What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Sonny meets Dante in an outside eating area, and Dante says he took the liberty of offering Sonny a coffee. Sonny says, you can’t go wrong with a cup of Corinthos coffee, but Dante says, he didn’t order Corinthos coffee. (Why not?) He wonders if Sonny is going to the hearing, and Sonny says he is. Dante says, good, and Sonny says, he sounds surprised. Dante says he didn’t think Sonny would go. Michael won’t admit it, but Dante is sure Michael appreciates Sonny’s support. Sonny says he’s glad to hear it, but he’s going to be testifying on Nina’s behalf, not Michael’s.

In the Nook on the phone, Brook says, there has to be a way out of this. Just think of some sneaky lawyer move and call her back. Drew comes in, and says, bad news? She wonders why contracts can’t be written in English. Do lawyers take classes in making things confusing as possible? (Yes. So you’ll hire them to decipher it.) Drew asks if he can help, when Michael and Willow come in. Brook says, the petition hearing is today, and Michael says, yeah. This hearing is their best chance to keep Nina away from Wiley.

Nina walks into the empty courtroom, followed by Maxie. Maxie says she can’t tell what Nina is thinking. Is she nervous? Determined? All of the above? Nina says, it sounds like Maxie is the nervous one, and Maxie says she hates this is a court battle. She was hoping for a compromise. Nina says, they’re beyond compromising. That feature in The Invader proves Michael and Willow aren’t pulling any punches. She has a few punches herself.

Brad and Britt head into yoga class, and Brad asks if they can have lattes instead; it’s a little early for yoga. Britt says, it’s never too early for yoga. He was totally on board when she asked him. He says, that was last night. He didn’t get to sleep until early this morning. She says, hot date? but he says, no; running an errand for his aunt. She says, what kind of errand? and he says, delivering paperwork. He’s not a drug mule. She tells him, she didn’t say he was, and he says, she didn’t have to. She looked it.

Carly finishes a private yoga class, and tells the instructor that she took the class because she thought it would make her feel better. She’s going to court today, and really wanted to feel centered so she doesn’t do something she regrets. Carly thanks the instructor, when Britt and Brad walk in.

At NY Methodist, TJ brings Curtis coffee, and asks if there’s any news. Curtis says, the doctor is examining Marshall, and says there’s no change from last night. He suggests TJ join Molly at the hotel, and get some rest. He’ll call if he hears anything. TJ says, and if he told Curtis the same thing? and Curtis says, never mind. They sit, and Curtis says, he knows HIPPA prevents the doctor from telling him anything about Marshall’s condition, but TJ is a doctor. Couldn’t he tell TJ something, from doctor to doctor? TJ says he’s not Marshall’s doctor. All he can do is tell Curtis what he observed when he and Marshall were mugged. That knife cut very close to a major artery in Marshall’s arm, and the blood loss was major. Curtis says, when the doctor asked about Marshall’s medication last night, it let him know how very little he knows about his dad. They’d gotten close, but Marshall still hasn’t let him into his life. TJ says, he did use Marshall’s hotel keycard last night. They had to go through his personal effects to look for his blood pressure medication. Curtis says, and? and TJ says he found something he wasn’t expecting.

Chase comes out of the hospital elevator, and tells Finn, his text was cryptic, as usual. How’s Elizabeth? Why is she even here? Finn says, the situation is complicated. Terry’s in there with her right now. He thinks he knows who’s been harassing Elizabeth.

Elizabeth is getting dressed, and Terry says, not all her tests are in yet. Getting back into bed wouldn’t be the worst idea in the world. Elizabeth says she’s fine; call her with her scan results. Terry’s tablet beeps, and she says, Elizabeth’s bloodwork was normal, but Elizabeth says, there’s nothing normal about having no memory of leaving Laura’s place and going to her own, and cutting up the drawing Violet gave her. Is she losing her mind?

Finn says, she was tearing up a photo that Violet had drawn for her (um… I think he means picture), and Chase says he’s heard some pretty extreme stories of sleepwalkers. He guesses that would explain the fire in Franco’s art studio. Finn says, the portrait on the mantel, the wedding ring in the locker… Chase says, Finn told him someone slashed her wedding dress. That someone was Elizabeth? Doc joins them, saying, he couldn’t help overhear. Maybe he can shed some light on Elizabeth’s behavior. Finn says, by all means, and Doc says, people have been known to carry on entire conversations, take a walk, even drive a car (yikes!) while technically asleep. He’s going to speak to Elizabeth now to see if they can find some underlying cause. Finn says, tell her he’s here, and he’ll be waiting if she needs him, and Doc says, of course (🍷). He goes in, and Chase asks how long Elizabeth has to stay. Finn says he only brought her in for tests to make sure there isn’t a physical reason for her behavior. She’s free to go any time. Chase says, physical reason? Does Finn mean like a brain tumor? Finn nods, and says, it’s a possibility. He’s hoping it’s just the sleep medication she’s been taking. Terry comes out, and says, Elizabeth wants to see him. Finn goes into her room, and asks why she’s not in bed. She says she’s going to tell him what she told Doc and Terry; she’s fine. Her bloodwork is normal, and Doc thinks it might be her sleeping pills that might be responsible for her sleepwalking… and everything else that’s gone along with it. Fin says, that’s good news, right? and Elizabeth says, yes, and she’s praying it stays the same, but she won’t feel better until she knows for sure. Finn says, at least they know she and the boys aren’t in any danger, and she says she hopes not. He says he knows not. If she’s the one behind all this, she’d never seriously hurt someone. She says, tell that to Chase.

Maxie says, so Nina is determined; good. Nina thanks Maxie for her support, and Maxie says, she’s family, but is she sure going for the jugular is the best move? She’s known Michael a long time, and he’s a decent guy. (Has she met him lately?) Nina says, until he isn’t, and Maxie tells her, she’s just saying Nina can’t escalate her way to a compromise. Nina says she’s been trying to compromise, but Michael and Willow don’t respect her rights as Wiley’s grandmother. She’s not going to walk away from that little boy, and Sonny doesn’t think she should walk away either.

Dante says, Sonny is going to testify against his own son? and Sonny says he’s not testifying against Michael; he’s supporting Nina’s right to be in Wiley’s life. Dante says, that’s great, but Michael’s not going to see it that way, and Sonny says, Michael doesn’t want any part of him; Dante knows that. So why shouldn’t he stand up for a woman who just wants to see her grandson? Dante asks if he doesn’t see the problem in that, and Sonny asks if Dante thinks Michael is being reasonable. Does he honestly think Nina would hurt Wiley? She loves that boy. Dante says, maybe, but you could say she already hurt Wiley by letting them believe Sonny was dead. Michael has every right to protect his son from her lies. Sonny says, Nina has already apologized a thousand times over. Michael is angry because his mother divorced Sonny, and he blames Sonny, so he’s going to retaliate by punishing Nina. Dante says, like father, like son.

Drew says, if they want, he can watch Wiley while they’re in court, and Willow says, Wiley would love a visit from his Uncle Drew. He’s playing with the nanny, and Josslyn is taking him to the park later. Brook tells them, good luck. Not that they need it. Nina should just save herself the job, and quit now. Willow says, Nina loves drama. She’s cast herself as the victim, and can’t wait to play it out in front of the judge. Michael says, she’s determined to drag this out to the bitter end, and Brook says, some people just prey on the innocent. Ned walks in, and asks, what’s this? Another family meeting he wasn’t invited to? Drew says, the hearing for Nina’s petition to spend time with Wiley is today, and Michael says they should go. Ned says he’s sorry. Nina has done enough harm to Michael’s family. He hopes they win. Michael thanks him, and he and Willow leave. Brook tells Ned, that was nice. We Q’s have to stick together. Ned says, we certainly do, and looks at Drew.

Britt asks the instructor if they’re early, and she says, a little bit; Veronica is teaching the next class. She tells Carly, good luck, and leaves. Brad asks if Carly has a second, and Carly asks what he wants. He says, obviously, the hearing for Nina’s petition to see Wiley is today, and Carly says she’s not discussing her grandson with him. Britt suggests they do some stretching before class, and he says he knows he has no right to love Wiley, but he does. He’ll always regret hurting Wiley and Lucas. Carly says, that’s great. Keep regretting. She starts to leave, but Brad says, Michael respects her opinion. Maybe she could suggest he work things out with Nina without involving the court. She asks why she’d do that, and he says, for Wiley. He doesn’t deserve more trauma in his life. She says, the turmoil began with him. Now get out of her way. He says, not yet, and Britt says, at least hear him out. Carly tells her to stay out of it, and brushes past Brad. Brad says, what happened with Michael and AJ could happen all over again with Wiley.

Curtis sees the doctor, and asks if his father’s okay. Did he regain consciousness? The doctor says, Mr. Ashford’s condition is stable, but he’s weak from the heavy blood loss, and TJ asks what the MRI and CAT scan showed. The doctor says, unfortunately, Mr. Ashford hasn’t designated either one of them as his medical. All he can tell them is, his results were encouraging. Curtis asks why he’s still unconscious, and the doctor says, head injuries are tricky. Sometimes the body shuts down to give the brain time to heal. TJ asks what the possibilities are on lingering aftereffects, and the doctor says, it depends on the patient. Curtis asks what they mean by aftereffects, and TJ says, memory loss, reduced cognition, partial paralysis, but Marshall’s tough; he can wake up and be fine. Curtis asks if he can see Marshall, and the doctor says the nurse is in with him now, and will let him know when he can go in. He has to go, but assures them Marshall is getting the best care possible. He leaves, and TJ tells Curtis, sorry. He just gave Curtis the worst case scenario. There’s no reason Marshall should have any of those aftereffects. Curtis says he can’t worry about that now. TJ has to tell him what he discovered in Marshall’s hotel room. TJ hands Curtis a prescription bottle, and says, his medication. It’s not what they thought. Curtis says, it’s not for his heart? and TJ says, it’s an anti-psychotic.

Drew asks if Ned really thinks they’re meeting behind his back, but Ned says he was joking. Drew says, he’s still opposed to the Aurora/ELQ merger, and Ned says, yes. Because he believes he’s the right choice to lead ELQ after they get rid of Valentin. Drew says he’s trying to be as tactful as possible, but Ned has no media experience, and Ned says, so they throw him a bone, and make him COO? Drew says, if he doesn’t like the position, that’s fine. Make him a counter offer, anything other than CEO. Ned says, Drew and Michael are in no position to offer him anything. He’s stepped up whenever ELQ needed him. He has a longer history with the company then Drew or Michael. Drew says, Ned is right. He did miss a few board meetings while he was being held prisoner by Peter August, and Ned says, he certainly didn’t race back to the company when he was freed. Brook says, enough. What is it with this family? Does everything need to be a death cage match?

Curtis says, Marshall is on an anti-psychotic? So when he collapsed back in January, it wasn’t because of his heart? TJ says, it could have been. Some anti-psychotics cause heart issues. After the attack, Marshall might have switched to a different prescription. Curtis asks why someone would be on medications like this, and TJ says, there are many reasons. There’s no way to know Marshall’s actual diagnosis. Curtis says, unless he wakes up and tells them himself.

Elizabeth zips up her overnight bag, when Chase and Finn come in. Finn says, going somewhere? and she says she doesn’t do well lying down. She tells Chase that she’s so sorry she gave him a concussion, but Chase says he can’t be mad when she wasn’t aware of what she was doing. She says, he’s a much better person than she is. She can’t imagine wanting to hurt him. Terry joins them, and says, Elizabeth’s test results are in.

Sonny tells Dante that he was ready to stand up for Michael, even though he thinks Nina has every right to see her grandson. He went over there, and Michael rejected him and everything he stands for. Is he supposed to sit back and take it? Dante asks if Sonny hears himself; Sonny is proving his point. Sonny asks what Dante’s point is, and Dante says, Michael is too much like him, lashing out at Nina… Sonny says, so Dante agrees Michael is being unreasonable? and Dante says he thinks they both need to grow up before they lose each other forever. 

Maxie says, Bobbie threw a drink in Nina’s face? Did she throw one back? Nina says, no, but she wanted to slap her. Sonny stopped her, but that’s a good thing. She doesn’t want to give Michael and Willow any more ammunition against her. Maxie says, so Sonny looked after her, and Nina says, yeah; he’s on her side. Maxie asks if Nina is thinking there’s a chance for her and Sonny, and Nina flashes back to The Savoy, and Sonny saying she’s not trouble. Michael and Willow approach the door, and Nina says, she thinks so, even though his entire family hates her. She feels horrible about how bad it’s gotten, but she’s not going to apologize for caring for Sonny. He cares about her too. He even offered to testify on her behalf. Michael dashes in, and asks if he heard right. His father is going to be a character witness for her?  

Elizabeth says, Terry is certain her MRI is normal? and Terry says she’d never lie to Elizabeth. Elizabeth says, so there’s no medical reason for her sleepwalking? and Terry says, not according to the tests they’ve run so far. Finn asks, what about the sleeping pills? and Terry asks how long she’s been taking them. Elizabeth says, she doesn’t know. She got them after Franco was killed, and her schedule got crazy. She would take them in the morning after working a night shift. Terry says, the pills could affect Elizabeth’s behavior. She’s going to order more tests. She leaves, and Elizabeth asks Doc if her actions could just be the result of medication. He says, or is there a deeper problem beneath the surface?

Carly asks what Brad is talking about, and he says, she and Sonny kept AJ from Michael for years. When AJ came back to Port Charles, Michael was an adult, and wanted a relationship with his father. Britt tells him not to go there, and Carly says she can’t explain to him how many ways he has this wrong. Brad says he was in prison. Does she know why? She says, because he tried to pass off Michael’s son as his own, and he says, because the truth always comes out. And when Wiley finds out Nina is also his grandmother, he’s going to want a relationship with her, and feel that he was cheated and robbed of that growing up. Carly says, or, when Wiley’s and adult and able to comprehend all the damage Nina did to various members of his family, he’s going to be grateful he didn’t have her hovering over him, demanding he love her like the narcissist that she is. Brad says, okay, have a good day, and goes into the classroom. Carly tells Britt that she needs to get better friends. He’s an idiot. Britt says, he can be, but right now, he kind of has a point.

Dante says, testifying for Nina is crossing the line, and Sonny says, Dante is the one who told him that Michael is not only cutting him out of his life, but that Michael’s actively working on taking him down. What is he supposed to say? Go ahead. Thank you. Dante says, no. He’s just telling Sonny to back off a little bit. Let Michael cool off a little. Michael sees his job as protecting Wiley and Willow, and like it or not, Nina has a history of questionable behavior. Willow just found out Harmony killed Neil and Brendon Byrne to prevent the secret that she wasn’t Willow’s biological mother from coming out. Michael is reacting to everything; everything is a threat to him right now. Sonny says he’s not a threat; he’s Michael’s father. Dante says, then act like it. Wait until Nina’s petition is resolved, and things die down. Sonny says, what if he doesn’t? and Dante says, then he runs the risk of losing Michael forever.

Nina says, after the way Michael’s been treating Sonny, Sonny’s decided he’s done supporting him, and Michael says, he sees. Maxie asks if it has to be like this. They’re all adults here. Can they all act like it? Willow says, the only one not acting like an adult is Nelle’s mother. She has no place in Wiley’s life. Nina says, despite what they think of her daughter, Wiley is her family, and Maxie says, and they all know how important that is, right? There’s no limit to the number of people who can love a child. She feels, the more the merrier. Michael says, if Felicia hadn’t killed Peter, was he going to be part of Bailey’s life?

Brook says, isn’t the main thing to get Valentin out as CEO? Who cares who replaces him? Drew tells Ned, she’s right. They just need to focus on getting rid of Valentin. Ned says he needs to get changed for work, and leaves. Drew says he loves Brook’s passion, and she says, they should be fighting together, not against each other. He says he couldn’t agree more, but he gets the feeling there’s more to this than just ELQ. Is it that contract? Maybe they can figure it out together. She says, her producer’s back in town, and he says, that’s not a good thing? She says, that is correct. When Drew was gone, he followed her back to Port Charles. You look up the word sleazy in the dictionary, you’ll see a picture of Linc’s face. He started this whole mess in a way. She was so desperate to get rid of him, Valentin bought her contract in exchange for her ELQ shares. Drew says, that’s how he became CEO, and she says, and Lucy cast the tie-breaking vote. He says he’s guessing that’s the contract in question, and she says, yes. The most reckless, short-sighted thing she’s ever done is sign that contract. And now Linc claims to own all her intellectual property that she made while under contract with him. He says, all her songs? and she says, Linc even has demos, so it’s not like she could claim she wrote them when she wasn’t under contract with him. She doesn’t see a way out of this. But wait. If Valentin bought the contract, wouldn’t he own the songs? I don’t get this.

Curtis tells TJ, the court sent Marshall to a psychiatric facility when he was arrested at that protest. When he confronted Marshall about the truth, he refused to talk about his diagnosis. Can someone take these meds for decades, and still consider themselves cured? TJ says, with the right medication, many people with mental illness can manage their symptoms and live quality lives, but Curtis says, he just doesn’t understand how Marshall could abandon his family and let him and Tommy think he was dead, with mom’s approval. TJ says, it can take time to settle on the right medication. Maybe Marshall was volatile, not to mention the stigma; it wasn’t understood back then like it is today. The nurse comes out, and says, Curtis can see his father now. Curtis goes in, and says, Marshall Ashford. The more I get to know you, the more questions I have.

Drew asks if Brook spoke to a lawyer, and she says, yeah. He’s looking for a loophole. Drew says, she told him that Linc is super sleazy? and she says, he’s most wanted on the metoo list. He says, sue him for sexual harassment; it will void the contract. She says she sort of punched him a couple of times. He pushes her buttons. She was really hoping she’d never have to deal with this guy again. He says, easier said than done if he owns her songs, and she says she guesses she’ll just have to live with this. He says, she can move on, write more music; music that won’t fall under the contract, and she says she’s already done that. And she does have a really great job at Deception, which she’s pretty good at, if she does say so herself. So what if Linc owns some of her past? Drew says, he shouldn’t own any part of her, past, present, or future. Her phone beeps, and she says, speak of the devil. Linc sent her an email.

Carly says, the next time Britt finds herself agreeing with Brad, don’t. Britt says, Nina is her cousin. She wants Nina to be able to see Wiley. That said, she understands Nina’s caused Carly’s family a lot of pain. She also understands that simply saying, oh gosh, I feel bad about that, let’s move on, changes nothing. Nina’s not going to give up. In her mind, Wiley is all she has. Carly says, it’s not Wiley’s job to fill the void in Nina’s life. Britt says, that’s true, but what happens when Wiley gets older, and Nina goes to him with her tale of woe? I wanted to see you, but your mother and father wouldn’t let me. Carly says, Wiley is smart. He’s not going to fall for Nina’s hysteria. Britt says, really? A rebellious teenager. Does she think he’s going to be okay with the truth? Carly says, sometimes you have to make hard decisions to protect your kids, and Britt says, so that’s it? There’s no option B? There’s nothing else that can fix this situation? Carly flashes back to Drew saying, if Michael goes too far with Nina, and Nina is Willow’s mother, it will change things for Willow, whether she wants it to or not. What if the DNA test proves it? What is she going to do? Britt says, there has to be some way for Michael, Willow, and Nina to see things differently.

Maxie asks if Michael is really comparing Nina to Peter, and he says, only from a legal perspective. If Peter had lived, he’d have legal standing as Bailey’s father, just like Nina has legal standing as Wiley’s grandmother, because of a biological relationship and DNA. That doesn’t always make a family. Willow is Wiley’s mother, period. Nina says, like Harmony was Willow’s mother. Maxie says, Nina… and Nina walks to the petitioner’s table. Maxie’s phone rings, and she excuses herself. Willow stomps over to Nina, and says, she believed her entire life that Harmony was her mother. Knowing the truth now doesn’t change her childhood memories. Nina says, what about the people her mother stole her from? What about her biological parents? Willow laughs.

Sonny tells Dante, of course (🍷) he doesn’t want to lose Michael and Wiley, but Michael has already made it clear that’s already happened. Dante says, Sonny told him that he hadn’t seen Michael this angry since he got custody of Avery, and Sonny was convinced he was going to lose Michael then, but he didn’t. Underneath all that anger, Michael loves Sonny just as much as Sonny loves him. Think about that before he gets on the stand on Nina’s behalf.

Chase asks Terry if she thinks they’ll figure it out, and she says, as a doctor she can’t comment, but as Elizabeth’s friend, she sure hopes so.

Doc says, there could be an emotional source to her sleepwalking; something in her subconscious that wants to get out. She says, it already got out. It set fire to Franco’s art studio. It attacked Chase. She could have stabbed Cameron with those scissors. Finn says, there’s no way she’d harm her children, but she says she doesn’t know what to believe anymore.

Willow says, Nina assumes she was stolen, but what if she was given away? What if her biological parents didn’t want her, or couldn’t keep her? She has no idea what happened, and neither does Nina. She just wanted to wound Willow because Willow wasn’t saying what she wanted to hear. Michael says, when Nina doesn’t get her way, she goes straight for the jugular. What a wonderful role model she’ll make for Wiley. Nina says, they push and push until she reacts. Then they stand back and act all superior. She has news for them. That gutter they pushed her into, they belong right there with her. Michael says, they pushed her into letting their family believe their father was dead? Tell him, how are they responsible for that? Nina wonders how many times he’s going to say that. She apologizes; she regrets her decision, but is this about Wiley, or hurting her? Willow says, it’s about protecting their son, and Maxie says, sorry to interrupt. It was the school nurse. She has to pick up James at pre-K. He’s okay, but he has a fever. She pulls Nina away, and says, if Nina wants to see her grandson again, stay away from Willow and Michael. She’s making it worse.

Brook tells Drew, Linc sold one of her songs. She thought he was lying about shopping them around. He says, that’s good, right? People will still be able to hear her music. She says, he sent a link to the demo. She plays it on her phone, and it’s an electropop number. She says, this isn’t her song; it’s a crime, and he says, it didn’t sound like something she’d write. She says, lyrics are her soul and he murdered them, and he says, as a songwriter, she has to get used to artists putting their spin on her words and music. She says, that’s fine. That’s what singers do. They put their own interpretation on it, while understanding the intention of the lyrics, not turning it into trash. He says, it sounds like she’s got to fight this guy, and she says, damn straight she does. She gets on the phone, and asks what someone is up to. She needs their help

Curtis holds the prescription bottle, and says, this is why Marshall thought it was better for his sons to believe he was dead? Did he really think they cared about that? He can tell Marshall right now, he would have rather grown up with his father than without him. Even if he was struggling, he shouldn’t have let his pride drive him away from his family. That’s not fair because he doesn’t know what Marshall was going through when he made the decision to leave. He knows Marshall wanted protect him and Tommy. When Marshall kept quiet, then turned up in his life after all those years, it’s like Marshall wanted Curtis to distrust him, to think the worst of him. All he had to do was tell the truth. Did he give Marshall a reason to have so little faith in him? Was he quick to anger? Was he unwilling to hear Marshall out? Marshall didn’t want to talk, and maybe he didn’t listen, but it can’t end there. Marshall has to wake up. He just has to.

Brad comes out, and asks, where’s Carly? Britt says, relax. She’s done torturing him… for the day. Where did he get the courage to confront her? He says he guesses he learned a thing or two from his Aunt Selena. Britt says she can’t tell if that’s a good thing or a bad thing. His aunt has been keeping him busy. Aside from the late hours, how’s the job going? He says, surprisingly… okay. He kind of likes the work, and his aunt’s a fair boss. Britt says, and demanding, but he says, nothing he can’t handle. So if he hasn’t thanked her for encouraging him to take the job, thanks. Everything turned out pretty well in the end.

Ned sees Drew alone in the Nook, and asks, where’s Brook? Drew says, she tore out of here on a mission, and Ned says, and the mission is? Drew says, something Ned probably should hear from her, and Ned says, he’ll speak with her later. Drew says, what about them? Should they speak now or later? Ned says, how about not at all, if he’s not the next CEO. Drew says, he, Ned, and Michael have to figure something out to make Ned happy, but Ned says, Drew already knows the answer to that. He has to get to the office, since he’s the only Quartermaine who actually works at ELQ.

In the new outside space, Brook taps on the table, then looks up, and says, thanks for coming. Chase sits, and asks, what’s going on? He says, has Linc been harassing her again? and she says, not in person. He asks what that means, and she says, she’s taking her life back, and he’s going to help her.

Elizabeth says she never wants to close her eyes again, and Doc says, she has to sleep sometime. She says, and when she does, what happens? Is he going to tie her to the bed? Sedate her? Finn asks Doc, now that Elizabeth is aware, is there a chance that will deter it? Doc says he can’t make any promises, and until they know the root cause, there’s always a chance it will happen again. Elizabeth says, that’s what she thinks. That’s why she’s made the decision to protect her family.

Curtis says he doesn’t care what issues Marshall has. He wants Marshall back in his life. Please. Give him a chance to make it up. He can only do that if Marshall comes back to them. Just open his eyes. Please. Marshall opens his eyes, and panics, but Curtis says, he’s here. It’s him. It’s your son.

Nina tells Michael, for God’s sake, she’s not going to hurt Willow, and Michael says, just leave them alone. Nina says, not until they hear her out. She went too far earlier. She’s sorry Willow lost her mom. Even though she had her faults, she was still Willow’s mom and it’s still painful. Willow says, save your breath. They judge won’t be fooled by Nina’s fake remorse. Nina says, let her ask them this. Are they so perfect they’ve never made a mistake? Michael says, she lied and misled them repeatedly; that’s not a mistake, it’s a pattern of behavior. One they want to protect Wiley from. Nina says, regardless of how it affects the rest of their family? and Sonny walks in.

Outside the courtroom door, Carly gets a text. It says, the DNA test results are in. She can pick them up at her earliest convenience.

Tomorrow, Curtis says he’s not going anywhere, and neither is Marshall; Elizabeth says Finn has to let her go; Diane tells Michael and Willow, if they want to win, there’s only one way to play it.

Below Deck Sailing Yacht

Ugh. Ashley.

Port Mahon. Daisy tells Ashley that she wants to work as a team, and to get the hierarchy thing out of her head. Both stews will be the same, and she wants Ashley to concentrate on the teamwork. In Daisy’s interview, she says, after what she went through last time, Ashely might be unhappy she’s not second, but it’s not about experience; it’s about character. Ashley’s not there yet. Gary tells Kelsie that she’s going to be on days, and Ashley instructs Scarlett on the fine art of cleaning mirrors with vinegar. In Barnaby’s interview, he says he’s annoyed about being on nights. It’s boring. They should have an exciting guy on in the day to make the guests happy and the tip bigger, and the perfectionist on nights. Daisy tells Marcos about putting both stews on the same level, and he thinks that’s better. Gary lurks around the stews, and tells Ashley to stop being childish. They should all kiss and make up; that’s what friends do. He thinks Scarlett makes everything better, and in Scarlett’s interview, she says, Gary is fun, but she senses tension with Ashely and doesn’t want drama. It’s so annoying. Ashley tells Scarlett, fair warning. Gary is a f***ing loser. Because, what else is she going to say? The provisions come in.

Barnaby is worried that he’s going to be bored on nights, but Kelsie tells him, you stay pretty busy. They do windows, and in Kelsie’s interview, she wonders if it’s wrong to think she works harder than Barnaby. He works just enough to get the job done, while she does the job with a cherry on top. She can’t relate. Daisy tells Scarlett that she’s on 8 to midnight. Tonight, Scarlett will do dinner, and Ashley will turndowns, and tomorrow, they’ll switch. Ashley tells Kelsie that Scarlett is very green. It’s an hour to the guests’ arrival, and Gary does a walkaround. Daisy checks the rooms, and Ashley says she’s going to ignore Gary for the rest of the season. Gary hunts down Scarlett in the laundry, and says, just the person he’s looking for. He kisses her neck, and hugs her. In her interview, Scarlett says, he’s definitely flirting with her, so she’s going to flirt back. In Gary’s interview, he says, she shouldn’t be a stew. She should be a supermodel. He’s sweating. They kiss a little, although not passionately, and I wish Ashley would walk in.

Glenn calls the crew to the cockpit, and in Scarlett’s interview, she says she thinks Gary is exciting. Wow. I just don’t see it. Maybe he’s different in person. Gary is now sporting what passes as a mustache, and Daisy says, he literally couldn’t look any creepier, but Gary says he thought the looked cute. The guests arrive, and Glenn says, it’s nice to see familiar faces, as well as new faces. In Glenn’s interview, he says, the last time they had an all-female charter, it was challenging. We flash back to the Erica Rose charter, and the bunch of mean girls that they were, and Glenn hopes that this time, they have better manners. Daisy gives the tour, and Glenn is ready to drop the lines. Gary gives the all clear, and they pull out. Marcos sends up fancy snacks, and one of the guests remarks that they grew up on Lunchables and mac and cheese. Primary Keely tells Daisy that Marcos can make what he wants, and in Marcos’s interview, he says, the primary is gluten-free, two guests don’t want shellfish, and two are dairy-free. His options are getting smaller to make the menu, and it’s not going to be easy. Gary wants to find out who irritates Daisy the most, but Scarlett says she’s not playing. The guests ask for the rope swing to be set up, and Daisy tells Scarlett that it’s wigs and sequins tonight. Gary tests the swing, and Barnaby helps the guests use it. Guest Jennifer has a false start, which is pretty funny, then guest Jennifer does a belly flop, which is funny-not-funny.

Barnaby tells Glenn that he’s done a lot of sailing, but this is his first 28 meter. He asks if Glenn has done much racing, and Glenn says the boat has done well in regattas. Daisy tells the stews to change into their blacks for dinner at 8:30, and Glenn says, they have to be finished at 9 since he’s eating with them. The stews decorate in disco style for the sequins and wigs dinner, and don wigs. In Scarlett’s interview, she says she’s never done a dinner, and wants all the firsts over with. Daisy explains the table settings to her, and the guests are seated. Glenn has no wig, and one of the guests sticks a tinsel thing on his head, which he’s a good sport about. Marcos says he’s making duck, since it’s the only thing not on the preference sheets. There are different dishes for different guests, and Marcos tells the servers to keep it straight, but they have a hard time. One of the guests says they’re scared to eat duck, which sounds really stupid. Scarlett tells Ashley that she set the wrong food in front of a guest, and Ashley says, it’s not like she dumped it all over them. Although I’m sure she’ll tell Daisy that Scarlett made some grievous error. Another guest says they feel terrible eating a duck, which I can understand, but I wonder how they feel about eating a chicken. Glenn is like, oops, my wig fell off. Oh no. A guest asks, what if there’s no wind? and Glenn says, a real sailor can make wind. He tells them that they need more than they had, and to wish for wind tonight. The gluten-free chocolate dessert looks amazing, even though it doesn’t sound like it would be. In the crew mess, Gary tells Scarlett that he has a crush on her, and she says, maybe it’s mutual. Gary says he thinks they click. In Colin’s interview, he says, Scarlett is the new girl on the block, and Gary is making his best moves and pulling out all the stops. He can’t figure out how Gary’s brain works. In the cabin he shares with Marcos and Colin, Gary gets in his bunk. There’s a knock at the door, and both Colin and Marcos insist it must be Scarlett. Gary gets down, and realizes it’s Colin knocking on the wall. Ha-ha!

The 10 course dinner is coming up, and Marcos realizes he’ll need 80 plates, but he’s not worried. Scarlett hugs Gary good morning, as Daisy and Marcos watch. The guests get up, and Ashley instructs Scarlett on the fine art of folding towels. Glenn asks the guests what they’d like to do after breakfast. There’s no wind, but they can go in the tender where there’s blue, blue water and play around. The guests pronounce the idea cool, and Gary and Kelsie gather goggles and snorkels. In Marcos’s interview, he says, guests like 10 courses because they want to see how many quality cuisines they can have in one night. He wants the same experience for the guests with restrictions. It’s not easy, but not impossible. Gary wants to bring Scarlett along on the tender, and tells Daisy that he needs a stew to serve drinks. No surprise, suggesting Scarlett. In Daisy’s interview, she says she has him so figured out. It will be him and Scarlett chatting and flirting for an hour. This sh*t is so predictable. She tells him, that’s not going to happen. She asks if he really needs a stew; she’d rather not send someone. Gary insists, it looks more professional, but he can do it himself. She says, he gets what she’s saying, and in her interview, she says, there’s one reason to be here; it’s work. Gary says he’s not arguing with her, but it would be more professional. He tells the deckhands, he can’t win with that chick. He’s over working with her. Daisy says she doesn’t think he needs a stew, but she’s going to go herself to prove a point. Before the guests are ready to board the tender, Gary tells Daisy that she doesn’t care about the guests, and she loves to start fights. She asks if he’s serious. She’s here for the guests. He’s an a-hole. In her interview, Daisy says don’t accuse her of not caring about the guests, and putting the guests first. She asks him if he’s an insane a-hole.  

Daisy tells Gary not to lecture her; is he insane? He tells her, calm down, and she says, it’s not funny. In Daisy’s interview, she says, she’s not upset that he wants a stew; it’s the accusatory tone and how he’s inferring she’s not professional, and doesn’t care about the guests. Ashley and Scarlett clean the cabins, and the guests swim in the blue, blue water. Gary tells them to catch a fish for lunch. Barnaby cleans the waterline on the outside of the boat, and Ashley complains to Marcos that she has to expend extra energy telling Scarlett what to do and how to do things. Daisy keeps asking if anyone wants a drink or wants their drink topped off, but there are few takers. In her interview, she says, WTF is she doing here? It’s f***ing ridiculous. The guests come back, and get ready for dinner. Glenn tells Gary that he knows the captain of the neighboring boat, and he’s wondering about doing a race, a friendly competition. Gary says, if the wind picks up, he thinks the guests will like it. In Glenn’s interview, he says, they haven’t been able to sail match, so a race will make it special. He’s done a lot of races on the Parseval, and it does pretty well on the race course. Why not have a little fun? Scarlett tells Ashley that Gary has been coming on strong, and asks if it bothers her. Ashley says, Gary isn’t worth it. If she’s upset, it’s not because she likes him. Scarlett says she doesn’t want to step on any toes, and in Ashley’s interview, she says, what does Scarlett want her to say? Hook up with a guy who will treat her like sh*t? Marcos tells Colin that everyone has to help with dinner, and in Marcos’s interview, he says, a 10 course dinner isn’t easy to do by yourself. Plating is tricky, and logistically, it’s a nightmare. Gary and Scarlett go to the upper deck to look at the sunset, and Daisy says she asked Scarlett to check on laundry. She’s sick of it. The guests sit for dinner, and in the crew mess, Glenn says, holy moly, that’s a lot of plates. Daisy gripes to Scarlett about Gary, saying the unprofessional comment banged on her. All Gary does is cause trouble. Don’t f*** a stew, then try for her roommate, and she’s unprofessional. In Scarlett’s interview, she wonders where this came from. Daisy says, if he’s not interested, why sleep with her? The guests sit for dinner, and every dish looks fabulous, and I’m sure tastes fabulous. The guests say, it’s the best dinner ever, and are unanimously wondering what’s under Marcos’s apron. Marcos says, he’s so exhausted, and in his interview, he says, the guests are imagining him with an apron and no shirt. He’s here to fulfill any chef fantasy they have. Thank God he knows how to please a picky woman.

Guest Belinda suggests they invite Marcos to the hot tub later, when the last dessert (there were two) comes out. The guests tell Marcos that everything was wonderful, and in Marcos’s interview, he says, ten f***ing courses on a sailing yacht. It’s time to lay on the couch. Gary tells Daisy that he’s sorry for picking a fight. He was being petty, and she has good reason to be pissed off. She says he’s freaking her out, and he picks her up in a hug. In Scarlett’s interview, she says, there’s a vibe thing between Gary and her boss; it’s a weird dynamic. Gary asks if he and Daisy are friends again. He’s sorry for being a d*ck. She tells him, it’s okay.  

Glenn sees the wind is going to come up, and makes a call to Andy on La Cattiva. He explains they haven’t been able to do any sailing, and asks if Andy wants to do a fun race. Glenn tells the guests he’s organized a race with the boat behind them. They won’t be just sailing, but racing. The guests decide to skip breakfast, and Daisy tells Marcos, they’re not doing the meal. After he’s made a bunch of food. Send. It. Here. Immediately. Glenn shows Colin and Gary the race route, and Gary wakes Barnaby to tell him about the race, in case he wants to be part of it. Barnaby gets up, and in his interview, he says he’s not a seasoned yachtie, but he’s raced a billion race boats. Let’s get this thing cranked over. Glenn tells Andy, when the horn sounds, start racing. Glenn blows the horn, the sails are unfurled, and Colin says, there’s no such thing as a friendly race.

To be continued…

🌅 Joy In the Morning…

Thanks be to God, I’m back on my regular computer, but I’m beat from fighting the good tech fight. Stop by tomorrow for soap and most likely tea, since only RHOM is on. I can’t recap them all, although I do watch it peripherally. My favorite takeaway point so far is that there are mechanical sharks instead of mechanical bulls in Florida. Makes sense. So until next we meet, stay safe, stay resilient, and stay remembering, the truth always comes out.