What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Austin is punching the heavy bag when Jason comes into the gym. Austin says, Cousin Jason. What’s up? Does he want in on this? Jason says he’ll wait until Austin is finished, and Austin says, there’s this brand new theory in economics where the assets and services are divvied up equally among private individuals, so no one consumer has to bear the undue burden of cost. It’s a theory perfected by kindergarteners; it’s called sharing. He realizes it’s a concept foreign to the Quartermaines, but Jason isn’t really one of them, is he?

On the phone, Britt leaves a message for Anna, asking why Anna didn’t return her calls or texts. She takes it Anna hasn’t found Peter or her mother. Here’s a novel idea, why doesn’t she put aside her personal feelings and act like a professional? Her mother was abducted, either by someone with ties to Peter or Peter himself. And that means it’s Anna’s job – no Anna’s duty – to find her. Standing in the hall, Brook practices talking to Britt, saying, she really needs Britt’s help. Dr. Gatlin-Holt has crossed the line. Something has to be done about him. She tells herself, you got this, girl.

In Carly’s office, Olivia looks through some papers, and asks what she’s missing. Carly says, it’s a lease renewal, and Olivia says, yeah, for the Crimson offices. Leo is messing around the credenza and Olivia tells him be careful. Carly says, Crimson’s yearly lease renewal is up, and Olivia says, she’s not even going to raise the rent? Carly says, why should she? Crimson pays their rent on time. She has no complaints. Olivia says, except the editor-in-chief kept Sonny away from Carly and his family for nine months. Nina says he was happy, but that’s not the point. Besides, she doesn’t buy it. Sonny is a city boy, born and bred. He could enjoy the countryside for an afternoon, maybe a weekend tops, but tending bar and sweeping the floor for nine months, no. She doesn’t buy it. Carly says she’s aware, and Olivia says this is her first chance to get back at Nina. Carly really isn’t going to take a swing at her?

Nina asks if Sonny is there on Carly’s behalf, and he asks why she’d think that. She says, Crimson’s lease is up. Maybe she thought he was delivering a message from his wife; vacate the premises or else. He says, Carly’s business is none of his, and she says, despite living in the same city, traveling in the same circles, even sharing a grandchild, she guesses she really doesn’t know him. He says, she’s about to, and she asks if that’s a threat.

Scotty sits with Ava at the MetroCourt bar, and says he’s going to have a martini and put it on her tab. She says he can have a whole pitcher of martinis since he came through for her. He says, it’s done. He got her divorce papers before they went to the clerk, so she and Nikolas can live in wedded bliss. And more’s the pity. She asks if he wasn’t just fighting for them to save their marriage, and he says that was before he found out Nikolas’s son was stalking her. She might want to hang on to those divorce papers. She says she hates to disappoint him, but she and Nikolas destroyed their copies together. He tells her, then he says goodbye to their business relationship, but she says she’ll always need him. She’ll always have legal problems for him. He says he really needs to find Obrecht, and now he’s taken on Nina as a client. He doesn’t know if he has time for her squabbles. She says, Nina needs a lawyer? and he says, and a bulletproof pantsuit.

Sonny says, if Nina has to ask – he closes the door – it’s not a threat. She says she’ll remember that, and he says, so Crimson is just humming along, huh? She says she has a great staff. They kept the office running during her… sabbatical. She takes it he’s not there to inquire about a subscription, and he says they have a few things to discuss. She says she didn’t think he left anything unsaid when they ran into each other at the cemetery, and he says, he didn’t, but then she surprised him. She says, how so? and he says, she showed up at the Quartermaines. Carly saw her; she was visiting Wiley. That didn’t make Carly happy. Nina asks if he thinks she’s afraid of Carly. She thought he knew her better than that. He says she’s not going to be happy in Port Charles for very long, and she asks if he’s telling her to get out of town.

Austin says, rumor has it, Jason doesn’t want to have anything to do with ELQ at all. He designated all of his voting shares to Michael, he doesn’t participate in any of the family business meetings… Does Jason want him to hold the bag? Jason says, no, and Austin says, clearly chit-chatting isn’t going to get him anywhere with Jason, yet here he is, willing to hold Jason’s bag. (I am not even going there.) Think of it as an opportunity to suss him out face-to-face. Who’s going to give that up? Yes? No? Okay. He holds the bag, and Jason punches it hard.

Still on the phone, Britt tells Anna to call her whether she has news or not. Leaving her to twist like this isn’t just unprofessional, it’s cruel. That is not Anna’s reputation, so please, just call her. She turns and Brook bangs right into her. Brook apologizes, and Britt asks if there’s something wrong. Brook says she knows Britt is really busy, and doesn’t want to bother her, but Britt says she could use the distraction. What’s the problem? Brook says, it’s not her problem; it’s Leo’s.

Leo hands Carly some creamers that have expired, and she thanks him, and says she’ll get rid of them. He goes to the table, and Olivia says, what Nina did was serious Old Testament level violation. Carly is well within her rights to exact her pound of flesh. Carly says she’s trying not to go to war with Nina, but Olivia says, she fired the first shot. Carly says, if she fires back, she makes Nina out to be the victim. She can just imagine: Carly the vindictive witch going after the poor woman who just made a mistake. Olivia says, mistake, my ass… She looks at Leo, and adds …ston Martin. Carly says Sonny asked her to lay off, and Olivia asks if she’s prepared to do that, to renew their lease, and not kick Nina out of the building? Carly says she can’t begin to tell Olivia what she wants to do to Nina, and Olivia says, that’s what she’s talking about. She knows Carly. What is she planning?

Ava says, Nina knew Sonny was alive all along? and Scotty asks if she’s been living on the moon. Everybody in town knows that. She says she just saw Sonny the other day. She went to say goodbye to Avery when she thought she was leaving town, and he didn’t say anything about Nina. He says, maybe Sonny didn’t want to distract her with everything going on with her stalker. Maybe he didn’t want to lay anything more on her. Aren’t Ava and Nina buddy buddies? She says, they’re friends, but Sonny’s not the type to spare her feelings. He says, Nina took a risk, finding Sonny in a small town joint, and keeping quiet and messing with Carly. She says, Carly can drive reasonable people to do things they don’t normally do, and he says he’s kind of sorry Nina got found out. Carly and Jason would still be newlyweds, Sonny would be dead and buried, and good guy Mike could just live on in his place. She asks if he said Mike, and he says, who cares? It’s just a name. Port Charles could be a Sonny-free place. Ava flashes back to talking to Nina about her new man, and asking why Nina doesn’t want him to move there or come to visit. Scotty tells her, he’s not saying they don’t have a mob problem, but the whole thing, the godfather with a heart of gold… She says she’s got to go. Have as many martinis as he wants. He says, make sure she tells Nina he’s top-notch, and Ava jets.

Sonny says, Nina can do whatever she wants. She wants to stay or go, it’s up to her. She says she doesn’t need his permission, and he says, fine. He just wanted to let her know it may not be comfortable for her here. She asks when her life has ever been comfortable? Her mind won’t let her be too comfortable. Now she has Carly, Michael, and Josslyn just waiting in line to tell her how they feel about her. He says, they have every right. Josslyn watched her mother struggle taking care of the business. Michael saw Nina lying to his face every time she visited Wiley, and Carly grieved for him for nine months; he’s not dead. She says she gets it. She’s a pariah. She deserves to be, but she admits she’s not crazy about hearing a litany of her sins every time she leaves her house, and she’s even less crazy about starting over. She tried that already, and look where it got her. He says, so she’s going to stay? and she says, yes. She’s going to stay where Maxie is, and James, and her grandchild. He says, then she’s got to understand the ground rules.

Olivia asks what Carly is planning for Nina, and Leo says, this desk is a mess. Oliva tells him, that’s not nice, and Carly says, it’s been a crazy morning. Olivia says, that kid has no filter, and Carly wonders where he gets that from. Olivia tells Leo, not everybody keeps every colored pencil and every eraser in its own spot, and Carly tells Leo, she’s sorry. Usually she’s more organized. Olivia says, if she wasn’t taking up all of Carly’s time, she’d be ready to focus. She tells Leo to come on; they don’t want to be late for Dr. Diamond. Carly asks if everything is okay, and Olivia says, just regular kid stuff. Leo asks if he can have the paperweight on Carly’s desk, and Olivia says, no, but Carly says, it’s so pretty. Leo can have it since he cleaned up her desk. Olivia asks what he says, and he says, thank you, Aunt Carly. Olivia asks what Carly’s plan is for Crimson, and Carly says, she’s definitely  renewing the lease. She’s keeping Nina close so she can keep an eye on her.

Austin says, Jason is good at this. Does he take lessons? Or is it just in his DNA to beat on things? He’s asking because they share DNA. There’s this phenomena called boxer’s knuckles. Has Jason experienced any swelling around his knuckles? Jason walks away from the bag, and Austin asks if he’s done punching. Jason says he can’t concentrate, and Austin says he imagines Jason has quite a bit on his mind. His new wife’s recently deceased husband’s alive again, showing up on Jason’s wedding night. That must have been a crowded honeymoon. Jason asks if Austin ever stops talking, and Austin says he’s just trying to be supportive. They’re cousins, and at this moment, he thought they could both use a friendly ear. Jason says, Austin has a lot of friendly ears; his mother Charity, his brother Jonah, his med school mentor. Austin says he’s flattered. That’s quite a deep dive to protect the family Jason tries to steer clear of. Jason says, he steers clear of ELQ, not his family, and Austin says he had Jason pegged as a guy who would choose his own family, rather than put up with the one he was born into. And at this moment in time, he imagines Jason can’t get out of the family he chose either, can he?

Brook says, Leo’s her stepbrother, and Britt asks if they’re close. Brook says, Olivia was going through some stuff with Leo’s dad Julian when Leo was a baby, and she took care of him. Since she’s been back in Port Charles, they’ve been getting to know one another, and he’s such a rad little dude. Britt asks, so what’s the problem? and Britt asks if this is covered under doctor/patient confidentiality. She knows, technically, she’s not Britt’s patient, but Britt says, technically, she is. She treated Brook last spring when Valentin brought her in for a sonogram. Brook says, someone at the hospital suggested Leo has a behavioral issue. Her father is all about getting Leo checked out; Olivia, not so much. So there’s a lot of tension in the house, just when their marriage was getting back on track. Britt asks what sort of behavioral issues Leo is having, and Brook says, autism, or at least on the spectrum. Britt asks if Leo has been examined. Was Olivia given a reference for a pediatric neurologist? Brook says she’s not sure. All she knows is Austin thinks that Leo might be autistic. Britt says, Dr. Gatlin-Holt said this? To Olivia? Ned? Brook says, to her. Is that a problem? Britt says she suspects Brook knew that.

Austin says, Jason must be up air with his new wife, now that her dead husband is alive again, and Jason says, Austin’s got to have patients waiting for him, right? but Austin says he doesn’t have to be at GH until later this evening. Does Jason want to grab a beer? Jason says, whatever Austin wants from him, he’s not getting it. Austin says, Jason doesn’t want to be friends? They don’t have to be adversaries. Jason says, they don’t if Austin drops the  lawsuit against the Quartermaines. Austin says he would love nothing more than to resolve his conflict with the Quartermaines amicably, but they’ve iced him out. They don’t talk to him, or even relate to him on a person to person level. He’s trying to meet a medical obligation to Leo, and Olivia keeps looking at him like he’s working some kind of angle. Jason says, is he? and Austin says, at the risk of repeating himself, all he wants is to get his father the recognition his father was denied. That might not mean anything to Jason, but it might if he was the guy who sat at his father’s deathbed, while he was gasping for his last breaths, and his last words on this earth were, why did Edward shut me out? Even if he wins this lawsuit against the Quartermaines, and gets the juicy satisfaction of getting a few ELQ voting shares, it’s not like the Q’s are going to welcome him in with open arms, and by extension, Jimmy Lee. Jason says, then why bother?

Brook says she’s not sure what Britt means, and Britt tells her, don’t play a player. The fake bump into, establishing doctor/patient confidentiality, and bringing up a situation where one of her doctors breaks it; a doctor who just so happens to be in litigation with her family. Brook says, Britt knew about that? and Britt says, Austin is the son of Edward Quartermaine’s illegitimate son, Jimmy Lee Holt. Edward wrote out poor old Jimmy Lee out of the will, and now Austin is in court trying to write himself back in. Brook says, impressive, and Britt says, not really. The Quartermaine squabble is the go-to gossip in the staffroom. Brook says, still, Austin definitely crossed the line, and Britt says, she’s right. Dr. Gatlin-Holt had no business discussing or making a diagnosis regarding someone he doesn’t have the expertise to examine. So when and where did he say Leo was autistic? Brook says, at GH, this morning, and Britt asks if there were any witnesses. Brook says, no. Chase and Maxie were nearby, but they weren’t a part of the conversation. Britt asks if Brook would be willing to give her account to the disciplinary board. Why is she even asking. Of course (🍷) she would. That’s the point of this conversation. Brook asks what she’s going to do about Austin, and Britt says, let her do her job. And in return, Brook can take care of Leo, because if Austin thinks he’s on the spectrum, Britt’s inclined to believe him. Britt leaves, and Brook turns to see Olivia with Leo behind her.  

Ava goes to Carly’s office, and asks if she’s interrupting. Carly says, no. What can she do for Ava? Ava assumes Sonny told Carly, and Carly says, Spencer’s her stalker. Wow. Yeah. She’s sorry about that. Just know she asked Spencer and his girlfriend to leave her hotel this morning. Ava says that surprises her. She thought Carly would forgive Spencer’s transgressions… Carly says, because Ava was the target. Spencer has every right to have a chip on his shoulder, but he has no right to go after Avery. It’s totally unacceptable. Ava agrees completely, and says, now that she’s no longer in fear for her life, or Avery, and she’s not going anywhere, she was hoping they could revisit Avery’s custody arrangement.

Nina says, so there are rules if she stays in town? and Sonny asks why she’s surprised. She must have known her lies were going to bring consequences. She says, how foolish of her to forget; she’s so sorry. Lay them on her. He says, first of all, stay away from Carly, and she says, that’s easy. He says, and the rest of his family, and she says, including her grandson? He says, Michael is Wiley’s father, and it’s his decision what to do with his son, and she says, and he and Carly will back up whatever Michael decides. He tells her, he does believe they shouldn’t cross paths, and she suggests he give her a list of places he thinks he’ll be, and she’ll avoid them. Anything else? He says he has the right to change the rules as he sees fit, and she says, he wasn’t wrong about her finding out who he really is; it’s quite an education. He says, these rules make it easier for her, and she asks if he wants her to thank him. He says he doesn’t need her gratitude; he just wants peace. She tells him, good luck finding it, and he says, when he does, he’ll let her know, so she can find it. She says, but they’re not supposed to cross paths, and he says he can make an exception. He thinks he’s covered it, so he’ll let her get back to work. She says, wait, and picks up the watch. She tells him, Mike left this in Nixon Falls, but it was never his. It’s been Sonny’s all along.

Carly says she’s not having that conversation with Ava without Sonny, and Ava says, okay. She just thought because they got along pretty well in Sonny’s absence. She thought they could work together to lay the groundwork for a civilized conversation about the current arrangement. Carly says she understands, but not without Sonny. Ava says,   so in spite of everything, Carly and Sonny are as committed as ever, and Carly says, in spite of what exactly? Ava says, not what, who, and Carly says she’s not going to talk to Ava about that. As for Avery’s custody agreement, she’s sure Sonny will be happy to talk to her about it, so if she doesn’t mind, she can go. Ava says she didn’t come there only to talk about Avery. She wanted to tell Carly how sorry she is about everything that happened; what Nina did to Carly, Sonny, and her family. It’s deeply disturbing, isn’t it? The mark of a very troubled mind. To conceal a man from his family and make them believe he’s dead, while he’s off creating another life as a new person. Carly says, Ava is friends with Nina. Did she know what Nina was doing? Did she know Nina knew Sonny was alive? Was she keeping Nina’s secret? Ava says, God no. This is Avery’s father they’re talking about. Nina would never tell her. Nina knows she’d never keep that kind of secret. Carly says, Ava better hope so, because if Sonny found out, he would be very unhappy. And if she crosses Sonny, he’s the one who’s going to respond, not Mike from Nixon Falls.  

Sonny says, it’s his dad’s watch, and Nina says, take it. She hands it to him, and he says, he threw it away in Nixon Falls. He never thought he’d see it again. She asks why he threw it away in the first place, and he says he felt it was holding him back from taking that next step with her, his life. She says, now his watch has come back to him, and he asks where she got it. She says, Phyllis found it. She was walking past one of Lenny’s old fishing holes. Maybe Lenny had a hand in finding the watch. It was meant to be found. He asks if that’s what Phyllis said, and she tells him, no. She actually said the opposite. Phyllis didn’t know if she should give back to him. He says, why? and she says, Phyllis thought maybe it would bring up some painful memories, but she figured he’d want it, so she told Phyllis to leave it there. He asks why she didn’t hold onto it, and she says she doesn’t have claim to any part of him, even as Mike; she never did. He says he didn’t come there to lay down the ground rules. Somebody said he should forgive her. She says he’s kidding, and he says, not forget, forgive. She asks if he forgives her, and he says, not now, but he can’t rule it out.

Brook asks what brings Olivia and Leo there; she hopes they’re okay. Olivia says, it’s just a visit with Leo’s pediatrician, when a nurse comes out and says the doctor can see them now. Olivia asks Leo to go with the nurse; she needs to have a conversation with Brook. They leave, and Brook asks if everything is okay. Olivia says she doesn’t know; why doesn’t Brook tell her? Brook seems to be the expert on her son; her and Austin. Brook says, sorry, and Olivia says she doesn’t need to apologize. What she’d like is an honest answer. Is that what Austin has been hinting at all this time? He thinks her son has autism? Brook nods, and says, he does.  

Jason says, Austin had a nice life in Pawtuck. He had a medical practice, 500 people sponsored him in raising thousands for the local hospital… Austin says, 505. He did have the most sign-ups. Jason says, Austin sacrificed that to try to force his way into a family who doesn’t want him, and Austin says, it does seem counterintuitive. And he did have a great life there, so why give that up? The answer is simple. He didn’t think he could enjoy that life unless he tried to have this life. Hasn’t Jason ever been in a situation where he had to weigh two things he cared about, and choose one over the other? Has he really been that lucky?   

Scotty tells Britt, it’s quitting time. They need to brainstorm on how to get Obrecht home. She says the session has been delayed, but he says, it can’t be. Obrecht is in danger. She’s not going to just get away from Peter. She’s alone, and Anna isn’t going to make her a priority. Britt asks what they’re supposed to do, hire a mercenary? He says, that can be a little pricey. However, what if they came up with the money? Who would they get? Does she have any contacts in the black ops? What about her dear old daddy Faison? Are any of his cronies around? She says she never thought to download Faison’s address book, and he says, that wouldn’t work anyway. They need someone closer to home. Someone that is willing to plunge into danger… Someone who is stone cold. She says, no, and he says, yes, She says, no, again, and he says, yes, again. She says she’s not calling Jason.

Britt says, asking Jason to find her mother is a terrible idea, and Scotty says, he loves Obrecht, and Anna hates her. They’ve got to pull out the big gun, and the big gun owes her. She says Scotty doesn’t know the first thing about her and Jason, and he says, enlighten him. She says they were two people on the run from some killers, and he says, that happens every day. She says, they had some laughs, and dodged some bullets. That’s it. He doesn’t owe her anything, and she doesn’t know how to ask. Scotty says, here you go. Let him script it for her. Hey Jason… She says, forget it, and he says he knows she doesn’t want to go crawling to Jason. She wants to be dignified in the afternoon, not look pathetic. But how is she going to feel if her mother never comes home? Is she going to say, at least I have my dignity? She walks away.

Brook tells Olivia not to overthink it. Austin clearly wants to divide and conquer. He wants their family to be confused and distracted, so they can’t present a united front when they go up against him. Olivia says, he thinks her son has autism? and Brook says, she got the good doctor breaking confidentiality, so she could bring it to Britt. Britt is going to get the disciplinary board involved; he may even lose his medical license. There’s no way he’s going to have time to fight for a piece of ELQ. He’s going to be too busy fighting to be a doctor. Olivia says she sees what Brook’s doing. She just has one question. What is her son to Brook? A brother, or just a means to an end?

Austin’s phone rings, and it’s Britt. She says she knows he’s not scheduled, but she needs him to come in. He asks if it’s a medical emergency, and she says she just needs him to come in now. He says, okay, and tells Jason, maybe next time, they can get that beer. He’s not joking about the boxer’s knuckles. As hard as Jason hits that thing, he needs to watch for it. Jason tells him, good luck, and Austin says, thanks. Good luck to Jason too.

Sonny says, the watch took a beating when he threw it away, but Nina says, nothing a little cleaning and repair can’t fix. He says he doesn’t want to put it on, but he doesn’t want to take it off. His dad loved this watch. He recognized it when he barely recognized anything. Sonny doesn’t know why he threw it away, and she says, he has it back. It’s true that in life, as in music, timing is everything. He asks what she means, and she says, Phyllis walked past Lenny’s old fishing pond to rescue his watch, and Sonny returned home on Jason and Carly’s wedding night in time to stop… He flashes back to walking in on Jason and Carly just as they were about to get busy. He says she’s right about one thing, timing is everything, and leaves.

Ava says she was hoping she and Carly could collaborate for Avery’s benefit. She didn’t mean to start anything. Carly says she’ll tell Sonny that Ava would like to speak to him. Ava says she’d like to see Avery tomorrow. Maybe then the three of them can sit and talk about custody. Carly says, they’ve done this before, and Ava says, yeah, Carly, her, and Sonny; not Carly, her, and Mike. Carly says, there is no Mike, and Ava says, is she sure? It’s not like Sonny forgot the life he led for nine long months. All those experiences are still with him. Just like all of Carly’s experiences are still with her. Ava leaves.

Scotty offers Britt a peppermint, and says, sorry. He guesses he was a bit harsh. She says, he called her pathetic, and he says, hypothetically pathetic. She says, if she doesn’t swallow her pride, and ask for help from the guy who dumped her to marry his best friend. Scotty says, that marriage didn’t make it to the break of day, and she asks how that’s supposed to make it better. He asks if her mother ever told her about a little thing called schadenfreude, and she says, her German is schlect (bad). He says his German is intact. He has an idea. Mac Scorpio has been a gun for hire. Maybe he knows someone. Hell, maybe he’ll do the job himself; he hates Peter August. She says, no. Mac needs to stay with Maxie. She’ll think about talking to Jason, okay? But don’t get his hopes up. Jason has his own priorities, and she doubts her problems are among them.

Carly calls Jason, and says, Sonny isn’t answering his cell; is he with Jason? Jason says he hasn’t seen Sonny. Is everything okay? Carly doesn’t know. She just had a run-in with Ava about Avery. Huh? That wasn’t what I’d call a run-in. She tells Jason, maybe it’s nothing. He says, it’s never nothing with Ava, and she says, that’s true, but don’t worry about it. They’ll talk later.

Brook says, of course (🍷) she’s doing this for Leo; she loves him. Olivia is sure she does, but she’s also sure Brook wouldn’t think twice about exploiting Leo for her own gain. Brook says she’s only telling the truth. Austin violated HIPPA rules when he told her Leo might have autism. He can say she misunderstood, and she’ll agree with him if he drops the lawsuit. Olivia asks why she would care about any of this. Austin thinks her son is autistic. Brook says, he doesn’t have the authority to make that kind of diagnosis. He barely knows Leo. Olivia might want to take Leo to a pediatrician who specializes in that sort of thing, just to be sure. Olivia says she can’t believe they’re having this conversation. She’s so damn sick of the Quartermaines always putting the company in front of their family. Austin comes into the hospital, and meets Britt, while Brook slinks down the hall. Britt thanks Austin for coming on such short notice, and he asks, what’s the problem? She says, he is, and asks him to come to the principal’s her office. They walk past Brook, and Brook smiles. Not liking Brook much today.

Nina is on the phone, discussing photo placement, when Ava comes to the door. Nina says she’s in the middle of something, and Ava tells her, she can say that again. She’s been living a double life, hasn’t she?

Sonny goes to his office, and Jason says he’d had Sonny’s chair put in storage, since he used a different one. Sonny says, Jason doesn’t like his chair? and Jason says, it didn’t seem right. Now everything is back the way Sonny left it. Sonny says, yeah, and sits down. Jason asks, what’s up? Is there something on his mind? Sonny says, yeah. Jason and Carly.

Tomorrow, Britt tells Maxie that she’s working on Austin from a different angle, Ava thinks Nina still has a chance with Mike/Sonny, and Sonny asks Jason what would have happened if he hadn’t walked in. Another thing I don’t get. Who cares? They thought he was dead. Did he think everyone was just going to freezeframe?

The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills – The Reunion – Part One

We saw LisaR and Erika talking about the upcoming reunion, interspersed with flashbacks and flashforwards. Andy went around trying to make the women nervous while they had their makeup and hair done. Everyone’s fashion sense was surprisingly toned down, and Sutton was back in heels. Dorit had on one of her ready-to-wears, and it was gorgeous, with like, a billion pearls on it. I’m a pearl girl. LisaR’s wig was dubbed Priscilla by Garcelle, and we heard it was Kyle’s 11^th reunion. Time to retire, I’d say. The set was a reproduction of Kathy’s backyard.

Erika said she was looking forward to closing this chapter and moving on, and Andy said things were still unfolding as they spoke. Erika said she asked for patience and understanding, and still didn’t have all the answers. Andy asked what the biggest misconception about her was, and she said, that she was cold and unempathetic, but she wanted the alleged victims to be made whole. While watching the show she’d felt disappointment, anger, and sadness, but also hope. Kyle had (the morally corrupt) Faye Resnick’s husband break down the L.A. Times article, since it was so long, and probably because she can’t read higher than third grade level. Some viewers thought Erika should be fired, and she suggested they let things play out in the courts.

Andy asked if Sutton brought her face roller, and she said it was in her trailer. We flashed back to various clips featuring Sutton living her best life. Sutton told Andy that her mother said nothing when she the part of the show where Sutton talked about her father. Andy asked about the store, and Sutton said her business was growing more than she thought it would. We saw a clip of LisaR on Watch What Happens Live, saying, Sutton didn’t really have a business. We saw clips of Sutton moving into her new house – which was, no surprise, beautiful – and Kyle’s rental was discussed. Kyle said Sutton was a great tenant, although almost burned her house down. Kyle showed photos of her blackened fireplace hearth, and Sutton joked they’d go to court. She did intend to pay for it.

Erika said she was dating, and looking to have hot sex. On the flip side, Sutton and Michael broke up on Valentine’s weekend. He’d said, I just can’t – whatever that means – and Sutton said there was no comeback to that. At first she was devastated, but she was now having fun dating. Andy asked if Garcelle’s son was cool with her getting married again, since he’d made a stink about her dating, but she said she thought it had just been a moment. Andy’s next topic was Garcelle not feeling like she belonged. We flashed back to Garcelle saying that, and to LisaR saying in her interview that Garcelle needed to make an effort. That was followed by the dinner when they made Garcelle cry, which they called her being vulnerable. Dorit dared to say Garcelle might have been trying to be relevant with her jabs, but Garcelle wasn’t having that, and neither did I. Garcelle wanted an apology from Dorit for calling her a bully, and Andy said Dorit got a lot of hate for that. One viewer wondered why Dorit didn’t call Erika a bully, and Dorit said Erika had isolated incidents, but with Garcelle, it had been all season long. So, if you bully infrequently, you’re not a bully? Dorit claimed Garcelle said things in her interviews that she didn’t say to their faces. Garcelle said she couldn’t win; either she said too much or not enough. Andy said Dorit had wanted Garcelle to be direct, then accused her of throwing darts. Dorit said if Garcelle had an issue, she should voice it, but not throw passive/aggressive darts with a smile. LisaR tried to interject, and got her panties in a twist when Garcelle told her to hold on; they’d get to it. Then Dorit literally screamed at Garcelle to let her finish; it was the second time Garcelle had cut her off. To her credit, Garcelle didn’t even flinch. She just calmly told Dorit to make her point. I don’t know how she does it, since I want to pop one of these women in the nose every five minutes.

Dorit said, in Garcelle’s interview, she’d said everyone was picking on Sutton, so why didn’t she stand up for her in the moment? Andy clock checked, wanting to move on to LisaR, but he asked where Dorit and Garcelle stood. Garcelle said she didn’t dislike Dorit at all, which wasn’t exactly a ringing endorsement, but Andy pronounced their slate clean. He said LisaR and Garcelle had their ups and downs for twenty years, and asked if LisaR had earned back Garcelle’s friendship. LisaR said she thought Garcelle had some kind of expectations she wasn’t meeting. Garcelle said LisaR had done some lovely things, but she still had trust issues. Erika wondered if LisaR should just stop reaching out, and asked if Garcelle was punishing LisaR for Denise, but Garcelle said Denise could fight her own battles. We flashed back to Garcelle suggesting LisaR reach out to Denise, and LisaR wondered why Garcelle had brought it up again after four months. When was she going to let it go? Garcelle said she was letting it go right now, and LisaR wasn’t going to hear about it again from her. Andy asked what Garcelle was expecting from LisaR, and Garcelle said she didn’t expect LisaR to save her, but could have had her back at the launch when Garcelle and Dorit had their incident. LisaR said she didn’t because she thought what Dorit was saying was correct. Andy asked Sutton her opinion, since the pot hadn’t been stirred enough, and Sutton said no one had her back either. Garcelle said someone had told her that LisaR said she shouldn’t have brought race into the show; it wasn’t that kind of show. LisaR said she would never say something like that, and Garcelle should have come to her. Garcelle said she didn’t know that LisaR wouldn’t say it, and it had pissed her off.

LisaR whined that she wanted to know why Garcelle was so mean to her, and wanted to know where Garcelle had heard this from. Garcelle wasn’t revealing her sources, and she didn’t trust LisaR. LisaR claimed that when Garcelle was on WWHL, she’d said she wanted her fired so Denise could come back. They showed the clip, and this was a huge stretch, since what Garcelle said was, Denise might come back if somebody else was let go. Andy asked if their initials were LR, Garcelle smiled, and that was pretty much it. That didn’t exactly point to Garcelle advocating LisaR getting the boot. Regardless, LisaR said it showed who Garcelle was. Erika said that Garcelle gave a real world perspective, but LisaR wanted an apology, insisting she was happy Garcelle was on the show. Garcelle questioned whether LisaR would have admitted she’d said the race thing, and Andy wondered where they went from there. LisaR asked why they couldn’t move on, saying, she wanted Garcelle to be the Garcelle she used to know. Garcelle was like, you first. Then LisaR felt the need to say Harry thought Garcelle looked unhappy. Dorit said she didn’t necessarily look unhappy, but she checks out. Garcelle said she did not check out; she showed up. She admitted maybe her expectations were higher for LisaR, and Kyle started crying. Probably because the focus hadn’t been on her at all so far. This prompted LisaR to milk the moment by going over to Garcelle and giving her a hug. Dorit whispered to Erika that LisaR just wanted to show off her outfit. LisaR asked Garcelle for a chance, and finally worn down, Garcelle said she had one. There was all this I-love-you-life-is-too-short stuff from LisaR, and I nearly gagged.

Kathy joined the group, and said she’d brought notes because she wanted to address a few things. Hmm… For someone who seems to be on another planet, she caught on quick about receipts. Garcelle said, bring it, babe, and Andy asked if Kathy recognized the set. It took her a while, but it finally dawned on her that it was her house. We saw old clips of Kathy, showing up in various scenes over the years. Andy asked why she’d decided to join after all this time, and Kyle admitted to pushing her, to which Kathy agreed. They talked about Kyle reprising her original role from Halloween in Halloween Kills, and Andy said Kyle had gotten a surprise when she left for the show today. We saw Kyle coming out of the house, and going to the limo. Then Michael Myers popped out of the bushes with a knife, scaring the bejesus out of her. BTW, she has a great scream. Sutton asked if Kathy did that, and Kathy just smiled and shrugged. Andy asked what it was like for Kyle to step back into a role from over 40 years ago, and she said it was amazing getting back together with everyone. Everyone who was still alive anyway.   

Andy slid into talking about Erika’s marriage, and said he’d thought it was weird that Tom hadn’t read her book. We saw a clip of the last (virtual) Reunion, where Erika said Tom hadn’t seen Chicago. Erika said she wasn’t giving him a pass for that, since she found out later that he’d been in D.C. She said his cheating was only part of it; there was so much more. When she found out, she told him, if he was in love with someone else, divorce her, and be with the other woman. Andy asked what Tom said, and she said, nothing. Then Andy asked if Erika had been faithful…    

Next time – the Reunion continues – LisaR gifts Andy with a jar of Harry’s sauce, Sutton and Erika get into it, Erika gets weepy, Kyle says Erika is doing herself no favors on Instagram, and Erika wonders why it’s only in Beverly Hills that everyone’s so precious. I doubt it’s just Beverly Hills, but I can’t wait to hear what precedes that.   

🎺 Day Is Done, Gone the Sun…

The new season of Project Runway premieres tomorrow (Thursday). No doubt I’ll watch. It was one of those shows, like 90 Day Fiancé, where I watched it out of boredom, and decided it was better than I thought it would be. So meet me here next time for soap and a few words about fashion. Until then, stay safe, stay improving your corner of the world, and stay not ruling out being forgiving. You don’t have to forget.