Darla has been with the Bold and the Beautiful for many years now, 18 years to be exact. Granted she’s never really been involved in any of the major storylines, she was always just there lending support, at first as the ditzy blonde secretary to Sally at Spectra Fashions and later she grew into this mature, beautiful woman who married Thorne Forrester.
Her relationship with Thorne started when they slept together after a drunken night when Thorne thought he was having sex with Macy when in fact it was her best friend Darla, the result? Darla fell pregnant.
It also happened at the same time that Macy was unable to conceive and had to have an emergency hysterectomy. Well Macy got involved with Deacon and died when a chandelier fell on her when she was performing at the club. Since Darla was pregnant with Thorne’s baby, the two fell inlove and got married. They’ve been happily married for quite a few years now, a lifetime in soapie terms and things have generally being going great between this golden couple.
Darla has always supported Thorne no matter what, she was accepted by the Ice Queen herself Stephanie Forrester and has always enjoyed a beautiful relationship with Sally and Clarke. Sally looks at Darla as her own daughter and since Macy’s passing the two have become even closer.
So this week there was no surprise as to what awaited Darla because suddenly she was all over the screen, all the focus has been on her for this whole week which is definitely a first for the character.
The beginning of the endIt was a dark and foggy night….It all started with the return of Phoebe Forrester, all grown up and back from London leaving her sister Steffy behind who seems to be crazy about the English.
Phoebe was very concerned about her mom, she and Thomas tried to persuade Taylor to give their dad another chance and re-unite them as a family now that Brooke is married to Nick. Taylor wasn’t that interested, she seemed more concerned about her drunken habits and she promised Thomas to get rid of all the booze in the house.
Later we see Taylor throwing all the booze down the sink which happens to be in the living room, don’t ask me why, I’m baffled by this as well. However, she left one bottle behind and stared longingly at it.
Phoebe was on her way to her dad’s office and from there she was going to Darla’s place, it was little Alexandria’s 4th birthday and Darla had invited everybody.
She even went over to Taylor’s that afternoon to personally invite her sister in-law but when Taylips heard that Ridge was going to be there, she declined. Darla kissed and hugged and told her she loved her. Pretty obvious where this is heading, I’ve never seen these two alone in a scene ever before and suddenly they’re these loving sisters in-law? C’mon, it’s pretty obvious, writers of B&B!
Next Darla met Phoebe over in her dad’s office and hugged her telling her to come over to the party. The plans were set, Ridge was to pick Thomas up at the house and they would meet Phoebe at Darla’s place.
When Ridge went to pick up Thomas, he and Taylor started talking and she basically lashed out at the circumstances they found themselves in, him leaving her, for what? Brooke married Nick and now they’re both alone, she cried. Ridge apologised saying he now knows how much hurt he inflicted on her because Brooke did the same thing to him.
Later we see Phoebe in the SUV looking lost, she seemed to have missed the turn off to Darla and Thorne’s beach house and was stuck on Pacific Coast Highway, she then called her mom who was very concerned but Phoebe assured her she knew where she was and that she would be okay.
Phoebe then calls her mom again, this time she got a flat tyre and needed help, suddenly we see Phoebe’s cellphone on the ground and a shady looking hooded guy standing nearby. Phoebe was frightened and Taylor not getting any response from her daughter, rushed out of her house in a panic.
Meanwhile, things were looking very festive at the beach house, Sally and Thorne had decorated the place and Darla was thrilled with the way everything was coming together for her little girl’s birthday party.
Stephanie, Eric, Ridge and Thomas all arrived and the party began. Thomas captured every moment on his camcorder. Later Clarke came by dressed as Bozo the clown.
Over on PCH, Phoebe looked at the bearded guy with terrified eyes and she assured him she was fine, she quickly got into her vehicle and locked the doors, the guy mysteriously disappeared.
With the party coming to an end, Ridge and Thomas were concerned that Phoebe had not arrived yet, they thought she probably went out to her friends. As everyone bid Thorne and Darla goodnight and thanked them for a fantastic evening, Darla, Thorne and Sally sat on the couch and just enjoyed the aftermath of a successful family gathering.
Sally insisted that Thorne and Darla needed the evening to themselves so she was going to babysit Alexandria, Darla thanked her and hugged her tightly. Darla bid her daughter goodnight, promising to pick her up early the next morning, Thorne then leaves to drive Sally home.
When Darla is alone, she records a beautiful message to Alexandria on the camcorder telling her how much she and Thorne loves her, just then her phone rings. Off course its Phoebe telling her about the situation she’s in. Naturally Darla being the good Samaritan that she is, insists on helping Phoebe even though Phoebe protested (why did she bother calling her then)?
The AccidentDarla meets up with Phoebe on Pacific Highway and decides then and there she was going to change Phoebe’s tyre. She tells Phoebe to stand back since there’s so much traffic and the fog was thick, meanwhile we see Taylor rushing to get to Phoebe.
As Darla struggles with a nut which is too tight, she tries to loosen it and just then she stumbles and falls back right onto Taylor’s oncoming car. Taylor goes totally into a panic as she sees Darla’s bloody head on her windshield, she brakes sending Darla’s limp body crashing to the ground.
Phoebe screams out in a panic and Taylor gets out of her car totally in shock, she tells Phoebe to call 911 while she covers Darla’s body with her jacket.
We see Thorne driving down the highway thinking of Darla’s beautiful speech at the party, he sees the scene of the accident and stops to help (yeah right).
The paramedics are all there and naturally our favourite firefighter/rescuer/paramedic, Hector is among them.
When Thorne sees Taylor and Phoebe and their crying faces, he goes nearer and almost loses it when he notices his wife lying on the ground all bloody and bruised.
At the hospitalDarla is rushed to hospital and it looks serious, Thorne is beside himself as he sits next to an unconscious battered and bruised Darla. Meanwhile, Phoebe who seems to be holding it together, drives a distraught Taylor to the hospital. Taylor blames herself over and over and is totally wracked with guilt.
Soon all the family members are made aware of Darla’s serious condition, Stephanie, Eric, Sally, Clarke, Ridge, Thomas are all at the hospital. Just before they arrived, Taylor went over to Hector and told him everything, how she rushed to help Phoebe, about the accident and that it was all her fault. He gently asks if she was drinking and she shamefully admits that she was, Hector comforts her.
Later we see him making a phone call to find out about any charges against Taylor, he surprisingly discovers that Taylor has a DUI conviction where her licence was suspended, Taylor should not have been driving in the first place which makes her GUILTY GUILTY GUILTY!
The thing is nobody suspects Taylor, everyone is under the impression that it was a hit and run blaming the “bastard and sick son of a bitch” who ran Darla over and cowardly drove away, only three people knew that the Judas was right there amongst them.
Later we see a guilty Taylor sitting at Darla’s bedside telling her how sorry she was and how it’s all her fault when Thorne walks in and hears her. Taylor looked scared and was ready to blurt out the truth when Thorne took her in his arms and told her not to blame herself. Thorne was under the impression Taylor was feeling guilty because Darla went out to help Phoebe and arrived before Taylor did, Taylor could not utter a word.
When Lt. Baker arrives to ask questions, Taylor speaks right in his face and he notices the alcohol on her breath. When Hector leaves to take Taylor and Phoebe home, Lt Baker makes it clear that he knows Taylor was drinking so it’s best that she does not drive.
Meanwhile things are not looking good for Darla, she is still unconscious, Sally has sat by her and reminisced about the good old days telling her to hang on, to fight because she cannot bear losing Darla, not after losing Saul and Macy.
We see her reflecting on the days of the past while the song “Smile” sung by Macy is being played.
Phoebe learns the truth about her angelic momWhen Hector drives Taylor and Phoebe home, he stops the car and tells Taylor to face the truth of what might happen if she comes clean about the accident. Taylor says she doesn’t care, she caused the accident and now Darla is fighting for her life.
Phoebe doesn’t get what the big deal is, it was an accident plain and simple. Hector then tells Phoebe the truth about her mother’s actions, it wasn’t just an accident, her mother was not supposed to be driving because she had a suspended licence, add to the fact that she was driving under the influence, no matter how you look at it, Taylor will be facing jail time.
Pheobe started crying saying she couldn’t live without her mommy, not again, her mommy promised her she would never leave her again, on and on Phoebe cried. Oh please, how can any parent promise their child that?
Later as they are sitting in the house, Mr Fix it, Hector phones his buddy to fix Taylor’s car and to steam clean it thoroughly.
Just then a knock comes on the door and it’s Lt Baker again to ask Taylor and Phoebe some more questions. Hector tries to get rid of him saying the girls are tired and Phoebe tells him she can’t remember what the car looked like, the one that hit Darla, LIAR LIAR PANTS ON FIRE, MISSY!
Just before Lt Baker leaves, he notices the empty wine bottle on the sink and alludes to the fact that Taylor was drinking tonight, how much, only she knows, he goes on to tell her about the dangerous consequences of drinking and driving. Taylor looks worried.
Darla’s final momentsBack at the hospital, everyone is still holding vigil hoping that Darla would wake up. Thorne is right by her side, talking to her, telling her how much he loves her, about their beautiful daughter Ally, etc.
Soon Darla opens her eyes and Thorne is beside himself with relief. Stephanie walks in and is there to support and comfort Thorne. He starts telling Darla not to say a word, everything has already been said between them, he then starts reminiscing about the day he proposed to her, their wedding day and off course the birth of Ally.
Staphanie sees that Darla is worn out and tells her to rest and close her eyes, she gives her a major compliment when she softly whispers that she was the best Mrs Forrester there ever was.
Just then Darla flatlines as the monitor starts beeping (yeah Charmed_Dude, that heart monitor went beeping like crazy unlike in the case of Bart dying in 7de laan).
It was a sad and emotional scene as Thorne started crying, kissing his wife one last time and sobbing in his mother’s arms, we see a distraught Sally watching from the door as the music played in the background,it sounded like angels singing in harmony as Darla was being lifted up into heaven, well that’s the impression I got in any case.
That’s it folks, our dearly departed ditzy Darla Einstein who was sometimes called Dingbat by Ridge turned into this beautiful strong and mature woman who brought the Forresters and Spectras together.
Brooke and Nick get hitched (for real)In other developments, we saw Brooke and Nick on the verge of getting married when that ad campaign showing Brooke semi-naked was seen by Nick just before they said their vows. Nick was very angry and stormed off to his boat.
Meanwhile Rick, Jackie, Dante and Bridget went back to Chuck’s Bar to debate whether Nick will forgive Brooke this time.
Stephanie was very happy that the wedding was called off, she was quick to inform Ridge.
Back on the boat, Nick and Brooke were arguing as usual about Ridge and Stephanie and could not seem to come to an agreement. When the Justice of the Peace dropped by to say he was leaving since he had another engagement, did Nick tell him not to leave just yet.
In a very romantic scene, we see Nick and Brooke alone with the Justice of the Peace getting married and saying I do. Later we seem them literally sailing off into the sunset while Jackie watched proceedings from afar and could not wait to phone Stephanie to give her the good news.
Steph had to break it to Ridge that Logan was no longer available but assured him that the marriage would never work out, she will come back to him.
Ridge has been walking around with a long face ever since and it was actually Thorne and Darla who were there to support him through it all. Darla and Ridge finally put their differences aside and made peace as she hugged him tightly.
The newly-wed Marones went to their special island where this big bed was in the centre of it and the two enjoyed a romantic honeymoon.
They are now back and ready to face the challenges as a newly married couple.
Will Taylor come clean about her role in Darla’s death, what lengths is Hector prepared to go to, to protect his beloved Taylor? Now that Brooke is married, will Ridge go back to Taylor or will there be a new woman waiting in the wings? What about Thorne, how will he react if he finds out the truth about the person who killed his wife?Tune in for all this and more!The Bold and the BeautifulSABC 1Mondays – Fridays18:00