What I Watched Today

(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)

 

General Hospital

Olivia-J might look fantastic in orange, but I will never agree that it’s the new black. Griff walks into court, and she addresses him as Duke.

Nelle tells Michael that running into him is a coincidence; she needed a child-friendly restaurant. Michael asks who her new friend is, and she says Charlotte is her new job. She’s a nanny.

Laura is surprised at the outcome of the hearing. She asks Doc if he agrees with Andre, and Doc says she shouldn’t question Andre’s credentials, and actually, he does.

Lulu goes to the Crimson office. Dillon answers the door, and she asks for Nina, who’s gone for the day. She wants to tell Nina how she feels about Valentin’s lies. She’s not Charlotte’s mother; Lulu is. She doesn’t understand why the courts wouldn’t give Charlotte to her. Well, displaying this kind of temper for one thing.

Nina tells Valentin that the next time he decides to have it out with Anna, to give her a heads up. He says the cloak and dagger stuff is over.

Obrecht tells Anna that she doesn’t perform house calls, even for old friends. Anna says she needs answers. Obrecht asks about what, and Anna says who – Valentin Cassadine.

Olivia-J says Griff reminds her of his father. He says he’s been called to testify as to what a dangerous person she is. She says he could have done that by affidavit; he can’t stay away.

Obrecht tells Anna that she knows next to nothing about Valentin. She says they exchanged a few pleasantries at the wedding. Anna asks about Victor and Helena, but Obrecht says they’ve never been mentioned in her presence. She knows less than Anna does. Anna says there is someone close to her who knows – Faison. Omgomgomg! I’m freaking out. In my 50+ years of watching this show, he’s my all-time favorite character. He’s what GH is all about for me – the spy stuff. Back in the day, with Robert, and Anna, and Sean, and Tiffany, and the Wellington Dog. Omg.

Nora tells Valentin that she’s picking up the judge’s decree, and Lulu will be starting her visits. Valentin says he’s already arranged something even before he got the document. Nora says it looks good to be magnanimous. The court will want them to follow the order, but also make decisions based on Charlotte’s best interest, even if it’s uncomfortable for them. Knowing Lulu will ultimately be to Charlotte’s benefit.To Valentin’s too, if she doesn’t stop acting like an idiot.

Dillon tells Lulu to take a breath; she’s about to talk herself into doing something crazy. He says it’s good Nina isn’t there. Lulu tells him about Andre’s evaluation. Dillon agrees that taking Charlotte away from Valentin would traumatize her, but Lulu says she’s been brainwashed into living with a murderer. Dillon gets the impression that Lulu isn’t allowed to see Charlotte at all, and she explains she has supervised visitation, with a reevaluation in six months. Dillon says it sounds like a win, when she’s making it out to be a total disaster.

Doc tells Laura that taking Charlotte away from the only parent she’s known will do more damage. Andre evaluated her and she’s happy. Laura says that’s because she doesn’t know any better. Doc says they have to want her to be whole and happy, more than they want her to be theirs. Laura asks if he’s saying she should be patient, and trust the courts and Lulu’s ability. Doc says that’s the advice she gave Lulu, but Laura is afraid it’s not enough. Valentin will rig the system against her unless someone gets ahead of him. Doc supposes that someone is Laura.

Nelle tells Michael that it’s not her dream job, but she’s going to be living in, so she can save money toward her goal of getting a teaching degree. Michael says he thought she’d want to get away from the mess. She says the mess she made, and asks if he’s telling her to go.

Valentin tells Nora that he tried to get along with Lulu for Charlotte’s sake, but Lulu doesn’t want to get along with him. Nina is afraid that Lulu will influence Charlotte against Valentin, but Nora says that’s why the visits are supervised. Valentin says Lulu is erratic, and Nora says that’s what people say about him.  She tells him not to give them anything to talk about. Nina tells her that Laura and Lulu are going to dredge up secrets from the past. Nora asks what they’ll find.

Laura tells Doc that she’s trying to protect Charlotte from the man who killed her son. Doc says the problem is how she’s doing it, and that sometimes the best laid plans come back to bite you. He tells her not to cut him out and let him help. He has to get to court, and she thanks him for caring.

Michael thought it might be easier for Nelle to start someplace new. She says not everyone knows what she did, so why not stay? She can’t make amends from somewhere else. She says hurting him wasn’t part of the plan, and if she doesn’t make things better, she wouldn’t feel right. He thinks she should focus on her new job, and the kindest thing is to leave them be. Nelle tells him that if he doesn’t want anything to do with her, she’ll leave him alone.

Obrecht isn’t happy, but Anna pleads with her, saying she’s desperate. She’s been on Valentin’s trail for months, used every contact, and come up with nothing. Obrecht says that Faison has freed himself from the shackles of obsession. He’s over her; beyond over. Why does she think he would know anything? Anna says Valentin was with the WSB and departed under strange circumstances. It wouldn’t be the first time an agent flipped, and she needs confirmation. Obrecht laughs, saying that Anna needs her. Anna says if anyone could get to Faison, it’s her. Obrecht says that she doesn’t know where he is, but hypothetically speaking, if she did, what’s in it for her?

Griff tells Olivia-J that his father is dead. Olivia says she sees his father in him, but not his mother. He asks what she knows about his mother.

Michael tells Nelle that Port Charles is big enough for the two of them, and she says a peaceful coexistence works for her. Charlotte bugs Nelle about the hot chocolate, and Nelle tells her to get them to go, introducing Michael as her friend. When Charlotte goes to the counter, Nelle thanks Michael for not involving Charlotte. She knows they’re not friends anymore. Laura walks in and makes a face like she smells something bad.

Dillon says anything less than full custody feels like set back to Lulu. Lulu says she wanted to bring Charlotte home. Dillon tells her that he doesn’t have personal experience, but he knows about Maxie’s experience. Lulu says she remembers, and it was the lowest she ever saw Maxie. Dillon says she wouldn’t listen for a long time, but when she followed the rules, things changed in her favor. Lulu says she’s not fighting a stubborn judge, but the man who killed her brother.

Valentin tells Nora that the judge can only rule on provable fact, and he has no prior convictions. She asks if he covered his tracks. He says that he wanted to make sure nothing ever touched Charlotte, and he did what he had to do, so let them dredge up the past. Nothing will stand between him and their future.

Obrecht tells Anna that it will cost. She wants Faison and their daughter, Britt, to be free to come out of hiding, and all charges dropped. Anna says she needs an act of God; she doesn’t have that power. Obrecht says if Anna can’t make it worth her while, she has nothing more to say. Anna asks if her family’s lives are worth the conversation.

Nora tells Griff to back off. Olivia-J is a sick woman. And her client. She’s very busy in Port Charles! Griff apologizes, saying he didn’t want to cause a problem, but Olivia said something confusing. Nora asks if he wants to cause Olivia more problem before her hearing. Another lawyer comes in, and Nora says Griff needs to stop bothering her client. The lawyer tells him not to talk to them. Nora tells Olivia to keep focused, and let her do the talking. Judge Sanchez takes the bench. He goes through the million charges, including 315 counts of attempted murder for the bomb at GH. Nora looks surprised. The judge says they’re here to assess Olivia’s fitness for trial.

Doc does an evaluation. He says that Olivia-J is lucid, but has no perception that murder is wrong because she has no moral code. Nora says they’re here to see if she’s fit to stand trial, not whether she has a moral code, and Doc says she’s been in psychiatric hospitals several times. The prosecutor says she has a history of faking it, and asks if Doc can say she’s not faking now. Doc says he can’t.

Griff is next. Nora talks about Olivia-J thinking he was Duke. He says she was trying to restore Duke’s soul using him as a vessel, and he played along. Nora says Duke was decades older; how could she not see it? He says she was acting strangely, and he was afraid for Anna. He hoped if he played along, it would buy more time. Nora asks if she’s called him Duke since then, and he says yes, when he came in to court.

Judge Sanchez says that Olivia-J definitely lacks the capacity to stand trial. He says she’ll be remanded to Darkum Asylum until her competency is established.

Afterward, Griff asks Doc if he’s dealt with this kind of thing before, and how long before she can stand trial? Doc says she may never see another day in court.

Obrecht accuses Anna of resorting to extortion by targeting her loved ones. Anna says she was talking about Valentin. She says Nathan can’t stand him, and thinks he tricked Nina into marriage. Valentin is a Cassadine, and lives in a web of secrets and lies. Nina is impulsive, and if they start fighting, Nathan might intervene. Obrecht says all the more reason for her to steer clear of Anna, and let her fight her own battles. Anna says Valentin might not be a problem today, but one day it will be different. Obrecht tells her that even if she agreed, it’s no guarantee Faison will help her. Anna says he might not help her, but he might help Obrecht. She has no reason to trust him, but she’s out of options. Obrecht thanks her for the tea.

Valentin wants to celebrate their victory. Nina asks if he wants to take the celebration home. Since Charlotte has a new nanny, they can have some privacy. She tells him about Nelle having worked for Carly, and how they’re not fans of Nelle’s.

Dillon tells Lulu that if she wants her daughter back, she has to play by the rules. Lulu doesn’t know how she became the bad guy in all of this. Dillon says she’s not a bad guy, but this makes it easier on Charlotte, and six months will go by before she knows it. Lulu whines that so will Charlotte’s childhood, and if she only gets one lousy visit a week, how can she build a relationship? He tells her she has no other choice. She says there are always other options, but Dillon says if they go wrong, six months can turn into forever. He asks if she wants to take that risk.

Laura calls Lulu to come to Kelly’s. Laura tells Nelle that she’s Charlotte’s grandmother. Nelle says she’s her new nanny, and hustles Charlotte out. Laura approaches Michael and asks for a word. Okay. Blue! Sorry, I had to. She noticed he was talking to Nelle, and explains that Charlotte is her granddaughter. Michael says sorry about the custody hearing not going in Lulu’s favor, but Laura wants to know about Nelle.

Nina tells Valentin that Nelle was sweet with Charlotte, but she thinks the reason she hired Nelle was because she lost her temper with Bobbie. Bobbie told her that Lulu wouldn’t approve, but why should she have control over who they hire? Nelle and Charlotte return. Nina takes Charlotte to go do something, so that Valentin can interview Nelle. Nelle starts to explain why Carly let her go, and Valentin says he trusts Nina, and he’ll make sure she’s vetted properly. He can see she loves Charlotte, but if anything should happen to her under Nelle’s care, they’d never find her body. Nelle says she’ll keep that in mind.

Michael tells Laura that Nelle was Josslyn’s kidney donor. Carly had hired her, but she doesn’t work for Carly anymore. He says it’s best if she asks Carly about it. He tells her for what it’s worth, Nelle does have a background in education and was great with Josslyn, so he doesn’t think she’d make a bad nanny. He’s not comfortable saying anything else because they’re not friends anymore.

Nora explains the transport to Olivia-J. She wishes Olivia good luck. Olivia tells her to tell that old cowboy of hers that she said “hi,” and then acts like she doesn’t know what she said. Very cute nod to Tonja Walker having been on One Life to Live.

Griff comes by Anna’s place. He tells her that he came from the competency hearing (come to think of it, shouldn’t Anna have been there?), and Olivia-J was declared unfit to stand trial. He says that she’s been remanded to Darkum Asylum, and Anna says she’s finally got herself trapped. She tells Griff that Olivia has a history of conveniently timed mental health issues; she tries to work the system, but what she doesn’t realize is that Pentonville is a spa in comparison to Darkum. Griff doesn’t think she’s going away that easy. He tells Anna that she said something about his mother.

Lulu meets Laura. Laura says she had a run in with Charlotte and her new nanny, who she thinks might prove useful. I love how she said it was a “run in,” like it was the Jets and the Sharks.

Nelle brings Charlotte back to Nina’s office. Nina hopes she wasn’t intimidated by Valentin. She tells Nelle that he’s a teddy bear once you get to know him.

Nora gives Valentin the judge’s decree. Obrecht makes a call; we assume to Faison. She says you’ll never guess who needs help and why.

Griff tells Anna that he tried to get Olivia-J to clarify what she was saying, but the court was called to order. He says she’d looked at him as if seeing him for the first time, and said she didn’t see a trace of his mother in him. He asks if Olivia knew her, but Anna says she didn’t meet Duke until she came to Port Charles. He asks what about before that, and Anna says anything is possible, but she was probably just trying to get to him. Her best advice is to let it go. Olivia is out of their lives, and there are more pressing matters, like Valentin.

Valentin thanks Nora. He tells her as for the other matter, the money has been wired. She says she hopes everything was to his satisfaction, and that his associate won’t spend one day in prison, but Olivia-J won’t be seeing the light of day either.

Tomorrow, Tracy is shocked that Olivia-F turned down Ned’s proposal, Jordan admits she was wrong about Sonny, and Sonny tells baby Emily to call if she’s ever in trouble.

👷 Laughing when Dr. Tudball Nowzaradan, from My 600-lb Life, showed up at someone’s house, wearing a lab coat with a stethoscope draped around his neck.

🎶 Dammit! I miss Star already. I considered watching Empire, but if I’m going to do that, I want to see it from the beginning. This should be my biggest problem.