What I Watched Today
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
In Bern, Anna checks out schools with Emma. Robert shows up, saying sorry he’s late.
Franco sleeps restlessly. Elizabeth wakes him, and tells him, it’s just a dream.
Curtis brings Jordan breakfast at the station. She says she’s been working all night. He asks if she’s had any luck finding Avery or Mike, but she’s had no leads. Since Ava called the FBI, they’ve been working with them, but it’s clearly not a kidnapping. She gets it though. She’s a mom, and thinking your child might be in danger is unbearable.
TJ tells Kiki he posted flyers, and she thanks him. She wants to do something, but doesn’t know what. She’s scared for Avery. She and Mike have been gone all night; anything could have happened.
Maxie meets Nina at Charlie’s. Maxie isn’t sleeping, because it leads to dreaming and fresh heartbreak. Nina wanted to discuss something privately – Peter. Peter walks in, and Maxie says what a coincidence. She wanted to talk to Nina about Peter. He joins them.
Anna asks what Robert is doing there, and he says, helping? She says they’re managing superbly without him. They’ve been to three other schools without a hitch, and oddly, he wasn’t there. He says she can’t be too careful. He assumes they’ve had no luck. Anna says they had a promising lead, but it didn’t pan out, and this is the last school. Emma thinks it’s fun, especially helping Anna to spy. Robert says she’s quite the operative. It sounds like it’s Anna’s last hope, and he asks if she’s giving it up if they don’t find anything.
Anna tells Robert to quit trying to control her with his faux concern. He says the only thing that needs controlling is her obsession with Henrik, and she says she just has loose ends to tie up. If wants to help, stop criticizing, and assist. She tells him that he and Emma are to keep the headmistress busy while she hacks into the system. Standing in front of the laptop on the desk, Emma says it’s already open. The headmistress comes back, and asks Emma what she’s doing at the computer.
Maxie wanted both Nina and Peter to be there; she wants them to get along. Peter says they have a cordial working relationship, and Nina says they’re professionals. Maxie thinks they’re smiling through gritted teeth because of her. Peter says this is a little awkward. Maxie thinks if they get to know each other, it will be easier. They can at least try. They’re both important to her, and she asks them to do it for her and the baby.
TJ tells Kiki that his mom has been working with the FBI all night. Kiki says her mom is probably driving them insane. TJ asks if it’s not supposed to be Kiki’s first day in the Shadow Program. She says she’s supposed to shadow Dr. Bensch, but wishes TJ could take her place.
Jordan tells Curtis that the two most vulnerable types are missing; a child and an aging man with Alzheimer’s. Curtis says after finding out about Jim, his awareness has been heightened. He doesn’t want to miss anything else. He tells her that he’s investigating Peter, and Jordan asks, why? He says maybe Peter isn’t what he seems.
Franco cuddles with Elizabeth. She saw the boys off to school, and came back to bed. Franco says they could stay here all day, but Elizabeth wants to know about his dream. Once again, their cheap sheets are so loud when they’re moving around, it’s hard to hear the dialogue. Does no one check this stuff? Although nothing was worse than when construction was being done near the One Life to Live set. But I digress. Elizabeth says Franco can’t go on like everything is fine. He can’t just keep going like nothing happened. He says he’s put it behind him. She knows he wants it to be over, but it’s not. She adds that it will be, and asks about the nightmare. He dreamed he heard a boy calling for help. She asks if it Drew, but he says it was just a kid, like he was.
Emma tells the headmistress that she’s a fan of the operating system. The headmistress is impressed that she’s familiar with the European system, and apologizes for being short. She takes the students’ privacy seriously. Robert makes introductions, and says “Emelia” is exceptional. They’ve been researching schools, and it’s this is one of the highest rated. The headmistress mentions the theater program, and Emma says she’s also a theater geek. Anna thinks they could make a sizeable contribution to a new theater wing. The headmistress asks Emma if she’s truly ready to go to boarding school. Emma says she’d miss her family, thinks it would be fun; she’s already been to camp. She asks to see the dorm, and the headmistress says it will be on the tour. Her recruit coordinator will be taking them around. Anna says she thought the headmistress would be doing that, but she says she’s busy.
Jordan tells Curtis that Peter has been nothing but cooperative. He says Nina had some suspicions. He thought she was overreacting, but he found some discrepancies in Peter’s background check. Jordan asks why he’s so concerned about Nina, but he says it has more to do with Maxie.
Maxie tells Nina and Peter that she’s close to both of them on a personal and professional level. Maybe if they knew each other better on a personal level, it wouldn’t be so awkward. Peter says he’s game, and would be happy to dispel any doubts Nina has. He doesn’t usually talk about himself; he’s more of a listener. Nina says that’s admirable; most people love to talk about themselves. She’d love to hear about his life.
TJ tells Kiki if they wanted him for the Shadow Program, he’d jump at the chance. She apologizes for being insensitive. She’d thought he had it locked down; his test scores and grades are better than her. she was shocked when she was chosen. He says, no disrespect, but so was he. The committee saw something that made a difference, and asks if she knows why they chose her. She flashes back to David saying he has the deciding vote.
Franco tells Elizabeth that when he cornered Jim at the studio, he forced him to write down all the names of the kids he abused. He shows Elizabeth the list, and she asks if he’s sure it’s real. Jim was afraid for his life; maybe he made it up. Franco says he watched Jim write it, and he knew them by heart.
Anna tells the headmistress that “Emelia” obviously has her choice of other schools, and they were shown around by the headmistress at the others. Emma says they should just go, suggesting she be enrolled in one of the others. The headmistress says she’ll have her meeting postponed, and escort them herself. Anna pretends to feel dizzy, and explains she has a rare blood disorder. She tells them go on ahead while she rests. The headmistress tells her to make herself comfortable. As soon as they leave, Anna gets on the laptop.
Peter says he was never good at first dates, and Maxie tells him at least it’s not a blind date; they know each other. Peter says he knows as little about Nina as she knows about him. Maxie ask her to share, but Nina says there’s not much to share. When she was pregnant, her mother told her that her husband was having an affair. She fell apart, and was in a coma for twenty years. When she woke up, she kidnapped a baby, and was institutionalized. She tells him about her other two marriages, and says Crimson fell into her lap. She and Maxie turned it around, and now she has a man who loves her, and a daughter, and a pending niece or nephew who Nathan would have adored, had he not been shot by his father.
Kiki tells TJ it didn’t feel right. She would have turned it down, but was told she would look angry and unprofessional. TJ says he wouldn’t expect her to turn it down. They must have been looking for something else. She works there, and the doctors see her all the time. He thinks he should volunteer more. Kiki says, maybe. He tells her not to worry; he’s happy for her. She says under other circumstances, she’d be happy too, but with a missing sister, she wishes she could take the day off. TJ doesn’t think she’d be faulted if she did.
Elizabeth says there are so many boys on the list; their innocence destroyed and scarred for life. She wonders how it’s affected their thinking, their choices, and hearts, and how they can trust anyone. Franco says maybe they got lucky; he did. Maybe they have someone like her in their lives. She says he’s the one who remembered and confronted Jim, but he says not soon enough. Elizabeth says maybe they’re grown and got help and healed. Franco says maybe they’re still haunted and suffering, the way he is. She asks what he’s doing with the list.
Anna finds a match in the school records. She hears them coming back.
Peter says he didn’t have a normal, happy childhood. His mother wasn’t around, and his dad shipped him to boarding school. He attended several, but came to. He talks about living in Milan, but Nina catches him when he claims to have lived in the center of the city, since she’s more familiar with it than he is.
Curtis tells Jordan that there should be a living situation on record, but it’s like Peter didn’t exist before he turned twenty-one. Jordan suggests he came from a wealthy family who was protecting him against publicity, but Curtis thinks no internet presence is odd. He thinks maybe the records of the offshore companies he worked for were doctored, and Jordan says even big companies do it to protect people. Curtis says there’s no birth record. He asks if she can check to see if Peter is in the witness protection program.
David (aka Dr.Bensch) asks if Kiki is ready. She explains her little sister is missing, and wonder if they could postpone.
Franco doesn’t know what he’s going to do with the list yet. She asks if he thinks they don’t deserve to know Jim is dead; they might be relieved. He says he doesn’t know how to track them down, but she says there are plenty of ways. He asks what if they don’t want to be found or reminded? What if they’re like him, and tried to bury everything. She says then they’ll deal like he did, but it’s up to them. Franco thinks then he’d be the bad guy, dumping everything in their laps. Elizabeth thinks maybe he doesn’t want to talk about it. He says he didn’t remember because didn’t want to give words to something that shouldn’t be spoken. He couldn’t even tell himself. How can he be the voice for all these people?
The headmistress says the tour isn’t over not yet, but she wanted to know if Anna has recovered enough to go with them. Anna says she hasn’t, but feel free to continue. Emma says she’s good, and got what she wanted; they can go. She looks pointedly at Anna.
Jordan asks Curtis, why? He says, for him. It’s a paid job, but concerns someone he cares about. Peter works for Drew, who’s going through hell. He’d hate to see Drew lose his business. Should he keep digging or will she help him? She makes a call. She tells someone they told her to call if she needed a favor. She just needs a yes or no.
Elizabeth understands the shame and shock. It took a while for her to recover from being raped. She was afraid and angry, and shut down. People helped her through it, like she’s there to help him. She tells him there’s no rush getting through it; it takes time. He needs to take care of himself and heal, then decide about the list. She says he needs to remember he’s far from evil. He didn’t try to kill Drew; he tried to protect him. He was lied to and manipulated, and the one person who should have protected him, failed him. None of it is his fault. He’s free of all of it. He tells her he loves her, and someday, this will be behind them. She knows and will be right there – always – whatever he needs. He says all he needs is her.
David tells Kiki that he heard about it on the news. She says they’re extraordinary circumstances, or she wouldn’t ask. He says it’s too bad she’s having a personal conflict on the first day, but in order to be an effective physician, she can’t let it get in the way of treating patients. She’s learning this on her first day. Kiki wants to be there for her mother, but David asks if she’s essential, or if there’s anything she can do to locate her sister. She admits there isn’t, and he says then her career comes first. They have trained people looking, and she can’t do more to help. The only thing she could do, is hold her mother’s hand. He tells her they’re late for rounds. She asks if he’s doing this because she rejected him.
Peter says where he was, was the center of the city for him, since his office was there. As for love interests, he never stayed any place long enough to find anyone. Maybe if he stays in Port Charles, there will be. Maxie asks why he wouldn’t be staying. What opportunity might lure him away? Nina gets a text, and has to go. Maxie asks if they’re copacetic. Peter says he’s good, and Nina says she has no problem with Peter except for his stinginess with the budget. Nina leaves, and Maxie says that didn’t go as expected. Peter says it was a kind gesture, and appreciated.
Outside of the office, Anna tells Emma that she needs more time. Emma says when they were in the library, Robert was a decoy for her, and she found the school’s production of Julius Caesar. There was an Henri Francoise in the cast, and she thinks it might be Henrik. Robert says Emma is cunning and can get out of a tight spot. She says it’s in her DNA; she comes from long line of spies.
Franco and Elizabeth get busy. There’s a song part. I try to get my email, which is messed up today. The cherry on my internet cake for the week.
David tells Kiki that he’s set their misunderstanding aside, and expects her to show maturity. Not everything is about her. He tells her not to squander the opportunity. They have work to do – unless she wants to wallow in her personal problems.
Curtis tells Nina there’s no record of Peter before he was twenty-one, and his professional records are superficial. There could be a legit reason, but there are also illegitimate reasons. He says to act natural, and don’t tip him off. Keep her suspicions to herself, and don’t tell Maxie; just be there for her. He repeats not to tell Peter anything, and Nina says she just kind of did that.
Maxie insists on picking up the check. She asks what Peter meant about a better offer, and if he wants to leave Port Charles. He says he’s never put down roots or made friends anywhere. He came to do a job, but he might be getting a life too.
Anna says Emma is right; all the dates match up. Emma tells her that all students are encouraged to take part in the theater program. She thought it sounded like something Henrik would be in, because his father’s name was Cesar. Robert thinks Emma’s powers of deduction are frightening. They look at the cast picture. Anna says she can’t tell anything yet, but she will. She swears she’ll find him.
Tomorrow, Drew asks about Franco, Kim is where she wants to be, and Carly asks Griff what’s going on.
The Real Housewives of New York City
Sonja packs for the Hamptons. She remarks to ex-assistant Lulu that everyone her age is going to jail. She doesn’t want to be photographed dancing on tables, and have her daughter see it on Instagram.
Carole usually stays at Bethenny’s, but her house is full, so she’s staying with Tinsley.
Bethenny puts Groucho Marx nose/glasses on her dogs. She calls her brand manager, making sure things are in order for the weekend. In her interview, she says Carole and Tinsley are thick as thieves.
Sonja hasn’t even gotten on the bus – a Jitney, whatever that is – and she’s exhausted.
Dorinda almost runs over a Con Ed guy. Which most New Yorkers probably want to do. Carole says Ramona is throwing her a marathon party. She tells them it’s like a blur to her; she was in so much pain. Carole says she heard Sonja called Tinsley a whore. In her interview, Tinsley says it’s news to her that a guy is paying her way. It’s upsetting, and making her angry. She tells them it’s defamatory and ridiculous. Dorinda says she was blindsided. Sonja is nasty-nice, cutting your throat while smiling; then you see blood on you. Carole tells them to forget she’s mean. Tinsley talks about confronting her, but not right away, and Carole says, it’s going to be a fun weekend.
LuAnn always had cars for the children, and is thrilled to be driving a Mercedes. She goes to a gourmet store to get a gift basket for Bethenny, and picks up some stuff for brunch. Sonja calls, saying she’s in South Hampton. She’s going to pick up her car that she leaves there. LuAnn says Sonja’s laundry list is crazy. She can’t imagine calling a hostess with a list that long. She wants to blend her own smoothies, so LuAnn picks up a blender as well.
Ramona thinks her car is like her – sexy and powerful, with a lot of energy. Is it annoying too? A friend has recommended an artist to her, and she has him bring over some paintings, since she’s redoing her house. She makes him move some furniture while he’s there. And set up her TV. Wtf is with these spoiled women?
Sonja arrives with her dog. A dog whose hair has been dyed. LuAnn presents the Ninja blender. Sonja says normally, it would be a case of wine and a twenty-year-old, now it’s juices and a blender. They talk about the trip to Mexico, and we flash back to LuAnn drunkenly falling in the bushes. Sonja says she’s not hearing from Tinsley. In her interview, LuAnn says Sonja can be irritating, but Tinsley can be like a spoiled brat. Sonja thinks that Tinsley reacts like she would with her mother, and hides. She doesn’t want Sonja in her business. LuAnn talks about the marathon party. Sonja says she texted Carole after the marathon, and got a THX a few days later. LuAnn says same with her, but hers was spelled out.
Ramona picks paintings, and Tinsley, Carole, and Dorinda arrive. In her interview, Dorinda says Ramona is doing the right thing by getting rid of the man stuff in the house after the divorce. You shouldn’t smell, hear, see, or touch it. Ramona talks about getting the wrong bed because she clicked on the wrong style online. Translation: She was too lazy to actually look at what she was buying.
Bethenny is ten minutes late for the 8:30 dinner, but no one else is there. She’s worried no one is showing for her party, and sits alone at the table, the other restaurant patrons looking at her. At nine, the ladies begin to trickle in, and not one of them says sorry. Tinsley doesn’t want to sit next to Sonja, and in her interview, Bethenny says the table is the size of a postage stamp. Everyone is sitting next to Sonja. Tinsley totally ignores Sonja. In her interview, Bethenny says Sonja didn’t get the memo. Tinsley is clearly pissed about something. Dorinda tells LuAnn that Sonja is harmful, and fills her in on what she said about Tinsley. She tells LuAnn that Sonja says it with a smile. In her interview, LuAnn doesn’t know who’s supporting Tinsley, but she doesn’t ask those questions.
Luann tells Carole the marathon was a great accomplishment. Sonja complains about Carole’s reply to her text. Bethenny says she never got a reply, but didn’t take it personally. She and Carole get in a disagreement about if and when Bethenny’s text was sent. In her interview, Ramona says it’s a whole new Carole, and she’s found her voice. She’s usually the only one who will contradict Bethenny. Bethenny pulls out her phone. Carole says she was wrong about the time, but she did reply. In her interview, Bethenny says that it’s hard for Carole to take criticism, even when you’re just making a comment. Tinsley says none of them even showed up at the marathon.
Bethenny says LuAnn isn’t doing badly. LuAnn says she should have heeded Bethenny’s warning, but she couldn’t see. We flash back to the Countess of Denial. I pick myself up off the floor, since she seems truly humbled. She says she was in love and was blind. Bethenny doesn’t want her to feel like she has to say anything, but LuAnn wants to say she was right. In her interview, Bethenny says she didn’t know this moment was coming. Let her get ready. In her interview, LuAnn says, in retrospect, she realizes she didn’t see clearly. She stood by her man, and he watched her fall. She says it’s like a Greek tragedy. In her interview, Bethenny says, farce, satire, and a lot of words fit, but tragedy isn’t one of them. LuAnn says Tom couldn’t handle being married. In her interview, LuAnn says she doesn’t regret anything. We learn and grow from our mistakes. Dorinda says good thing she cut her losses and got out. LuAnn says she just wants to move on. Sonja whines about her not bringing it up, and LuAnn repeats that she wants to move on. Ramona says sometimes it’s good to talk to people who care, but respects her not talking about it. Tinsley says she wasn’t being mean, just trying to help. She talks about Scott, and says he didn’t offer her the option to move, but now he’s willing to jump back in. In her interview, she says they’ve been talking. Not full-on back together, but she thinks it’s a step toward it. Somehow, Tinsley has taken her bra off from underneath her large sweater. Most of us know these tricks, and I applaud. In her interview, Bethenny says, cue the music.
LuAnn sings Happy Birthday. In her interview, Bethenny says not everyone gets a Marilyn Monroe birthday performance, but I’m not sure what that was. A plate of several different desserts like brownies and blondies comes out, with a candle in the middle of it. In her interview, Bethenny says no one is taking the evening too seriously; it’s her type of birthday. They put on Groucho glasses, and dance around.
Carole doesn’t believe anything bad will happen, so she doesn’t lock her door. Now everyone knows that. I’m starting to rethink Carole. She and Tinsley meet Bethenny for lunch. They discuss egg freezing. In her interview, Bethenny says Carole isn’t as excited to see her as she used to be. She’s not Carole’s plus one right now. Tinsley says her mom wanted her to freeze eggs that were younger then forty, and basically forced her to do it. Bethenny says people tolerate Ramona, and Carole says LuAnn is a dark cloud and an ominous presence. Wow. I thought she was just a drunk ex-Countess. In her interview, Bethenny says Carole can’t stand LuAnn.
LuAnn bakes pies. Sonja wears LuAnn’s slippers, and is glad she’s not like Dorinda, who was not happy when Sonja raided her closet. Dorinda and Ramona arrive. They talk about Tinsley ignoring Sonja at dinner.
Bethenny asks what Tinsley is mad about, and Tinsley fills her in about what Sonja said. In her interview, Bethenny says kept woman is the next step after socialite, although I don’t think that’s true. Tinsley says Sonja makes it sound like she’s an escort.
LuAnn and the others sit to eat. Sonja talks about taking antidepressants because she’s high strung. In her interview, Dorinda says everything there is to be suffered, Sonja owns it. She’s the only one who’s done anything of worth. Ramona remarks about how defensive Carole and Bethenny were. LuAnn thinks there’s been a change in the dynamic. Dorinda says Carole has changed, and LuAnn says marathons will do that. They give you a sense of empowerment.
Carole says she wasn’t angry at Bethenny, just correcting her. In her interview, Bethenny is excited about the house she bought. It’s not far from the restaurant, and they’re walking over.
Ramona whines about renovations, and Sonja says something about Ramona being involved with the contractor. Ramona doesn’t like it when Sonja makes up stuff. Dorinda asks how Sonja would like it if they just made things up? In her interview, Sonja says Ramona makes fast friends when she needs something, then dumps them. Dorinda goes on a tear, chattering away nonsensically the way Sonja does. In her interview, Dorinda says she wants Sonja to be present. Sonja says she’s not making it up, and Ramona says she is. In her interview, Ramona says Sonja has been missing in action, and she’s not making sense. Ramona suggests they make a pact to be more considerate of each other’s feelings. I laugh. Sonja says she doesn’t express her feelings well; she’s sensitive. LuAnn says Sonja has been through a lot. Dorinda says, stop with the baloney. She buried a husband, and Sonja acts like the world came to an end because hers left her eleven years ago. She tells Sonja not to compare the two. He left her. She was screwing around in the south of France, and he married her friend.
To be continued…
Next time, Bethenny visits the new house, Dorinda and Ramona both demand an apology from Sonja, and Tinsley screeches at Sonja.
🌴 Because I have nothing better to do, and The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills was on in the background, I was thinking about how LVP didn’t use Dorit in the photo shoot for the jewelry in Beverly Hills Lifestyle. LisaR tried to stir the pot, by asking was it the photographer or really LVP who didn’t want to use Dorit? The photographer definitely said he did not want to use Dorit because she’d badmouthed the photos. And she did. She said they were terrible, and she didn’t like anything about them. You might think, who cares, as long as he likes them, and the magazine is happy about them, but I thought of something else. It could be the photographer is just a temperamental artist, but the magazine might be concerned she’d give them bad press, especially since her comments were shown on the program. Dorit needs to quit being offensive, and then being offended when there are repercussions. Yep, this is the kind of thing I think about.
⭐ On Star, Carlotta told Star and Alex they were both messed up, and the common denominator was Noah. Alex realized she couldn’t live next door to Derek and focus on the tour, and Carlotta told her to do what she had to. Carlotta told Maurice that Take 3 needed a hot track, and she’d found an old one for them to use. He decided to have the group and Noah both do demos, and Maurice picked Noah to do the track.
Simone suggested Angel come live at the salon. Carlotta agreed, but later found them getting busy in her new wig room. They weren’t the only ones getting busy, since Angel walked in on his mom and Jahil revisiting their history in more ways than one. Paola decided to go back to her husband, telling Jahil that he was her first love, but can’t be her last.
At the reopening party for the salon, Star and Miss Ruby nearly had a throw down, after which Star got seriously drunk. Jackson took her to a bar, but called Maurice to come and get her. She told Maurice that she’d killed her mother, but didn’t remember it the next day. Maurice offered her another song, but she said she didn’t want a pity track. Alex had seen Derek with someone else at the party, and also saw that he could move. Noah had apologized for coming between them, but since that wasn’t a problem anymore, Alex and Noah got busy in the RV. Lots of that going around tonight.
Simone told Star that she can’t help it if she’s white, and to ignore Miss Ruby. During the party clean-up, Miss Ruby said she could handle Star’s ass, having survived abuse at the hands of white people. She’s not so sure Star is white anyway. So, I guess that was a truce.
A woman knocked at the salon door, looking for her son’s father, Arnold. Cotton told her he’s not there anymore. Next time, Cotton deals with being a father. Throughout the episode, Queen Latifah wore a modern version of a 50s bob, with the subtlest, most beautiful, purple highlights.
💲 This week on Sell It Like Serhant, Ryan helped sell waxing memberships to hairy New Yorkers. He told us that Mariel had sparkle, but no self-confidence. That was putting it mildly, since she could barely get through a sales pitch. The owner said she was opening a new spot, and if Mariel wasn’t up to speed by the time she did, she was going to let her go. Mariel told Ryan that waxing freaks her out. Ryan thought it was the weirdest thing ever after talking to a potential client himself (and selling a membership), but weirder for the person walking in. After she almost gave up passing out flyers, Ryan had a heart-to-heart with Mariel, who said she’d moved to NYC from LA with her boyfriend. Then whined that she had no one. Her parents told her that she had to make it on her own (much like Mary Tyler Moore, but without the spunk). Planning on managing the salon when the boss went to the new location, she told Ryan that her goal was to be an entrepreneur – a term thrown around so much, I don’t even know what it means anymore. Even though she wasn’t that enthusiastic about the business, she didn’t want to switch lanes when she’s halfway there. Her parents sounded sensible, but she struck me as spoiled as far as her expectations of life in the city went. She made it sound like life was lonely and torturous. Her apartment was a million times nicer than my first one, and after living with roommates I didn’t know well, I lived by myself. Somehow, Muriel got it together at a sales event. Ryan wanted to settle for three subscriptions, but the boss wanted five. The takeaway sales point was to never take no for an answer. Muriel’s sales have increased by 60%, so there you go. Next time, it looks like Ryan helps out a cabin salesman, although clips of a gym and some lumberjacking confused me.
🎶 An Appropriate Song Title…










