Monthly Archives: May 2021

May 28, 2021 – Cyrus Is On the Run, Advice, About Austin, Daytime Noms, Back In Business, Final, Red Flags, Heather Dips, Engaged, Mike Does It Again, Fab Dress, Transformed, VanderTwerk, Nine Quotes Plus One & Soldier

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Peter lies unconscious on a stair landing, blood pooling around his head, and the fake passports for him and Maxie next to him. Someone in scrubs runs down the stairs. They check his neck for a pulse.

Three hours earlier. Brook looks at a list and says, Maxie’s list of must have items. Let’s see if she has them all. Diapers, check; extra bedsheets, yes; receiving blanket – she doesn’t even know what it is, but she has it – bag of ice, thermometer, rubbing alcohol, yes. Duct tape… Duct tape? Maxie’s really going to have to explain that one. She reads, once you’ve assembled your supplies, you have everything you need for a happy, healthy home birth. Everything except a mommy. Where are you, Maxie?

Austin tells Maxie, she’s here, and she’s beautiful. Maxie asks if he can hold the baby up so she can see her. He looks concerned, and reaches into his bag for a towel. Maxie says, Austin? What’s wrong? Why isn’t she crying? He rubs the wrapped bundle in his arms, and says, please. He said hi; can she say hi back? Louise starts to cry, and Maxie says, thank God. It’s the best sound she’s ever heard. I understood this because when my dog’s puppies were born, I freaked because she looked like she was tossing one around like a football, but my husband said she was just trying to get the baby started. And she did. Six of them. They’re 14 now.

Finn looks through his microscope, when Elizabeth comes in. She tells him that he needs to take a break. Go home and get some rest. He says he can’t stop until he finds an antidote for the toxin. If they were doing this properly, there would be dozens of people working around the clock. Instead, it’s just him. What if he’s not capable of solving this in time to save Chase? Elizabeth says she watched him cure Hayden when she was exposed to Blackwood’s. He managed to save her sister. He’ll do it again; she has faith in him. He appreciates the vote of confidence, but says, it’s going to take a lot more than faith. Anna comes to the door, and says she came straight from the airport. She hopes she’s not too late.

Willow brings Chase into the mansion, and tells him to sit down and rest. She thinks he’s pushing himself too hard too fast. He says, not at all. The fresh air did more for him than all the doctors and nurses at GH. She tells him not to let Finn hear him say that, and he says he knows Finn is working overtime to find out what’s wrong with him. He just wishes Finn would be honest with him about what he actually has, or how he got it. He sways a little, and Willow says she’s got him. Michael comes in, and asks if Chase is okay. Chase looks at Willow, and says, never better.

At the Savoy, Curtis is on the phone finding out the status of his liquor license. He asks if they can expedite it. Not just for his benefit, but for the benefit of his hard-working staff who would like to get to work… Good. He turns around to see Portia, and says he’s pushy and impatient, but she says, not at all. He’s the owner of what’s going to be the swankiest, sexiest hot-spot this town has ever seen. He says, okay. For that, can he offer the lady a drink? She says she could definitely use a drink. She just got a glimpse of the dangerous world he left behind.

Sasha comes out of the hospital elevator, accompanied by a bodyguard. Brando comes over to her, and asks what she’s doing there. He thought Carly had her in a safe place. She says, see this guy? Her very own personal bodyguard, courtesy of Carly. As soon as she heard about the shooting at the warehouse, she knew she had to come. Was he involved? He says he was, but he’s fine. His mother was shot, and is in surgery right now. She says, Gladys was shot? Why? Jordan has joined them, along with Dante, and she says, that’s a good question. She and Dante would also like to hear his answer. Dante says why doesn’t he just tell them were his boss Cyrus is?

Carly tells Cyrus, no! and Cyrus says, this was her big plan? To set up an ambush with this fool? She says she doesn’t know why Nikolas is there, but they had a deal. Cyrus says, she blew the deal. He and her friend are leaving, and she’ll be seeing Spinelli again in pieces. She says he’s not taking Spinelli anywhere, but Cyrus tells his guys to put Spinelli back in the truck. Jason magically appears, aiming his gun at Cyrus, and says, let Spinelli go, or he drops Cyrus.

On the phone, Brook tells Maxie, she’s at the house in Beecher’s Corners, but she hasn’t heard from Maxie since she left for the spa. Was she able to ditch her private nurse, and is Bobbie going to meet them? Call her on the burner.

Austin hands baby Louise to Maxie, who says, hi. She tells Louise that she looks perfect in every way. She has no idea how happy Maxie is to be holding her in her arms, and to count her ten little fingers, and ten little toes. She says she doesn’t even know how to thank Austin, and he says, she just did. She says, here she is, stumbling through the woods, and she runs into a doctor, looking like a half-naked mountain man. Austin laughs, and says he’s so glad she did. Now that he has a minute, he’s going to try and get some cell service. He wants to call an ambulance. She says Austin can’t do that. Peter might find them.

Elizabeth offers to leave, but Finn says she can stay. He tells Anna that Elizabeth knows everything. She knows that Peter was responsible for the toxin that was intended for him, but wound up in Chase. Elizabeth says, it all comes back to Peter, doesn’t it? If only people hadn’t covered for him. If only he hadn’t been coddled so much, Chase’s life wouldn’t be hanging by a thread, Jason wouldn’t be on the run, and Franco would still be alive. Anna says she’s not going to try to justify or explain any of her past actions. Quite frankly, it’s too late for that. What she does want to do is urge them to act fast. Valentin believes Peter is planning on leaving Port Charles. Finn says, and the drug that’s keeping Chase alive will be leaving with him. Anna reaches in her bag, and pulls out a folder. She says she’s hoping her trip to Ireland can help him in some way. She hands the folder to Finn, and says, consider this a gift from the late, great Sean Donely.

Willow says Chase needs to sit down and rest, and brings him into the living room. He sits, and she says she’s going to the kitchen to get him something to eat. Michael says she’s right; Chase needs to keep up his strength. Chase says he still can’t believe he lives in a mansion with actual staff, and Willow says, it can be intimidating; there are so many rooms. She was lost at first, but eventually found her way. She looks at Michael, who says he’ll help her find something to eat, and Chase says he could go for something simple, like pizza. It will make him feel normal again. Michael says Chase is in luck, because their kitchen has a pizza oven. He and Willow leave, and Michael closes the door behind them. In the foyer, Willow says, having Chase there is going to be harder than she thought, but until he’s out of the woods… Michael says they have to help and support Chase until he gets well. They head for the kitchen, and in the living room, Chase tries to get up, but falls back down on the couch. He says, just relax; you’re not dizzy.

Curtis says, while he pours this drink, Portia can tell him about her brush with violence, unless she’d rather not. She says she thinks talking about it might actually help him. He knows Brando, right? He says, Sonny’s cousin, Cyrus’s driver. She says she doesn’t think he’s going to be Cyrus’s driver anymore; not after tonight. He asks, what happened? and she says, Brando’s mother was shot in some sort of gangland battle. Brando couldn’t wait for the ambulance, so he carried her, bleeding, into General Hospital. Portia was the attending, and she rushed Gladys into a cubicle, and got her into the OR. One of their best surgeons was on duty, and she’s operating as they speak. He says, and she reported all this to the cops? She says, it’s the law. He’s not the only one who thought he moved on. When she divorced Taggert, she thought she was done with that world, but it doesn’t matter. It seems like no matter what she does, it follows her wherever she goes. He takes her hand, and says, it seems it does.

Brando says he doesn’t work for Cyrus anymore, and Jordan asks when he offered Cyrus his resignation. Sasha tells Brando, he doesn’t have to say anything without a lawyer present, and Jordan says, she’s right. They can go down to the station, and he can answer all of their questions there. Brando says he’s not going anywhere until his mother is out of surgery, and Jordan says she’s sorry his mother was injured, so please, try to help her understand. There was a shootout at a warehouse a few hours ago. Two known associates of the Renault organization were killed. Sasha says, none of that proves Brando was involved, but Brando tells her, it’s okay. She’s not involved in any part of this. She says, too late. That train has left the station. Jordan asks Brando how Gladys managed to get caught in the crossfire, and he says, Cyrus abducted her. He didn’t want her to recant her statement saying Jason ditched the gun that killed Franco. He asked Brando to pick up a package, and deliver it to the warehouse. His mother was already there. Cyrus was planning to kill them both. Jordan asks what Brando did to get Cyrus to turn on him, and Sasha says, that would be where she comes in.

Cyrus says he thinks he’ll keep Spinelli, as a guarantee he gets out of there alive. Two of Cyrus’s men draw their guns on Jason, but Jason shoots them both. In the confusion, Spinelli runs away from Cyrus, and over to the other side of the pier. Cyrus draws his gun, and there’s a bunch of shooting. Jason gets Cyrus in the shoulder, and Cyrus runs. Jason shoots one of Cyrus’s guys, tells Carly, stay down, and goes after Cyrus. A couple of Carly’s men follow him.

Jason comes back, and Nikolas says, Cyrus got away? Jason says, looks like it. Carly hugs Jason, and he tells her that when he said stay down, he meant until it was safe. She says it looks safe to her.

Jordan says Sasha is the reason Cyrus turned on Brando? Why? Sasha says, Cyrus once had a romantic interest in her, which she didn’t return. When he found out she got pregnant by his driver, let’s just say Cyrus’s fragile ego got bruised. Cyrus isn’t a good loser. Brando says, then Cyrus gave him a loyalty test; either kill his own mother, or Sasha would suffer. Sasha looks at him, and he says, that’s when all hell broke loose. Shots were fired, he tried to protect his mom, and in the craziness of it all, Cyrus got away. That’s when he realized his mom got hit, and he rushed her there. Sasha says, they can see how worried Brando is, right? Can this be enough for now? Dante says, for now, yeah. He does hope Brando’s mother makes a full recovery. Brando thanks them, and he and Sasha go to the waiting area and sit. Dante tells Jordan, if Gladys admits she lied about Jason, and that Cyrus paid her, they have her on perjury and obstruction… She says, the DA is way ahead of him. Robert and Diane are in the process of hammering out a deal for Gladys in exchange for her testimony. That’s when they got word about the shooting at the warehouse. He says, so Gladys is a target. As long as Cyrus is running around free, they have to protect her. She says she’ll make sure Gladys is guarded when she’s in recovery. In the meantime, based on Brando’s statement, she has more than enough to make an arrest. She’s putting out an APB on Cyrus.

Curtis says he got distracted from the drink he promised Portia, and she says she didn’t just stop by for some good conversation. She wanted to find out if she could book his club for a private party. He wonders if it’s a fundraiser, but she says, no; a graduation party for Trina and her friends. This year has been traumatic, so full of loss and grief, she wanted to do something special and positive for them. He says he likes the sound of that. If it works out, they can use it as a soft opening for The Savoy, before the official opening. He pours them both drinks, and says, it’s kind of fitting that she’s his first customer. Remember when he brought her there on her very first stakeout? She was all for him buying this place. She says, this place looks good on him. She could tell that very first night. He says he likes to think of himself as an optimist. He’s not going to remember last year as the year his life fell apart. Instead, he’ll think of it as the year his good friend stuck by him. It meant a lot to him. They clink glasses.

Willow tells Michael that she thinks Olivia is on to something. Making that pizza was fun, and in an actual pizza oven. She’s never done that before. He says he loved making it with her. Now he’s going to explain to Chase that he gets the rare privilege of eating it in the kitchen. Since his grandmother told the staff to do everything to help Chase, they’re going to take full advantage. She says she doesn’t think having Chase there is going to work, and he says, is she kidding him? They have Valentin there, Charlotte, Brook, the baby is going to be there soon… She says, that’s not what she’s talking about, and he knows it. He’s putting his life on hold. He says, so is she. She and Wiley are his life. If they have to wait until Chase is back on his feet, that’s worth any sacrifice. Chase comes out of the living room, and says he heard them talking just now.

Anna tells Finn, she studied the file all the way back from Ireland, and there are detailed notes in there; formulas. It might not be the exact toxin that poisoned Chase, but possibly they’re related in some way. Elizabeth says if Finn needs her, she’ll be down the hall. She leaves, and Anna says she understands if Finn didn’t want to say anything in front of Elizabeth, but he has to be honest with her. Does he think there’s anything in Sean’s file that could help Chase?

Austin asks Maxie, who is this guy Peter, who she’s so frightened of? Should he be calling the police, or an ambulance? She says, no. She just has to get to Beecher’s Corners. He asks, why Beecher’s Corners? and she says, because someone is waiting there for her, and it’s the only place she and her baby will be safe. He says, awesome. She just had a baby, in the forest, with zero medical supplies, and he thinks it’s important for her welfare to go to the hospital, and the baby’s as well. She says, there’s no time. Please, just take them to Beecher’s Corners. He says he’ll take her wherever she wants, after they swing by the hospital. So he’s going to call an ambulance. He drops to the ground, and Chloe stands behind him with the fireplace poker. She says, Maxie didn’t really think this was over, did she?

Brook takes the fake belly off, and says, when Maxie gets there, after all of her hard work, they’re going to party like it’s 2019, and she’s going to present Maxie’s little girl to Valentin. He’ll love her, and keep her safe, and make sure that lying worm Peter never gets his hands on her.

Maxie says, stay away from us, but Chloe says she doesn’t think Maxie is in any position to be giving orders. Maxie says, what if she killed Austin? and Chloe says, what if she did? He’s expendable. Maxie and her baby are coming back with her to the house. Maxie asks if Peter sent Chloe after them, but Chloe says, does Maxie think she’s going to tell Peter she got away? No way. Maxie says, so he doesn’t know she had the baby, and Chloe says, as soon as she can get cell service he will. Let’s go. Maxie says she just had a baby in the woods. She doesn’t know how Chloe can expect her to… Chloe says she just heard Maxie tell her friend that she had to get to Beecher’s Corners. If Maxie is strong enough for that, she’s strong enough to walk back to the cabin. She’s not asking Maxie again. Maxie says, he’s coming to, and Chloe turns around to look at Austin. Maxie kicks her in the back of the leg, and Chloe drops to the ground. Maxie struggles to her feet, holding her precious bundle, and moves as fast as she can. Chloe says Maxie will pay for that.

Finn tells Anna, maybe something in the file will lead him to creating an antidote, or maybe it will just be another dead end. But if Peter is really leaving town, he doesn’t have time to talk about it. She says she hopes it does some good, and starts to leave, but Finn calls to her. She turns, and he says, thank you. He knows it wasn’t easy to get; he appreciates it. She says it’s the least she can do.

Chase says, that part about getting back on his feet is worth any sacrifice? If he ever doubted Michael’s friendship, he feels foolish for doubting it. He was just so eager to get out of the hospital, it didn’t occur to him what it would cost Michael. The time, the trouble… Michael says, it’s no trouble at all. Chase’s pizza is ready for him to eat in the kitchen. Chase says, nice dodge, but he’s trying to thank Michael. He promises when he’s better, and gets back to his place, he and Willow will never impose on Michael again. Willow says, his pizza is waiting, and when he’s done, he needs to go to bed and get a good night’s sleep. Chase says he’s actually not that hungry now. He weaves a little, and Willow says they have to get him to his room. Chase says he’s fine, but starts to crumple, and Michael catches him before he hits the floor.

Brando tells Sasha that she doesn’t have to stay, but she says she wants to… unless he’d rather be alone. He says he’s glad she’s there.

Jordan says, it’s vital that they get Gladys’s statement on the record, and Dante says, she’s got to make it through surgery first. Jordan’s phone dings, and she tells Dante, there’s been gunfire on the waterfront. Pier 55. Looks like what happened at the warehouse was just the beginning.

Jason asks if Spinelli is okay, and Spinelli says he’s unharmed. Jason? Jason says he’s fine, and Spinelli says his deepest apologies for being taken hostage. He should have been more aware. Carly says she’s just glad he’s okay. Ava runs to Nikolas and hugs him, saying, she heard Cyrus’s men had him. He says, they did, but everything’s going to be okay now. One of Cyrus’s guys starts to come to, and notices his gun next to him. Carly asks what Nikolas was thinking. He ruined everything when he showed up; that was not part of the plan. Cyrus’s guy reaches for his gun. Apparently, Jason isn’t quite as good as he thinks, since even I know it’s a good idea to make sure they’re dead, or at least not leave a gun near them. Hasn’t he ever seen a thriller? Nikolas says he’s not going to apologize. He wasn’t going to stand by and let anything happen to Ava. Ava says he’s infuriating… her hero. She hugs him again, and Carly rolls her eyes. Cyrus’s guy grabs his gun, and Ava thanks Nikolas for wanting to protect her, but she could strangle him for putting himself in danger. He says, she was the one who volunteered to stand in for Gladys as a hostage. She says she was completely safe. She was in a bulletproof car… She thinks it was bulletproof. Carly says she appreciates Ava standing in as a decoy, but Nikolas almost got them killed, so could she get him out of there? Please. Cyrus’s guy lifts his gun to shoot, but gets shot himself. By Dante, who comes onto the scene and sees Jason.

Brando says, it’s good Carly got Sasha a bodyguard to shadow her, and Sasha says, you can never be too careful, right? Brando says, no. Cyrus has always been a dangerous man, and now that the cops have a reason to arrest him, he’ll be even more dangerous. She says she and Cyrus went out a couple of times (they think we have short term memory loss), then he gave her some of his latest product, which nearly killed her. It’s ridiculous how possessive Cyrus feels about her. Brando tells her, he wouldn’t say it was rational, but it’s a fact. He failed Cyrus’s loyalty test, and even worse, he, Cyrus’s lowly driver, got the woman Cyrus was interested in, pregnant. He’s just trying to keep her and their baby safe. She says she appreciates that, but she’s not going to be intimidated by Cyrus. He does not get to dictate how she lives her life, and the way she sees it – she takes his hands – they’re in this together.   

Portia says she can’t wait for the club to open, and Curtis says he’s really excited about this newest chapter in his life. She says, when she left the hospital tonight, she was in a really dark place. All she could think about was how close she came to losing Trina, to the same senseless violence that gunned down Gladys. If not for Curtis that night, she honestly doesn’t know…  He says he didn’t do anything superhuman or heroic. He just reacted in the moment. She says she doesn’t think he’s giving himself enough credit. Most people run away from danger; he runs toward it. He says, Cameron and Trina were caught in a situation they had no idea how to deal with. He had no choice; he had to protect them. But you know what’s even more exciting? Flash forward one year. He’s even more excited about running a venue where those teenagers can celebrate graduating from high school. She says, either way, it seems like he’s always there for Trina when she needs him. And if she’s being honest, she needs him too. She leans forward, and kisses him.

Michael and Willow bring Chase into the hospital. Finn sees them, and says, wheelchair please. Chase says he told them that they didn’t need to come there. Elizabeth brings the chair and says, they’re just being cautious. She wheels him away, and he says he’s fine. Finn hands Anna the file, and asks her to hold onto it for him. He’ll let her know when he needs it. Willow watches.

Maxie goes as fast as she can through the forest, with Chloe following, limping as fast as she can, and laughing because she’s batsh*t crazy. She says, Maxie will never get away from her. Maxie says she’s doing this for Louise. She comes across a wood pallet, covering a hole that’s quite a drop. Maxie moves some rocks to the edge of it. Chloe catches up, and says she knew Maxie couldn’t get away from her. It’s over. They’re going to do this Peter’s way. Stop making this so difficult, and come with her.

Dante motions the other cops to come forward, and tells Jason to hand over his weapon, nice and slow. He takes Jason’s gun with a handkerchief, and gives it to an officer. He tells the cop to run ballistics on it, and the casualties. See how many came from the gun. Carly says, it was self-defense, and Dante says, secure the area. Get a paramedic down here, and tape off the crime scene. He tells Carly, there have been two shootings tonight; first at the warehouse, and now at the docks. She says, Cyrus is behind them both, and Jason says, he’s already run off, coward that he is. Spinelli says, Cyrus was shot too, so his trail should be easy to follow. Dante says, Cyrus escaped? It looks like Jason might be losing his touch. Ava says, Cyrus threatened her daughter. She needs to go and be with her. Nikolas says, if Dante wants statements from him and his wife, contact their lawyer. Of course (🍷) they’ll give their full cooperation. They leave, and Spinelli says they’ll take their leave too, so Dante can get to his good work. Dante says, Spinelli and Carly can go, but not Jason.

Jordan says she wants to talk to Brando. More shots were fired at Pier 55. It appears that Cyrus has been wounded and is on the run. Sasha asks if this could be true. Is Cyrus finally finished? Brando says he wouldn’t count Cyrus out. Not until he’s six-feet under. He says Jordan still needs his mother to change her statement, right? and Jordan says she does. Unfortunately, if his mother dies, the rest of the case against Cyrus could fall apart.

Portia tells Curtis, she’s sorry. Did she misread things, or… Oh wow. She guesses she did misread things. She’s sorry. She hasn’t eaten, and she’s drinking, and her judgement is off. She’s sorry. He says, she had one cocktail, and didn’t misread anything. He gave her mixed messages. Maybe it’s because he signed the divorce papers. She says she’d better get going, but he says he doesn’t want to leave things like this. She says she’ll get back to him about Trina’s party, and can’t get out of there fast enough.

Finn and Elizabeth get Chase into a bed, and Chase says he’s just a little dizzy; it’s nothing. He wants to go home… wherever that is. Elizabeth says, his blood pressure’s dropping again, and Chase starts to nod out.

Willow asks Michael what he thinks is in the file Anna is reading. He says he doesn’t know, but she’s treating it like the Holy Grail. She says, that’s what Chase needs now – a miracle. Anna looks through the papers in the folder.

Chloe limps toward Maxie, using the poker as a cane, and says, face it. Maxie doesn’t have the strength to outrun her. If she truly cares about that baby, she’ll hand the baby over, go to the cabin, and wait for Peter to come. Maxie says, never. She guesses Chloe doesn’t have any children. Chloe says she doesn’t, not that it’s any business of Maxie’s. Maxie says, if Chloe had children, she’d know that a mother will do anything to protect her child. Chloe is going to have to pry this baby out of her cold, dead hand. Chloe laughs and says that’s fine with her, if Maxie wants to play it that way. Peter can always find another mommy. She might even volunteer for the job herself. Maxie asks if that’s why Chloe is doing this, and starts to back away. Chloe says, stop. She wants that baby. She moves forward, and falls through the wood into the hole.

Maxie peeks into the hole, then picks up Chloe’s phone. She wonders what Brook’s burner number is, and says she knows this. She dials.

Brook lies on the bed, napping, when her phone rings. She says, who’s this? and Maxie says, stop talking; it’s Maxie. Brook asks whose phone Maxie is calling from. Is she okay? Maxie says, no. Please listen to her; there’s no time to explain. She had the baby. The baby is healthy and okay, but she’s in the middle of nowhere. She’s going to send Brook a PIN. She needs Brook to come pick them up. Brook says, none of this is making any sense to her, but Maxie says, please, just come get them. Maxie hangs up, and peeks over the edge again.

Finn tells Anna that he needs her help. Chase needs another dose of the antidote. Go find Peter. She says she’s on it, and leaves. Elizabeth tells Finn that she needs him, and he goes toward Chase’s room, but Willow says, stop. She’s been watching him and Anna; all these looks and coded phrases. Chase believes Finn hasn’t been honest about his condition, so what is Finn keeping from him?

Brando tells Sasha, he’s spent so much time complaining about his mom. She’s too pushy, she’s too blunt, she’s never too shy about putting her two cents in about anything, even when it’s not warranted. He was always thinking negative thoughts about her, never asking himself how he’d feel if he lost her. The truth is, he’d be a little lost. She shaped his life, for better or worse. Sasha says, that’s really lovely. When she’s out of surgery and recovering, make sure he tells her that.

The doctor comes out, and Jordan says she needs to call someone back. Brando gets up, and asks, how’s his mom? The doctor looks serious.

Carly says Dante does realize, none of them would be alive if Jason hadn’t come back. Spinelli says, Cyrus took him hostage, and threatened to dismember him unless Carly met his demands. Dante says he can’t wait to read all about it in their statements. Carly says, instead of wasting time, he should be going after Cyrus; he’s the threat. Jason hasn’t even resisted. Dante says he has an APB out for Cyrus. They’re going to find him. Right now, they both know he has a job to do. Jason says, then do it. Carly starts to protest, but Jason stops her. She says she’ll call Diane. Dante tells Jason that he’s under arrest, and puts handcuffs on Jason, as he reads him his rights.

Outside of Portia’s house, she wonders what she was thinking. She puts the key in the lock, and realizes her door is unlocked. She slowly goes inside, and sees a trail of bloodspots on the floor. She bends down to examine them, and the door closes behind her. She turns to see Cyrus, gun in hand, bloody and disheveled, his ponytail undone. He says, welcome home, Dr. Robinson.

Next week (I think Tuesday), Maxie has a lot to tell Brook, Brando wonders when he can see Gladys, Cyrus says if Portia plays it smart they’ll all walk away alive, and Peter asks if that isn’t why Anna is really there.

👍🏽 Just a thought. Besides never going to crime scene number two, a good rule of thumb is, if you find your door is open, don’t go inside. Get someone, call a cop, call Jason Momoa, but don’t go inside.

🕺🏽 Austin Incarnation…

I thought it was weird that Maxie never mentioned it too.

https://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2021/05/28/who-is-austin-general-hospital-roger-howarth-new-character-franco/

🏆 Potential Winners…

Ugh. Mike against Cyrus. And Valentin. I guess I have to go with Mike.

🤹‍♀️ Lotsa Lu…

The Garth Era is over, and The Countess is making up for lost time.

https://extratv.com/2021/05/13/luann-de-lesseps-dishes-on-rhony-and-all-star-spin-off-plus-is-she-back-on-the-dating-apps/

https://pagesix.com/2021/05/21/rhonys-luann-de-lesseps-seen-getting-kiss-from-mystery-man/

https://pagesix.com/2021/05/24/luann-de-lesseps-makes-out-with-mystery-man-in-the-hamptons/

https://screenrant.com/real-housewives-new-york-luann-nfl-player-dating/

📝 Finally Finalized…

If anyone still cares. Maybe Vicki does.

🚩 Another One Bites the Dust…

More like one of those banners small planes fly over the beach.

Erika Jayne’s Co-Author Brian Moylan Reveals “Red Flag” in Her Marriage and How Bravo Tried to Stop Them From Collaborating, Plus He Teases Future Tell-All and Reacts to Divorce

🍳 A Pool In the Kitchen…

I feel like I get the best of both worlds because I can dip my toe in the water, but I don’t really need to stay in the kitchen. Does the term mixed metaphor mean anything to her?

💍 Changed Man…

I can’t believe Raquel stuck it out, but it looks like it’s sticking on James’s end too.

https://people.com/tv/vanderpump-rules-james-kennedy-raquel-leviss-engaged/

☑️ Summing It Up…

I caught Shahs of Sunset very late one night, and it was pretty much all about Mike exchanging sexts and sending d*ck pics. And nowhere the Shahs haven’t been before with him, as he tries to sabotage another relationship.

https://pagesix.com/2021/05/26/shahs-of-sunset-star-mike-shouhed-owns-up-to-sexting-drama/

👗 She’s Got the Look…

The hair is nothing. It’s the beautiful dress I want you to take a look at.

https://pagesix.com/2021/05/26/how-to-get-melissa-gorgas-rhonj-reunion-hair-look/

🏋🏻 Not Exactly a Molehill…

Not quite as mountainous now.

https://people.com/health/game-of-thrones-actor-hafthor-julius-bjornsson-shares-110-pound-weight-loss-transformation/

💃🏻 The Queen Shakes Her Derriere…

LVP twerking for TikTok at Tom-Tom. Try saying that three times real fast.

https://pagesix.com/2021/05/20/lisa-vanderpump-tries-to-twerk-on-tiktok-with-tomtom-staffer/

🤾🏽‍♂️ Quotes of the Week

Great minds discuss ideas. Average minds discuss events. Small minds discuss people. – Eleanor Roosevelt (Oooh, snap!)

I am the wisest man alive, for I know one thing, and that is that I know nothing. – Plato

The two most powerful warriors are patience and time. – Leo Tolstoy

Whatever it is you’re seeking won’t come in the form you’re expecting. – Haruki Murakami

Coming back to where you started is not the same as never leaving. – Terry Pratchett

Remember, remember, this is now, and now, and now. Live it, feel it, cling to it. I want to become acutely aware of all I’ve taken for granted. – Sylvia Plath

Cry. Forgive. Learn. Move on. Let your tears water the seeds of your future happiness. – Steve Maraboli

I’m in no position to comment. I named my baby Ocean. – Lala Kent, when asked her opinion on Scheana Shay naming her baby Summer Moon Honey

I’ll join this conversation on the proviso that we stop bitching about people, talking about wigs, dresses, bust sizes, penises, drugs, night clubs, and bloody Abba! – Bernadette (Terrence Stamp), Priscilla, Queen of the Desert

❣️ May God bless our troops, past, present & future ❣️

By hero, we tend to mean a heightened man who, more than other men, possesses qualities of courage, loyalty, resourcefulness, charisma, above all, selflessness. He is an example of right behavior; the sort of man who risks his life to protect his society’s values, sacrificing his personal needs for those of the community. – Paul Zweig

👓 Kicking Back…

Since there’s no Dead this weekend, and no new GH on Monday, see you on Deck. Enjoy your long weekend, if applicable, and if not, know that some things might be closed two days from now. Regardless of how you’re looking at May 31st, stay safe, stay behaving responsibly, and stay remembering those who have served our country.

May 27, 2021 – Carly Meets Cyrus At the Pier, He’s Back, Road Trip To Pine Valley, KJ Breaks a Townhouse Streak & Beatles Garden

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Peter lies at the bottom of the stair landing, blood pooling around his head, and his and Maxie’s new passports beside him. Someone sees him (it looks like one of the hospital staff), and runs down the stairs.

Four hours earlier. On the phone, Peter tells Chloe to check in with him as soon as she gets to the house. He wants to make sure they’re on schedule for Louise’s birth. He checks out the new fake passports for him and Maxie.

Chloe comes at Maxie with a syringe, and Maxie raises the fireplace poker, saying, you’ll never get my baby, bitch! She whacks Chloe in the knee, and Chloe drops to the floor. Maxie runs outside, screaming for help.

Sam is at the baseball field when Dante shows up. She says, first the PCPD. Now he joins the softball league. She’d say that’s a pretty major comeback. He sees she has a bottle of water, and asks if she has another one of those. She puts her foot on the cooler and says, team rules. She takes a sip, and says, it is refreshing though. He puts down his equipment, and says he’s been watching her out there. She says, scouting out the competition? and he says, maybe a little bit. She really takes her pre-season training seriously. He’s never seen anyone practice sliding as much as she does. Or was she just tripping over herself?

Britt says she never pegged Jason as the love ‘em and leave ‘em type. He says, that’s not… She says, that was fun; bye, and he says he’s not leaving. She asks if he didn’t say he had to go back to Port Charles, but he says, just for a few days to figure things out. She says, two days, two weeks, he’s still leaving, and he takes her hand. He says he just needs her to trust him and stay there. He promises he’s coming back for her. She kisses him.

At the hospital, Carly gets a call from Unknown. It’s Cyrus, who says she has something he wants, and as it turns out, he has something she wants even more. We see he has Spinelli, and she says she has no idea what he’s talking about. He says by all means, let him explain, and tells Spinelli, say hello. He holds the phone up to Spinelli, who tells Carly not to worry about him; he’ll be fine. She says, Spinelli? and Cyrus says, her friend speaks the truth. He’ll be fine… as long as she hands over Gladys.

Sam tells Dante, she’s sorry. A lazy, tragically confident PCPD would have no idea what it’s like to be a committed player. He says, commitment? Is that what she calls that slide? She says, head first, baby. Practice hard, play hard. He asks if that’s the Aurora model, and she says, it should be, but just so he knows, they do intend to win this year. He laughs, and she asks, what’s so funny? He says it’s just that they kind of suck. They’ve been in the basement ever since they came into the league. She says, there’s a first time for everything, and you know what they say about the underdog? It gives you the mental advantage. He asks if she knows what would give them the actual advantage. Someone on their team who knows how to hit.

Jason tells Britt, it doesn’t have to be there. He can have Spinelli fly her to the island. She says, so the options are Puerto Rico or Canada. She’ll stay in Canada. He says, so she’ll stay? and she says, for now, but let’s be clear. She’s not some package he can deposit somewhere, or a damsel in distress just waiting for his orders. He says he’s not ordering her to do anything, and she says, really? He says he’s asking her to stay there until he can make it safe. Please. Just give him a chance to make this right. She says, make what right? and he says he’s the one who got her involved in this whole Cyrus investigation. He opened the door, and she was there. He knows she took him up on the chance – she says, really – but he still feels responsible. She says, truth? She would like to think that she would have figured out Cyrus was using the hospital on her own, and she would have made the choice to work against him, not turning a blind eye. And maybe she would have, but what she knows is, when Jason showed her who Cyrus really was, when he opened that door, she walked through. Not because he forced her, but because she wanted to. He says he gets that, and she says, okay. And she gets that he was a professional rescuer, but that’s not how she operates. Sitting around while the big strong man fixes things. And not to mention, sexual performance notwithstanding, he’s not fully healed. On top of that, he’s the fugitive. Maybe she should be the one going back to Port Charles. He says he’s a fugitive running from the law; she’s running from Cyrus. She says, Cyrus wants him dead, and he says, no question, but that’s not why those guys were in her office that night. They were there to kill her, sent by Cyrus, in his own hospital. Does she know how risky that is? That’s how bad he wanted her gone. So please, stay there, stay safe. Give him enough time to end this.

Carly tells Cyrus, Gladys is a woman, not a library book. She’s not sure if she can even get access to Gladys. He says, for her friend’s sake, she’d better figure it out. Pier 55, one hour; her, not one of her minions. She’d better not keep him waiting. He hangs up, and Carly says, son of a bitch. Nikolas and Ava, who have been just standing around watching all this time, walk over to her. Nikolas asks, what happened? and Ava says, that didn’t sound good. Carly says she can’t talk about this right now, and Ava says, let her guess; Cyrus. He has some kind of leverage on Carly. Most likely holding someone for ransom? It’s written all over Carly’s face, and it’s how the man does business. They have a couple of very important interests in common – keeping Avery safe, and stopping Cyrus. They can do this together. Let her help. Carly says, Cyrus has Spinelli. He wants Gladys in exchange, and she has one hour. Nikolas says, Gladys is in surgery, and Carly says she knows. Ava says, what she needs is a stand-in for Gladys. Carly asks if she has any ideas, and Ava says, her.

Peter peruses the passports.

Maxie stumbles through the woods, and tells Louise that she has to find a road… or any semblance of human life actually. Where are they? Just stay put until she can find someone to help them. She leans on a rock, and says, or better yet, a hospital. She has contraction, and says, Louise can’t be born yet.

Britt asks what Jason means by, it’s on him. Getting leverage over Cyrus, or getting Cyrus arrested? He says, he’s going to end it. She’s a good doctor, right? That’s what she does? She says she tries, and he says, this is what he does. Not as often as people think, but he’s capable, and it’s time. She thinks he’s underselling himself, and he motions for her to sit with him. He says, when Sonny first gave him a job, he was grateful, not just for the work, but to have someone treat him like a competent human being. He figured out pretty fast how well he could use a gun, and it was a skill he could develop. Sonny needed an enforcer, somebody he could trust. She says, he needed somebody to do a job, and Jason did it well. Jason says he never questioned if it was the right choice to make; he just made it. But now the choice is, when and how to use that skill, and when the circumstances call for it. This is one of them. She asks if he’s proud of that skill. He doesn’t say anything, and she puts her hand on his knee. He says, no, but he’s grateful for it. He’s able to use it to protect the people he loves. She says it’s given him a lot of grief. Don’t worry. There’s more where that comes from. An endless amount actually. She sees now that people make a lot of assumptions about what he does, and how he lives his life. They think he doesn’t feel, but she thinks he does. He takes her hand.

Nikolas tells Ava, this is insane. She’s not standing in for Gladys. She says, the only way to stop Cyrus, is to stop him, and he asks what that even means. She says, look at the situation. He’s taking hostages. He tried to kill somebody, and he failed. So this man, who hasn’t made a single mistake until now, is spiraling out. He’s getting sloppy. He’s leaving himself open. This is their chance. Nikolas says, no, and she says, all she has to do is fool him long enough for Carly’s people to make their move; isn’t that right? Carly says, that’s right, and Nikolas says he doesn’t care how vulnerable she thinks Cyrus is, this isn’t happening. Carly says, if Ava is serious about this, she can set it up so Ava isn’t in any danger. Nikolas asks if this is some kind of a joke. Carly isn’t a mob boss. She’s a widow, and she’s making it up as she goes along. They think Cyrus is spiraling? How did he get his hands on Spinelli or Gladys in the first place? Because Carly is out of control. He tells Ava, come on, but Ava  says she’s not going anywhere. She loved him, and she supported him when he did what he thought he needed to do with Cyrus’s mother, even if she didn’t agree with it. Now it’s his turn to support her. He says, excuse him if he’s not going to stick around and watch this, and walks out. Carly says Ava doesn’t have to do this, and Ava says she knows. Carly says she needs some time to iron out some details. She asks if Ava knows Sonny’s guy Trent, and Ava says she does. Carly tells her to meet him at the hospital entrance. Ava starts to leave, and Carly says, thank you. Ava says what Carly doesn’t seem to understand is, she wants this bastard taken down just as much as Carly does. She leaves, and Carly gets on her phone. She tells Brick to stop whatever he’s doing, and assemble a team right now.

Chloe struggles to get up, grabs the poker, the syringe, and her phone, and limps out of the house. I’d limp on into hiding if I were her.

There’s a knock at Peter’s door, and he opens it to find Valentin, looking grim. He says, what do you want? and Valentin asks if Peter doesn’t have his hands full, toying with Chase. Why does he have to torment an innocent pregnant woman on top of it?

Maxie cries out, wondering why she has to have her children in the great outdoors. First James, now Louise. Can’t Louise wait a hot minute to discover nature? She has to be born there? She has another contraction, and says, okay, okay. She hears her. Louise is ready to be born. This is happening, but trust her, it’s better than what Louise’s father had planned.

Carly says, great. Brick understands her instructions?… She’ll let him know when everything’s in place. She looks at her phone, and her hand hovers above the screen.

Sam says Dante seems to know an awful lot about a softball league he hasn’t played in for years. He says he missed it, and she asks if he doesn’t want to get out there. He asks if she’s making fun of him, and she says he’s cute. He says she means tough, but she tells him that she said cute. He says he can’t wait to play them. He really hopes she tries to steal third base. He’s going to tag her so hard, she won’t know what hit her, but she will know because it’s going to be this glove. She says, he’s playing third base? but he says, no; shortstop. She says she plays shortstop. Maybe she can actually give him a few pointers. He says, that would be great, and she says, gotcha. She would never do that. He’s her enemy. He says he was just humoring her, and she says he’s so full of himself. He says he should be. He literally has thousands of hours of baseball under his belt. From stickball to little league, to JV, to varsity. She says, ooh, wow. Is there a bomber jacket? He says she knows his mom has it. Not to mention the lifetime he’s spent watching minor league and major league baseball. He can literally rate and rank any player within ten minutes of watching them. She asks how he rates her.

Jason asks if Britt understands now why she has to stay there, and she says, she sees that’s how she stays safe, but what’s the point? He asks what that even means, and she says, she fully accepts the fact that Cyrus is trying to kill her, and could kill her, if she goes back to Port Charles before he ends this. But if they’re honest, Cyrus would be doing her a favor. Jason says, no, and she says, he would. She has a death sentence; not just any death sentence. The most horrible, agonizing, horrific death a person could possibly experience. So Cyrus shooting her, or drugging he, or whatever he plans to do, would be a picnic in comparison. He asks if she really believes that, and she says she does. She finally gets what it means to live like you’re dying. When she thinks about all the fries she didn’t eat, or the wine she didn’t drink… all the chances she didn’t take. She’s not fearless like he is. The idea of being in pain or uncomfortable, no thank you. And death was the scariest of all, but she’s not afraid of it anymore. Now that she knows what’s coming, it makes everything – and she means everything – that’s coming look better. He says, what if between now and then is thirty years? and she says, it could be six months. He says, all that time, she could have lived. She wipes away tears, and he says, it’s her life. It’s her choice, but for what it’s worth (🍷) he’d still like to get to know her six months from now. She says she’d like to get to know him too. His phone rings, and he says, Carly. Carly asks how healthy he is, and he says, what happened?

Valentin tells Peter, Brook is being watched, and Peter expects him to believe he’s not responsible? Peter asks what use he’d have for Brook and her child? and Valentin says Peter finds use for a lot of random people. Detective Chase for instance. Peter asks how Chase is feeling, and Valentin asks if Peter thinks he has him over a barrel because he’s toying with Chase’s life. Peter says, doesn’t he? and Valentin says, to a point. If Chase dies, Anna will be devastated, and he doesn’t want to see that. But if Peter starts messing with his daughter or her mother, he’ll kill Peter. Peter says, killing Chase in the process, and Valentin says, so be it. Peter asks if Valentin thinks he’s an idiot. He knows Valentin could end him. Anna’s wracked with guilt, but he knows Valentin. The rest of the world be damned, what he wants is his children. Valentin says, damn right, and Peter says, there are two things he knows for certain. One, he’s still breathing because of Valentin’s sentimental attachment to Anna, and two, making trouble with Valentin would be a death sentence. So if someone is following Brook, it’s not him.

Maxie says, this is all going to work out. She’s going to get Louise born, and figure out what to do next. So whatever that is, she’s going to do everything in her power to protect Louise. She puts her robe on the ground in front of a rock, and gets down on it, leaning against the rock. She says, this is good actually. They say that the third baby comes faster than the first two, right? It’s just you and me. Let’s do this. A light shines in her face, and says, no.

Carly tells Jason, put Britt on the phone. He hesitates, and she says, put Britt on the phone or she’s hanging up. Jason hands Britt the phone, and Carly asks, how’s Jason? And before Britt asks, this is life or death. She’s begging Britt to tell her the truth. Britt says, he’s remarkably healed. Carly asks if she’s sure, and Britt says, his wound is clean and closing. She wouldn’t recommend lifting anything heavy, or getting into a boxing ring, but he’s not in danger of bleeding out anymore. Carly says, okay, and asks Britt to put Jason back on the phone. Britt hands the phone to Jason, who asks, what’s going on? Carly says, Cyrus has Spinelli, and Jason asks what Cyrus wants. Carly says, he wants Gladys. She was going to exonerate Jason, and Cyrus grabbed her. There was a gunfight, and Gladys was hit. He asks if Carly is okay, and she says she is, but Gladys is in the hospital. She couldn’t give Gladys to Cyrus if she wanted to. He says, that’s fine. All that matters is that she agree to an exchange. She says, it’s not like Cyrus gave her much choice. She’s supposed to meet him on Pier 55 in less than an hour. He says they can work with that; have Trent handle the trade. She says they can’t do that. Cyrus made it clear he only wants to deal with her. Jason says she has to make it clear that she won’t give Gladys to Cyrus until she sees Spinelli for herself. She says she’s got it, and he asks if she has somebody who can be the decoy. She says it’s all set, and he tells her, don’t get too close. Whatever happens with Cyrus or Spinelli, don’t get within fifteen feet. She says, okay. Brick’s on another line; she has to go. They hang up, and Britt says she hopes Jason knows she lied for him. Everything she told Carly was a load of crap. One punch to his stomach, or anything else, and he’s definitely bleeding out. He says he won’t get punched in the stomach, and she shakes her head and smiles. He says he has to go. She says she knows, and he kisses her goodbye, and leaves. She goes to the door, and watches.

Dante says Sam is actually pretty good. She has good mobility, she’s quick. She could use some accuracy help, and her hitting is a little weak. She says, weak? She hit every single one of those balls tonight. He says, exactly, and she asks what he means. He says her pitcher is either throwing her easy pitches because he knows she’s the boss, or he’s a bad pitcher. Either way, she’s going to get smoked out there because her stance is all wrong. She picks up a bat, and says, show her. He says, no way; she’s the enemy. She says, pleeease. Show me. Please? He gets behind her, and tells her to bend her knees more. Sit, sit, sit. Arms up. Put her hands back by her shoulder. All right. He touches her chin, making her look at him, and says, the most important part is, don’t take her eyes off the pitcher. How’s that feel? She says, good, and he says, good. Forget everything he just said. She might actually start hitting the ball now, and they’ll get out of the basement. She says they’re headed to the finals, and he says he’ll believe it when he sees it. She says, keep your eyes peeled, Falconari, and hands him back the bat. She leaves, and he says he will.

Maxie squints, and sees it’s… Roger Howarth! Finally! She says, thank God he’s not Peter. He says, thank God she’s not a bear, and she says, there are bears out here? He says, tons of them. They love themselves some blueberries. He was coming around the bend the other day, and saw the most beautiful mama bear, and she had these adorable three baby cubs, and he ran the fastest mile he’s ever run. She tells him, you don’t say, and he says, so who’s Peter? She has another contraction, and asks if he wants to call 9-1-1, or call someone, anyone; she doesn’t care who. He says, cell service is a little spotty out there. So how long has it been between contractions? She says she’s not really sure, and he says, okay. Her choice. He can wander around and try to find some spotty cell service, or he can deliver her baby for her. She says, oh yeah? He happens to be a doctor? He says he is, and she says, seriously? He says he happens to be a doctor, and she says, he’s not some crazy mountain man nutjob? He says, you’re the one having a baby in the forest, ma’am, and she says, he makes a good point, and don’t call her ma’am again. He says, noted, and holds out his hand, saying, Austin. She shakes his hand, and says, Maxie. He says, nice to meet you, Miss Maxie. Is she ready to have this baby? She says, not even a little bit.

Peter says Valentin has always been good at prioritizing, and Valentin says, thank you. Peter says, top of Valentin’s list, Charlotte and the baby. Then Brook, because she’s carrying said baby, and Anna and Nina, women he supposedly loves. But at the end of the day, they all get sacrificed… for the children. He knows that about Valentin. That’s why he would never go near Charlotte, or the baby, and therefore, Brook. Valentin says, strange. For the first time in months, he feels Peter is telling him the truth. Peter says he is. Now if Valentin is through threatening his life, there’s the door. Valentin says, not yet. Anna’s left town for the funeral of an old friend. Peter says, that’s bold, and Valentin says he knows, but if she hadn’t gone, it would have raised eyebrows. In the meantime, he’s watching over Chase, and there’s something he wants from Peter. He’d like a dose of the antidote on hand. Peter asks why he’d do that, and Valentin says, Chase is staying at the Quartermaine mansion. As it happens, he and Charlotte are also staying at the Quartermaine mansion. Should Chase fall ill, he would like a dose of the antidote on hand, ready to be administered. Or would Peter prefer Chase dead? Peter says, and as Valentin so aptly pointed out, lose his upper hand.

Cyrus waits at the pier, when Carly arrives with her bodyguards. He asks, where’s Gladys? and she says, not before she sees Spinelli. He gives a sidelong glance, and two of his guys come in, one on either side of a bound and gagged Spinelli. Cyrus says, and now? She says, Gladys wasn’t feeling very cooperative. Outside, Trent gets out of a limo, and walks around to the other side, where Ava is sitting in the back seat.

Carly tells Cyrus, Gladys is locked up in the car, and Cyrus looks at one of his guys, who leaves. Cyrus says Carly should be grateful he’s taking Gladys off her hands. She is a piece of work. Carly says, before the exchange takes place, she has an alternative she’d like to discuss. He says, oh? and she says, there’s another way they can resolve this. He smiles.

Peter says he doesn’t have the antidote on him, but he’ll have a vial prepared for Valentin. Valentin says, good; he’ll go. He heads for the door, when Peter says, there is one thing he still admires about Valentin. Valentin says, what’s that? and Peter says, that he’s a good father for Charlotte. He’s somehow managed to make himself a better man for her. Probably only for her, because in every other facet of life, Valentin is an awful person. (Pot, meet kettle.) Valentin asks if Peter has a point, and Peter says, his point is, Valentin showed him that it’s possible. And he intends to do the same with his child. Be a better man – for her. Don’t get in his way. Valentin says, good luck with that, which we all know means, all the luck in the world won’t help you. Peter may find it’s more difficult than he thinks. We see Valentin was carrying a weapon as he closes the door.

Maxie has another contraction, and Roger Howarth Todd Franco Austin says, the contractions are coming more quickly now, and Maxie says, and monumentally more painful. He says, it’s no big deal. She just has to breathe. She says, easy for him to say. He sits cross legged and tells her, in through the nose and out through the nose. She breathes with him, and says she bets he wonders why she’s out there. He says, not at all. It’s his job to keep her calm and focused. He asks if she has other children, and she says, this is her third. He says, so a little medical history. The other deliveries were easy? and she says, it depends on what you consider easy. He asks how far along she is, and she says, full term. Her doctor actually recommended she induce. She’s been doing pre-natal yoga, and taking her folic acid religiously. He says, folic acid, awesome! This is all great news. She says, except for the giving birth in the woods with a stranger part. He says, that’s the best part. It’s going to be a great story she can tell her little… Does she know what she’s having? She says, a girl; Louise. A contraction comes, and he claps his hands, and says, they’re going to bring baby Louise into the world. Is she ready? He says, on the E of three, he wants her to bear down. Can she do that? She nods, and he says, one.. two… three. She bears down, and yells.

Carly tells Cyrus, look around. The wheels are coming off his bus. He says, is that right? and she says, yeah. He barely managed to grab Gladys, the police know she was abducted now, and there was a shooting at a warehouse. Everyone knows he’s losing control, and about to be exposed for the criminal that he is. He says, and she has a solution he gathers. She says, cut your losses, and disappear. It’s his best bet. Hand over Spinelli, and walk away. It’s not like he doesn’t have the money and the resources, and he’ll get no pushback from her. Just a clear path to the exit. He’s a smart man; take the out.

Ava tells Trent, something’s wrong. This is taking too long. He needs to move his people into position. He says he doesn’t work for her. They go when Carly says they go.

Cyrus says Carly is very good, very persuasive. She even threw a compliment in there. But if anyone’s out of their depth there, it’s her. He’ll hand it to her husband and Jason. They commanded a great deal of loyalty. The men they worked with continue to follow her orders, but that won’t last. The horrible botch she made of this will show them that she’s no leader at all. So he’s offering her this out of the goodness of his heart. Get her friend and retreat, because if she comes at him again, he will show… no… mercy. Or he could keep Spinelli, and send her a couple of his fingers. She tells one of her bodyguards, get Gladys. Outside, Trent tells Ava, show time, and opens the car door. Ava puts on her humongous black sunglasses.

One of Cyrus’s guys shoves Spinelli front and center. Another comes in and tosses Nikolas to the floor, saying, he found Nikolas lining up a shot. Cyrus grabs Spinelli, and takes out his gun. Carly says, don’t.

Peter picks up his overnight bag, and says he will get the happiness he was denied his entire life, and he will give his daughter everything he never had. He takes a gift box out of his bag; the soap opera wrapping, where you can just take the top off, and not mess it up. He takes out a silver rattle, and I notice that his manicure is better than mine. In his mind, Maxie hands him an infant, and says, say hello to your daddy, sweetheart. He takes the bundle of joy, and Maxie says, isn’t she beautiful? He says, just like her mommy. Out of his daydream, he puts the rattle back in the box, and puts the top on it. He puts it in his bag, and zips the bag up.

Valentin leaves a message for Anna to call him back when she gets the chance. He has a sneaking suspicion Peter is about to make a run for it.

Austin holds the baby wrapped in a blanket, and tells Maxie, she’s here. She’s here and she’s beautiful. Maxie asks if he can hold her up so she can see her. He looks concerned, and takes a towel out of his bag. Maxie says, Austin? What’s wrong? Why isn’t she crying?

Dante’s phone rings, and he says, Falconari… Tell the Commissioner, he’s on his way.

Britt sits on the hearth with the fire going, and thinks about getting busy with Jason.

Carly says, no, and Cyrus asks if this is her big plan. Setting up an ambush with this fool. She says she has no idea why Nikolas is there, but they had a deal. Cyrus says, she blew the deal. Now he and her friend are leaving. Carly will be seeing Spinelli in pieces.

Tomorrow, Maxie asks if Peter sent Austin after them, Chase hears Michael and Willow talking, Sasha says that train has left the station, and Jason tells Cyrus to let Spinelli go, or he’ll drop him.

🎭 New Old Face…

This has been a stellar week on GH for me.

🏞 Children Reuniting…

E!’s new show, Reunion Road Trip, reunites some of the All My Children cast on June 10th.

https://daytimeconfidential.com/2021/05/06/watch-all-my-children-stars-to-reunite-on-e-s-reunion-road-trip

Million Dollar Listing New York

We started off with some NYC trivia, and Ryan explaining that the first Duane Reade, a drug store chain that’s a staple in NYC, was between Duane and Reed Streets in what is now Tribeca. Ryan was looking at an apartment in the area, and met with owner Jeff, who was also a developer and investor. He’d renovated the humongous 4000 square foot space to move his family into, but after 24 years in their Upper East Side apartment, his wife decided she loved living in that neighborhood. Now he wanted Ryan to sell it. Built in 1855, it had been a wreck of offices, and Jeff created a 4 bedroom, 4 and a half bath apartment, with nearly 10 foot high windows imported from Switzerland. He’d exposed the original detail and original steel columns, and put in luxury appliances along with dual islands in the kitchen. The master bedroom was 17 feet, and had a 14 foot closet. He’d also put in an indoor/outdoor space called a loggia, and yet another shower that could probably fit a dozen people. But wait, there was more. Jeff said he had a secret to show Ryan. In Ryan’s interview, he said he’d seen weird things in Tribeca, like a seller who had a pet kangaroo, also on Duane Street, but this topped them all. Jeff took Ryan through a door  to another apartment that he wanted Ryan to sell. It was also 4000 square feet, making a total of 8000 square feet between two buildings. It was similar in design, but not exactly the same. In his interview, Ryan said the building spanned the entire block, and each apartment had its own lobby and elevator. One apartment was furnished, and ready to go for photos and videos. Ryan explained to Jeff that they should only put the furnished one on the market; he didn’t want to compete with himself. If he listed both, he’d cannibalize his buyer base, and potential buyers and brokers would wonder if something was wrong with the property. He said he was going to surprise buyers the same way Jeff had surprised him. Jeff was thinking along the lines of $12 million for both, but Ryan said Tribeca had changed. In his interview, he said, a couple of years ago, you couldn’t buy in Tribeca for under $2000 a square foot, but now it was closer to $1000, because of excess inventory. Jeff agreed to Ryan’s suggestions; keeping the unfurnished apartment off-market, and lowering the price. The potential commission for Ryan was $165K, and he said it was Jackpot Tuesday. In his interview, he said it was as if he was on a date with a beautiful girl, and she surprised him with a friend. He then asked the producers to cut that part, since his wife would be watching.

Steve headed to look for a property at the Ansonia, which had once been a hotel. I knew this building, since I had a friend who used to live there. It was one of the tiniest apartments ever, but it was absolutely charming, with a round window. Steve gave a little history to his driver, saying there had once been a swingers bar in the basement, and at one time, the Continental Baths had been there. Music buffs might recall that Bette Midler got her start there, along with Barry Manilow, who played back-up for her. Steve said when that was gone, the swinger’s club Plato’s Retreat moved in. I have some vague recollection of reading about it closing down. Steve said the Ansonia was legendary, and went on to talk about other renowned buildings like the Chelsea and the Dakota. He asked the driver if he knew what famous person had died in front of the Dakota, but the driver didn’t know it was John Lennon, and then had no idea John Lennon was one of The Beatles. When Steve asked him, he said Led Zeppelin. I not only felt old, I wanted to cry over the lack of this dude’s knowledge. When I was a kid, I knew who people like Bessie Smith and Frank Sinatra were. The seller Ehud took Steve on a tour of the apartment, and Steve said it was like walking through an old film. I loved this apartment so much. It was 2600 square feet, 4 bedrooms, and 3 baths, with 12-foot ceilings, and some round rooms; Steve said it was classic architecture. There were antique fixtures and herringbone floors, and a round room even had a curved door, which Steve had never seen before. In Steve’s interview, he said, with charm came quirks. The layout was funky, the galley kitchen was dark and small, and the previous owner had taken the dishwasher. Ehud said he did investments for the family who bought it. They’d acquired it during a bankruptcy for $3.8 million, and were selling at $3.5 million. We also found out that Babe Ruth had lived in the building, and Single, White Female had been filmed there. Steve told Ehud that the apartment needed sprucing up enough for a buyer to believe they could take it from there. He thought if they spent smartly, the family could actually make some money. Ehud agreed that what they’d done so far wasn’t working, but balked at Steve’s estimation of $200K. He asked if Steve could get it done for $100K, and Steve said it would be tight, but he’d make some calls. He was looking at a potential commission of $105K.

In those little filler scenes, they included an amusing clip of Ryan trying to get his voice-activated trash can to open. I could have done it manually a dozen times by the time it finally worked. 

KJ was doing a relaunch of the Greenwich Street townhouse, and said all the work was paying off. Team member Zach had an interested client, and KJ was giving her a private showing. KJ’s client was husband Stefano, and in her interview, she said because Zach was on her team, she was able to get inside info about Rachel, the potential buyer. The asking price was $8.25 million, and Rachel loved the townhouse. It checked most of her boxes, but her problem was timing. Zach was selling their existing apartment, and she didn’t want to do a short term rental. She asked if they could rent there in the interim, and Zach asked KJ if they could be creative. My husband and I actually did that when we sold our apartment in Queens, and moved to a house. There was a gap between closings, and our buyer let us rent from her for that time. In KJ’s interview, she said it wasn’t an ideal scenario to present to Stefano. If Rachel changed her mind, there would be wear and tear on the apartment. Rachel asked what if they gave her a big deposit, and KJ said they could figure it out.

Steve began the renovation on the Ansonia apartment, and got estimates on removing wallpaper ($5000) and staining the floors ($2500). In his interview, he said it was always the extras that got you when you renovated, but in this case, it was better to go over budget than over time.

Ryan had armoire put in between the apartments on Duane and Reade Streets. In Ryan’s interview, he said the apartments were like Narnia, and he’d never been this excited in his entire life. His ideas were genius, but the way might not be easy. He had some workers take the back off a wardrobe, and put it in between, which he explained was some kind of fire escape hallway. He put on a lion costume, citing The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe for his theme. In his interview, he said, of course he was dressing up. He had to give the people what they wanted, or it would be like salsa without chips. He was fully aware that he looked ridiculous, but also fully aware that his company sold more real estate than anyone else. He was selling enthusiasm. He welcomed the brokers and potential buyers to The Ryan, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, and a look at a classic, but modern Tribeca loft. It was a lion of a deal. Everyone was extremely impressed with the property, and after the tour, Ryan said he had a surprise. He told them to growl like lions in order to see the surprise, and when they did, he told them to follow him to a fantastical land. He took everyone through the wardrobe into the empty apartment, where he’d let loose 1000 balloons of various colors that clung to the ceiling. The effect was pretty fantastical. He told them it was a different apartment that was for sale, but not on the market yet. In his interview, he noted that a lot of people were taking pictures. They’d put them on social media, and sharable content would turn into clients. If this didn’t work, he’d just spent more money on balloons than anyone ever had ($6000), and got hot and sweaty for nothing.

KJ knew that at the price point of the townhouse, buyers were super picky. Rachel had to sell her current home, but live somewhere in the meantime. KJ and Zach had a private meeting, and she told him that $100K would be enough to cover rent and any touch-up costs if necessary. Zach said Rachel should be good with the $100, but wanted to make an offer of $7.5 million. KJ said they’d already come down in price by a million, and Stefano would flip on her, by which I assumed she meant get angry, but Zach said it was an offer in hand. In her interview, KJ said that the market at that price point was saturated, and it had taken two years to find a buyer. She called Stefano, who was okay with the rental and $100K, but balked at the offer, KJ told him to think of it as an opening bid, and to come back at $8.1 million. KJ presented to Zach the fact that Rachel would have a hard time getting another seller to agree to a rental. They’d also be taking out the staging, and bottom line, Rachel loved it. Zach spoke with Rachel, and told KJ that her best and final was $7.950 million. Zach told KJ that they couldn’t get to $8 million in their minds, and he didn’t think that was going to change. KJ told Stefano that with the $100K, they were basically getting 8, and Stefano said, lock them up. In KJ’s interview, she said the apartment had been on the market for two years, and she closed it. Her commission would be $268K. She’d taken a break to have kids, but now that her youngest was 2½, she was unstoppable.  

Next time, a tree grows in property in Brooklyn, KJ looks at an apartment that spans an entire floor, and the pandemic begins; offices begin to shut down, and everything is canceled.    

💃🏽 Dancing In the Supermoonlight…

The long weekend is coming up, or an actual excuse for eating forbidden special food, and drinking, depending on how you look at it. Regardless of your viewpoint, stay safe, stay remembering what Memorial Day is really about, and stay knowing the basics. Like who The Beatles are.

May 26, 2021 – Cyrus Has Something Carly Wants, Ending On a Sweet Note, Look Out Tahoe, Beverly Hills Newbie & Boots

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Someone falls down the stairs. We see it’s Peter, with blood pooling around his head. Next to him are new passports for him and Maxie.

Five hours earlier. Chloe drives with an unconscious Maxie in the passenger seat. She says if her car needs new suspension, she’s making Peter pay for it. These country roads are the worst. At least Maxie gets to sleep through it. By the time that sedative wears off, they’ll be at the house. They just need Peter to join them.

Brook calls Maxie, and gets voicemail. She says she’s calling from the burner phone, per Maxie’s orders. She’s heading out; she just has to get rid of Yuri. Valentin walks in, and asks how Brook feels, and she says, good. The new crib came; it’s in the nursery. He says he’s looking forward to seeing it. Since they’ll be meeting their baby soon, he knows it can be taxing. She says, that’s one word for it, and he says, it will be worth it. Everything is coming together. She says, it sure is.

Michael and Willow walk in the house with Chase, and Willow says, home, sweet home. Chase says, only until he’s better, and she says, however long it takes. Chase asks if they mind if he sits down. He knows he just got out of the car, but… Michael says, sure, and leads him into the living room. Brook asks what Chase is doing there, and he says he just got out of the hospital. She suggests he get a room at the psyche ward, so they can help if he has a relapse. He says he’d planned on going home, but Michael was kind enough to let him stay there. Brook says, what a great idea, not meaning it at all.

Eli grabs Nina, and she says he really wants to let her go, but he says it doesn’t matter what either one of them wants anymore. She asks what he’s going to do. This is a public park, and unless he wants to get arrested for assault… He says it’s pretty quiet there, and she says, it’s going to get louder once one of them starts screaming. He says, that’s not necessary – for now. All he wants to do is talk. What is really going on between her and Mike? And why do they want to get in his way?

Brando aims the gun at Gladys, who shrinks from him, then suddenly turns it on Cyrus. He shoots, but the gun just clicks, and Cyrus says, performance issues?

Ava goes to the reception desk at the hospital, and asks if Cyrus is in. She just checked his office, but his assistant isn’t at her desk. The nurse says, he’s gone for the day, and asks if Ava would like for her to message him. Ava says, that’s okay. She’ll catch up with him another time. Nikolas comes along and asks what she’s doing there. She stammers a little, and says she’s there to deal with some paperwork; Avery’s physical is coming up. He says, right. Or, she came there to see Cyrus, didn’t she?

Two of Cyrus’s guys come in, and Cyrus points his gun at Brando. He says, in case Brando was wondering, this one is loaded. He heard Brando was Sonny’s plant from the start. He gave Brando chance after chance to choose the winning side, but he didn’t. He regrets to inform Brando that he failed his final test.

On the phone, Carly asks if Trent has his men in place… Okay, stand by. They have to wait for Spinelli to get eyes in the warehouse. They need to know what they’re walking in on. She prays to God they get Gladys out in one piece.

Britt tells Jason, he doesn’t have to, and he asks if she wants to. She kisses him, and they move to getting busy. She says she forgot that he’s hurt, but he says, it’s fine. She asks if he’s sure, and he says he is. There’s a song part, and they get busier.  

Willow asks if Chase is sure he doesn’t want to go straight to his room, and he says he thinks he can make it in a minute. She suggests she get his pain meds; it will make the trip upstairs easier. She leaves, and Chase thanks Michael for letting him stay there, saying, it’s very generous of him. Michael says, it’s their pleasure, and gets Chase some water. He tells Chase just not to expect peace and quiet around there, and Chase says he knows Michael’s family can be a bit contentious. Michael says, that’s a good word. Chase says he’s sorry to impose, but glad he’s there, for Willow’s sake. Michael asks, why is that? and Chase says he feels bad about all the time she spent with him at the hospital. She must have wanted to be there.

Nina asks if Eli wants to know who Mike is, and he says he wants to know who Mike is to her. She says other than Mike being one of Phyllis’s strays, as Phyllis likes to call him, she doesn’t know anything about Mike. Except for the firehouse dance, she doesn’t think she’s seen him outside of the bar. Eli says he’s not buying it. He thought she was a nice lady, classy, but she was never real with him. She broke into his office and stole information that she had no right to see, let alone take. She says, maybe she did. Maybe she was just looking for her lost earring, but it doesn’t matter now. She tells him to listen to her. That information is out there now, and neither she nor Mike are going to allow him to take the Tan-O from Lenny and Phyllis. He asks how she’s going to stop him, and she says, right now, Mike is giving a copy of the bank statement to the police. That was the plan all along. She was going to go out with Eli, and keep him busy, and Mike was going to drive the last nail into Eli’s coffin. Eli yells, damn you! She’s ruined his life.

Nikolas says he doesn’t know what’s worse; Ava coming to see Cyrus alone, or coming to see Cyrus at all. She says, please. And what is he doing there? He says he was there for Cassadine Industries, and she laughs, saying, stop it. She knows he came there to see Cyrus too, after they agreed to handle him together, as a team. He says she did the exact same thing, so don’t pretend she’s taking the moral high ground. She supposes they have to get used to this teamwork stuff, and he says, apparently. Why did she come without him? She says she thought if she came alone, Cyrus would be more receptive to believe she’s on his side in all of this. What about him? He says, similar. Olive branch, say he wanted to work with Cyrus, provide a front for his business, and make a lot of money. She says, okay, and holds out her hand, saying, they’re going to make a deal then; they work together. They shake hands, and he says, like they did with Ryan? and she says, hopefully better than that. They decided to let Ryan live, and now he’s sending her creepy gifts. He says, they can’t make the same mistake with Cyrus, and she says, no. They have to take Cyrus out for good.

Carly’s phone rings, and she asks Spinelli, what’s going on? At the warehouse, Spinelli says he’s trying to get the lay of the land. He successfully set up a fiber optic camera in a vent. She asks what he sees, and he says, nothing yet, but he does have audio. She asks if he hears Gladys, and he says, not yet, but he hears someone. He listens, and says, is it Brando?

Brando says he was willing to take Cyrus’s orders, up until the time Cyrus asked him to kill his own mother. Cyrus says, yet here she is, still breathing, which means Brando’s loyalty has limits. Brando says, in his position, Cyrus would have done the same thing, and Cyrus admits he would have. Unfortunately for Brando, Cyrus is a big believer in double standards. He’s afraid neither Brando nor his mother are going to leave this warehouse alive. Gladys gives a muffled, no, and Brando says, please. Let him say goodbye to his mom. Cyrus says, make it quick, and Brando squats down and takes her hands. He says he knows they haven’t always seen eye to eye, but he loves her. Through the duct tape, she says she loves him too, and Cyrus says, time’s up. Brando slowly gets up, and turns, and one of Cyrus’s guys yells, get down! Everyone scrambles, and Trent’s men come in. A shootout begins.

Britt and Jason continue being busy, and there’s more music.

Michael says he’s sure Willow doesn’t regret any of the time she spent with Chase at the hospital, and Chase says he’s sure she’d deny it, but how could she not? She was there day after day, holding his hand, listening to him whine, and mutter deliriously. All that time, she could have been here with Wiley. Michael says he can assure Chase that Wiley wasn’t neglected in any way, and Willow didn’t want to be there. Chase says he knows, but now it will be easier on Willow, with all of them in one place. Willow comes back in.

Nina struggles with Eli, and says he’s sorry, but she brought this on herself. She kept pushing him and pushing him. She tells him to listen to her, but he doesn’t, and Sonny comes up behind him, hitting him in the head with a hefty branch. Eli goes down, and Sonny asks if Nina is okay. She falls into his arms.

Carly asks if Spinelli is okay, and he peeks out from behind a crate. He says he’s uninjured for the moment; the shooting seems to have stopped. She says she has to know what’s going on in the warehouse, and he hopes his camera isn’t a casualty. He opens his laptop.

Trent calls to Brando that it’s all clear. Carly sent them to get him and his mother out of there. Brando brings Gladys out, but she’s been shot in the shoulder. He takes the duct tape off of her mouth, while Trent undoes her wrists. Brando fashions something out of his tie for her shoulder, and Trent says, when she stabilizes they’ll be taken to a safe house. Brando says, there’s no time. They have to get her to a hospital. Brando picks up Gladys, and carries her out, while Trent follows with his guys.

Brook asks Michael if he’s for real. Chase is staying here? He says he ran it by Monica, but she says, Monica’s not the problem. She’s letting Valentin, and Charlotte, and that Ukrainian mountain man stay here. He asks, what is the problem? He thought she liked Chase. She says, of course (🍷) she does; it’s impossible not to like Chase. It’s just that this is a disaster waiting to happen. Chase is still a detective. Michael says, so? and she says, detectives notice things, like gestures and behaviors, and longing, yearning, aching looks. It’s just a matter of time before Chase catches on that Michael and Willow are in love.

Maxie wakes up on a couch, and asks where she is. Chloe comes in, and she asks where they are. This is definitely not the spa where she made a reservation. Chloe says, sorry. There won’t be any pampering for Maxie tonight. Maxie asks if Chloe drugged her, and Chloe says, mm-hmm. This is where little Louise will be born… tonight.

Carly says they need to know what’s happening on the ground, and Spinelli says, alas, the camera was indeed damaged, but he still has audio. He listens, and says, they’ve triumphed. Cyrus’s men have been routed. (I had to look this up. It means defeated.) She asks, what about Cyrus? but he says he doesn’t hear Cyrus’s voice. He asks if Trent reads him, and listens. He tells Carly, according to Trent, Gladys has been shot and Brando is taking her to the hospital. She says she’s on her way, and tells him, get out of there now. He says, like the wind, and closes his laptop. He gets up, and sees someone. He says, greetings and salutations.

Police mill around the park, and Nina tells Finchley that Sonny knocked Cyrus out before he could really hurt her. He’s glad she’s okay, and asks if she’s telling him these documents will connect Eli to the robberies in Corinth. She says, and around Nixon Falls, and he says, and Eli just happened to be carrying incriminating printouts of illicit activity on his person? She says she certainly hasn’t seen them before… She watches Sonny gesturing behind Finchley, and says, they fell out of Eli’s pockets. She picked them up, and gave them back to Eli, and that’s when he got so desperate, because there was no way out. Finchley says, right. Their forensic accountant will look at them. Nina says she’s sure they’ll verify what she just said. She and Mike were looking at the papers just before he came. Finchley says, so Mike handled the documents too? and Sonny says, yeah, when Nina showed them to him. Finchley says they can go over the details at the station. Mike is still under suspicion for breaking and entering Eli’s office, so Mike is going to have to come with him.

Michael tells Brook, he and Willow are just friends, and Wiley’s parents; that’s all. She says, okay, but just in case she’s right, be careful. He thanks her for her concern, but says he’s got this. She says she’s hoping against hope that he does.

Willow asks if Chase is feeling any better, and he says, just being out of the hospital makes him feel better. She tells him to remember what his brother his father the doctor said; take it easy, and don’t push himself. He says, copy that, and takes her hand, saying, actually, she’s the one he’s worried about.

Valentin comes downstairs, and Brook asks if he checked out the crib. He says, not yet. He was halfway out the door when he realized he left some important documents upstairs. He thinks the imminent arrival of their child has him distracted. She asks where he’s going, and he says she was in the room when he told Cook that he’d be dining out. She asks why he and Charlotte get along with Cook; it’s weird. He says, they speak the same language, and she says the language of pure evil? He says, there are those who call it French, and she says, quel fromage (what cheese). He says, who doesn’t like cheese? I say, nobody, and he tells Brook, au revoir. He leaves, and she says, time to get going. She just has to get rid of her shadow.

Maxie says, she’s not giving birth until next week, but Chloe says Peter is moving up the timeline. Maxie says he didn’t tell her, and Chloe says he didn’t think she needed to know. Maxie says, excuse me? and Chloe says it was her job to get Maxie there. Peter will join them soon, but for now, she’s going to induce labor. She prepares a syringe, and Maxie says, no. She can’t give birth there; she has to be in a hospital. Chloe says they have everything they need there. Even an incubator upstairs in case the baby needs oxygen. It’s all under control. Maxie says, is it? That’s just great. She starts yelling for help.

Jason and Britt bask in the afterglow, and Jason kisses Britt’s forehead. She removes herself from his arms, and he asks if she’s okay. She says she’s fine. It was just unexpected – not in a bad way. It was just not how she thought this day would end. Is his side okay; is it bothering him? He says it’s fine, and she says, right. Well, okay, that happened, and they’re both okay with that, and… thanks.  

Brando carries Glady’s into the hospital and yell for help. Portia asks, what happened? and he says, she was shot. Only once as far as he can tell. Portia asks her name, and Brando says, Gladys Corbin; she’s his mom. Portia tells him, keep her steady, and nurses bring over a gurney. Brando places Gladys on it, and Portia tells her that she’s at General Hospital. They’re going to take good care of her. She tells a nurse to keep pressure on the wound, and take Gladys to a cubicle. Gladys is whisked off, and Portia tells Brando to wait there. Ava and Nikolas come along, and Ava asks what happened? Brando says his mom was shot. Cyrus was holding her… Ava says, Cyrus shot Brando’s mother? but he says he doesn’t know who shot her. There was gunfire, and Cyrus had kidnapped her. Nikolas asks if Brando can tell them why, and Brando says, because Cyrus found out Gladys changed her mind. She was trying to protect him, because Cyrus was going to… He has to find Sasha right now. Brando pulls out his phone, and jets.

Sonny says, you know what, Trooper… and Nina runs over to them. She asks if this is really necessary. Obviously, Eli is accusing Mike because they found out what he’s up to. Finchley says they can sort all that out at the station, and Sonny asks if there’s any evidence that he broke into Eli’s office. Finchley says, not yet, and Nina says, so, no, and Finchley guesses they’re free to go. Sonny tells Finchley, look on the bright side. At least he’s got those bank statements. He’s no lawyer, but remembers an awful lot about the law, he thinks it’s probably cause to look into Eli’s finances. Finchley says he’ll need them both at the station tomorrow to give their official statements. He leaves, and Nina squeals, we did it! and throws her arms around Sonny, who hugs her back.

Carly strides into the hospital, and picks up speed when she sees Brando. He says, Sasha’s not picking up, but Carly says, it’s okay; she took care of it. Ever since his mom agreed to speak to the DA, she had one of her guys protecting Sasha. Nice of her to let him know. He thanks her, and she asks, how’s Gladys? but he says he doesn’t know. Brando leaves, presumably to get information, and Nikolas tells Carly that he and Ava were there when Brando brought Gladys in. Ava says, Portia told them that she’ll be out as soon as they know anything. Carly says, thanks, and Ava asks, what happened? Carly says, Cyrus tried to kill Gladys because she could testify against him. He used her to frame Jason.

Jason gets dressed, and Britt says, she was thinking, they can’t stay in the Canadian wilderness forever, no matter how much they like the scenery. They’ll eventually have to deal with Peter, so Maxie and Louise don’t have to look over their shoulders for the rest of their lives. He says she’s right, and she says she was expecting an argument. Okay, great. He says, now that he’s had time to recover, he can act instead of just react. Britt says, we; we can act. She’s his accomplice, remember? He says she’s done enough.

Maxie continues to yell for help, but Chloe says she has to save her strength for labor. All this screaming isn’t going to do the baby any good. She walks over to Maxie with a syringe, and says, besides, ever since the mine closed down, there’s really no one around to hear her or help her. Except Chloe. Maxie says, lucky her, and Chloe tells her, don’t worry. As soon as little Louise is born, Peter will come to take Maxie away. Maxie says, away where? and Chloe says she doesn’t know, but she’s definitely going in style. Peter booked a helicopter to come pick her up. Relax. She put the kettle on for some tea. Does Maxie want some? Maxie says, Chloe – if in fact that’s her real name. She doesn’t know what Peter told her, but it’s a lie. He’s a killer; he’s dangerous. Chloe says he told her Maxie might say something like that, and Maxie says here’s something he didn’t tell Chloe. You know what Peter doesn’t like? Witnesses. He hires people to do his dirty work, and then eliminates them. Chloe says Maxie is desperate enough to say anything, and Maxie says, whatever Peter is paying her, she won’t be alive long enough to spend it. Chloe says, chamomile or peppermint?

Willow asks why Chase would be worried about her, and Chase says, as much as he appreciates all the time she’s spent with him, on top of her nursing classes, he’s worried she’s going to run herself ragged. She says, all he has to worry about is getting better. She’s just fine.

Brook holds some screws in her hand, and yells for Yuri, telling him, come quick. He comes into the foyer, and she says, thank God he’s there. They’re trying to kill her baby. He asks, who? and she shows him some screws, saying she found them under the crib. Then she checked the crib; it’s super rickety. He says, what is super rick…? and she says, it’s loose… shaky… It’s bad. He says, oh, bad, and she says she’s convinced the delivery guy set it up wrong, and it’s going to collapse the moment she puts her precious baby in it. He says, not sweet baby, and she asks if he’ll please fix it. He says, for her, he fixes, and takes the screws. She thanks him, and says, for a guy who could kill someone with his thumb, he’s such a sweetheart. As soon as Yuri is out of sight, Brook grabs her overnight bag, and dashes to the door. She opens it, and Valentin is there. She says she thought he left, and he says he did. He was pulling out of the driveway, and realized he had Charlotte’s science book in his car. Are they going somewhere?

Britt says, not what you want to hear from a guy you just slept with; you’ve done enough. He says that’s not what he meant, and she says, really? So he’s planning on abandoning her in the Great White North after pity sex? He says, first of all, he doesn’t pity her, and she says, thanks, but she wasn’t referring to herself. Face it. She’s way out of his league, and everyone can see that. He asks if she’s finished, but she says, no. Just because she has the genetic marker for Huntington’s, doesn’t mean she’s useless. Not yet anyway. He says he doesn’t think… and she says, doesn’t think what? That she’s useless? Then why does he want to leave her?

Nikolas says, Gladys can testify that Cyrus committed criminal offenses that can put him away? and Carly says, yes. Ava suggests they not count their chickens; it is Cyrus they’re talking about. Carly says she can’t get into it right now. She thanks them for staying with Brando, and says they can go now. She goes over to Brando, and Nikolas says there’s no way he’s leaving now. Ava? She says, nope. No way in hell.

Brook says, if Valentin must know, she’s going to visit her girlfriend Cecilia. She’s throwing Brook one last girl’s night before the baby comes. He doesn’t think that’s such a good idea, and she says she didn’t think he would. And yet, she doesn’t care. She’s not his hostage, and doesn’t need his permission to live her life. He says he knows that, but they’ve been over this ad nauseum. He has enemies. She says, that sounds like a you problem, and he says, not when she’s carrying his baby. He needs her to take this more seriously. She says she wasn’t going to say anything, but she had a bit of a wake-up call, in Wyndham’s, of all places. Someone was following her. He asks if she’s sure, and she says she saw him lurking by the dressing room, and thought he was just a random perv, but then she noticed him looking at her when she was picking out baby clothes, and realized it wasn’t so random. He asks why she didn’t tell him before, and she says, because of Yuri. The big lug was right there, and made her feel safe. She won’t set foot outside this house without him by her side. He says, good, and she thanks him for taking such amazing care of her and her baby. He says she’s welcome, and she starts to pick up her bag, but he tells her, hang on a second. He’s not done.

Chloe says she can assure Maxie, Peter doesn’t want to hurt her or the baby; he’s crazy devoted to her. Maxie says, no, he’s just crazy. Would a sane person toss her and a newborn onto a helicopter, taking her away from her other children, Georgie and James? She can’t be without them. She suddenly cramps, and tells Chloe, she’s not feeling so good. Could she have some of that tea? Chloe says, of course (🍷). How lucky. They might not have to induce. How long has Maxie been cramping? Maxie says she’s not in labor, and Chloe says, it’s fine if she is. It’s so much better going into labor naturally. Maxie says, this can’t be happening, and Chloe says, here’s her tea. She hopes it’s not too hot. Maxie takes the cup, and says, no, it’s perfect. She throws the tea in Chloe’s face, and Chloe goes down to her knees, covering her face.

Nina breaks away from Sonny, and he asks if she’s sure she’s okay. She says she’s fine. How did he know where they were? She never told him where Eli was taking her. He says, when he didn’t see her at the barbecue, he thought he’d guessed wrong. He started thinking, where would Elijah take Nina? and he started asking people if there was a make-out spot where there was privacy, and this was the second spot he checked. She tells him, good detective work, and he says he wanted to stop Eli, and protect Lenny and Phyllis, just like her. He didn’t want to put her in any danger, because she’s important… more than all this. She says when she realized Eli knew it was them who broke into his office, she knew she was in danger. She was so grateful that he showed up. He puts his hands on her arms, and says, do him a favor. Never leave him behind again. She shakes her head, and he kisses her. Woohoo. Two from my wish list in one week. But also, rut-roh. I can’t see this one as turning out well.

Valentin says he knows who’s having Brook followed, and he’s going to address the situation. She and Yuri enjoy girl’s night. Are they leaving soon? She says, as soon as Yuri gets a move on, and yells in Russian, are you still working? Yuri says, da, and Valentin says she speaks Russian. She says you don’t spend as much time in Little Odessa as she did and not pick up something. He says, Little Odessa? and she says, Brighton Beach. He says, right, and leaves. I spent a lot of time at Brighton Beach in my single days, and it does have a large Russian population.

In the living room, Willow puts a blanket on Chase, who’s asleep on the couch. Brook calls to Yuri, asking how it’s going. He says, a loose screw, and she slips out. Outside, she says, Maxie, I’m coming, and walks away from the house.

Britt says she didn’t take Jason as the love ‘em and leave ‘em type, but he says, he’s not leaving her.

Michael comes downstairs as Willow is coming out of the living room. He asks how Chase is, and she says Chase is sleeping. Yuri runs down the stairs, saying, he needs a special wrench. He asks where Brook is.

As she struggles to get up from the floor, Chloe feels around for the syringe on the table. Maxie, who’s cramping for real, gets a fireplace poker. Chloe gets up, brandishing the syringe, and Maxie says, you will never get my baby, bitch, and raises the poker.

Sonny and Nina kiss, but she finally pulls away. He says he didn’t expect that to happen, but he’s glad it did. He moves in for more, but she holds up her hands. He asks, what’s wrong? but she says, nothing. She’s fine. She’s really fine. It’s been a long day, and she needs to go home. So… bye. She runs off, and Sonny watches her go.

Portia comes out, and Brando asks, how’s his mom? Portia says, she’s been taken to surgery. She thinks he should know she’s required by law to report all gunshot wounds. The police are there now and would like to speak with him. Behind Portia, Carly nods, and he says, okay; lead the way. Nikolas tells Ava that Gladys could be in surgery for hours. They should probably go. She says she thinks it might be worth it to stick around a little bit longer. Carly’s phone rings, and she sees the call is from Unknown. It’s Cyrus, who says, she has something he wants, and as it turns out, he has something she wants even more. We see he has Spinelli, bound and gagged.

Tomorrow, Carly begs someone to tell her the truth, Ava wants to help, and Valentin threatens to kill Peter.  

The Real Housewives of New Jersey – The Reunion Part 2

Andy welcomed us to the intense conclusion of the RHONJ Reunion. We jumped right in, with Marge saying that if Teresa said she started the Evan rumor, it was going down really bad. Jackie said there were also rumors about Jennifer out there too, and karma was a bitch. Andy clearly wasn’t ready for this topic, and said they’d talk about it later; moving on. A viewer said they loved drunk Jennifer, and Marge should lighten up. Delores thought Marge was thinking of her own childhood. Marge said it hadn’t been the first time, and Jennifer insisted she wasn’t a sloppy drunk. A sloppy drunk was someone who went home with a stranger. Huh? Marge wondered why it had to involve men. Jennifer was falling on her face, and blackout drunk. Teresa said it was fun, and Marge wondered why. A viewer asked why Jennifer slut-shamed Marge about sleeping with her boss. Andy asked if Jackie had ever experienced sexual harassment on the job, and she said she had bosses who massaged her shoulders when she didn’t want them to. Teresa asked if Jackie let them, and Jackie said she didn’t want to get fired. Teresa said no one touched her unless she wanted them to, and I wondered what jobs she’d ever had. Did she work a McDonald’s window for ten minutes? Marge said that sounded like victim-shaming; like Teresa was saying they allowed it to happen. Teresa insisted it would never happen to her, and I insisted that was because she’s never worked a day in her life. Marge said this was why more women didn’t come forward. Jennifer said Marge had been easy-peasy, and Andy said, moving on again, which he probably said ten times throughout the show. He asked if there was a path ahead for Marge and Jennifer, but Marge didn’t know. Jennifer said she didn’t want to have to defend herself. She hadn’t wanted to call Marge slutty. So I guess is her definition of defending herself is name calling, not just refuting the point. Got it. Marge said, despite the bullsh*t, she always did the right thing, and griped because nobody thanked her for leaving them champagne and autographed copies of her book. Teresa thought Marge was getting back at her for the hair pull, but Marge said she wasn’t a retaliator. Andy asked Delores if David had gotten angry about her vaginal surgery, and Delores said he had. Teresa said maybe he’d change his mind once he put it in. Wow.

We went down Delores Memory Lane, and Andy asked if Delores and David were still together. She said they were, but she never moved into his house. She was renovating her own house, and admitted a bit of the reason was to stick it to him. She felt he loved her, but didn’t know how be in a relationship. David had been married before, but it had been 14 years since he was divorced. He had four kids, who Delores said she was close to. Jackie said most men wouldn’t tolerate Delores’s close relationship with Frank, and suggested, instead of a ring, David had given Delores Frank, and that was what was good for her. I’ll say it again, Delores has the ideal situation. Andy asked if Delores thought David didn’t want to get married to anyone, or just her. We saw a clip of Andy speaking with Frank Jr., and asking if he thought Delores and David would ever get married. Frankie said he spent a lot of time with David and heard things others didn’t.  Andy asked if Delores would marry David, and she said she would, but she had a list of demands.

Andy said Teresa had been sex obsessed and pineapple crazy. She’d finally ended her marriage, and was in love with a mystery man. We flashed back to Teresa’s love life this season, and Andy asked if Louie was the first guy she’d dated after the divorce. She said she’d talked to other guys, but was vague on what that actually meant. We did find out she and Louie say I love you, and he has two sons, seventeen and nineteen, the oldest having autism, Teresa said she got along with his children, and thought his ex was a lovely person. The subject of Juicy Joe’s cheating or not came up, but I wasn’t sure why that was even still an issue. I can’t imagine he wasn’t. End of story. Andy asked if Louie was the only man Teresa had sex with outside of Joe #1, which even I thought was intrusive, but she said he was. We found out Joe #1 was moving to the Bahamas, and would be going back and forth from there to Italy. Teresa and Louie had met Joe in there for dinner, which wasn’t too awkward. To make things even more awkward, Andy brought up Kim D accusing Louie of mistreating his exes, but Teresa said she didn’t talk to sewer rats, although she felt bad, since his public humiliation was because of her. She thought she’d redeemed herself this season, and Jackie asked if she was sure. Teresa defended herself all over the place about the rumor thing, from saying she wasn’t trying to ruin the party to pretending she just wanted Jackie to know, like any good friend would. Jackie said, funny, since Teresa had told everyone but her.   

The husbands joined, and no big shock, the Evan rumor was discussed again. Evan said he hadn’t thought it could get worse than his kids hearing he didn’t get BJs. He was concerned about his reputation at first, but in the end, had only gotten a lot of good natured ribbing. Once again, Joe #3 was put in the hot seat, Andy asking if he’d really heard the rumor elsewhere, but he said he’d heard it from the yentas talking in his house. Teresa made more excuses, and Andy asked if she’d done it to hurt Jackie. She said, no, but Jackie said, bullsh*t. A rumor like that had the potential to ruin a marriage. Teresa whined that Jackie kept bringing up her having gone to jail, and Jackie said she mentioned it twice, which was correct.  

Andy said Danielle had claimed Marge was the source of the rumor, and Delores said Danielle blamed Marge for everything. Andy said Jennifer had thought so too, and Jennifer said Marge claimed she’d heard it from someone in Tenafly, and Marge hung out in the Tenafly circles. I had absolutely no idea what she meant or who traveled in these circles. She thought it had gone from Marge to Melissa, to Joe #2, to Teresa, but Marge said she was close with Jackie, and if she’d heard anything, would have told her. When Teresa said Jackie should have explained she was giving an analogy first, and all would have been well, I actually said, oh God, help me, out loud. A viewer asked if Joe #2 would ever check Teresa on her bad behavior. He hemmed and hawed, and said he backed Teresa up because she’s his sister. I think he’s scared of her. He sure looked nervous. Teresa kept saying she hadn’t spread the rumor, when she’d clearly told several people at Jackie’s party. I wondered WTF she called it. There’s no way someone could be this stupid, could they? Please, tell me they can’t. Teresa said Louie liked to golf, and suggested a playdate with Evan, who thought that was a cool idea. Andy said the national nightmare was over, and I literally lol’d.  

I get it. This is entertaining on a certain level, like wrestling. But while wrestling is real in the sense that the people are really champions in the sport – the dance, as I like to call it – they’re given storylines to follow. So they’re also actors. These are real people and it disturbs me when someone so vicious suffers no consequences for it. Teresa stomps all over people, refuses to see reason, seems to have no understanding of the English language whatsoever, and gets free reign because she’s being paid to be obnoxious and perpetually table flip. At least Andy is starting to check her, but I think it’s time for people like her to go. We have enough hate in the world. I feel for what she’s been through. Even she didn’t deserve Juicy Joe’s fast track to jail, but enough already. For God’s sake, she thinks throwing a chair isn’t going ballistic.

Andy said this year, it was fitting to say goodbye with something a little sweeter, and pineapple drinks with umbrellas in them were served. Actually, it looked like a tiny island floating in there. Teresa wondered where hers was, and Louie brought it out. Andy invited him to stay for a moment, and asked what he loved about Teresa. Louie said she was open and real; she was genuine. Andy asked him to make his best toast, and he said, to ending one season, and to another one with no drama. Hmm… If that was his best toast, maybe they are perfect for one another, and someone can be that stupid. But lame effort or no, he asked a lot. The women came up with new beginnings, a fresh start, and a clean slate. All of which ought to last all of five minutes. Louie met the other guys backstage, and it was a nice thing to end with. I really do think this group of husbands should get their own show. The women said Andy was next, since they were all paired up, and Jackie said she had a nice Jewish guy for him.  

The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills

Erika picked out a wardrobe for Tahoe, and Sutton came over to keep her and her clothes company. In Erika’s interview, she said when she first met Sutton, she thought Sutton was over-the-top. Erika thought someone was over the top. Sutton no less. What? She said once she got to know Sutton, she saw that Sutton was a proper Southern lady. Sutton told Erika that she’d sold her house, which had been symbolic of her marriage and dependence, and decided to build. She thought she had a pretty mess inside. Inside her was a strong, impassioned woman who gave a f***. She and Erika did a weird high-five, and I wondered, wasn’t it Erika who sang about giving zero f***s?

Garcelle met with Kyle to discuss Kyle calling her out for non-payment of a charity bid. Garcelle said they had an address she hadn’t had in years, and asked if Kyle would have said that to one of the white women. She felt the issue had been weaponized against her. She didn’t think it was intentional, but it reflected a stereotype, indicating she didn’t pay her bills. Kyle said she hadn’t even thought about that, and Garcelle said that was because she didn’t have to, since she didn’t experience it. In Garcelle’s interview, she said there was a lot of stuff people didn’t realize Black women needed to think about before they do anything. No one asked what it was like being a Black woman in Hollywood, and it made her feel like an outsider. To Garcelle’s credit, she explained it well, and to Kyle’s credit, she got it. Crystal tried to get her daughter to drink some green juice by making a game of it, and in her interview, she said it was a cliché to call a Chinese mom a tiger mom, but she was one. She talked about husband Rob’s work, saying she didn’t like to brag about herself, but she liked to brag about him. Scheduling was a passion, and the family’s schedule was color-coded according to member. She told us no one was allowed to change it except her. Her brother was currently living with them because of covid, but his day job was being a pop star in China. She said while he was there, she’d appointed him her manny. She wanted to instill respect for the elders of the family in her children, but wasn’t sure it was working because her kids were crazy.

Garcelle and LisaR were the first to show up for the flight to Tahoe, and in her interview, Garcelle said she was excited to go, but it was awkward being there with LisaR. Kathy was also going with them, and had never gone on an all girls trip. She’d only jet-setted with her husband. Garcelle was afraid of small planes, but it was only a one-hour flight, which is two seconds in TV time. They were driven to an Airbnb called Lake Sherman estates; 17,000 square feet, a private chef, and an amazing view. Garcelle did change her room from the first to second floor when it was noted that bears were at ground level, the manager telling them to keep the sliding doors locked. She said, second floor, no bears, she was good. They had to carry their own bags, and it was as though a tragedy had befallen. In Kyle’s interview, she said she was happy to have Kathy back in her life again. She’d had anxiety and depression not speaking to her sister, and they’d finally worked through their problems. I swear, every time I just saw LisaR, my blood pressure went up.

Even though they had a chef, Kyle wanted to cook. They laughed about Kathy mistaking Garcelle for Kyle, and Erika said when Tom had conversations with people he didn’t remember, she could tell because he didn’t introduce her. Kyle set the salmon on fire, and in Erika’s interview, she said it wasn’t blackened; it was burnt fish. We found out that Kyle’s family nickname was Doogie, and Sutton brought gifts. Something she thought was important during covid, but they also had an election week coming up. Inside the gift bags, the women found flasks engraved with their initials. Kyle wondered if you pulled a flask out of a beautiful bag, was it wrong? I toyed with the idea of carrying one.

Dorit suggested a game of Two Truths and One Lie, where you make three statements about yourself, and everyone has to guess which is a lie. LisaR acted shocked when two of Crystal’s statements were that she worked in an escort agency, and was asked to be a madam. That everything is so dramatic with that one is annoying too. Crystal said she had worked for an escort service, but she’d answered phones, which was exactly what I thought she was going to say. We found out Sutton worked at Starbuck’s, and Erika only revealed that she was adopted – by her stepfather. She said she’d explain the other two privately, but of course, no one said, hey dude, that’s not playing the game. LisaR said she wasn’t a good liar, which isn’t exactly owning it. Garcelle pointed out LisaR was an actress, and in Garcelle’s interview, she said LisaR claimed she wasn’t close with Denise, proving she was a good liar. All of Kathy’s were true, and in Kyle’s interview, she said Kathy had no interest in following rules. Kyle, Crystal, and Sutton stayed up drinking, while Garcelle sought out LisaR. Garcelle told LisaR about her conversation with Sutton, and said LisaR seemed to think it was all good, but it wasn’t. LisaR said she’d told her husband (#WhatDidHarryDo) that it had been a step in the right direction. Garcelle said she’d seen a side of LisaR that she’d never seen, and it was scary. She didn’t trust LisaR. Denise had felt she and LisaR were good friends, but LisaR had said they weren’t close. In her interview, Garcelle said that trust was always important to her, but became more so after her divorce. Without it, you couldn’t have a relationship. She asked LisaR how she knew trusting her wouldn’t backfire, but LisaR said she couldn’t promise that. Garcelle said she could promise not to go after LisaR, so what was up with that? LisaR said she thought Garcelle wanted to punish her a little, which was idiotic, and Garcelle said she’d always been passive. She’d had to learn how to say how she felt. In her interview, she said Black women were often seen as aggressive or angry, so they tended to hold back. She told LisaR it would take time, and LisaR got all excited, no doubt hearing, you’re my best friend now. She jumped up and down, happy about being honest. In LisaR’s interview, she said, Denise hadn’t wanted to deal with issues, and ran. Don’t run, don’t hide, and don’t send cease and desists. Just be honest. I’d say Denise felt like she was being attacked, and removed herself from the situation. Just being honest.

Kyle told Crystal and Sutton about her lunch with Garcelle, and Crystal said stereotypes were so painful, sometimes you didn’t see anything else. Sutton said she wasn’t talking racial stereotypes, and she’d been stereotyped as a redneck too. They were a group of educated and traveled women. Crystal asked if Sutton claimed not to see color.  

To be continued…

Next time, some kind of weird, pedal-powered vehicle on train tracks; an altercation, but I can’t figure out with who; Crystal calls Sutton uptight; and LisaR says Sutton is ridiculous. Really?

💎 I caught a little of an unseen footage episode of last week’s RHOBH. Otherwise known as, Bravo milking the franchise. In an amusing moment, Kyle said she’d sent Kathy some tragic story, and Kathy responded with LOL. It seems Kathy thought that meant Loads Of Love. D’oh!

🍹 New Wife In the House…

All about Crystal.

https://thetab.com/uk/2021/05/19/meet-crystal-kung-minkoff-the-newest-housewife-of-real-housewives-of-beverly-hills-205916

🌉 Night, Night, Baby…

See you tomorrow for soap and gorgeous unaffordable apartments. No matter your price point, stay safe, stay never letting them see you sweat, and stay away from Tenafly circles. Not only do they start rumors, that actually sounds like something you get from an insect bite.

May 25, 2021 – Cyrus Tests Brando, Heather Arrives In the Hamptons, No Show Heather & Sorry Or Not

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Peter lies on the stair landing, blood pooling around his head.

Six hours earlier. Sasha waits for the elevator, while Peter walks into the hospital on the phone. He asks why they’re not returning his calls. He says something about the spa, but the automatic doors are so LOUD that I can’t hear it. He says he just arrived at GH. Meet him on the 7th floor. Sasha gets into the elevator, and Peter yells, hold it, please. He gets in and says, seventh floor, please. Sasha presses the button, and they stand on opposite sides of the car, arms folded. He asks if Sasha is tired of taking the stairs, and she says, excuse me? He says he saw her earlier, slipping into the stairwell with Brando.

Maxie says if she tells Spinelli, he has to promise to never tell another soul. He promises not to betray her confidence. Is something amiss with little Louise? She says, no, Louise is great. Healthy and kicking up a storm. He says, she told him that once Louise is born, she might not be able to hold her; that she’d have to say goodbye before she said hello. What did she mean? What’s going to happen to Louise?

Britt and Jason get back to the lighthouse, and Britt says, it’s cold. She starts to put some wood in the fireplace, and says she’s glad they found that radio station. Sometimes, you just need some good old rock and roll. It puts you in a good mood, without all the depressing things going on in the world. It’s not like there isn’t enough tragedy to go around. The violence, the conflict, the natural disasters. People face tragedy every day. What difference does it make if one more person gets a terminal diagnosis?

Trooper Finchley (my bad yesterday; he didn’t introduce himself, and I’d forgotten him) tells Sonny, Elijah Crowe’s office was broken into the other night, and Sonny asks what that has to do with him. Finchley says, Eli claims Sonny and Nina are behind it. Sonny says, Nina is with Elijah right now; they’re on a date. So if he’s accusing her of breaking into his office, she’s… Sonny starts to walk toward the door, but Finchley stops him, and says he only has Sonny’s word that Nina is with Eli. He’ll have to question her about the break-in, after he interviews Sonny. They can do it there, or down at the station, whichever he’d prefer.

Eli hands Nina a drink, and she says, so this is the famous Founder’s Day signature cocktail, and he says, brings back good memories of past Founder’s Days with Lenny and Phyllis. Unfortunately, when he went to order it, the jerk next to him called it a Nixon’s Folly. She says, maybe because of the downturn in the economy, and takes a sip. She says, but this drink is still really delicious. He thanks her for agreeing to go out with him again. He didn’t think she would. She asks, why? Because he had to cut their last date short? He had a really good reason; his office was broken into. He says, not just that. He wasn’t sure if their interest in each other was mutual, since she and Mike/Sonny seem to be a team.

Carly asks Trent, how’s Frank? and he says, Frank seems to be a little out of it, but told him what he remembers, which isn’t much. She asks, what happened? and he says Frank told him there was a commotion in the stairwell. He went to check it out, and someone got him. She says, they took Gladys. Dammit. He says he’s sorry. What does she want to do now? She says they have to get Gladys back.

Brando tells Cyrus, what the hell? Another guy comes in, and pats Brando down. Brando says, it’s in his back, and the guy takes Brando’s gun and leaves. Brando says he guesses Cyrus doesn’t need this, tossing the envelope he was holding on the floor. Gladys tries talking, but her voice is muffled, and Cyrus says he thinks she’s trying to tell Brando something. He wonders what it could be. That she was about to betray him? Gladys says something else, and Cyrus says he thinks that’s what it is.

Britt tells Jason that his dressing probably needs changing. She forgot. He gets a bullet hole in his side, and it doesn’t slow him down. He makes up his mind, and he powers through. She’d ask him for pointers, but what good would that do? She can’t power her way through Huntington’s with a good mental attitude. Sorry. He says, for what? and she says, talking about something that can’t be changed, that she doesn’t even want to think about. What good would it do? They both know where this is headed. Losing the ability to control her movements, twitching and jerking rigidity in her muscles, impaired walking and balance, and at some point she’ll lose complete independence, and need constant care. She won’t know how to speak anymore or swallow, and after years of that, she’ll die. He says, go on, and she says, go on what? He says, keep talking, and she says, because he won’t? What does he want her to say?

Nina says, Eli thinks of her and Mike as a team? A team of what? A tennis team? Bowling? He says, it just seems like they’re close, and Nina says, Mike pours her a cup of coffee in the morning, and pours her a glass of wine in the evening. That’s about as close as she and Mike get. He asks if she’s sure, because Mike is circling the drain, and he’d hate to see her go down with him. She says she has no idea what he’s talking about, and he says, Mike is the one who broke into his office. She asks why he’d think that. What could Mike possibly want in his office? He says Just Mike has been in his face since the day they met. Maybe he wanted some fast cash, or just to mess with Eli’s head; it doesn’t matter. State troopers are investigating. They’re questioning Mike as they speak.

Lenny returns to the Tan-O and asks, what’s going on? Is there a problem? Finchley says, there wouldn’t be if Mike/Sonny would answer some questions, but Sonny/Mike says, they don’t have time. Nina is in trouble because of Elijah. 

Trent tells Carly, they’re searching all of Cyrus’s properties… that they know of. She asks what that means, and he says, the guy is good at covering his tracks. He uses shell companies to cover his real estate purchases. They watch him, but he’s got places they don’t know about. She says, they’re going to have to find those places, because Gladys can exonerate Jason, and tie Cyrus to obstruction charges that will get his ass thrown back in jail. Not to mention, she promised she’d keep Gladys safe. She’s got to find her. He says he’ll be back, and she tells him to check the security feed. She needs him in touch with her every twenty minutes, because she needs to know what’s going on.

Sasha asks if Peter is keeping tabs on her, but he says he was just surprised to see she was still at the hospital. She says she didn’t realize her whereabouts were any of his business. The elevator doors open, and she tells him, have a nice day, and strides out. Peter flashes back to talking to Cyrus about seeing Sasha with Brando, and tells himself to stay focused. He has more important things to worry about.

Maxie says she has a plan to protect Louise from Peter, and Spinelli says, excellent. He’s at her service. His phone rings, and he says, it’s Carly. They’ve been working together to uncover evidence of Peter’s crimes. Maxie tells him to take it; Carly might know something that can help them. Spinelli says, greetings, and Carly says, something’s come up; she needs him. He asks if it can wait.

Willow sees Sasha at the hospital, and Sasha asks how she is. How’s Chase? Willow says, unfortunately, Chase’s symptoms are pretty severe. They haven’t been able to diagnose him yet, but he’s desperate to be released. Dr. Finn agreed, but only because Michael said Chase could stay at the Quartermaines’, where he can be monitored 24/7. Sasha says, that sounds like Michael, and Willow says she knows; he’s always so helpful. She asks if Sasha is there for an appointment, and when Sasha hesitates, Willow asks if everything is okay. Sasha says Willow will hear about it soon enough. In fact, Lucy is planning to build an ad campaign around it. Willow asks if Sasha is pregnant.

Brando asks what his mother did, and Cyrus says, mommy dearest went over to the other side. Carly convinced her to go to the police with information that was damaging to him. He stoops down and puts his face near Gladys’s, and says he can’t imagine what Carly offered in exchange for it, but he wonders if it has something to do with the fact that Sasha is carrying Brando’s child.

Sonny says he doesn’t have any proof yet. He talked to a couple people in Corinth, where Eli did some real estate deal with the strip mall. He got some information. Lenny says, like what? and Sonny says, Elijah was behind the vandalism at the hardware store and the Tan-O, and he also paid the thugs to rob the firehouse dance. So because of Elijah, nobody is coming into Nixon Falls to live or do business. Lenny says, Elijah loves living here. He’d have no reason to destroy Nixon Falls. Sonny says, that’s what he does. He drives down the real estate prices through vandalism and robbery, then turns around and buys property below market value, and sells them right to the developers. If Lenny had sold Eli the Tan-O, he’d have made it a restaurant chain. Finchley says they can chat about business another time. He has questions about the break-in at Eli’s office. Sonny tells Lenny, Eli is accusing him and Nina of breaking into his office, and he’s with Nina right now. Lenny says, and he thinks Nina is in danger? and Sonny says, yes. Lenny asks Finchley what it will take for him to let Mike/Sonny go, and Finchley says, Elijah claims Mike and Nina broke into his office the evening of May 13th, between 8 and 9 pm. If he has an alibi, he’ll walk out; no harm, no foul. Sonny says he was at the Tan-O, remember? and Lenny says he can’t remember what he had for lunch, never mind a few days ago. Lenny says he’ll check the logs, and be right back.

Nina asks if Eli has any proof that Mike was the one who broke into his office, and he says, not much, but he suspects if the police do a deep dive into Mike’s past, they’ll find out it’s less than spotless. She says, all she knows is, Lenny and Phyllis really trust Mike. They’re letting him stay above the Tan-O, like they did Eli. Does he have any information the rest of them don’t know? He says, only that Mike’s not the friend they all think. Like he said, his instincts are working overtime. If he’s wrong, he’ll apologize to Mike. Nina says she’ll hold him to that, and he says he really didn’t want to spend all their time together talking about Mike. Come on. He wants to show her a pond nearby, where bullfrogs sit on lily pads for real. (I want to go too!) She says, it sounds interesting, and he says she’ll love it. He holds out his hand, Nina takes it, and they walk off.

Britt says she could go to a lecture about how she could take care of her health before she gets sick; or she could join a Huntington’s group online, and share her story; raise funds for research. One woman actually wrote on the Huntington’s website about how she didn’t want to have kids, and now she doesn’t have to worry about passing along the gene. The one child Britt carried wasn’t actually hers, so she guesses she found the silver lining.

Spinelli says he’s in the middle of something with Maxie, but Carly says, this could actually help Maxie. She needs him to find Gladys, so she can testify that it was actually Peter who killed Franco. He says he sees, and she tells him to meet her at the MetroCourt in room 808. Maxie says, it sounded important, and he says, it was. Carly may have found a way to bring charges against Peter. She says, that’s great, and he asks what about her plan to keep her baby safe from Peter? She says, if he can help Carly put Peter in prison, then she can actually (WOTD) relax at the spa, and not worry about bringing Louise into the world. He says, sounds like an excellent plan, and soon she’ll be holding that precious baby in her arms. She tells him to give James and Georgie a kiss for her, and he hugs her. He tells her to take care of herself, and that soon-to-be bundle of joy. She says she will, and he leaves.

Peter sees Chloe, and asks what took her so long. Maxie is leaving for the spa tonight. She says the longer he spends time yelling at her, the longer it will take to get what they need. He says, stop with the attitude, or he’ll find someone else to handle the situation. She says, at this late date? Maxie is going to pop at any minute. The kid will arrive whether he’s there or not. He tells her to do what she needs to do. Just make it quick.

Spinelli gets to Glady’s room, and asks Carly, what happened here? She says, Spinelli, thank God. She was keeping Gladys safe, or so she thought. Gladys was going to recant her statement about seeing Jason ditch the murder weapon outside of Franco’s studio, and testify that she actually saw Peter do it. He says, that’s most welcome news indeed; what changed her mind? She says, Cyrus was targeting Brando, and the only way for Gladys to keep herself and her son safe, was to make sure Cyrus went to prison. Carly had her there, while Diane was at the PCPD negotiating an immunity deal, but clearly, Gladys is gone. He asks if it was Peter or Cyrus, and she says she doesn’t know. They’re obviously working together. She doesn’t know if Gladys had her phone on her, or the kidnappers dumped it somewhere… He tells her, say no more, and sits down, opening his laptop.

Britt tells Jason, a lot of Huntington’s carriers think a cure will be found before the disease manifests. She was never an optimist. She sits down, and he sits next to her, saying, it could be years, or decades before the symptoms manifest. She says she never thought of him as an optimist either, but he says he’s a realist, and right now, she doesn’t have any symptoms. She’s strong – she nods – she’s healthy, and she has a clear mind. Right now, that’s a lot. He can’t tell her to appreciate this moment, but he knows he does.

Finchley says, those are pretty serious allegations Mike/Sonny made against Eli. He and Nina talked to people in Corinth? Sonny says, there’s nothing illegal about that, and Finchley says, true, but it is illegal to break into someone’s office, and hack into his computer. Sonny says he’s just a bartender. He doesn’t know anything about computers. Finchley says, maybe; maybe not. He better hope Lenny comes up with an alibi for him. Finchley’s phone rings, and he says, Finchley… He’s on his way. He tells Sonny that he’ll be back later to take their statements. There’s an open fire hydrant on Maple that he has to investigate. He leaves, and Lenny comes back. He tells Sonny, neither he nor Phyllis were working the night Eli’s office was broken into. Sonny was there alone. That’s why he opened up the hydrant, to get rid of Finchley.

Nina says Eli is right; this is lovely. He says, isn’t it? Great weather, wonderful musical backdrop, and perfect company. She says she’s sure the other Founder’s Day revelers are going to join them soon. She just hopes no more armed robbers come to terrorize them. He asks why she’d think that, and she says, no reason. It just seems to be a pattern these days; vandalized stores, terrified residents. Suddenly, Nixon Falls seems like a dangerous place. He grabs her arm, startling her.

Sasha tells Willow, this pregnancy was definitely unplanned. Like she said, Lucy is thinking of incorporating it into a Deception campaign. She only just started to tell people. Carly knows. She asks Willow to promise not to tell Michael. She wants him to hear about it from her. Willow says, of course (🍷). She won’t keep Sasha from her check-up. She starts to leave, and Sasha says, wait. She just realized how that must have sounded. Michael is not the father. She knows Willow is with Chase now, but they’re Wiley’s parents, and she just wants to be clear. Wiley isn’t getting a sibling. Willow says, good, and Sasha says, at the moment, she can’t tell Willow who the father is. The situation is… complicated.

Brando says, Sasha told Cyrus, the baby isn’t his, but Cyrus says, Sasha is lying, probably to protect Brando. Tell him, did Brando and Sasha sleep together to defy him because Brando knows he has a soft spot for Sasha? Brando says Cyrus has a soft spot for the woman he almost killed? and Cyrus says, they’ve already discussed Brando’s inability to follow his orders. Is it because he’s been confiding in her; pillow talk, shall they say? He’s sure Sasha has already told Brando to stop working for him. Brando tells Cyrus, get to the point. What does Cyrus want in exchange for letting his mother go?

Chloe tells Peter, they’re all set. Everything they need is in her bag, and ready to go. He says, and it’s safe for a pregnant woman, especially at this late stage? She says she told him a thousand times already, she’s not taking any chances with his child. She can only imagine what he’d do to her if things went wrong. He says, good, and no one was suspicious? She says she used to work with the pharmacist on call tonight, so she was able to use her real name and nursing accreditation. She’ll deliver his baby girl to him. He says, and they’ll start a new life together; him, Maxie, and their child.

Maxie packs, and asks Louise if she’s ready for a little adventure. She’s glad she didn’t tell Spinelli the truth. He would have just told her how dangerous her plan is, and would have told her to use his computer skills to sabotage Peter. They don’t have time for that. She makes a call, and asks Bobbie if she’s okay. She’ll meet her in Beecher’s Corners. She thanks Bobbie, and calls the spa. She says she booked the babymoon package with them. She’s calling to make sure her baby nurse is all set to be pampered too. Can they confirm that Chloe Jennings is booked for the deluxe mani/pedi, full body scrub, and two-hour ultimate transcendence? Generous? No. Nurse Jennings has been so good to her. She just wants to return the favor. On another call, she looks outside, and says, good. Both burner phones are working… No, she’s not paranoid. Peter could be monitoring her and it’s important they use a burner phone too. She has the nurse all set with spa treatments. She’s going to pretend her water broke, and convince the staff she’s going to the hospital. Will Brook be able to ditch Yuri, her bodyguard?… Okay, don’t blow it… No, she doesn’t doubt Brook’s skills. She’s a great liar, and has the gold medal in subterfuge. Maxie picks up a stuffed toy and says she’ll be fine, because if the choice is to give her precious baby girl to Brook or Peter, there is no choice. She’ll see Brook soon. She puts the toy on top of her luggage, and says, we can do this, right? She thinks she felt a kick of agreement, and says, she thinks it’s going to be hard for both of them, but it’s worth it to keep Louise safe.

Willow asks if Sasha and the father are on good terms, and Sasha says, excellent terms. He’s a wonderful guy, but there are circumstances that make this pregnancy difficult for them. Willow asks if that means they’re a couple, and Sasha says, like everything else with this pregnancy, they’re still figuring that part out.

Gladys has managed to get her hands untied and rips the duct tape off her mouth. She says she didn’t do anything. She did everything Cyrus told her to do. Cyrus’s guy suddenly appears again, and Cyrus says, shut her up. He says, permanently? and Cyrus, Brando, and Gladys all say, no. Cyrus says he’s going to leave that for Brando to take care of.

Carly thanks someone on the phone, and Spinelli says, any luck? She says, someone hacked into the MetroCourt surveillance system to create a loop to run when Gladys was taken. Spinelli says, let him guess, the camera showed the bodyguard outside the room the entire time. Does she want him to trace that? She says, no. They have to find Gladys. Any luck locating her phone? They hear a beep from under the bed, and Spinelli says, that page is Gladys’s phone. Whoever kidnapped Gladys was smart enough to relieve her of her phone. Carly reaches under the bed, and says, not as smart as he might think. She gave Gladys a burner phone, and it wasn’t under the bed with this one. He says, give him the number, and they’re back in business. He knows they’ll find her.

Britt says, Jason actually has feelings. Who would have guessed? He says, don’t tell anybody, and for the first time ever, Jason makes me laugh. She says, cross her heart and hope to die… There’s that word again. He says, it happens to all of us, you know? She says she does know, but her death comes with all kinds of fun side effects. Turns out, she lied. He asks what she lied about, and she says, why she went through with the test. She chokes back tears, and says, she told herself it was because the not knowing was torture, and that was true, but deep down, she convinced herself if she was brave enough to take the test, she’d be rewarded with the result she wanted. She’d find out she didn’t have the genetic marker for Huntington’s Disease, and that she had the rest of her life in front of her. He says, she still does.

Sonny asks if Lenny believes him about Eli, and understands that Nina is in trouble, but Lenny says he doesn’t know what to think about the stuff Mike/Sonny is accusing Eli of. Sonny says he knows Lenny and Phyllis care about Eli, but if Lenny doesn’t believe him, why did he let the trooper go? Lenny says, if Sonny is right, and Nina gets hurt, he’d never forgive himself. Neither would Phyllis. He asks if Sonny has any idea where Eli might have taken Nina, and Sonny says, she told him something about a barbecue. He goes over to the bar, and picks up his phone. He says he was trying to look it up, when the trooper interrupted. Where could Eli have taken Nina?

Eli brushes back Nina’s hair, and says he’s sorry. He just noticed her earrings. They’re the same ones she was wearing the other night. She says, excuse me? and touches them like you know you do when you’re checking to remember which ones you’re wearing. He says, on their date. After the break-in, she came back to his office to find the one she lost. She says, that’s right. Her brother gave them to her, so naturally, she wouldn’t want to lose one. He says, that makes sense. Does her brother live in Port Charles? She says, no. Her brother is dead. He was shot. Murdered. Eli says he’s so sorry; he had no idea. She says she couldn’t help but think of her brother when the shooting broke out at the firehouse dance. They already talked about all the terrible things that have happened in Nixon Falls, so tell her; why does he think this is happening? He asks if she thinks he had something to do with these crimes, and she says she didn’t say that. She thinks it’s time they got back to the barbecue. She starts to walk, and he puts out his hand to stop her. She drops her purse, and the papers she copied fall out. I know hindsight is 20/20, but since she was meeting Eli, she might have left those at the Tan-O. He says, look at this. Printouts from his office computer. How do you like that?

Maxie opens the door to Chloe, and Chloe asks how Maxie and the little baby bump are doing. Maxie says, fine, and she can’t wait for their babymoon. Chloe says, her too. She parked the car in front of the building, and she didn’t want Maxie to do any unnecessary walking, so she brought this. She pushes in a wheelchair, and Maxie says, no. She does not need a wheelchair. Chloe says she didn’t want to say anything, but she noticed Maxie’s blood pressure was still high. If she refuses the wheelchair, she’ll have to tell Peter, and Maxie knows what that means. Maxie says, he’ll put her in the hospital, and tell Dr. Navarro to induce labor. This is blackmail. Chloe says, call it what she will, but it’s her job to protect Maxie and the baby. So no wheelchair, no spa.

Carly leans over Spinelli’s shoulder, and says, anything? He says, this kind of work requires intense focus, and hovering creates the opposite. She says, sorry. He knows how important this is, right? He says, no one wants Peter arrested and charged more than he does. Maxie and her baby will not be safe until he’s incarcerated. She says, the best way for that to happen is for Gladys to say she saw Peter ditch the murder weapon. They have to find her.

Cyrus thanks his guy, and says he can leave the premises. He’ll let Brando handle it from here. Brando says, handle it how? and Cyrus tells him, don’t be obtuse. He knows perfectly well that Gladys has become a liability. If Brando takes care of it, at least he knows her demise was accomplished as painlessly as possible. Brando says he’s not killing his mother, and Cyrus says, Gladys is going to die. If not by him, by someone who’s more loyal to him than Brando is. And if that happens, Sasha dies as well, along with his unborn child. Brando says, he wouldn’t, and Cyrus says, try me, which is the standard reply.

Britt asks if Jason is insensitive or just plain cruel. The life she has ahead of her is slow deterioration leading to an inevitable death. He says, or she could get hit by a bus tomorrow. She says, there’s not a lot of bus traffic here, and he says, a hundred million things could happen before she starts to show symptoms. Amazing things, disappointing things, but there’s no way to predict because that’s not how life works. The future’s an idea; it’s not a guarantee. The only thing they know is that it won’t go according to plan. She laughs, then laugh/cries, and he says, so why not make the most of it for most of the time she has?

Maxie gets in the wheelchair, and says, happy now? Chloe says, very, and thanks her. Maxie says she’s not spending her babymoon in this wheelchair, just so Chloe knows. Chloe tells Maxie that she really needs to calm down. She prepares a syringe of… something, and says, Maxie knows stress isn’t good for the baby. Maxie says she’s calm. She’s feeling very Zen right now. Well, she was before Chloe showed up with this completely unnecessary wheelchair. She feels Chloe giving her a shot, and says, what the…? and passes out.

On the phone, Peter says he needs a chopper, fueled and ready to go at the private heliport in somewhere. Keep it available. He’ll let them know the specifics later. There will be three traveling; two adults, and one infant.

Lenny says, Elijah took Nina to a barbecue… They’re at the Nixon Falls Founder’s Day Picnic. Sonny asks where it’s at, and Lenny says, Nixon Falls Park. Sonny asks if he’s sure, and Lenny says, Elijah loved attending the Founder’s Day Picnic when he was living here. Now go. Bring Nina home. Sonny jets out the door.

Nina says, these papers are the various payouts in Eli’s scheme to drive down the real estate prices. He says he’s hurt by her lack of faith in him. These documents are A, private and privileged, and B, don’t prove a damn thing. She snatches back the paper from his hand, and says they’ll let the police decide. She starts to walk away, but he grabs her arm and says, she didn’t think it would be that easy, did she? She struggles, but he won’t let go.

Spinelli says, got it, and Carly grabs her phone, saying she loves him. She’s bringing Jason home. She calls Trent, and asks if he has the team ready. She knows where Gladys is.

Cyrus says Brando’s mother is a parasite. All she cares about is money. She sells herself to the highest bidder, regardless of the consequences. She told Sonny and his family that Brando was dead. Brando traveled halfway across the country, just to avoid her. Don’t tell him her life suddenly has value to Brando now, especially as it compares to Sasha’s, and his unborn child. Brando thinks for half a second, and holds out his hand. Cyrus gives him a gun, and he walks over to Gladys, who’s crying and shaking her head. Cyrus smiles.

Sasha tells Willow, she doesn’t really know the baby’s father all that well, and Willow says Sasha told her he was wonderful. Sasha says, he is. They started off as friends. She guesses she was really attracted to him; they used to flirt like crazy. Willow says, and one thing led to another? and Sasha says, you could put it like that. She thinks they could be really good together, and he does too. Willow says, after the sacrifices Sasha and Chase made for her and Michael so they could keep Wiley, she deserves to be happy. Whatever that looks like for her.

Brando aims the gun at Gladys, and she cowers. Cyrus continues to smile, and Brando suddenly turns, aiming the gun at him.

Jason says, the test tells Britt that she has the genetic marker, but it doesn’t tell her how she’s going to die. It doesn’t tell her how she’s going to live. Only she can decide that. She says, just treat every day as a gift. He brushes her hair back, but not in a creepy way like Eli did with Nina. They kiss. And kiss some more.

Tomorrow, Brook says, it’s a disaster waiting to happen; Valentin says, everything is coming together; Ava tells Nikolas, they have to take Cyrus out; Cyrus regrets to inform Brando, he failed his final test; and Britt asks Jason if he’s sure about this.

The Real Housewives of New York City

I missed the first two minutes, in which Sonja had a meltdown over Wells Fargo. LuAnn left the scene, and in her interview, said she couldn’t watch Sonja go down same rabbit hole she did. Sonja was only going to change if Sonja wanted to change. Eboni said Sonja was married to her story, which I thought was pretty accurate. Leah said Sonja couldn’t communicate when she got upset, and it was a lot. The next morning, Ramona had to explain to Sonja that she’d had a tough night. Leah talked to Sarah about their grandmother’s illness, saying their grandmother seemed like a huge burden on her mom, but not so much for the two of them. Eboni talked about her grandmother to her mom, who needed to make a decision about a feeding tube. Eboni’s mom said her grandmother’s life had become about quantity, not quality, and Eboni was concerned her mom was trying to put the decision on her. Ramona reminded Sonja about her Wells Fargo rant, but Sonja stuck to her guns, saying, it was her daughter’s future. In Ramona’s interview, she said, Sonja was making no sense. Where Eboni’s daughter got her mortgage wasn’t going to affect Sonja’s daughter’s lifestyle. She thought Garth bothered Sonja, and Sonja said Garth was driving her nuts. Ramona finally wheedled out of Sonja that she was afraid to be alone. Sonja was also discussed at length among the women the next day.

Leah told the caterer that she didn’t know how the woman worked for Ramona; she was such a bitch. Then Leah bitched at Ramona about being a bitch. She said Ramona was so rude and fake, she couldn’t handle it. Garth paid the women a visit for a morning workout. In Sonja’s interview, she said she was happy for LuAnn, but Garth was not the greatest thing since sliced bread. Ramona thought LuAnn had done well for herself. She and Sonja joined LuAnn for the workout, and in her interview, Sonja said, first, she had to hear about Garth; now she had to work out with him. Couldn’t she just go to the kitchen, and grab doughnut? Leah and Eboni opted for beauty treatments, and Leah told Eboni that she was going to take a vow of silence until 6 pm. Eboni said she’d be the voice for the voiceless, and explained to the others that Leah needed some self-care, and wasn’t speaking. In Sonja’s interview, she said she understood. She should have taken one 20 years ago with Ramona.

The women took a limo to an oyster farm, and on the way, there was a whole bit whoop-de-doo about Tom, with Sonja saying he was her bald guy. Finally, LuAnn had enough, and said Sonja had been a one-night stand. Tom hadn’t married Sonja, and he was never Sonja’s guy. Then Sonja moved on to Harry (will we never get rid of him?), while Ramona, Leah, and Eboni texted each other. Eboni said she thought Sonja didn’t feel valued, and in her interview, said she thought Sonja needed affirmation about the woman she is, not a supposed friend saying she was only good for a one-night stand. In LuAnn’s interview, she said she got that Sonja was in a bad place, but don’t ruin her party. In Sonja’s interview, she said she felt like chopped liver whenever a new guy came into LuAnn’s life. Yep. I knew women like that in my single/dating days. I was never like that though. During the day on Saturday was always for friends. In Eboni’s interview, she said what was bizarre about this friend group was that they’d go at it, and five minutes later were like, I love you. Leah tried to convey that she’d accidentally said thank you to the driver, but finally just told them. Eboni said she was bad at charades, and in Leah’s interview, she said, she was not a mimer. The oyster farm it was more beautiful than you’d think it would be. They were shown the various types of oysters, including ones that stuck together. LuAnn said that’s how Ramona and Sonja woke up, and in the most disgusting comment possibly ever, Sonja said, stuck together and crusty. In her interview, Ramona was just like, eww! After learning oyster facts, the women were taught how to shuck them. The shucking master told Ramona that it was more a matter of patience than brute strength, as she tried to pry an oyster open with her teeth. Not really, but that would have been fun to see. In her interview, she said now she knew why they’re so expensive. When 6 pm hit, Leah told everyone, if she seemed weird, it was because she was struggling with something. She was nervous about Heather coming, since she didn’t know Heather. They’d only met for five minutes in the Berkshires. She talked about the women in the press, saying nasty things. She wondered if later on, Heather would talk about her or Eboni. Ramona said Heather had a good heart. She was a good mother, a businesswoman, and had been married a long time. Eboni said being a good mother always made everything all right. She’s a raving lunatic bitch, but she’s a good mom. Ramona dropped the bombshell that Heather would be staying over.

Ramona hosted a Breakfast at Tiffany’s dinner, and the table was gorgeous, with white feathers and pearls. Heather arrived, and since everyone was dressing up, she asked Sonja with help crafting her updo, but Sonja declined. In her interview, Sonja said that was the last thing she was going to do after Heather had talked about her. Next, Heather would want Sonja to carry her luggage. Because of all the flack, Ramona relegated Heather to the downstairs, and in Heather’s interview, she said she’d been banished to the dungeon, but it was okay. She liked a little separation. Everyone dressed in black with pearls, except for Leah, who wore a black and white Versace dress. In her interview, Ramona said Leah was a rebel, but it was all good, since it was Versace. After Ramona downed some secret shots, the bartender told her to pace herself. After they sat down to dinner, the subject of podcasts was brought up, and Heather said she’d just launched podcast. In Leah’s interview, she said if she showed up in a house full of women she’d trashed on her podcast, she’d be shying away from that word. This was all Leah needed to pull up receipts on her phone, reading from articles about what Heather said, including the suggestion that LuAnn did hard drugs. In Heather’s interview, she said she’d gone into the lion’s den, and for some reason, was being ambushed. The funniest part was that no one listened to the podcast. LuAnn was bothered that Heather had talked about her like that, but Heather said some crap about it being taken out of context, and changed the topic to Leah having told her that they were painting a naked man. She asked if it was Garth, and at the mention of his name, all was well with LuAnn. LuAnn said, it wasn’t Garth, but a male model would be the subject. Then the dinner table talk turned to sex, and Ramona wondered who talked about things like that. Not her. She still had elegance and class.

Next time, the party continues, Ramona demands to know why they’re talking about d*cks, the women have a painting lesson, Eboni and LuAnn argue, and Leah calls everyone a ho’.  Here a ho’, there a ho’, everywhere a ho’, ho’. Sorry. I just have to every time I hear that.

🗽 I actually have my own Heather story. I used to enter a lot of contests, and some radio station had one for a pass to a cocktail party some local celebrities would be at, including Heather and Kristen Taekman, who was also on RHONY at the time. Supposedly, they were friends. I won, and dragged my husband along to the Manhattan hotel where the event was happening, which had a fabulous view of the city. They served appetizers, and had an open bar, both of which were top notch. The white wine was excellent, and I wondered if it was Ramona’s but I never did find out. Anyway, Heather never showed. Kristen did though, and she was a lot of fun, answering questions, and being genuine and gracious. So I agree. Pfft! on Heather.

🦦 Logging Off…

Tomorrow, those wacky women from New Jersey will be continuing their relentless pursuit of an analogy, as well as more screeching from LisaR of Beverly Hills. So until we all need to put in earplugs, stay safe, stay indomitable, and stay knowing you deserve to be happy. Whatever that looks like for you.

May 24, 2021 – Cyrus Finds a Way To Shut Gladys Up, Empowered Bickering On Deck, Billboard’s Best & Blank

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Someone falls down a flight of stairs.

7 hours earlier. Carly walks into a hotel room with Gladys, and says, it’s simple. They’re going to go over what Gladys is going to say to the police with Carly’s lawyer. Gladys asks why Carly and her security are hovering over her. Is Carly afraid she’s going to run off or something? Carly says, exactly, but Gladys can’t afford to run. They need to put Cyrus behind bars before he finds out Brando is the father of Sasha’s baby.

At the hospital, Cyrus says he has a meeting shortly, and wants Brando to meet with HRS; they’re setting up interviews for the Chief of Staff position. Brando asks if he’s heard something about Britt, and Cyrus says Britt ran off with Jason, aided and abetted the escape of a known felon, and a suspected murderer. Whatever happens next, she won’t be returning to GH. Cyrus leaves, and Sasha comes out of the elevator. Brando asks if everything is okay with the baby, and she asks what he’s doing there. He can’t be there. 

Spinelli arrives at Maxie’s apartment, and she hugs him. He says, his sincere condolences on the loss of her godfather. She thanks him, and says she appreciates him and Ellie taking James for a few nights. She hates to be away from James, but she knows he’s in good hands. Spinelli says, Georgie is always excited to have her little brother visit, and they’re happy that Maxie is availing herself of some much needed rest and relaxation. It’s well-deserved. He imagines once the baby is born, it will be a while before she sleeps through the night. He imagines she’ll have her hands full with James and little Louise. Every moment a miracle. Maxie turns away from him.

Britt sits cross-legged by a waterfall, when Jason comes along. He says, Britt, and she tells him, shh. She’s becoming one with nature. He sits on a bench, and she asks what he’s doing. He says, nothing, but she says he’s being distracting. He asks if she wants to be alone, but she says, no. She was hoping the sound of the water would drown out her thoughts. It’s not working. She’s thinking about the test results.

Sonny and Nina walk into the Tan-O, and Sonny says he’s surprised the door is locked in the afternoon. Nina says there’s a note, and Sonny reads that Phyllis and Lenny are picking up a part for the jukebox, and will be back by five. Nina says she’s glad they told Lenny and Phyllis that they were on the road, and on their way back, but telling them what they’ve been up to is another thing altogether. Sonny says, they’ll understand when he and Nina tell them about their friend Elijah, but she says, they’re so sweet, and kind, and generous. She dreads telling them that Eli betrayed their trust. Sonny says, it will hurt, but they need to know the truth. The sooner Eli is behind bars, the better.

Spinelli says, a thousand apologies; he didn’t mean to make Maxie cry. She says, it’s nothing, just hormones, and he asks if Peter has done something to make her reconsider giving him a second chance. She says, they agreed not to discuss it, and he says, if he’s made her upset… She says she’s just taking Sean’s death hard. It made her realize how time is passing. A person she admired and looked up to as a little girl is gone from the world, and it makes her sad. People leave even if you want them to stay. See? She’s rambling and emotional; it’s hormones. It’s why she needs the spa get away. Spinelli says, it’s more than hormones. Georgie said she sounds sad when she talks about the baby. She says she doesn’t want Georgie to worry, and he says their daughter is perceptive. He spent years learning the fine art of reading it. He knows what’s going on.

Sasha says she and Brando shouldn’t be seen talking. If Cyrus sees them together, it will only add to his suspicion that Brando is the father of her baby. He says, Cyrus is in his office; he has a meeting. Can’t they talk for five minutes? She says, okay, but not here. They leave for somewhere more private, and Peter sees them. Because not one character on this show has an actual job except Diane.

Carly introduces Diane to Gladys, and Gladys says, Sonny’s lawyer. Carly says, her lawyer, and Gladys says, how could she forget? Carly is in charge of everything these days. Pretty soon she’s going to make everyone curtsey like she’s the Queen of England. Carly says she’ll settle for full disclosure from Gladys, and Diane says, Carly filled her in on the situation. They’re going to go over what Gladys is going to say to the police. Gladys says, no so fast. She’ll do what she can to protect her son and grandchild, but she needs to be practical. She could be accused of committing a crime. Diane says, of course (🍷). She knows perjury and obstruction of justice are both criminal acts, which Gladys committed when she lied in her statement to the police. Gladys says, then she wants to make sure she’s not prosecuted. Diane is supposed to be some fancy, hotshot lawyer. She needs Diane to make some kind of deal to make sure her interests are protected. Diane says, she thinks the DA would be open to negotiation because Cyrus is a big get, and it was Glady’s testimony that linked him to her perjury and obstruction of justice. Cyrus’s conviction is going to generate a lot of publicity, and anyone who had a hand in it will be a hero. Gladys says she never dreamed she’d be famous. Do they think the talk shows will put her on as a guest? She’d love to be interviewed by Joy Behar… Carly says, the only person Gladys is going to be talking to is a coroner, when she’s called to identify Brando’s body, so focus and cooperate with Diane. Gladys says Carly doesn’t have to put it like that, and Diane says, Joy Behar is definitely going to want to interview Gladys; absolutely. That’s why it’s so important that Diane review what Gladys is going to say when she recants her story to the police. Gladys says she’ll just say she made a mistake, but Carly says, it wasn’t a mistake. She has to implicate Cyrus to keep Brando safe. Gladys says, okay. Cyrus paid her to say she saw Jason throwing the gun down the garbage shoot, but it was a lie. Carly says, then Gladys is going to tell them who she really saw – Peter August.

Britt tells Jason, the test results are going to change her life, no matter what they say. If they’re negative, the fear she’s carried for the past five years will be lifted. It will be paradise, like a dream come true, but she’s afraid to hope for it, in case it’s the other outcome. Jason sits next to her, and says, then she’d just deal with it. She says she’d have to; she’d have no choice. Right now, she just wants to enjoy the last few hours of ignorance. She tried meditating, and got nowhere. Does he have any tips on reaching serenity? He says he wouldn’t know. He doesn’t know how to meditate. She says, meditation is seeking clarity and being fully in the moment. From what she sees, that’s where he lives. She wishes she could join him there.

Cyrus’s phone rings, and he says, send him in. Peter says Cyrus summoned him? and Cyrus says, yes, pal. He’d like a small favor.

Sonny says he doesn’t like the idea of hurting Lenny and Phyllis either, especially Phyllis, but she has to know the Eli she rescued years ago isn’t the same man. He might have taken a wrong turn, but Sonny doesn’t care. He wants Eli out of their lives. Nina says he’s absolutely right. Despite the disappointment, they’re better off knowing. She just wishes they could give the police the evidence they found in Eli’s office, but considering how they got it… Her phone rings, and she says, it’s Eli. Sonny tells her not to answer, but she does, asking, what’s up?… Yes, she remembers him telling her about it. Why?… It’s today? What time?… She’s not sure… On second thought, it sounds like fun. She could change and meet him… Okay. She looks forward to seeing him too. She hangs up, and Sonny says, what the hell was that?

In the stairwell, Brando asks if Sasha is there for the baby. Is everything okay? She says she’s getting her medical records transferred to Mercy. She knows an OB/GYN there. Maybe she’s paranoid, but she doesn’t want Cyrus to be able to access to anything about her. Brando doesn’t think it’s paranoid; he thinks it’s smart. He asks if Cyrus said anything to her after he left, and she says, a lot of self-serving garbage about how he wanted to talk to the baby’s father on her behalf. Cyrus implied it was Brando, but she told him it was a one-night stand. He asks if she thinks Cyrus believed her, and she says she’s not sure he’s convinced, but she thinks she established reasonable doubt. He says he has to give her credit for taking the reins on this, and she says, it’s called crisis management; getting ahead of the story. Something she learned at Deception. He says she has guts, the way she stands up for herself, and she says she’s done it her whole life. He says, the way she stood up for him, don’t think he won’t do the same for her. She says, he already has.

Peter says Cyrus called because he thinks Peter owes him. Let’s just be clear. Framing Jason benefited them both. Cyrus says, Peter more than him, but Peter says, yet he’s sure Cyrus appreciates Jason being out of the way. Too bad he can’t capitalize on the opportunity. Cyrus isn’t sure he follows, and Peter asks if he doesn’t have some kind of power behind the scenes at Pentenville. Why doesn’t he just take care of Jason while he’s there, or better yet, at GH. With a little ingenuity, he could have arranged for a  tragic medical error to take place. Cyrus says, how remiss of him not to think of it, and Peter asks if he has any leads on where Jason and his sister are. Cyrus says he’s sure they’re in Canada by now, and Peter says, good. He prefers Jason as far away from Port Charles as possible. Cyrus says he’d prefer Jason dead, and Peter says, that would work too. What can he do for Cyrus? Cyrus says, it would be nice if The Invader exposed the true natures of Carly and Laura. Peter says, in what way? and Cyrus says, Carly declared herself the head of the Corinthos organization, and the honorable Mayor Collins is working with her. Peter asks if Cyrus knows this for a fact, and Cyrus says, the facts are Peter’s department, but he thinks the world should know Carly and Laura’s public personas are pure hypocrisy. They consider themselves above the law, and it’s about time they got their reputations dragged through the mud like they tried to do with his.

Gladys tells Diane, she’ll be saying Jason didn’t do it. He’ll be off the hook. Isn’t that what they want? Diane says, if Gladys wants immunity, she can’t hold back anything, and Gladys says, she’ll tell them that she made the whole thing up, and didn’t see anyone. Carly says, Gladys is protecting Peter now? Is Peter paying her too? Gladys says, no, and Diane says, her testimony led the police to the murder weapon. Obviously, she saw something. Does she want the police investigating her? Gladys says, she’ll tell them everything, but only if she gets immunity, and Diane says, that’s the plan. Robert is out of town, so she’ll be dealing with his ADA and Commissioner Ashford. It’s imperative that Gladys stay out of sight. Diane will call her when it’s time to talk to the authorities. Diane leaves, and Carly says Gladys is doing the right thing. Gladys says Carly seems surprised. Carly really doesn’t think much of her, does she?

Britt tells Jason, it’s beautiful here. It reminds her of camping in Germany. He says, camping? She said in the barn… She says, don’t misunderstand. She’s in no way attracted to roughing it. She prefers all the amenities within easy hiking distance, but she enjoys the forest. It’s full of life, but still peaceful. He says he gets it. He likes to get on his motorcycle, and just ride. When he’s on a dirt road in the middle of nowhere, he’ll park it, and go for a hike in the trees. No plan, no destination, no sound; just the wind. He can feel himself breathe. She says, exactly.

Sonny says, no way in hell is Nina going to Eli’s apartment, but Nina says, it’s not his apartment. It’s a barbecue, and she’s meeting him there. He asks why she said yes ,and she says, it’s a perfect opportunity. The stuff they got from his office, what if there’s more in his house? They can find it, and the police can use it as evidence. Um… I don’t think it works that way when you don’t have a search warrant. She’ll go to the barbecue, and he’ll search Eli’s house. Sonny says they never talked about it. He doesn’t know the layout, and doesn’t have a plan. She says she’s certain he’s more than capable of improvising, and it’s for a worthy cause. Think about how Elijah and his associates ruined all these lives, the family businesses lost, and the small towns gutted to make rich men richer. They want to stop Eli before he does more damage. Sonny says he agrees with everything she said, except the part where she’s a decoy. She says she’s sorry. They can do this. They make a great team. He says he agrees, but this is not happening.

Maxie tells Spinelli, she guesses the high risk pregnancy has been hard on her, but it’s almost over. Spinelli says, coupled with remembrances on how James was born on the side of the road, it must bring up traumatic feelings. Now with Britt missing, Maxie has lost a vital part of her support system. He assumes she was going to deliver the baby. Maxie says, having Britt was a comfort, and Spinelli says, Maxie is afraid of losing the baby, isn’t she? She starts to cry, and says she is, and it’s breaking her heart.

Sonny tells Nina to say she can’t make it, and she says, excuse me? She doesn’t take orders from him. He says she gave him an order to break into Eli’s house; it’s too dangerous. She says, it’s a barbecue. They’ll be in the open, surrounded by people, but he says she doesn’t know how safe she’ll be. Eli has already shown he’s capable of hurting people to get what he wants. She says, he has other people do his dirty work; he’s not violent himself. Sonny says, he’s capable of it, but Nina says Eli likes her. He believes she’s buying his act, and doesn’t know they broke into his office. He asks, why take more risks? They’re not going to be able to get Eli arrested, but they can finish him in Nixon Falls. Once they tell Lenny and Phyllis what they discovered, it’s over. Why risk trying to get more? It’s ridiculous what she’s saying. She says she gets it. The minute she feels like something is off, she’ll make an excuse and leave. She’ll call him right away. He says, it’s too risky, and they don’t know where Eli lives. Her phone dings, and she says she does; he just texted the address. Sonny says, how nice, and the Tan-O phone rings. Sonny answers, and says, all right. He says, damn, and tells Nina, there’s a delivery, and he needs to open the door, but they’re not done with this conversation.

Brando says, before Cyrus showed up yesterday, he and Sasha were getting into some important things about the baby, and them. No pressure, but he wants to talk more. She says, absolutely. She’d never shut him out, but to be clear, it was her decision to keep the baby, and it’s her responsibility. She doesn’t want to pressure him. He says he doesn’t feel pressure. He feels like he has the chance at something amazing. Something he never expected or knew he wanted, but now that it’s here, he wants to be part of his child’s life – and hers.

Peter tells Cyrus, he’ll put one of his top reporters on Carly’s tail. They’ll work the madam mob boss angle. Cyrus says, that sounds like a winning headline, but don’t forget the corruption in the mayor’s office. Laura is looking the other way, passively condoning organized crime, just like she did with Sonny. Cyrus’s phone rings, and he says, yes?.. When?… Keep him posted. Peter says, bad news? and Cyrus says it was his source at the courthouse. It seems Diane is working out an immunity deal for Gladys. Peter says, Gladys is talking to law enforcement? She must have changed her testimony. Cyrus told him she was solid. Cyrus says, she was. She’s a greedy narcissist. She resents Sonny, and resents Carly even more. That’s why she was thrilled when he took Brando into his organization. She’s an easy mark; he’s worked her before. He doesn’t know what incited her to flip. He has to find Brando to convince her to do otherwise. Peter says he just saw Brando getting chummy with Sasha.

Britt asks Jason what time it is, and he says, about 5. She asks if they shouldn’t have called with the results by now. She starts to pace, and asks who she’s kidding. This talk of stillness and being in the moment; she can’t handle this. Jason takes her hands and tells her, it’s all right. Just calm down. He suggests she try something, and she says, what? Twenty questions? Is it bigger than a breadbox? He says, the more she talks the less she hears. She’s always thinking about what she’s saying; she’s not listening to what’s going on around her. Close your eyes. She says she can do that, and he asks what she hears. She says, water… wind, and trees… birds. She laughs, and he asks what she feels. She says, the breeze on her face, and he tells her, focus on that. She says, it’s no use. The darkness is closing in on her. He says, keep your eyes open. There’s no darkness there. It’s beautiful, calm, peaceful. The thing she’s worried about hasn’t happened, and might not. Right now in the moment, she’s good. She smiles and says she is. Thanks.

Maxie tells Spinelli that she keeps thinking she’s not going to hold her newborn baby in her arms. After all these months of hope and anticipation, Louise will just be gone. He tells her not to let her fear run away with her. If Britt is unavailable, GH has amazing doctors. They’ll bring her baby girl into the world safe and sound. She says, but what if they can’t? What if she has to say goodbye to her baby girl before she even says hello?   

Sonny sees that Nina is gone, and says, dammit.

Britt and Jason almost kiss, when Britt’s phone dings. She says, it must be the clinic. No one else has the number. He looks at the phone, and says, the test results are in. She says, okay. Time to face the music… Thank you.

Carly says Gladys hasn’t done much to endear herself to her. Gladys says if she’s been testy in the past, it’s because she wanted Sonny – God rest – to treat Brando like a full member of the family. So of course (🍷) when Brando was hired by Cyrus, she was thrilled. He had the opportunity for advancement he never had with Sonny. Carly says Gladys made sure that would happen by telling Cyrus about Dev. Because she wanted to endear herself, but all she did was give Cyrus leverage over all of them, including Brando. Gladys says she knows Cyrus is a powerful man. She has sense enough to be afraid of him, which is why doing what Carly is asking terrifies her. Carly asks if Diane wasn’t clear. Did Gladys not understand what she said? The only way to keep her and Brando safe is to make sure Cyrus goes to prison. And yes, Cyrus has a laundry list of crimes he’s committed, but the only ones they can prove are perjury and obstruction, and only Gladys can speak to those crimes. And yeah, Jason is going to be exonerated, but she doesn’t think for a minute Gladys cares about doing the right thing; she only cares about saving her own skin, so that’s exactly why she should do this. To make sure Cyrus is no longer a threat. Gladys says she gets it. She’s going to do what needs to be done, and yeah, she’s doing it for herself, but she’s also doing it because she loves her son, and she loves her grandchild too. Carly says she hopes so, because their future depends on her. Carly’s phone rings, and she asks, what’s going on?… Okay. Isn’t Olivia around?… She’ll be right down. She tells Gladys, she has to go downstairs and take care of a situation with a guest. After she hears from Diane, she’ll be back to take Gladys to the PCPD. Gladys salutes, and Carly leaves. Carly tells the guard she needs him to keep an eye on things for a moment. Ms. Corbin is going to stay in this room. If she gives him any trouble, call her.

Gladys orders filet mignon with mushrooms on the side. Mrs. Corinthos will be taking care of the bill.

Maxie tells Spinelli, she prays for a safe and smooth delivery, because she can’t wait to meet her little girl. But what happens after she’s born? What if Maxie can’t protect her anymore? Right now, she’s safe with Maxie, but when she’s out in the world, Maxie is going to have to let her go. It’s killing her. Spinelli says they all have to let their children go, but it happens slowly, over time. She did it with Georgie and James; she’ll do fine with Louise. He thought she was worried about complications during childbirth, but fear not. Once Louise is born, and Maxie sees she’s fine, she’ll stop worrying.

Sasha says she and Brando can’t exactly be part of each other’s lives if they’re hiding the fact that he’s the baby’s father. He says he’ll think of something; he’s pretty resourceful. And motivated. She says she knows, and he says he likes her. She says she knows that too. That’s why she’s pregnant. He says, it’s not about the sex, although he very much enjoyed it. Her being drop-dead gorgeous doesn’t hurt either, but he feels a deeper connection. He thinks they can really have something together. She says she feels it too, and he asks if she’s willing to see where this goes. She says she doesn’t know how they can, as long as Cyrus is around. He says, Cyrus can go to hell.

Cyrus says Peter saw Brando with Sasha? What makes him think they were getting chummy? Peter says, they were stepping into the stairwell like they wanted to steal some one on one time. Forget his chauffeur’s love life. They need to focus on Gladys. She saw him in the hallway at Franco’s studio. She saw him toss the gun – the murder weapon. Gladys can’t change her statement now. Cyrus says, of course (🍷) not. It looks like they each have some work to do.  

Sonny gets Nina’s voicemail, and says, if she’s with Eli, call him back. He hangs up, and says, a barbecue. Oh my God. Where did you let him take you Nina?

Brando takes Sasha’s hands, and says they’ll find way around Cyrus. Don’t worry. He asks when her next visit with the doctor at Mercy is, and she says, three weeks. Does he want to come? He says, it’s a date, and she says, talk about doing things backward. He says, it’s not backward, it’s just us. She says, just us; it has a nice ring to it. Brando gets a text, and says he needs to make a pick-up, and deliver it to Cyrus. If they didn’t have to keep it a secret, he’d ask her to dinner tonight. She says she has a tricky relationship with food right now. She’d suggest they order in. He says if she needs him, just call, and he’ll be there; discretion be damned. She says he’s in more danger than she is. Take care of himself. He says he will.     

Maxie tells Spinelli, she can’t talk about it; no one can know. He asks if there’s something wrong with Louise that she’s been keeping secret. They’re privileged to be Georgie’s parents, but they’re also the oldest and closest of friends. They’ve seen each other through struggles and difficulties, and shared with each other their fondest hopes and darkest fears. Why should it be different now? Let him in. Let him help.

Dr. Gannon tells Britt, he has the test results. They ran a complete screening for the Huntington’s Disease marker, and the results… She says, stop.  

There’s a knock at Gladys’s door, and she jumps a mile. She says, silly goose, it’s probably just room service. Just a minute! She opens the door, and it’s Peter. He says, hello, Gladys, walks in, and closes the door.

Sonny looks at his phone, and says, maybe there’s something about a barbecue somewhere. He hears the door open, and says they’re closed. Lenny and Phyllis aren’t here. He sees a police officer has walked in, and says he’s glad the officer is there. They need to find Nina Reeves. The officer says, that will have to wait. He needs Sonny to answer some questions. Eli’s office was broken into and robbed the other night. Sonny asks what that has to do with him, and the officer says, Eli claims Sonny and Nina were behind it.

Maxie says she doesn’t know what to do, and Spinelli tells her to trust him. Rely on him. He’d do anything for her and the baby. She says she knows; she’s counting on it. He asks her to tell him the truth. Why is she so troubled? Why does she fear the loss of her baby?  

Dr. Gannon asks if something is wrong, and Britt says, she’s okay. Jason takes her hand, and she says she’s ready. The doctor says the test results show she has the marker for Huntington’s Disease. He’s very sorry. She cries for a moment, then gets up and leaves.   

At a warehouse, Cyrus says, Peter did well, and gets points for his expediency. Peter says, now it’s Cyrus’s turn. Keep him posted on Jason. Cyrus says, of course (🍷), and goes inside one of the rooms.

Carly goes to Glady’s hotel room, and sees the hallway empty. She says, Frank? She looks inside, and sees the room is trashed. She says, no.

Brando knocks at the door, and Cyrus says, come in. He’s finally found a way to shut up Brando’s mother. He steps aside, and we see Gladys tied up with duct tape over her mouth. Outside the door, Peter smiles.   

Six hours later. Someone falls down the stairs. It’s Peter.

Tomorrow, Brando asks Cyrus what he wants in exchange for Gladys, Maxie tells Spinelli about her plan to protect her baby, and Sonny says Nina is in trouble because of Elijah.

Below Deck Sailing Yacht

When we last left the guests were arguing and Dani wanted off the yacht, because she had enough of being involved with a 10 16 21 24 year old.

Necujam, Croatia. Dani tells Daisy, she doesn’t want to talk to him; she doesn’t want to look at him; she doesn’t want to be there. In Daisy’s interview, she wonders if it’s Dani’s imagination. In Dani’s interview, she says, people will judge her forever. She’ll just get some cats and be done with it. She and Daisy listen to the guests arguing.

Guest Bianca says, there’s been a lot of stuff said about her and to her. Co-primary Jess says, everyone has been talking sh*t about everybody. It’s in Bianca’s head. Guest Myra suggests everyone have some wine, and tells Daisy, Lord help us. Bianca says they’re not including her. Glenn tells Gary that it’s been sunny out for 15 minutes, and everything is still covered. In Glenn’s interview, he says, it’s the end of the season, but they can’t let their guard down. It’s not a game. Everyone is tired, especially after the crash, and he has to keep a close eye on everything. Bianca wails that they’re excluding her, and Natasha is dying laughing. Glenn asks the guests if everything is all right, and Jess says they’re fine. She asks if Glenn wants to join them for dinner, and in his interview, he says, f*** me, but tells Jess that he’d be honored. Bianca calls friend Fabiana, and says they’ve been torturing her because she’s the prettiest one. In Dani’s interview, she says, even if it’s her fault that JL gave her this sh*t to her, she wants out. JL snores away in his cabin. Dani tells Colin that she’s not sharing this with everyone, and whispers to him. He says, oh sh*t, and in his interview, he wonders if JL’s willy looks like the sea cucumber they picked up yesterday. We flash back to that, and Colin tells Dani not to worry. In his interview, he says, if everyone left the boat over an STD, there would be no yachties left in the world.   

Jess tells the other women that Bianca thinks they’re all jealous. She’s going to rip Bianca a new a-hole. She and Bianca start arguing, and Jess says, Bianca instigates and it’s unnecessary. She thinks they’re doing this because she’s pretty. Find her the mirror Bianca is looking at; she wants to put them all over her house. In Dani’s interview, she says, hashtag, savage. Jess says she doesn’t trust Bianca, and Bianca says they’ve been making fun of her since they got there. Colin tells Gary that Dani is talking about leaving, and Gary says he’s clean. Colin says, JL doesn’t even know what it is. It could be an ingrown hair or a pimple. Gary thinks it must be more than that.

The guests get ready to go snorkeling, and Erica says they need an activity to settle them down. Bianca tells Sydney, all’s well in hell, and in Gary’s interview, he says, get him out of here. Glenn says, it’s like Battle Royale, and Daisy says, it’s like boarding school. She heard Glenn is joining them for dinner, and he says he’s stressed as it is. In his interview, he says he doesn’t want a meal in the middle of the world’s biggest catfight. Thanks, but no thanks. Gary takes the guests to Stamorska Bay, and tells them, when they’re ready, jump in. One of the guests says it goes good with their mermaid theme tonight. Natasha asks what colors Daisy is using, and in her interview, Natasha says, last night, the guests were still hungry, and she doesn’t want a repeat. Her strategy is to just continue feeding them. The guests return from snorkeling, and Daisy tells Jess that Glenn is allergic to seafood, but what if he joins them for dessert? This seems to satisfy her, and Daisy tells Glenn about the huge favor she just did for him.    

Natasha says she has three hours to cook, and asks if Colin will take care of the crew dinner. JL says he’s going out to the effing war zone. From what he hears, the guests are overwhelmed with joy. In Gary’s interview, he says, he’s confused, and Alli tells him that they can still talk. JL says he’s getting genuinely worried that he has an STD; it’s starting to get out of hand and scary. He calls the crew doctor, and says he has sore, abrased skin on his weenie. The doctor says, it sounds worrisome, and agrees it could be an STD.

Daisy asks Dani how she’s feeling. The doctor asks JL if he’s experiencing painful urination, but JL says, no; it’s just red. The doctor says, it sounds like chafing, and in JL’s interview, he says, he hopes so. The doctor tells JL to upload a photo to the portal. If it’s chafing, it should clear up on its own, but if it doesn’t, JL can get a test just to be safe. Daisy pulls out decorations for the mermaid dinner, and says, they’re for a five-year-old’s birthday party. Gary asks what a pirate’s favorite letter of the alphabet is. You’d think it was R, but it be the C. JL tells Dani that it’s probably chafing, and in her interview, she says, are you 12? You don’t know the effing difference? She hugs him, and says she’s sure everything is going to be all right.   

Dani thanks Gary for being helpful, and Gary whines that he’s going to bed alone. In Alli’s interview, she says, now that she heard Gary and Sydney had sex, she doesn’t want to be that person. She needs to sleep peacefully with the decisions she’s made. She tells Gary that it’s not an attractive quality to pussyfoot around, and he says he would never do that. Daisy tells Alli to do her makeup, and she’ll set the table. The guests get ready, and Colin helps filet fish in the galley. Sydney says he’s getting to be quite the sous chef. Daisy says Colin can be a pirate, and the deckhands can be mermen. JL says he’s already been forced to do drag, and Colin announces the crew dinner is ready. Glenn says, finally, and Natasha gives him a look. Dani shows Alli how make mermaid-tinis, and says she doesn’t understand. JL said he gave her something, and now he says, it’s probably fine. In Daisy’s interview, she says, you don’t need to quit your job because your boyfriend’s penis hurts. It’s a bit dramatic. Guest Cindi pretends to be a lost mermaid. Daisy shows JL some sparkly, fish scale patterned leggings, and in JL’s interview, he says, there’s no way that’s happening. The table is beautiful; shells, netting, a lot of blue, and tiny white lights. Dani serves the drinks, while Alli cleans up the guest cabins. In her interview, Alli says, they have so many belongings. It’s disgusting, like an explosion. She knows they pay for service, but it’s disrespectful. There are a load of towels on the floor, and she says, the bin is literally right there.

Natasha serves the next course, which the guests think is amazing. Daisy tells Alli, they have to be like the guests’ mothers. Gary tries getting into the leggings by jumping around. JL, who’s apparently relented, says, Daddy Long Legs, don’t fail me now. Colin dresses as a pirate, and Gary adds a blue wig to his costume, prompting one of the guests to suggest putting a gem in his bellybutton so he’ll look like a Troll. No comment. Another guest says, this is epic sh*t, and Natasha tells them that there are more courses coming. Erica says it’s the best charter she’s ever experienced, and Natasha tells Glenn, the last course is coming out. Natasha tells Daisy that she’s going to do another dessert table; they won’t have to clean up.  The stews help her drizzle the chocolate on the table cover, and in Gary’s interview, he says it’s not his cup of tea. It was cool once, but they should serve nice desserts, not sh*t on the table. And we know he must have a refined palate. The guests insist JL slide across the table on his stomach, and in Glenn’s interview, he says he doesn’t think JL will do it. He does, and there’s chocolate everywhere. Glenn says, that sh*t better come out of the cushions – and off the teak. In JL’s interview, he says, if it will get them a bigger tip, hell yeah, he’ll do it. A guest licks chocolate off of JL’s chest, and I can’t even fathom doing something like that to a stranger. Dani starts cleaning up, and singing about money. Gary asks if he and Dani are going to have a cuddle tonight, and she says, no. He wonders if he should stop asking, and she says, yes.  

JL says he feels terrible, and Sydney asks if he thinks it was worth it. Alli tells Gary that they need to talk, but she’s nervous, and he says he is too. She says she really likes him, but there’s also another component. She found out something she didn’t know before; he and Sydney had sex. He says he’s not going to lie, and she says she feels like she disrespected Sydney. She feels like an a-hole, and doesn’t know what she’s supposed to do. In Gary’s interview, he says, f*** me. Instead of butterflies inside, he has dying butterflies, and it’s not a nice feeling. He’s massively disappointed, and feels like a d*ck. At the end of the day, he doesn’t feel the same way about Sydney that he does about Alli.

The guests are getting drunk, and smelling each other’s armpits, while Dani tends bar. Gary says he’s sorry he put Alli in this situation, and Alli suggests they see what happens after the charter season. While they’re working, she doesn’t think they should see each other. She hates saying that, but Gary tells her that he understands. He’s glad they had this little chat. Gary tells Colin what happened, and that it’s not good. Alli asks Daisy to come have a cigarette with her, and Daisy asks how she is. Alli says, not good. JL goes to bed, and Dani says she hopes he feels better. Gary tells Colin, he’s such a puss. He knew he was, but effing hell. Daisy asks Alli, what happened? and Alli says she told Gary that she knows he had sex with Sydney. Now she feels like a d*ck to Sydney. Daisy says, it’s just one more week. Colin says, if Gary really likes Alli, why not wait until the season is over? and Gary says maybe it’s good that he’ll ignore Alli, but when he’s drunk, he’s going to want to hook up with her.   

The next morning, JL gets a text from the doctor that says, it appears to be chafing, but if it doesn’t go away, let him know. Dani says, thank God. She’s so freaking relieved. Glenn calls boat tech Luka, and says he just needs the transom refinished, smoothed, and repainted. In Alli’s interview, she says, Gary is being weird, and in Gary’s interview, he says he feels like jumping overboard with an anchor tied to him, and never coming up. He feels like a proper d*ck. Well, he’s got that right, but he’s being just a bit dramatic, considering he’ll probably care about Alli for the amount of time it takes for him to be attracted to someone else. Daisy tells Alli that the guests are looking for a singer, and she was thinking of asking Sydney. Alli says she’s only heard Sydney sing once, and we flash back to the crew singing Happy Birthday.  

At breakfast, Glenn asks how the guests are, and one says the had to figure out what happened last night from the pictures. Glenn says, it was one of those nights. Daisy asks if Sydney wants to write a song to sing at the guests’ women’s empowerment dinner. In Daisy’s interview, she says, the irony is that this is one of the most awkward situations she’s ever been in. The stews and Sydney dance around, and laugh, singing about empowerment. Glenn asks them to keep their cackling below 150 decibels. One of the guests hopes they all get along today.

Daisy tells the guests that they have the beach picnic today, and will probably do some sailing. I’m fast running out of tolerance for Erica’s Kim Kardashian accent. It’s like nails on a chalkboard. Glenn puts the sails up, and radios the interior to keep an eye on the dishes on the dining table. Erica says, she feels perfect; there’s a nice wind. Daisy asks if Alli will give Cindi a massage, and in Alli’s interview, she says, as yachties, they work hard and put up with a lot of sh*t. We flash back to Cindi yapping at Alli as she unpacks Cindi’s suitcase, and Alli says she doesn’t like giving massages, but at least it makes the guests happy. Alli tells Daisy that it will probably be the fastest hour of her life, since Cindi will be talking. Erica comes upstairs, headed for the deck, and says she heard them. They drop anchor, and Erica says she’s annoyed. She heard Alli say something about her mom. New information, but not knowing how old either of them are, I’m not sure if Cindi looks young for her age, or Erica looks old for hers. Alli gives Cindi a massage, and Natasha makes lunch. Gary and Colin set up on the beach, and Erica says she thinks Bianca is copying her, but she doesn’t care. Jess says they just have one more night. Gary radios Daisy that he’s coming back to pick up the food. Sydney says, she wants to give a shout out to the guests in the song, using each of their names. In her interview, she says she was classically trained. The last show she did, she was Audrey in Little Shop of Horrors. She’s all about female empowerment and thinks girls should lift each other up. Daisy tells Gary that the ladies are ready go to the beach. He should pick them up in fifteen minutes, but lunch is still at 2.   

Erica tells Glenn that she heard Alli say something bad about her mom. She said giving Cindi a massage will be the fastest hour of her life, since Cindi will be talking her ear off. She doesn’t want to tell her mom because she’ll be sad; she said Alli is her favorite person there. Glenn says he’ll have a word with Alli, and in his interview, he says he’s disappointed. They’re meant to be more discrete than that. Erica – who is twice as irritating as her mother will ever be – says she gets protective about her mother. The others have been positive and engaging, and she wonders if Alli is having a personal struggle. Not content with unloading on Glenn, she tells Daisy that she’s upset. She walked in on her and Daisy’s conversation, and her mom loves Alli. Daisy says, the irony is that Alli loves her mom too. She promises the comment wasn’t meant to be negative. Glenn asks Daisy to talk to Alli, and in Daisy’s interview, she says, it’s so embarrassing.

The beach is set up, and Daisy pretends to talk to Alli. She says, it was bad timing that Erica walked in when they were talking. Alli asks if Glenn is upset, and Daisy says, no. He just wanted to clarify. Alli says they probably shouldn’t talk about the guests at all. Colin tells Sydney that he just got new guitar strings, and Daisy tells Alli to go on break, while she goes back to those crazy women. Everything is so messy. The guests are taken to the beach, and Erica has difficulty walking on the rocks in her wedges. A table has been set up under a canopy, and Dani tells them, enjoy themselves for now and have some wine; lunch will be soon. Jess tells Bianca that she has to move because Jess wants to sit next to Erica. Bianca says she’s there now, but Jess says her stuff was there, and it got moved when they were taking pictures. Erica says she can’t help it if she’s popular. Colin plays his guitar while Sydney tries to come up with a song.  

Glenn asks Natasha how it’s going, and she says, good. Dani calls the yacht from the beach, and tells Daisy that they need rosé. Daisy says they’re out, but they’re supposed to get some this evening. She tells Dani to suggest champagne in the meantime. Dani says they need water too, and Daisy wonders, how much effing water can they drink? Glenn says they have to get the food to the beach, and Daisy says she found more rosé; she’ll send it back with Gary. Glenn tells her not to say she found it, but it just came in, so it looks planned. In Glenn’s interview, he says he doesn’t know what’s going on with the crew. Everyone seems a little off. They’ve got to do better. He’s losing patience. They have a charter and a half until the end of the season, and they’ve been dropping the ball too much. Get your sh*t together. Natasha runs out to the tender, and says, they’re missing something. Glenn says, let’s go, but there’s still a bunch of food in the galley.

Next time, Daisy says, this is hard to watch; Dani tells JL that she’s moving to America, and they’re getting married and having babies; and Colin tells Gary that if he likes Alli, don’t f*** Sydney. You’d think that would be a given, but I guess not.

🎶 Their Name On a Billboard…

The Billboard Music Award winners.

https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/awards/9576742/2021-billboard-music-awards-winners-list

And how they were dressed. You know, the important part.

https://people.com/style/best-dressed-stars-billboard-music-awards-2021/

https://www.essence.com/fashion/fashion-moments-2021-billboard-music-awards/

🧚🏽 Dream a Little Dream…

The week has begun. It’s mask on, mask off, and hopefully, you’re enjoying more freedom these days. But whether you’ve rejoined the race, are taking your time, or decided to drop out, stay safe, stay mellow, and stay knowing the difference between chafing and… well, you know.

May 23, 2021 – Teddy Reveals What the Key Unlocks, Jumping Dead, Traveling Beyond, the Skinny On the Dead & Telephone

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

Fear the Walking Dead

We hear the news on the television saying that patients no longer have their faculties, and the hospitals will no longer offer medical care, because the patients aren’t in their right minds. We see Teddy in a Department of Corrections uniform, writing notes. On the walls on his cell are news articles about him, and John Dorie Sr. arresting him, along with a picture of his mother. He hears someone yelling, no! and the guards drag a guy down the hall. Teddy tells him, don’t be afraid. Remember, the end is the beginning. He’s about begin a new life. A guard asks if Teddy actually believes all that bullsh*t he spews. Get it all out. He’ll walk this walk soon enough. Teddy sets aside his dinner tray, and goes back to his notes. Alarms sound, and all the doors open. Zombies come through the hall, and Teddy looks out, then goes back in his call. Chaos begins, and as they go by, an inmate attacks a guard, then a guard attacks an inmate. A zombie walks into Teddy’s cell, and backs him against the wall. Teddy holds the zombie back, and stabs it in the head with his pen. It drops to the floor and he looks at his mother’s picture, saying, he was right. He just needed to be patient. He tells his mother’s photo, it’s not bullsh*t. It’s revelation. He scoots past the mayhem, and out.

A loudspeaker says, you have been here before. You have lived this moment before. We don’t want to believe it. We don’t want to accept it. We are in a loop. Alicia lies on a mat on the floor, while the recording repeats. The world wears it’s ugliness on its sleeve. It has told us who it is… Riley comes in and asks if she’s ready to accept his word. She just looks at him, and he tosses her a can of soda. We hear, we must break it, or we are doomed to repeat it

Teddy comes in, and Alicia is sitting at a table. She said he stopped sending his errand buy, and he says it wasn’t his preferred method of abduction for her. She says, locking her up like a prisoner? and he says he was locked up once. He thought it was the end of the road, but it was the opposite. He’d hoped it would hold the same revelation as it did for him. She says, sorry to disappoint him, and he says he brought good news. They’ve found a new home. They’re packing up as they speak. The Holding served its purpose, but they needed something safer and sturdier, where they can truly begin again. Before they take those first steps together, he needs assurances that she’s dedicated and committed to what they’re doing. She says he’s not going to get them, and he asks what he is going to get. She says she doesn’t know. Probably something he doesn’t like. Riley says he’s wasting his time, and aims his gun at Alicia. Teddy says, Riley… and Riley says, leave her behind. Teddy grabs Riley’s balls from behind instead, and says, no. She’s coming with him. He tells Alicia, it’s surprising what pick up on death row.

Teddy puts gas in the truck, and Riley asks where he’s taking Alicia. Teddy says, it’s a personal matter, and he wants her to accompany him. Riley says, why her? and Teddy says he’d like to get to know Alicia better. He has the feeling she’s going to be critical for their new beginning. Don’t question him about her again. A school bus arrives, and Teddy applauds. Alicia asks, who are they? and he says, new recruits, picked up while they were scouting. He says, welcome, and tells them to come and see their new home. Alicia says, Dakota? and Teddy asks if Dakota is a friend of Alicia’s. Alicia says, that’s not the word she’d use. Dakota killed someone she knew. Teddy asks, why? and Dakota says, it was something that had to be done. Teddy asks if Dakota came alone, with no family, and Alicia says Dakota actually tried to kill her own mother. Teddy asks if she succeeded, and Dakota says, someone else did. He tells her, hop in; she’s coming. Alicia says she’s not going anywhere with Dakota, but Teddy says she’s not at liberty to make that call. Alicia says, if he was smart, he wouldn’t bring her, and Riley says he shouldn’t bring any of them. Teddy puts his keys around Riley’s neck, and says if they don’t show by tomorrow, he knows what to do.    

Dakota tells Alicia, this isn’t what it looks like, and Alicia says, it wasn’t the last time either. Dakota says, this time it’s different. They went looking for Alicia, and she came there to help. Alicia says she doesn’t want or need Dakota’s help, and Dakota says Alicia left before she heard what happened. It was getting bad. Morgan tried to bring them together, but she thinks it’s worse. She wants to make up for what she did. She needs to, whether Alicia believes her or not. She’s heard what’s taking place. Teddy has a place stocked so they don’t have to step outside for years. They can kill him. He’s scary as hell, but he’s old. He’s stupid for not believing who we are. Alicia says, there is no we, and there never will be. Just stay out of her way. She wants to know what they’re up to and where they’re going. And why Teddy has those keys. Dakota asks what Alicia is going to do, when Teddy comes back, and they get in the truck.  

As they’re driving, Alicia says, it’s not going to work, and Teddy says, what? She says, bringing her out there. It’s not going to break her. Cut the sh*t. She knows Riley heard their recordings, and told him about the stadium where she used to live. He says, the place where her mother grew crops? It’s no coincidence she’s there. The universe sends signs, and it’s up to them to interpret them. Dakota says, like what? and he says, it’s no accident they’re there; the timing and reason for their arrival. Things can reveal themselves.

They go to a cemetery where there are several crypts, and Teddy opens one. He asks for a hand. They applaud. Just kidding. Alicia helps him pull out a casket, and he opens it. He says, hello, mother, and pets the corpse’s head. Alicia asks how she died, and he says, she was taken way before her time, but that doesn’t mean she can’t be a part of the new beginnings. When they’re finished, all this will be gone. I assume by that answer he means he killed her.

They drive with the corpse in the truck bed, and Alicia asks if that’s why Teddy brought them, to dig up his mother’s corpse. He says all three of them lost their mothers, and he wanted them to help him accompany his to their new home. Dakota asks, why? and he says he’s wanted to do this for a long time. He told his mother he was going to do it, and he ended up in a prison cell, condemned to death. He thought he’d failed. Every night, he looked at this. He shows them his mother’s picture, and says he was disgusted with himself. He thought was wrong, and what he’d done was all for nothing. Then he realized he wasn’t wrong. He just needed to be patient. And then it happened. Alicia says, what? and he says, the world changed, and with it his freedom. He had a chance to reshape the world, and everything in it. He could preserve what he loved, and destroy what he didn’t. Alicia asks if he thinks he can do all that with a pair of keys, and he laughs. She asks what it unlocks, and he says, their future. Dakota says he’s sounding like her mom, when the front tire hits something, and they careen all over the road. The corpse falls out, and Teddy stops the truck, yelling, mother! He gets out, and opens the blanket covering the body. He kisses her cheek and says, it will be all right. He asks Alicia and Dakota to please help him get her back on the truck. Please. They lift her, and Dakota sees that a bunch of zombies are about to approach them. Teddy is about to shoot, but Alicia says the sound will just draw more. Even without the sound, more are coming. Dakota picks up a chunk of hard wood, and she and Alicia smack TF out of the zombies’ heads, as Teddy stabs them. Suddenly, the zombies who are still on their feet are shot. Alicia says, Cole? Cole says, Alicia? She says, is that you? and he says he was about to ask her the same question. She goes over to Cole, and Teddy asks, who the hell is that? Alicia says, an old friend, and Teddy asks, what kind? Cole says, Alicia’s mom is the only reason he’s not a skinbag, and Teddy says, how’s that for a sign?

Teddy picks up the walkie talkie, and radios Riley, saying they’re in need of roadside assistance. Does he copy? He gets no response, and says he’ll see if he can fare any better up the road. Dakota goes with him, and Alicia says she can’t believe it’s Cole. Has he been on the road all this time? He nods, and says, a long time. They spent weeks looking for her, and finally figured she’d died in the fire at the stadium. There are some others still around, thanks to what her mom did. He asks how her brother is, and Alicia doesn’t say anything. He says he’s sorry, and she shakes her head. She tells him, Luciana is still alive; Victor too. Cole asks where they are, and she says Luci is living in the same place she is, and Victor went his own way. Cole says, he always does, and he asks what they’re doing out that way. They’ve come far, and have a lot of gas. You don’t see much of that these days. Alicia says, Teddy has been stocking up for a while, and Cole asks who Teddy is. What’s his deal? She says she’s still figuring it out, when Teddy comes back and says he can’t get a signal. He doesn’t suppose Cole knows where they can get a new car. Cole says there’s an old auto parts shop nearby, but they shouldn’t go there on their own; it’s not safe. He’s seen them set zombies on people as they’re passing through. Dakota asks who they are, and he says, unsavory types. A lot of the dead they see, they killed them. Some of them look like Swiss cheese after they take what they want. He can get them where they need to go. He knows the roads they need to take. Alicia says he doesn’t have to, but Cole says he believes he does. Lead the way. Teddy says he’ll need Cole’s gun, and Cole says he’s not handing Teddy anything. Teddy says, fine; hand it to Alicia. He’s beginning to trust her, and wants to make sure she trusts him. Cole gives Alicia his gun, and tells her, it’s all right. Teddy stabs one last zombie in the head, and they walk off.   

Dakota asks how long Teddy was locked up, and he says, almost 30 years. She asks what he did, and he says killed the people who got in his way; who didn’t see the world the way he did. His mom had him locked up. He did what he could to get away. She asks if he knew the people he killed, and he says, some of them. She asks if he feels bad, and he wonders if he detects some guilt. She says she only killed when she had to, and he asks if she knew them. She says, one more than the others. They were starting to become a family. He asks if she feels bad, but she says, no. She didn’t have much choice. People look at her like they’re scared of her, but it’s just the way things are. Teddy says, if they’re frightened by what she’s saying, it’s because it’s the truth. She’s right. That’s the way things are.

As they walk ahead, Cole says, Alicia has his gun. They could take Teddy out, but she says they can’t, He says, it doesn’t seem like much of a worry if he’s gone, and she says, he’s a guru. If he doesn’t do it, his people will. Cole asks if she has any idea what it is, and she says, no, but it’s something big. He has followers, and a bunker with enough food for years. Cole says Alicia could join them after she finds out what it is. They have it good. She says she can’t, and he says he’s been looking for a way to pay her mother back for the favor she did. Maybe this is it. Maybe he found it. They arrive at the auto parts place.

Teddy watches Alicia, and she asks if there’s a problem. He says she reminds him of her, and she says, who? He gets teary, and says, his mother. Has she decided yet if she’s going to join them underground? She says, no, because he’s wrong. Suddenly a bunch of people come in, wearing bandanas bandit style, and carrying guns. Cole cocks his gun, and says, those unsavory types he told them about, he’s one of them. They take their bandanas off, and Doug says, sorry, Alicia. Next to him, Viv takes off her bandana, and Alicia says, they’re kidding her. Cole says they’re not, and Teddy says, after her mother saved their lives? and Cole says, maybe she should have let them die.

Alicia asks, what happened? and Cole says they were looking for a place to hole up and regroup. They looked for her, Nick, Victor, and Luci. They went to a motel off 78, and people were waiting for them. Most of them were killed. Alicia asks, who’s left? and he says, she’s looking at them. She says, so they decided to do the same thing to whoever else they crossed paths with? Teddy says, that’s what he’s trying to get her to understand; the patterns of the universe. It’s the people like Cole in the world, who they need to destroy. Dakota says she’s not proud of what she did, but it was all she could do. Alicia says, they had another way, and Cole says, they know how that ended. They tried to find a way to do things that was more than looking out for themselves, but most of them are gone. So they found this way, and they’re still standing. Alicia says, they became the people they’d been fighting off, and Cole says, there are always bad people waiting to make things go south. For you, not them. Teddy says he knows how to fix that. Get rid of Cole. Cole says, that will be hard to do when Teddy is on that end of the shotgun. Teddy laughs, and Cole says, keep walking, gramps.

Doug fixes the tire on the truck, and Teddy approaches Alicia. He says he doesn’t want to rub salt in her wound, but he knows what she’s thinking. She says she highly doubts it, and he says, she’s thinking her mother died for something. She’d thought the people her mother saved went off to live meaningful lives, but most of them are dead. Those that aren’t, are living like bottom feeders. Alicia asks if this isn’t what he wants, and he says he doesn’t want to see her in pain. He wants her to understand they’re both after the same thing. She can fulfill her potential more than she knows. He’s confident that she’s the person he’s been looking for. She says he’s delusional, and he says she doesn’t know what he’s set out to do. She says she’s been trying to figure it out for weeks, but has no clue. Just tell her. Cole comes over to them, and asks, what about a gun pointed at them makes them think they should take a break? Alicia tells him, take the truck. Take what they want, and let them walk out. Cole says, and they’ll never bother them again? but Teddy says, he doesn’t make promises he can’t keep. Cole says he tried Alicia’s way, and nearly got killed. Teddy’s place sounds nice. Tell him where it is. There’s got to be a map in the truck. Teddy says they won’t find anything in there, and Cole aims his gun at Teddy, saying, he’ll be more than happy to open it. Alicia says, Cole… and Cole asks why she’s protecting this a-hole. Doug calls to Cole, and tells him, they’ve been way too long, and Viv says, forget it. They have the truck, gas, and food. It’s more than they had this morning. Cole says, Teddy has a place stocked with supplies. They have water and power. They’ll be safe there; they can live there. He asks where it is, and Teddy says, go ahead and kill him. He’ll return to the earth, and live on. Someone else will finish what he started. Cole says he knows how to get Teddy to talk. Move. He pushes Teddy along.

Cole pulls the corpse out of the truck bed, and on to the ground. He says he saw upset Teddy was when the body went flying out. He shoots it in the chest, and Dakota says, what the hell? Cole says he’ll blow her head off, and Teddy says, go on. Cole asks what kind of psycho Teddy is, and Teddy says, Cole is the one shooting a corpse. Dakota says she’s sorry, and Teddy says, don’t be; that’s not his mother. His mother is buried on the family farm. Alicia says he lied, but he says, no; he showed her the truth. She was right; he confesses. Her journey was not a coincidence. He was hoping to find proof that the people who her mother saved were dead, but he didn’t suspect to find a living one. It proves his point even more. Cole says they’ll take the truck and tells Alicia he’s sorry. He really is. He knows what her mother did for them, so he’s going to do something he normally wouldn’t. Come with them. Alicia says she can’t. She has to find out what they’re doing. He asks, why? and she says, people will die. He says, who? Victor? Why isn’t Victor out looking for her? They have a truck and gas. They can get the hell out, and drive smart, far away. Whatever they’re doing, Victor is doing the same thing. He’s got to warn her. If she doesn’t take him up on it, he’ll have no choice but to kill her too. Alicia nods, and says she guesses that makes her decision easier. Go to hell. He cocks his gun, and tells her to get on her knees. He’ll make it fast.

Dakota and Alicia kneel, while Teddy sits cross-legged in the road. Cole says, one more chance, old man. Where are you going? Teddy tells Alicia and Dakota, everything he’s planned will proceed without them. Alicia asks if Cole is really doing this, and Cole says he gave her an out. He’ll put her down, and bury her. She sarcastically says, thank you, and he says they can be a warning to others. They hear zombie noises, and Doug tells Cole to get it over with. They’re about to have visitors. Alicia says, it doesn’t have be like this, but Cole says he’s heard that too many times. Sorry. Teddy says, these people don’t know what they know. They’re killing people off, but don’t know the difference between a weak and good thing. They don’t know him. Cole aims his gun at Teddy, but Alicia jumps up, and pushes the barrel away. The zombies arrive, and chaos happens. They eat Doug and Viv, and I think, it couldn’t happen to nicer people. Teddy laughs, as he slices away, and Cole shoots some of them. Alicia comes toward Cole, using a zombie as a shield, and aiming a gun from under the zombie’s arm. Teddy says, shoot him; do it. Instead, she shoves the zombie on Cole, but he shoots it. He and Alicia stand face to face, aiming their guns at each other. Alicia says, her mother died so he’d have a chance, and Teddy says he knows she doesn’t want to get rid of her mother… She tells him, shut up. She’s not talking him. She tells Cole, he was supposed to make it mean something, and threw it all away. Cole says, maybe in time she’ll listen to her friend… Maybe in time she’ll let go… She shoots him in the head. She says Teddy knows he’s wrong. They don’t have to destroy everything to make it better. Just people like Cole. Teddy smiles.

Zombie Doug gets a knife in the head from Alicia; ditto with zombie Viv. Dakota says, it’s not as hard as Alicia thinks, and Alicia says, for Dakota. Dakota says, not just for her. It’s how the world is working. She tried to explain to John, so he’d see it the same way we do. Again, Alicia says, there is no we, and Dakota says she had to do it. Alicia says she believes in something better, and Dakota says, like Alicia’s mom did. She never had that. No one gave her anything to believe in. Alicia says, that’s not true. She tried, and Dakota threw it away, like Cole did. Teddy says he’s proud of Alicia; she let go of the past. He laughs, and says she isn’t afraid to change. Alicia says, that doesn’t mean she’s going to fall in line behind him, and he says she’s not afraid to question him. She reminds him of his mother. Alicia asks if his mother thought he was a nutjob too. He says when he was at mortician school, he was trying to figure out how he could change things. He read about it in journals, but they only saw part of it; why they need to end everything. His mother thought he was sick… no, disturbed was the word she used. She threated to call social services, and have him committed. She said she wanted to put an end to his sick thoughts about new beginnings. She never knew how right he was. Alicia says she takes it his mother didn’t listen, and he says he killed her. (Points for me.) He buried her body on the farm, and waited through fall and winter. He was worried someone would find the body, but when spring came, the strangest thing happened. The most beautiful morning glories bloomed over her body. He realized, it wasn’t enough to change things – that was the first part. They needed a new beginning where people like his mother could thrive, free of the patterns of a broken world. Alicia asks how he plans to destroy the world, and he says she earned the truth today. The key will launch a missile from a beached submarine ashore in Galveston. That should do job, doesn’t she think? Alicia says she thinks – she takes the walkie talkie out of his hand – that Cole is not the only person they need to get rid of to make the world better. She aims her gun at him, and behind her, Dakota aims hers at Alicia. She says, Alicia will have to get rid of her too.

Alicia asks, what happened to making things right, and Dakota wanting to make a fresh start? Teddy says they’re not going to stop what he’s doing. He wants Alicia alive. Alicia goes up the road with the walkie talkie, and Teddy says, it’s okay. Alicia radios Morgan, and asks if anyone is there. She sees Riley coming with the others, and backs away. She asks if anyone can hear her, and Victor asks if she’s okay. She asks if she can trust him, and he says, of course. What’s wrong? She says  she knows what they’re going to do. There’s a beached submarine in Galveston. Dakota is part of it, and they need to get themselves far away. Riley draws his gun, and Teddy says Alicia is what he’s been hoping for. Alicia asks what he means, and he says she’s the right person for what’s to come. One of Teddy’s followers grabs her, and Teddy follows them to the car, along with Dakota.

They go to a hotel, and get out of the car, Alicia with her wrists bound. Teddy says, in the 1950s, Uncle Sam built a bunker beneath the resort for government officials to wait out the country’s inevitable destruction. It was long forgotten, but Riley found a mention in the newspaper. Uncle Sam was smart about what was coming, just not when. He asks Riley what it’s like, and Riley says, better than The Holding. Teddy says he supposes he should thank Alicia for burning down the other place. Alicia asks if his followers know, and he says, they know they’ll live in a well-stocked new home. He wants to show Alicia around himself. He tells the others to wait there. He’ll be all right. There’s nothing to worry about.

Teddy and Alicia go inside, and he says he wanted to get to know her, and he’s glad he did. She’s the one who can finish what he started. She says she’s not finishing anything, and he says, it’s nearly the end. He’s the ending, and can’t be the beginning, but she can. She asks, what makes him think that? and he says, she’ll do what needs to be done without losing sight of the one thing that will be in short supply when this is over. She says, what’s that? and he says, hope. He opens the door to the bunker, and Alicia says, she told them what he’s doing. They’re going to stop him. He locks her inside, and says, he knows it’s hard for her, but it’s what’s happening. They’re going to rebuild the world from there. He and Alicia are alike. He was ahead of his time, and while he was inside, the world changed to be perfectly suited for him. And that’s exactly what’s going to happen. She shakes her head, and he tells her, good luck. Alicia yells that she will not make the world the way he wants it, but he says he knows. That’s what he’s counting on. She watches him leave.

Next time – two episodes left – Teddy says things are about to get started, Dakota asks if everyone knows they’re going to die, Morgan and Victor go to the beach in Galveston, and Morgan asks if Victor is ready to do this.

🕰 Jumping Time…

I don’t mind a time jump, as long as there aren’t several within an episode. That makes me dizzy.

https://comicbook.com/tv-shows/news/fear-the-walking-dead-season-6-finale-time-jump-season-7-nuclear-missile/

🗺 New Places…

Oh, so they mean it will be more like Z Nation? Yes, I’m still bitter about it being canceled.

https://comicbook.com/tv-shows/news/the-walking-dead-world-beyond-season-2-crazy-different-places-new-locations-rick-grimes-scott-gimple/

⚰️ Everything…

Absolutely all you need to know about Season 11 of The Walking Dead, coming to you on August 22nd. This year.

https://www.tomsguide.com/news/the-walking-dead-season-11-release-date-cast-episodes-rick-grimes-return-and-latest-news

🌃 Calling It a Night…

Whether the Sunday scaries are back for you, you have nothing to be frightened of, or everything freaks you out, stay safe, stay environmentally conscious, and stay preserving what you love, but not by destroying anything.

May 21, 2021 – Memorial For a Spy, Tribute Talk, New Love, a Battle, Too Bad, New Shows, Old Shade, Freddy’s Back, Balancing Docs, Close To 12 Quotes & Bowl This

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

County Kerry Ireland. We hear bagpipes play. Annie tells Felicia and Mac that she can’t believe how many of them came, all the way from America. Felicia says, that’s how much they loved her dad, and how much they wanted to be there to support her and her mom. Annie says, it means a lot that they came to honor him, and Felicia says her dad loved her. She was his pride and joy. Annie thanks Felicia and hugs her. She says, the inn is just over the hill; she hopes they can stop by. Felicia says, of course (🍷). Annie leaves, and Anna asks Felicia if they can talk, but Felicia says, now is not the time, and she and Mac leave. Anna looks at Sean’s gravestone.

Robin sets out pictures of Sean, alone and with the family, and tells Robert, when she heard the news, she wondered why she hadn’t made more time to see Sean and Tiffany in Ireland. The kids would have loved it. She wonders if they should have left Anna and Felicia at Sean’s grave. At least Mac is there. She doesn’t think she’s ever seen Felicia so angry before.

Maxie tells the baby, they’re almost there. They just have to make sure her father is removed from the equation. Trust her; it’s for the best. There’s a knock at the door, and Peter says it’s him, because his antennae go up every time Maxie moves. He says he wants to say goodbye before she goes to the spa. She says, speak of the devil.

Monica and Laura look at the programs from the memorial, and Monica says, it was a beautiful service, wasn’t it? Laura says, the priest was really eloquent. And Tiffany. That was so brave. She doesn’t know how Tiffany held it together like that. She was really proud of her. Monica says, her too. While she was watching Tiffany, she thought of herself standing there at Alan’s funeral. It’s all so surreal. You’ve lost your life’s partner, you try to get through the loss, and just be grateful for the good times. Laura says, and Sean Donely was definitely a man who appreciated a good time. They laugh, and she says, now that all the religious stuff is over, she thinks Sean would want them to celebrate his life. Monica says, hear, hear.

Maxie tells Peter that she’s just packing for her spa trip, and he asks, where’s Chloe? He thought she understood she was to be with Maxie at all times until the baby is born.

Felicia comes back with Mac to find her umbrella, and Anna asks if she can please stay so they can talk. Felicia says, trust her. Anna doesn’t want to hear what she has to say. Anna says, she does. They can’t get past this until they go through it. Mac says, they just said goodbye to Sean, and they were two of his favorite people. He would hate to see them at odds, so if it’s possible for them to talk it out, think of it as a last wish of Sean’s. Felicia says she’ll stay… for Sean. Mac says he loves them both, and leaves.

Annie comes in, and Laura asks if Annie’s mom is there. They barely got to speak at the memorial. Annie says, she and Connor took some of her father’s ashes to spread them at his local village. Robert says, Sean told him stories about that place. He said it reminded him of Annie’s namesake. Robin says, if Annie doesn’t mind her asking, how bad was the dementia? Did Sean know who she was? Annie says, yes and no. Her last good memory of him was last Christmas when he gave her this ring. She shows them, and Laura says, it’s beautiful. Annie says, his last year was pretty muddled, but there were some days he was sharp as a tack. He knew that the Christmas star was going to be visible in Ireland for the first time in 800 years. He said it was a miracle, just like her. Laura asks if the ring has any significance, and Annie says, cubanite is known to attract magnets. Robert says, that’s how Sean saw her. Laura says she heard the reception was better outside, so she’s stepping out to call Tiffany. Annie says she knows her mother would be thrilled to hear from Laura.

Outside, Laura calls Tiffany, who asks if she’s supposed to call Laura Madam Mayor now. Laura says, just Laura, and laughs. She says it’s good to hear Tiffany’s voice, and Tiffany says she feels the same way. Laura says she wants to hear about Tiffany’s life; the good, the bad, and everything in between. She doesn’t have to edit. She can say what she’s feeling. Laura says she’s there for Tiffany, and Tiffany says, as you always are, darling.

Robert tells Annie, Tiffany told him that she applied to the Bureau. How’s that going? She says she was hellbent on following in her father’s footsteps, and Robert says, was; meaning past tense? She says she completed her training, but then, nothing. They were supposed to contact her for her final test, but they never did. She assumes she didn’t make the cut. He tells her not to be too disappointed. It’s not easy to get into the Bureau. She says, the WSB contacted her after her father died, but not to offer condolences. Her dad still had sensitive WSB documents, and they’re sending a courier for them tomorrow. Robert says he knows it’s a lot to ask, but he and Anna were close to her dad, and still have clearance. Is it possible for them to have access to the files?

Tiffany tells Laura, from the moment Sean walked into her life until the second he left it, he was heartbreakingly handsome, exasperating, terribly funny, and fun. We see flashbacks as she talks. She says, he had the driest sense of humor, and a twinkle in his eye. Even that time he broke her heart. In the 35 years they were with each other, they had the most magical life together. It was the best life she could ever have dreamed of. He gave her a wonderful stepson, Connor, and an amazing, fantastic daughter. She can’t wait to see Laura tomorrow. Laura says she loves Tiffany, and Tiffany says she loves Laura too. Her dear, dear friend. Laura says, tomorrow. She looks at her room key, as someone approaches. She drops the key.   

Maxie says Chloe has to pack for their spa getaway, but he says, it doesn’t take all afternoon to pack. He’ll stay until Chloe gets back; he doesn’t want her to be alone. Bobbie arrives, and says, Maxie won’t be alone. She’ll be with Maxie. She’ll take care of Maxie, so Peter can go.   

Robin asks if anyone has seen Laura. She went outside to call Patrick, and found this. She shows them Laura’s room key.

Annie tells Robert that her dad was very protective of his files, He designed the safe himself, and it requires a retinal scan to open it. Robert says, so now that Sean is gone, no one can access it? She says she can, and Robert says, it’s an old case, and they’re dealing with something similar now. Sean’s case files may hold the key. She says she’s sorry, but she can’t give him access.

Anna thanks Felicia for talking with her. She knows she deserves Felicia’s anger. Felicia says, it’s not anger; it’s rage for what Anna did to her daughter. Maxie’s life is in tatters thanks to Anna. Anna is Maxie’s godmother, and Maxie believed in Anna because Felicia put her in a position of trust in Maxie’s life. Peter was Faison’s son, and admitted to working with him. They should have been more suspicious. She takes it back; she was suspicious. Anna convinced them to give Peter a chance, and because of her, Maxie believed in him. Maxie loved him, but the second Anna had doubts, she should have let her and Mac know. If she was uncomfortable with that, at the very least she should have told Maxie. Anna didn’t protect her goddaughter. And worse, her closest friend gave her no chance to protect her own child. She walks away.

Robert asks if anyone has seen Laura. Robin found Laura’s key outside, Mac went to look for Laura, and now he’s gone. Monica says she hasn’t seen him, and Annie says neither has she. Mac walks in, and Robert says, one down. Now they just have to find Laura. Mac says he hates to admit it, but he can’t find Laura’s room. The rooms aren’t ordered with any rhyme or reason. Robert says, Annie rented the place for them. Can she take him to Laura’s room? Annie says, no problem, and she and Robert go upstairs. Robin says she’s worried, and asks if Anna talked to Felicia. Anna says, Felicia talked; unloaded would be more accurate. She supposes she had it coming, and Robin says, Felicia has the right to her anger, but Anna also has the right to explain her side too. Try again. Be brave like she taught Robin. Anna says she loves Robin, and Robin says, back at her. Felicia comes in, and Robin makes herself scarce. Anna says, everything Felicia said is true, but she doesn’t know how to begin to apologize. Felicia says, then don’t. She doesn’t think she can forgive Anna.

Peter tells Bobbie, there’s no harm in him sticking around too. He is the baby’s father. Bobbie says she’s a licensed nurse, with decades of experience. She knows about Maxie’s high blood pressure issues, and knows that Peter’s presence exacerbates them. He can leave or be escorted out. Peter says, since Maxie is in good hands, he’ll go. He says he’ll miss her, and Maxie says she’ll see him after the babymoon. He leaves, and Maxie says, thank God Bobbie came. Bobbie says, two questions. What the heck is a babymoon, and why was it so urgent that she come over? Maxie says she needs Bobbie to deliver her baby.

Upstairs at the inn, Annie says, the door to Laura’s room is open. Robert looks in, and calls to Laura. He says, the room is a wreck, and Annie says, it looks ransacked. Robert says he’ll try calling Laura, when Robin joins them. She asks, what’s going on? and Annie says, the locks on Laura’s room look jimmied, and she’s gone. Robert says he’s getting no answer. Annie picks up a Mexican flag wrapped around a toy gun, and says, her dad worked in Mexico, under the alias El Patron. Robert says, he was an arms dealer; not one of his finest hours. Annie says, Laura is missing. Someone broke in and left this for them to find. Could all of this have something to do with her dad?

Mac tells Monica, they’re low on ice, but there’s none in the icemaker in the kitchen. She says Annie told her the caretaker keeps an extra refrigerator in the garage. He says, he’ll check it out, and leaves. Monica sits down with her drink, and someone approaches. She drops the glass, and it shatters on the floor.

Anna tells Felicia, she made terrible mistakes where Peter was concerned. She let the whole thing go on for too long. Felicia says, Maxie was literally at the altar when the horrible truth finally came out. If Anna had just warned her, she could have made arrangements to come home and be by Maxie’s side. Now her daughter is broken. Anna says, no. Her daughter is down, but certainly not out. Felicia asks if that’s what Anna is telling herself; Maxie is strong enough to overcome the disaster Anna made for her. Anna says she wanted to believe the best about Peter. She ignored the warning signs, and kept seeing what she wanted to see. By the time she realized how wrong she was, the wedding was upon them. She regrets her actions every single day. Maxie has started to forgive her – she thinks – and she’s doing everything she can to put Peter away. Please tell her that counts for something. Felicia says she hardly remembers a time when they weren’t friends. They’ve been through so much; her and Frisco, and Anna and Robert. No one was better suited as Maxie’s godparents than Anna and Sean. Anna was there for Maxie, long after Sean and Tiffany left town, and for her. We flash back to when Anna and Felicia were practically babies, and Anna asks how she can make amends. What can she do for Felicia to forgive her?

Robert says he’ll call the local police, and Annie says, they’re not close by, but he should be able to get them on the phone. She suggests Robert go to the window in the hallway; she’s gotten better reception there. Annie tells Robin, it’s no secret her dad had enemies. This could be one targeting her dad’s friends.

Maxie says she trusts Bobbie as much as her mom, and Bobbie says, Maxie is obviously in trouble. Maxie says she had a plan to deliver her baby, and keep her safe from Peter, but those plans fell through. Bobbie says, so what’s the new plan? and Maxie says she’s made arrangements to go to a spa that caters to pregnant women; that’s the babymoon part. She’s going to ditch the private nurse Peter insisted she hire; then make it look like her water broke, and she went to the hospital. Instead, she’s really going to a house in Beecher’s Corners to have the baby. Her doctor said it’s safe for her to be induced. Bobbie says, so that’s where she comes in. She’s assisted with enough births to know what to do, and her contact at GH can get supplies. She can meet Maxie at Beecher’s Corners. Maxie says, thank you so much, and Bobbie says, one question. Who will be taking care of the baby until Peter is no longer a threat? 

Robert comes back, and tells Annie that the police said they’d be there in twenty minutes. She asks what he thinks is going on, and he says, for all the good work Sean did for the WSB, he also spent time on the opposite side of the law. Sean was absolutely ruthless when he needed to be, and if the payoff was enough. He even tried to kill Robert once. We flash back to Sean and Robert fighting in an aerial tram, and Robert falling from it. Annie says she’s well aware of her dad’s past mistakes. She hates thinking his past mistakes are coming back to haunt his friends. Robin says her parents have had a lot of experience in situations like this. Whatever is going on, they’ll get her through it.

Felicia tells Anna, she didn’t want to come there. Partly because, it was so close to Maxie’s due date, but also because she knew Anna would be there. She wasn’t ready to have this conversation. In the end, she knew she owed it to Sean to be there, and to herself. Sean was always special to her; he was like a father to her, and watched over always. Anna says, her too. Maybe he still is. Felicia says she knows what he’d say if he was there. He’d tell her to forgive Anna, and he’d be right. They have too many years invested in their friendship to throw them away. They’ve always overcome the odds, and they need to do that again. They need to overcome their differences, and work through them for Maxie. They hug, and Mac sees. He says, thank God. Annie comes back, and says they have a situation on their hands. Laura is missing, and there are signs of forced entry to her room. And she found something that leads her to believe whoever did this is aware of her dad’s days as El Patron. Anna asks if anyone knows where Monica is.  

They find Monica’s chair empty, and the broken glass next to it on the floor.

Anna says, Monica isn’t in the kitchen, and Robin says, she’s not in her room either. Annie says, oh my God, and picks something up from the floor. It’s a tiny replica of Mt. Rushmore. She hands it to Anna, and Anna asks Robert if he remembers when they fought the terrorist group. Annie wonders if it’s the terrorist group targeting her father’s friends, and Felicia asks, what happened to Mac? They look in an adjoining room, and see the ice bucket and ice on the floor. Anna says, what is happening?

Felicia says she’s going to look for Mac, but Robert says she’s not going by herself; he’s going with her. They leave, and Robin tells Anna and Annie, let’s be logical. This place is old, but there are a lot of valuables, so there have to be security cameras, right? Annie says there are, and Robin asks where the footage is stored. Annie says, there’s a computer in the caretaker’s office. Robin says, lead the way, but Anna says, before they go, she’s convinced there’s some information they need in Sean’s files. Is there any way Annie could open the safe for them? Annie says, as she already explained to Robert, even though she’s not a WSB agent, the oath she took means something to her. She suggests they at least look at the security footage, and see what that tells him.

Maxie says she has a plan, but the less Bobbie knows, the better. She’s certain the baby will be loved and cared for. Bobbie says, she won’t press Maxie, but she knows the pain of giving up a child, so no judgment. She’s going to support Maxie through all of it. Maxie said she didn’t want to make Bobbie think about losing BJ (I was thinking she meant Carly, but okay), and Bobbie says she’ll always miss BJ, but she’s deeply grateful for her legacy, the heart beating in Maxie’s chest. Maxie says, BJ’s heart made her life possible, and her children lives. She’s forever grateful for that.

Felicia tells Robert, it’s kind of ironic. If Sean was here, he would know exactly what was going on. Robert says, without a doubt, and Felicia says she always had faith in Sean, from the moment they first met. Robert asks if Sean didn’t give her the nickname Princess, and she says that’s always how Sean treated her. We flash back to Felicia’s wedding to Frisco, and Sean acting as father of the bride.

Anna asks if Annie knows the password, and Annie says, it’s 791ElsieMay. Anna says she loves it; Tiffany’s real name. She enters the password, and asks if Annie is sure that’s it. Look at what’s happening to the screen. The screen goes black, and Robin says, it looks like the hard drive was wiped clean. Annie says, sometimes magnets do that, and Robin says, didn’t Annie tell them that there’s a magnetic component in her ring? Annie says she hasn’t been close enough to the computer for it to have done any damage. They hear a scream, and run to find Robert on the floor. Anna asks, what happened? and Robin asks if he’s all right. He says he’s not sure. He was walking toward Felicia, and someone hit him on the head. Robin asks, where’s Felicia? and Anna says they heard her scream. Annie says, she’s with the others, and shows Anna some pieces of jewelry. Anna says she thinks they’re meant to represent Felicia’s Aztec jewels. Annie’s father and Robert fought to the finish over them. She thought Sean had killed Robert. Robert says it was dicey for a while, but their friendship survived. Annie says, whoever took Felicia, obviously knows the story. Much like the incident at Mt. Rushmore, and her father’s days as El Patron. It’s all about her dad. They’re picking us off, one by one, and any one of us could be next.

Robin says she’ll get some ice for Robert’s head, and Anna says she’ll go with Robin. Annie should come. She shouldn’t be alone. Annie promises she’ll catch up, and when they’re gone, Annie sees a phone on the floor. She takes a look at something on it, and says, no.  

Robin asks Robert and Anna, what happens next? when Annie walks in, and asks if she can talk to Anna alone; it’s important. Anna asks Robin if it’s okay, and Robin says she’ll be fine. She can take care of her dad. Anna says, stay there, be careful, and she’ll be in the hallway. She leaves with Annie, and Robin tells Robert that she feels bad for Annie. He promises it will be over soon, and she says she hopes so. She asks if Robert thinks there’s anything in Sean’s files that could bring Peter down.

Anna asks Annie what she couldn’t say in front of Robert, and Annie says, when Laura went missing, Robert said he called the local police station, and they told him it would take 20 minutes to get there. He dropped his phone, so she checked to see what time he made the call, and there’s no record. Robert never made the call. He lied. Anna says they can’t jump to conclusions, and Annie asks, what else there is to conclude? Robert has to be in on this. He has to know where the others are. Anna says, what about the bump on his head? He didn’t do that himself. Perhaps the people who took their friends tampered with his phone. Annie asks why they would do that, and Anna says, to make them mad at each other, like Annie is now. Annie has to trust them. They all loved her father very much. They will get to the bottom of this, but they have to stick together. Annie says she needs a second to gather her thoughts, and Anna says, don’t stay too long. Be careful. She leaves, and Annie picks up Anna’s bag from a chair. She looks in it, and takes out a magnet. She says, oh my God.

Anna asks how the patient is, and Robert says, in these trying times, it’s nice to be sitting there with his ex-wife and daughter fussing over him. Annie comes back in and says, it’s both of them. Robert and Anna are involved in whoever is taking her dad’s friends. She found Robert’s phone, and he never called the police. Now she found a magnet in Anna’s bag; the one that wiped the hard drive clean. Where are the others, and what have they done with them?  

Robin says Annie is talking about her parents. How can she possibly suspect them? Annie says, Robin’s mom had a magnet in her purse that she managed to place close enough to the computer to wipe out its hard drive. Anna says she didn’t put that in her purse. She can only assume whoever’s kidnapping their friends, planted it there when she was out of the room. Robert says, whoever’s behind it wins if they all turn on each other. Anna says she’s convinced that they can find everyone if they can just access Sean’s file. Can Annie please open the safe? Annie says she can’t, but Anna says Annie has to. She can’t think of another way to find them.

Maxie tells Bobbie, she’s not allowed to fly, but she wishes she could have gone to Ireland for the memorial. Bobbie says she thought about going, but got the feeling she should stay close to home. Now that she understands Maxie’s situation, and knows where the feeling came from. It’s what Sean would want for his goddaughter. Maxie says, maybe Sean aligned the stars so Bobbie would be there; that’s what godfathers do, isn’t it? Bobbie says, that’s what Sean does.  

Annie says, it’s clear they haven’t been honest with her since they got there. She believes they made the others disappear to manipulate her, so they could do whatever they want. She cannot and she will not open the safe. Robin says, what if she’s wrong? Would she consider it to save her dad’s friends? Annie says she swore an oath to the WSB. Even if she didn’t become an agent, the oath is a lifetime commitment. If she broke it, she would dishonor her father’s memory, and she’s not going to do that. Anna says, spoken like true agent, and Annie asks, what’s going on? Why are they smiling? The rest of them come into the room, and Annie says, they’re okay. Laura says, all of them, and Annie says she doesn’t understand. Anna says, congratulations. She passed the final test. Robert says, the Bureau reached out, and asked them to help. Felicia says, it was a set-up, and Anna says she asked the caretaker to usher the others to a secret location, so she and Robert could test Annie’s loyalty to the Bureau. Mac says he left the calling cards so she’d think her father’s enemies were upon them, and Robert says, he left his phone lying around for her to find. Annie says, but Robert got hurt, and Felicia says, so sorry about that. She conked him harder than she was supposed to, but she had to make it look real. Mac is sure his brother deserved it for something or other, and Annie says, Anna’s purse. Anna says she left it for Annie to discover. Now she’s an official agent with the WSB. Annie says she doesn’t know whether to be furious or shout with joy, and Robert says, she should be as proud of herself as they know her father would be. He gives her an ID, and she says, it’s her dad’s badge number. Anna says, now it’s hers. Congratulations. They toast, and Annie hugs Robert.

Maxie says she hopes Sean is watching out for her and Louise. They need it. Bobbie says she believes he is.   

Laura tells Annie, congratulations; job well done, and Monica says, agreed. Holding the phone, Annie asks if her mom heard that. She’s officially an agent. Tiffany says, congratulations, my darling Annie. Now she knows why Tiffany had to keep her distance. She could have never gone through with this charade. All of them know she’d definitely would have had to jump right in, and then they’d have to kidnap her. Besides, she was absolutely confident Annie could handle it on her own. Always remember, she’s her daddy’s daughter, and every bit as brave and resourceful as Sean was. Annie says she’d like to think she has a little mom in her too, and Tiffany says she’s so proud of Annie. Her daddy is forever watching over her, protecting her, and loving her. If she needs to feel his love, just look up and remember that night they watched the most beautiful Christmas star together, and always cherish that memory.

Robert says, Sean made them laugh. We flashback to Sean and Tiffany getting married, and Sean discovering that Tiffany’s real name is Elsie May Crumbholts during the vows, and barely making it through them because he’s laughing so hard. Robert says, well, it’s goodbye, old friend. He’s so going to miss Sean. Until we meet again, may God hold you in the palm of His hand. We hear bagpipes, and everyone drinks.

We see Sean’s picture, and it says – In loving memory of John Reilly.

One of the best memorial episodes ever. They made it more fun than sad, but they also went through it with us for real. You could see it in their faces at the end.

On Monday, Spinelli thinks he knows what’s going on, Brando thinks he has the chance at something amazing, Sonny asks Nina why she wants to take a risk, Cyrus would like a small favor, and Jason tells Britt that the tests are in.

🙌 Farewell, Old Friend…

They really put a lot of thought into this. No doubt, John Reilly was looking down and smiling.

https://daytimeconfidential.com/2021/05/21/caitlin-reilly-talks-super-special-general-hospital-tribute-to-dad-john-reilly

💏 Aww…

Teresa thinks he may be the one. I actually hope it works out for her. She’s often a dumbass, but no one deserves Juicy Joe, especially going to jail for him.

🐎 Feud In Dallas…

I haven’t really been following RHOD this season, but there seems to be some nasty stuff going on. I’m disappointed in Kameron, although I was disappointed in Tiffany first, for making a big deal over the chicken foot. No one is insulting your culture by not wanting to eat its delicacies. The culture on my maternal side of the family eats feet too. Pickled pigs feet. And I am not going anywhere near them. I also couldn’t seem to find out what Kameron’s original sex worker comment was. Inquiring minds want to know. Frankly, I think all these women should stay off of social media.

Dr. Tiffany Moon Seemingly Quits the RHOD After Just One Season, See What She Revealed on Twitter Amid Racism and “Cyberbullying” Drama With Kameron Westcott and Her Family

D’Andra Simmons is “Disturbed” by Kameron Westcott’s Family Tweets as She Addresses Nasty Feud Between Tiffany Moon and Kameron, Plus Tiffany Thanks Fans After “Overwhelming Week”

RHOD’s Tiffany Moon Accuses Kameron of Comparing Her to a S-x Worker as Kameron Fires Back in Twitter Feud and Says Everything Tiffany Does is “Fake”

💰 Rich People Problems…

As Erika pointed out, bigger life, bigger problems. As I’m pointing out, bigger life, bigger resources. I doubt her bankruptcy was half as nerve-wracking as mine was. (Which, luckily, is far in the past now.)

https://radaronline.com/p/erika-jayne-real-housewives-beverly-hills-husband-bankruptcy-lawsuit/

RHOBH’s Erika Jayne Tries to Stop Investigation Into Finances as Trustee Wants to Research Potentially Hidden Money From Thomas Girardi Amid His Bankruptcy Case

🎡 Spin, Girl, Spin…

Kandi has a new show spinning off, and a few other tidbits.

Below Deck and Kandi Burruss Spinoffs Coming Soon, Find Out Where Below Deck Adventure Will be Filmed, Plus All the Details of RHOA Star’s Vanderpump Rules-Style Series

💎 No Surprise…

Shade from the Beverly Hills Botox Gang.

Kyle Richards and Lisa Rinna Call Lisa Vanderpump ‘Bitter’ and ‘Angry’ for Allegedly Defacing RHOBH Photo as Teddi Mellencamp Admits She Feels “Really Special”

👞 Freddy’s In (Two) Towns…

Fredrik is officially bi-coastal.

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lifestyle/real-estate/real-estate-star-fredrik-eklund-sets-up-shop-in-la-1234947634/

https://www.bravotv.com/million-dollar-listing-new-york/style-living/fredrik-eklunds-new-bel-air-house-in-los-angeles

🩺 Surgical Balance…

The doctors tell us how they have it all.

https://pagesix.com/2021/05/18/botched-doctors-terry-dubrow-and-paul-nassif-balance-family-and-work/

💡 Quotes of the Week

You’re never drinking alone with Jesus. – Kate Chastain (Below Deck) claims her grandmother said this.

What is a friend? A single soul dwelling in two bodies. – Aristotle

The most courageous act is still to think for yourself. Aloud. – Coco Chanel

Things just tend to accumulate after Labor Day. What can I tell you?Little Edie Beale (Drew Barrymore), HBO’s Grey Gardens

If my answers frighten you, Vincent, then you should cease asking scary questions. – Jules Winnfield (Samuel L. Jackson), Pulp Fiction

When you choose the behavior, you choose the consequences. – Dr. Phil

When you’re too deep in anything, you lost your perspective. – Crime Story: Cecil Hotel, Netflix

That man is richest whose pleasures are the cheapest. – Henry David Thoreau

Don’t try to lessen yourself for the world; let the world catch up to you.Beyoncé Knowles

If you are not willing to risk the usual, you will have to settle for the ordinary. – Jim Rohn

One of the advantages of being disorganized is that one is always having surprising discoveries. – A.A. Milne

🕺 Doing the Curly Shuffle…

Here we are again at the weekend, or seven days after we were here the last time, if you no longer care. Until we see what John Glover is doing on Dead, stay safe, stay being appropriate, and stay appreciating a good time, like Sean did.

May 20, 2021 – Laura Joins Forces With Two Cassadines, Marc’s Townhouse Moves, About a Spy, But Not Us, Real Renovation, Impossible, Shah Friends, PolyGG, She Wins, Still Rocking & Nightlife

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Sam opens the door to her apartment, and a tire rolls in. Dante follows it, and says, look familiar?

Maggie comes into the prison library, and Alexis says she looks happy. Maggie says she got it. Her parole. She’s out on Friday. Alexis says she’s so happy for Maggie, and Maggie says her cousin even has a job interview lined up for her. Alexis says if she has any problems, call her county employment liaison, or go through the Board of Corrections, or go to the Department of… Never mind; they’ll talk about it later. What is she going to do to celebrate her freedom when she first walks out? Maggie says she hasn’t thought about it yet, and Alexis asks, why not? Maggie says, first she had to thank the person who made it possible.   

Shawn is led into the visiting room, where TJ is waiting. Shawn says he appreciates TJ taking the time to visit, and TJ asks why he’s being so formal. Shawn says he just knows how busy TJ is, but TJ says he’s never to busy to visit Shawn. How is Shawn doing? Shawn says he’d rather talk about TJ. Tell him what’s new in his life. TJ says he put in for a staff position at GH, and Shawn says he’s sure they’ll jump at the chance to have him. TJ says, here’s hoping. First, he has to graduate. Shawn says he didn’t tell TJ yet, because he didn’t want to get TJ’s hopes up, but he decided to go for his parole.

Laura thanks Nikolas and Ava for coming over, and Nikolas says, it sounded serious, so they dropped everything. Ava says, if it’s between mother and son, she understands, but Laura says, no. It’s good Ava is there. All of them need to stick together. Nikolas says she mentioned Cyrus in her message. What did he do? Laura says he told her she lost a brother, and gained an enemy.    

Brando asks Sasha if he should slip out the back, but she says, no. It’s better if he’s there. They can confront this head on. Cyrus knocks (surprisingly), and Sasha opens the door. Cyrus notices Brando is there, and Sasha says, perfect timing. They have a lot to discuss. Cyrus asks what Brando is doing there, and she says, Brando is part of this. Apparently, he wants to know who the father of her baby is. Fine. She’ll tell him.

Carly tells Gladys that Sasha is pregnant, and Brando is the father. How does she think Cyrus is going to react when he finds out? Not well. The only one who can save Gladys and her son, is Carly. Gladys says, impossible. Her son has better taste than the face of Description. She doesn’t know where Carly heard this lie… Carly says, Sasha, and Gladys says Carly believes her? Carly says she does, and Gladys better hope Cyrus doesn’t find out that Sasha is pregnant with Brando’s baby. The best thing would be if Cyrus doesn’t find out Sasha is pregnant at all. Gladys says, too late. Cyrus already knows.

Sam tells Dante, it’s a good looking tire… plenty of tread… looks like it’s had some patchwork done. They did a good job. She’d take it for her car, but it won’t fit. She could actually use a spare. He says it’s a perfect fit for his car, but she knows that. She’s the one who slashed it. She says, she slashed his tire? and he says, tires. He has another one just like it. He says, sabotage? but she says she thinks it’s called carelessness. He says, even with the worst kind of luck, it’s impossible to flatten two tires on the same sharp object when the car is parked. She says he’s right; that is bad luck. Her advice to him, don’t buy a lottery ticket. He hands her a bill, saying, he doesn’t have to, and she says, come on. He’s giving her a bill? He says she’s lucky he’s only giving her a bill. He could have her on obstruction of justice, hindering a police officer, aiding and abetting a fugitive. They all carry prison terms. If she doesn’t want to go back to jail, don’t take his word for it. Ask her mom.

Alexis says she’s happy for Maggie, but all she did was give Maggie some pointers. Maggie says Alexis gave her a lot more than that; Alexis gave her confidence. Alexis says, that was all on Maggie; she was just a sounding board. Maggie says Alexis helped her find her voice, and Alexis says that means a lot to her. She’s glad she could be there for Maggie. Maggie says, this is going to sound selfish, so she hopes Alexis takes it the right way. If Alexis had to get tossed in the slammer, Maggie’s glad it was with her, or she might not be getting out. Alexis says, if anyone’s been selfish, it’s her.

Laura says, Nikolas’s Uncle Cyrus is drawing battle lines, with him on one side, and her and everyone she loves on the other. Ava asks if shots have been fired, or it was a vague threat, like the one he made against Avery to her. Nikolas says, or the one he made against Spencer at that disastrous family dinner. Laura says, which was the last straw for him. Cyrus knows the dinner was a diversion so that Carly could get Jason out of GH. Ava says, Cyrus can’t possibly hold them responsible for something Carly… Never mind. She forgot they’re talking about a psychopath, not a reasonable human being. Laura says, yes, he’s a psychopath. With money and resources, and now the gloves are off. Nikolas says, at least that’s one wedding invitation they won’t have to send, and Laura says he can’t be glib about this. Cyrus has more of a reason to target him than anybody else. Nikolas says, because he’s Laura’s son? but she says, because Nikolas is going behind Cyrus’s back to buy Pentenville.

Sasha tells Cyrus, it was a one-night stand. One and done, only not quite, since she has this dandy souvenir. Cyrus says he wasn’t asking about the circumstances, and she says, no. He sent his driver to ask. If either of them lean on her anymore for intimate, personal information, she’s calling the cops, and filing a harassment complaint. Cyrus says, that won’t be necessary, and tells Brando to wait in the lobby. On second thought, he might be a while; take the night off. Brando hesitates, and Sasha ask what he’s waiting for. Go. Brando leaves, and Sasha says Cyrus got his answer. Is he waiting for the gory details? He asks if it’s so impossible to believe he cares about her, and she says, it’s completely impossible. He doesn’t care about her, or the baby she’s carrying. All he cares about, is that it’s not his. He says, how could it be? They’ve never been intimate. She says, no, but if she hadn’t OD’d on the drugs he gave her, she would have slept with him… to get more drugs. That’s what he was counting on, right?

Carly asks, who told Cyrus? and Gladys says, it was a misunderstanding. She overheard Sasha in the ladies room. Carly says, and she immediately blabbed to Cyrus? but Gladys says, of course (🍷) not. She ran into Lucy, and they noticed a connection between Cyrus and Sasha. The way he looked at her, there was a spark. Carly says, of course (🍷) there was a connection. Cyrus is a drug dealer and Sasha is a recovering addict. Gladys says, Lucy told her about the night Sasha went back to Cyrus’s apartment, so of course (🍷) it made sense. Carly asks what Gladys did, and Gladys says, what any polite, well brought up person would do. She congratulated Cyrus on becoming a father. Carly says, and she painted a target on her son’s back.

Dante says, Sam isn’t acting like someone who put their old life in the rearview mirror. Or is that what she just tells people so she can do whatever the hell she wants to? She asks if he wants details on her criminal activity, and he says, then he doesn’t have to dig it up detective style. It saves him some time. She says, exhibit A, and holds up a book. She says, this is called a book. One she read to Scout before she fell asleep. Then she let Danny stay up and listen to the Dodgers game. Dante says, ew! and she says she knows. It’s a family scandal, but Danny bleeds Dodger blue. That’s it; her confession. Cuff her. He says he’s confused. What does that have to do with her activities yesterday? She says, everything. Her children are her world. Is that clear? He says, crystal. He never said she wasn’t an awesome mom. She says, great. At least she’s got that going for her. He asks why she’d risk all that by slashing his tires, and helping Jason escape.

TJ says, the last time he and Shawn spoke, Shawn said the whole parole thing was a non-starter. What changed? Shawn says he guesses he did. He had to set his pride aside. Lucky for him, Alexis helped him see that. TJ says, he’s seen Alexis? and Shawn says, she’s working in the library of the women’s division; he has privileges there. TJ asks how she’s doing, and Shawn says, taking it in stride. TJ asks Shawn to tell Alexis that he and Molly send their love, and Shawn says he will. TJ asks how Alexis helped Shawn, and Shawn says Alexis gave him a good swift kick to the backside. TJ says he’s been the recipient of one of those himself, and Shawn says, Alexis convinced him he didn’t have to pay for a crime he didn’t commit.

Nikolas says, so Cyrus knows about Pentenville, and Laura says Cyrus is aware of his plans. Ava says Nikolas is just trying to protect Alexis, and Laura says she knows, and as admirable as that is, she has to ask. Is that the only reason he wants to buy this prison? Nikolas flashes back to talking to Shawn about his parole, and Shawn saying he wants to nail the person who shot Hayden and thinks they got away with it. He tells Laura, he’s doing this to keep Alexis safe, and eliminate Cyrus’s threat. Go ahead. Tell him he’s making a huge mistake. She says, actually, she’s all for it. This could be the best thing he ever does with that damn Cassadine inheritance he has.

Cyrus admits he hasn’t always shown his more compassionate side to Sasha, and she says, he palmed her off on his driver when she OD’d at his apartment. And she has the sneaking suspicion he didn’t want Brando to take her to the hospital; not with the harbor close by. He says, the truth is, he’s drawn to her. He didn’t realize how much until they wrote this script last week… She says, until he found out she was with someone else. Admit it. He doesn’t have feelings for her. He just wants things he can’t have. Like his family. He says she’s a beautiful young woman with questionable judgement. She laughs, and he says he doesn’t want her to make the same mistake she almost made with him with someone who’s not worthy. She asks what makes Cyrus think he wasn’t worthy? Oh my God. Is that why he sicced Brando on her? He thinks she slept with his driver?

Gladys tells Carly, she had no idea her Brando was the father of Sasha’s baby. In fact, she still doesn’t believe it. She knows how these models are with their designer friends and their designer drugs. Carly says, Sasha’s not lying. If she says Brando’s the father, then Brando’s the father. If Cyrus finds out… Gladys says Carly made her point. She doesn’t need to drive it into the ground. She told Carly about the way Cyrus looked at Sasha. If he finds out his own driver… The doorbell rings, and Carly opens it to Brando. He says he’s sorry to come over unannounced, but she says, perfect timing. He says he thought she cared about Sasha… He sees Gladys and asks what she’s doing there. Gladys says, tell her it’s not true. Tell her that Carly made up the whole thing to manipulate her. Please tell her that Sasha person isn’t carrying his child.

Sam asks if Dante actually has any proof that she tried to impede his investigation, and he says, the security footage from the gas station. She says, no he doesn’t. If he did, he’d be there with a warrant, not an invoice for repair. He says it was worth it to see the look on her face, and she says, now that he’s had his fun, take his tire and… He says, and what? and she says she doesn’t care. Hang it from a tree and make a swing for Rocco out of it. He says she really did do him a favor, and she says he’s welcome. He says if she hadn’t done what she did, he wouldn’t have realized he was on the right track. Jason is hurt, wounded, Britt is with him voluntarily. When he started searching for a location nearby that was tied to Britt, he saw there was a Cassadine property; a nature preserve near the gas station. It’s got a barn, and guess what he found? She says she doesn’t know. A cow? A chicken? A moo-moo here, a cluck-cluck there? He says, better; evidence that Jason and Britt were there. She says does he know what she thinks? He says he’s dying to know, and she says he’s bluffing. If Jason left a trail, he’d be following it. Not haggling with her over the price of a tire. He says he did follow the trail, all the way to the Canadian border. She asks if he alerted the Canadian authorities, and he says, that’s procedure, right? The CPD said there was no sign, but they’d keep an eye out. There it is. That’s what he’s been looking for – that look. It tells him everything he needs to know. She says she’s not going to lie. She’s not going to pretend she’s not happy that Jason got away. But if he wants to build an actual case, he should be looking for the real killer.

Alexis tells Maggie, she tried rehab before; it didn’t last. She’s certain rehab wouldn’t have worked for her this time either, and if she didn’t make a change and do something drastic, she’d never stop drinking. All the rehab centers in all the world wouldn’t have made a damn bit of difference. In her pleading guilty, there was a lot of selfishness. Maggie asks how that was selfish, and Alexis says, besides being accountable for her actions, she knew this was the only place she had a chance of drying out. Maggie says, whatever her reasons, she knows she wouldn’t be leaving if it wasn’t for Alexis. Alexis says, they’re even. By Maggie letting her help, she did something for Alexis. Maggie hugs her, and leaves.

TJ says, all this time, Shawn said he was accepting the consequences of his actions. Shawn says, because he thought he shot Hayden, but he didn’t. TJ asks how he found out, and Shawn says, from Hayden herself. He figured he needed to be punished anyway. He did fire a shot, and someone got hit, just not by him. TJ wishes Shawn had told him sooner, and Shawn says he didn’t want TJ involved. TJ says he is anyway, and now might be the perfect time. Molly is working at the DA’s office, and they can take steps to uncover who really shot Hayden. Shawn says TJ can’t be involved. It’s his battle and he doesn’t want TJ and Molly caught in the middle. TJ asks, why not? and Shawn says, whoever shot Hayden thinks they got away with it, and he needs it to stay that way. If word gets around TJ is looking into it, they might want to stop him. The first step, is getting him out of there. After that, don’t worry. He’ll find out who it was, and make sure they trade places, and they end up right there.

Nikolas says, Laura approves of his efforts to purchase Pentenville? and she says, if it were anyone else, she wouldn’t, but in addition to keeping Alexis safe, he can use this as an opportunity to give back to the community as a whole. Ava says, it’s no wonder Cyrus is against it, and Laura says, privatizing Pentenville doesn’t just have to be about money. It could be about treating the inmates more humanely. Nikolas could be a leader in prison reform. Ava says, it earns respect for the Cassadine name. That’s quite a legacy to leave Spencer. He says, who knew he was an altruist? and Laura says, she knew. Ava says, she didn’t, but she likes it. Laura says, this will put Nikolas on a collision course with Cyrus. Is he prepared to deal with that?

Sasha asks if Cyrus thinks she got it on with his chauffeur. No wonder he’s so defensive. He says, did she? As Brando’s employer, he might have the right to know. I wonder what employee handbook he’s read. She says she knows he’s been away for a long time, but in this millennium, no employer has the right to pry into their employee’s private life. Ugh. She’s not quite right either. He says, it’s about more than that, and she knows it, and she says, he just can’t wrap his head around the fact that she chose someone who wasn’t him. He wants to know the truth? Here it is. She had broken up with Michael, and she needed a lift; know what she means? And there he was, Mr. Nobody, the right man at the right time. So she fell into bed with him, and just her luck, one time was the charm. He says she still hasn’t told him who he was, and she says, patience. She’s saving the best for last.

Carly tells Brando, Sasha told her about the baby, in confidence, but his mother, the human megaphone, overheard Sasha talking about it, and went to Cyrus to congratulate him on being a father. Gladys says she swears she had no idea the baby was his. How could she? He swore he didn’t want kids, and that he was careful. What was he thinking? He says, that’s really none of her business, and she says she’s sure that Gilmore girl (ha-ha) preyed on him and his weaknesses, and before you know it… He says, that’s not what happened. Sasha is smart. Gladys says, not too smart to avoid getting knocked up, and he says, and brave enough to face down Cyrus. When Cyrus commanded she tell him who the father of the baby is, she didn’t give him up, and she never would. Carly says, sooner or later, Cyrus is going to find out who the baby’s father is, and Gladys says, then Brando is a goner, and it will be all her fault.

Dante wonders if there’s a disconnect with Sam. She thinks he believes Jason is guilty, but he doesn’t. in fact, with all due respect to the Commissioner and her investigators, the odds of Jason dumping the gun down the garbage shoot where the victim’s body was discovered are virtually non-existent. Add to that, the only witness is Sonny’s perpetually resentful cousin Gladys, it’s obvious Jason is being framed. She asks, then why is Dante hunting Jason? He just admitted he thinks Jason is innocent. He says, Jason is innocent of murdering Franco; he’s guilty of escaping from the hospital, and all the charges attached. Dante is on the force full time. He doesn’t get to pick and choose what assignments he takes. He was given Jason’s case, so that’s what he’s going to do. She says, good luck with that, and he senses she doesn’t believe he’s going to have success. She says she’s heard he’s an excellent detective, and he says, not excellent enough to keep her from slashing his tires. She says, they’re back to that? and he says he just wanted to thank her again. She says, for what? and he says he wouldn’t be walking around free, wearing this badge, if she hadn’t stopped him from killing Peter, and got him into therapy with Doc. He’s deeply grateful. She says she can’t believe he actually has a heart. For what it’s worth (🍷) she knows he would have done the same for her. He says he would.

TJ asks if Shawn has any idea who actually shot Hayden, and Shawn says he’s thought a lot about it over the years. They give you plenty of time to think in here. So far, he’s drawn a blank, but if Alexis can find a way to get him out of there, he’ll be in a better position to figure it out, and settle the score. TJ says, settle the score how? but Shawn tells him not to worry. He’ll leave justice to the law. He has way too much to live for, starting with TJ’s graduation. Promise he’ll save Shawn a seat? TJ says, I promise… dad.

Nikolas says, if somebody has to draw a line in the sand, let it be a Cassadine, and Ava says, or better yet, two Cassadines. He’s not going to have to face Cyrus alone. Laura says they’re all in this together, because she’s sure Cyrus is going to try and find a way to get back at them for the family dinner at Windymere, and using it as a decoy to let Jason get away. Ava says, something else happened that night. Sources tell her that Cyrus ended up on the losing end of the meeting of the Five Families balsamic vinegar. Laura says, that’s what happened? He did mention something about Carly pulling some sort of… power play? Ava says, she did more than that. From what she hears, Carly really handed Cyrus his ass. She wishes she could have been there to see it.

Sasha tells Cyrus, she referred to him as Mr. Nobody because she didn’t know his name. They agreed up front; no names, no sob stories, no excuses. He wanted what she wanted, and vice versa. Cyrus says, so he has no idea she’s expecting, and she says, how? She doesn’t even have his phone number. What can she say? He had a great body, and looked great in the dark. Cyrus says, what if he told her that he only wants to know his name so he can make sure he lives up to his responsibilities? She tells him, she would say, he’s not her father, this is not the 1950s, and no one is responsible for her baby except for her.

Carly says, for once Gladys speaks the truth. Her big mouth could get Brando killed. Gladys says, good God, and Carly says, of course (🍷) there’s one person who could stop Cyrus. Brando says, who’s that? and Carly says, his mother. Gladys says, all right. Carly wins. How can she protect her boy? Carly says, the only way to ensure Brando’s safety, is to make sure Cyrus is no longer a threat. That means putting him back in prison where he belongs. Brando asks how his mother is supposed to swing that, and Carly says, by recanting her statement. By confessing Cyrus paid her to lie about who and what she saw the night Franco was murdered.

Sam tells Dante, now that they got that settled, how much does she owe him? She looks at the bill, and he says, it’s not just a matter of money. If she pulled that crap with another cop, she’d be in a holding cell, and she knows it. She says, so he thinks she took advantage of their prior relationship? and he says, now that she mentions it… She says if he feels duty bound to arrest her, do it. Just know that he’s probably going to have to read Scout books every night to get her to sleep, and she’ll probably be cellmates with her mom. He says he’ll probably hear it from Monica when he’s at the Q’s, or his mom will be shooting daggers at him for putting her away. Bottom line is, he’s willing to call it quits if she stays out of his way. And if she pays for the tires. She says, obviously she’ll pay for the tires, but she doesn’t have that kind of cash in the house. Will he take a check? He says, yeah. If it bounces, he knows where to find her.

Shawn goes into the prison library, and Alexis asks if she can interest him in another book or a periodical. He says he has all the reading material he needs, but there is something she can do for him. She says, name it, and he says, he just got a visit from TJ. She asks how Molly and TJ are, and he says, great. Molly just graduated from law school, and started a job with the DA. She says, excellent, and he says, TJ’s about to graduate from med school, and he’d like to be there. TJ called him dad, so he’s going to take her up on the offer to get him out of there.

Laura tells Ava and Nikolas, she can’t say she’s thrilled to hear that Carly decided to take over Sonny’s organization, but she guesses with Jason being unavailable, Carly will do anything she can to protect the family. Nikolas suggests they show Cyrus how solid their family is, and throw a great wedding. Ava says, it’s such a nice sentiment, but a family fête isn’t exactly going to stop Cyrus in his tracks. Nikolas says, they’ll show him that they have something he covets, but will never possess. Laura says she’s all for symbolic gestures, but they need an actual plan.

Cyrus asks if Sasha has ever considered that he might want to be part of her life, and might want her to be part of his. She says, not for a second, and he says, a man can only have so much money, so much real estate, so much… She says, power? Isn’t that why he’s so desperate to find out who the father of her baby is? As long as he’s a mystery, he has power over Cyrus. The man who did what Cyrus couldn’t. The man who got what Cyrus couldn’t get. Let her tell him about Mr. Nobody. He was young, he was great in bed, and he put a new life inside her. In short, he was the opposite of Cyrus. Cyrus says, they’ll talk again, but she says, let’s not, and he leaves.

Gladys says she told the police the truth, and Brando says, just stop. They all know Jason didn’t kill Franco. She got there after Franco was shot, so there’s no way she saw Jason get rid of the gun. Gladys says she did see it, and Carly says, no she didn’t. Gladys made the whole thing up, and the only way she would do that is if somebody paid her to do it. Brando says, they all know that someone is Cyrus, and Carly says, if Gladys wants to save Brando from Cyrus, tell the truth, before it’s too late.

Sam hands Dante a check, and asks if they’re done here. He says, the next time she gets the urge to go rogue, remember she might not get a cop who’s as nice, or handsome, or charming as he is. She rolls her eyes, and he says, there might actually be consequences. He starts to leave, and she says, whoa, whoa, whoa. Isn’t he forgetting something? She gestures toward the tire, and he says, oh no. That’s hers. She paid for it. She rolls it toward him, and he takes it, says, see ya, and leaves. She says he’s such nice guy. She starts to go upstairs, when there’s a knock at the door. She turns around and says, let her guess. He has more questions for her. She opens the door, and sees the check ripped up on the hallway floor, but Dante is gone.

Alexis tells Shawn, remember, this parole hearing isn’t about innocence or guilt. It’s about two things. The first thing is, his progress inside the wall. The second thing is – and this is important – they want to see remorse for the crime he’s committed, because that way they can trust he won’t do it again when they let him out. He says he can’t in good conscience, express remorse for a crime he didn’t commit, and she says, what about the crime he did commit? Does he have remorse for that? He says, for pulling the trigger? Yes. For botching the job and not hitting the target? No. He’s glad he missed. She says, let’s look at it this way. What were the circumstances that led up to Hayden Barnes’s shooting? They’ll see where that takes them.

Nikolas says he’s not going to sit by, and let Cyrus threaten his family. If he wants a war… Laura says, no. She didn’t ask him there for a war council. She’s still the mayor, and committed to fighting Cyrus by any legal means at her disposal. Ava says, she and Nikolas aren’t exactly model citizens, and Laura says, she didn’t hear that. Ava says, but what Laura is saying is, she’d prefer it if they didn’t do anything outside the rule of law, and Nikolas adds, or is she saying she’d just prefer not to know about it if they do? Ava says, plausible deniability is definitely something they can go with. Nikolas says, they might need to. Not just to defend themselves, but their family, which definitely includes Laura. Ava says, if the three of them present a united front, and Carly continues to hold up the Corinthos end of things, she thinks Cyrus is going to find himself very isolated. A man on an island, so to speak. Laura says, that could end up being the worst case scenario. It could make Cyrus so desperate, he becomes even more dangerous.

Sasha sits down, and breaths a sigh of relief. She looks at one of her headshots and says, dodged a bullet tonight, didn’t you, Gilmore? But only for the moment. Let’s be real. No amount of avoiding is going to stop Cyrus, and he can’t find out about Brando. She rubs her belly, and says, they’ll just have to stay one step ahead of him.

Gladys swears she’d do anything for Brando, and Carly asks why she senses a but coming. Gladys says, if she makes an enemy out of Cyrus, he’ll take it out on both of them, mother and son. There’s got to be a better way. Gladys tells Brando, he works for the man. He knows what Cyrus is capable of. Tell Carly. He says, Sonny trusted Carly. So does he. What do they do? Carly says, get Gladys to recant her statement, and implicate Cyrus. Once Gladys is on record with the police, Cyrus will be powerless to stop the investigation, and will be on his way to Pentenville in no time.

Tomorrow, Robin returns, Anna tells someone that they can’t get past this until they get through it, and Robert tells Annie that Sean’s case files might hold the key.

Million Dollar Listing New York  

Ryan got a tour of Marc Jacobs’s townhouse from Marc’s husband, Charlie (Char). We saw the photos from Architectural Digest, but since they were moving to Westchester, just about everything had already been moved or gone to auction, including a lot of the fixtures. In his interview, Ryan said, where’s all the stuff? All the Marc Jacobs-ness of his house had been removed. Char said they were looking for a fresh start, but had done renovation on the townhouse, and everything had been a considered decision. Even mostly empty, it was pretty impressive at 4796 square feet. There were gold leafed ceilings that only two people in the world were equipped to craft, a 100-carat gold ceiling, and a galley kitchen with Meiele appliances. I actually know what both of those things are, so points for me. I also know Meiele appliances are way out of my price league. The townhouse was four stories, and the primary suite 945 square feet. There were only three bedrooms, but five baths, and a custom bult mahogany closet that you know was fabulous. Apparently, Marc had so many pairs of shoes, there were still a large amount there. The master bath had $100K of stonework put into it, and Ryan called it a marble mecca. Marc’s dog Neville was there, a Spuds McKenzie dog with over 200K followers on Instagram. There was a garden courtyard, and a kosher kitchen downstairs. Ryan explained in his interview, it was the only way to have two full kitchens in a townhouse in NYC, which was news to me. Not that I’ve ever looked into it. Ryan said he wanted to sell it quietly, like a Picasso off-market. His potential commission was $330K.

Steve was looking for comps for the 3000 square foot apartment on Baxter Street (I’m pretty sure I’ve passed this building) that bordered Soho, Little Italy, Nolita, and Chinatown. I know how difficult finding comps can be, since there aren’t many for my type of house in my area. Although his problem was that each of those neighborhoods had different price points for the same thing. Steve said the outside had zero curb appeal, and it was between neighborhoods; the apartment had an identity crisis. Not to mention the lobby was nothing to write home about. Steve said he felt like people would think it was in Chinatown because of the exterior. He divvied up his team to look for comps in each neighborhood.

Tyler had been given a listing on 67th Street, that he’d missed out on previously. He met the owner and his daughter at the apartment, where he’d done a staging. He said the apartment was dripping with charm, and he’d staged it to reflect classic New York Upper East Side architecture, which included a formal dining room. In Tyler’s interview, he said the key to good staging was neutral tones and a low profile, so no matter what the taste of the potential buyer, they’d see the beauty of the space. Ryan asked owner Robert about the noise level, since the apartment overlooked a police station and a firehouse, and Robert said they were good about not putting on the sirens until they got to the corner, but they’d gotten used to it. I understand this too. My first residence in NYC was across from a firehouse. When I first moved in, the noise would keep me awake, but Robert wasn’t lying. I got so used to it, when I would visit my dad in Ohio, I couldn’t sleep because it was too quiet. True story. Tyler said second floor apartments were notoriously challenging to sell. One of the reasons the owner hadn’t chosen to list with Tyler before, was that Tyler advised him that his price was too high and it should be staged. Robert hadn’t listened, and the apartment sat there for two years. In his interview, Tyler said that when you didn’t get a listing, it was devastating, and a blow to your ego; you questioned your own advice. This was his chance at redemption. He couldn’t f*** it up.

In Ryan’s interview, he said, the challenge with Marc Jacobs’s townhouse was that most of the awesomeness had been boxed up and sold at auction by Sotheby’s. His strategy was to give a private showing every fifteen minutes, and hopefully start a bidding war. Doing showings back-to-back made people feel like they wanted it more, because there was limited time. A price of $11 million had been decided on, Char agreeing to sell it faster for less. Ryan said it was a lot of square feet to show in fifteen minutes – 330 square feet a minute. One potential buyer offered $9 million, which Ryan thought was too low, but it was an offer. He thought offers would keep coming in if he kept up the momentum. KJ had buyers who were obsessed with the townhouse, but they had three kids, and would need to renovate for another bedroom. She wondered what was up with the missing fixtures.

Steve said he’d taken a risk, asking the Baxter Street seller to wait 24-hours before he came up with the proper price. The apartment had great characteristics, and he wanted the right number, which he said was imperative to the success of the sale. He suggested $5.5 million, but the seller whined that they were on the cusp of Soho, Tribeca, Nolita, and Little Italy, and Steve said, it was also on the cusp of Chinatown. He knew it was difficult for the seller to think of pricing below his expectations of $6.1 million. He got that there was an attachment, but said he wasn’t a broker who was going to tell them what they wanted to hear. He gave them what the reality was. The seller agreed, and Steve’s potential commission was $165K.

Tyler and his assistant Kemba auditioned models to pose as fireman and policeman at the 67th Street open. In Tyler’s interview, he said, buyers didn’t like surprises, so they were going to be very upfront. The auditions were a hard job, but somebody had to do it. We saw a lot of hot guys, and Tyler hoped they could distract the potential buyers from the noise outside, and bring him offers.

Steve took it to the streets, deciding to bring in samples from local restaurants in the neighborhoods surrounding Baxter Street. He made up handouts with a map, showing how to quickly get everywhere, and listing the coolest things in each neighborhood, as well as the restaurants featured. The open was going to have a distinct food theme. They got macaroons from SoHo, meatballs from Little Italy, Matcha something or other from Nolita, and dumplings from Chinatown. I wanted everything, especially the dumplings, but settled for a turkey sandwich. Steve admitted the exterior sucked, but the lobby was going to be redone soon, and the building had the money in reserve, so he knew it was happening. He focused on selling the location, and said the beauty of it, was that it was in the middle of everything. In his interview, he said potential buyers and brokers showed interest, but he’d been doing this long enough to know not to get excited without a solid, bonafide offer. Yep. I never count on the money until it’s in the bank.

Ryan had made a promise to sell the Marc Jacobs townhouse quickly, exclusively, and quietly, but made it clear that if it didn’t work, he’d have to put it on the market. The pre-market showing was a success, and in KJ’s interview, she said it was perfect for her buyer. It was not only stunning, but a piece of New York history. She offered Ryan $9.5 million, but in his interview, Ryan said, Marc Jacobs doesn’t do bargain rack. KJ said she was on her way somewhere, and Ryan offered to pick her up. In her interview, she said, there was never a free ride, ever, but she was willing to sit in Ryan’s car to get a deal for her client. Ryan liked having the buyer’s agent trapped in the car, being able to use it when calling the seller. They went back and forth a little, but it was deal at $10.5 million.

Next time, two apartments at 4000 square feet each, and Ryan has a The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe themed open house, and dresses as a lion.  

🕶 Father, Godfather, Friend, and Spy…

All about Sean Donely.

👨🏻‍🏫 Cameron Knows…

Apparently, he’s not going to tell us though.

🎡 Spinning Off…

Ryan’s solo act will begin on June 15th.

https://www.bravotv.com/the-daily-dish/ryan-serhant-brooklyn-townhouse-renovation-new-bravo-series

https://www.bravotv.com/million-dollar-listing-ryans-renovation

😆 Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha…

Eboni expects a lot.

https://pagesix.com/2021/05/18/eboni-k-williams-got-through-to-ramona-singer-with-help-talk/

👭 The OGs Have Bonded…

Motherhood makes for strange bedfellows.

https://pagesix.com/2021/05/16/shahs-stars-mercedes-golnesa-are-friends-now/

🛫 Exploration…

Why can’t we just call it being single and doing what you want?

https://pagesix.com/2021/05/16/golnesa-gharachedaghi-of-shahs-of-sunset-explores-polyamory/

🎮 Not Only Another Pretty Face…

She’s not just Jennifer’s Body anymore, but Jennifer’s brain.

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/dj-khaled–megan-fox-face-off-in-an-epic-live-fortnite-battle-301291138.html

💃 Still Turning the Beat Around…

The grande dame of Studio 54 celebrates her 80th.

https://pagesix.com/2021/05/18/nikki-haskell-turns-80-with-studio-54-themed-bash/

She knows everybody.

https://www.lamag.com/culturefiles/nikki-haskell-80/

🛍 Hitting the Sack…

Until we meet tomorrow, for soap and tea, stay safe, stay benevolent, and stay not being a human megaphone like Gladys. It will just end up causing trouble.

May 19, 2021 – Cyrus Removes His Protection, New Jersey Reunites, Beverly Hills Begins, Thoughts & Victoria

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Chase tells Finn that he’s tired of living his life in the hospital. He’s checking himself out. Finn says, against medical advice. He can’t just leave. Chase says, watch him, and Finn says, his life depends on it. Chase says he wants out of this bed, out of this room, out of this building today. Finn says he knows how Chase feels, but Chase doesn’t think so. He says he’ll show up for treatments whenever Finn wants him to, but he can’t fight this illness there. Not without going crazy. Finn sees Michael and Willow at the door.

Britt and Jason sit in a doctor’s office, and Britt says, this is ridiculous. He says, what is? and she says, them being there. They could get caught. He says they’re not going to get caught, but she says, their fake IDs could get flagged. Hello? He’s a fugitive. It’s not worth it. In fact, it’s the dumbest thing they could do. Come on. She heads for the door, but he grabs her arm, and says, if she’s leaving to protect him, don’t. He isn’t worried. She asks if he even knows how to worry, and he says she’s leaving because she doesn’t want to know what’s going on with her. And that’s her right. Then they should go.

Laura opens the door smiling, but her smile drops when she sees Cyrus. She asks what he wants, and he says, just a little familial catch-up. He hasn’t seen her since that unfortunate dinner at Windymere. Can she fault him for missing his sister? She says she’s not doing this with him, and he says she’ll appreciate what he’s come to tell her. She says, okay, five minutes. And then she calls the police. She lets him in.

Brando comes running into the Deception office, and Sasha asks what he’s doing there. He asks if it’s true. Is she pregnant? She asks who told him, and he says, Cyrus, who apparently heard it from his mother. So is she? She says, look… and he says, they slept together. Ever since, she’s been avoiding him and putting him off, so he’s asking her to tell him the truth. Is she pregnant with his child?

Carly thanks Gladys for coming by on such short notice, and Gladys says Carly didn’t give her much of a choice. Carly says, no, she didn’t, and Gladys asks if Carly is going to tell her what she’s doing there, or does she have to guess. Carly says they have a problem in front of them, and they can solve it two ways. They can go the pleasant route, or the unpleasant route. Which works for her?

Sonny grabs the man near the dumpster, and pushes him up against it, startling Nina. Sonny says, how about that? He comes looking for answers, and what does he find? The thing is, what is Sonny going to do with him? Nina runs over, and says, wait. Sonny asks if the man doesn’t want to get his uniform dirty, and if he likes working there. The man says he had no other option; everything else was closed. Sonny asks how the pay is, and the man says, that depends on what you call decent. Sonny says, a man’s got to do anything he can, right, to earn extra cash. No matter how it comes. The man says he doesn’t know what Sonny is talking about, and Sonny tells him, try and connect the dots. Now why would a guy like him want to hold up the Tan-O? The man says he thinks Sonny has him confused with someone else, but Sonny tells, no I don’t – he points to the man’s nametag – Walter! Now tell him who he is.

Finn lets Willow and Michael into the Chase’s room, and says Chase isn’t listening to him. Maybe they’ll have better luck. Chase says, Finn is the one not listening. Finn asks if Chase thinks he likes this. He hates seeing Chase in the hospital. He hates every second of it. Michael says, maybe there’s a compromise to be had. Chase can come in for treatments, a monitoring system, daily check-ups… Chase says, excellent idea, but Willow says, that won’t work, and Finn says, Chase is in constant danger of relapse. Chase says, hence the check-ins, and Finn says, what if Chase is unconscious on the floor during one of the check-ins? Willow says, what if his check-up is in the morning, and thirty minutes later, he’s home and having a seizure? Finn says Chase has to be patient with them, and Chase says he keeps saying that. Finn says, because that’s the reality right now, and Chase asks if Finn is any closer to finding out what’s wrong with him, but Finn doesn’t say anything. Chase says, that’s what he thought. Finn can’t keep him there like some experiment in a lab; it’s sucking the life out of him. Finn says he’s doing everything in his power to help Chase. If he could trade places with Chase, he would do it in a heartbeat, but he can’t.

Gladys asks what this is, the riddle portion of their visit? Carly says, it’s not a riddle. She gave Gladys two options, pleasant or unpleasant. Gladys says, let’s go with door number one, and Carly says, good option. Gladys wonders why she’s listening to any of this, and Carly says she’s about to give Gladys an offer she’d be an idiot to pass up. Gladys says, such a sweet talker, and sits down. Carly says it’s no secret she wants Gladys out of Port Charles, and out of her life. Gladys says Carly has made that crystal clear, and Carly says, then consider her a fairy godmother of sorts. She sits next to Gladys, and says she’s willing to set Gladys up in Bridgeport in a coffee shop, a store, whatever floats her boat, and Carly will subsidize it. Gladys says she’s not serious, but Carly says she’s very serious. Before Gladys says no, she needs to really think about it.

Britt asks what Jason would do. Would he find out if he had the marker for Huntington’s, or would he just let it be? Jason says, before kids, he wouldn’t want to know. He’d just go on with his life like normal, until one day when he started showing symptoms, and then he’d just deal with it. But now that he’s a dad, he feels he would owe it to his kids to find out. She says, because he could pass it on to them, and he says, yeah. He could monitor himself, and when he started to show symptoms, make his next decision with his kids in mind. She says, pre-children, he could handle the not knowing? Every time his hand shook a little, and he wondered, is it or isn’t it. he could handle it? He says he thinks he could, but she says she doesn’t know if she can.

Cyrus settles himself on Laura’s couch, and she asks if he’s waiting for her to offer him coffee or tea. He says he’d be waiting a long time, and she says, yeah, it’s not going to happen. He says, at least she’s consistent in her rejection, and she asks if he was expecting something different. He says, no, not anymore, and she asks why he’s there. He says, it was a painful lesson, but if that evening at Windymere taught him anything, it’s that a congenial relationship with her isn’t in the cards. She says, good. Then they’re on the same page. Finally. He asks if she can imagine the hurt he felt, arriving for a family dinner, in good faith, only to learn that neither her nor her son did the same. It was all a ruse to keep him occupied, so Carly Corinthos could make a power play, and step into Sonny’s shoes. He shakes his finger at her, and says, it’s not in his nature to play games. He thought she knew that about him.

Brando closes Sasha’s office door, and says, when he was asked to be Dev’s father, you know what popped into his head? He’s not a dad. He knew that because he was always careful. He never wanted to bring a kid into this world, and not do right by him or her. When they were together, he wasn’t thinking about anything except them, because she’s incredible. For a million and one different reasons, but if she’s pregnant with his child, he needs her to tell him. Please. He needs to know. She says, yes. The baby is his.

Laura says, clearly, Cyrus craves something he’s incapable of attaining – to be welcomed into her family. All she has to do is look at her unconscious daughter to know what family means to him. He says he hates what happened to Lulu, and she says, that might be true, but she also knows he’s responsible. So he’ll never know the love she shares with her children. He tells her, so she’s said, over and over. Congratulations. She’ll never have to say it again.

Sonny tells Walter, this is how it’s going to work out, and Nina says Sonny doesn’t have to do this. Sonny says he wants Walter to take out his phone, and save this number. Sonny gives him a 555 number, and says, let him see. He looks at Walter’s phone, and says, okay. He’s got it right. The next time Walter gets in trouble or needs cash, call him, and Sonny will help him out. Nina smiles.

Britt tells Jason, ever since her mom told her Faison had the disease, and it could be passed down, she’s been living in a prison of fear. She went to get tested once, in the beginning, but she walked in and walked right out. He says, she wasn’t ready, and she says she couldn’t stand to know. She tried put it behind her, and focus on anything and everything else. It worked for a while, but the fear crept back in until it took over her life. She worked at trying to push it away and not think about it, until it became all she did. She knows it will just get worse until her life is one big, tangled ball of uncertainty. Jason asks if she wants to know, and she says, it makes sense, doesn’t it? If she finds out she doesn’t have Huntington’s, then she’s free. Jason says, if it is? and she says, that would be really awful, but at least she could come up with a plan.

Carly says, Gladys gets to go home to Connecticut, and have a nice, comfortable life, one she could never have before because she couldn’t afford it. Think about it. No more worrying about bills, or whining about her car, no more waiting tables to make ends meet. Gladys would be in control, and have a nice, functioning business of her choosing. Hell, if Gladys stumbled on a house she liked, Carly would co-sign the mortgage, within reason. Gladys says, but only if she gets out of Dodge, and Carly says, exactly. Gladys says, no. She’s not going anywhere. Her son is there, Brando, her pride and joy, and she’s got friends there. Carly says, like Cyrus Renault? and Gladys says, among others. You’re not running me out of Port Charles, Miss High and Mighty. Carly says, okay, and Gladys says, okay? Carly says, what she’s hearing is Gladys is turning down her offer, which is okay. It just means they do it the unpleasant way.   

Sasha says, big news, huh? and Brando says, kind of the biggest. He doesn’t want to tell her what to do, or shove himself in her business, but at the same time, he’d like to support her. He’d be really happy to have a place in his kid’s life. She says, she was blindsided. Just like him, she was thinking about nothing but them that night. She should have been more careful. He says, they both should have. She says she knows she told him that she was on birth control, and she was, but she hadn’t been consistent, and she knew that. She doesn’t know how it’s going to play out, but she gets what he’s saying about wanting to be involved, and she’s totally open to that. He thanks her, and says, even though it’s the last thing he expected, he’s glad it happened.

Chase apologizes, and says he knows how hard Finn is working. He didn’t mean to lash out. it’s not Finn’s fault he’s sick. He’s going crazy and doesn’t know how long he can take it. Finn says, as long as it takes, and Chase says, easy for Finn to say, and Finn says, none of this is easy, but it’s the way it has to be. Chase says he has options, and Finn says, those options will get him killed. Chase says, well, and shrugs, and Willow says, don’t say that. Finn doesn’t know why Chase would take the risk of having a seizure, or falling and cracking his head, and Chase says, because living like this isn’t living. Why can’t Finn see that? Finn says he’s doing everything he can. He can’t let Chase go home alone. Michael says, what if Chase comes home with him?

Finn says he can’t let Michael do that, but Michael says he offered. It’s not like they don’t have the space. Even with everyone who’s staying there, they have ten empty bedrooms, and a full staff of housekeepers. Chase can have his privacy, and still have someone check in on him. And his grandmother is a doctor. Finn says, one of the best, and Michael says, plus, they have some awesome neighbors. Right down the driveway, there’s a mom and her little boy. Willow says, he’s really cute. Chase might like him. Michael says, it’s a win-win. Willow won’t be terrified for him, and they can see each other whenever they want. What does he say? Chase smiles.

Gladys says Carly is confusing herself with Sonny. She admits she was afraid of her cousin, but she’s not afraid of his greedy grasping wife. Even if Sonny was still there, it wouldn’t matter. She’s friends with someone just as powerful; if not more so. Carly says she’s Cyrus worshiping again, and Gladys says, Cyrus likes her. He respects her, and views her as someone he can do business with. Carly says, business; is that what they’re calling it? Gladys says, and he likes her son. Cyrus gave Brando a job when they kicked him to the curb. Carly asks if Gladys loves her son, and Gladys tells Carly, don’t dare question her love for Brando. Carly says she’ll take that as a yes, and Gladys says, of course (🍷) she loves him. Carly sincerely hopes she does, because she’s three breaths away from getting Brando killed.   

Sonny says, if Walter ever finds himself in a jam, or the friend comes back who sent him to the Tan-O… What was his name? Walter tells Sonny, he didn’t say, and Nina takes out her phone. She shows Water a picture of Eli, and says, is this him? Walter says, that’s the guy, and Sonny says, if he comes sniffing around, wanting a favor, it’s better that Sonny handle him than Walter. Walter says, okay, and Sonny says he’s glad he ran into Walter. Remember what he said, and everything will work out fine. Now go back to work. Walter leaves, and Nina looks at Sonny. He says, what? and she says, nothing. She’s just so impressed. Next time Elijah calls Walter for his dirty work… Sonny says, Walter will come straight to him. She says, brilliant. He’s brilliant. They high-five, and Sonny holds on to Nina’s hand.

The doctor introduces himself to Britt and Jason as Dr. Gannon, and asks Jason to wait outside while he talks to Jason’s wife. Britt says, she’d like her husband to stay if that’s okay, and the doctor says, of course (🍷). They all sit, and the doctor asks, what’s going on? Britt says she’s been having tremors in her right hand, and pain. He asks when the tremors started, and she says, about five months ago. They were erratic, but have started happening more frequently. He asks if she has any underlying medical conditions, and she says, possibly. Her father had Huntington’s Disease. Up until now, she’s elected not to get tested. He says, so she doesn’t know if she has the marker? She says, no, and he asks if she wants to know. She says, that is the question of the day.

Chase can’t believe Michael is going to let him move in, and Michael says, why not? Chase asks if Michael is sure everyone will be okay with it, and Michael says, the only person whose opinion matters is his grandmother, and given the circumstances, he’s sure she’d agree this is the best option. She’s letting Valentin live there while they’re waiting for Brook’s baby to be born, so Chase is a major step up. Chase says, okay, but he doesn’t want to go against medical advice. He needs to check with his doctor. Finn says, Chase was prepared to leave a minute ago, but Chase says, things change. Finn says, if Monica is willing to sign off on it, so is he. Michael says he’ll call her now, and Finn suggests they use his office; he wants to talk to Monica himself. They leave, and Chase tells Willow, Michael stepping up like that after what happened, he’s truly one of the good ones. She says, Michael is remarkable.

Dr. Gannon suggests they start with the actual thing Britt has. They’ll run a battery of tests on her hand, and see what comes up. Then she can decide if she wants a test for Huntington’s. Is that good? She nods, and he asks her to come with him. She looks at Jason, and he says, it’s okay. He’ll be there.  

Carly suggests she and Gladys review who Gladys has gotten into bed with since she got there. Cyrus Renault is a drug pushing murderer. Gladys says, like Sonny never killed anyone. At least Cyrus values her opinion. Carly says Cyrus is using her; it’s clear as day. He winds her up with a compliment or a glass of wine, and off she goes, regurgitating anything he wants her to say. Gladys says, that’s not true, and Carly says, he’s a despicable human being, who, when he doesn’t get what he wants, resorts to blackmail. Gladys says he’s not blackmailing her, and Carly says, because he prefers to do that to her son. Does she really think Brando is working for Cyrus because he wants to? Brando is so far under Cyrus’s thumb, he’s basically a hostage because Gladys told Cyrus about Dev. That’s how he works. Cyrus doesn’t trust her with his secrets. He thinks he has leverage over her. Cyrus doesn’t trust anyone.

Sasha puts Brando’s hands on her stomach, and he says he guesses they have some things to figure out, and she guesses they do. First on the list, they need to decide how to protect him from Cyrus. He says, screw Cyrus. Cyrus sent him there to sniff out the father. She says, then he already suspects it’s Brando, but Brando says he’s done with Cyrus’s bullying and threats. He’s going to quit his job, and let the chips fall. Does she think he’s crazy? She says, no, but she wants him to take a breath, hear her out, and then let her know what he thinks.

Cyrus tells Laura, things are about to change, and she asks, how? He says she’s made it clear she wants no familial relationship between them, so her children no longer get his protection. Laura says, is that what he did for Lulu? And he says he’s referring to Nikolas. He’ll deal with Nikolas’s interference the same way he would a stranger who gets in his way. She asks if he’s threatening her, and he says, no; it’s a promise. If Nikolas continues with his plan to privatize Pentenville, he’ll have no choice, but to stop him. He starts to leave, and turns when he gets to the door, telling her, be careful what you wish for. She didn’t want him as a brother. Now she has him as an enemy

Gladys tells Carly, stop trying to scare her, and Carly says she should be scared. Her lie is going to fall apart. Gladys says, what lie? and Carly asks if Gladys is kidding her. Jason didn’t kill Franco. Gladys says she saw him… and Carly says she saw what she was paid to see, but when the truth comes out, and Jason goes free – because he will– she won’t just be left holding the bag, she’ll be facing perjury charges. What does she think happens in Cyrus’s world when someone goes from being an asset to a liability? He’ll kill her without a second thought. Not to mention he has a really good reason to kill her kid. Gladys says Carly is just jealous because Cyrus is good to her boy, but Carly says, not for long. She has one name – Sasha Gilmore.

Sasha says she was in a really messed up place when she met Cyrus. They were about to have a flat out transactional relationship; sex for drugs. Knowing that about herself, that she could stoop that low, was horrible, but it wasn’t going to stop her. She would have slept with Cyrus that night, and hated herself for it, and it would probably have killed her int the end. He says, the heart attack saved her life, and she says, so did the guy who brought her to the hospital. That’s how she sees it. A tragic fate that she narrowly avoided. In Cyrus’s view, she was the perfect trophy. She was his property. Does Brando think Cyrus would be willing to let that go, to share it, to allow it to have its own choices? He says, no; she’s right. Cyrus thinks she’s his property. She says, when he finds out young, strong, sexy Brando knocked her up when he couldn’t even get her into bed, what does he think Cyrus will do? Be honest. He says Cyrus is going to try and take him out. Her phone rings, and she says, Cyrus is there to see her? Send him in.  

Willow sees Michael in the hallway, and he says Monica is on board, like he thought she would be. She offered to speak to housekeeping about a late night check-in. Willow doesn’t know what to say. Chase would have lived alone. Michael says, he knows, and she says, this is obviously what’s best, and she’s so grateful, but it’s going to be hard. Everyone at the house will think she and Chase are together. Michael says they can handle it, and Willow says she’s glad one of them is confident. He says, sometimes the right thing to do is hard. Apparently, Michael memorizes fortunes from cookies. He says, and this is the right thing to do. Chase is a major important piece in her life, and he’s Michael’s friend. Willow says, what he did tipped the scales in the custody hearing. Without him, they might not have Wiley. He says, Chase made a huge sacrifice. Now it’s their turn.

Nina says Sonny scared her for a minute. She thought he was going to hurt the guy. He asks why she’d think that, and she says, it would be completely understandable that he’d be angry that the guy tried to rob Phyllis and Lenny. He says, someone has to be down on their luck to pull a gun on a stranger, especially one that hasn’t done anything to them. Eli is bad people, but most people are just desperate. Nina says, bad situations make for bad choices, and he says, if the hiker hadn’t found him in the woods and taken him to the clinic, he would have never met Phyllis, which led to her taking him in… She says, he could have ended up like Walter. He says, it’s possible. It’s best Walter knows he can turn to somebody. Nina says she couldn’t agree more.

Britt comes back, and Jason asks how it went. She said they did an x-ray, an MRI, and some other medical term where they take a small needle and use a light current to test the nerves. What’s ridiculous is, she could have ordered the tests herself, but if it led to where she was scared of it leading… He says she didn’t want anyone at GH to know, and she says, most of all, Cyrus. Jason asks where the tests led, and she says she has postural tremors. He asks what that means, and she says she’s stressed, and needs to take better care of herself. Jason says she has a reason for the tremors. That’s got to be a relief. Britt says, yes and no.

Finn tells Chase that he spoke to Monica at length, and she’s on board. Chase wonders if he’s making a mistake, imposing on the family like this, but Finn doesn’t think Michael would have offered if they couldn’t handle it. Monica helped Finn, and he selfishly feels better knowing there’s a doctor in the house in case anything goes wrong. Chase says, typical. Finn making it all about himself. Finn says, it’s a good compromise. He’ll find a cure, Chase has someone to monitor him in case he needs it, and he’ll get time with Willow outside of the hospital. Chase says he can’t get Willow alone soon enough. 

Michael says, it won’t be forever, and Willow says, when Chase is well and strong, they’ll tell him the truth. He says, now is not the time. They need to treat their friend with kindness and dignity. She says, Chase is lucky to have him, and he tells her not to nominate him for sainthood yet. It’s just one room in a huge house; it’s the least he can do. Willow says, as hard as it is, it couldn’t be so much harder if she weren’t going through it with him. They join hands briefly, and Willow leaves.

Laura leaves a message for Nikolas, saying, she just had a visit with Cyrus. She needs to see him as soon as possible.  

Carly tells Gladys, Sasha was in a bad place. Cyrus was hitting on her big time; a young, flashy, trophy. He got Sasha hooked on drugs, and she OD’d. (Okay, I just have to say it. Is Carly just making this up as she goes along? Is everyone? We saw none of this along the way, except for him giving her drugs once.) Gladys says, that’s not Cyrus’s fault, and Carly says, no, but does she know what Cyrus’s solution was when Sasha collapsed? For Brando to get rid of the body; just get rid of the problem altogether. Her son couldn’t do that, so he saved Sasha’s life. Gladys says, that’s her boy, and Carly says, yeah. Sasha is pregnant, and Brando is the father. How does Gladys think Cyrus is going to react? Not so well. So the only person who can save Gladys and her son is Carly.

Brando asks Sasha if he should go out the back, but she says, no. It’s better for Cyrus to see him, and they can confront things head-on. Cyrus knocks at the door, and she opens it. She says, perfect timing. They have a lot to discuss.

Nina asks if Sonny has ever given much thought to before; how people’s earlier choices restrict their later ones. He asks what she means, and she says, people get caught up in the quest for power, drive to succeed, and their need to protect what’s theirs. They talk themselves out of kinder impulse they’d have in situations. He says, he sees it. It’s kind of weird. He doesn’t know who he was before, but maybe it’s better not to know. There’s something liberating about the idea. He feels free to help Lenny and Phyllis. He doesn’t have to think he needs to beat the hell out of someone, and can look from their perspective. She says, there are no outside forces, and no personal history forcing him to react a certain way. He’s free. He says, maybe what happened was a blessing in disguise. Not that he wanted it. It’s not what he would have chosen, to have no money and no memory, but he doesn’t regret it for one second.

Britt tells Jason, yes, this obviously means the possibility she doesn’t have Huntington’s is still out there, but so is the fear, and it’s just as real. Does he see how paralyzing this is for her? She double-thinks everything in terms of if she has the disease or not. Jason said if he had no kids, he wouldn’t want to know, right? He says, they’re two totally different people with totally different lives, and she says, she knows, but it’s important to her to understand why he wouldn’t want to know. Jason says he doesn’t make decisions based on what ifs. He’s actually bad at what ifs. He doesn’t know. If his kids weren’t in the equation, he thinks he’d just want to live as long as he could, and as fully as he could. Then whatever happens to him, happens to him, but he’s not everybody. She wishes she was like that, and Jason says, if not knowing is suffocating her, she should know. Dr. Gannon comes back, and asks if she’s made a decision. Britt says she’d like to get tested for Huntington’s.    

Tomorrow, Laura asks if that’s the only reason Nikolas wants to buy the prison, TJ visits Shawn, Sasha tells Cyrus that she’s saving the best for last, and Carly says the only one who can save Gladys and her son is her.

The Real Housewives of New Jersey – The Reunion – Part One

The set was super cool, with all kinds of boardwalk games to represent the Jersey Shore. Although I’m not sure if Andy had RHONJ confused with the show Jersey Shore, since this group’s idea of the Shore is Tom’s River, which ain’t exactly boardwalk territory. Everyone went with a white/silver color scheme, and as always, amazing earrings. My favorite dress was Melissa’s, which was very princessy with a silver lace overlay. They talked about their kids, but it didn’t take long before the arguing started. Jennifer whined that Marge looked down on her being a stay-at-home mom, but Marge countered that she had been a stay-at-home mom, and that wasn’t the issue. She said Jen had married to a plastic surgeon prominently displayed on her social media bio. Jennifer said it was a fact, and Teresa said Bill was a doctor, and it was something to be proud of. She added that Marge wouldn’t be saying married to a plumber on her social, but I’m not sure why that wouldn’t also be an asset, since they make a small fortune. Not to mention, look at all the construction work Marge gets done for free. I wish I was married to a plumber. Marge told Teresa that wasn’t nice, like Teresa cares. Jennifer was still not speaking to her mom, which she thought was for the best. Her mother wanted an apology for her taking in her dad, and it wasn’t going to happen, since she’d done nothing wrong there. I don’t blame her on that one. Melissa said Jennifer constantly threw her mother under the bus, and they all talked at once, which meant I could hear nothing. Jackie agreed with Melissa, which somehow prompted Teresa to bring up the analogy. Apparently, Andy wasn’t ready to discuss that yet, and told them that they weren’t talking about that right now. Jennifer said her mom was always starting arguments about the past, and Andy mentioned emotional neglect was also abuse. Jennifer said her mother wanted the whole family to punish her father. Viewer Jodi from Milwaukee thought Jennifer jealous of Melissa, and Melissa said Jennifer constantly talked about her and Joe #2 in the confessional. Jennifer said Marge told her off-camera that she and Joe #3 knew that Joe #2 didn’t pay people. Marge called Jennifer, the biggest sh*t starter known to man, and told her, if she’d said that, it would have been on the show. I can’t say I don’t agree. And if they hadn’t used it, it would have been shown right then. I don’t think she said it. I don’t dislike Jennifer, but I think she’s highly insecure, and afraid she won’t have enough storyline to keep her job.

Joe #2 came out, and we flashed back to idiotic things he said this season. Melissa said they were both jealous people, and had been joined at the hip for the first half of their marriage. Joe said fame was a devil that made you forget who you are, and Marge said Melissa had to take advantage of her time to shine. Joe’s comment about Delores being a broken woman was brought up, but Delores had the perfect response. She said when someone called her something that she knew she wasn’t, she didn’t get mad. I totally hear her on this. I’m the same way, and my response is usually to laugh. Melissa and Joe agreed they were in a good place now. We revisited Teresa and Joe #2’s father’s memorial, and Teresa said it had been one thing after another. Joe had gone to jail, she went to jail, she lost her mom, and then her dad. She wanted a break, and Andy said he thought the break was Louie. Teresa said she’d met Louie on the same street where she’d asked her parents to send her a great guy. Sounds like a keeper. For now. We went back over the fight that started with Joe #2 talking smack about Joe #1, and Teresa saying Juicy Joe was a classy guy. That was even hard to type. Joe #2 said their parents had held in their dislike for Joe #1 because of the kids. When Teresa went to prison, all of them went to prison too. Teresa said her kids saw the things her brother said, and Andy showed a clip from Watch What Happens Live, where Gia talked about how it bothered her. Joe #2 said he had held it in for years, but it was a reality show and that was real life. Agreed. Andy brought up Joe #1 having told the press that Joe #2 stole from his parents and never helped them, and never visited his mother in the hospital. I find all that a little hard to believe. Somehow, this turned into something about Jackie, Teresa, and the… oh never mind. At this point, Joe #2 was dismissed.

A viewer asked about Marge’s hair evolution, since she seemed to have ditched her pigtails. She said she still wore them (I do remember seeing her in them this season), but she often felt like she was in a theme or costume where they didn’t apply. Jennifer asked if Joe #3 wasn’t submissive to Marge, basically just to start sh*t. Apparently, Jennifer had also been slut-shaming Marge on Twitter, and said Marge had slept her way to the top. Marge’s response was, at least I’m at the top, you only slept your way to Paramus, and I literally lol’d. Jennifer said Marge was the cause of the rumor, and that Teresa would back her on that. Marge said it was going to go down very bad.

Next time – Part Two – the husbands join the group, and a dead horse is beaten – i.e. the analogy,

The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills

Along with Kathy Hilton as a friend, added to the cast this season were new Wife Crystal Minkoff and Sutton, who finally got her diamond. It was just after quarantine, and in Erika’s interview, she said she’d been on a roll. She was on the New York Times Best Seller list, a best-selling author, and two weeks short of ending her run in Chicago on Broadway, when it all came to a screeching halt. And she didn’t want to make sourdough. It sounded like most of the women hadn’t talked to each other much, although PK and Dorit had gone to Mexico with Mauricio and Kyle. Kyle was surprised Garcelle had unfollowed her after she’d accused Garcelle being a deadbeat with a charity auction win. Garcelle, Sutton, and Garcelle’s friend Sheree (no, not that Sheree) drank some kind of health concoction, but then chased it with Fireball. In Garcelle’s interview, she said she and Sutton had become friends. Sutton was fun, a little odd, and a little kooky, but she liked it. Sutton said she’d tried texting Denise, but gotten no response. She didn’t understand why they all couldn’t get along.

LisaR, Dorit, and Erika visited Kyle, who’d broken her nose, and got a nose job along with the fix. Dorit wanted to get dolled up, and have a barbecue or cocktails for the ladies, outside at her house. Dorit’s said the year had been easy on them. Sutton had sold her house, but her new house needed a facelift, so she was renting Kyle’s old house to the tune of $25K a month, which Kyle called the friends and family discount. I wondered what the full price was. Kyle came for a visit, and we flashed back over Kyle’s memories of the house. In her interview, she said it made her feel sad to see how different it was.

Garcelle met with LisaR, who she said she didn’t like right now. LisaR said she cared about Garcelle, and always had. She’d taken some time to self-reflect, and her intentions hadn’t been to hurt Garcelle. She apologized, saying she’d been hurt, and wanted to hurt Garcelle. She admitted to being harder on Denise than she’d needed to be, and had rather she’d stood by her friend. She’d 100% f***ed up. In Garcelle’s interview, she thought LisaR was trying to own it quickly, so Garcelle didn’t come for her. Garcelle asked why LisaR couldn’t have just been there for Denise, and let the others come for her. (Two words: screen time.) LisaR said she couldn’t, and Garcelle asked, why? Was it that LisaR had to be right? LisaR said no one cared about Brandi, or what she and Denise had done, but Garcelle said it hadn’t seemed that way. LisaR said she’d thought she and Denise’s friendship had been deeper than Denise and Brandi’s. So… What does that mean? LisaR was jealous? Garcelle asked how she could trust LisaR not to do the same to her. LisaR said she’d been protective of Denise, and Garcelle said if that was how LisaR protected her friends, no thanks. LisaR admitted being a c-word, and Garcelle said, even though that wasn’t a word she liked, she couldn’t disagree. Ditto. LisaR wanted to move on, and Garcelle said she was open, but treading lightly.

In Erika’s interview, she said she’d never taken her success for granted, but quarantine taught her how, on a dime, the world can change. She’d lost her job, and Tom told he that she wasn’t good at being still. She said there was only so much she could clean up and organize. Dorit visited Garcelle, who had an awesome fish tank, that was huge, round, and narrow, and had two small fish in it. Garcelle showed Dorit her office, and said she’d gotten her dream job as co-host on The Real. She had an inversion table in the bedroom, and Dorit asked if it was for sex, but Garcelle said, just her lower back; it didn’t vibrate or do anything else. On their way to visit Crystal, who was also a friend of Kathy’s, Kyle told LisaR that she was going to have lunch with Garcelle, and LisaR said she felt good about the dinner they’d had. Garcelle told Dorit that she didn’t know if she could trust LisaR, and Dorit said it took a while for her to get it back after she and LisaR started off on the wrong foot. We flashed back to the dinner where LisaR asked if Dorit did coke in the bathroom at parties. Garcelle asked if Dorit trusted LisaR now, and Dorit said she did, but there was a long pause first. It didn’t go unnoticed by Garcelle who asked why Dorit had hesitated. We never quite got the answer to this.

LisaR and Kyle met Crystal’s husband Rob, who’s 25 years older than Crystal. In Kyle’s interview, she said she didn’t think there was anything wrong with an age gap. Look at Erika and Tom. She could see why they were together. I choked on my coffee. Rob had directed the animated Lion King, so there were all kinds of tchotchkes from the film in their library, which were fun to look at. I’m still not sure how you direct a cartoon though.

That evening, the women went to Dorit’s for her glam barbecue. In Dorit’s interview, she said she was glad to be glamming again, and hosting a party. It had been 100 years. They all squealed and air kissed when they saw each other, and I was already annoyed. Dorit toasted to a great rest of this sh*tty year. In Crystal’s interview, she said she felt underdressed. The group dressed very loudly, and she was more conservative. She thought it could be because she saw her older friends dressing young and cringed. I wasn’t 100% positive if she was throwing shade at the group or just making a comment. I’ve told my friends, if they ever catch me dressing age inappropriately, please take me out back and put me out of my misery. Crystal also said that people in Beverly Hills knew one another, and if you didn’t know someone, maybe it was someone you didn’t need to know. Is Crystal a snob? Mauricio and PK made themselves scarce, and in her interview, Erika said, the truth was, none of these women knew how to throw a barbecue. It would have been better if they were on a yacht in the Mediterranean, but they were at Dorit’s in Encino. She’d take it. LisaR invited everyone to Lake Tahoe, and in the creepiest moment, Kathy said in her interview that, as a child, she did pretend dentistry on the neighborhood children. LisaR told Dorit that she and Garcelle had a great, really good dinner, and she thought they’d be okay. Garcelle told Sutton that she was open to growing and figuring things out with LisaR, but Sutton said she thought LisaR believed they were all good. In Garcelle’s interview, she said it took more than one drink to fix a friendship. Sutton told her if there was dishonesty in how she felt, she should go back and revisit the conversation, so there were no splinters. Garcelle said, there were going to be splinters regardless. LisaR told Dorit she wanted to be better not bitter, and Dorit acted like that was the most clever thing she’d ever heard. Yeah. LisaR is really good with the little sayings, but she’s still an a-hole.

Everybody kept saying how long it had been. LisaR wanted to know everyone’s best moment and hardest moment of quarantine. Sutton said stayed in bed for 2 months, and Kyle said the unknown was the worst for her anxiety, but she loved having the kids at home. Crystal said they never would have had this kind of time, and Garcelle said when she didn’t have her kids, she was lonely. Erika said it was a very dark time for her. In her interview, she said she was always busy, but when she came home from NYC, it was really silent. She was walking the halls and not sleeping, and feeling incredible dread. She’d thought seeing a psychiatrist was a sign of defeat, but caved. She told the women, she’d started dreading waking up, and ended up seeing a psychiatrist and going on Lexapro. The problems were still there, but her attitude toward them was different. LisaR said she’d had to sit with herself instead of running from herself. Erika said she’d been running too, and in her interview, she said there was so much the women didn’t know about her life and her personal life. The bigger your life is, the bigger your problems are. Wow. If that isn’t conceit, I don’t know what is. Kathy asked if anyone thought about people they could weed out since they didn’t miss them, and Erika said she was down to two, and they were duking it out.

Next time, Garcelle questions Kyle about calling her out, the trip to Lake Tahoe (it’s some house), and Garcelle asks how she can trust LisaR.

🗯 My take on the women. As weird and inappropriate as she is sometimes (hey, she’s Southern and eccentric), I like Sutton, and I love Garcelle. The jury’s still out on Crystal. It’s way too early to tell, and I want to like her, but some of the things she said were iffy. I suppose at this point, I’m indifferent to Kyle. I think she’s tone deaf in a lot of ways, and not especially bright, but obviously Mauricio loves her, so there must be something there. Dorit is Dorit, and Erika, I dunno. I think she has her reasons for being the way she is, but when you’re her age, they’re not excuses. I haven’t liked her much in a while, although her wardrobe still rocks. LisaR is the lowest of the low, that word Garcelle and I don’t like, and, as Judge Milian (People’s Court) says, I wouldn’t believe her if her tongue came notarized.

🕯 Burning It At Both Ends…

Time for tea with a little NYC real estate mixed in tomorrow. For now, stay safe, stay living to the fullest (whatever that means for you), and stay making sure there are no splinters in your relationships.

May 18, 2021 – Sonny Recognizes Someone, Ramona Gets Busted By Leah, Did She Donate, Fashionable Fashions & Hamptons Magic

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Sonny and Nina get to the Corinth Outlet Mall, and Nina says, this is the place. Sonny says, the first stop on Elijah’s list of real estate acquisitions. She says, it’s the opposite of local charm. The words boring and mundane spring to mind. He says, the word that springs to his mind is corruption.

Carly lets Diane in, and says, before she asks, this is billable. Diane says she’s delighted to hear it. Which of the myriad of situations Carly is handling are they discussing? Carly says, Jason. She thinks she found a way to bring him home.

Britt stands in what looks like a lighthouse, and Jason walks in. She asks how it is, and he says, the perimeter is clear. She says, it certainly is isolated. She’s holding a deck of cards, and he asks what she’s got. She says, they’re in luck. Only the seven of diamonds is missing. She should probably check his stitches and change his bandages, but he says he wants to clean up first. She says she’ll be there, and he goes upstairs. She takes out her phone, and starts to punch in numbers. Jason suddenly appears, and asks who she’s calling.   

Peter shows up at Maxie’s apartment, and says he was so happy to get her message that she wanted to see him. She says she did ask that he call, but never mind. He’s there now. He asks how she’s feeling, and how’s little Louise? She says, they had a rough night. That’s why she wanted to speak to him. He asks if she had contractions, and if they should go to the hospital, but she says, it’s nothing like that. She needs to leave town.

Anna calls Robert, and leaves a message that she needs to talk to him. She’s at the hospital, but she can meet him in 20 minutes. Call her back; it’s important. She hears Finn telling Chase that he’s working around the clock to find a protocol; to make it safe for Chase to go home. Chase says he wants out, but Finn says Chase just had a major setback. Chase suggests they talk about his setback, and talk about his mysterious condition. What is Finn not telling him?   

Willow looks at her phone, and Michael asks, what’s got her so absorbed? She says, she was just researching Chase’s illness. She knows it sounds ridiculous. If Finn can’t figure it out, a Google search isn’t going to be much good. She can’t believe Finn’s found no diagnosis in all this time. Michael asks if she thinks Finn isn’t telling Chase all he knows about Chase’s condition.   

Ned walks into the Quartermaine mansion, as Brook is coming downstairs. She tells him, good morning, and he asks if everyone is alive after Valentin’s first night there. She says she’s seen no signs of bloodshed, but it’s probably the calm before the storm.

Valentin wanders around upstairs, and opens a door. There’s a scream, and Olivia yells, get out! Ned runs upstairs, and Brook says, yeah. That’s more like it.

Willow asks Michael, what if Finn is withholding information about Chase for his own good? He says, like they are? and she says, exactly. She’s in no position to criticize, but she knows Chase wants the truth. Michael says, what if they ask Finn straight out? Would it violate confidentiality? She says, actually, it wouldn’t. Chase told Finn that he wants her informed about his condition, so she has consent. But she doesn’t feel right probing into it with Finn. Michael asks, why? and she says, how much is too much? Chase thinks she’s his girlfriend, and so does everyone else. If she exploits her access to privileged information, it does feel like another lie, and she just can’t do that to Chase.

Finn tells Chase, believe him. He gets no joy in keeping Chase cooped up, and watching him eat orange gelatin. Chase tells him to find out what’s taking so long, and Finn says he’s doing the best he can. He can’t have Chase go back to his apartment, and chance his fever spiking and him having a seizure. He left Chase for five minutes, and came back to a 105 temperature, and Chase delirious. What if Chase is alone and couldn’t get help, and Finn can’t get to him? Chase says Finn will find a way to keep him safe, and Finn says, they have that. It’s called staying in the hospital.

Robert comes out of the elevator, and Anna motions for him to keep his voice down. He says he thought he’d find her there, but she says he didn’t have to come. She could have met him. He says he was at the hospital, interviewing a witness. It sounded important. What’s up? It’s not Chase? She says, no. She called Tiffany, and has some really bad news. Sean passed away. His old friend is gone.

Olivia flies downstairs, and asks why Valentin is strutting around half-naked? He strolled into her bedroom, wearing only a towel and a look of astonishment. What’s going on? What the hell is he doing here? Brook says, Monica didn’t tell her? and she says, tell her what?  Are Valentin and Brook a couple? Brook says, no, but what if they were? Ned says, they’re not. Valentin and Charlotte are living there for the time being. Olivia says, they’re what?

Britt says, she just wants to make one call; it’s important. Maxie is high risk, and she’s Maxie’s OB/GYN. She needs to make sure Maxie is all right. He says, the police could be monitoring her associates. It’s a long shot, but they could be looking at Maxie. She says, that’s why she’ll just be on for a short minute. Come on. She  trusted him all the way to a Canadian lighthouse. Now he needs to trust her.

Diane says, if Carly thought of a way to exonerate Jason, by all means, enlighten her. Carly says, the case relies on Gladys’s claims that she saw Jason getting rid of the murder weapon. They know she’s lying, and if Gladys recants, the case is over. Diane asks why Gladys would do that, and Carly says she’s going to convince Gladys that she’s making a mistake, aligning herself with Cyrus. Diane asks if they’re talking about the same Gladys. Carly can’t appeal to Glady’s better angel. She doesn’t have a righteous bone in her body, and she’s terrified of Cyrus. Does Carly know something she doesn’t? Carly says, Gladys will be singing a different tune when Gladys hears what she has to say.

Nina tells Sonny, when they were driving into Corinth, she was thinking it was a cute little town, with charming houses. Then they got to the strip mall that looks like it was dropped in the center. Before they came, she did some research, and looked at the town. Main Street was thriving, and had all these cute mom and pop businesses. Where are they? What happened to the local community? He says, Elijah happened.

Peter asks what Maxie means by leaving, and Maxie says, she’s not leaving leaving, just going away got a few days. Whispering Pines is a spa resort, and they have a baby pampering package. She’s going to treat herself. He asks if this babymoon is for couples, but she says, the spa is for women only. It’s supposed to be calming and relaxing, and she could use some alone time. She just got terrible news. Her godfather Sean died. He says he’s sorry; he had no idea. She says, someone important leaves her life just as someone important enters it. She needs some quiet to process. He understands, doesn’t he? He says, of course (🍷). He hopes it will be a relaxing time, and she says, it will be. He says, of course (🍷) it will. Chloe will be there.

Jason says Britt thinks he doesn’t trust her? and she sarcastically says, no. That’s why he didn’t want her to make a call. He says he just wants her to understand the risk to use the phone. Obviously she does, so go ahead. She says, that’s it? and he says, that’s it. They’re in this together. She doesn’t have to sneak around; just ask for the phone. Or she can keep the phone, and he’ll ask. Britt says, great, and he tells her, make her call. She says she will, and he goes back upstairs. She watches him, and smiles.

Robert tells Anna, he knew Sean was suffering from dementia, but he didn’t think it was bad enough that he’d die. Anna says, Tiffany and Annie are devastated. They knew it was coming, but even when you’re prepared, it’s just… Finn comes out, and asks if Robert is okay. Anna says, their friend passed away – Sean Donely. Finn says he’s sorry. He knows they mentioned Sean lived in Ireland, and Anna says, the memorial is tomorrow. Robert says, so soon? They have arrangements to make. He’ll check the flights. Anna says, no. She’s sorry. She can’t go.   

Willow tells Michael that she’s sorry. It’s not fair, but Chase is in the hospital with an unknown illness, and getting him through it is all that matters. She hopes Finn isn’t withholding information like Chase thinks. Michael says, Chase was pretty out of it. Maybe he’ll feel differently today. Willow hopes so. She’s heading over to the hospital. She wants to grab some time with her advisor, and look in on Chase. He asks if she wants a ride. She can sit in the back if she doesn’t trust herself with him. She says she’ll try to control herself, and thanks him.

Brook tells Olivia, it wasn’t her idea, but upon further consideration, as bizarre as it is, it makes sense. Like Valentin said, there are more wings in the house than Quartermaines. (Apparently, they thought that was as funny as I did, since they used it twice.) Valentin says he’s sorry he intruded on Olivia, and she asks if he doesn’t believe in knocking. He says he was under the impression that he and Charlotte had the guest wing to themselves. Olivia says he thought wrong, and Ned asks why she was in the guest wing. She says she’s been sleeping there since he left. It doesn’t feel right, sleeping in their bed without him. Brook smiles.

Sonny and Nina visit a park where the trashcans are overflowing. She says, the park is like the rest of Corinth. It’s obviously seen better days. Imagine how charming it used to be. Sonny sees a woman sitting on a bench, and says, maybe one of the locals can give them some insight on the park. He walks up to the woman, and says, hi, Barb. She asks if she knows him, and he says she’s wearing a name tag. She says she’s on break, and Nina says, the mall must be busy. What about the rest of Corinth? Did it go the way of the strip mall? She saw pictures on the website, and the town looked so cute. Barb says, it’s a different town. It’s changed since she was growing up, especially after what happened five years ago. Sonny asks, what happened? and she says, crime; robberies, vandalism, petty theft. People got scared and stopped shopping here. Nina says, what a shame. It must have been hard on businesses. Barb says, they started shuttering and boarding up. When they were offered a chance to sell, they jumped at it. They didn’t  expect the lots to be combined for a strip mall. Nina asks if Barb thinks the owners wouldn’t have sold if they knew, and Barb says they would have at least held out for more money. Sonny says they have a similar problem in Nixon Falls. He leans over to Nina, and says, very similar.

Carly tells Diane that she recently learned something that could make Gladys switch sides, but she’d be breaking a confidence. Diane asks if it would give her the leverage she needs to get Gladys to recant her story, and Carly says she thinks so. Diane asks if it would put Carly’s source in danger, but Carly says she doesn’t think so; it’s personal and none of her business. Diane says, then she needs to ask herself this question. What’s more important, a clear conscience regarding her source’s secret, or the possibility of Jason being exonerated? Carly says, question. Anything she says is covered by attorney/client privilege? Diane says, unless Carly is going to tell her that she’s murdering somebody. Don’t murder anyone, and don’t tell her. She doesn’t want to know. Otherwise, everything is covered. Carly says, Sasha is pregnant, and Brando is the father.

Ned says, Olivia can’t sleep in their bed alone without him? He’s been having trouble sleeping too. Olivia says, stop here. Question. What’s Valentin doing camping out there, when she gave him the best suite in the MetroCourt? Valentin says he’s there to keep an eye on Brook. She insists on ditching her security detail. Olivia says, and Monica is okay with this? and Ned says, she’s surprisingly on board. Michael and Willow come  out of the living room, and Michael asks, what’s going on? Brook says, not much. Valentin saw Olivia naked. Olivia says she was not naked, but Valentin was only wearing a towel. Ned says Valentin needs to walk around in proper attire, but Brook says she kind of likes the towel. Valentin says he’s sure, and goes back upstairs.   

Nina tells Barb, when she was parked across from the mall, she saw lots of cars. Barb says, people drive in from all over to shop at the outlets. That’s the reason a lot of people went out of business; they can’t complete with the low prices. Don’t get her wrong; she’s grateful for the jobs it brought. It’s just a different town now. She supposes it’s progress. She leaves, and Nina says, it sounds like the town lost its heart, and Sonny asks if it was lost, or stolen.

Diane asks Carly to explain how Gladys learning Sasha is pregnant with her grandchild will make her recant, and Carly says, Cyrus is into Sasha. She’s sure Cyrus thought Sasha was a trophy, and hooking her on drugs would keep her on a leash. It didn’t turn out that way, and Sasha has kept her distance. Cyrus, not so much. He won’t appreciate being shown up by his younger driver. If Cyrus found out, he’d kill Brando for being close to Sasha. Gladys has a lot of faults, but she loves her son. Diane says, the best way to protect Brando is to get Cyrus convicted of a felony for obstruction of justice. If Gladys admits she lied, and further admits that Cyrus incentivized it, Cyrus will be facing serious criminal changes. Carly says if she reveals Sasha’s secret, she’ll feel terrible using Sasha’s situation for her own benefit after all Sasha has done for Michael and Wiley. She gave up Michael, and nearly lost her life. Carly feels terrible, but there’s no other way to help Jason. Diane says, maybe she can offer Gladys something else.

Robert says, Anna is going to miss Sean’s memorial? What could be more important? Anna says she wants to go, but she’s needed there. Finn asks for a minute, and Robert gives them privacy. Finn tells Anna, she can’t do this, and she says, she’s not. She’s going to make sure Chase has another dose if he needs it. Finn says, no; she can’t miss the memorial. She’ll regret it if she doesn’t go. She says she’ll regret it more if something happens to Chase. She wants to be there for the family, but she can’t be in two places at once. She guesses she can asks Valentin to deal with Peter. Finn says, either way, she should go. She’ll regret it if she’s not there. She thanks him for looking out for her, and he says he always wants what’s best for her. She says she feels the same way about him.

Maxie tells Peter that she doesn’t need Chloe. There will be a whole staff there to pamper her. She won’t have to lift a finger if she doesn’t want to. He says, the whole point of hiring a nurse was so Maxie would have a medical professional with her at all times in case of an emergency. It will be good for her peace of mind to have Chloe there, and his. Her phone rings, and she sees it’s Britt. She tells Peter that she needs to take this. She says, hello? and Britt says, thank God she answered. Are she and the baby okay? Has she managed to keep Peter away?  

Peter asks, who is it? and Maxie says, hi, Trish. How are you? She was so worried when she didn’t hear from her. Britt says, Peter is there? and Maxie says, yep; she’s managing. Is Trish okay? Britt says she’s fine, but she won’t be back soon. What is Maxie going to do? Maxie says, she made other arrangements. She heard Trish couldn’t help because she was in a jam. Britt asks if Maxie found someone else to deliver her baby, and Maxie says, Trish knows her; she’s on it. She just has to wrap up a few details. Britt says she’s so sorry. Please, be careful. Maxie says she will. Is Trish sure she’s doing okay? Does she need to send a casserole? Britt says, she and Jason are okay. He didn’t kidnap her; he actually saved her. Maxie says she already knew that, and Britt says she can’t stay on the phone much longer. She’ll think good thoughts for Maxie and her baby. Maxie says, thanks. She wishes Trish could have made it too. Britt says she’s confident Maxie’s got this, and she’ll find a way to keep the baby safe from Peter. Maxie says she’s definitely working on that.  

Sonny tells Nina, he bets it’s the same story with the other towns. Crime goes up, businesses sell, and the strip malls and chain stores take away the remaining business, selling higher inventory at lower prices. She wonders if that’s the future for Nixon Falls, and he says, it’s already happening. That’s what Elijah does. He buys cheap, and sells to developers for more cash. She says, there’s already an uptick in crime. Phyllis said that several of her friends who wouldn’t sell, are selling now because of the robberies. The last straw. Now the town is a  target. He says, didn’t he tell her that Eli was a bad guy? She says, he is. She can’t stand the thought of Eli taking advantage of Phyllis and Lenny, when they’ve been so good to him, and taking advantage of sweet little towns. That’s the real story, not a puff peace on a charming little town, but how Elijah is using the specter of crime to drive up real estate prices, and sell the soul of sweet little towns.

Britt is playing Solitaire, when Jason walks in. She says she hoped he was sleeping, but he says he wanted to check again. She says, too bad for him. The more rest he gets, the faster he’ll heal. By the way, how long are they staying in this bucolic spot? Can they actually get a good night’s sleep? He says they should be good there, and she says, by good, he means… He says, if they take reasonable precautions, they could stay there a couple days, maybe longer. Long enough for her to see a doctor about her hand.

Michael says he and Willow are going to check on Chase. When he opens the front door, Anna and Robert are there. Michael says he and Willow were heading out, unless they’re here to see him. Robert says, they’re here to see Monica. Anna says she was just at the hospital, and Willow asks if she saw Chase; how is he? Anna says, a little restless, and Michael says he guesses they should get going. They leave, and Olivia comes downstairs. She says it’s good to see Robert and Anna. Valentin comes into the foyer, and Anna asks what he’s doing there. Robert tells Olivia, they need to see Monica. The world lost a really good guy, and them, a dear friend. Ned asks, who? and Robert says, Sean Donely.  

Chase has papers all over the bed, and Finn asks, what’s all this? Chase says he asked for his bill so far. Even with insurance paying 90%, staying here is a fortune. Finn tells him, don’t worry. He’ll cover it. Chase says he pays his own way; no. Finn says, now might be a good time to accept help, but Chase tells him, he said no. He’s the one lying there, and he’ll pay it. Finn says, no, he’s not, because it’s his fault.

Sonny asks if Nina is going to do an exposé in her magazine, and she says she thinks it will be interesting reading, and it will shine a light on what’s happening in these towns. He asks if she’s going to send reporters to Nixon Falls, but she says, no. She thinks she’ll do it herself, and expose how Eli incited crime to bring down the property values, and bundle the real estate to sell to national chains. The only problem is, they need hard proof. He says, he saw Eli talking to the thug who robbed the firehouse dance, and he heard the thug say Eli paid his bail… Sonny looks at a man on his phone near a dumpster behind Nina, and she says, what’s the matter? He says, he thinks he knows that guy.

Carly tells Diane, it’s worth a shot. As painful as it would be, it’s worth it to keep Sasha’s secret safe. Diane says Carly can always have it in reserve, in case this fails, and Carly says, she would hate to betray Sasha. Diane tells her, Sonny made choices he hated, but he made them; it’s the nature of the business. While Carly is running this thing, sentiment is a luxury she can’t afford. Diane leaves, and Carly ponders.

Britt asks if fugitives like her and Jason aren’t supposed to avoid places that keep records, like medical facilities. He says she has a fake passport. The hospital is free, and she can get the answers she needs. She says, there’s no way she’s walking into a hospital with a fake passport, but he says, she got into the country with a fake passport, and no one questioned her. Go in as a patient, and try not to pick a fight with the doctors. She asks if he just made a joke. Wow. He asks why she’s dodging this so hard, and she says, because she’s scared.

Brook says she thinks Monica is in the study, and Ned says he’ll check. Olivia suggests they get some coffee in the living room, and Valentin hangs back. He tells Anna that he’s sorry. Sean was a hell of an agent, and more important, her friend. She says, he was good friend, and behind them, Brook sneaks out the front door. Anna asks why Valentin is there at this hour of the morning, and he says he’s keeping an eye on Brook, who he sees disappeared again. Anna asks if Brook is avoiding him, and that’s why he moved in, but he says he’s living at the Quartermaine’s just until they can neutralize Peter. He asks if Sean was her best hope for an antidote, and she says she thought so. Like she told him, Faison poisoned Sean’s wife. She thought Sean might have something in his files from back then that she could use to help Finn.   

Peter asks Maxie if everything is okay with Trish. He doesn’t recognize the name. She says, Trish is a mom from James’s music playgroup. She was going to take James for a playdate, but she got the flu. It’s okay though; Spinelli is going to take him. Now where were they? Oh yeah, Chloe. He says, going to the spa with her, and she says, right. The more she thinks about it, the more she agrees with him. Chloe should go. She’s so close to her due date, it would be irresponsible for her to refuse. He says he knew she’d see reason. She’d never do anything to jeopardize their baby. She says, never. She’ll do everything in her power to keep the baby safe.   

Robert tells Olivia, Sean was one of his oldest friends. He was Robin’s godfather, and his daughter was named after Anna. Olivia says she’s glad he’s going to the memorial; it’s important to say a proper goodbye. (I’m guessing she’s going to end up going with him.) Ned comes in, and tells Robert that Monica will see him in the study. Does he know the way? Robert says he does, and thanks… to both of them. He heads for the study, and Ned tells Olivia, they should talk. She asks if he’s really okay with Valentin being there, and he says he’s 100% not okay with Valentin walking in on her, but he’s come to see the wisdom in Valentin staying there. He and Monica agree that it’s a way to assure Valentin keeps his promise to sign over Brook’s shares. She says she should have known it was something about ELQ. God forbid they forget the bottom line. Ned says, the family is so comfortable doing battle, they forget to protect who they’re truly fighting for. He’s grateful Olivia is there for Brook. Brook puts on a good front, but she’s in over her head with this pregnancy. She needs guidance, and there’s no one better to give it to her than Olivia. Olivia says, she’s a handful, that one, but if Brook will have her, she’s got Brook. She’s happy to help his daughter.

Sonny looks at the man, and flashes back to holding a gun on the robber who tried to steal from the Tan-O. Realizing it’s the same man, Sonny tells Nina, he does know that guy.  

Carly calls Gladys, and says she’s sure Gladys is surprised to hear form her. She needs Gladys to come by the house. She’s sent a car to pick Gladys up. There’s something important they need to discuss.

Anna and Valentin sit on the steps, and Anna says she’s going to Sean’s memorial. She hates the fact that she’s leaving Chase with Peter in control of the antidote, but Valentin says he’ll handle it. She thanks him, and asks if he’s sure it’s okay. He has a lot on his plate. He says he’ll take care of Peter. Go say goodbye to her friend.

Outside, Brook makes a call to her friend CeCe. She says she’s good, but girlfriend, her family is stifling her. She needs a break before the baby arrives. A couple of days of R&R. Can CeCe tell her family that Brook is staying with her?… Here’s what CeCe should say if they come looking for her…  

Maxie schedules treatments on her laptop. She wonders how long Ultimate Transcendence takes. Two hours? Perfect. She’ll schedule it after the mani/pedi, and other treatments. She says, enjoy it, Chole. You’ll be polished, buffed, and blissed out before you even realize I’m gone.

Britt tells Jason, she doesn’t want to be alone at a Canadian hospital, while some strange doctor calls her Teresa, and tells her that she has Huntington’s Disease. He says, first of all, she’s not going to be alone. He’s going with her. She says, even knowing what a risk he’d be taking? and he says, taking risks is a new thing for him. She laughs, and he almost smiles.

Chase says it’s not Finn’s fault he’s sick, and it’s not Finn’s fault that he can’t make Chase well. But it is Finn’s fault that he’s refusing to let Chase leave. Finn says Chase doesn’t understand, and Chase says Finn doesn’t understand. He’s checking out. Finn says, against medical advice. Chase can’t just leave. Chase says, watch him, and Finn says, your life depends on it. Michael and Willow stand in the doorway. 

Tomorrow, Chase says he wants out today, Cyrus says Laura will appreciate what he’s come to tell her, Laura tells Gladys that she’d be an idiot to pass up the offer, and Sonny confronts the robber, saying he knows exactly who he is.

The Real Housewives of New York City

While lounging in Ramona’s bed, Ramona and Sonja discussed the healing session. Sonja said she was surprised that Eboni had shared about her grandmother being sick, since she was new to the group. In Sonja’s interview, she said she was happy that Eboni felt comfortable enough to share. Sonja was at the point where she felt she needed to be more vulnerable and start sharing, or she’d be stuck. LuAnn found Eboni, and said Eboni had given them an Irish goodbye (i.e. ghosted them – I had to google that), but Eboni said she’d had a good time. Parts of the day had been a lot, like Ramona calling waitress Michelle the help. LuAnn said it was part of the Ramona package, and we flashed back to moments Ramona was being ignorant, rude, and/or insensitive, of which there are many. Eboni told LuAnn that her grandmother had worked as a domestic her entire life; she was the help. LuAnn said she didn’t think Ramona meant anything racial by it, but Eboni said it was the idea of seeing people as less than. She cared more about the intention than the actual words. Everyone got ready for the day, and Leah was wearing these awesome pants of many patterns, which made Ramona dizzy. She told Leah they weren’t going on safari, and in Leah’s interview, she said, it’s always a safari with these animals. She thought she was dressed perfectly. As they got in the limo/bus, Sonja noted that LuAnn was now LuAnn when she spoke to the driver, and we flashed back to when LuAnn insisted on being called Countess. While headed to a winery, LuAnn yapped about new man Garth (who she’s already broken up with), and in Sonja’s interview, she said LuAnn had a new guy, and was acting like a teenager. Garth was LuAnn’s covid flirt; reel it in. LuAnn told them about the day she planned for them in Northfork.

At the winery, Leah wondered if LuAnn was uncomfortable, only being one month sober, but Ramona said LuAnn was cool – because LuAnn said she was. In LuAnn’s interview, she said she wanted to feel included, so she brought her fake rosé. At lunch, Eboni told Ramona that her help remark had been triggering; it made people feel devalued. In Ramona’s interview, she said she liked how Eboni told her in a non-condescending way why it wasn’t cool. Ramona talked about finding out she had covid after the fact, and being tested for antibodies. Leah challenged Ramona on having said she donated plasma, and Sonja said it hadn’t been on Instagram, so it didn’t happen. Leah said it wasn’t just a test; it was a whole process. Ramona just kept saying she got tested, and wouldn’t directly answer Leah’s question. In her interview, LuAnn said Ramona was obviously lying; her face was red, and she was dodging the question.  In Leah’s interview, she said Ramona had tried to make herself look better after her sh*t behavior in the pandemic. Like she was a charitable woman who donated plasma. She told Ramona, it was like propaganda, and Ramona got loud, and gave Leah the finger. Leah told Ramona to tone it down, since she was spitting her food everywhere. LuAnn said Ramona was making herself look guilty by being defensive. Ramona suddenly had to go to the bathroom, and Leah said she wasn’t the covid police, but don’t lie. Ramona called Leah a vicious girl, and in her interview, she said the best way to handle Leah was to ignore her and walk away. Leah said nobody else seemed to give a f***, and in Eboni’s interview, she said she got that it was a morally bankrupt thing to do, but what were they going to do? Leah was never going to get what she wanted with that approach.

LuAnn said she was going in, and followed Ramona inside the restaurant/gift shop. Eboni said Leah had caught Ramona; now rest your case. Ramona yelled from the bathroom that she had diarrhea, and LuAnn apologized to the cashier. LuAnn went back to the table, and told the others that they’d given Ramona diarrhea. In Leah’s interview, she said it was time for Ramona to see a doctor. You couldn’t slurp oysters, and guzzle rosé with IBS. (Isn’t Ramona’s drink of choice pinot?) Ramona said Leah was always attacking her, and decided to go for a walk. Sonja said she’d come along, and Leah said now she was the enemy because she was looking for the truth. Sonja said she knew Ramona was wrong, but she was going to hold Ramona’s hand while she licked her wounds. Sonja said something to Ramona about cancel consolation, telling her, these days, everyone wanted to cancel everyone. She commented on Ramona’s leopard attire, and Ramona let out a screech. Oddly enough, although it was heard throughout the winery, no one even got up to see what was going on. Ramona said she felt better. In her interview, Leah said she wasn’t going to get any acknowledgement from Ramona, but every time she saw Ramona, it was going to be in the back of her head. Ramona told Sonja that she liked how Eboni explained herself in a way that wasn’t aggressive. In Eboni’s interview, she said she was cautiously optimistic about a friendship with Ramona.

In proving rich people are just like us, before leaving, the women put any leftover lobster rolls in napkins to take with them. Sonja said she never left lobster, and we flashed back to the infamous lobster boil, where Ramona and Sonja shoved lobsters into tote bags. In her interview, Eboni said it was blowing her mind seeing Sonja evolve into very tipsy. She wondered if she missed Sonja taking seven shots, but she hadn’t. Geez you’d think this was Eboni’s first… oh wait, it is. On the way back, Sonja got irritated about LuAnn’s repetitive praise of the great and wonderful Garth, and in Ramona’s interview, she suggested Sonja was jealous. It was what all of them wanted, and LuAnn got it, during covid no less. They moved on to doing some shopping in town, and in LuAnn’s interview, she said there was nothing like shopping to make a girl feel good in general. I did like the local stores, which carried a lot of unique handmade and vintage stuff. It reminded me of shopping in Hot Springs, Arkansas, where I went to a convention a few years ago. Leah bugged Ramona about inviting Heather to dinner, and Eboni said she hadn’t shucked oysters since she worked at Hooters, where she was hired for her personality. In Leah’s interview, she said she didn’t know if Sonja wanted LuAnn for herself or Garth for herself… or both. LuAnn offered to buy Sonja something from one of the (no doubt expensive) clothing stores, which Sonja readily accepted. In her interview, LuAnn said she was spoiling Sonja because Sonja was starting to spiral. Sonja whined that the blouse she wanted looked better on LuAnn. In Ramona’s interview, she said, trouble is on the way and it has one name, alcohol. Yep.

During the usual sex talk in public, Sonja said, too big is just a nuisance. I have to admit, I literally lol’d. In Eboni’s interview, she said she liked Sonja’s free spirit. I thought it was more like Sonja had too many spirits. They went to a bar/restaurant, and in her interview, LuAnn said her nerves were on edge. She felt tempted in this fabulous bar, so she went out to have a smoke. You couldn’t expect her to give up all her vices. Hey, no judgement from me, sister. Leah thought LuAnn drinking fake rosé out of a wineglass might be hurting her by keeping her attached to alcohol. In Leah’s interview, she said LuAnn was closer to a drink than she thought. Part of getting sober was getting away from that, but LuAnn didn’t want to hear her. Sonja said she didn’t want to be a canceled consolation, and Ramona wondered why anyone wanted to cancel culture. Ramona took Sonja’s drink away, saying, Sonja was getting close to the danger zone. In her interview, Ramona said that Sonja was going through something, and the drinking was taking her to the deep end. They sat down for dinner, and Leah messed with her phone, looking up all the things Heather had said. Besides talking smack about Sonja’s facelift, Heather said there was nothing authentic about LuAnn, and she was doing drugs. In LuAnn’s interview, she said, she and Heather had been fine. What the hell? LuAnn said, at first, she thought they should uninvite Heather, but on second thought, let her come. They could give it to her. Who the hell is that bitch to talk?

LuAnn FaceTimed with Garth at the restaurant, and Ramona said she was happy for LuAnn. LuAnn said he was the real deal, and Sonja drunk-called one of her male friends. Ramona said Sonja thought it was a competition, and in her interview, Eboni said she’d never been to a dinner with energy like this. She felt like Alice in Wonderland. It wasn’t her jam, but she was intrigued. Sonja got somewhat incoherent, yelling about contributions, and in Leah’s interview, she said, there’s a point where alcohol stops working and it’s not fun. Sonja wasn’t in a great place, and it exacerbates where you are right now. Sonja bothered her friend a second time, and Eboni engaged in a discussion with him about banks. She said Wells Fargo’s rates were better, but his bank helped to close the wealth gap for her people, so she was supportive. This caused Sonja to totally bug out, yelling that they wanted to talk about Wells Fargo, but it wasn’t her family, J.P. Morgan.

Don’t touch the effing Morgan letters!

Next time, Sonja goes over the edge, LuAnn says she can’t be around Sonja, Garth meets Sonja, and Heather comes to dinner.

🩸 Did She Or Didn’t She…?

The great plasma debate.

RHONY: Leah McSweeney Is Convinced Ramona Singer Lied About Donating Her Plasma Post-Covid

👗 Statements Of Fashion…

Why does everyone look so much better here than the more upscale award shows?

https://people.com/movies/mtv-movie-and-tv-awards-2021-red-carpet-arrivals/

🌞 Then the Morning Comes…

Tomorrow, the Jersey Wives reunite, when no doubt we will hear the word analogy more times than our ears can take. RHOBH is also premiering its new season, although it just ain’t the same. Whatever Wives are your jam, and even if none, stay safe, stay being your best self, and stay refusing to be a canceled consolation.