What I Watched Today

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

 

 

General Hospital

Carly thanks Bobbie for coming. Bobbie says from the way Carly sounded, she didn’t know whether she needed to be stopped from killing someone or needed help burying a body. Carly says it’s Nelle. Bobbie thought Michael was done with her, but Carly says Nelle isn’t done with them. At least not for the next nine months.

At the MetroCourt, Nelle says good morning to Sonny. He suggests she eat somewhere else, but she says she’s having cravings lately. He asks if she’s expecting someone, and she says she is. He says someone will have to pay for her breakfast; he’s just glad it’s not his son.

Dante sees Michael at the station, and Michael says his car was towed. Like the week wasn’t bad enough. Dante offers to make some calls, but Michael says he already paid the fee. Dante asks if he got any sleep, and Michael says no, but he guesses that will be good for some training. Dante asks what he’s saying, and Michael says Nelle is pregnant.

At Kelly’s, Lulu tells Laura about busting Nelle. Laura asks if Michael is done with her now, and Lulu says once and for all. It felt good to expose her, but it wasn’t exactly what she needed to impress Peter August enough to hire her. Laura says if anyone can do it, she can. Lulu says she’s her mother’s daughter. Laura says she’s ready to take on a new challenge of her own.

Finn knocks on Cassandra’s door, and she welcomes him in. There’s a table laden with a huge breakfast and champagne. She says now that she has a clean bill of health, her appetite and joie de vivre have returned with a vengeance. I really like Jessica Tuck in this role.

Anna meets Sonny for coffee. She asks if it’s about Faison. Sonny says he was there in Port Charles less than 24-hours ago; he and Jason just missed him. He slides the envelope over to her and she pulls out the manuscript, The Severed Branch by P.K. Sinclair. She says it’s Faison’s pen name. It’s starting again. Omg, I hope so.

Carly tells Bobbie that she had to be fair. In the beginning, she thought Nelle was misguided, and did nothing while she got her hooks in Michael. Bobbie says Nelle wouldn’t be the first to fake a pregnancy, but Carly says it was confirmed. She’s pregnant. Bobbie says they have to get a paternity test, and Carly says the appointment has already been made, but she’s not overly optimistic. Nelle is willing to take the test, and she doesn’t think Nelle would risk it if it wasn’t Michael’s. Bobbie asks how Michael feels, and Carly tells her he refuses to walk away. Bobbie says she raised a stand-up guy. Carly says Nelle counted on that, but what she didn’t count on was her. She wants Bobbie to access the test when it comes back. Bobbie asks what she’s suggesting.

Nina and Charlotte go to the MetroCourt. Charlotte sees Nelle and runs to her. She tells Nelle that they’re going to see Santa. Nelle says it’s one of those fun mother/daughter moments, and then corrects that to stepmother. Nina tells Charlotte to go get hot chocolate and cookies. After she leaves, Nina says Nelle couldn’t pay her rent a week ago, now she’s dining at the most expensive restaurant. Nelle says it has nothing to do with her, but Nina says it does. She’s paying with the money she made by selling out Nina’s brother. Carly wasn’t right about Nelle. Nelle is even worse than she said.

Michael tells Dante that Nelle is really pregnant, and he’s probably the father. Dante says he has a lot to think about. Michael says just when he thought they were done, there’s a child. Nathan pops in, asking where Britt is, and goes into the interrogation room to see her. They hug.

Anna asks how Sonny got the manuscript, and he tells her about tracing Obrecht’s burner phone. Spinelli tracked a call to a suite at the Cosmopolitan. They missed Faison, but Britt was there. She said she was tired of running, and stayed behind. She told them the last thing Faison did was burn the manuscript. Anna takes it out of the plastic folder.

Cassandra says Finn hasn’t touched his champagne, and asks if he’s on call. He says they have nothing to celebrate yet. She says what a shame the bean counters at GH care more about the bottom line than human suffering. Finn says he knows all the rules and regulations are for a reason, and Cassandra tells him sometimes you can’t use red tape to bind a wound. He says a doctor’s job is to push boundaries in order to move forward, but they’re sitting on life changing treatments, keeping them from those who need them the most. Cassandra says it’s unconscionable the way the administration treated him after he gave them his profits. He says you’d think they’d cut him some slack, but instead put up roadblocks, and patients are suffering. She says it’s cruel and unnecessary, but the hospital’s loss is their gain. If the breakthrough is what he says it is, she can find a way to develop it, and fast track the distribution. He asks if that’s code for bending the law or breaking it.

Laura tells Lulu about the possible redevelopment of the Charles Street area. Lulu asks why it’s a bad idea, and Laura says she’s not against it, but there are a lot of memories, rich history, diversity, and culture there. Why spoil it with high-rise condos and expensive stores selling nothing anybody needs? I’m with Laura on this, since it happened with a neighborhood near me, when eminent domain was abused. Lulu wonders if she shouldn’t be focused on the wedding, and asks if they have a date.

Nelle tells Nina she told the truth. Nina says she wasn’t being noble. She wanted to make a quick buck and get back at her. Nelle says after Chet (calling him “Chad”) told his story, the book sales got a boost. Technically, she should get a cut. She asks Nina what she has going in terms of good childcare. She and Michael will be looking for a nanny soon. Nina says, poor Michael. Poor Michael nothing. I haven’t heard him say anything about birth control once, and I think he’s old enough to know you need to use it if you don’t want a baby.

Carly tells Bobbie that Nelle plays dirty; they have to play dirtier. Bobbie says she would walk on broken glass for her family, but if the baby is his, the truth will come out. If Michael suspects she kept him from his child, it won’t be good. Carly asks what she’s supposed to do, and Bobbie says it isn’t up to her. Sorry, but the decision is Michael’s, and what he says, goes. Carly says he wants what’s best for the baby, but Nelle is going to use it to worm her way back into his life. Bobbie says probably, but Carly doesn’t have to embrace her. Carly tells Bobbie that Michael won’t let her exclude Nelle, and Nelle will use the baby as leverage to get what she wants.

Dante tells Michael that Nelle isn’t his favorite person, but no matter what, all that matters is the baby. He asks if Michael told Carly and Sonny. Michael says Carly knows, but he hasn’t said anything to Sonny yet. Dante says that Sonny will understand. He despises Ava, but loves Avery. No matter how he feels about Nelle, he will love the child.

Britt tells Nathan that she got tired of running, and tagging along with her father. He wasn’t as bad as she expected, and at times was somewhat kind, but she couldn’t live in limbo. She’s decided to deal with the charges against her, and what comes next. Nathan is sorry for the circumstances, but grateful for the timing. He could use some sisterly advice. He’s going to be a dad. She hugs him.

Cassandra tells Finn that she wouldn’t dream of breaking or bending the law. Regulations maybe, but not the law. He tells her it’s a fine distinction, but she says regulations can prevent progress, while the law facilitates it. She thinks it’s possible for her to fund his research, and circumvent the regulations. He can contribute to society, and be properly rewarded. She wants to shake on it, but he says he’d better not.

Anna looks through the manuscript, and asks if Sonny read it, but he wanted her to look at it first. She says as far as she knows, Faison hasn’t written anything in years. Sonny tells her that Britt said it just showed up, and Faison was shook. Anna thinks he would be too vain to burn his own work, but the true mystery is in the ending. There isn’t one.

Carly tells Bobbie from the moment Nelle slithered her way into town, she had an agenda. Nothing is ever her fault, and she’s always the victim. Michael practically has a neon sign that says, damsel in distress, how can I help? He finally sees her for who she is, and tells her to get lost, and now there’s a baby. Carly knows she did something similar, and wonders if it’s payback or karma biting her in the ass? Bobbie says she forgave Carly long ago, but Nelle isn’t her; she’s a conniving snake. Carly says, and now she’s pregnant. Bobbie tells her every child is a gift. Carly needs to focus on the baby.

Nelle tells Nina that she and Michael are both thrilled. Too bad Nina and Valentin can’t share that feeling, since she can’t have children. Wow. That was mean. Nina says there’s more to motherhood than getting pregnant, and for the baby’s sake, hopes Nelle realizes that. Charlotte comes back, and asks if Nelle can come, but Nina says she has to finish her food; she worked really hard for it. Nelle says she’s waiting for someone, and tells them merry Christmas.

Laura says she can’t wait to marry Doc, and Lulu asks why she is. The sooner she picks a date, the sooner she can make arrangements. Laura says they’ve both been there and done that, and they want something cozy and intimate. Lulu asks if she can help, but Laura says no. She’ll be the first to know when they pick a date; just keep working on her big scoop. Lulu says it will have to wait. She’s meeting Charlotte in the park to see Santa.

Britt tells Nathan to congratulate Maxie, who probably hasn’t forgiven her. She says Obrecht must be over the moon. Nathan is surprised Britt didn’t reach out to her, but Britt says she’ll be there soon enough with lots of helpful criticism. He wishes the circumstances were different, but he’s glad to see her, and is going to do his best to get her out. He’s going to need some advice, and she says she is an OB/GYB; what does he want to know? He says they can start with the family history. Obrecht is dragging her feet.

Anna tells Sonny most authors put a couple of meanings in the title. Sonny says that Britt didn’t think her father wrote it, but if that’s the case, who did? Anna says he has to start with the publisher. She apologizes that she can’t do the legwork, but he tells her he has Spinelli to work on it. Anna says to tell him to be careful. If this is tied to Faison, they can’t take any chances.

Cassandra asks Finn if he’s turning her down. He says no, he appreciates the offer. She says he hides it well, but he tells her he needs time to think. She respects that, although she finds it frustrating. She says she’s going to talk to other researchers in the field while she’s waiting. Finn says he’ll make a decision very soon, as long as there are no other deals in the meantime. Cassandra says she’ll wait, but don’t take too long. He leaves, and they both smile on opposite sides of the closed door.

At the MetroCourt, Anna sees Finn, and asks how the meeting went. He tells her that Cassandra seems to be interested in pain management, and was ready to write a check to fund his research, since the hospital already turned him down. Anna asks if he signed up for that, and when he says no, she says, oh, he played hard to get; good. Finn asks if this is this point where she tells him to get out before it’s too late. She says she cares about his welfare, but since he’s determined, she has no choice but to let him do what he wants. It wouldn’t help anything to have him arrested, so have at it. He tells her that he’s not doing this for an adrenaline rush or to be a hero, but to put a small dent in the epidemic. Anna wants that too, among other things. He says they’re on the same page then. He leaves to get coffee, but keeps turning around to look at her, since he can’t believe it was that easy.

Michael tells Dante that he can’t put it off any longer. He promised meet with Nelle. Dante knows it’s not how Michael wanted it to go, but however it shakes out, the family will be there.

At the park, Nina asks if Charlotte has a list for Santa, and Charlotte asks if they can go shopping for papa afterward. Lulu arrives, and tells Charlotte that the first time she saw her, she was on Santa’s lap. She didn’t know she was Charlotte’s mom, but felt an instant connection. She asks if Charlotte is excited about their first Christmas together, but Charlotte looks sad. She asks Nina if she and papa will be lonely. Nina says they’ll miss her, but will have their own Christmas after. Charlotte gets excited about having two Christmases, and Nina says it’s a bonus.

On the phone, Sonny tells Spinelli that he’s sending a package to him that he needs to work on asap. Nelle tells the waitress to put her bill on Mr. Corrinthos’s tab. Sonny says he won’t be joining her or buying her breakfast, and Nelle says she meant Michael. The waitress says she’ll have to get his approval first, and leaves. Sonny says Nelle wanted him to hear, but she says she’d rather he not notice her at all. She’s waiting for Michael. He tells her not to hold her breath. She asks if he has Monica’s number. She thinks it would be a good idea to get together and discuss their future as a family. They need to get past the animosity and suspicion, and get along, now that she’s having a baby. Carly walks in and makes a disgusted face.

Finn tries to get into his room, but his keycard won’t work.

Dante sees Laura, and she says he just missed Lulu, but since here, she’s wondering if Michael mentioned any details about the Charles Street development. He asks if she wants him to reveal a confidential conversation, and she takes that as a yes.

Lulu thanks Nina, who says it was important to Charlotte that they all be there. She gives Lulu some coffee, and says she would have gone to Kelly’s if she’d known she was going to run into Nelle. She said she was eating for two, and Lulu will never guess who the father is. Lulu says, Michael. She can’t believe it. She was just saying how glad he must be to be rid of her. Charlotte has a piece of paper with her list on it, and Lulu looks at the other side. It’s a ballot, and she asks Charlotte where she got it.

Sonny asks Carly to tell him it’s a lie. She wishes she could, but Nelle is definitely pregnant, and it could be Michael’s. Finn interrupts, telling Carly his keycard isn’t working. Carly says that’s because he checked out; she had the locks reset. He freaks about his stuff and Roxie, but she says she had housekeeping pack up everything, and made sure they were gentle with Roxie. She liked having him there, but right now she’s in middle of something. She tells him good luck. He wonders what’s going on, and turns around to see Anna dangling a key from her hand.

Nelle says she, Carly, and Sonny should discuss their grandchild. Carly says she’s going to milk this, isn’t she? Nelle says she’s not apologizing for wanting the best for her kid.

Dante tells Laura he knows where Lulu got her devious streak. Laura says he can’t blame a girl for trying. Dante tells her that there’s going to be a public hearing, but it’s probably just a formality.

Charlotte asks if she did something wrong. Lulu says she was just wondering where Charlotte found it. Charlotte says at Windemere, and Lulu tells Nina it’s a ballot.

Britt says it was a mixed blessing, having Obrecht as her mom her whole life. Just when she thought she could predict her or figure her out, she would discover Obrecht was playing a completely different game, so she gave up. Nathan wonders if he shouldn’t bother, and Britt tells him to keep pressing. Just focus on the facts, and don’t try to figure out her motives. He needs to do his best. The more complete the family history, the better to anticipate issues in the future. He turned out fine, and she’s sure his child will too. The guard comes in, saying it’s time for lock-up. Nathan tells her not to lose hope. After she’s gone, he calls Obrecht. He says he has news, and questions that still need answering.

Michael is surprised to see Sonny and Carly with Nelle, and asks if she invited his parents. She says no, it was just good luck. Sonny says he can call it a lot of other things. Nelle suggests they discuss the wonderful new addition, and says it’s a blessing.

On the phone, Cassandra says she has good news. The new product might be ready sooner than expected. She found the man and means to speed up the process.

Finn asks Anna what the keys are for. She says what they’re usually for, unlocking a door. He says, like his was supposed to do? She says they live in a house, not a hotel, and if he insists on doing business with Cassandra, she’s responsible for keeping him alive. He tells her he can take care of himself. She says his life is her legal responsibility. She has to keep him as close as possible to insure his safety. He asks if he can’t just sign a waiver. She tells him if he wants to play, these are the rules. She’ll see him at home. He rolls his eyes.

Tomorrow, Ava tells Julian that family sticks together, Nelle tells Michael that he’ll regret it if he refuses to make her life easy, and Jason goes to see Drew.

Below Deck – Reunion

Or what I like to call, the cheap reunion, since it’s always in the clubhouse, instead of some amazing palace. Everyone looks fab, especially Kate and Baker.

In a quick catch up, we find out that Baker’s step-uncle is Thomas Ravenel (Southern Charm). Nico recently spread his brother’s ashes, and his family is working on promoting organ tissue donation. He says it was a tough decision to make to come back this season.

We flash back on how green the crew was. Captain Lee laughs, Nico looks mortified, and Jen has nothing at all in her head. A viewer asks who the captain would or would not work with again. He wants to plead the fifth, but Chris (who was fired mid-season and isn’t there) is a definite no. Kate says it was extra work this season, and she had to split tips with people who didn’t work as hard, and were unappreciative of the work that was done. A viewer asks if EJ thinks someone else should have been fired. He says he was on the fence, although Chris seemed to be pulling his weight. Captain Lee has no regrets. Baker says Chris was the weakest link, but it was sink or swim. Nico says he wasn’t a bad guy, but his work ethic was just so enough to get by. Kyle says it didn’t feel like his Valor.

We go back to EJ coming on board, Nico’s feelings about it, and the struggle being real between them. Andy asks if Nico would have had issues with anyone, and he says it was painful to watch. He thinks he was mentally stressed, and it was like the last straw. He felt hurt. Andy asks if Captain Lee thought Nico deserved bosun, and he says, hell no. Andy points out Nico threatening to quit if he didn’t become bosun, and Nico is like, geez, pick on me, why don’t you? EJ says his apology was half-hearted, but he knew it wasn’t going to change. The captain says he didn’t see the childish behavior during the season, and didn’t appreciate it when he saw it on TV. Nico hadn’t gone through the maturation process he should have. Nico agrees he shouldn’t have acted that way, but thinks he did earn his promotion. Captain Lee says the time to get it right is in the moment, not apologize when it’s over, and make excuses. They have a job to do. Either do it, or accept the help. Nico didn’t have the common sense to accept and appreciate the help he was given. Nico admits his comments are fair.

Hook-ups and near hook-ups are reviewed, including Bruno’s turn as a sushi platter. Almost everyone is single. EJ is asked why he didn’t seal the deal with Baker, but he says it seemed wrong to kiss her and leave. He adds that it wasn’t what he was there to do. Andy asks if Baker would have been receptive. She says nothing wrong with that, and he suggests the night is young. Andy asks if Matt hadn’t been so drunk, would Bri have been more receptive? She says it was a bummer for sure. Matt thinks it worked out for the best, since they did work closely together. We find out Bri’s guy just left NYC, and Bri says they’re not dating yet, but thinks she’s in love.

Andy asks about the charter guest that grabbed Jen’s butt, and if they really suggested a threesome. Jen says it was more like a broad suggestion. Kate is asked why she didn’t address it with the captain. She says Jen had told her they were drunk and out of control, which happens a lot with charter guests. It’s not right, but out in international waters, they think they paid to do whatever they want, plus there’s alcohol. Kate says knowing what she knew, she handled it appropriately. She made sure Jen wasn’t alone with them, and gave her a whistle. Captain Lee agrees. Andy asks if he knew what was going on, but he says he saw it on TV. He says separating Jen was the best thing, because there’s no reasoning with a drunk. If he’d needed to get involved, they’d have walked home.

Next up is Nico and Bri. BTW, Nico is looking cute with a bit of a Miami Vice scruffy look. We see clips of them, and Nico ending up going back to his girlfriend. He says they got together for a short amount of time, but it didn’t work out. Andy asks how pissed she was. Nico says he told her beforehand. She wasn’t happy, but he doesn’t really regret it. He thanks Bri for being supportive during a bad time. Going back to his girlfriend, he says hearing something, and seeing it physically unravel, are two different things. Bri thinks he wasn’t totally honest, because she didn’t know it was a committed relationship. She says if she’d had more feelings invested, she would have been hurt, but it was more like being there for each other. Andy calls it a boatmance.

A viewer asks what happened in Barcelona between Bri and Nico? Bri says it was Nico’s birthday, and she was drunk when she met him. They shared a cab back, but nothing happened. Again, the lying about his girlfriend question comes up. I thought we covered that already. Andy asks about regrets. Nico thinks he was clear, and Bri said she liked being free. Bri concurs that she’s not heartbroken either way.

Jen is next, and we review what an a-hole she is. Kate is not amused, and Jen looks embarrassed. A viewer asks what she thought she was signing up for? She says she knew, but admits to complaining. Kate is asked if it was the worst crew ever, and if she could have been nicer. She says until you work on a charter, you can’t comprehend how much work there is. The worst season for her was on the Eros with Rocky (yeah, she was certifiable). Kate says it was not good. Jen says they had a banter that was sarcastic, witty, and jovial, but there’s a fine line between joking and insulting. Jen apologizes, and Kate concedes that she was being a bitch sometimes.

Captain Lee says on the boat, he wasn’t privy to what was going on. Kate never came to him with anything about Jen. After he saw it, had he known about a couple of instances, he would have read Jen the riot act. Kyle says he didn’t think things were so jovial, and he defended Kate when Jen “slagged her off.” Kate says let Jen vent, and she can defend herself. Bri says they were hard on each other, and Matt says thy actually had fun, because he can’t stand being left out.

A viewer brings up them using the word “whore,” and both Kate and Jen apologize. Another viewer asks why it’s okay with Jen to call Baker a whore, and Jen says she apologized to Baker. She was drunk, and had no place doing that. Baker says end-of-the-night stuff isn’t to be taken seriously. Good attitude! Jen’s drinking is brought up, and Jen says it was hard to watch; it’s not who she is. Oh, how I hate when people say that. Jen says she barely drinks, only champagne, and only on the weekends, every other weekend. Okay…

We move to Jen taking a bite of Kyle’s food, and he says she has no manners. Kyle lectures about asking first. Nico thinks he’s being dramatic, but it’s his thing. Andy asks if something could have happened between Kyle and Jen prior to the food incident. Kyle says he’s with a lot of guys on the boats most of the time, so when he sees an attractive woman, he wants to go for it, even if it’s just to have a good time out. She effed it up with the food. I’m with Jen on this one. It was a clean fork, and he over-reacted. He’s over-reacting right now.

Jen thinks a lot of the crew forgot about their own green time, and says she’s aware of being a lot to handle. Kyle says she played the victim, and was a liar. Kate says she was similar on her first yacht. Andy asks if Bri was working toward being second stew. Bri says she felt like she was from the beginning (yep), and thinks she deserved it. Jen agrees. EJ says Kate knows what she’s doing; the rest aren’t as well versed in different yachts; they’re coming in with little experience. Kate worked with what she had, and got them through the season. Andy asks if Kate would work with Jen again. Kate says no one makes her laugh more. It’s an important quality, and they’re friends. She’s a pleasure to be around, but Kate isn’t sure yachting is for her. She’d work with Jen again, but would like to see her more in her element, and thinks her strengths are suited to other industries.

Bruno joins the group via Skype. He’s been working out, and he’s quite jacked. He’s also gotten engaged to his partner, Joseph. Andy asks if he’s officially gay, and Bruno says if you want to label him, sure. He’s engaged to a beautiful heart and a beautiful person. Bruno is way too altruistic for me. He’s asked if he’s team Nico or team EJ, and he says, Nico for sure. Andy asks why, and he says it’s simple. Nico was there in the beginning, teaching him and being supportive, regardless of his personal issues.

Andy says, Matt started good, but guests didn’t always think his food was well done (BA-DUM-CHH!). We see clips of some complaints. Andy tells us that between Matt’s food gaffs and girlfriend troubles, Bruno helped him. Andy tells Matt it was a rough season. Matt says he brought personal things to the workplace, and wishes he hadn’t. Andy asks Kate if she missed Ben. Kate says good banter makes her laugh, but it’s nice to have break from his intensity. A viewer asks why there’s no sous chef, and Matt says he had Bruno. Andy says no labels; he’s whatever he is. Andy asks Bruno why he helped Matt, and Bruno says he loves cooking. He saw Matt needed help, so why not? He says Matt’s a great listener, and wonders why someone wasn’t helping him out, like Kate did at the end. She didn’t help him all season, but their last powwow showed him how much Kate was a team player. Bruno feels that she only criticized all season. He didn’t see her sitting with Matt like she did during the last charter. I’m wondering when it became the chief stew’s job to help out the chef. Andy asks Kate if Bruno is helpful or a know-it-all. She says he was a little out of line and entitled. They appreciated the team work, but would appreciate it more if he didn’t boast so much. Bruno says he tried to be helpful and turn things around with her, but she wasn’t receptive. Andy asks Bri if Bruno or Jen would make a better stew, and she says Bruno. Captain Lee says, it was too little too late with Matt. He’d thought Matt had it inside, and didn’t need anyone other than what he possessed in his own talents. Kate thinks Bruno would make a wonderful stew, but wouldn’t want to work with him, since he has no respect for her. Bruno says he respects everyone, but respect is mutual, and there were a lot of unpleasant movements. On that note, we bid Bruno goodbye.

Andy asks who Captain Lee’s all-star crew team would be. He decides on Kate, Nico, Eddie, Ben, and Kelley, in that order. Andy says that Nico told Baker he was going to be a plumbing apprentice, and asks how that panned out. Nico says he’s working for the family company, and studying for his captain’s license. He and his brother are buying a boat, and going to be chartering it. Andy asks about any regrets, and EJ says, not kissing Baker. Everyone wants him to do it now, and he says it’s too much pressure. Jen suggests he take her out tonight. Kate thinks she’s friends with everyone, but she and Jen really clicked. Kyle jokes that he’s lonely. Andy thanks them all for a great season, and we’re out. I’ll miss them. And that blue, blue water.

Postscript: The reunion was even cheaper than I thought, since it was also used for tonight’s episode of Watch What Happens Live.