Monthly Archives: November 2023

Nov30

November 29, 2023 – Petrov Pays a Visit to Port Charles, More Gloria, Kyle Is the Least Empathetic Human Ever & Strangers

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Gloria tells Lois that she thinks everything is going to be okay. Probably. Yuri said he could fix this, right? Lois says she hopes so. These are not good people to make angry. Gloria says, it’s not her fault. She just spoke her mind and now they’re threatening Ziti, and if they don’t fix this misunderstanding, they’re going to kill him. (Well, I feel stupid. Ziti is a dog. I thought maybe they were threatening to steal her secret recipe or something.) Yuri comes in and says, no one kills Ziti. He’ll handle it. He makes a call.

Felicia tells Maxie that she’s sorry she’s late. Is James ready to go? Maxie tells her, don’t worry about it. Cody came and picked him up, and he’s going to drop him off, so she doesn’t have to go to the Quartermaines. Felicia says, that’s thoughtful, and Maxie says, isn’t it? Even though it’s not as long of a drive as it would have been from their old place. Felicia says, this place is definitely a better fit for Maxie and the kids all the way around. She looks at the living room, sees a box, and says, more new furniture? Maxie says, don’t even get her started, and Felicia says, bad purchase? Maxie says, the worst. Just another tragic example of her trying to save money and it ending up costing her more. Felicia asks what she means, and Maxie says, so she got Georgie a desk and it’s 20% off. It came unassembled, so she figured she could put it together herself. Felicia says she sees where this is going, and Maxie says, the only person who could put this thing together is a professional carpenter. She wanted to send it back, but it was on sale. Felicia says, so it’s probably not returnable, and Maxie says, just another example of a stupid financial decision she’s made.

Alexis goes into the PC Grill and tells the maître d’ that she was here earlier, and he says he remembers. She was having lunch with Mayor Collins. She says she can’t find her phone and she’s hoping she left it here, and he says, she’s in luck. One was turned in at the bar. She can ask them about it. She thanks him and heads for the bar, where she sees Molly at a table nearby.

Finn thanks Martin for coming on such short notice, and Martin says, of course (🍷). It sounded urgent. What can he do for Finn? Finn says he understands his father and Alexis told Martin about him being sued for malpractice, and Martin says, they did. Just a broad outline, but he thinks he has a basic understanding of the case. Finn says, on their recommendation, he’d like Martin to represent him, and Martin says he thought that’s what this might be about. Finn asks if he’ll take the case, and Martin says, before he agrees, he wants to be fully transparent. This case, Finn’s case, is going to be a tough one to win. Finn says he appreciates Martin’s honesty and to be honest with him right now, he thinks he might have just made things worse.

Brook says, Chase’s truck drives really well, and he says he could tell how much she liked driving it by how fast she took that last turn. They walk into the station, and she says, he can unclench his jaw now. She got them here safe and sound, didn’t she? And don’t worry. She’ll take good care of his baby. He tells her, just remember, the parking sticker goes on after it’s detailed. She says, a deal’s a deal. She’s going to get his truck detailed, and he’s going to come by the house to say goodbye to Grandma Gloria after he breaks this big case he’s working on.

Dante introduces himself to Detective Brisco, saying, they spoke earlier. Brisco says, good to meet him in person, and Dante says, likewise. They shake hands, and Brisco says he’s requesting interdepartmental cooperation to investigate the murder of Dr. Austin Gatlin-Holt. Dante asks what he needs, and Brisco says he needs to know Dante doesn’t have a conflict of interest. Two months ago, Dante shot the victim’s cousin in his jurisdiction.

Ava meets Sonny in a private lounge at the MetroCourt, and he says, she made it here quickly. She says, it sounded urgent. Something tells her that she’s about to get some bad news. He says, that depends, and she says, on what? He says, her perspective. Some people might consider it good news. Austin Gatlin-Holt is dead.

Finn says, DeeDee Clark, the attorney representing the hospital in the malpractice suit, came here earlier to interview him, and Martin says he’s going to stop Finn right here. The first thing Finn has to understand is that he and the hospital are not on the same side of this thing. That’s why they have separate attorneys. Finn says he’s learning. Martin is the tenth person who’s told him that this week. Martin says, good, because there’s a process here; it’s a strategy. The hospital’s got the deep pockets, not Finn. That’s why the hospital is the one the Muldoons want the judgement against, but to do that, they have to present that not only was Finn negligent, but the hospital allowed and/or contributed to that negligence themselves. Finn says he understands, and Martin says he hopes so. Because at this point General Hospital’s first and probably only defense is that Finn and Finn alone is responsible for the malpractice that led to Mr. Muldoon’s death.

Alexis thanks the bartender for her phone and orders a club soda. At a nearby table, the matching professional tells Molly, this was a good start. She’s sorry none of the surrogates she and TJ interviewed were available, but she hopes Molly will agree there are several other amazing candidates in here. She gives Molly a folder, and Molly thanks her and says, it’s encouraging to know other options are waiting for them. She and TJ will discuss them all and get back to her. The matching professional says, take your time. It’s a big decision. When they’re ready, she’ll be here. She leaves, and Alexis asks if she can join Molly.

Felicia says she doesn’t understand. Why does Maxie owe so much money? Maxie says, because she’s run up a lot of credit card debt, and Felicia asks how that happened. Maxie says, in the beginning, Deception was doing great and she was able to pay off every balance every month on every card, no problem. Then the lawsuit happened and The Deceptor was taken off the market, and she could only afford the minimum payment. Felicia says, that’s how they get you, and Maxie says she knows, but she didn’t have a choice. And she thought all this would get resolved faster, so she was just making the minimum payments and she was still having to charge things every month. (Ugh. I feel her pain.) Now they’re living in this bigger, more expensive place, but the kids love it, so she can’t bring herself to regret it. She just feels like she’s dug herself into a hole she won’t be able to get out of.

Yuri asks if Lois and Gloria both know the plan, and they say, yes, when Brook walks in. She says, that’s never a good question to walk in on. What plan? What’s going on? Lois says, Brook’s grandma is in trouble, and Brook asks, what kind of trouble? Gloria says, it’s a just a misunderstanding, and Lois says, she had a difference of opinion with a woman who has close ties to the Russian mob. Brook asks what Gloria was thinking and says, they have to call Uncle Sonny.

Ava asks how certain Sonny is that Austin is dead, and he says, very certain. She asks how he died, and he says, maybe she should tell him. She asks what he’s implying. How the hell would she know? Sonny says, she’d know if she was there, and she says she didn’t even know he was dead until Sonny told her just now. He says, listen to him. If she killed Austin, she needs to tell him, now.

Brisco says, if Dante had reason to suspect a kidnapping victim was being held in Pautuck, they should have been his first call, but Dante says he didn’t have reason to believe anything. He acted on a civilian tip. By the time he got there, the perp was about to throw another man down a cliff. So he didn’t have time to call anyone. Brisco says, Dante’s been cleared by his department. He has no problem with that. He does have a problem with some defense attorney claiming Dante had a conflict of interest and getting any evidence he uncovers suppressed. Dante asks if Brisco wants him to recuse himself, but Brisco says, not at this time. That may change once they get a suspect and start building a case. In the meantime, he needs Dante’s help questioning the associates of the victim here in Port Charles. Chase comes in, and Dante says, good timing. He introduces Chase and Brisco, and Brisco says, let him fill them in on what they have so far. The property is rural, but the house is visible from the road. The neighbors saw the front door wide open, so they went to investigate. They saw the body and immediately called the Pautuck PD. Dante asks if they have an estimated time of death, and Brisco says, the preliminary report is 24 to 48 hours prior to Thanksgiving. Chase asks, how’d he die? and Brisco says, it was pretty brutal. Two shots to the chest, close range.

Ava says she told Sonny, she didn’t kill Austin. Why would she? She has no reason. He says, they both know that’s not true, and she says, then tell her. Why would she want to get rid of him? He says, Austin played her, strung her along, pretended to be in love with her, lied to her, when all the while taking orders from Cyrus. She says, wouldn’t that make it much more likely Cyrus killed him? Why doesn’t Sonny question him? Sonny says he doesn’t give a damn about Cyrus. She’s the mother of his child. She’s no good to Avery in prison. So if she killed Austin, she has to let him know because the police have his body. And every second they waste makes it harder for him to cover her tracks.

Brisco says he was just telling Dante that he needs help putting together a list of the victim’s known associates. Dante says, Austin’s cousin Mason is currently in the hospital at GH, but he’s also been arrested for attempted murder and kidnapping. Chase says, as soon as he’s well enough, he’s going to be transferred to Pentenville, and Brisco says, he’s injured and handcuffed to the bed and there’s a guard outside his door. Seems unlikely he’d be able to sneak out and murder his cousin. But he’d like confirmation on Mason Gatlin’s whereabouts on the night in question, just in case.

Yuri says, they’re all family. Problem go away. Brook asks if he’s sure about that, when the doorbell rings. Yuri says, Mr. Petrov is here, and Lois asks how he knows. He tells her, just stick to plan, and goes to the door. He opens the door and thanks Mr. Petrov for coming in Russian. Also in Russian, Petrov says he hopes it’s worth the trip, and Yuri brings him to the living room where Brook, Lois, and Gloria are lined up. Yuri says, this is Brook Lynn Quartermaine, and Lois and Gloria Cerullo. All good women. Brook says, hello, and Lois says, hi. Gloria nods, and Petrov says, you. She’s the one who upset his Petra. Gloria starts to move forward, but Lois pulls her back. Petrov and Gloria stare at each other.

Molly says she didn’t expect to see Alexis today, and Alexis says she was here earlier having lunch with Laura and left her phone here. She came back to retrieve it, and it looked like Molly was having an intense conversation. Molly says she was, and Alexis says she also noticed that when Molly saw her, she shut that folder really quickly. So she’s assuming whatever it is, Molly would like to keep it private. She just wants Molly to know that she loves her and she’s here for her if she needs to talk about anything. Molly says she does actually. She started looking for a new surrogate. She hands Alexis the folder.

Finn tells Martin, it’s absurd. There was no negligence, not by him, not by the hospital. Mr. Muldoon had a tapeworm like the tests showed. The only way to know he had cancer is if he got follow-up tests and Mr. Muldoon refused to do that. Martin says, listen to him. It’s one thing to be upset, but never ever tell a grieving family, people who’ve lost a husband or father, that their need for redress is absurd. The jury will hate him. Finn says, that’s not what he meant. The last thing he wants to do is downplay their pain. He grieved for this man when he died, but the GH lawyer implied that he should have been able to tell immediately that Muldoon had cancer in addition to the tapeworm. There’s a knock at the door, and Clark comes in. She says, good. Finn’s still here. She’s assuming this is his lawyer. Martin introduces himself, and Clark says, as long as he’s here, she still has a few more questions for his client.

Yuri says, let’s all take seat, and takes Petrov’s coat. They all sit, and Yuri thanks Petrov for coming. He’s sure there’s a way they can all get past this… misunderstanding. Petrov says, he come here only because his beloved nephew take trombone lessons from Yuri (Yuri plays trombone?). He plays beautiful, no? Lois says, that is so generous of him. She knows her mother is very sorry for upsetting his wife, and she’s very passionate about Bingo, but she knows she went a little overboard. Gloria says, overboard? All she asked her to do was lower her voice. Yuri says, what Gloria means is that she apologize, and Gloria says, why should she apologize? She’s done nothing wrong. Petrov says, a wasted trip. He’s leaving. He gets up, but Brook says, he can’t go.

Felicia tells Maxie, what’s done is done. She has a lot of debt to pay off. What about Deception? Now that the lawsuit has been settled and The Deceptor is a big success, won’t she be bringing a lot of money in from that? Maxie says, eventually, but during the lawsuit, Deception went into debt too. It’ll be months, maybe even years, before they’re not operating at a deficit and she’ll be making what she was. Felicia says, she’ll get back there, and Maxie says she thinks so. But in the meantime, her kids are growing and getting older and more expensive. It’s not their fault, but now they have after school clubs and sports and tutors and braces soon. That’s not even mentioning the stuff she needs. Felicia says, like what? and Maxie says, anything, everything. She’s never been good at sticking to a budget or being frugal. Now it’s coming back to bite her in a big way. She thinks she’s in over her head and she doesn’t know what to do.

Martin apologizes to Clark, but they have to decline her offer. His client won’t be answering any other questions until his deposition. Clark says, that is his right, but before Dr. Finn puts anything on the record, they need to be crystal clear about what led to Mr. Muldoon’s death. Martin suggests they save the obfuscation for the courtroom. They’re all well aware it’s her job to shield the hospital from liability and try to place it solely on his client. She says, that’s a bold accusation, but he says, not at all. He’s suggesting she change her tactic. If General Hospital hired her to stab the good doctor in the back, he can and will shift all the blame to General Hospital.

Brisco thanks Dante and Chase for the information and the copy of the coroner’s report, and Dante says, they’ll get him the list of associates. Brisco says, that reminds him. He understands the victim had family other than Mason in Port Charles. Chase says, Austin’s father, Jimmy Lee Holt, was the illegitimate son of the late Edward Quartermaine, and Brisco says he’s familiar with the name. The Quartermaines are a very influential family. People of their stature may not be happy with an illegitimate grandson showing up. How’d they feel about the victim? Chase says, as far as he knows, they didn’t associate with him much, and Brisco asks, then who did Austin associate with? Who was he close to? Dante says, the kidnapping victim, Ava Jerome.

Ava says she appreciates Sonny’s willingness to cover up a murder he thinks she committed, but she had nothing to do with Austin’s death. She still doesn’t know how the man died. Sonny says, his body was found by a neighbor in a house in Pautuck. He was shot twice at close range. Ava wonders what he was doing in Pautuck. He always told her that he was so happy to leave that place behind. She doesn’t know why he’d ever go back. Sonny says, maybe the killer lured him there. (Ooh, could it be Nikolas?)

Brook says she still wants to hear about how well Petrov’s nephew plays the trombone, and Petrov asks, why? She shows him her card and says, because she’s a music manager. One of her artists is about to go on tour, and they’re putting together a brass section of talented musicians, and they still need a trombonist. Petrov asks, who is this artist? and Brook says, Luke West and the Stacked Seven. Petrov chuckles and says he loves Luke West and the Stacked Seven, and Brook says, they’re amazing. And she can guarantee his nephew a spot on tour if he can just find it in his heart to let go of this whole misunderstanding. Petrov says, is no misunderstand, but his nephew’s the most important. He will make her cry with his beautiful music. Fine. No more Bingo for her and we forget this ever happened. Brook hands him her card and says, thank you so much. Yuri says, is good, huh? and Lois says, very good. So what does Gloria say?

Alexis tells Molly that she’s impressed with this agency. They seem to know what they’re doing. All of these women look like they’d be very good candidates for their surrogate. Molly agrees, and says, it was a very positive meeting. Alexis says, but she’s still worried, and Molly asks if it’s that obvious. Alexis says, not to other people, but she’s Molly’s mother. It’s her job to know these things. She takes Molly’s hands and says, she’s been through a lot, and she really respects Molly’s resolve to keep fighting to get what she wants. She knows Molly and TJ will look at these women and find the perfect surrogate. Molly says, that’s the problem. TJ has no idea she’s doing this.

Felicia takes out her checkbook, but Maxie says, absolutely not. She’s not taking Felicia’s money. Felicia says, Maxie needs the money and this is just a little something to tide her over for now. After she leaves, she wants Maxie to go through all her accounts and add up all her debt. When Maxie has that, she and Mac will go through their retirement portfolio and see what they can liquidate to get her the rest of the money. Maxie says, that’s really generous of her, but what part of absolutely not does she not understand? Felicia says she’s not taking no for an answer. Maxie needs the money and she’s not giving her a choice. Maxie snatches the checkbook and says she’s a grown woman. She got herself into this; it’s her responsibility to get herself out. Felicia says, not at 25% interest she can’t.

Sonny tells Ava, Pautuck is a small town. A lot of farms; a lot of isolated homes. Ava asks what he’s getting at, and he says, if somebody wanted to off Austin, that would be the place to do it. A lot less chance of somebody being a witness there than in Port Charles. Maybe more private than Spoon Island. She says she already told him, she didn’t kill Austin, but he says he’s not the one she needs to worry about. How is she going to convince the cops that she’s innocent? She asks if she’ll need to convince the cops. There won’t be any evidence that she did it because she didn’t do it. He says, really? She and Austin were associates. A lot of people saw them together. It’s not a stretch that they could be lovers. How many times did she visit him at the hospital? People don’t forget that. What about the gallery? How many times… What? What happened at the gallery? She says she didn’t kill him there if that’s what Sonny is implying. But Austin did come to see her at the gallery a couple of days before Thanksgiving and that’s the last time she saw him. And he was very much alive.

Dante goes to Mason’s room at the hospital and tells the guard that he needs to speak with the patient. He goes in, and Mason says, get out. Dante asks what he’s yelling about, and Mason asks what Dante thinks. He’s the cop who shot him. And for no good reason. Dante says, no good reason? Mason almost killed two people. Mason says, that’s not how he remembers it. He doesn’t want to be alone with Dante. Dante might try to hurt him again. He yells, help! Police brutality! The guard pretty much ignores him, and Dante says he doesn’t know if he wants to be alone with Mason either. He asks the guard and a nurse to come in and be witnesses, and tells Mason that he wanted to inform him that his cousin Austin Gatlin-Holt has been murdered.

Clark tells Martin that she thinks they’re losing sight of the bigger picture here. The goal is to fight the Muldoons, not each other. Martin says, good. Then he’s sure she’ll agree there’s only one possible position for the hospital to take – the truth. That Dr. Finn treated his patient in good faith, in accordance with all professional and medical standards. She starts to interrupt, but he says, let him finish. And that the hospital also complied with those same standards. Mr. Muldoon’s death was a tragedy, but an unforeseen one. One that couldn’t have been prevented by either Dr. Finn or the hospital. Clark says she’s not at liberty to reveal the hospital’s position, but she can say she’s looking forward to getting all her questions answered when Dr. Finn sits for his deposition. Finn says he can’t wait, and Clark says she’ll see them later and leaves. Finn says, now he knows why Alexis speaks so highly of Martin, and thanks him, but Martin says, it’s way too soon to start thanking him. You, sir, are in a pickle.

Mason says, Austin’s dead? How? Dante says, took two in the chest, close range. Whoever did it wanted to make sure. Mason asks when this happened, and Dante says, just before Thanksgiving, in Pautuck. Mason asks if they have any suspects, and Dante says, that’s what he’s here to talk to Mason about. Does he know anyone who would want to kill his cousin? Mason says he doesn’t know everyone Austin was associated with, but Dante says, he knows most of them. He and Austin spent a lot of time together. Maybe he has information that’s important and just doesn’t know what it is. Mason says, and Dante wants him to tell him, but Dante says, that’s up to him. Mason gives him info that helps them catch and convict Austin’s killer, that works out well for him. Mason asks, how so? Dante says, Mason is looking at spending a lot of time in prison. Does he want to make a deal or no?

Gloria says she doesn’t like to be told where and when she can Bingo, and Lois laughs. She says, but Gloria will stay clear of Mrs. Petrov and St. Nicholas Church. Then she can play anywhere, anytime. Okay? Gloria gets up and says, fine. She’ll never set foot in that place again, not even for a funeral. Lois says, great, and thanks her. Yuri says, good now? and Petrov says, yes. Good. He tells Brook, now you call Luke West for nephew, and she says, consider it done. Yuri says, all is well that ends well. He’ll show Petrov out. Yuri and Petrov leave, and Lois tells Brook, that was amazing. How did she know how to handle him? Brook says, music industry execs and Russian mobsters aren’t so different really, and Lois says, her baby. Gloria looks at Brook lovingly.

Molly tells Alexis that TJ wants to wait before trying a new surrogate. He just isn’t ready to try again. He’s worried they’re just setting themselves up for more heartbreak. Alexis asks how Molly feels, and Molly says she was devastated by the loss of their baby too, and it’s not like she doesn’t get TJ’s point. The thought of going through that again scares her too. Alexis says, but? and Molly says, but then she ran into Dr. Navarro, and when she told her about the miscarriage, she was sympathetic, but she also made Molly hopeful. She said, there’s always a chance of miscarriage, but surrogacy actually has a high success rate and there are tons of loving people out there who longed to be parents and wouldn’t have the children they have today if it weren’t for surrogacy. Alexis says, it’s a wonderful, selfless thing to do, and Molly says, it is. It’s an amazing gift they’d be getting from their surrogate. And since the matching professional agreed to meet, she thought it was the least she could do was speak with her again. Alexis says, without telling TJ.

Lois puts her arm around Gloria and says, there are plenty of Bingo places in Brooklyn, and if she finds herself within three blocks of St. Nikolas Church, she wants Gloria to think of Ziti and turn the other way. The doorbell rings, and Brook opens the door to Chase. She says, look at him. Right on time. They kiss, and he says he tries. Does he even want to know who that sketchy guy he saw leaving was? Gloria says, delivery guy, and Chase addresses her as Mrs. Cerullo, but she says, Gloria. She thought they settled that. He says he just wanted to stop by and tell her what a pleasure it was to meet her. Gloria thanks him, but says, the pleasure was all hers. Now that she has him here, there’s a few things she’d like to say to him about her granddaughter.

Gloria says, Chase seems like a very nice young man, and he thanks her. She says she raised four sons, and she’s learned from experience that a lot of young men find a nice young woman and they think she’s going to wait for them forever, but sometimes that’s not the case. Brook twirls Gloria around, hugging her, and says, that’s something to think about. She loves Gloria and wishes she could stay longer, but she knows Gloria has to get back. She gestures to Lois, and Lois agrees. She says, Brook is right. She’d better hurry or she’ll miss her bus. Gloria says, and she’s got a Bingo tournament to get to… Kidding, kidding, kidding. Chase offers to take her bag, but Yuri comes back. Brook says her grandma’s ready to go, and Yuri is going to drive her to the bus station and wait with her until she gets on the bus, and Yuri says he would never leave Miss Gloria until he knows she’s safely on her way home. Brook hugs Gloria again and says she loves her. She tells Gloria to have a safe trip home, and Gloria says she will. Chase says, it was a pleasure to meet her, and Gloria hugs Lois. She’s almost out the door, but she turns around and says she’ll have to plan her trip back, so she has one question for Brook. When are she and Chase getting married?

Felicia says she knows Maxie feels bad about this, but it’s nothing to be ashamed of. It happens to a lot of people. Credit card debt is everywhere, and it’s insidious. (Preach!) The balance just keeps sneaking up on you. Maxie says, the balance sneaks up on you really fast, and Felicia says, that’s why they have to stop it now before it gets any worse. Maxie says, no. That money is for Felicia and Mac. She doesn’t want to use it. Does Felicia know how many times Mac told her to put the max in her 401k once a month? Felicia and Mac did that and they saved a lot, so they could travel and enjoy themselves. Felicia says, they can do both. They can do all those things they planned, and they can help Maxie now. Maxie will be able to pay off her credit card debt and stop her interest from compounding, and when Deception starts making money again, they can work out some kind of payment plan for her. Maxie says she thinks they should take some time and think about if this is the best solution. She doesn’t want to bail herself out at the expense of Felicia and Mac.

Molly says she only took the meeting because she wanted to see if there were more eligible surrogate candidates available. She didn’t expect for there to be so many. Alexis says, which makes it even harder, and Molly says, now she can see a path forward. Andrea wasn’t their only option. There might even be a better one out there for them, but she doesn’t know if she can convince TJ. Alexis says, Molly knows she only wants what’s best for her, and Molly says, just talking about it helps. Alexis says, that’s what she’s here for, but Molly really needs to talk to TJ about this. And if she wants to go forward with this surrogate, and have this baby, it has to be something they both want.

Martin says, since Finn is legally required to take part in this deposition, he needs to prep Finn carefully beforehand. Finn says, of course (🍷), and Martin says, it’s vitally important that no matter what they ask him, he limits his answers solely on that question. He doesn’t want Finn expanding answers, trying to defend himself, or offering up extra information that might implicate him somehow. Finn says he’ll do what Martin asks. Clearly, he’s the expert here. Martin says, if his deposition makes him look vulnerable in any way possible, the hospital might try to offer the Muldoon family a separate settlement. In other words, if they can buy their way out at a discount, they won’t hesitate to throw Finn under the bus.

Dante asks if Mason has any idea who might have killed Austin, and Mason says, Ava Jerome. Dante says, why her? and Mason says, because they were involved in not too legal activities. They were sleeping together and… Dante knows his cousin. He was high strung, and he had a big mouth. Austin never met a secret he couldn’t keep. Maybe he said the wrong thing to the wrong somebody and Ava had to shut him up permanently. Dante says he guesses they’re going with that, and Mason says, tell them he helped, okay? Dante says, he’ll get right on that, and goes to the door. He stops and says he forgot to mention, he just got word that Mason is being transferred to Pentenville tonight. You have a safe trip. He leaves, the nurse and guard following him, and the guard closes the door.

Sonny asks if Ava is telling him that nothing happened the last time she saw Austin at the gallery, and she says, well… He says, she’s hiding something. Tell him what happened. She says she was angry with Austin, livid actually, for leaving her to die at the hands of his demented cousin. That was his fault. And they fought about it. Sonny says, now they’re getting somewhere, and Ava says, Austin kept giving her excuses and his reasons for not being responsible, but she wasn’t having it, because like Sonny said, he was playing her all along. He probably knew that Nikolas wasn’t dead, and he was just using that to manipulate her to do what he wanted. Sonny asks if she knows what that sounds like to him. A motive for murder. Austin had no reason to keep that secret for her. How does she know he didn’t go tell somebody in order to get something out of it? She says she guesses she doesn’t, and he says, that’s right. For all she knows, he could have told everybody, including the cops. So whether she killed Austin or not, she could end up being a prime suspect.

Tomorrow, TJ says he might have made a huge mistake; Kristina asks Sam why she thinks it might not be a good fit for Scout; Dante asks, when was the last time Ava saw Austin; and Michael asks what Nina is trying to pull.

🍝 With Ziti On the Side…

The Gloria wiki.

https://general-hospital.fandom.com/wiki/Gloria_Cerullo_(Ellen_Travolta)

The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills

Dorit meets Crystal and they go to Kyle’s house. Kyle has a bigger stack of unread mail than I do, and says she needs someone to help her organize. In Dorit’s interview, she says, their business manager tells her to stop shopping, but she doesn’t listen. Crystal says, when she and Garcelle came back last night, things looked good. We flash back to Dorit apologizing to Garcelle, and Dorit says, it was the right thing to do. She apologized for making Garcelle feel bad. It takes time. Kyle says she cares about Sutton, but she seemed off a couple times. The other night, Sutton insisted the elevator door opening in Vegas was planned. Dorit says, impossible, although I’m not sure why it would be. Kyle imitates Sutton imitating Erika, but doesn’t do a good job. This is why she never made it past the Halloween movies. Kyle says she told Sutton that it wasn’t planned, but Sutton said she was just defending her friend. She was so aggressive. It was mean. Dorit says she’s been there. Sutton goes from 0 to 60 quick. Dorit says, Sutton is a drinker. She wouldn’t be surprised if Sutton put vodka in her coffee. In Crystal’s interview, she says, this, from the woman who drinks a three carcass cocktail everyone knows about. Kyle says, vodka makes some people mean, and in her interview, Crystal says, Kyle stopped drinking yesterday. That doesn’t mean she can make judgments. Maybe she’s jealous that Sutton can hold them down. Dorit asks what Kyle wants to do and Kyle says she wants to repair it. Crystal wonders if it might not be different if the environment was calmer.

Garcelle meets Sutton for dinner, and Sutton says she’s having a drink, since she didn’t drink at Garcelle’s thing. Garcelle says she drank too much at her thing, and they order food. In Garcelle’s interview, she says she doesn’t think Sutton is a vegetarian. She eats bacon all the time. She tells Sutton that she couldn’t be happier with the turnout, and asks who Sutton was surprised to see. Sutton says, Jerry O’Connell, and we see a clip. They agree he’s cute, and Garcelle asks how things are with Sutton and Erika. Sutton says, they don’t have anything to talk about, and Garcelle says, it was wild. There they were and the elevator doors opened. Sutton says she told Kyle that it was a set-up, but Kyle defended Erika and got upset. It’s about Sutton and Erika, and has nothing to do with Kyle and Sutton. She thinks Kyle feels the need to insert herself when it comes to her, and it was a bit hurtful. We flash back to that, and Sutton says she told Kyle that a lot of the time when you exercise excessively and lose weight, something else is going on. Garcelle suggests Sutton hit a nerve, and Sutton says she noticed the sapphire and diamond ring Kyle is wearing is brand new. In Garcelle’s interview, she says she doesn’t know how Sutton noticed. She never pays attention to things like that. The only time she noticed jewelry was after the robbery; Dorit still had hers. She takes a sip of her drink. Sutton wonders if the ring is a make-up gift. The tabloids say there are problems in their marriage. In Sutton’s interview, she says, the news is, Mauricio may be having an affair. It’s all over the internet. She has zero interest in Kyle’s marriage, but she cares about Kyle. She though they were close enough that Kyle could come to her, but it’s hard to be close if you think someone’s hiding something. Garcelle says, just be honest and clear the air, but Kyle has to do that with Sutton too.

Erika goes to talent manager Alexis’s house, and in Erika’s interview, she says, Alexis is a talent manager with a background in publicity. Erika wants to talk strategy going forward. She’s rejuvenated her team. She and Jack decided not to work together. We flash back to the discussion on who leaked the Kathy Hilton stuff, and Erika being told it was someone who works for her. Erika says, they’re still friends, but they’re not in business together. Alexis says, Erika was at a pivotal point. She was essentially on top of the world. She was doing Broadway and had everything going for her. Obviously, she got stopped in her tracks. We flash back to all that, and Alexis says, it created uncertainty about her name and her brand. Erika says, Tom’s indictment didn’t help. Even though she didn’t get indicted, it translated into people not wanting to work with her. In her interview, Erika says, these were the worst years of her life. Her reputation was in the toilet, she was getting no offers, and defending herself was expensive. She’d always had help and now she doesn’t. Alexis says, Erika needs to take accountability, and Erika says she’s come back with a better sense of herself, because she had no choice but to face herself. We flash back to her group apology and crocodile tears, and Alexis says she imagines Erika wants to perform again. Erika says she wants to be back on stage and have a relationship with the audience. Alexis says, she’ll make some calls and see if anyone will take a meeting. They won’t know if they don’t ask.

Jax and Garcelle go to dinner, and Garcelle tells him, at his age, she couldn’t have a conversation with her mom and dad like they do. She’s from a different generation, where they didn’t talk like that. In Garcelle’s interview, she says, it’s hard parenting twins. As they get older, they have separate, different needs. Jax wants to talk things through and she’s learning to be patient with his conversation. She needs to hear him out more. She tells him that he said something that hurt her on the beach, and we flash back to Jax saying they could have used more parenting when they were younger. She says, he thought she should have kept the family together, but Jax says he knows damn well it was his dad’s fault. He’s known since he was 8. He was curious and looked it up. She asks, why not say something? and he says he’s known forever. In her interview, Garcelle says she found out about Mike’s infidelity when she borrowed his phone. She saw a text that said, I love you, and it wasn’t from her or the kids; it was from a different number. She asked him, who is it? and he said, it’s nothing, it’s nobody. They were in the car, Jax and Jaid in their car seats, and Jax said, tell mommy what? That shut them both up. Jax says he’d never hold it against his dad, even though he knows it’s his fault. In Garcelle’s interview, she says, it was all about shielding them. Hearing Jax say he’s known all this time, she’ll never be okay with that. Jax says, almost half of all marriages end in divorce, and Garcelle says she doesn’t even know who he is. In her interview, she says she realizes she needs to see the smart, brilliant, outspoken child he is. She tells Jax that she’s proud of him for being who he is. He’s helping her grow and she loves him. He says he loves her too, and she tells the waiter, he’s paying.

Kyle visits tattoo artist Stephan and says she didn’t tell Mauricio. It’s not a secret; she just didn’t tell him. Morgan Wade joins her, and Kyle introduces her to Stephan and says, she’s all covered. In Kyle’s interview, she says, Morgan is a very close friend. They talk every day. People are confused by their friendship. Stephan asks how they met, and Morgan says, Kyle stalked her. Kyle says she heard Morgan’s music and wondered, who’s the girl with the voice and these lyrics? In her interview, Kyle says, Morgan is 100% herself, no excuses. We see pictures of them together, and Kyle says, no apologies. There’s something freeing about it. She’s always worried about being together and perfect, and she was taken by that. She tells Morgan that she’s hosting a CBD/THC dinner party. Herbal chef Chris is amazing, and it will be a culinary experience even if the guests don’t participate. She sometimes feels that the women are pushing at her about not drinking. If she doesn’t do edibles, they’ll get annoyed. Morgan tells her, never feel pressured. When she got sober, she lost friends. Go and if she wants to try it, try it. If she decides no, then don’t. But don’t make a big deal about it. In her interview, Kyle says, Morgan’s been sober six years. It’s nice to have friends with things in common. They both like to work out and not drink. It’s nice to surround herself with like-minded people. Morgan holds Kyle’s hand as Stephan tattoos her hip. Morgan tells Kyle, it’s a penis, and Stephan says, maybe he did. Stephan finishes the tattoo, a little planet Saturn surrounded by stars, and Kyle and Morgan agree it’s cute. Morgan says she’ll post a picture. They need more rumors started.

When Kyle gets home, she sees Mauricio, and there’s this whole boring exchange about some book he wants her to read. Mauricio says he has to leave super early, and she says, it looks like there’s a body in his bag. (It does!) He says, it’s golf clubs, and Kyle says she would fit in there. She tells him that she got a small tattoo, and he asks if it was his name, calling her lovebean. I think that’s why Kyle is unhappy. She’s tired of that stupid nickname. She shows him, and he says he hopes he gets to see it. She says, he’s seeing it now, but he says he means often.

Sutton’s #2 assistant Zach and Avi fuss over things, when matchmaker Alessandra arrives. She wonders if Sutton’s dog Waylon will help pick a match, and Sutton says she invited Dorit, who knows more about her than Alessandra and her service is free. Dorit claims she’s figured out why no one wants date Sutton. We flash back to Dorit telling Sutton that she’s doing it all wrong, and Dorit walks in. In Sutton’s interview, she says, Dorit is the perfect person to help her pick a date. If Dorit fell in love with PK, maybe she needs to be not so picky. Alessandra says she selected three candidates for Sutton to choose from, and Dorit asks what Alessandra’s take is on it. Alessandra say she did a lot of figuring out. Sutton is very resistant, but there were so many aha moments. She believes Sutton isn’t looking for a billionaire, but Sutton tells her that she didn’t say that. Alessandra says, Sutton wouldn’t turn one down, but she thinks Sutton is self-aware. She asks Dorit’s take, and Dorit says she thinks Sutton’s lack of self-awareness is her biggest downfall. She gets snippy and is impossible to comfort her. Dorit says, Sutton needs to give the benefit of the doubt, relax, and be herself. Confidence is sexy. Sutton says she is confident, and Dorit says she’s reiterating it to her. The first candidate loves kids and travel, and the second is the CEO of an entertainment firm. Sutton says she’s swiping left. She doesn’t like a black shirt with a black tux. In Dorit’s interview, she says, like it’s the worst thing ever. It’s called the monochromatic look. Alessandra says, imagine if someone judged Sutton on what she wore, and we flash back to her kitty sweater. In Dorit’s interview, she says she’s not sure Sutton should be the judge on fashion taste, The last candidate likes classic films and a good bottle of wine, but the first candidate is the chosen one. Alessandra tells Sutton to get out of her head and into her body. Give him a hug when they meet. Sutton say she’s not hugging him.

Kyle videochats with Morgan, and they discuss the tattoo Morgan let Kyle ink on her. We see a clip, and I wonder if Morgan is nuts. Kyle does some kind of circle thing that, in the grand scheme of Morgan’s tattoos, is probably not noticeable. Still. Morgan says, no one else can say they’re tattooed by Kyle, and Kyle says, what’s one extra circle?

Everyone gets ready for the CBD/THC dinner, and in Kyle’s interview, she says, the ladies are giving her a hard time about not drinking. She’s getting peer pressure. She can drink margaritas, do the splits, say something she regrets, then wake up with a headache, or eat or smoke weed. That should shut them up. The morally corrupt Faye Resnick is there, as well as friends Annemarie and Justin. In her interview, Kyle says, Annemarie is a new friend. She’s married to ex-NFL player Marcellus Wiley. They met at a party and found out they live on the same street. Kyle asks how much Annemarie works out, and she says, six or seven days a week. Kyle tells her that Sutton said she works out too much. In Crystal’s interview, she says she doesn’t know Annemarie, but they have mutual friends. She talks a lot and asks a lot of questions. That bitch is nosy. We flash back to the Dinner Party from Hell, and drunk psychic Allison saying Mauricio will never emotionally fulfill Kyle.  Camille and Denise arrive together, and Denise suggests they get an In-N-Out Burger and go home. They’re both nervous.

In Garcelle’s interview, she says she’s somewhat of a newbie, but even she knows what went on at the Dinner Party from Hell. We flash back to Camille talking about the morally corrupt Faye Resnick, and Garcelle says, they don’t like each other. She knows that. Edibles are discussed, and I’m with Garcelle who doesn’t like them, since you never know when they’ll kick in or turn off. I tried them once. It did not sit well with me. Faye gives Camille a fake hug, and they end up seated across from each other. Kyle’s idea of a joke or is it just her stupidity? Faye changes seats, and Sutton and Kyle sit in another room for a private conversation. Sutton says, it got heated which she hated because it’s not like them. Kyle asks why Sutton said she wasn’t being herself, and Sutton says, because she wasn’t. She was with ex-husband Christian over the weekend. He got a big promotion, and he’s moving to London. He wanted her and James to move with him. Kyle says, tell him f*** off.  He doesn’t have the right to tell her what to do. Sutton says she didn’t know, and in her interview, she says, when she went through the divorce, he had a bigger team and could fight harder. It was like Princess Leia against Darth Vader and all the Stormtroopers. Christian is powerful globally. She asks Kyle if he can take James, but Kyle says, no. Sutton says she didn’t know if James would want to go, and it was weighing on her. She overreacted because her brain was somewhere else, but it’s fine. She and James aren’t going and she’s going to have James full-time, so her support will have to be increased. Kyle asks why this is a problem because she lacks any empathy whatsoever, and Sutton says she has to deal with it legally. In Kyle’s interview, she says, let her get this straight. She’s supposed to have sympathy for a move that’s not happening and Sutton getting more money and having her son all the time. Help her connect the dots. What I said about empathy. Kyle asks what was going on at Sutton’s house. She was aggressive and seemed off. Why? Because of her ex moving to London and getting extra money? Sutton wonders why Kyle can’t be sympathetic. It’s a big deal, the end of an era. Kyle asks if she’s that out of touch, and Sutton says, he’s leaving indefinitely, and she loved him. Kyle says she can fly there and back. She thinks it’s just an excuse, because Sutton makes excuses when she behaves like this. Sutton asks, what’s Kyle’s excuse? She’s not being a friend. Crystal comes in and says, everyone is waiting, and Sutton says, if Kyle can’t be honest, they can just sit. Kyle says, maybe Sutton wasn’t being a friend. She was weird and off. She wondered if it was Sutton’s medicine or if she’d had a couple of drinks. Something’s not right. Sutton leaves, and Kyle yells, if she has something to say, f***ing say it. In the kitchen, Chris wonders if he should serve dinner if they’re yelling at each other. Maybe serve the CBD first? Crystal tells Kyle that she thinks Kyle and Sutton are doing the same things to each other, and Sutton goes to the table. Erika wonders where their hostess is, and Sutton says, in denial about something.

Kyle says, Sutton is acting like she’s concerned about something she should be sharing, and Crystal reminds her again that everyone is waiting. They go to the table, and Chris explains that he’ll be serving a five-course tasting menu that will be optionally injected with cannabis, then he’ll gently bring them down with a CBD dessert. They’ll choose their own dosage, and it’s never overwhelming. His assistant Jack takes dosage orders, and Garcelle and Denise opt out. Crystal says she thinks they need to clear the air, and Kyle says she doesn’t like to feel like a friend is making a veiled threat. Sutton says, no threat, and Kyle says, if Sutton is going to ask her to be honest, have the balls to tell her what to be honest about. Sutton says she shared something personal, and Kyle made fun of her. Kyle tries gaslighting Sutton by saying she told Sutton that she understood, and it was sad, but she thought it was just an excuse for Sutton’s behavior. Sutton says, Kyle is deflecting, but Kyle says she’s explaining herself. Sutton says she was talking to Kyle, sharing with her and being honest and real. She’s asking Kyle to do the same and she’s not doing it. Kyle says she’s being honest, and Sutton says, then she’s perfect. Kyle tells her that she didn’t say that. If Sutton is going to put it out there, have the balls to say what she’s trying to insinuate. Sutton says, Kyle’s been overly working out and eating differently, and Kyle says, she has the guts to say that when Sutton doesn’t eat. In her interview, Kyle says, Sutton is making comments about her working out and not drinking, when she pushes her food around like Kyle’s kids do. Annemarie wonders if she’s the only one in the dark. Friends can say things, but they’re not saying anything right now. Be blunt, say it, and move past it. Sutton says, something is going on in Kyle’s personal life that she’s not sharing, and someone says, with what? Garcelle says, her marriage. She has a new wedding band. Sutton says, Kyle hasn’t been wearing her ring, and Kyle says, it’s in the bank. Sutton says, things add up, and Kyle says she’s been wearing a different ring that she bought herself. Garcelle says she thought it was a make-up band. Like when your husband messes up and you get a gift. Camille says she used to get cars, and Kyle says, it’s not a gift. She bought it herself. Faye says, it seems inappropriate, asking these questions at the table, even though Kyle was the one going on about having balls. Denise says she doesn’t know what this is about, and Kyle tells Garcelle, it’s a weird thing to say. Where did Garcelle get her necklace? Garcelle says, Zara, and in Erika’s interview, she says she’s glad it’s not her this time. She’s enjoying watching this show.

Sutton says, then it’s been cleared up, and Kyle asks if Sutton is saying her husband cheated. Crickets are heard, and Sutton asks if she said that. Annemarie asks if Sutton is saying Kyle can’t get new jewelry or an outfit, and Kyle says, she told them on the retreat that it hadn’t been the best year of their marriage. She shared at the retreat that they were having a hard time, and it feels like a low blow. Does Sutton want her husband to have cheated? Sutton says, no, and in Garcelle’s interview, she says, Kyle doesn’t want to address the elephant in the room. Something is going on in her marriage. The question is not, who bought the ring? Sutton says she’s content with all of Kyle’s answers, and Faye thinks it’s weird of her to say that. Kyle says, everyone is wondering what’s going on if she’s not drinking, but if she does, she feels down and depressed. And she can’t afford to feel depressed right now.

Dun dun duuun!

To be continued…

🖥 Cybering Through…

Stop in tomorrow for soap and suspect Charm. Until then, stay safe, stay making sure to take care of yourself in all the holiday chaos, and stay not letting your credit card balance sneak up on you. Credit card debt is insidious.

Nov29

November 28, 2023 – The News About Austin Travels, Goodbye, Her Return, All Grown Up, Celebrations, Mary’s World, Salty Channel, Two Cents, All Better, Special, That Tree & 45th

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Portia asks if Elizabeth has heard from Austin. He was supposed to be in at 10 am and they haven’t heard from him yet. He’s never been late like this. Elizabeth says, no one has heard from him. She left him a voicemail and she texted him a few times. Still nothing. Portia says, could be a flat tire, a broken phone… Can she keep trying? Elizabeth says she will, and Finn approaches Portia. He asks her to sign off on the treatment he’s prescribing for a new patient.

There’s a knock at Sam’s door and she opens it to Sonny, who says, hi, neighbor. She says she can’t get used to calling him that, and he says he likes living down the hall from his son and grandson. Is Dante around? She says, of course (🍷), and invites him in. He asks how her Thanksgiving was, and she says, it was different. Dante took the boys to a football game. He says he saw Scout at Carly’s; she was with her dad. Sam was at Alexis’s? Sam says, her, Kristina, Molly, and assorted others. Where was he? He says he and Nina had a quiet Thanksgiving at the MetroCourt, and she asks if he missed cooking. He says, yeah, but next year he’s going to do it right. He’s having a Thanksgiving feast with his kids and their kids and whoever wants to show up. She can come. She can mark it on her calendar. Dante says, he can count on that. What brings him by? Sonny says, a matter of concern.

On the phone at the hospital, Molly says she has to reschedule the 4 o’clock meeting. She needs to free up some time this afternoon. TJ comes by, and she says she managed to get a postponement on the Hamlin case. He says, she came all the way to the hospital to tell him that? but she says, no. She came to tell him that they have an appointment to find a new surrogate.

Alexis meets Laura at the PC Grill, and the maître d’ seats them. Cyrus takes notice of Laura being there.

Finn tells Portia, pretty standard diagnosis and treatment. Nothing out of the ordinary. She says she agrees with his assessment. As soon as she gets back to the office, she’ll log on and okay the treatment. He thanks her and leaves. She tells Elizabeth, that was tough, and Elizabeth says, he’s a leader in his field. It’s ridiculous that he has to have supervision to treat his patients. Portia says, just a reminder, she’s not the enemy here. Finn isn’t the only one being sued for malpractice and wrongful death. The hospital is also listed as a defendant on the suit. She has no choice. She’s just following procedure. Elizabeth apologizes and says she’s sorry if she made it seem like it was all Portia’s doing. She knows it’s not. It’s just that this whole situation is very frustrating. Portia says she knows, when her phone dings. She asks if Elizabeth can try Austin again. In the meantime, they’ll have to give his patients to other doctors. She leaves, and Elizabeth picks up the phone.

Sam tells Dante that she and Scout are running late, so he can fill her in on this matter of concern when she gets back. She calls to Scout, who comes down the stairs and asks Sonny, guess where she’s going today? Sonny says, the museum, but she says, nope. She’s meeting daddy at the MetroCourt and she’s going to interview him about his job for a report for school. Sonny says, wow. That’s a big girl assignment. Maybe when she’s finished with the report, she can show it to him. Scout says, okay, and she and Sam leave. Dante asks, what’s this matter of concern? and Sonny says, it’s about the man who tried to kill Avery’s mother.

Alexis says she’s always glad to see Laura, but she’s curious. Is this a social meeting or is this about business? Laura says, actually, it’s family related. She wanted to check in with Alexis and see how Esme is doing at her job and whether or not Alexis was still happy with her work. Alexis says, actually, she is. She’s proven to be competent, organized, and efficient. She works well with the other departments and manages to stay 10 steps ahead of Alexis, which is not easy. She even asked for a raise, and Alexis gave it to her because she earned it. Laura says she’s so happy to hear this. Esme is about to move out on her own and Laura is about to sign the lease tomorrow, but she just wanted to know Esme was going to be employed in the near future. Alexis says, unless something changes, she doesn’t see why not. She’s wondering about Spencer though. He’s so attached to Ace, she’s worried about how he’ll handle Esme and Ace leaving. Laura says, so is she.

Molly tells TJ that the matching professional called her this morning. She asked how they were doing after Andrea’s miscarriage. She informed Molly that Andrea doesn’t want to try again, which she explained she already knew, but then she asked if they wanted to move forward with a new surrogate. The other women they interviewed were both successfully matched with other couples, but the matching professional had some other candidates she felt might work well for them. He says, so Molly told her yes when the matching professional asked if they wanted to try again without asking him.

Elizabeth goes to Finn’s office, and he says he just wants to finish this email reminding Portia to sign off on the treatment he’s recommending. It’s a good thing it’s not an emergency, or his patient would be dead by the time he finished all this paperwork. He finishes and says, okay. What can he do for her? She says she wants him to close his eyes and take a breath, and he asks if she thinks this is really a good time for yoga. She tells him that it’s a breathing exercise, and takes his hands. She says, close your eyes, and he does. She wants him to breathe in for a count of four, hold it for two, and breathe out for five. He asks if she’s going to keep track, and she says she’ll count for him. Ready? Breathe in, 2…3…4. Hold, 1…2. Out, 2…3…4…5. One more time. She repeats the exercise, and he says he’s not complaining at all, but what’s that supposed to accomplish? She says, it’s supposed to push all that anger and frustration out of his head and clear everything out, so he can actually hear her when she tells him this. He did nothing wrong.

Sam and Scout meet Drew at the MetroCourt, and he says he’s so excited to tell Scout about what he does at work. It’s going to be fun. He shows her a picture of her swimming plaque on his phone and says he looks at it every day. She asks if he likes it, and he says he loves it. She says her teacher said she should record the interview, so she doesn’t forget when she writes her report. She asks if that’s okay with him, and he says, of course (🍷) it’s okay. He gives her permission to record their conversation. She can asks him anything she wants. She says she’s ready to start, and he says, ask away. She says, what is the name of the company he works for? and he says, it’s Aurora Media. He works there, but he also owns it. Scout says, for how long? and he says, for six years. He and her mom bought another man’s business and then they renamed it Aurora. Scout asks why he made this company, and he says he and her mom wanted to build something for her. They wanted to have a company Scout would be really proud of and would maybe work at someday if she wanted to.

Dante says, Sonny knows he can’t discuss an active investigation, but Sonny says he’s not asking for anything privileged. Can Dante at least tell him how long before Mason Gatlin is transferred to Pentenville? Dante says he guesses when the doctors clear him, and Sonny asks when that’s going to be. Dante says, could be any day, and Sonny says he’s assuming the DA is going to make him some kind of plea deal. Dante says he doesn’t know what Robert’s plans are with this case. Why is Sonny so curious? Sonny says he doesn’t want Scorpio to let Mason off so easy. If it were up to him, Mason would be in prison for life; throw away the key. Dante says he agrees, but the theory is, Mason was working for somebody. He didn’t order Ava’s kidnapping. They’re pushing him to get the name of his boss. Sonny says, don’t waste his time. He can tell Dante right now who’s responsible for Ava’s kidnapping.

Laura tells Alexis that because Nikolas disappeared the way he did, Spencer took on a role in Ace’s life that was more like a father than a brother. So naturally, he’d want Ace to continue to live in the same house. Alexis says, obviously, he reconsidered, and Laura says, he absolutely did. He’s still very sad about it, but he’s not angry about it anymore. He’s not even fighting it. Alexis says she’s sure it had something to do with Trina, and Laura says, yes. She’s heard Trina’s a very good influence on him. Alexis says, that’s not an easy feat. She knows her family and how stubborn they can be… fatally when they actually make up their mind. And Spencer gave every indication that he was heading down that path. Laura says she actually gives Spencer a lot of credit here. She thinks he’s matured an awful lot. In part because of the role he’s played in Ace’s life. He had to put somebody else’s needs ahead of his own, so that’s made him more thoughtful and a little less impulsive. But to be honest, there aren’t many men his age who would take interest in a newborn baby brother. Alexis says, good for Spencer, and Laura says, good for him. He’s no longer the grandchild she’s most worried about. Alexis says she assumes Laura is referring to Charlotte, and Laura nods.

Molly tells TJ that she didn’t commit to another surrogate, just to entertaining more candidates. The matching professional is going to meet them at the Port Charles Grill this afternoon for a preliminary discussion. He asks why she didn’t tell him, and she says she just had the conversation this morning and she is telling him right now. He says, this is happening too fast for him. He’s still processing the loss of their baby Andrea was carrying. It wasn’t just a hypothetical; it was real. They had hopes for it. They had dreams for it. They were only a few weeks off from knowing if they were going to have a son or a daughter, and he didn’t even realize how emotionally invested he’d become, and he doesn’t know when he’s going to be up for making that kind of emotional investment again. He just knows he’s not ready now. His phone beeps and he says he has to go. He’ll see her tonight. He leaves and she flashes back to Alexis telling her that she’s here for them, whatever they need.

Finn says he wants to believe he did nothing wrong, and Elizabeth says, he didn’t. He says he keeps going over it in his head. Is there anything he missed? Was there some little thing that could have saved Muldoon’s life? She says, what’s the first hardest lesson any doctor has to learn? and he says, we’re not God. She says, right, and it’s not just doctors who think that. Sometimes it’s the patients too. They want to believe, they need to believe, doctors have all the answers, that there’s a medicine or treatment out there that’s going to give them their life back. But they both know medicine doesn’t work like that. You run tests, you make a diagnosis, prescribe treatment, and you hope it’s the right one. Between what Mr. Muldoon told him and the tests Finn ran, he provided the best treatment possible. She knows that and she’s going to keep reminding him until he knows that too. He says he wouldn’t dream of arguing with her, when there’s a knock at the door. Finn opens it, and a woman tells him that she’s DeeDee Clark. She’s representing General Hospital in the Muldoon malpractice lawsuit.

Scout says, last question. What is Drew’s favorite part of his job? Drew says, nobody’s ever asked him that before. That’s a very good question. He thinks his favorite part of the job is knowing Aurora entertains people as well as informs them. And also that Aurora is a really great place to work. People have good jobs with good benefits and are treated with respect. Scout says, thank you for your time, Mr. Cain, and he says, you’re welcome, Miss Cain. All this interviewing made him thirsty. What if they ask the waitress for some drinks? How about three ginger ales? Scout says she’ll go get them, and leaves. Drew asks if Sam thought he was too preachy, and she says she thinks Scout asked him some honest questions and he gave her some honest answers. He says, she took it so seriously. Maybe she has a future in journalism. Sam says, she could have gotten it from Alexis, and Scout comes back. She tells them, the drinks are coming, and Drew says, in the meantime, he has some big news for Scout.

Dr. Navarro sees Molly and says, this is a nice surprise. Molly says, it’s good to see her, and the doctor says she was told Molly’s surrogate suffered a miscarriage. She’s so sorry. Molly says, of course (🍷) they’re disappointed, and Dr. Navarro says she didn’t mean to upset Molly, but she should know miscarriages are always a risk in the first trimester. Does she think she and TJ will try again?

Finn invites Clark in and introduces Elizabeth, saying, she was recently named head nurse at General Hospital. Clark says, nice to meet her and congratulations on her promotion. Elizabeth thanks her, and Clark says, since Elizabeth is already here, did she have any involvement or interaction with Mr. Muldoon? Elizabeth says she’s sure she was here when he was a patient, but she doesn’t recall having any personal interaction with him. Clark says her team will be doing a comprehensive records check. So if it turns out Elizabeth had any involvement with Mr. Muldoon, they may need to interview her in the future. But right now, she’s here to speak to Dr. Finn. Elizabeth says, understood, and tells Finn that she’ll talk to him later. She leaves, and Finn asks Clark to have a seat. He says, before they begin, he’s been advised to retain his own separate counsel, and she says, as he should. His attorney will focus on his defense. She represents the hospital, but his actions with regard to diagnosis and treatment of Mr. Muldoon will directly affect her defense. That’s why she’s here. And she apologizes in advance if any of her questions seem intrusive, but the key to defending a malpractice suit is having all the information, so that there are no surprises in the courtroom.

Laura says she also wanted to thank Alexis for the discretion The Invader showed in reporting the shooting. Alexis gave all the facts and managed to leave out Anna and Charlotte’s names. Alexis says, first of all, Charlotte, the victim, is a minor, so she’s protected. And Anna has been so unfairly treated by The Sun, she just wanted to protect Anna’s privacy. Laura says she’s so grateful Alexis made that call. When she was elected, she had to learn how to deal with the media scrutiny. She thinks she’s developed a tougher shell, then reads one of these opinion articles about herself, and it’s just absolutely brutal sometimes. Cyrus brings out a tray of glasses, and Laura says, she’d never want Charlotte to be exposed to anything like that, and it’s the last thing that Anna needs. Just having to live with the fact that she knows she shot a child. Laura can’t imagine the guilt she must be feeling. (I can’t imagine talking about this with Cyrus within earshot, especially when Laura just got done saying how great it was names were left out. Erg. And I have no doubt he’s listening.) Alexis says, in truth, if the circumstances were different, she would have had a searing op ed written about gun violence. If someone as trained and skilled as Anna Devane could shoot an innocent person by accident, what better argument is there against carrying guns? (How about the argument against rooting around someone else’s apartment in the dark?) Cyrus drops the tray of glasses, and they shatter. He glances at Laura before bending down to pick up the pieces.

TJ says he can take some of Austin’s patients, and Portia says, that would be perfect. She also called Dr. Park. He should be here soon. Elizabeth says she called Austin again. Still no answer. She left a message. Portia asks, what about the texts? but Elizabeth says she got nothing. Portia asks if they checked when he was last on duty, and Elizabeth says she did. It was two days before Thanksgiving. He had the holiday off and he was due back this morning. Portia says, still, it could be anything. He could have car trouble, or his phone could be dead. Elizabeth asks if Portia wants her to go to his apartment and check on him, and Portia says she doesn’t want to ask Elizabeth to do that, but Elizabeth says she’s volunteering, and leaves.

Dante says, Mason Gatlin is working for Cyrus Renault? and Sonny says, that’s right. Dante asks how long he’s known, and Sonny says, since the day Cyrus was released from Pentenville. Does he remember Avery’s temporary nanny, Betty? Dante says, yeah. He was wondering why Sonny moved on from Pilar. Sonny says, because he knew Betty was a plant. Mason used her to spy on him, so he got Brick to dummy up the computer and put in false information. She stole the information, took it to Austin, and Austin delivered it to Cyrus at Pentenville. Dante says, hold on. Austin Gatlin-Holt was in on this too? Sonny says, it looks like Austin and his cousin Mason have been working for Cyrus all along, and Dante says, dammit. He takes Austin’s card out of his wallet and calls. A man answers, and Dante asks who he’s speaking to. The man asks who he’s speaking to, and Dante says he asked first, but Detective Falconari from the Port Charles Police Department. The man says, nice to meet you, detective. Paul Brisco with the Pautuck PD. Why is he calling? Dante says he’s trying to get ahold of Dr. Austin Gatlin-Holt. He’s on staff here at General Hospital in Port Charles. Brisco says he’s sorry to inform Dante, Austin Gatlin-Holt is dead. (Boo! Hiss!)

Clark asks how Mr. Muldoon became Finn’s patient, and Finn says his daughter Violet and Mr. Muldoon’s daughter are in the same class at school. They were at a parent gathering, and Mr. Muldoon mentioned he traveled abroad for business, and he was feeling under the weather and he may have contracted something along the lines of a tapeworm. He recommended Mr. Muldoon come in and make an appointment with him here at General Hospital, and he agreed. Clark asks if he came to see Finn, and Finn says, he did. She asks, how soon after his initial conversation with Mr. Muldoon did Finn examine him?

Scout says she’s glad Drew’s office is here so they can come to the restaurant. Should she put that in her report? He says, it’s her report. She gets to decide what she puts in there. It’s good training in case she decides to become a journalist. She gets to decide what to put in her story and what she doesn’t. Sam says, if their daughter isn’t going to ask him about his good news, she will. What’s going on? He says he closed a deal with Steve Harris, and she asks if she should be familiar with that name. Drew says, he works in venture capital. He has a daughter a little bit older than Scout who attends Westwood Academy. Sam says, that’s that fancy private school, and he says, yeah. Steve’s on the board, and he told Steve about Scout and convinced him to open a spot for her, so Scout can go to Westwood too.

Molly tells Dr. Navarro that she always knew miscarriage was a possibility, but she wasn’t prepared emotionally. The doctor says, no one ever is. What are her thoughts about moving forward? Molly says, Andrea, their surrogate, made it very clear that she does not want to try again. So if they decide to move forward, they’ll have to start from scratch. Dr. Navarro says she knows it will set them back a few more months, but she’s sure Molly and TJ will find a suitable candidate. Molly says, honestly, she’s not sure they can go through this again, and the doctor says, it’s very understandable. It’s a decision only Molly and TJ can make, but while miscarriages are not uncommon, many, many surrogacies have been successful. There are lots of parents in the world, lots of people in the world, who prove that surrogacy can work. She wishes Molly and TJ the best, whatever path they choose going forward, and she leaves.

Dante thanks Brisco for the update, and Sonny says, sounded serious. Dante says, it was, but he can tell Sonny about it, because he’ll hear about it soon enough. Austin Gatlin-Holt is dead. Sonny asks if he knows how it happened, and Dante says, he was shot to death in a house in Pautuck. Does Sonny know anything about it? Sonny asks why he would know about it. He doesn’t know anyone in Pautuck. Dante says, unless Sonny arranged for it to happen, and Sonny says, Dante has known him long enough. Dante knows how he works. If he’s going to arrange for Austin to be dead, they’re not going to find his body because it will be in the Pine Barrons. And the last thing he’s going to do is come here and talk to his son the detective. Dante has to give him a little more credit than that. Dante says he’s relieved Sonny didn’t do it, but now he has to find out who did. Sonny says, no, he doesn’t.

Cyrus cleans up the glass, and the maître d’ says, if the tray is too heavy, than make two trips. Cyrus says, got it, and the wicked stepmother maître d’ says, the cost of the broken glass will come out of your paycheck. Now finish the clean-up. (Geez. A little tough on him for a place that’s supposed to be sympathetic to ex-cons.) Cyrus says, yes, sir, and Alexis tells Laura, either he doesn’t know who his new dishwasher is, or that maître d’ has a death wish.

Sam says she and Drew never discussed Scout going to a private school, and Drew says, it’s a great opportunity. Sam says she knows. Kristina went to Westwood. She remembers her mom having to do backflips to get her in. Not to mention, Sonny had to give a talk with them to get her accepted. It’s really expensive, but he could afford it. Drew says, so can he, and she says she believes the acceptance rate is 7% or something, and there’s an epic waiting list. Is Scout just going to jump to the front of the line? He says, there’s a big waiting list because it’s a great school. And it turns out there’s a student in Scout’s class that had to leave, so Scout can just slide right in there and start right after Christmas break. What does Scout say? It’s an amazing school. It’s all girls and they have one of the best swim teams in the state. She’s going to be able to study so many more subjects than she did at public school, and as she gets a bit older, they even have a study abroad program. Looking less than thrilled, Scout asks if he wants her to go there, and he says, all he’s ever wanted for her is the best life possible. Westwood is a great step up. He thinks she’s going to love it. What does she say? Scout says, okay, daddy, and I want to smack Drew. Probably Sam does too.

Dante tells Sonny, Austin lived and worked in Port Charles. It’s his duty to investigate, but Sonny says, Dante just told him that Austin was shot in Pautuck, the same place where Dante shot his cousin Mason. Dante says, it was in the line of duty, and Sonny asks if it isn’t going to be a conflict of interest for him to investigate Austin’s death. Shouldn’t that fall on the cops in Pautuck? Dante says, if he was running lead investigator, it would be a conflict of interest, but it’s not because Austin was murdered in Pautuck, so the Pautuck PD will run lead. But because, like he said, Austin lived and worked in Port Charles, he and the PCPD have to share information. Sonny could save them a lot of time and effort if he’d tell Dante who he suspects. Sonny says, it’s the same person Dante suspected all along – Cyrus Renault. He tells Dante that he has to go, and leaves.

Cyrus finishes sweeping up the glass, and Alexis tells Laura that she’s surprised an upscale place like the Port Charles Grill would hire an ex-con like Cyrus. Laura says, maybe the manager here believes in second chances, and Alexis asks if she thinks he can be reformed. Laura says she just had this conversation with her other brother Martin, and she’ll tell Alexis what she told him. It is entirely possible Cyrus hasn’t changed a bit and this turn toward God is just a big act, but she believes in second chances. So until Cyrus has proven himself to be a threat, she’s going to stand by her own principles and say her brother deserves a second chance, just like everybody else. Alexis thanks Laura for lunch, and they leave. Cyrus watches them go down the block from inside the restaurant.

TJ tells Portia that he checked on Austin’s patients and they’re all doing fine. They shouldn’t need to be checked on until he makes his rounds. Portia thanks him, and tells him that she hates to say this, but she may have to ask him to stay late to cover. He says, actually, the timing couldn’t be better, and she asks what that means. He says he and Molly had a difference of opinion on whether they should look for a new surrogate, and it’s not a conversation he wants to have right now. So if he can bury himself in work instead… bring it on. Elizabeth comes back and says she really needs to talk to Portia. TJ says, not a problem. He’s got more patients to see. He leaves, and Elizabeth tells Portia that she went to Austin’s apartment. No one was there, but there was food delivery sitting outside his door. She looked at the receipt and it had been delivered on Thanksgiving Day. Clearly, he never brought it inside. Portia says, now she’s starting to get concerned, and Elizabeth says she found the super and explained the situation. He let her in. No sign of him. In fact, it looked like Austin hadn’t been there since before Thanksgiving. Portia says, what? and Elizabeth asks if Portia is thinking what she’s thinking. Should they call the police?

On the phone walking to the elevator, Drew tells Steve that he has an update on his daughter. He spoke to Scout and her mom about Westwood Academy and they’re all for it… Yes. So let’s pick out a time when we can move forward and talk about Scout getting admitted.

Sam and Scout arrive home, and Sam says she knows Scout needs to write her report about dad’s job, but did she have any other homework to finish up? Scout says, no, just the report, and Sam says she was thinking maybe they could take a drive over to Westwood Academy and see what it looks like on the outside. What does she think? Scout just gives her a sad look, and Sam says, they could go by Kelly’s and get some hot chocolate. Scout says she doesn’t want to go to that school, and Sam puts Scout in her lap and strokes her hair.

Molly goes into the PC Grill and tells the maître d’ that she’s meeting someone, but they’re not here yet. She said the reservation should be under her name, Claire Brown.

Finn says, Mr. Muldoon came to visit him about a week after their conversation, and Clark asks what kind of symptoms he complained about. Finn says, he had some G.I. distress, weight loss, general fatigue, and she says, anything else? Finn says, he complained about some dizziness, but it hadn’t gotten as far as fainting, and she asks how Finn treated him. Finn says he ran some bloodwork and a culture. The tests came back with low hemoglobin and elevated white blood cell count, and the culture came back positive for a tapeworm. He treated him for the tapeworm and Mr. Muldoon called a few days later saying he was feeling much better. He also requested Mr. Muldoon come in for a follow-up just in case. Clark says, just in case what? and he says, it’s standard procedure to make sure the patient was properly treated, but Mr. Muldoon refused, saying he had to go on another business trip. She says, then what? and he says, Mr. Muldoon came in two months later, at which time he ran further bloodwork and a colonoscopy. At that time, he discovered Mr. Muldoon had cancer. She asks, what happened then? and he says he referred Mr. Muldoon to oncology. Unfortunately, it was already Stage IV. Mr. Muldoon passed away shortly after. She asks if any of the symptoms Mr. Muldoon complained about in his first visit signs for cancer? Finn doesn’t say anything, and she says, when Mr. Muldoon initially told Finn about his symptoms, did he ever think it might be cancer? Finn says, before he answers any more questions, he thinks he’d like his lawyer present.

Sonny gets in his car and makes a call. He says he’s on his way to the MetroCourt. Get over there now. There’s something you need to know. He drives away.

When Dante goes into the station, the desk sergeant says he has a Detective Brisco from the Pautuck PD waiting for him. He put Brisco in the interrogation room (where all the PCPD action happens!) Dante goes in, introduces himself, and says, they spoke earlier. Brisco says, good to meet him in person, and Dante says, him as well. Brisco says, they’re requesting interdepartmental cooperation to investigate the murder of Dr. Austin Gatlin-Holt.

Tomorrow, Gloria asks when Brook and Chase are getting married; Maxie says she’s in over her head and doesn’t know what to do; Finn tells Martin that he might have just made things worse; and Sonny tells Ava, every second she wastes makes it harder for him to cover her tracks.

🩺 Roger Come Back…

It’s just a shame. They never quite knew what to do with him. Now we all lose… sniff…

Exclusive: Roger Howarth On His Exit From GENERAL HOSPITAL

https://ew.com/roger-howarth-goodbye-general-hospital-8405164

He was at his best when he was Todd with Blair. I remember when Todd putt crumpled beer cans on his Christmas tree for decoration. It was at that moment I knew I liked him.

A Look Back At Roger Howarth’s Daytime Career

🍜 G-L-O-R-I-A…

Well, somebody had to ruin the turkey.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/rena-sofer-reveals-how-she-got-ellen-travolta-back-to-gh

Exclusive: Ellen Travolta Previews Gloria’s GENERAL HOSPITAL Return!

🏥 Another Thanksgiving Return…

How ironic she’s in nursing.

Catching up With GH’s Brooklyn Rae Silzer

🦃 Turkey Talk…

How they celebrated.

See How the Stars Celebrated Thanksgiving!

And if that’s not enough, some Thanksgiving memories from soap past.

Seven Memorable Soap Thanksgivings

Rushing the season.

Soap Stars Shine at the 2023 Hollywood Christmas Parade!

👒 That’s One Word To Use…

She is kind of entertaining, but probably not if you’re in the same room.

Everything That Makes Mary Cosby a Controversial Housewife

🧂 Only a Matter Of Time…

There are certainly enough characters in the franchise to glean from.

https://ew.com/sarah-paulson-channeling-real-housewives-of-salt-lake-city-meredith-marks-for-next-role-8405859

💎 Nothing Earthshattering…

She probably just wants to stay relevant since she’s no longer on RHOBH.

https://www.eonline.com/news/1390413/kathy-hilton-weighs-in-on-possible-kyle-richards-mauricio-umansky-reconciliation

📹 Looks Blankly At the Camera…

I don’t even know what to say.  The Twitterverse (X-verse?) seems to be anti-Kyle and telling Natalya to watch out. I officially Willy Wonka strike that and reverse it.

Below Deck Med’s Kyle Viljoen Says He and Natalya Scudder Are ‘Friends Again’

👠 Demi Plus Drag…

This looks like fun because, Trixie Mattel! On Roku, December 8th.

https://ew.com/demi-lovato-a-very-demi-holiday-special-first-look-8403774

🎄 Get Ready, Get Set…

The season has officially begun. Better to watch it on TV. It’s going to be a zoo this year.

https://www.rockefellercenter.com/holidays/rockefeller-center-christmas-tree-lighting/

🎋 Jingling One Bell…

Join me tomorrow for soap and SMH at Beverly Hills. Until then, stay safe, stay not feeling pressured to feel holly or jolly, and stay remembering that doctors are not God and do not have all the answers.

Nov28

November 27, 2023 – Nina Comes To the Thanksgiving Dinner Rescue, Chef Jack Opens a Book Of Worms On Deck & Gave

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

As the smoke alarm goes off, Yuri, Ned, and Chase run to the kitchen. Lois asks Gloria, what did you do?

Nina leaves a gift basket outside the gatehouse. She says, they couldn’t be together, but she could leave her little ones a bit of her love.

In the MetroCourt elevator, Anna tells Emma, just what she needs, Thanksgiving with the three of them. As the elevator stops, Robert says, the four of them. They get out, and Diane is waiting. Robert says, there she is.

Drew plays a board game with Josslyn, Scout, and Avery, when the doorbell rings. Carly opens the door to Sonny, Dex, and Donna. Donna hugs her and says, happy Thanksgiving.

Marshall tells Curtis, all quiet on the Western Front. There’s not much for him to do around here. Curtis says, Portia is on-call at the hospital and Aunt Stella is off globe-trotting again. Marshall says, and Miss Trina is off doing her own thing, but Curtis says, it’s just as well. He looks at a floorplan on his tablet, and Marshall asks, what’s all this? Is he considering becoming an architect? Curtis says, this is the floorplan of the 11th floor of the MetroCourt hotel, and Marshall asks why he’s looking at it. Curtis says, because someone took a shot at him there and left him in this wheelchair. And he wants to find out who it was.

Portia leaves a message for Trina and says she’s just checking in. She knows Trina wanted to have a marathon study day, but she was calling to say hi. It’s pretty slow here at work. She’s sorry things aren’t working out with Spencer. She knows it has to be difficult, so she just wanted to say she’s here and she loves Trina. She hangs up and says, hopefully, that will be the last of Spencer Cassadine.

Hardly. In bed, Trina tells Spencer, happy Thanksgiving, and asks what he’s thankful for. He touches her and says, these arms… these hands… these lips, and he kisses her. Trina says, her mom – she’s like Wonder Woman without the hot pants – and then her granddad – he is gold – and she has two amazing fathers. She thinks that’s it. He says, not even an honorable mention? and she says, oh yeah. She’s thankful for him too. She kisses him.

Curtis tells Marshall that he has to admit there’s a lot to be thankful for; a beautiful house, a beautiful family, and now he has a purpose. Marshall says, solving this case is his purpose, and Curtis says, it is now.

Gloria looks at some texts on her phone. We warned you not apologizing would be very regrettable for you. Your silence on this matter is quite upsetting. We are owed an apology. Time’s running out. Lois says, she looks a million miles away. What’s up? Chase, Ned, and a sopping wet Yuri come back, and Yuri says, onions burning in pan set off sprinklers activated by smoke. Turkey’s wet. No good. Olivia says, oh my God, the turkey, and runs out. Ned runs after her, and Chase says, there’s no saving it. Brook says, wanna bet? and he says, unless you like soup. Yuri leaves to change, and Brook says she’d better call Cody and tell him that he, Sasha, and Leo don’t have to rush up here. She leaves with Chase, and Lois asks if Gloria knows the first thing she taught Lois about cooking. You never leave anything on the stove unless it’s on simmer. So what’s going on?

Robert says, this delightful young lady is their granddaughter Emma Drake, and Diane says, of course (🍷). So lovely to see her again. Emma thanks her and says, grandfather didn’t mention they’d have her with them. How wonderful. Anna says, absolutely, and Robert says he’s taken the liberty of ordering them turkey. Anna and Emma go to the table, and Diane says, Robert’s outdone himself this time. He says, all in a day’s work, Killer, when Nina comes in. She and Anna exchange glances.

Michael brings in the basket, and tells Wiley, it’s all his. Go for it. He unwraps it, and Willow asks what he’s got. He says, candy and a cool robot and a kitty for Amelia, and Michael looks at the card. Willow says, that’s so sweet. Who’s it from? Michael hands her the card and says, who else? She reads: To Wiley and Amelia, Happy Thanksgiving. So sorry I can’t be with you, but I left you some treats. Love, Grandma Nina. That is so thoughtful. Wiley asks why Grandma Nina isn’t coming for dinner at the big house, and Willow says, she’s working today, but they’ll see her soon. Wiley says he hopes so. He loves her. He goes to play with his robot, and Willow says she gets Michael’s not thrilled about the gift, but could he try for Wiley’s sake?

Sonny says he brought pecan pie, and Carly says she’s sure it’s going to be delicious. She suggests Donna go into the living room where they’re playing Monkey, and Donna runs off. Carly tells Sonny that Donna loves that game, and Dex says he’s going to leave, but Sonny asks if he wants to say hi to Josslyn. Dex says he would and tells Carly, happy Thanksgiving. Sonny tells him, don’t say I never do anything for you, and Dex goes into the living room.

Josslyn tells Dex that it’s unexpected to see him, and he says, she has Sonny to thank for that. She says she just might have to, and kisses him.

There’s a knock at the door, and Carly opens it to Ava. Ava says, happy Thanksgiving, handing Carly a bag, and Carly smiles at Sonny.

Olivia says, Gloria’s feast is drenched, and Brook says, Tony’s is closed for renovations. Olivia says, Tony’s is never closed. And they can’t use their pizza oven because the kitchen is ruined. Lois says, it’s not ruined. It’s just extremely wet. Olivia tells them that she hates to say I told you so, but Thanksgiving never works at the Quartermaines. The place is cursed. Lois says, stop it. Olivia owns a hotel with a gourmet restaurant. She’s just going to make a phone call and she’ll get turkey for the Quartermaines if it’s the last thing she does.

Nina answers the phone at the MetroCourt, and Lois asks, who’s this? Nina says, it’s Nina Reeves. May I help you? Lois says, it’s Lois Cerullo calling from the Quartermaines. She would like to order some turkey. Gloria tells Olivia that she’s so sorry, but Olivia says, it’s not her fault. Thanksgiving never works out. She doesn’t know if it’s the house or the family, but they haven’t had a turkey on Thanksgiving since the 90s. Lois says, ha-ha-ha! The problem is solved. They are back on track with the turkey. Olivia says, she’s kidding, but Lois says, nope. Nina Reeves is on her way over with a feat for 15; turkey, nibbles, deserts, the whole shebang. Olivia says, Lois is a genius, and asks Brook to come help her set up. Gloria says, Lois sure rode in to the rescue, and Lois says, although she wouldn’t have had to if Gloria had remembered she had onions on the stove. Gloria says, my bad, and Lois asks, what’s going on? First, she cancels her plans in Canarsie, then she ruins Thanksgiving in Port Charles. Gloria says, she heard Olivia, it’s the Quartermaine curse, but Lois says, no. She can tell something’s going on, and the more Gloria deflects, the more she’s going to worry. Gloria says, all right. A couple of weeks ago, she was playing Bingo at St. Nicholas Church, the Russian Orthodox up on North Street. She was playing her boards, minding her own business. She can do 15 at the same time… Lois asks if there’s a point to this, and Gloria says, yeah. Along comes this broad. She sits down next to Gloriaa and starts talking Russian on her phone at the top of her lungs. Gloria very nicely looked at her and said, could she turn it down a notch? and She swore at Gloria in Russian. Lois asks how Gloria knows what she said; she doesn’t speak Russian. Gloria says she played cribbage up in Brighton Beach (my old beach!) – Yuri comes back and stands outside the door – and she picked up a few words. Lois asks, then what happened? and Gloria says she tried to ignore it and keep things calm, but she kept pushing and pushing. So. Gloria finally swore at her… in English. Lois says, ma, and Gloria says, everyone has their limit, and she was not going to let that obnoxious woman bully her and she told her that. Lois asks how she took it, and Gloria says, she screamed and screamed, and they kicked Gloria out of the church. And she’s not allowed to play Bingo anymore until she apologizes to her, and she didn’t apologize. Lois says, fine. So she goes somewhere else to play Bingo. Gloria says, that’s what she’s planning on, and Lois says, so what’s the problem? Chase comes in and wonders where everybody went. Outside the door, Yuri looks troubled.

Willow suggests Wiley be a good big brother and see if Amelia woke up. If she did, he can surprise her with that adorable kitty cat. Wiley goes upstairs, and Michael asks if Willow isn’t finding this the least bit manipulative; sorry I can’t be with you today. She says, Nina’s a part of their family. Wiley really bonded with her at the wedding. Michael says, she’s going to take advantage like she did the last time, and Willow says, Nina’s made mistakes, but she’s trying. Why is he so intent on rekindling bad memories? He says, she’s right. He’s sorry. He’s just being protective, especially when it comes to her. She says, don’t be. Nina has been nothing but kind and wonderful. He says he’ll try to do better, especially around the kids, and she thanks him. Wiley comes back and tells Willow that Amelia’s awake. Can they go to the big house now? He wants to show Leo the cool toy from Grandma Nina. Michael says he’ll get Amelia ready, and goes upstairs.

Nina tells Trish that she just got off the phone with the Quartermaines. They need a turkey dinner for 15. Trish says, they have a 200 headcount tonight and a big party in the ballroom. Their turkeys are taken.  

Diane asks how long Emma’s in town, and Emma says, just for the weekend. She has to get back to the lab. Robert explains that she has an internship at Berkely, and everyone starts to chat. Anna sees Nina, excuses herself, and follows Nina out to the hallway. She says, Nina is avoiding her, and Nina asks what she wants. Anna says she just thinks it’s time they had a chat.

Spencer says he knows he can be a jerk sometimes, but who isn’t, right? and Trina says, let her see… Her mom, Curtis, Spencer’s grandmother, Doc… He says, okay, she’s right, and she asks if it isn’t easier to agree with her from the start. He says, yes, ma’am. He’s glad she’s able to forgive him. She talked him down from the ledge and he’s sorry it took so long. She says, he usually comes around, and he says he just doesn’t want his little brother to feel abandoned like he did, and she helped him see it’s not 100% one way or the other, that Esme wanting to take Ace and be independent doesn’t make her the villain. She says she knows it’s hard, but you can’t always get what you want, and he says he knows, but this one isn’t going to be easy. She says, good things never come easy. You have to work for them.

Curtis tells Marshall that he spoke with Jordan about getting all the preliminary police records. He just can’t sit around and wait for the PCPD to solve this. He’s got to be involved in his own investigation. Marshall asks if he really thinks that’s a good idea, and Curtis says he was a cop and a P.I. He knows his way around a good investigation. Marshall says, of course (🍷) he does, but he thought Curtis wanted to move on, and Curtis says he has to be proactive. It’s like being the passenger when he’s supposed to be the driver in his own car. Marhsall asks if he thinks getting involved in this investigation is going to make a difference, and Curtis says, at least he’ll be doing something. He’s learned in life that it’s not always about getting; it’s about giving and the experiences you get along the way. They fist bump.

Ava thanks Carly for inviting her, and Carly says she knows Avery would really want Ava here, especially after everything their family’s been through. They’re playing games in the living room. Ava says, hopefully nothing to do with water, mimicking a squirt gun, and Carly says, nothing with water, she promises.

Josslyn and Dex greet Ava, Dex calling her Miss Jerome, and Ava says, after everything that’s gone down, she’d prefer he call her Ava. Avery runs over to Ava, who picks her up and says she loves her.

Sonny asks if Carly is all right with Ava being here, and she says, actually, Josslyn suggested it. After the kidnapping, she thought it would be nice for Avery to be with her mother. Sonny says, but Carly agrees, and she says, yeah, because they do what’s best for their kids. He says, they always will.

Anna asks if Nina has any idea how her actions escalated an already volatile situation. By deleting that security footage and keeping quiet about it, Nina basically enabled Charlotte, which led directly to her being shot. Doesn’t Nina think she and Valentin had a duty to come clean about it? Nina says she thinks this is between Anna and Valentin. She was just doing a favor for a friend. Anna asks if she thinks Sonny will see it that way.

Sonny says, nice to see Drew out of that jumpsuit, and Drew says, nice to be seen. Sonny and Drew chat, and Dex tells Josslyn that it’s nice she got all the kids together. Sonny asks if Dex has the keys, and Dex asks if he needs something from the car, but Sonny says he has to get going. He thought maybe Dex would want to stay. Dex asks if he’s sure, and Sonny says, happy Thanksgiving. He says goodbye to the girls and leaves. Dex stops him at the door and says, happy Thanksgiving. Sonny says, him too, and leaves.

At the Quartermaines, Michael tells Willow, it looks like turkey’s off the menu. The kitchen sprinklers ran amuck. Brook says, there will be turkey, but Nina will bring it from the MetroCourt. Chase says, that’s Wiley’s grandma, saving the day, and Michael asks if there’s anything she can’t do.

The doorbell rings and Ned opens it to find Nina there with trays of food. She says, Ned, and he says, remember me? He remembers her, very clearly, but don’t worry. He’s not going to make any trouble. At least not today. Olivia comes in and says, let her take those. A guy comes in behind Nina with pizza boxes, and Olivia says she thought Nina was bringing turkey. Nina says, she told Lois she was bringing turkey, but then she found out their turkey was spoken for, so she had Fernando fire up their new pizza oven. Lucky for them, they started testing it last week. Ned asks if his grandfather can hear that. The curse continues. He takes the pizza boxes, and Brook comes in, saying, here she is to save the day… with pizza. Olivia says, don’t ask, and Wiley runs in. He hugs Nina and tells her, it’s the best robot ever. He thanks her and she hugs him, saying, he is so welcome.

Sonny says he didn’t know Emma was in town. Is her mother here? Emma says, no. She was grandpa’s surprise for grandma. He sits with them, and Diane suggests they toast to this lovely young woman’s visit, and to brighter holidays for all of them. They clink glasses.

Terry calls Portia at the hospital, and Portia asks, how’s the conference?… She’s not missing anything here really. It’s like a ghost town.

Trina and Spencer go to Trina’s house, bearing flowers and dessert, and Spencer produces a bottle of champagne. Marshall asks if it’s the good stuff, and Spencer says he wanted to make sure they had a happy Thanksgiving. Marshall looks at the bottle and says, no argument here. He and Spencer go to the kitchen, and Curtis says, this is a nice surprise. He thought since her mom was working, they agreed to do their own thing this year. Trina says, that was the plan, but then she realized this would be their first Thanksgiving since they found out he’s her father, and she didn’t want to miss that.

Olivia thanks Nina and asks her to join them. Wiley asks her to stay, but Nina glances at Michael and says she would love to, but she’s meeting his Grandpa Sonny at the MetroCourt. Olivia asks Brook and Chase to help her set up and tells Nina that she’s a life saver. Somehow, Michael and Nina end up alone, and he says, this isn’t the deal they made, but she says she didn’t plan for this. She can’t control fate at the Quartermaines. He says, she’d better figure out how to control it, and walks out. What a jerk.

Ava thanks Josslyn for everything she did to help Dex and Dante find her, and Josslyn says, they’re just glad Ava’s okay. Ava says she’s putting it behind her. And she’s so glad that’s what Trina’s finally done with Spencer. Josslyn says she’s happy they made up, and Ava thanks Carly for making room for one more. Carly says, of course (🍷), and Drew says, Carly told him that Ava is selling Windymere. Carly asks how it’s going, and Ava says, Lucy’s got a serious buyer, but she has no idea who it is. Drew says, let’s hope it’s some benevolent billionaire and not somebody who’s going to bring bad karma to Port Charles, and Ava says, too late for that. Windymere’s got nothing but bad karma. She’ll just be glad to forget all the bad memories.

Portia hugs Trina, and says she thought Trina was studying all day. Trina says she thought Portia was working, and Portia says, it was so slow at the hospital, she decided to just go ahead and… She sees Spencer come in with flowers in a vase and says she could have sworn Trina told her that she and Spencer were on the outs. Trina says, it was just a misunderstanding. They worked it out. Spencer wishes Portia a happy Thanksgiving, and she thanks him. Curtis says, look at this. He thought they weren’t going to have anyone for Thanksgiving, and now they have a houseful.

Emma asks how long Robert and Diane have been dating, and Robert chokes on his drink. Emma says, if she can handle grandma’s entanglement, she can handle his, and Diane laughs. Robert says, to answer her question, they’ve been dating a month. Standing to the side, Sonny says, it’s nice to see Emma in town, and Anna says, much needed relief. Just what the doctor ordered. He says, that bad? and she asks if he’s talked to Dante. He says, no, should he have? and she says she just wondered if Dante mentioned a certain dead man who showed up here. She’s been doing these deep dives in her past and found something that could conceivably tie in to the shooting at the pool, but the supporting evidence all disappeared in the chaos on Halloween night. And the man this information pertains to turned up dead here in Port Charles. What are the odds? Sonny says, looks like someone stacked the deck.

Anna says, even with all the setbacks, she feels like she’s inching toward the truth, and Sonny says, whoever’s behind this isn’t messing around. Again, if she needs protection, he’s here… She says, that was really all about Charlotte, and he says, and Valentin. She says, lesson learned. She won’t be fooled by him again. Nina comes back, and Sonny says, finally. He heard she had a crisis or something. She says she just got back from the Quartermaines. Lois’s mother set off the sprinklers in the kitchen. He says, Gloria? and she says, yeah. She tells Anna, hello, and Anna says, Nina. She tells them that she has to get back to her family, and leaves. Sonny looks at Nina.

Lois asks to talk to Gloria in the foyer, and asks, what is the problem? Gloria says, that broad, her husband is kind of a big shot. They call him Uncle Pete. Lois says, Pete Petrov? and Gloria says, yeah. His wife’s name is Petra. A lot of Ps. Yuri listens in, and Lois says, Uncle Pete Petrov is in deep with the Brighton mafia. They’re as crooked as they get. Gloria’s got to apologize and fast. Gloria says, it’s too late. They’re after her ziti. That’s why she didn’t go to Canarsie. They’re hiding ziti for her. Lois says, please tell her that they’re just trying to be intimidating, when Yuri steps out. He says, they have a problem with Russians? He’ll help.

Marshall says he’s so thrilled. This has turned into one perfect Thanksgiving. Portia says, and everyone under the same roof, but Marshall says, almost everyone. Stella is still galivanting around London. She’s taken a real shine to her new cousin Wanda. Trina toasts, to new family connections, and Marshall says he’s really happy they’re all here. And lucky them, he’s got a vat of turkey gumbo ready to go. Curtis says, Marshall always makes enough for a small army, and Trina says, if they run out, they have all that dessert Spencer insisted on bringing. Spencer says, it’s always good to have options, and Marshall says, the Lord always provides, but we just never know what that’s going to look like.

Carly says, dinner is served, and everyone dashes for the table. Drew says he just wanted to steal a moment and tell her that he’s so grateful to be spending Thanksgiving with her. She says, it’s so normal, isn’t it? She can’t believe it after everything they went through. She almost lost him. He kisses her and says, let’s stay right here and forget about the past. She says, it’s just so fragile. They take love for granted and she doesn’t know why, since they can’t guarantee it’s always going to be there. He says, that’s why they have to savor moments like this. They have to be grateful because there’s no guarantee there’s going to be anything like it in the future. Ava comes in and overhears, and Drew kisses Carly.

Sonny says, something seems off between Nina and Anna. What’s going on? She says, it’s nothing. It’s a Valentin and Charlotte thing. Anna knows how close she is with Charlotte. Can they just forget about that for right now? They’re finally in the same room and this is their first Thanksgiving as husband and wife. They hug, and she asks if he misses the girls, but he says, no. They’re having a great time. Plus, his life is full of blessings. He and Nina are married. Cyrus is exposed and in his sights. Drew’s out of prison. Michael is in their lives again, and basically, their family is together. But does she know what makes him happy? It’s that she and Willow are getting along. She says, they have so much to be grateful for.

Gloria tells Yuri, no offense, but they don’t need any Russian translation, and Lois says, she’s right. These are dangerous people and a nice boy like him doesn’t want to get involved with Uncle Pete. He says he knows he looks like nice boy, but he’s not always nice. He can handle these people. Brook says, come on in, guys. Let’s get Thanksgiving started.

Olivia says, Cody is bringing Sasha and Leo up from the stables, and Ned says, that’s just the time they need. Everyone here knows the drill. Wiley? Wiley says, first we sing… and everyone says, then we eat. Ned plays his guitar as they sing, We Gather Together.

Marshall says, since Stella isn’t here, he’ll lead the prayer, but Curtis says he’d like to do it this year. Marshall says, go ahead, and Curtis asks them to join hands. Dear God… I’m covering for Aunt Stella. Usually, I talk to You in private, so if I lose my way, take the wheel. There have been a lot of ups and downs this year for a lot of us, and for those of us going through it, we’re reminded that there is a Higher Power that keeps tabs and guides us to our next step. And so we’re gathered here with good people and a table full of good food and we’re reminded just how blessed we are. Perhaps more than most. So God, we ask that You keep a watchful eye out for those less fortunate than us, because life does throw us curveballs. So we’re going to hit those curveballs out of the park, learn a lesson or two, and still find a reason to crack a smile at the end of the day.

We see everyone at their Thanksgiving tables, and Curtis says, Aunt Stella would probably say something poetic about butterflies or rebirth, but God, I’m going to keep it simple. As we prepare to enjoy this meal, we thank You for being better to us than we are to ourselves. We thank You for yesterday, today, and the promise of tomorrow. And God, I know You’re listening. This goes out to You. Amen.

Scout and Donna jump on Drew and Carly, and Avery gets into Ava’s lap. Josslyn and Dex gaze at each other. On the terrace, Curtis looks up at the sky, and Portia puts her hands on his shoulders from behind. Trina and Spencer see them and kiss. Marshall comes out, and they go back to the table for pie.

In Loving Memory of Tyler Christopher.

Tomorrow, TJ says, Molly told someone yes without asking him; Finn asks Elizabeth, what’s that supposed to accomplish; Alexis asks Laura if this is a social meeting or about business; and Dante says, Sonny could save them a lot of effort if he’d tell them who he suspects.

Below Deck Mediterranean

When we left last week, Kyle was getting reamed out by Captain Sandy, who told him that he was the common denominator in all the toxic situations on the boat. She says, he wants to be chief stew, but he won’t be because he can’t control his emotions. If he doesn’t change, she’ll put him on the dock in a heartbeat. She’s not putting up with his bullying, screaming, and lack of respect for people in the workplace. If one crew member comes to her about him, he’s off the boat. Luka wonders, WTF is going on? and tells Haleigh that Max is leaving because he needs to follow his heart. Haleigh says, the vibe is off today, and Luka says, it’s crazy how much things can change in a day. Kyle tells Tumi that he’s resigning. He’s never seen the captain so angry. He tells her about the captain saying he’s the common denominator, and she says she can understand why he’s upset. People got angry, but it was resolved. She tells him not to let it affect him. She wanted them to end together. In Tumi’s interview, she says she’s starting to see how Kyle is the common denominator. You can’t always be the victim. She can’t force him to focus on work, but they’re screwed if he doesn’t. Lara asks Max not to leave, and he promises not to let her down. She asks if he’s spoken to Captain Sandy, and he says he’s scared to. In Lara’s interview, she says she and Max got off to a rocky start, but slowly and surely, he’s growing on her. She wonders if she needs to take him in like a little dog and nurture him. She doesn’t know what to do. She doesn’t want him to leave. The captain talks to Norma on the phone, and says, great. She calls Luka, Tumi, and Jack for a preference sheet meeting.  

The captain says, it’s going to be a short cruise, and in Luka’s interview, he says, with a short cruise, everything is amplified, and they have to be perfect. Captain Sandy says, the primary is Tonia, who is the founder and editor of P.O.W.E.R. magazine. She’s bringing some likeminded women to celebrate her birthday and celebrate women’s empowerment. Jack reads that they want some healthy salads, and the primary doesn’t eat eggs outdoors. In his interview, he says, that’s next level weird, and wonders how they found that out. Tumi says, they want an all-white party, and Luka reads that they want to explore Portofino. The captain says, it’s a tight dock and she has to back in. It’s going to be a challenge. They’re going to talk her through a ton of little boats and make sure she doesn’t hit anything. She tells Tumi that she’ll be getting a new stew tomorrow, and in Jack’s interview, he says, Kyle is a f***ing rat. He’d cause drama in an empty room with a mop bucket. Luka thinks more people should quit. The tip will be massive.

Max tells Captain Sandy that, even though it’s a super crew, he might want to leave. Shocked, she tells him that they only have two and a half more weeks, and he’ll leave them shorthanded for the rest of the season. He says he’ll think about it, and she says she doesn’t want to lose him; he’s an asset to the boat. She’ll even let him drive when they anchor. In Max’s interview, he says, so much ugliness is affecting him. He’s not getting his Eiffel Tower, and the body is the master. If he receives the call for one more charter, he’s not wasting his time and energy in a bad environment. The captain promises it will be a good charter. Jessika says she’s afraid of who’s coming next, when Tumi is called to the bridge. Captain Sandy shows her the CV of the new stew, who’s only worked on small boats. In the captain’s interview, she says, at this point, it’s not easy to find someone. Tumi has to be clear on her direction. A few boats is better than no boats, and she doesn’t have much choice. New stew Lily arrives, and in his interview, Max says his Eiffel Tower is back, and sings I love you. In Lily’s interview, she says she’s a quick learner. She grew up in Windsor and worked key events like the Royal Ascot and Wimbledon. Her last boat was catamaran, and she’s never worked on a boat this big. She’s sh*tting herself. Max tells Luka about the new stew. He can’t remember her name, but her eyes are blue. Kyle obsesses over what the captain said, and in his interview, he says, this is killing him, all that’s happening and has happened. He needs to fix this. He doesn’t want Captain Sandy to have this perception of him. Jack tells Lara that she’s got a good vibe. In Jack’s interview, he says, Kyle won’t look him in the eyes. He’s the one who got rid of Natalya who only gave him positive vibes. Kyle goes to the captain and says he’s truly apologetic for what he’s done and the way he allowed himself to react. He let his emotions get the best of him. We flash back to him trying to make nice with Natalya, and Captain Sandy says she appreciates someone who admits they’re wrong and wants to change. Sometimes it means you have to remove yourself from the situation. In Captain Sandy’s interview, she says, what Kyle did was not okay, but she’s giving him the opportunity to change what he needs to.

The guests arrive, and Captain Sandy says, we got this, adding that the guests are going to tease the boys. She gives the guests the usual spiel and the usual tour happens. The guests toast, to power women, and guest Marcie asks for her underwear to be ironed. The pilot comes on board for the check-out, and they depart. The captain tells the crew, nice work. Stay this sharp in Portofino. Kyle shows Lily the laundry, and in her interview, she says, she’s had to be a fast learner her whole life. She’s a rare breed of sushi. Kyle tells Tumi that it’s Lily’s first-time steaming, and she doesn’t know how.

Kyle is still getting silence from Jack, and in Kyle’s interview, he says, Jack blames him for being the sole person who pushed Natalya off the boat. Normally, silence is deafening, but Jack’s silence speaks a multitude of words. Tumi shows Lily the laundry system, and in Tumi’s interview, she says, it’s tough doing training while on service, especially on a busy boat. She needs Lily to succeed ASAP. She misses Natalya. Not for her mouth, but for her skills. Captain Sandy shows Max how to turn the boat, and in Max’s interview, he says, it’s like pressing a button and moving all the cosmos. He has goosebumps all over his body. We see his Eiffel Tower meter is on 7. The water toys are put out, but the guests don’t seem too interested, and just want to chill. In Lara’s interview, she says, usually the guests can’t wait to swim. They’re a 55-meter yacht water taxi. In the captain’s interview, she says, a big part of Luka’s job is selling the toys to the guests. That’s why they buy this stuff. He needs a gentle reminder to be that energy. Captain Sandy tells the guests how fun it is and plays it up. Luka tells Max, show the ladies how it’s done, and Max goes down the slide. Jack accidentally sprays himself with the dishwasher nozzle, and I can identify. In Luka’s interview, he says, the guests are happy, smiling, and enjoying themselves. Captain Sandy motivated him, and it was exactly what they needed. Lily talks with Max, and in her interview, she says she’s never been anywhere longer than 6 months. She’s lived in America 4 months out of the year since she was young. She demonstrates an impressive American accent for us.

Portofino. In her interview, Captain Sandy says, docking in Portofino is difficult. It’s narrow and she has to spin around on a dime, then back down a narrow area to get to a piece of dock this big. She holds her fingers like two inches apart, and says, boats are coming out, oblivious to them. Every ounce of her trust is in her deck team. That’s the only way she can pull this off. In Luka’s interview, he says, there are million-dollar boats everywhere and they have only inches on each side.

Since there are no ground lines, they have to do this thing where they drop two anchors, while a hundred people watch and take pictures. In the captain’s interview, she says, they’ve never done this before, and they killed it. Everyone deserves an ice cream. That was some scary sh*t. She takes the crew to shore for ice cream, and in Max’s interview, he says, he wanted to leave, but he sees that people like him. It’s like a family here. Lily came and brought her energy. He has a new goal. We see his Eiffel Tower meter is now at 9. So apparently all he needed was a new woman? The guests wander around Portofino, and Marcie says she’s living her best life. Back on the boat, Captain Sandy wonders about her underwear. No one is in the laundry, and she radios Kyle, telling him to make sure her underwear and socks get back to her cabin. Don’t lose her laundry. In Jack’s interview, he says, Kyle made them lose their goddess of f***ing laundry. There are lots of bleeps from Lily, and in Kyle’s interview, he says he doesn’t know what shade of green she is. Lily apologizes to the captain, and the guests get back to the boat. Jack is still giving Kyle the silent treatment, and in his interview, Kyle says he feels like he’s in high school, and wonders what’s being said behind his back. It’s time for the all-white party, and the guests get dressed. Jack says he’s tried to put as much white in the menu as possible. Jessika and Lily do the cabins, and in Tumi’s interview, she says, with Lily’s lack of experience, she can’t do anything on her own, and it takes Jessika away from her. She needs to find out what Lily does well and focus on that. Tonia tells Tumi that they need to turn it up, and the guests ask for the guys to strip. Tumi tells the deckhands that she needs a little Chippendales, and Luka tries to run. Max tells Luka that it’s a guest request. He was a deckhand when he came on the boat, and now he’s a stripper. Jack pretty much volunteers and I yell, put it on!

The guys dance around with feather boas, and in Jack’s interview, he says if he takes his clothes off, it might hurt the tip. Agreed. There’s a lot of dancing around, and the guys disrobe somewhat. In Jessika’s interview, she says, Luka is a very attractive man. After everyone goes to bed, Jessika gets in Luka’s bunk. Max walks in and says, no way. In Luka’s interview, he says he thinks Jessika is easy going like him. She’s not in an open relationship, so that’s a good sign. He just wants to cuddle. After a while, Jessika slips back out. In Max’s interview, he says his Eiffel tower is back, and imitates a snake charmer. Tonia explains that she can’t taste eggs out in the air; it gives them a foul taste. Wouldn’t that be a fowl taste? BA-DUM-CHH! In Tumi’s interview, she says, that’s prima donna stuff. On her last boat, a guest asked for raspberries every night, and they were everywhere… and coconut oil. It’s time to take the boat back out, and in Haleigh’s interview, she says, it’s like Frogger. She tells Luka, these people are ruthless, and in Captain Sandy’s interview, she says, it’s like NYC taxis. It can be a huge distraction, but all she sees is navigation. In Lily’s interview, she says, in her old boat, they didn’t even have a laundry room, and in Kyle’s interview, he says, he assumed laundry was a safe spot. He wonders if it’s basically luggage compartment at this point.

They dock, and Max is all happy now. They get ready to say goodbye to the guests, and Tonia says, the whole team was incredible. It was a beautiful day with beautiful people. She gives the captain the tip envelope, and the guests leave. Captain Sandy tells the crew, well done. They assemble for the tip meeting, and Kyle says, it wasn’t much work. Jack tells him to speak for himself, and in Jack’s interview, he says, it’s going to go off tonight. He can feel it in the air. The captain praises the deck team’s docking skills, and says, the tip is $18K, or 1252 euros per person. She tells them, don’t spend it all in one place, and the crew heads for shore. In the taxi, Kyle says he’s putting $100 on Lily getting wasted tonight. At the table, Jack tries to flirt with Lily and gripes about how Natalya had to deal with negative stuff. Lily asks Kyle, what happened? and Kyle says he has to take a wee. He leaves, and in his interview, he says, he knows the game Jack is playing. He’s influencing Lily. He can see it and hear it. Nothing is going to bring Jack’s princess back, and now he’s opened a book of worms.

This season, a big gay breakfast; underwater statues; Jessika likes Luka more than she should; Katie Flood (isn’t she from that horrific Winter House?) texts Luka; Tumi says, Lily isn’t getting it; Captain Sandy tells Lily that she’s got one more chance or she may have to make a change; Tumi tells Kyle that he’s overstepping boundaries; and Natalya aka Jack’s princes surprises everyone by showing up at the bar, but surprises no one by causing trouble.

🌚 Harvest Mooning…

Hoping you enjoyed a long weekend, whether you gathered together or not. Stop in tomorrow for a helping of soap and a pot of tea. Until then, stay safe, stay giving yourself a break if you overdid it, and stay hitting those curveballs out of the park, learning a lesson or two, and still finding a reason to crack a smile at the end of the day.

Nov25

November 24, 2023 – GH in Miniature, Three Quotes Of Thanksgiving & We Gather

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital (in a nutshell)

After Olivia declared she wasn’t doing Thanksgiving since it was always a disaster, Lois told her that they were doing Thanksgiving, and it was going to be full of surprises. The first surprise was Lois’s mom Gloria coming to whip up a Thanksgiving feast.

Cody and Sasha joined the Quartermaines, along with Ferdinand who was staying at the stables.

Robert forced Anna to put a halt to her pity party and even though she said she wanted no more surprises in her life, she was happy when Emma appeared. She explained Noah was sick, so her parents couldn’t join them. Valentin confronted Charlotte about stalking Anna, but Charlotte insisted she didn’t burn Anna’s house down.

Kristina invited Blaze to Thanksgiving dinner at Alexis’s house, where she joined TJ, Molly, Sam and Jordan. Sam and Alexis noticed sparks flying between Kristina and Blaze.

Uncle Pete called Gloria and she ignored the call, but she seemed pretty upset by it. Lois promised everyone that nothing was going to go wrong.

While visiting with Ferdinand, Ned told Leo that he’d always been Ned inside even when he was Eddie. Then Sasha took a breather with Ferdinand, who’s apparently a good listener as well as very cute. Cody tracked her down, and she told him that thinking about last year’s Thanksgiving with Brando and Liam was like staring at a fading photograph.

Valentin and Laura couldn’t convince Charlotte that Victor was a bad dude. She was adamant that Victor was just trying to protect the family. Evidently, she has short-term memory loss about what happened in Greenland. Laura privately told Valentin that she thought Charlotte was rebelling against him for being away from her so much by putting her anger toward Anna.

Sasha told Cody that everyone said Brando would want her to live her life, but she didn’t know how. He said she’d figure out the next step when the time was right.

Lois told everyone that they haven’t lived until they’ve tasted Gloria’s stuffing, and Ned said there hadn’t been a Thanksgiving like this since the 90s. Wouldn’t it be something if everything went right? Olivia said, miracles still happen, and Lois wished they could see Edward Quartermaine’s face looking down at them when he realized the Quartermaine curse was over. Brook shushed her and told her, saying that was bad luck, and Ned said, according to his wife and daughter, Lois just jinxed them. That was when the smoke alarm went off.

🙇🏽‍♀️ Quotes of the Week

If the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is thank you, it will be enough. – Meister Eckhart

When asked if my cup is half-full or half-empty, my only response is that I am thankful I have a cup. – Sam Lefkowitz

Thanksgiving dinners take 18 hours to prepare. They are consumed in 12 minutes. Half-times take 12 minutes. This is not a coincidence. – Erma Bombeck

⛹️‍♀️ Over and Out For the Weekend…

See you on Monday really Tuesday for soap and yachting. Until then, stay safe, stay enjoying any and all Thanksgiving leftovers, and stay believing miracles still happen.

Nov23

November 22, 2023 – Curtis’s Independent Investigation Begins, Garcelle Screens Her New Film, Salty Talk, Most Awfulest House & Restaurant

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Sasha looks at the photo of her and Brando that she left in the kitchen drawer, when there’s a knock at the door. She opens it to Sonny.

Gregory asks if he can bother Alexis for a moment, and she asks when he started using the cane. He says, it’s been by his side for a couple of days now. Dr. Cramer says he’ll need it until… She says, until he may need a wheelchair, and he says, yes, before the inevitable presents itself. He actually feels secure with it because Dr. Cramer says it can keep him from damaging himself if he falls… He guesses he should say, when he falls. She says she’s in favor of him staying on his feet as long as possible, and he says, this, from the woman who always keeps him on his toes. She asks if he just came by to show her the cool cane, or can she do something for him. He says, she has to help his son.

Curtis wheels himself into the MetroCourt, and Nina runs over to hug him. She says, it’s so nice to see him out and about, and he says he’s been to the club, he’s been to the gym a few times, and he figured whether he’s in this chair or not, life goes on. What’s he going to do? He can’t sit at home every day, right? She says, that is a great attitude. She owes him an apology. She should have gotten in touch much sooner, but she’s glad he called her to meet. He says she may not be so happy after she hears what he has to say. He has a pretty big ask.

Martin thanks Laura for sorting out the building permits for him. He knew he could count on his baby sister. They fist bump, and Laura says, he’s welcome, but let’s be perfectly clear about something. Everything was above board. It wasn’t a family favor. She simply presented it for a vote and zoning approved it. He says he just appreciates the fact she did it so quickly, and so does his client. She starts to say something, and he says, and no. It isn’t Valentin Cassadine. He does have less controversial clients. It just so happens Mr. Phelps is one of the biggest real estate developers in Port Charles, and now he is thrilled with Martin’s work. She made her brother look good, and he’s grateful. He kisses her hand, and she says, speaking of brothers, what are they going to do about theirs?

In the morgue, Dante asks the coroner what they’ve got, and he says, cause of death was catastrophic internal bleeding and blunt force trauma. There were injuries to his neck and vertebrae. Fractured jaw and extensive damage to the skull. There was bleeding on the brain as well as some other medical stuff. Chase says, in English, please, and the coroner says, hemorrhaging around the heart. Dante wonders what can cause that, a fall or an attack? But the coroner says, the injuries were consistent with the pedestrian hit at a high rate of speed by a large vehicle, like a truck or an SUV. Chase asks if the deceased was impaired in any way, but the coroner says, the preliminary autopsy says no contributing factors. There was no alcohol in his system and he wasn’t under the influence of drugs. Dante says, what about any medical conditions? and the coroner says, he suffered from no maladies or illness. There wasn’t any indication in the bloodwork that he was on medication, so he can’t think of any reason a relatively healthy man would step in front of a speeding vehicle. Dante says, maybe the vehicle was aiming for him.

Anna lurks around Charlotte’s hospital room, and when she sees Elizabeth leave, she sneaks in. She tells Charlotte, shhh, but Charlotte freaks and says, no! Go away! She’s not supposed to be here. Anna says she just wants to talk. She needs to explain what happened. Please let her. Charlotte says, no, no, no.

Chase says, according to CSI, there were no tire tracks or skid marks. So if he was hit by a car, there’s nothing to indicate the driver swerved or hit the break. Dante asks, what about traffic cameras? but Chase says, unfortunately, it was at a stretch not covered by cameras. Dante says, there’s got to be a building or gas station, somewhere with a camera, and Chase says, they’re already on it. But there was something interesting. Get this. The guy had three IDs on him. Dante asks if he checked them out, and Chase says, yeah, and they’re all legit.

Charlotte says, there’s nothing to explain. Anna shot her. Anna says, it was a horrible accident, and Charlotte asks how it was an accident. Anna pointed a gun right at her. Anna says she didn’t know it was her. She didn’t expect to find Charlotte in her apartment, but she now understands why Charlotte was there. She wanted to do something to scare Anna, to drive her away, but she needs to know nothing Victor told he is true. Nothing.

Valentin asks how Charlotte is doing, and Elizabeth says, she’s had some progress, which is encouraging. They hear Charlotte yell for help, and run to her room. They find Anna there with a hysterical Charlotte.

Nina says, just name it, but Curtis says he’s not sure she’s going to feel that way when he asks. It requires they ignore the instructions of the PCPD. Nina says she’s completely confused. What’s going on? Curtis says, the shooting happened months ago, and the PCPD is no closer to finding out who shot him. She says, they still don’t have any leads? and he says, nothing credible. This is completely stalled. It’s only a matter of time before they box up his evidence to some warehouse for cold cases. She says, he can’t let that happen, and he says he’s not. He’s going to find out who put him in this wheelchair and see that they’re brought to justice. Nina says she doesn’t see where she comes in, and he says he’s starting his own investigation, and since the shooting happened at her hotel, he was hoping she’d give him complete access.

Martin says, one wonders why Laura doesn’t use her position as mayor, and banish Cyrus from the kingdom of Port Charles, and Laura laughs. She asks if he watched Robin Hood last night. He says, the original? It’s a classic. She says, this isn’t Sherwood Forest, and even if she could banish Cyrus, she doesn’t know if she’d do that. He says, she’s a highly intelligent woman. Does she expect him to believe she thinks Cyrus is reformed? She says she wouldn’t go that far. She’s been suspicious of this born-again persona ever since the beginning. He could be giving the performance of a lifetime; he could be playing all of them. Martin says he did tell her that Cyrus had him give away all his money to end recidivism. That’s another thing he was suspicious about. The Cyrus he grew up with didn’t have an altruistic bone in his body. Laura says, a judge signed off on his release, but Martin says, that doesn’t mean anything. Cyrus used to line his pockets with important people. The judge could be on his payroll, expecting some sort of a kickback. Laura says, the bottom line is, Cyrus is free, and he is their brother, so don’t they have some sort of responsibility here to acknowledge him as a sibling, to see the best in him, and support him in his effort to become a productive member of society? Martin says he can’t think of one thing Cyrus can contribute to Port Charles, but he does have to admit, part of him wants to believe Cyrus. Which is saying a lot, considering his track record. Look at the damage he’s done. There’s a knock at the door, and Jordan says she’s sorry to interrupt, but she needs to discuss something with Laura.

Gregory tells Alexis, Diane can’t represent Finn because she’s representing the plaintiff. She says, the Muldoon family hired her? and he says, yes. He met Finn at the MetroCourt as Diane was leaving. Finn seemed dejected, and when he pressed Finn, he said, she couldn’t take the case. Alexis says, that doesn’t make any sense, and Gregory says, it seems she got a phone call just before the meeting from the father-in-law of the deceased, who just happens to be a long-term client of hers. Alexis says, she’s already on retainer with the Muldoon family? This is a disaster. She’s sorry. He says, it’s not all that dire. Diane explained she couldn’t represent him, and left, no hard feelings. She says, he doesn’t understand. Diane is the disaster. She is that good. She never loses.

Sonny looks at the photos of Sasha from the photoshoot and asks how it feels to be back at work after being gone a few months. She says she was so fragile when she got out of Ferncliff, she was worried it was going to awkward going back to Deception, but it’s going really well. They did this photoshoot, and she just finished a segment on Home & Heart. He asks if that’s the show where they sell stuff, and she laughs and says, yes. She reintroduced their most popular product, The Deceptor. He says, what is that? and she says, Nina will know what it is. Anyway, it sold out in record time. He says, that’s great. Dang. She says she was so relieved. She really needs the company to do well. They lost so much money, and their stock was frozen during the lawsuit. He says, that’s what he wanted to talk to her about. He wanted to discuss her financial situation.

Nina tells Curtis, this is the master keycard, and slides it over to him. It will give him access to all the areas around the pool and the hotel room above the pool as well. He asks if there’s anyone staying in the room now, but she says, no. The PCPD requested they keep that room vacant for a while. They didn’t even want housekeeping in there. She thinks they were planning on doing another sweep of the room, so maybe they could get additional evidence, but she’s not complying. He says, this is good, but it’s not enough. Can she get him security footage of the day of the shooting? Maybe even a few days prior. She says she’s not sure about that. The police officers were all over the security system. That was the first thing they went to. And they had a warrant. But the original footage could be accessible by the MetroCourt mainframe. He says, and she knows her boy’s pretty tech savvy. He knows his way around a server. Can he use her password to log in?

Laura tells Jordan that she and Martin were just discussing the very delicate subject of their brother Cyrus, and what, if anything, to do about him. Jordan says she knows Cyrus is Laura’s family, so it’s not her place to say, but there’s nothing to be done about Cyrus for now. All signs show he’s behaving. They all know it’s just a matter of time before he breaks the law again. Then Laura and Martin won’t have to make any decisions about him. The courts will make it for them. Laura says she’s afraid Jordan’s right. It’s just a matter of time then, isn’t it? Well, Jordan didn’t come here to listen to their family problems. What can Laura do for her? Jordan says she needs Laura to look into something, but it has to be off the record.

Gregory says he’s aware of Diane’s reputation, but she’s not Clarence Darrow, and Alexis says, her nickname is Killer Miller, because she goes for the jugular. Not only is she ridiculously prepared in court, she can improvise. So she can think on her feet. He says he guesses Alexis isn’t overreacting, and she says, the hardest cases she’s ever tried have been the ones against Diane. She once had a case where Diane’s client was accused of a felony, and she was representing the plaintiff. Alexis was so on this case. She had two dozen depositions; she had witnesses like crazy. It was an irrefutable case. It was a slam dunk. And you know what happened? Diane won. She was victorious. He asks if she thinks Finn has a chance to win this, and she says, look at this case. A loving family that lost a husband and a father to an arrogant doctor that was negligent. He says his son isn’t arrogant and he’s certainly not negligent, and she says, maybe arrogant is too strong of a word, but sometimes Finn is not that personable. He comes off as overly confident, and Diane is going to convince a jury of that. He asks if she’s saying Finn is doomed, but she says, not yet. She’s going to make a call.

Valentin runs to Charlotte, who says, Anna wants to kill her. Anna says she doesn’t, as Valentin comforts Charlotte, and Elizabeth tells Anna that she has to leave. She hustles Anna out, and Valentin says, Charlotte is safe. No one is going to hurt her. In the hallway, Elizabeth tells Anna that it was very clear. She’s not allowed anywhere near Charlotte’s room. Anna says she wanted to explain what happened. She needs Charlotte to know she never wanted to harm her. She didn’t want to. Elizabeth says, she’s done just the opposite.

Chase tells Dante, this guy had three valid pieces of ID on him. One from the US, one Canadian, and one from the United Kingdom. Dante asks if they’re aliases or all the same name, and Chase says, all the same name, which makes it even more confusing. Dante says, especially since you can’t be a resident of three different countries, and Chase says, CSI is going to his hotel room. He was staying at the Metropolitan and registered under the Canadian ID. Dante says, run his DNA and check his fingerprints. Be sure to run it by intelligence services too. Chase leaves.

Anna says, the shooting was an accident. If Elizabeth believes nothing else, believe that. Elizabeth says she knows it was an accident and Anna would never want to hurt Charlotte, but deliberately walking into her room when she’s been asked to stay away is unthinkable. Valentin asks if Elizabeth will sit with Charlotte for a second, and she says, of course (🍷). She leaves, and Valentin asks what the hell Anna is doing. She says she’s just trying to undo the damage he and his father caused.

Dante asks what else the coroner can tell him about the condition of the body, and the coroner says, like he told Dante, there were multiple injuries, but there was one thing that stood out. He had a significant bruise on the left heel. Dante asks if that’s unusual, and the coroner says, actually, yes. It was starting to callous. Dante asks what that tells him, and the coroner says, it indicates it wasn’t a fresh bruise and it certainly didn’t come from the impact of the vehicle striking him. He found that odd, so they looked into his left shoe, and they found this under the lining. He holds up a key with a tag that says 18. Dante asks if the coroner will bag that, and don’t mention this to anyone. The coroner leaves, and Dante puts the bag in his pocket. Chase comes back and says, they got a hit. The fingerprints match up with the UK ID, Jameson Forsythe.

Jordan tells Laura that she really wants to do this for Curtis. Not only does he deserve to know who put him in a wheelchair, she thinks it will be good stimulation for him to put his energy into an investigation. Laura says she didn’t know him way back when he was a police detective, but she has a lot of respect for him as an investigator. Beyond that, they’re friends. Jordan says, they went through some intense experiences in Greenland, and Laura says, did they ever. Victor Cassadine was on the rampage and Curtis was pivotal in bringing him down. Jordan asks if she’s got Laura’s blessing to pursue this, and Laura says, yes, absolutely. She’s behind Jordan 100%. Jordan says, it could cut into her hours here. She may not be available for all of her duties. Laura says, it’s absolutely all right. She’s back home again, and besides that, it is vitally important to the people of Port Charles to find out who opened fire at the MetroCourt pool.

Nina gives Curtis her ID and password, and he says he knows she’s going out on a limb for him and wants her to know he appreciates it. She says she trusts him implicitly, and if this helps him, she’s happy to do it. She knows why this is so important to him and wants him to know it’s important to her as well. He says, it means a lot, and she says she heard the police don’t think he was the intended target. He says, they definitely believe the bullet was intended for Anna… or Sonny, and she says, if someone tried to kill Sonny, the man she loves, they could try again. And she wants to do everything she can to make sure that doesn’t happen.

Sasha says she knew Sonny was a coffee importer, but is he an accountant? He says, no. He just wants to help her. He came here to get permission to audit her accounts. He wants to know exactly how much Gladys stole from her. She says she doesn’t see the point. The money is gone, and so is Gladys, thanks to him. She never got a chance to acknowledge what he did to get Gladys out of town. She thanks him, but he says, no thanks necessary. She says, he could have sent Gladys to prison, but he didn’t, and she’s grateful for that. Despite all the awful things Gladys did to her, she was Brando’s mother and Liam’s grandmother, and Sonny was merciful in sending her back to Connecticut. He says, now she doesn’t have to see Gladys or even think about her, and she says, now she can move forward. Focus on the future. He says, she deserves more than that. She deserves to get her money back.

Alexis introduces Martin and Gregory, and Martin says, so Gregory was a professor over at PCU. Gregory says, yes, and before that, he was at Berkeley. Alexis says, Hamilton Finn is also Gregory’s son and he’s in need of representation. While she hasn’t had the privilege of going up against Martin in the courtroom, he has quite an impressive record. Martin says he understands she was quite the attorney, and she thanks him. She says she was also very impressed that Valentin Cassadine has him on retainer. Martin says, someone’s done her homework, but he’s not sure how that’s relevant. Gregory says he doesn’t understand either. What does that have to do with Finn’s case? Alexis says, Finn is in need of a lawyer who has experienced defending a client that may come off as somewhat indelicate, and Greogry asks if she’s putting Finn in the same category as Valentin. She’s related to him, and even she admits he’s done some reprehensible things. Martin asks how disparaging his client starts the conversation, and Alexis says, they’re both highly intelligent, but they’re missing the point. If Martin can make someone like Valentin come off as sympathetic, he should be able to do the same thing for Finn.

Curtis thanks Nina and says he’ll do his best to keep things under the radar. What if her staff starts asking questions about why he’s hanging around so much? She says, they’re not going to say anything, and if they do, just tell them that he’s helping her with a special project. Which happens to be true. He’s giving her feedback on the handicap accessible areas and telling her where she can make improvements. He says, you’re good. Maybe she should be part of this investigation. She says she thinks she already is. This has so much to do with him, but it also has to do with Sonny. And she’ll do anything she has to do to keep him safe. He says, she’s fierce about protecting her man, and she says, her husband. He says, excuse me, Mrs. Corinthos, and she says she’s happier than she’s ever been in her entire life. She’s married to the man of her dreams and she’s closer to Willow and her grandchildren. And she’s scared to death. He says, scared of what? It seems she has everything. She says she does, and that means she has a lot more to lose.

Sonny says, Gladys was his dad’s cousin, so he feels responsible for what happened, but Sasha says, none of this was his fault. Gladys lied to him as well. He says, but he pretty much knew Gladys was not a good person from the start. All she wanted was a quick buck. He should have sent her back to Bridgeport, but because she was family, he couldn’t see what was right in front of him and gave her the benefit of the doubt. She didn’t deserve it, and that part is on him. Sasha tells him not to beat himself up over this, but he says he never should have let Gladys be her guardian. That was his mistake, compounded by the fact that he didn’t keep an eye on her to make sure she did the right thing. That’s on him and he wants to pay her back for that. He wants to reimburse every dime Sasha lost.

Charlotte tells Elizabeth, Anna wasn’t allowed in here. Anna came to hurt her. Elizabeth promises that Anna won’t be back.

Anna asks if Valentin doesn’t think he kept enough from her and Charlotte. His actions have caused this whole mess. He says his actions? and she says, yes. Charlotte needs to know the truth, that Victor lied to her, that he planted seeds in her head that Anna is dangerous and wants to hurt her. She was just trying to explain. He says, let’s get some things straight. His daughter is convinced Anna tried to kill her intentionally. Does she think she can explain that to a child, his child, in her hospital bed? He doesn’t know how many years of therapy she has ahead of her to get through all this, but if Anna really wants to help, stay away. She says, my God. He blames her for this. He says, no, he blames himself, and leaves.

Anna’s phone rings, and Dante asks where she is. She says she’s at GH; why? He asks if she can meet him at the morgue. There’s something here she’s got to see.

Gregory says, while he appreciates the suggestion, it’s not his place to hire a lawyer for his son, and Alexis says she doesn’t want to rush him. But right now, Diane is preparing a case against his son, so the sooner he puts a lawyer on retainer, the better. Gregory says he guesses she’s right. He wants to give Finn the option, so is Martin interested? Martin says, Gregory is going to have for forgive him. It’s a little too cart before the horse for his taste. Normally, he likes a little information about the case before he signs on anything. Alexis says, it’s a malpractice suit, and Gregory says, his son is an infectious disease specialist. A patient named Mr. Muldoon came to see him, concerned he might have contracted something in his travels; apparently, his work sent him out to remote locations. He thought he might have picked up a parasite. His son ran some tests and confirmed he had a tapeworm. He thought it would be an easy fix, but then about two months later, Mr. Muldoon came back. That was when Finn discovered he had Stage IV cancer. Martin says, so his son missed something important and now a man is dead as a result, but Gregory says, absolutely not. And he takes offense at Martin assuming his son made a mistake. He is not responsible for that man’s death. Martin asks Alexis if this is how Dr. Finn reacts when someone questions his expertise, and she says, worse. Much worse.

Laura says, there are a lot of files to go through. This has been an ongoing investigation. Have Jordan and Curtis figured out where they want to begin? Jordan says she thinks it’s best to start with a clean slate. It’s not that she won’t consider the information the police have compiled, but this case needs fresh eyes. Laura says, okay. Hopefully, she and Curtis will find something they overlooked. Jordan says, the first thing she needs to do is request the evidence the PCPD has gathered. She doesn’t anticipate any roadblocks, but should she hit some red tape… Laura says, she won’t hit any red tape. The mayor’s office will be backing her completely. Jordan thanks her and says she knew she could count on Laura. And this is exactly what Curtis needs.

Curtis assures Nina that Sonny can take care of himself. He heard Sonny’s been a target for decades, yet he’s still standing. So he doesn’t think there’s a reason that’s going to change. She says she guesses he’s right. She should stop worrying so much. It takes her away from enjoying the here and now. He says, exactly. When he was in rehab, Aunt Stella came to visit him. She told him, Curtis, stop focusing on the negative. Take advantage of the good moments right in front of him now. She asks if he was able to do that, and he says, it took a while to sink in, but he got it eventually. She says, things are good for her right now. She just doesn’t want it to change. She doesn’t want anybody to take her family away. He asks why he has the feeling they’re not talking about Sonny anymore. Something’s bothering her. What is it?

Dante thanks Anna for coming, and she says, dead body? He says, yeah. A jogger found the body by the side of the road this morning. Multiple injuries. Looks like a hit and run. At the scene, they couldn’t find any evidence that the driver avoided hitting the deceased, and the injuries are consistent with a vehicle traveling at a high rate of speed. She says, murder, and he says, looking that way. She asks what that has to do with her, and Dante says, the guy had three IDs on him from three different countries. She asks if they were legit, and he says, yeah. Dante was thinking maybe he worked for the WSB. it’s a long shot, but does she want to take a look and see if she recognizes him?

Martin says, while he completely respects Gregory’s need to protect his son, he’s got to understand what goes into a malpractice suit. When dealing with accusations of wrongful death, often the facts of the case are far less important than how the jury feels about the plaintiff versus how they feel about the defendant. Gregory says he’s been teaching for decades and he always makes sure his students are presented with all the facts before he asks them for an opinion. Martin says, with all due respect, there are times when perception is reality, and Alexis says, especially in a courtroom. Martin says, where he sees a doctor doing his job to the best of his ability, they’re going to see a grieving widow. And if this man had young children – Alexis says, he did – that could be the nail in Finn’s coffin. If he overreacts, if he gets defensive on that stand, says he did nothing wrong, he’s going to lose. Greogry says, but if Finn admits he may have overlooked signs of cancer, which he didn’t, he’s going to lose anyway. His hands are tied, so what is Martin suggesting they do? Martin says, the best approach is to present his son as an exceptional doctor, who did everything he could to save his patient, by the book. A talented, dedicated physician who’s already saved many lives, who has the potential to save countless more. He has to make the jury see that finding him liable will do more harm than good. Alexis says, if she were trying this case, that’s the angle she’d go with, and Gregory thanks her. He says he thinks they found a lawyer for Finn.

Sasha tells Sonny, it’s not that she doesn’t appreciate the gesture. She really does, but she can’t let him do this. He says, yeah, she can. All she has to do is accept the offer and move on. She says she’s touched he would do this for her, but honestly, she doesn’t need the money back. If this ordeal had taught her anything, it’s that she’s resilient. She’s stronger than anyone thought, including herself.  And she’s excited for the challenge to continue being Deception’s spokesmodel. He says he believes she can do it and he’s happy for her. She says she’s drug free and she’s enjoying herself for the first time in ages. She really feels like there was a weird silver lining in all this. Because now she sees every day as a gift. She looks at herself in the mirror and sees a survivor who can stand on her own. He says, she is, but he thought he still owed her and he’s somebody who likes to pay off his debts. She says, this isn’t his debt. She has an idea. Take the money and give it to a charity, something that supports mental health. Make the donation in Brando and Liam’s name, and they can call it even. What does he say? He holds out his hand, and they shake. He says, deal.

Nina says, it’s nothing really. Just a little edginess in the family. Curtis says he thought things were solid between her and Sonny, but she says, it doesn’t have anything to do with Sonny. It’s Michael. Not that they’ve ever gotten along. They’re making an effort now, for the sake of Willow and the children, but they’ve definitely hit a rough patch. Curtis says he sees Michael at the gym from time to time. He doesn’t want to get in her business, but he could talk to Michael, try to smooth things over. She says she knows he means well, but she has to handle this on her own. She thinks if she brings him in, it will just add to the friction. He says he knows his friend and he knows when she’s not telling him everything, but that’s okay. He won’t push, because she’s done him a huge favor here today. He just wants her to know if she needs help with Michael or anything, he’s here. No questions asked. She thanks him and says, and if she needs extra love and support, he’ll be the first person she calls.

Jordan wishes Laura could have seen Curtis’s face when he told her about the investigation. It was the first time since the shooting that he wasn’t only alert and engaged, but he was enthusiastic. He got his old drive back. There was a light in his eyes again. Laura says she’s glad to hear that. She went to visit him a few days ago and it was really sad to see him in that wheelchair, but she thinks he was happy she came over. Jordan says she can’t even begin to understand what he’s going through or know what it’s like to face life with such a daunting disability, but to see him focus on what he can do instead of what he can’t, is incredible. Laura says, he’s really lucky to have someone like Jordan helping him, and Jordan says, but this was his idea and that’s what makes this investigation so important. Curtis is taking action. Laura says, both of them have her full support, and Jordan says she appreciates it, especially since Laura has so much on her plate.

Elizabeth tells Valentin that she’s sorry, but he says she doesn’t have to apologize. This is on Anna and no one else. Elizabeth says, what was she thinking? and he says he’s starting to believe Anna doesn’t like anyone thinking she’s wrong. He goes into Charlotte’s room and says he’s going to stay with her for the rest of the day to make sure she feels safe. She says she’s still afraid of Anna. What if Anna tries to hurt her again? He says, they have some things to talk about, but they can wait until she feels stronger. Just know this. She’s in no danger from Anna Devane. Charlotte says she knows he believes that, but he’s wrong.

Dante lifts the sheet and Anna looks at the body. The coroner slides it back in the vault, and Anna asks Dante if one of the IDs was Jameson Forsythe. He says, it was, actually. She knows him? She says, that was his name. At least it was when they worked back in the WSB. She hasn’t seen him for 30 years or more. He asks, so what was the deal? Was she working a case? She says, yeah. That was the op. The one that went bad. That’s the guy she found all the evidence on; the paperwork and files that show there was some really shady stuff that went on back then. He asks if that’s what went missing the night Charlotte was shot, and she says, right. He asks if she thinks this guy got into her apartment, and she says, he must have. Dante says, of course (🍷) he’d want to destroy the files, and Anna says, the question is, who killed him? And where is that evidence now?

Tomorrow, Thanksgiving; Charlotte asks how someone could think that of her; and a surprise arrives.

About that. I’ll be taking the whole day off tomorrow, but on Friday, we’ll have a quickie.

The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills

When we left, it was in the middle of Sutton telling Kyle, name ‘em, and Kyle says, be quiet and she will. She names ‘em while we flash back to ‘em. It suddenly dawns on me that Kyle acts like she’s Sutton’s big sister, and it’s probably the way she wants to act toward Kathy. In Kyle’s interview, she says, this isn’t kooky, It’s flat out bizarre. Apparently, her bizarre bar is pretty low. She asks what’s going on with Sutton, and Sutton asks what’s going on with her. In Sutton’s interview, she wonders what’s going on in Kyle’s life, since she never talks about herself. Her life is perfect. Kyle says, bring it on. She’s happy to answer questions. Sutton says she’s not bringing it on, and Kyle says, they’ll talk another time and jets. In Kyle’s interview, she says she needs to get out before she hits the point of no return. Sutton says she’ll walk Kyle out, but Kyle says, she’s good. I have no words. I didn’t like Kyle much to begin with and now she’s insufferable.

Erika’s mom Renee is visiting, and in Erika’s interview, she says she and her mother have had good times and bad times, and there were times Erika didn’t want to talk to her. She visits Erika in Los Angeles once a year for a couple of days. After that, they get on each other’s nerves. She says, they’re very close… in age. A lot of times, her mom felt like a sibling, instead of a parent. She had a good time going clubbing with her mom and her mom’s friends. She was living like she was 20 at 15. At the old place, her mom could be on the other side of the house when she visited. Now they’re sleeping in the same bed. She doesn’t want to do this. She’s grown.

In Garcelle’s interview, she says, Jaid can be a like her boyfriend; he’s very protective. He doesn’t like drama, and it’s easier with him. He doesn’t challenge her as much as Jax does. They have a lot of fun. We flash back to Jax at the beach, and Garcelle says she feels that she wants them to express themselves because she couldn’t with her mother. She doesn’t just want to be a parent; she wants to have a relationship with her kids. She asks if Jaid wants more freedom, and he says he wants Ashlyn to sleep over, but Garcelle says, Ashlyn’s mom wouldn’t allow her to and neither would Garcelle. She couldn’t even date at his age. In her interview, she says she wasn’t allowed to talk to boys, so she had to sneak around. One night she told her parents that she was at Debbie’s, and then Debbie’s mom called looking for Debbie. She was in her mom’s car with a guy, and her dad followed her. She got to a light where he couldn’t catch up, and kicked the guy out of the car. When her dad caught up to her, he said, follow me home. It wasn’t pretty. She’s so excited about Black Girl Missing, because she’s executive producer and has the say-so. We flash back to a to meeting with Lifetime where Garcelle introduces director Delmar Washington. She tells Jaid that all the ladies will be at the screening, and he asks which ones she likes at the moment.

Crystal and Rob send the kids off to watch a movie while they linger over dinner. In Crystal’s interview, she says, her brother Jeff and Rob are close and often travel together. Rob needed to check on their house in China, and Jeff went along. It was hard on him because it was his first time seeing his ex-fiancé. Rob says, Jeff has not moved on, and in her interview, Crystal says, Rob was engaged and in China when the pandemic happened. She and her mom were desperate to get him home, and forced him into coming back to the US. Vivi couldn’t come, and the distance was the reason they broke up. Rob says, Jeff is at war with himself; he’s conflicted. He should have said no, but he was more worried about what his family thought than Vivi. Crystal says, it’s the Chinese way, and Rob says, he gets that, but for Jeff to start his own family, he has to break away. He thinks Crystal is competitive with Vivi about who has the more primary relationship with Jeff. Crystal says, who asked for his f***ing opinion? but he just laughs. In Crystal’s interview, she says, Rob doesn’t know what he’s talking about. She’s not competitive. She just knows what’s best for her brother. Rob calls Jeff and gives Crystal the phone. He says he encourages her to tell Rob how she feels, and tells Jeff that Crystal is feeling some regret. Crystal says she feels bad, and Jeff says he needs to talk to Vivi. He doesn’t want to cry, so he ends the call, and Rob says, one step at a time.

Jennifer Tilly and Sutton go to the stables to meet Sutton’s new horse, Santos. In Sutton’s interview, she says, her mani/pedi lady has a horse, and she thought she wanted one too. She saw Santos online and it was a perfect match, so she hit buy. We see a picture of Santos, who is gorgeous, brown with white markings, and also cost $47K. She says, her father was from Texas. From 8 years old, she was on a horse, and she would snap green beans with her mom. That’s who she is. She’s Southern. Sutton meets the trainer and feeds Santos carrots which he promptly throws up. Sutton and Jennifer have lunch, and Jennifer says, Sutton travels so much, she’s glad to have her happy Sutton time. Sutton says she wishes others felt that way. Kyle was incensed and it escalated. Kyle said something was going on with Sutton, but Sutton said no, something was going on with Kyle. And she doesn’t think it’s just her. Kyle has gotten very thin. When they were in Las Vegas on vacation, Kyle was going gym for three hours. She’s eating differently and not drinking, and Sutton hasn’t seen her wedding band. In her interview, Sutton says, Kyle’s acting in a way she’s never seen, and there’s been a rumor in the tabloids about Mauricio cheating. She feels like all of these numbers add up to something wrong. Jennifer thinks maybe Kyle is going through something extreme. When people make extreme changes like with self-improvement or cutting their hair, they’re moving on to a new phase or trying to regain control of their lives.

Erika gets on her mom for not washing the dishes, reminding her that Belle only comes in once a week; it’s all Erika can afford. In Erika’s interview, she says, they’re only good for 24 hours, and Renee needs to start packing. We see it’s been 31 hours so far. They talk about changes in NYC, and Erika says, it’s sad. (Agreed.) Renee says she’s glad she saw Erika’s show, and Erika says, it was somewhat of an ambush. In her interview, Erika says, her mom just showed up after they hadn’t been talking for a year. They argue about why they argued, and Renee says, Erika didn’t like a question she asked about Tom, and in Erika’s interview, she says, her mom didn’t know things were so bad. She was just trying to get through the shows and back in L.A., Tom was MIA. She was trying to sing and dance, and there was Renee waiting to f*** it up for her. Erika tells Renee, it’s like cutting open old wounds, and Renee says, at some point, she has to let it go. Erika says she’s happy it’s behind her, and in her interview, she says she loves seeing her mom being grateful and supportive, but she’s grateful her mom is leaving. She’s reached her limit. See you at Christmas.

Everyone gets ready for Garcelle’s screening. On the phone, Sutton tells Garcelle that Kyle’s visit didn’t end well. Kyle is on the phone with Dorit, and says, Sutton thinks Erika set her up. I do too. Kyle acts out Sutton acting out Erika, but Sutton did it better. She tells Dorit about Sutton asking her, what’s going on? and makes insane animated faces when she talks. Dorit says, it feels like a threat, and Kyle says, Sutton is talking about the rumors. How they can get all that from someone asking, what’s going on? is beyond me. Dorit says she’s riding with Sutton tonight, and Kyle says, have fun with that.

In Sutton’s interview, she says she’s learning that social media is the venue for sales and exposure, and her store needs that constantly. So she’s bringing Dimitri in to take good pictures. Sutton gets her picture taken a thousand times, while Dorit is parked outside whining about Sutton’s tardiness. When Sutton gets in the limo, Dorit scolds her.

The screening is at a gorgeous theater, and Garcelle says she’s excited but nervous. Kyle arrives looking like she’s dressed for a safari, and carrying a $16K Hermès bag. In Kyle’s interview, she says she appreciates how difficult it is to get a project sold and made. Garcelle’s not just producing, she’s starring in it, and the story is an important message. Sutton tells Dorit that Garcelle invited 100 people. That’s herding cats. In Dorit’s interview, she says she was under the impression it was an intimate screening. She needs to prepare mentally and emotionally. At the venue, Dorit says, she gets jumpy around a lot of people, and in Sutton’s interview, she says she had no idea Dorit’s PTSD was this bad. They’re just watching a movie… about a girl who gets kidnapped and goes missing. Other than that, it’s going to be fun. Dorit tells Garcelle that she’s having a hard time, and Jax tells Crystal that he’s nervous Erika is here, but he might as well talk to her. He asks if Crystal wants to come, and in Crystal’s interview, she says she’s proud that Jax wants to approach Erika. We flash back to Erika being a drunken a-hole to Jax, and Crystal says, in Vegas, Erika showed them a side that was more open, and she wants to make an effort to help other people see her in a better light. Jax says, Crystal can be his back-up.

Hors d’oeuvres food porn! Jax goes over to Erika and says he wanted to let her know that everything is okay between them. Erika says she apologizes from the bottom of her heart. She was totally out of line. (I do believe she’s actually sorry for this) She says she spoke to his mom, but she’s glad he can hear it from her. He says he accepts her apology, and in Erika’s interview, she says, he’s a class act to walk up to her and say, no hard feelings. Garcelle did a beautiful job. Garcelle asks everyone to take their seats for the movie, and Jax tells her about approaching Erika. In Garcelle’s interview, she says she wishes Erika had approached Jax, since she’s the adult and was in the wrong, but she’s glad Jax was confident enough to approach her. She thanks everyone for taking the time to come out, not just to support her, but the idea of when Black and Brown people go missing, it’s important they be seen and heard and supported. In her interview, she says, the subject is important to her. So many times, Black and Brown women are overlooked – getting jobs, getting paid, going missing. They want the same passion and compassion when they go missing. We see pieces of the film and the audience reaction. It looks good (it’s on Amazon). Denise arrives, and she and Garcelle hugs. She thanks Garcelle for inviting her, and they watch from the back. The film ends with applause, and in her interview, Dorit says she’s excited that Garcelle gets to see her dream coming to life. There are lots of hugs and congrats, and Denise says hi to Dorit and Crystal. She says, it feels like forever, and in  Dorit’s interview, she says she hasn’t seen Denise in years. We flash back to Denise walking off the Zoom Reunion, and Dorit says, their contact became less and less. Sutton sits down near Kyle and says, they’ve got to talk. Kyle raced out of her house. Kyle says, Sutton got so aggressive and not nice, and Sutton says, Kyle is doing that now. Kyle asks if Sutton wants to hear the truth or a lie, and Sutton says, she was being calm. Garcelle brings Denise over to Erika, and there’s hugs and catching up. Kyle tells Sutton that she seemed off, and in Sutton’s interview, she says, Kyle is supposed to be her friend, but she’s using words she knows cut to the core… and take your safari hat off. Kyle says, Sutton is full of sh*t. For the billionth time, is it me? Kyle is sooo nasty. Even her face is all twisted up. She’s creeping me out.

Sutton tells Kyle that there sometimes seems to be a lack of respect. Kyle treats her like a little sister. (That thud is me fainting, since I said that in beginning. Kyle says, don’t flatter yourself, and Sutton says, these are her feelings. She doesn’t know if Kyle is mad about the Kathy thing. Kyle says, that hasn’t even registered to her. She doesn’t care. In her interview, Sutton says, she’s lying. If someone was friends with her sister and not with her, she would care. Kyle says, that’s between her and her sister, and in Sutton’s interview, she says, if Kyle admits she’s upset, it will mean she doesn’t like Kathy.  It’s love triangle gone awry.  Garcelle asks to talk to Dorit, and tells Dorit that she felt when she shared how she was feeling, Dorit took it on the defensive and wasn’t hearing her. We flash back to Dorit saying, that’s hurtful. Garcelle says, in the moment, she knows Erika was drunk, but she didn’t feel Dorit reprimanded her in the moment. Dorit says, their relationship moved slower then backward, and Garcelle says, they had a great time in Cannes, but she feels like her kids are disregarded. All she did was share her feelings. Dorit also asked her why she wasn’t over it. We flash back to that, and Dorit says she takes it back. Garcelle says she would never tell that to Dorit. It was insensitive. Dorit says she’s sorry. She wants Garcelle to share her genuine feelings. In Garcelle’s interview, she says she likes Dorit. She doesn’t think Dorit is malicious or mean, but she gets in her own head. She just wants Dorit to hear her. They hug it out.

Kyle says, Sutton was obviously talking about the rumors. She could tell by the look in Sutton’s eye. Sutton says she wonders who Kyle is now, but Kyle says, the change is just physical. Sutton says, it’s more than that. Kyle is very different from last year. In Sutton’s interview, she says she’s not sure why Kyle can’t confide in her. Friends confide in one another. This friendship is a farce. Kyle says, she had a rough year, and Sutton says she thinks that’s fair. Maybe Kyle can say Sutton could be right about this.

Next time, Kyle goes country; Garcelle talks to Jax one on one; Denise and Camille join a dinner; Sutton and Garcelle confront Kyle about her marriage; and Kyle says she can’t afford to be depressed.

🧂 Passing the Salt…

The latest on RHOSLC.

Real Housewives of Salt Lake City Season 4, Episode 11 Recap: Heather’s Pioneer Daze

🏂 Awful In Winter…

The preview alone creeped me out. I had to change the channel.

Winter House Season 3, Episode 5 Recap: A Full House

Happy Thanksgiving!

🦃 Grateful For You…

Enjoy your Thanksgiving, no matter how you spend it. I’ve spent it nearly every way possible – with family, with friends, with strangers, volunteering at a soup kitchen, and one year with my cat, who stole a turkey leg when I wasn’t looking. I’ll drop in for a note on Thanksgiving in Port Charles, but come by on Monday really Tuesday for the full soap treatment and a Deck possibly without Kyle. Until then, stay safe; stay being grateful for what you have, not just on Thanksgiving, but every day; and stay not worrying so much. It takes you away from the here and now.

Nov22

November 21, 2023 – Charlotte Makes a Confession, Sniff, Seeya Eddie, Legacy, What’s On, Bravo’s Con, To the Curb, Truth, Heritage, The Parade, Adorable Pilgrims & Love

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Cody goes to Maxie’s office and asks why she’s blowing up his phone. What does she need? Ferdinand for another shoot? She says, no, she needs him, and drags him over to a table littered with photographs of him and Sasha. She tells him to feast his eyes. Aren’t they gorgeous? He says, gorgeous, focusing on one with only Sasha in it.

At the MetroCourt, Finn thanks Diane for meeting him. He knows she’s juggling a lot of clients, and he can’t tell her how grateful he is that she agreed to take his case. She tries to interrupt, but he keeps going, wanting to show her what he has with him, but she says, nope. She doesn’t want to see it. Can’t see it. He says he thinks these notes are crucial to his defense, and she says she’s sure they are, but let’s cut to the chase. She can’t possibly represent him.

Curtis thanks Jordan for coming by, and she says, of course (🍷). What’s going on? He asks if she’s thirsty, but she says she’s sure he didn’t invite her over here for a tea party. So tell her, why is she here? He says, because she’s the only one who can understand what he’s discovered.

Carly looks in Kelly’s window from the courtyard, and Drew asks if she’s spying on her employees. She kisses him, and he asks what that was for. She says, just celebrating.

In a private area of the MetroCourt, Valentin thanks Anna for coming and she gives the standard answer, of course (🍷). They sit down, and Valentin asks what she’d like to drink, but she says she’s fine. He says, is she? and she says she’s just trying to find her footing. How’s Charlotte? He says, she’s healing, getting stronger every day. He’s hoping to have her home by Thanksgiving. She says, thank God, and he says he now knows why she was targeting Anna.

Nina goes into Charlotte’s hospital room, and gives her a giftbox, saying, it’s a little special something for a very special lady. Charlotte says, Nina didn’t have to do that. Her being here is gift enough. Nina says, it’s nothing. Just an excuse to see her really. Charlotte opens the box and says, riding gloves. They’re so soft. She loves them. Nina says, they’ll go riding again soon. It seems like it’s been forever since their last adventure. Charlotte says she’d love that. Nina is always so good to her. Some people are just nice because of papa, but she thinks Nina really cares about her. Just her being her. Nina says, by some people, does she mean Anna?

Cyrus scrubs the floor at the PC Grill, when Sonny walks in.

Drew and Carly sit at a table, and Drew asks if the celebration has anything to do with her buying back her half of the MetroCourt, but she says, no. As tempting as it was, she couldn’t do it. She turned down the offer. He says, so she decided to come to her restaurant to do a little people watching? but she says she was just appreciating what she has. She went to the MetroCourt today to turn down Nina’s offer and when she stepped off the elevator, she had a sense of déjà vu. She found herself staring into the dining area, watching the activity of the day, and then she saw Nina. It was hard watching her stand where Carly used to stand, like she owned the place. And she knows Nina does, but it was hard watching her live the life Carly used to live. She knows it must sound awful to him. He says, it doesn’t sound awful. It sounds human.

Valentin says, read this, it explains everything, and hands Anna Victor’s letter to Charlotte. She says, it’s from Victor? What’s he doing writing to Charlotte? Valentin says, it’s all in there, and Anna reads: It is with a heavy heart I must write to you and share my concern about our family’s future… Anna has completely manipulated your father. She’s taken advantage of his infatuation with her… She’s used [her charms] to control your father. Her extensive training in espionage has afforded her the ability to mask who she really is. I tell you this, Anna Devane is not who she seems. Do not trust her. Not for a minute.

Charlotte says, Anna pretends to be nice, but it’s just a way to get closer to papa, and Nina says, her grandmother Laura told her and Charlotte’s papa that Victor warned her about Anna, that he said she was dangerous. Charlotte says, because she is. She tricked him. He can’t tell that she’s using him.

Cyrus says he’s sorry to disappoint Sonny, but they don’t open until 5, and Sonny says, that’s all right because he already ate lunch. Cyrus can keep working while they talk. Cyrus says, they’re going to talk? but Sonny says, he’s going to talk; Cyrus is going to listen. He thinks he’s so slick. Father Teresa. Mr. Clean. It doesn’t matter what part he plays, they both know who he is. Get used to that mop because it’s the last job he’s going to have in Port Charles, and Sonny’s going to make sure of that. Cyrus says, then he guesses he’d better get back to it, and Sonny says, stay focused. Because if he gets a glimpse or hears a whisper that Cyrus is back to his old tricks, he will shut Cyrus down permanently.

Jordan asks, what’s this new discovery? and Curtis says, meditation. She says, TJ’s been trying to get her to try it, and he says, it’s a great way to quiet the noise in your head and to slow down your thoughts and just be still. She says, it sounds profound, and he says, she’d be surprised what comes from stillness. He got this memory of a case they worked on in Baltimore. He doesn’t remember the details, only how he felt. Following the lead, putting the clues together, connecting the dots… that spark, and the answer comes.

Finn asks, why the sudden reluctance? and Diane says, it’s very complicated. Under other circumstances, she’d be all in to represent him, especially since she doesn’t want to disappoint Alexis. He asks, what’s holding her up? and she says, when Alexis called her this morning, she was running around. She didn’t quite understand all of the details, and after they hung up, she got a call from the Muldoons, the family that’s suing him.

Maxie tells Cody, every shot is a masterpiece. She can’t stop thinking about their next Deception campaign. Sasha is about to come in, but stops and listens from outside. Maxie says, Salvadore’s people are already on board, and Cody asks if she’s sure about him. She says, he can’t stop talking about how much camera chemistry Cody and Sasha have. Cody says, listen, he just… She says, picture this for the next Deception campaign. Think, sophistication meets untamed allure. He says, untamed allure? and she says, yeah. Him, in a tux, with a twist. Shirt slightly undone, showcasing rugged charm. Then there’s Sasha opposite him, looking exquisite in a radiant ballgown. Think, cowboy meets elegance. Sasha continues to listen, and Maxie says she can see it now. Stark desert landscape. The sunset painting the sky. He says, at least it will be a short shoot, and she says, they’ll spend the holiday setting up for that moment. He says, good luck. He’s sure it’s going to be great, whoever they get to stand next to Sasha by that sunset is going to look… Maxie says, come on. It screams Cody. He says, sorry. No can do. He’s out.

Anna continues reading: She will use your father and lead him into danger. She will lead him to his death. My dear Charlotte, you are the only one who can protect your father from Anna Devane. She puts the letter down and asks Valentin, what did he do? He put so much fear into a young person’s mind like that. Charlotte was just trying to protect him from her. He says, Laura finally got Charlotte to open up. Victor didn’t just write a letter. He visited her in boarding school. He filled her head with stories that Anna was a threat, that her motive was to ruin him and put him in prison or worse. Anna says, so all of her actions were just a young girl desperately trying to save her father, and he says, yeah. She thought by getting Anna out of Port Charles, she was keeping him out of harm’s way. Anna asks if she admitted to everything. Burning her house or…

Nina asks why Charlotte didn’t tell anyone about Victor’s letter, and Charlotte says she didn’t think anyone would believe her. Nina says, that’s a lot for her to carry, isn’t it? She thought Anna was a threat, so what did she do? Charlotte says, Nina already knows, doesn’t she? Grandmother must have told her. Nina says, Laura told her that she wanted Anna to leave Port Charles. Will Charlotte tell her? What did she do to make Anna want to go?

Curtis says, that memory of him and Jordan working on that case. It was not just nostalgia; it was a wake-up call. Jordan says, from what? but he says, not from, to. It reminded him of who he is deep down. He thought he left the P.I. world behind him. She says, he was finding a new path, and he says he just didn’t want to get pigeonholed. And he’s still doing that work, badge or no badge. Helping Drew figure out where Victor Cassadine took Trina and Ace was a huge part of him. That’s who he is at the core. He wants to live to uncover the truth, to seek justice. She asks if he thinks he lost that part of himself, and he says, not lost. Just sidetracked, especially after the shooting. The PCPD hasn’t made any progress, and he can’t just sit here waiting for something to happen. He’s got to dig in. He’s got to take matters into his own hands and figure out who put him in this wheelchair. But to do that, he needs access to the police investigation. She says, and that’s where she comes in.

Finn says, Diane is going to represent the family that’s suing him and General Hospital for malpractice? and she says, yes, she is. The deceased, Dennis Muldoon, she and his father-in-law go way, way back. He was her client before she was even truly established. The Muldoons have her on retainer. Finn says, oh, that’s nice, and she says, so they should probably cut this chat a little short, considering they will soon be on adversarial sides in a courtroom. However, she does have some unsolicited advice for him. He says, by all means, and she says, he may trust the higher ups at General Hospital, but trust her, when push comes to shove, the GH lawyer will focus solely on the hospital’s reputation, not his. He’ll be an afterthought. He tells her, Alexis said the same thing, and she says, Alexis was right. Gregory comes in, using a cane, and Diane says she does wish him the very best of luck. She gets up, and Gregory says, don’t let him interrupt. If they need more time, he can wait at the bar. She says, not at all. Her business with Dr. Finn is done, for now. She leaves, and Finn says, yeah, that went well.

Maxie says, come on. She doesn’t understand why Cody is being so obstinate. She will pay him. In fact, she has his last paycheck around here somewhere. She digs it out, and says, see? handing it to him. He says he appreciates… Oh wow. That is a hefty sum. She says, it’ll be heftier when he signs on as the male Face of Deception, but he says, sorry. This face has seen its last paycheck. He appreciates it, but he can’t do this. Sasha looks worried, and Maxie says, fine. She’ll give him a sign-on bonus, double what’s on that check. He says, it’s not the money. It’s Sasha.

Cyrus says he doesn’t imagine Sonny will believe it, but this is him trying to start fresh. Every move he’s made since his release has been by the book. This job is a genuine attempt to go straight. His past issues with Sonny, water under the bridge. Sonny says, that’s hard to believe after everything Cyrus did to set him up, and Cyrus says he has no idea what Sonny is talking about. Sonny says, maybe there’s too much bleach in his brain. Let him refresh Cyrus’s memory. His boys Austin and Mason blackmailed Ava Jerome to put a mole in his house, his daughter’s nanny, Betty. She did a perfect job. She did what she had to do. She got to the computer, grabbed the information, brought the information to Austin, and Austin brought it to Cyrus at Pentenville. Then Cyrus gave it to the Feds because he thought it would take Sonny down. Cyrus says, that’s a hell of a story, and Sonny says, here’s the punchline. All the information Betty stole was a lie. It was all a trap. And guess what? Cyrus walked right into it.

Carly tells Drew that she’s not going to keep dwelling on everything Nina did. She’s moving on from the past. He says, that sounds very healthy, and she says, look at everything she has. Him. He’s back from Pentenville, and this amazing business her mother gave her with a major connection to her family history. Her kids are healthy and happy, she has an amazing moss bowl🎍home. She has so many blessings. He says, and she’s so resilient and strong. He’s got to be honest here. Her optimism inspires him. She says she gets that from him. He always teaches her to see the bright side, to move forward. He says, moving forward doesn’t mean she pushes Carly down, and it especially doesn’t mean she lets the people that hurt her have another shot.

Curtis tells Jordan that he knows it’s a grey area. He’s not asking for a free pass to the evidence locker. He’s just asking if she can bend the rules, just a little bit. She says, it’s a thin line, but given he was the victim, the one who got affected, it seems to her he has the right to know what’s happening with the investigation. She’ll get him access to the statements, evidence, leads, the works, but… He says, thank you, but she says, hold on. Don’t go getting all grateful just yet. There is a catch.

Finn says he sees Gregory brought a friend. How’s that working out? Gregory says, these things really do make you feel older, but it does provide a grounding and he’s more steady on his feet. Finn says, stability is everything, and Gregory says, not to pry, but did something happen with Diane? Finn says, that? Just some legal nonsense. Of greater importance, Violet had her first school debate. She and her team defended humans against robots as better helpers. Violet pointed out that although robots might be better at following instructions, humans have intuition. That we are better able to sense when something’s off. We can adapt and provide comfort. And more important, no batteries required. Gregory says, sounds like Violet is talking about the difference between Finn and Elizabeth, and Finn says, ha-ha-ha. That’s a good one. Gregory says, as much as he enjoys talking about his intuitive granddaughter, it doesn’t take intuition to see something’s bothering Finn. Was it the meeting with Diane? Finn says, yeah. It didn’t go the way he’d hoped.

Charlotte tells Nina that she never did anything to hurt Anna. She was just trying to scare her. Nina says, by doing what? Everyone makes mistakes. Everyone. She’s done some foolish things when she was upset. Charlotte asks if Nina remembers the article coming out about Anna being a double-agent, and Nina says she does. Charlotte says, one night, after she saw that article, she went to Anna’s house and painted the word murderer on her door. Nina says, and? and Charlotte says, and after the fire at her house, she got another idea and went to Anna’s hotel. She snuck in with a keycard she borrowed from papa and messed up Anna’s stuff. She even wrote on Anna’s bathroom mirror with lipstick. Then on Halloween, she was going to spray paint another message in her apartment, but then Anna found her, and she had a gun. Anna shot her. Charlotte starts to cry.

Valentin tells Anna that he hasn’t discussed it with Charlotte. He just knows she told Laura that she was trying to drive Anna away. Anna says, Charlotte tried to terrorize her… He says, she needs professional help, and Anna says she thinks Charlotte needs intensive deprogramming, doesn’t he? He says, but everything she did was to protect him. She wasn’t acting out of malice. Anna says, it’s powerful conditioning, and he says, it can be fixed. Have faith. As soon as Charlotte is on the road to healing, then the three of them can move forward together. She says she’s really not sure how that’s going to happen.

Cody says he doesn’t know if Maxie heard, but Sasha said she doesn’t want to work with him anymore. She was crystal clear. Maxie says, once she understands… Cody says, no way. He’s not going to let Maxie force Sasha into doing something she’s uncomfortable with. Maxie says she wouldn’t do that to Sasha. This is just business. He says, well, it’s personal to Sasha. She’s been through hell. She was being used by Gladys for months and controlled by Montague. She’s just now getting her life in order. She deserves to have her wishes respected. He’s not going to interfere with anything like that. He already told her, he’s out. He heads for the door, when Sasha appears and says, maybe not.

Finn tells Gregory, there’s a situation at the hospital that he’d rather not discuss. It’s nothing to worry about, especially with everything else on his plate. Gregory asks if Finn means his ALS. While he can’t alter his condition, he can alter how he chooses to deal with it. Like this cane. Speaking of which, Finn should have seen Violet’s face. She doesn’t think less of him because of it. In fact, she said she thought it makes him look like a dapper snowman. Finn laughs and says, classic Violet. Greogry says, if Finn is grappling with something, share it. He may not be able to provide an answer, but maybe it will give him a break from his own troubles. Finn says, okay. Gregory asked for it. Yesterday, he got some unsettling news. Gregory says, he’s not sick, is he? but Finn says, nothing like that. It’s work. He was informed that he, along with GH, are being sued by the family of a former patient for malpractice.

Carly asks Drew, so what’s going on? He’s usually the one telling her to let things go. He tells her that he’s just saying to be aware and stand on guard. She never told him what that kiss was celebrating. She says, the fact that he’s free to show up out of the blue, that means she can kiss him whenever she wants. Compared to a month ago, her life is so much better. He says his too, and she says, then what was that comment about, not letting people hurt you again. He says, Ned. Ned’s pushed him one step too far.

Sonny says, Cyrus must have seen the headlines about his arrest. Corinthos in Hot Water; FBI Brews Trouble for Coffee Kingpin. It was basically a comedy of errors. Cyrus handed them watered down espresso for that bogus data. Cyrus says, Sonny gives him too much credit, and Sonny says he was actually in shock at how much credit they gave Cyrus, but he got his release, right? Cyrus says, because of his poor health, nothing else, and Sonny tells him to make sure he takes good care of that precious health. Because it’s going to get a lot worse if Cyrus crosses him.

Valentin tells Anna that they can get through this. Charlotte wasn’t acting in her right mind. It wasn’t truly her. Anna says she doesn’t have a problem with Charlotte. But he’s known since the night her hotel suite was ransacked that his daughter was the one threatening her, and he said nothing. He tells her that he was hoping… She says, hoping what? That he could manage it from behind the scenes? Like they did when they were agents in the field? He decided not to tell the woman he claims to love that instead of fearing professional assassins, she was merely facing a misguided teenager. He says he didn’t know how to handle it, and she says, because he has no faith in her. If he’d told her the truth from the start, then they could have talked about it. They could have handled it themselves. And she would have never pulled a weapon that night. It’s all because he doesn’t believe in her. Does he know why he doesn’t trust anyone? Because he himself cannot be trusted.

Nina says, other than the spray paint and the hotel, did Charlotte do anything else to try and frighten Anna away? Charlotte says, no, she promises, and Nina says, okay. Anna’s house. It was just the spray paint? Charlotte says, yes, and Nina takes her hand. She says, this is her that Charlotte is talking to. There is nothing she could ever say or do to get Nina to stop loving her. She will never stop loving Charlotte, but in order for them to make this right, Charlotte has to be honest with her. Did she have anything to do with the fire in Anna’s house?

Drew tells Carly, let’s just say, Ned is back to his old self, as arrogant as ever, and she says, wow. What did he do? Drew says, he stopped by Aurora, and everything seemed fine at first, until he found out Michael had salvaged a deal for ELQ. And he kind of freaked out. Instead of being grateful for it, he said Michael had no authority to broker that deal. She says, even though he wasn’t around to do it himself? and Drew says, exactly. Instead of thanking Michael, Ned told him to keep his nose out of ELQ business. She says, it’s unbelievable, but it sounds just like Ned, and he says, it does. Proving once again, Ned puts his pride, puts his ego ahead of what’s best for the company. Carly asks what he’s going to do about it.

Jordan says, she and Curtis are both investigators at heart. She wants to be right there in the trenches with him. He asks if she isn’t Deputy Mayor, because digging could ruffle some feathers and cause embarrassment to the whole city, which could make her life very difficult. She says, difficult is relative. She can handle the heat. And she’s happy to ruffle any feathers if it means putting the person who shot him behind bars for twenty to life.

Gregory says, so Alexis arranged for Diane to represent Finn, only to discover Diane is representing the family suing him? Finn says, yeah, that’s pretty much the gist of it. Gregory says, Finn’s always been an outstanding doctor. This is his first brush with a lawsuit, right? Finn says, yes, and Gregory asks if he believes the suit has merit. Finn says, no, but sometimes in cases like this, grieving families have sway with the jury. Gregory asks if he has his bases covered with malpractice insurance (FYI, if he didn’t, it’s doubtful the hospital would have him on staff), and Finn says, of course (🍷). If for some reason the jury favors the Muldoons, the insurance will pay out a settlement. Gregory says, that’s a silver lining at least. Finn won’t be staring down the barrel of financial ruin. Finn says he doesn’t know. If the insurance company has to pay out because of this case, they’ll find a reason to drop him. Without malpractice insurance… Gregory says, he won’t be able to practice medicine, and Finn says, this lawsuit could be the end of his career.

Sasha says she really appreciates Cody’s willingness to step away from Deception because of her feelings, but if Maxie asked him to work with any other model, would he say yes? Cody says, he… and Sasha says, they’ve been pretty honest with each other so far, so don’t stop now. Cody says, yeah. If it was another model, he’d take the job. Sasha asks Maxie if having Cody as the male Face of Deception is important to their brand, and Maxie says, only if they want to be successful. Their chemistry was off the charts. It jumped through the screen at Home & Heart. These pictures capture it perfectly. Cody looks at her, and she says, but Cody is right. Sasha’s wishes and comfort come first. Sometimes she gets a little excited. Sasha says, no. You know what? She needs to trust and pay attention to that excitement. If Maxie thinks this is for the best, then she wants to do it… for the company. Cody asks if she’s sure, and Maxie jets over to her and says, really? Sasha says she’s sure, and Maxie says, oh my God, this is so amazing. She promises it won’t be awkward. No blind gossip pieces about their pairing. This is just business. Strictly professional. Sasha and Cody look at each other and we see a photo of them with Ferdinand.

Gregory says, Finn dedicated his life, he poured his heart and soul into medicine. He can’t let them take away his calling. If GH’s lawyers won’t stand up for him, he’ll have to stand up for himself. He says, that’s what he’s trying to do, and Gregory says, someone doesn’t get Stage IV cancer out of the blue. There had to have been signs, symptoms. He knows from personal experience. When he was diagnosed with ALS, there were countless warnings. He was too stubborn to see them. Finn says he knows that… and Gregory says, listen to him. If that patient was Stage IV, then there had to have been indicators that were overlooked or ignored. Finn thanks him, and Gregory says, for what? Finn puts his hand on Gregory’s and says, for believing in him. For always feeling the weight on his shoulders and trying to lighten the load. Gregory puts his hand on Finn’s and says, always, son. Always.

Charlotte tells Nina that she never set fire to Anna’s house. She was just trying to get Anna to leave town. She had to keep papa safe. Nina has to believe her. Nina says she does, and hugs Charlotte, saying, it’s okay. Everything’s going to be okay.

Valentin says, Anna’s right. He is at his core untrustworthy. When he learned about Charlotte, his first instinct was to hide the truth. She says, it’s called lying, and he says, to protect his daughter. But also maybe to protect their love. He’s dreamed of a life with her forever. He just doesn’t have the faith. He was afraid she’d leave him when she found out. Maybe he’s afraid she doesn’t love him the way he loves her. She says she thinks he always doubted them, and he says he thinks she’s right. She sighs and wipes tears from her eyes. She says, it’s never been about how much she loves him. It’s just been this persistent mistrust that’s created this chasm. Except that now the lies and secrecy ended up with her shooting an innocent kid. He says, Charlotte will recover, and she asks what that even means. She picks up a napkin and dabs at her eyes and asks if that makes it okay. It doesn’t absolve her. Charlotte is never going to get over this trauma, ever. No matter how much deprogramming, it will never erase it. Every time Charlotte sees her, she’ll be reminded of that night. And Anna is afraid every time she sees Valentin, she’ll be forced to relive it. So she thinks if she’s going to have any peace in her life, she needs to see him as little as possible. She’s sorry. She leaves, and Valentin hangs his head.

Curtis tells Jordan that all he wanted was access to the police files. He can handle the rest alone. Besides, if he comes up empty, it will only be his time he wasted. Jordan says, it was that memory of them investigating in Baltimore that gave him this idea to begin with. That should be a clue that she’s right. They made a great team. He says, they were a force, and she says, and closed a lot of tough cases, cases that stumped everyone else. They were unstoppable because they complimented each other’s strengths. He says he remembers, and she says, so they team up. They can get to the bottom of this faster together. What does he say? He says, there’s no point in fighting her, and she says, because he knows she’s right. He says, true that. Let’s get started.

Carly says, okay. With Ned back to throwing his weight around, what’s Drew’s next move? He says he’ll tell her what he’s not going to do. He’s not going to make any more rash decisions, giving Ned more power for his pals at the SEC, so they can maneuver him back behind bars. She says, so he does think Ned was the one who tipped them off, not the FBI? He says, the theory that they were targeting Carly to get to Sonny makes sense, but sometimes things just are what they are. There’s no grand conspiracy. Ned was even going to tell him something about the SEC right before he started freaking out about Michael and ELQ. She says, with everything he just told her, Ned hasn’t changed one bit. He says, exactly. People act on raw emotions, like anger and spite, and given Ned’s ego and his obvious resentment toward him, it fits. Ned saw an opportunity for revenge, and he took it.

Sonny says, let him make himself clear. Cyrus is to stay away from him, his family, his business. And when he says his family, they’re all under his protection. Sasha Gilmore, Ava Jerome, his ex-wife. Cyrus crosses paths with them, he crosses paths with Sonny. Cyrus says, anything else? and Sonny says, yeah. Keep working on that mop. He moves closer and whispers that he’s got his eyes on Cyrus. Every hour of every day. Cyrus steps over the line, Sonny’s going to make sure no one ever sees him again. Sonny heads for the door, and Cyrus says he understands. Sonny comes back and says, one more thing. Lay off Laura. Don’t show up at the city hall. It embarrasses her. Or at her house. It’s Laura’s choice if she wants to see him, but don’t just go there uninvited. Are they clear? Cyrus says, oh yeah, and Sonny says he’s glad they understand each other. Now get back to work. Sonny leaves, and Cyrus looks like he’s barely keeping a lid on it.

Tomorrow, Curtis says, Nina may not be happy after she hears what he has to say; Gregory asks what Martin suggests they do; and Valentin tells Anna, stay away.

😢 Say It Ain’t So…

I’m so bummed! I wasn’t totally crazy about the Austin character, but Roger Howarth made it his own. IMO, he’s one of the greatest actors in daytime, if not the greatest.

Roger Howarth Says Goodbye to GENERAL HOSPITAL
Roger Howarth Out at General Hospital — ‘I Had A Great Run’
Maura West Pays Tribute to Roger Howarth

👔 Different Kind Of Goodbye…

Now he has to put suits on again.

Wally Kurth Says Goodbye to Eddie Maine

🎓 In Memory Of Billy…

His death was such a shock. I’m sure he’d be proud of the memorial scholarship.

Billy Miller’s Family Creates Memorial Scholarship in His Honor

🦃 This Thursday…

In an odd twist, GH decided to air a new episode on Thanksgiving, even though they haven’t in years. Don’t expect a recap on Thanksgiving. I’ll be busy letting out my waistband.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/abc/soap-opera-soaps-holiday-schedule

🎰 What Happens At BravoCon…

Maybe there was a reason Sutton ignored her.

Madison LeCroy Calls Out Sutton Stracke’s Behavior at BravoCon

No surprise here.

Lala Kent Reveals Shep Rose Annoyed a Real Housewives Star at BravoCon Las Vegas

In related news.

Tom Sandoval Shares Major Update on Living Situation With Ariana as He Gets “Cold Shoulder” From Pump Rules Cast at Event, Plus He Talks “Hardest Thing” About BravoCon, Ariana on DWTS, and If He’d Do a Dating Show

💎 Gets My Vote…

I’ll say it again, I don’t see any new Erika. What I see is the old Erika waiting for the right moment to pounce. We got a taste of it when the elevator randomly stopped on their floor, and Erika’s Magic Mike friend just happened to be riding in it, along with her… whatever he is, Mikey.

Why It’s Time To Kick Erika Jayne Off RHOBH

☔️ Not To Rain On the Thanksgiving Parade…

Time to rewrite history right.

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/thanksgiving-myth-and-what-we-should-be-teaching-kids-180973655/

🌻 Something To Celebrate…

The resolution.

https://nativenewsonline.net/currents/us-senate-passes-resolution-recognizing-november-2023-at-national-native-american-heritage-month

The facts.

https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/life/a38083079/native-american-heritage-month-facts/

Ideas for celebrating.

https://www.goodgoodgood.co/articles/how-to-celebrate-native-american-heritage-month

🥁 Before It Passes By…

About the parade.

https://www.macys.com/s/parade/

The new balloons. Scroll down for the gallery.

https://www.macys.com/s/parade/lineup/?lineupoverlay=Balloon:luffy&lid=parade_topticker-luffy

Macy’s Parade Eve. I knew someone who used to do this every year. Nope. That’s why God invented TV sets.

https://abc7ny.com/nyc-thanksgiving-parade-balloon-inflation-upper-west-side-macys-balloons-american-museum-of-natural-history/14088735/

🐾 Good Pilgrims…

A gallery of adorable pilgrims. I just can’t.

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/25-pets-in-pilgrim-costumes-photos_n_2160020

🍼 At The Kids’ Table…

Stop by tomorrow for pre-Thanksgiving soap and picking a bone with Beverly Hills. Until then, stay safe, stay taking advantage of seasonal items while you can (maple everything!), and stay knowing that sometimes things just are what they are. There’s no grand conspiracy.

Nov21

November 20, 2023 – Finn Goes To Alexis For Help, Kyle Is the Common Denominator On Deck & Almost

Posted on by
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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Trina walks past the gazillion bouquets and opens the door to leave her dorm room. Spencer falls in and says, good morning.

Josslyn brings Adam into the hospital, and parks him on a bench. She tells Elizabeth that this is her friend Adam Wright. She just brought him in from PCU. He was nauseous, hyperventilating, sweating. She thinks he needs to see a doctor right away. Adam jumps up and says, no!

Finn knocks at Alexis’s office door, and she says, right on time. He thanks her for seeing him, and she says, of course (🍷). Is he okay? He didn’t say what this is about. He seems a little… He says, edgy? and she says, mm-hmm. He says, yeah, and she says, have a seat and tell her what’s going on, but he says, no seat. He needs to find an attorney, and he was hoping she’d point him in the right direction. She says, okay, but he’ll have to narrow this down a little bit. What kind of attorney? He says, one that can save his career from being destroyed.

Blaze says she doesn’t know how Brook did this. She’s doing a guest vocal on Magnum’s new track. Brook says she told Blaze, they’re going to take her career to the next level, and Blaze says, she delivered. Brook says, but they’re on a tight schedule. They have to deliver these tracks today. Blaze says she’s ready to get in the recording booth, and Brook asks if she needs any support. Kristina walks in, and Blaze says, actually, her support just arrived.

Drew says, now that Ned is back to being Ned, they have to come up with a new game plan for ELQ, and Michael says he hasn’t changed his mind. They’re moving forward. Drew says, of course (🍷) they are, but it might be easier said than done, and Michael says, they have to do what’s best for the company. ELQ has been unstable for almost a year, between Valentin’s absence and Ned’s erratic behavior, they’re still on shaky ground. Drew says, their whole plan was predicated on Ned remaining Eddie. That’s not the case anymore, so they need to come up with a new strategy. Michael’s phone rings, and he says, send him up. He tells Drew, Ned’s here. Showtime.

At the MetroCourt, Carly watches as Trish seats a customer, and Nina is on the phone about a king crab order. Nina leaves to get a bartender for a customer, and Trish says hi to Carly. She says, there’s a rumor going around that Carly might be back. Is it true?

Alexis says, Finn isn’t prone to hyperbole. This clearly sounds serious. He says, it is, and she tells him, take a breath. Have a seat. They sit down and Alexis asks for some specifics. He says he’s facing a malpractice lawsuit, and she says, that could be significant. It could also be frivolous. It could be a disgruntled patient that’s looking for a payout. Finn says, it isn’t frivolous. The patient in question, Dennis Muldoon, died. Now his family is suing the hospital and himself. Money isn’t an object for these people and he doesn’t think they’re looking for a quick payout. She says, let’s start at the beginning. When was the first time he saw Mr. Muldoon? He says, it was in April of this year. Muldoon traveled extensively for work, mostly in remote locations, and he came to see Finn because he thought he might have contracted something along the lines of a tapeworm. Finn ran extensive bloodwork and cultures, and confirmed he had a tapeworm. Finn sent him home with a plan of treatment, and he called a few days later, saying that he felt much better. Finn also asked him to come in for further testing, including a colonoscopy just to be sure, but he was off on another business trip and didn’t come back for two months. At that time, Finn increased the scope of the bloodwork and any additional testing, including the colonoscopy. It revealed he had Stage IV cancer. At that point, there was nothing he or oncology could do to save him. Now his family is filing a lawsuit against the hospital and himself. So what does she think? She says, the first thing she’s going to advise him is to stay clear of the General Hospital attorneys. She has the utmost respect for the place, but do not associate with these attorneys. Because they have one goal, and that goal is to protect the hospital. He says, meaning? and she says, they will throw you under the bus.

Blaze does vocal exercises in the sound booth, while Brook gives the sound engineer some instructions. The engineer says she thinks she knows what Brook is looking for, and Blaze asks for less reverb. Kristina says, this is so cool. It’s much more fun to mix music than mix drinks. Brook says she forgot how great the energy is.

Elizabeth brings out a wheelchair, but Adam says he doesn’t need to see a doctor. He thought he did, which is why he agreed to let Joss bring him here, but he’s fine. He just wants to go back to his dorm. Josslyn says, he’s not fine, because they were in class, and he started to have trouble breathing. They had to stop the exam. They wanted to call him an ambulance, but the only reason they didn’t was because she agreed to bring him here. Adam says, oh my God, the test. They’re missing it. What are they going to do? Josslyn says, it’ll be okay. Don’t worry about it. Getting loud, Adam says, it’s not going to be okay. What if he fails the class? Elizabeth suggests he sit down for a minute, and helps him into the chair. Josslyn says, he’s not going to fail the class. Please just try to stay calm. Elizabeth says she’s going to take Adam to an exam room and have a doctor check him out. As he’s wheeled away, Adam begs Josslyn not to leave him.

Spencer gets up from the floor, and Trina says, please tell her that he didn’t sleep outside her dorm room all night. He says he sure did, and she says, he could have gotten her in trouble with the RA. Is he crazy? He says, crazy in love with her, and she says she’s serious. He says, so is he, and she says, so this is how he chooses to get her attention? He says he tried everything short of skywriting. She wouldn’t return his calls or texts. She asks if he didn’t think maybe she didn’t want to talk to him. It never occurred to him to respect her wishes apparently. She goes inside, and he follows her in and closes the door. He says he’s really sorry. He knows he screwed up. It was one of those moments that the words were coming out of his mouth and he wanted them to stop, but it was already too late. He can’t un-ring the bell. She says she doesn’t even know what that means, and he asks if she even read the cards he sent her. She says, no, and he says, they all say the same thing, taking one of them from a bouquet. She says, then she’s glad she didn’t bother reading them, and he tells her, they all say he’s sorry and he was wrong. She says, and exactly what does he think he’s wrong about?

Carly tells Trish, you never know what the future holds. Maybe someday, but now she’s focused on Kelly’s. How’s it going here? Trish says she can’t complain. It’s all good, but Carly is definitely missed. Carly says she misses them too, and Trish says, Mr. Cain was here last week. He looked really great. Carly must be out of her mind that he was in prison. Carly says, he never should have been there in the first place, but she’s really happy he’s home. Nina hears them from the hostess podium and goes over to them. She asks if there’s any chance Carly is here to discuss her offer.

Ned joins Drew and Michael, and Michael says he’s not sure which greeting is appropriate. Is it a welcome back situation or… Ned says he doesn’t know if there’s any rule book for this one, and tells Drew that he’s sorry to hear about Drew’s ordeal in Pentenville. He was relieved to hear Drew was released early. Drew says, nobody was more relieved than him. He couldn’t wait to get out of that place. Ned flashes back to confronting Nina about turning Drew and Carly in to the SEC, and says he promised he’d sit on this information for a while, but it can’t wait. There’s something Drew needs to know about the SEC charges.

Kristina tells Blaze that she wouldn’t miss this for the world. This is great. Blaze tells her that she says that now, but it’s not all glamorous. There’s a lot of sitting around between takes and it helps to have company. Brook says, hello? and Blaze says, she’s there in a professional capacity. Kristina and Blaze sit down, and Blaze thanks Kristina for distracting her; keeping her mind off the butterflies in her stomach. Kristina says, Blaze is a pro, cool and confident, but Blaze says, it’s just smoke and mirrors. This is a huge opportunity. There’s a lot riding on this. She’s been dying to work with Magnum, but what if she blows it and the song tanks? Kristina says, what if she doesn’t? What if it’s a hit?

Elizabeth sees Terry in the hallway and gives her some figures she’d asked for. Terry is in a hurry to get back to work, but Elizabeth asks if she has any updates on the malpractice suit. Terry says, Elizabeth knows she can’t talk about this, especially to her, given her relationship with Finn. She’s not at liberty to disclose anything about the case. Elizabeth says she’s not asking for details. She just hoped Terry could give her a sense of what’s going on. Terry says she’s sorry. She knows Elizabeth is in a difficult position, but hospital policy is clear, and as Co-Chief of Staff, she has to be in full compliance. There can be no sign of any impropriety. Good luck in protecting Finn. Elizabeth asks if that isn’t what Terry should be doing. He’s not only her co-worker, he’s her friend. Terry says, that’s the problem. Personally, does she want Finn to win? Of course (🍷), but professionally, she has to keep her distance and follow the rules to the letter. Does Elizabeth understand?

Finn tells Alexis, Terry and Portia are not only Co-Chiefs of Staff, but he’d like to think they’re his friends and wouldn’t throw him under the bus. She says, regardless of his personal relationships, this is not about friends. This is business to General Hospital. He came to her for advice. She really needs him to listen to her. She used to be pretty good at this, and she knows her way around a courtroom and knows these kinds of attorneys. She knows their only objective when it comes to a malpractice suit is to win at all costs. They will not do the noble thing, and if he ends up being collateral damage, so be it. He says, and here he thought she was going to put his mind at ease. He gets up and she follows. She says she’s just trying to get him to understand this case and see what they could do. They’re going to present this in the most simple narrative. This is a wealthy family who lost a son, father, husband – in his prime – and they’re grieving, and they want someone to pay. What does he think the jury will believe? He says, hopefully, the truth, that he had nothing to do with this man’s death.

Trish says she’s going to get back to work and leaves. Nina asks if Carly wants to sit down, and Carly says, sure. They sit at a table, and Carly says she’s just curious. Why? Why did Nina offer to sell her back her half of the hotel? She knows Nina has a lot on her plate, but she could ask Olivia to take on more work. Nina says, Olivia is stretched pretty thin as it is, and Carly says, then hire a manager. Or promote from within. There are many ways for Nina to retain her half of the hotel. Is she having financial… Nina says her financial situation is on solid ground, and Carly says, great. Then why is she doing this? Is it because of Willow?

Ned says, this was before the fall at the pool, and Drew says he was there with Tracy. Ned came rushing in, calling his name, like he wanted to tell him something important, and that’s when he hit his head. Ned says, the details were a little fuzzy at first, but he remembers everything now. He remembers what he came to tell Drew. Michael’s office phone rings, and he says, hang on a second. He picks up the phone and says, put her through. He says he has the figures for them and will see them in Sydney next month. They’ll celebrate breaking ground. He hangs up, and Ned asks if that was Angela Trance from RCD in Australia? Michael says, yes. Is that a problem? Ned says, yes. He doesn’t see why Aurora, a media company, would be making a deal with RCD. Michael says, the deal was for ELQ.

Blaze asks if Kristina really thinks it could be a hit, and Kristina says, Blaze is talented. Why not? And from what she knows about Brook, that woman is unstoppable. Blaze says, but the market is so saturated these days. Everyone is posting their music online. The competition is fierce. Kristina says, this is when she roars. Show them what she’s got. Blaze says, even if the song does take off, the real money’s in touring, and Kristina says, then tour. She’s got enough material. What could be better than singing to a sold-out crowd? Blaze says, being with someone. Touring is lonely. To be honest, she’s tired of being alone.

Alexis tells Finn, it’s not going to take much to convince a jury that an overworked doctor had a patient who believed he had a tapeworm. And this doctor took the patient at face value and missed the clue that the real ailment was cancer. Finn says he’s an infectious disease specialist who went looking for a parasite and he found one, but Alexis says, when the jury hears the word cancer, it will trigger them, because at least one of them, if not all of them, have lost a loved one to cancer. That’s a compelling story, doesn’t he think? He says he doesn’t know what to think anymore, and she says she’s telling him that he needs to find the right attorney. Because if he doesn’t, his career will be over.

Spencer says, it was wrong of him to give Trina an ultimatum, and he’d do anything to take it back. Trina says, obviously, it’s too late for that now, and even though she doesn’t like the way he said it, he did bring up a good point. What are his priorities? Who comes first for him? She’d like to think it’s her and their relationship, but maybe it’s Ace and Esme. He says he doesn’t care about Esme, but Trina says, sometimes she’s not sure about that. He says, his little brother needs him and he’s not going to turn his back on Ace, but she says she’s not asking him to do that. The fact that it’s hard for him to accept Esme moving out as a normal progression tells her all she needs to know. He asks what that means, and she says, clearly, they have different ideas about what their relationship is and where it’s going.

Elizabeth says, Adam is cleared to go home, and Josslyn thanks her. She says she was so worried. She’s never seen anyone in the middle of a panic attack. It’s scary. Elizabeth says, Josslyn did the right thing by bringing him here, and Josslyn asks if he’s going to be okay. Elizabeth says, all she can tell Josslyn is, he’s been cleared to go home and that’s a good sign. Does she know what else is a good sign? Josslyn’s future as a doctor. Josslyn asks what she means, and Elizabeth says, the fact that she brought him here and looked after him shows what kind of doctor she’s going to be. She has high hopes for Josslyn. Josslyn thanks her, and Elizabeth says she’ll see if Adam’s paperwork is ready. Josslyn goes into the exam room and asks how Adam is. He says he’s fine. He’s really sorry, but it’s all good now. She says, no, it’s not.

Alexis says, they have to find the right fit for Finn. She so wishes she could do this for him. She wishes she could fight for him, but she can’t. He says, there must be somebody who’ll take this on, and she says, the person she would recommend would be Diane, but she knows Diane is swamped. She’s overwhelmed right now and probably won’t be able to take the case. So why doesn’t he give his pal Tracy a call? He says, she’d be tough in the courtroom, but last time he checked, she doesn’t have a law degree. Alexis says, she has the last name Quartermaine, and anyone with the last name Quartermaine has access to top notch lawyers on retainer. He says he knows, but it’s the wrong time to ask Tracy for a favor. She says, Tracy would be happy to help him, and he says he knows she would, but she’s in Amsterdam. She’s meeting Bobbie Spencer. Something about settling Luke’s affairs. She says, who else? and he says, Elizabeth offered to talk to Scott Baldwin. He’s not sure Scotty is the best choice, but Scotty says he’s good at his job. She says, Scotty can be brash and he’s a little odd, but he’s actually smart. He’s also not the right attorney for Finn. He doesn’t need brash; he needs subtle. He says, that’s probably not Scotty, and she says she just told him Diane is probably too busy, and she probably is, but she’s going to call anyway.

Kristina asks how Blaze can possibly be lonely with thousands of fans chanting her name. She wishes the staff at Charlie’s would do that for her when she walked in. And the pub goes wild. They laugh, and Brook asks what they’re laughing about. Blaze says, it was getting too serious and Kristina’s trying to make her smile. Brook says, it seems like she’s succeeding, and Blaze says she was just telling Kristina that touring isn’t as cool as it looks. It’s hard work. Sound checks, dance rehearsals, promotors… Never mind. She’s being ridiculous. Kristina says, Blaze is right. It does sound lonely. Blaze says she has the feeling Kristina knows something about loneliness. The engineer asks if they’re ready to do this.

Ned says, Michael did what? and Michael says he made a deal with RCD. Actually, they closed in July, but there were a few terms they had to iron out first. Drew says, this is what’s best for the company, but Ned says, last time he checked, he’s President of this company. Drew says, they had no idea when Ned was going to recover, and Ned says, Drew makes it sound like he was in rehab. He was in Port Charles the whole time. Drew says, for all intents and purposes, Ned wasn’t here. It was Eddie. Michael says, the deal is done, and Ned asks, what are the terms? Michael says, ELQ has all the paperwork. Feel free to look it over, but he’ll see Michael got RCD to agree to more favorable terms. He’s going to oversee the first stage of construction, but Ned says he has no authority to do that.

Nina asks why Carly thinks Willow had anything to do with this. She just found out about it when they were discussing it at Kelly’s. Carly says she just wondered if Willow was the real incentive for Nina to sell. It makes sense. Nina wants a closer relationship with Willow and her grandson, and what better way to get that than to make peace with her? Is she right?

Ned says, while he appreciates Michael taking this on, he had no authority to act on ELQ’s behalf. Michael suggests he look over the deal before criticizing it, and Ned says, whether it’s a sound deal or not is irrelevant. Michael knows it wasn’t his place to take this on. Drew says, Ned should have been the one dealing with this, but they couldn’t count on him, because he proclaimed to the world that he was Eddie Maine. All he cared about was his music. And Valentin’s been AWOL for months, dealing with the fallout from his lunatic father. And he was in prison, so what did Ned expect Michael to do? He was the only one qualified to engage with RCD. If it wasn’t for him, there would be no deal, so Drew thinks the appropriate response should be thank you.

Nina says, of course (🍷) she wants a closer relationship with Willow, and she thought Carly getting her hotel back would go a long way in repairing the family rift. Carly tells her, that’s what Willow said. She gets it that things won’t feel right until she gets her hotel back, and Nina says, great. She’ll come over with the paperwork… Carly says she appreciates the offer, but she’s going to pass.

Trina says she’s been supportive to Spencer and his situation. He says he appreciates that, and she says, and she’s been respectful to his love toward Ace and his sense of responsibility to him. But that somehow translates to her standing on the sidelines; she’s not on the field. She’s watched him put all his focus and energy into Ace, and by extension, Esme, and she’s not okay with that. He asks what she’s saying, and she says she doesn’t want to be around Esme anymore. This is the woman who tried to destroy her life. He says, but that was the old Esme; she has no memory of that. Trina says she understands that, and she’s accepted it, but she still has to live with the memory. Esme still looks like the same person and that is difficult for her. She doesn’t want to be around her. Spencer says, okay, but Esme and Ace are a package deal. What does she want him to do? Trina says, he wants her not to make him choose, but he never asked her what her choice would be. He says, okay, what is it? and she says she chooses to put herself first. Not to go along with this dysfunctional situation that’s bound to blow up. If he’s going to stay with Esme and Ace, he’s going to do it without her.  

Adam says, don’t make it into something it’s not, but Josslyn says she’s not overreacting. The second the exam started, he was freaking out. He was dizzy and hyperventilating, and even in the car on the way over, he told her that his heart was racing. He says, that was just the stuff he took to help him study, and she says, what stuff would that be? He says, it’s a supplement, a pill. Some big, long name, dextro something. It’s supposed to help you focus. A ton of people take it and he took too much this morning. It’s no big deal. She says, it is a big deal because that’s an amphetamine, that’s speed. He says he didn’t score some street drug. He has a prescription for it. He’ll be more careful next time. It won’t happen again. She says, and if it does happen again? and he says, now she’s the one who needs to calm down. She asks why he’s doing this to himself. He’s miserable. If pre-med is torture for him, then he needs to switch majors, something with less pressure. He says, there is nothing else. Does she understand? This is all he’s ever wanted ever since he was a kid. It’s been his dream. She asks if it’s his dream or his parents’.

On the phone, Alexis says, Diane has to trust her on this. This is a David versus Goliath type case… Finn paces and nods, and Alexis says, no. She wouldn’t pitch this to Diane if she didn’t think Diane wouldn’t have a huge victory if she took this… She will? Yes. Thank you. You’re the best.

Blaze sings in the booth, and Brook tells Kristina, originally, they got a huge artist who shall remain nameless… Kristina says, Beyonce, and Brook says she’s not at liberty to say. But the artist’s reps wanted extra singing on the song. Then there were rumors flying around that negotiations were at an impasse. That’s when she swooped in and picked Blaze up. Kristina says, very impressive. She’s lucky to have Brook. Brook says, if there’s one thing she’s learned in the music biz, it’s that timing is everything. She has a really good feeling about this song. She really thinks it could become a hit, take Blaze’s career to the next level. Kristina’s phone chimes, and she tells Brook that she’s got to go. There’s something going on with her family, but good luck. She leaves.

Spencer tells Trina that he knows what he has to do now. He has to let go. He needs to stop trying to be Ace’s father and needs to realize he’s Ace’s older brother and nothing more. She says, he can still be supportive of Ace. There just has to be clear boundaries. He says, she was right the whole time. He’s sorry. He just couldn’t see it. He needs to stop trying to control Esme and Ace. It’s not his place. So they’re going to move into their own place, and he thinks that’s probably what’s best for everyone. Trina asks if he’s just saying that to put her mind at ease or does he really believed that? He says he’s trying to, but it might take him a little while to get there. But it will. And he knows one thing for certain. He doesn’t want her to become secondary to anyone. From now on, he’s going to make her his one and only priority. She’s her own person and has every right to be who she wants to be, and to make the choices she wants to make, live the life she wants to live. But he really hopes there’s a place in it for him.

Back at the dorm, Josslyn asks if Adam is okay. He barely spoke in the car. He says he’s sorry for snapping at her. He messed up everything. She didn’t even get to take the test. She says, here’s what they’re going to do. They’re going to take the make-up test and even if it doesn’t go well, it only counts for a fraction of their final grade. So just try and give himself a break. He says, okay. He’ll try.

Finn brings Elizabeth some coffee, and she thanks him. She says, he seems to be in better spirits than he was this morning, and he says, maybe. She says, and the reason is… He says he just thinks it’s going to be a beautiful day, and she says, he’s not talking about the weather. He says, no, and she says, this morning he’d been distracted by the possible malpractice suit. Is it dropped?

Blaze wonders where Kristina is, and Brook says, she had to leave. She got a text, something about her family, and she took off. Brook texted her that they’ll be here a few hours, so maybe she’ll be back. Blaze says she just hopes everything’s okay with Kristina’s family.

Kristina walks into Alexis’s office and says, guess where she just was? Alexis asks if Kristina is going to make her guess, but Kristina says, fine. She’ll tell her. She was at a recording studio with Brook and Blaze. Blaze was laying a guest track for a major artist. She can’t say who, but it’s going to be huge. Alexis says, that’s great, and asks if Kristina has heard from Sam. Sam said she was going to call her. Kristina says, Sam’s been leaving her messages and texting her, asking Kristina to call her, but she called her and it went straight to voicemail. So she came here, thinking maybe Alexis knew what was going on.

Adam tells Josslyn, okay. He’ll let himself off the hook. Like she said, this doesn’t count for much of the grade. She asks if he’s going to be okay, and he says he’ll be fine. He thanks her for everything, and goes back to his room. Josslyn goes into hers and sees Trina and Spencer kissing. She says, it looks like they made up. Trina says, yes, they did, because somebody realized he was wrong. Spencer says he had some help getting there, and Josslyn says, at least something worked out this morning. Trina asks if that means her Organic Chem test didn’t go well, and Josslyn says her test didn’t go at all. She has to take a make-up test. Trina asks, what happened? She studied so hard. Josslyn says, Adam had a panic attack and she had to take him to the hospital. Trina asks if he’s okay, but Josslyn says, actually, she doesn’t think so. She’s really worried about him.

Carly says, it’s not like she doesn’t want her half of the hotel back. She does, but she’s just not in the financial situation to do it. Nina says she assumed Michael would… but Carly says she’s not going to take money from her son. She got herself into this situation and she’ll get herself out on her own. Her phone chimes, and Nina flashes back to Michael giving her terms, one of which was to sell Carly her half of the MetroCourt back. Nina asks if Carly is sure she won’t reconsider. Why doesn’t she take the deal for the good of the family? Carly says, don’t worry. Willow knows she’s not accepting, and she understands. Nina made points by offering to sell to begin with. Take the win. Nina gets to keep her hotel and she’s even closer to Willow. Enjoy. She walks off.

Ned tells Drew, don’t pretend Michael is some kind of hero. He’s a shark. Michael was just waiting until he and Valentin were out of the picture; then he made his move. Michael says, don’t be so dramatic. He made a deal, plain and simple. Drew says, and it works for ELQ. Ned couldn’t have negotiated such favorable terms. Maybe that’s why he’s throwing such a tantrum. It’s killing him that Michael did a better job than Ned could have done. Ned says, Michael had his moment of glory, but from now on, stay the hell out of ELQ. He’s not a corporate officer; he’s only a shareholder. And let’s keep it that way. He walks out, and Drew says, that’s proof Ned is unfit to run ELQ. He’s a loose cannon and they have to move forward with this takeover while there’s still a company to save.

Finn tells Elizabeth, the malpractice suit has not been dropped, but at least Alexis has agreed to help him. Elizabeth says she’s confused. Alexis hasn’t been able to practice law for years. He says, but she still has contacts. He was just at her office and asked her if she could help him find a good lawyer. She set up a lunch with Diane Miller. Elizabeth says, that’s great. She can’t tell him how many times Diane represented Jason in court. And she always won. She’s the best. He says, that’s what he’s counting on.

Blaze sings again in the booth. Brook and the engineer look pleased. Brook says, they’ve got it.

Alexis says, Sam was going to tell Kristina, and Kristina says, Alexis is scaring her. Did something happen? Alexis says, the surrogate had a miscarriage. Molly and TJ lost the baby. We hear Blaze sing, I’ll be right by your side, as Alexis hugs Kristina.

Tomorrow, Carly asks what Drew is going to do about it; Cody says he’s out, but Sasha says, maybe not; Curtis says, Jordan is the only one who’ll understand what he discovered; Nina questions Charlotte; and Sonny says he’ll shut Cyrus down permanently.

Below Deck Mediterranean

Kyle says, Natalya can disappear. Get away from him. She says he doesn’t tell her what to do or how to talk, and they snipe at each other. Kyle says, Natalya will never control him, and she’s been a fake-ass bitch from day one. Natalya says, he started it, and Kyle says, don’t test him. Lara suggests they chill, and Kyle says, instead of giving her opinion about everyone else’s life, focus on her own f***ed up life. Tumi tells them that they’re going to sleep in separate rooms and asks if Natalya would like the master. She would, and Tumi says, Kyle will stay in the crew mess until she goes in there. On her way out the door, Natalya calls Kyle a horrible human. In her interview, she says, Kyle’s not the lovely, yes queen person he says he is. What’s the point in arguing with Satan? Jessika wonders what’s happening, and Kyle says he’s done arguing with a bunch of imbeciles. In Kyle’s interview, he says, Natalya constantly inserts herself into things not relevant to her. He’s sick of her gossiping and talking behind people’s backs. Who does she think she is? Lara keeps Natalya company, and Natalya says, Kyle’s behavior is not right. Lara says, it seemed all of a sudden, and in Lara’s interview, she says she’s upset because they’re both her friends. It’s not good of Natalya to mix in things, but Kyle going off is completely unacceptable. He goes from one person to another, loving then hating them. She can’t keep up with who he likes. Luka tells Jess, it’s over with Natalya, and she asks if it’s been there, not done that. He says, it’s been there, too much begging. Kyle and Max make some sort of drunken truce and high-five. Kyle says, Max isn’t the problem he’s upset about. Natalya was shutting his voice up. In Max’s interview, he says he didn’t understand allies, but he learned tonight and now he can be one. If they want him to be a Teletubby, he’s a Tellytubby. Tumi asks if Natalya is okay. What was said was horrible. She asks if Natalya is okay to sleep on the boat, and Natalya says she feels safe. In Tumi’s interview, she says, it wasn’t Natalya’s battle, but she’s not an a-hole and realizes Kyle’s behavior was inexcusable. She’s going to let them breathe. Then they need to have a conversation and resolve it. There’s only so much she can do. Luka gets in Jessika’s bunk, and in Tumi’s interview, she says, he’s a Scorpio. He’ll eat anything that comes his way that he wants.

2 days until charter. Kyle says he’s hung over as balls, and Lara says, all crew, wake the f*** up. They need to be there at 11.  In Tumi’s interview, she says, she never wants Natalya to feel uncomfortable, regardless of how she feels personally about her. Tumi tells Natalya that she wants her to feel safe, but Natalya says she feels the boat is the easy part. In Natalya’s interview, she says Kyle was fake and she thought he was a good friend. She doesn’t want to be on a team where she’s not valued or appreciated. In Luka’s interview, he says, when he woke up, he said he was never drinking again, then cracks open a beer. Natalya tells Tumi that she’s waiting for Kyle to leave. Maybe she’ll join them later. Jack needs someone to shave his back and Lara bravely volunteers. In Jack’s interview, he says he has a big baby face, but his back looks like King Kong. There’s going to be women at the beach club. In Lara’s interview, she says, this is exactly why she’s gay. Max wants to sleep, and in his interview, he says Kyle wanted to make his drama Max’s and they had a fight. When there’s toxic energy, he wants to explode everything. He’ll be fake later, but not now. Natalya tells Max that she’s quitting because Kyle is an a-hole. She’s never speaking to him again. She’s out tomorrow. In her interview, she says she doesn’t like giving up. She came on confused about her relationship, butted heads with Tumi, then vile Kyle. She’s ready to throw in the napkin. She tells Max, let’s enjoy the sunshine. The others get to the beach club, which is absolutely stunning, and in Tumi’s interview, she says, it’s so beautiful. This couldn’t have come at a better time. They need to get over last night. If they can’t get over it, they have a problem. The drinking commences in the taxi and continues at the beach club. On the boat, Natalya thinks Max should take the day and chill. Sleep on it and see how he’s feeling. Captain Sandy wanders around eating a bag of chips, and Max and Natalya go to meet the others. Kyle says he doesn’t want to be here and jets. In her interview, Tumi says, they need a miracle for the interior. She follows Kyle, who says he can’t do it for any more days. F*** the money. He can’t be near her. Tumi says, they can’t talk tomorrow, and he says he’s just keeping his distance. Tumi goes back to the table, mumbling that she wants to get drunk. In Natalya’s interview, she says she doesn’t understand what’s happening. Luka didn’t stand up for her and didn’t check in on her this morning. She expected more support. She hates how everyone is so calm about what happened. Jessika chats with Max about positivity, when Natalya stomps over to them. She says she hates how Jessika promotes good vibes, yet hasn’t spoken to her or checked in on her. Jessika says she didn’t know stuff went down, and Natalya says, that shows lot about her. In her interview, Natalya says, she’s had Jessika’s back since day one, and Jessika didn’t even check on her. We flash back to Natalya stirring the pot with Jessika on several occasions, which I guess is how she defines having someone’s back. Natalya tells us that it says a lot about Jessika. She needs to be told she’s a bitch. Natalya – judge and jury for the world when she can’t get her own sh*t straight. Natalya tells Jessika, don’t preach good energy when she was in a bad place and Jessika didn’t even check in on her. Jessika wisely just keeps saying, you’re right, since reasoning with Natalya is like reasoning with a three-year-old. Or a drunk.

Jessika tells Luka that she’s not perfect, but it was crazy. She was talking to Max about her life and suddenly her life become something else. In Jessika’s interview, she says she feels bad for Natalya. She’s had exchanges with Luka, Tumi, and Kyle, but she put herself in those situations, and now she’s taking it out on everyone else. She tells Max, this is why she doesn’t put herself in other people’s drama. Natalya calls AJ and says she’s not well. F***ing Kyle is a f***ing a-hole. There are good people, but it doesn’t feel good. She’s stressed and her anxiety is through the roof. Now she’s stuck at this beach club. She shouldn’t have come. She wants off the boat and isn’t spending another night on it. In Jack’s interview, he says he can feel the divide. He feels no one cares how Natalya was treated. Jessika says, Natalya literally yelled at her that she couldn’t believe Jessika was talking good energy. She was right not to get involved in the issue. She just had one and doesn’t want another. In Kyle’s interview, he says, Natalya is 100% a short-fused martyr. He regrets how he acted, but the emotions come back when he sees Natalya. Natalya goes back to the boat, while the others freshen up for dinner. On the boat, snoring comes from Captain Sandy’s cabin. Natalya packs, and at dinner, Tumi tells the server, just pour. In Natalya’s interview, she says she wants nothing to do with Kyle. She’ll have a conversation with Captain Sandy in the morning. She wants to sleep on it and make sure she wants to go through with this. She texts Lara to ask Luka if he’ll help carry her suitcases. Is it me? I have little to no sympathy for Natalya because of the immature, mean girl way she demands attention. She not only thinks everyone not involved should be a mind reader, she’s not even going to let them have dinner in peace without screaming, look at me! Lara tells Luka that Natalya is leaving, and Kyle says, they handled it with three people before. In Tumi’s interview, she says, if Natalya feels she wants to go, she’s not holding her back, and tells Kyle that she thinks they’ll be fine with three. In Jack’s interview, he says, that everyone is okay with Natalya leaving doesn’t sit right with him. They leave the restaurant, and Jack tells Max that he feels Natalya is being pushed out.

On the way to a club, there’s twerking and nipple flashing on one taxi, and sad looking Max and Jack in the other. When they get to the club, Max decides to stay in the taxi. Tumi asks Jessika if she wants something to happen with Luka, but Jessika says she gets attached. Tumi says, Luka’s not that guy, and in Jessika’s interview, she says she’s a relationship girl. The longest she’s been single is maybe four months. Her first relationship was at 16, and they were together two years. There was a brief relationship with a guy in Vegas, but her advice is, don’t date Vegas guys. Her latest relationship lasted six years. She gives it her all. In Tumi’s interview, she says she’s worried tonight isn’t going to end well. Luka and Jessika sort of kiss, but are mostly goofing around. Jack accosts Haleigh about Natalya, and Haleigh says she doesn’t blame Natalya for going. Jack says, no one else is bothered, and Haleigh says, let’s get drinks, which seems like as good an answer as any to the problem. Jack says his phone is dead, so he wants a drink. Kyle says he’s feeling more liberated. He’s never felt more free as himself. Hmm… Sounds like drunk talk to me. Haleigh and Lara get on either side of Jack to help him to the taxi. Kyle says he’s going to help Natalya pack, and in Luka’s interview, he says, Kyle’s being a mean girl. It’s awkward. He doesn’t want to stand up for Natalya too much. He’ll get his head bit off. When they get back to the boat, Haleigh says she’s going to sleep, and Lara says, let’s make some noodles, bitches. In Lara’s interview, she says she can’t keep up with this sh*t. At least she’s not the center of the drama. Ugly drama. She scarfs some, no doubt cold pasta out of a huge bowl, and Tumi checks on Natalya, who says she’s leaving in the morning. Tumi tells the rest in the crew mess that Natalya is done, then asks for some noodles. She says she doesn’t want to be a bitch, but can someone help with Natalya’s bags tomorrow. Kyle says, maybe he can try to talk to her, and Tumi says she has no time for this again. He goes to the door of the master, and in her interview, Tumi says she’s holding her breath. Kyle opens the door and asks, can he… Natalya says, no.  

Natalya tells Kyle that she’s so tired. He says he doesn’t want to make it worse. He just wants her to know it hurts his heart what happened to them. He apologizes and isn’t blaming it on anything. He said what he said. In Natalya’s interview, she says, she can accept his apology – even that’s fake – but she doesn’t want anything to do with him. Kyle says, this is an indefinite goodbye. It wasn’t a normal fight. She says, it’s heartbreaking is what it is, and he says, if she ever wants to rechart, she knows where he is. He leaves and tells Tumi that he said apology words, but there was no forgiveness. She may never reach out. He wasn’t there to ask her to stay. Tumi says she wishes Natalya well, and in her interview, she says, Kyle thinks he’s the victim. Maybe the boat will be better, maybe not. Luka and Jessika roll around in the bottom bunk, when Tumi comes in. She says, they’re going to make the best babies, and gets in the top bunk. Luka makes his exit.

29 hours before charter. In Max’s interview, he says he wasn’t sleeping last night. When his Eifel Tower is down in the morning, it’s an indicator that he’s not in a good environment. Good to know. Natalya asks to meet Captain Sandy on the bridge. She tells the captain, besides personal stuff at home, Kyle is fighting with everyone. She misrepresents what happened in Kyle’s fight with Max, which was basically a stupid drunk fight, and tells the captain that she thought Kyle was her best friend. He had Jessika crying because he screamed at her. We flash back to the green stew debacle, and Captain Sandy says she’s going to speak to Kyle. It’s not okay for him to be bullying. Natalya says she needs to get off the boat. She feels safe, but she just doesn’t feel good. The captain says she won’t find anyone as excellent as Natalya. She wants Natalya to stay, but if she wants to leave, nothing is worth her mental health. They hug, and in the captain’s interview, she says, she can’t make Natalya stay nor would she want her to. She wants Natalya to feel supported, but at the same time, she’s pissed about losing Natalya. It’s going to be hard on the interior, and they’re in trouble with their next charter. She’s not condoning Kyle’s behavior. The way Natalya described it, it’s unacceptable, and she’s pissed.

Natalya hugs Jack, who’s all bummed. In Luka’s interview, he says he can’t believe she’s leaving. It will be amazing for her to go home and sort out her stuff and find out what she wants to do. In Natalya’s interview, she says she’s happy that she stuck it out as long as she could, but at a point, she needs to say, sayonara. She needs to have a hard conversation with her partner. Luka should have encouraged her to stay, but he was too focused on vagina. If not for Kyle, she could have had a good relationship. This was the last straw. She’s done. She’s unfollowing him. That makes it official.

Captain Sandy texts Norma asking for a new stew. She calls Jack to the bridge, and in her interview, she says she’s not sure what happened, but she’s not happy. She wants to know the full story, so she’s getting other people’s feedback. Jack says he doesn’t remember what the argument was about (I’m not surprised with the amount of alcohol in him), but Kyle was mad. He stuck up for Max, but Kyle was out of order. It all came out when he was drunk. Everyone seemed happy Natalya was leaving, but he thinks they’re insecure. She’s the best stew they’ve had. The captain says she’ll deal with it, and when he leaves, she says she didn’t expect that. In Jessika’s interview, she says she’s not sure how this sh*t is going to pan out. She feels relieved, but what’s happening is confusing. It’s stressful thinking about it. The captain calls Tumi to the bridge and asks if Tumi remembers they talked about respect in the workplace. She asks about the issue with Kyle. What happened with Max? Tumi says, it got heated, but she didn’t understand the story. Captain Sandy asks if she witnessed Kyle and Natalya’s altercation, and Tumi says, it caught her off-guard and it was also heated. The captain says, even when they’re off the boat, they still represent the boat. Tumi says she respects Kyle as a co-worker and loves him, but the way he reacts when he’s emotionally triggered is incorrect. Captain Sandy says, it’s not okay, and asks Tumi to get Kyle. Max is starting to look smart at this point.  

Max compares the yacht to a casino, and he wants to cash out. He wants to go out after one more charter, but Luka says, they have four to go. In Luka’s interview, he says, his team was making progress. They were doing great. He’ll tell Max and maybe that will change his mind. In the crew mess, Tumi tells Jessika about talking to the captain, and on the bridge, Captain Sandy tells Kyle, have a seat. It’s not a good morning for her. She has ears and eyes, and in every situation on the boat, he’s the common denominator. He had screaming matches with Max, Jessika, and Natalya, and he’s the person always in screaming matches. She’d never bring him back as chief stew because he can’t control his emotions. This is a professional setting, and he’s bullying and screaming. She doesn’t want a person like him on board. Does he understand? He says, yes, captain.

To be continued…

🚙 Gathering Together…

Start working off your future Thanksgiving dinner by running here tomorrow for soap and a mixture of side dishes. Until then, stay safe, stay not being the unexpected early guest, and stay never going along with a dysfunctional situation that’s bound to blow up.

Nov21

November 19, 2023 – Part 2 – The Final Fear & Better

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What I Watched Today

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

Fear the Walking Dead

Part 2 – The Road Ahead

Madison flashes back to Alicia as she looks for Tracy in the woods. She calls to Tracy and says, she doesn’t have to be afraid. Tracy hides in a hollow log, looking at her medal, and crying silently. Zombies start to come into view. Dwight pops out of the woods and kills one, and Tracy scootches further back into the log. June asks if they found Tracy, and Sherry says, not yet, but they found Troy’s righthand guy. He’s hurt bad, but he’ll make it. Daniel asks why they’re helping Russell, and Dwight says, the herd dispersed, and they want to keep him close to find out where they went. Daniel wants to get a car and get as far away as possible, but Luciana says, it’s over. Daniel says, not as long as the girl is out there. Troy still has his followers and they’re fanatics. They hurry Russell into the car, and Daniel asks Luciana how far the refinery is. She says, about a day’s drive, and he tells her get the car and he’ll get some supplies, and they leave. Tracy comes out, but so do a couple of wayward zombies. She knocks one down, but her pokey stick gets stuck in another, and it brings her down. She kicks at it, and Madison kills it. She says, Tracy is going to get herself killed, but Tracy says she doesn’t care. Madison killed her dad. Madison asks if she heard her mom was Madison’s daughter, but Tracy says, that’s not true. Her mom Serena died. Madison asks why Tracy’s father would tell her what he did, but Tracy says she doesn’t know. Madison insists Tracy come with her. It’s not safe; there are dead everywhere. Tracy says she’s not safe with Madison, but Madison says she did what she had to. She sees Tracy’s ankle is hurt. She says, what’s left of the herd is still out there, and she’s all Tracy’s got. She coughs and thinks of Alicia. Tracy asks where Madison is taking her, and Madison says, to find Tracy’s mother and her daughter, so her daughter can be put to rest. Tracy’s father was right about one thing. Pretending the world is different than it is gets people killed. The sooner Tracy figures that out, the better. It’s how she’ll survive. Madison figured it out too late to save her own kids and she’s not making the same mistake with Tracy.

Aww, the opening credits show everyone.

Luciana gases up a car and hotwires it. She radios Daniel to meet her, and Madison appears holding a gun on Luciana. Madison tells her, don’t say anything, and turn off the walkie. She asks if Luciana’s road network doesn’t include Fort Worth. They need Luciana to show them the way. Madison calls to Tracy, and Luciana says, she looks hurt. She asks why Madison is doing it this way, and Madison says she can’t run the risk of being taken back to the island and living the way Victor wants them to, thinking the world is different than it is. That will get them killed. Troy is out of the picture, so fix the car so they can get out. Madison takes some oxygen and remembers Alicia and Nick. Luciana says, maybe if Madison puts Alicia to rest it will help her see beyond her anger and show her there’s something more to fight for. She tells Madison that she needs to get a new fuel pump, and Madison makes her leave the walkie.

Madison tapes Tracy’s ankle, and Tracy says, pretending they’re family won’t change what Madison did. Madison says she knows it seems unforgiveable, but this way, Tracy will live long enough to understand why she did it. Tracy gives Madison the medal and tells Madison that her dad said he got it from her mom. If what he said is true, it belonged to Alicia. Madison asks, why give it to her? and Tracy says, it doesn’t work. It didn’t keep her dad safe. Madison says, apparently, it didn’t keep Alicia safe either, and Tracy grabs Madison’s gun, saying, back away. Madison says she’s not leaving Tracy, and takes the gun from her. She takes out the magazine and says, it’s not loaded. Does Tracy think she’d risk pointing it at her daughter’s kid? She puts the medal in the empty magazine and then into the breast pocket of her jacket, and Tracy asks why she’s keeping it. They both know it doesn’t work. Madison says, it’s all she has left of her daughter, besides Tracy. She can get a new chain for it. Victor shows up, and asks what they’re doing here. Madison says, Luciana told them? but Luciana says she gave Madison her walkie. Victor says he needs to take them back to PADRE, so Tracy can process what happened, and to help Madison process what Troy told her. Madison says, they can’t go back, but Victor says, it’s the safest place. Madison says, building what she and Alicia wanted will just get Tracy killed, but he asks what she’s talking about. She says, Alicia gave Troy a second chance, and he killed her and took her kid for it. Victor says he knows things seem scary, but Tracy can trust him, and holds out his hand. Madison shoots in the air and says, stay away. The shots alert the zombies heading their way, and they fight the zombies off. Daniel says he’s not letting Madison take Luciana away from him, and Madison says, nobody’s going to get hurt if they just let her and Tracy go. They’ll go on foot if they have to. The zombies are getting plentiful, but Daniel says, they don’t have enough bullets, and Victor suggests they get inside. They all go in the auto shop.

Zombies scrabble at the windows, and Madison asks if there’s another way out, but Luciana says, the back wall caved in. Victor says he’s getting help and radios Frank. He tells Frank that they’re pinned in an auto shop and need help, but Frank says, they’ve got their own problems with the dead. On the island, a barge full of zombies is headed for the dock. Dwight says, what the hell is this? and Russell says, they should have done more than disperse the herd. If Troy taught them one thing, it was how to herd the dead. They’re going to overrun this place, and there’s not a damn thing they can do. June says, they had a truce, but Russell says, then they killed Troy. Dwight grabs Russell and says, stop them, and Russell laughs and says, he can’t. Zombies begin to tumble into the water, and Dwight says, get everyone inside and close the gates now! The rain starts to pour, and the zombies start coming through the water and onto the shore. It’s pretty creepy looking.

Daniel says, there’s not enough firepower. They’ll wait them out. They’ll tire eventually. Victor says, it’s time they don’t have, and calls Frank. Frank asks if Victor is okay, and Victor says, they’re safe for now. What about Frank? Klaus tells Frank that they’re surrounded by zombies, but the walls are holding. He asks if Tracy is there, and Victor says, she is, why? Sherry sits Russell by the radio and Frank says, Troy’s man wants to talk to her. He says if they hand over Tracy, his men will draw the zombies away. Victor puts Tracy on, and Tracy asks if it’s really Russell. Russell says, it is. He promised Troy that he’d take care of her. Madison says, Troy asked her, and Russell says, after she gutted him. He wasn’t in his right mind. Madison says, Tracy is all she has left, but Russell says, that’s not necessarily true, and she asks what that means. Troy stabbed Alicia and left her for dead, but he didn’t see her die. Madison says, Troy told her that Alicia turned, but Russell says, that’s because it’s what he told Troy. Troy cut her up pretty good, but Alicia got him too. She nearly drove her arm clean through his stomach. Like mother, like daughter. He limped home with it still in his belly; that’s how he got her arm. He sent his men back to make sure the job was done, and they found a blood-soaked mattress, a bloody knife, and bloody footprints heading out the door. Victor says, that doesn’t mean she’s alive, and Madison says, he could be lying to get what he wants. Why did Russell tell Troy that she was dead? Russell says, Troy wasn’t in a forgiving mood. He told Troy what he wanted to hear. Give them Tracy, and she’ll find her daughter. Luciana tells Madison not to fall for it, but Madison tells Russell that she can’t do that. If Alicia is out there, she deserves to be with her daughter. Alicia wouldn’t want her turning Tracy over. Russell says he thought she might say that, so his men will take the island, but Dwight says, the dead can’t get in here. Russell says, they don’t have to get in. They just have to get the living out. There are some bomb blasts, and Victor says, he needs to get to the island. He’s doing it with or without them. He opens the door to the waiting zombies, and everyone scrambles. There’s slicing and dicing and whacking zombies in the head.  

Dwight asks how Russell blew off the grenades, and Russell says, they had launchers for a while, and waited for the right time to let them rip. Dwight knocks him down, and June says, they can’t stay much longer. Daniel was right; they should have left Russell to die. Dove brings June the set of pistols that belonged to John and asks what they are. June says, a little help from the past, and Dwight says, they have to leave. They’ll go through the woods. He tells Dove to take the prefects and fire as many flares as they can off the far walls. It will thin the herds and they can create their own path. Only kill zombies if they have to, and don’t stop until they get to the dock. They’re bringing Russell with them. Are they ready? Sherry says, for Finch, and Dwight says, open ‘em. Russell asks if they’re insane. They’ll be eaten alive. Dwight says, that’s why Russell is here, and uses him as a buffer in the front. Ha-ha-ha!

At the auto shop, Victor says, that’s the last of them. They have to get to the island now. Daniel says that’s the last time Victor and Madison put his family in danger to save theirs, but Victor says, Daniel would do the same thing if Luciana was on the island. Daniel says, Victor is pursuing this self-serving crusade to make himself feel better about the rotten things he’s done, and Victor says, the parts of him that Daniel hates are the things he doesn’t like about himself. Daniel asks if he’s a psychiatrist now. Every person he ever cared for, he lost because of Madison and Victor. Madison says, they’ve all lost people, and Daniel says he’s sorry he let Madison’s husband in his barbershop back in Los Angeles. He’s had bad luck since. She says she’s sorry she let Daniel into her home, and Victor says he’s sorry he let Daniel on his boat. Luciana says, they can make it to the refinery before sunrise, and Daniel says, wherever Alicia is, she’s better off without Madison. Victor says, that’s enough, and Luciana tells Madison that the car should get her where she wants to go. She hopes Madison can find peace. Daniel suggests Tracy run as far as she can from these people; Madison is losing her mind. And Victor is a selfish, pathological liar, and would have gotten them killed like every person he’s cared for. Victor radios Frank, and Frank says, there are too many. They can’t get to the dock. They’re pushing them back to the center, pushing at the fence. Victor asks why they’re not inside the fort, and Frank says, they’re fighting. They’ve got their hands full and the zombies are going to breach the net. Victor says, they need to move to the docks, but Madison says she’s not going. She has to find Alicia. Victor says, they will, after they save the island. She says, Tracy is in no shape to fight, and if she goes, she might not come back. Victor says he needs his friend to try and save his family, and she says, he is her friend, but she can’t. He doesn’t understand. She’s been seeing Alicia, Nick too. It’s like a dream, just their faces, before things went bad, back in L.A. If she has a chance to find Alicia, she has to try. Start over. Victor asks if she doesn’t think he wants that. He has his family dream; she’ll have hers too. Madison says, then he understands why she has to look for Alicia. She can’t go further with him. He says, so this is it. He came to save Tracy, to save Madison, so he could give her chance to get things right. Now Frank and Klaus might die because of it. He guesses Madison is teaching Tracy what she wants her to learn. This is how you survive. If she finds Alicia, tell her that he tried.

Tracy and Madison are in the car, and Madison looks at a map. Tracy says, if Madison is so sure the world is sh*t, why was it so important for Alicia to believe differently? Madison says she doesn’t know. She thinks parents just try to give their kids the things they didn’t have. Tracy asks if Madison had nothing to believe in when she was a kid, and Madison says, her daddy used to drink. When he drank, he hurt her mama. He hit her. He would apologize and claim he’d stop drinking, but he never did. She watched it happen for a long time, when she was around Tracy’s age. One day it went too far. She saw too much, like all those moments built up. She knew he was going to kill her mama eventually and she wanted it to stop. She wanted it to stop so bad, she shot him. Tracy puts her hand on Madison’s and says, she did it to protect her mom. She didn’t want Alicia to have to do anything like that. Madison says she thought she could build a place where Alicia wouldn’t have to, where she and Madison’s son could feel safe. But all she ever did was put them in danger. Tracy says, so Madison gets it. Why she has to do this. She shoots Madison in the side, and Madison falls out of the car. She laughs, and says, Tracy finally understands this is what happens when you try to build something better. You end up giving people hope and putting them in danger and getting them killed. Find Alicia and make sure she understands too. Tracy says, Alicia’s not her mom. She’s done listening to Madison. She runs away.

Victor and the others run to the island, and Victor radios for help. Luciana and Daniel hear him, but Luciana says, they can’t get there in time. They’ll have to fight on their own. Victor says, it can’t end like this. Nooo!

On the island, the dead are being burned in funeral pyres. Troy is now a zombie and stuck in a tree. Tracy sees him, and says she’s been looking for him all night. She shot Madison; she had to. She thinks everyone died on the island. She loves him. She aims the gun and shoots.

Tracy buries Troy, and says, he was all she had left. She looks at the gun, when Victor comes along. He tells her to put the gun down, but she says, leave her alone. He says, if that’s what she wants, but first he’d like to help clean her up, and there’s something he needs to tell her. Zombies are heading their way, and Victor picks up the gun and holds out his hand. He says he knows a place that’s safe.

Tracy asks what Victor wants. Why is he still here? He says, because she still has something left to fight for. She just doesn’t know it yet. She asks how he can say that. How is he even alive? He says, Madison saved him. She saved all of them. He promised he’d find Tracy and tell her what Madison did. Tracy says, no, no, no. She shot Madison. She killed her. We see Madison after Tracy shot her. She gasps and gets up. Victor says, she thought she was dying too. She thought it was all over. Tracy asks, what happened? Madison takes the magazine out of her pocket, and Victor says, something stopped the bullet, the St. Christopher’s medallion, Alicia’s medallion. Tracy says she doesn’t understand, and Victor says, after Tracy shot her and Madison realized Tracy wanted everything to end, she knew she was wrong. She knew she had to do something big, something monumental, if there was any hope in restoring Tracy’s faith in what’s worth fighting for. We see the fighting on the island and Dwight yelling, move! Victor says, for the people they love, for the people they have, for the things that are bigger than all of them. We see June tending wounds, and Victor says, for the things they’d give their up lives to protect. Tracy says, no way she saved them all with that many dead, but he says she did. The same way she did before. Like a repeat of the stadium. We see Madison drawing the zombies’ attention with a flare, and leading them away, and Victor says, she led the dead into PADRE’s walls so they could escape to the docks and live. Madison breaks open fire extinguishers, and Tracy asks why she did that for them, and he says, it wasn’t just for them. It was for her too, so she would know. She says, know what? and Victor says, that her dad and Madison were right. They knew fighting for something better could get you killed, but it also does something that just fighting to survive can’t. It can let you live forever. Madison sets fire to the horde and blows up everything. Tracy says she’s got no one left, but Victor says, she has him and all the others. Tracy says, Madison died for her and so did her father. She can’t. She pushes Victor and takes the gun. She says she can’t be here, and runs out into the dark woods.

Tracy picks a flower among the rubble and brings it to a sleeping Madison. She takes out the medal and tells Madison that she found a chain in the supplies. She wishes it still worked. She puts it in Madison’s hand, and Madison stirs. Tracy takes out the gun, and Madison wheezes, then coughs. She asks, where is she? and Tracy says, she’s awake. She’s thought Madison was going die and had to drag her up here on a stretcher. She got antibiotics. She thought Madison’s lungs were infected. Her dad trained her in all fields of medicine. Madison says, the fort collapsed, and Tracy says, it took her half a day to dig Madison out. If she hadn’t had this one mask, Madison would have suffocated. Madison sits up, and says, Tracy came back. Tracy says, Madison is the only family she has left. Victor told her what she did. Madison says she’s sorry about Tracy’s dad, and Tracy says she knows. She’s sorry she shot Madison. Madison says she doesn’t think she gave Tracy much choice and sits up. She did good. She did real good. A woman asks if anyone is there, and Tracy grabs the gun, telling her, stop. No closer. The woman says she’s not here to hurt anyone, and Tracy says, put your hands up and move slowly, but the woman says, she can put the gun down. She’s just here to bury her… We see it’s Alicia and she says, mom? They hug and cry.

Madison says she can’t believe it’s real, but Alicia promises it is. She asks if Madison is okay, and Madison says she will be. Meowing comes from Alicia’s duffel bag, and Tracy runs over, opening the bag and petting… Skidmark! I nearly burst into tears. I forgot all about him. Alicia says, it’s a very old friend she came across searching a warehouse for supplies. She’s trying to return him to his rightful owner. Madison asks how she found them, and Alicia says, a story woman about a woman who sacrificed herself here. The person who told her said her name was Madison. It didn’t make sense, and she didn’t know how Madison could possibly be alive, but she had to be sure. She saw the fort over there. How is Madison still here? Madison says, Alicia’s daughter came back and saved her, and Alicia asks what she’s talking about. Madison says, Tracy, the child Troy took, but Alicia says she never had a kid. Tracy says, Alicia’s not her mom? and Alicia says, no, but she knew Tracy’s mom when Tracy was a baby. Her name was Serena. She was a pretty amazing woman. Madison wonders why Troy lied; she doesn’t understand. Tracy says, Troy knew how hard Madison fought for her own kids and gave Madison a reason to for her. Madison asks who Alicia heard the story from.

On a bridge overlooking a highway, Alicia says she’d been picking up outside chatter on the road. She would have looked for Madison if she’d known she was alive. Madison says she would have looked for Alicia too; she would have never stopped looking. Alicia says, after Troy attacked her and she got back on her feet, she went to find the people she’d been saying with, and she saw something on the road; women dressed like her, using the weapons she was using, doing the things she was doing, helping people. Madison says she met some of them, and Alicia says, it was like the story of what she’d done was doing more good than she could do on her own. So she went somewhere else and used a different name so Troy couldn’t find her. If she hadn’t, maybe they’d have found each other. Madison says she made the right choice. She gave people something to believe in. Tracy runs over with binoculars, and they duck down. They see several trucks coming down the road, and Alicia says, the people who told her what Madison did had one of those containers. We see the trucks said PADRE, but now the P is changed to an M, and they say MADRE. Madison wonders if it’s because of her, and Alicia says, they don’t even know she’s alive.

The four trucks meet at a crossroads. Luciana asks if everyone has a mask and knows where to refuel, and June says, yes. Dove asks what direction June is going in, and June says, there’s a cabin in Texas she needs to visit, someone she hasn’t seen in a while. Dove asks if she wants company, and June says, it’s far, but Dove says it will give June time to teach her medicine. What June did for her when she was shot, she wants to learn to do the same for other people. June says, then she’s going to the right place. The cabin belonged to her husband. It’s where she met him. Where he taught her to shoot and survive and to live again. If he can do that for her there, maybe she can do the same for… Odessa. Ada says, the repeater stations will allow them to stay in touch, and Dwight says, they’ll be hearing from him. He’s going to be looking for the parents who are still out there. Sherry says, they found each other against all odds, they’d like to do the same for the kids. Odessa asks, after they find them, what then? and Sherry says, they’ll figure it out. Everyone disperses into their vehicles, and Sherry asks what Dwight is thinking. He says he’s thinking about the Sanctuary. They could take everybody there. She asks, why go back there? and he says, they know it’s defensible, and the streets are still intact. She says she lost him to that place before. She can’t lose him again. He says, she’s not going to. They’re a family. Maybe they can take the place and make it worthy of its name. Make Finch proud. Sherry nods, and says, okay. Let’s try. He says he loves her; she says she loves him too, and they kiss.

Daniel says he was thinking about what he told Victor, and he was wrong… in some parts. Victor did save him and his family when the world fell apart. Thanks for the Abigail. Victor says, don’t thank him for something people should do for one another. Daniel caught him on a good day. Daniel says, maybe Victor does remind him of the worst parts of himself. He doesn’t know if people like them can act differently. Maybe that’s why he has a problem with Victor. But for the sake of the others and their own sakes, he guesses they’ve got to try and change. Victor thinks he has, but whether Daniel has is up to him. In German, Daniel says, I’m tired of war. All the best. He puts his hand on Victor’s shoulder and moves on. Victor hugs Luciana and tells her to take good care of herself. She says, him too. Gracias. He kisses her hands, and goes to the truck. Daniel hears a cat, and Skidmark comes out from under the truck. He asks, where did you come from? and laughs, picking the cat up and hugging him.

Victor sees a freshly picked flower in the truck and asks if Klaus put this in here. Klaus says, no. Why? Victor says, nothing, and they get in. Frank says, he did all he could. If Tracy wants to be found, she will. They’ll comb the area a few more times. He gets in, and Victor looks out the window. He sees Madison, Alicia, and Tracy walking away through a yard, and Frank asks what he’s looking at. Victor says, nothing, and starts the truck. He asks, where to? and Klaus puts his finger randomly on the map. Victor says, onward. I wonder if Victor will tell them one day.

Madison and Alicia lean against the truck, and Tracy asks if Madison is sure she’s okay with this. Madison says, they don’t need her. They’re like the people who step in for Alicia. They’ll do better if they think she’s gone. Before she gives them a reason to stop believing. Alicia asks, where to? and Madison says she’s been having visions of Alicia and Nick, before everything went bad. Alicia asks, where? and Madison says, Los Angeles. Alicia says, they saw it get bombed, but Madison says, that was a long time ago. It’s probably still pretty rough there, and people could use their help. She puts her hand on the cannister holding Nick’s ashes and remembers the old days. She says, it will never be what it was, but that doesn’t mean they can’t start over. Alicia says, let’s go, and Madison asks if Tracy is in. Tracy says, yeah, let’s go, and they get in the truck.  

The song, Mama Tried plays as they drive away.  

There are thank yous for the cast to the fans. Thank You #WalkingDeadFamily.

🌊 See you later for soap and awful people on Deck.

Nov20

November 19, 2023 – First Part of Fear Finale & Dog

Posted on by
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What I Watched Today

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

Disclaimer… or something. To do this amazing but very, very long finale justice in editing, I give you Part 1 right now and will post Part 2 tomorrow. Or later today. Or… I’m tired.

Fear the Walking Dead

Part 1 – Fighting Like You

Mississippi Queen plays, and we see a fire being set and bright lights coming on. The zombie horde is led out of the woods by Troy and company. He radios Russell who says, they’re in formation. He’ll see Troy at the rendezvous. Tracy asks how they’ll get to PADRE, since it’s an island. They can’t walk the zombies in. Troy asks, who said they were walking? Russell came through with the perfect way to get them there. They’ll finally have a home. Tracy says, her mom pulled loose, and zombie Serena scrabbles at the back window of the truck. Troy says, she won’t hurt them. She’s going to be the one to make Madison pay for everything she’s done. He asks Tracy, what’s wrong? and Tracy asks why her mom has to kill Madison. Troy says, Alicia’s mother put the thinking into people’s heads that got them killed, and they can’t let that happen to anyone else. Tracy says, Victor told her the St. Christpher medal belonged to Alicia, but Troy asks if she knows how many St. Christopher medals are out there. He was mistaken. Her mother gave it to him when she died and made him promise to give it to her and keep her safe. That’s what he’s been doing ever since. Tracy yells, look out! and the truck flips over an embankment.  

Tracy tells Troy, wake up, and he opens his eyes. She says, he’s been out for hours, and he asks, what happened? She says, they went over an embankment. She thinks he ran over a trap. Troy has been impaled with a tree branch, which is sticking out of his upper chest, and he says he’s pinned to the seat. He asks, where’s the gun? and she says, he lost it when they crashed. She can’t find it. He says, they have to catch up with Russell, and tries pulling the branch out, but he can’t. He says, Tracy has to go meet Russell. He’ll give her the coordinates. But she says she’s not leaving him. He says she has to. It’s everything they’ve fought for. If she doesn’t make it to PADRE, everything they’ve done won’t mean anything. Tracy says she’s going to find help. She doesn’t want to live there if she’s not with him. She gives him the medal to keep him safe like, and says she’ll come back for him. Then they’ll make PADRE their home together. She runs off, zigzagging through the zombies headed for the truck.  

A zombie is squashed by the MRAP tank, and Madison gets out. Victor radios, as Madison realizes the zombie horde is gone. He asks where she is, and she says she can’t help him. Enough people died because of her and she can’t put the rest at risk. He says, it’s just him and his newly found friends. She says she has the tank, ammo, and guns, and doesn’t need help. Unlike him, she has no one to disappoint. He should build PADRE into what Alicia wanted. Victor says, she thinks it’s one thing, then can’t stop. He learned the hard way at the Tower. There was always one more thing he had to do to keep it safe. Before he knew it, he was the thing people needed protection from. There’s another way. Madison opens the back door to the tank, and sees Tracy. She asks what Tracy is doing here. Where’s Troy? Tracy says, he’s hurt, and Madison says, bullsh*t, but Tracy says, he crashed the truck. Madison asks, why Russell didn’t help, and Tracy says, he couldn’t. He’s leading the rest of the herd. Madison asks, where? but Tracy says she doesn’t know. Madison asks, who does know? and Tracy says, her dad is going to die if she doesn’t help him. Madison asks why she’s here, and Tracy says she thought she could use the radio. Madison asks where the truck is, and Tracy hesitates, but Madison says, Tracy can’t use her radio and she’s running out of options. Tracy says, it’s down an embankment, about a mile east of here. Madison sits her down, and zip ties her wrist to the tank. She radios Victor and says, change of plans. She’s leaving the MRAP. Victor asks, where she’s going, and she says, to kill Troy. Tracy says, no! What happened to, no one’s gone until they’re gone? She told Victor to build what Alicia wanted. If Madison gave Victor a second chance, why not her dad? Madison says, he doesn’t deserve one, and Tracy says, that’s not what Alicia believed. Help her dad the way Alicia helped her. She gestures toward Alicia’s mechanical arm, displayed in the tank, and Madison leaves.  

Russell radios Troy and says he’s picking up stragglers. How is Troy in the same place? Troy says, by the looks of it, he’s not going anywhere. Promise him something. Russell says, anything, and Troy tells him whatever happens, find Tracy and make sure she gets there. Russell promises she’ll finally have a home. The zombies coming closer to Troy are whacked in the head, as Russel says, they’ll take the island. Madison says, no, they won’t, and neither will Troy. He pulls the branch out of the seat, but not his chest, and he launches himself at Madison. They tumble down, and he pushes her toward zombie Serena. Madison twists the stick, pulls it out, and shoves it in zombie Serena’s head. Troy says, she had no right. Madison picks up the hammer, and says she’ll bury him next to her, and he says, she thinks killing him will help build the island. She says, he killed her daughter. She has to do what she has to, to make sure Alicia’s memory didn’t die with her. People like them are no longer in this world, but Troy says, she can’t kill him. She wants to stop the herd, and he’s the only person who knows where they’re going. She says, her people will figure it out, but he says, not in time. She needs to do something for him. He needs to see his daughter. He needs to tell her something. Madison brings out the radio, and says, tell her now, but he says he needs to see her. She says, nice try, a-hole, and he says, let him bury his wife. Bring him to his daughter, and he’ll take her to Russell. She asks what he has to tell Tracy that’s so important, and he says, it just is. She asks how she knows he’ll hold up his end of the deal, and he says, she doesn’t. Just like he doesn’t know she won’t kill him. She says, okay. She takes him to Tracy, who asks, what happened to him? He says he was doing what it takes to protect PADRE and get to see his daughter one more time. Madison radios Victor and says she’s coming back. She’s bringing Troy and he’s going to lead them to the herd. And she’s bringing Tracy. She tells Troy, hold still, and pulls out the stick. He falls over.

Tracy watches one of Alicia’s video tapes, when Victor opens the tank. He asks what she’s doing here, and she says, waiting for her father. He agreed to tell them where the herd is heading. Victor says, whether he’s lying or not remains to be seen. Why would her father help when PADRE is everything to him? Why would he give it up? He supposes they’ll find out. Tracy says, he’s going to kill Madison when he gets what he wants. She thinks he doesn’t deserve a second chance. One of the Alicia clones asks, how many tapes has Tracy seen? If she watches more, she’ll see that Madison gave a lot of people second chances, whether they deserved them or not. Tracy says, like who? and Victor tells her that Madison never gave up on him, but Tracy says, Madison’s not her anymore. Madison radios Victor and says, they’ll be there shortly. Troy buries Serena, and she tells him, it must be nice to bury the person you love. He says, Alicia can rot on her feet forever, and she asks if he wants her to put the branch back in. Keep talking. He says, his wife is dead because of her, and she asks, why? Troy says, it’s not important, and Madison says, it was important enough for him to kill her daughter over it, and he says, Serena was pregnant, and they were still looking for a place live since Mexico. She got bit. Madison says, and that’s Alicia’s fault? but Troy says, nope. Alicia’s the one who saved her. Madison asks, how? and he says he put out an SOS on the radio. Alicia was the last person he thought would respond, but she did. Madison says, she helped him? and he says, that surprises her, especially after how they parted ways in Brokejaw. Serena was bitten on the arm like Alicia, so she knew where to cut and how to do it… Then, when Serena was out of the woods, Alicia got back in the MRAP and left to help more people. Madison says she’s having a hard time seeing how this led to him killing Alicia, and he says, Serena changed after that; Alicia changed her. She wanted to be just like Alicia. Madison asks if she was, and he says, yeah. She tried to help as many as she could. One day, they got a call, and SOS on the radio. A guy said he needed help, and when Serena showed up, he shot her and robbed her. He took everything she owned and left her for dead. When Troy went looking for her, he found her holed up in a strip mall, but it was too late to save her; she’d lost too much blood. He held while she died. He listened to her weep about how she’d never watch their daughter grow up. She allowed herself to get wrapped up in Alicia’s bullsh*t, and she made him promise to never let Tracy hurt the way she did. So he never let his daughter believe the same bullsh*t Alicia put in Serena’s head. Madison says, that’s why he killed Alicia? and he says, yep. He made a promise. An errant zombie tumbles down the hill toward them and Troy shoves Madison, who gets tangled with it. He runs, but trips on a wire and falls into a trap. Madison extracts herself and goes over to the pit. She says, today is not his day, and Crane comes up behind her. He says, it’s not hers either, and hits her in the back of the head.

Madison wakes up on a barge, tied to Troy. Crane says, welcome back. Does she like his new digs? It doesn’t measure up to what they have in PADRE, but it was handy to get supplies to the cargo ship when he ran out of gas. Troy asks, who the hell is he and what does he know about PADRE? Crane says, he is PADRE. Or he was. Him and his sister. Lark got his sister killed. Madison says, she got herself killed, and Crane says, and Blue Jay spared him. Madison asks what he wants, and he says he’s looking for a way to get paid back. Today he found it. He heard them on the radio, and he’s prepared to give Troy what he wants. Troy asks, what’s the catch? and Crane says, he can start by telling his friend to call off the dogs, and Troy laughs. He asks why he’d do that, and Crane says, he’ll let Troy and his daughter live in PADRE. Madison says, he’s lying, but Crane says, Troy has more of a chance with him than Madison. Do they have a deal? He holds out the radio, and Madison yells to Victor that they’re on a barge near the docks, but Crane knocks her in the face. She says she should have killed him when she had the chance, and Crane says, this is what happens when you show mercy. She says she was trying to save his people from him and his sister, and Crane says, change of plans. Troy is going to tell his friends to call off their army in person and take him to the herd. If either one of them tries anything, he’ll kill them both. He tells his men to get the truck ready.

They drive, and Victor comes on the radio, saying, they’re at the barge… Crane turns off the radio and asks, what changed? Madison risked her life to reunite Wren and Nightingale. Now she’s using a father against his daughter. What happened to, family is worth fighting for? She says, it still is. She’s just fighting his way. Zombie blood hits the windshield, and Daniel, Luci, et al come out. Crane tries to overpower them, but zombies start coming. Luci calls to Madison, who shoots at Crane’s guys, and a couple of zombies get Crane down.

Luciana leads them into a nearby building, and Madison tries to radio Victor, but Troy says, he can’t hear. They have to get to higher ground. Daniel says, he’s not going anywhere, and Luciana says, they’re here for a reason. To do to him what he did to them at her truck stop. Daniel says, and Ofelia and Charlie and anyone else he hurt. Madison says, he can’t be the only one who knows where the herd is, and Luciana says, they can find it without Troy. Madison says she needs to find the MRAP and meet Victor on the road. Daniel is about to cut the bond tying Troy to Madison, but Madison stops him. She says, they can’t have him getting away when this is over. She has to make sure he doesn’t hurt anyone else. Daniel says, if she doesn’t, he will, and he and Luciana leave.

Troy and Madison walk, and Troy tells Madison that Crane isn’t going to take the herd. He sent Crane in the wrong direction. Madison asks, why? and he says he’s dealing with her, not them. Madison says, she’d kill him just as quick, but he says he doesn’t think so. He knows her, or maybe he knows what it is to believe in something so hard, you can’t let it go. They get to a footbridge that’s basically rope and boards, hanging over a lagoon where zombies are lurking. Troy wants to cross, but Madison says, something is pulling them down, probably quicksand. If the bridge breaks, they’re both dead. A shot fires, and Crane says he found them. They run to the bridge, which looks pretty shaky, and they start to go across. It breaks, and the zombies look up, ready for an easy lunch. Crane takes the trusty ax he just happens to have, and cuts one of the ropes. Madison and Troy fall in.

Crane tells Madison that he thought she needed to be paid back after what she did to his sister. It’s what she deserves. Troy asks what he’s talking about, and Crane says, she let Shrike get bit over and over. Her and Nightingale let it happen. Troy says he wants to get his daughter, and Crane says, that’s why the right people need to protect them from themselves, and especially from the kids. Why does Madison think they saved her at the stadium? They heard her on the radio; no one is gone til they’re gone. They found her in the water truck, gasping for air, surrounded by zombies. They didn’t hesitate to pull er out. If she was willing to die for them, they knew they could get her to do just about anything. She thought her beliefs would save her kids, but in the end, it’s what got them killed. Madison yells, come on! to the zombies toddling around in the woods, and Crane’s so busy being full of himself, they get him down and he’s out. Troy says he’s sorry, but Madison says, that’s not going to get them out. Troy says, they’re not that different, but she says she’s nothing like him. He says, the northwest corner is where he was leading them, to the swamp. He was hoping the current would sweep them to the island. She asks why he’s telling her this. Maybe she doesn’t deserve a second chance. Troy says, she does, but not if they’re not found in time. He didn’t want it to end like this. Madison says, the truth is, PADRE is better off without people like them, and they duck underwater.

Victor tells Madison, stay with them, and she coughs up water. She says, they found them and saved her, but he says, Daniel and Luciana found them. Luciana says, they’re not the ones who saved her. Tracy did. Troy says she grabbed a root and pulled them out. They used Crane’s ax to snap the cuffs. Troy says he wasn’t telling Madison the truth about what Serena said, that she regretted following Alicia. After Alicia helped Serena, Alicia gave Serena the medal and said it would bring them luck. Tracy says, he told her… He says, he knows: he lied. Serena made him promise to let Alicia believe she was alive, so she’d always know what she was fighting for. He broke that promise. Daniel says, he’s a liar, and Luciana asks why they should believe him. Troy says, he knew what it was to believe hard in something and not want to let it go. He saw it in Serena’s eyes. She never let go. She believed in it even though it got her killed. When she was going under, something in her eyes, the look of someone dying believing in nothing. He couldn’t let that happen, not for Tracy’s sake. He didn’t do what Serena asked and keep it alive. Maybe he could if he was given a second chance. Madison gets up and says, like Troy did for Alicia? He said he’d take them to the herd. It’s time for him to hold up his end of the deal.

The song Hair of the Dog plays, and Russell radios Troy. He says he’s here. He caught up to the herd. Troy should see it. Troy says he does, and Russell might want to get down. The MRAP barrels in, and the machine guns open up on the zombies. Russell says, it’s going to take more than that, and Madison says, they know. A truck caravan pulls by, with Dove in the last truck bed. The caravan leads the herd away, and big baby Russel whines, nooo.  

Madison takes some oxygen, and Victor asks how she is. June says she has fluid in her lungs, and they need to get back to the island. Dwight says, they broke up the herd, and June says, they have to get back to PADRE. Victor thinks they should give Troy the benefit of the doubt, but Luciana asks how they can trust him. Victor asks, what about second chances? He and Daniel are just as guilty for what they’ve done. Daniel asks if willing risk that. Troy tells Tracy that it worked. It kept him safe. He gives her back the medal. He did what he said and found them a home and kept her safe. He’s sorry he lied for so long. Madison says, they have to get ready to head out and help the others and tells Tracy that she wants to talk to her dad. Tracy goes to help, and Madison says she’s been thinking about Alicia and how she gave Troy a second chance despite everything. She shows him Alicia’s mechanical arm and says, it’s all she has left. Troy says, it doesn’t have to be. He’ll do everything in his power to make sure he’s worthy of a second to everyone on the island. Things have changed. She has to believe him. She says, that’s just it. She doesn’t. She stabs him with the arm, and Tracy yells, no! and runs off. Victor wonders about second chances, and Madison says, Troy was right. That’s what got Alicia killed. If she hadn’t done this, she’d be putting them at risk. It’s how they survive. As he’s dying, Troy tells Madison to fight for Tracy. She’s not his daughter. Serena died before the baby was born. Madison asks who her mother is, and he says, Alicia. He took her child to make up for what he lost. Madison yells, no! and Troy dies. She asks where Tracy has gone, and everyone looks confused or lost or both.

🐊 See You Later, Alligator…

Since this thing got away from me, come back again for Part 2. Until then, stay safe, stay remembering family is worth fighting for, and stay believing no one is gone until they’re gone.

Nov18

November 17, 2023 – Austin Offers Dante What He Wants, Departing, Her Fans, Wedding Bliss, Diamonds Aren’t Forever, Net Worth, Coming Up, Went By, Furry Thanksgiving, Not Quite 8 Quotes & Parade

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Jordan goes to Laura’s office and asks if she’s burning the midnight oil. Laura invites her in and says, they have so much to catch up on. She thanks Jordan for attending the town hall meeting of the dockworkers for her, and Jordan says, it was her pleasure. They’re very hard-working citizens that deserve to be heard. She forwarded Laura some emails about things that needed to be approved. Laura says she saw that and thanks her, and Jordan says, there are a few issues that came up while she was gone that they need to discuss. Laura says, before they get into that, she has a question for Jordan. Would she like her position as Deputy Mayor to be a permanent one?

At the hospital, Felicia tells Mr. Williams that his MRI was just approved by his insurance company, and he thanks her. She sees Robert wave to her, and she asks if Mac sent him to spy on her. He says he’s here on his own, and she says, perfect timing. She’s due for a break. What brings him by? He says he needs her help.

Spencer knocks on Josslyn’s dorm room door, and she says she’s glad he’s here. Come in. He needs to see this for himself. There’s like a wall of floral bouquets, and Spencer says he might have gone overboard. Josslyn says, he’s lucky she doesn’t have allergies. Don’t get her wrong, they’re beautiful, but unfortunately, Trina isn’t here to see them.

Curtis is lifting hand weights when Marshall comes in from the kitchen. Curtis says, he’s got dinner smelling good, and Marshall says, it’ll be ready in about a half hour. Curtis says, good, because he’s worked up quite an appetite, and Marshall says, Curtis has increased his reps. He’s not pushing himself too hard, is he? Trina comes in the front door and is obviously aggravated. Marshall asks if Curtis wants to take this one, and Trina says, where’s mom? Curtis says, she’s taking her Chief of Staff job seriously, so she’s working late, and Marshall says, dinner’s almost ready. Give him a half-hour and he’ll have the table set. Trina says, dinner smells great, but she’s not hungry. She’s going to her room. She starts to leave, but Curtis calls her back and asks if she wants to tell him what’s going on. She says, no.

Michael says, they didn’t have to come to Kelly’s to see his mom, but Willow says, just come inside. Carly greets them and asks what they want. Chili, burgers… Michael says, Willow insisted they come by to see her. Does she have something to tell him? Carly says, Nina offered to sell her back her half of the MetroCourt.

Nina tells Trish that they have a large party coming in tomorrow night and asks if she can make sure they have two bottles of their best red wine, and Trish says, will do. Nina thanks her, and Sonny walks in. Nina says, it’s great that Sonny could break away and have dinner with her and asks Trish to bring them two menus. He says he thought he’d come while she’s still co-owner. Why did she decide to sell her half of the MetroCourt back to Carly?

On the phone in the interrogation room, Dante says he wants everything from the Charlotte Cassadine shooting. An officer knocks at the door and says, there’s a guy out here demanding to see Dante, Dr. Gatlin-Holt. Dante says, send him in, and Austin says he’s here to give Dante what he wants.

Laura thanks Jordan for helping her, and thanks her for her service to the city of Port Charles. She did an excellent job while Laura was off looking for her son, and since she’s been back too. She feels bad that Jordan had to step in for her. Jordan says, Laura had some crazy circumstances thrown at her. Her granddaughter was shot and her son was missing. Jordan would have done the same thing. How is Charlotte? Laura says, physically, she’s one the mend, but emotionally, she thinks it’s going to take a little while to figure out what’s going on with her. Which is why Laura wanted to ask if Jordan wanted to stay on as Deputy Mayor. There’s no one she trusts more. Jordan says she appreciates the vote of confidence, but this isn’t an easy decision to make. As Laura knows, she spent her life in law enforcement, and she feels that there’s still a lot of good she can do for the community. There’s a knock at the door, and Laura tells Jordan that she’s so sorry. She says, come in, and Cyrus walks in. He asks if the mayor has a moment for her brother.

Dante tells Austin, have a seat. He expected to see him here. Austin says, really? He’s completely shocked to be here. But now that he is, maybe they can get this over with as quickly as possible. That’d be great. He sits down, and Dante asks if he’s ready to name the person he’s working for and testify against him. Austin tells Dante that he didn’t say anything about testifying. Dante needs to keep his name out of this. He needs complete anonymity. Dante says he doesn’t know what Austin thinks this is, but he’s not The Invader and he’s not a journalist for The Invader. Austin is already being looked at as an accomplice in the kidnapping of Ava Jerome, and now he’s the one they’re looking at as possibly having killed Gordon Stevens. Austin says he didn’t kill Gordon Stevens, but Dante says, if this keeps going the way it’s going, he’s going to be considered an official suspect. So if he wants to produce something in exchange for leniency, now is the time. Dante switches on the recorder.

Felicia asks what Robert needs her help with. Is it Anna? He says, pretty as well as smart. Yeah. Has Felicia heard from her? She says, they spoke briefly on the phone, and she’s been sending Anna texts to check in, and she always responds. But they haven’t actually talked since Anna shot Charlotte Cassadine. He says, she’s had more contact than he has. Anna hasn’t responded to any of his calls. He got a text that says, reach out when I can. He shows Felicia his phone and says, if he didn’t know better, he’d say Anna’s hiding from him. Felicia says she’s pretty sure Anna is.

Trina says she’s sorry. She didn’t mean to be rude. Curtis tells her, that’s okay, but if there’s something bothering her, they just want to help… if they can. She says she knows that, and Marshall says, come on. Sit down. Whatever it is, maybe he and her father can help iron it out. She says she appreciates that, but she knows how they both feel about Spencer, so she’s just going to deal with it herself. Curtis says he’ll stay open-minded, and looks at Marshall, who says, me too.

Nina says, it was Sonny. He’s the one who advised her against hanging on to her half of the hotel. He says, but that was months ago. Since then, he’s seen her tackle every obstacle and challenge that’s been thrown her way. And now the MetroCourt is doing good. Business is booming. She says she’d like to think she helped with that, and he says, and she and Olivia are doing great. In the beginning, Olivia was tough, but Nina won her over, and that’s not easy in his experience. So she’s enjoying running the day-to-day at the hotel. Carly’s settled in at Kelly’s, right? She says, mm-hmm, and he says, so they’re all getting along, co-existing. So why would she want to rock the boat by selling her half to Carly?

Willow says, isn’t it exciting? and Michael flashes back to telling Nina that he’s not going to take away his father’s happiness. He’s sure Sonny will be happy until he finds out the kind of woman Nina really is. But he’s not risking his family. She’ll only see them when he says it’s okay, and he wants her to sell her mother her half of the MetroCourt back. Michael asks Carly when Nina decided to sell her back her half of the hotel, and Carly says, she stopped by on her way to work this morning.  That’s when she made the offer. Michael says, tell me about this offer.

Spencer says, it smells like a flower shop or a funeral. He’s not sure which. Josslyn says, really? She doesn’t think so. He should probably take some of these and donate them at GH. He says, on a scale of 1 to 10, how mad is Trina? and Josslyn says, 11. Speaking for herself, if Dex threw down with her, and told her not to ask him to choose between her and someone else because she wouldn’t like the answer? She hates to break it to him, but seems like a red flag. Possibly a relationship ender.

Marshall says, how dare Spencer give Trina an ultimatum? He’s sorry. He promised to remain neutral. She says, but now he sees why she’s so frustrated with him. Her phone chimes a few times, and she says, not to mention, he’s blowing up her phone with text messages and phone calls. She knows she needs to respond; she just doesn’t know what to say. She looks at her phone and says, stop texting me, Spencer. Curtis says he’s never seen her this upset at Spencer. He knows he hasn’t been her dad for that long, but may he offer her some unsolicited parental advice? She says, as long as it’s not telling her to talk to Spencer again. Curtis says, but that’s exactly what she’ll need to do. But first, she needs to figure out for herself what she needs to discuss with him. He believes in any romantic relationship; you have to be very clear about what you want and what you’re willing to put up with. So if she’s willing to do the hard work with her feelings, he and Marshall could help her figure some things out.

Austin shuts the recorder off and sets it aside. He says he will give Dante the name of Mason’s boss. As soon as there’s a deal in place. Dante asks, what kind of deal is he talking about? and Austin says, a deal that guarantees his freedom. Immunity from prosecution and he’s not going to set foot in a courtroom and testify against anybody. Dante says he’s not in a position to negotiate right now. So he guesses this conversation is over. Austin can see himself out. Austin says, Dante doesn’t understand the risk in coming here. If his boss finds out he’s here before Dante has a chance to bring him into custody, he’s a dead man.

Cyrus says, Deputy Mayor Ashford, it’s good to see you. You’re looking well. Jordan says, congratulations on his hardship release from prison. Not many people who’ve done what he has are given yet another chance to become a productive citizen. He says, and he’s grateful for the opportunity. He came by this evening because he wanted to share some news with his sister. Laura says, about what? and he says he found gainful employment. She says, really? Doing what? He says, washing dishes at the Port Charles Grill.

Robert asks Felicia, why would Anna be hiding from him? She can’t possibly be thinking he’s going to prosecute her for the Cassadine shooting. Felicia says she thinks the opposite. Anna probably feels he might come under scrutiny if he doesn’t prosecute her. Everyone knows the history they share. He says, it’s a hell of a time to be thinking about his reputation, and she says, maybe it’s simpler. Maybe Anna knows she got herself into this situation. It’s on her and her alone to get herself out.

Trina doesn’t know what she wants, and Marhsall says, maybe she should start by ruling out a few things first. Does she want to break up with Spencer? She says, no. Of course (🍷) not. Marshall says, there it is. Sometimes we figure out what we want by figuring out what we don’t want. Curtis says, and from what she’s told them, she doesn’t want Spencer, Esme, and Ace living together either. Trina says, it’s at least better now that Laura and Doc are back in town, but yes, in a perfect world, Spencer would not share a home with Esme and Ace. Curtis asks, why is that? and she says, because Spencer is Ace’s brother. He’s not his dad. Curtis says he spoke with Laura when she came back from Europe, and she received confirmation that Nikolas is alive. And by his own free will, choosing to stay away from Port Charles and be an active father in Spencer and Ace’s lives. So can she blame Spencer for wanting to play a role in his brother’s life? She says, yes. This whole thing is just so messy. Esme is Spencer’s ex-girlfriend, and she knows Esme doesn’t remember that part of her life, but Trina does, and there’s still that history of them being a couple together. And now they’re taking parenting classes together, they’re living together, and she’s just not comfortable with it. She’s been patient and she’s been understanding, and she’s reached her limit. She’s done. Curtis looks at Marshall, and Marshall says, there’s something she’s going to have to tell Spencer.

Spencer says he knows he blew it. He lost his temper. Josslyn says, he has a tendency to do that, and he says he knows. He put out an ultimatum and he doesn’t want to have to carry that out. She says, he’s raised an important question. If he had to choose, would he rather be with Trina or live with Esme and Ace? He says he doesn’t know. He guesses he was fooling himself, thinking that this scenario could continue on like this for forever.

Marshall says he has another question for Trina, but since he got a late start at being her granddad, let him give her a brief history on himself. Her grandmother Irene wasn’t his first girlfriend, but she was his first love. In fact, that buttermilk cornbread baking in that oven is her secret recipe. He’ll teach it to her sometime. Curtis says he doesn’t even know how to make the cornbread, and Marshall says he loved Irene. He loved her with all his heart and soul for the longest time. He thought she would be his only romantic love. That is, until he met Epiphany Johnson, may she rest in peace. Trina says she’s sorry he lost Epiphany, and he thanks her. He asks if Spencer is the first boy she’s been in love with, and she says, yeah. For the most part. Curtis says, whoa, wheeling himself over. Those answers don’t seem to go together. Can she explain what she means? Trina says, Joss has been her best friend since junior high. When Josslyn got involved with Oscar, their friend group solidified around Joss and Oscar and her and Cameron. And when Oscar got diagnosed with cancer, and eventually died, things got really intense and emotional. Marshall says he’s sorry she lost her friend to cancer, and she says, it was hard, but she and Cameron spent a lot of time being Joss’s support system, helping her deal with the loss of Oscar. And if she’s being honest, she had really strong feelings for Cam. Marshall says, she did? and she says, yeah, but that was a long time ago, and what she felt for Cam is nothing like what she feels for Spencer. He’s the real deal and she thought he was going to be her future, but… Curtis says, but what? and she says, but she thinks she might have been wrong.

Josselyn says, Spencer’s situation with Trina, Esme, and Ace can’t continue. It’s obvious. He says he loves Trina so much. The more time they spend together, the deeper the connection he feels with her. She is so smart. She’s so passionate. She’s so real. She’s a beautiful person and he’d never want to hurt her, and he’d never want to give her up. Josslyn says, then maybe that’s his answer, and he says, but she’s also an adult. She is responsible and she is capable. She survived his Uncle Victor and all the crazy that happened in Greenland when they were together. But Ace is a baby. His father abandoned him, and he knows what that feels like. And while he doesn’t think Esme is a bad person… anymore, he doesn’t think Esme can give Ace what he needs on her own. Like the support Ace is going to need growing up. She says, that’s fair, and he says he just knows in his heart that his little brother needs him. And isn’t what a baby needs more important?

Carly says, so while she was getting Nina’s to-go order ready, she saw Nina was having a very intense conversation with Martin Grey out front. But then Drew came in and surprised her and she got a little distracted. Willow says, it’s so good having him home, and Carly says, it is. It feels so good knowing he’s not in danger anymore and he’s back home where he belongs. It just makes her so happy. Drew left and she brought Nina’s order to her, and that’s when Nina offered to sell her back her half of the MetroCourt. Michael asks if Carly thinks Nina selling her back her half of the MetroCourt is what she was talking about with Martin, and Carly says, Nina did say that what she was discussing with Martin concerned her. That’s when she presented the offer and that’s when Willow arrived. Willow says she knew the second she heard about it that it was the perfect way to heal their family.

Nina tells Sonny that she got some really good advice recently. Instead of making enemies, she should start making more friends. (Wow. That must have been tough to come up with.) He says, she thought she would start with Carly? but Nina says, no. It’s not like she’s deceiving herself into thinking she and Carly will ever be friends. It’s just that they have a lot of people in common. People that they love, and they should stop clawing at each other and continuing this armed truce. Gritting their teeth and waiting to take the other one down. He says he couldn’t agree more, and Nina says she does think it’s better for everyone if they left the past in the past, right? And the best way she can do that is to sell Carly back her half of the hotel.

Felicia says, Robert knows how independent Anna is, and he says, to a fault. She says, as much as he wants to fix this for Anna, she’s the one who shot Charlotte. She needs to find her own way to deal with this and move past it. He says he hopes she’s not avoiding him because of Valentin Cassadine. He never trusted the guy. Any Cassadine. He told her over and over this relationship she had with him would end in disaster and here we are. Mind you, nobody could have predicted a disaster quite like this one. He just hopes she doesn’t think he’s going to say, I told you so. Felicia takes his hand and says, Anna knows him better than that.

Dante says, there isn’t going to be a deal until Austin gives them his boss’s name. If he doesn’t want to testify, fine, but he has to give them other evidence. Documents, records, something they can use to get Mason to flip on this guy, or something they can use in court to prove his guilt. Austin says he can do that, and Dante says, great. And he can talk to the DA about a deal. Austin looks sick and says he knows Dante doesn’t like him. He gets it. He can see why. But he’s not a bad guy. He’s just a guy who’s been coerced into doing things that he knew weren’t the right thing to do. So he thanks Dante for giving him the opportunity to do the right thing. He leaves.

Cyrus says, something Laura doesn’t know about him is, he worked as a cook back in his youth. And he believes with a little hard work and determination, he should be able to move his way up at the Port Charles Grill. Laura asks how he got the job, and he says, the manager is part of a network of businesses that work with a charity to end recidivism. They give formerly incarcerated people such as himself a chance at employment. She tells him, congratulations, but as he can see, she and Jordan were in the middle of a meeting. He’s going to have to… He says, of course (🍷). He stopped by unannounced. It’s great to see her. He nods to Jordan and leaves. Jordan says she doesn’t believe a word that comes out of his mouth. Does Laura?  

Curtis says he thinks Trina needs to talk to Spencer about priorities, because family is important and a priority. She says she gets that, but family can’t be more significant than the primary relationship, right? Curtis says, right. For example, take her grandfather. He’s very important to Curtis, and so is Aunt Stella. And Trina, she’s a huge priority for him, but her mom is his wife. She is his primary relationship, first and foremost. He’s not suggesting she go off and get married, or that she’s even ready for it, but he doesn’t know how important her relationship is with Spencer. She says, it is, and Curtis says, but is he her first priority?

Josslyn says she totally gets that Spencer just wants to take care of his little brother, and he asks if it’s so difficult for people to understand. She says, it’s not difficult for people to understand, but has he thought about what that looks like? Does that look like him, Esme, and Ace living together, while at the same time, he and Trina are a couple. They’re going on trips together, spending time together, but every night, he goes home to Esme and Ace. He asks if that would be so impossible, and she says, it wouldn’t be impossible, but it wouldn’t be fair to anyone, including him.

Willow says, Carly shouldn’t have lost her half of the MetroCourt to begin with, any more than Drew should have gone to prison for what he did. None of it was fair to either of them. The whole insider trading indictment was wrong. Michael says, but it’s over now, and Willow says, and Drew’s free, where he belongs, rebuilding his life. And when you think about it, all that’s left now to balance the scales is for Carly to get her hotel back. Carly says, if only it were that simple. She can’t just accept Nina’s offer. She has to figure out how she’s going to pay for it. Willow says, that’s where Michael comes in.

Nina says she’s assuming Sonny found out about this offer because Carly wanted to talk it over with him, and he asks why Nina didn’t tell him. She says, he has a relationship with Carly. She’s always going to respect that. She’s not going to run to him in advance to get him on her side, so he views her actions from her perspective. She’s a businesswoman. This is a business transaction between her and Carly. It really has nothing to do with him at all. He says, Nina’s not that naïve.

Michael says he can give Carly the money to buy back her half of the MetroCourt and she can return it any time she wants. She can take it as a gift if she wants. Willow tells Carly to let Michael do this for her, and Michael says he wants to, but Carly says, absolutely not. When everything was falling apart, Josslyn offered to give Carly half her trust, but she turned Josslyn down. Just like she’s turning him down. She loves him. She can’t take his money. He says, hear him out for a minute. He’s been very fortunate financially. He runs Aurora, he has the second largest amount of voting stock in ELQ, and Jason set him up with a substantial trust fund when he was a baby. What he’s trying to say is, he’s benefited greatly from the generosity of his family his entire life and he’d like to give something back to her. If anyone deserves it, it’s her. He wants to do this for her.

Sonny says, Nina just told him that offering Carly her half of the hotel was a peacemaking gesture, and she says, it’s the best one she could think of. He says, so it wasn’t just a simple business transaction. It was more than that, right? He appreciates her leaving him out of it, but he’s already involved because she’s his wife and Carly is the mother of his children. They’re going to be tied for life, so this affects their entire family. She says, he’s right. If that’s the case, did he advise Carly to take her offer?

Laura says she honestly doesn’t know what to make of Cyrus anymore, and Jordan says, Laura has to trust her instincts. Laura says she knows how dangerous he can be, but she also knows how close to death he came with this heart attack, so maybe this new perspective of his is real. He’s an older man and he’s in poor health. Maybe now he just wants a simple life as a dishwasher. Jordan says she doesn’t believe that, and she doesn’t trust him. She knows Cyrus lives for one thing and one thing only – power. And that will never change.

Robert goes into the interrogation room, and tells Dante, it’s been a long day. This better be good. Dante says he wouldn’t have called Robert here if it wasn’t, and Robert asks what he’s got. Dante says he’s been squeezing Austin Gatlin-Holt to see if he can get him to give up his cousin and the guy they work for, the guy they think is responsible for kidnapping Ava Jerome. Robert says, maybe he should squeeze a bit harder, and Dante says, he’s willing to give up his boss’s name and corroborating evidence, but he wants a deal.

Austin goes into his house and turns on the light. He sees someone and asks what they’re doing here. We hear gunshots.

Josslyn says, the longer Spencer stays in this pseudo family with Esme and Ace, the more it’s going to hurt when it blows up, and it will. He knows it will. Esme’s going to meet someone, she’s going to want a life of her own, and Trina deserves better than him fitting her in when he’s not out with them. He says, okay, so what’s the alternative? Bowing out? He just lets Esme take Ace, and they move into their little apartment, and he gets to visit on weekends? Josslyn says, yes, but he says, nope. He’s not going to do that, and he refuses to accept that as a reality. He’s not going to let Esme take his little brother away from him. Josslyn says, this is exactly how he would operate when they were children. He wanted what he wanted, and he never stopped to consider who could get hurt in the process and what it would cost. He’s an adult now. He has to slow down and realize he’s not going to get everything he wants. This time he really does have to choose.

Trina repeats Curtis’s question, is Spencer her priority? She doesn’t like the sound of that. She wanted a career and because of that, she feels her education should be her first priority. Marhsall says he doesn’t think her dad was suggesting she prioritize a man over her invaluable education, and Curtis says, absolutely not. He knows he had nothing to do with her decision to go to college or for her choosing art as her major, but he’s very proud of her for pursuing her dreams. Let him think… How can he simplify this? Who is the first person she texts in the morning and the last person she texts at night? Is it her mom? Is it Josslyn? She says, no, it’s Spencer, first and last, and Curtis says, there you go. Now she has her answer, and she has her question for Spencer. Because is it the same for him?

Sonny says he knows better than to offer Carly advice, but he hopes she takes Nina’s offer, and Nina asks, why? He says, because once Carly is running things at the MetroCourt again, they can stop rehashing the past and move forward. Nina says, that would be nice, but he says he doesn’t think Carly sees it the way he does. She just told him that she’s happy to be working at Kelly’s and that she appreciates Bobbie let her have the diner as a safety net, so she wants to stay there. But he wants to say, even if Carly doesn’t accept her offer, he appreciates what she did. She thanks him, and he says, because she is the bigger person and she’s the one trying to make peace with their family.

Carly thanks Michael and Willow so much for caring, and Michael says, that’s what family does. She says she has to admit, she was thrown a little bit off her game when Nina presented the offer. Willow says she thinks they all were, and Carly says she’s been thinking a lot about it, and she appreciates that Nina made the offer. And she believes Nina did it for Willow and the kids because she wants to mend fences and she wants to make peace. Willow says, so Carly’s going to accept the money from Michael? but Carly says she can’t. She can’t accept Nina’s offer. Michael protests, but Carly says, as badly as she wants her hotel back, it won’t feel like hers if she doesn’t get it back on her own.

Laura says, Jordan would be in a better position to keep an eye on Cyrus as Police Commissioner, and if he violates the terms of his release, she can bust him. She won’t be able to do that as Deputy Mayor, so whatever decision Jordan makes, Laura will respect. Jordan says she refuses to make Cyrus her obsession, to become Captain Ahab, chasing him down to her own detriment. He’s not worth that. Before he came in, she was about to accept the position of Deputy Mayor permanently, and she sees no reason to change her mind. Laura says she sees no reason to either, and thanks Jordan. She really believes that together, they’ll be an effective team. And together they’ll be able to do some really good things for the people of Port Charles. They shake hands, and Jordan says she’s counting on it.

Mr. Williams gets Felicia’s attention, and she asks how it went. He says, everything went smoothly. She says, that’s great. She checked, and the hospital received the approval from the insurance company, and he says he wouldn’t have been able to get his MRI if it wasn’t for her. He thanks her, and she says she was just doing her job.

Robert asks where Dante left the good Dr. Gatlin-Holt, and Dante tells him, Austin says he’s got evidence against Mason and his still nameless boss. He’s gone to retrieve it apparently, and he will hand it over if they make a deal with him and give him immunity. Robert asks what Dante thinks about this Austin. Is he on the up and up? Dante says he thinks at this point Austin is just scrambling, trying to save his own skin. But he is motivated to put his boss away before his boss turns on him. He says they should give him the deal. Robert says, the DA’s office could never make a case against Austin for abetting in the Ava Jerome kidnapping. So if he gets a name and evidence of guilt, Austin can have immunity.

We see a man leave Austin’s house. Austin lies on the floor, shot in the chest, unconscious and bleeding.

On Monday, Josslyn asks why Adam is doing this to himself; Trina says, that tells her all she needs to know; Ned says, there’s something Michael and Drew need to know about the SEC charges; and Carly asks Nina why she’s doing this.

🍭 Bye, Bye, Cuz…

Everyone says the same thing; GH is the best job they’ve ever had.

Nathanyael Grey Exits GENERAL HOSPITAL
Nathanyael Grey Says Goodbye to GENERAL HOSPITAL

👠 Love The Look…

She’s one of my favorites too. I like a female mob boss.

Lydia Look Opens up About Her GENERAL HOSPITAL Fans

👰🏻‍♀️ Relive The Moment…

Take a stroll down Luke and Laura Memory Lane, when Helena was Elizabeth Taylor.

Luke and Laura’s Wedding on GENERAL HOSPITAL: Relive That Unforgettable Day!

What else happened on November 17th.

Five Things That Happened On November 17 In Soap History

💎 The Missed And The Unmissed…

It was horrible what happened to her. I hate that mean girl stuff. Unless I’m watching Mean Girls. That movie never gets old.

Denise Richards Reflects on Her Real Housewives of Beverly Hills Experience

One mean girl gone. But I disagree that Erika is blossoming without her. It’s more like Erika is just becoming a more subtle mean girl and sliding into LisaR’s position.

Lisa Rinna Isn’t Missed On RHOBH Season 13, Here’s Why

🍸 Belle Of The Bank…

I wonder if she’d like to adopt an older child. That house is big. She’ll never notice I’m there. And what’s a few extra dogs?

How Much Is Patricia Altschul From Southern Charm Worth?

🏆 Awards Starting With G…

Grammy nominations. Great music, but predictable.

https://ew.com/awards/grammys/2024-grammy-awards-nominations/

When the Golden Globes will air.

https://ew.com/golden-globes-2024-will-air-on-cbs-8404310

🐎 Belated Congrats…

CMA Winners.

https://people.com/cma-awards-2023-complete-winners-list-8391737

And more important, CMA fashion.

https://people.com/2023-cma-awards-best-dressed-stars-8399491

🦃 Thanksgiving Is For Pets…

All the info on celebrating with the furbabies, including what foods they can’t have.

https://be.chewy.com/thanksgiving-with-pets/

And you thought Halloween was the only time to dress them up. Including the cutest pilgrim in the world.

http://www.hipstercrite.com/2012/11/21/13-pictures-of-dogs-and-cats-dressed-up-for-thanksgiving/

A few repeats, but more cute pilgrims.

https://en.paperblog.com/the-most-adorable-dogs-dressed-in-thanksgiving-costumes-731831/

And should you get the notion to DIY. I don’t know if these costumes are still available, but there are great ideas here.

https://www.dailypaws.com/gear-apparel/dog-supplies/dog-clothing-accessories/dog-thanksgiving-outfits

🐚 Quotes of the Week…

Have the courage to say no. Have the courage to face the truth. Do the right thing because it is right. These are the magic keys to living your life with integrity. – W. Clement Stone

Death floods the mind with memory, but there’s always new ones to make. – Carl (Steve Coulter), Insidious: The Red Door

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

Honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom. – Thomas Jefferson

As to wishing it had not happened, one can’t help momentary wishes: guilt begins only when one embraces them. You can’t help their knocking at the door, but one mustn’t ask them in to lunch. – C.S. Lewis, from The Collected Letters of C.S. Lewis, Volume III

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

I don’t think you can shock an audience anymore [today]. If I cut my arm off and ate it, OK, that would be shocking. But you can only do it twice. – Alice Cooper                                   

🧮 Counting My Blessings…

Stop by on Sunday for a finale of Fear. Until then, stay safe, stay telling your Thanksgiving host about any allergies or dietary restrictions before Thanksgiving, and stay figuring out what you don’t want, when you can’t figure out what you do want.