From the look of things, Eric Forrester (John McCook) is dying on The Bold and the Beautiful. It started out as tremors in his hands and turned into coughing up blood, with the doctor saying that his condition (which is still a mystery) is terminal and he doesn't have a lot of time. As a new soaps fan, this is my first time navigating a possible character death and it's bringing back all kinds of memories for me.
My mom passed away three years ago. Her loss is as painful now as it was then. Watching the Forresters navigate the complexities of grief — vacillating between disbelief, anger, frustration and sadness — hurts me. It hurts me in a way I wasn't expecting, as I only started watching the show earlier this year. I'm invested in the story, of course, but I wasn't prepared for how much the parallels between Eric's possible death (he could still be miraculously saved!) and my mother's loss would impact me.
I forgot to mention one tiny detail: I lost my mom on December 12, 2020. She passed away 13 days before Christmas, a holiday we both love so much.
Needless to say, having Eric's possible death storyline playing out in the days and weeks leading up to the anniversary, and then having him in the hospital during the anniversary itself and in the time after, well, let's just say it hasn't been easy.
With that in mind, I'm watching The Bold and the Beautiful with an eye on what it could mean if Eric passes away before Christmas. If Eric's death comes to pass, and if it happens before Christmas, it will forever change how the Forresters celebrate. There will be a pall on the holiday season that's very challenging to overcome.
My particular brand of coping has been celebrating Christmas as early as possible — yes, I've been watching Hallmark Channel Christmas movies since October — because as December 12 approaches I find myself increasingly overcome by sadness. I take a few days off work before and after the actual date so I can leave town and escape for a while. It's hard to function sometimes. Grief is weird that way.
I feel a strange sense of kinship with Ridge (Thorsten Kaye), as he's the one making medical decisions, just as I did. It's a heavy, heavy burden. In his case, he's dealing with lots of opinions from other family members but ultimately he's the one calling the shots. I don't envy him that. Thankfully we never had to deal with anything like that, but I know plenty of people who have had to deal with differences of opinion and it's a horrible thing to be doing as a loved one is dying.
Ridge has to contend with being Eric's son and power of attorney, but Eric's wife Donna (Jennifer Gareis) and Eric's other children, Thorne (Windsor Harmon) and Bridget (Ashley Jones), might have other ideas. There's already plenty of reason for tension between Ridge and Thorne without their father's life on the line.
If The Bold and the Beautiful spoilers for December 11 tell us anything, it's that Ridge isn't going to have it easy. Big decisions lie ahead, and what happens next will leave a lasting impact on the lives of every single Forrester.
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.
