Credit: Howard Wise/JPI (3)

Not gonna lie: I’m majorly excited about the upcoming return of Ivy Forrester and the introduction of Electra. My hope for their future? That they’ll shake things up on the canvas, because this week’s episodes were, in essence, reruns. Not literally, but in the sense that despite two recent murders and Steffy being held in a cage, once the Luna storyline wrapped everything went back to where it had been before. Meanwhile, we need to talk about the final words of Friday’s episode: “I’m dying.”  

What Was the Point?

The best soap storylines have long-lasting impacts which echo across the canvas. But Luna’s reign of terror changed absolutely nothing on the canvas. We went back to Steffy and Finn declaring their love on a loop, and Hope lusting after a man everyone tells her she can’t have. Several characters have said that if Hope hadn’t kissed Finn, Steffy would never have been in danger. But think about this: If you removed the entire “Luna is a killer” aspect, we’d still be telling the exact same story.

More: Is this what’s really wrong with Hope? 

Steffy would still be saying “kiss my husband again, and I’ll kill your fashion line.” The only difference is that we’re now spending a whole lotta time talking about Finn being a hero. (Seriously, that needs to our added to our Ultimate Soap Opera Drinking Game!)

Frankly, I’m ready for the Forrester/Logan feud to be put to rest. I know, I know, it’s an intrinsic part of the show’s history. But the writers either need to find a way to shake things up or stick a fork in it and call it done. Go ahead, Steffy, fire Hope! Heck, fire all the Logans and let’s kick this thing into high gear!

Going, Going… Not So Fast!

Confession: I’m terrible at math. I failed algebra not once, but twice. That said, even I can add 2 + 2. In this case, the second Taylor started talking about being friends with Brooke and wanting to leave the planet a better place, I — like most of you, I suspect — knew where we were headed. Taylor declaring that she’s dying even as everyone on the canvas talks about what a hero Finn is leads me to the obvious conclusion that he’ll ride to the rescue and save her life. But unless I miss my bet, it won’t be until after Brooke agrees to step aside so that Ridge can marry Taylor before she… whoops, doesn’t die after all.

Which explains something I’ve been asking for months now: Why haven’t Brooke and Ridge remarried? Well, now we know!

More: Meet the woman in Scott Clifton’s life! 

There are folks out there who’ve never really accepted Thorsten Kaye as Ridge. And of course, Rebecca Budig is a completely different “type” than the two actresses who preceded her as Taylor. But that may be exactly why I enjoyed watching the Taylor/Ridge scenes this week. Not the actual dialogue, which left me wanting to smack some sense into Taylor, but the acting styles of Kaye and Budig. Whether you think of them as Taylor and Ridge or two character who just happen to have the same names as ones who are no longer on the show, the actors have great chemistry.

I’ve always said a big part of acting is reacting to what others in the scene are saying and doing. And you’d be hard pressed to find a better reactor than Kaye. Simpy put, he’s fun to watch. Even when the dialogue is repetitive as heck, Kaye finds a way to make it interesting for the audience. Meanwhile, Budig manages to bring both strength and fragility to Taylor in equal measure. That’s important if we’re going to have any shot of wanting the best for a character who continues to make the same mistakes over and over.

Random Thoughts

• We had a lot of people asking us where they could buy the white suit Brooke was wearing this week. Personally, I was wildly distracted buy the buttons, which looked like Christmas ornaments. But I’m known for having the fashion sense of a rock. But if you’re looking to purchase fashions like those worn on the soap, here’s where you can find some of them!

• It seemed weird to me that Taylor and Finn were in the meeting deciding Hope For the Future’s fate, but Zende and R.J. were nowhere to be seen.

• Crew Morrow (Will) has proven himself to be a real find. It’s almost impossible for longtime Young & Restless viewers to not see in him the same talent we immediately recognized when his dad, Joshua Morrow, joined Young & Restless as Nick. Now, let’s hope that maybe Electra’s introduction will give him a storyline other than hoping Bill and Katie reunite for the billionth time. (Which would, in keeping with a theme, be yet another rerun storyline and prove that Katie, like Taylor, has learned absolutely nothing.)