Eric wants to keep his condition a secret on The Bold and the Beautiful, but can he keept a secret much longer?
We begin at Eric’s (John McCook) house as Dr. Colby (Justiin Davis) meets with Eric and Donna (Jennifer Gareis). They appreciate his discretion. Eric is ready to know what’s happening.
At Forrester Creations, a model shows off one of Ridge’s (Thorsten Kaye) new designs. Brooke (Katherine Kelly Lang) notices that Ridge is using jewel tones in his “sensual” line. He credits Brooke for being his inspiration.
RJ (Joshua Hoffman) is looking for fabrics and Luna (Lia Yamada) finds it. She loves how much RJ cares for his grandfather. She tells him that she understands the complexities of families and she wonders if RJ wants to keep Eric’s secret. RJ would rather tell Ridge and let him know what’s happening.
Ridge dismisses the model as Carter (Lawrence Saint-Vincent) walks in. Carter praises the work and says Eric will “need to bring his A game” if they’re going to compete.
Dr. Colby says that cerebral vascular disease and TIAs are their main focus. Donna reacts with shock as Eric hides his shaking hands.
RJ tells Luna that he’s in a tough spot because he wants his dad to know, but he doesn’t want to upset his grandfather. Luna appreciates that because she never had it with her family. He points out that he barely knows about her and asks for a “juicy Luna secret.”
Ridge knows his father isn’t well, and he can’t imagine that the stress of the fashion showdown is helping. He just doesn't have all the pieces to the puzzle just yet.
Donna can’t believe Eric knew about this. Dr. Colby says they need more testing to rule more things out. Eric says the tremors are getting worse. Dr. Colby looks concerned about this news. Donna pushes for more testing. After Dr. Colby leaves, she breaks down.
Luna tries to change the subject, but RJ persists. She says she’s from the Bay Area and her mom was young when she had Luna so they’re close. She says her extended family is very different than they are.
Donna wonders why Eric didn’t say anything to her, but he was trying to protect her. She reminds him that they’re partners and she can help him. He says she can’t play the piano or draw for him; she points out that she can support him. They’re going to fight together. She urges him to stop keeping secrets from her. She can’t believe his gift could be taken from him, and she vows to get the best doctors for him. She admits that she’s scared and she thinks it’s time to tell Ridge and the family what’s happening.
Luna is grateful to RJ for allowing her to be part of the “inner circle” and she thinks he’s “super special.” He’s so much more than he seemed on social media. She also thinks Ridge will be awed when he learns why RJ agreed to help Eric in the first place. She also thinks RJ is “very handsome.”
Brooke knows Ridge is worried and suggests that they play hooky to get out of the office to help get his inspiration back. He says he can’t stop thinking about his father.
Eric doesn’t want to get into the conversation about his condition right now, but she thinks he needs the love and support from his family. Eric disagrees, saying that he needs to finish the line to prove that he’s the better designer. Donna was supportive of the idea until she learned what’s at stake with his health. She calls it a game, but Eric tells her it’s not a game. He doesn’t want anyone to know. He built the company with his two hands, and he can take it all back if he gets this collection done. “There’s only one master here, and it’s me.”
Ridge is struggling with the mystery of why Eric wants this competition. Maybe if he beats him it will put this whole thing to rest.
Eric hugs Donna, then she goes off to make some tea. Once she’s gone he picks up the sketchpad and tries to sketch again, but then he starts coughing. When he looks at the handkerchief, it’s covered in blood.
In the world of soap operas, nothing is ever taken at face value. When Eric initially said he had arthritis it was easy to believe him because we didn’t have a reason not to believe him, but over the past few weeks his hands have been getting progressively worse and that’s not how arthritis works.
RJ seems to have noticed, too, because he’s on the verge of telling his dad the truth before it’s too late. Donna is also changing her mind about telling everyone what’s happening with the Forrester patriarch.
But now that Eric is coughing up blood, it changes the game. Even Dr. Colby seems to suspect something.
When it comes to Ridge, though, he’s been on the verge of working out the truth for a while now. If he stopped to think about all this talk about a “grand finale” and “final collection” he might be able to put the pieces together, but right now his ego is so fragile that he can’t see the forest for the trees. Or, in this case, the Forrester.
Ridge is on the verge of working out Eric’s secret. If Eric doesn’t hurry up and tell everyone, Ridge just might figure it out on his own.
The Bold and the Beautiful airs weekdays on CBS and the following day on Paramount Plus. Check your local listings to see when it comes on where you are.
