and what he wanted to model for Douglas. Letting his son hold onto the dream that his parents would get married when that's not going to be the case, isn't good for him and it doesn't teach him how to face realities that he doesn't want. Thomas also brought up being a man and seeing things for what they are and accepting the truth of the matter.

His decision doesn't mean he's fallen out of love with her. It's quite the opposite. He said he's doing this because he loves her too much to continue on like this. It's one of the healthiest decisions he's made, to be honest. Because it means that Thomas isn't deluding himself, isn't obsessing over her, and wants to put his personal well-being first.

While picking up and going to Paris effective immediately might be on the extreme side, it does mean that Thomas is trying to set boundaries for himself. And, he's going to be bringing their son, Douglas, along with him. Hope protested that point in their conversation, but it was brief so I'm not sure if it's sunk in quite yet that one of her kids is going to be a continent away. Also, with Thomas leaving that means Hope for the Future is going to be in need of a designer because he certainly wasn't concerned about staying in that position, not when his heart is on the line.

Asking Hope to marry him twice and being rejected twice was the last straw. When pressed, she did tell him that she'd worn his engagement ring on her necklace because he asked her to and because it symbolized where they could get to in their relationship. But he said it gave him hope and that it was given with the intent that she'd one day wear it on her finger. With that not being the case because of her rejection, there is no more hope which is why he told her she's out of time.

Not to mention, it was hurtful to hear her tell him she loves him for the first time when she was rejecting him as well. That was cutting. I was on the couch having me a good ol' time with their scenes because it's exactly what I wanted, right on down to Thomas not letting her kiss him before he walked out the door. The ball is in Hope's court now. Either she finds a way to be ready to marry Thomas or she lets him find happiness with someone else because Thomas does deserve to be with a woman who will be all in with him.

Steffy tells Brooke exactly how it is when it comes to Hope and Thomas

While all that was happening in the design office, Steffy was in the CEO office making it plain exactly how she feels about Thope. Brooke felt that she was attacking Hope, but Steffy said she wasn't, she was speaking the truth. She'd warned Hope that she couldn't play with Thomas' feelings. They all know why that's a bad idea, and so she has every intention on making sure that if Hope isn't committed to her brother and all in, then Thomas will see the light and walk way.

Ridge tried to soothe Brooke by saying that Steffy was just being protective and that she wasn't going after Hope, but Steffy corrected him. She is, in fact, going after Hope. She is gunning for their relationship with the determination to bring it to an end because she won't have Thomas heartbroken and potentially spiraling into a dark place all because Hope wants to toy with his emotions.

I don't agree that Hope is playing games, but I do think the back-and-forth she puts Thomas through is similar to how Brooke was with Ridge. "Destiny" is not a good model for a healthy love even if they are an epic romance, and Thomas shouldn't have to be put through the paces to be with Hope. Especially when she can't answer simple questions like when she thinks she might be ready for marriage or what it is that's stopping her now from being ready or if the issue isn't that she needs time but rather she can't marry Thomas because of their complicated history.

Making it a Forresters vs. Logans thing isn't my favorite but Steffy isn't all wrong about what she's saying. The element about Hope supposedly turning into Brooke is unnecessary but the way she encouraged her brother to consider his own needs and that he deserves better was needed. That's also why Ridge didn't have too much to say even when Brooke asked him if he was going to let his daughter speak to her that way. Not that Steffy would have stopped expressing herself even if he had done more than a weak attempt at quelling her fire.

Brooke might like to live in a world where all of Hope's actions can be explained away and that she's really perfect and can do no wrong, but it's not reality. And, as Steffy put it, as much as she might think Hope is too good for Thomas, it's actually the other way around. I can't say I disagree with that considering Hope has yet to learn a single thing from this whole debacle. Now, that doesn't mean I'm not for a Thope reunion down the line, but I do think she's going to have to be the one to fix things because Thomas has put all his cards on the table. It's time Hope does the same.

I can't wait to see what happens next on The Bold and the Beautiful. See you in the next recap!