Guardian angels

Eric was on the side of the angels this week as R.J. hovered over him protectively. But Deacon's wings got tarnished when his safeguarding of Sheila led to a marriage proposal, while Finn faced temptation from devilish, none-too-subtle suggestions to ice his bio-mom. Get heavenly with Two Scoops' Mike!

Has your week been bold and beautiful? Did you literally need to talk to the hand? Did you choose to turn marriage into an actual institution? Did everybody you know want you to step on a crack and break your mama's back? These and more situations faced the Forrester-Logan-Spencer-Walton clan this week!

What a way to start the Halloween season, Scoopers! Deacon celebrated a month early by kicking "to serve and protect" up a notch to "love, honor, and obey" with a proposal to marry murderess Sheila! Across town, her kid received advice from everybody but the postman to rid himself of Sheila by any means necessary. That leaves R.J. as the angelic one looking out for Eric. Y'all ready? Let's Scoop about it!

Okay. Gotta talk about Thomas and Hope. Eww. But only because I'm contractually bound. Well, not really. But here goes. Kissy-kissy, goo-goo eyes, goo-goo eyes. Blech. Hope, however, might have given away her real motivation by asking Thomas to tell her that he loved her. It's like the thought of a man only wanting her got her sugar walls extra sugary. But it's not like Hope's never had solo devotion before. Remember Wyatt?

Yeah, Wyatt was all about Hope and no one else, too, unlike Liam, but it's only Thomas' dedication that excites her. "There's something about you," Hope purred. Oh, I know -- you were raised in the same extended family? Hope's groovin' on so much forbidden fruit, she could open a roadside stand. As for Thomas, he decided he had enough love "for both of us."

Thomas wasn't the first soap character to make that codependent statement, but yikes. There are twelve step meetings for that, Tom. He went on to compare him and Hope to Romeo and Juliet, which was another bad step for the hunky head case. Because we know how R&J worked out. Up until this week, I'd wanted Deacon to talk some sense into Hope, but "Daddy" just leveled up with his own romantic craziness, so never mind that.

But Taylor, who had come all the way back from Rome to chinjaw with Finn, caught Thomas with Hope and was not pleased. This struck me as odd, because when Matthew Atkinson first took over the role of Thomas in 2019, then-Hunter Tylo Taylor wanted Thomas to be with Hope. Maybe that was because Thomas hadn't gone batsh*t yet -- or because Taylor was still that very thing herself.

No, now Taylor is worried that if Thomas gets hurt from Hope's lack of reciprocity, he'll backslide. And that's legit. I'd almost like to see it. I think Thomas is deluding himself through finally having bagged Hope after twelve years in real time, and Hope is deluding herself by taking fidelity from anyone who will give it to her, even a step-bro she exchanged Christmas cards with as a kid. This is not going to end well. Good. Let it explode.

At the Forrester manse, Eric got increasingly frustrated at his inability to draw and refused Donna's offer of food, saying he hadn't been very hungry. R.J. came by and witnessed Eric's churlishness, as well. Donna thought Eric should call his doctor and questioned the effectiveness of Eric's "pills," leading Eric to grumble that he was fine and that he was going to produce his legacy line, damn it.

Once Eric went upstairs to take a nap, R.J. shared with his auntie Donna his observation that Eric had been in his element when he'd first started the collection, but he noted that "it isn't fun anymore." Donna, who had earlier joined R.J. in trying to talk Eric out of soldiering on, switched sides to the point that R.J. noticed. "You're listing all the reasons I should tell Dad," R.J. argued to Donna.

Telling Dad -- in this case, Ridge -- was exactly what Eric had demanded not be done. "Eric Forrester has to go out on top," Donna insisted when R.J. hinted at ratting Eric out. I feel for where Eric is coming from, but there's clearly more going on than just the "arthritis" Eric said he had when this saga began. There are the tremors, which we've seen, but the lack of appetite and tiredness sends up red flags for me big time.

R.J. must have thought so, too, because he headed to Forrester, where COO Carter was laying down some financial realities on Bridge. To accommodate Eric's additional couture line, funds were going to have to be reallocated. Because Eric was blowing through money like he was made of it, Carter suggested that the newly bespectacled Ridge (and here I thought Thorsten couldn't look any cuter; swoon) get R.J.'s take.

This is again where it's too bad that Ridge already knows R.J. is helping Eric design a collection. Think of how much more impact it would have if Ridge was only now finding out about it. As I said, R.J. arrived at the shop and tried to lay the groundwork for outing Eric. But alas! R.J. had a flashback of Donna's assertions...which we'd just seen earlier the same episode. Such is the power of flashing back mere minutes!

It was enough for R.J., because he totally caved and merely reported to Ridge that Eric felt a great need to do his collection. I admit, I had fully expected R.J. to squeal on Eric, and I'm kind of glad he didn't. I also have to admit that Joshua Hoffman really gave R.J. both caring and conviction this week, and it elevated Bridge's only child above the static level he's been on since his return in April. What do you think is wrong with Eric?

For someone who's so alone because of Steffy packing up the kids and running off to Italy to avoid Sheila, Finn certainly hasn't had much of a chance to be alone. He might as well have had a revolving door put in the cliff house, given how many people showed up, letting themselves in. (Sorry, but having "security" doesn't mean you don't deadbolt your damn doors!)

First, Li came to play and made me wish we could see her in real action. When Finn agreed to tell Sheila she was no longer welcome, Li growled, "That's not strong enough." No, Li wanted Finn to be cold and harsh. After all, Finn was a doctor. And what did doctors usually do with cancers? They cut them out! Li's perpetual scowl indicated that Finn was to do something more permanent. Much more permanent.

My question is, if Li is so full of rage where Sheila is concerned -- and really, who could blame her -- why isn't Li doing something to get rid of Sheila? How many of you would love to see another Li/Sheila showdown? And Li is owed a rematch, since their last tangle ended with Li driving a burning SUV into a body of a water. Li is recurring and therefore could do something illegal to Sheila. What fun that would be!

Next, Liam showed up, but all Finn cared about was that Liam not be in contact with Steffy. Liam ended up reiterating my own thought that that was impossible, given that Liam and Steffy share a child. Liam responded to Finn's continued whines by reminding Mr. Finnegan that he needed to focus on the real problem -- Sheila. "You're not taking protecting your wife and family seriously!" Liam exhorted.

And isn't that exactly how it is? For all of Finn's "I'm doing/I'll do everything in my power to get Sheila out of our lives" declarations, he ain't been doing squat! All right, so he told Sheila to leave and never contact him again. But Finn should know from experience that that doesn't work. To Sheila, such a directive results in "challenge accepted!"

Now, to be fair, Sheila hasn't actually done anything since she was released from the slammer, not really. Yes, she showed up to the beach and the house unannounced and uninvited. But she hasn't made any major moves. Nor has she for the past year or so. The old Sheila would have picked Hayes up from day care by now. So, for all the hullaballoo, neither Finn nor Sheila is acting on much of anything.

Then Taylor stopped by and expressed annoyance at Finn's hemming and hawing. It would have added extra depth for Taylor to remind him that they had both been shot by Sheila, but no wishes granted there. Krista Allen, however, gave Taylor a fierceness not seen by the character since Hunter Tylo exited the role. Taylor told Finn to deal with Sheila...and she didn't care how!

Indeed, when Finn kicked the can with his usual promises, Taylor yelled, "Do something, Finn! Step up!" It's true; Finn's been halfhearted at best with all this. Somehow, Taylor was the only one who actually got through to Finn; maybe it was Taylor's warning that he was "dangerously close to losing Steffy." Finn does need to step up, but what can he realistically do? Personally, I'd like to see him get creative. It's in his genes!

The inveterate snooper, Sheila, sat at an Il Giardino table, with only a hat as a disguise, and where Deacon could easily have seen her in his peripheral vision if he'd moved his head. He was talking to David Kimball...er, I mean Evan Scott! Yes, Michael Corbett was back after a long absence from soaps, though I don't know if I would take advice from a guy who had "killer" etched into his forehead.

You had to be there on The Young and the Restless back in 1991 to get that. Look it up. Anyway, it turned out Evan Scott was the judge whom Deacon had leaned on to get Sheila's flimsy conviction thrown out of court. So, we went through that whole plot of Bill's to romance Sheila into confessing her sins for nothing. But then, life is messy like that sometimes; why shouldn't a soap be?

Sheila beamed to herself when she overheard Deacon telling Evan that he believed people could change and that it was surprising what a little love could do. Yet later, when Sheila saw the second empty glass on Deacon's table, she acted all jealous. What was that about? Deacon stopped Sheila from reiterating what the judge had done in front of his very public clientele (Sheila's getting sloppy!) and took her upstairs.

Sheila was floored. She proclaimed that no one had ever stood up for her in so big a way. And even though she and Deacon had just determined that they had to stop seeing each other for the sake of Deacon's restaurant and daughter, Deacon dropped the bomb that he was crazy about Sheila -- a profession she could have easily thrashed by again blabbering that she'd do anything to be near Finn and Hayes.

Yeah, Sheila, you've been on about that for a year. S*it or get off the pot, as my mother used to say. (Which sounded really funny in her thick Dutch accent.) Sheila understood how people might be wary because of what she had done, but "I've taken responsibility for all those things." No, you haven't! You still think if it hadn't been for Steffy's interference, you wouldn't have sent bullets flying all over Il Giardino's alleyway!

Sheila also maintained that she had changed. Not hardly. The only time Sheila had truly changed was during her 1992-1998 run, when she made a concrete effort to grow beyond her psychosis and only resorted to it when she couldn't help herself. Now, wouldn't that be a thing? If Sheila actually took steps to change? I think she might be too far down her own rabbit hole to do it by now, but at least then it wouldn't be just talk.

Deacon said he could understand Sheila more than most because he'd done shady ish, too, not to mention served time in prison. And there's merit in that. And maybe Deaky likes the crazy ladies -- we first saw him in 2000 with Carmen, who drunkenly dangled his never-mentioned son "Little D," who was then a baby, off the roof of a high-rise.

But now the Freaky One might be just dangling himself off the virtual roof, because he shifted himself and Sheila from one of their many breakups to another one of their makeups. And why? Deacon didn't want to be alone anymore. There, I think, we have the real reason Deacon has entertained any kind of anything with Sheila the whole time. Deak, have you looked at yourself in the mirror? You should have no problem not being alone. Hell, here's my phone number...

Deacon then recreated his one real date with Sheila, where he had wined and dined her once the ristorante was closed for the day. Only this time, Deacon added an engagement ring to the dessert course! Not bad, Sheila -- two proposals in one year. Especially since she hasn't been married since 1998. But if Hope couldn't handle her father marrying Quinn, she sure as hell ain't gonna be Sheila's matron of honor!

Would any marriage between Deacon and Sheila have a chance in hell of working out? Because if it's up to Li, Liam, and Taylor, it'll be a shotgun wedding! What do you think Finn should do to back up his anti-Sheila words with actions? Is Taylor being fickle by now being against Thope? Will Eric's current disability lead to a more serious ailment? And is Ridge rocking his new glasses? Open the pearly gates of the Comments section below or the Soap Central message boards, or simply click here to submit feedback!

Has Luna joined previous new character Grace already? (If you're saying "Grace who?", you get my point.) Actually, Luna is supposed to grace R.J.'s orbit next week, so we shall see. And I wanna see if Finn actually does anything about Sheila! To say nothing of what's up with Eric! So, let's all keep watching, be alert, and most of all, be bold! See you in two weeks, my Scoopnesses!

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