Time after time, characters act in surprising ways. After all, the unexpected is what keeps folks tuning in! The Bold and the Beautiful’s Eric Forrester is choosing to keep his illness a secret from almost everyone in his life. Unknown to the Forrester patriarch, alas, there are few secrets in soaps.

Eric Forrester: Swan Song

Did Eric make the right decision to lie to his loved ones about his apparent fatal condition? It’s a tough question to answer because Eric (John McCook) is in a tough spot. Are there other ways he could have dealt with the situation? Probably.

It’s My LifeB&B’s Eric Forrester.

People may not like hearing this but this is Eric’s life. Sure, there’s part of him that wants to bring his loved ones into his inner circle. He knows they’re going to mourn him. There’s only one thing Eric wants in life more than his beloved stapler — he wants to be free from pity. He’s already seen how Donna (Jennifer Gareis) and Katie (Heather Tom) have reacted to the news of his illness. He doesn’t want to experience other people’s pity.

Now or Never

The reality of life and death is that we come into this world alone and we die alone. (Well, we might come into the world with other people if we’re a twin, a triplet, or a quadruplet or…okay, you get the picture.) Many find that life can be pretty solitary. So if Eric wants to keep his private business private, then that’s his choice. His loved ones may not like it but they’ll live with it.

I Just Want to Live Forever

Eric’s not going to live forever. No one is. If he weren’t so overwhelmed by the potential of his life ending, he might take a step back and realize he needs to let his loved ones know what’s going on. Then, they can understand what’s going on (even though most already do) and folks can start giving their proper farewells.

Eric may have forgotten how important it was for Stephanie’s (Susan Flannery) family to have the chance to say goodbye to her when she was dying. Eric’s been a provider all of his life for his family and friends. Now, he needs to provide them a chance to have closure.

The Bold and the Beautiful airs weekdays on CBS. For an in-depth look at the show’s history, click here.

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