Monthly Archives: September 2022

September 1, 2022 – Valentin Confesses To Anna, Austen Has Friendsgiving At Aunt Barbara’s & Wake Me

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Finn tells Elizabeth, something doesn’t add up. If Nikolas always knew he could vouch for her whereabouts, why didn’t he just say that? More to the point, why didn’t she? She says, because Nikolas is lying.

Trina tells Ava that she’s going to be okay. Her family is right outside, even Spencer, just waiting for her to wake up. The alarm on the machine starts going off, and Trina runs out, yelling for help.

In Valentin’s hotel room (um… what happened between the pool and here?), Valentin tells Anna, they’ve been keeping secrets from one another. She says, they have? and he says he thinks it’s time they stop doing that. Put their cards on the table. She asks if he’d like to go first, but he says he thinks they can both jump in as need be. She’s got Lucy Coe trying to get information on him. That’s clever. She says, given the players, she thought sequins might be a good camouflage because he’s been so opaque. He says he has his reasons. Actually, he has one very good reason. She says, his daughter. Charlotte’s in danger, isn’t she?

Curtis asks what brings Drew by to The Savoy, and Drew says, after everything that happened at the family manse yesterday, he needed a bit of a distraction. Curtis says he heard what happened to Ava. Is she going to be okay? Portia joins them, and Drew says, last he heard, she’s critical, but stable. Portia says, it’s so horrible. Do they have any idea who might have done this to her? Drew says, the PCPD is working on it, the boathouse is cordoned off as a crime scene, and he spent most of the morning answering questions. Portia says, no wonder he needed a distraction, and Curtis says, speaking of distractions, should he tell Drew or does she want to? Drew says, tell him what? and Portia shows him her ring. Curtis says, they got engaged.

Carly lovingly cleans around the moss bowl🎍, and flashes back to blowing off a relationship with Drew. There’s a knock at the door, and Bobbie comes in. She says, Carly was a million miles away just now, and Carly says she was thinking things out. Bobbie says, that’s why she’s here. Her daughter needs her, and she’s here for her. They hug.

Finn tells Elizabeth, Nikolas lied; what a shocker. But he did find them together. She says she wasn’t with Nikolas the whole time, and he asks why Nikolas told Jordan that she was. She says, he was being a friend and covering for her, and he asks, where was she then? She says she doesn’t know, and he says, the Quartermaine estate is a big place. Nobody could fault her for not knowing where she was. She says she hasn’t told him everything. It’s time she did.

Bobbie asks how Avery is taking it, and Carly says, she’s really upset and confused. She can’t go away to a seminar with Avery’s mother in the hospital. Bobbie says, mmm… and Carly says, if she wants to say something, just say it. Bobbie says, Carly is using Ava’s stabbing as an excuse not to go, and Carly asks why she’d need an excuse. Bobbie says, after the merger disaster, Carly picked herself up, and was so excited to get her life back on track. Now she’s looking for excuses not to take the next step. So what changed?

Drew congratulates Curtis and Portia, and says he’s so happy for them. Portia says, they’re pretty excited about it themselves, and Curtis says, they’re pretty lucky, aren’t they. She says, yeah, they are.

Dr. Valero comes out of Ava’s room, and Nikolas asks, what’s happening? Why did the alarms go off?

Valentin says, Victor has Charlotte, and Anna says she wanted to be wrong. How did he get to her? Valentin says he thought Charlotte was safe. Peter was gone, and he made the mistake of letting his guard down. She says she thinks they both underestimated Victor. Using your granddaughter as hostage is a new low. He says, that’s the thing about his father; he has no low to hit. Victor saved Charlotte from Peter. She wanted to see him in the clinic, and he thought it was okay for Victor to bring her to him. She says, and he took her? and he says, as soon as he left the clinic, Victor took her to her new school, a state-of-the-art security boarding school, a place where sheiks and oligarchs send their children. He can send texts and call, but neither the school nor Victor will allow him physical contact. She says, with Valentin’s daughter as leverage, Victor knows he has control over him, and Valentin says, that’s exactly right. Victor made it very clear that Valentin has do everything he says, or he’s going to hurt her.

Dr. Valero tells Nikolas, Ava’s blood pressure was dangerously low. They gave her medication to stabilize it. Nikolas says, but she’s stable, and the doctor says, with her vitals and the way she’s responding to medication, they expect her to regain consciousness soon. Nikolas asks if he can see her, and Dr. Valero says, of course (🎍).Trina says she’s going to the vending machine, and Spencer says he’ll go with her. They leave, and Victor asks how Nikolas is holding up. Nikolas says he’s concerned about his wife, and goes into Ava’s room. Jordan suggests Victor let Nikolas have some time alone with Ava. It’s his turn to answer questions.

Curtis tells Drew, now that the charges have been dropped, PCU expunged their Title IX ruling, and reinstated Trina. Drew says, that’s so great that they’re throwing Trina a party. She deserves to have a little bit of fun after everything she’s been through. Curtis says he just wishes she didn’t have to worry about Ava now, when Portia comes over, and says, she has to check on some patients before the party. She’ll see Curtis tonight. She tells Drew, it’s good to see him, and leaves. Curtis says, now that it’s just the two of them, does Drew want to tell him the real reason he stopped by?

Carly tells Bobbie that she can’t fly off to Aruba to take a leadership course when her personal life is complicated. Bobbie says, don’t tell her this is about Sonny, and Carly says, God no. This is about Jason. Bobbie asks how Jason can be causing her problems, and Carly says she thinks she has feelings for his brother. Bobbie says, oh, that, and Carly asks what she means. Bobbie says, everybody knows, and Carly asks what everybody thinks they know. Bobbie says she doesn’t know what the big deal is. They’re both heathy, single adults. Carly says, it’s not nearly that simple, and Bobbie says, tell her everything. Carly says, after Jason died, she and Drew were getting closer and becoming friends. Then they started what she thought was just harmless flirting. Now she realizes she has feelings for him. Bobbie asks if Drew returns the feelings, and Carly says, she thinks so… yes. Yesterday at the picnic, she asked him point blank what was going on. Bobbie says she knows that look. She takes it the conversation went pretty well. Carly says, after a while, there wasn’t a lot of talking going on, so… Bobbie says she loves those conversations, and Carly says, but before it got too hot, the fire stopped everything. Bobbie says, Carly lost her, and Carly says, they left the grill unattended, but it was fine because someone put the fire out, and it gave her and Drew a minute to think. He stopped by earlier because he wanted to talk about where she thought things should go between them. Bobbie asks what she told him, and Carly says, she told him, in the past year, she lost her marriage, her career, and her best friend, and that her life has gone from stable to uncharted, and it wouldn’t be fair for her to start anything with him when she wasn’t sure where her life was going. Bobbie says, so Carly is putting her life on hold to protect Drew. The last time she looked, Drew was perfectly capable of protecting himself.

Drew asks if Curtis is accusing him of ulterior motives in looking up a friend, and Curtis says, Drew looks like he’s got something on his mind. Drew says he just came from Carly’s and… Yesterday at the Quartermaine picnic, Carly accused him of flirting with her. Curtis says, was he? and Drew says, oh yeah. Curtis asks if she returned the vibe, and Drew says, yes… but when he went to talk to her today, and told her that he wanted to see where this would go, she said she needs to sort her own life out first. Curtis tells Drew, he hates to say it, but she might be right, and Drew says, probably. Curtis says, and while she’s getting her house in order, maybe Drew should do the same.

Elizabeth says, Nikolas needed to cover for her because she didn’t know where she was, and Finn asks if she thinks she lost time again. She says, yes, and he says, maybe she doesn’t remember because she hit her head, but she says she’s lost consciousness before. This was different. It was like when those pills were making her sleepwalk, which means she can’t explain her whereabouts when Ava was attacked. Nikolas knew it would make the police suspicious, and she can’t risk anything happening to her because her boys need her. She doesn’t know what to do. She needs help. He takes her hands, and tells her, start from the beginning. They’ll figure this out together.

Jordan says, DA Scorpio said Victor showed up at the boathouse after Ava was found, and Victor says, one of many. They were concerned when they saw the police there. She says, prior to that, can he tell her where he was and who he was with? and he says, when Ava was so viciously attacked, he was with Spencer; he’d been taken ill. She asks if he’s sure, because the Quartermaine staffer who confirmed Spencer was intoxicated at the time of the attack said he was alone. Another witness stated they saw Victor and Spencer at around 10:15 pm, after the attack. Nikolas already stated he was with Elizabeth Baldwin when Ava was assaulted. So can anyone confirm his whereabouts? He says he commends Jordan on her pursuit of justice, but right now, his family needs him. He trusts they’ll find the person responsible for this dreadful crime. She thanks him for his time, and says she will be following up.

Nikolas tells Ava, Dr. Valero thinks she’ll wake up soon. He wonders if she’ll be able to tell them what she saw. She opens her eyes, and whimpers, no… Stop… She sees him, and says, Nikolas.

Elizabeth says, after she and Finn fought about him calling Sarah, she stormed off, and then she blacked out. He says, maybe their fight triggered it? and she says, maybe. She was angry, and all she could hear was his voice telling her that her boys were probably aware that she has a problem. Then she was someplace else, and has no idea how she got there. That’s when Nikolas showed up. He says, that was around the time Ava was attacked, and she says she has zero recollection of where she was or what she was doing. He says, even if she doesn’t remember, there’s no way she did this. She asks how he can be sure, and he says, she had no reason to want to hurt Ava. She says she hurt Chase, and he says, that’s because whatever part of her subconscious is doing this, didn’t want him to discover what was going on. She says, what if she ran into Ava, and perceived her as a threat? Anything is possible. She doesn’t know what she was doing.

Drew asks what Curtis means by getting his own house in order, and Curtis asks what Drew’s done since he came back to town. First, he threw himself into investigating Victor Cassadine. Then it was helping the Quartermaines get ELQ back from Valentin. Drew says, those are important things, and Curtis says, they are, to other people. Drew asks if Curtis is saying he should be more selfish, and Curtis tells him, he’s saying Drew’s been so busy righting the wrongs from his past, he stopped himself from moving forward.

Carly says, maybe Bobbie is right. Maybe she’s not protecting Drew; maybe she’s protecting herself. Bobbie says, from what? and Carly says, you tell me. How could it not be a mistake, after everything that’s happened in her life, to get involved with Jason’s brother? Bobbie asks if she’s afraid she’s seeing Drew as a substitute, but Carly says, of course (🍷) not. Bobbie says, because nobody could take Jason’s place in her life, and Carly says, exactly. Bobbie says, Jason was her safety net. No matter what shenanigans Carly got up to, no matter how questionable her behavior, and believe her, she’s not judging… Carly asks if she’s sure, and Bobbie says, Jason woudn’t either. There was nothing Carly could ever do to drive Jason away. He might be hurt, angry, or bitterly disappointed, but Jason would never turn his back on Carly, even when she might have deserved it. But Drew might not be as forgiving of her impulses. Carly flashes back to finding out Nina is Willow’s mother, and Bobbie says, like whatever it is she’s thinking about right now.

Portia sees Spencer and Trina at the hospital, and Trina runs over to hug her. Portia asks how Trina’s holding up, and Trina says, she was in the room with Ava when the alarms started going off. Portia asks if Ava is okay, and Trina tells her, the doctor said she’s going to be fine, but she’s scared out of mind. Portia says she’s sorry Trina has to go through this right now, especially after everything else. Trina says, about that. She was thinking maybe tonight isn’t the best time for a party. Would Portia be upset if they canceled it?

Victor joins Spencer, and Spencer asks if there’s any change with Ava. Victor says, not that he’s aware of. He’s been held up by the Police Commissioner. That’s someone who could benefit from more professional detachment. Spencer says, meaning? and Victor says, meaning, if Commissioner Ashford continues to make these insinuations disguised as questions, she’s going to find out the hard way what it’s like to cross a Cassadine.

Anna says, for what it’s worth (🍷), she knows what he’s going through, and he says he knows she does. He wishes she could teach him how she handled it, because Charlotte’s not safe, and there’s nothing he can do about it. He’s close to tears, and says, he’s helpless. She asks why he didn’t tell her. Obviously not at first, since he couldn’t risk having a message intercepted, but when he came home, she was here. He says, please believe him; he had no choice. Protecting Charlotte is his only priority. If Victor even knew they were having this conversation, there’s no telling what he would do to her. He’s going insane. She hugs him, and says she understands. They’ll bring Charlotte home, she promises, but in order to do it, they have to take Victor down. Valentin’s been working for him since he left the clinic? Valentin says he has, and she asks if he’s done everything Victor asked. He says, just about, and she says, what has Victor asked him to do?

Finn tells Elizabeth, they have to rule out a few things out. Has she been taking any pills again? She says, not since she checked herself out of Shadybrook. This came on, on its own. She doesn’t know what’s happening to her. He says, something triggered it. She said she was replaying their fight in her head. Anything else? She says, yeah. She’s been having these fragments of a memory. She’s a teenager, and she’s shouting at a woman to stay away from her father. He asks, what woman? and she says she doesn’t know; no one she remembers or recognizes. It happened again after their fight. That’s the last thing she remembers until she came to. He asks, how often has this been happening? and she says, the first time, it was after she talked to Scotty about walking in on Finn and Terry talking about her behind her back. He says, and this time, it was after she was angry about him calling Sarah. These events have something in common; she was angry at him. She says, there was another time. When she checked herself out of Shadybrook and came to work. Does he remember how he found her on the stairwell? She doesn’t think this is being cause by their arguments or her being angry. These images are happening every time somebody confronts her about what’s been happening, and normally that person is him. Maybe it’s more than grief over losing Franco. There’s something very wrong with her.

Jordan goes into Ava’s room, and Nikolas says, please. His wife just woke up and she’s in distress. She’s in no condition to answer questions. Jordan says she got the okay from Dr. Valero, but he says, she’ll also need his okay, and he’s not okay. Ava asks, what happened? and Jordan goes over to her bed. She says, Ava is in ICU. She was stabbed last night. They’re making every effort to find out who did this to her, but time is of the essence. Does she feel up to answering some questions? Nikolas says he wants them to find out who did this more than anybody, but not at the expense of Ava’s recovery. Ava says she wants to talk. She doesn’t know if she can help though. She didn’t see who attacked her. Jordan asks, what’s the last thing Ava remembers? and Ava says, she was at the Quartermaines; she was outside the boathouse. Jordan asks if anyone was with her, but Ava says, she was alone; she thought so. She wanted to take a moment for herself. Then there was pain… here. Jordan asks what else she remembers, but Ava says she’s sorry. It’s all a blur after that. She thinks she tried to call out for help. Does Jordan know who found her? Jordan says, Josslyn Jax. She and a man who works for Sonny found her. They saved her life. What was she doing prior to being at the boathouse? Why did she need a moment alone? Ava looks at Nikolas, and flashes back to Nikolas accusing her of not wanting him to be close with Spencer, because she only has herself to blame for her failed relationship with Kiki. Nikolas tells Jordan, clearly his wife needs rest; this can wait. Jordan says, when Ava woke up, she seemed upset with her husband. Why is that? Ava says, they had a fight.

Carly tells Bobbie that she doesn’t want to use Drew as a crutch to get over everything that’s happened, and Bobbie asks if he isn’t already. Carly says, as a friend, yes, but that’s not what either one of them are talking about. If something happens between her and Drew, they want it to be about them, not a rebound. Bobbie says she doesn’t see them being a rebound thing, and Carly says, neither does she, because it’s not going to happen. Bobbie says, what about all those feelings she just admitted to having? They’re not going to go away. And Carly knows better than anyone, you can’t help who you fall for. Carly says, they’ll just have to deal with it, and who knows? Maybe someday something will happen between her and Drew, but the way things are now, she can’t afford to lose a friend.

Drew tells Curtis, when he was in that cell, all he wanted was to get back to the life he remembered. Although he shouldn’t have been surprised when he got back, and time hadn’t stopped. Curtis says, time doesn’t do that no matter how nicely we ask, and Drew says, Curtis and Portia were lucky the found their way back. Curtis says, they weren’t lucky. They worked hard to get to where they are now, and to get away from the mistakes of their past. When he and Portia got together back in the day, she was married. He didn’t know that, and he was in his first year of recovery. Drew says, they still had a connection, but Curtis says, it was nothing they could build on, so inevitably, it ended badly. Now that they find themselves back together, they’re the same people, but they’re in different places. Drew says, better places, and Curtis says, much better places. The thing is, they’re not trying to recreate the past. They’re exploring the beautiful future. Drew says, that’s the thing with Carly. The future he wants with her is nothing like their pasts. He know what Curtis is going to say; that he has to respect the fact Carly doesn’t want to mess with their friendship. Curtis says, valid, but it’s also a good excuse not to take risks. Drew says, she doesn’t think it’s time. And he wishes she didn’t feel that way. He thinks they could be incredible together, but just because he’s ready to move forward, doesn’t mean she is.

Anna asks if Valentin is the French captain, and he says, Captain Françoise Olivier. She says she wishes she were more surprised, and he says he’s so sorry, but she says, please don’t. She understands why he did what he did. What is Victor after? Why is he doing all of this? Valentin says he doesn’t know. Victor won’t tell him, and he doesn’t have to. He’s got Charlotte. Valentin is completely in the dark. She says, now that she knows Jennifer was framed, she can call the WSB, but he says, that’s out of the question. This has to stay between them. If it doesn’t, and Victor knows Valentin betrayed him, he’ll take it out on Charlotte. She says, they can’t leave an innocent woman in prison, but he says he’s too far in. He’s not going to let anything happen to Charlotte. He’s not going to lose his daughter.

Jordan asks what Ava and Nikolas fought about, and Ava says, what they always fight about – his son. She and Spencer don’t like each other very much and it causes friction. Jordan says, and this was right before Ava was attacked? How heated did the argument get? Nikolas says he didn’t stab his wife. How is this relevant? Jordan says, it’s relevant because this morning, she asked Nikolas if Ava was upset before she was attacked. She asked if Ava experienced any conflict, and he said no, yet here she is, having fought with his son. Why did he lie to her? He says, the Cassadine family’s arguments are traditionally dramatic. So when she asked him about conflict, he assumed she meant outside of the family. (Nice try.) She says she’d love to believe that, and he says, one thing both of them should believe is that he deeply regrets getting in a fight with Ava. If they hadn’t fought, she might not have gone to that damn boathouse, and he might have been there to stop anyone who wanted to cause her harm. Instead, he was venting about the argument to Elizabeth. He’s so sorry. He should have never left her side. One silly fight, and he almost lost her. He should have been there for her. Ava thanks him, and says, it’s the thought that counts. She says she’s getting a little tired, and Jordan says she understands. She thanks Ava for speaking with her. They’ll pick this up when she’s feeling stronger. She’ll speak with Nikolas later. She leaves, and he asks how Ava is feeling. When he heard she was attacked, he was so scared. She shrinks away from him, and he asks, what’s wrong? She says, last night, they said a lot of things to each other, and he says, they did… Wait. She doesn’t think he did this to her, does she?

Portia says, of course (🍷) they can cancel the party, but is Trina sure? She’s always putting everyone else’s needs before her own. And after everything Trina’s been through, doesn’t she think she deserves an evening to herself to celebrate her accomplishments? Trina says she wants to do that, but she also wants Ava to be there. Portia says, and when Ava wakes up, what does Trina think she’ll say when she finds out Trina canceled the party on her account? Trina tells her, Ava would probably say she shouldn’t have, and Portia says, the Ava she knows, would insist she have the party as planned. It’s high time Trina focused on herself.

Walking through the hospital, Spencer says, he has no idea why they’re protecting his father, and Victor says, how many times does he have to tell Spencer? We Cassadines protect our own. Spencer says, there are limits. His father deserves to be in prison for the things he’s done. Victor says, this is one thing he didn’t do. The only interesting piece of information from Commissioner Ashford is that Spencer’s father has an airtight alibi. He was with Elizabeth Baldwin when Ava was being attacked. Spencer says, even better. If his father isn’t the one who hurt Ava, he has zero reason to withhold the truth. He will tell Commissioner Ashford that his father slept with Esme.

Nikolas says, Ava knows he’s not the one who did this to her, doesn’t she? and she says, he couldn’t have. He was with Elizabeth. He says, he was, but that’s not the only reason she thinks… She says she doesn’t know what to think, and he says, he’d never do anything like this; no matter what they said, no matter how angry. Please tell him that she believes him. She says she’s tired. She wants to be alone. Let her rest.

Trina sees Jordan, and asks, how’s Ava? Jordan says, she’s awake, and Trina hugs Portia. She says she has to text Joss and tell her the news. She runs off, and Spencer and Victor come by. Spencer tries to say something to Jordan, but Victor cuts him off, saying, that’s wonderful news about our Ava. He thanks her, and tells Spencer, shall we? He leads Spencer away, but Spencer keeps looking back at Jordan. Trina comes back, and asks if Portia thinks she has enough time to get some of Ava’s stuff before the party. Now that she’s awake, she’s sure Ava will want something familiar with her. Portia says, she’ll be cutting it close. Windymere isn’t exactly around the corner. Trina says, but the MetroCourt is, and that’s where she’s been staying the last couple of days. Portia says, in that case, Trina can take her car. They leave, and nothing is lost on Jordan.  

Victor says, listen to him, great-nephew. He’s only going to tell Spencer this once, and he’s going to remember it for the rest of his life. Neither his father’s marriage, nor anything else relevant to their family is of concern to the authorities. Is that understood? Spencer says, yes, uncle, and Victor says he knows Spencer is angry at his father, and he has every reason to be, but his movements at the time of Ava’s attack are well accounted for. His betrayal of Spencer, no matter how painful, is totally irrelevant. Spencer says, maybe to the authorities, but it is relevant to Trina. Victor asks, how so? and Spencer says, because if Commissioner Ashford knows why Esme left town, she can use that to find her. Victor says, it always comes round to Miss Robinson, doesn’t it? He admires Spencer’s good intentions, but Esme didn’t tell anyone where she was going. Spencer is just complicating things for himself if he goes back and changes his story now. He tried it once. Look where it got him. Spencer says, but, uncle… and Victor says, listen to him. Don’t invite any more trouble. He’s in enough already.

Finn says, there’s nothing wrong with Elizabeth. He thinks this just means there’s something in her past, something hidden, she’s not dealing with. She says she tried to fight it. She tried to push it down, hoping it would go away. She just can’t do it anymore. She has to face whatever she’s blocking out. He says, she’s not alone. They’ll find the answers together.

Curtis says, if Drew feels that he and Carly have something special, wouldn’t he want to find out if she feels the same thing? Even if it took a while? Drew says, that’s some solid advice right there, and Curtis tells Drew, he’s not saying what worked for him and Portia is going to work for them. But he seems to remember a saying that life is long and full of surprises. Drew says, he thinks he and Carly make each other happy, but the answer to Curtis’s question is yes. He can give her time. He can give her all the time she needs to make sure she’s ready.

Carly tells Bobbie, it’s a text from Josslyn… Ava’s going to be okay. Avery is going to be thrilled. Bobbie says, good. Now Carly has no reason not to go to that seminar. Carly says she thinks she needs to stay put, and Bobbie says, she’s doing it again; making excuses to postpone the next chapter of her life. Carly says she’s being sensible, but Bobbie says, sensible is not Carly’s thing. Carly hands Bobbie her bag, and says, great talk; nice seeing her. Bobbie says, Carly is a creature of impulse. When she sees something she wants, she goes for it. Carly says she’s really trying to look before she leaps. She thought Bobbie would be proud of her. Bobbie says, no. Carly is looking for reasons not to leap. Maybe losing the hotel was a blessing in disguise. Maybe Carly can find happiness with a new career. Maybe even a new man. Carly says she loves Bobbie, but she’s got to go. She hustles Bobbie to the door, and they exchange I love yous. After Bobbie’s gone, Carly goes to the refrigerator, and takes down the brochure for the seminar. She considers taking the moss bowl 🎍 with her to Aruba.

Anna tells Valentin, Charlotte is his priority, but she wants him to remember, he’s not carrying this burden alone now. That gives them some leeway. He says, no one else can be involved, and she says, all right. No WSB, no friends, no allies. Nothing. They’ll figure out a way to keep Charlotte safe themselves. He says, Victor has to think he can trust him, and she says, he will. He’ll never know Valentin confided in her. Once Charlotte is safe, then they’re going to put an end to Victor. She hugs him.

Tomorrow, Brook tells Chase, step one is complete; Sonny says he needs Dex to do something else for him; and Willow says her mind is made up.

Southern Charm

Shep says he reacted in the worst way possible, calling Taylor a f***ing idiot. He’s glad Taylor tells him how she feels. Even if he doesn’t like it or it’s not what he wants to hear, he respects the hell out of that. He says he’s an every now and then jerk, which I think is debatable, since he’s a jerk most of the time. He tells Taylor all the right things, but we all know how this is going to end up, so…

Whitney brings wine, bread, and cheese out to the pool for lunch with Patricia, but makes the faux pas of using paper napkins. Austen calls, and says he’s having a Friendsgiving at his aunt’s. Whitney says, he’s going to Texas, but his mother might be available. Patricia asks if Madison or Naomie are coming, and Austen says, Naomie will be there. He can’t believe Whitney is making her come stag. Patricia wonders what she’s hearing, since apparently Whitney hasn’t told her that he’s hooking up with one of her pets. Naomie tells her mother that she ended up staying an extra night at Auldbrass with Whitney, and seems as surprised as Patricia that they’re a thing. In her interview, she says she doesn’t know when that change happened, but yeah. Her mom says she needs someone who’s been through a little bit of life to understand her. Naomie says, none of her friends tell their parents about their hook-ups, but her mom is like, well, we’re French. Patricia tries to pump Whitney for more information, and no pressure, but she wishes he’d settle down. She could kick the bucket any day now.

In the car, Paige asks Craig if Naomie is coming to Friendsgiving, and he says, she’s dating Whitney now. Paige asks if they’re boyfriend/ girlfriend, but Craig says he doesn’t care. He thinks Naomie is lost. In Craig’s interview, he says he can relate to being lost, but he didn’t sleep with Whitney. However, he’ll officiate the wedding, be the flower boy, whatever they need, as long as it gets Naomie to back off. Paige says, anyone who thinks Naomie is over him is out of their mind. We flash back to their first meeting when Naomie was all like, girls before dudes, and Paige says, at first, she thought Naomie was cool. Craig says, he was good with her at Auldbrass, but Paige says, Naomie was probably just trying to impress him. They go grocery shopping, and in his interview, Craig is all psyched about the day-to-day with her.

Venita meets Madison for a workout with Madison’s trainer. In Madison’s interview, she says, her fiancé is hot as sh*t, so she has to look good. In Venita’s interview, she says she loves Madison, but if Madison ever asks her to work out again, she might have to ditch the friendship. Venita does some deadlifts, and Madison says, you got to lock a man down. In her interview, she says, thank God for plastic surgery. That sh*t will save you. They talk about Madison’s upcoming wedding, and Madison says she doesn’t care if it’s big or small; that’s not what it’s about.

In Shep’s interview, he says, after what went down at Auldbrass, he’s trying to be more considerate, thoughtful, and selfless. They’re making some dishes for Friendsgiving, and Taylor puts him on banana pudding duty, while she handles the traditional green bean casserole. She tells him, when they’re with friends who don’t understand their banter (her word), he looks like an a-hole, and it makes her looks bad for taking it. In his interview, he says, he doesn’t want their friends to think they have a bad relationship because it’s not. He’s learning on the fly.

Austen’s sister Katie sets the table for Friendsgiving, and they go down Memory Lane. In his interview, he says, his Aunt Barbara’s house is the epitome of thanksgiving. He’s always in charge of the punch bowl, and every year it’s different. Craig is going to be bringing the turkey, and has a phobia about touching raw poultry. In Craig’s interview, he explains, there was a 200 person chicken dinner at the firehall when he was in high school, and they put the cooked chicken back in the boxes where the raw chicken was. 130 people were hospitalized. Paige offers to pull it out of the brine it’s been in, but it’s too heavy, and Craig ends up having to touch it anyway. Kathryn gets to Aunt Barbara’s first, and prepares some meatballs using weird ingredients like grape jelly. Craig and Paige are next, and Craig and Austen bring the fryer out to the patio. Naomie arrives with a casserole and a salad, and it’s all awkward with Paige. Paige says she doesn’t think she likes bourbon, which I think could get her kicked out of Charleston, and in Naomie’s interview, she says, it’s obvious Paige isn’t happy with her. She tries to make small talk, and in her interview, she says she has no idea what Craig has told Paige. She’s just trying to be friendly and copacetic, but it’s not working out for her. In Austen’s interview, he says, Craig acts like he knows what he’s doing, but somewhere back there, he doesn’t know what he’s doing. In Craig’s interview, he says he knows what he’s doing; he just hasn’t done it before. But he’s been with people who have done it. The margin of error is small, but the turkey could possibly explode. Austen says, so this could be like a rocket? Shep gets there with Taylor and his banana pudding, and Marcie and John follow shortly after. Craig and Austen fumble with lighting the fryer, and high-five when they’re successful. Leva and Olivia come bearing gravy and mashed potatoes respectively. In Shep’s interview, he says, Craig has this thing like he knows what he’s doing in the cooking arena, but he really doesn’t. He’s terrified with Craig in charge of anything.

Kathryn and Naomie sit down for a drink together, and Kathryn asks if Paige is having fun. Paige says, the whole group together is a lot, and she doesn’t know who Naomie thinks she’s fooling. If she was with her friends, she would have already popped off. Naomie tells Olivia that she picked up weird energy from Paige already, and it’s awkward. She went to say hello to Craig, and he turned his back; it was weird. She thinks things have been misconstrued to Paige. Paige tells Kathryn about Naomie pulling Craig aside at the dog wedding, and says, it was one of the most inappropriate things ever. She would have sent Craig a secret text like a normal person. In Kathryn’s interview, she says she thinks Naomie liked having Craig wanting her back. Don’t insert yourself into someone’s happiness just because you want attention. Another reason she thinks Naomie is a petty little bitch. I’m not sure the word petty means what Kathryn thinks it means. Paige says she’s acted like a goddam peach, and Kathryn says she thinks Paige and Craig are perfect for each other. Paige says, as long as Kathryn doesn’t try to have coffee with him, they’re cool. The turkey is done, and Austen and Craig high-five again.

Olivia and Austen agree there might be drama between Paige and Naomie. The turkey is carved, and passes the taste test. They prepare their plates inside, and go outside to eat. Austen gets up and thanks Katie for her help. He says he adores everyone at the table, and everyone toasts to Friendsgiving. In Austen’s interview, he says, Thanksgiving is his favorite holiday, so Friendsgiving makes him happy. He thinks the group could use a nice meal together, and he’s thankful they don’t have to always yell and bitch at each other. Naomie, Leva, and Olivia put napkins on their heads to make Pilgrim bonnets, and for some reason, Craig thinks this is racist. In Naomie’s interview, she says, Craig is really mad at something else and blaming it on the Pilgrims. This is insane. She thinks it’s just her being around that bothers Craig.

They go inside for dessert, and Naomie asks if Paige wants to talk outside. Paige says she can’t imagine what they have to talk about, but she’d love to. Craig says, his crazy ex-girlfriend wants a conversation with Paige, and Leva tells him to choose different words. He says, Naomie has already pulled him aside, now she’s pulling his girlfriend out there. In his in interview, he says, ex-girlfriends from years ago shouldn’t create drama with new girlfriends. She’s just not firing on all cylinders. Naomie and Paige sit on the porch, and Naomie says, clearly, Paige is uncomfortable. Paige says, Naomie pulling Craig aside at Patricia’s and saying, if Paige is uncomfortable, she won’t come around, insinuates there are feelings there. Naomie says, that’s not at all what she meant, and Paige asks if Naomie feels Craig treats her differently when she’s around. Naomie says she does, and Paige says, that also insinuates there’s some kind of relationship. I’m not following this logic, and Naomie says she feels like Paige is coming at her, but Paige says, Naomie pulled her aside, not the other way around. She asks if Naomie still has feelings for Craig, and Naomie says, not at all. Paige says, the optics of it look like she does, and in Naomie’s interview, she says, this is for sure pointless. She understands why, in Paige’s mind, Craig seems like a shining prince, but this whole thing is bullsh*t. Paige says, when she met Naomie, she liked her, but she’s dealt with girls before. She knows Naomie and Craig have a past, and that they hooked up this summer, so it’s not crazy for her to thing Naomie has feelings for Craig, and that what happened at Patricia’s is what she thought. She thought they were cool, and Naomie should have just come to her and asked if she was uncomfortable. They’ll never be best friends, but she wants to be able to socialize with Naomie. She doesn’t hold grudges, and they’re cool. She thinks Naomie is pretty and funny, and she wants to borrow her clothes. Naomie says, Paige is a badass.

Next time, Patricia holds her annual guy’s dinner, while the girls have a dinner out; and Shep refuses to make his profile inactive on dating sites.

🍂 Summering Into Fall…

Jump into tomorrow’s free-for-all of soap, tea, and quotable quotes, with some music on top. Until then, stay safe, stay always bringing a gift no matter what the invite says, and stay not being so busy righting the wrongs from your past, that you stop yourself from moving forward.

August 31, 2022 – Jordan Pieces Together a Timeline, Beverly Hills Inflicts Themselves On Aspen, Please Go & Thirty-Third  

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Lucy knocks on Valentin’s hotel room door, and he asks what she’s doing here. Looking for pickles? She says, very funny. She’s here about Deception. He’s one of their fancy shmancy big-time investors. He asks if it’s about Sasha pleading assault and battery on that would-be journalist, and Lucy says she hates Sasha having to go through that. It’s the last thing she needed after everything she’s endured. He says he’s sensing a but, and she says, but – he says, there it is what happens in the courtroom is one thing. It’s an entirely different trial in the court of public opinion. He asks, what’s her point? and she says, Sasha’s the Face of Deception. She’s the physical representation of their brand, and right now their brand is tarnished. He says, because of Sasha, and she says, yeah, but she think she has a way to fix it. Her partners are sort of dragging their feet. He asks where he comes in exactly, and she says she can’t believe she’s going to have to say this. For the good of their company, and everyone else who’s involved, Sasha has to go.

At the hospital, Brando asks if Sasha is okay, but she says she doesn’t know what she is. He says, after this meeting’s behind them, it’s all going to be better, and she asks, how? He says, because then she’ll be able to stand in front of a judge, knowing they’ve done everything possible to A, prove that she’s taken responsibility for her actions, and B, that she’s prepared to get the help she needs. She says, and if the judge decides she’s still a threat to the community? She could go to prison for a really long time.

At the pool, Anna says, fancy seeing you here, and Victor asks if she’ll join him. He pulls out a chair, and she says, despite their mutual distrust, they do have one thing that bonds them – how much they care about Valentin. Ever since he’s come back, he’s been like a new man, and she has no doubt she has Victor to thank for that.

Jordan tells Finn and Elizabeth, based on the blood loss at the scene, her officers believe Ava was attacked not long before she was discovered. That gives a short window of time for the attack; somewhere between 9:45 to 10 pm. Finn says, that’s probably around the time he ran into Maxie and spoke to her briefly. Jordan thanks him, and asks if Elizabeth remembers where she was during that time. Elizabeth says she took a walk around the grounds at some point, and Jordan says, alone? Elizabeth says she just needed to clear her head, and Jordan asks if something happened to upset her.

Spencer tells Trina, he’s sorry Ava got hurt; mostly because it hurts her. He figured she would be here. She says, he’s there for her? and he says, always. And as his Uncle Victor reminds him, they have to support family no matter what, and Ava is family. She says, and he wants to support his father too, but he says, the hell he does.

In Ava’s room, Nikolas says, if only she’d listened to him, it never would have come to this. They seemed to be at peace for the first time since Esme poisoned things between them. It could have been so different… It’s too late now.

Carly says, Drew is here early. Does he want some coffee? He says, that would be great, and lingers around the moss bowl 🎍. He says he’s been thinking a lot about last night. It’s kind of all he’s been thinking about actually. She says, every five seconds? and he says, it’s pretty much constant actually (WOTD). She says she’s been thinking about it non-stop too, and he says he knows she said she wanted time, and he doesn’t want to step on that, but there’s taking time and there’s missing a chance. That was amazing at the boathouse. She says, it was, and he says he feels like they’re on the brink of something pretty incredible. He wants it, and he wants her. She says she wants it too. What she loved about yesterday was that it was so smooth and easy that it felt… He says, it felt right, and she says, until it didn’t. She doesn’t mean it felt wrong. She’s just so scared to see the ending before it even starts. Does that make sense? He says, not really, and she says she knows he wants to see what happens between them, but he doesn’t know her. How can he when she doesn’t even know herself? What is he thinking; just say it. He asks if it’s okay to call her out right now, and she says, yeah. He tells her, he’s thinking what she just said is a load of crap. If anyone knows themselves, it’s her.

Sasha tells Brando, it makes her blood boil just thinking about it. Smoltz and Sienna set her up. They destroyed her reputation, and now she’s the one at fault? He says, she’s right. They pushed her past her breaking point, and that is not fair, but focusing on that now is counterproductive. They need to just get through the day, and do whatever it takes to get her home to the people who love her. That’s him, by the way. She says she loves him too, and he asks if she’s ready. She nods, and he knocks on a door. A woman comes out, and says she’s Dr. Rubin, and Brando introduces himself. Dr. Rubin says, she must be Sasha, and invites them in.

Valentin says he doesn’t understand why Lucy came to him. He’s not involved in the day-to-day at Deception. She says, replacing the Face of Deception is hardly the day-to-day, and he says, if she feels so strongly about it, force a vote, and take care of it. She says, it’s not that simple. A lot of her other partners feel like perhaps that might send Sasha over the edge. He says, perhaps it will. Martin says she’s seeing a shrink… Lucy says, he talked to Martin, didn’t he? She swears, if Valentin sent the pickle photo with her and Victor to Martin, she’ll kill him, and he says, this has nothing to do with Sasha and Deception. She’s here because she’s worried about Martin. She says, he’s got her; she’s worried about Martin. She’s been worried about Martin since the day he left. He says, she could have fooled him, and she says, excuse me? He says, she wasn’t worried about Martin when Victor was fawning all over her at the picnic.

Anna says she’s glad she and Victor ran into each other. She’s been meaning to thank him for going the extra mile to smooth things over between them. He says, she’s very welcome, and she says, he’s right. It’s easy to fall back on old habits, and just get ruled by mistrust and suspicion. He says, surely one conversation wasn’t enough to dispel all her doubts about him, and she says, no and don’t call me Shirley, but it was a nice reminder of how much they care about Valentin. Sitting there between father and son, she realized how much Valentin has changed post-convalescence. Wouldn’t he agree? He says he would, and she says, tell her, what’s his secret?

Elizabeth asks Jordan if it really matters why she went for a walk. It’s personal. Finn says, she’s being kind. He was an idiot last night and brought up a touchy subject, and rightly so, Elizabeth left before one of them said something they regretted. Jordan says, and this was… Finn says, near the stables, and she asks what he did next. He says he was upset, and went looking for Elizabeth. Like he said, he ran into Maxie. He asked if she’d seen Elizabeth, she said, no, and he went to the main house. He ran into Valentin and Spencer, and Victor Cassadine. Spencer had a couple of drinks, and Finn tried to help him. Jordan says, if she asks Spencer, will he corroborate? and Finn says, if he remembers, but Valentin was there, and Victor was there too. Jordan says, and after Elizabeth left Finn, she went for a walk. Did this walk happen to take her by the boathouse?

Trina says she thought things were better between Spencer and his dad; what changed? Spencer says, nothing. He’s still the same Nikolas Cassadine. He’s out for himself. Everyone else be damned. She says, he hurt Spencer, didn’t he? and Spencer says, Nikolas opened his eyes, so he guesses he could say Nikolas did him a favor. She takes his hand, and says, if he needs to talk about it, they can, but he pulls his hand away, and says, it’s not her problem anymore. She says she’s going to check on Ava, and walks to Ava’s room.

Nikolas says he hates to see Ava suffer like this. He gets up, and leans over her, when Trina walks in. She asks what he’s doing, and he says he’s glad she’s here. He knows how much she means to Ava. Trina says, Ava means just as much to her, and asks if there are any updates on who did this to her. He says, no. Unfortunately, Ava has her fair share of enemies. Finding the culprit will be difficult. She says, but not impossible, and he says, of course (🍷) not. She says she just doesn’t get it. Why now? He says he’s been asking himself the same question, and she says, and? He says, to do something this vicious, it must have been someone who hates her very much. He’ll give them some privacy. He starts to leave, and Trina says, it could also be someone who used to love her.

Carly tells Drew, look around. It’s the same kitchen, it’s the same refrigerator, it’s the same coffee maker. He says, it’s the same griddle and the same moss bowl 🎍, and she says, only because she happened to get the house in the divorce. Of the things that defined her three years ago – her marriage to Sonny, her kids, her friendship with Jason, and her hotel – three of the four are gone. It’s just her and her kids, and thank God she has them, because if she didn’t… He tells her, don’t even go there, and she says, the Jason part was unavoidable because he died. It was heartbreaking and shattering, but people aren’t guaranteed to be with you until the end of the ride. But her hotel? She gambled and she lost. Her marriage to Sonny ended because… He says, the guy who came back from Nixon Falls wasn’t the same guy she married, and she says she told him that, didn’t she? He says, a couple of times, and she was right.

Dr. Rubin says she needs Sasha to understand that what happens next is entirely up to her. No one is forcing Sasha into anything, but in her professional opinion, this is her best option, not only to guarantee her freedom, but also her mental well-being. Sasha says she thought this was a psychiatric exam; the doctor asks questions, and she gives answers. What does she mean, option? The doctor says she’s sorry. She thought Brando and Sasha discussed this. Brando says, before he left town, Martin suggested an alternative that pretty much ensures her freedom. Sasha asks, what is it? and Dr. Rubin says, if she agrees, they can ask the court to appoint Brando as her guardian.

Lucy says she cares very deeply for Marty, and Valentin says, she has a funny way of showing it. She says, okay, Mr. Judgy Judgerson, and he says, she did everything except bite Victor’s gherkin. <snort> She says, what he saw was a perfectly innocent exchange. She can’t help it if he’s reading something untoward into it. What is that icky little smirk? He says, she’s a lot of things; perfectly innocent, not one of them. Neither is his father for that matter. She says, whatever he saw or thinks he saw, her loyalty to Marty has not wavered. He tells her, if you say so, and she says she does. He says, if she wasn’t putting the moves on Victor… and she says, she didn’t and she doesn’t want to. He says, then she was working him for information. In the espionage business, that’s called a honey trap. Which begs the question, what was she hoping to learn from Victor?

Victor tells Anna, as much as he’d like to take credit for his son’s transformation, he’s afraid he had no part in it. She asks how he explains it then, and he says, perhaps Valentin has come to realize that he’s not alone in the world. Valentin has family now. She says, he’s always had family, and Victor says, family he’s close to? She says, him? and he says, nothing means more to him. Just look at Spencer and Nikolas, waiting word on poor Ava. Families close ranks when the situation demands it, and the Cassadines are no exception. Doubt their loyalty at her own peril. She asks if that’s a threat, but he says, simply a statement of fact. She says she sees, and he says, does she or is this friendly overture just for show? She says, when Valentin left town, he and Victor were barely on speaking terms. Then he comes back, and they’re this dynamic father and son duo. He can’t blame her for wondering why.

Elizabeth says she doesn’t remember, and Jordan says, she doesn’t remember where she went walking? Elizabeth says, the Quartermaine grounds are enormous. It was dark and she was upset. She wasn’t paying attention to where she was going. She can’t tell Jordan her exact route. Jordan asks if she went by the boathouse, but Elizabeth says she doesn’t know. Finn says, let’s be real. Can anyone account for every second last night? Jordan says, her job is to reconstruct the circumstances of Ava’s attack. She needs to know who was where when it happened. Finn asks if they need a lawyer present, and Jordan says she’s not accusing anyone. Finn wonders if she’s sure, and doesn’t think they should say another word without an attorney here. He thinks it might be time for Jordan to go, and Jordan says, believe it or not, she’s on their side. Her goal is to eliminate them from any possible suspicion. That’s why it would help if Elizabeth could say definitively where she was at the time of the attack. Nikolas comes in, and says, he can help with that.

Nikolas says, at the time of the attack, he and Elizabeth were together. He flashes back to finding Elizabeth, and her telling him she doesn’t remember how she got there or how she scraped her head. He says, he and Spencer had just had a fight. That’s when Finn found them. Jordan asks why he didn’t say so, and he says, at the time, they didn’t know what was happening. It’s only looking back that it makes sense. It was around the time Ava was… Elizabeth asks, how is she? and he says, she’s stable, but she hasn’t regained consciousness. Elizabeth says, she’s strong; she’s going to pull through. Nikolas says he hopes so, and Finn asks if there are any more questions. Jordan says she’s good for now. Nikolas’s account seems to tie up nicely. Nikolas says, what does she mean, seems to? when her phone rings. She looks at it, and says, she may need to speak to him again. She leaves as she answers the call, and Finn closes the door and asks, what was that all about?

Sasha says, guardianship? and Brando says, only in name. She says, like she’s a child who can’t take care of herself. Dr. Rubin says, just the opposite. It demonstrates awareness of her mental health issues. Sasha laughs, and the doctor says, trusting someone – in this case, her husband – to make important decisions will send a message to the judge. Sasha says, not help make; make for her. Brando says, she knows he’d never do that. This could lighten her sentence. The judge might even toss the punishment out altogether. Isn’t that what she wants? Sasha says, not like this. He can’t listen to these people; they’re wrong. he says he disagrees, and she asks when he stopped believing in her.

Lucy asks, what makes Valentin think she wants something from his father? and he asks if she’s saying she doesn’t? She flashes back to Anna telling her to exploit the attention Victor can’t wait to lavish on her. Shake the tree a bit, and see if any information about Valentin comes loose. She has all the necessary assets to be Anna’s asset. Lucy tells Valentin to let her worry about Victor, and consider what she told him about Sasha’s future. He says, what about Martin? and she says she’s all in. She leaves, and he waits a moment, then follows her.

Victor says, Valentin now understands the value of family, and Anna tells him, like she said, he always has. Victor says, yes, of course (🍷). His bond with Charlotte is unparalleled. Anna asks how she is, and he says, she’s wonderful; loving her time at boarding school. She asks why Charlotte didn’t come home for summer, and he says, apparently, a state-of-the-art equestrian center was recently donated. She can’t tear herself away from the horses. Apparently, she practically begged Valentin to let her stay. She says, how could he say no? and Victor says, precisely. He must be getting back to the hospital to check on Ava. He’s happy they had this chat. She says, so is she, and he leaves. She says, So. Am. I.

Drew tells Carly, he’s the poster child for stuff you go through changes you. His experience definitely made him realize what truly matters in life. Sonny’s experience clearly changed him. She says, that’s obvious, and he says, what’s not so obvious, is the person who got screwed is her. Sonny came back and he had different priorities, and he understands that. A bunch of his priorities when he got on that plane to Afghanistan were not his priorities when he got home. She says she wants to hear about that, and he says he’ll tell her, but now he needs to acknowledge, to point out and say out loud that Carly spent a big chunk of her life in a marriage that was not always easy; at times it was flat out hard. But she gave all of herself. She gave everything she could in good times and bad times, and everything in between. Now that’s gone, and that’s a big loss. She says, wow. She feels like she’s been saying that, screaming it, out loud, but no one could hear her, let alone see her. He says, he sees her, and she says she doesn’t want to stay there. It’s not something she wants to hold on to; a part of her life that’s gone. It’s nice to get credit for going through something. He says, actually, he got her a trophy. It’s in the car. He’s got polish it up before bringing it to her. She laughs and thanks him, and he tells her that she said that already. She says she knows. She says, the good news is, she gets to figure out who she is without those three core pieces of her. He says, the bad news? and she says she has to do it before having a relationship with him. She doesn’t want to make the mistake of rebounding again. He says, again? and she says, not romantically. But she can see, while she really wanted to help and support him and Michael, jeopardizing her hotel with that investment was a kneejerk reaction. Something awful happens to her, and she has to counteract it with something positive. It was a risky investment and she paid the price. He says, question. If it had worked out… She says she would be really happy, but it didn’t. It’s not about the money. It would have been nice, sure, but it’s not the important part. She could get over that. What she couldn’t get over is if she messed things up with him.

Brando says he does believe in her, but Sasha says, clearly, that’s not true. Dr. Rubin says she knows this is shocking and painful, but Sasha did assault someone. Sasha says, there were extenuating circumstances, and the doctor says she’s sure there were, but Sasha committed a crime. So that leaves her with two choices; conservatorship or prison. Sasha says, no, and Brando says he loves her. He’s only doing this to help them stay together. He couldn’t stand it if she was taken away from him. He’s trying to avoid that. She says, by taking charge of her, and Dr. Rubin says, by showing the court that someone who cares about her will be responsible for her treatment. Sasha says, in charge of her, and Brando says, don’t think about it like that. She says, he would make all the decisions. The small ones, like the use of her credit cards and cellphone, but big things too. Where she goes, when she goes, who she goes with. Is that honestly better than prison? The doctor says, yes, and Brando says he thinks if she takes the time to think about it, she’ll agree. Sasha says she needs some air, and walks out. He calls to her, but she keeps going.

Trina says she wishes she could do something. Make it so none of this happened, but we can’t go back in time, can we? If we could, there are so many things she would change. (You and me both, sister.) Different things she would choose. She takes Ava’s hand, and says, but one thing she’d do the same way is her friendship with Ava. She cries, and says she needs Ava. Please open her eyes. Come back, please. She doesn’t know how to do this without her.

Nikolas says he doesn’t know what to tell Finn. Is he suggesting Nikolas is keeping something from him? Finn says, isn’t he? when his phone chirps. He says he has a patient in the ER who needs to see him, and Elizabeth says, they’ll talk about this when he’s done. Finn leaves, and Elizabeth asks why Nikolas did that. He says, tell the truth? and she says, only part of it. When he found her with this cut on her forehead, she had no idea what happened or where she’d been. Why didn’t he say so?

Victor finds Spencer on a couch near Ava’s room, and asks how she is. Spencer says, Trina is in with her, and Victor asks if that’s why Spencer is here, for Trina. Spencer asks why Victor is here. To wait for Ava to wake up, or pray she never does? Jordan comes by and says she just spoke to a member of the Quartermaine staff who was working at the picnic. Victor says, congratulations, and Jordan says, she had something interesting to say about Spencer. Spencer asks, what? and she says, where he was at the time someone tried to kill his stepmother.

Nikolas says, they both know Elizabeth didn’t attack Ava, and Elizabeth says, someone did. He asks if she’s implying it’s him, but she says, no. Why would he go out of his way to give her an alibi? He says he cares about her. They go way back. She says, let’s not talk about that, and he says he also doesn’t want the PCPD wasting its time and energy going after her when the real criminal is out there. Finn comes back, and asks if everything is okay. Elizabeth asks, how’s his patient? and he says, good. Nikolas says, he needs to get back to Ava, and leaves. Elizabeth says, Finn could have al little empathy. Can’t he see how upset Nikolas is? He says, that guy only lets you see what he wants you to see. What does Nikolas want with her? She says, he just wants to help, and Finn says, help her, or help himself?

Carly says, why wouldn’t she want to be with Drew? and he says, he’s been asking himself the same question. He’s handsome, he’s really funny, he’s kind, and ridiculously sexy. He says he was waiting for that last one, and brushes her hair back. She says, they’ve already established effortless. He says, it is, and she says, he’s not going to make it easy on her. He says he’s not, but she says she can’t give in to him. He asks, why not? and she says she lost everything that in her mind identified her, and she hates it, but she doesn’t want to hide from it by turning to him. When she comes to him, she wants it to be for the right reasons. He says, so it’s self-definition time, huh? and she says, yep. Who is she without Sonny and Jason? She doesn’t know. It’s been since she was 22 years old, when she met them. She’s grown and changed since then, but with them by her side. So she has to try this on her own for a while. He says he looks forward to meeting whoever she turns out to be, and she says, her too. He says, but he doesn’t think that’s what’s really going on here.

On the phone, Anna says, what she’s looking for specifically is the name of the benefactor who donated the equestrian center to the school… So if they could find that for her, that would be great… As soon as possible. She thanks them, and flags down Lucy, who has walked in. Lucy keeps walking, and says, no. She doesn’t want to. Anna asks, why not? and Lucy says, every time she talks to Anna, she seems to get into more trouble. Anna asks, why? Has there been a development with Victor? Lucy says, no. It’s just, now Valentin is accusing her of throwing herself at his daddy. Anna laughs, and says, obviously, she’s gotten Victor’s attention. Lucy says, she got his attention. She got his eyeballs. She got his hands, and Anna promised her it wouldn’t go this far. She’s not doing this to Marty. Anna says, she doesn’t have to do anything, but if she cares about Marty… Lucy says, of course (🍷) she cares about Marty, and Anna says, then just keep Victor on a string, and they’ll keep Marty off the government radar, as they promised. Lucy says, for how long? and Anna says, until she’s certain what hold Victor has over Valentin. She’s getting closer. Lucy says, well, hurry up, and leaves. Anna sits back down with her phone, and Valentin watches her.

Victor asks if Jordan is accusing his great-nephew of attacking his stepmother, and Jordan says, apparently, Spencer was three sheets to the wind. He was in the bathroom getting sick at the time of the attack. Victor asks if she’s surprised. Facing 90 days in jail would drive anyone to drink, particularly since he was just looking out for a friend. She says she’d ask if Spencer saw anything suspicious near the boathouse, but given his state, he’s not reliable witness. Nikolas joins them, and Jordan says, apparently it runs in the family.

Drew tells Carly, everything she said sounds great, and obviously, she believes it. Some of it might even be true. She says, some of it? and he says, but there’s something else, something underneath it that scares her. And he’s here to tell her that she doesn’t have to be afraid of him. He kisses her, and leaves Carly alone at last with the moss bowl 🎍.

Anna is reading Budapest Crossing, when Valentin takes the book out of her hands. He says, it seems we’re not being as honest with each other as we claim to be, are we darling?

Sasha walks into the pool area, and a girl comes up to her, asking if she’s the Face of Deception. Sasha says, she is. Does she want a selfie?

Elizabeth tells Finn that Nikolas loves Ava; he would never hurt her. Finn tells her that he’s not accusing Nikolas, and she says, so he’s accusing her? He says, no, but something isn’t adding up. If Nikolas could always vouch for her whereabouts, why didn’t he just say that? More to the point, why didn’t she?

Nikolas says he’s had enough of Jordan’s so-called investigation. If she’s not accusing his friends, she’s after his son. Meanwhile, the person who tried to kill his wife is out there, roaming free. Spencer says he doesn’t need Nikolas to defend him, and Victor says, his father’s quite right. The police are doing everything but chasing the real culprit. Jordan says, maybe they’re closer than he thinks.

Trina tells Ava, she’s not alone. Her family is outside, even Spencer. They’re waiting for her to wake up. The machine starts beeping.

Tomorrow, Carly tells Bobbie, if she has something to say, just say it; Elizabeth says she hasn’t told Finn everything; and Trina calls for help.

The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills

Four days before Aspen. In the car, Dorit tells Kyle that last night was interesting, wild, and all over the place. In Kyle’s interview, she says, after the party, she and Dorit met their husbands and went to the Polo Lounge, where they continued to party and be overserved. Dorit says, LisaR is having extreme reactions, and we flash back to LisaR screeching, if you talk about her husband or kids, she’ll hunt you down. Dorit says, it’s from not having dealt with her mom’s passing; it’s a build-up. Kyle says, at her house, first LisaR was yelling, and she thought it was harsh. We flash back to LisaR losing it some more, and Kyle says, it was one extreme to the next. Kyle went from calm down to poor thing. We flash back to LisaR crying over Lois, and in her interview, Kyle says, when her mom died, she was physically ill for two years. She tells Dorit, she understands the pain, but LisaR is taking it out on one person. Dorit says, Sutton. She doesn’t want Sutton to feel like she’s being piled on. Sutton doesn’t articulate herself or make her point as good as she could. We flash back to Sutton babbling, and Erika saying, and she’s the one with a drinking problem. In Kyle’s interview, she says, sometimes Sutton says too much, but sometimes she’s too scared to speak up and rock the boat. She makes it difficult. Dorit thinks Sutton just needs helpful advice and support, not another thing coming at her.

Diana visits Garcelle, and says she’s so hung over, she’s wearing her dress backward. It’s the closest she’s been to a walk of shame. In Garcelle’s interview, she says, it’s a Team Diana fail, and in Diana’s interview, she says, she didn’t want the party to stop, and took it too far. Now she’s feeling the pain. Garcelle says, the pics Diana posted… They show a drunk faced photo of Kyle, and I die laughing. There’s another of Kathy and Diana, where Kathy has her eyes closed, and Diana says, she’s mortified about Kyle’s picture. She tells Garcelle that she’s been backing away from Sutton to see who she is. Is she malicious or misunderstood? In her interview, Garcelle says she’s still trying to figure out Diana. She didn’t start off guarded with her, but they started off rocky. Diana says, Aspen is her happy place, and tells Garcelle that she’ll be staying in a hotel. It’s for the best. She’s worried Garcelle is going to ask her to leave, and she sent in ghostbusters to cleanse the energy of the place. In her interview, Diana says, she believes things carry energy, so she brings experienced energy cleansers. We see a clip of that, and in Garcelle’s interview, she says, she likes herbs, crystals, and stuff she doesn’t really believe helps, but it works for her. She’s been places and done stuff, but does she think Diana is crazy? Absolutely. Does she want to  try it? Yes! She tells Diana that she’s a nutjob.  

LisaR brings in a box of Lois’s stuff, and tells Harry that the last one made her have a mental breakdown the other night. In LisaR’s interview, she says, something about losing a mother is very profound. It’s more painful than would have realized. She picks up a book called The Trailside Murders, and says she didn’t know there was a book about it. We flash back to Lois telling LisaR about how she was attacked by someone she worked with. LisaR says, Lois’s name is in there, but she doesn’t think she can look at it. In her interview, she says, her role model was almost killed, yet went through life with grace and compassion. Her anger is a big thing in going through the grieving process. It wasn’t expected, but she’s letting herself go through it. How is she supposed to go on? She tells Harry that her dad’s tombstone says, I did it my way, and Lois wanted hers to say, me too. She thinks that says it all. Harry says, it’s a tough climb, and she says she’s got to feel whatever it is. Her therapist asked her to look at it as, what hurts, and what hurts more? Harry thinks that’s a negative way to look at it, but she says, it takes the pressure off accepting life. It is the way it is. I would not even know where to start in pointing out how messed up her thinking is. You can absolutely grieve as you wish, but you can’t attack other people in the name of it.

Kyle and Mauricio play on a mini golf course set up in the yard. She asks if the plane is all set up for Aspen, and he says, it’s super set. There’s no way he’s not coming along under such amazing ski conditions. He’s going on the girls trip. She says, he can walk Storm, since she’s scared of bears. In Kyle’s interview, she says, growing up, Mauricio’s family had a place in Vale, but he fell in love with Aspen, and in 2019 they bought their first home there. She loves that the house isn’t big, so they don’t have space for guests. She tells Mauricio that she got a guest rental and chef for the women not staying with them, and Mauricio says, the rental is one of his favorite homes in Aspen.

Dorit packs, and gives PK the lowdown on the Aspen trip. She says, Sutton and Erika aren’t great, which is an understatement. Kathy, Erika and LisaR are staying with Kyle, but she’s cool with being in the rental house with the others. In Dorit’s interview, she says, so many people were vying for staying with Kyle, she decided to be a good friend. And she doesn’t really care where she stays. She tells PK, she knows she’s going be okay. She’s doing the work to get stronger and feel better, less jumpy. She doesn’t want to block anything. We see a clip of a therapy session, and she says she wants to go through the emotions that she has to. If she goes through them and feels them, she’ll know how to process it. PK says, her embracing and addressing them will lead to healing quicker. In her interview, Dorit says she has good days, but there are days when something triggers her, and she goes into a state of panic. We flash back to her talking about her panic attacks and lack of sleep, and she says, she thinks as time goes on with therapy, she’ll be okay. PK says he’s off to London, so don’t call and say, come and get her. She did that when she was in Mexico. She says, but he didn’t get her, and he says he knew she’d be okay. This time though, he’ll be in London, and it’s not so easy to get to Aspen. She says, he should come from Mars if she needs him.

Kyle tells Mauricio that she’s questioning whether Dorit will be okay at the other house, since she got panicked at their house here. She adds him that Garcelle and Sutton unfollowed Erika, and it sends a message. In Kyle’s interview, she says she didn’t know Garcelle had unfollowed her until she was scrolling on Instagram. It’s stupid having this conversation at their age – I wonder why she brought it up then – but if someone unfollows you, they’re making a statement. Yeah. They’re stating they don’t want to follow you anymore. Mauricio says he wants to have fun, and he’s staying out of everything.  

Everyone packs, and Garcelle calls Sheree, who shows her a bed full of wigs. Garcelle asks if a bomb went off in her house. Sheree asks if she’s ready, and Garcelle says she’s as ready as she’s going to be. At the disco party, she was hot about Erika. We flash back to Garcelle asking if Erika is calling her a liar. She tells Sheree that she doesn’t want anything to do with Erika. If Erika was on fire, she’d have no water to throw. Sheree says, at least spit on her.

One day before Aspen. Crystal calls Garcelle, and asks if she’s read TMZ about Erika. We see the article claiming Erika refuses to hand over a pair of $750K earrings, and Garcelle says, they’re talking about it on her show. She just tried to get out of it. In Garcelle’s interview, she says, does she have to say how she feels? Absolutely, but the show won’t air before the trip. She hopes they have a good time… until Erika finds out. Crystal says, they were paid from the company. It’s a lot of money, and could have paid some of the victims. (Well, maybe one.) She says, that needs to go back. Period. There’s no way Erika can think none of them know; it’s very public. In Crystal’s interview, she says she’s learned if Erika wants to share, let her, but if she doesn’t, don’t push it. We flash back to the Reunion, and Erika yelling, is she angry enough for Crystal now?

They get on the plane, and Garcelle blesses herself. In Erika’s interview, she says, Aspen is for the super elite. It’s beautiful, quaint, and luxurious. It’s for the people who have made it, and are where they want to be. She’s been to Aspen a million times. She’s flown in on her own plane. For someone who claims the money means nothing, she sure misses it. They have champagne, and Kyle says, Kathy is coming from New York. Paris said, dropping her mom off to make a connection is like leaving an infant on the curb. She tells the women that tomorrow, they can ski or snowmobile, and the next day they can go shopping. Tonight, they might be tired, so she’s having a barbecue at her house; it’s her favorite place in the world. In Kyle’s interview, she says, this trip is just what the doctor ordered. It’s impossible not to feel happy when you’re there. I’m sure these women will find a way.

They stop at the hotel to drop Diana off first, then the rest are dispersed between Kyle’s – LisaR, Erika, and of course Mauricio – and the rental house – Garcelle, Sutton, Dorit, Crystal, and Sheree. Kyle immediately finds some outdoor Christmas lights that should be down, and insists on doing it immediately. The women in the rental house go apesh*t over the elevator, and are introduced to Chef Talo. Kathy arrives at Kyle’s, and says she’s had three hours sleep in four days. She’s wearing slippers, and Kyle asks if she went to the airport in those. Kathy says she did, and Kyle asks, what if people recognize her? Like this isn’t going to be on TV. Kathy insists, they don’t, and Kyle gives her the room with bunkbeds, which her kids swear are the most comfortable beds in the house. Kyle serves lunch, and asks if Kathy is going to ski, but Kathy says her knee has been hurting her. Kyle says, Kathy goes down the slopes holding her ski poles straight out from her sides. Kathy says, when she hears people whizzing by her, she gets nervous. She puts the poles out so people are scared of her. I think that’s a great idea for the subway. In LisaR’s interview, she says she’s never seen that before. Kathy says, if she has to smack them a little, she will. I think Kathy has a little bit of a mean streak. In Diana’s interview, she says she’s the first to admit it, she’s high maintenance. She’s protecting the rest of them from herself.

Everyone gathers at Kyle’s house, and Mauricio does the cooking with Sheree as sous chef. Even though it’s freezing out, Mauricio mans the grill. In Kyle’s interview, she says she’d never put her sister Kathy in the category of it being easy for them to be together. This says how far they’ve come after all these years. We flash back to the Reunion where Kathy started crying, and Kyle says, they’ve grown close, but Kathy’s very high maintenance.

LisaR finds a Ouija board, and in Garcelle’s interview, she says, they don’t need any more spirits; they have enough. Erika and LisaR work the planchette (no surprise), and Kyle asks if they’ll be able to work out their issues and have fun on this trip. Is she kidding? LisaR obviously moves the planchette to no, and Sheree asks if Garcelle will find a soulmate. Kyle asks the Ouija board, why did Garcelle unfollow Erika on Instagram? and I wonder, what the hell is wrong with this woman? In Erika’s interview, she says, can they talk about anything else? She’s 51, not 12. Who gives a sh*t? Garcelle says, Erika called her a liar, and Erika says, that’s because Garcelle said she cared about her. Garcelle says, no. Erika said Garcelle was bringing a narrative to her drinking. Erika said, Garcelle repeated it to Dorit and Kyle. Garcelle says she also told Erika, and Erika says, when? Garcelle says, when they had drinks, which I find ironic. We flash back to Erika saying she has to watch it with the meds and the alcohol, and Garcelle says, calling her a liar was a stretch. It hurt her, and she got emotional about it, and did something about it. Kathy says, she hates the word liar. Liar, thief, and pedophile are the worst things to be called. Erika says she’s been called two out of three, and in Crystal’s interview, she says she gets liar and thief, but pedophile is a bit extreme. Garcelle says, she and Erika don’t have to be friends, and Erika says, that’s fine. It’s not all kumbaya. Garcelle says she’s good with that, and Erika says, she is too. Kyle says, Sutton also unfollowed her, and in Dorit’s interview, she says she doesn’t understand what’s going on with Kyle, but she’s noticed there’s a bit of stirring going on. Kathy says, nobody cares. They’re not that important. Kyle wants to know the intention behind it, and yells, what were they trying to say?

Sutton says, Erika called her the c-word, and we flash back to that at the Reunion. Kyle tells her, then say that’s what it is, and Sutton says, none of them cared. Kyle gets all mad, and says she was talking about being honest. She’s out. LisaR says they should talk to each other, but Kyle says she’s not dealing with lies and bullsh*t. In Sutton’s interview, she says, they’re talking about Instagram. Erika called her a name, and no one said a word. She unfollows Erika, and now they have a problem. Sutton says, no one said anything, and LisaR says, why should they? Diana says, because she is one, and Erika laughs her head off. No words from me. Not printable ones anyway. Garcelle says, that’s not okay, and in her interview, she says she doesn’t like that word. There’s never a reason to use that word, especially another woman. Diana acts like she said nothing wrong, and says, not everybody can be friends. She can’t stand Sutton, so she tries to keep space between them. It’s tough in a group. She likes Garcelle, but dislikes her best friend. Garcelle asks, why? and Diana says, the way Sutton does things is very slithery. Kyle suggests they talk like Sutton is in the room because she is. Garcelle says, nobody wants to hear that, and Diana asks if she should talk behind Sutton’s back, since she obviously doesn’t see the alternative of saying nothing. Garcelle says she gets that Diana has her feelings, and Diana wonders if Sutton has feelings. Sutton came after her when she was bleeding. She comes after people at their weakest. Why? Kyle tells Sutton to speak up for herself, and Diana says, there’s no defending it; it’s unforgivable. She got out of her deathbed to go to Garcelle’s party. Which I’m guessing is a bit of an exaggeration. She says, Sutton shamed her about it. Sutton had two miscarriages she hid. If it’s so hard to talk about, why doesn’t she understand? She knew what she was doing. In Crystal’s interview, she says, Sutton could apologize a million times, and it won’t matter. It’s asinine to go in circles like that. We flash to the Reunion where Sutton and Diana kind of made up, and Crystal says, there’s a point where you can only defend yourself so much. Diana leaves, and Garcelle says, that was not okay. In her interview, Garcelle says, she was thinking after Diana left her house, she would give Sutton a chance. This was the next chance, but with Diana, words and actions are two different things. In Kyle’s interview, she says, people get upset and emotional, but it’s not intentional. Diana is just saying what she feels. You could say she’s being mean, but Kyle respects her for being honest. Sutton cries, and Garcelle says, this is a lot.  

Next time, Housewives on the slopes; Sutton says she’d rather sit next to Erika than Diana; Crystal wishes they would give it up; and Erika says she doesn’t give a f*** about anyone but herself, and walks out.

💎 Living In Hope…

And tell her to take Erika and Diana with her.

🥯 Slowing My Roll…

Stop in tomorrow for soap and Charm. Until then, stay safe, stay aware if current events, but not obsessed by them, and stay giving people credit for going through something. It’s not always noticed.