What I Watched Today
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Sam tells Alexis, whatever Kristina’s Pledge was, it’s gone. Alexis has the feeling Shiloh isn’t done yet. Maybe it’s the Cassadine sixth sense. Sam suggests it’s Cassadine paranoia, but Alexis says, with Shiloh, that’s not possible.
Julian tells Lucas that Shiloh doesn’t know Wiley is his child, but Lucas says Shiloh is determined to find his child. What if he finds out? Julian says the records are sealed. Lucas says Shiloh didn’t know about the adoption. If he finds out, he can challenge it, and Lucas could lose his son. How can they make sure that doesn’t happen? Julian says he’ll do everything in his power make sure they hold on to Wiley.
At the hospital, Franco can’t decide on a tie, and Elizabeth tells him to go with no tie. He says this is why he married her. Lulu joins them, apologizing for being late, but Elizabeth says they haven’t started. Lulu didn’t know this was going to happen today. She thought it would be on hold on until Jordan recovered. Franco says, if she recovers.
Curtis tells Jordan that she should put this off; she can barely sit up. She says she’s still commissioner. She can do this – as long as he has her back. He says he does, and he’s getting her that kidney. She knows he will.
We see Ryan handcuffed to his hospital bed.
Nina asks if Jax is a champagne salesman on the side. He says he’s a big believer in celebrating important moments. She says it’s her favorite drink ever, and this is good stuff. Something great must have happened. He says that’s why he needs to raise a toast to the office that’s now part of his company. He tells her, say hello to the new owner of Crimson. She says, no more of this until he explains that. Jax says he made a deal with Drew, and has acquired 50% of Aurora Media. He’ll be controlling the print division, including the magazine. Nina says, amazing. Jax thinks they can use a change. His goal is to expand, not just online, but magazine and book sales. He expects it will be a good opportunity for Crimson. Nina says he’s an international finance expert. Why is he there? He says, his daughter.
Sam hears something as she’s about to go into her apartment. It’s Julian, who says he’s there about her brother. He needs her help. She lets him in, rolling her eyes.
Alexis meets Lucas at the MetroCourt. She says he told her it was urgent; will Brad be joining them? He says Brad is home with Wiley to make sure no one gets to him. Alexis asks if they’re worried about anyone in particular. Lucas says, Wiley’s birth parent.
Willow is on the phone with Diane. She says she was just worried, and thanks Diane for talking her down. Chase comes in with flowers for her, and she says she was arranging a meeting with her lawyer. She asks what the flowers are for, and he says he’s so sorry for leaving her hanging at the Nurses Ball. She says, to catch a killer; that’s his job. He still promises make it up, but in the meantime, talk to him. What happened after he left the Nurses Ball?
Franco and Elizabeth go into Jordan’s room. Outside in the hallway, Lulu writes. She dove into this story about a notorious criminal on the anniversary of his crimes, but the focus of the story changed. It transformed from the account of a killer to that of his survivors, and those who brought him to justice. Heroes, likely or not. Jordan tells Franco that for his bravery and sacrifice, the PCPD recognizes him. She asks him to accept the award from a grateful city. Lulu writes, the story does not have a tidy or happy ending. Not for its heroes or villains. There’s still one chapter left to write. We see Ryan lying in bed, probably calculating his next move.
Nina tells Jax that she’s an idiot, but he finds that hard to believe. She says, Josslyn is his daughter; she’s lovely. He says, it’s been hard being away so long. He and Carly were married. The divorce was rather acrimonious. He and Carly are great; it’s Sonny who he can’t stand. After their latest altercation, Sonny had him deported. It’s a long story, but when the restrictions were lifted, he looked for business opportunities there. ELQ and Aurora were at the top of his list, but Michael is running ELQ now, and doing a great job. Aurora was a better fit. That’s why he’s there.
Curtis tells Jordan, enough for one day. She says she can do the rest of her work lying down. He asks if she can’t take it easy. She needs her strength for transplant time. She asks him to hand her the phone, and he says, for what? She wants to make a quick call to the station. He thinks she should conserve her energy, and she says she’ll let him dial. He says, unbelievable.
Franco tells Elizabeth this time he’s getting something from the police with his name on it because he did something good. Elizabeth says, heroic. Lulu says, a mayoral commendation isn’t out of the question. Her mother is grateful to him; her too. If he hadn’t put his life on the line and taken the risk, Ryan might never have been discovered. She thanks him. He says he’ll catch up with them. He has something to take care of.
Chase asks Willow to clarify. Shiloh suspects Wiley is his child? She says he’s convinced the baby is out there, but has no idea it’s Wiley. Not yet, but he’s going to put it together because Nina can’t mind her own business. He suggests they focus on solutions. She says, if Shiloh gets near that boy… but Chase says she’s got room to breathe. There’s not much Shiloh can do from a hospital bed.
Alexis asks Lucas if the birth mother is pressing for a relationship with Wiley. He says, she intends to follow through on the terms, and Alexis says, legally, she has to. He says he’s worried about the father. Alexis says she thought he was out of the picture, and the birth mother couldn’t even contact him. Lucas says, that’s not the whole truth. The birth mother didn’t tell him. Alexis says, so she never afforded the birth father the opportunity to exercise his parental rights. Lucas asks, how bad is it? She asks how much the birth father knows, and Lucas says he knows the child might exist, but not who or where he is. However, he’s determined to find out.
Sam asks Julian why Lucas didn’t come to her directly. Julian says Lucas doesn’t know he’s there. Wiley is in danger of being taken away. Sam thought Lucas and Brad were the legal parents. He says, for now, but there’s an issue that could throw the adoption into question. She asks if the birth mother changed her mind, and he says, the problem is the birth father. She thought that was a non-issue, and he says, the less she knows, the better. She tells him, that’s not how she operates, but he suggests she make an exception. If something goes wrong, she has plausible deniability. It’s that serious. She asks what he has in mind.
Nina says, so Jax is in the same city as a man he despises; a man who kept him from his daughter. To give Sonny credit, Jax says Josslyn was allowed visit, but he does hate Sonny. There were a lot of problems, and playing games, but he realized he had to focus on himself and his daughter. With respect to Carly, he has to say that Sonny has been a decent stepfather. Nina says, he doesn’t like Sonny, but they love him. He says, exactly right. That’s why he needed a workaround, and Aurora was it. He thinks he can make money running it, and he’ll be close to Josslyn. He hopes Sonny doesn’t drive him crazy. Nina thinks it’s mature, sucking up for the greater good, him included. He says, Josslyn is worth it. Nina says she feels the same way. She has two daughters, and there’s nothing she wouldn’t do for them. He says they’re lucky to have her; as is Crimson. She says it seems like he doesn’t know the first thing running a magazine. Let her run it autonomously. No muss; no fuss. He says, no deal.
Nina tells Jax that she’s a creative person. He says he can see that, and she says she needs to trust her instincts and vision, but sometimes – not often – she does a shoot, spends money on it, and it doesn’t work out, so they don’t publish it. She learns from that, and figures out what works and what doesn’t. She doesn’t want to be told that since she dropped cash on a shoot, and have to use it. Because, no. She doesn’t need to be told not to spend money on fresh flowers. They help her to be creative and productive. Jax says, the vase can stay. She says she doesn’t work on Friday, except before a deadline, and then, only until noon. He hears her, and Friday will never be an issue. He says she knows the emotional reason he bought into the company, but there are also financial ones. The assets haven’t even been maximized, especially in the print department. I’m guessing because Drew has been kind of busy with other things since he bought Aurora. He says he’s done his research, and the magazine used to make 100% profit. Now they make 40%, which is still good, but if they adjust expectation, it will be better. Nina likes his outlook. He says he’s looking for the best long term bet, and thinks it’s Crimson. In a world where magazines are dropping like flies, they’ve expanded, thanks to her. But as good as she is – and she’s very good – she can always be better.
Willow wonders what happens when Shiloh gets suspicious, and calls the police, but Chase says Shiloh’s not talking. She doesn’t think it would be shocking that someone went after him, and that’s Chase’s guess too. She says, too bad they didn’t finish the job. Chase says Shiloh doesn’t want his image tarnished, and it’s easier to help her bend the law if he’s not worried she’ll break it. She says she’d do anything to keep her son from that monster, but Chase promises he won’t let it come to that. He has to follow up on something, but says he’ll see her soon. I’m surprised Nina isn’t in the hallway, having discovered a way to clone herself for just this purpose.
Finn goes to Jordan’s room. She says, the groom-to-be. Curtis says he heard Finn and Anna made it official, and congratulates him. Jordan says she heard it was on stage at the Nurses Ball. She knows how that feels from experience; nothing can top it. He says being engaged isn’t the only news he has. Curtis says, please say Ryan is awake and they can have his kidney.
Ryan sees Franco looming over him.
Nina asks Jax how she can be better with the budget she’s allocated. He says they can work smarter. Make the product more attractive. He’s thinking exotic locations; big parties with A-list guests. Make it a prestige magazine. Nina says, sounds good. He says they live in a world that’s inundated with content. He knows they’re chic and cutting edge, but not pretentious, and won’t take a chance on ruining that. He’s not going to sacrifice quality to save a few bucks. He wants to make the brand more recognizable, but to do it, he has to cut production costs by a third. They can take that money, and put it into promotion. Nina doesn’t think that’s possible, and he says, what if he helped? She says this is probably a bad thing to say to her boss, but she doesn’t know how to read a balance sheet. He asks if she went to business school, and she says, no. He asks if she wants to learn, and she says she does. He says, let’s get started now.
Julian tells Sam that he wants to eliminate the paper trail. If the birth father can identify his son, he can’t get to him. They need to destroy the records. Sam says, it’s not that simple. One problem is that, although the documents are closed on their end, Diane must have a copy. Julian says he’ll handle Diane. Sam says maybe he should use one of his old associates, but he doesn’t want to contact them anymore. She’s Wiley’s aunt and godmother, and she knows what it’s like to have a child ripped away. She doesn’t want that to happen to her brother.
Alexis tells Lucas, if the birth father goes down that avenue, and files for custody, he’ll have to clear a score of legal hurdles to trace the baby to them. Julian says he’s the leader of a cult; DOD. She asks if he’s talking about Shiloh, and he says he is. What do they do? Alexis says, fight like hell. Keep the records sealed, and have a contingency plan in case they lose. She tells Lucas, go home to his son and husband. There’s nothing he can do right now. She’ll take care of it. She’s got this. He leaves.
A guy brings fancy water in a champagne bucket to Alexis’s table. She says she didn’t order it, but he says a gentleman has requested she wait. He wants to see her, and wanted it to be a surprise.
Lulu and Elizabeth go to Willow’s classroom. She says they just missed the kids, who went to the library (or something), but Elizabeth says they’re not there to sit in on the class. Lulu says they want to make sure Willow has a class there next year. Lulu adds, and for years to come.
Finn tells Curtis and Jordan that the operation was a success. Ryan will live to see his day in court, and with full kidney functions. There’s nothing to preclude him from donating. Curtis says, he’s viable match. When can they do the surgery? Finn says they can’t do it without Ryan’s consent.
Ryan says he could have sworn he slipped the blade in for a fatal wound, and Franco says he has to give it up for the GH staff. They know what they’re doing. He asks if Ryan would like some art therapy. It could be fun. Ryan laughs, then has a coughing fit. Franco tells him not to die until he gets to mark the occasion. Today would have been Kiki’s birthday. Ryan can’t understand the fascination with her. He found her boring, insipid, and dull; nothing like her mother. Franco suggests the talk about Ava. She exposed him for the idiot that he is. How does that feel? He walked into her trap; that must have hurt. How does he feel being exposed as predictable? She knew how to make him come running, and that’s exactly what he did. Now what? He’s got the rest of life in prison. No Ava, no girl, nothing. Just him and the sad path he’s laid for himself. That’s his reality now. Franco loves that.
Jax pulls up the Aurora balance sheet to show Nina. He explains which color is how much was spent, and how much is spent per month. He shows her the profits, and she says, they’re good. He says, imagine if they move this $250K there. He can do it without her ever running a shoot she doesn’t believe in. Think ahead. Know what they have to shoot before they invest. He thinks it’s doable. Nina does too, but has one problem. She’s getting married, and this is going to be a lot of work. He asks when it’s supposed to happen, and she says, soon. He tells her to do what she can, and he’ll pick up the slack, immediately becoming everyone’s dream boss. Valentin hopes he’s not interrupting. Nina asks if his ears were burning; they were talking about him. Jax says he heard they were getting married. He looks forward to working with Nina. It’ll be fun. Valentin asks what he missed, and Nina says, a lot. Jasper Jax is her new boss.
Elizabeth tells Willow, it’s a petition demanding that the school keep their best teacher. Lulu says, every parent and student signed it, with the exception of Nina and Valentin. Everyone else leapt at the chance to show their support. Elizabeth says she made a positive impact on her students’ lives, and the principal needs to know she fits the school to a T. Willow wonders if it’s possible.
Sam asks Julian how she’s supposed to make an informed decision without information. How does she know he’s not just jumping the gun? He asks if she thinks he’d be there if he had a choice? She’s not saying no. Not yet. Alexis can see if Brad and Lucas have a chance in court. Maybe it isn’t as bad as Julian thinks. Julian says, God forbid the birth father should get custody, and Wiley becomes a cult follower.
Finn tells Curtis that they all want it to be a slam dunk, and Curtis wants make sure it is. In the hallway, Chase asks Finn if Jordan is up for a visit, but Finn thinks they should let her rest. Chase wants to throw a party for Finn and Anna. Finn asks who Chase wants to invite, and Chase says their dad and his mom. He asks if Finn doesn’t want him to do it, and Finn tells Chase he doesn’t want to put anything on the calendar just yet. Anna will want to be included.
Ryan says Franco is putting on a happily married act with his vapid wife and kids. Please. Franco envies him. The most fun Franco has had in years is when he took credit for Ryan’s work. He wouldn’t have been so convincing if he didn’t love it. Franco says, you know what he loves? Ryan lost at his own game. He loves that. That’s what’s true. Enjoy prison. He says, it couldn’t happen to a nicer guy, and leaves.
Jax approaches Alexis’s table. She says she knew it, and asks what they’re drinking to. He says his acquisition of half of Aurora Media; the print division. It needs a lot of work, but he’s excited about Crimson. She says, Crimson means Nina. Nina means Valentin. And Valentin means trouble with a capital T. They clink glasses.
Elizabeth asks Willow if they can take the petition to the principal. Willow says, yes, but she doesn’t think it will do any good. She’ll treasure it forever, though. Elizabeth says they’re not giving up. There are also other jobs, and she’ll have great references. Willow says she’ll take any job; lawyers are expensive. Lulu asks if she’s suing the school, or Nina. Willow says she’s not suing anyone. She’s preparing to be sued.
Sam asks Julian if he’s talking about DOD, and he asks if she’s heard of it. She says, Wiley’s father is Shiloh? She’s in. However bad Julian thinks he is, he’s worse. She’ll do whatever it takes to keep Wiley away from him.
Alexis tells Jax, all she’s saying is, watch out for Valentin. He says he’d never buy something without doing his homework. Valentin has a good job running Cassadine Industries. Alexis says, he’s not a good human. Look at what happened to Nikolas. Jax says that’s not a good subject. Alexis says, point taken, and he says, so is hers. She says Valentin is in an entirely different league. He’s as dangerous as Jax’s brother. She wants him to promise to only deal with Valentin when required, and he says he can handle it. He instructs her on squeezing lemons into her water, and she asks if it’s a sober version of cutting loose. He tells her, just put the lemon in. She says she missed him, and he says she doesn’t have to anymore. He’s there to stay.
Nina tells Valentin that she’s energized; she has so many ideas. She knows what a deficit column is. Jax showed her. Valentin says if she has business questions, she can come to him. She says Jax is a team player. He’s so invested in the magazine, which is good for Crimson, and good for her. Valentin says what’s good for her is good for him. He’s glad to see her happy. She says she’s so excited. You’d think someone new would be a bad thing, but it’s not. It’s fantastic. She thinks it’s going to be incredible. No; she knows it.
Curtis tells Finn that he wants to put Ryan behind bars, but he has a kidney to donate first.
Curtis goes into Ryan’s room. Ryan says he’s a popular man today. He asks how the wife is, and Curtis says, still kicking. He saved Ryan’s life, now Ryan is going to do the same for Jordan. He’s going to consent to donate a kidney. Ryan says that’s major surgery. He’ll have to mull it over. Curtis says, the answer is yes.
Robert tells Anna that she’s the love of his life, Scotty tells Margaux that he’s doing her a favor, and Ryan asks Curtis what his kidney is worth.
👗 And Then There Were Four…
It was time for the final four to be chosen on Project Runway. The challenge was for the designers to create their biggest and best look, as well as designing an experimental art installation. Cardi B and Bergdorf Goodman’s Linda Fargo were the guest judges. Garo told Tessa, a word to the wise, don’t put anything raw on the runway. Tessa’s heart was still pounding from last week, but she knew there was a way to finish a hem while still making it look unfinished. Which already sounded like too much work to me. Christian reminded them that this was the last challenge before the finale. As well as getting a spread in Elle magazine and a mentorship with a guy whose name I don’t remember, but seemed really cool, the winner would get $250K, plus $50K to put up a studio. My first thought was where were they going to put up a studio, even with combining those two figures? NYC and LA are a little expensive. The designers were instructed to create their version of an experiential fashion show, and bring forth who they are as designers. They were to go bigger and bolder. There would be over 100 industry insiders at the show to determine the final four. Those four would go on to create an entire collection, and present it to the fashion industry. When the models were chosen, last week’s winner Sebastian chose first, and chose who would go next, and so on. Tessa was picked last. She said it was like getting picked last for kickball, and I told her she was getting picked last because she’s an a-hole.
With set designers/builders to assist them, the contestants worked out their rooms. Hester was going for a rococo forest idea; Bishme stayed with his roots, and Baltimore blooming; and Garo wanted a futuristic theme, with robotic hands dressing the model, and the guests having the ability to interact with the space. Tessa was also sticking with her roots, choosing a ceramics/art studio scene, since she was best inspired by her upbringing, and the judges thought she needed passion. Sebastian wanted a palace in Greece. He said he wasn’t a good storyteller, and was running out of ideas and energy. I thought, hmm… you might not belong here. The designers got a $500 budget, and I wondered if that included the sets, but they never said.
Christian questioned the designers as they got busy shopping for supplies. Hester told him that she was going with a rococo bondage picnic theme, and we all wondered what that was. I think Hester did too. Tessa was focusing on the philosophy of wabi-sabi (I know, too close to wasabi, right?) which translates loosely to beauty in imperfection. This explained her love of unfinished hems. The designers had a meeting with the mentor guy, who said his company did a diagnostic of what works for their brand and doesn’t, and said, the glamour of fashion isn’t glamorous. Good to know. Christian added that basically, nothing lasts forever. He told them that they could invent anything they wanted. There was no client and no criteria, and they could create their own fantasy room. I found it interesting that Christian’s comments and questions to the designers as they were working, reminded me of acting class critiques. Sebastian didn’t like his dress, saying it wasn’t what he had in mind, even though it was absolutely amazing, abundant with that sculpture-like ribbon candy pleating. Bishme wanted a more abstract Baltimore for his room, and made the woman helping him do it over.
In a dramatic moment, Sebastian decided he wanted to go home. He didn’t want to do nothing [sic]. He was giving up. Garo wanted to smack him, Hester wanted to join him, and he went and sat on an orange couch to chill. After a bottled water, he decided to keep fighting for his dreams and goals. He was probably just dehydrated. Christian got more nervous than anyone, except for Sebastian.
Hester’s room had her model serving tea from inside of a picture frame in a forest. It was pretty cool. No one seemed that keen on her outfit, which was all kinds of red/black/white plaids, with chains and such, but I loved the skirt and would definitely wear it. Not so much Cardi B when asked about the top, which had too many O-rings. Tessa’s model sat at a potter’s wheel, surrounded by ceramics. Her color palette of earth tones was lovely, and although the judges weren’t thrilled with the dress, they seemed to finally get where she was coming from. Garo’s intergalactic changing station got raves, especially with the real arms helping the model. His dress had layers that could be stripped, and featured his signature corset. It was definitely impressive. Sebastian’s dress was well received, but not his room. The Grecian palace idea fell flat, and nearly everyone said it felt oppositional to the gown. Cardi B – who I have to mention had the most beautiful gold, silver, and black hair – said the dress was her favorite, and she could forgive the room because of the dress. Bishme’s redesign of his room paid off, and his rose gold blossom of a gown bloomed in the middle. The judges did find some technical flaws in their close-up examination of the dress though.
The judges took a look at the entire season of each designer’s clothes, and there was a little trip down Memory Lane. Garo won the challenge, and promised they wouldn’t be disappointed. I’ve liked his stuff, and I’m all for the corset look. Makes you look thinner. Sebastian was the next to stay in, and he cried. Tessa always looks like she wants to cry, so it’s hard to figure out what she’s feeling. Bishme was in, and was paralyzed. Literally. He was having a hard time moving. Tessa was finally out, after I gave up rooting for that. Brandon told her not to look at it as a loss, and said she would do vital and important work. Um… we’re not talking about curing cancer. She said she was disappointed, but felt like she’d grown, and thanked them for the opportunity. She whined a little backstage, while she sulked on the orange couch while waiting for the others. The final four were told that they would be creating ten looks to be presented to the fashion world in NYC, using a $10K budget. Christian told them to keep working hard, and gave them two bottles of champagne. There was a group hug. Next time, Bishme either gets bad news or has a breakdown. I can’t tell.
⭐ Best quote this season: I have bags under my eyes and they’re not Chanel or Gucci. – Bishme
🔎 The Details…
And my favorite PR recap.
📠 Not New News…
Pretty old as a matter-of-fact, but I was interested in how Project Runway had changed, since it didn’t really capture my attention during previous attempts to watch it.
🚤 Also on Bravo tonight was Captain Sandy’s Yachtrageous Moments, a retrospective of Below Deck Mediterranean, and a reminder it’s coming back. It’s new season starts Monday, June 3rd, at 9 pm. This season, the captain and her crew will be going to France. I like the show because this is the closest I’ll ever get to that blue water – hell, it’s the closest I’ll get to any real vacation – but my heart still belongs to the original Below Deck and the Stud of the Sea. I just like the cast better on that one. And Kate’s my girl.
💭 Friday Thoughts…
What I Watched - TV With Theresa 