What I Watched Today

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

 

 

General Hospital

Anna tells Robert that Cassandra was on Spoon Island. She asks him to let her know when Cassandra is in custody. She loves it when a plan comes together. Finn asks if she just quoted The A Team. He guesses he should start packing. He and Roxie can now move around the cabin. Anna tells him that he was never her prisoner, and Roxie can stay as long as she wants, but he says they’re a package deal. He asks if she’s glad to get rid of him, but she says Cassandra isn’t in custody yet. Maybe he should stick around.

Valentin asks Cassandra if this is necessary. Cassandra tells Valentin that he’s lucky she brought him there, instead of leaving his body for his Amazon wife to stumble over. She reminds me of Natasha in the Bullwinkle cartoons, but toned down a hundred notches.

Nina texts Valentin yet again. She wonders why he’s not there for their anniversary.

Dante asks Lulu what the next big story is, but she hesitates to answer the question.

Carly and Sonny make out at the bar. He asks where Jason is, but she says she doesn’t know. Sonny says he tried talking him out of going to Russia to look for Faison, but wonders if he found an earlier flight to St. Petersburg.

Drew looks for Monica at the hospital, but Kim says he missed her. He was hoping for a ride. His car won’t start, and he needs to meet Sam. It’s an hour wait for a cab, and Kim asks where they’re supposed to meet. He tells her the Haunted Star.

Sam asks what Jason is doing there. He says he’s supposed to meet Sonny, but she tells him that she and Drew rented the boat for the evening. He realizes they’re moving, and asks if Drew is driving. Sam says no; Drew’s not there yet. It’s on autopilot, and they have to stop it.

As Anna putters around to make a New Year’s Eve spread, Finn says there’s no reason to stay while she and the WSB take down Cassandra. She says any minute now, but you don’t pronounce the patient cured until the tests come back from the lab. She tells him to do what he wants, and he asks if she wants him to leave. She calls him impossible, and he says she’s deflecting and not facing her feelings. She says what she feels is satisfaction; Cassandra is going to be put away for a long time. She would feel ecstatic if Finn could acknowledge her success. He says if it wasn’t for him, she’d still be eating croissants in Monaco. She tells him he’s grown a huge ego. He says if he’s reading it correctly, she’s asking him to leave.

Cassandra tells Valentin that life with a wife and child hasn’t just made him soft; it’s made him stupid. He betrayed her in the most obvious way. She’s surprised he doesn’t realize his mistake. When he knocked the phone out of her hand, Eric discovered the bug. Cassandra doesn’t realize the obvious. If Valentin had planted that bug, he never would have knocked the phone out of her hand.

Nina calls Valentin, and gets voicemail. She wonders why he isn’t there yet.

Lulu tells Dante that she wants something bigger than the Lomax story. She and Peter kicked around some ideas. He asks what they settled on, and they see Nina frantically talking. She tells them that Valentin is late, and not answering his cell or the house phone. Lulu asks if she thinks there’s something wrong with Charlotte. Nina says the babysitter isn’t picking up either. She doesn’t know what to think.

Carly tells Sonny that Jason is more than capable of taking care of himself. Sonny asks what she did. Did she do what she always does, stepping in? Carly says it’s what Sonny wants. Didn’t he just try to convince Jason that Sam was the one for him? Sonny says he got nowhere, and so will she. Whatever she was planning, is not going to work.

Kim gives Drew a ride. He tries to call Sam, but says the reception on the boat is sketchy. Kim asks if there’s someone else he can call, and he explains that there is no one else. He rented the boat, so they could have it to themselves. He tells her that there’s no captain, because it’s on autopilot, and Kim is amused about the technology.

Sam tells Jason the autopilot did what it was supposed to, and pulled away from the pier. Now they’re adrift because they shut it off, and when they did that, it also cut the engine. They shut it off, and the wrong people are on board. She says she should have known how the emergency shut-off works. Sam starts to babble about how the boat should have an analog control system, and says they’re going to be stuck for a few hours. She tries to call Drew, but there’s no service.

Jason tells Sam, sorry. She says it’s not his fault, but thanks him for not saying, I told you so. He thinks this is happening because of him. Carly told him to meet Sonny there. Sam says she was at Aurora and heard their plans, since Lulu announced them, and she must have found a way to delay Drew. Jason says she took things too far, and he needs to talk to her. Sam says there’s nothing he can say or do to change her mind. Carly isn’t trying to convince him, but her. Carly wanted to put them alone together to try and change her mind.

Carly tells Sonny to wait and see, and let nature take its course. He wonders when has she ever done that? She says whatever is going to happen, will happen, and it’s out of their hands. Sonny says Jason is with Sam because of her.

Nina gets ahold of the babysitter. Charlotte is fine, and Valentin left a while ago. She says he should be there soon. Lulu wonders why she’s worried, and Nina says he’s probably picking up gift. It’s their one-year anniversary. Lulu says it’s been one year since they teamed up to keep Charlotte from her mother. Lulu is too old to be such a brat, and I’m really starting to dislike her. Dante asks what’s going on, and Lulu says Valentin is up to something, and Nina is covering it up. I hope her career bombs. Making wild assumptions is not what a good journalist does.

Valentin tells Cassandra not to blame him for her carelessness. She hired him because he was the best. If he was going to bug her phone, she’d have never known it. Cassandra says he lies like breathing, and needs some incentive to tell the truth. She tells Eric to beat the truth out of him.

Finn accuses Anna of practically pushing him out the door. She says just because she pointed out his massive ego, he doesn’t need to go out in the cold. She tells him they could celebrate the new year together, or he could act like an adolescent who can’t wrangle a date with his crush, and leave. She’s proved he’s terrified. Finn says if he’s terrified, she’s petrified. She can’t admit she wants him to stay. She asks if he wants to stay, and he says he’d love to.

Jason calls the harbor master, but they’re not a priority. It will be at least three hours before a tow comes, but they can figure out something in the meantime. He looks behind the bar, and brings out a set of dominoes. He challenges her to a game. She asks if the rules are the same. He says whoever loses a round, takes a shot of tequila. Sam tells him that he’s on.

Anna tells Finn that she has champagne for her, cider, and several kinds of sparkling water. She also makes a killer grilled cheese. He can’t think of better way to ring in the new year.

Cassandra’s phone rings (when did she have time to get another one?). She tells Eric to take a break, and answer the phone. Cassandra wonders if Valentin was planning on taking over himself, but he says he never wanted anything to do with her organization. He wanted to be left alone with his wife and daughter. He tells her it’s their one-year anniversary, and Cassandra says he takes new beginnings literally. Valentin says Nina asked him spontaneously. She wanted to strengthen his position in his custody case, and risked everything for him. Cassandra says he makes it sound idyllic. Valentin says, not idyllic, but real. As long as Nina and Charlotte are by his side, the rest of the world can burn. Cassandra realizes he really means it. He says she knows he didn’t do this, and she’s wasting her time. She needs to find the leak in her organization. Eric comes back, and Cassandra tells him to let Valentin go. Eric says that the authorities just seized her factory.

Dante asks if Nina has reason to believe Valentin is involved in something criminal. Lulu says it’s not like he hasn’t killed anyone – like her brother. Please. Give it a rest. Nina says she’ll find him herself.

Carly goes off to play hostess. Sonny tells Dante and Lulu that he got thank you cards from the kids. Lulu says it was Charlotte’s idea. She told the kids that you always send a thank you when you get a gift. They talk about the kids, and Lulu says it’s amazing that Sonny is willing to drop everything for his family. A huge question mark hangs over my head, since not long ago, Sonny gave up trying to get out of the business for them. She tells Sonny that with Dante, sometimes work gets in the way. Dante says he’s looking for Faison, and asks if Sonny is looking too. Sonny asks if he’s had any success, and Dante says he was going to ask the same thing.

Kim and Drew are stuck in traffic. She says it looks like everyone is trying to get somewhere before midnight. He tells her, sorry, and she asks him to get her glasses from the glovebox. He wonders if she needs glasses, why she’s not wearing them now, but she says it’s only when her eyes are tired at night. Me too. Drew gives her the glasses, and sees a CD marked 2003. He asks if it’s the one that she gave him. She asks if he listened to it, and if it triggered any memories.

Sam says it’s only her first shot, but Jason has already had two. He tells her she’s gotten good at the game, and she tells him that she and Drew play sometimes. She doubts this is what Carly had in mind. She was Carly’s least favorite person, and now she’s the only one who can make Jason happy. Jason says Carly feels bad because she pushed Sam to Drew when she thought it was him. Sam says nobody pushed her. She’s not with him because of Carly, but because she loves him. A lot has changed; she changed. Jason says it wasn’t five years for him. He woke up at the clinic, and had no idea how much time had passed. All he could think about was coming home, but he’s glad she didn’t wait, and went on and lived life. She has Drew, Danny, and Emily Scout. He missed her, but can’t miss the life they didn’t have. As long as she’s happy, he’s good.

Cassandra says someone located the factory by using the bug; her operation is completely lost. Valentin says she got played, and had better get out of the country, and live to fight another day. She wonders if it wasn’t him, who did it? She was always so careful. The lightbulb comes on, and she says, Finn. Valentin asks how he would know how to do something like that, and Cassandra says his girlfriend would. She knew Anna had ties to the WSB, but since Anna didn’t try to hide her identity, she assumed Anna wouldn’t go after her business. She says Finn played her perfectly. Valentin tells her to leave him out of it, but she says she has to take care of Finn, then him. His marriage won’t see the new year; what a shame. She leaves with Eric, and Valentin struggles against his bonds. I totally get why she wants to go after Finn, but what did Valentin do? Or is he just a reminder that she’s stupid?

Anna and Finn toast to a happy new year, and better days. Finn says the water was a good year. He suddenly tells Anna that he has to go. He just needs to go out for a while. He wants to make a fresh start between them, and it will be worth it. He won’t be long. I say, oh no, don’t leave, to the TV.

Sonny doesn’t know Faison’s location. Dante tells him it’s an active investigation. The bartender tells Sonny that he can’t find Carly, and asks if he’ll give her a message. Tell her that he’ll be happy to take care of any special projects she has moving forward.

Sam asks if Jason is drunk. He says no, and she tells him the game is fundamentally unfair. He can drink five times as many shots, which means she has to win fives times more. She doesn’t think she’s ever achieved it, since she’s never seen him drunk. He moves a domino, and she asks why he made such a stupid play? He tells her that he was distracted, but she says he’s losing on purpose. He doesn’t want to see her drunk. Jason, the tough hitman, is too polite to get a lady drunk, unless she’s his lady. They agree that maybe this wasn’t such a good idea. Jason says it’s almost midnight. If they get up on deck, maybe they’ll see some fireworks. He helps her on with the coat that Maxie picked out.

Robert calls Anna, saying they haven’t found Cassandra yet. She says she’ll lock up, and stay armed until they do. She starts to go upstairs, and the door opens. She says, Finn, we have a problem. By the look on her face, I don’t think it’s Finn.

Nina keeps texting Valentin, and wondering where he is.

Lulu toasts to a new career. Dante asks Sonny to make a resolution to share information on Faison, and Sonny says he will if Dante will. Lulu wants to text Laura to see if she’s enjoying her honeymoon, but Dante suggests she’ll enjoy it more if Lulu doesn’t text her. Sonny tells Carly that she seems happy, and she says she is. He asks if it has anything to do with the bartender. He told Sonny to tell her that he’d be happy to do any special projects for her. She says the employees are always looking for extra work. Sonny tells her that if you start the new year with a lie, you’ll be lied to for the rest of the year.

Dante wonders why Lulu was asking about Faison, and tells her that she has to work on her technique. Is she going after him herself? She avoids the question, and he tells her that Faison is dangerous and a psychopath. Stay away from him. She says she will, if he will. He says he’s a cop; it’s his job. She says he has to accept her career the way she does his. He says not when she’s on the path of a predator. She says they have a problem then.

Carly tells Sonny that she may have arranged for Sam and Jason to get stuck somewhere. Sonny asks if it’s somewhere dangerous, and she says, no, but private. He asks what about Drew, and she says she paid the bartender to tamper with his car. Sonny says she’ll be the first person he’ll blame, but she doesn’t care; she’s doing him a favor. He’ll never be happy with Sam, because Sam won’t be happy without Jason.

Kim tells Drew that he believed in staying in the moment, and not looking too far ahead. He also liked to enjoy a song and a sunset. He used to say, don’t waste chance to live what’s right in front of you.

Sam’s coat deserves a mention. It’s white, soft military style, with a nipped waist and pleats. She tells Jason that Danny loves fireworks, just like his dad. She asks when Jason gave the city money to rebuild, if it was because the fireworks were good from there? He says it was for a lot of reasons, but that was one of them.

Finn gets back with flowers, but there’s no one there. He puts them on the desk, and looks for Anna.

They’re just going to leave me hanging all over the place in this episode, aren’t they?

When Finn comes back, Cassandra is there, smelling one of the flowers.

Valentin continues to struggle. He remembers his and Nina’s wedding, and saying the vows.

The countdown begins. Alone, Nina says, happy anniversary, Valentin.

Dante and Lulu kiss. He wants her to be an award winning journalist, but wants her safe. She promises she will be.

Sonny tells Carly that he knows her intentions are good, and he loves her for that. She’s a force of nature, and his life means nothing without her. She loves him the same way. They kiss.

Kim is like, sorry, happy new year. Drew says he’ll go the rest of the way on foot. He says to tell Oscar, happy new year, and she says the same to Sam.

Sam and Jason watch the fireworks. She says it’s beautiful. He looks at her, and says, beautiful. They look at each other, and he holds out his hand. They get closer. We flash back to when she was drunk, and they danced. They begin to dance on the deck, and we flash back to when they danced under Chinese lanterns in the rain. They dance, and gaze into each other’s eyes. They kiss, while Auld Lang Syne plays.

We get the end-of-the-year full credits, but no preview.

✈ I’ve probably seen it a million times, but suddenly realized that’s Ashley Jones (Parker, General Hospital) in a Priceline commercial with Kaley Cuoco (Penny, The Big Bang Theory). Turns out they’re good friends, and last spring, Kaley helped throw Ashley a safari-themed high tea baby shower. You don’t see one of those very often, and how’s that for useless trivia?

Since we’re still in holiday TV interruptus, I watched two episodes of Hell’s Kitchen tonight. I’m so out of the loop with this show, it didn’t really matter, but nothing makes it feel like home more than Gordon Ramsay bleepity-bleep-bleep-bleeping his way around a kitchen. Especially when he tells the contestants they’ve made a blunder that’s “the worst in the history of this competition.” I wish I had a quarter for every time he’s said that. I know the phrase is supposed to be a nickel, but, inflation.

 🎊 Some Quotes to Usher in the New Year

The task of the modern educator is not to cut down jungles but to irrigate deserts. – C.S. Lewis, from The Abolition of Man, Compiled in Words to Live By

It is not true that people stop pursuing dreams because they grow old, they grow old because they stop pursuing dreams. – Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Knowing what must be done does away with fear. – Rosa Parks

No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another. – Charles Dickens

A calm and modest life brings more happiness than the pursuit of success combined with constant restlessness. – Albert Einstein

To thrive in life you need three bones. A wishbone. A backbone. And a funny bone.
— Reba McEntire

I hope that in this year to come, you make mistakes. Because if you are making mistakes, then you are making new things, trying new things, learning, living, pushing yourself, changing yourself, changing your world. You’re doing things you’ve never done before, and more importantly, you’re doing something. – Neil Gaiman

Resolve to keep happy, and your joy and you shall form an invincible host against difficulties. Year’s end is neither an end nor a beginning but a going on, with all the wisdom that experience can instill in us. Be at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let every new year find you a better man. – Benjamin Franklin

New Year’s Day. A fresh start. A new chapter in life waiting to be written. New questions to be asked, embraced, and loved. Answers to be discovered and then lived in this transformative year of delight and self-discovery. Today carve out a quiet interlude for yourself in which to dream, pen in hand. Only dreams give birth to change. – Sarah Ban Breathnach

😸 Here’s Where I’m Supposed to Say…

See you next year – ha-ha! but I’m not going to. It’s so cliché. Whether you rock your new year in at home or take it to the streets, enjoy, but enjoy safely. As for me, been there, done it all, when it was safer and less expensive. I’ll be ringing in the new year with Chinese food, liquor and Beastmaster 2: Through the Portal of Time. Stop laughing.

Wishing you all good things in 2018 – and all the best in TV!

🐆 And if You’re Inclined to See What a Safari-Themed High Tea Baby Shower is All About…

http://celebritybabies.people.com/2016/04/08/ashley-jones-baby-shower-kaley-cuoco-photos/

🎅 And Because I Can’t Resist…

Casey’s First Christmas