What I Watched Today

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

 

General Hospital

At the MetroCourt, Brook asks Carly for a black Russian, but Carly suggests sparkling water instead. After Brook and Lulu trashed the place, she has a vested interest in not overserving Brook. Brook thinks there might be another reason, and Carly says, why? Brook says Michael is out as CEO of ELQ, and it might possibly, conceivably be her fault.

Anna tells Finn, someday, he has to put aside his differences with his father and stepmother. Finn says he would like Violet to have a relationship with her grandfather – someday. She asks if the wedding couldn’t be that day. His father could have been at Violet’s birthday. Finn sees Chase coming toward their table, and says, Violet also had her Uncle Chase there. What’s better than that? He tells Chase, sit; he’ll buy Chase a beer. Chase says, he just had  two. He left his credit card, and came back to pick it up. Finn says he’ll get Chase a Shirley Temple then. They’ve got a wedding going on. Chase says, okay, assuming he’s on the list. Finn says he’s the first alternate if someone cancels, but Anna says he’s in. She’s got him down for a plus one. Would that be Sasha?

Ava says she was going to make a speech, but what she’d planned on saying doesn’t seem important anymore. So she’ll just say she was so happy when Franco agreed to paint her portrait, and she’s proud to share it with them tonight. Without further ado… Franco lifts the covering, and everyone look shocked. Ava backs away, and Elizabeth shakes her head. Ava has a gorilla face, and there’s a graffiti tag on the painting. Franco says he didn’t paint this, and Ava says she knows he didn’t. Elizabeth says she knows Franco isn’t responsible, but guess who is. She looks at Ava.

Carly asks what Brook is talking about. Michael just got full custody of Wiley. Brook says, awesome; congratulations. Carly asks if Michael was voted out while he was in court, and Brook says, unfortunately, yes. Carly says, Brook voted against Michael, but Brook says, no; never. Carly asks how it can be her fault, and Brook says she sold her ELQ shares to Linc to get out of her contract, but he was just a front. Valentin now has controlling interest, with 50% of the shares. Because he backed Deception, Lucy voted with him as the tie-breaker. Carly says, Valentin pushed Michael out? and Valentin approaches, saying, no hard feelings. Michael didn’t do a bad job, but he’ll do better. Carly says she should throw Valentin out, but she’d rather take his money until Michael takes back his company, and he will. She says, Valentin and Brook can take a table far away. Brook tells Valentin that he can apologize any time. He destroyed her relationship with her family, especially her father. Deception is an unknown quantity, and could possibly fail, plus he handed GH over to a drug lord. He owes her a major apology.

Anna asks Chase how the custody hearing went, and he says Michael and Willow officially have sole custody of Wiley. Everything worked out the way it should, but he stopped to talk about the wedding. He supposes all of the guests are hers, since his brother is anti-social and only knows three people. Anna asks who the third is, and Chase asks if Finn is inviting their dad.

Elizabeth tells Ava to admit she did this, but Ava says she commissioned Franco to paint it; why would she destroy it? Elizabeth says it would make headlines, and Ava asks if Elizabeth thinks she wants this vandalism publicized. Elizabeth says Ava keeps saying, there’s no such thing as bad press, and here’s her crowning achievement. She wanted to show the world Franco is back and bad as ever. Ava says it’s a baseless accusation, and Franco says that’s not who Ava is. Elizabeth says, it’s exactly who she is. Look how she treated Kiki. She’s manipulated every person in town, and now she’s manipulating him. He says Ava chose him as a favor; to show the world he’s still making art. Not to mention she paid a pretty penny for it. Elizabeth says, she’d rather be broke than play along with this joke. Nikolas approaches, and starts to say something about Elizabeth, but Franco says he doesn’t get to be the guy who tells him anything about his wife. Ava says she’d like it if everyone would leave, and Maxie says, oh man. Just when it was getting good. Franco asks if Ava is okay, and she says, no; she’s not.

Peter and Maxie go to the MetroCourt, and Carly asks if they shouldn’t be at the unveiling. Maxie says, it didn’t exactly go as planned, and Peter says, there was a little bit of drama. When Franco removed the drape, the painting had been vandalized. Ava threw them all out, so they came in for a drink. Carly goes over to Jax and Nina’s table, and Nina asks if Michael has heard from the court yet. Carly says they got the best possible news ever. Michael and Willow got full custody, and Nelle didn’t even get visitation.

Franco tells Ava, the paint is still wet. Three hours ago it was perfect. She asks if he thinks it can be salvaged, and he says he can get rid of the spray paint, but… She says he’s not optimistic? but he says, it’s not that. No matter how hard he tries, his past has left a mark he can’t shake. Dustin asks Lulu if she has any idea who might have done it, and she says, Elizabeth might be right. Ava has a propensity for drama, but then again, so does Nikolas. Ava tells Franco, not in a million years would she do this, and he says he knows. She says she gave a platform to whoever did. She gave this party to show that she and Nikolas were a power couple, and look how it turned out. The best thing for her to do would be to cut her losses, and go home.

Nikolas finds Elizabeth on the parapet, and Elizabeth says if he expects an apology, he’s going to be disappointed. He says she has nothing to be sorry for, and she says, but he doesn’t think Ava did it, does he? He says he would never sing Ava’s praises. She’s selfish and vindictive, but she’s not dangerous, and he can’t imagine she’d paint a monkey over her own portrait. Elizabeth says, if he doesn’t think Ava is dangerous, he’s wrong. If he’s not careful, Ava will destroy what good is left in him.

Anna tells Chase, it’s so funny. They were just having that discussion. She thinks it’s time Violet met her grandfather, but his brother disagrees. She says, look at the time. She hopes Chase has better luck persuading Finn, and jets. Finn says, let’s hear it, and Chase says he’s only going to say what he always says. His dad and stepmom have been married for a decade; it’s time to let the hurt go. If not for Finn’s own sake, for Violet. Finn asks if there was a group meeting; Chase sounds like Anna. He’s not opposed to working things out, but he thinks doing it at a wedding would be poor form. Chase says, now he’s thinking maybe Finn shouldn’t invite their dad.

Peter tells Maxie, now they have an early night, so she can get some rest before Deception’s big launch at the Nurses Ball. It’s going to have major impact, so he’s glad they can celebrate before she’ll be too busy to see him. She doesn’t say anything, and he tells her, it’s her big moment. Why doesn’t she feel more excited?

Valentin says, Brook could have warned her father when she knew he bought the shares, but Brook says he offered to jumpstart her career, and she needed that. She did her research, and knows he worked a miracle at Cassadine Industries, bringing them back from the brink. ELQ is in good shape, but he can make it better, which is a gift to her family, whether they recognize it or not. He says that’s why he’s not bailing out the hospital, but she says he left the door open to a drug lord. He says, Cyrus was exonerated, and she says, so was he. Does that make him any less guilty? He says, touché, but if Cyrus is as bad as she says, Sonny will take care of the situation. She asks what he knows about Sonny, and he says he knows if Cyrus is a threat, he’ll be removed. Either by a tragic accident or he’ll go missing. He knows in time, GH will be grateful.

Carly brings Nina and Jax her best champagne, with her compliments. Nina says Carly should be celebrating with Willow and Michael, but Carly says, it was Nina’s testimony that showed Nelle for who she was. It’s an understatement to say it was important to the case. Jax asks if Nelle was denied visitation permanently, or can it be amended later?

Valentin tells Brook, he’s sorry she’s being held responsible for his presence in ELQ, but she says, controlling interest is more than a presence. He says, by the time she realized, it would have been too late, but she kept quiet, which shows good faith. He’s going to show good faith too. The Nurses Ball is a good start, and she deserves it.

Maxie tells Peter, at the risk of jinxing it, she thinks tomorrow will go well, but it’s still nerve wracking. If something goes wrong, it’s on her. Peter says, the bigger the production, the bigger the chance someone screwing up, and she says, exactly. They’re in a good place now. Georgie is living nearby, and Peter is bonding with her and James. Big changes are coming, and she doesn’t want anything coming between them. They’ve worked hard to get where they are. Peter says nothing is going to stop them, and she says she has something to tell him. Anna asks if she can join them.

Finn asks Chase where that came from. History has shown he’s always on their dad’s side. Chase says he’s a coward. He hasn’t told their dad that he and Willow broke up. He’d told their dad that Willow was probably the one. How is going to tell him that he broke her heart?

Lulu tells Dustin that her mother was hoping Nikolas was taking a turn for the better. How is she going to tell Laura about the plot Nikolas was working on? Nikolas just told her that he and Spencer teamed up to protect their inheritance. They want to make Ava feel guilty about Spencer rejecting his father, so she agrees to divorce Nikolas without taking the money. What if it works? Nikolas gets everything he wants, and his son inherits a fortune through manipulation. What lesson will that teach Spencer? Dustin says, do whatever it takes to win, and she says, exactly (WOTD). Which brings her to the spray painted graffiti. What if Nikolas is responsible? She doesn’t want to believe it, but she can’t put anything past her. She wanted to talk to him, but maybe they should just go. They leave.

Ava comes out, and says, damn you, Nikolas Cassadine. I go into shock because she doesn’t have a martini in her hand. Yet.

Nikolas wonders if he can ask Elizabeth a question, and she says, only if it’s multiple choice. He asks why she didn’t arrive with Franco, and she says she wasn’t coming at all. She believes in his talent, but hates anything that harkens back to hid bad boy days. He’s not that man anymore, and they’ve worked hard to create a solid, healthy family life. He asks if the boys are okay with Franco, and she says, there were issues with Cameron at the beginning, but the boys adore him, and Franco is devoted to them. Ironically, Franco took Ava’s commission so he could set aside money for Cameron’s tuition. Nikolas asks if she wishes now that Franco had never taken the commission, and she says, it’s bad enough Ava was generating publicity with his past, but to watch Franco go along with it… It was painful to watch him embrace this version of himself, after the years he spent convincing the world he’s changed.

Ava yells for Nikolas, asking where he is. Franco asks if she’s seen Elizabeth, and she asks if he’s sure she didn’t leave. Elizabeth wasn’t happy with anything that happened tonight. He says he’s sorry. He knows she had high hopes for tonight, and it didn’t turn out the way she wanted it to. He does have some good news. He’s pretty sure he can restore the painting. She says she can’t think of think of anything but her lying traitor of a husband. He asks what she’s going to do now, and she says, it doesn’t matter. She plans to remedy the situation permanently.

Peter tells Anna that he was just about to grab some drinks. Maxie says, nothing for her; she has an early start tomorrow. Anna says she does too, and Maxie tells him, go ahead. It will give them time for girl talk. He leaves, and Anna asks if Maxie is okay. She’s been quiet.

Finn says Chase should tell their dad that he was trying to do the right thing. He made a sacrifice so Michael and Willow could get custody of Wiley. Chase says he can’t tell their dad; the fewer people who know, the better. If the truth gets back to the judge, it could jeopardize everything. Finn says, Chase hasn’t told Willow that he never had an affair?

Dustin asks if Lulu thinks Peter will have her do a write-up, and she says she does remember too well what Franco was like before. Dustin says, it was tragic, but he was still a genius; a brilliant, revolutionary artist. She says, that’s right. He doesn’t know. She was one of Franco’s targets. He says, sorry. He had no idea. Brook comes up to them, and says she thought Dustin had her back and they were collaborating. He says, they are, and she says she called, but he didn’t answer. Lulu says, he’s not a border collie who will run to her when she calls. He says he’s there now; tell him what happened. She says her father kicked her out.

Carly tells Jax, the judge said he might reconsider if Nelle becomes a super productive citizen, but they know that’s not going to happen. Jax says, a weight has been lifted. Nelle has no power over any of them now. Carly tells him, they say it takes a village to care for a child, but it takes a village to protect a child. Wiley is home safe. She toasts to everyone who made it possible, and they clink glasses.

Dustin asks why Ned kicked Brook out, and Lulu asks, how? It’s Monica’s house. Unless Monica agreed. Brook says, it seems like no one can make mistakes anymore, and Lulu asks, what mistake Brook made.

Elizabeth tells Nikolas, Franco isn’t the first artist to be susceptible to fame and want their work admired, or the first to compromise. But he can realize it, and turn this thing around. Hopefully Nikolas can too. Nikolas says, excuse me? and she says, Ava blackmailed him into marriage, but he doesn’t have to stay. Ava will burn him in the end. He tells her, trust him; he has a plan. She says his last plan kept him away for years. She asks him to come home for real, to the people who really know him. They all miss him. He asks, what about her? Does she miss him? She says he knows she does. He’s been a huge part of her life. Nikolas starts to lean in, presumably for a kiss, and she says she needs to find Franco. Think about what she said, and get away from Ava before it’s too late. She goes back inside, and he sighs. He’s not as good at it as Jason though.

Ava tells Franco that he doesn’t know what her deceptive husband and his son cooked up. They’ve been working together. She overheard him talking to Lulu, and he and Spencer are working to make her feel so guilty, she agrees to divorce him, and waive her rights to his fortune. Nikolas has been plotting against her since they said I do. He sabotaged her redecorating, put a snake in her handbag, and now he’s vandalized her portrait. He literally defaced her. He embarrassed her in front of her guests, and is using his son to manipulate her. Franco says, this is toxic. She needs to get out. She and Nikolas hate each other. She needs to stop punishing herself, and walk away. She says, if she leaves, she’ll lose everything. He asks what she’ll lose. Money? This creepy island doesn’t suit her. Doesn’t she miss the penthouse and her life? What does it matter if what she’s keeping is killing her? She asks, who’s waiting for her? Nobody. He says she’s got her brother, and Avery. She says Avery doesn’t live with her, and her brother is involved in his own life. Face it, without Kiki, she’s completely alone, except for Nikolas. She might hate him, but even that’s better than the emptiness. Franco says he doesn’t know much, but he knows she’ll never be alone. She’ll always have him. Ava asks how she’ll always have Franco? He has Elizabeth. He says he does, and he should find her. Take his advice, and go also. Ava says, another dream bites the dust, and walks away. Franco looks at the portrait.

Lulu says Brook sold her ELQ shares without discussing it with the family? She thought that was the number one rule with the Quartermaines. Brook says Lulu is acting like she sold them to buy tickets to Coachella (not this year). She had an iron clad contract with a sexual harasser. She’d think she would be respected for her creative solution to the problem. Dustin says all Brook had were bad options. Lulu doesn’t begrudge Brook the extreme measures she used to get away from that creep Linc, but she could have given the family a heads up, so they weren’t blindsided. Brook says, like Lulu did when she published the article that cost the Quartermaines a fortune? Lulu gets the gold medal for being a hypocrite every time.

Jax steps away to take a call, and Carly tells Nina that she never believed in silver linings, but if Michael, Willow, and Wiley stay together and they’re happy, it will be worth the pain Nelle caused.

On the phone, Jax says he hopes it’s good news. Is there any information on the necklace?

Finn says he gets Chase not wanting to jeopardize the case, but he’s not going to hold a press conference. Come clean to Willow. Chase says he’d like nothing more, but Nelle will never give up. If Michael reunites with Sasha, Nelle will go straight to the judge. Finn asks if this is going to keep going indefinitely.

Maxie tells Anna that she’s fine; just a teensy bit overwhelmed. She’s the boss, and the one in charge. Georgie is living near Port Charles now, and she can’t stop thinking about having to juggle responsibilities. Deception and her kids are both going to want all her time. Plus Peter. She’s scared she’s going to let someone down. Anna says, don’t worry. Of course (🍷) she’ll let someone down.

Elizabeth looks at the portrait, and Franco says he thought she went home, but she says she just needed fresh air, and some time to think. He says he’s really sorry he made things tense. He shouldn’t have let anything come between them. She says they both need to communicate better. He says, maybe, but when she said she couldn’t be there, it hurt. He makes jokes, but feeling that she’s by his side shows the world he’s okay. She says she wants to support him and his art, but she’s not comfortable with exploiting his past. It troubles her that he went along with it.

Ava finds Nikolas getting ready to change, and he asks if everyone is gone. She says she doesn’t know and doesn’t care. She overheard him talking to his sister about his plan with Spencer. They’re teaming up against her. Too bad, because it was working. She was actually considering letting him go, and forgetting her right to the settlement. But that’s changed. He doesn’t deserve a dime, and she’ll see to it that he doesn’t get a single penny. She might hate him, but she’s not going anywhere. Nikolas says he hates her, and Spencer hates her. He hates this sick, demented carnival ride. How long does she plan to torture him? It’s going to be a long, lonely wait. After what he’s gone through, he’s not giving up. She wonders how long before he has the nearest girl in his bed? and he wonders how  long before she has a stable hand in her bed? She says she doesn’t need anyone, but he says, she’s chronically needy. She tells him, he’s outmatched. By this time, they’ve moved pretty close to each other, and they kiss.

Maxie asks if Anna thinks she’ll disappoint everyone she loves, but Anna says she’s not saying that because she think Maxie wants to or is a bad person. It will happen because she’s human. The whole idea of having it all is a demented ploy by advertisers that’s taken on a life of its own. Something is bound to fall through the cracks. She needs to find balance. She can’t have the right answer to everything all the time. Anna says she speaks from experience. She had to choose between her daughter and her career. Maxie doesn’t think Anna’s super spy work is the same as setting up a photo shoot, but Anna says she’s not talking about the type of work. She means the compromises all women make; weighing what’s right for them and what’s right for their kids. Whatever works for Maxie is hers, and no one else should judge. If anyone tries, they’ll have to go through Anna first.

Finn tells Chase he knows less about women than anyone on the planet, but if Chase is going to do something, do it soon. The closer Michael becomes to investing in Willow as Wiley’s mom, the harder it will be to get her back. Chase says, it’s not about him or what he wants, but what’s best for Wiley. And what’s best for Wiley is not breaking up the family. Finn hopes Chase knows what he’s doing. The longer he keeps the secret, the more likely it is to destroy his relationship for good. Chase says he appreciates Finn’s honesty, but he has to go.

Peter says, Maxie had something she wanted to tell him? but Maxie says, no. She changed her mind.

Anna asks Finn how it went with his brother. Finn says, Chase is an idiot. Sweet, and honorable to a fault, but still an idiot.

Lulu says, it’s unfortunately Ned threw Brook out, but if she’d been honest, she might have saved ELQ, and certainly would have saved the hospital in the process. She walks away, and Brook tells Dustin, there’s more to it. She was between a rock and a hard place. Dustin says, it was a bad choice, but that doesn’t make her a bad person.

Carly asks if Valentin is ready to settle his tab, and he asks if he can buy her drink. She says she doesn’t think so, and he says, Michael will be fine. He’s remarkably capable for a rich kid. She asks if that’s supposed to be a complement, but he says, it’s insight. People with money often underestimate their own strengths. She says, Michael might have been raised with money, but he’s seen his share of adversity. He knows life rarely goes as planned, and adapts and adjusts. He did with the custody case, and he’ll do the same to get rid of Valentin. Valentin asks if that’s what she’s celebrating with Jax and Nina, and she says Jax and Nina are definitely a couple. He says, for now.

Nina asks Jax if everything is okay, and he says they have a second occasion to toast. His jewelry contact thinks she can trace the necklace. Nina might have a lead on her missing child.

Elizabeth says Franco is a new person, and she thinks his art should reflect that. Franco says, okay, but art doesn’t live in a vacuum. She says, she’d think he’d fight for the piece to stand on its own merit, and he says, ten years ago, he would have loved it; spray paint as opposed to oil, and graffiti over a portrait. He would have done a whole series like it. She asks if he’s thinking that way because the bad boy is back in the limelight. He says he’s not answering that right now. Any answer he gives her is an excuse to have an argument, and he doesn’t want to. Elizabeth suggests they call a truce, and he says, right now, he’s going to fix it. She says he’s going to work after what they said? He says, now’s the time to get it clean. She tells him, good luck with that. Clean away, but he can’t change the past.

Ava asks how dare Nikolas. He says she kissed him. She tells him that she can manage without sex, or anything else. She walks out, closing the door behind her, and leans on the wall in the hallway. Nikolas is like, hmm… and I think he liked it.

Tomorrow, the 2020 Nurses Ball begins, Robert is keeping his options open, Valentin is rising to the occasion, and all of them are wearing Nurses Ball T-shirts instead of glam.

Below Deck Mediterranean

Time to get irritated, followed by RHOBH and more irritation tomorrow. While I get what happened, I still have some thoughts that I’ll post at the end.

Captain Sandy gets first mate David. She wants him in her office to follow protocol. She asks Hannah to come sit down. She says it’s been brought to her attention has drugs on board. Hannah says, her valium? and the captain says, It was laid out with her pot pen in her cabin. Hannah says, that was in her bag from L.A. The captain says she has to do a disciplinary action, and go through it by the book. The violations are posted in the laundry room. If Hannah has a prescription, she needs to bring it. They can’t go to sea otherwise. She tells Hannah to get her valium and pot pen, and bring it in. Hannah says she hasn’t taken anything since she’s been on board. We flash back to Hannah going into the bathroom, this time, clearly seeing she has the valium in her hand.  The captain says she has to do this by the book, and can’t ignore this. I’ve never heard of a pot pen before. It’s not a vaping device, so wth?

Everyone goes about their business. Hannah goes to get her valium. David says the marijuana pen on the boat is a no-no, and if Hannah can’t come up with a prescription for the valium, it’s grounds for dismissal. Captain Sandy says she needs to make sure noting is being destroyed, and jets to Hannah’s cabin. She opens the bathroom door, where Hannah has her pants half down. Hannah asks if she can’t go to the bathroom, and the captain says, please give her all the drugs. Hannah hands them over, and the captain says, this is all she has? Nothing else? Hannah says that’s it, and the captain asks if she has a prescription, but Hannah says she doesn’t. She tells Captain Sandy that she needs to pee, and the captain says she wants to get through this quickly. They have a charter starting. In Tom’s interview, he obliviously says he’s preparing for a great first day. He’s excited. Hannah goes back into the captain’s office, and asks what she should she do. Captain Sandy says, at this point with everything going on, with her hyperventilating at 4 am on the floor with Malia, right now she can’t go sea with Hannah. She has clients she’s responsible for. Hannah gets up, and the captain says, let her finish. She has the utmost compassion, but she’s going to finish the season with the crew. It’s not worth it. She’s a captain, and worked hard for her license. She doesn’t want to risk it. There’s too much going on. Hannah asks if she can have her valium, and the captain hands it back. Hannah says she’ll pack now. Hannah leaves, barely batting an eye, and Captain Sandy ponders.

Tom asks Hannah how it’s going. She breezes past, saying she’s not talking; sorry. Hannah asks Rob to grab her suitcase. Jess sees Hannah go to the dock. In Captain Sandy’s interview, she says it’s hard when she has to let someone go, but maritime law is no tolerance. They have to be drug free. If a plane has an emergency landing, the attendants are responsible for the guests. If they have a catastrophe on board, the chief stew has to gather the guests and keep them calm. If she didn’t address this, and something happened, she’d go to jail, the boat would be incarcerated, and she’d lose her license. What Hannah did was illegal. On shore, Hannah calls Josh. Rob tells Jess that he thinks Hannah quit. Jess says, it could get bad. Hannah tells Josh that the captain heard she had an anxiety attack, and it’s too risky to go out to sea with her. She tries to shake the cameras, and tells Josh, now she’s a drug addict and the worst person in the world. She’s over it; it’s utter bullsh*t. She’ll call him back. Captain Sandy finds Hannah, and says that her hands are tied legally, but personally she doesn’t want to drive out to sea with how Hannah has been lately. Hannah says she had an anxiety attack, and the captain says she has drugs on the boat. If they go to sea, she’s responsible. Hannah says, it’s utter bullsh*t, and the captain says, if that’s how she wants to see it. On the boat, Rob tells Jess that he thinks Hannah quit. Bugs looks for Hannah.

Captain Sandy tells Hannah that she cares about her, and Hannah says, okay, in that way it’s not okay. The captain asks if Hannah doesn’t think so, and Hannah says she doesn’t. The captain says, if she’d wanted Hannah off the boat, she didn’t have to use this. She could have fired Hannah last year, or the year before. If Hannah wants to make it about this, and say she doesn’t care, it’s fine with her; she won’t care. She officially doesn’t effing care. Hannah can pack and go now. Captain Sandy calls Malia to the bridge, and says she’s releasing Hannah from her contract due to the findings. She’s not comfortable going out to sea; it’s a threat to the season. Bugs asks Hannah if she should unpack the alcohol, and Hannah says she doesn’t care. In her interview, the captain says, she feels for Hannah, but it’s her job. If a guest gets wasted, and breaks a leg, and Hannah fails a test, there could be a lawsuit. She tells Malia, obviously, people are noticing. If they come to her, tell them the captain is going to have a meeting. Bugsy will be chief stew. Jess says, God help us all. Bugsy wonders what happened. Jess finds Hannah, who says she has valium, and the captain doesn’t feel safe. Jess asks how the captain knew, and Hannah says, Malia probably took a photo. It’s a dog-eat-dog world in this industry. In Hannah’s interview, she says, Malia is like a snake. They have a checkered past. We flash back to that, and Hannah says they’ve been getting along well this season, but Malia just went down to the gutter. She tells Jess, Bugs will be chief stew, and Jess says, she’s so neurotic. The next charter is going to be psycho. Hannah says, she’s all yours.

Two hours before charter. Bugs asks Hannah, what happened? and Hannah says she doesn’t know. She has a prescription for valium. Hannah smiles at Malia, and says, apparently you can get fired for having anxiety attacks. She has a legal CBD pen, and a prescription for valium, but the captain thinks it’s too much of a risk because she’s unstable. Malia asks if Hannah registered her prescription with the boat, but Hannah says she doesn’t remember. Maliah makes a noise like she’s not buying that. Hannah says goodbye to Alex, and tells Tom, it was nice to meet him. Good luck with the charter. Jess follows Hannah out. In Tom’s interview, he says, it’s a great first day. Hannah has a cigarette on the dock. In her interview, she says, so this is how it ends. Malia tells the deckhands that Captain Sandy is having a meeting. In Hannah’s interview, she says, she’s aware of maritime law; she’s been in yachting for years. It was a mistake on her part not to declare what she has, but she thinks she’s been ready to make a hasty exit for a few years now. She doesn’t like leaving like this. She hates leaving on a dark, horrible note, but doesn’t regret her time in yachting. It’s part of who she is as a human being and always will be. She had the highest of highs – we flash back to the fun times – and the lowest of lows – we flash back to some miserable times. She says she’s done with the heart attack, but would have preferred to end on a high – not literally. She thinks the next chapter is going to be so much better, even though yachting was fantastic.

Rob wants to make a pact that no one else leaves. Jess says she’ll need to get fired; she’s not quitting. Malia says, that’s the spirit. Captain Sandy asks to see Bugs. Alex wonders, who’s next? The captain tells Bugs, obviously, Hannah is no longer on board, and asks if Bugs is okay with being chief stew. She’ll get someone for her next charter, and the deck will help. She just wants to make sure Bugs is up to the task. She doesn’t want the chatter about Hannah to effect Bugs. Bugs says Malia explained some things, but it’s not for her to know. She’ll just have to carry on. Right. Like she won’t be pumping her friend for info later. In Bugs’s interview, she says, someone has to step in and take charge, but it’s unfortunate the way it played out. Provisions come in, and the captain radios the crew to meet in one hour in the mail salon, wearing their whites. In Tom’s interview, he says he’s had classical training. He likes to be organized and prepared, but to be dropped into the season like this, is mad. Captain Sandy says she’s had better days. Malia tells the deckhands, they have to stay strong, leave the personal stuff, have each other’s backs, and finish strong. She thanks them for being awesome. Tom says he’s never seen anyone walk out the day of charter. In her interview, Bugs says Hannah had the knowledge of how to run things. You need a system, and she has no time to do it. That’s her biggest concern at this point. Alex says he’s not stressing, and Tom says Alex is leaving the stress to him.

Malia asks Captain Sandy if another person is coming, and the captain says, next charter. She thinks they’ll see a change in Jess. Malia thinks there will be a change when they understand why Hannah had to be let go, and what the severity of the situation is. They need to understand that, even if they have a prescription, you can’t take anything while on duty. She had an allergic reaction once, and had to log the Benadryl. A nurse had to be called on shore to give an okay for her to take it. Hannah didn’t register valium and weed. In Captain Sandy’s interview, she says, under maritime law, pot is illegal on a vessel in international waters. She knows of a ship in the Bahamas that was seized for one joint. She tells Malia that she wasn’t going into all that when she had an emotional being in front of her. Whatever it is, it has to be registered. Malia says, there’s a reason for the laws, and in her interview, says, this is probably the roughest situation Tom could be thrown into. She feels nervous and protective of him. Everyone gets into their whites, and in Jess’s interview, she says she thinks the crew is shocked and confused. WTF just happened? She knows where Bugs gets her name; she bugs the sh*t out of everybody. Jess tells Rob that she loves him.

The crew meets in the main salon for a pre-charter meeting. Captain Sandy says, the reality is, Hannah was let go. It’s ultimately the captain’s responsibility to uphold maritime law. When they go to sea, the chief stew is responsible for every life on board, and can’t be drowsy or incapacitated in any way. This is why they can’t drink or take any medication, not even Benadryl. She needs to make it crystal clear that they need to be relied on in case of an emergency. It’s no joke. She says Bugs will be chief stew because of her past knowledge. They’re hitting reset and starting new. Bugs says, blah-blah-blah to Jess, and in her interview, Jess says, oh my God. Here we go. Bugs says she sees that enthusiasm, and Jess says she can’t wait.

The guests arrive. Bugs runs out just in time, and Malia calls Tom to get out on the dock. The crew greets the guests, and Captain Sandy says they’re happy to have them. Bugs will show them around the boat, then they’ll take off for their first anchorage. In Bugs’s interview, she says she’s comfortable with the title, but she never expected having to do it with only one other stew. She gives the tour, and shows them the cigar lounge, which I’ve never seen; it’s very cool. Malia tries to lift one of the guest’s bags, and says, holy hell. In her interview, she says, the guests look high maintenance. The chief stew and the chef are shockingly new, and now isn’t the time for a challenge. Bugs takes the guests downstairs to show them the cabins. Malia tells the captain, ready to launch, and Bugs shows them the hot tub. Malia says, stern lines are clear, and Bugs pours champagne, saying they can call her Chief. She asks if lunch is good at 2 pm, and if family style is okay. She relays the information to Tom, and in his interview, he says, food is very much the pride of a professional chef. His mom never let them sleep in, and they had a massive amount of chores, She once sprayed him with a hose while he was still in bed, telling him that he needed to get something done, and wasn’t going to achieve anything in bed.

Jess tells Bugs that one of the guests wants an espresso martini, and Bugs asks if Jess wants to learn how to make it. In Bugs’s interview, she says the downfall interiors is usually because the chief stew doesn’t show the stews how to do anything, and expects them to be miracle workers. As busy as it is, giving people your time is important. She shows Jess how to make the martini. Pete asks Malia if Hannah was let go for drugs, and Malia says, yeah. It doesn’t matter if you have a prescription. You can’t have them in the cabin or be taking them on duty. Bugs asks if there are any spare hands to do dishes, and Malia says she’s on her way. Until it’s time to drop anchor, the deck crew is all hers. Tom says he’ll make a chef out of Malia, and she says, sous chef. Bugs asks how Alex is doing; it’s a beautiful  day. Alex says, and they have a beautiful new chief stew. Isaac tells the other guests, it’s good to know me, and they clink glasses.

Cala Fornells. The boat is anchored, and the water toys are put out. In his interview, Tom says, first impressions are huge. You need to get it right, and ride the wave. He starts plating, and Malia calls the deck crew to help serve. Tom has Malia do the garnishes. In her interview, she says she thinks Tom is doing fine, but he’s not used to not having a sous chef. She’s a nervous wreck because he’s her boyfriend. She doesn’t want any repercussions. A guest asks the chef’s name, and Bugs tells him, saying they just got him. Captain Sandy comes by, and asks how lunch is, and the guest (I think it’s the father, but I’m not sure since they’re not indicating a name) says, if the chef isn’t five-star, he’s not for them. He asks if the captain has eaten the chef’s food yet, and she says no, and he says, he’s not a fan of veal. Another guest says, it’s delicious; Tom is a great chef. In her interview, the captain says, whew! Thank God. Tom wonders where he’d be without Malia, and she says, not here. The guests go in the water, and one asks Bugs if she’s married. She says, to her job, and he rudely asks how old she is. She tells him, twenty-nine; she still has some time. Rob radios Malia that the jet skis have disappeared behind a rock, and she asks him to go to the bridge, and see if he can keep eyes on them. In her interview, she says, the guests are doing everything all at once, it’s hard to keep track of them. The wave runner overturns, with one of the guests underneath it. He’s fine, and Malia explains weight distribution. A guest asks if Rob has a girlfriend, and he says he’s seeing Jess. The guest says he has good taste, and Rob says, she does too. Why guests always quiz the crew on their status is beyond me. I don’t ask my waiter those questions. In Rob’s interview, he says, the relationship has gotten deeper, stronger, and more powerful quickly. Flying to the other end of the world after knowing someone a couple of weeks could be seen as crazy, but he’s considering flying to Bali.

Malia asks Tom how it’s going, and he says, it’s his first day; his first everything. Jess and Rob kiss in their cabin. A fat, old dude guest – I think it’s the father, so we’ll just call him Jerod from now on – says he wants whiskey twice his age, and a woman half his age. Alex calls Bugs Hannah, which is bound to happen. The guests throw a dildo around (mind you, none of them are kids), and one says it’s hers; don’t play with it. Bugs tells guest Ashley that they’re doing the celebration for their achievement tonight, and Ashley says they also want to do the birthday party. Bugs asks, what kind of cake? and Ashley says, chocolate. Jerod tells Bugs, there’s a sea cucumber that he’d like her to take back, indicating the dildo. She says, some sea cucumber, but bravely picks it up. In her interview, she says she doesn’t want to know, and she puts it on the bed. Bugs makes a light-up sign that says, Yay for 100K. She tells Tom about the birthday cake, and he says, cool, but it’s not really. Jess checks to see who wants drinks, and in Tom’s interview, he says, last minute requests reflect on the chef. He can make something last minute, but it doesn’t necessarily reflect what he’s capable of. Bugs just threw it at him. Like it’s her fault. In Jess’s interview, she says Bugs is intense and detailed. She says she must be second stew now, since there’s only two of them. Captain Sandy calls for a second stew, and says, yes, again. Bugs takes photos of the guests. Tom grumbles, effing birthday cake at the last minute, and bitches about it. He tells Malia, even if he could cook whatever he wanted, the job is hard enough, and she says she has to deal with it too. He gripes that he’s cooking for the crew too. Whatever. It’s bullsh*t. I stop listening to him whine.

Jerod takes topless pics of his whatever-she-is. He says he’s going to the room to play with that thing. Bugs tells Jess to get the cutlery out, and writes down what she needs. Tom bitches some more, because he didn’t see oysters on the list, and wonders how he’s getting them open. In his interview, he says he didn’t think of it, and never got an oyster knife. It’s not a good start. Malia asks if they have a knife, but they don’t. Bugs asks for help with service and turndown. In Bugs’s interview, she says she loves working with Tom. He’s an easy person to work with, but she keeps waiting for him to throw a dish at her. Jerod wanders around. Malia tells Alex to help Jess with the cabins, and says she’ll help serve. Tom says, piece of sh*t, blah-blah-blah. In his interview, he says he’s feeling flustered. There’s been a lot of stress and drama already. It’s not necessary; today has been a lot. Jerod pops his head in the galley, and asks if Tom is going to make them a good meal. Tom says he hopes so, and Jerod asks where he’s from. Tom says, the UK, and Jerod wants to tell him a joke. A guy from the UK comes home to find his wife in bed with another man. What does he say? Tom doesn’t know, and Jerod tells him, ‘allo, ‘allo, ‘allo. Tom is like, huh? and Jerod says, it’s an American joke making fun of an Englishman. Awkward.

Bugs asks how Captain Sandy’s day is going, and the captain says she wanted to go home. It was a rough morning, and she could be at a Broncos/Jaguars game right now. Jerod wanders around nakey with the dildo, and tosses it into one of the rooms. WTF??? Jess looks at her flight layover, and Rob says, he’s used to that sh*t. Bugs creates another stellar tablescape in blue and metallics. In Malia’s interview, she says she didn’t realize how she’d feel differently when Tom came on board. Now she’s carrying the responsibility of a partner. It scary, but good.

The guests get ready for dinner. Alex tells Jess that he’s helping her with cabins; let him know what to do. One of the guests cuts a piece of meat off of what’s on the grill with a pocketknife. How classy. Jerod says when he threw the dildo in her room, Tatiana yelled at him. Tatiana confirms that she did. I won’t tell you what I’d do. The guests complain about shells in their oysters, and one says they didn’t appreciate it. All I want to do at this point is eat cookies and my feelings. Bugs asks if they want another round, and primary Isaac suggests they say one nice thing about each other. He likes everyone’s boobs, and loves Tatiana’s hair, because apparently, she’s chosen not to have fake boobs. Bugs tells Tom about the shells, and he says he can make more, but it will take time. He notes that they ate them anyway.

Alex helps Jess, and in her interview, she tells us, they worked together on a boat in Florida. He’s her little, degenerate brother. She wants to slap and hug him at the same time. She asks Alex to gather the trash. He says he’s the second stew and she’s the third. Bugs tells the guests that the chef is more than happy to make more oysters, but lobster is coming, and they say they’re good. Tom asks Malia to help plate the lobster. Alex sees the guests suitcases open, but says he’s not putting their effing clothes away. He sees the dildo, and laughs like crazy. He says, that’s a good d*ckin’; it’s like a kickstand. Bugs asks Alex to wait outside the galley to help with the food. The guests complain about the lobster being raw. Jess tells Alex to pull it off gently, meaning the bedsheet. He says, the d*ck or… and they laugh. Bugs tells Tom about the lobster, and says she’s sorry. He says, it’s nonsense. Effing hell. He’s cooked for two hours. He bitches for a while, but says he’ll sort it out. He continues to complain, wondering how he’s going to cook the potatoes now. In his interview, Tom says, it’s not what he thought he was signing up for. He’s a laughing stock. What’s the point of being on the boat if the guests don’t like it? It’s suicide. He’s good at what he does, and doesn’t need to prove it. He has too much self-respect to do this effing bullsh*t.

This season: Captain Sandy says, yachting is emotional and tiring; she wants them to be champions, and not at each other’s throats, and she can’t do insubordination. A new stew arrives, Alex gets covered in glitter and belly dances, a repeat guest, a jelly fish sting, Ibiza, Bugs takes a spill, Tom says he’s done, a tight parking spot, the captain tells Malia to stay out of the galley, Rob feels trapped, and Tom throws a fit.

🐍 Okay, I get the maritime law thing, and why Captain Sandy feels the way she does. HOWEVER, Malia is the worst for the way she handled it. A panic attack should not be interpreted as freaking out, and she made that sound worse than it was when talking to the captain. I believe she lulled Hannah into a false sense of friendship security, and I don’t believe for a second had Hannah not been averse to the cabin switch, that Malia wouldn’t have let it go. Regardless, she shouldn’t have been all stealthy, taking a picture, when she knew earlier. Why didn’t she alert the captain then? She had added incentive, knowing her buddy would be promoted to chief stew. The whole thing stinks. As for Captain Sandy, once she had that information, she had no choice to confront Hannah, but David told her it was grounds for dismissal, not absolute. I believe she didn’t just fire Hannah for the drugs, but for a series of problems she perceived having with her. What I really didn’t like is, when Hannah said she didn’t think the captain cared, it was because she was blindsided and hurt – admittedly, it was stupid of her to leave that stuff lying around – and the captain should have recognized that, and not taken it personally.

🎱 Deadline Looming…

My deadline for https://mupoentertainment.com/theresa-krakauskas/ is at high noon on Tuesday, so I’ll be saving the tea for another day, since I still have work to do. Until we join forces again, stay safe, stay using your brain, and stay leaving your drugs at home if your vessel is traveling international waters.