What I Watched Today
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Olivia-Q whistles Jingle Bells, as she decorates a big, white tree. Monica walks in, saying, omg what’s that? Olivia says it’s a Christmas tree. Monica says typically, they have natural tree, and they have an attic of traditional ornaments. Olivia says she was told she could do the tree, and did it like they do in Bensonhurst. Monica says that explains it. Olivia tells her if she has something to say, say it to her face. I kind of understand this. Way back in the 70s, my father thought he’d be cool, and brought home an artificial, silver tree. My sister and I were both mortified. It never happened again.
Alexis tells Michael she’s on retainer with ELQ, and has to discuss some issues. Andrew being added to the family triggers the redistribution of stock, since he’s entitled along with other grandchildren. Michael says he’s okay with that, but she says it means they can vote for a new CEO. He tells her that he’ll cross that bridge when he comes to it. Jason will back him, and Drew can argue for change if wants. Ned suggests buying them both out.
Kim leaves a phone message for Oscar, apologizing and telling him that she loves him, and can do better. Amy comes by, asking if she’s okay, and she says she got turned around, and doesn’t want to be late for her first appointment. Amy says she’s going the same way. She loves OB shifts, and says it must be rewarding, bringing new lives into the world. Kim says there’s more to it than that, but that part is thrilling. She tells the patient she’ll be right with them, and Maxie says they’re ready when she is
Lulu meets with Peter at the MetroCourt. He asks how he can help her, and she says he can change her life.
Drew tells someone on the phone to send over the contracts. Sam asks what’s going on, and he tells her today is the first day of the rest of his life. This should have been everyone’s first clue. Jason would have never said things like that, and this dude always does. Sam says, their lives. He says he might as well start living like it, and throws his desk nameplate into the wastebasket. He tells her last night he went to the footbridge to think in his spot, and realized it’s not his spot; it’s his. He gave money to the city to buy the land. Drew remembers doing it, but it’s not his memory. He has a lot of memories about the bridge, but the last three years aren’t his. Sam says those years still happened; they have Scout and their family. He tells her that she’s his anchor. Most of his memories aren’t his, but the last three years are all his – her, him, and the kids.
Kim introduces herself, and tells Maxie and Nathan she’ll be taking Dr. Lee’s place while she’s on leave. Maxie introduces Nathan, and Amy asks if she’s pregnant. Nathan tells Kim that they go way back. Amy babbles at them, and Kim says Maxie can fill her in after the appointment. Maxie says she just told a few people. They want to keep it quiet during first trimester. Amy tells her not to worry. She knows how to keep a secret, unlike some people. Maxie asks what that’s supposed to mean?
Monica tells Olivia that she should have checked in on the Quartermaine traditions, but Olivia says she thought she’d expand on them; that’s how family works, everyone bringing in their own contributions. She tells Monica that she treats her like staff rather than family. No, she actually treats the staff better. Monica tells her not to take it personally; the tree doesn’t fit the room. Olivia says she takes a dig at her every chance she gets. Monica says she tried to take over. Does she have to remind Olivia that it’s her house? Olivia says she knows; Alan gave it to her. Monica says no one is forcing her to live there. Olivia asks if Monica doesn’t think she longs to have a house where she cook and decorate it the way she sees fit? The thought of creating a home for her family means a lot to her, but Ned wants to preserve the legacy. There aren’t a lot of Quartermaines left. That’s why she’s there, for the sake of his family. She wishes Monica could see her as a member of the family too.
Peter asks how he can change Lulu’s life. She says she loves her life and the people in it. She’s the mother of two children, and owns the Haunted Star. He says it sound like a full life, but she says the kids are getting older, and the club runs itself. Now she wants to pursue her first love – journalism. She used to work for a magazine, and has had a few articles published lately. She starts to pull them out, and Peter tells her to stop right there.
Maxie says Amy is still blaming her, but she had nothing to do with the exposé. Kim kicks Amy and Nathan out, and tells Nathan she’ll need his medical history.
Peter tells Lulu that she’ll essentially be starting over. She says she’s worked in publishing before, but is willing to start at the bottom. He says she’ll be competing with others who are coming in with a presold brand, and a million Twitter followers. She says she’s not interested in covering pop culture, and wants to do investigative reporting. He says he won’t be doing her a favor in giving her false expectations, and an article about school food isn’t hard journalism. She says until the children come down with salmonella or funding is cut for the ones who get their only square meal there. She thanks him for his time, and he tells her to wait. He says that they do buy freelance pieces, and if she brings him a compelling story, he’ll consider finding her a position. She says it’s a deal.
Alexis can’t advise them, since she has a conflict of interest with both Sam and Jason. Ned says the wording of the will has plagued them for years. The company is finally stable, making money, and has growth potential. The board is happy, the stockholders are happier; why rock the boat? Drew is a wildcard, and Jason doesn’t care. Michael thinks it’s not in the spirit of the will, but Ned asks how they know. It’s time to step up and act in the best interest of the family.
Amy tells Nathan she knows she’s being petty, and he says Maxie is innocent – of this. Amy says she’ll take her at her word. He knows they have a history, and Maxie’s first reaction is – Amy says, hysterical, histrionic, and paranoid. Maxie thinks she’s superior. Nathan says she only acts like she does. She has no nursing degree, no successful book, and hasn’t helped any siblings. She admires Amy. He doesn’t want them snarking at each other. He wants Amy to be an honorary aunt, so give the mom some slack. Amy says she didn’t mean to put him in the middle. Ask Man Landers wouldn’t have gotten as far as it did without Maxie. Nathan asks about Chet, and Amy tells him that he checked into a VA program. He’s determined to get the help he needs, and everything is working out. She asks what’s going on with Nathan, and he says not to tell Maxie, but the doctor asking for his family medical history got him thinking. Growing up, he believed that the people who raised him were his parents, and he only saw his biological father a few times. Amy has no doubt he’ll make excellent father. She hugs him, and Kim comes out, asking if he wants to hear the baby’s heartbeat.
Maxie tells Nathan that she’ll be expecting back rubs. Kim finds the heartbeat. Nathan says, that’s a baby. Maxie says, it is. He kisses her.
Michael doesn’t think Jason signing over his shares will benefit ELQ, and it would break their grandfather’s heart. He loved all of them, but Jason was the apple of his eye. Ned says Jason is a career criminal, unless he’s given up working for Sonny. Michael says in all those years, he’s never interfered, and he doesn’t see it happening now. Ned says focus on Drew then. Michael says he’s also part of the family. Ned says so is Jimmy Lee. It has more to do with loyalty than biological inheritance. He says Drew is an outsider, and if he hadn’t been mistaken for Jason, he wouldn’t have anything to do with it. Monica asks if they’ve found proof as to who is who yet (wouldn’t it have been all over town, if not in the paper, already?). Michael tells her the twin who jumped through skylight is Jason. Alexis says she found out last night, and came to talk about the repercussions for ELQ. Ned suggesting paying Drew a ton of money means more to them than him. Ned thinks it’s what their grandfather would have wanted, but Monica asks what would Alan have wanted? He’s Drew’s father.
Kim asks how Maxie’s daughter feels about a sibling? Maxie says she’s confused; it’s hard to explain on FaceTime, and she lives in Portland with her father. He agrees she should spend more time with Maxie, and he’s a great friend and father. She asks if Kim has kids, and she says she has a son. She leaves, and Maxie tells Nathan she needs to text Spinelli. At the elevator, Maxie and Nathan discuss the person who thought he was Jason being Andrew Kane, and Kim overhears. Maxie says Sam thought she was married to Jason, but surprise! She must be totally freaking out.
Drew says Sam brought him back from the brink. It’s not easy on her, finding out the man she’s married to wasn’t not exactly who she thought he was. Sam says she married the man she’s in love with, the man she thinks about all day, the one who gave her a beautiful daughter, and took a bullet for her. They both brought each other back so they could be reborn. They can start brand new. She tells him she loves him so much, calling him Drew. He loves her too. They kiss. He says it’s the first time she’s said she loved him, calling him by his real name. She tells him to get used to it, for rest of lives. Kim drops by, and says she’s sorry she’s there unannounced, but she’s heard he’s Andrew Kane. Drew says he needs time to get used to it, but yeah. He asks what brings her by, and she says she wanted to talk about her son.
Alexis says the will stipulates the company is divided between all heirs who were alive at the time of Edward’s death. Drew is entitled to his share. Monica says there was some argument when Jason was born that he was illegitimate, and has less of a right, but Alan would hear nothing of it. He would want Drew treated the same way. Ned tells her that he was just looking out for what’s best for the family. Drew has bought his own company; he doesn’t care about ELQ. Monica reminds him that at one point, Drew bought ELQ, and restored it to the Quartermaines. It sound like caring to her. Olivia and Michael agree.
Lulu congratulates Maxie, and Maxie asks how the meeting went. Obrecht is having coffee at the bar, and Nathan joins her. She tells him she’s doing a research project that could lead to opportunities. He asks if she means legal ones, and she says she’s determined to avoid legal troubles. She’d rather talk about her grandchild, and he tells her about the appointment. He says he has a project involving the baby that requires her help. He needs his medical history, and information on his father.
Lulu tells Maxie how Peter wants a story so compelling, he can’t resist publishing it. Maxie is glad she stood up for herself; she should have stood up for herself with Amy. She tells Lulu about Amy making a comment about not being able to keep a secret. If she was going to out Man Landers, she wouldn’t give it to a sleazefest like The Invader. If she found out who did it, she would scratch their eyes out. Lulu says she’s a genius.
Drew says Kim probably realized Oscar snuck out, and they ran into each other on the footbridge. He tells her Oscar is a good kid, and don’t punish him too hard. Sam hates to put her on the spot, but says that when Carly came over, she’d said Kim knew Drew back in the day. She asks if that’s true.
Sam says Drew knows basic facts from his service record. Most of his assignments were classified, and they know he went missing in 2012, but Kim knew him from before that. Kim says they were both in San Diego in the early 2000s, but she can’t help. Drew was deployed not long after they met, and they lost touch. She hadn’t thought about him in years. Sam appreciates her honesty.
Max is glad someone thinks she’s a genius. Lulu gets on the phone to text Bobbie. She says she has the perfect story for Mr. Smug. Crimson’s reputation was damaged when the Man Landers scandal broke. Maxie says her reputation too. Fans understand why they did it, but still think they’re complicit in the fraud. Lulu wants to get to the bottom of it, and do an investigation on who leaked it to The Invader. The rat will be exposed, the CEO will be indebted to her, and hire her on the spot. Maxie thinks it’s impossible, but Lulu says she has a plan. Maxie asks what it is; the story affects her. They decide to go in on it together.
Ned says, et tu, Olivia? She says she’s standing with Monica on this. Drew is a Quartermaine like the rest of them. Ned says when Tracy lectured, she must have listened. Olivia says they have a lot in common with the Falconari’s; loyalty to family. They might bicker and fight, but when the chips are down, they stick together. He’s a Quartermaine, the same as all of them. There’s room in the family for all of them. Ned says she makes an excellent point. His first impulse was to protect ELQ, but he may have gone too far. Monica says he’s Tracy’s son; it’s in his DNA. They need to get in touch with both of them, welcome Jason back, and let Andrew know he’s welcome.
Nathan tells Obrecht that genetic counseling is standard procedure. Obrecht thinks Victor’s WSB records are probably classified. He says he can talk to Alexis. Obrecht says there was a full medical work-up when he was born. She’ll get it out of storage and send it. He thanks her, and returns to Maxie. Obrecht gets on the phone, and says she needs help with something urgent. Nathan wonders where Maxie went. I’m wondering if Faison is really his father.
She and Lulu are in hazmat suits at The Invader offices. She says the plan is going to work. Trust her.
Monica says she left a message for both brothers. She hopes they know they have family there. Michael says they do, and asks if Olivia wants to take Leo to see Santa when he takes Avery. They make plans to meet later, and he leaves. Olivia tells Monica that she’s right; the tree is tacky. She was trying to hard to create a false Christmas, and got carried away. Monica says it came from Olivia’s heart, and she should have been more open. When she stood up for Drew being part of the family, she became aces in Monica’s book. Olivia says it’s not easy for him; they’re tough. Monica says so is she, and it wouldn’t be a home without her being there. Monica wants her to think of it as her house. Olivia says Monica is making her emotional. Me too. She says Christmas is about family traditions, and if Monica wants a pine-smelling needle-dropping tree, she has it. They can pick it out together, and she’ll give this one to the women’s shelter. But she gets Easter. Monica says she has it, and they hug.
Ned apologizes to Alexis for being so callous about her son-in-law trying to adjust. She says everyone needs time to process it.
Kim says she’s sorry she can’t help Drew figure out who he is. She wishes him luck, and leaves. A soldier in a camo uniform comes to the door. He says he needs Andrew to come with him. He’s under arrest for desertion.
Tomorrow, Julian wants to see his son, Carly tells Sonny nothing is settled, and Nelle plays an elf.
Below Deck
Kate says when Kyle is done talking about his feelings, then he can tell her what she’s doing wrong. He admits he shouldn’t have been sleeping on the crew mess couch. She’s like, great, now help me with this carnival theme party. She wants him to get in the clown costume, and being super cheerful and happy. Nico is ready to go home and clear his head.
Timothy babbles about WiFi. Kate tells him the schedule, and asks if it’s okay to get the table set. In her interview, she says he’s all excited about the seafood tower, the champagne tower, and the fireworks. It’s like his bar mitzvah all over again. Kate asks Nico to take the guests on a lengthy tour, while they prepare.
Baker makes decorations, and Kyle makes balloon animals. Jen is trying to keep it together, but says she’s talking to Kate when it’s over. Bri works on the champagne tower. Kate says she’s not worried about the crew, just the third stew. She tells the crew to change into their costumes while she’s doing dinner service. She tells Nico to give an overview of the very expensive toilet to stall for more time. The toilet is creepy. I don’t want my toilet doing all kinds of electronic things.
Omg, the seafood looks fabulous. Dinner is served, and pronounced amazing. Kyle feels like Kate is taking things too personal, but Nico says welcome to Kate’s world; it’s all business. He wouldn’t lose sleep over it. Baker says Jen is a day late and a dollar short. She’s googling what a mime looks like two minutes before they’re starting. Timothy does not want kale. He’s pleased with the cauliflower mash though. Kyle thinks Jen needs to sort her sh*t out. Timothy gives a lecture on protein.
Kate tells everyone five minutes. The fireworks are about to happen. Matt is nailing the last meal, and wants the plates cleared. Timothy says in past lives every successful person was named Tim. Okay… Matt goes up to clear the plates himself. Jen passes out the dessert, and the guests laugh because she can’t talk. Matt says he struggled the season, but is leaving a better chef. Kate says the fireworks are about to begin, and get the goggles out for the champagne spraying.
She tells the guests that they have a surprise, and to grab their cocktails. The table has cream pies lined up. Kyle’s gun that shoots out a bang! flag doesn’t work properly, but the fireworks go off without a hitch. Kate says all the hard work is behind her, and it’s downhill from here. She’s wearing a plush monkey, and tells the guests there’s another surprise.
Kyle begins the champagne spray. In his interview, Captain Lee says Timothy has a better chance of seeing God twice in the next thirty seconds, than spraying him with champagne. This all looks incredibly stupid. They’re throwing pies at one another, and wasting bottles of Dom Perignon. Afterward, Kate passes out towels, and everyone goes off to shower or whatever. There’s a group hug in the galley. Kate says the guests are happy, they’re happy, but the boat is a disaster. They clean up the mess, and wash down the deck. About 80% of this job is cleaning up after people who are often slobs. The captain asks Kate how Timothy is, and she says she thinks he’s happy.
Nico ponders. Nico looks at old photos. Nico hopes Melissa takes him back. He’s going to have to tell Bri that she’s going on by herself.
Timothy says they went out with a bang. Jen snoozes. Kate thinks everyone should be a part of the last meal. In her interview, Kate she says the feeling when the last guest leaves the boat, is a better feeling than sex, Christmas, or Christmas sex. Matt concocts breakfast, and it looks so good. Bruno says he’s going to be sad. Baker is excited. Matt sings an ode to scrambled eggs. Kate says of course Jen is late. She does a Night Before Christmas riff on the crew not working, and her having to do it by herself.
Anchor is pulled up. A guest asks for a chocolate milkshake. Bri tells Nico she’s getting in the groove. In his interview, Nico says he’s the coolest of the cool dudes, but chicken sh*t when it comes to breaking up with girls. I’d say try complete and utter a-hole. It’s the last docking, and he took it emotionally that he wasn’t bosun, but at the end, he just wants to be team player and get the job done. Bri talks about her new stripes, and Jen takes her marbles and goes home. In her interview, Jen says that Bri is being insensitive. Maybe if she’d actually worked, she’d have stripes too.
It’s goodbye to the guests. Matt is like yes! Timothy says it was an Incredible trip; he didn’t expect it to be this good after the last one with the WiFi issue. I’m so glad he’s leaving, so I don’t have to hear that word again. He says they got him what he needed on shore, and they made some good trades. His guests loved it, and Captain Lee is like fine wine; he gets better with age. He gives the captain the tip, and tells Kate to smile more. In her interview, she asks if anyone would like to mention the circus extravaganza, or if they just want to insult her facial expressions, that’s good too. Even with all his jabbering about WiFi, I have to admit that Timothy has mellowed. He’s not nearly as obnoxious this time. Maybe he saw himself. At least I don’t have to resort to tweeting.
Kate meets with the stews for champagne, and tells them that they did an amazing job. Jen says it was frustrating at times, because she felt like she had two bosses. Bri says she told her to always defer to what Kate says. Kate tells Bri that she must have frustrations too, and they agree Jen takes too long to get ready. Jen says they pretend to be doing laundry when they’re really getting ready, and gets all defensive. She says Kate never let’s her speak, just like “this one,” referring to Bri. Bri says they’ve worked together for six weeks; she has a name. Kate tries to talk, but Jen won’t let either of them talk. Kate tells her to go back to living in her glass house on land, because she’s clearly not a yachty. Kate tells Bri, good work. Jen stomps off. I don’t think yachting is for Jen. Unless she’s a guest. Jen isn’t letting it affect her future plans. She wants to get home to her baby girl, who wants her home.
It’s tip time. Captain Lee says it went pretty well, and gives Kate kudos for the fireworks, saying they were cool. He says it was their best charter. He wishes they had done it earlier, but they nailed it. He singles Matt out for excellence in brainstorming. He tells them it was a learning experience for them. Some learned a lot. He says Nico’s work was admirable. He stayed on top; well done. He gives Nico an envelope, saying it’s for him. He opens it, and there are bosun stripes in it. Even I smile. In his interview, he says he looks at the captain like a father figure, and the promotion means a lot. Captain Lee jokes that he doesn’t get any money now. He tells Nico that he appreciates his good qualities.
This deserved a new paragraph because the tip is $30K. Wow-wow-wow. Timothy definitely made up for being the biggest d-bag on the planet last time. Captain Lee says it’s a new record. $2720 each. Text appears at the bottom of the screen, telling us they’ve made a total of $168K this season. The captain says they know what they have to do; get it done. Then they can have one last hurrah tonight. Everyone is happy. Matt has an idea. They should watch the sunset at the top of the fort. They can bring champagne.
They hike to the top of a huge hill, where the fort is, and toast to a spectacular season. Nico talks to Bruno about missing his brother. Bruno says his brother is proud of him. They go back to change.
Bri says she and Nico had planned something fun for after the season, but since the hotel, he’s been cold, so she doesn’t know what’s going on. Everyone gets ready to go out. Baker gets seriously glam. They go to shore to a restaurant in St. Martin. Kyle talks about smashing the primary in the face with a pie. Kate toasts to a great job. Nico knows what he needs to do, and the anticipation is killing him. He takes her aside to talk to her. Baker thinks they’re not talking about the weather.
Nico says he obviously likes hanging out with her, but thinks he needs to go home. He doesn’t want to talk about what’s going on with his family, but it affects him a lot. He tells her it’s nothing personal, but the right thing to do. In her interview, Bri says she’d be lying to say she’s not disappointed; she’s bummed, but family comes first.
Matt’s not drinking as much, and he’s proud of himself. He’s leaving the season not tired and drunk; it’s a good feeling. Bri tells Kate about Nico going home instead of on vacation with her. She thought he was acting weird, but didn’t think he’d ditch her the day before they were leaving. There’s a bonfire, and Bri, Kyle, and Baker dance.
Jen says she’d regret if she didn’t approach Kate. She wants closure, and to know what she did to deserve being treated like this. Um… not work? She tells Kate she needs to speak her mind. Kate says she loves hearing Jen talk, but doesn’t have time. It’s not personal. Jen thinks Kate feels better cutting others down. In her interview, Kate says the season ended. Why now? Not only is the season over, she doesn’t care. She tells Jen that she wishes Jen spent less time concerned about her. Jen cuts her off, and says thank you. In her interview, Jen says maybe down the road, Kate will hear the voice of reason, and realize she’s been hard on her. Ha-ha-ha! Is she kidding? Jen wanders off.
Everyone goes back to boat. It looks beautiful at night, with all the lights reflecting off the water. The next morning, Nico tells Bruno he won’t forget working with him. He helped Nico grow, and was emotionally supportive. They bro hug.
Kyle thanks Captain Lee for calling. It was the way he likes his relationships, short and sweet. The captain says he’s half right. Kyle is sad he’s leaving on bad terms with Kate, but he thinks he’s the better person. He’s looking forward to a nice, crisp pint of cider and nap. Bruno says goodbye. Kate says he has a great career ahead, as a deckhand or stew. He asks Captain Lee if he can have a recommendation letter, and the captain says sure. He thinks Bruno has a great future. Bruno is happy he moved from cruise ships. He’s going to be the best yachty ever in the industry.
Nico tells Matt that he’s going to Chicago. He’s going to tell Melissa that he effed-up. Kate says it was a pleasure to work with Matt. It was too bad they got into the groove so late. She thinks he’s too nice for yachting. Captain Lee says he thought Matt would go through the whole season without a groove, but he found it.
Baker tells Jen no hard feelings about calling her a whore. Ha-ha! She thinks she’s a better deckhand now. She ended up having to step it up, and she’s proud of herself. She’s off to stimulate the economy, and who knows what after that. Kate asks Jen if she had fun, and Jen says she did. Kate believes some of the things Jen said were just frustration, and hopes she knows Kate did work. Jen says she never doubted it. In her interview, Jen says she learned a lot, some of it not expected. As difficult as it was, she likes big boats, and she cannot lie. She tells Bri that different people see things differently. She’s hoping to be an example to her daughter, by her seeing a mother who lives her dreams, and doesn’t fear failure. It’s a valuable lesson.
Nico calls Melissa, telling her sorry for everything. She says it’s not easy. He says he’s excited to see her, and she feels the same. He tells us he’s not giving up until he wins her heart back. He loves her. Kate tells Bri it was fun working with her. Bri tells Nico that she’s glad he was on the boat. He says it was nice connecting and spending time. In his interview, Nico says he wants to prove he’s not an a-hole or a bad guy; just human. Bri says no regrets. Everything happens for reasons, and it could have been great. Nico has healing to do, and she hopes he takes time to do that.
Captain Lee says Nico did well, and he hopes they work together again. In his interview, Nico says they went through a lot, and it’s how you accept it, or not, and how you come out the other side. Just being away from home made him realize how important it is. He’s ready to face his problems.
The captain asks Kate how the season was, and she says it got better, although it was not good at first. She says she’ll see him in Florida, and next time she’s going to be guest. In her interview, she says it wasn’t easy. They had ups and downs, training, fights, and crying, but at the end of the day, she’s lucky to have the opportunity. She didn’t want a boring life, and yachting made sure of that.
Captain Lee says it started bad, with a green crew, boat damage, damage to people. They did a good job in spite of themselves. They managed to get through the season, and he still has the best damn job in the world. Aw, I’ll miss him. I really like this show.
In the last few moments, Captain Lee tells us that three months after filming, Hurricane Maria wreaked havoc on St. Barts, St. Martin, and Anguilla, where they do most of their work and filming. To have it disappear overnight was devastating. Their hearts, thoughts, and prayers go out to everyone affected.
That was a bit of a sad note to end one. I have to admit, I don’t know if I wasn’t paying attention for a moment, or there was no preview. I would assume there’s a reunion next time.
What I Watched - TV With Theresa 