Secrets and lies are the ongoing theme in The Bold and the Beautiful. Fallout continues from the charges being dropped at Sheila's hearing, but Liam sees something that makes him wonder what’s really going on with Finn and his mother.
Bill (Don Diamont) tells the judge that he can’t let Sheila (Kimberlin Brown) go on a technicality. Steffy (Jacqueline MacInnes Wood) is furious, but the judge reminds her that he can only rule on the case in front of him and she withdrew her testimony against Sheila so that doesn’t help.
As Finn (Tanner Novlan) holds his mother, she says she’s shocked to get another chance with him. Liam (Scott Clifton) pulls out his phone and records the scene, which is probably a good idea because no one would ever believe what he was seeing.
At Forrester Creations, RJ (Joshua Hoffman) and Brooke (Katherine Kelly Lang) await news from the trial. RJ notes how calm his mother is, but she says it’s a sense of relief that Sheila will be out of their lives. The confession, Brooke says, will send her away for the rest of her life.
A bailiff arrives and says he needs to take her to processing. Sheila tells Finn that she believes in miracles and this is a miracle. Liam watches on, eyes darkened with suspicion. Steffy is hugging her dad when Finn comes back in. He tells her that he was checking on a patient — not that he’d been with his mother — and Liam hears the whole thing. Bill wants Carter (Lawrence Saint-Victor) to file a complaint against the judge so that they can fight the decision, and Carter says he’ll look into it. When Steffy cries out and questions how Sheila is free, Liam looks at them with an expression that hints he knows what might have happened.
RJ is stunned thinking about how far Bill went to get the confession from Sheila. It was worth it, he says, and Brooke agrees. It was worth it because it will protect their families. RJ wonders how Sheila could do all of that with her own grandchildren involved, but Brooke reminds him that Finn is her biological son and she still did it. RJ proposes a surprise party to celebrate the conviction.
Sheila is in a holding cell when the guard brings in Mike Guthrie (Ken Hanes), who seems surprised that she’s back already. He says she’s not in this alone. Steffy calls for increased security, and Ridge and Bill are on it. Carter says that the confession can’t be used in court and since Finn and Steffy didn’t want to testify against her then they don’t really have a case. That’s when Liam steps in and reiterates the need to protect their kids, protect their families, because “everything that Sheila touches dies.” He asks if Finn agrees, and he does. Liam doesn’t say anything, but he has reason to suspect that Finn could be involved in all of this.
Mike tries to be supportive for Sheila’s sake, but she smiles and reveals they gave her life back. She’s free. He’s stunned. She’s there to say goodbye.
Brooke is excited when Ridge, Bill and Carter return. Bill says things didn’t go as planned. “She wasn’t sentenced at all,” Bill says. Ridge explains, leaving Brooke shocked.
Steffy hasn’t stopped talking about security as they arrive at the house. She thinks Sheila is going to go after the kids. Steffy has been worried the whole time, and when Finn tries to reassure her she refuses to listen. “She acts like she has some kind of claim to you,” Steffy says of Sheila’s actions toward Finn. She makes Finn promise not to let her come near them.
Liam keeps looking at the video when Wyatt (Darin Brooks) comes in wanting to know about the verdict. Liam gives him the scoop about the charges being dropped. Wyatt is blown away. “Sheila Carter is a free woman and now we all have to deal with her,” Liam says.
Mike can’t believe Sheila is going free. She tells him about how the confession was captured illegally. Without the evidence, there’s no case against her. As excited as she is, he becomes more downtrodden. She says she knows what he’s done for her, and she kissed him. “Thank you,” she says. He says he’s happy for her, praising how she always lands on her toes. “All nine of them,” he laughs. She wants to be a real mother, a real grandmother. She’s all about building relationships with her family. She knows Finn loves her.
While Steffy talks to security specialists, Finn paces the floor. She ends the call and says she can’t believe Sheila walked away. Finn reminds her that Bill’s plan wasn’t legal, and that’s when Steffy starts to wonder why her husband isn’t as upset about this as he should be. She makes him promise he won’t have anything to do with Sheila.
Wyatt can’t believe his father’s plan backfired. Liam has more news for him. He goes through the whole scenario after the charges are dropped, pointing out that Finn got up and left so Liam followed him. He went to see Sheila, he says. He hugs her back. Liam is certain of what he saw — but he doesn’t mention the video. This gives Liam an avenue to step in because Steffy, Kelly and Hayes need to be protected. “And that’s my job now.”
Once again it’s a matter of secrets and lies. Finn was with his mother and lied about it to Steffy, opening the door for Liam to wonder who will step up and protect Steffy and the kids now that Sheila is free.
And Liam is exactly the man needed for the job.
He doesn’t know why Finn was so hostile toward him before the hearing. Finn never explained that he’s concerned about how much time the soon-to-be-divorced Liam spends with Steffy. But after witnessing the hug, Liam now has reason to suspect that something sinister is afoot with Finn and Sheila.
The door is open for Liam to swoop in and protect Steffy and the kids and he has all the justification he needs — or thinks he needs. Since Finn didn’t tell anyone about the hug, and since Liam has the hug on video, it’s going to be very hard for Finn to explain himself.
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.
