What I Watched Today
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Unlike Susan Lucci, I did not break my streak, and missed the first 2.0567 minutes. Here are the takeaway points. After Sasha discovered the drugs Cyrus had slipped her at the MetroCourt, he asked if she’d lost her appetite. She wondered how he knew about her appetite. Woowoo. Ned told Monica that Valentin was using Brook, and Monica told Ned to quit treating Brook like a baby. Sonny read a bedtime story to Avery called The Enchanted Penny, and she showed him her lucky half-heart necklace. Michael kissed Willow, and admitted that he didn’t want to sign the annulment papers. At Pizzulo’s, Carly asked for Jason’s help with Sasha, and Sonny joined the conversation. And away we go.
Brook tells Chase, the threat is gone, and Nelle is dead – thank God. He needs to tell Willow the facts. He says he thought she was tight with Michael. Why is she trying to break Michael and Willow up? She says, there he goes again. She thought he said Willow and Michael were getting an annulment. They’re breaking themselves up. She loves Michael, she loves Willow, and loves Michael and Willow together. Willow is probably the only woman on earth who gets along with both the Corinthos and Quartermaine families, and the only one good enough for Michael. But she’s not suggesting Willow drop-kick Michael to the curb. She’s suggesting honesty. If Willow has to decide between two awesome men – Chase says Brook thinks he’s awesome? – then she needs real information. Like, one of the guys pretended he was having an affair, thought he was doing a good thing, but was still madly in love with her kind of information.
Michael tells Willow, just because they have the paperwork, doesn’t mean they have to sign it right away. They don’t have to change anything right now. She says she wasn’t expecting to see it so soon, and she’s not ready to sign them either. Michael says, so they’re on the same page, and Willow says, pun intended. He says the paperwork will be there, and they can sign it when they’re ready. She tells him that she’s glad he said that; it was brave. He doesn’t know about that, but she says she does. Now it’s her turn. She thinks she’s still afraid he thinks he’s obligated to her, and she’s been tripping over herself, thinking she should set him free, but she doesn’t know what he wants. Michael says he’s been doing the same thing. She’s an amazing person, and deserves everything in life, including choosing who she’s with, instead of… She says, marriage choosing them? So what do they do now?
Carly tells Jason and Sonny, she had a strong suspicion in the beginning, and Sasha confirmed it. She never slept with Chase. They pretended, so Michael and Willow could present a united front. Jason says, so Michael could get custody. Carly says she went along with it, and looked the other way because Wiley was the priority, and Michael and Willow were great together, but Sasha can’t handle it. She’s spiraling out of control. She’s doing drugs and having dinner with Cyrus. She must be getting the drugs from him. Sasha’s life is falling apart, and Carly has to do something. Jason says, she doesn’t.
Cyrus tells Sasha, he doesn’t think either of them is inspired be the menu. Why doesn’t she come back to his place? He makes a killer coq au vin. Sasha flashes back to Chase saying, Nelle is emotionally damaged, and will emotionally damage Wiley. It will destroy Willow. Sasha tells him, it will destroy Michael too. Chase says, they’re the only ones in a position to stop it, and Sasha says she’s committed. She tells Cyrus, why not? He says, excellent, and they leave.
Nina says, so her baby survived, and Phyllis says, yes; she had a daughter, a beautiful perfect little girl. Nina says Phyllis told her she wasn’t there at the birth, and Phyllis says she wasn’t, but got to spend a fair amount of time with the baby afterward. She’ll explain everything. Nina says she knew it. She always knew her baby survived. Jax says, before they go any further, this has been a torturous process, and they’ve been told a lot of lies. He encourages transparency; they’re going to have everything vetted. Phyllis says they should, and Nina asks why Phyllis didn’t tell her when she woke from her coma years later. Phyllis says Nina was so disoriented in the beginning, she thought about it a lot, but felt she should wait until Nina was stronger. Then Nina left abruptly. If she’s being honest, she wondered if it was even her place to get involved. She was very relieved when Nina’s P.I. contacted her. All she ever wanted was the best for Nina. She’s been carrying the secret for so long, waiting to be asked. Nina says, the wait is over, and Phyllis says, ask her anything. Nina asks, what happened to her daughter?
Phyllis tells Nina, she’s been waiting all this time; now she hardly knows where to start. As Nina knows, she was part of a private nursing staff Nina’s mother hired. They were paid to be discreet, and not ask questions. Her mother made it very clear that the baby’s father wasn’t to know. She told them the baby’s father had something to do with Nina being in a coma. Nina says her mother was trying to misdirect them. She’s the one who put Nina in a coma, not her husband. Phyllis says she’s so sorry. She thought she was doing the right thing, and couldn’t have been more wrong.
Carly says there has to be something they can do. Sonny could kidnap Sasha, like he did Kristina, and they could do an intervention; get Sasha help. Jason says he gets it. She feels bad because Sasha made a huge sacrifice, and now she’s suffering. Carly says, to the point that she’s hurting herself, but Jason says, there are two issues. One, Sasha chose to take drugs, and chose to see Cyrus. Carly can’t take charge of Sasha’s life to make herself feel better. Two, now Sasha is connected to Cyrus. If they get involved, it could go sideways, and that won’t be good for anyone.
Brando opens Cyrus’s apartment door, and Cyrus and Sasha go in. Sasha asks where the bathroom is, and Cyrus gives her the standard answer, down the hall, second door on the left. He tells Brando to take the rest of the night off, and Brando asks if Cyrus is sure this is the best idea. Cyrus says, excuse me? and Brando says, never mind. He gets paid to drive Cyrus’s car, not give Cyrus his opinion. Cyrus says if Brando has something on his mind, he’d like to hear it. Brando says, that girl is trouble he doesn’t need.
Monica says Brook is Ned’s child, but she’s also an adult. He says, that’s debatable, and she says, right there. He’s got to find some humility, and stop thinking he knows better than Brook what she needs. They both made mistakes; big mistakes. Ned says, agreed, and she says, either both of them won’t forgive he other or they both will, but stop thinking he’s running the show. Does he know who he reminds her of? He says, grandfather, and she says, and his self-righteous attitude toward Tracy. Look where it got him.
Brook tells Chase, Willow deserves to know his feelings haven’t changed. He says, what if she chooses Michael? and she says, then she chooses Michael, but Willow gets to decide. Willow has a better handle on her own life than Chase does. Chase asks if Brook’s resolved things with her dad, and she says, way to change the subject. He says he’ll talk to Willow, but he’s not the only person who owes someone a conversation. Go to her dad and settle things. She won’t feel good about leaving unless she does. They get in the elevator, and she says he was trying to trick her into going to the Quartermaines with him. He asks if it worked.
Michael says he thinks he and Willow have something remarkable, and now’s their chance to find out for themselves. Willow says, with no outside force, and he says, no Nelle hanging over their heads; no court dates looming; and no time constraints. He looks at Willow, and says, what? but she says, nothing. He says they need to be honest, and he promises not to judge or laugh or anything. She says, the other night at the gym, he looked hot; ridiculously sexy. He laughs, and she says he promised he wouldn’t. He says he’s laughing because he felt the same way. Not about himself, but her. He’s surprised she didn’t notice. He couldn’t take his eyes off of her.
Brook and Chase go to the Quartermaine mansion, and Chase explains to Monica that he’s off-duty. He’s there to see Willow. Brook says she came to see her dad, and Ned comes out. Monica suggests Brook and Ned go into the living room, and she’ll show Chase upstairs. Brook asks Chase to stay a minute, and Chase says, sure. Ned wonders if maybe Monica should join them too; a referee of sorts. Not that they need one. Brook and Monica agree, and Monica tells Ned, this may be his last chance. Don’t blow it. Brook thanks Chase for the moral support. She knows he didn’t come there to babysit her. He says he gets it. What’s another few minutes?
Apparently, a lot. Michael says, it feels weird considering… Willow says, they’re married? He says he doesn’t want to pressure her, but she says she doesn’t feel pressured. She feels very attracted to him, and she has for a long time. He says, him too. Attracted to her, not himself. She says, since they’re into each other, they should do something about that. He says he thought she’d never ask, and kisses her.
Jason tells Carly, one thing they don’t want is a war before they’re ready. Sonny says, especially since Cyrus is tied to the hospital, and Jason says, they could put a lot of people in harm’s way. They don’t want a fight just yet. Carly says she gets it, but they know her. She can’t sit and do nothing. Jason tells her, he never said do nothing.
Brando tells Cyrus, Sasha used to date Michael, and Cyrus says, used to. Brando says, still, she’s involved with Sonny, even if peripherally. It might piss Sonny off to find out Cyrus is hanging around her. Cyrus asks what Brando suggests, and Brando says he thinks Cyrus should ask himself, after everything he’s built, is she worth it? Cyrus appreciates the warning, but he can handle the girl. Sasha comes back, and asks if she missed the fun, and Cyrus says, Brando was just leaving, and the fun is about to begin. He closes the door in Brando’s face.
Nina understands Phyllis thought her life was in danger – Phyllis says, from the wrong person, but yes – but what happened to her daughter? Phyllis says there were no guarantees Nina would emerge from the coma, although it happens; she’s living proof. At the time, she didn’t know what was going to happen. Madeline was in no position to raise a child, and found a couple who desperately wanted a baby. One who could provide one with a stable, loving home. At least that’s what they told Madeline. Nina takes it that Phyllis doesn’t know where the baby went, but Phyllis says she not only knows where, she took Nina’s daughter there herself. Jax says, she personally delivered the baby to a new family? and Nina says, oh my God. Who were they?
Michael and Willow bask in the afterglow. I don’t know why, but this makes me cringe. Michael says he thinks they’re compatible, and Willow says, really, really, really compatible, and I cringe some more. She says, more than she expected, and he says he’s glad. She says, her too. He’s got some moves. He says she’s got some surprises up her sleeve as well, and I might have to leave the room. He says it’s like he’s seeing her for the first time. He never allowed himself to look at her like this, or feel about her like this. He had blinders on. She calls him Mr. Compartmentalization, and he says, the family thing, the work thing, the illegal thing. It was a new box that he didn’t let take over, but he doesn’t want to compartmentalize her. She asks what he wants right now, and he says, now works right now. She says she was thinking she wants to do this, and they get busy again.
Brook tells Ned, sometimes when you lay down a track, you think it’s great, but when you play it back… Ned says, you wonder, what was I thinking? She says, that’s how she felt the last time she was there. Everything she said was wrong. He says he felt the same way, and she says, maybe if they could stop blaming each other. Ned says he never… and Monica says, Ned. He says, sorry. How can he make her see he’s not the enemy? She says she doesn’t think he is. Does he think she is? He says, God no. She’s his daughter, and he loves her. If he ever made her feel like he didn’t… She says she didn’t come there to rehash everything. She wanted him to know that she’s heading home to Bensonhurst. She called her mom, who has a room ready for her. She’s going to live with her mom until she figures out what’s next. He says, for what? and she says, me.
Phyllis says Nina’s daughter was a trooper on the bus. The ride was long; they traveled through the night. They made some stops on the way, and got off at a little town in north Florida. Calling it a town is a stretch; it was more like a rest stop off the highway. The couple met her in a black town car. Jax doesn’t suppose she got the license plate number, and she says, it all happened fast. For a split second, she considered getting back on the bus, but they were so nice. They melted when they saw Nina’s girl, the mother especially. Nina asks if she has a name, but Phyllis says, no name, no way to trace them. That was the deal. Nina says, so Phyllis just gave them the baby, and that was it? Phyllis says, the woman smiled at the baby with such adoration, it made her feel like it was okay. They got in the car, and drove off. She never saw them, or Nina’s daughter, again.
Jason says Carly can reach out to Sasha as a friend if she wants to help make a difference. Does she know how he knows? Carly says, because she’s the best friend to have in the world, and Jason says, sometimes the nuclear option is not the way to go. She says she hears him, and accepts it, for now. But if Sasha keeps going down this road any option is on the table. Jason says, fair enough, and she says she has to get Avery ready for Ava to pick up. Sonny says, her bedtime book is in her overnight bag, and asks Carly to kiss her for him. Carly leaves, and Sonny thanks Jason. Jason says, for what? and Sonny says, talking her down. Saying everything he said. Sonny couldn’t have said a word of it.
Sasha uses the remote to turn up Cyrus’s music system, and dances around. Cyrus asks if she’s all right, and she says, never better. Whatever he gave her, she’s never had anything like it. Is it new? He asks if she approves, and she says, on a scale of one to five, she gives it a ten. She laughs, and Brando listens in. Cyrus tells her, take it easy. The coco van won’t be ready for another hour. She says, dinner can wait. He gave her something amazing, and she’s ready to return the favor. Cyrus asks why she’s there. To punish someone else or herself?
Ned tells Brook, it’s all his fault. He messed up everything. Not freeing her from that predator’s contract, forcing her to work at ELQ, massively overreacting when she sold her stock. Of course (🍷) she wants to leave. Why would she want to stay? Brook says, half was her choice, the other half, random things no one anticipated. Ned says, like Nelle slashing her throat, and she says, he didn’t cause that; Nelle did. Ned starts to talk, but Monica tells him, let Brook finish. Brook says she can’t be running around, desperately trying to hold on to what she had in motion. She tried, but it didn’t work. So this her being a grown-up, taking the time to regroup and figure out what she wants. She’d like him to support that.
Willow says she’s not like Michael. She can’t compartmentalize. It’s not a problem, but she lets her emotions spill onto everything. Michael says she wears her heart on her sleeve. Willow says, sometimes, like with their situation, she thinks more like him; everything in its proper place. He was a friend – an amazing one, but still a friend – then Wiley’s father. She was someone to help him fight Nelle, and then they were co-parents. She thought of him as someone she could be with, but wouldn’t let herself feel it. Now she has, and it was incredible. He says, it was, and she says, she’s trying to say she’s finally allowing herself to see him for who he is, and feel what she feels for him – which is all good things. They take each other’s hands.
Nina says, so this is how it ends. Her little girl riding away in a black car, never to be seen again. Jax says, it’s a place to start. Maybe the people still live there, or the neighbors know who they are. Nina says, knowing her mother, there’s zero connection to her. Phyllis said she tried to put her foot down, but Madeline told her to let it go. But they’re not without hope. Should Nina’s daughter want to come looking for her, Phyllis gave her a piece of Nina to take with her.
Sonny tells Jason, they’re two totally different circumstances, but the reality is, Karen Wexler was messed up on drugs that Sonny gave her. It makes him look back to a time he doesn’t want to see. He doesn’t want to be anything like Cyrus, but he gave Karen drugs. It’s something he has to live with for the rest of his life. Jason says Sonny didn’t sell her the drugs; he wasn’t a dealer. Sonny says, no, but he gave them to her to relax. What matters is that he exploited her. He’s not making excuses.
Sasha tells Cyrus, if she wanted a shrink, she’d pay for one. Who the hell is he to try and figure her out? He’s not exactly a poster child for empathy, and his spiritual act fools no one. He thinks they should call it a night, and says he’ll have Brando take her home. She gets manic, and says she doesn’t need his driver. She doesn’t need his pity. Does he know who she is? She’s Sasha Gilmore, the face of Deception. Nothing and no one is going to control her. She strides toward the door, but suddenly clutches her chest, and doubles over.
Chase asks Monica where he can find Willow, and she says she thinks Willow is painting the playroom; she’ll point him in the right direction. She and Chase head upstairs, and Ned says he does support Brook. Brook says, but…? and he says hears her. He admires her soul searching, but he’s hoping instead of going back to her Bensonhurst, she’d do it there, in Port Charles. It’s been unbelievably full of turmoil and he messed things up, but he really loved having her there. He loves that they’ve been able to be in each other’s lives again. It would mean the world to him. Please move back. Stay here and figure things out.
Michael tells Willow, what a great new view. Besides the obvious, of course (🍷). She says, of course (🍷), and he says, no artificial limitations. They’re free to let things happen, and explore what that means to each other. It’s all about exploring. She says, so he’s into exploring, and takes his shirt off. Chase gives himself a pep-talk outside the door, and says, tell the truth. He walks in see Michael and Willow half-dressed.
Cyrus asks, what’s happening? and Brando listens at the door. He hears Cyrus say, for God’s sake, not here. He comes in with his gun drawn, and sees Sasha convulsing on the floor.
Sonny tells Jason, he has three daughters and a step-daughter. If someone did to them what he did, he’d kill them. Jason says, the same with Scout, but the reality is, they can’t change what happened. What Sonny has done in the time since… Sonny says, no one is giving them medals for their career choices, but Jason says, when Sonny took over the territory, he didn’t allow drugs. Twenty-five years later, there still aren’t drugs coming through. He’s not saying it balances the scales – that’s for God to figure out – but ultimately, Sonny switched directions, and did a lot of good for a lot of people. Life is a series of choices, and in this case, he made the right one. Sonny says they all know his conscience will rest easier once he’s eliminated Cyrus.
Phyllis says she insisted Nina’s mother give Nina’s daughter something of hers to hold onto. She had the heart necklace split in half, and half went with the baby she gave away. Nina takes the necklace out from under her blouse, and Phyllis says, that’s it. Wherever she is, Nina’s daughter must have the other half of the heart. Nina says, they’re back where they started.
On the phone, Carly says she needs Michael to call her as soon as he can. Avery comes downstairs, and she asks if Avery is packed and ready for her sleepover. She tells Avery how pretty she looks, and sees the necklace. She asks Avery what it is, and Avery says it’s her good luck charm. Carly flashes back to talking to Nina, and Nina showing her the necklace, saying, her daughter has the other half. Carly says, oh my God. It’s Nelle.
Super sleuth Carly does it again.
On Monday, Michael asks what Chase is doing there, Nina says the universe is telling her the story is closed, Brando says they have a situation, and Cyrus says he won’t have this tied to him.
👩🏾⚕️ Found In the Last Place Curtis Looked…
All about Phyllis.
👙 Karen Who…?
Sonny gave her drugs to relax.
https://soap-operas.fandom.com/wiki/Karen_Wexler
🍻 Goodbye Charlie…
So does Cyrus get the pub now?
🧼 The Bay Of Soap…
Even though it’s in its 6th season, I’ve never heard of this, but Jackie Zeman looks fabulous for 110.
And for the Bay curious.
🩱 Whatever Makes Her Happy…
Madison decided to get a post-baby tune-up.
https://people.com/style/madison-lecroy-shows-off-new-breasts-after-surgery/
🍑 Rut-Roh In the ATL…
Looks like RHOA has to take a step back.
🏑 Like a Bad Penny…
Like the shark in Jaws, just when you think he’s moved on, he’s back. However, he doesn’t have the brains of a shark.
https://people.com/tv/southern-charm-kathryn-dennis-says-thomas-ravenel-hid-baby-news-from-her/
🎸 Learning Curve…
In today’s finding of a silver lining, musicians grounded from touring have turned to teaching virtual lessons.
🏀 His World Got Flipped-Turned Upside Down…
The Fresh Prince reunion is on its way. Although it won’t be the same without Uncle Phil, there will be a tribute to James Avery.
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/fresh-prince-reunion-gets-hbo-max-premiere-date-trailer
🎺 Quotes of the Week
If you don’t believe me, then google it. – Cesar Faison (Anders Hove), General Hospital
You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream. – C. S. Lewis
If you set your goals ridiculously high and it’s a failure, you will fail above everyone else’s success. – James Cameron (This sounds like he might have been high.)
Never let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game. – Babe Ruth
Books may well be the only true magic. – Alice Hoffman
Spread love everywhere you go. Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier. – Mother Teresa
I was 32 when I started cooking; up until then, I just ate. – Julia Child
Leaders who win the respect of others are the ones who deliver more than they promise, not the ones who promise more than they can deliver. – Mark A. Clement
No man can tell whether he is rich or poor by turning to his ledger. It is the heart that makes a man rich. He is rich according to what he is, not according to what he has. – Henry Ward Beecher
Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving. – Albert Einstein
Limit your always and your nevers. – Amy Poehler (I try to not use those two words.)
🤾♂️ Here Comes Another One…
Whether it’s time for a couple of days off work, or two more days are coming while you wait this thing out, try something different on the weekend. Commune with nature, hug a tree, skip a rock, or stream something you haven’t seen. There’s a wealth of good stuff out there. See you on the Deadside, but don’t forget to stay safe, stay rolling with the punches, and stay away from artificial limitations.