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B&B’s Katherine Kelly Lang & ‘This Is Us’ Mandy Moore Deliver The ‘Power Performances of the Week’

By Michael Fairman

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Photo: CBS/NBC

The top honors for the most notable performances for the past week, this time go to one actress on daytime and one actress on primetime.  Both gave us compelling, heartfelt, and at-times gut-wrenching work within the confines of their storylines.

On The Bold and the Beautiful, Katherine Kelly Lang (Brooke), continues to be a standout in one of the most aggravating storylines (Sheila getting away with dismantling Brooke’s life with booze to the point where there is a quickie reunion of Taylor and Ridge) and through it is giving the audience some of the best work of her entire 35-year-run on the CBS soap,

On Friday’s episode, Brooke tells Ridge she is giving him a divorce to make him happy, and with tears flowing she says she will never forgive herself for what happened on New Year’s Eve (getting drunk and then kissing Deacon). She goes on to tell Ridge that she wishes to God that she deserved his love, but she doesn’t. Brooke says she knows she has self-destructive tendencies. Ridge tells Brooke none of this makes him happy, but he does walk out on Brooke, and head to Taylor, leaving a devastated Brooke in a puddle of tears and her life torn to pieces.  Be on the lookout for Lang to be a major contender for a Daytime Emmy nomination for her work in the 2023 Daytime Emmy race.

Meanwhile, NBC’S This Is Us is quite the soap in our minds. The primetime drama, which is in its sixth and final season, is going to wrap up its run in 10 more episodes. However, this past Tuesday saw once again just how the unsung hero of the show, Mandy Moore, can play three different times in the life of Rebecca with such ease and such believability.

Moore out did even herself in the episode entitled “Taboo”.  In the present time, Rebecca, who we know has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease, tells her children (Randall, Kevin and Kate), following Thanksgiving dinner, the provisions she wants the family to take when she can no longer understand or make choices for herself, or the end of her life nears.  First, Rebecca makes her children verbally acknowledge and agree that Miguel will be in charge of the decisions and her care.  However, if something happens to Miguel before she dies, she wants Kate to be in charge and the decision-maker of her care.  Then, Moore makes us reach for the hankies telling her kids : “You will not make your life smaller because of me, I am your mother, and I am sick, and I am asking you to be fearless.” She then needs them all to say they will do as she says, and in tears all three kids do just that. Later, Kate asks Rebecca why she chose her to be in charge of her care. Rebecca replies, “You are my daughter and my best friend. It was always you, Kate.”  And if you think that’s all Moore did in the episode … wrong!

Earlier in the episode, as the series goes to a flashback of her younger days after Jack’s death, we see how Miguel and Rebecca try to fight their growing attraction to each other, and how Miguel did not want to betray her ex-husband and his best friend, by following through on his feelings for her.

On the porch, following another Thanksgiving, Miguel tells a stunned Rebecca he’s moving to Houston, where he’s got a new job and will be closer to his kids.  Rebecca’s eyes immediately well-up in tears.  Miguel expresses, in tears too, “I feel like I’ve been staying around because… it’s time Rebecca. Now that you’re back up on your feet, it’s time for me to go.”  Rebecca is gutted and a younger Kate finds her mom crying on her bed and goes to comfort her.

So, what did you think of Katherine Kelly Lang’s work on B&B, and Mandy Moore’s on This Is Us? Share your thoughts on our picks for the Power Performances of the Week via the comment section below.  But first, check out one of the key scenes from This Is Us featuring Moore and Jon Huertas.

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Katherine Kelly Lang has been giving this same performance year in and year out.
Mandy Moore is amazing and has deserved the Emmy for a while now.

Shari
I don’t think you meant that as praise and Iam certainly not a fan of Brooke/K.K.L but after rereading your post, I have to agree that she DOES give the same, expected performance time after time. Are we just sick of her being good? Ha!

Disagree RE: Katherine Kelly Lang. She continues to deliver impassioned work, better each season, a vast improvement from her earlier days as Brooke. Agree with you on Mandy Moore

That is not her fault it’s Brad Bell and nobody gets too upset we have a fake Taylor a fake ridge just so disgusted with him ! Why JW and Wh agreeded to come back he is insulting to his actors ! He has actors nobody is interested in just to prove he is not whatever I’m so sick of him just cancel the show with some dignity!

And who in your opinion is the “real” Taylor and Ridge?

Ronn Moss and Hunter Taylor that’s who

Agreed! Cancellation on it’s way.

I agree, Shari. It must be boring doing the same story line for 30+ years. On the plus side, Mandy has been excellent all year and continues to be underrated.

Mandy Moore has been underrated for so long wouldn’t it be a great thing for the Emmy awards to finally award her after all of her stellar work on this is us especially on this final season it’s about time the Emmy’s gave a network show the award since it’s well deserved as far as Katherine Kelly lang her work this week was great and she’s also been underrated along with many in daytime congrats to both

KKL has been given the same story for 35 years. She is a delight to watch but Brooke would be more compelling a character with a strong backbone. Brook should be a power player not a weepy ingenue. We have Hope for that. Have her soon realize this recent fall off the wagon is not her fault, that Ridge is not her endgame, and let her live a vibrant exciting life. Weary of all the moping. Tired of the Forrester hypocrisy. No one deserves casting a stone here… Steffy, Thomas, Ridge. I would love to see Brooke launch a company and move forward on her own terms. Maybe with her younger sons RJ or Jack in support, thus giving us some younger people to stir up trouble. It’s just time for Brooke to no longer be considered less-than.

I don’t watch B&B but Mandy Moore this week – oh WoW. I agree that she has been under-rated but she was outstanding this week. I do think this show has gone on too long, but it would certainly be well deserved if she won an Emmy on this last finale.

I’m glad we are getting to see how Rebecca and Miguel got together; the scene where they were playing the game was so telling in how well they knew each other and their history and obvious to everyone in the room.

Mandy Moore is an incredible actor! She moves from one generation to another with such ease and earnest perfection to her defined roles. Congratulations Mandy on your deserved award.!!!!

KKL is a good actress however she has played this scene (Brooke and Ridge breakup) with different variations almost every year for the past 30 years. How many times have they broken up/? I know the show has a small cast but why can’t they come up with a different story line for this talented woman. At this point she should pull an Eileen Fulton with her infamous grandmother clause and make it a part of her contract that she will never break up with Ridge again.

B@B writing is horrific

Recaps

THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL: Steffy Tells Carter She’s Pregnant, But He Has a Way ‘Out of This Situation For All of Us’

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Steffy and Carter

After taking a second pregnancy test on the Friday, September 12 episode of The Bold and the Beautiful, Steffy Forrester (Jacqueline MacInnes Wood) freaks out ever more when it come back positive, too. Leading her to shriek, multiple times over, “Oh my God! Oh my God! I’m pregnant!”

As previously reported, CBS and The Bold and the Beautiful have already confirmed that in the story, the baby Steffy is carrying is Carter’s (Lawrence Saint-Victor) which kicks-off their 40th season of storytelling. However, could there be a twist down the line that it’s really Finn’s (Tanner Novlan)?

On Friday’s episode, Carter gets a text from his wife, Daphne (Murielle Hilaire) telling him she wants to talk more about surrogacy later, since she cannot carry Carter’s child, and the couple was exploring ways for them to have a baby. Suddenly, Carter flashes back to waking up next to Steffy on the couch in the office after they had sex the night before in their drunken stupor.

Carter

Courtesy/CBS

CARTER DEVISES A PLAN

Then, Steffy comes whirling into the office demanding to talk to Carter right away. Steffy is informing Carter that she has to tell Finn about their night together more than ever! A confused Carter asked her what changed, when they agreed to keep their one night together a secret? Carter tells her if she reveals what happened between them, it will tear about all of their lives.

Carter thinks nothing will come of their “mistake” if they keep their mouth shut. Steffy responds, “You’re wrong.” She goes on to explain that she’s pregnant! That declaration stuns Carter and we fade to black.

However, it was the preview for the action next week on The Bold and the Beautiful, that aired at the end of Friday’s episode and is now all over B&B’s social media that is the real tell-tale sign of where this story is heading.

B&B SPOILERS

In a scene airing next week, Carter says to Steffy, “I have a way out of the situation for all of us!” This comes on the heels of Daphne telling Carter she wishes she knew someone who would be their surrogate. So, putting two and two together, it looks like Carter will come up with the idea to pass Steffy and his baby off as the surrogate child of Carter and Daphne.

Look no further than the official B&B spoilers for episodes airing Monday, September 14- Friday, September 18 and the teaser lines of the Steffy/Carter baby drama to back that up below.

Monday, September 14, Steffy’s news complicates things even more with Carter, while on Tuesday, September 15, 2026  Daphne is hopeful she and Carter will be able to find a surrogate and Carter rushes to stop Steffy. On Wednesday, September 16, Carter makes a passionate plea. and by Thursday, September 17, Daphne can’t believe Carter’s suggestion. Then come Cliffhanger Friday, September 18, Steffy is caught off guard.

So, what do you think how it look to be Carter who originated plan to keep the truth from ever coming out, that he and Steffy had sex, and the best way to do this is for Steffy to be the surrogate for Carter and Daphne’s child? How complicated will the cover-up eventually get? Will Steffy fall in love with the baby making this whole thing untenable for her? Share your thoughts and theories via the comment section, but first check out B&B’s video teaser for next week’e episodes below.

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General Hospital

GENERAL HOSPITAL: Jason and Britt Reach an Impasse; Is This the End of Their Relationship?

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Jason and Britt

On the Friday, September 11 episode of General Hospital, Jason (Steve Burton) and Britt’s (Kelly Thiebaud) relationship becomes strained to potentially the point of no return.

Things take a turn when an unglued Britt having been traumatized by almost being killed by Anna Devane (Finola Hughes) asks Jason to back her up with the PCPD when she reports Anna for attempted murder.

However, Jason told Britt, he can’t. Jason shares that he does not believe Anna would have gone through with shooting her. Therefore, Britt was not in any real imminent danger. Britt is flabbergasted and hurt that Jason is refusing to tell the police what he actually witnessed for himself on Mount Emerson.

Britt

Courtesy/ABC

BRITT WANTS BACK UP FROM JASON

Jason counters that he can’t believe that Britt would want Anna punished. or sent to prison, or a mental facility after the trauma she endured while being locked up and mentally tortured while at Wyndemere.

He asks Britt, “How could you even say that you want her locked up or prosecuted for what she did when you knew she was being held prisoner and you did nothing to save her?” Britt is stunned by Jason’s response.

Coming up, official General Hospital spoilers share that on the upcoming Monday, September 14 episode, Jason confides in Carly (Laura Wright), while Britt is stung. In the video preview that aired at the end of the Friday, September 11 episode for this coming Monday, Britt says to Jason, “You don’t believe me. Do you?”

General Hospital head scribes, Chris Van Etten and Elizabeth Korte previously teased in their fall preview of the soap, “Britt and Jason have come a long way and fought a lot of enemies to be together. But the most stubborn obstacle to their happiness isn’t without, it’s within. Decisions Britt made to stay alive while under Cullum’s thumb will come back to haunt her and may prove too difficult for this unlikely couple to survive.”

So, what do you think will happen? Will Jason and Britt break-up over Britt’s lies and Jason’s unwillingness to report Anna’s crime against her? Do you want Jason and Britt to go their separate ways? If they do, will Britt become romantically involved with Dr. Tristan Roberts (Dean Geyer) ? If so, who do you pair Jason with? Anyone? Weigh-in via the comment section.

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Recaps

THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL: Steffy is Shaken to the Core, ‘Oh My God! I’m Pregnant!’

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Steffy

On today’s Thursday, September 10 episode of The Bold and the Beautiful, Steffy Forrester (Jacqueline MacInnes Wood) discovers she’s pregnant, after taking a home pregnancy test, that will launch a new story arc that will remain front and center for the show in the months ahead.

The life-changing story kicks off the B&B’s 40th season which officially began on September 8. In it, Carter Walton (Lawrence Saint-Victor) is the biological father of Steffy’s unborn child from their drunken night together when both endured turbulent times in their marriages.

Previously, Carter had trouble with Daphne (Murielle Hilaire), when she initially walked out on him, because she could not carrying his child. Meanwhile, Steffy broke up with Finn (Tanner Novlan) while in Monaco over Finn’s mother Sheila Carter (Kimberlin Brown) showing up, who once tried to kill her.

Courtesy/CBS

Fast-forward, Carter and Steffy made a pact that no one will ever need to know about their drunken night together, but now with Steffy becoming pregnant it changes everything. Making matters all the worse, Daphne views Steffy as her best friend, in fact, Daphne and Carter have been talking about having a child via surrogacy. While Finn had showed the couple how to start the process of finding a surrogate, Daphne felt just choosing a random person to carry Carter’s child is so impersonal. She would rather have it be someone she knows.

It does not take a scientist to predict … that somehow Steffy will carry the baby pretending to be the surrogate, when she its biological mother, and along the way, the questions become, does she keep the whole thing somehow a secret to herself? Doe Carter find out at some point? Stay tuned to see how this story reveals itself.

At its root, this is a major storyline for Wood, who has already won three Daytime Emmy Lead Actress Awards in her 18 years with The Bold and the Beautiful. In that time, her character of Steffy has experienced multiple pregnancies, given birth to two children, Kelly with Liam (Scott Clifton) as the father, and Hayes with Finn as the father, and endured a miscarriage.

So, what did you think of Steffy getting confirmation she is pregnant and looking mortified when she found out? What will she do next? Will she tell Carter? Will Daphne come to Steffy to ask her to be her surrogate, which Steffy may think will be the answers to her prayers, only for the truth to come out later, or falling in love with the baby since its hers to be begin with? Share your thoughts and theories for this major story for Jacqueline MacInnes Wood, via the comment section.

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Jonathan Bennett joins the cast of GH as Joe Fitzpatrick. Catch the latest promo! Leave a comment.Leave A Comment

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