What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Curtis wakes Portia with kisses, and says, good morning, gorgeous. Happy New Year. She tells him, good morning, and happy New Year to him too. She supposes he has to go to the club and check on things after last night, but he says, nope. Nika’s got it covered. The club’s closed today. What about her? Does she have to go to the hospital? She says she’s off all day long, and he says, then there’s no reason for either one of them to leave this bed anytime soon. They get busy.

Brook feeds Bailey, and Leo says, Bailey is drinking a lot of milk. She’s going to burp a bunch. Brook laughs, and tells him that he’s correct. When he was this age, she used to help his mommy burp him. Leo makes a face and takes off, and Olivia says, not much of a filter on this guy. Brook says, that’s why he fits in so well with the Quartermaines. If only she’d taken what Austin said more seriously, maybe they wouldn’t have… Olivia says, no. She’s just as guilty, but that’s over now. They’re moving forward and moving on, and they can handle this. Together, they’re so much more strong as a family, and that includes Brook’s beautiful little baby girl.

Ava and Nikolas see Victor sitting in the MetroCourt lobby, and Ava suggests they take the opportunity to get to know dear old Uncle Victor. He has information that he can hold over Nikolas. They approach Victor, who says it’s good to see them both. Ava tells him, happy New Year. They were just headed upstairs for some breakfast. Would he like to join them? Victor thanks her, but says he’s already eaten. She asks if they can join him for a bit, and he says, it would be his pleasure. He apologizes for all the newspapers; he was catching up on the news. Call him old fashioned, but he still prefers the print edition instead of that digital garbage. Nikolas sees The Invader, which now looks like a legit newspaper, and asks, what the hell is this?

Valentin comes into the hospital, but Bobbie intercepts him, saying, no, she doesn’t think so. He says, hello to her too. She’s looking resplendent this New Year’s Day. She says, thank you, but she knows what he’s up to. He’s not getting in to see Peter August.

Drew walks into the Quartermaine mansion, and Monica tells him, happy New Year. It must have been a good night if he’s just getting in now.

Tracy tosses and turns on Laura’s couch, and Laura touches her, startling her awake. Laura apologizes, and says Tracy was having a nightmare. Tracy says, the worst kind; the kind when you wake up and realize it’s real. She can’t believe he’s gone. Luke’s gone. Laura takes Tracy’s hands.

Doc gives Tracy and Laura coffee, and Laura says she hopes Tracy was comfortable last night. She tried to wake Tracy, and move her to the guest room, but she wouldn’t budge. Tracy says, probably because she hasn’t slept in two days. She takes a sip of coffee, says, this is terrible, and hands it back to Doc. Laura says she was able to reach Lucky, and he’d heard about the cable car crash in Austria, but he didn’t know his father was on it. Laura starts to cry, and Tracy says, it was horrifying. She was glued to the television, watching the wreckage and flames, and she was hoping Luke wasn’t on it. But then the authorities brought her his personal effects, and told her that they’d identified his remains. She convinced herself that Luke was going to be all right. She was the reason he was in that accident in the first place. It’s her fault Luke is dead.

Monica says she heard Drew was going over to see Sam and Scout. Dare she hope there’s a reunion in the works? He says, he and Sam are co-parents, and that’s enough. She says she’s sorry. She’s been up half the night with a heart-to-heart with Ned and Olivia, and she saw him come in, and… She’s sorry. He asks if it’s more ELQ drama, but she says, no; family matter. She’ll let Olivia tell him about that. It’s not her place really. But speaking of ELQ, there are some issues Drew needs to settle. He says he came home to shower and change. He has some unsettled business of his own to deal with.

Brook asks how Leo is doing with the specialist, and Ned says, he’s doing well. They’re consulting experts on the best way to explain to Leo that he’s on the autism spectrum. They want to have that conversation with Leo first, before he hears the term autism from anybody else. They think he’s old enough to understand. Brook says Leo is lucky to have them, and Olivia says, they’re also starting the process of Ned adopting Leo. Brook hugs Ned, saying, she’s so happy for him. She’s no longer an only child. He says, Leo is his son in every way that matters. It’s about time they made it official, and tell the world that Leo is a member of this family. Olivia asks Bailey what she thinks about that. Leo Quartermaine has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it? How’s Bailey going to feel having that cute little boy as an uncle?

Bobbie tells Valentin, she has no love for Peter. If she could, she’d rough him up herself, but as a nurse and a staff member of this hospital, it’s her responsibility to keep him alive. Valentin says he has no intention of killing Peter. He just wants some information. She says, then talk to Victor. He just came to see Peter. He says, she’s telling him that Victor Cassadine, the man who claims to be his father, has been there to see Peter?

Ava says, The Invader looks so different. What does the article have to say? Nikolas says, it’s about a bullying retaliation accusation against a plant manager. Top management at the company said the best course of action is to pay off both parties to circumvent more bad P.R., and the payoff is conditional on them signing a non-disclosure agreement. This article is specifically designed to make Cassadine Industries, and more specifically to make him out to be the bad guy, like he had any part in this. Shawn walks in, and says, what’s the old saying? The buck stops here? He sees Nikolas has a copy of his new paper. How does he like it?

Portia says, before last night, she couldn’t help but wonder if it would feel the same, her and Curtis being together after almost twenty years. He says, it seems like just yesterday. Has it really been twenty years? She says, just about, and he asks how it felt. She says, it felt so much better in every way. They know who they are now. They know what they want, and it feels right this time. He says, because it is. When they got together the first time, mistakes were made. What if they could go back in time and do things differently? Just waited until they were free and ready. Maybe they wouldn’t have wasted so much time. She says she’s sorry, but she woudn’t take back what happened all those years ago even if she could. She wouldn’t change a thing.

Drew says, Peter August is awake, and Monica says, that’s unfortunate. He says he needs to see Peter before he gets transferred back to Pentenville, but Monica says, bad idea. He says he has questions about his conditioning; about how to get rid of it for good. She asks if he thinks Peter is going to help him, but he says, no, but Peter has the information he needs. He’s going to figure out a way to get it from him. He can’t go on with his life with this hanging over him. He knows she’s aching to talk him out of it, but she says she could never talk Jason out of anything, so she doubts she’ll have any better luck with him. Just please be careful. She lost one son to Peter. She doesn’t want to lose another. They hug.

Valentin asks Bobbie if Peter asked to see Victor, or Victor came there on his own, but she doesn’t know. He asks what they talked about, and she says, it was a private conversation. No one else was in the room, but she has to imagine, it wasn’t anything good. She was here when Victor and his brother Mikkos came to town years ago. They hurt a lot of people. He says, then it’s even more important that he talk to Peter. He needs to know what Victor wanted. She asks if she needs to call security. Don’t think she won’t. Alexis comes along, and asks if there’s a problem. Bobbie says, Valentin wants to see Peter August, and won’t take no for an answer. Her phone dings, and she says, it’s Laura; she says it’s important. Alexis tells her, then go; she’ll corral Valentin. Bobbie thanks her, tells Valentin, behave, and leaves. Alexis says, he heard her.

Doc says, it’s not Tracy’s fault Luke died in a freak accident, but she says, Luke had a tip on a can’t miss scam opportunity. This time it was in Austria. He did say he wouldn’t go without her blessing, and instead of simply saying she wished he wouldn’t go, she screamed at him, and said if he was even considering going back to that life, he didn’t care about her at all. Laura says, Tracy knows there’s nothing she could have said to stop Luke from doing what he wanted to do, and Tracy tells Laura that she said terrible things; things she can’t take back. She laughs, and says, leave it to Luke to get himself killed, so he gets to have the last word. Doc says he can rearrange his schedule if she wants to talk, or he can arrange for a referral, but she says she doesn’t need a shrink. She just needs Luke. He can’t give her that. Laura’s phone dings, and she says, it’s Bobbie; she’s on her way over. Tracy gets up, thanking them for the kind offer, but she needs her family. Laura says she’s not waiting for Bobbie? and Tracy says, no. If she sees Bobbie, she’ll just dissolve, so… She opens the door, and Laura says she’s welcome there anytime. Tracy tearfully says she knows, and leaves. Laura closes the door, and Doc asks how Laura is doing. She says she wishes she could have done something more to help Tracy. She’s devastated, but she’s so strong; Laura knows she’ll survive. He says, she’s tough, but he wasn’t asking about Tracy. Laura starts to cry, and he holds her.

Leo asks if Brook knows octopus have nine brains, three hearts, and blue blood. She says she knew about the blue blood, but not about all those brains and hearts. They must be very smart and very kind. Leo says, they are, and playful. Does she want to see the Photo Ark book he got for Christmas? It has a big picture of one up close. Brook says, sure, and Olivia tells her to hand Bailey over. Brook asks if Olivia is sure, and Olivia says she may never get Bailey back. Brook takes Leo’s hand and they leave. Olivia puts Bailey in the bassinette, and Ned says she’s a natural. She says, that’s the one benefit of having a baby when you’re young; you can get all sorts of advice, and you’re still very moldable. He says, she’s a pro now. He’s so happy they’ve settled the matter of him adopting Leo. Now, they just have one outstanding matter. Us.

Alexis asks if Valentin is going to be a good boy and forget about Peter, and Valentin says, if Victor was in there with Peter, he needs to know why. She says, that is concerning, but she can’t let him make a liar out of her, because Bobbie is really scary when she’s aggrieved. Trust her. He says there’s a lightness to Alexis, like a calm, and asks if she had a relaxing evening last night. Alexis says, hell no. She just came from a meeting. She almost fell of the wagon last night.

Olivia says, us? and Ned says, our relationship. She says she guesses with everything going on with Leo lately, it’s been easy to kick that particular can down the road. He says they don’t have to do this now, but she says she wants to. It’s time. They sit down, and she says, when she found out he cheated on her, it ripped her heart in shreds. He says he knows, and he’s so sorry, but she says, let her finish. A lot of marriages survive infidelity, but only if the partner who’s strayed is willing to make changes, and really commit to putting things back together. He promises it will never happen again, and says, the question is, can she forgive him? She says she already has. That indiscretion was the symptom of a bigger problem in their marriage. They lost faith in each other, and forgot how to communicate. He says, guilty as charged, and she says, so is she. In the last few months, little bits at a time, piece by piece, she started remember. She can see him again as a partner, as a confident. The way he stood up for her son – their son. She looks at him now, and she sees he’s the man she wants to spend the rest of her life with. They kiss.

Monica opens the door to Tracy, and says, oh my God. Brook asks what Tracy is doing here, and Tracy says she really needs her family.

Laura says she’s so sorry; she didn’t want to burden Doc with this. He says, burden? Because she’s affected by Luke’s death? He’d be worried if she wasn’t. If she thinks he’s going to be threatened by her past with Luke, he’s sorry to break it to her, but she has the wrong guy. She says, no, she has the right guy. She’s so lucky she found him. He says, they’re both lucky, and hugs her. He says he doesn’t want her to hold in her grief on his account. Luke was a pivotal part of her life. She says, he really was, and cries. She thinks it was a month ago, she found herself looking at the calendar, and realized it was 40 years to this day she and Luke got married. She can remember it like it happened yesterday. That chapter of her life has been over for so long… How is she going to tell Lulu when she wakes up? He says, she has plenty of time to figure it out, when there’s a knock at the door, and she says, here we go. She wipes her eyes, and opens the door. She thanks Bobbie for coming right away, and Bobbie says, Laura told her it was urgent. What’s going on? Doc says he has to go out, and tells Laura to call if she needs him. They exchange I love yous, and he says he’ll see Bobbie soon. He leaves, and Bobbie says, something terrible has happened, hasn’t it?

Nikolas asks why anyone would want to publish this dreck. What the hell is The Invader trying to prove? Shawn says, the new direction of The Invader is to promote or expose issues of social or political relevance. When he pointed his team in the direction of Cassadine Industries, they were pretty shocked at the things they uncovered. Nikolas says, so Shawn is directly responsible for this, and Shawn says, his non-profit purchased The Invader over the holidays. Nikolas says, the non-profit he funded, and Shawn says, he figured, other than purchasing sporting goods and equipment to fund after school programs, they should tackle something more substantial. So in a sense, this is all possible because of Nikolas. He’s sure Nikolas will be hearing more from his team. He leaves, and Victor says, it seems Mr. Butler is becoming a bit of a nuisance. Nikolas says, to put it mildly, and Victor tells him, say the word, and he’ll handle the situation for him.

Curtis says he’s sorry. He assumed after all the pain their affair caused, Portia had regrets. She says, of course (🍷) she has regrets about how things went down back then, but she has no interest in changing the past, only learning from it. Every decision they made led them to where they are right now. If they hadn’t had that past relationship, they might not have reconnected. He might not have been there to save Trina when she needed him. She wouldn’t have encouraged him to start a new life with The Savoy. He says, to that point, he thanks her, because she pushed him in that direction to open a new club, and start a new life. It meant everything to him. She means everything to him. She says she feels the same way about him. She’s starting to feel a little nervous. She knows they decided to take things slow, and they are, but she’s starting to… He says, don’t be nervous. There’s something he’s wanted to say to her all morning. He’s falling in love with her.

Victor says, a long walk on a short pier can be arranged, and Ava says, except when Naomi Dreyfuss took a walk off that pier, it only brought the spotlight closer to them. Nikolas says, besides, that’s not how they deal with their problems, and Victor says, maybe not nowadays, but shall they revisit what happened in a certain garage seven years ago? If Nikolas doesn’t want his help, fine, but he should know this. Sometimes sacrifices have to be made for the greater good. Winds of change are coming, my dears. This family needs to be ready. Nikolas says, it’s not the first time Victor has alluded to some grand plan for the family. Why doesn’t Victor stop hinting at it, and come out and tell them? Victor says, they’ll get their answers, as soon as he gets the answer he needs. Doc walks in, and says he’s glad he found Nikolas. Nikolas needs to check in with his mother. Nikolas asks if everything is all right, but Doc says he’s afraid not. Luke has been killed.

Ned says, does this mean…? and gets down on one knee. Olivia laughs, and he says he’s making it official. Let’s renew our vows, and tell the world we’re back. She tells him, get up, and they hug. She says, she’s in, but it’s going to be different this time. They’ve got to be honest and start to put each other first. They have to drown out all the noise from the people who want to interfere, like… He says, his mother? and she says, yes. Tracy walks in, and Olivia says, although she doesn’t have to worry about his mother since she’s on the lam. Olivia turns around, and says, Tracy.  

Laura asks how much Bobbie has been keeping up with the news over the holidays, and Bobbie says, not as much as usual. It’s been busy. She asks if Bobbie heard about the cable car crash in Austria, and Bobbie says, it’s sad, especially after holidays. There were a few casualties, weren’t there? Laura says, it took the authorities a few days to identify the victims… Bobbie says, stop. She doesn’t want to hear it. Laura says she’s so sorry to have to tell her, and Bobbie gets up and takes her phone out of her bag. She calls Luke’s number, and says, it’s his sister Barbara Jean. Drop everything and call her. Laura says, he’s not going to call, and Bobbie says, stop. Laura says she’s so sorry. She didn’t want to believe it either, but she’s afraid it’s true. Luke is gone. Bobbie cries, and Laura hugs her.

Valentin asks what triggered Alexis? Was it being around all that unbearable holiday cheer? Alexis says she’s sure it didn’t help, but when you’re an alcoholic, you don’t need a reason, right? She admits she’s been feeling directionless, and it’s gotten worse, not better, since her release. He says he’s sorry to hear that, and asks her to tell him if there’s anything he can do. She says she’s working on it. The person who gave her the pep talk last night, reminded her that the answers are not at the bottom of a bottle. Valentin says, a little help from a friend, and she says she guesses so. She’s got to go. Please keep her in Bobbie’s good graces. He says he’s not making any promises, and she says, at least she tried. They fist bump, and she leaves.

Nikolas asks how his mother is, and Doc says, she’s with Bobbie now. Of course (🍷) she’s worried about everyone else. She spoke with Lucky, but then there’s Ethan, who’ll be the hardest to find. Nikolas says he thinks he knows a way to reach him, and Doc says, that would be a help. Victor tells Doc, his condolences to him and his family. As Doc knows, his wife and Victor go way back, as does he with Luke. Doc asks if he means when they stopped Victor’s brother from blackmailing world governments, and Victor was aiding and abetting him, but Victor says, his brother is long buried, as Luke soon will be from a senseless accident. Luke was so much larger than life. It’s a shame he had to go out in such a trivial way.

Ned asks why Tracy didn’t call when it happened. He would have come to Amsterdam to be with her. She says, because telling them or anyone would make it real. She was riding in the cab, and just kept thinking, everything looks so normal. People walking around like nothing’s changed, and for them, nothing has changed, but for the people who know… knew Luke, the world’s empty. So to answer his question, she just wanted to get back home. The thing is, they all know how she and Luke used to battle. She pours herself a drink, and says, but when they got together in Amsterdam a few years ago, she was so sure this was it. They were going to be together to the end. The joke’s on her. She didn’t know how soon the end would come. Ned puts his arm around her.

Bobbie says she should have known something was wrong. Luke always calls her around this time of year. If he was a few days late, he’d say, it still counts, Barbara Jean. Laura says, Luke loved her so much, and she knows how much they meant to each other. Bobbie says, they didn’t always show it. None of this makes any sense. Laura says, she knows. He cheated death so many times. For him to go out in a random accident is just… Bobbie says, it was no accident. Someone did this on purpose. Someone killed Luke.

Curtis says he wasn’t sure he was ready to move on. This all happened quicker than he expected. He loves her, but doesn’t expect her to say it back until she’s ready. She says she’s falling in love with him too, and they kiss. She asks if they can just do one thing. Can they make a deal? Since they can’t go back and change the past, can they leave it there where it belongs? The only thing she wants to do is focus on him, and focus on a new life with him. He says, so does he. A new year; a new start. They kiss some more.

Shawn meets Alexis outside her house, and says, special delivery, handing her The Invader. He thought she deserved a personal copy. She says, a first edition. Should she frame it? He says, not before reading it, he hopes. She looks at it, and laughs, saying, he certainly executed his new vision. He says he had a pretty clear idea of how he wanted to set the tone. He needs to focus on the day to day end of things – they go inside – but what he really needs is someone to work under him, a second in command who can support his editorial vision of the paper. She says, sounds like a plan. Got anyone in mind? He says he’s looking at her.

Drew walks into the hospital, and Valentin says, hello. He assumes Drew is there for the same reason he is, and Drew asks if he’s seen Peter. Valentin says, there’s a Pentenville guard outside the door. They’re not allowing any visitors; it’s probably just as well. Drew tells him, he can’t say he agrees, and Valentin says, Peter is responsible for the death of Drew’s brother, and held him captive for how many years. What good is it going to do Drew to see him? Drew says, he has questions only Peter can answer, and Valentin says, Peter is treacherous on the best of days; now he’s desperate. Drew would be giving him an invitation. If there’s a chance he could activate Drew’s  conditioning, he’d say, stay away. It’ll be safer for everyone that way. Drew asks why Valentin wanted to see Peter, but Valentin says he didn’t get in; it doesn’t matter. Good to see him. Valentin starts to leave, and Drew says, one more thing. He’s had a lot to process, and ELQ has been far down the list. Valentin says, don’t let the Quartermaines hear him say that; he’ll get disowned. Drew says, they’re very passionate about that company, and Ned has been dropping hints that Drew could figure into a power play, but he’s not clear on the details. Valentin says, it’s pretty simple. He controls Drew’s voting stock.

Olivia says, whatever Tracy needs, they’re here for her, and Ned says, if she needs help with arrangements… but she says, no. She doesn’t want anybody to drop their plans to attend a funeral. Brook says, Luke would be disappointed if there wasn’t a wake or something, where his friends could knock a few back in his honor, and Tracy says, she supposes that’s more like it. There are a lot people who need to know. Ned says, they can handle that. He’ll call Dillon. Monica says, she’ll call Skye, and Ned suggests Olivia contact Robert and let him know. Everyone disperses, except for Tracy and Brook. Bailey cries, and Brook goes to her, saying, she just ate. Tracy says, okay, it’s just them. Why is Brook still pretending that baby is hers?

Doc says, not many people would characterize an accident with multiple fatalities as trivial, and Victor says, bad choice of words. His apologies. It’s a tragedy, of course (🍷), but what he meant is, Luke cheated death so many times, and in such spectacular fashion, one would have expected when he went out, when it was his time, he’d go out in a blaze of glory. Ava suggests Nikolas reach out to Ethan now, so Doc can speak to him. Nikolas tells Doc that they’ll find a quiet spot, and they leave. Ava says, they’ll be seeing Victor soon, and goes upstairs. Victor picks up The Invader, and his phone rings. He sees an incoming call from a blocked number.

Bobbie tells Laura, Luke had enemies out there. Somebody sabotaged that cable car. Somebody was targeting Luke, and those other poor souls paid the price. They have to find out who was after him. Laura says she knows it would be easier if they had someone to blame, and she knows Bobbie wants to make sense of it, but she can’t. It was a senseless accident. Bobbie says, no, and Laura hugs her.

On the phone, Victor says, the hit on Mayor Laura Collins can be dropped now that Luke has been neutralized. He thinks it’s time to proceed to phase two.

Tomorrow, Tracy tells Brook that she finds it hard to believe; Alexis asks if Sam really thinks she can do this; Victor tells Valentin, never say never; and Robert says he has bad news.

Vanderpump Rules

Katie visited Lala, and they talked about Lala’s party. Lala said Ariana didn’t say one word to her. She didn’t know why she was shocked, since Ariana didn’t acknowledge anything in her world. In Katie’s interview, she said she didn’t want to be in the middle. She thought it was easier for Ariana and Lala to say they didn’t give a f*** about each other, than admit they’d been hurt by each other. She told Lala about the sandwich shop, and in her interview, she said she’d gotten into business with a best friend before. We flashed back to the Witches of WeHo Wine enterprise, and Katie said, it ended terribly. When things went south with the friendship, the business went south, but she didn’t have to worry about where one began and one ended with Ariana. Katie said she’d told Randall at the pickleball tournament, when she opened a business, he could invest in it, and Lala said, Randall had been waiting for his moment to invest. Katie asked if Lala had any advice, and Lala suggested Katie go in offering to name a sandwich after him. All he wanted was something named after him, and she didn’t think he was getting a boy anytime soon. He’d have to live on through the sandwich.

James visited Schwartz with some sound equipment, and in Schwartz’s interview, he said he and Sandoval were still on a break. He wanted to soak up some of James’s experience and confidence. It had always been a dream of his to play music in his own bar. James said he was coming up on two years of not drinking alcohol, and told Schwartz that he was going to stop smoking weed. He was going to try giving up everything for a month. In James’s interview, he said, weed made him feel normal, and he didn’t think he could function without it, but he was willing to give it a shot. James asked what Schwartz would say to a crowd, and Schwartz said, hey, everybody; hope you’re having a good time. Very original. James laughed, and said it was worse than he thought.

Brock went over to Sandoval’s home gym to work out. Sandoval said he was sorry about the wedding falling through, and asked how long Brock had been thinking about it. Brock said it had been a while, and we flashed back to him broaching the subject to Randall six days ago. In Brock’s interview, he said, between Homebody, child support, and the engagement ring, he couldn’t afford $20K right now for a party. He asked Sandoval what was up with Schwartz, and Sandoval said he was okay with Katie right now, but didn’t want to be the source of any problems. He and Schwartz were taking a step back, except for business situations. Schwartz told James that he’d lost his spark, and everyone had been upset with him. He’d thought maybe he and Sandoval shouldn’t hang out as much until they were further along with the bar. It was a healthy break. James told Schwartz that Sandoval had made a post of him and Brock working out – #NewBesties. James and Schwartz took a picture with James giving two middle fingers – #NextRealDuo. Sandoval laughed, but said, it hurts.

Lala went over to Scheana’s place, and Scheana said her and Brock’s gym was opening this weekend. Lala told Scheana that she and Katie had been doing EMS, and her ass looked perkier. She asked Scheana how much she knew about Brock’s failed attempt at tying the knot, and Scheana said the rest of them probably knew more than her, but in Lala’s interview, she said, Scheana seemed to know more details than Brock, who was supposed to be planning it. Scheana said Brock didn’t want to compromise his vision, and in her interview, Lala said she wanted to give Brock the benefit of the doubt, but he’d wanted her and Randall to pay for the engagement/wedding. Brock already had two children he didn’t pay for, and now he wanted to marry Scheana. Scheana said she never thought she’d do a prenup, but after her divorce, and giving up half her bank account, she was doing it. In Scheana’s interview, she said, to get Shay to sign the divorce papers, she had to split her finances with him. She needed to protect herself and her daughter. Lala said she was all about plan B, and Scheana said, when Lala had talked about it, she’d thought it took all the fun out of it. You should be marrying someone you can trust. Lala said she wanted something clear that said, what’s yours is yours, and what’s mine is mine; go away.

The Toms met with Greg, designer Lucinda, and contractor Dan at the new bar. Greg said they as long as they had the materials and the game plan, they could get this off the ground. In Schwartz’s interview, he said, they were about to break ground, and every day was costing money. They were about twelve months behind. Dan thought they could do it in three or four months, but Lucinda said they needed to do it faster. In his interview, Schwartz said, he didn’t think Sandoval experienced time, deadlines, and pressure like other human beings. Sandoval said, once they broke ground, he would feel better, and they’d see what it looked like to have progress. He wanted to have a get together, so everyone would see the before, and appreciate the after. He just wished they had more progress done.

Raquel’s sister Kate came by to help Raquel finalize the engagement party plans. In Raquel’s interview, she said she had zero knowledge about flowers; only that they made every party pretty. Kate had been there, since she was married, and Raquel didn’t want to cry over dead flowers at her engagement party. They went over the seating chart, and talked about the Toms’ new bar. Kate said the engagement party sounded like a wedding, and Raquel said the venue was like one. James talked about stopping weed, and Kate said they’d had that conversation the last time. In James’s interview, he said, weed helped with his daily anxiety and his appetite. He was over the judgy thing. If you didn’t like what he was doing, too bad. Raquel said she was proud of James having two years of no alcohol under his belt, and Kate congratulated him.

Brock called Sandoval and Ariana, saying, he wanted to run an idea by them. He was going to propose to Scheana at home, and his prediction was that Scheana would say yes. He thought when they went to the engagement party venue, he and Scheana could get married on the sly. Only the four of them would know. Ariana could be a witness, and Sandoval could perform the ceremony. Ariana said, the only way to pull it off without being d*ckish was if no one knew, and in her interview, she said, she’d told Brock not to give up on it, but she didn’t think it would end up being at James and Raquel’s engagement party. Sandoval said, if James found out, he would be pissed. He’d go along with it, as long as no one knew until after the fact. Brock insisted it would stay secret, and Sandoval said it would ruin the trip if anyone found out.

Katie and Ariana met with Lisa about the sandwich shop. Katie said they’d kicked around ideas for a concept and vision, and Lisa asked if the Toms would be involved, but Ariana said, no. Jay Zee wasn’t a partner in Lemonade. She told Lisa that the guys wanted to have a progress party, and Lisa said everyone would have an opinion, and Sandoval didn’t like opinions. Katie said, she and Ariana wanted their shop to make a statement, and wouldn’t say no if Lisa wanted to invest. Lisa was like, pitch it to me, but Katie said they hadn’t practiced their pitch. They were also meeting with Randall, who wanted to invest. They wanted the space to be unapologetically feminine, and the name was Something About Her. In Lisa’s interview, she said it wasn’t what she’d call a bar, but she also wouldn’t call a bar Schwartz and Sandy’s, so go figure. Katie said she wanted more for herself, and didn’t want to sit at home and be a wife. Ariana said Katie was capable of so much, and Katie said she wanted feel the need to go somewhere. Lisa told her to be motivated by that, and Katie said she felt this shop was what she needed. It would be her baby. In Katie’s interview, she said she’d been having and existential crisis, and didn’t know who she was or what she wanted to do. Now she’d found something she could wake up and look forward to.

Tom and Brock went to see jewelry designer Kyle Chan. After a shot of Drambuie, Kyle brought out the ring, which was 12.97 carats. Sandoval said, his only issue about the wedding thing was James, and in Brock’s interview, he said he and Scheana could get away, and have a ceremony with people who care about them in a nice venue. It could be special for them. Yeah, and he wouldn’t have to pay for it. I’m starting to agree that this guy is a bit of a skater. The stone was huge, a rare pink diamond, and the total was $25K. Sandoval encouraged the purchase, and in his interview, he said, if it was a $25K vacation, he would say absolutely not, but an engagement ring was for the rest of your life, and he was for it. Brock said he had to put it on three cards, since his credit in America wasn’t active yet. He was going to be light. Between the ring and child support, he was going to be broke for the next six months. In Brock’s interview, he said, for the first time, he was making a commitment based on love. His cards went through, and Brock told Sandoval, sh*t just got real.

Everyone got ready for the progress party, but Sandoval wasn’t liking the plastic cups. Schwartz said, he felt it was time they came off their break, and they bro-hugged, after which Schwartz presented Sandoval with a friendship bracelet. He felt Sandoval completed him. Ariana and Katie arrived first, and in Ariana’s interview, she said she knew it was a work in progress, but thought she’d be able to sit. Oscar the Grouch would like it because it looked like a dump, but she’d like a chair. Schwartz said, his and Sandoval’s friendship was fully back, and in the Toms’ dual interview, Schwartz said, the only thing that hurt his feelings was Sandoval’s post with Brock. The usual suspects showed up, along with Lucinda’s design crew, and Lisa and Ken brought Puffy (!).  Schwarz welcomed everyone to the spot soon to be Schwartz and Sandy’s. In Lisa’s interview, she said, the point of a progress party was to see progress, but she was still seeing Mexican flags and piñatas. You didn’t see anchors and dildos at TomTom’s progress party. We flashed back to when Lisa and Ken originally looked at the space, and it had been a sex shop. Lisa added, they were in her handbag. Sandoval said he had an amazing team and an amazing partner, and told everyone, this is the before picture. Schwartz said he made a bootleg of their sign, and brought out something that said Schwartz & Sandy’s on it, probably on par with a set piece in a high school play. In Raquel’s interview, she said, she had higher expectations for the sign, but it was minimal effort. Maybe they could use a mood board. Sandoval said, when you saw it from the outside, it was unassuming, and they wanted to spin the effect. Lisa asked how much it was going to cost, but Sandoval said he didn’t have the exact dollar amount. Ken wondered if they had a budget, and in Sandoval’s interview, he said, he appreciated the concern, but it was his business and none of theirs. In Lisa’s interview, she said, the Toms had ideals in their heads, but no budget or timetable. She thought it was going to be more and longer than they thought. The Toms were two people who didn’t know what they were about to endure, and frankly, she was worried. Ken said that he was afraid they were going to lose a lot of money.

Scheana told Lisa that she and Brock were signing a prenup. Brock got to keep his motorcycle, and she got 7% of Homebody because she liked that number. In Scheana and Brock’s dual interview, she said she was Brock’s first investor, and they proceeded to argue about how much she’d put in and what he’d paid back. Brock got touchy, then weepy, saying, now he was taking a handout. Raquel asked Katie and Ariana if they knew about the dress code and color palette for the engagement party, and Ariana was worried they’d have to wear earth tones all weekend, but Raquel said it was just for the big party. Lisa asked Schwartz what the hold-up was with the bar, and he said, they’d had to wait on permits, and the financing took a while, but he got the business loan. Lisa said, they had the money and energy, why not start? He said the restaurant industry was tough, like this was something she didn’t know, and she said, they hadn’t even started yet. In her interview, she said, she wanted them to move forward, but they seemed to be stagnating. Ken said let them know if there was any way they could help.

Brock asked if James was excited about the engagement party, and wondered if there would be quiet time, or was the weekend jam packed? James said, there was an activity for every day, and the guests could work around that. In Brock’s interview, he said he was pretty sure they’d just celebrated James and Raquel’s engagement. We flashed back to Rachella, and Brock said, why not? What they didn’t know woudn’t hurt them. James said he wanted to quit weed, but it was a bit of a stressful time, and in his interview, Brock said, James was the last person to take blame for anything, but you had to be accountable for your actions and words. He told James not use stressed as an excuse, and James got loud, saying, he wasn’t; that wasn’t true. Brock was actually pretty articulate and collected, and said James needed to learn how to talk to people. This caused James to go back to his old schtick, acting like he was ten years old, making fun of Brock talking. Scheana suggested he not say something he couldn’t take back, and Brock said he only mentioned it because he cared. James whined that he and Brock never hung out anymore, and Brock said that James had been rude when he’d asked him to help with the Homebody shoot. We flashed back to Brock saying James had texted him, for free? lol, and in Brock’s interview, he said, James’s texts highlighted where they were in the relationship. It made him realize he didn’t have time for this. He had a newborn, was trying to work on his life, and James was exhausting to deal with. He told James not to do the shoot if he didn’t want to, and James told him to enjoy his whiskey, which was quite telling, and explained why James got so pissed so fast. He was not enjoying any whiskey. James told Raquel that Brock was ungrateful, and in his interview, he said, Brock wanted to throw down the friendship card, saying he was just looking out for James. James was over this, and Brock. He and Raquel left, and Ariana held up the water bottle James had been holding, which was totally squashed where his hand had been. She asked, what is that?

Next time, the Homebody shoot, Katie meets with Randall and Ariana is late, engagement weekend begins, and Sandoval gets nervous about Brock and Scheana’s wedding plans.

🩰 Pirouetting Off the Stage…

Closing the shop for tonight, but come back tomorrow, when I’m open for soap and whatever the OC is up to. Until then, stay safe, stay always learning something new, and stay not regretting or wanting to change the past, but learning from it.