As the episode begins, Eric is in the main office at Forrester Creations, still pitching Ridge the idea of them teaming up on the couture line.

There’s never been a better team than them! But the younger man isn’t having it. “You don’t want to be back in the trenches,” he tells his father. Way to not listen, Ridge!

 

 

The dressmaker reminds his dad that he already made a big fuss over his “final” collection. But Eric is outraged. He’s a designer, an artist… he doesn’t want to be put out to pasture. Ridge feigns empathy, almost reducing Eric to tears, as he says he’ll take the pressure of being on the front lines so that his father doesn’t have to.

 

 

Later, Ridge doubles down on his stance, arguing that it’s not worth Eric risking his life to work so hard. “The work itself is covered!” Ridge barks. “You asked me to take over the company; I’ve got it.” With that, he cuts their conversation short and exits.

 

 

At the same time, Brooke and Donna argue in the showroom about the appearance of a changing of the guard at FC. Donna is as taken aback by the disrespect shown to her husband as Bill was by the way Katie has been treated. “Whatever’s decided,” Brooke says, shrugging off any responsibility, “is between Ridge and Eric.”

 

 

At Il Giardino, Deke reports to Deacon and Sheila that he is still on a trial period at Hope For the Future. They assure him that he’ll do gangbusters. From there, Deacon excuses himself to attend a session with Taylor. “Play nicely,” he tells Sheila and Deke, who have shown no signs of playing any other way.

In Taylor’s office, the shrink and Deacon both marvel at the fact that neither of them has gone running yet. She likes digging in his psyche, she admits. Then get the shovel, and let’s get dirty, he cracks. From there, the patient admits that he’s feeling confident in his marriage again. If only he could win his kids over to Team Sheila.

Deacon goes on to recount his conversation with his missus over Thanksgiving. Sheila, he relates, sees Taylor as “the great savior” of their marriage. Well, Taylor is happy for them. She wonders, though, if his kids will ever accept Sheila.

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Back at Il Giardino, Sheila asks Deke not to run off so fast. She wants to get to know him better. “I get it. I’m not your favorite person,” she acknowledges. If he won’t let her get to know him, maybe he’ll get to know her instead. The new Sheila — who so recently threatened to murder Taylor — is a loving wife to Deke’s dad, she says.