What I Watched Today
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Moving slowly toward new episodes, today’s GH Flashback was from May, 7th, 2020. Read the condensed version here, or for the whole deal, go to:
At the hospital, Finn apologized to Willow, saying Chase could be a knucklehead, but suggesting she cut him some slack. Chase wasn’t an expert at relationships. Laura was having lunch at the MetroCourt, and asked Carly to join her. Carly said Michael’s custody case was tomorrow. She’d done everything she could to strengthen the case, but there was no way to be sure. Trina showed up at the hospital to see Portia, who’d thought Josslyn’s driver was bringing her home. Sonny and Jason met Curtis at the pier. Sonny asked about TJ’s memory of the kidnapping, and Curtis recalled when he’d talked to TJ. He told Sonny that TJ didn’t remember much, and Sonny said that was a good thing. The less TJ remembered, the safer he’d be from Cyrus. Mac talked to Jordan about the kidnapping, and flashed back to TJ telling him that he remembered water being nearby, and possible construction.
Carly told Laura that Nelle was a nightmare, and remembered all of her interactions with Nelle. Laura said it seemed Nelle wanted to bring down GH, and Carly said Bobbie and Monica were collateral damage; Nelle wanted to force Michael’s hand in the custody case. Laura said she didn’t think insurance was going to cover it, when Cyrus walked into the MetroCourt. Curtis told Sonny, he didn’t think anyone at the PCPD had found a link between TJ and Cyrus, but Mac was getting close. Curtis flashed back to Mac showing him and Jordan where he thought TJ had been held. He told Sonny that Jordan didn’t know about their meeting. He wasn’t sure she was ready to talk about what needed to happen next, but he was. Mac told Jordan that he didn’t understand why TJ’s phone was used to text her. Jordan remembered getting false messages from TJ, saying he just needed time away to think. Finn told Willow, he wouldn’t blame her if she didn’t want to see Chase again, but did Chase explain things to her? She said Chase apologized, and she knew he was sorry, but that didn’t change anything. Sasha and Michael came out of the hospital elevator. Laura told Carly that Nelle was saying they’d conspired to give Wiley surgery without her permission, and Carly flashed back to Nelle insisting she didn’t sign the consent form, Michael saying she did, and Bobbie telling Nelle that it was in Wiley’s chart. Laura told Carly that she didn’t think the insurance covered that kind of thing, but even if they paid Nelle off, she didn’t think they could survive the negative press. Cyrus approached their table, and said it sounded dire.
Mac wondered why there was no ransom demand, and Jordan said maybe the kidnappers were biding their time. He asked, why? but she said she didn’t know, and asked if TJ remembered something more. Mac told her, no, and she said it sound like he had a theory, so lay it on her. Curtis told Sonny, the less he knew about Sonny’s methods the better, but Jordan couldn’t be near what happened next. It was his understanding that once Cyrus’s sentence was vacated, Sonny was supposed to handle him. Wasn’t it how he maintained peace and protected his loved ones? With all due respect, Curtis wondered what was taking so long. Trina said she wanted to spend extra time with Portia, but Portia wondered if Trina was there because she didn’t want to be home alone. Trina admitted that was it, and Portia told her what happened was the exception, not the rule, and the town was kept safe by the PCPD. Trina said the Commissioner had thrown her father under the bus, and she remembered Jordan explaining that Taggert had tampered with evidence. Trina asked how Portia could trust anything to do with Jordan.
Carly told Cyrus that it was a private conversation. He said he didn’t mean to intrude, and she said, but yet he had, after eavesdropping. He told her that after being in prison for so long, he was drawn to the female siren song. They’d been talking about the future of GH, which he thought concerned everyone in the city. Laura assured him that everyone would be kept posted, and he said that erased his concerns. Carly said she must have missed the part where he’d said what he wanted, and Cyrus asked for her and Sonny’s address, saying he wanted to send them an invitation to his housewarming. They’d graciously welcomed him to Port Charles, and he wanted to return the gesture. Jason told Curtis that they couldn’t rush things, and sometimes you had to let things play out. If you forced them, they could go sideways quickly. Curtis said he had a family now, and all he could think about was how one bullet separated Trina and Cameron from life and death, and Trina calling out for the father they couldn’t save. Sonny said it couldn’t happen at a worse time, and Curtis told him that Stella had filled him in on Mike’s condition. Sonny said he was doing what he could, and he was going to solve the problem. Curtis had his word. The plan was already in motion. Mac told Jordan if the kidnapping wasn’t financially motivated, the only other reason would be to use TJ as leverage, but TJ’s only connection was to her. Jordan said TJ had been returned, and Mac asked if there had been no demands. Jordan flashed back to visiting Cyrus in prison, Cyrus taunting her, using doublespeak without actually admitting he’d kidnapped TJ, and being sent a picture of TJ in captivity. She remembered the visit from Harmony where Harmony told her that Cyrus wanted to bring a shipment through, and she was to preoccupy the police. Jordan asked Harmony what guarantee she had Cyrus would release TJ, and Harmony said the only guarantee was what Cyrus would do to him if Jordan didn’t do what he’d asked. She thought about Sonny telling her that she couldn’t stay silent, admitting to Sonny that Cyrus had her son, and Sonny saying he took Cyrus’s personal reasons for being in Port Charles to mean her. Jordan told Mac that she’d heard nothing, and Mac said he thought of her as a friend, not just a boss. She said the feeling was mutual, and he told her that if she wanted to talk, he was there.
Finn asked Sasha, what happened? and she said it was no big deal; just a bloody nose. Finn took her to an exam room, and Willow asked Michael if he wanted to talk about it. He said he and Brook were at the boxing gym, and ran into Chase and Sasha. Then Brook accidentally punched Sasha in the nose. Willow wondered why Chase hadn’t driven her there. Carly told Cyrus it was thoughtful, but their calendar was booked. Cyrus said he wanted to send the invite anyway, and she said he could send it there, or to the coffee warehouse; he knew the address. Carly flashed back to the shooting, and Cyrus asked why he would. She said it was as easy to find as a pub in Brooklyn (where there had been a parallel shooting). Cyrus hoped Laura’s schedule was more accommodating, but Laura said a major crime wave was keeping her busy; she had to pass. Cyrus was sure Sonny didn’t like to burden Carly with the details of coffee importing, but they’d reached an understanding. Laura asked, about what? and he said, a conflict of interest, but they’d cleared it up. He was planning a memorable Port Charles debut, and said Laura could expect an invite; he knew where she lived. Carly said he made it sound ominous, but he said it wasn’t intentional, and he’d put them both on his Christmas card list. He left, and Laura followed shortly after, having been put off her lunch. Curtis asked Sonny what he should do, and Sonny said, just live his life. The best thing to do was put on a normal front. What he had in mind took time. Curtis asked, how much time? and Sonny said it depended. Jason said if they attacked now, while Cyrus was parading around as the wronged party, it would draw unwanted attention. Sonny said that was the last thing he or Jordan needed. He and Cyrus had reached a truce. He needed to dig in and play nice, until he found the right moment. Curtis flashed back to Jordan wondering how she could stop Cyrus without risking the lives of her loved ones, and if she should confess that she was in on the frame. Curtis told Sonny, while he threaded this narrow needle, Jordan was stuck on a tightrope with a killer. Jordan told Mac that she appreciated his loyalty and friendship, but there was nothing she wasn’t telling him. She knew how it looked. Mac said he had to ask, and she said she was glad the right man was on the case. She had confidence he’d get to the bottom of it. Mac said he said stay on it until he did.
Curtis came by Jordan’s office, and asked if she wanted to join him in a late dinner. She said she would, but wanted to check on TJ first. Mac watched them leave. Finn examined Sasha, and said, the good news was, her nose wasn’t broken, but he wanted her to keep ice on it. She said, so much for the new face of Deception; they hadn’t even launched yet. She was grateful no paparazzi were around. She said Chase told her that Finn knew everything, and Finn said he wanted Chase to walk away from their well-intentioned disaster before it got worse. He flashed back to telling Chase to let Willow decide. Find her and fix it. Sasha said, so they should come clean, and then what? Everyone would be happy? He said it would be better than what they were doing now, and she said it would be for her and Chase, but Michael and Willow could never be happy if Nelle got Wiley. Portia told Trina that she didn’t like what Jordan had done, but Trina’s father had trusted Jordan. Even if they didn’t know his reasons, his opinion should count for something. He would have wanted Trina to move forward, and focus on her future not his past. Trina said he would have wanted to watch her grow up, and it wasn’t fair. Portia held Trina while she cried a little. Carly told Sonny that he’d just missed Cyrus pretending to be nice, and denying he was threatening. He’d wanted their address to invite them to his housewarming, She’d said he already had it, since he’d tried to gun them down in three different locations, and then he made it clear that he knew Laura’s address. She wondered how much longer Port Charles would have to endure him. Trina told Portia that she felt better; because she had a great mom, not because she despised Jordan any less. Portia said Jordan wasn’t responsible for Taggert’s death, and Trina said, no – he is. As Cyrus walked by, she confronted him, saying she knew who he was. He said he was sorry about her father, and she said he didn’t sound sorry. He told her there must be a misunderstanding, when Curtis showed up, and told him, back off. Stay the hell away from her.
Finn told Sasha there would be some bruising, but no scar. He said he’d noticed how she’d looked at Michael. She loved Michael, and Chase loved Willow, but they thought the best solution was to play God with everyone’s lives. Michael told Willow that Chase was busy reading Brook the riot act, so he brought Sasha to the hospital. It was hard turning off the feelings. Tomorrow was the hearing, and they had to be ready. Willow assured him that they would be. Sonny went to the MetroCourt, and Carly asked him if he remembered the time they got married so she could spy on him. He said, which time? and she said, either one. She told him everything stayed between them, and asked if there was anything she needed to know. Sonny said for now it was best to wait until she needed to know. She asked him to promise that he was going to end the craziness with Cyrus, and he promised. She said, when? and he flashed back to telling Cyrus that he could live in Port Charles, but had to conduct business elsewhere. He couldn’t move his merchandise through Sonny’s territory, and it couldn’t touch Sonny or his associates. Cyrus said they had a deal. Sonny also recalled telling Jason that he was biding his time, and when Cyrus stopped looking for Sonny out of the corner of his eye, he was going to take Cyrus out. Sonny told Carly, sooner than Cyrus thinks. Laura went to the PCPD looking for Jordan, but Mac said she’d left. He asked if he could help Laura, and she said, not unless he could get rid of Cyrus. Cyrus told Curtis they hadn’t been introduced, and Curtis said Cyrus knew good and damn well he was Jordan’s husband. Curtis knew everything about Cyrus, and told him to play his game somewhere else, and stay away from Trina and Portia.
🏥 In Case You Missed It…
GH has some virtual fan events going on. There are no crowds, and you don’t have to wear a mask. Unless you want to.
https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/virtual-fan-events
Million Dollar Listing Los Angeles
JoshF was forty-five minutes late to see a house in Long Beach, an hour and a half outside of Beverly Hills on a good traffic day. His problem wasn’t traffic though; it was fighting with the GPS on Bobby’s car. The house hadn’t been on the market in nearly fifty years. Seller Julie, whose parents had bought the house after she left for college, met Josh, and showed him around. Casa Oceana was 7,692 square feet, and had spectacular unobstructed views. Built in 1928, it was designed by Roland Coate, who’d done a lot of Spanish revival, which included courtyards. They not only gave a house an indoor/outdoor feel, but prior to air conditioning, it was a place to cool off. Although renovations had been done in 1977-79, the owners kept the original wood beamed ceilings. The most interesting feature was in the chef’s kitchen, a 1970s ceramic induction cooktop, where the heating elements were in the tiles. There were 3 bedrooms and 7 baths, a chauffeur’s quarters that had been turned into a guest suite, and a 56,000 square foot lot. Julie was a stickler for time – I thought, geez, at least Josh had been honest; he could have said it was traffic – but she loved how Josh noticed details other brokers hadn’t, as well as being in agreement with her price point of just under $12 million. Julie gave him the listing, and he thought there would be a ton of interest because no one had seen it, but that didn’t mean it would sell. The buyer would probably have to put $5-6 million into renovations, especially since there were only 3 bedrooms. BTW, Josh’s commission would be $300K. I know they put in a lot of work, but it must be nice to make several years’ salary for most people in one shot.
Tracy’s own house was being sold, but she’d stepped away, since she couldn’t be objective. This didn’t stop her from reminding team member Gina about her house’s special features a million times. She met with Douglas/Elliman agent Tim, along with other investors at La Mirada, their property in Pasadena. Like Tracy with her own home, Tim felt he was too close to the property to be the broker, and wanted to keep it at arm’s length. The group had sunk several million into renovations, the imported tiles alone costing $10K. The house had 4 bedrooms and 3½ baths, engineered white oak flooring, and was on nearly 2 acres. Tracy told Tim, it was $10 million just for the dirt. In her interview, she said mid-century modern sold well because of its simplicity in design, making it easier to renovate, and Pasadena was on fire because of the value. They agreed on a price of $3.325 million.
JoshA and Heather had a new baby boy, Ace, and Josh said Lexie was being the best older sister. He drove to an area of Hollywood Hills that was populated by new money, and attracted young entertainment buyers. He met with seller Ken to look at a 7,456 square foot home with an open floor plan. The seller had put in $2.1 million in renovations, putting in Viking appliances, custom Italian cabinetry, and imported stone countertops. The master suite was huge, 1500 square feet, along with a 300 square foot closet. The house was 4 bedrooms and 6 baths, had a salt water pool, and was on a 26,791 square foot lot. Josh thought it was the epitome of Hollywood Hills, and perfect for someone looking for super clean and modern. Ken needed to go back to New York, and had no choice but to sell it. He wanted to build something for himself in New York, and wanted to move quickly. Josh said it was about comps and the market. The house had been on the market for four months; the listing was stale, and the market was uncertain. He thought Ken should ask for $13 million, but Ken said he’d talked to other agents who agreed with him that he should ask for $15 million, and he’d get back to Josh. In Josh’s interview, he said brokers told sellers what they wanted to hear to get the listing.
JoshF walked into his staff meeting with a bag of panama hats. He told his team about Casa Oceana, and said it had a resort feel, making him want to throw a party. There was something inspiring about it. He thought the party should be daytime casual, and planned on using airplane banner advertising to promote it.
Tracy and Gina went to a high-end vintage clothing store called Timeless Vixen, looking for outfits for the La Mirada open house. Tracy decided she would use a theme, and wanted to pattern it after photographer Slim Aarons. She said his photographs were quintessential of mid-century architecture, with pops of color, perfect for an older house. Tracy zeroed in on a piece of Balenciaga couture, a jacket once owned by Mick Jagger, going for $22K. She told Gina that she needed to sell her house quickly. Gina said she’d gotten an offer of $19 million for Tracy’s house, and Tracy said she didn’t want to play hardball, but wanted to be aggressive with her first counter offer. Her asking price was $23 million, and she countered with $21.9. She thought it was surreal talking about the sale of her own house. She was excited, but used to being on the other side. Gina said Tracy couldn’t buy the jacket yet, and Tracy asked if it could be put on layaway.
JoshF, Bobby, Wilie, and Hilary (Director of Operations) went to Casa Oceana to set up for the party, and watched Josh’s plane go by. In his interview, Josh yelled, da plane! Da plane! then told the group that he’d always wanted his name in the sky. We found out that the plane cost $2500 to rent. Good to know. Josh said they had booze, panama hats, and booze, and someone was going to buy the house for the land and view, not because it was staged. Afterward, he told us, on paper the event went wonderfully, but there were about 290 looky-loos who weren’t even qualified to buy it.
For Tracy’s La Miranda open house, she’d gotten models in full mod wardrobe and makeup, lots of yellow flowers, and fondue in the kitchen. It was a whole moment, and she was into it, even wearing a yellow outfit to match the flowers. She told potential buyers that it was one of the most stylish, functional homes in the area. When she pointed out the Jack and Jill bathroom, I had to go, ugh. Why? Why would you want to brush your teeth next to someone else? It’s not a competition. At the open house, Gina said she knew it wasn’t the ideal time, but the potential buyer for Tracy’s house had come up to her counter of $21.9 million. Tracy said she knew she would miss it, but a new chapter was exciting. She looked forward to something different.
Street artist Gregory Siff did a wall mural outside of the Altman Brothers office building. In his interview, Josh said when people took selfies, his name would be behind them. The mural was really cool – a wall of icons depicting Josh, Matt, and everything that was in their orbit. Josh had one request, that Gregory include his dog Diego, who he’d just lost. Josh got choked up, so I did too, having just lost my oldest dog in May. In Josh’s interview, he said that he’d rescued Diego fourteen years ago, and he was the first dog Josh had lost. In good times and bad, Diego had always been happy to see him. Ken called, and told Josh that he’d talked again to other brokers who thought he could get more for his house. He wanted the most money, and needed to move. Josh said he was a straight shooter and knew the area best. People were telling Ken what he wanted to hear, and it wasn’t the truth. In his interview, Josh said the house would be marketed incorrectly, and would end where it was going to end anyway. It was frustrating. He told Ken that he hoped he was proven wrong, but he wasn’t wrong often. He told Matt that it was bad for the market. It would have a domino effect, where other people would think their houses were worth more. Matt told him to focus on the future. Boy, do I understand this. I’ve gotten into arguments with people wanting me to sell there stuff on eBay for more than it’s worth, and I tell them the same thing, good luck with that.
JoshF said that Casa Oceana needed quality buyers, not just traffic. He decided to have private showings at dusk, when you could hear the ocean waves. While the house needed a facelift, he would steer the potential buyers toward the positives, like the historic character. Most of the people invited were interested in more bedrooms, and wanted to push back the price. Josh was concerned the listing was going to get stale. People just didn’t have the imagination for the property, and it was unfortunate.
Tracy had five days to find a rental, but didn’t seem too concerned. She spoke with Curt, a long-time agent at Douglas/Elliman in Beverly Hills, who said he had a celebrity client wanting to relocate to Pasadena because they wanted more space. They liked La Mirada, but the outside needed to be adjusted. They wanted a $100K landscaping job that would give them more privacy. Tracy thought $100K seemed steep to privatize, and she had other showings coming up. They’d have other offers. Curt said he was there now, and the privacy was a deal breaker. Tracy thought they had a bit to go before they got there. She called Tim, who she knew wasn’t going to spend that much landscaping to privatize the property. She suggested they cap it at $30K. He could sell the house today, and it was a good offer in record-breaking time. She told Curt $30K, Curt said $60K, and she said the maximum without uncertainty was $30K, and she was comfortable with his client walking. Curt told her, his authority was to get as much as he could, and he took the deal. Tracy told Curt, we get sh*t done.
Next time, and intuitive astrologer senses a presence in a 1920 Mediterranean. JoshF’s client is former glee cast member Becca Tobin, Becca says a red room feels like murder, and JoshA has a difficult client
The Altman Brothers Wall
🚫 After seeing an ad for RHOBH going to Rome, I started to think maybe the Housewives should be banned from entering all other countries. Make that cities too. Hell, can we keep them in quarantine forever?
🏆 More Emmys Than You Can Handle…
Yes, there’s an app for that.
https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/daytime-emmys/download-the-emmys-app
🌟 Goodbye To a Legend…
Phyllis Somerville did it all, and then some.
https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/abc/veteran-actress-and-soap-alum-phyllis-somerville-dead-at-76
👰🏾 Jordan In Quarantine…
She’s definitely keeping busy.
🍷 Everything’s Coming Up Rosé…
Is it me, or is everybody coming out with one?
🔪 Under the Knife…
Have we learned nothing from Jennifer Grey?
https://extratv.com/2020/07/17/teresa-giudices-19-year-old-daughter-gia-undergoes-plastic-surgery/
👠 Putting Her Heel Down…
Lady Bunny is not having your cancelation.
https://pagesix.com/2020/07/18/drag-queen-icon-lady-bunny-isnt-worried-about-cancel-culture/
💃🏾 Dancing With Tyra…
She’s ready to rumba.
https://pagesix.com/2020/07/16/we-hear-episode-103-tyra-makes-moves-as-the-new-dwts-host/
And Tom takes it like a gentleman.
https://pagesix.com/2020/07/16/tom-bergeron-jokes-about-tyra-banks-quickly-replacing-him-on-dwts/
🪓 A Reality Show To Die For…
It gives a whole new meaning to the word eliminated.
https://www.tvguide.com/news/the-cw-killer-camp-eliminations-slasher-movie/
📖 Read All About Her…
Much of bigotry comes from lack of knowledge about those different from us, so in an effort to broaden horizons, I give you Stagecoach Mary.
And a journey in modern self-acceptance.
https://www.shape.com/lifestyle/mind-and-body/gay-black-woman-self-acceptance-journey
🎂 A Peacock Lays a Cake…
And here I thought terms of use contained just that. I’ll have to start actually reading them.
https://www.tvguide.com/news/theres-a-cake-recipe-hidden-in-peacocks-terms-of-use-so-we-baked-it/
🌃 Another Day Done…
Hopefully, it’s another day closer to whatever phase you want to be in. Regardless, stay safe, stay discovering new things, and stay open to changing your viewpoint because of them.
What I Watched - TV With Theresa 