What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

You guessed it. I missed the beginning again, but not much. Here are the important things. They flashed back to Friday, when The Floating Rib exploded. Dante, who’d been outside, called 9-1-1. Mac showed up, and wondered if the explosion had come from a gas leak. Laura found Sonny at the gym, and told him that Cyrus was after her. He’d requested a heavily redacted file from the PCPD for a crime she’d been involved with as a teenager – a murder. At GH, Portia told Carly that Sasha had a bad night. She wondered where Sasha had gotten the drugs, and said it had to have been a super strength coke or something they’d never seen before. Alexis was persuaded to stick around for the intervention, and Diane went first. She took Alexis on a trip down Memory Lane, saying she missed her most cherished comrade, and here we are.

Diane says she could always reach out to Alexis when she needed someone, but not anymore. Alexis thinks she wants to criticize, but she just wants her friend back. She loves Alexis, and asks Alexis to please come back to her.

Laura tells Sonny, it was long before he came to Port Charles. She was a minor; that’s why it’s so heavily redacted. He asks if she wants to tell him what happened, and she says she got involved with an older man, David Hamilton. He was a predator, and she totally fell for it – and him. It turned out he was using her to get back at her mother, who had rejected him. Sonny says, bastard, and she says David ripped up the letters she wrote him, and she got angry. She pushed him as hard as she could, and he lost his balance and fell. Sonny says, it was an accident, and Laura says, what she did killed him. She was convicted of murder, but because of her age and the circumstance… Sonny says, David Hamilton got what he deserved, and she says she put it so far behind her. She doesn’t understand why it’s coming up now. He tells her that she’d said Cyrus was interested, and she says he got his hands on the file. Sonny asks, why? but she says she doesn’t know. She was hoping Sonny could tell her.

Portia tells Carly, Sasha isn’t the first OD they’ve seen. They’ve seen an alarming rise of OD’s in the last few months. Carly says, they know who’s responsible, but until Cyrus is exposed, they have to focus on keeping their families safe. She knows it weighs on Josslyn, but Sonny’s protection keeps Trina safe too. She hopes Trina isn’t complaining. Portia says she’s not. Trina is doing well, and she’s starting to bounce back from her father’s death. Carly says Portia raised a special young woman, and Portia says Carly’s not a bad mother herself. The phone rings, and Portia says she’ll alert the staff. She tells Carly, there’s been an explosion at The Floating Rib.  

Dante paces outside The Rib, and asks, where the hell are you? Julian shows up, and asks where the first responders are. Dante says, they’re en route. He doesn’t know how many people are trapped inside, and the building could come down at any moment. He asks if Julian was inside, but Julian said he was driving when he heard the explosion.

Inside, Dante calls to Lulu. He finds Dustin, and checks him over. He says Dustin’s breathing sounds okay, and tells him to hold on. He moves the debris Dustin is trapped under, and says he’s got him. Elizabeth tells Cameron to be careful, and Cameron says he’s fine. Go to Franco. Cameron steps over the wreckage, and Elizabeth finds Franco, but he’s unconscious. She says his name. Cameron looks for Dev, and pulls debris off of him. He shakes Dev, and tells him to wake up. Elizabeth tells Franco it will be okay; he’s going to make it.    

Now Julian paces outside, and asks, where is everybody? He sees a baseball cap, and picks it up. Morgan is written on the inside, and he says, oh my God.

Sonny tells Laura, he’s had his eyes on Cyrus for a while, but he doesn’t understand why Cyrus would be interested in a crime she committed as a minor. Laura says she thought he was looking for leverage to embarrass her, but she hasn’t heard a word from him. Does Sonny think Cyrus knew David? Sonny says, maybe, and she says, it was so many years ago; why drag it up now? He says, because she’s mayor. Cyrus likes to use people of power for his own needs. Laura says she thought that too, in the beginning, but it feels like it’s more than that. She thinks his interest in her goes beyond leverage and blackmail. Laura’s phone rings, and she says, it’s the PCPD, and steps away. Sonny’s phone rings. It’s Carly.

Diane tells Alexis, let her help, for all the times Alexis helped her. Alexis gets up, and says, she’s just drinking a bit, and they’re acting like it’s the end of the world. Who’s next? Step right up, and share their heartwarming story of their love for her. Molly asks why she’s acting this way, but Alexis says they’re the ones turning their backs on her. Molly looks at her phone, and Diane looks at hers. Molly asks if Diane is reading what she is, and Diane says, there’s been an explosion at The Floating Rib. Sam says she’s going with Diane, and tells Molly to stay with the kids. She doesn’t want Alexis near them. Diane says she’ll drive. They leave, and Alexis says Sam is worried about Jason and Danny, but doesn’t trust her. Valentin asks if they doesn’t tell her how her drinking is affecting her family.   

Julian cries over the cap, and cradles it in his arms.

Lulu asks Dante, what happened? and Dante tells her, there was an explosion; the ambulance is on the way. Sit tight. She says, Dustin, and Dante helps her up. She says, this can’t be happening. Elizabeth calls to Cameron, telling him not to move Dev; wait for the paramedics. Sparks keep happening, from the neon signs and various equipment, and Cameron says, Dev doesn’t look good. Elizabeth says, he’s in shock; keep him warm. Cameron asks how Franco is, and she says she’s trying to stop the bleeding. The first responders begin to come in, and both Elizabeth and Dante say, over here. Outside, Julian tells a fireman that his grandson is in there. He wasn’t there when it happened, but they have to find him. The fireman assures Julian that they’ll look for him. Portia tells Deanna, get the victims stabilized. Carly asks Julian, what happened? Is Dev here? Is he okay? Julian says he doesn’t know what to do. Carly grabs the cap from him, and asks why he has Danny’s cap. He says he found it, and Carly asks if Julian saw Jason with Danny inside. Did he see Danny with Jason?

Carly tells Julian to answer her question; were Jason and Danny inside? Sonny comes along, and asks what the hell Julian is doing there. He tells Carly not to worry, and she says they have to find them. Laura tells Mac that Lulu isn’t answering her phone, and she was in there. Sonny says, so is Dev. Dante asks Mac, what happened? and Mac says, it went up like a rocket. They’re getting the people out, but only first responders are allowed inside. If they want to help, please stay away; it’s too dangerous. Laura asks if anyone has come out, but Mac says, not that he knows of. She screams for Lulu, and Mac holds her to keep her from going in.

Lulu asks if Dustin is all right, and Dante holds her. We see the engagement ring in Dustin’s hand. Outside. Laura says, Lulu isn’t answering, but Mac says they’ll find her. She asks, what happened? and he says, it was an explosion of some kind. A major portion of the roof caved in, and he wonders if it’s his fault. The first responders start bringing people out. Elizabeth checks Franco’s pulse, and says his breathing is shallow, but his pulse is steady. He’s going to be okay. Franco asks where Cameron is, and she says, Cameron is okay; she’s worried about him. Cameron comes out with Dev, who’s on a stretcher. He asks if Dev will be okay, and the paramedic says they have to get him to the hospital. Sonny says, he’ll go with Dev, and tells Cameron to trust him. He leaves, and Dante brings Lulu over to Laura. Laura asks how she is, and Dante says she was unconscious when he found her, but Lulu says she’s okay. Laura says she thought she’d lost her. She has to be checked out. Lulu says, Dustin is inside, and it’s really, really bad. Laura says she’s bringing Lulu to the ER, and don’t argue. Mac says the press are there, and clamoring for answers. At the very least reassurance from the mayor. Dante says he’ll take Lulu to get checked out, and Laura says she’ll get to GH as soon as she can.  

In the ambulance, Sonny says, come on, kid. He tells Dev that he’s going to make it. He fought his way to Sonny, so he’s going to fight again. Dev thanks Sonny for giving him a family. Sonny says Dev saved his life, and saved his son’s life. He’s going to make it through this. Don’t die on him. Dev says, tell Josslyn that he’s sorry, and expires. Sonny says, damn it.

Sam says, Jason and Danny aren’t answering their phones, and asks if Mac has seen them. Mac says, sorry, and Laura tells her, Lulu is in there. She knows how Sam feels, but they’ve got to be patient. Sam starts to get hysterical, and wants to go inside, but Diane tells her not to give them another person to rescue. Let the first responders do their job. Sam sees Julian, and says, he was in there. Did he see Jason and Danny? Julian says, sorry about this, and gives her the baseball cap. She cries, and says, no! and Julian holds her.

Carly tries to call Jason, and says, he has to be okay. Sonny comes back, and tells her, Dev didn’t make it. They hug, and she says, oh my God; what happened? Sonny says Dev woke up in the ambulance long enough to thank him for giving him a family. Carly says she’s glad Sonny was with him, but Sonny says he didn’t save Dev. She says Sonny protected him for two years, and he says, she did also. She says, they all did; Josslyn, Trina, Cameron. He had friends, and Sonny gave him hope. Sonny says, he was great kid. He has to let Brando know before the media does.

Portia tells Lulu that Dustin has serious internal injuries, and needs to be stabilized. Lulu asks if she can see him, and Portia says, he’s in trauma one. Dante says Lulu needs to be checked out first, and she says she will, after she sees Dustin. He asks, what’s the point in seeing Dustin if she collapses on him? and Lulu asks if Dante would check on him. Dante says, of course (🍷). Elizabeth tells Andy that she’s sure he noticed Franco has a brain tumor, and Andy says Franco is bleeding profusely. She asks if he thinks the injury impacted the tumor in any way, and he says he has good news and bad news.

Lulu calls Mac over, and says she got word of the first casualty. He asks, who? and she says, Dev Corbin. He says, Sonny’s cousin? She nods, and he says, sorry. Laura says, what about Jason and Danny? but he says, no one’s found them yet. She asks if he has any more information on what caused it. What does he think happened? He says, it’s too soon to say. An investigator is on the way.

Sonny tells Carly that he left word for Brando to call him. He didn’t want to leave the news on voicemail. Sam and Diane join them, and Sam says she’s got to find her son. Diane says Jason took Danny to dinner there, and neither one of them are answering their phones.

Alexis tells Valentin, Sam is a clever daughter. She took away all the liquor. He asks if she’s tried the kitchen, and Molly says, it’s an intervention, and he’s enabling Alexis? Alexis suggests Molly check on Scout, and Molly says she’ll leave Alexis to self-destruct, and won’t worry about them. Valentin asks Alexis if he can read his letter first, and she lies on the couch. He sits, and puts her feet in his lap. He says, Dear Alexis… Last spring he found out his life was a lie, and she literally talked him down from the ledge. If she’d been drinking, she wouldn’t have been there, and he wouldn’t be here now. Give him a chance to return the favor. She’s a smart, beautiful woman, and even if they’re not related by blood, that doesn’t mean she’s not his sister. Please don’t drown yourself in alcohol. Love, Valentin. Little hearts pop out of my eyes because I love him so much at this moment.

Lulu tells Laura, she’s still waiting to see a doctor, and she couldn’t be with Dustin. Laura holds her, and Dante goes in to see Dustin. He asks how Dustin is doing, and Dustin tries to sit up. Dante says Dustin needs to get some strength before he has surgery. Lulu wanted to come in, but a doctor has to look at her first. Dustin asks if she’s okay, and Dante says she is. Lulu only looks fragile. She’s one of the toughest people he knows. Dustin asks Dante to promise him that he’ll be there for her, and Dante says he thinks she wants Dustin. Dustin says she needs Dante, and Dante says, okay; he’ll be there. The alarm on the monitor goes off, and Dustin starts to have a seizure. Dante yells for the doctor, and Portia runs in. She pushes Dante aside, and says, code blue. She needs a crash cart, stat. She begins to pump on Dustin’s chest. Something maybe they should have tried with Dev.

Franco asks Elizabeth about Cameron, and she says, Cameron is going to be fine. The bad news is, Franco needs surgery. The good news is they can drain the blood to keep his brain from swelling. There’s a chance they’ll have to remove a small portion of the tumor. He says, no, it’s too risky, but she says it’s the only chance he has to live. He says, it’s not about that. If there’s a chance when he comes out, that he’ll be the person he used to be, he would rather die than be that guy again.

Julian leaves a message for Cyrus, saying, Jason wasn’t the only one in the building. Jason’s son was in there as well Julian’s grandson. Sonny tells Sam to calm down, and asks how they know Danny and Jason were inside. Diane says all they know is Jason intended to take Danny to The Floating Rib, and they must have been there at some point; they found Danny’s baseball cap outside. Carly says, they could have been there and left, but Sam says, they’re not answering their phones. Where are they? Carly says, if Danny is there, Jason has him. Sam knows Jason has survived worse.

Sam waits, and Julian approaches. She asks what he wants, and he says he wants to tell her what he did. She says, now? and he says he couldn’t live with himself if he didn’t.

Franco is handed some medication, and when the nurse is gone, he gets up. He starts taking the monitor cuffs off, and Elizabeth comes in. She says, uh-uh. He’s being prepped for surgery. She signed the paperwork. She can’t let him die. He says he knows she loves him, but she needs to let him go.

Dante comes out, and Lulu asks what that sound was. Was it Dustin? What was the alarm? Dante tells her to sit down, but she says, no; just tell her. He says he’s sorry; Dustin didn’t make it. She cries, no! and says she should have been in there with him. She freaks out, and Laura holds her. I almost want to cry, and I don’t even care about these characters. Dante says Dustin’s last words were about her, and Dustin gave him this. He hands her the ring, and she cries harder.

Alexis comes out of the kitchen, and says, score! She tells Valentin, her daughter wasn’t as careful as she should have been. She found a lovely little bottle. He asks if this is her response to the sentimentality of his letter. She says she applauds his integrity. Does he want to join her? He can always leave. He says he’ll stay until they get word on Jason and Danny, and Alexis says, no matter how angry Sam makes her, she’ll never say I told you so. She knew this night was coming, and hoped she was wrong. She was hoping her grandson would grow up normal, go to college, and be what he wanted to be, but no. Sam sent him off to be with his father. Jason has admirable qualities, but he’s a magnet for danger and dangerous people. They don’t care if he lives or dies, and tonight it caught up with him. Unfortunately, he was with Danny. Valentin watches Alexis drink, and looks bored.  

Sonny tells Diane, Dev was in The Rib when it exploded. He died in the ambulance. Diane says she’s so sorry, and he asks her to go to the hospital to get the paperwork. Tell them she’s representing the family, and he’ll notify Dev’s father. He doesn’t want Brando to get a call from them. Diane says she brought Sam, and Sonny says he’ll make sure she gets home. Diane says, then she’s gone. When he hears anything about Jason and Danny, call her. He says he will, and she leaves. Sonny sees Sam talking to Julian.

Sam tells Julian, she has more important things to deal with now. She’s waiting to find out of Jason and Danny are alive. What could possibly be more important? Julian says, nothing, except she needs to hear this from him. Seeing a cop, she walks away. Carly asks the cop if everyone is out, but he says they’re still searching. Suddenly, Jason is there, and Carly hugs him. She says she knew he wasn’t dead. Why did he scare her like that? Sam comes over, and asks where Danny is, and Jason says, at the Quartermaines. He just dropped Danny off. Sam hugs him, and says he’s okay. Thank God.

Tomorrow, Alexis asks if this was part of Valentin’s plan, Maxie asks Lulu if she would have married Dustin had he survived, Sonny says it’s not supposed to go like this, and Ava asks who died tonight?

Below Deck

The 20somethings eat sushi off of a nakey girl, while Ashling cries in the laundry room that she has no underwear. Elizabeth offers hers, and Ashling says, today was a lot. In Francesca’s interview, she says it breaks her heart. Ashling’s been working hard, and she’s gone straight off the deep end. Now she’s crying in front of her boss. Francesca regrets crying in front of Captain Lee. In Eddie’s interview, he says he has to impress upon James that it’s not a vacation, and Shane needs instruction. He shouldn’t be this tired this early in the season. His back is tired from carrying everyone.

Francesca tells Elizabeth to go to bed. Primary Dax FaceTimes with (I think) his mother, and says he’s wasted bad. James wanders around, and Dax asks why a good looking guy like him is working on a yacht. He tells Francesca that James is the hottest guy on the boat, and his girlfriend wonders if she should worry. James takes down the decorations from dinner, and Dax asks who Francesca’s favorite deckhand is. She says, they all are, and James tries to flirt with her in the galley. She’s not into it, and tells Rachel that James is prodding all the time. Rachel says, people do that to avoid working.

Ashling tells Francesca that she’s feeling better after five hours sleep, but in her interview, says, still no underwear, no makeup, and no face cream. Wish her luck. Eddie finds random food on the deck, and says, it’s a mess. It’s like a Jackson Pollock painting. It’s disrespecting everyone on the crew. Eddie tells Izzy that they have to wash the cushions. A double rainbow happens, and Eddie asks Francesca if she knows what that means. She says, they’re going to have a good day? He says, it means absolutely effing nothing, and they laugh. Eddie and Izzy clean the deck, and Ashling sets the table for breakfast. Shane drinks something directly out of the blender. Rachel has Francesca push lobster benedict. Eddie tells James that the deck was an effing disaster, and asks if James looked under the table; that’s his job. Nothing was cleaned up, and it’s inexcusable. When Eddie leaves, James says he just walked in. Give him a break.

Eddie tells the guests that he’s stoked. It’s beautiful out, and jet skis are happening. A guest complains about the boat swaying, which I think boats generally do. Rachel suggests a Mexican themed picnic, and says she wants to do a barbecue for dinner, weather permitting. In Rachel’s interview, she thinks they’d enjoy dinner in the hot tub. For college kids it would be epic. They’re on a yacht in a jacuzzi, eating dinner. It sounds kind of disgusting to me, but okay. The captain talks to Eddie and Francesca about the schedule, and the guests get into their bathing suits. In Izzy’s interview, she says she was never been given the opportunity to learn, and let it fester. She needs to learn not to do that. The captain asks Francesca how Ashling is doing, and Francesca says, she’s settling in. He asks if she knows how to iron. He sees one of the guests standing on a jet ski, and says, goddam children. He laughs when the guy falls off.

Rachel says she hasn’t done a beach set up from this yacht. It’s a temporary yacht environment off the yacht, and it has to be on point. Eddie tells Izzy and Shane they’ll be going to the beach. Elizabeth tells Rachel that the guests want macaroni and cheese, and Rachel says she doesn’t mind making anything, but has no macaroni. Francesca tells Elizabeth to come to her, and not go directly to Rachel with requests. In her interview, Elizabeth says she’s having doubts about the two stripes she was given. She feels like she’s walking on eggshells. The guests are in the hot tub, and one of the guys shows them the tattoo on his butt cheek, which I could have lived without seeing. The guests whine that they’re hungry, while Shane and Izzy try to set up a canopy in the wind on the beach. Eddie asks if he can bring the guests with the food, but Izzy says they’re still setting up. The guests grumble some more about being hungry, and Captain Lee tells Eddie, double time it. In Eddie’s interview, he says, the guests are hungry and they’re behind. It makes them look like amateurs. The guests go from hungry to freaking starving, and the captain gets involved, making Eddie hustle them over to the beach.

Now on the beach, Francesca realizes the pitcher of margaritas was left behind, and calls Ashling, telling her, it’s in the galley fridge. Eddie picks it up, and the captain says, it better be full when he gets there. The guests ask for sunscreen, which has also been left behind. Shane radios Ashling. In Francesca’s interview, she says, a second stew need to show initiative. She can’t train it. The guests practice their golf swings. Elizabeth radios the boat, and asks for shot glasses and a bottle of tequila. Eddie says, seriously? After playing tequila pong, the guests want to go back, and Eddie makes his seventh trip in the tender. Izzy tells Shane about how she was paralyzed when she was in Croatia, and had to stay in the hospital for weeks. In her interview, she explains that she has Guillain-Barre syndrome, and still gets fatigue from it. Eddie praises Izzy for her hard work.

Sitting down in the crew mess, Eddie says he hasn’t even taken a piss today, and the captain radios for him. I laugh. Captain Lee asks Eddie for an assessment of the interior, and Eddie says, they lack communication. In the captain’s interview, he says, the crew can’t blame it on learning how to work with each other. They know better, and they’re not doing it, but trust him, they will. They can’t keep going like this. In the hot tub, one of the guests produces a bathtub duckie named cross-eyed Kathy. I don’t want to know. Izzy says James will do anything that moves. Ashling tells Francesca that the guests want to eat at the table, and Rachel barbecues on the upstairs deck.

No one tells Rachel about dinner being moved, and in her interview, she says, now she has to take the food to the galley, reheat, and replate it. There’s no communication, and it’s effing disappointing. Eddie says Izzy is doing great; she’s better than the other deckhands. He tells her, be confident, and let it drive her energy. The guests are met before dinner with Jell-O shots. Eddie tells James, the deck had better be spotless tonight.

In the morning Eddie says, amazing. James did his job. Rachel’s breakfast special is duck confit and Belgian waffles, her upscale version of chicken and waffles. The captain announces their final approach, and after docking, tells the deckhands, great job. He wants everyone in their whites on the aft deck in five. Dax tells them, the only thing that was less than ideal was how long it took to get to the beach. All of the meals were great, and they had a blast. He gives Captain Lee the tip envelope.

At the tip meeting, the captain says, charter two didn’t do as well, and everybody needs to step up their game. Francesca and Eddie are carrying most of the heavy workload. They need to start stepping up, or he’ll make changes. They need to work on being proactive, not reactive. They’re not on vacation, and need to start getting the job done. The tip is $12k, or $1000 each; they dodged a bullet. He tells them, get the job done or be replaced, then asks if there are any comments or complaints. Now’s the time. He gets silence. In Rachel’s interview, she says, they lack communication, but she’s giving Francesca the benefit of the doubt. She doesn’t want to burn that bridge just yet. Ashling’s suitcase shows up, and in her interview, she says, clean underwear and clean clothes. Part of her has arrived. Izzy thinks Eddie is going sew Shane’s mouth shut one morning. In Francesca’s interview, she says, to be fair, during the first charter, Elizabeth stepped up to the plate, but during the second one, she had to micromanage. Elizabeth isn’t bringing it. Where is it?   

Rachel says, it’s cocktail time, and she hasn’t even bathed, but it’s all right. She Febrezed herself. Shane does an imitation of Spicolli from Fast Times at Ridgemont High, and it’s spot-on. They  go to a restaurant for dinner, and at least everyone seems to be getting along – for now. In Ashling’s interview, she says, growing up, she had a higher level of maturity. She thinks Shane is on a different level. After dinner, the crew bounces to the bar next door. Shane goes over some technical stuff with Eddie, and James gets pissed because Shane is talking about work when they’re outside of work. He tries to make small talk with Ashling and Rachel, but between him getting drunk and his accent, neither one of them can understand him. They go back to the boat. Rachel gets in bed with her clothes on.

James tells Elizabeth, everyone works super hard, but they don’t enjoy themselves. She asks what he thinks the solution is, and he says he could stick the job out, but does he want to? In his interview, he says his dad forced him to go to uni, where you have to be fake and quiet. Two weeks in, he quit and did his own thing. He feels the same way right now, and doesn’t know if he can stick it out.

James talks to his mother on the phone, and in his interview, he says she loves that he’s in yachting. He doesn’t want to let her down, so he’s not going anywhere. He tells Shane that he’d gotten fed up, and Shane says James is in it. Rachel sees Elizabeth struggling with pants creases, and steps in to help, explaining she learned in the ROTC, since they got rated on their uniforms. In Elizabeth’s interview, she says she feels like Rachel is her soul sister. James asks if Shane can think of anything else they need to do before the next charter, and Shane says, take a nap. In his interview, it takes him a while to do the math, but he says he’s been working 18 hour days, and getting only 6 hours of sleep.  

Eddie looks in the cabin, and sees Shane napping in a sleep mask. Eddie says, wtf? He just found Shane napping when everyone else is working. He’s going to pay the price now.

Next time, a trial attorney charters the boat for his 50^th anniversary, Izzy has to explain that she has camel toe to the captain, and Rachel loses her sh*t over there being no caviar.

⛸ Skating…

The Haves and The Have Nots is back tomorrow, and I have to jet to finish an article for https://mupoentertainment.com/theresa-krakauskas/. There will be time for tea another day, but in the meantime, stay safe, stay out of the hot tub while eating, and stay decorating early for the holidays if you want to. Normally, I’m against anything before Thanksgiving, but this year, if you need a little Christmas, go for it.