It’s been more than a decade since Susan Flannery bid farewell to Stephanie Forrester and The Bold and the Beautiful — with fans never believing they’d see her on screen again except in flashbacks. However, there she was to end the December 15, 2023 episode that left things up in the air as to whether Eric would live or die.

Will Eric Forrester Go Into The Light?

The Forrester clan, plus Donna and Brooke, had just learned that Eric survived a risky surgery, but it was wait-and-see as to whether he would wake up and recover. As the nurse got him settled into a room while still on a ventilator, Eric began hearing Stephanie’s voice before she appeared at his bedside telling him people had been waiting for him to come home.

Eric remembered past moments with Stephanie before he seemingly went into the light. She told him how much she missed him and that everything was going to be all right. Does that mean Eric died and Stephanie ‘ushered’ him home — or will she convince him that home is still in Los Angeles because he has more life to live?

Susan Flannery’s History With The Bold and the Beautiful

Flannery was one of B&B’s original cast members, along with current stars John McCook and Katherine Kelly Lang. After a long stint on Days of Our Lives as Laura Horton, Flannery joined B&B when it first premiered back in 1987 and ruled the Forrester family as Stephanie with an iron fist.

In 2012, the actress chose to retire from daytime. Rather than recast the character, B&B chose to have her die of cancer in longtime nemesis Brooke Logan’s arms. It was an interesting choice at the time and still seems like one now considering that Stephanie had dubbed Brooke the “slut from the Valley.”

While we know Stephanie is very much dead, it was still a delight to see the Emmy-winning actress as Stephanie once again by Eric’s side when she needed him most.

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