The cat’s out of the bag on The Bold and the Beautiful as Forrester patriarch Eric (John McCook) collapsed after his party. He didn’t know that everyone in the room already knew about his condition, but they did, and now that he’s heading to the hospital it looks like a family civil war could be brewing.
Now that Eric is incapacitated — he lost consciousness in Friday’s episode, and according to The Bold and the Beautiful spoilers for the week of December 11 it sounds like he remains that way — the question of his care is at the forefront of the conversation. But therein lies the rub: who controls his medical directives?
There’s his wife, Donna (Jennifer Gareis), who has been caring for him since he was first diagnosed. As his wife, she likely has keen insight into what his wishes are. On the other hand, there’s Ridge (Thorsten Kaye), who was granted power of attorney for medical decisions prior to the big party. Carter (Lawrence Saint-Vincent) brought the paperwork to Ridge, telling him that Eric made some changes to his will.
If Ridge has power of attorney, it means he can make decisions about Eric’s care. If he’s in a coma, Ridge could ultimately make the decision to withhold care.
But what if Eric made the changes and didn’t tell Donna about it? More importantly, what if Donna doesn’t agree with Ridge’s decisions?
The other piece to the puzzle is the arrival of Eric’s other kids, Thorne (Windsor Harmon) and Bridget (Ashley Jones). They haven’t had nearly as much time with their father as Ridge has, and they seem primed and ready for a fight to keep Eric alive. We know that Finn (Tanner Novlan) has been researching Eric’s condition, so all they might need is a glimmer of hope to keep them pushing forward.
One of the hardest things a person can do is to make decisions for a loved one who has received a terminal diagnosis. You want to make the right decision, but there’s always room for doubt and when the family isn’t united on a decision it means there will be someone telling you you’re making the wrong decision. In Ridge’s case, he could be facing down a Forrester civil war if he makes the wrong decision.
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.
