What I Watched Today
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Well I got blindsided. I thought we were done with this.
Southern Charm – Reunion – Part 2
So who would even sleep with Shep at this point? You don’t know where it’s been.
We see everyone in their dressing rooms on break, and Taylor says that Shep has never worked, so it’s no surprise that he won’t work on a relationship. Like Kim Kardashian said, get off your ass and go to work. Apparently, she didn’t hear about all the blowback from that remark. Andy says, for the first time, he feels sorry for Shep, and Shep says he feels sorry for himself. No surprise there either. Lamar and Little visit with Leva while she eats lunch. She says she feels squished on the end of the couch, trying to sit as far away from Kathryn as possible. Kathryn says, f*** Leva. She’s going out to represent the underdog. Austen, Craig, and Venita shotgun a beer, while Madison has some other alcoholic beverage, saying, it’s the only way she’s getting through this.
When they return, Venita is under the microscope next. Andy says, she knows her way around fashion, but the same can’t be said about how she navigates her friendships. She says she’s channeling Barbie tonight, which is the new word for wearing as much pink as possible. Andy asks why there isn’t discussion about Venita’s love life, and she says she doesn’t like talking about it. The last relationship she had, he was mentally abusive, and she paid for everything. Madison says she knew him, but didn’t know about the money or she would have asked Venita if she was out of her mind. Andy asks how Venita got out, and Venita says, he cheated on her with a woman who DM’d her on Instagram. On top of it, she was 60. This really doesn’t give us a full picture, since we don’t know how old he is and what kind of 60 the other woman is. Andy says, Venita’s mom got a lot of love on Twitter, and we flash back to Vi saying she wanted to protect Venita from the drama between her and Venita’s father. Venita chokes up, and says, it was the first time her mom opened up about her dad. She mimics her mom, who will do whatever it takes present a glass house; she doesn’t share. Andy moves on to the garden party, where Venita asked if Kathryn was raising her kids to be racially insensitive. A viewer thinks it’s a valid question, but Kathryn says, that’s not how it was presented, and we flash back to that. Venita says she asked Kathryn if she raised her kids based on what she’d done in the past, and Leva says, she felt bad for Kathryn; as a mom, it was severe. But she also felt bad for Venita, since she’s not good with her presentation; it just came out. Andy says, Craig and Venita formed a bond, and Craig says he appreciated that Venita had his back when he felt ganged up on. We flash back to the dinner where Venita suggested they let Craig air his feelings, and she says she wanted him to get his feelings out. Naomie says, her feelings were hurt, and she reacted. Andy asks if they’re good now, and Naomie tells him, they said what they felt, and Venita apologized. What more can she ask for? He says, Venita and Madison’s friendship didn’t survive the season, and Madison says she was angry because Venita threw her under the bus. Venita says she did her best to apologize, and Madison says, in a text; she could have called. Venita says she tried, but Madison hung up on her. Ignoring this, Madison says she was Venita’s biggest fan, and Leva says, her too. Madison says, it came out of left field, and she would have expected it from anyone else in the group, except for Venita. Venita asks how she talked sh*t about Madison, and Madison asks if they’re watching the same show. We flash back to Venita’s interview, when she said Madison had snatched the phone out of her hand. Madison says, it was a lie, and asks if anyone is going to speak up for her. Leva says, that’s what Venita told her, and Madison says, that’s what Venita told everyone. Andy says, they’re not going to resolve this now, and asks what Venita’s biggest regret is. She says, not being more of herself, and Craig says, it’s the biggest lesson she’ll learn. Andy says, the birds, and the bees, and the 1-2-3’s, and Kathryn says, it’s easy, right?
There’s a little break, and some milling around. Andy says, everyone loves a comeback, and Naomie kept the viewers coming back for more. A viewer asks, what was worse, Naomie coming back to Charleston with her tail between her legs, or facing the cast she turned her back on? Ouch. Kathryn tells Naomie that she’d said negative things about them, and what the show is about, but Naomie says she thinks it’s more personal to Kathryn. Kathryn says, it hurt her. She reached out when Naomie’s father passed away, then Naomie posted on Instagram that Kathryn should be ashamed about spreading a rumor about Cameran. Craig says, Naomie called him, and asked if he had a problem with her coming back, but he said he was all for it. Naomie says she spoke with the people who mattered, and Kathryn wasn’t one of those people. Andy says, there was a lot of feedback about Naomie and Craig hooking up in Vegan, and we flash back to Craig telling Shep and Austin about it. Andy says, Craig was there at a bachelor party… and Naomie says she was there with friends; it was totally unrelated. Andy asks if they did the walk of shame or had breakfast in the morning, and Naomie says, they saw Leva. Craig delayed his arrival, and they thought they were being slick, but Leva knew. Andy says, what about Paige? and Craig says, it was prior to them weren’t exclusive; Paige was still seeing Andrea. Andy says, the most shocking revelation was Naomie and Whitney hooking up, and I think, oh yeah, Whitney’s not here. I don’t think he ever comes to these. Andy asks, who made the first move? and Naomie says, they had a friendly dinner. Shep says, Whitney told him that Naomie grabbed his hand, and suggested they go to another bar. Andy asks if Naomie had been hiding feelings for Whitney, and she says, there was more than what they saw on the show. Whitney had lost his dad over the summer, and they started talking. It was a slow build, and they’re still great friends, but it was never more than a friendship that turned for a moment. Craig says he thinks Whitney likes her, and Andy asks, how many times she had to sneak out of Patricia’s house. Naomie says, she wished she ran into Patricia, but Patricia sleeps late, and Naomie never saw her. Shep says, Whitney told him in private, but he kept it a secret. Whitney is frightened about his personal business being made public. Kathryn says, it hurt her that when she and Whitney had been together, he told her, don’t say anything, and got mad when she did. We flash back to that, and she says, but he was totally cool with him and Naomie being on camera. It was embarrassing, like she’s not good enough. Naomie says, it could be the Thomas of it all. Andy asks Craig what surprised him most by it, and Craig says he thought it was great. Andy says, he looked like he was bothered, and Craig says, it was absolutely shocking. Olivia reminds him that he literally said, f*** you, to Whitney, and Andy says, Craig claimed Whitney was breaking bro code. Craig says, you don’t hook up with friends’ exes, and Andy suggests maybe Craig is still in love with Naomie.
After the commercial break, Craig says he ripped his pants, and Kathryn says, he doesn’t wear underwear, but he says he does when they do stuff like this. Andy asks, what’s up with that? and Craig says he wore boxers in high school, and they were uncomfortable. I have to admit, I’ve always wondered how any man can wear a pair of loose-ish shorts under his pants and feel good about it. Andy suggests he try briefs, and Craig says, that’s what he has on now. No underwear is freeing. Andy says, that’s why they call it free-balling, and Craig says, it freaks Austen out. Andy says, it’s amazing the opinions Austen has about Craig’s privates. He asks about the pillow business, and wonders if Craig will be adding other stores after he opened one in Charleston. Craig says, they just got a deal with Kroger, and I think, pillows in a grocery store? Well, I did get my TV from Shoprite. Andy reads a tweet that says, Shep has been jealous of Craig since Craig won the bachelor auction in Season 2, and we flash back to that. Shep says, it was rigged, and Austen says, Shep just likes to give Craig sh*t. Shep says, he and Craig started on the show together, and Craig says, Shep is supportive at times, but they’ve spent months without speaking; Shep triggers him, especially if Whitney is involved. We flash back to them dragging Craig at the campfire, and Andy says, he’s never seen Craig more blackout than in St. Simons. We flash back to Craig having shots and acting like an a-hole, and Andy asks if he remembers wrestling Austen to the ground. Naomie says, Craig tried to pay the Uber driver with leaves, and I literally burst out laughing, and wish they’d gotten that on camera. Craig says, when he stopped taking Adderall, he replaced it with Jager (blech), and Andy says, he couldn’t use chardonnay? Craig says he’s trying to temper his drinking overall, and switching gears, Andy says, the narrative Craig was spreading was that Naomie was obsessed with him. Craig says, if it was Paige in the same situation, and she went to talk privately with an ex, in his head, they’d be doing inappropriate things. What is wrong with this guy? Andy says, viewers speculated that he was still in love with Naomie, and he says, Naomie can still push his buttons. Naomie says she’s doing her best not to, and Andy says, Paige convinced Craig to invite Naomie to his party. Why did he make the effort, then treat her like an afterthought? Leva says, they were just trying to get a table, and Andy asks why there was no seating chart? Craig says, he was damned if he did, and damned if he didn’t. If he’d made a chart, he’d be telling everyone where he wanted them to sit. Andy asks how not making one worked out, and Craig says, it worked for everyone except Leva and Naomie. Then Leva made the party about herself. Leva asks if she hasn’t been supportive of Craig. At the party, he went from zero to a hundred. Naomie says, half the people were sitting, and there was no space for them, and Craig says, Leva came in hot, then put his partners in an awkward spot. Kathryn says, it seemed like Leva was trying to take over, and Leva says, take over what? Andy asks if Craig can own that his behavior was terrible, and Craig says, he wishes he’d handled it better, but it is what it is. Andy says, merry Christmas, but I have no idea why.
Andy says, Leva is the mom of the group, but some wondered if she’d crossed the line from mothering to meddling. We find out she and Lamar are talking about having another baby, and see a clip from her new show, Southern Hospitality. She says, she’s the boss, so the dynamic is different, and a viewer asks where she gets off telling her friends what to do. Leva admits she’s so bossy, and Austen says, now he understand the phrase, advise to my demise. Andy asks, who’s bossier, Madison or Leva? and Madison says, they don’t want to go there, but Leva knows to leave her out of it in the future. Andy reads a tweet that asks if there’s ever been a fight Leva hasn’t inserted herself in, and Andy wonders how the garden party would have gone differently, if Leva hadn’t encourage the guests to air their differences, and Leva says, her husband always tells her to stay out of it. She genuinely thought she was being helpful in regard to Madison. Andy says, after the party, there seemed to be a split in the group, and Leva unfollowed some people. He asks for an unfollowed show of hands, and it’s nearly everyone. Leva says, she expected Austen to tell Craig that he shouldn’t speak to her that way, and the girls were snarky about it. She was offended and hurt, and didn’t want to see their faces. I totally get that.
Andy says, Little Craig’s dad was in the doghouse, and a viewer asks why Shep is allergic to birth control if he doesn’t want children. Shep has no answer for this, but says he wants kids one day. Taylor says, he’s 43, and Andy says he was 50. Shep says, he and Taylor talked about marriage and children, and Taylor says, and he failed. Why does he accept failure? Shep says he’s working on himself, and a viewer asks if Taylor thought Shep was being honest when he’d said he just had a kiss in a stairwell. Taylor says, yes, but methinks Shep’s face says, no. Austen says, Taylor called him and asked him to be straight with her, and Craig whines that they were trying to make it seem like it was okay, when everything was falling apart. Andy asks what Taylor’s parents think of Shep, especially after he called her an idiot, and she says, they still love him. Andy tells Shep, it was an egg toss, and Shep says, he’s fully aware of what he did wrong. He speaks to everybody that way. Taylor says, he degrades his parents, and the next morning, his parents are telling him they love him. Shep pretends he doesn’t know what she’s talking about, and she says, he’ll tell his parents, f*** you, and then in the morning, he’s sweet. Andy asks what Shep thought when he watched the show, but Shep says he didn’t watch it. Taylor says, he needs to watch the show so he corrects his behavior. Nobody in his life holds him accountable; name one person who does. Shep says, he’s not playing this game with her, and she says, because he can’t think of anyone. They all say, it’s just Shep. He lays the path, and they follow it, even his parents. Shep says, she doesn’t have to deal with him anymore; he set her free. Taylor says, she knows his potential. What the f*** is he doing with his life? He says he’s trying figure that out, and she says, in other women’s pants? She saw his true heart, but he looked at her as just another number. He says, that’s ridiculous, and she says, he allegedly slept with over 300 women. Why is he using women? Why did he use her? He says he didn’t, and she says, she was just the whore who stuck around the longest. Andy says, all the girls are crying, and Leva says she feels for Taylor. Taylor loves Shep, and Leva thinks Shep loves her too, but doesn’t treat her like he does. Taylor asks what he was looking for in Texas, and does he even know her name? Andy says, with all due, they’d broken up, but she says, it doesn’t matter. Shep just wants to use women to masturbate; it doesn’t matter who they are. Andy asks why she cares if it’s over, and she says she loves him. Andy asks if Shep loves Taylor, and Shep says he always will. Andy asks if he’s in love with her, and he says, not right now.
Shep mumbles that Taylor went after his mom and dad; she crossed the line. I know he doesn’t watch the show, but he is in the same room, isn’t he? Idiot. Andy asks if Shep had been feeling doubts, and Madison says, an atheist and a Bible beater; what did they expect. Shep says, their different views were definitely a sticking point, and Andy asks why he convinced Taylor to quit her job and travel with him? Shep says he wanted to show her the world, and we flash back to him presenting this idea. Andy asks if something happened on the trip that accelerated the break-up, and Shep says, they were living well in Venice. They went to a Michelin Star restaurant, and after dinner, he found Taylor crying. She said she didn’t think they saw the world in the same way, and maybe they didn’t belong together. He was gobsmacked. Taylor says she doesn’t regret their time traveling together, but when she traveled overseas before, she slept in a third-world country, on a dirt floor in a tent. It was culture shock. Shep paid for everything, and she doesn’t want him to pay her way. Andy says, it would be a lot of people’s fantasy, and Shep says, it was a testament to her. He knows people who would have ordered Dom Perignon, and not cared. And he would have normally looked for the exit as soon as they didn’t see eye to eye. Taylor says, he found his exit, and Andy asks about Shep getting caught trying to kiss an employee of Leva’s. Shep says, he doesn’t remember it, and Craig says, Shep was already drunk when he got to the bar. He saw what was going on, called Taylor, and she dragged him home. Taylor says, later, the woman DM’d her, and said he’d been hitting on her hard. Craig says, right away, he could see Shep wasn’t there, and when he tried to kiss the woman, Craig told him, sit the f*** down, and forced him into a chair. Andy asks Taylor if that was the straw that broke the camel’s back, and she says, yeah. He asks Shep if there are any misconceptions he wants to clear up, and Shep says, he hopes one day that Taylor can appreciate their time together the way he does. Andy asks if Taylor has anything she regrets holding back, and she says she loves Shep immensely. He says he loves her too, and she says she hopes he finds stability and peace. He says he hopes the same for her, and Leva cries, saying, it’s sad. Craig says, they’ve had this before, and while it was different, it’s always sad.
Andy wants to give everyone an opportunity to clear the air. He asks Kathryn, who she wants to be in a better place with when she leaves, and she says, everyone, especially Leva. He asks if Madison and Olivia can let bygones be bygones, and Madison says she’s good. Olivia says she’s good too, but Andy says he doesn’t believe it. He asks if Austen can finally congratulate Madison on her engagement, and he does, adding that he wishes her and her husband the best. I don’t believe it. Andy asks Venita what friendships she wants to work on, and she says, Leva and Madison. She hopes they can be a unit again. He asks if there’s anyone Craig wants to squash a beef with, and Craig says, he has a lot of work to do on himself, but he’d like to be able to pop in to Republic for a drink. Leva says, he can always pop in for a drink, but if he wants to pop in for a drink with her, they need to talk first. They all laugh, saying, Leva will take his money any time, and Craig says, at least it’s a step forward.
Andy says, that’s a wrap on the season, and it’s time for champagne, in coupes, a homage to Patricia. For whatever reason, an actual toast doesn’t happen, and Craig asks Leva for a hug. She says, she’s always here for a hug, and he tells her that he loves her, and he’s going to work on himself. After Craig sits back down, Andy thanks the Charmers, and tells Craig that there’s a place he can show Austen his d*ck privately…
🦆 Ducking Out…
Stop in tomorrow, before you start whatever the weekend holds for you. Hopefully for soap, but definitely for tea, words to ponder, and music to enjoy. Until then, stay safe, stay securing treasure that can’t be stolen, and stay not hooking up with your friends’ exes. Apparently, it breaks bro code.
What I Watched - TV With Theresa 