What I Watched Today

(Weekday bites, Friday’s whole GH enchilada & media minutiae)

General Hospital

🍕 Weekday Slices…                                                                          

Monday: 

Ric went to see Alexis and said he was there to see her on Sonny’s orders.

Willow told Drew that Nina was on her way back. If she wanted to keep shared custody, she had to rely on Nina, and this would make sure she could.

Lucas told Isaiah that everything went well with Jordan’s surgery, and Isaiah said he wasn’t sure he could have handled it.

Stella told Curtis that they’d let him know as soon as he could see Jordan. He had to give it time. She’d talked to TJ (🦉) and she’d promised to keep him updated. Curtis said he wasn’t okay, and they sat down to talk.

Gio showed Emma a baby gift for Brook and Chase, and she said it was perfect. The gift was perfect and so was he.

Ned asked Olivia if she was ready for Phoebe’s arrival. He was excited about having a baby in the house again.

Turner went to see Sonny at the secret apartment, and said he was in way more danger than he thought.

Tracy blamed Olivia for almost tanking the fostering.

Gio told Emma that he wanted the baby to feel welcome. The Quartermaines had big hearts and had welcomed him before knowing he was a Quartermaine. Emma said he was best of the Quartermaines and the Cerullos.

Ric told Alexis that Danny wanted to join the mob.

Turner told Sonny about the accident and said Jordan was lucky to be alive. Jordan was an exec at Sidwell’s company and Sidwell was in a rage. He’d asked if they were investigating the accident and accused Sonny of trying to shut Jordan down. Sonny said Jordan had nothing on him, but Turner said Sidwell believed otherwise.

Alexis hyperventilated and she asked if it was a joke, but Ric said Danny wanted to work outside the system like Sonny and his father.

Turner said Sidwell was drawing a connection between Marco’s death and Jordan’s accident, and believed Sonny decided to take her out before she implicated him. Sonny wondered if Turner was really asking him if he did this, but she said she knew he didn’t.

Lucas asked how Jordan saved his life, but Isaiah said it was ancient history. He told Lucas about Sidwell holding Lucky prisoner and hiring someone to kill him. Jordan had saved him. Lucas said Marco was his own person and not like his dad, and he wanted to take Sidwell as who he was now. Isaiah said that was why he didn’t want to say anything.  

Willow told Nina about Baby Phoebe and how she’d helped Chase and Brook. Nina said Brook got a good one in Chase, and she bet Willow regretted letting him get away.

Tracy said Olivia was the reason Wiley asked what a hooker was, and Olivia said it was an accident. Michael was just as much at fault. Brook told them to start acting like decent, civilized human beings or she’d send them to their rooms, when the doorbell rang, but it was Emma and Gio.

Isaiah said he wasn’t going to rag on Sidwell, and Lucas said he wasn’t blind to reality, but Marco had loved his father. He checked his tablet and said, Jordan’s labs just came in.He left to give Curtis the results.

Ric told Alexis that Danny was upset because of how the WSB was treating Jason, and asked Sonny to train him to pursue justice through other avenues. Danny was the perfect combination of Jason and Sam. Like his mother, he jumped into action to right an injustice, and like his father, he was ready to strike at all costs. Alexis said that terrified her.

Turner told Sonny that it had been a single car accident and Curtis’s statement aligned with that. Jordan had overcorrected and skidded off the road. Sonny said he’d hoped she thought he didn’t do it because she believed in him.

Willow told Nina that she’d believed she loved Michael, but she’d been more in love with the idea of being Wiley’s mom. Her cheating on Chase had been terrible, and she had to make sure her sacrifice wasn’t in vail. Her phone vibrated, and she said it was the woman from CPS. She needed to take the call, but it was time for Drew’s pain meds and they couldn’t wait. She gave Nina a syringe and explained how to use it.

Gio’s gift was a mobile with instruments on it, and he said he wanted to give Phoebe something musical. It meant so much to so many people. Brook said it was perfect and thanked Gio and Emma. Chase said they appreciated all the love, and Tracy wondered who wouldn’t want the Quartermaine family to look after a baby. Ned said, in some people’s eyes it wasn’t the ideal place to foster a newborn, and Chase said there had been tricky moments that almost stopped the process, but they got an assist from Willow. Ned said it could have been worse and happened when Drew was their congressman. They would have been indebted to Drew instead. The doorbell rang, and Brook told them to be calm and normal this time. She opened the door to Sarah, who said she had a special delivery.

Curtis said there had been times he took issue with Stella’s opinions, but not Jordan. She had respect for Stella. Stella said the feeling was mutual. Jordan had shown patience with her over the years, including when she jumped to the conclusion that Jordan was pregnant. Curtis said Jordan wasn’t mad and even said Stella had been helpful when she was worried about taking the test. It had led to them having a conversation about how it was best for Jordan not to get pregnant because it would be a strain on her good kidney like the accident probably was. Stella said they didn’t know for sure, and he said they didn’t know if the surgery had been too much physically. He hadn’t heard anyone say she was going to be okay. In perfect soap timing, Lucas came out with an update.

Nina saw Drew blinking like crazy and wondered if knew he was doing it. She said he was screwing everything up for Willow when she could have dumped him into a long term care facility. For some reason, Willow was committed to taking care of him herself. The least she could do was help Willow with this. She put the shot in Drew’s IV.  

Ric told Alexis that Sonny wouldn’t help Danny and said he’d had regrets when about the decisions he’d made at Danny’s age. He didn’t want any of his grandkids involved in his world. Alexis said, do as I say, not as I do. Teenagers really responded to that. Ric said Jason made the right decision leaving Danny with her. She had this. He believed in her… on this at least. She thanked him and told him to thank Sonny. Danny came into the living room and said he’d been cleaning the basement. He wondered what this was. He showed her the ball gag.  

Turner wondered if Sonny was playing her, but he said, not at all. They’d agreed they were both compromised now. She asked why he cared if she thought he did it, and he said he was hoping she knew he’d never order a hit on anyone he respected.

Lucas told Curtis that Jordan was still unconscious, but now in the ICU. Her vitals and labs were good, including her functioning kidney. Curtis was welcome to sit with her. Stella told him to go.

Chase told Baby Phoebe, welcome home, for now. They were happy she was there. (Another adorable, animated baby!) Brook said these wonderful, sometimes crazy, people were excited she was there and were her family for now.

Tracy suggested a celebratory toast, and Ned said, to Baby Phoebe. They were happy to have her as long as she needed a place to stay. Michael said, to Brook and Chase, who are doing a wonderful thing, and Chase said, to Michael, for finding a way to make it happen. Ned sipped his champagne and said it was the good stuff, and Gio asked if all champagne wasn’t good. Tracy said, so young and so much to learn, and Tracy, Michael, Ned, and Olivia left to look at the baby. Brook flashed back to her empty wine glass after Lucy’s visit, and Gio said they were going to be amazing foster parents. Brook said she couldn’t help wishing she’d had the chance to hold Gio when he was that tiny, and Gio said they couldn’t go back in time, but where they were now was pretty great.

Curtis went in to see Jordan, who was bandaged up. He said he was scared he’d never see her again, but here she was and doing great.

Willow came back, and said Phoebe had been dropped off at the Quartermaines. She thanked Nina, who said she’d given Drew the shot, and Willow put the empty syringe in a bag to get rid of it. She said she was going to take Drew back to the bedroom so he could rest, and she wheeled him out.

Alexis told Danny that the ball gag was part of an old Halloween costume. Toss it. Ric said he’d love to see the costume, and Alexis said, get out. Ric left, and she said, while cleaning the basement was a priority, she suggested Danny take a break. There was something important she needed to talk to him about. He said Ric told her that he saw Sonny.

Turner said she didn’t believe Sonny was that cavalier and didn’t think he’d antagonize Sidwell, but Sidwell wanted him to be the person responsible for taking his child. That’s why she was there. To warn him that Sidwell wasn’t giving up on this. Sonny said, she was advising him to protect himself, which was the first step in a war, and she asked him to find a way that didn’t lead to violence. He said if he didn’t know better, he’d think she was worried about him.

Willow told Nina that Drew’s meds had kicked in and he was resting comfortably. What happened? She saw Brennan, right? Nina said he’d had the traffic cam footage the entire time, and she told him that Carly would never forgive him for doing that to Michael. Willow said she and Carly agreed on one thing, that the children came first. That’s why it was important for her to keep Wiley and Amelia with her. Nina said she hoped Jack would keep the misleading footage to himself, but Willow said it wasn’t misleading. It was proof. She got in her car and drove over there and shot Drew in the back.

Alexis said it was a dark, dangerous, and illegal life that terrified her, and Danny said he was sorry, but he’d had to do something to help his dad. She said his dad would want him to be safe and so did she. She hugged him, and he flashed back to hearing Ric tell Sonny that Sidwell was the reason Jason got shipped off.

Isaiah thanked Stella for getting him the antibiotics, and she said tell her it was good news. He said it was, and she asked if he’d been at the hospital, but he said, no. He and Portia were at the cabin and had stayed in all night.

Sonny was about to kiss Turner, but she told him that she’d said what she came to say. Now it was time for her to go. He said nobody was there. It was just them. Stay. She said she had a thousand reasons why she should go, but right now, she couldn’t think of a single one, and they kissed.  

Curtis told Jordan that Stella saw he was worried about the accident and was righteously indignant on her behalf. Stella said he had to believe she was going to be okay. Their plans for the future were still on track. He took her hand and said he did believe that and hoped she did too. Jordan stirred and opened her eyes, and Curtis said he was right there.  

Tracy asked why Brook and Michael had been at Gio’s guitar performance and she didn’t get an invitation, but Gio said it hadn’t been anything formal. It was just an open mic night and he played one song. Tracy said she still would have liked an invitation, and Ned told her to cut Gio some slack. When Gio was ready, he’d love to hear him play. Michael said he wished Trina had ended her night on the same high note, and told them about the car accident. Chase said, it was a pretty bad crash. Jordan swerved off the road. Brook remembered driving, blowing her car horn, and swerving.

Tuesday:

Brook asked if Chase minded Phoebe sleeping in their room. She wanted Phoebe to feel safe and loved. She knew the GH staff did their best, but it wasn’t the same as a consistent presence. Chase said he thought Phoebe would have one whether she wanted it or not. He hoped she’d be reunited with her family soon, but until then… Brook said Phoebe was stuck with them.

Curtis told Jordan that she was in the hospital, and she asked, what happened? He said there was an accident and she was hurt badly. They had to operate, but the worst was over with now. She was going to be okay.

Britt met Brad at the Brown Dog and said it had been a rough couple of weeks. Brad said, one more reason to take her out. He could only imagine how much she was hurting since the WSB picked Jason up and disappeared him. Lulu and Nathan came in, and Lulu said, of course (🍷) Britt would have to be there. It was hard to ignore Britt’s wrecking ball to her son’s life.

Sonny and Turner kissed, then got busy.

Willow asked if Nina was really that surprised. She was sure part of Nina knew it was her all along. Nina said she’d had suspicions, but couldn’t… didn’t want to believe it, and Willow said she did it. She tried to kill Drew and they were in this together now.

Nathan said hello to Britt, and Brad said he’d invited her out for a drink. She could use cheering up after Jason. Nathan asked if it was working, but Brit said, not yet, and Lulu said they’d let them get back to it. Nathan said he hoped Britt felt better, and he and Lulu went to another table. Britt said she felt better already. Subtlety wasn’t Lulu’s strong suit. Lulu legitimately hated her. Brad said it was probably more about Nathan dating the mother of the child Britt gave birth to, and Britt asked if Lulu and Nathan were officially dating now.

Alexis went to her office, and Diane said she’d thought Alexis was working from home all week. Alexis said it was too distracting. Danny was there, Molly was at home healing, and Cody was always around. Diane said it was Alexis’s first time back since Marco died. It must have been horrible to have found him. Alexis said, it was beyond horrible and horrific for Danny, but he didn’t panic. He did what needed to be done. Diane said, like parent, like son. How was he doing now that Jason was gone? Alexis said since living with her, Danny had been suspended from school and tried to join the mob.

Nina said, of course (🍷) she and Willow were in this together, and Willow asked if Nina thought she was a horrible person. Nina said she just hated that Willow had been carrying the burden by herself, and Willow said she never thought she’d be capable of it. She was a nurse and healed people. Nina said Drew pushed Willow to the edge. She got it and didn’t blame Willow for wanting revenge. Willow said it wasn’t about revenge. It was about her children. She was desperate to keep them. Everything she’d one was for them and to be with them. Nina said it wasn’t going to happen with Drew, and Willow said Drew made it clear that he wasn’t letting her go. She begged him to leave her alone, but he couldn’t or wouldn’t. She knew she needed people on her side for the custody hearing, but he kept alienating her. She realized it wasn’t Michael keeping her children from her, but Drew. No wonder Michael didn’t want the kids around Drew. He destroyed whatever he touched. Nina said she tried to warn Willow, and Willow cried and said, everyone tried to warn her. She wished she would have listened.

Lucas said there had been internal bleeding and they’d been worried about Jordan’s kidney, but the procedure was a success. She’d have a bit of a long road, but there was no reason there shouldn’t be a full recovery. Her neurological functions were normal. Jordan asked about the bandages, and he said she’d sustained burns and lacerations. She said it sounded like he’d saved her life, and she thanked him. Nodding toward Curtis, Lucas said she should thank this guy. If anyone saved her life, it was him.

Chase told Brook that he’d heat up a bottle and asked her to keep Phoebe distracted. He was glad they brought her home today. If it had been yesterday, they could have missed out because of that car accident. He left, and Brook told Phoebe that she’d messed up big time. She was pretty sure she’d had something to do with that accident.

Lulu said Rocco had been in pain, physically and emotionally, because of Nathan’s sister. He’d become withdrawn. It was such a mess. She thanked him for being someone she could talk to and trust.

Brook told Phoebe that she was there with Lucy and they’d had a glass of wine. One glass, nothing crazy. After Lucy left, Dante called. Their son Gio was playing in a bar and she wanted to see him, so she hopped in the car. Another car veered into her lane, coming from the opposite direction, and she honked. They both swerved and she scraped the side of her car on the guardrail. She had no idea the other car crashed. She would have stopped. She assumed since they didn’t hit, everything was fine. Another reason she didn’t stop was if the police were called, she would have had to submit to a breathalyzer and she wasn’t sure she would have passed. It would have ruined their chances of becoming Phoebe’s foster parents.

Curtis asked if Jordan remembered where they were headed, and she said, Luisa’s? He said she swerved of the road and they crashed. Jordan said it was fuzzy, and asked Lucas if that was a red flag. Lucas said, no. It was a said effect from the pain meds and anesthesia. Jordan asked Curtis, then what happened? and he said, when he came to, she was still out cold. He smelled gasoline and knew there was a leak and he had to get her out of there. The door was jammed, so he grabbed a cowbell crowbar out of the trunk and had to pry it open to get her out. She asked if the car was totaled, and he said, there were several sparks and the gas leak exploded. She said, oh my God. If he hadn’t gotten her out, she would have died. He said she didn’t. She was alive and awake and here looking at him with her beautiful brown eyes. Maybe that’s all that mattered.

Turner got dressed, while Sonny poured some wine. Her phone dinged, and she said, there it is. The reason she left last time. His Wi-Fi is crappy. He said the wine was fantastic, and she took a sip and agreed. She said she was glad she’d decided to stay a while, and he said so was he. She said she hoped he knew this wasn’t what she had in mind, and he said he knew. She came to tell him Sidwell was a threat. He was taking precautions. He had people on himself and his family… Not there. It was just them. They both had a lot to lose if somebody figured out they were having this kind of fun. That stayed between them. Turner asked if he promised, and he said, Scout’s honor. She said, as if he was ever a Boy Scout.

Alexis said Sonny told Danny, no, and Diane said she could imagine how furious Jason would be. Alexis said it was going to take more supervision than she’d planned, and Diane said she needed Alexis’s signature on the paperwork to make it official. She asked if Willow dropped the restraining order against Danny, and Alexis said, not formally. Diane said she needed to get on that. If Drew recovered, he could have an issue about Danny living at her place and Scout spending time there. Alexis said she’d remind Willow. She’d like to keep their interaction to a minimum. She couldn’t look Willow in the eye knowing she got away with attempted murder.

Nina asked if Willow had come up with a plan to kill Drew, but Willow said, it wasn’t that calculated. She knew she had to stop Drew, so she snuck into the Quartermaine estate and took Edward’s gun. She thought she’d use it to warn Drew off. She was desperate. Nina asked if it was an accident, but Willow said, it wasn’t that either. The change happened when Judge Haran was killed. It had been her one chance at getting her kids back without relying on Drew. When she found out the judge was gone, it was like she snapped. She couldn’t even think. Somehow, she was in the car, driving in the rain. She let herself in, walked up behind Drew, and shot him in the back. Nina said, twice, and Willow said, in her mind, it was either him or her children and her kids would win every time. Nina said it made sense that Willow would want to take care of him herself. She felt guilty because the stroke was caused by the shooting. Willow said, Drew didn’t have a stroke, and Nina asked, what happened to him? Willow said she did.

Jordan thanked Lucas, and Curtis said he was grateful. Lucas said, of course (🍷). It had been his pleasure. He left, and Curtis said it was good news. TJ (🦉), Aunt Stella, and Trina would be relieved. Jordan said, TJ (🦉) knew? and Curtis said they’d been talking a lot. He had to convince TJ (🦉) to stay overseas and he did, for now. She said, good, and thanked him for getting TJ (🦉) to see that. He said, it was mostly Aunt Stella, and Jordan thanked him for saving her life. He said he would do anything for her.

Brook said she knew the accident wasn’t her fault, but she felt terrible for leaving. She didn’t know they crashed. Jordan had to be okay. She had to be. Now, too much time had passed to go to the police. Chase came back and said he was rusty at warming formula. He couldn’t decide if it was too hot or not hot enough. Brook shook some onto her wrist and said, it’s perfect. He said he guessed he was nervous. He didn’t want to mess up. She said she felt the same way.

Lulu said it wasn’t fair that Rocco was home while Nathan’s sister was enjoying a night on the town, and Nathan said Britt had no idea Rocco followed her to the pier, but Lulu said it had nothing to do with that. If Britt wasn’t so busy playing mom to Rocco, he wouldn’t even know her. She apologized for putting Nathan in a tough spot, and he said he loved Britt, but he wasn’t blind to the fact she was problematic. Lulu had the right to feel how she felt. She said she was just complaining and so they could enjoy the night, she was going to the restroom, taking some deep breaths, and hitting the reset button.

Britt saw Lulu go past and asked Brad to excuse her. He said, don’t. Whatever she was about to do, don’t. He didn’t feel like dashing. Their waitress looked like she ran track. Britt said she couldn’t live with herself if she stayed quiet, and followed Lulu.

Turner said, this wasn’t supposed to happen again. She distinctly remembered her and Sonny’s conversation where they vowed they wouldn’t. Sonny asked if she had regrets, and she said, that’s the problem. Not at all. She knew she was taking a huge risk being there. He said that was understandable. He was irresistible. It was like a curse. She told him that she was going to say she enjoyed his company too much, and he said so did he. She said in another world, where she wasn’t the acting DA and he wasn’t… him, they would actually explore what this looked like outside these walls. He said, the upside was, these walls were available when they wanted to enjoy each other, and she said, be careful. It sounded like an open invitation.

Nina said, Drew was paralyzed because of Willow, and Willow said, and Jenz Sidwell. He gave her the paralytic drug. Nina asked why she would do that, and Willow said after her meltdown, Sidwell came to her. He’d realized Drew was a liability for both of them and suspected she was the shooter. He was open to the idea of incapacitating Drew. What choice did she have? Nina said Sidwell was a powerful man, but extremely dangerous, and Willow said she needed an ally. Her whole defense was that she loved her husband. She thought she was going to have to go on pretending, and he had the perfect solution. Nina asked, what happened when it wore off? and Willow said she had to keep injecting him and it wouldn’t be any time soon. She had to ensure she was in a position where he couldn’t come after her. She needed to get leverage over him, the same way she got leverage over Nina. The shot Nina had given him wasn’t pain medication. It was the paralytic drug and the needle… Nina said, had her fingerprints all over it, and Willow said she really didn’t want to use it, but if she had to, she was willing to do anything to keep her kids.

Chase said he and Brook made a pretty good team, and Brook said they always had and always would. He kissed her.

Brad sat down with Nathan and said he was going to invade Nathan’s space. He had the feeling they’d be flying solo for a little while.

In the restroom, Britt said she needed to talk to Lulu, but Lulu said she didn’t think it was a good idea. Britt said it was important. It was about her brother. Lulu asked why Britt inserted herself in her life. Wasn’t stealing her embryo enough? Britt wondered if they could have an interaction without bringing that up. It happened a million years ago. Lulu said Britt had no idea the amount of pain she’d inflicted on Rocco, and Britt asked what she was talking about.

Sonny said it was the place for them to meet, and Turner said it was tempting. He said he didn’t want to pressure her. He knew she was risking her career. She said she used to be married to her career, but Jordan told her that she’d grown to regret that and was happier after her shift in priorities. She thought she could learn a thing or two from her friend. Her career mattered, but there were other things in life that mattered too. Sonny asked of she’d be up for being there for a glass of fantastic wine every once in a while, and she said, yeah. Maybe she would.

Alexis told Diane that it was weird. Willow had been adamant about Scout living at Drew’s house, but Scout was with her most of the time. One would think she didn’t really want Scout in Drew’s house.  

Nina said Willow set her up for blackmail, but Willow said it was more like an insurance policy. Nina said she’d never hurt Willow. She loved Willow. Willow said she loved Nina too. She knew it wasn’t on purpose, but the last time Nina tried to protect her with an alibi, it made things worse. She couldn’t afford another mistake like that again and Nina was torn between her and Charlotte. She tried to make it easier by taking away the choice. Now Nina had to side with her or she’d go down for drugging Drew.  

Jordan asked how long she’d been there. She had to go home. Curtis said she wasn’t going anywhere, when Jordan flashed back to the crash. She said, it was her. She’d leaned over to kiss him and drifted into the wrong lane. There was a car coming at them and she panicked. She overcorrected and the accident was her fault. She could have killed them both.

Nina said she fixed the Jack problem. She didn’t have to choose. Willow said, that could change. She needed to be able to trust Nina. She couldn’t be a helpless victim. She’d do what it took to keep her children. She couldn’t leave it to chance. Otherwise, it would all have been for nothing. Nina said she understood, but wished Willow would have let her help from the start, and Willow said it turned out that she liked standing on her own two feet. Nina said, at what cost? It was one thing to shoot Drew in a moment of desperation, but another thing to keep him trapped inside his body. Willow said she wished it didn’t have to be this way, and Nina said maybe it didn’t, but Willow said it did. She wouldn’t survive being separated from her children again. She needed to have control over Drew, and unfortunately, over Nina too. Don’t hate her for it.

Brad asked why Nathan didn’t tell his sister that he and Lulu were dating, and Nathan asked if Brad blamed him. Brad said, no, but was he sure he wanted to risk losing his sister? Lulu had been cold and relentlessly hard on Britt. It really was unfair.

Lulu said Britt kept acting like some kind of mother and it was confusing Rocco. Leave him alone. Britt said she got that she wasn’t Lulu’s favorite person, but she was trying to help her. Being with Nathan was a huge mistake for her and Rocco.

Jordan told Curtis that she should never have taken her eyes off the road. She was so sorry. He said, it could happen to anyone, and she asked if the other car was okay. He said he assumed. He didn’t know. They never stepped to check and make sure they were okay. Whoever they were, they kept on driving.

Chase told Phoebe that he was happy she was there with them, and Brook said they both were. Chase said they were worried they wouldn’t get the chance to take care of her, but now there was no reason she couldn’t stay as long as she needed. It was smooth sailing from here on out.

Brad told Nathan that it was worth remembering that the object of Lulu’s suffocating love and affection wouldn’t be there without Britt. His hospital sources said Rocco was great, but he wouldn’t be there being great if not for Britt. Nathan said it wasn’t as straightforward as that, and Brad said, what was? He wondered if Lulu was looking for a way to punish Britt for the rest of her life, but Nathan said it wasn’t punishment. He understood Brad was his sister’s bestie and appreciated his loyalty to her, but he wasn’t sure it was appropriate for Brad to hang out with her. He encouraged her worst impulses and behavior. It wasn’t something a good friend should do and he may have to intervene.

Lulu asked, why? and Britt said her brother had been gone for seven years. He didn’t remember where he was or what he did. He’d changed and needed time to figure out who he was before diving into a relationship. Lulu said she didn’t get the impression he was having an identity crisis. He was the same guy he’d always been. Britt said he was who Lulu needed him to be, and Lulu told Britt that she’d say anything to keep them apart. Britt said believe what she wanted, but don’t say she didn’t warn her, and she left.

Turner said she had to get going, and Sonny gave her a set of keys, in case she was thirsty for the good stuff.

Diane asked if Alexis thought it was harmful for Scout to live with Willow, and Alexis said she chose not to think about that. Diane said, then leave it as it is and be glad Scout was allowed to spend time with her. Alexis said she had the feeling something wasn’t right.

Nina said she could never hate Willow. She didn’t agree with some of Willow’s choices, but understood why she made them. Willow cried, and Nina said she wished Willow had been honest with her from the start. The one thing she didn’t get was that she would have been on Willow’s side even if Willow wasn’t forcing her to. Willow said she needed to be sure, and Nina said, what now? Willow said, keep her updated on the situation with Agent Brennan. The traffic cam footage can’t see the light of day. Nina said, it won’t, and Willow said she also recently discovered that two other people know she shot Drew. Nina said, who? and Willow said, so far, they’d kept it to themselves, but she had to make sure it stayed that way.

Wednesday:

Josslyn saw Nathan at the gym and asked if he needed a spotter,

Ava went to see Laura at her office and Laura complained about Sidwell expecting her to help him with flying his helicopter when and where he wanted. Ava said, maybe she should.

Boyle told Sidwell that the mayor was slowing things down, and Sidwell said if he couldn’t do the job, Boyle was of little value to him.

Tracy told Brook that Danny was out of control. He’d taken Brook’s car out for spin and the car had a massive scrape.

Dante told Turner that it was a single car accident and the other driver wasn’t responsible, but she said, they still didn’t stop. He said, they might not have seen it. No one had come forward. She asked if there was any progress with Marco’s murder, and he said he’d get the forensic report.

Jordan woke to find Curtis by her bed, and Dr. Caldwell came in to evaluate the injuries to her neck and face.

Ava said the new flight path was all Sidwell could talk to her about, and Laura said the deal was problematic for dozens of reasons. Ava said they both knew that he’d get what he wanted one way or the other, but thought Laura might have the wrong idea about him. Laura said she wasn’t the one who had the wrong idea. It was Ava.

Sidwell told Boyle that the police had done nothing to find his son’s killer and none of the politicians he’d bought could do anything right. He was getting pushback from the mayor even though he was blackmailing her with photos of Dalton’s body in her car trunk. He’d bought a congressman, and the only significant think he’d done was have a stroke. Drew’s wife was helping regular people of no significance, and his investment in Boyle had yielded meager returns. Boyle said all Sidwell did was complain when he was the common denominator in his own problems. Maybe the reason he was failing wasn’t because of everyone else. Maybe it was because of himself.

Turner said Sidwell was convinced Dante’s father and Jason were behind Marco’s murder, and Dante said Sonny had been at the movies with Donna that night. Security footage confirmed it. And Jason was too busy head-butting him in front of witnesses. There was nothing to tie Sonny to Marco’s killing. Marco was wearing a gold chain and had cash in his pocket, but no phone. Turner wondered why someone would take it, and Dante said if they had the answer, they might have a suspect.

Josslyn reintroduced herself to Nathan and said the friend she was meeting bailed. Did he want to do a rotation?

Tracy said Brook’s car wasn’t in the usual place and she’d noticed a garage door ajar. Brook’s car had been carelessly parked and had a massive scrape on the side. Brook asked why she was blaming Danny, and Tracy said Danny was without his father and out of control. Everyone else had their own vehicle. They had to clamp down on Danny, or next time, it wouldn’t be a car, but a person. Brook said she did it, and Tracy asked if she’d hit another car. Brook said, not exactly, and Tracy asked if anyone was injured. Brook asked if she’d heard about the crash on 91, and Tracy said it involved Jordan and Curtis. Brook said she had been involved too.

Jordan said Curtis could stay if he wanted, and Curtis said, of course (🍷). Dr. Caldwell took off the bandages.

Laura said Sidwell was dangerous and she’d hate for something to happen to Ava. Ava said she was aware of Sidwell’s reputation, but Laura said it was more than a reputation. Ava said she’d seen another side of Sidwell. He was hurting about his son, who’d been everything to him. Laura said she was glad Sidwell had Ava, and Ava said he’d been throwing himself into his work and asked Laura to just work with him on it. It would mean a lot to them both. Laura said she would, and Ava thanked her. Laura told Ava to promise to be careful. If anything was off, come to her immediately. Ava said, deal.

Boyle told Sidwell that the entire community objected to the new flight path, and it would look bad if he overlooked that for one constituent. Sidwell took out a gun and said if Boyle couldn’t do the job, he’d have to fire him, and the severance package may be more damaging than a bad reference. He wanted the flight path.

Jordan asked how it looked, and Dr. Caldwell said there was minimal inflammation and no sign of infection. Her face and neck had multiple lacerations and the trauma had been complicated by the burns. The silver lining was that the burns were first and secondary. It could have been worse. Jordan asked how bad it was, but the doctor said they didn’t know the extent until she was healed. There could be noticeable scarring, but they’d address that down the road. They had some good surgeons who could mitigate the damage. There were no guarantees, but they had every reason to hope. Jordan asked if it would have made a difference if she hadn’t been burned, but Dr. Caldwell told her that it was impossible to say, but it may have minimized the scarring.

Brook said she was driving to Charlie’s to see Gio, and Tracy asked if she was speeding. Brook said, maybe a little. A car drifted into her lane and crossed the dividing line. She blew the horn and swerved. Tracy asked about the scrape, and Brook said she ran into the guardrail, then kept driving. She was upset and freaking out. She wanted to get the performance in one piece. Tracy said Brook would be too smart to drive away unless she had good reason, and Brook said she’d been drinking.

Nathan said Josslyn’s deadlift was perfect, and she said her coach taught her perfect form. She’d played volleyball at PCU, but had to give it up for pre-med, but then realized pre-med wasn’t for her. She was lucky her family wasn’t forcing her to be a doctor. Nathan said, family expectations could be demanding, and she asked if his family had pushed him to be a doctor, since his mother and sister were doctors. He said he didn’t grow up with his mom, but knowing her, she would have made him follow in her footsteps. Josslyn said, and his dad’s.  

The bartender at the Brown Dog told Boyle that he was on the banned list, and Boyle said, not if he wanted to keep his liquor license. Whiskey, three fingers, pronto.

Jordan told Curtis that she knew there was a lot of bandaging and she could feel the pain, but it never occurred to her that she could end up with scars. He said they’d get her the best plastic surgeon, but she said things had to heal first and they didn’t know how long it would take. Turner came by with flowers and to check on the both of them, and Curtis said they were doing as well as could be expected. Jordan said she was managing, and Turner said everyone at yoga was asking about her. Jordan said she appreciated Turner coming by, but was feeling tired. Would Turner mind visiting some other time? Turner said, of course (🍷), and left. Curtis said he’d let Jordan get some rest, and followed.

Curtis saw Turner at the elevator, and she said she was sorry. Next time, she’d call first. He said, since she was there, had they learned any more about the crash?

Brook told Tracy that she’d had one glass of wine. She was perfectly okay to drive, but was afraid they’d give her a breathalyzer because she’d hit the guardrail. She would have dealt with it, but she wouldn’t be the only person affected. Tracy said Brook had Phoebe to think of, and Brook said God knew how it would affect their chances. She swore she hadn’t heard anything. She was focused on her driving and concentrating on not crashing. Tracy asked when she realized, and Brook said, yesterday. Chase mentioned the crash. She should have stopped just in case. Jordan could have died. That’s why she was going to the police and telling them everything. Tracy said, no. She wasn’t going to do that.

Josslyn said Nathan’s dad was Cesar Faison and had been a lot of things, and Nathan said, international criminal, global terrorist, attempted murderer. She asked if he wasn’t also a doctor, and Nathan said he had two memories of his father. He’d interrogated him once, when they didn’t know their relationship, and right before Faison shot him. She said she hadn’t considered he might not want to talk about it, and he said it was a complicated subject. Josslyn said she’d been thinking a lot about Faison and the weird connection between him and Anna.

Turner said the department concluded that it was a single car accident, but Curtis said, there was another vehicle. Did they look into it? She said, they didn’t cause the accident, but Curtis said, they saw it and took off. They were left for an hour and barely got out before the car blew up. It might have ended up making a difference for Jordan. It was going to be tough. Turner said, Jordan’s injuries were worse because the other driver didn’t render aid and fled, and he said he didn’t know how they could look the other way when a person was in danger.

On the phone, Dante said, stand down. He’d handle it personally.

Tracy said Brook wasn’t going to the police. She gotten behind the wheel, hit the guardrail, and kept going. Brook said she didn’t know there was a reason to stop, and Tracy said the police might believe her, but child services would be there immediately and Brook and Chase’s odds of adopting would be shot to hell. Brook said, not to mention she’d been drinking. She legitimately panicked when she hit the guardrail while she was rushing to see her see son perform. She’d demonstrated poor judgment, but did nothing illegal. Tracy said Jordan was a highly respected former Police Commissioner. Brook would be held responsible and may not be exonerated. Brook said she wouldn’t mention the drinking, but Tracy said they’d interview Lucy, the last person to see her before she left. Lucy would be compelled to tell them. Brook said she wasn’t drunk, and Tracy said, kudos to her tolerance, but they wouldn’t look kindly on a wealthy woman getting behind the wheel after she’d been drinking. Brook said there had to be a way out where she could still do the right thing, but Tracy said there wasn’t. It wasn’t ethical and she knew it was going to be hard to live with, but they were going to manage, because doing the right thing would definitely ruin Brook’s life.

Nathan said it was common knowledge Faison was obsessed with Anna, and Josslyn said she’d found a book called The Crystalline Conspiracy. Nathan said his father wrote it, and she said the woman on the cover looked exactly like Anna. He asked if she was surprised, and she said, no, but Emma said Faison was a big reason Anna was in a mental institution. She insisted Faison was still alive. Nathan said, that must be terrifying, but how did that involve him? He knew his father was dead, but he’d had nothing to do with him. It was true that Faison had hurt a lot of people. Josslyn said, some people eventually got over it, but it took his mom forever to shake Faison, and he said it was a subject his family tended to avoid, and she said, sorry. There were other people she could talk to about Faison and Anna. He asked what possible reason she had to dredge up a name that brought up trauma. Why was she so curious about Cesar Faison?  

Ava asked how things went with Boyle, and Sidwell said he was strongly considering pulling his support for Boyle’s reelection and the mayor was digging in her heels. Ava said she paid a visit to Laura and she’d agreed to push the new flight path forward. He asked, why? and she said she and Nikolas were long divorced, but she and Laura had a fondness for each other. He asked why she’d do that for him.

Dante went to see Laura and said he’d thought he’d give her a heads up. Boyle was on his way to a drunk and disorderly. There had been no formal complaints, but he didn’t want her to miss the window where she could call members of the media and put his dereliction of duty on livestream. She asked why he didn’t give the tip to Lulu, but he said he figured she wouldn’t want to miss out since Boyle had put a camera in her face at the worst possible times. Maybe it was time for her to return the favor.  

Tracy told Brook they had to deal with it discreetly and do it now before Chase noticed her car was missing and looked in the other garage. Brook had to do exactly as she said. Before Chase got home, she had to move the car next to the boathouse and cover it with a tarp. Leave the rest to her. By tomorrow, it would be taken care of. In the meantime – and by that she meant the rest of Brook’s life – never breathe a word of this to anybody.

Curtis said, as soon as the doctors gave the all clear, he’d take Jordan to a beautiful spa in the mountains of Arizona. Jordan asked for a mirror, and he said she heard the doctor. It would take time. She said she didn’t care. She needed to see what he saw.  

Ava said she knew Sidwell’s grief firsthand and thought she’d try to lighten the load a little. It was one little thing she thought she could do. He said it was far from little. He was discovering, for better or worse, who was willing to stand by him in his darkest moments, and here she was. Ava said she wasn’t going anywhere, and he said he wouldn’t forget that.

Josslyn told Nathan that Cesar Faison was fascinating. He was an international figure who’d played a crucial part in their local history and with people she knew. Nathan said not to mention his death, and she said she should have considered his feelings, but he said it was fine. He had to go. She thanked him and said she hoped she hadn’t ruined his time, but he said it was nice meeting her again. At the door, he turned around and looked at her for a moment, then left.

Turner told Dante that they needed to talk about Jordan’s accident. There was still no ID on the driver. They’d fled the scene. He asked, what changed? and she said Jordan may no longer be law enforcement, but she was still one of their own. She was going to find the driver and nail them.

Tracy said, it was an accident. It was unfortunate, but it happened. Brook wasn’t to ask questions of anybody, including the current Police Commissioner who happened to live in their house. Was she clear? Brook said, yes, but Tracy said Brook was still thinking about it. If she came forward, she would just make it worse. Brook said Tracy was right. She’d move her car next to the boathouse and cover it. Tracy said, excellent. The next time Brook saw her car, it would be parked in the appropriate spot looking perfect. They would be the only two people who knew that it was her car that almost collided with Jordan’s.

Boyle told the bartender that he got into politics to make his community better and to serve his constituents, okay? Not to become the type of man who only served entitled businessmen, vicious thugs, and the sanctimonious, holier-than-thou, high and mighty mayor. Laura walked in.

Jordan looked in the mirror, and Curtis suggested they get a nurse to help take the bandages off, but she started to remove them. Curtis helped her, and when they were off, she saw she had deep cuts across her cheek. She put down the mirror and cried, and he said he’d get somebody to rebandage her. He left, and she cried some more.

Thursday:

Josslyn walked into Sonny’s old kitchen, and said it was good see Carly and the moss bowl 🎍 . Carly said Donna was at her after school program, but Josslyn said she wasn’t there to see Donna or Carly. She was here for Valentin.

Boyle said he’d have another, but the bartender thought he’d had enough. Boyle said he wasn’t not paying him to think, but to pour. Laura filmed Boyle on her phone as he threatened the bartender with calling the New York State Liquor Authority, and the bartender said, just one more, and poured Boyle a shot.

Nathan went to Windymere, and Sidwell said, it must be important. Nathan said there would be more visits int the future. He was now the lead detective on Marco’s murder investigation.

Danny and Rocco met Dante at the batting cages, and Danny said, this was the surprise? Dante said they had the place to themselves and it would be fun. Danny said he’d wait in the car, and Dante asked what was going on with them. He wanted them to get outside, get some sun, and spend time together. Or they could skip the fun part and go straight to the hash it out part

Britt went into Cullum’s room, and he said, there she is. He knew she’d show her deceitful face eventually. Let him guess. Did she come to beg for her life?

Carly said she thought Josslyn wanted Valentin gone, and Josslyn said, for Carly’s safety and Donna’s. Carly said it wasn’t like that, but Josslyn said she’d hoped Carly came to her senses. Carly said she didn’t want to be in this situation, but Josslyn said it seemed like she did. It served her agenda and she was too stubborn listen. Carly said she felt the same way about the risk Josslyn was taking with her life. Why did she want to talk to Valentin? Josslyn said she wanted information, and Carly said, what if she didn’t want Josslyn talking to him? Josslyn said they both knew she’d get past Carly, and Carly asked if Josslyn was going to punch her or move her out of the way. Josslyn said, despite what Carly was thinking, she didn’t want to hurt her.

Rocco said he couldn’t swing because of his hand, but Dante said Rocco could tell him what he was doing wrong. Danny said he didn’t expect to play baseball and wanted to focus on basketball, and Dante said, why not both? Danny said he didn’t want to play baseball without his dad, and Dante said he couldn’t convince Danny to play, but they were there, so he thought they could do something fun. Rocco said Dante was still in his work clothes, and Dante said he was going to warm up.

Boyle told the bartender that he’d wanted to be mayor, make a name for himself, and have a bridge named after him. Was that too much to ask? Spoiler alert – it was not. He was dealing with a viper, a very vicious viper, and he didn’t know how long until it struck. The bartender wondered if he needed to show Boyle out, but Laura said it wasn’t necessary. She’d handle it.

Danny said Rocco’s dad had been right. Rocco had been quiet lately. He wasn’t answering Danny’s texts. Was everything okay?

Sidwell said he wanted Nathan to focus on Marco’s murder, and Nathan said it was the PCPD’s top priority. Sidwell said, was it his? Neither one was any closer to an arrest than they were on the night his son died. Time was a luxury they didn’t have. His son was in the ground and Sonny Corinthos, who possibly put him there, was walking free. He was surrounded by incompetence. Nathan promised to find who did this, and Sidwell said maybe he shouldn’t have put Nathan in the role of a detective. He didn’t think it was delivering the perks he expected. Nathan said Sidwell would be surprised what could be accomplished with a gun and a badge, and Sidwell said he’d prefer a real detective. Nathan said an entire department of real detectives and police officers were working around the clock on Marco’s murder. Sidwell asked why he had no answer then, and Nathan said he had an answer, but didn’t think Sidwell would like it.

Britt said she’d spoken to her brother and Sidwell and worked things out, but Cullum said he didn’t hear his name mentioned. She said she’d fallen in line. She was working on the project. He said, so she was obedient now. How convenient since her plans went awry.  She said she’d made a mistake, and he said she thought Jason would save her and look how that turned out. She said she wanted her medicine, and he said he had a bullet hole in his back, a consequence of her plan. The deal they once had, had been amended. They had a new understanding, a new set of rules. She’d get her doses, but first she had to produce results. She said she was back on board, and he said if that was so, tell him what really happened on the pier. She said Jason shot him, but Cullum said that was impossible. He was standing over Jason when the bullet hit him. Jason didn’t pull the trigger, so who did?

Boyle said he didn’t have to defer his time to Laura, but she said he might want to rethink that, and showed him the video. He said he knew it. She acted high and mighty, but at the end of the day, she was just like them. She was going to leak it to the press, put it online, or both. She said she didn’t take the video to hurt him, but to help him see how badly he was behaving. He wouldn’t want the public to see it. Look at this as a wake-up call. He said nothing mattered anymore, but she said that was the whiskey talking. He said, and the tequila, and she said she was making him an offer. She could call Commissioner Falconari, who would put him in cell so he wouldn’t hurt anyone, including himself, or he could come home with her now.

Rocco told Danny that he was doing okay. Don’t worry. His hand was infected and he didn’t feel great. Danny said he heard what happened at school. How was he doing? Danny said he’d been better. His grandma was upset about his suspension. He had to stand up for his dad. Rocco said he would have probably done the same thing. Did Danny really tell Wiley Wheeler that his girlfriend was going to dump him? Danny said, clearly, the truth hurt. It was totally worth it. Dante came back and said he thought he’d torn his shirt, but it was him that was torn. Rocco said he just needed more practice, and Dante said that’s why he wanted to come there. It was good seeing them like this. He knew Danny would rather be with his dad, and he got that, but he was there for him. He loved Danny’s mom very much and loved him. Danny said he had great memories of them, and Dante said he wanted to make more. He and Danny’s mom used to come there and she’d give him pointers. It was fun arguing with her. Danny said it couldn’t hurt if he practiced, and went to warm up. Dante said it looked like Danny felt better, but Rocco seemed quiet and he thought he knew why.  

Valentin asked why Josslyn needed to see him, and she said she needed intel on Director Ross Cullum. Valentin said Jack was one thing. Cullum was completely different. He didn’t think she wanted to know what was behind that door. Josslyn said, keeping that door closed wasn’t an option anymore now that Jason took the fall for shooting Cullum. They needed to work together. It was their best shot at taking him down. Nobody knew the WSB bureaucracy better than Valentin. Valentin said it was a two way street. You go first. She told him that Cullum was working with Sidwell. He was a double agent.

Britt said she didn’t know what he was talking about, and Cullum said, don’t insult him. Someone else was there and she knew who. She said she was unconscious. When she woke up, he was lying there bleeding on the ground. She asked Jason what happened, and Jason said he’d shot him. She wished she could give him whatever name he was hoping for, but she’d told him everything she knew. he asked if she believed she had a guardian angel besides Jason, and she said if she had another ally or any other option, she would be anywhere but there. He said, then she wouldn’t mind if he kept digging, and she said, dig all he wanted to, when Lucas walked in.  

Nathan told Sidwell that they’d looked at Sonny from every angle, and there was no evidence connecting him. He had an ironclad alibi. He was at the movies with his daughters. And Jason’s alibi was solid. Sidwell said, maybe Sonny hired someone. It wasn’t something he’d do himself. His son was the Police Commissioner. Nathan said Dante wasn’t helping his father, and Sidwell asked why he was eager to exonerate Sonny. Nathan said he wasn’t. He was following the facts like a real detective. Sonny knew Sidwell had photos tying him and Laura to Dalton’s murder that could end up in the hands of the police if he crossed Sidwell. Sidwell asked if Nathan really thought Sonny wasn’t responsible, and Nathan said he didn’t think so. The murderer got close enough to stab Marco. That implied trust. It meant Marco knew the killer and let them in. He didn’t see it coming. Sidwell said it must have been someone else who wanted to get to him. Marco had no enemies. Nathan told Sidwell to consider it wasn’t about him. Maybe someone had a score to settle. Was it possible Marco was involved with someone else or there were exes in the periphery? Sidwell said, there was only Lucas, who would never hurt Marco. He absolutely loved Marco. Nathan said there was a problem with a gap in Lucas’s timeline. During the time of his shift around Marco’s murder, he disappeared and they couldn’t account for his whereabouts.

Dante asked if Rocco was still upset that he’d come down hard on Gio. They were actually doing better. Rocco said it wasn’t a Gio thing, and Rocco said, there was clearly something. Did he want to talk? Rocco flashed back to shooting Cullum, and said he felt bad that Danny lost his dad. He’d had a mom and a dad, and now he had neither. Dante said Danny had them. He had Alexis and Scout to get him through it. Rocco said he wished they could being his dad back, and Dante said, whatever could be done, was being done. Be Danny’s friend. Be his brother. Rocco said he hadn’t been great either. He’d been keeping his distance. He didn’t know what to say. Dante suggested he focus on his relationship with Danny. How good did it feel when Danny and Charlotte backed him up with that Dalton mess? Danny said, Danny was willing to say it was all on him, and Dante said that’s because Danny was his brother and wanted to help. He needed to be Danny’s brother.

Laura brought Boyle into the apartment, and he said he thought she was a married happily woman. But he wouldn’t say anything if she didn’t. She said, for God’s sake. The next time, don’t finish the bottle. He asked what he was doing there, and she said he was three sheets to the wind in the middle of the afternoon. The Brown Dog was about to have its happy hour and she thought he’d want to sober up away from prying eyes and people’s little telephone recording cameras. He said he shouldn’t have gotten involved with Sidwell. Just because they were forced into working together, he wasn’t her responsibility. He was having a good time. She said he looked like he was drinking to forget, and he said maybe he was. He’d told her to stay away from Sidwell. He wished he’d taken his own advice.

Sidwell told Nathan, stop wasting his time. Lucas was a doctor. He could have been anywhere in the hospital. He would have never hurt Marco. He had to concentrate on finding the real killer. Nathan said he had to. Whoever killed Marco took his phone and that was a huge problem. Sidwell said because of incriminating evidence against them, and Nathan said, let’s hope whoever took the phone doesn’t know what they have. Sidwell said, in the meantime, speak to Cullum. They were out of his sister’s medication and needed to get more. Nathan said, will do, and Sidwell asked if there was anything else. Nathan flashed back to speaking with Josslyn, and said, no.  

Lucas asked what Britt was doing there, and she said, checking on their patient. He said he thought she should leave. Her boyfriend shot the man. It was clearly a conflict and unprofessional. Britt said, understood, and left. Lucas said Cullum’s recovery was going well, and Cullum said he owed Lucas his life. Lucas said, that’s what doctors did.

Josslyn said she and Cullum zigzagged around each other at Windymere when she was stuck there during the storm. She’d told him she’d been headed to a party at a nearby island, and when the storm got bad, she’d veered to Windymere to see her uncle. He seemed to believe it. Carly said Josslyn had been alone with Cullum, and Valentin said he was impressed. If Cullum had detected a lie, Josslyn wouldn’t have come back from the island. Carly asked if that was supposed to make her feel better, and Valentin said, yeah. Josslyn said, Sidwell and Cullum were working together. They had been for years. Valentin said, now they knew Britt was working with them. Britt, Cullum, Faison, and Sidwell had been working together for years. He’d suspected it, but had no proof. Josslyn said, his turn, and he said Cullum was the leading authority on Cesar Faison. That explained why they never brought Faison down. Cullum was undermining the investigation from the inside. Carly said she thought Anna was the authority on Faison, but Valentin said there was an emotional conflict. She couldn’t be objective. Brennan knew that. Carly said Jack told her about Anna’s breakdown. Did he think Jack had her removed? Valentin said, yes. He thought Jack was absolutely responsible for whatever happened to Anna.

Boyle said he knew about the blackmail photos of Laura and Sonny. Sidwell killed Dalton or had him killed and threw him in Laura’s trunk, and someone with a telephoto lens took pictures. He knows this because it was one of the things Sidwell screamed at him in the middle of his tantrum. He was complaining about all the ways everyone was failing him. He didn’t want to be the next corpse Laura found in the trunk. Laura asked if Sidwell threatened Boyle, and he said it wasn’t about threats. It was about what he was being made to do, the man those things were making him into. He got into politics to serve his community. He’d cut corners and made deals he wasn’t proud of because that was the job for everyone, but her apparently. That was how it worked. Sidwell wasn’t playing the same game as everyone else. This was something else entirely. The business he’d been doing for years, he wasn’t doing now. He was doing business with a killer and was in too deep to get out clean.

Lucas asked why Britt called him to her office, and she asked why he interrupted her with Cullum. He asked if she meant to thank him for rescuing her. Cullum was dangerous and she shouldn’t be alone with him. She said she’d been alone with him before, and Lucas said, the last time, he’d tried to kill her. She said he wasn’t going to hurt her in the hospital. She didn’t know why Lucas wasn’t avoiding him. Stop treating Cullum like a regular patient. He’d murdered Lucas’s boyfriend and knew he was involved with this.

Valentin said, Anna got too close to something and Brennan took her off the playing field and he’d neutralize anyone else who did the same. If Agent Cullum figured out Josslyn lied, she was as good as dead. Carly told her to stay away from Cullum, but Josslyn said she couldn’t. This was bigger than her, bigger than all of them. Carly said nothing was more important to her than Josslyn, and Josslyn said she loved Carly, but she didn’t have a choice. The stakes were too high. Carly should do what she had to, and she would too. She left, and Carly said they weren’t going to stop Josslyn. Valentin said, no, and Carly said she was scared. He said she should be.

Rocco said he was sorry he hadn’t been around, but Danny said it was okay. Rocco said it wasn’t. He should have checked in. He’d left Danny hanging and good brother and friend didn’t do that. Danny said he knew Rocco cared and that’s what counted. There was nothing anyone could do anyway. Someone should be able to do something. Rocco said sometimes the best thing was to wait and see how it played out. It sucked and he hated it. Danny said he wasn’t good at it. No one knew anything and it was driving him crazy.  

Boyle told Laura that he was somebody he didn’t want to be and he was expendable. Sidwell no longer needed him because he had her. She was more valuable. She said she wouldn’t let Sidwell hurt him. They were in it together and maybe they could find a way out together. He said Sidwell had them where he wanted them, but she said she wasn’t so sure. She did know drowning himself in a bottle of booze wasn’t the way to handle it. He said it was a good idea at the time, and she said they couldn’t come up with a plan if he wasn’t sober. She’d make coffee. Don’t get sick in her living room. He said he was good, and she left.  

Nathan went to see Cullum, who said he felt like him living was unfortunate for some. Nathan said he came to give Cullum a heads up. Sidwell was erratic and convinced Sonny Corinthos killed Marco, even though there was no evidence to support that theory. On the contrary. It had been disproved, but he couldn’t make Sidwell see that Sonny was probably not the one who killed Marco. Cullum told him to find the one who did.

Britt told Lucas that if Cullum killed Marco – and she was pretty sure he did – he took Marco’s phone. They could safely assume he read the texts, which meant he knew Lucas was involved, which meant he’d been exposed, like her. Lucas said he wasn’t helpless. He had options, like fighting back. She said, and what army? She didn’t think anyone could save her from this nightmare and Jason convinced her that he could. Now Jason was gone. Marco was gone. They had no one. He asked what she proposed to do, and she said, back off and pray the WSB exposed Cullum. Until then, all they could do was survive. He said that’s where she was wrong. There was one person who could stop this. She asked, who? and Lucas said him. She asked if he had a death wish.

Laura brought out coffee, but Boyle was passed out on the couch. She put a blanket over him.

Danny said maybe there was something Rocco could do, and Rocco said, name it. Danny said, Britt was there the night Cullum was shot. She and Rocco were closer now and talked. Did she mention why his dad would have done this? Rocco said they hadn’t spoken, and Danny said he figured Rocco would have already told him if she’d said anything.

Britt said she didn’t need more guilt and couldn’t have Lucas die for her, but he said he was doing it for Marco. She asked if Marco would want him to do it. Marco didn’t want to put him in danger and Sidwell had never been more dangerous. Cullum had always terrified the hell out of her. She suggested Lucas back out of the room if he was alone with Cullum. Lucas said he’d asked Marco to take the same risk to make things right between them. He couldn’t do less. She asked why he thought he was capable of taking down either one, and he said he was staying at Windymere and was in the perfect position. Sidwell didn’t see him as a threat and would never see him coming.

Sidwell looked at a photo of Lucas and Marco and flashed back to Nathan saying Lucas disappeared and they couldn’t account for his whereabouts.  

Cullum asked if they had another suspect, but Nathan said they didn’t. All the evidence pointed to was someone being killed. Beyond that, they had nothing to go on. In the meantime, Britt was due for her next injection. Cullum said, talk to Sidwell.  The meds were at Windymere. Nathan said they were out. Cullum had to call his supplier and have them restock. Cullum said Nathan didn’t make demands. He was lying in a hospital bed because of his sister’s betrayal. He’d tell Nathan what he told her. If she wanted her medicine, she needed to show progress. Nathan said he’d relay the message, and Cullum said, do that. Calling Nathan Cassius, he reminded Nathan that he could blow up his life as easily as Britt’s.

Josslyn saw Nathan leaving Cullum’s hospital room.

Valentin told Carly that Cullum would target Josslyn if he found out she was an agent. He got her into this to take Jack down, but Josslyn changed everything. In a perfect world, they’d take down all three. Cullum and Sidwell were the biggest threat to her daughter. Even if Jack walked, they had to help her daughter. Nothing would happen to her and her daughter, not while he was there.

🫔 Friday’s Enchilada…

At the docks on the phone, Eithan says he’s sorry he’s late in calling. He got held up and just got to Port Charles. He’s on Pier 55 right now. Let him know if they can meet him tonight. If not, he’ll be there every day at noon, so he’ll see them soon… he hopes.

Laura puts a glass of water and some aspirin on the coffee table, and Boyle sits up. He asks how long he was out, and she says, about an hour. He says his memory is a little fuzzy, but she made a video of him when he was at Brown Dog, and she says, interesting that that’s the thing he remembers. He asks what she did with the video. Did she leak it to the press? Or maybe she sent it to the city council directly. Or is it online and he’s a viral sensation right now? Please, just tell him. How long before he has to turn in his resignation?

Kristina thanks Michael for dropping off Donna’s backpack. She was not pleased when she realized she left it at school. He says he’s always happy to help his little sister, and she thanks him and says, but Donna’s got them all wrapped around her little finger. (Mine too.) He says he knows, but even when he knows she’s working him, he’s still happy. Kristina is babysitting tonight? She says, yes. Donna is in her room right now playing Tron. She’s determined to beat Wiley. He says he wishes her luck. The only person to beat Wiley is Jacinda. She says, Jacinda seems to be a woman of many talents. She still can’t get over how good Jacinda sounded when she sang at Charlie’s. He says, you and me both. How have things been going since she reopened? She says, good. Business is good. A lot of positive word of mouth. She was actually just posting some content from that night and scrolling through the comments. He asks what people are saying, and she scrolls and says, compliments on the new look… Everyone loved Trina and Gio’s song… and open mic night was a hit. He says, anything on Jacinda’s performance? and she says, oh, yes… Wow. That girl can really sing. Too bad she’s… He says, what? and she says, nothing. It’s nothing. He takes the phone and reads, too bad she’s dating a homicidal maniac. Watch your back, lady.

At Bad Jen Café, Willow puts a sundae in front of Wiley and says, that’s for doing such a great job on his spider project. She’s so proud of him. Wiley says, thanks, mom. Does she think they could go to the rainforest someday? He wants to see the Goliath birdeater tarantula for himself. It doesn’t really eat birds. Jacinda walks in, and Willow says she needs to think about that one. Wiley runs over to Jacinda, and they hug.

About to go into her apartment Nina flashes back to Willow saying it was like she snapped. She couldn’t even think. But somehow, she was in her car, driving to Drew’s in the rain. She let herself in the back door. She saw Drew was there and she walked up behind him and shot him in the back. Nina says, twice, and Willow says, in her mind in the state she was in, it was either Drew or her children, and she’s sorry, but her kids will win every time. Nina lets herself in, and Valentin is there. He says, hi, honey. Welcome home.

In Sonny’s old kitchen, Carly says she’s so glad they’re doing this, and glancing at the moss bowl🎍, Lucas says, so is he. He thanks her for telling him to get over here. He appreciates it. She says she’s also glad Donna is staying at Sonny’s tonight. She wanted to have some alone time with him so they could talk and she could see how he’s holding up. He says, some days are definitely better than others, and looks around. He asks if her garlic press doesn’t live in this drawer, but she says she had to get a new one. She thinks it’s in that box over there with a few other things. He says he’s just happy to make a meal again. The chef at Windymere won’t let him anywhere near the kitchen. She says, there’s a simple fix to that, and he says he knows. He’s not moving back in with her. She says she didn’t tell him that he had to move in here, and he says, no, she did not. He takes a shaver out of the box and asks, is that because she already has a houseguest?

Lulu goes to the pier and looks at a picture of the Haunted Star on her phone. She says she’s thinking of her dad too. She’s missing him, but she’s sure he knows that already. She sees Ethan’s back and says, excuse me. Do I know you? He says he hopes so, and she says, Ethan! and runs to him for a hug.

Michael says, everyone thinks that he shot Drew, and Kristina says, okay. Well, then let’s set them straight. He says, stop. It’s not going to do any good. She says, they can’t just let everyone lie about him, and he says he hates it too, but nothing she writes is going to change anyone’s mind. Especially not after the way Willow tore him down on the stand during her trial. She made it sound like he framed her for murder. She says, yet he’s still somehow getting along with her for the sake of his kids. She gives him a lot of credit. She could never be that gracious. He says, it’s not gracious. It’s strategic.

Jacinda asks how Wiley is doing, and he says he got an A on his spider project. She says, that’s amazing. High-five. He asks if she wants to see it. He’ll go get it. Willow says she’s sure Jacinda is too busy right now to look his project, but Jacinda says, actually, she’s on a break, so she does have some time. Wiley says, Jacinda is the reason he got an A. She’s a spider genius. Please, can he show it to her?

Nina asks what the hell Valentin is doing in her living room. He scared her half to death. He says, sorry. He couldn’t exactly have the doorman announce him for obvious reasons. She asks how he got in, and he says he’d tell her, but it’s not going to make her feel any safer. She says he’s risking a lot coming to see her. Has he been hiding in Port Charles this whole time? Where has he been hiding? He says, who’s asking? Her or Jack Brennan?

Carly digs in the box and says, here’s the garlic press, and Lucas says, she’s not making Jack shave his goatee is she? At the risk of giving her boyfriend a compliment, it kind of works on him. She says, it does, doesn’t it? Sometimes when he comes over, he needs to trim his goatee before he goes to work. But she’ll let him know Lucas approves. They laugh, and Lucas says, she’s acting weird. She asks what he means. What’s weird about her boyfriend’s goatee? He says, it’s not about the goatee. She just seems nervous. She says, stop giving her the third degree about a razor and she’ll be fine, and he says, they both know if she doesn’t answer him, he won’t stop asking questions. She says, fine. It’s not Jack’s. It’s for another man. She’s involved with someone else.

Lulu says she can’t believe it. What is Ethan doing here? He says he had some free time and he realized he hadn’t been in Port Charles for far too long. So he came by to see his sister. She says, he came here to see her? and he says, yeah. Aside from a few texts, they haven’t really been in touch since she woke up. He needed to see her up and kicking butt for himself. She says, well, he could have at least called and let her know he was coming, but he says, then it wouldn’t have been a surprise. She says, that was so sweet. Now tell her the truth. Who is he running from this time?

Laura says she meant what she said earlier. She took that video of Boyle with the intention of showing him how bad his behavior was. She had no intention of showing it to anyone, least of all the press. She hands him a cup of coffee, and he says he knows she said that, but he was drinking, so he wasn’t really sure. She says, well, think about it. If she wanted to call him out for being drunk and disorderly, she would have just left him at the Brown Dog. She’s sure one of those patrons would have been more than happy to help him make a spectacle of himself. He says, but she didn’t, and she says, no. She brought him back here so he could sober up privately. He says, that’s right, but why would she do something like that for him? and she says, at the moment… She doesn’t have any idea right now.

Wiley says he picked a creepy font just like she said, and Jacinda says, great choice. Super spidery. She bets his teacher loved that. Willow says she thought he said his daddy helped him with this project, and Wiley says, he did with the pictures, but Jacinda knows everything about spiders. Jacinda says, not everything. When she was in Australia, she had a run-in with a ginormous huntsman spider and she freaked out. Then she did a little research online and the more she learned, the more she became a fan. Willow says, fascinating, and Jacinda says, anyway, she sent a few links to Wiley. Willow says she hopes he thanked Jacinda, and he says he did, but he and daddy are also going to take her to that pizza place with the arcade games. Jacinda’s really good at Tron. Jacinda says, well, she’s got to get going, and tells Wiley that she’ll see him later. Spiders rule. He says, spiders rule, and they high-five. Jacinda leaves, and Willow says, you know what? She thinks she’d like to learn how to play Tron. Could Wiley teach her? He says, well, Tron’s really hard. She should start with Roblox. She says, he’s the expert. Is he ready for his sleepover at Liam’s? He says, yeah, and they get ready to leave.

Ethan asks why Lulu would think somebody was after him, and she says she doesn’t know. People tend to take it personally when he cons them out of their money. He says he’s her brother. He can’t believe she thinks so little of him. She says, so he’s not running cons anymore? and he says, of course (🍷) he is. He’s just offended that she thinks he’d get caught. He is a professional with God given talent and extraordinary genius. She tells him, he says proudly, and he says, hey. He only targets people who deserve it. She says, otherwise known as dangerous and vengeful types, and he says, as far as he knows, no one is after him. He just misses his family. His first stop was France. He saw his mom and Robert. (Really? They’re playing this like they did Monica? It’s like that grandma on the roof joke.)  She asks, how was that? and he says, it was good. He got to spend some time with Sasha and he got to meet his little niece Daisy. But it turns out the French countryside can be a little quiet. Even Daisy’s considerable charms couldn’t change that, so he hopped on a plane to come see her. She says she’s honored. Did he tell anyone else he was coming? He says, nope. She’s the first person he’s run into. Actually, he was going to call her as soon as he finished up here. She says, finished up what? and he says, reminiscing he guesses. When he first came to Port Charles, he landed right here on the Haunted Star. She says she was just thinking about the Haunted Star too. He knows it was destroyed, right? He says, yeah. He just had to see it with his own eyes. He just can’t believe it’s gone. He can’t believe… He can’t believe he’s gone. She says her neither.

Nina tells Valentin that she’s confused. What does Jack Brennan have to do with anything? He says, Jack’s desperate to talk to him because he has information that Jack needs and Jack’s angry that he broke out of prison on his watch. She says she still doesn’t understand why he’s here, and he says he knows Jack would want to talk to her. She says, because Jack knows she’s his ex-wife? and he says, because Jack knows he’d want to talk to Charlotte. Who better to squeeze information out of his daughter than her? Because the two of them have such a loving and trusting relationship, don’t they? Is he getting warm? She says, oh God. Charlotte figured it out, didn’t she?

Lucas asks if she’s still with Jack, and Carly says, yeah. He says, so she’s cheating on him? and she says, it’s more complicated than that, okay? He says, she’s been down this road before. She knows where it leads and how much it costs her along the way. She says she told him it was complicated, and he says, cheating usually is. She says, oh God, and he says, it’s also time consuming. How long has she been seeing this guy? She says, a little over a month. She knows him. They have a bit of a history together. Lucas asks if he knows him, and she says she’s not telling him anything else. The relationship doesn’t have a future.

Boyle says, Laura had the perfect opportunity to force his resignation out of city council. She could have gotten him out of her life forever. She says, and you know what? She still could. She takes out her phone and says, and it would make her life a lot easier. He asks why she’s not seizing the day, and she says, because they’re both stuck under Sidwell’s thumb. She knows what that feels like. It’s not hard for her to understand why he’d go on a bender. He says, so she’s doing this out of the kindness of her heart? and she says she doesn’t really have a reason to make his life harder. He says he didn’t think he could feel any worse than he already does, but it turns out he can, and she says, why is that? He says he’s pretty sure he’s the reason Sidwell framed her for murder.

Ethan tells Lulu that he guesses he was so shocked to find out Luke died because he was just so alive all the time. It was hard for him to imagine a time when he wasn’t. She says, for what it’s worth (🍷), she thinks he’d be thrilled that they’re together right now. And they’ll always have each other. Tears run down Ethan’s face as he puts his arm around Lulu and she puts her head on his shoulder.

As they prepare dinner, Lucas asks why Carly doesn’t see a future with he who shall remain nameless. Is he married or on a wanted poster somewhere? Carly says, hey, and he says, well, sorry. She has a type. So forgive him for thinking he won’t find the guy working at the library. She says she doesn’t have a type, by the way. It’s just, in this case, she thinks they’re better off as friends for more reasons than she can count. He says he doesn’t think either one of them believes what she’s saying, and she says, wow. He says, she really cares about this guy, and she says she does. She didn’t expect to, but yeah. He says, all right. So on a scale of one to ten, ten being really, really strong feelings… She protests, and he says, so eight to ten. Why doesn’t she break up with Jack so she can give this a shot? He never liked the idea of her and Brennan anyway. She says, yeah. She’s heard that before. He says, why isn’t she breaking up with Jack? and she says she’s not ready yet. He says she doesn’t really have a choice, though, does she? The man’s a spy. It’s only a matter of time before he figures out she’s cheating on him. She says, okay. She’s with Jack for reasons she can’t talk about and she’d really appreciate it if he’d just leave it at that. He asks if she’s sure, and she says she’d really appreciate it if he’d just drop it.

Valentin tells Nina, Charlotte’s very smart. It’s difficult to get anything past her. Nina says, Charlotte must hate her, but he says, no. He doesn’t think Charlotte hates her. Charlotte doesn’t trust her. She says she’s so sorry. Hurting Charlotte is the last thing she ever wanted to do. She tried to stall Brennan as much as she could, but now he’s forcing her hand. He says he thought so. He knows she loves Charlotte and would never do anything like this unless she was backed into a corner. She says she swears she tried to get out of it, but she doesn’t know if there’s anything that will back Brennan off for good. The man is tenacious and if she doesn’t do exactly what he wants, Willow’s the one who pays for it.

Michael tells Kristina that if he had it his way, Wiley and Amelia would be with him full-time. They’d never set foot in Drew’s house again. She says she totally gets that, and he says, but when Willow was exonerated, suspicion shifted to him, which left him at a huge disadvantage. He had no choice but to share custody with her, which means he has to put up a good front at all times. She says, for the sake of the kids, and he says, yeah, but also because playing nicer, at least being civil, keeps him from landing back in family court where he’d be in an even worse position. She says, with Willow in congress now, she has much more power and influence. She may not use that like Drew did, but she’s going to use it. He says, she definitely will, which is why it’s better all around if she thinks he’s just accepted the situation and moved on. She says, but he hasn’t, and he says, no. He knows Willow shot Drew and he’s going to prove it.

Boyle says he knew Sidwell was going to charm Laura into doing his bidding, but he warned him. He warned him that she had too much integrity and made some offhand remark that Sidwell was going to need some leverage over her if he wanted her to cooperate. She says, okay, and he says he’s sorry. He is so sorry because he never knew saying something so casually… what it would mean for her down the line. She says, it’s really nice to hear him apologize for something, but in this case, it isn’t really necessary, and he says, listen to him. He’s the one who put that damn idea in Sidwell’s head. She says, knowing Sidwell as she does, she’s pretty sure he could come to that conclusion on his own. Unless what he’s saying is that he helped Sidwell to set her up. He says, no, no, no, no, no, no. He was stunned when Sidwell took it so far. He had no idea. She says, okay then. He doesn’t have anything to feel guilty for. He says, that is a level of generosity you don’t see every day, or ever really, and she says, Sidwell’s the only person to blame here. Somehow, he managed to compromise them both, but the good news is that while Boyle was sleeping, she was busy coming up with a plan for them to stop him.

Ethan looks at photos on Lulu’s phone and says, wow. Rocco and Charlotte got so big. She says she’s told that’s what happens when you’re away for a while, and he asks, how are they? She says, they’re doing good. They’ve had a lot of tough things come at them in the last year or so, but they’re hanging in there. He says, that’s good to hear. What about her and Dante? She says, they’re in a good place. They co-parent pretty well she thinks, but they’re not together. She actually started seeing someone new. They’re taking it slow. What about him? He says he never stays in one place long enough to be serious with anyone. Bouncing from place to place, it sort of takes its toll. He guesses that’s why it’s so good to be back here. Port Charles is the closest thing he has to a home. She says, now that he’s home, how long will they be blessed with his presence? and he says he was thinking it might be open-ended. She says, really? So he’s planning on putting roots down or something? He says, no, no. Nothing like that. He’d like to spend some time here and with her. What does she think? She says she would like nothing more.

Lucas says, so they’ve established that Carly isn’t going to tell him who this guy is. He just wants to know if he makes her happy. She says she guesses. When he’s not driving her crazy. He asks if they fight a lot, and she says, all the time. She thinks that’s because they have so much in common. He says, like? and she says, like they would do anything for their children. They’re not afraid of making a decision other people don’t agree with if they believe they’re doing the right thing. He says, well, morally ambiguous is her type. He’s just saying, with her type and her track record, maybe this guy isn’t the one. She says she’s not saying he is the one. She’s just saying he gets her in away that no one has in a really long time. He doesn’t judge her and she doesn’t judge him. And even when it’s messy, it’s easy. He says, when she puts it that way, Mr. Easy sounds not so bad. She says, yeah. No one else will agree with that. She doesn’t have to jump through hoops when she’s with him like she had to do with Sonny, Drew, and especially Jack. Trying to keep the work situation and private life separate, that was exhausting. He says he’s just going to ask her one more time. Is she sure she can’t make it work between the two of them? He hasn’t heard her talk about a man like this in… ever. She says, circumstances brought them together. That circumstance will change, and that will be the end of the relationship. He says, but that’s not what she wants, is it?

Kristina asks if Michael is saying he has proof Willow shot Drew, and he says, not yet, but he’s looking. He’s starting with the evidence that went missing during the trial. She says, the traffic cam footage that shows Willow driving near Drew’s house that day, and he says he would bet good money that Chase destroyed that footage to help Willow’s case. Maybe it could be recovered. She tells him, you know what they say. Nothing is ever truly deleted. He says, if that’s a dead end, maybe there’s other evidence, other witnesses, and she asks if it isn’t too late. Willow can’t be tried for the same crime twice. He says, not in a court of law, but if it’s proven that she shot Drew and got away with it, she could lose her seat in congress, his name will be cleared… She says, then he’ll take her back to court and get full custody, and he says, yeah. That’s what he’s thinking. She says, it all sounds great except for the last part, and he says, why? She says she’s no fan of Willow, but if he puts Wiley and Amelia through another custody battle, he’s just going to be doing what their parents did to them as kids. Can he really live with that?

Willow finds Jacinda in Nina’s office, and Jacinda asks if she left something behind at the café. Willow asks if Jacinda really thinks she’d bring it to her if she had, and Jacinda says, so then Willow must be here to tell her that she should stop helping her son get good grades in school. Willow asks if she remembers how they first met, and Jacinda says she does. Willow says she walked into her bedroom and there Jacinda was in all her nearly naked glory, trying to convince her that she and Drew had slept together. Jacinda says she wasn’t nearly naked, but thanks for saying she was glorious. If Willow still has a problem with that, talk to her mom. She’s the one who hired her. Willow says, that’s her point. Jacinda will do anything for money, including befriending her son so she can kiss up to her latest meal ticket. Jacinda says she helped Willow’s son because he asked her to, and Willow says, Jacinda helped her son to ingratiate herself with his father and she refuses to allow Jacinda to do that anymore. So no more Tron games or spider projects or hugs at the café. From now on, stay away from her children.

Laura asks what Boyle says to the two of them working together to stop Sidwell, and he says he thinks it depends on the how. She says, Sidwell has been relentless in pushing through this new flight path for his helicopter. She thinks his urgency about it is about something more than just improving his flight times to and from the island. Does he know what she means? He says, yes, he does, and she says, so now that she’s approved that new flight path, what she needs him to do is go find out why was that so important to him. He says, but then what? and she says, depending on what he finds, who knows? They might be able to get the FAA involved. Then maybe the WSB. If they’re involved, then she’s sure the Feds would want to be in on it too. He says he supposes it’s better than bellying up to the bar and waiting for the ax to fall, and she says, yeah. So what does he say? Is he in?

Ethan looks at this phone, and Lulu asks if Ethan is expecting to hear from someone, but he says, no. He was just checking the time. She says, okay, good, and suggests they head back to her house and they’ll get him all set up before it’s too late. He says, no, no, no… but she says, whatever he was thinking, stop. He’s staying with her. He asks if she’s sure, and she says she’s insisting. In fact, she’s insisting so much, he’s practically a hostage. He says, it wouldn’t be his first time, but he’ll have to meet her back at her place. He actually has one more stop to make.

Kristina says, when the truth came out about Willow and Drew, Michael still let Wiley and Amelia stay with Willow because he didn’t want them to be caught in the middle. She really respected that choice. Michael says, yeah, then Willow turned around and took advantage of that, and she says, because things got ugly between them, but they’re in a much better place now. Wiley and Amelia aren’t being pulled between the two of them. He remembers how awful that was for them when they were in that position, right? He says, non-stop anxiety. That made it feel like it was hard to breathe sometimes. She says, exactly. She was sick to her stomach most days. It was bad. He says he felt like it was his responsibility to fix things and try to make sure both of his parents were okay, and she says she’s not telling him to bail on his plan. He should find the evidence to clear his name, but don’t use it to take the kids away from their mom for their sake.

Jacinda tells Willow that she would never use Wiley. He’s a great kid and she likes him. And guess what? He likes her too. She’s sorry that bothers Willow, but she’s not going anywhere. Willow says, but she is, because she’s Wiley’s mother, and Jacinda says, and Michael is his father. Whether Willow approves or not, she and Michael are together and that means she’s in the kids’ lives. Willow says, even Jacinda must see that it’s completely inappropriate for Michael to allow their children to spend time with a hooker. She’s a danger to them. Jacinda says she’s a danger to them? Which one of them shot a man in the back twice and left him for dead? Willow says she was acquitted, remember? Everyone knows it was Michael who shot Drew, except Jacinda apparently. Jacinda says, God, you really are a piece of work, but Willow says, Jacinda doesn’t know anything about her. Jacinda says she’s known dozens of Willows throughout her life, starting when she was in middle school. Judgmental, self-righteous, desperate. And now she’s desperately trying to pin her crime on a good, generous man like Michael. It’s pathetic. And Willow cheating on him with a creep like Drew? Beyond pathetic. Willow says, Michael cheated too. Everyone conveniently forgets that, even though his indiscretion resulted in the birth of a child. Jacinda says, Willow is still the one who was dumb enough to throw Michael away, and Willow says, that is not… Jacinda says, but the fact that she did gives him the right to move on however, whenever, and with whoever he pleases. She really blew it and now she’s desperately trying to find someone to take the blame. Not just for the shooting, but for her whole life. But the reality is, if she doesn’t like the way her life has turned out, she only has herself to blame.

Valentin says, it makes sense that Jack has something on Willow. That’s the way he operates. Nina says, all she can tell him is that Jack has the power to completely destroy Willow’s life, and he says he’s sorry to hear that, but at least now he knows what he’s up against. She says, listen. That bastard has her in an impossible position. She loves Charlotte – he knows that – as if she were her own. And Willow. She fought so hard to have a relationship with her. Yes, she’s made a lot of mistakes, but they’re finally at a decent place. He has no idea what that means to her. He says, but he does. He remembers all too well how much she wanted to be a mother. And he’s happy for her. She says, he’s not angry with her, and he says he doesn’t blame her. He blames Jack. She says she does have a way of keeping Jack in check for a while, but she doesn’t know how long it’s going to work, because he’s obsessed with finding Valentin, which means he could change his mind and go after Willow and Charlotte at any time. He says, then she needs to give Jack exactly what he wants.

Boyle says he doesn’t know if he’s still drunk or Laura is just a very persuasive person, but he’s in. Let’s do it. He’s going to do everything he can to find out everything he can about Sidwell’s flight plan. He starts to leave, but Laura says, wait a second. If he takes this risk, there’s going to be more pressure on him, not less. Is he sure he can handle that? He says he’s going to do the very best he can to be the type of man who doesn’t unravel and get everything they need. She says, yeah, but when things get tough, is there someone he can lean on? He says he’s good on his own and opens the door, but she tells him, wait. The next time he feels the walls closing in on him, instead of taking a drink, call her instead. Okay? He says, deal, and they fist bump. She says, deal, and he leaves.

Looking at her phone, Kristina says, yeah, someone’s going to call her brother a homicidal maniac and she’s not going to respond? There’s a knock at the door, Kristina opens it, and says, Ethan. He says, this is definitely his lucky day. Hello, Kristina.

Sitting down to eat, Carly says, Lucas must think she’s a mess, and he says, all right. What else is new? Kidding. She’s not a mess. She has a really tough choice to make. He thinks she needs to make it sooner rather than later, but he will support her whatever she chooses. She thanks him and tells him that she wishes she would have said that to him about Marco. She’s really sorry it took her so long to come around. He says, she had a good reason to be concerned, but ultimately, Marco was a good man and they truly did love each other. She says, they had something special, and he says they did. Which is why he owes it to Marco to stay at Windymere. She says, look, they need to talk about it, and he says he supports and accepts her deeply complicated choice. So he hopes she’ll do the same for him. She says, look how he boxed her in. Well played, brother. He says he learned from the best, and they clink wine glasses.

Nina says she’s sorry. Valentin wants her to give him up to Jack? He says, not exactly. He wants her to feed Jack information on him, but only information he wants Jack to have. She says, he’s setting Jack up, and he asks if that’s a problem. She says, God no. It’s just that if Jack finds out she’s double crossing him, he’s going to take it out on Willow, and that’s exactly what she’s trying to avoid. He says, it sounds like that’s what he’s going to do anyway. At least in this scenario, she doesn’t have to face Jack alone. She has him. She knows he’s her best chance to bring Jack down for good. He’s not going to force her. The choice is hers.

Willow says she doesn’t care that Jacinda and Michael are together. His penchant for women like her, not her problem. But Jacinda being around her kids is her problem and it’s never going to happen again. Jacinda says, not her call, and Willow says, oh, but it is. Michael thought he had the right to cut her off from her kids because of her relationship with Drew. Jacinda says, well, yeah. Drew is a horror show. From what she’s been told, he was unfit to be around them. Willow says, so is Jacinda. She has a record. She takes money for sex. Who knows what Jacinda might expose her kids to. Jacinda says, kindness? Fun? Sanity? Willow says, this situation has gone on long enough. It ends now. If Jacinda so much as tries getting near her kids, there will be hell to pay. Michael walks in.

On Monday, Willow tells Michael, keep that away from her children, or he’ll regret it; Lucas tells Carly that they need to take action and Nina can help; Kristina says, Ethan wants a job with her dad; and Sonny says he has a better idea.

🧼 All the Soap News Fit To Print…

Yep. This is probably what’s going to happen. However, what I’d like to see is Cassius deciding his life is better as Nathan and helping take Cullum and Sidwell down.

https://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/general-hospital-exclusive-alexa-havins-wants-lulu-to-clock-everything-about-nathans-impostor/

Old news now, but I figured they lingered too long on that wine glass.

https://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/did-general-hospital-just-reveal-that-brook-lynn-drove-jordan-off-the-road/

Geez, it’s not like he’s leaving forever.

https://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/general-hospital-exclusive-maurice-benard-opens-up-about-emotional-final-scenes-with-steve-burton/

Woot!

https://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/cbs-renews-beyond-the-gates-for-two-more-seasons/

💉 A Dose Of Reality…

Below Deck Down Under

A fire guy did a show on the beach and whoever wanted to took a turn at swishing gas in their mouth then blowing fire. Not something I’d get in line for, but Daisy was game. Alesia told Daisy that João liked her, not Ellie, and Daisy said that Ellie would stab her in her sleep. Daisy probably shouldn’t worry about Ellie, since she made a grave error in mistaking a container of dish washing liquid for olive oil and put it in the guests’ eggs. In her defense, it’s a really stupid move to use the same type of container – it was like an old-fashioned squeezable mustard/ketchup bottle, which doesn’t seem superyacht style to begin with. Primary Tyler said he’d spent $12,500 to bring his makeup artist on board and wanted it kept secret, but Mike spilled the beans about the one-person glam squad. To make it worse, he lied to Tyler about it when questioned. João decided to come clean about his non-feelings for Ellie, and after floundering around, he used a lot of words to say, let’s just be friends. In Ellie’s interview, she said she was confused, but thought they were on the same page. Delusional, wishful thinking. She’s like a Cathy cartoon personified, having relationships with people who don’t know they’re having a relationship.

Summer House

Ben has slowly revealed himself to be an a-hole. His girlfriend was coming for a visit, and he kept harping on how Amanda said he was in love with her, which I’d taken as a joke. In her interview, Amanda said, funny how Ben’s girlfriend suddenly materialized when he’d never mentioned her. Truth! All Kyle wanted to do was focus on his relationship with Amanda and having fun for the last two weeks of summer. Summer should be fun! This week’s party excuse theme was Ben’s Last Ride, so there was a lot of cowboy attire. At the party, West hit on a random girl while he was sitting next to Ciara, and Ben flashed back to West saying he regretted not sharing his feelings for her. In Ciara’s interview, she said she’d never sit next to him and make out. She wasn’t shouting from the rooftop to get him to notice her. This boggles my mind, since she’s like a 12 out of 10 and he’s maybe a 2. Maybe I set the bar too high, but I never get what these women see in these losers.

Cowards.

Southern Hospitality

Leva encouraged Lake on her Paint & Sip events, and it reminded me how much I love that she encourages her employees, even in their side hustles. Speaking of, during the second Sunday of the month, there’s a street fair type thing on King Street, and Sir Weiners was on board. Unfortunately, there was a thunderstorm, and we learned hot dogs do not sell well during one. Maddi was already concerned about the level of Joe’s drinking, when Leva talked to her about Joe’s general irresponsibility. Another situationship where I don’t see it as far as the dude is concerned. She can do so much better.

The Valley

Jasmine is beyond annoying and overtalks everyone. It’s getting to the point where her voice is like nails on a blackboard to me. Brandon announced that Brittany was now his girlfriend, and Zack had a lot to say about it, none of it good. There was a whole whoop-de-do about Brandon repeating comments that had been said in the car about some of the friends, which Brittany agreed was uncool. There girls had a night out, which was more than welcome to Kristen, who needed an after-baby reset. They took a party bus to a Y2K bar and it looked like a good time. I especially enjoyed the fuzzy pink hat they passed around.

Real Housewives Of Rhode Island

I’m already seeing my prediction come true. I’m spending most of the show trying to tell the women apart. Alicia gave Kelsey a tour of her impressive Rainbow High and American Girl doll collection that she keeps in the living room. Wow. I don’t keep my Barbie collection in my living room. She said they were only to be played with gently by her daughter, and I translated that to mean she helicopter mommed the dolls if they were removed from their spots. In Alicia’s interview, she said she and the man she lives with weren’t married, but she lived the life of a stay-at-home wife and mother. It was a case of be careful what you wish for. She hated asking him for money – red flag – and she didn’t even share ownership of the house – all the other red flags put together. If I actually cared, I’d worry for this woman. She needs to get her own money and/or name on some property yesterday. Liz – the one who looks most like Delores – had a Studio 54 party, and I wondered if this was a thing now since Rachel (RHOBH) just had one. No surprise, there was a big fight that culminated with Liz kicking Kelsey out. It didn’t take these women long to sink to the usual Housewives low.

I was wondering where these went.

Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills

Sutton and Erika talked about not going to Dorit’s book cover reveal, and Erika told Sutton about the gelato incident, along with some of Dorit’s other unacceptable behaviors. In Erika’s interview, she said she wasn’t going to be treated like this, and Sutton said Dorit was going to be mad. And indeed she was. Erika said that Dorit had fought with nearly everyone lately, and in Kyle’s interview, she said if there were a-holes all around you, maybe the a-hole was you. (I’m paraphrasing.) Dorit blew off her nasty comments to Sutton as joking and said Sutton had been oversensitive. Sutton ended up walking out, giving us a wonderful view of the beautiful bow on the back of her dress. Next time, the Reunion, which I have to admit I’m kind of looking forward to. Mostly because I’m hoping Dorit will get her comeuppance, even though she’ll never admit to being wrong.

Ladies Of London: The New Reign

There was a trip to Longleat, which is beyond fabulous, and only enforced my love of this show. Along with the grounds containing gardens, topiary, and mazes, there was an attached safari park (open to the public) with all kinds of animals, much to Martha’s delight. They even took a boat ride and fed sea lions. The guest cottages were absolutely gorgeous, and probably bigger than you’d think the word cottage defined. Magnificent wine/fruit/cheese spreads were put out in each one, along with gift bags. There was a incredible tea service, where Margot made a complete faux pas in grabbing some tea cakes before they even sat down to be served. Even I know that’s bad manners, but perhaps she suffers from hypoglycemia, in which case, by all means eat whatever’s available. Sadly, the day ended with Margo wanting to talk to Mark about his snarky comments toward her, and Mark making a mad dash out of the party because he couldn’t deal with her request. Kimi followed, cursing Margot out, but unlike Shannon (RHOC) leaving behind her grilled cheese, she did take her wine. Mark Francis is the sort of guy I wouldn’t mind visiting once or twice a year, but he wouldn’t be my choice for a gay best friend. It’s not that I don’t get his sense of humor. It’s that he’s more nasty than funny and best taken in small doses.

Random Reality Items

Why not? He can’t be worse than anybody else there… I think.

This looks intriguing. Premieres May 12^th.

They’ve made it a whole six months – kudos!

And this week’s Darwin Award goes to…

👀 Last Weekend’s Watch…

Malcolm in the Middle: Life is Still Unfair. Hulu. I loved the original sitcom and this did not disappoint. What was most amazing was how they got the original cast back. In this four-part limited series, Malcolm’s parents are having a 40^th anniversary party and trying to get all the kids back home for it. Silly and sweet, it was especially fun to watch Hal (Brian Cranston) fancy himself as a handyman and fail miserably at it, as well as his displays of affection for wife Lois (Jane Kaczmarek).

https://mashable.com/article/malcolm-in-the-middle-lifes-still-unfair-review

https://www.buzzfeed.com/abbyzinman/malcolm-in-the-middle-then-vs-now

Ready or Not. Hulu.. Yes, I’m aware this isn’t new, but it didn’t come on my radar until I saw ads for the sequel. I was sorry I hadn’t watched it sooner, since I thoroughly enjoyed it, from the interesting cast to the spectacularly gory ending. A couple gets married at the lavish estate of the husband’s family, who made their fortune by the invention of games. The bride does notice a few off things, like some really odd family portraits, but brushes them off as eccentricities. As a night of game playing goes on, she finds out she has to participate in a game of Hide and Seek, where she’s hunted by the groom’s relatives for real and her goal is to stay alive until dawn. Then she gets ready to rumble. The similarities to Something Very Bad is Going to Happen weren’t lost on me, but I was okay with that. Deliberately campy, it’s not for the squeamish, but horror fans will have a great time. There was twist after twist and I honestly didn’t see the last one coming. I heard the sequel eclipses this one, so I’m here for it when it streams.

https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/ready-or-not-2019

House on Eden. Hulu.  – A group of vloggers set out to make a ghost hunt video and possibly solve the mystery of a missing woman. Found footage is one of my favorite sub-genres, and this wasn’t the worst, but it wasn’t the best either. It was a good job with what I assume was a small budget, but I kept expecting something more.

https://www.disappointmentmedia.com/reviews/house-on-eden-a-found-footage-fumble-that-barely-qualifies-as-film

Thrash. Netflix. – This is supposed to be Netflix’s answer to Sharknado. Where were the jokes? Where were the puns? Where were the cameos? Even the sharks got bored. My advice, watch Sharknado.

https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/thrash/

https://thetab.com/2026/04/17/netflixs-thrash-branded-rip-off-of-much-better-film-and-the-similarities-are-staggering

🔮 Watch Of the Future…

It’s coming, but I wouldn’t want to hang that long.

https://ew.com/aegons-conquest-game-of-thrones-movie-confirmed-8743760

🫏 Adventures In Animaling…

🐕 I had a Golden once. Doubtful he could have sat still long enough to get this picture.

https://people.com/bride-pet-dog-adorably-participates-in-wedding-dress-reveal-alongside-bridesmaids-exclusive-11949695

🐶 Doubtful too that he could have paid for anybody’s wedding. Hell, he didn’t even help pay for dog food. (Not that I loved him any less for it.)

https://people.com/couples-breadwinner-dog-is-helping-pay-for-their-usd67-000-wedding-11945494

🦜 He didn’t make the cut for the Artemis II Mission.  

https://people.com/parrots-underwater-submarine-expedition-goes-viral-11948668

🐾 Good thing they don’t work at an animal shelter.

https://people.com/stars-who-adopted-animals-they-met-at-work-11948956

🍿 Quotes of the Week

Someday is not a day of the week. – Janet Dailey

The road to success and the road to failure are almost exactly the same. – Colin R. Davis

Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not his own facts. – Daniel Patrick Moynihan

Just because you’re are paranoid does not mean they are not out to get you. – Henry Kissinger

Your most important work is always ahead of you, never behind you. – Stephen Covey

Quitting can be a hard choice to make, but often it’s a brave one, as well. – Susan David

The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity. –  Amelia Earhart

I’m an informer. It’s like being a whistleblower, but mean. – Kelly (Vaughan Murra), Malcolm in the Middle: Life is Still Unfair

🌷 Unlocking the Flowers…

Until next time, stay safe; stay prioritizing self-care, especially during allergy season; and stay waiting and seeing how it plays out sometimes, rather than doing something.

Video > Ed Sheeran – Spring (2025) New Song