Monthly Archives: November 2017

November 16, 2017 – Carly Outs Ava, a Little LA Listing, a Random Thought & a Quote

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What I Watched Today

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

 

 

General Hospital

Maxie reads the test instructions. She’s late, like, late.

Nathan sees Nelle on the phone. For a moment, I think he’s going to approach her, but Amy runs in. She’s upset, and says, it’s Chet.

Ava gives Griff an old photo of herself, and says she’s still waiting for an answer. He has the necessary research and tools to finish what Klein started. She wants him to turn her back into the woman in the picture.

Josslyn brings Oscar home. She says her parents aren’t there. They’re working on proving their friend is the real Jason, because their other friend thinks he’s Jason. She tells him if wants to run away screaming, now’s his chance. He tells her that he doesn’t, and that he listened to the CD again. He thinks there’s something on it that might help. Carly comes in, and Josslyn says she thought they wouldn’t be home. Carly asks if that was the plan, to be alone.

At the MetroCourt, Jason tells Sonny that whatever happened to him has to be connected to what happened to Sam’s husband. Sonny says the only two possibilities he can think of are Faison and Obrecht. Jason doesn’t know who Obrecht is, and Sonny says she’s a wack-job who was in charge of GH at one point, and did whatever Faison wanted. She’s out of town, but he thinks she’s their best lead when she gets back. Jason asks what’s going on with Sonny, and he says the same old. It’s been a strange year. He was getting out of the business, and even put Pizzulo’s up for sale, but he changed his mind. Jason asks if he was serious about going legit. Sonny says he thought Perks was the answer. Jason asks him what Perks is, and Sonny tells him it’s a coffeehouse that Kristina wanted him to buy, but was really Morgan’s baby. The last time he saw Morgan revved up about it, he thought he’d end up with a franchise. Jason says the last time he saw Morgan, he was a kid. Sonny says, and now he’s gone.

Amy tells Nathan that Chet is gone. He asks if she tried calling, and she asks if he’s met her. Chet won’t pick up. Nathan tells her not to panic. There are a number of reasons he could have left. She says only one scares her; him using again.

Maxie drinks water so she can do the test.

Nelle looks at the contract, and says it looks decent. The gossip rag guy says as soon as they vet the entire story, she’ll get paid. She tells him she has the goods on Ask Man Landers, and he says when they verify it, she’ll get her payoff. She asks what if she needs the money now, and he says that’s the way it works.

Josslyn tells Carly that wasn’t the plan. She knew they weren’t home, but that’s not why she invited Oscar over. Carly says she’s just messing with her. Since Oscar is there, she wants to set up a time to meet his mother. He says she’s been crazy busy, and Carly asks if she’s working on Thanksgiving. She wants to have them over; they’re new in town and might not have plans. She asks Oscar to text his mother and copy her. She has to leave, and when she’s gone, Josslyn apologizes, saying that came out of nowhere and was uber pushy. Oscar says her mom’s heart is in right place. She’s so… mom. Josslyn asks if his mother knows they’re hanging out. Oscar says she does, but doesn’t know who Josslyn’s stepdad is.

Ava asks Griff why not take the chance to restore her? Griff says it’s dangerous and he deems it a risk. She says all he needs to do is finish, but he says it hasn’t been approved by the US, Russia, or anybody. If it’s done improperly, he could make worse. She’s willing to take the risk, saying it’s her face. Griff says it’s his career. It’s risky and could cause more damage. Ava says she’ll find another doctor who will do it, and he begs her not to open that Pandora’s box. She says if it was that bad, why would Jason bring it to her.

Jason hates that he wasn’t there for Sonny and Carly. Sonny says that’s why he should have known. Sam’s husband is a good guy, and understanding, but something was off. He didn’t take Morgan’s loss like Jason would have. They agree there’s nothing worse than losing a child. Sonny tells Jason that Morgan was bi-polar, and he feels guilty for passing it along. Jason says it’s not his fault. Sonny says it was hard, seeing him go through it, and there was nothing he could do, but be there for him. He doesn’t do helpless well. Morgan had started his meds, and was great; focused and ready to get on with life. Jason says it takes a lot of work, and Sonny says he did the work, and was ready, until that bitch took him away.

Ava tells Griff that Jason is grateful and wouldn’t harm her. Griff says he’s not a doctor, and he’s not doing her favor. She says it makes sense, and she understands that it’s risky or could make things worse, but can’t shake the idea of being herself again. Griff tells her that she’s beautiful the way she is. She says a lot of people would disagree, and he says he’s not a lot of people. He asks if they can table this, since he’s starving. He suggests the MetroCourt; he wants to show off his dinner date. Ava says he’s on.

Jason tells Sonny that Carly mentioned something, but said they’d talk later. Sonny says she’s right; they should focus on the positive. He tells Jason before Morgan was taken, he was the best version of himself, and that’s what matters. Jason says he’s there when Sonny is ready to talk. Carly walks in, and asks if it would be embarrassing if she burst into tears. Both Sonny and Jason say, yes. She says it’s everything she wished for, but never thought she’d get.

Nathan asks when was the last time Amy saw Chet, and she tells him before occupational therapy. She realizes they can’t report him missing yet, but Nathan says he can do something unofficial. She’s going to check around to find out who was the last person to see him. Nathan says he’s supposed to be the detective.

Maxie asks what’s three minutes? A commercial break, a song, the time it takes to boil a tea kettle. She can totally wait three minutes. She thinks she should do something productive, and decides to do stretches while she watches the timer. When the three minutes are up, she looks at the stick and says, baby or no baby? There’s a knock at the door, and she hides the test, but not very well. It’s Chet.

Nelle says she’s out of there, and gossip guy asks if the scoop is that big. She says it’s huge, and he says they can give her three quarters up front. She wants complete anonymity, and he agrees. She tells him to add it to the contract, and I call her a bitch in my head. I wanted to like her too, but this is too much. She tells him that she used to work at Crimson, where Mrs. Man Landers works. She overheard them talking, and they were worried someone would find out what they’ve been hiding. Ask Man Landers is a fraud, and his sister and wife know.

Chet says someone put Ask Man Landers’s address on Twitter, and he needs to tell him about his sister. Maxie says if he needs Man Landers to play matchmaker, he’s happily married – to her. He says no, Man Landers knows his sister; it’s Amy. Maxie realizes it’s Chet, and says sorry; it’s been so long, she didn’t recognize him. He asks if they know each other, and she says she went to PC High when he was the football champion. He says it’s been a long time since high school. She tells him that she was a cheerleader, and he says thanks for that. She guesses she wasn’t as much of legend as he was, but he says he’s not a legend anymore. She says it depends on who you ask, and then wonders why he’s not at the hospital.

On the phone, Nathan says he knows it’s not policy, but it’s for friend. Amy comes back, saying Chet never went to occupational therapy. Deanna had seen him dressed about an hour ago, but knew he was being discharged, and had no reason to think anything was wrong. Nathan says an hour isn’t that long, but Amy says long enough to find a dealer; he knows Port Charles. Nathan says so do they, and they’ll use it to their advantage.

Josslyn says Sonny can be intimidating, and for good reason, but she knows how awkward the conversation can be; she’s had it with everyone. They all give her the same look, a cross between interest, terror, and pity. Oscar looks at his phone. His mother has accepted the invitation. Josslyn says it will be fun, and they can make it work. She’ll ask Sonny to demob the place. Oscar says maybe it’s best they meet. His mom will see what nice people they are, and what a great family. Josslyn says, bring on Thanksgiving.

Carly tells Sonny about inviting Oscar and his mom to Thanksgiving. She says they haven’t met, and they’re relatively new in town. Sonny thinks she’s trying to control the situation, but she says just the opposite. They need to get to know each other, but maybe they could cut back on security. Sonny thinks Max and Milo might like to spend Thanksgiving with their significant others. Sonny steps away, and Carly asks Jason, what if Oscar’s mom meets him, and decides to leave the state? Jason says that’s a little extreme. They’re great people, and care about their kids. Carly thinks it’s wonderful to be able to talk, and not be judged. She says she probably sounds stupid, but Jason says she sounds like a mom who cares. She leaves to get a drink, and Griff and Ava walk in.

Jason goes over to say hello. Griff says it’s good to see him on US soil. Jason thanks him for his help at the church, and insists on giving him the money back; he likes to pay his debts. Griff says he’ll put it in the donation dish. Jason asks if Ava got what he left for her. It was all he could think of to pay her back. Carly suddenly appears, asking why he’s talking to Ava. Jason says she helped him escape, and Carly says she’s also the reason Morgan is dead.

Chet tells Maxie he got an honorable discharge from the hospital. She asks what he needs Nathan for, and he says it’s personal. She tells him that she’s Nathan’s wife, so she’ll find out anyway. He’s with Chet’s sister, who’s worried sick about him. Chet says that’s just it. He doesn’t want her wasting time on him, and wants her to move on and be happy. He doesn’t want to be in Amy’s orbit. Maxie says he might have been a hero on the football field and in the battlefield, but he’s a coward when it comes to his sister.

Amy tells Nathan that Chet has no money, but he has credit cards. He hates taking the bus, and they agree he probably took a cab. She says that GH keeps recommended cab companies (like Port Charles must have so many) in the lobby. Nathan says that might help narrow it down. She thanks him, saying he’s one of the good ones.

Nelle tells gossip guy that Man Landers is really a nurse at GH, Amy Driscoll. She shows him some things she printed out, saying she checked account after account, and there’s strangeness all around Ask Man Landers, and they were accused of having an affair. They talk about the book launch, and she says none of the men were writing the column. Amy was.

Joslyn asks what it was Oscar noticed, and he says the water theme kept coming in and out of the songs. Josslyn compares it to the tides, and says it could be the San Diego thing; they’re all about the ocean. Oscar says, and the naval base; it’s one of the largest in the US. She asks if he thinks his dad was in the Navy, and he says it’s possible. They kick around the idea of him being deployed, and that’s why he said goodbye. Josslyn reminds Oscar that the Iraq war was in 2003. It would make perfect sense. Oscar says it might also explain why he didn’t come home, and why his mom doesn’t talk about him. What if he was killed in action?

Griff tells Carly this isn’t the time or place. Ava nearly died helping Jason. Doesn’t that count for anything? She says it can never erase her killing Morgan. She tells Jason what happened with Ava switching Morgan’s pills for placebos. He asks why, and Ava says he wasn’t supposed to die. She cared about him, but his mental illness wasn’t healthy for her daughter. She just wanted to get him away. She’d thought he’d go to the hospital. Carly says that’s bad enough, and Ava says she thought they’d pay attention. If his parents had done what they were supposed as parents, he’d still be alive. Jason tells her to stop, and says Morgan was his godson. He owed her, and he’s repaid the debt. They’re done. He goes back to the table, and Ava says it must be Carly’s best day ever. Now she has two men to fight her battles. Carly says she does her own fighting. Ava says nothing can stop her now, and Carly says not even her.

Chet tells Maxie that he’s trying to do right thing. She says, leaving his sister in shreds? She adores him, and lives her life for him. He says things are different now. Maxie says she gets it. Life dealt him a crappy hand, but Amy is doing everything she can make life better, even calling in favors. Nathan thought he was fighting the good fight, even if it was risky. He doesn’t know what she’s talking about, and she tells him to open his eyes. The VA isn’t paying his bills – Amy is. That’s how selfless and devoted she is.

Nelle tells gossip guy that she unearthed the old Ask Man Landers blogs, and no photo was used until the book deal. Gossip guy says Amy needed a man to front, as all women do. Nelle gives a look, but I’m surprised she doesn’t say something. She tells him there’s a connection between Amy and Nathan; Amy went to high school with his wife, who worked for Nina. Gossip guy says it’s all in the family, and that Maxie is a co-conspirator.

Oscar says he looked into the Navy records, but he didn’t know what he was looking for. He found a Naval pilot that was wounded and sent home. His name was Oscar O’Brien, and he was from Iowa. Josslyn is already on her phone, and tells Oscar that he’s on MyFace. <snort> She shows Oscar his page, and Oscar says he looks a lot like him. Josslyn says he looks exactly like him, and this could be his father.

Sonny tells Jason he wanted to say something, but didn’t want to revisit the pain. Avery is the only reason Ava is still breathing.

Ava understands Carly grieving and hating her, but she’s far from perfect. She’s lied, cheated, and done more than her fair share of damage. Carly says she didn’t rob a young man of his sanity and life. Ava says she didn’t kill him, and tells Carly to get down from her pedestal. Carly says she doesn’t want to be like Ava. Ava is scarred for life, and she can’t think of a more fitting punishment. She tells Griff that one day he’ll really look at her; scarred on the outside, and horrible and vile on the inside. He’ll move on to someone more becoming and younger. It won’t bring her son back, but it’s nice to know.

Sonny says he’s sorry; he shouldn’t have put Jason on the spot, but he hates her. Jason says he’s glad he knows, and Sonny says they have a lot of catching up. Jason thinks he’s done for the night. Carly says he must have so many questions, but Jason says they have time, and he needs to clear his head. Carly says she loves him, and he says he loves her too. He leaves, and Sonny looks at his phone.

Gossip guy tells Nelle that she’ll get the rest if the story pans out. She says it will. He says not only will it tank Ask Man Landers, but Crimson. Nelle says it’s not her fault the company’s integrity went down because of Nina and Maxie’s lies. So be it. Gossip guy likes it.

Chet asks Maxie how Amy got the money. Maxie says she wrote a blog, and the public loved it. She did the work, but got none of the glory. He asks if he’s heard of it, and she tells him it’s practically a household name. His sister is Ask Man Landers. Amy and Nathan walk in as she’s telling him.

Oscar is worried that his father might not want to hear from him. Josslyn says for all they know, he has no clue Oscar exists. It can’t hurt to reach out. Oscar wonders what if he’s disappointed to have a son like him, and Josslyn tells him that he’s an awesome guy, He’d be proud. Oscar wants to meet him, but is afraid. Josslyn says if he wants to call it off, she’s with him, but he says no. He wants to find his father. Josslyn says okay; then they will. He says it feels good to have someone on his side. They kiss. It’s about time.

Sonny looks at his phone, and tells Carly it’s all good.

Griff tells Ava not to let Carly ruin this for them, but she says, too late.

Carly wonders if Jason went to the footbridge. Sonny’s guesses he did. Carly says he looked lost, and wishes there was something they could do to help him. Sonny says maybe there is.

At the footbridge, Jason sees someone he recognizes.

Tomorrow, Amy admits being Ask Man Landers to Chet, Nina asks Sam what she’s afraid of, and Ava asks Franco what he’s going to do with two Jason Morgans. I’m wondering if, and hoping that Faison and Obrecht are returning. Faison is like Helena. He will never, ever die.

🏯 While I don’t normally blog abut Million Dollar Listing Los Angeles, I watch it when I can, because I love looking at real estate I would never be able to afford even if I lived three lifetimes. Occasionally, a standout moment happens, and I have to applaud how the brokers work. One of James and David’s clients was selling two fabulous side-by-side houses, one of which had a guest house that’s bigger than mine. Sadly, he was selling both because his wife was ill, and even rich people can have astronomical medical expenses. They suggested he sell the larger property first, thereby setting the price point for the smaller one. This sounded like a smart move to me, but because he was anxious, the seller chose to list both of them at the same time. This turned out to be a bad idea, as people were only interested in the smaller home, and the one offer they got wasn’t full asking price. The client let his emotions rule, and insisted David and James get him the price he wanted, or it was no deal.

Heather (who is now pregnant) and Madison also met, and it was all good. He gave her what I thought was a sincere apology for ending their friendship over her dating Josh Altman. Seems it worked out for Heather all around. The Altman Brothers were left off of a local list of open houses, and it seemed dicey at first. Since they did get some brokers and agents from other areas, they made the best of it, and as Josh said, all they need is one buyer. Josh Flagg didn’t have much luck either, until he adopted a more laid-back approach that was a better fit for the area he was selling in. Rest assured, all of the properties were jaw-droppingly fabulous.

🎭 It’s strange to see a soap star out of context. It’s like seeing your doctor or therapist in line at Shoprite. One time I saw my favorite bartender – who looks like a young Kevin McCarthy – in Home Depot. He didn’t see me, and I couldn’t figure out where I knew this guy from, especially since he was wearing civilian clothes. (I figured it out later.) I got a weird feeling seeing Maurice Benard (Sonny, GH) in the Lifetime movie, A Lover Betrayed. He was playing a police lieutenant, and I just kept thinking, I can’t. Although it was better than seeing Brytni Sarpy (Valerie, GH) being a reenactor on an ID channel show, where I kept thinking, Valerie, why are you here?

💭 My Thoughts Exactly

Q: Do you like social media? What is your personal definition of good content?

A: I have a Twitter account someone else set up for me. I never check it. My personal definition of good content is staying off my phone and living life face to face, looking someone in the eyes, as I listen and respond. – from an interview with Andrea Martin

maurice_benard_lifetime_lover_betrayed

Sonny pretending to be a good guy

November 15, 2017 – Valentin is Paying, Siggy’s Retreat, Brody is a Dog & the Queen’s Hair Rules

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

 

 

General Hospital

Maxie tells Nathan it’s not often they get a day off together, but he’s going to GH. Maxie wonders if Man Landers ever gets a day off, but he says Amy needs a friend. He leaves, and Lulu comes in with great news – she’s back. Maxie is excited that Lulu has brought her favorite pesto salad.

Nelle goes to see Laura about a job. She thought she was meeting with someone from HR, not the board. Laura says childcare is close to her heart, and she likes to have a personal hand in the daycare operation. She asks why Nelle left her last position.

Cassandra meets Nina at the MetroCourt. Nina has already ordered wine, and it’s her favorite. Cassandra says it must be fate. They don’t even know each other and already it’s like they’re old friends.  Nina tells her to cut the act. She knows Cassandra lied.

Alexis asks Valentin what his connection is to his friend Olivia-J. He says she’s no friend of his, and Alexis says he probably doesn’t have any friends, only co-conspirators. He says maybe that’s fair. She tells him that Julian was scapegoated, but he asks if Julian wasn’t an accomplice to several crimes. One could say he’s getting what he deserved. Alexis wonders where Valentin would be if they all got what they deserved. He tells her he’s not as sinister as she thinks, but she thinks sinister doesn’t even begin to describe what he is. She says their father in hell must be beaming with pride over him. He insists he has no relationship with Olivia, and Alexis asks who paid her legal fees. Or is he going to pretend he doesn’t know Nora either?

At the prison, Scotty tells Julian he was working on a case, but ran right over when Julian called. Julian says Scotty went against his wishes by telling Alexis what happened. If they didn’t have glass between them, he would reach over and wring Scotty’s neck.

Lulu has a confession, and Maxie asks if the pesto is from jar. Lulu says don’t insult her. She tells Maxie that she followed her heart about being an investigative reporter, and already submitted an article to Port Charles Parents. She didn’t want to jinx it by saying anything earlier. She says she was upset by the quality of the food at Charlotte and Rocco’s school, and did some probing. She thinks she has a knack for turning a little story into something big, and wants Maxie to take a look at it. Maxie frowns as she reads, and suddenly runs from the table.

Nelle tells Laura that she loves taking care of kids, helping them, and watching them learn. She was trained in childcare and education, and thinks she’s at her best when taking care of children. Laura agrees she was wonderful with Charlotte, but she can’t help wondering why she would have taken a job with Nina. Nelle says Valentin had some legal troubles, and no longer needed a nanny. Nina offered her a position while she was looking for work, and no one had showed that kind of faith in her before. Laura mentions Carly, and Nelle says that she was angry with Carly for reasons that turned out not to be true, and deeply regrets what happened. She took the job with Nina because she wanted the opportunity to prove she was up to the challenge, both for Nina and herself. Laura wonders why she would leave the glamour to go back to nap time, runny noses, and skinned knees?

Cassandra asks what Nina is talking about. Nina says she knows her name isn’t Cassy White, it’s Cassandra Pierce. She also knows Cassandra had a relationship with her husband at one time, adding that she and Valentin don’t keep secrets. Cassandra asks what else he told her, and Nina says they were involved, but not seriously; at least not serious to Valentin. Cassandra says she can explain, but Nina interrupts, saying she knows what Cassandra was doing, and to be honest, she doesn’t like her.

Valentin tells Alexis that Nora was his counsel in family court, and the reason he got custody. Alexis says until he was arrested for espionage. Valentin tells her that he and Lulu came to an agreement because they acted like grown-ups; she should look into that. Alexis asks if it’s an amazing coincidence that the same day he was awarded custody, Nora represented Olivia-J in her competency hearing. He says she’s an out-of-state attorney, and it makes sense. Alexis calls it collusion.

Scotty tells Julian that he’s not apologizing for sending a flare up to Alexis. Julian wants him to keep her out of this, and Scotty says his job isn’t to keep her out, but get Julian out. Julian says some guys have a grudge against him, others don’t care, and some just want to see blood fly. Scotty says it’s prison; what did he think? It isn’t prayer circles and yoga classes; these are hard core criminals. Julian needs to keep his head down until Scotty can get him out.

Alexis says it’s obvious he and Olivia-J share a common enemy – Anna. Valentin says they’ve reached a détente, and they’re good. He loves her carpet-bombing him, but doesn’t have the time. She says it is just a theory, but she might be compelled to share it with someone who has influence and resources, and blames Olivia for the death of their child. Valentin says she must mean Sonny. Alexis says if he knew, he might feel the need to dig until he digs Valentin’s grave. Valentin says that’s colorful, but what is it she wants? She needs to talk to Olivia, but can’t get access to her because of Nora. She wonders what the odds are of them sharing an out-of-state attorney, and she bets Sonny knows. Valentin says she wants Olivia to exonerate Julian, and if Valentin doesn’t help, she’ll tell Sonny. He says she has no proof, but a grieving father will listen on her say-so. She must really want him free. She tells him to talk to Nora or she’ll talk to Sonny.

Julian tells Scotty that the last thing he wants is Alexis being involved. Being involved with him almost cost her career and her life. He can’t afford any more damage. He says to keep her out of it. Scotty says he might have married her, but she doesn’t take orders from him. Why would she listen? He tells Julian the trouble is, he doesn’t have enough ammo for the appeal. He’s looked at it from every angle, and has nothing. If Julian has a silver bullet, he needs to use it now.

Nelle tells Laura that Nina has been good to her, and she doesn’t want to tell her that she’s looking for a job. Why, Nelle, why? This girl is never going to learn her lesson. Nelle says she was happier when she was watching Charlotte, and is convinced GH’s daycare is the right place for her.

Amy sees Nathan, and says Chet hasn’t been discharged yet, but he’s in occupational therapy if Nathan wants to talk to him. Nathan says that he came to bring some reading material. Amy tells him that if it’s not Sports Illustrated, he probably won’t be interested. Nathan says it’s for her. He’s brought the Man Landers book. He tells her that the presales are good, and Quinn thinks it will be a blockbuster. Amy says the only reason she did it was for Chet, and now he’s mad at her for even trying to help. Nathan suggest she read her own book. He has something marked on page six. Amy starts to read.

Lulu asks if Maxie thinks it was the salad, but she says she only had two bites. Lulu is afraid it was her article, but Maxie says she reads bad writing all the time without throwing up – not that the article is bad. Lulu says maybe it was the details about sour milk and moldy cheese. Maxie says she’s not helping, but it’s not her fault, and she runs to bathroom again. Lulu says omg, Maxie’s pregnant.

Maxie comes back, saying she’s not pregnant, just stressed out about her own article and photo shoot, and her husband having a dangerous job. On his day off, he went to see his needy nurse friend who has a family disaster. She realizes she sounds selfish, and Lulu says, a little bit. Maxie says add the article about spoiled lunch, and no wonder she’s sick. Lulu says she’s ignoring the obvious. She and Nathan have no doubt been making up for lost time. Maxie says she can’t be pregnant; they haven’t talked about it yet. Lulu tells her that’s not a required step. Maxie tells her that Nathan loves kids, and they’ve talked about someday, but not right now; the timing is wrong. Lulu says a funny thing about nature is, it doesn’t care. Maxie suggests a career in fortune cookies. Lulu tells her with all the money Nathan has made with the book, he could be an amazing stay-at-home dad. Maxie says that will never happen. He loves his job and she loves her life the way it is. The last thing they need is a complication.

Amy reads, is it possible to love someone too much? The writer’s husband is an addict, and she wants to know how to keep from losing him. Nathan tells her to read what Man Landers said. The surest way to lose him is to lose herself. Addiction isn’t just an individual’s problem, but involves the entire family. She needs to join a group to help her find strength and courage, and to realize that you can’t force someone to save themselves. They have to come to that on their own. It’s painful, but she’s not alone. Nathan says now comes the hard part, to take her own advice.

Laura tells Nelle she definitely has the right experience, and asks if she has any question. Nelle says the online job description was clear, and Laura says most people ask about the package. She’ll get medical and dental, and a 401K, but HR will go over it with her. She says the salary is every two weeks. Nelle seems disappointed that it’s not weekly, but says she’ll make it work; the kids are what matters. Laura says everything looks great on paper, and the rest should be a formality. Nelle asks to look at the daycare center.

Then, my good friend, George Stephanopoulos interrupts. Because nothing can ever wait until four o’clock. Heaving huge sigh. Once again, thank God for YouTube.

Nina says that when Cassandra tripped over Charlotte’s skates, she couldn’t have known who she and Charlotte were. Then when she found out, what was she going to say? She didn’t want to put Valentin on the spot. She tells Cassandra that she knows about their past, and also present, connection.

Maxie tells Lulu just because she threw up twice, doesn’t mean she’s pregnant, and says, take it back. Lulu says the sooner she knows, the better for prenatal. Maxie says she doesn’t need a lecture on babies from her. She apologizes, and Lulu says they have a complicated history with babies, but it’s in the past She thinks Georgie would love a little brother or sister. Maxie talks about the time she missed with Georgie, and Lulu says she missed years with Charlotte. Maxie starts thinking about the joys of motherhood, and says they have to stop this; she’s not pregnant. They make plans for a future lunch.

Julian tells Scotty that it’s his job to find reasons for the appeal. He’s not paying a retainer to himself. They have to prove something wrong with initial trial and judges don’t want to anger other judges. St. Jerome was patron saint of librarians and students, not knocked around convicts. Julian says he didn’t claim to be a saint, but Scotty says he’s acting like one, and they’ll need a miracle to get him out. Julian says he’ll stop acting like a saint when Scotty starts acting like a lawyer. He needs something to make the appeals court stand up and take notice right now he has nothing. Julian could spend the next fifteen years there if he doesn’t come up with something.

Nina tells Cassandra that Valentin told her that she’s getting treatment from Finn. Cassandra says she did. Nina hopes it’s nothing serious, but she wouldn’t have come all this way for a hangnail. Cassandra says it’s nothing contagious, and Finn is zeroing in definitive diagnosis. Nina says there’s no one better, and Cassandra says she’d be tempted to flirt with him if he wasn’t involved with Anna. Nina plays along, and says Anna went after Valentin. Cassandra can’t blame her. He has charm, wit and is infused with danger; does anything make a man more desirable? No. Oh, sorry, I thought I was part of the scene. Nina says that he can be dangerous, but so can she. She tells her to ask Ava what she’s capable of if someone goes after her man. She realizes what that sounded like. Cassandra says it sounded like a warning. Nina says that’s crazy. She would never do that; their relationship is in the past. Cassandra makes a hand gesture as if she’s waving it away.

Valentin visits Nora. She says a visit from two people from Port Charles in as many days. Sensing early frost. He tells her Alexis told him about speaking to her about Olivia-J. Nora says she’s heard Alexis is a formidable attorney, but made a rookie error thinking Olivia could make a statement exonerating Julian. Valentin says that’s exactly what he wants her to do.

On the phone, Laura thinks Nelle is an ideal candidate for the job. Lulu overhears and says to call them back. Laura hangs up, and Lulu says there’s a lot she doesn’t know about Nelle.

Amy says it won’t be easy, but she’ll try to take her own advice. Who knew she was prematurely wise? She’s lucky to have him as a friend, especially after she turned his life upside down getting him involve. He adds in something he didn’t think he wanted to get involved with. It turned out to be rewarding and long after Man Landers is gone, he’ll be her friend. He signs her copy of the book.

Laura asks to speak to Nelle. Nelle asks if she has more questions, and then sees Lulu is there. Laura says just one. Why did she lie about being fired from Crimson? Nelle thanks her for her time, and walks away. She sees Nathan signing Amy’s book.

Cassandra thanks Nina for being so enlightened and forgiving about her foolish subterfuge. Nina understands, and Cassandra says she was completely caught off-guard, finding out Valentin was her husband. Nina says everything is out in the open now, right? She thinks Cassandra is great, and thinks they have a lot in common. She doesn’t have many girlfriends in Port Charles, and would love for them to be friends. Cassandra says cool, but she has to go. They make plans for lunch. A lot of that going around. When Cassandra is gone, Nina says, keep your friends close

Scotty sees Alexis at the bar. He orders a drink and tells the bartender to put her fizzy water on his check. It’s his way of thanking her for seeing Julian and putting some sense into him. He says he’s not looking for trouble, but it’s finding him. Alexis wonders if it’s a slow-motion suicide, and Scotty says because of her, he’s seeing signs of life. He’s a better guy on the inside than he ever was on the outside.

Valentin tells Nora an innocent man is spending time in prison for crime he was forced to commit. Nora says Julian is far from innocent, and she’s not his attorney; she represents his sister. Valentin says, maybe, and maybe he can’t, in good conscience, pay Olivia-J’s legal bill, but if she makes a public statement exonerating Julian, he might change his mind. Nora says that’s blackmail, but Valentin says, no, it’s a choice. Olivia can exonerate Julian, or try her luck with a public defender. He tells Nora to present her with the options and get back to him.

Amy thanks Nathan. Nelle flashes back to hearing Maxie talk to Nathan about Amy writing the column, and Nathan says they would both be in trouble if that came out. At the time, we didn’t see Nelle listening. Nelle makes a call to a celebrity tip line, and asks how much they pay for a story. She says they should definitely meet. She has inside information on Ask Man Landers.

Laura thanks Lulu. Lulu tells her that Maxie didn’t know the details, but got a strong impression that Nelle did something underhanded to Nina, not professionally, but personally. She says it’s not hard to believe. She’s just one of those people looking for a weakness to exploit. Laura says they can’t have someone like that looking after the children. Lulu says speaking of children, she doesn’t want to jinx it, but a close friend might be pregnant.

Maxie comes home with a pregnancy test.

A guard has a message for Julian – watch his back tonight.

Scotty tells Alexis unless he finds grounds for an appeal – and he doesn’t know where – Julian could be spending the next fifteen years in prison. The way things are going, it doesn’t look like he’ll survive the next fifteen days. Alexis says they might be closer to the answer than he thinks.

Nora tells Valentin it never occurred to her to ask, but what connection does he have to Olivia-J? He says it doesn’t matter. The only question is if he’s going to continue to pay legal fees. He tells her to encourage her client to tell the truth. Nora says once this matter is settled, their business is concluded. Valentin says he doesn’t know about that, and leaves. Nora makes call, saying she needs to talk to Olivia.

Tomorrow, Maxie wonders baby or no baby, Ava begs Griff to finish what Klein started, and Nelle says she has the goods on Ask Man Landers.

The Real Housewives of New Jersey

Margaret and Joe #3 go wallpaper shopping. She wants something grand; he wants traditional and normal. He asks why they need fabulousity; he wants normalousity. She says it’s a statement room. She tells him about meeting with Dolores. She’s hoping she’ll go back and calm Siggy down. In her interview, she’d thought she and Siggy had mutual respect for each other and never thought she’d be so overreactive. They talk about her stepchildren, and he says they’re holding a grudge. In her interview, she gets weepy about missing a piece of their lives she can’t get back.

Dolores says the one time Teresa could have had her back, she didn’t, but it’s a friendship worth fighting for. They meet for lunch. Teresa wants to see where her head is at. Dolores tells her to lay it out. Teresa says Dolores’s vibe is that she’s not sticking up for her. In Florida, Siggy was saying crazy sh*t, and Danielle said Dolores told her that Teresa thinks money is more important than anything else. Dolores says, don’t trust her; something isn’t right. She suggests Danielle does drugs or is on medication for being crazy. Teresa says she does yoga and is into healing. Dolores says Teresa doesn’t have her back either. She joined in with the girls making fun of her relationship with Frank. Teresa says Dolores is in another relationship. Why would she let Frank move in? Dolores tells her twenty years ago, she didn’t want to put up with what Teresa did. Teresa asks if she’s trying to say Joe #1 cheated on her. I’d say that’s a yes.

Dolores gets quiet. In her interview, she says she’s never approached Teresa about her marriage, rumors, or lack of disrespect, and although Teresa attacked her relationship, she has to be diplomatic. Dolores tells Teresa that she never saw him cheating (interesting choice of words), and Teresa asks what she’s trying to say. Dolores says he was a lot of work, and she’d never stand by someone who got her in trouble. Teresa deserves all the respect in the world. Teresa says hopefully he’ll get his sh*t together when he gets home. She tells Dolores that if it was a choice between believing her or Danielle, she’d believe Dolores. They’ve known each other a long time. Dolores is glad they talked. What a sidestep.

Siggy makes some ice cream sundae thing, topped with what has to be an entire can of whipped cream. Dolores comes over. Siggy says she can’t fit into her jeans, and Dolores asks why she’s eating that. Siggy tells her that she’s stressing out. Michael wanted her to slow down, but she wants to take the next step in her career and do overnight retreats. She has to figure out how to juggle everything. Dolores says she can do it, but be realistic about it. Siggy has booked a retreat at Crystal Springs, and wants to test small group activities with her friends. She doesn’t want to include Margaret, but Dolores says she should.

Siggy calls Margaret, and tells her about the retreat, extending an invitation to her. Margaret appreciates it. After she hangs up, she tells Dolores they’ll see. She asks if she should invite Danielle, and Dolores says go ahead. It wouldn’t be fair not to ask her to give Danielle another chance, when she encouraged her to give Margaret one. She’s not going to hug her though.

Margaret and Melissa meet for lunch. Melissa feels like her kids have an agenda now, and are more work than when they were babies. Well, of course. I don’t even have kids and I know that. Her biggest problem is trying to separate Envy from the other boutiques. Margaret wants everyone to do well, and offers to help. She says the food was amazing at the tasting, but the behavior was another story. A grown woman stuck her tongue out at her, and tried to humiliate Melissa at her party. Melissa says she was invited to Siggy’s women’s empowerment event. Margaret says she got an invite, and wonders how she can go when she feels belittled by her. She’s crossing her fingers that Siggy doesn’t display her anger. Melissa says her biggest issue is that she cries or gets dramatic to deflect when she doesn’t like something. Margaret says Siggy is afraid she’ll steal her friends. She’s a friend thief. Melissa suggests she say a couple of Hail Marys and an Our Father.

Michael hopes the event is successful, but hopes she doesn’t do too many. In her interview, Siggy says he sees it as time away from him; she sees it as building her empire. She tells him about inviting Margaret.

Margaret says Siggy has a lot of issues. Her assistant suggests she walk behind Siggy when she’s hiking.

Frank says he’s an alpha male, and Dolores thinks he’s her bitch. She says it’s hard to take him seriously when he’s holding a mop.

Melissa says Siggy embarrassed her, but encourages women to life each other up. She’s going to have to say something. Joe #2 tells her not to come home if she doesn’t. He wants a tough wife. Melissa goes to Teresa’s house, where they’re being picked up. Teresa’s dog has a pink tail and ears, and I wonder if she’s been hanging out with LVP. Teresa says the crazy thing is, Siggy invited Danielle. The van arrives, and they get in. Dolores is already there, and Margaret joins them. Teresa warns Dolores that Danielle is coming. Dolores says she doesn’t care. She lost her sh*t twice, and Danielle isn’t getting her a third time.

Siggy is excited, and goes over the program with her assistants. She says it’s about helping and empowering people.

Dolores tells them to go with open mind. Margaret asks if they saw Siggy’s Instagram post. We see a picture of her with a bow and arrow, looking like Katniss Everdeen. In the text, she says the last thing anyone wants is her hating on their ass. Margaret hopes it wasn’t directed at her. She says she’ll ask at dinner.

The van arrives at the venue. Guests are already trickling in. Siggy greets everyone with hug. She thanks them for coming, and she and her assistant, Vikki, explain the retreat goal. It’s an opportunity to be open and vulnerable, with no one judging. They should get emotionally naked. They’re to be inspired to live their authentic self, and trust their instincts. What people say doesn’t change who you are. The key is to surround yourself with positive people; negative influencers can make you feel worse. Geez, I could have come up with this. Siggy starts talking about someone she couldn’t get through to, and how if someone is hurting you, you have the right to say eff-you. Melissa thinks Siggy is about to publicly shame Margaret. Yes, she is. She asks Margaret if she’s right.

She says she and Margaret got off on the wrong foot. She felt that she got emotionally naked and it wasn’t working, but it takes two to tango. She withheld a lot. She’d been bullied about her name while she was growing up, and when Margaret called her “Soggy,” it her back. She hated her childhood. She might be a relationship expert, but she has issues too. Character flaws make us unique. I hope it’s more than that. In her interview, Margaret says had she known, she wouldn’t have done that. Siggy thanks Margaret. She tells her that they’ve had no chance to know one another, and maybe she doesn’t want to, but she’s rooming with her and Dolores.

Siggy invites everyone to the “Zone room,” and I think of the Zen room in Rocky Horror. There are different experts they can consult with, like stylists, makeup artists, a plastic surgeon, and a photographer. She says the takeaway is that when they leave, she wants them to understand it’s about them, not her. She also has some swag available, and one of her T-shirts says “Soggy Flicker” on it. Margaret thinks she’s handling it well, and Siggy tells her that she’s getting a percentage. Siggy thanks them again.

Teresa tells Danielle about meeting with Dolores. She wasn’t sure if Danielle was trying to come between them. Danielle says, absolutely not. Teresa lets her know that she’d said if she had to pick, she’d believe Dolores. Danielle says they’ve known each other longer, not necessarily because she’s more believable. Teresa tells her that Dolores thinks she’s on drugs. Danielle laughs, and says that’s never been said before. In her interview, Danielle says Dolores has called her a scumbag and garbage, and is now starting baseless rumors. She has no imagination, but she has an imaginary boyfriend.

They fawn over their rooms. Margaret tells Siggy she appreciates it, and they got off to a wrong start. Siggy says it was a crazy time, and she has difficulty letting go. She has things to work on.

Teresa thinks it’s funny that Siggy is all about knowing your worth, but all the people there are for superficial improvements.

Margaret calls Joe #3, and tells him she was concerned when Siggy called her out, but it went well. They’re rooming together in a suite. She thinks they’re on a good path. At the end of the call, Joe doesn’t understand how to shut FaceTime off.

The ladies meet for dinner. Margaret and Dolores don’t drink, since they’d rather spend the calories on food. Vikki makes a toast, and Siggy asks what they thought. Melissa says she never heard Siggy speak, and was impressed. She was sincere, and had good chemistry with Vikki. In her interview, Melissa hopes they go deeper, and the next day is more about the inside. Danielle says since they’re being open, Dolores is saying she’s medicated, and Dolores asks if she is. She’s so nasty. Danielle says no, and Dolores says she thought she was “off,” since she was making stuff up about what she said. In her interview, Melissa says Dolores said the conversation never happened, but it’s not okay to accuse someone of being a drug addict. Dolores doesn’t trust her motives. We flash back to 2009, and the infamous book. Danielle wants to know what she’d have to gain. In her interview, Dolores calls her a pathological liar and crazy. Danielle says she repeated something Dolores had said that she was confused about, and Dolores says she should have talked to her then. Dolores challenges Danielle, asking what she’s going to do, Danielle says she knows who she is. Margaret doesn’t know what happened, or why it’s at this level. Siggy thinks Dolores should take the high road, and it’s getting out of hand. Vikki, who everyone forgot was there, says there are more workshops to get through. They can make a bad situation positive, and they’re not done yet.

Danielle asks Teresa and Melissa if they think Siggy making up with Margaret was genuine. She thinks it was a little fast. Teresa thinks of course Siggy is going to be all kumbaya, since the retreat is supposed to be about uplifting each other. She thinks Siggy wanted to make a display of fixing her own relationship so she can show how good she is.

Siggy asks Dolores about the Danielle thing, saying Danielle takes it personally and she’s hurt. Dolores says the only redeeming thing about the situation is that she and Teresa are good. Siggy says you can’t buy history.

Melissa says they’re supposed to have a special surprise. She’s hoping it’s mimosas on an island somewhere.

They go to an outside space. Vikki tells them they’re going to have their first activity, and it sounds more like camp than a retreat. She tells them that some things still need resolution. Each person is going to tell another one thing that’s wrong with them using role playing. Sounds like a great exercise for this group. She asks who wants to go first, and there’s dead silence. Siggy volunteers. She says she and Margaret have come a long way, but they haven’t had a chance to say what they’ve wanted. Um… what about that lunch? Vikki tells them to come out and tell the group why they feel hurt. Siggy says when Margaret called her “Soggy,” she struck a nerve and I hurt. Margaret says she thought Siggy was being hypersensitive, and was taken aback. Vikki says there’s no right or wrong, and they’re to role play being the other person. Margaret starts to wail about the cake, Josh, and the cake again. Teresa thinks it’s hysterical, but doesn’t think Siggy likes it too much, judging from he expression. Nope. She doesn’t. In her interview, Dolores wonders if Margaret is off her rocker. Margaret continues to go on about the cake, and Danielle says this is not going to be good.

This season, a trip to Milan, Margaret’s birthday, a visit to Joe #1 in the pokey, Teresa and Dolores fight, Danielle and Siggy fight, and there will probably be other fights they didn’t have time to show clips of.

🌟 On Star, Carlotta went to bat for Simone, but the judge wasn’t having it, and Simone had to go back to the facility. Star told her to focus on the music, and it’s what will get her out. I love the way the music is incorporated into the show when it’s a regular scene (i.e. not a performance). Ayanna suggested emancipation to Simone, and Carlotta said unless it’s business, stay away from the girls. Brody got a load of cash to steal photos from Star’s phone, and gave $10K to the benefit. He hoped to impress Star, but she called him a dog anyway. Alex and Star worked different angles to get Joyce Sheree on their next track. Alex got friendlier with Gigi, and when Noah took a selfie with Alex that went viral, Gigi told her to use it for publicity. Ayanna hit the sheets with Jahil (Carlotta said she’d been there, done that), and was working overtime to restore Midtown’s image, tarnished from the shooting and Noah’s tweets. She ended up giving a press conference, where she sounded like the Queen of England after Diana’s death. Cotton’s old boyfriend also came back to haunt her. Queen Latifah wore some luscious curls this week, and Star rocked some blue lipstick, which I’m usually skeptical about. The next episode will be in two weeks, when the girls perform in the showcase.

🎼 Patti LaBelle and Brandi Norwood will also be coming on board this season, as Carlotta’s mother and younger sister.

🎆 Not the Only One Obsessed…

http://www.tvguide.com/news/queen-latifah-wig-star/

StarQL

November 14, 2017 – Might As Well Call Him Andrew, Travis Stalks Kelly Some More & Maryann Visits the Captain

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

 

 

General Hospital

Valentin wants to explain to Nina why he’s involved with Cassandra.

Monica tells Anna and Jordan that Andre abandoned his job without so much as a resignation letter. Jordan tells Anna there’s an APB out for him in connection with the Jason Morgan case.

Diane tells Carly that she can’t do anything until Jason tells her to. Carly is disappointed. She leaves, and Diane thinks she doesn’t have the pull she used to with him. Alexis sits down and asks her how Nora came to defend Olivia-J. Diane asks why and Alexis says it’s complicated. Diane is like, seriously?

Real Jason watches Sam from the balcony. He almost walks in, but Other Jason comes home. He talks sweet talk to Sam, and Real Jason comes busting in, telling him get away, and shoots him. Sam asks what had he done, and says she loves Other Jason. Real Jason wakes up yelling her name, and wonders what he’s supposed to do.

Sam asks where Other Jason was last night.

Nina says infidelity is a deal breaker. Valentin says he isn’t being unfaithful, but Nina says his lips were on his hers. He says hers were on his; there’s a difference. When she told him she was in town, he knew he had to meet her, and tell her his life has changed. They’d barely exchanged pleasantries when she kissed him, and Nelle must have been there with her camera. Nina says he could have pushed her off, but he says she’s a complicated part of his past. She’s accepted he’s not available, but she’s not going anywhere. He has to work with her.

Diane asks for one reason Alexis would want that information. She thinks Scotty tried to manipulate Alexis, begging her to visit Julian, where he’d tug at her heartstrings, and she’d get involved in the appeal, looking for details that chowderhead (meaning Scotty) missed. Alexis says she did visit Julian. He’d been attacked, and was bruised with broken bones. He’s going to get himself killed if someone doesn’t do something. Diane says that man nearly destroyed her.

Anna asks if Jordan thinks Andre knew something, and Jordan says according to Franco. He was going to therapy, and Andre provided a death certificate for Andrew. Anna says it was obviously forged, and wonders what Andre is covering up. Jordan tells her that’s why she has an APB out. Anna feels sorry for the Jasons. She knows what it’s like to be confronted with a twin. She wonders if Andre knows who is who.

Other Jason – okay, lets’ start calling him Andrew, because I will totally flip out if he’s not – tells Sam he had a lot to think about. Sam asks if he came to any conclusions. He says he may have twin, but he’s not taking his life. He asks if Sam is with him, and she says of course. He tells her it’s going to be a fight. Sonny and Carly are backing his brother. Sam asks what if he doesn’t pursue it, and Andrew thinks he wouldn’t be there otherwise. It doesn’t matter if he’s crazy or lying. He’s coming after everything Andrew loves, and rest assured he’s not letting him do it. He says, that face. People look at him and think he’s Jason. He can’t prove it because he’s Jason Morgan, her husband.

Carly knocks at Jason’s door. When he answers, she hugs him.

Nina asks if Valentin is going to rob jewelry stores, and split the profits with Cassandra between kisses. He says no kissing and no robbing, and explains that Cassandra is dealing in synthetic opioids. Nina says he’d never be a drug trafficker, no matter how much money is involved. He says it’s not the money; it’s the only way to stop her – take her down from the inside.

Alexis says Julian didn’t ask to see her, and was upset that Scotty told her about him being roughed up. Julian wouldn’t even talk about the attack. Diane says he wants Alexis to forget and move on, and Alexis says, more or less. Diane thinks he’s either pushing her away, so she does the opposite, or he’s sincere. If Julian is a good man, she should honor his sacrifice, and if he’s bad, she should refuse to fall into the trap. Take him at his word, forget, and move on. Alexis says if dies, and she could have done something, she’ll never forgive herself.

Sam says Jason has no documents to prove who he is. How can he lay claim to Aurora? Andrew doesn’t think he’s after the company, but Sonny will advise him to. He wants the guy to be him, the way he used to be. He couldn’t give Sonny more, but Sonny thinks this guy will. Before they end up in court, he needs to get the company up and going, so it will be harder to challenge. Sam says even if his brother doesn’t exist from a legal standpoint, they share DNA, and share the same family.

Carly tells Jason it will be a while before stops hugging him. He tells her it’s okay; he likes that she’s glad to see him. He’s glad to see her. She says without him helping her navigate life, and catching her when she falls, she missed him all the time. He tells her that he’s sorry he wasn’t there. Carly tells him now she has to clean up the messes she made. She handed his life to someone else. Jason says he has a twin brother; now everything makes sense. She says no matter how much she wanted it to be true, not once did she look in his eyes and see Jason’s eyes looking back. If she’d had the courage to face it, he wouldn’t be in this situation, watching Sam go home with Andrew. Jason says Sam loves him, and he can’t move against him without hurting her. He won’t do that.

Nina says, so Valentin is just pretending he’s working with Cassandra while he’s servicing his own agenda. Valentin says he’s no expert on ethics and morals, but Cassandra has money; this is only greed on her part. Nina says she deserves what she gets, but there’s a flaw in his plan. He’s going undercover with no credentials. Valentin tells her that he’s serving in an unofficial capacity to the agent in charge – Anna.

Carly tells Jason that Diane is waiting at the MetroCourt. She’s waiting on fingerprint records, but there’s some question about the federal one. The good news is, he’s been arrested more than fifty times. Ha-ha! Jason doesn’t care; he’s just happy to be home. He tells Carly to just think of another name for him, but not Andrew. She says he should be fighting for his own name, and fighting for Sam. Jason tells her that he had a nightmare. He dreamt that he saw Sam and Andrew together, and shot him. He was dying, and Sam was next to him, saying she loved him. Carly says it sounds awful, but it was just a dream. He doesn’t want Sam caught in middle. Carly says she is, and the only way out is to make a real choice. His brother has to accept who he is, and Sam has to decide if she wants to be with him or him, the real and only Jason Morgan.

There’s a knock at door, and Carly answers, even though it’s Jason’s room. It’s Monica, who asks if it’s the wrong time. Carly says she was just leaving. She asks Jason to please talk to Diane. Monica doesn’t want to intrude; she just wants to look at him. She’s so happy to see him.

Andrew says he hopes when Sam says sharing a family, she means the Quartermaines. He’s not sharing his wife and kids. He babbles unreasonably, and Sam says it’s Sonny they’re really fighting. Even if Sonny wants his brother to be him, he won’t put the kids in the mix. When Sonny sees something he wants, he goes for it. Andrew thinks they should adopt his tactics, starting with Aurora. He’s interviewing for a CEO today. Sam looks at the resume, and tells Andrew to be tough on him. He promises they’ll keep everything that’s theirs. He leaves, and Sam flashes back to her and Jason when we were all practically children.

Carly knocks on the door. She asks if he’s here, and Sam says no. She says good. She needs to talk to her about Jason.

Andrew meets with the potential CEO, Peter. He asks how Peter became available just when they were looking for someone with his background.

Alexis tells Diane that she went to Llanview, hoping for access to Olivia-J, but Nora stonewalled her, saying it wasn’t in her client’s best interest. Diane says any competent attorney would have done the same. She hates to admit it, but Nora is extremely competent. Alexis wonders who she’s billing it to. He siblings wouldn’t be paying, and it can’t be pro bono, since Nora is in a different state. Who would pay a heavy-hitter like Nora to defend Olivia, and why?

Peter tells Andrew that things were unhappy at the company, and he was offered a golden parachute. He was ready for a change, found out the media company had a new owner, and thought it was the perfect opportunity. Andrew asks what he knows about the company, and Peter says it was brutally mismanaged. The only consistent performer is Crimson, but he thinks with work and a coherent business plan, it can turn around. He says it was a good idea to change the name. He asks if Andrew is actually Jason Morgan. Oddly, Andrew doesn’t knock over any tables.

Monica is surprised to see Jason is there. She thought he’d be at Sonny’s. He says he wanted to be on his own, and she says he’s always been independent. Susan is dead, and Heather is evil, and it’s he fault he and his brother grew up apart. They’re lives would have been different if they’d known. Jason says he doesn’t know about Andrew, but likes his life. The only thing he wishes went differently was his unfairness to the family, especially her. She says he was confused, and they didn’t handle it right. They were all wrong. She tells him that she doesn’t know how to act or what to say. He says she doesn’t have to know. He knows she loves him, and he loves her too. They hug.

Nina thinks Valentin has more of a desire to work closely with Anna than stopping the drug trade. He tells her that he’d turned Anna down when she asked. Nina wonders what changed his mind, and he says her and Charlotte. Cassandra orchestrated their meeting, and it was a warning shot. She can take away what he loves. It was an implied threat, and he has to act. He can’t eliminate her; it would only create more problems than it would solve. He has to bring her down. As far as Cassandra knows, he’s under her thumb. Nina says to be clear, she hates the idea of him working with Anna with the fiery passion of a thousand burning suns, but it’s necessary. Valentin says maybe it’s fair that the past bit him, but he’s sorry she has to be dragged in to the mess. She says apology accepted on one condition – he let her help. She thinks she’s in the perfect position to manipulate Cassandra. Valentin says he can’t forbid her to do anything, but he’d rather kill Cassandra than let her go near Nina. She and Charlotte are his life. He can handle anything if they’re safe. Nina tells him okay; be careful, and no unnecessary contact with Anna. He promises there won’t be, and she leaves for work.

Jason tells Monica not to worry, but she says she does, and worries about Andrew too. He’s been wonderful; open and accepting, and they kind of have a bond. Jason says Andrew is easier than him. Monica says, no, they’re different, but she loves them both very much. She knows it will take time to sort things out, and could be a painful journey. She hopes at the end they can be brothers. He’s not sure that’s possible, but she says he kind of has a gift for making the impossible possible. She leaves, and he heaves a sigh, as the returned Jason is wont to do.

Peter says that Andrew bought the company under the name of Jason Morgan. Andrew says there’s no question about his legal identity, but he did have a twin that surfaced. There are rumblings that he might go after what’s his, but the company belongs to him and his wife, and he has every intention of keeping it. They shake hands.

Diane mentions to Alexis that Charlotte’s custody hearing was the same day as Olivia’s hearings. Alexis thinks it’s no coincidence. If Valentin’s lawyer defended Olivia, it’s because he wanted her to. She leaves, and Andrew approaches. He says he’s sure Diane has heard about his twin. He needs to cut him off at the pass before he comes after the company. Diane says she called him because she’s resigning as his attorney. It’s a conflict of interest. She can’t defend his claim that he’s Jason Morgan, because she doesn’t believe he is.

Sam tells Carly to skip it; she already knows what Carly is going to say. Carly tells her she can’t stand by and watch Sam make a mistake. She owes her an apology. She wanted Andrew to be Jason so bad, she pressured him to be someone else, and pressured Sam to accept it. Andrew is a good man, but not Jason. Deep down, Sam knows it. Carly rationalized and made excuses, but that stopped working when she saw him again. She’d thought Sonny had lost his mind, until she saw him and knew. She’d know him anywhere, and so does Sam. She says when Sam looked in eyes, she knew in her heart and soul. The only reason she’s not saying it is out of loyalty to the man she slept with last night. Sam says she didn’t sleep with anyone last night.

Anna tells Jordan that Andre was working on a way to copy a person’s memory and place it in someone else. Jordan thinks that’s disturbing, but Anna says it’s a useful application, even though the ethics are indefensible. The WSB wouldn’t follow through with it, so Andre left. Jordan asks if Anna thinks he pursued it, and Anna says that would explain things.

We see Andre’s passport.

Alexis visits Valentin. She tells him that she needs information. He asks if they’re on speaking terms, and she asks what his association with Olivia-J is.

Nina calls Cassandra. She tells her that she had a cancellation, and asks if she wants to meet at the MetroCourt.

Andrew tells Diane it didn’t take long. If she turns over any of his records to his twin, he’ll have her disbarred. She says his records are sealed, and she’s sending them over to him. He tells her to warn her client to stay away from his family. She says her client is Jason Morgan, and she looks forward to proving it. He tells her to go to hell. Andrew runs into Jason coming out of the elevator, and tells him that his lawyer is waiting.

Diane tells Jason that she just informed his brother that she intends to prove he’s Jason Morgan, and he’s not happy. Jason says it’s just a name. He doesn’t want anyone hurt over this. She says speaking as a lawyer, from what she remembers, he’s a rare client who actually listens, and takes advice. She wants to work in his best interest, but he says he’s worried about Sam’s best interest. She tells him that his name and assets are under a cloud right now, and when he has the legal rights, he can do what he wants, and can sign them over to Sam. He asks what he needs to do, and she tells him to think back to the first time he was arrested in 1996. She needs to subpoena the files

Sam tells Carly that Andrew never came to bed last night. He was strategizing on how to fight her and Sonny. He’s afraid his best friends will take everything away, including her, and hand it over to someone else. Carly says it’s not up to her. She knows Sam’s the one who has to make choice, and she’s sorry for that. Andrew is going to fight, but Jason won’t; it’s not in his nature, and she knows it. He’s just going to step back and wait; be there when she needs him, and back off when she doesn’t. He thinks that’s what will make her happy, and that’s all that matters to him, but it won’t make her happy in her heart. Andrew is a good man and loves her, but Jason owns her heart and soul, and she owns his. It will be the hardest thing she’s ever done, but the best thing for everyone, especially Andrew. Carly leaves, and Sam remembers old stuff again. She’s drunk, and wants to dance with Jason. They fall on floor, and she kisses him.

Tomorrow, Nathan tells Amy to take her own advice, Lulu has great news, Scotty tells Julian they need a miracle to get him out, and Nina knows Cassandra lied.

If Loving You is Wrong

Lushion tells Natalie that the gun was stolen. She says it doesn’t make any sense. He wants her to find out where the gun came from – now. Natalie thought she was legit, but he tells her not to give the number out again. She calls, but the number is out of service. Lushion asks if she knows how this looks for Kelly; like she stole Ramsey’s gun to kill him. The DA will be all over it. He says they’re going over there right now. They go outside, and see Travis lurking around Kelly’s house.

Lushion ask where he’s coming from and what he’s doing there. He stammers that he was stopping by, and Lushion tells him to come over there. He tells Natalie to get in the house. He asks what Travis was doing and he says knocking on the door. Lushion says the door is right there. Travis says she prefers him to go to the back. Lushion tells him not to move. He knocks on Kelly’s door. He asks if Travis was knocking, but she didn’t even know he was there. Travis tells her not to act like that, and she says she told him to stay away. Lushion asks if he doesn’t have a restraining order against her, and Travis says he does. Lushion asks why he’s hanging around then, and he says he’d heard she had trouble. Lushion tells him he’s under arrest. Travis asks if Lushion has any idea who his parents are. Lushion tells him to quit whining like a little bitch, cuffs him, and puts him in the car.

Lushion goes around back to check it out. Travis sits in the car laughing, because he’s batsh*t crazy. Kelly asks if he thinks it’s funny. He says she’s funny; all this is funny. He tells her that she’s going to jail for life. She messed with the wrong guy, leading him on and ignoring him. Kelly asks if that’s why he killed Ramsey, and called Justice. He pretends not to know what she’s talking about, and tells her she’ll wish she never met him. She already does, and he says she ain’t seen nothin’ yet. She tells him to give it his best shot. He says he did, but she couldn’t take it. Lushion tells her to go inside. He’s taking Travis in, and sending over a detective to look around.

Steven sits in his car outside of Esperanza’s house. She pulls up, and asks why he’s there. He tells her that he’s checking on her, and she says she already has one crazy ass showing up. Steven says he wanted to make sure she was okay, and he’s sorry. He knows how Eddie can get. Esperanza says he’d never touch her, so Steven can go. He asks if he can come in. He can help her clean up. She tells him that he created the mess, and he says it wasn’t his fault. She thinks it’s a ploy to get in the house, but he says no. He tells her she’s amazing, and they can finish what they started. She asks if it’s a marathon. She doesn’t know how they got here, but they don’t know each other. He tells her to ask him a question. She asks when her birthday is, and he knows. She asks what her favorite color is, and he says she doesn’t have one. She’s surprised, and he tells her that he knows by watching her. She says that’s creepy, and he says she wanted it just as bad as he did. She tells him they just work together. He asks again to come in, and she says, purple. He asks if that’s a yes, and when she got a favorite color. She tells him today, when she saw his underwear. He asks if he can please come in, and she closes the door.

Natalie – who never walks, but strides – goes over to Kelly’s house. She asks if Kelly is all right. Kelly wonders what she’s supposed to do. She can’t keep taking this anymore. Natalie says Lushion wants to tell her something about the gun, and Kelly asks her what it is. She says the gun was stolen, but she’d thought it was legit. Kelly says she’ll call, and Natalie tells her the number is disconnected. She says the bad part – Kelly is like, that’s not the bad part? – is that it was stolen from Ramsey. Kelly asks if Travis knew where it was stolen from, and how Natalie does. She says Natalie set her girl up, and Natalie promises to go by the gun seller’s house. Kelly quietly freaks.

Ian and Marcie go to dinner. She doesn’t believe he wanted to celebrate, and he says he likes her. He finds her very attractive. She thanks him, but says she’s not interested. He says it’s just a client/realtor dinner then. He jokingly asks what’s wrong with him? She says she just had enough with her ex relationship. He tells her okay, but he’s buying. She tells him that she doesn’t have much of an appetite. He asks if it’s the company, but she says it’s the ex company. He asks if he’s still bothering her, and says they can sue him. He’s sued people into submission using the law as a tool. She probably won’t win, but he’ll leave her alone. Marcie says he doesn’t know him. Ian’s phone rings. He says he’s at dinner, he doesn’t know the client, and to call Larry. They don’t know where he is, so Ian says call the client’s parents, and he’s on his way. After he hangs up, he tells Marcie it can wait. The client is a spoiled rich kid in trouble, and his parents pay them well. He wants to toast, and she says just water for her. He asks if she doesn’t drink, and she says not lately.

Lushion tells Travis quit playing with him. He plops Travis in a chair. Eddie gets in Lushion’s face. He’s angry because Lushion interfered with him walloping Steven. He says his tattoo is all over that broad. Lushion points out Travis, and asks if Eddie sees this fool. That’s what a stalker looks like, and he’ll be their next one. Eddie threatens Lushion and Steven, and Lushion tells him if he thinks he’s pulling anther Andrew, think again. Eddie says people disappear all the time, and to tell that punk if he touches Esperanza again, it’s his ass. Steven comes in, and Lushion says Eddie has something to tell him. Eddie tells Steven to watch his back, and Steven says he’d rather watch Esperanza’s. BA-DUM-CHH! Eddie says keep coming at her, and he’ll be sorry. He tells Steven that says they can wrap it up real quick mano a mano. Steven says he’ll meet him after the shift. Lushion tells them to go somewhere. Eddie leaves, and Steven asks if everything is okay here. Lushion says it is.

Lushion asks what Travis was doing in Kelly’s backyard. Travis says he already told him, but Lushion says he told him nothing. Travis asks why he should say anything without his lawyer. He asks if it isn’t the detectives who ask the questions? Lushion asks why he’s stalking Kelly, but Travis insists he’s not stalking anybody; she’s lying. He tells Lushion that Officer Dion knows the whole story. He asks if Lushion is on her side, and Lushion says maybe. Travis maintains he didn’t do anything. Lushion asks if he’s sure about that; she’s just lying about all of this? He tells Travis that he’s going to nail his ass to the wall. Travis asks for what, and Lushion says for what he’s been doing. Lushion wants to talk about Ramsey. Travis pretends not to know who that is, and Lushion says Travis murdered him. Travis says he’s a lover not a fighter. He’s a youth pastor, and thou shalt not kill. Lushion asks how he did it; how’d he take Ramsey down? Travis says he doesn’t know what Lushion is talking about. Lushion says Ramsey was a big guy with skills and moves, and Travis asks if he’s talking about the busted ass dude next door to Kelly. Lushion says the memories come flooding back, and asks again how he did it with no skills, not knowing how to fight, and looking bitchy. Travis says he can fight if the situation presents itself. Lushion asks how he took Ramsey down, and tells him that Justice had some interesting stories about how Ramsey died. Travis suggests maybe he did it. Lushion says maybe Travis called him and gave him the details. Travis wishes he could help.

Steve brings in Ian. Lushion says don’t tell him Ian is this kid’s lawyer. Ian calls Travis “Donovan Cain,” Lushion says his name is Travis, and Ian says he didn’t put it together, asking if this is the kid harassing Kelly. He’s not going to be able to rep her. His partner reps Travis’s family and church; he has no choice. They pay a lot to the firm. Lushion says it’s crazy. Ian tells him that he’s sorry, and takes Travis out. Steven says that’s messed up. Lushion says what’s messed up is what he’s doing to Kelly, and he’s not going to stop. He wants Steven to look up Donovan.

Alex and Brad watch TV. Someone bangs on the door. It’s Eddie, who walks right in. Brad says it’s late, get out, and pushes him out the door. Eddie tells him that Esperanza has lost her mind; she’s banging Steven, Brad says, sorry, and Eddie says he doesn’t look it. Brad admits he’s not; she’s single. Eddie says she’s the mother of his kid, and his ass gets whatever he wants. Brad tells him to go home, and he says he doesn’t have one. Brad says he can’t stay there, and he asks Brad to make a call. Brad tells him to go. Eddie offers to do him a favor in return, and Brad says, just go. Eddie repeats that he doesn’t have a home to go to, and Brad says, go somewhere. Eddie says he’ll handle it himself. Brad tells him that he doesn’t understand love, and Eddie says he understands T&A, and when he puts his mark on them, they’re his. He drives off.

Alex doesn’t want to know, and Brad agrees that she doesn’t. She tells him to throw Randal’s equipment away. He picks it up, and asks if the light has been on the whole time; that isn’t good. Alex says it’s disconnected, and Brad says it must have back up battery. He tells her to be quiet. It has a motion sensor, and records video and audio. Brad disables it. Alex is concerned that Randal heard everything they said about the doctor, but Brad thinks if he would have been over there already. Maybe it was out of range. Alex wants him to destroy it. He’s sorry he brought it in. Alex looks like she has a headache.

Randal and Larry go back to Randal’s house. They’re laughing, and saying what a great time it was. Larry wants more to drink, and Randal says he can’t hold his liquor. Larry says Randal likes when he’s out of control. Randal pours some hefty shots of tequila (bleh), and they down them. They laugh some more. Larry asks if Randal remembers when they snuck in the girls’ dorm. He tried to film them, but had a loud ass VHS camera. They have another shot. Randal says Larry got them kicked out of school, and Larry says, but they had a lot of fun. He asks if Randal remembers the girls they did together. Larry says he learned the hard way. Randal says Larry took longer, and teases him. Larry tells him to go to hell, and Randal says he’s been there and back next door. Larry wonders why Randal doesn’t let it go. Randal says no way; she humiliated him. Larry says he humiliated her and Marcie. Randal says they were talking about Alex; he doesn’t care about Marcie because she screwed neighbor in his shed. Larry asks if it’s the same guy whose wife Randal screwed, Randal doesn’t want to do this right now. Larry just wants him to move on; there are lots of women out there for him. Randal doesn’t want lots of women, and Larry says that’s a switch. Randal wants the two women in his life to suffer, and Larry asks for how long? He says until he’s satisfied. Larry says that’s him, and Randal concurs. Larry tells Randal that Marcie really loved him loved him. Randal says she loved him so much, she did the neighbor in his shed, Larry says she was hurt, and Randal asks if that’s why she moved in with him. Larry asks when it ends, and Randal says when she’s on her knees. Larry tells him she’s been through so much, and she’s pregnant. Randal is like, what? Larry realizes he made a mistake, and pretends like he doesn’t know what he said.

Next time, Randal and Larry fight, Alex tells Marcie that her husband doesn’t belong to her, and Travis confronts Kelly. It’s also the finale.

Below Deck

Jen wants to strangle Kate, but she’s a good person, and trying to suppress the feeling. Bri and Nico cuddle. Bri says it’s difficult working with someone who thinks they’re working hard, when they’re not. She thinks Jen is so tired, she’s delirious, and not helping. She tells Jen to go to bed, and finishes cleaning up by herself.

EJ says he’ll miss Baker. He’ll miss 90% of the crew, but there are some he could do without. He and Baker lie on cushions on the deck. He can’t believe he’s leaving tomorrow. She says they can make the most of it. He does a couple of push-ups, and they go to bed separately. I’m confused.

Captain Lee says it’s safe to take guests out for morning cruise. Nico is feeling a little better. He’s put things in perspective, and is going to be team player and do good job. Kate tells him not to be too cool for a sling. Jen stumbles out of her bunk. In the galley, Kate says the longer she’s late, the more she’ll pay for it. Jen doesn’t feel good, and Kate says none of them do. Kate tells her she can handle it. In her interview, Kate says Jen has problems and she gives her solutions, but she finds more problems in the solutions that then become new problems. The Valor moves out, and everyone gets excited. The captain says once around the park, and he’s only doing it for the money. Nico realizes he’s been a d*ck to EJ. He hasn’t been in the right frame of mind since his brother died. He has to respect EJ, and admit the deck team has come a long way.

The breakfast special is Eggs Benedict – my favorite! Matt loves a challenge, and he’s being challenged to every extent. He’s tired of seeing their faces though. They begin to head back to the marina, and the guests complain. In his interview, EJ says the deck team is in a better place than when he came; they’re much more proficient. The guests start packing.

Everyone says goodbye. Eden says it was great, but there was disappointment. It was a big deal to birthday boy Jason and Michaela, but she thinks it was a downer for them too. She doesn’t even know where they are, and thinks they left. What was the crew supposed to do about the weather? Change it?  These people are worse than eBay buyers, who want the moon for nothing.

Eden says the crew was great, but if it was her restaurant, a lot of things would have been sent back. In his interview, Matt says nice of her to wait until the last minute to destroy his food in front of the crew and captain. He bets her restaurant stinks. She says the food could have been taken to another level. Kate has never worked a cruise where the primaries just left the boat. I wonder what this means for the tip.

Captain Lee thought it went well for not having gotten off the dock. He’s surprised with the assessment, and doesn’t see what they could have done differently. There is a tip, and it’s $15K or $1363 each. The captain tells them that EJ is leaving to get back to his other boat, and thanks him for helping out. EJ did everything he asked him to, and well. In his interview, Captain Lee says Nico is going to have to step up. They all bid farewell to EJ. The captain says his wife, Maryann is coming. In his interview, he says it’s very rare for her to join him, and he’s excited, but has enough to worry about. Jen wonders why everybody is getting lovin’ except her.

In her interview, Baker is sorry things didn’t get to take off with her and EJ, but plans on seeing him after the season is over. Nico is glad he’s leaving, and boot him back to Canada. He’s ready to take charge. I wonder what happened to his better attitude of five minutes ago. EJ says his goodbyes, telling everyone to finish hard. He kisses baker’s hand. In his interview, he says he’s leaving them in a much better place. The deck team has graduated, and Nico will make an excellent bosun, if he drops the ego, and stops being a child. He still has a long way to go.

The next charter is a group of eight women, the primary being Shelly, who’s an attorney. The captain says they’re not requesting anything crazy, but want gourmet meals. In his interview, Captain Lee says it’s embarrassing to have a guest shred his chef a second time. We flash back to the first time and the Bananas Foster ice cream debacle. They want a Caribbean Carnival theme night with a surf and turf dinner, entertainment, and games. The captain also tells them that they’re getting a new deckhand. Nico hopes whoever it is, isn’t green.

Here comes Maryann. In his interview, the captain says the season has been trying with a green interior and deckhands, and crappy weather. Seeing Maryann will be a pleasure.

In her interview, Jen says Kate failed her as a boss and mentor. She looked up to her, but Kate was abusive. She has no respect for her. Kate talks about how much she loves the captain and Maryann (♫ Here on Gilligan’s Isle! ♫). She tells us they were high school sweethearts. Maryann is quite cute

Nico is excited to get off the boat and spend time with Bri. It’s been high stress all season. The crew heads out to dinner, with Captain Lee and Maryann joining them. Bri asks how they met, and Maryann says her girlfriends knew him, and he doesn’t remember meeting her. He asks how she can hold him responsible for something he doesn’t remember, and she says they met again a month later, and that was it. We see some old photos of them as a couple, and the crew toasts to them. In his interview, Captain Lee says that they’ve been married forty-two years, and Maryann has the patience of a saint to put up with him and five kids. He was lucky enough to marry his best friend. He tells the crew that relationships take work. He cares more about making his wife happy than making himself happy. If he sees a smile on her face, he’s good. He says he’s very fortunate, and I’m impressed. It’s nice to see the other side of him. Nico and Bri leave. Nico says it’s nice to see a functional relationship in yachting. You don’t see it often, especially with captains.

They talk about losing EJ, and make a toast. Bri and Nico arrive at the hotel, and the rest go back to the boat. In her interview, Kate says Bruno was quiet, Matt didn’t get obnoxious drunk, and Nico is getting lucky. The dinner was a success.

Kate calls someone about their website for acrobats who do yachts. I swear, there’s something for everyone out there. She can’t believe she’s never done a carnival theme party before. In his interview, Captain Lee says he and Maryann don’t communicate all that much when he’s at sea, and it was a treat to see her. He tells us the finish line is in sight. Maryann leaves.

The captain says Nico is back in charge, and he wants to finish strong. The weather should be good. The new deckhand arrives, and Kate says, look who it is, and they go to commercial. I’m wracking my brain for previous deckhands, and can only remember Danny.

It’s Kyle in flamingo shorts. They flash back to when he was on before, and now I remember him somewhat. Captain Lee says he knows the boat and he’s competent. He’s a character, but he can count on Kyle to fulfill their need for next two charters. He’s British, and one of the guys they need subtitles for because his accent is so thick. He was bunkmates with Kate, and she wishes she could give him a warm welcome, but she’s too busy. Nico interduces him around. He tells Kyle they’ve had green deckhands, and a Boy Scout bosun who pissed him off. Kyle has been on cargo ships, and tells us he’s become more of a provider, and it’s made him grow up.

In his interview, the captain says he was embarrassed as hell last charter. The crew had better be on their toes, or give their soul to Jesus, because their asses belong to him. He’s quite the quipster, our Captain Lee. The ladies arrive, and Kate does the tour. The deckhands remark how heavy their suitcases are, and it reminds me of my father asking me if I carried bricks in my purse. Kate says girls’ trips are one of two ways, either super fun or super high maintenance. Shelly tells them to keep the champagne flowing. Nico says the pressure is back on. Drinks happen. Kyle tells Jen he likes her. He could win and argument with her easily. They should get married. I also remember Kyle being a bit of a weirdo.

Nico tells the guests that he’s getting toys out. Shelly asks what kind of toys, and another guest says they like toys. Shelly thinks Nico should take of his shirt. In his interview, Nico says he loves cougars, something I will never be. I liked them older when I was younger. Matt says he has a lot to prove after the last charter. He has a clean slate, and he’s ready to cook. The ladies are served a beautiful salad, and say Matt is amazing.

Kyle says his type of girl doesn’t necessarily need a vagina, and I remember he had a trans girlfriend. Bruno says he doesn’t look at gender, but how he feels. He’s had both girlfriends and boyfriends, and looks at sexuality as fluid. His heart falls in love with a beautiful heart. This is all too poetic for me

The dreaded slide is set up. Nico is taking what he’s learned, and apply it to now. In the galley, Jen says she hasn’t been whoring around as long as Kate, and Kate asks how old her daughter is. Jen says Kate is taking too far, which I think is overly sensitive, since she started it and that was a funny remark in context.

Kate makes stuff with feathers, and they get ready for Caribbean party. Jen tells Kate it was a low blow, and Kate says Jen said she whored around. Jen wants her not to be miserable, and Kate says Jen doesn’t know enough to determine that; she’s highly out of line. Jen says it’s friend to friend, and Kate says Jen isn’t her friend. In her interview, Kate says she was blindsided. She thought they were having fun banter, and Jen brought in her personal life when she knows nothing about her. She’s just being mean.

The table is colorful and glorious. Jen thinks Kate crossed the line, but doesn’t think an apology will happen. The captain hangs around the kitchen, asking if the food is under control. Matt says they’re writing the for tomorrow. Bruno is helping, and Captain Lee says he has every confidence that Matt can come up with the menu on his own. He wonders why Matt is depending on a deckhand for ideas. The guests love the surf and turf. Shelly says it would be a great last meal. When the mostly clean plates come back, Matt says the ladies did a good job. He and Bruno agree they’re tigers

After dinner, Kate leads them upstairs, where an acrobat does amazing things, hanging from a giant ring. Kate tells us it’s nice to have someone else bending over backwards for the guests. The ladies want Nico to twirl on the ring.

Kyle watches Jen, and asks how the dating scene is. She tells him nothing exciting, and he says he’ll take her out. He guarantees two things – it will be an effing blast, and she’ll feel a lot better about herself. Jen isn’t too interested, but thinks it’s a welcome change to have someone talking nice to her. Captain Lee calls Kate to the wheelhouse. He’s concerned with what saw in the galley. He wants to pull Bruno out of there. In her interview, Kate agrees he spends too much time there, but thinks it might make the situation worse. The captain calls Nico next, and says he thinks Bruno is hindering Matt, and wants him doing deckhand things. In his interview, the captain thinks Matt has an unknown fear of putting himself out there. He’s hoping he’ll piss Matt off so much, he’ll want to show that SOB. He says the next charter is important.

Bri suggests she and Nico travel after the season is over. The Valor heads to St. Martin. Kate tells Jen that she’s still grumpy about what Jen said. Jen tells Kate if her boss implies she’s a whore, she’s going to stand up for herself. She thinks they’re just going in circles, and when she’s pushed to the boiling point, it’s best to walk away. Nico tells Bruno they need him on the deck, so no more helping Matt. Bruno has no comment, but thinks it’s unfair.

The captain calls Matt to the bridge, and asks if he’s running out of gas. Matt says he’s good. Captain Lee wants him to pull out all the stops. He thought last night’s dinner was okay, but he wasn’t blown away. Matt should get out of his comfort zone, and Bruno needs to get out of the galley. In his interview, Matt says the guests claimed it was the best meal they ever ate, but he’ll surpass it. In his interview, he says he’s burnt out. The girlfriend thing didn’t work out, and the guests have been critical. He can’t wait for the season to be done.

Next time, Shelley sings to the captain, Jen argues with Bruno, and Bri is called a whore.

🍻 New show RelationShep, starring Shep from Southern Charm, begins Monday, December 4th at 10 pm.

🍚 I hate when a fortune cookie has some saying like home is where the heart is. They’re supposed to tell me who I’m going to meet or where I’m going to travel or something like that. They’re not proverb cookies.

⚓ Views of the Captain and his Lady…

BelowDeckCaptain&amp;Maryann2

BelowDeckCaptain&amp;Maryann

BelowDeckCaptainLee2

November 13, 2017 – Franco is Questioned, an OC Candle Party & It’s a Dallas Wrap

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

 

 

General Hospital

On the phone, Alexis lets Molly know she’s in Pennsylvania to tie up some loose ends on a case.

Nora talks to Bo on the phone. She loves him, and she’s craving Rodi’s. Alexis knocks on the door, and introduces herself. Nora looks shocked. I’m wondering how they never crossed paths during Olivia-J’s trial.

Nelle goes to the Crimson office. Maxie asks what she’s doing there, since she was fired. Nelle says she’s getting her last paycheck, and Maxie tells her to get it on payday like everyone else. She asks if she needs to call security. Lulu walks in, and asks if everything is okay.

Franco tells Elizabeth the boys went to Audrey’s, so they can have a quiet evening. She seems distracted, and he asks what’s on her mind. She says the man who claims to be Jason.

Jordan tells everyone that the test confirms Other Jason is a DNA match for Jason Morgan. Before Other Jason can even say, I told you so, she says that Real Jason is also a match. Carly says she can’t be serious, and Sonny says it can’t be right. Jordan says the two men claiming to be Jason Morgan share the same DNA.

Maxie tells Lulu that a former employee was just leaving. When Nelle is gone, she says Nina should have listened to Carly. Lulu asks if Nelle pretended to sleep with Valentin, and Maxie says no, but it was probably next on her agenda. Lulu says Maxie must be excited about finding the next big thing for the magazine, and Maxie says her next piece is going to be something different.

At the hospital, Amy looks sad. Nathan says he came by to see how she’s doing. She says she’s fine, but she’s not the issue. Chet has barely spoken two words to her. She had no idea he was addicted. Nathan tells her not to blame herself, since addicts hide their behavior. She says no matter how hard she tries to get through, she can’t, but maybe he can.

Elizabeth tells Franco that talking to Real Jason was like going back five years. Franco says she was in love with him, and asks what about now? She says she’s in love with Franco, whether or not Real Jason is Jason. He says he loves her too. She thinks it would be a show of good faith if he dropped the charges. Franco says he was assaulted twice, but Elizabeth tells him if he’s really Jason, he had no way of knowing Franco is a changed man. It would be the perfect way to prove it. She asks him to think about it, and the doorbell rings. Franco hopes it’s anybody but Jason. If it is, he’ll tell him to come back the day after never. Elizabeth goes to the kitchen, and Franco answers the door. It’s Scotty.

Jordan tells them that the results were cross checked, and they’re both an exact match. She says they both seem quiet. Other Jason says if they’re both matches, they must be twins.

Alexis apologizes for bothering Nora, but it’s an urgent matter. She sought Nora out because she’s the attorney of record for Olivia-J. Olivia’s brother is her daughter’s father. He was sentenced as an accomplice, and is in prison for the next fifteen years. He met up with a group who targeted him, and was beaten within an inch of his life. Nora says she’s sorry, and asks how she can help. Alexis says her client is the only person who can help.

Amy brings Nathan to Chet. Chet says he doesn’t want to see her, but she thinks he might want to talk to a friend of hers. Nathan says, fair warning, he’s a cop. Chet asks if he’s being arrested, and Nathan says no he’s here as a friend of his sister’s. He understands what Chet is going through. He’s served with people in the same position, and says it’s always a good idea to talk to someone. Chet says he remembers where he’s seen Nathan before. He’s Ask Man Landers.

Lulu reads, Meet the Mrs. behind Ask Man Landers, and says it’s really cute, but a little misleading. The article makes it sound like a woman is writing the column. Maxie laughs too long and loud, and says, wouldn’t that be something? She asks what Lulu thinks, and Lulu says it’s a nice read; brisk, but entertaining. Maxie admits her part might be a little exaggerated, how she inspired him and wanted him to share his wisdom with the world. Nathan would rather leave the origin of Man Landers up to the imagination of the readers. Lulu wonders why go public if he wants it private, and if Maxie is jealous. That would explain why the article is about Mrs., and there’s almost no Mr. Maxie explains that the article got her job back, and is boosting her career. Lulu is proud of her. Maxie is surprised there’s no lecture. Lulu says to be completely honest, it kind of makes her jealous.

Nelle goes to the bar. She orders something, but then sees Michael, and says forget it. She starts to leave, and he says there’s no reason they can’t be civil. She tells him that her day got worse after she met with him, and she just wants a drink in peace. He sees no reason why they can’t have their peace and quiet at the same time.

Scotty wonders why Franco hasn’t said anything about the twins, and Franco says it’s not the right time. Scotty thinks he needs to step forward, and let the Jasons know. He says they already do, but believe Andrew died. Scotty says Franco is thinking he’s protecting himself, but he’s making things worse. He needs to tell the Jasons which one is the real one. Franco says that’s the last thing he’s doing to do.

Other Jason says being twins is the only way their DNA would match. He asks Real Jason who sent him there. Jordan asks if Real Jason was aware he was a twin, and he says not until yesterday. Elizabeth told him that Franco found out. Other Jason says Franco discovered photo of himself and a boy who looked like him. Sam says Franco dug around, and found out Susan Moore had twins. One went with Alan, and the other was raised by Betsy. Betsy told Franco that the twin died, and he even had a death certificate. Other Jason tried to question her, but she’d skipped town. Other Jason says, now they know why, and addresses Real Jason as Drew.

Lulu is beyond thrilled that Maxie is doing so well, but it makes her question her own choices. Maxie is like, are you kidding? Lulu has built a life with a stable family, and has a successful business. Lulu says it’s not like she achieved it. She borrowed money to buy The Haunted Star, and it practically runs itself. Maxie says the club plus a family equals chaos. Lulu tells her now that the dust has settled with Charlotte’s custody, and Rocco and Charlotte are in school, she finds herself with hours where she could be doing something, and she’s not. Maxie suggests she work at Crimson.

Michael says he hopes it’s not because he ruined Nelle’s morning, but she says he’s off the hook. She went on to a bigger catastrophe. He tells her to lay it on him (really?). She says her rent check is going to be late; she and Crimson are parting ways. Michael is surprised, since Nina is so dependent on her, and he knows good assistants are hard to find. Nelle says there’s a reason – Maxie.

Chet tells Nathan that he doesn’t need advice on dating, or another person telling him he’s lucky because he came back. He doesn’t feel lucky, and not all of him came back. He wants to be alone.

Other Jason gets stupid, telling Real Jason good for him. He fooled a few people, but he messed with Sam, and whatever con he’s running is done. He says they know who he is, and calls him Drew again. Real Jason says the only name he’s ever gone by is Jason. Sonny says Other Jason needs to accept that they’re both telling the truth as they know it. Carly says they can run other tests, but Jordan tells her unfortunately, Helena had the fingerprints erased out of the system. Carly thinks there must be a copy somewhere, since Real Jason was arrested so often. Jordan says she’ll put out an APB for Betsy. Someone has to know where she is. Other Jason wonders what they need now. Sam says if they can’t get answers, she thinks she knows the next best thing.

Scotty tells Franco maybe Andrew doesn’t remember, or maybe he understands Franco was a kid. He’d be more receptive if Franco was forthcoming. He wants Franco to at least let them know which one is which. Franco is like, no way. Elizabeth went to see the one in the cell, and everything she felt came rushing back. Scotty asks if she said that, and Franco says she didn’t have to; it was written on her face. Scotty says she’s bound to have residual feeling, but Franco is with her now. Franco says they have two Jasons, both in love with Sam. The loser will chase after Elizabeth, and he’s not letting that happen.

Nora asks Alexis how Olivia-J can save Julian. Alexis says if she makes a statement that she threatened him and his family, it might help his appeal. Nora says she can’t consider it. If Olivia makes a statement, her mental health will be reevaluated. If she’s found competent to stand trial, she could be convicted. Nora can’t expose her to that risk. Alexis asks if she can talk to her; maybe they can reach an agreement. Nora says don’t bother to offer to represent her. Many have, but she’s only taken Nora. Alexis asks who’s paying her?

Michael can’t believe Nelle lost her job because of Maxie. Nelle says from the moment Maxie got there, she made Nelle’s life difficult; shoving her stuff all over Nelle’s desk, and throwing her reputation in her face. She’s Nina’s sister-in-law, so guess who got pushed out? She tells Michael with one phone call, Maxie could cut her last check, but she’s forcing Nelle to wait until payday. Michael says that’s standard, but Nelle says she’s drowning in bills. He tells her to take her time with the rent. She thanks him, and he says he knows Maxie can be pushy. Nelle hopes he never loses his gift for understatement. He thinks maybe Nelle should assert herself, and Maxie will just want Nelle out of her hair. He offers to pay for Nelle’s drink. She tells him he’s too nice, and he tells her good luck.

Maxie tells Lulu they need an assistant, and she needs a job. Lulu says no chance in hell is she working there. Does Maxie remember why Nina fired her? Maxie is like, oh yeah, she gave Lulu an unauthorized visit with Charlotte, but they have it figured out now. Lulu says that doesn’t make anything better. Maxie says she was so excited at the thought of working together, she forgot. Lulu thinks when she goes back to the work force, it won’t be in the fashion industry.

Elizabeth wonders why Franco didn’t tell her that Scotty was coming over, and Franco says he was ambushed. Scotty says he heard what happened at the MetroCourt, and hopes she’s okay. There’s another knock at the door. This time, it’s Jordan with the whole crowd, and I literally LOL. Scotty asks if it’s official police business, but Jordan says she’s only a chaperone. The two Jasons have questions for Franco, and she’s there to make sure nothing gets out of hand. Other Jason says there’s one problem with Franco’s story; they’re both DNA matches for Jason Morgan. Franco says it’s not possible, and Scotty tells him to be quiet. Sam says they wondered if any part of the story was left out. Franco says actually, there is.

Nathan asks if Amy is okay. She says she’s spent the past year of her life lying, telling people how to fix their problems, when she can’t fix anything. Nathan says Chet’s problems can’t be fixed by an advice column. He has a long road ahead. He understands that it’s hard for her, but he has some advice for a change. Chet pushes her away because he loves her, and can’t stand the thought of her seeing him like that. He tells Amy as much as they’d like to, they can’t live someone else’s life. Chet has to figure things out for himself. She needs to take a breather, recoup, and let him know she’s there for him. He puts his arm around her, and she leans on his shoulder.

Lulu tells Maxie that she used to daydream about being an investigative reporter. Maxie asks what’s stopping her from following her daydream? Lulu says it’s never going to happen. Whatever job she gets, she’ll have to start at the bottom with an entry level position against kids just out of college. Kids who don’t have to split energy with raising a family. What if she can’t keep up? Maxie says she doesn’t have to prove she’s strong, and she believes in her enough for the both of them.

Sonny and Carly go for a drink. Carly says this is really messy. Other Jason and Sam worked hard for the perfect life, and now it’s broken. What Sam feels for Drew is nothing in comparison to what she feels for Jason.

Franco says the death certificate was bogus, so he went to see the guy who gave it to him – Andre. He thought there were holes in Betsy’s story, and had been talking to him, but that seemed above and beyond what a therapist would do. He says when he went to Andre’s office, he had cleared out. Jordan says she’ll put out an APB for Andre too. Franco says good luck. He could be anywhere.

Alexis tells Nora that Olivia-J has no family to speak of, and her siblings wouldn’t pay for her attorney, so who did? Nora says the conversation is borderline unethical, and she’s shutting it down. She’s sorry Alexis came all this way for nothing. Alexis thanks her, and leaves. In the hallway, she says, thanks for nothing, and if Nora thinks she stonewalled her, she has another think coming.

Amy goes back to Chet’s room. He doesn’t want to see her, but she says she’s there on business. He’s being discharged in the morning, and they have to talk about where he’s staying. She tells him he’s coming home with her, and he says he doesn’t need charity. She says he mistook this for a discussion; he’s coming to her place, period. Chet says she can’t force him. She tells him if he doesn’t, she’ll tell the hospital he’s a danger to himself, and have him committed to the psyche ward. She says not only can she work the system; she is the system. She’s not going anywhere. She’s his family, and she’s not giving up on him.

Nathan goes to Crimson. He tells Maxie that he met Amy’s brother. Maxie thought he’d decided against coming to Port Charles. Nathan says he made it, but he’s in so much pain; he’s pushing away those closest to him. She wonders if it would help him to know that Amy is really writing the column, but Nathan says he doesn’t want help. He’s too proud. Macie says men and their pride; they need to drop that. Nathan adds that both he and Amy would be in trouble if the truth about Ask Man Landers came out.

Carly says no matter what, Drew will have to accept that Jake and Danny aren’t his, and Jason will have to accept that Sam has a daughter with another man. Sonny says Jason will give up everything to give Sam what she wants. Carly says it’s a mess, and to make matters worse, Franco holds the key.

Elizabeth just wanted one day not to deal with stuff, and tells Franco it doesn’t make sense. What reason would Andre have to make him think Andrew was dead. It’s too much. Franco says villagers with pitchforks at the door tends to ruin the mood. Elizabeth hopes they find Andre. He might be the only one who knows which is the real Jason. She goes upstairs, and Franco takes out the paper.

Other Jason says Sam can’t believe Real Jason, who he thinks is staking a claim. She says what they do know, is the two of them are brothers. That won’t change no matter what proof is found.

Franco burns the paper. I try to read it, and it looks like it says Patient 6 over Other Jason’s picture.

Tomorrow, Valentin tells Nina he’s working with Cassandra, Alexis asks Diane who would be paying Nora, and Carly tells Real Jason to fight for himself.

The Real Housewives of Orange County

At the office, Vicki’s receptionist is saying the new headset doesn’t work, and she can’t hear when the phone is ringing. Vicki doesn’t want to deal with headsets; she’s president of the company. There’s a staff meeting, and it’s announced that Michael is going to replace one of the board members. She says it’s been a long journey for him. Her partner sees him in a VP role eventually. He asks if he hears wedding bells for Vicki yet, but she says they’re trying to figure it out. She doesn’t want any more mistakes.

Kelly tells Bobbi that she and Jolie want to give her a makeover. She’s ordered a team. Bobbi says she’s up for change. The guys work on her while Kelly and Jolie watch. My verdict is a thumbs up. Kelly says when she’s sixty, she’s not going to be sitting on the couch like her mom – and Michael. She tells Bobbi one minute she’s good with Michael, and the next she’s not. He’s nice, then he’s a jerk, and she can’t take the highs and lows. Bobbi tells her nobody is perfect.

Tamra tells Ryan that they’re meeting Simon at Sidney’s graduation ceremony, and they’re supposed to go out to dinner afterward. In her interview, she gets weepy, saying it means the world to her. She’s excited, but nervous. She tells Ryan, one day at a time. He says, let’s roll.

Meghan and Jim prepare for their King Collection launch party. She’s thrilled with the venue, the ice sculpture, and the food. Everyone gets super dressed up. Lydia picks out Doug’s jacket. Kelly calls Shannon, telling her Vicki is running late, and she offers to pick them up. Michael doesn’t want to be in a car with David, and says to call Uber. In her interview, Kelly thinks Michael’s problem isn’t with David. He’s just getting older and crankier. She says he’s good at threatening her, and then sweeping it under the rug. Shannon calls back and insists on picking them up. Kelly says Michael is going to freak.

In the limo, David says it’s going to be fun. Shannon tells him that when people first meet her, they tend to get the wrong impression, but after they get to know her, figure out she’s not so bad. We flash back to Meghan, Heather, Kelly, and Lydia. I detect a pattern. David says she’s certainly direct. She says he’s always known where she stands.

Kelly tells Michael that Shannon is picking them up. He says that’s awesome, not really meaning it, and she asks him to be nice in the car. She’d like him to be polite tonight. He says he didn’t get where he is in business by making people uncomfortable. In her interview, Kelly thinks they’re both control freaks who don’t want to relinquish power, and they’ve reached a breaking point.

The launch party starts. Going down the staircase, Tamra flashes back to her wedding with Eddie, which was held at the same place. She says it’s the best decision she ever made in her life. Peggy hasn’t seen any of the women since the trip to Iceland, and says she isn’t nervous, but the others should be ashamed of themselves. Vicki doesn’t know what’s going on with Peggy, and tells Briana that she doesn’t like conflict. Tamra says it’s a little awkward. Vicki tells a random server they don’t have candle parties like this in the Midwest. Tamra claims Vicki runs when she sees Eddie, and tells Meghan about Vicki perpetuating lies about him. In her interview, she says she’s given Vicki a few chances, but there’s nothing she can say to make her change. Lydia tells Shannon about Peggy apologizing to Meghan. Shannon tells her that she told Peggy she was done. For Kelly, it’s all about the side boob.

Lydia tells Shannon she was fun in Iceland, and we flash back to her conducting the men’s chorus. Meghan asks for everyone’s attention, and makes a mini speech thanking them. Kelly asks Peggy why she left Iceland early, and Peggy says she didn’t feel right staying. Kelly says she was drunk, and didn’t connect what she was saying to Peggy’s father. She adds that sometimes, Peggy can act like a princess. Peggy says Kelly is nice, but tends to lash out. Kelly says it bothers her to be controlled. In her interview, Kelly says she thinks Peggy is a good person, and wants to give her another chance. Peggy says she’ll forget about what Kelly said, and they hug.

David tells Diko he can come to him about anything he said, instead of going to Shannon. Diko says it wasn’t an issue, but spread like wildfire. Lydia thinks Diko could use some fairy dust. Tamra apologizes to Diko for calling him a bitch. She says Shannon told her that he pulled her aside at the party, and she felt it was a bitch move. He says that wasn’t the case, and Tamra says she realizes Shannon overreacted. He’s not a bitch. He tells her that he’ll have to return the hat. Tamra goes to Peggy next, and tells her about apologizing to Diko. She repeats what Shannon said about her crying that David hurt her, and Peggy says that never happened. Tamra calls Shannon over. Shannon doesn’t want to make a big deal about something she never should have been involved in. She tells Tamra that Peggy had the audacity to ask her if she trusts her husband. Tamra tries to intervene. Shannon insists Peggy said that David hurt her. We flash back, but it’s not exactly how Shannon is describing it. She says David isn’t a mean guy, and wondered what he could have said to make Peggy cry. Peggy says she was hurt because of what David said, and Shannon says once again, confusing Peggy isn’t giving them a clear answer. Peggy asks if Shannon is okay, and Shannon asks if she is, since she can’t get a story straight. She calls Peggy an effing lunatic. In her interview, Peggy says Shannon needs to get her crap together, or her husband won’t be with her very much longer. Lydia thinks if you’re screaming that someone is a lunatic, you’re probably the one who’s a lunatic.

Shannon babbles at Tamra and Meghan, saying someone needs to have the balls to call Peggy crazy. In her interview, Meghan says Shannon overreacts, but Peggy likes to poke, so she’s with Shannon on this one. Not me. I’m tired of Shannon flailing around. Peggy tells Diko she wants to leave; Shannon isn’t all there. Shannon and Kelly laugh about the Who? You! thing from the 70s party. Peggy tells Shannon that she doesn’t want her to feel like Diko attacked her, and apologizes if she feels like Peggy was out of bounds. There’s total silence, and Meghan suggests going to the bar.

Kelly says she’s mad at Michael, but Vicki tells Michael that Kelly wants him there; she loves and trusts him. Kelly says she obviously doesn’t trust him, and Michael says he’s heading out. In her interview, Vicki hopes they can stick it out and work it out. Who isn’t bugged by their spouse? She tells Kelly marriage is hard, and whoever says it isn’t, is a liar. Kelly says she can’t live the rest of her life like this, and starts to cry. Vicki suggests they have sex, and Peggy says it’s been a while. Vicki tells her the minute she and Don stopped being intimate, the marriage started falling apart. In her interview. Kelly says she gave it her all, and tried. It’s sad to see it go. Vicki says her divorce was a nightmare. Kelly says she wants to move forward on her own. Since this is the finale, we see that she and Michael have sold the beach house, and filed for divorce. Not a huge surprise.

Meghan loves being a mom, and suggests she and Jim have another baby. In her end blurb, we see she convinced him, and they’re using IVF to try for a boy.

Lydia tells us that the last time she was on the show, she just observed. This time, she voiced her opinion, and she’s proud of herself. We find out she’s stopped taking the pill, but wants to defrost some of Doug’s sperm, and try for a girl.

Shannon says she’s had a hard year, with a lot of realization. She’s discovered her marriage and her weight don’t dictate her happiness. They’ve moved into separate houses. This must have been filmed before they filed for divorce.

Vicki wants to be married, especially to Steve, but is in no rush. She and Steve bought a vacation home together, but Briana and Ryan have moved to North Carolina.

Peggy is looking forward to the future. She’s stronger than she knew. Her daughters are now attending college in LA, but still come home for money, laundry, and food. Rich people – they’re just like us.

Tamra says she’s going to be fifty, and looks back, seeing how much she’s changed. Um… She says that Sidney will be back one day and everything will perfect. While they did go out to dinner after the graduation, she and Sidney are no longer speaking.

Vicki tells us that no time heals wounds for Shannon. The girls have a shot, and take a group photo.

Next time, the reunion.

The Real Housewives of Dallas

Mark joins the group. Andy says viewers thought there was tension in the home, and he’s control freak. He admits he is a control freak, saying that’s what surgeons are, and there is a lot of tension in the home. We flash back to them talking about working together, and Mark being scared of not being a priority after Cary had Zuri. A viewer says Mark seems jealous of their child. Cary says that she’s fulfilled by being at home and working, and finding a balance is what they’re working toward. Andy asks what Mark says to viewers who think he doesn’t like his daughter. He says he loves her, but sometimes wants a grownup dinner too. They caught him in some bad moments, and says he didn’t look like that last season. He doesn’t think he took 180 in a year. Cary says they’re overloaded, and have the push/pull of working together. Mark says they’re both aggressive and sarcastic, and sometimes it comes off as mean. Cary says people think they’re both a-holes, so they’re perfect for each other. D’Andra thinks they need to watch what they say. You can’t take it back, and it can infiltrate the rest of your life. She says her husband never talks to her in a condescending way, and that’s how Mark came across. Mark tells her that he can only try to do better. LeeAnne says it’s uncomfortable to watch. Mark explains they’re not a normal couple; they do everything together. LeeAnne says good thing she has dogs.

Andy tells us that rumor-mongering is as popular in Texas as football. We flash back to various remarks about husbands and boyfriends. Andy mentions LeeAnne’s comments about Mark going to the Round Up, and Mark says it’s not true. LeeAnne is sorry, adding she shouldn’t have said it. She says people say all kinds of sh*t. Cary asks who, and she says it doesn’t matter. She repeated something, trying to hurt Cary, because Cary had hurt her. Mark says that people say he must be gay because he’s so into clothes, and it’s perpetuating a stereotype. LeeAnne says she never meant gay as an insult. Mark tells her that his kids see this stuff or their friends do, and they have to answer to that. Cary tells her that her son’s frat brothers made him watch it. Mark thinks LeeAnne believes if she apologizes and “owns it,” that makes it okay. Andy asks if LeeAnne knows the particulars about the Round Up story, but she’s not comfortable with giving them. Andy asks D’Andra and Kameron what they think. D’Andra doesn’t discuss other people’s marriages, and Kameron says it’s not fair. She wouldn’t want her kids to see what LeeAnne does, and think it’s acceptable. Cary says the show was stressful, and hard on them. Mark thinks they’re in a better place than they were. Stephanie says they’re loving, amazing parents. Mark went to soccer practice for her son when she couldn’t get there. He’s a kind and giving person, and it makes her sad. I don’t know if it’s the lights, HDTV, or what, but everyone’s hair looks brassy. Except for Mark, who’s bald.

Andy asks for a response to the comment about Mark’s practice being a chop ship, and he says they work hard to do a good job. They take care of people, and he’s an ethical doctor. LeeAnne says she was hurt because she thought Cary had called her plastic surgeon a vagina doctor. She got pushed, and meant it to be hurtful. Mark says LeeAnne is loud and says a lot of nonsense, but people are realizing she cries wolf.

Andy says telegraph, telephone, tell Brandi. Ha-ha! They used to say that about my grandmother, but it was tell Marie. A viewer asks how anyone can trust her. Brandi feels she owes it to a person to be honest. She doesn’t pass along rumors or gossip, but threats are a different story. Another viewer thinks Cary is hypocritical, referring to her comments that Rich is short in the weenie department. She says that Rich went on a Twitter rant, and messaged her personally. She admits it was nasty, and she apologized to him, but she did it in response to the things LeeAnne had said. (I could have sworn she said that before LeeAnne said anything about the Round Up.) Andy says there seem to be a lot of things said in reaction to being hurt. He wonders if they can get past it or stop, and asks where they go from here. Cary can’t handle much more, and would love to move on. LeeAnne says she can’t handle much more of herself acting like idiot; it’s unacceptable, but the first step to getting better is recognizing it. She thinks she’s improving.

We flash back to Brandi and Cary altercations, and LeeAnne saying Cary claimed she couldn’t be friends with Brandi and Stephanie. Mark brings up Brandi insinuating that Cary broke up his marriage. He’d thought they covered that last year. He explains that they’ve worked together for many years, but there was no affair. She was never his nanny either. His kids were in childcare, but when they were going on a trip, someone suggested she watch them. Andy asks how Brandi found this out, and Brandi says one of the kids told her that Cary had watched them. She thought she was keeping a secret, but it was only in her mind. She doesn’t blame Cary for hating her. Cary says she doesn’t hate her, but was hurt. She never asked Brandi to keep a secret about something her stepdaughter told her while she was sitting right there. Cary talks about being close to Mark’s kids. Kameron thinks Brandi had a reality check. Cary says it’s unfortunate, but once it gets put out there, it becomes a fact. Brandi isn’t proud about what she thought at the time, and feels like a horrible person. Andy asks if LeeAnne feels vindicated, and asks if she still thinks Mark and Cary had an affair. She tells him until today. Stephanie is disappointed, and it made her sad. She knows Brandi feels badly, but they can’t be attacking each other like they have this year. Brandi says she’s probably the most disappointed in herself. She’d feel devastated if someone did that to her. D’Andra wonders why Cary and Mark won’t extend the same forgiveness to LeeAnne, and Mark says it’s been a relentless pattern of bullying. Brandi asks why D’Andra makes excuses for LeeAnne, and she says she doesn’t. LeeAnne confirms that D’Andra tells her when she’s wrong. She says they’ve all learned lessons this season.

Andy asks if Cary thinks Brandi was upset because of her friendship with Stephanie. Brandi says regardless, it was no excuse. Andy asks why Cary would say they should be separate, and Cary says she told Stephanie they should do what’s best for them, but at that moment, thought Stephanie should spend time with her son. She forgives Brandi, but trust will take a while.

We flash back to LeeAnne and Brandi’s friendship, and Stephanie thinking LeeAnne was back to her old ways. They show the clip of Brandi losing it at LeeAnne’s engagement luncheon. Andy says it seems like her feelings were building steam, and exploded at the luncheon. Brandi says LeeAnne’s behavior at the Halloween party was horrible, as well as her threatening Cary. She says you are who you hang out with, and doesn’t need a negative person bringing her down. Kameron says Brandi judged her multiple times. Andy suggests it was like a friendship intervention when Cary and Stephanie invited Brandi to lunch. Brandi says when things are going wrong, LeeAnne festers, and LeeAnne threatened her life.  LeeAnne claims she was just talking, and Brandi says that’s what bullies do. D’Andra says she’s told her that can backfire, but LeeAnne says it’s like when you say, I’m gonna kill you; you don’t really mean it. Kameron thinks they should move on. Ignoring that suggestion, Andy asks what LeeAnne thinks about the intervention. She says she’s not manipulating Brandi, but trying to make things work. She’d hoped to have a learning moment on the boat, telling Stephanie to advise Brandi to stop bugging Kameron, and that they should help each other be better people, like D’Andra does with her. Brandi says she has a mother, and doesn’t need another one.

A viewer thinks it’s outrageous to make Brandi to choose between Cary and LeeAnne. Andy asks if Cary would continue to be friends with Brandi if she was friends with LeeAnne, and she says of course. Stephanie felt like she was being made to choose. Andy asks if she thinks Brandi was influenced by LeeAnne, and Stephanie says she’s not blaming LeeAnne for Brandi’s bad behavior, but had never seen her act that way until this year. The only thing that had changed was her being friends with LeeAnne. She doesn’t want to hang out with someone who threatens other people. Andy asks if LeeAnne trusts Brandi after realizing she was a rebound friend. LeeAnne thinks that inside, Brandi wants what’s right, and she’s tenderhearted. After some healing, she could trust her again.

Kameron is asked about the luncheon. She thinks Brandi forgot that LeeAnne was there for her, and says you should remember who’s there when you’re in tears. She thought the death threat thing was dramatic; just carny talk and not serious. Andy asks LeeAnne if anyone except D’Andra will be invited to the wedding. She says they have so much going on, she doesn’t even know what the guest list looks like; they need to set a date first.

Andy asks if LeeAnne and Brandi can patch things up, but Brandi doesn’t see a future with their friendship. She says LeeAnne uses manipulation in everything she does, and nothing is sacred. LeeAnne says she believes in pitching her tent in the land of hope. She gives grace to people who make mistakes, and gives unlimited chances. Brandi says she needs to remove herself to be healthy and at her best. LeeAnne feels like her heart’s been ripped out. She starts to cry, and Andy asks Brandi if she thinks LeeAnne can change. Brandi doesn’t know, and wonders when she’s giving up the threats and manipulation. LeeAnne says it was a joke. Cary is sorry to barge in, but wonders how she moves on.

Leeanne tells them what she did was not okay, and she’s trying to get better. Cary says she wants LeeAnne to get better. Andy decides to end with the rose and thorn thing, like he did with the NYC reunion. For Stephanie, her rose was her friendship with Brandi, and her son doing well in school, and her thorn was how friendships and people were broken; it breaks her heart. Kameron’s rose is her new friendships, and her thorn those who don’t understand her boundaries. D’Andra says her rose is her relationship with her mother, and the thorn, seeing it play out and people criticizing her mother’s control. Cary’s rose is her husband’s support, and her thorn, all the rumors. LeeAnne says she has an empty garden. Sometimes it’s hard for her to see her roses, since her own thorns get in the way. It’s hard for her to forgive herself, and allow herself to enjoy her roses, but she’s working on the thorns. Andy points out her ring is a big rose. She says she’s a lucky girl. She doesn’t think much of herself, but is glad Rich does. Brandi says her thorn was hurting people. She brings out an actual rose from behind her chair, and gives it to Stephanie. These two should get it over with, and just start dating.

Andy says D’Andra is the voice of reason, and asks if she has any closing thoughts or advice. She thinks that Brandi and Stephanie should work on not judging or making assumptions. She understands Brandi isn’t comfortable about LeeAnne right now, but suggests she see if it settles, and come back with a fresh perspective. She thinks that’s good advice for all of them – walk away, let the dust settle, and come back with a fresh perspective.

And on that note, we outta here.

TuesdayTaco

 

 

 

November 12, 2017 – The Kingdom Collapses & 90 Day Triad Treatise

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

 

 

The Walking Dead

Ezekiel washes his face. He fixes his dreads, and gets duded up.

The knights say goodbye to their families. Ezekiel walks out, and the crowd parts. Shiva growls. Everyone moves down the road. Ezekiel tells a boy to fear not and be brave. He says they face dire challenges; their lives, their way of life, hang in the balance. They pray for not one drop of rain under an overcast sky. Yet he smiles. They will fight and bleed. Yet he smiles. They will end them all, as is their charge and sorrow this day. Yet he smiles. They’ll leave their loved ones, rushing out from peace to war. Yet he smiles. They will find glory and honor, and protect this bastion of life. On this day, they are joined in purpose and mission. they are one. The crowd joins him in saying they are one, and gathers around him.

We see a bloody battlefield. Ezekiel crawls out from under a pile of men. He looks through the casualties. He cries out, not smiling anymore. The dead begin to stir. Ezekiel, get the blip out of there! A dead soldier grabs at him. He can’t walk, so he crawls. Oh sh*t! How is he going to get out of this? He can’t get up, and scrambles backward as they come at him.

The zombies stagger toward Ezekiel. He manages to get up, and falls again. He shoots a zombie in the head, but that was the last bullet. The next gun is empty too. He keeps crawling. Suddenly, another live man is there. He shoots a couple of zombies, and helps Ezekiel up.

Carol sneaks around inside the outpost. She hears men talking. Someone needs help. Another guy tells them to move their asses; it’s real now. A couple of guys bring a crate of guns in, but all of them are taken down by some gunfire. Carol drops down from the ceiling, and finishes them off. She takes a gun and runs. Some men follow her, but she ditches them.

Ezekiel asks if the man has seen Shiva, but he says not since they were hit. They see a crowd of zombies, but suddenly the man is shot from behind. Ezekiel is dragged back to the outpost by the shooter. Dude looks like Jeffrey Dahmer, but his name is Gunther (which I find out later from Talking Dead). Gunther makes Ezekiel give him his staff, which is also a sword. He’s taking Ezekiel to the Sanctuary, but Ezekiel says the gates are down. Gunther says Ezekiel is going to help him remedy the situation.

Carol sneaks around outside. She sees some Saviors loading the guns into a truck.

Ezekiel falls, and Gunther shoots the closest zombie. He tells Ezekiel he made it this far; he can walk. Ezekiel tells him, better the dead be his end, than a desperate foot soldier. He asks if Negan knows even knows his name, and Gunther says he’s Negan. Ezekiel says he won’t be used to harm his own people. Gunther tells Ezekiel, let’s go now, and drags him back up. He tells Ezekiel that he played his cards and people good, but they can’t do sh*t for him now. He says some stuff about Shiva, and I swear, if they kill that tiger, I’m out. The zombies trail them, and Gunther tells Ezekiel that he got them killed, and they’re still following him. He calls Ezekiel a meaningless con man in a costume.

Carol pops out, shoots up everything and ducks behind a truck. A bunch of Saviors shoot back, and it doesn’t look good for her. The truck gets riddled with bullets, and she hunches down on the other side.

Gunther says they’re getting something with wheels and getting out. Ezekiel tries to attack him, but Gunther gets the better of him, saying it’s over. He took his shot, and it’s over. I can’t wait for this guy to die. Gunther smears blood on Ezekiel’s face, and says delusions of grandeur.

The gate is padlocked, and Ezekiel says the dead are nearly upon them. Gunther takes Ezekiel’s coat and puts it over the wire on the top of the fence. Ezekiel says he can’t climb. Gunther says he doesn’t have to. Negan was hoping to have his ass chained on the sanctuary fence, but his head on a pike will be fine. Gunther raises the sword, but is split in half from behind by Knight Jerry. Wow, that was cool!

The shooting stops, and the men inch forward, Carol tosses her gun out, and says she can tell them where the others are; just let her live. A savior tells her, nice and slow. She comes out, hands up, saying she’s unarmed.

Jerry brings Ezekiel to his feet, gives him his sword back, and lops off a couple of zombie heads. He calls Ezekiel “Your Majesty,” and Ezekiel says he doesn’t need to call him that. Jerry says, yes, he does.

The Savior asks where Carol’s people are. She asks him to promise not to tell them she told him. She grabs the guy coming by with the ammo, and puts a knife to his throat. The Saviors shoot, but he ends up getting it instead of Carol. In the meantime, zombies start coming in through the gate.

Jerry works on the padlock. More zombies are coming, and he spears one in the eye. He and Ezekiel ready themselves.

Zombies start taking down the Saviors. Ezekiel and Jerry take down some zombies. Jerry thanks Ezekiel for being such a cool dude.

Inside the compound, the Saviors are busy dealing with zombies. Carol says they need to end this. The Savior she was negotiating with says she was lying about her friends. He must not be too bright if he just came to that understanding. Carol tells him to walk away. He says she’s not going anywhere with the guns, but she tells him that she has the ammo, and asks how much they have left? He tells her to come and find out, because he’s five. She notices what’s happening with Ezekiel and Jerry.

She joins them, asking if Ezekiel has fought before. He says he was once a marauder in the woods, and has trained for a long time. He’s ready to become what he must; to will himself into what he must be. He tells her that he was a zookeeper. He was weak, then a 500-lb. tiger needed his help. He didn’t just leap into her enclosure, and wasn’t seized by deep seated instinct. He deliberated for a few seconds, weighing the risk of approaching such a beast or not. He decided he wanted to be the one who leapt. Years later, Benjamin told him what he knew, but couldn’t hear – if you’re asked to be the hero, be the hero. He’s not ready, but made the decision on who he’ll be. He asks if it was easier for her. Was she always this strong and brave, or did she decide? She says she decided, like him. Life decided some things too. He says it does, and it will.

Zombies start to close in, but Carol mows them down. She says there’s nothing she can do about them getting the guns. Jerry finally gets the padlock off, and helps them through the fence. Ezekiel says, word to Rick before the guns get to the Sanctuary. Carol says they won’t be going there. The truck speeds past, with Daryl not far behind it, and Rick behind him.

The driver sees Daryl in his rear-view mirror. Daryl shoots, but the back panel drops down, and there’s a guy with a machine gun. Daryl swerves, and ends up off the road, with the bike falling and sliding. Rick keeps going, serpentine behind the truck. The Savior veers to avoid some zombies, and the shooter in the back is thrown. Rick gets Death Proof close to the truck, and jumps in. He punches the driver in the kidneys, and tosses him out. Nice work.

Daryl sees the truck off the road on its side, and Rick comes crawling out of the weeds. He says they got the guns; let’s see if this a-hole is alive.

Carol, Jerry, and Ezekiel continue on. Ezekiel says they have to leave him; he’s slowing them down. Carol says no way. At least these are slow zombies. They come to a creek, and the place is teaming with them, some of them downright skeletal. I start thinking, wait a minute, wouldn’t the spine deteriorate at some point? How come we don’t see piles of bones everywhere? Carol says they’re almost out of ammo. Ezekiel tells Jerry he’s not his king, and to leave him. He tells them to go, saying he ain’t no king; he’s just some guy.

Shiva to the rescue! Carol and Jerry help Ezekiel up. Shiva attacks the zombies.

Screw this show. The zombies got her. I am so over this. I’m livid.

Ezekiel comes back. He sees the boy he spoke to in the beginning, and touches his face.

😠 I hate this show right now. I’ve had such little investment in the characters, because it’s so one-note. It’s a relentless downer, which is fine for a two-hour film, but not week after week. I understand that it comes from a graphic novel series, but again, it’s a weekly show, and should play differently. There’s just no balance here. It’s not realistic. Before you say the whole zombie apocalypse is unrealistic (could happen), hear me out. It’s not realistic for what it is. If this was a real situation, you’d have more of a variety of people, not just depressing ones. Somebody would be cracking jokes, or at least being sarcastic. They found some balance with Abe, then they killed him off. I was growing weary of the dark atmosphere at that point, but Ezekiel, the Kingdom, and Shiva were bringing me around. (And Negan, who I find amusing.) So what do they do? Kill almost all of them off, let the zombies get the tiger, and no doubt Ezekiel will be his own version of walking dead now. I never like when a show is obvious about eliciting emotion from the audience. This was even worse than Viserion on Game of Thrones. And at least they have Peter Dinklage, king of the medieval one-liners. While Z Nation can be silly at times, they’ve managed to pack both variety and heart into the show, and still give the audience zombie thrills as well as melancholy. Honestly, I’ll probably finish out the season, but I think I’m out. If I want to get depressed, I can look at my bank account. I would have rather seen Rick get it. I hope Negan wins.

😑 Next time, too busy being annoyed to even pay attention.

90 Day Trifecta

I never did find out why Pedro called Chantel “Pinky,” but moving on, and catching up.

Starting with Before the 90 Days, we have Cortney and Antonio. He’s from Spain, and this looked like a catfish in the beginning, especially since he was a model, but he turned out to be the real deal. Antonio said he liked smart girls, and my advice was to not date Cortney, but the whole thing surprised me. After giving a negative first impression, and being relegated to sleeping on the couch, Antonio finally won her over and they got busy. She told us it was better than expected, and I was thrilled she shared that information. Not really. All was well until his A/C went out. I don’t blame Cortney for not wanting to share a cramped apartment in 90 degrees, but she whined so much, he ended up leaving to do laundry at his mother’s house and stayed the night. When he came back and wanted to go flamenco dancing, Cortney started crying. He decided she shouldn’t have any more whine wine, and asked if she was getting her period. Wrong, wrong, and more wrong. Even though they somehow got it together again, and got all I’ll-miss-you weepy at the airport, I was pretty certain that this would be the end for them. Not so. On a Tell All special after the season ended, where he contributed via Skype, they were in a committed relationship with each other. He sent her one of his sexy photo calendars, which her parents have hung up in their kitchen. I have no words. Cortney also told us that in Spain, women will come right up to your table while you’re on a date, and ask for the guy’s number. I should add, Antonio did not give his out, and claims he’s being faithful. I might as well believe him. I’ve been wrong about this one the entire way through.

Patrick went to Paris, and Myriam’s big secret was that she already had a boyfriend. It was so uncalled for and sad. I couldn’t fathom why she wouldn’t have told him this before he spent a fortune to go halfway around the world to meet her. He might have gone anyway, but that should have been his decision to make. It’s the worst when a decision is taken from you because you didn’t know the truth. He told Myriam he had to take a breath, and called his mom, who freaked out. He decided to stay and change Myriam’s mind, and spent the rest of his time there trying to do just that. We never saw Myriam’s boyfriend, but he sounded like a dud. It seemed to me, the real reason she’s with him is because they’re both Muslim. In the end, on a romantic boat ride/dinner, the kind Myriam wished her boyfriend would be into, she told Patrick that she’d give him a chance if circumstances were different. But they weren’t, and her parting words were basically c’est la vie. During the Tell All, both Myriam and Patrick’s mother were on Skype. Patrick’s mother just about cursed Myriam out, and told her karma was a bitch that would bite her in the ass. Myriam insisted that Patrick knew their flirting was nothing serious before he came to visit. Patrick was just like, I’ll be waiting when you dump your sorry ass boyfriend.

Sean finally met Abby’s ex, Chris. Abby took him to beautiful places to get his mind off of it beforehand, so we got to see some of Haiti. And it was, indeed, beautiful. Sean waited with a scowl on his face, while Abby picked Chris up. Their meeting was over before it began, and Sean told Abby that Chris was “poisonous.” I hadn’t gotten that impression, although he was flirty with her in the cab, but more on that in a minute. He told her that if she wanted a relationship with him, she had to ditch Chris. They couldn’t have a healthy relationship with him in the picture. Abby wasn’t thrilled with an ultimatum, but said she’d do it “for love.” Sean went home, but then came back and asked her to marry him. During the Tell All, we found out that Sean was right, and Chris is a 64-year-old a-hole who was basically using Abby as a sidepiece. She’d cut all ties with him but – let’s scratch our heads here – she was calling from his condo where she was staying. Supposedly, he wasn’t in town, and she planned to be gone before his return, but I’m not sure why she couldn’t call from somewhere else. I like Abby. She seems mature and seems to genuinely love Sean, but this gives me pause. My opinion to be continued.

Darcy’s visit with Jesse went downhill when she started to have enough of his healthy lifestyle, and militaristic attitude about everything. She met with Jesse’s mom, who is super cool, and honest without being an a-hole, unlike his stepdad and best friend. They had some wine, and his mom told Darcy to take her time. Darcy had another drink at the bar, ignoring Jesse’s texts and messages. When she got back to the apartment, he said she was “obviously highly intoxicated,” which he backed up in his interview, claiming she kept looking at the ground and being “sassy.” She decided to spend the night in a hotel, since he was harshing her buzz. He called the producer, saying she was drunk and irresponsible, and had run off. On her end, she claimed to be only tipsy, and said she left to do her own thing. No camera crew was there, so it’s hard to tell what really happened. I wish I could have been a fly on the wall. In the morning, Jesse came to the hotel. He told Darcy that he has issues with drinking because he’d lost people to the bottle, which explains a lot IMO. He asked her to promise never to drink again, and surprisingly, she agreed. The worst part of all was when, near the end of her trip, Jesse took Darcy to some place with windmills and bridges that was supposed to be iconic and romantic. He got down on one knee, told her how wonderful she was and how much he loved her, showed her a ring, and said this wasn’t a proposal. The ring was an “appreciation ring.” What? Even though Darcy has been tireless in her pursuit of an engagement, this was cruel and unusual punishment. It was like the ring on a string Schwartz gave Katie on Vanderpump Rules. I agree that six weeks is too short, but that was just bizarre. So, like, are they going steady now?

It got better during the Tell All, when Jesse made a surprise appearance. He acted like his robot self, and she was obviously uncomfortable. When asked what the biggest strain in their relationship was, they bleeped whatever Jesse said. I checked around and found a Reddit thread where it was being discussed. A user thought he’d said “bullsh*t.” I watched it a couple of times, and decided to accept that answer. What it means, I don’t know, and Darcy was just as vague. In that same thread, some users thought she seemed like an abused woman, but there’s an ocean and more between them, so I don’t think that’s it. He doesn’t seem to be in any kind of hurry to move either. They went back and forth about their problems without actually naming what they were. Darcy did have “a couple of glasses of wine” – which I’ve decided is her euphemism for getting sh*tfaced – with her sister on some occasion, Jesse wasn’t too happy about that, and she also had the nerve not to think it was no big deal. At one point, Jesse jumped up, said it was over, but then they left holding hands. And he hassled her about wearing his jacket on the way to the car because it was cold. I give up.

It was a real toss-up as to who gets the title of the WTF? Couple – Jesse and Darcy or Paul and Karine. The machete attack won. Because it wasn’t bad enough that Paul made Karine take an STD and pregnancy test prior to their “being intimate,” he kept saying that he had a secret. He continued to fret about it, while we were kept in suspense for weeks. I started thinking that maybe he had been born a woman, when he revealed that he had a “criminal past.” Then I thought maybe he stole some Star Wars action figures. The real story was that there was an ex with a restraining order against him, and he’d done prison time for arson; setting his own house on fire. He never really said whether he was guilty or not, so I’m assuming he has some issues, and the answer is yes. No big shock that Karine was knocked for a loop, but before she had a chance to process this information, Paul went on a kooky little adventure. He ran like a girl through the woods, until he got to the river. Then he clung to a tree, repeating, don’t let me get in this water, over and over. In his interview, he said at that moment, he didn’t care what happened to him, if he got some disease or was bitten by a snake: he’s a bad person. He certainly cared about making a production of it. Karine followed him, and was like, what is up with this, Paul? He basically said he wasn’t good enough for her, and believe me, if a guy ever says that, take him at his word and run. Karine just wanted to get the hell out of the woods, and left Paul still being weird.

It got better. While Paul was busy wallowing in self-pity, Karine’s phone was stolen. She’d already said something about it not being a good area, so why he chose to put this act on there is a mystery. When Karine got back to the more public space, a guy came running up with a machete, and demanded her phone. The camera crew was like, we just got mugged, and it looked like some kind of gang was going through the park, robbing people. They ran into the woods, cops ran after them, shots were fired, and Karine just wanted to go home and never think about Paul again. But that’s not how it ended.

She decided to stay with a friend, and he followed her like the stalker he no doubt is. She forgave him, and after an elaborate proposal on the beach, said yes to marrying him. Good luck with this guy. Are times this desperate? During the Tell All, she and Paul were together in Brazil, participating via Skype. I did wonder if the machete business had been staged, when he got so upset about the topic, he had to walk away, but she didn’t even seem fazed. Although maybe it happens so often there, she’s used to it. Either way, it was strange. Also disconcerting, was when Paul was asked if he returned the favor and also took an STD test. He said he did, and it was nerve-wracking. Why that would be, since he’s not exactly a Casanova, I have no idea, but chalked it up to his many neuroses. What was bothersome was that Karine claimed to have never seen the results, but he asked her if she didn’t remember looking at them on the phone together. 1) For such a paranoid dude, how come he’s doing all this online? and 2) she looked like she had no idea what he was talking about. Referee TV host, Shaun Robinson, added to the insanity by screeching Karine’s name repeatedly when Paul revealed he was with her. I can’t figure this woman out; the way she mugs for the camera is insane. I also can’t figure Paul out. Is he a trust fund baby? Does he work? Either Karine is a desperate girl or there is something seriously lost in the translation here.

On the flipside, there are a few interesting characters on the new season of original 90 Day Fiancé.

Larry – the one who makes me laugh every time he says Filipino Cupid, and the desperation with which he looks at the camera – met Jenny’s family, who had a humongous barbecue for him, which included a roast pig. Here’s where Larry went wrong. Now I’ve been to a pig roast, and although I was creeped out by seeing the entire pig, the smell was heavenly, and it tasted delicious. Apparently, Larry has a tender tummy, because he made it obvious that he could not eat this, bringing Jenny to tears, and disgrace upon the family. They worked things out, and both have decided to wait until marriage for sex, so there was no make-up anything. Larry informed us that he hasn’t had sex in fourteen years, and we’ll just leave it at that.

There are a couple of other standouts. David and the much younger Annie, who is from a poor village in Thailand. David had to give her parents a couple of oxen or something as dowry. There was an engagement party, and the entire village had a parade for him, because it was a huge honor. David handed out money right and left per some tradition I’ve never heard of, and was king for a day, even though this whole enterprise has tapped him out. When they get back to the states, he and Annie will be temporarily staying with friend Chris and his wife. They spent a couple of days in Bangkok, met up with them, and I decided Chris is a creeper. He started off saying mi casa es su casa, and by the end of the conversation, suggested Annie not only cook for them in exchange for rent (the applicant can’t work during the 90 day period), but give him massages. There was a silence heard around the world – one in which Chris’s wife said nothing and looked at no one; she didn’t even kick him under the table – and Annie told him she didn’t mind doing the cooking, but wasn’t giving massages. You’d think David would have spoken up, and later, Annie asked him if Chris got the idea from him. He claimed the only thing he’d ever said was that she gave him a massage. I believe it, and I think it’s a mistake to move in with those people. Honestly, it was one of the creepiest moments in this franchise so far, and that’s saying a lot.

There’s also Nicole, single mother to May, and Azan, who is from Morocco. From the jump, it wasn’t looking good, and his motives were suspect. Nicole’s first visit to Morocco was exhausting for the both of us – I got tired just watching. She’s a large girl, and he seemed disappointed about that when they met, although if they’ve been video chatting or even sharing pictures, I find it hard to believe he wouldn’t have noticed. She wanted to be affectionate, and he kept telling her it was a no-no in public there. He was annoyed that she didn’t show more decorum, and made her promise to eat healthier and exercise. Nicole’s mother hasn’t been thrilled with anything here, and refused to sponsor him for the K-1 visa. Since Nicole doesn’t make enough money, she needed a kind of co-signer. Her father – her parents are divorced, and both have remarried – decided to step up to the plate, figuring he can keep an eye on her if she stays in the states. Nicole made a second trip to Morocco, this time with her daughter. It was another fiasco, since May is a rather energetic child. Azan and Nicole disagreed on parenting methods. A visit to his family made me wonder if he was adopted. They seemed like lovely, joyful people, and very welcoming to both Nicole and May. Maybe they want to get rid of him. Nicole also “cheated” on him prior to them meeting IRL. What this actually means, I’m not sure. It wasn’t bad enough that she kept begging his forgiveness for this transgression, she also went out with a male friend to a club, and had not told Azan, who thought she’d gone with girlfriends, and it made him question the relationship. Not sure where this is going to go, but it smells bad. She seems desperate for a husband and father, and he seems like he might be desperate for… something. He doesn’t sound necessarily gung-ho about moving to America. Maybe he just wants someone to control, but if so, you’d think it would be easier for him to find a girlfriend at home. I can’t even see what these two have in common, besides… nope, nothing.

There are three other couples, but they aren’t quite as interesting because they seem almost normal. However, that’s always subject to change. I still have to watch tonight’s episode.

After the pig fiasco, Jenny told Larry that she never cries for men, mens cry for her. It was like a moment out of a telenova, and I realized that I watch this with a combination of amusement and horror. I also know more about the K-1 visa than I ever wanted to. And I’ve learned that if you want to act like an a-hole, just say it’s part of your culture and get offended if people don’t respect it.

90 Day Fiancé – where stupid people meet.

WalkingDeadCarol

WalkingDeadEzekiel&amp;Shiva

November 10, 2017 – Both Jasons are Jason, Roni Wakes Up, Insane Clown Zombies & Quaternary Quotes

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What I Watched Today

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

 

 

General Hospital

At Pizzulo’s, Carly wants to toast to Michael kicking Nelle to the curb. Sonny says Michael is hurting, but Carly tells him, what happens in Pizzulo’s stays in Pizzulo’s. Jordan comes by. Sonny says it’s been a long day, and she tells him it’s not over yet.

Ava can’t make sense of the files. Kiki can’t do much better. Ava says Klein used cutting edge techniques, and these are the schematics she can be healed with. Kiki adds, and a doctor who can perform the treatment.

David asks Griff about the area. He’s looking to invest in property, but with the riverfront being declared historic, he has to look elsewhere. Griff knows nothing, but David thinks a certain lady friend might know more.

Alexis offers Monica an ear if she needs to talk. Monica says she’s not sure what she’d have to say. A guy drops through the skylight, looks like her son, and claims to be her son. She tells Alexis to put her energy into helping Sam. She’s fine; she always is.

Other Jason goes to the family crypt.

Real Jason asks if he can come in. Sam steps aside but says nothing. Real Jason asks if he’s here. Sam says no, but doesn’t think it’s a good idea for him to stay. Scout starts crying, and Sam tells him that’s her daughter.

David asks how Alexis is faring since the MetroCourt party, and she says it’s been a trying couple of days. He apologizes for bowing out at the last minute, but she thinks maybe he should be glad. He wants to make it up to her. She has a lot going on right now with Sam and her ex-husband, and David says exes have way of making presence known, no matter how far the distance. She tells him not to put his life on hold for her, but something tells him she’s worth it.

Ava tells Kiki that she’s made incredible progress, but no one knows how to replicate the process. Kiki says it’s promising. Ava wonders why she can’t manage some enthusiasm. Kiki says there’s no proof it works, and Ava says she’s proof. Why can’t Kiki be supportive, or does she want Ava to stay like this?

Sam brings Scout downstairs. Real Jason says she’s beautiful, and Sam says her name is Emily Scout Morgan. He says she named her after his sister; Emily would have loved that. He thanks her.

Other Jason tells Alan the only brother he came to know is Sonny, but he’s not sure about anything anymore. There’s nothing for him there, and he doesn’t know why he came. Monica stands in the doorway.

Jordan’s not there to socialize; they have business. He posted bail for Klein, and she’d like to know why. Sonny had questions the PCPD couldn’t answer. She says Klein had better show up for his hearing, and Sonny says he walked out without a scratch. She asks if the conversation was productive. Sonny says, you show me yours, and I’ll show you mine. Carly tells her they know DNA tests were arranged, and they want to know the results.

Kiki tells Ava, of course she wants her to be whole. Ava asks if she’s sure. Maybe she likes being in charge. Kiki wonders if Ava thinks she’s worried about Ava stealing her boyfriend again. Ava says she thought she had a handle on things, but maybe she doesn’t. Kiki says she’s reinventing the gallery and has a wonderful man in her life. She battled despair, and has a great life to show for it. Ava asks how long before Griff meets someone whose face is intact and has no baggage? Kiki is surprised Ava thinks that’s the kind of man Griff is; the lack of confidence is unlike her. There’s a knock at the door. It’s Alexis, and Ava says she knows Julian is in prison, right? Kiki leaves, and Alexis asks to come in. Ava asks what it’s about, and Alexis says Julian is in trouble.

Jordan tells Carly that everyone wants to know which man has the rightful claim to be Jason, but there won’t be any advance notice. Carly says the longer it’s dragged out, the harder it is on everyone, especially Jake Doe. Jordan notes that Carly has already changed his name. Carly says he needs to see the results; it’s the only way he’ll accept the truth. Jordan says there are a lot of assumptions going around, and they’ll get the results when they get them. She tells them not to go running to Dante either. She doesn’t want the past or their relationship interfering with the case they’re building against Klein and his men. They need to find out who’s in charge, and she asks if Sonny knows. Sonny says Klein called the person in front of him, but it was a burner phone. He does know the call originated from Port Charles.

Real Jason says Sam finally has a little girl and Danny has a little sister. Sam says Danny is absolutely in love with her, and named her. He’d wanted a puppy to name Scout, but named the baby instead. She tells him about how the Quartermaines ended up with the dog, and he and Danny get in all kinds of trouble together. Real Jason says Carly told him, but he was kind of distracted. He tells her what matters is, she has two beautiful children and she’s happy.

Monica tells Other Jason that the groundskeeper said someone nosing around. He asks what if he was burglar, but she saw his motorcycle. He apologizes, and she says don’t; he’s always welcome there. He says she might change her mind when she hears what he has to say. She asks if it has anything to do with the man who dropped through the skylight, and Other Jason asks if they’ve met. She says no, and she’s glad, since she wouldn’t know what to do. Other Jason says he says he’s Jason. Monica asks what he says, and he tells her he’d never lie to her. She says he’s her son, and always will be. They hug, and Other Jason says, the thing is, he might be her son too.

Kiki asks David for his help.

Alexis tells Ava that Julian is in trouble, and Ava says what else is new? Alexis tells her that he’s alone with no one to back him up. Scotty alerted her to a certain faction being after him, and Ava says that happens in prison. Alexis wonders why she doesn’t seem to care. Ava says she tried to visit him twice, and he refused. He won’t take her calls or email, and won’t use the money she puts in the commissary for him. Alexis says he was beaten badly, and she needs to do something. She says Ava knows people who can help him. Ava asks with what, paintings and sculptures. Alexis says Ava isn’t exactly a law-abiding citizen, and had wanted to take over the organization. She can call in a favor. Ava says she has nothing; she left that life behind. Alexis is a lawyer, and better equipped to deal with it. Ava wonders if Alexis is worried she’ll send the wrong message – or the right one. She’s still in love with him.

Sonny tells Jordan that the voice was altered, but when Klein wanted help, his boss cut him loose, and said he’s on his own from now on. Jordan asks if Sonny is still in possession of the phone, and he says he’ll see if he can find it. She tells him it’s not a trophy; it’s evidence in the shootings and a murder. Carly says the chain of evidence has already been broken. The best they can hope for is to get more information, and build a case. Sonny wonders why he pays Diane when he has Carly. Carly says for all they know, the phone was misplaced. Sonny says he’ll look for it, and if he finds it, he’ll send it over asap. Jordan understands that it’s personal; some is screwing with their friends, but when Sonny goes it alone, people get killed.

Jordan leaves, and Carly asks Sonny if he’s sure the boss is in Port Charles, and if Real Jason knows. Sonny says he was there, and seems fine, better than he would be. Carly feels like she betrayed him. She forced Sonny to accept Jake Doe, like she forced Jake Doe to accept he was Jason, and it turned out not to be true. Sonny says whatever happened is still happening, and it’s not her fault. She feels worse for Jason and Jake Doe. Jason’s entire life was taken over by someone else, and Jake Doe is realizing his life was never his own.

Other Jason tells Monica about the twins, and how Heather took one baby, and placed the other with Betsy. Monica says Alan had a child he didn’t know about because of that gold digging tramp and her lunatic cousin. Other Jason says he’ll find answers, whatever they may be. Monica says she’ll do everything she can to help. He has to get back, since he told Sam that he was clearing his head. She tells him that she overheard what he was saying, but there is something there for him – his home and her. She kisses his hand.

Sam has no idea how two men can think they’re the same person, and neither does Real Jason. When he saw her and Other Jason together, he had no idea Other Jason thought he was Real Jason. He woke up in a clinic where they’d been drugging him, and he lost track of time. He was stuck in wheelchair, parked in front of a window where he sat for hours, thinking of how to escape, and get back to her and Danny. He’s glad Danny’s not Franco’s son, and will never have to deal with what Franco did. Real Jason says he would love him no matter what. In his heart Danny is theirs no matter what. He wanted to tell her that; he needed her to know.

Ava tells Alexis it’s nothing to be ashamed of. Alexis asks if Julian being targeted by jailhouse thugs concerns her at any level. She tells Ava to stop digging at her and care. Ava says there’s nothing she can do, and tells Alexis to toughen up and handle her own problems. Doesn’t she have a sponsor to help figure things out?

Sam asks how Real Jason got to Port Charles, and he says another patient at the clinic helped him – Ava Jerome. Sam says Ava is he aunt, and he says she told him her brother was Sam’s father. She asks if he knows anything about the Jeromes, but he says they were played out by the time Sonny took over. Sam explains that Julian met her mother at bar in New Hampshire when he was in college, and she was in high school. Alexis got pregnant in the back seat of a car, and years later, he came back. He was part of the witness protection program, and went by the name Derek Wells. He figured out that he was her father, and he and Alexis fell back in love, if you can call it that. Sam says he’s an abusive pig, and lied to Alexis and made her lie for him. He held a knife to her throat, and almost killed her. He’s in prison now for other crimes, but he broke her. She almost lost her career and started drinking. She’s in recovery, but will struggle for the rest of her life because of him. Real Jason says he’s sorry, and Sam says Alexis still loves him. It’s the kind of love that just is. You can’t stop feeling it, can’t deny it, and can’t shut it down. All you can do is choose not to act on it, and accept the reality that the person you’ll always love can’t be in your life. Scout fusses, and Sam asks him to tend to her while she gets whatever. He picks her up. You know what’s going to happen, right? He says he was almost her father.

Carly thinks they should contact Sam’s husband, and let him know what they know. Sonny says they need to bring him back in the loop, and Carly says he shouldn’t have been left out of it; it must be overwhelming. The both realize they haven’t talked to him since Sam was in the hospital. Carly wants to call him, but doesn’t know what to say. He thinks they stabbed him in the back. He might not be Jason, but he’s still their friend. Sonny says he’s always been loyal, and never done them wrong. They can’t abandon him,

Real Jason tells Scout about her big sister, Lila, who’s in heaven. He says she never got a chance to be in the world and do the cool things Scout will. Her mom never held her, but loved her, and so did he. Lila brought him and Sam together. She gave them a reason to be patient with each other, to understand and forgive and have a chance to fall in love – the kind of love that just is. Yep. Other Jason walks in and says get away from his daughter or he’s going to kill him.

Ava looks at the laptop and wonders what happened to the research/ A lightbulb comes on over her head, and she says, Kiki.

Kiki shows David and Griff the flash drive. She says obviously it’s over her head, and she wanted it reviewed without her mother around, so she didn’t feel pressured to tell her what she wants to hear. David says the research is sound, and it’s groundbreaking, but it’s untested. Kiki says it worked on her mom, and supposedly other people. Griff says they didn’t operate under any supervision, and there was no peer review. They don’t know what side effects might occur. David says they’re sympathetic, but can’t help. It basically amounts to voodoo, and no doctor in their right mind would get involved

Monica remembers saying that she had to let go of who she wanted her son to be, and love the man he’s become, and that she wants a relationship with her son.

Sam comes back from the kitchen, saying she was just getting a bottle. Other Jason says Real Jason will stay away from his family. Carly and Sonny show up, and Other Jason says their friend was just leaving. Sam says they can’t keep doing this.

Ava sees Griff, and asks if he’s seen Kiki. He asks if she’s looking for her daughter, or this, showing her the flash drive. Ava asks if Kiki told him what’s on it, and he says she showed it to David in hopes they could finish the work. She asks what the verdict is. He says they reviewed Klein’s notes. Neither of them are experts on the subject, but they agree that moving forward would be a bad idea. It’s a gamble for both the patient and the doctor. She says she doesn’t need any doctor, just the one she’s looking at – him.

On the phone, Alexis requests a visit with Olivia Jerome. She listens, then asks for her attorney, and says, contact Nora.

Sam tells everyone that Scout is at the Quartermaines, and they have to figure out way to deal. What they’re doing isn’t working. There’s a knock at the door. It’s Jordan, and she’s like, oh good, everyone is here. Other Jason asks why she’s there, and she says they ran separate DNA tests on both individuals claiming to be Jason Morgan. She has the results

Monica remembers Real Jason talking about when he woke up and things didn’t make sense. She tells him she loves him, and he says he loves her too. She touches Alan’s plaque, and says she could be on the verge of a miracle. She wishes he was around to witness it.

Other Whiny Jason tells Jordan they didn’t have his permission for a test. She says they didn’t need it. It’s a matter of public safety. They can’t have two guys running around saying they’re the same person. Sonny says they just want answers. She tells them they had the tests double-checked, and the test confirms Other Jason is Jason Morgan, and Real Jason is also a match. Everyone stares at her.

On Monday, Nora meets with Alexis, Maxie tells Lulu she has an idea to solve their problems, and Scotty asks Franco who the real Jason is.

Once Upon a Time

Today, Henry says the photograph is supposed to be a scene from his book, with Roni as the Evil Queen; he doctored the picture. Roni says Victoria is screwing with them. Jacinda blows in, but I get interrupted, and she blows out in the one and a half minutes I’m not listening. Henry is like what was that, and Roni says this is all the magic she’s got, and clinks beer bottles with him.

In the other realm, Henry teaches Cinderella about a torque wrench. A group of ruffians appears, and says, oh wow, look at the magic chariot. Henry figures they want to kill them, and take said chariot, and the head thug says he’s smarter than he looks. Henry says, too bad you’re not, and the fight starts. Regina appears, and says get away from her son, fireball at the ready, but he and Cinderella are doing fine for themselves. They win the fight, and Henry tells Regina they’re fine thanks to this, and shows her his lunchbox. She says she got it for him when he was ten, and here he is with a sword, motorcycle, and girl. He suggests she come along, but she says she’s busy. He doesn’t need his mother around all the time anymore, and obviously can take care of himself.

In Seattle, Ivy asks Victoria is she’s okay. She has a migraine. Ivy thinks maybe the flowers triggered it, and says she’ll remove them. She brings them to the secret room. The witch grabs them, saying she can’t wait. They have the tiniest seed of the magic required, but need fertile ground. She tells Ivy to be patient, and remember how they survive. Ivy closes her eyes, and imagines her mother’s destruction, which I guess is her happy place. The witch says Veronica isn’t the only one to be wary of. It might not have been wise to give Regina the photo. Ivy says by the end of the day, she won’t be a problem.

Henry shows Roni pictures of him on social media, having a drink with Ivy. That’s probably what Lucinda was in and out about. Lucy runs in, and wants to see the picture of Henry and Regina. She remembers reading the scene in his book, and says Roni is Regina. She adopted Henry in the real world in Boston. Roni says give it up; the picture is fake. Lucy says Henry never gave up, and she won’t either. Regina will break the curse. She just has to remember, and Lucy knows exactly how to do it.

Weaver is feeling better after getting shot, and wants to go back to work, but Rogers says the captain wants him to stick it out for a week. Weaver says he’ll deal with the captain, and tells Rogers to watch his phone. He might have errands for him. Rogers asks Tilly what Weaver does when he needs her help, and she says, buy her lunch.

As they walk down the street, Henry tells Roni that she’s been quiet since Lucy dropped the Regina bomb. She says she did try to adopt once, but at the last minute the agency thought she wasn’t a good fit. He says she seems like mom to a lot of people around there. She thinks that if they pretend to believe Lucy, it will stop her from being defensive. The sooner the fantasy fades, the sooner things will get better. Henry calls it Operation Heartbreak. They see the food truck, and Roni tells Henry to ask Lucina out – be charming and don’t slouch.

In the enchanted forest, Regina sees a hooded figure. The figure picks up a fancy box, and opens it. Tree branches come snaking out and she drops it. The branches get bigger, and it turns into a giant Venus flytrap, kind of like Audrey Jr. in Little Shop of Horrors, but prettier. It begins to envelop the figure, and Regina gets a fireball ready. She throws it at the flytrap and destroys it. She says be careful about strange magic. The figure removes its hood, and it’s Drizella. Regina says she should have let that thing eat her; she tried to kill her son. Drizella says she’s through doing things for her mother. Regina thought she was marrying the prince, but Drizella says that wasn’t her choice. She says she was born with magic, but never allowed to cultivate it. If she can’t use her own magic, she’ll use someone else’s. Regina understands. She also had a controlling mother. She says perhaps she can help, but Drizella doesn’t need to steal it. She can use the gift she was born with.

Ivy brings a mound of earth to the witch, who says she’s been under Victoria’s thumb for too long. She messes with the dirt and something grows out of it. It’s Groot! Not really. Ivy says it’s perfect, and the witch says it’s dangerous. Ivy says they’ll see if Regina is as powerful as she thinks she is, and puts pieces of it in a jar.

Jacinda works on the truck. Henry holds a boombox. He says last time he was single, mix tapes worked when he wanted to ask a girl out. She asks if he’s asking her out. He babbles about John Hughes movies, saying he feels the need to explain himself with her. He can’t stop thinking about her. She says he has seen a lot of John Hughes movies. She has a daughter, a business, and no time. He says he has nothing but, and if she gets some, he’d like to take her on a date. She says what about now? Mix tapes always work. He can help her with the truck. They both roll underneath it.

Roni finds Lucy. Lucy tells her when Henry needed magic the most, a book showed up for him, and when they touch it, they remember who they are. Roni says if she grabbed it, she’d remember being a queen? She’d love to believe it, and knows enough to know she doesn’t know everything. She suggests they prove this thing together. Lucy hugs her.

Regina gives Drizella magic lessons. Drizella thinks she’s wasting Regina’s time. Regina says she just needs the right motivation. Rocks start to fall from the mountain above them, and Drizella stops them. She didn’t think she could do it, or it was even possible. Regina says if she believes in herself, it is. She’s a lot like Regina was, but she didn’t have the right guide. Her power came from anger and hate. She did terrible things, and cast a dark curse. Drizella asks if she got what she wanted, and Regina says for a while, but she wanted the wrong things. The only thing that’s truly made her happy was her son Henry. Drizella wishes she had a mother like Regina. Don’t we all? says Rumpelstiltskin, who is suddenly on the scene.

Roni gives Weaver some booze as a get-well gift. She asks if he can find out if a woman applied to adopt a baby. Her name is Regina Mills. Weaver asks what would make him want to take this on? Roni says she’ll owe him one. He says they have a deal.

Tilly asks for a rematch while she and Rogers chat. She asks about Eloise Gardener. Rogers says she was a normal kid up until she disappeared. She was an amateur poet; fearless, but something spooked her. He shows Tilly the rune in the journal. He says all that matters is that she disappeared. Tilly says take a good look at the board. What pieces doesn’t he have? What does he need to pay attention to, to find himself on a different path that leads to Eloise?

Weaver goes to Roni’s, and tells her there was a Regina Mills who adopted a baby boy in Boston. She says that’s impossible; she didn’t think it was going to work. Weaver wonders why she’d ask for help, and she says she wanted information, not to be interrogated. He gives her an envelope with all the information, saying what are friends for if not favors? She owes him one.

Regina tells Rumpel that all those years went by in the blink of an eye for them, and he lived a lifetime with Belle. He says they lived a good life; she made him a new man. He’s finally ready to pass on the path of the Dark One the right way. He says change is inevitable. Regina says tell her about it; her son no longer needs her. He asks about Drizella, and she says Drizella has raw talent. She needs to get on the right path, and stand up to her mother. Rumpel wonders why Lady Tremaine would want Drizella to learn magic.

Drizella looks in a mirror and sees her mother standing over Anastasia. Lady Tremaine reaches in and takes out Anastasia’s heart. Regina says she’s practicing for waking her up. She nearly ripped out her son’s heart. The only way to wake her is to replace her heart, and Drizella thinks it’s going to be her who provides the replacement. She always knew her mother loved Anastasia more, but didn’t realize how much until now. She says she’ll never be free. Regina says she’ll help; she can protect her heart. Drizella asks Regina to help her kill her mother. Regina says she can’t let her go down that dark path. Drizella says she thought Regina cared, and Regina tells her that’s why she’s saying no. Drizella says that sounds like what her mother told her, and if she’s not going to help, she knows a prince who will.

Rogers looks at the paperwork of the dude with the rune tattoo. He goes to his house. When there’s no answer, he looks through the window, and sees the guy lying on the floor. He breaks in.

Roni looks at the adoption papers; She writes Regina Mills, and compares it to the signature. They look the same.

Lady Tremaine is hovering over Anastasia, and Drizella comes in, dragging along Prince Gregory. He says he won’t let her harm his bride, and suddenly freezes. Regina appears, saying she doesn’t want to do this. Drizella says she tried to get her mother to love her, but she’s never going to. Regina tells her not to kill Lady Tremaine, but Drizella says she didn’t bring Gregory to kill her. She opens the fancy box, and the tree thing pops out, spearing Gregory. Drizella says she’s giving her mother what she wants. Regina asks her what she’s done. What is she so afraid of that’s turned her heart black?

Drizella tells her mother she failed. Lady Tremaine asks if she wants congratulations, and Drizella says she wants her to suffer. She threatens a dark curse, and Regina tells her a curse is never worth the cost. Drizella is going to transport her mother to another realm, and plant the seed of pain in her life. It will start small, but it will grow until everything she sees, every breath is pain. Regina tries to get her to listen. She wanted to help, but she’ll do whatever it takes to stop her. Heroes can always break curses. Drizella says then she’ll make hers unbreakable, and thanks Regina for the final lesson. She disappears, poof! in a cloud of purple smoke.

Ivy goes to Roni’s, insisting they have a top-shelf drink. Roni says what she found out had better be good. Ivy says it’s about what Roni found. She needed Roni to go on an adventure. What if Henry’s fairytales were true? Roni asks if Ivy put something in her drink. She starts to remember Storybrooke, and she’s like, omg. Ivy says, welcome back, Regina.

Roni says, Drizella, and Drizella asks if she missed her. She tells Roni she has no magic yet. It was just enough to wake her up. Henry calls, but Drizella says she wouldn’t answer yet. Roni is foggy, and Drizella tells her to give it a minute. It all starts coming back. Drizella reminds her that she said she’d make her curse hero-proof. She tells Regina to remember what she did before the curse, and why she can’t allow it to be broken. If it is, something very bad happens to the people she loves. She should be proud; the student surpassed the master, the sign of a great teacher. Roni asks if she wants a gold star or did she wake her to gloat. Drizella says she needs help. She’s on the verge of showing her mother what true suffering is, and she can’t break the curse now. Roni says, Cinderella, and Drizella tells her to do whatever it takes to stop true love’s kiss from happening. It shouldn’t be too hard for the Evil Queen. Breaking hearts is what she’s best at. Drizella leaves, and Roni cries.

Regina tells Henry that she came to help him. She thought he needed it, but he’s not kid anymore. He left Storybrooke, and can fight his own battles, and he has Ella. Henry says he still needs her. He can take care of bullies and brigands, but will always need her. She says she needs him. Living in Storybrooke without him isn’t worth anything. Whatever else she’s supposed to do with her life, she’s his mother first. She hugs him.

Sitting on a bench, Roni looks at the picture of her and Henry. Henry joins her, and says she’ll be happy to know things with Jacinda went well. They’re going to see where it goes. He asks how things are going with Lucy, and Roni thinks maybe it would help if she knew more about him, like his mother’s name. He says he was born in prison, just like his character, but he was never adopted; he grew up in the system, like Emma in his book. It used to bother him that no one liked he book, but he thinks he wrote it for himself. He dreamt of having a mother, and found a way to get her. Roni says she’s glad they’re getting to know each other, and Henry says he is too.

Next time, a two-hour episode, Rapunzel gets tangled up in the story, a trip to Wonderland, an astounding revelation, and Roni confronts Weaver about Rumpel.

Z Nation

A service is held for Lucy. She’s on a funeral pyre, her body covered, wearing a crown of flowers. Murphy say he’s sorry. Doc says they loved her from the moment she clawed her way into this world. She wove her way in and out of their journey, and was a bright spot in world of darkness; freaky, but a bright spot. In the short time she was alive, she damn near saved world. As another doctor once said, let’s not cry because she’s’ gone, but smile because she was here. 10K lights the pyre. Zombies throw themselves on it.

They stop on the road. Doc wonders what stinks. It smells like old French fries and zombie fish sticks. Roberta tells him it’s grease for fuel, and they’re lucky to have it. Murphy says they’ve got company, and a lone zombie ambles toward them. Murphy starts walking. Roberta tells Doc that he has something to work out. He whacks it, and keeps on whacking. Then he stomps on it.

They hear someone yelling for help. Roberta says keep going, but Murphy wants to stop. A sign says Mystery Hill Carnival, but the Carnival is changed to Carnevil.  Roberta tells Murphy to never get tout of the boat, but he wants to kill some bad guys. She says no good can come of this, and he says no good comes from anything.

Doc say it’s the world’s saddest carnival. Zombies grapple at the bottom of Ferris wheel, and a woman is tied to one of the seats. Doc says it’s not the zombies that make the apocalypse suck, it’s the people. The woman says they tied her there and left her for the Z’s. The zombies clamor at the fence; they’re wearing clown greasepaint. Doc distracts them, calling them over to car. Murphy works to get the woman down. Doc locks the zombies in the car, telling them hands and teeth inside the ride at all times. A stray zombie nearly gets Doc, but Murphy stabs it through the neck. The woman asks if they’re done playing around.

Roberta says she’ll live, and she wants to get back on the road. Murphy wants to know what happened. They can hear people inside the building. The woman babbles, and Murphy says he’s putting a stop to it. Roberta tells him it won’t bring Lucy back, or Red, or any of the others. 10k thinks Murphy is right, and follows. Doc thinks they’ll need help, and leaves too.

It’s a pretty ratty looking place. Doc sees a giant mushroom, and is glad 10K sees it too; he thought he was having flashbacks. Lily tells Roberta that Murphy has PZT, Post Zombie Trauma, bad. She says she’s not going in there. If she does, she’ll become a part of it, and she doesn’t want to. The woman carries on, asking if they have any Zagnuts, and saying she’s thirsty. Doc says it sounds like a lot of people in there, and Murphy says the more, the better. Roberta has joined them, and says it’s not their fight. She wants them to go, but Murphy says the apocalypse isn’t an excuse. She says those are humans, and even if they’re bad, there aren’t many left. The woman gripes to lily, and says she keeps the party going. She reminisces about good times, as Lily bandages her arm. She tells a long story, and it’s like when a drunk person tells a story and it’s only funny to them.

Murphy sees a couple of guys in makeup, and says it’s mad Z’s. 10K says, it’s not mad Z’s; it’s mad clowns. Doc tells them it could be worse. They could be mimes. The two guys are teasing a zombie they have buried up to its neck, reminding me of Motel Hell (highly recommended – It takes all kinds of critters to make Farmer Vincent’s fritters).

Lily asks what’s with the circus crap, and the woman explains that they wanted to form their own posse, like their heroes, the Juggalos, except they wanted their own thing, and call themselves the Zuggalos. She says they’re all family, and family always comes back. They’re better together. She suddenly doesn’t feel well, and wants her medicine from inside. Lily finds out it’s oxy the woman wants. She’d thought they ran out of that years ago, but the woman says they recycled it. They’re all so full of drugs, they filter their urine, dry it out, and snort it. It’s called Z-Wack. She asks Lily if she parties, but Lily says no; the apocalypse numbs her brain enough. The woman accuses Lily of thinking she’s better than they are, and then invites Lily in, saying they have Zagnuts and Fritos. And music, because life ain’t worth livin’ without it. They also have solar power. King knows how to work all that, but she’s going to kill him for disrespecting her. She tells Lily she’s just messing with her, but she’ll mess him up for sure.

Murphy says he’s seen enough, and stomps over to the men. Roberta tries to stop him, but the clowns notice, and one shoots at them. Murphy pushes Roberta out of the way, and goes after them with his cane sword. Roberta sees the landscape in her mind. She tells Murphy don’t do this, but it’s too late. Clowns come out of everywhere, with guns drawn. They’re not like regular circus clowns, but weird. And not weird like Pennywise, but more like Insane Clown Posse or Twisty.

King welcomes them to his humble home, and Dark Carnival of Mayhem. He says let the games begin, and Doc don’t think he means parcheesi. 10K is put on the Wheel of Sudden Death, and a guy throws a knife at him. He hits the clown spinning the wheel, and they both laugh. Alrighty then. Doc is getting balls thrown at his head, which is through a hole photo board picture. King announces they also have high tech torture, and we see Murphy in some kind of high voltage booth. They shock him, and King says it’s set to wussy and not even cranked up yet. Roberta plays a “drink for your life” game with King, where he asks her obscure music questions. If she’s wrong, she has to drink, and Murphy gets shocked. To everyone’s surprise, she gets the first question right. The next one is a trick question, and she gets a right answer, but not the right answer.

The woman asks Lily how long they’re waiting, and what if they don’t come back? They’re in a house full of knuckleheads on drugs. She notes how quiet it is, and says that’s when you worry. Someone yells, and she says that’s better. Lily tells her stay put; they tried to kill her. She says all the more reason she shouldn’t be left alone. Lily says to stick close and be quiet.

Everyone watches the drinking game. Doc gets himself free.

Roberta knows some rap lyrics, and they all get crazy.

A zombie grabs the woman. Lily incapacitates it, and the woman beats its head in. She says it was a friend of hers, and takes its weapon.

Doc wanders into an unfinished part of the house, and one of the clowns sees him. Doc gets backed into a corner. He sees a gun on the floor, and grabs it. He shoots, and a flag that says, Bang! pops out. That was pretty funny. The clown disappears, and Doc continues on, but it drops down from the ceiling behind him. He makes a run for Doc, who steps aside, and the clown goes out the window.

King and Roberta have a rap battle. Lily looks in the window, and tells the woman what’s happening inside. She wants to go in, and Lily tries to stop her, but is unsuccessful. Doc frees 10K, who tells him that Roberta is kicking King’s ass at the mic. King calls Roberta his Zuggalo queen, and the clowns start chanting, wedding, and then, Warren. They all raise their cups, and Murphy chants along with them. Doc asks 10K if he wants to crash a wedding. A clown with a gun stops them, and he says they’re with the bride.

Everyone is in greasepaint, and a clown with a top hat performs the eternal bonds of unholy matrimony. When they get to the “forever hold your peace” part, everyone looks at Murphy. The clown officiant says they’ve shared beats and their two lives are coming together to celebrate in grand family tradition, before God, the devil, and men. He says they’ll be sharing in the blood rite, the ceremonial exchange of pinkies, and later, a sharing of the bride. The woman shoots the officiant, and Lily is like, whoa. The woman looks at Roberta, and says she’s beautiful. Her baby is getting married. King says, aw, mom. The woman holds her gun on Lily.

The woman asks what kind of son he is. She breastfed him until he was five, and this is how he treats her? King says they were just messing around. They were going to get her down. She tells him just because he’s playing king doesn’t mean he is. He whines that she’s never there for him, and she says he’s the center of her universe. Murphy tries to give them advice, and gets zapped. The woman says his daddy would have wanted him to respect his momma, and King suggests they ask him. A decrepit zombie is wheeled out. The woman complains that King was getting married without inviting either one of them. She tries to touch him, and he snaps at her.

King asks if he should be head of the he’s ready to become king clown and run the clan; a grunt for yes, and nothing for no. It’s a yes, and the woman asks if she should run the clan, and there’s silence. She goes nuts, and jumps on King’s back. He flips her onto a table. He says he knew she’d like Roberta, and she breaks a glass jar over his head. While they’re wrestling, Murphy escapes his shackles. King pins down his mother, and says he hates her. She says she never wanted him, and he asks if she can’t be a normal mom for once. Because they’re wearing metal, Murphy is able to shock them. He tells King to stop trying to kill his mom; it’s hard being a parent today. King says she tried to kill him, and Murphy says she cares about him, but she’s conflicted. He was selfish prick, and when his daughter was born, he wanted something for someone else. His little girl is gone, but they still have each other; don’t mess it up. King says it’s her fault. Murphy says to stop putting up walls, and listen to her. The woman says that’s the problem; he doesn’t listen. Murphy zaps them.

Murphy says she needs to see King for who he is; he’s not a little boy any more. At least she got to see him grow up. He never got to see Lucy grow up. He never saw her for who she was. And she’d needed him to see that. Her son needs her to see that. The woman says if he doesn’t get his clown ass of her back, she’ll beat him. Murphy shocks them good. Roberta whacks a wandering clown with a chair. King is able to get up, but his mom is down for the count. No, wait, she’s up as a zombie.

Chaos starts to happen, as clowns turn into zombies. Murphy says this is bad, even for them. Roberta says it’s time to GTFO.

King limps outside, and gets in the car full of zombies. Oh well.

The gang gets back to their truck. Roberta tells Murphy he was right. He says, about what, and she says about Lucy. What happened was her fault. She doesn’t know what they’re doing. These visions, or whatever she’s having, are leading them nowhere, and she still doesn’t know what it means. She can’t have anyone following her until she figures it out. They’re heading to Newmerica.

Next time, zombie nuns and a zombie bishop – Doc prays for a miracle.

Quotes of the Week

Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns. – George Eliot (Me too!)

Do the scary thing first, and get scared later. – Lemony Snicket

People generally see what they look for, and hear what they listen for.Harper Lee

All that pleases is but for a moment. All that troubles is but for a moment. That only is important which is eternal. – carved above the arches at the entrance to the Milan Cathedral

Milan-Cathedral4-740x490

Milan Cathedral

November 9, 2017 – Ava Receives a Gift, Some Notes & Unplugged Rebecca

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What I Watched Today

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

 

 

General Hospital

Valentin asks how Nelle proposes to destroy his marriage. She shows him the photo she took of Cassandra kissing him.

Nina, wearing another fabulous (grey) dress, tells Maxie the article is ready for publication. Cassandra shows up at the Crimson offices. She apologizes for the interruption. Nina asks how Cassandra tracked her down, and she says she can be resourceful when it’s important.

Kiki visits Ava. She saw moving van at the gallery, and tells Ava that she can’t sell; artists depend on her. Ava says she’s not selling; she’s reopening.

Josslyn tells Oscar that her mom’s best friend just showed up, and someone else using his identity. It’s a huge mess. Oscar shows her a CD he found that he thinks might be a connection to his father.

Sonny tells Klein to answer the phone. Keep them on the line, and set up a meeting. The voice is altered, so we can’t even guess who it is. His mystery boss asks how he made bail, and Klein says the charges were dropped. He needs to fill the boss in on some things, and they need to meet face to face.

Other Jason comes home. He tells Sam that they need to talk about security for Danny. The man claiming to be him might want to get to his kids. Sam says he saved her life, and she doesn’t think he’s a threat. Other Jason says he’s claiming to be him, and trying to take over his life. It’s working, since Sonny and Carly believe, him and he’s starting to think Sam does too.

Klein says he needs to update the boss on Patient 6, but it needs to be face to face. He tells the boss he needs a fresh start, and the boss says he’s on his own. Klein tells Sonny that he tried, and asks what Sonny is going to do with him. Sonny asks Jason what they should do with the guy who drugged him, kept him prisoner, and kept him away from his family?

Sam tells Other Jason to take a step back. It’s confusing. The new guy has the same face Other Jason used to, and she has mixed feelings. He says he knows, and he’s sorry. He doesn’t want to make it harder for her. Sam tells him one thing she’s clear on is that she loves him. He says she still won’t answer the question if she thinks he’s an impostor. She says they have a beautiful life with two beautiful kids. He asks if she knows he’s Danny’s father, and she says of course, and Jake’s. He’s still himself, but she doesn’t think the other guy is a threat; he saved her. Other Jason says he doesn’t get points for that. It was a set up, and she’s playing into it by giving him sympathy. Sam doesn’t buy that, but Other Jason says she might give him the benefit of the doubt, but he doesn’t. He tells her that he went to get information about his alleged twin from the person who started it = Betsy. Sam asks what she said.

Oscar tells Josslyn that he found the CD mixed in with the ones they take on trips. The date on it is 2003, like the letter. Maybe this is the gift his father was talking about, and it holds a secret message. He doesn’t have a CD player, and neither does Josslyn, but she knows where they can find one.

Cassandra tells Nina that she had no idea she was editor and chief of one of her favorite magazines. Since the offices were right there where she’s staying, she thought she’d ask Nina to lunch. She has a million questions about Crimson.

Valentin tells Nelle that she’s very resourceful; capturing a brief moment in a public place. She says the opportunity presented itself, and she’ll keep it to herself if she gets a raise, unless he wants to give her something to tide her over until the end of the year. He says it’s blackmail, and she says if he wants to see it that way. Valentin says she has a compromising photo and she’s asking him for money; that’s a basic definition of blackmail. Nelle says Nina’s been a great boss, but left her no choice. Valentin tells her that he never liked her; she’s always lacked sincerity. He tolerated her, but knew she’d eventually pull something. He says it’s a mistake to threaten him. She asks what he’s going to do? Kill her?

Nina tells Cassandra it sounds tempting, but she has a deadline. Cassandra looks at the photo on Nina’s desk and says it’s a beautiful family picture; a picture-perfect life. Her husband is a lucky man. Nina asks if Cassandra has anyone special. She says not at the moment, but hope springs eternal. Nina asks for a raincheck.

Valentin says he could make Nelle disappear. No one would know, and no one would care, but the last one she talked to would be the first one questioned. He doesn’t need the aggravation. She asks what he wants to do. He says he doesn’t care, and tells her to do what she wants. Nelle asks if he doesn’t care if he hurts his wife, and he says he won’t be; she will. He says he warned her before not to cross him. She says he doesn’t scare her, and he tells her she’s not as bright as she thinks she is.

Sam isn’t so sure Betsy is a reliable source, but if anyone can get something out of her, Other Jason can. He says she wasn’t there, and a “for rent” sign was on the lawn. She cleared out. He asks the neighbors and the landlady, but no one knows where she went. He’s hoping Curtis can find out. He asks if Sam has talked to Carly or Sonny, and she says no. He says he hasn’t spoken to Carly since yesterday at the hospital, and hasn’t spoken to Sonny since the whole mess started. He’s suddenly nobody to them. I don’t like this whiny Jason.

Klein tells Sonny and Real Jason that he and the boss never met face to face. Sonny says there are consequences for his actions that Klein needs to account for. He takes the phone, and says he’s taking it to Brick. Real Jason can decide what he wants to do with Klein. When Sonny is gone, Klein says he knows Real Jason wants to kill him, and asks if there’s some way his life can be spared. Real Jason says, maybe.

Josslyn and Oscar come into Pizzulo’s. Josslyn tells Sonny they need his help.

Nelle gets back to the office and takes out her phone. Nina asks to see her. She doesn’t understand why it took so long to get coffee. The marketing department is waiting, and so is the printing company, and where’s her coffee? Nelle didn’t just bring back empty cups, she brought back no cups. Nelle says she’s sorry. She knows how happy Nina is, and doesn’t want to have to do this. She starts babbling about how Nina wanted her to follow Valentin a while ago. She says she believed everything was fine, and Nina asks if this is about Anna. Nelle says it’s someone else, repeating that she didn’t want to have to do this. She shows Nina the photo of Valentin and Cassandra.

Valentin runs into Cassandra at the MetroCourt. He tells her that he’s not eager to spotlight them doing business together. He says he’s only in it for the money, and there will be no more displays of affection in public or otherwise. She says she respects his wife too much for that.

Kiki asks Ava about Griff, and Ava says they’re figuring it out. They’ve even gone on dates in public; it’s more than just sex. Kiki thinks it’s great. Ava is out in world, bringing the gallery back, and has a wonderful man in her life. it’s a new start. Ava isn’t so sure.

Real Jason tells Klein there’s a woman who helped him, and the work on her wasn’t finished. Klein says he wanted to; he could have restored her face totally. Real Jason says then do it. Klein says it’s a special method; it’s unique. Real Jason says there must be a record; access it. Klein says he can’t just give it away. It’s worth millions, maybe billions. Real Jason asks how much his life is worth?

Josslyn tells Sonny she was talking to Oscar about how they used to hang out at the restaurant, listening to music. She says Oscar is into jazz and classical. Sonny thinks that’s cool, but he’s busy right now. Josslyn says they just need to borrow the CD player. Sonny asks what they need it for. Um… to play CDs?

Other Jason says before this fraud showed up, he’d built a brand new life. Sam says nothing has changed; they still have a future. She tells him, we’re still us.  He asks about picking up the kids from Quartermaines, and if anybody asked about the other guy. She tells him no, and he asks if Danny said anything about the guy in the hospital room.

Kiki asks why she could start over, seeing how far she’s come. Ava says she can make over the gallery, but she can’t make over her face. She’s grateful for the improvement, but it’s not a complete retoration. She knows it’s shallow, and Griff says she doesn’t need it, but she does. Kiki says her beauty doesn’t define her, but Ava says that’s easy for her to say; she’s perfect.

Klein tells Real Jason if Ava goes back to Russia, he’ll finish. Real Jason says it’s not a negotiation. Give him the formula, and he’ll decide. Klein says he can give him complete access to the files; he’ll put them on a flash drive. Then can he go?

Sonny brings out the boombox. Josslyn tells him that they’re working on a research project, and they’re almost done. They had to pick a year and learn everything about it. She says the library had a CD of music from the year they picked. Sonny asks what year, and Oscar starts talking about what a cool place Pizzulo’s is. Josslyn says they’ve taken up enough of Sonny’s time, and grabs the boombox. Sonny tells them good luck with their project.

Sam tells Other Jason that she told Danny she hadn’t been expecting Real Jason. It was a surprise, and she didn’t know where he’d been. He wanted to know if Other Jason was mad, but she said he was just worried about mommy being sick. She tells him everything is going to be okay. Other Jason says he was blindsided, and knows it must have been jarring for her. He wished she’d handled it differently. There’s a guy walking around with his old face, thinking he has a claim to his life, and it’s no coincidence. He says he was good enough to fool Carly and Sonny, so he’s being coached. This means there’s an agenda. He’s dangerous, and Other Jason feels like only he sees it.

Valentin tells Cassandra that she was supposed to leave his wife and child out of it. Cassandra says she told him they’d be safe as long as he cooperates. She likes Nina, and would like to have a friend in town. Valentin tells her back off or no deal.

Nina says she was just here, and Nelle asks if Cassandra is a friend of hers. Nina says Cassandra is playing her. Nina notices the picture was taken weeks ago. Nelle says she was waiting for the right time to tell her, and Nina says no, she was waiting for the right time to use it. It was taken a month ago, and Nelle shows it to her on the day she asked for a raise. She asks if Nelle is trying to blackmail Valentin, and what did he say? Nelle insists she’s just trying to help; Nina had asked her to before. Nina thinks Nelle thought she would be so grateful, she’d give her a raise. Nina says she’s been an amazing friend to Nelle. She employed Nelle, even though Bobbie and Carly said don’t do it. She trusted Nelle with Charlotte and the magazine. She’s fired. She’s getting rid of an opportunist. Nelle says she’ll regret it, and Nina tells her to get out, and take the picture. Nelle grabs her phone and stomps out, slamming the door.

Valentin hears a crash coming from Nina’s office. He opens the door, and Nina is throwing things. She just misses him. he says she must have seen the picture of him and Cassandra. Nina says she knows her as Cassie; she’d been chatting her and Charlotte up. He says that never should have happened. Nina can’t believe she’s in this situation with him again, but Valentin says Cassandra is a business associate; they made money together. She was an associate in bed too, but it was a long time ago, and there was never any emotional attachment. Nina asks why she’s in town, and why she’s pretending she doesn’t know him?

Let’s talk about Ava’s blouse for a moment. Usually, I love everything she wears, but this is just a no. The material is that shiny, silky stuff that doesn’t photograph well at all, and it looks like she’s wearing a cartoon blouse. Now that it’s out of my system, Kiki talks about not seeing Dillon very often, and Ava tells her not to make the mistakes she has when comes to men. Kiki says Ava isn’t doing badly. Griff left the priesthood for her; that’s powerful love. Ava says it’s a little soon for that word, and Kiki suggests intense feelings. She wishes Ava could find way to stop worrying about her looks and trust it.

Klein gives Real Jason the flash drive. He says a lay person won’t understand it, but a good doctor can decipher it. He gave Real Jason what he wanted. Real Jason plays with him, saying he could kill him if he wanted. Sonny comes back, saying there’s no word from brick yet. Real Jason tells Sonny he got what he needed, so Sonny can do what he wants with Klein. He paid Klein’s bail, so he gets to decide. Real Jason leaves, and Klein says, now what? Sonny says he’ll wait and see if he can find a use for him

Oscar thinks maybe the CD was a recording from his dad to his mom. Josslyn asks if he thinks the songs have meaning. He says they’re not exactly happily ever after. They’re about people afraid to lose each other, and have a short amount of time. It’s sad. Josslyn doesn’t get it. Why break up? She wonders what got in their way.

Sam says Other Jason is right. For whatever reason, it’s a set-up, but she doesn’t think the other guy played a part. Other Jason asks based on what? How can he not be a part of it? She doesn’t have answers any more than he does. She keeps going around and around. He wonders what if the death certificate was faked, and what if he’s a twin? What if his twin was recruited to infiltrate his life, and to what end? Sam thinks there’s no point in speculating. The other guy is at the station, and they’ll probably do a DNA test. Other Jason will just have to wait. He says it’s not one of his virtues. He thinks he should go for a ride and clear his head. Sam would love to join him, but Scout is napping. He says he’ll see her when he gets back.

Valentin tells Nina that Cassandra is being treated by Finn. She reached out to him, but it’s nothing like with Anna and Alex. He knew her after his surgery, and he was a different man; not like he is now. He says they’re not kids. They have pasts and exes. Cassandra is just passing through. Nina tells him to look at her and swear nothing is going on. He says he can’t do that. Something is going on.

As Kiki is leaving, she finds an envelope for Ava. There’s a note that says, in case you want this, along with the flash drive. Ava has no clue what’s on it, and Kiki suggests they plug it in; Dillon can wait. She sees it’s notes with Klein’s name on them, and Ava says that’s the doctor who treated her. Kiki opens the file. Ava says it looks like hieroglyphics and mathematical equations. Kiki recognizes a few things, and thinks it’s the notes on how to treat her burn scars. She’s not positive, but what else could it be?

Sonny thanks Brick, and tells Klein he’s out of there. He has no use for him, and has things to take care of. His people always come through for him, and Klein had better get out while he can. Klein asks why, and Sonny says he didn’t get an exact location, but his client is somewhere in Port Charles.

Josslyn says the last song was about the sea, and Oscars parents met by the sea. He says they’re no closer to finding his dad. He says the songs were downers, and wonders what it would have been like if they’d stayed together.

There’s a knock at Sam’s door. It’s Real Jason. They stare at each other.

Tomorrow, Alexis tells Ava that Julian is in trouble, Kiki needs David’s help, and Monica tells Other Jason that he’ll always be her son.

🏯 I’m half-watching Million Dollar Listing LA. I like it, but it’s all fabulous houses, fabulous lives, rinse, repeat. Madison is back, a female agent has joined the cast, and Josh Flagg is getting married, so it might be worth tuning in for that. The NY version is more fun for me, since I actually know the territory. It also annoys me that there are two Joshes in LA, and I consistently mix them up, even though they’re nothing alike. They’re both short too, which doesn’t help.

💍 I’m almost done with my 90 Day Fiancé  dissertation. I want to make sure I do it justice. Watching this franchise is second only to watching Hoarders or the interchangeable Hoarding: Buried Alive.

💌 Sage Advice…

Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you.Anne Lamott

🎧 Friday Unplugged…

 

 

😐 …who is that guy kind of dancing on the edge…?

November 8, 2017 – Jason is Sprung (Again), Teresa Goes to Puerto Rico, Brody is a Snake & The Greatest

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What I Watched Today

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

 

 

General Hospital

Finn tells Chet that his vitals are better. It’s like he improved overnight. He congratulates Chet on surviving, saying it’s a good day to be alive.

Nathan shows up at the hospital, and Amy asks if he’s going to arrest her brother.

Anna finds Valentin sitting on her couch, and asks if he’s making a habit of breaking in now. He tells her that he wants to help bring Cassandra down.

Maxie babbles at Nina, saying if Nina doesn’t like the article, she can start over from a different angle. Nina says it’s great. Maxie asks if it’s not a problem that she embellished, and made herself the inspiration. She doesn’t want to contribute to fake news. Nina says it’s not like the fate of the nation is hanging in the balance. She’s is impressed that Maxie sounds like the uber confident and uber supportive wife of Man Landers, and she made Nathan out to be amazing. Job well done.

Nelle walks into the Crimson office, and her phone rings. It’s a notice that her account is past due. Maxie is glad to see her, and says they need to get to work.

On the phone, Carly tells Sonny that Diane is seeing the judge. She says Diane will convince them that Real Jason had a reasonable belief that Franco was a threat. She doesn’t think they’ll drop the charges, but he’ll get bail. Sonny says the most important thing is to get him out. Carly adds, and back to his life. At Pizzulo’s, Sonny tells Michael about Diane working on getting Real Jason released. Michael asks if he’s sure it’s Jason.

At the jail, Real Jason stares at Klein. Klein asks what he’s waiting for, and Real Jason says answers. Klein doesn’t have any. There’s been no name attached to anything. Real Jason can’t find his client. Real Jason says yes, he can, and Klein is going to help him.

Valentin tells Anna that he changed his mind. He’s decided to take her offer. He thinks there’s no better way to bring down Cassandra’s operation than from the inside. Anna asks what changed. The last time she saw him, he threatened to expose her. He says he went home and thought about it, and is concerned about protecting his daughter. He wouldn’t wish this on anyone, and he’ll be damned if Cassandra is going to profit from it too. Anna thinks that’s too altruistic to be his motive, and asks what Cassandra did.

Finn tells Chet he’s in Port Charles at General Hospital. Chet asks if they’re done, and Finn says he’s not dying of pneumonia. Chet starts to pull out the IV, but Finn asks him not to. Not only will he have to clean up a mess, Chet isn’t done with the antibiotics. Chet asks why he cares, and Finn says Chet’s not only his patient, but he’s Amy’s brother. Chet doesn’t want to see her, and Finn says she’s been wearing a hole in the linoleum. Chet will have to break it to her himself. Finn says to be honest, he’s afraid of her.

Amy tells Nathan that Chet is the person who OD’d. Somewhere between the rehab center and Port Charles, he got his hands on some painkillers. She had no idea he was addicted. She tells Nathan that he’s been through surgery after surgery with combat wounds; he must be in so much pain. Nathan hugs her.

Maxie tells Nelle that she’s heard a lot about her from Lulu, and Nelle sarcastically says Lulu has always been so kind to her. She’s heard about Maxie too, and they’ve both been the subject of public gossip. Nelle thinks it’s best they don’t believe anything they’ve heard. Maxie asks if it’s true Nelle was a nanny, and Nelle says she also has experience as an executive assistant. Maxie is glad about that, since she’ll be needing Nelle. She’s going to be sharing the space until her office is ready. She tells Nelle to start with hanging up her coat. Nelle goes into Nina’s office, and Nina tells her that she needs Maxie working out there, and there must be a productive way they can coexist. Nelle says that’s not what this is about. She needs a raise.

Sonny tells Michael he should go see Real Jason for himself. Michael says he tried to visit him, but he’d been released already, but he’s back in jail again? Sonny says he beat the hell out of Franco. Michael questions Sonny believing that he’s Real Jason, but Sonny says once he sees him, he’ll know it’s him. Michael is disturbed that Sam married an impostor. Sonny tells him it’s more complicated than that. It’s a set-up. Someone put him in Jason’s place, and now Sam’s husband is trying to hold onto a life that doesn’t belong to him.

Real Jason gets it; it was a job, but the job went wrong. If Klein doesn’t want to take the fall, tell him who’s behind it. Klein doesn’t think Real Jason is in any position to be making ultimatums, but Real Jason says he has friends. A guard comes in, saying Klein made bail. Klein asks who paid it, and the guard asks if he’s particular. Klein says all that matters is he’s free and Real Jason isn’t. Carly comes in and tells Real Jason they’ve got to stop meeting like this.

Nelle tells Nina that she knows Nina said she’ll have to wait, but she’s been an exemplary employee; she spent time in a Moroccan jail for the magazine. It’s embarrassing, but she’s strapped. Nina thought she was getting a roommate, but Nelle says it fell through at the last minute, and although she’s staying in the apartment, she couldn’t get her deposit back from the movers. She’d expected to be sharing expenses, and the holidays are coming up. Nina says Nelle has been perfect and invaluable, but it’s hard with the whole takeover. Crimson has creative autonomy, but financially, they’re still on hold. If she could, she would, but she thinks Nelle will find what she wants in her Christmas stocking. She asks Nelle to go for coffee, and when she gets back, wants her to look at Maxie’s article. Nelle sees that Maxie’s stuff is still all over her desk, and Maxie asks her to bring back a mocha latte with soy and a dusting of cinnamon. Can we collectively smack her?

Sonny says Michael will feel better when sees Real Jason. Michael says if it is Jason, what is he going to say? He was like a second father, a brother, a friend. How can he look him in the face and explain how he thought another guy was him? Sonny says, since he’s Jason, Michael doesn’t need to say anything. There’s nothing to forgive. Michael wonders how he can justify it to Jason or himself.

Real Jason tells Carly that he wasn’t crazy; he was justified. He doesn’t care about Franco having a brain tumor. He just cares about who Franco hurt. Carly gets it, and says his hatred for Franco is a beautiful thing, but Franco is reformed, or at least pretending to be. He’s not going to hurt anyone. Real Jason needs to focus on himself, get out of there, and get his life back.

Valentin tells Anna he’s giving her what she wants; why the resistance? Anna says she’s not just bringing Cassandra down, but the whole operation. She has to trust and rely on him. His motive could be his greatest asset or his biggest liability. She asks if it’s a personal vendetta or what? Valentin gets a call, and steps away. It’s Klein. He says he thought Klein was indisposed, but Klein says that’s no longer the case. He’s calling to thank Valentin for his generosity in posting bail. Valentin says it wasn’t him, and don’t call him again. As he’s hanging up, he hears Klein say, hey, let go of me.

Amy thanks Nathan for the shoulder, and says she guesses it’s time for Man Landers to turn into a cop. Nathan says he’s not taking Chet in, but needs to know where he got the painkillers from. Finn joins them, saying Chet is awake and stable. Amy runs into Chet’s room. She says he scared her, and tells him that he can always call her. Chet tells her if she really wants to do something for him, get out

Real Jason asks Carly how Sam is, but Carly hasn’t seen her. Real Jason doesn’t want her pressured; she’s dealing with a lot. Carly says it’s hard to believe, but they’re friends now. They bonded in their grief over him. If it weren’t for Danny, Sam would have disappeared; that’s how much she loves him. Real Jason says she loves Other Jason too; she’s married, and Other Jason is going to fight him with everything he’s got. He doesn’t want to put Sam through that. Carly says they need to focus on getting him out. Sonny will post bail, and she even went clothes shopping. He can’t look like a fugitive. She tells him that she had the sergeant throw out his old clothes. Great. What’s in the pocket?

Nelle sees Michael at the MetroCourt. She says she’s worried about him. His family is jumping from one crisis to another, with no help from her this time. She’s sure he has questions about Jason, but Michael says he’s working it out. Nelle tells him it helps to work with someone else. Someone who cares. Someone who never stopped caring.

Klein realizes it’s Sonny who has him. Sonny tells the guards that he needs to talk in private. He says Klein kept his friend prisoner, and drugged him to keep him in control. Klein says it was nothing personal, just business. Sonny says he provided a service, and he wants to know who hired him to provide it.

Anna says Cassandra will keep Valentin on a tight leash, and use anything as leverage. Their pasts keep on going, no matter how they outrun them. Valentin says he’s made peace with his past. He has regrets, but nothing that’s stopping him from a better life. Anna asks if Cassandra has gotten to his family, and he says not yet. Anna says he’ll have to get her to trust him, and then betray her. Any lapse in judgement can be fatal. Is he willing to take that risk? He asks if she’s worried, but she says just concerned about the operation. Valentin says he’s her best chance to bring Cassandra and her sordid operation down. Anna says she’ll be watching his every step. He tells her not to threaten him when he’s risking everything. The doorbell rings, and Valentin says someone has awful timing. Or what I like to call, soap timing.

Klein says Sonny is obviously a powerful man, and must have enemies. Sonny says as far as he knows, everyone loves him. Klein says imagine he was paying to keep an enemy alive and sedated; would he want to be defied or get what he paid for? Sonny says it’s a good point, but when Real Jason escaped, he tracked him down. Klein says he doesn’t care; he was glad to be rid of him, but he was ordered to do it. Sonny asks if he always follows orders, and Klein says he’s not unlike Sonny’s men. Sonny asks who gave the order, but Klein doesn’t even know their name; he’s contacted by phone. Sonny has Klein’s phone, and says it’s a burner phone and untraceable. He’s just going to put it on the table, and they’ll wait until it rings, and hear who it is.

Michael says there’s nothing Nelle can do. She says she can listen. She knows she hurt him, and he might not forgive her, but she wants to be there for him. She needs him to know she’ll never stop loving him. Let her be there for him; they can help each other. She puts her hand on his, and Carly sees.

Amy says okay. If that’s what Chet really wants, she’ll go. She leaves, but immediately returns. She says she left, and now she’s back. Chet says he doesn’t want her there. Amy says she got that, but too bad; she’s not leaving him – ever. She knows he suffered and the recovery is painful, but he’s a hero who served the country. He tells her the heroes are the ones who didn’t come back. She says he’s not just a hero, he’s her hero, and she loves him too much to let him quit. Chet tells her that she’s wasting her time; save someone else. She’s says she’ll go, but only because he’s pissing her off and she’s working. She tells him like MacArthur, she’ll be back. He tells her that’s the Terminator. MacArthur said, I shall return. She says she’ll do both.

Amy tells Nathan that all Chet has left is his pride, and he can’t take it away.

Anna answers the door, and it’s Finn. Valentin says he heard they were seeing one another, and Anna says Valentin was just leaving. After he’s gone, Finn asks what that was about, and Anna says spy business; the thing he’s no longer part of. Finn says, what if he wants back in?

Maxie tells Nathan that Man Landers is bigger than ever. Everyone will be looking to him for answers. He says he doesn’t have them; not a single one.

Finn explains to Anna that Roxie’s whole world is her aquarium, and sometimes his room if she gets out. Anna is like, huh? He says he was like Roxie. Since Hayden left, he was hiding out. He has a patient who’s in pain, but can’t hide. He tells her that she was right, adding that he’s a doctor who just admitted he was wrong. She says it’s complicated, and he says it wasn’t when she was blackmailing him. Anna says she’s found another way. Finn says, Valentin? Hell, no.

Michael doesn’t want to hurt Nelle’s feelings, but can’t go back to way they were. He thinks it’s best they went their separate ways. Nelle says he’s right; she’s sorry. She leaves, and Valentin sees her in the hallway. He asks what’s wrong, and she says she’s glad she ran into him. She needs his help, and he might be her only hope.

Carly asks if Michael and Nelle had a lover’s spat. He says they’re not lovers or even roommates. He tells Carly to break out the champagne. He and Nelle are over.

Klein begs to go, saying nothing is being served by holding him. He can make a fresh start, and can help others like Mr. Morgan and Ms. Jerome. Sonny says he’s not a fan of Ava’s, and it wasn’t Klein’s best work. Klein says he wasn’t able to finish. Sonny says as far as second chances, ask his friend if he deserves one. Klein says he’s still in jail. Real Jason walks in, and Sonny says, he’s right here. Real Jason tells Dr. Klein he told him that he had friends.

Anna appreciates Finn’s concern, and he tells her that’s what people say when they don’t appreciate it. She tells him to do what he does best; take care of patients. Do what he’s trained to do, and she will too. He tells her that he has choices; his patient doesn’t. He also has PTSD that’s fueling the cycle. Finn has a network of people now, but he was like this guy. The drugs almost killed his patient, and he’s not losing him. He doesn’t want to just deal with the symptoms; he wants to get the disease – Cassandra and those like her. Anna says he already cut her loose, telling her about the negative test results. Finn says he’s still waiting on one of the tests. Anna says she needs to be clear. She’s not strong-arming him; he’s doing this of his own free will. He could be putting his reputation and career at risk, maybe even his life to bring the organization down. He tells her some things are worth the risk.

Amy goes back to Chet’s room. She says he was always an angel when he was sleeping; he fooled everyone but her. He can’t talk back now, and she wants to set something straight. She loves him, and is never, ever going to give up on him, and that’s an order. She tells him not to give up on himself.

Maxie asks Nathan what happened. He says it wasn’t even in line of duty. A friend needed help, and couldn’t figure out what to do or say; he was useless. Maxie says he was there, and gave a damn; that’s what counts. Nathan tells her how lucky they are. Nina sees them hugging, and smiles, looking at her ring.

Nelle tells Valentin that Nina has been wonderful, and told her she’s in line for well-deserved raise, but Crimson answers to a higher corporate authority. She thinks that during the transition, Nina should assert her independence with the parent company. She might not want to hear it from an assistant, but maybe she would listen to her husband. Valentin asks why he should help. Nelle says if he doesn’t, she’ll blow his marriage out of the water.

Michael says Carly was right and he refused to see it. Carly says the last thing she knew was that they were moving in together. She’s relieved it’s not happening, but can see he’s hurting. She tells him he can talk to her, and he says there’s nothing to talk about. She can rest assured no one is going to sabotage his kayak or steal his money. She says if he can’t talk to her, there is someone he can talk to.

Real Jason says he won’t forget Klein drugging him or keeping him prisoner, or leaving Sam to drown. Klein says it was nothing personal; just a job. Sonny asks if he wants to die for that job. Klein asks what it will take to let him go. Sonny says the name of the person on the other end of the phone. Klein says he would if he could, and they’d both be out of danger, but he doesn’t know. The phone rings, and Klein stares at it.

Tomorrow, Oscar and Josslyn need Sonny’s help, Valentin tells Nelle it’s a mistake to threaten him, and Real Jason asks Klein how much his life is worth.

The Real Housewives of New Jersey

Teresa gets ready for the trip to Puerto Rico. She’s bringing her dad along. He explains that Speedos are the Italian bathing suit, and everyone wears them. I hope that’s not a foreshadowing of anything.

Siggy gets ready to see the doctor about her hormone levels. Please put a rush on that. She hates Margaret for making fun of her being over-emotional, but admits that she’s having a problem getting control. No surprise, Dolores accompanies her to the doctor. The doctor says she has virtually no numbers, and they’re going to restore them. He says not to blame him if she’s chasing her husband around the block. Why does Siggy always refer to her husband as Michael Campanella? I know that’s his name, but it never seems to be just Michael. She says she agreed to be civil with Margaret. Dolores says they’re claiming her relationship with Frank is weird, yet Teresa visits her husband in jail, and Danielle has been engaged twenty-two times. I thought it was nineteen. Siggy excuses Teresa, because she just lost her mother and has been through a lot, but Dolores isn’t having it. The doctor gives Siggy the pellets, and we’re done.

Margaret gets a visit from her mom, Marge Sr. Margaret tells her about the altercation with Siggy at the Gorga’s party. Marge laughs when Margaret tells her Siggy stuck her tongue out. She says she apologized twice, and Dolores also had a fight with Danielle. Margaret says she gets along great with her ex-husband too, and doesn’t think Dolores should be judged. Marge thinks she should call Dolores, and she does. She tells Dolores that she felt badly about everything going south. Dolores says they need some degree of civility, and they make a date for the next day. Margaret hopes Siggy doesn’t try to blow up her house, since she lives in the same neighborhood.

Puerto Rico looks wonderful, although sadly, this was filmed before the recent hurricanes. It’s day two, and Teresa thinks her daughters are already sick of her. Danielle calls, and Teresa says her father is sunburned and passed out. They discuss the tasting. Teresa says Dolores came at her too; maybe because they’re friends. In her interview, Teresa says that Dolores accuses Danielle of starting sh*t, but she’s the one doing it.

Back in New jersey, Joe #2 and Melissa make dinner and talk with the kids. Little Joey says he has three girlfriends, and Joe gives him a high five. He tells Antonia no boyfriends, and questions her until she finally leaves the room. Melissa thinks he’s too strict. In her interview, Melissa says Joe’s and Teresa’s parenting styles are completely different. Joe tells her that God trusted Adam and Eve, and look what happened. Good point.

Siggy is on her way to meet Margaret, when Siggy calls. She tells Siggy about Margaret suggesting a meeting. Siggy is glad she’s not there. She says she doesn’t want to let her temper get the better of her.

Margaret is already at the restaurant. Neither one of them drink, and Margaret says they’re the lucid ones, which is good. She asks why Dolores was upset, and Dolores tells her it’s about her calling Siggy “Soggy.” Margaret says she thought it was funny, and Dolores says poor timing, poor taste. She says if she was introduced to a new crowd, when things are heated wouldn’t be the time for a joke. Margaret says humor diffuses the situation. She thinks Siggy’s behavior isn’t rational, but Dolores disagrees, and Margaret can’t believe Dolores won’t admit Siggy is at fault. In her interview, Dolores confesses Siggy needs hormone therapy, but says Margaret isn’t hearing it from her. If she has an opinion about Siggy, she’ll share it with Siggy, and only her. Dolores tells Margaret that Siggy felt their questioning of her relationship was a personal attack. Margaret says she defended her; she’s close with her ex too. She thinks it should be emulated, and that it’s impressive. Dolores says she wanted a close family for her kids, so Frank would come over every night for dinner. Instead of being invited out with her friends who were couples, she became the babysitter. For years it was her, the kids, and Frank when he had time. In her interview, Margaret is starting to get why Dolores is friends with Siggy. Margaret talks about her own ex, who had three children that she raised. The marriage fell apart when the kids moved away, and when she fell in love with Joe #3, her stepkids stopped talking to her. She says time doesn’t heal all wounds. Dolores says she can’t imagine the hurt, and says Margaret’s feelings go deeper than they gave her credit for.

Teresa says it’s strange to be on a family vacation without Joe #1. The girls need him, and Milania especially misses him. Teresa has one-on-one time with her, and the eat French fries, the universal food. Teresa talks about missing her mother. Milania says she knows how it is; Teresa was gone and they missed her. Teresa hates that she had to leave them “because of the situation her husband put her in.” Milania doesn’t want to talk about it. Teresa says if anything is bothering her to say something, but she says nothing is. In her interview, Teresa wants them to show emotions, not like when she was a kid, and they were told not to cry.

Melissa takes Antonia shopping. She wants Antonia to talk to her about things like crushes. She wonders what she has to do to get her to talk. Antonia says they’re strict. Melissa says she’s not. Antonia tells her that daddy is, and Melissa says he’s old school. She’s been dealing with daddy a long time. She thinks there’s a middle ground between Joe #2 and Teresa. She promises to talk to him.

Teresa does a professional photo shoot with the girls. She says Joe #1 did one for her when she was in the slammer, so she’s returning the favor. Gabriella doesn’t want to do a photo, Teresa’s father makes noises like a dinosaur, and Milania and Audriana act like toddlers. Teresa tells the photographer not to have four kids.

Joe #2 takes Antonia to a trampoline place. Melissa wants him to spend more time with her. She thinks Antonia is terrified of him, but he’s happy to jump around with her to get Melissa off his back. It looks like fun. They do a bunch of flips and somersaults. Joe says when Antonia was born, he gave her all his athletic ability. He tells her about how he loved her from the moment she was born. He says that Melissa thinks she doesn’t talk because he’s strict, but he just wants to protect her. He says if she would talk a little, maybe he wouldn’t be so strict. In his interview, he’s concerned with peer pressure, and reserves his right to lock her in the house. He tells Antonia he won’t be as strict, but she has to promise to be honest if she thinks a boy is cute. He tells her he loves her, and they have a very sweet exchange.

Dolores and Frank meet Siggy and Michael for dinner. Siggy asks Frank how it is being back at home, and if he sleepwalks (wink-wink). Dolores asks how the pellets are. Siggy says she’s sore, but feels energetic and more sexual. Michael says he paid the pellet guy to put in extra. Some gorgeous seafood platters are served. I should have made note of this restaurant. Dolores says Margaret reached out to her, and they met, and tells them how it went. Siggy says Margaret is allowed to get emotional, but makes fun of her crying. Dolores says she was nice to talk to one-on-one, and she’s not mad at her. There’s no reason they can’t talk and be in the same room, but Siggy says it will never happen. Because even with the pellets, she’s an unreasonable jerk.

Siggy says she’s not going to tell Dolores who she can be friends with. Dolores insists that Margaret was very compassionate and vulnerable; her heart broken over the kids. Siggy understands how that can be painful. In her interview, Siggy says there is a heart in there. She can relate on a mother level, and trusts Dolores. She tells Dolores that she makes sense, and it’s time to move on. The four of them toast to Margaret, and giving her a second chance.

Teresa tells her father the last time they were at the beach was before Adriana was born. Her father says the girls are spoiled. She says they’ve been through a lot. He says she has too. Teresa doesn’t want to fight with them. In her interview, she says her parents raised her and Joe #2 differently. All they had to do was look at them, and they peed their pants. She wants balance, and wants them to open up. Her dad says when she asks something of them, they’re supposed to do it. Teresa thinks they wonder why they’ve lost so much – their mom and dad, and then their grandmother. Her father tears up, and says how much he misses her. Teresa says she does too, and wishes she was there. He says maybe she watches them.

In her interview, Teresa says her father is always so macho. Seeing him cry makes it okay to open up, and cry with him. They’re both without their partners, and need to lean on each other. She wishes Joe #1 had been on top of things more; she would have had more time with her mom. She tells her father that Joe had better be a changed person when he gets back. Her father says she has him now, and she kisses the top of his head. She’s happy he’s moved in with them, and he says he’s always there for advice. Teresa thinks they need a man in the house. Maybe he can help with the discipline. He says maybe he should just take off his belt.

Next time, no belts taken off, but Siggy has a retreat, Teresa asks if Dolores is saying Joe #1 cheated, and Margaret gets emotional about the family dynamics.

🌟 On Star, Ayanna’s father met with her. He told her that he discovered Gigi, and she’ll never get credit for it, but he wishes her well. I’m not trusting Brody at all. Star called him a snake when he showed up at their performance, so we’re on the same page there. Simone’s roommate got transferred to another facility for missing curfew. Derek and Alex broke up and got back together again. Alex had an abortion, and poured her heart out to Carlotta in church. Carlotta told her to believe in God; He believes in her.

Take 3 is the new name of the group, but to be honest, I never knew the group name in the first place. Noah’s best friend Lucky, was not so lucky. He got shot by a cop, who thought he had a gun. Simone wanted to forgive Brody, and Star told him if he messes with her sister, she’ll kill him. He believed her. I would too. After the shooting, Ayanna wanted to “feel something,” and decided to feel Benjamin Bratt. While they were feeling each other, Carlotta walked in.

I’m loving Benjamin Bratt, and the relationships between the characters; the acting is superb. The characters behave and react the way real people would, making them believable and relatable. But of course, the highlight for me is always Queen Latifah’s hair. In addition to an attractive dark bob, Carlotta wore some lovely lilac locks tonight. Definitely one of my favorites among her looks so far.

📜 A Bonus Mid-Week Quote

💪 Impossible is just a big word thrown around by small men who find it easier to live in the world they’ve been given, than to explore the power they have to change it. Impossible is not a fact. It’s an opinion. Impossible is not a declaration. It’s a dare. Impossible is potential. Impossible is temporary. Impossible is nothing.Muhammad Ali

💥 Brush with Greatness…

😍 I saw him standing in an elevator once at a hotel I worked in. He smiled at me. He was gorgeous.

Muhammad Ali

MuhammadAli2

November 7, 2017 – Amy Finds Her Brother, Larry Has a Shady Past & a Charter at the Dock

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

 

 

General Hospital

Nathan and Maxie are doing a home photo shoot. Maxie reminds the photographer that the article is about her. He wonders who the person is who hasn’t smiled since he got there. Maxie tells him it’s her assistant and she’s thrilled to be there. Amy says, she’s thrilled.

Monica asks Finn if he can stay later. A John Doe was brought in with an opioid overdose and also has a serious infection.

Valentin tells Anna that he’s past needing to prove himself to her. Anna says even though he’s clean, it obviously struck a nerve. He says he looks at the world through the eyes of a father now, and doesn’t want the drugs in his community. Anna says he should tell Cassandra that he’s taking her up on her offer, and he can be a spy for her. He says, no way in hell.

Nina and Charlotte have ice cream at the MetroCourt after seeing Disney on Ice. Charlotte asks if she could be figure skater, and Nina says she can be anything she wants. She had thought Charlotte wanted to be a vet, but she wants to be both. Nina tells her she wanted to be a ballerina and on an equestrian tea when she was younger. Charlotte asks if she did, and Nina says definitely not, but her life turned out better than she imagined, now that she has someone like Charlotte in it. She tells Charlotte that she loves her, and Charlotte says she loves Nina too. Charlotte thanks her, and says she’s wonderful. Nina says she wasn’t trying to be; she just wanted Charlotte to have fun. Charlotte says that’s what makes her wonderful.

Cassandra and her companion enter the restaurant. Cassandra wants something exotic, like a strawberry daiquiri. Her companion says she’s allergic, but she tells him Finn told her that she’s not, so she’s going for it. She sees Nina and Charlotte. She calls them the apples of Valentin’s eye, and thinks she needs to take it up a notch.

Alexis goes to Pentenville to visit Julian, who doesn’t look very beat up, but is sporting a fresh haircut. He asks why she’s there, and she asks why this happened to him.

Finn looks at John Doe’s chart and says he’s close to respiratory failure, and must have been ignoring his condition. Monica tells him to find the right protocol.

Cassandra pretends to trip over a shoe-box with skates near Charlotte’s chair. She asks if Charlotte is taking skating lessons, but Charlotte says she’s not supposed to talk to strangers. Cassandra says she’s obviously been raised right, and is sorry for interrupting. Charlotte tells her that she took skating last winter, but she’s taking ballet now. Cassandra suggests she take skating as well; it will improve her ballet skills and vice versa. She tells Charlotte that she did, sometimes having both lessons in the same day. She says she even competed, but it was nothing professional; she wasn’t very good. Nina asks her to join them, and Cassandra says she’d like to, since her dinner companion hasn’t arrived. Her real companion takes photos with his phone from across the room.

Julian tells Alexis it was nothing and he’s fine. She says he’s obviously not fine, and asks if he was targeted. He surprised to see her, and thinks Scotty must have told her about it. He says they both agreed he belonged in there. She asks if he started it, or was provoked or ambushed, and he tells her to let it go. He didn’t start a fight, not the way she means, but they both know enough about the criminal justice system to know bad things happen. She asks if he can’t buy protection, and he says sometimes that works, but it doesn’t mean he won’t be a target. She asks if another crime family is after him, and doesn’t think he’s telling the whole story.

The photographer finishes the shoot, saying Nina will love it and he’ll send the proofs tonight. When he’s gone, Amy says she didn’t need to be there. She’s supposed to write the article, not watch Maxie pose. She has to get to work, and could have used more notice. Maxie asks if she means like the notice Maxie was given when they decided to go behind her back. Amy tells her not much subterfuge was needed, since she was living on the other side of the country. She says they can still be exposed. Maxie tells her that Nina demanded an exclusive, and this is as exclusive as it gets. When the readers see how blissfully happy she and Nathan are, they’ll stop trolling her on Twitter. Amy says she’s sorry Maxie is having a hard time, and that she thought Nathan was cheating, but she can’t reach her brother. She could have been making calls instead of watching Maxie put on stupid sexy outfit after stupid sexy outfit. Maxie says she can write it, and Amy can leave. Nathan tells Maxie to take this with love, but Amy isn’t going anywhere.

Cassandra talks about her first double-axel. She says it was in a local competition, but she felt like she was in the Olympics. Alas, a knee injury ended her career. She encourages Charlotte again to take both skating and ballet, saying both skills will improve. She tells Charlotte that if she masters the basics, she can do anything. Charlotte says that’s what her papa tells her. Cassandra says a man after her own heart, and asks where he is tonight.

Valentin tells Anna that she doesn’t know what Cassandra is capable of. Anna says the WSB has extensive intel on her. Valentin says she’s become a recluse, and also a hypochondriac, but has mostly eliminated those who have gone against her. Anna says she hasn’t eliminated him, whether it’s because he’s too formidable or she wants him for something, and he’s in a perfect position to gain access to her. Valentin says if she becomes motivated to act, she also becomes very dangerous.

Julian tells Alexis that he’s stopped trying to get her to trust or love him. In the past, he badly betrayed her trust, and he wants to make it right, but he doesn’t want her here. He thinks it’s probably part of Scotty’s stupid plan. He doesn’t concern her anymore, but wonders if there’s another reason she’s there. Alexis tells him there’s been a development that he has a right to know, and she might as well be the one to tell him.

Maxie types, and Amy laughs at what she’s writing. She says Maxie is giving too much background; that’s why she’s here. Nathan says that too many details could trip them up later. Amy says it might prompt too many fan questions, and Mac is one of Man Landers’s biggest fans. Maxie says Amy barely said anything, and she’s just writing answers to the questions fans want to know, like what to give when flowers aren’t enough? Amy says they don’t really ask things like that, and comes up with something else, conferring with Nathan. Maxie says enough; stop right now. She asks whose article is this anyway?

Alexis asks if Julian has had access to newspapers or the internet in the past week, but he says he’s been in the infirmary. She says that Jason bought Derek Wells Media. Julian thought it would be a good way to cut ties, but realizes it looks like a mobster transfer of power. Jason assured him he has nothing to do with the mob, and he’s just setting something up for Sam and his children. Alexis says Sam’s husband might not be Jason after all.

Finn says doctor stuff, and tells Monica they should see the results soon. He wants to monitor the patient. She says a nurse can call him if there are any changes. He says that she knows about his own struggle, and he didn’t even connect the dots between himself and the opioid epidemic. He says there’s an artificial wall between doctors and patients, and he was reminded why he went to medical school in the first place. It’s all related.

Nina tells Cassandra that her husband has lot meetings, sarcastically adding that she’s sure he’s heartbroken about missing the ice show. Cassandra says he missed the opportunity to spend time with Charlotte, but Nina says don’t worry they’ll tell him all about Disney on Ice. Cassandra thinks he’ll remember the remember conversation for a long time.

Anna says Valentin is a lot of things, some of which she despises, but she never took him for a coward. He says never trouble trouble until trouble troubles you. He believes in letting sleeping dogs lie when family is involved. I never took him for a dude who spouts clichés. Anna says his family can be safeguarded. He tells her she’s not hearing him. He’s not going to help, and if she doesn’t back off, he’ll blow her investigation.

Nathan tells Maxie it’s not her article, but she says the fans want to know about Man Landers and his wife. He says Nina will love it, and shows her some pictures the photographer sent. Amy says that’s it; ten questions, and she has time to call Chet on the way to her real job. Maxie says he’s the reason they’re keeping the secret, so if it’s about anyone, it’s her brother. Nathan thanks her, and Amy leaves. He says it’s done, and Maxie will look so gorgeous, he’ll have to fight the guys off. He goes to take a shower, and Maxie looks at what Amy wrote. She’s like, no, this won’t do, and says she needs to punch it up a little.

Julian asks Alexis how that’s possible. She says that’s what they’re trying to figure out, and she has no idea. He asks if Sam is okay, and she says, physically, yes. Real Jason saved her from drowning. Julian asks how Sam is able to wrap her head around any of it, and how is she coping after finding out the man who’s her husband could be someone else? Alexis doesn’t want to talk about Sam, thinking she wouldn’t appreciate it. She says if Sam’s husband isn’t Jason, he’ll have to sort out the legality regarding the company. She tells him be careful in there.

Cassandra says she’s taken up enough time; maybe they could all go skating this winter. She suggests they take a selfie before she leaves. She takes the photo, and they exchange numbers. She says they should have lunch some time. Charlotte tells her that she liked her stories, and Cassandra thanks her for the conversation. She’s glad they crossed paths, and thinks they’re going to be good friends.

Valentin tells Anna the conversation is over She says this has to be stopped, and he says it won’t be if Cassandra covers her tracks. She’ll be gone like the wind, and go underground. If he tells her about the investigation, they’ll have nothing, and never see her again. Anna says the drugs have killed more people than HIV at the height of the epidemic. Valentin wants Anna to bring Cassandra down, but not implicate him. If she does, she’ll have nothing.

Nathan asks Maxie why she didn’t join him, and she says she was busy. He asks if she’s still mad, and she says no, everything is perfect – now. She used her professional judgement to tweak what Amy wrote. He looks at it, and says she basically put back her made-up story about how she discovered Man Landers. Maxie says it was dry, and needed a personal aspect. He says it’s supposed to be a puff piece, and she says it is – a look inside the life of Man Landers. Nathan says it would be if he was Man Landers. The fewer details, the better. Maxie wants to know why he keeps defending Amy. He says he’s not; that’s how he feels. She tells him it’s duly noted, but what she wrote is what’s going to press.

Monica asks Finn if there’s any news, but he says they need to know who he is, and his medical history. Monica says he’s obviously had several surgeries, and she thinks he’s a veteran. Finn says the guy has been through hell, and Monica says so has Finn, but he still functions even with his battle. She doesn’t think John Doe would have lived If Finn hadn’t stayed. He says that’s his job, but she says he needs relaxation too. Finn says he just had time off, but she says it didn’t sound like much of a vacation. He says it wasn’t really.

Cassandra says she’ll be in touch. Nina and Charlotte leave, and Cassandra asks her companion if he got what she wanted. He tells her that he got lots of photos, and thinks the selfie was genius. She tells him she thought about the value of Valentin discovering them together, but given his territorial behavior and temper, it’s a good thing they just left. She says she just texted him, and voila! here he is.

Valentin tells her that he’s not staying, and asks why she wanted to meet. She says she has a lovely surprise to share. He asks why would he care? She tells him that she met his wife and daughter, and shows him the pictures. She says they’re both delights, and they hit it off, but she wonders about Charlotte. Nina is a terrific stepmother, and Charlotte adores both her and her papa. Valentin asks what the point is, and Cassandra says she was wondering how Charlotte would feel about her papa if she discovered what he did with and to Claudette.

Julian hangs up the phone. On his way out, a big dude pushes him out of the way. Julian and Alexis look at each other.

Nathan tells Maxie to use Amy’s draft; it’s what Nina wanted. Maxie accuses him of stopping her from putting herself in, and he says it’s not for the reason she thinks. There’s still a chance this could blow up in their faces. They committed fraud, and she’d be committing it too. She loves that he’s trying to protect her, but says no one reads articles in Crimson; they just look at the fashion. She just sent it to the publishing team. Their fate is sealed.

At the hospital, Deanna tells Amy that Finn wants to know if there are any changes at any time with John Doe. Amy takes his chart, and goes into the room. She says, omg, Chet. It’s her brother. Why I didn’t put two and two together right away with this one, I’ll never know. I’m slipping.

Monica says it’s been a long night; she’s heading out. Finn wants to see if John Doe’s numbers improve. Monica says the synthetic opioids snuck up on them. They’re cheap and deadly, and they have to find a way to cut off the supply. Finn would like to see it happen too.

On the phone, Anna says the case isn’t working out, and she has to rethink the priorities for the WSB, and her too. She doesn’t give up. One way or other, she’ll get Cassandra.

Cassandra tell Valentin that his wife is delightful, and his child is scrumptious. She understands why he loves them, and thinks they’re a good influence on him. She can’t imagine what would happen were he to lose them – for whatever reason. She says, so, about her operation… Valentin says he’s in’

Alexis bangs on the window. The guard takes Julian, and the thug looks at Alexis.

Tomorrow, Valentin tells Anna that he’ll help her, Michael says it’s over with Nelle, and Sonny asks Klein who gave him the order.

If Loving You is Wrong

When we last left, Eddie busted in while Esperanza and Steven were getting busy.

Eddie attacks Steven, and they fight. Esperanza yells for them to stop. Lushion comes in, and breaks it up. He tells Eddie to calm down and asks what’s going on. Can’t he tell? He tells Eddie to get out. Eddie says, me and you, to Steven, and leaves. Lushion asks what’s going on, and where are Steven’s clothes?

Steven says, sorry, and Esperanza tells him to get out; the both of them, out now. Steven and Lushion leave, with Steven half-dressed. Lushion asks if he’s crazy. Steven says he was fixing the wall, spilled paint on himself, and Esperanza offered to wash his clothes. It just happened. Lushion tells him to get in the car.

Ian calls Marcie at work; he wants to talk about the house. He asks a question about the vents, and she says she’ll call the realtor. He wants to see the house again, and asks if they can meet later; he has to meet a client across the street. She asks who, but he’s not at liberty to say. She tries to get information, but he tells her not to do this to him. She asks if it’s Randal, and he says, who? She tells him that Randal is her ex. He asks if Randal knows Larry, and she says they were college roommates. Ian says he wouldn’t represent that guy for anything. He hopes the divorce is over with soon.

Brad pours some wine for him and Alex. The baby is having a nap, so it must be wine o’clock. Brad asks what the doctor said, and Alex says the baby is doing well, but he meant the DNA test. Alex tells him the doctor switched it. He says she rewound their lives. He can’t believe it, and Alex says she was shocked. Brad tells her that they won’t have to deal with Randal until the baby gets older. Alex tells him they’ll cross that bridge when they come to it, but for now, they’re good. Alex is glad Brad is back, and he’s glad to be home. Could we please name this baby? Please? We see that the camera light is blinking. Uh-oh. Even though Brad tore it down, wouldn’t there still be a companion piece inside Randal’s house?

Here’s what I’m thinking. Obviously, the doctor didn’t switch the tests, but obviously the baby is Black. If Alex isn’t lying about being with anyone else, that means somewhere along the line there are Black relatives. It would make sense if they were on her side, since her parents were so radically racist. Maybe Rusty wasn’t her real father?

Natalie tells Kelly the house looks good; Kelly says it looks better. She thanks Natalie for everything, even helping her with the gun. Natalie says they need to talk about that. Kelly says she’s getting rid of it, but the police have it right now. She can’t believe Justice touched it. She wants to punish him, but he’s going through so much. Travis is messing with her child, and she can’t let him do that. Natalie says it’s getting out of hand, and Kelly says she just wants to go on with her life, but he won’t let her. She’s tried everything, and can’t keep dealing with this.

There’s a knock at the door. It’s Ian. Kelly asks if the police took the gun, and he says they did. Natalie and Kelly are relieved. Natalie asks if it had a serial number. Out of Ian’s earshot, Kelly asks Natalie if that girl sold her an illegal gun, but Natalie says no, she was just asking.

Outside, Natalie calls Lushion. She tells him the police took Kelly’s gun. She asks if it having a serial number means it’s legit. He says it could have been stolen, and she asks him to find out. He chastises Natalie for steering Kelly that way in the first place. She asks him to just find out about the number.

Natalie visits Alex and Brad. She wants to talk to Alex, but Brad needs to hear this too. She asks if it’s Lushion’s baby, and if Alex is sure. Alex says she’s never had anything going on with Lushion. Natalie wonders where it’s coming from then. Alex says she’s sorry, but she was in a bind. All she said was that Randal wasn’t the father, and Natalie asks why Lushion is involved. Alex says it was Randal’s idea. Natalie wonders why the test didn’t match Randal’s, and Brad says a doctor friend helped them out. Natalie seems to accept that, and he says he believes Alex. Natalie thanks them.

When she’s gone, Alex asks if Brad thought that was a good idea. What if she tells someone? He says it’s not good either way. He says she hates Randal as much as they do. Alex says if she flies off the handle, she might open her mouth. Brad doesn’t think so, and Alex hopes he’s right.

Ian tells Kelly they’ve been watching Travis, and all he ever does is go to church and back home, and spends time with his fiancé. She says he has time to harass her with hang-up calls. Ian suggests they get the phone records and texts. He asks if she’s positive Justice had nothing to do with it, and she’s surprised he’s even asking. He says he can talk to the DA and see if Travis will come in. Kelly is shocked they have to play nice with him, and Ian tells her to be patient. They’ll get him. She asks when she can get her gun back, but he says it’s in evidence. She tells him she needs protection. He says he’ll see what he can do, but tells her to start learning how to use it and get a safe.

Marcie pulls up just as Ian is getting to the house. The vents are acceptable. She says the owners will cover the closing costs if he moves up the date. He says as long as the inspections are good, he’s fine with that. She knows the company, and says she’ll have them put a rush on it. She goes back outside while he looks around again. Randal pulls up. Marcie starts laughing, and he says they’ll see who’s laughing soon. She thinks she’s slick, and thinks Larry will be on her side. She tells Randal to sign the papers. He tells her no, and she says she gave him everything, just let her out. He says no, and she calls him an ass. Ian comes out, and asks if she’s okay. Randal asks if Ian is screwing his wife. Ian wants Marcie to look at the kitchen, and Randal suggests she show him the bedroom too.

Marcie apologizes, and Ian asks if she’s sure she’s okay. She says she’s used to it. He asks if Larry is repping her, and what he’s doing to get it over with. She says he’s working on it, but Ian doesn’t like it. She doesn’t want to talk about it, and asks if he saw what he wanted to with the house. He’s good, and says no second thoughts. He tells her to take him to dinner to celebrate. She says as long as he’s paying. He tells her she’s making the commission, but she says he’s a gentleman. He says so he’s been told, and agrees.

Randal arrives at the bar, and sees Larry talking to a couple. Randal tells them not to believe anything he says, and he and Larry move to another table. Larry didn’t think he was coming, and Randal says he almost didn’t. Larry asks why he decided to come, and Randal says because Larry is buying; he owes him from last time. Randal orders the most expensive cognac. He asks if Larry is representing Marcie. Larry says he’s friends with both of them. Randal says Larry knows him better, and Marcie doesn’t know much about Larry. He thinks Larry wants to determine how angry he is, but Larry says he invited him out because they’re friends. Randal tells Larry that he can see right through him, and Larry’s secret is safe with him. He asks why Larry agreed to rep Marcie when Randal has this on him. Larry says he was looking out for the both of them. Randal says she knows nothing about their past, and Larry asks if he’s sure.

Larry wants to be sure Marcie isn’t playing him. He thought it was strange that she came to him. Randal says she’s broke; she had to come to him. He asks if he can go now, but Larry wants to catch up. He says his wife and kids are out of town, and it’s hard being alone. Randal is like, what? and he says, sorry. Randal mentions the bitch next door, and Larry says Marcie told him he had an affair with a neighbor and there’s a baby. Randal asks if Marcie told him about her sleeping with the neighbor’s husband, and them moving in together. He says the best part is the kid isn’t even his. Larry’s mind is blown. Randal says every time he sees a Black man in the neighborhood, he asks if they know her. Larry says a married woman who lied to her husband, then lied to him, and he’s upset? It doesn’t make sense. Randal says he didn’t know she’d been with another Black man. Larry says he can’t go around asking all of them if they know her. Randal starts laughing, and says he set up a camera, and every time someone comes to her door, he gets an alert. Larry says it’s unhealthy, and Randal says he knows. He thinks Randal should reevaluate the situation. Randal says Larry is judging him, but Larry says he’s just worried. He tells Larry to shut his ass up, and orders another drink. Larry says he’s driving, and Randal says he is too. He says he wants to sue Brad’s ass after he knocked him off the ladder. Larry says that’s easy stuff. He suggests they buy drinks for the couple he was talking with. They sit with them, and Larry introduces Randal. Weird.

Esperanza goes to Natalie’s house. Natalie asks what’s wrong. Esperanza doesn’t know what she’s going to do with Eddie. He just tore her house apart while he was fighting with Steven. She says Steven was helping her fix some bullet holes. Natalie is like, what? Esperanza explains how she shot at Eddie to get him out of the house. Of course he came back, and saw her and Steven having amazing sex. She doesn’t know how it happened. Natalie only focuses on the word amazing. Esperanza says Steven’s body is insane, he was there, and it’s been a long time. Natalie pours some wine. She keeps laughing, and Esperanza says it’s not that funny. Natalie asks if she likes him. Esperanza says she was angry with Eddie and he was there at the right time. He’s been flirting with her for months, and she’s been ignoring him. Natalie says she created a monster with Eddie. She asks what Steven says, and Esperanza tells her that she has to call him; she took advantage of him. Natalie says she doubts Steven feels that way. She asks if he was better than Eddie, and Esperanza says, much.

Lushion comes home, and Esperanza jets. Natalie wonders why Esperanza left when she saw Lushion. She says she knows about Esperanza and Steven, but Lushion says that’s not important right now. He needs to talk to Kelly. The gun was reported stolen two months ago, and this is going to be bad for her. It was reported stolen from Ramsay.

Next time, Lushion says the DA will be all over this, Steven checks on Esperanza, and Brad tells Eddie that he doesn’t understand love. One more episode before the season finale.

Below Deck

EJ says he doesn’t want the deck getting dirty from feet. He tells us one drunk Nico is bad, and now he has two – Nico and his brother. He says he needs to be the bigger person. In his interview, Nico calls him a d*ck, saying he’s holding back because EJ is his boss, but he still thinks he should be bosun. Brother Josh jets. EJ is at his wits end.

Kate goes over the supplies. EJ meets with the captain, who’s concerned about the weather. The worst thing you can have happen is not being able to get off the dock. EJ says he’s enjoyed working for him, and is appreciative to be here. He thinks there’s been an improvement, but his boat is arriving soon. He can only stay through the next charter. Captain Lee isn’t too sure Nico is up for the job, but he has to work with the cards he’s been dealt.

Time for the preference sheet meeting. Jason, the primary, is the CEO of a media company that works with outdoor advertising. His wife and some good friends are coming along. One of the friends is Eden Alpert, daughter of jazz musician Herb Alpert, and also a restaurant owner. They’re open to anything, and not picky, but want to be impressed. Jason is having a birthday, so a dinner is required, and they also want an 80s theme party. Kate asks about the weather, but the captain doesn’t know yet. They need a definite plan B.

Kate tells Jen the crew notices, and resents it, if she sneaks breaks. In her interview, Jen says the cleaning and laundry never ends; it’s a vicious cycle. Wait until she owns a house. The crew readies the boat. The captain confirms they’re not leaving the dock, and won’t be leaving anytime soon. Because of the wind and waves, they can’t use the water toys or tender either.

Nico calls for help out on the tender. He needs to go to the hospital now. Baker tells the captain that Nico hurt his arm. Nico says he hit his elbow, and now can’t move his fingers. The captain thinks it’s nerve damage. He tells us just when think it couldn’t get worse. He’s down a man, is losing a bosun, and the weather is a sh*t sandwich. Kate asks what’s going on, and Captain Lee says he sent Nico to the hospital to get checked out. EJ gives Baker some tasks, feeling awkward because he likes her and he’s her boss.

Nico comes back wearing a sling; he pinched a nerve. He tells the captain, and Captain Lee says he’s as useful as a one-legged man in an ass kicking contest. This reminds me of the time my sister worked as an insurance adjuster. They were swamped at the office, and a co-worker asked how she was doing. She said she was “as busy as a one-armed paperhanger,” and turned around to see it was a co-worker who only had one arm. He told her he was as busy as a one-armed insurance agent. BA-DUM-CHH! Captain Lee tells Nico to start his meds and get better.

The guests arrive. EJ wonders if Nico will make it through the charter. The captain does his welcome spiel, and says the wind is a problem, and due to safety issues, they can’t leave yet. He points out Nico’s sling, and says that was a direct result. In her interview, Kate says this means the interior will be doing all the work, while the deckhands relax. The guests immediately start complaining that it sucks, and one asks if they’ll be stuck tomorrow too. Captain Lee doesn’t know, and Kate gives the tour. Jason says it’s not the worst place to be stuck. It would be fine with me. I’d eat, drink, and be merry. Rinse and repeat.

Guest Charlie, who started the bitchfest, says they could have gotten hotel rooms and saved a load of money. Eden wants to see kitchen, and tells Matt to watch out, reminding him that she’s a restaurant owner. Grumpy Charlie asks if they can go out on deck, but mellows when he runs into Bruno. He tells Bruno that he has beautiful eyes and makes small talk. Kate says it’s a challenge, and Bruno tells her they’re complaining already. If they need anything, just communicate. In her interview, Kate thinks Bruno is confused, but if he wants to be a stew, he can start cleaning toilets.

Matt says it’s massive amount of pressure on the crew when they can’t get off the dock. They have to make the guests forget about being there. Kate says it’s hard to tell if the guests are nice or fake nice, since they’re from Los Angeles. EJ tells them that they can use the jet skis and hoverboards, and there are beaches around if they want to go. Bruno thinks the stews don’t have pride in what they’re doing, and he’ll show them how to do their job. Kate says he should think about going to the interior side.

The guests use the jet skis, and a picnic is prepared on the beach. Honestly, this would be a great vacation for me. Although I’d be happy with the hotel on the boardwalk here too. Kate wonders what’s taking so long, because no one said anything about a beach picnic; the deckhands just did it. Jen welcomes the guests back with drinks. Kate says guests always want the crew involved with theme parties, and if you have to wear a mustache or an afro, that’s what you do.

Jen tells Kate that Bruno is being bitchy, but Kate tells her to let him shine. The guests all dress up, but this looks more 60s to me. Pop Rocks are passed out, and an alternative use is suggested. I’m sure you can google it. It’s fish for dinner, and Eden whines about having fish more than once in one day. Kate says if she’d like something else, they can accommodate her, but she pouts and says she’s done with food anyway. Kate tells Matt enough fish. In his interview, he says unless it’s specific on the preference sheet, they should relax. He asks if he should make something else, and Kate says they’re happy with themselves and life, and don’t need more food right now.

Bri periodically checks on Nico. The guests eat something off of sticks, and do shots. They don’t fall out that late though, about 1:30. Geez, I stay up later on karaoke night. The captain visits Nico, and tells him nerves regenerate quickly. He sees Bri bringing Nico a dinner tray, and says he’ll smack his elbow to get treated like this.

Captain Lee asks if any guests want to tag along on a weather check. In his interview, he says he’s never spent an entire charter on deck. The charter guests always think they’re lying, so he wants to give them the ride of life. Two guys join him, and it’s pretty rough. The captain asks if they’ve seen enough, and they tell him yes; the jokes on them. In his interview, Captain Lee says a small apart of him was enjoying the hell out of it. Grumpy Charlie says he had a dream that he and Bruno got married, and lived in Portugal.

One of the guests who went with the captain tells them that the swells were nine feet felt, and they agree it’s unsafe. One of the women is waiting on a chai latte with soy milk. Jen is lollygagging in the kitchen, and Kate tells her to go now. She tells the guests she has some suggestions for the day. There’s a great place to go shopping on shore, and they’re close to a man-made reef where they can go exploring. It has fish and a sunken helicopter. Jen says Kate is stressing her out. In her interview, Kate says Jen was making the latte the way she does her hair. It took forever, an still looked like sh*t.

The captain calls Kate, EJ, and Matt to the bridge, and tells them to do whatever they can. Kate says they’re having a luau, and she’s ordered hula dancers. Captain Lee says how well they distract the guests can make a difference in the tip. Nico is pissed off and grumpy. He has no control over anything; it’s EJ’s deck. Kate tells the stews that when she gets back, they’ll discuss breaks. She leaves with the guests, one of them noting it’s Kate plus eight.

Matt has never done a luau, and isn’t himself right now. He feels like the world’s largest punching bag. The guests go to the reef, and do stuff underwater, while Kate serves drinks to the one woman who’s a party pooper. The reef is beyond cool. Kate texts the captain, asking if he’s ready for tonight, and he wonders what that means.

EJ explains to Baker that he’s going to be leaving, but asks her not to tell the others yet. She says it’s a bummer. Jen is having lunch in the crew mess. Bri radios her, but she keeps talking and eating. Bri finally goes to the mess, and asks if she can eat more and talk less. Jen whines that she’s entitled to eat the rest of her food, and Bri needs to shut up. Bri says she’s following Kates rules, and Jen accuses Bri of attacking her, when she did nothing of the kind. When they cross paths afterward, Jen says she has nothing to say to Bri.

Bruno helps Matt, making him a happy guy. They make a birthday cake. EJ wishes he had more time with Baker. He feels there are still chapters to be written. Please. The guests get back. Kate wonders what the stews were doing, since the laundry isn’t done and there are dishes in the sink. Bruno says there was some kind of tiff because one took a longer lunch than the other. Kate says apparently, they both took six hour lunches. She tells Bri about the laundry, and Bri says she’s mad at the wrong stew.

EJ thinks the deck crew has graduated to a higher level, and will be successful the rest of the season. Jen relays the dinner menu to the guests. Kate talks to her, and she acts like Bri was some kind of dictator who wouldn’t let her eat. Kate wants to know what happened the whole five hours. In her interview, she says Jen loves extra break time, and is competitive with Bri. She’s lying. Kate asks what time the captain is putting on his royal Hawaiian outfit. He says he’s not changing, and she says, yes he is. She got him an outfit. Bruno does some decorating. He wonders how the boat could be empty all day, and nothing done. Nico suggests he and Bri go to the hotel in town during their off-time. Kate asks Bri about what happened, and Bri says she felt she had to say something to Jen, but doesn’t think Jen ever came back from lunch.

Everyone gets dressed up for the luau in grass skirts and such. Jen rolls her eyes at whatever Bri says. Bri thinks her behavior in front of guests is unprofessional, and she plays the victim. Bruno says Charlie seems to have crush on him, and it’s fun to play along. He tells Matt that nothing has been set up outside. Kate asks Bruno how he feels, and he says the buffet looks terrible. She says he should tell the captain what he would do differently. He wants to know.

Bruno gets to the bridge and Captain Lee is in a whole get-up, with a floral headpiece, grass skirt, and a pineapple on the end of a staff. I guess he’s a Hawaiian chieftain. Bruno says he nailed it. In her interview, Kate remembers when she was green and knew everything. She was an idiot. Bri leads the guests upstairs, and Captain Lee tells them to be seated. He introduces himself as Don Ho’s brother, Ass. He does an entire riff, and says by the power invested in him by some nonsense, it’s officially Jason Swing Day, let the games begin. The hula dancers come out and do their thing. The captain says he’s outside his comfort zone, but contributing. If crew does it, he has to step up to the plate and sacrifice some dignity. Bruno admits Kate knows a lot, and he should be more humble. Captain Lee wants a raise.

Jen asks if she can have dinner, and Kate asks if she had lunch. Kate didn’t. Kate says she’s going to be the early girl, so Bri and Jen are going to do the clean-up work. She leaves written instructions so there’s no confusion. In her interview, she says she’s done all kinds of managing, and it’s time for good, old-fashioned shut-up and work. Jen complains that Kate has issues, and she hates life right now. She calls Kate a miserable, old bitch.

As Captain Lee would say, suck it up, buttercup.

Next time, Eden complains about the food, the captain is concerned about Bruno in the galley, the charter is a girlfriends’ trip, a new deckhand arrives, and Captain Lee’s wife, Maryann, visits.

CanYouSeeFriday

 

November 6, 2017 – A Jason Shakes Down Franco, the OC Leaves Iceland & LeeAnne Takes a Reunion Walk

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What I Watched Today

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

 

 

General Hospital

Anna asks Valentin what he’s doing in her house. He says she broke into his, so he’s just returning the favor

Finn tells Cassandra that she’s fine. She says she thought he’d be different, and he says he is. He has a few more test results coming back, but thinks it’s good news. He was cautiously optimistic, but thinks she’s in the clear. He tells her that in this instance, he likes being wrong as much as he likes being right. Cassandra is bummed that she won’t have an excuse to see him now.

Franco leaves Elizabeth a phone message. He notices the door to the art therapy room is open.

Elizabeth visits Real Jason. She says she needed to see him again, and he says it’s him – Jason.

Other Jason tells Sam he was so focused on realizing who he is, he didn’t think about how it must be for her. She says it’s definitely not how she thought the launch party would end up. He promises they’ll figure out what’s going on, and find out what that man wants. He’s a fraud, a stranger, and part of a set up. Other Jason says he’s her husband. Sam says he is her husband; the man she loves. They’ve built a life together, and have Scout and Danny. She has no doubt. He says that means a lot, but needs to hear her say the words, I know you’re Jason Morgan.

Anna tells Valentin he has no business being there, and she’s within her rights to shoot him. He says that would probably be a bad idea, since there are no signs of forced entry, and he’s standing there drinking hot tea. He asks if Finn is missing her, and she tells him that’s none of his business. He wonders if their relationship is just a performance to get to him. Anna calls him narcissistic. He says so it’s not for his benefit, just like it’s a coincidence Finn is treating Cassandra.

Cassandra tells Finn  that she heard he broke up with Anna. Finn says he prefers to keep his personal life separate from his patients. She says his professionalism is what captured her attention. He says he’s sorry he dragged her here for nothing, and guesses she’s going to head back to Monaco now. Cassandra tells him, no, she’s decided to stay in Port Charles for the time being.

Scotty tells Alexis about Julian getting beat up in prison. She says trouble follows him, and Scotty says that last week, he was beaten within an inch of his life. He was lucky this time. It wasn’t his first fight, and he’s obviously being targeted. Alexis says he has to take it up with the warden, but Scotty says they’ll just tell him the state doesn’t have the budget for enough guards. That’s where she comes in.

Other Jason says Sonny and Carly are one thing. That hurts bad enough, but he needs her to know that the man in jail isn’t Danny’s father, and not the man who vowed to live the rest of his life with her. He asks if she can tell him that she knows. She says, Jason, but his phone rings. It’s Curtis. Sam looks entirely unconvinced. She flashes back to Real Jason in the hospital, saying, it’s me.

Elizabeth says it’s true; Jake saw him in the park. Real Jason says he was cutting through and saw them. It didn’t make sense. Jake had called her mom, but he was too young to be Cam, and too old to be Aiden. He said Jake’s name, and when he saw him, he knew it was Jake; it was like nothing had happened to him. Elizabeth explains that Helena staged the accident to torture Luke, and Real Jason says Sonny told him. He tells her that Sonny is working on getting him out, but Diane wants him to plead temporary insanity, and he’s not crazy. He meant to go after Franco and would do it again.

Franco talks to himself, saying the door was not open. Diane comes to the door, and he says not now. She says too bad. He’s pressing charges against someone who saved Sam, and he’s in jail. Franco says it’s where he belongs; he was blindsided. Diane says he provoked him, and Franco says how, by just standing there? Diane says he had a momentary outburst of rage, which is understandable given their history. He’s been gone for the last five years, saw Franco as a threat, and acted accordingly. Franco says good luck with selling that to a judge; he belongs in jail.

Other Jason tells Curtis to send it over. He tells Sam that he asked Curtis to look into the man pretending to be him, and he possibly found something. Curtis sends Other Jason a picture of Franco’s sketch of Jason’s old face.

Elizabeth tells Real Jason that a lot has changed. Life has gone on, and the people too. Franco has changed. Real Jason says Carly told him that Franco had a brain tumor and she almost married him. He says she doesn’t make the best decisions when she’s backed into a corner. Elizabeth wonders if he feels the same way about her. He says all he knows is Franco had Michael raped in prison, and Sam thought she’d been raped. He doesn’t care about the tumor. All he cares about are the people Franco hurt.

Diane thinks Franco is deflecting. She wants to know what her former client is up to with her current client, and suggests he drop the charges. She doesn’t think he wants his ugly past dragged into it, and she’ll do it if she has to defend Real Jason. She says Franco has her number, and she has his. She leaves, and he notices the file cabinet was opened, and the sketch pad is turned to Jason’s old face.

Other Jason tells Sam that Curtis found the sketch in the art therapy room. He thinks it’s odd that Franco should be drawing his old face. Sam suggests he could have heard about what’s happening and it was a trigger. Curtis sends a picture of Andrew’s death certificate. Jason says Moore was his birth mother’s last name, and Sam notices that the birthday on the certificate is also his birthday.

Scotty tells Alexis that he’s working on getting Julian out of the general population, but she needs to talk to him, and tell him to stay away from the people targeting him; no more fights. Alexis asks how Scotty knows Julian didn’t instigate things just to get her there. Scotty says Julian didn’t want him to tell her. She says Julian does what he wants, and she can’t convince him otherwise. Scotty tells her that Julian thinks he has nothing to lose. She could give him a sliver of hope. Alexis says she’s fresh out. He says Julian has nothing to hang on to, and needs motivation to stay safe. He needs to stay alive.

Finn asks Cassandra how long she’ll be there. She says it’s to be determined. There’s a possible business opportunity for her there. Finn asks what kind, and she says she thought he kept his professional life separate. He says that’s his credo, but doesn’t have to be hers. She tells him that she deals in imports, and there’s a whole market there yet to be tapped.

Anna claims not to know anything about Finn treating Cassandra, and Valentin tells her not to lie. She obviously knows their history, and is using Cassandra to get to him. She asks if Cassandra reports to him or do they have something going on, and that’s what prompted his visit? Valentin says he misread the situation. He’d hoped they’d  reached a détente, or at least limited cooperation. She says he shouldn’t have broken in, and if he doesn’t leave, she’ll call the police. He says he’ll show himself out, adding that Cassandra might want to know she’s up to no good. Anna tells him to wait.

Alexis tells Scotty to call Ava. He says they both know the person who can influence Julian the most is her. He begs her to help keep Julian safe. Diane approaches, asking Alexis if Scotty is harassing her. Scotty tells her that Julian was badly beaten, and she tells him to take it up with the warden. Have them hold him in solitary. When he’s alone, he’s less likely to provoke anyone. Scotty tells Alexis that he said what he had to say; the rest is up to her. When he’s gone, Diane thinks there was more to it than Julian manipulating her through Scotty. Alexis tells Diane that Julian didn’t want her to know. He was almost killed, and the guards aren’t doing anything. Diane says he brought it on himself, and to tell her she’s not thinking of visiting.

Elizabeth tells Real Jason that Franco had a medical condition, and when the tumor was removed, he changed. They became friends; more than friends, because of Jake. Jake was troubled after what he went through with Helena. Franco helped him; he’s great with all the boys, and lives with them now. She asks if that changes anything for him, but Real Jason says no. Elizabeth says she didn’t come here to defend her relationship with Franco; there’s something he needs to know. Franco started digging into the past and found information that he didn’t know what to do with. Heather lied about Jason and Franco being twins. Scotty was Franco’s father, but Susan did have twins. She was afraid the Quartermaines would take them both, so she hid one. He asks if she thinks Sam’s husband is his twin.

Franco leaves another message for Elizabeth, asking if she’s been in his studio. Other Jason and Sam bust in. Other Jason tells him to start talking.

Diane tells Alexis that she’ll always be there for her, and she’s worried that Alexis isn’t taking care of herself. She’s just gotten Julian out of her system, and with one visit, she’ll end up devoting her entire career to getting him freed. Alexis says she has no illusions about Julian or their life together, and a thousand reasons not to care, but just because she doesn’t want him in her life, doesn’t mean she wants him dead.

Jason wants Franco to tell them everything he knows, but Franco says he’s just as much in the dark as they are. Sam shoves the phone in his face, showing him the death certificate photo, and suggesting they call Elizabeth. Other Jason asks what he knows about Andrew Moore. Franco says he’ll tell them everything he knows. Andrew was Other Jason’s twin brother. I’m not liking Other Jason right now, but I don’t know if they’re making me not like him on purpose.

Elizabeth understands why Franco would think he and Real Jason were twins. She thought that at first, but it’s likely neither is Andrew. Franco found a death certificate showing he died as a child. She knows it’s a lot to process. Franco didn’t want to tell anyone, but she thought he had a right to know. Real Jason appreciates it. She tells him that she lied to Other Jason, and promised she’d never lie to him again.

Franco tells Other Jason that Susan hid the child with Betsy. He’d thought Andrew was his brother, then he was just gone. Betsy convinced him that he was an imaginary friend. He didn’t know the truth until recently. He saw the death certificate, and found out Andrew had died of a heart defect before age of four.

Valentin tells Anna to drop the cat and mouse stuff. If she wants him to be honest, she has to be honest with him. Anna says she knows he had a relationship with Cassandra, and was a jewel thief in a smash and grab ring. Valentin says she must also know he was never charged. He asks if the WSB has nothing better to do than dredge up old robbery charges, and she says that they think Cassandra is funneling her profits into synthetic opiates. He says she may have invited him to join her operation. Anna asks if he’s up to his neck in this. He tells her he’s a thief, a traitor, and has been known to kill, but he’s not a drug dealer. He’d never get involved in an enterprise like that.

Finn tells Cassandra that he doesn’t know a blue chip from a poker chip, and wonders if the imports are something he should invest in. She suggests they go out for a drink, unless the hospital gossip is wrong, and he and Anna are still together. He tells her that he’ll call when the results come in, and she says she’ll be around.

Alexis tells Diane that both she and Julian know there’s no future for them. The past can’t be undone. She can’t forget or forgive, but can’t help being upset. Diane tells her not to let her compassionate heart lead her on the roller coaster called Julian, and says she made the right decision not to visit.

Franco tells Other Jason that Betsy told him that Andrew died, and shows him the hard copy of the death certificate. He knows it’s a lot to process; putting the pieces together took a lot out of him. Other Jason wants to see the picture from the painting. Franco shows it to him, and says that’s him and his imaginary friend. For what it’s worth, he’s sorry. It’s not the ending he wanted, but maybe Other Jason can have peace of mind that the guy isn’t his brother. Other Jason and Sam start to leave with the picture. Franco protests, but Sam tells him to worry about what he’s done to the man with Jason’s face; he’s going to make Franco pay. Other Jason is out of earshot, and Franco asks Sam if he knows she thinks the other guy is Jason. She says it’s none business, but Real Jason is going to dismantle him.

Elizabeth tells Real Jason about how she kept the secret about Jake Doe, and made Nikolas keep silent. Now it seems inconceivable, but she felt she’d already lost so much with Jake and Lucky. She clung to him like a life raft. She was going to marry him, knowing he was already married to Sam. She’ll always regret that decision. Real Jason says she made a mistake, and can’t blame herself forever. He wonders if the real reason she kept the secret was deep down, she knew it wasn’t him.

Finn asks Deanna if she’s okay. She says she needs to clear her head. She just came from the OR where there was a scary opiate OD. She says it’s the third one this week.

Valentin says he has nothing to prove to Anna, but she says something struck a nerve. He tells her that he looks at this through the eyes of a father. It’s an epidemic that holds no distinction, and he doesn’t want it in his community. Anna tells him to go to Cassandra, and take her up on the offer to join her operation. He can be her spy.

Elizabeth says Nikolas believed Jake Doe was Jason, and she believed him. She still does. What about the DNA? Real Jason asks how she explains him or the things he knows, but she doesn’t know what to think. She came to tell him what she knows, and that’s it. He thanks her, saying it’s a place to start looking. She says she’ll talk to Franco about getting him out.

Franco leaves another message for Elizabeth, saying he’ll be there soon. He flashes back to telling Scotty that she’ll learn the truth, and learn he was a monster back then. Everything he’s done since wasn’t the byproduct of a tumor, but his actual DNA. Franco says that’s not going to happen. Not now. Not yet.

In the hallway, Other Jason looks at the photo. He tells Sam there’s a crazy guy laying claim to his life, kids, and his wife. Now he finds out he had a twin, but he died. Sam says maybe they can find out the truth. She has his back, no matter what.

Alexis visits Julian, who’s sporting a fresh haircut.

Tomorrow, Alexis asks if it’s payback, Cassandra tells Nina they’ll be good friends, and Valentin tells Anna to back off.

The Real Housewives of Orange County

IMO, the best thing so far this season was the girls getting Vicki the casserole.

Still in Iceland. Peggy visits Lydia’s room. Lydia has arranged a huge Viking dinner, but feels like it’s her responsibility to make sure everything is cool with Peggy. The girls are ready, and in her interview, Vicki says they’re misunderstanding Peggy. It’s mean girl hazing, but she’s staying out of it since it’s not her fight. The women stumble down the stone pathway to the limo in their heels.

Lydia says her take on the situation is that Peggy got upset because the girls were laughing, but they weren’t laughing at her. Peggy tells Lydia that she was hearing the baby cry for ten minutes straight. Lydia thinks Bridget must have been with her. Tamra calls Lydia, and leaves a message to just let them know everything is okay. Peggy says she heard Tamra, Meghan and Kelly, drunk, and she recorded it. In her interview, Lydia wonders why Peggy would do that. Probably because no one ever owns up to anything. Peggy says they’re laughing at her. Kelly made an insensitive comment about her father, and then they laughed about it. She says Kelly knows about her dad passing away. She explains to Lydia that Diko knows and likes Michael, so she’d suggested they speak. Lydia thinks Peggy misunderstood, and that she wasn’t thinking specifically about Peggy. Peggy begs to differ, and isn’t interested in having dinner with them.

The others get to the restaurant, and Tamra taunts the Viking guards at the door. The Viking dinner host comes out to greet them. Kelly compares them to the Buckingham Palace Guards. Inside, there are long wooden tables with bench seats, and pretty nice dishware for Vikings. Tamra notes that all the other dinner guests are male, and wearing similar sweaters. The host says they’ll be whooping it up Viking style with entertainment – singing and fighting. The other guests turn out to be a men’s chorus. I love a men’s chorus. Cocktails are ordered. The guards come in, and the ladies babble at them.

Tamra and Vicki high five, and take a selfie. In her interview, Shannon says it’s fine with her if Tamra wants to be friends with Vicki. Shannon yells, Skoal! The first course is lamb. Not my personal favorite, but the ladies are into it, and Meghan poses with a giant drumstick that mysteriously appeared. Another Skoal! Shannon says Vikings like a girl with a little meat on her – just sayin’.  Tamra tells Vicki to apologize, and she tries to get Shannon’s attention, but it’s one more Skoal! Vicki tells Shannon that she’s sorry. She misinterpreted a phone call, and wants to make peace. In her interview, Vicki explains that Shannon called her late one night, saying she was having serious situations with her husband. She wants to eat humble pie and move forward. Shannon appreciates it, but doesn’t want to go there. In her interview, Shannon thinks Vicki’s apology is bullsh*t. There’s no feeling, or sentiment, or remorse. Tamra tells Shannon not to eat the potatoes. Shut up, Tamra. Tamra wants Vicki to understand about Brooks. I wonder how strong the drinks are in this place, or have they just never sobered up? Shannon offers Tamra and Vicki her bathtub for two. In her interview, Kelly says Shannon is clearly jealous that Vicki and Tamra want to be friends again. Geez, ya think? Vicki says she doesn’t want their friendship to be on again, off again. She and Tamra apologize for hurting one another, and Vicki says they’re done and can move on.

Peggy decides to go to dinner, saying she came there for Lydia, and didn’t want her not going.

The Vikings get in a bar fight, and Tamra kibitzes. The chorus sings some background music when one of the Vikings wins the fight. This is really a cool place. Lydia and Peggy come in. While they’re getting seated, the men sing another song. Idiotic Shannon gets up and directs. Ugh. I like her less and less. Tamra tells her she looks beautiful, and Kelly apologizes, saying she doesn’t want Peggy to be uncomfortable. In her interview, Peggy says don’t do it, and you won’t have to apologize. Kelly says she doesn’t understand, and she can’t explain herself. In her interview, Kelly says she’s implementing the tools she learned in anger management, so she doesn’t get into a fist fight with Peggy. Peggy asks what she did. Tamra says she was defensive, and alcohol was involved. Peggy says she wasn’t drinking, and she said she saw them laughing. Shannon asks why assume it was about her, and Peggy shows them the video. She says Meghan’s baby was crying for like, ten minutes. Before she can finish, they all assume she’s criticizing Meghan’s mothering skills. Tamra says how dare she accuse Meghan of bad parenting. In her interview, Vicki says she feels badly for Peggy, since Tamra can be vicious. Peggy says she went down the hallway to see what going on, and they were laughing at her. Meghan starts crying. Vicki thinks them ganging up on Peggy is similar to what they did to Kelly in Ireland. She doesn’t want to be a part of it, since it’s not her fight. She thinks the best thing is to just leave. Tamra yammers about Meghan trying to train the baby. Maybe I should translate for Peggy. She thought the baby was crying for a while, so she went to investigate, and saw the bunch of them laughing about her. There.

Peggy says it’s not about Meghan; she’s a beautiful mom. She says they were drunk and laughing, and Shannon tells her zip it. In her interview, Lydia says it’s no surprise Shannon is freaking out. Shannon says she’s been nothing but kind to Peggy, and Peggy says ditto. Shannon starts flailing around like she does, and says Peggy questioned her about trusting her husband. Peggy says he didn’t tell her about the conversation he had with Diko. Tamra calls Diko a “little bitch,” because she’s mature and a Christian. Meghan gets all stupid and weepy. Kelly says if Peggy wants to throw a bomb, she’ll throw a nuke. Peggy walks out. She tells us she’s done with the trip, done with manipulation, done with the lies, and just done. In the limo, she says she’ll be taking her own jet home. And that, my dears, is how it’s done.

Vicki disappears, and shows up in the limo with Peggy. She says she doesn’t know what’s going on, but she’s out and not fighting. Peggy can’t believe Vicki didn’t have her back. Vicki says she’s not sticking up for people. She doesn’t want to get involved. At least she’s honest.

In the morning, Kelly has a hangover, and says she partied like a Viking in Iceland. It’s light all the time, and you don’t know when to stop drinking. Vicki calls her. Kelly says they were up until 3 am, but it looked like it was three in the afternoon. She tells Vicki that Peggy bounced. Her room was next door, and Kelly heard her moving around in the middle of the night, and looked out and saw her leaving. Kelly says at least she went back with them after Ireland. Vicki thinks it’s crazy, and they should never get to a place like that on a girls’ trip. She thinks the problem is culture acceptance. I think the problem is no one knows how to express or explain themselves without acting like jerks, and they don’t listen. I understand Peggy. She’s literal like an engineer, and she comes from a nationality of stoic people. Me too.

Lydia says Iceland was a fun experience, and she has great memories, but it’s a shame it had to end badly.

Back home, Vicki talks to Briana. She says Iceland is like the moon with all the volcanic rock. The girls drank, and she ended up in the hospital. She says Tamra and Shannon were nice, and made her a casserole. Not really. Meghan ordered it from the restaurant. She tells Briana that Tamra ended up crying in her lap. Briana jokes that she was paying her respects. Vicki says Tamra told her to apologize to Shannon, and she swears she’s never repeating anything again. Briana tells her that’s not possible. In her interview, Briana says it’s none of their business, but Vicki always speaks without thinking. Vicki is like, don’t tell me if you don’t want me to know.

Diko tells Peggy that she slept for two days like a bear. He’s afraid to see the next phone bill. She says she was disgusted. She thinks everything changed when Vicki got sick, and they’re looking for a new punching bag. She tells him they twisted what she said around, claiming she told Meghan that she was a bad mom. She thought Vicki was in on it, but that didn’t make sense. In her interview, Peggy says she expected Vicki to defend her. Diko says he needs a vacation from her vacation.

Tamra goes to the doctor with Shannon, who’s getting her bloodwork done. She’s been putting it off because she’s afraid of what the results will be. The doctor talks about her symptoms. She hit menopause young at 42, but stopped taking the hormones. Tamra tells her doing that makes people go crazy, and we flash back to Shannon’s craziness. The doctor says it’s fixable. The doctor suggests David come in too, but Shannon says that’s probably a no.

Vicki meets Peggy for coffee. Wow. Peggy looks young wearing hardly any makeup. Vicki has a present for Peggy – the fur hat from when they went shopping. In her interview, Peggy says she’s hurt and disappointed, and wouldn’t have done the same to Vicki. She tells Vicki that she’s confused. Vicki doesn’t want her to be upset, but says it’s not her fight, and she learned her lesson with Kelly last year. She got upset when Vicki didn’t defend her, but she doesn’t want to be in this place any more. Peggy appreciates it, but felt betrayed. Vicki says she doesn’t want Peggy to feel like she’s turning her back, but she is. She wouldn’t get mad if she was fighting with one of the others, and Peggy didn’t get involved. She asks if Peggy gets it, and she says she does, but I dunno. Vicki thinks they should all just be kind. She tells Peggy she would have left too, if she known Peggy was going. Peggy says, next time.

Shannon asks if anyone took the dog for walk when she was gone. David says he let the kids run wild while he was working out. In her interview, Shannon says her marriage is not doing well, and living in limbo is a kind of torture. She asks David to sit down. She says Meghan and Jim are launching their candle line, and Vicki is going to be there. They also want him there, but he doesn’t know how he feels about it. He thinks maybe he’ll go in, be supportive, and leave. He’s busy, but he can do the support thing and not deal with the crap. In her interview, Shannon says that David has checked out. No doubt about it. She’d rather he just say it, and if he’s done, go. She tells him to just go to the party, and that she’s worried about the dog. I’m worried about the dog. I’m worried if something happens with the dog, I’ll feel like I have to hate Shannon less. The dog is her only real ally.

Next time, Kelly’s mom gets a makeover, Vicki talks to Kelly about marriage, and Shannon calls Peggy a lunatic. I think the problem is that Shannon looks like a lunatic next to her, since Peggy is so calm all the time.

The Real Housewives of Dallas – Reunion: Part One

D’Andra always has the expression of a pageant queen. We see clips of some crazy stuff that’s happened throughout the season. We find out Kameron’s pink dog food is doing well. Told you. We start with Brandi and Stephanie.

We flash through their estrangement, when they hadn’t talked for almost four months. We revisit LeeAnne as Two-Face at Stephanie’s party. Stephanie says Brandi misinterpreted what she’d said on her Bravo blog. Brandi said there were things that bothered her, and she admits feeling excluded and jealous. She says she didn’t communicate when she was hurt, and apologizes for that. Stephanie says she had Brandi’s back, almost to the exclusion of her own household. Andy thinks they’re sweet. They talk about LeeAnne’s costume, and Stephanie says she felt bullied and attacked in her own home. LeeAnne says Stephanie’s confessionals about her are condescending. LeeAnne brings up her saying she didn’t care about LeeAnne having a flesh-eating bacterium, and Stephanie says it wasn’t a proud moment. D’Andra says she would have booted LeeAnne from the party.

Andy asks what LeeAnne would have done. She says she would have asked what she’d done to cause that reaction. She says they’ve both said vicious things She tells Andy she has PTSD, and those who have it don’t react normally. D’Andra thinks it’s an excuse, and Stephanie agrees. LeeAnne says Stephanie disrespected her story; she owns everything. Cary says owning is acknowledging, and then you change your behavior. Brandi says LeeAnne said Rich had PTSD, but never mentioned she did. LeeAnne says be careful, and she’s accused of being a bully. Brandi is pissed, because her family has been struggling with almost losing her brother.

Andy moves on. A viewer asks if Kameron is for real or a performance artist, Kameron says there are so many awful things going on in the world, why not live in a bubble? I’m in. Andy asks if it’s a pink bubble. Someone else asks if she’s aware dogs are color blind, but she says women buy the food. She knew what she was doing. I said that from the beginning. Kameron talks about how they mixed heart-shaped pink pieces with brown kibble. The dogs pooped pink when it was all the same color.

Andy says it started with an insult, and almost ended with a Dallas style throw down. Kameron and Brandi. We see clips of them talking about one another. Kameron saying Brandi has no social grace, and Brandi giving the others gifts in front of her. We see Brandi chasing Kameron with Sexual Chocolate. Kameron is asked why she looks down her nose because Brandi is from another zip code, and she asks how she’s doing that? She says Brandi uses her jokes to attack people, and it’s about how she acts, not about where she lives. Kameron says she was chased with a sex toy, and it was bullying. Stephanie say Kameron let loose on Twitter, and Kameron says she was defending herself. LeeAnne talks about Mark tweeting mean things about her. A viewer, who thought they had buried the hatchet, asks if Kameron and Brandi can ever be friends. Andy makes it clear that Brandi chose not to bring Sexual Chocolate to the reunion, despite his encouragement.

Switching gears. We flash back over D’Andra’s life this season. Keatin leaving home, and dealing with the business. Andy asks if Jeremy is getting a lot of attention, and D’Andra says she came out of the bathroom at the fair to find him with groupies. Andy asks why she was so hard on her stepson, and she says that it was Keatin’s second time living with them. They had him all set up to go to school, and he never got on the plane. Their relationship is great now, but she realizes they’re on different wavelengths.

We move along to LeeAnne’s therapy, and whether it’s helped with her explosive temper. We see clips of it not helping much, ending with her breaking the glass to get Cary’s attention. D’Andra thinks anger management has helped, but the rest don’t. Andy asks if breaking the glass was justified, and LeeAnne says no, but there was no police report; it wasn’t a serious situation. Stephanie thinks something must have happened. Andy asks if the rest of them feel safe around LeeAnne. Brandi says she was uncomfortable driving LeeAnne to surgery, while she was screaming about Cary. She doesn’t want to be put in that kind of situation. D’Andra says LeeAnne’s mouth gets her in trouble. Stephanie says she’s threatened people. It’s been off the wall when LeeAnne thinks no one was there, and there was no mic. LeeAnne says therapy opened her eyes. She lets the hurt child make choices when she’s in defense mode, because it’s a habit. As an adult, she has to find new ways to respond. D’Andra says when things don’t go as planned, LeeAnne flies off the handle. She’s seen LeeAnne make an effort, and is proud of her, but she still has a real problem, and needs to reign it in.

A tally is taken, and Kameron is the only one without a boob job. We see clips from LeeAnne’s surgery repercussions, and Cary talking about her doctor. We see LeeAnne and Brandi before the surgery, and LeeAnne threatening Cary, and the dinner where Cary called Brandi a liar. Andy says lots to unpack. Ha-ha! Yep. He asks Cary about plastic surgeon certifications, and LeeAnne says she never asked for Cary’s opinion. Cary understands where she’s coming from, but feels like she keeps getting sh*t on. Cary says sometimes she needs to take off her professional hat and put on her friend hat. All she wants is what’s best for everyone. Because the pot needs to be stirred, Andy asks about Cary telling Brandi that her doctor had killed someone? Brandi says to be fair, it was an offhand comment about a list of doctors. She didn’t want to get LeeAnne worked up.

Andy brings up LeeAnne threatening Cary. LeeAnne claims she doesn’t recall the conversation, between Xanax from home and what she’d been given prior to surgery. Brandi says it was the most uncomfortable private moment ever. She wasn’t expecting it, and was caught off guard. And LeeAnne was naked. LeeAnne wrote in blog that she thought Brandi was trying to bait her during the silences in between her sentences on the show. (This scene was done behind a closed door with subtitles.). Andy says the staff checked the tape, and Brandi said nothing. LeeAnne says then it was just her, spiraling out of control. Brandi thinks it’s another excuse. Cary asks what the endgame is, and LeeAnne says for Cary it’s her off the show. Cary says that’s not true. Stephanie says LeeAnne can’t be threatening people. LeeAnne insists she’s never made a physical move toward anyone. She uses her words poorly, and makes bad choices. She need to react differently.

D’Andra says if she continues to say things, people won’t feel safe. LeeAnne says when she’s upset, she uses words to tornado herself out of a corner. Stephanie reminds her about shattering the glass to make a point. LeeAnne insists she threw it behind her. She can only continue to try and be better; she can’t change the past. Brandi doesn’t think she means it; it’s a pattern. I have to give a shout out to Brandi’s eye makeup. It’s stunning. LeeAnne says she’s not the only one who says they’re sorry and still behaves badly. Andy asks Kameron for her reaction to LeeAnne, but Kameron says LeeAnne was under the influence of medication, and owns it.

Andy suggests bringing Mark out, and LeeAnne nearly has apoplexy. She thought it was a closed set. She gets up and walks off, saying it’s one sided. Cary says her husband deserves to be there, since he was talked about, and Kameron agrees. D’Andra says they should have been told ahead of time. Cary says she should have been told ahead of time that her husband would be trashed all season. If he wants to come out, he should.

LeeAnne flounders around outside, saying that a big security guy should come and control her because she’s dangerous. She walks out the exit door. Kameron says Mark can come out; he’s safe.

😱 To be continued…

🐮 Psychedelic Dallas vs Psychedelic Orange County 🌴

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