(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
The Walking Dead
Daryl walks with Judith and RJ through a house. Zombies clamor at them from behind wire fences, and scrabble at the windows. A zombie walks inside from a door at the end of the hallway, and comes toward them. Daryl says, that’s enough, and the zombie says, no problem. He and Daryl fist bump. Daryl and the kids walk out, and we see it’s a haunted funhouse. Judith tells RJ that he was brave, and Jerry walks up. He says, RJ is home, safe and sound, and they walk into a Halloween carnival.
Day 30 at the Commonwealth. Carol comes out with cookies on a tray, and brings them to a booth where she’s selling them; while across the way, Ezekiel is in charge of the petting zoo. A girl dressed like a princess walks up to Judith, and says she must be one of the new people. She knows they got a lot of rotters, and Judith is probably not afraid of anything. She introduces herself as Mei, and says she’ll show Judith where the good candy is. Carol gives Daryl a cookie, and asks what he thinks. He says he needs a minute to get used to it, and Carol says, it was up and running before they got there. Maybe they don’t need to do anything to make it work. He says, there’s always something that can be improved, when Governor Pamela comes out, and gives out cotton candy to the children. She gets up on stage, and there’s a drumroll. She tells everyone that first place in the costume contest is Celeste, who’s dressed like their very own Mercer, and the grand prize is 10 lottery tickets. She doesn’t say lottery for what though. She thanks everyone for coming, and says they’re happy to be there for Halloween. Carol says Pamela seems different in person, and Daryl says he doesn’t know anything about her. Carol says she used to read the tabloids, when Connie and Kelly join them. Kelly tells them that Connie is a full day reporter for the paper, and Connie signs that it’s nice to be reporting again, but the Commonwealth isn’t exactly hard-hitting. She tells them that she interviewed Pamela before the world fell, and Kelly says, Connie got Pamela’s uncle kicked out of Congress. Carol says, that was her? and Connie signs that they’ve got a lot to do before the masquerade ball. They leave, and Carol suggests Daryl ask Connie to dance tonight, but he says he’s got a lot to do. Carol says, she’ll catch up with him later.
Carol watches Ezekiel, and sees him touch his throat. Rosita gives Coco to Gabriel, and thanks him for taking care of her. He says he’ll be glad to keep her all night, since Rosita will be exhausted after the late shift. Rosita promises to pick her up before his Bible study, and goes back to their temporary housing, where she sees Daryl. She tells him that she thinks this place is made out of paper, and can’t wait until basic’s over and they’re in new apartments. She says, It’s weird to worry about money again, and he tells her, it’s not forever.
Jerry’s son Ezra plays tug of war with another kid using Shiva’s chain. Jerry tells them that they have to give it back, and hands it to Ezekiel. Ezra, dressed up like a tiger, looks sad, and Ezekiel says Jerry saved it from Hilltop because he knew precious it was to him. Even more precious is family. He tells Ezra that the leash is his on two conditions. That it always makes Ezra as happy as it’s made him, and to honor Shiva’s memory; think of her when they play with it. Jerry asks if Ezekiel is sure, and Ezekiel says, just be careful; it’s a chain. He and Jerry hug. Carol comes over, and says, it looks like they had fun. Ezekiel says, he thinks it was good for everybody, and she asks how he’s feeling. He says, also good, and she asks how his doctor’s appointment went. He says, fine, no changes, and asks if she’s heard from Maggie and Lydia. She says she’s sure they’re okay. Is he? He says, on a beautiful day like today, never better.
Carol carries flowers into the hospital, and bumps into a janitor. She apologizes for being a klutz as she steals his keys. She goes into an office, and looks through some files. Tomi walks in, and asks what she’s doing there. She says, sorry, and admits she was snooping. She’s worried about Ezekiel. Tomi asks what she wants to know, and she says she knows Ezekiel needs surgery, and knows he’s in line for it. How long before 147? She hands him the folder, he looks at one of the papers, and says, too long. He tells her, Ezekiel also knows the odds aren’t good, but what he doesn’t know is, he doesn’t have a chance of getting surgery unless by some miracle he’s moved up. Tomi wishes he could do more.
Mercer tells some of the Alexandrians, welcome to the kill house. Killing is not their primary goal. He’s looking for speed and teamwork. Two teams will go in simultaneously. One team will go right, the other, left, and they’ll have one weapon they have to share. The objective is to get through the house where there are rotters inside. There will be one marked in red at the end, and first team that kills it is one step closer to earning their stripes, but if they fail to work as a unit, they’ll see what they get. They divide into teams, and Daryl asks if he can go with Rosita, since they make a good team. Mercer says he didn’t ask Daryl’s opinion, and teams Daryl with Jake, and Rosita with Green. Mercer blows a whistle, and they run in.
Inside, a zombie comes after Rosita. She struggles with it, and stabs it in the head, then passes the knife to her partner. Daryl and Jake come upon two zombies feeding, and Daryl kicks one in the head. He struggles with the other one, and tells Jake to keep going, then whacks the zombie in the head with a rock. Green wrestles with a zombie, Rosita grabs it off of him, and he kills it. It’s kind of like tag team zombie fighting. Rosita picks up a broken whatever, and twists it into a zombie’s eyeball. Almost at the finish line, Daryl shoves a zombie against a spike sticking out of a wall, while Jake struggles with another one. Mercer shoots it, and Daryl asks, what was that? Mercer tells him, he said speed and teamwork. He tells Rosita and Green, nicely done, and wants Daryl to come with him.
Judith and Mei go to the record store, and Mei recommends a Motorhead album, but Judith says she doesn’t have any money. Mei asks if she doesn’t get an allowance, when Princess comes out, and Judith introduces them. She asks if they need any help, but Mei says they’re ready to check out. Princess says Mei has good taste in albums, and attire; she sees Mei has the metal. After the transaction is complete, Princess goes back inside, and Mei gives Judith the Motorhead album. Judith says she didn’t have to, but Mei says, it’s a gift for a friend, and Judith asks if she got a receipt. Mei says Judith doesn’t have to pay her back, but Judith says she wants it as a reminder of a good day.
Carol sees Pamela’s assistant Max telling Lance that the wine he’s brought isn’t worthy of tonight’s guests. He throws the bottle in a garbage can, and when he’s gone, Carol checks out the label. She sneaks into a wine shop, and looks through the receipts. She goes through the woods into an abandoned house, and goes to the wine cellar. She looks around with a flashlight, and a zombie suddenly thrusts its hands at her from the other side of a rack. She kills it, but a few more toddle in. She kills them, but the last one knocks her down, and is snapping at her face. She reaches up and grabs a corkscrew, shoving it into the zombie’s neck, and killing it. It always seems stupid to write that a zombie was killed, since they’re already dead, but you know what I mean.
Mercer takes Rosita, Daryl, and Sebastian into the woods. Mercer says he didn’t need a volunteer, but Sebastian says, they love volunteers, especially ones who look like Rosita. They stop and unpack weapons, and Sebastian says, let’s see what Santa brought him. He looks at a sword, and says, It’s a toothpick not worth his time. He pulls out a crossbow and num-chuks, and says, this thing is pathetic. He tells Mercer, release the rotters, and Mercer opens a nearby storage container, while Daryl bangs on it. Zombies come toward Sebastian, and he gets one down, and another in the neck, but not good enough, and ends up battling with it. Daryl picks up the crossbow, shoots it, and says, done. Sebastian asks why he did that, and tells Mercer, is he serious? This is the future soldier of the Commonwealth? Pamela has arrived with some stormtroopers, and turns to leave, Sebastian trotting after her. Mercer tells Daryl that he shouldn’t intervened. Sebastian would have been fine. Daryl asks if he failed another team building exercise, and Mercer says Daryl is used to handling things on his own. He gets it, but that’s not how they work. Sometimes they need to set each other up to win. Daryl asks what that’s got to do with that little pr*ck’s ego, and Mercer says, this place is as good as any he’s seen. He wants Daryl to succeed even if Daryl doesn’t give a damn.
Dog watches Judith and RJ drawing, when Daryl walks in with some food. Judith asks if he got lost, and he says, there was a long line. Loud music plays upstairs, and Daryl asks how their day was. Judith says, she made a friend, and shows Daryl the record, saying, Mei bought it for her. Daryl gives Dog some food, and Judith asks if she can get an allowance. He asks if she can wait a while, and she says, so they can stay? He asks if they want to, and RJ does. Judith says, it’s nice here, and as long as her mom knows where to find them, she wants to stay.
Max brings some wine to Lance’s office for him to try, but it’s a hard no after he takes a sip. She leaves, and he looks like he has a headache. Carol comes in, and deposits a case of wine on the credenza. He asks. how did she know? and she says, her mother taught her to be observant. He says, obviously, she found a way outside the walls, and asks what she wants from him. She says she has a friend waiting for surgery, and she needs to get him to the front of the line. He says, that’s a big ask, but she says, not for him. He says, first things first. He needs to find out if the wine goes over well. She says, it will.
Servers prepare dinner for the masquerade ball, and one tells Magna that her kids don’t even know what a mango is. Magna says, someday they will, but the server says, no time soon. The ball has begun, a harp is played, and the wine is being served. Magna serves Yumiko and her brother Tomi, and she and Yumiko exchange looks. Yumiko asks Tomi, what’s wrong? and he says, it’s not his scene. He was cool being on the other side. This is her world, not his. But if this is how the other half lives, he might as well enjoy it. He takes another glass of wine. Outside, there’s a poor man’s red carpet. Daryl is standing by the door, and Sebastian straightens his collar before going in. Rosita tells Daryl that Sebastian hates him; that was a hate smile. Lance walks up the stairs to applause, followed by Mercer. The spectators chant Mercer’s name as he goes past. Princess says, hey, and tells him she wanted to say hi. He looks handsome. He says it’s not his thing, but she says, it is, trust her. He tells her that he hates big events. They’re kind of boring, but does she want to make it more interesting? Join him. She says she’d be honored, and Mercer tells the bouncer that she’s with him, and he says, there’s a dress code. Mercer says she’s with him, and Princess takes his arm. The bouncer steps aside, and they go in.
Lance asks Pamela how she likes the wine, and she says, it’s fine. She’s due for an interview, but they need to get a meeting on the books about the Alexandria thing. He says he has a pitch, and she says she’s sure he does. She tells Connie, it’s lovely to see her, and nice to meet Kelly. She asks if they’re enjoying the festivities, and Connie asks if they celebrate every holiday with such grandeur. Pamela says, traditions comfort the people. They need structure in uncertain times, so they treasure the holidays. Halloween was special to father her father when he was in the White House. It was his favorite; he loved a masquerade ball. Connie wonders what he’d say about the class divide there, and Pamela says, that they’re lucky they found them. They celebrate every person. She introduces Connie to a woman who’s attending the ball for the first time, and works the room. Server and former trooper Tyler tries to talk to her, but her assistant brushes him off, saying, Pamela has a strict itinerary. Princess tells Yumiko that she kicked that guy’s ass in the train car, and wonders why he’s serving food.
Lance says, it’s his honor to introduce someone who needs no introduction; their esteemed leader, the Governor of the Commonwealth, Pamela Milton. Everyone applauds, and she thanks them for coming. It’s her great pleasure to give them a sneak peek of something truly special. She unveils a portrait of her father, and says, it’s the work of the brilliant Alexa Park. It took her nine months to lovingly create the painting. She’d sustained serious injures out in the world before she found sanctuary at the Commonwealth. Thanks to the sacrifices of Pamela’s father, brick by brick, block by block, they’re putting the world back together the way it was. Her father would be proud to see what the Commonwealth is, and how much it protects and cares for all of its citizens. Tyler yells, bullsh*t!The Commonwealth cares for all existence? Does she even know who he is? Max tells him, it’s not the time, and he grabs a knife and Max, and holds the knife to her throat. He tells them, don’t come any closer. He would have died for this place. Does Pamela even know what his name is? She says she’d like to, and he says, he’s Tyler Davis. He was a trooper. He tried to reach her. One mistake and he lost everything. He came to talk. Pamela says she wants to listen, but wants just the two of them to talk. He tells her, don’t lie. This is what she cares about; parties and paintings. He slashes the painting, and says, they’re nothing to her; they’re disposable. She says he’s wrong. She sees he’s hurt, and wants to fix that, but he has to promise not to hurt anyone. Put down the knife and let her assistant go. Her name is Max. Tyler pulls Max backward toward the door, and she whispers that she’s like him. He says he’s sorry, and continues to back up with her. Mercer comes forward, and Tyler lets Max go, making a break for it. Sebastian yells, go after him, and Mercer gets on the radio, saying, get him.
Tyler runs into the haunted funhouse, and Daryl follows. Daryl sneaks around, and pulls aside a curtain, revealing Tyler. He tells Tyler that he has nowhere to go. Tyler asks if Daryl is going to take him in, and Daryl asks if he has a choice. Tyler says, he didn’t mean to… He just wanted to talk, and make her understand. He puts the knife to his own throat, but Daryl says, don’t. Tyler says he screwed up protocols with a prisoner, and got beat up. He lost his apartment, and has no way to help his sister and her kids. Daryl says, he’s got a family? A lot of them don’t have that anymore. Don’t take that away from her. it’s not fair. Tyler cries and gives Daryl the knife, and Daryl cuffs him. On the way out, he runs into Sebastian, who says, so Daryl caught the bastard. He finally did something right. Daryl hands Tyler over to Sebastian, and says, no; Sebastian caught him. Show his mom.
Sebastian takes Tyler back to the ballroom, and there’s applause. Pamela says, well done, and tells Mercer, remove him. Tyler says, don’t think getting rid of him solves anything. There are thousands like him. Resist the Commonwealth! Equality for all! Tyler is taken away, and Lance asks if Pamela thinks he’s telling the truth. She says, no, but she wants him to make sure.
Outside the venue, Yumiko has the guests sign a paper, and hands each of them an envelope of cash. Carol watches as the guests are paid off, and Lance comes out. She asks how the wine was, and he says, great; it’s a good first step. Mercer gives orders to his men. He wants to know how Tyler gained access, and did he have help? He tells Rosita to talk to the waitstaff. Rosita goes inside, and asks if Magna worked with Tyler long. Magna says, they’d never met before tonight. Rosita asks if she’s sure, and Magna asks if Rosita thinks she’s lying. Rosita says she’s just trying to find out what happened, and Magna asks if she heard what Tyler said. Rosita says, that there were others, and asks what Magna thinks he meant. Magna says she has no idea, but for what it’s worth, she believes him. This place reminds her of a city from before. Rosita remembers, doesn’t she? Rosita says she does. So Magna doesn’t know how Tyler got in? Magna says, no.
Ezekiel visits Carol, who snagged a bottle of wine for herself. He looks at the bottle and says, vintage, and she says she’s a lady of high caliber. He says, the highest. Wasn’t that something today? She says, they really know how to throw a party here, and he says, the kids had a blast. He would have loved it… She says she knows, and he takes out a wood box with Henry carved on it. He tells her that he knows it would have been too painful before, but this belongs to her. She says he should keep it, but he says, no. He wants her to have it. This place can be a fresh start… if she wants it to be. She asks how is he really, and he says, great. He still finds reasons to smile. She pours the wine, and says, to fresh starts. They clink glasses, and she says, it’s not bad. He tells her that she always took the big glass.
Day 33 at the Commonwealth. Daryl is in a stormtrooper outfit, and Judith says he looks official. He says, think so? He doesn’t feel official. He tells her that he got her something, and she uncovers a record player. She hugs him, and takes out the Motorhead album. She puts it on, and as the stormtroopers bust into places, we hear Eat the Rich. One of the troopers finds a secret room in the back of a closet. They take off their helmet, and we see it’s Rosita. It’s obviously a basecamp for a resistance member, and she looks through literature and posters that say things like, For Workers, Visibility for Workers.
Next time, Eugene wants to expose the Commonwealth; Eugene and Princess break into a house, and the owner comes home early; Carol asks if Lance wants to make her a true believer; and Eugene thinks Stephanie was kidnapped by the government.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Sam sees Dante near the hospital reception desk, and runs up to him. She says, Anna called, and said they were back in town. Is he a patient here? He says, no, he’s fine. He just has to do a follow-up for the hit in the head he took. He tells her that she looks beautiful, and apologizes for not calling on the way back. The WSB is debriefing him pretty much indefinitely. She says, he’s healthy; that’s the most important thing. Now will he shut up and give her a kiss? He says, yes, ma’am, and does.
Monica says she knows how disappointed Willow must be to postpone her trip to Paris, and Michael says, she doesn’t have a passport, and she’s having difficulty tracking down her birth certificate. Willow says, according to the State Department, they have no record of her. It’s almost like she never existed.
Alexis calls Harmony, and says she’s just checking in. At Charlie’s, Harmony asks if that’s what Alexis is calling giving her a gentle nudge in the right direction, but Alexis says she’s calling to offer moral support. She knows it’s a big day for Harmony. At one of the tables, cash changes hands for what’s no doubt a shady deal, and Alexis asks if Harmony is there. Harmony says Alexis is right; it’s probably one of the most important days of her life. The day she tells Willow that she’s not her biological daughter. Alexis says her boss is here, and she’s got to go. She’ll check in later. Good luck. Shawn walks into Alexis’s office, and says, Harmony, huh? She asks if he has a problem with that.
Elizabeth looks at the card from Betsy, and flashes back to finding her ring in her locker, getting stuck in the art therapy room, and discovering her dress was slashed. Finn asks if she’s okay, and she says she just zoned out for a minute. She needs some caffeine. He says, with the double-shifts she’s pulling, he’s not sure caffeine is going to do the trick. She says, maybe not, and he asks if that’s the card Franco’s mom sent her. She says, she was going to throw it out, and put the bad memories behind her, but unfortunately, she doesn’t think it will put an end to things. He asks what she means, and she says, something big is going on.
Carly looks at the family photo on her desk, along with her divorce papers. Her assistant says someone is here to see her, and Carly says, send them in. Drew walks in, and she asks, what happened?
Nina says, Sonny wouldn’t have called her if he hadn’t been drinking, but he says he would have called her sober. She says, that would have been a first. He’s looking down the barrel of a divorce because he played fast and free with his meds. He says, she doesn’t know that; he doesn’t know that. All he knows is that he’s going through a divorce, and she’s here. She says, he’s changing the subject, but he says he forgot what the subject was already. She says she can’t remember the subject right now, and he takes her hand. He pulls her to him, and they hug. Then he kisses her.
Monica says, Willow had a rather unorthodox childhood, but the fact that the government can’t produce her birth certificate is egregious. Willow says, it’s very frustrating, and Monica says, it’s ridiculous. If there’s anything she can do to help, please let her know. Willow thanks her, and the doorbell rings. Willow opens the door to Harmony, and says, hopefully, her mother can give her all the information she needs.
Shawn says he wouldn’t want someone to judge him based on the worst chapter of his life. He made a fresh start, and Harmony is owed one too. If Alexis says she’s changed… Alexis says, he’ll believe she has? He says, he’ll believe she believes it, and she says she’ll take it as a win. She’s sure he doesn’t want to talk about her personal life on company time, and he says she’s right. He has news of his own. News that’s going to change the future of this company.
Sam says, so it’s all over? and Dante says, it’s all over. Peter’s dead. Speaking of which, there’s some people he’s got to tell. She asks if she can be his back-up, and he says he’d love for her to be his back-up, but he should probably do this on his own. Can he meet her at her place afterward? She says she’s going to hold him to that, he kisses her again, and leaves.
Sonny takes Nina’s hand and starts to lead her to the bedroom, but she tells him, wait, stop. What they’re doing, it’s a huge mistake.
Carly tells Drew, she’s sorry; that wasn’t a great welcome home. She’s glad he’s back and safe, but she heard he went with Dante and Anna to find Maxie, and he has a really somber look on his face. He says, it’s all good news. Maxie is home, and she’s safe, and she’s reuniting with her daughter as they speak. Carly says, that’s wonderful news. When she heard what Maxie and Brook did to protect Maxie’s baby, it broke her heart. He says, the good news is, they never have to look over their shoulder again because Peter is dead. The nightmare he brought over all of them is over now. Maxie and her family can be together again.
Nina says she doesn’t want to cross the line with Sonny, but he says, the line’s already been crossed. She tells him not to joke this away. She thinks she’s made a lot of mistakes, and a kiss between them should mean a lot more than a distraction technique from the real issue of him and his meds. He says, it’s not a technique, and she says, the point is, he went on another bender. She doesn’t claim to be an expert here, but aside from the physical health concerns, alcohol can dull the effects of the medication. Even though he’s back on his meds, he could still be emotionally vulnerable until it kicks in. So what they were about to do would be wrong, just like it was wrong the other day. He says, what happened between them, that wasn’t drinking, and she says, no, but he was drinking heavily days before, and his body is readjusting to all the meds. That would explain what happened between them at the Haunted Star. Then Carly walked in on them. He says, what if he doesn’t want to explain it away? What if his drinking had nothing to do with what happened between them?
Finn says, something big is happening. Like what? Sam approaches them and says she’s sorry to interrupt, but have they spoken to Anna this morning? Elizabeth says, no, and Finn says he hasn’t spoken to her in a few days. Why? What’s going on? Sam says, she was in Europe, looking for Peter, and he’s gone. Elizabeth asks if he got away again, but Sam says, no. She means the other kind of gone; he’s dead. She knows she’s had a lot more time to process this, so she’ll say what they’re probably thinking. Peter has always managed to come back when they thought he was gone, but not this time. He’s finally dead, and he will never be able to hurt them, their families, or anyone else ever again.
Drew says, he knows it’s a lot to process about Peter’s death, but he thought Carly would be happy about Maxie. She says she is. She’s so happy Peter is dead. She just wishes Jason was here to see it. He says, Jason, his brother, and her… How would she describe Jason? She says, he was her person. He loved her unconditionally despite her many faults, and she loved him. She still loves him. Drew says, he died saving the lives of people he cared about. He set a course in motion that led to Peter’s downfall. He died a hero because that’s who he was. She says, he was certainly her hero. Always there when she needed him. She still needs him.
Sonny says, the medication and alcohol does explain the connection between him and Nina. They’re drawn to each other like a moth to a flame, and the night at the Haunted Star was a mistake for many reasons; the timing, hurting Carly. Then they talked that night at the chapel. He fell in love with Nina in Nixon Falls when he didn’t know who he was, and those feelings don’t just disappear. Maybe the silver lining is, they now finally get to unpack what they really mean to each other, without all the baggage and deception. She says she understands what he’s saying. They had all that baggage because she’s the one who created that. She described their love in Nixon Falls as pure, and it was, but that was only part of the story. The whole time, she was drowning in guilt. It was wrong of her to fall in love with him when he didn’t have his memory, just like it would be wrong if they explored anything between them when he’s so vulnerable. She goes to freshen up, and there’s a knock at the door. Frank says, there’s someone on the list to see him, and Dante comes to the door. He says, bad time?
Alexis says Shawn doesn’t sound very positive about that news. Should she be worried? Should she be updating her resumé? He says she knows how he keeps his cards close to his chest; it’s actually good news. The circulation for The Invader has actually increased. Aurora Media is downsizing its print division. They’re holding on to The Banner in Llannview for legacy reasons, but they’re divesting from their west coast news readers. She asks how this is affecting him, and he says he’s thinking of buying them up to expand The Invader’s reach. She says, that’s a huge deal; congratulations. He says, there’s just one catch. The offices are located in San Francisco, and he’d have to move there to make this work.
Harmony says, it’s good to see Monica, and Monica says, hopefully, Harmony can help Willow out with this birth certificate issue. Willow asks if they can use the living room, and Monica says, of course (🍷). Willow and Harmony go into the living room, and Monica asks Michael if he thinks Harmony will solve the mystery of the birth certificate. He says he doesn’t know. She’s been pretty evasive so far.
Willow says, Harmony mentioned on the phone that she has some news about Willow’s birth certificate, and Harmony says she does. Willow asks if everything is okay, and Harmony says, there’s something she needs to tell Willow.
Shawn tells Alexis that he’ll have to move his non-profit base of operations to San Francisco, at least for a while. Maybe someday, he can split his time between there and Port Charles. She says, it sounds like a wonderful opportunity. San Francisco’s a beautiful city. She’s so happy for him. He says, and yet, she doesn’t sound like she is, and she says, selfishly, she liked having him around again. She liked when they were rooming together; it was domestic and it was happy, like their happy little playing house. He says, like it would have been years ago, if he hadn’t screwed things up as a couple. She tells him, she didn’t say that, and he says, but she was thinking that. She says, they were good together… when they were good together. He tells her, he’d say they still are. He knows there are a million reasons for him to move to the west coast. He was just wondering if there was one better reason for him to stay.
Willow says, whatever it is, Harmony can tell her. She knows they’ve had their ups and downs, but she’s Harmony’s daughter; she’s here for her. Harmony says, she managed to find Willow’s birth certificate, and Willow asks, how? Harmony says she still has some connections in Claiborne County, and their record-keeping system is badly outdated, but she called in a few favors, and they’re going to send her a new copy of the birth certificate. Willow says, that’s great news, and hugs Harmony.
Elizabeth says, Peter’s dead? Is Sam absolutely sure? Sam says, according to Dante, yes. Anna saw Peter take his last breath. The WSB has possession of his body, did an autopsy, and they’re filing all of the paperwork. The reign of terror that Peter had is finally over. Finn asks if Elizabeth is okay, but she says she doesn’t know how to answer that. Peter was responsible for so much loss; Franco’s death and Jason’s death, all those months Maxie was kept away from her baby. It just feels like there should be something more. Finn agrees, and says, there’scertainly something appealing about Peter rotting in prison for the rest of his life, alone, knowing the world’s completely forgotten about him. At least there’s no possibility of escape this time. Elizabeth says she thought after all this time she’d feel some kind of closure. She’s relieved, but it doesn’t lessen what they lost. Sam says she knows how Elizabeth feels, and Elizabeth thanks her for telling them. She says, Sam doesn’t have to stick around, but Sam says, the way she sees it, her and Elizabeth had their lives significantly turned upside down in the past year and a half, but Jake and Danny are Jason’s sons, so they’re always going to be connected. Elizabeth sought her out when she found out Jason was marrying Carly, because she knew how Sam felt. What she’s trying to say is, she’ll always have Elizabeth’s back. Elizabeth thanks her, and says she’ll continue to have Sam’s. Sam says she’ll give them some private time, and leaves.
Drew says, he takes it things haven’t gotten any better between Carly and Sonny, and she says, it can’t get much worse than walking in on Sonny in bed with Nina; that was definitely a low point. And when she saw Sonny in bed with Nina, all she wanted to do was run to Jason. He had this way of making her feel like the world wasn’t going to end, even though the sky was falling. But she’s glad she ran into Drew. He has the same touch. He says he was worried he just made everything worse, considering they almost… They flash back to almost kissing, and she says, almost.
Nina is still in the bathroom, and Sonny invites Dante in. Dante says, he doesn’t know if anyone told Sonny, but Peter August is dead. Sonny says, really? and Dante says, he won’t be hurting anyone ever again. He wanted to let Sonny know before the news broke. He has to go to the Quartermaines, and let Monica and Michael know, unless Sonny wants to let Michael know. Sonny says, it’s better coming from Dante. Is he saying Anna took Peter out? Dante says, it was a team effort, and Sonny says, he’s going to check in with Anna; see what’s going on. Nina sees Dante is there, and stays hidden, and Dante says he’s not in any rush, and he knows Peter is the reason Jason is dead. So if Sonny wants to talk… Sonny says, he appreciates the offer, but he’s doing fine. Dante says, he’s not. Everything that’s going on with Carly, and his best friend that he’d normally confide this stuff in, isn’t here anymore. He’s not saying he’s Jason, but he’s here for Sonny. Sonny says he has nothing to talk about; he’s fine. He just wants to be left alone, that’s all. Dante asks if it’s a business problem, or is there another reason Sonny’s trying to get rid of him. Nina listens in.
Drew says, he and Carly made the right call stepping back that night. Whatever hole was drawing them together, he doesn’t want it to jeopardize their friendship. She says, they were both having a really bad night. She thought she’d spend the rest of her life with Sonny, and she’s sure he thought the same thing about Sam. And like that – she snaps her fingers – everything changed. He says, they’re not in the same boat; she and Sonny are married. She shows him the papers, and says, they’re getting a divorce. He says he’s sorry to hear that, and she says, her too. She feels like she didn’t have a choice. She kept asking Sonny over and over again to tell her what happened in Nixon Falls, and he just wouldn’t. He wanted to focus on the present, and she gets that, but when the truth came out, because it always does, she couldn’t believe how many secrets Sonny was keeping from her. Then when she walked in on him in bed with Nina, she had to choose herself. How could she be a good role model for Josslyn and Avery and Donna if she stayed in a marriage where she wasn’t respected? He says he can’t argue with any of that. So that’s it; it’s over? She says, they met with lawyers, and kept it as civilized as they could. They agreed, for Donna and Avery’s sake, they wanted to make it as seamless as possible, but they can’t really do that. Life is complicated. Her mouth drops open, and Drew asks, what is it? She says, she just realized. Does Sonny know Peter is dead? Does he have any idea the man who killed Jason is gone?
Dante says, Sonny should know by now, he can’t push Dante away that easy. He’s seen this before. He knows what it is, and knows walking away would be a bad idea. Sonny says, Dante is right. He shouldn’t have snapped at him like that. He had a bad day yesterday. He met with Carly and the attorneys to hammer out the divorce, and it didn’t go very well, so he’s embarrassed to say, he went out and had a lot of drinks, and he feels like hell today. He’s hung over. No big mystery. Some other time, they can have coffee and talk. Dante says he didn’t now Sonny and Carly were doing divorce proceedings. He’s sorry about that. He loves Sonny, and he’ll check in later. Call if he needs anything. Dante leaves, and Nina comes out. She thanks Sonny for not telling Dante she was here. She doesn’t feel like answering a bunch of questions. He says, she doesn’t owe anybody any explanations, and she says she’s just curious. Why didn’t he tell Dante that she was here? He doesn’t say anything, and she says, right. That’s just proof the kiss was a mistake.
Willow tells Harmony, she’s glad the answer was so simple. She was going crazy; it was like she didn’t exist. Harmony says, the way she raised Willow, it’s her fault, but Willow says, Harmony is a seeker. She asks the big questions, and sincerely wants to find a better way to live, a better way to be in the world. And the underlying impulses are good ones, even if some of the outcomes have been horrible and difficult. Harmony says she’s sorry if this process dredged up some memories of the past, but Willow says, that’s all it is now; the past. She’s glad they can move on together. She takes Harmony’s hand.
Alexis says, she’ll give Shawn two reasons; TJ and Molly. He says, TJ is a full-grown man, and his son wasn’t what he was talking about, and she knows that. When they reconnected last year, it felt like fate. She says, it did? and he says, it felt like they were given a do-over in their relationship, without repeating the same mistakes. She helped him get out of jail; now he’s helping her get some purpose back in life. They’re helping each other get back on track. They care about each other. So is he right? Has there been something bubbling up to the surface in the last few months? She says she hadn’t really thought about it, and he says, liar. She says, does she want him in her life? Absolutely. 100%. But when Neil died, a part of her shut down, and she’s not sure how to turn it back on again. He says, but she’d like to, right? when Sam comes to the door. Shawn says he’ll get Alexis those reports, and greets Sam on his way out. Sam says she hopes she wasn’t interrupting anything.
Finn tells Elizabeth that he doesn’t talk about it much, but he knows better than anyone, you don’t get over losing your spouse. It took him a long, long time to make peace with Rieko’s death. There may be a path forward for her, where she can hang onto the good Franco memories, and keep them with her, and at the same time keep the trauma of his death in the past. She says, if only it was that simple. She hasn’t told him what’s been going on with her, and Franco.
Michael asks, what’s the good word? and Willow says, her mom was able to track down her birth certificate. It should be arriving soon. Harmony says she should get going, and Willow opens the door. Dante is on the porch, and Michael asks what he’s doing here. Dante says he wanted to talk to Michael, and Harmony says she doesn’t need to be here for this, and leaves. Willow says she imagines Dante is here to talk about Sonny and Carly; she’ll give them some privacy. Dante says, actually, she should stay, and Monica as well. It involves all of them. He wanted to be the one person to tell them that Peter is dead. He’ll never hurt anyone again.
Drew tells Carly that he has no idea if Sonny knows about Peter. He’s been kind of busy getting debriefed by the Bureau. Carly hates the thought of looking at Sonny right now, but Jason’s family. She should be the one to tell him that Jason’s death was avenged. He says, if she wants some back-up, he’s happy to go with her. She looks at the family photo again, and he says, or he could break it to Sonny himself and take it off her plate.
Nina says, Peter’s dead? She can’t believe it. He made so many people miserable. What happens now that the horrible nightmare is over; it’s ended. He says, what usually follows an ending is a new beginning, and she says she should go. He grabs her arm, and says, she doesn’t have to go now, but she says she does. Whatever happens next, she hopes he considers cutting down on his drinking, or not drink at all. He deserves to have a clear mind when he figures out what he wants to do next. He says he’ll think about it because he believes he owes her that much, but she says, he doesn’t owe her anything. She touches his face, and says, he owes it to himself.
Finn says, so there was more to this besides the ring. Why didn’t Elizabeth say anything? She says, because she felt like she was imagining things, and he says, but it’s real. Tell him. She says, it was Valentine’s Day. She’d decided to donate the dress she wore when she married Franco. She wasn’t going to wear it again, and it had just been hanging in her closet in a garment bag. When the bag was opened, the dress was torn to shreds. She knows all of this seems so random on a case by case basis, but when you combine the ring, the dress, and this card… He says, it’s a pattern. She shouldn’t dismiss that. She says, she just feels like someone is doing this deliberately, and he asks if she’s sure the boys aren’t upset about them and acting out. She says, Cameron is so happy with Josslyn and PCU, his heart is not in a destructive place. He says, Jake and Aiden, and she says, she asked both of them, and they both insist they had nothing to do with the ring. She knows when her boys are lying, and she doesn’t think they are. She guesses she could ask them again. Finn’s phone dings, and he says he has to check on a patient. He’ll see her back at the house. It’s going to be okay.
Alexis asks if Peter’s death gave Sam any closure, and Sam says, closure and relief. Not only for herself, for the entire city, including Alexis. Peter was the one who gaslit Alexis into thinking Franco was a threat to her. Alexis says, she was drunk when she assaulted Dante, and can’t blame Peter for that. Prison, unfortunately, was a wake-up call that she needed to be sober. Sam says, then she reunited with Shawn. How are things going between the two of them? Alexis says, they’re just good friends. He’s also her boss, so anything beyond that would be inappropriate anyway. Sam says she can accept that, even though Alexis is the happiest Sam’s seen her since Neil died. And the way he died was so sudden and unexpected. Alexis pulled herself together, and keeps moving forward. Neil would want her happy. As a matter-of-fact, Sam thinks Shawn was probably the most stable relationship Alexis has been a part of since Sam’s known her. Alexis says, it’s a pretty low bar she’s set, and Sam says, true, but can’t Shawn be Alexis’s confidante, and not Harmony with all her baggage? She knows Alexis said she was giving Harmony a second chance, but has she really changed?
Harmony sits with the shady guy at Charlie’s, and he says, sorry. That seat’s taken. She says, yeah, by her. She’s seen him handle some shady business here and in the alley. Word on the street is, he’s good at forging documents. He says, maybe. What’s it to her? She says, how good is he at forging a birth certificate?
Elizabeth calls Betsy, and says, she knows it’s been a while. She got Betsy’s card, and has some news she thinks Betsy wants to hear. Is there any way she can come to town and talk in person?
Sam says, she freely admits that Harmony has gone above and beyond to redeem herself. She did help them track down Drew, but there is so much history between her and their family. Alexis says, they’ve been through this, and she appreciates it and understands, but she’s going to stop Sam her. Shawn is her friend, and Harmony has been her friend. She cares about both of them. That’s why she’s so grateful that Sam and the girls, including Shawn (I swear, she said it that way) are accepting the possibility that she may have changed.
Harmony gives a wad of money to shady guy, who says, it’s a pleasure doing business with her. He’ll be in touch when he has something. He leaves, and Harmony gets up. She turns around to see Shawn.
Michael says, this is a long time coming. To Jason. He, Willow, Dante, and Monica lift their glasses, and he says, and to all the people not here to see the justice they deserved. They clink glasses, and say, to Jason. Michael says, now they’ll be able to focus on putting all the people whose lives were torn apart by Peter, back together again.
Sonny says, he’ll think about cutting back for his own well-being, and wants to let Nina know it means a lot that she cares. She says she should know better, but she can’t seem to help herself. Sonny opens the door, and Carly and Drew are there.
On Monday, Shawn tells Harmony to watch her step, Alexis asks if Diane doesn’t trust her judgement, Elizabeth wonders if Jake is trying to tell her something, and Drew says he and Nina aren’t going to talk about Carly.
😲 Oh No She Didn’t…
How dare Kelly shade Queen LVP, she who can do no wrong?
Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome while trying to succeed. – Booker T. Washington
Never be limited by other people’s limited imaginations. – Dr. Mae Jemison, first African-American female astronaut
I have learned over the years that when one’s mind is made up, this diminishes fear. – Rosa Parks
For to be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others. – Nelson Mandela
Racism isn’t born, folks, it’s taught. I have a two-year-old son. You know what he hates? Naps! End of list. – Dennis Leary
I am lucky that whatever fear I have inside me, my desire to win is always stronger. – Serena Williams
If they don’t give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair. – Shirley Chisholm
Life has two rules: number 1, never quit! Number 2, always remember rule number one. – Duke Ellington
Black history isn’t a separate history. This is all of our history, this is American history, and we need to understand that. It has such an impact on kids and their values and how they view black people. – Karyn Parsons
True heroism is remarkably sober, very undramatic. It is not the urge to surpass all others at whatever cost, but the urge to serve others at whatever cost. – Arthur Ashe
A man without knowledge of himself and his heritage is like a tree without roots. – Dick Gregory
The soul that is within me no man can degrade. – Frederick Douglass
☁️ Drifting To Dreamland…
See you at Deadtime, but until then, stay safe, stay supporting equality for all, and stay not saying, I found your birth certificate, when what you really mean is, you’re not my biological daughter.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
In her office, Carly looks at her divorce papers, and flashes back to her and Sonny in their better/younger days. They dance on the terrace. Ava comes to the door, and says, you rang? Carly asks Ava to have a seat, but Ava says she’ll stand. Unless the news is really that bad. Carly says, just the opposite. She’s about to make Ava’s day.
Sonny wakes up on the couch, and sees Nina sitting in a chair next to him. She says, they have to stop meeting like this.
At the gym, Marshall is out of breath, and Curtis asks if he’s good. Marshall says he is, but Curtis gives him some water. Marshall says he thinks he went at it a little too hard, when Drew walks in. Curtis says, the man of the hour.
Robert whips Mac’s wheelchair through the hospital, and Mac sarcastically tells him to take the curves a little faster. Robert asks, since when did Mac become a grandpa? and Mac says, since he became a grandpa. He reminds Robert that he’s one too, by the way. Robert says, and proud of it. They hear Stella laugh, and she says, attention everyone. Time to get loud in here. They all applaud, as Anna and Felicia walk in, and Stella shakes their hands, saying, they’re amazing. Mac gets up, and Felicia asks what he’s doing; sit back down. He asks who’s going to make him, and hugs her. Robert can tell Anna doesn’t seem too happy.
Brook picks up Mr. Snuggles and looks at Chase. Ned asks if there’s anything he can do, but she says, nothing. He asks if he can’t warm up a bottle or something, but she says she means it. She has everything under control, and he can go home. Ned says he think he’ll stay if they don’t mind, and Chase says he thinks it’s a great idea. Brook says she just doesn’t want him to get all… He says, what? and she says, emotional. She knows how he feels about Bailey. What if he falls apart? Ned says, then he falls apart. In due time, he’ll pull himself back together. The doorbell rings, and Chase asks if Brook is ready. She opens the door to Maxie, and they hug. Brook says, it’s good to see her. She was so worried. Ned says, they all were. Did she just land? Maxie says she did. She dropped her mom off at GH, so she could see Mac, and came straight there. Ned says, this might sound like a dumb question, but how is she doing? Maxie asks how much time he has, and Brook says she can’t even wrap her mind around it. First, Maxie saves the baby from Peter, then Peter kidnaps her and hauls her halfway around the world, and then she goes toe-to-toe with the psychopath and comes out on top. Maxie says, she could sleep for a week, but there really was no other option. She had to get home to her daughter, or die trying. Brook says they’re really glad it was option A, and Maxie says, her too. Chase says, and that this whole Peter nightmare is over, and Maxie says, Peter won’t be threatening Louise or anyone ever again. Her mom and Anna made sure of it.
Mac and Felicia kiss, and Stella tells everyone to get back to work. You never know what these two will get into. Robert tells Mac to get his butt back in the chair before he finishes up in ICU. Felicia says, Robert’s right, but Mac says he just wants one more look to make sure she’s in one piece. She says she’s fine, and Robert says he hopes the same can’t be said for Peter. Felicia tells Mac to get back to his room, and she’ll fill them in on everything. Mac says he wants every detail, and Felicia wheels him away. Robert tells Anna, he figures Mac is probably good for another hundred years at least. Hopefully, Maxie stays safe and Peter stays dead. By the way, he’s nominated her to get the keys to the city. She says, he didn’t, and he says, sure did. She says, then unnominate her.
Portia tells Stella, that was exciting. Now back to reality. What can she get Stella? Stella says her doctor is out of town, and his fill-in wants to change up her blood thinner. She’d ask TJ, but she can’t track him down. Portia says she’s more than happy to help Stella, and Stella says, not one, but two doctors in the family. Portia says, the family, and Stella says, so-to-speak, but she hears things might be moving in that direction. She hopes Portia has room enough in that house for Curtis and his oversized pride.
Drew tells Curtis not to go overboard. He was more a glorified bystander in that whole thing. Curtis says, glorified bystanders don’t get caught in a gunfight and save the day, and Marshall says, Drew better get used to those praises. He hears they’re calling for a national holiday. Curtis says, Drew remembers Marshall, and they shake hands. Drew says he and Marshall met about a month ago at The Savoy, but they never got a chance to talk. Marshall says, that’s because Drew’s been busy with those heroics he doesn’t want to talk about. It’s impressive that he was able to go adventuring at all. He’s one of the precious few who could cross Sonny Corinthos and live to tell about it.
Nina gives Sonny some water and aspirin, and he says she might want to leave the whole bottle. She says, that bad, and he says he’s had worse. When did she get here? She says, last night; he asked her to bring him home. He says, last night? and she says, he was at Charlie’s, and he was wasted, as the kids say – if they still say it like that – and he called her and left a message. Any of this ring a bell? He says, sometimes he overdoes it, and it gets a little hazy, and she asks if that worries him. He asks if she was here all night, and she says, yeah; it’s becoming a pattern. He says, did we… but she says, no. She just wanted to make sure he was okay, but now that he’s up, she has to get going. He grabs her hand and says, she doesn’t have to go.
Ava tells Carly, that’s some bait. Almost enough to get her to walk into a trap. Carly says, it’s not a trap. Would she have a seat so they can do this? Ava says, let’s do this, and sits. She asks what Carly could possibly say that would brighten her day, and Carly says, she and Sonny are getting a divorce. Ava says she wasn’t expecting news of that magnitude, and Carly says, she had no idea? Ava says she knew there were issues, and those issues weren’t so easily smoothed over, and Carly says, Ava’s little friend Nina has kept her in the loop. Ava says, the subject’s come up, and Carly asks if that’s because Nina won’t stop talking about it, or has Ava been coaching her all along?
Portia says, Stella heard correctly. Curtis is going to be living with her until they find a place of their own. Stella says, big step, and Portia says, one that they’re both excited to take. Stella says she can’t wait for the housewarming, and Portia says, really? Stella says, Curtis is ready. He acts all independent, but he’s a homebody at heart. Besides, he could use a break from looking after her, and get himself looked after for a change. Portia says, she’s got the wrong girl for that, but Stella says she’s not asking Portia to coddle him; just keep an eye out. Portia says, an eye out for what? and Stella says, trouble.
Drew says, things got a little dicey at The Savoy that night, but that was a one-off, and Curtis says, he thinks it was less about the club than the current state of Sonny’s marriage. Drew says, exactly. Despite what Marshall saw, he and Sonny go way back. That behavior’s not him. Marshall says he’ll take Drew’s word for that, and Drew says, Sonny is actually a pretty considerate guy, and generous to a fault. If Marshall got to know him, he’d probably agree. Marshall says, he thinks he’ll pass. It’s been his experience that guys like Sonny are generous because they have an awful lot to make up for. Curtis looks at Marshall.
Nina says she has a meeting, but Sonny tells her, postpone it; she’s the boss. She says, a boss with a reputation in dire need of rehab. He asks, for what? and she says, leaving her whole staff in the lurch, and general irresponsibility. He says, she’s not irresponsible. He wouldn’t be here otherwise. At least let him thank her for bringing him home, and make her breakfast. Come on. She says, on two conditions, and he says, name it. She says she really needs a side of hot sauce. He says, she’s got it, and she says, and a huge helping of honesty.
Ava says, leave it to Carly to somehow make her divorce Ava’s fault, but Carly says, no. It’s Nina and Sonny’s fault; they’re consenting adults. No one forced can force them to lie, much less hop into bed together. But she can’t help wondering if Ava gave Nina advice on how to make that happen. Ava says, so Carly called her over here to give her the news about the divorce, and interrogate her about her association with Nina? Carly says, that’s not why she called Ava here, and Ava says, then why? Carly says, Avery.
Anna says, Robert has no business making a spectacle of her life, and he says, Peter ran hell on this town, and the good citizens have a right to know that it’s over, and what better than the hero herself to tell them? She says she’s not a hero. She doesn’t know what he’s envisioning here; a blow-by-blow account of Peter’s last moments? She doesn’t know what anyone wants her to say. He says, what about the truth? and she says, the truth is, she never did right by him, ever, and now he’s dead. She just let him die. She tears up, and says, oh my God, it’s not something she’s proud of
Ned says, that was quite the adventure, and Maxie says, that’s one word for it. Ned says, he’s so relived they all made it back in one piece. Is there anything she needs; anything they ca do for her? She says, no. It’s finally her turn to do something for them. Take her daughter home.
After breakfast, Sonny tells Nina, sorry about the eggs; they’re not his best. She tells him that he’s already breaking the deal – straight talk. These eggs were perfection. Clearly, he hasn’t lost his touch. She looks around, and says, this place is truly striking, and he says, for years he barely used it. She says, he kept it anyway, and he says, it holds a lot of memories. She says, his connection with his friend Stone, and Sonny says, Stone was his best friend. He misses Stone. He used to come here, and spend time to himself. She says, a refuge of sorts, and he says, something like that. Now it’s just home. She asks what he means, and he shows her the divorce papers, and says, it’s over.
Carly says, Ava is going to hear it from Sonny, so she might as well hear it from Carly now. Sonny’s moving out. He’s going to take Avery with him to his penthouse at Harborview Towers. Ava says, and Carly will stay with Donna at the lake house, and Carly says, yes. She hates the idea of Avery being away from her home and her sister. Ava says, Avery adores Donna, and Carly says, they need to come up with a way Donna doesn’t suffer, but Ava says, Avery loves Carly. There’s no getting around it. She is going to suffer. Carly asks, how do they make her suffer less?
Felicia says she has the feeling Mac is going to pay a price for that smooth move of his, but he says, it was worth it. She agrees, and he says, when he realized she took off to go after Maxie… She says, he was jealous? and he says, he was terrified. Promise she’ll never do anything like that again, not without him. She says, that depends, and he says, on what? She says, whether he promises not to go to the OR or emergency surgery again. He says he’ll try, and she says, then she will too. They kiss, and he asks when he gets to see their girl. She says, not until their girl sees her girl. Maxie is picking up Louise as they speak. He says Felicia could have gone, and she says she knows, but this was something Maxie had to do alone.
Ned tells Maxie, the baby was napping, so it might take a minute to get her up and ready. Is this how she imagined this moment, getting her daughter back? She says, no, never. She never imagined it at all actually. She would imagine this whole thing being over. She imagined Peter dying lots of times. She got creative with it. He bit it in all kinds of ways. Hyenas, comets, dunked in a fryer – Ned laughs – sandblasted even. He says, she did get creative, and she says, she had three deaths for every letter of the alphabet, so she imagined Peter dying a lot. But when she got to the part where she’d bring Louise home, everything would go dark. He wonders why, and she says, the more time that went on, the less sure she felt Louise would want come home with her, and if that were the case, would she be strong enough to leave her here with Brook? Ned says, Louise is hers, and Maxie says, is she though? Brook is the only mother she’s known. Brook and Chase bring Louise in.
Portia tells Stella, sorry, it was a false alarm. Where were they? Stella says, trouble, and Portia says she assumes Stella is talking about Curtis’s father Marshall. Stella says, yeah. For all his bluster, Curtis is a sensitive soul, and he’s vulnerable too, especially to Marshall. She’s afraid Curtis wants his father so badly, he’ll ignore all the signs telling him not to get too close. Portia says, Stella is making it sound like Marshall is out to hurt Curtis. Is he?
Marshall suspects Curtis and Drew could use a minute to talk, and he sure as hell could use a minute to catch his breath. Drew says he hopes to see more of Marshall, and Marshall says, maybe Drew will catch a gig. He’s rehearsing with a band; they’re almost ready to go public. He’ll get Drew front row seats. Drew says, that would be awesome, and Marshall says, once he finds a venue, and coughs. Curtis says, subtle, and Marshall says, subtlety is his specialty, and heads for the showers. Drew says, so Curtis is making progress, and Curtis says, one day at a time, with zero expectations. Drew asks if Curtis caught the little scrap of information, and Curtis says, about having experience with men like Sonny? Drew says, yeah, and asks if Curtis is still digging into Marshall’s past. Curtis says, he had to let that go. Partly because he hit a wall, but the other part was, he was wondering if what he knows already is enough. Drew says, turning over more rocks could risk what Curtis has already built; he gets that. Curtis says, and he’s building a lot more. He and Portia are moving in together. Drew congratulates him, and says, Portia’s a lucky woman. Curtis says, not if what Marshall’s hiding comes back to bite him, and Portia by association. Drew says, his offer stands. Say the word, and he’ll put his plan into place.
Carly says, as far as she knows, Sonny has no plans to restrict Ava’s access to Avery when he moves out, and Ava says, she certainly hopes not. Carly says, but it’s Sonny, and he can change at a moment’s notice, so if Sonny tries to come between Ava and Avery, she can lobby on Ava’s behalf. Ava says, lobby to keep a child with her mother, how charitable, and Carly tells her, she’s just saying. Ava says, and in return? She ensures Avery’s presence in Ava’s life in exchange for what? Carly says, her presence in Avery’s. She doesn’t want to take any of Ava’s time away from Avery; she just want to see her. Ava says, Carly could certainly be a useful ally, but why should she bargain for Carly’s diminishing influence over Sonny, when her little friend Nina has much, much more?
Nina says, she’s so sorry, and Sonny says, they’re all sorry. She asks how he feels, and he says, his head feels better. He doesn’t think it’s hit him yet. She says, it certainly hit him last night. He doesn’t remember anything? He shrugs, and she takes out her phone, putting it on the table. She plays the message that he left for her, and he says he shouldn’t have done that. She says, what? Don’t call her? That’s not what bothers her. He says, something is bothering her, and she says, yes; his drinking.
Anna tells Robert, the sad truth is, Peter was her responsibility, and she failed him, and everyone he ever hurt. Go on, just say it. Get it off his chest. He says he would, if he knew what she was talking about, and she says, she’s done everyone a service, and shouldn’t spend another moment thinking about Peter. He’s gone; forget it. Move on with her life, blah-blah-blah, something like that, isn’t it? He says, she’s got one part wrong. The part about Peter being gone.
Chase says he loves Louise’s sleepy eyes after a nap, and Maxie smiles at Louise. Chase says he found a couple of things in the garage that he forgot to pack up for Felicia, so… Ned says, he’ll help load the car, and they leave. Maxie says, there’s nothing in garage, is there? and Brook says, not that she’s aware of. Maxie asks if Louise slept okay, and Brook says, she slept great. It took her a while to get used to the room here, but music always helps. Put on some Springsteen lullabies, and she conks right out. Maxie says she didn’t know that; Brook knows everything. Brook says, she’ll teach Maxie. Lesson number one. She loves to be held. She gives Louise to Maxie, and asks if Louise knows who that is. That’s her mommy.
Mac wonders what’s taking so long, and Felicia says, Maxie will take as much time as she needs. It’s been almost a year coming. Mac says, exactly. Sue him if he’s anxious about seeing his family intact again. He asks if Felicia thinks Brook is making this difficult for Maxie. He could send a couple of units over there to take care of it… Felicia snatches his phone out of his hand, and shoves it in a water-filled vase of flowers, and says, he was saying? He says, that was a bold move, and she says she’s capable of taking bold action when necessary. He says, just ask Peter August.
Chase looks in through the door glass, and tells Ned that he thinks they’re smiling. Is that a laugh or are they crying? Does Ned think they should go in there? Ned says, give them another minute, and Chase asks if he’s not worried about Brook. Ned says, of course (🍷) he is, but she can’t avoid what’s about to happen, nor can they make it better. Chase hopes Ned is wrong about that last part, and Ned says, all they can do is be there for her. He asks, what’s next? and Chase says, today or… Ned says, for Chase; for his future. The charade of him and Brook living together is now over. Maxie’s taking her daughter back home, so there’s no reason for them to live together, right? Chase flashes back to kissing Brook, and Ned says, so what is Chase going to do, now that they’re going their separate ways?
Brook says, she’s put together some notes on their girl’s likes and dislikes; everything Maxie needs to know about Bailey… Louise. She’s sorry. Maxie tells her, stop, and Brook promises she’s going to get it. Maxie says, Brook already has it. Her daughter has had one name her whole life. Maxie’s not going to take it away from her. Brook says, but she’s Louise; Maxie named her for Lulu, to honor her friend. Maxie says Brook is her friend too. She looks at her baby and says, so starting now, baby girl, your name is Bailey Louise. What does Brook think? Brook says she loves it.
Drew lifts free-weights, and tells Curtis, he really thinks it could work. It’s as simple as offering his dad a job, and then the clearance and the paperwork necessitate that he has to reveal something about his past. It’s not rocket science. Curtis says, but it has its advantages, and Drew says, he thinks it’s bad to go around asking questions because it could get back to Marshall. Curtis says, so Marshall has to answer the questions directly and honestly, and Drew says, that’s assuming Marshall doesn’t pick up on the plan. Curtis says, with Drew at the helm, all it takes is a soft touch, and Drew’s got that in spades. Drew says, so he’s in? and Curtis asks if Drew is sure he’s down for this. He has a lot on his plate without Curtis piling more. Drew says, he just went all the way to Europe to clean off that plate, and Curtis says, is it clean though? Peter’s gone, but is it done? Drew says, there may be one or two things left on his to-do list.
Sonny says, now he’s an alcoholic, and Nina tells him, she didn’t say that, and he says, good; don’t. She says, they had a deal, and he says he’s been honest with her the whole time. She says, he drinks too much… and he says, he turns down drinks all the time. She says, let her finish. He drinks too much for someone on mood stabilizing medication. He says, she’s a doctor now? and she says, no, she’s a patient. She’s had her own lapses. He says she can’t compare them, and she says she’s not; she’s remembering. Take as instructed, swallow pills whole, and do not mix with alcohol. He says, he’s been managing his medication, and she asks if he managed it last night, when he couldn’t stand straight and was slurring his words? Or when he stopped taking his medication altogether?
Ava says, for years, Carly has waged war on her. Carly has confronted, attacked her in public. She’s conspired to keep Ava’s child away from her, using the very same tactics she used to keep Nina away from her grandson. Carly says, my grandson, and Ava says, now Carly seeks her assistance to ensure she’s not the one shut out by Sonny and his new lady. Carly says, Nina is always one traffic jam away from a meltdown and a straightjacket. Carly has outlasted every one of Sonny’s affairs. Every. Single. One. So ask herself this, does Ava really want to test the flavor of the month against her?
Stella tells Portia, her concerns are what ifs. She doesn’t know anything for certain. Portia says, no offense, but it sounds like she does. How would Marshall hurt Curtis? Stella says, he wouldn’t; not intentionally. But this secret past he’s dragging around just might. Portia says, and Stella knows nothing about it. Stella says, no more than Portia does. Marshall was gone for 40 years. Now he’s back, with some vague story, hinting there’s trouble in his wake. Does Portia really need to know more than that to be worried? Portia says, no, not really, and Stella tells her, just keep your ears open. That’s all she asks. She thanks Portia for the consult, and Portia says, any time.
Curtis punches the heavy bag, when Marshall comes back. He asks if Curtis and Drew had a nice catch up, and Drew says they did, but unfortunately, he has to cut it short. He’s got stuff to do. Marshall says he’ll be looking for Drew at that gig, but Drew says, he’d love to see Marshall sooner than that. Give him a call; get his number from Curtis. He might have a proposition for Marshall. He and Curtis throw some fake punches, and Drew leaves.
Anna asks what Robert is talking about. Peter is gone. She saw him take his last breath. He’s dead. They sit, and Robert says, dead, definitely; gone, he doesn’t know about that. He sees Peter sitting on her shoulder, dripping doubts in her ear. All the while, he’s got this shadow he’s draped around her neck with regret. Anna asks him to answer something honestly, and he says, of course (🍷). She says, doesn’t he think she bears some responsibility for the way Peter turned out, and all the blood he spilled? Robert says, he doesn’t. Anna tried to save him, and nearly got herself killed. He takes her hand and says, next time around, do them all a big favor and give her heart to some guy who deserves her love. She cries, and he says, not Valentin Cassadine. She laughs, and says, he’s so weird.
Mac asks if Felicia is okay, and she says she’s great. He says, it wouldn’t surprise him if she felt some aftershocks after what went down. She says she did what she did for her family and friends, and doesn’t regret it for one second. If that makes her cold and unfeeling, so be it. He says, it makes her neither of those things, and he’ll prove it to her. They kiss.
Maxie says she guesses it’s time go, and asks if Chase and Brook want to say goodbye. Chase tells her, he’ll say see you later. They’ll have tons of playdates, right? Maxie says, as many as they can manage, and thanks all of them for everything they did, everything gave up. It means everything to her. Bailey is cracking me up, the way she’s looking from one of them to the next, and Brook thanks Maxie for trusting them with little Bailey Louise. Maxie says, one more thing about the names… and Brook says, don’t keep it on her account, but Maxie says she meant Brook’s name. If she’s going be mommy, Brook should be mama; Mama Brook Lynn. Through her tears, Brook says, really? She can live with that. She kisses Bailey’s head, and Maxie says, all right, Baby Lou, let’s get out of here. She leaves, Brook cries, and Ned holds her.
Ava says, when Sonny was gone, she and Carly worked together for Avery’s well-being. She sees no reason to change course now. She loves her daughter, and her daughter loves Carly. She says she’ll see to it that Carly remains a part of Avery’s life, and leaves.
Sonny tells Nina, what happened last night was on him, not his meds, but she says, they’re one in the same; he knows that. His meds keep him level, and make him responsible, but not if he overindulges. Case in point. Would he have called her last night if he hadn’t been drinking? He says he would have called her sober, and she says, really? That would have been a first. He’s looking down the barrel of a divorce because he played fast and free with his meds. He says, she doesn’t know that; he doesn’t know that. What he does know is, right now he’s going through a divorce, and Nina is here. She says, he’s changing the subject, and he asks what the subject was. She says she can’t remember right now, and he takes her hand. He hugs her, then they kiss.
Tomorrow, Sam tells Dante, she’s going to hold him to that; Elizabeth tells Finn, something big is going on; Harmony says she has something to tell Willow; and Carly asks, what happened?
🏥 Dead, But Not Gone…
I still don’t trust it. They’re never really dead. I still keep expecting Faison to show up again, even though Doc took his brain out of his body.
Calling it an early (for me) night, but coming back tomorrow for soap, freshly brewed tea, quotes, and the usual music offering. Until then, stay safe, stay protective of creatures that are small in the world, and stay always giving your heart to someone who deserves it.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Anna and Drew approach Felicia’s car, guns drawn. The car is empty, and Drew says, it looks like there’s an abandoned car with no damage. Maybe this car crashed, and the other one stopped to help? She says, or that one ran this one off the road, and he says, maybe Maxie’s running away from Peter.
On the embankment, Peter tells Maxie, he doesn’t have much time. Someone picked up his trail. Now climb back up here… Now. She tells him to hear her. She would rather die than go one more step with him. So go ahead, pull the trigger. But when he does, it’s the end of telling himself there’s one shred of goodness left in him, or that he can turn his life around. If he’s going to kill her because she doesn’t love him, admit he’s a monster. He says, she was supposed to save him. Instead, she abandoned him. This is all her fault. Felicia runs out of the woods behind Peter, and whacks him in the head with a tire iron. He tumbles down the embankment, the gun flying from his hand. Maxie goes down the stairs, and says, Peter? She picks up his gun, and tells him that she has it, but he doesn’t move. Felicia asks if he’s dead, but Maxie says she doesn’t know.
At the hospital, Austin asks if they’ve heard anything about Maxie, but Britt says, nothing yet. He says, if it ends up Maxie gets hurt because of something he’s done, he’s never going to be able to live with himself. Brook walks up with Chase, and she says, he thinks this is his fault? She should have known. What did he do now?
Sonny goes into Charlie’s, and sits at the bar. Bartender Johnny says he hates to disappoint, but Phyllis isn’t here. Sonny says he’s sorry to miss Phyllis, but he’s not here for her. He’s here for that. He points to the scotch, and says, scotch, single-malt, make it a double.
Sasha sits in Kelly’s, working, and Nina runs into Lucy outside. Lucy fans herself (with an actual fan) and says, isn’t this warm day absolutely glorious? They could have the meeting outside if they wanted to. Nina says she thinks that might be pushing it, but it’s nice not to have a coat and gloves. She suggests they go inside, saying, maybe they have air conditioning. Lucy grabs Nina’s arm, and says she really wants to talk to Nina first. Nina asks if they can talk inside; Sasha’s waiting. Lucy says, Sasha’s what she wants to talk about.
Mac is on the phone, when Robert walks into his room. Robert asks who he’s talking to, and Mac says he’s trying to reach Felicia. He should have known better than to think she’d be okay with standing on the sidelines, when Maxie’s missing with Peter. Come on, Felicia, pick up.
Felicia asks if Peter is breathing, but Maxie says she can’t tell. Felicia comes down the stairs, and takes Peter’s gun from Maxie. Anna calls to Maxie, and asks if she’s all right. She asks Felicia what she’s doing here, and Drew runs down to check Peter’s pulse. Drew says, he’s still alive, and Anna asks what Felicia is doing here. Drew says, he’s barely breathing, and Peter groans. Anna, Felicia, and Drew keep their guns on him.
Brando says, it’s good to see Sonny, and sits next to him. Sonny says, is it? and Brando asks if everything is okay. Sonny asks if Brando wants to join him in a drink, and Brando says, okay. Sonny says he was going to call Brando, but then lost track of time, but Brando says Sonny doesn’t have to check in. After everything that went down with Liam, it’s about as well as can be expected. Sonny doesn’t need to keep tabs on him. Sonny says Brando isn’t an obligation. He’s family, and family takes care of each other when times are tough. They remind you that you’re not alone. Brando says, in that case, this family thing’s a two-way street. If Sonny ever needs to talk… Sonny says he had a bad day, but Brando has a lot on his plate; losing Liam, and Sasha pulling away from him. Brando says he did make a little progress on that front. He and Sasha actually talked. Now he’s hopeful they’ll still have a future together.
A woman comes up to Sasha’s table, and says she hasn’t seen Sasha in ages. Sasha says, hi, Sienna. She tells Sienna hat she’s really been busy with work, and Sienna says, busy, huh? If Sasha needs anything… Sasha says, no thanks; she doesn’t do that anymore. Sienna says, no worries, but if Sasha ever needs a little pick-me-up to help her with all that work, Sasha’s got her number. Sasha thanks her, and Sienna goes to the counter.
Nina says, what’s wrong with Sasha? Other than the obvious, she’s grieving over the loss of her baby. Lucy says, yeah, that’s just it. This meeting she called. It’s after hours, and Sasha called her yesterday and made her pitch. She told Sasha it was really unnecessary. They can’t move ahead with the IPO until Maxie is found, so there’s really nothing new to discuss. Except maybe she should be cuddling up to Martin right now, instead of discussing new marketing strategy. Nina says, this is what she was afraid of. Sasha throwing herself into work so she doesn’t drown in grief over losing Liam.
Brook says, after everything she and Maxie did to keep Maxie’s daughter safe, Austin blows it by buddying up to Victor Cassadine? Austin says, he didn’t buddy up. He’s not buddies with that guy, and Brook has no right to judge him after everything she’s done. She lies so much, he’s surprised she and Victor aren’t buddies and BFFs. Chase suggests taking it down a notch, and Britt agrees. They’re all stressed and worried about Maxie. The two of them sniping at each other doesn’t help. Brook says, Britt’s right. Now is not the time. Austin agrees, and says, the only thing that matters is Maxie getting home safe.
Drew says, if Peter doesn’t get medical attention soon, he’s not going to make it. He realizes it’s not going to be a great loss; he’s just saying. Anna says she’ll take care of it, and steps away. Peter says, Maxie… and Drew says, you, shut up, and steps in front of the women. He tells Peter, shut up and stay still. They’re calling him an ambulance, believe it or not. Peter croaks out, Maxie, please wait.
Sonny raises his glass, and says, to things getting better for Brando. Brando clinks his beer bottle against Sonny’s glass, and thanks him. Sonny says, he knows what it’s like to lose a child, but at least Brando has Sasha to lean on. Brando says he’s trying to, but like he said, he wants to be there for Sonny too. He asks if this is about Carly, and Sonny says, this? indicating his glass. He hasn’t had a great day. He was with Carly the last part of the day, with her attorney and his attorney to hammer out a deal. They’re getting a divorce. He doesn’t want it; shewants it.She wants to cut her losses. The only thing she wants from the marriage is the house by the lake, and joint custody of Donna. He’s going to spend time with Avery at the penthouse, so they’re going to see less of each other, and Avery, all because their dad messed up. Brando says, they know Sonny loves them, and Sonny asks how Brando knows that. Brando says he’s seen Sonny with them; it’s pretty obvious. Sonny says, you should never assume the person you love knows how you feel, and drains his glass. He says, like Brando and Sasha. He’s glad they talked. What’s next? When is Brando going to see her again? Brando says, they hadn’t really talked about anything, and Sonny turns to him with a smile, and says, Brando has to change that. They’re making progress, and Brando has to show her how much he loves her.
Nina and Lucy sit with Sasha, and Nina says, she’s intrigued. What was so urgent, it couldn’t wait until tomorrow? Sasha says she knows they’re in a holding pattern with the IPO, but they have to be ready to hit the ground running once Maxie is back. Nina says, Sasha… but Sasha barrels on, saying, she has some ideas, but they’re more of a jumping off point. She hands them some folders.
Chase and Brook come into Mac’s room with Louise/Bailey, and Brook asks if anyone is up for a visit. Chase says, they tried driving her around to get her to sleep, but no dice, so they brought her here for a visit. Mac says he’s always thrilled to see his granddaughter, and introduces Robert to his great-niece Louise. Brook says, for right now, she responds to Bailey. They’re trying to call her Louise from time to time. (Here’s a suggestion. How about calling her Bailey/Louise for a while?) Robert says, look at that face; she looks just like Maxie. Brook says, she does, doesn’t she? and Chase says, speaking of which, have they heard any news? Mac says, not yet, and Brook asks, where’s Felicia? Mac says, that’s a very good question.
Peter whimpers Maxie’s name, and she asks if he’s wanting her sympathy. She strides over to him, saying, five minutes ago, he tried to kill her. All he’s done is leave a trail of destruction and broken lives. Liesl paid for his crimes; Drew lost two years of his life. Jason and Franco are dead thanks to him. It’s his turn now, and he deserves it. Peter says, please believe him. He never wanted this to happen. Drew says, he’s so wrong. Maxie is so far out of his reach; so is his child. He doesn’t get it. He survived this, and he’s going to spend the rest of his life in a cell, which Drew has to admit he finds kind of fitting. He knows Peter will have it so much better than he and Jason did, when they were in captivity, but they knew they were innocent. They had lives to come back to. Peter has nothing. He did it to himself. There’s nobody left to care about him. Nobody. Anna comes back, and says, medics are on the way, and asks if everybody is all right. Drew says, yeah, and she tells him to lead Felicia and Maxie up to the road. Felicia asks if she’s in trouble, but Anna says, no; they’ll sort it out. It was self-defense. She was saving her daughter’s life. Peter whimpers to Maxie that he’s scared, but Maxie says she’s leaving. She, Felicia, and Drew go up the stairs, and Peter says, Maxie, please. They leave, and Anna stays behind. Peter says, it’s just you and me, and Anna says, yeah. Just the two of us.
Lucy says she’s impressed, and Nina says, her too. Obviously, Sasha has been putting in a lot of hours and research. Lucy’s phone rings, and she says, it’s Marty, and asks if they’ll excusez-moi. She says she’ll be right back, and leaves. Nina says she had no idea Sasha knew so much about IPOs, but Sasha says she didn’t until recently. It’s amazing how much information you can get online. Nina says she hasn’t seen Brando around much lately. How’s he doing? Sasha says, she’s been avoiding him… but not anymore. They had a good talk. Even though seeing Brando makes her think about Liam, she knows Brando needs her, and she wants to be there for him. She loves Brando, and doesn’t want to lose him too.
Brando tells Sonny that he and Sasha grieve differently, and he doesn’t want to push her into something she’s not ready for. Sonny says he doesn’t want Brando to push her, but he has to let her know he wants to get together. It’s not good to be alone. Brando says, Sasha told him that she’s been avoiding him because she can’t look at him without being reminded of Liam. Sonny says, they need a change of scenery. Brando’s got to take her out of town, someplace romantic, and let her know how great they are together. He’s got a place in Niagara Falls; he’ll hook Brando up. Brando says, he likes the sound of that, but Sasha might not be feeling romantic. Sonny says, if Brando thinks she’s slipping away, he has to keep her close, because time apart is not good for anyone. Brando can trust him on that.
Peter asks if Anna is staying with him to gloat, but she says he’s her responsibility. She protected him when she believed that he could change. He says she’s always been so soft-hearted, and she says she does try to find the good in people – she crouches down next to him – even though some people don’t have any good in them. They embrace their evil tendencies until it controls them. He’s so like his father. Obsessed, entitled, convinced that he can just take whatever he wants. While he’s still alive, Maxie and Louise can never truly feel safe. He says she didn’t call the ambulance, did she? and she says, no, there’s no ambulance coming. She did, however, call the WSB to tell them that he’d been apprehended. She made it clear that the location wasn’t secure, and they shouldn’t approach. He says, so, a killer in the end, but she says, it depends on your perspective. He says, so now what? She walks away and leaves him to die? She says, no one deserves to die alone, not even him. She does hope wherever he winds up, he finds some measure of peace. He lifts his hand as much as he can, and she takes it. He breathes his last, and she cries a little, and says she’s sorry. She closes his eyes, and checks his pulse. She cries a little more, and says, it’s over. Goodbye, Peter. She goes up the stairs, and Peter lies in the snow.
Brook asks Chase, can you believe it? All that driving around, and she’s still awake. Mac’s phone rings, and he says, it’s Felicia. He asks if she’s all right, and she says she’s fine, and much more important, she found Maxie. She’s fine. He says, thank God, and Brook says, what does that mean? Did she find Maxie? Mac says he’s going to put Felicia on speaker. Brook’s here and so is Robert. Can she repeat what she just said? Felicia says, she found Maxie, and they’re both fine. Someone wants to say hello. She gives the phone to Maxie, who asks, how’s Louise? Mac says, she’s three feet away from him in her stroller. He holds out the phone, and says, look, Brook and Chase are here. Brook says she’s so glad Maxie is okay, and Chase says, her daughter is safe and sound, and she’s going to be thrilled to see her. Robert says, this is great news, but he has to ask the big question. What happened to Peter? Chase says, please don’t tell him Peter got away again, but Maxie says, for once, Peter did not get away. Mac asks what that means, and Maxie says, Peter was about to shoot her, and mom attacked him with a tire iron. Mac says, that bastard didn’t hurt her, but she says she’s fine. Anna is with him. She called an ambulance and they’re waiting to go to the hospital. Robert says, she means he’s still alive? and Maxie says, for now. He’s badly injured, and might not make it.
Sonny looks at Carly’s name in his phone contacts, and says, bad idea. He tells Johnny, another one, and Johnny says, got it.
Brando comes into Kelly’s, and approaches Sasha’s table. He says, sorry to interrupt. He sees they’re having a work meeting. Nina says, Sasha wanted to talk about some issues tonight, and Sasha says, they were just wrapping things up. Lucy says, we were? We were… just wrapping things up. Good to see him. What a good meeting; they got a lot done, didn’t they? Okay, ta. She leaves, and Nina says she’s going too. She tells Sasha to call if she needs to talk, and says, it’s nice to see Brando. She leaves, and he sits down. He says he can really clear a room, and Sasha says she’s happy to see him. He says, good. It gives him some hope… that she’ll agree to run away with him.
Drew says Felicia and Maxie have to take him through what happened. How did they find each other? Maxie says, it’s all thanks to her mom. She remembered a place Peter loved, a place he was sent in his summers away from boarding school. She caught a plane to Europe to check it out. Felicia says, meanwhile, Maxie ran away from Peter. She made it to the road and flagged down a car. Maxie says she was obviously surprised to find the driver was her mom, and Felicia says, they headed to the Autobahn, when suddenly she saw headlights in the rearview mirror. They were getting closer and closer. Drew says, Peter, and Felicia says, he ran her car off the road. Maxie says she thought her mom was hurt, and wanted to lead Peter away from her, so she went to the embankment. Felicia says, she wasn’t hurt. She just had the wind knocked out of her from the airbag. But once she caught her breath, she grabbed a tire iron from the trunk. She went down to the embankment, heard gunfire, and there was Peter, ready to shoot her daughter, and she did not hesitate for one second. She swung that tire iron as hard as she could. She doesn’t think she’s ever hit anything as hard in her entire life. Peter went down the embankment, and Drew knows the rest. Anna comes out of the woods, and asks if everything is all right. Maxie says, the ambulance hasn’t gotten here yet. What’s going on with Peter? Anna puts her hands on Maxie’s shoulders, and says, Peter is dead. Maxie asks if she’s sure, and Anna says she watched him take his last breath. She holds Maxie, and I wonder if Peter is going to be like Michael Myers and disappear.
Brook tells Britt, Austin, and Obrecht, good news. They found Maxie; they’re all safe. Austin says, that’s great, and Brook says, it sounds like Peter put Maxie through quite the ordeal, but the most important thing is, she’s not hurt. Britt asks, what about Peter? Is he in custody? Chase joins them, and says, after Brook left, they got word. Peter August is dead. Britt asks if he’s sure; they’ve heard this before. He says, Anna confirmed it to Mac, and Brook says, thank God it’s over. Obrecht says, this calls for a celebration. Does Britt have any libations in her office? Britt says, the bottom left in the credenza, and Obrecht jets.
Sasha asks Brando, run away together; what does that mean? He says, Sonny knows a place in Niagara Falls, and offered it to them if they wanted to get away for a few days. Just the two of them. If that’s too much, they could maybe get a B&B in Beecher’s Corners. They don’t have to talk about Liam. He just misses them, and was hoping they could reconnect, going someplace new where they don’t have any memories. They could just focus on the here now, rather than the past. She says, let’s do it, and he says, that’s fantastic. Which option interests her most, the grand majesty of Niagara Falls, or a cozy B&B? She asks if he has a preference, but he says he’s thrilled either way. She spaces out for a moment, and he says, Sasha? She says, let’s go to Niagara Falls.
Sonny makes a call, and gets Nina’s voicemail. He says, it’s me. Does that mean Sonny or Mike? Sonny’s not doing too good these days, so Mike might be a better option for her. He knows how much she loves Mike. Damn. He’s being stupid right now. It’s him, good or bad, and it’s not really good right now. He’s at Charlie’s. Where is she? He just needs to talk to somebody, and they always had nice talks. He just wants to say… He looks at the phone, and says he doesn’t know what the hell he’s doing.
On the phone, Robert says, she was there at the end, right? and Anna says she did what she had to do. He says, that guy’s plagued this town for far too long, and she says she’s got to go. She’s got to call Valentin and break the news to him. Robert says, if she really must. Obrecht comes by with a bottle and some cups, and he asks what she wants. She says he must have heard, the enemy of my enemy is my friend, and he says, they both despise Peter. She asks if he wants to join her celebration, and he takes a cup.
Austin says, Britt shared her feelings about Peter with him, all the things he’s done, but he’s still her brother. So, checking in. Is she doing okay? She says, Peter made her life hell, just like he did everyone else, and honestly, what she’s feeling most is relief. Relief in knowing her father’s demented bloodline dies with Peter. He says, no kids for her then, huh?
Felicia asks if she can talk to Anna for a second. She knows Anna well enough to recognize when she’s holding something back. Anna says, she didn’t call the ambulance. She needed to know he was dead. It’s unlikely he wouldn’t have survived even if they got here in time, but she hopes Felicia understands. Felicia says she hopes Anna knows that she 100% thinks she did the right thing. Anna says she doesn’t know if it was right, but it was necessary. Felicia says, at one point, Anna cared about Peter; they all did. Does she regret his death now? Anna says, what she thinks she regrets is that she couldn’t figure out a way to stop him sooner. She thinks the Peter she cared for, that at one time she believed was her son, never really existed. Felicia says, he hurt too many people, and too many people are dead because of him. But now, because of Anna – Anna says, us – this nightmare is finally over.
Chase gets a bag of chips from the vending machine, and gives them to Brook. She thanks him, and says she’s so relieved Maxie is okay, she didn’t realize she hadn’t eaten all day. She’s starving. She tells him to take some; he’s probably hungry too. They eat, and he says, it’s good seeing her this happy. She says she’s ecstatic. Peter’s finally gone. Maxie can finally tell the whole world Bailey is her daughter. He says, it’s going to be hard for her to let Bailey go, and she says, when she gave Bailey to Felicia, she was a wreck. It’s going to be hard not to see that beautiful little face every day, but that was the whole point, to keep Bailey safe. Now Maxie can raise her daughter without being concerned Peter will take her away. How can she not be happy about that? He says, part of the reason this whole scheme worked is that people thought the worst of Brook; that she’d lie about her baby’s paternity to get her stock back. He can’t wait for people to know the truth, and see what a noble gesture it really was. She asks what that look is for, and he says, she’s really incredible. She says, he had a lot to do with this scheme too, and he says he knows. They made a good team. He kisses her, and she drops the chips.
Anna says, Dante’s already at the airport, so they can meet him there, and Felicia says, that’s it? There isn’t going to be any police investigation? Anna says, the Bureau has agreed to be a liaison with the Swiss authorities, so they can give their statements on the plane. Maxie says, they’re going home? It’s really over? Anna says, she knows in the past, Peter has survived and haunted them again, but he didn’t make it this time. So let’s go. The cars are here and ready to take them to the airport. Maxie says, when she and Brook made this plan, to hide Louise in plain sight, she could only imagine this moment. She can’t believe this is happening. She cries happy tears, and says, they’re finally safe. Felicia says, she can bring Louise home, and she can finally meet Georgie and James. They hug, and Maxie says she can’t believe this is happening. Felicia mouths thank you to Anna, and Anna smiles at Drew.
Robert says, so Henrik Faison is finally dead, and Mac says, and Felicia’s the one who took him out. Robert says, because he was trying to shoot Maxie, and Mac says, she’d do anything to protect her daughter. Robert says, still. He didn’t see this one coming. Mac says, him either, and tells Louise, you know what means? Her mom will be home soon.
Britt says, kids aren’t part of her future, and Austin says, you never know. She says she’s pretty sure, and tells him, he knows what this means. Maxie might be back in Port Charles tomorrow. He says, looks that way, and she says, the threat of Peter is finally over. He says, Maxie can finally be a mother to Louise, and Britt says, Maxie can go back to her life. He says he’s not sure what she means, and she says, disingenuous is not a good look for him. What’s going to happen when he sees Maxie again?
Brook says, that’s one way to celebrate good news, and Chase says, in a good way, right? She says, look at the mess she made, and starts picking up the chips. He says, let him help, and she says, it’s been quite the day. He says, they should probably get Bailey home, and she says, she’s glad Maxie’s going to be okay. Still, it’s going to be their last night as Bailey’s parents.
Brando and Sasha leave Kelly’s, and he says he’s so glad Sonny suggested Niagara Falls. It’s going to be really good for them to get away; just him and her. She kisses him, and says, she’s never been; it’s supposed to be spectacular. He asks her to text him when she gets home so he knows she’s safe. She says she will, and he leaves. She debates internally for a millisecond, and goes back inside Kelly’s. She sits next to Sienna at the counter, and Sienna says, she thought Sasha left. Sasha says, she changed her mind about what Sienna offered earlier. She definitely needs something to get her through the next few days.
Sonny gets off the barstool, and Johnny asks if he can call Sonny a car, but Sonny says he’s fine. Johnny goes back to work, and Sonny takes out his keys. He says, it’s not that far; he can drive. Nina comes in, and he smiles at her.
Tomorrow, Nina tells Sonny, they have to stop meeting like this; Maxie says it’s her turn to do something for Brook; Anna tells Robert, it’s not something she’s proud of; and Carly asks if Ava really wants to test the flavor of the month against her.
❗️ Surprise! No new RHOC tonight. They had last week’s episodes with bonus scenes, or what I call a cheap show. I definitely felt ripped off, since I’d just seen all that. The only thing of any value was Emily talking about her sister, since I didn’t know she had one.
🛥 On Watch What Happens Live, Isaac Mizrahi said Real Housewives: Ultimate Girls Trip was the best show he’d ever watched in his life. Clearly, he needs a Netflix subscription.
I guess it must be President’s Week, since Bravo has nothing new tomorrow either. Although an episode of Galley Talk (always fun!) can be seen at 8 pm, followed by America’s Got Talent: Extreme, whatever the hell that is. I can only imagine. If you’re so inclined, you can join me tomorrow for soap and whatever the hell I can dig up. Until then, stay safe, stay knowing the difference between being honest and being mean, and stay never assuming the person you love knows how you feel.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Sitting in her office, Carly looks at the Valentine’s Day card Donna and Avery made her. There’s a knock at the door, and Rebecca comes in. She says she reviewed Carly’s list for the divorce settlement; it’s a really short list. Carly says she just wants this divorce over and done with, but Rebecca says she has rights, and if Carly wants to fight for them, she’s here to get her everything she wants and deserves. Carly says she appreciates that, but like she told Rebecca, she and Sonny went through a divorce before, and it was brutal. She doesn’t want to repeat that experience, and wants it over as painlessly as possible. Rebecca says, it’s her call, but she hates to see Carly walk away from what could be a massive win. She has the leverage to get the lion’s share of the assets, and primary custody to boot. Carly says, that won’t be necessary, when Sonny walks in with his lawyer Malcolm. Carly sees he and Rebecca know each other, and Rebecca says she was hoping for someone less formidable, but she’s not surprised. Malcolm says, now that all parties are present, shall we begin negotiations?
Esme says, that’s why Trina was at Laura’s on Valentine’s Day. Laura gave her Spence’s gift, didn’t she? Trina says, it wasn’t a Valentine’s gift; the day was just a coincidence. No big deal. Esme says she knows. Spence told her that he got Trina something. Josslyn says, did he? and Esme says, of course (🍷). Spence tells her everything. Josslyn says, Spencer tells her everything? Is she sure? Or is that explanation as fake as the rest of her?
Yohan meets Victor at the Pier 55, the only pier in Port Charles. Victor is looking at his phone, and Yohan asks if the weather app says the heat wave is going to continue. Victor says, never mind that. Any news on their boy? Yohan says he’s not going to like it, and Victor says, what he doesn’t like are these pointless conversations. It’s too hot to play games; spit it out. Sam listens from around the corner. Hmm… I wonder if the weather thing has to do with the Ice Princess.
Laura comes out of the hospital elevator with assistant Eileen. Laura thanks her for taking care of this; she knows Eileen is swamped. Eileen says, it’s no problem, and besides, it gives her a chance to get out of her office. Laura sees Robert, and asks if he’s heard anything about the search for Peter and Maxie. He says, Anna, Drew, and Dante are still in Europe, following up on that clue Maxie left. However, there’s been a complication. Eileen listens in.
Drew, Anna, and Dante shoot at the house, but Dante says they can’t cover Drew from here. Anna tells them, stop, and yells that Peter can’t escape. The WSB has this location, and back-up is en route. Don’t make this any worse than it already is. Give yourself up.
Maxie runs to the road and waves her arms at an oncoming car, yelling for them to stop. Felicia jumps out (quell surprise!), and hugs Maxie.
Rebecca says, her client has no interest in prolonging these proceedings, nor does she wish to go to court. Once they have a final agreement, she’ll draw up documents for their review and signature. Listed here are the couples’ join assets, including bank accounts and insurance policies. She hands Malcolm some papers, and he says they need to review it, since they have their own lists of shared assets. She says she’s sure they do. She’s going to make this short and simple for them. Mrs. Corinthos waives all claims to anything she and Mr. Corinthos shared. Malcolm asks if she’s sure about that. She’s entitled to half of everything she shared with her husband. Carly says she’s sure. She has her own money; she doesn’t need Sonny’s. Rebecca says her client has one stipulation in regard to shared assets. She’d like to retain the main residence. Sonny says, that’s not happening. She abandoned him. He’s not going to let her take the house.
Esme says she came here, heart on her sleeve, ready to make up for any misunderstandings or hurt feelings between her and Trina, and Josslyn responds by attacking her? Josslyn says, Esme has apologized before. Made big speeches about wanting to start over, to get along, to bond with them because they’re Spencer’s friends, and he means everything to her. She says all the right things, but her follow-through is always lacking, so how is this time any different? Trina says, Joss… but Josslyn says, anyone can apologize, but it only counts when you mean it. Esme says Josslyn never misses a chance to attack her, and Josslyn says, oh please. Esme would know if she was attacking her. She’s simply stating facts. Everything Esme does is calculated to get what she wants. Like right now, playing the victim. Esme says she’s not playing the victim, and Josslyn says, if she’s sincere about her change of heart, then tell the truth for once in her life.
Victor tells Yohan that he’s received the latest message from their contact. He said he had a location for August; did he say exactly where? Yohan says, it was too vague. He’s supposed to get back to Yohan with more specifics. Victor says, he hasn’t, which probably means August has given him the slip. No more intermediaries. Yohan is going to have to find August, and he’ll have to deal with Peter personally. Sam films their conversation, and Victor says, Faison couldn’t be trusted, and neither can his son. Sam starts to leave, and makes a noise. She freezes.
Robert tells Laura that he got a text from Felicia. She’s in Switzerland. She got a commercial flight to Geneva at the same time Anna, Drew, and Dante left. Laura says she guesses Felicia has invited herself along on the search for her daughter. She’s sure it’s against WSB protocol, but doesn’t blame her. He says he’s known certain people to break the protocol rules on occasion, and she says, if someone she loves is in jeopardy, absolutely. He says he sympathizes with Felicia. He knows the compulsion to be hands-on, and step up for your child. No one was asking her to sit on her hands, and allow a bunch of faceless bureaucrats run the investigation. She knows Anna is the best in the business, and she’s also got Drew and Dante as back-up. Laura asks if he thinks Felicia should have stayed out of it entirely, and he says, there’s enough danger up there for everyone. The fact that she took off the way she did, his brother is now worried sick, when he should be concentrating on recovery.
Anna yells for Peter to send Maxie out; she knows he doesn’t want her harmed. Drew yells for them to cover him. Two… one… Dante and Anna shoot, while Drew runs toward the house. Dante asks, how long until the WSB back-up arrives? and Anna says, too long. They can’t wait. Peter’s going to be gone. They have to take the house.
Maxie says, they have to go; Peter is hunting her. She and Felicia get in the car, and Maxie tells her to follow this road. They can get to the Autobahn where they’ll be safe. Felicia suggests going back to the village, but Maxie says, no. They might run into Peter. They move forward.
Drew comes back, and says, in order to take down the house, he’s going to need Anna and Dante to fire at the building from opposite sides, but Anna says, they can’t risk shooting Maxie. Drew says he gets that. Just avoid the windows, fire as low as possible toward the ground. Dante says they’ll check the front door, and Anna starts to shoot. Drew goes around the other side of house to the door, and Dante joins him. They kick in the door.
Maxie asks how Felicia found her, and Felicia says, Anna received a call from a woman a rest stop who found Maxie’s earring, and the message Maxie left on the mirror. Anna, Drew, and Dante came out here to find her, and they’re coordinating with the WSB. Felicia wanted come, but Anna thought it would be too dangerous for her, so she flew separately. Maxie asks how Felicia found her, and Felicia says, she remembered what Peter said when she told him that she couldn’t come to the wedding. He said his favorite place on earth was a farm in Switzerland near a tiny village. It took her forever to remember the name of it, but then it came to her; versteckte Wiese. Maxie says she’s amazing, and asks if she told Anna. Felicia says, no. She didn’t want to distract Anna. She figured if she found Peter, she’d call it in, but she didn’t have the time. By the time she landed in Geneva, she rented this car, but the road is so windy and dark, she got lost. Maxie says, thank goodness she did. She’d just run away from Peter and found the road. She flagged down the first pair of lights she saw. She’s glad it was Felicia. If they make it to the Autobahn, they’ll be safe. They look behind them, and a car is following.
Yohan takes out his gun, and looks around, but finds nothing. He tells Victor, clear, and comes out. He says, maybe it was a cat; they live around here. Victor says, a very swift and silent kitty that certainly doesn’t belong here. Never mind. They have more important issues to deal with. Yohan knows what to do. Yohan says he’ll take care of everything. He leaves, and Victor looks around, seeing a small pile of garbage, empty soda bottles and chip bags.
Esme says, Spence told her that he got Trina a gift because she’s been a good friend to him, and Josslyn asks what he got her. Trina asks if they can let this go; the gift was nothing. Josslyn says, it was not nothing, and Esme knows it. Esme says she’s confused. How could she be lying about knowing Spence gave Trina a gift when she knows he gave her a gift? Why could she lie about it, and why would Josslyn care? Josslyn says she’d love not to care. She would love to ignore Esme’s existence, but she keeps popping up with some plan for a weekend getaway or some explanation that whatever happened was her fault, or some apology she doesn’t mean. It’s all an act, and it’s getting tired. Esme says, it’s not an act. She’s trying to make up for the hurtful things she did to Josslyn and Trina, and she’s trying to own up to them. She’s trying to build bridges between them. Can Josslyn say the same?
Sonny says he’s going to fight for what’s his. He’s not going to let Carly take his house. Rebecca says, Sonny has properties in Port Charles and elsewhere, including a private casino in Puerto Rico and a penthouse at the Harbor View Towers. Her client is seeking solely to retain the lakeside property. He asks why her should give up his house. That’s where Donna and Avery live. It’s their home. They’ve known the house forever. He tells Carly that she doesn’t want to do that to them, and Rebecca says, this is a sticking point. Carly says, there are no sticking points. He wants the house, he can have the house. Rebecca asks if she’s sure, and she says she is. Donna is going to have two separate homes anyway. Rebecca says, if that’s settled, let’s move on to the custody of Donna Corinthos.
Eileen tells Robert that they’re meeting with several hospital positions and staff about a public health initiative, and Robert says, there’s no need for them to be here. Clearly they’ve got a lot of work to do, and Eileen says, that’s what she wanted to tell Laura. It’s been delayed. Laura asks, until when? and Eileen tells her, the techs didn’t say. Laura asks her to get a definite time and she leaves.
Rebecca says, her client is seeking joint custody of Donna, and requests Donna reside with her, but Sonny says, that’s not happening. Malcolm says, his client agrees to joint custody, but since his client is keeping the house, they believe the child’s primary residence should be with her father. Rebecca says, her client is willing to have a flexible visitation arrangement; however, given how little she’s asked with regard to the shared assets, surely his client can see it’s in the child’s best interest to make her mother’s home her primary residence. Sonny says, in the hotel? and Carly says, the hotel is temporary and he knows that. Rebecca says, Donna belongs with her mother, and Malcolm says, Mr. Corinthos does not want to keep his wife from their daughter. It’s a matter of the child’s welfare. Mr. Corinthos has another daughter, Avery Corinthos, who is not the biological daughter of Mrs. Corinthos. As such, Mr. Corinthos will retain custody of Avery Corinthos, along with her mother Ava Cassadine. Carly will no longer have any legal claim to her, if she ever did. If Donna remains with Carly, the sisters will be separated. With all the changes these children are going to go through, is it really in their best interest to keep the sisters apart? Mr. Corinthos informs him that they’re very close. Rebecca tells Carly that she’d said there were no sticking points. What does she want to do?
Josslyn says she doesn’t care about building bridges with Esme. They’re not friends and never will be, as long as Esme keeps manipulating the people Josslyn cares about, and that includes Spencer. Josslyn looks forward to the day when he finally sees through Esme. Until then, if Esme wants friends, try honesty. Esme says, Josslyn doesn’t believe her, that’s her problem. Trina accepted her apology, didn’t she? Trina says she did, and Esme says, that’s all she needs, and thanks Trina for being so understanding. Trina says, you’re welcome… I think, and Josslyn says, Trina only accepted Esme’s apology because she wants to be done with her. Esme says, or maybe, unlike Josslyn, Trina thinks it’s best for them to be friends because they’re all friends with Spence. Trina says she’s still here, and Josslyn says, Spencer is being a selfish ass. He insists Esme is his girlfriend, and he’s all about her, but that gift he got Trina was a book of workings by her favorite artist, Richard Molyneux. Trina mentioned he was her favorite artist to Spencer, and he remembered. Obviously, he cares what Trina thinks. Trina says, it’s not that deep, but Josslyn says, Spencer never told Esme that he got such a thoughtful gift for another woman. If Esme wants to build bridges, own up to how mad that makes her, and what this whole act of contrition is really about.
Sam comes into the hospital, and says, good. Laura’s here. Laura asks, what’s going on? and Sam says she was coming to see Robert, but she’s hoping Laura can help her too. Robert asks what she needs, and Sam says she’s working on a case, and needs some background information on a subject. Eileen eavesdrops, and Laura says, and Sam’s subject would be? Sam says, Victor Cassadine.
Drew and Dante have a shootout in the house with Kreger and another guy. The other guy falls, and so does Kreger. Drew tells Kreger, hands up and drop the gun. Kreger puts the gun down, and Drew tells Dante to cover Kreger while he goes around back. He leaves, and Anna comes in. She says, Kreger? and Dante says, that’s him. She asks, where’s Peter? and Kreger says, he’s not here.
Felicia wonders if they should pull over and let the car pass, but Maxie says, no. They can’t risk it; it could be Peter. The car behind them begins to speed up, and Maxie tells Felicia, look out. Felicia swerves.
Carly shakes her head, and Sonny says, he and Carly need to speak in private without lawyers present. Rebecca advises against it, but Carly says she can talk to Sonny privately; she’s fine. Rebecca says they’ll be outside if they’re needed, and she and Malcolm leave. Carly says, she wants Donna to live with her, and Sonny says, so he doesn’t get to see his daughter? She says, he can see Donna as much as he wants and as often, but Donna belongs with her mother. Sonny says he can’t imagine living in their home without his daughter, and Carly says, she can’t imagine losing Avery. She loves Avery like her own. She raised Avery from birth. He says he thought they were going to do this divorce quicky, to spare the kids pain. He doesn’t want a custody fight. She says she doesn’t either. They can handle this like adults, but they have to be realistic. The girls are going to be hurt no matter how civilized they are He says, Avery is already losing Carly. he doesn’t want to separate the girls because of them. She says, not them. Him. This path was set in motion because he decided to sleep with Nina.
Esme says, hypothetically, someone finding out their boyfriend bought a nice gift for someone else, of course (🍷) it would make anyone mad. Josslyn asks if that’s an admission. Does it make Esme upset that Spencer has such a connection with Trina? Trina says Josslyn is exaggerating. She and Spencer don’t have a connection. Esme says, the only thing that makes her mad is Josslyn going at her, when all she wanted was to make things right. At least she can say she tried. She gets up and goes to the counter, and Trina says, what the hell? Josslyn says, she’s not going to let Esme and Spencer keep playing these mind games, and Trina says, fine, but next time, leave her name out of it. Esme flashes back to planting the camera to film Josslyn and Cameron in bed, and takes her phone out.
Drew tells Anna, the back is clear. No sign of Maxie or Peter. Dante checks other guy’s pulse, and says, this guy is dead. He asks if he’s a friend of Kreger’s and Kreger says, he came to apprehend Peter August, and Anna says, he fired at them. Kreger says, they fired at him, so naturally, he returned fire. Anna asks if this friend of his is cleared for the WSB ops, and he says, he was a local freelancer who sometimes provided assistance. He groans in pain, and tells them call an ambulance. He needs medical assistance. Anna says, in a minute, and she picks up his gun. He says, this is ridiculous. He’s on their side. She says, save it. He’s either working for Peter, and stayed behind to delay them, or… Drew says, or someone else sent him after Peter. Kreger says, he was working in his capacity as a WSB agent. The gunfight was a tragic case of friendly fire. Anna says, she can’t waste more time with this. They have to go after Peter. Drew asks what she wants to do about Kreger, and she says, the WSB is en route. Dante says, he’ll make sure Kreger gets to them, and he’ll catch up. Anna tells him, take care, and leaves with Drew.
Eileen listens as Robert says, the world would be a much nicer place if Victor had stayed dead. He asks what Sam needs, and Laura goes over to Eileen. She asks what Eileen found out about the meeting, and Eileen says, it’s been canceled; patient’s emergency. Laura asks her to reschedule it for tomorrow, and after that, she can go home. Eileen thanks her and leaves, and Laura asks Sam what Victor it up to now. Sam says, Anna asked her to look into him while she’s in Europe looking for Maxie and Peter. Laura says, Anna told her that she believes Victor helped Peter escape, and she’s inclined to agree. Sam shows Laura her phone, and says, she took this picture on the pier. Does she know the guy with Victor? Robert joins them, and says, that’s the bruiser who was with Victor the night of Luke’s memorial. Sam asks if Victor introduced him, and Laura says he did; Yohan. Robert says he’s going to get in touch with a friend at the WSB, send him a photograph, along with Yohan’s name, and they’ll put up a full identification kit. They’ll bring him in immediately and get to Victor. He steps away, and Laura asks if Sam was able to overhear any of the conversation. Sam says, Victor wanted to know about an associate of theirs who was looking for Peter, but the associate fell off the radar, and Victor was really mad about it. Laura says, it sounds like he and Peter are at odds again. She wonders how that will affect them.
The car has hit a pole (out in the middle of nowhere) and steam comes out of the crumpled hood. Felicia seems unconscious, and Maxie tells her not to move. She’ll lead Peter away from them. Felicia weakly says, no, but Maxie gets out of the car. She yells if Peter wants her, he’ll have to come and get her, and jets into the woods. Peter runs after her.
Sonny says Carly is right. He made mistakes. He hurt her, and it should have never happened. She says, not just her, their entire family. Their children, who think of each other as siblings, and now they’re being broken up into his kids and hers. Everything they had together is gone. He says, she’s the one giving up, not him, and she laughs. He says, maybe they can fix this. It will take some time… She says, it’s too late for that, but he says, they owe it to Donna and Avery to try. Carly says she thinks it’s a little late to worry about the girls being collateral damage because that’s already happened. As much as they wanted to be the couple they were before Nixon Falls, what Nina set in motion changed them. He says, what if there’s a way to keep Donna and Avery together and keep Avery in her life? and she tells him, she’d say that’s wishful thinking, but he says, just hear him out. Aside from what’s happened, she’s a great mom. She says, and she thinks he’s an amazing dad, and he says, so what if they stay together. They lose the romantic part of the marriage. They’re still Donna and Avery’s parents, and live under one roof for the kids. What does she say?
Josslyn asks if Trina is mad at her, and Trina says, what does she think? She cares more about getting over on Esme than she does about Trina or her feelings. Josslyn says, that’s not true, and Trina says she’s never judged Josslyn on how she feels about Esme. That’s between Josslyn and Esme, just like Trina’s relationship with Spencer is between her and him. Josslyn says, she gets it, but what about Spencer and Esme’s relationship? On one hand, Spencer is giving Trina this special gift, and on the other hand, he’s still calling Esme his girlfriend. Trina says she doesn’t care, and neither should Josslyn. So stay out of it. Trina’s phone dings, and Josslyn says, important? Trina says it’s a text from a guy in her European History study group, telling her the time changed, so she needs to get ready to go. Josslyn says she’s really sorry if she took things too far. She just wants what’s best for Trina. Trina says she has a really funny way of showing it. Josslyn just made things worse for her. Josslyn asks, how? and Trina says, she has to ask? Think hard; real hard. Trina leaves the table, and Josslyn’s phone rings. It’s Avery, and Josslyn asks, what’s wrong? She tells Avery, hold on; she can’t hear her. She goes outside, and Esme takes two phones out of her purse, switches the case from one to the other, and smiles.
Sam asks if Laura has heard from Anna, but Laura says, nothing yet; what about Dante? Sam says, no. It makes sense though. They’re out searching for Maxie. If there’s something to tell them, they’ll share it. Robert comes back, and says, his contact came through. Victor’s goon is Yohan Bower.Before he came to Port Charles, he was in Austria, specifically Innsbruck. Laura asks when he was there, and Robert says, just before Christmas. Laura says, he was in the same area where Luke’s accident was. Or his supposed accident.
Maxie comes to some stairs at some kind of industrial building, and hears a gunshot. She stops, and Peter comes out of the woods, gun drawn. He says, the choice is simple. Come back with him now or he’ll shoot her where she stands.
Carly says she wishes more than anything to avoid hurting Donna and Avery what proposing, them living under the same roof and pretending, it’s not possible. He asks, why not? and she says, because she wants Donna and Avery to see a loving healthy relationship between them, and that’s not what they are anymore, and he knows this. She wipes some tears away, and says, so the girls are going to get hurt. They’re resilient, and they’re going to get through it. Please… Sonny… He says, if that’s the way it has to be, that’s the way it has to be. Donna can live with her and she can have the house, and he’ll move into the penthouse. She thanks him, and he tells the lawyers to come back in. Rebecca asks if they settled everything, and Carly says, yes. She and Sonny have reached an agreement. She can draw up the divorce papers.
After playing musical phones, Esme puts a phone back in her purse. Trina comes back and sits down, and Esme smiles. Josslyn comes back in, and says, sorry; Avery was having a crisis. She lost one of her favorite pink markers, Josslyn told her to check in her toy box, and big sister Josslyn was right. Crisis passed with Avery. What about Trina? Trina says, the study group texted and she has to go, and Josslyn says she’s really sorry. Can Trina just tell her they’re good. Trina says, they’re fine. She’s got to go. She leaves, and Esme says, Trina left in a hurry. Is everything okay? Josslyn tells her, don’t pretend to care, and Esme says she knows Josslyn was just defending Trina. She hopes Trina appreciates it. Esme leaves, and when she gets outside, she looks at the video of Josslyn and Cameron. She looks around, and says, almost showtime.
Robert asks what Laura means by supposed accident, and Laura tells him, she had suspicions about the circumstances surrounding Luke’s death from the beginning, but she didn’t say anything because she didn’t have anything but a gut feeling. Robert says, her gut feeling hasn’t failed her in the past. She should have brought it to him. She says she is now, and Sam asks what Laura suspects. Laura says she doesn’t think it’s a coincidence that Victor resurfaced around the same time Luke died, and the Ice Princess was stolen; it’s all connected. Luke’s death was not an accident, and Victor was behind it.
Victor wanders around the pier, and Eileen arrives. He says, well? and she says, they’ve got a problem. He says, tell him something he doesn’t know. What is it this time? She says, Sam McCall, Robert Scorpio, and Laura Collins are getting too close.
Dante pulls over the coffee table, and sits on the end. Kreger asks, how long before the ambulance comes? and Dante says he doesn’t know anything about an ambulance. Kreger whines that Dante shot him, and Dante says, Kreger shot at him first; that’s self-defense. Kreger says Dante overreacted with deadly force. He was only acting on his own initiative. Dante says, about that. Did he think he’d beat Anna and Drew here, and maybe it puts him in line for the next promotion for bringing in Peter August? Kreger says, that’s right, and Dante bets they’re going to find out Kreger sold himself to someone, and that employer didn’t want him to hurt Drew. Kreger says, not true, and Dante asks why he didn’t take a shot at Drew. Kreger and his boy both had a clear shot. They could have taken him out or immobilized him. At least they didn’t do that. Why?
Peter says he doesn’t have much time. Someone picked up his trail. Now climb back up here. Now. She tells him to hear her. She’d rather die than go one more step with him. So go ahead and pull the trigger, but when he does, that’s the end of telling himself there’s one shred of good in him, or that he can turn his life around. If he’s going to kill her because she doesn’t love him, admit he was a monster. He says, she was supposed to save him. Instead, she abandoned him. This is all her fault. He aims gun at Maxie, but Felicia comes up behind him, and knocks him in the head with something. He falls and tumbles down to where the bottom of the stairs are, the gun flying out of his hand. He’s out cold.
Tomorrow, Lucy wants to talk to Nina about Sasha; Austin says, all that matters is Maxie getting home safely; Mac says, that’s a good question; and Sonny says, it’s not good for anyone.
The Real Housewives of New Jersey
When we last left Jackie’s keg party, Dolores was getting in Jackie’s face about being a good friend to Jennifer. In Frank’s interview, he said, when Dolores went into a rage, she needed to be separated from the other person or she’d do something she’d regret. Apparently, Dolores had been quite the scrapper back in the day, even biting through another girl’s finger. Dolores told Jennifer that if she didn’t think Dolores was being a friend, don’t talk to Jackie about it; talk to her. In Jackie’s interview, she said, the reason Dolores was coming for her was because she was the first one with the balls to call Dolores out on her bullsh*t. Dolores shouldn’t be pretending to be good friends with Jennifer when she wasn’t, and Jackie wasn’t scared of her. In Dolores’s interview, she said she was going through an emotional wringer, and everyone could go f*** themselves. She knew she backed every one of them. Marge said she didn’t want to have an issue with Jennifer, but it was Jennifer’s double-standard that irritated her. Jennifer had crucified Marge for having an affair, and called her slutty. Jennifer admitted she’d gone after Marge too much, and in Jennifer’s interview, she said she realized the way Marge had been boasting about the affair was a trigger for her. What if the girl Bill cheated on her with had been bragging about it? Dolores said Jackie had been questioning her friendship with Jackie, and if Jackie needed her, she’d be there, but she thought Jackie was going to be okay. In her interview, Jackie said Dolores brushed off everyone’s feelings. When Jackie had been going through the thing with the rumors, she wasn’t okay. She was going down a dangerous path with her eating disorder. A real friend didn’t assume you’d be fine. Jennifer said she’d just been protecting Bill, and wouldn’t be surprised if her in-laws thought she was a bad wife. In Marge’s interview, she said she and Jennifer were further apart than she’d realized. Jennifer had been brainwashed into believing women were to blame for men’s behavior. If he had an affair, the wife and other woman were to blame. Somehow it turned all good, and Melissa invited everyone down the shore. The guys and Traci syphoned beer out of the keg. Melissa said they’d continue the party at her shore house.
Jackie went to the Renfrew treatment center to get help for her eating disorder. A staff member asked her a bunch of questions, one of which was why she was seeking help now. She said her kids were getting older and noticing things. In her interview, Jackie said she’d been overweight in high school, and when she got to college, she wanted to be thin. When she got thin, people paid attention. She told the woman that she ate three regular meals a week, and mostly lettuce otherwise. She was worried about not getting enough nutrients. The woman said Jackie would have to see her doctor and have him run some tests before she could start treatment. They had to make sure her body was okay. Jackie was always cold and her heart rate was slow. They couldn’t rule out a heart issue until she was seen by her doctor. Jackie said she was scared now.
Dolores met Frank, Gabby, and Frank Jr. for dinner. The kids were going to be living with their dad full time for the first time, so she wanted to have a family meeting. Dolores told Frank, no sleepovers, which prompted Frank to talk inappropriately, teasing Dolores and grossing out Frank Jr. and Gabby. Frank said, family was the most important thing to him, and he wouldn’t let his life take priority. In his interview, he said he was getting older, and this was a temporary place. He knew it wasn’t going to be his last homestead. He and Dolores had divorced when Dolores was pregnant with Frank Jr. This was a great opportunity, since he’d never lived with both kids at the same time in the same house. Dolores said she just wanted to be alone and chill, and Frank asked what was going on with David. Dolores said they’d grown apart, and she’d had time alone to wonder what she wanted. It was the end of the road for them. There was a lack of communication, and he didn’t meet her halfway, not even a little of the way sometimes. There was nowhere else for them to go. Everybody felt bad, since David had gotten close with the family, but Dolores assured them that he’d still be around. In her interview, Dolores said she’d brought David into their lives, but she wasn’t taking him out just because they didn’t work out. Pretty soon she can open a home for old husbands and boyfriends.
Everyone packed for the shore, and I reminisced about doing that before I moved here. Their shore is Tom’s River, but to me, that’s inland. I don’t consider it the shore unless it’s along the ocean. Melissa told Joe #2 not to try and get everybody drunk. She didn’t want puking in the bathroom. Dolores and Frank went to their own place, and Marge was staying at Jennifer’s house. Jackie told Bill that she couldn’t wait to move forward with her recovery. When she thought about going to the shore, the first thing on her mind was what she was going to eat for lunch. Melissa told Joe that she thought they’d do a beach day, then go to Teresa’s house for a barbecue. Jennifer told Bill that she thought she and Marge had made progress. Jackie had said Dolores wasn’t her friend, and Dolores was yelling at her that she was. The proof showed otherwise. Dolores told Frank that Jackie had said she didn’t care; Bill shouldn’t have been sticking his d*ck where it didn’t belong. We see a clip, and yeah, those were some of the words, but it’s taken way out of context, and it’s still not quite what she said. The old Housewives telephone trick; it can be played alone. Frank thought that was nasty, and Dolores said she wasn’t there to prove her loyalty. Frank said she was at a vulnerable point, and made her promise to calm down. She told him to stay close.
Melissa and Joe #2 filled their water cooler with vodka, and Melissa greeted her guests with, welcome to Missy G’s. Jackie and Marge rode over together, and Marge said she wanted to like Luis, but the video was being talked about again. His past was a little bizarre, and he spent a lot of time trying to shut it down. When they got to Melissa and Joe’s, Joe #3 tricked Marge into thinking she was drinking water from the cooler, and she was like, WTF? Evan said he thought the water was good. Teresa arrived at Jennifer’s house, and we saw a clip of her telling Jennifer that it wasn’t going to be the relaxing weekend she thought, since there was going to be a crowd of kids at her house. Jennifer suggested Teresa stay with her. Teresa said Luis would be coming later, and in her interview, she said Luis had a good heart, and had wanted to go with her to see Adriana’s dance competition. Adriana had posted a picture of the three of them on social media, and it made her happy. She asked Jennifer what she’d missed, and Jennifer filled her in on the brouhaha at the party. She told Teresa that Dolores insisted she was supportive, yet didn’t think what Marge did was wrong. She said there was still tension, but they had to find a way to make it nice. Teresa suggested having the barbecue at Jennifer’s house, and Jennifer said, they’d just have to keep everyone away from the pool.
The group went to Jenkinson’s Boardwalk in Point Pleasant (see below), and had drinks at a tiki bar. In Dolores’s interview, she said Teresa had been a fist pumping, partying, doing it all kind of girl back in the day. Dolores’s dad was a cop, and when she went to the shore, she stayed sober, laying out at the beach. She asked how Jennifer felt, saying she knew Jennifer had been upset, but that was okay. In Jennifer’s interview, she said, thanks for acknowledging that it was okay for her to be upset. It was normal to be upset when your husband was cheating. Normal people had feelings. Teresa told everyone that the barbecue was going to be at Jennifer’s house, since her house was full of kids. The guys did shots, and talked about Luis. In Melissa’s interview, she said she and Joe #2 had been hearing stuff, but he was good to Teresa. He was with Teresa night and day, and wouldn’t have time to be cheating. Marge said, Luis was charming and good looking, but so was a used car salesman, and Joe #3 said, where there was smoke, there was usually fire. Dolores said she’d broken up with David the day of Jennifer’s party, and Jennifer said, now it made sense why Dolores was so out of control. Dolores said she was sorry Jennifer had been hurt, but what got her was Jackie saying she was Jennifer’s friend. Jennifer said Jackie knew what she was going through, and Dolores repeated her version of what Jackie said, that she didn’t care; Bill shouldn’t be sticking his d*ck anywhere it didn’t belong. Jennifer said that was disgusting, like she probably hadn’t thought that same thing herself, and Dolores said Jackie was playing Jennifer. In Jennifer’s interview, she said, that was cruel. She’d thought Jackie was her friend, or at least trying to be her friend. Dolores told Jennifer to open her eyes. Everyone hangs out by the pool, and Teresa says Luis is having traffic issues. Ugh. It gets very crowded here in the summer, and it can take forever to make a twenty minute trip. Marge thinks Luis probably doesn’t want deal with them.
Teresa told Jennifer that the chef was going to be there any minute to start the meal preparation. Melissa told the others that Teresa had texted, basically demanding they all back up her boyfriend. Marge thought that mean a freak out was coming, and in Melissa’s interview, she said, the translation was, Teresa knew they were talking about her boyfriend, and to shut up. There might be chaos.
A producer told Teresa that Luis was in the parking lot, and he was upset. He thought everyone was talking about him, and didn’t know why. In Teresa’s interview, she said, Luis didn’t sign up for this. She was the one in the public eye, not him. He was the love of her life, and she wanted to protect him. Teresa told the producer that she was leaving. The producer tried to get her to stay, but she got in her car, and pulled out and away.
To be continued…
🌅 Down On the Boardwalk…
Behold Jenkinson’s. I’ve never been, but I’d love to go.
Join me tomorrow for soap and happenings in the OC. Until then, stay safe, stay on the right side of karma, and stay mending fences, not burning bridges.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Maxie looks at a map, and Peter comes back. He asks if she’s planning a hike, and she says she thought they could take a walk together. Talk some more things out. He says, what a lovely idea. He’s afraid they’ll have to wait until tomorrow though. It’s getting dark soon. That’s when the wolves come out. She asks if he means to sound so ominous. What is she saying; of course (🍷) he does. The way she sees it, she has two options. She could ignore the implied threat, wolves after dark, and keep pretending they’re in this romantic refuge together; or she can tell him to his face, she plans to escape the first chance she gets.
Leo and Ned come into the MetroCourt, and Olivia says, what a pleasant surprise. Ned says, Leo suggested they pick her up so they could go for a little swim at the lake this evening. Olivia asks if they think it’s warm enough for that, and Ned says, clearly, she hasn’t been outside. They should take advantage of the unusually warm weather. She says she has a couple things to take care of, then they can go. She leaves, and Leo tells Ned he heard heat waves can drive people insane. Ned says, let’s hope this one doesn’t last.
On the other side of the room, Laura says she admires Ava, and Ava asks why she said that. Laura tells her, even after all of the horrible things Spencer did to her, she still encouraged Nikolas to mend that relationship. Ava says, she wants what’s best for both of them, and Laura says, so does she. She’s also trying to take the high road right now, for Spencer’s sake, but if this girl doesn’t show up soon… Esme comes in and says, she’s here, and she’s famished. She thinks she’ll have the surf and turf tonight.
At Kelly’s, Trina tells Josslyn, it’s so hot out, she almost has to wear shorts. It’s wild, and a little terrifying. Josslyn says, she knows one thing, this weather’s going to give her wardrobe whiplash. Trina tells her, they say it’s a temporary warm front, but if this keeps up, she might have to go home and get her summer clothes. Josslyn says, they might have to share. There’s no way she’s going back to the house, and risk running into Sonny. Not after what he did to her mom. Trina asks, how’s that going? and Josslyn says, horrible. Nina’s a liar, and Sonny’s… just as bad. It would be easy to blame the whole thing on her, but nobody tells Sonny what to do. He could have stopped it at any time. Instead, he chose to protect Nina, and they’ve blown the family apart. Trina says she’s not making excuses, but she’s sure it’s confusing for everyone involved. Sometimes, you can’t help caring for someone you probably shouldn’t. Josslyn says, like Trina with Spencer?
Spencer says, Nikolas’s visit wasn’t in his daily horoscope, and Nikolas says, it’s good to see Spencer hasn’t lost his sense of humor. How is he? Spencer says, great. The food here leaves much to be desired. The magazine selection is a tad pedestrian, but there are fans in the public rooms. What’s going on in the outside world? Did he sleep a few months and skip to June? Nikolas says, the outside world is just as puzzled as Spencer is, but he’s right; the fans do feel good. He can stay there a while, if Spencer doesn’t mind. Spencer says, there’s a table right next to a fan. Would Nikolas like to join him?
WSB Field Office – Switzerland/Austrian Border. Malone says she’s searching for properties around the salt mine. So far, she doesn’t see anything obvious. It would help to have some names to narrow this down. Anna suggests she try the names of Faison’s companies; maybe one of them owns the property. Malone says, ready when Anna is, but Dante says, this is taking too long. Every minute counts. Anna says, try EuroTech, and Drew steps away with Dante. He tells Dante, this is their best option. He needs to try and chill out a little bit. Dante says he gets it, but this guy – he taps the folder in his hand – knows they’re looking for him. They can’t let him slip through their fingers again. Drew says they can use his arrogance against him this time; he’s overconfident. He thinks he’s so well-hidden right now, no one can find him. He’s going to stay too long, and that’s when they finally get the smug son of a bitch.
Trina says, Josslyn knows all relationships are complicated, friendships included. Josslyn asks if they’re good, and Trina says, 100%. Why does she ask? Josslyn says, it seems like they haven’t been connecting. Like they haven’t shared as much after what happened at the cabin. Trina says there’s something she’s been keeping from Josslyn, and Josslyn says, there’s something she hasn’t told Trina either.
Esme says, how nice to see Ava. Is she joining them? Ava says, she can’t this time; she has an art sale to coordinate. Laura says, sounds fun. Good luck with that. Ava thanks her, and tells them to have a wonderful time. She leaves, and Esme sits down, saying, she intends to have a wonderful time. She’s positively famished. Laura says, she’s positively late, and Esme says, is she? Apologies. In France, we say, le quart d’heure de politesse; it’s the quarter hour of politeness. It’s so the host has time to compose himself or herself. Laura says she’s familiar with the phrase. The thing is, they’re not in France, and she’s not giving a party. She was left to wait here in a public place. Esme says when she’s waiting, she checks her favorite fashion pages, and Laura says, that’s not the point. They need to have a serious sit-down, because some things need to change.
Nikolas asks if Spencer needs anything, and Spencer says he wouldn’t mind knowing what’s going on in Port Charles, aside from the weather. Last he heard, Peter August escaped and kidnapped Charlotte, and Uncle Victor rescued her. Have they captured that bastard yet?
Malone says, no hits on EuroTech having properties in the region, and Anna says, try Vogel Industries. Both of them were shell companies for the DVX, and she’s assuming Peter would have access to the holdings, given he’s Faison’s son. Malone says she’s coming up empty; negative on Vogel Industries. Anna says, Modesto Media, and Dante says, they’re wasting time. Anna asks if they can at least try this, and Drew says, Modesto Media was on Peter’s references when he came to Aurora, so definitely try that. Also try properties owned by Victor Cassadine. Lethe Limited; try that. Malone says, no holdings whatsoever with Modesto Media. She’s searching for Lethe Limited. Dante says, no way in hell. Peter’s not going to associate himself with Victor at this point. He puts himself in one of Victor’s properties, he opens himself up to being taken advantage of and sold out by Victor. Drew says he hears Dante and understands. He knows they don’t trust each other, but Peter has some leverage over Victor, and that’s why Victor kept Drew on his compound for over two years. Anna says, that is true, and Victor was instrumental in Peter’s escape, but she’s with Dante. She doesn’t think Peter would include Victor in his hideaway. Malone says she’s got something.
Peter tells Maxie that he’s disappointed. He thought she would have kept up this charade for at least 48 hours; maybe even a week or two. This effort was pathetic. She says he’s right. She’s ashamed of herself. She planned to play that fantasy version of herself that he seems to be so fixated on, the one who sees the best in him, but she just couldn’t do it anymore. Nope. She doesn’t want to, because she got what she wanted. Her children are safe on the other side of the Atlantic, away from him. So no more games. From now on, all he’s going to get from her is the truth. Can he reciprocate? Does he even know what the truth is anymore? He says she just admitted to lying to his face. Now she wants him to be honest with her? She says, it’s the least he can do after the scorched earth he’s made of her life. Why don’t they go back to the beginning? To the death of the man she really loved; Nathan West.
Olivia tells Ned, ready to go, when Ava walks up. She asks if Leo is having a fun night with his folks, and Olivia says, Leo remembers his Aunt Ava, Avery’s mom. They were at her gallery the night they saw the photographs of all the animals. Ava says it’s nice to see him again, and Leo asks if she has any new animal pictures. Ava says, not since the Photo Ark exhibit, but promises to let him know as soon as she does. She quietly tells Olivia, she’s glad he has fond memories of that night, and Olivia says, her too, especially since he practically gave her a coronary running off like that. Leo says, sorry, mom. He wanted to see the octopuses. Ned suggests he and Leo give his mommy and Aunt Ava a chance to talk, and they go to a table. Ava says, little pitchers have big ears, and Olivia says she didn’t know he was listening. Ava says, he must get that from his father. They could never get anything over on Julian. Leo is so special. He reminds her of Julian in many ways. Olivia says, he’s a little bit of both of them, but also very much his own person, and it turns out, even more special than she knew. Ava asks what she means, and Olivia says, she’s his aunt and it’s no secret; Leo was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. Ava says she didn’t know, and Olivia asks how she could. She didn’t know, and she’s Leo’s mother.
Esme asks if there’s a problem, and Laura says, the problems is Esme’s complete lack of respect for her and her home. Esme says, if this is about the nail polish and the sofa, she shouldn’t have disregarded Laura’s wishes… but Laura says, it’s not just that. It’s Esme’s sense of entitlement, and the way she pushes back the boundaries. It’s completely unacceptable, especially when it’s in her house. Esme says, if she had someplace else to go, she would, but she understands. When in Rome… Laura says she doesn’t understand. This is not about respecting customs; it’s about respecting people. What Esme did to Ava wouldn’t be acceptable in any country, would it? She gets that, right? Esme says, she regrets helping Spence terrorize Ava, and she promises not to get caught up in anything like that ever again. Laura says, what about getting caught up with Ryan Chamberlain?
Trina asks, who shares first? and Josslyn says, all you. Trina says, Spencer got her a Valentine’s Day gift, and Josslyn says, what? Trina says, she got it on Valentine’s Day, but it was really a just because gift, and Josslyn says, she’d ask just because why, but let’s put a pin in that for now. What did he get her? Trina says, remember that modern artist Richard Molyneux, whose work she was obsessed with? Josslyn says, the guy with the squiggles, and Trina says, Spencer got her a book of those squiggles. No big deal. Josslyn says, super big deal. He remembered Trina’s favorite artist, and somehow got a book delivered to her from inside prison. How’d he manage that, by the way? Trina says, his grandmother, and Josslyn says, he had his grandmother, the mayor, deliver his gift. Wow. All that’s missing is an inscription. Trina looks guilty, and Josslyn says, stop. What was the inscription? Trina says, that’s why she didn’t want to tell Josslyn anything. She’s getting it twisted. Josslyn says, is she? Let’s see. First he defends his snake of a girlfriend for basically setting Trina up, and then he slips her some just because gift on the side. What are they again? Trina says, they’re basically friends, but Josslyn says, just take a minute and think about it. Then open her eyes, because she’s nobody’s sidepiece.
Spencer asks Nikolas why truly disgusting people, like Peter August, keep getting away, while here he sits. After everything he’s done, Spencer was hoping Nikolas would tell him that Peter was dead, not that he escaped again. Nikolas says, all indications are that Peter’s time is running out, and Spencer says, maybe Uncle Victor can help find him. He found Charlotte after she was abducted. Nikolas says, there are limits to what even Victor can do, but Spencer says, not from what he’s seen. Nikolas says, he’s glad Spencer is being protected, but he doesn’t know Victor like Nikolas does. Spencer says, of course (🍷), pile on with the haters. Uncle Victor is one of the few people who has come through for him, so if Nikolas is going to badmouth him, he can leave, and Spencer will go back to his cell.
Maxie says, their flight gave her plenty of time to think about her and Peter’s tortured history. Back to the beginning, when he showed up in Port Charles, took that job at Aurora Media, and didn’t tell anyone he was Faison’s son. He asks if she’s really surprised. It’s not like it was something he was proud of, and if anyone knew the truth, no one would have trusted him. She says, right, and he needed people to trust him; people like Lulu. Peter manipulated her, so she would convince Nathan to go public about the fact he was Faison’s son. In turn, it lured Faison to Port Charles, which is exactly what Peter wanted. He says he kept Jason alive in that clinic all those years because he knew Jason was the one person who could rid him of his father; the one person who wouldn’t fall for the legendary Cesar Faison mind tricks. Someone who would simply point the gun and pull the trigger, which is exactly what he did. She says, not before Faison killed Nathan. Tell her. Did he plan for Nathan to die? Did he set that whole thing up to get rid of the brother that he knew in his heart was a better man than he would ever be?
Malone says she went back to the original title search for properties in the region of the salt mines. Then she cross-referenced properties that have been acquired in the last 15 years. There were 39. Diving deeper, one stands out. It changed hands ten years ago; a cash purchase by an Octavian Stone. Anna says, that’s him, and Dante asks how she knows. She says, Cesar Agustus, the Roman emperor, his original name. He was originally known as Octavian, and the Latin word for stone is petra. Petra, Peter; Augustus, August. Pull up the coordinates. That’s their destination. Kreger says, he’ll notify the Swiss police of potential WSB action near the salt mines, and leaves. Drew says, he has to hand it to the bastard, that place is perfect. It’s isolated in the woods; it’s got plenty of cover. He points to the screen and says, the road runs right past the property, and straight out to the Autobahn. Anna says, that means if Peter gets any advance warning, he’s going to be on that road, on to the Autobahn, and over the border. Malone says, assuming he’s changed vehicles, and has papers to support an alias, the screening at the border won’t stop him. Dante says, and they’re back to square one. They can’t let that happen.
Esme takes it Doc told Laura what happened, and Laura says, of course (🍷). They have no secrets between them. Esme gave him pushback because he tried to restrict her contact with Ryan. Why is that? Esme says, the class at PCU and her internship give her a sense of purpose. She hasn’t felt that way in a long time. Laura says, okay; that is a good thing. It’s okay to be focused, but not to have tunnel-vision at other people’s expense. Esme promises to do better, and Laura says, good. She’s glad to hear that. Now she just has one more concern. Esme says, the bathroom? and Laura says, no. Well, yes, but no. She’s concerned about how Esme’s doing with Spencer being away. Esme says, it’s tough. He’s miserable on the inside, and she’s miserable on the outside. Spence is really the only person who gives a damn about her.
Trina asks if Josslyn thinks she’d ever let herself be a sidepiece. As far as she’s concerned, she and Spencer are just friends. Now let’s change the subject. There was something significant Josslyn wanted to tell her. Josslyn says she’s pretty sure Trina already knows, but she never actually said it. That night at the cabin, she and Cam had sex. Trina says, she figured. When she woke up after Spencer and Esme left, they seemed… different. So how was it, now that they’ve taken things to the next level? It’s major. Josslyn says, it is, but it also feels regular. She and Cam were so close before, getting closer felt natural, and he was so sweet and so romantic. There was no pressure. He made her feel safe and loved, like she was the only person on the planet. Trina says she’s proud of Cam for making Josslyn feel special, and Josslyn says she wants that for Trina too. She deserves to be someone’s one and only, and no matter how things shake out, she doesn’t think Spencer is going to be the one who could ever give that to Trina.
Nikolas tells Spencer, Victor shows up for his family when it suits him, yes. He can personally attest to that, but he can also attest to the fact Victor’s methods are questionable at best. Spencer says, they work, but Nikolas says, that doesn’t make them right. Spencer says he’s impressed with these newfound scruples of his. He pulled strings to get Alexis a pardon, but won’t lift a finger to keep his own son safe from imprisonment. Nikolas tells him, he’s only saying, Victor’s protection comes at a price, and Spencer says, whatever. Uncle Victor takes care of his own. Can Nikolas say the same? Nikolas says, he’s here. They can’t go back in time; they can only go forward, and he wants to do what he can for Spencer. Spencer says, really? Get Ava to drop the restitution. Nikolas says, it’s court ordered; it’s not up to Ava. Spencer says, like Cassadines are so law abiding. There are ways around that, but Nikolas won’t even bother. When he saw Nikolas, he thought something had changed, but now he sees it’s business as usual. Ava is Nikolas’s priority, not him. Nikolas is still putting her ahead of his own child. Show of hands. Who wants to slap Spencer silly?
Ava tells Olivia that she feels terrible. If she’d been more involved, if she’d visited more… Olivia says, life happens; everybody gets busy. Ava says, busy, right, but the fact is, she’s been so involved in Cassadine family drama, she’s neglected her own. She barely knows her nephew. Olivia says, maybe that’s for the best. For a while, when anyone even suggested something might be off with Leo, she practically bit their head off. She just couldn’t see that he needed a little bit more support. Ava says, sometimes the closer they are to something… She appreciates Olivia letting her off the hook about spending or not spending time with Leo, especially considering their past. Olivia says she hasn’t forgotten, but this isn’t about them; it’s about Leo and what’s best for him, and he has her focus. Ava asks how they’re managing, and Olivia says, they’re very lucky. They have a great team at GH, and Leo has an after school program that’s teaching coping skills and calming techniques, and time management. She’s personally found negotiation techniques and patience she never imagined she had. They say, it’s important to keep it consistent each day, and make sure Leo has avenues to express himself. Ava looks over at Leo, and says, however Olivia got here, she got here, and she’s glad Leo has such a supportive family. Olivia says Ava is part of that family, and Ava thanks her. She says she thinks Julian would want her to spend more time with him, especially since Leo doesn’t have his father. Olivia says, obviously, Leo is lucky to have all the love in his life he can have, but as far as a father is concerned, they’ve got that covered. Ned is in the process of adopting Leo.
Peter tells Maxie, Nathan was never his target. He’s quite the planner, but he never could have orchestrated the events that led to his father killing Nathan. She says, so even his plans have limits; that’s why his brother wasn’t a target? He says, she’ll hear no proclamation of brotherly love from him. She’s asking for the truth, right? Here it is. It couldn’t have worked out better for him if he had planned it. She never would have looked in his direction if Nathan had lived. She never would have given him a chance. She says he’s right. In her grief, and desperate need to fill the void Nathan left in her life, she believed Peter’s lies because she wanted to. She convinced herself, after losing the man she loved, that his brother was the next best thing. She never asked the questions that need to be asked. She never looked past his façade to the horror underneath. He played her, but let’s be real. She let him, so that’s on her. He applauds and says, brava. Now that she’s had her reckoning, her moment of self-reflection, what does she intend to do about it? She says, well, she dug this hole. She guesses she’ll have to climb out of it, or die trying.
Laura says, she and Doc care about Esme, and Esme says, that’s kind of her to say, but she knows they only tolerate her because of Spence, and his friends won’t even do that. Laura says, there must be someone in her life she’s really close to, and Esme says, there is one, but she’s not in the picture anymore. Her nanny helped raise her after her adoptive parents died. Laura says, Spencer told her about that. She’s sorry Esme had such an unhappy childhood. Where’s her nanny now? Esme says, kids grow up, and nanny’s move on; it’s not like they had a falling out. Laura says, like she had a falling out with Spencer’s friends, and Esme asks if it’s that obvious. Laura says she’s learned she can either burn bridges or mend fences, and trust her, the second one is so much more rewarding. Maybe right now, instead of working so hard to analyze inmates, perhaps Esme should focus on getting herself a support system that doesn’t consist solely of Spencer. Esme says, in other words, get a life? and Laura says, something like that. Esme says she can see why Laura is Spence’s favorite person, and Laura says she adores him, and anyone who matters to him, matters to her. Is Esme ready to eat? Does she want to hear the specials or does she just want to order? Esme asks if Laura minds if she takes a raincheck on dinner. She has fences to mend. Laura says, good for her. Wonderful. She thinks she knows what Esme likes, so she’ll bring something home. Esme says, home. She likes the sound of that.
Trina says, she doesn’t have any expectations where Spencer is concerned, and Josslyn says, just protect herself, please. Trina is always protecting everybody else. Who’s looking out for her? Trina’s phone dings, and she says, Josslyn won’t believe this. Esme. She wants to talk. Josslyn says, because talking at the cabin went so well? Block her.
Nikolas asks why Spencer insists on making this a competition his affection, and Spencer says, he didn’t; Nikolas did. He lost that competition long ago. Nikolas says, Spencer is his son. There’s going to be a place in Nikolas’s heart for him always. Spencer says, a place, and Ava takes up every other space. Nikolas says, there’s room for both of them. It’s frustrating, because Spencer refuses to accept that, and spends his energy on a vendetta against Nikolas’s wife. Where has it gotten him? Here. Spencer says, he was friendly with Ava once upon a time. It was her betrayal that made him begin to despise her. He was trying to find justice for Nikolas’s supposed murder. He prioritized his loyalty to Nikolas, and their relationship above all others. Nikolas says, repairing their relationship is his priority, and Spencer says, prove it.
Trina says, she’s on her way, and Josslyn says, great. After this, they’ll book Trina a skydiving lesson with faulty parachutes. Trina says she’s curious about what Esme has to say; isn’t Josslyn? Josslyn says, Trina’s not protecting herself, but Trina says, her dad always tells her, the best defense is a good offense. Josslyn says, that’s great advice; take the initiative, seize the momentum.Just make sure Esme gets what she deserves.
Peter asks what Maxie intends to do. Her resources are thin; make that non-existent. She says she’ll figure it out, and he says, the nearest village is 30 kilometers away, and she doesn’t know the area. She steps ten feet into those woods, and she’ll be hopelessly lost. And let’s not forget about… the wolves. Maxie says she’d rather hang with the entire pack than spend one more minute with Peter, and he says, don’t be ridiculous. Let’s relax and have a glass of wine. The Swiss are known for their pinot noir. Come on. They’ve had a long trip, and she said she hasn’t even slept yet. She knees him in the groin, and jets. He yells, dammit, Maxie. You can’t get away. He’s never letting her go.
Maxie wonders why she’s always in the woods. She looks up, and says, there it is, and thanks Spinelli for all his lectures about the night’s sky. The map said, the road is to the north, and according to that star, north is that way. She runs again.
Olivia tells Ava, Leo will always know Julian as his biological father, but Julian is gone,God rest him – she blesses herself – and Ned got to be the day-to-day dad, that stable presence. They’re bond is so great, and she’s so grateful for that. Leo is just becoming so much more socialized. Ned takes Leo to GH for a class every week, and just knows how to encourage his interests. They’re writing a book together right now. It’s a picture book about aquatic animals. They’re bond is really amazing. Ava says, Olivia doesn’t have to sell her. She and Ned are obviously on it. Olivia is a terrific mother, and she can’t imagine a better father for Leo. She’s sure that Julian would agree with her. Olivia thanks her, and says, that means a lot.And as far as getting to know Leo, it’s never too late.
Nikolas asks what more he can do to show Spencer how much he matters, and Spencer says, give him his trust fund. No more scraping for pennies. Don’t renew his vows with Ava; tell her to hop in a handbasket and go straight to Hades. Spring him out of there early. Tap that contact he used for Alexis. Be his father. Nikolas says, he is Spencer’s father, and Spencer says, what about the rest of it? Nikolas says, his job as Spencer’s father is to teach him accountability. He’s willing to do anything but helping Spencer avoid taking responsibility and retaliate against his wife. Spencer says, so that’s it then. He’s to remain an impoverished ex-con, destined for indentured servitude at the mercy of a bitch… Nikolas says, that’s enough. He puts his finger in Spencer’s face, and says, Spencer has no right to refer to any woman that way, and Spencer says, but it’s okay to arrange to have a woman shot? Nikolas says Spencer’s out of his mind, and Spencer laughs and says, what’s the matter? Is Nikolas worried everyone else is going to realize he belongs in here too? Samuel asks if this guy is bothering Spencer.
Esme walks into Kelly’s, and asks if it’s always this hot in Port Charles at this time of year. She tells Josslyn, hi, and says she didn’t know Josslyn would be here. Can she sit? Trina says, be her guest, and Esme thanks her, and sits down. She says she owes them both an apology, especially Trina, and Josslyn asks, what’s the catch? It’s too hot for hell to have frozen over. Esme says she deserved that. Josslyn is right. She was trying to create drama during that drinking game. Trina asks, why? She hasn’t done anything to Esme. Esme says they both intimidate her. They’re the ones with great families and friends; everything she doesn’t have. They have lots of people to love them, including Spence, but he’s all she’s got. She guesses it made her feel territorial. Trina says, no one is trying to take Spencer from Esme, and Esme says she’s not sure they could if they tried, but point taken. They’re not the enemy, but do they still think she is?
Laura asks if Ned has spoken to Tracy. Does she know about Leo’s diagnosis? He says he has, and she’s planning to visit when she gets a chance. Laura says, can she? and he says, the WSB has cleared her of all charges. They were able to prove that the Ice Princess diamond was swapped without her knowledge, weeks before she made the sale. Laura says she’s sure Tracy is happy to have that behind her, and he says he’s not sure about that. She’s actually contemplating a lawsuit. Laura laughs, saying, that’s just like Tracy, and he says, it’s actually good Luke wasn’t alive to discover the diamond was stolen; there’d be hell to pay. She says, maybe that was the point, and he says, meaning? but before she can answer, Olivia and Ava join them. Olivia tells Leo that his Aunt Ava is thrilled to hear about some of the new stuff he’s learning, and Ava says, she heard he’s working on a book. Would he be willing to show her and Avery sometime? Leo says she can help if she wants. Can she draw? She says she’ll let him in on a little secret. She appreciates art a lot more than she attempts it, but she’d certainly be wiling to try for him. He says, cool.
Spencer says, his father was just leaving. He wouldn’t want to keep that precious wife of his waiting. Nikolas says, as he wishes. He’ll be visiting soon. Spencer says, don’t bother, and turns his back on Nikolas.
Trina says, apology accepted, and Josslyn says, she’s curious. Why the sudden change of heart? Esme says, Spence’s grandmother Laura got her thinking. Spence can’t be her entire world. She needs to be her own person, more open, mend fences, and not burn bridges. Trina says, Mayor Collins is a wise woman, and Esme says, she and Trina are certainly close. Josslyn says, they all are. Don’t forget, she’s Cam’s grandmother too. Esme says, of course (🍷). Next time Trina is visiting Laura, she’ll join her. Trina says, it’s not like she’s there all the time, and Josslyn says, Trina just went over there to get her gift. Esme says, what gift? and Josslyn just looks at her. Esme says, she means the gift her boyfriend got for Trina.
In the woods outside Peter’s house, Drew asks how Anna wants to do this, and Anna says, carefully. She doesn’t want Maxie caught in the crossfire. She says, Drew’s had experience with these types of situations. He understands the rules? He says, all too well, and she tells him to call it, and he says, they’ll move now, while the clouds are broken and they have a little moonlight. The goal is to approach, and access how many are inside. Once they get eyes on Maxie, that’s when they take the house. Obviously no radios, so keep eye contact for communication. He’s one, Anna is two, and Dante is three. He tells Anna, take the perimeter, and Dante, over there. He’s going down the middle, but will need some cover. Got it? Dante says, copy that, and Anna says, ready when he is. Drew says, let’s do this, and they move closer. Drew nods, and they move faster.
Maxie finds the road, and says she did it. Now she just needs to find her way to the village. She sees headlights, and waves, yelling, over here, because apparently, she’s learned nothing.
Tomorrow, Maxie tells Peter to come and get her; Trina says Josslyn just made it worse for her; and Carly says, the plan was set in motion when Sonny decided to sleep with Nina.
Below Deck Sailing Yacht
Captain Glenn tells us, the thing with sailing is, you never know the conditions you’ll run into. If it was easy, everybody would be doing it. Daisy, Gary, and Colin are back, and in Colin’s interview, he admits to enjoying a little drama here and there. It keeps him entertained. We meet the new crew members. Chef Marcos is from Venezuela, and stew Gabriella says she’s like a chihuahua, all bark and all bite. Deckhand Kelsie says she has two brothers, and growing up, it was either fight back or get farted on. Deckhand Tom tells us not to let his baby face fool us, and stew Ashley says she looks innocent, but she’s not. We see a short preview of the season. A lot of people will fall down, and champagne glasses will be broken.
Menorca, Spain, Port Mahon. In Gary’s interview, he says he’s back and ready to rumble. He has a lot to teach, and hopes he has a team that’s willing to learn. In Glenn’s interview, he says the beaches in Menorca are spectacular. He first came there in 1984, and has an apartment there. He offered Gary a full-time job, since he knows the boat and Glenn can depend on him. Daisy arrives, and says she’d rather be on the beach, but a girl’s got to eat. It’s her first charter since last year, and she hopes she remembers how to be a chief stew. In Daisy’s interview, she says, her role as chief stew is to be puppet master. If the team looks good, she looks good, and she hopes they learn quickly that she’s always right. In Marcos’s interview, he says he grew up eating pasta and plantains, and now runs a food truck in L.A. with a business partner.
In Gabriella’s interview, she says she’d be described as funny, loyal, and passionate, but she’s a sh*t talker and likes to bust balls. In Tom’s interview, he says he grew up in Windermere, north of England, where there are more sheep than people. He’s worked in yachting for three years, but this is his first time sailing. Colin is the last to arrive, and in his interview, he says he’s glad to be back on the Parsifal with his boy Gary. He thinks Glenn has an amazing leadership style, and when you sail with him, you know it will be a good time. He gives Daisy a big hug.
Glenn wants to do a quick brief with the crew. Chef Marcos seems mild mannered… for now. The chefs always seem to end up pitching fits at some point. Glenn is excited about the season, and to see both old and new faces. He tells them, no drinking on charter, and communication is of top importance. Last season, they had a communication problem. In Daisy’s interview, she says, everyone else had a communication problem, but she didn’t. We flash back, and I’m like, oh yeah, Chef Natasha and the eggs… Glenn tells them that they can take some time to get to know each other tonight, but it’s a school night.
In Kelsie’s interview, she says, she went on a charter in Croatia with her cousins in 2015, and thought it was the coolest job. She’s gone from being a guest to a skipper, and has her own boat, but she’s never worked on a superyacht. It’s like a Great Dane versus a chihuahua. Daisy tells Marcus that she’s not strict, but don’t take anything she says personally. In his interview, he says, even though he’s the new guy, he’s not scared. He’s cooked for the likes of Shakira, Beyoncé, and Alicia Keys, among others. Gabriella says she’s been in yachting for a year, and Ashley says, it’s her one-year anniversary. In Ashley’s interview, she says, she always wanted to be the best, and got straight A’s in school. She wants to be a chief stew someday. Tom says he thinks Ashley is hot. Glenn calls Gary, Marcos, and Daisy to the saloon for a preference sheet meeting.
Primary Mccordia is a real estate investor, being joined by some other hard working business owner friends to celebrate Black entrepreneurship. They’re looking for beautiful scenery, elevated cocktails, and five-star dining. Gary says, they want a beach picnic, and Daisy says guest Aleah wants a hip-hop PJ party for her birthday. They’ve requested the crew dress up with them. Because I’m sure the crew members always carry their hip-hop wardrobe with them just in case. Provisions come in, and Daisy calls for some hip-hop themed stuff. She asks Gabriella and Ashley to meet her in the crew mess, and makes Gabriella second stew because she has more experience in bartending. Ashley doesn’t seem happy, but says she’s good. She’s put on mornings, and Gabriella on the late shift. The deckhands finish up, and grab a beer. Daisy tells the stews that they can finish up tomorrow, and suggests they get a drink.
Gary, Colin, and Daisy hang out together up top, and the newbies gather on deck. Gary says, Tom likes Ashley, and Daisy says, Ashley likes him, and we’re transported back to middle school. Tom approaches the OGs, and Colin jokes that it’s an official meeting. Gary tells Tom that Ashley thinks he’s hot, and in Tom’s interview, he says, yachting is like Never Never Land. He’s never growing up. (Actually, that’s Neverland, but we’ll let it pass.) Going to their lockers bunks, Gary asks Ashley if she has a type, and she says she thinks they’re both cute, and she’s not picking. She asks their ages, and Tom is a year younger than she is. Gary is in his 30s, and she says, she usually goes for older. In Tom’s interview, he says, just because he’s younger doesn’t mean he doesn’t know what he’s doing. But he needs to get on with Gary, so if Gary likes Ashley, he’s taking a backseat. Tom tells the rest of the crew about Ashley choosing Gary over him because of his age, and in Gary’s interview, he says, he’s in a predicament. He was the cause of a predicament last season, and we flash back to him sleeping with Sydney the first night on deck, and then almost sleeping with Dani until she found out. He admits he’s an idiot, and says he’s not going to make the same mistake twice. He’s turning a new leaf.
At 10 pm, the crew is still clicking bottles and doing shots. Tom is getting pretty sh*tfaced, and in Colin’s interview, he says Tom reminds him of himself at Tom’s age. He wanted to have a good time, and didn’t think about the consequences of going too far. They haven’t even started the season. Gary flirts with Ashley, who wants a kiss. He obliges and then says, no. He’s still an idiot. No new leaves happening here.
Tom is bunking with Glenn, and finally turns in. Gary’s mom sends him a message not to do something stupid. Around midnight, the others are still outside talking and drinking, and Tom says he doesn’t feel well. He gets up, and pukes his guts up in the bathroom. He tells Glenn that he needs to sleep low (he’s in the top bunk), and Glenn tells him to sleep in the mess. Tom leaves, and Glenn gets up and gets dressed. Kelsie has wisely chosen to go to bed, but the others are still partying. Glenn trudges upstairs, and tells Gary, let’s get everybody to bed. They have a charter tomorrow, and they’re already a man down. In Glenn’s interview, he says he doesn’t want to be a buzzkill, but he has to make a point. This is why you don’t do what you did. He says, they’re going to be picking up guests; get their asses to bed. Gabriella tries to clean up, and drops a bunch of bottles. In Gary’s interview, he says, it’s not a good look. It’s an example of what not to do on a school night.
In the morning, it’s not pretty. Tom wakes up confused, and in his interview, he says he just wanted to prove he could fit in and drink like everyone else, and gave the worst impression. Gary tells Colin about Ashley wanting a kiss, but insists he wasn’t even flirting. Ashley tells Gabriella about it, who says, just wear a condom. Tom says he’s never been more embarrassed in his life, and Glenn tells Tom to clean the bathroom he puked all over. In Tom’s interview, he says, he already made himself look like an idiot. He’s got to move forward, and let his work do the talking, In Glenn’s interview, he says he thinks Tom understands the gravity of the situation. It’s strike one, but it’s never going to happen again.
The crew gets last minute stuff done, and Daisy does a walk through. She’s happy with everything, and Glenn tells them to get in their uniforms. The guests arrive, and Glenn welcomes them. The crew stands in line to greet them, Ashley with damp towels, and Gabriella with champagne. Glenn passes them to Daisy for the tour, and their luggage is brought on board. Marcos makes appetizers, and they look fabulous. Even Daisy is impressed, and says, this what a canapé should be; pretty and elegant. I’m betting he can make eggs too. The lines are clear, and they set sail.
Marcus says he’s working fast because he knows sh*t goes sideways. The sails go up, and in Kelsie’s interview, she says, the sails are freaking huge. She’s excited to learn from Gary. The guests are loving the boat’s tilt. One of them falls over, and laughs, saying, it’s only the first day.
In Ashley’s interview, she says, something about Gary makes her think he’d be great in bed. She knows what she’s doing. The sails come down, and Daisy tells Gabriella that the guests want a sparkly dinner with lots of candles. They stop at Cala Blanc, and Glenn eats a gigantic matzo cracker in the mess, while Kelsie uses her hair as dental floss. Possibly one of the grossest things I’ve ever seen someone do. In Marcos’s interview, he says, it’s a little bit of pressure, but he’s not going to show it. Daisy says, with her junior stews, it’s like raising children. The guests are still hungry, so Marcos makes more appetizers, along with some shrimp in whiskey butter sauce. In his interview, he says, they definitely want their money’s worth.
Dessert is served, and I suddenly realize, primary Mccordia is the only dude. A guest falls, but it’s not from the boat tilting this time. Daisy goes to bed, feeling she’s finally working in a team environment again, and Gabriella is left to handle Mccordia, the only guest left standing. He keeps telling Gabriella that she’s sexy, and says, he doesn’t like girls, but she’s cute. For whatever drunk reason, he tells her that he has a little d*ck, and in Gabriella’s interview, she says, there’s no sense in trying to talk a drunk person out of their f***ing f***ery. It’s an exercise is getting someone to respect her. He asks who she’s f***ing tonight, and she tells him that he’s getting inappropriate. He asks who she’s interested in, but she says, no one on the boat. He tells her that she’s full of sh*t, and in her interview, she says, bring it on, mother f***er. Since she’d said she likes both men and women, he asks what two women do together, and she tells him to go to bed.
This season, a wedding, Gary does a striptease, a guest faceplants against the mast, Gary and Ashley get busy; and Glenn says, it’s about as serious as it gets. They might be stuck.
🏖 I skipped Summer House because my hatred for the show finally won out. Not really. I’m a glutton for punishment, but I was busy at the times it was on. I caught the tail end, and Danielle – looking fabulous in some kind of silver and black Mardi Gras-ish outfit – told Ciara and Paige that Kyle had been talking smack about his fiancé Amanda. He’d said the only thing they had in common was their business, Loverboy. The girls took note of how Kyle was chatting up some random babes, and Amanda was dancing around with some dude, and Danielle said, it just wasn’t them. I’ll say it again, these people are their thirties for God’s sake. Get it together. Get something together. Not drinking so much would be a start.
✨ Dream Of You Tonight, See You Tomorrow…
Come set a spell tomorrow for some soap and a look at New Jersey. Until then, stay safe, stay being positive, but not toxically, and stay not leaving people waiting. Le quart d’heure de politesse or not, it’s rude.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
The Walking Dead
The rockets strike the zombies, and they explode. Maggie pushes her way through, and gets to what passes as safety. A Reaper slams her against the wall repeatedly, but she puts up a good fight and knocks him out. A human explodes nearby, and Maggie runs inside and up the stairs. She goes through a door from the stair well, closes it, and listens. She peeks around the corner, and sees Negan and Elijah. Elijah is hurt, and Maggie leads them to a supply closet with a secret door, picking up bandages and whatnot on the way. Negan asks, what now? and Elijah suggests they get some food and go. Negan says, as long as they get out, but Maggie says she’s not leaving Gabriel and the others. They hear Leah saying, just find them. Not one is getting out alive.
I love the tree with the stained glass panels hanging from it in the opening.
Meanwhile in Alexandria, Rosita and company are fighting off zombies. Dianne tells them to come, and they run upstairs. In the basement, where Judith and Gracie are, water is pouring in through the windows. Zombies are banging at the door, and Judith says, it isn’t going to hold. They walk up the stairs, the door opens a crack, and hands come through. Judith puts a pipe across it, to reenforce it, but a zombie sticks its head in, and they start to push through.
Jerry and Aaron run inside, and Aaron says, the rain isn’t helping. He tells Jerry that they should try something else, but Jerry doesn’t think there’s much else they can try. They see Carol, Connie, Kelly, and Magna, and motion them in. Connie and Kelly go with Magna to take care of the breach. Aaron says, if the windmill falls, they’re screwed, and they suddenly hear whistle. Aaron says, Gracie, it’s an emergency, and tells Carly and Jerry to take care of the fire.
Daryl jumps sniper Austin in a classroom, and knocks the gun out of his hand. Austin produces a sword, and Daryl takes out his knife, but ends up headbutting Austin. They fight, and Daryl stabs Austin, but Austin takes off. Daryl follows, and gets him in a headlock in the hallway, while zombies scrabble at another classroom door. Daryl is between a rock and a hard place, when he hears Leah call for Austin. She tells her men to break down the door, and Daryl jets. Leah and a couple of her henchmen come in, and she runs to Austin. She says, no more, and they hunt for Daryl, but surprise! He was in the room the whole time, behind something. He slips out the other way.
Water continues to pour into the basement, and Judith suggests they try getting out the window. A zombie comes out of the water, and she stabs it in the head. Zombies are beginning to toddle down the stairs, and one grabs at them from under the water. Judith kicks it in the head, but another takes its place. She kicks that one too, and Aaron is at the window. He breaks it, and a zombie swims up. He tells the girls, stay there, lures the zombie closer, jumps in, and stabs it. As he wrestles with another one, he tells the girls to go. The zombie drags him under, and the girls press themselves against a wall near the window. Aaron is running out of air, and squishes the zombie’s head like a grape. The zombies continue to come down the stairs, and Aaron lifts Gracie up. She goes through the window, and Judith goes next. He tells them to go, and Judith says, they’ll get help. The stairs collapse, and the zombies disappear under the water. Aaron is like, where TF are they? and they begin to pop up out of the water.
Brandishing a knife, Gabriel runs up to a room decorated like a chapel, and finds the Reaper priest from the cemetery, who also has a knife. The priest tells Gabriel, far enough. He can’t let Gabriel harm anybody. Gabriel says he should worry about himself first, and the priest says, God will repel Gabriel’s hand like He did at the graves. Gabriel says the priest knew he was there? but the priest says, the Lord knew he was there. Gabriel asks if the Lord told the priest to defend these people. They’re monsters who slaughter entire towns and massacre children. How could he pray for them? The priest says, his role is not to question, and Gabriel says, he’s just following orders, and wonders where he’s heard that before. The priest says, they’re not privy to God’s will. All they can do is trust. Gabriel says he can’t allow the murder of his friends, and the priest says, neither can he. He puts his knife in his belt, and moves closer to Gabriel. He says, his flock is worth saving, and asks if Gabriel hears from God anymore. God is asking him to listen. Will he? Can he take the first steps for both of their flocks? He tells Gabriel, take his hand and allow himself to be saved. They hear an explosion outside, and Gabriel stabs the priest, saying, he doesn’t believe that. The priest falls.
Carver follows Maggie, who only comes upon locked doors, and becomes trapped in a dead end hallway. Carver says, oops, wrong turn, and Maggie hears a door open behind her. It’s Elijah, who says Carver killed his sister. Behind Carver, Negan comes out of another room with a pipe. Carver tells Maggie, thanks for this, and Negan tries to whack him with the pipe, but Carver uses some martial arts moves, and gets Negan down. Elijah, Maggie, and Negan fight the good fight, repeatedly getting knocked down, but getting up again. Carver kicks Elijah’s wounded leg, and knocks Maggie down. He’s about stomp on her, but Negan says, over here sh*thead. He has a big bell in his hand, which amuses Carver until he’s distracted by Elijah, and Negan whacks him in the face with it, saying, well, ding-ding. Negan tells Elijah, thanks, kid, and sits on the floor. Maggie is about to finish Carver off, when Daryl pops out, and says, no. He says he should have taken Carver out, but don’t kill him yet. We’ve got him, now let’s use him. They can get what they want and go home. Maggie says Daryl is doing this for Leah, but he says he’s doing it for them. Negan says he’s down with getting out alive, and Elijah is bummed that they’re just letting the Reapers walk away. Maggie says, they’ll get what’s coming to them. Maybe not today, but they will. Daryl radios Leah, and says they need to talk.
Rosita is still battling zombies on the stairs. Lydia opens the window on the landing, and climbs out.
Aaron climbs along on the pipes near the ceiling. Pipes that don’t sound very stable. Nope, they’re not, because they separate, and Aaron slides down one of them, dangling closer to the zombies reaching up for him. He somehow climbs back up and keeps going. Lydia comes to the window, and says she’ll be right back. We don’t see how it happens, but Lydia gets him out using a rope. He thanks her, and she says he’d do the same for her. He says he would, and asks about Gracie and Judith. She says, they’re safe. He asks about the others, and she says, Dianne is on it.
With Carver gagged and bound, Negan, Maggie, Daryl, and Elijah walk down the road. Elijah tells Maggie to leave him; just make sure Carver is dead. Maggie says, they’re not going anywhere without him, no matter what happens. Daryl asks if Maggie is all right, and she says, yeah. He gives her a gun, saying, just in case, and radios Leah. Leah puts a gun in her waistband, and says, we’re here. Daryl tells them, come out; weapons on the ground. Leah says she needs to see Carver first, and Daryl brings Carver out, holding a knife to his throat. Daryl says, weapons on the ground, and she asks what he’s offering. He tells her, lose the weapons, and let them leave. They’ll head north, but if he sees anyone, he’ll kill them. When they’re far out enough, they’ll let Carver go. She starts to argue, and he tells her, shut up. She asks if she’s supposed to trust him now, and he says, they’re doing this all wrong. They survived for what? Killing each other? She says, if that’s what it takes, and tells him to take the knife away from Carver’s throat. He says she has the chance to save what’s left of her family, and he can save what’s left of his, but Leah says, no more lies. She radios Jensen, and tells him to shoot. Some shots come close to them, and she says, it was a warning, but it’s the last one. Everybody out. Negan and Maggie come out, helping Elijah between them, and Leah tells Daryl again to take the knife away from Carver’s throat, but he doesn’t move. She says, Jensen, the woman, and Daryl says, fine, and lets Carver go. Carver blows a kiss to Elijah, who grabs a sickle. Leah says, no one move, but Elijah doesn’t listen. She says, one more step, and he dies, but he doesn’t have to worry about that, since he keels over. Carver kicks the sickle away, and is suddenly shot in the leg. Leah says, what the hell? and gets on the radio, calling Jensen. A voice says, no Jensen here. Call me Gabriel. Back off or you’re next. Maggie says, they had their chance, and would have picked them off one by one. Now she’s going to do the same thing to them. Leah says, maybe she’s right. Her friend has the rifle, but they’d take a couple of them down before all of them were taken out. They walk away, and Daryl saves his family, and she saves hers. Maggie says, Negan? and Negan says, she knows what he thinks. It’s her decision. Maggie tells Leah and her guys to drop their weapons, but leave Carver; they’ll help him. Leah tells her guys, do it, and tells Carver, she’ll see him soon. She and her men leave, and Maggie goes over to Elijah, who doesn’t look good. He tells her, for Josephine… for all of them. Daryl drags Carter up, and Maggie watches the Reapers leave. Suddenly, Maggie takes out her gun, and walks after them. Daryl drops Carter, and runs after her, saying, hey, no, but Maggie starts shooting. She gets Leah’s guys, but somehow misses Leah, so she continues to walk after her. She turns around, and finishes off one of the guys who was only wounded. She goes over to Carter, and pulls the trigger, but she’s out of bullets. Carter grabs a knife, but she grabs the sickle, and kicks the knife out of his hand. She swings the sickle down into his chest. Alrighty then.
Daryl follows Leah’s trail sees a pile of garbage that’s a makeshift shelter. He stops and says, she could have had a second chance. Both of them could have. Go before he changes his mind. Inside the shelter, holding a knife, Leah puts her head in her hands.
Negan et al load up the wagon with food. Daryl isn’t talking to Maggie, although it’s hard to tell with him, since he barely talks anyway. Maggie tells Gabriel that she’ll catch up with him and Lydia, and Gabriel tells her to be careful. Maggie tells Elijah, she’ll be back soon, she promises, and hugs him. She takes a bow and arrows, and leaves.
Maggie walks to the church in the woods where Alden was holed up. She calls to him, and slowly opens the door. She looks inside, and a zombie hurtles toward her. She stabs it in the head, and calls to Alden again. She sees him, zombified and crawling across the floor. She kneels down, cradling his head as much as you can with a hungry zombie, and snaps his neck. She lays her body on his, and sobs.
Maggie buries Alden, when Negan comes along. He says, she’s always going to do what she did. He doesn’t blame her, but promise or not, it’s just a matter of time before she makes the same call. He’s not going to give her a chance to do that. She starts to reach behind her for the knife in her waistband, and he says, he’ll be going his own way, and walks off.
Daryl roasts a rabbit, as he, Elijah, and Gabriel sit around a fire. Gabriel says he heard what Daryl said, that they’re doing it wrong, and Daryl wonders if it even matters anymore. He asks if Gabriel has faith, and Gabriel says he supposes so. He’s trying. A random zombie ambles up, and is shot by an arrow. Maggie is back, and Gabriel says, Alden? She shakes her head and pets Dog, as we all would. Gabriel asks if she saw Negan, and she says, he left. Everyone settles down for the night.
Carol looks out from the wall at Alexandria. Jerry joins her, and says, all is quiet.
Maggie drives the wagon into Alexandria, and Jerry asks, where is everyone else? We see the town looking pretty ragged, and a pile of bodies being burned. Judith runs to Daryl, and he picks her up. Herschel runs to Maggie, and they hug. Daryl hugs Carol and Lydia, who asks where Negan is. Daryl says, he left, and brings out a bushel basket of apples, telling the kids, just one. Gabriel looks at Rosita and Coco, and Daryl sees Connie, and drops the basket. He hugs her and Kelly, while Dog tries to eat an apple. Daryl says he has so many questions, and Gabriel hugs Aaron. Aaron says, Alden? but Gabriel says, he’s gone. So many didn’t make it. Aaron says they literally had nothing left, and thanks Gabriel.
Jerry looks out, and yells, we’ve got something coming. They grab their weapons, and Maggie and Daryl join Jerry. A group of Commonwealth stormtroopers and their caravan come toward Alexandria, stopping outside. Daryl yells, everyone get ready, and the stormtroopers draw their guns. Eugene runs out from caravan, and says, wait!They’re all friends. They’re here to help.
Eugene says, when they set out on their journey, they found hope and the proverbial jackpot, but he thinks they should hear it from the horse’s mouth. He introduces Lance Hornsby, the diplomatic representative from the Commonwealth. Lance introduces himself, and thanks the Alexandrians for allowing them in. He’s impressed with what they’ve built, and he’s heard of other places they’ve created. It’s clear they’ve fallen on hard times. The Commonwealth is more than willing to help them remain, providing labor and materials for them to build back what they’ve lost. However, if they’re interested, he has another potentially more interesting choice to offer them.
Six months later. Maggie stands on the wall at Alexandria, and says, it doesn’t have to be this way. In front of a group of stormtroopers below, Daryl takes off his trooper helmet, and says, it does.
In loving memory of Stephen Campbell.
Next time, the Commonwealth governor says, they’re putting the world back together the way it was; Maggie doesn’t trust them, and Daryl says he’s asking her to trust him; Lance tells Carol that they’re going to remake the world; and a carnival at the Commonwealth.
💝 Dedicated To Stephen…
The man in whose loving memory tonight’s TWD referred to.
Tomorrow begins a new season of Below Deck Sailing Yacht. By all means join me for that and some Hospital soap. Until then, stay safe, stay having a dream, and stay wary of those who have potentially more interesting choices to offer.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Visiting at Spring Ridge, Laura hugs Spencer, and says he doesn’t look too much worse for the wear. He asks her to please not say prison is agreeing with him, and she says, no, never, but it doesn’t seem to be hurting him too much either. He says, there’s a heatwave going on and no AC in his cell. Maybe as mayor, she could pull some strings. She says, it’s a state level issue, but she’ll do what she can. How is he doing? He says, as much as he’d like to spin some awful tale of woe, other than being bored and restless, he’s doing fine. His Uncle Victor is looking out for him. She says, that’s what she’s afraid of.
At the MetroCourt, Ava asks if it’s hot in here or it’s her, and Nikolas says, it’s definitely her. She tells him, focus. They have a lot to do before their vow renewal. Even a small ceremony needs planning. He says, the vows aren’t going to write themselves, but she says she’s not writing any. He asks if she’s going to wing it, and she says she’s just going to be spontaneous. She’s going to say what’s in her heart at the moment. Why? Is he planning a big speech about love, obsession, and eternity? He tells her, he wouldn’t say that, and she says she can’t wait. Even at his most Cassadine-esque, it won’t be too much over-the-top. He says he wants it to be poetic, and she says, like, there once was a girl named Jerome, who made Spoon Island her home. He laughs, and says, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways. I love thee to the depth and breadth and height my soul can reach. I love thee with breath and smiles, tears and with all my life, and if… Victor walks up, and says, and if God chooses, I shall love thee better after death.
Austin tells Obrecht, what Spinelli says, is the bug they planted on Victor didn’t malfunction. She says she knew it, and he asks if she thinks Victor just found the bug and destroyed it. She says, at least it worked long enough for them to overhear his plans for Drew Cain, and he says, but they’re still no closer to finding out where Peter took Maxie. Sam says, maybe they’re not, but Drew is, and he brought back-up.
WSB Field Office – Swiss/Austrian Border. Agent Malone lets Anna, Dante, and Drew into the office, and says, their resources are at Anna’s disposal. Malone wants to assure them that apprehending Peter August, aka Henrik Faison, is their highest priority. Anna thanks her and Agent Kreger, and reminds her that Drew and Dante have full clearance. Malone says, it’s good to see Dante is recovering from his ordeal in Ankara, and he says, she knows about that too, huh? She says, of course (), and tells Drew, and knowledge he has from his captivity with Peter would be of great use to them. Drew says, anything he can do to help, of course (🍷). Anna says, Malone interviewed the woman who found Maxie’s SOS on the mirror in the bathroom? and Malone says, yes. She was able to identify the photo of the hostage. Surveillance video captured an image of the car with two passengers, and they also have a license plate. Anna says, that’s great, and thanks her. She tells Dante and Drew, with any luck, they’re one step closer to finding Maxie.
On a plane, Felicia flashes back to Anna explaining why she doesn’t want Felicia coming along. She looks at car rentals on her tablet.
Maxie and Peter walk into a house, and Maxie says she gets why he felt safe here when he was a boy. This house is like one big architectural hug. He says, aptly put. He does love it here, out in the middle of nowhere, and since no one cared about him or his childhood, no one will ever associate him with this place, which makes it the perfect refuge. No one will ever find them here.
Spencer gives Laura some coffee, and she tells him that she gave Trina his gift. He asks if she liked it, and Laura says, she loved it. He has very good taste in friends. Trina is a lovely young lady. He agrees, and says, Trina is awesome, but if Laura can trust his judgement about his friends, can she trust his judgement about Uncle Victor? She says, Trina’s a very good person. His Uncle Victor, on the other hand… He says, she has a low opinion of him? and she says, his Uncle Victor is responsible for countless abductions and deaths, and let them not forget that he, and his brothers, and his father had a plan to take over the world by using that giant diamond, the Ice Princess, to mess with the weather patterns to freeze the world. He says, all he knows is, if it hadn’t been for Uncle Victor, he would be in Pentenville. She says, if he can find the good in Victor, why can’t he find the good in his own father?
Victor says, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, the way she could turn passion into poetry is unparalleled. Ava says he surprises her. She thought he’d be more of a Sophocles fan. Victor says, he is – he brings a chair over to the table – but Sophocles couldn’t write a love story to save his life. Whereas he’s an incurable romantic. One of his hobbies is collecting romantic poetry; first editions, original letters. Actually, did they know – he sits down – that even today, if you were to acquire a genuine firsthand epistle, you could find a lock of the owners’ hair within? Ava says, thebetter to clone them with, and he says, sharp as a briar this one. Nikolas married well, but Ava’s assumptions of him are a little outdated. The most valuable lesson he learned as head of the WSB, was authoritarianism leads to admin. Not as much fun. Nikolas says, what a relief, and Victor says, even though he no longer wishes to control the world, he’s determined to save it. Preferably, one life at a time. Nikolas says, starting with his former co-conspirator, Peter August? and Victor says, Peter betrayed him in Greece. Why on earth would Victor want to help him? Nikolas says, so he could escape the law, and Ava says, good riddance. Everybody wants him dead, gone forever will suffice. Nikolas says, too bad he had to take Maxie with him, but Victor wouldn’t know anything about that, would he?
At the hospital, Sam tells Austin, Dante and Drew are with Anna in Zurich. They have a lead on Peter. Austin says, if they find Peter, they find Maxie, and Sam says, hopefully. Obrecht says, don’t assume it will be that easy. Despite Anna’s effort to apprehend him, Peter has slipped through her grasp at every turn. Not to mention the possibility that Drew might still be under Peter’s influence. Nein. If there’s any hope of catching and killing Peter, she needs to go to Zurich herself. Coming down the stairs, Britt says, no, she doesn’t. Obrecht says, as if Britt could stop her, and Britt says, by going after a homicidal fugitive, Obrecht is endangering herself and others. Involuntary commitment to the psyche ward for 72 hours. Boom. Obrecht says, Britt would abuse her power that way? and Britt says, to protect her from Peter and herself? Yes, she would. Obrecht says she’s impressed by Britt’s willingness to pretzel the rules, and touched by her concern, and yet, she’s still going. Britt says, try it, and she’ll harpoon Obrecht with a spear gun – again.
Malone says, the suspect was last tracked going into the Zurich mountains.Unfortunately, there are so many winding roads there, it’s difficult to search. Drew wonders if he could have headed back to the Audubon and to the border, but Anna says, the guard there would catch them. Dante says, they could ditch the car and find another one, or probably hike, and Malone says, unfortunately, it’s very possible for them to cross the border to France on foot since Switzerland is such a small country. Drew says, in other words, they’re running out of bread crumbs.
Peter says, Maxie will find it’s quiet here. It’s peaceful, and this place is equipped with everything they’d ever want. They can live here together peacefully and comfortably, without ever having to see anyone, except the caretaker. She asks if he really believes it’s possible to disappear, and he says, this property’s private; it’s isolated. None of their friends, family, or colleagues have any idea about it. And if he’s wrong, he has an escape plan all set.
Victor says he washed his hands of Peter back in Crete, but let’s not waste time on him. Not when they’re planning a family celebration. Ava says, actually, she and Nikolas decided to keep their vow renewal a very private affair. They won’t need anybody but the two of them. Victor hopes they change their mind, especially as he’s already picked out the perfect gift. Nikolas says, thanks, but no thanks, and Ava says she’s not one to turn down a Fabergé egg. Nikolas says, even if it’s stolen? and she says, depends where from. Victor says, actually, he was thinking of something a lot more valuable, and Nikolas says, such as? Victor says, a reunion between Nikolas and his son.
Spencer tells Laura, when he thinks about how close he and Nikolas were when he was a kid… What happened to that guy? She says she knows he feels like his father abandoned him, and he says, he pretended he was dead. It didn’t only feel like his father abandoned him, he did abandon him. She says, okay, but Spencer’s punished him for that, many times. Both he and Ava. He says he hates Ava. He knows she probably finds that a strong word, but it’s not. And as angry as he is at Ava for breaking her promise to him, and letting Valentin off the hook, his father did far worse. She says, his father never did anything as bad as Victor; never. He says, his dad was the reason Britt was a fugitive for years. He married Hayden, then turned against her. One by one, his dad has systematically removed the people Spencer cares about from his life, and who does he keep? Ava. And sure, Uncle Victor may be far from perfect… She asks if he heard the part about world domination, and Spencer says, at least he puts his family first. She says, a lot of evil has been done in the name of the family, and he says, he feels safe in here, knowing Victor Cassadine has his back. She looks at Samuel, and says she should go. Spencer says he understands; she has a city to run. She says, just remember, his father told him that he’s not alone, and Spencer said when he came out, he’d be willing to… He tells her, he said maybe, and she says, that’s a start. She tells him she loves him, and leaves.
Obrecht tells Britt, this is no time to stand on the sidelines; Maxie’s life is at stake. Sam says, even if Obrecht was able to gain access to a private jet, Zurich is at least eight and a half hours away. Who knows where Peter and Maxie will be by then? Austin says, Sam is in touch with Dante, right? but she says, it’s not like he keeps her posted on his every move. Austin asks, isn’t somebody keeping tabs on Victor? and Obrecht says he’s just grasping at straws, but Britt says, if Victor’s involved, Obrecht needs to tell them what she knows. Austin says, it seemed like a good idea at the time, and Britt asks what he did. He says, planted a bug on Victor Cassadine.
Anna says, Maxie left one earring with Louise when she and Peter dropped her at the firehouse, and the other one she left where she wrote her plea for help on the mirror in the restroom. So obviously, she’s actively trying to leave a trail for them, but unfortunately, point A and point B are two different continents and an ocean apart. Dante says, it really is amazing Peter didn’t find that message in the restroom, and Drew says, Maxie’s trail has led them as far as it can. They have to start thinking like Peter. Anna says, he’s right. For Peter, the mountains are any number of choices where he can hide.
Maxie says, so this place is difficult to find, but easy to leave? and Peter tells her, let’s just say he always finds his way out, and if they ever need it, it’s a short trip to the Audubon and over the borders. She asks, which border? Please say Italy or France. He says, this place was once a sanctuary to him; now it’s their refuge. In time, he hopes she’ll begin to see it as their home. He can see it now; her and him, and their little… She says, what? Why is he looking at her like that? He asks, what happened to her earrings? I say, maybe he is a keeper. What guy notices whether you’re wearing earrings or not?
Nikolas says, if Victor really wants to heal the rift between him and his son, he’ll respect their boundaries, and leave them to heal on their own. Victor says he’s been doing that for some time, and hasn’t noticed a lot of progress. Ever since that poor boy got back to Port Charles, he’s been bounced from place to place. Nikolas says, Spencer’s made his own choices, and Victor says, yes, he has, there’s no denying that. But one choice he didn’t make is his current surroundings in prison. Ava says, he did though. It’s called consequences. Victor asks if she really wants to cast herself as the wicked stepmother, locking the mischievous little prince up in the tower, and she says she gave that little prince every opportunity to make amends, and he has been unrepentant. Victor says, so this is how she intends to retaliate; denying him a place in their renewal celebration, a place in their lives? That’s what she wants for her stepson, to keep him looking in on his own family from afar? Come on. If Nikolas won’t listen to him, maybe he’ll listen to her. Laura approaches the table, and says, her son doesn’t need Victor’s help. Neither does Spencer. Nikolas asks how she can be so sure, and she says she’s just come from Spring Ridge. Victor gets up and asks her to sit, but she says she’s fine. Nikolas asks how Spencer is doing, and she says, better than anyone could have imagined because someone is looking out for him on the inside. Nikolas asks why he’s not surprised, and Ava says, an inmate, a guard, what? Laura says, at least one guard, and asks if Victor has anything to add. He says, if he’s taken steps to insure his great-nephew’s safety, then he can’t see any harm in that. He’s going to leave them to their lunch. Perhaps the ladies can talk some reason into Nikolas where he can’t, for Spencer’s sake. He leaves, and Laura says, yuk. She thought he’d never leave. She sits down, and Ava tells them, she hates to be the one to say it, but she thinks Uncle Victor has a point.
Austin tells Britt, on paper, the plan made a lot of sense. He threatened Victor, and her mom swooped in to his rescue, and planted a bug on his lapel. Britt asks if it worked, and Obrecht says, it did. They were able to overhear an entire conversation he had with a Yohan, certainly a henchman of some sort. Sam asks what they said, and Austin tells her, Victor wants to find Peter as much as they do. Britt asks if he gave them a clue or lead, or something that could tell them where Peter’s taken Maxie, but he says, no; the bug was destroyed. Sam says, great. Victor knows they’re onto him. Britt asks if it occurred to either of them, that instead of Victor leading them to Peter and Maxie, they may have just tipped him off? Obrecht says, of course (🍷), and Britt says, of course (🍷) what? Obrecht says, isn’t it obvious?
Dante asks, what if Peter is just hiding in plain sight, playing tourist? and Malone says, there are plenty of places the suspect and hostage could hole up. Drew says, how about places where people still expect privacy? Where no one will notice if they stay in. Malone says, they have plenty of tourist towns with attractions, and Dante says, offbeat attractions? She says, there are plenty; museums and nature trails. There’s even an old salt mine that’s now a museum and boutique. Anna says, salt mine? Maybe Peter is telling them where he’s going in his own words.
Felicia looks at Zurich on her tablet, and says, think. What was that place called? She remembers talking to Peter, and saying, she hopes Maxie can forgive her for not making the wedding. He says, they both understand that her great-aunt is very ill, and if she didn’t mean the world to Felicia, she wouldn’t be traveling all the way to… She says, it’s so small, it’s not even a town; it’s just a census designated place. He says, it sounds charming, and she says, it is. Maxie should bring him to visit sometime. It’ll give him a sense of scale. He’s such a city boy. He says, not always. In fact, his favorite place on earth is in the Swiss Alps, miles away from anywhere. On the plane, Felicia says, the Swiss Alps… where?
Maxie asks if Peter is really worried about her earrings, and he says, she’s never without them, yet here she is. She says she noticed on the plane that she’d lost one, probably in the mad rush out of Port Charles, when they had to leave their daughter. Since it was random costume jewelry, she threw out the other one. He says, it doesn’t matter. It’s only diamonds and rubies for her from here on out. She says she really doesn’t care about jewelry. She just wants her children to be safe. He says he misses their daughter too. They just have to give it some time; let the trail go cold. So all those agencies and his enemies find themselves discouraged. Then, one day when it’s safe, they can bring Louise to them. In the meantime, should the worst happen and they’re discovered, he’s prepared. He takes a gun out of the back of his waistband.
Nikolas says, Ava has to realize, his uncle’s offer to broker peace between him and Spencer is intended to achieve the exact opposite. Ava says, but if he succeeds where they’ve failed… Laura says, he will have ingratiated himself to the whole family, and indoctrinated Spencer to his cause. Nikolas says, Victor’s cause is going to be far worse than Spencer’s ever done to them, and Laura says, absolutely. Victor is devious in a very deadly way, and far more dangerous than Spencer could ever be. Ava says, the fact that they’re discussing him means they’re onto him. They’ll see him coming a mile way. If they play along, he might reveal his agenda. Nikolas says, it’s still a risk. It would be a mistake to underestimate his uncle. Laura says, she doesn’t think they’re doing that though. There is an alternative, one that could reunite Nikolas with his son, and undercut Victor at the same time. Nikolas says, what’s that? and Laura says, swallow his pride. Go visit his son at Spring Ridge.
Victor hugs Spencer, and says, he seems well, all things considered. Spencer says, whoever calls this place a country club has never actually been to one. Victor assumes Samuel is keeping an eye on Spencer, and Spencer says he’s well-protected. He knows he has Victor to thank for that, and he’s grateful. Victor says, even though Spencer’s grandmother considers him a bad influence? and Spencer says, is he? Victor says, to be completely honest, he’s given her little reason to think otherwise. If his concern for Spencer’s well-being is making it harder for him here… Spencer says, it’s not. Other than his grandmother, Victor is the one person he can count on. Victor says he finds that a little hard to believe. What about the lovely Esme? Spencer says, he thinks him being stuck here is a strain on Esme’s devotion, but Victor says he’s sure it’s just a lover’s spat. The ups and downs of life, as they say. She blew up a car for him. If that isn’t devotion, he doesn’t know what is. As for Spencer’s grandmother, the last thing Victor wants to do is get between him and his family. Spencer says, Victor is his family. They may want him to forget that, but he won’t.
Britt says, whatever Obrecht thinks is obvious, does it have something to do with where Peter’s taken Maxie? Obrecht says, that’s the obvious part; she knows where to find Maxie. Austin asks if she’s going to share, but she says she can’t waste her time explaining. She needs to contact Anna.
Anna says, Peter wrote this novel. It’s called The Severed Branch. Malone says, there’s a copy with the other materials, and gets it. Anna says, basically the whole book is an allegory for his childhood. She seems to remember he refers to working in the salt mines. Drew says, that’s a common expression, and she says, she knows, but in the book, the character refers to the salt mines with affection. Drew asks if she’s saying that’s where he took Maxie, and she says she doesn’t know. Her phone rings, and she says, it’s Liesl. She asks Obrecht, what’s going on? and Obrecht says, salt mine. Find the salt mines, and you’ll find Peter and Maxie. Anna says, that’s what they were just figuring out. Malone says, there are three salt mines in the country. Two up here – she points to the laptop screen – and the one she mentioned. Anna says, that’s a pretty large area, and asks if Obrecht can narrow it down. Obrecht asks if Peter ever mentioned the farm, and Anna says, what farm? Obrecht says, where he became the man he is today.
Felicia says, what was the name? Peter said it; it was V something. She remembers Peter saying it was a quaint picturesque farm, tucked away from the world. The closest place is a tiny, remote village, miles away from anywhere. If it were any tinier, it would be a census designated place. She asks what it’s called, and he says, versteckte Wiese. It’s German. It means hidden meadow. On the plane, she looks up hidden meadow in the German translator.
Maxie asks if Peter can put the gun away; he doesn’t need it right now. He says, of course (🍷), but he’s sure she doesn’t mind if he keeps it handy, and tucks it back into his waistband. She says, whatever he thinks is necessary, and he says he appreciates her faith in him. She says she can’t tell if he’s being sarcastic… not that she could blame him. There’s something she’s been struggling with for a while. She’s spent so much time being angry with him, and the whole time, he just said he loved her, and he’s been doing everything for her and Louise. She didn’t believe him, and she was wrong. He was willing to leave Louise behind at that firehouse, the child he’s been longing to hold and care for. That’s not selfish; that’s the opposite. That’s when she realized love is what’s driving him. She takes his hands, and says, his love is the kind of love they can build their lives around. It’s not going to be easy, but one day Louise, Georgie, and James will be with them, and she just has to live in hope for that day, no matter what.
Nikolas says he’s not sure Spencer is going to be open to a visit from him, and Ava says, he’s Spencer’s father. He has to try. As angry as she has been with Spencer, she urges Nikolas to repair his relationship with him. He knows what she would give for another chance with Kiki. He says she’s right; he’ll reach out. Ava tells him, go, hurry. She thinks they all know where Victor was going when he left here, and Laura says, straight back to Spring Ridge to make sure she didn’t turn Spencer against him. Nikolas says, and if Victor has already put his plan in motion to reunite him and Spencer? Laura says, if Victor’s scheming and plotting ends up bringing them together, she’s all for it. Isn’t he? He says he’ll give it a shot, and she hugs him, saying, he won’t regret this. She’s proud of him. He leaves, and Ava says, giving Uncle Victor a pass, are we? Laura says, for now, and Ava wonders what she’s up to.
On the phone, Victor says, thanks for the update, and Spencer asks if everything is all right. Victor says, everything is splendid, except for one thing; he has to run. Spencer says he appreciates the time. Victor is a busy man. Victor says, nonsense. Spencer is family, Spencer says, likewise, and Victor thanks him. That’s why he wants Spencer to know he’s doing everything he can to change. At least change people’s perspective of him. Despite what people think, all he wants is what’s best for his family. Spencer says, he just wishes his grandmother would give Victor a chance, and Victor says, leave Laura to him, and keep his eyes on the prize; his freedom and his future. Spencer says, he’ll try, and Victor says, when Spencer leaves, he wants Spencer to walk out with his held high. Big things are in the wind. They’re going to need to stick together as a family, that includes Spencer and his father. Spencer says, his father… and Victor says, is a Cassadine. The future belongs to them, and Spencer. He’s the heir to all that and more.
Obrecht tells Anna, there was a youth camp where Peter used to spend his school holidays as a child. Find that farm and she’ll find Peter, and do what she has to do to bring Maxie home. Anna thanks her, and tells the others, this book could be a roadmap. Drew says, if it’s an allegory, how clear are the directions? Anna says, she doesn’t know, but there was a farm, and if she remembers it was close to the oldest salt mine. In the book, Peter refers to it as a place with all kinds of animals… and children.
Peter says, Maxie is right. They’ll make this place a real home for their whole family. She says, somehow she doesn’t see Mac and Felicia understanding, but if there’s anything he’s proven to her, it’s that there’s nothing he can’t make happen. He says he tries. This place is really well-equipped, but they should still make a list of personal items and requests, things they might want, for Gustav the caretaker to get for them in the village. She asks if this village has a name, and he says, versteckte Wiese. She tries to pronounce it, and he says, close enough. It’s so small, it only appears on local maps. It might be considered census designated place. She says she can’t wait to see it… when he trusts her enough. He says he knows she’ll love it. If she wants to familiarize herself with the area, there are some paper maps in the cabinet. The GPS signal is pretty spotty up here. She says she doesn’t want to get a signal. She just wants to get used to her new surroundings. She tells him, it’s cold in here, and he says he could turn the heat up. Or how about if he builds them a fire? She says she’d like that, and as soon as he turns around, she looks in the cabinet.
Spencer asks Samuel if there’s nothing anyone can do about the AC, but Samuel says, this is a government facility. Even Spencer’s uncle can only swing so much. Spencer says, anything’s possible, right? Who knows? Maybe one day he and his family will learn to get along. Nikolas walks in.
Laura tells Ava, Victor is bending over backwards to try and impress and win over Spencer. And that can only mean one thing; he’s going to use him. Ava asks if Laura has any idea what he’s planning, and Laura says, no, but she will find out.
Victor waits in an alleyway, and says, good God. It feels like Santorini in the middle of an eruption. (Is it February or August in Port Charles?) Osiris himself would be at home. He takes off his jacket, and sits on a crate, when Yohan arrives. Victor says he’s impressed. He didn’t think Yohan would be amenable to this kind of climate. Yohan says he can handle the heat, and Victor says, the question is, can Peter August? Yohan says, their man reports that Anna Devane has arrived overseas with Detective Falconari, and Drew Cain. Victor says, then their man needs to solve this problem right now. He wants Peter August dead. Is that understood? Yohan says, completely, and Victor says, good, and tell their man, Anna and Dante are expendable. If they get in the way, he shouldn’t hesitate to eliminate them, but Drew Cain is much too valuable to him to lose.
Britt says she believes Austin has rounds, and suggests he get back to them. He says, helping find Maxie isn’t interfering with his patient care, and she says, it might interfering with finding Maxie. Let the professionals do their job; they’ll keep him posted. He starts to leave, and Sam tells him that he doesn’t have to worry. Dante, Drew, and Anna will bring Maxie home. He says he hopes she’s right, and leaves. Obrecht says she shares Sam’s faith, but must remind her that, at one point or another, that schwein Henrik has outmaneuvered them all, herself included. Britt says, which is not easy to do, and Obrecht says, if Peter really is the severed branch from Cesar’s poisoned tree, believe me, he will not go down without a fight.
Malone says, if the book is any indication at all, the farm should be located somewhere here in the mountains. She points to the screen again. Agent Kreger’s phone rings, and it’s Yohan, who says, their mutual friend would like to know if he’s located the gentleman. Kreger goes out in the hall, and says, let’s just say he knows where to find him. Yohan tells him, just do what you have to do, and Kreger asks if there’s any additional instructions. Yohan says, Devane and Falconari are expendable; Drew Cain must not be harmed. Kreger says, that complicates things, and Yohan says Kreger is paid to handle complications. Get it done. Anna says, Peter is so arrogant, he won’t be able to resist proving he’s one step ahead of them, and he’s left them a clue, one that he thinks only he knows. It will link him to the farm, and that’s what they have to find.
The flight attendant says they’re about to land, and Felicia smiles. We see a map showing versteckte Wiese on her tablet.
Peter comes in as Maxie is looking at a map. He asks if she’s planning a hike, and she says she was thinking they might take a walk, and talk some more. He says, what a lovely idea, but he’s afraid it will have to wait until tomorrow. It’s getting dark soon. That’s when the wolves come out.
On Monday, Trina says she’s been keeping something from Josslyn; Spencer asks Nikolas to join him; Maxie says, all Peter will get is the truth from now on; and Dante says, they’re back to square one, and that can’t happen.
🩺 Yikes…
Glad to hear one of our National Treasures will be okay.
I’m not concerned with facts. Not if they interfere with my beliefs. – Agnes Van Rhijn (Christine Baranski), The Gilded Age
A champion is someone who gets up when he can’t. – Jack Dempsey (Apparently, I’m a champion every morning.)
Sodies are bad. – Amy Slaton, 1000-Lb. Sisters
What I did or said should never be more important than why I did it or said it. – Andrea Kelly
Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall. – Confucius
If exhausted from severe and long-continued thought, he had to touch the earth again to renew his strength. When this weariness set in he would stop thought, and get down with a little dog or kitten to recover. – William Herndon, Abraham Lincoln‘s business partner
Any man worth his salt will stick up for what he believes right, but it takes a slightly better man to acknowledge instantly and without reservation that he is in error. – Andrew Jackson
It’s amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit. – Harry S. Truman
99% of failures come from people who make excuses. – George Washington
Whenever you do a thing, act as if all the world were watching. – Thomas Jefferson (And today, they might be.)
By leadership we mean the art of getting someone else to do something that you want done because he wants to do it, not because your position of power can compel him to do it. – Dwight D. Eisenhower
🧱 Another Brick In the Wall…
The Walking Dead is back with the next part of its final season, so join me in what will no doubt be the wee hours of Monday. Or that day when you used to report to work after the weekend, for those no longer punching the clock. Until then, stay safe, stay keeping it real, and stay wary of great-uncles bearing protection.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Finn asks what Elizabeth is doing at the hospital. He thought her shift ended hours ago. She says, it did, but she picked up another one that starts soon. It made more sense to crash there than go back home. Cameron’s with Jake and Aiden. He says he knows the last couple days have been difficult for her, and she says, her anniversary with Franco, followed by the one-year anniversary of his death. He says he’s not making assumptions about how she’s feeling, but is working herself to death really the answer?
On the phone with Lucy at the MetroCourt, temp Sasha (see below) says, she understands. The investors want them to hold off on the IPO until Maxie is found. That makes total sense. It would sound too tone-deaf to proceed. Maybe they can pivot and… No, she’s right. Maybe they should just take a breath. Brando comes in, and Sasha says she’ll talk to Lucy tomorrow. Sasha tells Brando, this is a surprise, and he says, sorry to ambush her. He hasn’t been able to get ahold of her for days. He even stopped by her place for Valentine’s Day, but she wasn’t there. She says she’s just been working a lot, and he says that’s why he tracked her down. He sits down, and says, they need to say all the things they’ve been avoiding saying to each other.
Austin is listening in on Victor, when Obrecht comes up behind him, and says, well? He jumps, and says, she scared him, and she says, it’s only one of her formidable skills. How is the operation going? He says, all day, he’s been listening to this bug she put on Victor, and listening to someone’s life 24/7 is very tedious. For this diabolical guy they think he is, his life is very mundane. He hasn’t said anything of interest. She says, keep listening. If they’re right, and he helped Peter escape, it can be their key to finding Maxie.
Victor looks at The Sun tarot card, and flashes back to Peter saying if Victor gets him and Louise out of Port Charles, Peter will tell him everything he wants to know about Drew. Yohan joins him, and says they have eyes on their target. He’s alone; no witnesses. Victor says, then let’s get going.
Drew rips off the crime scene tape at the pier, and looks around. He hears someone coming, and slips into the shadows. He sees Sam, and says, enjoying the view? She says she didn’t come there for sightseeing, and doubts he did either. He says he hates feeling so helpless. He figured the best way to beat that feeling was to come to the last place Maxie was. He’s just hoping the police missed something to help them bring her back home.
Anna finds Felicia crying at the hospital and hugs her. She asks, what’s going on?
Driving, with Maxie as his passenger, Peter tells her not to worry. All those people back in Port Charles standing in their way are in the past. They’re going somewhere no one will ever find them.
Sasha asks what’s on Brando’s mind, and he says he thinks she’s been avoiding him since Liam’s funeral. He barely sees her, and when he does, she has her nose buried in her tablet doing work. He understands it’s her way of coping, and the last thing he wants to do is get in the way of her healing. He’s glad she’s managing all this so well, but the truth is, he’s not.
Felicia tells Anna that she’s sorry. She just wanted to pull herself together before she saw Mac. Anna says, if anyone would understand, it’s Mac. Felicia just made a very hard decision, giving Maxie’s baby back to Brook. It was the right thing to do. It’s the only home that little girl has ever known. Felicia says, she’s a stranger to that baby. She knows that intellectually, and she’s feeling just a fraction of what Maxie must have felt all those months, to not be able to be with the child you love, and take care of her. She knows it was the right thing to do, but wishes she had some connection to Maxie right now. She starts to cry again, and Anna puts Maxie’s earring in her hand. She tells Felicia, that’s Maxie’s. It was with the baby when Anna found her at the firehouse. The PCPD already pulled prints from it, and confirmed it is hers. Maxie left it there deliberately, so her daughter would have something to remember her by. Felicia says, that is so Maxie, to be thinking ahead even in the most impossible situations. Anna tells her to hold on to that. She knows Anna will stop at nothing to bring Maxie home. Felicia says she does know that, and thanks Anna. Anna asks if Felicia wants her to stick around, but Felicia says, no; she just needs a minute. Anna tells Felicia that she’s got this, and leaves.
Maxie says Peter’s been very quiet about where they’re going, and now he’s so confident that no one will ever find them. Peter asks if she remembers him telling her about his time in boarding school, and Maxie remembers that he said he was relieved when Faison sent him away to school, where he could really be himself. He says, it was one of the happiest times he can remember. Until he met her, of course (🍷). Most of the students went home for the summer holidays, but there were a few of them who would stick around. The school would send them to this beautiful cabin in the mountains. Incredible. Last year, when he felt the walls closing in, he saw the academy was listing the farm for sale, so he arranged to buy it. Not in his name of course (🍷). Virtually not traceable in fact, in case he ever needs to disappear. He wishes Louise could have joined them, but who knows? If it becomes secure enough, they could send for her.
Elizabeth says she appreciates Finn’s concern, and he says, but it’s none of his business, and if she needed his help, she’d ask for it, right? She’ll have to forgive him. It’s an occupational hazard; he can never stop diagnosing. She says, he’s not totally wrong. She did have a good cry this morning, but she doesn’t have the luxury of curling up in a ball. Cameron’s been so selfless, such a hands-on big brother over the past year, he deserves a chance to live in the dorms. Which means she has to pick up extra shifts so she can afford it. He says he’s been working on his listening skills. He’s actually taking a refresher course at the college. He can listen if there’s something on her mind she wants to talk about. She flashes back to looking at her slashed dress, and says, actually… Anna comes in, and asks if it’s a bad time, but Elizabeth says, no, what’s up? Anna asks if they have a minute, and the three of them step away. Anna says, she just wanted them to know she got the PCPD to increase patrols for Brook and Chase’s protection. Just in case Peter decides to come back and make another attempt at taking Louise. Finn thanks her, and Elizabeth says she hates that Peter’s still a threat. She’s relieved the baby is safe, but hates that it comes at Maxie’s expense. Anna says they’re going after Peter now, and Finn says, this never would have happened if he’d just finished Peter off.
Drew tells Sam, he doesn’t know what he was expecting. Obviously, Peter’s not going to leave a copy of his travel itinerary. She says, plus, the police already canvassed the whole area, but he says, they could miss something; they’re not perfect. She says, really? and he says, that wasn’t a dig against Dante. She says she gets it; they’re all doing their best. Drew asks how Dante is holding up, and Sam says, he’s driving himself hard to get a lead. Not that she’s expecting anything less from someone so dedicated. He says he’s glad she and Dante are in a good place, and she says, her too. And she’s glad they are as well. He suddenly moves her behind him, and Victor comes onto the pier. He says he does hope he’s not interrupting.
Sasha says she has been avoiding Brando. It’s very clear they’re grieving very differently. He needs to sit with his feelings; she can’t do that. He says he needs to talk about it with the one person who went through it with him. This whole experience, from getting pregnant to losing their beautiful son, it bonded them. She’s the person he wants to spend the rest of his life with, the person he loves. If they can’t be there for each other now, what are they doing here?
Felicia goes into Mac’s room, and Laura is sitting next to the bed. Laura hugs her, and says, Mac told her that they chose to leave the baby with Brook and Chase, at least until Maxie comes home. It must have been a very tough decision for her. Felicia says, it’s in Louise’s best interest. Moving forward, she and Mac can visit her regularly, and they’ll no longer be strangers. Laura says she’s going to give them some privacy. If they need anything, call her. Mac thanks her for coming by, and Laura leaves. Mac asks, how’d it go? and Felicia says, their granddaughter is very happy. So that at least makes one of them. He says, it’s only temporary. They just have to keep visiting her, so she knows they’re her family too. Felicia says, he’s right. She’s safe and she’s in good hands until Maxie comes home. And she will come home. She looks at the earring.
Peter says, Maxie is going to love it. It’s in a very remote area. The nearest village is so small, it only shows up on local maps. It’s so beautiful. There’s a caretaker, modern amenities. It’s well-stocked. The best of both worlds. Everything they could possibly need for their life together, until Louise joins them. Maxie asks, where is this place again? and he says, it’s best she doesn’t know. It’s for her own protection, trust him. She says, if he can’t tell her where they’re going, she’s not going to know how long they’ll be in the car. Does he think they can pull over someplace so she can use the restroom? He asks if it’s a trick, but she says she’s not going to run. She knows what their deal is.
Austin tells Obrecht, he can’t do this anymore. Listening to Victor go about his daily business is odd, and exhausting. She says, it’s a small price to pay for what he did. His vendetta against Brook is the whole reason Maxie’s daughter’s identity was compromised. Consider this his penance. He says she’s right. He’d do anything to make it up to Maxie. He wishes he could go back and not do the dumb thing he did, and she says, vengeance seldom turns out the way one expects. Once we set events in motion, we cannot control the outcome. But he should know this. If anything happens to Maxie, there will be hell to pay. He says, Victor is talking to someone, and she leans in to listen. He’s talking to two people.
Victor says, Drew Cain and his dear niece. What brings the two of them down here? Sam says, to find Maxie. What brings him down here? He says he was hoping to offer his financial resources to the authorities heading the investigation. He thought maybe someone official would still be down here. Sam asks why he would offer them money, and he says, truth be told, he feels partly responsible for the horror Peter August has unleashed on them all. Drew says, there’s a good reason for that. Victor actually is responsible. Victor says, in retrospect, he sees his dealings with Peter were a bad mistake, and to that end, he’s been making some small amends. He’s been reaching out to Nikolas and Spencer for the last few months, but he’s afraid their family is still badly broken. And he left some phone calls for Sam which she hasn’t returned. He’s beginning to think her and her sisters don’t really want to get to know him. Sam says, maybe Victor should be the P.I., because he is right on the money. As fun as this conversation was, if Victor is done, she and Drew would like to get back to work. Victor says, of course (🍷). He’ll leave them to it, but before he goes, he’s glad he bumped into Drew, because he has something that might be of interest to him. He holds up The Sun tarot card, and says, activate.
Austin tells Obrecht that Victor is talking to Drew. Is that possible? Obrecht says, it’s certainly suspicious, and asks for an earbud. She listens in.
Sam asks what Victor is doing, and Drew asks if that’s supposed to mean something to him. Visibly surprised, Victor says, the WSB just released his personal effects from the compound in Crete, and this card was amongst it. He can only guess this is from the tarot card deck that Peter used to condition Drew. Drew should probably keep hold of it in case some unsavory character tries to take advantage of his conditioning. Drew says, it’s not as simple as flashing some random card, but he should probably know that considering Faison and Helena kept him stashed at a clinic Victor ran. Victor says, he was always very prudent not to dig too deeply into Helena’s various projects. But it’s a pity Drew didn’t take advantage of his conditioning himself. Maybe gain access to some of those memories that are out of reach. Sam says, Victor doesn’t expect them to believe this BS, does he? and Drew takes her aside. He asks her to give him a few minutes with Victor, and she asks if he’s sure. He says he is, and if he doesn’t come looking for her at GH, then she knows to come looking for him. She says he can trust that, and leaves. Victor asks if there’s something Drew doesn’t want his niece to be privy to, and Drew tells him, he could say that. He grabs Victor’s lapels, and slams Victor against the wall, the mic falling off Victor’s lapel. Drew says, it’s much better for them to just deal with this between them. That way, if he loses his temper and snaps Victor’s neck, no one else will see it and feel obligated to cover for him. Drew moves closer to Victor, and steps on the mic.
Austin and Obrecht yell, and Austin says, what just happened? She says, she doesn’t know. So much noise.
Finn tells Anna, he just meant he shouldn’t have gone along with Peter’s blackmail. Maybe he could have stopped Peter if he’d just turned him over to the police. Elizabeth says she has to get back work, and leaves. Finn says he’s sorry. He almost forgot Elizabeth wasn’t aware of what he did to Peter. Anna says she knows he’s protecting… someone else who was there when Peter fell down the stairs. Just so he knows, he should consider that person under her protection also. He thanks her, and asks how she’s doing. She says she doesn’t know where to start, and he says, start anywhere; it’s him she’s talking to. She says, the search for Peter and Maxie is going to be grueling, but Peter’s options are dwindling, and he’s going to make a mistake, if he hasn’t already. And it’s her job to be there when he makes that mistake so she can pick up his trail. She’s got to end this whole thing. He says, that all sounds great, but he was asking how she’s holding up. She says, she doesn’t know. She’s alone, but not lonely
Maxie looks around the restroom, and Peter says he’s right out here. Sorry to be standing guard at the door, but they can’t be too careful. She says, no, they can’t, and roots through the trashcans. She digs out a lipstick tube, and calls to Peter, don’t worry. I won’t be long.
Mac tells Felicia that he was told over and over again about Peter. All this could have been avoided if he’d just believed it. She says she didn’t see Peter for who he was either, as long as Maxie was telling her that she was happy. She wanted to believe that. Someone who would make up for the time she didn’t spend with Maxie and Georgie when they were young. She willingly ignored the red flags, and she’s done turning a blind eye. She’ll never let anyone hurt her family like this again. Mac says, neither will he.
Outside the door, someone asks in German if there’s a problem with the restroom, and Peter says, nien. No problem. He’s waiting for someone. Maxie says, all set. She’s coming out now, and throws the tube back in the trashcan. Maxie leaves, and a woman comes in. She sees Maxie’s earring on the sink, and turns to call to Maxie, but sees writing on the mirror. Help! Call Anna! USA, and Anna’s phone number.
Deanna tells Elizabeth, she almost forgot. Someone sent this to the hospital. She holds out a red envelope, and says it’s addressed to Elizabeth. Elizabeth takes it, and thanks Deanna.
Sasha says she wants to be there for Brando. She never meant to make him feel otherwise, but if she stops moving forward, she’s afraid she’ll never start moving again. He says, and she’s avoiding him because he’s a reminder of what she lost.
Drew says, when Victor flashed that tarot card, he was hoping to activate Drew’s conditioning. Jason and Britt watched Peter use it to control him, and Victor thought he’d do the same. He shakes Victor, and says, Victor literally drew the wrong card. Victor says, don’t be ridiculous. He just showed Drew a playing card; nothing magic in that. Drew lets go of Victor, and says, stay away from him, stay away from his family, from Sam, from Maxie, from all of them. Does he understand that? Victor says, message received and understood, and Drew walks off. Victor straightens up his suit jacket.
Anna says there were times when she’d come home at night, and really miss finding Finn with his head buried in a medical tome, and Violet with her whole tea set laid out, just waiting. The three of them together was a really lovely time in her life. He says, theirs too, and she tells him that she has to say, she had this underlying tension. She felt like she was running to stand still. She wanted to give him and Violet all her love and attention, but still reserve some emotional bandwidth for her work. There were times she was really stretched thin, and she couldn’t give them both what they needed. He says, she did the best she could, but she says, sometimes her best wasn’t good enough. She knows that and she’s sorry. The upside of being alone is that she does get to devote all her time to finding Peter and bringing Maxie home, without worrying that she’s neglecting both of them. There’s a kind of odd satisfaction, isn’t there, from pouring yourself into what you do well?It’s kind of like finding your power in a way. They both know she’s a terrible muddle at relationships, but she thinks she’s a damn good spy. He says, she is, and she says she’s going to use all her expertise to clear up this mess she’s made here. He says, don’t do that to herself. Peter’s mess is his and no one else’s. She says, this all started because she believed in his redemption, and he says, no one could blame her for wanting Peter to be better than he is. She says, he didn’t. Finn always had misgivings about Peter, and she should have listened to him. They would be in a very different position if she had. He says, even a broken clock is right twice a day. Her instincts over the years saved a lot of people’s lives. Don’t ever forget that. She says, that’s very sweet to say that. Him and Elizabeth, how is it? He says, it’s new, and she says, that’s nice. He says, it’s different. Dating a super spy was a unique experience for him. She says, he’s welcome, and they laugh. She says, he seems very happy, and he says he is. She says, good, and he tells her, good luck finding Peter. If she needs anything, she knows where he is. He’s rooting for her. She thanks him, and he leaves. Anna’s phone rings, and she wonders who’s calling her internationally. The woman from the restroom says, Anna? and Anna says, who’s this? The woman says she’s in a ladies restroom at a rest stop in Switzerland. Some woman left a message to call her. She needs help, and she left an earring. Anna says, oh God. Maxie.
Anna walks into Mac’s room, where Sam and Drew have also shown up, and says, his daughter is bloody brilliant. Felicia says, she heard from Maxie? and Anna asks if Felicia has the earring. Felicia says, right here, and Anna shows Felicia her phone, saying, this was found at a rest stop in Switzerland. We found her; we found Maxie. Felicia laughs and kisses Mac.
Back in the car, Peter tells Maxie that he’s sorry if he was hovering, but they can’t take any chances. He doesn’t want to say she’d try to escape – she’s not his prisoner. Let’s say he didn’t want her to leave without saying goodbye. She says she gets it, and he says he had his doubts, but the only reason he agreed to leave Louise behind is that she promised they’d spend the rest of their lives together. Here we are. Together again. Til death do us part.
Anna says, apparently, someone left a message on the mirror in lipstick. It said, help, call Anna, with her phone number underneath it, and this earring, which is an exact match for the one Maxie left with Bailey. Felicia says, Maxie is telling them where to find her. Sam asks, what’s the plan? and Anna says she thinks they have to approach it from all angles. Can Sam stay here and follow up on the Victor connection? Sam says, yes, of course (🍷), and Anna says she’ll book a Bureau flight to Europe. Drew says he’s going with her, and she says she’ll call Dante, and have him meet them at the airport. Felicia tells Anna to reserve four seats on that flight. She’s coming with them.
Victor says he assumes Yohan saw that Drew had absolutely no reaction to that tarot card. That sniveling weasel Peter August lied again. Clearly, he has no intention of giving Victor control over Drew. Yohan says, if he knows what Victor is looking for, perhaps he can help. Victor says he supposes Yohan has earned his trust. Drew’s memory has been altered. He once knew secrets he no longer has access to. They’re memories that hold the key to everything. The key to his entire life’s work.
Getting off the hospital elevator, Laura sees Obrecht and Austin arguing whether it’s the signal or the equipment. She asks if everything is okay, and Austin says, they’re just having one of those normal, day to day, whispering, bickering conversations. Obrecht says, the mayor might be the perfect person to involve in their undertaking, and Laura says she doesn’t know if that’s a compliment or a threat. Austin says, it depends, and Obrecht says, it involves a good friend of Laura’s. Victor Cassadine.
Elizabeth opens the envelope, and finds a card with a picture of a dark, gothic archway on it. Inside, it says: Thinking of you. We’re both thinking of him today. B. Elizabeth drops it like it’s on fire, and Finn asks, what is it? She picks it up, and says, this. He takes it, and reads it. He asks, who’s B? and she says, if she had to guess, she’d say, Betsy Frank. She’s Franco’s adopted mom. He says he didn’t know they kept in touch, but she says, they don’t. Franco hardly had a relationship with her toward the end. He asks if she came to the funeral, and Elizabeth says, she did. They barely spoke to each other, and she left town the same day. He says, it’s a strange image for a sympathy card; it’s very macabre. She says, that’s Betsy; that’s where Franco got it from. Love of the odd kind of runs in the family. He suggests she talk to Epiphany, and call it a night. He’s sure she can get someone to cover Elizabeth’s shift. Elizabeth says she’s fine, and tells him to go home to Violet. He tells her to have a good night, and leaves.
Sasha says, this is definitely one of those situations where it’s not Brando, it’s her. She loves him. He says he loves her too, and she says she knows he likes to present himself as a tough guy. He owns a garage; he fought in the war. Let’s be real. He wears his heart on his sleeve way more than she does. She admires that, but it’s just not how she operates. She will make sure he never doubts how she feels about him again. He asks if she’s the tough guy in the relationship now, and she says, pretty much.
Laura says, Obrecht thinks a tarot card can activate Drew’s conditioning, and Obrecht says, along with a certain phrase, yes. Laura says, they know Peter and Victor were working together, and Peter was the one who held Drew captive all those years. And it’s very clear Victor wants something from Drew. Austin says, what? and Laura says, that is the question. She can’t help but wonder if this was the real reason Victor came back to Port Charles.
Victor tells Yohan, buried deep in Cain’s memory is confidential information, specifically information on the location of a long buried Cassadine secret, a secret he’s been searching for, for years. Now he’ll have to find a new way to track that location. Yohan says he’s ready to assist Victor in any way he needs, and Victor says, wait a minute. He walks over to where he was with Drew, and says, what have we here? and picks up what’s left of the mic.
In the hallway, Anna tells Felicia, it’s not a good idea for her to come with them on the search for Maxie and Peter. Felicia asks, why not? Brook and chase are looking after Louise, and Spinelli has Georgie and James. Anna says, what about Mac? and Felicia says, he has Robert. Maxie’s her daughter; she needs to see this through. Anna says, she understands, but this could get dangerous, and Felicia says she knows it’s been a while, but this is not her first rodeo. Anna says, if Felicia comes, her focus will be divided. She can’t look out for Felicia, and find her daughter at the same time. Felicia has to trust her on this. They go back into Mac’s room, and Anna says, she was just telling Felicia that she thinks it’s better for her to stay there with him, so Anna can focus all of her attention on bringing their girl home. Mac says he knows how badly Felicia wants to help Maxie, but he thinks Anna’s right. He tells Anna, bring their daughter back, and Drew says he thinks they better get going. Peter already has a big head start on them, plus the flight to Europe is going to put them back even more. Anna tells Mac, get better, and she and Drew leave. Mac says he knows every bone in Felicia’s body was telling her to go with Anna. His was too, but trust him, this is for the best.
Maxie tells Peter that he doesn’t have to worry. She made a choice to be with him, and she’s not changing. She feels like she’s going to enjoy her future.
Anna tells Drew it was hard for her to tell Felicia that she’d be a liability to them searching for Maxie, but she needs to know he won’t be one either, given what Peter was able to do to him in the past. He says, he’ll tell her what he told Jason. If comes down to it, and Peter finds a way to activate him for his uses, he trusts her to do what needs to be done. She says, understood. Let’s go find Maxie, and put an end to this.
In the car, Maxie smiles. It’s the first emotion she’s shown.
Tomorrow, Britt tells someone, try it and she’ll harpoon them; Anna says, maybe Peter is telling them where he’s going in his own way; and Peter says he has an escape plan all set.
This weekend TWD is back. The whole Commonwealth thing looks interesting. That’s what I liked about Z Nation. They showed how various groups were regrouping. And yes, I’m still bitter that it was canceled.
This Sunday begins another round of Dead, but I’ll also be here tomorrow for soap, tea, insightful words, and a random tune. Until then, stay safe, stay unafraid to be introspective, and stay never willingly ignoring red flags.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Willow wonders how the State Department can have no record of her birth. That’s just wrong. She had a copy of her birth certificate, and she lost it. This is a bureaucratic nightmare. She hopes her mom can find her copy, so she can prove she was born in the US. Michael says, Harmony’s been putting Willow off about her birth certificate. Could it be that she just doesn’t have it? She asks if he means could it be more than a clerical error, that her mother is hiding something about her birth, and he says, maybe that’s why she’s been so evasive. Willow says her mother’s been lying to her the whole time.
Alexis says, not to sound distrusting, but she knew there was something Harmony wasn’t telling her. Harmony says, she’s sorry, but she kept this secret from her daughter her entire life, so it’s hard to just come out and say it. Alexis says, this is a safe place; Harmony can talk to her. Harmony says, the reason she can’t tell Willow that she forged the birth certificate is because she’s not Willow’s mother.
Felicia tells Louise that she’s her Mimi, and asks if she can hold her. Brook says, of course (🍷), and gives her to Felicia, who makes baby talk.
Josslyn visits Carly’s room at the MetroCourt, and Carly says, it’s good to see her. Josslyn says, her too, but it hasn’t been that long, and Carly says she’s still getting used to Josslyn not living at home. Josslyn says, Carly isn’t living at home either. Is she okay? Carly says she’s fine, and doesn’t want Josslyn to worry. Josslyn says, it’s kind of hard not to when Carly is living here, and not with Avery and Donna. Carly says she saw them for breakfast, and Josslyn says she knows. Avery told her, right before she asked when Carly would be home to stay.
Portia meets Curtis at Kelly’s, and he says, happy day after Valentine’s day, and hugs her. She says she’s so sorry, but he tells her, stop. She’s a doctor and she was needed. They can still celebrate. She sits, and asks what he had in mind, and he says, that depends on what the rest of her evening looks like. She says, barring another emergency, she’s off the clock for the next 32 hours, and he asks how she feels about a quiet evening in. She asks what he means by quiet, and he says, let him rephrase that, but she says she’s kidding. She would absolutely love some private time. So where does he want to go? Her place, his place… He says, what if there was another option?
Willow tells Michael that Harmony didn’t pick up. She guesses she’ll have to track her mother down after class. Michael says, Paris isn’t going anywhere; they’ll be other trips. She says she knows, but this isn’t even about the passport anymore. She thinks he’s right. She thinks her mom’s been keeping something from her, but she can’t dwell on that right now. She has to get to the hospital. She doesn’t want to be late. He tells her that he loves her, and gives her a hug, saying, they’ll get to the bottom of this. She leaves, and Sonny walks in. He asks if Michael has seen his mother. He needs to find her before she does something they’re both going to regret.
FYI, there’s been a musical tweak and some new photos in the credits.
Felicia tells Louise that she has no idea how happy this makes her. And wait until her Grandpa Mac sees her. He’ll be putty in her hands. She thanks Brook for taking such good care of her granddaughter, and Brook says, except when Peter kidnapped her. Felicia says, all that matters now is that she’s here, and that she’s safe, and that her mommy’s going to be home very soon. Nina sees them from down the hall, and Brook tells Felicia that she might want to give Louise some time with her name. She’s used to being called Bailey. Felicia says she will, but she can tell Louise is one smart cookie. Just like her mama. Brook says, what else? When she rubs her ears, she’s ready for a nap. Felicia says, good to know, and Brook says, she usually sleeps through the night, but she might need some time in a strange… a new place. Chase says, they just spent a few nights at the beach house, and Brook says, she got it though. But if she’s ever upset, Felicia can just give her Mr. Snuggles. That’s her stuffed doll. Felicia says, sure thing. She can tell how hard this is for both of them, but she promises them that Louise will be well taken care of. Chase says they know she will, and Felicia says she’s going to take Louise to their place after she visits with Mac, and then get her all settled in. Then they can come and visit any time they want; she means that. Brook thanks her, and says she should go. She jets, and Nina follows her. Felicia tells Chase to make sure Brook is taken care of, and he says, good call. He tells Louise, see you later, and leaves.
Alexis says, why doesn’t Harmony start from the beginning? and Harmony says, she and Douglas used to live at a commune in Colorado. It was called Friends of Peace and Love. It was led by the prophet Josiah. This pregnant woman named Joan joined their community, and she and Harmony became friends. About a week after Joan gave birth, Harmony woke up one morning, and Joan was gone. Alexis says, so Joan left the baby there, and Harmony says, Josiah told them that God wanted her and Douglas to raise the little girl as their own. Alexis says, and so they did, and Harmony asks, who was she to question God?
Josslyn says she’s not trying to put Carly on the spot, but she feels like a bad big sister when she can’t answer every question. Carly says she’s so sorry, and Josslyn asks what she should tell Donna. Carly says, tell her the truth, and Josslyn says, which is? Carly says, she doesn’t know when their mom is coming home, and Josslyn asks if Carly knows. Talk to her. Carly says she thought Josslyn wasn’t going to put her on the spot, and Josslyn says she’s not a little kid anymore. She can handle it. Carly says she knows Josslyn can, and Josslyn says, she’s worried. Carly tells her, don’t worry, but Josslyn says, it’s a little late for that. She watched Carly for months fight for their family. Then when Sonny came home, what was supposed to be this happy celebration and reunion, turned out to be a bunch of lies and cover-ups. She doesn’t blame Carly for leaving, but this all must be so hard on her. She needs to make sure Carly has somebody to lean on, especially now that Jason’s gone.
Curtis tells Portia, he’s been looking for a new place. Now that Aunt Stella’s recovered from her stroke, she doesn’t need him around so much, so he was going to give Stella his place. That way, they could have some much needed privacy. She says, that’s very generous of him, and he has to do what’s best for him. He says, it’s not what’s best for him, but what’s best for them. She asks what he’s saying exactly, and he tells her, he’s saying, whatever place he finds, he wants it to belong to both of them.
Michael asks what Sonny thinks mom’s going to do, and Sonny says, he’s been calling her, but she’s not getting back to him. You’d think she’d be in the suite or the office this time of day. Michael asks, what’s the urgency? Is it about the surprise Sonny planned, because he heard it did not go very well. Sonny asks what Michael’s mom said, and Michael says, nothing. When he asked her about it, she said she didn’t want to talk about it, which isn’t a good sign. So what happened? Sonny says, he screwed up, and because of that, mom’s hurt and angry, and he doesn’t want her to do something worse. Michael says, like what? and Sonny says, hire a divorce attorney. Michael says, divorce? and Sonny says he needs to get to Michael’s mom, and tell her it’s too much too soon; they can get through this. Michael says, last time he talked to mom, she didn’t say anything about a divorce. She said she needed some time to think. Sonny says, that was before she found him with Nina.
Brook presses the elevator button like a madwoman, and Nina asks if she wants to sit or have some water. Chase has caught up, and says he thinks that’s a great idea, but Brook says she just wants to get out of here. Where the hell’s this elevator? Nina says, it must have been excruciating saying goodbye to Bailey, especially with Maxie missing, and Brook says she’s worried about Maxie. It was always the plan to give Bailey back to her family, and they did it, so yay. They should be celebrating. Nina says, if Brook needs to talk to anyone, call her, but Brook says she doesn’t think that will be necessary. The elevator comes, and Chase tells Nina, he’s got this, and gets in with Brook. Nina leans on the wall for a moment, then sees Willow. She asks Willow if something is wrong with Wiley.
Josslyn says she can’t imagine the pain Carly is in, and Carly says, it’s a lot, her losing Jason when she needs him the most. It feels like a cruel joke. Josslyn says, Carly still has her, and Carly hugs her, saying, that means everything. But she doesn’t want Josslyn worrying about any of this. She wants Josslyn to focus on her life at college, and all the amazing experiences that come with that. They haven’t even had a chance to talk about what happened at the cabin, and why they came back so early. Josslyn says, that would be thanks to Esme, and Carly tells Josslyn to sit down and tell her what Esme did now. Josslyn says, Esme made hot toddies, and insisted they play the world’s most cringeworthy game of Never Have I Ever. She manipulated Trina, and implied Trina and Cameron were in love and Josslyn stole him. Carly says, that’s a lot, and Josslyn says, it is a lot. She called Esme out on it, Esme called a car, and she and Spencer headed back to Port Charles that same night. Carly says she’s sure it was a relief to have Esme gone, but a bummer that Spencer had to leave. Josslyn says, it is a bummer. Spencer can be a bit of a pain, and he’s always been a little spoiled and entitled, but he has decent qualities, and he can be a really good friend, just not around her. He’s so far under Esme’s thumb, it’s like the girl invented sex.It’s just really disappointing that he can’t see through her. He falls for her games every time. Carly says she knows what Josslyn means.
Michael asks what Nina was doing at the Haunted Star, and Sonny says, he guesses she was worried about him, so she wanted to see if he was okay. Michael says, she couldn’t call? She had to check on him in person? Sonny says, she showed up, and he was in a bad, bad way because he thought Michael’s mother had given up on them. And then things happened. Michael asks if Sonny wants to clarify things, but Sonny says, not really. Michael says, so mom eventually did show up for his surprise, but it wasn’t the surprise Sonny had planned. How could he do that to mom? Sonny says, because he thought she was walking away from the marriage, and Michael says, so he turned around and had sex with Nina? Sonny says, he didn’t mean to hurt Michael’s mom, but Michael asks how he thinks she’d feel. Sonny asks if Michael thinks he wanted Carly to walk in on them, and Michael says, it’s bad enough Sonny cheated – that’s disgusting – but to do it with Nina, the woman who kept him from his family for months? Sonny says, it’s complicated, but Michael says, not really. Sonny blew past his wedding vows without taking a backward glance, to sleep with a woman who’s done nothing but lie to all of them. Sonny makes this big damn deal about loyalty, and has sex with the woman who basically held him hostage. How could he be so stupid? Sonny says, watch it, and Michael says, or else what?
Felicia tells Louise that she’s had quite a life so far. She comes from a long line of adventurers, so that shouldn’t be a big surprise. And survivors. There’s no greater survivor than her mommy, and her mommy is going to come back soon, she promises. In the meantime, Louise has her and her Grandpa Mac. Deanna wheels Mac out, and she says, look who’s here, and tells Mac, look who’s been waiting for him.
Josslyn says, enough about Esme. She’s worried about Carly, and doesn’t want her going through this alone. Let her help. Carly says, she does help. Whenever she’s having a hard time, all she has to do is see the woman Josslyn’s become. It makes her so proud. From a tiny ear of corn to this. Josslyn says, her corn phase. She’ll never live it down. Carly says, never. And adult or not, it’s not up to Josslyn to answer Avery’s tough questions. She’s sorry. Josslyn says, Carly’s not coming home anytime soon, is she? and Carly says, her marriage to Sonny is over.
Sonny says he’s still Michael’s father; show some respect. Michael says, like Sonny showed his mom? and Sonny asks what Michael wants from him. Michael says, a little bit of decency would be nice, and Sonny says, he asked Michael’s mother to show up at the Haunted Star, and when she didn’t show up, that meant to him that she wanted out. Then Kristina showed up, and told him that Carly wasn’t showing up. Michael says, Kristina? and Sonny says, it’s a long story. Michael says, first of all, ultimatums? Not romantic. Sonny says, that’s where they’re at, and Michael says, secondly, mom did show up, and thirdly, even if she bailed, that didn’t give Sonny the green light to sleep with someone else. Sonny says, it’s between him and Michael’s mother, and Michael says, and Nina. Sonny says he has to stop Michael’s mother before she files for divorce, and Michael says, honestly? She should file for divorce, because Sonny clearly chose Nina over her. Sonny says, that’s not what happened. He needs to find Michael’s mother. He can’t waste any more time. He leaves.
Harmony says, the story she told Alexis about Willow’s birth is true, and Alexis says, it’s just that Harmony didn’t actually give birth. Harmony says, Joan gave birth at the commune; no doctors, no hospitals. And since Josiah didn’t recognize the authority of the US government, the thought of a birth certificate meant nothing. Alexis says, what about her? and Harmony says she didn’t care about that. She had this new little life to nurture. Alexis asks if she wasn’t worried Joan would come back and claim the baby, and Harmony says, she thought about it all the time. First, it was just curiosity. Then that turned to dread. She and Douglas fell more in love with the little girl, and when Willow was about two, they couldn’t stand the thought of losing her. They left the commune. They left Colorado altogether and never looked back. Alexis says, that’s quite a story, and Harmony says, Alexis thinks she’s awful, but Alexis says she doesn’t. She thinks there was an abandoned baby, and Harmony and her husband loved and nurtured her. Under the circumstances, it was understandable. Joan didn’t tell her who the father was? Harmony shakes her head, and says, Doug paid the forger for the birth certificate, and then, that was it. Willow was theirs. Alexis says, but not in the eyes of the law.
Willow tells Nina, Wiley is fine. She’s just there for her nursing class. Nina says, of course (🍷). Silly her, she forgot. How’s it going? It must be quite a change, going from teacher to student. Willow says, there’s a lot less construction paper and glue, that’s for sure. She asks if something is wrong, and Nina says, no, it’s just that she saw Brook and Chase hand Bailey over to Felicia. Brook plays it tough, but it must be killing her to say goodbye to that baby. Willow says, there’s nothing harder, and tells Nina that she should get to class. Nina asks her to wait one second. They talked before about her having a possible relationship with Wiley if she kept the peace between her, Sonny, and Carly. But what if there’s no chance of peace? Will she ever be able to see her grandson again?
Chase and Brook go back to the beach house, and Brook says, her dad and Olivia must have straightened up. Chase says, that was nice of them, and asks if she wants to… She says, pack his things? That’s a good idea. There’s no reason for them to be living together anymore, so he’ll be leaving too, right?
Back in his bed, Mac holds Louise, and says, she’s been under their noses this whole time. Felicia says, Maxie must have been going insane. She was so close to her daughter, and so far away at the same time. It feels so wrong to be here like this without her. He says, they’ll find Maxie, and she says she knows they will. He says, and Peter will answer for everything he’s done.
Josslyn asks what Sonny did, but Carly says she’s not going into details. Let’s just say Sonny showed her on no uncertain terms that their marriage means mean nothing to him. Josslyn asks if this has to do with Nina. Something happened with Nina. Did Carly see them together? Carly flashes back to finding Sonny and Nina in bed, and tells Josslyn she could say that. Josslyn says, were they… She’s got to be kidding. How could Sonny do that?And Nina acting all contrite and innocent. My God, she’s a monster. She’s literally out to get their family. Carly says she knows, and she’s never going to underestimate Nina again, but Sonny is responsible for his actions. Carly’s phone dings, and Josslyn asks if it’s Sonny, but Carly says, no, it’s Michael. Carly reads, where are you? Dad at MC headed for your suite. There’s a knock at the door, Carly opens it, and Sonny is there.
Harmony says, understand why she couldn’t tell Willow that she wasn’t her daughter? and Alexis says, she believes in Harmony’s eyes and heart, Willow was her daughter, regardless of biology or the law. Harmony says, if it was a legal adoption, it would be totally different. She would have had that discussion, but she didn’t know how to explain to Willow and didn’t want to lose her, which is ironic, because that’s exactly what happened. Alexis says, but Harmony has a relationship with her now, and Harmony says, thankfully. They were starting to rebuild, but it’s still fragile, and she’s scared this news will completely shatter it. Alexis says, it was Doulas who bought the fake document, right? and Harmony says, they decided together, but he was the one who met with the forger. Does that matter? Alexis says, it may give them a little wiggle room, and Harmony says, really? Does she think Willow doesn’t have to know? Alexis tells her, she didn’t say that.
Chase asks if Brook is kicking him out, and she tells him not to be dramatic. He says, then why would he leave, and she says, they both know he was only here for Bailey. She sees Mr. Snuggles in between the couch cushions, and says, oh my God, Mr. Snuggles. How could she? They have to go to the hospital. He says, they don’t even know if they’re still there, but she says, they have to try. He suggests they call Felicia before wasting a trip, and she says, some mother she is. Letting Bailey go without her favorite toy; she must be feeling so scared. She must be so lost without it. He holds her and says, it’s okay; it’s going to be okay. She cries and says she doesn’t know how to do this. Tell her how to do this. He says he wishes he could.
Felicia tries to get Bailey to stop crying, and Mac suggests she’s hungry, but Felicia says, not yet. He wonders if it’s a dirty diaper, but Felicia says she checked. Mac asks why Felicia doesn’t take her home. The hospital’s not a restful place for anyone, especially a baby. She says, it’s not the hospital; she doesn’t know them. As much as they love her, they’re strangers to her. She needs her mother. He says, or the closest thing to it.
Sonny asks if he and Carly can talk, and Carly says she’ll call Josslyn later, and thanks her for her support. She loves Josslyn. Josslyn says she loves Carly too, and glares at Sonny as she walks out. Sonny says, if looks could kill, and Carly asks if he can blame her. He says, Carly didn’t tell her… and Carly says, did she tell her daughter that she saw him in bed with another woman? No. She figured it out. Unlike him, Josslyn sees Nina for the snake she is. She asks why he’s here, and he says, to stop her from making a huge mistake.
Portia wonders if Curtis is asking her to move into his place with him, and he says, as soon as he finds one. But technically, it wouldn’t be his place, it would be their place. She says, then maybe they could look for a place together. They can find a place they both like, and it will belong to both of them. He asks if that’s a yes to moving in together, and she says, it’s a definite yes, he kisses her.
Josslyn sits with Michael at the MetroCourt, and says she’s glad he was there, and not across town. He asks if she’s okay, and she says, not really. The tension was unreal when Sonny showed up. It was all she could do not to lose her mind on him. Sorry. He says, don’t apologize. He’s pissed at his dad too. She asks if Sonny admitted to Michael that he cheated on mom, and Michael says, he tried to justify it of course (🍷). She says, right. Like he tried to justify Nina letting them believe he was dead. How is this happening? Is Sonny just a completely different person now? He says, completely? No, but his time in Nixon Falls really changed him. She says, and not for the better. He and mom have split up before, but this is different. Sonny is different. It’s like he doesn’t even care about mom’s feelings or what she’s been through, but he’s super worried about Nina. He went from protecting her to sleeping with her. And Nina, with all her fake remorse and wanting to make amends, which lasted right up until she got in bed with Sonny. How could she? He says he doesn’t know, and she says, it doesn’t matter what Nina says, or how many times she insists it’s not true, Nina wanted to tear their family apart. She wanted to take Sonny away from mom, and she’s not going to stop until she gets what she wants.
Nina says, it’s clear she and Carly can’t co-exist peacefully, and she’s wondering where that leaves her and Willow. Is there something she can say or do to convince Willow to let her stay in Wiley’s life despite that? Willow says, honestly… and Nina says she doesn’t have much family, or children to speak of, so if she loses that piece of her life… Willow says she understands the importance of family, and Nina says she can tell Willow does, and she’s not just saying that to win her over. It’s obvious Willow put a lot of thought in what’s best for Wiley. Because if she didn’t do that, she wouldn’t let Nina spend any time with that little boy at all. Willow says, it’s simple. She just wants her son to grow up never doubting that he’s loved. Nina says, it would be nice if they all had that. From what she gathers, Willow had a pretty unconventional childhood. Willow says, that’s putting it mildly, and sits with Nina on a bench. She says, there were times she felt so lost. You’d think it would get better as she got older, but… it is what it is, right? Nina says, yeah. When she was growing up, her mother was not the warmest person. She valued appearance over real feelings. Without her brother Jay, she would have felt very much alone. Willow says, in the commune, there were always people around. It was more that her mom was so wrapped up in the community, she couldn’t be bothered with Willow. Then when they were actually together, her mother was more focused on her being a good follower. Her mother didn’t really know who Willow actually was. Nina says she hears Willow. Her mother used to trot her out at parties like she was a show dog. But if you’d asked her anything meaningful about Nina, like her hopes and dreams, or her favorite color, she wouldn’t know how to answer that. It was really hard, growing up with a mother you think doesn’t care about you at all. Willow says, and even harder, knowing you can’t trust her.
Carly says, pushing her is a bad idea, but Sonny says he’s not pushing. He’s trying to talk to his wife. She says, don’t call her that. He doesn’t treat her like a wife, so he doesn’t get to refer to her as one. He says he’s sorry she found him with Nina, and she says, but he’s not sorry it happened. He says he’s sorry for all of it, and she says she doesn’t want to talk about Nina. He says he just wants to know what happens next, and she says, he means, with life? It’s divorce. He says, really? That’s what she wants? She says she thinks it’s a little late to care about her feelings. Doesn’t he? He says he knows she’s angry… and she says, she’s beyond angry. She’s furious, she’s heartbroken, and she’s disgusted. And all she wants to do is hurt him the way he hurt her. He says, he understands that, and she thanks him for his understanding, sarcastically saying she appreciates that. He asks if there’s nothing he can say to make it right. She asks what he’s doing here, and he says, she met with a divorce lawyer. She says, he was spying on her? and he says, no; she put it on the shared calendar. Do him a favor. Do not hire a lawyer. Let’s talk. She says, no. They’re not going to talk.
Brook says, maybe she’s not just crying over Mr. Snuggles. She always knew Bailey would go back to her real mom. She knows she’s not Bailey’s real mom, so why is this so hard? He says, she may not be Bailey’s real mom, but Brook was her mom in every way that counts. Brook loves her. Brook says, so much, and he says, it’s really hard to say goodbye to someone you love, and she says she doesn’t want to do that anymore. He says, then don’t, and they almost kiss, but the doorbell rings. Chase open the door, and it’s Felicia with Louise/Bailey.
Alexis tells Harmony, there are other ways to acquire a birth certificate, other ways to show proof of identity for Willow, but they’re way beyond that right now. Harmony says she knows, but she’s imagining Willow’s face when she realizes Harmony lied to her again. They just started to get their groove back. Alexis says she gets that. She treasures the bond she has with her daughters, but the way she sees it, Harmony has two choices. She comes clean, and asks Willow’s forgiveness, or continues to deceive her. Harmony says, she doesn’t want to do that. She just has this sinking feeling Willow’s not going to forgive her for this one. Alexis says, up until now, Harmony has been Willow’s mother. She’s loved her, nurtured her, and tried to protect her. Harmony says, that last one is debatable, and Alexis says, she’s made mistakes, but she’s turned her life around, and she’s trying to do better. If that’s still her intent – Harmony says, it is – she’ll do what’s best for Willow, and tell her the truth.
Nina says she’s sorry Willow’s relationship with her mother was so fraught, and Willow says, her too. It would be nice to look to her as an example for how best to be a mom to Wiley.Michael doesn’t get it. He’s so close to his mother, to both his parents, he doesn’t have the same doubts she does. Nina says Willow doesn’t need an example. She’s a wonderful mother to Wiley. So much so, Nina would venture to say the example is her.
Felicia tells Brook, she and Mac decided, until Maxie comes home, it would be best for Louise to be around people who are familiar to her; namely, the two of them. Holding Louise, Brook says, she doesn’t understand. Doesn’t Felicia want Louise with her? Felicia says, more than anything in the world, but not it’s about her; it’s about Louise and what she needs, and right now, she’s looking at it. Brook doesn’t know what to say, and Chase thanks Felicia for having faith in them. Brook says, thanks so much, and Felicia says, thank Maxie. She trusted them with her daughter, and that means she and Mac can do the same. Brook says, now it’s her turn to tell Felicia, please come visit anytime. Felicia says she definitely will, and tells Louise that she’ll see her soon; she loves her. Felicia leaves, and Chase asks Bailey if she’s been missing someone, showing her Mr. Snuggles, who I think is a pig. That’s not a comment on his character, but meant literally. Brook says, finally, reunited at long last, and Chase says, it’s been two hours. She tells him, like she said, at long last. He says, it looks like he’ll be sticking around after all, and she says she guesses so.
Portia says she can’t believe this is actually happening, and Curtis says, unless she’s already having second thoughts. She says, the opposite. She feels like she’s dreaming, and she’s going to wake up in the on-call room, and realize none of this actually happened. He says, no, baby, this is happening. They’re moving in together as soon as he can find a place. She says, why do they even need to wait? What does he think about moving into her place while they search for a new place? He says, it sounds exactly right. What about Trina? Is she going to be okay with this? She says, Trina wants them to be happy, and she’s beginning her own adult life. In some ways, after solely focusing on raising Trina, she’s beginning hers again too. He asks if she’s sure she doesn’t feel like he’s rushing her into this, and she takes his hands, and says, when something feels right, there’s no need waste any time.
Sonny says, so that’s it? Carly says they’re done and they’re done? Carly says, pretty much, and he says, if they just talk, they can work through this. She says, there’s nothing to talk about. He made his choices, so she gets to make hers, and she just wants this over. He says he knows what she walked in on hurt her, and he’s sorry. She tells him, stop saying he’s sorry. She doesn’t need to hear that. He says he didn’t mean it like that, and she says, it’s over. They’re over. He says, okay, he’ll leave her alone… for now. He leaves, and they stand on opposite sides of the door.
Tomorrow, Finn asks Elizabeth if working herself to death is the answer, Victor has something of interest to Drew, and Anna says she’ll stop at nothing to bring Maxie home.
The Real Housewives of Orange County
Heather and family went to Nobu for dinner. In Heather’s interview, she said she was feeling like the clock was ticking. Max and Nicki were going away, and family dinners were going to change. Daughter Kat said she wasn’t close to her siblings. She thought it was because of the age difference. She was in the middle and didn’t connect. Heather promised the relationships would change.
Noella met Emily for a pedicure, and in her interview, Noella said she cared enough about the friend group to make peace, and move past what had happened in Cabo. Or wherever the hell they were. She told Emily that there was going to be a divorce mediation, and Emily wondered if James would show. In Emily’s interview, she said she liked Noella, but she could be suffocating. The conversation always had to revolve around her and her divorce. In Noella’s interview, she said she was in fight or flight mode, and fighting for every inch of her life. She felt like she was crying all the time. Emily said, in regard to what happened with Heather, Noella started it by making a snarky comment. Noella admitted she had, and in her interview, Emily said she also had to walk on eggshells with Noella, because she tended to get angry and defensive. She suggested Noella ask about the others occasionally. Noella asked if she couldn’t get a little grace, and Emily told her that she couldn’t get it if she didn’t reciprocate. In her interview, Noella said that she threatened the groups’ projection that everything was okay. That her pain was triggering something, said something about them. Emily said Noella was beating a dead horse.
Shannon was having the women over for a luncheon, and forgot about appetizers. In Shannon’s interview, she said it was going to be a disaster. She hosted all the time, but didn’t really do lunch; she did evenings when she had all day to prepare. Now she looked like a moron who couldn’t handle it. (Now?) Gina showed up while Shannon was ironing her blouse. As she was wearing it. Gina was concerned Shannon would burn herself, and Shannon said she was trying to iron herself small. Heather picked up Jen, who said Ryne had packed his bags and left. In Jen’s interview, she said, Ryne came back, screamed at her, and walked out again. She felt completely alone. She told Heather that she was getting a divorce. She never wanted to feel like that again. In Heather’s interview, she said, getting through it was a process. It was a test that proved the relationship.
Heather brought Shannon a hostess gift, a fancy bowl with wrapped candies in it. In her interview, Heather said, weed was legal now, and she’d been experimenting in micro-dosing with edibles. It was fabulous. Jen said she’d had a difficult day, and Heather asked if it wasn’t the first day of school. Jen said the cafeteria and recess were her kids’ two favorite subjects, but Ryne had packed and left. She’d had a challenging day, and reached out for support, which he wasn’t able to give her, and instead, he lashed out. I didn’t see it the same way, but okay. Emily said she and Shane reached their lowest point in years ten and eleven, and we flashed back to some of that. She said, they’d managed to make years twelve and thirteen the best, and Jen asked, how? Emily said, a lot of work. They’d had counseling, and gone to relationship camp. Shannon said, she and David had done that too, and we flashed back to some of those exercises. Jen said they’d done it too, and it was helpful, for a couple of weeks. Emily said she and Shane sat down and wrote out a mission statement for their marriage and family, and in her interview, she said, they’d been in a bagel shop. She’d told Shane that she thought they were both unhappy and didn’t want to be in the marriage. In creating the statement, they completely recommitted. We saw a clip from the Reunion, where Shane said they’d used words like unconditional love and acceptance, and it was a turning point for him. In Emily’s interview, she said, Shane lived by what he said since then.
At the table, Heather toasted to a fabulous hostess. Gina told Jen that they both had to want it. If only one of them was showing up, it wasn’t going to work. Shannon said they could get there. She and David were there at one point, and even though it didn’t work out for her, she still believed in it. Emily asked if Jen was to do whatever it took, and Noella suggested she have no expectations. Emily said Noella wasn’t being helpful, and thought she was jumping ahead. Jen said Ryne came across as mellow, but it was false advertising. Noella said when she’d met the women, she was still holding onto things with James, and Emily asked her a question (which I totally missed), and this somehow offended her. Emily was like, don’t talk about it then, and Noella asked if she wasn’t allowed to talk about her divorce. Emily said that was all Noella talked about. Noella tried to make it seem like she was relating to Jen, but Gina said it seemed like a totally different situation, but Noella insisted she was going through what Jen was. Heather was concerned about Jen talking divorce, and Jen said she didn’t want the relationship to fail. She loved Ryne. She wanted progress and success, but was frustrated because he wouldn’t participate.
Emily said she was confused. Noella wanted to talk about her divorce but went on the defensive when asked a question. She was trying to understand, but if Noella was getting mad, then it was bullsh*t. Emily went to sit with some nicer people, and went to sit with Heather, Shannon, and Jen. In her interview, Emily said, if you challenged Noella or disagreed with her, she turned on you. You couldn’t monopolize a conversation and make it about you, and then get mad if there were questions. The only way Noella connected to the other women was if it was something traumatic. Emily asked fi she should take a valium or Xanax before going back, and Shannon yelled, micro-dose! and ran for the new candy dish. In Shannon’s interview, she said she was never a fan of pot, but micro-dosing took the edge off. A producer asked how it was different from a joint, bong, or blunt, and Shannon asked what a blunt was. Was it a joint? She reminded me of a mom from one of those films on how drugs are bad that they show you in school. Shannon shared a candy with Heather and Emily (Jen passed), and in her interview, she said, now she had a drug dealer named Heather Dubrow. Text came up saying, 10 minutes later, and they were all laughing, Shannon and Emily comparing their derrieres. They did a weird slo-mo thing, where it looked more like they’d dropped acid. Shannon passed out cookies, and Emily told Noella that she should let people ask questions, and not take it personally. In Noella’s interview, she said she was trying to show she was good, but Emily was really testing her. Jen thanked Shannon for the invite, and said she’d been spiraling down, and the lunch helped. I thought it was probably all the champagne.
Gina and Emily took their kids to a Gymboree type place, and sat down while the kids did whatever. Emily said she was irritated when she left Shannon’s. Noella never asked about them, and only talked about herself. Gina told Emily that she thought Shannon seemed irritated with Heather’s compliments on Gina’s new skincare company. Shannon couldn’t handle it. In Gina’s interview, she said, it reeked of Shannon. Jealousy and all bullsh*t was all Shannon.
Heather and Kat did some gardening, and Kat said she’d gotten a negative comment about her rainbow flag on Tik Tok. A rainbow flag was in her bio, and sometimes it felt embarrassing. In Kat’s interview, she said, in coming out, there was always some negativity. It was inevitable, and you’re not prepared for it until it happens, and it hits you like a bus. Heather said she didn’t want Kat not to be self-confident in who she was and who she loved. In Kat’s interview, she said she’d been insecure and unsure until she got support, then she became proud and more comfortable with herself. Heather said Kat’s life was so different from when she was younger. Her parents were great, they did their best, but her mom was very 1950s. You didn’t talk about anything like feelings. She was glad for the relationship she had with her kids, and that they could tell her everything. She’d learned a lot from them; she was still growing at her age. In Heather’s interview, she said, everyone wanted love and to be accepted. It was the base minimum parents should do. It killed her when parents didn’t accept their children.
Jen, Shannon, and Emily met for cocktails and food, and Jen ordered the filthiest martini she could get. She told the women that Ryne had come back, and was sweet. They fell asleep on the couch, holding hands, but they hadn’t had a big conversation. She said they’d had three babies, then gotten married, but they’d had some big hits. When her father died, she was anxious to have her own family. In Jen’s interview, she said, when she and Ryne met, for a couple of years, it was light, easy, and breezy. That’s what had attracted her, but now it was the roadblock in their relationship. Shane couldn’t go deep. Shannon said she loved that Jen was fighting for her family. Emily asked if Shannon was jealous of Gina’s relationship with Heather, and that Gina and Heather were going to NYC. Shannon said she had her own relationship with Heather, and if she’d been invited to NYC, she’d have said she was exhausted. Wow. That doesn’t say much for her energy level. Emily said Gina had thought Shannon was jealous when Heather was praising her about her skincare line. Shannon said, that was an a-hole comment to make, and in Shannon’s interview, she asked, where in the sky was this pulled from? Shannon said she had plenty going on herself, and Emily said Gina thought she’d seemed not happy, but Emily was so pissed at Noella, she didn’t notice. Shannon said Gina needed to put a pin in her ego, and in her interview, she said she thought Emily stirred the pot. She told Emily, sorry to disappoint her. She was reeling right now. It pissed her off.
Next time, Shannon tells John about Gina suggesting she’s jealous, Shannon says Gina is starting to piss her off, and Jen gets annoyingly drunk at dinner out with Rayne, Heather, Terry, et al.
🌈 Time To Ride the Rainbow…
Come on over for soap and most likely some tea tomorrow. Bravo has nothing new to post about, but they are showing a new Galley Talk at 9 pm. That’s always good for a laugh. Until then, stay safe, stay taking new roads, and stay not wasting any time when something feels right.
What I Watched - TV With Theresa 