‘The Bold and the Beautiful’ Opinion: BB Producers Rewriting Rick Forrester’s Character to Fit Transgender Storyline? (POLL)
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We can all agree that transgender issues are front page news right now. But is “The Bold and the Beautiful” rushing too fast to take advantage of the trend and bending characters to fit? It was one thing to rewrite Maya Avant’s [Karla Mosley] history retroactively to explain that she was born Myron and has transformed herself to Maya. But it’s quite another when Rick Forrester [Jacob Young] has a major and unexplainable personality shift to fit the storyline.
The question becomes, is Rick redeeming himself? Or is it sloppy writing to try and make a social point? It seems like everybody but Rick knew that Maya was born a man. That inconceivable notion aside, Maya and Rick are up at Big Bear at the Forrester cabin and Rick popped the question. Maya asked him to ask again after the big news. He hasn’t yet, but no doubt, soon will.
Mosley said of the big and long-awaited scene, “Ultimately Maya trusts Rick, she loves him enough to risk everything, including letting down some of the walls she’s built up to protect herself, in order to be with him in a healthy way.”
Rick has always liked that Maya was so “honest” but it turns out she’s been dishonest in the most primal of ways. Rick has talked about having children with Maya. And, of course, they can always adopt, but the physical inability to have children is a HUGE issue to keep from your partner – aside from her being born a man even if she never identified as a male. She was raised as a male, after all.
And while it is understandable that Maya might want to keep her secret, it seems that she waited very, very deep into their relationship to offer up the truth. After all, this is the same man who took a shot (a literal gunshot!) at Ridge Forrester [Thorsten Kaye] and Caroline Spencer [Linsey Godfrey] for just a kiss. If Rick was being Rick, he would rant and rave at Maya – not because she’s a transgender, but because she was dishonest with him for so very long.
As Rick prepared to propose, he told Maya that she’s shown him how to be a better man. Except that Rick hasn’t been acting like a better man when it comes to pretty much everyone else around him. Rick said he knows Maya is not “someone who will let him down with lies and betrayal.” He says he cares about Maya because she “has no secrets.” Then she drops the HUGE secret she was LYING about.
Anger would be the expected reaction based on Rick’s well-established personality traits. But instead, it was utter acceptance – admittedly followed by embarrassment when the story broke in the press and there were ugly mocking headlines about them. We are expected to view this as a scenario where Maya’s real and meaningful love for Rick has altered him fundamentally. That would be okay except…
Even very recently, Rick and Maya have been horrible bullies to Aly Forrester [Ashlyn Pearce] and Ivy Forrester [Ashleigh Brewer] which is truer to Rick’s nature than his lack of outrage at Maya’s lies. Are we to believe that Rick just had an epiphany and is going to be a better person – or that he’s carved out a niche in his temperament for Maya alone?
What makes this storyline hard to swallow is not that a man can accept that he’s fallen in love with a transgender and their love can stand the test of social and family pressures. What makes it tough is that Maya and Rick are terrible, unlikable people. It almost seems like a waste to have played this storyline with these two characters rather than people who are not all-around jerks.
The storyline itself makes Maya likable because Mosley plays the part perfectly and you can see the pain in her transgender issues and past. But aside from when they’re facing this issue, the duo behaves despicably. Rick later defended Maya to his mom saying that Maya never lied – he says there were things she didn’t tell him, but she never lied. Hmm… That’s a stretch, right?
Fan reaction has been either greatly positive or greatly negative. Some see this is the best plot line ever and the some think it’s the worst. What’s interesting (and wonderful) is that the majority of fans are very accepting of a transgender character on the show. The negative fan reception has nothing to do with rejecting the inclusion of a trans character – it’s more of a backlash against Maya and Rick’s cruel treatment of others and then wondering why they are treated poorly in response.
What do you think? Was Rick’s reaction in line with his character’s nature or does it seem contrived to make the plot play the way they want? Do you think they’ll make it to the altar? Will Rick and Maya last as a couple?
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I hate the way they changed rick! It is not believable. They messed the story up!
I totally agree – they cannot just take a core character and decided to give him a new personality.
No one changes overnight……the new and “improved” Rick is boring……..as far as Maya is concerned she is an attractive woman but I don’t think she is a good actress…..my opinion only……
I agree!
You are wrong about viewers finding Maya likable. I can’t stand her. She is a deceitful, manipulative hypocrite.
Yes I agree she has been exactly like that but they are portraying her struggle well.
The writers are the people making everyone disike Maya and Rick. It’s not the transgender storyline but the deceit that Rick has forgot he deplores people who are not honest. Does one kiss constitute the treatment everyone has to suffer. Rick is treating everyone the way he hated to be treated. In fact I don’t think in all the years I have been watching he has ever been treated as bad as henis foing to others now. Rewrite “yes.” Make it real.
This story line is disgusting to every Christian in the country. The show is in California and they might think this is alright there but it is not in the south where I come from. God will end this sinful world one day and they will have to answer for their sinful ways.
No man in his right mind would forgive her.come on with this mess
They didn’t change Rick’s character and I’ll explain why, after I’ve adressed the differences between Maya and Caroline’s secrets and why Rick doesn’t treat them the same.
It’s simple really. It’s about what the lie covered up, why the lie existed in the first place. Caroline’s lie was about something she did wrong, something she knew was wrong but did anyway. Maya secret wasn’t about something she did wrong.
Caroline:
She did something unforgivable, with Ridge of all people, that affected Rick directly, WHILE they were together. Caroline didn’t want to come clean, because she knew her actions were in the wrong. That the consequenses would be severe, since the Ridge-factor was involved. So she didn’t tell Rick about it. Caroline did something hurtful that she, at least in the back of her mind, KNEW was wrong and was considered to be the maximum taboo for Rick. She lied and was never going to tell him. He found out from someone else, which is the worst way a lie can come out.
(Add to that, Caroline wasn’t entirely supportive of her husband getting the CEO job either, she favored Ridge.)
Everything involving the Ridge-factor is and have always been High Treason in Rick’s book. EVERYBODY is painfully aware of that fact, since like forever. That’s why Rick is flipping out at Caroline.
Maya:
She kept a secret about something that happened long BEFORE she met Rick. She was the only one involved, and it just affected her. She didn’t hurt anyone else by her actions at the time, which was going through with her transition. Most importantly her action, transitioning, wasn’t hurtful to Rick WHEN she did it. It also didn’t involve the Ridge-factor like in Caroline’s case. What Maya did wrong, was chosing to not tell Rick about her secret at the begining. It was completly wrong. But SHE was still the one who ended up telling him.
The “while”, “before”, “what was lied about”, “why it felt neccessary to lie”, the “Ridge-factor”, the “reason for lying at all”, the “when did the act to lie about occur?”, the “what impact did the actions have on Rick when they occured”, and the “who told”, is what it’s all about for Rick. That is why Rick treats both situations differently.
Now back to the subject, of Rick getting a personality makeover or not. There is NO character change going on. This fits really well with Ricks personality way back, when Rick had his last HUGE flip out 6 or 7 years ago, when Ridge facilitated Taylor breaking off her engagement with Rick.
Comparing “Ridge kissed Caroline”-flip out and “Ridge facilitated break up with Taylor”-flip out, with the “insta forgivness” going on, can seem a bit out there, but really it’s not. There are many similarities with Rick’s personality and behaviour both then and now. Ridge is the common factor and Taylor is a mix of Caroline/Maya’s behaviour.
When Ridge facilitated the destruction of Taylor and Rick’s engagement, this happened: Taylor had an encounter with Ridge, whom was in a commited relationship with Brooke at the time and he didn’t plan to change that fact. Ridge tried, once again, to convince Taylor to not marry Rick, because Ridge didn’t like the relationship. Taylor ended up kissing Ridge.
Taylor realized she still loved Ridge too much, to be able to marry Rick with a good conscience, even though Ridge was going to stay with Brooke. The very next time Taylor saw Rick she was completly honest. She told Rick right away that she couldn’t marry him, because she still loved Ridge. She also told Rick about the kiss. Did Rick EVER flip out at Taylor, like he did with Caroline?
No, Rick did NOT flip out on Taylor right then and there, (and not later as well), despite the Ridge-factor involvment. Because Taylor didn’t lie to him about anything. During the break up scene, Rick tried to talk some sense into Taylor. He told her he loved her anyway and still wanted to marry her, even after her revelation. Rick still wanted Taylor, despite the Ridge-factor having such an heavy impact on that situation.
To Rick’s disappointment Taylor didn’t change her mind. The next thing that happened, was Rick shouting and attacking Ridge on the FC roof, which resulted in Rick falling of the roof. It was the kick off of months with mean, mental-Rick, wanting to get revenge on Ridge, not Taylor.
Rick made himself pretty unlikeable among the staff and the family then too…
So heres the deal:
Caroline and Taylor have one thing in common in this, doing something wrong, with Ridge being involved in one way or the other.
Caroline lied, and was shuned by Rick at once and he went mental on both Caroline and Ridge.
Taylor told Rick the truth, that she still loved Ridge and had kissed him. She was not shuned by Rick. Instead Rick told Taylor he loved her and still wanted them to get married. Rick went mental on Ridge only. Had Taylor lied, and Rick found out later, she would have been in the same situation as Caroline.
Taylor and Maya have three things in common, disclosing something thats painful for Rick to hear, getting a declaration of love with instant forgivness attached and a wish from Rick to continue the relationship. All in the same scene. Taylor chose to not continue her relationship with Rick, but Maya does want the relationship.
Taylor did something wrong that carried a huge Ridge-factor, but she didn’t lie.
2 strikes, Instant Rick forgivness.
Maya did lie about something big, but hadn’t done anything wrong and carried no Ridge-factor.
2 strikes, Instant Rick forgiveness (2 strikes because of magnitude of the secret)
Caroline did something wrong, with big Ridge-factor involved AND lied about it.
3 strikes and you’re out, No instant Rick forgivness.
Anna, Good breakdown of Rick’s history with Taylor/Caroline/Maya. Your are on point with the “why” about the “what” concerning Rick!
Thank you Pat!
I’m not a huge fan of Maya, so at first I was a bit on the fence with Rick’s reaction. I’m a big Rick-fan since 1990, and because I remember most of his story, I thought that the last similar meltdown might give some answers. After analyzing it some, I reached the conclution that my Rick wasn’t really re-written, but it was close. I can understand the reactions from them who started watching the show after that huge flip-out.
For those who didn’t watch 2008-2009 here’s a short summary of SOME of the things that happened during Rick’s flip-out back then. All because Ridge was somewhat involved with Taylor decision to break Trick’s engagement and kissing Taylor.
Rick punching and choking Ridge, Rick falling off a roof and being temporarly paralyzed, disclosing family truths kept from Eric only because of revenge(Ridge pulling the plug on Eric’s ventilator), guilting Eric to give Rick the president job, stolen designs, deception, lies, toxic work enviroment, other peoples relationships being damaged/ended on purpose, Stephanie being fired, a car ACCIDENT with a fatal outcome(Phoebe died), Rick using his relationship with Steffy to torment Ridge for revenge, 2 murder attempts by Thomas (car bomb/arson), black mailing, Ridge almost falling of a roof etc etc….
they changed rick the rick we love to hate would not just except she kept this big thing from him. they are making him a hypocrite.
Ric has been a bully for quite awhile. The writers kept writing all kind of build up “hints” toward the upcoming storyline. Ric not only is a bully, he’s a selfish hypocrite. He couldn’t forgive Caroline for a few kisses, but Maya flatout omitted telling him life changing facts about herself. Ric is so immature, lacking in self esteem &confidence as a man and needy. There’s possibly still more testosterone in Myah’s body than Ric has in his. Ric needs to put on his big guy draws. If he wants to marry Myah, let him without Brooke’s 2¢. She sure isn’t one to give marital advise.
I don’t like Myah or
Rick at all. They treat people horrible .
Rick is baby. Always complaining treating people like they are trash he gets what’s coming to him. /couldn’t accept ricks x wife. Mistakes but can mia. Its a joke. !!!! mia well I think they both need written off show goodbye. Take that stupid villain looking picture off the mantle. She’s hateful and don’t deserve to be there. Take em off show enough is enough you writers went to far this time.
Rick & Myra, a perfect pair. They’re both self centered and hypercritical. Rick cannot make any kind of decision without Myra sitting on his lap. Rick has to get a grip on it & quit the tears. He is showing weakness. And Daddy & Mommy are enabling their baby boy. Bill Spencer did Rick and the Forester clan a favor.
Eric needs to remember Stephanie s father provided money to start company and Rick needs to know ridge is more entitled than he is.also know his mother is slut .slept with every forester man and some . I wish the skank was gone. She tore that family apart .eric is no angel . Stephanie should not have left him anything and never should have forgiven brook
Yep, they made Rick and Maya (whom I liked very much when she first came on the show) the most despicable characters on the show and then did the politically correct, crappy personality change so that Rick is sympathetic toward the liar, Maya, but not toward the slip his wife made. How he demeaned his wife and everyone else around him and tried to trick his dad into signing Forrester over to him, finally succeeding, and then continued his immature behavior after committing adultry with Maya while he preached betrayal to his wife, well, it is too much! Maya assisted Rick in his demeaning of others. I despise both of them and, as angry as I have been with Ridge from time to time, I would love to see him place his boot in each of their behinds and send them sailing out the door and off somewhere, anywhere, but LA.