Monthly Archives: December 2022

Dec17

December 16, 2022 – Spencer Says Things Have Changed, Open, Preparing, Miami Takeaways, Unfriended, Ultimately, Inspired, Who Are These People, Pink Pug, Quotes Of an Even Number & Drummer Boy

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Trina runs to Rory, crying, and saying she’s so sorry. He removes his oxygen mask, and says, it was too soon… to tell you how I feel… I’m not sorry… When you know, you know. He flatlines, and the doctors wheel him into the nearest examining room. They use the defibrillator, and Josslyn hugs Trina.

Nikolas sees Laura at the docks, and she says she was just riding over to the island; now they can ride together. He hugs her, and she asks if something’s wrong. He says he just wishes she would have called first, but she says, there is something wrong. Talk to her. What’s going on? He flashes back to Ava asking him, what’s going on? and telling her that Elizabeth is having his child. Laura says, he looks like he lost his best friend.

At the gallery, Ava queues up Nikolas’s confession on her laptop, and makes a call. She tells them, don’t talk; just listen. She presses play, and puts the phone by the speaker. Does she have their attention?… Good. Then come to the gallery right now.

Zaanse Schans, Netherlands. Holed up in a windmill, Anna and Valentin tend a fireplace. Anna says, she burned herself, and she’s seriously not okay. They’ve been on the run since they escaped from Ireland, and what do they have to show for it? Nothing. They have no evidence that Lucy is alive. Even if she was, they wouldn’t know where to find her. She worries that they’ll never get back to the people who love them. He looks at her finger, and says, could have been worse. He could have burned his finger. She says he’s ridiculous, and he puts his arms around her from behind, saying, things can only go up from here, and they kiss.

Cameron tells Trina that his mom and Finn are the best at what they do. They’re going to do everything they can to make sure that Rory… Trina jumps up, and yells, no, no, no! She can’t just wait here. Why haven’t they told her that he’s going to be okay? Cameron grabs her, and says, they’re in there right now working on Rory. That means there’s still hope. She says, they have to save him. They have to. He and Josslyn hold Trina as she sobs.

Nikolas suggests he and Laura go someplace quiet. She can forget she’s the mayor for five minutes, and he can forget he’s a Cassadine. She says, they’ll have plenty of time to talk on the way over. Besides, she really wants to check on Spencer. He says, she can’t, and she says, she can’t see her grandson? He says he just meant Spencer’s not at Windymere right now. She says, then she’ll ask him. How was it that Spencer was able to get out of Pentenville three weeks early? He says, would she believe good behavior? and she says, no, she wouldn’t. What really happened? Who was pulling strings with that? He says he’ll give her three guesses, but he bets she can figure it out in one.

Ava sips a martini, when she hears someone come in. She says, you’re late, and Victor says he came as soon as she called. And for future reference, he doesn’t like being summoned. She says, what he calls being summoned, she calls doing him a favor. Would he care to join her for a drink? She holds out a martini, and he says, given her current mood, he’s not sure he should, but she says, not to worry. Seven parts vodka, one part vermouth; not a drop of arsenic. He says, in that case – he takes the martini – what’s the occasion? To what are we drinking? She says, his wish has finally come true. Her marriage to Nikolas is over. He’s divorcing her. She clinks her glass against Victor’s.

Curtis says, Trina knows what a good doctor her mom is; the same with Dr. Finn. He can promise they’re doing everything in their power to save Rory. She says she knows, but the last thing he said to her, and she didn’t say back to him… Josslyn folds Trina in her arms, and Portia comes out. Josslyn asks if there’s an update, and Portia tells Trina that she’s so sorry. Trina shakes her head, and Portia says again, she’s so sorry. Trina keeps repeating, no, and collapses in her mother’s arms.

In the examining room, Elizabeth tells Finn that he and Portia did everything they could. He says, it just wasn’t enough, and Elizabeth starts to put Rory’s personal effects in a manila envelope. She finds an earring and stops.

Josslyn asks if she can talk to Dante about something, and he says, sure. She asks if Rory was attacked because of his connection to Trina, or was he just in the wrong place at the wrong time? He says he doesn’t know, and I wonder what the blip happened with the other dead guy, who was apparently also a Hook victim. Dante says, it’s too soon, but she says, it fits the pattern. Everybody who’s been attacked, except for Brando, has some connection to Trina. She and Rory were dating. He says, all he can tell her is, they’re chasing down every lead, and he promises they’re going to catch this killer.

Cameron says he can’t believe this, and Spencer says, Rory had so much to live for.

Trina says she wants to see him, but Portia says, Trina doesn’t want that to be her last image of Rory. Curtis says, besides, this has now become a criminal investigation, and Trina says, she just wants to say goodbye. She promises she won’t touch anything. Jordan says she understands. Dante will go with her. Dante says, of course (🍷), and they go in.

Laura tells Nikolas, what she doesn’t understand is, Victor already had Spencer’s loyalty. Why would he need to get Spencer out of jail three weeks early? Nikolas says, things have only gotten worse between him and Spencer, and Victor stepped in. He thinks if the three of them live under the same roof at Windymere, it will improve family relations. Laura says, when she visited Spencer in Pentenville, he did let on that things were a lot worse between the two of them, but he wouldn’t tell her why. She told Spencer that he should talk with Nikolas, but Nikolas says, it’s not that easy. She asks, why? and he says he betrayed all the people he loves the most.

Ava asks why Victor isn’t toasting her divorce. Isn’t this what he’s been angling for all along? He says he can’t pretend he’s not relieved the two of them have finally come to their senses, and she says, he implied that Nikolas was ready to move on from her, and she didn’t believe him. Turns out, he was right. Does he know the gory details? He says he knows Nikolas slept with Esme, but she says she’s not talking about Esme. She’s talking about Elizabeth Baldwin. Victor says, what about her? and Ava says, Nikolas has been having sex with her for some time. He says he always suspected as much, but he wasn’t sure, and Ava asks if Victor also suspected Elizabeth is carrying Nikolas’s child.

Anna and Valentin kiss, and she says, they’re not going to be able to solve everything with romance. He says he thinks it’s worth a shot, and she says, her too. She feels they owe it to Marty to try to find Lucy. He practically sacrificed himself to get them away from Whitten. Valentin says, but they’re not going to find her tonight, are they? He found a perfectly acceptable case of Chateau Marmot in the cellar, and in the pantry, all the ingredients he needs to make his famous Beef Bourguignon. She asks if it’s world famous, and he says, Charlotte likes it. She asks what he thinks he’s going to whip up for dessert, and he says, crème brûlée, crêpes suzette, cherries jubilee? She says, why not just go to bed? and they kiss.

Elizabeth says she’s so sorry for Trina’s loss, and Trina says she knows they tried. Finn says he wishes they could have done more, and Elizabeth shows her the earring, saying, she found this in Rory’s pocket. Is it hers? Trina shakes her head, and Dante takes out a plastic bag. Elizabeth puts the earring in it, and Trina goes over to Rory’s body. She says she’s glad she got to know him. She’s sorry she couldn’t say the things that came so easily for him… and now there’s no time to say them.

Curtis says, Jordan is thinking about Nathan, and she says, at a time like this, she can’t help but remember all the officers they’ve lost over the years. He says, if she wants to talk about it, he’s here to listen, and she says, thanks, but she needs to call Rory’s parents. She leaves, and Portia joins Curtis. He asks, how’s Trina? and pulls her close. Trina comes out, and Portia goes to her and hugs her. She asks if Trina is ready to go home, but Trina shakes her head. She says she just needs to be alone, and walks off.

Trina goes into the chapel, and alternates crying with deep breaths. She looks at the cross, and says, why? All he wanted to do was help people. His heart was so big. Why did You take him? She doesn’t get it. She sits down, and cries.

Cameron asks if Josslyn wants to go someplace private to talk, but she says she’s sorry; Trina needs her. She leaves, and Spencer asks if Cameron is okay.

Laura says, when Nikolas tells her he betrayed those he loves, was he referring to him cheating on Ava, or something else? Laura’s phone rings, and it’s Jordan. Laura says, oh my God. That’s horrible… Okay. She’ll head over to GH. Nikolas asks, what happened? and Laura says, the PCPD lost a good man in the line of duty. She has to go to General Hospital now. Whatever is going on at Windymere, just promise her that he won’t forget what matters the most. He says, yeah, and she promises it will be all right. She tells him that she loves him, and leaves.

Victor asks if Ava is sure. Elizabeth Baldwin is pregnant with Nikolas’s baby? She says, apparently, Victor underestimated his nephew. He didn’t just move on from her; he’s starting a whole new family. Victor says he can only imagine how she must feel. If Nikolas is capable of jumping from her bed to Esme’s to Elizabeth, her marriage was doomed before it even began. The sooner she puts this ugly incident behind her, the better. She says, he’s all heart. Now moving forward, they both know a divorce can happen quick and easy, or slow and bloody. He may have Nikolas’s written confession, but she has this. She plays Nikolas’s confession on the laptop, and says she knows how much Victor values his family name, and if he thinks that video won’t come out in court, think again.

On the phone, Jordan says, she thought their son was exceptional. She’s so incredibly sorry for their loss. Dante asks how she’s doing, and she says, not great. She just got done breaking the news to Rory’s parent; they are understandably hysterical. He says he might have gotten a lead. He shows her the earring, and says, it was in Rory’s pocket. Elizabeth asked if it was Trina’s and she said no. Jordan tells Portia, Finn, and Elizabeth that she needs to speak with them. Finn asks what she’s thinking, and Jordan says she spoke to the lab, pending a post mortem, they ran Rory’s bloodwork. They found traces of snake venom. Dante says, which means, potentially, Esme is at it again, but Elizabeth says, that’s impossible, and Jordan asks why she thinks Esme isn’t The Hook killer. Elizabeth says, she just doesn’t, and calls Cameron over. She says, Cameron doesn’t think so either. Cameron says, that’s true, and Spencer says, Cameron said Esme struggled with his mother, but that doesn’t remotely prove Esme stabbed and killed a bunch of people. Curtis says, Cameron’s not the only one who thinks that, and Elizabeth says, Esme had a chance to kill her, and didn’t. Doesn’t that mean she might not be the killer? Laura arrives, and hugs Jordan, saying, she’s so sorry. Jordan says, Officer Cabrera was only a rookie, but he was well-respected. She saw a long, bright future ahead for him. Laura says, it’s just awful. Elizabeth asks if Laura has spoken to Nikolas, and Laura says, she just left him at the pier; he was headed to Windymere. Why does she ask? Elizabeth says, excuse her. She has something to take care of. She wants Cameron to make sure he gets home safe, and Laura says she’ll make sure. Cameron asks, what’s going on? and Elizabeth says, she’ll talk to him when she gets back.

Victor says, getting Nikolas to confess on tape must have seemed like a winning strategy to Ava at the time. But if she were to show this evidence to the court now, he doubts she’d get the closure she’s looking for. She says, Nikolas confessed to a murder. What judge wouldn’t be affected by that? He says, unfortunately for her, Elizabeth saw Esme alive and well after that. Granted, no one knows where she is right now, but according to Ava’s timeline, Nikolas confessed to killing someone who’s not actually dead. Which raises a whole host of questions. Namely, why did Nikolas confess to a crime he didn’t commit? The obvious answer is that he was trying to protect her, and that she had tried to kill Esme. Ava says, she and Esme were struggling over a letter, and Esme did a little flip off the parapet. She had nothing to do with it; it was an accident. He says, when the court finds out moments before that struggle, Ava found out Esme had sex with her husband, who’s going to believe it was an accident? She says, if she opens Pandora’s box, who knows what might come out? If he wants to risk the spotlight being shown on his duplicitous family… He says he’ll bite. What does she want? She shows him the papers, and says, this is what Nikolas offered as a settlement. He says, very generous, but she says, in her opinion, not nearly generous enough. If he wants an amicable divorce, he needs to sweeten the pot exponentially.

Anna tells Valentin, she just wants to get lost in them. Pretend the world has gone away, and it’s just them. But if Lucy is really in danger… He says he hasn’t chosen this location at random, and she says, he means they’re in this drafty old windmill in the middle of the Netherlands on purpose? He says, this drafty old windmill isn’t far from Amsterdam, one of the diamond capitals of the world. He happens to know a certain diamond dealer who’s not particular about choosing his clients. She asks if he’s not above doing business with Victor, and he says, his father likes collecting things. He thinks with the right amount of persuasion – she says, and a great deal of money, she’s sure – he might be able to tell them where Lucy is. She asks what they’re waiting for, but he says, they can’t be too eager; that would send up a red flag. They have to appear aloof. She says she was born aloof, and he says he’ll reach out to the dealer tomorrow. She asks what they’re going to do today, and he pulls her to him. He says, keep each other warm, and they kiss.

Curtis says, Portia doesn’t have to be strong for everyone, and she says she doesn’t even know how she’s feeling. It’s so complicated. As a doctor, you hate to lose a patient. You feel so much guilt, thinking there’s more you could have done, but as Trina’s mom? Her boyfriend was murdered, and it’s heartbreaking. She doesn’t know Rory’s family or his parents. She can’t imagine what they’re going through right now. He was so young. He had so much more life left to give. It’s just not fair. Curtis hugs her, and I see no one cares about other guy who was murdered.

Jordan tells Dante to make sure the earring gets to forensics in case it turns out to be a lead. There could be DNA or fingerprints on it. He says, will do, and leaves.

Josslyn goes into the chapel, where Trina is lighting a candle. Trina says she tried to pray, but she didn’t know what to say. Josslyn says, she will, but Trina says, it’s too late. She had the chance to say what Rory wanted her to say; what she should have said. When they went to the PC Grill, Rory told her that he loved her, but she didn’t say it back; she couldn’t. Josslyn says, because she wasn’t ready. That doesn’t make her bad. It just makes her honest. Trina says, honesty hurts, and Josslyn says, believe her, she knows. Trina says, Rory was so gentle, so kind, so brave. He gave his life. Why couldn’t she have given him what he wanted? Maybe if she had, he wouldn’t have taken the risk and lost his… Josslyn hugs her.

On the phone at the docks, Elizabeth calls Nikolas, but gets voicemail. She says he needs to call her back right away. She’s afraid he’s walking into a trap.

Jordan finds Finn sitting on the floor in his office, and he asks how her day has been. She says, back at him, but since they both have a job to do, there’s a coroner’s report. Anything else he wants to tell her?

Josslyn lights a candle, and sits next to Trina. Trina asks if Josslyn thinks he knows… Rory, wherever he is. Does she think he knows she won’t forget about him? Josslyn says she knows she’ll never forget Oscar. That’s got to keep him alive somehow, even if there’s someone else. Her mom says, you have to learn how to love. You might not get it right the first time, or the next time, or the time after that, but if you keep putting yourself out there, one day there’s a chance it might work out. Trina says, like algebra, and Josslyn says, yeah, putting her arm around Trina.

Laura hugs Cameron and Spencer, and says, both of her grandsons, even if it is under tragic circumstances. Were they friends with Officer Cabrera? They look at each other, and Laura asks, what’s that look about? Cameron says, he was Trina’s boyfriend, so they hung out a couple of times, and Spencer says, not so much for him. Cameron says, they wanted to support Trina, then tells them, he’ll be right back. He leaves, and Spencer says he was planning on calling Laura to let her know he’d been released, but then they heard the news about Rory… She says she understands. She was talking to Spencer’s dad about his early release just a little bit ago. Spencer says, then she knows he takes after his father, and she asks if he means are they both stubborn and act before they think. He says, more like everything he touches causes someone pain, and she asks if that isn’t melodramatic even for him, but he says, no. Everything that’s going on with Trina, and what happened with Rory, that’s all on him. She asks how that’s possible, and he says, because he’s the one who brought Esme to town. Think about everything that’s happened; it’s all gone to hell. The sex tape of Joss and Cam, Trina going on trial, and now all these hook attacks. Laura tells him that he can’t help Trina or anybody else if he’s blaming himself, and he asks if she doesn’t blame him, but she says she doesn’t He’s not responsible for the things Esme does. She doesn’t blame him at all. She has faith in him. He’s a much better person than he thinks he is.

Nikolas walks into Esme’s room.

Anna and Valentin bask in the afterglow in front of the fire, and she says, it’s just a fantasy, but it would be nice, wouldn’t it? He says, life in a windmill, skating on the canals in the wintertime. She says, picking tulips in the spring; not a care in the world. He says, it does sound nice, even if it’s just a fantasy. They can come back, but first they have to find Lucy and bring her home. Anna says she’s lived in so many cities in the world, that when Robin said she wanted to take her whole family to California, the concept of home is lost on her now. Wherever she is, when she’s with him, it feels like home. He kisses her.

Spencer asks what he’s ever done to make Laura have faith in him, and she says, during Trina’s trial, he knew that if he gave Trina an alibi, it might end up putting him in prison. But he testified anyway. She believes in that young man. He was going down the wrong road for a while, but turned it around. She believes in him, even if doesn’t believe in himself right now. And she loves him.

Trina tells Josslyn, Ava has reason to believe Esme’s not guilty of the hook attacks, which means she couldn’t have done this to Rory. Josslyn says, all they can do is trust the police to figure it out. Curtis come in, and says, Trina’s mom is anxious to take her home. Trina and Josslyn hug, and Trina leaves with Curtis.

Finn says, at this point, Jordan knows everything he knows, and Jordan tells him, then go home. Be with his daughter. His work is done here. He says, something tells him that hers is not. He’s really sorry for her loss. She thanks him, and leaves. Finn picks up Violet’s drawing, looks at it a moment, and follows.

Josslyn watches as Trina and Curtis leave the hospital, and Dante suggests he take her home. She says she’d like that, and Cameron asks if Dante would mind if he had a minute with Josslyn. Dante says, of course (🍷), and tells Spencer, let’s give them some space. Cameron says, before everything went down tonight, Josslyn said she had something important to tell him, but she says, it can wait. She can’t really think about anything but what happened with Rory right now. She kisses him on the cheek, and leaves with Dante. Spencer asks, what was that all about? but Cameron says, he doesn’t know. What about Spencer? Did he tell their grandmother he’s leaving Port Charles? Spencer says, no, because things have changed. Whatever he can do, he wants to be there for Trina, and he’s not going anywhere until Esme is found.

Nikolas tells Esme that he needed a little Christmas spirit like she did, and they look at lights on the tree. Elizabeth stands in the doorway, and Esme says, it’s almost perfect. The only thing missing is an angel on top. She turns, and sees Elizabeth. She asks if Elizabeth would like to help them, and Nikolas says, he didn’t know she was here. Elizabeth backs up, and jets.  

Victor tells Ava that he’s confident they can come to an arrangement that satisfies all parties involved, and she says she’ll need to see the exact offer in writing of course (🍷). He says, of course (🍷). He’s truly sorry her love story had to end this way. She says, no he’s not. This is just the ending he wanted. He leaves, and Ava picks up her glass. She says, to true love, and smashes it on the floor.

Nikolas asks Elizabeth, what’s the matter? She looked like she saw a ghost. She asks if Esme left the room tonight, and he says, no. She says, is he absolutely sure? and he says he’s sure. Why? She says, because a cop is dead. He was stabbed to death by a hook. In the room, Esme picks up an angel tree topper, and Elizabeth says, doesn’t he see what this means? She gave up Finn; he gave up Ava. Esme puts the angel on the tree, and Elizabeth says, everything they sacrificed to protect everyone from Esme because they thought she was The Hook killer. Now they know she can’t be. Esme steps back, looks at the tree, and smiles.

On Monday, Chase says he’ll do whatever it takes so he’s not tethered to Brook; Drew says he doesn’t think Denise told him everything she knows; and Josslyn asks if Carly wants her to leave Port Charles.

⛅️ Does Not Discriminate…

He’s the best. I love a celebrity who gives back in a real way, and uses their power for good.

Maurice Benard Opens up About Struggling With Suicidal Thoughts

🎄 Just Like Us…

Although I doubt they’re running to CVS on Christmas Eve in a desperate last attempt for gifts.

See How the Soap Stars are Preparing for Christmas!

🌴 What Happens In Miami…

Lisa spills the tea.

Lisa Hochstein Drops Cheating Bomb And 4 Other Takeaways From Season 5 Episode 5 Of Real Housewives Of Miami

🧂 No Shah, Shah, No Shah…

It’s certainly been a roller coaster with this one.

Bravo Uninvites Jen Shah From The Real Housewives Of Salt Lake City Season 3 Reunion

And a side nugget.

Tamra Judge Claims Jen Shah Stole Alcohol From Her Hotel Room At BravoCon

🚢 Marge’s Address…

I haven’t seen one season of this all the way through. There are only so many Wives I can take in one week.

https://www.realitytea.com/2022/12/16/margaret-jospehs-addresses-real-housewives-ultimate-girls-trip-season-4-rumors/

🍼 Mama Kate…

She’ll have the kid folding laundry in no time.

Kate Chastain Shares The Bravolebrity That Inspired Her To Be A “Cool” Mom

🍺 House Party Pending…

And I still don’t know what they did, or pretended to do, for a living, and why they’re reality show worthy. Not that there’s a high bar for that.

Lindsie Chrisley Speaks Out On Todd And Julie Chrisley’s Prison Sentencing

🎀 Barbie Core Pug…

Can’t say I’ve seen this before.

https://www.dailypaws.com/pet-news-entertainment/celebrities/milkshake-the-pink-pug

📯 Quotes of the Week

Life is a dream for the wise, a game for the fool, a comedy for the rich, a tragedy for the poor. – Sholem Aleichem

What I’ve experienced is that I can’t know the future. I can’t know if anything that I do will change what happens tomorrow. I can’t know with certainty, but what I do know is if I do nothing, nothing will change. – James Orbinski (Now to figure out what the something is.)

Risk comes from not knowing what you are doing. – Warren Buffett

It is, of course, quite true that God will not love you any the less, or have less use for you, if you happen to have been born with a very second-rate brain. He has room for people with very little sense, but He wants everyone to use what sense they have. – C.S. Lewis, from Mere Christianity

I do believe that when we face challenges in life that are far beyond our own power, it’s an opportunity to build on our faith, inner strength, and courage. I’ve learned that how we face challenges plays a big role in the outcome of them. – Sasha Azevedo

If you’re going to be able to look back on something and laugh about it, you might as well laugh about it now. – Marie Osmond (Who knew she was such a philosopher?)

It is mental slavery to cling to things that have stopped serving their purpose in your life. – Chinonye J. Chidolue

If you’re looking for sympathy, it’s between sh*t and syphilis in the dictionary. – Captain Lee, Below Deck

🤶🏽 Holly Jolly This…

Take a few days off on me, and let’s meet back here on Monday really Tuesday for soap and swabbing the Deck. Until then, stay safe, stay not getting sucked into the holiday rush, and stay continuing to put yourself out there. If you do, one day there there’s a chance it might work out.

Dec16

December 15, 2022 – The Hook Strikes Again, House Of Childish Awful Adults Finale & Dreamed

Posted on by
Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Curtis holds the heavy bag as Alexis punches and kicks it. He tells her, good. She knows how to fight. She says she wouldn’t come to the gym unless he made her, and he says he thinks it’s important they establish a winning mindset before they try to catch a serial killer before someone else dies.

Rory bangs on an apartment door, and the door moves open. He says, PCPD. Anyone home? and walks inside. The door slams shut, and Rory turns around, drawing his gun. We see a hook, and Rory shoots. In the hallway, Dante, who’s apparently been following him, takes out his radio, and says, shots fired.

At the hospital, Portia shows Elizabeth a wedding dress on her tablet, and asks if Elizabeth thinks it’s too frou-frou for her. Elizabeth tells her to just pick a wedding dress that makes her happy, and Portia says she can’t help but think; are she and Curtis making a mistake by still getting married in February? How reckless is it of them to push on, and have this ceremony that’s supposed to be all about love and connection, when Esme’s on the loose? Something about it doesn’t feel right. Elizabeth says, don’t let anyone stand in the way of her happiness, and Portia says, not even a killer like Esme? As Finn walks in, Elizabeth says, Esme will be sure to do more damage again, but she will never take another life.

Nikolas says, beautiful, startling Ava at the gallery. He apologizes, and says, her bodyguard gave him the okay to come in. She tells him about the sculpture in her hands, as she moves it, but he says, when he said beautiful, he wasn’t referring to the sculpture. Despite all that’s happened, and may happen, he loves her. He always will. She says, if only that’s all it took to fix things, right? They have to deal with Esme, and his son, and his uncle. Her mistrust, his misdeeds. What are the odds?

Dex tells Josslyn, let him help, but Spencer says, let Cameron help her. Josslyn says, she’s got it. Thank you. She deposits the toys in the Toys for Tots box, and Dex tells Cameron to cancel his order; he’ll go someplace else. Spencer says, Dex ordered, so he needs to pay, but Cameron says, no, he doesn’t. Dex says, not a problem, and stands in front of Spencer, taking out a stack of cash. He says, Spencer’s uncle pays him well, as he peels off some bills, and Spencer sucker punches him. Josslyn goes to help him up, but Dex says he’s good. He gets up, and Spencer says, go ahead; take a swing.

Trina asks if Jordan knows where she can find Rory. She asked at the front desk, but no one could tell her where he is. Jordan says, he was in her office not twenty minutes ago. He must be around here somewhere.

Gun drawn, Dante says, police! and kicks in the door.

Cameron jumps between Spencer and Dex, and tells Spencer, knock it off. Not here; not now. Josslyn thanks Cameron, and says, it wouldn’t have helped anything to knock him flat, no matter how much he deserves it. Spencer says, Dex is just embarrassed he dropped like a sack of… and Josslyn asks what he’s doing. He just got out of prison, and he’s already causing problems. What did Dex ever do to him? Spencer says, Cam just told him that Dex put her in danger, and yells at Dex to get out. Josslyn tells Dex to ignore Spencer. He doesn’t have to go anywhere. Dex says, Josslyn has no idea what he does or doesn’t have to do, and storms out.

Curtis says, Alexis is leaving? but she says, no. They haven’t even conspired yet. By the way, it was a good idea to meet here. There’s no way Jordan would frequent a place Sonny owns. He says he had that in mind when he suggested they meet here. Jordan’s all about proprieties these days. Alexis says, that’s a good quality for a cop, but Curtis says, the problem is, she overcorrected. The PCPD is being very tight-fisted about the information the general public can use that no one else has. She says, that was her intention in printing the killer’s letter, although nothing came from it. Aside from opening up a line of communication, she isn’t sure what else she can do. She’s not even sure what they can do together. Unless Jordan might confide in Curtis after all. He says, not directly anyhow.

On the phone, Jordan says, let her know when he shows up, and tells Trina that Rory’s shift ended, but he hasn’t collected his personal stuff yet. He’s probably just clearing up paperwork or something. She’s welcome to wait for him here. Trina says she doesn’t want to be in the way, but Jordan says she doubts that’s ever true of Trina. Besides, Rory will be glad to see her when he’s finished. Trina says, not for long… She just meant she shouldn’t bother him at work. She’ll go catch up with Cam at Kelly’s. Maybe she’ll see Rory there. Jordan asks, what’s wrong? but Trina says she’ll let Jordan go. Thanks for trying. She leaves, and Jordan’s desk phone rings. She answers, and says, when?… What’s Falconari’s position?… He’s stopped responding? Get the paramedics, and she’ll meet them there.

Dante sees a man on the floor, blood covering the front of him. He checks for a pulse, then hears something. He aims his gun, and says, police. Let me see your hands. Rory stumbles out, clutching a wound in his abdomen, and says, The Hook, as he collapses against Dante. Dante stumbles back, but gets Rory on the couch. Rory bleeds from his mouth.

Portia says, hey Finn. Just some pre-wedding stuff going on over here. What’s up? Finn says, nothing’s up… Please excuse me. He leaves, and passes the elevator as Gregory is coming out. Gregory says he’s glad he found Finn. His assistant said he’d be clocking out right about now. He’s taking Finn to dinner. Finn says he has a lot of case files waiting, and Gregory asks if he can’t take one night off. Finn says, he can; he doesn’t want to. Gregory says, maybe he needs to, and Finn asks if Alexis said something to him. Gregory says, Finn knows him better than that, and he knows Finn better than Finn thinks. He knows Finn is in a bad way. And it’s not just him. Violet is on to Finn. It’s taking a toll.

Portia asks, what makes Elizabeth so sure Esme won’t spill any more blood? and Elizabeth says, she can’t fly under the radar with the whole city looking for her. She’s sure Esme is just biding her time somewhere. At some point, she’ll step out into the light and get caught, and their families will have nothing more to fear from her. Please get married. It will give her something to look forward to, in addition to the justice for their kids and everyone else Esme’s hurt. Portia says, it’s a deal, but Elizabeth has to do her part too. She has to RSVP. She hasn’t got confirmation that Elizabeth or Finn are coming to the wedding.

Nikolas says, it’s never going to be easy for them, and Ava says, but the best things never are. She’s going to be here for a while. She was thinking about getting take-out. Does he want to join her? He says he wishes he could. She asks if he’s got plans, and he says he’s not hungry. Besides, he can’t stay long. He just came to give her these. He hands her some folded up papers, and she says, an early Christmas present? She unfolds them, and asks if this is from his lawyer. He says he thought it best if she got them directly from him, and she says, is he serving her? He says, it’s a divorce. It’s over.

Sam meets Maxie at the Bistro, and Maxie thanks her for coming. They hug, and Maxie says she knew things were getting dire when she was seeking advice from Cody Bell. Sam says, yikes. What’s going on? Maxie says she just needs some perspective, and Sam is the best one to give it to her. Sam says she’ll try, and they sit down. Maxie says, first, she needs to know what Sam thinks of Austin, and Sam thinks for a moment. Maxie says she can’t believe Sam didn’t tell her, and Sam says, didn’t tell her what? Maxie says, that she doesn’t like Cody, and Sam says, she doesn’t… not like him. Maxie says, Sam doesn’t not like jicama. She doesn’t not like folding laundry, even though it’s the one of the easiest household chores ever, but she doesn’t look forward to doing it, and she wouldn’t choose it if given the choice. Sam says, that’s true, but she doesn’t have to choose Austin. Maxie does. Of course (🍷) unless she doesn’t.

Ava says, Nikolas is divorcing her? and Nikolas says, now is as good a time as any. They can begin 2023 with a fresh start. She asks if he gave in to his uncle. Does he have something else on Nikolas now? Nikolas says, his uncle doesn’t have anything to do with this, and Ava asks if he expects her to believe that; after months of begging, of prostrating himself, of putting his life in her hands. He tells her to see the attached offer, and she’ll see he’s serious. This isn’t her post-nup money, but it’s more than generous. And she can take him to court and get more, but it’s best for everyone not to protract a legal battle with his uncle. With his resources, they can keep Ava mired for years and bleed her dry. She says, this isn’t happening, and he says, take a few days; sit on it. She’s a pragmatic woman. She’ll see this is the best outcome. She says, he doesn’t want to divorce her. He’s lost without her, and he knows it. Something drove him to this against his will, made him think he has no other option but to divorce her, but he does. She’ll give him one. Just tell her what’s behind this. Or who. He won’t be alone. She’ll be at his side.

Elizabeth says she’s sorry for not sending the RSVP sooner, and Portia says, that’s okay. She will be attending though, won’t she? Her wedding won’t be the same without Elizabeth and Finn. Elizabeth says she wouldn’t miss it, but she can’t speak for Finn. Things aren’t working out for them. They broke up.

Finn asks, what’s wrong with Violet? and Gregory says, she’s worried about Finn. They were supposed to go ice skating today, but after he got her laced up, she wouldn’t budge off the bench; woudn’t meet his eyes. It took a hot chocolate with extra marshmallows to pull it out of her. Finn asks what she said, and Gregory tells him, daddy’s sad. Then she asked if he knew why. Finn asks what Gregory told her, and Gregory says, that he thought so too, and he wasn’t exactly sure why. He told her the best thing they could do for Finn is make sure he knows he’s not alone. So they bagged the ice skating and made some art instead. He takes a paper out of his jacket pocket, and gives it to Finn. Finn looks at a picture Violet drew of them, and says he never thought something so helpful could hurt so much.

Spencer asks Josslyn, what is it about that punk that makes her want to protect him from Sonny? Josslyn says, Dex saved Ava’s life. If he hadn’t gotten her to the hospital in time, Avery wouldn’t have a mom. Cameron says, Spencer didn’t even know the guy, and punched him in the face. Is he dumb? Spencer says, Cameron said he couldn’t stand him, and Cameron says, so Spencer decked him for his sake? Spencer says, welcome back, Spencer. Glad you survived supermax. Thanks for being a pal. Clearly, he’s not eating here. He stomps out, and runs into Trina outside.

Jordan shows up at the apartment with two officers, and they go inside. Dante is tending to Rory, and says, Cabrera said it was The Hook. She must have jumped out the window. Jordan tells the offices to tape off the perimeter, and find out if anyone’s seen an intruder. Get a team to canvas the apartments, and set up a dragnet. Jordan looks at Rory, and tells Dante, they can’t wait for the paramedics. Let’s get him to the car. Dante and an officer carry Rory out between them, and Jordan says, they’re going to get him some help. Jordan makes a call, and says, they have a dead body in the apartment. Get the medical examiner and CSU here now.

Curtis tells Alexis that they have to be careful what they do with this information. They’re not supposed to have it. She says she’s a lawyer… She used to be a lawyer. She knows how to keep a secret. So how about if they don’t do anything with it unless they both agree? Deal? They shake hands, and she says, what’s he got? He says he talked with Trina last night, and she was talking with Ava. Apparently, Jordan is getting outside advice about the serial killer’s profile. Alexis says, from the FBI or a forensic psychologist? but Curtis says, from the devil himself, Ryan Chamberlain.

Maxie says, Austin was blackmailing Spinelli, and Sam says, blackmailing him how? Maxie says, it had to do with Society Set-Ups, and Sam says, Spinelli’s algorithm? Maxie says, Sam knew about that? It doesn’t matter, because whatever Spinelli did, Sam wouldn’t  use it against him or use his genius for her own benefit. Sam says, of course (🍷) not, but Austin is? Maxie says, Austin forced Spinelli to run her and Austin through the algorithm, which is a total violation because she didn’t sign up for Society Set-Ups in the first place. Whatever data Spinelli got on her, he got by hacking, and breaking through firewalls and stuff. Sam says, Spinelli would never use Maxie’s data against her, and Maxie says she knows that. She doesn’t love being hacked, but if there’s anyone she’d trust to do the hacking, it’s Spinelli. She just doesn’t trust Austin.

Alexis says, Jordan is consulting with Ryan Chamberlain? and Curtis says he guesses to catch a serial killer, you have to talk to a serial killer. Dex comes into the gym, and Curtis tells Alexis, he’s going to take a shower, and they’ll talk somewhere more private.

Dex flashes back to Josslyn saying he keeps surprising her by doing the right thing when she least expects it. Her mom and Jason are incredible people, who they gave everything they had to Sonny, trusting he’d do right by them. Instead, he screwed them both over. She doesn’t want him to be one of those people. He puts on gloves to punch the heavy bag.

Josslyn asks if Cameron can believe Spencer. Did he learn that in Pentenville? Cameron says, leave it to Spencer to ruin his own homecoming, and she says, he got too caught up in his own BS, and didn’t think. Cameron says, he never does.

Trina asks what Spencer is doing here, and he says, grabbing food, wreaking havoc, reaping the consequences; the usual. They say hello, and Trina says she guesses she’s still not used to seeing him around. He says, she’s not the only one. Did she know a new rule was enacted in his absence where friends are forbidden from sticking up for each other? She says, that’s a broad reading. Sticking up is good as long as it’s welcome. He says he’ll be sure to consult her next time before he butts in. Cam is so over him. She says, whatever he did, she’s guessing his heart was in the right place. He’s not the same guy who returned to Port Charles hellbent on destroying Ava. He asks if she means this is progress, and she tells him, now he just has to work on his execution. He says he’ll get on it. Hopefully, he’ll have something to show for it next time he’s in town. She says, next time? and he says he’s taking off.

Finn tells Gregory that he and Elizabeth ended things. It all came apart last night, and he thought he was holding it together for Violet’s sake, but obviously he did another bang up job. Gregory says, his daughter is extremely perceptive. She would have picked up on it blindfolded. Finn says, there never should have been anything for her to pick up on. He should have done better for her, and seen what was going on with Elizabeth sooner, and made better choices. Gregory says, Finn’s assessment of his actions might be skewed in light of recent events, and Finn says, he and Elizabeth were trying to build something together; some idea of a family, but that’s all gone. But Violet needs that. How can he take it away from her again? Gregory says, must he? He knows Finn still loves Elizabeth; love doesn’t fade away so fast. It may shrink, or be eclipsed by other feelings, but it’s still inside there, waiting to reemerge, sometimes stronger than before, if both people want it. Finn says he appreciates it, but Gregory doesn’t understand. Elizabeth… Gregory says, Elizabeth will make up her own mind. Finn needs to know what’s in his heart. Does he want to salvage their relationship? Dante and the officer bring Rory in, and Jordan says, they need help for an officer; he’s bleeding heavily. Portia yells, they need a gurney stat, and everyone gets to work. Portia asks, what happened? and Jordan says, they need the anti-venom that saved Diane Miller after her attack. Dante says, it was The Hook, and Elizabeth looks stunned.

Curtis asks if Alexis is ready to go, and Alexis asks if Curtis said Trina talked to Ava, and Curtis says, she was at Spring Ridge, and witnessed the interview. Apparently, the PCPD used her as bait for Chamberlain. He answers Jordan’s questions in exchange for Ava being present. Alexis says, remind her to pick up Ava’s tab for the next 100 years, and Curtis says, same here. Alexis says, Esme was an intern at Spring Ridge. She said she was a psych major at PCU to explain her interest in Chamberlain. Question. Did Ryan say anything that hinted where Esme could be found? He says, Trina didn’t give him the play by play. She let it slip that Chamberlain believes Esme is not the killer. Alexis asks if they’re going to take his word for it, and Curtis says he’s poured over Chamberlain’s file, and that guy hasn’t lifted a finger in anyone else’s interest except his own. If he says Esme isn’t the killer, it’s because it serves him, not the police. Jordan is on to something, and he does believe there’s more to that twisted relationship that psychopath and psychology student. She says, so what do they do with that information? and Curtis’s phone rings. He says he believes they’re about to find out, and says hey to Jordan. Jordan tells him that she’s trying to reach Taggert. Does Curtis know where he is? Curtis says, he’s traveling; he’s doing a security consult out of town. Alexis’s phone dings. It’s a text from Gregory: 911 at GH. Curtis says, Portia should be able to track him down, but Jordan says, Portia is busy. Trina is at Kelly’s. Can Curtis pick up Trina and bring her to GH immediately? He asks, what’s wrong? and she says, it’s happened again.

Ava says, there’s more to this divorce than Nikolas is saying. Why doesn’t he just tell her what it is; maybe they can salvage their marriage. He tells her, there’s nothing he can say that will fix this, but she says, give it a shot. He owes her that much. She was prepared to cut him loose. Does he remember that? Everybody urged her move on. Everybody told her that he wasn’t good enough for her. Some people said she was just lucky to survive him, and she was so close to listening to them, but she tuned them out. Just yesterday she told him she wanted to try, and he ate it up. Now he’s changed his mind? Why? He says, they were right. He’s not worthy. He’s still the faithless man today he was yesterday. She says she doesn’t understand. What’s going on? He says, he had an affair with Elizabeth.

Maxie tells Sam, Austin was so great when she met him. He delivered Bailey Lou, and got knocked unconscious for his trouble. She lied to him about what actually happened for months, and when the truth came out, he was kind and understanding. Sam says, that’s good. Maxie got to know the best part of Austin, and Maxie says, and she chose to ignore the not so great parts. Like how mean he was to Brook, and how he manipulated Chase to spy on the Quartermaines. He was super apologetic about that, but she did choose to push it to the back of her mind. But Spinelli never liked Austin, and liked him less in the last few weeks; now she knows why. Sam says, poor Spinelli, and Maxie says, it’s never fun to be blackmailed, especially when the blackmailer is dating the mother of your child. Which brings her to Georgie, who also never liked Austin. She thought Georgie was just being difficult. Now she thinks Georgie might have been right.

Ava says, Nikolas and Elizabeth. One affair wasn’t enough for him? Nikolas tells her to look at the offer and get back to him. He tries to leave, but she blocks him, and asks, how did it happen? When? Where? In the bed they shared together, or did he and Elizabeth rut around in the dirt at the Quartermaine picnic? She has a right to know. He says, it will only hurt her, but she says, why stop now? So how did they end up together. She wouldn’t have him, so he came on to Elizabeth? Or maybe it was the other way around. Did Elizabeth catch him in that bottomless pit of need so many fools are too weak to resist? He tells her, don’t talk about Elizabeth like that, and Ava starts to cry, asking, what was he getting from Elizabeth that he didn’t get from her? He says, his child. Elizabeth is pregnant. She’s having their baby.

On the phone at the hospital, Jordan says she wants every uniform and detective on this, even those not on duty. On his phone, Dante says, they’ve got to take a closer look at the exotic animal smuggler. Who he was talking to, who he was texting, who he was meeting with… Yes, all that. Thanks. Alexis comes in, and goes over to Dante. She sees the blood on his hands and asks if he’s okay. He says, it’s not his; it’s Officer Cabrera’s. She asks, isn’t that Trina’s boyfriend? Is it The Hook? Is it Esme? Jordan walks over to them, and tells Dante, get cleaned up. That’s an order. He leaves, and Alexis asks if Rory was attacked by The Hook. Jordan says, here’s her statement. Tonight, one of Port Charles finest is fighting for his life after a cowardly and brutal attack. Her department will do everything to bring this perpetrator to justice. She’ll be damned if she’s going to lose another one of her own. Alexis can quote her on that. Jordan walks away, and Gregory puts his hand on Alexis’s shoulder.

Finn works on Rory, and says, initiate the anti-venom. Elizabeth asks if he’s sure it was Esme, the person with the hook. A nurse says, they have another bleeder, and Finn says, release the anti-venom. Elizabeth says, what if the police are wrong? The anti-venom is in short supply. He says, just do it. If his wounds don’t kill him, the poison will. Elizabeth injects it into the IV.

Trina says, Spencer is taking off? and he says, as soon as the terms of his prison release are met. She asks if he’s going on vacation, but he says, vacation implies a return home, and Port Charles no longer qualifies. She says, but his family is here, his friends, and he says, and all the people who look at him like dirt. She asks if those people have more power over him than the ones who care about him, and he says, those people are few and far between, but she says, he’s wrong. If he’d open his eyes, he’d see. He says, see what? See who? His eyes are open, which is how he knows to look down when he encounters someone he’s disappointed. So he’s moving on going, and he’s going to disappoint strangers. She says, that’s not funny; that’s sad. He says, maybe, but it is true. He’s certainly not going to get what he wants here. She says, what’s that? and he says, to know how it feels when you matter so much to someone, it hurts them when you’re gone. He has the reverse down pat. He knows all about hurt, just not the part when returned. Curtis comes along, and Spencer asks, what happened? Curtis says he thinks Joss and Cam should hear this too, and they all go inside.

Cameron suggests he and Josslyn go to a nice place, just the two of them, but she says, they need to talk first. Curtis comes in, and says, Cameron, Josslyn, and Trina need to come with him to GH right away. Trina asks, why? and he says, Police Commissioner’s orders. She wants them where she can keep eyes on them, and it’s probably best if they’re under police protection. Josslyn asks, what happened? and he says, there’s been another attack. Trina asks, who? and he says he’s sorry. It’s Rory.

Maxie tells Sam, she burns her life down with Peter, then jumps into a relationship with someone who blackmails people. Sam says, it was wrong for Austin to blackmail Spinelli, but it’s not on the same level as Peter. Maxie says, the mistake is the same. With Peter she chose to ignore the red flags, and see what she wanted to see. Austin – not a psycho, thank God – but not who he pretended to be. Sam asks when Maxie got confirmation on that, and Maxie says she told Sam; it just happened. Sam asks what she did, and Maxie says she told Austin that he wasn’t who she thought he was, and walked out. Sam asks what she’s doing now, and Maxie says, venting to a friend. Sam says, exactly. Maxie’s not in denial; she’s just following her instincts. She’s taking a step back to reevaluate, and consider what she wants or doesn’t want; what she likes and doesn’t like. Then she can act accordingly. Maxie says she can do that. At least her life’s not up in flames. That’s progress.

Dex punches the heavy bag, and flashes back to falling on top of Josslyn in the dumpster; Josslyn chastising him outside Kelly’s and asking what he wants; Josslyn stitching his wound, and Dex asking if she can teach him to surf; Josslyn nursing him in her dorm room; and Dex kissing her. He remembers saying, that wasn’t  supposed to happen, and Josslyn saying, well, it did.

Gregory brings Alexis coffee, and she thanks him. She asks if he has an update on Rory’s condition, and he says, all he knows is, Rory is in the trauma room and bleeding heavily. She says, Jordan is the type who won’t say anything, and he asks how she heard about the attack. She says she was there when Curtis got the call from Jordan, and Jordan sent Curtis looking for Trina. It suggests to her that it has something to do with The Hook. He says, when the police arrived, they called for anti-venom. They both know where that’s been mentioned recently. She says, the killer’s letter.

Ava says, Nikolas is bringing a child into this? He’s going to subject a child to his misadventures with Victor and Esme? He says he never meant for this to happen. The sex was a mistake; the baby is not. He can’t make it unhappen even if he wanted to, and he doesn’t. He has to take care of that baby. He has to do right, and protect it from Victor, and Esme, or anything that could harm it, or anyone who would try to use this baby to their own advantage. He can’t fail another child. She might not understand this, but she understands that much, doesn’t she? Ava eyes a mean-looking letter opener on the desk.

On the phone, Jordan says, keep her posted, and Dante says, any news? She says, Mac is on site, and Dante says he’ll go see if Mac needs any help, but she says, no. She needs him here. He asks why. He’d be more useful in the field. She says, he needs to see this through. Not just for his sake, but more important for Rory’s. Trina runs in, and asks if Rory is okay, but Jordan says she doesn’t know. The doctors are working on him now. Curtis joins them with Josslyn and Cameron, and Portia comes out.

Ava picks up the letter opener, and Nikolas says, please, take his offer. What’s the alternative, war? She lunges at him with the letter opener, but doesn’t hurt him. She says, that’s what she thinks of his offer, and he says, she could have killed him. She says, remember that. Go be with Elizabeth. Be a daddy. Good luck with his do-over. He says he’s sorry. He never wanted to hurt her. He hates this. She says, he doesn’t know what hate is, but maybe she’ll teach him. He says, it doesn’t have to be like this, and she says, that’s true. It could be far, far worse. And who knows? Maybe it will be yet. God have mercy on him. He’ll get none from her. He slowly walks out, and she cries.

Trina says, please tell her that Rory will be okay, but Portia says, he’s lost a lot of blood, and he’s bleeding internally. And his treatment is based off of Dante’s accounts of what happened. Trina asks if she can see him, but Portia says, he’s very weak right now; he’s incoherent. Rory is wheeled out on a gurney, and Trina runs to him, crying and calling his name. She says she’s so sorry, and he takes his oxygen mask off. He says, it was… too soon… to tell you how I feel… but I’m not sorry… When you know, you know. He flatlines.

Tomorrow, Dante says he might have gotten a lead; Anna asks Valentin what they have to show for it; and Elizabeth is afraid someone is about to walk into a trap

❄️ As the consistently awful Winter House comes to a close, Craig had the idea for a formal Charleston Tea Party, which the guys were going to prepare. In Ciara’s interview, she wondered where Austen had etiquette training; with the dogs? He acted like a dog. In Austen’s interview, he said, when he got there, he didn’t know how things with Ciara would be. He’d thought their friendship was a 10 out 10, but he didn’t know where it was at the moment. This guy is the worst at reading a room. In Rachel’s interview, she said she wasn’t confrontational, but what Jess had said hurt. When she was growing up, being Asian and adopted didn’t set her up for success in her town, and it gave her insecurities about everything. You don’t comment on people’s looks and bodies, making that dependent on their self-worth. Everyone dressed nicely, which is something they have down, but you know what they say about lipstick on a pig. After gathering at the dinner table, Ciara welcomed everyone to the first Charleston Tea Party. She said there were a few rules, and asked what is a taboo topic at the dinner table. Butt stuff and dingleberries were thrown out there, but she said, sex, politics, and religion; and no four-letter words. If they thought it was inappropriate, it probably was, and the punishment was shots. Hmm… What’s wrong with that picture? Since the girls had gone out for wine – minus Jess, who’d hung with the guys – while the guys went skiing – minus Craig, who’d hung with the girls – Craig was asked how his day with the girls went. He said he loved a mountain, but had needed his normal pace, and drinking wine with the girls was his normal pace. It didn’t take long for the tea party to go sideways. Rachel said it was a classy dinner, and she wanted to have classy conversation, BUT… She didn’t talk a lot, but something had made her uncomfortable. She felt like talking with the girls had made her confident enough to bring it to the table. Jess said something that made her feel sh*tty. She’d guys weren’t coming for Rachel because she didn’t have t*ts and ass. Everyone literally just stared at their plates.

Jess said that wasn’t how she thought went, and Rachel said it was a reality check. Jess hurt her, and she felt invalidated. In Jess’s interview, she said, Rachel was taking it out of context. She’d meant that she didn’t think guys liked her for her. Guys wanted to f*** her, but didn’t care about her, and it made her insecure as a person. Jess said she was sorry. She was genuinely taking it in, and working on herself. Amanda asked if Jess wanted to share what she’d shared with Kyle, and Paige said she heard Jess was mad at her because she thought Paige didn’t believe in her and Kory. I don’t know why everyone just doesn’t pass each other notes. Paige said she’d been nothing but nice, and felt like Jess just didn’t like her. Jason told Jess, if she had something to say about him, why did she go to Kyle instead of him? Paige said she didn’t care about Jess’s relationship, but she couldn’t continue to say things that weren’t true. She’d automatically like whoever wound up with Kory because they’d have to hang out with each other. Jess said she understood, but would rather talk to Rachel personally. It was difficult with an audience. Obviously, she’s new to reality TV, where it’s a requirement that every personal topic and/or beef is brought to a dinner party. Kyle went over to Rachel, and told her that she could get any guy she wanted, and in Rachel’s interview, she said she wasn’t looking for an excuse or an apology, just a little more empathy and compassion. Austen said, maybe Paige should concentrate on Rachel’s feelings instead of her issue with Jess, and Paige griped that Austen was always coming at her. Austen said, Rachel was crying, but Paige said it was a separate conversation – even though Rachel was the one sitting across from her, and Jess was down the table. Amanda and Rachel left the table, and sat in the kitchen, and Craig suggested the guys make themselves scarce to let the girls talk. Guyspeak for, let’s get the hell away from this conversation about feelings. Paige said, how dare Austen tell her how to treat women; look in the mirror. Jess found Rachel, and asked if she could apologize, but Rachel said, not now because she’s 14. In Jess’s interview, she said she shouldn’t be surprised they were ganging up on her and talking sh*t about her, since she chose to hang out with the guys.

Outside, where the guys were having fun and drinking, Craig asked Kory where he stood. Kory said he felt the others were projecting their past experiences onto his and Jess’s relationship. It was f***ing vacation. He couldn’t go from zero to dating. Kyle told him that Jess said they were dating, and we flashed back to that. In Kory’s interview, he said he was shocked Jess was telling people they were dating. They had something, but they weren’t officially dating. Jess asked to talk to Kory, and Jason told Rachel that he was proud she stood up for herself. Jess told Kory that the rest of them were crazy, and making her feel like an ugly duckling. Craig called Kory to come out and play, and Kory told Jess he’d be back in ten minutes. There was a mini snowball fight between the remaining housemates still downstairs, and then Paige told Craig that she was ready to do the bed stuff.

The next morning, it was snowing and beautiful, and I thought, these people do not deserve this vacation. Craig made Paige a French toast breakfast in bed for their six month anniversary. Jason asked how Rachel was, and she said, drained. He said he’d wanted to take her out, but it was snowing. He told her that they’d do something fun; it was a surprise. Again, these two are the only ones that come off looking like reasonable adults, despite Rachel’s idea of classy conversation. In Craig’s interview, he said he thought the vacation had brought him and Paige closer, even though they’d fought constantly at the beginning. He’d always pictured himself in a Hallmark movie. There was snow outside, and they were in a quaint town, but he’d been fighting with everyone else instead of living out the movie. Rachel said, today was Jess’s birthday, and she wanted to move on. They had one more day, and she wanted to finish out strong. Apparently, she got confused and thought she was on Below Deck. Craig suggested Paige spend a month or two with him, and she said she could do May and June. In Paige’s interview, she said she wasn’t ready to move in with Craig full-time, but it would be a great way to see how they live together when they’re not on vacation. She needed to get her bows and hairclips ready because she was going down south.

Kyle didn’t want leave; he had fun unplugging. In his interview, he said he worked endless days and nights, and it was the first time he was taking a vacation and not feeling guilty. He’d needed to relax. Okay, if that’s what we’re calling it. Austen talked to Craig about not passing a note to talking to Ciara, and in his interview, Craig said, it could easily look like Austen still had feelings for Ciara. He didn’t think they were exes yet. They were undefined. He suggested Austen talk to her, a novel concept. Kory said, dinner had not gone as planned, which was an understatement, but it was Jess’s birthday. Were they still doing something? Amanda said, no way they weren’t celebrating. In Luke’s interview, he whined that he made maple syrup for everyone, and they didn’t give a f***. Jason told Rachel that he made scenario for her to enjoy, and while everyone else played in the snow, he led her to a room he’d decorated as a garden, and said he thought they could paint some fun stuff. In Rachel’s interview, she said, everything happened for a reason. She felt she and Jason had a connection, no matter what happened. He didn’t let her down, and she trusted him in all ways. He had snacks and wine laid out, and Rachel said she loved an activity date. They made paintings and exchanged them. Jason suggested they finish the wine, and join the others in the snow. Rachel told Jess that she wasn’t mad, and knew Jess was a good person. Jess said she understood what she’d said was offensive and hurtful, and she apologized. They hugged it out. Amanda and Ciara discussed baking a cake, and Ciara said, Jess was going to be 25, and entering her quarter-life crisis. They decided on a stages of life theme, while Jess FaceTimed with her sister, and pointed to her ring finger when she talked about Kory. Wow. And Kory thought dating was pushing it.

Everyone dressed in costumes of different life stages; baby, toddler, teenage, old person, sugarbaby, new parent. Except for Austen, who was dressed like either Joe Exotic or Joe Dirt. Jess was given a sash that said Birthday Queen. Amanda asked for everyone’s favorite moment, and Jason said, meeting the Toms, and getting to know them. Paige said, getting to spend two weeks with Craig, and Amanda said, being with her man, because they’re both addlebrained.  Amanda said she felt like Kyle was back to being him, and Jess said her favorite moment was probably meeting Kory; having a connection, and getting to know him. Kory said his moment was on the second day, whipping down the hill, It was a good bonding thing. A pall fell over the group, since Kory did not return the favorite moment favor to Jess. They drank and danced around, and Paige offered her room for Austen to talk to Ciara, since it was neutral territory. In Ciara’s interview, she said she could have predicted it. Page three from Austen’s playbook; apologize for his bullsh*t. Ciara said she felt Austen kept coming at her. Him wanting to bring a girl to the house, had nothing to do with her having sex before she got to the house. It was a game, he asked her the question, and she answered it. He said he didn’t know what line they were toeing. They had a past, so what was flirting, and what was being friends. Ciara told him, it wasn’t worth it with him coming at her every opportunity. He said he heard her, and asked what she needed from him to have a friendship. It was important to him.

Ciara told him that she didn’t want that type of friendship, and in her interview, she said her therapist told her to do what she had to, to protect herself. She told Austen, they were at a point where she was really done, and she needed to keep her distance. In Ciara’s interview, she said, she was moving on. It was the best closure she could ask for. There was more drinking and dancing, and Jess said she wanted Kory to ask her to be his girlfriend for her  birthday. Instead, he brought her a birthday drink. I have no idea what it was, but it looked like a chocolate shake in a beer stein with whipped cream on top. She told him that she was mad because he didn’t say meeting her was a favorite moment, and he said, kissing her for the first time was a favorite moment, but his worst quality was not being able to express his emotions verbally. She said she’d like to be exclusive, and he said, even though he liked her more than he thought he would, he was worried about the distance. It was hard to say they were even dating, since they were in vacation mode. It felt rushed. Jess said she was done with the conversation and left, and Kory said, that went well.

In the morning, there was packing to do. I would say they all packed excessively for two weeks, but I’m guilty of the same thing. Craig said he felt nauseous, and Paige suggested it was because he’d been drinking for 17 days straight. Rachel and Jason left together, and Kory wanted to make sure Jess’s mindset was good. She asked if he thought they were on the right track, and he said, yes, to see where it goes. Code for: I’m going to sleep with other girls. In Jess’s interview, she was gushing about Kory, when he called, making her all giggly. There were lots of hugs, and Austen told Ciara that he heard her, and one day, it would be better. He hoped she felt the same way, and she said she hoped he got back to Charleston safely. Which was code for: not a chance in hell. In Kyle’s interview, he said their vacation had been twice as long as a college student’s spring break. They’ve still got it.

Got what? No tolerance for alcohol? Bad judgement? The emotional level of middle schoolers?

It’s over.

👼🏽 Hark, the Harold…

Stop by tomorrow for soap, tea, words of wisdom (or not), and a musical break. Until then, stay safe, stay giving others a little extra grace, and stay never going on a hunt for a serial killer by yourself. It never ends well.

Dec15

December 14, 2022 – Obrecht Opens Up To Nina, GH Daredevil, Podcast Feud, Bump On Deck, Nope, Hanukkah Pets (!) & If

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Jordan asks Rory about the Landry case, and says she heard he waited in the ER with the wife for two hours. He says he didn’t want to leave her before she was seen, but he was off the clock. She says he’s not in trouble; quite the opposite. Mrs. Landry came in today; she’s going to press charges against her husband. He says, the way she was talking, he wasn’t sure, but Jordan tells him, the wife said it was because of him. She said her husband never would have sat there for that long, unlike him, a complete stranger. She decided she deserves better. Nice work.

At Kelly’s, Dante thanks Cameron for the coffee, when Spencer walks in. Cameron hugs him, and says he had no idea Spencer was out. This is awesome. Dante says, welcome home, and Spencer thanks him. Cameron wonders if he got the dates mixed up, but Spencer says he got out a few weeks early. Dante says he hopes Spencer learned a thing or two, and Spencer says, not to get caught. He’s kidding. He has no intention of going back to prison, so from here on in, he’s going to play by the rules.

As they walk down the hall at the hospital, Britt tells Brad that she’s never hosted a party before, and she wants this to be epic. He says, it will be. The good people of Port Charles will be talking about it for years to come. She says, something to remember her by, and he says he did want to talk to her about the invitations. She says, he sent them out, right? and he says, they all got sent out. She asks, what’s the problem then? and he says, there’s no problem. He just noticed that a certain someone wasn’t on the guest list… Cody?

On the phone at the Bistro, Maxie tells her mom, that’s fine. They’ll get together another time… Nothing is wrong… She means it. They’ll talk another time. She sits rubbing her forehead, when Cody says he’s impressed. Listening to her, he’d believe she’s okay, but just one look… She asks if it’s that obvious, and he sits down. He asks if there’s anything he can do to help, and she says, he’s under no obligation. Now that they know Mac isn’t really his father, they’re not related, so… He says he’d like to think they’re friends, and she says, okay. He says, so lay it on him. What’s up?

At the gym, Nina asks if Sonny is ready to show her his moves, and he says he did that last night. She says, and then some. His boxing moves. They see Obrecht, punching the hell out of the heavy bag, and Sonny tells her, go. Nina goes over to Obrecht, and says, Aunt Liesl, but Obrecht continues to punch wildly. Nina tells her, stop. Get ahold of herself. Nina pulls her away, and sees she’s crying. Obrecht says she’s not ready. Dex comes in, meeting Sonny by the ring, and Sonny says, the meeting is set for tomorrow. Is Dex ready? Dex says, ready as he’ll ever be.

Brad says, not that he would blame Britt for excluding Cody after what he did. He still can’t believe Cody was supposed to be her perfect match. She says, he hasn’t heard? Society Set-Ups is a fraud. He says, is it ever, and she says, no, literally. That Zelda woman is a front for Spinelli. He says, so the company is just some dressed up dating app? and she says, yeah. He says he knew it, but she says, no he didn’t, and he admits he didn’t. But he should have after they found out Cody was only after that necklace. She says, joke’s on him. He lost the jewels and the girl. Brad says he really thought Cody was better than that, and she says, like he’s never gone after a guy for his bank account. He says, obviously, but rolling in dough isn’t what comes to mind when he thinks of her. All she does is work. She picks up an invitation and says, hello? Party? He says, it’s a good first step, but will it stick? She asks what he means, and he says, when will she start enjoying her life?

Maxie tells Cody, Austin blackmailed Spinelli. Can he believe that? Who does something like that? Cody asks if he had a good reason, and she says, a good reason for threatening someone? He says, that totally came out wrong. What exactly did Austin do? She says, it doesn’t matter, and he says, she seems to think it does. She says, he claimed he just wanted to make sure they were a good match for each other, but if what he really cared about was a relationship, why didn’t he just talk to her about it? Cody says, because sometimes that’s a really hard thing to do, and she asks why men are terrified of feelings. That wasn’t a rhetorical question. He says, so now he’s speaking for all men? and she tells him, he said he wanted to help her, so help her understand why men do stupid things. Why they take the arguably more difficult route, when they could just open up to the person they’re close to.

Nina tells Obrecht, look at your hands. Why would you do this? She says, stay here, and walks off.

Sonny says he’s not going to need Dex until tonight, so he can take the afternoon off, and Dex says he won’t argue with that. He’ll see Sonny tonight. He leaves, and Nina asks Sonny if there are ice packs in the back. Her Aunt Liesl’s knuckles are in pretty bad shape. He says, even with the gloves? and she says, the weird part is, it’s like she wants to be in pain. He asks if Nina is worried, and gives him a look. He says he’ll get some ice.

Rory thanks Jordan for telling him about Mrs. Landry. It means a lot. She says she knew it would. That’s what makes him a good cop; he goes above and beyond for his community. Keep it up. He says he plans to, and she asks if she’ll see him at the holiday party. He says, they can bring a guest, right? and she says she takes it things are going well with Miss Trina Robinson. He laughs, and she says, that well. He’s fortunate. Trina’s a very special person. He says, doesn’t he know it.

In the home of the hallowed moss bowl🎍, Trina says, Spencer’s Uncle Victor got him released early, and Josslyn says, typical. She’s so glad Spencer’s out of that place. Trina says, so is she, and Josslyn asks why they’re talking about Spencer. She asked Trina about Rory. Trina says, because Spencer and his uncle showed up at the PC Grill, and Josslyn asks if they ruined her night. Trina says, Rory loves her, and Josslyn says, as in, he acts that way, or he said those words. Trina tells her, he said those words; all three of them, and Josslyn asks why Trina didn’t tell her. Trina says she is telling her, and Josslyn asks what she said back. Trina says, nothing. She was so floored. She never expected it. It’s too soon, right? On their three-month anniversary. They haven’t even slept together yet. Josslyn says she guesses it’s a little quick, but is that the only reason Trina hesitated? Trina says, why else? and Josslyn asks how Trina felt when Rory told her he loved her, besides shocked, and Trina says, she felt scared. Josslyn says, that’s not a good sign, and Trina agrees. She likes Rory, and likes him more as she gets to know him. He’s sweet, considerate, and really makes her feel special. Josslyn says, but Trina’s not in love with him, and Trina say, not yet at least. Josslyn asks if Trina is sure it’s time holding her back, or is it her feelings for Spencer?

Spencer says he misses this place, and Dante bets Cameron could get him his old job back. Spencer says, let’s not go overboard. Luckily, he doesn’t need the paycheck anymore, now that Ava has kindly given him access to his own money. Dante says, good luck with whatever comes next, and Spencer thanks him. Dante leaves, and Cameron says he can’t believe Spencer didn’t text him that he was back, but Spencer says he’s been a little busy. Cameron asks, how’s reentry? and Spencer says, it’s interesting. He’s staying at Windymere. Not by choice. It’s a condition of his release to stay with his uncle, who’s unfortunately living with his father. The plan is to spend as little time there as possible. Cameron says, winter break just started, so he’ll have plenty of time to hang out; so will Joss. Has Spencer reached out to her that he’s back? Spencer says, Trina’s the only person he’s seen so far, and Cameron asks, how’d that go? Spencer says, not great.

Cody tells Maxie, trust him. He’s not the guy she wants to go to for relationship advice. She says, things not going so well with Britt? and he says, things aren’t going at all. She says, yikes, and he says he had a choice. It was the wrong one apparently. Britt doesn’t want anything to do with him. She says, that could change, and he says, doubtful. She says, he’s messed up before and Britt got over it. It could happen again. He says, what about her? Is she going to get over this issue with Austin? She asks if the whole point of this conversation isn’t that she doesn’t know, and he asks if she wants to forgive him. She says, isn’t that the same question? but he says, no. You can be mad and be done with someone, like Britt, or you can be mad, and still want to work things out. She says, or you can be mad, still want to work things out, but be terrified he’s not the person you thought he was.

Spencer asks how the rest of the fall semester went, and Cameron says, it was busy. He had a lot to do with soccer and school and work. He didn’t have much time to do anything else. He barely saw Joss. Spencer says, they’re good though, right? and Cameron says, they are. Spencer says, good. He couldn’t come back home to everything having changed. Cameron asks if Spencer watched the news in Pentenville, and Spencer asks if that’s code for, does he know his ex-girlfriend is running around town attacking people with a hook? Cameron says he’s glad he doesn’t have to tell Spencer, but they’re not sure it is Esme. Spencer says, she attacked his mother and he’s defending her, but Cameron says, no. He’s just saying, it’s one thing to push someone and cause them to fall, but it’s a totally different level to murder someone. Spencer says he has to hand it to Cameron. Some things never change; Cameron always sees the good in people. Cameron says, lucky for Spencer, and Spencer says he knows it. His friendships with Cameron and Joss are pretty much the only things that make sense right now. He’s trapped at Windymere for the rest of his sentence, and then, who knows? Cameron asks if Spencer is going to apply at PCU, but Spencer says, that doesn’t start until the fall. Maybe he’ll head to Stahl for some skiing. He always did like the après life. Cameron asks, what happened to being his own man, and not living off of someone else’s money? and Spencer says, easier said than done. Cameron says, so that’s it. Spencer is just going to leave and go back to Europe. Spencer says, why not? It’s not like anyone is keeping him here.

Trina says she’s not in love with Spencer, but the moss bowl🎍 is skeptical, and Josslyn asks if she said that. Trina says, it was strongly implied. How could she love someone that she can’t even trust? But every time she sees him, it’s like some part of her wakes up. Does that make sense? Josslyn flashes back to telling Dex, try being honest, and Dex kissing her. She says she gets it, and Trina says, it’s like she’s drawn to Spencer, even though she wishes she wasn’t, and she doesn’t have that same pull with Rory like she wishes she did. Josslyn asks if she’s going to break up with Rory, but Trina says, it’s tough. Rory makes her feel good about herself. They definitely have fun when they’re together, but is that enough? Is it even fair to keep dating him, knowing how he feels about her when she doesn’t feel the same way?

Nina asks if Obrecht wants her to call Scotty, but Obrecht says, he’s out of town on business. She’s fine, really. Just go. Nina says, Jay would never forgive her, and Obrecht says, her precious Nathan. Nina says, with Christmas coming, she’s been thinking about him a lot. Is that what’s wrong? Obrecht is missing Jay more than usual? Obrecht says, a mother should have more time with their child, and Nina says she wholeheartedly agrees with that, but they have James. And he’s looking more and more like his daddy every day. Jay lives on. Obrecht says, but Britta won’t.

Dante tells Jordan that he has an update on the Hook case, and Rory asks if he can stay since it has a connection to Trina. Jordan says, of course (🍷), and tells Dante to fill them in. Dante says, the lab was able to identify the venom found on the hook. It comes from a secret highly venomous semi-aquatic snake. He hands Jordan the report, and she asks where one would find such a snake. He says, according to the herpetologist at the PC Zoo, not around here; not in the wild anyway. They come from the South Asia Islands. She says, they’d have to smuggle it into the US, and he says he looked up arrests for smuggling exotic animals into the US. They’ve only had five in the Port Charles area in the last ten years. She asks if he can get on it as soon as possible, and Dante says, will do. Rory says, it’s been two months since Oz Haggerty was killed. Could this mean she’s done? Jordan says, it could, or it could mean she’s nice and rested, and ready for her next victim. She’d like to believe the attempts are over, but serial killers rarely stop on their own. Rory says, it’s the longest break so far, and Dante says, the wait up to Haggerty’s killing was two weeks; it’s a lot longer than that. Rory asks if that’s good news, and Jordan says, no one dying is good news, but it’s premature to think the killer is done. She could have been arrested for another crime, or left town for some reason. Dante says, whoever she is and wherever she is, she’s got to be stopped and brought to justice.

Britt asks if Brad can talk to the manager about how early they can get into the Haunted Star the day of the party, and he says, yes, ma’am. She says, and on her end, she needs to find amazing shoes that she can still dance in, set up a massage for that morning, talk to her lawyer… Brad says, a little extreme, no? He knows people will sue at the drop of a hat these days, but does she really need to see her lawyer? She says she didn’t mean to bring this up today, but since they’re here, she’s talking to her lawyer about her will. He says, she’s scaring him, but she says, don’t be scared. It’s just this whole mess with the necklace, not knowing who it belongs to, reminded her that it’s important to write things down. Besides, it’s the responsible thing to do. Does he have a will. He laughs, and says, all he has to leave to posterity is a fabulous wardrobe. She says, it is fabulous. Just so he knows, she’s leaving everything to him.

Trina tells Josslyn and the moss bowl🎍 that she agreed to meet Rory’s parents. Before the whole love thing, he invited her to his family’s Christmas Eve, and it sounds pretty casual; people coming and going all day. It seemed like the next step. Josslyn tells her, that was before he said what he said, and Spencer showed up, and Trina says, it was so much easier when Spencer was away. Is that horrible? Josslyn says, she’s just being honest, and Trina says, now that he’s home, she’ll probably be seeing him everywhere. Josslyn says, she can always avoid him, but Trina says, that’s not sustainable. And she’s supposed to be hanging out with Rory. What is she going to say? She doesn’t want to date Rory just because she can’t have Spencer. She doesn’t even want Spencer. Josslyn says, but she does, and Trina says, but I do.

Spencer asks how Trina is doing, and Cameron says he thought Spencer saw for himself last night. Spencer says, they didn’t exactly have a heart-to-heart. She said there’s no way for them to start over. Cameron says he’s sorry, but can Spencer blame her? and Spencer says, no. He just wanted to make sure her life was back on track after he completely derailed it. Cameron says, Trina is doing well, and Spencer says, good. She’s happy with Rory? Cameron says, seems like it. Rory’s a good guy. Spencer says, Trina deserves nothing less, when Dex walks in and goes to the counter. Spencer asks, who is that guy? He looks familiar. Cameron says, his name is Dex; he works for Sonny. Spencer says, right. Isn’t Cameron going to take his order? Cameron says, he can wait, and Spencer says, Cameron really doesn’t like him. Cameron says, Dex is a wannabe gangster. Joss was convinced Sonny wanted to hurt him. Spencer says, Cameron just told him Dex works for Sonny. Why would Sonny want to hurt him? Cameron says, remember how Ava was the first Hook victim, and Josslyn found her at the Quartermaines? Dex was there too. He helped Joss get Ava to the hospital. He was also at Charlie’s the night Brando got attacked, and he was at Brando’s garage when Diane Miller got attacked, so… Spencer says, seems like a pattern to him, and Cameron says, Sonny saw a pattern too. That’s why he had him… detained. Spencer says, detained how? and Cameron says he doesn’t have all the details, nor does he want them, but Sonny got Dex out of police custody and Dex just vanished. Josslyn figured Sonny was behind it, and went to Pozzulo’s to look for him. Spencer says, obviously she found him; he’s standing right there. Cameron says, it’s more complicated than that. The guy who was questioning Dex was not listening to Josslyn, and she had to call Michael for back-up. That’s when things got heated dangerous. Spencer says, that’s ridiculous. Sonny would never let any of his people hurt Josslyn. Cameron says, all he knows is that it was a major confrontation. If Joss wasn’t mad at Sonny before, it’s on a whole other level now. Spencer says, Joss is upset because her mom and Sonny split up, and now Sonny’s moved on to Nina, so he sympathizes, but Sonny’s always been more than decent to Josslyn. Cameron says, it’s not about that. Whatever happened at Pozzulo’s, whatever Sonny did to Dex, Josslyn hates him for that.

Nina tells Obrecht that she doesn’t understand. Did something happen to Britt? Obrecht says, she’ll never have children, but Nina says, she could change her mind about that. Obrecht says, when Britta’s gone, there’ll be nothing, and Nina asks why she keeps talking about Britt leaving. Obrecht says, it’s not her story to tell, and Nina says, that may be true, but it’s obviously tearing her up. She has to let it out. Obrecht says, nein. This is obviously a moment of weakness. She gets up, and says she can keep the secret. She will keep the secret. Nina says, Aunt Liesl, and Obrecht stops. Nina says she just reminded Obrecht that they’re family. Obrecht can tell her anything. She’s not going to tell anybody. Obrecht can trust her. Obrecht says, it’s too much, and Nina says, let her shoulder some of the burden. She won’t tell anyone. Trust her. Obrecht starts to cry, and says, Britta is sick. She has Huntington’s disease. Sitting on a nearby bench, Sonny overhears.

Brad says he’s a beneficiary of Britt’s will? and Britt says, sole beneficiary. Don’t look so shocked. Who else does she have to leave it to? He asks how much they’re talking about here? A vacay in Cabo, or… never mind. That’s so not the point. She says, the point is for him to be independent. She hopes he uses the money to get away from Aunt Selina and start fresh. He says, that’s depressing, and she says, which part? He says, the prospect of still running errands for his aunt decades from now. Not unless she plans on dying tomorrow. She says, that is not the plan, but it’s always good to be prepared.

Cameron tells Spencer, Josslyn told him that her family’s been covering for Sonny all her life. That he doesn’t deserve it; that he belongs in prison. Spencer says, speaking as someone who just got out of prison, that’s pretty harsh, and Cameron says, she means it. She says Sonny’s not who they think he is. She’s seen the truth, and wants nothing to do with him. He’s not saying whatever Sonny did to Dex was okay, but the guy went to work for him, and he’s still working for him. Spencer says, exactly. Josslyn has no idea what Dex did to get in trouble with Sonny, or how badly he may have screwed up. For all they know, Sonny is going easy on the guy. Cameron says, don’t tell Joss that, and Spencer says, obviously this Dex is manipulating her. If Joss is mad at Sonny, she’s going to jump on anything that makes him look bad, and Dex knows that. Dex asks if anyone works here, and Spencer says he thinks that’s Cameron’s cue. Cameron asks what he can get Dex, and Dex says, a cheeseburger to go, medium rare. Cameron says, coming right up, and goes in the back. Spencer says, Dex, right? and they shake hands. Dex says, and he is? Spencer says, Spencer Cassadine; he’s Sonny’s nephew. Dex works for Spencer’s uncle, right? Dex says he does, and Spencer says, which means Dex works for him.

Trina asks Josslyn if she’s really going to break up with Rory right before the holidays. Is she that person? Josslyn says, it’s never a good time to end a relationship, and Trina says, no, but there are very, very bad times. And say she and Rory break up, that’s no guarantee she and Spencer will have a future. He asked if they could start over, but she doesn’t think they can. Josslyn says she wishes she had the answers, and Trina says, Spencer has hurt her so many times, and now he’s going to cost her Rory too? It’s not fair. Josslyn says, it’s not, but Trina’s not the only one in this. Rory is involved too. So if she’s honest with him, not about wanting Spencer, but about not feeling the same way, it’s up to him to stay or not. Trina says, that’s true. Rory can decide for himself. It’s still going to be so awkward. Like, thanks for loving me, but I don’t feel same way? Maybe she’ll wait until after New Year’s. Josslyn says, no. She has to do this. Cam deserves to know the truth. Trina asks where that came from, and Josslyn says she meant Rory obviously. Trina says, Josslyn is right. If she wants something real with Rory, she has to be up front with him.

Jordan thanks Dante, and says she wishes she could send more detectives to the case, but they don’t have the manpower. He says, that’s okay. He’ll just work as efficiently as he possible can. She says she knows she will, and Rory asks if Dante wants him to drop the report on his desk; he’s heading out. Dante says, sure, and Jordan says, that’s actually perfect, since she wants to talk to Dante about something else. Rory thanks her for letting him sit in, and leaves. In the hallway, he looks inside the folder, and takes a photo of something with his phone.

Nina tells Obrecht she remembers how relieved they were when they found out Jay didn’t inherit the gene, but Britt did. Obrecht says, if only Cesar was here; she’d kill him herself. Nina asks if Britt is having symptoms, and Obrecht says, trouble swallowing, muscle spasms, and it’s only going to get worse. How does she do this? She cries, and says, the thought of sitting by helpless, watching her Britta waste away. She doesn’t have the strength. Sonny joins them, and says she’s going to find the strength because her daughter’s going to need her. Obrecht looks like she might kill him.

Maxie says, Austin lied to her, and Cody says, yeah. She says, excuse you? and he says, when you like someone, you want to show them the best version of yourself, so you massage the truth a little bit. Like saying you love to cook, when in reality, you only know how to make pasta. Or you talk about your love of exercise when you haven’t seen a gym in weeks. She says, he’s right. He’s terrible at giving relationship advice. And yes, people are on their best behavior for the first few dates, but if you want to go the distance with someone, you’re going to have to open up and show then who you really are. He shakes his head, and she says, that’s it, just no? He says, no one wants the real him, but she says, that’s a cop out and he knows it.

Brad tells Britt that he’s got his marching orders; time to go to work. He starts to leave, but turns around, and says he know acts aloof and above it all sometimes. She says, sometimes? And he says, but this will thing, it really means the world to him. She tells him, what can she say? He’s been there for her when no one else has. He knows her better than anyone. He’s her best friend in the whole world. He says, they’re more than a best friends; they’re family. They hug, and Britt says, cue the violins. She lets go of her phone, and Brad picks it up, asking, what was that? She rubs her arm, and says she was just at the gym too long this morning. So run along. The party’s not going to plan itself. He looks at her, and she says, what? He says he’s excited about the party, don’t get him wrong. He guesses he’s confused about the magnitude of it. She never celebrates her birthday; she never even mentions it. Why is this one such a big deal?

Dex says, if he works for Spencer, that’s news to him, and Spencer says, his uncle listens to him. So Dex would be wise to do as he says.

Cameron is sweeping outside, when Joss comes by with a bunch of toys in her arms. She him if Toys for Tots is still going on, and he says, yes, but… She asks him to get the door, and he opens it. She goes in, saying, she did not want to miss it. She sees Spencer telling Dex, stay away from Josslyn Jax. She says, excuse me?

Obrecht says, how dare Sonny eavesdrop on a private conversation? Is he happy to see her brought to her knees like this? He says he doesn’t want to see her in any pain, but she says, liar. Nina says, she has every right to be upset, but it’s not fair to take it out on Sonny. Sonny tells Nina that he’d like to say something, and Obrecht asks why she should listen to him. He says he went through something similar to what she’s facing with his own father. She says, he had Alzheimer’s, and Sonny says, when he found out, it was the worst moment of his life. He thought he’s already lost his father, but he was wrong. At the end of his father’s life, there were flashes of his old self. When his memory loss started setting in, and his defenses were going away, he saw another side to his father. They were so honest with each other; more honest than they’d ever been before he got sick. Alzheimer’s takes a lot… But at the end, those times they had… they were a gift. We all get teary-eyed. Nina says she’ll call Obrecht tonight, and Obrecht tells her to remember… Nina tells her, she won’t say a word to anyone. She promises. Obrecht takes Sonny’s hand, and thanks him for what he said. They hug, and she cries some more. Obrecht leaves, and Nina hugs Sonny, and cries. She tells him, Aunt Liesl has done horrible things to people Sonny loves, and he reached out to her. He says when he sees someone suffering like he did with his dad, he just helps, that’s all. She says, it’s not just that’s all. It’s everything.

Cody says, Maxie feels like she doesn’t know the real Austin, and Maxie says she thinks it’s become increasingly clear that she doesn’t. She asks if he thinks he’s seen the real Britt, and he says, glimpses, but yes. She asks if he likes her, and he says, very much. She says, then don’t give up on her, but he says he’s not sure he’s being given a chance. She says, trust her. Britt just needs time.

Brad asks, what’s so important about this party? and Britts says, the party’s just an excuse. He says, for…? and she says, she wants to be more than the woman who fell in the MetroCourt pool; the sucker taken in by Cody’s con. She wants people to see her in all her glory. Does that make sense? He says, it does. And that’s exactly what she’s going to get. She has his word. This party will be a once in a lifetime experience.

Josslyn says she heard Spencer was out, and he says, home for the holidays. Josslyn says, speaking of holidays, indicating the toys in her arms, and Dex starts to step forward, but Spencer says, let Cameron help her. Josslyn says, she can do it, and puts the toys in the box. Dex tells Cameron to cancel his order; he’ll go somewhere else. Since you can’t please him, Spencer says, no. Dex ordered, so he’s got to pay, but Cameron says, no, he doesn’t. Dex says, not a problem. He looks at Spencer, and says, Spencer’s uncle pays him well. He pulls out a stack of cash, and counts out some bills, when Spencer sucker punches him, surprising us all.  

Jordan opens her office door, and Trina is there. Trina asks if Jordan has seen Rory. She asked at the front desk, but no one can tell her where he is.

Rory walks down a hotel room hallway (not sure if it’s the MetroCourt), to room 82. He bangs on the door, and it opens. He says, PCPD. Anyone home? He goes inside, and the door slams shut.

Tomorrow, Curtis tells Alexis, they have to be careful with this information; Ava asks Nikolas to tell her what’s behind this; and Dante busts into the hotel room.

🦈 First Turkeys, Now This…

For a good time, call Bruce.

Lisa LoCicero Swims With the Sharks!

⚔️ Dueling Wives…

First World problems.

Luann de Lesseps Responds To Andy Cohen And Bethenny Frankel’s Disagreement About Her ReWives Podcast
https://pagesix.com/2022/12/12/luann-de-lesseps-reacts-to-andy-cohen-calling-out-bethenny-frankel/

👶🏼 Baby On Boat…

I guess this means she’s permanently retired from yachting… sniff…

Below Deck Star Kate Chastain Is Pregnant With Her First Child!

💍 On the Other Hand…

Although I’m not sure why you’d want to get engaged if you have no plans to wed.

Bethenny Frankel Says That She And Fiancé Paul Bernon Have No Plans To Wed

🐈 Mazel…

Pets enjoying the holiday.

The 15 Best Hanukkah Pet Pictures on Instagram

🏂 Off To Jingle Some Bells…

Join me tomorrow for soap, and an ending to the fiasco that is Winter House. Until then, stay safe, stay pacing yourself with holiday foods, and stay not taking the arguably more difficult route, when you can just open up to the person you’re close to.

Dec14

December 13, 2022 – Drew Exchanges Bad News With Willow, Maurice To the Rescue, New Furbaby & Please

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Nina runs out into Sonny’s living room, giggling, and tying her silk kimono. Sonny follows her in, she gives him a quick kiss, and suggests she whip up dessert for them. He asks if that’s why she’s here, because he forgot, and she says, he made dinner, then they got distracted. He says, there’s bad distraction and good distraction, and she asks which distraction he is. He moves closer, and says, you tell me. She says, he’s a terrible, terrible, terrible distraction, and they kiss. She says, dessert, but he says, they’re doing something different; she’s not lifting a finger tonight, because he had panna cotta delivered from Bernadino’s. She says, how decadent, and he tells her to wait right there. He goes into the kitchen, and she looks at the Christmas tree, then flops onto the couch. She pulls some of Donna’s blocks out from under her, along with a drawing of a blond woman that says Mommy underneath.

Carly brings Denise to a staff room, and Denise asks if Carly is sure it’s private. Carly says, it’s the break room for the pool staff, and the pool is closed. Please tell her everything went off without a hitch. Denise says, don’t worry. Drew no longer has any reason to look for that poor girl’s mother.

Drew says he just met somebody who knew Harmony at the commune when she unofficially adopted Willow, and Willow asks if he found out more about her biological mother’s identity. He says he did… and she asks, why the hesitation? He says he should verify the information first, but she says she can’t wait that long. Tell her what his source said. He says he’s sorry, but it’s not great news, and she asks if he hit a roadblock. He says, it appears her biological mother died.

Maxie goes to the reception desk at the hospital, and stares at Britt. Britt says, yes? and Maxie says she’ll give Britt one guess. A birthday party? First, the injury. She’s planning this party herself? It’s not like she doesn’t have Port Charles’s premier party planner at her disposal. Next, the insult. She found out about this self-planned party from Austin.

Austin says, tick-tock, Spinelli, as he leads Spinelli into his office. Did he do what Austin asked him to do? Spinelli says he did. He ran Society Set-Ups algorithm on Austin and Maxie behind Maxie’s back. Now Austin will know if they’re truly meant to be.

At Charlie’s, Alexis says, Gregory doesn’t have to stick to mocktails on her account, and he says, according to her lifestyle section, they’re all the rage. She hopes they live up to the hype. Then they can concentrate on the front page news. He asks, what’s happening with that? Have the police given her any more information on the killer? She says, the police are very tight-lipped, although she does have a contact who may have access to some inside information. He tells her, just be careful. She wants to investigate criminals without becoming one. Threading that needle between journalistic responsibility and public good is a balancing act. She asks to table this, just for a second. There’s something they need to talk about.

Elizabeth gets in the hospital elevator, and flashes back to asking Finn not to tell anyone about her pregnancy for her boys’ sakes; and him saying he’d never do anything to hurt her boys. She gets out of the elevator, and there he is.

Nikolas asks what Ava is doing here, and she says, it’s time they address the fate of their marriage.

Drew says, it seems Willow’s biological mother was an only child, but there’s still hope. Her biological father could still be out there. It’ll be difficult to pinpoint exactly who that is, because they weren’t in a relationship. Willow says she sees, and he says, they have options. The genealogical services. Maybe her biological father registered for one. People find lost relatives all the time. (Stella did.) She says, yeah, maybe, and he says he’s sorry. He knows this wasn’t the news she wanted to hear. She gets up, and he starts to follow, but she says, no. She just needs some air, and walks out to the terrace.

Carly tells Denise that she can’t believe it’s come to this, but this friend of hers and Drew’s can’t find out who her birth mother is. It would cause her a world of pain. Carly flashes back to listening Willow tell Nina that she only sees what she wants to see, and Denise asks, are you trying to justify it to yourself or me? Because she doesn’t care about Carly’s reasons, as long as her check clears.

Maxie says she understands it’s Britt’s party, and she can exclude who she wants to. Maybe she’s only inviting doctors. But is Britt really not inviting her? Britt hands Maxie an envelope, and says she wanted to give Maxie this in person. Taking the envelope, Maxie says, well then, apology accepted, and Britt asks if she apologized. Maxie says, it’s implied, and opens the invitation. She says, printed invitations… She shakes the paper, and says, high quality cardstock. Britt is going all out. What’s this about? Britt says, a girl can’t throw herself a party? and Maxie says she’s the queen of celebrating birthday week. Britt on the other hand… Britt walks to the elevator, and tells Maxie, what can she say? She contains multitudes. Maxie says, so does Austin, which was probably why he was so protective over spilling the beans about this party of hers. He comes to town, this swashbuckling country doctor, and delivers her baby in the woods, and gets knocked out for his trouble. Generally, Austin’s been very good to her. Britt says, so what’s the problem? and Maxie says, aside from alienating her friends one by one, except for Britt, which Maxie is extremely grateful for… Britt says, he can’t have alienated everybody, and gets in the elevator. Maxie follows, and says, Brook, Drew, Britt’s mom; even Georgie and Spinelli hate him. She’s not sure what to do about that. The elevator doors close.

Austin thanks Spinelli for doing what he asked, and Spinelli says, if by asked you mean extorted. Austin says he thinks Spinelli has him all wrong. He never really wanted to go public with Spinelli’s criminally accurate algorithm. Spinelli says, but he would have, and Austin says, maybe. It doesn’t matter because now they have this. He reaches for the envelope, and Spinelli clutches it to his chest. He implores Austin one last time; please do not force his hand with this. Austin says he doesn’t think he has a choice, because Spinelli and everyone else are whispering in Maxie’s ear to cut bait. Spinelli says, this isn’t about insecurity? This is truly about proving everybody wrong? Is it worth it to be dishonest with someone you hope to have a future with?

Gregory says he’s sorry if he’s done something to offend Alexis, but she says, no. Offend is too strong of a word; it’s just a small thing. When they first met, they had this rapport back and forth; personal, slash, professional banter, and it was kind of fun. Now that they’re friends, it kind of feels like she’s being talked at instead of talked to. Lectured. He says he is a lecturer, so… occupational hazard? She says she gets that. She’s a minefield of occupational hazards. Probing questions, rules, regulations, procedures… He says, not to mention objections? Sorry. Bad joke. She says she just thinks it best if all of their conversations didn’t turn into TED talks. For the sake of their friendship, if he could just recognize that if she wanted advice from him, it should be invited advice. That’s all.

Ava says, don’t tell her the topic of their marriage has left Nikolas speechless. He usually has so much to say on the subject. He says, he doesn’t want to get his hopes up too high, and she says, coincidentally, hope is what she’s here to discuss. He says, okay, and she says, logic dictates she cast him aside. They’ve each caused the other a tremendous amount of pain; mostly him hurting her of course (🍷), but there’s no denying when they’re there for each other, they’re a formidable team. They’d follow each other into hell… and leave each other there, which she supposes is part of the problem. They haven’t been a united front in quite a long while. He agrees, and she says, and yet somehow, against all reason, she keeps coming back to the same question. Can they come back to that? She thinks they owe themselves a final definitive answer. He says, she’s not suggesting she move back in, is she?

Finn sits at the bar in Charlie’s, and studies the liquor bottles. The bartender says he was just about to clock out, but can he get Finn something before he does?

Sonny comes out of the kitchen, and says, here it is. Nina says, it looks delicious. She can’t wait to dig into it. She puts the blocks on the table, and Sonny says, Donna’s blocks are all over; he finds them everywhere. He’s glad she and Donna spend time together. He knows it’s awkward, but it will get easier once he and Carly redraw the boundaries. Carly knows she’s not going anywhere, and he doesn’t want any distance between her and his daughter. She says she appreciates that, but what if it’s for the best?

Carly says, Denise really cuts to the chase, and Denise says she saw too many friends in the commune sucked into all kinds of shadiness. She learned the hard way it’s best not get too invested in anyone. Carly says, then tell her what she said to Drew, and Denise says she corroborated Harmony’s story. A sweet, troubled girl named Joan got caught up in the family way, joined the commune, had her baby, and skipped out. Then years later, she happened to witness Joan’s passing, a drug overdose in a flophouse. Carly says, what about the father? Denise was supposed to tell Drew that both of the baby’s parents are dead. Denise holds up the check, and says, this payment only covers one imaginary dead parent. Carly wants two in the grave? That’s going to cost her.

Willow is on the terrace crying when Drew comes out. She says she just needs a second, and he says, it’s freezing out here. Does she want her jacket. She doesn’t want to get sick. Willow laughs, and says, sorry. It’s just… He has no idea how important this was to her. How much she was counting on it. She guesses this Hail Mary is not going to happen, is it? Drew flashes back to him saying that Willow was going through a lot, and her asking, who told you? He remembers Willow getting dizzy, and telling her that she looks pale. He says, oh my God. She is sick, isn’t she?

Ava says, no, she wasn’t suggesting moving back, but assumes Nikolas is open to the idea. Is she wrong? He says, of course (🍷) he wants her to move back in. He just doesn’t want to rush things. He was just telling Spencer that he wants Spencer to move in because he wants to, not because he has to. She says, Spencer’s back, and he says, yes. That’s why he thinks it best if she keeps her distance until they sort things out. She says, that could take some time, and he says he takes it from her impatience that she wants to work on their marriage, and she says she’s not able to forgive him yet, but she doesn’t want to give up on them yet. But then there’s the whole problem with Victor, which puts them in limbo. Maybe Nikolas is done waiting, but she was hoping he’d be willing to press pause for now. Elizabeth lets herself in.

Alexis and Gregory come to the bar, and try to get Finn’s attention. Finn says, sorry. He zoned out for a minute. He was just thinking about… Gregory says, he looks frozen. Where is his coat, in the car? Finn says he was walking, and… Alexis tells Gregory, it turns out she is hungry. Would he mind flagging down a waitress, and getting them something to eat while she catches up with her friend? Gregory says, one mixed appetizer platter coming up, and leaves. Finn says, neither of them fell for that, and she says she’s not a very good liar. She’s a truth teller, and he has the truth written all over his face. What’s going on? He says he took her advice and followed up with Elizabeth. Things are over for them.

Austin asks, who the hell is Spinelli to lecture him on integrity? Spinelli talks about being honest with Maxie, when he’s the one who ran that data set to protect himself. Spinelli says, Austin is absolutely right, and heads for the door. Austin asks where he’s going, and Spinelli says, to reset his moral compass. He’s allowed himself to falter, but thankfully Austin reminded him of the man he truly is; one who would never betray Maxie, even if it costs him his company, his freedom, or anything else. He leaves and Austin follows him.

Britt and Maxie come out of the elevator, and Britt says she gets that Spinelli is Maxie’s friend… Maxie says, her best friend, the father of her eldest, her person. And the last time Spinelli got bad vibes about a person, it was Peter. Britt says, okay, but comparing Austin to Peter… Marci says she knows Austin is not Peter, but after everything she’s been through, it’s hard for her to trust, and most important, it’s hard for her to trust her own judgement.

In the hallway, Austin tells Spinelli give it back, but Spinelli says, it was never in Austin’s possession in the first place. Spinelli pretends to hand the envelope over, then snatches it away as Austin reaches for it, and they repeat this until Austin finally grabs it. They struggle over it, and Maxie and Britt come along. The envelope goes flying across the hall to Maxie, who picks it up and asks, what’s this? Look at them, chasing each other around the halls of a hospital. Over what? Some letter? She looks at the envelope, and says, Society Set-Ups? What is this? Austin says he had Spinelli run his algorithm on them, and Britt says, his algorithm? Spinelli is Society Set-Ups? Maxie says, Austin had Spinelli run an algorithm on them behind her back? And Spinelli went along with it? That’s not possible; Spinelli would never do that. Austin says, Spinelli would if he blackmailed him.

Ava says hi to Elizabeth, and asks what Elizabeth is doing here, with her own keys. Elizabeth tosses the keys to Nikolas, and says, sorry to interrupt. Aiden is doing a family tree project, and Nikolas was kind enough to let her go through some of Laura’s stuff. Ava says, so he gave Elizabeth the keys to the castle, and Nikolas asks if Elizabeth would mind coming tomorrow. He knows she came all this way… Ava says, it’s okay; she’ll go. She’s said all she needs to say. Goodnight then. She leaves, and they go into the sitting room. Nikolas says, Spencer is upstairs. He might be moving back in, so they have to be careful. Elizabeth says, Spencer’s not their only problem. She gives him the bottle of vitamins, and says, Finn found those. Apparently, he saw the same bottle here at Windymere, and started asking questions. He wanted send the cops over, but she stopped him. Nikolas asks, how? and she says, congratulations. He’s going to be a father again – to her child.

Alexis tells Finn, she’s sorry things didn’t work out with him and Elizabeth. Is he sure it’s over? Does this have to do with what happened with Jeff? He says, a lot more went down, but it’s not his place. She says, for an addict such as himself, it’s not surprising if he thought about having a drink tonight.

Nina asks Sonny to pass the spoon, and he says, she knows she can tell him anything, right? She says she had a nice time playing with Donna. Josslyn stopped by, and made it very clear she thinks she and Sonny are temporary, and her head started spinning. She started wondering if all this pain and agony they’re going through to be in this relationship would be worth it if they didn’t survive. He says, all they can do is move forward. Carly has. She says she gets that, but then she sees the blocks and sees this mommy picture, and starts to think what this will mean if she gets closer to Donna. He says, how so? and she says, it’s awkward for her to talk about because it stops her from moving forward. He knows the reality is that she’s a woman whose baby was stolen from her; a daughter who was kept from her for her entire life. She has this big hole that will never go away in her heart that she keeps trying to fill. And the more time she spends with Donna, the more afraid she is that the lines will be blurred.

Carly says, she and Denise agreed on a fee for her to tell Drew that both parents were dead, so there would be no one else for him to go looking for. Denise says, the terms changed, and Carly says she’s not made of money. Denise says, that’s a shame. Maybe she should call Drew and let him know what’s going on. Or find that nice young woman that he’s lying to on Carly’s behalf. Or Carly can pay her what she’s worth, and she’ll think about calling Drew back and saying she remembers who this girl’s papa is, and how the whole family moved on to the Great Beyond.

Drew asks if Willow is sick, and she says, what makes him think… He says, his son, Oscar. He was sick too. Is it…? She says, it’s leukemia, and he says he’s so sorry. What do the doctors say? She tells him that she’s in Stage IV. It’s pretty aggressive, so unless she can find a family member or somebody who’s a close match for a bone marrow transplant, she doesn’t know. He hugs her.

Nikolas asks why Elizabeth told Finn she was pregnant with his child, and she says she had to think on her feet. He asks why she didn’t say it was Finn’s child, and she says, she had to keep him away, and it explains why she’s here and keeps coming back. Besides, they haven’t slept together. He says, it’s not like she can fake a pregnancy for months, and she says she’d never do that to her boys. She bought them time. In a few weeks, she’ll tell Finn that she miscarried… and he’s going to feel sorry for her. This is awful. She caused Finn pain, and keeps making it worse. Maybe she should tell Finn the truth about everything.

Finn says, even if he considered it, Alexis knows he’s not an alcoholic, and she says she knows that. But didn’t he tell her that people in NA don’t drink because it loosens their inhibitions, and they lose self-control and make choices that are self-destructive? A new bartender comes over, and sets down a drink, saying, sorry for the delay. He thinks the other bartender was supposed to make this for Finn. Finn says, there must have been a mistake. He slides the drink back, along with some money, and says, please enjoy this on him. He tells Alexis that he should get going, and she says she’s here if he wants to talk. He says he knows. He thinks Alexis already got through to him. Gregory hands him a coat, and says, for the walk home. Finn leaves, and Alexis says, shall we dig in? Gregory says, his family is in her debt tonight, aren’t they?

Sonny says he understands what Nina is saying, but he doesn’t think she has anything to worry about. She says she knows he doesn’t, but the holidays are around the corner. People are thinking of their families, and she thinks of the family she’s lost. He says, that’s why she has to move forward. She’s great with Donna. She thanks him, and says she appreciates that, but she knows herself. The closer she gets to Donna, the more she’ll inadvertently start using her to fill up this little hole she has, and she doesn’t want to use Donna the way she tried to use Wiley. He says, she didn’t use Wiley. Wiley is her grandson, and she has every right to be close to him. She says, maybe one day she will, but in the meantime, she has to stop herself from getting closer to Donna. She knows how messy things can get with Avery because of Carly and Ava. So she’ll keeps her distance, and keep the boundaries very, very clear. So when it comes to Donna, she’s just his friend.

Carly says, Denise is really awful, and Denise says she could be worse. She could be paying someone to lie about parents being dead. Carly says she’s doing it to protect someone, and Denise is doing it to get rich, and Denise says, yet Carly needs her. At least she owns who she is and what she’s doing. Trust her. Carly’s life would be a lot easier if she looked in the mirror and did the same thing.

Drew asks why Willow didn’t say something when she found out, and Willow says, chemotherapy could hurt the baby during the first trimester. So she made up her mind to wait. She figured it couldn’t get that much worse. Well, Stage IV. He asks, what’s the prognosis? and she says she’s getting chemo, but it’s not enough. She needs a bone marrow transplant, and the best chance for a match is with a family member, but she doesn’t have any. He asks if Michael knows, and she says, he does now. He immediately forgave her for keeping it a secret; he’s been wonderful and supportive. Drew says, no surprise, and she says, the only other people who know are TJ and her doctors. He says, if they had known, they could have helped, and she says she wants to shield Wiley from this for as long as possible, and the Quartermaines and Carly. She loves them, but they wear their hearts on their sleeves. Can he imagine if Brook or Olivia found out? One look at them, and Wiley would  know something was wrong. Drew has to promise he won’t tell anyone she’s sick, not even Carly.

Austin and Maxie go to his office, and he says he feels like she’s angry. She says she’s going to give him one minute to explain his justification for blackmailing Spinelli, and he says he guesses there isn’t one. She says, all right then, and starts to leave, but he says, it was a stupid thing to do. He owns that. He shouldn’t have pressured Spinelli. She says she thinks the word he initially used was blackmail, and he says he shouldn’t have done that either. The upside is, Spinelli’s secret is safe, and he hopes they can get past this. She says, there’s something he needs to understand. For three years someone she thought she loved was lying to her and doing really shady things behind her back. He says, things; he did a thing-g. She asks how she knows that. With Peter she kept overlooking all these tiny red flags. She owns that. But him threatening to hurt Spinelli – her best friend in the whole world, Georgie’s father – is a huge read flag.

Willow says, Drew can’t say anything to anyone about her diagnosis. She wants to give Wiley a few more weeks of happiness, and frankly, she needs a few weeks of happiness, before everyone starts treating her like a sick person. He says he gets it. She wants to be in the driver’s seat. She has his word; he won’t tell soul. She thanks him, and they hug. He says, but he’s not giving up on the search to find her biological father. She might have a sibling out there, or a cousin, aunt, or uncle. She thanks him, and he asks if they can go inside. She may be able to tough this out, but he’s freezing. She says, sounds good, and they go back in. Carly sees them, and asks how it’s going.

Nicolas says, Elizabeth can’t do that. Finn will send the cops right here. Cameron is an adult, but where does that leave Aiden and Jake? Even if they’re lenient on her, she’ll serve time. She says she doesn’t know who she is anymore. How did she become this person who did something like this? He says, she did it because she knows this protects everyone. Sometimes tough decisions have to be made; sacrifices for the greater good. Elizabeth tells him, Finn wouldn’t say anything to anybody to give her time to tell the boys. He asks if she trusts Finn not to say anything to anybody else.  

Ava sees Finn outside Charlie’s, and says, fancy meeting him here. He says, yeah, and she says she’ll see him around. He says, wait, and she asks if there’s something on his mind.

Sonny says he’ll follow Nina’s lead, and she thanks him, but he says, just so their clear, there’s nothing he’d like more than for her to have a real relationship with his daughter. She says, her too, so much, but she has to hold herself back. Because she thinks it would hurt if… He says, if what? and she says, if they don’t last. She loves him. He makes her so happy. She loves spending time with him, but even he has to admit they have the cards stacked against them. He says, the only thing he’s going to admit is, he’s falling more in love with her every single day. He doesn’t care what anybody thinks; he sees a future with her and his family, because she is part of that family. And if he hasn’t made it clear, he’s in this for the long haul. She says, her too, and they kiss.

Austin asks if they can’t talk about this, and Maxie says she can’t believe he had Spinelli run the algorithm in the first place. She shoves the envelope at him, and says, and he did it behind her back, and he extorted Spinelli into doing it. Which one of those things sounds like something a decent person would do? He stammers, and she says, just for some reassurance they were meant to be together? Anyone who’s meant to be with her would never do that to someone she cares about. She storms out, and he follows.

Britt says, so Zelda is Spinelli’s partner or… Oh my God. She’s just a front, right? There is no personalized matchmaking. No wonder he got it so wrong with her and Cody. Spinelli says, if ever there was an understatement, when Maxie and Austin come around the corner. Austin says, can she wait? and Spinelli asks if Maxie is okay. She says, she’s okay. She’s leaving. Spinelli says he’s going with her, and she says, he’s damn right he is. They leave, and Austin says, any advice? Britt says she wishes she had more to offer than too bad, so sad, but… He says, that pretty much covers it all, and she says, yeah. She leaves, and Austin looks at the report.  

Elizbeth tells Nikolas that she has to believe Finn wouldn’t betray her in the same way she supposedly betrayed him. But after this whole baby matter is settled, Finn will have no reason to stay silent. Ava is going to find out about their supposed affair. He says, they’re so close to reconciling, that can’t happen. She tells him, he said it himself; sacrifices have to be made. Can he really keep this up with Esme, and reconcile with Ava at the same time?  

Finn tells Ava, have a good night, and keeps walking.

Carly says, Willow’s birth mother is dead? She’s sorry to hear that. But Willow has all the family she needs with Michael, Wiley, her, Drew, even the Quartermaines. Willow thanks her, and says she should go. She’ll see them both soon. She thanks Drew, gets her coat, and leaves. Carly says, she’s taking it really hard. She didn’t realize how important it was for Willow to find her birth parents. He says, neither did he.

Tomorrow, Josslyn asks if that’s the only reason why Trina hesitated; Nina asks why Obrecht keeps talking about Britt leaving; Britt talks to Brad about her will; and Dante thinks he knows who The Hook is.

🐶 Sonny’s New Honey…

Mr. Vito. I love it.

GH’s Maurice Benard Rescues an Adorable Puppy!

🐕 Oddly enough, I’m super behind today because I also adopted a rescue pup. Meet Wesley.

🏃🏽‍♀️ Dashing Through the Mall…

I don’t know about you, but I worked Black Friday (online) like a champ, and won’t be joining the throng of deer-in-the-headlights people starting now. Stop by tomorrow for more soap and a cup of tea or two. Until then stay safe, stay far from the madding crowd, and stay owning who you are and what you’re doing. Your life will be a lot easier.

Dec13

December 12, 2022 – Esme’s Birth Parents Are Revealed But Not Willow’s, Captain Lee Makes a Decision & Kold

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Heather says, Ryan knew they had a child? and he says, of course (🍷). A daughter. Did Heather think she could hide the child’s existence from him? She says, yes. In fact, she went to great lengths to be sure of it.

Nikolas comes into Esme’s room, and she asks what he wants. He says, is that any way to treat the man who’s granting her wish?

Finn asks if Elizabeth is pregnant, and she says she is. He says, another man’s baby.

Spencer storms into Windymere, and rifles through the liquor cabinet. He says, sherry, and takes out a bottle, uncorking it. He flashes back to telling Trina that he wouldn’t have gone to the PC Grill had he known she was there with her boyfriend, and how he didn’t blame Rory for announcing he loved her. Were he in Rory’s place, he would have too. He takes a long swig from the bottle.

Trina picks up the perfume Rory gave her, and flashes back to Spencer asking if they can start over. There’s a knock at the door, and Trina says, thank God it’s Ava. She needs Ava to stop her from making a huge mistake.

Drew meets Denise at the MetroCourt, and asks how her flight was. She says, it was great, and thanks him for sending her first class. They go to a private lounge area, while Carly slips into the restaurant. She tries to sneak over to listen, but Willow calls to her from one of the tables. Drew asks how Denise’s room is, and she says, perfect. She can’t afford first class amenities like the MetroCourt as a firefighter. He says he read she was an EMT before she joined the Fire Brigade, and she says, that’s right. He says, saving lives, the first female firefighter in Clareborne County; she’s accomplished a lot. She says she’s come a long way since the Friends of Peace and Love Commune. Most of them were so lost back then. He asks if that was true of Willow’s birth mother.

Carly says she’s surprised to see Willow here, and she says she’s here to meet Michael for dinner. What brings Carly here?

Denise asks, who’s Willow? and Drew says, she knew her as Kali, the baby he wanted to talk to her about. She says, Baby Kali goes by Willow now? and he says, she’s a full-grown woman with a child of her own, and another on the way. She says, Kali was such a sweet girl, good tempered. Considering where she came from, she found a good home with Lorraine… Sorry, Harmony. He asks her to tell him about that. Where did Baby Kali originally come from?

On the phone, Willow tells Michael, that’s okay. They’ll have date night another night… Great idea. Have a safe flight, and don’t forget to bring Wiley back a present, or he will disown you… Love you too. Carly says, last minute business trip? and Willow says, Carly knows her son well. He thought she and Carly could have dinner instead, if Carly doesn’t have other plans.

Drew says, Harmony told them there was a pregnant woman in the commune who gave birth, then abandoned the baby, but they have cause for doubt. Harmony wasn’t the most reliable. Denise says, but that’s exactly what happened. She remembers Joan well. She was sweet, but troubled. When she left the commune, she abandoned the baby. Their leader Josiah asked Lorraine… Harmony and her husband Doug to take the baby. He says, they’re talking about Baby Kali, right? and she says, Harmony always wanted children, but was never blessed with one, and he says, that is the story Harmony told. She says, he can believe it. Harmony was as honest as the day is long.

Elizabeth says she’s so sorry, but Finn says he doesn’t believe her. She says, it happened when she got back from Monterey. She was struggling with what her parents had told her about what happened with her and Reiko. He asks why she didn’t come to him, and she says, she guesses she felt guilty. She thought he would never forgive her. He asks what he’s ever done to make her think that. He’s done nothing but stand by her. When she was mourning the loss of her husband, through her hospitalization, he’s been there. She says she knows, and that’s why she can’t ask him to stick around for any more of her drama. He says he would have stuck by her through anything. Who’s the father? She says, Nikolas.

Esme asks if Nikolas is going to let her go outside so she can pick out a Christmas tree, but he says, there’s no need. He calls to Demetrius, who brings in a small fir tree, and says, season’s greetings. She asks, what is that? and Nikolas says, a tree. She said she wanted one; here it is. He thanks Demetrius and Demetrius leaves. She says, that wasn’t the deal, and he knows it, but he says he didn’t agree to anything. Did she really think he was going to let her out of this room, given she’s tried to escape before? She says, did he really think she was bluffing when she said she’d tell Nurse Baldwin about going over the parapet? and he says, she doesn’t seem to understand. What she says is irrelevant. As far as he’s concerned, she’s more of a vessel. One that needs to be fueled and maintained until his precious cargo arrives. She says, and once their child is here? and he says, enjoy the tree, and leaves.

Ryan says, it’s bad enough Heather left him, but she made it sound like she didn’t believe he could be a father to their child. She says she didn’t. He wasn’t capable any more than she was. What would we have done with a baby, Richie? He says, raise her, and she says, in that derelict mountain cabin they were holed up in, pretending to be other people? They couldn’t even make a bed, much less a life for a kid. He says, they could have tried, but she says, there’s no use looking backward now, is there? So somehow he discovered they have a daughter. She won’t stand in his way if he wants to try and find her. He says he doesn’t need to. She’s been coming here to see him for months. He guesses it was meant to be.

Ava asks, what’s going on? and Trina says, Rory took her to the PC Grill tonight for their three-month anniversary. Ava says, that’s sweet, and Trina says, that’s just it. Rory is sweet, and romantic, and considerate. Ava says, sounds like a real problem, and Trina says, Ava is right. She’s being ridiculous. Rory is everything she should want. Ava says, but love isn’t about what you should want or should do, is it? It’s about following your heart. Trina says, but what if the path her heart is taking her down only leads to more heartbreak?

Finn says, Elizabeth is having a baby with him? She says, yes, and he walks out.

Willow doesn’t pick up her menu, and Carly says, Willow isn’t hungry? but Willow says she already knows what she’s ordering. She can only stand to eat about five foods these days. Carly asks if she struggled with nausea during her first pregnancy… She’s sorry. They don’t have to talk about that. Willow says, it’s okay. She doesn’t think about that time in her life very often. Not only because she lost Jonah; she was very lonely. She didn’t have a lot of support back then. Carly takes her hands, and says, it’s going to be different this time. Willow says, it already is. She’s so grateful for the family she has through Michael, and the family she has yet to discover.

Denise says, a couple of years later, Harmony and Doug left Colorado with the baby, and Drew says, Joan never went looking for them? She says, Joan got mixed up with drugs. Years later, when she was an EMT, she responded to an overdose at a known flophouse. It was Joan. Drew says, Willow’s birth mother died? and Denise says she’s afraid so.

Ava tells Trina, this masochistic heart of hers is prone to finding homes with men who betray and abuse it. Which is why when we follow our hearts, we should rely on our heads too. Trina says, because as Ava said, complicated men lead to chaos. She knows she should choose contentment over chaos, but… Ava says, but the heart wants what it wants. She wishes Trina more anything happiness, no matter where it leads her. Trina says, even if it leads to Spencer?

Nikolas walks in, and Spencer tells him, before he says anything, Uncle Victor insists he wants to stay here, not the MetroCourt. Nikolas says he’s sorry Spencer thought he didn’t want him to stay at Windymere. He’s not sure it’s healthy for them to share living space yet, but if they are… Spencer says he doesn’t need a lecture on underage drinking, but Nikolas says he just wasn’t aware Spencer had developed a taste for sherry. Spencer says, the whiskey is gone. Does he need to lecture Nikolas on the amount he’s been drinking? Nikolas says he can’t keep pricey spirits or Darjeeling tea in stock since Victor moved in. Is he around here? Spencer says he came home alone, so Victor is probably still at the PC Grill, and Nikolas says, Spencer skipped out on dinner? Spencer says he lost his appetite, and takes another swig from the bottle. Nikolas says, if he wants to talk about anything… Spencer says he’ll find someone who gives a damn, and Nikolas says, he has many faults, but not caring about Spencer isn’t one of them. He loves Spencer. Spencer says, then he’s in a distinct minority.

Heather asks, what makes Ryan think he’s met their daughter? and Ryan asks if she’s going to tell him that she hasn’t kept tabs on their daughter. Heather knows damn well she worked her way into an internship here. Heather says she assumed it was a coincidence, and he laughs, saying, hardly. Their daughter tried find him immediately after she came to town. Heather asks, how? She made sure there were no clues to their daughter’s parentage. He says he guesses Heather wasn’t as careful as she thought. Their daughter had something of his that once belonged to a girlfriend. She says, one of his souvenirs, and he says, yes. He always wondered what happened to his special chain of keepsakes. She says she stole it one night when he was asleep. She wanted something to remember him by. He says, odd choice of nostalgia, and she says, odd necklace. He says, the items on that necklace could tell tales. If it falls into the wrong hands, he’ll hold her responsible. She says, wow. Is that a threat… lover?

Finn walks into his lab, and pushes a tray of vials onto the floor, smashing them. Elizabeth stands in the doorway.

Nikolas tells Spencer, his grandmother, his Aunt Alexis, his uncles, his cousins, his friends… Spencer says, not all his friends. Trina said they’re not even friends anymore. She and Deputy Do-Gooder were making eyes at each other at the Grill. Nikolas should have seen her; so content and at peace, adored by someone who is worthy of her. Nikolas says, Spencer is worthy of her. He got himself sent to prison for her. Spencer says, after he dragged her for months through lies and selfishness. His ex-girlfriend drugged her, and then framed her for filming that video of Joss and Cam, and then distributing the video through all of PCU. Trina was almost framed and sent to prison for Esme’s crimes, so he understands why she rejected him. Because she’s finally found someone with the courage to confess he loves her. Nikolas says, it’s not too late, but Spencer says, it is too late. The cop loves her and he thinks she loves him back.

Elizabeth says she only just found out about the pregnancy herself, and Finn says, he’d ask if congratulations are in order, but he’s assuming Ava’s as much in dark as he was. Nik is going to have a lot of explaining to do with his wife. Not only did he get another woman pregnant, but he’s also potentially harboring a known fugitive on his estate. He won’t bother her about it anymore, but he’s sure once he calls the Commissioner, she’ll want to get to the bottom of this. Elizabeth says, he can’t do that, but he says, sure he can. Esme’s a danger to everyone in this town, and if she thinks he’s protect Nikolas for her, she’s mistaken.

Ava says, so Spencer’s been released from Pentenville, and Trina says, that’s right. Ava says, just in time for the holidays, and Trina says, but seeing Spencer made her wonder if she can keep seeing Rory. How can she pretend to have feelings for Rory that she has for someone else? Ava says, some could, but Trina is too honest and too genuine. Just listen to her heart. It doesn’t matter what she thinks, what Trina’s parents think, or what anyone else. Trina says, it’s just so complicated, and Ava says, love can be that way. Trina says, Spencer hurt her, and stood by while his girlfriend hurt her too, and now Esme could be going after the people Trina loves to hurt her even more. Ava says, as prolific as that hateful girl is, she may be innocent of one thing. It could be that Esme is not The Hook killer.

Heather says, Ryan’s chain will remain in her hands; a place, as she recalls, he always felt safe. He says she was careless with him and his keepsakes, but she says, not careless. She was wearing the chain the day she dropped their baby off. When Heather tried to leave her, she screamed and reached out. The chain broke and his keepsakes scattered everywhere. She did her best to retrieve them, but obviously, she missed one. He says, it was on her when social services took custody of her. It’s what she used to find him. Heather says, clever girl, and he says, how could she not be; she’s theirs. Heather asks, what’s she like, other than clever? Tell her about their daughter; their Esme.

Willow says, Drew told her that Carly is helping find her birth parents, and Carly says, where she can. It’s really the Drew show. Willow tells her, Drew said he might have information for her today. What does Carly think he found? Does she have siblings, maybe nieces and nephews? Carly says, that would be great. Finding birth parents can be tricky. She would know. Willow says, Carly found Bobbie, and learned she had a brother and uncle, and Carly says, after lots of tears. Willow says she doesn’t have a choice. The thought of losing any time with her family keeps her up at night. Carly asks what she’s talking about. She’s so young and healthy, and has many years ahead of her. Is she okay? Willow says, no actually. She’s far from okay.

Carly says, Willow can tell her anything. What’s the matter? Willow says she’s just thinking of the new baby; hoping he or she will grow up healthy and happy. Carly asks if she’s thinking of Jonah. We never forget the children we’ve lost, do we? She and Michael are going to have a baby that’s strong and beautiful and healthy. Willow says, Carly has been so good to her, especially after she lost her mom. She’s happy her kids will always have Carly. Carly thanks her, and says, they’ll have Willow too, and Willow says she knows. But so much can go wrong in a pregnancy. Carly says, she’ll have the best medical care this time. What more does she need?

Drew asks if Joan had any siblings, and Denise says, none that she mentioned. She’d assumed Joan was an only child. Even if she wasn’t, most of them lost touch with their families when they joined the commune. He says, what about Willow’s birth father? Did Joan ever mention who he might be? She says she wishes she could help him. Joan was a troubled soul. The only one she was close to was Josiah, the commune founder. He was crushed when she left. He says he guesses that’s it, and thanks her for flying out to meet him. She says, he’s paying, and wonders if she can ask him something. He says, sure, and she asks how Baby Kali’s life turned out. Drew says, she’s had some challenges, but she’s well taken care of, and Denise says, life is hard without means. it’s good she doesn’t have to struggle.

Carly says, when Willow feels scared and unsure, call her. Helping Willow through this pregnancy is an honor, especially since she didn’t get the opportunity with Wiley. Willow says, that’s Nelle’s loss. She won’t make the same mistake.

Ryan says, ironic, isn’t it? Heather knew their daughter before he even knew it existed. Now he knows her in a way Heather can only dream of. Heather says, she stayed away from their daughter because she wanted to protect her. The world sees her as crazy, dangerous. She didn’t want their daughter to grow up with that incredibly misguided association. He says, she succeeded. Their daughter is very sure of herself, and they’ve built a special relationship. She says, lucky him. Does their daughter ever ask about her? He says, wouldn’t she like to know? and she leaps closer to him, and says, she’s not his alone. If he tries to keep their daughter from her, because she tried to keep her from him… He says, that’s not it. He can’t share her because she’s missing. He hasn’t heard from her in a while, and given what’s happened two weeks ago, he knows why. She asks, what happened? and he says, Ava Cassadine sent her over the parapet at Windymere.

Ava tells Trina, based on the wording in the letter the killer wrote to The Invader, Ryan Chamberlain doesn’t think Esme wrote it. Trina says, and she believes the word of a psychopath? and Ava says, nothing is definitive of course (🍷), but she knows Ryan. Not only does his logic make sense, she knows he’d do what he could to protect her. If he had information that would stop the killer, he would definitely share it. Trina says, when she thought the killer was Esme, she knew who to look out now. Now the killer is back to being an anonymous, scary shadow figure. Ava says, that’s why Trina needs to stay here with her mother and Curtis, and be extra vigilant. Trina thanks Ava for letting her know. At least it’s not all bad news. Ava says, how so? and Trina says, maybe Esme left town after attacking Cam’s mom on the docks. Hopefully, it’s the last they’ve seen of her.  

As she decorates the tree with a toilet paper garland, Esme says, what a way to end the year. Ironic, isn’t it, Ace? This time last year, she and Spencer were both free and in love. Now they’re both locked up and alone.

Spencer says he’s not sure about anything, except that he doesn’t need to be behind bars to still be in prison, and Nikolas says, prisons are of our own making. Spencer is assuming a lot about Rory and Trina’s relationship. Spencer says he knows when there’s no hope, and Nikolas asks if he remembers that book he used to read with his grandmother about the baby birds. Spencer says, their nest was always in danger from the wind or the woodcutter, and Nikolas says, Spencer couldn’t get enough of it. He loved how the mother bird and his siblings saved that baby bird again and again. Does he remember the little bird’s name? Spencer says, no, and Nikolas says, it was Hope. The mama bird kept saying… Spencer says, hold on to hope. That’s kid stuff. Nikolas says he thinks it’s a lesson for everyone, no matter what age. Sometimes hope is all we have in this world.

Drew asks if Denise enjoyed her stay, and she says, the MetroCourt is a five-star hotel; she could get used to this. He tells her to order anything she likes and put it on his tab, and she says she might just stay and enjoy one of those fancy cocktails on the menu. He tells her to do that, thanks her for coming, and leaves.

Willow says, Nina claims things would have been different had she and Nelle known they were mother and daughter, but Carly says, that’s not true. Nelle was a sociopath, and knowing Nina was her mother would not have made it better. Drew comes out, and says he didn’t expect to see them here. Carly says, Willow invited her to a private family dinner, and he says he doesn’t want to intrude, but he does have an update on the search for her mother. Willow says she’d love to hear it, and Carly says, that’s her cue to get out of here. Willow says, stay, but Carly says, no. This is a private talk. She’ll be back. She leaves, and Willow asks what he found out.

Elizabeth says, the police won’t find Esme on Spoon Island, and Finn asks how she knows. She says she’s been spending a lot of time at Windymere with Nikolas, and he says, and here he thought they were taking it slow. She’s good; very good. When was she planning on telling him? Or was she just going to wait until she started to show? She says she knows he doesn’t want to hear this, but she never wanted to deceive him. He says, the other day when she ran out of his office, was it Nikolas who called? She says, Nikolas needed her, and Finn says, and he didn’t? What an absolute fool he’s been. He realizes now that she was trying to let him down easy when she said she wouldn’t blame him if he wanted to break up with her. She says, he deserves so much better, and he laughs and says, that’s rich.

Nikolas says, hope gets him through the darkest times, and Spencer says, hope that Ava will forgive him? Nikolas says, hope that Spencer will. Spencer says he’s going to bed, but Nikolas says, wait. He makes mistakes, and even though he tries not to, he makes them again. He can’t give Spencer advice on romantic relationships. There aren’t many areas he could counsel Spencer in. Spencer says, then don’t, and Nikolas says, but there is one quality that has served him through most of his life. He sees it inside Spencer too. Spencer says, the propensity for alienating those they love? but Nikolas says, persistence. Neither one of them like to be denied. Spencer says, they’re prideful, but Nikolas says, it’s more then that. It’s what made him forgive Spencer after he found out Spencer was Ava’s stalker. What made him keep visiting Spencer in Spring Ridge, even though Spencer wanted no part of him. Or what drove him to Pentenville, even though he knew Spencer would reject him. What Spencer does about Trina is up to him, but neither of them give up on the people they love, and he can tell Spencer loves Trina.

Ava says she knows Trina is worried about making a mistake, but she can’t tell Trina what to do. Listen to that little voice inside her heart. Trina says, the problem is, the background noise is drowning out her little voice, and Ava says, but it’s there; she knows it’s there. Whatever Trina chooses, to stay with Rory, or try it with Spencer, or go it alone, she’s always here to support Trina. They hug, and Trina asks, what about Ava? What is her little voice telling her about Nikolas? Ava says, her voice is very loud and clear. The question is, will she listen to it?

Heather says, is Esme dead? but Ryan says, no. He’s seen her since, but it was the last contact they had. She says, maybe she’s just lying low because the police suspect her of those hook attacks. He says, if Esme can’t send word, it’s because she’s unable to, and it’s not because she’s the hook killer. Heather says, of course (🍷) she’s not. If the police had any imagination they’d know that. But what does he think happened? He says, the last time she was here, she said she had business to take care of, and she says, what business would she have in Port Charles? He says he doesn’t know, but he suspects it has to do with the Cassadines. The Invader reported that last she was seen was on Pier 55. She says, which is where you take the launch… and he says, to Spoon Island. She says, why would she want to go back to a house full of people who wanted to kill her? and he says, maybe to retrieve something that she needed; maybe personal items, maybe money. Heather says she swears if they harm one hair on Esme’s head, she’ll make them pay, and he says, no. We will make them pay. She says, we? He’s stuck in that chair. He unstraps himself and gets up, telling her, people tend to underestimate him.

Elizabeth tells Finn that he’ll never have to talk to her again, and she knows she has no right to ask, but she needs something from him. He wonders what she could possibly ask of him, and she says she knows she doesn’t deserve his consideration, but her boys don’t know about the pregnancy. She’d appreciate him not telling anyone. He touches her face, and says, he’d never do anything to hurt her or her boys, and leaves.

Trina hears Ava’s voice telling her to listen to her heart. It doesn’t matter what she thinks, Trina’s parents think, or anyone else. Trina picks up her phone, and sends Spencer a text that says: Welcome home.  

Spencer’s phone dings. He looks at it, and smiles. He tells Nikolas that he doesn’t need that drink anymore, and Nikolas says, good news? Spencer says he’s holding on to hope, and walks off. There’s a knock at the door, and Nikolas opens it to Ava.

Esme says, father, I need your help. I’m all out of ideas. Demetrius comes in with a box, and says, it’s not much. Esme opens it, and there are four ornaments inside. She says she can’t tell him how much this means to her. He asks if it’s enough to stop her crying, and she says, only for him. He looks at the tree, and says, it’s not bad considering. She says she can be resourceful, and he tells her, have a good night. He leaves, and she says, well, Ace. I asked your grandfather to show me the way, and as usual, he delivered.  

Heather says, she’d forgotten. Ryan is a master of shock and awe. What else can he still do? He says, care to find out? and she says, hell yes – she grabs the front of his shirt – but we’ve got to focus on Esme. He says, they have to find out what happened to Esme, and punish those responsible.  

Drew says he just met with someone who knew Harmony at the commune when she unofficially adopted Willow. She asks if he found out more about her biological mother’s identity, and he says he did. She asks, why the hesitation? and he says he should really verify the information, but she says she can’t wait that long. She needs to know, what his source said. He tells her, he’s sorry, but it’s not great news.

Carly says, Mrs. Makenzie? and Denise tells Carly, like she said last night, call her Denise. Carly tells Denise, then call her Carly, and asks how the conversation with Drew went. Denise says, exactly as Carly wanted it to, and sips her fancy cocktail.

Tomorrow, Ava asks if there’s something on Finn’s mind; Elizabeth tells Nikolas that she has to tell Finn the truth; Carly asks Denise to tell her it went off without a hitch; and Nina tells Sonny that she’s afraid of the lies being spread.

Below Deck

On the beach, Alissa makes fun of Camille, while Camille looks for the coolers on the yacht. The coolers finally get to the beach, 45 minutes late, but the guests don’t seem to mind. Guest Hollie says, they deserve this lunch, and Camille tells Alissa that she’s not on service, but here to assist the deckhands. In Alissa’s interview, she says, when there are only three crew members on the beach, they’re all on service. She’s over being fake nice. It’s slowly poisoning her. The guests applaud Rachel’s lunch, and Rachel says she doesn’t know how to react to that sort of stuff. Ross brings Kate to pick up Rachel, and he and Kate make out in the tender on the way. Back at the boat, Rachel tells Fraser that Camille went off on Alissa when Alissa was delegating. Fraser says, if Camille isn’t doing what she’s asked, he needs to figure it out, and in his interview, he says, it’s not a good look for someone from another department to see fault in a member of his team. He goes to the laundry, and sees Camille hasn’t cleaned the iron, adding to his misery. Hayley vacuums, and tells the captain that she’s hoovering. He says he thinks it sucks. BA-DUM-CHH! On the beach, dessert is served, and Fraser radios that Camille is to stay and help pack up. The guests go back to the boat, and Camille wonders why they agree to beach picnics. Tony explains that it’s not a democracy, but a dictatorship, and they have to do what they’re told.

Interior gets into their blacks for dinner. Fraser tells Captain Lee that dinner is at 8:30, but knowing the guests, it will be at 9. The captain says he’s going to use his crutches, and in his interview, he says, his injury is worse. He’s not feeling his left side. He’d expected more progress then he’s experiencing, and the most frustrating thing is, he can’t do a goddam thing about it. Fraser calls Camille to do laundry, and Hayley to set the table. Camille tells Ross that she’s always in laundry, and Fraser overhears, telling Hayley that Camille is having attitude. In Kate’s interview, she says, Ross is fun. It’s nice to have someone to connect with, and he’s super genuine. She likes it. In Rachel’s interview, she says, the guests are always saving lives, so in order for them to feel honored, she’s dedicated each course to these beautiful amazing heroes. Charter one was not fun, so let’s make charter two not like poo. Camille tells Hayley that Alissa is driving her nuts, and Hayley asks if she feels like her job is getting muddled. In Hayley’s interview, she says, people naturally want to vent to her. It’s annoying, but addictive. Who’s going to win? She tells Camille to talk to Fraser, and he’ll deal with it how he feels is appropriate.

Captain Lee joins the guests, and asks how the hell he got this lucky. A guest asks if he needs a doctor, and in his interview, he says, they’ll have to take him as he is. He doesn’t have to put his puppy ass on the porch; he’s running with the big dogs. He doesn’t know for how long, but for one night, he can hang. He tells them that he’s honored, and they say, they’re honored. Alissa flirts with Ross, messing with his hair. Fraser tells Rachel that her food looks breathtaking, and she says she’s showcasing their preferences. The starter is dedicated to Primary Michelle’s love of sashimi. Fraser brings up the first course, and one of the guests wonders if dessert is going to be the captain. Captain Lee jokingly fans himself. Fraser radios Rachel, saying, they’re blown away. Well done. The guests ask about Captain Lee’s injury, and he says, it’s a nerve issue, but it’s going to be resolved soon. The next course is ceviche in honor of guest Samantha’s love of fresh fish. Fraser tells Rachel, the guests are going wild over it, and at the table, Michelle says she hasn’t laughed this hard in years. The next course of truffle wagyu comes, dedicated to guest Shauna, and Fraser tells Rachel, her food is receiving a fabulous reception. The guests had tears; it was beautiful. A lobster with mango dish is dedicated to guest Tola, who pronounces everything amazing. The captain says he’s happy to be able to get them away to cut loose and have fun, and they toast to him. In the captain’s interview, he says, they’re inspiring. How many people can say they’ve saved a life, yet they do it every day. He loves them, but they wore his old ass out. Camille asks Fraser if she can go to bed, since she has to be on deck at 7:20 for docking. He tells her, okay, but in his interview, he says, he understands she has a tricky role, but he’s upset and disappointed that she can’t see the bigger picture of supporting the team. He tells Ross that Camille demanded (a bit of an exaggeration) to go down because she needs sleep. He asks if Ross needs her to be a full-time deckie, but Ross says, her usage during the first charter was about right. Floaters often use their position to their advantage. Fraser says he’s at his wit’s end. Camille tells Kate that Fraser seemed annoyed with her, while the guests get in a huddle and say, to old friends, new friends, and forever friends. We are queens! Fraser checks the laundry, and says, what a shock; everything is in the machines.

Final day of charter. Ross tells the deckhands that they have to be ready to go, and tells Ben to stay on the bow line. Camille finally gets out of bed and on deck, and Ross goes over anchoring with the deckhands. Rachel tells Fraser that the breakfast special is lobster benedict, and asks if she can get the captain anything. Captain Lee says, a left leg. He can’t observe, and doesn’t know who’s doing what. In his interview, he says, the pain is worse, and he owes it to the crew to be at his best. It comes to a point that if a captain is being objective, they have to put the crews best interests first. The crew is his primary responsibility. When you step on board, you check your ego at the dock. He tells Rachel, it’s the most humbling experience of his life. Ross tells Captain Lee that they’re ready to go, and they head for Rodney Bay. Ross tells the deckhands to lower the fenders. Camille, who seems to be benched for now, yawns, and says she’s hungry. Breakfast is served, and in Captain Lee’s interview, he says, the bow us the lightest part of the boat, and the wind has a tendency to catch the bow, and blow it off the dock. It’s extremely important to get the bowline tied as soon as they can. If you don’t have you’re A-game, don’t even show up to the ballpark. A new sports metaphor! Ben tells Kate that she’s got the wrong line, and Captain Lee says, it’s a sh*t sandwich. The dock guy helps them, and they run around trying to fix it. Kate’s line snaps, and the captain says, son of a bitch.  

Captain Lee asks, what is the goddam problem? and in his interview, he says, that’s the first line that should be tied. The only thing that could cause it to pop off is if it’s not right in the first place. He can only hold on for so long before the wind wins out. Ross tells Camille to pitch in with the lines, and the captain says, they have to lock it in quick and hard to get it right. That’s what she said. Ross, Camille, and Ben get the line locked, and the captain says, it wasn’t pretty, but it sure as hell was effective. The crew changes into their whites, and the guests pack. Ross pops in to see the captain, and asks how he’s doing. Captain Lee says, he’s doing okay. He’s applying heat to the designated area. In Ross’s interview, he says he can tell the captain is in a lot of pain. He’s got a lot of respect for Captain Lee, and if the captain says he’s good to go, he’ll believe it until the captain says he’s not. Captain Lee says he keeps waiting for a break somewhere, but it hasn’t happened yet.

The crew assembles on the aft deck, where there are hugs and goodbyes from the guests. Michelle says, it was the trip of a lifetime after the last two years they’ve had. She tears up, and says, it was everything. Captain Lee says, it was their pleasure, and Michelle says, it was the best best service. There wasn’t one negative thing the entire time. The captain says, they earned it, and she says she loves them all. She asks if she can offer them a tip, and the captain says, absolutely. She says, in pink, presenting him with a fanny-pack that says ER Queens in rhinestones on the front. She put it on him, gives him a hug, and says, you’re the best. The guests leave, and the captain says he wishes they could keep them, but they can’t, so get their asses to work. Kate says, she thinks she’s smart, but when it comes to snapping these effing things, she’s a dumbass, and Ben says, everyone is smart in different ways.

Captain Lee calls the crew to the Sky Lounge for the tip meeting, and tells them, he sees the progress they’ve made and appreciates it. 23 large; $1769 each; they earned it. In Hayley’s interview, she says, they’ve been working they’re asses off; they did earn it. The captain asks if anyone has noticed anything they’d like to bring up, and Camille says she’s trying to figure out her deck/stew positions. Fraser suggests they have a chat, and Captain Lee tells the crew to bust their asses until 5:30, then relax, have fun, and enjoy themselves. In Fraser’s interview, he says he thought he was angry before, but now he really knows what anger feels like. He asks Camille to meet with him and Ross for a chat, and tells her to come to them before involving the captain. He wants nothing more than a successful season. Camille says she has two bosses, and Ross says, if she’s unsure, ask him if he needs her or should she go inside. She says, it’s a communication thing, and Ross says, communication is key in the end. In Ross’s interview, he says, having Camille on deck is like having an attractive Labrador. It’s great for morale, but not particularly useful to him. The boat is cleaned up, and Captain Lee makes a call. He tells another captain that he seems to have found himself in a wee bit of a bind. Ross radios the captain, and asks to meet. Captain Lee tells him to come to the bridge. When Ross arrives, the captain asks, what piece of the sh*t sandwich does Ross have for him? Ross says, it makes sense for him to give Ben a title, and the captain says, if he’d like to make Ben lead deckhand, he doesn’t have an issue with it. Ross says, he’ll do that, and the crew gets dressed to go out Hayley says Fraser has a bit of a glow, and he says he’s sweating. Camille says she’s going to get so f***ed up tonight, it’s not funny. Well, it is going to be funny. They take taxis to a restaurant/ beach bar. Hayley asks Katie if she likes Ross, and tells her that Alissa’s been flirting with him. Hayley says, two on one; whoever he vibes with is the answer. They order food, and Ross, Alissa, Camille, and Hayley go down to the beach for a smoke. Ben says he thought Kate liked Ross, and she says, if it happens, it happens. Dinner is served, and Fraser gets lobster. Hayley says, Lord Fraser with lobster; she just has peasant fish.  Fraser asks Ross to come have a chat, and Camille kisses Ben. In her interview, she says, she’s feeling tingly in certain areas. Fraser tells Ross that the captain isn’t in tip-top condition, but Ross says, he’s a strong man. Fraser says, mentally, but that can only keep him in the cabin and the bridge. He needs to be everywhere, and Fraser is worried. They leave for a club, Kate saying, they’re going to shake their asses. Hayley says she’s going be rotten tomorrow morning. In the taxi, Ben and Camille continue to make out, and Alissa says she picked the wrong f***ing car.

They get to the club, and immediately start dancing. Alissa says she wants to flirt, but doesn’t want to step on anyone’s toes. In Ben’s interview, he says he used to go to dance classes. He’d always wanted to be in Thunder from Down Under. Alissa acts like she doesn’t want to get in between Ross and Kate, but Kate tells Ross that she’s not going to hold him back if he wants to go after Alissa. In Kate’s interview, she says, Alissa doesn’t care who gets in her way. Kate likes Ross, yet can’t say he’s hers, but it’s a respect thing. They go back to the boat, and Hayley trips going up the plank. As they change for the jacuzzi, Alissa tells Kate that Ross claims he’s not with anybody. Ross pretends like he’s just checking out their cabin, but no doubt he’s checking out Alissa who announces her bra is unsnapped. They all go to the jacuzzi, and Ross asks Kate if they’re going to be that weird, respectful couple for nine weeks, and she says, he told Alissa they were nothing. He jumps in the hot tub, and Alissa jumps on him. Katie says she doesn’t give a sh*t. She’s going to bed. Hayley tells Fraser that Kate is upset, and Fraser says, Ross is clearly putting his penis in other things. Ross and Alissa make out, and Ross says he’s just doing his job. Ross goes inside, and asks Kate for a beer. She tells him to get it himself. Hayley points out that Ross was just kissing Alissa, and Kate calls him a dirty bastard. He starts drinking her drink, and she takes it out of his hand, saying, that’s f***ed up. In Kate’s interview, she says, Ross was with Alissa when he could be with her; that’s super f***ed up. She’s not rolling with that. Flirting with her then kissing someone else makes her look dumb.

Hayley tells Ross that if he wants to kiss someone, he has to say he’s a free agent, and he’ll kiss who he wants. Kate cries in the bathroom, and Alissa says, Kate got upset because she has too many feelings. Camille and Kate commiserate on how fake Alissa is, when Ross asks if he can come in. Kate says he’s on her sh*t list, and Camille says she didn’t know he was such a player. She doesn’t like his vibe toward her gal pal. In Camille’s interview, she looks up synonyms for man-whore, and reads, whoremonger, man ho, playboy, cad, himbo. Ross is a himbo.  She climbs into Ben’s bunk.

In the morning, Hayley wonders why she’s always naked, and Camille calls Ben a cuddle butt. Fraser complains that he hasn’t had sex in two years. The other crew members are always straight. Fraser asks Ross how many women he’s had sex with, but Ross says he doesn’t know. Fraser says, 400? and Ross makes a gesture that it’s higher. 500?… 1000? Ross says, somewhere around that, and in his interview, he says he was involved with a polyamorous group in Bali. It was all partying and sex. He tells Fraser that he’s not a fan of dry spells, and Fraser says he thinks Ross has a problem. Ross says, it affects his finances heavily, and Fraser says, it’s going to affect his mental health. In Fraser’s interview, he says, interesting and concerning information, but not welcome. He did see more of who Ross is, and where his drive lies, and it ain’t here. He points to his head. He tells Ross that he’s got a bad problem, but he’s not getting involved. Last minute touches are done to the boat, and the captain radios the crew to meet in the Sky Lounge in ten.

Captain Lee hobbles in, and says, they heard him coming, right? He sits down, and says, as they know, he’s been struggling with mobility and… it’s been hard. He let them down and he apologizes for that. He’s made a decision leave the boat. Rachel looks like she’s going to cry.

There was no preview. Rumor has it, Captain Sandy will be filling in for a bit.

🎪 Rocking the Casbah…

Stop in tomorrow for soap and teatime. Until then, stay safe, stay living in the present, and stay following your heart, but relying on your head too.

Dec10

December 9, 2022 – Ryan Gets a Blast From the Past, Love To Hate, NJ Dish, Hot Stuff, VanderDumped, Competition, Dead Talk, DocuGlee, Critic Noms, Pets (!), a Bouquet Of Quotes & Hazy

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

On the phone, Sonny asks, how’s Donna? and Nina says, he’s missing all the fun. Donna is running circles around her and Pilar. She asks how his day is, and he says he’ll tell her all about it when he gets home. She says, they’ll be here. Donna and Pilar are having an early supper in the kitchen, but for them, she ordered a gourmet dinner for two to be delivered from the MetroCourt. He says he’ll see her when he gets home, and Dex comes to his office. Dex says he wanted to follow up on the deal Sonny mentioned; some third party who wants to use his facilities? Sonny said he might want Dex to assist him. Sonny says, that depends, and Dex says, on what? Sonny says, on what’s important to Dex; working for him, or making time with Josslyn?

Nina hums as she sets the table and pours some wine. There’s a knock at the door, and she says, it must be dinner. She opens the door, and Josslyn asks what she’s doing here.

Trina tells Rory that she doesn’t know what to say, and he says, when he was in training at the Police Academy, he had several instructors tell him that he was going to be a great cop because he’s so naturally stoic. Big emotions like this don’t come easy to him, but tonight… He guesses his feelings for her are so strong, he had to say something. And even though this is new to him, he wanted her to know how much he meant it, every single word. He loves her. Spencer watches, and tells Victor that he thinks he lost his appetite. Rory tells Trina that he didn’t know how he was actually going to feel after saying that. He feels great, but he wants her to know he doesn’t expect her to say anything in return. He got her something, and it’s not another can of soda; they’ve progressed. He wanted to get her something to symbolize how he felt. He gives her a gift bag, and she takes out a perfume (I think) box. He says, it’s called L’Amore. It seemed fitting. She says, this is… and looks up to see Spencer practically hugging the back of Rory’s chair. FYI, perfume is probably not a good choice of gift, unless you really know the person or you know that’s what they wear.

Alone in his room, Ryan says, Esme, where the hell are you? What have you gotten yourself into now? The doorknob rattles, and he goes back to his locked-in persona. Someone wearing a bathrobe comes in and closes the door. Heather says, hello… lover. They tell her that he can’t talk to her, but she bets she knows what he’s thinking. A blast from the past, right? Her and him, together again for the first time. It almost feels like a lifetime ago, but some things in life, you just can’t forget. They both know when they were bad, it was very good.

Elizabeth says, Finn went to Spoon Island? and he says, like he told her, he was looking for Esme Prince. Sha asks, what made him think Esme would be on the island of all places? and he says he was just following the trail. She says, what trail? and he says, the one that begins and ends with her. She says she doesn’t understand. How could she have led him to look for Esme on Spoon Island? He says, she was the last person to see Esme before Esme attacked her on the pier. If she hadn’t called the police first, who knows what Esme would have done? Elizabeth says, but she didn’t. They should be thankful she just ended up with a bump on her head, and leave it at that. He says, but who knows if it would have ended there? He thinks Esme went to Spoon Island, and now that he’s been there, he’s even more convinced he’s on the right track.

Heather asks if Ryan remembers how they first met; that was ages ago. Decades. But she can still see it, as if it was yesterday. She runs her hand up his arm, and stands behind his chair, feeling his chest. She says, she was hiking the Cascade Mountains. A regular nature girl on a journey to find a place for herself outside the rigid confines of middleclass society. That’s when she smelled smoke, coming out of a cabin in the middle of nowhere. And there he was, chopping wood with a hatchet. The blade gleamed in the moonlight. He always was handy with a blade. She caresses his right arm and says, such a shame to lose this hand. It was so talented in so many ways. She said her name was Hazel, and he said his name was Richard. They were both playing the same game. They found each other. Soulmates. Is it beginning to come back to you, Richie?

Rory asks Trina, what’s wrong? and follows her gaze to Spencer behind him. He says, oh, and Trina says she doesn’t understand. They said Spencer’s release was weeks away. Spencer says, it was supposed to be. Don’t let him interrupt their dinner. They’re clearly in the middle of something special. Rory says, they are, and Trina gets up, asking, what happened? How is he a free man? He says, don’t worry; he didn’t escape this time. Trina asks, what changed? and Victor says, his nephew’s exemplary behavior earned him an early release. Spencer thanks him, but says, Trina is smarter than that. He did what he always does and relied on his family to get him out of trouble.

Nina asks why Josslyn is surprised. Everyone, including Josslyn, knows that she and Sonny are involved. Josslyn walks in, and says she’s here to pick up Donna, and it was her understanding Nina isn’t allowed anywhere near her little sister. Nina says she’s happy to tell Josslyn, that information is outdated. Sonny and Carly reached a new understanding, and she had the best day with Donna. She’s in the kitchen with Pilar having an early supper. Josslyn says she’ll check in with her mom about the change in rules when she gets home, and starts to head for the kitchen, but Nina says, Sonny isn’t home from work yet. Josslyn says, shocking. The family man is too busy obstructing justice, or whatever it is he does (see? Josslyn doesn’t even know what he does), to spend time with his youngest child, so he leaves her with the girlfriend. Lucky Donna is still too young to understand where she ranks on Sonny’s list of priorities. Nina says, Sonny is on his way home right now, and she knows he’d love to see his daughter and kiss her before Josslyn takes her home to Carly, so wait a little while. She can take it if Josslyn can.

Dex tells Sonny that he didn’t go to Josslyn for help. He never meant for her to be involved. Sonny says, but she was involved, and Dex flashes back to Josslyn fixing up his bullet wound in the gatehouse. He says he doesn’t know if Josslyn saved his life, but she definitely saved his freedom. People know he works for Sonny. If Josslyn had called an ambulance or the cops, Sonny would have been investigated at the very least. Sonny asks, what’s his point? and he says, Josslyn did him a favor, and he’s grateful, but that’s as far as it goes. Sonny says, good, because he spent today cleaning up the mess Dex made when he was driving that transfer van to Pentenville. He was concerned that someone could identify Dex as the driver, so he made sure no one is going to identify Dex. Dex says he appreciates it, and promises Sonny that he learns from his mistakes. Sonny says he believes Dex means that when he says it, but like his old man used to say, some mistakes are too big to make. He opens his desk drawer, and Dex sees a gun. Sonny says, Dex is probably standing there thinking, he’s done a solid job, why is Sonny so hard on him? Dex says, something like that, and Sonny says, when he was Dex’s age, he was in debt to a guy named Joe Skully, and he would have done anything to pay him back. Joe wanted him to do a job, he was young and inexperienced, he did the job, and left a trail that could have led straight back to him. Even worse, it could have led straight from him to Joe. Dex says, obviously Sonny is still in the game, so what happened? What saved him? Sonny says he had a guardian angel. He took it upon himself to clean up after Sonny. Dex says, that was lucky, and Sonny says, luck is only going to get you so far in life. In this business, you’ve got to have brains; you need to trust your instincts. Dex says he has both, and Sonny says, think of this as a crossroads in his life. Dex is the one who’s going to have to make that call. He’s got to figure out what he’s going to hold on to, and what he’s going to let go. What matters; what doesn’t matter.

Josslyn tells Nina that she can wait until Donna’s done eating, because they both know Pilar cooked that meal, and Nina didn’t. (Not sure how that applies.) But let’s be clear, when Donna is done, they’re leaving whether Sonny is back or not. Nina suggests they go to their separate corners until the referee rings the bell for round two. Josslyn says, like a fight? Why would she want to fight Nina? She’s so grateful. Nina says, Josslyn’s idea of gratitude leaves a lot to be desired, and Josslyn says, Nina did what no one else ever could. She took Sonny away from Josslyn’s mom, and set her free. She feels a little bit sorry for Donna, but in the end, Josslyn knows she’s better off. She doesn’t have to grow up listening to her mom defend the indefensible, like Josslyn did. She watched her mom turn herself inside out for Sonny. She doesn’t have to do that anymore. She can live her life the way she wants to, and she has never had a better time. Josslyn thanks Nina, and says, out of all of Sonny’s many girlfriends, Nina might just be her favorite. Nina says, Josslyn makes it sound like she’s the latest in a long line, and Josslyn tells Nina, she said it, not her.

Spencer asks what he can say. When your grandmother is the mayor and your great uncle is Victor Cassadine. you can pretty much get yourself out of anything. Rory asks if he’s saying he mayor pulled strings to get him an early release, and Spencer says, when you have family connections, the golden rule is to never advertise who did what. Though he will say his Uncle Cyrus looked out for him when he was on the inside. Rory says, Cyrus as in Cyrus Renault? and Victor says, that unfortunate family tie came to an end the second Spencer came out of the Pentenville gates. Keeping the box with the doves out of sight, Spencer says, they’ll let Trina and Rory get back to their dinner. Good seeing Trina. They walk away, and Victor says, that was very graciously done, but Spencer is making one mistake. He’s a Cassadine, and Cassadines never quit.

Elizabeth asks what Finn found on Spoon Island, and he says, it’s more what he didn’t find when he went to Windymere. She says, he went to the house? and he says he thought Nikolas might cooperate and help him find Esme, but he had to play the big shot. Supposedly, he had some of the staff search the property, but even if they did look, they weren’t going to find Esme. She says, so he walked away empty handed, and he tells her, of course (🍷) Nikolas said he was just looking out for her best interests, but he wasn’t buying it. She asks, why not? and he says, his lips were moving.

Heather flops onto Ryan’s bed, and says, remember how they used to bundle together in the cabin on those cold winter nights, when the wolves howled outside the window. They’d howl right back at them because that’s what they were; a couple of timber wolves, too wild for all of those poor pathetic sheep out there. He’s in there, isn’t he? He might have everybody else fooled, but she knows him, inside and out. He’s not really paralyzed, is he? It’s just his way of controlling the situation. Getting everyone lulled into a false sense of security, and that’s when he’s going to strike. She knows she’s getting to him. After all, she’s his Hazel, and can affect him in ways nobody else can. She’s about to kiss him, when he says, you left me without so much as a goodbye. You broke my heart. He doesn’t think she’s ever been hurt as badly, but that can be arranged.

Finn says, he gets the sense Nikolas is only willing to cooperate when he’s in charge, and Elizabeth says, sounds like him. He says, maybe, and she asks what he means. He says he has the feeling Nikolas is hiding something.

Heather says, it speaks. She knew her mountain man was in there, just waiting to break free. Ryan talks without moving anything but his mouth, and says, she just might live to regret that… or not. She says, ooh, naughty boy. She knows he wouldn’t hurt her. He says, since when did she mind a little pain, and she says, you remembered my sweet spot, lover, but he says, there was never anything sweet about her, but that was her appeal; two of a kind. She says, like knows like, and he says he actually began to question if it ever happened at all. She seemed too good to be true, and then she disappeared without a trace. He actually wondered if he imagined the whole thing. She says, it wasn’t his imagination. She stands up and leans over him, saying, take a whiff. She still uses the same soap… all over her body… every inch. He inhales deeply, and she smacks him hard across the face.

Victor tells Spencer to sit down. He said they were going to celebrate Spencer’s first night of freedom from Pentenville, so that’s exactly what they’re going to do. A little life lesson. Don’t let anyone or anything prevent him from enjoying his first breath of freedom. Spencer says he’s not ungrateful for Victor getting him out early. He never thought he was going to be out of Pentenville by New Year’s Eve, much less Christmas, but it’s difficult to celebrate when… Victor says, Spencer feels the same way about the lovely Miss Robinson? Spencer says, with all due respect, what is the point? They got here just in time to hear Rory tell Trina that he loves her. Victor says he thinks it makes all the difference in the world.

Trina says, where were they? and Rory says, they were celebrating their three-month anniversary. He hopes she likes… His phone rings, and he tells her, he’s so sorry; it’s work. He has to take it. She tells him, go, and he says, yes, Commissioner, as he goes outside. Victor tells Spencer, remember, opportunity is only lost on those who fail to seize it, and Spencer jets over to Trina, asking if he can join her. Before she can answer, he sits down, and she asks what he’s doing. He says he has a question. Can they start over?

Nina says, Josslyn’s gratitude sounds a lot like resentment. She’s guessing Josslyn talked to her mother about what happened between them today. Josslyn says, her mom never mentions Nina, and Nina says, so Josslyn doesn’t know. She and Carly were at Willow’s, and Willow fainted. Josslyn asks if Willow is okay; does Michael know? Nina says she imagines by now he does, and Josslyn asks, what happened and how is Nina involved? Nina says she went over there to talk to Willow about helping Sasha. Things got heated, Willow got upset, and passed out. Josslyn says, only Nina would pick a fight with a pregnant woman, but Nina says she didn’t pick a fight with Willow. Her point is, that for a split second, she and Carly put aside their differences to help Willow. If they’re able to do that, why can’t she and Josslyn do the same thing? Josslyn says, her mother makes her own choices; so does she. Even though she’s grateful Nina took Sonny off her mom’s hands, that doesn’t mean she likes Nina. Nina says she didn’t take Sonny off of anyone’s hands; she fell in love with him. Josslyn says, how romantic, and Nina says, the only part of it she regrets is keeping the truth from everyone. Josslyn might not understand, but Nina kept the truth from herself. She came to care for someone when everything else told her it was wrong. Josslyn flashes back to kissing Dex in her dorm room, and says, Nina is right. She can’t understand. She’s nothing like Nina. Nina asks what she’s talking about. Who said Josslyn was like her?

Sonny tells Dex, one of the hardest things he’s had to learn in his life is when to use a gun, and when to keep the safety on. It’s taken him almost a lifetime to learn that. Dex says, he had to start sometime, right? and Sonny says, yes, he did, and so does Dex. He takes out the gun, and slides it across the desk, along with a clip. Dex asks what Sonny wants him to do with it, and Sonny says, it’s his; take it. Dex puts the clip in the gun, and puts the gun in his waistband. Sonny says, so the deal Dex asked him about. He set up a meeting with a third party, and wants Dex to come with him. Dex asks what Sonny wants him to do, and Sonny says, just listen. Take orders. He’s probably not going to have to use the gun. Dex says, so Sonny just wants a little security, and Sonny says, the go-between who set up the meeting isn’t really a trusted friend or someone he’s done business with, but it’s who the contractors chose. He just wants to be prepared. Does Dex have any questions? Dex says, nope, and Sonny tosses him the car keys, saying, let’s go. Dex asks where they’re going.  

Josslyn asks if that isn’t what Nina is after; sympathy, empathy? Nina wants people to put themselves in her shoes, so they can see she had no other option but to lie. Josslyn’s not like that; she doesn’t use deceit to get what she wants. She’s nothing like Nina. Nina asks what Josslyn is talking about. She never said Josslyn was deceitful. If anything, she’s honest to a fault, and a little quick to judge people by her own high standards. Josslyn says she’s going to see if Donna is done with dessert, and Nina asks, how’s Cameron? Josslyn flashes back to telling Trina that she thought sleeping together would help her and Cameron reconnect, and be a magic fix for what she hasn’t been feeling. She tells Nina, it’s none of her business.

Trina tells Spencer, she doesn’t know. So much has happened, she doesn’t think a fresh start is even possible for them. He says he supposes that’s fair. He did what he did, and there are consequences he has to live with. She says she appreciates that he wants to try, but it’s hard for her to even think about this now, much less talk it over. He says, she’s with Rory at the PC Grill, not at Kelly’s having burgers. He knew they were in the middle of something special, and if he’d known she was going to be here with her boyfriend, celebrating, he would have insisted to his uncle that they go elsewhere, especially when he heard what Rory said to her. He wasn’t trying to eavesdrop; he practically announced it to the entire restaurant. Not that he blames Rory. If he were in Rory’s place, he’d want to tell everyone too. She says, it’s not what he thinks it is, but he says, when a guy takes you out to one of the best restaurants in town and tells you he loves you. What else could that mean?

Outside on the phone, Rory says, copy that, Commissioner. See you soon. He starts to go back in, when Victor blocks his way. Victor says he admires Rory’s dedication. Rory tries to walk around him, but Victor moves, and says, Rory swore to do the right thing. He assumes Rory knows when to stay the course, and when to call it a day. I love how with all his big plans, whatever they are, Victor still has time to meddle in a kid’s love life.

Ryan asks, what the hell was that for? and Heather says, for what he did to her Franco. He says he keeps a pretty good record of the crimes he’s committed, and the people he’s killed, and Franco Baldwin isn’t on that list. She says, don’t even mention his name. Ryan victimized her son, and what’s that old expression? One bad turn deserves another. He says, you wouldn’t blow the whistle on me, would you, Hazel… dear? and she says, I’d hate to be backed into that corner, Richie… boy.

Elizabeth tells Finn that Nikolas’s Uncle Victor is living at Windymere now. There’s bound to be something Nikolas is hiding. He says, she thinks Victor is using Spoon Island for something? and she says, Windymere isn’t just a family estate; it’s a fortress. He says, a fortress where they might be hiding Esme Prince. He thinks this is a good time to have a conversation with Jordan, but she says, he can’t. He says, why not? and she says, he’s a healer, not a detective. His place is here at GH, doing the kind of life saving work he was meant to do, not taking on a cold-blooded killer. He says he’s not taking on the killer himself. He knows that’s a job for the PCPD. She says, if Esme finds out Finn led them to her, she’s going to put him on her list, but he says he can’t let this go, not after Esme attacked her. As long as Esme is out there, she’s free to go after Elizabeth again, or her kids, or anybody else who gets in her way. She says, what about his daughter? If he doesn’t give up this search, what if Esme targets Violet? He says, it’s Violet he’s thinking about. How does he look his little girl in the eye, knowing he didn’t do what he could to put a stop to this? Come to his office. They’ll call Jordan and see what she has to say about this. They go out in the hallway, and Finn says, Elizabeth forgot something. She says, wait, but he goes back in and picks up the bottle of prenatal vitamins, taking a look at it. He remembers seeing an empty bottle of the same thing at Windymere.  

Ryan says, of all the women he’s loved, Heather was always his most vivid memory. She says she read all about him, and she’s guessing that’s a crock, but she’d love to believe it. She always knew their paths would cross again. What they had was kismet. He says, then why even dream of exposing him? and she says, don’t worry, mountain man. She wouldn’t do that. She’s just putting him on notice not to even think of adding her to his list of victims. He says, heaven forbid, and she says, heaven is not his final destination, or hers. Still, she’s sorry for walking out on him. If she’d stuck around, who knows? Maybe both their lives would have been different. Let’s just say, she owes him one. He says, according to his math, she owes him two.

Trina tells Spencer, Rory is a great guy. He’s honest, kind, and has a great start on a very solid career. Even Ava, who has very high standards, thinks she’d be crazy if she let him get away. He says, and of course (🍷) she and Ava always agree with each other. Rory comes back, and asks if everything is okay here. Spencer says, everything’s fine. Time for him to rejoin his uncle. He shakes Rory’s hand, and says, great seeing Trina. He leaves, and Rory sits down. He asks what Spencer wanted.  

Josslyn comes out of the kitchen, and Nina asks, where’s Donna? Josslyn says, Pilar is helping her wash up. As soon as they’re done, she and Donna are leaving. Sonny’s just going to have to do better with his time management. Sonny walks in with Dex, and says, he didn’t expect to find Josslyn here. What’s going on? Nina asks if Dex will be joining them, and Sonny asks what Josslyn is doing here. She says she’s here to pick up Donna. She’ll see if Donna is ready. She can’t get out of the room fast enough, and Dex says, if it’s okay with Sonny, he’s going to pass on the dinner invitation. He’s not hungry, and should probably call it an early night. Sonny says he’ll see Dex tomorrow, Dex says goodnight to Nina, and leaves. Sonny says, Nina was here alone with Josslyn. He doesn’t see any broken glass anywhere. What happened? Nina says, it’s clear Josslyn has other things on her mind, and they hug.

Trina tells Rory, Spencer just wanted to touch base since his early release from Pentenville. Obviously, she wasn’t expecting to see him tonight. Rory says, it’s unfortunate their big night got interrupted. Now he’s been called back to the station. Plus, he did tell her mom that he’d have her home early. She says, they’ll do it again with no interruptions. She picks up the bag, saying, she can’t forget her gift. She really loves it. He kisses her, and they leave holding hands. Victor says, if Trina chooses Rory over Spencer, it’s her loss. Spencer says he has to go to the restroom, and tosses the box containing the doves on the table. When he’s gone, Victor  picks up the box and puts it in his pocket.

Finn says, Elizabeth left these behind. It’s strange. He saw a bottle just like this when he went to see Nikolas. Prenatal vitamins. Are they hers?

Heather says, she owes Ryan two? How does he mean? He says, when she left him never to return, she didn’t just stomp on his heart and walk out of his life. In the years since, he’s learned that when she left, she was carrying the child they created.

Finn asks, what’s going on? Is there something Elizabeth wants to tell him? She says, just let it go, but he says he doesn’t want to. He wants to hear her voice, but if she doesn’t want to tell him, he’s fine with going to Windymere and getting answers. She says, please don’t, and he says, please don’t what? Is she pregnant?

On Monday, Drew asks Denise, where did Baby Callie come from; Willow tells Carly that she’s far from okay; and Ryan tells Heather, if something falls into the wrong hands, he’s holding her responsible.

💣 Man With a Plan…

Victor is the best at bad.

Charles Shaughnessy on Playing “The Villain You Love to Hate” on GH

👰🏻 Still In the Bubble…

Maybe it’s me, but I still don’t see why this woman is not just employed, but celebrated, by Bravo.

Teresa Giudice Reveals If Her Brother Joe Gorga Gave Her A Wedding Gift

How she makes new friends is also beyond me, but give it time.

Margaret Josephs And Jackie Goldschneider Joke That Teresa Giudice Has A “New Lapdog” On Season 13 Of Real Housewives Of New Jersey

🎤 Burning Down the Mic…

Housewives caught saying what they shouldn’t, and production lapping it up.

Iconic Real Housewives Hot Mic Moments

🍸 No Longer Employed…

Was this ever even in question?

Randall Emmett Reveals He’s No Longer A Cast Member On Vanderpump Rules

🕶  Odd Combo…

I don’t know if I’ll be watching, but it’s an interesting concept. Although I could do without Brandi, another one they should dump.

Bachelor Star Arie Luyendyk And Brandi Glanville Join Other Reality Stars To Compete In New Show “The Traitors”

⚰️ Dead In the City…

This. Looks. Wonderful.

https://comicbook.com/tv-shows/news/maggie-and-negan-return-in-the-walking-dead-dead-city-teaser-trailer/

‘Walking Dead’ Stars Lauren Cohan & Jeffrey Dean Morgan On Tonight’s Series Finale & Why ‘Dead City’ Spinoff Is No ‘Moonlighting’

https://ew.com/tv/jeffrey-dean-morgan-negan-walking-dead-dead-city/

🎼 Fame Kills…

This is a bit of a stretch, considering the size of the cast. Stuff happens.

https://people.com/tv/the-price-of-glee-trailer-explores-deaths-of-naya-rivera-cory-monteith-mark-salling/

🏆 Upcoming Choices…

Nominations for the Critics’ Choice Awards.

https://ew.com/awards/leslie-jordan-ray-liotta-receive-posthumous-critics-choice-award-nominations/

🐩 Hello Pets…

And to send you off on a good note, places you can’t afford, but someone’s pet can. Hey, they deserve it.

https://www.hellomagazine.com/homes/gallery/20220504139347/celebrity-pets-with-pampered-lifestyles-houses/1/

🦉 Quotes of the Week

A pessimist is one who makes difficulties of his opportunities and an optimist is one who makes opportunities of his difficulties. – Harry S. Truman (Or you could say, Murphy was an optimist.)

No one should be ashamed to admit they are wrong, which is but saying, in other words, that they are wiser today than they were yesterday. – Alexander Pope

A rich man is nothing but a poor man with money. – W.C. Fields

My belief is that personal freedom cannot grow beyond personal responsibility. The more people that learn to be fully accountable for their lives, the more freedom each of us can enjoy and the more fulfilling all of our lives will be. – Ross Parmenter

Infinitely more important than sharing one’s material wealth is sharing the wealth of ourselves—our time and energy, our passion and commitment, and, above all, our love. – William E. Simon (But a little cash never hurts.)

There are worse crimes than burning books. One of them is not reading them. – Ray Bradbury

We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty. – Maya Angelou

Being dead really doesn’t make things easier. – Barbara (Geena Davis), Beetlejuice

All changes, even the most longed for, have their melancholy; for what we leave behind us is a part of ourselves; we must die to one life before we can enter another. – Anatole France

Social media is the devil. – Judge Star Jones, Divorce Court

🦌 Playing Reindeer Games…

Exiting stage left until Monday really Tuesday, when I’ll be back with soap and what’s on Deck. Until then, stay safe, stay within your budget, and stay remembering, opportunity is only lost on those who fail to seize it.

Dec9

December 8, 2022 – Two Surprises Arrive In Ireland, Horrendous House, Tiffany, Nominated, Novel Debut, His Thanks, Million Dollar News & Permanent

Posted on by
Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Valentin opens the door, and Martin is standing there. Valentin says, you, and pulls him inside. He asks what Martin is doing here, and Martin says he knew one way or another, Valentin would lead him to Lucy’s killer.

Elizabeth says, sorry, but Finn says, there’s nothing to be sorry for. It felt good to have her in his arms. She says, it felt good to her too. He says he hasn’t seen much of her lately, and she says he got more than he bargained for when he came looking for Terry. He says he came looking for her.

Victor says, it’s wonderful to have Spencer here for the holidays, isn’t it? They should host a big family Christmas dinner; invite Alexis, Molly, Kristina, and maybe Samantha and her brood. Spencer suggests they not get ahead of themselves. Father hasn’t responded yet. Maybe his silence says it all. Victor says he’s sure that’s not the case. There’s no problem, is there? Nikolas says he’s just surprised to see Spencer, and Spencer says, he told Victor this was a horrible idea. His father doesn’t even want him here.

At the PC Grill, Rory asks if Trina is okay, and she says she hasn’t been out much in public lately. Her parents and Curtis have been on her case about the risk from The Hook killer. She guesses it’s gotten to her a little. He asks if she wants to leave, but she says, no; she’ll be fine. He promises she’s safe with him, and she says she knows. He says, plus, she looks way too beautiful to hide out at home. She says, he’s mentioned that a few times already, and he says, so he’s being repetitive. That doesn’t make it any less true. She says, for the record, he’s looking handsome himself, and he says he tried to step his game up, going to a fancy place with her on his arm. It’s their three month anniversary. She says she would have been just as happy celebrating at Charlie’s. He didn’t have to spend all this money. He tells her, don’t worry about it. She’s worth it.

Ryan is wheeled into the rec room, and Jordan says, per their agreement, she’s here to ask him a few questions. Does he know anything regarding the whereabouts of Esme Prince? She knows Esme was very insistent about working with him. Perhaps she confided in him? Ryan’s caregiver (who doesn’t seem to have a name) tells her that Ryan has something to say. He says, no deal. Ava comes in, apologizing for being late; traffic. Jordan says, they were just getting started. Mr. Chamberlain was hesitant to begin without her. Ava says, is that right? Well, I’m here now, so get blinkin’.

Elsewhere in Spring Ridge, a guard brings Sonny to a door, and says, this is the room. He’s afraid he’s going to have to lock Sonny in, since the patient is dangerous and considered high risk for escape, but Sonny says he’ll be fine. He asks how the guard’s dad is doing, and the guard says, fine, and thanks Sonny for getting him into Turning Woods. He’ll be right here, so when Sonny’s ready, just knock. Sonny says he won’t be too long and goes inside. The guard closes the door, and Sonny moves a chair, banging it on the floor. Heather sits up in bed, and says, Sonny Corinthos. He says, Heather Webber.

Ryan blinks, and the caregiver tells Ava, you’re beautiful. Ava says, their deal was that he answers the PCPD’s questions. That’s what gets her to stay; not compliments, cooperation. Jordan suggests they try this again. Did Esme tell him anything about herself? Any details of her past. The caregiver says, no; one blink is yes, two blinks is no. Jordan says, got it. Ryan was a patient at GH during March of this year, and Esme managed to sneak into his hospital room. Did she talk to him about anything in particular? The caregiver says, worried about me, and Jordan says, so Esme cared about him. Were they close? The caregiver says, yes, and Jordan asks if Ryan thinks Esme is capable of murder. He blinks, and Ava says, yes.

Nikolas says, of course (🍷) he wants Spencer here; this is his home. Victor says, exactly. It’s high time this family came together. Spencer says, it may be his home, but father doesn’t want him living here. Let him take a wild guess. Nikolas somehow convinced Ava to forgive him for sleeping with Esme, and now he doesn’t want Spencer back here to say or do anything that could jeopardize his horror show of a marriage. Does that sound about right? Because, despite everything they’ve been through together, Ava still comes first. He’s out of here. He starts to leave, and Nikolas says, Spencer thinks he has everything figured out, but he doesn’t. This isn’t about Ava. Victor says, of course (🍷) not. How could it be? Nikolas and Ava are getting divorced.

Anna tells Martin, she’s only going to say this once. She doesn’t know how much time she has, since her location has been breached. She didn’t kill Lucy. Valentin says he thought he got through to Martin that night at the docks, and Martin says, please. He’s willing to entertain the notion that Anna didn’t kill his Lucy. Anna says, she didn’t, which means she’s said it twice, and Martin says, which means she and Valentin are here looking for the real killer. Are they, or are they not? Valentin asks how he found them, and Martin says, it’s not rocket science, for God’s sake. He’s Valentin’s lawyer. He’s got access to Valentin’s bank accounts. When Anna went on the run, he started keeping track of Valentin’s travel plans. The minute Valentin bought a ticket to Ireland under an assumed name, he bought one too. Valentin says, Martin accessed his personal information? They’re going to deal with that when he gets home. Martin says, the point is, he’s here to help them track down whoever really took Lucy’s life. That is what they’re doing here, is it not? Hell, he’ll even represent Anna if she’s prosecuted for the jail break. Valentin says, they appreciate Martin being willing to help, but they’ve got this, and Anna says, they need to get out of here before Whitten finds them, and Martin needs to leave too, now, or he’ll be charged with aiding and abetting. Martin says he guesses he’ll have to represent himself, because he’s going with them. They’re not leaving without him.

Heather asks if Sonny is here to kill her, and he asks why she’d think that. She says, he shows up in her room in the middle of the night, and it’s a locked ward. How did he get in here? He says he goes wherever he wants; Port Charles is his town. She’d be wise to remember that. She says, okay… So what does he want? He says, she was in the transport prison van when it crashed, when Anna Devane escaped, and she says, yeah, but she didn’t try to run. She turned herself in. He says, and she went to Kelly’s and had a BLT, and she says, he would have done the same; the bacon melts in your mouth. He says, she offered to give a description to the cops of the guy who was driving the van, who they think helped Anna escape, and she says she offered to talk to the cops. She thought it might help her stay here a little longer. He pulls the chair closer to the bed, sits down, and says, he’d appreciate it if she talks to him first.

Finn says he saw Elizabeth’s dad leave. Terry told him that she’d spoken to him. Elizabeth says, for all the good it did, and he asks if Jeff is still pushing to be part of her life. She says, he’s not pushing anymore. He definitely wants to be a part of her life, but he claims this was his last effort, and he’s waiting for her to contact him now. He asks if she believes him, and she says she doesn’t know. But he’s flying back today, so at least he can’t ambush her again. He says he’s sorry Jeff is making this difficult for her, but maybe now she can process all the things she’s been feeling, and drop all this guilt. She asks if she’s supposed to feel better knowing she caused Reiko’s death, but Finn says, Reiko died from Blackwood’s. Elizabeth says, that Reiko got in the hospital recovering from the fall she caused. He says, she didn’t mean to, but she says she can’t talk with him about this. Doesn’t he understand? He says he does, but does that mean they can’t talk at all?

Rory asks Trina, how’s the exhibit the Chuck? It starts next weekend, right? She says, it opens next weekend, and wow. It’s so different from opening an exhibit at Ava’s gallery; from the concept development to watching the actual pieces being hung. And Beaufoy’s work is amazing. She was really struck by his seminal piece The Temple. He says he knows this. That’s the one with… the temple. They laugh, and she asks how he’s doing; keeping the peace, battling bad guys, and appreciating fine art. He says he has a great teacher, and she says, that’s sweet of him. She knows she has a tendency to get carried away. If she goes on and on, he can tell her to pause. He says, that’s not going to happen. He likes it when she gets passionate. He’s not working on Sunday. Maybe she could walk him through the exhibit. She says, like a vernissage? That’s a private preview of an exhibition. He says, sounds fancy. He’s not sure he rates. She says, he absolutely does, and she thought he had a pick-up game on Sunday. He says, at 4. They could go to the exhibit in the morning, and get lunch after. She says, sounds great, but she can see the paintings anytime. Is he sure he won’t be bored? He says, if he gets bored, he can look at his favorite work of art – her.

Spencer asks if that’s the truth; Nikolas and Ava are finally over? Nikolas says, Ava moved out before she was attacked, and she has no intention of ever coming back. Spencer says, they’ve split before though. Ava had to blackmail Nikolas into marrying her, and he forgave her for that. What’s stopping Ava from forgiving Nikolas? Victor says, because Nikolas knows he has no future with Ava, and Nikolas says, he made a horrible, stupid mistake, and he hurt Ava, and he hurt Spencer. Ava can walk out, but he and Spencer are family. Despite what Spencer thinks, Nikolas will always love him, and that will never change. That said, he’s afraid Spencer can’t stay here.

Heather asks why Sonny is interested in this fake driver, and Sonny says, Anna is a friend of his. If Heather gives the cops a legitimate description, they’re going to find her before he does, and he doesn’t want that. She says, if? Does he think she’s lying? He says, that’s been known to happen. How does he know she’s not making it up to stay out of D’Archam for as long as possible? Some fake description she can sell to the cops. She says, no way. She remembers that guy clear as day. He was five-tennish, blue eyes, nice build. She can’t remember his hair because he was wearing a hat, but he’s probably a blond, very cute. She’d recognize him immediately if she saw him again. Sonny says, that’s unfortunate.

Anna says she doesn’t want to hurt Martin. She doesn’t have time for this. Whitten has a lead on her whereabouts, and could be here any minute. Martin says, then they best get a move on, and both Anna and Valentin protest. Valentin says, he’ll slow them down, but Martin says he disagrees. He’s extremely motivated. He will not rest until Lucy’s killer is both captured and brought to justice. Anna says, oh for God’s sake. They have reason to believe Lucy is still alive. She has no time to explain, but the best chance he has of seeing Lucy alive again is to let them get out. Martin asks if they can at least tell him why they think she’s alive, but Anna says, no, and Valentin peeks out the window. He says, there’s a car coming up the driveway with no lights on, and she says, Whitten. He says, they have to go out the back, and Martin asks why they don’t pretend they’re not here. Anna says, the lights are on, and Valentin asks, where’s Martin’s car? Martin says, down the road, and Anna says, give her the keys. Martin hands them to her, when there’s a knock at the door. Whitten says, open up. US Marshall.

Outside, Whitten tells an agent to have his men search the grounds, but the agent asks if they don’t need a warrant. Whitten says he’ll take the heat, and bangs on the door again, saying, open up. Martin answers, and Whitten and the agent barge in. Martin asks, what’s going on? and Whitten says, where’s Anna Devane? Martin says he has no idea, and Whitten asks what he’s doing in Ireland. Martin says he could ask Whitten the same question. Wait. He did, and he’s still waiting for an answer. How dare they? He has nothing to hide. He’s here to grieve. He thought a manor house in the Irish countryside would be the perfect place to make peace with his Lucy’s passing. Whitten asks if Martin expects him to believe he’s here on vacation, and Martin says, more of an emotional retreat. Whitten tells the agent, search the house.

Spencer says he doesn’t know why he came here. Nikolas is the one who betrayed him. He should be begging Spencer’s forgiveness, and instead, he’s slamming the door in Spencer’s face. Victor says he’s sure that’s not what Nikolas meant, and Nikolas says he’s just being pragmatic. He and Spencer can’t be in the same room without Spencer going for his throat. Spencer says, so he’s to blame for Nikolas kicking him to the curb? and Nikolas tells him, he didn’t say that, but Spencer’s proving his point. He’s trying to salvage their relationship. Right now it’s too volatile, and too soon to cohabitate. Spencer asks if Nikolas hears himself, and Nikolas says, they have to maintain some distance. Victor says, but it’s Christmas, and Spencer’s early release is conditional. He had to assume full responsibility for Spencer until the end of his sentence, which means he has to keep Spencer close. Nikolas says, then he assumes Victor will have to leave too.

Heather asks what Sonny is saying exactly. He doesn’t want her to recognize this guard? He says he’ll explain it. The cops can’t find Anna, and he wants to keep it that way. If she says anything that can help them… Let him explain something to her. Prisons are very violent, even minimum security prisons. Things happen. She says she gets it. She hates to admit it, but she’s not really good with faces. She gets the guards mixed up all the time. As a matter-of-fact, the description she gave him, she’s pretty sure it was one of the nurses at GH; there were so many guys coming in and out of her room all the time. He smiles, and says, good. He’ll let her rest. She says she probably doesn’t have anything to offer the cops anyway. He tells her to take care of herself, since no one else will, and leaves.

Jordan says she understands Ryan has taken an active interest in the media coverage of The Hook attacks, including this letter. She takes it out of a folder, and asks if he thinks it’s genuine. Could Esme have written it? The caregiver says, yes and no, and Ava says, as much as she enjoys seeing Ryan trapped in that chair like a beetle pinned to a board, she has other things to do. Answer the Commissioner’s question; yes or no? Ryan blinks, and the caregiver says, both. Ava suggests they try another time; maybe Ryan will be more cooperative. The caregiver says, wait. He’s got a lot to say. Jordan and Ava step away, and Jordan says she appreciates Ava’s help with the questioning. She knows this is hard. Ava says, just looking at him makes her skin crawl. Of course (🍷) she’ll do whatever’s necessary to protect Trina. Jordan says, if the killer is Esme, so far she hasn’t made any direct moves on Trina. The Hook seems to be focused on tormenting Trina by targeting the people around her. Ava says, once all those people are dealt with, Trina will be left. The caregiver says, Mr. Chamberlain is finished, and they come back. He tells them, Ryan says, the killer wrote the letter, but Esme is not the killer. Look at the wording; me and mine. Esme has no one, feels completely alone. The caregiver looks at Ava, and says, Mr. Chamberlain had one last thing to say. Why are you still wearing your wedding ring when it’s obvious you and Nikolas are over? Come back to me.

Elizabeth says she can’t talk about Reiko with Finn. If it wasn’t for her, he wouldn’t have lost his wife. He says he can’t blame her for what happened, and she says, how could he not? How can he look at her and not see the person who killed his wife? He says, she didn’t kill Reiko. Reiko contracted a disease he couldn’t cure. She says, the facts don’t change how she feels. She feels responsible, and doesn’t feel they can get past this. He says he’d like to think they can, and she says she knows he’s very logical, but he says he doesn’t care about being logical. He just wants to do what he feels in his heart, and the only thing he feels if that he loves her.

The agent says, the grounds are already covered, and Whitten tells him to check for any signs of Devane upstairs, but Martin says, no you don’t. He may not be a practicing attorney in Ireland, but he’s pretty sure they need a court obtained warrant to burst in here and turn things upside down. Do they have one? Whitten asks if he’s the owner of this house, and Martin says, yes. Whitten says, interesting. He happens to know that Tiffany Hill, a known associate of Anna Devane, owns this property, and Martin says, let him finish. If Whitten had allowed him to continue, he would have clarified that he’s acting on behalf of the owner. Miss Hill is a client of his, and that’s how he found out about this house in the first place. Now may he see that warrant? He holds out his hand, and the agent says, they don’t have a warrant, but Whitten says, they can get one. Martin says, then he suggests they wait on the other side of the door until they do, because he didn’t give them permission to come in here. The agent says he has to call this in, and Whitten says, make it fast. The agent leaves, and Martin says, Whitten can close the door on his way out. Whitten puts his hand on his gun, and says, Martin doesn’t know him, so perhaps Martin doesn’t realize standing in his way is a bad move. He’ll give Martin one more chance. Tell him where Anna Devane is right now.

Ava says, her marriage is none of Ryan’s business. Where is he getting this stuff? Has the staff taken to gossiping with the inmates? The caregiver says, Mr. Chamberlain likes to keep up with the news, and some of the online sites mentioned that Ava didn’t go home after her hospital release. Ava tells him not to waste his time with that trash. Certainly don’t feed it to Ryan. Sonny comes in, and Jordan asks if Ava will be all right for a moment. Ava says, of course (🍷). What can Ryan do to her? Jordan goes over to Sonny, and asks, what brings him to Spring Ridge? Sonny says he met with the warden. He’s thinking of funding a continuing educational program. She says, isn’t he quite the philanthropist? and he says he always gives back. Ava says, don’t look so smug, and the caregiver says he’s just translating what Ryan is saying. She says, not him; Ryan. He’s enjoying this, isn’t he? But he’s wrong. She and Nikolas are just fine. Here’s a little nugget the gossip sites didn’t tell him. She leans closer, and says she loves Nikolas. She’s crazy about him, and she never cared for Ryan at all.

Finn says, right now the only thing knows for sure is, he loves Elizabeth, and she says she loves him too. He says, that’s a pretty good start, and she glances at the bottle of vitamins on Terry’s desk. She flashes back to telling Nikolas that he’s going to need a nurse when Esme gives birth, and says she doesn’t deserve Finn’s love. She’s done things… He says, she deserves everything. He knows she grew up thinking her parents abandoned her, so it’s easy to feel like she doesn’t deserve love. She says she was sure her parents gave up on her because there was something wrong with her, and he says, there’s nothing wrong with her. He’s sorry she ever had to feel that way, but at least now she knows it’s not true. Although her parents were misguided, their intentions were good. She says, intentions and actions are two totally different things. He’s also been betrayed in his past. His dad married Jackie, Hayden kept Violet from him, and now thanks to her, he knows Reiko cheated on him. Is he really willing to do this again?

Trina asks what Rory is doing on Christmas, and he says, working. She says, on Christmas day? and he says, rookie. It’s okay. His family is getting together on Christmas Eve. She says she loves that. She knows he has a big family. He says, grandparents, cousins, aunts, uncles. His youngest cousins usually wear him out playing tag. Somehow, he’s always It. She wonders how that happens, and he says, they’re maniacs, but they’re a lot of fun. It’s pretty casual. People come in the afternoon, lots of food… She says, it sounds like fun, and he says, it is. Would she like to come with him?

Spencer says, Nikolas is right. He’ll grab a suite at the MetroCourt. Nikolas says, his treat, but Victor says, that is ridiculous. He just moved out of the MetroCourt. He just settled in here. Spencer says, then Victor can stay here; he’ll go alone. Victor says, that won’t work either. Spencer is his responsibility until the end of his sentence. Spencer says he doesn’t care. He’ll go back to Pentenville if he has to, but he’s not staying where he’s not welcome. Victor suggests he take Spencer to the Port Charles Grill, and Spencer asks if they have rooms to rent above it like they do at Kelly’s. Victor says, no, but they do have dinner. After months of prison food, he’s sure Spencer would enjoy a lamp chop or two, and mashed potatoes made with actual potatoes. He asks Nikolas to join them, but Nikolas says, no, for the same reason he’s saying no to Spencer staying here. They’re not ready. He wants his son home, but only if Spencer wants to be here, and only if they can finally put the hostility aside, and come to some sort of common ground, and build back the relationship they used to have. Spencer says, okay then, and he and Victor leave. Nikolas says, damn you, Esme, and smashes a vase.

Martin asks if Whitten is threatening him, and Whitten says, tell him where Anna Devane is. Martin asks if Whitten seriously expects him to believe he’ll open fire here in the middle of the drawing room, and Whitten says he doesn’t have to kill Martin. A bullet to the knee is… Martin says, he’s not resisting anything, but Whitten says, it’s Martin’s word against his. Martin says, he knows nothing; he’s simply here to grieve. Valentin says, stop, and walks out with his hands up. He says, Martin’s right; he knows nothing. In fact, he’s an idiot. He followed Valentin to Ireland. Valentin came here looking for Anna, hoping she’d turn to Tiffany for help; he was wrong. Whitten asks if Valentin expects him to believe that, when Anna puts a gun in his back, and says, maybe he’ll believe this. Take his hand off the gun, and put his hands where she can see them. Whitten raises his hands, and says, there’s a squad of WSB agents outside. They’re not getting away. Valentin wonders why he doesn’t think Whitten brought a squad, but Whitten says he brought enough. They’re not going anywhere. Anna says she’ll have to disagree with him, and hits him with the butt of her gun, knocking him out. Martin says, that’s gonna leave a mark, and thanks them for the save. Anna thanks him for stalling. He’s not getting up for a bit. Valentin says, they have to deal with the agents outside, and Martin asks how they’re going to do that. Anna suggests they invite them in.

Trina says, Rory wants her to meet his folks? and he says he’s met hers. Why shouldn’t she meet his? It’s not like he’s bringing her over for an inspection. The house will be full of people coming and going, and they don’t have to stay long. It’s really not that big of a deal. People bring friends over all the time. He’ll let her win at tag. She asks how you win at tag, and he says, the way his maniac cousins play, the first kid to end up at the top of the heap after they all turn on It and take him down, is the winner. She says, now that she wants to see, and he asks if that means she’ll come. She says, count her in.

Finn tells Elizabeth, they’ve both been hurt, and been damaged. That’s why they need to hang on to the good things in their lives. She says she’s lied to him and kept things from him. How can he just forgive her? He says, because she’s worth it. Maybe she’s the reward for all the past pain. She says she’s far from perfect, but he says he doesn’t want perfect. He just wants someone to walk through this life with. He knows she’d make it better just by being there to experience it with him. She says she wants that so much, and he says, she can have it.

Jordan asks if everything is okay, and Ava says, they’re just shooting the breeze. Sonny says he doesn’t know how she can look at that piece of garbage, and Jordan says, Ava is also giving back. She tells the caregiver that they’re done for tonight, and to return Ryan to his room. Sonny says, buh-bye, as Ryan is wheeled away, and Ava tells him that she’s here to entice Ryan to cooperate with the police. Jordan says, they’re developing a profile on Esme Prince. She was an intern here, and developed an interest in Ryan, and he certainly knows how a killer’s mind works. Sonny says, no argument here, and Ava asks if Jordan thinks Ryan is right about the use of me and mine. Jordan tells Sonny, they showed Ryan the letter supposedly written by the killer, and Ava says, he doesn’t think Esme wrote it because of the phrase me and mine. He thinks Esme is too much of a loner to refer to anybody else in her life, and she thinks he has a point. She was always playing the lonely orphan for sympathy. Jordan says, it’s certainly worth considering, and Sonny says, so she doesn’t think Esme Prince is the killer?  

Martin yells for help, and the agents run in. He says, thank heaven they’re still here. Whitten just fell over. An agent asks, what happened? but Martin says he doesn’t know. He just collapsed. Maybe he had a stroke or a heart attack. He doesn’t know; he’s not a doctor. Whitten struggles to get up, saying, stop, but Martin pushes his head back to the floor, and says, stay down. He needs an ambulance.

Anna and Valentin sneak around outside. She tells him to wait for the agent to go, and he says, it looks like Marty did a good job of luring the agents into the house. She says, it’s the least he can do, since he led Whitten right to them. Valentin says, at least now they can do what she wanted to do; go after Victor. She says, together. Okay, let’s go. They run.

Whitten says, his head, and Martin says he’ll need a judge’s ruling on this one. Should he be moving? Whitten says, arrest this man.

Elizabeth says, so much has happened, and Finn says he wants to move forward with her. Not ignoring the past, but fighting for their future. Elizabeth’s phone rings, and he says, it might be Aiden or Jake, but she sees it’s Nikolas. She says she’ll deal with Nikolas later. She knows Finn and Nikolas don’t get along, but she and Nikolas have always been there for each other. He asks if she’s sure she can trust Nikolas, and she says, he’s one of her oldest friends. Finn says, he just got kind of a strange vibe from Nikolas when he saw him earlier. She says, he saw Nikolas? and he says he went to Spoon Island. She asks, why? and he says he was looking for Esme Prince.

Leaving a message for Elizabeth, Nikolas says, for now he dodged a bullet, but things are still complicated. Hopefully Spencer can convince Victor to take up residency at the MetroCourt, and leave him alone with his… guest. Call him.

Trina says, she and Rory will have to stop holding hands to dive into this delicious dessert. He says he’s glad she’s having a good time, and she says she is. This is so thoughtful of him. He makes her feel so special. He says, that’s because she is, and she says, so is he; incredibly so. He says he’s glad she thinks so because he loves her. She says, pardon? and he says he loves her, as Spencer walks in with Victor.

Ava tells Jordan that she’d wait before closing the file on Esme. Anything Ryan says is suspect. Jordan says she’s aware, but he picked up on something her people have been working on; that wording in the letter. Ava asks if Jordan thinks it wasn’t Esme who attacked her, but Jordan says, it’s too soon to focus on Esme exclusively. They’re working on another line of inquiry. They’ll be in touch if they need to speak with Ryan again. Good job tonight. Have a nice evening. She leaves, and Sonny asks if she’s done contributing to society, especially when it comes to Ryan, and she says, spending time with him was harder than she thought it would be. He says, don’t let that freak get in her head. Because when he walked in, she was a little jumpy and stuff, and maybe Ryan saw it too. She says, Ryan heard some gossip that she and Nikolas are having problems, and he says, it’s not just gossip. She and Nina are supposed to be living together. Isn’t that a done deal? Let him explain this to her. Nikolas Cassadine is bad news. She’s got to cut loose. He leaves.  

Ryan clenches and unclenches his fist, and says, Esme, where the hell are you? What have you gotten yourself into now? The door handle rattles, and Ryan goes back to his locked-in look. Someone wearing a bathrobe comes inside and closes the door. Heather says, hello… lover.

Tomorrow, Finn tells Elizabeth that he’s even more convinced he’s on the right track; Heather says, her and Ryan together again for the first time; Nina says she can take it if Josslyn can; and Sonny tells Dex, some mistakes are too big to make.

❄️ On the misery that is Winter House, Amanda felt that Carl didn’t have the whole truth about Lindsay, and Kyle bugged Austen about Carl needing the truth. In Ciara’s interview, she said, with Austen comes drama. Even the best cleaning lady couldn’t clean up his mess. Jason and Rachel – the only halfway sane ones in the house – snuggled at the bar. In Amanda’s interview, she said, all of them had the information, and everyone was talking about it, but Lindsay and Carl didn’t know. It was awkward. Not being able to help herself, Amada told Lindsay that she’d heard rumblings, and Lindsay asked what the rumor mill was grinding up. Amanda said, it wasn’t a rumor; it was coming from Austen. He said, on Amanda and Kyle’s wedding night, Lindsay tried to touch his d*ck, and then Lindsay texted him not to tell anyone. I can barely type that; it’s like something from a middle school cast party after the spring play. Lindsay said, that didn’t happen, and Amanda said she was just giving Lindsay the information. Lindsay said, Amanda’s delivery was kind of aggressive, and in Lindsay’s interview, she said she passed out with a bottle of red in one hand and McDonald’s in the other. She had no third hand to touch Austen’s d*ck. Talking with the other girls, Jess wondered if she had on goggles, or was Kory attractive? and Craig talked nonsense as usual. Lindsay confronted Austen, who quickly changed the particulars of the story to, Lindsay had made an advance for his d*ck. We saw the video rewind, and Austen clearly saying he had to move her hand off. Luke came right out and asked if Lindsay had tried to grab Austen’s d*ck, and she said, in the middle of eating McDonald’s? which seemed to be a query from nearly everyone. Apparently, McDonald’s is considered the anti-aphrodisiac. In Austen’s interview, he said, Lindsay not copping to it meant Carl didn’t know, and it sucked that it was brought up. It wasn’t brought up; he brought it up. Carl joined them, and Lindsay said, putting her hand on Austen’s leg had turned into her putting it on his d*ck. Kyle pointed out that a d*ck and a leg are two different things, and Carl said, it must have been a busy night. In Carl’s interview, he said Austen was sometimes still an immature f***boy. (Sometimes?) He wasn’t concerned with what happened before he and Lindsay were officially dating, and was secure where they were. It was old news. Lindsay said she had no recollection of an advance on Austen’s pee-pee, and in his interview, Austen said he wanted to go back in time and slap himself in the face. I’d slap his face at any moment in time.  

Jess wondered why Kory wasn’t making more of an effort, and he said he didn’t think 2 am while drunk was a good time to talk about the relationship. Amanda told Kyle she loved him, and he said he loved maple syrup. I am not kidding. One more example of why no one should watch this, me included. In Carl’s interview, he said he loved a winter get-together, and was excited to show everyone the new versions of him and Lindsay, but now he was ready to get out. In Lindsay’s interview, she said, it was a different experience than last year, and we flashed back to that mess. She had fun, and that’s all she cared about. Kory talked to some people about the gym he was opening in Charlotte, and said he was planning on moving in the early spring. Hmm… Just in time for the new season of Southern Charm? In Kyle’s interview, he explained that Gaper Day was an opportunity for people who knew how to ski to make fun of the people who didn’t. It was his favorite day on the mountain. No surprise, since he’s 14. They dressed in stupid costumes, and headed to the slopes. Talking to the girls, Rachel said she wasn’t sure if she and Jason would see each other after Vermont. She was in Brooklyn, and he was in Harlem; it was a long distance relationship on its own. Jess told Jason (why him, I have no clue) that she wanted to be exclusive with Kory, and in Jason’s interview, he said, all the signs were pointing to a fun time, but maybe not a long fun time. He suggested she take it slow and keep it light, but she said she didn’t want to. Kory discussed the same topic with Austen – another why; it’s not like he’s any relationship guru – and it sounded like he wasn’t interested in exclusivity just yet.  

At lunch, the girls discussed having kids, making me shudder at another generation of housemates. Rachel said she was going to die in the city (NYC to those not in the know), and Paige said she never saw having kids in the city or moving to the surrounding areas, but she didn’t know if she could adapt to Charleston. In her interview, she said, it was all florals, and a lot of smiling, and no one wears black. She never saw anyone in a black leather pant, and that was her whole personality. After they reconvened for the evening drinking, Austen told Ciara to drink her shot, she said, don’t tell her what to do, and Paige said, that was her cue to go. Jess whined to Kyle that people were trying to minimize what she and Kory had, and instead of telling her what Kory said, Kyle told her to trust her heart. Even if she got hurt, at least she put it out there. Takeout sushi arrived, and Amanda wanted to play a truth drinking game. This sounded like an awful idea, but it didn’t quite happen.

Austen asked, when was the last time everyone had sex? and when Ciara said, just before Vermont, he got all mad that he couldn’t bring his girl there, but Ciara got to bang whoever she wanted. In Ciara’s interview, she said she was confused. What was Austen yelling about? Did he think he was the last person she had sex with? Amanda said, it was a drinking game, not an argument, apparently forgetting what show she’s on. Austen said, there was hypocrisy in the house, like it was a British mystery, and in his interview, he said, if Ciara had brought someone,  he would have been polite, but him bringing Olivia was disrespectful to Ciara. This made no sense, since Ciara didn’t bring anyone, and that wasn’t her point. In her interview, Ciara said, if Austen didn’t act like an a-hole, Olivia could have come. Paige said, Austen let Lindsay get away with everything, and he hadn’t talked to Ciara in four months. In Paige’s interview, she said, the night of the dog wedding, Austen said he was done with Olivia. Since she was seeing other people, he was going to see other people, adding, he didn’t even like Olivia that much. He and Ciara slept together, and the next day, he ghosted Ciara, and went back to Olivia. Don’t come to the house and get mad at Ciara hooking up with someone. Ciara stormed off, and Amanda demanded Austen apologize. Hoping to get a pat on the head, Austen tried, but Ciara wasn’t having it. She said he was always coming at her, taking every opportunity. She told him to get the f*** out. All she did was defend him, and he made her look like an idiot. Then she called him a f***ing a-hole, slamming her bedroom door, and saying she was done with his apologies.

Everyone was pretty much done at that point, and headed for their rooms. Austen pouted, and said, everyone was lame; this night was a dud. Ciara told Paige that Austen had f***ing nerve, and Kyle told Amanda about what he’d discussed with Jess. Amanda said, Jess had been going back and forth, but she’d speak up if people were talking negatively about her and Kory. The next day, a bike skiing excursion was planned, but the girls weren’t interested. This included Craig, who was joined to Paige’s hip. Jess decided to stick with the boys, and in her interview, she said, it was hitting her that the trip was going to be over, so she wanted to spend as much time with Kory as possible. I never heard of bike skiing, but it was literally the front of a bike on skis, which looked easier than regular skiing, since there’s something to lean on. The girls and Craig went to a wine tasting, and Rachel said it was Jess’s birthday tomorrow. Amanda said Jess was upset that everyone wasn’t being supportive of her and Kory, especially Paige and Jason, which was news to Paige. Rachel told them, Jess had said she got all the guys because she was pretty, but girls like Rachel kept them, playing on Rachel’s insecurities. Craig said, Jess was L.A. catty.

Getting back together after their excursions, Kyle said blah-blah-blah, shredding the gnar, and Amanda asked what everyone would miss most. Craig said, the mini fridge, and Amanda said, Craig started off angry. We flashed back to that, and Craig said he just didn’t like to be told what to do. Amanda said he seemed like himself again – not that they didn’t like all sides of him. Ciara said, but they didn’t, and Craig said he came to understand he was an extension of Paige. Rachel said she liked riding downhill on Jason’s back, and because the attention was off of him, Craig asked how Paige felt about spending all that time with him. She said she liked going to bed and waking up with him, but didn’t account for the time in between, and Craig said he didn’t want to leave. He couldn’t figure out Austen, and everyone agreed Austen could get into a dark place and take it out on other people. Ciara said he was continuously doing it to her, and Craig said, it was unfair. Ciara said she was at the point where she didn’t need any kind of relationship with Austen, including friendship.

Next time, Kory isn’t sure about going from zero to dating in two weeks; Jess tells Kory that she’d like to be exclusive; Rachel tells everyone that said she couldn’t get guys because she has no t*ts or ass; and Ciara says, it’s not worth Austen coming at her – she’s done. And it’s the finale! Woohoo. Oh wait… Summer House.

👒 Elsie Mae Krumholtz To You…

In case you don’t know her, all about Tiffany.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/tiffany-hill-sharon-wyatt

🎭 For Her Direction…

Proving there’s life after GH.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/kimberly-mccullough-celebrates-her-emmy-nomination

✍🏼 A First…

Proving there’s life in addition to GH.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/jon-lindstrom-is-publishing-his-first-novel

🙌🏼 Happy To Be Here…

It’s nice to be appreciated.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/jason-thompson-shares-a-special-message-with-soap-fans

💰 Latest On Listing…

I’ll miss Fredrik, but I get it.

https://people.com/home/mdlla-tracy-tutor-reaction-fredrik-eklund-departure-season-14-exclusive/

The interest rates are up, but the prices aren’t down.

https://www.bravotv.com/million-dollar-listing-los-angeles/photos/listing-recap-so-many-demands-so-little-time#10567601

A little crossover never hurt anyone.

Jackpot! Here’s When We’ll Meet Days of Our Lives’ ‘Million Dollar’ Guest Star

🎁 Not Shooting My Eye Out…

Tomorrow, join me for soap, tea, words deserving of attention, and a musical oeuvre. Until then, stay safe, stay being respectful of others’ beliefs and traditions, and stay hanging on to the good things in your life.

Dec8

December 7, 2022 – Spencer Gets a Conditional Release, Salty Talk, New Materials, Addams Adaptions, Puppies (!) & Remember

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

County Kerry, Ireland. Valentin walks into a dark house and calls for Tiffany. Anna comes up behind him, putting her hand on the back of his neck. She says, hello stranger, and he says, hello darling, and they kiss.

Robert lets Felicia and Laura into his office, and says, they can speak freely. He’s had the place checked for bugs. Laura asks if he does that often, and he says, on the regular. He asks where the wonderful Deputy Mayor thinks Laura is, and Laura says, Ashby thinks she’s meeting with campaign donors, and she sent Ashby to a rezoning meeting, so she’ll be handling questions from Laura’s constituents for hours. They laugh, and Felicia says, in the meantime, don’t hate her, but she told Valentin that Lucy is alive. He’s going to try to find her, so Anna can come home. Robert says, that was a dangerous move to make. However, Valentin looking for Lucy leaves them free to go after Victor, and make him pay for what he did to Luke, Holly, and any other poor bugger who crossed his path.

Spencer says he didn’t expect to see Victor today, and Victor hopes it’s a pleasant surprise. Cyrus says he’ll leave them to their visit, but Victor says, please, do stay. He has some news about his great nephew’s future. He called in some favors, and Spencer is getting out – today.

As they go into the PC Grill, Sam asks if Dante can believe it; both of them getting off in time for happy hour. He says, maybe they broke one of the seals of the Apocalypse, and kisses her in case it’s their last one. They go inside, and Cody is at the bar, half in the bag, toasting to new adventures. Sam tells Dante, he was saying? Dante says, very funny, and they go over to the bar. Cody says, Dante’s here! He wants Dante to meet some of his new friends. The other guys at the bar have disappeared, but Cody says, they’ll be back, and Dante asks if everything is okay. Cody says, not one damn thing – he drains his beer glass – but he’s made a decision. He’s leaving town. He knows what Dante is going to say, but this time he’s serious. There’s nothing keeping him in Port Charles; not anymore.

On the phone, Britt says she’s looking into renting out the Haunted Star for New Year’s Eve… That’s right. She wants to buy it out for the whole night… Not to worry. Money is not a problem… That’s right. Party like there’s no tomorrow. So they don’t already have a boatload of reservations?

Elizabeth asks what Jeff is doing here, and he says he took a chance showing up where she worked since she won’t let him into her house. He came to tell her that he’s leaving in the morning. She asks, why not just go and not say anything? and he says he promises to get out of her hair. Just hear him out one last time. It’s important. She glances at the bottle of prenatal vitamins in her hand.

Nikolas tells Finn that it isn’t a good time, but Finn says he’ll make it quick. It’s about Esme Prince.

Anna puts a blanket on Valentin, and says, it’s still freezing, isn’t it? That’s the downside of 18th century construction. They didn’t think of central heating. He uses the blanket to dry his hair, and she says, he’s here, but distant. He says he’s happy to see her… She says, but… and he says, Felicia told him that Tiffany is helping her, but his coming here was a mistake; it’s too risky. She says, he travels to Europe all the time for business. He has the perfect cover. He says he wanted to see her, but this is dangerous, and she says she thought it was important, especially after Holly’s accident. For God’s sake, what is going on in Port Charles?

Robert says, here’s what we know. Victor coerced Holly into stealing the necklace for him. Laura says, so they can assume this portion of the Ice Princess is somehow crucial to his plan, but to what end? (Victor’s plan is like Sonny’s business – no one quite knows what it is.) She’s spent some time online, and it’s amazing. Diamonds are used for so many things; lasers, monitoring cancer, artificial visual technologies, specialized audio… It could be anything. Felicia says she can think of one way to narrow it down, and takes something out of her bag. Laura asks if she always carries a jeweler’s loop, or is this a special occasion? Felicia says, maybe there’s some detail in the pieces of the diamond that none of them has discovered… yet.

Spencer asks if he’s really going home today, and Victor says, they’re processing his release as they speak. Spencer asks, how? and Victor says he revisited a few old connections, and told them how Esme had been threatening Spencer’s loved ones. He persuaded them that it would be best for Spencer to spend time with his family during these troubling times. Spencer says he can’t believe Victor went through all this trouble for him, and Cyrus says, indeed, Victor’s efforts on young Spencer’s behalf are uncharacteristically generous. Who so boasts himself of a false gift is like clouds and wind without rain. Victor says, then call him rainmaker. He’s afraid it’s not an unconditional release. There are certain restrictions. Spencer says he can live with anything if he’s not behind bars, and Victor says he knows they had their differences the last time he visited, so please, consider this his attempt to make almonds amends. He hopes it proves, once and for all, that he really does have Spencer’s best interest at heart… no matter what others want Spencer to believe. Now let’s get him out of this wretched place.

Dante asks why Cody’s leaving town. What about his inheritance? What about Britt? Cody laughs, and Dante asks what he did. Cody says, why does Dante assume it’s his fault? Dante asks if Cody is saying it wasn’t him. He guesses there is a first time for everything. Cody says, he wants the truth? Britt was being ridiculous and unreasonable. Dante says, about what? and Cody tells him, Britt said she was miserable about something she inherited; something her father gave her. So he said, you don’t want it? Give it to me. You don’t want, I do. Win-win. He thought she was talking about the necklace, but his mistake. Dante asks what she was talking about, but Cody says he doesn’t know. Something is going on with Britt. Whatever she’s dealing with is heavy. But whatever. The necklace is gone, Britt’s gone – he looks at his glass – this beer’s gone. Dante says he’ll get Cody something, and Cody yells, bartender, next round’s on this guy! as Dante gets up. Dante says, no, a coffee is. Cody tells Sam, go ahead. He’s sure she has something to say. She tells him, just one thing. Him getting out of Port Charles for good sounds like a helluva idea to her.

Jeff tells Elizabeth that he wouldn’t have come here if it wasn’t important. Please just hear him out. She says, nothing’s changed. She can’t imagine what’s left to say. Terry asks if everything is okay here, and Jeff says, it’s nice to see her again. It seems like she’s always running interference for his daughter. Terry starts to respond, but Jeff interrupts, saying, he’s just glad to see someone is looking out for his daughter. He tells Elizabeth, please, just a few minutes. Then he’ll be out of his life forever if that’s what she wants.

Nikolas lets Finn inside, and says, what about Esme? Has she been spotted? Finn says, no, that’s part of the problem, and Nikolas says he’d think everyone would be happy to never lay eyes on Esme again. Finn says, she’s the one who’s been terrorizing Port Charles. Her victims would like to see her locked up, including Elizabeth. Nikolas says, of course (🍷). He didn’t mean to sound callous, but it seems like the attacks have stopped as of late. Maybe Esme’s altercation with Elizabeth scared her out of town, and she’s packing up her hook for good. Finn says he thinks she’s still in town, and has the feeling she’s closer than Nikolas thinks. Nikolas says, if Esme were still in town, surely the PCPD would have found her by now, and Finn says, she’s pretty good at flying under the radar, right? And don’t call me Shirley. Nikolas says, Finn has a point, but he doesn’t see how he fits in, and Finn says, what if Esme is on Spoon Island?

Spencer thanks Cyrus for looking out for him, and Cyrus says, Spencer is his family. He’ll always look out for him. Spencer says, it might be hard from in here, and Cyrus says, God is always watching. And if Spencer feels so compelled, come visit. Or if Spencer would rather not see the inside of these walls again, by all means, write to him. They shake hands, and Cyrus tells Spencer, please let him know if he decides to give half his gift to the one who has his heart. Victor says, yes, yes, very nice, but the guard has been more than patient. It’s time to go. He’ll see Spencer on the other side. Spencer thanks Cyrus and Victor again, and says, without the two of them, who knows what might have happened? He leaves with the guard, and Cyrus tells Victor, lovely to see him again. Victor says, did he or did he not warn Cyrus to stay away from his nephew? and Cyrus says, our nephew.

Cody says, Sam doesn’t like him much, does she? and she asks, what gave that away? She’s not Britt’s biggest fan, but Cody did trick her into a relationship to find that necklace. He says, that necklace was his birthright. At least until it went up in flames. She says she doesn’t know about that. Given the records she found on him, she doesn’t think it was a late in life decision to start doing shady things. He asks what that’s supposed to mean, and she says, forget it. He tells her, if she has something to say… but she says, Forget. It. Dante returns, saying, one coffee for you, putting the cup in front of Cody. Sam’s phone dings, and she steps away to make a call.

Elizabeth tells Jeff, Terry was kind enough to let them use her office, so let’s return the favor and keep this brief. He thanks her for this chance, and says he fully intended to respect her boundaries, but since he’s leaving… She says, he didn’t have to keep his word? but he says, no. He came here today because he saw himself for the first time, and didn’t like what he saw. She asks, what brought on this revelation? and he says he went to see Heather Webber this morning. He heard she had a run-in with his grandson. He needed to make sure she wasn’t a danger to anyone in their family, but talking to Heather made him face some things about himself; things he’s not proud of. She says she’s listening, and he says, instead of acknowledging his shortfalls, and taking responsibility for them and making almonds amends, he runs away. He lies to and deceives the people who care about him, and denies any wrongdoing; he makes them think it’s all in their head. She says, so when he told her that he brainwashed her for her own good, what he really meant was, it was for his own good. He says, he and her mother truly did what they thought was best to protect her, but there’s no denying that be sending her away, he was running again. Now he sees he was wrong, and he’s sorry.

Nikolas asks Finn, why in the world would Esme be here? She knows she has no friends here. Finn says, she attacked Elizabeth on the pier when Elizabeth was on her way to see Nikolas. That got him thinking, maybe Esme is hiding out somewhere secluded. She used to live here, and knows the ins and outs of this place. Nikolas says, he has a full staff here, including security. He would at least know if Esme was in his house. Finn says, right, but there’s plenty of places outside she could hide. Did he search the entire property? Nikolas says, if Esme was here, he would know about it, and Finn says, maybe he needs to look again. Nikolas asks when Finn was deputized. The PCPD hasn’t even been here since Esme became a person of interest in the hook attacks. Finn says, all he’s asking is, is it possible Esme could be here without Nikolas knowing it? He’s concerned about Elizabeth’s safety. He just wants to get to the bottom of this. Nikolas asks if there’s still tension going on between Finn and Elizabeth. Is that why Finn is feeling such a keen desire to play the hero? Finn says, this has nothing to do with being a hero. This was a mistake. He thought he’d give Nikolas the courtesy of coming to see him in good faith, but Nikolas doesn’t deserve it. Finn opens the door, and says, the cops could search this place better than he could anyway. Nikolas says he’s sorry, and Finn stops, turning around. Nikolas says he cares about Elizabeth too, and wants to see the attacker caught. He’ll talk to his staff. Wait here. Finn goes back inside, and sees the empty vitamin bottle as I knew he would.

Elizabeth tells Jeff, she honestly doesn’t know how to feel right now. Part of her has waited a lifetime for him to admit what he and her mom did was wrong. It was such a betrayal. He says he understands that now, and she says, all the times he claimed her was protecting her, he was really just protecting himself from being held accountable. He says he didn’t see that at the time, but now he realizes he was trying to have it both ways, He convinced himself that he was saving her life, but he was also saving himself from taking responsibility for having an affair, and Elizabeth’s emotional trauma at seeing him with another woman, and everything that followed. He missed years of her life. Not just the dark painful times when she needed her family the most, but also the good times, when she could have felt how much he and her mother truly love her. Instead, he convinced Carolyn that the best way to save Elizabeth and preserve their family was by sending her away. He didn’t give Elizabeth an explanation, but allowed that distance to grow. He failed at his responsibilities as a father, and he was wrong. He wishes he could take it back. She says, but he can’t. Nothing he says or does will ever take away the damage he did to her.

Britt sees Terry, and says, hey, Co-Chief. Terry says, someone is downright friendly today, and Britt says she’s planning her birthday party. What are Terry and Yuri doing New Year’s Eve? Terry says she had no idea Britt’s birthday was coming up. Does this mean she wasn’t invited last year? Britt says she never makes a big deal about her birthday; she’s never even had a party. But this year, she decided to do it up. There’s going to be a photobooth, and dancing, and an open bar. Hell, she’s even thinking of renting a red carpet. It’s going to be the party of the century. Terry says she’s there, and thanks Britt for inviting her. Britt says she can’t imagine celebrating without Terry. She knows they were at each other’s throats when they started out as Co-Chief, but now the idea of this without her… it’s not as appealing as it once was. Terry says, against all odds, they make a great team, and Britt says, it seems that Monica was right all along. Terry says she’s glad they stuck it out for the long haul, and asks Britt where this is coming from.

Cody asks if Dante believes in karma, and Dante says, does he? Cody says, for a second there, it looked like everything was going great for him. He thought, this is it; it’s finally his time to get everything he wants; an inheritance, Britt. He was really happy with it too. Then it all went to hell overnight. Dante says, and he thinks it was karma? and Cody says, probably. Dante says, tell him this then. What could Cody have possibly done to deserve all that?

Victor says, make no mistake. He and Cyrus may share a family, but they’re not family. Cyrus says, family or no, he serves a higher power, and Victor says, then he’d be familiar with the tale of the fruit from the poisonous tree. Cyrus says, the legal concept kept him out of prison for decades. As for the parable, what does that have to do with anything? Victor says he won’t allow Cyrus’s venomous lies to corrupt his nephew, and Cyrus asks what lies he’s referring to. As far as he knows, he’s uttered no falsehoods against Victor. Victor says, that’s exactly his point; Cyrus doesn’t know anything. So it’s best not speak on such matters unless he does. Cyrus says, one of them is clearly false, and they both know it’s not him. The getting of treasures by a lying tongue, is a vanity tossed to and fro of them that seek death. Victor asks if that’s Cyrus’s way of threatening him, but Cyrus says, it’s not for him to assign punishment. That’s in God’s hands. Victor says, fortunately, since he’s arranged for Spencer’s release, Cyrus’s influence on his nephew comes to an end. And he sincerely hopes Spencer never lays eyes on Cyrus again. But if he does, even Cyrus’s God won’t be able to save him.

Felicia looks at the necklace through the loop, and says, there’s a series of numbers and letters on this diamond. Laura says, that’s probably just a serial number; all diamonds have them these days. Felicia says, she’s never seen a serial number look like this. She asks to use Robert’s computer, and sits in his chair. She puts the number in at the diamond registry, and says, if it’s a serial number, it’s not coming up. Laura says, if it’s not a serial number, is it possible it’s some kind of a code? and Robert says, or something a whole lot more dangerous.

Valentin and Anna cuddle on the couch, and she says, thank God Lucy is alive. He tells her, says Felicia’s reputable source, and Anna wonders why Victor didn’t kill her. She’s glad obviously, but what does he have to gain by keeping her alive? He says, leverage, just as he was using Charlotte as leverage over him. She says, he has to explain this to her. His father is a man of significant means. All of this for the Ice Princess? Not even the whole diamond; it’s a fragment of a cursed gemstone. It doesn’t make any sense. He says he doesn’t know Victor’s endgame; he wishes he did. She says, at least they have Lucy, and he says, if she’s alive, he’s going to find her. Anna asks how he’s going to do that, and he says, Charlotte is safe with Laura. He’s going to search some of Victor’s old haunts. Maybe he won’t be lucky enough to find Lucy, but hopefully, he’ll find some trace of where Victor’s taken her. She says, that’s as good a plan as any, and he says he’s going to find Lucy, clear Anna’s name, and bring Anna back home safe. She kisses him, and says, he’s not going to do that. He can’t go be a hero all by himself. Does she strike him as a damsel in distress, trapped in a tower? Okay, basically she is trapped in an 18th century manor, but she doesn’t need a knight to save her, even one as gorgeous as him. He asks if she thinks he doesn’t know how capable she is, and she says, let’s ditch the white horse then. He says, she’s too much of a target. He won’t let her get caught. She says, the only other people who know she’s here are Tiffany and Annie. She hasn’t been laying low. She’s been doing her research; looking for leads. And he’s given her the most actionable piece of information. She at least knows where to start now. He says, she can’t do it by herself, and she says, Neither can he. They could do it together, as a team. He kisses her

Cody tells Dante, all the wrong things are important to him. Now he’s greedy, selfish, greedy… Dante says, there’s nothing wrong with Cody wanting that necklace, and Cody says, except he tore the ticket with his family. Probably the only good thing about him being Leopold Taub’s son was he had some money coming to him. Now he doesn’t have a family, and he doesn’t have an inheritance. Dante says, Cody’s got him and his little brother, and Cody says, Dante’s playing the Leo card. Dante says he is. He can’t leave town until Leo wins some kind of riding trophy or medal. Cody says, Dante and Leo might be the only people who would miss him, and it might not be great for Dante if he stayed. Dante asks, why not? and Cody says, Dante might not have given him a second thought if he hadn’t crash landed into Britt, but their friendship meant a lot to him when they were kids. Dante says, same here, and Cody says, they both know there’s a world of hurt coming for them if anyone finds out what happened back then.

Nikolas tells Finn that he talked to the staff, and no one’s seen anything suspicious. He’s instructed everyone to tell him anything that happens, no matter how small. They’re going to keep detailed logs about the comings and goings here, and he’s made sure guards are posted at every access point on and off the island. Finn thanks Nikolas for checking, and Nikolas says, if he hears anything, he’ll let Finn know. He absolutely has Elizabeth’s best interests at heart. Finn says, given their history, he’d like to believe that, but he doesn’t. Finn leaves, and Nikolas realizes the empty vitamin bottle is there.

Elizabeth says she’s glad Jeff had his moment of realization. She hopes it helps him heal, but it won’t help her at all. Because while he was shielding himself from taking responsibility for his actions, he was keeping her from doing the same thing. He says he knows. He told himself that he was saving her life, but he shifted the burden from himself to her. He left her with those feelings of abandonment she’s had to live with her whole life, but he’s taking ownership now. He’s willing to take on his share of the burden. She says, it’s too late. He forced her to start life without him. She’s been through traumas, violations, weddings, funerals, births; he wasn’t there for any of it. She’s a parent now, and knows how hard it is to see your child in pain. He took away her opportunity to heal from one horrible moment in her life. He left her with no family. He left her untethered to this world, and left room for a tragic mistake to come back 25 years later. She wants to lash out at the world. She wants to punish people like the teenager who came to Port Charles years ago. Instead, she had to deal with those memories and face her actions. Now that’s her burden that he can’t take away. She has to live with the choices she’s made, and he’s going to have to live with his too. He tells her, there’s really nothing left to say, except that he and her mother thought they were doing what was best for her and their family. Obviously, they were wrong and he’s sorry. They love her, Sarah, and her boys very much, but they understand the mistakes they made caused her great pain. He hopes she can find it in her heart to forgive him, and let him in just a little. Nothing would make him happier, but he’ll give her the space she needs. If she ever feels like reaching out, he promises they’ll be there. He’s going to head home now. He doesn’t know if it’s going to be another 25 years before he sees her again, but he hopes it isn’t. He leaves, but she keeps her back turned to him.

Britt tells Terry, nothing’s wrong; she’s just distracted. She’s never thrown a bash like this before, and she can’t stop going over the details in her head. Terry says, she could try to think about work at some point, and sees Finn walking past. She runs over to him, and asks if he’s spoken to Elizabeth. He says, they still have a lot to work out, and she says she’s sorry things are still tense. He says, him too. He keeps hoping they can work through this. Jeff comes out of the elevator, and tells Terry goodbye. She just folds her arms and looks at him, and he leaves. Finn wonders if that’s why she was asking about Elizabeth. Terry says, Elizabeth just went to speak with him in her office, and Finn jets.

Nikolas picks up the empty bottle, and flashes back to Esme saying she already planted a seed with Elizabeth. She bets Elizabeth is too dedicated of a nurse to let him get away with attempted murder. When things start to unravel, and the police get involved, he’s going down, and taking Ava with him, and maybe even Nurse Nightingale too. He hears Victor outside the door, and ditches the bottle. Victor walks in with Spencer.

Dante says, the past is the past. Why does Cody want to bring it up? Cody says, Sam found his juvie arrest record, and Dante says, she told him at Thanksgiving. Cody says, summer, 1996, and Dante says, those records are sealed. He didn’t give her any specifics; he’s trying to downplay the whole thing. Cody says he can tell, and Dante asks, what’s that supposed to mean? Cody says, come on, man. It’s been the elephant in the room since he came to town. Dante says, that was a long time ago, and Cody says, they both know the world of trouble that could come if Sam unseals that record. Not just for him, but for both of them.

Laura says, the Ice Princess Mikkos had 40 years ago was the largest uncut diamond in the world, but she does remember something about there being a formula in the base. Robert says he wouldn’t count out the fact that there could be other codes engraved in other parts of the diamond as well. Felicia asks, what kind of codes? when there’s a knock at the door. Robert shoves the necklace away, and says, come in. An officer hands him a folder, saying, here’s the file he requested, and thanks Felicia for the Thanksgiving dinner for the guys working on the holiday. She says, her pleasure. She guesses she’d better get going, and tells Robert, they’ll catch up later. In the hallway, she tells the officer that she needs to catch up with her husband, and asks if he’s seen Mac. The officer says, he’s at an all-hands-on-deck meeting, and she says, anything exciting? and he says, she didn’t hear it from him, but Agent Whitten has a lead on Anna Devane’s whereabouts.

Laura says she’ll never forget the horror the Ice Princess brought to Port Charles the first time, and Robert says, it’s possible Victor’s not after the diamonds themselves, but rather the message hidden inside them.

Valentin says he hopes Anna knows that he just wants to protect her, and she says she does. She thanks him, and says, how about if they make a deal? From here on out, they protect each other. He nods, and kisses her. His phone rings, and he says, it’s Felicia. He says, hello…. Understood. Thank you. He tells Anna that Felicia got wind from the PCPD, Agent Whitten has a lead on where Anna is. He’s headed to Europe. She asks, what kind of lead? but he tells her, she didn’t say. This must be his doing. Interpol will figure out she’s in Ireland. She says, with Tiffany, and he says, they’ve got to go, now.

Spencer thanks Victor, and Nikolas thanks him for helping his son. Victor says, it’s the least he can do, and Nikolas says, being Spencer was only in Pentenville because he wouldn’t tell the authorities Victor arranged for his escape from Spring Ridge. Victor says, because Spencer is family, and family is very precious. In the meantime, Spencer is only out on a conditional release. Nikolas asks, what might those conditions be? and Spencer says he’s to remain under supervision for the remainder of his sentence. Which means, one false move and he’ll go back to Pentenville. Victor says, isn’t it wonderful? They’ll all be together for the holidays under the same roof.

Elizabeth picks up the bottle of vitamins, when Finn walks in. He asks if she’s okay, she says, no, and he holds her.

Britt asks Terry if everything is okay with Finn. He seemed even doomier and gloomier than usual. Terry tells Britt, it’s not her place to say, and Britt says, oh, it’s about Elizabeth. Okay, she’ll let it go, as long as whatever’s going on doesn’t affect the hospital. Terry says, she promises to loop Britt in if it does. After all, they’re Co-Chiefs. Britt says, for the record, she thinks Terry would make a great Chief if they ever let her fly solo, and Terry says, obviously, but she doesn’t think it would be half as much fun. Britt says, only because Terry hasn’t done it any other way, and Terry asks, what’s with her? Is Britt quitting on her? Britt says, nothing lasts forever, and walks off.

Dante says, Cody’s Ride Share is here, and Sam says, he’s leaving. Cody says, Dante didn’t have to get him a car, but Dante says, they look out for each other; it’s what they do. Cody says, thanks. Dante is a good friend. He leaves, and Sam asks if he’s going to be okay. Dante says, he’s just going through a rough time. Try not to make it worse. Sam says, worse how? and Dante says, bringing up things like his juvie arrest record. He doesn’t think that helps. Dredging up that kind of stuff isn’t going to get him on the right path. Maybe they can just let all that go.

Robert asks Laura, what if Victor never wanted the diamonds for their own sake? What if what he wants is a code hidden inside those diamonds? She says, then they need to crack that code first, and he says, the sooner they crack that code, the sooner they uncover what Victor’s real intentions are. She says, and we’re one step closer to stopping Victor before his plan unfolds.

Valentin and Anna are ready to leave. Valentin opens the door, and stops short. He says, you.  

Tomorrow, Rory asks Trina to go somewhere with him; Nikolas says he’s afraid Spencer can’t stay here; Valentin asks how someone found them; and Sonny says he’d appreciate it if someone would talk to him first.

🧂 Three Teaspoons Of Salt…

They didn’t have tonight’s recap yet, but it continues to boggle my mind how no one thinks anything of physically attacking another person. It used to just be RHONJ, but it’s spreading everywhere in reality TV. I’ll say it again, Andy isn’t going to be happy until there’s a lawsuit. The first season of Salt Lake had promise, but it’s quickly deteriorated.

‘RHOSLC’ RECAP: Angie Katsanevas Accuses Jen Shah of Conning Her Out Of Thousands

Meredith spills the tea, or at least speculates.

Meredith Marks Addresses if Jen Shah Will Attend RHOSLC Reunion, Plus Talks Feud With Lisa Barlow and Denies Calling Lisa’s Home “Sh**ty,” Plus Live Viewing

Just for fun. This woman is seriously unhinged.

Exclusive: ‘RHOSLC’ Fraudster Jen Shah Racially Profiles and Threatens Black Blogger Ahead of Prison Sentence

💥 In the Dark…

Season 3’s premiere.

His Dark Materials Season 3 Episodes 1 & 2 Review: The Enchanted Sleeper & The Break

I still hate that monkey.

https://ew.com/tv/his-dark-materials-season-3-ruth-wilson-mrs-coulter-monkey-redemption/

👨🏻 Ranking the Family…

They’re right on the money.

https://ew.com/movies/addams-family-adaptations-ranked/

🐶 Bowling For Pups…

The line-up for the next Puppy Bowl.

https://people.com/puppy-bowl-2023-puppy-player-photos/

🥣 Mixing and Mingling…

Stop in tomorrow for soap and massive amounts of shade toward the trainwreck that is Winter House. Until then, stay safe, stay not letting advertisers tell you what you need, and stay acknowledging your shortfalls, taking responsibility for them, and making almonds amends, instead of running away.

Dec7

December 6, 2022 – Cyrus Has a Gift For Trina, Return Possible, Revelation, About That Diamond, News On Deck, Pets (!) & Heart

Posted on by
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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Curtis knocks on Jordan’s office door, and she asks what she can do for him. He says, she can check the joyfully accept box, handing her an envelope. He came to invite her to their wedding.

At the hospital, Portia hugs Stella, and asks how her follow-up went. Stella says, just like all the others. She doesn’t understand why she needs to be poked and prodded every few months. Can’t they see she’s her old self again? Portia asks who she’s calling old, when Marshall joins them, telling Stella that she left her purse in the exam room. Stella snatches her purse from him, saying, she didn’t leave it. She was just giving him something to do. Portia says, just the man she wanted to talk to. Has he given any more thought to what they discussed on Thanksgiving? Stella asks what she missed, and Marshall says, nothing. He tries to leave, but Stella grabs his arm, and says she’s not going anywhere. Somebody better start talking now. Portia says she suggested Marshall might want to get some genetic counseling.

Trina walks with Ava through the Christmas bizarre in Rice Plaza, and thanks Ava for talking Curtis into letting her ditch house arrest. Ava says, Trina’s not under house arrest, but Trina says, it sure feels that way sometimes. Ava says, Curtis just wants to keep her safe; they all do. But it’s broad daylight in a public place, she has a gun in her purse. She has a permit and knows how to use it. Enough about security though. Let’s get into the holiday spirit. They look at a table with Christmas decorations, and Trina asks how many gifts Ava has gotten for Avery. Ava says, probably too many, but she loves spoiling her little girl. This is nice, isn’t it? Spending time together? Trina says she misses seeing Ava every day at the gallery, but Ava says, not any more than she misses seeing Trina. She sees Rory, and tells Trina that she has some competition. Someone else who covets Trina’s time and attention.

Cyrus finds Spencer reading a book in the library, and says, you woudn’t know it, but outside these walls, it’s Christmastime with all the magic and merriment it entails. Spencer tells him, if he says so, and Cyrus says, it’s not lost on him that Spencer’s been keeping his distance ever since his great uncle’s visit. Spencer says, how perceptive. Would he like a prize? Cyrus says, what he’d like is some common sense on Spencer’s part. Tell him that he’s realized which side of his family he can trust.

Victor checks out some Christmas things at Rice Plaza, while Ashby does the same nearby. She says, happy holidays, and he asks if she has something for him. She says, her intel informs her that Holly Sutton has a long recovery, and he says, and the necklace? She says, the authorities still believe it was destroyed in the fire, and he says, unacceptable, squishing the ornament in his hand. You break it, you buy it, Victor.

Heather goes into the rec room at Spring Ridge, and says she thought the guard told her that she had a visitor. Jeff comes in, and says, hello, Heather. Long time, no see.

Alexis sees Finn at the Plaza, and he says, yay or nay for Violet’s stocking? showing her a package of ornaments. She says, yay. Look at him, all Christmassy. He used to be all bah humbuggy. He tells her, Violet changed everything… for the better. She says, that’s what kids do, and significant others do. He holds up an ornament, and says, too blingy? She says, he’s too blingy. Is this his way of avoiding her advice that he should talk to Elizabeth?

Nikolas thanks Elizabeth for coming so quickly, and unlocks Esme’s room. She asks if Esme is faking again, and he says he doesn’t think so, but Elizabeth is the professional. Elizabeth goes over to Esme, who’s lying on the bed with her eyes closed, and asks, what’s wrong with her? Has she been given any meds? He says, just the prenatal vitamins Elizabeth brought her, and she asks if she can see them. He picks up the empty bottle, and she says, those were supposed to last a month. He asks if she’s suggesting Esme took all of them, and Elizabeth digs in her medical bag.

Jordan says, Curtis didn’t have to include her, but he says, we wanted to. They discussed it, and it just feels right having her there. She asks, why? and he says, because she’s important to him, and she’s TJ’s mother. TJ is like family, which makes her like family, and she knows he throws a mean party. She says, he always has, and he says, hopefully, she’ll have caught The Hook killer by then, and everyone in Port Charles can breathe easy. She says, he sounds confident, and he says, after that recent article in The Invader, it’s only a matter of time now, right? She says, not necessarily. Alexis and her paper might have hurt their investigation, not helped it.

Nikolas says, you can overdose on vitamins? and Elizabeth says, you can overdose on pretty much anything. They need to pump her stomach immediately. Esme pops up, and asks if Elizabeth is insane. She jumps out of bed, and Elizabeth says, this little routine of hers is getting pretty old. She should try some new material. Nikolas asks if Esme believed they’d fall for another fake out, and Esme says, but he did. He even called his Florence Nightingale here. She starts stuffing her face with the meal he’s brought up, and he says, excuse him for caring about his child. Esme says, our child, and was Elizabeth seriously going to pump her stomach to force her to come clean? Elizabeth says, if she had to, but she knew it wouldn’t get that far, and Esme says, Elizabeth is sick. Elizabeth says, look who’s talking, and Nikolas says, so Esme didn’t take all of those pills? Talking with her mouth full, Esme says, she took one, and threw the rest away, and Elizabeth says, Esme actually took a prenatal vitamin? Esme says, Elizabeth told her it was good for the development or whatever, and Elizabeth says, don’t look now, but Nikolas might not be the only one who cares about this baby.

Spencer says he appreciates all the help Cyrus has given him, but he’s out of line suggesting his Uncle Victor tried to kill his grandmother. That’s just… no. Cyrus says, Spencer would be wise not to put his faith in his great uncle, and Spencer says, so he should put his faith in Cyrus instead? but Cyrus says he was referring to a higher power. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. Spencer says, doing his time in here will set him free, not the truth. And by the way, for a guy who quotes Scripture, Cyrus is quick to sit in judgement of his uncle. Cyrus says, believe him, he didn’t accuse Victor of anything new, but Spencer says, that doesn’t make him guilty. Cyrus says, it doesn’t make him innocent either, and Spencer says, that’s for a jury to decide, just like they did with Cyrus. By the way, there’s a glaring difference between Cyrus and his Uncle Victor. Victor is on the outside, while Cyrus is stuck in here. Cyrus says, my dear Spencer, the difference is, I am a sinner seeking redemption, while your uncle wouldn’t know the meaning of the word.

Ashby says, Victor is brimming with holiday cheer, and he says, the necklace may be a dead end, but his plans are still very much alive. She asks if he has another angle, and he says, always. She asks if he cares to fill her in, and he says, in due time. Her job is to keep Laura distracted, and his family intact. Did she pull the necessary strings? She says she’s working on it, and he says, work harder.

Ava says she’ll leave Rory and Trina to catch up, but Trina says, Ava doesn’t have to go. Ava says she saw an ornament that caught her eye. She wants to snap it up before someone else does. She says, it’s nice to see Rory, he says, her too, and she leaves. Rory gives Trina a quick kiss, and asks if she’s free for dinner tonight. Cops know the best places to eat. It’s a documented fact. He wants to take her someplace special for their anniversary. Three months ago today, they became official.

Ava glances over, and smiles. She sees Victor next to her, and he says, it’s true what they say; love is wasted on the young. Woudn’t she agree?

Spencer says his history isn’t exactly spotless, and Cyrus says, no one’s is. Spencer says, but people can change, right? That’s what redemption’s about. Cyrus says, before redemption comes repentance. Is Victor prone to asking for forgiveness? They both laugh, and Cyrus says he didn’t think so. And then, there’s us. Putting in the work, trying to make amends for our mistakes. That’s a bond even stronger than blood. But they have both, and he truly hopes that bond continues when Spencer is released. And when that day comes – he reaches in his pocket – there’s something he wants Spencer to take with him. Consider it an early Christmas present. He slides a small white box across the table to Spencer.

Ava tells Victor that she disagrees. True love is a gift, no matter when you find it. No matter how hard certain people try to take it from you. He’s never experienced a love like that, has he? He picks up a pair of goofy glasses from the table and looks through them, saying, hope springs eternal. And when she’s free from that dysfunctional marriage to his nephew, who knows? Maybe there will be hope for them.

Jordan holds a bunch of letters, and tells Curtis, each of these claims to have been written by the killer. So now she’s wasting valuable time and manpower chasing every one, even though they basically know they’re all bogus. He says he gets the frustration, although he believes when Alexis printed that letter, she only had good intentions. Jordan says, she interfered with a confidential investigation. Yes, they have a theory that points toward Esme Prince, but if Alexis takes it upon herself to decide what to leak and when, that just makes it harder for them. Curtis says, a theory. A legitimate one with actual evidence? Jordan says nothing and goes back to her desk, and he says, his soon-to-be stepdaughter’s life may be at risk here. if she has a way to end this nightmare, he needs to know about it.

Alexis asks why Finn is avoiding her question, and he says, they already discussed this. She says she wants to discuss it again, so let’s rehash. The last time they talked, he was upset about his late wife cheating on him. He says, and that’s pretty much the end of the story, but she says, is it? He says, look around. This isn’t really the time or place for this. She asks what he’s afraid of, and he says, who’s afraid? She asks if there’s another reason he’s not talking to Elizabeth, and he says, off the record? She tells him, everything they say is off the record, and he says, the man that Reiko slept with was Elizabeth’s father.

Heather asks if Jeff flew all this way to see her, and he says he won’t lie to her. She says, really? Why turn over a new leaf at this late date? He says he’s definitely not interested in dredging up the past, and she says, a past that includes their son, Stephen Lars. Or is he still more invested in saving the world than in his own family? He says he woudn’t be here if he wasn’t invested in his family, and she says, he thinks of her as family? He says, never. He came to tell her to stay the hell away from his.

Esme tells Elizabeth, of course (🍷) she cares about the baby. It’s the only thing stopping this maniac from killing her. Nikolas tells Elizabeth not to listen to her, and Esme says, remember what she told Elizabeth when she first came here? Elizabeth says, that Nikolas tried to kill her? She didn’t believe it then, and still doesn’t. Continuing to shovel in food, Esme asks why she’s make that up, and Nikolas says, because she’s a desperate criminal who’s willing to say or do anything to continue her reign of terror, but Esme says, for the last time, she is not The Hook. She looks at Elizabeth, and says, Elizabeth is starting to wonder. Why wouldn’t she? She’s curious to see what her friend is capable of. Go on. Ask him. Ask Nikolas what happened on the parapet that night. She, for one, can’t wait to hear the answer. Nikolas says, no one has any interest in her lies, and Esme says, but they’re not lies. She tells Elizabeth, think about it. How did she manage to disappear; just vanish into thin air. She looks at Nikolas and says, but it wasn’t exactly her choice, was it? Thanks to him and Ava… He says, leave Ava out of this, and Esme says, so protective. Elizabeth asks what Ava has to do with anything, and Nikolas says, she doesn’t, and Esme says, who’s the liar now? as she munches a piece of toast.

Finn  tells Alexis, it was a lifetime ago. They were in Doctors Without Borders, and assigned to different islands in the South Pacific. He guesses Reiko got lonely and Jeff Webber was there. She says, got it. She’s sure it was very disappointing, and she’s not trying to minimize it, but like he said, it was a lifetime ago, so doesn’t he think he should have gotten past that by now? He says, there’s more to it than just the affair, but it’s not his story to tell, and she says, so it’s Elizabeth’s story. He says, it’s new to her, and she’s understandably having trouble processing her feelings, and Alexis says, she probably has lots of feelings. He says, confusion, pain, anger… She says, but not at him, and he says, mostly at the situation, but they haven’t connected in weeks, and at some point, he stopped trying. She asks why he would do that, and he says, what if there’s no point? She asks if he loves Elizabeth, and he nods. She says, that’s the point. If he stays in his corner, and she stays in her corner, it will just drive them further apart.

Heather says, here she thought Jeff missed her, but he tells her, knock it off. And don’t pretend she didn’t try to contact his family. Making a beeline for his grandson when she had her big chance to escape. She says, he works at Kelly’s, home of the famous BLT. They don’t write that on the menu, but they should; it’s to die for. He says, stay away from Cameron, and she asks where this newfound concern is coming from. Last she checked, he didn’t give a damn about his grandsons, or their mother. He says, she doesn’t know what she’s talking about, and she asks if he was there when Elizabeth married her Franco. Was he there when for her when he died? No. He loves the idea of being a family man, but when it comes to stepping up and doing the right thing, he cuts and runs. They see Ryan being wheeled in, and he says, is that… She says, the one and only.

Jordan says, Curtis knows she can’t share privileged in formation, and he says, even if it could bring a murderous criminal to justice? Trina is exhausted. She’s constantly looking over her shoulder. It’s just too much for her, and he’s not even going to touch on what it’s been like for Portia. She says, and him? and he says, it’s true Trina’s not his biologically, but to him it feels like she is. Does that make any sense? She says, it does, and he says, then help him protect his family, but she says she can’t.

Portia says, so much has changed since Marshall was diagnosed with schizophrenia. She just doesn’t see the harm in getting some current genetic testing done. Stella asks if she’s implying Marshall’s diagnosis is wrong, and Portia says she’s sure the doctors drew on the best knowledge they had at the time, but there could be other factors that are involved. Stella asks, what kind of factors? and Marshall says he’s standing right here. Stella tells him, and not saying a damn thing, and he says, as if he could get a word in edgewise. He doesn’t need reevaluation; he knows what’s wrong with him. He spent his life ensuring it wouldn’t harm his family. Portia says she understands, but… He says, no buts. He’s at peace with his condition. Can she please drop this?

Ava tells Victor, her marriage to Nikolas, as complicated as it may be, hasn’t ended yet, despite his best efforts. They know that Esme is alive, and the prime suspect in The Hook attacks, which makes Nikolas’s bogus confession useless. So what will Victor hold over his nephew’s head now? Victor says, perhaps they should put their heads together, and come up with a plan, but she says she’ll pass. He says, besides, something tells him that he won’t need to coerce Nikolas into a divorce. He gets the distinct impression Nikolas is more than ready to move on.

Esme tells Nikolas, don’t be shy. Tell Elizabeth how he and Ava thought they were rid of her forever, until he discovered she was carrying the heir to the throne. Elizabeth asks what she’s talking about, and Nikolas pulls her aside, and tells her that he’ll explain everything, but right now Esme needs more of those vitamins. Can she go back to GH and get some? She says, he’s trying to get rid of her, but he says he’s just thinking of what’s best for the baby. And right now he’s seeing an opening of Esme actually showing maternal instinct. He wants to jump on it before it closes. Elizabeth says, this conversation is not finished, and he says he’s well aware. Elizabeth leaves, and Nikolas tells Esme, that was a mistake.

Ava tells Victor, that was an excellent attempt to poison the well, but she doesn’t do jealous, and he says he imagines a woman like her wouldn’t have to. But don’t forget Nikolas is a human being with needs and desires of his own. Until next time. She says, bated breath, and he leaves. As he passes Ashby, she says, the favor she called in has been handled, and he keeps walking.

Trina tells Rory that she totally forgot; it has been three months. He came into her life at the craziest time. She can’t believe he hasn’t run for the hills. He says he might have been a rookie, but he knew she’d been framed, and she thanks him for always believing in her. He says, always. He’s got to get back to the station. He’ll see her tonight. He’ll text her the details. He leaves, and Ava joins her. She says, about that young man of Trina’s… Trina says she knows Rory’s not an art lover, and he hasn’t seen the world, or studied abroad… Ava says, who cares? She envies Trina.

Spencer says he doesn’t feel comfortable accepting gifts from Cyrus, but Cyrus says, he misunderstands The gift is for Spencer’s friend Trina. He opens the box, showing Spencer two silver doves, and says, he thought twelve drummers drumming would be overkill. This is more appropriate. Spencer keeps one for himself, and Trina takes one as a token of Spencer’s affection. Spencer says, Trina would love these, but he can’t give them to her, and Cyrus says, of course (🍷) he can. Spencer says, Cyrus doesn’t get it. Trina finally has her life back; the life she deserves. Cyrus says, a life without Spencer, and Spencer says, all he brought Trina was pain and heartache, so the best gift he can give her is to stay as far away from her as possible.

Curtis says, here we go again. This is the exact damn reason he and Jordan got a divorce in the first place; she insists on keeping secrets from him. She says, that’s not fair. They’re talking about a police investigation. He was a cop. He knows how this works. He says, he also knows how willing she is to break the rules and cross the lines, but clearly only when it suits her. She tells him, listen to her. She’s just as anxious to protect Trina and everyone in her world as he is. He says, if she means that, then throw him a bone, but she says she’s sorry. He says, so is he.

Finn says, it’s not just the past that’s an issue, and Alexis says, what else? He says he read the account in The Invader about Esme attacking Elizabeth on the pier. It didn’t mention what she was doing there. Alexis says she doesn’t know; they weren’t given that information. He says, off the record again, she was going to visit Nikolas Cassadine. It’s not a jealousy thing; he just doesn’t trust Nikolas after what he did to Hayden. He wanted to kill Nikolas, but if Elizabeth wants to be friends with him, it’s her choice. But he has to admit it bothers him that instead of coming to him, she went to Nikolas. Alexis makes a face, and he says, what? She says, now they know why Elizabeth was on the pier, but why was Esme on the pier? Was she targeting Elizabeth, or was Elizabeth just in the wrong place at the wrong time? He says, any more questions? and she says, yeah. Where’s Esme now?

Esme says, Nikolas doesn’t scare her; he can’t. Not with this little bundle of joy as her insurance policy. She cradles her bump, and he says, for now. But once that baby is born… She says, spare her the threats. She’s already planted the seed with Elizabeth. He says, Elizabeth is loyal to him, and she says, we’ll see. Her bet is that Elizabeth is too dedicated of a nurse to let him get away with attempted murder. And when things start to unravel, and the police get involved, Nikolas is going down, and taking Ava with him. Maybe even Nurse Nightingale too. He asks what she wants, and she says she thought he’d never ask. It’ll be Christmas soon, and she’s missing out on all of it. The music, the decorations, magic. She can’t even see out the window, and it’s not very festive in here. He says he’ll bring her some candy canes, but she says, no. She wants a tree, with lights and ornaments; the whole deal. He says he’ll have Demetrius bring her a fake one, pre-decorated, but she says, no. She wants a live tree, and wants to pick it out herself. He says, not a chance, and she says, why not? He wonders if that’s an actual question, and she says, it’s not like she can make a run for it anymore. Please? He says, no, and she says, this is really important to her. He says he almost believes she meant that, and she says, her childhood was lonely. She was adopted, but not parented. Her nanny was basically paid to raise her. Christmas was a non-event in her house. She did have one friend whose family had a tradition of chopping down their own tree and bringing it home to decorate. It sounded like heaven. She begged her nanny to do the same thing, and she said yes, but then she slipped and fell, and wasn’t able to take her. Her nanny asked the super’s son to do it. They picked out the tree, and he even let her use the saw. They decorated it together, and it was the best afternoon of her life. She can’t tell him how much it meant to her. Those few hours actually changed her. All she’s asking is for a chance to feel that way again. Please? He gathers up the breakfast dishes, and leaves. She says, is that a yes? and hears the door lock. I fail to see, under any circumstances, why he’d trust Esme with anything sharp.

Ryan looks at Heather, and Jeff tells her, steer clear of his family. No Christmas cards, no fruitcakes, no surprise visits like the one she gave Cameron. Are they clear? She doesn’t say anything, and he says he’ll take that as a yes. Enjoy her time here. He gets up, and she grabs his arm, saying, she knows it’s difficult being married to a shrink. They can just turn it off, can’t they? So if he’s ever in need of some holiday cheer, he knows where to find her. She runs her hand up his arm, and he says, she hasn’t changed a bit. As he walks out, and she says, they even have eggnog, and she looks at Ryan, who’s stoic.

Trina says, Ava envies her? and Ava asks if that’s so hard to believe. Trina laughs, and says, she’s Ava Jerome. She’s beautiful, powerful, and successful. She has everything. Ava says, trust her; everything is highly overrated. She’d settle for a guy like Trina has. Somebody trustworthy, dependable; a guy who tells you how he feels. Trina says, Rory is the greatest, and Ava says, uh-oh. What is this? Trina says, no, he is. He really is. So why can’t she forget about Spencer?

Cyrus asks if Spencer has heard the parable about the Prodigal Son, and Spencer says, refresh his memory. Cyrus says, he runs away from home, and squanders both his fortune and his good name. Then comes crawling back, expecting to be rejected. Spencer says, he wasn’t? and Cyrus says, he was embraced, celebrated. He was dead, and now he’s alive again. He was lost and now he’s found. Just take the gift – he puts the box in Spencer’s hand – and follow your heart. Victor walks in, and frowns.

Jordan says she wishes she could help Curtis, but he says, she doesn’t She can, and she just won’t. There’s a knock at the door, and Rory says, sorry to interrupt. She wanted a report on the security at Rice Plaza. Curtis says he was just leaving, and tells Jordan, don’t forget to RSVP. He leaves, and in the hallway, he takes out his phone.

Alexis tells Finn, it’s like a jigsaw puzzle without all the pieces. If Esme’s the killer, why didn’t she just finish Elizabeth off? He tells her, Elizabeth said she called the cops before her fall. Maybe if Esme thought the cops were on their way, it makes sense she would run. Alexis says, but to where? It’s not like she’s out hooking people in broad daylight. Wherever she is, she’s staying low to the ground. Her phone dings, and he says, Invader business? She says, yep, and he tells her, why doesn’t she deal with that. She just gave him an idea. She says she loves it when she does that, and he says, there’s another piece of the puzzle they overlooked. He thanks her, and jets.

Portia says she just wants what’s best for Marshall, and Stella suggests she abide by Marshall’s wishes, and just forget genetic counseling. Instead, in this season of miracles, focus on a few of their own. Marshall asks what miracles those would be, and Stella says, his return for starters. Her continued good health – he says, amen – Portia and Curtis’s upcoming wedding – Portia says, yes – and the blessing that Trina is safe. Marshall says, they do have a lot to be thankful for, and Stella says, let’s put our energy into that. The elevator comes, and Stella and Marshall get in, Marshall locking eyes with Portia before he does.

Spencer says he didn’t expect to see Victor today, and Victor hopes it’s a pleasant surprise. Cyrus says he’ll leave them to their visit, but Victor says, do stay. He has some news about his great nephew’s future.

Ava tells Trina, Spencer’s release is weeks away; a lot can change before then. Want to know what she thinks? Trina says, please, and Ava says, there’s something she wishes she’d learned long ago, long before she met Nikolas Cassadine. Complicated men create chaos. Maybe it’s best if they avoid them altogether.

Rory says, all that’s left is for Jordan to sign off on the plans for Christmas Eve. She seems engrossed in a folder, and he says, Commissioner? She says, sorry. Of course (🍷). Leave the report, and she’ll look it over. He leaves, and she picks up the invitation. She opens the RSVP, and writes on it. We see she regretfully declines.

Alexis joins Curtis at the PC Grill, and he thanks her for meeting him. He asks if he can get her something, and she says, a club soda, but there’s no hurry. Why did he want to meet her? He says he’s trying to catch a killer, and she says, that makes two of them. He says he just left Jordan at the PCPD, and it’s clear they know more about those attacks than they’re admitting. Maybe much more. She asks how they find out what that is.

Elizabeth walks into the hospital, and sees Jeff. He walks toward her, then stops. They stare at each other.

As she’s walking out, Heather asks if Ryan enjoyed the show. If he could speak, she imagines they’d have a lot to discuss. She leaves with the guard, and Ryan clenches his fist.  

Ryan puts his hand on Esme’s shoulder, and says, a winter stroll to pick out a Christmas tree? What’s she planning? She says, don’t worry, daddy. I know exactly what I’m doing. She removes his hand, and she’s alone.

Nikolas puts down the empty vitamin bottle, when there’s a knock at the door. He opens it, and Finn is there.

Tomorrow, Felicia tells Robert that she thinks there’s one way to narrow it down; Sam thinks something is a great idea; Victor asks if Cyrus is threatening him; and Finn asks Nikolas, where’s Esme Prince?

🗝 Open Door…

The future for Holly in Port Charles.

Will Holly Return to GENERAL HOSPITAL? — Emma Samms Speaks Out!
Emma Samms Says Good-Bye To GH

🌲 Ned the Cad…

I didn’t know this.

Wally Kurth Reveals He Auditioned to Play Tad on AMC!

💎 For Your Information…

It was over a year ago when some of the characters were complaining about how cold it was in July. I thought it must be the Ice Princess then, but they never got back to that. Although, I’m still waiting to hear what that teapot was all about in the painting Helena left Nikolas, and that was like a decade ago.

The Ice Princess on GENERAL HOSPITAL — Everything You Need To Know

⛴ All About That Deck…

This is actually a good idea. As long as he comes back.

Does Below Deck’s Captain Lee make it through Season 10? Is he replaced by Captain Sandy?

Well, Austen is a narcissistic t**t. I don’t know if he’s the biggest one on Bravo though. That’s a long list to choose from.

Chef Rachel Hargrove Confirms She’s “Done” With Below Deck, Leaks New Messages and Sheds New Light on Drama With Austen Kroll

Apparently, this began with two narcissistic t**ts.

Below Deck’s Rachel Hargrove Slams Austen Kroll as a “Narcissistic Twat,” Leaks Texts From Bravo as She Details Run-in and Accuses Him of Bullying, Plus Austen Reacts

🐕 Keeping It Cute…

And to get the bad taste of Bravolebrities out of our mouths.

https://www.harpersbazaar.com/celebrity/g41829957/celebs-with-pets/

🍪 Let the Cookies Commence…

Join me tomorrow for much of the same, and as always, a musical break. Until then, stay safe, stay being part of the solution, and stay keeping in mind that having everything is highly overrated.

Dec6

December 5, 2022 – Sonny Asks If Dex Is Up For More Responsibility, Doctors But No Truffles On Deck & Tale

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Dex says he’s trying to do the right thing here, and Josslyn tells him, try being honest instead. He says, she wants honest? and kisses her, when Sonny knocks at the door. Josslyn asks what Sonny is doing here, and Dex tells her to pretend no one’s home. Sonny says he knows Dex is in there; open up. Josslyn asks, what’s Plan B?

Robert is looking at photo of him and Holly, when Olivia comes to his office. She asks if it’s a bad time, but he says he’s not sure what a good time is anymore. She says she’s so sorry about what happened with Holly, and he says he visited the doctor. He says she has a long road ahead of her, but he says she’ll pull through. Olivia says, thank God, but she was actually talking about what went down between the two of them.

At the MetroCourt with Mac and Felicia, Laura asks if Robert’s changed his mind and is going to join them, but Mac says, Robert hasn’t answered his texts. Felicia thinks he needs some time, but Mac says he knows his brother. He’s brooding. Sitting around worrying and waiting to hear about Holly’s injuries. It’s not good for him. Felicia tells Laura, says the other stubborn brother, when Valentin approaches the table, and asks if there’s any news on Holly. Laura says, word has it, she’s holding her own, and Valentin says, good. Hopefully, that continues, and she makes a full and speedy recovery. Felicia says, they appreciate the well-wishes, but Mac gets up and says, whatever happened to Holly has Valentin’s family’s fingerprints all over it. Everyone knows where the Ice Princess is involved, the Cassadines aren’t far behind.

Cody comes out of the hospital elevator, when his phone dings. He looks at a text from Mac: At the MetroCourt. Can we meet? Important. Britt sees Austin at the reception desk, and says, he’s not on the schedule New Year’s Eve; does he have plans? He says, not yet. He and Maxie will probably make reservations somewhere. Why? She sings, I’m throwin’ a birthday party, and Cody hears, and says, sounds like fun. Is he invited?

Michael says he knows Willow wanted to keep it private, but the secrecy is working against her; against them. She says she’s just not ready for people to know about her diagnosis. It’ll change the way people treat her, and she’s afraid Wiley will pick up on it. He says, Wiley is going to pick up on it eventually anyway, but she says she needs to do this in her own time, on her own terms. He says he wants to support her in this, but it’s impossible.

In the home of the beloved moss bowl🎍, Carly says she thought Drew was hitting dead ends in looking for members of the commune where Harmony had Willow. He says, one of his contacts was doing a story about a firefighter in Clairborne County, and found out the subject was a member of the Peace and Love Commune. He realizes there’s no guarantee in getting them to talk, but he likes his odds. She asks, why? and he says, because the firefighter agreed to fly here and meet with him. They’re checking into the MetroCourt tonight.

Britt says she’s sure Cody will be much to busy to attend her birthday celebration; grifting women with shiny inheritances takes time. He says, au contraire. His charm offensive only take half an evening at most. Unless he heiress is as closed off and secretive as she is. She asks Austin not to leave, telling him that Cody was just leaving, and tells Cody that she’ll thank him not to barge into her birthday celebration the way he just barged into her private conversation. Cody says he knows he hasn’t behaved well, and gets why she’s angry with him, but she says, anger implies investment. They went out a few times; they shared a couple of laughs. He says, it was more than that, and she knows it, but she says, what she knows is, there’s no future here. He’s a gambler. He knows how to cut his losses. He says, what if he doesn’t want to? and she says, we don’t always get what we want, do we? He didn’t get Taub’s necklace, so he should know better than anyone.

Mac says, where there’s trouble, there’s Victor, and Valentin asks if Mac has evidence his father is behind Holly stealing the necklace and absconding with it. Mac says he can’t connect Victor directly, but Victor’s been all over town, pulling strings, causing people to make desperate decisions, of which he’s sure Valentin is aware. He doesn’t want to hear Valentin defending his father, considering how he framed Anna for what happened to Lucy. Valentin says he and Anna are very close, and Lucy is his business partner. If Mac has evidence, he’d very much like to hear it. Felicia says, Anna is their good friend too, just as Lucy is their friend, and Mac says he’s trying to remain optimistic about Lucy, but there’s still no sign she survived. Felicia says, they’re still trying to work things out, and Valentin says he’s not trying to defend anybody. Mac would be wise not to assume where his loyalties lie. Mac says, he would be wise, would he? Let him give Valentin a piece of advice. If it takes the rest of his life, Valentin’s father is going down. Just take care not to be too close when it happens. Mac storms off toward the bar.

Olivia says, the last thing she expected to find was Robert staring at pictures of the woman who double-crossed him, and he says, however wrong Holly was, it can’t erase the memories they have together. He wishes he could. She says she knows how very much Holly mattered to him. She just wishes his feelings would have mattered a little more to Holly. He says, Olivia is going to think he’s making excuses for Holly, but in many ways, she got a raw deal. Holly had some hard choices to make. She says, even if he is making excuses for Holly, she’d say that’s very generous. She’s not sure Holly deserves that kind of generosity. He says, despite everything that happened, Holly didn’t deserve what happened, and she says, of course (🍷). Is he going to visit her during treatment? He says he can’t, and she says she hears him; his generosity can only extend so far. He says, it’s not that. He doesn’t think it will give them the closure they need. He’s not sure that closure exists. She says she’s not sure a therapist would agree, and he says, that’s why he doesn’t have one. Maybe he and Holly were never destined to work out. Every time they get close, it goes up in smoke, and this time it took the Ice Princess with it. Olivia says, that’s why Holly stole that necklace; it was part of the Ice Princess. He says, might be. He wanted his people to look at it, and confirm that one way or the other. She says, he must be on such bad terms with the WSB, and he says, they’re not happy, but he can handle it. She says, he’s the DA, and he’s working with the WSB. Holly had to have known how much it would cost him. There has to be more to this than greed. With all he and Holly have been through together, there had to be a bigger reason for Holly to betray him.

Carly says, Drew is amazing. Getting that guy to fly all the way here to talk. He says, a woman actually; Clairborne County’s first female firefighter. That’s why his guy was doing the story on her. Carly says, that’s impressive. What makes him think she has anything to offer? He says he’s not sure what she knows, but Denise and Harmony were friends for a while back then, and he’s hoping Denise can either confirm or deny Harmony’s story of how she came to have Willow. Carly says she sees, and he says, she has doubts. She says, no. She just thinks he’s putting a lot of expense and effort into finding Willow’s birth parents, and hopes he’s not disappointed if it doesn’t pan out. He says he knows the possible pitfalls, but he’s still got to try. He should call Willow… but she tells him that he doesn’t want to do that.

Michael says, look what happened when Willow was arguing with Nina. If Nina had known… Willow says she doesn’t want Nina pitying her, and Michael says he understands. She says, the best thing for her health is staying as far away from Nina as possible, and Michael says he feels the same way about Sonny, but Willow says, there’s no comparison.

Dex opens the door, Josslyn having disappeared, and Sonny asks, what took him so long? Dex says he was in the middle of something, and Sonny says he has to talk to Dex about a business opportunity. Dex asks if he should meet Sonny in his office, and Sonny asks, what’s going on? Dex says, if it’s a business conversation, they should have it where Sonny does business, and Sonny asks why Dex wants him out of here. Is he hiding something? Josslyn listens from the hallway.

Valentin sits down, and says he’s sorry if he upset Mac, but Felicia says, he just needs a minute to cool down. He’s been running himself ragged with Lucy’s disappearance, and Anna being framed and on the run. Now this thing with Holly. It’s very personal to him. Valentin says he can understand Mac’s hostility toward his father. Did he have anything to do with what happened to Holly? Laura says, Robert believes Holly was passing information to Victor, and she suspects it has something to do with Ethan because no one’s been able to reach him. Valentin asks if Ethan is Holly’s son, and Laura says, yes. He asks if they think something happened to him, and Laura says, they don’t know. All they know is that he’s done a disappearing act. Valentin says he might be able to help. He still has some associates at the Bureau. He’ll make a call. Felicia says, oh no. He can’t.

As they walk into Britt’s office, Austin asks, what just happened with Britt and Cody? but Britt says she’d rather talk about her birthday. What does he think about renting the Haunted Star? He says, if she wants to go all-out, and she says she’s never had a birthday party in her life, but he says, she’s exaggerating. She says, no, and he says, even the unpopular kids got a cupcake. She says she had an untraditional upbringing, and thinks it’s high time she throw the fiesta to end all fiestas. He asks if there’s any particular reason she wants to do that this year, and she asks if this is him treading lightly, but he says, apparently not. She says, they both know there’s no telling how many birthdays she has ahead of her, so she might as well go out with a bang.

Carly says, Willow fainted yesterday, and Drew asks if she’s all right. Carly says, she seems to be. Nina came over to pick a fight, and when Willow fought back, she collapsed. He says, Nina is relentless, and Carly agrees. She suggests they question Denise first, then see if there’s anything to report back. He says he appreciates her insights, but he thinks it’s better if he questions Denise one-on-one, so she’s more comfortable; so she doesn’t feel outnumbered. Carly says, he’ll fill her in afterward? and he says, she’ll be his second call after Willow. He doesn’t want to get Willow’s hopes up, but wants to keep her in the loop. So many people have lied to her in the past.

Willow says she knows how betrayed Michael feels by his father, and Michael says, for months Nina and Sonny have caused them nothing but grief. She says, everything that’s happened is because of Nina. That woman is fixated on causing trouble for their family, and Sonny is actively supporting her. Michael says, agreed. So what is he missing? She says, just how much his anger at Sonny is costing him.

Sonny asks where Dex laid low after he got shot, and Dex says he was on foot. There was no way he could make back here, and didn’t want to compromise Sonny, so he found a spot that was secure spot. Sonny says, on his own? and Dex doesn’t answer. Sonny says, that’s what he’s talking about. Dex is always holding things back. Dex says he promised the person who helped him that it wouldn’t come back, and Sonny says, Dex also promised he could trust him. Dex says, Sonny can, but he can’t prove that by betraying someone else. Sonny says, that’s not good enough, but Dex says, it’ll have to be. Sonny says, Dex has one last chance. Who stitched him up? Who gave Dex the means to email him? Who helped him out? Josslyn comes out, and says, it was her.

Austen says, he appreciates this living life to the fullest thing, but it’s not going to be Britt’s last birthday. She says, it might as well be. How can she sing karaoke if she’s slurring the lyrics, and barely able to stand? (I have news for her, a lot of people do, especially after a night of drinking.) He says she doesn’t know that’s going to be the case, but she says she doesn’t know it’s not. If he’s thinking she’s given up or made peace with it, she hasn’t. She’s not at peace, and mad as hell. She’s so mad that she’s renting out the Haunted Star and wearing four-inch heels. And she knows she doesn’t have enough friends to even fill her mother’s apartment bedroom, but she doesn’t give a damn; she’s going to do it anyway. She’s going to throw the biggest, baddest birthday party. And co-workers, family, and friends, and casual acquaintances can all come, as long as they look fabulous, and are prepared to party on the dance floor, which is what she’s going to do. He says, fear of death is for those who have regrets, and she says she has loads of those. She doesn’t fear death; she fears the getting to it. She knows how this is going to end. That’s why she’s choosing to live in this moment, and not think about tomorrow; she may not like tomorrow. So she’s going to dance like it’s 1999, and revel under the bright lights, and lose herself on the dance floor. He says he’s in, and she says, yay. She wants to do it with those nearest and dearest to her, and she doesn’t even care if he sings off-key. (Again, there’s a lot of that too.)

Cody meets Mac at the MetroCourt bar, and Mac says he figured Cody wasn’t coming. Cody says, Mac texted that it was important, and Mac says, it is. He gestures toward his whiskey, and asks if Cody wants one. Cody says he’s normally a beer guy, but something tells him that he’s going to need it. Mac asks the bartender for the drink, and says he’s got some news. That necklace that belonged to Leopold Taub, the one Cody was due to inherit, was stolen. Cody says, so that story in the news, the woman who left, that was his necklace, and Mac says he’s glad Cody is up on current affairs. He doesn’t have to explain what happened. Cody says, the hell he doesn’t. He can start with how he’s going to track it down. Mac says he’s afraid it’s unrecoverable, and Cody asks if Mac is just giving up, but Mac says, they know where it is, or was. It was destroyed in a fire.

Laura asks why Valentin can’t look for Ethan, and Felicia says, not everything with Holly is what it seems. Laura asks what that means, and Felicia says, the person Laura really wants to talk to is Robert. Laura says, before she forgets, Charlotte wanted her to invite Valentin for dinner. Any night this week is fine, so let her know. She really has to run. Valentin says, of course (🍷). He’ll be in touch. Laura tells them, have a nice night, and jets. Valentin asks Felicia if he’d be right to assume his contacts at the Bureau would turn up zero trace of Ethan, and she says, that’s a theory. He says, it’s a good one. Victor has taken Holly’s son hostage as well, hasn’t he?

Robert asks if it really matters why Holly did what she did at this point, and Olivia says, of course (🍷) it does. If that necklace holds the key to something bigger… Whatever Holly’s reasons, she’s paying for them now, and so is he. If he ever needs to talk… He thanks her, and says he appreciates her dropping by. She tells him, whatever happens, he’s not alone, and leaves. Robert opens a desk drawer, takes out a box, and takes out the necklace.

Carly stares off in space, and Drew asks where she went. Did something happen? Did Nina do something, or Sonny? She says she wanted to tell him that Nina saw her and Brick together, and got the wrong idea. She went running to Sonny, and told him they were having an affair; the same thing she said about TJ and Willow. She can’t stand that woman. He says, that’s why Carly told Sonny about them, and she says she’s sorry, but she heard Sonny was giving Brick a hard time and she couldn’t stand it. He says, it’s too bad Michael and Sonny are on the outs. They could have used Sonny’s resources to track down Willow’s birth parents. She says, who needs Sonny when Drew Cain is on the case? She thinks he handles things just fine. He says, does she now? and kisses her.

Josslyn says, Dex wouldn’t tell her how or why he got shot, but she figured it had something to do with Sonny, and Sonny just confirmed it. Dex says he needs to talk to Sonny. He’ll call her later. She says, fine, and tells Sonny that she doesn’t know why Dex is so loyal to him, since so far it’s gotten him shot and hung from a meat hook, but it’s Dex’s call. It’s got nothing to do with her. She starts to leave, but Sonny says, hold on. Did she come over alone? She says she did, and Sonny tells her to have Frank drive her home, but she says she doesn’t want a ride from him. She doesn’t want anything from him. She leaves, and Sonny says, out of everybody in the city, Dex goes after his stepdaughter for help? Dex says, he would never purposely put Josslyn in that position, and Sonny asks, how so? Dex says he was weak and barely thinking. He remembered the Quartermaine boathouse had supplies. She was on the grounds, he collapsed, and she found him. She took him back to her dorm room. Sonny punches the wall, and something falls to the floor. He says, big mistake.

Michael says his focus is on Willow and their baby. He’s dedicated to helping her fight this cancer. She asks, how can he be if he’s fighting his father at the same time? She’s not asking him to drop his anger for Sonny’s sake, or defending anything Sonny’s done, but the more Michael feeds into his anger, the more he’s letting Sonny win. He’s smarter than that. He says, now she’s appealing to his vanity, but she says she’s stating a fact. He knows the difference between what seems important and what truly matters, doesn’t he? He says, what truly matters is her and their children. He asks if it would be okay if he stepped out for an hour or so, and she says, sure. Is everything all right? He says he just has one last thing to take care of, and then he’s all hers. He kisses her and leaves.

Dex tells Sonny that he was out of it when Josslyn took him back to her dorm. He didn’t want to stay, but when you’re losing blood and developing an infection, options are limited. Sonny says, and not telling him? and Dex says, Joss saved his life. The least he could do was minimize her exposure. If that cost him this job, so be it, but just know, he’ll never speak of their dealings either. Sonny says he doesn’t want to talk about this; they’ll deal with it later. But this thing with Josslyn cannot become a habit. Dex says, he’s tried telling her, and Sonny says, then try harder. They’ve come to him with an offer to use his facilities for some unofficial exports. If he decides to take the offer, Dex is going to be stepping into a role with more responsibility. Is he up for that? Dex says he is, and Sonny says, he’d better be. There’s no more room for mistakes. Sonny leaves and Dex closes the door.

Josslyn walks into the kitchen where Carly and Drew are kissing, and says, don’t mind her. Carly asks if everything is okay, and Josslyn says, everything’s great. Her? Carly says, everything will be great when they don’t have to worry about getting caught kissing. Josslyn flashes back to kissing Dex, and Sonny interrupting, and says, I hear ya.

Austin says he hasn’t spoken to Maxie about New Year’s Eve, but put them down as will attend, and Britt says, excellente. Partying with her peeps; her final epic turn-up. He says, final? and asks if she’s planning on making an early exit. She asks if that isn’t her choice, and he says, what about the peeps she just said she wanted to party with? She tells him, don’t worry. Her oath to do no harm extends to herself. She’s just not into being a burden. He asks if she’s leaving Port Charles, and she says, after the party. He says, again, what about the peeps that want to be there for her? but she says, it’s not about them. It’s about how she wants to go out. She’s not pushing anyone away; she’s protecting her privacy. He asks, what just happened with Cody? but she says she doesn’t want to talk about it. He asks if she’s really done with that guy, or is she pushing everyone away because of her illness?

Cody tells Mac, so he lost another inheritance. That’s got to be some kind of record. He downs his drink, and Mac asks if he wants another; Mac is buying. Cody says, diamonds are notoriously hard to destroy. Is Mac sure there’s nothing left? There was this place he used to work where there was a wild mustang everyone said was untrainable. It was a beautiful animal, and he was smitten immediately. He took to gaining the horse’s trust, and would feed and groom him. Finally he got a saddle and harness on him; it was one of the greatest days of his life. Two minutes in the saddle, and he bucks up and tosses Cody off. He broke his wrist, and most of pride in the fall, but the horse didn’t care, It was not in his nature to be ridden. Cody didn’t know Leopold Taub, and he’s glad; he sounds like a rotten guy. But was it his nature or was it something he chose? And what about him? Are the things he does his nature, or does he just keep making the wrong choice over and over? For a second, he thought the was going to have an inheritance; something of worth that would make him worthwhile. Now he’s back to nothing. Mac says, money isn’t everything, and Cody tells him, says people who have it. Mac must think he’s shallow. Mac says he thinks it’s a shame Cody grew up without a father. He gets why Cody was invested in Taub’s money. It’s likely the only good thing he’d get out of being Taub’s son.

Robert flashes back to Holly telling him, the Ice Princess has a bad habit of destroying those who covet it, and telling him to be careful. Laura knocks at the door, and he hides the necklace. He tells her, come in, and she says she just had a very interesting chat with Felicia. It seems there’s more going on that Robert hasn’t told her about. He says, she’s right. There is, and she deserves answers. Starting with this. He takes out the necklace, and shows it to her. She’s like, whoa…

Felicia says, it’s true, Victor has Ethan, and Valentin says, of course (🍷) he does. She asks what he meant by, Victor has Ethan as well. Who else has Victor captured? He says, it’s Victor’s M.O. Ask Drew Cain or Liesl Obrecht. He had Valentin locked in his prison in Crete. But who is she thinking of? What is it she’s not telling him?

Drew says he’s got to get going, and leaves. Josslyn says, that’s going good, and Carly says, yeah, but they can’t keep it from the world forever. Josslyn says she’s going to shower, and gives Carly time alone with the moss bowl🎍.

Michael goes to Dex’s apartment, and Dex says, close call. Sonny was just here. Michael says, that won’t be a problem anymore, and hands Dex an envelope, saying, here’s what he owes Dex, plus a bonus for his excellent work. The job is over. How soon can he get packed to leave?

Austin asks if Britt is just afraid Cody won’t be able to handle her illness, and she says, they know what’s ahead of her; years of progressively painful slow decline. She doesn’t want her mother to see it. Why would she want Cody to deal with it; a guy she barely knows. Austin says, what about the people she knows well, and who know her well? They’re going to worry about her and look for her. They’re going to be hurt if they’re not by her side in all this. She says she hopes they realize she’s sparing them, but he says, she’s not sparing anybody. She’s trying to spare herself. She doesn’t want to see her reflection in their eyes; anyone other than her being her vibrant, beautiful, feisty self. She says, what if she doesn’t? Is that so wrong? Austin says, it’s not wrong, but it’s selfish.

Laura says, so that’s why Holly let her go, and Robert says, she was never at any risk. She says, it would have been nice to know that. He couldn’t let her in on any of it? He says, Holly was petrified that any leak at all would endanger her son, and Laura says, okay. She’s glad Holly didn’t betray him. He says, and she’s now free to rescue Ethan. Victor is going to lose another prisoner. She says, Victor needs to lose everything.  

Felicia says, forget she said anything, and Valentin says, Lucy is alive, isn’t she? She tells him that she never said that, but he tells her, she didn’t have to. His father prefers keeping his assets as leverage. Lucy’s body was never found. She says, a reliable source says Lucy was shot with a rubber bullet, retrieved from the harbor, and spirited away. He says, that explains the two shots. The first, a rubber bullet to push Lucy in the water; then a live round to leave a shell casing for the police. There’s no time to waste. He needs Felicia to tell him where Anna is now.

Robert tells Laura, Victor gave directives, but no explanations. They know the diamonds came from the Ice Princess. She says, and they know Victor doesn’t care about the rest of it, since he planted it on Jennifer Smith. He says, there are secrets hidden in these diamonds, and she says, they’ve got to uncover them. They’ve got to stop Victor Cassadine once and for all.

Valentin says, Anna needs to know Lucy is alive, but Felicia says, she’s way off the grid. He asks if she’s left the country, but Felicia says she doesn’t want to jeopardize Anna’s security. He says he doesn’t either, but this is information Anna needs. She’ll have to trust him. She writes something down, and gives it to him. She says, if Anna sought refuge in Europe, there’s one person who will know where she is, and that person can get word to her. He looks a little shocked, rips up the paper, and puts it in his full glass. He thanks her, but she says, don’t thank her yet. Getting word to Anna won’t be easy.

Mac says he doesn’t know Cody well, but he can see Cody’s not the same man as his father, and Cody says, about that… Felicia asks if Mac is ready to go, and Mac says, almost. Cody was saying? Cody tells him, the DNA test result was his loss, and Mac says, theirs too, and leaves with Felicia.

Britt tells Austin, ouch. What is this? Painful truth day? He says, sure, let’s do that. Maybe selfish is too harsh of a word. Let’s call it proud. His father was a very proud man, and wanted to spare them, so he avoided a lot of conversations they should have had. In the end, COPD made those conversations impossible. He gets she’s trying to spare them, but has she considered she’s robbing them of precious moments they want to spend with her? She says she hadn’t, and he suggests she give it some thought. And another thing while they’re at it. What is the dress code for this party? She tells him to have Maxie pick out his clothes, and he says, cool. It’s painful truth day. He thanks her, and says, it means a lot to him. She said she was only inviting her nearest and dearest, and he’s grateful he made the cut.

Drew goes to the gatehouse, and worries he woke Willow up, but she says, this baby is active; he wears her out. He says she does look pale, and she says, anemia. Britt has her on a regimen. What’s up? He says he says he wanted to check in, and make sure she’s 100% committed to finding her biological parents. She says, more than ever. Has there been a development? He says, possibly, and she should know that whatever he finds out could possibly be a disappointment. So before he goes down that road, he wants to make sure nothing has changed. She says she and Michael are ready to do whatever it takes to find answers.

The moss bowl🎍 stands in all its glory, as Carly calls Olivia, who says she was just thinking about Carly. Does she remember how they rewarded themselves when they completed payroll? Carly says, chocolate martinis, and Olivia says, it’s not the same without her. What’s up? Carly says she needs a favor; no questions asked. Olivia says, she’s got it, and Carly says, there’s a woman named Denise McKenzie staying at the MetroCourt tonight. She needs Olivia to notify her when Denise checks in.

Dex tries to hand the envelope back, but Michael says, Dex got shot because of Sonny. He got tortured because of him. Dex says he’s still standing, and Michael says he appreciates Dex’s dedication, but his priority is his family now. Dex says, Michael’s family overlaps with Sonny’s. As long as Sonny is a target, they are too. Isn’t that what Michael told him when he hired him? Michael says he did, but things have changed, and Dex says, the best way to protect them is to stop Sonny. Sonny was here telling him about a new business opportunity. It sounds highly profitable and highly illegal.

At the MetroCourt, Valentin presses the elevator button – Dex says, something big is coming. Sonny didn’t provide details but I know one thing – Sonny comes out of the elevator, and passes Valentin going in – we can’t quit now – Sonny and Valentin exchange glances – not when we’re this close to taking Sonny down.

Tomorrow, Stella asks if Marshall’s diagnosis is wrong; Curtis says, Jordan has a way to end this nightmare; Cyrus hopes Spencer has realized which side he can trust; and Victor says something is unacceptable.

Below Deck

Rodney Bay, 6:30 am, Turnover Day. Captain Lee struggles to get to the bridge, and radios Ross, telling him, the weather is clear. They’re going to be moving to the dock. In the captain’s interview, he says he’s not getting better. As a captain, he’s used to being in control, and to relinquish that, even to own his body, is hard to deal with. It pisses him off.  Hungover, Rachel wonders where she is. She tells Fraser that she’s tired, so she’s going to be quiet, and in her interview, she says, it’s a new crew learning a new boat that’s bigger than Moby’s d*ck. She has to do better next charter, and needs to get her sh*t together. In Ross’s interview, he says he’s pissed at Katie, who’s still asleep. Sometimes, you’re bleeding alcohol out of your skin, but you need to show up for work. He goes to her cabin, and tells her that they’re already doing the tendering. She says she didn’t know what time they were supposed to be up, and he says, he told them last night, 7:15. We flash back to that, and that’s confirmed. He tells her to get on deck; they’re going to dock. Anchor is pulled and in the pocket, and Fraser teaches Hayley how to fluff a pillow. In Hayley’s interview, she says, when she was 20, she had a chief stew from hell, and was made to sleep in the laundry room for two months. Fraser is patient and kind. He’s her boat mummy. She tells him that he’s the bed whisperer. The captain radios for the crew to get their sh*t straight now. He’s going to dock, and wants radio silence. One peep from the interior, and their asses are on the line. In Captain Lee’s interview, he says, the first time docking a new boat is always tough. His job is to get to the dock. Quit sniveling. In Tony’s interview, he says he’s never been scared of hard work, but he doesn’t want to make a mistake and get whacked by Captain Lee’s stick. The captain radios for the deck team to come to the bridge, filling them with fear. He tells them that he thought they did a good job docking, and he appreciates it. Carry on. Fraser calls an interior meeting in the Sky Lounge. He tells the stews, obviously they have overall teething issues, and it got dark, but they got through it, and they’ll get through it again. He thinks they’re getting along well, and Camille says, generally, which is an odd word to use. We flash back to Allison whining to Fraser about Camille, and Fraser tells them, try not be short with each other. On deck, Ross tells Katie that he’s sure he told her 7:15, and he’s not happy. They can’t be late on deck, and it’s probably not coincidental it’s after an evening out where alcohol was involved. In Katie’s interview, she says, getting chewed out by her boss sucks, but it sucks more in front of a guy she has a crush on. Ross says, she has to work harder. If it happens again, he’ll have to let the captain know.

Captain Lee still isn’t satisfied with his laundry, and goes over how it’s done with Camille. In his interview, he says, they’re on a superyacht, not a tramp steamer. His shirt had more wrinkles than a basketball, but he has no problem teaching how to do it. Rachel and Tony trade adventure stories, and Rachel says she’s jumped out of a plane still drunk from the night before. Tony tells her about playing with sharks, and in his interview, he says, Rachel is crazy as hell, and she feeds him. He loves her. The captain radios Ross, Rachel, and Fraser to come to the Sky Lounge for a preference sheet meeting. The next charter is a group of female doctors from Seattle, who became friends during their residency, and have been traveling the world together for ten years. The primary is Michelle Pearl, and they’ve requested a Hollywood glam night, and a dinner highlighting truffles. In Rachel’s interview, she says, it’s going to be epic, and the guests are going to love it. She’s the menu murderer. They also want a beach picnic, and a red, black, and gold Moulin Rouge night. The captain says, it’s going to be a good time, and laughs, I assume sarcastically. Camille’s second round of laundry passes his inspection. Tony and Ben find common ground in having experienced racism, and fist bump. The boat is readied, and Captain Lee tells his leg to pay attention and start working. Pizza arrives, and the crew eats in the mess. Fraser says he feels badly for the captain, and in Camille’s interview, she says, the captain can’t move fast at the moment. She doesn’t want him to be in a sticky situation, and not be able to perform to his full capacity. Her father is sick and can’t physically accomplish what he’d like to, so she feels like she has a bit of understanding. It makes her sad.

In the morning, Tony works out and makes noises. In his interview, he says he’s exhausted. Working out is therapy for him. He thought working in yachting would be traveling and working at the same time, but it’s not like that. You finish work, and there’s more work waiting. I can never understand when a crew member is surprised this is a real job. Obviously, they never watched the show. It’s five hours to charter, and provisions come in. Just as I’m thinking, there are no unfit people in yachting, Hayley says she feels like she did an hour of Zumba. In Katie’s interview, she says she’s feeling the pressure. In Miami, people thought she must be a sugar baby. She might be a pretty face, but she knows how to rock it. Alissa complains to Hayley about Camille, and in Alissa’s interview, she says, Fraser needs to stop being lenient. It’s backfired on the team, and makes her feel like sh*t. She whines that Camille took a cigarette break and didn’t finish her work. The captain tells the crew to be on the aft deck in five, and the guests arrive.

Captain Lee tells the guests, welcome. The crew is here at their service, and they’re going to knock it out of the park. ⚾️ In the captain’s interview, he says, it’s nice to do something for those who have sacrificed for them. These are the doctors in the ER who are going to save lives. If they want to get drunk and puke over the side of the boat, cappy will hold their hair. Their service and dedication mean that much to him. Fraser mistakenly calls them nurses, and in his interview, he says, awkward. He’s glad he did it now though. In Captain Lee’s interview, he says, the boat isn’t as responsive as he would like. They could do a lot of damage. Ross is concerned they’re going to hit where they can’t put a fender, but they make it. Ross says, that was close, and in his interview, the captain says, close doesn’t count. If you miss by two inches or twenty miles, you still miss. That’s why we get paid the big bucks. Alissa talks to the guests about Jamaica, and in her interview, she says she got her work ethic from her dad. He moved to Delaware from Jamaica at age ten, and got made fun of in school. He went on to become a pilot, a real estate agent, and an entrepreneur. He’s controlling and strict, but even if they’re not close, she wants to make him proud. In Ross’s interview, he says, the team is doing well. It’s important for him to delegate key responsibilities. Otherwise, he’s running around the boat like a mental man. It’s exhausting. Rachel tells Fraser that dinner is going to be Italianesque/Mediterranean, and in her interview, she says, at a real Hollywood dinner, they wouldn’t eat because they’d be anorexic; fueled by cocaine, vodka, and hate. Since the guests have requested truffles, and they’re all females, she’s calling it the Muff-truff Experience. Fraser, Camille, and Hayley put up Hollywood themed decorations, and Rachel can’t find her truffles. She says, it’s a truffle kerfuffle. The guests walk a red carpet, and hand out Oscars at the bar. Rachel says, if she doesn’t find the truffles, she’s going to retire. Alissa takes group photos, and guest Jewell gets pissed when guest Hollie messes with her wig – while it’s still on her head – causing it to slide. Even I say, why? Who does that? Wisely heading to the restroom, Hollie tells guest Alla that she was just being silly. Jewell tells Michelle to check her friend or she will, and that sh*t will not go okay. It took everything in her not to react. Rachel continues to look for her truffles, and in her interview, she says, on a bigger sized vessel, it’s easy to lose sh*t. She decides to pull out everything that has truffle in it, and make lots of mushrooms. Maybe they won’t notice. At the dinner table, Hollie tells Jewell that it wasn’t her best moment, and apologizes. Jewell says, at a certain age, you know not to be an a-hole (you’d think so, but sadly, not true for many people), and Hollie says she messed up; she’s sorry. In Rachel’s interview, she says, she’s not proud of it, but she pulled off a truffle tasting menu with no truffles. She resuscitated dinner service. The guests get in the hot tub, and pronounce it amazeballs. Alissa gives orders to Camille, and in Camille’s interview, she says, no one as any regard for the amount of work she does. All everyone sees is, it’s not enough, yet she’s doing twice the word being a deck stew. She feels like the runt baby who can’t get to the nipple. The guests request Ben remove his shirt, and when he does, they put nipple covers on him, and he dances. Well, captain, they might save my life in the ER, but here, just no. Alissa asks Camille to do literally what she’d told her to do; make sure the bottles are fully stocked in the pantry. Camille suggests if Alissa has so much time to check on this stuff, she should just stock it herself. In Alissa’s interview, she says, Camille doesn’t want to do the job or be corrected. It’s childish. I hate to say it, but Camille does kind of have a point. I honestly don’t know on which side the problem lies, since we don’t see everything, but I don’t know if Alissa should be giving Camille orders.

Captain Lee calls the doctor in the morning, and says he’s lost feeling in his left leg. It gives out and won’t support him. The doctor says, they need figure this out. In Ben’s interview, he says he feel the vibes. There’s something different; a disturbance in the force. Fraser serves the guests wellness shots, and Jewell says she’s not drinking anymore. Another guest points out that she ordered a mimosa, and she says she’s not drinking after that. As Camille walks by, Alissa starts to give her some things to do, but Camille says she’s on deck and Alissa isn’t her boss. As she keeps walking, Alissa says, that’s the lazy sh*t she’s talking about. Camille tells Ben that Alissa acts like she’s her boss, then asks if Alissa is her boss. Jewell wonders how she’s supposed to live normally after this. She can’t go back to daily life. At the beach, Tony gets in the water for a dip, and in his interview, he says, it’s what they call pura vida. Camille radios that they’re coming with the guests, and Alissa tells her to bring the coolers. Camille says she hasn’t seen them, and wonders why they’re her responsibility. Alissa says, they’re by the ice machine, but Camille says, they’re already on their way with the guests. Alissa says, the guests can’t come to the beach without the coolers, and in Fraser’s interview, he says, he can’t be Mr. Nice Guy. He has to put his foot down. He’ll have to be that bitch.  

Next time, Alisson flirts with Ross… or is it Ben; Katie cries in her cabin; and Captain Lee says, his mind and heart are there, but his body won’t cooperate. He’s made a decision.

🧜🏽‍♂️ Ruling the Waves…

Come by tomorrow for soap and whatever rabbits I pull out of my blog hat. Until then, stay safe, stay not feeling like you have to do it all, and stay dancing like it’s 1999, reveling under the bright lights, and losing yourself on the dance floor. Even if it’s just in your living room.