July 25, 2023 – Brook Makes a Bet With Chase, Final Molly, NJ Share, VanderClose, Shady But Smart, Odd Pets (!) & Night

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Chase brings Brook out to the pool, and she asks what they’re doing here. He says, there’s nowhere to dance in the restaurant, and he wants to dance with her. He spins her around, sings to her, and they dance. He dips her, and looking up, says, they can’t be here. They’ve got to go.

Portia goes into Curtis’s room, and says, hello, you handsome man. She could have sworn she told him to stay off the cellphone. He says he found a new website; this one from Harvard. He thinks he might be on to something. She tells him, please stop, and takes the phone out of his hand. He asks what she’s doing, and she says, saving him from himself.

Finn’s table is ready, and he and Elizabeth are seated. He tells her that she looks stunning, and she thanks him. She says, it seems busy here tonight. It’s a beautiful night; everyone wants to be outside. He says he can ask if they can have a table outside, but she says, no. She didn’t mean… She’s good. They’re fine in here. She doesn’t know why she’s nervous. It’s not like they haven’t had dinner before. He says, if it makes her feel any better, he’s nervous too. Don’t tell him that they’re finally on the same page. She says, it’s a really nice way to start over again; to be on the same page.

Dex tries to rouse Gordon, and says, hey! He kicks Gordon’s leg, but there’s no response. He takes out his phone.

Ava says, Sonny’s not interrupting. She’d like him to meet Betty. She’s the potential nanny for Avery. Betty shakes his hand, and says, what a pleasure to meet him. He says, it’s good to meet her. There’s nothing more important than his daughter. She says, of course (🍷), and his phone rings. He sees it’s Dex, and asks them to excuse him for a second. He leaves, and Betty tells Ava, remember their deal. She either sells Betty to Avery’s dad that she’s the perfect nanny, or someone she loves dearly will pay the price.

In the foyer, Sonny says he’s in the middle of something. This better be important. Dex says, unfortunately it is, and Sonny asks, what’s going on? Dex says, they have a problem.

Betty says, as a reminder, she’s going to need full access to Sonny’s penthouse. She’s done her part and provided Ava with a flawless résumé. She even has references to vouch for Betty’s her work as a nanny. Ava just needs to convince Sonny that she’s the ideal candidate to take care of Avery. Because if Ava doesn’t sell her, that phone call to Delia will be the last time Ava ever hears her mom’s voice again.

Sonny says he hopes Dex is clear on how he’s going to handle this… Great. Call him with an update. Sonny goes back into the living room, and says, sorry about that. Now where were they? Betty says, he doesn’t have to apologize. She’s so appreciative of the opportunity to be interviewed by him. From everything Ava tells her, becoming Avery’s nanny sounds like the perfect fit for her. Don’t worry. She’s worked with non-married parents before. She’s used to making sure both mom and dad are always happy with her work. Sonny says he’d love to hear what they’ve already discussed about Avery and her needs, and Ava says, anything. It’s really one of the most memorable interviews she’s conducted. Sonny smiles.

The waiter asks if he can start Finn and Elizabeth off with cocktails. Perhaps a bottle of wine? Elizabeth says, a bottle won’t be necessary, but she’d love a glass of cabernet, and Finn says he’ll have the sparkling water. The waiter leaves, and Finn thanks Elizabeth for ordering what she wanted. Sometimes it’s awkward for a non-addict to be out with a recovering addict. They feel like they have to abstain. Like somehow ordering a glass of wine will be a temptation for him. He appreciates her not treating him that way, and also doesn’t want to spend the evening talking about him not drinking, which is exactly what he’s doing, isn’t it? She says, how about if tonight is just about them spending time together? She thinks that’s the point of what they’re trying to do. She’s missed spending time with him. He says he’s missed her.

Portia says, all the websites Curtis is trying to get information on, he doesn’t know if the information is true or not, and he says he didn’t want to just sit here helpless, wondering what comes next. She says, medical website after medical website. She thought he’d at least be checking the baseball game scores or something. It’s not healthy. He says, baseball scores don’t seem all that important at this point, and she says, he’s been glued to this phone almost 24 hours straight, and she knows it’s probably making him a little bit crazy. He says, what’s making him crazy is taking test after test for the last 24 hours, and not getting any news on the results, good or bad. Not a damn thing. He can’t move his legs, and yes, he’s finding the internet a little more helpful than his doctors. She says, his doctors don’t want to give him a premature diagnosis, and he says, some information is better than none. She says, but the information he’s getting online… Isn’t it better to talk a doctor with an actual medical degree? He says he feels like he’s being handled. Does she think that’s helping him? She says she understands what he’s saying. She doesn’t know how he feels, but she can imagine he’s feeling like his life is out of control. She knows him, and knows that has to be hard for him, but going on the internet and looking at these websites… Can’t he see that he’s torturing himself? He says, it’s his phone. It’s his injury. It’s his choice. He wants his phone back. She says she’ll give him his phone back under one condition.

Chase and Brook look at the Pool Area Closed sign, and Brook wonders why they closed the pool on such a beautiful night. He says he doesn’t know. He guesses he could go inside and see if there are any tables available. She says, or they could stay out here and pretend they didn’t see the sign, but he says he’s a police officer. She says, who’s off-duty, but he says he’s still a cop. It’s literally his job to enforce the rules. She says, yes, but she’s a Quartermaine, and they break the rules. Besides, her Uncle Sonny’s fiancé owns half the MetroCourt, and the other half is owned by her dad’s wife… even though her dad doesn’t currently know who he is or won’t admit it. He asks, how is the Eddie Maine situation? and she says, whether her dad knows who he is or not is not going to be solved tonight. Tonight is just about them. So in light of her special standing with the MetroCourt owners, will he please just break the rules with her just this once?

Ava tells Sonny that Betty has a degree in Early Childhood Development, and her references are excellent. And like Betty said, she has experience in working with kids who split their time within parents, so she understands the rules might be a little bit different in each home. He says, sounds good, and Ava says, Betty’s warm and friendly, and she’s confident Betty would be a very good fit for Avery. Sonny asks if Ava talked to her about Avery’s hobbies, and Ava says, of course (🍷). They talked about how Avery loves crafts, and Betty is a bit of a budding artist herself. And they talked about outings at children’s museums. Sonny says he knows Avery is going to miss Pilar, but this confidence Ava has in Betty goes a long way in persuading him.

Dante shows up in the alley, and says, so Dex is the one who called in a dead body. Dex says he’s not totally sure he’s dead. He didn’t want to touch the body, but he seems dead. Bennet joins them, and asks, where is it? Dex says, follow him, and takes them to Gordon. Dante puts on gloves and checks Gordon’s pulse, and says, yep, he’s a dead guy. He turns Gordon over, and there’s blood on the front of his shirt. Dante says, they’re going to need forensics down here, and Bennet says he’s on it. He leaves, and Dante asks what Dex thinks. Does Dex recognize him? Does Dex think he could be a known associate of Sonny’s?

Portia gives Curtis back his phone, giggles, and leaves.

Finn gets a text from the babysitter, and says he’ll ignore it, but Elizabeth insists he check his phone. He tells her the text said Violet went to bed on time, no problem. This is the time when she negotiates for staying up later or extra stories. Just like that, and not ask for anything? There’s something going on. She says, there are no problems with the boys either, and asks if he told Violet they were going out to dinner. He says he did. Did she tell the boys? She says, no, but she has the feeling Violet may have told them.

Chase and Brook come back to the pool with drinks, and Chase says he’s never had an old fashioned. Brook says, it’s one of her favorite summertime drinks, and he takes a sip, saying, it is good. They sit on chaise lounges, and she says, it’s nice having the pool all to themselves. He says, as long as they don’t get busted, and Brook says she’s going to ask Chase’s dad if he was always such a rule follower. Chase says, then he’s going to ask Ned if she was always such a rule breaker, and she says she bets he’d say she was. Now that she thinks about it, both of her parents encouraged her to break the rules, in their own ways. He says he actually went through a rebellious phase, and she says she’ll need to know more details. He says he can prove it. He had a motorcycle. He used to go skinny-dipping in the lake, and he’d spend all night at the casino. She says, him on a motorcycle, very hot. The gambling, she could take it or leave it, but the skinny-dipping? She doesn’t believe it. He says, Scout’s honor, and she says, prove it.

Betty leaves, and Sonny asks Ava, what’s going on? but she says, nothing is going on. He knows she hasn’t been happy with Pilar, and she’s trying to find a nanny they can agree on. He says, stop right there. Who’s that Betty woman, and what does she have on you?

Curtis reads, unfortunately, there’s no way to reverse damage to the spinal cord. Treatment can improve this person’s quality of life, but this condition can’t be cured. Portia comes back with a takeout shopping bag, and says she has their dinner. She knows it’s piping hot because she waited at the front door for the delivery guy to drop it off. She starts setting up the food, and says she’s sure they thought she was waiting for an ambulance with a patient in it. Curtis opens his container and takes a bite of spaghetti. He says, it’s good, and puts the container back down. He says, good call. Much better than hospital food. He feels better already.

Finn says, so Elizabeth thinks Violet told Jake and Aiden that they were on a date tonight? She says, look at this text from Jake, and he reads, enjoy dinner, mom. She says she didn’t tell him that she was having dinner. She just said she’d be home later. He says, so Violet texted Jake and Aiden, and said they were out to dinner. So be on their best behavior, so there wouldn’t be any reason to end the date early. She says, those boys would do anything for her, but to give them fair credit, ever since Cameron went away to college, they’ve gotten really good at taking care of themselves. He asks how much she misses Cam, and she says she tries not to focus on him being gone. It’s not like he was home much anyway; between soccer, and working at Kelly’s, and dating Josslyn. The good news is, he’s thriving at school, and every text she gets, he sounds incredibly happy. She thinks it’s fair to say he’s living his best life. He says he’s glad Cam’s having a good time, but she glossed over his question. She says she misses him so much, it physically hurts.

Forensics does their thing, and Dante asks Dex if the guy works for Sonny or not. Dex says, Dante will have to ask his dad himself. Bennet asks how Dex wound up in this alley, and Dex says he was leaving General Hospital and walking home. Bennet says, through an alley? but Dex says he wasn’t cutting through the alley. He went to throw his cup away in the dumpster and saw the guy’s feet sticking out. Bennet asks if that’s when he called the police, but Dex says, no. He decided he needed a few more details, so he moved closer to the man’s body and saw that he wasn’t moving. That’s when he called it in. Dante says, so tell him, what was he doing at General Hospital?

Sonny says, Ava is scared; he can tell. And it takes a lot to frighten her. She says she really thought she was covering it better than that, and he says, for most people, but not for him. He was just playing along, saying how perfect this nanny was. She says she’s glad he did, and he says, who are they threatening? She says her biological mother, Delia. She lives in Manhattan, and they said they would target her if Ava didn’t get this Betty in position with access to Sonny’s penthouse. He says, son of a bitch, and she says she’s sorry. She didn’t really have a choice. He says he needs more answers from her. Why are they making these threats against her? What do they have to do with him? And more important, if it involves his daughter, why is he hearing about this now?

Chase says, what does Brook mean, prove it? and she says, if he’s telling the truth and he’s so comfortable skinny-dipping, then he should have no problem getting in the pool and doing it right here. He says, what? and she laughs. She says she’s the only one here and she’s already seen it all. So go for it, bad boy. He says, okay. He’ll do it if she’ll join him. She says, this is his thing, and he says, chicken. She says she’s not chicken; she’s just being a lady. He says he has a better idea. How about a little friendly competition? Loser has to jump in the pool – buck naked. She says, he knows she loves a good challenge. What’s the bet?

Elizabeth tells Finn that she knows being in California is good for Cameron. Having his first love break his heart was so painful. He needs to start over. And now he’s on the soccer team. Finn says, that doesn’t mean she doesn’t miss him, and she says she’s already thinking it’s not that far away that Jake’s going to be in college. She can’t even imagine Aiden leaving her. They’re growing up. They’re becoming more independent by the day. He says, she did an amazing job raising him, and she thanks him. She says she’s really proud of them. It does make her sad that Cameron’s childhood is basically over, and soon Jake and Aiden’s will be too. She’s really grateful the Head Nurse position came around when it did. It’s going to keep her busy. He says, now she has less free time than anyone he knows, and she laughs. He says, can he ask her a question? Tell him all the things she’d do if she had all the time in the world.

Portia and Curtis finish dinner, and she says, it was good, wasn’t it? It makes her regret letting her cooking skills slide over the years. He says he didn’t realize how much she enjoyed cooking, and she says, especially when Trina was younger. She would arrange her work schedule so she’d be home in time to cook dinner. Then when Trina got home, she’d sit at the dining room table and do her homework while she cooked. It was kind of their time to connect and tell each other about their day. She says she’s sorry. She’s just realizing, he may not want to hear about Trina’s childhood, because he wasn’t there… He says he’s not feeling that way at all. He’s eager to learn about how Trina was growing up. It makes him happy to know they have such a special connection, and he wants to know all there is to know about his daughter. She says, good. She’ll be glad to let him know all there is to know about Trina’s past. Because Trina and Curtis are going to work out their future together. He says he knows that too.

Ava says, there’s a man, Mason Gatlin, and Sonny says, Gatlin as in Austin Gatlin-Holt? She says, apparently, he’s Austin’s cousin from Pautuck. He’s been pressuring – and by pressuring she means threatening – her to get information about Sonny and this company Pikeman. He says, there’s got to be more to the story than that, but she says she doesn’t know anything more. Mason is really just following orders of whoever’s pulling the strings. Mason told her to search Sonny’s penthouse. The only time she was left there alone, she tried, but of course (🍷) he keeps his home office locked. Then Pilar showed up so that put an end to any potential snooping. She told Mason that she couldn’t give him what he wanted, and he came up with the idea to replace Avery’s nanny with a nanny he could control. Sonny says, so this Mason is making threats against Ava to get information on him. Can she fill him in on one more thing? Where does her boyfriend Austin fit in to all this?

Chase tells Brook, they’re using this bowl of nuts as their competition. Whoever can throw and catch the most peanuts in their mouth, wins. The loser has to get in the pool, nekkid. She asks if he just said nekkid. He’s so immature. He says, they’re two grown adults making a bet about who’s going skinny-dipping in the pool of one of the nicest hotels. He thinks all of this is a little immature. She says, not to mention breaking the rules, and he says he already told her that he can break the rules. She’s says, okay, and he tells her to go first. She’s pretty good at this, and he asks if she practices at night. She finally misses one, and says, eight. He takes the bowl, and he’s not bad either. He tells her that he got nine in a row and it beats eight. She’s going in.

Bennet tells Dante that the dead guy’s license says his name is Gordon Stevens. They’re doing a record check to see if he has any prior arrests, and they’re still waiting on the official autopsy report. Dante tells Bennet to let him know when it comes back, and goes over to Dex, who asks if he’s free to go. Dante says, he’s not. He still hasn’t answered Dante’s question. What was he doing at GH? Dex says he was there checking on Curtis Ashford.

Ava tells Sonny, trust her. Masons been threatening and blackmailing Austin just like he’s been doing to her. Austin doesn’t want to have anything to do with his cousin, but so far, he hasn’t found a way to get out from under him. In fact, Austin’s been scrambling to help her. Sonny says, it was Austin who conveniently found Avery who was lost at the park, and Ava wasn’t just a concerned mother. She immediately insisted Avery was kidnapped. She says, Austin orchestrated the whole thing as a way for Sonny to lose faith in Pilar. She was no part of the plan; he did it on his own. She had no knowledge of it whatsoever. He says, so the goal was to get Pilar fired so she’d be replaced with a plant from Mason, is that right? Ava says, believe her. She was furious about it too, but please keep in mind Avery was never in any actual real danger. She wasn’t even frightened. She just ran off after a balloon. Sonny says, that’s why it makes sense that Pilar got that call from her grandma. Whatever differences he and Ava have had in the past, he knows she would never endanger their child. She says, of course (🍷) not, and he says, why did she not tell him about this the minute she heard they were planning on planting a nanny to take care of their daughter?

Portia tells Curtis that she doesn’t know if her pomodoro is as good as the restaurant’s, but hers was still good, if she does say so herself. Cooking for her loved ones always made her so happy. He says he can see that, and she says she thinks when Trina went off to college is when she stopped cooking. Her work schedule got so busy, and she relied more and more on take-out, and the food delivery apps are too convenient. But now that she’ll be cutting back on her hours at work, she’s going to make it a priority to be home in time to cook dinner. He asks, why exactly is she cutting back on work hours?

Brook says she thinks they should make it best two out of three, and Chase asks, why? He already won. Why would he mess with that? She asks if he’s saying he’s convinced he won’t beat her again, and he says, no. He’s saying he already won. Why would he gamble on a sure thing? Unless she’s saying she’s not willing to pay up on what they agreed on. She tells him, of course (🍷) she’s not saying that. A bet is a bet, and she never backs out of a bet. She starts to unbutton her dress, and says, what about the security cameras here? He says, she wasn’t concerned about security cameras when she thought he was the one who was going to be doing the striptease, and she says, he expects a strip show? He says, she’s damn right, and she says, in that case, she’ll need some inspiration. She kisses him, and he gets up and starts taking off his clothes. She asks what he’s doing; he won. He tells her, let’s just say, he’s willing to pay for her bet. Because that kiss was more than worth it. He gets nakey, and jumps in the pool.

Elizabeth tells Finn that she doesn’t think about it very often because there’s just not enough time, but every now and then she thinks about going back to painting. He says, she likes to paint? and she says she did it for years, then got back into it when she fell in love with Franco… Oh, that was weird. Was that weird? Sorry. He says, don’t apologize. That’s not weird at all. He knows it’s hard to believe, but he’s had past relationships too. She says she knows, and he says, sometimes it’s hard to shake those histories. She loved Franco; he loved her. Finn can see why. The host says, sorry to interrupt, but the kitchen is closing soon. Would they like to order dessert? Elizabeth says, oh my goodness. They’re the last people here. Finn says he’s sorry they kept the staff late, but the host says, not a problem. They can have the table as long as they want. Finn says, it’s up to her. Does she want dessert? She says she’d love that, and the host leaves. So does he guess?

Brook holds up a towel, and Chase gets out. He says he told her that he could prove it, and thanks her for the towel as he puts it around him. She thanks him for what he did, and the view was impressive. She wants to keep it to herself and doesn’t want the MetroCourt guests getting an eyeful. Not to mention, if he’d gotten caught skinny-dipping in the pool, the hotel would have called the cops – also known as his colleagues – and it would have been really embarrassing. He says, it’s just a misdemeanor, but now she knows that he’s willing to break the rules for her. They kiss.

Elizabeth and Finn share what looks like chocolate lava cake, and Elizabeth says, this is so decadent. Not like her at all. He asks if she’s talking about the dessert, and she says, the dessert, being the last people in the restaurant, keeping the waiter late… She asks if he doesn’t want anymore, and he says he wants more, and kisses her.

Portia says she’s cutting back on her hours at work so she can spend more time with Curtis at the hospital. She knows how eager he is to get home, but they both have to face the fact that his recovery is going to be a process. His prognosis hasn’t been determined yet, and they just don’t know so many things. They don’t know if he’s lost the use of his legs short-term or maybe longer, but either way, they’ll adapt. He says, she sounds like she has some very specific thoughts in mind, and she says, as much as she loves their beach house, there’s a lot of stairs in that house. Maybe it would better suit them to rent someplace that’s all one-level, so he doesn’t have to deal with any stairs at all. He says he doesn’t want them to give up their home, but she says she’s just trying to plan for their future. They can hire a contractor. A contractor can modify the house and make it more livable for Curtis. Curtis says, no. That’s not what they’re going to do. If he’s never going to walk again… She says, they don’t know that’s the case, and he says, but it’s a likely possibility. And if that is the case, she’s not going to remodel their home. What she’s going to do is let him go. Ugh. I hate when they play martyr.

Dex tells Dante that he and Josslyn were in the park with Trina the night Curtis got shot. They took Trina to the hospital. She’s been so worried about her father, and she’s Joss’s best friend. So that’s what they were doing. Dante says, wow. That’s nice of him. He was convinced Dex was doing something for Sonny at the hospital. Bennet tells Dante to come look at the records check on the victim, and Dante tells Dex, wait here. Dante comes back in a hot second, and tells Dex that he’s free to go. If they have any more questions, they’ll find him. Actually, this guy is from Pautuck and did time in Pentenville. Any of that ring a bell with him?

Sonny says, if this Mason character has been threatening Ava for months, especially if she knew it involved their daughter, why didn’t she come to him? She says she thought she could handle it herself… and Sonny yells, this Mason guy has something on her. He has leverage. What is it? What does Mason know that he doesn’t? What? She says, he knows that she killed Nikolas.

Tomorrow, Josslyn asks who Dex was expecting; Ava says she’ll do what she can to protect her; Sonny says he’s going to take care of everything; and Curtis says, there’s no way in hell that is happening.

🚪 Closing the Door…

Thank God they finally picked a lane.

👠 Not Who You Think…

How do you finesse going to prison into not hurting each other?

🗽 Six Degrees Of LVP…

I have to admit I’m surprised. She wasn’t too impressive on RHONY, and came off as an immature, spoiled brat.

🍸 Must Be In the Water…

More surprises. Why is she giving out the awful advice that Rachel/ Raquel/Rachel should milk the Scandoval cow?

On the other hand, can’t blame her here. Suckerfish Hoppy was quite the nightmare.

🦥 You Too Can Have Weird…

They’re still cute.

🚬 Dave’s Not Here…

Join me tomorrow for soap and kicking a few oranges around the OC. Until then, stay safe, stay exercising self-control, and stay not going for best two out of three if you’ve already won.

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