What I Watched Today

(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)

 

General Hospital

No surprise, I missed the beginning. Heaving huge sigh, but knowing you’ll figure it out.

Brook says, it’s one thing for Lulu to mess with her, but she spit in the face of all the Quartermaines.

Chase asks if Violet got to sleep okay, and Willow says, it only took three stories. Chase praises Willow’s skills, and tells her, having fun is serious business. She says it’s nice hearing him laugh again; it’s been a while. The same with his smile. He hasn’t been smiling as much as he used, and he has such a sweet smile. He says that’s on her.

Michael tells Carly, they have to sit down as a family tomorrow, and figure out how to stack the odds against Nelle. Carly says, another ELQ disaster; they’ve seen their fair share. She asks what his strategy with Nelle is, and he says he’s been following Diane’s instructions to the letter, including allowing Nelle to visit. Carly knows. Nelle couldn’t wait to show her a selfie. He says, if it’s any consolation, he and Sasha were with her every second, and Carly says, it’s some, but not much. Michael needs to win custody by any means necessary.

Jason tells Anna, he and Peter are nothing alike, and she says he sees no parallels? He says, zero, and she says, has he or has he not been every DA’s whipping boy? He insists he’s not like Peter, and she asks if he’s not at the top of the list of the PCPD’s usual suspects. When he walks down the street, people stare at him. He says he doesn’t notice, but she says he notices everything. There’s the look of fear from complete strangers because of his reputation. He says he doesn’t care what strangers think about him, only the people he cares about; Robin, Maxie – and her.

Spinelli goes to Maxie’s apartment, and Georgie runs to him, asking where he was. Peter tells him the sitter had to leave; a family emergency. She had to rush to the airport, but he’s in for the night, and spending time with Georgie is a real treat. Spinelli directs Georgie’s attention to her coloring, and asks Peter if he can explain how the sitter worked her way down the telephone tree, and got to Peter. Peter says, she tried Maxie, and then Spinelli, but couldn’t get ahold of them. He was next on the list, but he’s glad it worked out. It gave him and Georgie a chance to do some old-fashioned bonding. Spinelli is sure any time Peter spends with Georgie is more than abundant, and Peter says now that Spinelli has moved back to Port Charles, he’s sure they’ll have plenty more.

Nina tells Jax, Maxie is family. The last thing she wants is a rift. He tells her not to beat herself up about it. Maxie has gone through disappointment before, and she’ll be fine. Nina says, not like this, and not from her. She says, this isn’t working for her, and he asks if she wants him to go, and she says she does. She needs to problem solve before the damage snowballs out of control. Maxie breezes in and gives Nina a paper, saying it’s something she whipped up. Jax tells her that he knows she deserves a raise, but the budget is set for the year. They can make it work next year. Maxie says, they won’t, and Jax says he promises. She says, they won’t because they can’t, and Nina says, because Maxie is resigning. Maxie says, she’s quitting.

At the MetroCourt, Valentin wants to talk to Lucy. She says, if it’s about his number for the Nurses Ball… but he says, it’s about Deception. He can expedite her company’s return to the market. Why have multiple investors, when she can have just him? She says she heard his wallet has diminished since Nikolas came back to claim his inheritance, but he says he has other sources of income.

Brook asks where Lulu’s gratitude is. She grew up in the Quartermaine mansion when her father was sponging off Brook’s granny. Lulu says she didn’t grow up there; she only lived there a few years. Brook asks if she doesn’t owe Michael any loyalty, and Lulu asks if Brook even knows what the deal is about. ELQ is merging with a foreign med tech company. That means they’ll be closing a local facility, and people will be out of jobs. Thanks for the lead. Brook says Lulu doesn’t care about the workers, just getting over on her. She knew Lulu was jealous, but didn’t know how bad Lulu wanted her life. Lulu says she really wants to be busking in the subway, and Brook says, at least she has talent. All Lulu has are kids from another broken home.

Chase says he loves Willow so much. She’s a never-ending source of joy. She asks if he’s not laying it on kind of thick, but he says he’s serious. Even when he’s not happy, he’s happier when she’s with him. She asks why she feels like there’s something off, and he says, Nelle, and everything she’s been putting Michael and Sasha through, and them by extension. It’s exhausting. She says she thought he was upset with her, and wondered why he didn’t immediately shoot the suggestion down that she marry Michael. Chase says they were all in shock. He and Sasha agreed they wanted to protect her, Michael, and Wiley, but not with some crazy idea. Willow says, he and Sasha agreed to what?

Michael says by any means necessary, he assumes Carly means exclusively legal methods. Carly says, yeah, sure. She and his father are ready to help; just say the word, He says, let him handle it, and she says if he wants to explore other options, just ask. He says she and Sonny have enough on their plates, and Sasha says she hates to be that girlfriend, but Michael has a workout on his calendar. He says he didn’t put one on there, and she says she did. He needs to blow off steam. He says they’re in the middle of something, and she says they’re not going anywhere; he is. He says they’re getting rid of him, and asks if everything is okay with him and Sasha. Sasha says they’re fine. It’s just the last 48 hours have been a challenge with Nelle. He leaves, and Sasha tells Carly, she wishes she could do more to help, but Michael won’t let her. Carly knows the feeling.

Jason says he respects Anna, but she’s using it to shield Peter. He can deal with that, but Spinelli is different. He loves Georgie, Maxie, and James, and doesn’t want to see them hurt. The truth is Peter is behind Drew’s plane going down, Andre getting stabbed, and the attack on Andre and Franco. Then he conveniently shot the assassin. Anna says, meanwhile, the WSB confirmed Obrecht was behind all of it.

Peter gives Spinelli a beer, but Spinelli sets it down. He looks around, and says he’s sure Georgie played with every toy. He’s glad; it’s time well spent. Peter says they played Operation, and Georgie won. It’s cool she wants to be a doctor. Spinelli says, yesterday, she wanted to be a wallaby, and the day before, a rainbow. Peter says he’ll support whatever she wants to be, and Spinelli says, it’s getting late. It’s a shame he can’t wait for Maxie. He tells Georgie, daddy is in a hurry, and looks for her teddy bear. Peter says he  thinks it’s in the kitchen; they were going to make cookies. Spinelli asks if it isn’t late, and if Peter’s intention was to get her hopped up on chocolate chips. Peter says, it was a sugarless recipe. Spinelli says Peter has an answer for everything, and Peter says, clearly, he has an adversary in Spinelli.

Jax says that Maxie doesn’t really mean it; it’s just negotiating tactics. Maxie says she’s assisted and supported Nina through her entire career, and proved she’s capable of much more, but she’s not worth any compensation. Jax isn’t willing to loosen the purse strings. Jax wishes Maxie well, but says, the market is dicey. She’s going to have a hard time finding a job. Maxie asks if that’s a threat, and he says, no. He’s just saying she might not get a better deal. She says, so she should settle for an unhappy situation, but Nina says, why leave a sure thing when she has two kids? Maxie says she teaches her kids to stick up for themselves, and she’s setting a good example. Jax says he’s known Maxie a long time. She’s creative, intuitive, and impulsive, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. But do herself a favor, and take a step back before she does something rash. She says she appreciates his concern, but she always lands on her feet. She’ll only be unemployed until tomorrow. Nina asks if she has another job lined up.

Valentin tells Lucy, he has an intriguing proposition. He’s offering her independence, and he’s willing to finance it. Lucy says if she throws in with him, she’ll blow her deal with Crimson out of the water. No thanks. She needs Nina’s power, money, and influence more than what he can provide. So, ta. She leaves, and Valentin says, ta.

Lulu asks if Brook knows why everyone hates her. She drives away anyone she knows. Brook says Lulu should truly ask herself why Dante dropped his life and ran off. He’d rather take another bullet than endure her boring self-righteous, passive/aggressiveness. No wonder he went nuts. He couldn’t stand coming home to a boring basic bitch any longer. Lulu calls Brook a has-been who never was. She shakes up the bottle of champagne, and sprays it all over Brook.

Lulu says, who’s basic now? and Brook punches her in the face. Lulu hits Brook back, and Brook grabs Lulu, swinging her around into a table. Valentin watches as they start hair pulling, going around in a circle. Lulu kicks Brook, who smacks into someone else. Valentin tells Lulu, his money is on Brook, and Lulu tells him, shut up. Brook yells, bitch, and gets Lulu down on the ground. Valentin starts filming with his phone.

Chase tells Willow, the other day, he ran into Sasha, and they were talking about what Michael and Willow are going through, and wanted to make sure they were okay. He didn’t mean to overstep. Willow says she’s glad Chase can talk to Sasha. She and Michael share a terrible loss in different ways, and sometimes she’s worried that they’re leaving Chase and Sasha one the outside looking in. Chase’s phone rings, and he says he’s on his way. He asks if they’re good, and Willow says they are. She tells him to be careful.

Carly tells Sasha, she’s noticed that Michael separates himself when it comes to solving problems about Nelle. Sasha wishes he’d expand his horizons when it comes to Carly’s expertise. She got rid of Michael so they could talk about Nelle. Her ideas keep getting shot down. Carly says, such as? and Sasha says she thinks Michael should marry Willow.

Nina asks if Maxie has been entertaining other offers, and Maxie says she wasn’t, but apparently she is in some demand. She asks Jax if knowing that loosens the purse strings. She knows the financial picture can be manipulated when it suits him. He says he wishes her well, and is sure they can keep Crimson humming without her. Lucy comes in, and Maxie says, say hello to her new boss.

Spinelli tells Peter, it’s just that no one advised Georgie’s father about her sugar intake. Peter says they’re certainly not friends, but he’d like it to be different. Spinelli says, that’s difficult when they’re at opposite ends of the cosmos, and Peter suggests they change that. They could grab a beer or go on a hike. He’d like them to be more than barely cordial. He’s the man who’s going to be in Georgie and James’s life, and he’s going to be in Maxie’s life permanently. Spinelli asks what Peter means, and Peter says he and Maxie are getting married.

Anna asks what it would take to convince Jason. What would it take for him to consider Peter might not be guilty? Does he have to see it with his own eyes? He can’t deny the evidence. Jason says, it could have been doctored. Peter framed Obrecht. Anna says, Obrecht framed Peter. She said she’d destroy Peter, and set out to do it. The sad fact is, Jason is playing into her hands. He’s not the first person Obrecht has played for a fool, but he’s the most bright. She leaves the gym, not bothering to work out.

Lulu says she’s going to kill Brook, and Brook says she’d like to see her try. Bring it, bitch. Lulu throws a bottle at Brook, but misses. Brook starts to throw something back, and hits Chase, who’s just walked into the fray. She says, oops.

Sasha tells Carly that Michael marrying Willow would make a stronger argument for him getting sole custody. Sasha was his first choice, but… Carly says, Sasha committed fraud, and Sasha says, exactly. Willow is a different story. The only time she went to jail, it was to protect Wiley. It speaks to her courage and commitment. Carly says she can imagine how that went over. Sasha says she thinks Willow was considering it for a moment; Michael too. Carly says she’s impressed. She didn’t think Sasha had it in her.

Willow tells Anna, welcome home, and Anna asks how Violet was. Willow says, an angel, as usual. Anna thought Chase was there, and Willow says, duty called. Anna says, it has a habit of doing that. Willow asks how Anna’s workout was, and Anna says she skipped it. She asks if Willow wants a drink.

Jason hits the punching bag, and Michael comes into the gym. Jason says it’s all his, and Michael asks if Jason has something on his mind. Jason says somebody he respects a lot is lying to themselves. People believe what they want to, and their belief is being used as a smokescreen to get away with murder.

Spinelli asks if Peter and Maxie are engaged, and Peter says, not yet. Spinelli was there at the MetroCourt when Maxie said they were planning to get married. Spinelli says her exact words were, what if they get married? It’s not a statement of intent. But if it’s on Peter’s mind, why doesn’t he propose? Peter says he doesn’t want to rush Maxie into a commitment just to prove something to her former non-husband. When Spinelli challenges the relationship they have, he wonders if it’s because he doesn’t trust Maxie, or does he still have feelings for her?

Nina says after their negotiations, Lucy poached her creative director? Lucy says she did no such thing, but Nina says Lucy got the seal of approval from Crimson, and this is how she repays Nina, by stealing her talent? How long has she been whispering in Maxie’s ear? Lucy says she has no idea what’s going on; it’s a misunderstanding. Jax says they were under the impression Maxie has a new job with Lucy, but Lucy says, it simply isn’t there. Sometimes she feels it would be great if Maxie had better listening skills. Maxie says Lucy gave her a card and said to call if Nina didn’t see what she had in her. Lucy says she wanted to give Maxie a shoulder to cry on. She’d never take her away from Crimson. Maxie says, so no fresh start? She just quit her job for nothing? She walks out, and Nina says, don’t go, but she keeps walking. Lucy says, that was quite a scene. Jax and Nina don’t look amused.

Chase handcuffs Brook, who asks if that’s necessary. Valentin says Brook is hardly an active threat, but Lulu says, you can’t be too careful. Brook says, Lulu started it, and Chase says, tell it to the judge. He reads her rights, as they go into the elevator.

Lucy tells Nina, she’s sorry. It was just a miscommunication. Jax says they know better than that. Lucy didn’t want to risk the deal, and tried to bring Maxie on after it was too late to back out. Nina says, it’s never too late. There’s no partnership anymore. Lucy tells her, don’t throw the baby out with the rose water, but Nina says Lucy can buy ad space, at the premium rate, no discount, but as far as an endorsement goes, she’ll get no help from Nina.

Spinelli says he wondered when Peter would resort to that tactic, but Peter says, it’s a legitimate question. Spinelli says, once upon a time he believed Maxie was his soulmate, but then he grew up and met Ellie. So the answer is no. Peter says he didn’t think so, but he had to be sure. Even a whiff of angry jealousy could poison Spinelli and Maxie’s relationship. Spinelli asks if Peter is implying his relationship with Maxie is at risk, and Peter says if Spinelli can’t find a way to tolerate him, Maxie will be forced to make a choice. Peter is comfortable with that, but is he? Maxie storms in and says, nobody talk to her. She’s says, Spinelli is here already? Don’t answer. She’ll tell him when. He says he’ll gather Georgie and bid her goodnight, but she says her daughter can’t see her like this. Spinelli asks if she’s ill, and she says, worse; unemployed.

Michael asks if Jason is talking about Nelle, but he says, no. Michael says, whoever it is, if Jason needs him for anything, he’s there. Jason says he’ll figure it out, and Michael says he has no doubt. Jason asks, what’s going on with Michael’s custody battle? and Michael says, Nelle had her first visitation. She has as much legal right to custody as he does, but so far, the only tactic he’s been given is to marry Willow.

Sasha tells Carly, it’s not like she’s pushing Michael to marry Willow. Carly says, it doesn’t serve Sasha’s own interests; it serves Michael’s. Sasha says, exactly, and Carly says she’s not judging Sasha; she’s applauding her. Some people blur the lines to get ahead, and others do it so the ones they love get ahead. She’s willing to let Michael marry another woman just to get Wiley away from Nelle. Sasha is her kind of person. A good person who knows how to do bad.

Anna asks if Willow would like another drink, and Willow says she would, but she’s driving. Anna thanks her for looking after Violet, and Willow says, it’s her pleasure. Violet is an angel. Anna says Violet really likes Willow, and Willow says she doesn’t have anywhere to be right away. They’ve never had a chance to talk and get to know one another. Anna say she appreciates that, but Willow should go, and find Chase. She has work to catch up on. Willow says the WSB keeps her busy, and Anna says, some cases refuse to be closed.

Jason asks Michael, whose idea it was for him to marry Willow, and Michael says, Sasha’s. Jason guesses Carly would probably agree. It makes sense. Michael says, if they ignore the fact that Willow is in love with Chase, and he’s in love with Sasha. Jason asks if he could ignore that, and Michael says, possibly, but Willow couldn’t and it’s not fair to ask her. He’ll have to find another way.

Sasha says the last time she was expelled from a family for being a liar and a schemer. She never thought she would be welcomed into a family for the same reason. Carly says, it’s Nelle they’re talking about. It’s not revenge, but justice, and thanks to Sasha, Carly is feeling better about the odds. Sasha says she hasn’t done anything, and Carly says, not yet, but her imagination can do anything. Michael doesn’t think outside the limits of the law, but it’s an obstacle to be tiptoed around. Sasha asks what Carly wants her to do, and Carly says she has Michael’s ear and can bend it. She has the feeling they’ll come up with the perfect plan to take care of Nelle.

Chase closes Brook’s cell door, and she says she’s sorry. She didn’t mean it. He says it felt like she did. She says she wasn’t trying to assault him; she was trying to assault Lulu. It was mutual. He asks if she remembers what he told her about remaining silent. For once in her life, just do it.

Valentin tells Lulu, way to create content, and she says, get bent. And delete the video. He says, too late for that, and Lucy comes out of the elevator. Lulu is on her way in, and Lucy asks, what happened? but Lulu doesn’t say anything. She says, thank God Valentin is still there, and he says, from Prince of Darkness to the Almighty. He says he was on his way out, but she tells him to stay; have champagne on her. They have business to discuss. He asks what business she’s talking about, and she says the earlier business that’s so near and dear to both of their hearts. The business of Deception.

Nina asks Jax what she’s going to do without Maxie, and he says he’s sure she’ll do fine. She’s had the magazine humming along for years. She says that’s because of Maxie’s continuity, industry, and savvy. Now she’s gone. Jax says, hire her back. Let bygones be bygones. She asks if that means she can give Maxie the money now, but he says she knows the answer. She says she also knows Maxie has too much pride to take her job back under those circumstances, much less ask for her job back.

Maxie breathes into a paper bag. Spinelli is sure Nina will take her back, but she sasy she can’t go back. She made a huge scene, and insulted Jax. Her phone rings. It’s Lucy, and Maxie says she has some nerve, and Lucy says she thinks Maxie overplayed her hand; she didn’t make an offer. Maxie says, it was implied, and Lucy says, it wasn’t, but forget that. It’s explicit now. Lucy wants Maxie on her team. Maxie asks if Lucy isn’t worried about Nina pulling out of the deal, and Lucy says, she already has, but that’s okay. The two of them and Sasha can work without Crimson. Maxie asks, how? and Lucy says she just secured an investor who will not only ensure the launch, but their success for years to come.

Valentin hands Lucy a drink, and they clink glasses.

On Monday, Sonny gets bad news, Curtis needs a favor, and Jordan asks where the hell her son is.

Shahs of Sunset

Mike asks MJ, what happened? and she tells him that Reza said she had ten abortions. Mike can’t believe what came over Reza, and MJ says Reza yelled that she was 50 years old, and ended up bleeding out in the hospital because she’d had ten abortions. Mike says he didn’t realize they were going to act like animals. When he persuaded Reza to talk to her, he thought they’d talk. She says Reza decided to believe Ali over his friend of 30 years. In Mike’s interview, he says, Destiney approached Reza, and soon after, all effing hell broke loose. We flash back to the lunch with Ali. Mike says, in the meantime, MJ was giving birth, and we flash back to Reza reading Mike the text he got from Tommy about MJ needing emergency surgery. Mike thinks MJ heard a rumor and spread it , but didn’t start it. MJ says Reza brings up sh*t they know about each other, and she doesn’t do that. Mike begs to differ, and we flash back to MJ telling Reza to go back to his cheating husband just before the whole thing exploded. She says she didn’t bring attention to everything, and their problems have nothing to do with her. In MJ’s interview, she says Reza and Adam’s troubled waters aren’t a secret. We flash back to the reunion when Reza said they’d talked about divorce, and the naked Jenga stuff. She says, they were Adam’s actions, and it’s easier for Reza to blame her than look at himself and his husband. We see a clip of her calling Tommy from the party, and saying she told Reza to get TF away from her, and he screamed that she was 50 years old, and nearly bled to death because she’d had ten abortions. Mike says, it’s going to get messy. MJ says if Reza is going to Phoenix, she’s not coming. She has her baby to focus on, and she’s going to pray for Reza.

24 hours later. Reza looks at his patio, which is a mess. In his interview, he says he and Adam were having brunch with Reza’s mother, and Adam got a Ring notification on his phone. We see a clip of Tommy on their patio, smashing stuff and throwing things around. Reza comes in the house through the back. He tells Adam, when they were driving to his mom’s house and Tommy called, he didn’t realize that Tommy was in the car headed toward their house. In Reza’s interview, he says Tommy called in a state of rage, saying he was going to effing kill Reza. Reza thought, okay, low class trash, and hung up. Adam says he doesn’t feel safe.

MJ meets Nema for lunch, and wonders how she and Reza got there. She’s saddened that this is a time in her life when she should be celebrating. It’s all about love and being supported. Never in her wildest dreams did she think Reza would act like that. Nema says MJ threw water in Reza’s face; it’s an invasion of personal space. She says, Tommy had the proper reaction (!), and Nema wonders who says that? Mike joins them. I note he’s wearing a magenta beanie, and wonder about his fashion sense.

Reza asks what MJ was thinking. Was she sending her criminal thug husband over there to scare or hurt them? He’s not intimidated. He tells Adam that he has a temporary restraining order against Tommy until the court hearing on June 14^th. He wants to make sure Tommy stays away, and wants to see him prosecuted.

MJ wonders how she got dragged into this. Nema asks if she knew Tommy was going over there, and Mike says, of course. Nema asks why she didn’t stop him, and MJ says Tommy has to protect his wife and son. When someone says horrific things, and takes it to social media, they can’t expect him to lay [sic] down. In MJ’s interview, she says Reza went on an Instagram rant, showing private texts between him and Tommy, and her personal medical history that Tommy confided in him. Tommy was furious; Reza fanned the flame, and poured gas on it. MJ tells Mike and Nema that she doesn’t feel good about what Tommy did. Nema asks if she thinks it was okay, and she says she never said that, but he just messed up some plants; so what? In Mike’s interview, he says he thought MJ would be apologetic, but she’s being defensive, and making light of it. It makes her look worse. Nema says she needs to come down on Tommy, and she says she did. Nema says, it’s a game changer, and in the end, it’s on her and Reza. He wonders if their group of friends is going to be like divorced parents, and spend one day with Reza, and a different one with her. In Nema’s interview, he says, MJ just had a baby. She has better things to worry about. He tells MJ, she needs to own her part in it, and be done with it. MJ says she wanted to clear the air, and that’s it. She says she’s had enough bullsh*t, and leaves.

GG goes to see her lawyer Atousa. Arousa asks GG, please don’t tell her that she’s in trouble, or needs a prenup. GG says she doesn’t, and Atousa says GG just got divorced. She got a phone call from Shalom saying he’d sign the documents, and send them overnight. GG is in shock, and says she doesn’t know how Atousa did it. Atousa says she just kept it real, and told him what he was doing wouldn’t resolve it; the law is not on his side. In GG’s interview, she says, Atousa is an amazing attorney. She thought she was just going to have to file papers, wait in line for a court date, and be divorced. She was married six and a half to seven weeks, and the divorce took about two years. We flash back to the reunion when she talked about being in the process. Then we see a clip of Mike on the phone with Shalom, telling him to stop calling GG, and Shalom saying he loves her. Atousa says Shalom still wants her back, and no matter how they communicate, he’s going to end up being sulky and not happy as a result. GG says, especially if he finds out she’s trying to get pregnant. Atousa warns her that they’re still not past the time period where Shalom can contest the divorce. He could say there was fraud, or he didn’t know about things she didn’t disclose. Don’t cause trouble, and leave him alone. GG says her whole being was for this, and Atousa says now let her whole being be for the baby. GG tells Atousa, she used an anonymous sperm donor. In her interview, she says she saw his picture, and she had her nose done, but his was good to begin with. She weighed everything out after the genetics.

Destiney meets Nema at a restaurant, and they order drinks. She says she didn’t want to go to Sara’s party, and he says he didn’t even see her interact with Sara. He didn’t realize she was still talking to Sam, and she says Sara didn’t want her to. We flash back to Sara telling Destiney not to continue seeing her brother. Nema says Sara really must not like her. Destiney smokes a hookah, and says she was going to see Sam in Vegas but her flight was delayed. In her interview, she says she and Sam are still talking, and as long as it’s fun and flirty, she’ll continue enjoying the moment with him. She says her event in Arizona is on Saturday, but she’d like them to come earlier. She’s invited everyone except Sara.

GG drives to an In-N-Out Burger. In her interview, she says it’s been ten days since the transfer. She has to eat before her mom gets to her house. Lord help her with a Persian mother. She doesn’t know if she’s eating for two or nervous eating.

MJ changes Shams’s diaper. In her interview, she wonder what a mother should call her son’s penis, and decides it’s not pecker. She brings Shams out. Her assistant Sienna is there, and her trainer Craig lets himself in. In MJ’s interview, she says she’s been in bed a month now, and it’s time to start getting healthy. Craig says he came bearing gifts – collagen water and healthy drinks. He asks how MJ’s state of well-being is, and she says she’s a bit of a wreck. He thinks she should address this thing, and make sure she’s feeling good about where she is in life.

Destiney goes to Mike’s house, and he says she’s in time for breakfast. He asks if she has any idea why Reza wants to talk to all of them. She guesses he wants to talk what went down at Sara’s pool party. In Mike’s interview, he says he loves Reza, but Reza has a way of rallying his troops. Either you’re going to be on his or their team.

Reza and Adam get to Mike’s, with Nema following. In Reza’s interview, he says, the loss of a best friend is unimaginable. He needs all the love and support he can get right now. He tells Mike and Destiney that he can never have anything to do with MJ and Tommy again. First, she sent her gay minions to destroy his marriage. We flash back to Reza calling MJ about the lunch with Ali, and Reza says, then, she sends her thug husband to… what? Rough him up? Mike says he and Nema met with MJ, and told her that Tommy’s actions were unacceptable. Reza asks if she was remorseful. In Mike’s interview, he says they acted like savages, but you can’t flush a friendship over a disagreement. Sara joins them, and asks where GG is, and Reza says she had an appointment at 10. He apologizes profusely for acting like an animal. We flash back to him throwing papers all over the place. He says he’s so sorry, but Sara says he doesn’t have to apologize, and asks who invited MJ? Nema says he was trying to bring friends together, and realizes it was wrong. He was thinking they had a 30 year friendship, it was a tiff, and it would be over. Reza says he thinks Nema was being flippant, but he’s disappointed in himself, and wishes he hadn’t said what he did. MJ’s medical history had nothing to do with what the argument was about.

Craig tells MJ that her dad came to him in his sleep. He said he’d really like her to be able to address the situation with Reza. In MJ’s interview, she doesn’t think revisiting the disgusting things Reza said will help her heal. She tells Craig, she hates talking about this, so he brings out resistance bands, and suggests they regroup.

Paulina is the last to get there, and Reza says he wants to fill everyone in courtwise. Tommy has to stay 100 yards away from their home, Adam, himself, and their cars. Nema asks if there are jailtime consequences, and Reza says there are. He asks them, please do not try to mend things or help the friendship or relationship with MJ or Tommy. In his interview, he says he doesn’t want be friends with MJ’s friends. He wants no connection, or for her to know anything about him. He tells Destiney, as much as he wants to go to Arizona, he’s taking Adam to Hawaii for his birthday. He tells everyone that he loves them.

Nema rings Shervin’s doorbell, and Shervin jokes that he’s not interested in whatever Nema is selling. Shervin, Mike, and Nema head to the airport. In Mike’s interview, he says they’re having a guy’s weekend. They’re going to watch mixed martial arts fighting, and get away from the drama. Mike says he can’t wait to get away.

In Phoenix, Destiney gets ready, along with her assistant Rose. She says, what are the odds that her package would get lost? In her interview, she says, all her clothes, including the dance costumes, never arrived. Her company is doing an anime/boxing event. It’s a vibe. She’s glad her friends are coming, but wishes Reza was going to be there. Rose is her left hand, and she has to delegate. She wonders why she can’t just live and enjoy the moment.

The guys arrive at the hotel. In Nema’s interview, he says they were late because they were kicked off the plane in L.A. because they’re middle Eastern. In Mike’s interview, he said someone was saving seats for them, and a guy ran to grab them, but the attendant had already made up her mind that they were guilty, and they had to get off the plane. We flash back to when they were detained in Israel. Mike says, thank God the worst is out of the way, and Nema says they hope it’s the worst. They decide to have a cocktail, and Nema says he wants to see Shervin strike out. Destiney meets them in the lobby, and Nema asks how is she hammered already? Mike says she smells like tequila. In her interview, Destiney says her dancers are on point, and the fighters are prepared for the weigh-in. Now everybody is cleared and ready to go. In Mike’s interview, he thinks she’s holding guilt over Reza and MJ, and that’s why she’s wasted the day before her big event. She tells them, dinner in an hour, and Mike says, no more for her.

Vida visits MJ, and in MJ’s interview, she says her mother is retiring after 36 years as a make-up artist at Bloomingdale’s. MJ thinks Vida is ready to have a new chapter with her grandson. She tells Vida that Destiney was talking to her about the event months ago, but decided she needed to cover her ass, so MJ didn’t get an invite. In her interview, MJ says, Destiney should keep as far away as possible. The moment she faces the truth, she’ll be implicated as a being a big liar. We flash back to MJ telling Destiney that she can’t blame people who aren’t there to defend themselves. Vida says it’s better for MJ to stay with her precious baby. One day they’re friends, and the next, they’re enemies.

GG sits with friend Yasmin and mom Fatima. Fatima says GG is getting cravings early, but GG says she doesn’t know if she’s pregnant yet. In her interview, she says it’s been an agonizing twelve days. Her anxiety has built up, and she can’t focus. The fertility nurse calls, and she hesitates to answer, but finally does. The nurse says, guess who’s knocked up? and they all scream. The nurse says GG is going to be good mother, and congratulates her. GG hugs Fatima and Yasmin.

Looking for Shervin, Mike says he’ll just follow the smell of Drakkar. In his interview, he says, it feels weird that his best friends aren’t there. Who will he worry about, since MJ was always late? And he’ll miss Reza’s sense of humor. You haven’t traveled until you’ve smelled the spray of the finest liquid ass money can buy. We flash back to their RV trip. MJ calls, and Mike says he, Shervin, and Nema are grabbing dinner. He asks how she is, and she says she hates missing out. She didn’t feel good after their lunch. She felt like they gave her the third degree and attacked her. Nema wonders if she’s crying, and Mike says he’s sorry she’s upset, but it’s not a little feud. Everyone is talking about it, and each person involved has a responsibility in what happened. She says she doesn’t know why Destiney and Ali lied, and Mike says that’s two people who are saying she was involved. She says she’s not trying to duck out of this, but Tommy went storming out. Do they think she wanted that to happen? We flash back to the pool party, where MJ called Tommy, and while she was giving him a blow-by-blow, Mike was saying, don’t do it. She says she’s not in charge of her husband’s behavior or her best friend’s. Mike says she hasn’t taken responsibility for what she’s done. MJ says she was aware Ali wanted to talk to Reza, and didn’t think the issue exceeded strip Jenga. Which still continues to sound stupid. In Mike’s interview, he says MJ is crying because she realized she stirred the pot. It’s setting in that she took it too far. He tells her that he hopes they get past it, and she says, okay.

The guys go downstairs to the steak house. Nema feels the stress of the fallout. Destiney says she ordered already, and Mike tells her that MJ called, but she’s not taking responsibility for what she told Ali. She said she doesn’t condone what Tommy did, but she can’t control him. Nema says, she knew the intention was there. In Destiney’s interview, she says MJ knew what Ali was going to say, and told him to do it. She says, it’s sad that MJ’s not owning up to it. She looked Destiney in the face, and said Destiney was lying, but MJ put her in the situation, and made it seem as if she was lying when she wasn’t. She didn’t know what Ali was going to say. Mike tells her, be honest, and she asks what she’d have to lose. They’re drinking the Kool-Aid. Shervin tells her to own her sh*t. She knew about the rumor, and brought it to Mike instead of talking to Reza. She asks if he’s smoking crack. Mike tells her, don’t bullsh*t, and she says she doesn’t need to bullsh*t. Enough is enough. No matter what the end of the journey, she knows where she’s going. She calls Shervin a POS, and leaves. Mike tells her, don’t walk away, but she keeps going. Nema says she knows she’s caught. If she’s innocent, why is she acting guilty? Mike says, nothing is settled, and Shervin says, she’ll never own up to what she did.

At MJ’s house, Tommy feeds Shams. In MJ’s interview, she says, after the horrible things Reza said, the next day, he posted her and her son’s medical history on Instagram. She was shocked and shook, and shared it with Tommy. He called Reza, who hung up on him, and Tommy made a beeline for the door. He stood up for her, even though there were legal consequences. Tommy tells her, he broke some plants, but he wanted to break Reza’s legs. Reza is lucky. Reza can’t talk like that to people, or someone will come and break his legs. They’re two men, and he wasn’t coming to play Jenga. He was there to kick ass. MJ says, at the same time, that’s not who they are. Tommy says he’s grateful no one was there, or it would have escalated. MJ tells him, calm down, and he says he promised her dad and made vows to her to protect her and  keep her safe. When she was in a hospital bed, he couldn’t do anything. Tommy cries. In her interview, MJ says when Tommy was waiting to find out if she’d make it, he was taken back to the loss of his mother. Tommy tells her, everyone said it would be the best night of his life when he’d hold his kid, but it was the effing worst experience of his life, and he can’t get it out of his head. She says she doesn’t want to see him like this, but he says he can’t help it. He cries about it all the time. She says the best thing is to look at their beautiful baby. Their pot of gold at the end of the rainbow is in the nursery. She knows it will become a distant memory, and she loves him. In MJ’s interview, she says, in the last fourteen months, she lost her father, got pregnant, almost died, and almost lost the baby. If her friends knew the truth, they’d understand what pushed Tommy to the limit. She’s 100% standing by her husband, and doesn’t care if he’s wrong in the eyes of the law.

Next time, Destiney’s even happens, Vida has a birthday, and MJ doesn’t give a f***.

👩🏽‍🏫 Quotes of the Week

In an information-rich world, the wealth of information means a dearth of something else: a scarcity of whatever it is that information consumes. What information consumes is rather obvious: it consumes the attention of its recipients. Hence a wealth of information creates a poverty of attention and a need to allocate that attention efficiently among the overabundance of information sources that might consume it. – Herbert Simon

The things which have the greatest value in use have frequently little or no value in exchange; on the contrary, those which have the greatest value in exchange have frequently little or no value in use. Nothing is more useful than water: but it will purchase scarcely anything; scarcely anything can be had in exchange for it. A diamond, on the contrary, has scarcely any use-value; but a very great quantity of other goods may frequently be had in exchange for it. – Adam Smith

Do stuff. Be clenched, curious. Not waiting for inspiration’s shove or society’s kiss on your forehead. Pay attention. It’s all about paying attention. Attention is vitality. It connects you with others. It makes you eager. Stay eager. – Susan Sontag

🌪 Just When You Thought Friday Would Be Easy…

This week is over now, right? Stay safe out there, and see you when the dead walk.