Bold & Beautiful Exclusive: Tanner Novlan Braces Fans for an Explosive Confrontation — and the End of a ‘Dangerous Cycle’?

As one Bold & Beautiful marriage begins, another appears to be nearing the end. Though Finn meant to, really meant to, stay away from Sheila and Deacon’s nuptials, he wound up in the wrong place at the wrong time. (If only Il Giardino’s specialty pizza wasn’t so damn good!) Now… oof. The “I dos” that Finn once exchanged with his wife are starting to sound more like, “Welp, we did.”

“Steffy’s hard line woke Finn up,” Tanner Novlan tells Soaps.com. “He doesn’t choose to attend the wedding” of his murderous Biological Mother™ and her ex-con fiancé. “But circumstances prove otherwise.” What’s more, when faced with a choice — take his pizza and run, or stand by Mommie Dearest — he makes what he hopes is the decision that is the lesser of two evils. “He knows he should just turn and go, but at the risk of setting off Sheila and by letting his big heart lead with supporting the prospect of Deacon and their marriage and helping her stay on track with her reform, he stays.”

Finn might want to keep that information from Steffy. He has to know that “displeased” won’t even begin to cover her reaction. But “of course he tells her,” Novlan says. Despite the fireworks that are guaranteed to ensue, “Finn doesn’t like or intend to keep things from his wife.” And that impulse, however honorable it may be, is what makes the Monday, May 27, episode so explosive. Steffy hits the roof and keeps right on going!

As the actor sees it, his character is stuck between a rock and a hard place. “Steffy and his family will always be Finn’s No. 1 priority, but he is working to sort out these feelings of supporting Sheila and her reform,” he explains. “He knows Steffy is sensitive to anything [related to] Sheila, so he is communicating these feelings as delicately as possible.” No mean feat, that!

Upon Sheila’s “resurrection,” Finn imagined that perhaps he could have a relationship with his Biological Mother™ that didn’t in any way impact his relationship with Steffy. “Originally, I think that’s what he hoped for after finding her alive,” Novlan says. “But he is seeing now that isn’t a possibility. Rightfully so. Sheila takes advantage of Finn’s compassion. If only he could see that.” Though the doctor remains blind to his momster’s manipulative nature, “he knows the longer this goes on, the more of a wedge there is between himself and Steffy.

“He doesn’t want to risk damaging his marriage, but he wants to keep them safe from Sheila and support her,” he adds. “He knows how she reacts when she is completely shut out. It’s been a dangerous cycle he wants to break.”

Through this impossible time — and it’s only going to become more difficult! — Finn has had Hope to lean on and confide in. “Because she has also worked through the reform of her dad, she offers a good sounding board for him,” Novlan observes. “They definitely have become closer through this. It has been nice for Finn to talk through his issues with someone who’s been there before.”

Is that all that’s going on between Steffy’s husband and stepsister? Or could there be growing feelings just beneath the surface? If there are, they are one-sided, Novlan suggests. “I don’t think he sees anything more serious than [friendship]. As for Hope, I can’t say.” Considering that by the end of the week, Steffy and Hope have declared war — and Hope has already threatened to get even with Finn’s wife for sending Thomas packing — anything could happen. And if we were the betting sort, we’d wager that it probably would!