On The Bold and the Beautiful, Eric Forrester is the very foundation of which the long-running soap was built about. John McCook, alongside Katherine Kelly Lang, are the only two original actors left on the show, and although Brooke is always featured in the most prominent storylines, Eric sometimes fades into the background. However, with Eric being abruptly forced out of Forrester Creations by Ridge and now joining Katie’s new fashion house, he is front and center where it belongs. This week, McCook expertly portrayed an aging industry titan breathing new life into his storied career.
The Bold and the Beautiful, John McCook, Performer of the Week
McCook’s Eric made fashion feel exciting again over the last week of episodes. Watching the journey of how Eric went from showing interest in Katie’s new company to realizing that he could revive his career was peak television. A lot of times on this series, people resort to screaming and yelling to get their point across, but sometimes, darkness isn’t the only way to captivate the audience. In the case of McCook, he radiated pure unadulterated joy, and that made Eric’s scenes must-watch television.
Eric refused to go quietly and ride off into the sunset like a forgotten relic. If Eric believes that he still has a lot left in the tank, who is Ridge to tell him that he can’t? Ridge’s entire fashion empire exists because of Eric, and it’s difficult to believe that an egomaniac like him would walk away if R.J. or Thomas told him that his time was up. Eric should have the final say in his life, both personally and professionally. He’s not showing any signs of diminished mental capacity, so there’s no reason why he should feel pressured to spend his days golfing or eating brunch with Donna when designing still ignites such passion.
McCook has an innate ability to make viewers want to root for him. The fire in his eyes. The excitement in his voice. All of it comes together in a master class performance that proves why he’s been vital to the series since its inception. Every character (except Brooke) has been cut or recast throughout the soap’s duration, so it’s a testament to McCook’s legendary talents that he’s remained a focal point. There’s no one quite like him, and this week, he proved his continued worth as Eric moves toward the next chapter of his career.
What’s next for Eric Forrester?
Friday’s all-new episode concluded with Brooke inching closer to the truth about Eric and Katie’s newfound working relationship. Once Brooke and Ridge discover that Eric has agreed to be Logan’s lead designer, the Forrester family will be in shambles. Eric desperately wants to prove to Ridge and Brooke that pushing him out of his own company was the wrong choice. Despite giving him a pity offer to return to Forrester, Eric has opted to head in this new, more exciting direction. However, as Ridge and Brooke have deemed Katie’s company a destined failure, how will they feel about Eric’s involvement?
Any forward movement toward reconciliation between Brooke and Katie will likely stall once the truth comes out. If Brooke took using the Logan name as such a deeply personal insult, she and Ridge will consider Eric’s defection as the ultimate betrayal. There may be no coming back from this for Eric and Katie. Moving forward with Eric as the lead designer of Logan could fully estrange them from the rest of the Forrester family. It wouldn’t be a surprise if R.J. turns his back on Eric as well, considering he appears to have returned to Los Angeles with an entirely new attitude.
Viewers (and Steffy) know that Eric has almost an entire collection ready for production, so it won’t be long until he and Katie formally launch the brand. Steffy touted the designs as vintage Eric Forrester, something unmistakable and instantly recognizable. Eric adding such name value to Katie’s startup makes it in instant industry threat, which gives Brooke and Ridge good reason to be worried about the fate of Forrester.
Catch all-new episodes of The Bold and the Beautiful weekdays on CBS and Paramount Plus.
