Bold and the Beautiful presents Deke Sharpe (Harrison Cone) on the scene. And it seems Matthew Atkinson’s cameo as Thomas Forrester has already ended. We’ll discuss whether Deacon Sharpe‘s (Sean Kanan) son, Deke, might replace Thomas Forrester at Forrester Creations.

Bold and the Beautiful: The Shifting Sands of Identity – Deacon’s Son’s Name Change and New Beginnings

Currently, newcomer Harrison Cone has debuted on B&B as Eric Sharpe, Deacon’s son. However, his name has been retconned to Deke Sharpe. Originally named Eric Forrester III at birth due to a paternity lie, he was introduced as Rick Forrester‘s son, who is Eric Forrester Jr. He was believed to be Rick Forrester and Amber Moore‘s (Adrienne Frantz) son, but Deke’s true father is Deacon. And his mother is Amber’s cousin, Becky Moore. This was a complicated situation, as Amber and Rick’s baby died. And Rick was unaware, leading Amber and Becky to pass Deke off as their child. Amidst the lies and deception, Amber was also a victim. Eventually, it was revealed that Deacon was the father.

Deke previously went by “Little Eric” and later “Little D” after his true paternity was revealed. Now, it appears the Bold and the Beautiful writers have simplified his name for ease of writing, essentially making him Deacon Sharpe Jr. When last seen, Deacon’s son was on Young and the Restless, much younger, seeking funds for boarding school.

Hope for the Future: A Line Resurrected and Carter’s Motives on B&B

Now, Deke is in LA, dating Remy Pryce (Christian Weissmann). And has just graduated from fashion school, aspiring to be a fashion designer. He’s expressed his desire to design at Forrester Creations, where his sister Hope Logan (Annika Noelle) has worked for years. Conveniently, Hope’s fashion line, “Hope for the Future,” is officially back. Carter Walton (Lawrence Saint-Victor) suggested to Ridge Forrester (Thorsten Kaye) that they revive the line, citing that their customer base of a certain age is not being met by other successful lines.

“Hope for the Future” had faltered after Thomas left town when Hope rejected his second marriage proposal, leading to poor sales despite trying different designers. Steffy Forrester (Jacqueline MacInnes Wood) had even used this opportunity to cut Hope Logan’s line as punishment for her actions towards Finn Finnegan (Tanner Novlan). However, Carter has now convinced Ridge that it’s the opportune moment to bring back “Hope for the Future.”

Carter’s Proposal and Hope’s Dilemma on Bold and the Beautiful

Carter eagerly shared the news with Hope, framing it as a grand gesture. Immediately after, he began pressuring Hope to marry him, attempting to replicate Ridge’s impulsive proposal to Brooke Logan (Katherine Kelly Lang). However, he didn’t receive the same enthusiastic reaction. On a recent episode, Carter asked Hope to marry him. And she appeared conflicted.

It’s possible Carter influenced Ridge to reinstate “Hope for the Future” as a means to compete with Liam Spencer (Scott Clifton), with whom Hope shares a child. While Beth is Hope’s biological child, “Hope for the Future” represents her professional baby. Carter appears desperate, grasping at straws to keep Hope and vie with Liam. He may sense her pulling away and suspect that Hope will call off the wedding, or at least postpone it, even if she doesn’t break up with him this week.

Bold and the Beautiful: Deke Sharpe – Thomas Forrester

Deke’s Opportunity at Forrester Creations on B&B

This revival coincides with Deke’s pursuit of a designer position at Forrester Creations. Previously, Zende Forrester Dominguez (Delon de Metz) and Eric Forrester designed for the line with limited success, as did R.J. Forrester (Joshua Hoffman). However, when Thomas collaborated with Hope Logan, “Hope for the Future” thrived. Thomas recently returned to LA, leading to speculation that he might reunite with Hope to work on the line, especially since he mentioned feeling lost without a current design project.

However, Matthew Atkinson’s return as Thomas was brief, with his name appearing only in the recurring section of the credits before disappearing entirely. Furthermore, in a recent episode, Hope confided in her mother, Brooke, that a reason she could never commit to Thomas Forrester was his involvement in the faked death of baby Beth. This conversation dashed hopes of a Thomas-Hope reunion for the line. It appears Matthew Atkinson’s return was solely for those few episodes. And he may be gone for good.

The Need for a Designer and Deke’s Potential Fit

The writers may have needed one of Taylor Hayes‘s (Rebecca Budig) children in LA to react to Brooke and Ridge’s remarriage, but Jacqueline MacInnes Wood’s maternity leave prevented Steffy from being available. Thomas’ reaction, though initially intense, ended with a hug with Brooke Logan, signifying the end of that storyline. This suggests Thomas will not be the designer for the revived “Hope for the Future.”

With Eric and Zende not excelling in the role. And R.J. seemingly disappearing from the narrative, Hope needs a designer for her line. Her brother, Deke, is now in town. Deke has already asked Deacon to put in a good word with Brooke, which he agreed to. Deacon also encouraged Deke to reach out to Hope. And it’s likely she’d welcome her brother working with her on her line.

While Ridge might initially object to Deacon’s son working at Forrester Creations, Hope and Brooke could likely persuade him. Deke is not his father. And one cannot choose their parents. With Zende occupied with other company lines, Hope would likely appreciate her brother’s design contributions. Everything seems to be aligning for Deke to replace Thomas at “Hope for the Future,” potentially meaning Taylor’s son won’t be seen for a while.