And the sneaky, internal spy at Forrester, the culprit behind the corporate tsunami, the one and only Stormy Seas is...Rick. Yeah, quite a shocker, hmm? I have to admit, I was betting on a disgruntled Forrester. I thought Stephanie might have been moved to the ultimate act of revenge against Eric, or that Thorne or Felicia would jump ship for a chance to have more power. In Thorne's case, it would be history repeating itself. Remember when Thorne was Spectra's number one head honcho? Anyway, it wasn't Stephanie because as mad as she is at Eric, those swiped designs were also Ridge's handiwork. Steph would never hurt a hair on baby boy Ridgey's head. No, not ever. As for Felicia, her transparent come-on to Nick was just too darn obvious and jarringly disjointed for clear storytelling. Thorne actually learned from the Spectra experience, so he was out. But Rick was a shock.
Only a short time ago, when he was recovering from a tumble off the roof, Rick was angling for Forrester dominance. He got it. He kept it even after Ridge was reinstated and Eric tried to please both sons with major input in the company. But the lingering anger among the clan towards Rick, coupled with his new, burning and unfathomable love for Steffy, are supposed to be reason enough for Eric Forrester, Jr. to rip off his father. And not just to any competitor, but to Nick Marone, the uber-arch enemy of Forrester (especially since there's no other competitor on the canvas).
I don't buy it. It feels forced and rushed to me. As I've written before, the whole Steffy-Rick love story is just not working. It hasn't grown organically from ongoing stories over a long period of time. We had Phoebe return home for a week, die tragically in a car crash that looked like Rick caused, and then before you can say "Rumplestilskin" Rick and Steffy have this uncontrollable passion that consumes them both. It's not only being hot for each other, it's being in love with each other. Compare this relationship to Rick and Phoebe? They spent months building those two and along the way had their parents comment on the questions and worries they had. There was also the Shane element in that build-up, so it was even more complicated. But here's the bottom line, it all worked and felt truthful. When Rick and Phoebe had the confrontation with Ridge and Brooke in Australia, as a viewer, I was invested in that story and cared. I don't care about Rick and Steffy.
There, I said it, I don't care about them. I don't care if they get together. I do care about Katie and Nick (see, there's a story that's taken some time to develop). Nick's decision to save Jackie M. by making a deal with the devil/Rick, will undoubtedly cause trouble with his fiancé. It's inevitable that Katie's position at Forrester is going to be compromised. Nick should have talked to her before doing what he did. By the way, what the heck has happened to Marone Industries or Marone Shipping or whatever they were calling that conglomerate that Nick inherited from Stefano Dimera - I mean Massimo Marone (Joe Mascolo). There was a board room and miniature ships and a corporate logo and everything. Has that all disappeared? I'm just asking...
I'm thinking that ships aren't as sexy as dresses and swimsuits, hence the change in storytelling. But here's what I find so dumb about the whole Nick Marone in the fashion business tale. He's a smart guy. He knows business. He doesn't know fashion. Why doesn't he turn on a show like Project Runway and hire a real designer? Even watching one or two episodes, Nick would see that there are hundreds - thousands - of capable, hungry and talented fashionistas out there in the world. It's not only Ridge, Eric and Clarke Garrison! Jackie M. should be finding the next Donna Karan or a newbie like Cristian Soriano. That would be fierce!
Hey, here's a thought, Katie comes up with a reality TV series to find the new Marone fashion designer! They can call in Project Showstopper. Why not? Fiction imitating reality TV, you gotta love it.
So, I'm anxious about Monday. I'm expecting fireworks, which is good just as long as they're not between Steffy and Rick. Till then, keep reading and email me with your thoughts. Also, check out SoapCentral.com's daily blog by your's truly - Lathered Up. I vent daily on everything going on in soaps, the good, the bad and sometimes the bold and the beautiful, too!
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