What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Valentin  tells Michael, today’s the day. The Quartermaines are voting him out as CEO of ELQ. Michael says, that’s the plan, and Valentin wonders who he should congratulate as his successor, Michael or Ned.

Brook says, Maxie is going to leave Port Charles? and Maxie says, it’s her only option. Brook says she has to calm down, and quit being so extreme. All she has to do is follow the plan, and they can make this work. Maxie says, they can’t. Monica is already snooping around, threatening to tell her parents that she’s losing it. She doesn’t know. Maybe she is. She doesn’t trust herself anymore, and can’t keep going with these lies.

At the hospital, Scotty says hello to Austin. So he’s a doctor, and delivered Maxie’s baby in the woods. Scotty once delivered a baby in a snowbank. Austin tells him, you don’t say, and Scotty says, so now Austin works at GH. He’s a man of many talents. Austin says Scotty has no idea, and Scotty says his girlfriend is a doctor too. However, sometimes there might be sensitive matters where it would be nice to talk to a guy. Now he can get free doctor advice. Austin says, quid pro quo. He can count on Scotty for free legal advice? Scotty says, no. Hell, once they make this move, Austin will make so much dough, he won’t even need a job.

Nina calls Sonny/Mike, and says it’s good to hear his voice. She’s sorry it took so long to return his call. He says he knows she’s a big-time magazine editor, and she’s probably spending a lot of time with her grandson. How is he? She says, he’s absolutely adorable. She spent this morning with him, and she’s spending as much time with him as she possibly can. Enough about her. How are things in Nixon Falls? He says, good, but she asks if he’s sure. The last time she spoke to Phyllis, she got the feeling something was wrong. He asks why she doesn’t come check it out for herself. Phyllis misses her, and so does he. She says she misses him too, and he asks if she has any idea when she’ll be back in Nixon Falls. Ava comes in, and Nina says she hopes he doesn’t mind, but can they talk about that later? She lowers her voice, and says she just called to let him know she thinks about him all the time. They’ll talk again soon. Sonny says she can count on it. He hangs up, and smiles.

Ava says, look at that, a smitten kitten. Nina says, all right. Stop it. Ava says she’s just glad Nina looks so happy. At least one of them is.

Trina walks in the park, messing with her phone. Spencer looks down from a tree, and says, fancy meeting her here. She asks if he actually has a home, or is he living in the park? He says, it’s not like she’s not there all the time too. Hard day’s work? She says she decided to organize the gallery before the professional cleaners come in. He asks if it was hard being there, considering what happened last time, and she says, he means getting doused with fake blood? Gross, but ultimately harmless. Besides, she had to go back sometime. She’s trying to make things easier for Ava; that’s her boss. She’s going through a really painful divorce. In fact, right now, she’s moving out of the home she and her husband shared.

Laura walks into Windymere, as men are taking boxes out. She finds Nikolas sitting alone, and says, so the movers are here? She guesses that means Ava’s leaving. He says, Nina invited her to crash at her old penthouse. She took a few suitcases there, and the rest will go into storage. Laura says she’s so sorry, and he says he tried to convince Ava to run away with him to Cassadine Island in Greece. He told her they could take Avery with them, but she refused. His only chance to hold onto his marriage was to find the stalker. She asks if he thinks it was worth the risks he took.

Nikolas helps Trina join him up in the tree, and asks, what happened to her boss’s marriage? Why is she getting a divorce? There has to be a reason. Did something happen? Did she cheat? Trina says, no. Ava loves her husband. She’s being stalked. All that fake blood that fell on Trina the night of her graduation party was meant for Ava. The stalker wants her away from her husband. He asks why the stalker would care if she’s married, and Trina says she doesn’t know. Why would they pour fake blood on her? The whole thing is creepy. Ava was worried something would happen to her daughter Avery, so she did what the stalker wanted, and filed for divorce. Trina doesn’t think Ava and Nikolas will ever be able to be together again, and he says, tragic. Kind of like Romeo and Juliet. She says, let’s hope it ends better than that, but with some crazy person after Ava, who knows?

Nina says she’s so glad Ava decided to stay at her place, and Ava thanks Nina for having her. She didn’t feel safe at the MetroCourt, a big public hotel, but there, the doormen are practically family. They won’t send anybody up because of the threats. She feels less vulnerable there. Nina says she’s glad to help, and Ava says, it won’t be long. Just until all this stalker craziness is over. Then she’ll be gone and out of Nina’s hair. Nina can have the place to herself, and invite her mystery man for dinner.

Sonny asks if Lenny and Phyllis have heard from the doctor yet, but Phyllis says, not yet. They just went for a beautiful walk. The weather is perfect, but even that couldn’t take their minds of the new round of tests they did on Lenny. Lenny thinks all the waiting is making his ticker worse, and Phyllis says, not funny. Sonny says, take a seat; he’ll get Lenny some water. Lenny says he was just kidding. He’s feeling fine. He appreciates Sonny stepping in while he was taking it easy. Sonny says he can’t believe Lenny has a problem with his heart because Lenny has one of the biggest hearts he knows. Lenny thanks him, and says he’s going to balance the books. Sonny says he can do that, but Lenny says, the truth is, if he doesn’t do something to distract himself, he’s going to lose his damn mind. Lenny goes in the back, and Sonny says, Phyllis is a nurse. Does she have any idea what the test results are going to say? How bad is it?

Olivia says, just five minutes ago, she and Ned were talking about how cute Bailey is in her crib. Now she comes downstairs to the truly ridiculous business of ELQ. Valentin says, the irony being the only reason the Quartermaines are once again majority shareholders is because of Bailey. Michael says, enough. They all know they can go around and around their family drama, but that’s not why they’re there. They gathered all the family proxy votes; now it’s time to decide who’s going to replace Valentin. Valentin says, if they can reach a consensus, but Michael says, that shouldn’t be hard. If any of them were planning on voting for him, don’t. He wants Ned to be the next CEO of ELQ.

Maxie tells Brook, every time she drives over there to see… Bailey, she tells herself if will be the last. From here on out she’ll be good and keep her distance, but as soon as she leaves, she’s thinking up excuses to come back. She knows it’s dangerous for Bailey, but she has no will power left. Brook says she feels for Maxie. Maxie has paid a tremendous price to keep her baby safe from Peter. But don’t leave town just yet. Peter might be captured or even killed soon, and she can bring her daughter home safely. Maxie says she doesn’t think she can hang on that long; it’s too painful. Brook says she’ll support Maxie whatever she decides, but does she really think she’s in the right frame of mind to make such an important decision? She’s so emotional right now. Understandably so, but she misses Bailey so much, Brook can’t bear to see her in any more pain. Monica comes in, and says, Maxie is here again.

Maxie says, Monica doesn’t have to say anything. She picks up her bag and heads for the door, but Brook tells her to wait. Maxie says, it’s fine. Maybe Monica is right about her, that she does need help. Monica says she’s not judging Maxie. What’s happening to her is just tragic, and she’s worried about Maxie. There’s no shame in asking for help. Brook suggests Maxie listen to Monica, and not rush into anything. Maxie tells Brook, say goodbye to Bailey for her. Tell her she… Just tell her that she said goodbye. She leaves, and Brook says, my God, it’s so awful. Monica says, she needs help. At least she admitted that. Monica knows a thing or two about losing a child. The pain never ever goes away. You just have to learn to manage it. Brook says she’s sorry for Monica’s loss, and Monica tells her to go say hi to Bailey. She’s sure Bailey would like to see her mom.

Ned says he appreciates the gesture, but what made Michael decide? Michael says he thought long and hard about his priorities. He’s got a son now, and the rest of his family. Plus, he already has a job at Aurora Media, and a large staff that relies on him. He can’t abandon them, or his other priorities to commit himself to ELQ. And more important, he thinks Ned is the best man for the job, and the rest of the family will vote him in. Ned says, but first – he turns to Olivia – he wants to know what his wife thinks.

Austin tells Scotty, he loves the art of medicine; he’s more than just the sum of his parts. He can help people, it gives him purpose, so it’s likely he’ll continue to practice, even if he doesn’t need the paycheck he provides. Scotty says, that’s fine by him. There’s a lot of patients suing for malpractice; that’s his specialty… Austin says he doesn’t understand the energy in Port Charles. Not one of his patients in Pawtuck ever considered suing him. Scotty says, there’s always a first time for everything, especially when people get wind of what Austin is about to do to the most powerful family in this town.

Phyllis says she’s known Lenny’s cardiologist for years; he’s practically a town fixture. But after Lenny finished getting all those tests run, Dr. Ford didn’t have much to say. She’s an experienced nurse, and can usually tell good news from bad, but she couldn’t read between the lines. Sonny says, ahh. Maybe the doctor hasn’t had a chance to look at the test results yet. She says, it’s probably something simple like that. She’s sure Lenny’s meds have helped him. He seems a lot better, right? Sonny says, absolutely, and Phyllis says she could barely keep up with him on their walk. She asks if Nina ever called him back, and he says they had a great call, except for the part where he lied to her.

Nina tells Ava, she was away from Crimson for longer than she intended, and has a lot of work to catch up on. All her free time is dedicated to Wiley, so she doesn’t have time for Mike to visit her. Ava says she’s confused. She thought Nina really loved Nixon Falls. Isn’t she ready to go back to Pennsylvania? Nina says she’s not ready to leave Wiley. It must be very hard for Ava, being apart from Avery. Ava says she thinks about Avery every minute. She just has to focus on the fact that Avery is happy with her sisters, and safer with Ava keeping her distance. Nina asks if there’s any new news about the investigation into Ava’s stalker, but Ava says, it’s going to take a while, if they ever catch him. Nina says, that leaves Ava living apart from Nikolas, and Ava suggests they move on to a happier topic… Nina’s new man. Why doesn’t Nina tell her the reason she doesn’t want him to move there? Or at least come for a visit.

Back on the ground, Trina messes with her phone, and Spencer jumps down from the tree. He says he sees she’s one of those, and she says, one of those what? He says, an ostrich person. Always looking down, hoping to find something better on your phone instead of what’s right in front of you. She says, sorry for her bad manners, but her friend Josslyn doesn’t believe he’s real again. Since he failed to show up on the 4^th of July, Josslyn thinks she’s a figment of Trina’s imagination. Like she’s Jan from The Brady Bunch, and he’s her very own George Glass. He says, who? and she says, he doesn’t watch classic sitcoms? He says, no, and she says, then she’s going to do what Jan Brady couldn’t. She positions her phone to take of selfie of the both of them, and he asks what she’s doing. She says she’s more than an ostrich person. She’s also a selfie person. Come on. Let’s show Joss that you’re real. He says, no selfies.

Nikolas tells Laura, knowing that Ava’s just a launch away is killing him. It’s all he can do not to go to her right now. Laura asks what that would accomplish. She thinks he has to honor her wishes and stay away, Nikolas says, giving the stalker what he wants, only emboldens him to ask for more. Then it becomes more threatening. How long are they supposed to be his puppets? Months? Years? How can he sit in this empty, echoing house, and wait to see what happens next? She says she thinks they’ll be able to find the stalker sooner than they think. She has an update on the investigation.

Ned tells Olivia, before she says anything, he wants to make himself clear. If running ELQ is going to push her further away from him, he’ll turn this down. She’s much to important to him, and he doesn’t want to destroy the progress they’ve made in getting back together. She says her problem was never with the job. It was how far he was willing to go for business. He completely turned his back on his daughter. He says, now he’s willing to turn his back on ELQ to make up for that, and she says, they split up. Brook left town. She thinks he’s done his penance. For what it’s worth (🍷), she agrees with Michael. She thinks he’s the best man for the job, assuming he can keep it in perspective. He says he will. He promises her that he will, and when he proves himself, maybe, just maybe, they can try again. She says, they’ll see. One day at a time. They hug, and Brook sees. She smiles.

Phyllis says, Mike/Sonny lied to Nina? That doesn’t sound like him. Did he say he wasn’t missing her? Sonny says, no. They got all that out in the open. He told her that he missed her, and she said she missed him. She asks if Nina mentioned when she’s coming back, but Sonny says they didn’t get that far. She had to get off the phone. He just hopes she gets home soon. Phyllis asks what the lie was, and he says Nina asked if everything was okay in Nixon Falls, and that’s the part where he lied. He told her everything was fine. They both know that’s not the truth. Why hasn’t Phyllis told Nina what’s going on with Lenny?

Nina says she told Ava before, she and Mike/Sonny do not have a future in Port Charles. Ava asks why she’s convinced of that, and Nina says she has too much history there. The best thing about Nixon Falls was that no one knew her. Here, she’s always running into old boyfriends, and reminded of her mistakes. There, she can be a new person. She could be happy. No one was hurting her. Ava says, not to mention, she didn’t have to deal with Carly. Nina says Carly still felt the need to come after her in Nixon Falls. (Another reason for me to hate Carly.) Ava asks, how so? and Nina says because she had this weird idea Nina was going to go to court to get visitation rights for Wiley. She warned Nina that she was going to dredge up every horrible thing she ever did in her life, so the fight would be as ugly as possible. Ava makes a face, and asks how things are now that Nina is back. Nina says, cordial, but guarded. Her doorbell rings, and she says, Carly seems to want to give her a chance… for now. She opens the door, and it’s Maxie, who’s crying. She says she needs Nina’s help. Please.

Laura tells Nikolas, they’ve analyzed the boot print found at the gallery. It turns out it’s a hiking boot made by a very small American company that’s not online. It’s only sold at a few specialty stores around the country, and she doesn’t think it’s going to be very hard for them to figure out who purchased it in that size. He says, what if they paid in cash? and she says, one step at a time. For now, she’s grateful that they have a solid lead to follow up on. And let them follow up on it. Don’t intervene, don’t interfere with this. She really doesn’t want to see him hurt like that again. And he will be if he keeps taunting this guy. He says, if he doesn’t intervene, what’s next? What if the stalker targets someone else he loves?

Trina says Victor/Spencer won’t let her take a picture with him? She’s starting to think he really is hiding something. He says he’ll take the photo on his phone. He’ll add a cool filter to it, and if he likes it, he’ll send it to her. He can’t allow unauthorized selfies floating around. She says she could think of a lot of words to describe him, but didn’t think diva would be one of them. He says not everyone is as careful about lighting and framing and retouching as he is, and she says, oh, he’s one of those people. He says, touché. He shouldn’t have stereotyped her for texting. Can he buy her a snack to apologize? but she says she had something on her way to the gallery. He asks how’s the clean-up? Are they any closer to finding out who was at the gallery? She says, actually, they are, and he says, what do they know? Did they tell her anything? She says, the investigators are going over the gallery again. She pretends to be working, but really, she’s listening in. He asks what she heard, and she says, they found the guy’s shoeprint; some kind of designer boot. They even have the size. Isn’t it amazing?

Laura says, when Nikolas told her he’s afraid people he loves might be in danger, is he talking about Spencer? He says, yes, and she asks if he’s heard from Spencer recently. He says he and Spencer are estranged. Why would she think he heard from him? She says she and Spencer talk regularly. He was on the Amalfi coast when she last heard from him, and headed for some far-flung places after that. He says, good. If the stalker decides to go after Spencer, he won’t be able to find him. She didn’t say anything about any of this to Spencer, did she? She says, nothing specific. She did tell him that Nikolas was going through a rough time, and it would be nice if he gave Nikolas a call. She’s very disappointed that he didn’t reach out.

Trina tells Spencer, it’s a very expensive brand. It’s only a matter of time before the police track him down. He says she must be relieved, and she says, once they catch him, Nikolas and Ava can call off their divorce. He says he didn’t realize the time; he has to go. She asks, why? Is he worried her mom is going to swoop in again, and start asking questions? He says he didn’t mind that at all. He sometimes wonders what his mom would be like if she was still alive. She says she can’t imagine what it would be like if her mom wasn’t around, and he says he’ll look for her next time he’s in the park. She says, or he could call her, and they could make a plan. He says, that would take the spontaneity out of it. He loves a good surprise. He walks off, and Trina watches, little hearts popping out of her eyes.

Austin tells Scotty, he’s not afraid of what he’s about to do professionally. His work speaks for itself. Scotty says he doesn’t know about that, but Austin is about to make a lot of enemies today. He’s making a move on Michael Corinthos, so there could be a price to pay. Austin says he’s not uncomfortable with that, and Scotty asks if he’s ready. Austin says he’s been ready for a long time.

Phyllis tells Mike/Sonny, Nina’s got so much going on in her life, she didn’t want Nina worrying about Lenny. She should be enjoying her time with her grandson. He says, Nina’s a smart woman. She’s already suspecting. She even asked him flat-out, but he didn’t want to say anything since it’s not his place. She says sorry if she put him in a tough spot, and he says she’s a strong woman. She does everything for everybody else, but who does for her? He knows she doesn’t want to talk about this, but she’s going to have to. If not with him, with Nina. Lenny comes out, and says he doesn’t know if it’s the new meds, or that business is booming again, or maybe it’s just that he’s still in love with his wife after all these years – he puts his arm around Phyllis’s waist – but all of a sudden, he feels like he’s twenty again. She says, really? Twenty? He says, maybe thirty. Thirty-five tops. They kiss, and Sonny smiles. He flashes back to Nina kissing him.

Ava says she’s heading out. She needs to do a final check at Windymere. She leaves, and Nina asks Maxie, what’s going on? Maxie says, when Nina left town, did that help her feel better? Or did she just end up missing Wiley more? Nina says, she thought of Wiley every single day, but it was a little easier knowing that he wasn’t right across town and she wasn’t seeing him. Plus, she had other distractions. Why? Maxie says she’s thinking of leaving Port Charles. She’d take James with her, and Georgie would stay with Ellie and Spinelli. Nina says she doesn’t think their situations are comparable at all. When she left town, she thought she was alone; she was alone. Almost everyone in this town betrayed her, except for Maxie. Maxie has so many people who love her. She has her mom and Mac, and Nina loves her. Does she really want to leave all that? Maxie says, no, but Bailey is here too. Nina doesn’t understand. What does Brook’s baby have anything to do with this? Maxie says she told Nina how she and Brook had bonded during Lamaze class. She stared visiting Bailey… a lot. So much so, that Monica thinks she has a problem. Nina says, that’s absurd. If Brook doesn’t have a problem with it, why should it concern Monica? Does Maxie want her to call Monica? Maxie says, please don’t. The truth is, she has been visiting Bailey too much. It has to stop.

Brook congratulates Ned. Thank God things are being patched up after she made a mess of them. All it took was one little baby to make things right. Ned says, right is relative. Valentin is still living here. Brook says, he’s actually very good with Bailey, and her bodyguard comes in handy once in a while. Olivia says she has to admit, Valentin is very sweet with that little baby. Ned says, still. He’s sorry Brook had to go through all this, and Olivia says, all’s well that ends well, right? She thinks they should just appreciate all the light that baby has brought into this family. She really is a gift. Brook says, she’s a gift, that’s for sure. Michael and Valentin come in, and Michael ask Ned, since he and Olivia talked it out, is he accepting the CEO role? Ned says, yes, with pleasure, and they shake hands. Ned says, in his mind, he’s just keeping the CEO seat warm, so Michael can take over one day. And then, maybe even Wiley can take over from Michael. Olivia says before they send Wiley off to Harvard Business School, she’s going to check on Leo. She leaves, and Brook asks if Valentin is ready to bow out gracefully. He says, once all the votes are in.

Monica sees Olivia in the foyer, and says she gets the feeling Olivia and Ned are inching closer together. Olivia asks what is it with the Quartermaines? They always want to rush things. They’re moving toward each other very slowly. Monica says she knows Olivia loves Ned, and Oliva says Monica also knows, it’s not that simple. Monica says, it’s also not that complicated. Don’t let anger steal any more time from her and Ned than it already has. She remembers she and Alan had the best times when they opened up their hearts, and let it all hang out. Sometimes she thinks forgiveness is almost as sweet as love.

Nina can’t imagine how much Maxie misses Louise. Can she explain why visiting Brook’s baby is so bad? Maxie tells her, Monica says she needed counseling; maybe she does. Nina says, there’s no shame in asking for help, but what does Maxie need help with? Maxie says, when she’s with Bailey, she can’t bear to leave her. She wants to hold her all the time, and be with her every hour of every day. Nina says, Maxie knows she has a troubled past with babies, so she’s saying this with love and care. She takes Maxie’s hand, and says Maxie does know Brook’s baby isn’t her baby, right? Maxie says, no. She doesn’t know that. That’s why she thinks she needs to leave Port Charles.

Lenny wants to take Phyllis to the Shadow Lounge, where they can dance the night away. She says she likes the sound of that, and Lenny says Mike/Sonny will have to run the bar by himself. Sonny says, go, celebrate, have fun. Phyllis thinks she’ll go by Martha’s shop and get a new summer dress, and Lenny says he’ll have his suit pressed and ready to go. Dr. Ford walks in, and says he was in the neighborhood, so he thought he’d stop by. Consider it a something like a house call. Sonny says he’ll be in the back.

Nikolas says he hurt his son deeply, but Laura says she never believed he’d stay angry this long. Spencer adored Nikolas, and she knows deep down he still does. Nikolas tells her, what can he say? He misses his boy. He doesn’t know if Spencer is graduating now, how he’s traveling, or what makes him a man. Unfortunately, he taught Spencer how to hold on to a grudge when he nurtured his anger at Valentin for years. He wishes Spencer would come home, and make the situation with Ava somewhat bearable.

Trina thanks Ava for meeting her at the park, and Ava says she was headed to Windymere, but wanted to see what was going on with Trina first. Trina says she wanted to talk about a barback at the Savoy, and Ava asks if it’s the one who talked her into going in to her own party. Trina says she ran into him a couple of times since then, and it was interesting. Ava asks if she likes him, and Trina says, maybe there are some perks to being drenched in fake blood.

Spencer takes the shoes with the fake blood covered soles out of his bag. He looks around, and puts them in a dumpster.

Valentin suggests they bring the meeting to order; skip the formalities and go straight to a vote. Michael seconds it, but Scotty walks in and says they can’t start yet, and Monica asks who let him in. He says he knows his way around this museum, and Monica says if she didn’t invite him, he’s trespassing. He says he’s there on ELQ business. They can’t begin unless all the Quartermaines are present and accounted for.

Maxie tells Nina, she has to go before she does something she regrets. Nina says she’s not thinking of stealing Bailey, and Maxie says she doesn’t know what she’s going to do. Her heart is with Bailey; they’re one. Nina asks what she means. Louise and Bailey aren’t the same baby. If Maxie needs help, Nina will get for her. She loves Maxie forever. No matter what Maxie says, nothing will change that, but Maxie needs to talk to her right now. Is she thinking about stealing Bailey. Maxie says, it woudn’t be stealing. She’d be bringing her home where she belongs.

Phyllis thanks the doctor for coming in person, and he says he wishes he had better news. He leaves, and Sonny comes out. He asks what the doctor said about Lenny’s heart.  

Ava asks if Trina’s friend has a name, and Trina says, Victor. Ava says, no last name? and Trina says he hasn’t told her. She barely knows anything about him. Ava says, except that she’s interested, and Trina says, yeah, but he’s a little elusive. They’ve been running into each other, and he has her number; he can call her. Ava says, if he doesn’t, he’s a fool, and Trina asks how Ava is. She heard they got a lead on the stalker guy from his boots. Ava says she’s supposed to feel hopeful, but everything is so bleak right now. Trina asks if Ava wants her to go along to Windymere to keep her company, and Ava says, that’s sweet, but she’s fine. Don’t worry about her. When things settle down, she’ll take Trina shopping to replace the clothes that were ruined. Trina says Ava doesn’t have to do that, but it would be fun to have a girls day out. Ava says they can talk about Victor, and Trina says, if she ever hears from him again. Ava says she thinks Trina will, and Trina tells her, good luck. She’s rooting for Ava and Nikolas to get back together again, and for that creep to be behind bars where he can never hurt anyone else.

Laura tells Nikolas that she’s sorry she brought up Spencer. She thinks she just made it worse. Nikolas says he’s still glad she called; her heart was in the right place. Spencer walks in. He says, father, and Nikolas says, Spencer. Spencer says, he’s home. 

Ned asks what Scotty is talking about. All the Quartermaines are represented, either by proxy or their presence here. Scotty says, wrong, Ned, and Michael says Scotty seems to have all the answers. Which family member is missing? Austin walks in, and says, him. But he’s not missing anymore. He’s here now. Brook asks what he’s doing here, and Ned asks if she knows this guy. Michael says he doesn’t know what they’re up to, but this is a family matter. Scotty says, exactly, and Monica asks if Valentin had anything to do with this, but Valentin says, he’s just as curious as they are. Michael says, no offense, but who the hell is Austin. Scotty says, let him introduce them, but Austin says he’ll take care of this himself. Austin says, he’s Michael, right? He’s Austin. Austin Gatlin Holt.

Tomorrow, Ava wonders who has more right to the lodge than she does, Austin says what was rightfully someone else’s is now rightfully his, and Sonny doesn’t know how, but he’ll find a way.

The Haves and The Have Nots

Candance says, what? and Oscar says, we’re all here. She asks, who the hell is we? and Erika appears. She says, me. War appears, and says, and me. Candace’s son appears, and says, me. We flash back to each of their deaths, and Oscar says they’re all here to destroy her. Erika says, we all hate you, bitch, and War says, he gets her first. I’m going to kill you, bitch. Candaces flashes back to everything she did to them or they did to her. She says, what? and Oscar repeats, we’re here to destroy you. Candace flashes back to pushing him out of the window, and Erika says she deserves to die. Candace calls for Benny. Benny tells her, wake up, and asks if she’s all right. What happened? Did she have a bad dream? She says, yeah, and he asks if she’s sure she’s all right. She says she needs to get out of this hotel, and he says he thought she wanted to stay under the radar. She asks where he’s been, and he says, with that girl. She says, the whole time? and he says, yeah. She asks if he talked to Mitch, and he says, no. Did she? She says she tried calling him. Vinnie… Benny says, what’s going be is what’s going to be. Don’t worry. She says, it’s hard not to worry about him, and he asks if she wants to talk to him about her dream; it seemed pretty bad. She says she doesn’t want to talk about it, and gets agitated. He tells her, calm down, and she jumps up and goes into the bathroom.

David’s guard Leo (they finally said his name) gets Wyatt on the ground, and David comes running down the stairs, asking, what the hell is going on? Madison says, Wyatt escaped from the hospital, and Leo says, sorry, sir. Wyatt says he’s not going back to jail, and David says he’s calling Wyatt’s father. Wyatt says Jim will kill him, but David says, he won’t. While David is looking at his phone, Wyatt catches Leo off-guard (no pun intended), but Leo gets Wyatt’s hands behind his back, and cuffs him. David says, it’s nice to see his money working for him. Wyatt calls to Jeffrey, who says he can’t help Wyatt. Madison suggests calling the cops, but David tells him that he said he was calling Wyatt’s father. He’ll handle this. He calls Jim, and says, Wyatt is there at his house. He came to see Jeffrey. He’s high. Jim says, dammit, and David says Jim better come get him. Jim says he’s on his way. Madison asks to look at Leo’s injured hand, and says, it’s turning orange. Leo needs to get some ice on it. Jeffrey says, Leo knows that, and he thinks Leo knows where the kitchen is. Madison says Leo needs to keep an eye on Wyatt, but Jeffrey says Wyatt is fine; his hands are tied. Wyatt says Madison isn’t doing his job, and Madison says he’s not on duty. Madison asks if Jeffrey is jealous, and Wyatt says, what are you two? Jeffrey tells Madison that he’s fine, and Madison says he was just joking. Jeffrey asks if they can just drop this, and Wyatt says they’re making him sick. Madison says Wyatt should be thankful he’s not getting a bucket piss to throw at him, and Wyatt says Madison is supposed to be a nurse. Madison says he’s off duty, and David says Wyatt’s father is on his way.

Veronica pulls into David’s driveway, and Leo tells her that she needs to leave. She says she sees David still has a rent-a-cop, and he asks her to leave again. She says, make me, and he says he will. She says, touch her, and she’ll make sure he pays. Tell the bastard she’s here. He tells her not to step one foot on the property, and she says, then tell him. Leo tells her, stay there, and goes into the house. Veronica and William (another name I finally got) get out of the car, and Veronica says, this gonna be fun, girl. Leo tells David that Veronica is there, and David says, tell her to leave. Leo says, she won’t, and David says, all right; he’ll handle it. He tells Jeffrey, stay here, but Jeffrey says, no. He’s coming. They go outside.

David and Jeffrey go over to where Veronica and William are standing by the car. David says Veronica needs to stop coming there. She says she needs to talk to Jeffrey. She’s glad he’s there. There’s someone she wants him to meet. David tells her, leave now, but she says, no. He says he means it, and she says, Jeffrey, this is your father. David says, what the hell? and William says, sorry. David tells them to get their asses out of here, and Veronica tells Jeffrey, this is his real father. She had to pull him out of a gay bar. That’s probably where Jeffrey got it from. The same DNA. David tells Jeffrey, get in the house, and Veronica says, William and Jeffrey’s other daddy were business partners. Come on, meet your daddy. It’s your daddy, son. She starts to sing, it’s your real daddy; it’s your daddy. Jeffrey asks David what she’s talking about, and David says, she’s crazy. Go back in the house. Veronica says, come on, man. Jeffrey looks just like him. David says she’s sick, and Veronica says she remembers. He said she was a sick bitch. David says, come back one more time, and see what happens. She says, it’s always threats; do something. I’m Veronica, bitch. You can’t kill me. She doesn’t die, but he does… and Erika did. He says Veronica made sure of that, didn’t she? and Veronica says she doesn’t know what he’s talking about. He says, Erika and Maggie Day, she murdered them both. She says again that she doesn’t know what he’s talking about, and he says her day is coming. Leave here now. She says she will, but doesn’t, and says, here, Jeffrey, like Jeffrey is a dog. She opens a manila envelope, and says, see this? taking out a paper. David tells her, don’t come near his son, and she holds the paper out, saying, DNA results. Look at it. She shakes it, and says, this is your father. David says Jeffrey doesn’t want it; leave. She laughs, and says, listen to him. Look at him. He says, now, and she says, okay, but calls to Jeffrey to take the results. She sees Madison, and says, is that girl in there? Hey girl! Madison waves, and she says, how ya’ll doing? She tells Jeffrey that William is still his daddy. It doesn’t matter if he walks away. William says they shouldn’t be doing this, and she says, shut up. If he wants a ride home, shut up and take his raggedly shoes and raggedy-ass self, and get in the car. She criticizes his shirt, and says he and Jeffrey dress alike. She yells to Jeffrey that his daddy works it better than he does. William gets in the car, and she tells him, just because he’s gay, that doesn’t mean he can’t open her car door.  

Inside, Jeffrey asks David what that was about, and David says Jeffrey knows how his mother can be. Jeffrey says William looks like him. He knows his mother, and wouldn’t be surprised if she was cheating. David says Jeffrey knows she would do anything, and Jeffrey says, this is a new low. David says Jeffrey is his son, and he’s Jeffrey’s father. He doesn’t want to hear another word. Now sitting in a chair with his hands cuffed behind his back, Wyatt says, who cares? Let him out. David says Wyatt’s father is coming, and Wyatt says, Jim will kill him. David tells him again that Jim won’t kill him, and tells Jeffrey to watch him. He needs to make a phone call. He goes upstairs, and Wyatt says, Jeffrey… but Jeffrey says he doesn’t want hear it. Wyatt says Jeffrey is supposed to be his friend, and he’s just leaving him there? Jeffrey says, he is, and starts to leave. Wyatt asks where he’s going, and Jeffrey says, goodbye. Wyatt asks, what the hell happened to Jeffrey, and Jeffrey says he got over Wyatt. Wyatt asks if that’s how Jeffrey treats a friend, and Jeffrey says, a friend who won’t do right by himself. Wyatt says, get out of here, and Jeffrey tells him, that’s what he always says. Jeffrey and Madison go upstairs, and Wyatt asks Leo to take off the cuffs. Leo says, no chance.

Jeffrey and Madison go into Jeffrey’s bedroom, and Madison asks if Jeffrey is stressed. Jeffrey says, yeah, and Madison rubs his shoulders. He says, two things. Jeffrey doesn’t need to be jealous of Leo. Jeffrey says, he’s cute, and Madison says, yes, he is. Jeffrey says Madison was flirting, but Madison says, no, he wasn’t, and they’re not even in a relationship. They’re just having fun, right? He sits next to Jeffrey, who says, what if he wanted more? Madison says, that should take time, and Jeffrey says he knows, but he likes Madison. Madison says he likes Jeffrey too, and Jeffrey says he wants to see what a normal relationship is. Madison asks what he means, and Jeffrey says, after Justin, he wants to see what a normal relationship is like. Madison says, they have the time, and Jeffrey agrees. Jeffrey reminds Madison that he said two things, and Madison says, Jeffrey’s mother. Jeffrey says, she’s a nutjob, but William does look like him. Madison asks if Jeffrey has ever seen William before, and Jeffrey says, no, but his mother had the DNA results. Madison says, they can be doctored, and asks if it bothers Jeffrey. Jeffrey says, he knows his father is his father, and Madison says he can find out. Go get tested with him. Jeffrey says, it would kill his dad if he asked, and Madison says, don’t ask. Just get his toothbrush, or hairbrush; something. They can tell with that, Jeffrey says, really? He can’t. Madison says David is a supportive, loving man; just go with that. Jeffrey thanks him.

Veronica comes in, and tells Laura that she needs a drink. Laura say she has one right here, and there’s also someone waiting for Veronica. Veronica says, who? and Laura says, Mr. Marco (wow. it’s like winning Bingo), and Veronica asks if Laura got her new dresses. Laura says they’ll be ready tomorrow at 4, and leaves, as Marco comes in. Veronica says, bonjour. Como se vas? He says he’s good, and she says, he looks like he’s been in a fight. Was he that much of an opponent? Marco says, he was okay, and she asks if it’s done. He says, yes. Can he have his money? She says she’ll have it in an hour. She know it would be done this quickly. He says he wants it now, and she says, he’ll have it. He says he doesn’t know what kind of element she’s used to dealing with, but he’s different. He wants his money and wants it now. She says, fine. She’ll go upstairs, and get his money. But instead, she starts rubbing his shoulders, and asks how that feels. He says, like he’s waiting for his money, and I laugh. He tells her to please go get it, and she says, yeah. He gets up, and she asks where he thinks he’s going. He says he’s going with her, but she says, stay right there. He says, hurry, and she says he needs to relax. He’s a little demanding for her taste. He says, sometimes. She walks back to the coffee table, takes her bag, drains her drink, and heads upstairs.  

At the Iron Bone, Vinnie sits in a booth with a drink. Mitch comes out, clutching his stomach, and Vinnie asks if he’s all right. Mitch says, yeah, and Vinnie says, good. Mitch says, just let this go, but Vinnie says he can’t do it. He spoke to Sandy, who told him what happened. Mitch says Vinnie doesn’t even like Rianna, but Vinnie says, Sandy seems to like her, and Rose is warming up to her. Mitch says, they’re not even together anymore, and Vinnie says, it don’t matter. He sent Sandy to get Benny, and he’s on his way now. Mitch gets up, saying, he has to talk to Benny, but Vinnie tells him, stay out of this one. Mitch isn’t going to talk to him. Give him the phone. Mitch hands his phone over, and says he let Vinnie beat his ass as punishment. Why won’t he let Mitch try to smooth things out? Vinnie says Mitch knows how Rose is about family, and Mitch says, there’s nothing he can do to stop this? Vinnie says, no, and he’ll get caught in the crossfire. Have a drink. Relax. Sandy’s got this. Mitch says, Sandy is going to take him out? and Vinnie yells for Micky to get Mitch a shot. It will take the edge off. Mitch says he doesn’t want one, when Sandy walks in. Vinnie asks why he’s there, and he says he’s waiting for Sal. Mitch says, to do what? and Sandy says, Uncle Vinnie is in charge, and said he could do it. Vinnie tells Mitch, stop bleeding for this kid, Sandy says Mitch acts like he has a hard-on for Benny. Mitch says, Benny is a good kid, and Vinnie says, he’s a dead kid. He tells Sandy, go do it, and Mitch says Sandy ain’t no murdering bitch. Sandy asks why Mitch is going to bat for Benny’s ass; he’s going to show him. Mitch says Sandy walks around hating Black people, and his girlfriend is Black. Sandy says, that’s different; she’s half Black. Vinnie says Mitch’s friend is so stupid and so dead. Mitch says he can’t do this. Please, man. Vinnie says, he’s pleading for this kid again, and tells Sandy, go do it. Make it bloody as hell. He has a nephew pleading for this kid. Take him out. Sandy leaves.

The guard opens the door to Kathryn’s cell, and puts another inmate in. Kathryn says, excuse me. I’m supposed to be alone. The guard tells her, says who? and Kathryn says, her attorney. The guard asks where Kathryn thinks she is, and Kathryn says she thinks the guard should check with her superiors. The guard says, lady, shut up, but Kathryn says she will not. The new inmate says, looks like she has a roommate, but Kathryn says, it’s a mistake. She’ll have to move. The inmate says, bitch please. Kathryn says, young lady… but the inmate says she’s not in the mood to talk. Kathryn yells for the guard, and the inmate says, stop making that damn noise. Kathryn asks who she thinks she is, and the inmate says, the one who’s going to beat Kathryn’s ass if she doesn’t shut up. Kathryn says she’d like to see her try, and the inmate asks if she’s rich or something. Kathryn says, as a matter-of-fact she is. The inmate says, she was looking for a bottom bitch. She’s going to make Kathryn hers. Kathryn asks what that’s supposed to mean, and the inmate says she’ll see. She’s going to love it. Kathryn says, touch her and she promises the inmate will regret it. The inmate says she’s going to love Kathryn. She’s never had a grandma. Kathryn yells for the guard again, and the guard says, what is it? Kathryn says she’s supposed to be alone. Check her records. She’s Kathryn Cryer. She’ll have the guard’s badge if she doesn’t get this hooligan out. The guard says, sorry, and walks away. Kathryn says, dammit, and the inmate says, so she’s Kathryn Cryer. Kathryn says, that’s her name. The whole town knows her name. The inmate  says the whole town will know she got her ass whooped. Doesn’t Kathryn want to know her name? It’s Diamond. Kathryn says, how original.

Hanna comes home to find a young woman with a baby standing in front of her house. She says, cute baby, and asks if she can help the woman. The woman says her name is Tanisha, and asks if Benny is there. Hanna says, no, and she asks if Hanna knows when he’ll be back. Hanna sys, he doesn’t live there anymore, and Tanisha asks if Hanna knows where she can find him. Hanna asks who she is, and she says, a friend. Hann asks how Benny knows her, and she says, it’s a long story. Hanna says she’s got time, and Tanisha asks if she’s Benny’s his mom Hanna. Hanna says, Miss Young, and Tanisha says she’s glad she found Hanna. She needs to talk to Benny. Does she have his phone number? Hanna says she does, and Tanisha asks if she can have it. Hanna says, how about if she calls him for Tanisha. Tanisha says, okay, and Hanna asks if Tanisha wants to tell her what this is about. Tanisha says, it’s just really important that she talk to him, and Hanna makes the call.  

Benny tells Candace, here we go. It’s mama; he knows it’s not going to be good. She says, don’t answer, but he says, she’ll be mad. Candace says, she’s already mad. Benny answers, and Hanna says, hold on. She hands the phone to Tanisha, and holds the baby. Benny asks, who is this? and she says, Tanisha. He wonders who Tanisha is, and she says they met a while ago at a club. She’s been trying to find him. He says, for what? and Hanna says, Lord have mercy. Tanisha says she needed to talk to him in person, and he says, about what? Hanna says, is this his baby? and Tanisha says, yeah. Benny says, what? and Hanna says, you have a baby. He looks like Benny. Benny says, hold on. What the hell is she talking about? Tanisha says he has a son, and he says he doesn’t know her. She says, that doesn’t make her feel good. It was only one night, but it happened. He says he’s sorry for what she’s going through, but she’s got the wrong guy. She says, it’s him. She had to find out his last name. Hanna takes the phone, and hands back the baby, She tells Benny to talk to Tanisha right now, and he says he doesn’t know who she is. Hanna says, his penis did. The baby looks just like him. Talk to her right now. She means it. Now. She hangs up ,and invites Tanisha in.  

Jim walks into David’s house, and says, what the hell? How did Wyatt get out? Wyatt says, he’s out on bail, but David says, no he isn’t. He broke out of the hospital. Jim laughs, and says, really? He’s actually proud. David says Wyatt stole a bunch of drugs and meds, and Jim asks if that’s true. Where are they? Wyatt says he took them. Just let him out. Jim says, come on, and Wyatt asks where they’re going. Jim says, they’re going home, but Wyatt says he’s going to his loft. Jim says he doesn’t have a loft anymore, and Wyatt says, mom never sold… but Jim says Wyatt is coming with him. Wyatt says he’s not going, and Jim asks, what happened to their conversation at the hospital? Wyatt said he’d go upstate to rehab. They agreed that’s where he was going. Wyatt says he’s not going there, and Jim says, listen you ungrateful little prick. I’m taking your ass to rehab or dragging it to jail. What happened to, I love you, dad; I’m going to rehab. Wyatt tuned into an a-hole just like his damn mother. Wyatt starts to slump, and Jim says, he did the same thing when he didn’t want to eat his peas. Wyatt passes out, and Leo says, he doesn’t have a pulse. He undoes the cuffs, and Jim asks, what’s the matter? Leo and Jim try to get Wyatt to the floor, and fall with him in the process. Madison comes in, and Jeffrey asks, what’s the matter? Madison is already checking out Wyatt, and starts to do chest compression. He says, get an ambulance, and tells Jim, it could be a lot of things. Jim asks if he could be more specific, and Leo calls 9-1-1. Madison tells Jim, back up, and continues to work on Wyatt. Jim wonders, where’s the damn ambulance?

Candace asks Benny what that was all about, and Benny says, some girl says she had his baby. She says she told him to wrap it up, but he says, it makes no sense. He doesn’t remember her. Candace says, all the more reason to use protection, but he says, no; he can’t recall it at all. She asks what mama said, and he tells her, she said, go there and talk to her. She says he needs to find out if he’s a baby daddy, and he says, not funny. He’s not going… Mama said it looks just like him. She says, messing around with random women, and not using protection, he’s got know it was going to happen. He says he’s always been safe, and she asks if he’s been using protection or pulling out. He says she doesn’t know him like that, and she says she’s his sister. She does know him. Go find out. He says, this is crazy, and she tells him, be careful. He says, speaking of that… He calls Mitch, and gets voicemail. He leaves a message to call him back, and tells Candace, he’s not answering. She says, let her try, but she gets voicemail too, and leaves the same message. She tells Benny, relax, but he asks how he can relax right now. She thinks they should leave the hotel. If they’re not there, no one can hurt him.

The phone rings, and it’s Sandy. He says he’s outside. Benny knows who this is. Come outside. Benny asks what the hell Sandy is talking about, and Sandy says Benny heard him. He’s not going nowhere. Benny tells him, do what he’s got to do, and Sandy says he’s waiting on Benny outside. Come now. Sandy hangs up, and Candace asks, who was that? Benny says, it was him, and she asks how he knows Benny is there. He says, Mitch told him, but she says, no way. He woudn’t have. Benny says, Sandy is his brother. He looks out from the side of the curtain, and says, he’s not out there. Dammit! He’s at mama’s. Benny dashes out.

Sandy does a drive-by at Hanna’s house. He riddles the house with bullets, and speeds away.  

Next time, Candance goes to the Iron Bone to see Mitch, Veronica says she wouldn’t be Veronica without enemies, Benny suggests he and Sandy handle the problem like men, and Diamond says she’s going to beat Kathryn’s ass. It’s the finale – sniff… Tyler Perry is not holding back. Who will make it out alive?

😴 Nothing To See Here…

It’s been a super long day, so NYC tomorrow, and in the meantime, stay safe, stay venturing out of your comfort zone, and stay not being an ostrich person, always looking down, hoping to find something better on your phone instead of what’s right in front of you.