Next week on The Bold and the Beautiful, one of the show’s most emotionally charged confrontations takes center stage at Forrester Creations. What begins as a quiet design review between father and son turns into an explosive clash about legacy, age, and the future of the Forrester family business. Ridge Pushes Eric to Retire.
The week opens in the executive office as Ridge and Eric sort through sketches and fabric samples. At first, the atmosphere is calm and respectful — Ridge listening, Eric offering critiques with his usual sense of authority and experience. But Ridge has been carrying a concern for weeks, and he finally decides he can’t stay silent anymore. In his mind, Eric has earned rest, peace, and a chance to enjoy life outside the walls of the fashion empire he built. So Ridge attempts to ease into the subject, gently suggesting that Eric deserves a break.
Eric immediately pauses, his expression sharpening as he tries to read between Ridge’s words. Ridge continues, speaking carefully but firmly. He tells his father that he worries about him, that he’s watched Eric push himself harder than ever, and that maybe it’s time — not to step away entirely, but to think about slowing down. Ridge mentions holidays, time with Donna, time with his family, anything that would give Eric a chance to breathe. But the subtext is clear: Ridge thinks Eric should retire.
The moment the implication becomes obvious, everything changes.
Eric’s entire demeanor shifts. His calm disappears, replaced with a fury that Ridge clearly didn’t anticipate. Eric demands to know whether Ridge truly believes he’s too old, too tired, or too fragile to run the company he created. He reminds Ridge that Forrester Creations is his life’s work — the thing that carried him through every painful chapter of his past. Eric snaps that he isn’t interested in sitting on a beach or fading into the background while Ridge takes over everything he built.
Ridge tries to backtrack, insisting that he doesn’t think Eric is incapable. He only wants him to be healthy and happy. He stresses that he loves him, that he’s simply afraid of Eric pushing himself too hard. But Eric hears it differently. To him, Ridge is trying to force him out, trying to take the reins prematurely, trying to put him on a shelf like a forgotten relic.
Eric’s anger erupts. He raises his voice, telling Ridge that he will never retire, not as long as he still has the strength to walk into the office and the passion to design. He declares that he wants to work until the day he dies — and he means every word.
Ridge becomes emotional in response. He doesn’t want another health scare, another near-death moment, another crisis where he feels helpless watching his father suffer. But Eric is unmoved. His pride and determination outweigh every concern Ridge tries to raise. The argument escalates to the point where both men are speaking over each other: Ridge trying to express love and fear, Eric defending his identity and legacy with fiery conviction.
By the end of the confrontation, nothing is resolved. If anything, the divide between them has only widened. Eric storms out of the office, furious and insulted, leaving Ridge shaken and frustrated by how disastrously his attempt to help has backfired. Their relationship — already fragile from months of tension — feels more strained than ever.
Next week sets the stage for an emotional reckoning within the Forrester family, as Ridge grapples with the consequences of pushing too hard and Eric refuses to face the possibility of slowing down. The heart of Forrester Creations is shifting, but neither man is ready to give an inch.