December 20, 2022 – Spencer Is Done With Nikolas (Really This Time), Goodbye Sonja, Leaving the Hospital, He Was Hooked, Lighting the Menorah, Putting Up the Tree & Wrapping

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Elizabeth says, Ava… but Ava says, there’s no need for phony small talk. It’s a bit risky, isn’t it, for a woman like Elizabeth to be in this chapel? She wouldn’t want to be struck by lightning after sneaking around with Ava’s husband. Elizabeth says she knows she owes Ava… Ava says, what? A thank you maybe? For keeping Nikolas occupied until he realized Elizabeth wanted him again? Elizabeth says she’s sorry, and Ava says, no, she’s not, but she will be.

Spencer comes inside Windymere, and checks his phone. It says no new messages, and he looks at the one from Trina that says, Welcome home.

Dex holds Josslyn, and she says she’s sorry, stepping back. He tells her, don’t be. She needed that, and it’s time she stopped denying herself what she needs.

Sam comes into the gym, and Cody says he has to talk to her. She says, he’s still here? and he says, at the gym? She says, no, Port Charles. She thought he was leaving town. He says he was going to, but Dante convinced him to stay, and Sam says, that’s because when Dante sees Cody, he sees his childhood friend; but when she sees him, she sees him as a bully and a con artist. She didn’t get a lot of sleep last night, so… He says he heard about the cop that got killed. How’s Dante handling it? She says she couldn’t say, and he tells her, look, he knows she wants him out of her life, but just answer one thing. Bully or not, Dante’s his friend and he’s worried. She says she can’t tell him how Dante is because she doesn’t know. She hasn’t seen him since yesterday.

At the hospital, Dante tells TJ that he needs to get Rory’s medical records, reports, anything that could help them catch his killer. TJ asks if he’ll still be here in a few minutes, and Dante says he will be. TJ says he’s hoping Dante can help him with something, and leaves. Mac comes in, and says, Dante looks like hell. Dante thanks him, and says he appreciates that. Did he talk to Rory’s mom? Mac says he told her that Rory’s body would be released as soon as possible. He has the autopsy report, and they found snake venom in Rory’s blood. Dante says, let him guess; the same toxin that was found in Diane, Brando, and Oz Haggerty. Looks like they’ve got a serial killer on their hands.

Drew asks Denise if he can trust everything she recalls, and she says, excuse me? He says, the stakes are high. He doesn’t have time for games. He checked out her story, the one that was identical to Harmony’s, and she didn’t tell him the truth about Willow’s mother. Carly walks in, and Drew says, every word out of Denise’s mouth has been a lie. She says, he’s calling her a liar? and he says, yeah, because she lied, and he needs to know why. What is she covering up? Who is she trying to protect? Denise glances at Carly, and Nina and Carly lock eyes.

Josslyn says, she’s good now. Dex can go. He says he’s under orders to stay with her, and she says, Sonny is his boss, not hers. He says he’s not leaving until Steve gets here, and her phone dings. She looks at a text from Cameron that says: Checking in – How u doing? She tells Dex to suit himself.

Ava says, it looks like St. Elizabeth has finally shown her true colors. Not only was she screwing Nikolas behind Ava’s back, she was screwing him behind Finn’s. She ran into Finn the other night, and he seemed a little off. Now she has to wonder, does he suspect? Does he know? Maybe she’ll ask him. Elizabeth says, he knows; she told him. Ava says, of course (🍷) she did. It’s best to get right out in front of it, isn’t it? Saying she’s sorry, telling him it will never happen again. Does Elizabeth plan on keeping Nikolas and Finn on their respective leashes? Not that she cares. She doesn’t care at all what happens between Elizabeth and Finn; although he seems like a decent guy. Finn probably deserves better, but if Elizabeth thinks she’s holding on to Nikolas, that is not going to happen. Elizabeth says, no. She and Nikolas have no future. Ava says she knows this one by heart. Elizabeth and Nikolas turn to each other when they’re both feeling lost and confused, and in so much pain. Let her tell Elizabeth something. Neither one of them knows what real pain is, so take cover. Not only will Elizabeth lose everything she cost Ava, by the time Ava is done, she’ll have lost so much more.

Cody says, Sam hasn’t heard from Dante since that cop was killed? but she says, he called and texted her last night to say he was going to be okay. He wanted her to tell the kids he was going to be okay. She could practically feel all of Dante’s feelings bottled up. She gets it. It’s really tough when you lose one of your own. Cody says he guesses Dante is doing his whole don’t worry about me I’ll be fine thing. He can’t say he’s all that surprised. Sam asks what he’s talking about, and Cody says, he’s always the first to step up when someone else needs help, but the last to ask when he needs it. One time he broke his arm at camp, and ended up being the one to console Mama Q, not the other way around. Dante has always been the strong, silent type. She says, no. One of the things she loves most about Dante is how open he is, and how willing he is to talk things out. Cody says, that’s good. It’s great, but new. She says, they don’t keep things from each other. That’s how she knows, whatever Dante is going through, it’s bad.

Dante looks in a folder, and tells Mac, there’s got to be something that will help them figure out where Esme is holed up, but Mac says, all they have is the earring Elizabeth found on Rory. Mac’s phone rings, and he steps away. He asks what he can do for Cody, and Cody says, sorry to bug him, but he still had Mac’s number in his phone from when Mac thought Cody was his son. Mac asks, what’s up? and Cody says he was hoping Mac knew where Dante was. Mac says he’s standing with Dante right now; why? Cody says, he’s with Sam at Volonino’s, and she’s worried because Dante didn’t come home last night. Mac says, thanks. On it.

Nina asks Phyllis, where was I? and Phyllis tells her, she was saying she had nothing to prove. Right before she got into that stare-down with Carly. Nina tells Phyllis, she was saying, she’s accepted the fact that her past is her past, and she’s done apologizing for it. From now on, she’s just looking toward the future. Phyllis says she’s glad to hear it.

Carly gets a text from Michael asking for a raincheck on lunch, and apologizing. At the table, Denise says, Drew came looking for her. It’s not her fault if he doesn’t like what she has to say. He says he doesn’t like it because it’s not the truth. So, one more time… She says she doesn’t have to take this, and gets up, but Carly jets over to the table, and asks, what’s going on? Drew introduces Denise, and Carly flashes back to telling Denise that she can’t believe it’s come to this, but it’s for the best. This friend of hers and Drew’s can’t find out who her birth mother is. It will cause her a world of pain. Carly remembers Denise asking if Carly is trying to justify it to herself, because she doesn’t care about the reasons, as long as Carly’s check clears. In the present, Carly holds out her hand, and says, it’s nice to meet Denise. Denise ignores Carly’s hand, and tells her, if you say so. Carly sits down, and Drew says, Denise was a member of the Friends of Peace and Love commune; that’s when she knew Harmony. Of course (🍷) then Harmony went by her given name. Carly says, Lorraine, right? and Drew says, exactly. He asked Denise how Harmony ended up raising Willow. Denise says, she told him, but Drew says, she told him a story, and that story doesn’t add up. He did a little digging, and he found out the woman that Denise claims is Willow’s mom, poor Joan, doesn’t exist. She lied. And she’s not leaving here until she tells him why.

Nikolas comes home, and sits on the sofa, when Spencer walks in. Nikolas says he wants to talk to him, and Spencer says, about Esme?

Phyllis asks Nina, what happened to the happy-go-lucky woman she was just talking to? and Nina says, she’s still in there. It’s just that she’s mentally preparing herself for Carly to come down on her again. Phyllis asks if Nina didn’t just say she was done apologizing for her past, and Nina says, her past, yes, but her present is a different story. Phyllis asks, what happened? and Nina says she got into another fight with Willow. Phyllis says she’s sure Nina had a good reason, and Nina says she certainly thought so at the time. Willow’s pregnant… Phyllis says she heard, and Nina says, the argument upset her so much, she fainted. Fortunately, Carly was there. Phyllis says she never thought she’d see the day Nina was thankful for Carly’s presence, and Nina says she didn’t know what to do; she just froze. Carly didn’t hesitate, and they both came together and helped Willow, and thank God she’s going to be okay. Phyllis says she knows Nina and Willow have had their differences, but she knows Nina doesn’t wish her any harm. Nina says, of course (🍷), even Carly admitted that, and Phyllis says, wonders never cease. Nina says she feels terrible about it though. She never knew Willow was having such a rough pregnancy.

Carly tells Drew that she thinks Denise had her reasons. Maybe she was trying to protect Harmony… Lorraine, or something. Denise says, Lorraine was her friend. It was a long time ago, but still. Carly says she also thinks it’s important to remember Lorraine is gone, so tell them the truth, and Carly will make it worth her while. Denise says, all right. Drew’s got her. There was no Joan. Lorraine and Doug already had the baby with them when they joined the commune.

TJ gives Dante an envelope, and says, these are the rest of Rory’s personal effects. He asks if Dante will see that Rory’s mother gets them, and Dante says he’ll take care of it. TJ says he didn’t know Rory well, but he seemed like a good guy, and Mac says, he was, and a good cop.  TJ says he hopes they catch this psycho soon, and Dante says, that’s the plan. TJ leaves, and Mac suggests Dante go home and get some rest, but Dante says he figured he’d go back to the crime scene. Mac says, Dante is off-duty; that’s an order. Dante says he’s too wired to sleep, and Mac says he’s taking Dante to the gym. A workout will do him good. He hustles Dante out of the hospital

Ava tells Elizabeth, nothing to say? No lame excuses for betraying Finn, for jumping into bed with Nikolas? At least she wasn’t married to his brother this time. Why is Elizabeth even here? Seeking solace, guidance from above, absolution? Ava lights a candle, and Elizabeth tells her, all she can say is, she made terrible mistakes and has to live with what she’s done. Ava says, give me a break Mary Magdalene, and Elizabeth says she should go. Ava says, no one is going to buy this noble martyr act, and she won’t be made the bad guy. For once, she’s done nothing wrong. If Elizabeth thinks she can tear Ava’s life apart, shed a few crocodile tears… Elizabeth tells her, shut up. Not everything is about her.

Josslyn says, just because Dex is standing guard doesn’t mean he actually has to stand while he’s guarding her, but he says he’s fine. She says she thought he was mad at her after what happened at Kelly’s, and he says, maybe he was. Did she think she needed to defend him from Spencer Cassadine? She says, Spencer did knock him flat, and he says, with a sucker punch. Should he have fought back? She says she’s glad he didn’t. Spencer is an idiot and a total jerk, but he’s been through a lot. Giving him a beatdown wouldn’t have proven anything. He says, it would have proven he can defend himself, and she says, for future reference, she doesn’t care what Spencer thinks. He says, what about what Cam thinks? He’s sorry. She says, for what? and he says, causing problems between them.

Sam tells Cody, stop it, and he says, stop what? She says, he’s lurking, and he says he was just doing some curls. She says, he’s stalling. Why is he even here? He says, that, and she turns to see Mac and Dante walk in. Dante says, Sam is here, and Mac says, what an amazing coincidence. Dante says he’s guessing Cody dropped the dime, and Cody asks if Dante is calling him a rat. Sam and Dante hug, and Dante says, sorry he didn’t call Sam. Mac gives Cody a thumbs up.

Phyllis comes back to the bar, and tells Nina, sorry about that. The audio system went down, but don’t worry, she fixed it. Nina stirs her coffee, and Phyllis says, she seems preoccupied again. More Carly? Nina says, who? Actually, she was thinking about how happy she was when she found out she was pregnant. She and Silas were going to be new parents, and she was overjoyed. Of course (🍷) she was a nervous young mother, but she really wanted that baby. She and Silas were having problems. He was cheating on her… with Ava actually. Phyllis says, now they’re best friends, and Nina says, life is funny. She thought her baby would save their marriage, and maybe it would have, but thanks to her mother, she never got to experience the one time she would or could ever have a baby. She will never forgive Madeline for robbing her of a life with her daughter.

Drew says, so Lorraine and Doug had the baby with them when they arrived at the commune? But they know Harmony wasn’t Willow’s birth mother; a DNA test proved that. Did they claim Willow was theirs? Denise says, Lorraine told everyone that her friend Joan had given her the baby to raise, but that was before they joined the commune, and Carly says, so Denise never met Willow’s biological mother. Denise says, no, and Drew asks, why did she lie? Denise says, like she told him, Lorraine was her friend, and she wanted to protect her, and whoever that baby grew up to be. Drew asks what she means by protect, and Denise says she always got the sense Lorraine was running from something… or someone.

Nikolas says, about Esme? and Spencer says, Esme killed Rory Cabrera. Nikolas says he heard an officer was attacked, and Spencer says, killed. Nikolas asks if that wasn’t the young man Trina was seeing, and Spencer says, he was. He was with Trina at Kelly’s when she found out Rory had been attacked. Joss and Cam were there too, and they all went to GH together, and Trina got to sit with Rory as he coded, or flatlined, or whatever they call it. She’s devastated. Nikolas asks how Spencer is feeling, and Spencer says, he barely knew Rory. Nikolas says, but he cares about Trina, and Spencer says, yes. He wants to be there for Trina, but he’s the last person who should be. So he’s relegated to standing by helpless, or staying away altogether, because he’s literally useless in this situation. There’s nothing he can do. Nikolas says he’d think Trina would want all the support her friends can give her, and Spencer says, even the so-called friend who brought Esme to town in the first place? Nikolas says, Spencer’s not responsible for Esme’s actions, and Spencer tells him, that’s exactly what grandmother said, so it must be true if they agree. Nikolas says, Laura tried calling him; it must have been about Officer Cabrera. Spencer says, Nikolas will have to ask her, and Nikolas says he’s glad she was there for Spencer. Spencer says he hopes they find Esme, and Nikolas says, there’s something else Spencer needs to know. He’s served Ava with divorce papers. Spencer says, which means a reconciliation around the corner, but Nikolas says, not this time. Spencer asks, why not? and Nikolas says, things happened. Spencer says, things? That does sound irreparable. Don’t tell him that Nikolas has finally seen Ava for the toxic opportunist she is. Nikolas tells him, don’t talk about Ava that way, and Spencer says, still defending her he sees. So it’s not really over, is it? Nikolas says, it is, but not because he doesn’t love her. He was unfaithful. Spencer says he knows; with Esme. The less they say about that, the better. Nikolas says, he was with someone else, and Spencer says, great. Whose girlfriend did Nikolas bang this time? He has no siblings, so Nikolas had to branch out. Who’s the lucky lady? Nikolas says, Elizabeth.

Ava says her husband cheated on her with Elizabeth. Damn right it’s about her. Elizabeth says, Ava left Nikolas months ago, and Ava says, so what; she leaves Nikolas all the time. And like an idiot, she always comes back. She supposes she should thank Elizabeth for snapping her out of it. Elizabeth says she didn’t do this to hurt Ava, and Ava says, this what? Cheap affair? Tawdry hook-up? She hopes Elizabeth doesn’t think it’s any more than that, that she’s special somehow. She wasn’t even Nikolas’s first choice. That honor goes to his son’s girlfriend Esme. Elizabeth says, Nikolas told her about that, and Ava says, so Nikolas lied to her, and told Elizabeth the truth, and she jumped into bed with him anyway. So now does Elizabeth think she and Nikolas are going to have some kind of happily ever after? That she can forget about all the pain she’s caused people, and move on; her, Nikolas, and their brand new baby? Elizabeth says, there’s not going to be a baby.

Josslyn says, Dex hasn’t caused problems for her and Cam, and he says, glad to hear it. She says, the problem is her. She’s been putting off a conversation that she has to have with Cameron. She’s been hiding, which makes her a coward, which she hates, but it has nothing to do with Dex. His phone dings, and he says, Steve’s here. She says, good; Dex can go. Please tell Steve to wait outside. She doesn’t want any of Sonny’s people in her house. He says, one question. Is she sorry they kissed? She doesn’t say anything, and he says, yeah, him neither, and leaves.

Phyllis says she thought Nina was focusing on her future, and Nina says, that’s easier said than done. Meanwhile, back to the present. Why doesn’t Phyllis distract her by telling her about this hunky guy she’s been texting?

Denise says she’s sorry she lied. Drew clearly cares about Lorraine’s daughter, but her advice, not that he asked, don’t go digging into Lorraine’s past. Whatever she was running from, whatever trouble she was in, she was afraid of it. She didn’t show it often, but she also didn’t stay in one place for very long. Maybe she was restless, but Denise thinks it was something more. All she’s saying is, Willow sounds like she has a good life now. Denise gets up and gathers her things, and says, maybe she should keep looking forward instead of looking back. She leaves, and Carly says, she left her gloves, and follows. Outside, she gives Denise her gloves, along with some cash, and says, thanks for not ratting her out. Denise tells Carly that she’d like to say, it was a pleasure doing business with her, but she just wants to go home. It was stupid of her to get mixed up with this in the first place. Carly says she understands. Question. Was she telling the truth to Drew? Was Lorraine really running from someone? Denise says, she was jumpy around strangers; always seemed to be looking over her shoulder.

Mac thanks Cody for calling, and says he’s sure Sam and Dante are better now. Cody says, bringing people together is what he does, and Mac says, he did a good thing. Cody says, what about Mac? Sam was talking about how hard it is for cops to lose someone in the line of duty. Mac says he’s been here before. Unfortunately, it doesn’t get any easier. He just can’t help thinking about the future Rory would have had. All the things he could have done with his life if he hadn’t gone to that apartment alone. It’s such a waste. Cody says, it’s crazy that one bad decision can change your whole life.

Spencer says, Elizabeth who? Do not tell him that Nikolas means Cameron’s mother. Nikolas says he does, and Spencer says, my God, she’s practically family. Does Cameron know? Nikolas says he’s not sure. He doesn’t think so. Spencer says, how did this… Why? Nikolas says, they were both having a hard time, and Spencer says, Nikolas was having a hard time; she was having a full-blown crisis. She checked herself into rehab because the sleeping pills she was on were making her think crazy things. Cam’s been worried sick about her for months, and what? Nikolas saw that she was vulnerable, distressed, in pain, confused, and he thought there was no way she’d turn him down? He’s disgusting. Nikolas says, it’s been a long time since Elizabeth came back from the hospital. They’re both consenting adults. Spencer says, no. She was obviously unraveling, and that’s why she turned to Nikolas, and he took advantage of their friendship. How are he and Cameron supposed to look at each other after he’s done this? Nikolas says he wouldn’t be telling Spencer this if it was a one-time indiscretion. He and Elizabeth have been seeing each other. Spencer says, after Esme, he didn’t know that he could think less of Nikolas. Turns out he can.

Ava ask what Elizabeth means by no baby, and Elizabeth says she’s no longer pregnant. Ava asks if Nikolas knows, and Elizabeth says, not yet. Ava says she’s so sorry for Elizabeth’s loss. She should go, but a word to the wise. If Elizabeth is expecting Nikolas to comfort her, forget it. That man only cares about himself. She strides out, closing the door behind her.

Spencer says, a man who would use a woman’s emotional problems to move in on her… Nikolas says, that’s not what happened, but Spencer says, that’s exactly what happened. And the fact Nikolas can’t see that makes it all worse. To think he almost bought in on Uncle Victor’s garbage about their being strength in family. There is no strength. There is no family. Nikolas has proven time and time again that this family is unsalvageable. He’s said it before, and he’ll say it again, he’s done with Nikolas. This is over. The sad part was that he bought into the fairytale that grandmother’s influence saved Nikolas. But she was too late because Nikolas was already a Cassadine through and through by the time she came into his life. Nikolas says, his mother made him a better person, and Spencer says, he was worse than this before? Nikolas says he has reasons, but Spencer says he doesn’t care. The second his sentence is over, and he’s free to live where he pleases, he’s out of here.

Drew asks Phyllis, when she was in New York, does she ever remember Lorraine talking about a baby, or a friend who was pregnant? Carly comes back in, and Phyllis says, not that she recalls. Carly and Drew both go back to their table, and Carly asks, what was that all about? He says, Phyllis was Nina’s nurse when she was in a coma, and Harmony worked in the same building, and they knew each other. Carly says she thinks she remembers Phyllis telling her that, and he says, if Harmony and Doug had the baby before they arrived at the commune, that changes everything.

In the chapel, Elizabeth asks, what is she doing? Her parents finally told her the truth about Reiko’s fall, and how they tried to make her forget what she’d done. The truth is supposed to set her free; why does it feel like a stone around her neck? But it’s not the truth that’s the problem; it’s her and the choices she’s made. She’s just tearing her life down, piece by piece, brick by brick. She lost Finn and helped Nikolas keep a pregnant woman captive because she thought she was keeping everybody else from getting hurt. But now that cop is dead, and they know Esme can’t be the killer. This isn’t her. She’s a good person, isn’t she?… Isn’t she?

Spencer says, no matter what Uncle Victor wants, he can’t be around Nikolas, so steer clear of him. He has his own money now. He’s going to get his own place, preferably as far away from Nikolas and here as possible. Nikolas says he’s so sorry he disappointed Spencer again, and Spencer says, there really is no bottom for Nikolas to hit, is there? He feels sorry for Nikolas, but there’s one good thing about this, and it’s that he’s more determined than ever to be a better man than Nikolas. Nikolas says, he will be. Spencer’s already his own man. He’s so proud of him. Spencer says, stop, and Nikolas says he knows they’re done… Nikolas’s phone rings, and he looks at it but doesn’t answer. He tells Spencer, just know that he loves him and believes in him. Spencer walks out, and Nikolas answers the phone. Elizabeth says she just had it out with Ava, and he asks, how did it go? She says she told Ava there was no baby; let Ava believe she had a miscarriage. Anyway, it’s done. No more fake baby. Now she just has to fix the million other mistakes she’s made. He says he knows this is hard, but they’ve made their choices, and there’s no going back.

Nina runs into Ava, and says she was just about to call and check in, after what Ava told her about Elizabeth and Nikolas. Ava says, coincidentally, she just ran into Elizabeth, and Nina asks if she let Elizabeth have it. Ava says, she started to, then Elizabeth told her that she lost the baby. Nina says she hates them for what they did to Ava, but still… Ava says she knows. As much as she wants to let Nikolas have it – and she really does want to let him have it – can she really go after him when he just lost a child?

Mac says he’s going to head out, and Cody says, him too, after he takes a shower. Don’t worry. Mac says, about? and Cody says he won’t keep bugging Mac. In fact, he’ll delete Mac’s number right now. Mac tells him, no; keep it. Feel free to use it if he’s ever in a jam. It’s his job. Protect and serve. Cody says, see you later, Chief, and Mac leaves.  

Josslyn remembers Dex asking if she’s sorry they kissed, and saying, him neither. She flashes back to telling Dex, try being honest, and Dex saying, she wants honest? then kissing her. She sits on the sofa, and screams into a pillow, then sighs.

Drew tells Carly, Harmony had Willow when she arrived in Colorado, and Denise thought Harmony was running from something or someone. What if Harmony stole Willow from her parents? Carly asks if he thinks Harmony kidnapped Willow, and he says, if Denise is telling the truth, it sounds like Harmony thought someone was trying to track her down. Carly asks where that leaves them, and taking her hand, Drew says, either way, they know the story about Joan’s OD is a lie. Which means it’s possible someone is out there wondering what happened to their little girl.

Tomorrow, Maxie says, fate brought her and Austin together, and he says, they’re not meant to be; Dante has some news for Chase that he doesn’t think can wait; and Michael and Willow have something to tell Wiley.

🥀 So Sad…

I loved her on GH, and always wanted her to have more storyline. I hope we find out that Epiphany passed the MCATs.

https://people.com/tv/general-hospital-actress-sonya-eddy-dead-at-55/

👎 Voted Off Spoon Island…

Nikolas will be bidding GH adieu at the end of January.

👮‍♂️ Already Old News…

Rory, we hardly knew ye.

🎊 Spinning the Dreidel…

How celebrities are enjoying their Hanukkahs this year.

https://people.com/celebrity/hanukkah-2022-see-how-stars-are-celebrating/

🎄 Fahoo Forays, Dahoo Dorays…

Celebrities. They’re not just like us this time. Or at least not just like me.

https://www.buzzfeed.com/chelseastewart/celebrity-christmas-trees-2022

There’s even a Grinch tree.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/entertainment/entertainment-celebrity/here-are-some-of-the-best-celebrity-christmas-trees-of-2022-from-the-classics-to-the-wonderfully-weird/ar-AA15qfFb?li=BBnb2gh

🔔 Rocking Those Jingle Bells…

Take a break here tomorrow for some soap, tea, and perhaps a dash of holiday magic. Okay, maybe not so magical, but holiday. Until then, stay safe, stay taking a deep breath and counting to ten, and stay not apologizing for your past. Just look toward the future.

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