The Bold and the Beautiful recap for December 5, 2025 takes a deep dive into the most disappointing and ill-fated romances that played out across the year—pairings that left fans baffled, frustrated, or outright furious. While the show is celebrated for its passionate entanglements, 2025 delivered one misfire after another, creating a lineup of romantic arcs that simply never found their footing.
The countdown begins with Brooke Logan and Nick Marone. Their reunion was set up with considerable buzz—Jack Wagner’s return was marketed as a major story shift, and viewers hoped the once-dynamic duo might reclaim their spark. Instead, the arc fizzled almost immediately. Despite the potential, nothing meaningful developed between them, and the storyline stalled before it even began. Later, executive producer Brad Bell admitted that Brooke’s long-term path was always tied to Ridge, making the entire Brooke-Nick renewal feel like filler rather than a purposeful direction.
Ridge and Taylor’s attempt at rekindling their relationship earns the next spot on the list. Their pairing never stood a chance—longtime viewers could see from the start that Ridge would choose Brooke yet again. Rather than exploring a bold new direction for Taylor, the show repeated familiar beats, ending in the same heartbreak fans have watched unfold for years.
A more troubling storyline emerged with Remy Price’s obsession with Electra Forrester. What wasn’t truly a romance was instead a dark narrative about fixation, manipulation, and stalking. Remy resurfaced in Electra’s life through Deacon, stirring up past trauma and escalating into dangerous behavior, including deepfakes and boundary-crossing. The turmoil even dragged Dee Sharp into the chaos—someone far too grounded to be entangled with Remy’s instability.
The number two slot goes to a storyline that turned from romance to horror: Luna Nozawa and Will Spencer. After being saved by Bill Spencer and recovering from a shooting under Lee Finnegan’s care, Luna’s fixation on Will spiraled out of control. She coerced him, drugged him, and attempted to force a pregnancy, creating one of the darkest arcs in Bold and Beautiful history. A miscarriage, a prison escape, and a fatal hit-and-run ended the storyline, but not the shockwaves it sent through the fandom.
Topping the list is the year’s most criticized match—Carter Walton and Hope Logan. The pairing seemingly materialized out of thin air, built on invented emotional history and shaky motivations. Carter suddenly professed years-long affection, despite previously dating Katie Logan, and the two dove into unethical schemes and power plays. Their lack of chemistry, coupled with erratic pacing and contrived plot twists, made their romance collapse almost as soon as it began. Even their eventual breakup, prompted by a fake medical emergency, felt more believable than their attempt at a whirlwind love affair.
Hope’s eventual return to Liam only highlighted how forced her connection with Carter had been, while Carter’s rebound with Daphne felt more grounded by comparison.
The video then widens its lens to revisit other romantic fails that stirred fan backlash. Hope and Carter’s story especially symbolized 2025’s romantic turbulence—forced passion, mismatched energy, and rushed storytelling. Another misaligned match was Luna and Zende, whose romance never escaped the shadow of Luna’s emotional entanglement with R.J. Their scenes grew increasingly tense, shaped by jealousy, pressure, and dissatisfaction, turning what could have been a youthful love story into a storyline fans were eager to see conclude.
Thomas Forrester’s unpredictable romantic trail also earned scrutiny. Though the character aimed for redemption, the writers repeatedly pushed him into mismatched pairings and half-developed flirtations that lacked emotional depth. Fans wanted stability and growth, but instead Thomas bounced between shallow story beats, never finding a relationship that truly fit.
Even the faint suggestion of chemistry between Finn and Hope created unease. Though nothing fully developed, the mere implication felt like a betrayal of Finn’s marriage to Steffy. The show wisely avoided pushing them together, but the idea alone was enough to stir debate among devoted viewers.
Deacon and Sheila’s chaotic romance, overflowing with delusion, danger, and explosive choices, was one of the year’s wildest storylines. While undeniably entertaining, it offered no sense of stability—just a constant parade of impulsive schemes and emotional meltdowns.
Even established characters weren’t spared disappointing romantic arcs. Katie and Carter’s brief attempts to reconnect fell flat, lacking direction or warmth. Bill and Poppy’s turbulent storyline struggled to find emotional grounding, weighed down by uneven chemistry and complications from Luna’s paternity mystery. Meanwhile, Brooke’s romantic moments—usually a major highlight of any season—felt strangely hollow, lacking the fire that typically defines her love life.
Even powerhouse couple Steffy and Finn weathered emotional strain, with Sheila’s shadow causing cracks in their usually solid bond.
By the end of the year, one theme stood out: 2025 was filled with mismatched romances, forced plots, and underdeveloped emotional arcs. Yet, in classic Bold and Beautiful fashion, even the worst relationships fueled drama, set up future storylines, and kept fans passionately invested. As 2026 approaches, viewers hope the show will deliver love stories with more depth, authenticity, and heart.
