Credit: Howard Wise/JPI, CBS screenshot (2)

Whatever happens during this week’s mad chase on Bold & Beautiful, you can pretty much rest assured that Luna isn’t going anywhere. The show has invested too heavily in Lisa Yamada’s character to just cut her loose now. But how on earth can she be kept around and still have the drama make any kind of sense — you know, for a change of pace?

The answer is a one-two punch of a good attorney and a better therapist.

First Things First: Lawyer Up

Even an overworked public defender would have to come away from their first meeting with Luna saying, “Kid, we gotta get you a therapist, like, yesterday. You are a textbook case of not guilty by reason of insanity.” So imagine if Grandma used the vast resources Sheila’s said to have to hire a kickass attorney like Jack. Luna would be transferred to a mental hospital in the blink of an eye.

Beyond Therapy? TBD

Next, Luna would need to undergo intensive counseling with the best shrink there is — in other words, Taylor. That would afford the double murderess the chance to figure out why she became such an amoral mess. (We don’t buy “Poppy was a bad mother” as an excuse.) It would also build in some extra conflict to Taylor’s flirtation with Deacon, who is understandably not a Luna fan.

What Comes After

Eventually, Taylor could come to conclude that Luna has gained enough understanding of herself and her impulses that she no longer poses a threat. The shrink actually petitions the court to have Luna set free. This, naturally, would create incredible tension between Taylor and daughter Steffy as well as Deacon.

It’s a tall order for Luna. She would have to show even us in the audience that she has really changed. And she’ll get that opportunity by working as Taylor’s assistant. Through their friendship, we’ll be invited to get to know the new, less homicidal Luna.

Throughout, Taylor would express her pride in the hard work that Luna has done to understand why she did the things that she did. “Some people may never accept that you are a different person now,” the shrink admits. “But I do. I see you. And I trust you.”

The Breaking Point

The real test of Taylor’s faith in her star patient would come when Luna becomes friendly with Thomas… and the two start tentatively dating. Suddenly, Taylor’s complete trust in Luna would become, eh, partial trust. And when she warns Thomas that maybe he could date literally anyone else, Luna would be hurt.

Then we’d find out how completely the mental patient has been transformed. Would she lock Taylor in a cage so she can date her son… or would she be upfront about her feelings and even volunteer to continue therapy with another psychiatrist so that Taylor could reassure herself that she wasn’t backsliding?