What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

In the gym steam room, Chase says, Finn was right. He should have taken it easy, but it’s just so frustrating being on suspension. Finn is a million miles away, and Chase tells him, this is where you say, you shouldn’t have punched Valentin, Chase. Finn flashes back to Elizabeth kissing him and running out of his office, and Chase says he knows Finn has an I told you so locked and loaded. Finn asks if Chase is implying he rubs it in when Chase blows it, but Chase says, he’s implying Finn is a know-it-all. He never misses an opportunity to trash talk Chase. Something’s on his mind.

Portia sees a sign that says yoga class is canceled. Terry and Elizabeth join her. Portia says, it’s been a week since she could take a class, and now it’s canceled. Terry says she was looking forward to it too. Portia opens the door, and says, it looks like they have the room. She says, Terry is as good as Stacy, and suggests Terry teach the class. Terry asks if Portia really thinks she’s that good, and Portia tells Elizabeth to back her up, but Elizabeth is busy flashing back on kissing Finn. Terry asks if Elizabeth is up for a do-it-yourself yoga class, but Elizabeth says she doesn’t know. Portia says, Elizabeth must have gone straight to the meditation phase, and asks what Elizabeth’s mantra is.

Walking through Rice Plaza, Willow tells Michael that she still can’t believe Brad was paroled. She doesn’t understand. After hearing Michael’s statement, how are they not convinced Brad should remain in prison? He says, Celina must have more pull than he realized. She obviously got to the parole board. It was a done deal before it even began. Willow is glad he suggested Kelly’s. If they’d stayed home, Wiley must have picked up on their anger. Lord knows, they’ve had to sit on it a lot these past few weeks. They’re just going to have to figure out a way to make peace with Brad being back in Port Charles. How long before he’s released? He says, they told him within a few days. Whenever it is, Brad better never come anywhere near Wiley.

Celina and Brad walk into the MetroCourt, but Brad says he’s not really feeling this. Walking into Carly’s restaurant just after being released is not good luck. Celina tells him to hold his head high. She and Sonny have an agreement. Brad says, about him? and she says he has nothing to fear from Sonny or his family, as long as he doesn’t attempt to see Wiley. He says he knows he has no place in Wiley’s life, and doesn’t want to cause anymore grief. He’s just grateful to have a fresh start. And he’s grateful for her help in making this happen. Although he doesn’t know whether to call her Miss Wu or auntie. They’ve never spoken before yesterday, and she collected him from prison, and here they are having breakfast. She tells him, call her Aunt Celina; that’s what she is. Brad is her brother’s son. Since he was adopted, she wanted to respect his adoptive parents, but she’s always kept tabs on him. He asks why she’s reached out now, and she says, it became clear he needed help when he went to prison, so when he was released, she reached out to help him get back on his feet. She arranged for him to have a place to stay, and a job. She sees great potential in him; potential she wants to encourage – if he listens to her. Britt walks in, and Brad yells her name. They run to each other, and hug.

Kristina walks into Alexis’s house, and asks if that’s Molly in the daylight. She must be hallucinating. Molly says she’s been working a lot, but this is her first trial, and she has to be ready. Alexis says she’s so proud of Molly. She remembers her first trial and how excited she was. She worked for weeks, and she’ll have that enthusiasm again for something else when she finds that fit. Sam says she feels that rush when a case starts to come together. Maybe Alexis will come to love it as much as she does. Kristina says, Alexis is going to be a P.I.? She and Sam are going to be working together? Alexis says she’s thinking about it. It could be interesting. Kristina says, it’s a disaster waiting to happen.

Michael asks why Willow chose an outdoor holiday fair, when they could be inside a cozy, warm restaurant. Willow says she likes supporting the local artisans, and once she’s shopping, she won’t feel the cold. But if he’s cold, he can take off. He says he’s in no hurry, as long as he can keep his arms around her. She says, then she’ll feel guilty for enticing him to blow off work, and he says, entice away. She tells him, go; she’ll be fine. Olivia should be here any minute. He tells her to have fun shopping, and leaves. Olivia arrives, and says she’s sorry for being late, but look who she found. Brook says she just loves a holiday fair. Mind if she tags along? Olivia says, the more, the merrier, right? and Willow fake smiles.

Brad says, it’s so good to see Britt, and she asks when he got out. He says, yesterday, and asks why she wasn’t at the hearing. She says she meant to come, but there was a sensitive situation at the hospital. Very sad, actually, but she guesses her letter of support made a good impression on the parole board? He says, it made a good impression on him too, and he’s going to try to live up to those words. Celina says their table is ready, and Brad introduces his Aunt Celina to his best friend. Celina says she’s very well-aware of who Dr. Westbourne is, and Britt flashes back to Celina telling her to stay out of Brad’s life. Britt says she had an interesting conversation with Brad’s aunt the other day, and Celina says, yes, and repeats their table is ready, and she doesn’t want to keep Britt. She’s sure Britt must be very busy. Britt says she has nowhere pressing to be, especially when her best friend just got out of prison. He hugs her again, saying, he’s missed her so much. Britt looks at Celina over Brad’s shoulder.

Chase asks if Finn is with him, and Finn says he’s listening. Valentin. Who doesn’t want to punch that guy in the face? He’s wanted to punch Valentin a few times himself. Chase says he hates knowing he has six months of suspension ahead. He was just about to get out from behind the desk. Finn says, but isn’t it a really good time? Chase can spend all this time with his baby girl. Think about it. There was tension with Willow; Chase didn’t know whether he wanted kids or not. Now he and Brook have a beautiful daughter together. That’s got to be a lot to process. Chase tells Finn, stop looking for something that isn’t there. Bailey is an amazing, beautiful, precious baby, and when he holds her, he wants nothing more than to protect her with his life. Finn says, that sounds good, but it seems like when Chase talks about his feelings for his daughter, he’s holding a lot inside. If he’s having doubts about being a father, it happens to all of them. Chase can talk to him.

Alexis says, they were just looking over a missing person’s case; Todd Worth’s daughter. Sam says, actually it’s more of an estrangement than a missing person, and Molly wonders where she knows that name. Alexis says, he’s CFO of Deany (not positive on the name, but until I am) Shipping Partners. Was Sam aware? Sam says, yeah, so? and Alexis says, his company was responsible for the big oil spill in the Arctic. Molly says, Deany Shipping Partners have a horrible environmental record, and Alexis says she is kind of surprised Sam took him on as a client. Sam says, she’s working for Worth, not Deany Shipping Partners, and Alexis wonders, what if he’s looking for the whistleblower, and claiming she’s his daughter so Sam will find her? Sam asks if Alexis thinks she hasn’t vetted her client to make sure the daughter is real. She knows how to do her job. Kristina says, three minutes. Longer than she thought.

Terry says, now mountain pose, feet hip width apart; spread those toes, balance your body weight. Roll the shoulders back, and settle the moment. Portia says, something is obviously on Elizabeth’s mind. Is she sure she’s up for this? Elizabeth says she needs this; yesterday was an intense day. Terry says she can imagine, especially with Peter being brought in while she was working. Palms together, interlace the fingers. Reaching down, stretch up, and release the arms slowly to the side. Elizabeth flashes back to holding the scalpel, and says, she reacted badly. Portia says she’s so sorry. She wishes she could have been there to support Elizabeth. Terry says, her too, but Elizabeth says, Finn was very supportive and understanding. She felt like she could lean on him. Terry says, it sounds like they’re getting closer. She knew something was going on between them. Portia says, well? and Elizabeth says she kissed him.

Britt highly recommends the French toast, or the eggs benedict, with… Brad tells her, whatever she’s going to say, yes. Everything looks amazing. He’s here for all of these things. Britt tells him, watch out. He doesn’t want to ruin that beach bod he’s been working at. Has he found a place to live? Celina says, her nephew will be staying with her, and Brad says, for the time being. Britt says, how generous, and Brad says he can’t wait for Britt to catch him up on all the GH latest. Speaking of which, is Lucas seeing anyone? Celina says, it’s important for him to look forward, not backward. Who his ex-husband is seeing shouldn’t matter to him now. Britt agrees. She understands how hard it is to let go, but that’s what he should do now. Finally and completely; that means no holding out for hope. He says he knows he and Lucas are over. What he did was unforgivable. Lying to him, lying to everyone about Wiley being their son. Britt says, let it go; guilt, shame. She knows he can get through this. In time, people will forget all about what happened. Michael comes in, and stomps over to the table, asking, what the hell is Brad doing here?

Willow tells Olivia, she loves this time of year, especially now with Wiley. Olivia says she’s always loved Christmas, especially with the little ones around. She already got all the Christmas shopping done, but there’s always room for stocking stuffers. Willow says, or that special something that catches your eye. Brook asks if Willow has bought a gift for Monica yet. She’s always the hardest to shop for, but maybe if they put their heads together… Willow says she and Michael already have something for Monica, and Brook guesses she’s on her own. What about Leo? He won’t stop talking to her about octopuses, or octopi. She wants to get him a cool T-shirt or something. Willow says he talked to her about it too. Brook could try an online shop. Olivia asks what’s going on between the two of them, and Brook says, Willow hates her because of Chase. Olivia says she means Willow is upset because Brook lied about Valentin being Bailey’s father, when she was Chase’s daughter? Brook says, yes, that, and Willow says she’s still processing and Michael’s jerkface ways are rubbing off on her. She’s still coming to terms with what Brook put Valentin and Chase through; the whole family actually. Brook tells her, she said she’d get over it, and Willow says, yesterday. It’s going to take more than a day for her to work it out. She walks away, and Olivia says, Brook just had to push it. That’s why Brook is here. She knew Olivia was coming there to meet Willow. That’s why Brook practically knocked her down, waving her arms around in the parking lot. Brook says she just wants everyone to get along for Christmas, and Olivia says she wants that too; for all the holidays actually. But it seems like maybe it’s the impossible dream when you’re a Quartermaine. Brook says, Olivia’s forgiven her, and Olivia says she’s being cool in the spirit of the season. She hasn’t forgotten what Brook’s done, and Brook can’t expect everybody, Willow included, to just shrug their shoulders and say, oh well. Willow comes back, and says, they’re here to shop. She’s going to start over there. Brook suggests they get everything out in the open, but Willow tells her that she’s said everything she needs to say. Brook says there’s no room for Willow to judge her. Willow cheated on Chase while they were still married.

Alexis wants Sam to know that she thinks Sam is a competent, responsible P.I. What she does is so necessary and important. Sam says, Alexis doesn’t have to placate her. She knows she’s good at her job, and she likes what she’s doing. Alexis says, Sam’s not good; she’s terrific. She’s oversensitive, and doesn’t want Sam to wind up like her, making the wrong choice thinking she’s doing the right thing. Molly asks what she’s saying, and Alexis tells her that she just doesn’t trust her own judgement. She lost her license over Neil; what was she thinking? She gets self-destructive when things get normal; normal isn’t normal to her. Molly asks if Alexis thinks she’s the same person she was when that happened, and Alexis says she’s been through a lot, so probably no. Molly says, so chances are she wouldn’t make the same mistakes. A small child learns not to touch a hot stove after burning themselves once or twice. She’d think Alexis’s life lessons would impart wisdom. Alexis says, one would think. No matter what, she’ll never be as wise as her soon to be victorious in court daughter. Molly hugs her, and Sam says Molly is such a show-off. Molly says, who? Me?

Brad tells Michael that he got out this morning; his release was expedited. Michael asks what Celina did to leverage the parole board, but she says, she did nothing. He says, we’ll see, and turns to Brad, saying, Brad had the audacity to enter his mother’s restaurant. Celina says, Carly is co-owner of this establishment, and the two of them are friends. Brad asks if he can speak to Michael for a moment privately, and Michael says, most definitely. They leave, and Britt asks, what’s really going on here? Why is Celina using Brad to try and stick it to Carly and Sonny? Clearly, she doesn’t know who she’s messing with. Celina says she thought she made her wishes clear. Britt has no place in her nephew’s fresh start. Yet here she is, crashing their breakfast. Seems like they have a problem.

Finn says, Chase didn’t get nine months to wrap his head around being a father, but Chase says, it’s not that. He’s good with being Bailey’s father. He knows she needs him, and he wants nothing more than to be there for her. In fact, he’s honored. Finn says, that’s one way of looking at it; detached but honored is good. Chase asks if there’s anything he can say to get Finn off of this, and Finn says, okay, Mr. Sensitive, no more questions. Well, just one. When do they get to meet her? Dad and Jackie will be on a plane so fast, it will make his head spin. Chase says, that’s exactly why he’s not telling them. They’re still settling in, and the Quartermaines are a lot to handle. He promises he’ll tell his mom and dad. Finn says, what about Violet? She was talking again last night about a new baby sister; it’s her favorite subject. Chase says, really? The last time he talked to Violet, she was going on about Finn and Elizabeth, something about wishing on a wishbone at Thanksgiving. Finn asks if they weren’t talking about Bailey, but Chase says, now they’re talking about Violet, and Finn and Elizabeth. How’s that? Finn says, he doesn’t even know what to say. There was one thing. She kissed him.

Terry tells Elizabeth, that’s what she’s talking about. Go after what you want. Portia says, if that is what Elizabeth really wants, and Elizabeth says, she didn’t plan on kissing Finn; it just happened. She thinks he was as surprised as she was. Then she ran out of his office. Portia says she’s been known to make a hasty exit too, but if Elizabeth would have stayed… and Terry says, he would have kissed her back. Elizabeth says, all she could think about was getting out of there, and Portia says, she hears her, but maybe this is about more than just a kiss. Elizabeth is still wearing her wedding ring. Elizabeth says she hasn’t been able to take it off. She still loves Franco, and always will. Terry says, of course (🍷) she does. It’s perfectly understandable, and healthy. Elizabeth says, but should she be getting involved with Finn if she still feels this way?

Willow says, Brook is right. She wronged Chase. She was living a lie. Brook says, then she realizes she’s in no position to throw stones, and Willow says, her reasons for marrying and staying married to Chase were a lot more complicated, and Brook knows it. Brook says, how does Willow know hers weren’t? and Olivia says, they’re in the middle of Rice Plaza right now. Let’s just say, nobody has any room to throw stones at anybody right now. She personally feels Brook’s lie had a bigger impact on the family as whole. She may need to work a little harder to regain the family’s trust. Brook says she wishes for once she’d be the one to get the benefit of the doubt, especially since she was just doing what she thought was right for the family, and to protect Bailey. Willow asks how passing off Bailey as Valentin’s daughter could ever be the right thing to do. How is that protecting her? Brook says, Willow will never be in her shoes, so she doesn’t know what she would have done. Willow says she knows she went to jail rather than tell Shiloh where to find her son. Brook used her daughter as a bargaining chip. Brook says, never mind. They’re all right. Willow is a better person than she is. She’s just the family screw-up. Olivia says, everyone take it easy, and Willow says, she  didn’t pick this fight. Olivia suggests they take a breath and cool down. Brook walks away, and Olivia asks if Willow is still in the mood to Christmas shop. Willow says, she needs a minute, and sits by the Christmas tree. Harmony comes into the plaza, and says, hi. 

Elizabeth says, what they’re saying is true. After Franco’s funeral, she felt like she was walking in a nightmare; life didn’t feel real. Then she had to snap back for her boys, and it was off to the races. Not that she didn’t welcome it. Anything to keep her busy, and keep her from feeling the emptiness when she closed her bedroom door. She eve slept on the couch for a while, until she realized it was making Jake and Aiden sad. Terry says, she’s such a good mother, but she’s a woman with needs too. Loving and letting herself be loved is one of them. Elizabeth asks, but is it fair to get involved with Finn? and Terry says, fair to who? Elizabeth says, Finn? Franco? Herself? She doesn’t know what to feel and think right now; she’s so confused. Portia says, that’s understandable, but as long as she’s figuring it out, it’s okay to take it slow. Terry says, there’s slow, and there’s glacial, and Elizabeth says, that’s what she means. Is it fair to string Finn along while she figures it out? Portia says, Finn is a grown man, and can make his own decisions. It sounds to her like he’s decided Elizabeth is worth the wait. Elizabeth says, no matter how long? and Terry says, she’s seen the two of them together. They both light up; there’s obviously a connection. She thinks, if they’re honest with each other, and talk about their feelings and concerns, it will work out the way it’s supposed to. Elizabeth say, what if they can’t talk about their feelings and concerns? and Portia asks why she thinks that. Elizabeth says, after she kissed him, neither of them knew what to say.

Chase says he’s glad Finn and Elizabeth are moving forward; Violet must be thrilled. Finn says, Violet might be jumping ahead a few steps, and Chase says, Finn just told him that Elizabeth kissed him. Clearly, things are moving in the right direction. Finn says he doesn’t know, and Chase asks, what’s the problem? Talk to him. Finn says he has no idea what the kiss meant to Elizabeth, and Chase says, why? Does she go around kissing people all the time? Finn says, he would hope not. Of course (🍷) not. She was going through something emotional at the time, something heavy. Then afterwards, she ran away. Chase says, well, that’s not the best response, and Finn says, no it isn’t. Now he’s wondering if she just got caught up in the moment and now regrets it. Chase says, absolutely not. He’s not letting Finn do this again.

Harmony says, she’s sorry. She didn’t mean to bother Willow, but Willow says, wait. She’s not mad at Harmony. She just had a thing. It’s good to see her. Harmony says, really? She’s glad to see Willow too. She hopes Willow doesn’t mind, but she couldn’t resist getting a gift for Wiley. Willow can tell him it’s from Santa, or whatever makes her comfortable. Willow says she’s not going to pretend Harmony doesn’t exist. She wants Wiley to know his family, especially since his other grandmother won’t be anywhere around him this year.   

Kristina comes out of the kitchen, and asks what she missed. Alexis says, just a crisis of confidence. She’s all better. She tells Sam, thanks for trying to help. Clearly (WOTD) this P.I. thing isn’t a good idea. Molly says, that means she’s not busy, right? She can look over Molly’s opening statements. Alexis says, Molly doesn’t want her two cents, but Molly says she would love Alexis’s two cents; her five cents, ten cents, twenty-five cents. Sam says, stop before she makes it to a dollar, and Molly says, Alexis is the most amazing lawyer she’s ever known, and Alexis holds out her hand for the papers.

Celina says she thought Britt was an intelligent person. Was she mistaken? Britt says, not at all. She’s intelligent, and brave, loyal, and amazingly resourceful. That’s why she has no intention of abandoning her best friend. Celina says, Bradley is with his family now, who will provide for him, and Britt says, a family he’s known for 48 hours? Let’s be real. Brad barely knows Celina. Celina says, it’s time that changed.

Brad tells Michael that he doesn’t want any trouble with him or his family, and Michael says, then why have breakfast at his mother’s restaurant? Brad says, it was his Aunt Celina’s idea, not his, and Michael says, Brad’s Aunt Celina has taken quite an interest in Brad. What does she want in return? Brad says he’s not sure; he’s just glad to be out. They both know Michael’s father could have blocked his parole if he wanted to, but he didn’t. For whatever reason, Sonny’s given him a second chance. Michael says, it was a transactional arrangement between Celina and his father. Bottom line, his dad made a deal, but he didn’t. Brad gets no second chances with him

Willow asks how Harmony is doing, and Harmony says, keeping busy. She’s enjoying her work at Spring Ridge actually. Willow says, is that it? Just work?  Harmony says, what else is there? and Willow says, she gets to have a social life too. Does she have any friends? Harmony says she tends to keep to herself. Her friend group is a little limited to begin with, and after she got out of prison, and Dawn of Day dissolved, she opted to stay away from that crowd. Willow says, good decision. Still, it must have been lonely. Harmony says, don’t worry about her. She needed to focus on herself without distractions. She respected Willow’s need for space, and isn’t trying to make her feel bad. She supports the decisions Willow made for herself and Wiley. She’s sorry she overstepped and showed up at Wiley’s birthday. Willow says, they’re past that now, and Harmony says she’s glad Willow is doing so well; with Michael, and making a loving home for Wiley. It’s important that we live our truth, isn’t it? That’s what she wants to do. She wants more to life and she feels more sure of herself, so hopefully, when Willow is comfortable, Harmony would like to have a relationship with her grandson and her daughter. Does Willow think that might be possible?

Brad says he swears to Michael, if he even sees Wiley, he’ll turn around and go the other way. Michael gets in Brad’s face with his finger, and says, never speak his son’s name again, or he will end Brad. Ugh. I’m so tired of this new tough guy persona. Go back to being boring.

Michael comes back, and Britt asks, where’s Brad? He says, processing; he gave Brad a lot to think about. Britt excuses herself, and leaves. Michael tells Celina, bringing Brad to his mother’s restaurant is a sign of disrespect. She’d be wise to remember that. Celina gets up, and asks if he’s threatening her.

Portia tells Elizabeth, she remembers obsessing over a spontaneous kiss she gave Curtis. She was mortified and she bolted too. Terry says, just talk to Finn, and Elizabeth tells her, and say what? She didn’t know what to say then, and obviously doesn’t have the words now. It’s going to be so awkward the next time she sees him. Terry says she’s overthinking things. They probably both feel the same way. Portia says, Terry’s right. Curtis wanted to talk about it just as much as she did. Elizabeth asks what they said, and Portia tells her, they said what they were feeling. It’s all the what ifs and worst case scenarios rolling around in her mind that will drive her crazy. She doesn’t need yoga to be still and listen to her heart. She just has to trust what’s there. It won’t steer her wrong.

Alexis tells Molly, great job with the evidence, but don’t get too detailed; it’s just the opening. She thinks admitting the neighbor is an unreliable witness is kind of gutsy. Molly says she knows the defense is going to go after her, and she… Alexis says, no, it’s a good strategy, but maybe if Molly…  just ignored her. Molly has her own style, and she’s got this. She’s going to be great. Molly thanks her, and says, it’s good to have her back. Sam and Kristina come back in, and Sam says she seconds that. Kristina thirds it, and Sam says, if private investigation isn’t Alexis’s thing, they’ll come up with something she enjoys. Kristina says, unless Alexis wants to chill. She just got out; no rush. Sam pokes her, but she adds, maybe Alexis should just take her time. Alexis says she has an errand to run, and Sam says she thought Alexis was free this morning. Alexis says she forgot she had something to do, and could use a little fresh air. She thanks them for their help, for the food, for their love. Sam says they do love her, and support her, and they’re here for her, whatever she needs. Alexis says she loves all of them, and jets. Sam tells her sisters, they need to get a few things straight.

Chase says he gets why Finn is gun-shy after how things ended with Anna, but he’s not going to let Finn talk himself out of something potentially great with Elizabeth, for both him and Violet. Finn says, that’s exactly why he needs to be more careful this time. Violet is becoming very attached to Elizabeth. Chase says, as is Finn. That’s why the kiss rattled him so much. Finn says, it’s so confusing. Elizabeth is a really good friend, and they work well together. He doesn’t want to ruin that. Chase asks if that’s why Finn let her run out without following her, and Finn says, at first, he was in shock, and secondly, he didn’t want to push. Chase says, there’s pushing her away, and there’s letting her know he’s still interested. He deserves to be happy. Doesn’t Elizabeth make him happy? Brook walks in, and says, there Chase is. Why hasn’t he answered her texts? Chase says, because he doesn’t keep his phone on him in the steam room, and Finn says, the men’s steam room; the place she shouldn’t really be in. She says she’s seen it all before, and Finn says, that might be true with Chase, but… Never mind, he’s leaving. At the door, Finn tells Brook, Chase is a good man. Bailey is lucky to have him as a father. She never should have kept Bailey from him. Brook says, message received, over and over. His towel’s slipping. Finn leaves, and Brook tells Chase, that is exactly the problem. He asks what she’s talking about, and she says Chase needs to defend her.

Brad tells Britt, it’s true his aunt has taken a sudden interest in him. It’s kind of scary. She says his aunt is definitely used to getting her own way. When they had their little chat, Celina threatened her, telling Britt that she had to stay away from Brad. Brad asks if she’s going to listen, and she says, hmm… like she’s thinking about it, then says, of course (🍷) not.

Celina says, Michael forgets himself. There’s an agreement in place with his father. No retaliation against her nephew. Michael’s body language is aggressive, and he says, the agreement will last as long as Brad stays away from his family. Seriously, Michael is behaving like real jerk, and now has a pattern of crying before he’s hurt. Is he on drugs or something?

Olivia joins Willow and Harmony, and asks if everything is okay. Willow says she and her mom were just getting caught up. She’ll find Olivia in a minute. Olivia moves on, and Harmony says, it’s nice to hear Willow call her mom again. She reaches for her shopping bag, and says, here’s Wiley’s present, but Willow says, keep it. Maybe Harmony can give it to him herself. Harmony says, any time; she has zero plans. Willow says Harmony is going to be alone on the holiday? and Harmony says she’s fine. She’ll just be counting down the days until she sees her grandson. Willow says she’ll speak to Michael and see when they can set up a visit. Harmony thanks her, and says, Willow has given her the best present of all. Willow says, goodbye, and leaves.

Finn dashes into the hospital, and sees Elizabeth by the elevator. She says she thought he wasn’t on until this afternoon, and he says he’s not. He wanted to see her.

Sam tells her sisters, she didn’t expect mom to sign on as a partner forever. She just wanted to give her something to do. She’s floundering without a purpose. Kristina says she wishes Sam had given them a clue. She wouldn’t have opened her big mouth. Molly asks if Sam is really worried about mom, and Sam says, this is a really hard time for her, and she’s vulnerable. If they don’t help her find her way, who will?

Harmony sees Alexis, and calls to her. Alexis says she almost didn’t recognize Harmony without the florescent lighting. It’s nice to see her out in the wild. Harmony says she breaks free now and again. How is Alexis coping now that she’s back? Alexis says she’s not quite sure what to do with herself, and Harmony says she gets that. She usually dives into work, but she’s resolving to find more balance. If Alexis needs a friend, she’s available.

Brook says, do something, and Chase says, what? She says, everywhere she turns, she’s getting grief. Even Willow’s mad at her, and she gets along with everyone. He says he doesn’t know what she wants him to do; he’s supposed to be the injured party. She says, this was his idea, and he says, not all of it. She says, she’s tired of being painted as the bad guy when all she’s doing is protecting Bailey. She fans herself, and says, it’s sweltering in here. She thought he was just coming to the gym to work out. He says he was. His shoulder hurt, so he thought he’d take some steam. He asks how she found him, and she says, the attendant told her. He says, not to be a prude, but can they discuss this after he showers and changes? She says, gladly, and tries to open the door, but it doesn’t budge. She says, the door won’t open. She thinks they’re stuck in here.

Tomorrow, Olivia tells Carly, sometimes dreams do come true; TJ tells Curtis that it wasn’t his place; and Brando tells Nina, maybe Sasha is right not to give up hope.

The Real Housewives of Orange County

Shannon went to get some work done on her face, and in her interview, she said, last year she’d pumped six vials of filler into her face, and still couldn’t recognize herself. Noella came along for support, but had a hard time watching needles go into Shannon’s face. Noella talked about her son, and said, his autism was a curveball they hadn’t anticipated. In her interview, she said, it wasn’t a membership she thought she’d be part of, but she was proud of their son. She told Shannon that she and her husband had a house in Puerto Rico; it was beautiful, but a nuisance on the finances. Her husband hadn’t told her that there was not one, but two, tax debt liens on it. On top of it, at first, he’d told her $2.6 million was owed, but it turned out to be $4 million. It was difficult not having trust in the marriage. Shannon said, trust was essential in any relationship. In Shannon’s interview, she said, after David’s infidelity, they’d had a day of truth where she’d asked questions she didn’t like the answers to. She thanked Noella for her support at Heather’s party. She asked if Noella had spoken to Nicole, and Noella said, what Shannon had done was something a lunch couldn’t fix.

Jen’s husband Ryne had been visiting her mom in Jackson Hole. She’d always wanted a close relationship with her mom, and never got it, but her husband did. Gina told Travis all about Heather’s party, and I wondered if he was tired of hearing about these women. In Gina’s interview, she said she didn’t like being the girlfriend since she was a grown woman with three children, but Travis wasn’t there yet. She told Shannon told Heather not to trust them, because she was trying control situation that was already f***ed up. She said Shannon had been there for her in the past, and we flashed back to Shannon helping Gina when she got the DUI. In her interview, Gina said, Shannon was taking shots at her personal integrity. Shannon was consumed with not looking like a bad person, and didn’t give a sh*t who got destroyed.

Heather visited Terry at his office, and told him Nicole called her, feeling bad that she’d ruined the party. We saw a clip of Nicole and Heather talking, and Heather said, Nicole had nothing to do with it. She was as much a victim as they were. Heather didn’t know what Shannon’s goal was, but this wasn’t cool. She said Shannon had texted her, and read the text to Terry, along with her reply. Every time he thought she was finished, and was about to say something, she continued. Shannon texted that she felt badly about the way things ended. She wanted to continue their conversation if Heather was open to it. Heather texted back, among other things, that she didn’t have time to listen to more of Shannon’s rhetoric. Shannon had passed information on that could be twisted, and could hurt Heather’s family. She’d also spread private information about Nicole that could have hurt her as well. It had all happened years ago, and was none of Shannon’s business. Shannon replied that her apology was genuine, but Heather pointed out that there had been no apology in the text. Unless Shannon took accountability, they couldn’t move forward. In Heather’s interview, she said, Shannon hadn’t liked her from the get-go, and we flashed back to that. Shannon was never wrong, it was never her fault, and she was never the problem. Heather begged to differ.

Noella and Gina had a cryotherapy session, which supposedly releases endorphins. They got into booths wearing earmuffs, mittens, socks, and little else. Noella said the cold went up her who-ha, and in her interview, she said being cold was among the top three things she hated, but she’d committed to go with her friend. When they got out, Noella demanded alcohol, and told Gina about the tax debt. She said she thought her husband should just pay it, but he was fighting her on that. Afterward, Gina called Shannon and said she was upset about what happened at Heather’s party. She thought they should sit down and figure it out.

Shane had finally passed the bar, and Emily asked if he was excited. He said, super excited, with the usual lack of enthusiasm. In Emily’s interview, she said, when Shane graduated college, he didn’t even tell his mom, and she was still pissed to this day. Annabelle was being baptized into the Mormon religion, and Emily said she needed to allow the children to follow in their father’s footsteps. She told the kids how their father hadn’t had an issue with her not being Mormon, but with the pandemic, their dad getting sick, and things being dark, she could understand how people had faith. In her interview, she said in the past, she wasn’t open to them being baptized as Mormons, but as she got older she understood how people looked to faith and religion for guidance. She wanted to have a more open view.

Noella, Nicole, and Shannon met for lunch, and Noella asked Shannon if everything was good. True to dismal form, Shannon said, not really, but it’s not important. She was sorry about what happened at Heather’s party, but wanted to explain her frame of mind. She thought it didn’t make sense that the Dubrows would be friends with someone who’d sued Terry. Nicole said, it was never the time or place to discuss someone’s medical history, never mind that the lawsuit never happened. Noella said it wasn’t a lawsuit; it was a non-suit. Nicole said, Heather and Terry hadn’t been mad about it, and she’d felt attacked by Emily. Shannon said she’d stupidly told Emily and Gina about it, but had made them promise if Nicole was the same Nicole, they wouldn’t talk about it. She took full blame, and shouldn’t have said anything. Nicole felt that Shannon was sincere and forgave her, but I’m sure she’ll be sorry for that later in the season. Noella asked if Shannon had talked to Heather, and Shannon said she’d reached out, but Heather had no interest. In her interview, Shannon took back her earlier ownership by saying, she was owning her part, but was anybody else? Maybe Nicole should have communicated that she’d sued them, and Gina was the sole destroyer of the dinner party. The bottom line, and the thing Shannon never seems to get, is that none of it is any of her business. Noella wondered how Shannon could move forward with Heather, but Shannon didn’t know.

Ryne brought Jen’s mom back with him for a visit with Jen and the grandkids. In Jen’s interview, she said her mother had been born and raised in England. She’d been strict, but now as a grandma, she was more relaxed. They talked about Jen’s father, and Jen wondered if he was proud of her. Her mother said he’d been on Jen’s team 100%. In her interview, Jen said her father had died just before she was taking the test for medical school, and it had been traumatic. He’d been riding his bike, and a motorcyclist, going the wrong way down a one-way street, hit him. He’d been the glue that kept the family together. His death brought them together briefly, but without him there to keep it that way, they fell apart. Her mother had been depressed, and Jen felt alone. It forced her to become independent very quickly.

Noella called Shannon, and said she’d been served with divorce papers from Puerto Rico. Everything was in Spanish, so she’d had to get someone to translate. His stuff was still all there, including his cars. His life was there, but he’d shut off the credit cards. In Noella’s interview, she said she was lost. She didn’t know what to do or think. It was a bad dream. She told Shannon that she’d talked to an attorney. She never thought this would be the end of her marriage, and she’d be a single mom. Their son had just been diagnosed, and her mom had recently been hospitalized. Shannon asked if there was no way to reach out.

Gina met Shannon for drinks and appetizers, and Gina said Noella had called her. She was glad she was past her own issues, and in a place where she could help someone else. In Gina’s interview, she said she could completely sympathize, since she’d been through it. It had consumed everything, and she felt like she was trapped in an effed up bubble where it was all bad. They called Noella, and asked if she wanted to join them for a well-needed cocktail, and Noella said she’d love it. Gina told Shannon that she wasn’t happy with what had happened at Heather’s party, but she didn’t want to be fighting. Shannon said it still didn’t make sense that Heather and Nicole wanted to be friends, again not grasping that, one, it’s none of her business, and two, it wasn’t really an issue to begin with. Shannon said she’d wanted to believe they had each other’s backs, and Gina said the day she’d found out her husband was having an affair, he’d brought her to the woman’s home. Everyone knew but her. Shannon wanted to focus on being right, and she didn’t care if Shannon was right. Shannon said she’d gone out of her way to be kind to Gina, and Gina said she didn’t need to go out of her way to be kind to people; she just did it. If it was that much of a burden to Shannon, she needed to reevaluate the friendship. Shannon had told Heather that she and Emily couldn’t be trusted, so why did Shannon tell them? And why was she talking sh*t about them behind their backs in the first place? Shannon said she made a mistake, and was an a-hole for doing it. No argument there, but I don’t think she quite understands what her mistake is. Gina said she could only work with what she had, but she genuinely cared about Shannon. In Gina’s interview, she said she and Shannon had recently gone to New York together, and she’d thought their friendship was on a deeper level. She felt Shannon was pulling her back to a place she didn’t want to go. Shannon said she’d been in a positive, happy place. The last thing she’d wanted was drama or anything negative. In her interview, Gina said she wanted to put this to bed and move on, but she was going to keep one eye open. She wished she had three eyes, so she could keep two open. Gina said it was out of control, and Shannon said, lesson learned. Although she was frazzled to the max, Noella showed up looking gorgeous. She said her husband shutting off the credit cards was a big no-no when she had their son. In her interview, she said she had no savings account, and no access to a line-of-credit. Her husband controlled the family finances. She wondered why this was happening, and had more questions than answers. Here’s where I stop, and say, ladies – or whoever has a partner who’s the main breadwinner – know what’s going on with your household finances, and always have your own money stashed away. I don’t care what the situation is. I have a friend whose father died, and it took her and her mother a year to figure out what was going on financially. Don’t let this happen to you. Noella told them, it wasn’t a safe place for her to be, and thanked them for being helpful. Shannon said both she and Gina had been blindsided, and Noella said, they’d been forced to sell the house in Puerto Rico, and that’s when she found out about the liens. She couldn’t understand why there was this emotional attachment to the house. They’d only owned it for seven months. Why was it a big deal? It was a weird time in her life.

Ooh. I wonder if he has another family in PR.  

Next time, Heather visits Jen, Noella’s life is falling apart, Emily has a party for Shane, Emily confronts Shannon, and Heather tells Shannon, if she ever comes after Heather’s family, Shannon will lose a lot more.  DUN-DUN-DUNN!

🗄 Closing Out the Drawer…

Tomorrow, soap of course, and seeing what fashion can be made out of barware. Until then, stay safe, stay believing you can, and stay living your truth. It’s important.