Monthly Archives: July 2021

Jul17

July 16, 2021 – Lenny Gets Bad News, Jimmy Lee, New Songs, Other Gigs, Cameo Tease, Accusations, Crazy Like a Fox, Going Down, Togetherness, Rebuttal, Knot Tied, Update, Nominations, an Interview, an Egg Carton of Quotes & Paradise

Posted on July 17, 2021 by theresakp

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Carly tells Jason, it’s driving her crazy that Gladys wants them to bring Brando in, but he tells her, forget Gladys. Brando risked his life for them when he went to work for Cyrus. He’s proven he’s loyal, and if this is something he really wants… She says, so he’s okay with bringing Brando in, and he says, Brando is having a kid. The smarter choice is for him to stay away from the business, but he’s capable, he’s loyal, he’s smart. If this is the job he wants, Jason isn’t going to turn him away. Sam walks in, and looks at Carly and Jason.

At the pool, Sasha looks at Brando sunning himself, and starts to walk out. He notices her, and says he was going for a dip in the pool. Would she care to join him? She says she’ll have to pass. She can’t find any lounges to put her stuff on. He tells her to take his. He’s not letting his kid’s mom go without.

Dante tells Rocco, no cannonballs this time, but Rocco isn’t listening. Dante sees Chase on a lounge chair, and says, Chase is a cop. Can he arrest Dante’s kid? Chase says, Dante wants him to arrest his son for doing cannonballs? and Dante says he does. Scare him a little bit. He doesn’t listen to a thing Dante says. Chase says, last he heard, Dante rejoined the force, while he’s on a nice, long paid vacation. Did he bring handcuffs? Dante says, enough with this paid vacation stuff. Get himself back on the force and they can arrest his kid together. Just like old times, eh, partner?

Willow lets Nina into the gatehouse, and Nina says she got a text from Michael saying to pick Wiley up there. Are they upstairs? Willow says, Wiley is napping, and Michael is running late; a meeting with his family. Nina says she heard there was some drama last night at the ELQ Board meeting. Currently, there’s never a dull moment when the Quartermaines get together to talk about business. Willow wonders how old Wiley will be when he joins the fray.

Brook walks in, while Ned is on the phone. He says he looks forward to talking with Pasqual and his team, and Brook says, talking to the ELQ lawyers about Austin? What’d they say? Ned says, they need time to study the matter. Michael sent them the docs supposedly proving that Austin is Jimmy Lee’s son, but they’ll be asking for their own DNA test. Michael says, just to make sure the birth certificate and DNA test Scotty gave them are legitimate. She says it really burns her how great-grandfather cheated on great-grandmother Lila. The woman was a saint. Ned says, grandfather’s indiscretions are beside the point. They have to assume their own DNA test will prove Austin is Jimmy Lee’s son. He may actually be a relative. She says, but does that entitle him to a slice of the Quartermaine pie?

Austin looks at the staff photos on the wall at GH, and focuses on Alan. Monica says, doing his homework? and he says, Alan Quartermaine’s reputation was legendary. Gifted doctor, devoted father, pillar of the community. She says he forgot philanderer and scoundrel. He says he did. She’s his new boss. He’s trying to be polite. She says, or is he just trying to play dumb? Pull one over on her and her family, just like his father did back in the day.

Valentin says he thinks he may know Phyllis, but she says she doesn’t see how. Unless he’s a former patient. In which case, she apologizes for not recognizing him. He says he’s not a former patient, but he thinks his ex-wife may have been – Nina Reeves.

Sonny is about to leave the examining room, just as Anna is passing by. Anna hears the door handle, and stops, but a nurse asks if she can help Anna. Anna says, maybe she can. She’s looking for somebody. Sonny hears her voice.

Phyllis says, and he is? and Valentin says, he’s Valentin Cassadine. He assumes Nina told her about him, and supposes he didn’t come off terribly well. She says she’s sorry, but she can’t discuss her patients, former or current. He tells her that he completely understands, and for what it’s worth (🍷), he deeply regrets all the harm he caused Nina. She’s a very special woman. Phyllis says, yes she is, and she can tell him this much; Nina is doing just fine without him.

Anna tells the nurse that she’s looking for a Medivac pilot. His name is David Hopkins. Sonny listens on the other side of the door. The nurse asks if he was injured, and Anna says, not as far as she knows. The nurse says, then he wouldn’t be in the ER. She’ll take Anna to human resources. Anna leaves with her, and Sonny comes out.

Willow says, Wiley’s schedule is off this morning. He went down late for his nap, and he’s still down for it. Nina says, that’s okay. The Quartermaine pool will still be open. Willow asks if she’d like to reschedule, but Nina says she’d like to wait if it’s okay. She brought some of Wiley’s favorite snacks, and these really cute water wings. She shows Willow, and says, Willow and Michael probably have a ton of them, but they were so cute, she couldn’t resist. Willow tells her, stay, of course (🍷). Wiley will up soon, and he’d be devastated to miss an afternoon with his Grandma Nina.

Ned tells Brook, it’s too early to say whether Austin will end up with a stake in ELQ, and Michael says, it depends on the outcome of his lawsuit contesting great-grandfather’s will. Brook asks how Austin can claim rights to assets that his father never had to begin with, and Michael says, that’s for the lawyers to argue. She says, like Scotty? That’s the guy Austin chooses to go after their money? Let’s face it. Austin isn’t trying to legitimize dear old dad; he’s shaking them down.

Austin says he’s sensing Monica didn’t like his father, and she says, they had their ups and downs. He says, just like her and Alan, and she says, and Edward and Tracy. He asks if there’s a Quartermaine she didn’t have an issue with, and she says, Lila. And Annabelle. He says he doesn’t recall an Annabelle from the family tree, and Monica says, she was the family dog. He says, and a dog will never disappoint you, and Monica says, she got knocked up by a mutt way beneath her station. He says Monica doesn’t like the strays, but if she gives him a chance, he’ll try not to dig up the rose garden.

Dante asks Chase how’s newlywed life, but Chase says, married life still hasn’t begun. He can’t walk. Despite physical therapy, this is his great success. He wiggles a few toes, and Dante says, that’s great success. Chase asks when Dante became such a ray of sunshine, and Dante says since he decided he needed his partner back to stop him from doing questionable things. Chase says, like…? and Dante thinks back to kissing Sam. He says, never mind.

Sam goes to the MetroCourt restaurant, and Carly says, it’s been a while. Does she want a table or is she sittting at the bar? Sam says she’s meeting Maxie. She sees Carly’s ring, and says, nice rock. She asks if she can talk to Jason for a minute, and Carly says she’ll tell Maxie that Sam is there. Carly tells Maxie, Sam’s here, and Maxie looks over at Sam and Jason. She says, this should be interesting. Sam tells Jason, you and Carly, it’s finally happening. He’s sorry she didn’t hear it from him first, and she says, it’s not his fault. They keep missing each other. He asks if she told Danny, and she says she’s going to leave that one up to him. He thanks her, and she says she wouldn’t know the first thing to say to Danny because she doesn’t know the first thing about his engagement.

Brando brings Sasha a pillow, and asks if it’s too much sun. Does she want anything from the bar? She says she’s good, and thanks him. She asks if everything is okay, and he says, no… yeah… no… yes. He doesn’t want to invade her space, but he hasn’t seen a lot of her lately. She says she’s been busy, and it’s not like she’s seen a lot of him either. He says she didn’t tell him about her last check-up, but maybe she wanted him to stay away.

Chase says Dante just came back to the PCPD, and he’s already racking up demerits? Dante says, no, not him, and Chase asks, what’s going on? Is this even about work? Dante says, it’s about a woman.

Sam asks when Jason and Carly even decided they wanted to marry each other, and he says she knows Carly’s his best friend. She says, and he was able to express his feelings after Sonny died? He says they both know what it was like losing Sonny, and both have an empty space in their lives. She says, a shared loss, and he says, yeah. She says, and nothing else, and he says, they understand each other. They know what they’re getting into. She says she knows all about that. She’s always known where he and Carly stood with each other. First in line, ahead of everybody else. She walks away.

Carly tells Maxie that she’s not worried, and sits down. Maxie says, good. Then congratulations on her engagement. She knows Carly and Jason will make each other very happy. They’ve been friends for a long time, which is why she’s not too surprised. Carly thanks her, but says she really wanted to talk about Maxie. She’s not sure if Maxie is aware, but when Michael was a baby, he was kidnapped. Maxie says she knows; by her Uncle Tony. She knows the family lore. Carly says, the point being, she kind of knows what Maxie is going through, so if she needs a shoulder to cry on, Carly’s are available. She knows the police and the FBI are searching for Peter, but if there’s anything she and Jason can do, please let her know. Maxie thanks her, and Sam joins them, saying, sorry to keep Maxie waiting. She asks if she can speak with Carly for a second, and Carly says, of course (🍷). They step aside, and Sam takes Carly’s hands. She says she knows Carly and Jason wouldn’t have gotten engaged if there weren’t some sort of good reason, or if she hadn’t lost Sonny. So if there’s anything she can do to help, please let her know. Carly says, yeah, and Sam goes back to the table.

Nina says it’s sweet of Willow to say she made an impact on Wiley’s life, but she’s been away for so long, he’s had to get used to her all over again. Willow tells her not to sell herself short. Wiley knows when the people around him love him. He’s crazy about her. Nina says she was worried when she came back to Port Charles, that Wiley would run screaming from this stranger, but Willow says, that wasn’t going to happen. She picks up a digital photo album, and says, it was important that Wiley know who both of his grandmas are. Nina sees photo of Carly, then herself, and Willow says, she and Michael call this Wiley’s family. They tell Wiley about her all the time. Because Nina is his family.

Phyllis tells Valentin that Nina is staying with her and her husband in Nixon Falls. He says, that’s where Nina went when she was told she couldn’t see her grandson, and Phyllis says, Wiley. He thanks her for helping Nina, and she says, it wasn’t only her and Lenny. Mike had a lot to do with it as well. He says, Mike?

Sonny ponders the cap some more, when Lenny walks in with the doctor. Sonny asks if Lenny is done with the tests, and says he’ll get Phyllis. Lenny says, don’t, and Sonny asks, why? Lenny hesitates, and Sonny says, it’s bad, isn’t it?

Brook asks what they think; hold their noses and buy this guy off? Ned says, Austin is in this for his father, the late, not so great, Jimmy Lee Holt, and Brook asks if Ned ever met him. What was this guy like? Ned says he’s only heard stories, but what he does know for sure is, when Jimmy Lee left Port Charles for Pawtuck, grandfather washed his hands of him. Which is why when he wrote his will, he specifically said, Jimmy Lee and his heirs get nothing. Brook says, so if they give Austin some stock, they’re literally violating great-grandfather’s final wish, and Ned says, yes. Michael says, so they can’t buy him off, they can’t let him retain any stock… They’ve got to win him over.

Monica tells Austin that she was sorry to hear about Jimmy Lee’s passing. May she ask how? He says, in the end, it was the COPD. Not a pleasant ending he’s afraid. She says, no it wouldn’t be, and he says, there was nothing he could do to help ease his father’s passing. He could barely talk, but it didn’t stop him from asking about Edward. Monica says, after all these years. She hadn’t realized how much Jimmy Lee’s estrangement from Edward weighed on him. Austin says, he was on his deathbed, wondering how he had offended his father, begging for a chance to know how to make it right. She says, so now Austin wants to make it up to Jimmy Lee by getting a seat at the ELQ table that was denied him, right? He says, like it or not, he’s family, and he’s not going to let her, or any of the other Quartermaines, tell him otherwise.

Sasha asks why Brando thinks she doesn’t want him around, and he says, she’s busy with Deception… He pulls a chair up and sits down, saying, and then there’s his mom. Sasha asks, how is his roomie? and he says, full of unwanted advice. She asks if Gladys is the one who told him that she doesn’t want him in the baby’s life, and he asks if his mom is right. She says she wishes Gladys hadn’t said that to him, and he says he wishes he could feel better about her answer, but his mom isn’t entirely wrong, is she?

Jason asks Carly what Sam said, and Carly says, they have her support. It’s better than being damned to hell. She imagines Sam’s not too excited about their engagement. He says, Sam hasn’t told Danny. She figured he should be the one to explain. Carly asks what he’s going to say, and he says he’s going to tell Danny that they’re doing what they think is right, and that he loves Danny, and nothing is going to change. He’ll always be Danny’s father. She says, sounds good to her, and he asks her to tell him again exactly what happened with Joey Novak. She says, okay, but she doesn’t understand. She thought he said he wasn’t worried. He says, he’s not, but this guy could do something stupid; something that requires a response. She says, whatever Jason did hurt Joey’s pride, because he got up in her face and said, tell your fiancé he isn’t as secure as he thinks he is. He asks what she said, and she says she told Joey to say it to Jason’s face. Then she went to text him, but Brando stepped in, and Brando really knows what he’s doing. He says, maybe Brando saw her and thought she was going to throw down with Joey, and stepped in to do a good deed. She says, and if she would have thrown down? He says he would have backed her, but he’s glad it didn’t get that far. She says, her too, and he says he has to go see Monica. He’ll see Carly back at the house. He kisses her cheek, and she makes a soap face I can’t decipher. Maybe confused is the closest description.

Sonny asks how soon Lenny starts treatment, and the doctor says she’ll set up a series of appointments for him. She asks if Lenny has any questions, but Lenny says, not at the moment. She says she’ll give them some privacy, and leaves. Sonny says he’s going to get Phyllis, but Lenny says, she’s talking to some stranger. Let’s leave her be. Sonny says, Phyllis has to know, and Lenny says, she will, but she came here looking for hope. Let her hang on to that hope for another minute before he takes it away from her.

Phyllis tells Valentin, Mike works for her and Lenny in Nixon Falls. They own a bar called the Tan-O. Valentin says, and this Mike was helpful to Nina, was he? and Phyllis says, extremely. Anna returns, and asks if she’s interrupting, but Phyllis says, it’s perfectly all right. She has to check on her husband. Valentin says it was nice to meet her, and she says, him as well, and leaves. Anna asks, who was that? and he says, a friend of Nina’s. She says, small world, and he says, isn’t it? He asks where she’s been; he was worried about her. She says she has a lead on the pilot.

Dante tells Rocco, fifteen minutes, and sits back down next to Chase. He sees two umbrella drinks, blue in color, and asks, what the hell is that? Chase hands Dante one, and says, one sip of this baby, and he’ll be singing the name of the girl of his dreams. Dante says he’s still not going to talk, and Chase says, Dante is a cop; he knows how this goes. The harder a witness tries not to give a straight answer, the more they have to hide.

Maxie asks if everything is okay with Jason, and Sam asks if Maxie means how she feels about him marrying Carly. Maxie says she did hear Sam torched some of his belongings, and Sam says, wow, word gets around fast. Actually, she’s fine. It makes sense for Jason and Carly to get married. Maxie asks if Sam has been seeing Doc, and Sam says she doesn’t need a shrink. Really. She’s at peace with it. But it didn’t hurt to burn some of the mementos of the bad old days. Maxie says if it were her, the only way she’d feel peaceful about it is if she had someone to go home to, and Sam flashes back to Dante kissing her. She says, that wouldn’t help as much as she thinks, and Maxie asks why she’d say that. Does she have a man?

Brando says he and Sasha were doing so well when she shared their baby’s ultrasound with him. Then she went radio silent. He can’t help but wonder was it something he said or did? She says he’s been nothing but thoughtful and dependable, and he asks her not to give him that whole it’s not you it’s me speech. She says, okay, she won’t. Because it is him. He says he wasn’t expecting that, and she says, he’s exactly the kind of man she’d want to raise a child with. But if her choice is to raise this baby by herself, or to raise it with a man who’s working for the Corinthos family mob, or any mob, there is no choice.

Nina says, Willow has a picture of her and Wiley, and Willow says, she and Michael are always looking at the family album with Wiley and talking to him about his family. They want to make sure their son has relationships with everyone, even those he doesn’t see very often. Nina says, that’s really wonderful. Still, Wiley must wonder why his grandma Nina was away so long. Willow says, Wiley was at the playground a couple months ago. He fell and scraped his knee, and had to take it easy for a while. She told him that his Grandma Nina had a boo-boo of her own, and that’s why she had to go away. She had to take it easy too. Nina says, and if Wiley asks if she’s all better? and Willow asks what she’ll say. Nina tells Willow that she’ll say that she is. There’s a knock at the door, and Willow opens it to Carly, who says, Michael asked her to come by, but she wanted to see her grandson first. She realizes Nina is there.

Michael says, the closer Austin gets to them, the less likely he’ll wage war. Ned says, a charm offensive, but Brook says she has a better idea. Why don’t they hire a P.I.? Michael says, they don’t have time for an in-depth investigation into Austin’s background, and Ned says, especially when there’s no guarantee they’ll find anything defamatory. Michael says, Austin’s goal is Quartermaine recognition of his father, so why not give it to him? But Ned is the CEO-in-waiting, so it’s his decision.

Monica tells Austin, why fight a family when you can be part of it, right? He asks if she’s offering him shares of ELQ, and she laughs, saying, no. It’s not even in her control. Besides she doesn’t think he’d be all that happy with just shares. He says it wouldn’t make him happy or unhappy; it would make him family. When his father was disowned by Edward, the rest of the family never gave him a second thought. He thinks it would have been different if his father had shares of ELQ, and a vote to cast. She tells him, he said ELQ was family, and family is ELQ. He says, isn’t it? and she says he can ask her son Jason how he feels about ELQ. Jason approaches, and she says, and he’s still very much a part of the family.

Willow tells Carly, Nina has a pool date with Wiley today, but he’s still napping. Willow goes upstairs to check on him, and Carly says, Wiley has such a full schedule, she should have made an appointment first. Nina says, maybe after Carly talks to Michael, she could join them at the pool, but Carly says she doesn’t want to intrude. Nina says, it’s no intrusion. She’s sure Wiley would love having both his grandmother’s around. Plus it will give her a chance to toast Carly’s engagement.

While Austin is on the hospital phone, Monica tells Jason, Edward’s libido strikes again. Austin’s father, Jimmy Lee Holt, was the product of a dalliance between Edward and a woman named Beatrice LeSeur. Jason asks what Austin wants, and she says, he wants to be a Quartermaine. Jason says, is he? and she says, he brought his birth certificate and a DNA test to prove it. He asks if she wants him to shut this down, and she says, would he? Unless he’d prefer to keep his distance. He says, no. He’s happy to help.

Ned sees no reason why they can’t welcome Austin, until they figure out a way to shut him down, but Brook says, wrong. They don’t have time to welcome the good doctor into the family fold. He’s dangerous. Ned asks, how so? and she flashes back to Maxie wondering what if Austin got a glimpse of her and saying that everything might come back to him if he sees her. Ned asks, what makes Brook think Austin is anything more than a potential problem for ELQ? What does she know about this man that he and Michael don’t?

Anna tells Valentin, she showed her WSB badge to the head of human resources, and told her that David Hopkins was a person of interest. He says, and? and Anna says, they told her that he was at Ryan’s bar. He says, the one they just left? and she says, yes, opposite the hospital. He goes there after finishing his shift. He says, let’s go, but she grabs his arm, and says, she feels like a subtle approach is going to be necessary for this, so she wants to do this alone.

Maxie says, Sam does have a man in her life. Good for her. Who is he? Does she know him? How long has this been going on? Sam tells her, calm down. There’s nothing to tell. Maxie says, please. She has very little joy in her life, so she needs something to be happy about. Sam says, all right. There is a guy. Maxie says she knew it. Details please. Sam says, they kissed, and Maxie says, oh my God. What happened? Sam says, it wasn’t a big deal. She’d just found out Jason and Carly were getting married, she was totally wasted, they kissed, and it doesn’t count. Maxie asks if she’s kissed anyone else since she and Jason split, and Sam says, eww, no (because she’s five). Maxie says, then the kiss definitely counts.

Chase asks if he knows her, and Dante says, what part of he’s not talking doesn’t Chase understand? Chase asks if Dante wants to quickly cough something up. It’s better to just get it over with. Dante says, it was a weird night. She was in a rough place, and they got to talking. That’s all; it was nothing. Chase says, but Dante thinks it could be something? Maybe this mystery girl could turn into something if Dante gives it a chance.

Phyllis apologizes for taking so long, and asks if she missed Dr. Kishore. Lenny says, he’s afraid so, and she asks what the doctor said. What’s going on with his heart? Sonny puts his hand on Lenny’s shoulder, and Lenny says, it’s not his heart. It’s cancer. Phyllis starts to cry, and Sonny hugs her.

Dante says Chase wasn’t there; he was. She was in a bad place. He’s not going to be the guy who takes advantage of something like that. Chase says, sorry, and Dante says, Chase gets a get-out-of-jail-free pass since he’s on the newlywed train, and thinks everyone is wandering around all happy and in love just because he is. Chase says he highly recommends happiness, and if Dante ever gets another chance at it, do himself a favor and take it. Dante says he doesn’t know if it’s in the cards for him, but it would be nice.

Sam tells Maxie, okay, the kiss counts. Happy now? Maxie says, no, not yet. She’s going to dwell vicariously on this. Sam says, there’s nothing to dwell about. Maxie asked her there for a reason. What is it, and what can Sam do for her? Maxie says she needs to ask Sam a favor. She’s taking Georgie and James to Texas to visit her family for a while. Sam says, so she can stop worrying about Louise for a while? and Maxie says, and Peter. She needs to catch her breath, and put herself back together, and she can’t do it in Port Charles with everyone walking on eggshells around her. Sam asks what she can do for Maxie, and Maxie says she wants Sam to keep an eye on Spinelli. Ellie left him, and since Maxie is going to have Georgie with her, he’s going to need looking after. Sam says, poor Spinelli. Go to Texas, don’t worry about him. She’ll look after him.

Austin asks Jason where Monica is, and Jason says, she had a meeting. Austin says that he and Jason have something in common. He understands they’re both from the illegitimate branch of the Quartermaine tree, but Jason says, it doesn’t make him care any less about his family. Austin asks if he cares about ELQ, and Jason says, if it matters to them, it matters to him. He’ll do whatever it takes to protect them both; the family and the company.

Brook wonders why Austin is suddenly claiming rights to his family now. Something happened where now he thinks it’s the right time to fleece the Qs. Ned says he gets it. Brook is still trying to make up for selling her shares to Valentin, but she’s more than redeemed herself. There is no evidence that Austin is this threat she’s afraid he is.

Sasha says she overheard Brando’s mother say that he could be Jason’s righthand man, and Brando says he respects Jason. There’s worse people to work for. He worked for one. Sasha says, he only took the job with Cyrus to spy on him for Sonny and Jason, but she got close to Cyrus too, and almost died because of it. But at the time, she had no one to protect; now she does. That’s all the reason she needs not to set foot in that world again. Is that enough reason for him? He doesn’t say anything, so she gets up and leaves.

Valentin asks if Anna is saying he can’t be subtle, and she says, yes. A woman on her own is far more approachable than a woman accompanied by a man. He tells her, play it any way she wants to, but there’s no way in hell he’s letting her go in there by herself without a wingman. She says, great, but they do it her way, and he says, she’s the boss.

Phyllis takes Lenny’s hand, and he tells her, Dr. Kishore decided to look further than his heart. He had a scan, and there’s a mass on his pancreas. She says, how large? and he says, it’s pretty far gone. Sonny says, that doesn’t mean Lenny doesn’t have options. The doctor said there’s chemotherapy, there’s surgery… Lenny says, that could put them in the poorhouse. He’s not going to do that to her. He leaves, and Sonny tells Phyllis, it’s all right, and she follows Lenny.

Nina says, Jax mentioned that Carly and Jason got engaged, and Carly says, she’s sure Jax did more than just mention it. Nina says he’s worried about Carly, and Carly says, for no reason. Her engagement to Jason, that’s the way things are supposed to be. Nina says, okay. She guesses it’s been a long time coming. Nina’s phone rings. She sees it’s Mike/Sonny, and ignores the call. Carly says she’s going to go talk to Michael, and Nina says, Carly… Carly turns back, and Nina thanks Carly for giving her time with Wiley. Carly says, the way their grandson smiles at Nina, it’s clear she makes him very happy.

Carly leaves, and Nina calls Sonny back. She says she’s sorry she didn’t answer his call earlier (like, literally two seconds ago), and he says he’s sorry to bother her. He didn’t want to make this call. She asks, why? What’s wrong? He says they need her; Phyllis, Lenny, and him. Is there any way she could come home?

On Monday, Maxie tells Brook, he could blow their whole story wide open; Spencer tells Nikolas, maybe it’s a bigger deal than he thinks; and Valentin has someone pinned to the bar with their arm behind their back.

🧔 Who’s Your Daddy…

All about ~~Todd~~ ~~Franco~~ Austin’s father.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/jimmy-lee-holt

🎼 Our Funny Valentin…

He doesn’t just sing at the Nurses Ball.

https://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/gh-star-releases-new-album/

🧼 Soap Sunday…

See what else your favorites have been up to.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/hallmark-channel-soap-sunday-marathon

🐇 Kim Cameo…

But will she bring the bunny?

https://www.bravotv.com/the-daily-dish/andy-cohen-teases-possible-kim-richards-cameo-rhobh-season-11

👠 Not So Pretty Mess…

The divorce saga continues.

Trustee Sues Erika Jayne For $25 Million, Accuses RHOBH Star of Hiding Money For Thomas Girardi and Demands She Return Jewelry, Money, and Assets Fraudulently Transferred to Her

https://people.com/tv/erika-girardi-accused-of-using-her-notoriety-to-hide-assets/

⚖️ Get On the Scale…

If Bethenny is crazy, I don’t want to be sane.

https://okmagazine.com/p/bethenny-frankel-difficult-scale-of-crazy-says-shark-tank-star-kevin-oleary/

📉 Ratings Nosedive…

While I probably wouldn’t miss Ramona, I don’t think she’s the reason for the ratings being down. I think the audience is ready for fewer fights and more fun. Although I think NYC is the least offensive of the franchise.

https://okmagazine.com/p/rhony-ramona-singer-fired-eboni-k-williams-downplay-drama-ratings-plummet/

👗 Porter’s Debut…

But will she inherit Sutton’s wardrobe?

https://pagesix.com/2021/07/14/sutton-stracke-will-always-remember-filming-with-her-daughter/

https://screenrant.com/rhobh-about-sutton-stracke-daughter-porter-stracke/

👏 Clapping Back…

Leah is not having it.

https://www.inquisitr.com/6493808/leah-mcsweeney-claps-back-at-critics-shaming-race-conversations-

👰🏼 It’s Only Been 20 Years…

Emma Bunton finally ties the knot with her long-time love and the father of her children. Loving the dress.

https://www.the-sun.com/entertainment/3280987/emma-bunton-jade-jones-relationship-married-kids/

https://www.hellomagazine.com/brides/20210714117505/emma-bunton-jade-jones-wedding-dress-secret-detail/

💃🏽 Tell Me What You Want…

Where my guilty pleasure is now.

https://www.distractify.com/p/spice-girls-now

🏆 An Award Named Emmy…

All the nominations. You can find the categories in the drop-down menu.

https://www.emmys.com/awards/nominees-winners/2021

🐅 Be There Or Be a Rectangle…

This Sunday at 2 pm, check out the Mupo and Friends interview with The Beastmaster himself. And I helped.

👄 Quotes of the Week

Love what you have. Need what you want. Accept what you receive. Give what you can. Always remember, what goes around, comes around… – Unknown

For most of us the problem isn’t that we aim too high and fail – it’s just the opposite – we aim too low and succeed. – Sir Ken Robinson, English Author, Speaker and Education Advocate

A woman once drove me to drink, and I never had the decency to thank her. – Sir Winston Churchill

You’re the perfect candidate for a total disaster. – Dr. Terry Dubrow, Botched

An eye for an eye will only make the whole world blind. – Mahatma Gandhi

Those who don’t believe in magic will never find it. – Roald Dahl

If you want to live a happy life, tie it to a goal, not to people or things. – Albert Einstein

To bear defeat with dignity, to accept criticism with poise, to receive honors with humility – these are marks of maturity and graciousness. – William Arthur Ward

I believe in being strong when everything seems to be going wrong. I believe that happy girls are the prettiest girls. I believe that tomorrow is another day, and I believe in miracles. – Audrey Hepburn

I am so clever that sometimes I don’t understand a single word of what I am saying. – Oscar Wilde

Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you. – Friedrich Nietzsche

If God sends us on stony paths, He provides strong shoes. – Corrie ten Boom

👩🏽‍💼 See You Around the Water Cooler…

It’s here again, those two days we used to, and might again, call the weekend. Regardless of what you’re calling it these days, make sure you stay safe, stay discriminating, and stay knowing a dog will never disappoint you.

Jul16

July 15, 2021 – Who Knew the MetroCourt Had a Pool, Moving In To Sell, For Only $15 Million & Cool

Posted on July 16, 2021 by theresakp

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Curtis and Portia run into each other, making a move for the same lounge chair at the MetroCourt pool. (New set!)

New York City. Valentin brings coffee over to the table where he and Anna are sitting in a bar/restaurant. He tells her that he managed to locate the source of the singalong in the back room. Apparently there’s a woman leading them in a chorus of Danny Boy; she’s the owner. Anna is messing with her phone, but says, if there were any other circumstances, she’d join in. He says, no she wouldn’t, and she says he’s right. He asks if she’s heard from her aviation contact, and she says, she just got off the phone with her. Anna thinks David Hopkins is their key to finding Peter, and if the flight route is correct, he’s on his way to New York Methodist. Valentin points across the street, and says, that New York Methodist? That’s convenient.

In the New York Methodist emergency room, Phyllis says, this is ridiculous, but Lenny says his chest pains didn’t warrant a visit to the ER. (Good luck with that in NYC. Maybe they’ll see him in a month.) Sonny says Lenny has come a long way. He might as well see the doctor. The doctor comes out, and says they must be the Caulfields, but Sonny says he’s just a family friend. Phyllis thanks the doctor for seeing them, and says her husband is in a great deal of pain. The doctor says they’ll run some tests, and Lenny goes with her. Phyllis and Sonny hug.

Spinelli plays with the umbrella from his drink at the MetroCourt bar, when Jason approaches. Spinelli tells him, gracious greetings, and Jason asks if everything is okay. Spinelli says, the answer depends on which lens you’re looking through. He and Ellie are over.

Gladys and Brando go to the pool, and as Gladys sits in a lounge chair, she says she has to give it to the Widow Corinthos; she knows how to put on a scene. This place is hopping. It’s the perfect spot to show off her new look. She takes her sun hat off, shaking her hair out, and we see she’s got highlights now. She says, risking her life to see that justice is served has given her a whole new perspective. He says, is that so? and she says she almost died. She has to embrace life after such a harrowing ordeal. Brighten things up a little; invest in herself. He says her hair does look good, and she says, Silas said it took ten years off her looks. She says fifteen, easy. He laughs and says, as long as she likes it. She sees a waiter, and asks how Brando thinks the bloody Mary’s work. On the house, like at the casino? He asks if this looks like a casino. If you want a drink, you pay for it. She says, too bad. She hopes she’s not cramping his style, and he asks what she means. She says he’s a young, good-looking guy. There are plenty of eligible young ladies here. He says he’s not trying to pick anyone up, and she says, so he and Sasha are a thing. It sounded like Sasha wasn’t too clear on where he stood with her, or his baby.

At the MetroCourt restaurant, Maxie thanks Sasha for doing this for her, especially on such short notice, and on her day off. Sasha says, of course (🍷). She was going to check out the pool anyway. What’s up? Maxie hands her some papers, and says, it’s research and press information that she’ll need to make another pitch to Labella. Sasha says she thought getting their products on the shelves was Maxie’s area of expertise, and Maxie says, it is. She’s taking a step back. Sasha says, from Deception? and Maxie says, from everything, but definitely from work. She talked to Lucy; she knows Maxie is taking a leave of absence. Sasha asks, for how long? and Maxie says, just for a few weeks. The kidnapping has been traumatizing – Sasha says, of course (🍷) it has – and being in Port Charles is making it worse. Sasha says she’s so sorry. She’s sure having a pregnant co-worker isn’t helping, but Maxie says, no. This doesn’t have anything to do with Sasha at all.

Brook comes into Nina’s apartment, wheeling Bailey in the carriage, and says, at ease, Yuri. She tells him that he can wait in the hallway, and Nina asks if he wants a bottle of water or something. Brook says, he’d prefer flat, and Nina goes to get it. Brook tells Yuri that it’s a secure building with vigilant doormen, so he can stand guard, but no accosting anyone. Nina comes back with the water, and he tells her (I assume) thank you in his native language. Nina says she doesn’t know what that was, but she’s got him. She closes the door, and Brook apologizes for the entourage. Nina says, Valentin? and Brook says, how’d she guess? Nina says she got there quickly, and Brook says there was some major drama at the house – what else is new? – so that was incentive to get there, but she also wants to prove herself to Nina and Deception. Nina thanks her for that, but says, this has nothing to do with work. Brook asks what it’s about, and Nina says she knows Brook’s secret.

Portia says she guesses she and Curtis had the same idea, and he says, he and TJ just wanted to get some sun. She says, it’s a perfect day for it, and tells him, enjoy. She starts to pick up her bag, and he asks what she’s doing. She says she thinks she’ll find somewhere else to sit. He says she was there first; they’ll find someplace else. She says, no, she will. TJ joins them and says, hello, and she says, hi, TJ. Wait. Dr. Ashford is what she should say, right? Congratulations. They’re all very proud of him. He thanks her, and says, he gives it a week before she and the senior staff are complaining about him like they do the other interns. She says she highly doubts it, and TJ asks if Curtis wants to swim. Curtis says he’ll be there in a minute, and TJ goes in the pool. Portia asks if it’s going to be awkward between them.

Nina says, Bailey’s not Brook’s, and Brook starts to protest, but Nina says, she belongs to Maxie and Peter. Brook asks how she found out, and Nina says, how does she think? Maxie. She’s losing her mind, understandably so. She needed someone to confide in. Brook says, she gets that, but she and Maxie agreed it was necessary to protect Louise from Peter. She must have told Nina that. Nina says she did, and Brook says, she didn’t believe Maxie? Nina says she did – she does believe her, that she’s trying to protect her daughter. The person she can’t figure out is Brook.

Maxie asks how Sasha’s pregnancy is going, and Sasha says, overwhelming. Maxie says, that’s pregnancy in a nutshell, especially when it’s your first time, and Sasha says, it’s a lot to take on alone. Maxie says, but she’s not alone. She has Brando to help out, right?

Brando tells Gladys, he has no reason to think Sasha doesn’t want him to be a part of her life, or the baby’s. Gladys smiles, and he says he doesn’t know; they haven’t talked about it. She says, exactly. Maybe Sasha is worried about him being a good provider. Brando says, the 1950s called. They want their sexism back. Sasha has her own company, and doesn’t need him to provide for anything. She says, so that’s it? He made his donation, now hit the road? He laughs, and says, my God, and she tells him, she’s just saying. Maybe it’s time for him to worry about his own career. He says, the garage is doing fine, but she says, fine isn’t good enough. Carly walks in, and Gladys says, now the <air quotes> Corinthos Coffee Company <end air quotes>, that’s where the money is. And there’s been a shake-up in management lately, to put it mildly. Brando needs to strike while the iron is hot. With Sonny gone, this is his time.

Spinelli tells Jason, he didn’t realize he and Ellie’s relationship was moving in a direction she’s not comfortable with. She said if she wanted to find a different life, she needed to act now. She’s not wrong. Jason says, no. She’s got to do what’s right for her, and Spinelli has to do what’s right for him. He doesn’t have to choose Jason and the business over Ellie. He can always walk away. Spinelli says, no, he can’t.

Portia says she meant every word she said the other day, and Curtis says, every word? She says, being together with him while he’s on the rebound… He says she’s not a rebound, and she says, it’s not worth the risk of losing him as a friend. She misses the way it used to be, just hanging out and having fun. He says he misses that too, and she suggests they just rewind. Go back to the way things were before she kissed him. He asks if she really thinks it’s that simple, and she says, probably not, but it’s worth a try. Tell TJ that she’ll speak with him later. She leaves, and Curtis watches her.

Spinelli says he misses Ellie, but the bulk of their relationship was during Jason’s absence. The person he was without Jason could fit into Ellie’s world perfectly; he let her take the lead. Jason says Spinelli can still be that person, but Spinelli says he doesn’t want to be. He likes working for Jason. It’s where he’s comfortable. It’s where he thrives. He wants to use his substantial skills, and wants to play for big stakes, take chances. He realized that, and it forced him to face the facts. Ellie’s life and career goals don’t match up with his anymore. Jason asks if Spinelli is okay with that, and Spinelli says he desperately wants her to stay, but that would be selfish. Holding on when he knows it’s wrong would be the wrong thing. Telling her that he’ll change when he knows he won’t. Jason says, to start a new life that he doesn’t believe in, and Spinelli says he knows he’s doing the right thing. Jason says, that doesn’t make it any easier, does it? and Spinelli says, no, it doesn’t. Jason pats him on the shoulder.

Carly tells Brando and Gladys, welcome, and Gladys asks if Carly’s ears were burning, or is she in the habit of sneaking up on all her guests? Carly asks if they’re enjoying themselves, and Gladys says, yes, but not as much as Carly is. She heard about Carly’s engagement to Jason, and Brando tells Carly, congratulations. He’s really happy for them. She thanks him, and Gladys says she’s sure her dearly departed cousin would agree. Carly suggests Brando get his mother a drink, and tell the bartender the tab is on her for the rest of the afternoon. Gladys says, so generous, and Brando leaves. Gladys says, Carly is finally deciding to treat them like family, and Carly says, Gladys is a lot of things, but family isn’t one of them.

Sasha says, Maxie is right; Brando definitely wants to be involved with the baby. Maxie says, but she doesn’t want him to be. Or maybe she doesn’t want to raise the baby at all. Sasha says, she does. It’s not exactly the timetable she envisioned, but she’s always wanted to be a mom. Maxie asks, what’s the problem? and Sasha says, it’s not a problem per se, it’s just that Brando’s such a great guy. He’s so excited about the pregnancy, and them being a family… Maxie says, but? and Sasha says, but he has close ties to Carly and Jason, and that whole life. It makes her a little nervous.

Phyllis tells Sonny, she’s trying so hard not to be one of those people asking constant questions while the doctors are still trying to figure things out. He says, she sees it all the time at the clinic, and she says she does, but she never realized until now how hard it is to just wait. Sonny says he’s glad they got in some sightseeing, and she says, her too. She and Lenny haven’t been to New York in so long, it brought back a lot of memories. She sits, and says, what about him? Does he think he’s ever been there before? He says, it did seem familiar for a second, but he thinks it’s just from TV and the movies. She says, so that’s where his mind was this morning. She noticed he was distracted. She figured he was thinking about his call with Nina the other day.

Brook tells Nina, she admits in the beginning it was all a manipulation. She wanted to redeem herself from the whole ELQ debacle. Nina says, in her father’s eyes, and Brook says, and in her own. When she initially reached out to Maxie with her proposal – Nina says, interesting word choice – Brook wanted to help her, but It was also serendipity. Maxie needed someone to hide a baby at the exact moment Brook needed a baby. It was a win-win, and it was at that time she learned what a psycho Peter really is. So that’s what it became for her, a way to protect this precious little girl, because Peter is way more dangerous than Nina knows. Nina says, Brook doesn’t have to tell her that, and Brook says she got so wrapped up in the Louise aspect, the whole stock thing just fell by the wayside. She had to play it out, since that was the original premise. Nina says, and if she lost interest, Valentin would get suspicious and might figure it out, and Brook says, exactly. Nina says this is where the plan loses her, because Valentin is nothing if not a great father. It’s his Achille’s heel. It’s where he goes from cold and calculating, to a goofy pile of mush. Brook says, true, and Nina says, so she also knows there would be no one in the world more willing to protect that baby from Peter than Valentin. So why not tell Valentin the truth?

Anna tells Valentin that she thinks they should wait for confirmation before they head over to the hospital. The longer they’re hanging out there, the more suspicious they appear. Valentin agrees, and says he can think of worse places to hang out. He asks if she knows what this place reminds him of. That pub in Dublin… She says, Mulligan’s, and he says, they were there celebrating their first field assignment from the Academy. Remember that? She says, vaguely, and he says, this from a women who remembered the name in two seconds flat. She says she doesn’t enjoy thinking about that time in her life, and frankly, neither should he. He asks if it’s their troubled past that’s got her in such a mood, but she says she’s not in a mood. This isn’t a mood. Yes, because what else would it be about? He says, us. Here and now.

Jason says Spinelli probably figured this out already, but he and Carly are… Spinelli says, getting married to present a united front to the outside world? Surprising, but at the same time, not surprising. Jason and Carly are soulmates. Perhaps not romantically, but in every other sense of the word. They support and love each other like no one else can. So it might be for optics, but he for one can imagine a more perfect union. He clinks his glass against Jason’s.

Brando sees TJ getting out of the pool, and says, what’s up? Cool spot, huh? TJ says he envisions himself spending a lot of time there. Brando tells him, have a good one, and starts to walk away, but TJ says, congratulations on the baby. He doesn’t think he said it when Brando told them Sasha was pregnant. Brando says TJ doesn’t have to do that, and TJ says, do what? Brando says, be the bigger person. TJ was the first real friend he had in this town, and he screwed it up by not telling him the truth. TJ says, Brando did, but he’s been thinking a lot lately about lost time, and was reminded that holding grudges doesn’t do them much good. So, seriously, best of luck to him. Brando says, thanks, and they bro shake.

Carly says she appreciates Glady’s assistance in ridding this town of Cyrus, but that is the end of their professional relationship. Gladys says, but it shouldn’t be for her son. Brando deserves a bigger piece of the pie. Carly says, what’s funny is, if there’s one thing that makes Jason not want Brando to be a part of the business, it’s because he’s attached to Gladys. Gladys says, it’s his birthright. He’s the only real Corinthos left. Or at least the only one old enough to want a piece of this. Joey Novak walks in, and Carly says, this conversation’s over. Gladys says, because Carly says so, and Carly says, yeah, pretty much. She walks over to Joey, and asks what he’s doing there.

Sasha tells Maxie, don’t get her wrong. She really likes the Corinthos family. When she was dating Michael, she got to know them pretty well, and she knows they’d put the safety of their loved ones above all else. Maxie says she can vouch for that, and Sasha says, but at the end of the day, there’s only so much they can do. She doesn’t want to raise her child like that. When every time they leave the house, she holds her breath, praying they make it home. Maxie says, FYI, she’s always going to feel that way as a mom. Mob life or no mob life. Sasha says, great, and Maxie says, of course (🍷) she completely understands. Sasha asks what she should do, and Maxie says she thinks Sasha needs to be realistic about Brando’s involvement in all of this. Like, how committed does he seem to this alleged organized crime thing? Sasha says, Brando only went to work for Cyrus as a favor to Sonny and Jason, and Maxie says she figured that. Brando seems like a really nice guy, and Cyrus definitely doesn’t. Sasha says she can’t really complain, since working for Cyrus put Brando in a position to save her life. Maxie says, fortunately, Cyrus was shipped off to federal prison where he belongs, and she knows from experience that Jason would never force someone to work for him who doesn’t want to. Brando’s kind of free to be the man he wants to be.

Sonny tells Phyllis that he talked to Nina, and it was nice, but it was kind of hard keeping this from her. She needs to know what’s going on with Lenny. Phyllis says, and she should, and she’s going to tell Nina once they have more information. Does he want anything from the vending machine? He says he’s good; he doesn’t want anything. She says, her neither, but she wants to get up and walk around. She tells him, don’t let Nina slip through the cracks. He’ll regret it if he does. She leaves.

Nina says, to keep Valentin believing, and loving, this baby as if it was his own child, it’s not fair. Brook says she doesn’t disagree necessarily, but it’s Maxie’s daughter; it’s her call. Nina says she knows, and she wouldn’t go against that. It just makes her sad. Brook says, all she can hope, is that when Valentin finds out, no matter how angry and disappointed he is, that he understands why she and Maxie felt the ends justified the means. Nina says, he will understand. The only thing up for debate is Valentin’s broken heart. He’s not going to stop protecting that baby. He’ll fight for that baby, and he will play his role to the hilt. They both know that. Come on. Brook says, okay, so what about Charlotte?

Valentin says, he and Anna aren’t children. He doesn’t know why they can’t discuss this like adults. She says because she’s way over it. He says he likes her. He has feelings for her, and she has feelings for him. She tells him, if he says so, and he tells her, he does say so, and so would she if she’d stop fighting it. She says, it was a kiss, a fleeting kiss, and he says, which had been building for years. There was nothing fleeting about that kiss. He’s felt this way about her his entire adult life. This is real. He can see it’s scaring her. She asks if she looks scared, and he says, no, but something’s happening here, and he’d like her to admit that. Her phone dings, and she looks at it. She says, Hopkins has returned to the hospital. It’s go time.

TJ joins Curtis on the chairs, and asks where Portia is. Curtis says, she found another spot. She said she’d see TJ around the hospital. TJ says he was hoping to get in good with her, but Curtis thinks he’s in good already. TJ asks if Curtis is ever going to talk to him about this. He knows there’s something going on between them. Curtis says maybe TJ should have spent more time being a P.I. instead of being a doctor. TJ says Curtis raced to Portia’s place when he thought she was in trouble, and Portia didn’t leave his bedside at GH. It doesn’t take a brain surgeon. Curtis says, one day, TJ could be one, and leans back in his chair.

Joey says, Mrs. Corinthos. He holds out his hand, and says, Joey Novak. She ignores his hand, and says, nice to meet him. What is he doing at her hotel? From a distance, Gladys and Brando watch. Joey says he thought Carly should know, her fiancé isn’t as secure as he thinks he is. She says, is that so? and he says, the Novaks are in a position to make things very unpleasant for her family, so please, give Jason this message. Jason got the jump on him once, but he’s not afraid of him. She says, it sounds like he wants to speak to her fiancé himself. Why don’t they call him down there? Brando walks up, and says, Mr. Novak. Brando’s heard a lot about him. It’s good to see him in Port Charles. Joey asks who Brando is, and Brando holds out his hand, saying, Brando Corbin. Sonny Corinthos is his cousin; was his cousin. Joey shakes his hand, and Brando says, if he can ever be of any assistance to Joey, his garage is over on Third Street. Any Novak vehicles in Port Charles, consider them taken care of.

Spinelli sees Maxie, and she says she’s glad she ran into him. She has a favor to ask him. Actually, he probably won’t think of it as a favor; he’ll want to say yes. She and James are going out of town for a few weeks. He asks where she’s going, and she says, to visit her family in Texas. Anna said she’d be as much in the loop there as here. Spinelli says, if anything comes up with Baby Louise, she’ll be the first to know. And the favor? She says she doesn’t want to intrude on their custody arrangement, but would he and Ellie be okay keeping Georgie while she and James are gone? He tells her that he’s not sure that would be the best idea.

Brook tells Nina to really think about it. If they tell Valentin the truth, she doesn’t think he’ll tell Charlotte? There’s no way he would allow her to continue falling in love with her little sister. Nina says, that’s already happening, but Brook says, except he doesn’t know, and Valentin is complicated. Like Nina said, he’s a really great father, and nothing’s more important to him than Charlotte. Nina says, and now Bailey, and Brook says, so why would they put him in that position? He either has to lie to Charlotte – which she’s not sure he would – or tell her the truth. Then they’re burdening this young girl… No, they can carry this. When this all comes crashing down, Valentin loses out big. And Brook hates that. So tell her. If Nina had to pick one person who she knew could handle this devastating loss, that she knew was strong enough to survive this, who would she pick? Nina says, Valentin.

The doctor comes out, and asks Sonny if Phyllis is there, but he says she stepped away. He’ll get her. The doctor says, that’s all right. Lenny has given her permission to bring him in on the conversation. Why doesn’t he follow her? She’ll let the staff know where to tell Phyllis to find them. Sonny goes into the examining room, just as Anna and Valentin walk into the waiting room.

TJ says, if Curtis doesn’t want to talk about this because of his mom, he gets it, but he’s not a kid. Curtis says, no, he’s not a kid, and TJ says, mom is mom. He’ll always want her to be happy, but Curtis is his family too. Curtis says the vibe TJ is picking up on between him and Portia was a slow burn, and it happened after he and TJ’s mother were separated. It doesn’t matter now, because he and Portia have decided to just be friends. TJ says, because it’s what Curtis thinks he should do, or because it’s what he wants to do? Maybe he should clear that up.

Sonny asks Lenny if they shouldn’t wait for Phyllis, but Lenny says, Dr. Kishore doesn’t want him to lose his place in line for a scan. They have to move quickly. Sonny says, sounds serious, but the doctor says, despite Lenny’s chest pains, there’s no immediate danger. She did see something in one of the tests that she wants to follow up on. It could be nothing. Sonny says they’re still going to do a scan, right? and Lenny tells Sonny, explain to Phyllis, so she doesn’t worry too much. Sonny tells Lenny to get checked out, and Dr. Kishore says, that’s the plan. She tells Sonny that he can wait there, but Sonny says he’s going to look for Phyllis. Lenny goes with the doctor, and in the hallway, Sonny sees a cap just like Mike’s smart cap, lying on the floor. He picks it up, and remembers telling Mike that he forgave him a long time ago, and wants him to go in peace and love. He goes back in the examining room, and ponders the cap.

Joey says he likes Brando’s attitude. Carly’s fiancé could learn a thing or two from this guy. Carly tells him, have a nice day, Mr. Novak, and Joey leaves. Gladys says she hopes Carly is properly grateful, and Brando says, mom. Gladys says, look what her boy did for Carly. Imagine the embarrassment if there had been a whole mob kerfuffle in Carly’s fancy pool and spa, which is supposedly separate from all of that.

Spinelli says, they’re separating, and Maxie says, no. He says, unfortunately yes, and she says she’s so sorry. He says it’s just that he doesn’t think it’s the best idea for Georgie to see Ellie right now. If Maxie doesn’t mind taking her to Texas, he’s sure she’d enjoy it. Maxie says, so will she. Ellie’s really leaving? Does Maxie need to talk some sense into her? Is she going crazy? Spinelli says, no, she’s made the right decision. She’s not comfortable sharing her life with someone who has dangerous associates. After Maxie’s experience with Peter, he’s sure she can relate.

Anna tells Valentin, she’s going to throw her badge around, and see if she can get anyone to tell them where David Hopkins is. Why doesn’t Valentin stay there in case he passes through? Valentin says he’s on it. Anna leaves, and Valentin walks over to where Sonny and Phyllis had been sitting. He literally runs into Phyllis, and she drops the sodas she’s carrying.

Curtis goes finds Portia, and asks if he can have a seat. She says, sure, and asks, what’s up? He says, as friends, he thinks they should get everything out in the open. She says, okay, and he says if she wants to explore this between them, he’d really like that, but if she doesn’t feel it’s a good idea for her, he gets that too. He still thinks she’s holding back because of his Aunt Stella and not because of herself. She asks, is that all? and he says, all right. He’s going to head off to the nightclub. She says, that’s right. Tonight is the official opening. He says, yeah. It’s a big night for him, but it could be a big night for them. If she changes her mind, she knows where to find him. Geez, you’d think he’d invite her as a friend.

Gladys says she’s proud of Brando, but he says, it’s no big deal. She says, it is. If he keeps stepping up like that, he’ll be Jason’s righthand man before he knows it. Sasha walks in and overhears. Gladys leaves, and Sasha makes a soap face like, I don’t know about this guy.

At the bar, Carly tells Jason that he just missed Joey Novak at the pool. Good times. He asks if there was a problem, and she says, there almost was. She was ready to go off on the guy, and Brando stepped in. She has to say, as much as she would hate to give Gladys what she wanted, Brando could be a real asset. He says he’ll keep it in mind, but in the meantime, don’t let Joey Novak provoke her. That’s what he wants. She says, that kid is a hothead, and he says, unlike her. Just take a deep breath. She says he’s right. She doesn’t want to escalate things. They’re trying to calm the waters; she gets it. He says that’s what they’re hoping their marriage will do.

Brook says so she and Nina are on the same page, for Maxie’s sake. Nina says, for Maxie’s sake, she won’t tell Valentin what she knows. Brook thanks her, and Brook’s phone rings. Brook says she has to take it, and asks Nina to watch Bailey/Louise for a second, jetting into the next room, and answering, ELQ, what’s up? Nina says hi to the baby, and tells her that she’s awfully cute. Look at her, all loved and cared for. Safe. That’s all that really matters, isn’t it? With all the secrets she’s keeping, who is she to judge?

Valentin hands Phyllis the soda cans, and apologizes, but Phyllis says she wasn’t looking where she was going. He says he hopes she wasn’t planning on opening them anytime soon, and she says, good tip. He asks if she’s waiting on word about someone, and she nods, saying, it’s not her best event. Him? He says, the same. He doesn’t think it’s anybody’s best event. She hands him one of the cans and says, it seems her friend has disappeared. He says he collided with her, the least he can do is keep her company until her friend shows up. They sit, and she thanks him, introducing herself. Phyllis Caulfield.

Sonny looks at the cap some more, while Anna is walking by in the hallway. Sonny turns the handle of the door to leave. Anna hears, and stops, looking at the door.

Tomorrow, Maxie says, this should be interesting; Dante tells Chase, it’s just like old times; Austin says Monica isn’t telling him what to do; and Sonny says, it’s bad, isn’t it?

Million Dollar Listing New York

Fredrik was back in NYC, and danced in the rain, which was the weather throughout the entire episode. In his interview, he said every cell in his body alive. He could hear the rumbling of the subway, and smell the garbage. He was home, and it was amazing. I actually understood this. When I would come back to NYC after visiting my homeland of Ohio, I’d be like, ahh, the smell of the subway stop, a combination of urine and garbage. He also had a lot of business to catch up on. He met developer Cliff at the 10^th Street penthouse, which still wasn’t sold, along with the 8^th floor apartment. To refresh your memory, the penthouse was nearly 5000 square feet, had a lot of marble, herringbone floors, 10 foot ceilings, 5 bedrooms and 5 baths, more marble, and 8 terraces. All this came at the asking price of $15 million. The 8^th floor apartment was 1600 square feet, 3 bedrooms and 3 baths, and a 725 square foot terrace, for the asking price of $6.5 million. Fredrik said these were crazy times, but thought they could get it done if Cliff gave him an extension on the listing. Cliff seemed hesitant, saying Fredrik hadn’t sold it in a year. Fredrik told Cliff to remove 7 months because of the pandemic, which seemed fair. Cliff said Fredrik had been doing well by him until he went to L.A., and Fredrik explained that he wanted to find buyers for NYC in L.A., and vice versa. Cliff said, at this point, he wasn’t looking at how much he was going to make, but how much he was losing. He wondered why he should keep Fredrik, and if he should bring in new blood. Fredrik said he’d build a social media campaign. While Instagram used to be a fun guilty pleasure, now it was a catalyst for real estate sales. In his interview, Fredrik thought it would drum up interest, and took a selfie with Cliff, telling people to swipe up to see the listing. He immediately had 9000 clicks on the listing, and Cliff agreed to the extension, provided Fredrik move in, live there, and promote the hell out of it. I didn’t believe for one second this wasn’t set up ahead of time.

Steve was working on selling Artemis Farm, which was more of undertaking that he’d thought. He had Dorinda Medley on board, telling us that she wasn’t just the Queen of the Berkshires, she’d been a successful realtor. She had a true knowledge of upstate New York, and knew her stuff. He spoke with Dorinda on the phone, and she thought the farm was absolutely incredible, having different components that could be used for different purposes. Steve said he’d thought the buyer he was looking for would want something that hadn’t been listed. That hadn’t worked, so in a pivot move, he’d decided to list it. Dorinda said it was hard to describe, and she thought people really needed to see it. Steve said it was about the experience, and in his interview, he said he couldn’t overstate the value of one celebrity mention when it came to real estate. He promised to find a cool neighbor for Dorinda.

Tyler took his OCD client Andrea to meet agent Talia in a new building in the East Village, where Tyler said developers were investing. It was a 3 bedroom, 3.5 bath ground floor duplex, with Miele appliances, quartz counters, and 18 foot ceilings. In Tyler’s interview, he said the apartment had what Andrea was looking for; nobody had lived in it before, it was private, and had outdoor space. She also worked at NYU, which wasn’t far. Andrea wasn’t thrilled with a humongous window that made her feel like she was on display. I guess no one had told her about those things called shades and curtains. Tyler asked what was up with her not wanting a previously used apartment, and she said she was freaked out knowing there was residue in the corners from humans. They decided to check out the penthouse, also for sale, and Talia pointed out that dealing with the doors was totally touchless, and you used your phone. Of course my mind immediately went to, what if power went out, and there were zombies, and… The penthouse was 1880 square feet, 3 bedrooms and 3 baths, 16 foot ceilings, and views of both the Chrysler Building and the Empire State Building. There was also a private roof deck, but the stairs to it were part of the buildings staircase, so therefore public. I didn’t blame Andrea for being concerned people would disregard the roof being private. She told Talia that made it feel less like it was part of the apartment. She also wasn’t sure that she wanted to be that far east.

Steve wanted to get a celebrity to the farm, and thought his kid was a star, so he took the family there by helicopter. No surprise, Baby Rose was very cute with the animals. He said upstate was hotter than ever, and he called his broker contacts to invite them to an open house. A farmer’s market was set up for the brokers to enjoy, as well as support the local community. As Steve joined them, the helicopter took off, bringing Rose and her mom back home. Noticed by the guests, Steve said that someone had come to see the farm that morning, but he couldn’t say who it was. In Steve’s interview, he told us, nothing said buzz like a high-profile flyover. I had to admit to being impressed by his cleverness. He said I was all about seducing brokers with the local lifestyle, and picked up the tab for their market purchases. KJ arrived, and in her interview, she said her clients were interested in luxury properties. They had places in Manhattan, but wanted a place outside the city as well, and wanted a turnkey property that was move-in ready. They didn’t want to do massive renovations. She admitted to not being a large animal person, and seemed hesitant of the horses. In KJ’s interview, she said her grandfather had horses, and she’d tried riding a couple of times, but fell off. It wasn’t her thing. In Steve’s interview, he said he was about as comfortable on a farm as he was reading Ryan’s blog. He showed the brokers the main house, a 6000 square foot 1900s colonial, with 6 bedrooms and 5 baths, 5 fireplaces, and a closet literally bigger than my first apartment. In KJ’s interview, she said she wasn’t sure she agreed with Steve’s assessment that it was country chic. It was very country, but not so chic. In Steve’s interview, he said it wasn’t about bringing the city to the country. It was about escaping the city. KJ wasn’t getting it. KJ said Steve wasn’t going to get $4.2 million for it.

Fredrik said living in the space he was selling was weird. He didn’t like showing his own bathroom or clothes, but instead of having an open house for 30 brokers, by using social media, he was reaching 30 million people. In doing a private showing, he said everyone saw something different in the pattern of a marble fireplace. He saw a huge commission The broker did point out Fredrik’s unmade bed, which is a big no-no, and I was surprised at him. Even Fredrik thought the asking price was high, but worried that if it was lowered, buyers would come in really low. It was the big question in real estate; to lower or not. Tyler brought Andrea to see the 8^th floor apartment, and in Tyler’s interview, he said he thought it was overpriced, and worth $4.5 to $5 million in today’s market. The last time he’d gone to Fredrik’s open house, he hadn’t been the friendliest to Tyler’s buyer. In the grand scheme of things, it was water under the bridge, but he hoped Fredrik was nicer this time. In Fredrik’s interview, he said everyone was a tiny bit of a germaphobe right now, but it wouldn’t be easy avoiding germs. He loved NYC, but germs were kind of a part of it. Tyler said Andrea’s budget was $5 million, and in his interview, Fredrik said, that was like 40% off. There was no covid discount of 40%. Anything below $5 million was a lowball. Fredrik mentioned the amount of sales he was doing to Tyler, and in his interview, Tyler said, the more bragging some did, the more insecure they were, and Fredrik was shining a light on that. I dunno. The numbers are the numbers. They squabbled over what was worth what, while Andrea took a walk around the terrace. In Tyler’s interview, he said he thought Fredrik’s pricing proved he’d spent so much time in L.A., he didn’t understand how affected NYC had been by covid. He’d lost his perspective and his damn mind if he thought he was getting $6.5 million.

Steve told us that his driver Will was more than just a driver and an agent. He had a lot of side hustles, and it was a little known fact that he was in Dorinda’s cooking show on YouTube. Steve wasn’t sure how he ended up there, but thought it was because he was friends with Greg, who was also in the show. We saw a clip of Dorinda cooking, and two guys wearing aprons with no shirts did some test tasting. Broker Rich called Steve while he was in the car. Rich had come to Steve’s open house for the farm, and had given Steve a lot of positive input. We saw a clip, where Rich said it was like a Norman Rockwell painting. Even though the event was a massive success, Steve had yet to receive an offer, and he was getting concerned. Rich said he had clients who were interested, but not completely sold on living in the woods. They wanted to know if the seller would rent. They were offering $12,500 a month, with 6 months upfront. In Steve’s interview, he said it wasn’t what he was hoping for; he’d been hoping Rich would bring him a great offer. It was upsetting since he’d put so much work into it, and wanted to do right by Cornelia. He told Rich that he’d have to present it to his client, but they were on the market to sell. Don’t hold his breath. Rich said they did have something else lined up, and rentals were in demand, so he needed an answer quickly. Steve called Cornelia in Texas, and said she’d be getting $75K upfront. She asked what if someone wanted to buy it, and he said they’d break the lease. He also thought $15K a month was more reasonable. Cornelia liked the idea of having some immediate money, and also being able to show it to people. Maybe the renters would have friends who were interested. Steve said they’d put a clause in the contract to be able to show the house. He called Rich back, and said a little more money would make it work for his client, but the tenants would also have to vacate for a showing. Rich asked if 24-hour notice was cool, and Steve said that was acceptable. In his interview, he said it was risky, but he had zero offers. Cornelia would get $90K up front, and Steve would get a $6750 commission. He’d put money in Cornelia’s pocket, and he was going to get it sold.

Fredrik met with team member Keith about East 10^th Street, and flashed back to Kelly Bensimon taking a pass on the property. Keith had a client that was interested in renting with an option to buy at $22 million, and Fredrick said Kelly not coming through was a bummer, but he was optimistic the seller would consider rentals. The asking price for the property was $28 million, which would be breaking a record, but dropping it to $24 million would still do it. Fredrik asked who the decision maker was, and Keith said, the wife. Fredrik asked what she was like, and Keith said she had a strong personality, and liked the arts, gardening, and cooking. In Fredrik’s interview, he said people thought real estate was easy. The listing had been lingering for 18 months, which meant he’d had it pre and post-covid. It was stressful, but he’d gotten into real estate to set records. Taking over the process, Fredrik made the call. The wife argued the price, but Fredrik said it was no financial risk; it was an option. She asked how many options he had, and he reminded her that the owner didn’t want to rent, and this was out of the goodness of his heart. But the option would be in place, even if they decided months from now, when real estate prices were going up. She said she’d talk to her husband, and Fredrik deliberately walked by subway grates, saying, he couldn’t hear, so call him back. He said Keith wasn’t kidding; the woman was on fire. She was a power mama. Keith got a text, and said it was tough to understand, but Fredrik did something right. They’d agreed to an option of $24 million. In his interview, Fredrik said it felt amazing being back in NYC. He’d just finished the biggest deal ever. It felt good. He and Keith went out for Italian food.

Next time, Ryan plays tour guide for international clients, Kelly wants to work with Fredrik. KJ’s clients are insulted about an offer, and Ryan gets fired. Maybe.

🌆 Living Where You Work…

The $15 million penthouse.

https://www.eonline.com/news/1287846/see-fredrik-eklund-move-into-a-stunning-s15-million-penthouse-on-mdlny

🛣 Hitting the Road…

See you tomorrow for rounding out the week with soap, tea, and whatever wise words I can dig up. Until then, stay safe, stay changing lanes – both literally and figuratively – with caution, and stay investing in yourself. Brighten things up a little.

Jul15

July 14, 2021 – Austin Tells the Qs His Agenda, Erika’s Hands Are Tied, Bershan Blows Up the Night & These Days

Posted on July 15, 2021 by theresakp

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Mike/Sonny asks what the doctor said about Lenny’s heart, and Phyllis says, his condition hasn’t improved. Lenny tells Phyllis, his heart’s not failing him now. There’s no need to tell him for a week or two. Sonny says, tell him what? and Phyllis starts to cry. Lenny says his old ticker is getting worse.

On the phone, Ava says she wants to get to Windymere as soon as possible, then back to town in an hour… No, she doesn’t have to wait. She’s Ava Cassadine, at least for the time being… Who, may she ask, is holding the launch at Spoon Island? Who has more right to that launch than she does? (Seriously? She has to wonder about that?)

Laura tells Nikolas that she’s sorry she brought Spencer up. She thinks she just made things worse. He says he’s fine, and he’s glad she tried to get Spencer to call him. Her heart was in the right place. A voice says, father, and Spencer walks in. Nikolas says, Spencer? and Spencer says he’s home. He tells Laura that he’s sorry he didn’t call. He wanted to surprise them all. She knows how he loves surprises. She says, he got what he wanted, and so did she, and hugs him.

Referring to Austin, Michael says, no offense, but who the hell is he? and Scotty says he’s glad Michael asked. Let him introduce… Austin says he’d really like to take care of this himself. He looks at Michael, and says, you’re Michael, right? I’m Austin. Austin Gatlin Holt. Ned says, so he’s telling them… and Brook interrupts, saying, she knows who he is. He delivered Maxie’s baby. He says, yeah, and Olivia says, in the woods? Before the baby was stolen. He asks if Brook knows Maxie, and she says she’s Brook Lynn Quartermaine. Maxie pointed him out to her the night her baby was born. She also just told Brook that he got hired at GH. He says he did just get hired at GH, which makes Monica his new boss. It’s a pleasure to meet her. Monica says, no GH staff members introduce themselves by sabotaging an ELQ meeting, and he says he thinks she knows why he’s there. Does she want to tell everybody, or does she want him to take care of it? She says, if his name is any indication, his father was Jimmy Lee Holt, and his mother was Terry Gatlin. Scotty says, that’s right, and that makes him the grandson of his old pal, Edward Quartermaine.

Anna walks through the hospital with security guard, who says, when Dr. Quartermaine brought him on as security chief, she made it clear he’s to do everything in his power to help the WSB and the PCPD with their investigations. She says she’s trying to track down a helicopter pilot, David Hopkins. He flew Medivac for GH, but she’s learned he since left Port Charles, and is living in the tri-state area. She was hoping he could use his contacts at other hospitals to pin down his whereabouts. She gives him the only photograph she has, and he says he’ll get right on it. He leaves, and Finn approaches Anna, and asks what that was all about. She says, the search for Peter.

Nina says, if Maxie needs help, she’ll get it for her. She knows that. Nina loves her, and will always love her, no matter what Maxie tells her, but Maxie has to talk to her right now. Is she afraid she’s going to steal Bailey? Maxie says she wouldn’t be stealing Bailey; she’d be bringing her back home where she belongs. Nina says Maxie doesn’t mean that. She knows Bailey’s home is with her mother. Maxie says she can tell by the way Nina is looking at her, that Nina thinks she’s lost it. She promises she’s not delusional. She’s not thinking of snatching a baby that’s not hers. She would be bringing her home. Nina says, and her home is with Brook Lynn.

Nina says she knows Maxie is hurting, and no one knows that hurt better than she does. Maxie says she was thinking about that as she was driving there; how Nina lost Nelle, and how she had to give up Avery. That must have been devastating. That’s why she wanted to talk to Nina. Nina is glad Maxie brought up Avery, because like her, Maxie can’t take a baby that’s not hers. Maxie says, that’s not what’s happening, and Nina asks, what is happening? She wants to help Maxie. Please. Maxie says Nina has to promise she’ll keep the secret forever, even if she thinks Maxie is wrong. Nina says, oh God, Maxie. What’s the secret?

Sonny says, the old ticker is still ticking, and Lenny says, for now. Phyllis says, Lenny, but Lenny says he’s just trying to be realistic. Sonny says, Lenny has to listen to the nurse standing beside him, and asks Phyllis what they do to get this ex-Marine in fighting shape. Phyllis asks if Lenny heard that. Mike’s not giving up on him, and neither is she. Lenny says, who’s giving up? He’s just trying to face facts; keep things real. Sonny says, if he’d kept it real, he woudn’t have been able to crawl out of that water. He would have just gone under and given up. Lenny says that was just him being stubborn, and Phyllis says, good thing he was. Sonny says they took him in, and gave him another chance at life. Lenny can consider this payback, but he doesn’t care. He’s not going to let Lenny go.

Laura says, Spencer is so grown, but Spencer says he’s just older, and a little wiser ~~and cuter~~. She laughs, and asks how long he’s been in town. Where’s his luggage? He says he has a room at the MetroCourt, and Laura says she sees. She says Nikolas is so quiet. Doesn’t he have something to say to his son? Nikolas says, plenty, but he’s not sure if his son is there for him, and Spencer says, that’s understandable. Nikolas is the one who’s been reaching out, while he’s been keeping his distance. Laura says, none of that matters now. Does it, Nikolas? Nikolas says he hopes not. It’s good to see him. Spencer asks if that’s all he’s got, and says it’s good to see Nikolas too. He holds out his hand, and Nikolas asks if that’s all Spencer’s got, and they hug.

Michael asks, who was Jimmy Lee Holt again? Ned says, Jimmy Lee Holt was… Olivia blurts out, the bastard son of Edward and Beatrice Latour. Sorry. As a former single mother two times, she’s not judging him. Austin thanks her, and she tells the others, she read Edward’s memoirs, so sue her. Austin says, as he understands it, illegitimacy wasn’t unique among Edward’s offspring, and Olivia says, just wait until he reads the book. Brace yourself. Valentin says, that means Mr. – Austin says, doctor – Dr. Gatlin Holt is entitled to a certain number of voting shares, but Michael says, not so fast. Anybody can just waltz in here and say they’re entitled to voting shares. Austin says, can they? and Scotty tosses a manila envelope on the table, and says, here’s the proof. DNA, birth certificates, affidavits… All the proof that entitles his client to his rightful share.

Finn asks Anna how it’s going, and she says, slowly. He says, good luck, and she asks, how’s Violet? He says, she’s having one of those magical summers you only get when you’re that age, and Anna says, that’s beautiful. Tell Violet she misses her. 4^th of July seems so long ago already. He says he’ll do that… or Anna could tell Violet herself. She’s at Lila’s Kids in the morning, but after that… She says she can’t do that. She’s in New York tomorrow. He asks if she’s seeing a show, and she says, nothing like that. Although she was going to pop into the store at The Plaza to see if she can find something for Violet. They loved reading Eloise together. If that’s all right. He says she doesn’t need his permission to do something nice for Violet, and she says she just didn’t want to overstep; give Violet the wrong idea. He says, about what? and she says, about you and me.

Sonny says he’s sure Dr. Ford is an excellent doctor, but Lenny is going to need a second opinion. Lenny asks Phyllis to tell this guy there’s nothing free in this life, especially the kind of second opinion he’s talking about. Phyllis says, Mike is right. There are plenty of specialists out there, and new treatments coming out all the time. And they have insurance. She starts to walk to the back, and Lenny asks where she’s going. She says, what good is her medical training if she can’t use it for her husband? She’s going online, and she’s not going to stop until she finds a cardiologist that can help him. She leaves, and Lenny tells Sonny, see what you’ve done? Now you’ve given her hope.

Anna tells Finn, forget she said that, and walks to the elevator. He follows, and asks if they can’t talk for a minute. She says, sure, and they walk to a bench. He says he’s always been up front and honest with Violet. She knows they’re not together anymore. They sit, and Anna says, good. She doesn’t mean… She means she’s glad Violet understands. He says he also made sure Violet knows she’s important to Anna. Anna says, she is, and thanks him. He says, and Anna is important to him; she always will be. She says, really? and he says, really. She says, after everything that went down with Peter and Chase, she was pretty sure he wanted nothing to do with her. He says he was angry. Sometimes he still is. When he was working around the clock to save Chase, there were moments he blamed her. She says, it was her fault, but he says, it was only one person’s fault – Peter. She says she’s going to find Peter and bring him to justice, and he says, justice would be good, but it’s more important to him that Chase is improving. She says she still has so much to make up for, and he tells her, stop. Can they stop talking about Peter for just one moment? Find a way to… She says, be friends?

Michael says, of course (🍷) they’re going to request that all the paperwork be independently verified. Ned says, Dr. Gatlin, and Austin says, he was wrong about that; just call him Austin. Ned says, Austin. He hates to be the bearer of bad news, but even if those documents are real, Austin has no right to any share of ELQ. His grandfather was explicit about cutting Jimmy Lee and all of his descendants out of his estate. As he’s sure Jimmy Lee knows. Otherwise, Jimmy Lee himself would be there. Austin says his father has the best excuse in the world not to be there. He’s dead. Six months ago. Monica says she’s sorry for his loss, and Austin thanks her. That’s why he’s here, to stake his claim. Because what was rightfully his, is rightfully Austin’s.

Nikolas says Spencer’s grandmother is right. He’s a grown man now. He’s just sorry he missed seeing it happen. Laura asks, what happened to his trip around the world? The last time she talked to him, he was on the Amalfi coast. He says, nobody goes there anymore; it’s too popular. She says it’s nice to know some things never change. He’s still a snob. Spencer says, just particular. He learned from experts. Nikolas says, obviously, he’s overjoyed to see Spencer, but after all those months of radio silence, why now? Spencer says he wasn’t sure he’d be welcomed; hence, the MetroCourt. Nikolas says, Windymere is Spencer’s home. Spencer is always welcome. He’s sorry if he made Spencer feel otherwise. Spencer says, it’s all right, father. It wasn’t him. Ava comes in, saying, who’s monopolizing the launch… She sees Spencer and stops short.

Nina tells Maxie, if there’s one thing she’s learned to do effectively, it’s keep a secret. Maxie says, good, because it’s a matter of life or death. Nina says she can see it’s tearing Maxie up. She’s here, and promises to keep Maxie’s secret, no matter what. Maxie thanks her, and says, Bailey isn’t really Brook’s baby. Bailey is hers. Nina asks what she means, and Maxie says she gave her baby to Brook to keep her safe from Peter. She starts to cry again, and Nina says, Brook had her baby in a hotel room in Ithaca, and Michael and Willow brought them back here. Maxie says, no. Bailey doesn’t exist; she never did. Brook’s baby is Louise.

Ava says hello to Spencer, and Spencer apologizes for tying up the launch. He wasn’t sure of his reception, and thought he might have to make an early departure. Nikolas says he told Spencer this is his home, and Ava says, of course (🍷) it is. Welcome home. She didn’t want to interrupt. She just came by to make sure the movers didn’t forget anything. Spencer says, grandmother told him that Ava and his father were experiencing difficulties, and she says, if by difficulties, he means divorce. He says, the last he heard, they were renewing their vows. What changed? Ava says, it’s okay. He doesn’t have to pretend to be sorry their marriage is ending. He says if he’d known, he’d have come home sooner, and she says, to hammer in the final nail? but he says, to be there for his father.

Finn tells Anna, what he’d like to think is they’re… What are they? Friends? Exes? He doesn’t think it matters as long as they’re good. She says she’d like that, but they both know there will always be this thing between them where she turned a blind eye to Peter and what he did. He says she had to learn the hard way. Peter had… has a way of bringing out the worst in people and making them betray their best intentions. He flashes back to being with Peter on the roof, and Peter telling him that Anna broke the rules. He didn’t sentence Chase; Anna did. Finn remembers throwing Peter down the stairs, and Anna asks if he’s all right. He says he’s sorry for being so hard on her. He realizes the truth can sometimes be complicated. He should have been more understanding. She shrugs, and thanks him. She asks, what changed?

Sonny asks, what’s the matter with hope? and Lenny says, it may help Phyllis now, but it will cost her a lot more in the end. Sonny doesn’t know what Lenny means, and Lenny says, whatever they do about his condition, it has to be within their means, because insurance only covers so much. Sonny tells him, don’t worry; he has it covered. Lenny says, he’s the one who pays Mike/Sonny. He knows how much Mike has. Sonny says, it doesn’t matter about the money. Lenny gave him a chance. It’s only fair. Lenny says he’s touched by the offer, but it ain’t gonna be cheap. And he can’t… He can’t drive Phyllis deeper into debt. He’s dying, and by the time he’s in the ground, Phyllis could lose the Tan-O, and for what? Sonny says, for the only thing that matters. She would do it for him.

Nina says, what about Maxie giving birth in the woods? and Maxie says, that’s all true. Nina says, and the hiker who happened to be a doctor helping deliver the baby… Maxie says, he’s real. He’s in Port Charles. Nina can ask him herself. Nina asks if Brook was with her when Louise was born, but Maxie says, it was just the hiker/doctor and Peter’s imposter nurse. Nina says, she didn’t take the baby? and Maxie says, she tried to. Maxie clocked her and ran. Nina says, after giving birth? and Maxie says, adrenaline is a wonderful thing. Nina wonders if she even has to ask Maxie how the nurse ended up in the mine shaft, and Maxie says, she lured the nurse into it, but she swears she didn’t push her. Nina asks how Brook got involved, and where’s Brook’s baby? Maxie says, Brook was only pretending to be pregnant. She was going to give Brook her baby without anyone knowing, especially Peter. It was the only way Maxie could protect her from the monster who is her father. Nina says she understands, but there’s one thing she’s unclear on. Everyone in town thinks Valentin is Bailey’s father. Is he in on it too?

Valentin says, on behalf of the Quartermaine family… Ned says, of which he’s not a part, and Valentin says he’s Ned’s granddaughter’s father, but Ned says, that doesn’t make him family. Valentin says, anyway, if Austin is joining them, the more the merrier. Olivia says, if there’s another member of the family, the voting shares get shuffled yet again, right? and Ned says, not for Jimmy Lee’s descendants. Olivia says, but he’s Edward’s flesh and blood, and Austin says, before the speculation starts to spiral out of control… Brook says, if he thinks this is spiraling out of control, he’d better head for the hills, because this is nothing. Austin says he’s heard. Their family squabbles are legendary. Olivia says if he thinks the squabbles are interesting, wait until he sees Thanksgiving. Austin says, to be perfectly clear, he’s not here for a free meal, Thanksgiving or otherwise. He was just hired at GH, and from what he understands, he’s going to be paid pretty well, so that’s not why he’s here. Monica asks, why is he here? and he says, because his father was really fond of Port Charles, even though Port Charles was never really fond of his father. Ned says, grandfather’s will was probated years ago. Scotty’s client may be related by blood, but he has no legal standing to be at this meeting. Scotty says he has news for Ned. Austin’s legal standing has just gone up a notch. Ned asks how he figures, and Austin says he’s contesting his grandfather’s will. A judge will decide his rights. Not Ned, or any of the other Quartermaines.

Lenny tells Sonny, Phyllis is his life. She’s his heart, his everything. Even so, she didn’t sign on for this; going broke just to buy him some time. Sonny asks if they promised to love each other in sickness and in health, and if they did, she signed up for it. Lenny says, til death do us part, and Sonny says, that’s not going to happen, because he’s going to find a way to meet these bills. Lenny asks how he can be so sure, and Sonny says he doesn’t know, but he’s going to find a way.

Maxie says, Valentin has no idea Bailey isn’t his daughter. Nina says, so every day he’s bonding with a baby that isn’t his? and Maxie says she’s focused on protecting her daughter from Peter. She hasn’t given much thought to Valentin’s feelings. Nina says, she gets it. Valentin is far from perfect, but… Maxie says, but what? Exactly what does Nina have a problem with? She’s trusting Nina with her daughter’s life. Nina says, all right. She won’t tell Valentin. They all have their secrets, and she swore she would protect Maxie’s. Maxie says, thank God. Nina has no idea how hard it’s been to be around her daughter, and pretend she’s not hers. She’s been doing a terrible job of covering, which is why she thinks she needs to put some distance between them until Peter is caught and behind bars.

Finn says, Anna is right; something has changed. She says it’s clearly troubling him. Is there anything she can do to help? He says, Anna… when the security guy calls her name. He hands her a paper, and says he may have found what she’s looking for. She thanks him, and Finn asks if it’s about Peter. She says, it is. Can he wait a minute? She has to make a phone call. He says, no worries, this can wait, and she leaves.

Nikolas tells Spencer not to worry about him. He can take care of himself. It’s Ava that… Spencer says, Ava what? What’s going on? Laura says his father didn’t want to worry him, and Ava says, she and his father have different priorities. Spencer says, clearly. What’s come between them that’s so insurmountable? Ava says, she’s sure Spencer recalls that her marriage to his father began for all the wrong reasons. It’s ending for all the right ones. Now if they’ll excuse her, she doesn’t want to interrupt this happy family reunion. She is glad he’s back. For his father’s sake.

Michael asks what right Austin has to challenge a will that’s already probated? Scotty asks Austin to let him handle this. Only their attorneys will be copied. He filed the papers today challenging Edward’s decision to give certain family members shares, and other family members nothing. Monica says, that was his right, and Brook says, it doesn’t have to be fair. It’s family. Just ask her grandmother. Ned says, all he left her was a jar of Pickle-Lila relish, and Austin says he’d like to know more about that. Brook says, enough about the pickles. Those were his wishes. Austin can’t just come in here and change things. Austin says, spoken like a true child of privilege, and Brook says, this family isn’t changing for him. Michael says they’ll have the documents checked out and go from there. Ned says, it won’t matter; the will is ironclad. Valentin gets a text, and says, excuse him. Normally he enjoys watching them savage themselves, but he is CEO, and can’t allow the proceedings to continue if there’s confusion as to who gets a vote, and how much vote they have. Ned says, he’s telling them, Austin doesn’t get a vote. Valentin says, either way, they can’t continue if they don’t know who gets how much voting share. It would leave the company open to all kinds of outcomes, and he’s not going to let that happen on his watch. Olivia asks if Valentin is correct, and Ned says, he’s not entirely wrong. Valentin says, this meeting is adjourned. Good day everyone. He leaves, and Monica says, for once she agrees with Valentin. They can’t pass judgement until they have all the facts.

Nina says she supports Maxie’s decision if she feels that’s what’s best for her and her baby, and Maxie says, but…? Nina says, but, if Maxie and Brook brought Valentin into the loop, he would go along with it. The only difference is, he won’t have his heart broken any more than it’s going to be. Maxie says she can’t risk telling him, and Nina promised she wouldn’t either. Nina says she won’t; it’s Maxie’s secret to tell, but she really wishes Maxie would. That way she could stay in Port Charles and fight. Lure Peter out of the shadows, and Valentin will be right by her side. So will Anna, and Britt, and Aunt Liesl, and her. They love her. She’ll have an army of people at her side, and if Peter dares show his face… Maxie says, Peter won’t show his face. And they’ve lost too many people for her to ask anyone to risk their life for her mistakes, but she can’t think of anyone she’d rather be in a foxhole with. Nina says, they’re sisters. Whatever Maxie needs. Nina hugs her.

Lenny says, fine. Mike/Sonny wants to help him live longer so he gets more time with the woman he loves, he doesn’t have the strength to fight him. Sonny says, don’t worry. When Lenny gets better, they’ll put on the gloves, and he’ll kick Lenny’s butt. Lenny says it feels like he already is. He’s not going to quit, is he? Sonny says Lenny’s not going to quit either. They can’t do that, for Phyllis. Phyllis comes back in, and says she’s been looking for just the right specialist. She sets the laptop on a table, and says she thinks she found one.

Anna says she had to adjust her travel plans, and Finn says, New York? She says, yeah, and Valentin joins them. He says he got her text. Sorry if he’s interrupting. Anna says, Valentin’s been helping her with her search for Peter. Valentin asks what she’s got, and she says he knows she was looking for the helicopter pilot. She found a lead, and she’s going to follow it to New York, but she realizes he’s working hard at ELQ, so she’ll just keep him posted. He says things are very much up in the air at ELQ, and that’s not going to stop him from going with her.

Austin apologizes for melodrama, even if it is kind of a family tradition. Ned asks what he knows about the Quartermaine family traditions, and Olivia says he doesn’t know the half of it. Austin says, she’s Olivia, right? He saw her at the MetroCourt. She says, nice to meet him. Don’t mistake her friendliness for being on his side. This is her family. He says he’s her family too, and she says, remains to be seen. Austin says, please understand. He’s not there to take anything away from any of them. He’s just there for vindication for his father, and to take his seat at the family table.

Laura says it’s so good to have Spencer home, and he says, it’s good to be home. Ava tries to slip out, but Nikolas sees her. He asks if she found something, and she says, this was left behind in one of the drawers. Does he remember? She shows him a bracelet, and he says, of course (🍷) he remembers. He saw it in the window of that boutique on Charles Street. He bid against someone for it. Spencer says he hopes Nikolas didn’t bid too high, and Laura says, Spencer. Nikolas says he would have spent ten times as much, and she says, yes. She thinks she’ll give it to Avery; she’ll love it. He says, as long as someone is enjoying it, and she says, Spencer doesn’t need the launch after all. She’ll be on her way. She’s so glad he has his son back. She hopes it’s a comfort. She leaves, and Laura says, wait, and follows. Spencer says he’s sorry Nikolas is upset. He wishes there was something he could do. Nikolas says, spare him the crocodile tears. It’s what he wants, isn’t it?

Ava tells Laura, this really isn’t necessary. Laura has always been polite about it, but Ava knows she’s never approved of her marriage to Laura’s son. Laura says, that’s not true. As time has gone on, she’s seen that Ava and Nikolas belong together. Ava says she has a choice to make. Her marriage or her daughter’s safety. It’s really no choice at all. Laura says she understands. She really does, but she wants Ava to know she’s going to do absolutely everything in her power to find this sick bastard who came between Ava and Nikolas, and bring him to justice, so that Ava can be with her family. So she can be with their family.

Spencer says Nikolas wasn’t there when Ava went back on her word, and refused to testify against Valentin. He thought Valentin had killed Nikolas. Nikolas says Ava had a badly scarred face from the fire, and Spencer of all people, should have sympathy for that. Spencer says he didn’t come home to start a fight. He’s here because… Nikolas says, because? and Spencer says, because he loves Nikolas. And believe it or not, he misses Nikolas, and if his grandmother says Nikolas needs him, isn’t that reason enough? They hug, and Laura comes in and smiles.

Austin says he doesn’t expect them to hand over the keys to the kingdom, but he does hope the next time they see each other, it’s a little easier, because there’s going to be a next time. He walks to the door, and they all follow. At the front door, he turns and says, you know, it used to make him really sad that he didn’t know his grandfather. That he didn’t know what it felt like to be in a home like this. And he really looks forward to getting to know them, and spending some time with them. Because they’re family, right? He walks out, and they stand there like a sad family portrait.

Maxie says she knows Nina has other things on her mind. Other people in Nixon Falls. Nina says, wherever she is, be it there or Nixon falls, if Maxie needs her, find her. She’s really proud of Maxie’s courage. Maxie says, courage? She’s running for her life. She doesn’t know if she’d call that courage. Nina says Maxie is doing what she needs to do to save her baby. The next time she sees Maxie, she hopes it’s in Port Charles, with her little girl in her arms. Maxie hopes so too, and thanks Nina for keeping her secret. She knew if anyone would understand, it would be Nina.

Sonny says it looks like Phyllis hit paydirt, and she reads the doctor’s credentials, and says, education and training at hospitals so impressive, even Lenny has heard of them. Professor at an even better school. She’s also director of cardio care at one of the highest rated hospitals in America, and she specializes in Lenny’s form of heart disease. Lenny says, sounds expensive, and she says, sounds like they found their second opinion. Sonny says, hear that Lenny? Phyllis has spoken. Lenny says, she does that, and Sonny tells Phyllis, do him a favor. Keep Lenny on his meds, and he’ll take care of the rest. Phyllis asks Lenny if he heard that. She and Mike/Sonny have decided they’re all going to New York Methodist Hospital whether he likes it or not.

Valentin asks Anna, what’s the new lead? Finn says he’ll leave them to it, but Anna says Finn deserves to hear this too. The helicopter pilot is now flying out of New York Methodist, and if she’s right, he was piloting the chopper that almost landed on the roof the night Peter disappeared. Valentin says, if anyone can tell them if Peter got on board the chopper, it’s him. Anna tells Finn to wish them luck, and he says, good luck. Anna and Valentin leave, and the smile falls from Finn’s face.

Tomorrow, Maxie tells Sasha that she’s taking a step back, Nina says she can’t figure Brook out, Gladys tells Brando that it’s his time, and Sonny tells Phyllis, it does seem familiar.

The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills

We revisited the stupidity of last week’s altercation between Sutton and Crystal, when Crystal tried to educate us on the definition of violate, and Sutton said Crystal had ugly leather pants. Garcelle took Crystal aside, and told her that the word she’d used wasn’t cool, but Crystal said Sutton had crossed the line. In Garcelle’s interview, she said, girl, please, which about summed it up. More hot toddies were consumed, and in Dorit’s interview, she said, insulting someone’s outfit goes below the belt. I wondered how long it took her to think that one up. Sutton apologized for what she’d said about Crystal’s pants, but said it was hard for her be with Crystal, since Crystal had been talking smack about her. Crystal refused to apologize for Sutton’s actions, and said Sutton was an inappropriate and awkward person. Period. Everyone was obviously surprised and/or shocked by this, and I wondered why no one said anything about this mean girlchild. Garcelle asked what Sutton wanted to move on, and Sutton said Crystal had hurt her, especially using the word manic; it was too much. Crystal stomped her foot and said she wasn’t taking it back. Dorit tried to explain why it was wrong, saying Sutton had confessed that her father committed suicide and was manic. Crystal said she wasn’t judging Sutton based on her father, but understood why it was a trigger. She took it back, which sounded juvenile, and LisaR made her repeat everything, which was even more juvenile. Sutton said she was more than happy to move on, and in her interview, said she was lowering her expectations and moving on. LisaR said, be true to yourself, take it a day at a time, be in the moment, and lock your door. Apparently, she’s writing fortune cookies now. Hey, she’s admitted she’s a hustler.

Kathy, Dorit, and Kyle tested positive for covid, and Kyle got seriously emotional along with it. We saw the headlines saying Erika had helped Tom embezzle from airplane crash victims, and that their divorce was a sham used to hide assets. Erika told the women, things were said that were wrong, and people were believing it. It was terrible, and she did nothing wrong. Her divorce wasn’t a sham. In her interview, she said, divorce was painful, and for it to be called a sham made it even more so. It took a lot of courage to leave, and in two seconds some a-hole said it was a sham, and had everyone believing it. The lawsuit was against the firm, and she was being attached to the firm. LisaR said Erika was strong, and would get through this. Erika said she had high anxiety because of lockdown, and she didn’t do this, and started crying.

LisaR and Crystal visited Erika in her new place, bringing muffins and liquor respectively. Erika said the best part of the house was outside, and they sat in the cabana. LisaR said it had a great vibe, and Erika said her new motto was, why not? as she poured champagne. Garcelle went over to Kyle’s place, and Kyles said she’d been cleared, but wanted to stay safe. She met with Garcelle in the backyard; her standing on the upstairs terrace, and Garcelle on the ground. Garcelle said Kyle looked good, considering, and in Garcelle’s interview, she said she and Kyle had come a long way. We flashed back to the Reunion where Kyle said Garcelle hadn’t ponied up her charity bid, and Kyle subsequently apologizing. Garcelle said she couldn’t believe she was playing Romeo to Kyle’s Juliet, but she wasn’t drinking poison for Kyle. Kyle said her family had burned rubber leaving when she tested positive, and in her interview, she talked about her character having Scarlet Fever on Little House on the Prairie. She didn’t need life to imitate art. She told Garcelle that she wanted to do a girls trip to La Quinta, and was inviting everyone.

Erika said she was not good, and had called her shrink. LisaR said it was hard when you put a person on a pedestal… and Erika said, then found out they were a POS. In her interview, Erika said she didn’t want Tom’s actions to kill what she’d created. Garcelle told Kyle that every day there was another horrible allegation. Erika told LisaR and Crystal that every day she asked herself what else was coming. In Erika’s interview, she said Tom wasn’t going down with the ship. He was taking all of them with him. People who’d stayed loyal to him. Garcelle told Kyle, she didn’t think Erika knew; they all understood husbands had secrets. Kyle said, maybe Erika saw it coming, and got out. Erika talked about being in the dark as far as Tom’s finances went, and we found out that Crystal was also clueless, which was much less of a surprise, since she’s five. LisaR said most women didn’t know anything about the home financial situation, because they didn’t make the money. She paid the bills in her household and knew everything. In LisaR’s interview, she said she’d always known where the money was, and where the dead bodies were buried. Erika said the more money Tom made, the more he shut her out. In Crystal’s interview, she said she knew Rob would be happy to share the information, but if he didn’t, it would be a red flag for her. In Erika’s interview, she said she knew how mean, vicious, and utterly dismissive Tom was. He wins; you lose. That was the way it had always been.

Kyle visited Kathy, who showed her some Christmas wreaths she’d made. Kyle said she was still depressed, and Kathy said covid was an emotional thing. Kyle whined about not doing a good job parenting right now. Portia had slept through some of her classes. In Kyle’s interview, she said, while other parents talked about their kids missing their friends, her fear was that Portia would like being alone. Kathy said Kyle wasn’t alone, and in her interview, told us that she and Kyle hadn’t been on good terms for a while. It felt wonderful to be there for each other. They talked about Erika, and Kathy said, at the end of the day, life was a poker game, and everybody had to show their cards. Kyle told her, shut up.

LisaR visited Sutton, and met her new blonde lab puppy Waylon. Her daughter Porter was also home. In Sutton’s interview, she said Porter was her oldest child and a college freshman. She was a girlie girl like Sutton, and quiet, not like Sutton. She was double-majoring in history and French, and was a mother’s dream. Sutton wanted to keep her kids being kids for as long as possible. She also said, divorce sucked, and Erika’s was the worst ever. She told LisaR that she wasn’t making any judgements without knowing the facts, and LisaR said, why would she? I dunno. Maybe because that’s what most of them do on this show?

Kyle met Erika in the park, and Erika said she’d never been so overwhelmed. She was in a place where her hands were tied. She’d never have predicted this. She said she had a story, but couldn’t tell it. It was so hard. They were both crying, and Erika said there was nothing she could do but wait to tell her side of the story. The feeling of not knowing was huge. Things were alleged, and it was a lonely place to be. Being the possible target of a Federal criminal investigation was not cool. Things were said that were untrue, and everyone was questioning everything. It was lonely and quiet. She said Kyle would be shocked to find out how quickly people turned from you and distanced themselves, but they’d been there when times were good. In her interview, she said, if you wanted to know who your friends were, go broke, go to jail, or ask where to bury the body. Tom was a proud man. He was resistant to anything, even a conversation. She told Kyle that she’d noticed he couldn’t see or hear well, and apologized for laying all of this on her. Kyle said, that’s what friends were for, and Erika could always call her. Another headline said Tom wanted Erika to pay his attorney fees, and she said he knew she couldn’t perform. He knew everything. In her interview, she said, as much as he’d encouraged her, she thought he envied her. His view of her had changed. Who TF did she think she was? He gave her the ball, and she ran into the end zone with it, and now he didn’t like it. People didn’t know what it was like. They saw it was so great on the outside, but it wasn’t so great at home. She didn’t think anyone understood how the outside looked one way, but she’d go to hug him, and he woudn’t hug her back. She told Kyle, Tom was down to punish her ass to the ground, and Kyle said Erika had to be scared for her future. Erika said it was all she could do to wake up, and not want to go back to sleep. It was a disaster. Tom was in his own personal hell, and she couldn’t help him. It was torture to see someone melt.

Next time, a trip to La Quinta, Tom’s assets are frozen, and Erika says she’s not going be okay for a long time.

The Real Housewives of New York City

When we last left, Ramona had literally run away from a conversation with Eboni because it was too heavy for her. She told Sonja that she knew the issues were out there, but if she talked about them all the time, she’d go crazy. Eboni said she didn’t give a damn about changing Ramona, but wanted to go forward from a place of authenticity. Ramona didn’t get to tell her to lighten up, and change the topic. Sonja said Eboni was energizing her, but Ramona only wanted to hear about the matchmaker. In Sonja’s interview, she said the women didn’t listen, and had to learn that skill. Eboni said she wasn’t mad, she just wanted to have a conversation. Ramona wouldn’t engage, putting her in a tough position. They sat down at a beautifully decorated table for a gourmet meal, and Eboni wanted to tell them something. All of a sudden, Leah started bawling, but said it wasn’t about her. Ramona wondered why the waterworks, and Leah pointed at Eboni. Eboni said she wanted to share that her grandma had passed. I think Eboni would have gotten through this announcement just fine, but Leah’s crying made her cry. There was a group hug. In her interview, Eboni said, this is where Ramona shows up. They might have their differences, but she was big sister Ramona at times like this.

Eboni wanted a tattoo, but Ramona said she was emotional and should wait. In Eboni’s interview, she said she didn’t want to wait to honor her grandmother, and knew this was the moment. She told tattoo artist Ryan, don’t f*** it up. In Leah’s interview, she said she and Eboni had lost their grandmother’s within two weeks of each other, and getting tattoos together was beautiful and special. She got the name Marie tattooed in her wrist in script, and Eboni got Katie. Sonja got drunk. In her interview, Bershan said nothing logical was coming out of Sonja’s mouth. Ramona wouldn’t quit trying to get Eboni to change her mind, and Leah finally told her, if she couldn’t be supportive, get out. In Eboni’s interview, she said, it hurt like a bitch, and in Leah’s interview, she said Ramona had the amazing talent of being annoying in every situation. In Bershan’s interview, she said Eboni’s delivery wasn’t going to work with this group. They didn’t want a preacher or a teacher, but a friend.

In her interview, Leah said the women were going to get a history lesson whether they wanted to or not. They were there to be 100% tourist. They went to Pioneer Village, a recreation of Salem 1630. Tour guide Daniel told them to put on pilgrim costumes, and in LuAnn’s interview, she said she hadn’t come this far in life to dress like that. She and Ramona suddenly had to go to the bathroom, and Eboni said, wearing the colonizer’s uniform rubbed against her spirit, and passed. Eboni and Leah discussed Sonja’s drinking, as Sonja once again blamed it on her water pill. Leah said, it was always everything and everyone else, but not the drinking.

Ramona made poopie on the bathroom floor, causing Sonja to pee herself laughing. Once again proving the casts on these shows are really five. The women went to an Italian restaurant. You could tell by the red checkered table cloths, but it was still Salem-ed up. The owner came over to their table, and LuAnn was compelled to speak to him in Italian because she couldn’t help herself. Bershan said the group was boring, and they were being grandmas, but I wasn’t sure what she wanted, since it wasn’t like they were in Vegas. In Leah’s interview, she said that wasn’t the way to get to know people. Steam came out of The Countess’s ears, and LuAnn said Bershan had the audacity to call them old ladies. She didn’t know them. Bershan said she didn’t mean to be insensitive, but LuAnn said that was exactly what she was being. In Bershan’s interview, she said she just wanted to change the mood. Are they on a girls trip or not? Again, I wasn’t sure what it was she wanted out of it. Eboni suggested Bershan tell them about herself, and Bershan said she was suing a lot of people. Sonja said never sued anyone; they sued her. Bershan said she was in some kind of fight with her ex over her eggs, and in LuAnn’s interview, she said that didn’t mean Bershan got to scramble theirs. Bershan made fun of how animated Sonja can get, and said Sonja never wanted to be normal; just an effing clown. Ouch.

Leah said Bershan didn’t know them well enough to make those judgements, and LuAnn said, how dare she talk to any of them like that? In LuAnn’s interview, she wondered where Ramona’s loyalty was, since she was laying low. In Ramona’s interview, she said, Bershan was never like this one-on-one. She was always embracing and funny. This isn’t funny. After the waitress was sufficiently uncomfortable, they ordered food. Ramona got on a nearby table, and danced, even though I don’t think there was any music. In her interview, she said she wanted to steer the boat in a new direction. Bershan was being embarrassing. Bershan said someone in the group had been dissing Leah, and in her interview, Leah said Bershan was a bullsh*t artist, who put herself in this position. She said Bershan came at her, and didn’t want to finish it. After the entire table cajoled, pleaded, and threatened, Bershan finally said that Ramona told her that she didn’t really connect with Leah a lot. This was the big reveal? We saw a clip where Bershan asked if Ramona considered Leah a friend, and Ramona said she wasn’t sure, but they were working on the relationship. Leah said she didn’t connect with Ramona either, even though she’d just called Bershan a bullsh*t artist, and she left. LuAnn suggested Ramona dance on the table some more, and they all left Ramona and Bershan sitting at the table. I hope they tip these poor people who have to wait on their sorry asses, and then they dine and dash. In Ramona’s interview, she said she didn’t blame them for leaving. She wanted to leave too, but she was the one who brought Bershan. Sonja was straggling behind the others, and about to sit back down, probably forgetting why she got up in the first place. She said she’d stay for Ramona, and told Bershan that she was rude and not intuitive. In Sonja’s interview, she wondered, who would take advice from this woman? She wouldn’t. The three of them went outside – again, I hope after leaving a tip. Ramona said Bershan messed up big time. She went after Leah, when all Ramona had said was that Bershan should make her own decision about Leah. They were so loud, people were looking out their windows from apartments up above. Ramona told Bershan that she never said anything negative about Leah. While she was saying this, she helped Sonja drink a glass of wine through her mask.

Bershan called them phonies, and Ramona ran back in the restaurant to get her scarf. Sonja went with her, and said Bershan was a wet blanket. Leah, LuAnn, and Eboni were already back at the hotel, when Bershan showed up, saying she was sorry; she’d had too much to drink, Leah said she didn’t get to do that because she Bershan hadn’t had a lot to drink. In Leah’s interview, she said Bershan couldn’t use drinking as an excuse, and pretend she didn’t blow up the whole effing night. Bershan said she thought Ramona set her up, although she didn’t exactly explain how, and she’d been the one to bring it up. Sonja and Ramona stumbled into the elevator, and went to the basement. Eboni told Bershan that she thought an apology would go a long way. In Eboni’s interview, she said she thought Bershan was sorry about the fallout, but not for her actions. Leah said she’d thought she and Ramona had a breakthrough in the Hamptons. That’s why it hurt to hear that Ramona said something negative. We flashed back to Ramona comforting Leah, and talking about Leah’s grandmother.

Sonja and Ramona stumbled back to the others, and Sonja said Bershan still rubbed her the wrong way. Bershan told Sonja to walk away, and said Sonja was being a clown again. In Ramona’s interview, she said she’d just put out a fire. Now Bershan was torching the room. In LuAnn’s interview, she said it wasn’t bad enough Bershan called Sonja a clown the first time. Now she was going in for the second round. Sonja and Bershan made animated gestures at each other, and Bershan said, where’s your speaking, bitch? Leah said, enough, and Sonja said Bershan was projecting. Use your brain, bitch.

Next time, Sonja and Bershan get in each other’s faces, and security is called; LuAnn says, Ramona started this sh*t; Leah talks to Sonja about her drinking; a session with a medium; and a haunted house.

🌅 Before the Dawn…

I had an exciting day yesterday, contributing to the next Marc Singer’s interview on Mupo & Friends on YouTube. It will be airing this Sunday, July 18^th, at 2 pm. You can always catch it another time, but there’s live chat during the premiere, and we can talk. Sort of. Join me tomorrow for soap and what will no doubt be the most amazing properties you’ve ever seen, but will never ever be able to afford. Until then, stay safe, stay ethical, and stay remembering, at the end of the day, life is a poker game, and everybody has to show their cards.

Jul14

July 13, 2021 – A New Quartermaine Appears, Candace Is Haunted By Her Past & Wake Me

Posted on July 14, 2021 by theresakp

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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.

Jul13

July 12, 2021 – New Doctor On Staff, Clashing In the Galley & Fun

Posted on July 13, 2021 by theresakp

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Walking outside the hospital, Portia tells Curtis that she only has a few minutes, but he says, this couldn’t wait. She says, he told he didn’t like the way they left things. She’s hoping he still considers them friends. He says, there was a moment where he thought they were something more. He needs to be sure she backed away from him for her own reasons, and not because of his well-meaning but meddling auntie. She says, he knows Stella spoke with her? and he says, he does and he’s sorry. She thinks it’s her God-given right to stick her nose in the private lives of her loved ones. Pay no attention to what she said. Portia tells him, it’s a little late for that. She actually agrees with Stella.

Austin goes to the reception desk, and Amy asks if she can help him. He says he hopes so. He joined the staff five minutes ago, and he’s a little confused. She says, welcome, and introduces herself. She says if he needs help with orienting himself, let her know. GH is going to be a big change from Pawtuck. He says, it is, and asks how she knows where he’s from, and she says, Rob from administration mentioned it. He says, of course (🍷) he did. He forgot how fast news travels in a hospital. She says she hopes he enjoys working there regardless, and he says he will. He’s going to have the time of his life.

Brook opens the door to Maxie, and asks what she’s doing there. They’d said no unscheduled visits. Maxie says she saw Monica was at GH, and came right over, but Brook says there are other people who live there; Valentin, Michael, Willow… Maxie says, they’re in huge trouble. He’s back in Port Charles.

Shawn asks what Molly’s been feeding TJ, and TJ says Shawn wouldn’t believe it if he told him. He’s working out, trying to keep up with Shawn. Jordan says she set Molly up with someone who will walk her through the process of filing an official complaint against Judge Carson. TJ says, and so it begins. After years of unfairly sentencing people of color judge Carson is finally going to face justice.

Alexis sits in an examining room, and Dante says he talked to the nurse, who should be in shortly. Alexis suggests he hide the syringes and sharp objects, and he laughs. He says they did a sweep of the room for him, and asks how she’s doing. She says, great. She’s still in prison and the warden hates her. Sam comes in, and Says Molly called her. She hugs Alexis, who says, a hug from her daughter will do her good.

In her office, Britt flashes back to telling Jason, now that she knows what’s coming, everything between now and then is look better. He asks, what if it’s 30 years from now? and she says, what if it’s 6 months? He says, it’s 6 months she could have lived. It’s her choice, but for what it’s worth (🍷), he’d still like to know her 6 months from now. She says she’d like to know him too. There’s a knock at the door, and Jax asks if it’s a bad time. She says, no. Not at all. What brings him by? He says he wanted to see how she was doing after seeing Jason and Carly on the 4^th. She says she’ll have to get used to it, won’t she?

Jason asks if Carly is going to tell him what she said, and she says she just had a conversation with Britt. He asks, why? and she says she had a few things to say that Britt needed to hear. I hate Carly.

TJ tells Shawn, the credit goes to Molly. After she found out what was going on, she couldn’t be stopped. Shawn says he wanted Molly to know so she could hand it off to Diane, and be safe around Carson herself. He didn’t want her to go charging in on an undercover sting. Jordan says, he made the right call. So did Molly and TJ when they came to her. TJ wonders if the deputy warden will face charges for doing favors for Judge Carson, and Jordan says, he’ll be investigated like Carson. TJ says, investigations take time. Does the deputy warden have responsibilities at Pentenville? Jordan says she spoke to Warden Alvarez, and he’s starting an inquiry at Pentenville. She tells Shawn, in the meantime, he and Alexis will stay there at the PCPD jail, and Shawn says he never thought he’d be so happy bunking at the PCPD. He thanks her, and she says, stop thanking her. He took TJ in when she needed him to be safe, and took good care of him. He changed TJ’s life for the better. He says, it’s the best thing he’s ever done.

Curtis asks if Portia agrees that he and Jordan should get back together, but she tells him, that’s not for her to say. He knows what’s best for him, just like she knows what’s best for her. And Stella made some strong points. He says, did she now, and Portia says, he’s barely divorced, and needs time to regroup. Anything they may have will be transitional, and she’s not interested in a rebound relationship. He says, but she is interested in a relationship? and she says. Honestly? Of course (🍷) she is.

Brook asks, who’s back? Peter? but Maxie says, no, thank God. Austin. Brook says, the hiker-slash-doctor who delivered Bailey? What’s he doing back? Maxie says, he was hired at GH, and Brook says, that’s weird. Maxie says, it’s more like dangerous. He was there when she gave Louise to Brook. Brook says, he was unconscious, and Maxie says, they think he was unconscious, but Brook says, he was out cold. That’s what a fire poker to the back of the head will do to you. Maxie says, what if he woke up and got a glimpse of Brook? What if he runs into her around town, it all comes back to him, and he realizes Brook’s baby is her baby? Then the truth comes out, and Peter finds out, and comes after her and Louise.

Sam asks what happened to Alexis’s wrist? Did an inmate do that to her? Alexis says, no. She freaked out when she had to go back to solitary, the guard grabbed her wrist, and crunch. Sam asks if Alexis thinks it’s broken, when Austin comes in. He says, Alexis Davis? and she says, present and accounted for. Dante asks what Austin is doing there, and Sam says, isn’t it strange how their paths keep crossing? Austin says, before, maybe, but now, not so much. Now he’s on staff there.

Jax says he’s not there to talk about Jason and Carly, and Britt says, good. She thanks him for helping her take her mind off of things, and he says he didn’t want to be alone either. She says, their night was fun, and he says, it was, and that’s all it has to be. She says, then they’re on the same page, and he says, absolutely. She says she’s definitely not ready for a new relationship, and he says, agreed. So, friends? They shake hands, and she says, as his friend, she needs to rewind their rewind. He never told her what Carly said to him on the 4^th. He says, nothing much, and she says, he seemed upset. He doesn’t have to be honest with her, but at least be honest with himself. He says, the marriage isn’t that much of a surprise. Over the years, Carly and Jason have had a bond. The funny thing is, he always blamed Sonny for bringing violence and danger into Carly’s life. Now that Sonny is gone, he thought she’d walk away. Instead, she doubled down with Jason. He guesses Carly has always been drawn to danger. She asks if he’s worried about Josslyn, and he says he does what he can to keep Josslyn safe, but he has no influence on Carly’s life or who she’s with. Marrying Jason is like putting Carly on a high wire without a net.

Jason asks why Carly had to talk to Britt and hurt her more, and Carly says she did it for Britt’s sake (right). She needed to make sure Britt wasn’t holding on to the hope Jason would come back to her. Hope is cruel and they both know that. She held onto the hope that Sonny survived long after it was too late. When she found out he was dead, it just made it worse. Jason says, it’s not the same, but she says, close enough. Britt has to mourn the relationship she thought she and Jason might have. She had to know it’s over. He says, she knows; he told her. Carly didn’t need to tell her again. She says she doesn’t want Britt holding out hope that she and Jason will get back together… Is he hoping for the same thing? I am, because I hate Carly.

Brook and Maxie hear Bailey/Louise on the monitor, and Brook says, she’s just shifting. She wakes up, but then puts herself back down. She’s a good sleeper. Maxie hates that Brook knows that and she doesn’t, but Brook says, she will. She’ll share everything with Maxie. She wants to get back to Austin. He’s already seen her with Bailey. She saw him the night Maxie delivered. She ran into him at GH, and he saw her holding the baby, but there wasn’t a hint of recognition. She was a complete stranger to him. Maxie asks if she’s sure. He said there was another reason he was in Port Charles other than working at GH. Brook asks if he was making veiled threats; letting Maxie know that he knows. Maxie says, yes… no… maybe. It’s hard to tell. Brook says, because Maxie is completely paranoid. Everything she hears makes Maxie think they’re one minute away from being found. Maxie has to stop this. It’s not going to be Austin who blows everything up. It’s going to be Maxie.

Dante says, Pawtuck to Port Charles is a pretty good commute, and Austin says Dante seems awfully interested in his living situation. Alexis says, hi, she’s the patient here, and Austin says, doctor, pointing to himself, and asks her to call him Austin; he likes things informal. He asks if he can call her Alexis, and she says, okay. She guesses he’s going to examine her and not get the third degree, but he says it’s fine with him. It’s one of his favorite degrees. Sam says he’s so laid back; life just happens, right? He says, can’t stop it; don’t want to. He says he understands Alexis has osteoporosis, and she’s hurt her wrist before. Sam says, Portia was her doctor previously, and he asks if she wants him to see if Portia is still available. Before Alexis can answer, Sam says, that would be great, and Austin says, no problem. He leaves, and Alexis says, what was that?

Portia tells Curtis, she’s not some starry-eyed teenager. She already knows how good they can be together. He walked away from her; not the other way around. He says she knows why, and she says, now she does. It took a lot for them to build trust again, but they did it. Here they were on the way to this nice, wonderful friendship, and she kissed him. He pulled away, and she instantly realized she’d made a mistake. He says he was caught off-guard. Doesn’t she think they owe it to themselves to see how far they can take this? She says they already had a relationship at the wrong time. She doesn’t want to go through that again. He says neither does he, but he never goes into anything expecting to fail. Why don’t they focus on the positives, instead of focusing on the drawbacks? but she says, not when one of the drawbacks is losing him from her life completely. She feels like she’s been given a second chance with him, and it means the world to her that they can be friends again. Maybe even make up for the mistakes in the past, and she can’t ask for more than that.

TJ asks, what happens if Judge Carson is found guilty of judicial misconduct? Shawn’s sentence will be reviewed, right, and he’ll be released. Shawn says that’s the way he understands it; all of Carson’s cases will be reviewed, but at least she’ll be suspended under the process. Jordan says, the best case scenario is Shawn will be released with time served, and TJ says, he might still have to finish his sentence, even if it was unfair? Shawn says, he pleaded guilty to attempted murder, but TJ says, he didn’t shoot Hayden Barnes. Shawn says, he didn’t. If he’s released, his first priority will be to find the bastard who did it.

Britt hates to break it to Jax, but he might have to cut the cord. Accept that Carly will always do Carly, and he can’t stop it. He says he’ll do his best. At least Josslyn isn’t traumatized by the marriage, so maybe that’s a plus. Obrecht knocks on the door, and says she didn’t mean to interrupt. Jax says he’ll get back to whatever, and tells Britt to take care of herself. He says it’s great to see Obrecht, and she says, him too. He leaves, and Obrecht watches him go. She says she didn’t realize Heir Jax and Britt were intimate friends, and Britt says she doesn’t have the time, so Obrecht says, then she’ll get to the point. She’s there to apologize. Britt asks, for what? and Obrecht says, encouraging Britt to follow her heart, and giving Jason a chance to stomp all over it.

Carly asks if Jason is afraid to let Britt go. This is happening; this is real. He says he knows what has to be done, but he hates what it’s doing to Britt. She says she understands, but when he only gives an explanation of, this is how it has to be, he leaves Britt without answers. And the unknown is always more painful than the unknown. He asks, why lie? and she says she only lied about the being in love part. Maybe this will help Britt move on and let go, because this is hard on everyone. She’s sorry Britt is hurt, and sorry he’s hurt. He says, they know why they’re in this situation; they chose this. Britt didn’t, and nothing they can say will make it better. Just leave her alone. Carly says, okay, and Jason walks away. I hate Carly. Is there a Facebook group for that?

Curtis asks if Portia is okay with settling. He seriously doubts she’s ever settled for anything in her life. She says she’s trying to protect something good, and he says, their friendship is good, but she’s letting her fears shut her off from something that could be better. Portia’s phone rings, and she says she’ll be right there. She tells Curtis that a patient needs her in the ER, and he asks her to just please think about what he said. Does she want to regret not taking a chance, because he doesn’t.

TJ says, it’s strange being there with Shawn and Jordan like this. His mom and Shawn… He means, dad. Shawn says whatever makes TJ comfortable. Thomas is still TJ’s father. TJ says, Shawn is too, and Jordan says she’s sorry she kept such a secret for so many years, but Shawn says, what’s done is done. There’s no point in going backwards. They can’t change anything anyway. While he was inside, all he could do is focus on who he is, and what kind of person he wants to going forward. TJ says, that’s mighty enlightened of him. TJ is still hung up on the fact Shawn shouldn’t have been in prison in the first place. Shawn says, true, he didn’t shoot Hayden, but he did a lot of other things. Working with Sonny cost a lot of moral compromises. He was loyal to the man and to the organization. Who knows? He might have never gotten out if he hadn’t gone to prison. Jordan says he’s always been a good man.

Britt says she doesn’t blame Obrecht for anything. She let Jason in all on her own, and he didn’t want her, so she’s moving on. Obrecht says, with Jax? She has to admit, he’s quite the handsome specimen. Very easy on the eyes, as they say. But throwing themselves in bed isn’t going to make Britt feel any better about losing Jason. Britt says, so she’s discovered.

Curtis asks Amy what floor his nephew TJ is working on, and she checks the schedule. She says, TJ didn’t come in today. He had a family emergency.

On the phone Carly tells Flora to tell the girls to play at home today, and she’ll take them to the park tomorrow. Austin comes by, and stands near her, waiting. Carly asks if she can help him, and he says he hopes so. He just started there, and they told him that his office is near the Corinthos Center. She says, it’s on the 4^th floor, and he says, she knows it. She says she hopes so; Michael is her son. He says, that Corinthos. Okay. She says she takes it he likes their coffee, and he laughs, saying, that’s very generous of her. He thanks her for putting it that way. He does like their coffee. He’s sorry. He thinks her family gives a lot of money to the hospital, and hopes he didn’t offend her. She tells him, it takes a lot more than that to bother her. She looks at his nametag, and says, he’s new there. He says, he is, and apparently he has some big shoes to fill. Dr. Jones was beloved and well-respected, and he hopes he can spend time with him when he’s settled in his new position. Carly says Lucas Jones is her brother, and he asks if everyone in this town is related to everyone else.

Sam tells Alexis, after Austin was knocked out and the woman took the baby, he and Maxie came back to General Hospital. Alexis says she’d think that would make Austin a hero in everybody’s eyes, and Sam says, maybe on the surface, but something’s not adding up. Dante thinks so too, right? Dante says he’s reserving judgement until Austin is cleared of being a person of interest in the kidnapping. Alexis wonders how Austin could be a person of interest if he was unconscious, and Dante says they’re exploring every avenue. She asks if he has any leads, and he says, the kidnapper dropped a pin at the location before handing off the baby to their accomplice. Since that point, the baby seems to have vanished into thin air. Alexis says, poor Maxie. She must be frantic without her baby.

Brook brings Maxie some water, and asks if she’s feeling better. Maxie says she is, and apologizes for spinning out like that. Brook says Maxie is under stress, and Maxie says she will be until Peter is caught. She’s glad Louise is safe, healthy, and happy there. Brook says Monica would flip if she heard Maxie calling the baby Louise, but Maxie says she only does it in private. Brook says the more she does it in private, the more likely she is to do it in public. Valentin already heard her do it once, and definitely noticed. Brook thinks it would be safe for her to call the baby Bailey all the time. Maxie says she’s right. Since she’s there, can she see Bailey? Brook says, sorry, no.

Maxie asks what Brook means that she can’t see her baby? and Brook says she’s not keeping Maxie’s baby from her, if that’s what Maxie is thinking. She’d never do that, but they made a deal. Maxie can see her baby at Deception on work days. Maxie says, Monica isn’t even here. Neither is Valentin. Brook says, but Yuri is and so is the staff. Any one of them could tell them that Maxie was there again with Bailey. Maxie doesn’t get why it’s a big deal. She knows Monica is worried, but… Brook says, Monica wants to discuss it with Felicia and Mac, and Maxie says, now. The last thing she needs is her parents getting worked up about this. Brook asks if Maxie wants everyone hovering over her, determined to make her face reality that her daughter is missing. Maxie says, but she’s not. She hates lying like this. Anna said she won’t stop until she’s Louise was found. What is she supposed to say to that? Anna is a skilled investigator. Maxie is terrified that Anna is going to stumble on the truth. Brook is the only person she can be real with, and they’re not supposed to be friends. Brook suggests they can just call it quits. Tell everyone that Louise is her daughter, and she can take her daughter home.

Curtis goes to Jordan’s office, and says he went to the hospital to see TJ, and heard he had a family emergency. Jordan opens the door, and Curtis says, now he sees what it was. He shakes Shawn’s hand, and they have a bro hug. Curtis says it’s good to see Shawn, and Shawn says, it’s good to be seen. He appreciates what Curtis tried to do for him. Curtis bro hugs TJ, and asks if this is like a family reunion. Nobody told him. Shawn says he’ll let Jordan explain. He thinks he has to go. A cop is standing in the doorway, and Jordan says Officer Hendricks will take Shawn to his cell. Shawn leaves, and TJ goes with him. Jordan tells Curtis, they’re in the process of bringing a bias judge before a review board. Curtis says, and it affects Shawn because… She says, the same bias judge gave Shawn the maximum sentence, so they’re hoping to alter that. As he can see, she’s busy right now so… He says he’ll leave her to it, right after he apologizes.

Obrecht says, Britt slept with Heir Jax? and Britt closes the door. Obrecht says, of course (🍷) she did, and Britt says, of course (🍷) she did? Why? Is she so pathetic, she hopped in bed with the first man to look her way? Obrecht says, not at all. She meant of course (🍷) Jax would be attracted to her. She’s a brilliant, accomplished, beautiful woman. Britt thanks her, and Obrecht says she’s sorry Britt is surprised to hear her say that. Perhaps she should say it more often. She didn’t come to judge Britt, but to comfort her. She thought Jason had genuine feelings for Britt, but she was wrong. Britt says, it’s not his fault. He loves someone else. Obrecht takes her hands, and says, it is, because he’ll never find a more incredible woman than her Britta.

Jax waits for the elevator, and when the doors open, Jason is there. They pass each other, Jason saying, Jax, and Jax saying, Jason, like that rooster and dog punching in and out of work in that cartoon. Jason stops the doors from closing, and Jax asks if there’s something on his mind. Jason says, Britt has been through a lot. Don’t hurt her. Jax says, he’s not the one who hurt her, and the doors close.

Austin and Carly walk down the hall, and Austin says, Michael is Carly’s son, and Michael’s grandmother is his new Chief of Staff, Monica Quartermaine. Carly says, right. Michael is a Corinthos and a Quartermaine. He says, excuse him. He keeps putting his foot in his mouth. He gets it. They’re all connected… He didn’t mean it like that. She asks if it’s really necessary that he has it all figured out. She thinks he’ll do fine. He asks what Dr. Quartermaine is really like.

Dante tells Alexis that Jordan has cleared it for her and Shawn to spend the night in the PCPD jail. Sam says, then what? and Alexis says, she’ll take it. Dante says, it remains to be seen, but it seems Jordan is on it. Portia comes in to look at Alexis’s wrist, and asks Sam and Dante to wait outside. They leave, and Portia looks at Alexis’s chart. Alexis asks if she found something bad, and Portia says, no. It’s just been a day. Alexis says, tough case? and Portia tells her, you could say that. She just can’t decide how move to move forward with treatment.

Out in the hallway, Sam asks if Dante wants anything. Dante flashes back to kissing Sam, and says, sorry. What? She says, Perks. She’s going on a coffee run. Does he want a cup, or want to tag along? He says he’d love to, but he’s got to stay there with her mom. She says she’ll just pick up a cup for him, and he says, that’d be great. She tells her to text her what he wants. She starts to leave, and he says, or they could talk about that kiss.

Brook says, it’s Maxie’s call. She’s emotional, and Brook doesn’t blame her. They can call it quits if she wants. Maxie says she wants nothing more than to leave with her baby in her arms, to call her by her name, to stop the lies, to be honest with her friends and family. But that can’t happen. Not as long as Peter is still out there. Brook says, then why is Maxie there? Why is she in this house when Peter is out there, and could very well be having her followed? And by doing this halfway, she’s adding to her misery. She doesn’t get to keep her daughter, but she’s also not keeping her safe either. Maxie says Brook is right. It’s stupid and self-indulgent for her to keep showing up there. She has to do her best for her little girl, and she will. Brook asks if Maxie is sure, because from where she’s standing, Maxie seems to be at the end of her rope.

Sam turns around, and says, almost a clean getaway. Dante says he’s terrible at clean getaways. She guesses he wants to talk about the night of the 4^th. She was really drunk, set fire to a few things, assaulted a police officer. She would rather not think about it, and asks if they can forget it ever happened. He says, yes. Cool. He just wanted to make sure they were on the same page. She says, good. Her mom is in the hospital with a broken wrist from a prison guard, and it’s all she can think about right now. He says, don’t worry. As far as her mom goes, there will be an investigation. She says that’s what she’s afraid of.

Shawn is in his cell, while TJ is outside the bars, and Shawn says, it was good while it lasted. TJ says, that’s only temporary. Once the investigation proves Judge Carson showed bias, they’ll have to review his case. Maybe he’ll get out with time served. Shawn asks if that’s what Molly thinks, and TJ says, Molly thinks it would be an equitable solution that the powers that be in Albany might be open to. In the meantime, how does Shawn want to go about finding out who shot Hayden? Shawn tells him to slow his roll. As TJ can see, he’s not completely free.

Curtis tells Jordan, it was Aunt Stella who warned Portia away from him, and she says, Aunt Stella strikes again. He says, this time she was on Jordan’s side, and Jordan says, they’ve come a long way. He says he’s sorry he thought Jordan could do something like that; he knows she wouldn’t. When she didn’t sign the papers, he thought he put two and two together… She says, and came up with three? He says he’s sorry he doubted her intentions, and she says she just wants him to be happy, even if it’s with Portia.

Britt admits to Obrecht that she really thought it was the start of something – Obrecht hands her a box of tissues – but all the time he was lying. Obrecht says, about what? and Britt says, her. He said he didn’t feel sorry for her. Obrecht asks why he would, and she says, because she has the gene for Huntington’s. The day she found out was the day they made love. She guesses it was just pity, and Obrecht asks if that’s why she slept with Jax, to prove she was still desirable? Britt says, is that what she was doing? and Obrecht says, it is when we’re at our most vulnerable that we share ourselves with someone else, yes? The idea that Jason was with her for a reason other than mutual desire is painful. It can drive you into the arms of another just to prove you’re desirable. Britt says, well, that’s over. Trust and vulnerability are vastly overrated. She doesn’t want to go through that again.

Carly tells Austin that Monica is just what the hospital needs after Cyrus. He says he heard about Cyrus; that guy was bad news. The Board must have been desperate to take financial backing from him. There are other powerful and influential families in town, like the Quartermaines and Cassadines. Were they not interested in local issues? She says, for someone who claims to know nothing, Austin sure seems to know a lot.

Shawn tells TJ, one step at a time. Molly’s cheerful prediction aside, they don’t know if the investigation of Judge Carson will lead to his release. TJ says, the system needs fixing. He and Molly are here for that. He’s going to do whatever it takes to bring Shawn home. He calls Shawn dad, and Shawn says he likes the sound of that.

Curtis says, whatever happens, he wants Jordan to be happy; she deserves it. She says, thanks. She’ll work on that. She’ll sign the divorce papers, and get them in the mail asap. He says, as long as things are clear between them, there’s no rush. She has a lot on her hands. Take care. She says, him too. He leaves, and she sits at her desk, looking sad.

Portia has put a case on Alexis’s arm, and says it will give her more support. She also rushed Alexis’s test results, and it looks like her bone density is down. Alexis says, thanks to all that vitamin enriched prison food, and Jordan says she’ll talk to the warden personally, and make sure Alexis has proper access to her supplements. Alexis tells her, talk to Jordan. Right now, Alexis is headed to the PCPD, but she doesn’t know for how long.

Sam tells Dante, who knows what kind of contacts the judge and assistant warden have back in Pentenville? For all they know, her mother could be targeted for retaliation. He says maybe he can help with that.

Austin says, Carly caught him, and she’s not wrong. He’s sorry for being really nosy. It’s just that when he found out he was interviewing there, he tried to figure everything out about this place; how it’s run, the achievements, the ratings, the press. He comes from a really small town. Everybody knows everybody. Now here he is in the big leagues, and he wants to know who the players are. He’d really like to succeed. Maybe the first thing he needs to do is figure out how to make a better first impression. He thanks her for the directions, adding, he appreciates it. He walks away, and Carly watches him. Oh yeah, I hate Carly.

Maxie tells Britt, she’ll do what takes to protect her daughter from Peter. Lying to everyone is one thing, but it’s torture knowing her daughter is within reach, and she can’t see her. Brook is right. She’s adding to her own misery, and at this rate, she’s going to undo everything. Brook asks what she can do, but Maxie says, nothing. She’s the one who needs to do something. She thinks she needs to leave Port Charles.

Britt dries her tears, and Obrecht says she knows Britt’s busy. She’ll let her get back to work. Perhaps they can have dinner this week? Britt says she’d like that. Obrecht starts to leave, but turns around. She says she’s so very proud of Britt. It’s only because her heart is so strong that she can feel such pain. Britt hugs her, and Jason is about to come in, but sees them, and steps out of sight. Britt says, her heart might be strong, but it hurts so much. Jason makes a troubled face.

Tomorrow, Brook asks Maxie if she thinks she’s really in the right frame of mind, Ava asks if Nina is ready to go back to Pennsylvania, Michael says it’s time to decide who’s going to replace Valentin, and Sonny says he and Phyllis both know that’s not the truth.

Below Deck Mediterranean

We revisit the fight between guests and pending spouses, Karry and Clint. Clint says they’re not getting married, and storms out, leaving Karry crying. Lexi tells Matt what’s going on. Malia says, hopefully, things will be better in the morning. Clint goes back to his and Karry’s room.

Malia gives Courtney props on the laundry but in Courtney’s interview, she says she wants to get into service. Malia tells the deckhands what happened, and at the breakfast table Clint says, another day in paradise. Breakfast is served… eggs benedict… mmm… Guest Terez looks like she smelled something bad when Katie serves her. In Katie’s interview, she says, it’s an awkward moment given the night before. They’re getting married today, and need to cut the bullsh*t, so she can figure out if she’s planning a wedding. She was kind of hoping they didn’t want to do it, but love conquers all, right? A delivery comes, and Zee carries the cake to the boat, with Malia helping him maneuver over the floating docks. Katie says it’s a lot of responsibility, and she doesn’t feel comfortable. In Mathew’s interview, he says, it’s his first full day with the guests, and the amount of work is intense. He was able to order a cake, but it makes him feel anxious. Karry asks Clint if they’re still getting married, while Katie and Mathew go over dinner.

En route to Srima, Croatia. Captain Sandy isn’t liking the wind, and Lloyd acts stupid about girls. The captain radios the interior, and tells them that they’re going to feel it; it’s getting choppy. Mathew worries about the cake, and Malia asks if he’s ready. He says, as ready as he can be doing a wedding alone. In his interview, Mathew says when he thinks of weddings, he thinks elaborate. It’s a lot of pressure and responsibility, all on his own. Yacht guests have high expectations, and this is his redemption meal. He picked the wrong day to come back. Captain Sandy says unfortunately, because of the weather, they can’t have a shore experience or fireworks on shore. They’ll have to do everything on the boat. Katie tells the captain that they’ll get the archway, and she’ll make it pretty. Captain Sandy says she wants to practice, and in her interview, she says she’s nervous. She does public speaking, but her palms are sweaty. Malia says, let’s do this, which seems to be her catchphrase this season.

Anchor is dropped, and in Malia’s interview, she says she likes having someone green, so she can help teach them. It can be fun… when you have the time. She shows Zee how to anchor, and Katie explains to the guests that everything has to be on the boat main. The crew starts putting together decorations, and Zee thinks the paper flowers are horrible, but David says he’s just looking at it wrong. David tells Malia about how he had a relationship with another crew member, and then they hooked up with someone else. He had to be with them for three months. In his interview, he says, don’t mix your work life with your personal life. She said he was too nice, and thought she could do anything and get away with it, so she cheated. She said, he still wanted to be with her, right? Obviously not.

They bring out the archway, and in Katie’s interview, she says she thought about going into wedding planning, which is weird because she doesn’t want to get married. She’d thought Jack was her soulmate, but as much as she loved him, he was an effing nightmare. She’s glad they didn’t get married. Mathew asks Lexi if the appetizers are being served on the boat or on shore, and Lexi acts like he’s asking a ridiculous question, wondering why he would think that. Um… because that was the original plan? Malia radios for the crew to change into their blacks, and Captain Sandy goes over the ceremony. The bride gets dressed, and the captain checks out the décor. She thinks it looks beautiful, but the words kind of tacky come to my mind. Clint and his dudes have shots. Katie tells them, showtime, and the captain says she’s never sweated so much. In Zee’s interview, he says he’d like to get married, and have a little Zee running around. In Lloyd’s interview, he says he doesn’t know what to say on dates, which doesn’t surprise me. He likes to woo them with his goofiness, but that can take weeks… months…. sometimes years. In David’s interview, he says he’s great with kids, and loves dogs. He’s just looking for someone who’s not a major hassle. Good luck with that. Everyone is a major hassle if you’re with them long enough.

Clint says they’re about to blast off, and Katie takes it literally, falling down the stairs, but miraculously, she’s fine. Courtney tells Karry that she hopes they have a wonderful life. In Courtney’s interview, she says she’s only been to one wedding, and she’s awkward in those situations. Clint and his dudes wait, Here Comes the Bride plays, and Karry walks in with her girls. Captain Sandy says it’s the first time she’s done this, and she assumes it’s a first for them too, so they’re all in the same boat. BA-DUM-CHH! She reads the vows from her phone, and either she did the drastically condensed version, or the scene was heavily edited. She pronounces them husband and wife, and they kiss. She introduces them as Mr. and Mrs. Whatever-his-last-name-is. In the captain’s interview, she breathes a sigh of relief. The guests start drinking immediately, and appetizers are brought out. A rainbow appears, and Lexi and Katie set the table, and put up tiny white lights. Mathew says he hopes to have a wedding someday, but only if he can find two girls. In his interview, he says he’s a share bear. Karry tells Katie that a psychic told her mother that Karry’s grandfather would show up at her wedding as a rainbow. (Mission accomplished.) Ex-boyfriend and chef Tom calls Malia, who asks if he called for reason, or just to talk. He says he misses her, and asks how it is with a new crew. In Malia’s interview, she says, it’s still very raw at this point. We flash back to them together last season, and she says she wants to talk like it’s normal, but there are plenty of fish in the sea. Ones that don’t sleep with other fishies. She tells him that she can’t talk. Captain Sandy tells Mathew, very nice. She can tell he’s getting his bearings. As they set the table, Lexi tells Katie some book or other says different than Katie does about the place settings. In Katie’s interview, she says she gets where Lexi is coming from, but there’s so much going on. Who enjoys conflict? I’m thinkng Lexi. The guests do more shots.

Mathew goes into the walk-in refrigerator, and curses the cake. He comes out with the box, saying, he dropped it, but Malia takes a look, and says, it’s not that bad, and she’s actually right. There’s barely a dent, and Mathew is just anal. Mathew tells Lexi to let him know when the guests are seated, and a few minutes later, she says, they’re sitting down. He starts to plate the scallops, but Katie tells him, easy tiger, not everyone is at the table. He curses the scallops. Malia goes over docking with the deckhands, and Katie tells Lexi not to tell the galley that the guests are ready when they’re not. Always go through her. Lexi insists she didn’t, but we flash back that. Mathew says, it’s no big deal, and in Lexi’s interview, she says she finds it difficult when the chain of command isn’t precise. That doesn’t fly with her. Mathew says he’s not plating any first courses until everyone is sitting. One of the guests declares the scallops are the best thing he’s had this whole time. Malia sets Zee up on anchor watch, and takes his picture. He sends it to his brothers.

Malia decorates the cake, and in Mathew’s interview, he says, Lexi is bossing him around when he’s cooking a wedding meal that’s also his redemption meal. He won’t be rushed. The main course is lamb pops, and Terez says she doesn’t eat pets. In Katie’s interview, she says, it wasn’t on Terez’s preference sheet that she didn’t eat pets. Mathew makes Terez some ratatouille, and she tosses the plate aside. One of the guests asks for extra lamb, and Katie asks Lexi to tell Mathew. She steps in the pile of dirt he’s been sweeping up, and he asks her not to. She shrugs it off, and he tells her that she has an attitude, as she scarfs down several pieces of the lamb. In Mathew’s interview, he says he’s going to effing snap. She steps in the pile a second time, and he asks her again not to step in it. She says she’ll sweep it up, and tells him to just focus on putting the lamb on the plate. Even I say, WTF? The chef is the boss in the galley, and key to the tip. He tells her not to talk to him like she’s the boss. Never again. He hands her the plate, and says, go. She brings the lamb to the table, and Mathew cleans up the galley. The guests want more, and Lexi radios Mathew, who says he’s all out. In his interview, he says, is she kidding him? She just ate everything. Don’t touch anything until you’re sure the guests are done. Terez says again that she doesn’t eat pets. Zee asks Malia to walk him through the lines, and in her interview, she says she remembers her first docking. We flash back to that, and she says, it was nerve-wracking.

Lexi puts rose petals on the newlyweds’ bed. Clint says he’s thankful, and Mathew brings out the cake. In his interview, Mathew says he didn’t want to be part of the cake service, and was dreading them asking, but he’s got this. He just did a multicourse dinner, so whatever. Karry and Clint cut the cake, and Clint tries smushing it in Karry’s face. In Katie’s interview, she wonders how shoving cake in someone’s face is romantic. She’d be so hurt, especially if her makeup was looking bomb. Larry takes the rest of the cake, and pushes it into Clint’s face. Classy couple. Mathew tells Lexi that it wasn’t a big deal, but he’s been trying be nice, and asking her not to step in the pile he just swept. Lexi says she didn’t mean to work his last nerve, but never tell her to get out of somewhere. He says he was just telling her not to stand in the pile, and she says, she’s tired, okay? In her interview, she says, okay, neat freak, she gets it. She can’t believe he’s still upset over some dirt. Everyone is in bed before 2 am.

Final day of charter. In Zee’s interview, he says he’s dreading docking. He doesn’t know what to expect or do. Malia tells Lloyd to get ready on the bow. David goes over knots with Zee, and in Captain Sandy’s interview, she says, it’s her first docking with a new crew, but she’s not worried. She’s confident in Malia. The wind is challenging, but it’s a great test. Malia tells the captain that they’re close to dolphins, and at first I think she means the animals, but these are concrete structures you line up the boat with. New one on me. Sandy can’t see the one on her port side, and they come thisclose. In his interview, Zee says he’s terrified of heaving the line throw. It can mess up the whole operation. He gets it right the first time, and Malia says, all lines are across; they have control. In Zee’s interview, he says he didn’t f*** up. Captain Sandy says, it was a lot of wind, and not easy. She tells them, good job, guys. She tells Mathew that they made it. His knee problem is gone. In Mathew’s interview, he says, he’s happy, the guests are happy; he doesn’t want to jinx it. The captain tells everyone to get in the whites, and the guests pack.

Malia says, Mathew pushed through his injury, be it psychological or physical. Mathew says he thinks it’s a combination of both. Captain Sandy tells the crew to queue up on the dock. As the guests leave, there are lots of hugs. Terez says they’re in the hospitality business, and food is one of the things they were looking forward to. In Katie’s interview, she says, here we go, and surprising everyone, Terez says Mathew did a great job making that happen, and Katie had her girls on point. She gives the captain the tip envelope, and when the guests are gone, Captain Sandy tells the crew to get in their reds, and meet in the main salon for their tip meeting.

The captain tells the crew, they pulled off the impossible, and thanks Mathew for not giving up. Mathew says the rest of the crew deserves a portion of his tip, but she says they’re not doing that. Captain Sandy says the interior was incredible, and she loved that the client acknowledged it. They didn’t hit anything, so the deckhands are good. The tip is $25,800 or $1718 each. The boat is cleaned up, and Zee tells Malia that he’s going to be 26 tomorrow. She says, the crew is going to be hung over. In Katie’s interview, she says it’s their first crew night out. They had the charter from hell, but they survived, and she wants a drink.

At a restaurant in Sebenik, the crew sits guys on one side of table, girls on the other, and Malia says, it feels like speed dating. In her interview, Katie says, tequila is good vibes. Who doesn’t love a good vibe? Well, I love a good vibe, but not the taste of tequila. Bleh. In David’s interview, he says, Malia is beautiful, and it’s nice to see her let loose. The crew jokes about Mathew, and say he should pay for their drinks. In his interview, he says he can’t change what happened, and wants to move on. He’ll pay the bill so he doesn’t have to hear about it again. They order food, and the girls talk about how much better looking the engineers are than the deckhands. The food is served, and they toast to Zee’s birthday. Zee says he appreciates it. He’s away from home, but has his little family there. Mathew says it changes his whole day when he starts the day with someone positive, and Lexi brings up how mad Mathew got at her for standing in some dirt. He tells her that she can say f*** you to him in the pantry, but not the galley. Mathew starts telling everyone what happened, when Lexi interrupts to tell her version. In her interview, she says, she doesn’t disrespect someone unless they disrespect her. She won’t back down. David says, people clash and it causes carnage, which sounds pretty ominous. Mathew tells Lexi not to speak to him like that. In fact, she doesn’t have to talk to him at all.

Next time, a dance party on deck, Roy Orbison Jr. comes on board, Mathew and Lexi clash some more, and Malia wants to sleep with one eye open.

🌇 Another Day Done…

Time for me to start putting on my makeup now for my whole 10 seconds on screen tomorrow for Mupo & Friends‘ YouTube interview with Marc Singer. That is, providing I remember how to put makeup on. It’s been so long… Whether fully made up or not, stay safe, stay obliging, and stay not touching anything until you’re sure the guests are done.

Jul10

July 9, 2021 – Britt Has the Last Word, New Son, Joining GH, Celebrations, Harry Has the Feels, Collection, Sorry, the Squad, AHS Update, Dragon News, Amazing, 4 Great Quotes & There

Posted on July 10, 2021 by theresakp

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Finn sees Elizabeth at the hospital, and says they have to stop meeting like this. He asks, on a scale of one to ten, how’s her hangover? and she says, bad enough to give her a headache, but not bad enough to make her forget she and Sam started a fire on the pier. He says, or Sam and Dante falling in the harbor, and she says, at least it gave her something else to think about… besides the secret hanging over them. He tells her, let’s go.

Maxie comes out of the elevator at the MetroCourt, and sees Austin. He says, it’s nice to see her, and she says, he’s back. He says he is, and asks how she’s doing. She asks what he’s doing in Port Charles.

Anna drinks coffee at the bar, and flashes back to her kiss with Valentin.

Valentin is also daydreaming at the Quartermaines, and Monica asks if she’s interrupting. He says, no. He’s just waiting for his lawyer; he’s late. She asks if they’ll be discussing ELQ, and he says they will. She asks if he doesn’t see the conflict. He’s living in her house (Alan gave it to her, in case you didn’t know), and he’s stealing from her family’s company. He asks if she intends to evict him, and she says, why shouldn’t she?

In the elevator at the hospital, Carly wonders if Monica is going to hate this more or less than when she found out AJ was marrying her, but Jason says, it was a long time ago. She says she and Monica have a grudging truce. Monica has never forgiven her for what she did to AJ, and as a mother, Carly can’t say she blames her. Now she’s marrying Monica’s other beloved son. She’s going to hate this. The doors open and Britt is there. She says she’ll get the next one.

Portia looks at a photo of her and Curtis on her phone, and Terry says, Dr. Robinson. Portia wonders since when they’re being so formal, and Terry says since she wants to make a formal pitch to Portia. Portia says, about? and Terry says, backing her campaign for Chief of Staff.

At Charlie’s, Curtis asks if Stella said something to Portia about him and Jordan, and she says she most certainly did. She told Portia that he needed to recover from the end of his marriage, and the last thing he needed was a rebound relationship. He asks where Stella gets off telling Portia something like that.

Jordan takes a flashdrive out of her computer, and tells Molly and TJ, Judge Carson starts off by speaking in code. Molly says, taking into consideration each defendant’s previous record, and Martin says, how they’re raised; what they’re future’s likely to be. TJ says, Judge Carson actually said, some people only respond to incarceration, and Martin says, one thing’s for sure. She absolutely admitted to handing down different sentences to different defendants based on race. There’s no denying how obvious her biases are. TJ asks if Jordan thinks the recording is enough to call the judge’s sentences into question.

Alexis tells the guard she can’t. She looks at Shawn, and says she can’t go back into solitary. He says she knows what they practiced, and the guard reaches for her. She backs up, and says, no!

Austin says he has some business in Port Charles, and Maxie asks if it’s something new. She’s never seen him anywhere around Port Charles. Anna joins them, and Austin says it’s nice to see her. She says she’s been meaning to thank him for the use of his home in Pawtuck, and he says, his pleasure. He hopes she and Mr. Cassadine were warm and dry. Are they any closer to finding Maxie’s baby? Anna says, no. She’s afraid the rain washed any evidence away. He says he’s sorry to hear that, and to let him know if there’s anything else he can do. He gets in the elevator, and Maxie and Anna smile at each other.

Valentin thanks Monica for letting him and Charlotte stay in her beautiful home. It means the world to be close to Bailey, and she’s so young, he’d hate to have to schedule bouncing her from house to house. She says, enough. She’s not going to kick him out. She’s put up with a lot worse over the years. Her sister-in-law comes to mind. He says he hopes he can repay her sometime, and she says, when they vote him out as CEO, be gracious in defeat. She goes to the door, and Yuri opens it for her, saying something in Ukrainian. Or Russian. Or wherever he’s from; I forget. She responds in kind, and he watches her go.

Portia says, so Terry is serious about becoming Chief of Staff, and Terry says she seems surprised. Does Portia think she’s too young? Too inexperienced? Portia says, hardly. GH could use some fresh faces, and some fresh air from Cyrus and his reign of terror. Terry says, so she can count on Portia’s support when she presents her case for Chief of Staff to Dr. Quartermaine? Britt has joined them, and asks if Terry is trying to get the popular kids on her side. Did she put up election posters in the cafeteria? Terry says, if Britt’s worried about this being a popularity contest, perhaps she should question why she’s so unpopular. Britt says Terry can retract the claws. She’s leaving as soon as she drops this chart off. She’s welcoming a new doctor to their team; a responsibility of the Chief of Staff. As Britt walks away, Terry tells her, enjoy it while she can, and Britt says she will. For years to come. Terry tells Portia, sorry. She kind of took the low road there. It’s so not her style. Portia says, Britt tends to bring out the worst in all of them, but never mind her. Before Terry talks to Monica, she wants Terry to understand how difficult and time-consuming the Chief of Staff position really is. Terry thinks she must be speaking from experience, and Portia says, that’s because she is.

Curtis says Stella has no business meddling in his private life, and she says he’s still a married man, and Portia was getting ideas about him. He says, that’s between him and Portia. He guesses Portia would have ideas, since they kissed. She says, he’s kissing another woman and his marriage isn’t even over? He says he signed the divorce papers, and she says, has Jordan? He says she will, and Stella says, then he’s not divorced yet. She sits down, and he says, auntie, the marriage is over, and sits with her. He says, the trust has been broken, and Jordan broke it repeatedly. She says, and he thinks he can trust Portia, and he says, so far, so good. They enjoy each other’s company. Who knows? They might be on to something good here, but he’d at least like to explore the possibility, so why is she meddling? She says, because someone has to save him from himself.

Jordan says she’ll be sending Martin’s recording of his conversation with the judge to the Judicial Review Board. While the review is pending, she’ll be petitioning the Attorney General to put Shawn and Alexis somewhere that they’ll be safe. TJ says, the recording is legal, since New York allows single-party consent. If one person knows they’re making a recording, the other can be recorded without their knowledge. Martin says, that is correct, but it’s no guarantee Judge Carson is going to face consequences, even with recording and documentation. Jordan says, judges are extremely protected. It’s not easy bringing accusations against them. TJ says, but there’s hope, right, that this will all be worth it in the end?

Shawn asks Henry to let him handle this, and Henry steps away. Shawn tells Alexis, remember what they talked about; breathe in for four, breathe out for four. She says she can’t, and he says, Henry already did him a solid in letting him see her. He can get in serious trouble, and so can she if she doesn’t go back to solitary. Henry says, he’s right, and grabs Alexis’s wrist. She jerks away, and drops to the ground, clutching her wrist and crying.

Carly says, Britt didn’t look happy, and Jason says, no she didn’t~~, Captain Obvious~~. She guesses Jax wasn’t as much of a consolation as Britt thought. She should be enjoying that, after Britt rubbed their noses in the fact they were sleeping together. But she’s been where Britt is. Lashing out because it’s the only way to stop yourself from curling in a ball and crying. He says, Britt believed she could count on him, and then he blindsided her. She says he didn’t have a choice, and he says, he didn’t, but he still hates that he hurt her. Carly puts her arm around him.

Elizabeth says she’s glad Finn didn’t turn himself in to the PCPD. Maybe because the discovery of Peter’s death would gain him nothing. It would cause him to lose Violet. Not to mention, it would cause GH to lose a brilliant infectious diseases specialist. He says, the longer Peter is down there, the more likely it is someone’s going to find his body, and she says they need to figure out how to move him. He says he’s open to suggestions, and she says, what if they involve Jason? He says he doesn’t think so. If he gets caught, it makes things worse for them. She says, Jason doesn’t get caught, but he says, everyone gets caught eventually. Right now he doesn’t want to risk Jason’s luck running out when their future is on the line.

In her office, Britt thanks Austin for helping Maxie give birth, even if it didn’t have the happy ending they all hoped it would. He says, no, the end was him getting knocked out cold, and some psychotic nurse stealing Maxie’s baby. So not ideal. He hopes that doesn’t preclude him from getting the job. She says, if anything, it makes her more inclined to hire him. He delivered a baby in the woods under less than ideal circumstances. If it was up to her, she’d pin a medal on him. He says, it was his understanding that he’s already been vetted and approved, and his meeting her is just one final hurdle before becoming one of the staff. She says he’s correct, but he has a private practice in Pawtuck. Why would he give that up to join a hospital staff in Port Charles?

Maxie joins Anna, and says, what’s this about her and Valentin seeing Austin in Pawtuck? Anna says, he was very kind. He leant them his rental for shelter because it started to rain. Maxie says, Anna told him that they didn’t find any evidence that would lead to Louise, and Anna says, that’s true. Maxie says, Anna doesn’t think Austin had anything to do with Louise’s kidnapping, does she? and Anna says, does she? Maxie says she’s 100% certain he had nothing to do with it, but Anna seemed sort of suspicious of him just now. Why is that? Anna flashes back to showing Valentin the photo she found, and saying she knew Austin’s father. Anna tells Maxie, no. She doesn’t think Austin had anything to do with the nurse or her accomplice. It’s just strange that when she found out Austin’s last name, she wondered if he could be related to someone she knew years ago.

Valentin says, Yuri and Dr. Quartermaine have gotten pretty close, and Yuri says, she’s very nice lady. Valentin asks if they speak often, and Yuri says, Dr. Quartermaine says he’s very good listener, and Valentin says, really? Was he listening to what Monica said to him just now, because he wasn’t really paying attention. His mind was elsewhere; he was thinking about something else. Well, someone else. He guesses it’s to be expected, since they have a long history together, and they’ve been through a lot lately. He says Yuri is a good listener, but he’s not much of a conversationalist, and walks away.

Jordan says she’s going to give a copy of the recording to Warden Alvarez at Pentenville. Hopefully, this will be enough to have Alexis and Shawn released into PCPD custody. She says she can try to keep Molly’s role out of all of this, and Molly says, but the more details Jordan provides to the Review Board, the better the chances Judge Carson will be reprimanded or even removed. TJ says Molly might lose her job, and Martin says, at the very least, she won’t be very popular with her colleagues. Jordan asks what Molly wants her to do, and TJ says he has Molly’s back, whatever she decides. Molly tells Jordan, do whatever it takes to make this right, and Jordan leaves. Martin tells Molly that she did great, and follows. TJ hugs Molly.

Shawn tells Henry that Alexis has osteoporosis and has to be taken to the infirmary. Henry says, nice try. Step aside; she’s going back to solitary. Alexis says, no, please, and Henry pulls Shawn away. Shawn stands between Henry and Alexis.

Martin apologizes to Valentin for being tardy. He was talking to Commissioner Ashford about a delicate matter. Valentin asks if it’s anything he should know about, but Martin says, no. He’ll probably hear something about it tin the next few days, but he thinks right now they should focus on the upcoming ELQ shareholders meeting. Valentin says he gave Brook her ELQ shares back as a way of gaining access to Bailey, and before Martin says anything, he’d do it again even though it reduces his room to maneuver. Martin says, indeed. Valentin’s only hope is to sway some of Ned or Michael’s loyalists to his side. Valentin says, that’s not going to happen, and Martin suggests he pay Michael a visit at Aurora. He’s got his own company to run now. He might be interested in some sort of power sharing arrangement. His impression is that Michael’s always been a pragmatist, and he’ll know Valentin is good for ELQ’s bottom line. It’s worth a shot. Many a successful partnership… Valentin is staring into space, and Martin says he’s sorry to bore Valentin. He should have attempted to be more entertaining. On their next rendezvous, perhaps a rubber nose, oversized shoes… Maybe some pants that explode. Valentin says, what? and Martin says, a rubber nose, oversized shoes… Valentin says, Martin isn’t boring him. His mind is on something else. Martin says, judging by the look on Valentin’s face, if it’s not business, he’s distracted by matters of the heart. Valentin says, it’s a personal matter, and Martin says, they’re talking about Anna Devane, aren’t they?

Maxie asks if Anna really waited out the storm with Valentin. If she hadn’t been scared out of her mind, she would think the cabin would be cozy… in the rain… a fire crackling in the fireplace… Anna asks if Maxie is writing romance novels now, and Maxie says, come on. Everyone knows Anna and Valentin are… intense. Anna says, no. They’ve become good friends. They trust each other. That’s all.

Austin tells Britt that he has business in Port Charles that requires him to put down roots. For him, it’s convenient to practice medicine in the town he lives in. Britt asks how long his business is projected to last. Will he be sticking around? He says, that’d be the idea.

Carly says she’s sure Jason gave Britt an explanation. He didn’t just say, I’m marrying Carly, and that’s it. Jason says, he told Britt that they decided it was best for the family and each other to get married. But he also told her that he’d still be there for her. Carly says she’s sure Britt told him to go to hell, and Jason heaves a sigh. Monica comes by, and says a pleasant surprise. Jason asks if she has a few minutes to talk in her office. Monica says, sure. They can talk in her office. She walks ahead, and Carly says she thinks it would be better if Jason spoke to Monica alone. She doesn’t want to be there when Monica tries to talk him out of it. He says he thought she wanted to do this together, and she says she’s just being nice. She doesn’t want to spoil their engagement by having a big fight with his mother. So go break the happy news.

Portia tells Terry that both of her parents were doctors. She’s obviously very proud of them. Terry says she’s sure Portia’s parents are proud of her for following in their footsteps. Portia says, a while back, her father become Chief of Staff at the hospital where he worked his whole life. The job quickly fell short of his expectations. Terry says, let her guess. He was suddenly schmoozing Board members instead of diagnosing and healing patients? Portia says, not to mention dealing with the mounds of paperwork. She saw him grow to resent her mom, who still had that connection with her patients. Terry strikes her as someone who loves treating patients above all else. Terry says true. Her feelings about Britt aside, she knows she would do good as Chief of Staff. GH is great, but there are still institutional blind spots. Some prevent trans patients from getting the care they need. She knows she could make a difference. Portia says, wow. That’s a good answer.

Stella says Curtis may be a grown man, but she’s known him since he was born. When someone hurts him, he puts walls up so high, there’s not a ladder big enough to scale them. He says, her point? and she says, when she had her issues with Jordan, and he nearly kicked her out of his life. Eventually he came around, and forgave her. He asks if she’s saying he should forgive Jordan, and she says, she’s asking him to lower the walls, and really listen to her. Listen to the love she still has for him, and the love Stella knows he still has for her. He says he’s not denying his love for Jordan, and she says, but he wants to box it up and stow it in the attic. Loving Jordan was complex and difficult. What he might have with Portia looks simple in comparison, but believe her, it’s not.

Henry says, stand down inmate, and Shawn says, make me. Henry raises his club, and Jordan walks in. She asks if there’s a problem, and says Henry is the one who needs to stand down… now.

TJ beings coffee to Molly, who’s waiting in Jordan’s office. He says, the coffee here tastes like sludge, and hands her one. She asks how he’s doing, then asks if it’s a dumb question. He says she never asks dumb questions. He’s doing about as well as she is. He takes another sip, and tosses his cup away. She says, when she thinks Shawn is in prison for a crime he didn’t even commit… TJ says, he could have been out by now. Despite pleading guilty, it doesn’t make sense that he was denied parole. Molly says TJ must be angry for Shawn, and sad about the time they lost. He says he and Shawn were close before he knew Shawn was his father. Since he found out, he hasn’t been able to hug Shawn. How messed up is that? Molly hugs him.

Jordan asks, why is a guard from the male wing escorting a female prisoner back to her cell? Shawn says, it was a misunderstanding, and she says, apparently. Alexis is still sitting on the floor, and Jordan crouches down, and says, she’s so sorry this happened. Alexis says she’s been in solitary for days. She can’t go back there. Jordan says, she won’t. She’s safe now. She tells Shawn, they both are.

Valentin asks, what makes Martin think he’s talking about Anna Devane? Martin says, Valentin and the divine Miss Devane have a long and complicated history. He believes at one point, Valentin was infatuated with her. Valentin says, they studied together ages ago. Anna was bright, driven, stunning. It was easy to become infatuated with her. They had a falling out. Martin says, only because of Anna’s sister Alex. Would he be right in guessing Peter’s disappearance brought the two of them closer together? Valentin says he might be on the right track. Martin says, he is? and Valentin says he might be on the right track about him meeting with Michael. He pays Martin for legal and business advice. If he wants it about his personal life, he’ll ask for it.

Maxie asks how the whole trust thing is going with Valentin, and Anna says, good. He’s a skilled investigator. She would trust him in a dangerous situation. He’s a valuable colleague, and that’s it. Nothing more. Maxie says, okay. Maybe Anna hasn’t noticed how Valentin looks at her, but Maxie has definitely picked up on it. Anna thinks that after all the lies she’s told, she doesn’t feel she deserves anything more, or anyone, right now. Maxie puts her hand on Anna’s, and says she’s sorry about how angry she got over Peter. Recently, she’s come to see things from Anna’s point-of-view. How secrets can be worth it if you’re trying to protect someone you love. Anna asks what Maxie means, and Maxie says she forgives Anna, and wants her to forgive herself and be happy. Anna doesn’t know if any of them can be happy until they find Maxie’s baby. Maxie says it’s been great talking to her, but she has to pick up a prescription for James. Anna asks if he’s okay, and Maxie says, he’s fine. She suggests they do this again, and Anna thanks her. Maxie smiles at her, and leaves.

Elizabeth says she knows Finn is uncomfortable with Jason helping them, but what about Anna? He says, out of the question, and she says, Anna wouldn’t turn them in. He says, she used to work for the WSB; she’s in law enforcement. If they tell her the truth, that he killed Peter and Elizabeth helped him hide the body, that’s like asking her to break the law; it’s accessory after the fact. Elizabeth says, Anna loved him. She doesn’t think Anna would sacrifice Finn’s freedom to uphold the letter of the law, especially to get so-called justice for Peter. He says, it’s still a risk he’s not willing to take. She says, then she guesses it’s up to them. They’d better move while the loopholes Cyrus put in GH security are still in place.

Jason and Monica go to her office, and she says she doubts he’s there to congratulate her on her return to GH. He says, that’s not why he’s there, but he’s happy for her, and the hospital. She’s definitely the right choice to undo the damage Cyrus caused. She says, it’s daunting task, but she’s determined to succeed. She thanks him for his faith in her, and asks how he is. He says he’s fine, and she says she heard he got shot. He says, it’s not bad, and he’s almost fully recovered. She says, good. She also heard all the charges against him were dropped, and he says he’s sorry for worrying her. She says she knows everything he does has a reason, and he says, that’s why he’s there. He and Carly are getting married.

Carly asks Britt if she has a minute, but Britt says, nope; super busy. She goes to the computer, and says, actually, let’s get this over with. Jason saved her life, and she sort of balanced the scales by keeping him from bleeding to death. They were fugitives together, and it was a crazy time. Jason was really good to her, but that’s over, and he’s marrying Carly. Britt starts to walk away, and Carly asks if Britt knows why.

Portia says Terry officially has her support, but don’t say she didn’t warn Terry about the long hours. Terry says, lucky for her, she has no personal life, and Portia says she wouldn’t call that lucky. She, Terry, and Elizabeth are long overdue for a ladies night out. It’s been a long time since she’s been somebody’s wingwoman. Terry asks, who says she’s not going to be trying to find someone for Portia? Unless she’s off the market and failed to tell Terry.

Curtis tells Stella, when he and Portia originally met, she was married and had just started rehab. She says, which neither one of them knew because of him wanting to keep it simple. Here they are, years later, and he’s thinking he might have another chance. He says, what he thinks is his business, and starts to get up. She puts her hand on his, and says she has no doubt Portia has feelings for him. Why wouldn’t she? But it’s unfair going into this thinking she’s any less three-dimensional than Jordan. Portia has flaws and secrets like everyone else. He asks how that justifies her warning Portia away from him, and she says she was looking out for him as discreetly as possible. He says, discreet? That translates into, don’t tell Curtis. So how does that make her any different from Jordan? She says, a woman who’s willing to move heaven and earth, and willingly sacrifice everything for the people she loves? She’s been compared to worse. He gets up, and she says, he’s leaving? He says he has some unfinished business to settle, and walks out.

Jordan and Shawn help Alexis up, and Jordan tells her that she’ll make sure a doctor sees her. Rest. She tells Henry that she has permission from Warden Alvarez to take Alexis and Shawn into protective custody, pending an investigation into their respective trials. Alexis doesn’t understand, and Jordan says, it turns out TJ and Molly didn’t listen to Shawn. She couldn’t be more proud.

TJ touches Molly’s face, and thanks her. She says, for what? and he says, loving him. She says, as if she had a choice, and they kiss. She asks if he’ll still love her if she loses her job, and he asks if that’s a real question. She’s his hero; risking the career she’s so passionate about to save her mom and his dad. She says she’s not sure she’s so passionate about the law anymore. It allowed Judge Carson to impose biased sentences and inflict harm for years. He says, he thinks the law needs fewer Judge Carsons, and more Molly Lansing-Davises. She says, and TJ Ashfords. She knows medicine is his passion, but he’d make a spectacular attorney. She couldn’t have done it without him. He says, if they don’t try to right the past, what future will they leave behind for their kids? They kiss again.

Monica says, Jason and Carly, and he says, yes. She says maybe she should ask… He says, ask what? and she says, was it Carly’s idea or his idea? He says, they decided together that getting married was what’s best for the family and each other. She says, she and Carly have certainly had their differences in the past, but she knows Carly loves him. Obviously, he loves her, and they’re both tremendously loyal to each other, which is a good foundation for a marriage. Jason says, they think so, and Monica asks if he thinks he can be happy. She’s not talking about Carly. She’s talking to him, her son. He says he thinks he can, and she says, okay then. She’s happy for him. She hugs him, but neither one looks happy.

Carly tells Britt that she and Jason admitted their feelings for each other a month or so after Sonny’s funeral. Before Franco died; before Jason was arrested. But it felt wrong. It was too soon after Sonny, so they decided to take a step back, and let it go. But since Jason came back from Pentenville and being on the run, they realized they can’t hold their feelings back, so they decided to make it official. She’s sorry. They didn’t intend to hurt Britt. Britt says, it just comes so naturally.

Anna waits for the elevator, and the doors open. Valentin is standing inside, and he makes that crooked smile he’s so good at.

Maxie sees Austin again, and says, so his business was at the hospital, and he says he had some paperwork to fill out. He’s officially on staff. He’s moving to Port Charles, so she’ll be seeing more of him. Nice to see her. She says, him too, and he jets.

Valentin tells Anna, he was hoping to run into Michael; he’s supposed to be meeting an associate here. She says she didn’t see Michael, and he says he’ll wait at the bar then. He leaves, and she smiles. Her phone rings, and she says, Kurt. Has he found information on the helicopter pilot they were looking for… Great. Thanks. He’s a good friend.

Finn and Elizabeth walk out of the elevator, and he says, maybe they’ll do the whole thing in reverse. Since the elevator in the subbasement only goes to the roof, they can take Peter up there, take the stairwell back to 10… She says, Cyrus made sure all the cameras leading to the roof were turned off, and he says, yes. Monica comes by, and says she’s sorry. She couldn’t overhearing, and they have nothing to worry about. She’s talked to security, and they assured her the cameras have been restored everywhere. Nobody is sneaking anything illegal in or out of the hospital. Finn smiles, but he’s probably not feeling it.

Portia tells Terry, actually, she’s not seeing anyone, so put a night on the books for them, and they’ll go searching for Mr. Right. Terry says, sounds like fun. It’s time for her to do rounds, and she says she’ll text Portia. Terry leaves, and Curtis comes out of the elevator. He says, just the doctor he was looking for. She says, concerning what? and he says he didn’t like the way they left things. He thinks it’s time they finally fix that.

Jordan brings Alexis and Shawn back to her office, and Molly hugs Alexis. Shawn walks up to TJ, who says, dad, and they hug. Everyone looks happy… for now.

Britt tells Carly, so, what she and Jason had was a fling to take his mind off Carly? She doesn’t believe it for one second. Carly says she can’t make Britt believe what she doesn’t want to believe, but what Britt and Jason had was a moment; it was fleeting. What she and Jason have is forever. Jason returns, and says, Britt. Britt says they can both go to hell, and walks away. Jason asks Carly, what’d you do? Neither one of them looks happy.

In case I haven’t said it, I hate Carly. I would love it if this is the straw that finally breaks the back of her friendship with Jason, but I know that’s asking a lot.

On Monday, Maxie tells Brook that they’re in huge trouble, Austin is having the time of his life, Obrecht apologizes to someone, and Carly asks if Jason is hoping for the same thing.

👨‍👦 His Father’s Son…

Nikolas weighs in on his new progeny.

Exclusive: Marcus Coloma On GH’s Spencer Recast

🌲 Latest Addition…

Another Pine Valley transplant comes to Port Charles.

Cameron Mathison Reports to Work at GENERAL HOSPITAL!

🎇 Better Late Than Never…

What the soap world did on the 4^th.

See How the Stars Celebrated the Fourth of July!

⚔️ Ursula Andress Be Damned…

Harry isn’t comfortable with the age gap. Scott is old, and has three kids, but #WhatDidHarryDo?

https://people.com/tv/rhobh-lisa-rinna-husband-harry-hamlin-feelings-daughter-amelia-romance-scott-disick/

💰 Mixed Feelings…

She shouldn’t have gone along with it, but on the other hand, it’s seriously taking from the little guy in comparison. And I would never say she didn’t work hard for the money.

https://ew.com/syndication/tom-girardi-embezzlement-victims-can-collect-payments-from-erika-girardi-judge-rules/

🍸 Apology Tour…

Hopefully, she stays out of the bushes for good now.

https://pagesix.com/2021/06/29/luann-de-lesseps-apologizes-to-her-daughter-victoria-de-lesseps/

🦈 Rain On Me…

Behold. The new Suicide Squad movie. The Rain trailer rocks.

https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/article/everything-we-know-about-the-suicide-squad/

https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a837989/suicide-squad-2-cast-trailer-release-date-plot-news/

https://www.dccomics.com/videos/the-suicide-squad-official-rain-trailer

👹 Here’s the Story…

John Carroll Lynch, Danny Trejo, and a drive-in. I will love this.

https://comicbook.com/horror/news/american-horror-stories-trailer-released-spinoff/

https://www.digitalspy.com/tv/ustv/a29396639/american-horror-story-season-10-release-date-cast-theme-trailer-plot/

https://ew.com/tv/american-horror-stories-preview/

🐉 Dragon Game…

All you need to know about House of the Dragon.

https://ew.com/tv/2019/10/30/house-of-the-dragon-thrones/

🦒 Something To Aspire To…

Can you believe the fabulousity of this place?

https://www.essence.com/lifestyle/lance-gross-kenya/

👩🏽‍💻 Quotes of the Week

You miss 100 percent of the shots you don’t take. – Wayne Gretzky

PB&J. It’s only twenty-five cents a sandwich if I use the grape jelly where grapes aren’t an actual ingredient. – Kyle (Christoph Sanders) Last Man Standing

The bridge between despair and hope is a good night’s sleep. – E. Cossman (Or sometimes a good stiff drink.)

Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do.If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. – Steve Jobs

⛅️ Early Night, Early Morning…

Wrapping it up because I have to get up early, since my hair is out of control, and the only appointment available was at the crack of dawn. And I called two weeks ago. Not her fault. Covid has caused a long wait for hairdressers and veterinarians. It’s also time for me to switch hats and become a copywriter for Mupo & Friends celebrity interview show on YouTube. Airing soon will be Marc Singer, my all-time favorite actor, and I’ll be making a cameo appearance. The actual interview is this week, so I’m pretty excited about that. See you on Deck on Monday, and make sure you stay safe, stay perceptive, and stay righting the past to give everyone a better future.

Jul9

July 8, 2021 – Molly Sets Up Judge Carson, Spencer Switch, Bi-Coastal Hustler & Blues

Posted on July 9, 2021 by theresakp

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

On the phone in her office, Jordan tells someone that she and the PCPD appreciate their assistance. Good luck. There’s a knock at the door. Curtis comes in, and she asks if everything is okay. He says he just heard from his lawyer. Has she decided to fight the divorce?

At Charlie’s, TJ asks Molly to tell him again that she knows what she’s doing. She says she does, and he gives her a kiss for luck. She leaves, and runs into Stella outside. Stella asks if Molly isn’t joining her and TJ, but Molly says she has a really important appointment, but next time. Stella goes inside, and asks TJ, what’s up with Molly that she’s not joining them? He says, she’s a born crusader. If she thinks there’s a way to help someone, she’ll step up.

Ava joins Portia at another table, and asks how their girl is. Has she recovered from her scare at the gallery? Portia says, Trina’s no victim, so in the end she was more angry than scared that her big entrance to her graduation party turned into a scene from a horror movie. Once she got herself cleaned up, she had a terrific time. Portia doesn’t know where she gets it, and Ava says she thinks she’s looking at her.

Trina is reading in the park, when Victor/Spencer comes along. He asks if she’s reading anything good, and she says a book about mask-wearing feminists calling out misogyny in the art world since 1895, and he says, sounds enthralling. She says, they’re badass, unlike him who ghosted her on the 4^th when he went in search for a bottle of water. He hands her a bottled water, and says, better late than never.

Nikolas approaches Martin at the MetroCourt, and asks if Martin got his message. Martin says he did. He was going to get back to Nikolas later today. Nikolas sits, and says, since they’re both there, does Martin have a minute? Martin says, a minute? Have a seat. What’s on his mind? Nikolas says, divorce.

Alexis babbles about the weather to a guard inside a prison office. She says, it smells good after it rains, doesn’t he think? The guard looks up from his book, and says, what? She says, never mind. She’ll just keep talking to herself. Shawn walks in, and says, or she can talk to him. She asks what he’s doing there; he’s going to get them in trouble. The guard opens the gate, and Shawn says, Henry is going to look away while he accidentally runs into her while she’s doing her daily exercise. They go into the other room, and Henry says Shawn owes him. They sit, and Alexis says she doesn’t want Shawn jeopardizing himself for her. He says he’ll be fine, but she says, nobody’s fine in here. She rubs her wrist, and he asks if it’s bothering her. She says her osteoporosis is acting up, and he asks if she’s taking anything for it. She can request medication that helps her stay healthy. She says she’s so grateful for working in the library, she didn’t want to request any special favors. She could ask Diane to help her with it, but she has no idea when she’s going to have a conversation with anyone on the outside again. He asks if solitary is getting to her.

TJ tells Stella, even though Molly wanted Alexis to take responsibility, she’s worried about Alexis being behind bars. She says, it’s hard on the whole family when a family member is in prison, especially during personal milestones, and TJ says, like graduating law school. She says, and graduating med school. He says she knows he’s been keeping in touch with Shawn. He and Molly saw Shawn the other night, and she says, that’s nice. He says, no offense, but when she says nice that way, she means anything but. It’s her right to feel how she feels, and he’ll always consider dad his father, but Shawn is too. She says, Shawn is his birth father, and it’s natural for TJ to want a relationship with him. TJ thanks her for understanding, and she says, of course (🍷). She asks how his mother is.

Jordan says, Curtis is there about the divorce papers? and he says if she has a problem with the terms, they can talk about it, although he thought they were extremely fair. She says she doesn’t have a problem with the terms. They agreed to be amicable, and she thought that’s what they were doing. He says so did he, then his lawyer told him she hasn’t delivered the signed papers, even though he gave them to her weeks ago. He has to ask, what’s the problem? She says she’s had a lot going on. The initial investigation into Franco Baldwin’s death; Peter August attempted a kidnapping, then escaped; Chase was poisoned and nearly died; there’s been an uptick in overdoses because of Cyrus, who also took the mayor hostage and shot Curtis; Jason Morgan escaped from GH, where he was shot; and she had to deescalate a situation with Cameron Webber where he could have been shot. Oh, right, then her son graduated from medical school. He says he doesn’t mean to downplay her formidable list, but how long does it take to sign some papers and stick them in an envelope?

Trina takes the water from Spencer, says, thanks a bunch, and goes back to reading. He says she’s not giving him an inch, is she? She asks why she should. He must think he’s cute or something. He says he’s been told he has a certain charm, and she goes back to her book. He asks if she’s going to ignore him now, but she says she’s trying to read. He says she took his peace offering, and she asks what more he expects. He says, forgiveness maybe. He apologized. She says, no. He gave her a bottle of water on a hot day, and he says, okay, he’s sorry. He apologizes for disappearing on the 4^th. Something came up. She says, it’s no big deal. After all, they barely know each other. He gets next to her on her blanket, and says, let’s change that.

Martin says he was wondering if he’d hear from Nikolas. He got a confusing call from Scotty last week. Was he right? Nikolas and Ava are getting a divorce? Nikolas says, despite his best efforts, yes, and Martin says he’s sorry to hear that. He hasn’t known either of them long, but it seemed they were a good match. Nikolas says, they were a perfect match. They’re being stalked, and Ava is terrified. She doesn’t want to put her young daughter Avery in danger. Martin says, that’s understandable, but why get a divorce? Nikolas says, this maniac wants them apart, threatening them with twisted gifts. He has Ava scared to the point where she’s convinced if they give him what he wants, he’ll leave them alone. Martin says he heard about the gallery break-in the other night. He has to admit, fake blood in the sprinkler system is a rather grisly way to get your point across, and Nikolas says it seems to be escalating. He asks what the police said. Is the new lead enough to catch him?

Molly approaches Judge Carson, and says she’s sorry to keep her waiting, but the judge says Molly isn’t late. She’s notoriously early. Molly sits and thanks the judge for meeting with her, and Carson says she’s glad Molly decided to take her up on her offer. She’s always happy to mentor promising new talent. Molly says she hopes the time prove beneficial to both of them.

Jordan tells Curtis, it’s just one of those things. She thinks about signing the papers, and finds herself in the middle of another crisis. When she remembers to sign them, she’s already home, and the papers are at the office, and she promises herself that she’s going to sign them the next day. He says he gets it, but she also has a habit of using work to avoid personal issues. He thinks their marriage is about as personal as it gets. She tells him that she can’t say he’s wrong. She’s put off signing the papers for too long. The fact is, the two of them need to move along to whatever comes next. Maybe he already has.

Portia tells Ava, since the hostage situation, she’s been watching Trina closely for cracks, but there never seem to be any. She threw herself into her graduation, she’s focused on PCU in the fall, and she’s eighteen now. It’s not like Portia can be a helicopter mom, even though she wants to. Ava says she’s not surprised Trina is moving on; she’s so tough. Ava understands Portia’s instinct to hover. She hasn’t gotten over the terror she felt, seeing Trina standing there, covered in what looked like blood. It was such a nightmare. She had this moment of disconnect. She was telling herself that what she was seeing couldn’t possibly be real. She had that same feeling when she saw Kiki… and that of course (🍷) was real. She can’t tell Portia how relieved she was when the blood turned out to be fake. Portia says, her too, and Ava says she couldn’t bear to lose Trina. She hopes she’s not overstepping, and Portia says they’re past all that. It takes a village, right? She’s glad Ava is looking out for Trina. The college reference letter Ava wrote was so lovely, and she appreciates Ava continually encouraging Trina in her passion for art. Ava says, she’s so talented though. She has a great eye, great sensibility… Portia says, Trina told her the gallery is closed now? Was there really that much damage? Ava says, the paintings can’t be saved. She has insurance of course (🍷), but so much beautiful artwork gone. Portia says, that’s so terrible. She can’t even believe Ava is being stalked. What kind of person would want to cause that much pain?

Trina asks where they begin, and Spencer says, she likes art. Who’s her favorite artist? Other than guerilla feminists. She says, there’s too many to list. Before this book, she was reading Vermeer and studio method influences on twentieth century art, and of course (🍷) there’s David Driskell and Ray Reardon. He says, very well-rounded, and Trina says she loves art and art history. She’s majoring in fine arts. He says, at PCU, and she says, and at the Jerome Gallery. He says, where she got the… and she says thanks for reminding her. She’d almost forgotten. He says, sorry, and she says, what about him? What’s his deal? He says, kind of a large question, and she says she’s never seen him around before last week. Did he just move here? He says he has a place on Pierpont; it’s a studio. She asks if he lives by himself, and he says, we’re all we have in the end. She says, deep, and he says, so, PCU, fine arts; he sees she’s digging in. She says, they have a great art history program. Does he have a problem with art? He says, not at all. He likes art. The Museum de Some-French-word-I-don’t-catch in France is one of his favorite places of all time. Who’s her favorite impressionist?

Shawn says, solitary is tough, even for the strongest of personalities, and Alexis says, it’s ironic. She used to fantasize about having a place to go to where she could just have peace and quiet. Then when Julian and the girls are gone, and she’s all alone in the house, does he know what she did with that peace and quiet? She drank so she could make the time go by faster, because silence is not peaceful; it’s oppressive. And there are no windows. She starts to panic, and says there are no windows in her cell; none. Does he know Star Wars, when they’re in the trash compactor, and the walls keep closing in, and in, and in, on them. That’s a movie, so the walls were actually closing in on them, but she’s in her cell and the walls are stable, solid, bare, but she thinks they’re moving. She starts to cry and hyperventilate, and he tells her, calm down. Look at him. Focus on him.

Judge Carson asks if Molly is sure she doesn’t want a cocktail. Pinot? Molly says she’d better not. She still has work to do, and she really doesn’t drink much. Carson says, because of her mother? It’s probably prudent. Looks like they’re keeping Molly busy at the DA’s office. Molly says, yes, and she has so much to learn. Any free time she has, she’s going over old case files, researching precedents… Carson says, that’s industrious. She must be familiar with the County Clerk’s office by now. Molly says she is, and some of Carson’s old cases too. Carson says she guesses over the years she’s had a few cases that were precedent setting, and Molly tells her, she’d say so. As well as stretching the parameters of some of her felony cases. Carson says, stretching? and Molly says, in certain cases, Carson gave out maximum sentences, even when the defendant showed remorse. Carson says, the operative word being, shown. Some defendants are excellent actors, particularly during sentencing. It’s her job to protect the community. Molly says, especially when the defendants are Black?

Martin says he thought Nikolas heard. They found a footprint from the perpetrator. It’s a very unique footprint. They’re confident they can match the boot treads. Nikolas says he hadn’t heard. How did Martin find out? Martin says Nikolas isn’t the only person who has his sources, and Nikolas says, this changes everything. He has to go. Martin asks if he’s going to call about his divorce, and Nikolas says, there’s not going to be a divorce.

Trina tells Spencer that she’s not only about art. Her mom is a doctor, and she used to read her mom’s medical books. Spencer says, it sounds like a fascinating childhood, and she says, it was colorful. What does his mom do? Does she work, or is she a society mom? He asks why she’d think that, and she says she had him pegged as a trust fund kid; a studio on Pierpont. He says his mom died when he was little, and she says she’s sorry. She didn’t mean to be insensitive. He says, it’s a perfectly normal question. He hates that the answer always stops the conversation cold. He never really had a mom growing up, so he doesn’t know what he’s missing, right?

Shawn tells Alexis to focus on him, and asks if she can breathe with him. In for four, out for four. Got it? Let’s try it. They breathe together, and Alexis calms down. She says she thought she was having a heart attack, and he says he’s had panic attacks himself; they’re not fun. She says, it was scary, and he says she’s not alone. Try to remember that. She says she always admired that about him, and he says, breathing or counting? She says, he’s stable, and he makes people feel safe. He made her feel safe, even when she knew he was working for Sonny. He says they do go way back, and he’s glad she trusts him. She says she does, and wants him to tell her what’s going on. He says he knows her, and he doesn’t want her to freak out. She suggests he just tell her what’s going on, and he says he told Molly that Alexis’s stay in solitary might be thanks to Judge Carson, and she says, what?

Carson tells Molly, that’s a loaded statement. One could even call it an allegation. She should exercise more restraint in commenting on things about which she knows nothing. Perhaps she was mistaken in thinking Molly showed promise. Molly says she’s sorry… Actually she’s not sorry. It’s all there in the record. On comparable charges Carson routinely gave non-white defendants longer prison time than their white counterparts. That is not justice. Carson says, young lady, I’ll remind you that you’re speaking to a judge, and Molly says, a judge that exerted pressure to keep her mother in solitary because her mother is on to her. Carson says perhaps she should let the DA’s office know the disrespect she’s shown a prominent judge; they’ll see it as a liability. Molly laughs, and says she’s not afraid of Carson. And she has no respect for a judge who can’t or won’t act impartially. She’s trashing the very system she’s sworn to uphold, and Molly and her mother are going to stop her. Martin comes by, and says, excuse him. Is there a problem?

TJ tells Stella that his mom is doing well. Busy, as always. Stella says she’s so glad Jordan got that devil Cyrus Renault, and put him behind bars once and for all. He says, everyone is sleeping better now that Renault’s locked up, and she says, Jordan and Curtis make quite a team. Are they talking? He says, they talk. Why does she ask? She says, any talk of reconciling? but he says he doesn’t know. He doesn’t think it’s very likely since they just got divorced. She says, you never can tell. There’s always hope.

Curtis says, Jordan thinks he moved on? and she says she knows from Portia’s statement that he called her the night Cyrus took Portia and Trina hostage. Thank God he did. If he hadn’t reached out, that night might have had a very different ending. It also pointed to maybe a connection between him and Portia. He says, it’s true. Over the past few months, he and Portia have been spending a lot of time together. That’s why he called her that night. They kissed, and honestly, it just brought up a bunch of questions. Jordan says, he’s single, Portia’s single, so… He says she didn’t know about it? and she asks how she’d know. He says he saw her talking to Portia at Trina’s party, and she says, they talk all the time. Why would he assume they were talking about him? He says, because Portia’s been sending him mixed signals, and he thinks it’s because someone warned her away from him. She says, and he thinks that someone is her?

Ava promises Portia that she can keep Trina safe, especially now that she’s doing what that maniac wants, and getting a divorce. Portia hates that Ava is paying such a high price, but she does understand. When Cyrus had his gun trained on Trina, she was prepared to do anything to keep her safe. Ava should focus on keeping herself safe too. Nikolas walks in, and says he apologizes, but he has to speak with Ava. Portia says she has to get going, and leaves. Nikolas asks if Ava minds if he sits down. She says, only if he’s brought divorce papers, and he says, the PCPD has a lead on the stalker. It’s only a matter of time before he gets caught. She says she’s not having this discussion with him again. She can’t keep living like this. She sent Avery to live with Carly. At least there, she knows Avery is safe, but she doesn’t want to be separated from her child. She doesn’t want to look over her shoulder, afraid of what might happen next. Nikolas says, that’s no way to live, so – he takes her hands – run away with him.

Jordan says, for the record, if she had a problem with Curtis seeing Portia, she wouldn’t have gone to Portia. She’d say it to his face. He says, duly noted, and she says, not that who he sees is any of her business at this point. Now if he’ll excuse her, she has to get back to work, but don’t worry. She’ll sign the papers, and get them over to his lawyer asap. An officer comes in with a file Jordan requested and apologizes for interrupting. Jordan says she didn’t; they’re done here. Curtis leaves, and Jordan looks at their wedding photo, then puts it upside down in a desk drawer.

Spencer asks what Trina does for fun around there, other than read art books. She says she likes the beach. Has he been there? He says, she calls that a beach? and she asks if they have another name for sand meeting water where he comes from. He says, la plage, and she says, a beach by any other name is still a beach. He says she seems fond of hers; maybe they should go sometime. She says, formidablé, and his phone dings. She reaches for it, and he shouts, stop! startling her.

Alexis says, Shawn told Molly that she’s in solitary and Judge Carson is involved? Her baby daughter. He told her that Alexis is being persecuted while she’s incarcerated; is he insane? Dammit! Henry hears, and says, settle down. Alexis pulls Shawn to the other side of the room, and says he knows how Molly is, as determined as she is naïve. She thinks justice triumphs, and she will go charging into this fight, and it will ruin her law career before it even gets started.

Molly tells Martin, there’s a problem, but he says he was speaking to the judge. He asks if Carson is all right, calling her Naomi, and she says she’s fine. She shouldn’t have lost her temper, but this girl is making outrageous accusations. Molly says, the facts are plain as day if you look in the right places. Case in point, Shawn Butler is serving a 20 year sentence for attempted murder, while Judge Carson has given white defendants minimal prison time for the same charge. Martin says, young lady, that is no way to talk to her honor, and Carson says she’ll defend her record any day. A more seasoned lawyer would know that each case has to be evaluated on its individual merit. Looking at a bunch of sentences means nothing. She asks Martin why she’s even having this conversation. This girl hasn’t even passed the bar yet. Martin says Molly is obviously impetuous like her mother. He believes the case she’s looking at is her husband’s father. Molly says, domestic partner, and that is not the point. Carson says she thinks they’re done here. Just know that the DA’s office and the Bar Association will be made to understand Molly’s slanderous attacks on her reputation. Martin says, if he were Molly, he’d leave while he still had a job, and Molly says, gladly. Just so he knows, everything she said is true, and she’s going to prove it. She walks out.

Ava says, after everything she’s shared with Nikolas – her fear that this maniac might target Avery to get to her – does he think running away is going to change anything? He says they can take Avery and disappear. She always wanted a yacht, right? He’ll get a luxury cruiser, and they can sail for a month or so, until they get to Cassadine Island. They can wait there until the stalker gets caught. She says, and if he’s not? and he says, then Avery grows up on a Mediterranean island. She says he’d walk away from Windymere, after everything he did to get it back. He’d leave Laura. He says he’ll find a way to keep in touch with his mother, and can’t worry about the rest. He can’t lose her. He’ll keep telling her until she believes him that he’ll do anything to save this marriage, even if it means losing everything.

Trina says she was going to give Spencer her number, and he apologizes for being abrupt. He says, it’s locked, and unlocks it, handing it back to her. She puts her number in, and says she sent herself a text so she has his too. Is that cool? He says, formidablé. Portia calls Trina’s name, and comes out into the clearing. Trina says she didn’t realize it was so late, and Portia asks if she’s ready for dinner. She tells Spencer that she’s Trina’s mom Portia, and he says, how do you do? He’s Victor. Trina says she should have introduced them, and Portia asks if he’d like to join them for dinner… unless he’s expected at home. Trina says, mom, and Spencer thanks her for the invitation, but he has to get going. It was a pleasure meeting her. He tells Trina that he’ll see her later, and leaves. Portia says, so… Victor, huh? and Trina rolls her eyes.

Ava gets up, and tells Nikolas that she appreciates the gesture. She starts to leave, and he follows her, saying, it’s not a gesture. They can do this. They can take Avery and disappear. She says, running away won’t work. She can’t take Avery away from everything she’s ever known. She just lost her uncle, and her father, and her grandfather recently; all of whom she loved. She can’t take Avery away from her brothers and sisters. It’s just much too much disruption. He asks if it’s out of the question to fight for their marriage, and she says, it’s out of the questions to put Avery at risk just so they can be together. He might be willing to risk it. He might be able to dismiss the stuffed bear as some kind of prank, but she knows that if the stalker got that close to Avery once, he can do it again. She can not and will not take that risk. If he loves her, he’ll help her. He won’t fight her on the divorce, and he’ll agree to it to help expedite it. He says it seems he doesn’t have a choice. He’ll have Martin get the ball rolling on the divorce. They’ll file the paperwork, fill it with lots of boilerplate, negotiate everything from the division of property to a financial settlement. He’s sure Martin and Scotty can find plenty of ways to stall for time.

TJ tells Stella, he loves Jordan and Curtis, and hopes they work things out, but he’s pretty sure that ship has sailed. They’re both committed to moving on. She says, with other people? and he says not that he knows of, but it’s bound to happen at some point. He thinks she needs to accept that his mom and Curtis are over. She tells him, life takes many new twists and turns. Hasn’t he ever heard that saying, it ain’t over til it’s over? He asks what she did.

Carson tells Martin that she contributed to the African American associations and charities. She even had a Black roommate one semester in college. How dare this girl accuse her of bias or question her commitment to the law? He says, it’s outrageous. He can only surmise that Molly is prone to her mother’s unique instability. She says, so it would seem, and he says, seem? He’s known the judge for 20 years, and they travel in the same circles. He’s always known her to do what’s right. If Molly could look at this situation calmly, she’d see that the law isn’t only what’s written in the penal code. It has to adapt to social mores, lend itself to… interpretation. She says, absolutely. She has to evaluate each defendant not only on the basis of their past record, but how they were brought up, and what they’re future is likely to be. Some people only respond to incarceration, and that’s just the sad truth. He says he knows exactly what she means.

Shawn says he only told Molly because she’s already involved. She’s the one who brought Alexis the records. He wanted to warn her to stay away from Judge Carson. Alexis asks if he thinks Molly took is warning and is going to listen to anything he said, and he says he told her to take it to Diane and let her handle it. Alexis says, she’s not going to let it go. She’s not going to tell Diane; she’s going to keep it from Diane. She’s going to go in there, and try to rectify it herself, and Alexis can’t even go to her and try to talk some sense into her. Alexis starts to get wound up again, and says she has to get out of there. She has to get out of solitary.

Trina says, Victor is just a guy she knows. Don’t give him the third degree. Portia says she doesn’t know what Trina is talking about, and Trina says, all those questions about his family; she scared him off. Portia says all she did was invite him to dinner, and Trina says, then she asked if he was expected at home. Could she be more obvious? Portia asks if Trina is interested in this guy. He sure seemed interested in her. Trina says, he did? She means, he’s okay. He seems nice. Portia says, and hot, and Trina says, mom! Portia says she’s not blind. Where’d Trina meet him? Trina says, he works at The Savoy. If Curtis trusts Victor enough to hire him, then Portia can trust him too. Portia says, oh really? So this boyfriend’s for hire now? Trina says, my God, and Portia says she’s teasing. She can’t help but be interested in any boy who puts a smile on Trina’s face.

Spencer went to the cemetery, and looked at Mike’s gravestone.

Ava tells Nikolas, no stalling, no dragging things out. Do not fight her on this. He says he’s not, but she says he’s certainly not cooperating. What is it going to take? Something tragic to happen? She’d never be able to forgive herself, and she certainly wouldn’t be able to forgive him. He says, all right. He’ll tell Martin to make a quick divorce. Don’t worry. She says she won’t, once this is done. He touches her arm, and says he’s only doing this because he loves her. She says she knows. She loves him too. She leaves.

Curtis goes into Charlie’s and asks Stella what she’s been up to. She says she was just with TJ, and they were talking about how Curtis and Jordan still have some unfinished business. He says he wasn’t aware TJ knew about his and Jordan’s business or their divorce, and she says, that’s just it. After everything he and Jordan have overcome to be together, and she includes herself in that, they can’t just quit on each other. Given the time, they can work it out. He asks what she means by given the time, and she says, only that he and Jordan are together, and she’d say that to anyone. He says he has the feeling she already did.

Alexis says, this is partly Shawn’s fault. He knows he shouldn’t have told Molly. He says, because keeping things from Molly always works out so well. She hadn’t been able to reach Alexis. She was going to find out. He wanted Molly to watch her back so she didn’t rush into anything blindly. Molly might be idealistic, and even naïve, but she’s still smart. Smart enough to avoid trouble like Judge Carson, now that she knows about her. Alexis hopes he’s right. She has to believe that because she really has no other choice. He tells her, remember, Molly’s got people to lean on, and at this moment, she needs Alexis to work on herself. Focus on getting out of solitary. Can she do that? She says she doesn’t know, and he says, if she gets anxious, close her eyes, focus on her breathing, and stay in the moment, one breath to the next. She says she’ll do her best, and Henry says it’s time for them to go back to their cells.

There’s a knock on Jordan’s office door, and she says, come in. It’s Martin, and she asks if he has something for her. He says, only a recording of a very incriminating conversation with Judge Carson. We see Molly and TJ are in the office, and Molly says, the dishonorable Judge Carson is going down.

Tomorrow, Curtis asks where Stella gets off telling Portia something like that, Jordan asks what Molly wants her to do, Maxie asks what someone is doing in Port Charles, and Carly is going to let Jason break the happy news.

🗯 What I Should Have Said…

A teeny bit late, but saying goodbye to the old, and welcoming the new. Spencer is all Rico Suave now.

As General Hospital Unveils Its New Spencer, Nicolas Bechtel Takes a Bow: Hey, ‘It’s Been a Great Run’

https://www.digitaljournal.com/entertainment/nicholas-alexander-chavez-is-cast-as-the-new-spencer-cassadine-on-general-hospital/article

Million Dollar Listing New York

We learned KJ had moved to Rye when she was 11, and had her first listing there. NYC had been hit hard with covid, and people were moving to places like Rye. She didn’t usually sell outside NYC, but thought it was a unique opportunity to use her skills in another market, plus, it was her home town. She joined agent Kim at the property, where they met with owners Ravi and Lisa. KJ said she wasn’t used to so much green, and she didn’t mean money. The house was 5700 square feet, with 20 foot ceilings, 5 bedrooms, 5.5 baths, and ¾ of an acre. The kitchen was massive, with Miele appliances, and the primary bathroom had a jacuzzi and heated floors, but the coolest thing was a secret passage from the upstairs into a bedroom above the garage. In KJ’s interview, she said one of her greatest strengths was her honesty with sellers. They needed to hear from an expert what modifications had to be made for the property to sell. She told the couple what she thought needed to be updated, and believed $3.8 million was the highest they could go (her potential commission being $114K). The owners agreed, but hoped for a bidding war.

Fredrik was driving his convertible Bentley in L.A., but said he was in constant communication with his team in NYC. The 10^th Avenue property was a test to see if the bi-coastal thing would work. If you remember, Fredrik participated in the showings as a robot – i.e. an iPad on a stick – and he said the showings were a massive success. He got two offers, one of $6 million and another just under that. He thought any offers were an accomplishment considering the market. He grooved to the stereo in his car, saying, since nightclubs were closed, the car was the new dance floor. He drove to Palm Springs to visit property owner John, and the temperature was 116 F. I will never, ever live in Palm Springs. He’d sold John the apartment in 2009, but John was retiring with his partner, and Fredrik wanted to do his best for him. He explained that NYC wasn’t doing too well, plus it was an election year, and no matter what, the uncertainty affected the market. There was also the pandemic, and around 40,000 apartments available. If he wanted to sell now, Fredrik thought they should entertain the offers. They’d asked $6.95 million, and John said he was disappointed. He’d hired Fredrik because he was supposed to be the best, but it looked like he’d be losing money. Fredrik called the two brokers involved, and the best he could do was get the $6 million as a firm offer. John decided to wait it out. BTW, Fredrik and Derek’s twins certainly grew.

Ryan was involved with developer Avi’s 138 unit, humongous building in Brooklyn. In Ryan’s interview, he said it was going to be the most luxurious new development project Brooklyn had ever seen. Avi was tough, but Ryan said he was nothing if not persistent. He’d sent Avi a tree because he wanted to grow the relationship, along with a video marketing the building as if they were already hired. He told us, play it like you’ve got the money in your pocket. It worked, because Ryan got the building. He had a lively discussion with driver Yuriy about how many floors it was, Ryan explaining it was 21 floors, and Yuriy insisting it was 155. Ryan said Yuriy had to work on his Russian counting. The building façade was now entirely up, and inside, the rooms had been formed. Ryan had been worried the project would stop after non-essential workers had been non-working for four months. His potential commission was a heart-stopping $9 million, but dropped to $0 when Avi told him to put it on hold; they were possible doing rentals. He told Ryan the election was bringing nerve to market, and covid was still very real. They had decisions to make, and might have to pivot. Where was Brooklyn going to be in a year? Ryan was sure the market would bounce back, but Avi wasn’t budging.

KJ set up a picnic for potential buyers and brokers, so they could wait in the backyard comfortably, while waiting for their private tours. She said when she was growing up, she didn’t know what her career path would be, just that it would be fabulous. We saw a lot of old photos.

Fredrik said having twins and a big-ass career was a lot. He had one phone for the East Coast, and another for the West Coast. He approached Derek about possibly having more kids, but Derek thought life was going by too fast as it was, and they hardly had time together. In Fredrik’s interview, he said he understood, but didn’t want to look back and think coulda, shoulda, woulda. We flashed back over their journey to parenthood, and Fredrik told Derek, he’d finally found some friends on his level with the twins. Derek said he just didn’t want their life to get too complicated, and Fredrik said if Derek wanted simple, Derek shouldn’t have married him.

The owners had taken KJ’s advice, and she said the small changes would make a big difference. The picnic was set up, and it was adorable, with round blankets that had picnic baskets in the center. KJ said there was no comparison to the space you got there to what you’d get in the city. It was lush, private, and large, and what New Yorkers wanted to move to. Kim entertained in the backyard, while KJ did the showings. KJ’s mom, with the unfortunate name of Karen, came along with some buyers as their interior designer. In KJ’s interview, she said her mom had been in the business for 38 years. Tyler brought a couple who were his clients, and in her interview, KJ said before the pandemic, she and Tyler weren’t the best of friends. We flashed back to that, and KJ said that during quarantine, Tyler had FaceTimed her and apologized. We saw a clip of their conversation, and in Tyler’s interview, he said it had been his ego talking.

KJ said her mother had a lot of opinions, but she just let her talk during showings because it was usually going in the right direction. Sometimes she even paid her mom commission. She thought it was a great event. It had showcased the property well, everyone had a good time, and they had perfect weather. She’d gotten incredible feedback, and hoped for an offer.

Fredrik said the $6 million wasn’t the best offer, but in this market, it was. John rethought things, and decided it was the best they were going to get in the near future. It took him like ten minutes to spit it out. Fredrik’s commission was $180K, and he was thrilled with his first deal in NYC from L.A. It made him a true bi-coastal hustler, and his rap name was Six Percent.

Next time, Steve has a farmers market at Artemis Farm, a client is unhappy with Fredrik, and a germophobe doesn’t want to live where someone has lived before. Shades of Teresa from RHONJ.

🐎 Happy Trails To You…

It’s that time again, the end of another work week, or five sunrises and sunsets for those who are in non-work mode. Tea time tomorrow, Friday soap, and whatever quotes I’ve picked up. For right now, stay safe, stay extraordinary, and stay calling out the dishonorable.

Jul8

July 7, 2021 – Bad News Travels Fast In Port Charles, Sutton Has Enough Of Crystal, NYC Goes To Salem, VanderPup Marathon & Dawn

Posted on July 8, 2021 by theresakp

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Sonny and Phyllis walk through a 4^th of July celebration, and Phyllis hands Sonny a flag. She tells him that Lenny is going to join them at the parade. He loves the high school band, and the majorettes in the unforms that are always a little too snug. He says he misses Lenny, but he’s glad Phyllis talked him into taking it easy tonight. She says, what about him? He seems to be working like crazy. Why doesn’t he take it easy, and enjoy some rare time off?

Dante asks if Sam and Elizabeth really started the fire, and Elizabeth says, it was just some harmless fun. Finn says they might not want to say anymore, and Sam says, please. Everything was under control… until she had a little bit of tequila. Maybe a lot. Dante says, that’s funny. All these buildings are full of flammable materials. One spark, the whole thing goes up. Sam says, boom, and Elizabeth says, but it didn’t. He says that’s not the point, and Sam says, seriously, take off the badge; it’s a holiday. Elizabeth gets up and says she’s taking Sam home, but Dante says, no one’s going anywhere. Not until he gets some answers. Sam says, or what? and he says, or he takes them down to the station.

Cameron says, if Dev hadn’t made him think Josslyn wasn’t into him, what would have happened? Would they have gotten together after they kissed at the dance? Would they be together now? She says she doesn’t know. They never got the chance to find out.

Maxie rocks Louise/Bailey, and says she’s so happy to see her. She’s missed her so much. With all her heart and soul. Monica comes in, and Maxie says, isn’t she beautiful? Monica says, yes, she is. She’s gorgeous. Can she hold Bailey? Maxie seems hesitant.

Anna and Valentin kiss, and Anna asks what he’s doing. None of that. He says he kissed her, and if you ask him, it’s long overdue. Ditto if you ask me.

Obrecht meets Nina at Charlie’s and they hug. Obrecht says their paths have barely crossed since Nina has been back in town. Nina says she knows, but now they have time to catch up. Tell her everything. How is she? Obrecht says, so much has happened, she wouldn’t know where to start, and Nina says, all good, I hope. Obrecht says, some wonderful, some heart-wrenching, but they can talk about her later. Nina is the one who’s been off on an adventure. Nina says, that’s one way of putting it, and Obrecht asks, what exactly is out there that’s kept her away from Port Charles for so long?

Sonny says, if the heat continues, he may take Phyllis up on her offer, and she asks what the weather has to do with it. She takes out her keys, and says, take her car. Go visit Nina in Port Charles. She holds the keys out to him.

Carly says sorry Jason has to stick around for Vincent Novak’s sake. She knows he’d rather be at the bridge. He says, wouldn’t she? and she says, hell yeah. The view of the fireworks is much better from there. He says he’ll survive, and she tells him, she used to resent that bridge. She hated it because it was a Jason and Robin thing. It felt very off-limits to her. (Have I mentioned that I hate Carly?) He says he took her there himself, and she says, it’s a girl thing. They should go back to the bridge one day. He says, whenever she wants. Deal? She says, deal. Britt and Jax come out of the elevator, laughing, and walk over to the bar. Carly asks if they’re together, and Britt says, sure are. Small world, isn’t it?

Elizabeth says, the station? and Dante says, yeah. Sam gets up, and says so he wants to detain them? Arrest them? She holds out her wrists, and he says he wasn’t going to take it that far, but he could have them for drunk and disorderly, public disturbance… She pushes him, and asks why he doesn’t add assaulting a cop while he’s at it. He says, right here, pointing to his cheek, and she takes a swing at him, but fails miserably, nearly falling. He tries to grab her, but they both fall in the water.

Josslyn asks if Cameron and Dev ever talked about… He says, they talked around it, kind of. The more he thinks about that last night, the more he thinks Dev wanted to come clean about that journal. She says, he just ran out of time. It’s so stupid. He says, what? and she says, why didn’t they all just talk to each other, and say how they were really feeling? He says, that would have made things a little easier, but she says, it would have made them real. Instead, they were just pretending. He says she has no idea. Does she remember when he helped her make Oscar jealous? She says, yeah. He brought it up a couple months ago, and let it drop. He says, if he’d had the courage to finish what he was saying, it was that when he was pretending to be into her, he wasn’t pretending at all.

Monica suggests they put Bailey back in the carriage, but Maxie says, it’s okay. Monica says Maxie’s arms must be getting tired, but Maxie says she could hold this little peanut all day long. Monica asks if she doesn’t want to spend some time with James and Georgie, and Maxie says, they’re with her mom and Mac, which allowed her to spend some time with this little one. Brook walks in, and Monica says she’s sure Bailey wants to see her mommy.

Anna backs away from Valentin, and says, this is inappropriate. He moves forward until her back is to the railing, and says, is it? She says, it’s not their relationship; it’s never been their relationship. He says maybe he’s crazy, but it felt like she kissed him back. She says, okay, fine. She kissed him back, but it can’t happen again.

Sonny thanks Phyllis for the offer, but says, it’s no time to take a vacation. She asks what he’s afraid of. That Nina’s happy where she is without him, or if he goes and tells her how he feels, she might just say she feels the same way?

Obrecht says, what’s waiting for Nina back in that Pennsylvania town? Or is it a who? Nina says, Obrecht just assumes there’s a man? and Obrecht says, is there?… There is. Nina says, yes, there is. She met someone and it’s really good for her. She believes it’s really good for him. Obrecht says, that’s wonderful. Does this mystery man have a name, and does she have any pictures? Nina says, Mike, and Obrecht says, Mike, how industrial. Mike…? Nina says, Mike, and Obrecht says, no last name, no photos… Ach nein. Tell her he’s not married.

Britt says it’s not really a surprise they’d all run into each other. Carly owns the hotel, Britt’s room is downstairs. It’s so nice, by the way. Doesn’t Jax think her room is nice? I laugh, and Jax says, very. Britt says, speaking of surprises, Carly and Jason. Wow. Carly says, kind of like Britt and Jax, and Jax says he and Britt actually discovered they have a lot in common. Vincent Novak watches, and Jason suggests he and Carly get a table. Carly tells Britt and Jax to enjoy their evening, and Britt says, them too. Carly and Jason go to sit down, and Jax asks if Britt is okay. She says she could use some air, and they go out on the terrace. Carly tells Jason, Britt and Jax came there because they knew Jason would be there. And they’re sleeping together. Does he realize they’re sleeping together? Jason says, thanks, Captain Obvious. Not really, but he should.

Sam and Dante are out of the water, and Sam says, it was just an accident. She’s thankful for it, because it’s like, 90 degrees out there, and now she’s cooled off. Dante tells her that she’s skating on really, really thin ice right now, and Sam yells, melted ice! Cuz it’s hot! Elizabeth says, obviously, they acted impulsively, arguably stupidly… Dante says, arguably? and Elizabeth says, there were mitigating circumstances. He says he’s listening. What was it? Sam was declaring her independence. From what? Sam says, not what; who. Elizabeth says, obviously they haven’t heard about the big engagement, and Sam says, Carly and Jason are getting married.

Cameron says he’s liked Josslyn for as long as he can remember. That doesn’t take away from their friendship; he thinks it actually strengthens it. She says, because the trust is already there, and he says, right. She’s someone he can talk about anything with. She says they should try that sometime, and he says, she’s someone who’s been there with him since he was a kid. Someone who’ll give him a kick in the butt if he needs one. She says, and then some, and he says, it’s really special. She says she knows, because that’s exactly how she feels about him.

Brook thanks Maxie for watching the baby, and Maxie says, any time. Monica says they were just going to put her down for a nap. Maxie says, good idea, and Brook moves to take her, and Maxie says, watch her head. Brook asks Maxie if she’d go to the nursery and grab the fuzzy blanket with the ducks; it’s Bailey’s favorite. Maxie says they can’t have Bailey getting cold, and Brook thanks her. Maxie says, no problem, and goes upstairs. Monica tells Brook that she’s got to disagree with Maxie. They have a big problem.

Anna tells Valentin, things have been stressful for her lately, and obviously, she’s not thinking clearly. He says, obviously, and she says she doesn’t know what happened. He says, it’s called a kiss, and she says, it’s called proximity. He says, so if the mailman had been there, she would have kissed him instead? and she tells him, don’t try to be cute. He says he doesn’t have to try, and she says they’re all entitled to errors in judgement, and this is not irrevocable by any means. He says he thought it was a good kiss. She says, it was, but that’s not the point. The point is, the two of them, and everything they’ve been to each other over the years. That’s why this is wrong on so many levels. He says, it won’t happen again, and she says, no. He says, why not? and she asks if he’s not listening to everything she’s saying. He says she’s so beautiful and enchanting – he pulls her to him – and he’s wanted her for years. She says, that’s the other problem. He just doesn’t see her clearly; he never did. That’s why none of this is real. He says it felt pretty real to him.

Nina asks if she and Obrecht can talk about something else. Her phone rings, and she sees it’s Mike/Sonny. She decides to ignore it. Sonny gets voicemail. He says he was wondering how her 4^th of July was going, and hopes she’s having fun. Obrecht asks if it was him, and why didn’t Nina answer? Nina asks if she’s always been this nosey, and Obrecht says, yah. Nina says she has actual news she needs to tell Obrecht, but the only reason she’s telling her is because it directly affects Britt. Obrecht asks, what is it? and Nina says, Britt and Jason have gotten really close. Obrecht says, finally, the man who’s a match for her Britta, and vice versa. Nina says she’s sorry. She hates to be the one to tell Obrecht, but Jason and Carly are getting married. Obrecht looks crestfallen.

Carly tells says she’s so sorry. She knows this must be hard for Jason. He says, Britt can do whatever she wants, and Carly says, she’s rebounding so hard, she might as well be on a trampoline. And so is Jax. He’s supposed to be so in love with Nina, why the hell is he jumping into bed with Britt? Jason says it’s none of their business, and Carly looks miffed. Good. I hope he starts telling her to shut up. Vincent approaches their table, and says he tried to pay his tab, but was told it’s on the house. He thanks them for their hospitality. Carly says, of course (🍷), and he says, congratulations again. Expect a wedding gift from the Novak family. Carly says they love gifts, and Vincent leaves with his crew. She tells Jason, that went well, and he says, as well as it could. She says, now that Novak is gone, she’s going to talk to Jax. Jason tells her, don’t, but she says she didn’t listen to him before, and she’s not listening now that they’re getting married. She walks out to the terrace.

Dante says, if he’s shocked, he can only imagine how Sam is feeling right now. She says she’s fine, but he says she doesn’t seem fine. No offense. Finn goes over to Elizabeth, and asks if she’s okay. She says she and Jason were over a long time ago. It’s Sam she’s worried about. She just didn’t want Sam to be by herself. He says, that’s nice to hear, and when Sam suggested pyrotechnics, Elizabeth couldn’t talk her out of it? She says, well… and he says, it was her idea? She says it may have been her idea, but it was for a good cause, and nobody got hurt. He looks at Dante, and says, almost no one. Dante tells Sam, come on, and she asks where they’re going. He says she’ll see, and she asks if he’s taking her to the station. He says, no. Does she trust him? She says she doesn’t know. Does she? He takes her hand, and tells Finn that he’ll make sure Sam gets home. Finn says he’ll do the same there, indicating Elizabeth. Dante leaves with Sam.

Josslyn says, for the longest time, she thought she was betraying Oscar by having feelings for Cameron, so she never acted on it. He says he felt that too. Like somehow he’d be taking advantage of the fact Oscar was gone. She says, imagine if they’d just talked about this like normal people, and he suggests they talk about it now.

Brook puts Bailey in her carriage, and Monica says, if Brook heard what she heard, and she did, she’d know the situation is very serious. Brook says she doesn’t know if she’d call it a situation, and Monica says, if Maxie is using Bailey as a substitute for her pain, that’s very unhealthy.

Anna says she knows Valentin has a dark past, and all these demons and things, and she’s always been unattainable to him or whatever, but go see a shrink. He can’t go around kissing her to work it out. He asks what her therapist would say about her kissing him, and Anna tells him, she would say that he’s the avatar for all her mistakes, and she feels he has empathy for those mistakes. That’s the reason she’s drawn to him, and blah-blah-blah psychobabble. He says she gets him like nobody gets him, and she says, don’t do that. Don’t do the whole shorthand thing. He says so she admits there’s a shorthand with them, and she says, yes, but… He says, but nothing. They understand one another. He’s fascinated by her, and he’s intensely attracted to her. He doesn’t want to apologize for that.

Sonny tells Phyllis that he tried calling Nina, but she didn’t pick up. He guesses she’s busy with her grandson. She says, probably, but she bets Nina is wondering what he’s up to. She’d be jealous as all hell to find out they’re feasting on barbecues and beers before watching the fireworks. He says, it’s pretty nice, huh? and she says, like heaven. Just missing one sweet blonde angel. He laughs.

Britt tells Jax, she’s sorry he had to see that. It was childish and snarky. She’d say it’s way beneath her, but thinks they both know that would be a lie. He says he doesn’t mind that she’s picking a fight with Carly, but he wants to warn her that it’s an unpleasant experience. She says, please. She grew up with Liesl Obrecht. Carly doesn’t scare her. The devil herself walks out, and asks if she can have a moment with Jax. Britt asks Jax if he’d like to have a moment with Carly, and he says, sure. Britt says she’ll be at the bar, and leaves. Carly whacks Jax with her hand, and tells him, stop being fake. She gets that they’re consenting adults, but what’s wrong with him? He knows Britt fell hard for Jason. Don’t take advantage of that. He says he’s tempted to say, if she knew about Britt’s feelings, why didn’t she restrain herself? and she says, but he’s not going to say that at all. He says he thinks it’s kinder this way, saving Britt from what Carly put the others through. She says, what others? and he says, Robin, Courtney, Elizabeth, Sam. They all thought they had something special with Jason, right? But the truth is, they didn’t, because she has this stranglehold on Jason, and refuses to let go.

Jason sits by Britt at the bar, and heaves a sigh. I want to smack him. He says, Carly doesn’t know about the Huntington’s, and she says, okay, refusing to look at him. He says, nobody does. He hasn’t told anyone, and he’s not going to. He knows they’ve been over this, but he wants to make something absolutely clear. Just because he’s marrying Carly, doesn’t mean he’s bailing on her. He’s there for her, whatever she needs. She guesses it’s her turn to be clear, since it obviously didn’t sink in the first time. Go to hell.

Finn tells Elizabeth, it’s just him there; she doesn’t have to worry about Sam’s feelings. It’s okay if she’s feeling upset about Carly and Jason. She says Sam was feeling upset about Carly and Jason. She’s not upset, and she’s not surprised. Carly and Jason always came first with each other, everyone else be damned. He says he’s heard that before about a certain person and the WSB. No matter who you are, you always come in second. She says, look at them. Misery loves company. He tells her, that’s what they say, but he’s not miserable. Is she? She says, no. Not right now anyway.

Josslyn asks where they start, and Cameron says, the dance might be a good place, where they kissed. She says, for the record, it was an awesome kiss; she really loved it. He says he thought so, the way she kissed back. Then the Dev stuff happened. She says she kept hoping he’d bring it up, but he never did, so she assumed the kiss didn’t mean anything. He says, she thought it didn’t mean anything? and she asks how she was supposed to know. He says, it meant everything, but she says, it was so long ago. So much life has passed. They can’t go back. He says, maybe not, but maybe they can move forward.

Valentin says, if Anna is telling him it’s more than she can do right now, that’s fine; no harm, no foul. She says don’t make it about her being weak and not being able to handle it. It’s that she can’t be interested in him that way, and she never will. He asks if she’s sure, and she tells him, don’t stand there thinking he’s all irresistible. He says he is irresistible, and she laughs, saying, oh my God.

Dante and Sam go into Charlie’s, and Sam says she’ll buy the coffee. It’s the least she can do. He says he’s buying; she had a rough night. She says, that’s no excuse. Obrecht approaches them, and says, so it’s true. Jason and Carly are getting married. Sam says, word does get around. It’s true. Jason and Carly are getting married. Obrecht sits back down, and Nina says she’s so sorry. The news seems to be hitting Obrecht hard. Is she going to be okay? Obrecht says she just thought her Britta had a chance at happiness. What if it’s the last one she gets?

Britt says, Jason made his choice – Carly. Let’s move on. Jason doesn’t get to marry Carly, then make himself feel better by swooping in and protecting her. She doesn’t need help. She’s strong enough to deal with her diagnosis on her own. He says he knows, but he gave her his word, and his word means something. She says, really? Then something more important came up? She gets it. They’ve known each other three months, and he and Carly have been friends for decades. Of course (🍷) Carly is the one he’s committing to, and she gets kicked to the curb. He says, that’s not… She says, what happened? and he says, that’s not how he felt. Britt meant something to him; she still does. She says, there is no choice where everyone gets everything. It’s impossible. Even Superman had to pick a lane. (Ha-ha! Nerd joke.) Does he want to do something for her? He says, anything, and she says, be honest, and admit he’s been in love with Carly all along.

Jax says, it was inevitable, and Carly asks, what was? He says she just had to come first in Jason’s life. As soon as Sonny died, it was inevitable that she and Jason… She says, watch it, and he tells her, he’s not saying she didn’t love Sonny; he knows she did. But it was convenient that Jason was Sonny’s best friend. She could be Sonny’s wife, but keep a grip on her fallback. She says, Jason’s not a fallback, and Jax says, he’s much more than that, isn’t he? He was an idiot to think this might be a way out of this life for her. The irony is, Jason would have let her go. Sonny, probably not, but Jason would have. But it’s not what she wanted. She wanted Jason, and he comes with the mob. So here she is, as cemented in this life as ever.

Finn says, it’s nice sometimes, just letting everything go, and Elizabeth says, for a little while. She might be hungover in the morning. He says, that might be a distinct possibility. She tells him, it’s worth it. The fireworks start, and she says, they’re starting. She watches the fireworks, and Finn watches her.

Josslyn says, Cameron asked what would have happened if Dev hadn’t forged her journal, but she said she didn’t know. She says she knows what she wanted to happen, and he says, him too. He kisses her, and fireworks go off. Literally.

Monica tells Brook that Maxie is talking as if Bailey is her own baby. She thinks Maxie needs counseling. She’s going to talk to Mac and Felicia. Brook says, Maxie is a grown woman. Monica doesn’t need to go to her parents. Monica says, then who else? and Brook says she’ll talk to Maxie. She’ll voice Monica’s concerns, gently of course (🍷), and try to make her understand. Monica says, and if she can’t? Brook says, then they’ll revisit the parent option. She promises she’ll be careful. Maxie walks in, and says, careful about what?

Anna says, Valentin is endlessly resistible to her, and he says, but he’s charming. She says, charming, yes. He’s somewhat amoral, but he’s a good father; she’ll give him that. But then he solves his problems with blackmail and murder. He’ll just encourage her to give in to her worst impulses. That’s just it. He’s a terrible influence on her. He says, her worst impulses are the sexiest he’s ever seen, and he couldn’t influence her if he wanted to. She says she’s going to keep it that way.

Sam and Dante look at the fireworks, and Dante says, for what it’s worth (🍷), he thinks Jason messed up. He had the chance of a lifetime, and didn’t take it. If it had been him, he’d have chosen her. Sam moves toward him, and they kiss.

Jason says, he’ll always love Carly. She always took him as she found him. Britt says, so did she, and he says, he and Carly have been to hell and back; name it, and it happened to them. But that doesn’t mean he didn’t love the other women he’s been with, because he did. With Carly, it’s not more or less; she’s just a part of him. Britt says, who wouldn’t want to be loved like that? She’ll give Carly this much; she knows it, and knows the good thing she has in him. She loves him as much as he loves her, so congratulations. She hopes they’ll be happy together. She walks away from the bar.

Carly says, nothing Jax is laying out is as simple as he makes it. She’ll tell him this, and he can believe it or not. Marrying Jason is the best choice she could make for her family. He says he knows she believes that. That’s what makes it so damn sad. Britt comes out, and says Carly’s fiancé is waiting, and Carly goes back inside.

Elizabeth says Finn isn’t the only one who needs a break from everything. He doesn’t want to start a fire, but he thinks he knows where she’s coming from. Elizabeth puts her head on his shoulder, and he says, the last few weeks, spending time with her, he doesn’t think she realizes how much it meant to him. How important she is to him. He looks at her, but she’s asleep, and he smiles.

Josslyn tells Cameron, that was awful. She laughs, and says she’s kidding. He says she’s the worst, and she says she knows. He says she’s his best friend, and she says she knows. She tells him that she has to get going. She has to get Donna and Avery. He says he should probably get Jake and Aiden at the pool, and they say goodnight. Josslyn starts to walk away, but he calls her back. He asks if she wants to hang out some time, and she says, when? He says, tomorrow? but she says she can’t tomorrow; she’s already made plans… But she thinks she can cancel them. He says, cool, and she says, cool. She leaves, and he looks up at the fireworks.

Brook tells Maxie that she was talking about being careful with the temperature. The AC can get aggressive, and they don’t want Bailey to freeze. Maxie picks up a blanket, and Brook says, got it, taking it out of her hand. Brook puts it on the baby, and Maxie says she was checking out the nursery. Monica says, it’s so sweet, and Maxie says, the sweetest nursery for the sweetest girl in the whole world.

Valentin says he can’t force Anna to see things the way he did, and she says, he can’t. He says, if it’s just a kiss, he’ll take it, but if she wants more, she knows where to find him. She asks why he keeps doing that. Act like he’s backing off, then do the opposite. He says because she denies it, when she knows there’s more pulling them together than pushing them apart. She says she’s not going to stand there, dissecting kiss didn’t mean anything. He knows who she has to find. If he hears anything from his contacts, let her know. He says, absolutely, darling, and she leaves.

Dante says, sorry, and Sam says she can’t do this. She walks away, and he sits outside Charlie’s.

Nina says she knows Obrecht is worried about her daughter. She’s sorry Obrecht has to go through this heartache, but she thinks the situation is something Britt will figure out on her own. Obrecht asks how that’s working out for Nina. Any idea what comes next?

Phyllis tells Mike/Sonny that she’s sure Nina will call back after her time with her family. He says, God knows he’s enjoying spending time with his family. Everyone watches the fireworks.

Carly tells Jason, Jax knows how to stick the knife in and twist it. Not like Sonny, where it was just cheap shots. The problem is, a big part of her is afraid Jax might be right. Jason says, come on, and she asks, where? He says, if they go to the bridge, they’ll miss the fireworks, and they walk outside. He says, they’re doing what they have to do. Whatever happens, he’s glad he’s there with her. She says, her too; happy 4^th. She hugs him, and Britt watches.

Tomorrow, Nikolas talks to Martin about the divorce, Curtis asks if Jordan is going to fight their divorce, and Stella tells TJ, it ain’t over til it’s over.

The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills

The show started at a party, with Sutton asking Crystal why she’s so defensive, and Crystal saying Sutton is upset because she’s jealous. Sutton says, jealous of what? Crystal’s ugly leather pants? Sutton left the party, trailed by LisaR asking, what happened?

3 days earlier. In LisaR’s interview, she explained that Harry’s three specialties were Harry’s meat, which was Kobe beef, blueberry pie, and bolognaise. He was the domestic one, and no one wanted her cooking. She was a great cheerleader though, and could make you feel fabulous while you’re doing all the work. Sounds like a position I’d like. Erika, Crystal, and a couple of Crystal’s friends went to Kathy’s place to use her tennis court. In Erika’s interview, she said, Kathy told them, just let yourself in, and that’s what was great about friends like Kathy. Erika was trying to motivate herself to go out and do things, and not wallow. So she was there… and she was terrible. Erika spoke the truth. I probably play better, and I stink. In Crystal’s interview, she said she was a total tomboy, and seriously into sports. A lot of people said she was competitive, but whoever said that was probably a loser. I think Crystal’s problem is, she wants to be a cool girl, and ends up just sounding mean. More like a cool girl who rules by fear, and ends up on the losing end, like Regina George. I will give her this, she’s a good tennis player, and she and Erika ended up winning the match even though Erika was the worst. In her interview, Crystal said that Erika’s willingness was a 10, but her skill level was a 2. They had lunch with Kathy, and Erika said her new place was in shambles, Kathy said, but it was hers, and Erika agreed. She said she was trying to be social, and Kathy asked if she’d been social when she was married, Erika said, all the time, but it was all business. It was all of what Tom wanted. In her interview, Erika said, it was all set up already; she just inserted herself. Just because you have a lot of money doesn’t mean you’re independent. She had no housekeeper or gardener now, but she valued her privacy. Plus, she could throw her sh*t all over because it was her place. Kathy said Erika’s smile seemed genuine and not forced. I have to note, Kathy has several dogs, but one is either a Pekingese or a Peke mix. Information you need to know…

Kyle and family took their Christmas card photo, all wearing matching red PJs. Kathy came by, and pulled an amazing amount of items out of her bag. In her interview, she said you could find everything in her bag; socks, extra shoes, a sweater, a pair of sandals for a pedicure… In Kyle’s interview, she added carpet samples, drapery samples, and wallpaper samples. I carry a lot of stuff too, but never home goods samples. Kathy said she’d talked to Kim for three hours, and Kyle said she was worried about Kim being in quarantine. Kathy said she’d asked if Kim wanted to come along, but Kim said she was too nervous. She also gave Kyle the news that Kim had changed her phone number. We saw a clip of Kyle telling Mauricio that she and Kim weren’t talking, and the relationship was strained. At times, they were okay, but it seemed hard to get all three of them on the same page at the same time. Kyle said she had a husband, children, and dogs, but Kim was by herself. Kathy said Kim claimed all this was supposed to have happened, so they could have quiet time, and figure out where they wanted to be in life.

LisaR visited Erika in her new home, which we found out costs $9500 a month to rent. LisaR said it had a good vibe, and in her interview, she said it gave her a hopeful feeling seeing Erika in her own space that she created. It wasn’t easy to go from a life where you had help and everything was done for you, to doing everything yourself. In Erika’s interview, a producer asked if she had money concerns, and she said she did, but she’d also had a bunch of lucrative projects in a row, like her book, being on Broadway, and several collaborations. She had enough for her little house. Sutton joined them, and brought Erika a housewarming gift of Dolce & Gabbana’s book, Queens. In Sutton’s interview, she said, what better housewarming present? When Erika was sad and lonely, she could see Sutton’s picture – twice. She told Erika that she hated to say it, but she seemed happier, and Erika said there was only so much time you could have with someone before you wanted to talk about real things. In her interview, Erika said she’d mentioned to Tom that she was seeing a shrink, and all he said was, okay. Because what does she have to be depressed about? Sutton said Crystal wasn’t willing to back up, and say maybe she used the wrong word. LisaR asked if Crystal was still talking about it, and Sutton said the peeping Tom thing needed to be dropped. In her interview, she said she didn’t think peeping Toms knocked on the door. They peeped.

Garcelle’s son Jax was learning Japanese, and got frustrated when Garcelle made to much noise in the background while he was taking his online class. In Garcelle’s interview, she said, being trapped inside with two teenage boys was maddening. They were home schooling, and everyone was on top of each other. She found herself going to the pantry for a quick shot of tequila. She was on the teenage hormone train, and didn’t know what was coming next. Last week, Jaid wanted her all to himself, but this week, he wanted nothing to do with her. When she was growing up, she wasn’t allowed to have those emotions.

LisaR had Harry prepare an Italian meal for the women, and in her interview, she said that Harry had lived in Italy for three years; it was in his blood. He had LisaR taste-test sauces, and LisaR discovered she liked the one with the tomatoes from their garden the best, which made sense, since they’d be freshest. In LisaR’s interview, she said Garcelle had wanted a birthday party, but couldn’t have one due to covid. They were still in the process of repairing their relationship, but knew she couldn’t force it. At the end of the day, they might not end up being great friends. Kyle visited Dorit, who had a fabulous Christmas village set up. Kyle said Dorit made her feel like an underachiever, and Dorit said Kyle had three trees. Kyle said, but she didn’t have a Santa village. In Dorit’s interview, she said she’d mostly designed swimwear and leisurewear, but was moving into bridal. Designer Nektoria had reached out to her to collaborate on a wedding dress line, and she couldn’t wait to see the first bride walk down the aisle in her design. She’d wanted something comfortable, but special, for her own wedding, and wished she’d designed her own dress.

Harry welcomed the women to Napolitano, where they sat at an amazing outside table under an arbor. In Dorit’s interview, she said Harry was a gourmet chef, while PK specialized in, babe, can you get me a sandwich? Harry pointed out that their pool wasn’t for them. It was so their kids would come back with their kids. Kyle said she’d been Amelia’s age when she had her first child, nearly giving Harry apoplexy. When Sutton arrived, someone – I think Kathy – said, hi, Thomasina, which did not go over well. Sutton said she was ready for that to end. Garcelle reminisced about being there for a party where she and LisaR had been on the dance floor all night. In her interview, she said her assistant had been her date, and she hadn’t remembered stumbling out. Harry joined them for the meal, and LisaR said that the girls were going to Cabo for Thanksgiving. They’d originally planned on meeting them, but were concerned about the borders closing because of covid. It was the first time she wouldn’t be spending Thanksgiving with the girls or Lois. She wasn’t asking a lot of questions about Amelia and Scott, and Crystal chimed in that Rob was older, but they were the exception. Of course they are. Crystal is also a can-you-top-this person. LisaR said she was trying to be easy with it, but the tabloids had them engaged. In her interview, she said her mom saw one at the market, and called her asking if it was true. That’s what she was dealing with. Harry said the age difference between him and Ursula Andress was 14 years. He’d been 29 and she was 44 when they had their son. In her interview, LisaR said, you never think it will come back to haunt you when you have kids. Harry ate, then dashed to the kitchen, bringing out a cake. Garcelle’s birthday wish was, she wanted him hung like a horse, and Harry told her to be careful what she wished for. Garcelle said she probably wouldn’t know where to put it. She said she appreciated the party, especially LisaR throwing it. In Garcelle’s interview, she said last year, it was a rocky road with her and LisaR. They needed to figure out if they had a friendship and what it looked like. That LisaR was making an effort, definitely meant something.

It was present time, and Crystal, Kathy, and Kyle kicked in to get Garcelle a duplicate of a ring she’d admired on Crystal. Erika gave Garcelle a fluffy jacket that was no doubt cashmere, and Dorit gave her a designer cap. Kyle asked Sutton what was wrong, and Sutton said she didn’t like being where she didn’t like people. Kyle asked who she didn’t like, and Sutton shifted her eyes to Crystal. Kyle told Sutton to come with her, and they went to a bar out in the yard. Sutton said she wanted to go home, and Kyle asked what she’d missed. Nothing had happened. Sutton said to tell the truth, she had a difficult time being fake, and in her interview, she said it was hard to sit across the table from someone who obviously didn’t like her. She told Kyle that Crystal had been talking bad behind her back, and was looking smug at her. I have to agree here. Crystal smirks a lot. Sutton said it was wearing at her, and she still felt weird. Crystal had talked behind Sutton’s back, Sutton had tried to say her piece, and Crystal never apologized. In Kyle’s interview, she said this wasn’t the Sutton she knew. Sutton was being extremely emotional and irrational. Yeah, let’s not even get into what a very poor judge of character Kyle is. If someone was smirking like that at me all the time, I’d be hard pressed not to wipe it off their face, but Sutton doesn’t know what to do because she’s polite. She told Kyle that she wasn’t over being told she violated someone. Kyle said Crystal had told them she didn’t mean sexually, and we flashed back to that.

At the table, LisaR screeched that they should do shots, and everyone chanted, shots, shots, shots! Sutton told Kyle, she was so not okay, and she couldn’t get it together. Garcelle turned into that person, and came over, asking, are you crying? very loudly. Sutton gave the standard reply that she had bad allergies. In Garcelle’s interview, she said she thought Sutton was more hormonal than her kids. Sutton said she was upset about the insinuations. It was hard to pretend things were great, and hunky dory when they weren’t. In Kathy’s interview, she wondered if Hunky Dory was someone’s nickname. Sutton told them that she just had moment. By this time, the whole miserable gang was there, and Sutton said Crystal had said a lot of things about her, and she couldn’t sit across the table from her . Garcelle asked what Sutton needed from Crystal; tell Crystal what she needed, so they could move on. Sutton said she thought it was sh*tty that Crystal had used so many words about her. No surprise, Crystal kept interrupting, and Sutton finally told Crystal to let her say her piece. The word violated was crazy to her. She asked what planet Crystal lived on, and Crystal said, not Sutton’s, as she once again looked smug. Garcelle said they weren’t going to get anywhere, and Crystal said she wasn’t changing the word, since she’d used it correctly. Garcelle again asked what Sutton needed, and Kyle said she thought Sutton wanted an apology. Crystal said she was sorry Sutton was upset, and Sutton said that wasn’t an apology, which we all know. It’s like a murderer saying they’re sorry the victim died, leaving out the fact they killed them. Crystal told Sutton to look up the word. It meant abuse of privacy. Is this woman loopy? First of all, I don’t know what dictionary she’s using, but the standard ones don’t exactly put it that way. Secondly, there are plenty of words that have several definitions, but are known by a certain one, gay being a prime example. Garcelle said that Sutton hadn’t known Crystal was naked, and Sutton asked why Crystal was so defensive. Crystal said Sutton was upset because she was jealous – period – and Sutton said, of what? Crystal’s ugly leather pants? I wondered jealous of what too. Sutton said she was out, and Kathy told LisaR, it was her house, so she should get a handle on this. Sutton headed out, asking again what she was jealous of. The rest of the women followed her, except for Crystal, who stood there with her hands in her ugly leather pockets, and smiled.

To be continued…

Next time, Crystal says she won’t apologize, and calls Sutton an inappropriate, awkward person; Erika deals with the headlines saying her divorce was a sham to hide assets; and Erika says she could have never predicted this effing sh*t.

The Real Housewives of New York City

Leah video chatted with everyone, and said the election was driving everyone nuts. To keep their sanity, she thought they should get out of town. With covid restrictions, they couldn’t really travel, but a place she’d always been fascinated by was Salem, Massachusetts. In Leah’s interview, she said she could be kind of witchy, and was into manifesting. And these women were a bunch of witches. It would be like visiting the motherland. She wanted to do a latex and leather themed dinner party the first night, and told Ramona that she wanted to invite Bershan. In her interview, she said she pretty much wanted to do anything the women wouldn’t normally do.

Ramona met Bershan for lunch, and Bershan wondered if Ramona really had vertigo, or just didn’t like Eboni’s Night in Harlem event. Ramona asked what Bershan thought of it, and Bershan diplomatically said, it was educational. Ramona said, it was a hard sell. In Bershan’s interview, she said she thought it was long winded, but appreciated that Eboni wanted to teach the girls. Bershan told Ramona that she liked the women, and Ramona warned her about them fighting on the trip. She added that they made up, and these women were her core. Bershan said she was in.

In Sonja’s interview, she said she was glad Eboni was trying to set her up with someone. If it had been Ramona or LuAnn… She just shook her head. Sonja told Eboni that she had a hard time getting her words out around the other women because they cut her off, and they didn’t listen. Eboni said, they shut down conversations, and we flashed back to Eboni refusing to let Ramona do that. In her interview, Eboni said she was going to be patient with Ramona, because she’d actually pushed through the panic and was talking to her. She and Ramona were going to be an experiment. She was looking at the trip, not as a do-over, but a do-more.

Sonja and Eboni flew privately to Philadelphia to meet Devyn, Eboni’s matchmaker. In Eboni’s interview, she said Sonja needed to give love a chance again, so she was excited about this introduction. Sonja was afraid her reputation preceded her, but trusted Eboni. Devyn asked what causes Sonja was passionate about, and Sonja said, the vulnerable. No broke-ass men either. In her interview, Eboni said, Sonja married the bank. Where do you go from there? She told Devyn that she thought Sonja was ready for a new chapter. Sonja said she trusted that Eboni had described the real her, not the straw that stirs the drink.

Everyone packed for the trip. LuAnn said since they were going to a haunted house, she needed a good chapeau, and freaked when her assistant put her hats on the bed, which is bad luck. Leah FaceTimed with Sonja and Eboni, telling them to get their asses home and pack. In her interview, Leah said, let’s get out of our comfort zone. Let’s get spooky, bitches. She told them, no sh*t in Salem. They got on the most gigantic bus ever, and Leah said it was rock star style. Sonja thought it was so LuAnn, and they were the groupies. She thought it was getting weird because she’d packed grey and black, and Ramona was wearing those colors. Along with pink, so that was a stretch. LuAnn asked about Sonja’s matchmaking trip, and Sonja said she was ready for commitment. Ramona and Leah took naps, while the others talked about marriage and divorce. Bershan said she found out she had stage 4 breast cancer two weeks before getting married to a British banker. In her interview, she said, she was told she had three months to live, and prayed, telling God she’d be a warrior for everyone on the planet if she survived. When someone tells you, you’re going to die, you wake up. She’d been cancer free for 14 years. Leah said there would be fortune tellers at the leather and latex dinner, as well as tattoo artists, and she’d be getting one. Dinner was going to be at the tattoo shop. In Ramona’s interview, she said she didn’t want to deface her body.

They arrived at the Hawthorne Hotel, named after Nathaniel, which Leah described as spooky, but beautiful. On the way to dinner, Eboni considered the tattoo thing. This was some tattoo parlor. It looked like an upscale antique store, with a restaurant in the back. It was really gorgeous. In her interview, Leah said the women were impressed, and although they had a few days, she felt like she’d already gotten an A+ on the trip. There were a pair of spooky twins that Sonja found cute, and the fortune teller passed out fortunes. The women sat down in a large booth, and Sonja babbled on about how Eboni was new to the group, and had wanted them to understand her life’s work. In LuAnn’s interview, she said Sonja was stirring the cauldron. Eboni said, they couldn’t get to the kiki if she had an outstanding question on whether they’re aligned with white supremacy. Everyone was a little startled, and in Eboni’s interview, she said white supremacy wasn’t the Jim Crow south. In today’s United States, you were either anti-racist or a racist. In Ramona’s interview, she said she didn’t know where Eboni was coming from, since none of them had given any indication of being racist. LuAnn said all of them heard her, but Eboni said LuAnn could only speak for herself. Ramona hadn’t wanted to hear her.

Leah said she thought it was more about Eboni’s personality. When the new woman came in, they got sh*t on. She got sh*t on by Ramona. We flashed back to that. She said, Eboni wasn’t allowing that, and in 14 years, they’d never had a Black woman in their group. Could they imagine the pressure? Every news outlet was talking about it. Ramona said, ignore the press, and Leah told her, STFU. Leah said Ramona lived in a tiny bubble, and Ramona said Leah didn’t know who she was. Leah said Ramona was what’s wrong with the world. Ramona tried to jet, saying, she wasn’t enjoying the conversation. Everyone urged her to stay, and Eboni said she’d come a long way. Ramona sat back down, and Bershan told Eboni her delivery could be harsh. Eboni said she received and heard Bershan, and knew it might feel exhausting. Every MF’ing day, it was something else. Ramona got all animated, and said Eboni had a great life. Eboni told everyone that Ramona was saying something a lot of people say when they see her. In Leah’s interview, she said, no one saw Ramona struggling, but she probably had to deal with some stuff. Triple that, and that’s Eboni. Eboni said that some people aligned with Trump were white supremacists, and in her interview, said, if you support him for economic reasons, say so. You’d get pushback, but she could have a dialog. Ramona woudn’t even go there. Everyone started saying, not me, and Ramona tried to make herself really small, hoping to blend into her seat. Eboni said her mother voted for Trump in 2016, and had her reasons, but she was vocal about it. Ramona slid out, and in her interview, she said she just came for some fun. She didn’t need this. Leah asked if Eboni thought anyone who voted for Trump was a supremist, and Eboni said, no. She just wanted to know where Ramona stood on the issue. That was it. Eboni said she could respect supporting him for tax cut reasons or economics. Leah said Ramona couldn’t have this conversation; she barely knew the English language.

Surprisingly, Ramona came back, but she acted all weird, saying she wanted to play a game, and then making a cheer out of, I want a game. She was also wearing a black latex catsuit, by the way. In Leah’s interview, she said she was cringing. Ramona should have stayed wherever she was. She would probably never live down coming back and doing the I’m white dance. Leah told Ramona that they had to go through this, and Eboni said she was still Black. Ramona said she was sorry she was white. Did Eboni want an apology? Her mother came there with nothing. Leah said, it didn’t matter; this was different. Several of the women scattered, leaving Leah, Eboni, and Bershan. Leah said, and then there were three.

To be continued…

Next time, Ramona does a table dance, the women reenact pioneer days, Eboni gets a tattoo, Bershan says they’re being grandmas, and – big surprise – Sonja overdoes it.

🐶 Bravo had a Vanderpump Dogs marathon, and I love this show so much. They also train service dogs, and match them with owners, so we saw some of that. The dogs are adorable, and the stories, both pup and human, are both heart-wrenching and heartwarming. Some people have negative things to say about LVP, but I have great admiration for her work ethic and her love for dogs, which is more than apparent in this show. I’m also still wondering if she’d consider adopting an older child. My dogs and I wouldn’t take up much space. She’d barely know we were there.

📋 Past Quitting Time…

Wives as promised, and now to bed. Until we meet on the morrow, stay safe, stay engaged, and stay not rebounding so hard, you might as well be on a trampoline.

Jul7

July 6, 2021 – Jason and Carly Go Public, Candace Has a Visitor From the Past & Blues

Posted on July 7, 2021 by theresakp

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Violet runs into Charlie’s with a baseball, and tells Anna that her daddy gave it to her. Did she see him play? Anna says she did, and he’s a true hero. Violet asks if they can have a tea party, since Anna has pretty cups, and Anna says, any time she wants, but it might be a little different; Daddy won’t be there. She says she misses Violet, and Violet says she misses Anna too.

At Charlie’s, Michael says, Sam’s final play won the game. Good for her. Dante says it was all his coaching, but Sam says she made the play despite his coaching. Violet tells everyone, shh! Uncle Chase and Aunt Willow are coming. Finn picks her up, and Willow wheels Chase in. Everyone yells, surprise! and Violet confirms, it’s a surprise, in case that was unclear. Everyone applauds, and there are smiles all around.

On the terrace with Bailey/Louise, Valentin tells her, happy 4^th of July. This is a family celebration where the firework’s are literal, so she might want to enjoy the quiet while it lasts. Brook comes out, and says she’s already late for Chase’s party, and wants to be there to support him. Valentin is good, right? He’s going to be Bailey’s primary caregiver for a couple hours. Monica comes out, and asks to see Brook for a moment – alone.

Jake asks why Cameron brought him to the park. He wants to go to the pool with Aiden and their friends. Cameron says he thinks they need to talk, and Jake asks, about what? Cameron says, give him a break. He’s trying. He knows Jake is still mad and still hurt about what he did, and what he said to him when he was so sure Jason killed Franco. Jake says Cameron called his dad a killer, and said he was stupid for believing Jason. Cameron said he was sorry, and he said it was okay. Cameron says, obviously, it’s not okay, and he wants to fix it.

Clothes are all over the floor in Britt’s room. Jax wakes up and looks at Britt. She opens her eyes, and he waves and tells her, good morning. She says, what the… and he says, it’s just him. Does she remember Charlie’s Pub last night? They had a few drinks, and she invited him back to her place. She says, things happened, and asks, what time is it? He checks, and says, no way; it’s the afternoon. She says, wow, time flies, and asks if he has anywhere to be. He says, actually, he doesn’t, unless she wants him to go, of course (🍷). She says, you tell me, and asks if it was pity sex. He says, no, not on his part. She’s beautiful. She says, good answer, and kisses him, because no one has bad breath or messed up makeup after a night of drinking and wild sex on a soap.

Carly asks if Josslyn is going to the park to watch the fireworks. Avery is going to a Lila’s Kids event, and she thinks Avery would feel better if Josslyn was close by, just in case she gets insecure. There’s been a lot of upheaval in Avery’s life recently. Josslyn says she was going to meet Cameron and Trina at the docks, but she’ll switch it to the park. Speaking of Trina, Carly will never believe what happened at Trina’s party. Actually before the party. Trina came face-to-face with Ava’s stalker.

On the phone, Trina says she told Portia that she’s over what happened last night. She’s not scared… She’s at the pool. She sees Spencer (another one who now goes by two names), and says she just spotted someone she knows.

Jason comes in, and Carly says, good; he’s here. Josslyn asks what Jason is doing for the 4^th, and he says he thinks he’s going to spend it with her mom. Josslyn asks if they’re going somewhere, and Carly says, they’re not sure yet, but they have something to tell her. She and Jason are getting married.

Brook says she’s used to the third degree from Olivia, but what did she do to provoke Monica? Monica says she just wanted to talk without Valentin, and Brook says, okay. What’s the problem? Monica says she heard Maxie was there to see Bailey again, and Britt says, so? Monica says, it can’t be healthy. It breaks her heart knowing what Maxie is going through. Her baby is with a kidnapper, and coming to see Bailey is going to open the wound over and over again. It’s not healthy. Maxie comes in, and says, happy 4^th! Look at that sweet, precious little girl. How cute she is in her 4^th of July outfit? She looks adorable. And she does. Bailey/Louise is a very cute baby.

Violet tells Chase and Willow, happy 4^th of July. Chase thanks her, and says she’s dressed for the celebration, but what is all this? Jordan says, they missed him, and thought it was a good time to celebrate, and tell him that they can’t wait to have him back. Dante can’t believe he’s saying this, but they missed Chase on the field too. He struck out a lot, but sometimes Chase actually hit the ball. Finn tells him to take his time in rehab. The longer they can avoid his pitching, the better. Violet says, just so everyone knows, today is only a party, not the reception. That’s later. Finn says, right. Chase wanted to make it clear that they’re saving the reception for when he’s is back on his feet. Chase says, which will be before they know it. He’s starting physical therapy. Willow convinced him to come there for a bite before visiting his physical therapist, and he totally believed her. Jordan says she told Chase’s new wife to lie, and Chase says, that’s a first. Dante says they have a little something for Chase and his new bride, and holds up Bride and Groom baseball shirts. He says he can’t wait for Chase to be back, so he can strike out again. Jordan suggests Chase and Willow both cheer them on this Thursday when they’re playing Aurora, and Violet says, yay, Uncle Chase and Aunt Willow! Everyone goes, yay!

Spencer says he’d ask if Trina is stalking him, if he wasn’t happy to see her. She says he wishes she was stalking him, and he asks if she hasn’t been on every pier looking for him. She says she was staking out a place to watch the fireworks with her friends, but she just got a text; they’re going to the park instead. He asks how the rest of her party was, and she says, awesome. Thanks for talking her into staying. He says, most people would have called it a night, but Trina tells him, she got some good advice about staying. He asks if she wants to catch some rays with him before meeting her friends, but she says she doesn’t have a swimsuit. He tells her, wear her birthday suit. He will if she will. She says she has a better idea. Why doesn’t she take him to the park… wearing clothes.

Cameron tells Jake that he’s sincerely sorry for insisting Jason killed Franco; he apologizes. Jake says, okay, but why did he? Cameron knows his dad would never hurt him like that. Cameron says he sees that now, but he was so hurt about losing Franco. Somebody told him recently that being angry is easy, but it’s so much harder to be sad, to be hurt. He took the easy way out. He was a jerk to Jason and a lousy big brother to Jake. He’s so sorry, and he’ll continue saying it until Jake believes him.

Josslyn says, Carly and Jason are getting married? That’s… unexpected. Carly says she knows it’s a surprise, but they thought about it carefully, and believe it’s the best choice for them. Josslyn says she only ever thought of them as friends, and Jason says, they are, and definitely couldn’t do this if weren’t best friends. They’ve always counted on each other, and been there for each other, and realized they should make the bond formal and legal by getting married. Josslyn asks if they think they’ll be happy, and Carly says, of course (🍷). What would make them really happy is knowing their family supports them. Josslyn says, of course (🍷) they have her support.

Jake says, Franco was his stepdad too, and he loved Franco. He didn’t deserve to be murdered. Maybe Cameron is right. Being mad at him is a whole lot easier than being sad. Cameron sits next to Jake on a bench, and says, he gets it. As soon as Jake stops being mad at Cameron, he’ll have time to miss Franco. Jake says he does miss Franco, but he also misses his brother. Playing video games with him, playing soccer, and teasing him about girls. Jake starts to cry, and Cameron says he misses those things too and knows it can be really scary to feel sad. How about if they do it together? Cameron puts his arm around Jake, and Jake says, okay.

Josslyn tells Jason, welcome to the family. Except, he’s always been a part of the family. He says he’ll take the welcome anyway, and Josslyn asks if they don’t feel weird about being friends, then husband and wife. Carly says she thinks there’s going to be an adjustment, but they’re good. Josslyn says, clearly, they have it figured out, and the more she thinks about it, the more it makes sense. Who else are they going to marry? Sonny understood their relationship, but she’s not sure other people would. Relationships can be totally awkward, and they’re better off sticking to what they know. Carly says she doesn’t know whether to be proud that Josslyn is happy for them, or concerned that she’s such a cynic when it comes to relationships. She hasn’t even gone to college yet. Josslyn says she’s not a cynic. She just realizes that relationships can get complicated when you don’t want them too, but they’re so lucky. They already know each other, inside and out. She has to get going, and Carly tells her to have fun. She says she will, and congratulates them, adding that she means it. She looks at Jason and says she doesn’t have to call him dad, right? Carly laughs, and Jason says, no. She says she was just making sure. Bye, engaged people. Happy 4^th. She leaves, and Carly says, that was weird, but it went kind of well. Are they ready for the next step? Jason looks uncomfortable, and says, there’s something they have to do first.

Jax tells Britt, not that they need any more fireworks, but today is the 4^th of July. She says, is it? and he says, picnics, fireworks, barbecues, the red, white, and blue. She laughs, and he asks, what’s funny? She says she was thinking about her first 4^th of July in Port Charles; it was a nightmare. She can laugh now, but back then, it was terrible. He asks, what happened? and she says, for starters, she was carrying a baby that wasn’t hers, but that’s not even the main part of the story. Patrick Drake’s daughter Emma had this hyper-realistic doll, and she was holding it. It just started peeing on her, and it caught her so off-guard, she chucked the evil doll off her lap, and it landed on the barbecue grill, and exploded into flames. Every part of that story is true. They laugh.

Chase thanks Finn and Elizabeth for pulling off the surprise party. Being with friends and family is the best medicine. Finn says they hoped he’d feel that way, and Elizabeth says she wants to check on Cameron, and make sure he got his brothers to the park. She leaves, and Chase says, Finn and Elizabeth always seem to be together. What’s going on with them?

Jordan tells Anna, it’s been a while since they had a proper catch-up. She knows Anna has been looking for Maxie’s baby. Anna says she’s been searching for any evidence with Valentin, and Jordan says, Anna and Valentin? Wait a minute.

Valentin texts Anna: Are you still coming?

Britt asks what Maxie is doing there again, and Maxie says she was passing by, and wondered what they were up to with baby’s first 4^th of July. Monica asks, what about James and Georgie? and Maxie says, they’re on a picnic with her mom and Mac. She’s going to join them later. She just wanted to see what was up with Brook and Bailey. Brook says, Valentin is a doting father, and every time Olivia comes by, she swoops in for her Bailey time. The Qs have a ton of nannies, so she thinks she’s covered. Monica says she’s going to going leave them to talk, and when she’s gone, Maxie asks why Monica is being weird. Brook says, she’s being weird because of Maxie.

Finn tells Chase, Elizabeth is Violet’s aunt, and she’s been a good friend. When Chase got sick, she kept him from falling apart. Chase says, so there is something there, but Finn says, she’s still mourning the loss of her husband, and he still has issues because of Anna. Willow comes back, and Finn says, it’s really nice what she and Chase have, a good old fashioned, uncomplicated relationship. Chase says he couldn’t agree more, and Willow says she’ll go get them something to drink. Anna comes by, and asks if she can have Finn’s brother for a second. Finn says, of course (🍷), and gets up, saying, he kept the seat warm. She says, thanks, and sits. She says she wants to congratulate Chase on the wedding, and he says, thanks; he’s never been happier. She says, he deserves it.

Elizabeth tells Finn, Chase is right. Friends and family are really the best medicine. Finn says he’s almost happy himself. Then he remembers Peter is still in the freezer. She says she needs a drink. Does he want anything? He says, a drink sounds good, but no thank you.

Trina says Victor/Spencer will like her friends. They’re all going to college together in the fall. It was a whole drama. One was going to a California school, the other got waitlisted for Southern Coastal, but in the end, they all decided to go to PCU, which shows excellent taste, since she’s going too. Come on. She’ll introduce him to Cameron and Josslyn.

Josslyn sees Cameron and Jake, and asks if Jake is joining them, but he says, no way. He doesn’t want to be a third wheel. He’s meeting Aiden at the pool. He leaves, and Cameron says he doesn’t know where Jake got the third wheel idea. She says, it’s no big deal. Besides, she has exciting news. She’s glad he did his apology tour and all is forgiven, because her mom and Jason are getting married.

Jason tells Carly that he doesn’t want to lie, but something so simple like telling people they’re getting married, is… They both say, it’s complicated, together. He says, but what he told Josslyn was true. He couldn’t do this if Carly wasn’t his best friend. She says she feels the same way, and he takes a ring box out of his pocket. He tells her that he got her this.

Brook says, Monica has a point; Maxie shouldn’t be there, and she doesn’t need to be. Brook maneuvered her way into a job at Maxie’s office so she could see her daughter at daycare without anyone suspecting. Isn’t that enough? Maxie says, it was an ingenious plan, and she’s grateful, but it’s a holiday weekend and she’s here. Let her spend time with her daughter.

Valentin flashes back to being with Anna in Austin’s cabin, and Anna saying she couldn’t have gotten through the last few months without him. He tells her, nor him without her. He sort of smiles.

Willow asks how Michael’s 4^th of July is going, and he says he thinks he’s looking at the calm before the storm. She says, it sounds ominous, but he says, it’s good news. He was shocked when he first heard, but then he thought about it and it made perfect sense. He’s happy for them. She says, who? and he says, his mom and Jason are getting married. Elizabeth and Sam are sitting at the bar, and overhear. Willow asks if she heard that right; his mom and Jason? He says, after them being best friends his whole life, they decided to get married. They had a discussion about it, and he believes they know exactly what they’re doing, and they’re fully committed. Sam drains her drink, and jets. Elizabeth follows her.

Carly looks at the ring, and says, it’s beautiful. She hands it to him, he sighs, and puts it on her finger. Bleh.

Jax says, Britt barbecued a doll in front of the girl who owned it. That’s horrible. She says, it’s funny now, but back then, it was a nightmare. Jax suggests they make some better 4^th of July memories. Would she care to join him on the terrace deck to watch the fireworks?

On the phone, Carly thanks Olivia for letting her know, and Jason asks what Olivia wanted. She says, Vincent Novak is at the MetroCourt, and he says, maybe they want to make peace. She asks if he really thinks so, and he says, Brick’s team is efficient. The Novaks lost a lot; they lost their offices, and they lost trucks. She says, in that case, it looks like they watch the fireworks from the MetroCourt, and holds up her hand with the ring.

Trina asks if Victor/Spencer is coming, but he says maybe he’s not ready to meet her friends. She says, all of a sudden he’s shy? and he says, just thirsty. He’s going to grab some bottled waters, and he’ll catch up with her.

Cameron says, so Josslyn’s mom is marrying Jason. Is she excited about that? She says, yeah. They’ve been friends for, like, ever. Like she told them, who else would they marry? He says they have to talk about her and him, the graduation party, and how she kissed him. Trina joins them, and says they’ll never believe it. She ran into that guy again, Victor, the one who convinced her to go back to the party after she was drenched in fake blood. Josslyn says, he must be some guy, and Trina says, he’s cute. Not that she’d ever tell him that. She moves on, and Josslyn tells Cameron, she guesses their talk will have to wait.

Anna asks why she’s meeting Valentin on the Quartermaine terrace, and he says, it’s 4^th of July, and she’s British. She doesn’t have to be bitter and alone. She says he’s funny, and asks if his lovely little daughter is around. He says, she’s inside with her mother, which is good because she’s a little young for what he has in mind. She says, which is? and he says, Anna likes plenty of fire, right? She says, always, and he says, he has sparklers. He shows them to her.

Maxie says she’s missed Louise, and Brook says, Peter is still out there. What if he’s following her, watching her going to her non-friend’s house? He’s psycho, but not stupid. He’s going to put two and two together. Maxie says, she knows that, and after today, she’ll stay away. Brook asks, isn’t she the one who said she’d protect her baby at all costs? She can’t even keep her distance on a long weekend. What happened to her? Maxie says, Louise is her daughter; her flesh and blood. She knows better, but she can’t help herself.

At the pier, Sam says Elizabeth doesn’t have to babysit her, but Elizabeth says, babysitters don’t bring vodka, and takes out a bottle. Sam says, they both heard Michael say it; Jason is marrying Carly. If Elizabeth is afraid of leaving her alone, she can call one of Sam’s sisters. Elizabeth asks if she’s not the perfect person to vent to. She loved Jason too, and knows what it’s like to come in second place to Carly. Sam says, they didn’t even try to hide it. Carly always came first; she wouldn’t have it any other way. Elizabeth suggests they start with the shots, and pours them into plastic cups. She says, so Jason and Carly are getting married. She guesses it was inevitable, but doesn’t Sam think it’s a little soon? Sam says she doesn’t know. For as long as she and Jason were together, there was always Carly. There was Sonny too. Jason being Sonny’s best friend, business partner, and right hand man. Then Carly just took him, all for herself. Elizabeth says, that’s why doing shots won’t be enough, and Sam asks what she’s talking about.

Josslyn asks where Trina’s new friend is, and Trina says, he should have been there by now. Maybe he decided not to come, and Cameron says, if he’s already playing games, Trina might want to drop him, but she says, he’s just being a guy. If he comes, tell him that she couldn’t wait. Josslyn says, she’s leaving? and Trina says, it’s good not to be too available, besides, her mom keeps texting her. She’s still nervous about last night, so Trina is going to watch the fireworks with her. She says she’ll see them later, and leaves. Cameron says that gives them time to figure out what happened, but Josslyn asks, what is there to figure out? Dev forged her journal entry, and she never wrote that he was a bad kisser, because that’s not what she thinks. He says, there’s a lot more to it than just that.

Sam lugs a tote bag onto the pier, and asks Elizabeth, what now? Elizabeth says, now, they have another drink, and hands Sam a cup. Sam says, excellent, and they clink plastic cups. They drink another shot, and Sam asks what they’re doing. Elizabeth says, back in Colorado, her closest friend Terry, Dr. Randal, didn’t really date, but was the best shoulder to cry on. Whenever a crush moved on to someone else, Terry had this idea that you couldn’t really move on until you cleansed the person from your system. Elizabeth lights a rolled up newspaper, and throws it in a trash can, starting a fire. She asks Sam, what’s in the bag? and Sam takes out her leather jacket, saying, Jason gave it to her years ago. She reaches into a pocket, and takes out two concert tickets. She says, Springsteen tickets. They never used them. Elizabeth says, into the fire, and Sam tosses them in. Elizabeth says, now the jacket, but Sam says, no. Elizabeth says, yes, and Sam kisses it, and throws it in. Elizabeth asks, what else? and Sam pulls out a wooden box. She says, dominos. Don’t ask her why she and Jason loved the game. She doesn’t know, but they did. She adds it to the fire, but says, it’s not burning. Who knew dominos wouldn’t burn? She thinks she has something that will help, and takes a bottle of tequila out of the bag. She takes a drink, and throws the bottle in. She says, it was a memory, but not anymore.

Dante tells Finn that he’s going to find Sam and Elizabeth. He leaves Charlie’s, and Finn picks up Violet. She says, Uncle Chase and Aunt Willow want to take her to see the fireworks. Chase says, GH is letting the patients and the staff watch from the roof, and Willow says they promise to get Violet home afterward. Violet asks if she can go, and Finn says, two hours tops. He tells Chase, don’t over-do it, and Willow says she’ll make sure of that. Finn thanks her for everything, and tells Violet to stay with Uncle Chase. Dante comes back, and says he can’t find them anywhere. His phone rings, and he says, are they? He’ll be right there. That was a friend from the fire department. Apparently, Sam and Elizabeth are on the pier. Finn says, let’s go, and they leave.

Valentin hands Anna a sparkler, and says he got these for Charlotte, but she decided to go horseback riding. Apparently, her tastes are more sophisticated than run of the mill sparklers. Anna wonders where Charlotte got her extravagant taste from, and he says, guilty as charged. She says she happens to like sparklers. Light her up. He lights one for her and one for him.

Carly and Jason are in the MetroCourt elevator, and Jason asks if she’s ready. She says, let’s do it, and takes his hand. They walk in, and Vincent Novak gets up. He says he heard about the unfortunate misunderstanding with his nephew, and Jason says he’s surprised Joey didn’t know any better. Vincent says, he can be a hothead. He’s spoken to Joey, and hopes their families can continue to co-exist in peace. Jason says, that’s their goal too. If he and Carly had known Vincent was going to be there, they would have invited him to celebrate with them. Vincent says, celebrate what? and Carly says, Jason asked her to marry him, and she said yes. She shows him the ring.

In the park on the phone, Trina says she’s on her way home… No, she wants to be with Portia. They can look at the pictures from her party. She leaves, and Spencer comes out from the trees.

Josslyn tells Cameron, Dev did a messed up thing. What else is there to say? He says, but if Dev hadn’t made him think Josslyn wasn’t into him, what would have happened? Would they have been together after they kissed at the dance? Would they be together now?

Maxie tells Brook, just a few more minutes, and she’ll leave. Britt says she knows Chase’s party is breaking up by now. She has to change, and she’ll give Maxie one or two minutes alone with Louise/Bailey. She’ll be upstairs, so hopefully, it won’t look too suspicious. Maxie thanks Brook, and Brook leaves. Maxie tells Louise that she’s missed her so much. She has no idea. Or maybe she does. Maxie loves her with all her heart. Monica walks in, and does not look thrilled.

Anna says, ow! and drops her sparkler. Valentin asks if she’s all right, and she says, it’s just a spark flew. He says, let him see, and he takes her hand. He says, it’s just a little burn, and kisses it. Then he kisses her. I’m in. it’s about damn time.

Chase thanks everyone for coming. The next time the party is going to be… Violet says, a wedding reception, and he says, that’s right. A big old fancy wedding reception. He and Willow will do a first dance and everything. Violet says she can’t wait, and Michael and Willow look at each other.

A fireman sprays the trashcan with a fire extinguisher, and Dante says he’s from the PCPD. He shows the fireman his badge, and says they got a call that there were two women out there. The fireman says, right through that door with his partner, and Sam and Elizabeth come out with another fireman. Dante says, they’ve got this, and thanks the firemen. Dante asks if Sam and Elizabeth are okay, and Elizabeth says, they’re fine. The fire’s out. She and Sam sit, and Dante asks if they started the fire. Sam says, come on. Join them in the celebration. It’s the 4^th of July. She takes a slug from the vodka bottle, and says, she just declared her independence.

Jax and Britt get in the elevator at the MetroCourt, and he tells her that she looks beautiful. She says he cleans up pretty nicely himself, and he says he’ll make sure there are no grills around, and the only doll on fire is her. She says, cornball, and he says, wait until he starts with the dad jokes. She tells him that she didn’t say corny was bad.

Carly says, sorry Jason has to stick around. She’s sure he’d much rather be at the bridge. He says, wouldn’t she? and she says, the view of the fireworks is much better from there. She used resent the bridge. She hated it because it was a Robin thing. It felt hands off to her. He says he took her there himself, but she says, it’s a girl thing. They should go back to the bridge. He says, okay; whatever she wants. Britt and Jax come in, and Britt and Jason lock eyes.

Tomorrow, Jason tells Britt that she still means something to him, Nina has something to tell Obrecht, Monica says they have a big problem, and Phyllis encourages Sonny to visit Nina.

The Haves and The Have Nots

Benny knocks on Rianna’s door, and she opens it. He asks if he can come in, and she says she shouldn’t do this. He says he drove all this way for her, and she lets him in. She says he wasn’t followed, was he? and he asks if she’s scared of that dude. She says he won’t leave her alone. She’d move away, but her mom is in a home there, and needs her. He asks, why? and she says her mom has had cerebral palsy her whole life. It got to be too much. He says, sorry, and she says, it’s okay. She can afford it most times. He says, most times? and she wonders why she’s telling him this… She’s drunk. He asks if he can have some, and she says she’ll get him a glass. She comes back with red wine, and he thanks her. She asks if he’s excited about his new house, and he says, come here. He tells her that she needs to be held, but she says she’s fine. He says, come on, and she says she’s not sleeping with him. He says he won’t bite, and she sits next to him, putting her head on his shoulder. He says going to be okay. He promises she will. She asks how he’s so sure, and he says he has a sixth sense about these things. She thanks him for defending her, but he says he was only doing what any man would do. She says, no. He made her feel so safe. She wants to thank him. She kisses him, and he asks what she’s doing. She tells him, shut up, and kisses him again. He says he ain’t going to be responsible. He told her that he’s not letting her take advantage of his body. They kiss some more, and she pushes him back. He takes off his jacket, and she unbuckles his belt, then kisses down his chest, and… well, you know.

David asks the guard, who just left? and the guard says it was a guest of David’s son. He said his name was Tanner. David tells him to run the plates, but he says he already did. The guy’s full name is Leonard Tanner Lewis. David asks how he knows Jeffrey, but the guard doesn’t know. David tells him to find out all he can. Jeffrey comes downstairs, and says David doesn’t have to do that. David asks Jeffrey to tell him who nobody is, and Jeffrey says, he’s Justin’s brother. David says, the boy who set himself on fire? What did he want? Jeffrey says Tanner wanted him to come to the funeral. David asks, why? and Jeffrey says, Tanner told him that Justin cared for him. David asks if Jeffrey plans on attending, but Jeffrey says, no. David says, good. He doesn’t think it would be appropriate, and Jeffrey says, there’s something about Tanner that he doesn’t trust. David says, then he shouldn’t. You never know what people’s motives really are. David goes upstairs.

Jim pulls into David’s driveway, and the guard asks if he can help him. Jim says he’s going in to see David, and the guard asks if David knows him. Jim says he does, and asks if he isn’t the sorry-ass security guard Jim fired. He let Jim’s son escape. The guard asks if he can help Jim, but Jim says, no. He’s going in to see David. The guard says he has to be announced, but Jim says he doesn’t think so. The guard puts his hand against Jim’s chest, and says he’ll put Jim on the ground if he doesn’t wait. Jim tells the guard to take his hand off. He’d like to see the guard try. The guard tells him, move toward the door, and he will. Jim laughs, and says, okay, announce him.

The guard tells David that Jim is there to see him, and David says, okay. Jim comes in, and says he sees David hired the sorry-ass security company he fired. David says, they’re doing okay so far. What brings Jim there? Jim says he’s in a bind. He needs $100K. That crazy-ass bitch wife of David’s is representing Celine. Judge Modine will put his ass in jail if he doesn’t give Celine $50K in 24 hours. David says, Jim doesn’t have $50K? Jim says he doesn’t have 50 cents. These women… David says he knows, and Jim says, that damn Hanna. David wonders if she said no, but Jim says he’d rather shoot himself than ask Hanna for money. David says he’ll loan Jim the money, and Jim says he appreciates it. These damn women… David says, they’ve lost their minds. He’s surprised Jim is paying Celine, but Jim says he has no time to be in jail, and Modine is just the bastard who will send him there. David says, speaking of wild women, Mama Rose… Jim says he talked to her? but David says, no, she retired. Apparently, she has health problems and moved to Florida. Jim asks, when? and David says, a month ago. Jim says that means he can go after Candace, but David says, not necessarily. Vinnie is running things. Jim says, he’s vicious, and David says, he can be. Jim asks what David suggests, and David says, pay him. Jim says, for what? and David says, Candace. Have Vinnie get rid of her. Jim says, good idea. What does David think it would cost? David asks what it’s worth to get rid of her, and Jim says she took $8 million from him. David says, give Vinnie $100K, and Jim asks if David can make it $200K. David says Jim will probably need it, and Jim thanks him. David says he’ll have his lawyer write it up, but Jim says, no lawyers involved. He doesn’t trust lawyers. He was a lawyer. Some of his best friends are lawyers. He leaves, and David gets on the phone.

Hanna walks in the door to Kathryn’s house, when Kathryn calls. Hanna says she’s on her way out, but Kathryn says, on second thought, let Jim go over there. Hanna says, but Kathryn’s boyfriend… and Kathryn says, he’s not her boyfriend. He should be gone by now, and if he’s not, Jim can kick his ass out. Hanna says, the two of them are something, and asks what Kathryn wants her to do. Kathryn says, call Jim on a three-way. She knows Hanna doesn’t want to, and Hanna says Kathryn has no idea how much that man makes her blood boil. Hanna makes the call, and when Jim answers, Kathryn says, Wyatt is at the loft. Jim says, the one she was supposed to have sold? and Kathryn says, he’s there. Jim says, he’s in the hospital, but she tells him, go over there and see what’s going on. He asks how she knows this from jail, and she says, just go. He asks again, and she says she heard Wyatt on the phone. He asks why she was calling there. Who’s living there? She says, no one, and he asks if it’s that damn Hanna. What’s going on with them? Are they having a fling or something? She tells him, just go, but he says he’s not going until she tells him, and has her girlfriend release some money. She says, if he doesn’t go, and Wyatt harms himself, she’ll know it’s him. He says, bye, and she asks if he hung up. Hanna says, he did, and she asks Hanna to go over there. Hanna says, okay, and Kathryn thanks her, and says she’ll try to call in an hour. She’s sorry. Hanna says, it’s okay, and Kathryn says, Hanna has the power and the money.

There’s no afterglow for Rianna, who looks miserable. Benny asks why she’s crying, and she says, sorry. He says, for what? and she says she thinks he should go. She didn’t want to do this. Who knew she was this vulnerable? He says she needed to take her mind off it. How did he do? She says he’s so lame, and he apologizes. She tells him that his credit sucks, and he says, damn. Why is she bringing it up now? She says he needs to work on it, but he says she didn’t have him there for no credit. Is she nervous or something? She says, maybe a little. She shouldn’t have done that. She needs to ask… He says he’s healthy, and she asks if he’s sure. He says, is she? and she says she has nothing. He says, it’s good then, but she’s still nervous. Why don’t they have a snack? She says she can make him a sandwich, and he says, that’s it? She can’t cook? She says, can he? and he says, hell yeah. What’s she got? She suggests he put on clothes first, and he says, how about this? lifting the sheet. She says, it’s sexy, and tells him she’s going to get dressed, but he says if he’s cooking nekked, she is too. She asks him to tell her about himself. Is he a whore? How many women has he slept with? He says he’s not answering that. How many men has she slept with? She says, two, and he says she means he’s two? He laughs, and says, get out with that bullsh*t, but she promises it’s true. He asks how she hooked up with Sandy. She must know he hates Black people. Sandy told Benny straight up that he doesn’t like him. She says Sandy loves her too much. He’s going to come after Benny hard. He says he’ll handle it, and she says, how? He says he’d like a burger, but she says, it’s too late for a burger. (Who made up that rule?) He says, it’s what he wants, and he needs to get ready for round two. She says they’re not doing it again, and he wonders if it’s like she wasn’t doing it the first time. They already did it once, and if they do it twice in the same night, it don’t count. She says, he’s the worst, and he tells her, don’t look at his butt. He gets up, but he’s wearing underwear.

Rocky is at the loft, and says Kathryn wants Roderick out, but Roderick says he told Rocky, he’s not leaving. Rocky says he doesn’t want to do that. Go to his own place. Roderick says he doesn’t want to go to that dump; he’s staying there. He looked online, and he can claim squatter’s rights. (Um… isn’t he in the country illegally? Weren’t the Feds looking to question him?) He says Kathryn can’t kick him out. He can sue her for more than the place is worth. Rocky says he doesn’t want to do that. He sounds like a junkie, and he’s asking for big trouble. Roderick says, the hell with them, and asks Rocky to stay and have a drink, but Rocky says he’s not going to be there when they come knocking. Roderick says, no one is knocking, when there’s a knock at the door. Rocky says someone is knocking at the door, and he’s leaving though it. He walks out, and Hanna comes in. Roderick asks what she wants, and she says he’s not supposed to be there. He says he’s not leaving, and Jim walks in. Jim says he’s looking for Wyatt, and Roderick asks how Jim is. Jim wonders what the hell is going on, and Hanna says he was telling her that he’s not leaving. Jim asks, where’s Wyatt? and Hanna says she’s leaving, and goes. Roderick says he doesn’t know; Wyatt isn’t there. Jim asks what Roderick is doing there, and Roderick says he was just cleaning the place. Jim asks where his son is, and Roderick says he doesn’t know. Jim asks his name, and Roderick tells him. Jim says, if he’s there cleaning, what’s up with his luggage? Roderick stammers, and Jim mimics him, and says, get out. Roderick jets, and Jim looks at the drugs on the table, and says, dammit, Kathryn.

Candace answers the phone, what? and Landon asks if she’s seen the news. She says, what news? and he says, it’s on all the news stations and in the paper. He’s been sending her clips. She says she hasn’t watched them, and he says, because she has Jim’s money. She’s not going to touch it. She says she won’t. How does he know? He says he knows where she is right now. She needs to let him advise her on the money. She says, no, and he says, then they’ll take it. She says, who? and he says, the IRS. She has to put it in a business account, and shelter it. She says she already did; she’s two steps ahead of him. What does he want? He says he’s asking her to come to DC. She says, get the hell out, and he says, he just wants her to do one interview. The whole world will change its perception. She says, no, and he says, Charles (using the he/him thing) doesn’t do well without her. She says Charles should have thought of that before he kicked her out, and put her in the back of a car. He asks if they can’t let that go. They get it. Their people screwed up. What’s her plan? She says she’s going to call the guy who made Landon piss himself, and Landon says, he kind of liked Mitch afterward. He says he’ll call again, but she says, just listen. She’s not doing an interview, and she’s leaving the hotel. He says they’ll just find her in the next one. She says, okay, fine. She’ll go tell her side. He asks why she’s doing this; he’s trying to help. She says he’s helping Charles, and Landon says, and himself. She says she’s not going to be a pawn, and he says they’ve gone over this. She’s still a stupid hood chick. She says, say that again, and he says, it’s politics. He knows she’s enjoying this. Candace says she’s not enjoying it, but he says, tell that to someone who doesn’t know her. She’ll have them eating out of the palm of her hand. He tells her, at least change hotels; that one looks low rent. She says it was good enough for him to come by, and he says he’s done some of his best work in those places. She hangs up.

Charles comes out, and Landon asks if he’s all packed, then answers his own question. Of course he is; they’re going to the White House. It’s exciting. It’s amazing to think how far they’ve come. Charles says he almost can’t believe it, when Conley joins them. He says he came to see Charles off, and asks if Landon can give them a moment. Landon leaves, and Conley asks if Charles is good.

Landon goes back to his office, and Oliver asks if Conley is there. Landon says, he’s been here a lot… Okay, what? Oliver says, nothing, and Landon asks if Oliver knows what he hates about him. Oliver says, everything? and Landon says, his smug attitude. Little bitch. He was thisclose to firing Oliver. Oliver says, sorry, and Landon says, the only reason he’s keeping Oliver is that he has potential. When he becomes a detriment, he’s going. Now what the hell did Oliver want to tell him about Conley? Oliver says, Conley’s got an angle, and Landon says, he knows. Oliver asks, what is it? but Landon says, that, he doesn’t know. He tells Oliver not to come back unless he has actual information. Landon does know Conley’s angle, but don’t come back unless Oliver has proof. Oliver asks what it is, but Landon says he’s not going to tell him.

Conley tells Charles that he’s headed for the White House. He’s so proud. Charles thanks him, and asks if Conley is okay. Conley says he did want to know if Charles spent any more time considering Devoir. It’s Charles’s decision, but did Charles look at his proposal? Charles says he didn’t, and Conley encourages him to look at Devoir’s resumé. He thinks Devoir would be great for the state of Virginia. Charles says he thought they already talked about this, but Conley says he wanted to make sure Devoir got a fair shake. Charles asks, what is it? Why is Conley pushing this guy so hard? Is there something else? Conley says, no, and Charles hopes Conley won’t mind if he asks him to stop pushing so hard. Conley asks if there’s anything he can help with, but Charles says, everything is done. Conley says, of course. Charles is the President of the United States. Everything is moved for him. Charles says, it’s obvious Conley has an agenda, and Conley says, ~~how about them Mets?~~ he’s heading home. They need him at the farm. he didn’t mean to push. He should know better. Charles tells him, it’s okay, and Conley leaves. Landon asks if Charles is all set, and Charles says he is. Landon says, sir… Charles says he knows when Landon addresses him like that, it’s something bad. Landon says, it’s not bad, but it’s about Devoir, and Conley’s request that he be made head of the EPA. Has Charles ever been to the farm? Charles says, a lot of times, and Landon says he looked at the pipeline being proposed. It’s going to run through protected land, and across Conley’s farm. He stands to make a lot of money. Landon thinks that’s why Conley is pushing so hard. Charles says he knew it had to be something, and Landon says he’s afraid so. Charles asks if Landon knows what it feels like to be used at every hand, and Landon says, sorry, but Charles says he bought it. He thinks he should be used to it, and Landon says, the higher you go… Charles says he didn’t expect it from Conley, and Landon says, onward? Charles says, onward. Landon says, going to the White House, Mr. President? and Charles says, yes, please. They shake hands, and Landon says, let’s do it. Landon’s phone rings, and Charles asks who it is. Landon says, Candace.

Charles says, let him answer, and Landon asks if he’s sure. Charles says, give him the phone, and says, hello? Candance says, Landon… but Charles says, no, it’s him. She asks how he is, and he says he should be asking her. She says she’s okay. She wanted to talk to Landon. Charles says she got him, but she says she’s not ready to talk to him. He says he’s not ready to talk to her either, and she asks why he’s on the phone. He says, the same reason she was calling. She says, why is that exactly? and he says she misses him like he misses her. She says, the last time he saw her, she was in the trunk of a car. He says he’s so sorry. He misses her, and would love to see her. She says she doesn’t think that’s going to happen. She’s not going to walk through that door, or sneak in and out. He says he doesn’t want her to, and she says he wants her to walk in the front door of the White House? He tells her, come to Pennsylvania Avenue, and she says he doesn’t mean a damn thing he’s saying, but he says he does. He’s President Elect. What the hell are they going to do to him? She says, it was a big deal before, but he says, not anymore. She’s a bigger deal. Come see him. She says she’ll think about it, and he says, they’ve got nothing but time. She says, at least seven months, and he says, what? She says she’s pregnant. She waits, and says, it’s quiet. He says, how many… and she says, it’s his. He’s the only man she had unprotected sex with. He tells her, okay, and she asks if that’s all he has to say. He says they should meet soon. Can he call when he gets to DC? She says, yeah, and he says, they’ll talk soon.

Charles hands the phone back to Landon, who says, may he ask what she said. Charles tells him, she said she’s pregnant. Landon says, from him? and Charles says, that’s what she said. Let’s go to DC. Not a word to anyone. Landon says, no, sir, and leaves. Charles wonders WTF to do.

The guard tells Jeffrey that Madison is there, and Jeffrey says, let him in. Madison walks in, and Jeffrey says he thought Madison was working. Madison says, they let him go home, and Jeffrey asks, why? Madison says he got piss thrown on him, and Jeffrey says, what? Sorry. Did he shower? Madison says, of course, and Jeffrey says he’s kidding. Madison says, and then he got choked out. Jeffrey says, by who? and Madison says, Wyatt Cryer. He escaped from the hospital in Madison’s scrubs, while Madison got left on the floor. Jeffrey asks where the hell Wyatt is, and Madison says, the police are looking everywhere for him. He stole powerful drugs that could kill him. Jeffrey thinks he should tell his dad, and runs upstairs. The door opens, and the guard tells Madison that a friend of Jeffrey’s is there. Madison asks, who? and the guard says, Wyatt Cryer.

Madison says, the guard is security, right? Wyatt is a prisoner who escaped from the hospital. Bring him in, and detain him. The guard says, okay, and lets Wyatt in. Wyatt seems really jazzed, and asks where Jeffrey is. Madison says, upstairs, and asks if Wyatt is high. What did he take? Wyatt asks where Jeffrey is again, when Jeffrey comes downstairs, and says he’s calling the cops. Wyatt says he’s leaving, but the guard blocks him, and says he’s not leaving. Wyatt does a slow clap, and the guard says he’s not going anywhere. Wyatt tries throwing a punch, but the guard flips him to the ground, and gets Wyatt’s hands behind his back.

Candace is in bed when there’s a knock at the door. She asks who it is, and a male voice says, me. She asks who me is, and he says he’ll break the door down if she doesn’t let him in. She says, do that, and she’ll blow his brains out. He says, they both know she doesn’t have a gun, and she says, try it and find out. The door opens, and it’s Oscar. She says, what the hell? How is he there? He asks what she means. How she pushed him out of a window? She thought it would kill him. She says she knows she did, but he says, she thought she did. She says she saw him fall from the 30^th floor. He says, nothing she ever does will work. Don’t worry. He’s not going to kill her. She asks why he’s there, and he says, we’re all here. She asks, who’s we?, and he says they’re all here to destroy her.

Is this going to be some kind of riff on A Christmas Carol?

Next time, Veronica says, she’s Veronica, bitch, you can’t kill her; Jim says he’s taking Wyatt’s ass to rehab or dragging it to jail; Kathryn gets a new cellmate; and David says Veronica’s end is coming.

🤹‍♀️ To Be Continued… Tune in tomorrow for soap and double the Housewives. Until then, stay safe, stay looking for the silver lining, and stay knowing that relationships can get complicated when you don’t want them to, but not being a cynic

Jul6

July 5, 2021 – The Stalker Is Unmasked, No Wedding On Deck & City Summer

Posted on July 6, 2021 by theresakp

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Jax tells Britt, save the date? For what? She says, Jason and Carly’s wedding. Surely he’s heard about it. He says Carly told him (and stop calling him Shirley), but he’s confused as to why she cares.

In the visiting room at the prison, Molly asks if TJ is okay. He says, it’s not like Shawn to call out of the blue and ask him to visit. Molly says, at least Shawn was able to make the call himself. It’s been days since she’s heard from her mom.

Alexis paces, and tells herself, don’t think; just breathe. She sits on the cot, and says, she doesn’t think. She hears her own voice say, that’s her problem. She doesn’t think. She sees herself dressed in business attire, and other Alexis looks around, and says, Alexis brings her to the best places.

Josslyn asks what Cameron is talking about. She doesn’t think he’s a bad kisser. He says he read it in her journal. Should he not believe her own words? She says, believe this, and kisses him.

Ava asks if Portia has any idea where their girl is, and Portia says, she should have been there by now. She was going to stop by the gallery. Portia starts to text Trina, and Taggert approaches her. He says he doesn’t want to monitor Trina on her graduation night, but if she doesn’t show up in ten minutes, he’s going to start texting.

Trina walks in, and everyone looks shocked. She’s covered in what looks like blood, and says, mom? Portia and Taggert run to her, and Taggert asks if she’s okay. She says she is. She doesn’t know what this is, but she’s drenched. He asks if she’s injured, but she says, no, and Josslyn asks, what happened? Jordan tells Trina to take a deep breath, and Trina says she was going to the gallery to talk to Ava. It was a trap.

Trina says, all of a sudden, someone appeared out of nowhere, and she pepper sprayed him. Taggert says, that’s his girl, and she says, Nikolas was trying to catch the stalker, and he caught her instead. Ava wonders why Nikolas was at the gallery, and steps away to call him. She leaves a message that she’s with Trina, and to call her right away. Taggert asks Trina to tell them what happened, and Trina says, After that whole mess with Nikolas, she left the gallery. Then she realized she’d left her phone. She went back in, saw a remote control on the floor, and picked it up before she realized it hadn’t been there before. A guy in a mask was suddenly there… Portia asks if he had a weapon, but Trina says she doesn’t know. She saw he had a bag, and assumed he was a burglar. She tried to pepper spray him too, but the canister was empty, so she threw the remote at him. The sprinklers went off, but instead of water, this red goop that looked like blood poured out. Portia asks, what happened to the burglar? and Trina says, he ran off, but she chased him. Portia asks if she’s insane, and she says, obviously, it didn’t work, so she came there, and that’s how she made her dramatic entrance. Curtis says, the most important thing is, Trina is unharmed, and Portia says she’s glad Trina didn’t catch the stalker; he could have hurt her. Taggert says, he’s so proud at her for being brave, but when they run, just let them go, and Portia says, the most important thing is, Trina is okay. Jordan joins them, and says she just got off the phone with Dante. The fire department responded to the sprinklers going off, and when they saw something that looked like blood, they called the PCPD. She’s headed over there now. Ava says, she’s going with Jordan, and they leave.

Shawn sits across the glass from Molly and TJ, and says, Dr. Ashford, and Molly Davis, Esquire. It’s great to see them. He’s sorry he couldn’t see TJ graduate. TJ says he is too, and Shawn says, sorry to have gotten TJ’s hopes up that he might get out. He would have loved to see Molly graduate too. She says she would have loved having him there, and TJ says, the parole board is messed up. Shawn agrees, and TJ asks what they can do. Why did he call? It sounded urgent. Shawn says he’s afraid he has bad news. Alexis is in solitary.

Britt tells Jax that Cyrus sent men to her office that were going to kill her. Jason showed up, and got her out of there. Jax says, ever the hero, which is pretty funny coming from him. Britt says, Jason got shot, and she operated on him in a safe house. They slept in a barn, crossed the border with fake passports, and ended up in a lighthouse on Lake Ontario. Really exciting stuff. He says, so she and Jason are… They were… She says, what else are they going to do in a lighthouse? and he says, that’s too much information. She says she has to admit, for a guy who’s not very expressive, Jason helped her through a difficult time. She thought they were… you know, and then Jason asked Carly to marry him. C’est la vie, and au revoir. Jax says he wouldn’t take it too personally. Carly and Jason’s first loyalty has always been to each other. And to Sonny of course (🍷). Now Sonny is gone, and it’s just the two of them. Britt says, maybe it’s better off being single, and he says, truer words. Here’s to being alone, single, whatever, and they clink glasses.

The gallery walls are dripping red, and Ava says, oh my God. Dante tells her not to touch anything; it’s still an active crime scene. Jordan guesses they don’t have to worry about footprints, since the fireman have been all over, and Dante says, they had to clear the building. She asks what he has, and he says, it’s nothing toxic. It’s like what you’d use on Halloween or for a stage play. Jordan says, ingenious, and he says, a remote was used to set it off the sprinklers. Jordan says, that matches Trina’s statement, and he says, there was some kind of silent alarm set off by the front door, but Ava says she doesn’t have one. It’s an art gallery; she wants the alarm to be as loud as possible. Does he think the stalker set it up so they would know when she came there alone? Dante says, it’s possible, but it doesn’t sound like something the stalker… Nikolas comes in, and says, the stalker didn’t set up the alarm; he did.

Without being seen, the stalker comes into the Savoy. Trina says, this is a lost cause, while the stalker slips through the back of the club, and goes through another door. Trina thanks everyone for coming, but thinks she should call it a night. She’s not in a party mood. Josslyn says Trina’s dress is in the back, and suggests Trina get cleaned up, and then decide. Trina doesn’t know, and Taggert says, or she can let a criminal ruin her night. Josslyn says she’ll help, but Trina says she might end up covered in this stuff. Bartender N’neka says she can help; she can get goop on her clothes. Curtis thanks her, and she says, don’t worry, boss. Taggert says he needs a drink, and Nina says she does too. Josslyn says, it’s been a crazy night, and Cameron says, in more ways than one. Why did she kiss him?

Molly asks what Alexis did that she’s in solitary, and Shawn says, there was an incident at the library. Technically, Alexis assaulted a guard, but she was only trying to help him. TJ says, at least none of the prisoners can mess with Alexis in solitary, but Shawn says, solitary is no vacation. Molly says, time alone with nothing to do but think. Sometimes her mother’s brain can be her worst enemy.

Mirage Alexis says, what is this? Sage? It’s not her color. Alexis says, great. She’s only been in there two days, and she’s already losing her mind, and imaginary Alexis says, relax. She’s dreaming. The good news is, she finally fell asleep. Alexis asks who dream Alexis is; her conscience? Dream Alexis says, hell no. She’s just there to tell Alexis to stop screwing up her life. Alexis says, it’s a bit late for that. Okay, Ghost of Christmas Past, tell her what she could do better. Phantom Alexis says, don’t do anything. Do nothing. That’s her advice. Alexis says, that’s her advice? It’s impossible to do nothing, so it would help if she’d be more specific, and tell her exactly what she should stop doing. Dream Alexis tells her not to stick her nose where it doesn’t belong.

Curtis tells Trina, there’s a green room in the back where her dress is waiting. It has a private bathroom where she can wash up. Portis says, if she wants to stay or go, it’s fine, but Trina says she’s got this. She knows she freaked out, but she’s okay now. Curtis says, it’s perfectly reasonable to be upset. She ran into a man in a ski mask, and ended up covered in blood. Trina says she thought it was blood, but it’s not real. She wasn’t hurt, just scared a little. Portia says, Trina… and Trina says, okay, a lot. Portia tells her to go change, and let her know if she wants to stay or go. No pressure. Trina thanks Curtis, and leaves with N’neka. Portia and Curtis look at each other, and Curtis follows Portia back into the club. A good-looking young man comes out of a door to the hallway, presumably the stalker. The stalker is definitely not Hayden.

Jax says, Britt should celebrate; she dodged a bullet . She’s already learning things about Jason and Carly that he never will. Jason only cares about himself, not who he hurts, as long as he can hold on to Sonny’s power. She says, wow. He’s known them a long time, but doesn’t know the first thing about Jason. He’s not like Jax describes. Is he a user? Sure, but he truly wants to protect those loves. Jax says, that’s a short list, and Carly is on top. Whatever Carly wants, Jason gets. If she says, jump; he asks how high. Britt laughs, and he says, it’s true. She says, it is. For instance, when they were on the run, Jason was so supportive, even steadfast. That’s an old-fashioned word, but it still applies. He was someone she could count on. Then Carly called, and Jason ran so fast, he left a vapor trail. Jax says, trust him; she’s better off. She says she should have known the good guy wasn’t going to choose her.

Ava asks if Nikolas is all right, and he says, it just stings. Trina has good aim. Dante asks, what’s up with this silent alarm? and Nikolas says he set it up to catch their stalker. It went off, but he found Trina instead. He startled her, and she pepper sprayed him. Dante says, a teenager got the drop on Nikolas; that’s good. Jordan starts to ask Nikolas a question, and Ava asks if he’s sure he’s all right. He says he was checked out at GH, and should be fine. Ava says she’s so glad… and she’s so mad. She smacks him with her purse.

Curtis asks if Portia is all right, and she says, other than feeling sick that her daughter came face-to-face with the man who’s been terrorizing Ava, she guesses she’s okay. He says, Trina is okay, and whoever it was didn’t hurt her. She says, but they could have, and he says, speaking as someone who’s been on Trina’s bad side, trust him. That clown didn’t stand a chance. She thanks him, and tells him to keep reminding her of that, and he says, can do.

Nina asks if Taggert is wishing he was out there looking for the creep who scared his daughter, and he says, damn straight, but he’s retired, so Jordan would kill him. He thinks it’s more important that he be there for his daughter, and she says, spoken like a loving dad. He thanks her, and says it’s the best compliment he can get. She toasts to parents and children, and they clink glasses. He says Nina is by herself, but there’s got to be some lucky guy in her life. She says, not at the moment; what about him? He and his ex get along well. He says, that’s why they’re exes. Portia tells Curtis, what bothers her most is Ava’s reaction. Whoever the stalker is, they got under Ava’s skin. He says, for now. He doesn’t know Ava well, but he knows she’s resilient and a fighter. Does that sound like anyone? Nina tells Taggert, Portia is feeling better, and he says, Portia has doctor instincts. She’s always calm in a crisis.

Josslyn says, Cameron claimed she thought he was a bad kisser, and she said he wasn’t. He wouldn’t shut up, so she thought maybe she didn’t remember. and decided to find out. He asks if she confirmed what she wrote in her journal, and she says she didn’t write that. Why doesn’t he believe her? He says Dev read it to him, and then showed him. He saw it with his own eyes. Was he hallucinating? She says she didn’t write it, and he asks why Dev would say she did. She says, maybe he was lying, or maybe he wrote it himself.

Jax tells Britt, he’s sorry to set the record straight, but Jason’s not a good guy. She says, actually he is; he’s just unavailable. What about Jax? What’s his deal? Is he still pining for Carly, and longing for a reconciliation? He says he’s not longing or pining, and she says, really? He looks like he has someone on his mind, and he says, the woman in question doesn’t want anything to do with him. She asks what he did, and he says he betrayed her trust. She says, cheated or lied? and he says he kept a secret. He tried to fix the relationship, but it didn’t work. She says, in the end, he did the right thing, is she right? He says he thinks so, and she laughs, saying, doing the right thing is so overrated. She has a reputation as a selfish bitch, and she’s starting to think she should get back to that; looking out for number one again. Enjoying the life she has left. He says he thought she and Jason were together for just a little bit. Is he really going to leave that huge of a hole in Britt’s life? She says, absolutely not. What she meant is that she needs to stop being nice. Stop taking life so seriously, and have some fun. He says she’s talking his language, and they clink glasses.

Molly tells Shawn, that’s terrible. She’s glad her mom has Shawn to talk to in there. Shawn says Alexis only saw him in the library, and his privileges have been revoked. TJ asks, why? and he says, that’s what he needs to talk to Molly about… alone. He’s always glad to see TJ, but now that Molly is a lawyer, he wants her advice. Molly says, that’s flattering, but she hasn’t actually taken the bar yet. But she can consult for guidance. TJ says, he’ll leave them to it, and Shawn tells the guard that he’s consulting with his lawyer; he needs privacy. Both the guard and TJ leave, and Molly tells Shawn, to be absolutely clear, he knows he can’t officially practice law yet, but he says they needed to talk without the guard there. Alexis isn’t in solitary for pushing a guard. She’s in there because of Judge Carson.

Alexis supposes by sticking her nose in, dream Alexis means Judge Carson. Dream Alexis says, that would be the immediate concern, yes, and Alexis asks if she’s supposed to ignore Carson’s pattern of bias, and that she’s imposed stricter sentences on people of color, like Shawn. Dream Alexis says she’s in no position to call Judge Carson into account. Alexis says, Shawn is her friend, and shouldn’t be in prison at all, let alone this long. Nobody is helping him. They need to help him. Dream Alexis asks, how is this helpful? How is being in solitary confinement helping Shawn? Alexis says, it isn’t, and dream Alexis says, good. Now she’s learning.

Trina thanks N’neka, and says she’s a lifesaver. N’neka says it’s her pleasure. Enjoy her party. Trina says she intends to. N’neka leaves, and Trina comes face-to-face with the stalker sans ninja outfit. She asks who is he, and what is he doing there?

Ava asks what the hell Nikolas was thinking, setting up a silent alarm behind her back. He says, the stalker found their way around regular security. He needed to make sure no one knew, not even Ava, and she says, so he came there to face the stalker by himself? He asks what she’d have him do, and she says, maybe call the cops. He says he was trying to stop the stalker so she could stop living in fear and forget the stupid divorce neither of them wants. She says she not only wants the divorce, she damn well intends to have it.

Cameron asks if Josslyn thinks Dev lied. She says, she didn’t write that, and Cameron is telling her that he saw it? He wonders if that means Dev forged the entry, and she says she doesn’t want to believe it, but it’s the only thing that makes sense. Cameron asks why Dev would do that, and she says, Dev told her that he was interested in her, but she never thought of him in that way. He says, right… and she says, what? He says, the night of the bombing at The Floating Rib, the night Dev died, before the bomb went off, Dev kept trying to apologize for something. Does she think Dev meant coming between them?

The stranger says he wanted to make sure Trina was okay, and she says she’s asking again, who is he, and why would he care? She doesn’t know him. Why is he back there? Does he work there? He says he does, and she asks what he does. He says he’s a barback; he saw her come in. She says sorry he had to see that. He says he promises not to tell s soul, and he’ll take down the Facebook post. He’s kidding. She says he’d better be. She’s already having a terrible night. He says he figured, which is why he wanted to check on her. She says, no one is going to forget that entrance ever; covered in fake blood, calling out for her mom. She just wants to run out the back door and go home. He says he agrees on one thing. People will definitely remember her entrance for a long time. Because it was epic.

Shawn says he and Molly’s mother found a pattern of bias in Judge Carson’s sentencing. She imposed significantly harsher sentences on non-white defendants. Molly says, the records her mom requested were all criminal cases in Port Charles County from 2015 to the present, and he says, Alexis didn’t want anything to alert Carson, but he thinks the judge got wind of it anyway. She says, oh my God. Does he think Judge Carson exerted pressure? He says he can’t be certain, but yes, that’s what he thinks happened. She says, so her mom didn’t push the guard? and he says, she did, but the most she should have gotten was one day, not three. Molly says, if Judge Carson is exerting undue influence, she needs to be brought in front of the Commission for Judicial Conduct, and that’s just for starters, but Shawn says he’s telling her this as a warning; stay away from Judge Carson. Molly says she can’t just drop it, and Shawn says, tell Diane what’s happening, and she’ll take it from there. Leave it alone. Don’t jeopardize her future for Carson. Alexis is under enough pressure. Don’t make Alexis worry about her too.

Dream Alexis says, drop it. Forget Judge Carson ever existed. Alexis asks if she knows how many people of color are serving longer sentences because they were unlucky enough to have Carson as a judge, and dream Alexis asks what the Prison Advisor told Alexis. Alexis says she told her a lot of things, and dream Alexis says, do your time, and keep your head down. Alexis tells her, she also said, find your purpose. She can’t just sit around reading the classics while people are being unfairly imprisoned. Dream Alexis says, how’s this for following her purpose? Stay out of solitary. Because if she keeps on doing what she’s doing, she’s going to end up living there.

Nikolas says, the stalker has just been trying to scare them; they haven’t been violent. Ava says, not yet, when Jordan joins them. She says, whoever accosted Trina was a male, and Nikolas asks if Trina is okay. Ava says, Trina isn’t okay. She showed up at the Savory drenched in blood. Jordan says, fake blood, but Ava says she didn’t know that at the time. Trina was clearly traumatized. Nikolas says, Trina wasn’t hurt; she was just shaken up, but Ava says, that’s not okay, and Dante says, Trina wasn’t the intended target. Who knows what the outcome would have been if they’d come across Ava or Nikolas. Jordan asks Dante to walk her through the rest of the crime scene, and they leave. Nikolas says, look… and Ava says he can’t keep doing this. She means it. She doesn’t know how much more she can take.

Nina goes over to the bar, and clears her throat to get Curtis’s attention. Curtis turns around, and she says she saw him and Portia talking; they look really good together. He says, they do. There was definitely a spark, but he doesn’t know. It’s like she remembers something, then she shuts down. Now that he thinks about it, he knows he’s right. Somebody definitely warned Portia away from him. Nina says, maybe, but it’s definitely not Taggert.

The barback says he heard Trina tell her friends what happened at the gallery down the street. She took on some sketchy guy in a mask. That’s pretty badass. She asks if he thinks so, and he says, definitely. What he wants to know is – and feel free to tell him that it’s none of his business – she says she will – what was she doing there when the gallery was closed? She says she works there; Ava, the owner of the gallery, has been good to her. He says, right, and she says, excuse me? He says, Ava is notorious. Didn’t she kill someone? Trina says she doesn’t know. She wasn’t there; was he? He says, no, but… She says Ava is her friend, and he’d better watch what he says. He says it’s what he’s heard, and she says, then he needs to stop listening to gossip. Ava is a good person. He says he believes her, and he’s truly sorry. She says he should be, and he says she’s pretty fierce. That creeper didn’t stand a chance. She says she stands up for her friends, and he says her friends are lucky. Doesn’t she want to go party with them? It’s her night, and she looks amazing. She says, she and N’neka did the best they could. He says, his complements. So is she going to sneak out and run home, or go in there and show everyone that she’s not going to let some jerk ruin her night?

Charlie’s bartender says they’re going to close in thirty minutes, and Britt tells Jax. this place has gone downhill since it became family friendly. Jax says if they were in Melbourne, he would take her to this place that has amazing beer and barbecued snags. She says, snags? and he says, in Australia that means sausages. She says, sounds good. She’s a red meat kinda gal. Most doctors are, but don’t tell anyone. He says he won’t, and she says, but she’s not hungry. He says neither is he, but he doesn’t want to go home. She suggests he come home with her.

Dream Alexis says, who is Alexis? And Alexis says, this again. A fighter… an idealist… and an advocate. But how is she supposed to be an advocate if she can’t advocate? Dream Alexis says, if she’s stuck in there, and losing her mind talking to herself, she can’t. She’s Alexis Davis. She’s enough. She doesn’t have to save everybody. Alexis sits up, and says, this is not forever. She can do this.

Nikolas tells Ava that he’s sorry. He’s trying to end this. She says they are ending it, by getting a divorce, but he says they can’t be sure it will appease the stalker. She says, it’s better than antagonizing them. Why is he still fighting her on this? He asks why she thinks. He loves her, and won’t let this come between them. Why is she giving up? She says the stalker has proven he can get to them, get past security into their home, in her workplace, and all the way to her little girl. Avery isn’t safe, and she needs Avery to be safe. That’s why she wants a divorce, and she’ll do what she has to, to get one.

Britt puts her card key into her room, and for a moment, we think she came in alone. Then she starts ripping Jax’s clothes off, and they get busy.

Alexis tells herself to pull herself together. She’s okay. She breathes, and says, I’m okay, I’m okay, I’m okay.

Molly comes out, and TJ asks what that was about. She says, Judge Carson, and he says, the one who sentenced her mom? She says, the one who basically offered to take her under her wing. She intends to take her up on it.

Trina says the barback never told her his name, and he says, Victor. She says she’s Trina, but he knew that. Nice to meet him. So is he coming? He says he’s got to get back to work, but maybe he’ll see her around. She says, maybe, and he watches her leave, appreciating what he sees.

Nikolas says Ava knows he doesn’t want a divorce, and she asks if he remembers the time he was gaslighting her when she was in Shadybrook? He was so good at it. He asks why she’s bringing it up now. She knows he hated that he did that, and he’ll always regret it. She says, if that’s the case, why is he doing it again? He says he’s not, but she says he is. He’s telling her the things she thinks, feels, and sees aren’t real. He says, no. He’s telling her that he loves her like she loves him. Things they both know are true. Ava says, except what she’s telling him is true is real. She doesn’t want to be married to him anymore. Does he understand? Get out of her face. She can’t stand to look at him. She walks out, and Jordan tells Nikolas that she’ll need his official statement. He says, first thing tomorrow, and leaves. Dante and Jordan look at a tablet, and Dante says, there are a lot of shoe prints. Trina went out the front, and hers are almost done. These are standard issue, police and firemen… Jordan says, there. She makes one picture bigger, and says, there’s no other foot traffic in this area. We see a solitary red footprint, and she says, the tread is not standard issue. He says, it’s not Nikolas’s shoe. They might have their first lead right there.

Nina tells Curtis that Taggert hit on her. He says, did he? Now he knows Taggert has good taste. She says, thanks, but that’s not the point. He saw Curtis and Portia talking, and there wasn’t a trace of jealousy. Curtis and Portia were smiling at each other, and it didn’t bother Taggert one bit. He says, if Taggert didn’t warn Portia off, who did?

Cameron says Josslyn didn’t regret kissing him? and she says, not at all. He asks if that means they should… but Josslyn says, stop. He says he hasn’t started, and realizes Trina is behind him. Josslyn says, killer dress, and Cameron says Trina no longer looks like the last girl in a horror movie. She thanks them for their support, and says she’s ready to party. Cameron says, ready and waiting, and Josslyn says she’s glad Trina changed her mind. Trina says, fortunately, someone reminded her that it was their night, and not to let some lame-ass stalker ruin it.

Victor cuts himself on his bag, opens it, and wipes off the blood with a cloth. He takes out a photo of him, Laura, and Nikolas, and says, sorry, father. It’s for your own good. Victor is Spencer. All grown up. And nicely, I might add.

Tomorrow, Maxie says she can’t help herself, Trina has a better idea, Carly and Jason have something important to tell Josslyn, and Willow wheels Chase into Charlie’s.

Below Deck Mediterranean

Ostrica, Croatia. Guest Terez berates Captain Sandy about the terrible dinner, saying, it was unacceptable. She screeches, it’s a mega yacht! and the captain agrees, saying they have no chef because of covid. She’s never been in this position, but anyone coming on board has to be quarantined for seven days. Guest Jordan says, come on, girl. We’re on your team, and I wish they’d stop calling the captain girl. In Captain Sandy’s interview, she says she gets it. She has no chef and a new crew. It’s never easy to hear criticism, but she has to shoulder it and do all she can to please them. In David’s interview, he says he’s more than happy to help any department, but imagine finding him in the galley, and thinking he had anything to do with the food. Katie wonders if Mathew is coming back, and in her interview, she says, it’s like losing a limb. She’s praying he comes back, but she wants to strangle his little head. Everyone goes to bed.

Captain Sandy says, it’s like a bad dream, and Katie asks if Mathew is coming back for breakfast. Malia says she’ll help by starting to prep, and in her interview, she says she’s never seen a yachting crew without a chef to cook for the guests. It’s probably the worst thing she’s ever faced, and they’ve crashed tenders. Behind closed doors, Terez’s significant other says she’s getting mad at him because of the trip. They can’t get their money back. She says she’s going to bed, and she says she doesn’t care. In Zee’s interview, he says he thinks his brothers in yachting would be proud. Lexi tells Courtney about how she was Miss Bahamas, and went to Russia for the Miss Universe pageant. Guest Jordan wants someone to do an airplane, and Katie volunteers. I have no idea what this is, when Jordan lies on her back on the floor, raises her legs, and Katie balances on top of them. WTF? Lexi peeks out of the galley, and says, it’s getting freaky now. Jordan says Katie is their girl, and she’s going to lift Katie higher next time. Imfowerments [sic]; she’s a little drunk. Lloyd goes on anchor watch, and in his interview, he said he’s worked with people a lot in his career. He sold cars for a while, and it was the worst part of his life. They made him stay late on the phone, while he stood on a table and people threw things at him to try and make him smile. It made him the strong person he is today. Again, WTF? Katie takes stuff out for breakfast, and Lexi vacuums. In Katie’s interview, she wonders how the f*** they’re going to survive the rest of the season if this day one. Lexi tells herself that her brains are fried. She calls her mom, and says she’s used to working charters, but this is madness. In her interview, she says her dad died a couple of months ago. They weren’t allowed in the hospital with him because of covid, and her mom got a call that he hadn’t made it. Talking about him makes her sad, and she hasn’t really dealt with it.

Day two. A storm is headed their way, and Malia asks David if his roommate is back, but he says, no. In Malia’s interview, she says, they’re toast. She tells David, they have a bachelor party to throw, and Captain Sandy texts Mathew, asking if he has any word. David says, this weather came out of nowhere. The captain texts Norma from yacht staffing, and in her interview, she says she has to figure this out. She also needs a deck stew, so she’ll never be caught without a crew member in quarantine again. Norma says she’ll send a chef to quarantine, as Courtney cuts a pineapple. Good luck to her. Those are hard to cut. In Courtney’s interview, she says she’s glad to be out of the laundry, but she’s not supposed to be in the galley. Mathew calls the captain, and says he got the results back from his MRI.

Mathew tells the captain that it’s nothing serious. He’s sore, but he’d love to come back and start fresh. Captain Sandy says, first and foremost, she’s glad he’s okay, and asks if he’ll be there for breakfast. In her interview, she says, as captain, she’s had to deal with a fire on the Red Sea and she’s faced pirates, but no chef is like the end game. The big question is, is he capable of continuing? She radios the crew, who all respond with comments like, thank the Lord and hallelujah. The captain says a water taxi is approaching, and hopefully, it’s their chef. Mathew gets on board, and Captain Sandy tells him, welcome back. He takes off his booties and mask, and tells her that he’ll get changed and get to it. The captain tells Katie that she was going to drag Mathew’s ass back if he wasn’t coming. Mathew says, it’s nothing serious, but he’s in a little pain. In Mathew’s interview, he says he always has deep anxiety before the first meal with new guests. Instead of dealing with that, he bailed. There were two jobs that he left before he started them because of anxiety. He wants and needs to overcome it. I wonder why this didn’t come up as far as references go, and Katie tells Courtney that she’s never been so excited to see a bloody chef in her life. In Zee’s interview, he says, Courtney has a beautiful smile. Katie says Mathew owes them big time. She wants to make sure he knows that, and that he’s not leaving… let’s hope not. Mathew asks if it was a disaster, and Courtney asks if it matters. In Courtney’s interview, she wonders where Mathew’s limp went. He came in, acting like he was fine. Mathew tells Captain Sandy, it was a sad start to the trip, and he’ll talk to the guests. He suggests having someone else do the crew food, and ordering a wedding cake. The more he can outsource things that don’t matter as much to the guests (like the wedding cake???), the more he can focus on the more important stuff. The captain says, they have to do the crew food? and he says, he’s still getting used to the space, and he’s in pain. He tells her he’s going to speak to the guests, and in her interview, Captain Sandy says, I mean, come on. She knows chefs can be very finicky, and some are temperamental. The last thing she wants to do is bombard Mathew when he’s asking her for help. She can’t get a new chef, so she wants to ease him back into the role. Mathew apologizes to the guests for the start of the trip, and the captain tells Malia that they’ll have to do the crew food; sorry. Malia says she’s cool with it.

Malia tells David to get out the unicorn island, and Zee helps them blow it up. In Lexi’s interview, she says, after speaking to her mom, she feels better. She was exhausted and overworked. Malia hugs the unicorn, since she doesn’t have a boyfriend right now, and David says it’s going on its maiden voyage. They name the floatie Maureen the Magical Unicorn. Lexi dances and sings while ironing, which is why she has that job and I don’t. In Mathew’s interview, he says he’s trying to stay positive. He’s in a weird head space, and in pain. He’s trying to internalize, be calm, be cool. Maureen is put in the water, and Malia makes paninis for lunch. Katie serves drinks to the guests in the hot tub. David needs to find radishes, but doesn’t know what they look like. Third WTF this evening. Lloyd and David talk England, and David says he grew up in Brighten, which was a wicked city to grow up in. Katie has to bring so many drinks to the hot tub, she says, her poor arms. She’s not a stew anymore; she’s a bartender.

Lloyd preps for the next round of paninis. Jordan suggests Katie just leave a bottle of champagne and a carafe of orange juice, so they can do their own refills. In Malia’s interview, she says the crew is still getting up to speed, but she doesn’t see any red flags… yet. Captain Sandy asks how Mathew is doing, and he says, there’s too much stuff; he doesn’t know what’s where. I might interject, he’s the one who ordered too much stuff. The captain says she can help him organize, and he apologizes about the crew food. She says he’s not even at the starting line. Once he’s there, he’ll do the food. Seeing the huge amount of fruits and vegetables they have, the captain says, ridiculous. Malia says the paninis are ready, while David wrestles with Maureen. Katie tells Courtney that they have a bachelorette party coming up, and in Courtney’s interview, she says, all of her friends are having weddings, houses, babies, and dogs. Traveling girl, single and alone, just getting drunk in the corner. Katie and Lexi set the table for lunch, and Katie does some correcting of the silverware. In her interview, she says she’s not one of those chief stews who are particular about a lot of things, but she notices if the table setting isn’t cohesive. Captain Sandy curses her life while organizing the pantry, and says, he’s on his own. Zee makes himself a baloney sandwich, and tries to engage Courtney in small talk. In his interview, he keeps hearing, don’t screw the crew, but if you enjoy someone, why not give it a shot? At the same time, he’s green.

The guests head to the table for lunch, and in Mathew’s interview, he says he never thinks of wowing the guests, he just puts his heart out there and hopes they like it. He gives us the six Ps of yachting – proper preparation prevents piss poor performance. The guests are loving it, and happy he’s there. One of them says he totally redeemed himself. Malia asks if Zee is good, and he says, good-ish. He asks if she’ll show him how to tie a line, and she demonstrates for him. She tells him to keep an eye on the jet ski line. Lexi tells Mathew that she loves him, and in her interview, she says, always lie to the chef. Tell the chef you love them. Mathew makes chocolate mousse for dessert, which redeems just about anything, and Terez says, everything is on point. Katie asks Courtney to help clear lunch, so they can set up dinner. Captain Sandy asks how lunch went, and Katie says ,it’s a good vibe. A guest wonders what that jet ski is doing floating away.

Zee tells Malia that he’s not sure how it happened, but she tells him, it’s okay. In her interview, she says she’s letting him off the hook, since she also watched a jet ski float away. It’s a rite of passage. David drives the tender to a fishing spot for Clint’s bachelor party, while Karry and her pals get in the unicorn for her bachelorette. Clint says his life is officially over, and Karry asks for a bottle of vodka. In Zee’s interview, he says he worked in hospitality, and guests are happier when they’re drunk. It’s the first thing he’s been comfortable with. One of Clint’s party suggests that the chef bring down a fish, and they can say they caught it. The tender comes back, and Malia brings the fish out, asking if they want to take a photo. Karry and Clint kiss, and Mathew says he prepared dinner for the crew. Captain Sandy tells him, lunch and dinner for the crew while they’re on charter, and in her interview, she says she knew he’d come around to making crew food. She had to play her cards right; one step at a time. Let him settle back in. David and Lloyd talk women, but I’m skeptical as to whether either one of them has ever been on a date. In Lloyd’s interview, he says he doesn’t get to speak much to Katie. Plus, she’s chief stew, so she’s also scary. Katie and Courtney set the table for dinner, and in Katie’s interview, she says, the more stews you have under you, you lean more toward administration. Some chief stews don’t like to get their hands dirty, but she still likes a challenge. The guests get ready for dinner.

The wind picks up, and it starts to rain. The crew covers the deck furniture. In Mathew’s interview, he says, he’s going in with his first dinner, and doesn’t want to overcomplicate things. He knows he can do this, but needs to prove to the guests, captain, and crew that he can do this. In Katie’s interview, she says, synchronization is so important. Plus she thinks it looks good, bringing everything in at once. Katie tells Courtney to do turndowns, then laundry. In Malia’s interview, she’s skeptical about how much Mathew is physically hurt. It starts to get windy outside, and a guest’s wine glass gets broken. Katie says they’ll have to move everything inside, and Mathew frets about the food getting cold. He tried to make it perfect, now his whole dinner could be f***ed.

They move operations inside, and… Did Clint just whistle for a drink? What is he, a heathen? The fish is served, and everyone loves it. Jordan toasts to Karry and Clint. Clint brushes Karry’s hair back, telling her to show off her outfit, by which he means her boobs, and she gets annoyed. Katie says, the guests have been drinking since 8:30 am, and Karry tells Clint that he’s drunk. He starts getting snarky, and she rolls her eyes. The dessert comes out, and Clint yells, cream [sic] brûlée! Malia says Mathew is efficient; she thought it would be a disaster. Mathew says, based on yesterday, she probably didn’t have very high expectations. In Lexi’s interview, she says Mathew thinks he’s a hero, but he isn’t. He screwed them over on the first day. He signed on to cook. Why should he get a pat on the back for cooking? Courtney says, on no boat has she witnessed this madness, and Malia says Mathew seems temperamental.

Clint and Karry go to their cabin, but Clint says he doesn’t want to go to bed. They argue over whose phone charger is whose, and Clint says Karry is drunk as sh*t. She says she’s calling her mother, and he tells her, go ahead. She calls him a d-bag, and he says, call him that again… She says he’s a d-bag, and she’s not marrying him. He says he doesn’t want to get married anyway. He’s done. Katie jets from her eavesdropping position in the hallway, as Clint comes out the door. In the room, Karry cries, and lightning strikes over the ocean.

Next week, Lexi says there’s a weird vibe, David is attracted to Malia, Terez won’t eat the lamb, and Mathew tells Lexi to get out.

😵 Is It Friday Yet…?

Tomorrow brings Temptation Tuesday, but I probably won’t get to those wacky NYC Wives until Wednesday because I am a slave to the Zoom meeting. It could be worse. So until we see who has and has not, stay safe, stay fearless, but not stupid, and stay out of solitary. It’s not helpful to anyone.