(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Whatever want just hold her he does
Michael snoozes on the couch with the baby monitor in his hand. Sasha comes in, and touches him. He wakes, and she asks how his day with Wiley went. He says, Wiley doesn’t like sweet potatoes. Who doesn’t like sweet potatoes? She says, apparently, his son. He says, his son. He’s still pinching himself. He’s Wiley’s dad, and that changes everything.
Alexis runs into Lucas at the hospital, and says she didn’t expect to see him. He says they were nice enough to give him his job back. Alexis says, of course (🍷) they would. She asks if he’s okay physically, and he says he’s been given the all clear. The hospital is the only place he feels normal, and Alexis says they could all use more of that.
TJ tells Molly, he knows she has reservations about marriage, but they can make it work. He promises he’ll never ask her to sacrifice her career, or anything else. He wants them to be equals. He wants to spend his life with her. He loves her so much. So will she marry him? She just stares at him for a moment, and says, sorry; she’s overwhelmed. He says, that’s okay. He loves her. She says she loves him too, more than she could ever put in words. He’s very brave to propose after she went off like that, but she doesn’t want to marry him. He says, she’s saying no? and she asks if he’s surprised. He says he is, and she says she just spent 30 minutes railing against the institution. He says, as it applies to other people. This is them. They’re nothing like that. She asks him if being married is important; saying vows and wearing rings. He says, yes, and she says she guesses they’ve never talked about it. She had no idea marriage was something he wanted. He says, now that she does, does it change her mind? She says, no.
On the phone, Elizabeth tells Jason that she just texted the driver’s picture and license number. He can use it, right? Jason sees it’s Cyrus’s guy, and I see his name is Walker. Jason says he knows this guy, and he’s on it. He tells her not to call the cops, and she asks, why not? He says, if it’s what he’s thinking, she could make it worse. Let him check it out. Franco comes downstairs, and asks what Elizabeth is doing. She says, Cameron was kidnapped, and shows him Cameron’s text. He asks if she called the cops, but she tells him, Jason said not to.
Taggert goes into the warehouse. It’s empty, and no one is there. He says he’s there. He followed their orders. Where’s his daughter? Walker comes out, and says, take it easy. Taggert says, bring her to him, but Walker says, the way he sees it, Taggert is in no position to make demands. Taggert says, if he doesn’t see his daughter right now, their plan is going to go up in smoke. Walker calls out, bring them in. Trina and Cameron come out a door at the top of some stairs. Two guys with guns come out behind them, and Cameron practically gets shoved down the stairs. Curtis waits outside with a gun.
Trina asks, what’s going on, and Taggert tells her, don’t worry. He’ll fix this. Walker says, so how are they doing this so Taggert’s daughter and her friend survive? Some other guys come out, and Taggert is surrounded. Taggert says, whoa. They’ve got no problem. Let the kids walk. Walker says that’s not for him to decide. Taggert says he showed up; let them go. Walker laughs, and Taggert asks if he said something funny. Walker says he never thought a man like Taggert would buy into that fairytale. Let’s go.
Willow tells Chase, she doesn’t know what she’s feeling, and he says, it just happened; give it time. She says, it’s so strange. When she gave her child to Brad and Lucas, she missed him every day. At the same time, she knew he was living the life she’d dreamed for him, even if she wasn’t in it. Chase says, then she was in it, and she says, it was the biggest, most amazing surprise.This doesn’t change things. She loves him as much as ever. She’s devastated that he’s not hers, but at the same time, she’s flooded with grief for the baby she held after giving birth; the baby who didn’t make it, and was a physical piece of her. She’s quiet, and Chase says, what is it? She says, if hadn’t given him up, would it all be different? Would her son still be alive?
Michael tells Sasha, Wiley doesn’t go down easy, especially since he’s been moved all over the place. He thought he’d just read a book, sing a song, and rock him. Sasha says, now that he’s Wiley’s dad… He says, he knows he has to do what’s best for Wiley. Let him cry until he sleeps. She says, his first big parenting decision. He says, before, they just had fun. Now it’s his job to teach and guide Wiley. She asks if setting the rules doesn’t include having fun, and he says, sometimes he caves because it’s easier in the moment, but he’s doing Wiley a disservice. She says she senses Michael has great instincts. Trust them. He says, it’s that simple? but she says she never said anything about simple.
Alexis tells Lucas, she’s so sorry about Wiley – and Brad. It’s just awful that it ended this way. He says, talk about not according to plan. Alexis is one of the few people who saw him. She says, he was beautiful, and Lucas guesses it makes things more bearable if he can help other people. She asks, how can she help him? and he says he could use an assist in his divorce. She says he’s got it.
TJ asks if that’s a hard no, as in never, and Molly doesn’t know what to say. If he wants the truth, the truth is, no; she never wants to get married. He asks if she never did, and she says when she was little, she thought being a bride was like being a princess – the dress, the shoes, the veil – but she’s grown up, and seen how weddings turn normal, rational human beings into Bridezillas. He says, that’s not her, and she says, there are couples who are completely committed who aren’t married; they even have kids. He says that won’t work for him. They’ve been together eight years, and they love each other. He’d assumed marriage was the next step. She says she doesn’t need a paper to validate their relationship or their love. She thought he knew. He says he knew she hated the meaningless display, but he thought, after all they’d been through, when he proposed, she’d marry him. She says she’s sorry, and hands him the ring.
Elizabeth tells Franco, she told Jason that Cameron and Trina had been kidnapped, and sent him the driver’s information. He said he knows the guy, and he’s searching. Franco admits Jason has a set of skills the police don’t have, and Elizabeth says he told her the police would make it worse. She wonders how long she has to wait. He said he’d be in touch. Franco understands why she’d call Jason, and she says she was hoping he’d tell her it was unacceptable, and to call the police. He says, why call Jason? Call the police. Unless she doesn’t want to, in which case he’s behind her 100%. He gives her the phone, and says, it’s 911. She calls, and says she needs to report a kidnapping.
Cameron elbows the guy holding him, and Trina struggles to get away. Curtis comes in, and there’s chaos while they shoot at each other. Taggert yells for the kids to go now. Cameron seriously kicks ass for a moment and runs. Walker says, go after the kid, and shut him up permanently. Trina is still struggling, and Taggert shoots the guy holding her. Curtis grabs Trina and puts her behind some boxes. The shooting continues.
Outside, Cameron falls. One of the guys comes up behind him with a gun, but Jason shoots the guy in the back.
Willow tells Chase, she knows it’s irrational; nothing can change what happened. She’s dwelling on the bottomless pit when she should focus on the next step. Chase says before she does that, the guilt he’s hearing in her voice… She’s entitled to feel how she feels, but remember she’s living with the consequences of Nelle’s cruelty and Brad’s weakness. They did this to all of them, but most of all to Wiley. Nelle is heartless, only thinking of babies as weapons to get what she wants. That’s who she is. Now it’s time to think about the next step.It’s time the people who love Wiley do the opposite of what Nelle did, and make the best choices for him. Willow thinks she knows what that is.
Michael asks how Sasha’s day was. Anything new? She says, Lucy is insane, but in a good way. They had a productive meeting today; it’s an exciting time. Michael says, wow. It’s crazy how just yesterday, they were both in the same place. Now… She says, it’s a whole new world. He says, it happened so fast. They never had a chance to talk about what that means for them. She asks if he wants to talk now.
Jason checks the pulse of the guy he shot. Cameron asks if he’s dead, and Jason says, yeah. Cameron says, all this gunfire. Trina is still inside. Jason says he needs Cameron’s help. Focus. How many men were there. Cameron says, four. There were five, now there are four. Jason asks if they’re all armed, and Cameron says, yes. Jason asks if Trina is tied up, but Cameron says, a guard is holding her. Jason says, who else is in there? and Cameron tells him, Trina’s dad. He was looking to trade himself for them. There was a fight, and everything went crazy. Curtis showed up, and there was gunfire. That’s when he got out, but Trina is still in there. He says he’s going in to help, but Jason says, no. They need a plan, and that’s a bad idea. Cameron has to calm down. They only have one shot at this. Cameron says, tell him what he’s got to do.
TJ looks at the ring, and asks Molly if it’s because she never really dated anyone else. She says, there is no one else. She can’t imagine being with anyone but him. Marriage isn’t for her. He says, even if it’s something he wants? and she says, even if. He says, maybe she just thought she had faith in him that’s not there. He wants to build s life with her, and wants to grow old together. She says she wants that too, but they don’t need a big party to do that. He asks if that’s really what she thinks it’s about for him. He would love it if their mothers could be there, but he wants a commitment through vows. She says, then what? and he asks what she means. She says, sometimes saying the vows puts weight on the relationship, and is the very thing that breaks it up. What if everything is great, and they’re happy and in love, and they get married and expect too much? He says, just because it didn’t work out for her mom, doesn’t mean it’s not for them. She says it doesn’t mean it will either.
Walker says if Taggert was going to double-cross them, he should have made sure his daughter was in the clear first. By the sound of the gunshot, the kid didn’t get far, now he’s going to be forced to see his daughter die. Taggert signals Curtis, and goes around, trying to get behind Cyrus’s guys. Walker says he’s not making a deal; he doesn’t have to. Taggert has trapped himself, and now they’re going to finish it. They won’t be as easy to kill as he thought. Taggert chooses the wrong time to pop out, and gets shot. Trina screams.
Michael tells Sasha, he doesn’t want to make assumptions. He wants her to be involved and a part of this, but he doesn’t expect her to be instamom. He wonders if he’s contradicting himself, and she says, a little bit. He says he’s curious how she feels about all this. She says she’s 100% in favor of the sleeping through the night thing. As for the rest, not everything has to be defined every minute. They love each other, and adore Wiley, and Wiley comes first; his needs are the most important. As for them, she’s good with taking it as it comes, if he is. He says he is, and Sasha says they’ll figure out the Wiley part, and figure out them later. He agrees, and she says, it’s one decision he doesn’t have to make, or at least she’s not asking him to. Michael says, they’ll go with the flow, and she asks if he thinks he can manage to try. He says, somehow, and she says, on that note, she has a conference call in Italy. He says, dinner after? and she says she’d love it. They kiss.
Willow is concerned that it’s confusing for Wiley to be around her. She’s confused, and she’s a grown-up. If she feels this way, won’t Wiley feel it more? He needs someone strong that he can depend on, and she can’t trust herself to not feel grief over the baby she lost and the one who’s not hers. Chase says, it’s like she lost two children at once. She says, it’s too much inflict on Wiley. Chase’s phone dings, and he tells Willow, sorry. There’s been a kidnapping. She asks if there are any names, and he says, it just says, two local teens. She says, go; she’ll be fine. The kids need him more. He says he’ll be back as soon as he can.
Molly tells TJ, sometimes marriage is the very thing that messes everything up. She doesn’t want that for them. He says he asked to spend his life with her. Obviously, he doesn’t want to break up. She says, what about the timing? Does he really think best time is when she’s still finishing law school, and just starting out? He tells her, don’t do that. Act like there’s a chance. She said never. Did she mean it? She says, yes, and he says, then that’s it. Clearly, he did a lot of assuming. He has a lot thinking to do; he’s taking a walk. He leaves, and Molly cries.
Jordan asks Elizabeth to tell her everything. Elizabeth says Cameron and Trina were going to the winter formal, and Jordan asks, who ordered the ride share? Elizabeth says, Cameron; he texted the driver and license plate number to her. Trina’s dad was there only minutes after they left. Jordan says, Taggert was there? and Elizabeth says, he was disappointed he missed the kids, and she showed him the pictures. Then he suddenly left. Franco says, more like abruptly, and Jordan says she needs to know what Taggert said and did. Tell her absolutely everything.
Curtis drags Trina out, and says, listen to him. This is what her dad wanted. He acted as a distraction so he could get her out of there. Cameron says, Trina, and she runs to him and hugs him. Jason asks, how many are left? and Curtis says, three; Taggert got one. Jason says they have to get him out, but they need to know Cameron and Trina are safe. He tells them to get in the car, and lock the doors. Trina asks if he has a phone so they can call the police, but Jason says, no police; it will just make it worse. Curtis says, Cyrus’s guys think they have more time left than they do. That’s their chance. The kids go to the car, and Jason says Curtis has been in there. What’s the best way to do this?
Michael cleans up there’s a knock at the door. It’s Willow, who says she hopes it’s okay that she came around back. Can they talk? He says, Wiley fell asleep an hour ago, and she says, fingers crossed he stays that way. He says, tell him about it. She asks how it’s going, and he says, it’s growing pains for all of them. He tells her that he needs to apologize. He should have brought Wiley to see her immediately, and didn’t. He’s sorry.
Molly leaves a message for TJ to call her back. Everything she said came out wrong. She loves him. Alexis approaches the table, and Molly says she didn’t have to come back. Alexis says, her text suggested otherwise. She sits down, and asks, what happened? Molly says TJ asked her to marry him, and Alexis says, she said no? Molly says he caught her off-guard. She had no idea it was something he wanted. They’ve been together eight years, and grew up together. Somehow, she must have missed the importance. She didn’t know it was a deal breaker, and nothing she said came out right. She didn’t make clear how much she loves him, and that she committed to spending the rest of her life with him. Alexis asks how they left it, and Molly says, TJ told her that he had a lot of thinking to do, and walked out. He won’t answer his phone. Alexis says she’s sorry, and Molly asks if she’s crazy. Alexis says she’s just surprised. Molly always wanted everyone married, like Sam and Jason. Molly says she’s older now, and she’s seen what marriage can do to people. Alexis says, specifically what it did to her.
Elizabeth says there’s something Jordan’s not telling them; what’s going on? Franco agrees, and wonders if Jordan thinks the kidnapping is tied to Taggert. Jordan says she doesn’t know. As hard as it is, they have to sit tight, and let her do her job. She has to make a quick phone call, and goes outside. She calls Chase, and says she needs him to run a check anyone with a prior association to Cyrus; anyone who has a drug, organized crime, or racketeering conviction. And get back to her asap.
Trina and Cameron sit in the car. Train wonders if they’re safe, and Cameron says, yeah. She says, right, opens the car door, and throws up.
Jason and Curtis stand on either side of the door. Inside, Taggert lies on the floor bleeding. Walker says Taggert made this harder than it needed to be. If he’d died like he was supposed to, Walker wouldn’t have had to take his daughter. Taggert says, screw you, and Walker aims his gun at Taggert. Curtis and Jason bust in, and Jason shoots the gun out of Walker’s hand. He and Curtis stand there like the badasses they are.
Willow tells Michael, that’s not why she’s there. Michael says he doesn’t know if irony is the right word. He’s been where she is. He knows what it’s like to lose a child, and the grief is indescribable. Now she’s lost two, and he wants her to know he’s aware of it. He knows one child can’t replace another, but thinks it would be a great benefit to Wiley for her to stay a part of his life.
Cameron asks if Trina is okay. She doesn’t understand what’s taking so long, and Cameron says, Jason and Curtis will handle it. She asks, how? and he says, they just will. Trina says she knew her dad was a retired agent, but not in a million years did she think he’d be pulled into something like this. Who are these guys, and why did they hurt her dad? Cameron says, at least she got out. That’s all that mattered to him. Trina says, they’re the dumbest hostages ever, and Cameron asks what they could have done. She says, jumped out, or realized earlier. Cameron says, for all they knew, it was a ride share to the dance. How could they possibly know they were being kidnapped. Trina says, they should have, and he says, it’s not their fault. She says, if she’d realized earlier, maybe her dad wouldn’t have been there. She has to do something. She can’t stand it. She gets out of the car, and Cameron follows.
Inside the warehouse, there’s more gunfire. Jason signals Curtis, and goes around. He shoots two of the guys, and Walker runs out with the other one. Curtis runs after him.
Michael says he’s not asking Willow to be mommy, but a nurturing female presence for Wiley. Kids Wiley’s age put people in categories. That’s how they make sense of the world. He’s transitioned from the guy who puts Wiley on a swing to the bedtime guy. It could take some getting used to, but she can still be her wonderful, sweet, loving, caring self. Wiley needs that, and to be honest, so does he.
Alexis tells Molly, she doesn’t know why she thought none of that would affect her; watching Alexis crash and burn in relationships over and over. Of course (🍷) it mattered, especially with Julian. They were so good, and when they got married, it went so bad. Molly is her stable, intelligent, makes healthy choices girl. An amazing guy like TJ knows she’s the one to spend his life with. She’s sorry she’s been no incredible example in regard to relationships. Molly has no frame of reference, but she’s nothing like Alexis. If she chooses not to get married, that’s fine. It’s her choice to make, but she wants Molly to promise her mother’s past will never be a factor in her decision making.
Jordan tells Elizabeth, Chase is in the field. She knows it’s scary, but they’ll find them. Elizabeth says she called Jason and told him what was going on. She asked him to look into it. Jordan says, as a mom, she has no right to criticize, but as a police officer, she wishes Elizabeth hadn’t done that.
Cameron tells Trina, all they’re doing is putting themselves back in danger. Her dad didn’t want that. She says, she’s not a baby. She can do something; they both can. They get back in the car, and Cameron says he knows the situation is a lot, but Jason and Curtis are good at this; it’s what they do. They said to wait, and as hard as it is, as much as she wants to go back in to help, they need to stay there. She says, help by doing nothing? and he says, yeah. She says, look at him. All mature and stuff. He says, it’s not his first hostage situation. This is the third time. Trina says, it was crazy with guns going off. Curtis pulled her out, and when she looked back, she saw her dad get shot. He holds her, and she cries.
Curtis comes back, and Jason asks if it’s clear. Curtis says, they got away. Jason calls 911, and says, there’s been a shooting. Three men are dead, and one badly injured. Bring paramedics. Taggert asks Curtis if his daughter is safe, and Curtis says, yes. Taggert says, take care of her. He grabs Curtis’s sleeve, and repeats, take care of her. His arm drops, and he closes his eyes.
On Monday, Jordan says Curtis could have been killed tonight, Sonny wants answers, and Trina says he’s waking up.
💉 Mary Pat Lives On…
I was really hoping she’d stick around Port Charles longer, but she got one helluva ending.
Time is not the great teacher. Experience is. – Lynsay Sands
What I did or said should never be more important than why I did it or said it. – Andrea Kelly
Everyone wants to live on top of the mountain, but all the happiness and growth occurs while you’re climbing it. – Andy Rooney
I think music in itself is healing. It’s an explosive expression of humanity. It’s something we are all touched by. No matter what culture we’re from, everyone loves music. – Billy Joel
I am not good at noticing when I’m happy, except in retrospect. – Tana French
Find the things that matter, and hold on to them, and fight for them, and refuse to let them go. – Lauren Oliver
It’s a helluva start, being able to recognize what makes you happy. – Lucille Ball
When you lose your smile, you lose your way in the chaos of life. – Roy T. Bennett (I think my father said it better. His only advice to me upon leaving home was, don’t lose your sense of humor.)
📅 And You Get an Extra Day…
As we leap into March, see you when it’s time to get in step with the Dead.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Jordan tells Taggert, let her get straight. He asked Sonny to work with him to get Cyrus. Taggert says, it wasn’t an easy decision, and she says she bets it wasn’t. She tells Curtis that Taggert spent most of his time there working to put Sonny away. Taggert says if they want to take Cyrus down, they might as well team up with the most powerful man in Port Charles.
Sonny tells Jason, Laura means business. If they can’t stop this from getting bigger, she’s going to get involved. Jason says, if she does, it will make her a target – for real this time. He suggests they continue to stop shipments, so Cyrus’s distributers lose faith in him, but Sonny says it will take too much time. Jason says they know people on the inside at Pentenville, and could possibly arrange an accident.
Carly finds a bullet in the stuff that fell out of Dev’s backpack. She calls upstairs to him, but there’s no answer.
Trina tells Cameron, smile nice. Her mom and dad are going to see the pictures. She takes a selfie, and the driver watches in the rearview mirror. Trina says they’d better take more with Josslyn and Dev at the dance. Cameron asks if she’s sure they’re coming, and she says, Josslyn just texted; they’re on their way.
Elizabeth tells Franco that he didn’t have to get her anything. Cameron is at the dance, and Aiden and Jake have a sleepover. Franco says he’s aware they’re alone, and she says that’s all the gift she needs. He says, it won’t take long, and she opens the box. A note tells her that she’ll find a surprise under the fries, and he says, it’s a scavenger hunt. She asks if he’ll give her a hint, but he says he’s not going to make it easy. He loves her, and it might not be what she wants, but it could turn out to be something she needs. She says having him back is all she needs, and they kiss.
The driver says, it looks like there’s traffic; there’s an accident ahead. He asks if Trina and Cameron mind if he takes a shortcut, and Trina says, whatever’s fastest. The driver does something with his phone, and Cameron tells Trina, one more. She says, serious, but not too serious, and they take another selfie. They bicker, as the driver keeps an eye on them.
Alexis sees Molly at the MetroCourt, and says she’s dressed to the nines. Molly says, as opposed to her usual burlap sack, and Alexis asks what the occasion is. Molly says Alexis’s guess is as good as hers. TJ insisted on treating her to a special romantic evening. He’s the best boyfriend.
TJ is at the hospital, messing with his phone, when Neil comes by. Neil asks how it’s going, and TJ says he’s been busy. Neil asks if he’s cracked any more medical mysteries, but TJ says, it was a stroke of luck with Alexis, and he had a lot of people helping before he made the diagnosis. Neil asks if TJ’s luck has continued with Molly. Did he propose? TJ says, not yet, and Neil asks, what’s the hold up?
Trina wonders where they are, and Cameron says the driver is taking the scenic route. Trina thought it would get them there faster, and Cameron hopes so, since they’re going to be late. She teases him about wanting to see Josslyn, and says she can’t believe her dad didn’t show. He’s sure her dad has a good reason, and she says, at least Cameron dodged a grilling. He says when Trina showed up, she looked… She says, flawless? She knows. Cameron tells the driver they seem to be going out of the way, and the driver says he figured they wouldn’t mind alone time. It’s their first date, right?
Elizabeth goes into the kitchen, and asks Franco if she’s getting warmer. He says he’s not telling her, and she remembers there are leftover fries in the refrigerator. She takes the container out, and there’s another box inside. It tells her to look under the chapeau, but she says she doesn’t speak French. He tells her it means hat, and she sees a bowler on top of the paper towels. She finds a box underneath, with a note that tells her to look in the cabinets, where she finds one more box. That note tells her to look under the pillow. Franco tells her it’s technically under the pillow, but it’s really under the sofa. She pulls out a bunch of art supplies, and he says he and the boys were talking. They thought, like him, she’d like to have art in her life again. She thanks him, and he sits on the floor next to her. He says he can’t wait to see her paint. She kisses him, and her phone dings. She looks at her phone and says, Cameron sent the ride share information; it’s all good. Franco asks if she wants to set up her paint set, but she says, after this, and kisses him. She says she loves him, and he says he loves her more.
Jordan says, no way in hell is she working with Sonny, and Taggert asks, why not? She says collaborating with one mobster to stop another is ethically compromising. Taggert says, and they’ve never crossed the line before. Curtis asks if Taggert got Sonny on board, and Taggert says Sonny didn’t refuse; he sees the advantage. Jordan doesn’t get it. Just because they have a common enemy is no reason to partner up. If he wants to do that by himself, go ahead. Taggert says he never brought up Jordan’s name. He respects her position, and she’s made clear she wants nothing do with this. Jordan asks if he pitched a specific plan, and Taggert says she can’t have it both ways. If Sonny chooses work with him, he’s keeping it to himself unless she changes her mind. He gets up, and says his daughter has a big dance, and he’s late to take pictures. Keep in touch. He leaves, and Jordan asks if Curtis heard that. Curtis says he can actually believe Taggert. He’s right. If Sonny is down to help them, she should take him up on it.
Sonny says, it won’t be easy to get to Cyrus in Pentenville. Maybe Taggert has a way. Jason asks if Sonny wants to trust him, and Sonny asks if Jason doesn’t think he should. Jason doesn’t know, but says if Taggert is telling the truth, and he was on the DEA taskforce that took Cyrus down, he saw how Cyrus operates. He knows how much damage Cyrus could do in Port Charles. Maybe his offer is sincere. Sonny says they still have to be careful. Even if they cooperate, Taggert isn’t going to look the other way if they take Cyrus out.
Carly looks for Josslyn, and starts to panic. She remembers Josslyn said she changed her mind about going to the dance. She grabs the phone, and the doorbell rings. It’s Josslyn, Dev, and Brando. Carly asks what’s wrong with Josslyn? She specifically told her not to go to the dance. She said not to leave, but Josslyn did it anyway. Why? Josslyn says, it’s Dev’s last night in Port Charles. Unfortunately, Brando found them leaving. Carly is glad he caught her fugitives. Carly tells Dev, talk to her, but Josslyn says it was her idea to go to the dance. Carly says, it’s not about the dance, and Josslyn asks what the problem is. Carly says, this, and holds up the bullet. She asks, why was there a bullet in Dev’s backpack?
TJ tells Neil that he keeps waiting for the perfect time, and then things get in the way. Neil says, they always will. Does he want some advice? TJ says, by all means, and Neil says, don’t wait for perfection; it doesn’t exist. The truth is, the closest we get to perfection is when we stop trying to make things perfect. The time will come when TJ least expects it. TJ says he doesn’t want to regret anything, and Neil says, if it feels right, go for it. TJ says he was planning on tonight. He shows Neil the ring, and says he’d better go. He doesn’t want to keep Molly waiting. He asks Neil to wish him luck, but Neil says he doesn’t need it. He and Molly have something special; cherish it. TJ thanks him for the advice, and leaves.
Molly tells Alexis that she and TJ are giving their night out another shot. Their first try fell through. TJ had to study and went to the library, and she went through more emails from Jamie. She can’t believe how much time and effort has been wasted on this superfluous drama. Alexis tells her not to let it ruin her idea about a wedding and marriage. Molly says, too late, and Alexis says, it’s about love, and… yeah, she sounds like a greeting card. Molly says, a little, and Alexis tells her, enjoy her night.
Jordan asks if Curtis is siding with Taggert. He says he’s on her side – always. He understands her reservations about Sonny, but desperate times call for desperate measures. She says he just blew up a warehouse, but Curtis says, no one died. No one was hurt.But Cyrus lost a shipment and a lot of money. It’s a great way to send a message. Jordan asks if he approves of Sonny’s methods, and he says he approves of anything that will stop Cyrus. Taggert could have been dead from an OD like the other two, and he’ll be damned if Jordan will be next. She says she can protect herself without getting involved with Sonny, but Curtis asks, what if that’s the only thing that’s going to keep her alive?
Sonny admits the bastard is smart. Cyrus made it public, so it’s difficult to retaliate. Jason says they don’t want the Feds involved. Sonny says, if that happens, they have to make sure the Feds don’t find anything leading to them. He’s worried about Laura. She’s his friend, but she’s the mayor, and under pressure from the media to clean up the waterfront. Jason asks what he wants to do, and Sonny says, they have people in Pentenville watching Cyrus. Have them figure out when he’s alone, so they can get access to him. To be clear, he doesn’t want to take action. Not yet.
Carly says the bullet fell out of Dev’s backpack, but Dev says he doesn’t know how it got there. What would he do with a bullet? Carly asks him to walk her through every step of his day, and he says he woke up, went to school, and came back; that was it. She asks if he left early, and he says he went to all of his classes. She asks if he made a stop, and Josslyn asks why Carly is interrogating him. Carly says because she found a bullet and needs to know how it got there.
Elizabeth tells Franco that she’s missed painting. While she’s creating, time flies. He says, doing the portrait reminded him of how fulfilling it is, and he wants that for her. He asks if she’s going to set everything up, and she says, maybe later. She wants to do something else first. He likes that idea, and she takes his hand. The doorbell rings, and he says, don’t even. It rings again, and he suggests they hide; it’s not their problem. She answers the door, and it’s Taggert. She invites him in, and introduces him to Franco. She says, so he’s Trina’s dad, and he says, small world. They’ve both been busy since they last saw one another. He’s sorry he’s late, and guesses he missed the kids.
Cameron tells the driver, they’re not on a date; they’re going out as friends. Trina says she should have hired backup. Cameron is going to be trying to get Josslyn’s attention all night. Cameron says, make a left, but the driver says he knows a better way.
Alexis sees Neil at the hospital, and tells him, careful. He might turn into stone. She asks what he’s up to, and he says he’s in the running for a staff position there. They’re making their final decision after his review. How about her? She says she goes to meetings there. He thanks her again for agreeing to make a statement, and she says she never turns down a trip to the Big Apple. She’ll see an opera, he’ll keep his medical license; it’s a win-win. He says, except for them for the next two years. She says she was trying to be altruistic.
TJ arrives at the MetroCourt. He gives the hostess the ring, and she takes it in the back. He sees Molly at the bar, and says their table is ready. He asks, what’s wrong? and she says, Chelsea emailed her about lunch tomorrow to discuss her wedding. Her bridesmaid total is four gowns she’ll never wear again. It’s a consumerist joke. He says, there’s more to it than that, and she says, like a whole history of patriarchal subjugation. Fathers used to give dowries along with a woman. He says, it’s not like that anymore, but she says, want to bet?
Jordan goes to Pozzulo’s, and asks Sonny if it’s a bad time. He says he’s got to get home, but she says, it won’t take long, and he says, if she insists. Curtis says he’ll stay out there, and Sonny asks what he can do for her. She says she was hoping to ask about a visit from a former associate of hers. He says he was there earlier, shortly before he was attacked.
Elizabeth shows Taggert the pictures, and he says they look happy. Her son is a fine young man. She says, most of the time, but Trina is amazing all of the time. Taggert says, no argument, and Franco says he’s not clear on how they know each other. Elizabeth says she was friends with Taggert’s sister Gia a long time ago. She asks Taggert how Gia is, and he says she figured out what she wanted to do with her life, and got a law degree. She’s now an immigration lawyer in Texas. She asks what he’s doing there, but his phone rings. He says he needs to make a quick call, and goes into the kitchen. It’s a text with Cameron and Trina’s picture, saying, we have your daughter, and if he doesn’t meet them, she dies.
Cameron says the driver missed another turn. What is he doing? The driver says, driving, and Trina tells him, take them to the school now. He says, there’s been a change in plans.
Molly tells TJ, she knows she should respect their decisions, but she can’t watch them throw their lives away for a stupid fairytale. He says, maybe it’s not a stupid fairytale to them, and they want to get married. She says, since they were girls, they’ve been convinced marriage is the be all and end all, and don’t get her started on the ring industry. Why can’t it just be about love? TJ says, maybe it can, but she says, it’s rooted in the man controlling the narrative. Even the proposal. It’s so unfair. He says he’ll be right back.
Taggert tells Elizabeth that he has to leave. Everything is good, and he appreciates her hospitality. He’ll let himself out. When he’s gone, Franco says, weird, and Elizabeth says, hurry. They head upstairs.
Carly asks if anyone else handled Dev’s backpack. Brando asks if he left it when he used the bathroom. Dev doesn’t think so, and Brando asks if he had it the entire day. Dev says, no. He had to leave it in his locker when he went to gym. Brando says, it was planted, and Carly says, they were hoping she and Sonny would find it and get the message. Josslyn asks, what message? Brando says, obviously there’s someone watching everyone in their family, and they’re all within reach.
Jordan tells Sonny that Taggert said someone was tailing him when he left. He led them to an alley, intending on confronting them, when he was met with a second assailant. Any idea who’s responsible? Sonny says, it wasn’t his guys, if that’s what she’s suggesting. She says she’s not suggesting anything. She knows he and Taggert have a complicated history. Sonny says, it’s over now, and asks if Taggert is okay? She says, he was roughed up, but he survived. Jason asks who she thinks it might be, and she says, who does he think? Cyrus might be locked up, but his reach goes far. He has his eyes on Sonny’s place, and everywhere else he and his family frequent. Sonny says he’ll beef up security, and thanks her. He owes her one. She says she’ll remember that. Sonny leaves, and Jason asks if Jordan has a second. He has something to ask her.
Curtis asks Sonny, how’d it go? and Sonny says, it went. Curtis says he sure hopes Sonny gets a handle on the situation before anyone else gets hurt. Sonny leaves, and Curtis’s phone rings. Taggert says he needs Curtis’s help. Trina has been kidnapped; Cyrus’s man took her. Curtis says, hang on. He’ll get Jordan. Taggert says Curtis can’t tell her.
Trina tries the door, but shakes her head. Cameron says, let them out. They’ll find another ride. The driver just keeps going and Cameron says he’s going to file a formal complaint. The driver makes a sharp swerve, and takes out a gun. Trina says, don’t shoot, and he tells them to hand over their phones. Now. They do, and he starts driving again. Trina takes Cameron’s hand and cries quietly.
Alexis says Neil helped Kristina get out of DoD, and helped her out of a number of messes. And he saved her before Kendra rendered her road kill. He’s very good at saving people, and it’s unfair of her to keep him from saving anyone else. Two years will go by like that. He says he used to bury himself in work. Then he met her, and she made him want to pay attention to the world around him. She says he had his dating app, and he says, the dates were awkward, boring, or both. Until he went out with her.
TJ tells the bartender that he’s looking Candace. She’s supposed to deliver a dessert to his table. The bartender says, he’s the ring guy, and says, there she is. Candace is already putting a small cake on the table in front of Molly. The ring is on top, and Candace says, wow. Lucky lady. TJ tells Molly, he can explain.
Carly checks Josslyn’s backpack, but Josslyn says she had it he entire day. Carly says, all clear; nothing out of order. Dev says he’s sorry. He guesses he should have been more careful. Brando says, it’s not his fault, and Carly says he’s right. There’s nothing he could have done. Josslyn says, it’s insane. They just got over the shooting at the pier, and now there’s a bullet in Dev’s backpack. What next? Sonny walks in, and Carly says, thank God he’s there. They got another message. She gives him the bullet.
Elizabeth looks at her new supplies. Her phone dings, and she sees a message from Cameron. Kidnapped. HELP! She says, oh my God.
Curtis tells Taggert, he’s got to get the police involved, but Taggert says, no police, especially not Jordan. They made it clear, if he shows up with law enforcement, they’ll kill Trina and Cameron. Curtis says, they want Taggert dead, and Taggert says, at least he can trade himself for his daughter. He asks Curtis to help him.
Jason says, when Jordan first came to Port Charles, she was with the DEA, right? She says, yeah; why? He says he was just wondering, which I’m so sure she believes. Jason would never ask a question for no reason. She leaves the office, and asks if Curtis is ready to go. Does he want to grab some food? He says he just got a call from a client, and has to go. He jets, and she calls the station. She tells Martinez that she’s headed back, and to make sure the latest reports on the Corinthos shooting are on her desk.
Jason’s phone rings. It’s Elizabeth, who says she needs his help. Cameron has been kidnapped.
TJ tells Molly, the ring belonged to his mom. He thinks it was from an ethical source, but they can have it appraised and verify that. She says it’s beautiful, and he says he knows she has reservations about marriage, but they can make it work. He promises. He’d never ask her to sacrifice her career, or anything else. He wants them to be equals, and wants to spend the rest of his life with her. He loves her so much, so will she marry him? She sits there, just staring at the ring, and says she’s sorry. She’s overwhelmed. She loves him too, more than she can put into words. He’s very brave to propose after she went off like that, but she doesn’t want to marry him.
Alexis tells Neil, so they won’t mess with success. The one kiss they had was perfection. Neil says, the closest they’ll ever get to perfection, is when they stop trying to make things perfect. (Good for him. He was able to use that gem twice within an hour.) She asks if that’s a Neil original, and he says, as of a half hour ago. He told TJ the same thing. TJ was getting ready to propose to Molly. Alexis says she ran into Molly, who said they were having a special night. Does Neil think TJ is popping the question? Neil says, it seems so, and she says, maybe they’ll have something to celebrate in New York. He says he won’t be celebrating anything if he’s not still practicing. She says she doesn’t want to be late to her meeting. He says, take care, and she says, him too.
Brando tells Sonny, he thinks the bullet was planted while Dev was in gym class. Carly says, that means they got into the school; this has to stop. Josslyn says, maybe it’s a good thing Dev is leaving, but Brando isn’t so sure that’s a good idea. They know what everyone is doing. What’s to stop them from getting into the boarding school? Sonny says Brando has a point. It’s best stay to close where he knows he can protect them. He puts the bullet on the table.
Jason tells Elizabeth, they’ll figure it out. The best thing to do is stay calm. Elizabeth says Cameron was going to a dance with Trina, and sent her a picture of the driver and the license plate number. She sends it to Jason, and says maybe he can use it to find them. Jason looks stunned, and says, he knows this guy.
Taggert goes to the meeting place, and opens the door. The place is empty, and no one is there. He calls out that he’s there. He followed their orders. Where is his daughter? The driver/Cyrus’s guy comes out, and says, take it easy. Taggert says, bring her to him, and the guy says, the way he sees it, Taggert is in no position to make demands. Taggert says, if he doesn’t see his daughter right now, their plan will go up in smoke. The guy calls for Trina and Cameron to be brought in. Two men with guns bring them out, and practically shove Cameron down the stairs.
Curtis lurks outside with a gun.
Tomorrow, TJ asks Molly if she’s saying no, Willow thinks she knows the best thing for Wiley, and Jason tells Elizabeth not to call the cops.
Project Runway
Two designers were going to be ousted tonight, leaving four to go home and prepare collections for New York Fashion Week. The two-day challenge was avant-garde – ahead of the pack – what Brandon described as something that challenges your feelings, and goes beyond the norm. The destination for the runway would be The Vessel in Hudson Yards, a venue where no one had shown before. Geoffrey said it was his favorite building in NYC, and while I think it’s cool, we radically disagree on our style of favorite. Since she was the winner last week, Nancy got first pick of models, and then chose who would go next. It continued that way, until Victoria was the last designer, like being the last one waiting to be chosen for the team. In her interview, she said maybe the others were afraid of her, but I thought it was more that she was unfriendly, self-absorbed, and rude. The contestants were told to show why they deserve a collection for Fashion Week, and Brandon told them, go big or go home. In his interview, Marquis said he’d done a lot of ballroom work, which calls for avant-garde. In Brittany’s interview, she said she was nervous about the challenge, but Sergio was already thinking ahead to female samurai warriors, and how he wanted to show that while women were viewed as weaker, they can still do what men can do.
It was the designers’ final shopping trip to Mood, where Christian begged them not to use satin, or he would cut them. They got a whopping 60 minutes, and $600 to shop. Nancy thought the challenge was going to take everything she had, but Geoffrey said avant-garde was his thing. He was going for ceremonial and regal, and if he didn’t nail it, his client base would be blown. No surprise, he headed for the satin, but Christian intervened, telling Geoffrey how much his satin was hated by the judges the previous week. He decided to use latex, a skill set he hadn’t shown yet. In his interview, he explained he had a latex company, and he still does custom latex. He could make it do stuff no one else could. After buying a ton of horsehair fabric, Nancy puzzled over what she was actually going to make. Geoffrey said Nancy liked to do things on the fly, but he didn’t think that was a good idea for this challenge. Marquis rose to the occasion, deciding to make pants out of chains, but Brittany was freaked out by there being no rules.
In Sergio’s interview, he said he thought he set the bar high for the other designers, and his most difficult competition was himself. Modest too! Nancy FaceTimed with her husband, who she’d met on a golf dating site. She’d been his one and only date, but he hadn’t been hers. Christian interrupted the designers with a surprise, which caused everyone to panic, but he said it was a good surprise. He told the designers to follow him, and took them to a room that housed all the pieces they’d made throughout the season. Seeing everything she’d done, Brittany felt accomplished. In Marquise’s interview, he said his brother had been shot, and it was one of the reasons why he’d moved to NYC. His brother had given him $200, and told him to stay focused and make his dreams happen, because time is limited. He didn’t want Marquise to lose sight of why he was there. Christian said they were to show their unique point-of-view by choosing two past looks. They’d be creating a retrospective that proved who they were as a designer, and also showing what their collection would be like. They would also get a seamstress to tailor the garments to the models. Nancy said it was going to be one magical moment.
Approaching Brittany’s humongous, poufy pink jacket, Christian said he was afraid the judges would think it looked like a pink straightjacket. In Sergio’s interview, he said he wore his confidence like armor, and was voted most likely to succeed in high school. He told us, understanding you can do anything you set your mind to is empowering. Christian introduced the designers to Justine, a stylist from Tresemme (brand placement!), telling them that hair design was a crucial part of the avant-garde look. They’d be collaborating with her on hairstyle. In Nancy’s interview, she said it was all about the details, and she was taking every suggestion. Christian announced the show would be at dawn, and the contestants had to be back at work at 3 am.
Geoffrey pricked his finger, getting blood on his fabric. Since he’d gotten black from an iron on last week’s dress, I wondered if he’d been stain jinxed. He said blood wasn’t avant-garde, and immediately ran for the sink. Sergio suggested licking it, as saliva removes blood (good to know), but luckily it came out with water. Nancy was having trouble believing it wasn’t all a dream, while I pondered why there were geese wandering around outside the design studio.
At the Vessel, afraid of heights, Brandon refused to go one the admittedly scary glass elevator, and opted for the stairs, but freaked out a few flights up, and just stayed there. Rachel Brosnahan (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel) was introduced as guest judge. When the judges were assembled, the models came up in the elevator, and walked down. I doffed my cap to every single one of them, going down those stairs in gigantic confections and high heels, without death-gripping the banister. Elaine said the designers had done a great job curating their collections, as everything was cohesive. Much of it was indescribable, but Elaine said it best when she described Nancy’s dress as a piece of walking art. She said Sergio was pushing the classic modern aesthetic, and always his own biggest fan, he said in his interview, he felt like he always did that more than the others. Victoria said she was trying to take pictures with her eyes of a once in a lifetime moment. The model trios stopped on various landings to display the collections, then came together to form a circle, so everything could be seen together. After that, it was back to the regular runway.
Brittany got kudos for the pink color of her jacket, which she thought represented her, but Karlie said although she was close, Brittany fell short. Brandon liked the coat, which was covered in plastic and fabric butterflies, but Nina thought the plastic took away from the upscale look. Elaine said Nancy’s garment was like looking at a sculptural piece, and Karlie called it wearable art. Nina said she was a fan, but also a truth teller. Because of Nancy’s black/bronze color combo, she felt like it was a black cloud, and said Nancy had missed the opportunity to use color. She thought Marquise’s outfit was over-complicated (although everyone loved the chain pants), and Brandon said that was a common mistake. He said Geoffrey’s piece – a jacket/shorts ensemble with a train – was other-worldly and sexy. Elaine added that usually latex was skin tight, and the fluidity was poetic. Brandon said Geoffrey’s creation matched the location the best, but it was very Land Before Time, whatever that means. Sergio explained how female samurai fought in wars alongside the males, and his design was an avant-garde version of who he is as a designer; it was theatrical. Elaine said the image of his model going up in the elevator was haunting, Nina said both Alexander McQueen and John Galliano had similar designs, and no surprise, Sergio pleaded ignorance, as he’d done before when called out on the backward tux. Victoria was praised for her use of color – champagne – and Karlie said she could tell Victoria’s model felt regal. However, Elaine was a bit taken aback by a huge earring thing going on, and said it overcomplicated the outfit. After the designers went backstage, Victoria said the judges had been tough on them.
Elaine said there wasn’t a single loser. Every designer left was talented. Nina said Geoffrey’s engineering blew her away, and while some designers fall, he’d gained momentum throughout the season. Elaine said, he takes his designs to another planet. Brandon said Victoria had brought out unexpected romanticism, but Elaine said Victoria’s design didn’t knock her dead. Brandon said he was surprised, since she’d been excited by a latex panty. Elaine said Nancy’s design was true avant-garde, and a show piece. Nina was impressed by so much passion. Elaine thought Brittany’s jacket was elegant and cool, and she wanted to buy it. Karlie said the jacket looked avant-garde, but up close was a full-on Monet. Nina said Brittany had the right fabric, but couldn’t carry it to the end. Karlie said Marquise had raw talent, but needed mentorship. Nina thought his silver effort looked like the Tin Man. She said Sergio’s problem was referencing the work of other designers, but Elaine said, considering the time constraints, Sergio was a cut above.
The designers were brought back out for the final critique, and Karlie said they were all deserving, but only four could go through to the finale. Geoffrey was the first one in. Brandon said he showed up and he showed out. Nina told him to think streamlined and sophisticated. Brandon told him, it was okay to be nervous (he is kind of a nervous guy in general), as long as it’s translated into confidence with his fashion. Victoria was the next one in (sigh), and Karlie told her to not just think of one woman while she was designing, but think of all the women who would want to wear her designs. NANCY was next, and the clouds parted to reveal angels singing. Nina said Nancy represented a second shot at living your biggest dream, and I swear, I got tears in my eyes. Elaine told her, no more oversized, ill-fitting garments, and she looked like she was going to cry. Karlie said she wished all of them could be in, but Brittany was out. Brandon said she was a great designer, and her strength was in the way she carried herself. It was a joy to be let into her talent. Brittany said she appreciated being there, and in her interview, said she didn’t think she’d be going home. It wasn’t that she didn’t think the others didn’t deserve it, but she thought she deserved it more. Sergio was in, and Elaine said it pained her to tell Marquise that he was out. He blossomed there, and should be proud. He thanked them, and said it had been a blessing. In his interview, he said, being self-taught, he was at a phenomenal standpoint, being able to show what he could do. He and Brittany commiserated, while Nina told Sergio not to hide behind excuses and other people’s work. She told everyone to go home, and in five months, create a ten-piece collection for Fashion Week (for which they get a $10K budget).
Christian said Marquise had amazing moments, and he’s going to do amazing things, because amazing is Christian’s favorite word. He said he was ready for it all in menswear from Marquise. He told Brittany that she’d also be amazing, and he was proud of them. In Marquise’s interview, he said he was thisclose. It was a bummer, but he was going to continue to grow, move on to harder things, and put his all into designing. In Brittany’s interview, she said she was allowed to come into her own, and was reassured that she’s on the right path, and doing the right thing. She’ll make it to Fashion Week eventually, but it might be a longer road. Christian poured champagne for the finalists.
Next stop, New York Fashion Week. And as Brandon said, let the games begin.
🍸 On Sunday, March 1st, Bravo will be having a Vanderpump Rules Leap Day Marathon. It starts at 10 am if you’re up for it.
👠 So I Was Thinking…
Not that any of my exes would be dating Lady Gaga, but if they were, I’d ask for an introduction. Way to use it to justify overspending though.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Ava tells Carly to notify the guard that she’s ready to leave. She says it’s inconvenient having an armed escort just to visit her daughter. Carly asks, more or less than living on an island? She wonders when Ava is planning on introducing Avery to her new husband.
Franco helps Cameron with his cufflinks, saying it’s a throwback to another era when men needed valets. He tells Cameron that he looks like James Bond, and Elizabeth says he looks adorable. Cameron says he doesn’t want adorable. There’s a knock at the door. It’s Nikolas.
Brook sees Julian at the MetroCourt. He tries to ditch her, but she says, no drink for her? He says, she gets no favors from him. What she thinks she heard in a private conversation was out of context. She’s jumping to conclusions. He had nothing to do with Brad passing off Nelle’s baby as Willow’s. She asks if passing off is a polite euphemism for kidnapping. She doesn’t think Sonny will appreciate the difference. Does Julian think Sonny will believe him or her when she tells him about her suspicions?
At the Pozzulo’s office, Sonny asks Jason how Michael is doing. Jason says, happy mostly. He knows it’s not over, and he still needs to gain legal custody. The cops have found evidence, and he hopes it’s enough to convict Nelle. Sonny wonders if it’s enough to show that Nelle had help.
Curtis goes to Laura’s hospital room, and is surprised to find her dressed and ready to roll. She asks what he expected, and he says, she’s recovering from a gunshot; maybe extra recuperation time. She says she’s going stir crazy in there, and the doctors said she’s healthy enough to leave. He asks where Doc is, and she says he’s the guest speaker at a medical conference. He wanted to cancel, but she told him not to. Her driver is also her bodyguard, and she’ll get home safe. He tells her that she needs to rest, but she says the sooner she gets back to work, the better. Port Charles needs her.
On the phone, Jordan asks if she and Taggert are on for today, but he says he’s working his own plan. She asks, what kind of plan? but he’s already hung up.
Sonny tells Jason that he doesn’t buy Brad and Nelle pulling it off by themselves. There’s a knock at the door, and one of Sonny’s guards says it’s someone who claims they knew Sonny back in the day. Taggert comes in, and Sonny asks if he took a wrong turn. Taggert says he and Sonny may have a mutual problem. Maybe they can help each other out.
Sonny says, this is a first. Taggert is on the side of the angels. Taggert laughs, and says, there are no angels in this room, or in Pentenville. Sonny doesn’t follow, and Taggert says, Michael was targeted on Pier 55. Carly was caught in an attack on the warehouse, and Sonny was targeted in Brooklyn. Then an industrial warehouse turned into a Roman candle. Sonny says he doesn’t know anything about it, and Taggert says he’s not there to bust Sonny. Sonny says, since when? and Taggert says, since they’ve been trading information about Cyrus.
Jordan joins Laura and Curtis, and Curtis tells her that Laura plans on going back to work right away. Jordan says, sounds right, and he says he should have known better. Laura asks to be brought up to speed. She heard there was an explosion on the industrial pier, and asks how much damage there was. Jordan says, whoever planted the explosive was a pro. No loss of life, but the warehouse and its contents were obliterated. They did find traces of opiates though. Someone blew a major drug operation sky high. Laura wonders who’s stupid enough to take on Sonny.
Carly tells Ava, then again, what’s the point?Not all marriages are built to last. Ava wonders how Carly is judging her marriage when hers involves a sharpshooter on the roof. Carly says she’s not judging; she’s giving Ava a heads up. Sonny is going to want to know how much Nikolas is in his daughter’s life, and he’s not Nikolas’s biggest fan. Whatever game they’re playing, the less it includes Avery, the better.
Josslyn asks if that’s what Dev is wearing to the dance, but he says he’s not going. Josslyn says she wasn’t planning on it either, but Cameron and Trina will be there. The more she thought about it, she realized the first rule of having fun is showing up. He asks, why be around people he won’t be seeing again? After tomorrow, he won’t be living there. He’s leaving Port Charles.
Franco asks Elizabeth if everything is okay, and she asks if he minds hanging out with Cameron. He says he’ll get Cameron pinned up, and goes back inside. Elizabeth tells Nikolas, make it quick. It’s a big night for her son. Nikolas says, Cameron has grown up, and she says, kids do that. Why is he here? He says he’s determined to prove what he told her, and she suggests another time. He says now that he’s secured his inheritance, he wants to make a donation to GH; something specific. She says he can talk to Monica, but he says Elizabeth would know where it would do the most good, and she’s his friend. She says, is she? Inside, Franco pins a boutonniere on Cameron, saying he thought it was only for weddings. Cameron says he did too, but Trina disagrees. Franco says, Trina is a good friend.
At the café, Brook tells Julian that she has a situation with a record producer. He says let him guess; the producer refuses to sign her. She says, just the opposite. He refuses to let her out of her contract. Julian says, get a lawyer, but she says she did, and it’s iron clad. He says, she’s a Quartermaine. Get daddy to buy him out. She says Julian doesn’t get it. Ned tried, but Linc won’t set her free at any price. He says she must be quite the talent. He’s not sure where he comes in, and she says she’s exhausted all legal alternatives. Julian has skills her father and the lawyers don’t have. Make Linc an offer he can’t refuse, and if he stonewalls, give him ten broken fingers for starters.
Julian tells Brook that her faith is flattering, but his days of breaking bones are over. He runs a respectable pub. She says he can either work with her, or take his chances with Sonny, and he says, there she goes again threatening him. Let’s talk about how that might go down. Say Sonny puts a bullet in his back. That’s a lot of weight to carry on her conscience. Does she want Lucas to lose another loved one because of her overactive imagination? Brook says, what Sonny does is up to him, and what Julian does is up to him. It’s his choice, and his funeral. Julian says, maybe there’s another way.
Elizabeth says she and Nikolas’s friendship wasn’t automatically restored. He says she was kind and sympathetic about Spencer, but she says that doesn’t take away the fact that her niece is without her mother because of Nikolas. He can’t buy her friendship with hospital donations. She tells him, find her sister. He says he hates disappointing her, and appreciates and respects their friendship; it means more than he can say. She says he needs to go. He says his inheritance wasn’t everything. You wouldn’t think Windymere could be colder or lonelier. She says he made his choices, and has to live with them. Unfortunately, so does Violet.
Ava says since Carly is so concerned about what’s best for her daughter, she doesn’t like Avery living under siege. Windymere is safer. Carly asks, how many have met untimely deaths there? And she doesn’t want Avery to be a witness to Ava and Nikolas’s spitefest of a marriage. Ava says she doesn’t know what Carly is talking about. Carly says she doesn’t know Nikolas well, but did know Emily, the love of his life, and Ava couldn’t be less like her. Now that Nikolas has his hands on the codicil, she doesn’t think Ava will be his wife much longer. Ava says Carly is very much mistaken. Carly says, we’ll see, and Ava leaves.
Elizabeth takes pictures of Cameron, and he asks if she has to take so many. The doorbell rings, and Trina comes in, looking gorgeous in a black and silver cocktail dress. Elizabeth asks if Cameron minds if she takes one more. Cameron says Trina looks great, and she says, he’s not so bad either.
Josslyn asks Dev, why leave town now? It’s only a few weeks until spring break, and they have the SATs and final exams. He says, it’s a top school, and they do that there; he won’t miss out. Sonny made it happen. She says, what about Gladys and Brando? What about everyone who cares about him? Everything is set up for Dev to stay there as Sonny’s cousin. He says he’s not dragging this out; it won’t change anything. Carly comes in, and asks for a minute with Josslyn. Dev gives them privacy, and Carly guesses Dev told her. Josslyn says, please don’t tell her Dev is leaving because of her.
Jordan tells Laura, there’s no proof that organized crime is behind what happened, but it’s happened too many times in this town. A crime lord decides he can make more money by taking over Sonny’s territory, and it escalates until it’s over – unless Sonny intervenes. Laura says she can’t help if she doesn’t know who she’s dealing with. Jordan says, Cyrus Renault. He’s a major drug trafficker in the Pacific Northwest. He was busted ten years ago, but it appears he’s trying to expand his territory from maximum security in Pentenville.
Sonny asks what Taggert knows about Cyrus, and Taggert says, more than Sonny. He helped put Cyrus away. Jason says, when Cyrus was busted by a DEA task force, and Taggert says, right. When he left, he signed on with the DEA. Cyrus was a high priority, and his team did all they could to have Cyrus put away. Sonny says, Cyrus is behind bars, but still in operation. They underestimated his reach. Taggert says, right now, Cyrus has his eyes on Port Charles; that’s where Sonny comes in. He has more options than a former agent. He tells Jason, the warehouse explosion was a nice job, but Jason says he doesn’t know what Taggert is talking about. Sonny asks, what’s it to him? Taggert doesn’t live there. Taggert says there are people he cares about in Port Charles, and no one is safe when Cyrus is in play. Jason asks if Taggert is offering his help, or asking for theirs.
Sonny says, so Taggert wants to work with him to help take Cyrus down. Taggert says he has no use for Sonny’s business, but he knows Sonny’s not like Cyrus. Cyrus is bad news, and they don’t want him taking charge. He’s seen the ugly things this man can do. Sonny says, give him some time to think, and Taggert says, don’t take too long. He leaves, and Jason asks if Sonny buys that. Sonny says, every word.
Through Pozzulo’s window, we see Taggert’s shadow go by. A few seconds later, another shadow follows.
Jordan tells Laura, it’s a dangerous lot connected to Cyrus, and Laura says, someone is letting him pull strings while he’s behind bars. Curtis says, it’s convenient, and Jordan says she’d be interested in finding out how Cyrus landed there in the first place. Laura says he ride is there; they’ll continue later. Curtis asks her to tell him that she’s going home to rest, and she says, wars are fought on many fronts. Let them work on their side of the battlefield, and she’ll take care of hers. When she’s gone, Jordan says **j has ocnn don’t have info can’t afford share until Cyrus is no longer a threat
Josslyn tells Carly, it was one kiss. She’s over it, and hopes Dev isn’t overreacting. Carly says, it’s not about the kiss. Josslyn says, Brando agreed to cover, but Carly says there’s only so much they can ask Brando to accept. Dev thinks it’s best, and she and Sonny agree. Josslyn says, Dev was there after Oscar died, and it helped. He drove her crazy sometimes, but she’ll miss him. Carly says she will too, and hugs Josslyn.
Brook asks what Julian’s plan is, but Julian says he doesn’t have one yet. He needs some time. She says every day she wastes is killing her career. She needs to get back out there before she loses the little momentum she had. It’s the only way out of her contract, so is he helping her or not? Nikolas approaches their table, and Brook says she doesn’t know whether to slap him or kiss him. He says he gets that a lot, and Brook thanks him for the call. She would have been offended if he’d come back from the dead and left her out. She heard he got married. Who’s the lucky lady? Ava joins them, and says, good; Nikolas got her message. She asks who this is, and he says, Brook Ashton, but Brook says she’s Quartermaine now. Nikolas says, this is his wife, Ava Jerome. Ava says, actually, Cassadine now. Mrs. Nikolas Cassadine.
Cameron gives Trina a wrist corsage, and she thanks him, saying, it’s beautiful. He’s glad she likes it, and she says she wishes her dad was there already. He wanted to take some pictures.
Taggert walks near the piers, and someone follows. We see it’s one of the guys from Cyrus’s warehouse. Taggert goes around, and comes up behind the guy. He asks if the guy is looking for him, and the guy says, no. He’s looking for him. Another guy walks up, and they’re on either side of Taggert.
Sonny tells Jason, for Taggert to come to them, he must be desperate. Jason says, Cyrus was convicted ten years ago. Why is Cyrus after Sonny at the same time Taggert shows up? The guard knocks again, and says Sonny has another visitor. Sonny says he’s busy, but Laura asks if he has time to see an old friend.
Carly says, it’s so unfair. Josslyn has had all these losses, and now she has another one. Josslyn says, this is different. Letting Dev go is doing right by him, and she understands. She says she needs to get dressed if she’s going, and Carly asks, where? Josslyn says, it’s the mid-winter formal, and Carly says she thought Josslyn was going. Josslyn says she changed her mind. Cameron and Trina are going, and Trina gave her a whole lecture about showing up to show school spirit. She has a point. How can Josslyn expect her peers to show up to her volleyball games, and cheer her on, if she doesn’t support them? Carly says there’s no way Josslyn is leaving the house tonight.
Brook asks if she can borrow Ava’s husband, and Ava says as long as he brings her back a drink. Nikolas and Brook go to the bar, and Ava sits with Julian. She says she hopes Nikolas remembers she likes vodka martinis. Like any of us would forget that. She asks Julian why he was huddled with Brook. Or to rephrase that, what the hell kind of trouble is he in now?
Brook says Nikolas looks good for a guy who’s been dead three years. He says she’s still gorgeous, and impossible. She says if she didn’t know better, she’d think he was flirting, but he wouldn’t be doing that with his wife there. He says, true. Ava is never far from his thoughts. His marriage is more important than he can possibly say.
Sonny is glad Laura is up and about. She says she just got out thirty minutes ago, and he says she came straight to see him; he’s honored. He gives her his word that he had no idea who the people were targeting his family. She believes him, but asks, what’s really going on? How’s his family? She heard what happened in Brooklyn, and knows Mike was there. He says his dad is okay. Everybody is okay, and it’s going to stay that way. She says, he can’t guarantee that, and they both know it. So let’s talk – for real.
Jordan and Curtis find Taggert in an examining room. Jordan asks, what happened? and he says he got jumped by two guys. He realized he was being followed, and led the guy into an alley. Taggert got the jump on him, but another guy came from behind. He got a shot off, and they ran toward the 500 block. Curtis asks what Taggert was doing there, but Taggert says he’s answering Jordan’s questions, not Curtis’s. Taggert takes out a handkerchief, and gives it to Jordan. She unwraps a syringe, and says Taggert was going to OD, like the others.
Julian tells Ava that he thought he’d buy himself some time by getting Brad a lawyer. Now that spoiled pop star wannabe is tightening the screws. Ava asks, how? and he says she came into Charlie’s when he was arguing with Brad. He had no idea who she was, and they talked. He vented, and said too much. Ava asks how much Brook knows, and he says she figured out that he was helping Brad with the baby switch. Even better, she’s tight with Sonny and she’s threatening to get him involved. Brook laughs, and Ava says, she seems like a handful, all right, but Julian was already doomed when he got mixed up with Brad to begin with. He says he doesn’t know what to do at this point. He’s tired of the shakedowns. Ava says, too bad. If Brook goes to Sonny with her theory, it won’t go well. He asks what she suggests, and she tells him, just say yes for now; buy some time. Two Jeromes are more than a match for one measly Quartermaine.
Brook says she’s sorry about what Nikolas has been through, and Nikolas says she’s the only person who hasn’t come down hard on him. His mom, his sister, his son, even his best friend Elizabeth, all judged him without caring about what he’s been through. Brook says, Elizabeth judged him? Shocker. He guesses Elizabeth is entitled to her feelings, but Brook says, so is he. It’s hard enough coming back without people lining up to criticize. She knows what it’s like to need a friend, and thinks maybe she can fill that void.
Josslyn tells Carly, there’s plenty of security. One of Sonny’s guards can stay at the dance, and Dustin is chaperoning; he saved her life. Carly says, he’s an English teacher, not a superhero. She and Sonny agreed, it’s best to avoid public gatherings, and she wants to err on the side of caution tonight. Donna cries, and Carly goes to tend to her, while Dev comes back into the kitchen. Dev asks if Josslyn’s mom explained it to her. She asks if he’s really okay with it, and he says, it has to be this way. Josslyn says, then he has to say goodbye to Cameron and Trina. She tells him, get dressed, and meet her in the living room in ten minutes.
Cameron tells Trina that their ride share is almost there. She says her dad hasn’t responded to her texts; she guesses he’s not coming. Cameron looks out, and sees an SUV. He says they’re going premium tonight. He tells Trina that he can talk to the driver, and see if he’s willing to wait, but Trina says, let’s just go. She thanks Elizabeth for the pictures. She’ll have some great shots to show her dad. Elizabeth tells them, have fun, and Cameron says, will do. Franco hustles them out, and Cameron wonders if he’s trying to get rid of them. Elizabeth reminds him to text the driver’s information to her. They leave, and Elizabeth asks Franco if Cameron is right. Was he trying to get rid of them?
Jordan says Taggert is lucky it wasn’t worse, and Curtis says, then there would be one. Taggert says Cyrus will find him if he wants to. Jordan says they’ve been catching up since Bob was killed, and it’s time to get in front. Taggert said he had a plan; let’s hear it. He says she’s not going to like it.
Laura says she and Sonny have been friends a long time. She knows there’s a line he won’t cross in his business; he has a certain integrity. When she took the oath of office, she vowed to put Port Charles above all else, including her personal relationships. Sonny understands where Laura is coming from, and says he’d never ask her to compromise for his sake. She appreciates that, but says she can’t look other way if a turf war threatens the safety of the city. Jason says, with all due respect, they care about the city as much as she does. She says she doesn’t doubt that, but in Sonny’s business, there can be some very ugly turns, and she thinks that’s what happened. Sonny says he didn’t start it, and she says she knows that, but it doesn’t matter. This is on her watch. When innocent people are shot at, the piers are a war zone again, and warehouses are blowing up, the people who live in those areas – low income people who don’t have a lot of choices – are afraid. The parents wonder if their kids will get home safe, or at all. All they want, is for it to stop. That’s why she’s there. If anyone knows how stop this thing, it’s him.
Elizabeth tells Franco, she thought Cameron and Trina were just friends, but after the way Cameron looking at Trina tonight, she’s not so sure. Franco says, it’s a big night for them – and him and Elizabeth too. He says, she thought he forgot. He gives her a small box, and says, happy anniversary.
Brook and Nikolas clink glasses. Ava says it will be her pleasure to help Julian handle Brook, and it might help her solve a problem of her own. She needs Nikolas to cheat, and she needs to have proof, or she can’t get out of the marriage. Julian says, that’s barely a minor inconvenience, and she says Julian is so grouchy when he thinks he’s backed into a corner. He’s lucky he has a sister who’s a pro at thinking outside the box. She was going to use Elizabeth to tempt Nikolas, but it’s important to have back up, and Brook just might fit the bill. Ava walks over to the bar and says, forget the drink. She’s changed her mind. She’d rather be home with Nikolas. She takes his hand, and leads him out. He asks if she’s jealous. She can always divorce him. She says, not on his life. They made a deal, and he’s sticking to it.
Brook returns to Julian’s table, and says, so before they were rudely interrupted, what’s his answer? He says, she told him, all ten fingers, correct? He holds out his hand, and they shake.
Laura tells Sonny, she came out of respect because he’s an old friend. She gets up, and says, but if she’s wrong, and Sonny isn’t able to end this thing before it escalates any further, she’ll have to do what she has to in order to protect the city. Sonny gets up, and says he wouldn’t expect anything less. After all, he voted for her. Jason holds the door open, and she walks out, holding back tears. Jason and Sonny look at each other.
Josslyn comes downstairs, looking lovely, also in a shimmery cocktail dress. Dev asks how she did that so fast, and she says nothing inspires her more than being told she can’t do something. She tells him, they have to go, and he follows her out.
Taggert tells Jordan, he’s crossed the line in the past. Each time, he weighed the risks, and made a choice, believing the ends justified the means. Now he’s crossed a line he never thought he’d cross. Curtis says, desperate times, and Taggert says, right. The stakes are too high for pride or holding a grudge. He went to Sonny, and asked if Sonny would work with him to take Cyrus down.
Carly sees Dev’s backpack, and says, really. The kids leave everything lying around. She picks it up, and everything falls out. While she’s picking it all up, she finds a bullet.
Cameron asks the driver if he can step on it; they’re a tiny bit late. Trina says she doesn’t mind, and tells him to take his time. Better safe than sorry. Cameron and Trina chatter back and forth, and we see the driver is the guy who followed Taggert to the pier.
Tomorrow, Neil tells TJ, if it feels right, go for it; Carly asks why there’s a bullet in Dev’s backpack; Taggert calls Curtis for help; and Cameron and Trina’s driver says, there’s been a change in plans.
The Real Housewives of New Jersey
When Melissa met with Danielle, Danielle said boutique owner Steven told her to pull Marge’s hair, and Teresa encouraged her. We saw a clip of Teresa getting in Danielle’s face, and saying, do it! Do it! Do it! Melissa said she was shocked, and going to let Teresa know what Danielle said. Rather than badmouth Teresa, Melissa said it confirmed that Teresa was not in the right frame of mind. Danielle said Marge had put her through a lot, but Melissa wasn’t having it. She said Danielle had gone too far and shouldn’t have put her hands on anybody, and ended their friendship. At the house, the party was beginning to start, with an amazing barbecue that had just about everything imaginable on the grill. In Melissa’s interview, she said Danielle was a pathological liar, but she didn’t think Danielle would throw Teresa under the bus like that if it wasn’t true. And if it was, it was the end of Marge and Teresa’s friendship. By the time Melissa got to the party, it was in full swing, and there were tons of guests, including my favorite, Marge Sr.
Melissa was basically accosted by the group, who wanted to know how the meeting had gone. Melissa told them it was rough. She said Danielle said that Steven told her to pull Marge’s hair, and Marge didn’t believe it, but we saw a clip of that too. I find it a lot more disturbing that a grown man, who owns a boutique, is making this kind of suggestion to a woman, than table-flipper Teresa encouraging that behavior. Melissa said Danielle also said Teresa told her, do it. Marge didn’t believe that either, and of course everyone said what a liar Danielle always is. Melissa asked Teresa if Danielle was lying, and Teresa said she was drinking and everything happened so fast. In Dolores’s interview, she said it never crossed her mind that Teresa was involved in the hair pulling. Marge called Teresa an a-hole, and said Teresa’s good friend Danielle threw her under the bus to save herself. Marge walked off, and Teresa gave the finger to the camera, then went on a rampage, flinging a Solo cup at the camera, and throwing stuff around. Girlfriend was very stressed.
Teresa stomped inside, saying they were all effing a-holes. I’m not sure if she meant the group, the party guests in general, or the production team. She said she was going home. In her interview, Melissa said she’d known Teresa a long time, and when you call her out on something she shouldn’t have done, she doesn’t take it well. Teresa holed up in the bathroom, and outside the door, Dolores said the only way to rectify it, was to apologize to Marge and never talk to Danielle again. Melissa said she got that Teresa wanted to have fun with all the stress in her life, but she was choosing the wrong people to have it with. When Teresa emerged, she said she was glad Danielle stood up for herself. In Teresa’s interview, she said she was angry at Marge, and drinking a lot. Out in the yard, while Marge didn’t let this stop her from enjoying the food, Joe #2 said he thought they should talk it out. Marge said it made her sick. Dolores told Teresa that Marge deserved an apology. Right then and there, Teresa called Danielle, and told her that Melissa had outed her for outing Teresa. But ultimately, it was Danielle’s decision to pony pull. Danielle told Teresa that afterwards, she’d said she wished she hadn’t done it, and not to let this come between them. Teresa stood firm, and said they weren’t friends anymore. She told the others, she wanted to talk to Marge in private, and she’d be on the front porch.
Marge met with Teresa, who apologized, and said she felt bad. Marge said her first instinct was not to believe it. Teresa said she knows she shouldn’t have done it (can you hear this in her voice?), but maybe it had to happen for her to wake up, and be done with Danielle. Marge said she needed time to process it. In Marge’s interview, she said the idea of someone she’s close with being in on attacking her was mind-boggling. And on top of it, Teresa defended Danielle. In the backyard, Jennifer said, if any good came out if it, at least Teresa realized her friendship with Danielle is toxic. When Marge came back, she said she didn’t know whether to sh*t or go blind, and I wondered when was the last time I heard that phrase.
Since the second half-hour was dedicated to Teresa’s Italy trip with the girls, they did the finale credits here. There was absolutely nothing of interest, except that David still hasn’t moved into the new house. He’s living with Dolores and Frank. Dolores can’t get him to move out, or give her a ring. Whatever works.
Five months later. We sped through what happened with Joe, ending with him moving to Italy. He now looks like Mike The Situation Sorrentino. There was the fastest trip to Italy ever, not even using the Concord, and we flashed back to a previous trip when the girls were little. The girls were thrilled to see their dad, but two seconds in, Joe said he’d forgotten how stressful they could be. They checked into a gorgeous hotel, and Teresa asked if Joe expected sleep with her. They hadn’t been together in four years, and it was kind of weird. He was the same uncommunicative jerk he’s always been.
They took the girls to the Amalfi coast, and on the way, a rainbow dazzled us all. Gia leaning her head on her dad’s shoulder broke my heart. They went shopping, and in Gia’s interview, she said their family had been on an emotional roller coaster. It made her realize it was the little moments that count. She was holding on to every moment, and cherishing it. In Teresa’s interview, she said she thought Joe wanted to be a couple again, but she hadn’t been happy with him for a long time. She didn’t want to hurt him, but sometimes you can’t get over what happened, and need to move on. At a tearful dinner, Joe told the girls that he was sorry about what happened, but would always do what he could to keep them together.
Teresa asked Joe how he saw them, and said she wanted someone with her every day. She reminded him that he’d said hurtful things, like he wished he’d never married her. He was supposed to protect her, and she trusted him. Joe said it was a bogus crime that people don’t even do time for, and it was in the past. Teresa said she hadn’t been the same since. A lot had happened, and they lived in two different countries. He asked if she wanted to just end it now. In her interview, Teresa said it was infuriating. After four years, Joe still wasn’t taking responsibility for what he’d done. He hadn’t changed. She told Joe that she never wanted to hurt him, and wanted him to be endlessly happy. He said he felt the same about her, and that he’d spend the night with the girls. They hugged for the first time, and it seemed genuine.
Teresa said she wasn’t ready to tell the girls, and they were still fighting the appeal. There was still a chance Joe could come back to the US. She was just happy Joe was out and free, and that her daughters can be reunited with their dad, even if they had to get on a plane to do it. It wasn’t the end.
The ending text said that the girls spent Christmas with Joe. They were still waiting on the appeal, and were hopeful. Teresa said since now that chapter was closed, she could start thinking about what makes Teresa happy.
My big question. Why does everyone think a party is where to bring up a personal issue? In Melissa’s case tonight, she was immediately surrounded, but the traditional practice is for someone to bring up a hot button issue in the middle of a party. Usually the celebration of some poor, unrelated, unsuspecting person, and it ruins the good time. Even better, it’s often in public. I’m just glad I don’t know any of these people personally.
💰 She Does Have Bank Now…
I actually think this is one couple who won’t need a prenup because they’re going to make it.
I honestly think she’s just thoughtless, and I’m sorry to see her go. And it’s kind of like when new neighbors move in. Even if you’re glad to see the old ones go, you wonder what you’re going to get.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
In Sonny’s kitchen, Cameron asks what there is to eat; he’s starving. Trina says Josslyn just told them about her new nephew. Josslyn says, the same night Nelle tried to kill her brother, she had Brad steal the baby. Trina says, the good news is Nelle was arrested, and will end up in prison. Josslyn’s brother has his son back, and can now keep Wiley to himself. Cameron likes the way Trina thinks; a silver lining. Josslyn says she’s going to find her mom, and tells them to help themselves. Cameron tells Trina, Nelle is crazy. Why would anyone risk getting Sonny mad? Trina says they have to focus. They need to talk about the dance. Josslyn can’t blow it off. She needs be there.
Ned finds Olivia at the MetroCourt, and she says it’s a pleasant surprise. She thought he had a meeting. He says, it ended early. He thought she’d want to spend time with him, and their new family member. She says, Brook was on the schedule… He says, don’t tell him. She’s a no show. Brook runs in, saying she’s sorry she’s late. She just booked studio time, and it’s supposed to start now, but she needs her paycheck.
At a table nearby, Alexis says, Brad and Nelle replaced Willow’s baby with Michael and Nelle’s baby? and Sam says, Wiley is Michael’s son. The adoption Alexis delivered to Brad didn’t live. Alexis asks how they were able to switch the babies, and Sam says, no surprise, Nelle was behind it. Julian approaches, and Alexis says Sam told her what happened. She’s so sorry about his grandson. He must be devastated. Is there anything she can do? He says, there is. He needs a lawyer for Brad.
Michael tells Jason, on one hand, he realizes how complicate the situation is. Once he gets the legal technicalities sorted out, he can officially file a legal document regarding Nelle’s rights. All of that is important, but it seems so small in comparison to the reality that Wiley is there with him. Jason says, Wiley is Michael’s son; that’s the truth. On paper, it’s another story. Michael’s got to make a plan about Nelle. Michael says he’ll handle it, and Jason asks, how? Michael says, by doing the one thing Nelle can’t. Play by the rules.
Nelle calls to the guard, saying she needs to know where her son is. Carly walks in, and the guard tells her to take as much time as she needs. Nelle asks how her son is; is Wiley okay? Carly tells her, drop the act. Nelle doesn’t give a damn about her child except to use him as a weapon to hurt Michael, and she’s not about to let that happen.
Ned tells Brook that her only shift was yesterday, and she expects to be paid? and Olivia says she can’t bail without giving notice. Ned says, according to the terms of Brook’s contract, anything she records belongs to Linc, but Brook says she can record, even if she can’t release it at the moment. She’ll create art for art’s sake. Dustin comes up behind her, and says he’d like to hear that.
Trina tells Cameron, if Josslyn doesn’t feel like going, they’ll have to talk her into it. This is for him. He’s been kind, supportive, and respectful, and it’s time Josslyn opened her eyes to what’s right in front of her. He says, what if she still doesn’t see? and Trina says, then it’s her loss, and he can move on. Josslyn comes back, saying her mom isn’t home. She’ll have to see her later. Trina says Josslyn will be at the mid-winter formal. She’s the one who opened the school’s eyes to be inclusive about gender identification. Josslyn says she wasn’t the only one. Oscar helped. She’d like to get to know Wiley better, and do some journaling.
Nelle asks Carly if Wiley is okay, and Carly says, he’s more than fine. Wiley went to the Quartermaines. Michael is over the moon, and Wiley is with everyone who loves him. Nelle says, if only she’d known the lifeless baby in her arms wasn’t hers, and that Jonah was alive. If she could have stopped Brad, she would have. Carly says, give it up. She’ll never see Wiley again, and if the legal system doesn’t make certain of that, Carly will.
Sam says, Julian is asking Alexis to be Brad’s lawyer? After what he did? Lucas must be devastated. Alexis tells Sam, she’s got this, and Julian says he knows what Sam is saying. His heart is breaking. Lucas is his son, but Brad is his son-in-law. Sam says, not for long. Lucas is never going to forgive Brad, and their marriage will never recover from this. Julian says, if they truly love each other, they can survive anything. Sam should know that better than anyone.
Jason asks what Michael means by playing by the rules. Michael says the law is on his side. He’s lucky he’s in a position where he can afford the best lawyers. He just has to file the paperwork. Nelle violated the terms of her parole, and should be on her way back to prison, but she can still technically petition the court for access to Wiley, and request supervised visits. He says, Diane thinks she can block it, but Jason says he can’t plan on things going right, and has to figure out what he’s going to do if they go wrong.
Trina tells Josslyn that she journals too much. Some people have a cell phone addiction, but Josslyn has a journal addiction. If she’s not careful, she’ll spend more time writing about her life than living it. Why doesn’t she want to go to the dance? Josslyn asks why Trina cares, and Trina says, it will be fun, and they can show school spirit. Not everyone is involved in a sport or gets awards. They do their part by showing up, and Josslyn should be one with them. Josslyn asks if Trina is involved with camp, but Josslyn says she’s one of those people. Cameron asked her, so they’ll be going together. Josslyn wonders when Cameron had time, since he was away, and Trina says they were texting. When Cameron got back, they confirmed they’d go together, before he met her dad. Josslyn asks what Cameron thinks of Mr. Taggert, and he says he’s as scary as Josslyn’s dad and stepdad combined. Scarier. Trina says, he’s nowhere near scarier. Cameron tells Josslyn, he read about the shooting. He wishes he’d been there, and could have helped. Josslyn says, she’s okay, thanks to Michael and Dustin.
Brook says, Dustin wants to hear her music? He says he’s always been a fan, and thinks there are big things in store for her. She says, if he promises not to tell she’s recording material, she’ll let him in on it. She asks if it’s okay with his girlfriend, and Dustin says she’ll be okay with it. He hopes Brook gets back to songwriting. Maybe there’s an award in her future. Brook’s phone rings, and she steps away to take it. Olivia tells Dustin that Carly informed her about the school dance, and he says he was hoping to talk to Carly. Olivia says Carly isn’t there. He’ll have to talk to her instead.
Brook tells Ned, the studio is double-booked. She has to reschedule. Ned says, then she can work her shift. Brook says, after she gets her paycheck, maybe they can go over the schedule, and make sure it doesn’t conflict with her studio time. It’s complicated. Olivia says she’ll uncomplicate it. Brook is fired.
Jason says Michael knows what Nelle is capable of, and knows she gave Wiley to Brad. If she gets a sympathetic jury and walks, what does he think is going to happen? The doorbell rings, and Michael tells Wiley to keep an eye on his Uncle Jason. Jason puts Wiley in his lap, and says, Michael will always be there for him because Michael is his dad and loves him. That will never change. If he’s upset, Michael will be there. If he makes a mistake, Michael will forgive him. Does he know why? Because Michael’s love for him is bigger than the whole world. One day soon, Wiley will realize that.
Nelle says, keeping a child away from his own mother; what if someone did that to Carly? Oh that’s right, Carly couldn’t bear to be a mom, and pushed Michael away. She didn’t have a choice. Brad stole her baby. If Carly wants someone to blame, blame Brad. Carly says Brad is going to get what he deserves, and so is Nelle.
Sam says Julian has a helluva nerve asking Alexis to defend Brad. She tells Alexis to say something, and Alexis says she can speak for herself. Julian has a helluva nerve asking her to defend Brad. Julian says he’s not; he just needs a referral. Sam asks why he cares about Brad, and he says Lucas is grieving his son, and can barely think straight. He highly doubts Lucas wants Brad in prison for the rest of his life. Sam says, Brad isn’t innocent, even though it was Nelle’s idea. Julian says Nelle is playing the victim card, saying she was unconscious, and when she woke up, she was holding a baby who’d already breathed his last. Alexis asks if Nelle is saying Brad switched the baby without her knowledge, and Julian nods. He says, Brad says just the opposite. He was in emotional distress and couldn’t think clearly. He believes Brad over Nelle; wouldn’t she? Sam says she’s got to agree with Julian on this one.
Brook tells Olivia, she’s sorry she didn’t do a good job, and Olivia says Brook might have given her a heads up. Brook says, the truth is, she needs to be writing. Then, after she waits out her contract, she’ll have new music to drop. Olivia says, good luck. She has customers to take care of. She walks away, and Ned says, let him get this straight. Brook has five years free, and in the meantime, she’ll be writing. Brook says, all music, all the time, and Ned says, without working? She says, music is work, and he says let him clarify; without working for pay. She says he knows artists live on faith and courage. She thought he’d be proud of her. He says he is, but faith and courage don’t pay the bills. She needs to find a real job and work in the real world. She says it will destroy her soul, but he says, she’s an adult. It’s time she acted like one. She can work with him at ELQ. She says, doing what? and he says he’ll figure something out. She asks what makes him think she’s more suited for office work than restaurant work?
Sam says, Nelle lies as much as she breathes, and Julian says Nelle is telling everyone she’s the poor, innocent victim, and Brad is a monster. Sam says, Brad’s no saint. Before he confessed, he allowed Lucas to fall in love with a baby he thought was his. Michael thought his baby was dead. Brad didn’t come up with the idea, but he’s just as guilty. Alexis says, the bottom line is, Wiley spent a year and a half with the wrong parents. That kind of upheaval is detrimental, and both Brad and Nelle should be held accountable and punished. Sam says her mom is right. Julian should walk away. Julian says he can’t.
Chase tells Michael, forensics combed Nelle’s possessions to find possible evidence for the case against her. They searched her car and her bag, and found something. He can’t confirm the details, but what they found appears to contradict Nelle’s version of events. Michael is glad to hear it, and asks how Willow has been. Chase says, it’s been rough, and it’s probably going to get worse before it gets better. Michael says, Willow tried hard to protect her son, and Chase says, she’s questioning everything now. It’s a lot to handle. Michael says she has Chase, and Chase says he’s trying his best.
Carly says, Brad needs to pay for his crimes, but his crimes pale in comparison to Nelle’s. She’s not talking about the murder, or the attempted murder that sent Nelle to Pentenville the first time. She’s talking about kidnapping, fraud, and child endangerment. Shiloh kidnapped Wiley because Nelle lied. Nelle says she never lied. Brad stole her precious baby, and if she hadn’t heard Brad say he was actually her son with Michael… She went to Chase’s apartment to hold her baby. Carly says, too bad Willow was there to stop her. Nelle says she feels bad for Willow, and Carly says, she knocked Willow unconscious. Nelle says she was desperate, like any other mother would be, except maybe Carly. Carly asks if she’s really going with this defense. She hopes the jury sees through Nelle, but if they don’t, and the worst happens and she walks, Nelle’s first steps in the sunshine could very well be her last.
Carly tells Nelle, it’s a big, dangerous, crazy world out there. Lots things happen. She should plead guilty; it’s safer for her in prison. Nelle says she learned a lot from Ryan while she was in Pentenville. Too bad Carly didn’t learn from him when they were in Ferncliff together. Or was that Kevin? Nelle wishes she had a twin, so she could be in two places at once. Chase comes in, and says he needs to talk to Nelle. Carly says, good luck, and leaves. Chase asks Nelle to tell him again. Why was she at his apartment last night?
Michael tells Jason, the police found evidence that contradicts Nelle’s story. Jason says, good, and Michael says he asked about Willow. Chase said she’s really struggling. He can’t begin to describe what it feels like to lose a child. He’s been there, and knows what she’s going through. She would have grieved anyway, but to spend the last year and a half, thinking she gave up Wiley and loving him when he wasn’t hers; and the baby she trusted to Brad is gone. In some ways, Michael thinks Brad and Nelle hurt Willow the most.
Alexis tells Julian that he’d said he wanted to go good and decent things. Does he think getting involved with Brad and Nelle after what they did is good and decent? He says he just wants a lawyer. Alexis had said everyone is entitled to a good defense. Did she change her mind because it’s someone she doesn’t like? She says she’ll have her assistant text a list of attorneys. He thanks her, and leaves. Sam wonders why he’s so determined to help Brad. What’s that all about?
Brook tells Ned, forget the whole employment thing. Open up her trust fund so she can pursue her passion. He asks if anything he said made the slightest impression. She has to rely on herself; no one else. She says Olivia just fired her, and Ned says he won’t ask Olivia to rehire her. He wants to stay married. Maybe Brook can find something more to her taste. She’ll never know if she can do it if she doesn’t try. The free ride stops right now.
Cameron says, Dustin threw himself into a gunfight? Poetry man? Josslyn says, he’s not all about poetry. He’s amazing. He saved her life. Cameron says, no argument from him, and Trina suggests they go. Josslyn tells Cameron not to bring alcohol this time, and Trina says Dustin will probably follow him around with a breathalyzer all night. Josslyn says, Dustin is going to be there? She looks at the flyer for the dance.
Dustin tells Olivia that he appreciates her help. Olivia says Carly will kill her if she doesn’t do something nice after what Dustin did for Josslyn. She’ll make pizza, and he says, the kids will love that. He thanks her, and she says, Lulu and Dante love a good Bensonhurst slice. He says, sorry. He’s not trying to take Dante’s place.
Brook sees Julian at the bar, and asks how Lucas is. Julian asks what she thinks, and she says everyone is happy at the Quartermaines, Monica most of all, but they feel terrible about Lucas. It wasn’t just the lie, but who did the lying; the person he trusted most. She hears Brad is in jail. Funny thing, the first night she and Julian met, she saw him with Brad. He said Brad was an associate, but Brad was actually his son-in-law. Julian tells her, it’s always a pleasure speaking to her, but he has to go. She says she’s confused. When she suggested he terminate his partnership with Brad, he agreed, and said he would. After that is when the car accident happened, and the police still can’t figure out why the brakes didn’t work. Julian wouldn’t happen to know anything about that, would he?
At the café, Cameron says, a way of showing school spirit? and Trina says it was the best she could come up with on short notice. He says, it’s not subtle, and she says, subtle doesn’t get the job done. Josslyn finally needs to see what she’s missing out on. Cameron says, or not, and she says, either Josslyn sees what she’s missing, or he can cut her loose, and some other lucky girl will find him.
Josslyn plays with Wiley, and tells Michael, she’s officially in love. He says she loved Wiley before, but she says she’s his aunt now; it’s a different kind of love. When is he going to say aunt? Michael says he’ll make it his first order of business after he teaches Wiley to say dad. Josslyn says Michael will be a great dad. He always watched out for her. He said he stopped her from swallowing rubber bands, and she says he also taught her to high-five. She tells Wiley, everyone is telling him what a great dad he has. Too bad about all the time he was with Brad and Lucas. Michael says he made a deal with himself; no regrets. He’s not going to be angry or sad about what he missed. Josslyn wonders if they all survived the shooting so it could lead to this. Michael says he learned you have to take life with both hands, and not let go. Josslyn says she’s starting to feel that way too. She’s emerging from a black hole. He says, that’s great, and she says she knows she’ll never get Oscar back, but she’s feeling like she’s starting to get herself back, and it feels really good.
Nelle tells Chase, she went to see her son, the boy Brad stole who she gave birth to. Chase says, she was unconscious, and she says, yes. Brad took her kid, leaving her with the wrong baby. When she regained consciousness, she believed the lifeless baby was her own. It wasn’t until she heard Brad’s confession that she realized what he’d done. She wanted to hold her kid. Chase says, no matter who got hurt? and she says, sorry about Willow. Willow was keeping her away from Wiley. Chase says, so they fought, and she knocked Willow out. She says she was desperate; she didn’t know what she was doing. Is Willow okay? Chase says, Willow was examined at the hospital, and learned Wiley wasn’t her son. Nelle says she hopes Brad’s conviction gives Willow some comfort, and Chase says, go to hell. Focus on her own conviction. She came to his apartment fully intending on taking Wiley and disappearing.
Carly looks at the dance flyer. Jason comes in, and she asks how it went. He says, Michael is happy and focused on Wiley. He’s thinking ahead, and already called Diane for legal strategy about Wiley’s custody. The cops also found evidence against Nelle. Carly says, Nelle is as slippery as ever, and he asks what she means. What’s going on? She says she went to the PCPD to see Nelle, and he says she played right into Nelle’s hands.
Alexis tells Sam, she has no idea if anything suspicious is going on with Julian and Brad. She has more pressing concerns. It’s time for Neil’s review, and she’s going to New York to make a statement on his behalf. It was one date, one kiss, and not a relationship. Once the board understands, Neil’s reprimand should be expunged. They just have to stay away from each other for two years. Sam asks if Alexis is going to follow the rules. There should be a way two smart people can pursue a relationship without getting caught. Alexis says she’s not standing in the way of a career that Neil loves. Sam says she’s not letting the parole board keep her away from Jason. Alexis says, give her a dollar, and Sam does. She tells Sam, anything she says is now protected under attorney/client privilege. What are they planning? It better not be murder. Sam says, it’s not, but if her parole officer has done something illegal or something she can get fired over… Alexis says she’s blackmailing her parole officer, but Sam says she didn’t say that. Alexis says, please don’t do this, but Sam says nothing is going to stop her. She learned from Alexis to never give up.
Julian says Brook doesn’t know what she’s talking about. He wouldn’t hurt his son. She says, maybe not, but he said he couldn’t trust his associate to hold up his end of the deal, and it was high stakes. Maybe Julian wanted Brad out of the way because he threatened to blow up the baby switch. It makes sense, and she wonders if anyone else would agree.
Trina tells Cameron that she’s got to get ready for the dance. He says, they’re going through all this to make Josslyn jealous, and she might not even be there. Trina says, it doesn’t matter. His mom and her dad will take a million pictures. They’ll post them, and when Josslyn sees, maybe she’ll be jealous.
Joss keeps repeating Aunt Josslyn to Wiley. Michael asks, besides teaching Wiley to talk, does she have anything fun going on tonight? She says the school has a mid-winter dance. She wasn’t going, but thinks she’s changed her mind. He says, good for her, and she says she has no date, but her friends are going, so they’ll hang out. He says he’s ridiculously proud of her, and she says, for going to a dance? That’s lame. He tells her, it’s not. Her courage and strength are going to be a big inspiration to her nephew.
Dustin tells Olivia, listen… but she suggests they keep the conversation about pizza. She says she needs to get to work, and he says he didn’t mean to throw extra work at her. She says she doesn’t mind. He did go out of his way to protect Josslyn. That makes him kind of a hero; the kind of guy who would sleep with her son’s ex-wife.
Ned asks if Olivia is okay? He’s guessing her conversation with Dustin was as uncomfortable as his conversation as his was with Brook. She says, that bad? and he says he supplied his daughter with tough love, and she supplied the rejection. Olivia says she’s sorry, and hugs him.
Julian says Brook has taken a random conversation, and twisted it into a conspiracy theory. It has zero basis in fact. Whatever Brad and Nelle did, is between them. Brook wonders what if she goes to Sonny with her theory, and Julian tells her go to whoever she wants. He didn’t do anything wrong. She says she wouldn’t want to admit her guilt either, and he asks what she wants. She says, maybe a small favor.
Alexis tells Sam, please don’t do this. Don’t make the situation even worse. She likes going out with Sam, and getting together with Sam and the kids. She doesn’t want the next place she visits Sam to be the penitentiary. Sam says if Delores wants to come between her and Jason, she’s coming between Delores and her job. Alexis asks if there’s nothing she can say to stop Sam, and Sam says, she will be with Jason again, no matter what.
Jason says, Nelle knows how to play the victim, and asks if the guard heard Carly. Carly says, no, and he asks if she threatened Nelle. She says, not exactly, and Jason says she’s smarter than this. Nelle is going to do what she can to bait Carly, and fighting will do no good in this situation. If she wants to help Michael, and keep Wiley as far away from Nelle as possible, she needs to keep her cool. She says she hates Nelle, and he says that’s what Nelle is counting on. She thinks she can play Carly, and Carly has to prove her wrong. He knows Carly would do anything for her kids, even control temper, and she needs to do that right now.
Josslyn thanks Michael for his words about strength and courage, but thinks he needs them now. He says he has everything he needs in Wiley, and she says, what about Nelle?What if she goes free, and seeks custody? He tells Josslyn not to worry about him. Wiley is there to stay, and he’ll do whatever it takes to make sure of that.
Nelle asks Chase if he thinks she wanted to kidnap her son. She just wanted to hold him. He asks if that’s her story, and she says, it’s not a story; it’s the truth. He asks how she explains these, and shows her the passports.
Tomorrow, Brook asks Julian if he’s going to help her or not, Elizabeth tells Nikolas that he mad his choices and has to live with them, and Taggert tells Sonny they have a mutual problem.
The Haves and The Have Nots
Outside Jeffrey’s bedroom door, David says, damn. Jeffrey says, oh no, and asks Madison how much he thinks his dad saw. Madison says, enough. He should go. Is Jeffrey okay? Jeffrey says, no. His dad just walked in on them. Madison says he’s not Jeffrey’s mother. He knows. Jeffrey says, knowing is one thing; seeing it is another. Madison says Jeffrey has to stop thinking being gay is such a bad thing. How would Jeffrey feel if he was a girl? Jeffrey says, embarrassed, but maybe not as embarrassed. Madison says, there you go, and Jeffrey says he’s got the point. Madison says Jeffrey’s dad is an open minded guy; just go with it. Jeffrey says, easier said than done. Madison says he’s going to go, but Jeffrey says, wait. He wants to go out for dinner. Madison says he works late, but Jeffrey can come by and they can get something in the cafeteria. Jeffrey says he wants a nice restaurant and dinner, and Madison says, Jeffrey wants a date. That should have come before the sex. Jeffrey jokes that he wants Madison to buy him dinner because he was so good. Madison says he’ll see Jeffrey later, and Jeffrey says he looks forward to it.
David paces downstairs. He hears the door, and sits on the couch pretending to read. Madison says, Mr. Harrington, and David says he didn’t know Madison was there, but doesn’t turn around. Madison says, it’s good to see him. David says, thanks, and Madison asks how his back is. He can take a look at it if David wants. David says, it’s fine, and Madison says, cool. He asks David if there’s something interesting in that book, and David asks if Madison is waiting for Jeffrey. Madison says, no, and David says, he’s leaving then? Madison says he is, and Davis asks why he’s still standing there. Madison says he’s trying to make David uncomfortable, and David asks what makes Madison think he is? Madison says he can see David blushing, and David says, please leave. Madison says, good seeing him, and trots out the door. Jeffrey comes down, and David says he was just going to the kitchen. Jeffrey asks if David wants to talk about what just happened. David asks if it’s okay if he doesn’t, and Jeffrey says, yeah. David says, good, and starts to walk to the kitchen. He comes back, and says he just didn’t expect to see that. Jeffrey says he knows. Talk to him later? David says, yeah, and starts to head upstairs. Jeffrey says he thought David was going to the kitchen, and David says, that’s right, and goes the other way.
Celine goes to Veronica’s house. Veronica asks if she’d like a drink, and says, it’s over on the desk. Celine says Veronica wants her to pour? and Veronica asks, how else would they have it? Celine pours two drinks, and asks what this is about. Why would Veronica want to help her? Veronica says, a maid with attitude; that should be a reality show. Celine says if Veronica’s not going to help her, she’s going to go, and Veronica tells her, calm down. Why has she been quiet? She has two children by that a-hole, but she’s been quiet. Celine says, she’s moving on, but Veronica says that’s not how they do it around there. If someone does something to them, they get them back. Celine says she just saw Jim at the hospital, and Veronica asks how he is. Celine says he’s the same jerk, and Veronica says she wants to sue him. She wants to get child support, and pain and suffering. She wants to make Jim pay for the years he abused Celine; she’ll be a rich bitch. Celine asks why Veronica wants to do that, and she says because she’s Veronica. She loves this kind of drama. Celine wonders what Jim did to her, and Veronica says she won’t stop, she won’t rest until the Cryers are broke, and on the street, begging like Celine had to. Is she in? Celine says she’ll have to think about it, but Veronica asks, what’s to think about?You could be rich, dumbass. Celine tells her, watch your mouth. She has reservations, and doesn’t trust Veronica. Veronica says Celine shouldn’t. She’s a cold-blooded bitch, but Celine is on her right side. Celine says Veronica is using her, and Veronica says she is. Otherwise, she couldn’t care less about Celine and her kids. Celine says she has to think about it, and Veronica says, don’t think too long. She’s trying to find the best way to get Jim, and she knows Celine is facing eviction. She knows Celine works two jobs. Her oldest son is in college, and her youngest should be in a private school. Celine tells Veronica not to pretend it’s about her, but Veronica says, no, it’s about me. What is Celine waiting for? Let’s do this. Celine thought it would be better to leave and move on, and Veronica says, what dumbass chick does that, when they have a man with money? Celine says she couldn’t take it anymore. She couldn’t sleep or eat, and decided it was for the best to let it go. Veronica says, praise God. Rest, and let her handle the heavy lifting. Celine says she has to go, and Veronica says, do something quickly. She’s always watching. Celine walks out, and Veronica asks herself, what kind of dumb bitch wouldn’t take advantage of this?
Charles looks through folder Oliver gave him, but says, it’s not the one. Landon produces another, and says, here, sir; highlighted in yellow. His call is in the living room. Charles goes to the phone, and Oliver asks if it makes Landon feel good, making him look bad. Landon says, actually, it did. Oliver says he can play that game too, and Landon says, not for much longer. Charles likes things a certain way. Oliver says, the Landon way. Landon suggests Oliver be careful. Charles comes back, looking for Landon. Landon tells him, the Attorney General is here, and Charles says, send him in. Landon says Charles should enjoy this, and Charles says he intends to.
The AG comes in, and Charles tells Oliver, that will be all. AG Kyle says he finally gets a chance to tell Charles congratulations on his victory. He knows how much Charles wanted to win. They make small talk, and Charles asks how Kyle’s wife is. Kyle says she’s his rock. He can’t tell Charles how important the right woman is in his life. He knows why Charles called him; to let him know he’s being replaced. He seems like the kind of guy who would need his own AG. Charles says, that’s usually how it’s done, but Kyle says, not always. Charles says, it is this time. Kyle gets up, thanks Charles for the visit, and walks out. Charles smiles, and I’m like, that’s it?
Hanna goes to the jail to see Kathryn, and asks how she is. Kathryn says, not good, and Hanna can understand that. Kathryn asks how Hanna is, and Hanna says she’s okay. Kathryn asks how Hanna got in, and Hanna says Marty is outside on the phone. Kathryn hopes he’s trying to get her bail, and Hanna tells her, hang in there. Kathryn says she’s trying. Wyatt calls to Hanna, and asks how she is. She says, all right, and he asks her to pray for him. She says she will, and he says he can’t believe what he did; he’s so sorry. He asks how his father is doing, and Hanna says, okay. He says, thank God. He asks if Hanna has seen him, and she says she did. Wyatt asks how he is, and she says, he had surgery, but he’s okay. They had a little altercation. Kathryn says, what? and Hanna says, when she thought heard Benny get shot over the phone, but he’s okay. Wyatt says, tell Benny he’s sorry, and Hanna says, if she sees him. Wyatt says, it was the drugs. He got the bad stuff. Hanna says, it’s all bad stuff, and he says he’s really sorry. His mom doesn’t believe him. Kathryn says, he’s right. He’s not being remorseful, and he’ll say anything to get out, but it’s not happening. Wyatt says, that’s not true. He really is sorry. A guard comes and opens Kathryn’s cell. He says, let’s go. As Hanna starts to follow, Wyatt asks her to pray for him again. She says, she will and she does.
In the visiting room, Kathryn asks if Hanna can believe this. Hanna says, it seems like a nightmare; she’s so sorry. Kathryn asks if Hanna doesn’t want to know if she did it, but Hanna thinks it’s best she doesn’t know. Kathryn says she’s probably right, and asks if Marty told Hanna why she’s there. Kathryn wants her to sign a statement. There’s no one she trusts, other than Hanna, to hold her estate. Everything; every dime. Hanna asks what she’s talking about, and Kathryn says she put all her assets in a trust, and she’s giving Hanna power of attorney. She’ll have total control of all Kathryn’s money and businesses. If she doesn’t, Kathryn can lose everything. Hanna doesn’t know, and Kathryn says she won’t have to do anything. The bills are paid through her account, and the interest covers everything else. It’s to make sure her assets are protected from law suits and Jim. She wouldn’t give him a strand of her hair, and she has no one else to turn to. Hanna has to help her. Hanna says, Lord Jesus, Father, Mother, God. Okay, but what does she do. Kathryn says she doesn’t have to do anything. Kathryn will call when she needs money. She doesn’t trust the SOBs working for her, and she needs someone in charge to make sure everything is protected. She asks if Candace has returned the money, and Hanna says she thinks Benny and Candace are on their way or at the bank. Kathryn says, Jim has nothing, and will be all over Candace. She has to give it back. Hanna says she wants Candace to return it, but she can’t make her do it, and Kathryn knows how she is. Kathryn says, if Candace returns the money, Jim will leave Benny alone. Hanna asks how Kathryn knows, and Kathryn laughs. She says, Jim has nothing. He’ll have to come to Hanna for permission to buy a candy bar. Hanna says she doesn’t want nothing to do with that man, but Kathryn asks if she doesn’t want to get a little revenge. Hanna says, so Kathryn is telling her, Jim will have to come to her… Kathryn says, for every dime. Hanna doesn’t like it. Well, maybe a little. Kathryn says, that’s the way Hanna can help. Hanna says, okay, and Kathryn asks Marty to bring the papers for Hanna to sign.
Mitch, Benny, and Candace are at the Iron Bone. Candace is on the phone, and Benny pokes at her, saying, she ain’t giving the money back. When she’s done, Benny says, so? She says, it’s all set. They’re going to the bank. He says, he’s not, but she says he is. He asks why she can’t be a smart person, take money, and run. She says she’s not doing that. She phones Hanna, and says they’re on their way to the bank right now. Benny is right next to her, and he’s going. Hanna wants to talk to Benny. She tells him, Jim is already mad as hell. Kathryn gave her power of attorney over the estate – all of it. Jim has to come to her for money. Benny says, damn, and she says, just until Kathryn is out of jail. She doesn’t want issues with that man, so make sure Candace gives back the money, and call when they’re done. When he’s finished, Candace says, so? Benny sips his drink.
Landon asks why Oliver just stood there. Oliver stammers, and Landon asks if he really wants this job. Oliver can start by being nice to him. Oliver says, it’s just… and Landon says, just what? It’s just that he’s an a-hole? Oliver says he won’t take this abuse. He didn’t do anything. Landon says Oliver did some things that pissed him off, and Oliver says Landon hired him because he spoke his mind. Landon says, a decision he regrets every day of his life. Oliver says, sorry, and Landon says, that’s better. Oliver says he means it. He’s been working hard to get close to Charles. Landon says he doesn’t need to get close to Charles, and Oliver says Landon is protective. Landon says, it’s his job, and Oliver says Landon has already made him out to look like a moron. Landon says Oliver did that himself, and Oliver asks Landon to try not to humiliate him in front of Charles. Landon says Oliver did it himself. Oliver suggests Landon fire him, and Landon asks if Oliver thinks he won’t. Does Oliver think because he has power from DC behind him, Landon won’t kick his ass onto the street? Get out of his face. Call his daddy, and ask how much money he can give Oliver. Oliver asks if that’s it. Because he comes from money, he’s not qualified. Landon says, no. Oliver didn’t have to work as hard and be good at his job. Oliver tells him, take that back, and Landon asks if he’s going to cry. Oliver says he’s been nice to Landon, which is confusing, since he really hasn’t been nice. He admits he can be an a-hole, and Landon tells him, be an a-hole someplace else. Goodbye. Oliver leaves, and Landon says, is he going to cry? There’s no crying in politics.
Candace asks what Hanna and Benny were talking about, and he says, Kathryn gave Hanna power of attorney over everything while she’s in jail. She was arrested for murder. Candace wonders, what the hell is going on? Benny doesn’t know, and right now, he doesn’t care. She says they’re going to the bank, and he says he’s going to the bathroom. She tells him, hurry. Mitch says Candace is plowed, and Candace asks what he’s talking about. He says, if her mom got power of attorney, he knows what she’s thinking. She says she’s not thinking that, and he says, good. Don’t do that; it’s not worth the risk to take it all. She says, the old Candace would have worked it out. All she knows is, if she doesn’t give the money back, they’ll come after Benny. He says, what if could assure her that they wouldn’t? She asks, how? and he says he’s a Malone, baby. He’s trying to give her options, and she has the entire estate. Think about it. She says she’s already thinking about it.
David visits Jim, who asks, what’s the matter? He knows the look on David’s face; something is wrong. David says he’s concerned about Jim, but Jim says, BS. David can tell him. David says he walked in on Jeffrey having sex. (The two of them look like they’re having a hard time keeping a straight face, and it’s hysterical.) David says he doesn’t mind that Jeffrey is gay, but he’s not ready to see it. He doesn’t mind if Jeffrey displays signs of affection with another male, but to see him in the act took the wind out of David. He loves his son; he’s just not ready. Jim says he understands, and so does Jeffrey. Is David okay? David says he needs a minute to get a mental adjustment. Jim laughs and says, sit down. David says he doesn’t want to talk about it, and Jim says, all right; he won’t ask. He says, Celine was there, and David says he knows. He going to tell Jim after he was feeling better. Jim says he told her to get her tight ass out. He wants her to suffer. David says he met with George about Veronica; he’s going to turn state’s evidence, and give George everything he has. They need to talk. He has immunity, and suggests Jim do the same. Jim says immunity is a slippery slope. It’s a dangerous tactic. David says, it will get Kathryn out of jail. Veronica is going to take the rap for Jennifer’s murder. He’s giving George all her dirty deals. Jim says, their fingerprints are on all those dirty deals, but David says, now, Veronica is going after Jeffrey. He has no other choice. Jim says he should have held Veronica under the water longer, but David says he can’t do that again. Jim says, let him do it. What if Veronica has an accident; not a fender bender, but a big accident, a catastrophe? David hopes he’s not talking domestic terrorism, but Jim says, if Veronica is in the wrong place at the wrong time, there’s bound to be collateral damage. He’s telling David, an immunity deal with George isn’t the way to go.
Veronica walks into Jim’s room, and David say, oh hell. Jim says, speak of the bitch devil herself. Veronica says speaking of Jim’s little penis, said everyone who’s ever taken a ride on it. He says they’ve never had sex, and she asks if he doesn’t remember that day. Jim says, it never happened, and she says he has a mole under his belly line; it’s not too cute. They did it another time when they were both drunk; remember? Jim says, it didn’t happen, and it’s more of a freckle. She says he might want to have it checked; it looked like cancer to her. He says he’s looking at cancer now. David tells her to get out, but she says she’s there to serve Jim. She hands him some papers, saying they’re from Celine, and he says he’s not touching them. She says Celine is suing him for back child support, sexual harassment, and a slew of other things. He asks if this little bitty case isn’t beneath her, and she says Celine will see a lot of money. She asks how David’s back is. Is he still burned? Jim says David should held her under longer. Doesn’t he know a cockroach can’t hold its breath that long? Veronica says Jim’s son shooting him is cold-blooded, and he asks if her son didn’t put a knife in her chest. David says, get out, and Jim suggests David pimp slap Veronica. Veronica says she’d love for him to try. Jim says he’s been served; get the hell out. Veronica tosses the papers on the bed, saying she’s served him, and his very disappointing little peepee. She leaves, and Jim says, David doesn’t believe her, does he? David says he does, but frankly, he doesn’t give a damn. Jim asks if he’s free to do what he wants to her now, and David says Jim has his permission and blessing. Jim says, excellent. He’ll show David how it’s done. David says, confession. He slept with Kathryn – on their wedding night. Jim says, somebody had to do it. Thank you. Ha-ha! It doesn’t get better than this.
Benny and Candace go to the bank, Benny complaining the whole time. Candace tells the officer that she has an account in a subsidiary bank, and asks if she can manage it from the parent branch. The officer says she can, and Candace says she was told online that she’d have to show her ID. Benny doesn’t want to give her his, saying giving back the money is the dumbest thing she’s ever done. The officer says she’ll be back with the paperwork. Benny says, the dude kidnapped him. Why is she giving the money back? She says, it’s the right thing, and he says he doesn’t get her. One day, she’s cold-blooded, beating a bitch down, and now she wants to give back the money. The officer comes back, and Candace signs the paperwork. Benny doesn’t want to hand over his ID, and the officer asks if he doesn’t want to open a new account. Benny says, no… and Candace says it will be a single account, only in Benny’s name, not joined with their mother. Benny says, this is stupid and crazy, and hands Candace his ID. She gives it to the officer, and the officer says she’s making a wire transfer for the new account. She’s wiring $8.25 to Jim – Candace says, exactly – and she’s transferring one million dollars to Benny’s account. Benny says, what? and he and Candace make faces at each other.
Next time – only one more episode until mid-season finale – Jim finds out he only got eight dollars, Candace and Mitch visit Jim, Justin can’t take it anymore, and Wyatt tries to kill himself.
Vanderpump Rules
Stassi visits Schwartz and Katie. Schwartz tells her that he’s worried about his lizard, Dog. Dog hasn’t eaten since he got him. We see a clip of him acquiring the lizard. In his interview, he calls Dog the newest member of the Schwartz family. He puts Dog on Stassi’s shoulder, and Stassi suggests Dog stay with her a while. She can breathe life into him. Katie says Tom was trying to make himself seem woke at the party, and Stassi says he really came at Brittany. He said she and Jax got rid of the pastor because of Lisa, not because they personally felt that way. Katie says, Brittany was sitting there sobbing.
11 days until the wedding. Brittany goes over the seating chart, and Jax says Tom is no longer in the bridal party. He hasn’t heard from Tom in four days, and if he was concerned, he would have called or texted. In Jax’s interview, he says he and Tom have been at odds for a while. Tom stopped responding to his texts, and didn’t come to his LA bachelor party. This time, he crossed the line. Jax tells Brittany, he doesn’t know if Tom is even invited to the wedding, but he’s definitely not in the wedding party. Jax isn’t mad about it. He’s going to stop at SUR before dinner, and if Tom admits he handled it wrong, he’ll be invited.
In Tom’s interview, he says the person he loves, Ariana, is bisexual, and the pastor was speaking out against the love of his life. He has questions, and he doesn’t think if he and Ariana were in the same position, Ariana’s answer would be to hit him. In Ariana’s interview, she says, Brittany’s approach was to tell Jax to knock Tom out. Brittany might say she’s living her version of a real life fairytale, but she doesn’t know any fairytales where the princess encourages the price to commit aggravated assault. Jax asks Brittany what she’s doing about Ariana, and Brittany thinks Ariana should come to her. In her interview, Brittany says there’s no way she wouldn’t have reached out by now. She respects their friendship more than Ariana does. She tells Jax, they’re supposed to be making wedding plans, and they’re only talking about Ariana and Tom. She wants to focus on the wedding, but she would never do that to somebody.
In Lala’s interview, she says she’s engaged to her soulmate Randall. He’s kind and generous, and on a daily basis, makes her feel like she’s the best person on the face of the earth. She tells Randall, this is their first and last home renovation. Randall says they’ll be there a long time. He tells her that she should move in already, and she agrees, but wants to finish the master bedroom first. In her interview, Lala says they gutted the entire house. She’s never doing this again. You couldn’t pay her. Randall says they’re close, and Lala says if they ever decide to move, they’re doing what Jax and Brittany did; a turnkey. He says Jax has been texting him non-stop. He thinks they get along because he’s closest to Jax’s age. They have fun and laugh together. Lala says it sounds like a girlfriend, and Randall says Jax was upset about what Tom said, and Lala says, it was effing bad. She doesn’t see it going away any time soon, unless Tom deeply apologizes, and he’s incapable of that. Randall says, they’re best friends; they’ll work it out. Lala says they’ll find out tonight.
Brett goes to Villa Rosa, and Lisa says he’s going to hate her, but her foot still hurts. He says she’s wearing heels, and she says her leg would have to be broken for her not to. She invites Brett in, and asks if he wants some tea. In Brett’s interview, he says when he goes to train Lisa, sometimes they don’t train. He’d cool with that, as long as he gets paid. If he gets his hourly rate, he’ll do whatever she wants. A producer says, whatever? and he says he shouldn’t say it that way. She asks if Brett is working tonight, and he says he’s working Charli, one of the new girls at SUR. In his interview, he says he and Charli have gone out a couple of times. He likes brunettes. Lisa wonders if he can’t date outside of her businesses. He tells Lisa that Scheana makes you coddle her, and he doesn’t have those feelings. Friends is where it ends. Lisa says, Scheana only hears what she wants to hear.
Schwartz and Katie hang out at TomTom. Schwartz says he’s hurt; he was the last person to find out that Max and Dayna are exclusive. At SUR, Dayna tells Raquel that she and Max are exclusive. He brought it up and she was caught off-guard. She didn’t know they were there yet. Max wonders what exclusive really means, and Schwartz says, it’s not putting your wiener in other vaginas. In Max’s interview, he says it’s basically making someone a priority. You care about them, and they’re your plus one. He thinks Dayna might be taking it more seriously, which is okay. He tells Schwartz, he loves Dayna, but he also loves single Max.
Tom is working behind the SUR bar with Ariana, when Jax asks to talk to him outside before they get busy. They go out back, and Tom asks, what’s up? Jax asks if Tom has anything to tell him. Does he have anything to say after what happened, like, I’m sorry or it was wrong of me? Anything like that? He and Brittany found out their pastor lied, and they took care of it. Problem solved. In Tom’s interview, he says he’s glad Lisa said something, but leading up to this point, Jax and Brittany were intentionally ignoring it. Tom says, in the past… and Jax says, now it starts. Tom says, the only people who don’t like the past brought up are hypocrites and people with bad credit. I wonder where on earth he got that one from. In Jax’s interview, he says Tom will never tuck his tail. He’ll never apologize without a but. Jax asks Tom if it’s worth it in the big picture, to see his best friend upset on his wedding day. Tom says that’s why he brought it up at the party. Jax says it seemed like a dig, if not sabotage. Why can’t Tom just say he’s sorry? He was waiting for a text. All Tom would have had to say is sorry, and it would have been done. he doesn’t understand why Tom is putting him in this position on the one day that’s his. In Tom’s interview, he says, it feels like it’s been Jax’s day for over a year. Tom tells Jax, if he wants friends who never question him, and always agree with him, that’s never going to be him. Jax says the only person he has a problem with is Tom, and he won’t have that at his own wedding. He can’t believe it’s a week and a half before, but he can’t have his wedding upset because of Tom. In his interview, Tom says Jax thinks he’s making him feel small, but he doesn’t know what else he could have done. Jax tells Tom, he said what had to say. He says, have a good one, and leaves.
Brett asks Charli how the night is going, and if she wants to have dinner with him. In Charli’s interview, she says Brett is nothing like the guys she’s dated, who she likes to call rough boys. But a millionaire she met once told her to say yes to everything once. It keeps people guessing about the second and third time. She says she’ll check her calendar, but thinks she can squeeze him in.
Randall and Lala meet Jax and Brittany for dinner. Jax and Brittany get to the restaurant first, and Jax tells Brittany that he’s been burned by Tom multiple times. Tom has burned multiple bridges. Lala and Randall join them, and Jax says he needs tequila asap. Randall says, Jax came in hot, and Jax says he went to SUR. Tom is no longer in the wedding party. He’s not even inviting Tom. All Tom had to do was text. He knew Jax was upset about it, but he wants to be an investigator, and figure out the issue. He should figure out his girlfriend’s issue, like what sex she is, since it changes every day. Brittany says she’s okay with being asked a question, but it was the way he did it. Jax tells her to stop making excuses; she’s spinning things. She says, despite that, whatever Jax’s decision was, she was always going to support it. He and Tom have been friends for twenty years. Randall says, at the end of the day, it’s their wedding. They have to clear their heads. Randall goes to the bathroom (after asking Lala if it’s okay – she has him well trained). Brittany asks what Lala would do about Ariana, and Lala says she thinks Ariana is a wet blanket. She wouldn’t want Ariana at her wedding. In Lala’s interview, she says, there are two versions of Ariana; the fun chick, twerking on you, and on the other side, the one who’s not happy for her friends. We flash back to both. She says, Ariana and Tom live on their high horse together, when they all want to cut both of them. Jax says he’d originally wanted to have Randall in the wedding, but thought he’d be in production. Randall comes back, and Jax says he could not have been more wrong about somebody in his life if he tried. In Jax’s interview, he says, Randall is a giver. He’s flown them everywhere, and they became friends naturally. Jax says he has something to ask Randall, and gets down on one knee. He asks if Randall will do him the honor of being in the wedding. He knows it’s last minute. Randall says he’s speechless, and in shock. He loves Jax. 100%, he’ll be there, Brittany squeals, and Randall and Jax hug.
At TomTom, Beau asks how Tom is feeling, and Tom says he’s chilling. He talked to Jax, and it didn’t go well. He needs to talk to Schwartz real quick. He leaves, and Katie asks, what happened? Ariana says, Jax came in heated, and now Tom isn’t invited to the wedding. In Katie’s interview, she says it’s Jax’s wedding, and he can cry if he wants too, but she thinks he took it too far. At the bar, Tom tells Schwartz about not being invited to the wedding. Beau asks Ariana if she’s still going, but she doesn’t know. She wants to see them married and happy, but doesn’t know if she’ll be comfortable without Tom. In her interview, Ariana says she feels like it would be an admission it’s okay that Tom’s not there. If she stays in LA, she’s not there to support Brittany, and gets the wrath of the hot one (I guess she means Kristen?). Either way, she’s screwed. Ariana says she’s not telling Tom to claw his way back in. Schwartz asks Tom why he doesn’t reach out and say the timing was off. Tom says, somebody turned a blind eye to it, because he wants to make his point more than anything. Schwartz says he came at it accusatory; his tactics aren’t good. Tom agrees he’s not perfect, and he screwed up. Schwartz says he’s devastated. They’re getting the tuxes tomorrow, and it won’t feel right without Tom. He feels like he should make a case, but Tom says, it’s not worth it. Schwartz says, don’t say that again, and Tom says, just be the best man. Schwartz says he doesn’t know how, and Tom says he’ll show Schwartz. Schwartz cries, and I roll my eyes. Then Tom cries, and I roll my eyes harder. Tom says he’ll hook Schwartz up with a survival kit for the wedding. Wear it, and Tom will be there in spirit. Schwartz says, it doesn’t feel right. In Schwartz’s interview, he says he remembers how special it was to have Jax and Tom up there with him at his own wedding. To think that Tom isn’t going to be there… He feels gutted. He says he doesn’t know how to tie a bow tie, and Tom says he’ll tie them. Tom says he loves Schwartz and Jax. Schwartz says Tom is the best, even though sometimes his tactics are wrong. He feels terrible.
Scheana calls Brett from the car. She says she was getting ingredients for making enchiladas, and asks what he’s doing tonight. He says he has a date with Charli, and Scheana says they’re friends. It’s weird, since Brett had said he’s not attracted to her, and she does her makeup bad. Brett says Scheana is putting words in his mouth, and she says she thinks he and Charli would be better as friends. Charli is a lot younger, and he should date someone more mature, not like an adorable club rat. In Scheana’s interview, she says she can’t see them together. Physically, but not personality wise. Brett says he’d like to get to know Charli better, and Scheana says they’re all getting to know each other. I wonder who Scheana thinks she’s kidding, besides herself. She’s so transparent about being jealous.
10 days until the wedding. The guys in the wedding party, sans nuRandall, stop by Jax’s house. Jax tells Brittany, they got their suits. In Jax’s interview, he says he got to choose the suits, but not really. Brittany gave him two options, and said she didn’t like one of them. Ariana comes by, and tells the guys, it’s her birthday on Friday, and everyone is invited. She goes upstairs with Brittany, who thanks her for coming, and they sit in the bedroom. In Brittany’s interview, she says she likes Ariana, but sometimes she puts up a wall. She doesn’t want Ariana to drift away. Brittany says there was a lot of drama and it hurt her feelings that no one reached out. Ariana says she wanted Jax to hit Tom. Brittany says she was upset. Tom knows who they are. Ariana says he knows their hearts, but he was horrified by what the guy was saying. He was afraid the guy would be at the wedding if it didn’t come back up. Brittany says they would have gotten rid of him months ago if she had seen it. In Ariana’s interview, she says she believes Brittany, but thinks Brittany works hard at maintaining her ignorance. Brittany says it was blown out of proportion, but she was feeling hurt. Downstairs, Schwartz tells Jax that Tom was crying. Jax says, Tom cries if it’s sunny outside and there’s a dog. Schwartz asks if Jax is sure he wants Tom disinvited? Jax says Randall is standing in for him. In his interview, Schwartz says, it’s so final now. I’m laughing because both Tom and Schwartz thought Schwartz would automatically go up a notch. Brittany asks what Ariana is thinking, and Ariana says she’d like to be there for Brittany, but it will be so weird and uncomfortable. Brittany says she would hope, as a friend, Ariana would come. Ariana is a bridesmaid, not just a guest; it’s a big deal. In her interview, Ariana says she deals with mental health issues, and it doesn’t help that her friends are creating more stress. Brittany says it’s tearing her up inside. She needs to know soon, so she doesn’t stress about it.
Charli meets Brett at a really empty restaurant, and they get smoothies. In her interview, Charli, who’s Mexican, calls them white people sh*t. She tells Brett that she just tried an avocado, and she’s never had pasta. In Brett’s interview, he says he’s Italian, and they eat pasta with a spoon. She finds out he was born in New Jersey, and asks if he goes back a lot. He says he’s only been in LA two months. He always wanted to live there. He left after a five-year relationship ended. It was the only relationship he’s had. In Charli’s interview, she says, any guy who brings his ex up on a first date – bye. Get over it, bro. She asks what he looks for in a girl, and he says, when you look at someone, and feel like you’re home; genuinity (which is not a word). He tells her that Scheana called him, and was mad that they were having lunch, and said she didn’t know who Charli was. Charli says she doesn’t take someone’s guy.
Brittany and Jax go to Villa Rosa. Jax says he’s usually not called to the principal’s office. Puffy! Lisa comes in, and says she has to make it brief, but wanted to talk about a couple of things. She knows the pastor thing got complicated, but she wants them to promise to focus on their wedding. The second thing. She doesn’t think she can come to their wedding. She starts to cry, and says her mother died. Brittany says she’s so sorry. In Lisa’s interview, she says her mother suddenly passing is a shock. She doesn’t think anyone was prepared. She just lost her brother, and to lose her mother like that… She tells Brittany and Jax that she has to go to London. It was unexpected, and no one else knows. She tells them to get their priorities straight; life is short. Don’t worry about what anyone said. Jax hugs her, and in his interview, he says he feels awful. Losing a parent is the worst thing you can go through in your entire life. Brittany says she’s so sorry, and thanks Lisa for being so supportive. Outside, Jax says he has nothing to say. The little things aren’t worth it. He took care of a family member and a best friend. What next?
Schwartz schmoozes at TomTom. At SUR, Dayna calls Max, and asks if he can hang out. he says he’s going to be there until 3 or 4. He can come over after. She says, it sounds like a booty call. She thinks she’ll pass. It’s nothing scary. In her interview, she says Max isn’t prioritizing her like she expected. It feels like once he put it out there that they have a relationship, it sent things in the other direction. Tom tells Schwartz he thinks Lisa could use a vacation, and Schwartz says he thinks Tom can use one. Randall is standing in his place. In Tom’s interview, he says he’s known Jax 20 years, and Jax has known Randall for five minutes. It hurts. Jax’s dad passed away last year, this year he’s getting married, and next year, Brittany will be pregnant. He’s tired of walking on eggshells, while Jax does what he wants. Schwartz says Jax can be a pain in the ass, but he wishes Tom had just killed it.
Ariana hangs out at TomTom with Lala and Stassi. Lala asks, what’s going on with the wedding? and Stassi says, even if they’re not getting along, Tom deserves to be there. Lala says, it’s a big deal to ask someone to be in a wedding. Stassi wishes Ariana and Tom would just roll over and say, sorry. In Ariana’s interview, she says her friends are more concerned with what she’s supposed to do than the personal dilemma she’s faced with. Stassi says they’re like a dysfunctional family, and she doesn’t like when another family member doesn’t want to be a part of the family. Lala says it doesn’t seem like Ariana enjoys being with them. Ariana says she doesn’t enjoy much. On the way home, she often considers driving off a bridge, but she doesn’t talk about it. She doesn’t want to be a downer. We flash back to several times when Ariana’s been called a downer. Stassi says she’s been there, and in her interview, says she’s struggled with depression and anxiety. She was at a place in a hole where she didn’t want to live, when there was nothing that should have been making her feel that low. And you can’t really explain it. In Lala’s interview, she says it breaks her heart. She gets it; she’s been there. We flash back to when her dad died. She says she had no idea these were Ariana’s thoughts, or she would have done something. Lala thinks Ariana should talk about it, and Ariana says she’s so miserable, she would probably ruin the wedding. She’s emotionally unstable. Lala says it’s a bigger deal than she was thinking. Talk to her. Ariana says she doesn’t want to be a victim or a martyr.
Tom sends a text to Jax, saying he’s sad he won’t be there on Jax’s big day. Ariana sits with him. She’s crying, and says she doesn’t want to seem mean, but people tell her it’s a safe space and to talk to them, but she doesn’t think they’re safe to talk to. He says, talk to him, and she tells him, they said they should just roll over do what Jax and Brittany want. She can’t do this anymore. In her interview, she says she feels like she’s outside herself. Tom shows her the text he sent Jax, and reads that he’s sorry it’s so close to the wedding, and he hates seeing Jax upset. Ariana says she just wants to get in a car, drive away, and never come back. Never see anyone, and start a new life. Tom says he knows, and she says he doesn’t know. (I hate when people say that, or I understand, when it’s obviously not possible.) She says she wants to leave her life. In Tom’s interview, he says he’s seen her this low before, but it’s very rare. it weighs on him a lot because he loves her and wants to see her happy. He does what he can, but he feels powerless sometimes. Ariana says her friends don’t care who she is as a person; they don’t see her. People think she’s cold as effing hell. He says he sees her, and wouldn’t have her any other way.
Next time, the wedding weekend, Charli argues with Brett, Raquel tells the girls that she got a million texts from James, and James threatens to leave. Now there’s a great loss.
🥂 Let’s Hope So…
If there was any more, my eyeballs would have fallen out of my head.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
At the hospital, Nikolas approaches Elizabeth, but Ava comes out of the elevator, intercepting him. She says, a happy coincidence, and he asks if she’s following him. She says, he wishes. The sight of him brightens her day. She hugs him, and says, rest assured she treasures every moment they’re apart. He asks why she’s there, and she says, Franco had an opening, so she’s going to sit for her portrait. And him? He says he’s seeing his mother, and Ava says to give Laura her best. Nikolas says Laura opposed the marriage. The less he mentions Ava, the better. She says she thought they agreed to show the public that they’re a loving couple, and he says they did, but he had no idea how demoralizing it would be. He goes to the reception desk, and Elizabeth asks how she can help him. He asks if she’s seen his mother; she’s not in her room. Elizabeth thinks Laura is getting her final round of tests before she’s discharged. She starts to walk away, but Nikolas asks her to wait. He needs her help.
Willow gets ready to leave for work, and Chase startles her. He asks if she wants to join him for breakfast at Kelly’s. She thanks him, but says she has to get to work. He’s surprised she’s going in today, and she says, why wouldn’t she? The world doesn’t stop because something terrible happened to her. He suggests she call in sick; she’s recovering from a head injury. She says she wouldn’t have been discharged if she wasn’t fine, but he says she’s not fine. She needs time for herself. She’s going through a lot. She says she has to keep busy, or she’ll cry all day because her baby is dead.
Julian goes in to see Brad, and Brad asks if Wiley is okay. Nelle was in the cell across from him, but she wouldn’t tell him what happened. Did she hurt Wiley? Julian says, Wiley is fine; he’s with Michael. Brad asks, what about Lucas? and Julian says Lucas won’t return his calls or texts. Brad wonders if Lucas is still at Carly’s, and Julian says he wouldn’t know. Sonny kicked him out. Brad says he tried to protect Lucas, and it backfired, but he loves Lucas so much. He asks why Julian is there, and Julian says he wanted to thank Brad for not telling Lucas that he knew. He can help Lucas get through this. Brad tells him not to kid himself. He can still blow Julian’s cover.
Sitting in Sonny’s kitchen, Jason tells Sonny, nothing yet. He’s doubled down on security on all of their properties. Carly comes in, and asks if they were ever going to tell her. The police are calling the warehouse explosion suspicious. Jason asks how Michael is, and she says it’s his first day as Wiley’s dad, and he’s sent about thirty pictures. Sonny is glad Michael got his son back, but he should have never lost time with him. Brad and Nelle are going to pay for that.
Michael tells Wiley, he thinks they’re off to a good start. Breakfast went smoothly. He says he loves Wiley so much. He’s going to do the best he can to be the best dad. Monica comes in, and says she didn’t know Michael had Wiley today. Michael says he’s going to have Wiley for a while. It turns out Wiley’s not his godson. Wiley is his son.
Nikolas tells Elizabeth, he’s at a loss. Spencer won’t answer his calls, so he emailed. Spencer wrote him back. He takes out a letter, and reads, don’t contact me again. Any further correspondence is pointless. Spencer writes, his father died three years ago. He mourned being an orphan, but realizes how lucky he is. Nikolas says, it’s on stationery. Who still writes letters? She says, people like Spencer. He says he misses Spencer, and Elizabeth says Spencer seems like he’s done with Nikolas, but don’t give up hope. Not yet.
Franco finds Ava watching Nikolas and Elizabeth, and says, all set? She says, just a moment. She asks Franco what her husband and Elizabeth are doing, and he says he doesn’t know. She suggests he go over and find out. Show Nikolas who’s boss. He says, it’s not a good day to punch someone’s lights out. She says, what about tomorrow? and he says Elizabeth told him that she can handle Nikolas all on her own.
Brad says Julian didn’t come there to thank him. He’s covering his own ass, and keeping himself safe. Don’t get used to it. Julian asks if that’s a threat, and Brad wonders what Sonny would do if he found out Julian helped keep Wiley from Michael. Julian knows it’s hard on Brad, but says Brad asked him to help. Brad says he was just keeping his family together, and now he’s stuck by himself, paying the price. He lost everything. Julian says, that’s on Brad. He couldn’t keep his mouth shut, and had to tell Lucas the truth on Thanksgiving. Brad is the reason the plan fell apart.
Monica says, what an ordeal, and Michael says he and Chase found Nelle before she could leave with Wiley. Monica tells Wiley that he had an eventful night, and Michael says, it turned out all right. Monica says she’s thrilled for him, and the fact there’s another Quartermaine in the family. She doesn’t mean to suggest a name change, but Michael says he wouldn’t mind. She asks how he’s feeling. It must be overwhelming. He says he’s exhausted. He didn’t sleep; he was up every hour checking on Wiley. It feels like a dream. She says, it’s real, and Michael says he got a miracle, but not everybody was so fortunate.
Chase asks what Willow is looking for, and she says her ID badge. He asks if she checked her purse, and she says, twice. She can’t believe she lost it. She dumps her purse out, saying she can’t be late. He says they should talk, and she says she knows he wants to help. His support meant the world to her, but he can’t hold her hand forever. He says, why not? and she says he doesn’t get it. She needs to keep busy, and going to work will help. He asks if she’s sure she’s in the right mindset to be around kids, and she says, what? He says, that came out wrong. She’s always telling him that kids pick up on emotions. Does she want to bring everything she’s feeling to the kids she works with?
Carly says she wanted to see Lucas, but her mom just texted that Lucas wants to be left alone. She wishes he’d let his family help. Sonny says, if he wants space, give him space. He’ll just try to convince Carly that he’s okay to make her feel better. Carly guesses she’ll stay there, and wait for him to ask for help. She asks if she can get them anything, but Jason says he’s on his way out to see Michael and his son. Carly loves the sound of that, and Sonny says Michael brought Wiley over last night. Whatever was broken inside of him, seems healed. Jason can’t wait see that, and says he’s heading over there right now. He leaves, and Sonny asks Carly if she’s okay. She says, yeah, but he says she’s not very convincing. She says she’s overjoyed that Michael got his son back, but it’s killing her that her brother lost his son. All because of Nelle. She’s determined to destroy their family. She gaslit Carly, and had her sent away. She nearly killed Michael, and kept him from their grandson for almost two years. Sonny says, Nelle is heading back prison, and Michael has his son back. Nelle lost; they won. Carly says, she’s in custody, and she’s weaseled out of prison before. Someone has to stop Nelle for good.
Franco suggests he and Ava brainstorm. He wants her to share her feelings. Does she want to go Mona Lisa? Ava says, too conservative, and he says, The Birth of Venus, but she says, a little too naked. He says she doesn’t want her new husband to have a heart attack, unless that’s what she’s going for. He asks how the marriage is going, and she says, it’s functional. He says, it sounds like a transaction rather than a marriage. She says, if it walks like a duck, and talks like a duck… He hopes whatever she’s after is worth living with the dark prince. She says, it’s not so bad. Elizabeth found it in her heart to forgive Nikolas. Franco says, that’s who she is, and Ava says she understands Elizabeth and Nikolas were close once upon a time. Franco says, Elizabeth felt it was the biggest mistake of her life, and not just because she was married to Lucky. Ava says, Elizabeth and Nikolas had an affair?
Elizabeth tells Nikolas, Spencer is just a teenager; however, he has every right to be furious. Give him some space, and see what happens. He says Ava told him the same thing, and Elizabeth says Nikolas talked to her about Spencer? He says they had time to kill on the way back from Paris. It got her to open up about Kiki’s death. Elizabeth says it was shocking and senseless, and Nikolas asks if Kiki and Elizabeth were close. She says they got to be while Kiki was working there, but she knew Kiki first through Franco. Nikolas says he vaguely remembers that Franco thought he was Kiki’s father, but it turned out to be Silas. Elizabeth says, Franco and Ava had a brief affair when Franco was starting to make a name for himself, but they weren’t together when Kiki was born, and weren’t speaking. He says, now, Ava is representing Franco professionally, and he’s painting her. He guesses time really does heal all wounds.
Jason walks into the Quartermaine living room, and Monica asks if he heard. He says he did, and she says, Michael’s son is home where he belongs. Jason says, fatherhood looks good on him, and Michael says he’s seesawing between excitement and terror. Monica says, that sounds about right, and asks if Jason can stay a while; she needs to freshen up. He says he’ll stick around, and when she’s gone, Michael says, not to change the subject, but he got an alert about the warehouse fire. Jason says, there’s nothing to worry about, and Michael says he’s glad, especially now that he has even more reason to keep his family safe.
Carly tells Sonny, what Brad did was unforgiveable, but he was following Nelle’s lead. He’s weak that way. Nelle was the mastermind. Sonny has no doubt, and she asks what they’re doing about it. He says it didn’t happen to them, but she says Nelle let them believe their grandson was dead. He says, it’s about Michael’s son, and he’s a grown man. It’s up to him. She says, Michael will never retaliate in any real way that makes a difference. They have to make the decision for him. it’s time they remove that psychotic bitch from their lives once and for all.
Willow says she’ll tell her students the truth. She lost someone she cares about, and misses them, and it helps her to focus on her students. Chase suggests she take a personal day, but she says she can’t. She shouldn’t even be around him. It’s hard to keep herself from screaming, she’s so angry. He says, ofcourse (🍷) she is, and she asks why God took her little boy. Why does Nelle get to be a mother when all she does is hurt people? He says, it’s not fair, and Willow says, it’s not. Michael deserves to have his son back, and she’s happy for him. Chase says she doesn’t have to be; not now when it’s so raw. Curse, cry, do whatever she needs to. She says she doesn’t know what she needs to do. It’s all she can do to keep from screaming. He says he’ll scream with her. He loves her. He loves everything about her, even her anger. He’s angry too, that she has to go through this, but let him help. She says, if he wants to help, give her some space, and she leaves.
Brad tells Julian that he wanted to be honest with Lucas. He thought they could work through it, and eventually Lucas would forgive him. It’s not possible now. Julian says Brad has no one to blame but himself. Brad says Julian is probably grateful for the accident. Their car crashed before he could tell Lucas that Julian was in on it. Julian says it was the worst day of his life. Lucas never should have been in the car in the first place. Brad asks what Julian means.
Nikolas wonders what drew Franco and Ava together. Physical attraction? The artist and his muse? Elizabeth asks if he’s jealous, but he says, not in the slightest. She says, good. Whatever happened in the past, they’re just friends. Nikolas hopes he and Elizabeth can be friends, but she suggests they not get ahead of themselves. He says he feels lucky Elizabeth is speaking to him, and she says, that’s only because of Spencer. He appreciates her compassion for his son, and she tells him, don’t act like the Nikolas she remembers. The one who acts with thoughtful consideration. It almost makes her forget how angry she is with him. Almost.
Franco tells Ava, lighten up. If he draws her all moody and broody, they’ll think she’s Helena. She says she’s surprised to hear Nikolas and Elizabeth had an affair. She’s only heard about Nikolas’s great love Emily. She says she’s curious about what happened. Was it puppy love, or something more? He says he’s going to draw warts on her if she keeps it up. If she’s that curious, consult her loving husband. She says maybe she will. Who someone chooses to sleep with says lot about that person. He says, fascinating theory, and tells her, chin up; to the right.
Jason says Michael and Wiley always looked alike, but now the resemblance jumps out. Michael says he’s still in shock. Wiley laughs, and Jason says Wiley is lucky to have Michael as a dad. Michael says, before Brad confessed, Wiley had his own world. He had his home and two dads. Now Wiley’s just got him. Wiley has spent plenty of time there, but now he lives there. It’s got to be confusing. Jason says, he’ll adjust, just like Michael will, but it might take Wiley a while to realize he’s home. Michael says, Wiley has already been through so much. What if he can’t be the father Wiley needs? What if he’s not enough?
Brad asks what Julian means by Lucas shouldn’t have been in the car. Julian says neither one of them should have been hurt; it was a freak accident. Brad says they still don’t know why the brakes gave out, and Julian says, there was no way to know; the undercarriage was too badly damaged. His point is, it’s just beginning for Lucas. He’s going to need the support of his father to get through it. Brad says Julian should tell Lucas he was keeping the secret, and let Lucas decide. Julian says he knows Brad was protecting him because Lucas will need help after losing Wiley. Brad says, so Julian and Nelle walk, while he’s left twisting in the wind. Nelle went into victim mode, telling the guard that he was harassing her. She said Brad stole her baby after she gave birth, and she had no clue the babies had been switched. Not only did she lie, it’s a complete reversal. It was her idea in the first place. Julian says, Nelle isn’t just a psychopath; she knows how to protect herself. If Brad does as Julian says, Julian will protect him, but they need to work together on this.
Nikolas says when Elizabeth is ready, they’ll get back in a good place. It will take a while, but she might forget what a jackass he is. She says, it will help if he doesn’t do anything to remind her. She’s sure his mom’s tests must be ready by now, and Nikolas goes off to find Laura. Chase runs in, and asks if Elizabeth has seen Willow. She asks if he checked the children’s wing, but he says he went there first. Elizabeth says she’ll check the schedule, and says, Willow called in sick. He asks, when? but she says, it doesn’t say. She asks if something is wrong, and he says, Willow just lost someone precious to her.
Willow goes to the cemetery. She keels by the baby’s grave, and brushes snow off the headstone. She says, hi. She should have visited long before now, but she didn’t know he was there. She says, it’s your mom; I’m right here.
Carly tells Sonny, Nelle denied them their grandson. She’ll keep using Wiley against Michael if she’s not stopped. Sonny says she’s the worst user in the world, and he wishes Michael had never met her, but he did. Now she’s Wiley’s mother, and however Michael wants to deal with it, they can’t interfere.
Jason says he had a big advantage with Michael. He had zero experience with babies, so he had no expectations, and followed Michael’s lead in letting him know what he needed. His advice is for Michael is to let everyone help. Michael says when he couldn’t sleep, he looked up kids and memories online. Wiley probably won’t have conscious memories of what happened, but he’s bound to feel the absence. What about when he’s older? How much does Michael tell him? Jason says, it’s up to Michael. Tell Wiley the truth when he feels Wiley is ready. Michael is in control. Michael went through a lot of chaos when he was a kid, and knows what Wiley is dealing with more than anybody. Michael says, but he’s facing what Jason didn’t have to. Nelle as Wiley’s mother. He doesn’t want her anywhere near his son.
Brad says Julian got what he wanted; Brad is out of Lucas’s life for good. He can take his empty promises, and get the hell out. Julian asks if he’s sure. When he walks out, the deal is off the table. Brad asks, what deal? and Julian says, if Brad keeps his mouth shut about his part in this, he’ll make sure Brad walks out.
Ava tells Franco, she’s proud of them, remaining close like Elizabeth and Nikolas. She understands better now why Elizabeth forgave Nikolas. They have a rich past history. Franco asks what she’s doing, and she tells him, she’s just saying that once you share an intimate connection, it binds you forever. Whether it’s a sweet one night stand or a passionate love affair, when you see the person, you get a spark. I’d say that’s debatable, but Franco asks again what she’s doing, and she says, contemplating the human condition. Posing for a petulant artist is giving her time to conjure deep thoughts. He says she acts like she’s been there for hours, and she wonders, why after all these years, he’s never painted her. He says, because she’s impatient, and she says maybe the time would go faster if he was better company. He says, she didn’t just insult the person who’s painting her. Nikolas watches through the window.
Brad tells Julian that he’s listening. Julian says Brad has a chance to dodge this conviction. He’ll hire the best defense attorney money can buy, and Brad can beat the charge. Brad says, in exchange for…? Julian says, his continued silence. So do they have a deal?
Jason asks Michael what he and Chase found, and Michael says, Willow was unconscious. Jason says, a felony assault, and Michael says, Nelle was headed out the door with Wiley. She had plane tickets and fake IDs. Jason says, that’s kidnapping. Nelle isn’t going anywhere but back to Pentenville. Michael doesn’t think Nelle is going away that easy, and Jason says, she can always be dealt with. Monica returns, and says, three generations of Quartermaines has to be documented. She takes a picture of Jason, Michael, and Wiley, and Jason says he’ll take one of her. They sit on the sofa, and Monica says she wants to remember this forever. Jason takes a picture, and asks how he did. Monica says, good. She loves it. She shows her phone to Wiley. Who immediately deletes all of her pictures. Just kidding.
Willow doesn’t know what to say. This wasn’t supposed to happen. He wasn’t supposed to die before her. She cries, and says she gave him up because she wanted him to have a better life. She wanted him to have a family who would give him all the love, support, and opportunities he deserved, but he didn’t get any of those things. He died the day Brad brought him home, and she’ll never know what would have happened if she’d kept him with her.
Nikolas goes into Franco’s studio, and says, there’s his beautiful wife. She asks what he’s doing there, and he says, being a devoted husband. She tells him, save his charm. Franco knows. Franco says, they despise each other, and are in it for the money. Their secret is safe with him. Nikolas says, somehow, he doesn’t find that comforting. The reason he interrupted is to remind Ava about dinner tonight. She says, networking for Cassadine Industries; she wouldn’t miss it for the world. Nikolas says, happy sketching, and leaves. Franco and Ava laugh, and Franco says, it’s like they’re in the park and he’s making her into a cartoon. He doesn’t know how Ava puts up with Nikolas, and she says, eyes on the prize. When Nikolas breaks the terms of their contract, she’ll have all of the money with none of the ball and chain. And he will break them. He won’t be able to stop himself. Franco asks, how? and she says that’s for her to know, and her husband to find out. In the hallway, Nikolas says his turn is coming.
Julian asks if they have a deal, and Brad says he’s not feeling there’s an alternative option. Julian says, yes or no, and Brad says they have a deal. Julian says he can’t guarantee anything, but Brad says he can. If Julian’s lawyer fails, he’ll bring Julian down with him.
Willow says, she hopes he was asleep when it happened. She hopes there was no pain. She sobs, and says she’s so sorry. She is so, so sorry. Elizabeth approaches, and says she didn’t mean to startle Willow. Willow asks what she’s doing there. Elizabeth squats next to her, and says Chase was looking for her. He told her about the baby. She’s sorry for Willow’s loss. Willow says, Brad put him down in his crib, and when he came back, her son wasn’t breathing. He was all alone. Elizabeth puts her arm around Willow, and says she’s not alone. Willow cries.
Michael tells Jason, it feels right, like it always should have been this way. He should have known better. Things didn’t add up. Jason tells him not to be hard on himself, but Michael says he knows with Nelle, nothing is what it seems. There’s always an agenda. Jason says, don’t worry about Nelle. Wiley is Michael’s and no one is going to take him away. He’ll handle Nelle.
Sonny asks what Carly is thinking. Can’t she let go, and be happy that Michael has his son and they have their grandson? She says, Nelle has beat the system before, and Sonny says, and she got caught. No one is going to give her the benefit of the doubt. Carly says she’s thrilled and relieved, and Sonny says, if the justice system does it’s job, Nelle will be sent back. Carly says, agreed, but that’s a big if.
Tomorrow, Ned tells Brook the free ride stops here, Trina tells Josslyn she’s going to spend more time writing about her life than living it, and Carly says Nelle’s first steps in the sunshine could be her last.
Below Deck Sailing Yacht
Paget tells Ciara, nothing has been done, and she says he’s only looking at what hasn’t been done, not what has. In his interview, Paget says Ciara has to respect his authority. This is too much. The guests tell Jenna which crew members they’d like to hook up with. Jenna radios Madison, asking her to make coffee. In Madison’s interview, she says she’s worked with stellar chief stews in the past, and the interior was a cohesive unit. Here, she just doesn’t know. Paget asks if he and Ciara are cool. She says they are, but her expression says, I don’t think so.
Parker has anchor watch in the middle of the night, and disturbs Adam’s sleep on his way out of the cabin they share. In Adam’s interview, he says, a sure sign that Parker has never worked on a yacht – slamming doors. Later, he tells Parker about waking him up, and in Parker’s interview, he says he knows Adam has one of the most important jobs on the ship, and Parker doesn’t want to hinder him in any way. Moving forward, he’s going to be quiet as a mouse. Adam says, everyone can take a nap except him. Paget flirts with Georgia, kind of. The guests tell Jenna that they’re ready for breakfast anytime. Captain Glenn says it might be more exciting sailing today than it has been, and tells the crew to make sure all of the cupboards are locked. The sails go up, doors bang, and the boat nearly turns sideways. In her interview, Jenna says she’d never serve breakfast while sailing, but what the guests want, the guests get. Adam says he knows his job is to cook, but it couldn’t be more windy. It’s absolutely ridiculous. He asks the captain if they can pull the sail for forty minutes, and cruise in for breakfast, but the captain says, the guests want to sail. In Captain Glenn’s interview, he says, there was no wind yesterday when the guests wanted to sail, and he can’t pass up the opportunity. Adam doesn’t get to tell him how to sail. Jenna serves breakfast, and the captain says they’re heading back to the dock. They’re sailing upwind, and have to tack their way in. Tacking means to zigzag your way up. Things slide all over the kitchen, and a glass container of something slides off the breakfast table, and crashes to the floor. Jenna calls Parker to clean up the mess on deck, and he suggests they find a nice vacuum cleaner that picks up glass. In Jenna’s interview, she says, Parker has a kind heart, but he doesn’t get it. The number one thing she learned starting out was that you have no opinions. You just shut your mouth, and do your job. She tells Paget that Parker has opinions.
A guest goofs around, sliding across the floor on her ass, and the rest of them laugh. Paget radios Parker, and points out that Parker asked Jenna why they didn’t have a vacuum cleaner in front of the guests when he was sweeping. Parker says, he loves Jenna, and doesn’t want to piss her off. Captain Glenn says they’re going to be backing up, and in his interview, Paget says, a sidewind of more than 15 knots makes it difficult to dock. It’s an expensive boat, and if they hit the dock, it could be hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage. Paget tells Parker that he’s throwing the wrong line, and Parker freaks out, saying the guy on dock asked for it. Paget says Parker doesn’t throw anything unless he says so. Ciara is having difficulty pulling on another one, and is afraid it will snap. I have the feeling Parker isn’t going to last the season. Captain Glenn asks, what’s happening back there? Paget manages to tie up the line, and the captain says he has no reference, and needs someone to give him the distance. Paget goes to the line Ciara is struggling with, and secures it. Glenn says he can’t see where he is, and he can’t stop because the boat has momentum. In Parker’s interview, he says he threw the line because he thought it was the right thing to do. He just wants to make people happy, and do a good job. It’s tough to know he screwed it up. I’m not so sure yachting is for him.
The crew says goodbye to the guests, and primary Whitney apologizes for their debauchery. She thanks Adam for putting up with their dietary restrictions, and gives Captain Glenn something for their trouble. The captain tells the crew to finish up, and then they’ll have a debriefing. Paget hugs Ciara, and says he was worried about her hands getting caught. In his interview, Paget says they’ve been bickering lately, but he loves her confidence and work ethic. He doesn’t want to say she’s like his mother, but he said it.
Captain Glenn calls the crew to the saloon. He says, the deck had a problem with communication on the dock. Make sure it doesn’t happen again. He tells Jenna that he was impressed with the interior, and Adam was challenged, but he nailed it. The tip is $13500, or $1500 each. Adam was expecting more, and so was I. The captain says there’s still a lot to do, and tells them to power through. Byron hands Jenna a woman’s crew shirt that was in his clothing. In Jenna’s interview, she says, at the bare minimum, she expects a stew to be good at organizing. It’s not rocket science. She tells Georgia, the laundry is a sh*t show. She has to get it together; stuff is not going back properly. Georgia says she has no system to work with, and Jenna says they’ve all been doing everything. In Parker’s interview, he says, the last charter was rough. He wants to make the captain and crew proud, and feels like he let them down. He hopes everybody sees something great about him this charter. The crew gets ready for dinner.
They go to a restaurant, and order a tasting menu. In Jenna’s interview, she says she’s enjoying the casual flirtation between her and Adam. She doesn’t want to eff it up like last time. We flash back to the hot tub fiasco, and she says, no red wine for her. Georgia says Parker has zoned out. She doesn’t like to see his energy level dip like this. He says he doesn’t either, and in her interview, she says she’s trying to get him to cheer up, but it’s not helping. The crew goes outside to drink and check out street food. Adam says chicken fried steak is his favorite thing, but Paget says he’s never had it. Neither have I. In Paget’s interview, he says, it’s nice to go out with the crew, have a drink, and treat each other as friends. He talks with Georgia, and in Ciara’s interview, she says, in between charters is the only time she and Paget get quality couple time. She wants a little attention. Parker apologizes to Madison, and says his vibe has been off. They go back to the boat, but Parker hangs back a little, moping along. In Adam’s interview, he says Jenna is cute, and she makes him laugh, Maybe for the first time, he can get through a charter season without being miserable. Parker tells Madison that he’s tired, but wants to give Adam some space. In Madison’s interview, she says she wants to be there for her bud, and let him be him. They snooze in the crew mess.
In his interview, Parker says, yesterday was tough. He needs to keep being him, and be confident. PositiveParker is back and ready for action. Paget tells Ciara to do something, but she says, if it’s not a priority, she’s not doing it. Georgia tells Madison that Jenna won’t show her how to do anything. In Madison’s interview, she says Jenna doesn’t give two sh*ts about them. She’s been in the same position as third stew, and she’s glad she can be there for Georgia.
The new primary is Sylvia, a single mom with a cleaning service. She’s bringing along her daughter, son-in-law, her two sons and their girlfriends, and her daughter’s one month old daughter. The captain says, obviously, they need to think about safety. They want to do some cliff-jumping, and one couple wants a secluded beach campfire by themselves. There are no dietary restrictions, which thrills Adam. Parker asks Georgia to talk to him while he deals with some chores. She asks about his last relationship, and he says it was two years ago; she’s doing yoga sh*t in Thailand. In his interview, he says parting ways was the hardest. He never believed in love at first sight, but had it with her. It took him a long time to recover. He tells Georgia, if that hadn’t happened, he wouldn’t be there.
Paget tells Parker to cut his conversations short with the guests. In Paget’s interview, he says Parker has a problem with rules and discipline. He has to repeatedly tell him what to do, and it’s becoming a problem. In her interview, Georgia says she’s giving it her best shot, but Jenna nitpicks things that haven’t even happened. She feels it’s a testament to Jenna that she’s not paying attention except in the galley. She doesn’t know what’s happening in her own department. In Jenna’s interview, she thinks Georgia should get her sh*t together, and organize the laundry. It’s not that complicated. Georgia tells herself to harden up, and in her interview, she says she doesn’t like sharing emotions. It gives her more control over the situation. She goes into the bathroom and cries.
An hour before charter, Madison asks if Georgia is okay, and says she appreciates her. Georgia says she’s not an effing moron, and she’s frustrated. In her interview, Madison wonders if Jenna thinks the worker bees are going to think it’s the best job ever when she’s being a d*ck to them. Jenna comes by, and asks if Georgia is okay, and Georgia quickly closes the bathroom door in Jenna’s face. In Jenna’s interview, she says she doesn’t set out to make people cry, but it’s her job to hold them accountable. Suck it up, and do your job. The laundry. Jenna tells Georgia that she doesn’t want to upset her, but she has to do a job as well. Georgia says she’s 100% right; no problem. Jenna moves in to hug Georgia, but Georgia puts her hands up. Captain Glenn tells the crew to change, and they put finishing touches on everything.
The guests board with baby Angelica, and Adam says they have precious cargo this time. In Jenna’s interview, she says, the parents are crazy. How are they taking a vacation when they had a baby one month ago? Take a breather. She gives the guests the tour, and Sylvia’s daughter says there’s been a change in her preferences. She can’t have eggs, dairy, nuts, or coffee. Jenna relays that to Adam, and in his interview, he says, oh my God. He was so close. Madison decorates the table with shells. Parker talks to the guests about where he’s from, and Paget asks if Ciara thinks Parker talks too much to the guests. In Paget’s interview, he says, Parker gets too personal with the them. He needs to cut the conversation short, and continue on. And he’s got to listen to his boss. He calls Parker over, and Byron points out that Parker has a shammy. Parker says he’s supposed to have one at all times. Paget says the guests shouldn’t see it (like it’s Disneyland), and he told Parker about talking to the guests. Parker says the guests talked to him. In his interview, Parker says it’s rude not talk with people who engage with him. It’s what people do.
Adam makes lunch, and Sylvia says she wants a private chef. Adam describes the menu to the guests, competing with the baby wailing her head off. In Byron’s interview, he says seeing the family reminds him of his daughter. Saphira is 14 months old, and the light of their lives. Being a dad is the greatest thing he’s ever done. Bringing a little human being to life, and nurturing and educating them, is a miracle. Captain Glenn points out a beach, asking Paget if he thinks it’s a nice place for a campfire. Jenna asks if Parker will be checking it out, and Parker says, when his superior tells him. Paget says Parker is still not getting it. He told Parker to keep his voice down, and a guest is right there. In Paget’s interview, he says, Parker is really frustrating. He can’t baby Parker for the whole season. He tells Jenna that he already told Parker to keep his voice down. Parker tells Paget that he’s not saying anything negative, but Paget says, the guests don’t need to know who’s who, and he should be aware. In Parker’s interview, he says he’s not perfect. He’s growing and learning, and doing a kick-ass job at being the best Parker he can be. At least he didn’t say he was a work in progress.
Madison gives Georgia some laundry tips, and Georgia thanks Madison for helping her. Byron is informed that there are some guests who would like to see the engine room. In his interview, he says, in the sixteen years he’s been doing this, no one has asked to see the engine room. It’s not like they know what they’re looking at. He could tell them a bullsh*t story that he machine makes diamonds. He has no problem though, if it increases the chances of them getting a better tip. If they want him to dance around naked, he’ll say, okay.Go sit over there.
Three guests go water skiing on the tender. In Jenna’s interview, she says her appendix burst when she was seventeen, and the doctor told her that she was infertile. She thinks she’d be a good mom, but she has satisfaction in other aspects of her life, and made peace with it. In Adam’s interview, he says he dated a single mom who had two little girls, and he played dad. It was fun, but after six or seven months, he learned he didn’t like having screaming little sh*ts around. In the crew mess, Georgia tells Paget that his hairstyle looks nice; it matches the aesthetic of the boat. He says her hairstyle is nice, and matches the head it’s on.
Ciara goes to the beach with Paget to start prepping. Adam says he’s excited about dinner. He’s not sure how he managed to get Japanese Kobe beef out in Greece, but they’re going to love his elevated meat and potatoes dish. On the beach, Paget starts digging a firepit, and Ciara tells him that he’s not digging a grave. In the galley, Jenna tells Adam, the food looks dynamite, and he says she looks dynamite. Byron says, this is a professional environment, and laughs. Dinner is served, and the baby starts crying. Angelica is handed off, and Adam explains the meal while competing once again with her wails.
Paget doesn’t know what’s a bigger pain in the ass; breaking rocks or Ciara telling him where to place them. After four years, you’d think he’d be used to her nagging, but no. Jenna asks Madison why she’s not helping Georgia, and Madison says because she was doing service. In Madison’s interview, she says she’s spreading herself so thin, the whole thing sucks. Jenna tells Adam they have teen ‘tude on the boat. Madison asks if Georgia did the master, but Georgia says she hasn’t; that’s why she’s worried about time. Jenna tells Madison that she’s going to the beach. She’s concerned about the time Georgia is taking. In her interview, Jenna says if they have charter guests who want to go to bed before dinner, and they’re still ironing the sheets, that’s a problem. She tells Georgia to do the master, and Georgia says, f*** me. Jenna goes back downstairs, where Madison is getting her shoes on, and Madison says it would be nice to know where she’s going, but not twenty seconds before she’s leaving. Jenna says at least she’s getting out of turn-down. Jenna tells Adam that it’s taking Georgia two hours to do three cabins. When she told Georgia to do the master, she said f*** me. Adam asks what Jenna is going to do, and Jenna doesn’t know. Georgia will cry again. Adam says, break her down to a pulp. In Georgia’s interview, she says she’s torturing herself trying to do the best she can. F*** you guys. Adam tells Jenna, personally, he’d can her ass, and Jenna says, maybe…
Next time, lots of wind, Georgia leaves laundry undone, Parker asks if Paget thinks he’s undermining him, Jenna admits she really likes Adam, and the boat hits the dock
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
The Walking Dead
As we left them, Carol and Daryl’s group are trapped in a cave of zombies. They stand on a ledge, the zombies below them reaching up. Alpha stands above them with a torch, and when Carol sees her, she screams. Alpha goes outside, and tells the guard, they don’t get out. She drops the torch.
Magna tries jumping up to the next level, but falls. Luckily, not into the zombies below. Daryl says, it’s too high; she’ll break her neck. The zombies are so noisy, I can barely hear the dialogue. Daryl looks around with a flashlight, and asks if they’re ready. He jumps onto a rock that sticks above the zombie horde. The zombies gather around him, and he jumps to the next one. Carol follows. Zombies clamor around them, but they kick the dead away. Magna is next, and nearly slips. Jerry comes after. Connie tells Kelly to step in the same places she does, and jumps. Aaron says, do it now, and Kelly jumps, but nearly falls. She punches a few zombies in the head, and regains her balance. On the other side, Daryl helps Carol. Aaron makes the leap, and Connie and Kelly cling to each other. A zombie grabs Jerry’s leg, and he cuts its arm off. Daryl begins to climb up. He tells Connie that he needs her stay there, and keep everyone together.
Aaron asks Jerry how he’s doing, and Jerry says, not great. Kelly asks how long Jerry thinks they’ll be there, and Jerry says he doesn’t know, but they’ll get out. He wonders how the zombies got there, and Aaron says, they’re theirs. Carol says she’s a little winded, and Aaron tells the others that Carol is claustrophobic. Magna says, she should have thought of that before, but Aaron says it’s not the time for that. Magna says it seems like they have plenty of it. She asks Carol what she was thinking of, running off by herself. Daryl tells her, they have no time for this sh*t. They got into this mess together, and they’ll get out of it together.
Negan hangs with the Whisperers. Gamma tells Alpha, the enemy is watching them. Beta says they underestimated them, and Alpha says she wants patrols around the camp. She tells Gamma, take a walk around the border. Negan watches everything.
The group stands in a cave of stalactites. Aaron fixes his hand. Kelly asks Connie if she thinks it’s day or night, and Connie signs, try not to think about it. Magna asks Daryl for his matches, telling him that she needs to do something. Daryl gives them to her, and Carol sits next to him. She says she never told him that she was claustrophobic, and he says if he hadn’t known, he wouldn’t have said it. He can’t even turn his back on her anymore. It’s bad enough Negan is with the skin freaks; now he worries about her going off half-cocked every time they go outside. He begged her to talk to him; he wants to be there for her, and doesn’t know what to do anymore. Carol says she can’t stop thinking about it. She has to, but she can’t. She doesn’t just want to kill Alpha; she wants to hurt her. She wants Alpha to beg her forgiveness, and then kill her. Daryl says, if he’d gone through all the sh*t she did, he’d feel the same way – unless she tried to stop him. She has to quit all this. The people they care about are starting to get hurt. Carol says she didn’t mean for any of this to happen. She knows she has to… He says, don’t bullsh*t him. She’s got to promise. He’s got to know they’re on the same page. They’re fighting for a future, not revenge. Carol says she promises, and leans on him.
Magna looks around using the matches as a light. She looks in a hole, the match goes out, and she shouts.
Daryl and Jerry fight off zombies. Daryl tells Magna, let’s go. Magna is concerned they’ll get split up in the dark, and Carol says, stick together. They move forward. Daryl looks inside a crevice.
Back at the Whisperer camp, Negan tells Alpha that he wants to talk to her. She asks, what about? and he says, Gamma. Alpha needs to keep her eyes peeled. Alpha says, there’s a spy in the woods, but he says he has an alternate theory. The spy she’s looking for is in the camp. He’s been where she is, and if she doesn’t want to end up where he is now, he suggests she zig where he zagged. She says they’re very different, and he says he had people, he had a system, and thought they believed in him. Stay king or queen long enough, people will keep telling you your sh*t doesn’t stink, and even you’ll start believing it. The thing is, it still stinks. Based on his personal experience, she should look closer to home. He’s not talking about Frankenstein; he’s talking about Gamma. She’s close enough to Alpha to know where the horde is. She’s guarding the border, and is close enough to the enemy, that they could have gotten to her. Alpha puts her knife between his legs, and pushes it against his crotch; not cutting him, but he’s definitely uncomfortable. She says she won’t have him paranoid, and pushes him to the ground.
The group continues through the cave system. Carol tells Connie, she’ll be fine in a minute. Connie takes her hand, and spells out U R OK on Carol’s palm. Carol joins the others, and one by one, they squeeze through a narrow passageway. It’s a tight squeeze, but they make it through to a thin tunnel where they have to crawl. Aaron asks if Jerry is okay, and Jerry says it’s a hard fit in airplane bathrooms. Why wouldn’t he be okay? Daryl finally pulls himself out, and says, follow his voice. He helps the others as they come through. Carol hyperventilates, and Daryl calls to her. He asks if she’s hurt, and she says she’s okay. He tells her to follow his light, but she says she can’t. He says she can; they’re going to get through this together. She forces herself to move, and he pulls her out. We hear something in the tunnel, and Jerry realizes zombies are crawling up behind him. He tells them, go! and I says, no, not Jerry.
It’s chaotic as they try to move faster. Daryl reaches for them, helping them out. Jerry gets closer, but a zombie keeps pulling at him. He says he’s stuck, and Daryl says, take his hand. He pulls, and two zombies (I guess they’re pretty thin, since they’re wasting away) grab at Jerry’s leg. Jerry takes his gear off, while the zombies tug at him. Daryl finally pulls him out, and stabs the first zombie in the head. Jerry’s shoe is torn up, but Kelly says he wasn’t bitten. Aaron splatters the other zombie’s head.
Magna says, look, and starts moving forward, but Daryl pulls her back. She’s at the edge of a cliff. Daryl creates a makeshift torch, and drops it down. It falls a million miles, and they hear zombies. Apparently, they’re on another ledge, higher up, and basically where they started.
They move on to a more open area, and see that it’s a mine shaft. Kelly tells Connie, they have to be careful. Take out the wrong thing, and the whole thing will collapse.
Obviously jazzed, Alpha wants to talk to Beta. She asks where Gamma is, and Beta says, she never made it to the border. Alpha wants a scout sent out to find her, and Beta wonders if she’s been captured. Alpha says, or she’s a spy. Track her down, and bring her. Beta says if Gamma betrayed Alpha, he’ll kill her, but Alpha says that’s her job.
Daryl tells everyone, find something to dig with. Kelly uncovers a box of dynamite, and brings a stick over to Daryl. Jerry says, really cool, but it’s sweatier than he is. Maybe someone left it because it’s dangerous. He tells her, put it back, very carefully. Kelly places it back in the box, and covers the box back up. Aaron and Magna pull pieces of wood and such out of the way. Aaron says Magna wants to get home in a hurry, and she says she doesn’t want be there any longer than she has to. She didn’t leave things good with Yumiko. Aaron says he’s sorry.
Negan takes bark off tree stump. Alpha walks past, and says, you. He says, looks like mom’s mad at him, and follows. She drops behind him, and tells him, keep walking. He says it feels like some sort of fraternity initiation. Is he getting his skin suit, and learning the secret Whisperer handshake? She tells him, eyes front. She doesn’t want to talk. He says he’s down with that. He just… won’t… talk. After two seconds, he says he’s big enough to admit he’s not good with long uncomfortable silences. She says, stop here. He starts to turn, and she tells him, she said eyes front. He says, sh*t, and she tells him to take off his clothes. He says, she was right. They are different. He made himself into a monster because it’s what the world needed. He takes his clothes off as he talks. He says he built something. He saved people. His name meant something. She tells him, turn around. He says, whoa. She’s naked, and says, he’s a crass man. She reckoned he’d appreciate a crass reward. He says, for what? and she says, the spy. Gamma. It took courage to do what he did. She wants to express her gratitude in a way he understands. Negan asks if she’s just going to leave the mask on, and she asks if her true skin disturbs him. He says, not at all, and they almost kiss. He says, wait. It’s not some sort of praying mantis situation, is it? Where she’s going to cut off his head after. They almost kiss again, and he says, sorry. He can’t help but notice she didn’t say no. It’s been a long time, so he reckons he’ll take his chances. She touches his face, and tells him, stop talking. They kiss. Alrighty then.
Daryl sees daylight, and Kelly looks through a hole in the ceiling. She says, just a little more, and he asks where Carol is. He says, dammit, and turns back.
Carol is wandering around like the nutbar she’s become. She starts to climb up the side of a wall, lights a match, and slips. We hear zombies below. A shadow falls over her. It’s Daryl, who tells her to take his hand. He pulls her up, and asks, what is she doing? She’s going to get herself killed. She says Alpha killed her boy, and he says she’s got to come back with him… please. She slips again.
The ceiling starts falling in, and Aaron tells everyone to move. Connie asks signs to Magna, asking where she’s going, and Magna says she’ll be right back. Someone might be hurt. Connie goes with her. Kelly pops out back into the world, and we hear crumbling sounds from the mine. A Whisperer comes running toward her, and Kelly fights it off. She calls to Aaron that they’ve got friends; there are more coming. Inside the mine, Jerry holds up the ceiling beams with his shoulders, like he’s Aquaman or something. Kelly fights off a couple more Whisperers. By now Aaron is out, and helps her. Connie and Magna help Carol. Daryl gets out, and helps bring Carol out. Dirt is starting to shower down, and I wonder how on earth Jerry is going to get out. Magna sees a Whisperer in the mine, and tells him, get out. Aaron helps gives Jerry a hand, and joins the others, but the cave implodes, trapping Magna and Connie.
Kelly yells, no! and runs back. Daryl tries moving rocks away, but Aaron says, it will take a week to clear it. Kelly cries, but tells Daryl the zombies are close. They don’t want their backs pressed against the mountain when the walkers come. They can’t save the others if they’re bit. She cries some more, and Carol tells Daryl, he was right; just say it. She reaches out for him, but he throws her hand off. She says they’re gone because of her; just say it. Carol seems to be totally falling apart. Daryl tells Aaron, go home. Tell the others they found the horde. Aaron asks where Daryl is going to be, and Daryl says, others got out before them. There has to be another way in. Carol stands there while the others head back.
Next time, Gamma tells the Alexandrians that the people they sent out are in trouble, Gabriel makes a strategy, and Daryl is trapped.
Shahs of Sunset
Reza runs while he flashes back on his problems. In his interview, he says MJ sent him a text, saying she didn’t have anything to do with anything, and now he can’t trust Destiney. How did this happen?
GG meets Reza at a park, and he tells her that he and Adam are doing a mud run. Adam has been begging him to do it. In Reza’s interview, he says, with all the negativity swirling around, thank God. Any time he does unity building activities with his crew, there’s a moment he loves them. Then afterward, they can go back to picking that scab. He and GG jog, and he tells her, wave to the people. She says she’s tired already, and tells Reza that her doctor told her to start doing light cardio. In GG’s interview, she says she started IVF, but she’s keeping it secret for now. They sit on a bench, and discuss Ali’s accusations about Adam. GG says Ali told her that it was the three of them – him, Destiney, and MJ – but she doesn’t believe any of them. Reza says he lost his mind when Ali said Adam had sexually harassed him. He must have talked to someone. GG says, when she’d shown MJ the pictures Adam sent, MJ she said it was borderline sexual harassment. Reza says, this doesn’t feel good.
Destiney’s 1965 Lincoln convertible (named Poison) has a flat, and she waits for the tow truck. In her interview, she says she doesn’t like being vulnerable. There are moments when she wishes she had a husband to handle a situation. It’s different when a dude says he’s got you. The tow guy comes, and a possum peeks out from the bushes. Destiney nearly runs into it, and teleports backward, hollering. I nearly die laughing. She asks if it’s okay, and realizes it’s pregnant. The tow guy is now dying laughing. In Destiney’s interview, she says it’s a damsel in distress. She tells the possum, she’s got this. She’s an effing possum. She’s strong and crazy. A stranger comes, and picks up the possum in a towel, finding a safe place for her to deliver her babies. In her interview, Destiney says, he’s some sort of Prince Charming. She’s not into princes, but hopes here’s a Viking warrior out there for her.
Nema goes to his office, and tells editor TJ that he has footage for him. In his interview, Nema says his partners’ offices are half jungle gym, half photo studio. It’s where influencers make videos that make you feel bad about yourself. He says his assistant Erica was the right girl at the wrong time. They dated for two years after his divorce, but then came GG and the almost kiss. We flash back to that. He says, Erica is still working for him, and asks how you let go of someone so supportive and loving? Erica is going to Barcelona for two weeks, and Nema wonders how he’s going to manage. She’s running talent for a major shoe brand, and it throws him back in to the minutiae of their projects, when he has other things to do, like go to the gym. Erica says they have a strong working relationship, and he says he thought they’d get married, but she’s like, no. He says he thinks she’s the best relationship in his life, but he’s the worst in hers. She thinks she can definitely do better. At least they’re honest. There’s something to be said for that.
GG meets a friend at a Chinese herb place, where they also make health drinks. She explains to the owner that she’s having a bumpy ride with the IVF. She asks him to surprise them, and he concocts something that’s supposed to improve a woman’s jing, which is the essence or life force. In GG’s interview, she says she had egg retrieval at 37, and she’s trying thicken her uterine lining, by using everything from patches to suppositories, but nothing is working. GG takes a sip, and says she’s already glowing. The owner says he sees the glow. Her friend asks, what’s going on? and GG talks about her uterine lining. She says she wants it so badly. In GG’s interview, she says she’s worried about being pregnant at her age. When she was younger, she was irresponsible. She was lucky to live in California where she had a way out, which I guess is a delicate way of saying she had several abortions. She says, now she’s trying, and her body isn’t responding. The owner brings another drink, and says, it’szen shen, to lift the spirits. In her interview, GG says the day the embryo is placed in her, is the day she stops smoking weed, and everyone is making a bigger deal out of it than it is.
Mike goes to Kenmore, the property he and his brothers invested in. He goes inside, and discovers they left everything behind. He calls his brother Jonathan. In Mike’s interview, he says, to get the final permits, he needs an empty building. He explains to Jonathan how to take selfies. Dad Shawn appears, and in his interview, Mike says he wonders if his dad trusts him. Shawn says, the most important thing is the loan, but Mike says he needs a contract first. Shawn wants to wait until a guy he knows is free, but Mike has someone who’s ready to go. In Mike’s interview, he says his father studied electrical engineering in Germany, and has does electrical contracting since coming to America, but his father won’t be dealing with the contractor; Mike will. Shawn tells Mike that he’ll have to be on top of things. There will be no second chances. In his interview, mike says he had a hard time connecting with his dad while he was growing up, but as he’s gotten older, he’s realized how much wisdom his dad has to share. It’s his last chance to prove himself, and he’s trying to keep his composure.
Miss Moo! In his interview, Reza says, all the things he loves about Adam are why Ali was able to get so close so fast. Adam thinks everyone is good until they show him they’re not. With Reza, they have to jump through a thousand hoops, and if they persevere, he’ll let them in. GG comes by, and Reza tells her, he needs an over-the-top Persian team T-shirt for the mud run. He says, what about Hood rats? In GG’s interview, she says she called Reza a hood rat when he’d been acting like one. Now it’s turned into a joke. Reza irons the name onto a shirt. Reza asks if she wants some carrot cake, and slices a piece for her. In his interview, he says, GG smokes more weed than Snoop Dogg. She’s high all the time. She’s not someone who eats regularly, or exercises, and they’re trying to change that. Sara arrives, so Miss Moo is relegated to the bedroom. She’s afraid of animals, and we flash back to her encounters with various pets. In her interview, she says she had a paper route growing up, and dogs would charge her. She has to make sure she knows where all pets are. The group makes shirts, and a kumquat tree is delivered. It’s from Destiney, and Sara asks, what’s going on? Destiney had a whole episode at the beach. We flash back to that, and Reza says Destiney didn’t reach out. GG says, maybe she’s scared; he’s a scary person. She thought he was her big brother, and now she’s hurt him. Reza says, when GG hurts someone, doesn’t she want to reach out? GG says, maybe Destiney is figuring out how to do it.
Destiney goes to get her lashes done. She hopes Reza sees the kumquat as an olive branch. Well, an actual olive branch might have gotten that point across better.
Adam reads the card. Paraphrasing, Destiney says she hates how everything came down, and hopes they like the kumquat tree. Adam tells GG, Destiney didn’t say she was sorry, and GG suggests he focus on what Destiney said, not what she didn’t say. She tells him, some people have a hard time with it, and that’s coming from someone who does. Adam says GG apologized to him, but she says she didn’t apologize to Reza for years. We flash back to that altercation. Reza says, maybe if Destiney had sent it the day after, he’d feel different. They can co-exist, but he doesn’t want her to know anything about him. In his interview, he says he’s looking at the potential loss of a 30-year friendship, and the potential betrayal of a childhood friend.
Destiney looks at Reza’s text. He thanks her for the plant, but goes on to say her actions aren’t pure. He says he doesn’t trust her, but can co-exist with her. He tells her about the mud run, and says, if she wants to, she can come. She tries not to cry, and says she’s used to men who are family, or like family, giving up on her. In her interview, she says she has no male figures in her life who she can trust. The only person who’s been there for her is Reza. We flash back to Reza encouraging her to talk to her mother about her father. She says he’s the only person who’s seen and felt what her family would have been if everything had been okay.
GG’s mom Fati calls her while she’s driving to the doctor. Fati asks if GG needs anything, or wants her to come along, but GG says she’s good. Fati says to call her after the appointment. In GG’s interview, she says it’s her last shot. If she couldn’t get her uterine lining thicker, she might have to consider another option where she doesn’t carry her own child.
Destiney and her assistant Rose go to pick up Destiney’s car. In Destiney’s interview, she says she doesn’t drive Poison all the time, since she doesn’t want many miles on it. But when she’s feeling sad or depressed, she puts the top down and takes her bra off. It makes her go into a zone of peace. She tells mechanic Benny, it might be the only thing she’s ever really cared for. She slips him some cash, and tells him, hold onto it, like she’s getting on a roller coaster and giving him her purse. On the way back, Destiney tells Rose that Reza doesn’t want to talk to her, but she loves him. He’s the only one whose seen the dynamic of her mom and dad. She was crying when Reza got in the fight with Ali. Can’t she be human? It’s so effed up.
Reza gets the T-shirts ready for the gathering before the mud run. Reza gives Mike his shirt, saying it came out so well, he wants it back after the run. Mike says he’ll sell it to him. He tells Reza that he’s not participating because of his sciatica. Been there, and feel his pain. He asks if Adam’s shirt says naked Jenga on it, and Adam turns around to show Mike that it says, I’m with him >, and Mike says, unless he’s out of town. To my surprise, both Adam and Reza laugh. Nema and Sara arrive. In Reza’s interview, he says, after the week he’s had, he feels truly blessed. They’re going to exercise, and cheer each other on. They’re going to act like sweet white people who didn’t flee a country.
GG comes out of the doctor’s office, and gets in her car. She doesn’t look happy and dabs at her eyes, so I’m guessing the news wasn’t good. Then she says, it’s last few weeks she can smoke pot. Ha-ha! She fooled us. She calls Fati, and says, they’re doing the transfer on Friday. In GG’s interview, she says her uterine lining is finally thick enough. It’s exciting. She’s finally going to be pregnant. Fati says, it’s good to hear that.
In his interview, Reza says, Destiney’s shirt was made with the least amount of love. He wrote her name in White-Out pen, and it looks like a reflection of their friendship at this point. Destiney shows up, and tells Nema that she doesn’t know if she should come in, but Nema and Mike welcome her. She hugs Adam, and says she wants to talk, but Adam thinks she should talk Reza first. She asks Reza if she can talk to him privately before they head out. He’s surprisingly agreeable, and she says she didn’t want to be uncomfortable. He says he’s not uncomfortable. She says he thanked her for the plant, but it’s a tree (like this matters). He says he thought they were going to talk about naked Jenga. Ali talked about sexual harassment, and if he’d been Destiney, Reza would have said this is the first he’d heard of it, but she didn’t. He assumes she knew already. She says she didn’t know what Ali was going to say; it threw her for a loop. She never wanted to be involved, and Ali specifically told her that MJ told him to do it. In Destiney’s interview, she says, after her lunch with Ali, she yelled at him, and he said, MJ told him to do it. She took a step back, and realized maybe the person she loved as a sister had set her up. Reza said he knew Destiney was either set up or involved. Destiney says she effed up, and he says that’s all he wanted to hear. He hugs her, and says now that he knows she was used, it’s 100% authentic, and they’re good. In Reza’s interview, he says he doesn’t think Destiney is involved. She wasn’t held up at home on bedrest, moving chess pieces around, and trying to figure sh*t out. They get in the van, and Reza tells everyone, they had a good conversation. Now can they get excited?
The race starts. Mike and Sara cheer from the sidelines. It’s like a huge obstacle course, and GG says her hip hurts already. She and Destiney hang back, and GG says, they’ll cheat. The others have to come back this way, so they’ll just pretend they did it. They splash some water on their faces, jog in place, and hyperventilate. On his way back, Nema asks how they did with the wall. In Reza’s interview, he says they’re going through obstacles together, and helping each other, but in life, they’re not practicing the things they’re practicing here. It’s not happening if they can’t be there for each other in life.
GG says she’s doing a dirt walk. Reza says he’s got mud in his crotch, and a great sense of accomplishment. He says he wants that for GG, and pushes her into a mud puddle pool. Destiney says, the last time she did this sh*t, she was running from the cops. She runs up to wall that everyone else is scaling, and takes the stairs on the side. In Nema’s interview, he says his friends are the only healthy relationships in his life. They’re like family, and replaced the huge void left post-divorce. They go down a huge slide, into another mud puddle. Cool. I’d do that. Mike takes pictures.
Afterwards, the group heads to the beer and sausage tent. Mike pulls out a Jenga game. In Mike’s interview, he says he loves the fact that they’re cheering each other on, but a part of him is empty because one of his best friends isn’t there. GG knocks over the game, and Adam tells her, get naked right now.
Next time, Baby Shams comes home, Reza’s hair products are going to be sold in Las Vegas, and Sara’s brother gets busy with Destiney.
🏎 Coming Soon…
A new season of 90 Day Fiance: What Now? begins on Monday, April 20th on TLC. You can check out who’s who here:
And also on TLC on April 20th is a new offering, Dragnificent, a makeover show that looks like a lot of fun and very promising. You can read all about it here:
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Sonny comes in along with Michael, who’s holding Wiley. Carly says it’s good to see Wiley, and asks, what about Nelle? Sonny says, the cops have her. Lucas comes up to Wiley, and says, hey, buddy. Michael says Wiley is a lucky guy. So many people love him. Julian says, he’s happy and safe, and asks Lucas if he needs anything. Sonny says, it’s been a tough night; Julian should probably go. Julian tells Lucas to call or drop by if he needs anything. Michael says they have a lot to figure out, and they will, but one thing they agree on is making this okay for Wiley.
Curtis says, body count? Is Jordan in danger? Taggert says he and Jordan both are, and Jordan says she doesn’t want Curtis involved, but Taggert says, he already is by being married to her. Jordan tells Curtis, it was an undercover operation for the DEA. Curtis says, and it came back to haunt them. Jordan says they were part of a four agent team, assigned to investigate a major drug trafficker, who covered the entire Pacific Northwest. He brought drugs in from Russia through the Canadian border, and distributed them to the western states. Taggert says, he sold drugs to everyone, from CEOs to middle school kids. Jordan says, they infiltrated the organization to get evidence and bust him. Curtis asks, what happened? and Taggert says, he covered himself well. Whenever they found someone who’d turn on him, they’d turn up dead. Curtis says, but here they both are; alive and unharmed. Taggert says, they got the break they needed, and Jordan says, they took the dealer down, and left with their covers intact. Curtis says, no one knew who they were? and Jordan says, that’s what they believed. Taggert says, until their partners turned up dead.
Nelle is put in the cell across from Brad. Brad asks where Wiley is, and what she did with him. She tells Brad, he’s despicable.
Willow wakes up, and Chase says she has a minor concussion, but she’s going to be all right. She asks, what happened? The last thing she remembers, she was watching Wiley. She sits up, saying, oh my God. Nelle was there and wanted to take Wiley. Chase says she was arrested, and Willow asks if Wiley is okay. He says, Wiley is fine; he’s with Michael, and she says, thank God. He says he has a lot he needs to tell her, and she says, it’s bad? He nods and she says, okay. Just give her a minute to be glad her son is okay.
Carly says, Michael is right. Wiley has had a confusing, big night. She knows he’s tired, and it’s past his bedtime. Maybe he’d like a snack first. Michael asks if Lucas wants to give Wiley a snack; they’ll talk later. Lucas says, yeah, and takes Wiley, asking if he’s if hungry. He tells Michael, he’s so sorry.
Carly tells Lucas that he has nothing to be sorry for. He didn’t do this. Bobbie says, no one is blaming him, least of all Michael. Michael says Lucas isn’t responsible, and Bobbie suggests giving Wiley his snack. She and Lucas go into the kitchen, and Carly says, what Michael did just now, giving Lucas time with Wiley, was so generous. Michael says he needs their help, and thinks Lucas could use Carly right now. Carly asks if Michael is okay, and he says he’s still figuring it all out, but he’ll be fine. Carly says Michael is a good man, and she loves him. She hugs him, and he says he loves her too. She goes to the kitchen, and Michael tells Sasha that he forgot to thank her for calling Chase. She says she’s glad she could help in a small way. Sonny says, now that Wiley is in the other room, tell him what the hell happened. How did Brad get his hands on Michael’s son, and keep it a secret for more than a year?
Curtis says, Bob Endicott, Jordan’s former boss, the one she said couldn’t have possibly OD’d. He was part of the team too? She says, and Mark Simon is also dead. Taggert says, also from a drug overdose. Two down, and him and Jordan left. Curtis says Jordan thought she shouldn’t tell him she has a target on her back?
Julian pours a shot of whiskey, and Ava runs in, asking if he’s all right. Is he hurt? He says, no, and she asks, what is it? He said he needed her, and it was an emergency. He hung up, and she thought she’d find him bleeding to death. He says, it’s nothing that simple, and she asks, what’s going on? He says, Brad confessed, and she says, to what? He says, Wiley isn’t Willow’s son; he’s Michael’s son, and Sonny’s grandson.The baby Lucas and Brad adopted was Nelle’s baby. He only saw the baby once. Lucas was in surgery, and Brad took the baby home. He laid the baby in his crib, and when he came back, the baby wasn’t breathing; sudden infant death syndrome. From there, things happened, and Nelle gave Brad the baby she’d had with Michael. Ava asks what he means by things happened, and he says, they switched babies by the side of the road. Somehow, Nelle convinced Brad to take the baby home that she’d had with Michael. Ava asks if Sonny knows, and Julian nods. She asks where Brad is now, and he says, in jail. She says he’s got to be terrified, and Julian says, he’s not the only one. She says, please tell her that he didn’t help Brad steal Sonny’s grandchild. He says he didn’t but… She says, if Sonny finds out… Julian says, he’s a dead man.
Chase tells Willow, it’s going to be confusing. She’s going to have a lot of questions, but he’ll do his best to answer them. The details are pretty hazy, but the central factor is undeniable. She says, okay… and he says Wiley isn’t her son. Nelle and Michael are his birth parents.
Nelle asks if Brad knows how she felt, waking up on a cold, damp road to find a dead baby in her arms. He asks what she’s talking about, and she says Jonah meant everything to her. He was the only thing she had left of Michael, and Brad stole him from her. Brad says, no. She said he had to take the baby. She asks if that’s the story he’s going with; he’s the innocent victim. He says she knows it was her idea, and she tells him to stop lying to save himself. She was overwhelmed with grief, and so was Michael. They were mourning a child they thought was dead because of him. Brad says she told him the baby would be better off if he and Lucas raised him. She didn’t want the baby anywhere near Michael. She says Brad was her only friend; stop pretending. Stop pretending he cares, when on the worst night of her life, he stole her child.
Julian tells Ava, a few days afterward, Brad told him that it wasn’t the original baby, and the first baby died. He said he’d gotten a new baby from some random homeless woman. Ava asks if he believed that, and Julian says he thought it was convenient, but it didn’t occur to him that Brad had helped himself to Sonny’s grandson. She says, Brad eventually told Julian the truth? and Julian says, eventually. She asks what the hell he was thinking. Why not go to Sonny the minute that loser told him that he’d switched babies? He says, unfortunately, Brad is his son-in-law, and when Brad came clean, Wiley was more than a year old. Lucas had time to bond with Wiley, and he wasn’t taking Wiley away from his son.
Willow tells Chase, someone made a mistake, and he says he’s sorry, but it’s true. Wiley is Michael’s son. She says, it doesn’t make sense, and he says he can explain. When Willow gave birth at Mercy Hospital on July 29th, 2018, Alexis brought the infant to GH, and delivered him to his adoptive father Brad. Lucas was in surgery, and Brad brought the infant home. Willow asks him to stop calling the baby the infant; his name is Wiley. Chase says, Brad placed Wiley in the crib, but when he came back to check on him, he wasn’t breathing. She says, no, and keeps repeating it as Chase talks. He says, Brad tried CPR, but the baby was unresponsive. Willow gets up, but sinks to the ground, yelling, no! He holds her, and says, it’s okay. I guess because he can’t think of anything else to say, since it’s clearly not okay.
Bobbie says she could wring Brad’s neck, and Lucas says he wishes he could hate Brad as much as she does, but he knows Brad. He knows Brad loves him and Wiley. Bobbie says, forgive her for not being kind and understanding, but Brad created incredible harm. That’s not love; it’s selfishness. Carly agrees, and says what Brad did was wrong, but at least they know Wiley spent his first year in a loving home. Lucas says Wiley gave it right back; he misses Wiley already. Bobbie says he’s Wiley’s father. It’s not like ripping off a name tag and moving on. Carly says Bobbie is right. No one expects him to stop loving Wiley. Lucas asks, what happens now? Wiley chomps on a cracker, oblivious to all the anxiety around him.
Julian tells Ava, the look on Lucas’s face when Brad confessed… He’d give anything not to see it again. She says, it was never going to end well. The problem is, eventually Brad is going to tell everyone that Julian was in on it. Julian says, it’s going to kill Lucas, and Ava says, Sonny is going to kill Julian. They have to get him out of town; out of the country. He says, if Sonny wants revenge, Sonny will hunt him down until he gets it. He’s not running. She asks what the brave act is for, and he says she should know more than anyone what it feels like to fail your own children. When Lucas became a father, he saw a crack in Lucas’s armor, and thought the relationship could be repaired. She says, with Brad in a constant state of panic, and him keeping the secret? He says he had a plan to shut Brad out, and the constant threat. She takes it the plan didn’t work, and he says, none of it would have happened if Lucas hadn’t gotten in that car.
Jordan says she was managing things, but Curtis says that’s not how they do things. When trouble is coming for her, he’s her first line of defense, not Taggert. Taggert says they were traying to figure things out without worrying their families. Curtis says, call Anna, but Jordan says, no. Taggert says they have to do it alone, and Curtis says he can’t believe this. As major drug trafficker has them in his sights, and they don’t want to call for backup? There’s something they’re still hiding. Taggert says Curtis is still jumping to conclusions, but Jordan says Curtis is right. They are.
Willow asks Chase how it happened. How did her baby get switched with Michael’s? He says, Brad was heading back to the hospital, but he was too emotional to drive. He pulled over same road where Michael and Nelle had the accident. Michael was trapped in the car; Nelle left him there. She must have given birth a short time later, since she had the baby with her when she knocked on Brad’s car window. He sits on the floor next to her. Willow says, which one came up with the idea? He says, Brad swears it was Nelle, and she says, of course (🍷) it was. She says that twice, so (🍷)
Michael says, when he and Chase got to the apartment, Nelle was on her way out with Wiley. He distracted Nelle long enough so Chase could grab her, and he took Wiley. He was holding Wiley like he’d done a thousand times before, but now he knew he was Wiley’s father. Sonny tells him to get used to the feeling like his heart is going to burst and he wants to give everything to his child. It doesn’t go away. Michael says he feels for Lucas, and Sasha tells him, they all feel terrible, but don’t let it stop him from feeling joy. It’s not selfish to be happy that his boy is alive. Sonny says both sadness and happiness in your heart is called being human. Michael says it’s not just about him. Wiley is losing the only parents he’s ever known. Sasha says, he’s gaining a father he already knows and loves, who’s always been present in his life. Michael says being the special occasion guy is a whole different thing than being Wiley’s dad, the one he trusts the most. Blood didn’t make Sonny his father. It was the way Sonny took care of him, and how he trusted Sonny. Sonny says, Wiley feels the same way, and knows in his heart Michael loves him. Michael wonders if the right way to love Wiley is to make him leave a house he already knows, with one of the fathers who he already loves.
Brad says Nelle knows what she’s doing won’t work. He’s not taking the blame for what she did. She says, all she did was pass out with a baby in her arms. Brad says she was wide awake when she told him to take the baby. She said it would make Lucas happy. It never would have entered his head if she hadn’t put it there. She says, now she’s a liar? He says that’s what she does. She cons people, and plants thoughts in their heads, so they don’t know right from wrong anymore. She says she’d just delivered a baby. She was weak and unconscious when he took Wiley from her. He says, what about Obrecht? She delivered Nelle’s baby; Nelle wasn’t alone in the woods like she told Michael. She says she had no idea what happened when she was alone. Waking up on the side of the road, all she remembers is that she had a dead baby in her arms. Brad says she has no idea what it’s like to lose a baby, and she says she lost Jonah. First Brad steals him, and now he’s telling her that Wiley loves him more than her. Brad says, that’s not true, and she says he robbed her of time with her son. He knew the truth, that her baby was alive. He says he’s going to make sure everyone knows Nelle gave him to Brad. He and Lucas gave him a home and family, and she’ll never love him the way they do. She calls the guard, and says Brad is antagonizing her. Get him out.
Taggert says, wait, but Jordan says, they started this. That means they’re going to finish it. Curtis says, she’s right. Taggert can’t come up in there saying they were working undercover with the DEA, and not give him the whole story. Jordan says, they’re not guessing about the attacks. The dealer knows who they are, and came there to burn her city down. She knows this because she went to see him at Pentenville. Taggert asks, when? and Jordan says he didn’t come out and say he was after them. It was what he didn’t say that alerted her to what he was doing. Taggert wonders what Cyrus is doing in Pentenville, and Jordan says he got moved. He was always good at making political connections. Curtis asks, who is this guy? and Jordan hands him a file, saying, Cyrus Renault. Curtis looks through it, and says, sounds like a good dude. She says they believe he’s behind the attacks on Sonny, but Curtis says, drugs are not Sonny’s thing. She says, Cyrus gets a fresh new market in taking over Sonny’s territory. Taggert says, after everything they did to put him away; now he’s back. He’s not going to surprise them anymore. He’s going to check with some people. He tells Curtis, now that he knows everything, go easy on her. She was just trying to protect him. Taggert leaves, and Curtis says Jordan never fails to surprise him. Tell him the full story. She says he won’t be happy she did.
Carly tells Lucas, whatever happens next, they’ll get through it together. Bobbie says, his sister is right. Don’t let what Brad did push him away from his family. Carly says, it’s hard. Lucas has every right to be angry, mad, and hurt. Let them be his safe space. Bobbie tells him, never forget he’s done an amazing job raising Wiley. Carly says, nothing can change that. Everyone came together to keep Wiley safe and make him feel loved.
Willow says, of course (🍷) it was Nelle. She hates Michael, and wanted to hurt him. What could be worse than… Chase says, Brad took the baby home, and when the police found Nelle, she had her baby in her arms. The took her to the hospital, where she gave the baby to Michael. Willow says, Michael talked about it in their grief support group. How still the baby was. He wanted to tell himself the baby was just asleep, but he could feel the truth. Even then, he didn’t want to let the baby go. He went to the chapel to ask God why, but God didn’t have an answer. Eventually, the nurse came, and he had to give the baby up. He said it was the worst moment of his life, and she thought she understood. She had to give her baby up when the nurse came to take him for the adoption. She was just missing her baby. Michael was grieving his. Now it’s her turn to grieve her child. She starts to cry.
Jordan tells Curtis, the four of them worked their ways into different parts of Cyrus’s business, but they couldn’t gather enough evidence to bring him up on charges. All that work for nothing. Curtis says he knows the feeling. She says she was in too deep, and losing touch with who she was on the inside. He says, the part of her that’s a mother, and she says she needed to go home, see her kid, and remind herself of what’s truly important. He says it sounds like she reached a turning point, and she says they’d been involved long enough to manufacture evidence, and leave a trail for the FBI to find. So that’s what they did. They framed Cyrus crimes he actually committed. Curtis says, it worked; Cyrus got life, but Jordan says, because they broke the laws they swore to uphold. They were just as dirty as Cyrus. Curtis says, no, no, no, no, no. They didn’t sell drugs to little kids; they saved lives. She says he should be upset, and he says he is. How could she not tell him, and shut him out when trouble came? If the roles were reversed, she’d be furious with him. She says he’s right. She was selfish, and didn’t want her undercover work to touch the life she has with him. He says she’s got to be all in, or it’s not going to work. She says, on the other side, he doesn’t know Cyrus. He’s a monster, and just set up base in their backyard. Curtis holds her.
Sonny says Michael is thinking of giving up his son? All he’d be doing is dragging out the pain. Everyone knows, and more important, Michael does. Even if Lucas moves to China, there’s no amount of distance that can sever that tie. They can’t fix what Brad and Nelle did, but can give Wiley the best life they can. Michael says he’s right about everything, but how does he tell Lucas? Sonny says, say the words, and Lucas will respect that.There’s only one way this can end. Michael knows this. Michael says he still wants Lucas in Wiley’s life, and Sasha says, tell him. It will be a different relationship, but that doesn’t make it any less meaningful. Sonny says, she’s wise; listen to her. Michael says he does. It just hit him, Lucas isn’t the only one facing a loss. Chase is telling Willow that the child she loved all this time isn’t hers, and her own son is gone.
Willow tells Chase, now she understands why Brad was so tense around her. She thought he was afraid she’d change her mind and take Wiley back. If she’d gone through with rescinding the adoption, she would have taken a baby that wasn’t hers, and when Shiloh tried to get custody, Brad could have stopped it at any time. All he had to do was tell the truth. Chase says, Brad’s weak, and easily manipulated. He’s been under Nelle’s thumb since they switched the babies. That’s why Brad was at Nelle’s parole hearing, and let her stay at his apartment. She’s been blackmailing him. Willow says, he let her.
Bobbie asks if Lucas believes it was all Nelle’s idea, and he says, Brad has told his fair share of lies, but it seems like something Nelle would come up with. Carly says it was the perfect opportunity to hurt Michael, and by extension, hurt her. She’s Nelle’s real target; the focus of Nelle’s envy and obsession. They’re collateral damage. Lucas says Wiley likes to be read to after his snack. Brad usually packs his favorite book. He digs in Wiley’s bag, and brings out a sippy cup. He says if you freeze them, it’s good for teething. Carly says, that’s sweet, and Wiley laughs. Lucas asks if she remembers when he asked her what the hardest part of parenting was, and Carly says, knowing what’s the right thing to do.
Jordan thanks Curtis for loving her, and he says, of course (🍷). He always will. Anyone who comes for her, will have to go through him. She says that’s not what she wants. She doesn’t want him to be the price she pays for her mistakes. He says he can protect himself, and she says, do that, and keep an eye on TJ as well. It will be easier for her to do what she has to. He asks, what is it she’s going to do? and she says she’s the Police Commissioner. No one is going to burn Port Charles down on her watch.
Julian tells Ava, she’ll want to steer clear. Brad is spineless, and could break at any point, and spill his guts. Ava says then they’ll have to intervene before Brad has a chance to give him up.
Nelle says she finally had a chance to be with her son, and now she’s trapped because of Brad’s terrible lies. The guard says they can’t have him badgering other prisoners, and takes him out. Brad says, she’s lying, and when he’s gone, Nelle smiles.
Willow tells Chase, she tried to like Brad over and over, but she didn’t; she couldn’t. Part of her knew what he was like. Brad is a lying coward who cares more about himself than Wiley. Wiley could have had his father the whole time, had Michael raise and love him, and now… He’s so young, and his whole world is upside down.Brad did this to him, his so-called father; the man she chose to raise her son. Chase says, she picked Lucas, but she says, no. She trusted her son to Brad, and Brad let him die. She says, oh my God. Brad traded him in like a faulty appliance. She cries, and says, there was no one there who loved him. No one knew him. She sobs, and Chase takes her in his arms.
Lucas brings Wiley out, and Michael asks if Wiley enjoyed his snack. Lucas says, he did; he ate all of it. Michael says, he loves his animal crackers. Lucas tells Wiley, hey, buddy. He knows his Uncle Michael, and knows how much he loves to play games with Wiley and tell him stories. He has a nice surprise. Wiley is going home with him. He gives Michael Wiley’s bag, and says, there’s more snacks, a bedtime book, and diapers. He tells Wiley, I love you buddy, and kisses the top of Wiley’s head. He gives Wiley to Michael, and tries not to cry. He says, take good care of your son, and Bobbie hugs Lucas. Everyone looks sad.
The acting was so good, even though I can’t relate at all, they had me tearing up.
On Monday, Nikolas needs Elizabeth’s help, Ava asks Franco if Nikolas and Elizabeth had an affair, Julian tells Brad that it’s on him, and Carly tells Sonny that Nelle is the mastermind
🍑 Like She’s Ever Going Anywhere…
They’ll have to pry that peach out of her cold, dead hand.
It takes a lot of time to be a genius. You have to sit around so much, doing nothing, really doing nothing. – Gertrude Stein (I might have found my calling!)
Confidence is 10 percent hard work and 90 percent delusion, just thinking foolishly that you will be able to do what you want to do. – Tina Fey
If his grades get any lower, we’ll have to start renting him out as a speedbump. – Charlie (Charlie Sheen), Two and a Half Men
Every now and then I like to do as I’m told, just to confuse people. – Tamora Pierce
The worst part of success is trying to find someone who is happy for you. – Bette Midler
I’ll try anything once, twice if I like it, three times to make sure. – Mae West
Don’t spend time beating on a wall, hoping to transform it into a door. – Coco Chanel (Love that! Now if I can just learn it…)
There is no passion to be found in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living. – Nelson Mandela
The price of greatness is responsibility. – Winston Churchill
Death, taxes, and childbirth! There’s never any convenient time for any of them. – Margaret Mitchell
So, your kids must love the iPad? I asked Mr. [Steve] Jobs, trying to change the subject. The company’s first tablet was just hitting the shelves. They haven’t used it, he told me. We limit how much technology our kids use at home. – Nick Bilton
Today was good. Today was fun. Tomorrow is another one. – Dr. Seuss
👠 Friday Night…
I went to see a revival Mack & Mabel on Broadway. I couldn’t find a version of this from the performance I saw, but close enough. Since no good time goes unpunished, this is an appropriate song for today. See you when the Deadreturn.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
I missed the very beginning, but the only important factor was that Jordan went to see Cyrus.
Sasha meets Chase at the door, and says he needs to hear this for Willow’s sake. Carly tells Michael, she knows how horrible it is, but it all makes sense. Wiley looks just like him. His son is alive, and all Michael has to do is just go get him. Michael faces Brad, and asks if Brad has any idea how many lives he trashed, and the pain he’s caused. For the past year, Willow has been sacrificing and agonizing over a baby that’s not hers. Lucas fell in love with a baby that’s not his, and Michael and his family grieved. Brad says, it was Nelle’s idea, but Michael says it doesn’t matter whose idea it was. How could Brad do it? Brad says he was in shock, and Michael says Brad went along with it for over a year. How could he do that to the people he claims to love? How could he do that to Wiley? Brad says he was grieving; he couldn’t see straight. Michael says he made the worst mistake possible, and now he’s going to pay for it.
Nelle brings Wiley out, and passes Willow, who’s slumped on the floor. Nelle says all Wiley needed was his mom. Here she is, and she’s not going anywhere.
Cyrus asks what he should call Jordan, and she says, the Commissioner of Police. He says there’s no time like the present, but she was more interesting in the past. A passionate woman; his right hand. He asks if she remembers those days, and if the things she did haunt her. She says he gave the orders, and made things happen. He asks if she was always a traitor, or did someone turn her? She asks what he thinks, and he says he thinks she was a young, single mother, eager to learn, or she could have been gathering evidence. Her child must be grown now, and out of college. Med school perhaps?
Jason tells Sonny, they sent a clear message. Cyrus has to understand; he has too much to lose. Sonny says, controlling the Port Charles harbor might not be the end game. When he visited Cyrus last time, he said he had personal reasons for being there.
Curtis lurks outside of Kelly’s. Cameron says Trina didn’t mention her father was in town. Trina says she usually goes to see him, since the world revolves around him. Taggert says, fathers are the center of their daughter’s universe; everyone knows that. Call him old-fashioned, but he likes to know the young men who take his daughter out. Cameron says, sir, after everything, and doesn’t know why he’s saying it. Taggert says, manners, or maybe instinct. Trina apologizes to Cameron, saying her father is a retired cop, and his life’s mission is to embarrass her. Taggert asks how he’s doing, and she says, for his information, they’re going to the dance as friends. He says she neglected to introduce him to Cameron, so she does, and says, happy? and Cameron says, nice to meet him. Taggert asks if he’s any relation to Elizabeth, and Cameron says, she’s his mother. Does Taggert know her? Taggert says he knows a lot of people in Port Charles.
Cyrus says he’s a man of few mistakes, and trusting her was his biggest. She says it worked out all right for her. Look where she is and look where he is. He says he’s looking, but more important, he sees. He wondered what happened to her and if she got back in the trade. Did she bring her new employers down? She says, sometimes. He asks if that’s how she became Police Commissioner, and she says, something like that. He says, imagine his surprise when he found out his protégé was Police Commissioner of Port Charles. She suggests they get down to business. Somebody leaked her identity to him. He says if she came to embarrass him, mission accomplished. He admits one traitor is a mistake, but four? To paraphrase Oscar Wilde, it sounds like carelessness. He hopes her associates are okay, and she says, two are dead. He says, natural causes? and she asks if they’re going to do this dance. He says, it’s been so long since he’s seen her, he wants to savor every moment. So yes, they’re going to… She says, two men are dead with drugs pumped into their systems. He says the drugs weren’t his; he was holding them for a friend. She says he thinks this is funny. That’s the kind of monster he is. Uh-oh. I thought it was funny too.
Brad knows he was wrong, and regrets it more than he can say. Michael says he was in it with Nelle, and Carly asks if that’s why Brad insisted on speaking with Nelle alone. Brad says, yes. She wanted to say goodbye to Wiley. She insisted on seeing Wiley, and he… Oh God. Michael asks what Brad did, and Brad says he told Nelle that Wiley was with Willow at her apartment. Michael says, let’s go, but Carly says they’re not done. She asks how Brad could let Nelle near Wiley when he knew what she was capable of? He cares more about protecting his own ass than taking care of that little boy. It’s unforgivable .
Nelle checks Wiley’s bag, and says, no change of clothes. His daddies must have thought they wouldn’t be away long. It will have to do for tonight. She looks at Wiley’s passport, and shows him. She says, from now on, she’s going to be Barbara Langdon, and he’s her little boy William. Thank God he looks like his picture. She says she’s going to get his coat, then he and mommy are going on a little trip.
Trina tells Cameron, her dad lived in Port Charles back in the stone age. He says he met Trina’s mom there, and Cameron says, small world.
Jordan says Cyrus killed them both, but he says he has an alibi. She says he ordered the hits, and he says, DEA agents never have any drug problems? They call it, occupational hazard, but he calls it karma. Speaking of which, the others were expendable. If he comes for her, she’ll be watching as all she knows and loves burns to ashes. Starting with the city she’s sworn to serve and protect. Wow. That’s a lot of bravado for a dude whose first move totally tanked. She says he’s moving in on Sonny’s territory, but he says he’s rotting away in there. She says he started a mob war to get back at her, and he says the fact that there’s a mob suggests she’s not as good at her new job as she was at her old one. Thanks for the tip. She says she’s going to make sure he doesn’t get away with this, and pledges that the good citizens of Port Charles will sleep soundly. There’s a knock at the door, and a guard comes in. Cyrus says, visiting hours are over. Their time is up. Have a lovely evening. I don’t think it works like that, since she’s a Police Commissioner, but okay.
Jason asks what Sonny means by personal. Cyrus has no history with them. Sonny says, not before now, but because of the ambush, Cyrus has got to be talking about somebody else. Jason says he had a monopoly in the Pacific Northwest, and suddenly decided to branch out? Why wouldn’t he just expand the territory he has; it’s too risky. Sonny says, unless Cyrus is in it for more than money.
Cameron says his mother never mentioned anything about a snake, and Taggert says, somebody put it there. When they’re old enough, and mature enough to understand, they’ll learn the legend of Faith Rosco. Trina says she knows who that is; it’s in Lucy’s book. So can Cameron take her to the stupid dance? Taggert asks what Cameron’s intentions are, and Trina says, they’re going as friends; there are no intentions. Taggert says he’s choosing to believe her. She says, thanks, and he tells her, thank her mom. He talked to her, and she told him the same thing. Trina asks if he’d like them to write a statement and have it notarized. He says, possibly, but in the meantime, have her mom give him a call. There’s something important they need to discuss. He notices Curtis outside.
Carly says, a squad car is on the way, and they’re going to make an arrest. Brad reaches out to Lucas, and says he has to understand why… but Lucas says, don’t touch him. Julian says, it’s not the right time, and Carly says Brad is going to be arrested for kidnapping and fraud. Brad says, okay, but asks if someone can reach Willow and warn her. Lucas says Brad has been harboring this dirty little secret with Nelle for a long time. Tell him – and for once tell the truth – did anybody else know?
Nelle gets Wiley’s jacket, and opens the door. Chase and Michael are standing there, and Michael looks at Wiley.
Taggert, Trina and Cameron leave Kelly’s and Taggert says, hey Curtis. Trina asks, what’s going on? and Taggert asks if Curtis is following him. Curtis says he came to pick up an order, and Taggert says, is that why Curtis was peering at him through the window? Did he think it was a drive-through, and realize he had no car? Curtis says he came to get a burger, and saw Taggert. He’s seen enough of him for one day, and figured Taggert felt the same way, so he decided to go to The Floating Rib. Taggert says, but first Curtis thought he’d corner him and give him the third degree about spending time with his daughter? Curtis says he didn’t know Taggert had a daughter, and Tagger wonders why. Curtis has been running a background on his life, and it’s none of his business. Curtis says, the hell it isn’t. If Taggert hadn’t been creeping around town with Curtis’s wife, it wouldn’t be going down this way. Jordan shows up, and says, that’s enough.
Michael tells Nelle, put the baby down, and she asks if Chase is going to shoot her while she’s holding her son. Chase says, it’s time to give Michael back his son, and she says he’s her son too. Chase says Brad told them everything, and she says she’s sure Brad told them a lot of things, but she can guarantee it’s not everything.
Lucas asks Brad, who else knew Wiley was Michael’s son? Tell him. Brad says, besides him and Nelle… no one was involved in switching the babies. Lucas asks how Brad could do this to his family; to their family. Brad says he panicked. He wanted be the strong one for a change. He’s always been the mess, the screw-up. For the first time, he was the strong one. He’d told Lucas nothing could stop them from having a baby. We flash back to Brad promising Lucas that they’ll bring the baby home, and be amazing parents. Nothing can stop them. Brad tells Lucas, he couldn’t say no to a second chance, and Bobbie says, please. It wasn’t a second chance. It was kidnapping, plain and simple.
Chase tells Nelle, he’ll bite. What hasn’t Brad told them? She says, the truth. Does Michael believe she hates him so much, she’d keep his baby from him? Michael says, she tried to kill him, and left him for dead. He believes it. Nelle says, even if she did, does he think she’d give the baby to Brad? He says, Brad is her only friend, and she says, he stole her baby. She was delirious. She’d just given birth on the side of the road. The baby was beautiful, and she decided to go back for Michael, hoping to get back in time to save him, and maybe save their family. When she saw Jonah’s face, it made her forgive Michael, and she thought their son would have the same effect on him, and he’d forgive her. He asks, what stopped her? and she says she was in and out of consciousness, holding on to their boy, trying to protect him. The next thing she knew, there was a poor, lifeless child in her arms. I sincerely hope Michael and Chase aren’t buying this.
Jordan asks if someone will tell her what this is about, and Cameron says he has nothing to do with it. He just got off probation, and it’s the last thing he needs. Jordan asks for an explanation, and Taggert says he was in Kelly’s, spending some rare, precious time with his daughter, and Curtis was tailing him. Curtis says, if he’d been tailing Taggert, Taggert would never have known. Taggert says he has reason enough to be looking over his shoulder, and Jordan says, let her handle it. Curtis wonders why he’s the one who needs to be handled; they’re keeping secrets. Jordan tells him to back off. Trina asks if everything is okay, and Taggert says, everything is fine, and suggests they go back inside.
Jason tells Sonny, maybe Cyrus is telling the truth, and transferred to Pentenville because of personal ties. Since he’s been there, he saw the opportunity to expand, but when he tried to take them out, he failed. His first shipment was blown up, and he lost $20 million. Why not cut his losses? Sonny asks, what’s more important than money? Love and revenge. Jason doesn’t think Cyrus is there for love, and Sonny says, that leaves revenge. Sam calls Jason, and says, there’s something he and Sonny need to know.
Nelle says, when she heard there was a party, and overheard the baby was actually Jonah, she came back. Chase asks how she heard there was a party. Was she lurking? She says she was curious, so she peeked in from the terrace. Thank God she did. When she heard Lucas say the baby wasn’t their son, suddenly, it all came back. She remembered being in the woods, in and out of consciousness, and remembered Brad taking her baby, and placing the dead child in her arms. She had to get there. For all she knew, Willow was part of the lies. Michael asks where Willow is, and what Nelle did to her. Nelle tells him, all she has to say is, she’s as much of a victim as he is. Would they believe Brad’s word over hers? Chase says, in a heartbeat. She says, believe what they want; she finally has her baby back, and no one is taking Jonah. Michael says she’s not going anywhere, and his name is Wiley. Nobody is going to believe her. It’s over this time. Don’t make it more difficult than it has to be. Give him his son. Standing behind Nelle, Chase says, hand over the baby. Michael takes Wiley, and Wiley smiles.
Bobbie says Brad almost had her with the grieving father bit. He says, it’s not a bit. Bobbie says, the baby died, and he brought home and kept Michael’s child. He didn’t care about Michael, Lucas, or anyone but himself. Brad says he did it for Lucas, and Lucas says, really? Brad stole his nephew’s baby, and caused pain and grief. Now he’s supposed to thank Brad? Brad says he thought about coming clean, but he convinced himself he was doing the right thing. Sam asks, how? and he says Nelle convinced him that the baby was safer with them than Michael. Bobbie says, it still didn’t give him the right, and Lucas says, if he’d just told the truth, even the next day. He would have been heartbroken, but they would have gotten through it together. Now, not only did he lose his son, he’s lost their family. Brad says, that’s not true, but Lucas says Brad devastated them. He can’t even look at Brad. He turns away, and Carly glares at Brad.
Trina asks Taggert what that was about, and Cameron asks if they want to talk alone. Taggert tells them, stay there. There’s nothing Trina needs to worry about. She says, it didn’t sound like nothing, and he says there’s something he needs to take care of; stay. If Cameron is going to show he’s trustworthy, this is his one and only test. Make sure to walk Trina home tonight. Trina says she’s getting a ride share, and Taggert tells Cameron, make sure she gets home safe. Cameron says he can do that, and Taggert tells Trina to make sure her mom calls him. It’s important.
Back at her office, Jordan asks what the hell Curtis is doing. Stalking Taggert? He says, following, not stalking, and she wonders what the difference is. He says she’s been lying to him since Taggert hit town. What was he supposed to do? She says, trust her, because she’s his wife. He says that’s exactly why she should trust him. She says there are things in their respective lines of work that they can’t tell each other, and he says, the secrecy is about work? She says, yes, but he says he knows her, and knows when she’s not being truthful and when she’s in over her head. She tells him, drop it, and he says, and do what? She says, let it go, and he says, and let Taggert enjoy quality time with his daughter? The daughter she never mentioned? She says, why should she? and he says he wants to know if she has something to do with it. What he’s asking her is, is she Trina’s mother?
Chase finds Willow, and checks for a pulse. He says, thank God, and tells her that he needs her to wake up. She asks, what happened? and he says she was hit on the head. He’s going to get her to the hospital, and everything will be okay. He promises. He comes out, carrying Willow, and an officer is arresting Nelle. Michael asks how badly Willow is hurt, and Chase says he’s going to take her to the hospital. Michael thanks him, and Nelle says, bye, Willow. Sonny arrives, and asks if Michael is okay. Michael says, they both are; him and Sonny’s grandson. Nelle is taken away.
An officer cuffs Brad. Brad tells Lucas, he did what he thought was best to do for their family, because he loved Lucas and Wiley so much. If any part of Lucas understands, just look at him. Lucas refuses to turn in Brad’s direction, and Brad is taken away.
Jordan says, really? and Curtis says, stranger things have happened. She says, fine. Yes. Trina is her daughter. In fact, she’s had at least one child with every man she’s ever worked with. The world is littered with her undercover babies, as she likes to call them. He says, that’s not an answer. She says, let her make something abundantly clear, she and Taggert have never been involved in any way other than professionally. He asks, then how come every time she and Taggert are together, they hide secrets? Not just little secrets about the bad old days, but big secrets, the kind you take to your grave. If they’re doing like that, let him in. Taggert comes in, and says, Curtis is right. It’s time they told him everything.
Trina says her dad means well, but that was extreme. Why shouldn’t she make sure Cameron gets home safe? Cameron says her dad asked him to look after her, and he has the feeling if he doesn’t, her dad will know. She says, he will. Cameron says, he seems… She says, intense? Stern? Old school? All of the above? Cameron says he felt like he should be saluting, and she says she could tell since he called her dad sir at least twelve times. She tells Cameron, don’t worry. He’s not as intense once he warms up to you. He says he can’t imagine her dad being more intense. That thing that happened with Curtis. Does it happen often? She says she’s seen her dad angry, but that was next level pissed. He asks if her dad is going to be armed when he comes to pick her up, or is he going to chaperone? Trina says, why do that when he could follow them?
Jordan tells Taggert, come in, and close the door. She tells her assistant to hold her calls; she’s conferring with the DEA. Curtis asks if he missed something. Since when is Taggert back with the DEA? Jordan says they need to discuss a case they worked on, and Curtis can’t be part of it. Curtis says he’s already a part of it. Taggert says, Curtis is right. They need to tell him, so he can protect himself. Or does Jordan want the body count to keep rising?
Sam tells Jason that she’s going to go. The last thing she needs is her parole officer showing up. They kiss, and she says she loves him.
Lucas says he can’t wrap his head around it. How could Brad do something like this? Jason comes in, and asks if Carly is okay. She says, it’s a twisted version of history repeating itself. They kept Michael from Sonny for the first years of his life, and now the same thing happened with Wiley. He asks if she’s worried that she’s going to be called a hypocrite, but Carly says she doesn’t care. They were trying to make sure Michael had the best life possible; Brad and Nelle were just looking out for themselves. Look at the damage they caused. Jason says he’s sorry, but he has to take care of something. Just tell Michael that he loves him. Carly hugs Jason, and says, he knows. Go.
Willow sleeps. When she opens her eyes, Chase is there. He tells her that she’s at GH. She’s had a minor concussion, but she’ll be okay. She asks, what happened? The last thing she remembers, she was watching Wiley. She starts to sit up, saying, oh my God, Nelle was there. She wanted to take Wiley. He says, it’s all right, and she asks where Wiley is, and if he’s okay.
Lucas doesn’t understand how Brad could keep this kind of secret. Not just from him, but from Michael. Julian says Brad thought he was protecting Lucas, and Bobbie says, only Julian could find a rationalization for Brad’s behavior. Julian says he’s not condoning it, but they’ve all made mistakes to protect someone they loved. Lucas says, not like this. This was… Bobbie says, indecent. Carly says they’re all there for him; his entire family. Lucas says, not the entire family. His husband is a stranger, and his son… Sonny walks in, followed by Michael holding Wiley.
Tomorrow, Curtis says there’s something Jordan is still hiding, Julian tells Ava the truth about Wiley, Sonny wonders how Brad got his hands on Michael’s son, and Willow freaks out when she learns the truth.
🐍 Snake On the Loose…
Or what Taggert called, the legend of Faith Rosco. I looked it up, and have no recollection whatsoever of this storyline, but I might not have been watching for one reason or another at the time. What Taggert was referring to, was on May 14th, 2003.
Victoria said her brain was not ready for a new challenge. It was her birthday, but she didn’t feel inspired. She came out to find at least three dozen roses from her husband, and in her interview, she said her husband had sacrificed everything so she could go into designing. She didn’t want to think of disappointing him. Karlie told the designers, at this point, it was about raw talent, lot of work, and the spark of ambition and drive. She introduced a group of Team USA athletes, who would be competing in Japan at the 2020 Olympics and Paralympics. She explained that athletes had unique bodies, and it was hard for them to find clothes off the rack. And while athleisure was great, they sometimes wanted to dress up. The challenge was to create a victory dress to wear when they celebrated their 2020 games accomplishments. Adaptive design was also an important factor – the ability of those with special needs to get in and out of the garment. In Nancy’s interview, she said she was an all-inclusive designer, and her perfect match was the sprinter in the wheelchair. In a moment of Divine Providence, they were paired up. It was a one-day challenge, and the contestants began with a 30 minute sketch period, in which their client was also involved. At Mood, Christian fretted that there were too many red gowns, but no one wanted to give up their color. Geoffrey said he wasn’t going outside what the client wanted, and they wanted red. Nancy’s client requested a train, and Nancy said if it got caught in the wheels, it would be goodbye Nancy.
Sergio helped some of his competitors with technical issues, and in his interview, he said he was happy to help. He want to beat the others on the runway, not because they didn’t know how to do something. Nancy said this challenge wasn’t about wining, but fulfilling her client’s fantasy. Geoffrey’s client was pregnant, and also had something specific in mind. Christian wanted more going on with Geoffrey’s design, and in his interview, Geoffrey said Christian was trying to be helpful, but wasn’t in on the consultation. His client didn’t want giant sleeves, and wanted something elegant and classy Brittany said they were shooting for something that would make already accomplished athletes feel like winners.
Tragedy struck when Geoffrey went to iron his red dress, and there was something black on the iron. He said his garment went from fabulous to crap in a matter of seconds. There were only two black dresses – Brittany’s and Nancy’s – and it looked like the culprit was Nancy. She said she always tried to be careful, and felt pretty badly about it. I wondered what kind of fabric sticks to an iron?
The guest judge was Lindsey Vonn, from the USA Ski Team, who’s had 82 victories (more than any other woman), including four World Cup championships. Victoria’s dress was short, and her usual asymmetrical with cut-outs. Zzzz… Sergio made his pregnant client a long, flowing yellow gown, with a cut out in back, and she looked gorgeous. Marquise’s client not only had a prosthetic leg, but was quite small, and one of her issues had been finding clothing that was for adults. He’d made her gown as requested with a slit to show off her leg. Brittany’s was more formal, black, off-the-shoulder, and sparkly. Geoffrey’s was short, satiny, and sparkly, with rhinestone spaghetti straps. Nancy’s creation also sparkled, and she achieved her goal of a train that didn’t get stuck, despite her client twirling.
Nancy’s gown got high praise, and she pointed out that it was also adaptable, since she used Velcro on parts of it. The skirt detached to reveal and under-skirt, exciting Brandon (a reveal!), and the train was also detachable. Karlie said no one even noticed the chair; they just saw her. Nina said it was fashion, function, and fantasy; a winning combination. Geoffrey’s client was a wrestler, and said she’d dressed like a boy growing up, because she wanted to fit in. Now, she wanted to show young girls that they didn’t have to change their femininity to be included. Brandon said as far as the iron stain was concerned, it was a non-issue, since accidents happen, and he thought the look was expensive.
Lindsey was impressed with everyone, and Nina said their goal was to make their clients feel incredible, and everyone had achieved that. The scores were the closest they’d been in the entire competition. Nina thought Sergio’s gown radiated joy and beauty, but it was very day, and she thought the client’s baby bump could have been celebrated more. Sergio said he was going for comfort, but Brandon said comfort wasn’t always about loose. It was about confidence and feeling good. Nina felt Brittany’s dress was pretty, but cliché, and wanted to see something more creative. Brittany said her client was happy, and that’s all she needed. Lindsey said a client might want something particular, but a designer might give them an idea they end up liking more. There was a big color debate over Nancy choosing black, but it had been a client request as well. It also wasn’t like an LBD, there was a silver overlay going on. Brandon said Nancy had done a good job accommodating the client’s needs. Nina told Geoffrey, while there were no points off for the stain, when his client moved, you could almost see too much. Although Marquise had tried to get away from his client looking girlish, both Karle and Lindsey thought her gown could have been more sophisticated.
Karlie said it was impressive and inspiring how the designers catered to their client’s needs. Elaine said Victoria managed that while staying true to herself; they could see immediately that it was her design. Yeah, like I said, zzzzz… Nina said Nancy went the extra mile, and Brandon said he’d seen Nancy had been consistently concerned about the person she was dressing. Lindsey felt Marquise hadn’t put much time or thought into his dress, and Karlie said it was a standard silhouette. Brandon said Sergio’s cap sleeves and bust were a mess, but he liked the unexpected cut out in the back. Nina said Brittany’s client might have been happy, but the dress was a standard black dress. Brandon added that any woman could wear it. Elaine told Geoffrey, she thought his dress was tacky, but Karlie thought it was the only one that looked like a victorious party dress; something the client could go to the club in afterward. Elaine said, tacky and shiny, and Brandon said he thought it was fabulous. Well, there you go.
Victoria and Nancy were the two favorites, and Nancy was the big winner. Nina said she was impressed. The dress was a celebration of an athlete with a disability, and was both functional and fashionable. Nancy said if she’d had an opportunity to win every challenge, she would give it up for that one. Brandon told the remaining designers that they’d all succeeded in making their clients happy, but there were mistakes that couldn’t be overlooked. They were all… safe. Brandon said they’d fallen short on some design elements and technicalities, but all of their clients felt like the best version of themselves. Afterward, Geoffrey said he was terrified, since they’d be letting two go next time. Victoria said she’d wanted them to be less [sic].
Next time, the designers are challenged to be avant-garde, using NYC’s Vessel in Hudson Yards for inspiration. They have to go big or go home.
Having gotten an opportunity to participate in life outside of a screen tomorrow evening, I probably won’t be able to post Friday’s usual until Saturday. That’s if I don’t decide to go off on a motorcycle and find myself…
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
In her office, Jordan starts to get on the computer. The door opens, and she says she told them, no interruptions. Curtis says he told her assistant to go ahead and arrest him. She says, sorry. It’s just been a circus there tonight. He guesses so. Between the mob violence, the Cassadine craziness, and her old buddy Taggert.
Mac runs into Taggert outside Kelly’s. He asks how long it’s been, and they hug. Taggert says, too long.
Inside Kelly’s, Cameron joins Trina. She says he’s back, and she says, finally. Don’t leave for that long ever again.
Cyrus is brought to the visitor room, and Sonny is there. Cyrus sits, and says, Mr. Corinthos. He assumes Sonny has reconsidered his stance, and is making room for him in Port Charles. Sonny says, yeah. Room to leave.
A worker checks out some boxes at the pier where Cyrus’s warehouse is. Jason puts a gun in his back.
Willow asks Chase if Finn left, and he says, just now. She asks what he thinks is going to happen with Finn and Anna. Chase says he’s hoping they work things out, but maybe throwing a kid into the mix is too much for them. She asks if that’s how he feels about Wiley, but he says, no.
Nelle looks in on the bon voyage party. Julian tells Lucas, it will be fine; relax. Lucas says, it’s right there. They were in the car… He smacks himself in the head, and Sam says, calm down. Talk to them. Julian thinks Lucas is overstimulated by the party, and suggests getting Wiley. It will be better once he has his son. Michael says he’ll go, but Julian thinks it’s better if he does. Lucas remembers Brad saying Wiley isn’t the baby they adopted. He’s Michael and Nelle’s son. Lucas looks up, and says, Michael. Michael asks, what is it? What’s wrong? Lucas says Wiley is his son. Julian is like, d’oh! and everyone is in shock.
Nelle watches, and Michael tells Lucas, take it easy. He’s not making sense. Brad says, Michael is right, and reaches for Lucas, but Lucas says, don’t touch him. He’s not tired and he’s not crazy. He knows what he heard. Carly tells him, take a breath. She says she’s going to talk to her brother. Everyone can stay or go; she doesn’t care, but the two people who can’t leave are Brad and Michael. No one goes anywhere, since this is too good to miss.
Willow tells Chase she’s sorry she didn’t run it by him before she said yes. He says, don’t be, and she asks if they’re at that point. Does she have to check in before she says yes to being her son’s guardian? He says, there’s not an app for that? and she says, unfortunately not. He says he’s not surprised. Why wouldn’t Willow say yes? Wiley is amazing, and she obviously loves him. She says she’s asking because she just wants to know if they’re in this together. Wiley – who gets cuter by the second – says, mama, and she says she wants to be a part of Wiley’s life, God forbid something happens to his parents. Chase kisses her over Wiley’s head, and she says, that’s a lot.
Trina asks Cameron, how was the trip? He says, amazing, and she says she could tell by the pictures. She loves seeing the campuses, and asks what his favorite was. He says, Williams, and she says it was on her list. He wonders if they’ll end up at the same school, and she says he should be so lucky. She doesn’t have his high school credits. They talk about the soccer team at Williams, and Cameron asks what he missed. She says, not much. He says, that’s it? Time didn’t stand still while he was gone. He asks how the gallery is, and she says, awesome; she’s in charge of the next auction catalog. He asks how Josslyn is.
Cyrus says Sonny has gotten complacent, running Port Charles for so long. He’s moving in. Ask anyone; when he moves in, he doesn’t leave. Sonny says, 457 Water Street.
Jason has the guy at the pier down, with his hands behind his back. He asks, how many more guys are there? and the man says, five. Jason says he’s lying, and the man says if he knows the answer, why is he asking? Jason says, to see if he’ll cooperate, and the guy says, if he wants cooperation, get out now, while he’s still alive.
The guy says he knows who Jason is. He did his homework. Jason Morgan, the Corinthos enforcer. Jason’s boss is good, but his is better. I laugh, since it sounds like a kid saying his dad is bigger. He tells Jason that they don’t want to go sideways with his boss. What do they think will happen? They’re going to hijack Cyrus’s merchandise, all $20 million worth, and sell it themselves? It’s suicide. He says he’s nice guy, and willing to forget Jason showed up and let him walk away. Nobody messes with Cyrus and lives. Jason guesses they’ll have to find that out.
Sonny tells Cyrus, he knows the waterfront well; he’s been there a lot of years. Cyrus says, too many, and Sonny says, the building was sold without a listing. A truck in a holding company registered to Cyrus left Seattle, and was there days ago. Two or three hours ago, they were offloading cargo. Cyrus says Sonny is about to make a big mistake, and Sonny says, Cyrus already made one.
Trina says she’ll gladly tell Cameron about Josslyn, on one condition. He has to say he likes her. Cameron says, that’s blackmail, and Trina says, if he’s not interested, cool. He can check out her MyFace page. If he likes Josslyn, she’ll give him details. Admission first. He says nothing, and she asks if it’s that hard. He says it is, and she asks, why? He says because it’s not like he just thinks she’s cute and talks to her at lunch kind of thing. It’s real for him. Fine. He likes her a lot.
Taggert says Mac is back in the game; Chief of Detectives. Congratulations. Mac thanks him, and says, what about him? He knows Taggert was with the Feds. Taggert says he was, but it got to be too much after a while. He retired. Mac says he sees, and Taggert says, what? Mac says, the timing is a little too coincidental. He’s back in town just when a mob war with Sonny is about to blow up.
Jordan asks what makes Curtis think there’s some trouble with Taggert? He says she hasn’t been herself since Taggert arrived. He can connect the dots. She says, there’s been an outbreak in violence, but he says he’s seen her in a crisis. She’s calm, but this is different. He thinks it’s personal. She says she doesn’t know what to tell him, and he says she better come up with something. She’s acting shady, and as her husband, he has a right to know why.
Willow asks what Chase wants to do first, and he says he didn’t know there was an agenda. She says it’s their going away party for Wiley. She wants to do all the stuff they won’t be able to. She tries to give Wiley some grapes, but Wiley says, no. She says, the things they would have done, had she gotten to be Wiley’s nanny. He tells her that she doesn’t have to pretend it’s not hard, but she says she has plenty of time to be sad and miss Wiley. She refuses to waste tonight. The point of a going away party is to celebrate the person while you still have them. So she asks again, where do they start? Chase says, dinner, and Willow hands Wiley to him. He says, Wiley is getting big. Truth!
Done with feeding Wiley, Chase thinks Wiley got more on himself than in his mouth. Willow says, that’s half the fun of eating. He says, next up, bath time. She asks how he knew, and he says, lucky guess.
Lucas does some heavy breathing, and Carly asks, when he says Wiley is Michael’s son, is he saying Michael has a son he doesn’t know about, or is he saying Wiley is Jonah? Lucas says, he’s Jonah, Michael and Nelle’s son. She asks how he knows this, and he says Brad told him. Right before the accident, the last thing Brad said was, Wiley’s not the baby they adopted; he belongs to Michael. He’s Lucas’s nephew. Carly asks Brad if he wants to explain how they’ve been raising Michael’s son – her grandson – for the past year and a half.
Jason tells the guy to call his man to come out there. The guy says Jason is digging his own grave, and calls to a guy I’m calling Dingus, since that’s what his name sounded like, and somebody needs a name here. The guy says he needs Dingus out front. Dingus comes out, and Jason says, hands up, walk over there. Dingus does as he’s told, and Jason says, on his knees. Jason ties him up, and the first guy asks if Jason is going to execute them. Jason says, not him. He needs them alive as witnesses.
Cyrus tells Sonny, it’s not just him. Sonny will have his overseas partners to contend with. Sonny doesn’t think they’ll focus their anger on him. Cyrus botched a $20 million shipment; it’s a significant loss. Cyrus says Sonny will have nowhere to sell it. If he does, what distributor would take a chance on merchandise stolen from him? Sonny asks, who says he’s selling it?
Curtis tells Jordan, things were fine before her former partner showed up. She’s been all over the place since Taggert got there. He talked to Taggert, because he wanted to get answers, and Taggert told him to talk to her. When he was going to do that, he found her in Taggert’s arms on Pier 55. Don’t deny it. She says she won’t, and asks if he’s following her. He says, not her; Taggert. Tell him what the hell is going on. She and Taggert are more than partners. She says he’s wrong, and jumping to conclusions. He tells her, help him jump to the right one. She says it has nothing to do with him. He says, that’s not an answer. He knows her, and knows there’s something she’s not telling him. She says, it’s the nature of her work, and he says, since when? She says there are things she can’t tell him. Sorry. He’ll have to trust her. Curtis says his brother took her on faith, and she cheated on him. So…
Willow tells Chase that she doesn’t know who got more wet, him or Wiley. Chase says Wiley can’t keep the water in the tub, and she says he’s the one who wanted to turn the boat around. He says, it was a police boat; how could he resist? They kiss, and she tells Wiley, we are fed, we are clean, we are almost ready for bed. Chase says he ordered food, and it should be there in 30 minutes. She says, no one goes to sleep without a story. Chase is pretty sure it’s illegal, and she says he would know. She asks if he’d like to do the honors, and he says, absolutely. He reads from Mother Goose: ride a cock-horse to Banbury Cross, to see an old lady upon a white horse; rings on her fingers, and bells on her toes, and so she makes music wherever she goes. His phone rings, and he says, hold that thought. It’s Sasha, and Willow tells him to answer; they’ll just look at pictures. He asks, what’s up? and Sasha says they need him at the Corinthos house. She’ll explain when he gets there.
Carly says, when she thinks about it, of course (🍷). It was such a coincidence, Wiley and Jonah being born on the same day.Lucas was working, and Brad was on his own when he brought Wiley home. Brad says, yes, and she asks, what happened to Willow’s baby? Brad says he put the baby down to take a nap, and when he went to get him, he wasn’t breathing. Brad starts to cry, and Carly says, then what? He says he didn’t know what to do. Lucas was still in surgery. How was he supposed to tell him… Carly says they have to do this in order. Did Brad try to revive the baby? Brad says, of course (🍷). He tried CPR, but he was gone. He didn’t know what else to do next, so he got in the car to take the baby to the hospital. He knew he’d have to surrender the baby, and there would be an autopsy. Carly says, if he was on the way to GH, he’d have to take Route 31. What else happened? Michael flashes back to being trapped in his car after the accident, and Nelle telling him, she’ll leave it to fate. She says, remember, he brought all of this on himself, and walks away. Michael says, my God, and Carly says they need every detail. The car was headed to the hospital. What happened? Brad says he was crying too hard to drive. He couldn’t see and pulled over. He just sat there sobbing, and suddenly there was a knock on the window. He looked up. Carly says, and there was Nelle.
Curtis tells Jordan, he was out of line; sorry. She says, he should be. He says there was no excuse for that, but he can see something is bugging her out in a way he’s never seen before. It’s making him crazy worried. Just tell him. She says she needs a minute. Can he give her that? He says, for what? So she can dig herself in deeper, trying to fix this, when her man is begging her to let him help her? Take all the time she needs. He can get his own answers. He walks out.
Taggert says Mac knows how he feels about Sonny. He came there to keep an eye on things. Mac says he can use all the eyes he can get, and asks Taggert if he’d like to come over for dinner. Taggert says he’d love it, and Mac says, so would Felicia. He asks if Taggert doesn’t have anyone special in his life, but Taggert says, no one he can bring to dinner.
Cameron tells Trina, he’s liked Josslyn for a long time. She says, like when they were fake dating? When Josslyn posted pictures, didn’t he think she could see the look on his face? He says, he couldn’t say anything; he still can’t. What kind of sketchy creep hits on someone whose boyfriend just died? Trina says, it would be different if he was comforting Josslyn in her grief. Instead, he respected Josslyn, and was there when she needed him. He was a great friend. Now that’s a problem? He doesn’t get it. If he’s not careful, he’s going to miss his chance. What if Josslyn starts crushing on someone else? He asks what he’s supposed to do.
Willow reads The Cat and the Fiddle, and I say it with her, because I’m ridiculous that way. She tells Wiley, Chase had to leave, but Wiley was having fun with him. She was too. She has to admit, she likes having Wiley to herself one last time. Not that they won’t be seeing each other, but it’s not the same. Wiley Cooper Jones. If he only knew how happy he makes her. Her heart bursts every time she lays eyes on him. She’s his mom, and loves him so much. She’ll never stop, no matter where he lives, or how old he is. They’ll always be connected. I swear he says, I know. Wiley is becoming a tiny chatterbox. Willow says she knows he has great dads, but if he ever needs for anything, she’ll be there. Nothing and no one can stop her. She kisses his forehead, and says, hug? He leans in for one. This kid is too much.
Carly says, so good old Nelle came knocking on Brad’s window. Did she have the baby, or was she still in labor? Brad says, she had the baby, and Carly says Nelle was running for her life because she’d just tried to kill Michael. Was he aware of that? Brad tells her, Nelle said there had been an accident, and Michael was waiting for help. Carly asks, whose idea was it for him to take Michael’s baby, and for Nelle to take that poor little child. Brad says he couldn’t stand the thought of breaking… and she says, whose idea was it? His or Nelle’s? He says, Nelle. It was all Nelle.
Trina tells Cameron that he has to give Josslyn a chance to see him as more than a friend. He says, and she knows the perfect opportunity? She asks what he’d do without her. The winter formal. He says, that’s insane. He can’t ask Josslyn. Trina says she thought they were going together, and Cameron says, if they had no dates, they were going together. She says, did he ask anyone else? He says she told him to ask Josslyn, but Trina says, that would be crazy awkward. Cameron feels like he needs a translator right now, and Trina says he probably does.
Mac tells Taggert to let him know what night is good. Taggert says, it was good seeing him, and Mac says, him too. Taggert says, the Sonny thing feels different this time, and tells Mac to watch his back. Mac says to do the same, and leaves. Taggert goes into Kelly’s.
Jason tells the two guys, what they do with what they’re about to witness is up to them. They can bring the bad news back to their boss, or run for their lives. It’s their call. Jason picks up his bag, and goes into the warehouse.
Sonny tells Cyrus that he has the shipment, and Cyrus won’t see it again. He imagines Cyrus’s partners are going to be unhappy. It makes Cyrus look bad, expanding the market without proper security. It’s probably best that he’s stuck in there; it’s where he’ll be safest. Cyrus says they clearly got off on the wrong foot, and Sonny says, did they now?
Carly says she can picture it; can’t they? Nelle told Brad that their horrible family was going to take the baby from her, and that the baby would be better off with him and Lucas, because Sonny is dangerous and wrong. Brad tells Carly, Nelle said they’d take her kid take away. Carly says she can almost give him the benefit of the doubt. Nelle probably said Michael died in the car wreck, since she left him for dead. So Brad was keeping the baby away from them, but when he knew Michael survived, Brad kept his son. How could he do that? Brad says, he was grieving too, and Carly says he let Nelle tell Michael his son was dead, knowing what that felt like. He’d literally just gone through losing a child, and willingly inflicted that on her son. Brad says he’s sorry, and Carly says, when Brad was at the hospital, and saw Michael holding a child Brad knew wasn’t Jonah, what was he thinking? How could he do that? Nelle is a deranged psychopath, but what’s his excuse? Brad says he’s sorry, and she tells him, stop saying that. He’s been lying for a year. If the truth hadn’t come out, he would have lied for the rest of Wiley’s life. That’s why he wanted to move to Portland, isn’t it?
There’s a knock at Willow’s door, and she says, dinner, but it’s Nelle. Nelle asks, where’s Wiley? and blows past Willow. Willow grabs Nelle’s hair, and pulls her back, telling her, get out of the apartment. Nelle asks if Wiley is in the bedroom, and heads for it, but Willow grabs her. Nelle says, let go, and they struggle. Willow practically throws Nelle across the room, but then Nelle gets Willow down on the floor, straddling her. Nelle punches Willow, and starts to strangle her, but Willow throws her off. She throws something at Nelle, and misses, and Nelle throws a wine bottle at Willow. It crashes against the wall, and Willow tackles Nelle. Nelle tells Willow, get off her, and slams the door shut. She punches Willow, and gets her onto the couch. Willow kicks her off, and grabs Nelle’s coat, saying, get up. She pulls Nelle up, and slugs her good. Wiley cries, and Willow gets distracted for a moment. When she turns toward the bedroom, Nelle hits her over the head with something.
Sasha thanks Chase for getting there so quickly. She says, he needs to hear this, for Willow’s sake. Carly goes to Michael, and says, oh my God. She knows how horrible it is that he lost a year with his child, but it makes sense. Wiley always looked just like him. His son is alive. Chase has come into the room, and hears everything. Carly says, all Michael has to do is go get him. Michael asks Brad if he has any idea how many lives he trashed and the pain he’s caused in the past year. Willow sacrificed and agonized over a baby that wasn’t hers. Lucas fell in love with a baby that’s not his. He was grieving, and his family was grieving, all because of Brad’s lie. Brad says, it was Nelle’s idea, but Carly says, they don’t care. He went along with the lie for months. How can he do that to the people he claims to love? How could he do that to Wiley?
Nelle looks at the passports, and hears Wiley on the baby monitor. She picks it up, and says, don’tworry, baby. Mommy’s coming.
Trina tells Cameron, try to keep up. If he takes her as a friend, Josslyn will be there. When she sees how fun, handsome, and charming he is, and the other girls are going gaga for him, there’s a strong chance her eyes will be opened. Since they’ll be at a dance, what’s more natural than him asking her to dance? And since he’s taking her as a friend, she won’t be offended. He’s welcome. He says, thanks. Does she think it will work? She says, there are no guarantees, but it’s better than sitting around wishing. Taggert comes in, and says he knows her, and Trina says, dad! She hugs him, and introduces him to Cameron. Curtis looks through the window.
On the phone, Jordan says she needs to see an inmate tonight – Cyrus Renault.
Cyrus tells Sonny, maybe there’s a way to negotiate. Sonny says, there’s nothing to negotiate. Cyrus’s shipment is gone. Sonny hangs up the phone, and gets up. Cyrus calls after him as Sonny walks out. In the hallway, Sonny smiles.
Jason comes out of the warehouse. He looks around, and presses a button on the remote in his hand. The building blows up, and he walks away.
Tomorrow, Lucas asks who else knew, Nelle tells Wiley that they’re going on a little trip, Sam says there’s something Sonny needs to know, and Cyrus says he wondered when he was going to see Jordan again.
The Real Housewives of New Jersey
It was revealed the group was in Point Pleasant, which isn’t anywhere close to where I live. Thank God for small favors. They do have a fabulous boardwalk, and I have fond memories of visiting there as a child, since I had a great aunt with a summer house there. Marge told Jackie about Jennifer ruining her bonding moment with Teresa, and said it wasn’t a competition. Jackie said Jennifer was a sh*t stirrer, and Marge needed to put Jennifer in her place. I could definitely see being friends with Jackie. She’s the Marilyn (from The Munsters) in this group. Melissa said Jennifer puts a negative spin on everything. Jennifer whined to husband Bill that her job was ten times harder than Marge’s. Jackie’s husband Evan arrived, and they got the party started.
They did Jenkinson’s boardwalk, and Teresa said she had come there in her 20s with her boyfriend. Joe #2 gave Dolores a hard time about David being absent, and said she should hook-up with Frank again. In Frank’s interview, he said he loved Dolores, but he couldn’t promise to be 100% faithful. His vice is women, and he didn’t want to take a chance. In Dolores’s interview, she said she and Frank had a connection and a bond, but when Frank had cheated during their marriage, she couldn’t get over the disloyalty. She could never go back to that. Joe #2 and Melissa took a walk on the beach, while the other women went shopping for souvenirs. In Melissa’s interview, she said, when she was a child, she came with her dad to the Jersey Shore. It’s where she partied, and where she fell in love. It’s where she came from, and who she is, and she’s proud of it. From the conversation they were having, it seemed like Joe and Melissa were leaning toward not having another baby. Jackie whined to Teresa that Marge was a mean girl when came to her. Dolores and Marge got something to eat, and Marge said she thought Jennifer should talk less, and think more, but Dolores thought Jennifer should get a pass.
The group had dinner at an upscale restaurant on the water. Teresa. Ate. Bread. The guys discussed going deep sea fishing, and Jennifer suggested parasailing. Melissa was more inclined to check out a mini-golf course she’d seen. Marge and Jackie were in for mini-golf, while Teresa and Dolores agreed to Jennifer’s idea. Melissa said one of her favorite restaurants was near the golf course, so they decided to meet there afterward for lunch. Melissa said she also planned on meeting with Danielle. She was going to tell Danielle that they don’t want her hanging around with them anymore, since she had a tendency to be violent. Marge suggested she and Jackie wait in a getaway car. They toasted to Dolores, and Jackie bet she could chug a beer bottle the fastest. And she did, although not everyone participated. Because she can’t help herself, Jennifer said, Jennifer knew how to suck a bottle, but won’t suck a d*ck. We flashed back to Jackie saying she’s not into that. Marge called the remark offensive, although I’d say it was more inappropriate. It wouldn’t have been as bad if it had just been among the women. Jennifer said it was a joke, and Marge brought up Jennifer interrupting her moment with Teresa. Jennifer said she didn’t appreciate Marge asking if she worked. She said she works a 14-hour day. She thought what Marge said was offensive. She didn’t know what kind of mother Marge was, but she was hands-on. In Melissa’s interview, she said Jennifer was in dangerous territory. You don’t question someone’s parenting. Marge said Jennifer’s only achievement was marrying rich, and she was lucky he’d stayed with her. Marge told Joe #3, let’s go, and they walked out, Jennifer yelling that Fred Flintstone wanted his outfit back, because Marge was wearing a one shoulder, animal print dress. Melissa, Joe #2, and Jackie split as well, since they had come in the same car. Melissa said they couldn’t get through a normal dinner. Dolores told Jennifer that she thought Marge misinterpreted her a lot. In her interview, Dolores said Jennifer wasn’t coming from a bad place, but didn’t know her audience.
Back at the house, Marge said Jennifer was an a-hole, and Jackie said, no argument. The next day, the plan was to cook whatever fish the guys caught, and everyone headed off to their respective activities. On the Ol’ Salty II, The guys drank the beer of New Jersey, Corona, while accompanying that with shots straight from the bottle. In his interview, Joe #2 said Bill’s wife causes a lot of trouble, but Bill was his man, and he dubbed Bill, Tony the Turk. On the way to the parasailing boat, Delores told Jennifer, if she effing landed in the effing cold water, Dolores would effing kill her. It was like a sentence out of a Quentin Tarantino film. On the boat, Jennifer confessed that when she’s nauseous, she burps profusely, and proceeded to do just that. In her interview, she said she’d rather have gas that way. The mini-golf course didn’t have windmill or alligator – it was literally just a mini golf course – so we were all disappointed. The parasailing looked like fun, with the women seated three across. It actually seemed pretty safe, so I’d give it a go. Marge said Melissa had a big day ahead, and Melissa said she wasn’t looking forward to it. She’d given Danielle the benefit of the doubt, but as time went on, she proved Melissa wrong. Jackie said Danielle knew Melissa could be her pass back into the group, and Marge said Teresa was weak. A relationship with Danielle wasn’t good for her. As they headed to lunch, Jackie said her strategy with Jennifer was going to be to drink and ignore her.
Jennifer came to lunch wearing her Sorry Not Sorry T-shirt. Melissa asked if she was trying to make a statement, and what she wasn’t sorry for. Jennifer said it seemed like her apologies didn’t mean anything, and Melissa said she loves a good apology, but Jennifer hadn’t given one yet. In her interview, Teresa said she didn’t think it was fair that Danielle should be barred from the group, but she was her own person, and was going to stay friends with her. Bill had to be carried in, and was put to bed. In Jennifer’s interview, she said she was glad he was trying to fit in, but she didn’t want him to embarrass himself. Personal chef Jamie arrived, and Melissa had to go. Joe #2 told her to be careful. That woman is crazy.
Melissa met Danielle at a restaurant with outside seating. Danielle said one of her daughters went to school in Monmouth, and she’s there often. She told Melissa that she’d never started a problem with her. Why weren’t they friends. Melissa said she went in with a clean slate. While Danielle did nothing to directly hurt Melissa, she did cause problems. She pulled Marge’s hair. Marge went to the hospital, and it was not okay. Danielle said Marge treated her like she was disposable, and she’d had enough. Melissa said, everyone… and Danielle asked if she was speaking for the group. Melissa said she spoke to all of them, and they don’t want her around. Danielle asked if that included Teresa. Melissa danced around the question for a moment, saying Teresa knew she was there, but she didn’t think Teresa was in her right mind. If Danielle is violent or vicious, it could affect Teresa. Danielle said they’d all had a lot to drink, and she was influenced. She was done when she’d emptied Marge’s bag, but Steven told her to pull Marge’s ponytail. Melissa was dumbfounded, since Steven was the owner who’d gone through changes during the fight. Apparently, this was one more change. Danielle said she hesitated, and then Teresa said, do it. We see a clip backing up what Danielle said, and Teresa saying, do it, do it, do it.
To be continued…
Next time – the season finale – Melissa tells everyone that Danielle said Teresa told her to do it; Teresa pitches a fit, complete with throwing stuff; and Teresa and the girls visit Joe #1 in Italy.
📺 The new season of If Loving You Is Wrong begins on Tuesday, March 31st, and season premiere of TheReal Housewives of New York starts on Thursday, April 2nd.
💃🏼 Tonight, Erika Jayne was a guest on Watch What Happens Live. She’s been playing the role of Roxie Hart in Chicago on Broadway, and she said every one of the Housewiveshad been there to see her. I thought that was like, the best compliment ever, and surprisingly supportive.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Sasha asks what Michael is doing out on the terrace, and he says he was taking a break. She says she can go back in, but he says he never needs a break from her. She asks what’s on his mind, and he tells her that he said all the right, supportive things, and meant them, but Brad and Lucas leaving is hitting him hard. Sasha says he’s going to miss Wiley, and he says he’s going to miss that little guy more than he imagined.
Julian arrives at Sonny’s, and says he’s sorry; Leo couldn’t make it. Bobbie says, Brand and Lucas called, and Wiley isn’t going to make it either. She can’t believe the just got Lucas back, and he’s moving across the country.
On the phone, Nelle asks about first class tickets to Buenos Aires for Barbara Langdon and her son William. She asks when their flight leaves, and says, in a few hours? Good thing she travels light. Sam is standing there, and asks if Nelle is going somewhere.
At Chase and Willow’s place, Brad tells Willow that Wiley should be good to sleep another hour, and she says she’ll call if Wiley’s sniffles get worse. Chase comes in, and asks, what’s going on? Brad says they’re having a going away party, but Wiley has a cold, and Willow was kind enough to babysit. Willow says, it’s a treat, spending extra time with Wiley before they move. Brad says he’d better get going, and leaves. Chase asks, what’s up with that guy? Willow doesn’t know, but thinks she still makes Brad nervous. He’s antsy around her. Chase asks how she feels about the move, and she says, Lucas cushioned the blow. He asked her to be Wiley’s designated guardian if something happens to him and Brad. Chase says, wow. That’s a big ask, and she says she was stunned. She assumed they’d ask Michael, but she’s thought about it, and she’s accepted.
Anna sees Finn at the MetroCourt, and asks if he got her text. He says, it’s been a hectic morning, and she says she understands; it’s a new environment. She asks how Violet is, and he says, good. She loves room service. He asks how Anna is, and she says she didn’t sleep. She sleeps much better when he’s there. Does he have any idea when that might be? He says he’s not sure, and she asks if they can talk. He says he’d like that. Peter comes out of the elevator, and says, sorry he’s late. Anna is glad he could make it, and he asks if Finn is joining them.
Curtis sees Taggert at Kelly’s counter. He says, Taggert. Or would he prefer Marcus? Taggert says, Taggert is fine, which is good, since it’s what I call him. Curtis asks if Taggert has a minute. He thinks it’s time they get to know each other a little better.
TJ asks Jordan if she’s got a minute, and she asks what brings him by. He says she has something he needs, and it’s vitally important.
Jason tells Sonny it’s been confirmed that Cyrus brought in a shipment, and they can get to it.
Sam says Nelle knows she’s on parole, and if she leaves, she has to tell her parole officer. Nelle says, ofcourse (🍷) parole restrictions would be on Sam’s mind. She must be getting restless, not being able to see Jason. Sam says she actually thinks it’s a good idea, and hints she might tip someone off about Nelle. Nelle says all Sam heard is that she’s moving out of the Quartermaine mansion. And when she’s out, Michael will never have to see her again.
Willow tells Chase, it’s just a precaution. No one expects Wiley to be with her ever. Chase says, ofcourse (🍷), and she asks if he thinks they made the wrong decision, and should have asked Michael. He asks, who would be the best choice? If Brad and Lucas died, would Wiley be better of with Michael or her?
Julian asks if Sonny is there, and Carly says he’s not sure if he’s going to make it. Julian says, too bad, and she says he’s there because Brad wanted him there, and Lucas didn’t object. He thanks her for the red carpet treatment. They agreed to be civil for Brad and Lucas’s sake.
Sasha knows how much Michael loves seeing Wiley, but he said there’s an ELQ office in Portland, and Wiley will probably be back for big holidays. Michael says he told himself that, but it’s not the same as seeing Wiley, and Wiley being there day to day. Wiley’s got two good dads, and doesn’t need him, but life be a little empty without him. Sasha hugs Michael.
Sam asks what Nelle means, and Nelle says, isn’t that what everyone wants? For her to leave forever, and leave Michael alone? Sam says, no argument there, and Nelle says, that’s what she’s saying. She’s leaving them all behind, including Sam. Nelle says, chow, roomie, and leaves.
Anna tells Finn, she arranged lunch with Peter; does he want to have dinner together? Finn says he’s working, and really should get back. He tells them, enjoy their lunch, and jets. Peter says, something happened, didn’t it? and Anna says they had a little disagreement. Peter says he saw Finn with Violet there last night, and knows they checked in. It wasn’t just a disagreement, was it? Was it about him? It was, wasn’t it?
Anna says there’s something she’d like to ask Peter, and she’d love it if he was honest. Peter says, okay, and she asks if he’s the one who made the Attorney General aware of Robert’s deal with Jason. He says, yes, and she thanks him for being honest. She asks, why? and he says, as long the deal was in place, Jason’s sole purpose and all of his focus would be on taking him down. Jason hates him, and he’s dangerous. She says, Jason doesn’t take action without reason. He’s careful and methodical. She asks if Peter is worried that Jason is going to find out the truth.
Nelle overhears Sam talking about the bon voyage party.
Taggert asks Curtis, what’s up? and Curtis says he heard Taggert was married when he worked with Jordan. Jordan said Taggert’s wife was still in Port Charles, and he wonders if that’s why Taggert came back to Port Charles. Taggert says they’ve been divorced for a while. Curtis says, sorry. He knows when you work under cover, it can be brutal on a relationship. Taggert says Curtis got addicted to cocaine, and lost his badge.
Sasha says she’s sorry Wiley couldn’t make it, and asks if she and Michael could stop by later. Lucas says, sure, if they don’t mind seeing an apartment full of boxes. Michael says Spinelli made a cheat sheet of the best parks and kid-friendly restaurants. Julian asks if they need a ride to the airport, but Bobbie says she and Carly want to take them. Carly tells Bobbie, nice save. The sooner they get Brad and Lucas away from Julian, the better.
Jason gives Sonny an address, and says, it’s a warehouse. It’s isolated, in close proximity to the industrial piers with access to the highway. There’s been a lot of activity there lately, and the deed changed hands, despite it not being on the market. He checked with Lucy. A distributing company just offloaded from a ship from Seattle there. He asks what Sonny wants to do, and Sonny says, respond, but it will be tough. Neither the cops or Cyrus can see it coming.
TJ hopes Jordan is careful, and she says she always is. She hopes he is too, and he says he is. He knows she’s not technically in the line of fire, but he knows she likes being where the action is. She says, sometimes too much. She basically abandoned him when she was under cover. He says they already went over this, and tells her, don’t beat herself up about it. He understands her choice; she wanted him safe. He’s over it now, and it taught him to never take for granted how much she means to him. She says she’s not going anywhere, and he says, especially until after she gives him the ring. She says that’s why he came by. It’s in her desk; she thought he forgot. He says, not a chance. She gives him the ring, and says good thing she has it.
Willow tells Chase, it’s just a formality; there’s no need to stress. Chase says, it could become real at any time, and she asks if he thinks she should think it through. He says, isn’t that what she’s doing? She says, Michael would be the perfect guardian. He’s thoughtful, patient, level-headed, and richer than God. Chase says, that’s not necessarily an advantage. In his experience, the Quartermaines are living proof that money doesn’t buy happiness. Willow says she knows Michael can give Wiley a good life, but she can too. Not the same life, but still good. It comes down who Brad and Lucas wanted, and they chose her. There’s a knock at the door. It’s Finn, who says he doesn’t want to interrupt. Willow asks how Violet is, and he says, good. He found out she really likes room service. They’ve moved out of Anna’s house. Chase asks, why? and Finn says, because he left Anna.
Curtis says Taggert seems to know more about him than he knows about Taggert. Starting with why he’s there. Taggert says, checking on a friend. That’s all he and Jordan are; old friends and former colleagues. Curtis has the wrong idea if he’s thinking it’s something else. Curtis says he got the idea when they first met and Taggert lied. First about how long he’d been in Port Charles, and then about when he said he and Jordan connected. He’s beginning to wonder why.
Jordan says the ring is all his, and TJ thanks her, saying, it means a lot. He asks if she’s sure she doesn’t mind, and she says she’s proud of him. His dad would be too. So he’s really doing this, finally. He says he wanted to months ago, but the timing wasn’t right. Then Alexis was attacked, and the holidays came. She says, the silver lining is, she got the ring sized for Molly. She gets a call that there’s a DOA on Pier 55; another OD. She tells TJ that she’s got to go, and he tells her, be careful. She says she plans to dance all night at his wedding. He says he still has to ask Molly, but Jordan says, Molly is super smart. She’ll say yes. TJ leaves, and Jordan gets her gun, and follows.
Chase says, Finn left Anna? It’s unexpected. Finn says he doesn’t mean he left her. He moved out, but he and Violet are staying at the MetroCourt. Willow extracts herself from the awkwardness by saying she’ll check on Wiley. Chase tells Finn, sit and talk to him. Finn guesses he could say they had a fight, and Chase says, all couples fight. Finn says he knows, but with Anna, they have a tendency to pull apart when they should pull together, and hold back when they should be trusting each other. They don’t communicate well sometimes, and he took Violet and left. Chase says, for good?
Peter says he told Anna that he had nothing to do with the attempt on Andre’s life. She says, sorry. She has to ask again. She put everything on the line for him, and needs to know. He already owned up to blocking Robert; what else is he not telling her? He takes it Finn moved out because Finn thinks he’s guilty. She has Robert to thank for that. He’s sorry, but Robert is using him to break Anna and Finn up. Maybe it was his goal all along. Anna says, Finn knows his own mind, and they’re not breaking up. They’re taking time. He says, whatever Robert told Finn was wrong. He had nothing to do with David Black. The only connection between Black, Andre, Franco, Drew, and Jason, is Faison, not him.
Carly says, Spinelli raved about the Portland Zoo; Wiley is going to love it. Bobbie says, the coffee is good too, and Lucas says they don’t have to pretend to be happy. He knows they’re going to miss him, and he’s going to miss them. Carly hopes once they settle in, he won’t miss them. It’s an exciting time. They’ll have to find a playgroup for Wiley, and network with parents. Her phone rings, and she says she’ll be right back. She goes to the door, saying, what the hell happened? No. They did the right thing. She opens the door, and Nelle is there with one of the guards. She asks what the hell Nelle is doing there, and Nelle says she heard there was a party.
Chase says Finn and Anna have a fight and can’t communicate, so he grabs his kid and moves out? It sounds like it’s over. Finn says, when Chase says it like that… Chase says, make him understand, and Finn tells him not to do the interrogation thing. Chase says he thinks Anna is good for Finn, especially now that he has Violet. Finn says, that’s why he’s doing this, and Chase asks if Anna has a problem with Violet, but Finn says he doesn’t think Violet is safe that house. Chase asks if it’s because Anna is with the WSB, and Finn says, it’s something to consider. There’s always a possibility of retaliation, but Chase says, that can happen with any law enforcement position, but it’s extremely rare, and Faison is dead. Finn says, Faison’s son is alive, and happens to be Anna’s son. He doesn’t trust Peter.
Jason tells Sonny, the cargo is easily worth a million dollars, and Sonny says, losing a shipment is a big blow. People don’t like losing money, and tend to screw up. Jason says, they still have product in Seattle, and Sonny says, the best case scenario is that someone gets to Cyrus inside of Pentenville; end of story. But he’s not counting on the best case scenario.
At the pier, Jordan ask an officer what they have. He says, an OD, and she asks if there’s any identification. He says they ran a driver’s license, and the OD is Mark Simon. He’s from New Hampshire, and they’re checking for any priors. Jordan is visibly upset.
Taggert tells Curtis, this is a discussion he should have with his wife, but Curtis says, he’s asking Taggert. Taggert’s phone rings. It’s Jordan, and he asks, what’s up? She says, Pier 55. Get there now. He says he’s on his way. He tells Curtis, good conversation. See him around.
Peter tells Anna that he’s finally out from under his father’s thumb. He has a successful career, he’s helping raise a son with the woman he loves, and he’s finally building a relationship with his mother. He never dared imagine it, and he’d never jeopardize the happiness he’s found, or disappoint the people he loves. She says she’s glad he turned his life around. Building a relationship with him is a gift. He says, even if it means losing Finn? Her phone rings, and she says she has to take it. He says, ofcourse (🍷), and she steps away.
At the MetroCourt, Molly tells Sam, sorry she’s late. Sam asks why she’s frazzled, and Molly says she’s exhausted over wedding plans. Her friend Jamie is a Bridezilla. She used to be all granola and save the planet; now Molly barely recognizes her. She gets a daily barrage of emails about dresses, a spa getaway, and dance lessons for the wedding. Sam says, right, Jamie, and Molly asks what Sam thought she was talking about. TJ approaches their table, and says, a sister’s lunch. Sam says they were just chatting. He can have her seat; she has to get going. He says he didn’t mean to intrude, but Sam says he didn’t; he’s practically family. Unless he has some big news. TJ asks if something happened, and Molly says, just Jamie, driving her crazier than she already is. Sam says, that’s it then? She tells TJ, take a seat. She’s heading to Carly’s. He sits.
As Sam goes past, Peter asks if she’s going to sit down with one of his reporters. She asks why she’d do that, and he says they’re doing a piece on the early release of prisoners from Pentenville. He can sympathize with the challenges of overcoming negative stereotypes and expectations. She thanks him for his concern, but she’s going to save her comments for when the truth comes out, and justice is served. And the truth always comes out.
Carly asks the guard where he found Nelle, and he says, she was lurking by the front gate. She tells Nelle that she’s not welcome there, and Nelle says her best friend is moving. She yells to Brad, asking if he’s going to let his sister-in-law strongarm her after everything they’ve been through. Brad comes out, and asks what she’s doing there. She says she came to say goodbye. They’ve been good friends, and she couldn’t let him leave without closure. He asks for a moment with his friend, and Carly wonders if now is the time, but he says Nelle is already there. He asks if they can lose the bodyguard. Carly thanks the guard, and he leaves. She tells Brad, don’t take long. When she’s gone, Brad asks what the hell Nelle is thinking, and she says she wanted to say goodbye to her son. Where is he?
TJ tells Molly that he wants to take her to the new vegan restaurant on Valentine’s Day. She says, it’s nearly impossible to get reservations, and it’s crazy expensive. He kisses her hand, and says she’s worth it. She tells him that he’s sweet, but she just feels uncomfortable spending so much on one night. Jamie has been sucked into the wedding vortex, one more over-commercialized, complicated exercise in hyper-consumerism. Getting things you don’t need from a registry you imposed on guests. Who needs that?
Anna tells Peter, Robin sends her regards. He says Anna has an amazing daughter. She takes after her mother. Anna says Robin has surpassed her, and he says Anna is the strongest woman he knows. Anna says she thought so too.
Finn tells Chase, he’d do anything to protect Violet from a threat. He came home early, and she and Peter were playing superheroes. Peter was the villain, and he was attacking Violet. He knew it was pretend, but when he saw them… Chase says, fatherly instinct, and Finn says he doesn’t buy that Peter is as reformed as he claims. Anna does, and Violet is caught in the middle. She’s attached to Anna. This morning, Violet asked when they’re going home, and he didn’t know what to say. Willow comes back, and says, sorry; she left her phone. Chase tells Finn to ask Willow, and Finn says, in her professional opinion, what should he say when Violet asks when they’re going to see Anna again. Willow tells him, be truthful, and only tell her what he’s sure of. Finn says he’s not sure of much.
Taggert arrives at the pier, and asks Jordan, what’s up? Who’s the DOA? She says, Mark Simon, and he says, how? She says, a presumed overdose. She wants to see the toxicology report, and find out if it’s the same as Bob’s. He says, Mark is from Vermont, and she says, New Hampshire. Taggert wonders how he got there, and she says she called to warn him. She told him about suspecting Bob was murdered, and he said he was on his way there. Taggert says, now he’s dead, and she says she shouldn’t have called. Taggert says, they would have gotten to him anyway. She says, this is no coincidence, and he says, this is about Cyrus. He was busted by a four member team. Now two of them are dead. Jordan wonders how Mark got identified. They were in deep cover. How did they get exposed?
Nelle asks Brad if Wiley is upstairs; she knows the back way to the nursery. Brad says, Wiley has a cold, and Willow is watching him at her place. Why he gives her this information, is beyond my comprehension. She asks if he thinks that’s healthy; leaving Wiley with the woman who thinks she’s his mother. He says they’ll be out of her life, unless she makes Lucas suspicious, and blows things up at the eleventh hour. Is that what she wants? If not, leave. She guesses she has no choice, and walks out. Brad leans against the door for a moment, and goes back into the living room. He says, sorry, everyone, and Lucas asks what Nelle wanted. Carly says, she claimed she wanted to say goodbye, but Brad says he didn’t think she knew there was a party. Carly thinks Nelle just came there to get under her skin, and the party was just an excuse. Michael suggests they don’t give Nelle the power to derail the celebration. Brad and Lucas are moving, and they have everything they want; a happy marriage and a beautiful son. Lucas begins to remember the conversation before the accident. He says, Brad? and Brad says, what? Sam comes in, and apologizes for being late. She says she let herself in, and Carly says the guard was busy getting rid of Nelle. I thought Sonny doubled the security. She says, Nelle was there? and Carly says, she just left. Michael says, they’re not going to let Nelle ruin the party, and Bobbie says, Portland is a wonderful city; a bit rainy for her taste though. Sasha says she and Michael saw a waterproof boot and umbrella set; they’ll get it for Wiley. Lucas says, Wiley won’t touch the umbrella, and Brad says, he’s a puddle man. Lucas thanks Michael for loving and taking care of Wiley. He was a good choice for godfather. Michael says, everything changes when Wiley is with him, and Lucas flashes back to Brad saying he wanted Wiley too much. Julian asks if Lucas is okay, and Lucas says he thinks he’s remembering something from the night of the crash.
Anna tells Peter, she used to call her house the Fortress of Solitude, but the thought of going home without Finn’s books scattered all over, and Violet coming out in a superhero costume, makes her pristine fortress seem cold and empty. Peter asks if she doesn’t think they’ll work it out, and she says she hopes so. She can’t imagine living without him.
Finn tells Chase, he and Anna may never agree about Peter, but he can’t imagine her giving up on him. Chase says Peter must have unpaid parking tickets. He can throw Peter in a holding cell. Finn looks at him, and he says, sorry. If Finn has to choose between Anna and keeping Violet safe… Finn says, it’s clear. His daughter comes first.
Jordan tells Taggert, the body is at the morgue, and they’re starting the autopsy. What does he want to bet it’s the same as Bob’s. He says, two down; two to go, and she says, they’re next. He says they’re going to be all right; they’ve got this. Partners for life. He holds her, and she says they’ll talk soon. Staysafe. He says, her too, and they leave. Curtis watches from the top of some stairs.
Sonny tells Jason, they’re sending a message. Not just to Cyrus, but his suppliers. They don’t need to come through Port Charles. It’s got it be clean. The cops can’t know it’s them; there can’t be evidence. Understand? Jason straps a gun to his ankle, and zips up his bag. He says, okay. He’ll let Sonny know when he’s done. He leaves, and Sonny looks grim.
Nelle looks through the window, watching the party. Brad tells Lucas to take it easy, and Lucas says, he was right there. They were in… dammit! Brad asks, what’s going on? and Julian thinks Lucas is overstimulated. He’ll get Wiley; it will be better if Lucas is with his son. Julian walks out, and Lucas suddenly flashes back again. He remembers Brad telling him that Wiley is Michael and Nelle’s son. Lucas gets up, and says, Michael.
Tomorrow, Chase is needed at the Corinthos house, Lucas says he’s not crazy and knows what he heard, and Cyrus tells Sonny that he’s about to make a very big mistake.
The Haves and The Have Nots
Jim tells his thug to shoot Benny. There’s a gunshot, and Jim says, that’s it; he’s gone. Hanna asks what he did, and he says the difference between them is, he does exactly what he says he’s going to. Benny is dead. She tells him to call them, and he puts the phone to his ear, saying, take the bullet out of that boy’s head. Hanna beats on him, saying, what did he do? He tells her he did what he said he was going to, and calls for the nurse. When she comes in, he tells the nurse to get Hanna out of there. Hanna says, that’s her son. He hurt her son. He says he did more than that. She says, her son better be all right, and he says he doesn’t have his money. She says she’s calling the police, and he tells her, go ahead, but do it from out there. She whacks him a couple times with her purse, as the nurse tries to hold her back. She tells Jim, go to hell, and he says he’s been there. Hanna leaves, and Jim asks the nurse if he’s bleeding, and demands she give him something for the pain. She tells him, calm down, and he says, bitch, get me something to calm down. Move. She goes, and he asks, what the hell is wrong with these women? The hospital let some crazy woman in his room. He calls to Hanna, saying, Benny’s dead. He gone girl. He laughs, and hits the morphine button. He says, get me some more morphine, bitches, and laughs again.
Jim’s thug shoots the ground, and Benny says he almost shot him. What the hell is wrong with him? Sandy (Mitch’s main guy) and a group of guys come downstairs. The thug says, what the hell? Who are they? Sandy says Benny is coming with them, but the thug says, no, he’s not. Sandy says, want a bet? Does he know who they are? They’re the Malones. He tells the thug to uncuff Benny, and do it now. He does, and Benny jumps up and punches him in the stomach. Benny says, little bitch. It’s lucky Benny is weak. He thanks the Malones, and asks if Mitch sent them. Sandy says, yeah, and tells Benny, go on; get out. Benny asks if he can use Sandy’s phone, but Sandy says he can’t do that. They’re here because they owe his sister. He tells Benny, get out of there, and Benny leaves. Sandy tells the thug that he needs permission to be in the Malone backyard, and asks if he understands. The thug says, yeah, and Sandy tells the guys to kick the thug’s ass. He’s got to learn.
At the Iron Bone, Mitch’s phone rings. He says, yo, and Sandy says, they got him. Mitch thanks him, and Sandy says, he took off; he said he was going home. Mitch says, he has no money. How’s he getting home? He tells Sandy, put him on the phone, but Sandy says he’s not letting Benny use his phone. Mitch says, then give him a ride, but Sandy says he doesn’t want to. Mitch says, just do it. Benny has no money. Mitch asks where they are, and Sandy says, Hollister Street. Mitch says, just give him a ride out of the neighborhood. Sandy says he doesn’t want to do that, and Mitch says, fine; bring him to the bar. Sandy says, he’s riding in the truck bed, and Mitch calls him an a-hole. Sandy says, it’s that or nothing. Candace asks Mitch, what happened? and Mitch says, they got him. They’re giving him a ride. Candace says, it didn’t sound like that. His family is racist. Mitch says, tell him about it. He says her mom is probably at the police station, and Candace says, they’ll find her when Benny gets there.
Madison thanks Jeffrey for the nap. He gets up, and Jeffrey looks away. Madison wonders why Jeffrey can’t look at him, and Jeffrey says he’s giving Madison privacy. Madison says he doesn’t want privacy. If Jeffrey isn’t interested, fine. Jeffrey says, it’s not that, and Madison says, then don’t look away. Jeffrey asks if Madison thinks he’s turning him on, and Madison says, something is going on, or Jeffrey wouldn’t leave the room when he gets dressed. Jeffrey says he’s showing respect, and Madison asks if he has to do what Justin did to get Jeffrey’s attention. Jeffrey says, not fair, and Madison says, sorry. Madison tells Jeffrey to look at him, and Jeffrey says Madison has a beautiful body. Madison says, Jeffrey does too. Jeffrey asks Madison to put his clothes back on, and Madison puts his pants on. He walks over to Jeffrey, and says, better? Is Jeffrey sure he’s not turned on? Jeffrey says he is, and Madison kisses his neck. Jeffrey responds.
Hanna arrives home, and she’s pretty frazzled. She wrings her hands and paces, then calls the police. She tells them, it’s an emergency. She knows her son’s been kidnapped, and she thinks someone did something to him. She gives them her address, and says she’ll be there. As soon as she hangs up, her phone rings. It’s a collect call from Kathryn, and Hanna says she thinks Jim killed her son. Jim had him kidnapped, and she thinks somebody shot him. She doesn’t know where he is. Benny walks in with Mitch and Candace, and Hanna drops the phone. Benny says he’s all right, and Hanna asks, what happened? He says, Mitch’s family took care of it; they got him out. She says he’s going to give the money back now; she means it. Kathryn is like, hey, I’m still here, and Hanna picks up the phone. She says, Benny just walked in, and he’s all right. Kathryn says, thank God. She tells Hanna that she’s sorry, and says she needs Hanna to come and see her. Hanna says, give her a minute. They’re going to the bank. Kathryn says she’s saving Hanna from going a second time. She knows Hanna has had a shock, but can she come right now? Hanna says she can, and Kathryn says, Marty will meet her. Kathryn hangs up, and says, can somebody clean this damn phone?
Benny says he needs to rest, but Hanna says they’re going to the bank. Benny says, fine, and she says she’s going to wash her face, and then they’re going. When Hanna is out of earshot, Benny says, no way is he giving the money back. Mitch says, it’s going to keep going on. Jim had Benny kidnapped. No damn way should he do that; it’s crazy as hell. Benny says, the hell with Mitch. He tells Mitch and Candace, come on, before she comes back. Candace says Hanna is going to be so mad, and asks where they’re going. Benny says, to the airport. He going to put Candace on a plane, and she’s never looking back. Candace says, they’ll come after Benny, and tells him, take care of his ass. They leave, and Hanna comes out, finding an empty room. She calls to them, but hears nothing. She calls Benny’s phone, but doesn’t leave a message. She hangs up, and says, this ain’t a game they’re playing. Their asses better be at the bank.
Connelly visits Charles, and asks if Charles is sick of him yet. Charles asks if Connelly wants a drink, and Connelly says he’s pouring. Does Charles want more advice about Candace? Charles says, no. He wanted to ask Connelly to consider being Attorney General. Connelly says he’d be honored, and Charles thanks him. Connelly says, thank you, President Elect, and Charles says he sounds annoyed. Connelly says Charles talked to four other senators before him. He’s like an uncle to Charles. Charles says he had to go through the process. Connelly says Charles asked him last, but Charles says Connelly was his first choice. Connelly says he knows what kind of hell they’ve been putting Charles through, and Charles says, now he’s going to give them hell. First thing, he wants Connelly to visit the current AG. He wants Connelly to have a conversation about the transition. While he’s there, Charles wants to know about the operation done during the campaign, and the people involved. Connelly doesn’t think he can do that until he’s been sworn in, but Charles says, it’s not about the information. He wants to make sure the AG knows he’s aware. It’s personal. Connelly says, it’s always personal, and Charles says he doesn’t want them to know too much. Just raise questions. Connelly asks when he should start, and Charles says, right away; he’ll make arrangements. Connelly thanks Charles again, and Charles says he’ll make the announcement this afternoon. Connelly says, here we go, and Charles repeats, here we go.
Jim is sleeping when Celine comes into his room. He says, what the hell? Is he dreaming? She says, no. She heard he got shot. He says he did, and she says she heard Wyatt did it. Jim says, apparently… the ungrateful little bastard. He asks what she’s doing there, and tells her to leave. She says, no. She’s been trying to reach him. He says he knows; he’s been trying to avoid her. She says she could take him to court, and he says, why not do it? She says she just wants him to do the right thing for once. He says, why start now? He never did that before. He tells her to take her fine ass, and get the hell out. She says she can take him to court, and he says, so do it. What is she going to do with no money? She says she’s struggling; she needs two jobs to get by. He says, go to one. She says their oldest son is in college, and he says he has one son. She says, who tried to kill him. He has three sons. He says he doesn’t know that. She’d better start looking for a carboard box. He hears they’re getting harder to find. She says she’s not kidding, and he says he’s not either. She asks him not to put their kids on the street, and he says he doesn’t care. She calls him an SOB, and says, nothing has changed. He says, not a thing; get out. She says he’s forcing her hand, and he says they both know she forced other parts of his anatomy many times. She says she’s going to show him how strong she is. On her way out, she says something in Spanish, and he makes fun of her, parroting nonsense back.
Outside in the hallway, Celine makes a call.
Veronica answers the phone, as she’s walking into the house. Celine says Veronica asked her to call. She wants to go after Jim. Veronica tells her to get everything she’s got, and come to the house. They’ll discuss the details. She’ll text the address. She tells Celine, this is where she says, thank you. Celine thanks her, and Veronica asks what kind of car she drives, and what year it is. Celine asks, why? and Veronica asks if the oil is leaking. Don’t park that sh*t in her driveway.
Justin walks into his house, where some guys are waiting for him. He says, not again. Please. The head dude says, please what? How’s he doing? Justin says he has internal bleeding, and dude tells him that he’s gotta tuck real tight. This is for Veronica. Justin asks how much she’s paying, and dude asks if he thinks it’s about money. Justin doesn’t know, and dude tells him, he gets to whoop ass, and he’s all for that. Justin says he’s not a cop, and dude says, he was a cop. He thinks he’ll go for the stomach. Justin asks if he can’t get it in the back. He has stitches, and his ribs are bruised. Dude asks if Justin is trying to tell him how to whoop ass. Justin says he’s not telling, he’s just asking. He has money. Dude asks where it’s at, and Justin says in the drawer. Dude asks, how much? and he says, four grand; take it all. Dude nods, and says, all right. He tells one of his guys to take it. He tells Justin that he’ll take it, but he’s going to hit Justin once or twice. Justin says, for Veronica? and dude says, it’s part of the deal. Justin says, okay, and dude punches him in the stomach. Justin asks what they can do to make this stop, and dude says he has to settle with Veronica. When she says so, they come. He thanks Justin for the cash, and they leave.
Landon goes in to see Charles, and says he’d like to show Charles something. He hands Charles a folder, and says, all of these articles. Not 24-hours and the tide is turning on her. Charles looks through them, and asks why Landon is doing this. Landon says he wants to see Charles happy. Charles says he’s doing it for his job, but Landon says he sees how Charles lights up when she’s around. He smiles, and Landon wants that for him. Charles asks if Landon doesn’t want the same thing for himself; someone to make him feel that way. He should have that. Has he ever? Landon says, once, and Charles asks, what happened? Landon says, it didn’t work out, and Charles asks if that’s Landon’s way of saying he doesn’t want to talk about it. Landon says, not too many straight men want to hear a gay man’s love story. Charles says he’s open minded, and Landon says Charles also knocked him to the floor. Charles wishes he’d handled the situation better; it was a bit homophobic. If a woman acted like that, he would have reacted differently. Landon says he shouldn’t have betrayed Charles’s trust; he’s sorry. Charles says, there’s no need. He’s past it. Tell him about the guy. Landon says, one night when they have a lot to drink. Tell him about Candace. Charles says, that’s over and done, but Landon says he doesn’t know. Charles says Landon didn’t see the way he treated her. Oliver had her leave in the trunk of a car. Landon says, oh no, and Charles says, she wasn’t happy. Landon says he’s sorry, and Charles says, it’s not his fault. He didn’t have the balls to tell the world. Landon says, when he’s done, Charles will have them eating out of the palm of his hand. Charles says, that’s a tall order, and Landon asks if Charles doubts him. Charles says, Candace will clearly have to be on board, and Landon says he’ll get her there. At least, he’ll try. He’s going to get on it right now.
Kathryn is put back in her cell, and Wyatt encourages her to get in. He asks if she’d like to shut him up, and she says she doesn’t want to hear him. He says he’s sorry, and she says, now he comes to his senses? He says he was high out of his mind. She says, whatever he was out of, he’s in now, and Wyatt says he needs a doctor. He needs to get out. If he does, will she send him to rehab? He’ll go right away. She laughs, and says she can’t do anything for him. Where is the nice boy coming from? Wyatt says he’s sorry for what he did to her and his dad. She says his dad is alive, and he says he knows. Can she get him out? She says, not a chance. He says, please? and she asks if the DA told him they weren’t pressing charges. He says, they’re not? and she says, of course they are. The nice thing isn’t going to work. He says, please, and she says, no please. He’s going to be in there for the rest of his life. He says he’s their only son, and she says, their only son who tried to kill them. He says he wants to talk to his dad, and she says his dad isn’t going to help him. He’ll be just as happy to see Wyatt’s ass in there as she is. They didn’t want Wyatt to pay before, now look where they are. They learned their lesson. He pleads with her some more, and she tells him, give it up. He’s not going to manipulate his way out. She walks as far away as she can.
Veronica’s doorbell rings. It’s Justin, surprising us all, because we were expecting Celine. He asks if they can talk, and she says, okay. He says, when he got home from the hospital, there were guys at his place. She says she knows that, and he says he wants to know how they stop this. She says, stop what? and he says, this. She asks if he can take back hitting her, and he says he can’t. She says sorry then they can’t. He says, this is hard for him; them hitting him. She says it’s not hard for her, and he says he’s so sorry. She says, lady, why are you here whining? and he says he just wants to know how to make them stop. He can pay her; he has a 401K. She says, no amount can make it stop, and he asks what he can do. She says she hasn’t decided yet, and he says there’s got to be some forgiveness somewhere in her heart for him. He’s not a bad person. She says he sleeps with men, and hits women. He’s a bad person; a vile, disgusting human being. Her face still hurts. He says he’s sorry, and she tells him, he said that. He asks when it’s going to be enough, and she says when she says so. Never hit a woman. She tells him, get off her property. Boy, bye. He says he can only take so much, and she asks if that’s a threat. He says, not to her, but to himself. She asks if he’s thinking of committing suicide. What can she do to make that happen? She can get him more visits. He says, please, don’t, and she says, get off her property. She said, boy, bye. She closes the door, and talks to herself. It’s not who I am. Forgive me. Don’t hit her. And forgive? Bitch, please.
David looks at folders, and George walks in. He looks around, and says, it’s worse than he thought. David thanks him for coming, and George asks how he can help David. David gives George a folder, and says, it’s the gun that killed Jennifer. George says David is giving him Kathryn’s head on a platter. David says, no. Veronica’s. George asks if this is some kind of joke, and David says, no. Kathryn was there, but she didn’t do it; she was a witness, and she’s covering for Veronica. Veronica thought he and Jennifer were having an affair. George says David is trying to set him up. He wants George to go after Veronica. David asks what part George doesn’t understand. George says he’s not falling for this, and David says, for what? George says, they have Kathryn, but David says, he’s telling George it was Veronica. George doesn’t believe him, and David says George is going to look foolish when the truth comes out. George asks what sick game David is playing. Cars blowing up, shootouts; he thinks it’s a game. David says, it’s not a game; it’s the hard truth. George says, he’s not buying it. David says he has a lot more, and George says, like what? David says, everything in his files, but George says, no way it will hold up in court. David says he knows that, and George says, give him something solid, like a video. David says he doesn’t have a video. What he has is evidence concerning several crimes, cover-ups, conspiracy, and tax evasion. George says, and David is going to give him all of it. David says, give him immunity, and he’ll give George everything he has. George says, David is involved? and David says he may have knowledge of the alleged crimes. George says, okay. Meet him in his office, and bring everything he has. I say, no. Take it with you now, but George doesn’t listen. David thanks him, and George says he still doesn’t trust David. David tells him, examine the evidence.
George leaves, and David calls upstairs to Jeffrey. I say, uuuuh… and David goes upstairs. He looks into Jeffrey’s room, where Jeffrey and Madison are having sex. David quickly closes the door, and says, damn. I laugh.
Next time, Jeffrey tells Madison, knowing is one thing, seeing it’s another; Kathryn tells Hanna that Jim will have to come to her for every dime; and Veronica admits she’s using Celine, and wouldn’t care about her otherwise.
Vanderpump Rules
Ariana walks into SUR. She asks Charli how it’s going tonight, and Charli says, busy. In Ariana’s interview, she says, it’s like riding a bike. It feels just like home. Dayna says, hi, and Ariana says she thinks they danced for 12 hours straight at Pride. Dayna says it’s the most fun she’s had, and she feels lighter now. In her interview, she says she knew she was different in middle school, when she started noticing both genders. She kissed a girl, but felt like she shouldn’t tell anyone. She’s bisexual, and when she put it out there, Max couldn’t give two sh*ts. Ariana says everyone knows she’s bi, and they double high-five, saying, bi sisters.
In the car, Lisa tells Ken that she woke up to it being plastered all over social media that the guy who’s marrying Jax and Brittany made incredibly offensive remarks about the LGBTQ community; homophobic things. Ken says that goes against what Lisa stands for. We see the pastor’s tweets, which are all Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve stuff. In Lisa’s interview, she says, there were so many negative comments; don’t get her started. She knows Jax and Brittany’s beliefs are the same as hers. Ken says she has to tell them, and she says she knows.
Stassi films Beau making a baked botato, and I laugh. In his interview, he says he’s been posting cooking videos, but they’re really him and Stassi bickering, and he made up an alter ego. Stassi asks him to do different accents, as he gives the cooking instructions. She says, there’s so much cheese, and he says it will make her look good in her bridal gown. She says, bridesmaid, and in her interview, she says she wishes she had a bridal gown. Lala comes over, and in Lala’s interview, she says, Stassi is doing a great job of turning Beau into a housewife. Now she just needs to lock him down, and put a ring on it. Stassi says the shower is going to be at Katie’s house. Lala says, when she gets married, she doesn’t want penis straws or penis hats, and Stassi says she wants none of that sh*t. Beau says he thought princesses and penises would be the theme.
Lisa asks Ariana what it’s like to be back, and Ariana says, chill, at first. Then, wow. Ariana gingerly broaches the subject of Jax and Brittany’s pastor, but Lisa says she called them this morning. We see a clip of Brittany saying she’s going to investigate his offensive remark, and saying he promised he wasn’t homophobic.
Lala asks, what’s up? and Stassi says the pastor’s remarks came out a month ago, and they came out again. Sh*t just got real. In Lala’s interview, she says, in fairness to Jax and Brittany, they don’t think too hard about things. Jax isn’t that smart. He called the guy, who said he doesn’t feel that way, and that’s good enough for Jax. Lala tells Stassi, you couldn’t take that out of context.
Brittany and Jax do a LIT workout class. After class, Brittany tells Jax, she’s glad Lisa called, so they could get ahead, just in case. He’s a family friend, and she can’t believe it. In her interview, Brittany says, no one thought he’d be this way. She grew up with his daughters. He posted negative things, and she doesn’t want anyone to feel uncomfortable, or think she has the same feelings. She thought he was a good person. Jax says he doesn’t care what someone believes, but don’t take it to social media.
Ariana tells Lisa, it’s been a month, and she wondered how to approach Brittany. In her interview, Ariana says she’s known for six months. Brittany was upset in January, when it was brought up, and seemed satisfied with the pastor’s answer. Ariana didn’t want to keep bringing it up. She was between a rock and a hard place. Brittany confronted him, and he told her what she wanted to hear, so he could officiate.
Brittany tells Jax, people assume that’s how they feel, and Jax says, it’s not their fault. Brittany says people are accusing her of being a bad person in their comments. In Jax’s interview, he says, it’s not like he’s holding any anti-gay flags. Brittany says she doesn’t think the pastor is a bad guy. Jax says, maybe he’s naïve, but he thought pastors were supposed to be neutral. In Brittany’s interview, she says, in LA, they live in a bubble. When she goes home, there are people who believe all kinds of things. A lot of them have different politics, so she just doesn’t talk about it when it’s brought up. It’s difficult, but she doesn’t want to disappoint anyone in her life. Brittany says, it’s two weeks before the wedding. It sucks.
Lisa sits at Sur, and Raquel approaches her table. Raquel says, Lisa wanted to talk to her? She assumes it’s about Pride. Lisa says she missed her shift, and Raquel says she was at TomTom with James. Her plan was to check on him. Lisa says they were relying on her. We flash back to James screaming, how dare she miss his set? Raquel says that wasn’t her thought process, and Lisa asks what she was thinking. Raquel says she was thinking about James and Pride. In her interview, she says she was thinking about last year, and we flash back to James being a complete and utter drunken a-hole. She says she feels like she almost needs to babysit. At the same time, she doesn’t want to be on Lisa’s bad side. Lisa says, James screwed up every chance, and tells Raquel, don’t go down the same road. Raquel says she’s responsible, and Lisa says, normally. She could be fired for this. Raquel says, please don’t fire her, and Lisa says she’s thinking about it. Raquel says, please, don’t, and Lisa says she’ll still be written up. Don’t let her down again. Raquel swears she won’t.
Tom brings sushi home, and asks how Ariana’s first day back was. Ariana says, chill, and tells him, Lisa called Jax and Brittany. Brittany said she only saw one post, but Ariana saw them six months ago. Tom asks if she believes Brittany really didn’t see them until she called them to Brittany’s attention, and Ariana nods. Tom says maybe she wants to believe it. She says she thinks Brittany works hard not to see things. In Tom’s interview, he says they were tagging Brittany and Jax in all of the posts for months. They were just sitting by, hoping someone would make the right decision. Ariana says, it’s been insanely triggering her. Tom says he feels the same way. He’d like to talk to Jax, and asks what the deal is. Ariana says, the shower is tomorrow, and no one has said anything. She thinks everybody is afraid of upsetting them. Tom says, thank God Lisa said something. it bothers him.
In Dayna’s interview, she says she and Max have been dating for about a month. It’s not just a hook-up thing. We learn from Max that a cork shouldn’t pop, but sound like a silent fart. Good to know. Dayna tells Max that people see they like each other, and they’re triggered about it. She likes him, and likes hanging out with him, She wants to make him a priority. She asks where he’s at, and he says he thinks they should focus on each other. He wants to be exclusive, and Dayna says that’s what she wants. In Max’s interview, he says, in the past, he made work a priority, but Dayna is making him want to make her a priority.
In Katie’s interview, she says, the coolest part of owning a house is having parties – like the shower. It makes them feel like adults. She and Stassi use toilet paper instead of crepe paper.
James asks Raquel how work was, and she says, Lisa is concerned about her professionalism. She feels bad that she missed her shift. She let people down. James says – wait for it – she shouldn’t have left her job. Who does that? In Raquel’s interview, she says, James’s moods vary. He’s an unpredictable person. When she gets up in the morning, she’s never sure which James she’ll wake up to. She thinks if she’d stayed at SUR, he would have been pissed and drinking, and spiraled. In James’s interview, he says, at Pride, everyone is effed up. You can smell the alcohol in their sweat. He needs someone to keep track of him in that moment. Raquel tells him that Peter invited her to his birthday party, but she can’t bring James. Peter is one of Jax’s groomsmen, and doesn’t want to upset Jax. James says, that’s so rude. He’s surprised Raquel didn’t tell Peter to screw himself, but she asks how that would do something. He asks if she’s going, and she says she doesn’t think so. He asks if she’s going to swing on him tomorrow night, and go. He doesn’t want her there, and she says she doesn’t feel like going if he’s not invited. He says it sounds like she’s beating around the bush; make her decision. She says she’s not going. James says, what if he told her to go ahead and go, and she says she wouldn’t go. She wants to stand by him. Because she can’t win here, he says it sounds like she’s just agreeing with him. She doesn’t have to. He probably wouldn’t be happy if she went, but she can do what she likes. She says she knows. She looks like one unhappy girl, and I wonder why she’s so insecure that she needs to stay with this jerk.
Ariana tells Lala, the pastor guy isn’t happening. Lala says Brittany told her that she let him go. We see a clip of Brittany telling Jax, she doesn’t know if he’ll be nice, and Jax saying, they have no choice. Ariana says she doesn’t know how Brittany could like him. Lala says she feels guilty talking behind Brittany’s back. Ariana doesn’t want to hurt Brittany’s feelings, and Lala says she doesn’t want to bring it up at the shower. In Ariana’s interview, she says they’re supposed to smile and nod until Jax and Brittany make it down the aisle. Everyone is afraid to piss them off. Lala says, Brittany lives in a world of unicorns and princesses. We see princesses coming up the walk to Katie’s house, and Stassi letting them in. Ariana says she feels like they’re treating Brittany with kid gloves. Brittany is putting her head in the sand, hoping it will go away or get better.
The finishing touches are put on the shower, and the guests gather. Stassi brings the princesses upstairs, and tells them to just do what they do during the party, and drink if they want. Brittany has no idea that they’re coming. Brittany arrives, and the princesses come down the stairs. In Brittany’s interview, she says her friends know her so well. She’s always loved princesses. They’re always up against something, and come out on top, find their voice, and find their happily ever after. She says, the princesses are there, all that’s missing is the queen. Lisa comes in, and says, it’s lovely. Brittany tells Lisa that she feels better. She took care of it, and everything will be fine. In her interview, Brittany says, it’s complicated having to fire a family friend. She wants to remember this part; not the rest of it. In Lisa’s interview, she says she’s glad to see a smile on Brittany’s face. In Stassi’s interview, she says, you know how you know when you nailed something so hard? She nailed it. Effing princesses. Nailed it. She and Katie high-five.
The Toms put out flowers at TomTom. James comes by, and Tom gives him a check. Tom says he heard Raquel got written up because she missed her shift. James tells them Peter talked rudely to Raquel, but Schwartz thinks it’s just a managerial thing. Tom says managers get frustrated on Pride Day. Peter had to work twice on his birthday because it fell on the same day. James says Peter isn’t inviting him to his birthday party because of Jax. It’s like being on the playground. He’s not going to walk on eggshells around Brittany and Jax. Tom says, Jax is a little touchy, and James says, Groomzilla.
The drinking commences at the shower, and Kristen asks Katie if she’s doing the same thing Kristen is for Brittany’s sake. Katie says she is. Brittany says, they have someone new officiating – Lance Bass. He reached out to them, and he’s willing to do it. Scheana ask if he’s going to sing, and Brittany says she doesn’t know. In Scheana’s interview, she says Brittany is getting married like a princess in a castle, with a member of a boy band officiating. It’s literally every preteen’s dream wedding. In Brittany’s interview, she says she knows her mother would prefer a pastor to one of her teenage wall posters, but her mother got married the second time on a cruise ship. Her mom tells her, everything is good.
Katie texts Schwartz about Lance, and James says, he’s the gayest pop star in the world. Now they’re over-compensating, but it took too long.
Lala and Lisa laugh about Lance officiating. In Lala’s interview, she says, Brittany is stuck between two different worlds. The world where it’s a sin to be gay, and the happy world where a gay pop star is officiating her wedding. Tom says he’s probably on social media the least, and he repeatedly saw the posts. Jax and Brittany were tagged in the comments. In his interview, he says he knows Jax saw the posts and turned a blind eye. He only did something when Lisa said something. He tells James and Schwartz, acting like they just realized is bullsh*t.
The group meets at some kind of bowling alley that also has other things going on, like batting cages and a bar. I guess they’ve rented it, since there are no other people there. Scheana tells Peter she wishes she could do a shot with him, but she’s freezing her eggs. He’s surprised, and in her interview, Scheana says, either people don’t listen to her, or don’t care. We flash back to her saying she was freezing her eggs seven thousand times. Peter says she can have a shot of water.
Peter tells Jax that he didn’t invite James to his party, and Jax says he appreciates that. He doesn’t want to tell Peter who to invite, but you don’t know what you’ll get with James. He might run through walls. They play beer pong, and Schwartz does some batting. Someone bounces a pong ball off of Brett’s head. Kristen fails miserably at batting, and in her interview, she says, she’s not someone who gives up at anything. Whether it’s baseball, love, or life, you’re going to hit a homerun. Schwartz tells Jax not to say they’re having Looks Like We Made It as their wedding song. Jax says they are; Brittany loves ShaniaTwain. Beau says he thought Jax was kidding, but Jax says they went to hell and back. They thought they weren’t going to make it, but proved everyone wrong. In Beau’s interview, he says, the thing everyone was forbidden to talk about is literally in the lyrics.
Katie says if you’re not a part of gossip, you’re the subject of it. She tells Dayna about Scheana saying she should wear a bra. Stassi says, it’s literally about Max, and Dayna tells them that she and Max talked about where they were at, and decided to be exclusive. In Dayna’s interview, she says she and Scheana just made up on Pride Day. She’s not going to say Max gave her the thing Scheana always wanted. Katie says, Scheana pisses on guys like they’re her property. Dayna says she thought, bitch, what did I do to you? In Stassi’s interview, she says she wasn’t sure about Dayna, but there’s nothing like a good sh*t-talking Scheana fest to bring sh*t-talking bitches together.
Jax tells Schwartz and Beau about getting Lance to officiate. Lala asks Brittany to get off her phone. Brittany says, everybody is out to get her right now. She loved the shower, but people on social media made fun of it. She reads, princess parties suck. She can only take so much. She was having fun. Stassi says, who gives a f***? Brittany says, now people are taking the best day of her life. Why do they have to ruin things? That’s a good question.
Tom tells Jax that he’d brought up the pastor, and Jax says they have Lance Bass now. Tom knows, but why did it take Lisa coming to them? Jax says he’s not talking about it. It did take Lisa. Tom says Jax has to be kidding him.
Jax asks where Brittany is, and finds out she’s crying. He goes over to her, and asks why. Lala says, jealousy really is the root of all evil. He tells her about how Tom said it took Lisa to get them to fire the pastor, and Brittany says he has nerve. He doesn’t know what she’s going through. Tom wanders over, and Jax asks why he’s trying to hurt them, and Stassi say he’s trying to make Brittany and Jax look like the bad ones. Kristen asks if this is about Peter not inviting James, and Jax says, it’s about their pastor, and basically tells her to hit the road. Tom says he was upset, and Lala says they all were; so was Brittany. Brittany says that’s why they fired him. Tom says he wants to ask questions. In Tom’s interview, he says he wanted to talk to Jon their own, and make him more aware, but now the sh*t hit the fan. Brittany shouts that she did nothing wrong. She saw one comment. Sitting in a booth some distance away, Scheana says she’s hearing everyone yelling. Tom says, what about all that transphobic sh*t? and Brittany says she chose to believe her friend. She was sorry when she saw the other comments. Lala says Tom making her defend herself is wrong. In his interview, he says, it’s a dangerous group of friends, when you’re not allowed to speak up about something wrong. It’s pissing him off that Jax isn’t standing up for their friends, and a community they’re a part of. Stassi says Tom is making himself a martyr. He’s Jon Snowing himself so hard by standing up. In her interview, she says, Jon Snow always has to do what’s right, despite who he hurts. They’re not in Westeros; they’re in Koreatown. Schwartz tells Jax that Tom is just looking out for him, but Jax says Tom is questioning his motives, and that’s a topic you don’t go near. Ariana asks if Tom can’t have an opinion. In Ariana’s interview, she says it’s like they must protect Brittany at all costs. Should she have a wedding, so she can get her ass kissed? Jax tells Ariana, he was a preacher, and he thought they were always inclusive. Ariana says he thought wrong, and he says he knows that now. He tells Tom, eff off. Ariana says, this is what always happens. She’s hitting some balls. Tom says he was just asking Jax a question, and Jax says, it was the wrong question. In her interview, Ariana says she’s always going to stand up for what she believes in, speak her truth, and when all else fails, bat some balls.
Jax says, there’s no coming back from that. Tom isn’t in the wedding. There’s no way he can have Tom in his bridal party. Brittany tells Jax to knock Tom the eff out. Lala holds Brittany, and everyone is bummed.
Next time, Dayna tells some of the others about being exclusive with Max, Jax says the only person he has a problem with is Tom, and Ariana wants to leave her life. She should have my life. She’d want back in real quick.
What I Watched - TV With Theresa 