CBS
Speech! Speech! While Eric (John McCook) is voicing his appreciation for his loved ones, things take a surprising turn.
As Eric’s party continues on B&B, the lingering threat of his illness hangs over the festivities.
“The drama of what they’ve written is that everybody knows that Eric is dying and everybody also knows that he did not win the fashion show competition,” begins John McCook (Eric). “Eric doesn’t know that they know, so we’re watching all of these characters cover or hide their true feelings when they talk to Eric. When they see him, they’re trying not to let him see what they’re feeling. And that puts a feeling into the party that wouldn’t be there normally. I think it’s really wonderful to watch, I think it’s really challenging for all the actors to play, and it made for wonderful opportunities for all of us.”
Elaborates the actor, “Eric takes the opportunity at this party to speak to everybody. He wants each person to know how much they mean to him, and he goes around the party making sure that he is able to talk one-on-one with each person there. This was an opportunity for the writers of our show to have these moments and these scenes and these little vignettes of Eric coming up to each person expressing how much he loves them, and at the same time, Eric’s trying not to say, ‘I’m doing this because I’m dying. I appreciate you and that’s why I wanted to have this party, to celebrateour family and what we all mean to each other.’ And nobody’s buying it! I mean, everybody knows the real truth of the matter.”
Eric’s speech to Ridge marks a critical turning point in the story, leading to what McCook calls “an amazing moment.” He elaborates, “When he turns around to Ridge at this party and speaks to him and about him, he compliments him as a designer, but he says, ‘You are a wonderful designer, but not good enough to beat me!’ He says, ‘I still won the fashion challenge and I’m really proud of that. I really wanted that.’ ” But as he goes on, Eric “makes a huge revelation,” hints McCook. “There is a surprise in how he reacts to it, and it just may be too much for him….”
