What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Finn asks if he looks okay, and Elizabeth says, he looks pretty dapper for a man who’s spent the last few nights on the couch. He says he’s starting to love that couch. He noticed Cam wasn’t in his room, and she says, he and Joss went to visit Trina. She’s out on bail. They just want to support her. He says he read Joss and Cam’s story in The Invader. It took a lot of courage to get out in front of this thing. That’s a pretty great kid she raised. Elizabeth thanks him, and says she agrees. But this whole thing with the video is far from over. She’s just glad Cam and Josslyn’s relationship is so solid, and they don’t have to go through this alone. Neither does Trina. He says, neither does she. He’s right here by her side no matter what happens. She says she woudn’t have it any other way, and they kiss.

Amy sits with Maxie and Brook at the MetroCourt, and says, oh my God. The lyrics and the tune. Maxie says, they get she loves Brook’s song, and Amy says, and she loves that Lucy is exclusively using local talent. Brook sees Chase standing in the doorway, and Amy says, speaking of local talent… Brook busies herself with a paper in front of her.

Britt says she owes Terry, and Terry says, big time. She has better things to do than interview someone completely inappropriate to work at this hospital. Britt says, but she agreed to give Brad a chance, and Terry says, which is why Britt owes her. Britt swears Brad’s time in prison has changed him. He’s grown; he’s matured. Terry says, and not kept any infants from their rightful parents, and passed them off as his own? Britt asks if she’ll please go into this with an open mind, and Terry says, fine. Brad knocks at the door, and says it’s great to see Terry again. He just wants to say she’s even more beautiful than he remembers.

Nikolas asks if Spencer is okay, and Spencer thanks Nikolas for getting all his things out of storage. His bedroom has been perfectly reconstructed. Nikolas says, probably because his things were never in storage. They’ve always been waiting for him. Spencer says, even when he renounced all things Cassadine? and Nikolas says, even then. Spencer says, so Nikolas thought he’d come crawling back; that he’d cave. Nikolas says, he kept Spencer’s room intact because Spencer’s his child. A father never gives up on his child, and if Esme is actually pregnant, they’ll know soon enough.

Ava comes in, calling to Nikolas, and asking where he is. Esme says, he’s upstairs, and Ava follows Esme’s voice into the living room, where Esme is reading What to Expect When You’re Expecting. Esme tells Ava, hello, and asks if she’s had a rough day. Ava asks what Esme is doing in her house. Get out before Ava throws her out.

Finn asks if Elizabeth is sure she doesn’t want to come with him to dinner. Gregory would love to see her. She says, this is Gregory’s first trip back in some time. She’s sure he’d appreciate some alone time with Finn, Chase, and Violet. Besides, they were just getting together when Gregory left town. He’s not really used to seeing them as a couple. Finn says, but Gregory knows they are, because he’s become much better at communicating with Gregory lately. Elizabeth says, Chase told him? and Finn says, he would have, but Violet beat him to it. She laughs, and he says, if she finishes up early, feel free to come by. His dad really likes her. In fact, he thinks Gregory believes she can do much better. Elizabeth says, then he would be wrong, and he says, she’s amazing, and kisses her. The doorbell rings, and she says, Laura. Elizabeth lets Laura in, and she says she hopes she’s not too late… or too early. Finn says, her timing was perfect; he was just leaving. If Elizabeth changes her mind and wants to have dinner at the MetroCourt… Elizabeth says, have fun, and hustles him out. She thanks Laura for coming over, and Laura says she wishes she could have gotten here sooner. How is Cam holding up? Elizabeth says, better than she is, and Laura hugs her.

Violet suggests they say hi to Chase’s girlfriend, and Chase says, they can try, but Brook is already gathering her things and trying to escape. Violet intercepts her and says, hi, and Brook says it’s good to see her. She looks beautiful. Violet says, Brook does too. They’re having dinner with Grandpa Gregory and she wanted to look special. Brook says, mission accomplished, and Violet asks, how’s her baby? From the table, Maxie says, Bailey is doing great. Does Violet want to see some pictures? She invites Violet over, and shows Violet her phone. Chase says, sorry about that, and Brook says, about what? He says he spoke with Violet about Bailey, but she still doesn’t quite get it. Brook says, who can blame her? and Amy says, what about Chase? Brook says, no, but Amy says, he’d be perfect. Brook says, he’s not, and Amy says she begs to differ. Brook says, they’ve been over this. Chase has made it perfectly clear that he doesn’t want to be involved. Amy says she hasn’t even asked yet, but Brook says she did, and Amy says, when? Brook says, before, and Amy says, where? Brook says, not here. Does it ever occur to Amy that the entire universe still exists when she leaves a room? Amy says, if Brook took that tone with him, no wonder he said no, but Brook says she didn’t take a tone with him. Amy says, does Brook mind if she asks him then, and Brook says, yes, she minds. He doesn’t want to be a part of it, and frankly, she agrees with him. Amy says, then they’re both idiots.

Terry says she’s not ready for Brad yet, and Britt says, they’ll just wait outside, steering Brad out. In the hallway, she says, what was that? and he says, sorry. He got nervous and went for the compliment. She tells him to pull himself together. She had to beg Terry to even talk to him. He says, for that, he’s eternally grateful, and she says, he has no idea. He asks if it’s hopeless, and she says, it’s a long shot, but Terry’s fair, and she promised to give Brad a chance to plead his case. He says, like about why he kept Wiley from his family and claimed Wiley was his and Lucas’s? but she says, do not say that. He says, then what case? He’s been in the slammer. Case means something entirely different to him now. She says, he’s going in there and telling Dr. Randolph – and please remember to call her Dr. Randolph, not Terry – that he is a kick ass lab tech who knows his stuff, which makes him the ideal advocate to explain medical tests and procedures to concerned patients. He says, got it. He can do this. He thanks her for everything, and she says she’s with him all the way. A man comes up to Britt, and says she needs to come with him.

Spencer asks how Nikolas felt when he found out Spencer was his son, and Nikolas says, shocked… scared. Spencer says, great, thanks, and Nikolas says, but the first time he held Spencer, all that went away, and in its place, there was this love that he’d never experienced before. Spencer says, those were the days, huh? and Nikolas says he still loves Spencer. He never stopped. And if Esme is pregnant, he’ll be right by Spencer’s side, if Spencer wants him there.

Esme says, there appears to be a misunderstanding, and Ava grabs the book, tossing it on the couch. She says, no there hasn’t; Esme’s not welcome. Esme says she’s sorry Ava feels that way, but she’s not leaving, and Ava says, the only question is, how much hair Esme will have on her head when she goes. Esme says, Ava might want to run that by her husband; he invited her to stay. Ava says, he wouldn’t, and Esme says, Spence will be staying here too. They’ll all be one big happy family. Ava says, she’s lying. Nikolas would never do this without talking to her first. Esme says, and yet he did, and Ava says, her husband might have fallen for this helpless waif act, but she hasn’t. She’ll set Nikolas straight. She hopes Esme hasn’t unpacked. Esme says, Ava seems to be a bit behind the times, so let her catch Ava up. Ava could be a grandmother soon… step-grandmother. Because she – she picks up the book – just might be pregnant. Ava yells for Nikolas.

Elizabeth gives Laura some coffee and says, Cameron told her the police think Trina Robinson posted the video. Laura says, she was arraigned today, and Elizabeth says, impossible. Cameron and Josslyn are her best friends. She would never. Laura says, and from what she knows about Trina, she couldn’t agree more, but Jordan couldn’t ignore the evidence. Elizabeth says, that they found the phone in her bag? Clearly, somebody put it in there just to frame her. She’s sure Laura knows who the kids think it is. Laura says she does, but she’s afraid she can’t comment. What she can say is, she has faith that the PCPD will uncover the truth. Elizabeth says she hopes they do it quickly, because right now, she doesn’t have it in her to weather another crisis, and Laura says, the police haven’t found out anything about who broke in here and left the portrait? Elizabeth says, no. Apparently, they don’t have much to go on. On the bright side, they did rule out another suspect. Laura says, that’s good; who? and Elizabeth says, Jake. Laura asks why she thinks Jake would do this, and Elizabeth says, Jake and Franco were so close, and he wouldn’t be the first kid to object to his mother’s new boyfriend. He’s also been off lately, and she got worried. Laura says, worried how? and Elizabeth says she thought he was keeping something from her. Turns out she was right.

Terry gets a text from Chet: Overseas another month. Hope 2 see you when I’m back. Her smile fades, and she texts, want 2 see u 2. Text dates when you have them.

Brad asks what Lee is doing here, and Britt says she has her meeting with Brad’s Aunt Selena tonight. But she was expecting a text, not an escort. Brad asks why she didn’t tell him it was tonight, and she says she didn’t want to worry him, since he had his meeting. He says he’d like to come with, but she says she’ll be fine. She tells Lee they should get going. Where are they going? Lee gestures for her to go ahead, and Brad asks her to call him the second it’s over. She promises, and tells him, good luck. He says, back atcha.

Amy says she’s done with Brook’s tone, and asks Chase to explain himself. Chase is like, uh… and Amy says, Brook’s song? Brook says, they have plenty of local talent to choose from, and Amy says, Lucy wants to give first dibs to the people who performed at the Nurses Ball, and Detective Chase has. Brook asks her to drop it; he doesn’t want to, so she doesn’t have to pressure him. Chase points to the bar, and he and Brook walk over to it. He says he thought they were good, and she says, they are. Amy just didn’t realize he’d already turned her down. He says, it’s just that he’s not a professional singer, and she says, they don’t have to go over it again. She knows he thinks singing for Deception will hurt his image. He says he didn’t mean it that way, and she says, then in what totally-secure-with-himself-don’t-care-what-people-think-of-him way did he mean it? He says, maybe he did mean it that way a little bit, but he has to think about going back on the force. His suspension’s not going to last forever. Gregory walks in, and says he certainly hopes not, and they hug. Gregory says, it’s good to see Chase. He’s sorry it’s been so long. Chase says, that’s okay; he’s here now. Chase wants to introduce him to Brook Lynn Quartermaine, but Gregory says, he doesn’t have to. He knows exactly who she is.

Nikolas says he’s sorry, and she asks what he was thinking bringing Esme into her house. Spencer says, it’s his father’s house, not hers. Nikolas says he needs to speak to Ava alone, and Esme says she hopes she didn’t cause any trouble. She didn’t mean… Ava says they all know what Esme meant, and Esme and Spencer leave. Ava tells Nikolas, explain.

In the vestibule, Esme says, what did she tell Spencer? They’re already coming between his father and Ava. Spencer says, great; lets go. She asks if he doesn’t want to stay and hear the fight, and he says, normally, he’d enjoy nothing more than watching his father’s marriage implode, but right now they have things to do. She says, such as? and he says, it’s time to take that pregnancy test.

Gregory says, Brook is the reason his son got suspended, but Chase says, he punched Valentin. He got angry and lost control, and he’s responsible for his own actions. Brook had nothing to do with it. Brook says, that’s not entirely true. Chase punched Valentin to defend his honor. Gregory says, and pretended to be the father of her child that wasn’t even hers. Violet runs to Gregory, saying, grandpa! and Gregory picks her up, asking, how’s his little princess? He takes her to claim their  table, and Chase tells Brook that he’s sorry. She says, what for? He’s not wrong. She had everything to do with his suspension. She doesn’t take accountability for anything in her life, but even she can’t deny that. He says, he can deny it, because it’s not true. Finn comes in, and asks if he’s the last one here. Chase says, listen… but Brook says, the gang’s all here. Enjoy his family tonight. They go to their separate tables, and Amy says her shift is about to start; she’s got to go. She leaves, and Maxie sees Brook and Chase look at each other.

Laura wonders why Jake hid the fact that his grandparents reached out to him, and Elizabeth says, he thought she’d be angry if she found out, and truthfully, she’s furious, but not with Jake. Her parents went behind her back, contacted him directly without her knowledge and without her permission. Does Laura think she’s overreacting? Laura says, no. She thinks Elizabeth has every right to be angry. She’s known Jeff for so long. She’s never understood why Jeff and Elizabeth’s mother weren’t more interested in having a relationship with her and the boys. Elizabeth says she’s tried to come to terms with her parent’s choices. They’ve sacrificed a lot in pursuit of a higher calling. They’re worried about the world, just not their daughter. Laura says, to hell with the world. She hugs Elizabeth, and says, Elizabeth is their daughter; it makes no sense.

Ava tells Nikolas, she just came from Trina’s arraignment. Her Trina in court because of that Esme. Nikolas says, there’s no proof… and she asks if he’s seriously going to say that with a straight face and talk to her about proof. The two of them have done a lot of things; is there proof? No, but they still did them. He says she’s right. Maybe Trina didn’t do this… and she says, please tell her that he’s not falling for that helpless act of Esme’s. He says, Esme is in danger. Sonny’s goons snatched her right off the street in front of Charlie’s. Ava says, so? and he says, so she knows better than anyone how dangerous Sonny can be. She says, yes, she does. That’s precisely why she asked Sonny to take care of Esme.  

Spencer tells Esme, wrong room; the bathroom is two doors down. She says she needs a second, and he says, she keeps putting it off. She says, it’s a huge deal. What if she’s pregnant? He says, they’ve talked this to death. Just take the test. She says, maybe she doesn’t want to take the test because if she finds out she’s not pregnant, she’ll be at Sonny’s mercy again. He says, Uncle Sonny didn’t hurt her, but she tells him, Sonny said he could make her disappear, so yes, she’s been stalling. Because no matter what this test says, her life is going to change. If it’s negative, she’s going to be all alone in the world again. If it’s positive, she and Spencer will be tied to each other forever.

Terry apologizes for keeping Brad waiting, and he says he’s just grateful for the opportunity. She says, the opportunity to be an orderly? and he says he knows he can never work in a lab again, but he and Britt… Dr. Westbourne talked about him being a patient advocate. She says, here she thought this was a general interview, and he says, that’s fine too. She says she’s going to level with him. She doesn’t trust him enough to advise patients. If she was going to sign off on hiring him – and that’s a massively big if – orderly is the only job she’d consider. He sits, and says, if she looks at his old performance evaluations, she’ll see that when he ran the lab, he was consistently praised for his efficiency. She says, lab tests take less time when you’re falsifying the results, and he says, he made mistakes, and he’s paid for them. He served his time, and he’s ready to start over. He was just hoping that, even with what she knows about him, she still believes in second chances.

Lee brings Britt to Beradino’s, and the restaurant is empty except for Selena, who tells Britt, good evening. Britt says, and here she thought this place was popular, and Selena says she wanted privacy, so she bought out the entire restaurant. They sit, and Britt says, better and better. Selena asks if there’s a problem, and Britt says, it’s just been a night of surprises. A waiter brings drinks over, and Britt says, private dining, a personal escort here. She was expecting a text. She guesses she’s finding it all a little excessive for a friendly dinner. Selena says, but they’re not friends, and Britt says she guesses they’re not, but that’s what this dinner is all about, right? To get to know each other for Brad’s sake. Selena says, no, that’s not what’s happening here.

Elizabeth tells Laura, it would have sounded petty to say, I know you’re saving refugees and orphans, but pay attention to me. Laura says she doesn’t want to minimize the good Jeff and Carolyn are doing in the world, but she’s seen it. Every time Elizabeth’s parents missed another milestone in her life, Laura saw how much it hurt her. Weddings, births, deaths; Elizabeth needed them to be there with her and they weren’t. Elizabeth thanks her for saying that, and verifying that she’s not the awful petty person she thinks she is. Laura says she understands Elizabeth’s pain, but it worries her a little. Holding on to all this ill will could be hurting her now. Elizabeth says, so she should just let it go? She really thought she had, but now here they are, talking to her kid. Laura says, it’s just a suggestion, but if Jeff and Carolyn are reaching out now, maybe it’s the time to let them back into her life. Not for them, but for the kids, and for Elizabeth.

Violet suggests she and Finn wash their hands before dinner, and he says, she’s absolutely right. They leave, and Gregory asks how Chase has been occupying his time. Chase asks, what the hell was that? Why was he being so rude to Brook? Gregory asks how he was being rude; by stating the facts? She admitted it was her fault Chase was suspended. Chase says, Gregory wants facts; he’ll give him facts. Fact: Brook was trying to pull one over on Valentin, but fact, Peter August was a very dangerous person, and Brook was risking her life for a child. Gregory asks if that isn’t a bit of an exaggeration, but Chase says, Peter would have gladly killed Brook. Peter was the one who poisoned him, but Brook faced her fears, and the wrath from Valentin and her family to keep Maxie’s little baby safe. And the whole time, she was falling for this little girl she knew she’s have to give back. Gregory wants facts? There you go. Gregory says he has to ask. Does Chase have feelings for Brook? Chase says, he and Brook are friends, and Gregory says, that’s not what he asked. Chase says, Gregory is judging someone he doesn’t even know. Finn and Violet come back, and Finn asks what Violet wants to eat. She says she wants to know why Uncle Chase was yelling at grandpa, but Gregory says he and Chase were just having a discussion. Violet says, discussion, that means quiet yelling.

Britt asks why Selena wanted to talk to her, and Selena says she wants what’s best for Brad. Britt says, so does she. Is this about the job? She knows Brad appreciates Selena’s job offer, but he wants to work at GH again. It’s important for Brad to build a new life on his own terms, so he’ll succeed after being in prison. Selena asks if Britt considers menial labor at a hospital a new life, success, and Britt says, he’s owned up to his mistakes. He just wants to turn his life around, and they both know he can’t do that working for Selena’s organization. Selena asks what Britt knows about her organization, and Britt says, only what she’s read in the paper. Selena says, Brad looks to Britt for guidance, and Britt says, they look to each other; they’re best friends. Selena says, which means Brad will listen to Britt, and Britt will listen to her. Britt asks why she would do that, and Selena says, because she knew Britt’s father.

Esme tells Spencer, if it turns out she’s pregnant, then everything she thought about how her life would be goes out the window, and if she’s not, she could have a mob boss after her. Spencer says he can protect her from Sonny, but she says, only if she’s pregnant. He says, regardless, and she asks what he’s saying. He tells her, she can stay here at Windymere, no matter what the test says. He promises. She thanks him, taking his hand, but he walks away. He picks up the pregnancy test, and says, now it’s time they find out the truth.

Nikolas says, Ava sent Sonny after Esme? She’s just a kid. Ava says, that kid blew up her car. That kid thought nothing of using her dead daughter’s memory against her. That kid is a monster. He says he knows what Esme did, but… She says, but nothing. And she doesn’t want to hear how Esme did it for Spencer. That girl is responsible for her choices and her actions, and now she’s responsible for humiliating Josslyn and Cameron, and for trying to destroy Trina’s life. He says, Trina will have a day in court; Sonny won’t give Esme the same courtesy. She says, it would never occur to Trina to make a sex tape of her friends, let alone send it to everybody at PCU; whereas Esme has already proven she’s capable of anything. He says, if Esme is pregnant… and she says, it’s the oldest trick in the book. Please tell her that he doesn’t believe that. He says, Esme’s not claiming to be pregnant; she’s just late. Spencer and Esme are two college kids having sex. Is she saying there’s no possibility Esme could be pregnant? She tells him, what she’s saying is, pregnant or not, she doesn’t want Esme in this house, and after what he’s done, she’s not crazy about having Spencer here either, but he’s Nikolas’s son. Esme on the other hand has got to go. So what’s it gonna be? He says he’s sorry, but he’s made his decision.

Esme comes out of the bathroom, and Spencer says, well? She says, it’s not an instant reading; you have to wait five minutes. He asks where it is, and she says, on the sink. It has to stay flat or the results can be compromised. She pulls out the instructions, and tells him, it says so right here. He says, fine. They’ll wait together, and they’ll look at the test together.

Brad tells Terry that he’s ready prove he’s trustworthy again. And if it’s his only option, orderly it is. He’ll clean up after patients, push wheelchairs, whatever it takes. She tells him that she has to say, he made a better impression than she expected, and he says, let’s hear it for low expectations. She says she’d have to check with Dr. Jones; make sure his ex-husband working here won’t upset him. He says, please tell Lucas that he’ll do his utmost to make sure their paths don’t cross. She says, those are all the questions she has, and he says, so… She says she’ll let him know, and he thanks her for her time. She says she’ll walk him out, and he says, of the building? She says, her office, and they both walk to the hallway. Terry keeps walking, but Brad stands there for a moment, and says, that could have gone better. Amy says, you. What are you doing here? Answer the question. What is he doing lurking around Dr. Randolph’s office? What is he up to? He says he hasn’t… and she yells for security.

Violet asks Finn if they can order apps, and at the bar, Maxie tells Brook that it sounds like Chase was defending her honor. Brook suggests Maxie lay off the romance novels and see someone for herself. Peter is finally dead, and Maxie can get back to her old life. Maxie says, about that… when Gregory says, excuse him for interrupting. It seems he owes Brook an apology. He made some assumptions about her without having the facts. His son straightened him out. Please forgive his rudeness. She glances at Chase, and says, of course (🍷). He was just looking out for his son, doing what any good parent would do. He thanks her, and she says, just don’t let it happen again. She’s just kidding. He laughs, and says he’s looking forward to getting to know her better.

Britt tells Selena, lots of people knew her father. He was quite literally infamous. She doesn’t remember him having any association with the Wu’s. Selena says, so Faison took Britt into his confidence? and Britt says, not really, but there was a time when they were closer. Selena says she knows. Britt traveled with Faison for several years, until the authorities caught up with her in 2017. Brit says she doesn’t particularly enjoy going down Memory Lane with her father, so what does this have to do with Selena’s mistaken belief that Britt will manipulate Brad for her? Selena says, because she knows what Britt and Cesar were doing in 2016. Britt and her father were very busy back in 2016, weren’t they? Such a fascinating story. One the WSB and others closer to home would  love to hear. Britt says, she and her father traveled all over; Selena will have to be more specific. Selena says she doesn’t think she does, and Britt says she thinks Selena is either bluffing or fishing. Selena says, maybe, but imagine for a moment that she’s doing neither. Imagine she has all the proof she needs to send Britt back to prison, for good this time. Britt asks what Selena wants, and Selena says she has plans for Bradley, and changing bedpans isn’t part of this. That’s where Britt comes in. She’ll keep Brad on the right path. The challenge is that while Britt is pulling Brad’s strings, he’ll never know Selena is pulling hers.

Amy asks what Brad’s after. Is he trying to steal records? He says, no; he had a job interview. She laughs, and calls for security again. Terry asks, what’s going on? and Amy says she caught Brad trying to sneak in Terry’s office. Brad says, he told her, he had a job interview, but Amy says, he’s a lying liar who lies. She doesn’t know who he bribed to get out of prison, but she’s sure it’s only a matter of time before he gets himself thrown back in. Terry tells Amy to lower her voice, and Amy says she doesn’t know why Terry is mad at her. He’s the one… Brad says, who is leaving. He thanks Terry for taking the time to meet with him, and sincerely hopes they can work together. He leaves, and Amy yells, fat chance. Terry tells her, that was entirely unprofessional, but Amy says Brad deserves every word she said, and then some. Terry can’t let Brad work here. Terry says she can if she wants too, and Amy says, look, Terry is new at the hospital… Terry says she’s been here four years, and Amy says, time really does fly, doesn’t it? Even so… Terry tells Amy, hiring staff is her decision, not Amy’s. Amy starts to argue, but Terry says, please get back to work.

Ava tells Nikolas, she sees. So they’re not even going to talk about this? and he asks if she’s really interested in talking, because it sounds like she’s making demands. She says, if Esme’s pregnant – and that’s a really big if – Sonny won’t hurt her; she’ll be fine. And if she’s lying again, sayonara Esme. Set her adrift in the launch, and if she makes it to shore, let Sonny do his worst. He says he can’t believe he’s hearing this, and she asks, what about her reaction remotely surprises him? He says, that she of all people would be sending Esme to her fate with Sonny, and she says, Sonny sees the situation more clearly than Nikolas does. Now understand this. Either Esme goes or she goes. He doesn’t say anything, and she says, fine, and slams out.

The timer on Spencer’s phone goes off, and Esme says, if it’s negative will he really let her stay here? He tells her, he said he would, and she says, she’s scared. Please say he’ll protect her. He says he promises, and she thanks him, and says, okay then. Let’s find out If we’re having a baby.

Brook asks what Maxie was going to tell her before Chase’s dad came over. She was going to say… Maxie says, that was something the way Chase stood up to his dad for her, and Brook says, of course (🍷) he did. Chase always goes to bat for his friends. Maxie asks if Brook is sure that’s all that is.

Gregory tells Violet that he’s looking forward to her next tea party. He can’t wait to hear all about what she’s been up to. She says, she and daddy have been having a lot of sleepovers at Aunt Elizabeth’s, and Gregory says, is that right? Finn says, they’ve been staying at Elizabeth’s a few nights a week in case… Gregory says, more problems? but Finn says, no, not lately. He’s kind of hoping the excitement is over.

Elizabeth thanks Laura for the talk, and Laura says, any time. Take care of herself. Elizabeth says she’ll do her best, and tells Laura that she loves her, and Laura says she loves Elizabeth too. She leaves, and Elizabeth locks the door. She’s about to go upstairs, when she hears a thud. She comes back, and the lights go out. A man walks out, but is in the shadows. She asks what he wants, and he says, don’t forget me. She asks who he is, and wakes up on the couch. She says, okay… That was one hell of a dream. She sees something on the art table, and in front of the other drawings is a beach scene with the words DON’T FORGET ME written in big red letters over it.

Tomorrow, Curtis tells Selena that he’s made his position clear; Scotty asks Ava if there’s trouble on Spoon Island; Esme tells Spencer that she has a confession to make; and Nina tells Sasha, it’s just the beginning.

Below Deck Sailing Yacht

Port Mahon, Menorca. Tom tells Gary that he’s looking forward to the next charter. He’d thought the anchor was okay. Gary says, it was a major f*** up, and Tom says, he’s still learning. Gary says, Tom has to speak to Glenn about it. The guests arrive, and Glenn welcomes them aboard. He says he’s going to hand them over to Daisy, who will give them the tour. Daisy shows them around, and says, tomorrow, they’re having a seafood-palooza followed by a talent show. She thinks they’ll be disappointed, since the crew is a talentless bunch. In Daisy’s interview, she says, pretty much all she’s good at is getting tan and drinking margaritas. Colin asks Tom about Ashley, and Tom says he apologized, but Ashely likes to be the victim. Now they’re working together in a small space. Glenn notices Tom is sitting around talking, and suggests he check the port side and see what needs to be done. Ashley asks Gary if he and Gabriella are a thing now, and he says he thought they’d sorted things out. Are they friends? She says, sure, and Colin says he’s never drinking again. In Glenn’s interview, he says, he doesn’t get it. If he was Tom, he’d be working his ass off, but Tom doesn’t even seem fazed. Prove your value. They drop anchor, and get ready for dinner.

As they set the table, Ashley tells Gabriella that she’s having horny problems. Gabriella says, that’s easily solved, when Gary comes along and flirts with Gabriella. In Ashley’s interview, she says, it’s frustrating. If Gary had  gotten with her, they could have done it already. She doesn’t usually lose. Good luck. Glenn makes a call, and says the Parsifal III is looking for a deckhand. He needs one soon. In Glenn’s interview, he says, he’s given Tom a couple days since it happened, but Tom didn’t convince him it was just a one-off. He tells Colin that he likes Tom, but he’s concerned about Tom’s decision making. In his interview, Glenn says, Tom is still distracted. He feels sorry for Tom, but it hasn’t sunk in how serious it was.

Guest Tony dresses up like a bullfighter for Spanish night. The guests find the sunset amazing, and toast to a wonderful Spanish evening. Everyone immediately loves the food, and Gary tells Colin that he doesn’t know what’s going to happen, but it’s not in his control. The guests say, the meal is unbelievable, and Gary calls Kelsie to the wheelhouse. Glenn says, running aground never happened before. He knows Kelsie has several jobs to do, but anchor watch is crucial. Gary explains the procedure, and in Kelsie’s interview, she says, everyone is still shook about running aground. She was totally expecting a thorough walk-through, but she knows her duties. She’s got it. The guests go to bed around midnight. They seem like very sweet people, which is a refreshing change.

At 4 am, the wind is at five knots, and in Kelsie’s interview, she says, there are rocks inside the line. It’s not fun to wake up the boss, but she’d rather wake him up then disobey orders. Gary says he prefers that she wake him, and in her interview, Kelsie says, she understands what’s required of her. The boat’s fine. Gary sings about washing his hair, and I wonder if this is an event. Gabriella asks how Gary is doing, calling him Tarzan. Marcos makes a tremendous amount of food, and breakfast is served. Daisy suggests Colin and Gabriella work on the talent show, and in Gabriella’s interview, she says, nothing is off the table in yachting. She’s been offered money for sex before. Glenn gets a text that a deckhand has been located for him, and will be available after the quarantine period. He requests their CV, and in his interview, Glenn says, to operate the boat properly and safely, he needs the crew to be on top of things, and not giving excuses. Tom has been out of it since they ran aground. It’s better to be a man down than risk not taking advantage of the opportunity to get what he needs.

Glenn radios Tom, and asks him to have a seat in the crew mess. Glenn says he’s had time to think, and it’s clear it took time for the anchor to drag. He wonders how Tom couldn’t notice, and says, the whole point of anchor watch is precisely to make sure that doesn’t happen. He feels bad, but the more he thought about it, he has to let Tom go; he has no choice. Tom says, that wasn’t him (sigh); he’s been going through some things that affected him. Glenn says he understands, but in his interview, Glenn says, Tom will have to clear his mind in another place. He can’t let Tom stay. He can cause harm since the mindset’s not there. The boat has to come first. Ashley tells Gabriella that she thinks Tom is getting the sack, and Glenn tells Tom to get his stuff ready. He’ll have a ride for him in an hour. They fist bump, and in Tom’s interview, he says he’s learned the biggest lesson in his whole life. He wants to start the season again, and do a better job. He learned the hard way he can’t slack. He tells Marcos goodbye, and Marcos tells him to grow from this. Tom says he has to. Gabriella tells Ashley that Tom is a ticking time bomb, and Ashley says, that’s why he needs to go. Glenn calls Daisy, Gary, and Colin to meet him in the wheelhouse, and Tom calls his mom Carol, who tells him that she’s sorry it ended this way. Glenn says if there was a way to keep Tom, he would, but he can’t trust Tom’s judgement. He can’t afford someone on board he can’t trust. He hopes to get a replacement before the next, and asks if Colin can help the deckhands. Colin says, they can make it work if they all chip in.

Glenn calls for a tender, and Tom says he hopes there are no hard feelings with him and Ashley. It was the alcohol. In Tom’s interview, he says, he and Ashley have loved and hated each other the whole trip. He hopes one day they look back on it and laugh. Never have sex with a woman who wants to have sex with your boss. He didn’t want to let anyone down, but he’s been up and down like a yo-yo. He definitely needs to listen more, and not act on his emotions. He says goodbye to everyone, and Glenn says, it was an unexpected sad life lesson.

Ashley gets up just as Tom leaves in the tender, and she asks what she missed. Gary tells her, Tom left, and she says, aw, bye Tom. Daisy asks if they’ll be getting a deckhand by next charter, and Marcos asks Ashley if she’s sad. She says she got teary-eyed, but hopes the new deckhand is someone Kelsie or Ashley likes. She’s done. Colin and Gary confer about Colin helping out. Anchor is home, and in Glenn’s interview, he says, now that Tom is off the boat, he wants things back to normal as quick as possible, so the guests can have the best experience possible. Jim helps with raising the sails, and they get moving. Things fly around below deck, and Colin steers the boat.

Ashley suggests to Marcos that they have a pots and pans band for the talent show. The sails go back down, anchor is dropped, and Marcos works on the seafood-palooza. Daisy doesn’t know what to do for the talent show, and Gabriella says she was a professional dancer; salsa and samba. In Gabriella’s interview, she says she’d danced her whole life, and was picked up by a professional samba team. Her instructor thought she was so good, she gave lessons to celebrities. She’s got this. Glenn asks if any of them has talent? but gets zero response. He says he knows Colin plays guitar. He’s going to tell jokes, which will be the highlight. Gary double-checks everything, and the guests are wanting the water toys. They don’t see a stew, and Jim says they should never leave the primary in charge. They’ll screw sh*t up. They begin to rummage around, when Daisy realizes what’s going on. She radios Gary, and says she’s on the swim platform, and the guests are ready to go swimming. She’ll wait there until he’s ready. Gary says he hates his life. (Ha! He should have my life.) The guests ask if they can jump in the water, and Daisy gives the okay. Glenn joins them, and Jim says, if they’re in trouble, Daisy said it was okay. Gary says, there are some nice caves to look at it, pointing across to the shore. In Gary’s interview, he says, he’s used to hard work, but being a man down sucks. They need an extra crew member to take the load off. The guests go check out the caves in inflatable canoes, and no surprise, it’s gorgeous.

The guests come back, and the crew changes into their blacks. Ashley says she’s going to pound a grapefruit martini tomorrow. Jim bothers Marcos in the galley, wondering what’s for dinner, and in Marcos’s interview, he says he’s making a lot of dishes, family style. He needs to keep them fresh, and has a lot of things going on in the galley. Colin tells Glenn that he’s going to MC, the guests change for dinner, and Daisy takes photos for them. Marcos tells Gabriella that he can’t cook anything in advance, and she says she’ll let him know when the guests sit down. A few minutes later, she tells Marcos that the guests are seated, and Daisy is serving the wine. Jim toasts to a great trip, great friends, and the next trip. Daisy goes to the galley, and tells Marcos, they’re ready. Marcos seems surprised, and Gabriella says, she told him when they sat down. We flash back to ten seconds ago, and Marcos says, it was a misunderstanding. In Gabriella’s interview, she says, how dare he throw her under the bus? Daisy tells Gabriella to give them some bread, and in Marcos’s interview, he says, WTF, Gabby?

Gabriella serves the bread, playing up the homemade aspect. In her interview, she says she was caught off-guard. Marcos threw her under the bus right in front of her face. It’s not her first dinner service. Dinner is twenty minutes late, but the guests pronounce it amazing and heaven on earth. Marcos brings up one of the dishes, and they say they love him. Marcos tells Daisy that he’s used to hearing fire or go ahead; Gabriella said the guests were sitting and drinking wine. She never said anything. The crew gets ready for the talent show, and in Ashley’s interview, she says, the last time she sang in public was in elementary school. Of course everyone clapped; they were six years old.  

The guests are seated for the show, and Colin comes out. He says, since they all have full-time jobs, this was a tall order. The opening act is the Parseval Bombshells doing salsa. Daisy tells Gabriella that she thinks she forgot the steps already, and in her interview, she says, probably the last time she learned steps to a dance was in the 90s. She’s sweating. She and Gabriella do a dance, then Daisy encourages the guests to get up and dance. Jim swings her around like a lasso, and in Daisy’s interview, she says, it was horrible. Marcos spins a plate on his finger, and dances in a circle; and Ashley and Kelsie do an Irish dance. Glenn comes out, and says he wants to talk about his wife. She went with him to the doctor, where he had an exam. Afterward, Glenn told her that the doctor said he could touch himself whenever he feels like it, but she told him, that’s not what the doctor said. He said Glenn could have a stroke at any time. (BA-DUM-CHH!) In his interview, he says, he’s not married. Colin plays the guitar, and sings a song he made up about the guests. When he finishes, he gets up, and tells the guests to hold on to their seats. The final act is Gary Lady Killer King. Jim is seated in a chair up front, and Gary does a lap dance. Jim plays along, dancing himself, and Gary drops his pants. He’s wearing boxers, and those drop, uncovering briefs underneath. At the end, he reveals, thank you for great charter, written on his chest, in what I can only hope was indelible marker. Guest Veronica says, unbelievable, and Jim says, everyone’s a winner. In Glenn’s interview, he says he was amazed and impressed. It was better than what he was expecting.

Gary tells Kelsie, if the wind hits 15 knots, wake him before the alarm. Ashley tells Kelsie that she hopes they get a deckhand the others want to make out with; she wants Gary. She doesn’t think he want her, but she’ll put on the pressure. Gary tells Colin that Ashely would get too attached if he slept with her. He’s going to get Daisy. He doesn’t want to jump into bed with just anyone. Jim is up super early, and Kelsie says he’s in time to watch the sunrise. She asks if Jim wants some coffee, and he says he does, so she goes to the galley. Marcos says, Gabriella is usually up at this time, and Kelsie gets the coffee. Gary radios Kelsie that she can go to bed, and she asks if she can get Jim anything else. He asks for another coffee, as I would, and Gary wonders why some of the deck work isn’t done. This is annoying. He finds Kelsie and says a lot of things are still covered; the guests have nowhere to sit. She says, Jim has been up since 6. Guest Rick asks Gary for coffee, saying, he can’t find a stew. Gary is like, what the…? and finds Gabriella in the galley. He asks her to get the guests coffee, then runs around doing deck stuff.

Gary tells Daisy that Kelsie was tending to the guests, and Daisy says, she should be able to make coffee; no one’s asking her to do work. Gary says he’s just trying to work this out, and Daisy asks, how many coffees did Kelsie have to make? She’s not getting in an argument over coffee. Gary tells her not to put words in his mouth, and she says, he told her Kelsie isn’t getting work done because she had to get coffee for the guests. He’s making it seem like they’re lazy, when Kelsie got to talking to them. In Gary’s interview, he wonders, how hard it is to acknowledge they’re picking up the slack? Daisy says, making coffee isn’t a crazy request, and again Gary tells her not to put words in his mouth, which neither Daisy nor I understand. In Daisy’s interview, she says, Gary is frustrated, and taking it out on her. History repeating itself. He’s blaming her department, and she doesn’t want it to happen again.

Next time, Gabriella and Marcos argue; Ashley says, Gary needs to make a decision; a storm brings swell; and Gary gets hurt.

🏊🏽 Swimming In Stars…

Join me tomorrow for soap, what’s cringeworthy in New Jersey, and some Grammy talk. Until then, stay safe, stay finding joy in the small things, and stay not making assumptions without having the facts.