What I Watched Today
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Carly joins Jax at the pier, apologizing for being late. She asks Jax to fill her in. Now that the codicil is gone, what’s the plan? Jax tells her that Nikolas is gone.
Ava sees Curtis at the MetroCourt, and he says she seems chipper for someone who just lost out on a major art deal. She says, everything can change in an instant, and he says, or burst in flames. She says, whichever. There’s no point in looking back. Onward and upward. Curtis tells her, if she says so, and she says she’s convinced 2020 is going to be her year. I tell her, me too! She steps away to call Nina. She says, the wedding is just hours away. Is the bride ready for her moment in the spotlight? Nina says, it’s all set, but Ava says she doesn’t sound exited. Nina says she’s not, and Ava says, she ought to be. Valentin is about to get what he deserves. Nina says she’ll be leaving behind a lot of collateral damage. Charlotte brings in Nina’s bouquet, telling her, the flowers are there and they’re so pretty. Valentin tells Charlotte that Nina is on the phone, and Ava says she senses hesitation. Don’t back out on her now. Nina smiles at Charlotte and Valentin.
Sonny asks Gio how the special assignment is going, and Gio says he put the tracker on Carly’s car. She’s on Front Street, near Pier 17. Sonny says, she has no good reason to be there. What else did he see? Jason comes in, and asks if there are problems at the warehouse.
Sam goes to Turning Woods, and sees Willow. Willow says she was happy to hear Sam got released, and in time for Christmas. The kids must be thrilled. Sam says they’re pretty much over the moon, and Willow says Sam upstaged Santa. Now if Lucas wakes up, things can go back to normal. Sam says she heard Willow has been there a lot, and Willow says, kind of. Sam asks if she was on her way out, and Willow says she thought she’d stop and see if Julian needs anything. He’s been by Lucas’s side as much as Brad. Julian walks in, and says it’s good to see Sam.
Ava looks at her phone, saying, Nina hung up on her. She literally bumps into Laura, and says, sorry. Laura says, no harm done, but she wishes she could say the same about Helena’s portrait. Ava says, the auction took a bit of an unexpected turn, and asks how Charlotte is. Laura says, fully recovered; no signs of hypothermia. Ava asks, what happened? and Laura says, Charlotte took an unexpected dunk in the harbor. Luckily Lulu and Dustin were there to fish her out. Ava says Laura must be relieved, and Laura says she is. She asks why Ava burned Helena’s portrait.
Sonny tells Jason that Gio is examining something, and tells Gio to let him know what he finds. Gio leaves, and Jason asks if he can help. Sonny tells him, no, and says he’s glad to hear Sam is home. Jason says, things worked out for once, and asks where Carly is. Sonny says she’s running errands, and Jason says, maybe Gio knows. Sonny asks what Jason means, and Jason says, the job Gio is doing involves Carly, doesn’t it?
Carly asks if Nikolas left town, but Jax doesn’t know. After the painting was destroyed, he dissolved their partnership. Carly doesn’t get Nikolas’s motive. He knows his family is grieving, and he should fix it. Jax says, Nikolas has changed a lot since he’s been gone. He’s always angry, and the codicil is all about revenge. Nikolas could go bankrupt tomorrow, and Jax doesn’t think he’d care. He wants to destroy Valentin. Carly asks what about Valentin’s reversal of fortune that Jax predicted? With Nikolas gone, will it still happen?
Willow jets, and Julian wonders if she got scared away. Sam says, not by her, and asks how Lucas is. He says, there’s been no change, and she asks what the doctors say. He tells her, the doctors say Lucas might never wake up. Sam refuses to believe it. Lucas has too much waiting for him; he’s going to fight his way back. Julian says, Lucas shouldn’t have been in the car in the first place. He was supposed to be at work, but went home to see Brad. Now he’s unresponsive in a hospital bed. Brad walks in with Willow, telling her about what he did on Christmas. He knows Wiley misses Lucas, and it kills him how much Wiley has gone through when he’s not even two years old. Willow says she feels terrible about almost letting Nelle hold him. Julian says, what?
Ava tells Laura, she had nothing to do with it. Laura asks if they could please get past the point of denial. The painting was in Ava’s facility, and her staff was taking care of it. Now it’s a pile of ashes. Why would Ava help Valentin? Ava says she didn’t, and never will. She’s sorry Laura didn’t get the pleasure of denying Valentin something he wanted, but she tells Laura, don’t worry. People like him always get what’s coming to them. Laura asks what she means.
Valentin asks if they’re interrupting, but Nina says it’s just the art department; if it’s not one thing, it’s another. She looks at the bouquet and says it’s gorgeous, and exactly what she wanted. Charlotte thinks they’ll look pretty with her dress. Charlotte asks when they’re getting ready, but Nina says not for a few hours. Charlotte asks if they can go for a ride; she’s tired of resting. Nina tells her, it’s going to be a long night, but Charlotte says she feels fine. Please? Nina says, maybe tomorrow, and Charlotte asks if Nina can help her look for Electra, her stuffed horse. Nina thinks Electra is in the stables; Charlotte had been playing there yesterday. Charlotte goes to get her coat, and Nina says Valentin has a very resilient daughter. He says it helps that she has something to look forward to. All the setbacks and trials are behind them, and they’ll officially be a family in a couple of hours.
Valentin asks Nina, what’s wrong? She says she’s just worried about Charlotte. It’s easy to say things will be good, and they’ll be a happy family, but it’s still fraught with Lulu. He says after the first of the year, he’s going to discuss his petition to the court for full custody. Nina asks if he’s sure. Charlotte is comfortable with the arrangement, and while Lulu isn’t her favorite person, she is Charlotte’s mother. Valentin says she knows how hard he’s tried with the joint custody, but Lulu despises him too much. He’ll be generous with visitation, but Charlotte is going to be living with them. Besides, in a matter of hours, Nina will be her stepmother and have her for always.
Laura asks why Ava thinks Valentin is going to get what’s coming to him, and Ava says, doesn’t Laura? Laura says, of course (🍷), but she doesn’t know how or when. Does Ava? Ava thinks Valentin’s day of reckoning is coming soon. Curtis asks if he’s interrupting, and Laura says, no. She and Ava were just having a conversation about karma. Curtis says, what about it? and Ava says, how she always delivers. She’ll see them at Valentin’s wedding. Curtis asks if she’s going, and Ava says she wouldn’t miss it for the world.
Sonny tells Jason, Gio is tailing Carly, and Jason asks if it’s that bad. Sonny says, it’s not great. They had peace at Christmas, for the kids’ sakes. Jason asks if Sonny thinks following her is going to make things better, and Sonny says, at least he can protect her from herself. Jason says they’re under a ton of stress, and Sonny says Carly told him herself that she’s keeping something with Jax. Jason says if things get calmer, they can talk. Sonny wonders when his life has ever been calm, and says he knows what he’s doing.
Jax tells Carly that he’s reasonably certain Valentin is going to fall. She asks if he’s going to be the one to push Valentin, but he says he’s an interested party. He’s going to wait and see what happens, and step in. Carly asks if he’s going to tell Nikolas’s family that Nikolas is alive. Jax says, no. He doesn’t think it’s fair if he tells them, when they might not find him. He’s hoping Nikolas does the right thing, and comes forward on his own. Carly supposes a few more days won’t hurt. She can’t wait until it’s over. Sonny is suspicious. It’s getting tense at home, and the situation is getting worse. Gio listens in. Jax asks if Carly has been sleeping, and she says Donna had a bad night, and Lucas is in Turning Woods. There’s Josslyn and Dev, and now a surprise distant cousin is staying with them. It’s just a lot right now. Jax hugs her, and Gio watches. Jax tells her, if it’s too much, he’s always there for her.
Willow tells Julian that she had no idea; Nelle seemed so nice. Sam says, that’s her M.O. It’s all underneath. Willow says Nelle told her that she missed her baby, and she almost let her hold Wiley. Thank God Michael showed up in time. Julian asks where Brad was, and Brad says by his husband’s hospital bed. He had no way of knowing Nelle was at the hospital. Sam says she thought he and Nelle were friends. He doesn’t think she would have done something to Wiley, does he? He says, no. He knows how Lucas feels about Nelle. Sam asks if Brad can blame him, and he says, no. If they’re done hounding him, he’d like to get back to Lucas. Julian says Brad needs some rest. He should go for a walk, and get some air. They start to leave, but a nurse tells Julian that he needs to fill out some paperwork on his son’s behalf. He tells Brad, go to the pier. Brad says they can talk tomorrow, but Julian says he’ll be right behind Brad; it won’t take long. Brad leaves, and Sam tells Willow not to blame herself. She didn’t know who Nelle was, and Nelle has fooled plenty of people.
Nina hopes taking Lulu back to family court doesn’t work against him. Valentin asks, how could it? Lulu was supposed to be watching Charlotte, and she ended up in the harbor. Nina says, after Cassandra kidnapped Charlotte, Lulu can argue that Charlotte isn’t safe with him. Valentin says he could argue that too. She says, forget court for a minute, and legal technicalities. Remember the night Cassandra took Charlotte? He was so worried that his past was coming back to haunt him. Does he really think that’s over? Does he really think it’s behind him? He admits he has no shortage of enemies, but he can’t change the past. He can change his actions moving forward though, and make sure Nina and Charlotte are safe. That’s all he wants. No… The love they give him is all he wants. Charlotte comes in with a big stuffed horse, and says Electra was in the stable. She’s glad she found Electra, since she was worried the horse would disappear like her bodyguard.
Curtis says there’s no love lost between Ava, and Valentin and Nina. He’s curious as to who sent her the invitation; the bride or groom? Ava tells him, who said she was invited? Save her a seat. Laura says she’s not going. She has no idea why she was invited. Maybe for Charlotte’s sake. Ava is sure there are reasons, and hopes to see them both there. She leaves, and Curtis says, she is so up to something, and wanted to make sure they knew it. Laura says Ava really wants them to go to the wedding.
Carly thanks Jax for his support, and he says, of course (🍷). She says she may take him up on it, and he says she should. Brad comes along, and Jax asks if he’s okay. Carly asks if something happened, but Brad says, there’s been no change. He just needed some air. Jax says he has to go, and Carly asks him to keep her posted. She asks Brad if he’s slept at all, and he says, Wiley has been difficult. She says if he needs a break, he can leave Wiley with them. He says, no one is taking Wiley from him, but she says she didn’t mean it like that. What he’s going through is hell, but he doesn’t have to go it alone. He says he’s just pissed that Nelle almost held Wiley, and Carly says, she’s evil. He says he’s seeing that more clearly. If not for Nelle, he wouldn’t be in this mess to begin with. Carly asks how Nelle is responsible, while Gio continues to listen.
Sonny says he feels like Jason is siding with Carly, but Jason says, no sides. He just wants Sonny to consider that what he’s doing could backfire. If Carly figures it out, she’s going to push back, and make the situation worse. Sonny should just sit back, and let things happen. Sonny says he doesn’t let things happen; he acts. Jason asks if Sonny thinks maybe he’s taking action with this because he can’t with Mike. Sonny does admit it was difficult not having his dad there at Christmas, and Jason asks, what happened? Sonny says the doctors recommended Mike stay at Turning Woods. They thought he might become disoriented because of what happened on Thanksgiving, and Sonny agreed. Jason asks if he saw Mike on Christmas, and Sonny says he went there in the late afternoon, but Mike gets worse at night. Jason says he’s meeting Sam there; she’s visiting Lucas. He’ll check in on Mike, and let Sonny know how he’s doing. Sonny thanks him, and Jason tells him, try to remember, whatever Carly is doing, she’s not working against him. Instead of following her, maybe they could talk it out.
Willow says Michael talked about Nelle, but she always pictured Nelle differently; more openly menacing. Sam says, faces can be deceiving, and Willow says, anyone who knows Shiloh knows that. Both of their phones ding, and it’s an invitation. Willow asks if Sam just got the same chain text, and she says she did. They’re cordially invited to celebrate the life of Shiloh. Willow asks, who would want to celebrate Shiloh’s life? Harmony walks in, and says, hello. I’m wondering why she would be there.
Nina suggests Charlotte sit and talk with them. Valentin tells Charlotte that he takes her safety seriously, but he didn’t hire a bodyguard. Charlotte says maybe her mommy did, and that’s why his picture is on her phone. She showed her grandma, and her grandma looked surprised. Valentin wants to get it straight. Charlotte’s mother has his photo on her phone? Charlotte says she saw when she looking through photos, and showed her grandma. Valentin asks if her grandma recognized him, and Charlotte says she thought so. She wants to go play, and show Electra the pretty flowers before the wedding. Valentin tells her, go do that. When she’s gone, Nina says, it sounds like Lulu and Laura are withholding information. Valentin says he’ll talk to Laura, unless Nina doesn’t want him to. She tells him, do what he needs to, but don’t be late.
Jax sees Laura and Curtis at a MetroCourt table, and says he didn’t realize Laura would be joining them. Laura says she didn’t realize it either, and Curtis says he wants to tell them something. Curtis says Jax retained his services on a new project that he thinks will be interesting to Laura. It might be useful in helping if Valentin takes Lulu back to court. Jax says he didn’t want to get her hopes up; Curtis is just doing some digging. She says, it’s too late for that. Fill her in. Jax asks if she remembers their conversation about Claudette. He has reason to believe Claudette is alive, and he wants Curtis to find her.
Carly says, Nelle is behind bars, and asks Brad how she could be involved in the accident. Julian joins them, and reading my mind, Carly says, there’s a lot of traffic on the pier. Julian says he and Brad decided to take a walk, get some fresh air, and talk things out. Carly says she’ll leave them to it, and tells Brad, don’t hesitate to call. There are plenty of people to pitch in with Wiley. After she leaves, Julian tells Brad, stay away from Carly. He doesn’t want Sonny to get wind of anything. Brad says, Nelle is back in Pentenville already. He talked to her by himself in her room. No one saw except the guard, who thought he was working. Julian tells him, stay away, or Nelle won’t be Brad’s biggest threat; he will. Gio keeps listening.
Jax tells Laura, he has it on good authority that Claudette was alive after her supposed suicide. She asks if he can tell her his source, and he says, of course (🍷) not, but he can tell her that he trusts them. They have no reason to lie. Curtis says Claudette could have possibly faked her death to get away from Valentin, and Laura says, or Valentin forced her to disappear, relocate, and change her name. Jax says, either way, Claudette has information that Valentin wanted buried.
Willow asks what Harmony is doing there, and Harmony says she has a job interview. One of the conditions of her parole is that she find employment. She asks Willow, what’s wrong? Is Wiley okay? Willow says, Wiley is fine. She’s upset because she got an invite to a memorial for Shiloh. Did Harmony arrange it? Harmony says, no, and her phone dings. She looks, and says, here it is. Whoever did this should have their head examined. As far as she’s concerned, the sooner Shiloh is forgotten, the better. The only good he did in the world was Wiley. Sam asks who she thinks is behind it, and Harmony says she guesses it could be Daisy, and a few others. They built their lives around Shiloh, and without him, they have nothing left. Sam wonders why invite them? She killed Shiloh. Why would they want her to attend? Harmony says, maybe they want to confront her and make her feel guilty, or maybe they want to forgive her; it’s impossible to say. They’re sick, sad people with their own agendas.
Willow says, as creepy as it is to know someone wanted a memorial for Shiloh, she’s glad Harmony isn’t involved. Harmony says, never again. She lost too much. Now, she just wants to do better for Willow. Willow says Harmony can do anything she sets her mind to, and Harmony says she doesn’t know about that, but she nailed the interview. She starts tomorrow. She asks why Willow is there, and Willow says she has a friend in long term care. Harmony says she’s sorry, and asks if it’s someone Sam knows too. Sam says it’s her brother. Jason comes in, and asks if it’s Harmony or Lorraine. Harmony says, a little of both. She goes by Harmony Miller now. She was fortunate to get early parole, and she’s glad Sam was too. She says it’s good see him. She wants to thank him for convincing her to do the right thing. She didn’t realize the power she had until he reminded her. Jason says she’s got a second chance; make it count. She says she intends to. She has to go, and says it’s good to see Willow. She leaves, and Sam asks Jason if he got the invitation too. Someone wants to have a memorial service for Shiloh. Willow says, and it’s not her mother. Sam says, Shiloh may be dead, but someone doesn’t want him forgotten.
Gio reports back to Sonny, who asks why Carly was on the pier. Gio says she was there to meet Jax, but seemed torn up about Sonny. Sonny says, she should be, and asks if they said anything about a secret. Gio says he got the feeling Carly thinks it will be over soon. Sonny says, maybe; maybe not. Gio says, there’s something else. After they left, Julian showed up, and was vilifying Brad. Sonny asks, what about? and Gio says, he mentioned something about Sonny and Michael. Sonny asks what he said, and Gio says he doesn’t know what he meant, but Julian warned Brad about going against Michael. Apparently, Brad’s kid ran into Nelle.
On the phone, Nina asks if it’s ready, and a lab tech at the hospital tells her, the DNA results are in. Nina asks her to send them over, but the tech says, they can’t be released without a signature. Nina says she’ll make a special trip, but please have them waiting. She has big plans tonight.
Jax tells Laura, ideally, Claudette has leverage they can use against Valentin. They know Claudette is receptive to financial inducement, but they have to find her first. Julian meets Ava at the bar, and Jax wonders what’s up. Curtis says Ava looks happy, and Laura says, she doesn’t look like someone who just burned a painting that would have put half a million dollars in her pocket. Curtis says, maybe she’s excited about the wedding. Jax asks what he means, and Laura says Ava told them that she’s crashing the wedding tonight.
Ava and Julian sit at a table, and Ava asks how he’s holding up. He says he’s keeping it together, but it’s been awful seeing his son like that. And Brad is driving him up a wall. It should have been Brad. Ava says, it shouldn’t have been either of them. They both could have been killed, and then what happens to Wiley? He says he doesn’t know, and she says, he really doesn’t? Who’s named as guardian in their wills? Julian isn’t sure, and she tells him to find out. And make sure he sees the most recent version of their wills. Trust her. He doesn’t want a codicil showing up and ruining everything. Valentin watches them talking.
Laura says they need more information before she can mention a word to Lulu. Curtis guesses it’s back to Canada for him, and Laura says it looks like she’s going with him. He’s not thinking about leaving tonight? Curtis says he has no intention of leaving his wife on New Year’s Eve. Jax asks if she and Doc have plans, and she says she thinks they do. At Windymere. She’s starting to think they should go to the wedding.
Omg. They’re showing the outside of the hospital, which rarely happens. Nina waits for the technician, and Jax calls. She says she can’t talk, but he says he wanted to give her a heads up. Ava is planning on crashing her wedding. She says Ava is the least of her worries. She’ll see him tonight. She hangs up on him, and the tech meets her. She signs for the envelope, saying, perfect timing.
Valentin sits at the bar, and tries to listen in on Julian and Ava’s conversation. Ava asks if Julian’s will is up to date, and he says he had it amended after Wiley was adopted. What makes her so interested all of a sudden? She says she recently had a crash course in codicils, and tells him to make sure his final wishes are spelled out clearly. Otherwise, it can cause a boatload of trouble.
Jason tells Sam that Shiloh has no family they know of, and Sam says they think it might be Daisy or someone like her. Willow says, even after everything that came out, Shiloh still has followers. It’s no less strange for them to invite her. She hated Shiloh, and testified against him. Sam says, it doesn’t make sense. Why would someone want Shiloh’s enemies at his memorial? Jason says, possibly someone is looking for revenge. I’ve decided Sam must have gone brain dead in the past year.
Sonny asks why Julian would care about Nelle, and Gio says he’s not sure, but he seemed pissed. Carly walks in, and says she never sees Gio away from the warehouse. What’s going on? Gio says he was on his way out, and leaves. Carly asks, what’s up? and Sonny asks where she was just now. She asks if it’s another interrogation, but he doesn’t know. Unless she wants to confess. She says she confesses that she’s sick of her husband treating her like the enemy. He says he wouldn’t if she just told the truth. She says he’s right. It’s time to tell him exactly what’s going on.
No preview, but it’s the time of year they show all of the credits, while a jazzy version of Jingle Bells plays. New Year’s Eve’s GH is a rerun encore episode, and New Year’s Day, it’s preempted for football.
Below Deck
Rhylee asks if Kate wants to talk to Captain Lee, but Kate says, no. Kate tells the camera people not to follow her, and walks off. The cameraman says, Kate is gone. Ashton tells Tanner that Kate said something about his family, and he crumbled. Family is everything. Don’t bring that sh*t up. Tanner tucks Kevin in. Rhylee says, Kate made it clear; she left. In Rhylee’s interview, she doesn’t know what Ashton did, but he was drunk out of his mind, and completely wrong. They have thirty hours until another charter, and without a chief stew, they’re screwed. Tanner asks, what’s going on? and Ashton says, a lot of emotional sh*t.
The sun rises. Rhylee wakes, and calls to Kate, but she’s not there. Everyone wakes up and gets their sober bearings. Simone wonders where Kate is, and Rhylee says Kate and Ashton got into it last night. Kate didn’t appreciate it, and walked away. Courtney says, no. The less people, the more work. They’re screwed. Ashton says Kate made a comment about his family, and it ticked him off. He doesn’t remember what it was though. In his interview, Ashton says he’s putting together pieces. We flash back to Smashton coming out. He says, it’s vague. There was too much alcohol, and things that needed to be dealt with. Kate came at him in the wrong way at the wrong time. We flash back to him screaming that she thinks she’s better than everyone else, but she’s not. He says he’s not proud of it.
Captain Lee checks the weather. Ashton calls the deck crew together, and asks where Kate is. Rhylee says, she left last night. She texted Kate, but didn’t hear back. Ashton says, sh*t. Someone needs to fill in the blanks. Tanner says Ashton kept saying something about defending his family; he was ticked off and it got heated. Tanner and Kevin argue over who calmed Ashton down, until Kevin says they both did. The captain radios for Kate, and Tanner says, sh*t. Ashton wonders if there’s anything he can do, and Kevin tells him, don’t stress out. In Ashton’s interview, he says he’s going to have to tell the captain. He radios Captain Lee, and asks to see him.
Simone tells Courtney, they have to iron, but Courtney says she’s not emotionally ready. In Courtney’s interview, she says you can use your worst nightmare to describe any unfortunate situation, but Kate being gone is truly her worst nightmare. She’s not happy. Ashton goes to the bridge, and the captain asks if he has sunglasses on so he doesn’t bleed to death. Ashton says there’s probably something the captain should know, and Captain Lee tells him, spit it out. Ashton says he and Kate had words. His family was brought up, but he doesn’t remember exactly what was said. It became heated between them, and Kate walked off the boat. The captain says, but she’s here now, right? and Ashton says they haven’t seen her. In his interview, Captain Lee says, Ashton has every reason to have fear and panic on his face. He asks, what happened? and Ashton says he doesn’t like to get angry or upset, and the captain asks, at what point in the evening was it? Ashton says they were on their way back, and the captain says, so it was late. In the captain’s interview, he says Thailand isn’t the place to be wandering around for a single female at three or four in the morning. They’re in the middle of a charter in Thailand, and it’s unacceptable. Ashton says he’ll do what he can, and Captain Lee says, please do.
Brian tells Courtney to have fun hiding. Kevin makes some kind of casserole. In Kevin’s interview, he says it’s not really a surprise that Kate left. She doesn’t give a flying about anyone, or the charter season. Good riddance. They have less than 24 hours, and the show must go on. The boat is readied for the guests. Courtney tells Simone the iron isn’t doing anything, and Simone says the iron knows Courtney doesn’t like ironing. Ashton tells the deckhands about talking to the captain, and says he shouldn’t have reacted the way he did. Rhylee says, Kate feels alienated, and Ashton says, she alienated herself. Tanner says Ashton got it off his chest, and Rhylee says he got everything off his chest. Kate being who she is, she’s not going to take it lightly, and she has the ability to make everyone’s life hell. The captain tries to call Kate, but it goes to voicemail. He says, dammit to hell. In Simone’s interview, she hopes if Kate doesn’t come back, that Captain Lee gets someone who will teach her something. That would be great. She wonders what she’s doing with her life.
Kate finally wanders back. She radios to all crew that she’s there; back on the boat. Captain Lee radios Kate, and Kevin remarks that she’s wearing last night’s outfit. In her interview, Kate says she’s not a quitter. Why should the a-holes stay on the boat, and not her? But she doesn’t have to be nice anymore. She doesn’t give f***. Kate tells Rhylee that she’ll own her part, but she didn’t do anything to warrant what happened. The captain waits on the bridge, saying, it better be good. Rhylee says Kate brought up Ashton’s family, and Kate says he wanted to kill her. Then Tanner kissed her. It’s the most ridiculous situation she’s ever been in.
Kate goes to the bridge, and Captain Lee says, WTF? Kate tells him that she’s sorry for any worry. He says the last thing he wants to do is have to try and find her. Kate apologizes, but says, in the moment, it was the best thing for her to do. He tells her, don’t do that again. In his interview, he says he’s disappointed and pissed. Kate is like family to him; she’s like a daughter. This sh*t is unacceptable. Screw everyone, and leaving. He doesn’t think so. He tells her that he has no idea what transpired, and Ashton has no recollection. Kate says it was a total overreaction on Ashton’s part, and the captain says she and Ashton need to rise above. He needs it to go away. Kate doesn’t think it will happen again, and he says he hopes not. In her interview, Kate says she doesn’t feel guilty about leaving. It was an intense situation. She doesn’t owe anyone anything. Perhaps she should have left a note for the captain, since he worried, but she came back. You’re welcome.
Tanner asks Simone how she’s doing. In Simone’s interview, she says she’s doing everything in her power to keep her head down and do her job. She’s not giving away her power. Kate says she would never leave Courtney. Ashton radios Kate, asking if she has a moment to chat. In Ashton’s interview, he says when he was younger, he had a bit of a temper. I’ll agree if by younger, he means last night. He says he comes from a broken home. His parents divorced, and he felt the need to defend his family. He still needs to take control of his own emotions. He doesn’t expect Kate to apologize, but he’s going to be the better man. They sit in one of the lounges, and he says he knows it got heated. I don’t know why everyone keeps saying this, since Ashton was the only one who got what you could call heated. He says he doesn’t remember what made him upset, but he doesn’t think his behavior was okay, so he apologizes. Kate says she completely accepts and appreciates it, and they hug it out. In Kate’s interview, she says, it’s not okay if you’re a maniac who needs help. She’s forgiving him out of pity. It’s good they work in different departments. She worked with Kevin all season; she can handle Ashton.
Time for the preference sheet meeting. Captain Lee says, they’re all good, right? and everyone agrees. He says, let’s get on with it, and tells them the primaries are Nicole, a behavior analyst, and Zak, an attorney. Nicole is bringing friend Lauren, also an attorney, and Justine, who’s a private chef. Nicole’s cousin Jamie is also coming. It’s both Zak and Jamie’s birthday, and they want a black and gold masquerade theme party, as well as fishing in the morning on the second day. In Kate’s interview, she says the guests seem high maintenance, but with Ashton’s antics lately, at least one is a behavior analyst and another an attorney. They can either help her figure Ashton out, or file a restraining order.
Rhylee asks Kate how she feels, and Kate says, it’s been an emotionally exhausting 24 hours. She doesn’t want to talk about, think about, or do this anymore. In her interview, she says, it’s been a horrible charter season. She’s deeply insulted to be on a boat with so many people who dislike her. No amount of money can make her tolerate disrespect from children and psychopaths. She’s starting to question what’s next, because she doesn’t need this sh*t. The provisions come in. Rhylee tells Tanner that Kate said he kissed her, but he says he didn’t. He knows he’d remember it. I guess not. In Tanner’s interview, he says he feels Rhylee taking the whisk to stir the bullsh*t. Then again, he doesn’t know. Maybe after all this time on the boat, he’s looking pretty good. Rhylee tells him that she’s disappointed. Courtney says she hates working and she’s grumpy. The captain calls ten minutes.
The guests are greeted with champagne. Justin tells Kevin that she’s a chef, so she’s watching him. The captain welcomes the guests, tells them Kate will give them the tour, and they’ll get this party started. Simone says, what an ass, referring to the chef. Cousin Jamie gripes about having to share a bed, and says she was told she’d have an actual room. In Kate’s interview, she says they’d all like their own room, but this is how many room they have. Her potential roommate Lauren says she’ll be odd man out, and Kate says she’ll make the Sky Lounge nice. Where’s Dorinda when we need her? In Kate’s interview, she says it’s because of guests like Jamie, she’s over it. They ship out. Kate makes up the lounge, and shows Lauren. Jamie gripes to cousin Nicole and Zak that there’s a room situation. She can’t share a full size bed with another adult woman. Zak says they’ll have to throw someone overboard, and calls her a trooper (for what, I’m not sure, since Lauren is the one with no room), and in another room, the other guests call Jamie an a-hole.
In Kevin’s interview, he can’t believe Justin said she’d be watching him. Just let him do his thing. He says their food preferences are across the board, so he’s making pizza. The water toys are put out, and the female guests discuss who’s hottest among the crew. Jamie drinks, saying, when in Rome… or Thailand. Nicole asks if there’s any pizza without cheese, pointing out that it was put on the preference sheet. Kate shows Kevin that one says, can’t have cheese, and Kevin says, fudge. But he doesn’t really say fudge. In Kate’s interview, she says, as a chef, if someone says they can’t eat dairy, pizza is not the first thing that comes to mind. In Kevin’s interview, he says, they have so many preferences, it’s bullsh*t.
Zak gets excited about the trampoline, and the guests put on their suits. The captain laughs watching some of the girls jump off the boat, and Ashton showering them off when they come back. In Ashton’s interview, he says Molly (who was never mentioned during the preference sheet meeting) is the type of girl he’d talk to in a bar; approachable and fun. She’s perfectly put together, but bosuns can’t hook up with charter guests. Be a good boy, Ashton. The other guests use the slide. Ha-ha! Zak slips and falls back into the water when he tries to get back on. Kevin makes matzoh ball soup, and the toys are brought back in.
Ashton tells Rhylee that he wants her to take the lead on the fishing trip. In her interview, Rhylee says, after last season, and Chandler not letting her go on the fishing trip, she’s excited AF to show off her skill set. Kate does up the table in black and gold, with coins, masks, and netting; and puts out gold chargers for the place settings. In her interview, she says she loves a theme party, but masquerades are a little creepy. Like they’re for swingers. Sure enough, one of the guests tells Zak he looks like he’s from Eyes Wide Shut. (FYI, I could not keep my eyes wide open during that movie.) The soup is served, and Jamie says only her cousin would go to Thailand and want matza ball soup. In Tanner’s interview, he says he thinks the flirtation is picking up with Kate, because he’s extremely delusional. He asks Ashton and Brian if he kissed her. In Brian’s interview, he says Tanner had better be careful with Kate. She’s a praying mantis, and will probably eat him after sex. Kate tells Kevin, the guests love the meal. They’ve been sipping on the boat.
Tanner puts on a mask, and says, I’m Batman. Kevin tells him, STFU. Kevin makes up plates with a serving of rainbow cookie, and a scoop of ice cream sitting on top of a short glass. Kate worries that they’re going to fall in during transport. Kevin tells the guests, it’s his first time making it. Jamie says, rainbow cookies are Nicole’s favorite. The cookie is declared delicious, and Jamie asks if they’re not getting a birthday cake. Overhearing, Kate says, oh fudge. But she doesn’t say fudge. In her interview, she says, they’re not friends on Facebook. How is she supposed to remember their birthdays? She tells Kevin, birthday, and he says, who’s birthday? She says, it’s supposed to be a celebration for the guests. He’d said he was putting candles in the cookie cake. He says he forgot, and she says so did she, but that’s because she was concerned with the balls falling. He knows how she gets when balls drop. He says he doesn’t even have candles, which you’d think would be a smart staple on a luxury yacht. Kate says they’re in trouble.
In Kevin’s interview, it’s no surprise that he doesn’t take responsibility. He says, since Kate quit, she’s been in Lalaland. They would do better without her. He makes up some kind of green shots, and gets a blowtorch ready. The crew sings Happy Birthday, and he lights the shots on fire. Jamie says she thought they forgot. Zak asks, who wants to fish? and Nicole makes sure they’re going to eat what’s caught, so it will be ethical. Agreed. Nicole goes to bed, and Tanner tells Kevin, nice job. Kevin says, if they’re lucky, they’ll get $1100. Jamie says, happy birthday to her. On the stairs, Lauren and Molly discuss Jamie, and Molly says she wants Jamie out. Kate tells the other crew members, they all hate Jamie. Ooh , this could be good. Like the one with the guest in the shame cocoon.
Ashton says he’ll listen to Rhylee’s instruction on the fishing trip. The guests load into the tender. He asks if Jamie is coming, and Nicole thinks she’s still n bed. In Ashton’s interview, he says Rhylee is the professional, so he’s giving her the responsibility. It’s her time to shine. Lauran asks to talk to Captain Lee, and he meets with her in one of the lounges. She says she doesn’t want to be a diva, but she didn’t know the dynamics of the room situation, and she’s been off put by someone not willing to share. She’s on a couch with no shower or bathroom. In the captain’s interview, he says he’s pissed. She’s sleeping in the Sky Lounge, and has no privacy or bathroom. That’s her luxury vacation. Jamie is being a selfish, insignificant little twit. He tells Lauren to go fishing, and he’ll see to it that she has her own room. When Lauren leaves, he tells Simone to strip his room. It’s the only room available. She has an hour and a half. He’s going to make sure Lauren has her own room.
On the boat, Lauren asks Rhylee what they’re fishing for, and she says, your guess is as good as mine. In his interview, Ashton says, something isn’t feeling right about the area. He doesn’t see any other boats. He calls the harbor master to find out if they can fish there. He tells us, sure enough, it’s not zoned for fishing. On the boat, the captain helps Simone to get all of his stuff out of the room. Simone asks if this is about the guest who wouldn’t share, and he says, doesn’t play well with others. Meanwhile, Jamie sips coffee, alone, on deck. Kate tells Simone that Lauren was being sweet, and had said it was fine, but it’s not fine. So now the captain is sleeping in the Sky Lounge.
Ashton brings the boat back, although why they couldn’t have just moved to another location is a mystery to me. Kate asks if they caught anything. When they say, no, she says, then breakfast is ready for them instead. The captain tells Lauren that she’ll be staying in the captain’s quarters, and Simone will give her the tour. Ashton gripes to Tanner and Brian that Rhylee looked to him to find a fishing spot, when it was her trip. One guest says they didn’t even touch a fishing rod. Ashton says they didn’t have supplies, and Rhylee should have had everything they needed. In his interview, he says, it’s one trip he thought would go smooth, since Rhylee is a professional Alaskan fisherman. So I guess she should have known about fishing zones in Thailand? He’s trying to keep his cool, but he’s fuming inside. He tells Brian that he’s going to have to speak to her, but Brian says, she’s not going to listen. She’s one of those peeps.
The guests order breakfast. Justine, and some quiet guy whose name I never caught, want to test the chef’s creativity, and leave their eggs up to him. Kate tells them, the chef is going to love this. In her interview, Kate says, Kevin is going to hate this. Sorry, not sorry. Kevin says it’s the worst breakfast order since he started. Lauren brags about being in the captain’s quarters. Kevin asks Courtney to find whatever she can that would be nice for an omelet. Justine and quiet dude think the omelets are salty, and Zak says his egg sandwich was too.
Ashton goes to the bridge, where Kate is doing some work. He tells he captain that they had a bit of trouble with the rangers. They were fishing in place you’re not allowed to fish. In his interview, Ashton says if there’s an issue where the guests might be unhappy, he likes to tell the captain as soon as possible. He’ll be pissed if a guest approaches him about it. He tells Captain Lee that the professionals on board should do more research. Kate says fishing isn’t exactly one of their main activities, and Ashton says he’s unhappy with some of the preparation, but he hears her. In Kate’s interview, she says, Ashton is making Rhylee look bad, and himself look better. It’s not cool. In Ashton’s interview, he says he doesn’t tell Kate how to run the interior. He wants to focus on his own team, and she should focus on her department. Zak tells Courtney about the over-salted omelets and his sandwich, and she apologizes, saying she’ll tell the chef. Justine says, chefs shouldn’t serve what they haven’t tasted, but it’s a common mistake. That’s one mistake I would never make. If I was a chef, I’d weigh a ton. Justine decides to talk to Kevin herself, and tells him that she wants to have a bit of an uncomfortable conversation with him, but it’s chef to chef. She thinks he should go more upscale. Everyone is talking about his cooking behind his back. Nicole is happy, but everyone else is like, we’re having pizza and matzoh ball soup? She’s just looking out for him. He tells her that he doesn’t need to be looked out for.
Next time, Simone decides she needs to train herself, Ashton takes the guests on an excursion, Tanner wants to make a move on Kate, and the captain tells Rhylee they have a situation.
📣 My two cents. I’m starting not to like Ashton. He has some major insecurities that end up affecting other people, and he cannot drink. The combination of those things is completely toxic. He totally overreacted to what Kate said, and he has picked incessantly on Rhylee. While he might have been right to go to the captain before one of the guests did, it was the way he presented it. What Kate said. We didn’t see the conversation about how the spot was chosen, but I also would have thought it was the bosun’s responsibility to know the rules and regs. She suddenly flew in from wherever to help them out. On the other hand, while I don’t like Kevin much either, what’s happening to him this charter is unfair, and terrible behavior on the Justine’s part. I compare it to an actor going backstage before another actor’s play, and saying they’re basically watching to see if there’s a screw up. It’s creepy. And Justine isn’t looking out for him; she’s deliberately trying to unnerve him. It’s creepy and mean.
🏊 Summer House is back for another season. Why? Who knows, but it starts Wednesday, February 5th. The promo promises that relationships sink to new lows, and it looks like Shep (Southern Charm) pays a visit. Why? Again, who knows? Slumming maybe. Here’s a first look.
https://www.bravotv.com/summer-house
⛵ Is the Van Down By the River…?
More on the new Deck in the franchise. Hint: Chef Adam lives in a van.
⚓ Straight From the Captain’s Mouth…
When Captain Lee found out what really happened.
🎉 Call Me Sentimental…
That’s the last GH of the year, so I’ll see you on Wednesday. I’ve done it all, from the sublime to the ridiculous, but whatever you decide to do on New Year’s Eve, be safe. Wishing you health, wealth, and all good things in 2020. This will always be one of my favorite New Year’s Eve songs. Like there are so many.
What I Watched - TV With Theresa 