What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Jackie introduces herself to Jason at the MetroCourt bar. She says she’s doing a follow-up on the bombing at The Floating Rib. She heard that when it happened, there were people who thought he was trapped inside; he’s lucky he wasn’t. Julian Jerome was linked to the explosion, and speculation is that he was the intended target. Does he care to comment? Obviously, she doesn’t know him.

Jordan tells Cyrus, she can’t snap her fingers and get his mother back. She has no proof Jason took his mother. If she did, she’d move heaven and earth to get her back. He says, would she? and she says that’s a major difference between them. She’d never take part in a kidnapping. He says, think of it as a hostage negotiation. If Jason returns his mother, he’ll make sure Taggert goes free. It’s a simple exchange. His dear mother for Trina’s father. After all Jordan has taken from Trina, how can she deny Trina this?

Trina brings coffee to the hospital for Portia, and Portia asks why Trina is buttering her up. Trina says she just thought Portia would like coffee while they talk. Portia says, about what? and Trina says, her dad.

Alexis looks in the meeting room, and leaves. In the hallway, Curtis says, if she’s looking to fix her pain, she’s more likely to find a solution in there than out here. He goes in.  

Dante wakes up, and sees Maxie. He asks if she’s okay, and she says, only him, from a hospital bed, would ask her if she’s okay. Since he did, she thought he knew better than to scare a pregnant woman. He says he’s sorry, and she says, obviously, she forgives him. The question is, can he forgive Peter?

Laura goes to see Carly, and Carly says her message sounded urgent. What’s up? Laura says they’ve been friends a long time; too long to dance around a subject. Carly agrees, and Laura says she has to ask Carly a question, and she really wants the truth. Where is Jason hiding Florence Grey?

On the phone, Valentin tells Martin, it’s true. At long last, Nina knows Nelle was her daughter. Martin says, my God. It must be torturous for poor Nina. Valentin says, it gets better. Jax knew for months. Martin says it’s going to cause a veritable chasm in the fortress of the affections, and Valentin tells him that Jax managed to get her to stop the inquiries about her daughter. He advises Martin to stop the exposé regarding his, but Martin says Valentin has come up with no alternate solution in getting his mother back. Valentin says he’ll be there shortly to explain. We see Valentin is leaving flowers at Nathan’s grave.  

Maxie tells Dante, what Alexis did wasn’t Peter’s fault. When he published the article, she was proud of his big scoop. Now she’s thinking it wasn’t a smart move. People are saying Peter deliberately incited everyone to panic. Dante says he doesn’t think they’ve ever had a conversation where Maxie wasn’t defending Peter, and she asks if they can get past it. He says, they can, and she asks if he can accept Peter. He says he doesn’t know Peter, and Maxie says, he knows she loves Peter. Dante says Peter stepped up with a job for him, and she says, then what is it? Why does he have a hard time with Peter? He says, Peter is Nathan’s half-brother. That’s why.

Monica leads the AA meeting, and tells everyone, good morning. She’s Monica, and she’s an alcoholic. Everyone says the obligatory, hi, Monica, and she thanks them for coming. She says, it takes strength and courage. Coming there isn’t always easy. Why don’t they start?  

At the PCPD, Brando takes out his phone.

Jordan says, Cyrus wants to swap family members like chess pieces, and he tells her not to confuse his pragmatism for lack of emotion. He’s sure the pain he feels is equal to Trina’s. If there’s an exchange, they both win. She says, it won’t stop the Federal charges against Taggert, but he says, they have no case without cooperation. It won’t be the first time he refused to work with the Department of Justice.

Jackie says she heard Jason was the strong, silent type, but it works out; she’s a helluva talker. She’s also an investigative reporter, and she’s wondering who would want to blow him up. Julian isn’t the big fish he used to be – or wasn’t the big fish he used to be. Her sources say he wasn’t acting on his own orders, but on Cyrus’s. When she hears that, things make more sense. Doesn’t he agree? Jason’s phone rings, and he says excuse him. He steps away, and she says, he speaks. It’s Brando, and Jason asks, what’s up? Brando says they have a situation.

Carly tells Laura that she’s right. Their history deserves honesty. Laura wants them to be on the same page about Cyrus’s mother. Carly says, Cyrus is a dangerous criminal, and doesn’t give a damn about the pain he inflicts on others, including both their families. If his mother is missing, it’s probably because someone wants their loved ones safe. Laura says Carly has to tell Jason, that’s not the way to go. Carly says she can’t do that . Laura says, Carly won’t intercede? and Carly says, whatever Jason did or didn’t do, his instinct is to protect their families. If he thinks something will help, she’s not going to undercut him. Laura says she gets it. Jason has to hold the fort, and needs leverage over Cyrus, but Florence has two sons. Carly says she remembers Martin from Wiley’s custody suit, and Laura says, so she knows he’s a very good lawyer; well-connected, with a long reach. If they’re not careful, Martin could be their undoing.

Jason asks Brando, what’s going on? Brando says, Cyrus is at the PD on a mission to find his mother, and Jason says, that’s difficult. Brando says he figured Jason would want to be involved. He doesn’t know what to do.

Cyrus tells Jordan, lacking a testimony, the Feds have no proof of Taggert’s alleged crime, but she says, those are not the only charges. He says, surely she can handle Taggert faking his death. She can be a hero; it’s a nice twist. She can return him to his family, even though she was the reason he was taken away. She says, Cyrus’s revenge trumps everything. Is she supposed to believe Taggert won’t disappear? He swears on his mother’s life, no harm will come to Taggert by his hand.  

Portia tells Trina, what she finds acceptable is up to her. Trina asks if it’s okay if she’s still mad at her dad, and Portia says, it’s not up to her if Trina is mad or not. They sit, and Trina says she’s worried about her dad being in jail all alone. She wants to see him. Portia says, okay. Of course (🍷) she’ll set up a visit, and Trina says she hates it; seeing him in a cell. She told everyone that her dad was one of the good guys. She recruited Josslyn to help her clear his name. Her dad was her hero, and he’s not a hero. Portia says, and she’s mad at herself for still loving him. Trina says she really does, so much. Portia says she knows, and holds her.

Curtis says he hasn’t been to one of these meetings in a long time, but it’s been longer since he had a fix. He’s questioning if he’s put his faith in the right place, and challenging his sense of purpose. It’s hard some days. He wakes up angry and uncomfortable in his own skin. He came today to remind himself that he’s not the man from years ago who couldn’t move forward without a fix, and false confidence. He came to reconnect to that promise. Even though everything in his world is crumbling, he worked his ass off to get there, and he won’t give up on the man he’s become.

Jason comes back to the bar, and Jackie says, Cyrus and his family are accusing Jason of kidnapping Cyrus’s mother. The motive is obvious; retaliation for attempting to kill him. It makes sense, but she did her research. Kidnapping an elderly woman seems off-brand for him. Although nothing seems to stick anyway. He was tried twice for murder with no convictions, and been arrested for countless other crimes, but one thing he’s never even been suspected of is targeting innocent people. She’s offering to help him change that. Does he want to deny it, and clear his name? Martin approaches, and tells Jackie, they have pressing business. She asks if it can wait, but he says it can’t. Jason gets up and starts to walk away. She says, really? He has nothing to say? He says, no comment, and keeps walking. She says, what the hell was that?

Jordan tells Cyrus, they’ve gone over this before. Vermont is out of her jurisdiction. He asks if Jason is out of her jurisdiction. She knows, as he does, that Jason has his mother. She says she needs proof. She’s all too familiar with how it feels, missing a loved one; the sleepless nights, the constant worry. Torturous, isn’t it? If she could help, she would, but she can’t. He advises her to proceed with caution. He swore he wouldn’t hurt her friend, but if any harm comes to his mother, there’s not a person she loves who will remain standing. He leaves, and she takes out her phone.  

Laura tells Carly, Martin is worried about his mom. She doesn’t blame him for reaching out. He’s desperate, and just wants his mother brought home safe. He knows people. Carly asks, people like who? and Laura says, the media for one, and he knows people in law enforcement. Carly says, and his half-sister is the mayor. Laura asks if they can find a way to compromise, a way to reassure Martin that she’s safe, so he’ll calm down, and Jason cold focus on Cyrus. Martin is an innocent man. Carly says, supporting a drug trafficker, but Laura says, inadvertently. Carly wonders if they can trust Martin, or will he share the information with his brother? Laura says, it’s a definite risk, but one they can afford to take. Her phone dings, and Laura says, the Commissioner wants see her. Please think about what she said. Carly tells Laura that she will.

Jackie tells Martin, she’s confused. She was under the impression the exposé was urgent. Martin says he misspoke; there’s no need to waste her time chasing empty leads, and Jackie says, Martin must be relieved to have his mother home safe and sound. Why does he want to scrap story? She’d love to talk to his mother. Martin says, that’s not possible; she’s simply unavailable. Jackie says, she’s still missing. His obvious discomfort leads her to believe Martin doesn’t know where she is. He says, conjecture, and she says, is it? Martin came to her terrified about his mother’s well-being, and practically begged her to help. When she did, he pulled a turnaround, and said his mother was fine, with zero details of explanation. Valentin approaches, and Martin says, please join them. Jackie says Valentin can watch the latest runaround his attorney is attempting to give her. Valentin sits down, and says Martin’s mother is still very much a hostage.

Peter listens outside the door, and Dante asks if Maxie forget that he saw her and Nathan fall in love. She says she didn’t forget. When she thinks about that time, she thinks about the four of them – her, Nathan, him, and Lulu. It was perfect. Dante says, it was, and she says, then Nathan died. She thought she’d never have those feelings again. Then came Peter. Peter was always there, holding her up, and keeping her going, when she didn’t think she could. He gave her everything, and asked for nothing. He gave her space to heal and grieve, and little by little, she fell in love with him. Dante asks what it was like when she found out Peter was Nathan’s half-brother, and she says, it was surreal, but also comforting. Dante wonders if it isn’t Peter’s connection to Nathan that Maxie is drawn to, and she says, Peter isn’t a stand-in. He says he’s not suggesting that, but she says it sounds like he is. She thinks as far as Nathan’s death goes, Peter convinced her to have a different perspective. He says, for her, Peter is the closest thing to Nathan, and she wants to let him in. She says he’s wrong, but he says, is he? She says she doesn’t love Peter because he’s Nathan’s brother. She loves the man he’s become. Peter walks in, and asks if he’s interrupting.

Maxie asks what Peter is doing there, and he says, checking on his head of security. Dante says he’s fine, and expected to make a full and fast recovery. Peter asks how Maxie is, and she says she was just worried about Dante. He knows how the pregnancy hormones are. Peter tells Dante, he’s lucky to have a good fiend in Maxie, and Dante says he knows. Maxie says she should go; she has a thousand and one things to do for the wedding. Peter says he’ll walk her out. The walk to the elevator, and Peter asks, what was going on? It was clearly more than Maxie being worried about Dante. She says she wishes people could see Peter the way she does, and accept and love him. He asks if Dante said something, and she says, he means well, and wants her happy, but she is happy. Peter, Georgie, James, and the baby are everything. He says, as they are to him. The elevator comes, and he says he’ll see her at home.

Portia tells Trina, two things can be true at once. Her father is a courageous man, who loves her with all his heart, but he’s a complicated man, who had to lie. Trina says, it’s a lot to process, and Portia says, especially all alone. Does she want to see her dad? Trina says she thinks she does, and Portia says, it’s her call. When Trina feels ready, she’ll contact Jordan and set up a time. Cyrus approaches, since he just can’t seem to learn, and says he apologizes for interrupting. Portia says, if he has to apologize, don’t do it. He says he just came from the police station, and offered not to press charges on Taggert, but Jordan turned him down. Portia tells Trina, go home; they’ll finish talking there. Trina hesitates, and Portia says, it’s okay; she’ll be right behind her. When Trina is gone, Portia says she told Cyrus to stay away from her daughter. He’s toying with Trina’s hopes again. He says, he offered to withhold his cooperation with the DOJ; without cause, they can’t prosecute. Jordan declined. If her daughter’s emotions are being toyed with, take it up with Jordan.   

Monica thanks Curtis for sharing, and asks if anybody else would like to share. Alexis gets up, and says she’s Alexis and she’s an alcoholic. The group says, hi, Alexis, and she says, it sounds so pat, so cut and dried. It’s not though. They all know that. Her addiction is ever-present. It’s all over her, everywhere. It’s there when she wakes up and when she goes to bed. The only time it rests is when she does, but the next day, it picks up and starts over. It’s in her head, like it has its own personality, like it’s a grifter. It keeps showing up and wanting more and more at the expense of everybody else. She sits, and says she managed to stay sober quite a while; long enough to like herself again, and see world with color in it again. Then bad things happened – not like nothing bad happens to them – and she gave up. She didn’t care at all, and that’s what addiction feeds on – weakness. She’s weak. Curtis looks at her proudly, and she says, she’s just being honest, but she doesn’t even know if she cares now. She doesn’t know if she wants to stop drinking. It appears she’s lost everything she cares about, and she knows she should care about it, but she needs help to stop drinking.

Laura tells Jordan, Jason has Cyrus’s hands tied, but it won’t last. They need to make the most of the moment. Jordan says, no argument from her, but how do they do it; nothing sticks. Laura says, they traced the bomb to Cyrus, but there’s no actual proof. Jordan says there’s nothing to connect him to the warehouse shooting either, and Laura says, or the influx of drugs. Jordan says she spent years undercover trying to convict Cyrus, and they know how that turned out. Laura says there must be a thread they haven’t pulled, and Jordan says she’s open to ideas. Laura wonders what they have in Port Charles that’s not like in any of Cyrus’s other territories. What’s different? Jordan says, the hospital. That’s a first. Laura says, that’s it. There has to be something he’s doing there that they can use against him.

Jason goes to Sonny’s, and asks Carly if everything is okay. She says, yes and no. Laura came by to discuss the Florence situation. She thinks they should change course, and give a little where Martin is concerned. He’s not Cyrus. He’s just a guy worried about his mom. Jason says he saw Martin at the MetroCourt with Jackie. Before he showed up, Jackie was asking all kinds of questions about his involvement in the kidnapping. She says, that’s like what Laura was talking about. She’s not just worried about Cyrus. Jason asks if she’s talking about bringing Martin in, and she asks what alternative they have. They can ease Martin’s fear, and reassure him that no harm has, or will, come to his mother, and then focus on Cyrus. He tells her that what she’s saying makes sense, but if they go too far, and Martin tells Cyrus, Cyrus will know they’re bluffing. It’s a fine line he doesn’t want to cross. The only reason Cyrus isn’t doing anything is because he fears his mother getting hurt. Fear is the only leverage they have. Bring in Martin, and it could blow up. Carly says, if they don’t, it could still blow up. 

Valentin tells Jackie, discretion might be nice, and she says, about what? He says, a delicate situation requires precise communication to avoid unfortunate consequences. She says, tell his friend, and he says, communication isn’t Martin’s strong suit. She says, right, and his mother is still missing, aka an innocent woman. Valentin asks if that’s the kind of story she’s writing; fluff, a flash in the pan tabloid piece. She asks if he has something else in mind, and he says, as a matter-of-fact, he does.

Curtis tells Alexis, that took guts, and Alexis says she was terrified. He says, unfortunately, that’s how it works, and she says she doesn’t know if she can do it. He says she will, and when she does, she won’t be alone.

Peter goes to Dante’s room, and Dante says, he’s back. Peter says he wanted Dante to know he’s glad he’s okay. Dante thanks him, and Peter says he wanted to check and make sure Dante was coming to the wedding. He is family to Maxie, and him too, in a sense. After losing Nathan, the more he thinks how important Dante is to his soon-to-be wife, and he thinks he’s making a mistake.

Laura tells Jordan, Cyrus went to great lengths to disenfranchise the hospital employees that have been at GH the longest. Jordan says, Monica and Bobbie, Elizabeth and Epiphany, and Laura says, Doc keeps waiting for the other shoe to drop. It’s the ones who will fight for the integrity of the hospital at any cost. Jordan says, unlike Britt, and Laura says, maybe that’s the key. Not what Cyrus is doing, but who he’s doing it with. Jordan says, which begs the question, who’s getting their hands dirty?

Laura asks if Walker, Cyrus’s second in command, didn’t disappear, and Jordan says, without a trace, and no body was ever found. She wonders if Cyrus could possibly be grooming Britt, but Laura thinks it might be his driver Brando. If she and Jordan can get to them, they can get to Cyrus. Jordan asks if she thinks they can get Britt and Brando to turn, and Laura says they’ll give them no choice. 

Jason tells Carly, no telling Martin, but he’s not saying they can’t figure out how to make it work. Carly says she’s sorry for talking to Laura without telling him, but he says it’s nothing he wouldn’t have done, if lying wasn’t working to his advantage. She says, he’s not mad? and he says, no. He sees why she did it, but she can’t just act. They need to be on the same page. If she goes rogue, he has to play catch up, and do damage control. Just like with Sonny’s funeral. They both hate it, but they talked about the advantages and disadvantages, and made the decision together. She says she gets it. It makes sense in theory. There’s just a lot going on. He says he knows; just tell him first. She says she’s worried about the Nina situation, isn’t he? He says, she’s not? but she says, it’s out there. Nina knows everything about her daughter that was kept from her. She’s handling it. He asks if everything is okay, or is she going to do something crazy that will come back to bite her? She tells him, stop. Everything is fine. He doesn’t have to worry. He says he’ll remind her that she said that, but she says he won’t have to.   

Jackie says, if there’s a bigger story, now’s the time, and Valentin says, it’s not so much the story as her role in it. Helping to rescue Martin’s mother, she’ll step out of her role as an observer, and into the hero role. How does that sound? She says, intriguing.

At the hospital, Curtis asks if Portia is okay, and she says, no, she’s not. Elsewhere, Cyrus tells Brando, he’s growing increasingly impatient about his mother’s return. He wants answers, and Brando needs to get them. Brando says, so far, he’s come up empty, and Cyrus says, Sonny’s family took his mother, and it’s on him to get back in their good graces, and bring her home. He hasn’t seen that, and he’s disappointed. Brando says, yet Cyrus trusts him, but Cyrus says he doesn’t want to.

Monica hands Alexis a chip, and Alexis says, one day sober. Monica wishes she could tell Alexis that tomorrow will be easier. Alexis says she hasn’t experienced easier in a long time, and Monica says, one foot in front of the other. It sounds trite, but it’s not. Don’t go by days; go by hours. Alexis says she knows. Small goals are easier to achieve.

Peter says he can’t have Dante working for him; it’s too complicated. Sorry, but he’s fired. 

Maxie sees the flowers on Nathan’s grave, and says, Nina must have been here. She’s sorry she hasn’t come to see him a lot recently. She’s kind of been all over the place. She misses him, and she’s so confused right now. What if Dante is right, that a huge part of the reason she’s drawn to Peter is because he’s Nathan’s brother? What if she needed love in her life that much, she couldn’t see Peter clearly? She still can’t. She wishes Nathan was there. She misses his voice and his smile, and the amazingly cool way he dealt with things. She cries, and says she doesn’t know what to do right now. She wishes he did.

Tomorrow, Chase asks if there’s still hope, Valentin asks Anna if she has answers about Dante, and Jason tells Scotty that he won’t forget what Scotty said.

The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City

We took a brief trip down Memory Lane, with each of the women flashing back to a particularly annoying painful moment. Heather’s grand re-opening for Beauty Lab & Laser was in two days. In her interview, she said it was their coming out party. She wanted everyone to see it and give them the credit they deserved, but it had to be finished. The party needed to go off without a hitch. One of the workers asked what was a priority, and she said, everything. Whitney came by, and Heather said, welcome to the jungle, which seems to be her catch-phrase. Someone needs to tell her, it’s not 1987. Neither one of them had talked to Jen since Vegas. Heather didn’t want to deal with any deep-rooted issues at the party, and in Whitney’s interview, she thought Heather should uninvite Jen unless she had a reason she wanted to tank her grand opening.

Jen met with Lisa at a bar. Lisa thought the trip was a lot, and Jen said she was the only one who reached out. In Lisa’s interview, she said Jen burst into tears when she’d seen her in Vegas, and she’d suggested they meet up back home and talk. Jen swore she didn’t talk about Lisa, but Lisa said what Jen thought of as a flip, funny remark was a statement to someone else. Jen said she was that way because she had to be. When she came to Utah, it was all white people, and she had to be defensive and prepared to fight. Lisa said she didn’t think Jen was out to hurt anyone, and Jen said it hurt her to see her friends hurting. Hearing what everyone thought, she had no idea. In her interview, Jen said she was hurt by Heather, who she thought understood her. Lisa asked if Jen was going to Heather’s grand re-opening, and Jen said she wanted to be supportive, but wondered why Heather had never spoken to her about how she’d been feeling. Lisa said when Jen came in hot, she left herself open to more criticism. In Jen’s interview, she said she had the same problem in her marriage, and if she wanted them to hear her, she might have to take it down two notches. Lisa suggested Jen not say everything she thought.

Meredith and Seth were in a great place, and Meredith said it took a lot of work to get there. She was excited to move forward, but knew it wouldn’t always be all positive. She told Seth that Vegas was toxic. She’d never seen such volatility in her life, and there was speculation about their marriage. Seth said whatever happened, happened. They worked hard to save their marriage, and it was nobody else’s business. Meredith thought the women were deflecting, so they didn’t need to focus on their own relationships.

Whitney met her dad at a salon/cosmetology school. He’d completed rehab, and was almost done with 90 days of sober living. He had the opportunity to be instructor at the school. It was his first day working as a sober, functioning man, and he did a cut demonstration on her for a class. In her interview, she said she was glad she’d followed her gut, and helped him. She hoped it wasn’t too good to be true; she’d been let down before. He told her, doing it gave him an income and confidence, and Whitney felt like a proud mama.

Meredith stopped by the old Beauty Lab, where there were tons of boxes everywhere, and Heather said they had movers coming tomorrow. Meredith said Vegas was disappointing and disheartening. She had compassion for Jen, and it made her sad to see her suffering so much, but she’d behaved so badly. In Meredith’s interview, she said Jen had hurt her family. If she’d done that to Jen, she could imagine what would happen. Heather said, to move forward, she’d need a clear apology. It’s what she wanted and needed. If her daughters had a friend like that, she wouldn’t tell them to try and be understanding. In Heather’s interview, Heather said she’d felt like that in her marriage, and she wasn’t going to put up or shut up like she had then.

Lisa met with Sydney her marketing coordinator, and John brought their sons to the meeting. In her interview she said, she might not be good at cooking hot dogs, but she was good at inspiring her children to build things. Geez, even I can make a hot dog. She says she’d created mini moguls. She and John had invested money in Fresh Wolf, and believed in what they’d created. The kids did a small presentation, and Lisa said Fresh Wolf had given them the opportunity to spend time together.

At Faith Temple, Mary directed choir practice. In her interview, she said, in addition to being the first lady, she was also the choir director. Church for her was a place of rest, and the love should always flow. Mary believed if her grandma saw her today, her grandma would be her number one cheerleader, and tell her to keep up the good work.

Sharrieff was looking for brownie points, and maybe some other perks from Jen, and had her meet him for salsa dancing. In her interview, she said she’d been asking him for years. We flashed back to her asking him to be there for her, and she said he was putting in more effort than he ever had. She was suspect of him planning it on his own and was sure he had help. He also had a rose petal covered table, set up in the studio, with champagne and chocolate confections. He’s actually a very good dancer, and in her interview, Jen said Sharrieff had been in a dance group in high school. After the dancing, Sharrieff kicked out the instructors, and they drank the champagne. In her interview, Jen said she never hid who she was, and Sharrieff had been there for her. She apologized for treating hm badly, or in a way that was resentful. She said her heart was good, but she didn’t know how to interpret that. She told him that her intentions had been good toward the women, and he told her to acknowledge her shortcomings and what she had to work on. What would never change is the love he and her family had for her. In Jen’s interview, she said she wished her friends could see her heart and intentions the way Sharrieff did. She was going to be the best version of Jen Shah that she could.

Everyone got ready for the Beauty Lab re-opening, and Heather got glammed up. Whitney told her, the higher the hair, the closer to God. Everything looked pink and gorgeous, including Heather. There were even fluffy pink cocktails, and a cotton candy machine. In her interview, Heather said it exceeded her expectations. A week ago, she wouldn’t have thought they could pull it off. Even the stanchions – what the velvet ropes are called – were pink. Billy, aka Heather’s ex, made an appearance, and was impressed. They took a family photo with the girls, and in Heather’s interview, she said it wasn’t normal to invite your ex to something like this. Welcome to Salt Lake City, where nothing really happens unless your ex gives it the stamp of approval. He told her it was amazing, and Heather felt like she was closing the door on that chapter, and was no longer willing to be defined by her failures. She could tell her daughters that you didn’t need a man to be successful, although you did for some other things to be discussed at a later time. Billy joked that she could support him. He’s loaded in case you didn’t know. Meredith was wearing chainmail over her face a la Lady Gaga, and said it was her glam fashion forward protection, to ward off the nastiness she was sure was coming her way. It was high fashion that people in Utah wouldn’t understand. In Mary’s interview, she admitted she didn’t get it. She just thought maybe Meredith’s makeup was off, so she threw a mask on to hide her face.

Meredith asked how Lisa was, and Lisa told her, since Vegas, she’d settled things in her own mind. She’d met with Jen, and understood the dynamic. She thought Jen was insecure and trying to prove stuff. She heard Jen. In Meredith’s interview, she said she was surprised Lisa sought someone out who was trying to harm her family. Meredith told Lisa, when they’d spoken, Lisa said Jen was toxic. Lisa said she wasn’t committing to a relationship, and Meredith said Lisa could be friends with whoever she wanted. In Lisa’s interview, she said she hoped everyone would extend the same courtesy to her. She told Meredith that she was still processing, and Meredith said she had no problem with Lisa being friends with both her and Jen, but she needed her own space.

Whitney and Mary inhaled oxygen, while doing some kind of aroma therapy. Whitney told Mary that she’d apologized to Jen, and Jen accepted, but then decided to come after her in Vegas. When Mary was no longer in the line of fire, it was her. Mary said it wasn’t okay, and wondered if Jen was coming, but Whitney didn’t know.

Jen arrived, and Heather was excited she’d made the effort to show up and endorse the business, but a lot of sh*t had gone down. As much as she wanted to forget about it, she couldn’t. In her interview, she said she didn’t know if Jen was there to support or sabotage her. That was the double-edged sword that was a friendship with Jen. Whitney told Jen they hadn’t had the opportunity to talk after Vegas, but she hadn’t gotten the result she’d wanted from talking to Jen previously. She didn’t want to be treated poorly, or have toxic friends. In Jen’s interview, she said she was going to Michele Obama her way through the evening. When they went low, she’d go high. Whitney said she felt like she was Jen’s punching bag or scapegoat, and Jen said she realized not everyone understood or appreciated the way she reacted; she was working on it. She was dealing with a lot, and she was sorry she’d reacted that way. Whitney had said a lot of things that were hard to compromise on, like family, and that’s why she got so mad. Whitney thanked her for the apology, and in her interview, said she was shocked that Jen was staying calm. In Jen’s interview, she asked if she could just apologize and move on. There were cookies she wanted to get to. She was hungry.   

Heather thanked everyone said it was a big night for them. She’d recently come out of a divorce and working though stuff. The new location was huge, since they’d hidden their success. They tried to stay humble, but it was difficult. She was slowly spreading her wings. She said she loved them, and was grateful for them. In her interview, Heather said she took some of the things that went wrong in her life, and made something good out of it. She was no longer a struggling single person. She was a success, and an example for her daughters. There were lots of hugs.

Meredith said anytime she’d ignored bad energy around her, it had always been a disaster. Jen sought her out, and asked how she was, then apologized. Jen said she loved Meredith, and whether Meredith heard her or not, she cared a lot about her. Getting between marriage and family was not acceptable, and she shouldn’t have entertained the discussion. She said she’d never do anything to hurt Meredith or her family. She got teary, and said it was absolutely no one’s business. In Meredith’s interview, she said Jen crossed a line, and the damage was done. The relationship would probably never be the same. She told Jen that she needed protect her positive space. She appreciated what Jen was saying, but needed to see actions over time to back up the words. In Jen’s interview, she said she was surprised that Meredith wasn’t accepting her apology. In her head, she’d tried to support Meredith, her family, and kids, but maybe it was the situation. She wanted nothing but the best for Meredith, and would be there if Meredith needed her. Meredith hoped Jen found a space that worked for her, but said she needed to protect hers. Heather approached them, and Jen said she’d apologized to Heather and Meredith. Heather said she felt they needed to talk, and Meredith, looking for an out anyway, said she’d give them room.   

Jen said she was proud of Heather, and Heather said she felt like Jen was proud. They’d been through a lot together, but she was pissed in Vegas. At the hypnotist, Jen said she didn’t trust Heather. We flashed back to that, and Heather said it was like taking a sledgehammer to her. She asked Jen, why? and Jen said, because of what happened. Heather said, because she told Jen that she was out of line? and Jen said she was blindsided. Heather said Jen came at her, pushed her, and stormed off, and there was no apology. It was bullsh*t, and people were shocked that she still wanted to be friends with Jen. In Lisa’s interview, she said, Heather’s re-opening was a major accomplishment, and don’t wreck it with a fight. Have more tequila. Heather said she was an apathetic fool who worshipped Jen, and did what she could to keep the friendship, but Jen was sh*tting on it. She couldn’t move forward without an apology. Jen told her, no matter what she said, it didn’t matter, but Heather said Jen needed to own it. Jen hadn’t shown up for her.

Lisa asked what Heather meant, and Heather said she loved Jen despite everything. Jen had yelled at her, and threatened her in Vegas, but she showed up at Jen’s room, even though she wasn’t on the payroll. In Heather’s interview, she said, it had the opposite effect. Jen should have shown up as a friend, and instead said she didn’t trust Heather. It was like a big F-U. So what had the friendship been? Jen admitted not being a good friend, and apologized to all of them. She said she knew she had to change, and she was going to work on it. Her intentions had never been to hurt them, especially Heather. Whitney told Jen that Heather wanted her to say what she was sorry for, but Jen didn’t know. Lisa told Heather that she needed to clarify when Jen wasn’t showing up, and Jen said, she didn’t know when something was an issue. In Jen’s interview, she said she loved Heather. She’d tried make Heather feel important, and had made an effort to give her a private shopping event in Vegas. She did things for Heather that she didn’t do for anyone else, and didn’t understand how Heather saw it differently. She told the group that she owned it, even though she didn’t understand. Lisa said it was a big night, and they should agree to disagree. In Whitney’s interview, she said, it was like some twisted Mormon power struggle. Heather asked if Jen thought she’d been a good friend, and Jen said, no. Heather asked if she could be a good friend going forward, and Jen said she could. She was sorry, and knew she needed to work on things.  

In her interview, Heather said it had been a process, figuring out who she is, and where she wants to go. As a Mormon, you have to behave a certain way, and be a certain way, and be a certain type of person. To be accepted and loved, you had to be a good Mormon, but it was hard. She learned from her friendships that she could be accepted for who she is. We flashed back to all of the insane moments this season, and in Jen’s interview, she said she loved Heather and had her back. The finale text said that Jen and Sharrieff had been spending more time together – FaceTime. We read that Whitney had been focused on her dad, and was now focusing on herself, and a new skincare line. Mary was reorganizing her closet; getting rid of some clothes, and keeping the skeletons inside. Lisa had scheduled a family bonding trip to Mexico, but if a business opportunity came up, she wouldn’t say no. Meredith and Seth were back in couples therapy to help their communication, but when the topic of moving to Ohio comes up, Meredith disengages. Heather was still a non-practicing Mormon, and still searching for the perfect man, and meatball lollipop.

Next week – part one of the three-part Reunion – lots of drama and finger pointing, and Jen walks.

🥳 Jeff Lewis was the only guest on Watch What Happens Live tonight. FYI, Zoila is taking care of Monroe on Fridays and Saturdays. The Word of the Night was you, and they said it 44 times. If you were playing their drinking game, I think you might be dead.

📌 That’s a Fact…

NAACP: On February 12, 2019, the NAACP marked its 110th anniversary. Spurred by growing racial violence in the early 20th century, and particularly by 1908 race riots in Springfield, Illinois, a group of African American leaders joined together to form a new permanent civil rights organization, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). February 12, 1909, was chosen because it was the centennial anniversary of the birth of Abraham Lincoln.

😴 Head Hitting Pillow In 3… 2… 1…

I see Friday on the horizon, which only means I get to switch jobs, but at least I can sleep later. Whether a weekend means free time, more work, or it’s meaningless, stay safe, stay adventuresome, and stay accepting everyone for who they are.