(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital was a rerun today, so…
Below Deck Mediterranean
When we last left, the weather was getting wicked. Outside, Malia radioed, red on deck.
Mathew looks out the window, and says, it’s getting crazy. One of the guests wants out of there, and Captain Sandy says, it’s effing unbelievable. It’s right on top of them. Malia says she’s getting a little nervous, but the captain promises it’s going to pass them. They drop anchor, and David says, it’s proper carnage. Katie tells Lexi – who’d been repeatedly trying to use the radio – obviously, they don’t use the radio while anchoring. As per the captain’s promise, the storm passes, although it continues to rain. Malia says, holy sh*t. Delaney broods in her cabin – or whoever’s cabin she’s using – and Katie tells Lexi that she’s stressed. Lexi says Katie has every right to be, because she plays both sides of the fence when she’s not playing at being an entitled bitch. In Katie’s interview, she says it doesn’t make sense to move six people, but how does she deny the help she’s been asking for? It makes her look like a hypocrite. She feels terrible that it’s her department that keeps causing sh*t for the rest of the crew. It’s a lose-lose situation. No matter what she decides, she’ll let someone down. Courtney passes out glasses of champagne, which the guests gulp down. Katie tells Mathew about speaking to Delaney, and how Delaney said it wasn’t fair that Katie wanted her to leave. It was causing more sh*t than it was worth. Mathew says Katie brought it on by her good will, and in her interview, Katie says, causing others pain is her biggest trigger, since she feels it deeply when someone causes her pain. She tells the captain that Delaney wants to stay, and she ended up looking like a bitch. Captain Sandy says Katie is just being honest. If everything is fine without Delaney, let her go. She promises Delaney will be fine. She tells Katie to go get some rest, but Katie says she has to serve lunch.
Delaney tells Lexi that Katie was trying to intimidate her into quitting, which is beyond a slight exaggeration, since Katie was obviously the uncomfortable one and Delaney rolled right over her. In Delaney’s interview, she says her mom was adopted, and taught her, the more, the merrier. She was under the impression that everyone felt the same way, because apparently, she’s not too bright. She says if she needs to prove she’s an asset, she’ll do it. David and Mzi look at Delaney’s Instagram, and Mzi likes a post by accident. Lexi says Katie is complaining, yet doesn’t want help, and Mathew gets lunch ready. In his interview, he says, it’s taco night. For every meal, he’s been picking the cuisine, and working backwards. It’s been a perfect season so far, and he wants to keep it that way. Courtney suggests getting the boys in firemen’s outfits, and Malia says they could set off the fire alarm and the guys can come out.
Mathew says, today is going solid. He didn’t even have to put out a fire with his hand. Katie serves lunch, and Malia meets with the deckhands. She tells them it sucks that the guests can’t do water sports, but they need to make today fun. She asks if they’ll put on fireman outfits, dance, and play beer pong with the guests. At the lunch table, one guest says it’s the best meal so far, and another tells her that she says that about every meal. The fire alarm goes off, and the guests start to get up, but Mzi and David come in with shots for everyone. The stews cheer them on as they dance. In David’s interview, he says, he thinks it’s been well established that he’s not Magic Mike. Mzi puts his coat on a guest. and gives them a lap dance. They all go on deck and play beer pong, and in Malia’s interview, she says, when the weather is sh*t, they all have to turn into entertainers, but she’s not actually pimping out her deck crew. Take a cold shower. Next stop, the hot tub.
Mathew tells Katie that Delaney is messing up the system, and she says, STFU. Courtney tells Matthew that it will be okay, and in her interview, she says she’s proud of herself. She’s been bartending, while Lexi hasn’t been out of the laundry. She feels like she can handle anything. Delaney tells Lexi that she had five years of etiquette training, and she was a debutante. In Delaney’s interview, she says, people’s perception is that it’s just about being wealthy, but a lot goes into it. I’ve known women who were debs, and yeah, that’s true, but it’s not like saving-the-world work. Dinner is served, and in Mathew’s interview, he says, instant Italian night; pizzas and pasta. Although these aren’t like the pizzas or pasta you get from your local place. Guest Kristol gripes that she doesn’t like family style, and mumbles about not getting the separate entrée she requested. With the amount this group is drinking, I don’t even know how they can tell if the food is good. Courtney asks if everyone is good, and no one complains. Why this bitchy woman is now keeping quiet, I don’t know. Maybe she needs some carbs. Or gluten. Or something. Courtney takes a group photo per the guests’ request.
Katie tells Lexi, about some minor things, like a guest having no bath matt. Lexi says she’ll pass that on to Delaney, who she’s still calling Deloni, because she’s too entitled to bother learning anyone’s name, and Delaney is too intimidated to correct her. Mathew badgers Katie about Delaney, wondering why she’s staying if she doesn’t effing know the work. He’s working 18 hours, when she gets breaks. What is she doing there? He’s pissing me off, since this is hard enough on Katie. In her interview, Katie thinks Lexi and Delaney are merging into one. In Mathew’s interview, he says there’s a girl in his cabin, and he’s stuck in the musty chief officer’s cabin. Thanks to Lexi not pulling her weight, the fourth stew is taking up his cabin.
Delaney irons, and Captain Sandy tells Malia to take advantage of the beautiful weather. Katie tells Mathew that she can’t just let Delaney go, and in her interview, she says, he doesn’t realize how hard this is. She’s not a bitchy person or chief stew. He means well… Maybe he doesn’t, but right now, he needs to stop. He tells Katie to go be an a-hole. The slide is put out, and Lloyd thinks it’s an engineering masterpiece. In Lloyd’s interview, he says he braced it up to make it sturdier, and change the angle. Katie tells Malia, they have a beach barbecue today, with a while party later. Lexi sits on the floor somewhere, hiding from work. In Malia’s interview, she says, a beach picnic is difficult to pull off in the Mediterranean. The beaches are rocky, and logistically, it can be a nightmare. The deck crew is a full-on machine. She and David set up on the beach. In Katie’s interview, she says she’s preoccupied with Delaney, and just wants to do her job. Captain Sandy tells Malia that the slide is great, and Malia gives all the credit to Lloyd. The guests ride the jet skis, but one of the wave runners isn’t working right.
Malia checks out the jet ski, while the picnic food is wrapped. In her interview, Malia wonders if the jet ski’s plug was checked, and thinks it must have been, since that’s a basic task. Captain Sandy asks Malia, who forgot the plug? but Malia says the jet ski might have sucked up a plastic bag; she saw one floating around. In Captain Sandy’s interview, she says she loves that Malia has her crews’ back, but in no way is Malia going to dictate what’s told to her. On the beach, Lexi and Katie set up, and Lexi criticizes the table settings. In her interview, she says she thinks Katie is distracted by Delaney, and is forgetting basic competency. No comment. The guests arrive, and in Katie’s interview, she says, this is her job to a T; faking a smile, and acting like she’s good when she’s not. Back at the boat, Malia asks if David checked the jet skis, and he says he did. She rephrases the question, asking if he checked them before they put them in the water, and he says, no, after. She tells him that the jet ski wasn’t put in properly, and to always check. They find tons of water in the jet ski, and in her interview, Malia says, there’s no way the bung (the plug) was in. She tells David to make sure to check the plugs; it could have sunk the jet ski. The guests finish lunch, and the temperature drops, so they want to go back. Malia tells the captain that she thought the jet skis had been looked at, but they weren’t. In her interview, Captain Sandy says, if water is getting in, there has to be a hole. Even though Malia doesn’t see it as a lie – she’s just covering for her team – it does her no justice. Now, a seed of doubt has been planted in her mind. Decorations arrive for the party.
The white dresses aren’t exactly what Katie expected, and in her interview, she says, when she thinks of a white party, she thinks glamorous, glitzy, and fun. Provisions must have decided to go Amish. Courtney says, it’s definitely not a vibe. Everyone takes the scissors to their dresses. Lexi cuts Delaney’s dress too short. No surprise, but it backfires on her, since Delaney has fabulous long legs. In Mathew’s interview, he says, there are only so many different foods. He’s lucky it’s not a two week cruise. He’d run out of food. The guys wear white pants and their white uniform dress shirts. It starts to rain again, and covers have to be put on everything. The guests rave about Mathew’s food, except for Kristol, who gives him a 4 of 10 on a Yelp scale, saying, she has high standards. Another guest points out the million different foods they requested, from chicken fingers to Michelin star, so at least someone has a clue. Lloyd helps in the galley.
In Lexi’s interview, she says, she tells Delaney to do something, and she does it. She loves that about Delaney. One of the guests gives Mathew’s meal and 11.5 out of 10, but Kristol doesn’t like the cucumber touching anything else. Mathew thanks Lloyd, and says he would been stressed. Katie tells Mathew that the guests are happy. Guest Danielle says she’s starting a church; they don’t have to pay taxes. Lexi has a snack, while Delaney works. Katie tells Courtney that her stomach is upset, but she did it to herself. Delaney is going to want to stay. In her interview, Katie says she’s throwing up her hands. Lexi daydreams while Delaney works. Mathew says he doesn’t want this girl to be there. If one person can cook for twenty, three people can do the interior. In his interview, he says he loves Katie. She’s his favorite person he’s worked with, but her weakness is that she’s too kind and considerate. She needs to be a boss and make a decision. He wants his room back. He asks if he has to quit again, pissing me off more.
The guests go to the hot tub, and Danielle requests a fireman outfit. By the tub, Courtney asks if Mzi is staying for the show. I have no idea what’s in this woman Danielle’s head, but she dances around in the outfit, playing with a hose, ditches the coat, then slides down into the tub, not very gracefully. I guess this is supposed to be funny? Courtney films, while Danielle announces to the citizens of Florida that she’s running for mayor. (Of Florida???) Her slogan is, helping all the people with all the things. She says she’s also a minister. In Courtney’s interview, she says she doesn’t know what a mayor is, but if she was American she probably would. Apparently American Danielle doesn’t, so maybe not.
Katie goes to the bridge to talk to Captain Sandy, and tells her that people aren’t happy with Delaney being there, and they’re voicing it to her. The captain says, it’s up to Katie. If she’s fine, and doesn’t need the help, thank Delaney for the help with this charter, and let her go. Katie says she feels bad, but Captain Sandy says, don’t. It’s a fill-in; not a permanent position. In the captain’s interview, she says she needs to allow Katie to learn from her decisions. You won’t always be popular, but you need to make the one that’s right for the boat. She tells Katie to go have a conversation with Delaney.
Delaney irons, while Lexi folds the same towel twenty times, and tells the story of her drunken night. Mathew says Delaney shouldn’t have been brought there. In Katie’s interview, she says she’s not stupid, but at the same time, she doesn’t want Mathew to lose his sh*t and quit. It falls on her back, and if it blows up in her face, it’s on her. She calls the laundry, saying she wants to see Delaney. She and Delaney sit down. Mathew says he wants his cabin back.
But we’ll have to wait until next time to see if he gets it.
Next time, a day off, waterfalls, Mzi gives Courtney a lap dance and flowers, both Mzi and David take spills, and Lexi gets stupid bitchy drunk again. I didn’t see Delaney…
🏖 The two Toms had a Summer House watch party, along with random people they called their kiki crew. So it was like a bunch of awful people watching the worst show. One of them had a dog. It was the best part. Of any of their watch parties.
Signing off early because it’s still Labor Day in California. Soap you tomorrow, and whether you labor or not, stay safe, stay dignified, and stay making the decision that’s right for you, even if you won’t be popular.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
The Walking Dead
Everyone runs. Cole’s throat is slashed, Duncan is stabbed, and both Negan and Gabriel are hit with something. Elijah gets dragged away from the others by a rope, and Maggie is suddenly alone. She feels movement behind her, and flings a sickle she’s found at a Reaper, but it misses him, and sticks in a tree. I’m already thinking, if these people can’t get it together in ten years to gather roots, nuts, and berries, and grow tomatoes, they’re doomed.
Carol comes back to Alexandria with Kelly, and Magna asks if Kelly wants to do a shift together. Kelly says/signs, something came up, and Magna asks if she wants to talk, but Kelly says, there’s nothing to talk about. Aaron and some others raise a new wall made out of metal pieces, and Carol tells Aaron that they’re getting the horses back. He says they’ve been down this road before, and they’re about to fail. Carol says, if they don’t get the horses, they can’t carry more than a sack of grain. She gets a few supplies, and leaves.
Judith, RJ, Gracie, and RJ play cards, and talk about their parents. In other words, this part is boring.
Maggie walks through a desolate area, and comes to a mall. She walks past a bunch of scattered cars in what used to be the mall parking lot. I love an abandoned mall. She tries a door, and a knife comes flying through the air, sticking in the wall near her. She runs, and tries another door. This one opens, and she closes it behind her. She goes down stairs, and sees some empty bottles, where apparently someone has had a drinking party. She sets a couple of them on the push-bar of the exit door to alert her to intruders. She walks through the mall, and to another set of stairs. We hear zombie noises. She shines her flashlight around, and walks up. A zombie comes out of nowhere, scaring us both, and she sends it bouncing down the stairs. She flicks on a lighter, and we see a Reaper behind her. She sends him flying too. She hears footsteps, and jets.
Gabriel sits in the woods, saying, the Lord is my refuge and my strength. He he pulls an ice pick out of his leg, and sees someone limping away and a mask on the ground. He limps in their direction.
Maggie goes through a space housing a lot of mannequins, which are always good for a scare. Something falls, and she jumps a mile, but keeps walking. Someone comes out from behind a counter, and it’s Alden, but in a hot second, a Reaper pops out and takes him down. The Reaper goes after Maggie with a sickle, and she keeps him at bay while she reaches for an empty bottle nearby. She punches him, getting him off of her, breaks the bottle, and gouges him in the side of the head with it. Negan comes up behind him, and finishes him off. Before dying, the Reaper sets off a grenade, and Negan and Maggie duck for cover. When the smoke clears, Maggie sees Alden sitting on the floor, and goes to ten to him. He has a stomach wound, and she asks if he can walk, He says he won’t know until they try. Negan says she’s not seriously thinking about keeping going. What exactly is the plan? She says, the plan didn’t change; they need that food. They’ll go to the supply drop, and radio the others from there. He says he knows theatrics, and these people just showed them how insane they are. They can’t be on any road the Reapers are using. It’s a sh*t plan. She asks him for a better one that doesn’t starve them, and he says he’s on her side. She says, then help her with Alden. They help Alden up, get on either side of them, and help him outside.
Rosita picks mushrooms or something by a creek, when Carol comes along, and Rosita says she didn’t want stay in the house. Kelly and Magna join them, and they surround a lone horse, each of them swinging a rope. They don’t try very hard, and it trots off. Rosita asks if Carol is okay, and Carol says she’ll be better when this is done. Rosita says she’s having dreams that Abe is trying to tell her something; somewhere they’re supposed to be. But just as she’s about to hear it, he gets shot in the head. She thinks it’s a message for them. Carol asks what he’s trying to say, but Rosita doesn’t know.
Outside the mall, Alden says they’d better get moving, and Maggie and Negan get on either side of him. They hear a woman scream, and head in that direction. Negan says, really? We’re going toward the screaming?Cool. They see Agatha stabbing zombies like a machine, and to prove his worth, Alden stabs one that they pass, but practically falls over. Duncan sits on the ground, and Agatha shakes her head, leaving Maggie with him. Maggie says she’s so sorry, and he asks, why? They were lucky. She says, for a little while, and he asks her to make sure Agatha gets home. Promise. He closes his eyes, and Maggie takes out a knife. She kisses his bald head, and stabs him.
Carol and her group go through the woods, when they see several dead, half-eaten horses by the river. Kelly says, no, and Magna hugs her. Carol says they’ll keep looking for the rest. Stay close to the water. Rosita says, it’s getting late, but Carol keeps walking. Rosita catches up with her, and says they don’t have to right now. They can do it tomorrow. Carol says they needed the horses yesterday. Now. Magna hugs her, and Carol says, let’s go home.
Kelly says they’ll try again next time, and Rosita says, maybe not. They run forward to a field, as a bunch of horses come running through. Kelly says, dope, and Rosita says, there’s a dairy farm. They have a paddock, and they can pen the horses in. The horses run in, and they try to round them up, but they’re about as good at that as they are growing food. Kelly tells them to drop their lassos, and Carol asks, why? Kelly says, just do it, and they put the lassos down. Kelly says, they’re not running. She thinks they’re home. Carol makes a sound like she’s calling a cat, and one of the horses comes to her. They all pet it.
Gabriel recites the 23rd psalm – the Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He finds the unmasked Reaper leaning against a log, and the Reaper says Gabriel moved slower than he thought Gabriel would. He asks if Gabriel is scared, but Gabriel says he’s not. The Reaper says he’s been blessed, and Gabriel says he has a funny definition of blessed. He asks Gabriel to pray for him, and Gabriel says the Reaper tried to kill his friends. The Reaper says, they tried to kill him. Pray for him; even his enemies deserve that much. He thought Gabriel was a man of God. Gabriel says, God isn’t here anymore, and kills the Reaper. (Or as Cheech Marin said in Machete, God has mercy; I do not.)
In the woods, Maggie looks out with binoculars, seeing a load of zombies. Negan says, there are twice many as before. He believes they should rethink the plan. She says, if he wants to go, go, and he says he can help. Her friends trusted him. She was gone a long time. Things change; people change. She says he’s got them fooled, but not her. Stop pretending to be one of them. He walks away, and Alden asks if Maggie is okay. She says she can handle Negan, but he says he’s not talking about Negan. He asks if Hilltop is the place she told Hershel about, and she says, not much surprises her anymore. He says, they’ll build it better than it was. They’ll get it done. At least by the time Adam is old enough to remember. They’ll start when they get back. Maggie says, the good news is, Hershel lives in Alexandria. Small win. Negan finds a decrepit, charred zombie tied to a tree, with a sign that says JUDAS above him. The zombies surround them, and Maggie says, come on. They move faster, killing a few along the way, but Alden falls. Maggie grabs him back up, but the zombies are closer now. Agatha, Negan, and Maggie start slicing and dicing. Even Alden gets in a few licks before he falls again. Agatha gets bit, and Maggie comes flying toward her to pull her away, but the zombies are crowding in. Negan grabs Maggie, and drags her off, as the zombies bring Agatha down. Bye, Agatha.
Carol and her group bring the horses back to Alexandria, and Rosita says she’s out. They tie the horses up, and Carol keeps walking with hers. Magna catches up with her, and asks if they can talk. Carol says, sure, and Magna says, she knows what Carol is doing, and wants her to stop. She’s giving Kelly false hope. Carol says she doesn’t understand, but Magna thinks she does. She believes Connie is alive because she can’t accept what it means if she’s lost. Carol says, Connie is family, and Magna says she wants her family to heal. Kelly looks up to Carol. She’s sorry for whatever Carol is going through, but she’s asking, begging Carol; whatever she’s telling Kelly, stop. She’s just making it harder. Carol walks away, and brings the horse to a stable where it lies down. She pets it, then cuts its throat – which, thankfully, we don’t see, but I say, WTF? She puts the blood in a huge dish, and Alden comes in. Alden and I both say, WTF?
The boring group of children is brought a plate of horsemeat. Judith is like, eww, and Hershel tells her, smaller bites are better. She asks if he’s eaten it before, and he says, when he and his mother were on the road, they just ate what they found. It’s better than spiders. Just chew it fast; it’s not that bad. Rosita brings the baby to see the horses, and sees Carol washing up. I’m annoyed. The kids could have waited a hot minute while they rode to get something.
Magna and Kelly sit looking at the windmill. Carol comes by, and asks if Kelly is ready. Kelly goes with her.
Negan, Maggie, and Alden walk down the road. Negan eats something, and says, goddam sh*t, spitting it out. He asks if they’d like a taste of crap cardboard, and I figure it must be low carb. Negan suggests they go through the woods, but Maggie says the road is faster. Alden says, the woods are safer, and Maggie tells him, they need a break. They go into an old church, and Maggie says, they’ll rest for a while. She tells Negan that she knows what he’s thinking, and the answer is no. She tells Alden that they’re fine, and he says, maybe for now. If these guys are anything like she says, things are going to get worse, and he’s dead weight. They all know. He walked away from Negan because he trusts her to do the right thing. No matter how hard. No matter how much it costs her. She looks at him, and he says, supplies are the only thing that matters. Alexandria needs them to do this. They’re waiting for them. Hershel… Judith… Adam… Maggie says, Adam needs a father, but Alden says, if her plan fails, everything they’ve worked for, what they want for the future, dies with it. Then what happens to Adam? She gets up, and Negan says, the sun is going down. She has to make a decision. Maggie says, it’s easy for him, isn’t it? Being reckless with someone else’s life. He doesn’t get to decide who lives or who dies anymore. It’s his fault. He destroyed everything they built. Negan says she still has to decide, and she looks at Alden. She starts going through her bag, and gives him a canteen. She goes over to Negan, and holds out her hand. He gives her his knife, and she gives it to Alden. Negan moves a pew near the door, and Maggie says Alden better be there when they come back. He says they better come back. They leave, and he pushes the pew against the door, then sits on it.
A lone zombie walks toward Maggie and Negan as they walk through the woods. Negan cracks it in the head with a crowbar. He stands there, the crowbar dripping blood. Maggie walks past him, and he follows.
Next time, Daryl meets a Reaper in the woods, and once again I’m afraid for Dog.
⚰️ Later, on Talking Dead, Lauren Cohan (Maggie) said that the dripping crowbar was evocative of Lucille dripping blood after Negan killed Glenn and Abraham, but I wouldn’t have even thought of it if she hadn’t said that. In other trivia, the kids were eating beef jerky. Yeah, well, I would hope it wasn’t real horse.
October 3rd begins the second, and final, season of The World Beyond. Too bad. I kind of liked it. It will probably end up on another platform, since they’re all trying to entice viewers with extensions of their network shows for a price.
Whether you labor or not, celebrate anyway. Tomorrow’s GH is a rerun, so see you on Deck. Until then, stay safe, stay looking out for one another, and stay knowing that things change; people change.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
At The Savoy, Curtis tells Nika that he just got confirmation the party is on their way. She says she can’t believe three guys booked the club for the whole night. He says, believe it, and tells her to make sure the drinks are filled and everyone is having a good time. Sam comes in, and tells Curtis that she has news about Drew’s plane crash. He suggests they go someplace else, and she says they don’t have to go anywhere; it won’t take long. He says he might not have to, but she might want to.
Dante sits at the MetroCourt bar, when Olivia comes in. He says he didn’t think she was working tonight, and she says she’s not. She’s on her way to Carly’s bachelorette party. She’s helping set it up, and has a surprise that’s going to blow Carly’s mind. So, is he seeing Sam tonight?
On the phone, Brando tells his boss that he’ll do what he’s paid for. Doesn’t he always?
Sasha sees Willow arriving at the party by the pool (🍷), and says she wasn’t sure Willow was going to be there between nursing school, Wiley, and everything else she’s got going on. Willow says, when Olivia invited her, she decided she was going to treat herself to a break. She doesn’t know if anyone told Sasha, but there’s definitely good news; Chase can walk again. Sasha says, fantastic, and Willow says she’s so happy for him. Sasha asks if something else is going on, and Willow says, Chase learned she and Michael were together before they could tell him themselves. Sasha says she’s so sorry, and Willow says she put off telling Chase, and only ended up hurting him worse. Sasha says, it was an impossible situation; she did the best she could. If Chase doesn’t realize that now, she’s sure he will eventually in time. Please tell her that she and Michael are happy. Willow says, very happy. What about Sasha and the baby? Sasha says, the baby is fine, and Willow says, and the mommy? Sasha says she’d feel better if she knew for certain Brando isn’t working for the mob again. Josslyn and Bobbie come by, and Josslyn says, Carly is on her way. Bobbie tells them to get ready, and Carly walks in. They yell, surprise!
Curtis tries to steer Sam away, and she asks, what is this? Why is she suddenly not welcome there? He says he’ll explain it later, but right now he has to get her out of there. Spinelli comes in with Michael, saying, a proper sendoff is in order, and a proper sendoff he shall have, and Michael says, it’s what his dad would have wanted. Spinelli sees Sam, and says, greetings and salutations, fair Samantha. Forgive him for asking, but what is she doing there? She asks if she’s not supposed to be there, when Jason walks in. Curtis says, this is why he wanted her out of there, and Michael tells Jason, one drink, a couple of toasts, and they’re gone. Spinelli says, maybe two drinks… Okay, one drink is acceptable. The point is to celebrate Jason’s nuptials. Jason looks trapped.
Phyllis sees the outside table, and tells Mike/Sonny, it looks lovely; like an outside café. They could be in Paris instead of Nixon Falls. He says it was his idea. His first official date with Nina. She asks how it went, and he says, it was great… until they ran into a roadblock. He doesn’t think there’s any way around it.
Ava asks what Jax could possibly have to say to her about Nina, and he says, it’s about his visit to her in Nixon Falls. She says she heard the highlights. He played the hero, and two robbers got shot in the process. He says he stopped one of the robbers, and Nina’s new boyfriend stopped the other. She says, the mysterious new boyfriend. The one who replaced him. Jax asks what Ava knows about him.
Spinelli says, libations are certainly in order. Can they head to the bar? Sam asks if she can speak to the man of the hour, and Jason tells Spinelli to order him a beer. Michael urges Spinelli toward the bar, and Sam tells Jason, tomorrow’s the big day. He says, it is, and she says she’s sure the wedding will be everything he and Carly want. He says, Maxie is working on it, and she says she’s sure Maxie is. She wishes them all the best. He thanks her, and says he wishes the same for her. He goes to the bar, and Curtis asks if Sam is okay. She says she will be. She’s had a lot of time to digest that Carly and Jason are getting married. Carly has always been really important to Jason, so was Sonny. Most of the time, Jason chose Carly first. Now he doesn’t have to choose anymore.
At the bar, Spinelli says, it never occurred to him that fair Samantha might be there, and Jason says, it’s fine. Michael says, it’s still pretty awkward. Jason didn’t want a bachelor party in the first place. Jason says, actually, he was wrong. He and Carly are getting married tomorrow; it deserves to be celebrated. They clink glasses.
Carly says, oh my God. How did she not know they were planning this? Josslyn says they fooled Carly Corinthos, and Carly says, Olivia told her that the pool (🍷) was reserved for a Sweet 16 birthday party. Bobbie says they didn’t want her to know what they were up to, and they wanted to tell her they love her. Josslyn adds, and how happy they are she’s marrying Jason, and Carly says, so there’s no imaginary Sweet 16 party she has to take care of? Josslyn says, all she needs to do is relax and enjoy herself, and Carly says, with her favorite people there, how could she not? Carly says, it’s so lovely, and Josslyn says, and exciting. It’s the day before her wedding day. Carly says she’s starting to feel like a real bride, and Bobbie asks why she’d say that. Of course (🍷) she’s a real bride.
Sonny tells Phyllis that Nina said she doesn’t want to get closer to him until he finds out who he is. She said when he finds out who he is, he’s not going to want to see her anymore. (That’s not exactly what she said, but okay.) What does he do with that? She says, his feelings for Nina are real. That has to count for something. Nina comes in, and asks Phyllis how she is. Then she says, that’s a really dumb question. Forget she said that. Phyllis says, she’ll always be grieving for Lenny, but she knows he wouldn’t want her life to stop. He’d want her to live it to the fullest; to find joy where she can. And since he’s not there to ask Nina, she’ll ask for him. Why can’t the two of them simply live in the moment?
Jax asks Ava to please tell him everything she knows about Nina’s new boyfriend in Nixon Falls, and she says, jealousy doesn’t become him. And she’s certainly not going to confide in the man who conspired to keep from Nina the death of her daughter; a daughter she didn’t even know she had, and is now dead. He says she can’t even imagine how sorry he is for his actions, but believe it or not, he’s trying to help Nina now. She tells him, just go. They’re done here. He flashes back to Josslyn telling him that the sauce is exactly like Sonny’s, and Trina picked it up in a bar in Nixon Falls. He says he’s not leaving until Ava gives him some answers.
Dante asks how many times he has to tell Olivia, his personal life is just that – personal. She says he is seeing Sam, and she thinks that’s great. He says he’s glad she thinks it’s great. They’re meeting there to investigate something. She says, right, and he says, stop. She says she’ll leave him to it. She has to make sure everything is right for Carly’s party, especially the entertainment. It’s going to be such a surprise. She leaves, and Brando comes out of the elevator, carrying a duffel bag. He asks Dante how it’s going, and Dante says, no complaints. He congratulates Brando on becoming a father, and Brando asks if he’s got any tips. Dante says, don’t mess it up. Brando laughs, and Dante says just do the best he can; trust his instincts. Brando says he met Rocco a few times while Sonny was still with them. He seems like a great kid. Dante says, he is a great kid. He’s excited to have a cousin on the way. Sonny would have loved to be there to see Brando become a father. Sasha approaches them, and asks what Brando is doing there. Dante says he’ll see them, and jets. Brando says he’s there on a job, and she says, one of those side gigs he mentioned? He says, one of them, and she asks if he’s going to tell her which one. He says he’s making sure the baby has whatever he or she needs, and then some once it’s born. She says just promise her whatever he’s doing is not mob related, and he says, trust him. He thought she was supposed to be at Carly’s bachelorette party, and she says she was taking a break to powder her nose, which is probably a poor choice of words for her. He says, Carly’s party is there? and she says, out by the pool (🍷). Call her later after his mysterious side gig. She leaves, and Dante comes back. Brando tells Dante that he has a problem.
Sam says she found out some information on Drew’s plane crash that she thinks Curtis will find interesting, and he says, information is only as good as the source. She says she and Dante were able to get ahold of the WSB files on Drew’s plane crash, and it was a charter flight, not a private rental. And there was another passenger on board, but the name wasn’t listed. It was paid for by a company called Leethy Unlimited. He wonders why the name sounds familiar, and she says, because it was the parent company for a clinic in Scarsdale called Creighton-Clark. He says he knows that name from somewhere, and she says, it burned down before he came to Port Charles, but Drew was held captive there, and Nina was a patient, along with a lot of other people. He says he knows where he heard the name from; when he was searching for Nina’s daughter. She asks if he knows anybody who worked there, and he says he just might.
Spinelli says he’s so glad to be out socializing. It’s a welcome break from heartache. Ellie is adamant that their parting be permanent. He asks Michael to please tell him that he’s luckier in the romance department, and Michael says he hates to break it to Spinelli, but he is luckier. He and Willow are together, and they couldn’t be happier. Spinelli says he’ll drink to that.
Olivia tells Willow, talk to her. There’s obviously a huge change in her relationship with Michael. Brook implied that there were some developments, but she wouldn’t go into any details, so she came to the source. What’s going on? Willow says it’s very complicated, and she definitely could have handled things better. She suggests they talk in the next day or two; after Carly’s party. Olivia says, just so she’s clear, Willow and Michael are a couple? Willow says they are, and Olivia says, Chase is a great guy, but between the two of them, she always thought Willow and Michael belonged together. Willow says, they agree. It just took them a while to figure it out. Olivia says Willow looks happy, and she’s happy for her, and they hug.
Carly tells Bobbie that she can’t wait to marry Jason. It’s just been a whirlwind trying to get everything ready. Bobbie asks if that’s all it is, and Josslyn says her mom’s been really busy. Yes, Maxie’s planning the wedding, but there’s still a million details to sort out and decisions to make. She’s helping Josslyn get set up at PCU, there’s dissention with her dad… Bobbie asks if Carly and Jax are at odds, and Carly says, really? They’re supposed to be having fun. Why did Josslyn bring that up? Josslyn says, sorry. She should have kept her mouth shut. Her mom and dad fight all the time, and they always work it out.
Jax tells Ava that he still cares about Nina. Knowing he hurt her is bad enough. He doesn’t want to see her get hurt again. Ava asks what he wants to know, and he asks, when was the last time she spoke to Nina? She says she doesn’t hear from Nina all that often. Just a text here and there, about how happy she is. He says, with her new boyfriend? and she says, Nina doesn’t really say very much. Last time she and Nina had a heart-to-heart, Nina was pretty evasive about him.
Phyllis says, right before Lenny’s diagnosis, he’d decided to live in the moment. He was going to take her dancing. She was on her way to buy a new dress when Dr. Ford showed up, and their lives changed. Sonny says he’s going to do everything he can to honor Lenny’s memory. Phyllis says she knows he will, and she hopes Nina tries to do that too. She leaves, and Sonny asks where Nina was. He was trying to reach her. She says she’s sorry she ran out on him, and he says they’re supposed to be living in the present. She says, he is, but she’s still struggling. When she saw his watch last night, a piece of his past, it made her stop and think for once. He asks if she came to any conclusions. Does he have to find out who he is in order for her to move forward with him?
Carly, who is now wearing a tiara, tells Olivia that she’s sneaky, and Olivia tells her, what can she say? She was motivated. What’s the point of renovating the pool (🍷) if they’re not going to use it? She wanted to wish Carly happiness; no one deserves it more than her. Carly says, that’s sweet, but Olivia says she’s not sweet. Neither is Carly. They tell it like it is. It was the first thing she liked about Carly. Carly says, since they’re telling it like it is, she thought Olivia would think it’s too soon after Sonny. Olivia says, if it were anybody else, she would think they were acting out of grief, or afraid to be alone. She would have been wrestling with herself; should she say something or keep her big mouth shut? But Carly has known Jason forever, and knows what she’s getting. She’s getting a Quartermaine for an in-law – Olivia hands her a drink – so good luck with that. Carly says they’re Olivia’s in-laws too. They’ll be allies. They clink glasses, and Olivia says, always.
Willow asks if Sasha is okay, and Sasha says she ran into Brando in the restaurant. He’s on the job, but woudn’t tell her what it is. Willow asks if she thinks he’s with the mob again, when Carly interrupts, saying, he’s not. Brando made it very clear that he is done. Sasha says, there was a part of Brando that liked the excitement working undercover for Sonny. What if he’s revisiting that part of his life? Getting in deep again, under the guise of wanting to support her and the baby.
Dante says, Brando is kidding, and Brando says he wishes he were. Dante laughs, and Brando asks if he has any advice. Dante says he’s got to bite the bullet. Do what he was hired to do. Make that money. Pay for that baby. Brando asks if Dante can just arrest him, and Dante says, not unless he breaks the law.
Curtis tells Nika that he has some business to take care of, and asks if she’ll be okay by herself. She says, it’s all good, and he leaves. At their table, Michael says he knows Jason and his mom never expected to get to this place, but now that they’re here, he knows they’ll be good for each other. Spinelli says, perhaps it’s fate, destiny, and if it is, how wonderful that it’s Carly. Michael says, incoming, and Joey Novak walks in with several other guys. He says, here it is. Here’s the groom, and a bachelor party that’s crying out for some action.
Sasha says she told Brando that if he wanted to be in her life, and the baby’s, he couldn’t work for Carly and Jason anymore, and Carly says, he’s not. Sasha says she heard Carly and Brando at his garage the other night. He was promising to let her business associates know that he was open for business, and Carly thanked him for helping her. Carly says, Brando offered to listen, that’s all. He’s not going to put himself in danger. Sasha says, what if the danger shows up anyway? What if Brando just can’t say no? Carly says Brando is crazy about Sasha and the baby. She has to trust him. How can they have a family if she doesn’t? Olivia announces, the entertainment is here, and says, Owen, cut the lights. The lights dim, music plays, and Brando comes out in a tux, and dances around. Everyone is shocked, and he makes lovey-dovey shark eyes at Sasha.
Sam tells Dante, she let Curtis in on the information they got about Drew’s plane crash. She figured he’d want to know since he and Drew were such good friends. She mentioned Creighton-Clark to him, and he said it seemed familiar. Then he remembered he knew someone who worked there who might be able to give them more information about the clinic. He says, that’s great, and she says he hasn’t been listening to a word she said. He says he heard everything, but she says, no, he hasn’t. He apologizes, and says he was distracted. She says, about what? and he says, about what’s going on at the MetroCourt pool (🍷) right now, at Carly’s bachelorette party.
What’s going on is, Brando is still dancing, with the girls all egging him on. He comes closer, takes off his tie, and pulls Olivia out on the dancefloor. She dances around for a hot minute, and he goes back to his solo act, taking off his jacket. He comes back to the group, and Carly tries to cover Josslyn’s eyes, but Josslyn is like, no way. Brando rips his shirt off, and Josslyn says, nice abs. He’s actually a pretty good dancer. He dances with Olivia for a second, and goes to Sasha, dancing with her, all romantic. Brando rips off his pants, and he’s in tighty blackies. Everyone comes out to dance, except Sasha, and Brando motions for her to come.
Nika tells Joey and his pals, it’s a private party. They’ll have to come back another night. Joey says, oh come on. There’s plenty of room for them. They promise not to disturb the private party. Jason gets up, and tells Nika, he’ll take care of this. Joey says, like Jason took care of him? Strongarming his uncle into getting him out of the country. He walks to the bar, and says, a round of top-shelf whiskey for the room. He wants to toast the groom, since he won’t be at his wedding tomorrow. He’ll be in Siberia. One of his cronies says, isn’t he going to Poland? Joey says, to the groom, and to his gorgeous bride Carly, who is as hot as they come. Michael gets up, and says, that’s enough, and Joey says, Spinelli agrees with him, right? Carly Corinthos is quite the babe. I’m literally lol’ing, because these guys always sound like they’re from the 1940s. Spinelli (who also sounds like that) says, stop this vulgarity at once, and Jason puts his hand on Spinelli’s shoulder. He says, they were just on their way out, and Spinelli says, they were? Jason puts some money on the bar, and says, Joey and his friends are going to drink on him. He tells Michael and Spinelli, let’s go, and they head for the door. Joey says, hey Morgan. How does it feel to be hitting your dead boss’s wife? Is it good? Like you won a stuffed toy at the fair? Spinelli comes flying at Joey, says, you creep, and punches him.
At the pool (🍷), Brando comes back out, fully dressed, and the women all applaud. Brando says, honestly, he had no idea he was reporting to Carly. His boss just told him it was a party at the MetroCourt pool (🍷). Olivia says she’s the one who called the agency to hire the stripper. She had no idea it was him. Willow asks how badly he wanted to die when he saw all of them, and he says he was hoping the ground would swallow him up. Bobbie says, they’re glad it didn’t because he was really good. Sasha says she’s sure he needs a drink, and Josslyn hands him one, saying he deserves it. Sasha takes his hand and leads him away. Carly remembers when she and Jason almost kissed. Bobbie says, hey, is she okay? and Carly says, why wouldn’t she be? Who knew Brando was so gifted, right? Bobbie says she’s not urging any scandalous behavior where Carly’s daughter is present, but she thought Carly might relax, cut loose a little, considering she is marrying her best friend. Carly says, that’s true; she is. Bobbie asks, so what’s the problem?
Nina says, Mike/Sonny will never know how much she wants him in her life, but it doesn’t seem right that he can’t remember who he was before. He has flashes of that other woman, and he knows she means something to him. He says he doesn’t even know if that woman is real, and she says, he won’t know until he finds out who he really is. He says, he’s Mike. He’s the guy who cares about her. He gets that she doesn’t want his past life to come crashing down on her. She doesn’t want to be hurt again. That’s why she came to Nixon Falls, to let go of her past. She says, so he understands, and he says, yeah, and he’s going to do everything he can to prove to her that he does. He doesn’t know how he’s going to do it, but he will. Because he’s in love with her.
Ava tells Jax, Nina probably wants to keep the new part of her life separate from the old one. Does it really surprise him that Nina would want to make a fresh start with Mike? He says, Mike? Does he have a last name? She says she’s sure he does, but she doesn’t know what it is. He says, and she didn’t ask? Ava says, Nina has made an art of skillfully avoiding her questions about him. Now here’s Jax, interrogating her about a man neither of them has ever met. Does he want to tell her what this is really about?
Curtis calls Phyllis, saying, he’s not sure if she remembers him. She says, of course (🍷) she does. He’s the private investigator who tracked her down, and put her back in touch with Nina Reeves. How can she help him? He says, he’s not a private investigator anymore, but he’s looking into something for a friend. It involves the facility where she worked, when she was Nina’s nurse. She says, Creighton-Clark? and he says, that’s the one. Is she still in touch with anybody she worked with there? She says she wasn’t there long. Besides, she was a private nurse so she didn’t really know any of the staff. He says, maybe she can think on it and give him a call, and she says, wait. There is someone. He friended her on social media a while back.
Sam says, Olivia hired a stripper from an agency that happens to be Brando? That’s priceless. Dante says, he’s making some money for his baby, and she says she’s not laughing at him. She thinks he should be proud. She thinks there’s something really charming about a guy who will do whatever it takes to provide for his child. Dante would, woudn’t he? He says he’s thankful he has a job where he can keep his clothes on, she says, that is too bad. His phone dings, and he says, dammit. He has to go. Work. He hopes to see her again soon. She says he can count on it, and he leaves.
Jax tells Ava, he’s worried about Nina. That’s all. He knows Ava tried to steer her in the right direction when it came to Carly. Ava says she did try, but apparently Nina didn’t take her advice when it came to making nice with Carly. Apparently, she did the opposite. Jax asks what she means, and she says, something happened a long time ago. She was mad, and she told Carly that as a grandparent in the state of New York, Nina has the right to sue for visitation with Wiley. Shortly after that, Nina called Carly, and Carly was all fired up and went for the jugular. He says, that’s what Nina told her? and she says, words to that effect. Everyone knows that Nina was wrong to tell Wiley about Nelle. Nina knows it. She regrets what she did, but Carly is Carly. She rarely gives anybody a second chance. He says, believe him, he knows.
Sonny says he guesses he threw Nina a curveball. He’s sorry. It’s how he feels. He really couldn’t go another minute without telling her. She tells him, she doesn’t know what to say, and he tells her, she doesn’t have to say anything.
Brando asks if Sasha sees now why he was being mysterious about his new job. He didn’t think she’d be a fan of him dancing. It’s just one of his side gigs. She asks, what are the others? Centerfold modeling? Escort service? He says, ha-ha. Try cleaning the deep fryer at Kelly’s, and after-hours custodial work at a bunch of offices downtown. He’s sorry if he embarrassed her tonight. She says she bets the money is good, and he says, it’s real good, but if she doesn’t like it, he’ll quit right now. What they have is a helluva lot more important than this performance tonight.
Willow says she hates herself for enjoying Brando’s performance so much, and Josslyn says, you and me both. Olivia says, in her day, it was empowering for women to go to a strip joint. The women could enjoy strip teases as much as the men. Willow says she can only imagine the men back then. The hair… Olivia says, the fake tan, the screaming women… Josslyn says it sounds like Olivia did a lot of clubbing, but Olivia says, bite her tongue. She was a good, Catholic girl. The only thing she knew about strip joints, and what went on inside of them, was what she read. They all laugh.
Bobbie says, when she thinks back on Carly and Jason when Michael was a baby, it was just the two of them. She used to get so frustrated with Carly at times, she wanted to tear her hair out. Jason was always good for her; he always believed the best in her. And to be fair, no matter how much the rest of them doubted her, she justified that faith. Now after all these years, they’re getting married. Tomorrow they’re going to slip into their new life as husband and wife. That’s the sweetest kind of love there is. Carly thanks her, and they hug.
Brando says he’ll call his boss right now, and tell him it’s his last gig as a stripper, but Sasha says, don’t you dare. Compared to working for Cyrus Renault, this is the safest job in the world. He says so she’s okay with women stuffing bills in his costume? She says, they can stuff as many bills as they want, as long as he always comes home to her.
Curtis asks who Phyllis’s friend was, and what he did at the clinic. She says, he worked in the records department. Would he be able to help Curtis? Curtis says, he just might. Text him the contact information, and tell him to expect Curtis’s call. She says, of course (🍷), and he says, if her friend can help, this could be a very big deal.
Michael gives Spinelli some ice in a cloth, and says, he did most of the heavy lifting… or should he say, heavy punching? Jason says, party’s over, let’s go, and heads for the door a second time. Nika is coming in, and he says, if what he left on the bar isn’t enough to cover everything, let him know. He’s sorry this happened on her watch. She says, she’s sorry, but once the fight started, she had to follow the rules. Spinelli says, what rules? and Dante walks in with some officers. A disheveled Joey gets up, and says he was raising a toast to Jason, and this little dweeb went off on him. Michael says Joey deliberately baited Spinelli, and Spinelli says he denigrated the bride-to-be. Joey says he did nothing of the kind. He was complimenting… Dante tells them, shut up, or he’ll take them all down to the station. Spinelli says, actually, they have a wedding to attend, and Dante says, maybe they’ll think more clearly in the morning.
Carly tells Bobbie, there was a time when all she wanted to do was marry Jason. She lied, she schemed, she left a trail of wreckage. Now years after she let that fantasy go, it’s happening. Bobbie says she and Jason have something magical, and Jason would do anything for her. Carly says, and she doesn’t know why that is; she never has (that makes two of us). She just knows that Jason has always been there for her. Even when he thinks she’s wrong, he’s there. Bobbie says he loves her as she deserves to be loved, and Carly says she’s a lucky woman. She’s a lucky bride.
Sonny takes Nina’s hand and says she doesn’t have to pretend she has feelings for him if she doesn’t have them. Maybe she will one day, maybe she won’t, but it feels good for him to tell her how he feels. So he’s going to leave her with that, okay? She says, okay, and he goes in the back.
Ava tells Jax, Carly and Nina must have been able to smooth things over, since Nina is seeing Wiley again, but she gets the sense it’s a fragile peace. Which is another argument for Nina to stay in Nixon Falls. She’s much less likely to cross paths with Carly there. He says, it certainly seems that way, and thanks Ava for taking the time to talk to him. He appreciates it. He starts to leave, and she asks what he’s going to do. He says, what can he do? Except make sure Nina is happy and safe.
Outside on the phone, Jax tells someone, get the jet ready. He’s going to Nixon Falls, Pennsylvania. Where I’m sure they have an airport.
On Tuesday (there’s a rerun on Labor Day – see below), Shawn tells Jordan that there has to be something to lead them to Hayden’s shooter, Nina asks Sonny what happened, and Ava is surprised.
Livestreaming September 8th, it will only be available to Xfinity Rewards members, but the series Beyond Salem will be on Peacock starting September 6th.
Our urge to speak is often rooted in an inflated view of our own opinions. – Tripp Prince
You may be disappointed if you fail, but you are doomed if you don’t try. – Beverly Sills
Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving. – Albert Einstein
There is nothing better than a friend, unless it is a friend with chocolate. – Linda Grayson
Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity. – Seneca
This is housekeeping, not Project Runway. – a hotel staff member on The Bachelorette, when asked to fix a bridal gown
Don’t worry about being worried. You’re heading out on an adventure and you can always change your mind along the way and try something else. – Tracy Kidder
Education must not simply teach work – it must teach Life. – W.E.B. Du Bois
It’s a general moral principle that the more power you have over someone, the greater your duty is to use that power benevolently. Well, who is the one person in the world you have the greatest power over? It’s your future self. You hold that life in your hands, and what it will be depends on how you care for it. – Rick Hanson
Can the world be your oyster if you’re allergic to shellfish? – Hyundai commercial
🌞 And Have a Pleasant Tomorrow…
Hope you didn’t get drenched by Ida or her remnants. We remained unscathed this time, but it only takes once for the word hurricane to cause anxiety, and wondering where you’re going to put stuff. But it looks to be a beauty of a long weekend, or the next three days, if weekend is no longer in your vocabulary. See you at Dead time, but until then, stay safe, stay saucy, and stay never denigrating the bride-to-be. Especially if she’s marrying the mobster best friend of her late mobster husband. No good can come of it.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Ava comes into the hospital and asks if Epiphany can give her some information on a patient that was brought in last night, a certain attorney. Epiphany says she’s not Scotty’s family, but Ava says she is a very important client. Epiphany says she can only give the information to his family, and Ava stomps of. PC Pioneer Wyatt approaches the desk, and Epiphany asks if she can help him, but he says he thinks he can be of help to one of their patients.
Ava hears Anna talking to Britt about Scotty’s condition. Britt says, he’s still disoriented, but despite parachuting out of a plane unconscious, he has no broken bones or serious injuries. Jordan asks if she can see him, and Anna says, the sooner they talk to him, the sooner they can unravel this story about him literally crashing into Finn’s campsite. Britt says, at least he’s safe and sound, which is more than she can say about her mother.
Obrecht wakes up wearing silk pajamas in a beautiful bed. She says, where am I? and calls for Scotty.
Ava sneaks into Scotty’s room, and he wakes up saying, my schnitzel, my Liesl. Ava asks if it’s really true he dropped from the sky, but he says he doesn’t know. He’s in a hospital bed, isn’t he? He looks around and says he guesses so. She says she’s so glad he’s okay. She hopes he knows that. He takes her hand, and says he didn’t know she still cared about him. She says of course (🍷) she does; of course (🍷) she cares. It’s been six weeks since he filed for her divorce. She needs to know if it’s gone through.
A waitress brings a check to Spencer at the MetroCourt, and he tells her to put it on his account. She says her manager said he’s no longer on the account. He says, thanks, dad, and Esme says lunch is on her. He says he guesses it’s true what his grandmother said. His independence is dependent on his father’s money. Esme thinks it’s high time he and his dad got past their differences, but he says, not when his dad accused him of being Ava’s stalker. She wonders where he’d get such an outrageous idea, and Spencer says Nikolas stabbed him. She says, with a fake knife. He says he didn’t know it was fake when he saw it. How can he ever forgive Nikolas? She says she doesn’t know. Ask his dad. He turns around to see Nikolas behind him.
Trina walks into the gallery, answering her phone. It’s Jax, calling from the Spring Ridge visiting area. He says, it’s Josslyn’s dad. Does she have a minute? She asks if Josslyn is okay, and Jax says she’s fine. In fact, she cooked him a lovely dinner last night. She says she knows, she helped Josslyn get ready. He says the marinara sauce was the highlight, and she says, didn’t he love it? She told Josslyn it would be epic. He says he thought for sure Josslyn picked it up from a specialty gourmet store, but then she told him that Trina was given the jar when they came to Nixon Falls to pick him up. She says, pretty spectacular, right? He says, it was pretty memorable. In fact, he’s dying to meet the person who made it.
Epiphany is on the beginning credits! I don’t always see them, so she might have been there before, but I’m excited.
Trina says she never met the person who made the sauce. All she knows is, the lady who runs the roadhouse in Nixon Falls… She forgot the name. He says, the Tan-O? and she says, that’s it. She said the bartender made it. He says, she didn’t happen to mention his name, did she? She says, no, why? and he says he guesses Josslyn’s never told her about his work. He’s a venture capitalist, and he’s always looking for new investments. This sauce was so good, he’s thinking of pursuing it. She says, Nina Reeves is friends with the nice lady who owned the bar. She’s sure Nina will know the name of the bartender. He says she’s right. If anyone knows, it’s Nina. He flashes back to thinking he saw Sonny in a cowboy hat when he was on the stretcher, and thanks Trina, saying, she’s been a great help. Alexis comes out and says, clearly Jax didn’t come to cheer her up. What’s wrong?
Spencer asks if this was Esme’s idea, and Nikolas says, don’t blame Esme. He appreciates her reaching out and asking him to join them. She says she always thought Spencer didn’t want anything to do with him, but now that she’s seen the two of them together in person, she can see they care about each other. Spencer says, some people just have a funny way of showing it. You know, with fake knives. Esme says, come on. She knows him, and he gives as good as he gets. Nikolas sits down, and says he doesn’t blame Spencer for wanting nothing to do with him, but he needs to hear this. Everything he’s done, even staying away all those years… Spencer says, Nikolas means letting him think he died, and Nikolas says, everything he’s done, he’s done out of love.
Jordan tells Britt, local law enforcement did a thorough search of the camp area where Scotty parachuted down. There’s no indication that her mom, or anyone else, parachuted with him. Britt asks why Anna is so interested in her mother’s whereabouts. She thought they hated each other. Anna says, they’ve come to a bit of a truce, but Obrecht being missing makes her think somebody else is involved… like Peter maybe. Britt says, then where is she? Where’s the plane? God knows, her mother is resourceful, but she’s not Houdini. She can’t just vanish into thin air.
Obrecht turns on the lamp, and gets out of bed. She says, what is this place? She looks around a gorgeous room, filled with antiques, and asks what she’s doing there. She remembers being on the plane with Scotty, and putting on the oxygen mask, and says, my God. She has to find Scotty. She runs to the door, but it’s locked. She yells, open this door! They can’t do this to her. She’s Liesl Obrecht, dammit! She pounds on the door, and yells for someone to open it.
Ava tells Scotty, she’s not trying to be insensitive; she knows he’s having a stressful time of it. But from what she hears, skydiving can be very exhilarating. He says, the bum’s rush out the door? He doesn’t think so. She says, the point is, he survived. Her stalker is still out there, waiting to strike at her or her loved ones. He told her that her divorce would take six weeks to go through. Isn’t there anybody he could call to nudge it along? Jordan and Anna walk in, and Jordan asks what Ava is doing there. Ava says she’s visiting her very good friend, and her attorney; their lives may depend on it. Anna says she’s not sure badgering Scotty is going to be conducive to his recovery, and Jordan steers Ava out. Ava says she’s counting on him; don’t let her down. He gives her a thumbs up, and Anna tells him, just relax.
Epiphany tells Britt there’s someone else asking about Scotty. This is Wyatt Hoover. Wyatt says, PC Pioneer, second class. He’s a volunteer ranger and was on duty last night when Scotty landed in the campground. He guesses he could say Scotty crashed. Britt says, crashed would be more accurate. What can she do for him? He says he was cleaning up the debris from the fall, and found this. He shows her the locket, and says he thought it might belong to Mr. Baldwin. She asks to look at it, and opens it, seeing the pictures of her and Nathan. Wyatt says, it’s her, and she says, the locket belongs to my mother.
Alexis asks Jax, what’s going on? and he says he made two pretty big decisions this year, and thought he was 100% correct, but they both kind of blew up in his face. She says, but that’s old news. It’s not like him to rehash the past. He says, it’s not about the past. He has another big decision to make, and he’s on the brink of doing something he thinks is right, but what if he’s wrong again?
Ava walks into the gallery and sees Trina working. She says, it never gets old, and Trina says, what never gets old? Ava says, the love of art, and Trina says she hopes not, considering she wants a career in it. Ava says she was just thinking about the young high school kid who showed up there, wanting to be an intern. She arrived with such a natural love of art, and the desire to learn all she could. Trina says she still can’t believe her internship turned into a job. Ava’s been such a mentor to her. Wait. That doesn’t even sound right. She hopes Ava knows that when Trina thinks about her, yes, she’s a boss and mentor, but she also considers Ava a friend. Ava says, oh, Trina, her eyes tearing up, and Trina asks if she said something wrong. Ava says she’s so honored to be Trina’s friend. Trina’s been more than that to her. She’s been another daughter to her. Not that she wants to step on Trina’s mother’s toes or would want Trina to take Kiki’s place. She doesn’t use the word often or lightly, but she cherishes Trina. That’s why she knows it’s going to be so difficult to say goodbye.
Spencer says, Nikolas loved him so much, he wanted Spencer to believe he was dead, even though he was the only parent Spencer had, since his mom passed away before he even knew her. Is that the kind of self-serving garbage Nikolas expects him to believe? Esme says his dad’s there; let him explain his point-of-view. Nikolas says, he knows sometimes his methods are wrong… okay, they’re often wrong, but Spencer has to remember, Valentin shot Nikolas with every intention of killing him. Knowing how the Cassadine family operates, he couldn’t take that chance of Spencer being targeted next. So he laid low while he planned his return and his revenge. Esme wonders why Spencer left out so many details. She finds this fascinating stuff. Spencer says, because Valentin hasn’t been a threat for years, and quite frankly, he’s not even a Cassadine. Or is Nikolas insinuating Ava’s stalker isn’t the only threat out there?
Obrecht digs through drawers, and says, there has to be a knife. Or a bobby pin. Anything to pick that lock. A man dressed like a butler, complete with white gloves, comes in with a cart carrying a meal service. She says, it’s about time. She demands to know what is going on. He says, good evening, fraulein doctor, and she asks, what’s this? He says, dinner, lifting the food cover. Compliments of her host. She says, how kind, and grabs the knife. She tells hm, open that door, or she’ll cut him like a mackerel. A man comes in behind her, and wrests the knife out of her hand. The butler says, that’s a very fine glass of wine. Her host has thought of everything.
Britt brings Wyatt to Scotty’s room, and says he has a visitor. Scotty says, a PC Pioneer. He used to be one himself, and still buys Christmas trees from them. Wyatt thanks Scotty on behalf of the PC Pioneers. They’re grateful for his support. He says he understands from Finn, Wyatt was there and helped out when he hit the ground. Wyatt says he was able to help get Scotty out of the parachute; he has his honor badge in knots. Scotty thanks him for coming and checking on him, and Wyatt says he did want to check on Scotty, but also return something he found when he was cleaning the crash site. Britt shows him the locket, and says, it belonged to her mother. Does he recognize it? He says, when everything went haywire on the plane, Obrecht gave it to him, and he stuck it in his pocket. Britt says she was hoping her mother made it out after all, and dropped it during her own parachute jump. Wyatt says if he’d observed any other parachutes, he’d have notified the authorities, but it was only Mr. Baldwin. Britt thanks him, and says she’s sure her mother will be grateful to have it back.
Jordan tells Anna that she confirmed a plane left Port Charles yesterday. A charter carrying Obrecht and Scotty; the destination St. Lucia in the Caribbean. Anna says she knew Obrecht was going to a medical conference there, but a private plane and Scotty? She understands taking advantage of the off-season low rates, but why not fly commercial? Jordan says, another question that needs answering, although Britt touched on the biggest mystery; what happened to the plane? Anna asks what the FAA said, and Jordan says, only that the plane feel off the radar shortly after take-off. There’s no May Day call, no report of a transponder signal, no evidence of a crash. The plane could be anywhere between there and St. Lucia. Anna says, or it could mean something else altogether.
Jax tells Alexis, his first mistake was helping Nina get visitation to Wiley. He says this like Nina asked him to do it. Alexis asks what he did, and he says he was on his way to the Quartermaine gatehouse to talk to Michael. Michael is his stepson, and they have a pretty good relationship – they had a pretty good relationship. He accidentally saw Michael and Willow together. She says, together together, and he says, yes. She says, isn’t Willow married to Chase? and he says, it’s a moot point anyway, since she’s annulling the marriage, but at the time, he used it as leverage to secure Nina’s visitation to Wiley. She says, he blackmailed Michael? and he says he didn’t see it that way. He used it as leverage, and doesn’t know whether they can get their friendship back. She asks what his other mistake was, and he says, when he found out Carly was taking over Sonny’s family business, of course (🍷) Josslyn was his first priority for safety. She says, an understandable goal. What did he do? He says he secretly recorded Carly in a conversation, and tried to get her to incriminate herself. She laughs, and he says, go ahead, please; let him have it. She says she’s in no position to judge. So he told her about how his first and second mistakes blew up in his face, and now he’s going to make another move that’s going to blow up in his face. What’s going on? He says he doesn’t have any details yet, and he’s still trying to connect the dots, but a friend he cares deeply about is making a huge mistake that could affect many other lives.
Trina says, Ava is leaving Port Charles? and Ava says, it breaks her heart, but she has no other choice. Trina says, her mother taught her there are always more than one choice, but Ava says, it’s the only good choice. Keeping Avery safe is her number one priority. Trina says she understands that, but didn’t she get a divorce? Isn’t that enough to satisfy whoever’s been stalking her? Ava says, no, it doesn’t seem to be. The only way to keep Avery safe is to stay away from Nikolas, and the only way is to leave Port Charles, which means she has to sell Charlie’s and give up everything that ties her here. Except the gallery. She’s not selling the gallery. She’s hired a manger, and made it clear that Trina has a job there for as long as she wants one. Trina says, she doesn’t think Ava is listening. It’s not about the job; it’s about their friendship. She starts to cry, and says she needs Ava. Ava hugs her.
Nikolas tells Spencer, he has no reason to believe another Cassadine is plotting something, but given their family’s history, it’s always wise to look both ways before crossing the street. Esme tells Spencer, he’s trying. Can’t Spencer give him that? Spencer says, what he sees is someone who wants it both ways. The freedom to do what he wants, and the ability to justify it afterwards. Nikolas asks if he’s the only one. Be honest. Hasn’t Spencer ever done the same thing; believed the ends justified the means? Spencer says he thought they were talking about Nikolas and his mistakes. Nikolas says they are. He’s not going to lose his son. He’s already lost Ava. Spencer says, there it is. See how it always comes back to Ava? Nikolas wants her so bad, he can have her. He just won’t have Spencer. Spencer gets up, and says he got along without Nikolas for years; he’ll do it again. He walks away, and Nikolas starts to get up, but Esme says, let her. She tells Spencer, wait, and Spencer says, don’t defend him. She says she doesn’t have to. He’s making Nikolas’s case for him.
Scotty tells Britt, nothing will make him feel better except seeing her mother, and Britt says he really cares about her; it’s not just a random hook-up. He says, not at all. When they were together, grieving over Franco, things changed. When they were up in the jet, and there was all this turbulence, they thought it was curtains. But they were together, and ready for the worst if it happened. She says, but it didn’t. Somehow, he survived, and they have to believe her mother did too. He says, he really needs Obrecht, and Britt takes his hand, saying, Obrecht needs him too. Even more incredible, Britt realizes she needs her mother too.
Anna and Jordan come back, and Anna asks if Scotty thinks he can tell them the truth about what really happened on the plane. Britt asks why they’re assuming Scotty’s keeping something from them, and Jordan says, certain things aren’t adding up. Scotty says, don’t blame him. The last thing he remembers is putting the oxygen mask on, and when he came to, he’d dropped into Finn and Elizabeth’s campsite. Literally. Anna asks, why spend all that money on a private plane? and he says he was targeted by one of those low-budget jet companies. He thinks he was scammed. Anna says, too good to be true, and he nods. She asks why he was headed to St. Lucia, and he says, that’s where Obrecht’s medical conference was.
As the butler leaves, Obrecht says, do they think she doesn’t know who’s behind this? She looks forward to giving him the justice he deserves. She tries to get out the door, but the other guy blocks her, and slides out himself, slamming it shut. She says, Peter August. She’s not swallowing his food, which has obviously been poisoned. If he’s going to kill her, he’s going to have to find the courage to do it with his own two hands. She turns around, and sees a man there. She says, it can’t be… Victor Cassadine (see below). He says, hello Liesl. As Mark Twain once said, the reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated.
Alexis asks Jax what he’s going to do, and who is he going to do it to? He tells her again, he doesn’t have all the details yet, and he’s not willing to name names. She says, not to worry. She already knows why he came there to talk to her. He says, really? Because he doesn’t even know yet. He gets up, and she follows him. She says, he’s gun-shy. In the past year, he’s followed his gut two times, and it’s blown up in his face. He just wants to hear his theory out loud. He wants to voice the question, should he cross the line again? He says, if his gut feeling is right, someone else has crossed the line, and he’d be pulling them back. But if he takes that step, he’ll set things in motion, and they might not stop until… She says, someone gets hurt? Are they talking physically or emotionally? He tells her, considering who the people who are involved, he’d say both. She says, he came to her for advice. Let her think for a second… No. Walk away. That’s it. He says, and leave the person he cares about all alone? She says, how does he know they’re all alone? Maybe they’ve put their trust somebody else. He says, that is a distinct possibility, and she says, let someone else do the heavy lifting. From one fixer to another, butt out. You don’t have to save everybody. From the looks of things, if he tries, he’s going to get really burned.
Ava asks Trina, this is about Spencer, isn’t it? What’s going on? She thought the two of them were clicking. Trina says she thought so too. Until the night of the party, when Esme showed up. Ava says, who’s Esme? and Trina says, Spencer’s girlfriend from boarding school. Ava says, she’s so sorry, and Trina says, they’re a lot alike; worldly and sophisticated. Ava says, so is Trina. She works at an art gallery. Trina says, it doesn’t matter. Spencer was a wreck the night of his party, then Esme shows up, and he pulls it together. Or maybe he was covering. What his dad did was so messed up. Ava says, she tried to warn Nikolas. She hopes they can mend fences when she’s gone. Trina says, what about Avery? and Ava says, she’s doing this for Avery. She can’t let anything happen to Avery, and she’s frightened, especially now that the stalker threw Kiki in her face. Don’t give up on Spencer. Trina says she thought he liked her, and Ava says she’s sure he does. How could he not? Yeah, it was poor form to flirt with her, and not tell her that he had a girlfriend. Trina asks how he could do this to her, and Ava says, he’s a teenage boy. Teenage boys are not known for their maturity or discretion. Ava thanks Spencer needs a friend like Trina. She thinks he needs Trina more than he knows.
Esme says Spencer is guilty of the same double standard he accuses his father of. He’s declaring his freedom, but still expecting him to pay for everything. He says, the price of being Nikolas Cassadine’s son is too high, and she says she wasn’t aware he was fielding other offers. Ava’s out of the house, and maybe out of his father’s life for good. Wasn’t that the goal? Her advice? Figure it out with his dad, or get used to the guest room at his grandmother’s, knowing Doc will be keeping his expert eyes on him. He asks if those are really his only options, and she says, go get a job and rent a room somewhere, and where does she fit in? Their original plan had her living in an estate on a private island. Not that she doesn’t care about him regardless, but be honest. They’re both high maintenance, and Windymere is their best option.
Obrecht tells Victor, this makes no sense. He’s supposed to be dead. He burned to a crisp in the fire at Creighton-Clark. He says, not to mention, she shot him. She says she was thinking about her son. He says he still can’t believe she thought killing him, and letting Faison live was the lesser of the two evils. She says, it was at the time, and he asks how that worked out for her. He’s truly sorry for her loss. The good, like Nathan, always die young, while the rest of them survive, whatever it takes. She says she doesn’t care how he escaped. She cares that Scotty is still breathing. What has Victor done with him? Victor says, Scotty took a leap of faith, so to speak, and she says, he didn’t. He tells her, don’t worry. Yes, he was thrown from the plane, but also yes, he was wearing a parachute. Does she really think he’d be so cruel to someone she cares about? She says, in a heartbeat. That’s if he actually had a heart. He says he has a pulse, and pulls her to him. It’s beating for her. Can’t she hear it? I love this already.
Scotty says Obrecht was going to a conference on Huntington’s and other inherited diseases. He was just tagging along; a little scuba diving, some island time. Anna asks, who else was on the plane? and he says, there were two pilots and a flight attendant. Jordan says, and shortly after takeoff they hit some turbulence? He says, Obrecht thought there was something wrong with the pilot, so she headed for the cockpit, but he said, no. He lead her back to her seat, and buckled her up. The oxygen masks dropped down, and they started gulping up oxygen. The next thing he remembers, he was on the ground. They were about 3000 miles away from the Devil’s Triangle. Britt asks Anna if she thinks the plane could have been hijacked, and Anna says, it’s possible, but by whom? Scotty flashes back to Obrecht saying she has to survive this. She has to help Nina. Anna says, what is it? Does he know who could have done this? Epiphany brings in Scotty’s blood test results, and Britt looks at them, frowning. Jordan says, what is it?
Alexis asks what Jax thinks, and he says he thinks his last two interventions were a complete disaster. So third time’s the charm? She says, she woudn’t be incarcerated if she didn’t try to take the law into her own hands, and I laugh. But she was drunk, so she can blame it on the booze. If Jax does something, and it blows up in his face, he’ll have no one to blame but himself. He’ll never be able to live with himself. He says, if he does nothing, will he be able to live with himself? In either scenario, a lot of people are going to be affected. A guard walks over, and Alexis tells Jax, visiting time is over. He thanks her for listening, and her advice. He’ll see her later. He starts to leave, and she says she thinks he made his decision before he came there. Good luck. He says, thanks.
Trina tells Ava, thanks for the talk, but she’s got to get back to work. Ava says, no. She wants Trina to take the rest of the day off. Find Spencer. Stake your claim. Trina says, he’s not her property, and Ava says, he’s not what’s-her-name’s either. She may have a history with Spencer, but so does Trina. Trina flashes back to telling Spencer that she doesn’t know what to believe, and him saying he’s sorry. If she tells Ava, Cam, and Joss that he pretended to be Victor, he’ll understand. She says, but he doesn’t want her to. Ava asks, what’s wrong? and Trina says, nothing. Just promise she won’t leave before saying goodbye. Ava says, she won’t. Now go find Spencer.
Spencer comes back to the table with Esme, and tells Nikolas, it pains him to say it, but Nikolas is right. He’s the last person who should throw stones. Esme says, in case Nikolas is rusty at Spencerspeak, that’s his way of saying he wants to put things back together. Spencer says, not how it was though. Better. Nikolas says, he wants that too. He’s grateful Esme was able to bring them back together, and Esme says, if Spencer is happy, she’s happy. Nikolas says, he hopes this marks a new day in Cassadine history, where all of the family ghosts are left where they belong – in the past.
Obrecht asks what Victor wants of her, and he says, the same thing he’s always wanted; her companionship. She says, he always had an agenda within another agenda, and he says, isn’t it enough that he saw her getting close to another man? She says, he had her under surveillance? and he says, she rises from the ashes, again and again, but when she turned to Mr. Baldwin, that attachment seemed distressingly real. She says, it is real. If he hurts one hair… He says, let him go. He managed to heal himself from the physical wounds she inflicted, but he doesn’t think he could bear the emotional scars of losing her to another man. She says, deal with it, and he says, never. As soon as she accepts that, the better off she’ll be.
Scotty asks what his bloodwork says, and Britt says, there are indications of trace amounts of trichloromethane in his bloodstream. He asks if she can say that in English, and she says, chloroform. Jordan says, he told them the last thing he remembers is putting the oxygen mask on, and Anna says, what if he wasn’t breathing oxygen?What if he was being drugged to pass out, so they could strap a parachute on him without him knowing who was responsible? Britt says, who’s they and what do they want? and Scotty asks, why they would want Obrecht? Britt says she knows her mom has no shortage of enemies, but why go to all that trouble? Anna’s phone dings, and she says, it’s a message from the WSB. Scotty asks if they found Obrecht; is she okay? Anna says, they seem to be dealing with a master magician. Not only as an airplane and a person disappeared by sleight of hand, there’s something else. Britt asks, who else is missing? and Anna says, not who. It’s what. She asks Scotty what the name of the convention was that Obrecht was attending, and he says, some convention for inherited diseases. Jordan names the hotel, and asks if that’s correct, and Scotty asks, what’s the point of this? How is it helping them find Obrecht? Anna says, the convention never happened, and Jordan says, and the organization hosting it, doesn’t exist
Victor tells Obrecht, try to enjoy her accommodations, and she tries to watch what code he puts into the keypad to unlock the door. He says he thinks she’ll find he’s anticipated her every need, and leaves. She yells, a gilded cage is still a cage! She’ll find a way to escape to be with Scotty.
Trina comes out of the elevator, and sees Spencer, Esme, and Nikolas. She says she was not expecting to see this, and Nikolas says, it seems Esme has a future in negotiating treaties. Thanks to her, he and Spencer have taken the first steps toward reconciliation. He goes over to the hostess, and puts Spencer back on his account. He waves goodbye, and Trina sits down. Spencer says she looks upset, and she says she just left the gallery. Ava said the stalker won. She’s leaving town. Esme says, that is sad, but it’s understandable she’s doing it to protect her daughter. She doesn’t want to see the same thing happen to Avery that happened to Loren. Trina says, who’s Loren? Does she mean Kiki? Oops.
Ava turns out the lights at the gallery. As she’s leaving, Jax comes in. She asks what brings him there, and he says he needs to talk about Nina.
Tomorrow, Jax says he’s not leaving until he gets answers, Sam asks Curtis why she’s not welcome at the Savoy, and Sonny asks Nina if she came to any conclusions.
💘 He Loves Liesl…
There’s a new Victor in town. In an interesting side note, Thaao Penghlis, who played Victor off and on from 1981 to 2015, will be interviewed on the new season of Mupo & Friends. You’ll be able to catch it in September on YouTube or at MupoEntertainment.com. I do the copywriting (i.e. I write the questions), and I’d asked him about playing Victor. Apparently, they’d wanted him, but he had a soapy conflict. I wonder if he spilled any beans? I’ll post the link when it’s going to air, but you can also set a reminder on YouTube.
🍹 Craig was on the two Toms’ Southern Charm watch party remotely. That was the best thing about it. Seriously, none of their random guests would make it on People’s Couch. Those people were actually funny.
💰 I half-watched Million Dollar Listing Los Angeles, and covid affected L.A. a little differently than NYC. It was both a buyer’s and seller’s market, although people were still looking for a bargain. Fredrik showed his clients a house that David and James – who now have different looks, but I still can’t keep it straight who’s who – were selling. They came to a deal, but the seller wanted it kept on the DL so he could speak to his wife first. No surprise, Fredrik opened his big mouth. During a party at Fredrik’s house, David and/or James confronted Fredrik. Tracy walked away, not wanting to be part of it, and I didn’t blame her. JoshA said he’d had his own beef with Fredrik, and it was water under the bridge, but you had to know who you were getting into bed with. Fredrik whined that he was sorry, but it wasn’t like he’d put it on Instagram. It was unclear whether this had or would affect the deal. JoshF was also obsessed with Tracy’s dog, Jake, as we all would be. He’s adorable. Jake, not JoshF, who’s annoying AF.
This season, fabulous houses you will never be able to afford, and Fredrik meets Dolph Lundgren, who says, you lie, you die.
🔁 Leaving To Come Back…
On tap for tomorrow, tea time, wise words, and a whole lotta soap. Until then stay safe, stay forbearing, and stay maybe not trusting your gut so much if it’s consistently wrong.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Finn says Elizabeth is still cold, and she tells him to share his blankie with her. He does, and puts his arm around her. He says, better? and she says, much better. He says, roughing it has improved since he last went camping, and she says she’s never been so happy to get off the grid. They almost kiss, when they hear a crashing in the trees. Finn says, what the hell? and they run to investigate.
Brando is working underneath a car in the garage, when someone hands him a tool. He slides out, and sees it’s Sasha. He says, they have to stop meeting like this. She says she was thinking, they should always meet like this. The smell of motor oil, the cinderblock echo; she feels like she’s in an old Springsteen video. He says, don’t get mad at him, but did they have plans for tonight? She says, they did not. She was hoping to surprise him, and thought they could make plans together. He asks what she had in mind, and she says she’s open to suggestions. After all, things have changed a little since her last garage seduction. He gets closer to her, and says, not that much.
Jax comes home, and Josslyn says, perfect timing. The first course is ready. She brings a dish to the coffee table, and he says, wow; the first course. What inspired all this? She says he has a kitchen and a washing machine. Now that she’s living in a dorm, she understands what luxuries those are. He says she’s welcome to them anytime, but he’s a little confused. When most kids come home from college, they expect a homecooked meal. They’re not the ones doing the cooking. She says she’s not your ordinary college girl, and – she picks up the dish – this is not your ordinary hors d’oeuvres. She can’t wait for him to try the sauce.
Nina and Sonny go back into the Tan-O, and Nina says, the sauce is so good, his shirt wanted a taste. He says, that’s not important, because she hasn’t had dessert. She says, dessert isn’t important. If they don’t get that stain, it’s going to set in, so come on. Hand it over. He starts to unbutton his shirt.
Cyrus is brought to the visiting area. He’s uncuffed, and he sits down, picking up the phone. He says he hopes his visitor had a nice flight, and we see it’s Mr. Buscema, who nods. Cyrus asks what Buscema has for him, and Buscema says the question is, what does Cyrus have for him? If Cyrus wants his help taking down the Corinthos Organization, Cyrus needs to start by telling Buscema how he’s going to benefit his business.
Gladys thanks Mr. Novak for the lovely drinks on the terrace. She appreciates his generosity. There’s no need to buy her dinner. Novak says, if she insists. A small price to pay for the pleasure of her company. She doesn’t know how much of a pleasure it’s been. She just can’t get past Carly’s rudeness. And that’s the last thing she’ll say about Carly, she promises. He says, no need to apologize about venting about Carly. It sounds like they have a complicated history.
Carly tells Jason, she’s going to go see Brando, and see if he has a lead on Cyrus’s connection with the Five Families tiramisù. He tells her, take a guard, but she says she thinks it’s safe. He says, take a guard anyway, and she asks if she should be worried. He says, no. If it comes down to it, he’ll get to Novak and his nephew; he may have to anyway. She says, why? and he says, because nobody threatens her. If anybody tries, they lose everything. She kisses him on the cheek, and the elevator door opens. Britt is there, and Carly turns, seeing her.
Cyrus says Buscema’s presence sends a clear message that, although the Buscema family supported Carly and Jason replacing Sonny, their interests align. Buscema says he’s obligated to consider all options, and Cyrus says, since this is just about business, the bottom line is, Jason and the Widow Corinthos are bad for it.
Novak asks how soon after Sonny’s passing did Jason and Carly connect, and Gladys says, practically at the wake. And this isn’t gossip – he says, of course (🍷) not, the truth and nothing but – while they were making lovey-dovey shark eyes at each other, Jason was playing slap and tickle with one of the doctors at General Hospital.
Britt comes out of the elevator, and says, the happy couple. Congratulations on picking the wedding date. Carly says, Britt heard (like it’s some big secret), and Britt says, it’s hard keep a secret like that from the internet. It’s coming up fast. Not a lot of time plan. Carly says, no time like the present, and goes in the elevator. Britt says she wants Carly to know, she wishes them nothing but the best. The elevator door closes, leaving Jason with Britt.
Jax asks Josslyn, to what does he owe the pleasure? and she says she thought they should have some dad/daughter time. He says, that’s so sweet. What’s the real reason? She says, the celebratory dinner at the MetroCourt was a disaster, and he says, he knows; he’s sorry. He should have left his recent argument with her mother at home where it belonged. She says, it’s not really recent; there’s been tension for months. He says, she noticed, and she says, they usually work things out faster than this. She’s getting worried. There’s a beeping from the kitchen, and Josslyn thinks it’s the oven timer, but Jax says, it’s the smoke alarm.
Elizabeth and Finn find a parachuter on the ground. Pioneer Scout Wyatt (remember him?) pops out of the forest, and asks if they require assistance. Finn says, let him take a look first, and he and Elizabeth try to get the parachute off. Wyatt says he has a badge in knots, and Finn tells him to help. Wyatt runs over and says, it looks like a battle knot. Finn and Elizabeth both say, just untie it. He does, and Finn turns the man over. It’s Scotty, and I die laughing. Well, at least they put a parachute on him. That’s more than most bad guys would do.
Wyatt calls 9-1-1, and says, there appears to be a parachute accident. It’s a male, in his early 60s, unconscious… He tells them, hold on, and says they want Scotty’s vitals. Finn says he seems good; no broken bones. He thinks Scotty is just out cold. Wyatt says, there’s a doctor and nurse there, and they said no broken bones, but he’s out cold; that means unconscious. They’re about 200 yards from the campgrounds, and there’s vehicle access. He hangs up, and tells Finn and Elizabeth that an ambulance in en route. Finn thanks him, and says it’s good to see him again. Elizabeth says, they know each other? and Finn says, their paths crossed a long time ago. He asks how Wyatt is, and remarks on him being a Pioneer. Wyatt says he’s a Pioneer second class, and has two more badges to go to be first class. If they need help… Elizabeth thanks him, and rubs Scotty’s chest. Scotty opens his eyes, and Finn asks if Scotty can tell them what happened. Scotty says, are we there yet?
Josslyn and Jax come out from the kitchen with plates, and Josslyn says, it’s the least she could do after all his effort, but apparently she inherited her mom’s talent in the kitchen. Trina tried to give her some pointers, but even Trina can only do so much. He says, when she comes over, she can practice on him. He’ll be her guinea pig, especially if it’s Lady Jane’s recipe. She says she hopes he feels that way after dinner, and he says, while they wait, tell him her concerns about him and her mother. She says, it’s mostly him. Since he came home from Nixon Falls, he’s seemed stressed. He says he’s fine; she doesn’t need to worry. She says, so his stress has nothing to do with her mom marrying Jason?
Britt tells Jason that she caught up with Maxie. She’s hard at work planning the wedding. She was surprised at the magnitude of the festivities. He says, they told Maxie understated, and she says, as in tasteful and small? Maxie is going all out, presumably with their blessing. She can’t help but wonder what he and Carly are trying to prove.
Cyrus says, Sonny has always been in charge; Jason was just the brute force that kept him there. He’s a gifted enforcer, nothing more. Buscema says, interesting perspective, and Cyrus says, if Jason had any initiative, he would have removed Carly. Instead, he’s marrying her and asking the families to ignore that a civilian marched into the organization, and began calling the shots. A civilian who could go to the Feds, putting them all in danger of exposure.
Brando tells Sasha that he’s been working extra hours, but also picked up some side gigs so he can make improvements on his apartment. He was thinking, when Gladys moves out, maybe Sasha could move in. She says she didn’t realize he was ready for that step, and he says they’re both busy people who want to spend more time together. What better way than being in the same place when they’re not being busy? She says she hopes if they were to live under the same roof, it would be more than just a crash pad. He says, it’s a temporary home while he saves money to get a new place. Of course (🍷) he knows she can afford a beautiful home on her own already, and she says she wouldn’t go that far, but go on. He says, if and when they get a place together, he wants her to know he’ll pull his weight. She doesn’t have to decide right now, but he hopes she considers it. She says she’ll definitely consider it. There’s just one thing she needs to know. What are these side gigs? He says, they’re just side gigs, when Carly comes in. She says she needs to talk to him about something important.
Nina tells Sonny, the trick is to use a lot of club soda, and push it through the fabric, so the stain doesn’t set. She learned a lot of nifty weird tricks on how to clean clothes from being on Crimson shoots. Another cool thing is to use equal parts dish soap and peroxide… Sonny comes up behind her, and she turns to him. He kisses her, takes her hand, and leads her to the back.
Finn gets off the phone, and tells Elizabeth, Chase is loving watching the kids. He’s going to teach everyone to make something called campfire blondies? and Elizabeth says, they’re so good. He says they’re saving her one, and his daughter apparently is so excited about the prospect of scary campfire stories, she didn’t even ask when he’s coming back. She says, kids and their priorities, right? and he says, their people are taking great care of Scotty, right? She says, regardless of how many pending lawsuits he has against the hospital. He says, a man’s gotta make a living, and an orderly comes out. She tells Finn, the attending physician would like a word, and Finn says, lead the way. He leaves with her, and Jordan comes by. She thanks Elizabeth for the call, and says, Scotty was involved in a skydiving mishap? Elizabeth says, they don’t know what happened. All they know is, he crash landed near their campsite. Jordan asks, who’s we? and Elizabeth says, her and Finn; they were on a family camping trip. Jordan asks if Scotty was able to tell her what happened, but Elizabeth says, he was too out of it. Jordan asks if she thinks Scotty can speak to her now, when Finn comes out. He says he’s glad Jordan’s there. Scotty is in room 1024. Before she goes in, he and the attending physician are in agreement that he wasn’t knocked out on impact. They’re running a tox screen, and if the results are what they anticipated… Jordan says, he didn’t make the jump voluntarily.
Britt tells Jason, don’t answer that. It’s none of her business. He says, okay, and she says, okay is an answer. It’s probably even more annoying than the answer to the original question. He starts to say something, but she says, don’t. Wow. She bets it’s the first time anybody told him to say less. He says he thinks she’s right, and she says, whatever’s going on makes no sense to her, but so what? She’s decided she doesn’t need to know all the secrets and answers to the universe. She just has to accept them. She’s glad she got that out of her system. Now she can move on.
Novak says, he takes it Gladys doesn’t appreciate the union between Carly and Jason, and Gladys laughs. She says, that gold-digging climber took her cousin for all he was worth, and the second he was gone, she threw herself at Jason. No gratitude or loyalty; no class. And how dare Carly not invite her to the wedding? Novak asks why Gladys would want to attend the celebration of a union of which she so sorely disapproves of, and Gladys says, it’s the hottest ticket in town. Novak laughs.
Jax asks what makes Josslyn think he’s worried about Carly marrying Jason? and she says, it’s impossible to miss. He says he has to work on his poker face, and she asks if the problem is her mother marrying Jason or marrying in general. He says, it’s more a parenting thing, and she says, that’s a very broad answer. He says, from the moment a child is in the world, a parent’s job is to look out for danger, and make sure they’re safe. Josslyn says they’ve done that, and he says, they have, but she’s off to college now, and with that, comes new worries. She says he doesn’t have to worry. She’ll still be the same person, just not under a parental roof. He says it’s not her he’s worried about. He’s worried about other people. Josslyn says she has a bodyguard, and Jax asks how she feels about that. She says, it used to bother her to have someone constantly looking over her shoulder, but she realized it was for her safety. Devon is cool. She acts like it’s inconvenient, but it makes her feel better, and Cameron is cool with it. He asks how that’s going, and she says they’re happy. He says, they should be. She should be living her life and having fun, and let him do the work. She says she was planning on it. She’s happy to know he’s on the job too. He says now that the food has cooled off, they should try this amazing appetizer.
Carly says Sasha looks so beautiful; she’s glowing. Sasha thanks her, and Carly says she didn’t mean to interrupt. She needs to pick Brando’s brain about something, and it’s important. Brando says, whatever she needs, and Sasha says, while they talk, she’ll go to the ladies room. Carly promises it will just be a minute, and Sasha leaves. Carly says she hopes Sasha doesn’t think she doesn’t trust her, but Brando says he’s sure she understands some conversations don’t apply to her. Carly says, this is one of them. Cyrus being put away isn’t having the effect they were hoping for. He still has connections, and he’s using them to target people he feels wronged him. He says, the last time he saw Cyrus, Cyrus tried to kill him and his mother. Does she think he wants to finish the job?
Buscema asks what Cyrus is proposing, and Cyrus says, that the Five Families biscotti use Carly and Jason’s wedding as a window to strike.It will even provide alibis for the family heads. In one fell swoop, they can hobble the Corinthos Organization, and it will have no chance for recovery or retribution. Buscema says, it’s a risk, and Cyrus says, one has to speculate to accumulate. Is he in or out? Buscema asks if he has to decide now, and Cyrus says, not now, but soon. The wedding is approaching fast, and it might be their only shot at neutralizing Jason and his new bride.
Carly says she doesn’t know if Cyrus is coming after Brando or not, and he asks what she needs from him. She says, Cyrus has somehow forged a relationship with someone high up in the Five Families rigatoni. Jason is trying to figure out who. He says, he was just Cyrus’s driver. He wasn’t very high up on the food chain. She says he was perfectly placed to interact with people on the ground. He and the other guards would hang out and talk, while they were inside doing business. He says, they mostly talked about sports. They didn’t exchange trade secrets. She asks if anyone seemed more loyal or sympathetic to Cyrus, but he says, no one springs to mind. He did keep a notepad. He can review it, and if he finds anything, he’ll tell her. She says, what about Joey Novak? Did he ever come in for his tune up?
Novak tells Gladys, it so happens he’s attending the wedding, and he’d be honored if she would accompany him. Gladys says, okay. It’s not her first rodeo, or her second. What’s his angle? He laughs, and says she reminds him of his of ex-wife. She says he’s not the first man to tell her that, and it’s never a ringing endorsement. He says, it is; she left him. They laugh, and she says, well then… She gets up, and says she guesses she’ll see him at the wedding. He lifts his glass.
Britt looks at her phone, and Jason asks if she has somewhere to be. She says she’s meeting someone, and they just arrived. Have a good evening. She walks over to the elevator, where she greets a guy we don’t know.
Jax says, this is incredible. The cheese has so much flavor, and the marinara sauce is to die for. Josslyn has an odd look on her face, and says she didn’t make the sauce. He says she put together this beautiful selection. She doesn’t like it? She says she does like it; she loves it. He asks, why the face? when the timer goes off. She says she’ll go grab the stew.
Sonny and Nina are in Sonny’s bedroom, kissing, when her hair gets caught in his watch. Been there. She gets untangled, and sees the inscription. She says she’s sorry. She can’t do this.
Scotty is in a hospital bed, and Elizabeth comes in with Jordan and Finn. She hugs him, and says she’s so glad he’s okay. He says, it’s going to take more than a fall to break this Humpty Dumpty, and Jordan asks if he’s up for answering a few questions. He says he’s fuzzy, but fire away. She asks what he remembers, and he says he was on a plane. She says, private or commercial? and he says, private. She asks where he was headed, and he says, some woman’s name… St. Lucia. The next thing he knew, they were going into a nosedive, and the oxygen masks dropped. They didn’t even have a chance to sip their champagne. Jordan asks if someone was with him, and he says, of course (🍷). Obrecht was with him. Why else would he charter a private jet? Tell him that she’s there and she’s okay.
Britt’s date babbles about himself, and she looks at her phone. She says, it’s an emergency at work. Nice to meet him. Duty calls. She jets, and Jason watches. In the elevator, Britt’s phone rings. She says, if only they’d called five minutes ago, she wouldn’t have had to lie. What’s up? Jordan asks her to get to the hospital as soon as she can.
Finn says, Obrecht hasn’t shown up in the ER, and hasn’t been admitted. He’s having Amy check the other hospitals. Joran says, the FTA and the NTSB have no reports of any crashes. She has a call in to find out if any aircraft lost contact with flight control, but the flight plan and manifest won’t be available tonight. Elizabeth says, it doesn’t make any sense. Parachutes aren’t exactly standard safety gear, even on a private jet, right? Finn says, they’re not standard, and Scotty was dressed in travel clothes, not a jumpsuit. It’s pretty clear he was forced out of that plane. Jordan says, there’s a lot they don’t know, but this wasn’t an accident. And whoever arranged it, is powerful, and potentially deadly.
Cyrus says, if Buscema and the other families are concerned about liability, he’ll be more than happy to coordinate the takeover personally. Buscema says, from there? He can do that? Cyrus says he’s had plenty of practice running things remotely. As we all have at this point. Buscema says, all this to take Carly and Jason off the board. What’s really in this for Cyrus?
Brando tells Carly that Joey never showed up, and Carly says, he’s not likely to. He was sent abroad according to Vincent. Brando says he almost wishes he was still in good with Cyrus; he could go to the source. Carly says, unfortunately, Cyrus’s trust in Brando was gone the second Sasha chose him over Cyrus. He says, lucky him, and she says she thinks saving Sasha’s life had something to do with it. He says, funny how life works out. He always respected Sonny, and Jason came through for him a lot. He’s glad she and Jason found each other. Now they both have unexpected love in their lives. She says, love they want to protect. Sasha listens in, and he says he’s sure Joey isn’t the only made guy with a car. He’ll reach out to Novak, Woo, and Buscema’s people ,and tell them he’s open for business. With a special discount for associates. Nothing like a beer and a wait on their hands to get guys talking. Carly says he’s a great help, when Sasha comes in. She asks, what is he helping with exactly?
Josslyn says, dinner is served, and Jax says, before they sit down, tell him what was bothering her before. She says, it was nothing, but he says, it didn’t seem like nothing. She says she’s literally too embarrassed to say it out loud, but he says she knows she can tell him anything. She says, it’s going to sound weird, but the sauce tasted exactly like Sonny’s. Exactly. He says, Sonny was known to be a good cook, but most marinara sauces use the same ingredients. She says, exactly . Even the best ones taste the same. Did it taste like any he’s had before? Jax admits it didn’t, and she says, why not? He says, it had a spicy kick, almost like arrabbiata, but not; and a little smoky. She says, Sonny’s sauce was unique… until now. If she didn’t know Sonny was dead, she’d swear Sonny made himself.
Britt goes to Scotty’s room, and says, the Commissioner told her he was there. He asks if she spoke to Elizabeth and Finn, and she says she came straight to see him, in case there was a story or anything she needs to get straight. Wasn’t he supposed to be on his way to St. Lucia with her mother? What happened? He says he doesn’t know. They were on a private jet, and the next thing he knew, the plane started to go down. The oxygen masks were dropping. All he remembers is coming to on the ground, and seeing a kid in a Pioneer Scout uniform standing over him with Finn and Elizabeth. She asks, what happened to her mother? Please tell her that she bailed out with him. He says he doesn’t remember bailing out himself. He hopes to God she made it off the plane safe.
Wyatt picks up trash around where Scotty fell. He sees the locket and picks it up, looking at Nathan and Britt’s pictures.
Carly tells Sasha, she truly has nothing to worry about, when Glady’s stumbles in. She laughs, and Brando tells her, please say she didn’t drive. She says she took a ride… Sasha says, Ride Share? and Gladys says, that’s the one. She did want to let Carly know… Carly says, know what? and Gladys says, even though Carly didn’t see fit to invite her, she’ll be a wedding guest after all. She’s coming as a plus one. Carly cringes, and says, let her guess. Gladys says she’ll never guess, and Carly says, Vincent Novak. Gladys asks how she guessed, and Carly says, easy. Gladys says she can’t wait to share in Carly’s special day. She takes Carly’s hand, and says, and she’ll have the chicken… Wait, no, the fish… On second thought, the chicken.
Jason tells Novak, there are rumors that Cyrus is making moves behind bars. He wants to make sure it doesn’t threaten the peace. Novak says, straight to the point. He admires that. Therefore, he’ll do the same. They have nothing to fear from the Novaks. Certainly not where Cyrus is concerned. He hasn’t forgotten Cyrus burning his warehouse, and he doesn’t forgive it. Under the circumstances, the enemy of his enemy is his friend.
Cyrus tells Buscema to remember, first and foremost, he’s an opportunist. Where there is turmoil, there’s an opportunity to strike. What’s in it for him is simple. He wants revenge.
Nina tells Sonny that she’s sorry, but this watch is evidence of the life he used to have. if he ever remembers that life, the people he loved, and the people who loved him… He says, the people who didn’t bother to look for him? She says, if he remembers that life, he might discover there are people out there who love and miss him, and he might discover he loves and misses them too. She can’t do this until he learns who he used to be before Nixon Falls. He says he doesn’t want to know. How many times does he have to tell her? He doesn’t want to. She takes his hand, and puts the watch in it. She says, until he does, she can’t give him all of her. Find out who he is. She leaves, and he tosses the watch on the bed.
Josslyn says, Jax probably never tried Sonny’s sauce, but he has to believe her that this sauce is exactly like it. He asks where she got it, and she says, Trina got it at a bar in Nixon Falls. He asks what the name of the bar is, and she says, he’s right; she’s being ridiculous. He tells her that he didn’t say that, and she says, it has to be a coincidence; it can’t be Sonny’s sauce. That’s crazy, right? Jax remembers seeing Sonny in a haze when he was put on the stretcher after he was shot. He says, right. Crazy.
Tomorrow, Alexis says someone has to walk away, Jordan tells Anna that a question needs answering, Spencer tells Nikolas that the stalker isn’t the only threat, and Jax says, if anyone knows, it’s Nina.
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills
Dorit’s wedding dress samples came; her latest venture into design. In her interview, she said designing them was different because it was one memory a woman was going to have forever. Unless it was Hollywood. Then she might have more than one memory. They weren’t all my taste, but they were all gorgeous, and I have to admit, Dorit is good at what she does. PK wanted to name the dresses, and in Dorit’s interview, she said, PK wanted to be involved in everything. She didn’t like it at first, but then she’d realize he was a visionary. They talked about marriage, which led to talking about Erika, which seems to be the topic of every conversation this season. In her interview, Dorit said she thought the reason why she talked too much with the women, was because her husband didn’t let her talk at home.
Sutton took Kyle to see her new house, which was one of those boxy things you see in L.A., but the box is hiding the fabulousness inside. It was 6000 square feet, with 4 bedrooms, and 5 bathrooms. Sutton was still renovating, and in Kyle’s interview, she said while Sutton was waiting to move in, she was counting the rent. In Sutton’s interview, she said she was living her best life after her divorce. The house represented her independence as a single woman, and was symbolic to her. She asked Kyle what she and Mauricio were doing for their 25th anniversary, and Kyle said they were getting the kids out of the house, and having dinner at home. She asked how Sutton felt about LisaR’s launch party, and Sutton said the party itself was beautiful. She was using kid gloves with Erika, but when she got a doodoo nail pointing at her face, and Erika called her small town, she realized Erika wasn’t as special as she’d thought. In Sutton’s interview, she said she thought she and Erika had bonded in a deeper way. We flashed back to Sutton saying she had a pretty mess inside, and Erika high-fiving her. She told Kyle that she felt betrayed, and was ready for a hardcore conversation with Erika. In her interview, she said she didn’t think Erika knew exactly what was going on, but she thought Tom might have said the gig was up. Take care of yourself; it’s been a nice ride. Sutton told Kyle that Erika lied about the car accident. We flashed back to Erika’s two different stories, and in Kyle’s interview, she said she understood Erika keeping things to herself. She didn’t think Erika trusted people. She’d been married to a lawyer, and he’d probably told her to be careful of the things she said; they could be used against her. Sutton said she didn’t think it was impossible, but it seemed fishy. In her interview, she said, Erika made a deal with the devil, and the devil always comes knocking. Wow. That is so true. Kyle said she’d be eating crow if Erika wasn’t the person she thought Erika was. One of them had to be wrong. Sutton said it was all in the pastry.
Crystal prepared lunch with housekeeper Lucy, and it was quite a spread of Chinese fare. Erika applauded when she saw pancakes. In Crystals interview, she said she’d eaten guinea pig from a street vendor, and had thought it was pig. She dumb. And also, eww! The kids were being taught songs and poems in Chinese, and Crystal said her parents had spoken Chinese at home when she was growing up. She didn’t want her kids to lose their culture. I’m with her there. There are things I wished I’d learned about my own cultures when younger. Kathy joined them, and said she wanted to make a beautiful, special party. In her interview, she said she had one friend where it was always the same salmon and the same group of people. She liked to try and mix it up. Garcelle was the last one to join them, and said she thought a small group was nice. They talked about Dorit being long-winded, and Erika said it was something they’d all mentioned. Kathy said she’d even joked about it, and we flashed back to that. In Garcelle’s interview, she said, what were they supposed to do? Duct tape? Erika said Dorit was sensitive, and Garcelle said she and Erika were perceived as strong. Erika said she’d never kick a dog when it was down, and do the what about me? thing. She said Sutton had been judgmental at the launch party, wanting to put a distance between them because, what about me? In Erika’s interview, she said Sutton was disappointing. The Sutton she knew had been kind to her. We flashed back to Sutton being supportive, and Erika said, for Sutton to flip was enough to make her want to stand back. Kathy said Sutton was thinking about her social standing, which was more conservative. The good news and bad news was that nobody cared what they had to say. Everyone had skeletons in their closet. It was just that her family’s skeletons were out there. In her interview, Erika said if you wanted to talk reputation, ask Kathy Hilton. If Kathy had nothing to worry about, none of them did. Erika said she’d never heard of Sutton before she joined the group, and in Garcelle’s interview, she wondered if somebody was only important if Erika knew who they were. Before Crystal joined them, Garcelle didn’t know her, but she did know Rob. I guess we knew Tom long before Erika too. Crystal said she thought Sutton’s behavior stemmed from insecurity, and Garcelle said she found Sutton to be quirky and funny, and she finally had a voice. Crystal thought Sutton’s voice was awkward, and Erika said, Sutton was lucky that people knew who TF she was.
Kyle was impressed by the ton of candles Mauricio put out for their 25th anniversary. She asked what he had planned for her, and he said, caviar and Joe’s stone crab. They toasted to their anniversary, and in Kyle’s interview, she said it made her happy. Her husband had always been supportive, and she was supportive of him. Their lives had changed a lot, yet they were able to stay in sync. We flashed back to them over the years, and she said, mutual respect. That didn’t mean they don’t fight. She was usually the one who got mad, and he had to apologize if he wanted peace in his life. Mauricio took her past more candles and a billion balloons on the ceiling, to a table near the pool, which was beautifully lit up. He had several bottles of champagne waiting, and the caviar. In her interview, Kyle said her mom hadn’t trusted men, and said she only cared about her kids. Kyle had made sure her marriage was a priority. If she’d left whenever she was upset, she woudn’t have lasted a year. They talked about Erika, and Kyle said she and Tom had been married 20 years. In her interview, she said it was a reminder to put in the homework you had to do for marriage. Mauricio hoped Erika didn’t know anything about Tom’s dealings, and Kyle hoped she wasn’t wrong about Erika.
Everyone got ready for Kathy’s party. In Sutton’s interview, she said you didn’t have to believe your friends 100% of the time. Sometimes you had to trust your gut. Kathy went around checking everything before the party, and in her interview, she explained that she needed to touch everything. Her pet peeve was people arriving 10 minutes early when she was doing last minute touches. She was a fluffer. Apparently she didn’t know what that word means, and I was surprised the producers didn’t enlighten her. If you don’t know what it means, I’m not telling you. Google it. Butler Patrick welcomed LisaR, who was the first to arrive. In LisaR’s interview, she said it was old school hospitality at the Hilton’s. No one had a staff like Kathy’s. That’s money. Kathy was like the fourth one there, and in her interview, Kyle said that Kathy absolutely showed up late for her own parties. Garcelle came in last, wearing a fabulous faux leopard coat. Patrick passed around amazing hors d’oeuvres, and kept their glasses filled. LisaR said she was on her second drink, and not responsible for what came out of her mouth. Has she ever been? They headed for the dinner table, and Sutton said she and Erika had a second to chitchat. She wanted to make sure Erika was okay with what had happened at the party. Erika asked what Sutton was trying to do. They didn’t need clear the air. Sutton had made her position clear. Erika had heard it from everyone else, and didn’t want to talk. She had enough problems, and only had enough capacity for what mattered to her. And Sutton’s opinion didn’t matter ( …matter, matter, matter – I had a Gilbert and Sullivan moment – sorry). Erika excused herself to go to the ladies room, and Kathy asked what Sutton did. Sutton said she asked if Erika wanted to chitchat, and it wasn’t received well. She’d thought it was better for Erika to hear what she’d said from her. Caviar was served, and in Dorit’s interview, she said, never mind the homemade vodka that was probably made for Kathy personally, but when the caviar pie was brought out, they exited Beverly Hills and went to heaven.
Dorit started to rehash things with Garcelle, saying, she didn’t like confrontation, but she always spoke up for herself. What Garcelle said had made her feel sh*tty. Kathy wisely suggested that they wanted to actually enjoy it when they ate, and in Garcelle’s interview, she said she was up for a conversation with Dorit, but Dorit would have been hijacking the conversation all night. So, thanks, Kathy. Dorit was doing something right though, since that tiny Pomeranian of Kathy’s was cozy in her lap. LisaR somehow got ahold of a bell that had been taken away from her earlier, and said if anyone had anything to work out or deal with, ring the bell. Because we’re in third grade. I thought, did she not just hear Kathy? and LisaR shoved the bell at Sutton. Sutton said she’d tried to have a conversation with Erika, and it upset her. Erika said she hadn’t been upset; Sutton’s opinion didn’t matter to her. Dorit tried to interject, but Erika told her, hold on. Sutton said she had the bell, like anyone cared, and asked Erika to stop speaking to her the way she was. Erika said her life had nothing to do with Sutton, and in Kathy’s interview, she said she was starting to think she should have let Dorit talk. Patrick must be sorry he had to serve Erika the lambchops. In the kitchen, Patrick told the staff that they were fighting like cats and dogs out there. Sutton said Erika’s crack about her being small town was derogatory, not just to her, but anyone from a small town. She was proud of what she and her husband had built from the ground up, with no money. Erika asked how her life impacted Sutton’s, and Sutton said she thought it would, but it hadn’t. She’d panicked. Erika just kept saying her life didn’t affect Sutton.
Dorit said she loved and supported Erika, and didn’t agree with Sutton, but every article did have their names dragged in. In Dorit’s interview, she said she wasn’t worried, but there was so much they didn’t know. They could be subpoenaed. That didn’t mean they weren’t friends; they just needed reassurance. Erika said a sweet day was coming, and she’d remember those who were with her, and those against her. Sutton said she wasn’t against Erika, and Garcelle said it was human nature to wonder if something would affect you. Erika insisted it wasn’t. Why would they be dragged in? A tear rolled down her cheek, and I have to admit, I thought it was a little too perfect. And BTW, waterproof mascara this time. Garcelle still thought it was human to wonder if you’d be implicated, but she didn’t want Erika to be hurt. She also didn’t like the way Erika was looking at her, which was Ice Queen Barbie. Garcelle sat next to Erika, and told her she was trying to understand a little bit. She tried to wipe the tear from Erika’s cheek, and Erika jerked away. In Garcelle’s interview, she said she was just trying to be kind. Dorit said she’d do anything Erika needed, but holy sh*t, reading about the victims was hard to digest. She would think Erika felt the same. Erika said she felt worse. In Dorit’s interview, she said she felt bad for Erika, but the victims who had nothing, and now had even less. Erika asked why they were all torturing her, and Dorit said they were trying to be there for her. Erika said it didn’t like it. And in a tone to match the look she gave Garcelle, she said, look at me. Look at my effing life.
Dorit looked like she had a headache, and said it broke her heart. Erika said if it broke her heart, why was she still talking? Dorit said nothing was being done to Erika, and LisaR started philosophizing about loving your neighbor and yourself. Erika said she loved LisaR, but that was bullsh*t. I had to agree with the latter, as is most of what LisaR says. Erika said every time she came to an event, they got things out of her. She needed compassion, and was looking around the table for support. A confused Kyle said Erika had their support. It was about Sutton being honest with what she’d said. She was Sutton’s friend, but Sutton wasn’t being honest. She was being two-faced. In Sutton’s interview, she said Kyle was calling her two-faced, and no one was speaking up. She told Erika she’d brought up hard questions at the dinner, but she didn’t think Erika was a liar. She’d softened on her point-of-view. Kyle said Sutton told her that she thought Erika was lying. In Kyle’s interview, she said they all had questions, but they all didn’t call a meeting, and have the same concerns. We flashed back to Sutton’s meeting, and Kyle said Sutton had a big voice when the person she was talking about wasn’t there, but when she saw them, it was a different situation. In Garcelle’s interview, she didn’t know why Kyle and LisaR were focused on Sutton. Why not Dorit? We flashed back to Dorit saying everything she’d believed about Erika’s life was the opposite. Why is Sutton being the scapegoat? I’ll tell you why. They always choose someone to pick on each season because they’re mean girls, LisaR leading the pack. This time, new girl Crystal also jumped on the get-some-more-screen-time bandwagon immediately. Sutton said when Erika had told two different stories about the car accident, she’d thought Erika lied. Erika said she wasn’t a liar, and Sutton said she didn’t trust Erika to tell them the truth 100%. In her interview, Sutton said, where there was one lie, there were a lot more. It was like when you saw one cockroach, you knew there were a lot under the sheetrock. Erika said Sutton was trying to accuse her of lying, and she wasn’t a liar. She could go head-to-head all day with Sutton. She had a lot of effing nerve. Sutton told Erika not to talk to her like that, and Erika said, or what? like a bully on the playground. Sutton said, or nothing, and Erika said, exactly. So STFU. Sutton had no idea what she was talking about.
To be continued…
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🛣 Hitting the Road, Jack…
Tomorrow (aka Thursday), Million Dollar Listing Los Angeles begins a new season, although I might sit this one out. Too many numbers. The two Toms are also having another Bravo watch party at 10 pm, this time for Southern Charm. I’m not that crazy about these. Although I love watching other people watching TV and making snarky comments – my new dream job – they bring in random friends whose opinions I couldn’t care less about. Not that I care about their opinions either, but at least I know who they are. Until we meet again for who knows what, stay safe, stay more competitive with yourself than anyone else, and stay not pondering the knot. Just untie it.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Turbulence wracks the plane Scotty and Obrecht are on. Obrecht takes something out of her bag, then starts to hyperventilate. Things settle down, and she asks, is it over?
Nina wonders if Sonny is asking her out on a date, and he says they haven’t had a chance to be together, just the two of them. She says, it’s like they’re the only two people in the world, and he says, aren’t they? She says, how about tonight they are? and he says, just her and him. She says she knows they’ve gone through some tough times lately, but maybe now it’s going to be okay. He asks, why wouldn’t it be? and hugs her. She says, so has their first date officially started? and he says, the good thing is, they’re not going to have first date jitters. She says, or wonder if the date’s going to end in a kiss, and he kisses her.
Carly asks Jason how Cyrus can be making moves. She thought he was in a Federal prison in the Midwest. He says, Jordan said Cyrus targeted someone; not them, but it proves he’s still a threat. She wanted him to know, the Feds believe Cyrus made contact with people on the outside who still back him. She says, but he’s not after them? and he says, not as far as Jordan knows. But it is Cyrus. so that can change at any time.
Josslyn goes into Jax’s place with Trina, and calls to him. She says, good; he’s not here. Let’s get started. Trina says, let’s do it, and they take some bags into the kitchen.
Shawn takes it Jordan isn’t wildly enthusiastic about his decision, and she says, forgive her. She thought this conversation was going in a different direction. He started by agreeing with her advice to focus on his present and his future. He says, it’s excellent advice, that he just can’t follow. Especially since he thinks he stirred things up by poking around. Maybe that’s what led to Naomie Dreyfuss’s murder. She says, let the police handle it. She’s on this. He says she knows he’s never been one for hanging in the back or sitting on the bench, and she says, is that it? Or does he just not trust her to find out the truth?
Elizabeth looks at the directions for putting up the tent, when Finn joins her with Violet. He says it looks like she’s having a little trouble, and she says, it’s been a while. Cameron and Jake used to put the tent up. He says, it’s too bad they didn’t come, and Aiden says, they’re too old for camping. Violet says, that’s silly. Daddy and Aunt Elizabeth are old, and they’re here, and so is Uncle Chase. Elizabeth says, excuse me. First of all, she’s not old, and second of all, she’s not prepared. She should have asked Jake how to set this thing up. Isn’t it supposed to be easier? Finn gets the tent up in a hot second, and says, viola. She says, look at that. Her hero. Violet says, good job, daddy.
Anna says, Drew’s plane was a chartered flight, with someone else on board connected to Leethy Unlimited, when it went down over the Gulf of Adan. Sam asks how long the WSB has been sitting on this, and Dante says he thought it was supposed to be a full investigation back in 2019. How come they’re only hearing about Leethy Unlimited now? Anna says, maybe there was more to the crash than they’re being told. There has to be a reason for that. Sam says, maybe the reason is, Drew is still alive.
Scotty says, what is going on? He paid good money for a romantic trip to St. Lucia, not some death watch. Obrecht says she normally doesn’t give way to terror, but this was an exception. She’s holding a locket, and he asks what she’s clutching. She says, just a little keepsake to remind her of her children. Perhaps Nathan was watching over them just now. She looks out the window, and says, they seem to be turning around. Perhaps there’s something wrong with the plane. He wonders where the pilot is, and tries the plane’s phone. He says, no one’s answering.
Anna says, the WSB had full control over the investigation, which means the other person was left out deliberately. Sam says, so this mystery passenger could be connected to the WSB? Anna tells her, she wouldn’t be able to say with any certainty; she has clearance issues. Dante knows she’s been blocked from several cases because the Bureau thinks she was compromised by Peter. Dante says, to that end, is it possible the WSB still doesn’t trust her? Are they sure they can trust this information is accurate?
Chase joins the campers, and Aiden asks how Finn knew the trick to the tent. Finn says he’s done his fair share of sleeping on the ground, and Aiden says, him? Finn says, yes, him. Should he be insulted here? Elizabeth says, she thinks what Aiden means is Finn is well put together. He’s a doctor, and probably didn’t spend a lot of time camping. Chase says, maybe not lately, but Finn used to camp all the time when he was Violet’s age. Violet asks if he’s sure, and Chase says he’s heard plenty of stories. Their dad used to take Finn camping year round. Aiden says, even in the snow? and Finn says, snow is tricky because you have to find the right place to set up your tent. Packed snow is better than soft snow, so you have to stomp around the campground and make it nice and flat. Then you put your tent on top of it. Violet asks if they can go camping in the winter, but he says, only if the car breaks down. Chase says, come on. Snow camping sounds like an adventure. Finn says, it was. He remembers them being in their sleeping bags, with the wind howling around their tent. He’d imagine they were the sole survivors of an avalanche. Violet asks if he was scared, but he says, no. He knew his dad would protect him. Violet says, like Finn protects her? and he says, always. That’s a promise. They pinky swear.
Carly says, Jordan told Jason that Cyrus already targeted someone? and he says, the Feds were able to intervene, and protect them, and she says she bets it was Laura. She just got Laura’s RSVP to their wedding, and she said she can’t make it; that she’s stuck in DC for weeks at a conference. He says, she doesn’t buy it? and she says, no. Spencer is back in town, and things blew up big time between him and Nikolas. When Spencer broke his leg, Laura dropped her entire life, and went to France. She would be there for her grandson. He wonders why Cyrus is using all the influence he has left to go after Laura, and she says, other than his mother, Laura is the person he wanted approval from and never got. And worse, he feels Laura wronged him the most. He says, if Cyrus is out to settle personal scores, who else is he after?
Scotty asks if Obrecht thinks the pilot had a heart attack, and she says, maybe that’s why the co-pilot is trying to go back to New York. She hands Scotty the locket, and says, she’s a doctor. She’s going to provide medical assistance. She undoes her seatbelt, but he says, no; buckle up. Unless she knows how to fly a plane. She says it pains her to say it, but no, she neglected that aspect of her education. The turbulence starts again, and oxygen masks drop down. She says, maybe the pilot needs assistance, but he puts her back in the chair, and says, buckle up. He asks her if she needs help with the mask, but she says, no. She needs to survive so she can help Nina.
Nina and Sonny kiss, but this time, Sonny pulls back. He says, it’s just that every time they get close, they get interrupted by something or someone. Is Peter out there? Is she sure he’s gone? Nina flashes back to Obrecht instructing her to tell Peter that Valentin and Anna have a lead in St. Lucia. Soon Peter will never bother anyone again. Nina tells Sonny, trust her. They’ve seen the last of Peter. He says they shouldn’t even be thinking about the guy. What he wants her to think about is the man in front of her. She says she is, but she has one question. What did Peter say to make Sonny want to take his head off? He tells her that he asked if Peter knew who he was, and she says, why? Did Peter seem familiar? Sonny says, no. It’s how Peter looked at him the first time Peter saw him. Does she think Peter knows who he is?
Chase asks, who wants to scout for more firewood? The kids volunteer, and Finn asks if Chase is sure he’s up for it. Chase says, the outdoors is doing him good. And if he has any problems, he has a doctor on call. He tells the kids, hut-two-three-four, and they march off. Elizabeth says, Chase is a big kid, and Finn says, he’s having more fun than they are. She says, it looks like he’s making a full recovery, and Finn says, that makes it all worthwhile. They’d better get the bear bag secured so the bears don’t get their food. The bears want to avoid them as much as they want to avoid the bears, but the bears do love their delicious food. He hoists the bag up, and secures it, and Elizabeth says she still can’t get over him being this master camper extraordinaire. He says he’s not, but he used to live and work in some amazing third world countries. He’s done his fair share of roughing it. She says she’d forgotten about that. There’s a lot they don’t know about each other.
Shawn says, Jordan thinks he doesn’t trust her to do her job? Where’d that come from? She says, there are still some things she’s kept from him over the years. When she first came to Port Charles, and was undercover with the DEA, that was something she neglected to tell him, even though he was looking after TJ. He says, that’s ancient history; there’s no point in dwelling on it. She says she still regrets not pushing the investigation into Hayden’s shooting harder, and he says, he pled guilty, but she says she should have seen the unfair sentencing practices. She should have gone to bat for him. He says she can’t save the justice system and the city of Port Charles. She’s just one person. Besides, she doesn’t have to protect him.
Anna says she’s had conversations with higher ups at the Bureau, and her integrity took a hit because she sought to protect Peter. She assured them that was no longer the case, but the only way she’s going to redeem herself is if she takes part in his capture, and takes him down. Dante says, let’s presume Peter caused Drew’s plane crash. Maybe she raised some red flags by requesting the file. If the info is real, maybe she alerted the person who’s trying to cover it up. Anna says, if that’s the case, the request alone would have been enough, and would have been denied. Sam says, unless they gave her what they wanted her to see. Anna says, if the file was truly altered, that’s a major cover-up, which begs the question, why?
Josslyn tells Trina, the meat is on marinade, and Trina says her dad’s pantry is impressive. Josslyn says her dad’s a foodie, thank goodness. Trina says Josslyn’s dad is going to flip out when he finds out she’s making him dinner. Does he know she can cook? Josslyn says, she didn’t know she could cook until this summer. Isn’t it strange she moves into a dorm with no kitchen, and has the sudden urge to cook up a storm? Trina says, it’s probably some deep psychologically rooted response to leaving home, but it’s still nice she’s doing it. Josslyn says, it’s a reminder that she loves him and will always be there for him, and he could use the pick-me-up. Trina asks if there’s any specific reason, and Josslyn says, he won’t say it, but she knows he’s upset about her mom marrying Jason. Trina says, Cam told her that the dinner with her parents was super tense, and Josslyn says, that’s an understatement. Her mom and dad act like it’s all cool around her, but she can tell things are definitely not cool between them.
Carly tells Jason, Martin checked out of the hotel, just days after he asked her about their yearly rate versus their month-to-month. Jason says, Laura and Martin suddenly leaving town isn’t a coincidence, and Carly hopes they’re okay. He says Jordan told him the Feds derailed whatever Cyrus had planned, and she says she’s relieved for Martin and Laura, but what about them? He says, they have to assume Cyrus is going to make a move against them at some point; he may already be trying. She says, first Jax tries to trick her into incriminating herself, now they’re back to looking over their shoulders because of Cyrus? He says, the whole thing with Jax was painful, but Jax is not a threat. Cyrus could be. She asks what they’re going to do, and he says he’s going to get to the bottom of it.
Sonny tells Nina, he knows it’s a long shot, but the guy was always so creepy around him; like he had leverage he wanted to spring on him. She says, it was obviously Peter’s arrogance. He always thinks he’s the smartest guy in the room. Sonny says, she knows how he told her not having a past makes you pay more attention to the present? There’s something he’s feeling; he’s listening more and watching more. And from the beginning, Peter gave him bad vibes.
Scotty doesn’t know what Obrecht is talking about, and thinks the lack of oxygen is already affecting her brain. He wants her to put the mask on, but she says she’s breathing just fine. He says, she can until she can’t. Please, liebchen? She puts it on, and he says, if this is it, he wants to tell her something. He thinks that he loves her. He sees that she’s passed out, and he says, schnitzel, come back. He puts his own mask on to help her, and passes out. Rut-roh.
😒 The President interrupts, but The Man can’t keep me down.
Nina says she really trusts Sonny’s intuition. She only wishes she’d listened to him about Elijah in the first place, but she’s learned her lesson. She’s listening now, and Peter, he’s gone. She couldn’t be happier, and just hopes they don’t spend their first date talking about Peter. He takes her hand, and says if he’s learned anything about Lenny’s passing, it’s that there’s no use in worrying about the future. What’s going to happen is going to happen. She says, all they have is right now, and he tells her, what do you say we make the best of it?
Jordan says, of course (🍷) she wants to protect Shawn. It’s part of her job as a cop. He says they both know what he’s talking about, just like they both know he can handle himself. She says, no question, but it’s still her job to find Naomie Dreyfuss’s killer. He says, it’s not a stretch to think that whoever tried to kill Hayden years ago, killed Naomie. If that’s true, he unintentionally freed this person by pleading guilty, and he has no intention of letting that stand. They can investigate the case separately, or do it together, and find the answer that much sooner.
Elizabeth gets everything ready for them to eat, and Finn pulls some twigs out of Violet’s hair. He says it looks like she’s having fun, and she says, camping is the best. They saw a deer. Chase says, they were so close, Violet wanted to touch it, and Finn says, she knows they don’t pet wild animals, right? She nods, and he says, no matter how cute they think they are, but they’re fun to watch. Aiden says, let’s eat, and Chase seconds that.
Dante says, the Cassadines probably top the list of those with ties to Creighton-Clark, and Anna says, Victor and Helena used that place as their own personal prison. Sam says, Drew was kept there, and Anna says, as was Robin. Dante says, so was he. Lulu, Maxie, Nathan… Anna says, and Obrecht, when Victor believed Nathan was his son. She was just about to arrest Victor when Obrecht shot him. Dante says, they barely got out of their alive when he blew the place up with himself in it in… 2014? Sam says, Victor was in charge of the WSB at the time, and Anna says, it was a very dark path for the Bureau under his leadership. There was unsanctioned, illegal, covert activities all the time. Sam says, think about it. Drew was held at Creighton-Clark when Victor was in charge. They messed with his memory, they programmed him to be their assassin, until Drew was able to break that programming. Dante asks what she’s getting at, and she says, maybe the WSB took down Drew’s plane.
Josslyn takes a recipe card out of a file box, and tells Trina, it’s her grandmother’s recipe, so she’s really hoping she can pull this off. First they have to read it; it’s in cursive writing. It’s a stew that Lady Jane used to make every fall. She knows it’s still warm outside, but her dad loves it. Stew shouldn’t be hard, right? She looks at the card, and says, the cook time is three hours. They’ll be starving by then. Trina says they need appetizers, like cheese and crackers, but Josslyn says they have to do better than that. She gets up, saying, she remembers she saw one she liked. She looks on her phone, and says, baked mozzarella with marinara sauce. They’ll need bread for dipping, cheese, and sauce. Trina says she has the perfect sauce; the one she got in Nixon Falls. Remember when she was starving, and while Josslyn was waiting for her dad, she went to get something to eat? This cute lady at the roadhouse gave her some pasta, even though they don’t serve food, and gave her a jar of the sauce because she was raving about it. She froze half, and it’s enough for the appetizer. Josslyn says she doesn’t want Trina going through all this trouble, when they can get sauce from the supermarket. Trina says she doesn’t mind. The sauce is amazing, and just what they need for tonight. Josslyn says, Trina for the win, and they high-five.
Anna says, the WSB is responsible for Drew’s plane crash? She thinks that’s a bit of a reach. Sam says, is it really, though?There’s a big gap in this file, and that normally indicates cover-up. Dante says, if it was a real cover-up, wouldn’t they have wiped Leethy Unlimited and the passenger from the file altogether? and Sam says, maybe it wasn’t a sanctioned cover-up, but it could have been someone from the Bureau. Dante says, maybe they didn’t get all of Victor’s allies when they cleaned house after his death. Anna says, it would have to be someone with enough authority to conceal the identity of this anonymous passenger, but not enough reach to be able to eliminate the records entirely. Someone who could still be working at the Bureau, and was at least there in 2019.
Elizabeth and Finn come back to the campsite, towels around their shoulders, and Elizabeth asks why the water is so cold. It’s had all summer to heat up. He says he’ll get a fire going. Chase comes back with the kids, and asks if they’re okay. Elizabeth says, never better, and Aiden says she was so funny. She was so worried about Violet falling in, she fell in instead. Violet says, daddy tried to help her, and fell in too. Aiden says, it was so funny, and Finn says, it was so funny, and their concern is so touching. He thanks Chase for scooping up Violet, and Chase says, he’s too polite to gloat, but he finds it interesting that the guy just relearning to walk is steadier on the rocks than either of them. Elizabeth and Finn both say, but he’s not gloating, and Chase suggests they get out of their wet clothes, and he’ll get the fire started. Aiden reminds them about watching the meteor shower, but Elizabeth tells them to go on without her. Chase says he’ll take the kids, and they can get warm. Finn says, sounds like a plan, and Chase leaves with the kids.
Sonny asks if Nina has given any thought to where they’re going tonight, and she says she thought she’d leave that in his more than capable hands. He says he has some ideas of how to make tonight special, and she says, what is it? He says, it’s a surprise. He has to get ready, and it’s going to take some time, so why doesn’t she go put something fancy on and come back? She asks how much time he’s talking about, and he says she doesn’t need a lot of time to get beautiful. So go change and come back. And can she park out back? She asks, why? and he says, humor him. She says he’s lucky he’s cute, and he says, see you soon, and she leaves.
Jason tells Carly that Brick is checking with Sonny’s contacts to see if anyone is dealing with Cyrus, or heard any rumors about him coming after them. She says she just got off the phone with Devon, and Josslyn’s fine; she’s at Jax’s house. He says he talked to Tony about more security at the wedding, and she says, where all of their loved ones are going to be… in one place.
Two guys come out of the cockpit, and check Obrecht and Scotty’s pulses. One nods to the other, and the second guy gets on the phone, and says, it is done, in a foreign language.
Anna asks if she can play devil’s advocate, and Dante says, please do. She says, Leethy Unlimited is a multi-national company with varied interests, and employees all around the globe. What if this anonymous passenger was just a legitimate coincidence? Dante says, they do have an office in Addis Ababa. So what she’s saying is, that anonymous passenger was just a Leethy Unlimited executive, who just happened to grab a seat on that charter flight that Peter was sabotaging and just got caught up in it? He guesses it’s possible. Sam says, then why conceal the person’s identity?
Jason says, Brick is a security genius. Between him and the rest of their people, the wedding is going to be safe. She says she trusts him, but it’s unsettling that Cyrus still has allies on the outside. His organization is shattered and in pieces.Where is he finding these people to carry out his revenge? Jason says, it’s right in front of their faces. Cyrus must have aligned himself with one of the Five Familiespasta e piselli.
Shawn meets Jordan at the docks with food bags, and says he’s come bearing refreshments; two lemonades and donuts from Kelly’s. She says he thinks of everything, and he asks if she’s given any thought to his suggestion. She says he’s right. They can get a lot farther if they work on this together. He says, for real? The donuts must have sweetened the deal. She says, they didn’t hurt. Let’s do this. It would be a waste of time for Shawn to track down public information that she can get much quicker. They can work on this together, but only when she’s off-duty. He says, off-duty? and she says, it’s her final offer; take it or leave it. He says he’ll take it. He hands her the donuts, and says, what he knows so far is, Naomie was murdered, and whoever killed her tried to make it look like a suicide or an accidental OD. What doesn’t he know? She says, it just so happens, she got new information on Naomie’s case just this morning.
Finn asks if Elizabeth is okay. He can hear her teeth chattering. She says she can’t get warm. It feels like it’s freezing outside, but she’s really just freezing inside. You know where this is going, right? She suggests they talk about something warm. Maybe the power of suggestion will help. He thinks he has a place. One of his favorite memories. He was in Namibia for a year, just south of the Sahara; it’s one of the driest, most remote places on earth. It’s desert as far as the eye can see, but not just any desert. It’s vibrant, it’s warm, red-colored swirls of sand, culminating in the most beautiful sand dunes you’ve ever seen. Cascading waves of sand in the burning sun, against a blue sky that seems to stretch forever and ever. An endless horizon. In the late afternoon, all the colors soften to pinks and purples, and a warm breeze engulfs your skin. Does she feel warm or not? She’s still shivering. Elizabeth says, it sounds beautiful. He was lucky to experience that. She’s still chilled to her bones. He says, come here. They can share body heat. She sits next to him, and they look at each other without looking at each other.
On the plane, the guy on the phone says, yes, we have her… She’s fine, sedated… Yes, we’ll take care of Baldwin.
Finn says, Elizabeth is still cold, isn’t she? and she tells him to share his blankie with her. He does, and puts his arm around her. He says, better? and she says, much better.
Trina comes back to Jax’s house, and Josslyn says, stew’s in the oven. Trina says she thought stew cooked on top of the stove, but Josslyn says, not this recipe, which is why it takes so long. Fair warning, the kitchen’s a mess. Trina says she’ll help Josslyn clean it up, and takes the sauce out of her tote bag. She says, now behold everything she needs for her recipe, including a to-die-for sauce. Josslyn says she’s most appreciative, especially since Trina is donating this miraculous sauce to her dinner. Trina says, save her a bite or two so she can have one last dip, and Josslyn asks if it’s really that good. Trina says, trust her. It will change your life.
Carly tells Jason, Vincent Novak was there earlier, and made a point of telling her that he was sending Joey out of the country, and there would be no more trouble from his family. Jason flashes back to Buscema telling him that Joey’s behavior was unacceptable, and that he intended to make his feelings known to Novak. Jason tells Carly, yesterday, Buscema made a point of condemning Joey’s actions, and she asks if he thinks it’s just a smokescreen for the Novaks. He says, and so, what? Joey wasn’t in charge of his actions; he was working off of Vincent? She says, the Novaks are going to try and make a run for their territory, and he says it wouldn’t be the first time the Novaks challenged them. Right now, they can’t rule out anything or anyone.
Someone in an orange jumpsuit is led to the visiting area. It’s Cyrus. The guard uncuffs him. He smiles, sits, and picks up the phone. Someone sits on the other side. Cyrus says, hope you had a nice flight. On the other side of the glass, Mr. Buscema nods, and Cyrus asks what Buscema has for him.
Jordan tells Shawn, they tracked Naomie’s movements up until her death. She wasn’t lying when she told Finn that she’d just come back to the U.S.Passport control confirmed Naomie flew in from Paris the day before she came to Port Charles. Shawn says, that’s like saying LaGuardia or JFK. She could have been coming from anywhere. She says that’s why she requested Naomie’s ticket info; where it originated, the flight manifest. Maybe knowing where Naomie came from can help them figure out why she ended up dead.
Anna puts the papers back in the file, and says, so this other passenger was a person of significance, and that’s why their identity was omitted. Dante says, all they have to do is find out who the other passenger was, and Anna says and if there’s any connection to Victor’s tenure at the WSB. Sam says, no. Maybe it’s simpler than that. Maybe this other person had a connection to Drew.
Nina comes back to the Tan-O, and calls to Mike/Sonny. He comes out, and tells her that she looks beautiful. She says he doesn’t look so bad himself. He asks if she’s ready to go, and she says she can hardly wait to find out where he’s taking her. He says, let’s go check it out, and takes her hand. He brings her outside, where he’s set up a candlelight dinner. He says he couldn’t think of a better place to take her than where they first met. She says, it’s perfect, and he leads her to her chair. She thanks him and sits, and he sits opposite her. He says, a toast. To their first date. She says, to their first date, and they clink glasses, gazing into each other’s eyes.
On the plane, the first guy asks, what did the boss say to do with this one? indicating Scotty. The other guy says, chuck him, and first guy takes off Scotty’s oxygen mask and seatbelt. He lifts Scotty out of the chair, and drags him toward the front of the plane. Obrecht is still unconscious.
Tomorrow, Cyrus asks if Buscema is in or out, Britt can’t help but wonder what Jason and Carly are trying to prove, and Nina says she can’t do this.
The Real Housewives of New York City
As the women were wrapping up the Pin the Lips on Harry game, Ramona’s phone rang, and it was Harry, which freaked everyone out. Since LuAnn is so tall, she easily kept the phone from a jumping Ramona, and answered, trying to fake Harry out. In Leah’s interview, she said Harry was a 60 year old f***boy. Sonja got on, and said she still loved him, but he was toxic. He said she needed to find a nice guy, and she said he was a nice guy until he cheated. Everyone agreed it was weird and random. In her interview, LuAnn didn’t buy that Harry and Ramona didn’t hook up at all, and in Sonja’s interview, she said Ramona didn’t have time to be friends with a man. They sat down, and Leah wanted to hear everyone’s best and worst sexual experiences. Making a really long story short, Ramona said she’d cheated on a boyfriend, and the other guy had a pencil d*ck. She thought God was punishing her for cheating. In her interview, Eboni said Ramona ran from the room if they talked about body parts. Now they knew the truth. Sonja suddenly jumped up, and grabbed LuAnn for a slow dance, and in her interview, Eboni said who was she to question it? Sonja wouldn’t be specific about her experiences, and just gave vague reminiscences about places and positions. Ramona pulled out a pair of pasties from her bag, and then flashed everyone the ones she was wearing. They were like sparkly snowflakes, and she gave them out to everyone, telling them to put them on. No surprise, Leah came out first, and LuAnn said, if you couldn’t get naked with your girlfriends, who could you get naked with? I dunno. Your significant other? Everyone danced around, topless except for the pasties, and in Ramona’s interview, she said she thought covid changed her. Of course, the two tequila shots didn’t hurt.
In the morning, there were remnants of the party everywhere; glasses, feathers, and God knows what. Leah went to Eboni’s room, and Eboni said she was surprised Ramona encouraged wearing pasties. In Ramona and Sonja’s room, Sonja said she was surprised that Eboni loosened up so much. Leah was excited about the identity switch dinner. She wanted to see what everyone else was doing. They took their fancy van to a restaurant, which made Ramona squeal. LuAnn wanted everyone’s best Valentine’s Day story, but Leah didn’t have one. In her interview, she said she wasn’t exactly a romantic, and she asked the others to tell her what she’s missing. Ramona talked about Mario writing extra stuff on cards, and Leah said Rob sent her an old school telegram once when she was away. LuAnn said she kept special voicemails, and Leah said she did too. (Me too.) Leah got teary, and LuAnn detected melancholy. Leah said Rob had disappointed her, but he’d done a lot of great things. You had to accept who someone was. They were still close, and she didn’t want to start a new life with someone because of it. She’d sacrificed that part of herself. In Leah’s interview, she said she’d chosen to do that. She liked what she had with Kiki and Rob, but got sad when she thought about it. Eboni said Leah would move on when she was ready, and LuAnn said, it would just happen. In LuAnn’s interview, she said it was tough out there, but Leah had her guard up. After lunch, they broke plates to banish evil spirits and bring good luck. The each proclaimed what they wanted out of their lives, and what they wanted to come in.
Bershan arrived, and in Ramona’s interview, she said, the identity switch was LuAnn’s idea, and she’d assigned them whoever they butted heads with the most. For Ramona, it was Leah, and for LuAnn, it was Eboni. Sonja butted heads with Bershan. In LuAnn’s interview, she said she’d done her homework. She wanted to get Eboni down pat. It was all in fun. You had to be able to laugh at yourself. In Leah’s interview, she said she was trying to understand the human that is Ramona. In their interviews, all of the women talked about how they were going to achieve their switch. Eboni was presenting the Cabaret Countess, of course wearing Jovani, and Ramona said Leah was all about shock value. They got in their costumes, Leah stopping by the kitchen to get red coloring for her IV bag of Pinot Plasma. I thought Bershan was going to bust a gut when she saw Leah as Ramona, but Eboni was louder when saw LuAnn as herself. They all seemed like they were having the best time, which is so much better than them fighting. Leah thought Ramona looked hot as her, and in her interview, Ramona said Leah’s portrayal was amusing. She’d nailed the look, except the dress was more Leah. She had to put a little Leah in Ramona. I agreed with this. It was a sparkly mini that I didn’t see Ramona as wearing. Sonja as Bershan came downstairs last. Bershan pointed out her Sonja by Sonja outfit, under $200 at Century 21, and in Sonja’s interview, she said Bershan had her nailed. As much conflict as they had, Bershan got her. Leah told the bartender, whatever your name is, there’s not enough ice in this, handing him her glass, which is totally something Ramona would do. Eboni as LuAnn said she heard it was Ramona’s birthday, and sang Happy Birthday a la the Countess. In Leah’s interview, she said, being LuAnn was hard. You had to sing, and Eboni was doing a great job. Agreed again.
They sat down for dinner, and LuAnn said they each had a card, and there was a question they had to answer as their alter-ego. Leah’s question was, if the New York Times was writing an article about you, what would you want it to say? I was surprised at how kind Leah was, listing all the positives in Ramona’s life, and how she’d achieved so many goals. Ramona said Leah really got her, and they hugged. In Ramona’s interview, she said it was another side of Leah; a softer side that she didn’t show. She wished Leah would show it more. In Leah’s interview, she said just because she and Ramona had differences, that didn’t mean she couldn’t recognize things about Ramona that were good. She wanted to dig deeper. Eboni’s question was, did she, as LuAnn, consider herself a triple threat? and Eboni said she knew she wasn’t Barbra Streisand, but it was about entertainment value, and bringing people joy. In LuAnn’s interview, she said she and Eboni had come a long way. It was nice to see Eboni impersonate her in a positive, spirited way. Sonja as Bershan was asked, who needed the most help? and to give her two-minute best life coaching. Sonja did a little riff on each of the women, and Bershan said she was right on the money. The question for Ramona as Leah was why she talked about raunchy sex so much, and Ramona as Leah threw hydrangeas at Leah as Ramona. We flashed back to Leah throwing ravioli at Ramona in that restaurant in Newport or wherever. Leah said Ramona was scaring her, and hid under the table. We flashed back to Ramona and Sonja huddled under a table, possibly during the same trip. LuAnn’s question to answer as Eboni, was why she referred to herself as Eboni K. Williams, and who was her alter-ego? LuAnn said she’d worked hard to get where she was, and she was going to use her entire name. Eboni was absolutely screaming, and said LuAnn made her feel excited about her own self. In Eboni’s interview, she said, LuAnn did a helluva job. Leah finally couldn’t be Ramona any longer, and ditched her wig and IV bag. In LuAnn’s interview, she said they had all kinds of parties, but the identity swap was the bomb. Agreed one more time. This was the best episode of this season.
Since it was the finale (sort of), we saw blurbs about what they’re all up to. LuAnn was going to shake her booty on stage when her cabaret show resumed, and was also working on a non-alcoholic rosé. Ramona aced her real estate test, and had gotten a waterfront condo in Palm Beach… near Harry. Hmm… Eboni had met her new sisters, but had yet to meet her dad, and was working with a matchmaker to get back in the dating scene. Sonja had rented out her townhouse for two years, and was getting ready to do a Comedy Caberlesque show. Leah was going to be a fulltime Jew in the fall, and Kier was enrolled at a top all-girls school, much to Bunny’s delight.
Leah raised her glass, and said, even though the pandemic happened, they embodied something the country could take notes from in terms of their listening to each other. Even though they were different people, they figured it out. Not just how to co-exist, but they also found something they loved about each other.
Next time – not the Reunion yet, but a Very Special Episode. Remember those? A spitting contest at Martin’s gym, Sonja instructs on how to remove a dingleberry off your dog’s butt, Ramona toasts herself, and LuAnn gets a tattoo.
Tomorrow, more hellish behavior from the women with too much money in Beverly Hills. The two Toms will also be hosting a watch party of The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City at 9 pm on Bravo. I saw the Vanderpump Rules one – sort of; I was doing something else at the same time – and it looked mildly amusing. They’re just a wee bit full of themselves though. I guess no one has the heart to tell them a Bravolebrity isn’t a real celebrity. No matter what side of celeb you fall on, stay safe, stay gratified with whatever your accomplishments, and stay not petting wild animals, no matter how cute you think they are. Seriously. Don’t do that.
What I Watched - TV With Theresa 