What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Michael says, the first time he and Willow got married, it was a strategy, and it didn’t last. This time, he wants it to be real, and he wants it to last forever. She says she wants it to be forever too, and he asks if that’s a yes. She asks him to please stand up; she can’t think while he’s kneeling. He gets up, and says, if she has to think, that probably means she’s thinking of the words to say no. She says, she’s trying to find the words to say, not yet.

Shawn says, something is upsetting Alexis. He’s guessing it was her visit with Nikolas. She says, it was a real revelation, and he asks what Nikolas said to her. She tells him, Nikolas said she could go free.

Curtis asks what the guy said to Portia, and she says, he claimed he was touring Port Charles, visiting places of interest, and he asked about The Savoy. Of course (🍷) she gave it a glowing review, but as the conversation went on, it became less and less about the club, and more about Curtis. So it struck her that this man fits the general description of TJ’s patient that disappeared. He says, so the same guy approached her and TJ, asking questions about him.

Spencer serves Esme a cup of coffee, and says, sorry. He knows she ordered espresso, but he’s telling people the machine is broken. He already scalded himself once; he’s not going to risk further injury. The pick-up bell rings, and he says he had no idea how hard it is to pull espresso levers. He picks up some breakfasts, and sees Ava come in with Nikolas. He asks if they want a table, or are they just there to gloat.

Carly says, extradited last night, back in Port Charles this morning? and Nina says, no doubt, she’s disappointed. She walks past Carly, and Carly says she’s outraged. She’s outraged Nina could steal nine months of Sonny’s life, nine months from his children and family, and post bail, then show up her like nothing happened. Nina says, kind of like Carly, acting like nothing happened after watching Nina’s daughter die.

While mourning the loss of the moss bowl 🎍 in his absence, and wondering if the lily pond was Jason’s idea, Sonny’s phone rings. The recording says he has a collect call from Flatland Federal Prison inmate Cyrus Renault. Will he accept the charges? Sonny says he accepts, and Cyrus says, it’s so good to hear Sonny’s voice. He hopes he’s not too late to welcome Sonny back from the dead. Sonny says, it was a bonus to find Cyrus gone. Now Cyrus calls him collect. What does he want?

Spencer serves some customers, and tells Nikolas and Ava, either find a table or leave; he has work to do. Nikolas says, Spencer’s working there? and Spencer tells him not to act like it’s a surprise. Nikolas says he had no idea, and Spencer says, now he knows. Doc is only going to let him and Esme stay if he has a paying job, and this is it until he finds something better. Ava tells Nikolas, let’s sit down, and tells Spencer, they’ll start with some coffee, please. Spencer clears a table, and tells Esme, his father and Ava are there, acting like they just wandered in. She says, maybe they just got off the launch and decided to have breakfast, and he says, when they can afford the caviar omelet at the MetroCourt? He doesn’t think so. They planned this. At least his father is pretending like he cares a little bit. Ava is just enjoying his humiliation. She says, forget Ava and focus on his father. This is the perfect opportunity to start mending fences. His father is obviously regretting what happened. Just give Nikolas a chance to take him back.

Ava wonders how Spencer will take to the food service industry after being waited on his whole life. She tells Nikolas not to worry so much; it’s a good job. Carrying a couple of plates isn’t going to hurt Spencer. Nikolas says he’s sure Spencer will survive, and she says, if he’s not worried about Spencer, then this brooding silence must be about Alexis. What happened at Spring Ridge?

Shawn says, Nikolas told Alexis she could go free? and she says, Nikolas said a lot of astonishing things. Shawn says, first things first. How could Nikolas get her out of there? She says, apparently, Nikolas and the governor are friends, and are in the process of arranging a full pardon. He says, why is this not the best news she’s heard all year? and she says, because the price of her freedom is just too high.

Carly says, it’s always about Nelle with Nina, isn’t it? and Nina asks if that surprises her. Carly, who’s always so proud to be a mother, and uses it to justify everything she does. Guess what? Nina’s also a mother. Nelle was her child. Carly says, there’s no doubt about that. There’s not much of a physical resemblance, but it’s scary how much the two of them are alike. In Nelle’s mind, Nelle was always the victim. Murder, extortion, switching her baby; none of that was ever her fault. Somebody else, usually Carly, was always to blame. Nina says, Carly is to blame for letting Nelle die, and she will always be to blame for that, so live with it. Carly says, so to pay her back, Nina basically kidnapped Sonny? Because in Nina’s mind, she’s always the victim. Poor, poor Nina. She shouldn’t have gotten arrested; that’s a vindictive attack. She says Nina is delusional, but you know what? That could work in her favor. Just plead insanity and be done with it.

Willow says she loves Michael; she’s in love with him. Please tell her that he knows that. He says he does, and she says she intends to spend the rest of her life with him, for better or worse, in sickness and in health, all of it. He says, okay then. Why not make it official? Say their vows, sign the document, and make a commitment to being husband and wife. She says, when they marry, she wants it to be about them, and Wiley. She wants it to be about joining their lives, and celebrating their love, not smoothing over a disagreement.

Sonny tells Cyrus, say something worth hearing, or he’s hanging up the phone. Cyrus says, Sonny’s rebirth doesn’t seem to have affected his charming personality, and Sonny says, he regrets he didn’t see Cyrus’s last stand. Too bad the Commissioner didn’t shoot to kill. Cyrus says, it must be difficult, coming back after such a long time away. Did he hear that Sonny’s wife and best friend got married? Sonny says, there was a tragedy at the wedding. Vincent Novak and Charlie Buscema got blown to bits. Cyrus says, that’s very unfortunate. They can talk about it in greater detail when Sonny comes to visit him.

Shawn says, when Alexis says the price of freedom is too high, is she talking about Hayden? She says she sees he’s way ahead of her, but he says, why don’t they go over it anyway, before he makes assumptions or jumps to wrong conclusions? Shawn sits, and Alexis says, she straight up asked Nikolas if he had Hayden shot. He evaded, which was all the answer she needed.

Nikolas tells Ava, it’s difficult to see his aunt in prison. Alexis always had a neurotic streak, but she was smart, and so articulate. A talented lawyer, but also a warm and caring aunt; the voice of sanity in his insane family. She says, that’s why he’s going to talk to the governor about a pardon, right? but he says, unfortunately, it may not work out.

Spencer says, Esme knows the conditions for his father to take him back. He has to accept his father’s marriage to Ava. He has to accept that woman as his stepmother. Nikolas has already put her in control of his trust fund. He’ll have to grovel to her for every dime he wants to spend, and he’s not going to do that. Esme says, and he’s letting her win. Brick by brick, Ava is building a wall between him and his father, and it’s what she wants. She doesn’t want him talking to his father, making him see reason. God forbid his father realizes she’s just a gold-digger after all; more in love with his money and his last name than she’ll ever be with him. Spencer says, he used to know that. Nikolas called him and came to see him at school, suggesting they work together to make him free of Ava. Now she’s turned Nikolas against him. She’s latched on to him, and she’s never going to let him go. Esme says, it’s obvious his father doesn’t want this separation. He just has to give Nikolas room to change his mind. He says, how? Ava never leaves his side. She says she may be able to help with that, and goes over to their table. She says she’s sorry to interrupt, but can she speak to Ava outside?

Portia tells Curtis, she never saw TJ’s patient. She can’t be sure it’s the same man. He asks if she got a bad vibe from him, but she says, he was perfectly pleasant, but there was something about him that seemed… off. Maybe she’s making too big a deal out of this. He tells her, trust her instincts. People often get a bad feeling from someone presenting as ordinary, who ultimately harms them. It would be a mistake to ignore that feeling. She says, in that case, she was walking outside Kelly’s, and she thought she heard footsteps behind her, but no one was there. She turned around to keep walking, and bumped right into this man. She was startled, and he apologized. He had a map of Port Charles, and asked her for directions to the Chuck. She told him the Chuck was closed today, and that’s when he brought up The Savoy. She mentioned she knew the owner, and he was all over it. He claimed he read somewhere that Curtis had never owned a club before. Curtis asks, where would he get that? and she says, exactly. She doesn’t remember reading that in any promotional materials, and she asked him about his interest in Curtis, but he just brushed it off, and claimed he was a people person and liked to talk to anybody. It seemed reasonable enough, so she excused herself and left, but in retrospect, maybe it wasn’t so innocent. Curtis agrees, and says, what are the odds two men, matching the same age and same description, would approach two very important people in his life, asking questions about him?

Sonny asks, why the hell he would visit Cyrus? and Cyrus says, a lot has happened since Sonny was away. He can fill in the blanks; details that his wife and Mr. Morgan either weren’t privy to, or told not to tell him. Don’t be too hasty. Buscema and Novak are gone, their territories are up for grabs, he might have information about who wants to take their place. Sonny tells him, enjoy Flatland. Make himself comfortable, because from what Sonny hears, Cyrus is going to spend the rest of his life there. Sonny laughs, and hangs up, but faces despondency seeing the lily pond.

Alexis says, Nikolas is the one who had Hayden shot, but Shawn says, that’s her belief. He didn’t exactly say the words. She says she’s known Nikolas his whole life. It was very clear to her by what he didn’t say, that he was the one who tried to have Hayden killed. He says, sorry, and she asks what he’s sorry for? He’s the one who spent six years locked in a cage for something Nikolas did and he didn’t. Shawn says he’s sorry for what this is costing her; the pain he sees in her eyes. She says, up until a few years ago, Nikolas was good. He was thoughtful, noble, and empathetic, and that is all gone now. He’s self-serving. He doesn’t even care about his own son. He uses people. He used Shawn. He can show remorse, if you confront him, but it’s just a show; he doesn’t mean it. He’s gone bad, and he will take no responsibility for what he’s done. None.

Spencer asks if he can take Nikolas’s order, and Nikolas asks what the specials are. Spencer says he doesn’t remember, and Nikolas doesn’t care, so just order eggs Florentine like always. Nikolas says Spencer’s not getting any tips with that attitude, and Spencer says he wasn’t expecting one from Nikolas anyway. Nikolas says they still haven’t gotten their coffee, and Spencer says he’ll get on it. Nikolas gets up and follows Spencer, and asks what Spencer is doing. Spencer says, didn’t Nikolas just ask him for coffee? and Nikolas says that’s not what he means. Spencer says he has no idea what Nikolas means. He’s lost any ability he’s ever had to review or understand Nikolas’s motives. Nikolas says, Spencer is working at a diner, awaiting trial for criminal charges. This is not the life he was meant to have. Spencer says, thanks to Nikolas and his wife, that is the life that he has now.

Esme says, when she and Ava saw each other at the courthouse, she was so focused on helping Spence, so worried how the hearing would go, she didn’t get a chance to properly express how truly sorry she is for her part in what happened to Ava. Ava says, what happened is that she was stalked and terrorized into filing for divorce, and distancing herself from her only surviving child. Esme says, what Spence did was horribly wrong, and instead of helping him, she should have tried to talk him out of it. Ava asks, why didn’t she?

Willow says she can’t imagine her life without Michael. When she tried, even on a temporary basis, it was a disaster. She doesn’t just love him, she needs and depends on him, as her best friend, someone she can confide in and trust. He says she can always trust him, and she says she knows, but she’s realized he doesn’t always do things for one reason. Remember when Shiloh took her to court to try and get her to disclose what she did with her baby? He was so smart about all of that. He blew her away with all the tactics and potential strategies. It was the same way when they were fighting for custody of Wiley. It’s crazy how his mind works; how he can set up the dominoes to fall the way he wants. He says, which is a nice way of saying he’s calculating, but she says, it’s not a bad thing. It’s amazing, but it shouldn’t be the reason he proposes. He says he hates that they argued, and he does want to make it better, but that’s not the reason he asked her to marry him.

Portia says, could this mystery man, if it is the same man, be someone Curtis investigated when he was a cop? Someone he put away? Curtis says, if so, why come looking for him now? Sonny comes in, and Curtis tells him, welcome back. They shake hands, and Portia says, Trina told her that he was home. Sonny says, it’s been a real adjustment, and she says she’s sure. He says, Josslyn told him that she’s doing great at PCU, and she says, both Josslyn and Trina are embracing the college experience. He says he’s happy for them; it’s a great time in their lives. He asks if Curtis has a minute to talk about Cyrus Renault.

Nina says she doesn’t have to use the insanity defense, and Carly says she’s going to need something, because the charges aren’t going away. Nina says, this is laughable coming from Carly. Carly is happy to skate when the handcuffs are on her. She’ll hide behind her high-powered attorney, letting her pretzel the law, but when Nina makes legitimate bail, Carly is outraged and screaming for justice. Carly says she doesn’t have to scream; justice is coming for Nina. She’s going to be tried and convicted because there’s no excuse for what she did. Nina says she thinks her attorney can make a damn good argument that she was just protecting Sonny, that his life in Port Charles was dangerous and destructive. Sonny was actually better off living in Nixon Falls.

Willow says, Michael has to admit, the timing is a little suspect, and he says, maybe a little. She says, maybe their argument didn’t cause him to propose, but it might have contributed to it. He says, maybe, and she says, he’s a fixer. His first instinct will always be to make things better, and she loves that about him. He came into her life, and gave her support. He shared his son with her, and he didn’t try to fix her, but made it possible for her to fix herself. Now that they’ve disagreed, he wants to fix that too, and make it go away, but he doesn’t have to. They can disagree and still love each other. He says, if anyone knows that, it’s him.

Esme tells Ava, when she and Spence met at school, they just clicked. At first, it was surface level. They liked a lot of the same things; skiing, riding, theater. From the beginning it was like they could both sense something deeper, this bond they shared. She’s not close with her family. So when Spence told her the situation with his father, thinking that his father died, and how when Nikolas came back, he got involved with Ava, she totally empathized with how badly it hurt Spence. She was so completely focused on Spence, she never stopped to realize she was only hearing his version. Ava asks if Esme feels it justifies her actions, and Esme says, of course (🍷) not. She realizes now that Spence was angry and lashing out. She was so focused on helping him, she didn’t stop to see Ava as a person, to think about what Ava was going through, and what she was helping to put Ava through. All those times she was following Spence’s instructions, all those things she did, she would give anything to take them back.

Nikolas tells Spencer that he knows what it means to go too far, and for actions to have unpredicted consequences. Talk to him, father and son, like they used to, and tell him how things got so out of control. Spencer says, things got a little tough when Nikolas died, and didn’t get a whole lot better when he turned up alive. In fact, it got worse. Nikolas says he can’t change what he did, but he can fix what’s happening now. He can help Spencer get his life back on track. Spencer says, Nikolas is going to provide guidance to his poor, troubled son? and Nikolas says he wants Spencer to stop punishing him before he wrecks his own life.

Alexis says she should have known Nikolas wasn’t going to tell her the truth; she was absolutely naïve. All she did was give him a heads up that they’re on to him. Shawn says, it could work to their advantage. Nikolas has spent the last few years thinking he’s in the clear. Maybe he got confident and let things slide. If he starts scrambling, and trying to cover his tracks, he could give something away. She says, Nikolas isn’t scrambling; he’s already got a bribe lined up. He says, her pardon, and she says, Nikolas said if she dropped the subject of Hayden, that he and his friend the governor would consider a pardon. When she didn’t jump at that opportunity, then it became a warning – back off or the pardon disappears. He says, there’s only one thing to do. Take the deal. She says, what?

Curtis says, as far as he knows, Cyrus’s ass is rotting away in a federal prison somewhere in the Midwest, and Sonny says, Flatland. The operator mentioned it when Cyrus called him collect. Curtis asks what Cyrus wanted, and Sonny says, he wanted to dangle some information he may or may not have. Curtis says, that’s how Cyrus operates; it’s all mind games with him. Sonny says, they were there when Cyrus went down. Is there anything they can give him about what happened that night? Portia says, she can tell Sonny that Cyrus is a brutal, dangerous man. He was waiting for her when she got home, and forced her to patch him up at gunpoint. When Trina got home, he made it perfectly clear he didn’t need two hostages, and that one of them was expendable. Sonny says he’s sorry if he brought up any bad memories. He asks if he and Curtis can have a discussion alone, but Portia says, there’s not need to shield her. They all survived Renault and he can’t hurt them now.

Carly tells Nina, good luck with that defense. She can’t wait to see Nina tell the judge she committed identity fraud against Sonny for his own good. Nina says, who knows if that kind of identity fraud even exists? The Lantano DA is trying to invent a new law to give Michael what he wants. Carly says, Michael doesn’t control the DA, but Nina says, sure he does. And Carly controls Michael. Carly can’t stand it that Sonny lived nine months of his life she knows nothing about, and he was perfectly happy without her. Maybe even a little happier. Now Carly wants revenge, and she’s using her own son to get it for her. 💡Another thought. Nina could point out the connection between the contribution and the case. If nothing else, the case would be considered compromised. I just invented a new job; Port Charles armchair lawyer.

Curtis tells Sonny, he didn’t know what Cyrus was going to do next. He was unraveling. He was screaming at Laura, and waving his gun around. That guy was about two seconds from shooting Laura, so Curtis dropped his gun, and Cyrus shot him instead. Portia says, which gave Jordan the opening she needed to enter the house and shoot Renault. Sonny says, Laura’s a friend, very special to him, and he wants to thank Curtis for saving her life. Curtis says he was glad he could be there, and Sonny says, so is he. He appreciates them talking to him; it means a lot. He heads for the door, and Portia asks if he’s not staying for a workout. He says he hasn’t boxed in so long, but he has to check on someone. He leaves, and Portia says she thought they’d heard the last of Cyrus Renault, but Curtis says, he guesses they’re not that lucky.

Nikolas asks Spencer to think about where he was supposed to be, taking a gap year, touring the world. He threw all of that away to get back at Nikolas. He’s curious. Is Spencer happy with the results? Spencer tells him, what can he say? The Amalfi coast is overrated. Nikolas says he wants Spencer to stop sabotaging himself. Why won’t Spencer listen to him? Spencer says, he will, as soon as Nikolas cuts Ava out of his life.

Esme says she doesn’t expect Ava to forgive her, but if there’s ever anything she can do to make amends, she’d appreciate the chance. Ava says, Esme’s not the first young woman who got wrapped up in a man and do things she regrets. Ava is willing to put the past behind them and start fresh. Esme says, oh my God, thank you so, so much, and Ava says, she’s welcome. She hopes Esme will be a good influence on Spencer, and hopefully, someday get him to accept his new reality. Esme says she thinks he will. Deep down, Spence loves his father. He just has to let go of his pride little. Ava says, that’s not so easy. She’s going to go have breakfast with her husband. Esme says, of course (🍷), and thanks her again. Ava says she’s welcome, and make good use of the fresh start. One is all she’s going to get. Cross her again, and Esme will regret it. Ava goes inside.

Alexis asks if she heard Shawn right. Does he really want her to take her nephew’s bribe? He says he knows what it means to be locked in a cell, to live without agency, and live by other people’s rules. Alexis has a chance to get out of there; take it. Alexis says, no, and not even because of her nephew’s agenda, but because she doesn’t deserve a pardon. He says she’s harder on herself than a prosecutor would be, but she says, unlike him, she committed the crime she’s in there for. She’s serving her sentence. It’s her responsibility; it’s her debt to society. He says she can do that on the outside, volunteer at a legal clinic, and she asks if he wants her to just ignore that Nikolas is an attempted murderer. How can she look at herself in the mirror, let alone maintain her sobriety? If he wants to do what’s best for her, help her bring her nephew to justice.   

Michael says, Willow may have noticed, the Quartermaines are argumentative, and she says she picked up that. He says, but they’re nothing compared to his mom and dad. They’ve been married five times; that means there were four breakups. Realistically, eight or ten. He’s not talking about a disagreement when somebody leaves. There was yelling and screaming, throwing glass, court battles, he and his brother Morgan taken to Puerto Rico in the middle of the night so they woudn’t have to see it. There were times his parents couldn’t stand being in the same room, but he always knew they were still in love with each other, no matter what. Because even at their worst, if one was in trouble, the other had their back. That’s how he feels about her. He can’t imagine them doing that kind of fighting, but even if they did, and she told him to leave, that she hated him and never wanted to see him again, he’d have to leave. But if the next day, she calls and says she needs him, he’d be there, no questions asked. She says she knows.  

Nina says, Michael is just Carly’s puppet, and Carly says, which shows Nina knows nothing about her son. or how deep of a hole Nina dug to steal time with Wiley. Nina says she knows Michael well enough to know he wouldn’t do this on his own. Carly is the one pulling them through the ugliness of a trial. And why? It’s not going to change anything. She’s not going to get those nine months back. And by targeting Nina, and potentially hurting others, she may find she’ll also hurt herself. Carly wonders how she would do that, when Sonny walks in, and asks, what’s going on?

Ava sits down, looks at her empty cup, and says, no coffee yet. (My father would have gone ballistic by now, waiting this long for coffee.) Spencer says, coming right up, but she says, as long as he’s there, she’s ready to order. Egg white omelet, tomato and chive, please. And Nikolas? Nikolas says, eggs Florentine, and Spencer says, got it. Ava says, and Spencer, and he says, the coffee, he knows. He goes to the counter, and tells Esme that he can’t stand it. Ava has his father completely under her spell. He needs a wake-up call.

Shawn asks if Alexis has considered taking the deal, and she says, of course (🍷) she has. She hates it there. It’s a helluva lot better than Pentenville, but she’s still locked in it. She’ll be glad to get out, but she’s not getting out until her sentence is served. He says he admires her commitment and will power, and she says, maybe it’s just loyalty and stubbornness. She’s not going to let her nephew use his money and influence in order to escape a consequence that he needs to face. She just doesn’t know how she’s going to get him to tell the truth. Shawn flashes back to meeting Spencer in Kelly’s, and Spencer saying he’s come a long way from the son who could get his father to do anything for him. Shawn says, he thinks he knows a way.

Willow tells Michael, even before her mom found Shiloh, they were always moving around. She didn’t have friends she could count on growing up, people she could call in the middle of the night. Her dad loved her, but he wasn’t strong enough to stand up to her mom. Meeting Michael and falling in love with him was like finding a safe place. Knowing he won’t back down, knowing he won’t bail. He’s wonderful and kind and generous, and underneath all that, he’s pure steel. He won’t let anyone hurt her or Wiley. He says he won’t, and she says he’s given her security. He made her feel safe enough to disagree with him. Safe enough to tell him she loves him, and she wants to marry someday, just not right now. He puts his hand on hers, and says he can wait for someday. He’ll wait forever if he has to. She promises it won’t be that long, and they kiss.

Portia says, Sonny seems to be getting right back into the swing of his business, and Curtis asks if that worries her, given Trina is so close to Josslyn. She says she had a few anxious moments when Trina first started going over to Sonny’s house, but she’s seen how careful he is to protect his family, and keep them away from anything questionable. For the most part, she just tries not to dwell on it. Curtis says, it makes sense, but she says, it is unsettling to hear Renault reached out to Sonny. He says he was thinking about that. Renault reaches out to Sonny out of the blue, at the same time mystery man shows up in town asking questions about him. She asks if he thinks the man could be working for Cyrus.  

Carly tells Sonny, Nina was just explaining to her, that if she goes to trial, it’s all Carly’s fault. Nina says she’s late for work, and leaves. Sonny says he knew she’d get out on bail, but didn’t know it would be this soon, and Carly says she didn’t either. She walked in, and there Nina was. He says he thought she wanted to avoid Nina, but she says, this is her restaurant. He says, Nina shouldn’t be here, and she says, no, she shouldn’t be here. She tried it his way, but Nina is in her face, and there’s no way in hell she’s backing down. From now on, it’s between her and Nina.

Tomorrow, Brook thinks she knows exactly where to find her, Valentin tells Charlotte that he’s the luckiest man on earth, Anna promises Finn that day will come, Gladys says she came back to see someone, and Ava asks what Nikolas is hiding.

Project Runway

This Runway was right up my alley with the theme of Hauntingly Chic. Christian met the designers wearing a vampire cape, and telling them, Happy Halloween. He sent them to a limo, which took them to the Bartow-Pell mansion, a 175 year old haunted house. Darren claimed he sees dead people (I see stupid people), and Bones took the rear going in, saying in his interview, the Black man always dies first. Although I don’t think that’s so true anymore. Inside the mansion, Christian communicated through a portrait, telling them that he Bartow family lived and died there in the 1800s, and they were spending the night. Christian told them to get in the spirit and gain inspiration to design a chic gown for a masquerade ball, and the mask to go with it. No costumes; real fashion. They chose their models, and did their sketching, but like those ghost hunter shows with celebrities, they only scared  themselves.   

Everyone was still alive in the morning, and they went to Mood, where Christian met them, this time popping up from behind a counter. He told them that they had 30 minutes and $500 (nice budget!) Christian commented on how he was only seeing black and red. Kenneth chose an olive drab green, and in his interview, he said, growing up in the Philippines, fashion wasn’t a career choice. You were expected to be a nurse or a doctor, or something else in the service industry. Christian warned Zayden that the fabric he chose showed everything, and had zero stretch, but Zayden was adamant about his choice. The designers had also been allowed to bring their own fabric this season, so some were planning on using that too. They went back to the workroom for eight hours, some of them insisting ghost George from the mansion had followed them back to mess with them. Darren questioned whether he belonged there, being so young, but Christian said he was there for a reason, and gave a different perspective. He reminded Darren that he’d been the youngest contestant ever, and he now had a multi-million dollar business. He thought Darren freaked himself out in the time between his idea and his execution. Katie said she didn’t do dark, and was working with white. Christian warned her about being hooked on stripes, and her outfit looking too sailor. He thought dead doll was more appropriate.

When time was up, a lot looked unfinished to me. Katie was trying to be positive, but still packed her stuff, assuming she’d be the one going home. Bones used a silver/gold combo for his gown, and made an incredible feathered mask that reminded me of Mardi Gras. However, Aaron thought it looked like a condor smashed into the model’s head. Ouch, in more ways than one.  In her interview, Chastity told us about how her father had died suddenly, and she felt she kept him alive through her work. Zayden’s idea was patterned after voodoo priestess Marie Laveau, but I’m betting her outfits were a little more relaxed, since his dress was too tight for the model to walk. He made a bunch of alterations, and in his interview, he said, making the model comfortable was his main focus. Um… I’d say making sure she could move down the runway was probably his main focus. The best comment of the night was by Christian when he said, if it works, it will be awesome. That can be said about so many things, not just fashion.

Taraji P. Henson was the guest judge, and Elaine called for them to bring on the hauntingly chic. Bones got an, ooh, but I’m not sure if that was good, bad, or just for the mask. Zayden’s model made it down the runway, and in his interview, he said, haunting didn’t need to be spooky. Although he did include a cute bag shaped like a voodoo dol bag, which prompted Brandon to wonder if it was one of them. Most of the designs were better than I expected them to be from what I saw beforehand. I guess it’s like when a play stinks during dress rehearsal, but somehow magically comes together when it’s time for the actual performance. Katie’s went from cute to creative, having moved the stripes around to look more like giant stitches. The models were fun to watch, since they all did very theatrical poses.

Katie was in the safe-but-not-a-winner group, but Brandon said he’d loved her look, and Taraji said fashion was about taking risks. So much for packing her stuff. Those asked to stay on the runway were Chastity, Anna, Octavio, Zayden, Kenneth, and Bones, who all sweated it out until they were told whether they were in the top or bottom. Brandon wanted them all to know that making a gown in two days was impressive, win or lose. One of their favorites was Anna’s sheer black gown with a humongous veil, made out of her own fabric. Elaine said it was avant-garde in all the right ways, and Nina said, it delivered on the sense of drama. Octavio was about to have a heart attack when he was finally told he was also in the top. He’d taken a chance on making a gown patterned after the bubble dress, which was tough to execute in a gown, but Elaine said the proportions were perfect, and it had an architectural look. Taraji noticed a pocket in the gown, and said she loved a pocket. Me too! I think there should be a law that all garments must have at least one pocket. To mix it up, next was Zayden, who was on the bottom. For the exact reasons that Christian warned him about with the fabric, and tried to discourage him using it. Brandon said it was hard for the model to walk, which made him zero in on the parts that weren’t well constructed. Nina echoed Christian’s sentiments about the fabric having no stretch. Also on the bottom was Kenneth, whose piece had looked better when the model was moving. Nina hit the nail on the head by saying it looked unfinished. One of the lowest scores was Bones, and both the designers and I went, what? He said he’d been going for host of the party, but Nina said it had been disappointing, more showgirl than chic. Taraji thought there was a lot going on, and he just missed it. Brandon agreed, saying Bones had too many ideas going on. The last high scorer was Chastity, who’d also designed a sheer dress, using her own fabric to make fanlike adornments. It was black and white, and quite beautiful.

The judges deliberated, and Taraji raved about Chastity’s dress. Nina said Chastity had been thisclose to elimination, and she thought Chastity had found her voice. Brandon said it was one of those pieces that was the best, but on the border of being bad. When something like that went well, it took you to a magical place. Nina reminded Elaine and Brandon of the mess that was Kenneth’s patchwork vest last week, and said she thought he needed more time before being in a competition like this. The six designers were called back in, and Nina said the high scoring designs had shown creativity, sophistication, and above all, drama. Chastity was the winner, and Taraji gave her the judge’s card where she had only written, OMG. Wow. Is that something for her scrapbook or what? Taraji said there was talented and gifted, and Chastity had a gift from God. In Chastity’s interview, she said her father had been speaking through Taraji. Immunity comes along with the win, and I wondered if anyone who’d ever had it just blew off the next challenge, and hung out at a bar until the eleventh hour. On the losing end, Zayden was told he was safe, and Brandon said he had a good future, but needed to think about execution and comfort. He left the runway, and Kenneth and Bones held hands, awaiting their fates. Elaine said Kenneth’s dress was confusing, and Nina said it looked unfinished. Brandon said Bones’s dress was more like a costume than a chic gown, but it was Kenneth who packed his pincushion and went. The judges said he’d been a blessing with his sunny attitude, and he said it was an amazing experience for which he was grateful. In his exit interview, he said he knew he could do more, and the experience had made him stronger. Christian told him that he’d been a joy in the workroom, and I wondered if he was the first contestant who’d gone home as well as being the cause of someone else going home. It was absolutely Meg’s fault, but come on, how can I resist?

Next time, the challenge is to create a high-end fashion look by embracing floral prints, and Gigi Hadid is the guest judge.

👻 Ghosting Away…

♫ Only two days to Halloween, Halloween, Halloween… ♫ I hear the two most popular costumes in Port Charles are Squid Games and Cyrus Renault. The latter comes with a suit, a ponytail, and a plastic bag of an unknown substance. Join me tomorrow for soap, tea, and words from the wise. Until then, stay safe, stay unflappable, and stay trusting your instincts. Don’t ignore the feeling if something seems off.