What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

No surprise, I missed the beginning, even though I had extra time. I’m not sure why it always works that way, but what I missed was, Brando was waiting for Sasha when she came out of the hospital, and she said she wasn’t his problem anymore. He said she kind of was, but she told him to get lost. She ran into him again at the park. Sam identified Julian’s body, and told Lucas she felt sadness, relief, and regret that Julian could never get out of his own way. Lucas said Julian hadn’t deserved to be in their family, and Sam said Julian never got what he wanted, but he got what he deserved. Jason and Carly got back home, and Jason promised he’d keep searching. Josslyn saw them, and pulled them into the living room. Molly brought Alexis to Jordan’s for Christmas dinner, and told Alexis not to make her regret it. TJ thanked Jordan for including Alexis, and Jordan said she was family. Trina and Portia ran into Curtis coming out of Kelly’s, and Trina jumped on him for not telling her Taggert was alive. And then…

Josslyn says she and Willow are making cranberry garland for the bannister, and Michael says Willow is a natural. Josslyn says she wanted to surprise Wiley, and Willow says, but Wiley heard the commotion. Michael says his son has discovered the joy of wrapping paper. Carly says seeing him was the best thing for her, and Michael asks if she was surprised. Josslyn says, was she ever, and Carly says, it’s been a long day. Coming home to family, so much love, and more cranberry garland than they need is what she needed; it’s perfect. Michael says, it’s not perfect until dad’s traditional Christmas Eve dinner. When is he coming home?   

Portia tells Trina, Curtis didn’t know what was going on. Curtis says, all that time he watched them mourn, and he was beating himself up, wondering if he could have done more to save Taggert, and keep Trina’s father with her. Then he finds out Taggert is alive. Trina says, his wife is the Police Commissioner, and she knew. She can understand how Jordan could keep it from them, but how could she keep it from Curtis? Trina blamed him; how could she? Curtis says, excellent question, and Portia sends Trina inside to get the pies. She tells Curtis, she’s so sorry, and he asks, why? She didn’t lie for months, and she suffered more than he did. Be angry, be furious, but not sorry.

Alexis sniffs the steam from what Jordan is cooking, and says, chestnut and rosemary? Jordan says, very good, and Alexis says she’s not a good cook, but she’s got a good nose for sniffing out secret ingredients. Molly goes over, and asks to speak to Alexis for a second. She tells Alexis, she gave her word she’d behave. Alexis says she is, and Molly asks, what’s that about sniffing out secrets? Alexis says, secret ingredients; she was talking about food. What did Molly think… Oh, Molly thought she was going to mention… Molly says, the thought crossed her mind. Alexis isn’t at her best. Alexis says her decades of being an attorney made her good at keeping a confidence, but Molly still doesn’t trust her. Molly says she doesn’t. How is she supposed to trust Alexis with her life, when Alexis is willing to destroy her own? TJ tells Molly it’s her turn, and Molly goes back to their backgammon game. Alexis sneaks vodka into her coffee cup, from what looks like a generic brand.   

Trina sits inside Kelly’s, and Portia tells Curtis, she’s thankful Taggert is alive, but she could kill him herself with her bare hands for toying with Trina’s emotions. Curtis says, let him help, or at least watch, and Portia says, she doesn’t like what Taggert and Jordan did, nor does she approve. But she does recognize, as misguided as they were, they thought they were doing the right thing. They needed to stage Taggert’s death to protect them from Cyrus. He says, maybe. He gets that, but that’s not what pisses him off. Jordan was keeping the secret, knowing what it was doing to Portia and Trina. Early on, he gets it, but after the target was off their backs, he doesn’t understand. Portia says, Taggert and Jordan have a private code, and only they understand the lines they can can’t cross. He says, but it should have stopped at his doorstep. Jordan’s work life is Taggert, but she’s married to him, and that has to come first. Honesty is part of their unbreakable code, and the lies are ruining their marriage.

At the hospital, Laura thanks Doc for stepping up. The Christmas celebration in pediatrics is a tradition. He says it’s his pleasure, and thanks her for being his elf. She says she just had to put a hat on and hand out gifts, but he says she secured the future. The kids recognized her as mayor, and she just nailed the under ten constituency. She says, in eight to twelve years they can vote for her, and he says, it doesn’t hurt. She sighs, and says, sorry. She can’t help thinking of Lulu at that age. Lulu loved this time year. She would read the Christmas classics to Lulu, even after Lulu had memorized them. Santa never had a bigger fan. Doc says, she’ll get through this. They’ll see her tomorrow. Laura says she knows it’s wishful thinking, but it would be a great Christmas miracle if they were there and Lulu woke up. He says, it would be. He wishes he could make it happen. They sit together, and she leans on him.

Sasha asks Brando why he’s stalking her, but he says he’s not. They’re just going in the same direction. She says, he’s a man following her without her consent. She could scream for the cops and tell them the man Brando works for gave her drugs that almost killed her. He says she’d be signing her own death warrant. He’s making sure she doesn’t do anything that leads to that happening. She says he’s handling her for his boss. Thanks to him, she can’t stop Cyrus. He says, she wins; he believes her. She thanks him, and says, now leave her alone. He asks if he can make it up to her, and give her a ride, and she says, now he’s getting her permission to stalk her? No thanks. She can get back to the MetroCourt on her own. He asks if she really wants to go back there, and she says she lives there. He says, nobody should be by themselves on Christmas Eve in a hotel room, but she says, it’s a nice hotel room. He says, it’s not going anywhere. In the meantime, does she want to get some hot chocolate?

Michael asks if something is going on with his dad. Jason hasn’t said a word. Jax says, that’s not unusual, and Jason says, it’s just been a long day, like Carly said. Carly says their dad is caught up with business, and won’t be home, and Josslyn says, but it’s Christmas Eve. Jax says, people need their coffee, and Michael suggests they order pizza. Willow says, they’re not open, but they could get Chinese food, and Michael says, the Noodle House it is. He tells Wiley, they’ll make the tree perfect for grandpa, and Jax suggests they put the garland on. Carly tells Jason, it’s so empty. It’s Michael’s first Christmas as a father, and he wanted it to be special. She wants that for him. From the look on Jason’s face, he’s thinking he’s going to have to go looking for Sonny on Christmas Eve.

Jason tells Carly not to do this to herself. It’s not about her; it’s about them. He wonders how she’s going to tell them that Sonny… and she says she’s not going to do it until they comb the entire riverbed, and check every hospital to the Atlantic Ocean. Jason says he knows what it’s costing, keeping it to herself, but she says she’s not keeping it to herself. She’s keeping it from them. He asks what she needs him to do, and she says she needs him to phone Sam. She’s at the hospital to ID Julian’s body. He has to go to her. He says Carly knows they’re splitting up, right? and she says he has to go. He says, what about her? and she says she’s okay. If she needs him, she’ll call. They hug, and he says he loves her. She says that’s what’s getting her through, and goes inside. Josslyn wonders why Carly still has her coat on, and Carly says she doesn’t know, and takes it off. Josslyn says, Jason had to leave? and Carly says, Jason has tons of family, and many people to visit. She asks, who’s baking? and Josslyn says, wait until she goes in the kitchen; they’re on serious cookie overload. Carly asks if there are any gingersnaps, and Josslyn says, and then some.

Alexis slips more vodka into her cup. On the phone, Jordan says, she and Curtis need to talk. It’s Christmas Eve, and they should be together as a family. He needs to talk to her. She’ll be waiting. She tells TJ and Molly that the job Curtis was on was bigger than he expected. Why don’t they have dinner, and she’ll make Curtis a plate to heat up later. TJ says, he’s working Christmas Eve? and she says it was a last minute thing; he thought he’d be home sooner. Alexis says, it’s a mystery where Taggert was hiding all this time, and TJ asks if he isn’t Jordan’s old partner. Molly says, he’s dead, isn’t he? and Alexis says she was visiting (ha-ha) the PCPD, and she heard Taggert waltzed in from the dead. She asks Jordan if it was big surprise, but Jordan says, not really. She knew he was alive.

Portia says it’s not for her to speak on Curtis’s marriage, but if he doesn’t mind her speaking from experience in her own marriage… He says, go ahead, and she says, marriage can start one way, and life bends it another. What counts is the love he and Jordan have for one another. He says she and Taggert loved each other, but she says it wasn’t enough to sustain their relationship. They also aren’t him and Jordan. He says, meaning… and she says, Jordan won’t always live up to her promises to him, and he might not live up to the ones he made to her. He admits he has flaws, and she says, despite the flaws, is he willing to listen to Jordan’s reasons for keeping it a secret, or has he already passed judgements on her reasons, and it doesn’t matter? Curtis says he knows the right answer, but he’s not there yet. She says only he knows if the love they share has room for forgiveness. Trina comes back out with the pies, and tells Curtis that she wants to say… Portia says she thinks Curtis has had enough for tonight. Save it for next time. She tells Curtis, he’s not going find what he’s looking for out there. Go home.

Michael answers the door, and thanks Lucas for coming. Lucas says Michael told him it was important. He thinks they should talk outside or Wiley will see, and Michael says, that’s what he needed to talk about. Doesn’t Lucas think stayed away long enough?

Jordan says, Taggert survived, and she was aware of it, but if people knew he was alive, there would be a target on his family’s back. Alexis says, so Jordan arranged for Taggert to be dead to protect his loved ones. It makes sense. Molly says, it would if they hadn’t mourned him. Alexis says, it wasn’t ideal, but if Trina had known he wasn’t dead, she wouldn’t have mourned. Trust her. She knows from experience that in extreme situations, the fewer people who know, the better. She looks at Jordan, and says, back her up, and Jordan says she was thinking. Now that she’s hearing it out loud… TJ says, how she could lie to Portia’s face and not tell her Taggert was alive?  

Michael tells Lucas, Nelle is gone, and no longer a threat, and Lucas says he’s not too broken up. Michael says Willow is going to adopt Wiley, and they’re staying married. Well, that’s to be determined, but they both decided to stay Wiley’s parents. He knows how much Willow and Wiley love each other, and how much Lucas loves Wiley. Lucas says, from the moment Wiley was placed in his arms, and Michael says, when the truth came out, Lucas gave Wiley back, and stayed away. He can’t imagine how difficult that was. Lucas says, it’s what was best for Wiley, and Michael says, Wiley is a happy boy due to the love and sacrifices on Lucas’s part. If it’s asking too much, Michael understands, but he and Willow feel Lucas and Wiley deserve to be back in each other’s lives. Lucas asks what Michael is saying, and Michael says, be their Christmas gift, and Wiley’s, and be Wiley’s uncle again.   

Martin walks into the hospital, his arms full of little wrapped gifts. He struggles, and ends up dropping them, saying the gravity in this hospital chooses to torture him. Doc and Laura come by, and Martin addresses her as Madam Mayor. She tells him to call her Laura, but Doc says he’s still Dr. Collins. He’s kidding. His newfound brother-in-law can call him Kevin. It’s nice to meet him. Martin says he overestimated the capacity his arms could credibly bear, and Doc thanks him for spiriting his wife back from Vermont. Martin says it was his great pleasure. He’s not accustomed to the sudden appearance of a new sibling, and he had time to get to know his new sister. She says it was nice for her as well. She asks where he was going, and he says he brought a few holiday tokens, and was on his way to see the patients in the geriatric ward. She says that’s nice of him, and he says his mom always appreciated a well-wrapped trinket. Laura is surprised that he’s visiting on Christmas Eve, and he says he’s saddened how the elderly are overlooked. He’d like to think he makes a little difference. Laura says she could help him distribute the gifts, and maybe he could join them for an early dinner. He says he wouldn’t foist himself onto them, but Laura says she has big plans to go to the city tonight so she can see her daughter tomorrow morning. It would be nice to tell her about her newfound uncle. Martin says, indeed. If she’s sure he’s not intruding. She says, not at all; the holidays are for family. She wasn’t expecting to get a brother, but now that she has one, she’d like to get to know him.

Brando tells Sasha the hot chocolate reminds him of his childhood, and she says, watery and instant? He says, sort of. They had the same crappy hot chocolate every year. He thinks it was from the same container the whole time. That would explain why it tasted worse every year. She says sorry, and he says, there’s more to the story. If she thinks that was bad, she should hear about the pajamas. She asks if they were like the bunny pajamas in that movie (a nod to A Christmas Story, for those unenlightened), and he says, worse. They were reindeer, and came with antlers. His mother would buy pajamas every year, but she’d get them after the Christmas before, and guess at how much he would grow. Some years, his arms and legs were sticking out, and other years, he was drowning. She says, he wouldn’t happen to have a picture, and he says he burned them. She says, too bad. She would have liked to see him in the pajamas. He says, trust him. She wouldn’t.   

Jason approaches Sam at the hospital, and she thanks him for meeting her. He asks how she’s doing, and she says she has something to ask him that she couldn’t ask in front of the kids. He says he didn’t kill Julian, and she says, he was there? He says, yeah. He saw Julian on the bridge when it collapsed. He’d been shot, but not by him. Sam says she hates this. She hates the pit she gets in her stomach every time something dangerous happens. He says, it won’t be happening as much anymore, but she says, it’s going to happen whether they’re together or not. It was always easy loving him. If it wasn’t, letting him go wouldn’t hurt so much.

Jason says he’s sorry, and Sam says, don’t be. It’s nobody’s fault. That doesn’t make it easier, even though they’re trying to do the right thing. She gets up, and says Scout and Danny were upset that he wasn’t there when they were hanging their stockings. He says he’d like to stop by and see them, if it’s okay. She says, of course (🍷). It’s more than okay. He should be there. Scout made cookies for Santa, and a card for the reindeer. Kristina bought Scout a Christmas gown, and Danny wants to put his sleeping bag by the tree. She thinks they’d be crushed if he missed it. He gets up, and asks if she wants him to spend the night. She says she does. He can sleep on the couch next to Danny; it would be nice. He says he can do that, and after they open presents… he’ll leave.

TJ asks Jordan if that’s why Curtis isn’t there, and Jordan says, she decided to keep Curtis in the dark. He was so angry, he didn’t come home. She can’t wait. She has to find him. She grabs her coat, and jets. Alexis says, wow. See what she means about secrets between partners? One way or another, they’ll come out and bite you. It’s better to be up front, and take your lumps. Molly says, enough. Alexis is drinking, and she wants her to leave. Alexis says, sorry, and Molly says, it’s Christmas, and she tried to do the right thing. She didn’t think Alexis wanted to celebrate Christmas in the drunk tank. Alexis says she didn’t, but Molly says, all Alexis has done is punish her for it. She wants Alexis to go. Alexis says, don’t be like this, and Molly says, should she be strong, like Alexis used to be, or a mess, like she’s become? She has to go. It doesn’t matter where, as long as it’s away from her. Alexis says she’s sorry, but if it’s what Molly wants… Molly says, what she wants is a sober mother. If Alexis can’t swing that, she doesn’t want to see her. TJ says he’ll take Alexis home, but Alexis says, that’s okay, and leaves.

Michael brings Wiley to Lucas, and says he told Wiley, someone special was coming to visit. Here’s his Uncle Lucas. Lucas says, hey, little man. It’s so good to see him. Wiley says, Uncle Lucas. Seriously, he does. Lucas says he heard Wiley was busy learning new things and talking up a storm. Willow tells Carly that she always wondered what is was like to have a big family, and Carly says she’s sure Willow got more than she bargained for with them and the Quartermaines. Willow says, there are big differences between the two families, but the common denominator is love. They all love each other so much. Carly says, it’s something, and Willow says, it really is. She and Sonny must be very proud. Carly says, they are, and excuses herself. Jax follows her, and she stands on the porch, crying. He comes out, and asks, what’s going on? She says, it’s Sonny. She doesn’t know where he is. She doesn’t even know if he’s alive.

TJ sees Molly with a glass of wine, and says he needs one himself. She says, have this one. She changed her mind. He says, it was a lot, and she says, sure was. He asks if she’s sure she’s okay, and she says she just can’t help thinking about the lies their mothers have been telling, and the damage they caused. She never wants anything like that to happen between them. He says, it never will, and she tells him, don’t say that yet. She has something she needs to tell him, but before she does, she  needs him to know, whatever happens next, she loves him.

Brando says, oh no, mistletoe, and Sasha says, it’s poisonous. He says, don’t eat it, and she says she was thinking of making a jam with it, and giving it to his boss, but he’d rat her out again. She’s kidding. He says, good. He thought they had a breakthrough with the hot chocolate. She says, it wasn’t a breakthrough; it was a bribe. He asks if it worked, and she says, no. She kisses him on the cheek, and says, merry Christmas. She walks away, and he smiles.

While Christmas music plays, Jordan sees Curtis sitting in the park. Alexis walks in the park alone, and takes out her phone, and sees The Invader headline about Julian’s death. Marty, Laura, and Doc laugh over dinner at Kelly’s, and clink coffee cups. Josslyn continues to decorate the tree, and Michael looks at Willow. Jason gives Sam her jacket, and their hands touch. She walks away, and we see a tear in his eye.

Willow tells Wiley that daddy is going to read ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas. Michael tells Lucas, he’s welcome to sit in, but Lucas says he’s due at the hospital. He tells them, merry Christmas, and they go upstairs. Lucas tells Carly, if he didn’t mention it before, she has an amazing son. She says she has a pretty great brother too. They hug, and he says he’s going to grab a gingersnap on the way out. He tells her, Michael mentioned that Sonny was away on business. He thought Sonny would make it home for Christmas. She says, her too.

Lucas leaves, and Carly says, Come home, Sonny. Please come home. The phone rings, and she says, yes?… Now?… They’re here? She goes to the door, and sees flashing lights. And I don’t think they’re Christmas decorations.

Tomorrow, there will be a repeat from September 16^th, 2020. It’s the week everyone said goodbye to Mike, so not exactly Christmas cheerful. On Friday, football for you. But next time on GH, Curtis tells Jordan that he doesn’t think he can anymore, Molly tells TJ that she made a horrible mistake, and Chase says he needs to talk to Carly about her husband.

The Real Housewives of Orange County

The women were still at Lake Arrowhead. Elizabeth couldn’t figure out her effing car, and set off the alarm at the crack of dawn. Braunwyn called her friend Shari, and told her alcohol was everywhere. Gina thought Braunwyn seemed nervous and aggressive, and the women kind of made fun of Braunwyn behind her back, which didn’t thrill me. Braunwyn wondered what she was doing, and why she was there. She wasn’t the same person she was the last time she vacationed with the women. Shari said they weren’t being supportive. In her interview, Braunwyn said Shari was her BFF.  

At home, Emily dealt with the kids, while Shane was in the hospital. She talked to him on FaceTime, and he was feeling a little better. They had him on a bunch of meds, and he had to take an oxygen tank with him everywhere. Emily told him that the last text he sent, he told her that he wasn’t going to make it, and then he didn’t answer his phone. In her interview, Emily said Shane annoyed the hell out of her, but he was still her husband, and a good dad. They had a beautiful family.

Kelly seemed to be the only one doing the cooking. Elizabeth let fly that her father was a preacher, and they got away from the church after realizing it was dysfunctional, and moved to Washington. It was one of those bombshells she tends to throw into a conversation, then laugh like a hyena. This is not only incredibly annoying, it makes you wonder what the hell is wrong with her that she finds it amusing. I’m sure it’s a defense mechanism, but it’s getting on my nerves now. In her interview, she said her family wanted her to preach, and her grandmother brought her up to the front of the church, telling her to speak in tongues. She faked it, and they bought it. It was the exact day she realized adults were full of sh*t, and she could lie to get her way. After breakfast, Braunwyn suggested she and Elizabeth have a real conversation. In Elizabeth’s interview, she said she was irked that Braunwyn was digging up dirt on her. She’d been opening up to Braunwyn, who was claiming to be the real deal, and we flashed back to Braunwyn saying just that. Elizabeth said now she found out Braunwyn was trying to discredit her, and it was hurtful. Braunwyn called Shannon, who said she was still feeling achy, and was getting her test results tomorrow. She told Braunwyn that she’d tested negative three times, and she was bummed. She’d had a suitcase of fun packed. In Shannon’s interview, a producer asked if she had FOMO, and then had to explain what it was. Shannon whined that Kelly couldn’t be bothered to come to the phone, and felt sorry for herself in general.    

Gina spoke with her lawyer Michael, who was going to court on Friday, but said Gina didn’t need to be there. Matt was facing two felony counts, with a maximum time of 4½ years. Michael said it was ultimately up to the judge, but Gina’s feelings would be taken into consideration. She said it was a difficult time, but she was thankful for Michael, and he said she had a lot of people protecting her. In her interview, she said she couldn’t help that it happened. It wasn’t her fault, but she felt guilty. She told Michael that she was hard-wired to feel she had to protect Matt. Then she did that waving thing that people think makes tears go away. I guess they think they can fan them back into their tear ducts or something.

Elizabeth told the women that they were taking a van to SkyPark. Gina called Travis to give him the low down on Matt, and said she didn’t know the right thing to do. He said she was just emotional because it was becoming real. In Gina’s interview, she said she wanted them to be family, and didn’t want the children to pay for her past. She wanted them to think that they went through sh*t, and it wasn’t easy, but they figured it out. Travis told her that it would get better. Braunwyn told Elizabeth that what she’d said felt like a bad game of telephone, and Elizabeth called Braunwyn out on hiring a P.I. She said she thought Braunwyn was into building people up, so why target her? Braunwyn said she’d googled Elizabeth’s name, and found out Elizabeth had defaulted on a loan, and rented out her house. Elizabeth said it was all public knowledge, and told Braunwyn to quit talking to her like a child. Braunwyn said Elizabeth’s stories weren’t adding up, and Elizabeth said, who cared if her house was a rental or not? She didn’t lie; they just didn’t know. Braunwyn could have asked, rather than talking smack behind her back. Her life was complicated and sophisticated, and Braunwyn didn’t understand it. In Braunwyn’s interview, she said Elizabeth married an old guy with money. It was the oldest story in the book. Kelly suddenly got involved in the conversation, and said Braunwyn was just trying to figure out who Elizabeth was. She kept getting half-answers. Elizabeth said there was crap going on with her divorce, and gag orders. It was horrific, and when she met them, she was going to trial. She masked her anger and hurt, and didn’t know how to deal. She didn’t want to tell a bunch of women about it. Braunwyn asked if Elizabeth didn’t trust women, and went into a monologue about how it had been hard for her to open up. In her interview, Kelly said Braunwyn was making it about herself, and about her feelings, and Elizabeth didn’t owe Braunwyn an explanation. Elizabeth had no kids, and no husband, and Braunwyn should clean up her own house before digging around Elizabeth’s. Elizabeth cried, and said she was scared of women, since they’d betrayed her. Braunwyn swore she wouldn’t. She said if Elizabeth would have told her, she would have understood, and thanked her for sharing, apparently confusing the conversation with an AA meeting.

Kelly told Gina that she should show Matt mercy, so he could get a job for the kids’ sake. Even though Gina had moved on, she shouldn’t want to ruin his livelihood. In Elizabeth’s interview, she said she thought Kelly meant well, but she should shut up. Braunwyn told Elizabeth that she’d been a bitch to bring up Elizabeth’s business in the first place, and Elizabeth was impressed with Braunwyn owning it. Braunwyn said she’d been newly sober and in quarantine, and looking for something to do. Gina said she’d called it, and Braunwyn said she wished she could take it back. In five months, Elizabeth would be on her list of almonds amends. In Braunwyn’s interview, she said the list was longer than Santa’s naughty list. She admitted Shannon had gotten in her head, and in her interview, Gina said Shannon liked to plant things in someone’s head, then her hands were clean. We flashed back to Shannon sowing seeds, and Elizabeth asked why Shannon would do that. Braunwyn reminded Elizabeth of how she’d told them Shannon went off on Jimmy, and said Shannon told them a different story. We flashed back to Shannon saying that didn’t happen, and Jimmy left because he had to get up for work early. Kelly said Shannon gets in people’s ears, and in her interview, Kelly said that Shannon had gotten everyone to call her an adulteress. We flashed back to the 70s party where Kelly and Shannon echoed, who? you! at each other. Elizabeth said in her process of self-discovery, she’d answer any questions as best she could.   

Shannon’s fourth test was positive, and she wept during her home video, saying she had so many emotions. She was worried because of her lungs, and pissed at the kids for their carelessness. They’d been hanging out with groups of twenty and thirty kids, knowing she was at risk, and she wondered if she’d infected John. Shannon called her mother Pat, and told her about the positive test. She said she was scared, and Pat asked if she had a fever. Shannon said she didn’t, but she was so mad at the kids. So far, John had tested negative. In Shannon’s interview, she said she and John had their ups and downs, and she wondered if he was going to be mad. John said he thought it was inevitable that he’d test positive. Shannon said she was so sorry, and felt so bad.

Kelly said SkyPark was her childhood fantasy come to life. Park manager Michelle explained there was hatchet throwing, archery, and mountain biking. Kelly and Gina went biking, while Braunwyn and Elizabeth went for archery. Braunwyn made a call to Shari, who she called her wife. In Elizabeth’s interview, she said she never heard someone do that. She wondered if Braunwyn was putting it out in the universe, hoping it would happen. She and Braunwyn shot at targets, reminding me of the one A that I got in high school phys ed, since I’d practiced archery practically since I could walk. They moved on to the ax challenge, where Elizabeth claimed she was aggressive, and her ax promptly bounced back at her after she threw it. After doing this several times, she got up close and personal with the target, whacking away at it with the ax. Braunwyn told the instructor that Elizabeth hadn’t had sex in, like, forever.

Shannon called her daughters with the news that she was positive, wailing that she had lung damage, and was supposed to be on a trip. They told her they’d been super careful, but Shannon insisted they hadn’t. She didn’t bring it into the house. She said she thought she’d see more emotion, and they told her they felt horrible. In her interview, Shannon said she was scared that they weren’t all going to get through it.

Emily said Shane was still staying at the hospital. He was getting a five-day dosage of medication, and sounded better. He was also breathing better, but in her interview, Elizabeth said, just because he sounded and felt better, there could still be long-term effects or he could take a turn for the worse. She was fearful for their children, but it was difficult to make a seven-year-old and two five-year-olds stay 6 feet away from their mother. She was paranoid, and doing whatever it took to protect her children.

Elizabeth thought she screwed up friendships by being psycho, and Braunwyn told her just be herself. Gina and Kelly move on to recumbent bikes designed to look like a combination of sports car and tractor. In Gina’s interview, she said she was getting her license back in 20 days, and nothing was effing it up. It looked like fun, but it was a pretty bumpy ride on a dirt road, and Gina ended up walking the bike. Elizabeth told Braunwyn that she avoided conflict, and wasn’t used to handling it. She grew up poor, and saw her husband as a meal ticket. Then she was surrounded by so much wealth for so long, it’s who she became. In Elizabeth’s interview, she said it’s not who she is, and she was desperate to find out who she is; the little girl who met and married that man, and turned into this monster. Braunwyn said everyone had a story, and a lot of them were crazier than Elizabeth’s. Elizabeth said there was something she’d never told anyone. She was raised in very religious situation, and taught not to open her mouth and tell the truth about what was happening. She learned to be good with compartmentalization, and not let people know her. She didn’t want to live that way, and Braunwyn said she didn’t have to any more. In Braunwyn’s interview, she said she had no idea what Elizabeth was talking about, but if she could get Elizabeth to open up, Elizabeth could unburden herself. Braunwyn told her there was no shame in needing help. In her interview, Elizabeth said she grew up in fear, anxiety, and anguish. She’d lived in fear for her life, and had been beaten so bad, she thought she would die. She babbled at Braunwyn, throwing that she’d grown up in a cult, and doing that laughing thing. Then she started crying, and said she’d never talked about it, and didn’t want to. She wasn’t ready. Braunwyn promised not to leave her, and Elizabeth started to hyperventilate. Braunwyn got her to sit down, and told her that she was having an anxiety attack.

To be continued…

Next time, Shane comes home, Elizabeth talks to Gina, Kelly and Gina come in contact with someone who’s positive, and Elizabeth’s perfectness is being shattered.

The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City

Meredith said a huge part of Sundance was networking, and she needed to be there to build her brand. She also really didn’t want to live in Ohio. Nothing against Ohio, she just didn’t want to live there. I’m originally from there, and my sentiments exactly. In Mary’s interview, she said she was glad they were having Fashion Week. It felt good to put on something fierce. She sat next to Jen, who wasn’t too happy about that. I’ve noticed in Jen’s interviews, she often looks like a bobblehead. I don’t know if it’s the way she’s sitting, or what she’s wearing, but it’s distracting. Whitney walked the runway, and said in her interview, if she gave up cheeseburgers, and added six inches to her legs, she’d have a career. Meredith also walked, and son Brooks showed his Brooks Marks collection of one track suit. Afterwards, he FaceTimed with his dad, who was somewhat unapologetic about not being able to make it. In Brooks’s interview, he said Seth should have been there. If it was his kid who had a fashion show, he would have dropped his business meetings and gone. He told Seth that he’d asked him to be a father, and he wouldn’t, so Brooks was hurt. Seth said he was getting anxious from the conversation. In Meredith’s interview, she said she felt partly responsible, since she’d asked for space. Meredith wondered what was next for Brooks, and said he had to go back to school at some point.

At Beauty Lab and Laser, Heather’s schedule was cheeks, lips and a lot of Botox. Whitney had a facial done, and asked Heather how she’d started. Heather said she’d been doing marketing for Botox on Instagram, and was living off of her divorce settlement. She didn’t lack for anything, but wanted her own career. In Whitney’s interview, she said, skeptical as she was, she thought this time her dad would change. She told Heather about her dad being committed to sober living. In Heather’s interview, she said being divorced was a different experience for a man in the Mormon church. It was easier. She was looked at as not being able to keep a man or a family, and waiting for someone to accept her, so she could get into heaven. Whitney said they’d never be good enough because of what they were born into, and being women. In her interview, Heather said you were defined by what you did, and she’d straddled the fence, when either you were in it or you weren’t. Whitney asked if Heather had talked to her children, but Heather didn’t want to deal with it. Whitney said, what if not dealing with it damaged them more?  

In her interview, Jen explained that, after her dad passed, she had to take medication for anxiety and depression. Taking medication was considered a sign of weakness, and Sharieff told her to pray and get her mind right, so that’s what they did, but it didn’t work. Sh*t wasn’t working. It almost cost her marriage, and it was her rock bottom when Sharieff said he was leaving. The family had an intervention, and her son said it was okay take the medication; they wouldn’t think less of her. She was ashamed because she wanted to be Wonder Woman and Supermom at the same time. She wanted to take care of her family, not have her family take care of her.   

Lisa, John, and sons Henry and Jack had a family fun night where they set goals. In Lisa’s interview, she said she wasn’t a board game kind of mom; let’s talk about real money. One of Henry’s goals was to have triplets, and John said he was thinking long-term. In John’s interview, he admitted that 90% of his and Lisa’s relationship had to do with work. He told Lisa that business shouldn’t be their biggest priority. They needed to be together, not on the phone. He asked if she’d ever say no to anything, and she said not if it was a real goal. She wouldn’t be guilted into saying no either. She wanted a billion dollar brand, and asked if John thought it was a problem. He said, a little, and she found that irritating. She said she was good right now.

Meredith met Jen and Heather for dinner, and Meredith asked Heather what was going on with Curtis, the cameraman she’d met at Sundance. Heather said it was a short-lived love affair, since he lives in Atlanta and L.A. She said everybody had a whore phase. Meredith said she and Seth had to resolve some individual issues before getting back together. In her interview, a producer said she was private about the details of her separation, and she said if she was, there wouldn’t be much for people to talk about. Jen wondered what the issues were. Hers was that she was lonely. Meredith thought their biggest issues was learning to communicate. In Meredith’s interview, she said Seth not being at Brooks’s show was a pivotal point for her. She told Jen and Heather that they genuinely loved each other, and that counted for a lot, but they needed to figure out a way to move forward in a positive direction. In Jen’s interview, she said she personally heard more, and Meredith wasn’t telling everything. Meredith said she and Seth were re-finding each other.

Whitney said her dad had become more connected to her and the kids. Her kids had missed out on the fun she’s had with him as a kid, and it meant a lot. He was more positive, fun, playful, healthy, and happy. She’d been scared for a while, and thought her kids would never see the dad she grew up with. They went to one of those trampoline places with the kids, and Whitney’s dad told her that his therapist said he was ready for the next step; an apartment, a job, and building his life back up again. In Whitney’s interview, she said her dad had done 21 days of a program designed to be 90 days. It was a huge red flag, and a vicious cycle he hadn’t broken yet. She was concerned he wasn’t ready, and reminded him that he’d said it was hard on the other side. She was worried that, if he left, he wouldn’t recover.

In Heather’s interview, she said she was happy her daughter was in a good relationship, and wondered what it would have been like. Being divorced labeled her as being a failure, and she didn’t want her moral failings to cause her kids’ lives to crumble. In leading a double-life, she realized she might be leading them down a path they didn’t want to be on. She didn’t want to take them away from the faith and Mormonism. She had never spoken to them about it, and was basically coming out, and saying she wanted to leave the church. She told her daughters she had so much shame and fear, but they said it hurt them to see what she was going through, and they supported her. They had a strong foundation, and they’d be fine. In her interview, Heather said it made her feel like she didn’t deserve her kids. She’d been wrestling with it for so long; she should have come out in the beginning. It was like a huge weight off of her, and she needed to have an honest relationship with them, and be the mom she wanted to be. not the one the church wanted her to be.

Jen visited Whitney, who tried to teach her stripper pole moves. In Whitney’s interview, she said, where she went, the stripper pole went, but she’d never been a stripper. Jen gave it a try, and said she needed Dramamine. Jen asked Whitney what she thought about Meredith and Seth, and Whitney said she thought Meredith was trying to save face for the kids. Jen said if you weren’t getting it from home, you were going to go somewhere else. In her interview, Whiney said Jen was alluding to Meredith having a man on the side. It was a loaded statement, and she’d better be able to back it up. Whitney asked how Meredith would hide it, and Jen said, some people might know. In her interview, Jen said there was always a reason why people got separated, but it wasn’t her place to say anything to Whitney. A producer said Jen was alluding that she knew more. What wasn’t she telling?

Jen said, a few months ago, Meredith was in New York for a trunk show. There was a guy who said Meredith was the love of his life and he was going to marry her. He’d said he’d make sure Meredith got upstairs, and there was clearly something going on. She told Whitney, there was a reason why Meredith and Seth separated. 

Next time, Lisa doesn’t want to give up anything, Whitney tells Heather about what Jen said, and Seth says he can’t stand being without Meredith.

🎅 Not Quite a Long Winter’s Nap…

But a short hibernation until Monday, since it’s all holiday fare from here on in. While it might not be the holiday you imagined this year, remember the reason for the season and celebrate anyway. If you’re not well, take the time to pamper yourself and rest; if you’re alone, that’s okay, embrace it, and do something you’ve been wanting to; and if you’re just peachy, there are plenty of ways to help those who aren’t. While it might sound corny, helping others takes your mind off your own crap, and you’ll feel better for it. And while you’re at it, stay safe, stay making merry, and like Scrooge ended up doing, stay honoring Christmas in your heart, and keeping it through the year.

🌟 If your goal is to enjoy some genuine joie de vivre this holiday season, keep in mind that the simplest acts of generosity, connection, and self-care can offer the biggest rewards. – 11 Ways to Experience Holiday Joy