(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
Fear the Walking Dead
A man goes inside an abandoned house, kicking garbage out of his way. He lights a lantern. We see it’s Dwight. He looks at a framed photo of Sherry and himself in better days, and flashes back to Daryl telling him, make it right. He tries to rest, but is unsuccessful, so he whittles. He hears something and checks the house. He hears a man coughing in one of rooms, slips into the room, and grabs the man in the dark. The man says he thought the place was empty, but Dwight says, it’s not. The man asks if Dwight lives here, but Dwight says, it doesn’t matter. The man tells Dwight that his name is Jay, and Dwight asks if he’s going to walk out, or does he want Dwight to drag him out? Jay says he got robbed, and he’ll die if he doesn’t get what they stole back. Dwight says, there’s nothing valuable anymore, but Jay says, there is if you’re a diabetic; he had insulin in his bag. Dwight says, he’s full of sh*t. There’s no insulin left. Jay says, there was in his group. They had a guy who could make it, and he believed in miracles until the thieves killed him. They took everything, and with what he had he would have made it through the week. Dwight asks if Jay is messing with him. Does Jay expect him to believe this is a coincidence? Who told him? Jay asks, who told him what? and Dwight gets him down on the floor. He asks, who told Jay about him? Jay said he had a week’s supply. What happens after? Jay says he doesn’t know, but a week in hell is better than being dead. Please. He lost everyone. He owes it to them to make things right, however much time he has left. Dwight asks if Jay knows where the thieves are at, and Jay says he does.
Outside the old Sanctuary, zombies growl, and Dwight asks Jay if the guys who took his medicine are in there. Jay says, yeah, and Dwight says, good luck. He’s going to ask one more time, who told Jay about him? Jay asks why Dwight thinks someone else is involved, and Dwight says, the last time he helped someone get insulin, he ended up here. Jay says, at the factory? and Dwight says, they didn’t call it that then. Jay asks what it was called, and Dwight flashes back to when he lived there under Negan’s oppression. Dwight says, the Sanctuary. His life has been sh*t since he set foot in there. He doesn’t know if it’s Jay or the universe playing a sick joke on him, but he’s not going in there for anyone. Jay says, they’re not that different. His wife was everything to him. They killed her and their son too. Dwight came back alone, and Jay thinks Dwight lost someone too. If they don’t help each other, what are they even doing here? Dwight thinks a moment, and says, all right. He’ll meet Jay back at the house. Dwight looks at the zombie chained to the perimeter fence, and walks around, checking out the lay of the land.
Dwight sneaks inside, and creeps around. He sees windowed double-doors, a light shining behind them, and flashes back to Sanctuary life again. He goes into the room and rifles through the bags. He finds the insulin and finds a picture of Jay with his wife and son. He runs to the exit and sees the symbol for infinity etched on the wall. He looks through the furnace door window at the flames inside and sees the iron hanging next to the furnace and remembers Negan burning his face with the iron. A gun cocks and a voice says, turn around, a-hole. Dwight turns and guard Phil asks what he has there. Dwight says, they took someone’s medicine, and he’s here to get it back. Phil says, somebody did a number on Dwight’s face, and Dwight says, he’ll walk out, and Phil will never have to see his face again. Phil says, Dwight stole from them, and needs to be made an example. They’ll start on the other side of his face. In a lightening swift move, Dwight grabs Phil and shoves – no, shoots – him into the blazing furnace. I’m in awe. A bullet grazes Dwight, and a man asks what the hell he thinks he’s doing. A bunch of men run in and their leader Marty says, they’ll find out. Dwight jets out of the building, and wonders where Jay is. He calls to Jay and zombie Jay comes out from behind the bushes. Dwight knifes him in the head, and says, Daryl should have killed him when he had the chance. He tried make it right. He guesses he couldn’t. Daryl should have killed him. Please come and do it now. He cries – aww – and yells, please! A car approaches and pulls up. Sherry gets out, and asks what Dwight is doing here. She came to find him. June gets out and says she needs him. He passes out.
Inside somewhere, Sherry stitches Dwight up, and he says, they need to get out. Sherry asks, what happened? Who did this? The guy outside? He says, no, and she says, then who? but he says, it doesn’t matter. If they’re seen, those guys will kill them. June says, they’re almost done, and tells Sherry, pinch, pierce, then pull. Dwight asks if June shouldn’t be doing this, but June says, it’s better this way. Dwight says, they need to go, but June says, they’re not leaving without him. Sherry says, a fight is coming, and Dwight asks, what kind of fight? June says, one they can’t win without him, and Sherry says, Troy has a score to settle. He wants to take PADRE from Madison. Dwight says, sounds like her fight, but Sherry says, Madison is MIA, and Victor is in charge. Dwight says, he’s still alive? and she says, a lot has happened since he’s been gone. He asks what it has to do with him, and Sherry says, he’s trained a lot of kids. June says, they trust him and will listen to him, but he says, nothing he does or says to them will help them do any better. He asks why Dove is here, and Dove says, PADRE is the only home she’s known. Without it, she’s got nothing. Dwight gets up, and says he can’t help save those kids. He couldn’t save his own son. June says, that’s not his fault, but he says, it doesn’t matter. Every time he tries to make something right, someone gets hurt. Sherry says, that’s not true, and Dwight says, the guy outside needed insulin, just like her sister. He asked Dwight for help, and he died. The best thing he can do for PADRE and the kids is leave here alone. Sherry asks if he thinks she wanted to come. She came for their son. He says, Finch is gone, but she says, PADRE isn’t. He says, that place is the reason Finch is dead. Why fight for it? She says, maybe something good can come from something bad, and he says, it won’t. She says, they have to try, and he asks, why? She says, Finch’s life needs to mean something. Making PADRE is how they can honor him. Dwight says he can’t go back. He’ll honor Finch in his own way. He gets up, and Sherry asks what he thinks Finch would say if his father walked away from kids who needed protection, and he says, it’s not because he doesn’t care. It’s because he does. He leaves, and June says, it’s fine, but Sherry follows him out.
The three of them go outside, and June radios Dove. Dwight asks, what’s wrong? and Sherry says, Dove has been missing since they woke up. June asks Dove to tell her where she is, when a truck pulls up with Dove driving. June says, she looks hurt, and Sherry runs to the cab. Dove is slumped against the steering wheel. Dove sits back, insisting she doesn’t need help, but June says, she looks wounded. Dove lifts her shirt and shows June a bullet wound, and June checks her out. June says, there’s no exit wound. They need to get the bullet out right away. Sherry asks, who did this? and Dove says, someone tried to steal the truck. They were looking for someone that burned their friend. Dwight says, they have to get her inside, and June says she needs anesthetics. They have to get the bullet out and the wound cleaned before Dove goes into septic shock. Dwight points out that she said we, and June says, they need medical supplies. Marty says he should have known Dove would be with them, and he and his guys come out of the woods. Marty says, sorry about the girl, but what after Dwight did to Phil, it feels like a beautiful karma. Sherry asks what he’s talking about, and Dove says, Dwight’s the one who burned their friend. Marty says, Dove doesn’t look so hot. Maybe they can help. They have top notch medical supplies, but of course Dwight already knows that, since he was inside. Sherry asks Dwight, where? and Dwight says, the Sanctuary. Marty says, tick-tock. What’s it going to be? June asks what he wants in exchange, and Marty says he wants the satisfaction Phil deserves in finishing what he started, and he intends to give it to him. If Dwight hands himself over, he’ll get the girl patched up. Dwight lowers his gun, and Sherry says, nice try, a-hole. There’s a shootout, and Sherry says, they’re going to the Sanctuary now. Dwight says, that psycho will follow them, but Sherry says, they’re on foot. The Sanctuary is 20 miles. They’ll be in and out before Marty knows it. Dwight says, another kid needs surgery. When does it end? June says, they have to help Dove, and Sherry says, they have to go now. Zombies begin toddling out of the woods, and Marty shoots at them. Dwight drives the truck out.
They bring Dove into the Sanctuary, and Dwight tells them, be careful; there could still be people here. Sherry flashes back to Negan, and Dove coughs. Shots ring out, and Dwight shoots back, but runs out of bullets. Zombie Phil scrabbles at the furnace window from inside the furnace, and June says, they need to move. She grabs supplies, and she and Sherry shove stuff in their bags, while Dwight checks the place out. He tells them, the place is clear, but they have to hurry. June says she needs lidocaine. The best they can do is inject anesthesia around the wound. Dwight and Sherry keep flashing back to their time at the Sanctuary, and June tells Sherry to clean the wound. She gives Sherry a syringe and tells her how to do the injection. Dwight says, June should do it, but June says she told him that she can’t. He wonders if it’s about what happened in the train car, but she says, it’s more than that. She tells him, as soon as it’s numb, start the extraction. Dove says she doesn’t want Dwight removing the bullet. He couldn’t save his own son, and he’s not doing the same with her. They feel a rumbling, and the building shakes. Dwight looks out at the tons of zombies who have gotten through the fence and are now pounding at the building. He says, the gunfire must have drawn them. The fence is broken, and they’re piling in. June says, it’s not going to work. The bullet is too close to one of Dove’s arteries. They might do more damage taking it out. Sherry says, the place is hanging on by a thread, and Dwight says, he’ll stay and hold them off for as long as he can. He runs out.
Sherry follows Dwight to the ammo room, and says she knows why he wants to stay and fight the zombies. He doesn’t plan on surviving. He says, maybe Dove is right, and they’re here because of him, but Sherry says, that’s defeatist bullsh*t, and Dwight says, it is what it is, honey. Dwight loads his gun, and she tells him that it doesn’t have to be this way. He says, the guy he tried to help lost more than insulin. He had a wife and kid. He shows her the photo of Jay with his family, and says, he’s about Finch’s age. He tried to help and landed them back in this hellhole. This is not a coincidence and it’s not defeatist mentality. She asks him to tell her what it is, and he points to an infinity symbol on the wall. He says he drew that when they were living here. He put them all over the place, where Negan couldn’t find them. It was them forever. It kept him going and made him feel like they could turn something bad into something good. Maybe they can, but not if he’s with them. He’s so tired of making people suffer for it. Sherry says, so he’s going to kill himself? and he says he’s going to clear the walkers. Maybe they can save Dove and honor Finch. She calls him a selfish a-hole and locks him in the room. She says, he doesn’t get to give up like this, and she leaves as he pounds on the door.
Outside, there’s a multitude of zombies, and June hears metal creaking. She says, they have to wait until the building is more stable and they need extra hands. Dove says, it’s not about June’s finger (the one Shrike removed) or what happened on the train. What’s the real reason? June says, it’s not important, but Dove says, June is a nurse. She’s got a bullet in her, and every minute they wait is a minute she’s closer to dying. June says, Dove isn’t dying. What happened to them isn’t going to happen to her. Dove asks, who’s them? and June says, Finch, Hannah, and her daughter Rose. Dove says, June has a kid? and June says, yeah. She would have been Dove’s age. Dove asks, what happened? and June says, she had pneumonia. June went out to look for medicine, came back and… it just was too late. She cries and says she couldn’t save her daughter, just like she couldn’t save Finch. Dove says, now she knows PADRE was right. June can’t protect her; none of them can. She can’t exactly say why she wanted to get away, but she didn’t come here for Red Kite. She wanted to get as far away from PADRE as she could. She was running away. June says, she told them it was the only home she’d ever known, and Dove says, was. It’s gone now, and people like June are in charge. They just let the kids down. That’s what people do who can’t get over their own sh*t. Metal bangs, and June radios Dwight and Sherry, asking, what’s happening? Do they copy? Outside battling zombies, Sherry says she’s working on it. She just locked Dwight in their old room. June asks, why? and Sherry says, PADRE needs him. The kids will follow him. They know he’s right. June says, what about her? and Sherry says she’ll keep the zombies at a distance, but June says, she can’t on her own. Sherry says, just do what she came to do; help Dove and get Dwight back to PADRE. The zombies have been pushing at the fence between them and Sherry, and it suddenly comes down, right on top of Sherry. Sherry’s gun and radio are just out of reach, and June keeps trying to get her.
Inside, Dwight tries to get out of their old room. He breaks a chair. The zombies are right on top of Sherry, along with the fence, their snapping faces just inches from hers. Dwight looks at the infinity symbol, while June keeps trying to radio Sherry. This is all very intense. Dwight hammers at the door, and the zombies keep piling on the fence. Sherry flashes back to memories of Finch. June gets into Dwight’s room and tells him that Sherry needs him. He runs out, and Sherry flashes back to burying Finch. Dwight is there, pulling the zombies off the fence, and slicing and dicing them.
Dove stands in the bathroom and groans. She’s broken a mirror and is about to take the bullet out herself with a shard. June – who’s having quite a busy episode – says, Dove will die. She needs help. Dove says she’s not getting it from them or June, and starts to cry. She’s about to cut herself, and June says, no! Stop! Dove drops the glass and falls to the floor.
Sherry asks how Dwight got out, and he says, June let him out. Sherry says she had it covered, but he tells her that she was lying to herself about honoring Finch and keeping him alive to fight for PADRE. It’s bullsh*t. She says, he’s wrong, and he says, is he? Or did she lock him up because she was planning on doing the same thing? Sherry asks if he thinks she wants to die, and he says he knows she did. She doesn’t really believe good can come from bad. She wants to, he does too, but she can’t. She says, if that’s true, she doesn’t know how she can go on living. Marty comes back and says he had the feeling he’d find them here. Sherry and Dwight run back in, and Marty goes in shooting.
The building is still shaking like crazy, and June checks Dove’s pulse. Dwight says, their friends are here. The door is locked, but it won’t hold. Sherry says, they have to go somewhere safer, and June grabs supplies. She gets on one side, Sherry on the other, and they help Dove up and out of the room. Everything starts to crumble, and zombies are coming in. June says, they’re surrounded, and Sherry shoots as many as she can. They see Marty coming, and June says, they’ve got to get out, but Dwight says, there’s nowhere to go. The zombies are getting the better of Marty and his friends, and I laugh. Light fixtures and beams start falling, and Sherry and Dwight nearly get creamed, but they jump aside at the last second. June stabs a zombie coming for her and Dove. Zombies continue to stream in, and Marty gets Dwight up against the furnace, Phil still scratching at the window. Marty says, remember how he told Dwight about giving his friend the satisfaction? He thinks he’s going to enjoy this more than Phil. He starts to open the furnace door, but Dwight grabs the iron and whacks him away with it, into a waiting zombie’s open arms. June says, they have nowhere to go, but Dwight says, the fire’s out. Let’s go inside. The building begins to collapse.
Inside the furnace, Dove asks, what happened? June says, the building is collapsing, and Dove says, it still hurts. This is never going to work. Sherry isn’t so sure this will help, but Dwight, keeping his lighter going so they can see, says, maybe it can. They hear metal clanging, and he says, the furnace is stable and will protect them from whatever is happening out there. June can do the surgery in here. June says she can’t, but he says, yes, she can. She asks how he knows, and he says, Sherry was right. Maybe something good can come from something bad. Maybe that’s the reason they wound up here. They needed each other to see it. Prepping Dove, June says she doesn’t want to hurt her, and Dove says, then don’t. Sherry says, June can do this. What happened to her, and them, doesn’t have to happen again. Maybe they just needed to work through the bad to get to the good. She half-smiles at Dwight, and June asks if Dove trusts her. Dove says, ask her again after the bullet is out, and June says, fair enough. She takes out her supplies, and Dwight keeps the lighter going.
The oven opens and they come out. It’s practically the only thing left standing. There are a few errant zombies wandering around, and zombie Marty lies on the floor pinned there by another zombie. Dwight says, holy sh*t. It’s over. He asks how Dove is doing, and June says, she’s still resting. She’s going to be okay. Sherry looks up, and there’s a finch perched on what’s left of a wall. Are they trying to make me cry? June says, they should probably hit the road, and Dwight asks how she’s doing. June says, better, and he says he never should have left. Maybe they can turn the place into what it’s supposed to be, the way Finch wanted it to be. Sherry says she thinks they can.
Dwight says he made something for June, and gives her a finger he’s carved. He says, back in the train car, before it went the way it did, he asked her to be part of their family. He ran away, but he’s here now, so the offer still extends to her, and Dove as well. Sitting in the driver’s seat of the truck, Dove says, thank you, Red Kite, but Dwight says, she’s family. It’s Dwight. She says she’s Odessa, and he says he likes it. They should go. They have a lot of work to do. June and Sherry get into the truck, and Dwight looks around for a moment, then gets in. They pull away.
A song plays from a 45 on a turntable, something about sailing to Spain. Over the radio, we hear Russel say, nothing yet. Sorry. Troy says, his daughter is alive and well, and they will find her. We see it’s Victor’s turntable, and a little girl screams as she’s let down the hall by a man and a woman. She’s also blindfolded, and she says she hates this place. Where is she? Where’s her dad? They bring her to Victor, and in German, the man says, they found her for him. The woman asks, what does he want them to do? and Victor says, he’ll handle it. He tells the girl that he’s going to remove the blindfold. He does, and she asks, who is he? What does he want with her? He says, his name is Victor, and her eyes get huge. He says, it’s a good thing found her. She asks, why? and he says he’s going to help her. And she’s going to help him. She says, do what? and he says, save PADRE. He tries to touch her face, but she jerks away, and he smiles.
Next time, a stuck herd of zombies; Madison thinks she sees Alicia; Victor says, it’s not about him or her, but about PADRE; Troy wonders what makes them think he’ll make a deal; Victor gets attacked by zombies; Troy says, it doesn’t end well, and Luciana says, for you.
🕰 I’ve Fallen Back and I Can’t Get Up…
Join me tomorrow for soap and yachting in the Med. Until then, stay safe, stay working through the bad to get to the good, and stay not letting anyone down because you can’t get over your own sh*t.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Carly flips Kelly’s sign to closed and tells Regina that she can go home. She calls Alexis and asks if she’s heard anything about Drew’s case. Alexis says she’s afraid all she’s heard is silence from Judge Kim’s office, but she promises to let Carly know if she hears something. Carly thanks her, and Alexis says she’ll keep pushing. Carly says she knows, and Alexis tells her, have a good night. Sam comes into Kelly’s, and Carly asks if Scout forgot something, but Sam says she just wanted to check on her friend.
Alexis tells Molly that she’s sorry she’s late, but Molly says, five minutes is not late. She tells Alexis that TJ isn’t here. The ER is always busy on Halloween, so he probably won’t be back until early morning. Alexis says, poor baby, and Molly says, TJ loves being a doctor. Alexis says she knows he loves her daughter, and Molly says, Andrea was going to join them, but she’s exhausted after trick-or-treating with her son, so she had to cancel. Alexis is glad Molly has such a cordial relationship with her surrogate, and Molly says, her too. She and TJ were really lucky to find her. Alexis says she thinks that baby will be very lucky to have Molly and TJ as parents, and Molly asks if she’s hungry. Alexis says she’s always hungry, and Molly says she’ll unpack the food. There’s a knock at the door, and Alexis answers. It’s Kristina, and Alexis asks what she’s doing here.
Still dressed as Princess Leia, Willow finds a pirate hat outside Kelly’s, and picks it up. Harmony says she likes Willow’s costume, and Willow asks what Harmony is doing here. Harmony says she came to see Wiley and warn Willow. Willow says, warn her about what? and Harmony says, Willow can’t… She continues speaking, but there’s no sound, and Willow wakes up on the sofa. Michael asks if she had a bad dream.
Doc brings Laura a glass of wine, and she thanks him. He asks if Ace is asleep, and she says, yep and his mother too. He says, Esme is down for the night this early? and she says, Ace is teething. He kept her up all night; she’s exhausted. He says, she seemed fine when she was trotting him around in his costume, and Laura says, wasn’t he so cute? But just a little bit cranky. He asks if Spencer is out with Trina, and she says, yeah, and Charlotte should be out trick-or-treating by now.
Valentin parks the car, and the kids thank him. They start to get out, but he says, not so fast. Stay right where you are. He looks pointedly at Charlotte.
Anna says, it has to be here, and looks in a folder. She says, of course (🍷) it was you, you smarmy bastard.
Walking into Molly’s apartment, Kristina asks, what kind of greeting is that? and Alexis asks if she let Molly know she was coming. Kristina says, yes, when Molly invited her. She also brought pumpkin ice cream for Halloween.🤢Molly comes out and says she’s glad Kristina could make it. They hug, and Kristina says, sorry she’s a little late. She had to get someone to cover for her at Charlie’s, but here she is. Molly says, and she heard Kristina brought pumpkin ice cream, and Kristina says she did. Blaze turned her on to this new place. It’s totally organic and has amazing new flavors. Molly says she can’t wait to try it. She bets even mom will like it. Kristina says, she likes everything, and Alexis says, all right. Time out. Does someone want to tell her what she’s missing?
Sam says she hopes Carly doesn’t mind her dropping by, and Carly says, no, as long as Sam doesn’t mind helping her clean. Sam asks what she can do, and Carly says, crayon duty? Sam gets to work, and Carly says she just spoke to Sam’s mom. Sam asks if she had any news about Drew, but Carly says, no. She called to see if Alexis had an update because she just couldn’t help herself. Sam says she’s sure Alexis doesn’t mind, but she did tell Sam about Judge Kim’s record of giving overly harsh sentences if he thinks it will help him up the ladder. Carly asks if Sam can believe judges are still doing that, and Sam says, no, but her mom will see to it that she makes him answer some really tough questions if he doesn’t reconsider Drew’s sentence. Carly says she knows. It’s just, the waiting is driving her crazy. Has Sam told Scout what’s going on? Sam says, no. She doesn’t want to get Scout’s hopes up in case it doesn’t happen. Carly says, that’s smart. She keeps telling herself the same thing, don’t get your hopes up, but it’s so hard.
Willow asks, where’s Wiley? and Michael says he carried Wiley to bed. He didn’t even wake up. Willow says she’s sorry, but he says she has nothing to be sorry about. It looks like she had a bad dream. Does she remember what it was about? She says she had that dream about Harmony again.
Doc says, it’s good Charlotte’s out doing something with kids her age, and Laura agrees, but she’s just worried because Charlotte is obviously troubled right now. She thanks Doc for fitting Charlotte into his schedule, and he says, it’s a good first step. She asks if there’s anything he can tell her, and he says he can’t share what she confided, because she never opened up to him. Laura says, nothing? and he says, she was pleasant, articulate, and gave nothing away. The only real moment in the session happened when she began to talk about being protective of her father.
Valentin asks if their cell phones are fully charged. What about flashlights? They have candy bags there… Charlotte says, papa, please, and he says he’s almost done. Again, what’s the route? They all recite, Harbor Vista, Prince Street, Elmer Street, and back. He says, they’ll be back at what time? and they say, 9 o’clock. He says, they stay together. No one goes out on their own. Their parents are counting on him to keep them safe. Don’t make him look like a jerk. He puts his hand on Charlotte’s backpack, and she moves away. He says he’s helping her out. Did her father sufficiently embarrass her tonight? She says, he did, and he says, good. That’s his job. (He sounds like my father.) And to keep her safe and make sure she has a good time. She thanks him, and she says, tonight means a lot to her. He says, it means a lot to him too. Have fun. Valentin steps away, and Jake asks Charlotte, what made her change her mind about dressing up as the Hermit? She says, he doesn’t like her rah-rah costume? and he says he’s kind of surprised she does. She says she doesn’t, but she couldn’t get the other costume ready in time. Maybe she’ll dress as the Hermit next year. Georgie tells them, let’s go, and they leave as Valentin watches.
Anna tosses the unneeded folders back into the trunk, and calls Robert. He answers, happy Halloweeny, honey, and she asks where he is. He says, out tricking and treating with the rest of the kids, and she says, no, really. Where is he? He says he’s still in the office, and she says, stay right there. She’s coming over. He asks what this is about, but she says, it’s something he needs to see for himself. Stay in the office. She gathers up the papers she needs, puts them in her bag, and heads for the door. She pauses a moment, and goes back, taking her gun from the safe. She turns out the lights and leaves, locking the door behind her.
Sam says she was watching Carly with Nina earlier. Carly was very gracious to her. Nina says, it’s lucky she wasn’t bobbing for apples, and makes a pushing motion with her hands. Sam says, she’s really good at hiding her animosity, and Carly says, it’s exhausting. Sam says she gets that, and Carly says, fanning the flames of her hatred for Nina doesn’t help anything, and she’s Willow’s mother and Wiley’s grandmother, so… Sam says, and Sonny’s wife, and Carly says, yeah, there’s that. Sam says, Dante told her that Sonny seems to be happy, and Carly says, good. She wants him to be happy. Sam says, Sonny wants Carly to be happy too, and Carly says she knows. And Nina has been on her best behavior around the kids and Sonny. Sam says, but Carly doesn’t think she’s changed, and Carly says, no, not at all. For a long time, Willow didn’t want any relationship with Nina. Now, clearly, that’s changed, so if Willow’s happy, she’s happy. Sam asks, but what about Michael?
Willow gets up and says, so much candy, and Michael asks if it was the same dream or was it different this time? She says she was at Kelly’s, at the Halloween party. She was outside, and everyone else was inside. And suddenly, Harmony was there. It seemed almost normal. He asks if Harmony talked to her, and she says, yes. She asked Harmony why she was there, and she said the same thing as before. Harmony said she had to warn her, but when she goes on, her lips move, but there’s no sound. He says, so she still hasn’t heard an actual warning, and she says, but she thinks she knows what Harmony is trying to tell her.
Molly asks Kristina if Alexis missed something, and Kristina says she doesn’t know. Alexis opened up the door and there she was with her pumpkin ice cream. Molly says she came over, said it sounded really good, and here we are. Kristina says, there we are. Alexis is up to date. Alexis says, funny. They were hugging each other. Kristina asks if that’s against the rules, and Alexis says, they know what she’s saying. The last she knew, they weren’t speaking to each other. Now they’re acting like nothing happened, and they’re playing that little game, let’s make mom think she’s crazy. Kristina says she loves that game, and Molly agrees. Alexis says, spill it, and Molly says, after Alexis told them how disappointed she was in them, and how she’d do anything to have her sister back in her life, they really took it to heart. They got together and ironed things out. Kristina says, it was really more of a hammering thing, if you want to be accurate, and Molly says, sometimes it takes a hammer to get through to Kristina. Kristina says, Molly isn’t so easy herself, and Alexis says she really doesn’t need to know what happened. She doesn’t really need to know the details. Kristina says, Alexis always needs to know the details, and Alexis says, the two of them made up, and they’re very happy, and she’s happy that they’re happy. They’re all happy, and she’s very proud of them. Kristina asks if they can eat now, and Alexis grabs the ice cream and takes it to the kitchen. Molly says she actually thinks Alexis is proud, and Kristina says, of both of them. That’s got to be a first. Molly says she guesses hammering it out was worth it. Kristina says, definitely worth it, and Molly asks if Kristina will feel like that when this baby comes. Kristina says, Molly’s got her. Always. They hug.
Doc tells Laura, Valentin was badly injured not too long ago, and Charlotte is physically and emotionally dependent on her father. Laura says, but she also has them, and she has Sam and Dante. He says, she lived with Sam and Dante a month, maybe two. Before that, she lived with them for a few months, but if you take into context her entire life, as she remembers it, the one constant is Valentin. In other words, protecting her father is like protecting herself. Laura asks how that translates into breaking into Anna’s hotel room and vandalizing it or burning down Anna’s home – if it was really Charlotte who did that.
Jake wonders, what’s with the apples? and Georgie says she hates apples. Danny says, him too, and Jake says, some guy gave him money. Georgie says, her too, and Danny says, that’s why he likes going later. People run out of candy and feel guilty, then they give out cash. (Not in my neighborhood or I’d go out trick-or-treating.) While the others are busy talking, Charlotte slips away and goes down an alleyway to a hidden area. She opens her backpack.
As the Davis girls sit on the floor eating takeout, and Alexis tells them, she’s just saying that was her favorite year taking them trick-or-treating. Kristina says, she made them dress up as Supreme Court Justices, and Alexis says, because there were two women on the Court that year; that was the first time. Molly says, she had to wear those big glass to be Ruth Bader Ginsberg, and Alexis says, she was shorter. Kristina says, but those little gavels came in handy when knocking door to door, and Molly says, and their costumes were unique that year. Kristina tells Alexis, be honest. Was that the last time she was proud of them? Alexis says she’s proud of them all the time… when they’re not annoying her. She’s proud of all three of her girls. Kristina says, just wait until she gets ahold of Molly’s little girl on her first Halloween, and Molly says, or little boy, but Kristina says, it’s the Davis family. It has to be a girl. Alexis says, good point.
Carly says she thinks Michael’s just trying to do what’s best for his family, and Sam says, that’s true, but she doesn’t think Michael is as open to Nina as Willow and the kids are. Carly says, maybe he’s just not as good at covering his feelings as his mother, and Sam says, but Michael was best man at his dad’s and Nina’s wedding, right? Carly says she thinks he did that because Sonny asked him to, and Sam asks if she still thinks Michael is wary of Nina. Carly says she thinks wary is an understatement. That woman let them all believe Sonny was dead when she knew damn well he was alive. So she thinks the real question is, why would Michael or any of them trust her? Sam says, that’s true. She’s just glad Michael and Sonny are close again. Carly says, so is she, and Sam says, Dante told her that he didn’t think they’d ever be able to reconcile. Carly says, her neither. They’re both stubborn, stubborn men, and after Sonny fell in love with Nina… Sam says, Michael couldn’t accept it, and Carly says, no. It was really tough on Michael. It was tough on all of them. Sam says, and now? and Carly says, and now, life goes on. Whatever happened in Puerto Rico seemed to have changed everything between Michael and Sonny.
Michael says, so Willow thinks she knows what Harmony is warning her about? and Willow says, not for sure, but she thinks Harmony is trying to tell her that someone close to her is lying. He says, lying to her? and she says, yes, and Harmony is trying to warn her that she’ll get hurt. He says, Harmony’s been lying to Willow her whole life. Maybe that’s what’s jumbled up in her head. She tells him, that’s what Liesl said. Liesl said she should just ignore it. But what if someone is lying to her? Michael remembers asking Nina if she thinks Willow will understand. Drew saved her daughter’s life, and she got him sent to prison. He was beaten so badly, he almost died. Does she think Willow’s going to forgive her for that? Willow asks if he thinks she’s just nervous about how well things are going with Nina.
Doc says, even if Charlotte didn’t burn down Anna’s house, knowing what she has done, she’s clearly in crisis, and Laura says she knows. That’s why she’s so grateful Charlotte is seeing him. She’s going to see him on an ongoing basis? He says, that seems to be Valentin’s intention anyway, and she says, good. The house phone rings, and she says, it’s Valentin. She asks if everything is okay, and he says he was just checking in like he said he would. She says, of course (🍷). He did tell her that. Is Charlotte having a good time? He says, she is. She’s trick-or-treating with Danny and Jake and Georgie. Laura says she’s glad Charlotte’s spending time with them. It will be good for her to be with her friends right now. He says, she really needed this, and Laura says she knows. Please tell Charlotte that she loves her. She thanks him for checking in with her and tells him to have a good night.
Now dressed in a black hooded robe, Charlotte hears Jake calling her name. Jake asks Danny and Georgie how they lost her, and Georgie says, no clue. They call for her, and Danny says, come on. Not funny. They continue to search, and Charlotte puts the hood up, covering most of her face. I guess this is the Hermit?
Kristina asks if Molly and TJ have come up with any possible baby names, but Alexis thinks it’s too early to be talking about baby names. (Is she kidding? Girls probably start doing that in high school.) Molly says she and TJ said the same thing – Alexis says, good – except then they realized they were talking about the most mundane things not to talk about the baby all the time. Alexis says, it’s almost impossible not to obsess about the first baby. Molly says, now it’s all she can think about, and she goes over to the bookcase. Alexis asks if that’s what she thinks it is, and Molly says, a book of baby names. Alexis says, here we go, and tells Kristina, be nice. Kristina says she’s always nice… mostly, and Molly says, so they were both thinking Albert. I literally lol at Alexis’s face, and Kristina says, Albert? For a baby? She asks if Alexis likes Albert, and Alexis says she thinks Albert’s perfect. She thinks any baby name they come up with is perfect, because it’s their baby to name. Molly says she wasn’t even all that crazy about Albert, even though it’s a good name. Then they were thinking Ferris. Kristina says, as in Bueller… Bueller… Bueller… Molly and Alexis tell her, stop, and Molly says, maybe it’s a bad idea. Kristina says, what about girl’s names? And Molly says she was thinking something classic, like Athena, Kristina says, why not name her Madea? And Molly says, very funny. Alexis says, how about if we just look through this book together, quietly, and keep our opinions to ourselves? but Kristina says, they’re her daughters. It’s impossible to keep their opinions to themselves. Molly says, well said, sis, and Alexis says, touché. They open the book.
Carly says she bets Sam didn’t expect to help her take out the trash when she came to check on a friend, but Sam says she’ll scrub pots and pans if Carly needs her to. Carly says, she already did all that, but next time, and Sam says, perfect. Carly says she bets if she had told Sam all those years ago that they’d have a night like this… Sam says she bets she would have told Carly, not in a million years could they be civil to each other, and Carly says, they’ve come a long way. Sam says she’s glad, and Carly says, her too. If Rocco and Scout are on the same sugar rush as her kids used to get on Halloween night, Sam had better get home fast. Sam says she’s sure Dante has downed most of the candy by now, and Carly thanks Sam for coming to check on her. She didn’t realize how much she needed the distraction. Sam says, of course (🍷), and Carly can call her anytime. And don’t give up, because her mom never will. Carly says she knows and tells Sam, happy Halloween. Sam says, happy Halloween, and leaves.
Michael says, so things are going well with Willow and Nina? and Willow says, he was there tonight. Maybe it’s because now they’ve shared some positive experiences? He says he knows she had a good time at the wedding, and she says, they all did. Until Michael got distracted by that business call. He says, sorry about that, and she says, since the wedding, she and Nina can talk about Wiley and Amelia, even about taking that trip to Montreal. He asks if she wanted to go on that trip with Nina to Montreal, and she says, yes, she kind of did.
Laura tells Doc that she knows Charlotte. She couldn’t do something like this without having some kind of help. He asks if she thinks Charlotte had help from Victor, and she says, remember when Valentin got hurt? It was Victor who arranged for Charlotte to go to that private school in Europe. He had access to her there for over a year. Doc says, an impressionable year, and she says, yeah. Who knows what kind of lies he filled her head with? He asks if Charlotte didn’t say she hardly saw him, but Laura says, that is exactly what Victor would have told her to say. Victor hates Anna, so whatever Charlotte has done to hurt Anna is born out of Victor’s own hatred. Why else would Charlotte do something like that?
Anna goes into Robert’s office, and he asks what he needs to see. She opens the folder and asks if he recognizes any names there, and he says, Forsythe. She says, exactly. This memo is proof of a colossal screw up, and Forsythe was right in the middle of it. It should have killed his career. Robert says, but it didn’t, and she says, no, because someone buried it. He asks if this memo is the only proof she’s got, and she says, no. She was there – she takes a volume out of her bag – and she wrote it all down in her notebook. She knows for a fact he was there, and Forsythe has always known that she knew.
The kids continue to look for Charlotte, and Danny says, she’s ruining everything. Georgie wonders, where is she? and Jake says, she has to be around here somewhere. Georgie says, is that her? as Charlotte ducks around behind them, and Jake says, no. They saw that girl before and Charlotte doesn’t have pom poms. Danny says, she must have gotten ahead of them, and looking intently at someone, Jake tells them to go that way. He tells Georgie to text Charlotte, and he’ll go the other way.
Anna tells Robert that she thinks Forsythe either does something with intelligence or the defense industry. Either way, if this came out, it would ruin his career. He says, or worse, and she says, no wonder she’s being targeted. He knows for a fact she witnessed everything that happened. Somewhere in that trunk is a long form copy of the incident. She took it, just for insurance. He says, smart, but she says, what good is it doing her? No one could blame her if she took a copy of this to Alexis at The Invader, before Forsythe finds out she has any actual proof. He says, maybe he should take her home to her place, but she says she doesn’t need a babysitter. If anyone is watching her, everything should seem really normal. (Well, she did just dash to the DA’s office. I’m not sure how normal that is.) He tells her, be careful. They know the lengths Forsythe’s prepared to go to keep this quiet. Anna asks if he thinks that’s why Forsythe burned her house down, destroying any evidence she might have, and Robert says, could be. If he knows she has that trunk, he could come after her. She says, let him. At least now she’s not fighting shadows. She knows exactly what she’s up against.
Valentin looks at his watch, when Georgie and Danny arrive at the designated spot. He says, they’re back early. Where are Jake and Charlotte? Danny says, they couldn’t find Charlotte, and Valentin asks what he means. They were supposed to stick together. Danny says, they were, and Georgie says, when they stopped to check their candy, Charlotte just kind of disappeared. Danny says, Georgie tried texting her, and Georgie says, now Jake’s gone too.
Charlotte knocks on Anna’s door a couple of times and gets no answer. She looks around, smiling, then takes out the keys she spends so much time looking at, and lets herself in, closing the door behind her. She looks around using a flashlight. She checks out the safe, then sees the trunk. She kneels down and opens it, looking at the contents. She flashes back to reading Victor’s letter: Anna Devane is not who she seems. Do not trust her. She takes out a folder and looks at it.
Michael says he had no idea Willow really wanted to go on that trip. She says she knows it’s extravagant; Sonny wanting to take them to Montreal, just so Wiley can prove to James that his grandpa has a private jet. Michael says, his dad will go to extremes just to make sure his kids and grandkids are happy, and she says she can see that now. And she thinks Sonny would be disappointed if he couldn’t do it. And she’s never been to Montreal. Going there with Sonny, Nina, and the kids would give them another positive experience they could share. What does he think?
Molly, Kristina, and Alexis sit on the sofa, and Kristina says, this ice cream is really good. Molly says, Blaze has got great taste, and Kristina says, she sure does. Molly asks Alexis if there’s any update on Judge Kim. Kristina asks if that’s the judge who gave that ridiculous prison sentence to Drew, and Alexis says, it is. Right now, there’s no actual news. There are rumors flying around at the courthouse that he’s going to reconsider Drew’s sentence, but they’re just rumors. Kristina says, poor Scout, and Molly says she saw Scout the other day. She’s old enough to understand what prison means. She misses Drew so much. Alexis says, so does Carly, and Kristina says she can’t believe the judge wouldn’t take Drew’s family into consideration, or his military record. Molly says she thinks the judge wants to be seen as tough on everyone, no exceptions. Use it as a path to bigger things. Alexis says, so they hope for a miracle.
Carly goes in the back, and someone approaches the door. Drew walks in, and she says, is it really you? She runs to him and they kiss. She asks why he’s here, and he says, all he knows is, they said he was free to go, and he came straight here. She says, he couldn’t, but he says he did. He’s here. They’re together and he loves her so much. She says she loves him too, and they kiss again.
Alexis asks if Kristina drove, but Kristina says, on Halloween night? No way. Alexis says, good. She’ll drop Kristina off, and Kristina thanks her. Alexis says, next time, they add Sam to make everything complete, and the girls agree. They say their goodbyes, and Alexis and Kristina leave. In the hallway, Alexis says, that wasn’t the evening she expected. Kristina asks if she’s disappointed, and Alexis says she’s thrilled. Inside, Molly picks up the book of baby names and sits down with it. She says, Romulus… Atlas… Percio… Maybe she shouldn’t show this to TJ.
Michael says he just assumed… He thought Willow only went along with the Montreal trip for Wiley’s sake. He thought she’d be dreading it. She says she would have been, before. She might have even found an excuse not to go. He says, that changed since the wedding? and she says she guesses so. And the more time she spends with Nina when they’re with the whole family, the more she thinks they might actually be able to have a real relationship. Does that bother him? He takes her hand, and says, the only thing he cares about is that she and the kids are happy. He kisses her and says, and he’ll do whatever it takes to make sure she stays happy, and no one will ever hurt her. Wow. Is she gonna be mad at him when this all comes out six years from now.
Laura tells Doc that Charlotte reminds her a lot of herself at that age. She had a chaotic childhood too, and thought she knew better than all of the adults around her. He says, every teenager thinks that, and she says, yes, but she didn’t think of herself as a teenager. She thought she was more mature than the kids around her, and maybe she was. Maybe Charlotte is too, but Laura threw herself into some really adult situations that she didn’t know how to deal with. But that didn’t stop her from trying. He says, and look how well things turned out for her, and she says, but she didn’t have a grandfather like Victor Cassadine whispering in her ear that she should hate someone. Victor has convinced Charlotte that she should hate Anna, that she should hurt Anna.
Valentin says, it’s going straight to voicemail. She’s turned her phone off. Georgie asks why she would do that, and he yells, I don’t know!Sorry. She says, that’s okay. He’s worried about Charlotte. On the phone, Danny leaves a message for Jake that he and Georgie are with Mr. Cassadine, and he’s really worried about Charlotte. Is he with her? Call him. Valentin asks, when was the last time someone saw Charlotte? and Danny says, before they went into the alley, like they said. Valentin says, and no one’s seen her since? and Danny says, Jake thought he saw her. Valentin says, he did? and Georgie says, but it wasn’t Charlotte. It was some kid dressed as the Hermit in the tarot cards. Valentin asks why he would assume that was Charlotte, and Georgie says, because that’s what Charlotte said she was going to dress up as that, but she changed her mind. (Popular costume, is it?) Valentin says, tell him exactly what this costume looked like.
Charlotte looks through the folders, and Anna comes to the door. Anna puts her key in the lock, and realizes it’s unlocked. Charlotte braces the flashlight in the trunk in way that Anna sees the light, and she backs away from the door. The flashlight goes out, and Charlotte gets up. She taps at it, trying to get it to go on again. Anna sets down her bag and takes her gun out of her waistband. She quietly opens the door and sees the back of the hooded figure. She says, freeze, and Charlotte turns, pointing the flashlight at Anna. Anna shoots, and Charlotte falls.
On Monday, Drew doesn’t know how he got released from Pentenville; Sam says, they can’t jump to the worst-case scenario; Laura didn’t see that coming at all; and Elizabeth wonders where her son is.
🪢 As the Door Revolves…
Today, the new Molly debuted. I had a hard enough time not mixing up Molly and Kristina, but now they really look alike. I get that they’re sisters, but give me a break. We also got a new Georgie and Danny. So far, I’m liking them both.
Ditto. Except for when Trixie Mattel was on. I’m not sure why Mary is still in the cast. She seems like someone dropped in from another planet, and that’s saying a lot.
I thought maybe these two were sane, but it looks like they’re sliding into wishy-washy territory. Sam shouldn’t be surprised. There are only 30- to 40-year-old boys on this show.
Infinitely more important than sharing one’s material wealth is sharing the wealth of ourselves—our time and energy, our passion and commitment, and, above all, our love. – William E. Simon (But a little cash never hurts.)
If you don’t believe me, then google it. – Cesar Faison (Anders Hove), General Hospital
There are worse crimes than burning books. One of them is not reading them. – Ray Bradbury
It is mental slavery to cling to things that have stopped serving their purpose in your life. – Chinonye J. Chidolue
Working hard for something we don’t care about is called stress: Working hard for something we love is called passion. – Simon Sinek
Success is built sequentially. It’s one thing at a time. – Gary W. Keller
Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes. – Carl Jung
We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty. – Maya Angelou
The differences that separate human beings are nothing compared to the similarities that bond us together. – Sophie Grégoire Trudeau
What did Columbus discover? People were already here. It’s like crashing your car into Starbucks & saying you discovered coffee. – Jimmy Kimmel
Magic is believing in yourself. If you can make that happen, you can make anything happen. – Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe
🪶 Shaking A Tailfeather…
Stop in for a quick dose of Fear on Sunday. Until then, stay safe, stay remembering there’s another holiday between Halloween and Christmas/Hanukkah/whatever winter thing you celebrate, and stay knowing that sometimes it takes a hammer to iron things out, but it’s definitely worth it.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Michael and crew go into Kelly’s where the party has begun. They’re dressed as characters from Star Wars, Michael being Darth Vader. Carly asks if that’s Michael in there, and Wiley says, he’s Luke Skywalker. Carly says, he certainly is, and Michael says, I am your father. Willow, as Princess Leia, tells Carly, may the Force be with you tonight. She may need it. Carly says she thinks so, and cowboy James asks if Wiley wants to round up some bad guys. Wiley says he has his light saber, and Michael says, to infinity and… Wiley tells him, wrong movie, dad. The kids run off, and Maxie says she’s glad James has another sheriff of sorts to fight the bad guys. Willow says, they’ll be occupied for hours, and Michael says, somebody’s got to keep the peace. Carly says she doesn’t think it’s going to be those two. Donna comes in as Little Bo Peep, and Carly says, her costume turned out perfect, and pumpkin Scout looks amazing. Carly thanks Sonny and Nina for bringing the girls, and Sonny thanks her for doing all this. Nina says, they’re going to have so much fun, and she and Michael exchange a look.
Trina, a sexy-ish Little Red Riding Hood, says she doesn’t know how she’s going to pull this together. Thank God Josslyn is here. Adjusting Trina’s costume, Josslyn says, she’s going to look fantastic. She’s going to be the life of the party. Trina says she can’t believe Josslyn isn’t coming. She was so excited for tonight. She’s going to miss an epic party. Josslyn says she doesn’t know. Dex was supposed to come with her, and now that she’s solo, she doesn’t want to go and deal with all the drunk frat guys hitting on her. Trina offers to protect her, and Josslyn thanks her, but says she thinks she needs some me time. But go, have so much fun, and text her all of the tragic costumes. Trina tells her to get ready for the pictures.
Sasha looks at her bank account on her laptop, and sighs. She says, talk about a horror show. There’s a knock at the door, and cowboy Cody says, happy Halloween.
Anna tells herself that she’s cracked tougher codes than this, and takes some folders out of the trunk. She opens one and says, so many years of secrets. She closes it and says, it’s not a trip down Memory Lane. Let’s get this worked out.
Charlotte walks outside and adjusts the jack-o-lanterns. She takes Anna’s keys out of her pocket, when Valentin comes out and asks what she’s doing. She holds the keys behind her back.
Pirate Aiden tells Avery that the cookies are great. He’s all about 3-D cake decorating. Check this out. He shows her his phone, and she says, he did that? He says, pretty complicated.
Anna sets volumes of some kind on the table, and says, 1983, 1985, 89. There’s a knock at the door, and Felicia says, it’s her. She’s holding a giftbag and Anna asks, what is it? Felicia says, a housewarming present, something no self-respecting Englishwoman should be without. She gives the giftbag to Anna.
Charlotte goes back inside, stuffing the keys into her pocket again, and Valentin asks why she’s not in her Halloween costume. Her friends are going to be here any minute. She says she was just fixing the decorations. She wants everything to be perfect when they get here. And her costume is easy. She can just put it on before they go trick-or-treating. He says, she’s pretty excited about Halloween this year, and she says, last year was so boring. They barely did anything at boarding school; the headmaster was so strict. He says he’s sorry she had to go through that. They’ll make this one a Halloween to remember. She says, it’s already better. She’s here with him in a house of their own. There’s a knock at the door, and Charlotte says, it must be them. Remember their deal about no chaperoning. She opens the door, and Jake, Danny, and Georgie say, trick-or-treat.
Josslyn opens the dorm room door, and Spencer jumps out dressed like a werewolf. Josslyn tells Trina, Bigfoot’s here, and we see Trina with her red hood. Spencer says he has no words, and she says, silence is gold, baby. He kisses her, and she says, it’s Ace’s first Halloween. Was he excited to take Ace trick-or-treating? He says, yes. It was wonderful. He didn’t know how Ace was going to react at first because he was so scared of that jack-o-lantern in the lobby, but he was great. He had so much fun. At first, Esme was trying to walk Ace up to the doors, but he decided it would be better to just float him up. They had a nice time. Of course (🍷) Ace passed out by the fourth house, so he dropped Ace off and now he’s all hers. She asks what they’re waiting for. Let’s get going. Josslyn opens the door and tells them, have fun. Don’t do anything she wouldn’t do. Spencer gives the standard answer of, that leaves a lot of options, and he and Trina leave. Adam walks dejectedly down the hall, and Josslyn asks, what’s going on? It looks like he’s seen a ghost.
Avery tells Sonny that she wants to show Willow her costume, and he tells her, go have some fun. She runs off, and Sonny asks if Aiden misses his brother. Aiden says, yeah, but they talk on the phone all the time. Sonny asks if Cameron likes school, and Aiden tells him, you could say that, but he’s really interested in Ueki, his new girlfriend. Sonny laughs.
Outside, Nina asks what they have here. A cowboy and… Wiley says, Luke Skywalker, and James says, yes, ma’am, and if she needs any help with outlaws, they’ve got her covered. She says, that’s good to know, pardner, and Wiley says, they could patrol the island. James should see where Grandpa and Grandma Nina had their wedding. There are big caves to explore and a lot of spiders. They’re going to go back again soon, right? Nina says, yes, they are, although she wishes he wouldn’t mention those spiders. Michael takes a peek outside, keeping his eye on Nina.
Willow asks how the girls came up with their costumes, and Avery says she wanted hers to be a surprise. Donna kept wanting to find out. Donna says she did not. She just wanted to know what color it would be. Scout says, or if it was an animal or a person or if she would have a tiara. Avery says, Donna decided what they would wear, and Donna says, only because you let me. Avery makes air quotes and says, let you.
Michael goes back to the kitchen and asks if Carly’s had any word on Drew, but she says, no. Radio silence, and it’s driving her crazy.
Sasha asks if it isn’t a little late for trick-or-treat, but Cody says, that’s just if you want to get candy. He’s here to give it. He’s carrying a pumpkin bucket full of candy, and she says she appreciates the gesture, and she does have a sweet tooth, but she thinks if she ate all that, she’d go into sugar shock. He says, this isn’t for her to eat. At least not all of it. It’s for her to give away. She says she doesn’t think any little goblins are going to be ringing her doorbell. There’s not so much as a skeleton on the door or a plastic pumpkin out front. He says, hold that thought, he’ll be right back, and leaves.
Josslyn invites Adam in and tells him to have a seat. She’ll get him some water. He says he doesn’t know what went wrong. He’s never taken a test like that before. She says, that was Organic Chemistry. It’s tough, and that was a heinous test. The professor warned them. What did he get? He says he got a 92.5, and she says, and that’s tanking? He says, 92.5 is not going to get him into any of the medical schools on his parents’ list, and she says, she’d better not apply to any of the schools on his parents’ list, because she got 89% and that’s better than she thought. He says he wishes he could be like her. She’s so relaxed and level-headed. If he gets less than a 95, he has a panic attack, and has to dodge all the calls from home. She says, that’s intense. He has to stop being so hard on himself. He’s so smart and he’s so capable. He’s going to make a great doctor. He thanks her and says he really needed to hear that. Her phone dings, and she says she guesses she’s going out for Halloween after all.
Anna takes out a pair of mugs with the Union Jack flag on them, and tells Felicia, this is perfect. How did she know? She’s so desperate for a cup of tea. Felicia says she had a hunch, and Anna says, Felicia didn’t have to give her a gift. The whole place is gift enough; just her figuring out she could sublet from Maxie. Felicia says, two birds, one stone, right? and Anna says, Felicia has a unique ability. It makes her perfect to be a patient advocate. She just figures things out and helps people work through difficult situations. Felicia says she wouldn’t engrave that on a plaque just yet. She nearly sank her career at the hospital before it even set sail.
Charlotte says her friends look great, and tells them to check out their new house. Devil Georgie says, this is so cool. They both have new places. Charlotte says, it’s kind of weird Georgie’s living in her mom’s old house. What room did she pick? Georgie says she got the room with the window seat, and Charlotte says, that’s where she used to sleep. Mad scientist Jake asks, what are these? and Charlotte says, pumpkin bars. She made them. Valentin lets Sam in, and asks if he can offer her a glass of sparkling pumpkin spice apple cider. She says she’s good (as I would), and he says, probably a wise choice. He thanks her for bringing the kids by, and she says, her pleasure. They were all really excited. Elizabeth is working and Maxie took James to Kelly’s. Sonny and Nina offered to take Scout so she could drop the kids off here, but Carly is throwing a huge Halloween bash for adults and kids. Valentin says he wasn’t aware there was a party; he wasn’t in the loop. She says, according to Carly, the more the merrier, so if anyone wants to join… and he says, that might be preferable. Let’s ask them what they think. Sam tells the kids, Carly is throwing a huge Halloween bash at Kelly’s. Any takers? The response is underwhelming.
Maxie tells Sonny and Nina, congratulations, lovebirds, for skipping town like fugitives. Sonny says he wasn’t going to let Nina get away, and Maxie says, that’s sweet. She had the perfect theme for their wedding; flying cherubs, towering gladiolas, taffeta for days. But she supposes eloping does have its appeal. Nina says she wishes Maxie could have been there. If she’d done the wedding, Nina’s sure it would have been amazing, but this is exactly what they wanted. Sonny says, quick and simple, and Maxie says, probably for the best, because weddings in Port Charles usually attract bad mojo. Nina says, no bad mojo, and Maxie says, all they need is happiness, and they both clearly have that going on. Sonny says, you got it, and kisses Nina.
Outside, Avery says, girls play better, and Donna says, yeah. James says, no way. Boys do because their arms are strong. Avery says, who cares about strong arms? You have to aim good. Donna says, yeah, and Scout says, like using a slingshot. Daddy says you have to tilt a little higher than you see. Bringing Wiley out, Michael asks what they’re talking about, and Aiden says, cornhole is really a gender war. James tells him, Avery says girls are better, and Michael says, those are fighting words. It’s not that simple though, right? Everyone has their own skills and talents. That’s what goes into making a winning team, right? Wiley says he guesses.
Willow tells Carly, Michael’s such a good dad, and an amazing big brother. Carly agrees, and says, he’s the rock of the family. He’s always stepping in to help his siblings, and double that for his own children. It’s a gift, and sometimes a burden.
Nina comes out and asks what they’re doing. Wiley says, they’re going to play cornhole. He wants her on his team. Michael obviously can’t stand this.
Sam says, don’t all speak at once, and Chalotte says, thank you for the invitation to Carly’s party… Steampunk Danny says, they talked about this. The party at Kelly’s is totally for little kids. They want to go trick-or-treating. Sam says, okay, but if they change their minds… Jake says, they won’t. Right? Danny says, they’ll let her know, and Valentin says, the mob has spoken.
Felicia tells Anna, it was a nightmare. She was so humiliated. Anna says, $11,000 is so much, and Felicia says she knows. The patient couldn’t afford it, and how was she going to explain that to Mac? Anna asks if she’d be on the hook for it, and Felicia tells her, she couldn’t very well say to the poor man, sorry, my bad. Stella Henry saved the day. Anna says, Curtis’s Aunt Stella? and Felicia says, yes. She had her checkbook out, ready to pay, and Stella knew of a research project at the hospital, so she made a call. The patient agreed to share his data, and boom, the hospital stepped right in and covered the cost. She couldn’t believe it. Stella knows everything. Anna says, Felicia will too. She’s just a diamond in the rough. Felicia says, more like a lump of coal, but Stella has all this information, and it’s right here. She taps her head, and Anna says, Felicia has it up there too. She’s a perfectionist. That’s her strength. She’s not going to be a rookie forever, and her heart is in the right place. That’s the most important thing.
Dex knocks at Josslyn’s door, and Josslyn opens it, dressed as Alice in Wonderland. She says, wow, nice costume. It’s really a mobster, security detail look. He says, very funny. He got here as soon as possible. She says, he gets points for that, and he says, besides, nobody’s going to be looking at him. She asks how he got the night off, and he says, Sonny told him that he didn’t have to work tonight, so he didn’t ask questions. He just grabbed the opportunity. She says she’s glad he did – he kisses her – but they should probably go or else they won’t get out of here. She really wants to see Trina and Spencer. He says, okay then. Let’s get going. They leave, and Adam shuffles out from around the corner. He’s getting good at this lurking thing.
Cody tries to hang a ghost on Sasha’s door, but it falls, and she says, told him. He says, this thing is surprisingly heavy for a ghost, and she says, maybe it’s real. He says, maybe they have to use real magic then, and takes some tape from her. He says, hocus pocus, shazam, and steps away. The ghost stays, and he says, magic. She says, magic tape, and he says, behold. Her abode is now goblin friendly, and fab-boo-lous. She says she can’t believe it. He’s turned her boring apartment into a haunted mansion, but he says, let’s not go overboard. He just ran to the bargain mart and grabbed whatever they had left. But this witch’s hat had her name written all over it. He puts a blue sparkly witch’s hat on her head, and she asks if he’s implying she’s a witch. He says, she definitely cast a spell on him (groan), and she is quite enchanting. She says, that’s very sweet of him to say, and honestly, she appreciates him thinking of her tonight, but he doesn’t have to feel obligated to check up on her. He asks if that’s what she thinks he’s doing, and she says, isn’t he? but he says, she’s got it all wrong. He’s not checking up on her. He’s just making it easier for her to check up on him.
Maxie tells Carly that she has an errand to run. She’s going to leave James here. She’ll either be back to get him or her mom will come. Is that okay? Carly says, she has an errand to run on Halloween? and Maxie says, wish her luck. Carly says, good luck, and don’t worry about James; she’ll keep an eye on him. Maxie says, she’s a lifesaver. And hats off to her for staging this flawless soirée. Carly says she’ll take it. That’s a compliment coming from Maxie.
Wiley says, they flew on his grandpa’s private jet, and he got to meet the pilot, but James says, no way. He’s making that up. Wiley says he is not. He high-fived him. Ask grandpa. They go over to Sonny, and Wiley says, tell James about the jet. Sonny says, what about the jet? and James says, he really has one? With a pilot? Sonny says, yes, it’s true. He cannot lie. Wiley says he told James that he wasn’t lying, and Willow tells him, remember what they said about the word gracious? Wiley says he guesses, and she says, gracious winners don’t gloat. He asks what gloat means, and she says, it means he needs to apologize to James. Wiley tells her, James said he was lying, and she just looks at him. He tells James, okay, he’s sorry, and Sonny says he’ll show James the jet this weekend and take him on an adventure. James asks if he means it, and Wiley says, grandpa does not tell lies. Willow says, it sounds fun. Maybe Grandma Nina, daddy, Wiley’s sister, and she could join in and make it a family day. Nina says, that’s a wonderful idea, and Wiley and James high-five. Nina asks if James is ready for a jet-setting lifestyle. It’s going to be very special for all of them.
Danny asks if Sonny means it. He’ll actually take them up in the plane? Sonny says, sure. The real question is, where are they going to go? James says, they can go anywhere? and Sonny says, within reason. James says, how about the biodome in Montreal? It’s like the rainforest and Antarctica all in the same place. And there are monkeys and turtles that have been alive for over 100 years. Willow tells Wiley, that sounds too cool to pass up, and asks Nina if she’s still going to Paris for work or can she come with them. Nina looks at Michael, who shakes his head slightly, and I can’t write here what I say to him, since the blog is PG. Nina says she took care of her Paris business without having to go to Paris, but the weekend is still really busy. She has a big deadline. Sonny says, she can spare a day, and she says she’d love to – she glances at Michael again – but she really can’t. Wiley says, please, and Michael says, they have to respect his her decision. Sonny says, they’ll do something with Grandma Nina some other time, and Nina tells them to have a great time without her. Make sure they take a lot of video for her.
Sam walks in, and hugs Scout, asking if Scout missed her. Scout says, they need her on their team. She’s the best at cornhole. The only one better is daddy.
Trina and Spencer walk into the gallery, and Trina says she never thought she’d be so happy to escape a party. He says, it was a zoo. It was loud and crowded… She says, and obnoxious, and he says, and way too many dudes trying to hit on her. She says, kudos for him. He was this close to throwing some punches at someone, wasn’t he? He says he was, and she says, good for him. Gold star. He says he thinks he deserves a little extra credit, and she says, here’s his bonus, kissing him.
Sasha says she hopes Cody won’t be too disappointed if no trick-or-treaters show up. He says, you never know. It pays to be prepared. A horde of sugar crazed children might show up at her door like a zombie apocalypse. She says she supposes it could happen, but honestly, if it doesn’t, she’s really glad he brought all this candy, because given the state of her finances after Gladys raided her bank account, it might be the only food in the house for a while. He says he still can’t believe Gladys did that to her. Talk about a witch. She says she’s sorry she brought that up. She’ll be fine, she promises. She just needs to find herself some work. There’s a knock at the door (opportunity!), and Cody says, what did he tell her? They put their hats on and open the door, but it’s Maxie.
Felicia says, it looks like she caught Anna in the middle of something, and Anna says, all of this was in storage. It’s just old books and documents from her early years at the WSB. Her phone rings, and she says, it’s Valentin. Felicia tells her not to leave him hanging. She’ll make some more tea. She goes to the kitchen, and Anna answers, happy Halloween. He says, happy Halloween to her too, and she says, it’s good to hear his voice. He says, it’s always good to hear her. How’s the apartment? Sorry he couldn’t get away to help her settle in. She says, that’s okay. He had all those burnt pumpkin bars to take care of. How’s Charlotte now? Is she okay? He says, she’s better, and Anna says, Robert helped her earlier, and Felicia is with her now actually. He says, that’s great, and asks Anna how she is. Anna says she’s fine. She’s always armed, so he shouldn’t worry about her. He says he likes worrying about her, and she asks what he’s doing. He says, at the moment, he’s bracing himself to take four teenagers trick-or-treating, and she says, sounds scary. He says he thinks this may be the most dangerous mission of his life, and she laughs.
Spencer takes out his phone, and Trina says, he’s not texting Esme to check on Ace, is he? He says, no. Quite the opposite. He’s trying to connect to the gallery’s speaker because he’d like to dance with her. She says, in that case, follow her, and she takes his phone.
Josslyn says, Dex should have seen his face when the cops showed up, and he asks how she could. She was too busy yelling, drive around the block, drive around the block! She says she didn’t want to miss the action. She was looking for Spencer and Trina. He asks if that’s why she was recording on her phone, and she says, it was funny watching all the frat guys scurrying about when the lights came on. They go into her room, and she says, he’s telling her that wasn’t funny? Adam shows up, and says, they’re back. Josslyn says, the party could have been legendary, but the second they showed up, the cops did. So they opted for food instead. She holds up a takeout bag, and says, happy Halloween. Dex suggests Adam steer clear of Xavier Hall. It’s not a pretty scene right now. Josslyn says, bye, and closes the door.
Maxie says she was thrilled to get Sasha’s text. Knowing she’s staying in town is such a relief. They could have made it work if she left town, but Sasha being based here will help them launch the new campaign. Cody says, new campaign? and Maxie says, with the lawsuit officially behind them, they can relaunch The Deceptor and unveil their new line with Sasha as the Face of Deception. Sasha says, her? After all the bad PR? Maxie says, full transparency, they toyed with the idea of bringing in a new face, but Tracy of all people, insisted on rehiring Sasha, and Maxie is glad she did. Cody says, Tracy Quartermaine? and Maxie says, yeah. She is now the majority shareholder of Deception. Cody says, color him impressed. Maybe she’s not so ruthless after all. Maxie says she wouldn’t go that far, and Cody says, at least she made the right choice. Maxie says, the ball’s in Sasha’s court. Does she still want to be the Face of Deception? Sasha says, yes! She thanks Maxie and says, Maxie has no idea how much this means to her. They hug, and Maxie tells her, welcome back. Cody asks if she wants some candy, but Maxie says she has to go back to Kelly’s and get James. Carly is throwing a Halloween party for the little ones, so happy Halloween. It’s going to be a great new chapter for all of them. She leaves.
Wiley says, ready to lose? and Avery says, only in his dreams. Michael says, focus, captains. They have to finish picking teams. Avery has two more. She says, Aiden, but he says he’s Switzerland here; strictly an impartial observer. She says, okay then, Sam… and Mama Carly. Wiley says he gets mommy and Grandma Nina. Michael says, the first team to touch their noses gets first play. Ready… Set… Go. He says, Willow was last, and Wiley whines, mommy... She says, sorry, champ.
Cornhole is played, and there’s laughing and cheering. They all kind of stink, but Nina gets one in, and Wiley hugs her. She picks him up, much to Michael’s annoyance.
Anna says, if there’s a clue in here at all that can lead her to who’s targeting her… She believes it’s someone from the WSB or an agent from back in the day. Just a breadcrumb in amongst all the chaos that could trigger a memory or something. A name would be perfect. She would love if she could find a name. Felicia says she could help Anna sift through all of this stuff tomorrow. She doesn’t have to be at the hospital until mid-afternoon. Anna says, it just has to be her… and a strong cup of tea, thanks to Felicia, and Felicia says, okay, but Anna has to promise to call her if anything unexpected comes up. And for heaven’s sake, stay vigilant. Anna says, Felicia doesn’t have to worry about her, and Felicia says she should go. She promised Maxie that she’d pick up James at Carly’s Halloween bash. Anna walks her to the door and thanks her for coming around and her gift. She loves it. They hug, and Felicia says, take care. Anna double locks the door, and looks at the stuff spread out.
Valentin asks, where’s Charlotte? and Danny says, she had some last-minute issue with her costume. Valentin calls to her, let’s go. They’re running out of time for trick-or-treating. Charlotte comes out dressed as a cheerleader, and Valentin says he didn’t expect that. Charlotte says, what’s the matter? Doesn’t he like it? He says, it’s great. Let’s get going. He’ll bring the car around. He leaves, and Jake asks, what’s with the backpack? They’re not getting that much candy. She says she’s just bringing a sweater. It can get chilly out there. Danny says he thought she was going to be the hermit figure from her tarot card deck, but she says she changed her mind. The way Valentin was looking, I assume this costume has some significance.
Aiden thanks Carly for the party, and she thanks him for helping the girls decorate cookies. He asks if she means desecrate cookies, but she says, not once he started to show them how to do it. Avery’s a big fan.
Maxie arrives and runs into Felicia outside. They hug, and James runs out. He says, guess what? Wiley’s grandpa has a jet and he’s going to take them to Antarctica. Felicia says, really? and he says, not exactly. The Montreal Biodome. Maxie says, that’s almost cooler, and James says, good one mom, cooler, and they laugh.
Sam tells Carly, it was excellent. The kids had so much fun. Carly says she’s so happy everyone could get together. Scout thanks her for the cookies and asks if she can take some extra for daddy. Carly says, sure can, handing some to her, and Scout tells Sam that she wants to save it for when daddy gets home; he loves chocolate. Sam, Aiden, and Scout leave, and Sonny tells the girls to say goodnight to Carly, who says, they’re going to need these for a sleepover. She gives them cookies, and they hug her. She says, goodnight to her sweetest girls, and Donna says, this was the best day, and not too scary. Willow asks if Wiley is ready, and Michael tells him to say goodnight to his grandmother. He hugs Carly, and then Nina, telling her, it’s not her fault they lost. They hug again, and Willow tells Michael, Wiley sure loves his grandma Nina. Steam comes out of Michael’s ears.
Cody says, so the Face of Deception rides again, and Sasha says, it would seem so. He tells her, don’t look so happy. Cheer up, the tides are turning. She says she knows, but why on earth would Tracy Quartermaine stick with her after all the tabloid scandals? He says, could be – and he’s just spitballing here – that Tracy thinks she’s talented and the best woman for the job. She says she appreciates his faith in her, but… There’s a knock at the door, and he says, this is it. Go time. He puts her hat on her head and hands her the candy bucket, and she goes to the door.
There’s a song part, and Trina and Spencer dance and kiss.
Josslyn tells Dex, this costume is cute, but she feels like she’s wearing a straitjacket. He says he has just the cure for that, and she says, please, help me, doctor. He unzips her dress, and they get busy.
Adam looks online at his grade. He pulls at his hair and says, stupid.
Anna picks up some reports to look at. She flips through some pages, then focuses on one. She gasps and says, my God, that’s it. She quickly puts the folder back together and leaves.
Valentin tells the kids that their chariot awaits. Trick-or-treating ends at 9 pm, even if they only get twenty minutes on the trail. They file out, and Valentin asks Charlotte to lock the door. She stands in the doorway, looking at Anna’s keys, and Jake asks, what’s that for? She says, this is the key to getting everything she wants.
Tomorrow, Anna tells Robert that she knows exactly who she’s up against; Laura tells Doc, who knows what kind of lies he filled her head with; Carly tells Sam, what happened in Puerto Rico seems to have changed everything; and Valentin tells the kids, stay right where you are.
Southern Charm
Shep calls his mom and says he’s taking the guys to the house in Linville.
After the party, JT’s space looks a mess, and he tries to clean it. Rod joins him, and says, there was a lot going on. JT says, Craig was trying to give him Big D*ck Energy, but it was really Tiny Pillow Energy. Rod says, Craig is half-adult, half-child inside, and JT says he’d wanted the meal to give Olivia a sense of normalcy. The last thing he wanted was for it to be WWIII. Rod says, Taylor was caught in four lies, and JT says he thinks she’s an angel who’s been beaten to sh*t by Shep. Just because people make bad decisions, doesn’t make them bad people. In JT’s interview, he says he wasn’t easy to be around after his divorce. He has to wonder if someone isn’t trustworthy or are they going through pain. Rod says, the only way Olivia will be friends with Taylor again is if she never lies again. If a new story comes out, like Taylor sleeping with Austen, he can’t see Olivia getting over it. JT says, it burns him that Austen is the biggest liar. He was just sitting there like a coward. Rod says, he was thankful he wasn’t on the skewer.
Austen meets Olivia at the park for coffee. He says he was thrown for a f***ing loop about Taylor sending Whitney the nude pic, and Olivia says, it was a strange decision. She doesn’t know what Taylor was thinking, sending it to Whiteny. She asks if Austen got one, but he says he never got a nudie from Taylor. She says she and Taylor haven’t talked about it. They’ve talked about everything else, and Taylor’s been there for her, but she just wants to be happy with their friendship like she is with Austen. In Olivia’s interview, she says, Austen stepped up for her after the funeral. He dropped off some food and she talked to him, and they hugged. Having someone who understands how it feels to lose a sibling come through and be there is comforting. Austen tells her that he’s been talking to a therapist and thinks maybe he doesn’t make it clear to the people in his life how important they are. The talk that he and Olivia had at Shep’s dinner – we flash back to Olivia telling him that he didn’t know how to be a friend – made him aware. She thought he didn’t care about their relationship, and he doesn’t want it to be that way again. He wants her to know how important she is. Olivia says she wants to trust him, but doesn’t know how. She has a mental blockage. Yeah, it’s called repeatedly being kicked in the ass, or in more concise terms, experience. In Austen’s interview, he says, he’s trying to take the mature approach and let Olivia work out her feelings. But he’s going to continue to push through the ice wall if it kills him. He tells her that it always goes back to proper communication. He’s heard it from other people. Yes, when more than one person is calling you a donkey, check the mirror for long ears. Olivia says she’s not talking to Taylor anytime soon about her feelings. At the time, she told Taylor that Austen said he loved her, and she’d given him a chance, but he f***ed up. Austen says, that was the truth. He loves her and knows he hurt her, but he also knows they’re supposed to be in each other’s lives. Olivia says she wants to lean in to what he’s saying, but she’s in a bit of a funk. It’s nice to be around him and not be daydreaming about how to kill him. Austen says he’ll continue to text her movie quotes and things like that. Olivia says she appreciates the direct line of communication, and Austen says he wants to keep it going. She says she looks forward to it. Dare I say it? There might be hope for Austen yet, but I think the key here is therapy. He was on Watch What Happens Live and said he’s doubling up on his sessions. Alex Cooper also told him to go outside the friend circle, which is great advice. It’s definitely part of the problem with this group. Even though Criag is technically seeing someone from outside, she’s still in the God-awful Summer/Winter House.
Shep meets Whitney at a beach bar for lunch, and brings along Little Craig, so of course this is the highlight of the show right here. Little Craig also sits at the table with them. Whitney says, dogs work on a reward system. Their dogs are spoiled, feral animals. Shep says, Whitney should have told him about the nude photo, but instead, he showed it to everyone else. That’s not cool. Whitney says he thought it was just a joke; he wasn’t concealing it. (Sigh. Really?) Shep says, they’ve known each other for a long time. He wishes Whiteny had told him, especially since he was showing the photo to their friends. It sucks. Whitney says he deleted it, and Shep asks if it was explicit. Whitney says, no, and Shep tells him that Taylor said it was dark. Whitney says – wait for it – he doesn’t remember. Gets that many nudes, does he? He says he was joking about it with his mom, and thinks it’s been made more serious than it was. Shep says, Taylor needs support, an ally. Taylor’s a f***ing island, and he hates it for her, and feels guilty. In Shep’s interview, he says, it pains him to see Taylor morally and spiritually lost, and he feels responsible. We flash back to Madison ripping into Taylor, and Taylor saying she just went through a breakup that crushed her. In his interview, Shep says, they were in love, and he hurt her and he has guilt. He tells Whitney that he needs to get out of town, and tells him about the trip to Linville. Whitney isn’t able to make it, and Shep says, they’re just going to cook steaks and fish. He knows JT is a lot to deal with; he’s kind of nerdy. Whitney says he thinks JT is cool. He’s amusing. My take on these two. In some ways, Shep can be a really good friend, oddly enough, to women; he’s too competitive with other men. And to give him credit, he never lies about wanting to get married. At least not on camera. As for Whitney? Pffft. He’s Whitney and lives with Patricia. What more can be said? They’re a force unto themselves.
Taylor’s Penny has to wear a panty, and I understand since I had a female unneutered Peke. Luckily, she enjoyed wearing clothes, and Penny doesn’t seem to mind either. Taylor calls mom Leslie, who asks how she is. Taylor says, there’s been little things going on with a lot of people, and she thinks she wants to come home; get out of the house. Leslie asks if she’s okay, and Taylor says, she will be. In Taylor’s interview, she says, when things are difficult, she wants to be with her family. They’re so loving and want her to grow. No matter what she does, they love and care for her. She tells Leslie that she feels like everybody is against her, and Leslie says she’s sorry. Taylor says she’s working on it. Leslie says, she screwed up like we all do, and Taylor says she breached Olivia’s trust. She wants to move past it, but with Connor passing, they put the conversation on pause. She’d like to invite Olivia to the lake house, where they can revisit it if Olivia is ready. Leslie thinks it’s an outstanding idea, and in her interview, Taylor says, where to begin with the lake house. She’s been going there since she was three. Her grandparents and aunt and uncle live down the road. It’s a happy oasis. Leslie says, it’s a perfect place for healing, and Taylor says she’ll always love and value Leslie. Leslie says, Taylor will do the right thing. Now these girls. Olivia seems to be overreacting, but it’s not about Taylor being with Austen when he was telling Olivia that he still loved her. She knows Austen is a lying liar who lies. It’s about her BFF not telling her. I think they’ll eventually work it out.
The guys pack for Linville, and driver Jacob pulls up to Shep’s in an RV size van. Rod brings bourbon, and Craig calls it the bang bus because he’s five. In Austen’s interview, he says, it’s not normal to be confined in a small space with someone who’s trying to date your ex. Strap him to the roof of this bus. JT gets out of the car, and whoever brought him (probably his mom) drives off with his stuff, and he has to chase the car.
Six hours to Linville. Shep says, they’re going fly fishing, and JT says he’s never caught a fish. Craig complains that he paid extra to get Valentine stuff delivered to Paige, but it’s not there yet. He asks for everyone’s relationship status, and Rod says he’s openly dating, Austen and JT are single, and Rodrigo says, tied down. Craig says, Austen doesn’t know how to be alone. On the road, Taylor calls Shep, who tells her, happy Valentine’s Day. She asks if he was going to ask her to be his Valentine, but he says, Valentine’s Day is for losers and weak people; he hates it. He asks how she is, and she says she’s good. She’s going to Asheville tonight to spend time with her parents. Then she’s hoping Olivia comes tomorrow, and they can have a talk has. He says he’s having a caterer come tomorrow and they have extra room. It would be awesome if she came up. Taylor says she’d love to, but they’ll see. Keep her updated. Shep tells the guys that Taylor will be 45 minutes from them, and Rod says, there will be a lot of testosterone in the house. They need some pretty girls.
4 hours to Linville. The frat boys swig bourbon.
3 hours to Linville. The frat boys are sleeping.
2 hours to Linville. Shep points out that the topography is changing. Craig looks at his phone and wonders why a signature is required for flowers.
1 hour to Linville. Craig wonders if pandas are real, and JT tells him that they are. In Shep’s interview, he says he thinks Craig’s got a screw loose, and we flash back to Craig screaming about walking backwards the rest of his life if he gets a crazy government shot. I assume he means the covid vaccine. Rodrigo asks Craig why he doesn’t think they’re real, and Craig says, there’s no evidence. In Craig’s interview, he says, pandas are definitely not real. They’re people in panda suits. Um… I saw the pandas. They don’t look like people in suits. They look like pandas.
Olivia arrives at the lake house bearing wine, and gets lots of hugs from Leslie and dad Rick. They hug Penny too, Leslie saying how much she’s grown. In Olivia’s interview, she says, it’s a mountain oasis. When they’re there, they hang out, build a fire, drink wine, and relax. They used to not have a TV and really unplug, but now they have TV and WiFi. Olivia’s grandparents Marshall and Baba come over, and in her interview, Olivia says, her grandparents have been married nearly 70 years and that’s wild. She can’t think of 70 years of her own life, much less spending that much time with someone else, but it’s what she wants. Her brother Worth joins them with girlfriend Caroline, and Worth points out that Penny is wearing a diaper. Olivia says, she’s a woman now. Worth wonders when everyone stopped using the word courting, and Olivia says, now you have to DTR, define the relationship. She asks how long Marshall and Baba have been married, and Marshall says, 67 years. Baba says, she’s now reaping the rewards. He’s doing everything she says. But you have to wait until 65 years before they start obeying.
The frat boys arrive at the Linville house, and Shep gives out rooms. The house is so huge, it could be a hotel. In Shep’s interview, he says his family has been going to Linville since the 50s. His grandfather built the place, and his mom went there as a kid. The surroundings are beautiful, with streams and golf and fishing; all the stuff that makes him happy. They get fires going outside and inside, and Shep says his mom stocked the house with food. He and Rodrigo make burgers, and Rod texts JT from upstairs, asking him to bring a White Claw. Rod tells JT that Austen is proving zero benefit of all doubts, and he’s pretty sure something happened between him and Olivia. Meanwhile, Craig wants to talk to Austen, and they go to Craig’s room. Rodrigo tells Shep, welcome to ADHD kitchen. Austen tells Craig about meeting up with Olivia, and Craig tells him that Rod thinks something happened. Rod tells JT that he was out with a girlfriend that Austen’s dated here and there. After they saw each other, she went by Austen’s since he was around the corner. She saw Austen’s ottoman had a bra on it. Since Austen had Olivia over, he’s assuming it’s hers. I feel like I just typed a scene out of Mean Girls. Or CSI.
Austen tells Craig that he and Olivia met for coffee, talked, and went to lunch. Olivia wanted to watch a movie with him like it used to be, but they sat on opposite sides of the couch. Then they watched three-quarters of an Ashton Kutcher rom-com, his favorite. Craig asks if it was Friends with Benefits. Again on WWHL, Austen said he thought it was Just Married, but wasn’t sure. Andy was skeptical that he wouldn’t remember, but I’m not, since they’re basically all the same. Austen says, guess who left their bra on the pouf? I wonder, who calls it a pouf?
JT rants to Rod that it’s not okay behavior. Austen is getting away with murder. Rod says he went to Austen like a gentleman to tell him he wanted to pursue Olivia. Why do these boys always talk about women like they’re prey? Rod says, now he’s watching Austen f*** with her feelings, and JT says he’s sure if the bra came off, something happened. Let me interject this. Not necessarily. JT knows nothing about wearing a bra – at least I don’t think so – but it often comes off even before the shoes after a long day. Craig asks Austen if he and Olivia hooked up, and Austen says, no. In Craig’s interview, he says he thinks it’s crossing the line. It’s not the right time to invite Olivia over, but Austen’s an idiot. I love how everyone knows what’s good for Olivia more than she does. Austen is actually looking like the shining star in this episode. Austen says he would tell Craig, but nothing happened, so it’s not worth bringing up. Craig says, Austen shouldn’t tell anyone but him.
Rod says he’s disappointed in Austen, and in his interview, he says he could be upset at Austen, Olivia, or both, but he doesn’t know what to do with it. He’s nervous that Austen wants her again. Hello? Olivia has a say. What’s with these guys? JT says he can’t keep quiet, and Rod says, when Austen looks at him wrong, he’s going to bring it up. Shep goes outside to grill, and Rod and Austen come back downstairs. Shep says, mac and cheese and burgers are a euphemism for his childhood. It’s his happy place. JT keeps baiting Austen, and in JT’s interview, he says he’s getting upset. He can’t watch Austen get away with murder. Austen thinks he walks on water, but JT sees everything, and Austen is hurting people. Now I want a burger. Ooh, mushrooms! Now I want mushrooms on that burger. Craig says, the burger process never looks clean, but the end result is pretty great. They toast to friends, and we get a lesson from Shep how, in the town where sriracha is made, fumes hang in the air and everyone goes around coughing and teary eyed. In his interview, Austen says, there’s so much sh*t going on, the last thing he needs is JT chiming in like a mosquito in his ear. They talk about cooking, and JT says he loves to stir a pot. I’m not sure if he’s trying for a double meaning or it’s a Freudian slip. Rod says he was going to enjoy his mac and cheese, but he has to be blunt. He heard Austen and Olivia hung out, then one of his girlfriends came over later. Austen says, so what? and Rod says, she told him there was a bra on the ottoman. Shep asks, whose bra? Do they realize how ridiculous they are when they see this later? Probably not.
Craig says, she got comfy, and JT says, you take your shoes off when you want to get comfy. What I said. Austen says, nothing happened. They cuddled, she hugged him and kissed him on the chest, and left. Craig thinks Austen and Rod should talk in private, so they go outside. At the table, Rodrigo says, enough, since he’s the only sane one, and JT says, enough of Austen getting away with murder. Craig says, Olivia is just as guilty, but JT says, they don’t hold Austen accountable. Shep says, that would cause a disturbance in the force, and in Shep’s interview, he says, Austen doesn’t know how to be accountable. He wants Austen to change, but doesn’t think it will ever happen. Outside, Austen says he was hoping to speak to Rod, and Rod says he let his imagination go wild, but in what world would they not have made out. Austen says he has nothing to hide. He admits it brought back feelings, but he can’t answer why he did it. In Rod’s interview, he says he wants Austen to admit he did more than he realized and he’s hurting people. That’s not what being a gentleman is about. Austen tells Rod that he’s not trying to get Olivia back. He would only hurt her again. Rod says he heard the story, but doesn’t believe Austen is telling the truth. He thinks they made out. Austen says, that’s not what it was. If Rod wants to be head over heels for someone, he’s not getting in the way. Rod says he hears Austen and his subtone, and I laugh. Subtone? What?
Inside, Craig says, JT’s not Olivia’s boyfriend, and JT wails that she has feelings. Craig says, they didn’t hook up, but JT says, there was a bra on the chair. Pay attention, JT. It was an ottoman or pouf, not a chair. Rod tells Austen that the chemistry is there, and Austen says he’s not against it. He doesn’t want to see it, but he’s not trying to sabotage Rod. He’s trying to change every aspect in his life. That’s why he’s in therapy, and that’s it. Rod says he’s not rushing things, and Austen asks, what’s his plan of action? Rod says he’s going to sleep on it like a mature adult, have a conversation with her, listen, and go from there. Then, who knows?
This season, a boat trip; an island trip; snorkeling; waterfalls; Craig wants a wife and family; Madison wants a baby, but not bedrest; Shep says, Austen doesn’t give a f**** about anyone but himself; JT says he would marry Taylor tomorrow; Shep feels trapped; and tinfoil hats.
🧸 Gummi Bear’s Picnic…
Join me tomorrow for soap, enough tea for a proper Englishwoman, quotes, and a musical moment. Until then stay safe, stay remembering the clock change this weekend (fall back), and stay understanding that just because people make bad decisions, that doesn’t make them bad people.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Dressed like Einstein (Albert, not my dog), Leo trades math equations with Lois. Who knew she was a math wiz? Leo tells her that she’s pretty good and they high-five. Eddie/Ned comes in and says, looks like this is where the fun is. He asks what they’re playing, and Leo says, some math stuff. He says, that’s his cue to exit. Carry on. Lois calls him a scaredy cat, and he says, uh-huh. She and Leo continue, when Brook comes in and asks if they’re still at it. Lois says, of course (🍷). Brook leaves, and Lois stumps Leo.
In the foyer, Tracy asks why Brook isn’t looking for some new musical protégé, and Brook asks, what’s it to her? Tracy says, everything in this house is something to her.
Outside Kelly’s, the courtyard is all decorated in pumpkins and haystacks, and there’s a closed sign on the door. Carly is doing last minute touches, when someone walks in. She says, sorry, they’re closed, and Cyrus says, trick or treat.
Ava meets Lucy at the Bistro, and Lucy says she’s glad Ava could make it. She has some mega, mega exciting news. Ava says, Lucy told her it was important, and Lucy says, it’s very, very important. As in… Ava says, don’t keep her in suspense, and Lucy says, as in, this is Ava’s golden ticket. This is her chance to unload wicked Windymere and spooky Spoon Island. But they have to act fast before the prospective buyer changes their mind.
Scotty tells Robert, this is a textbook case of misunderstanding, so why don’t they just cut to the chase and drop these charges? Robert says, in his dreams. They have some very interesting footage that the jury will just love. Scotty says, what footage? Nothing’s been entered into evidence. Diane approaches Robert’s office door, and listens. Robert says, Scotty should tell his client to cease with the intimidation tactics, and Scotty says he’s not going anywhere until he sees this alleged footage. Robert says, the only thing Scotty is going to see is him throwing Scotty out of his office when it goes viral, and Scotty asks if the District Attorney is threatening him. Diane walks in and tells Scotty, now might be the time to make a tactical retreat. He seems to have worn out his welcome. Take the hint. Anything he was hoping to accomplish here ain’t going to happen. Scotty says, Lady Justice herself, coming to the rescue of Crocodile Dundee (ha-ha). There’s a first.
Anna approaches Valentin’s door, the porch adorned in harvest décor. She knocks on the door, and Valentin invites her in. She says, he’s gone all out on the spirit of the season thing, and he says, it’s his first Halloween with Charlotte in a while. He figured he should make some effort. Anna says, something smells really good, and he says, that would be Charlotte. She’s inspired in her new kitchen. That, and a rivalry with Jake Webber’s little brother has lit a competitive fire. She says she’s sure Charlotte will accomplish whatever she sets her mind to, when Charlotte comes in. She says, Anna’s just in time. Does Anna want to be her guinea pig?
Diane says, with all due respect, Scotty’s made his argument, the DA’s not having it. Exit, stage left. Scotty says he knows when he’s being double-teamed. His wallet is already fat. All Robert is doing is wasting the taxpayer’s money. Robert asks, since when did Scotty care about anyone but himself? Scotty waves his hand dismissively and leaves. Diane asks why Robert lets Scotty get to him, and Robert says, history. He thanks her for being his noble wingman, and she says, anytime.
Charlotte tells Anna that she’s making pumpkin bars. The first batch just came out of the oven. Anna says, sounds good. Since when is Charlotte a baker? Charlotte says she’s not, but Jake’s brother Aiden sure is. He always brings these amazing creations to school, so she thought she’d try it before her friends come over. Anna asks if they’re having a party, but Charlotte says, they’re all meeting here before going trick-or-treating. Papa is going to drive them, and then drop them off. Anna says she’s thinking of buying herself some candy in case there’s any trick-or-treaters at her door, and Valentin says, at the hotel? but she says, no. That’s why she’s here. She’s no longer staying at the MetroCourt. She’s taking over Maxie’s flat. She shows them the keys, and Charlotte says, Georgie’s old apartment? Valentin says, she’s kidding. When did this happen? Anna says, it happened this morning. Felicia’s idea, and then when she had a look, it just seemed right. Charlotte tells Valentin, isn’t this great? She congratulates Anna and says she’s so glad Anna has a place of her own. Anna thanks her, and Valentin sort of smiles.
Brook says, there’s the granny she knows. Godmother of the Quartermaine clan. Tracy asks, to what do they owe the honor of this visit? and Brook says she just came to see Leo’s costume. Tracy asks what he’s going to be, and Brook says, Albert Einstein. Tracy says, good choice. He’s the smart one in this house. Brook asks if that’s a general dig, or just for her? Her mother told her about Tracy’s gift of Deception. She gathers she’d be stupid to pass it up. Tracy says, she could do worse, and Brook says she doesn’t want it. Tracy asks, why not? She seemed to be happy there. Brook says, so Tracy noticed. Her, surrounded by her best friends, working on a project they loved, until Tracy poisoned it by blackmailing her to betray them. Tracy says, but she’ll be the boss, giving them incentive to mend fences. Problem solved. Friends again. Brook says, wow, Tracy knows nothing about friendship, and Tracy says, maybe not, but she knows about family and loyalty, and the sacrifices they make to take care of one another.
Eddie comes back and asks if math class is over, but Lois shushes him. She and Leo are bent over papers, solving a problem, and Leo finishes. Lois says, rats! Congratulations, kid. He holds out his hand, and she takes some money out of her bra, giving it to him. Leo says, see? He knew money was in math. He runs off, and Lois says, he’s a wonder. He rattled off the heights of the tallest buildings all over the world. She hates to tell Eddie, and she’s very sorry, but he’s going to have to take Leo to play the banjo at the top of the Burj Khalifa. She thought knowing the length of the Brooklyn Bridge was impressive. Eddie remembers kissing Lois there on their wedding day, and she asks if he’s okay.
Ava says, Lucy is a miracle. Windymere and Spoon Island have their charms, but they’re hardly the Maldives. People with the means to buy a private island, typically are drawn to warmer climates. How in the world did she find somebody who’s interested? Lucy says, Ava doesn’t have to act so shocked, because she has kept her finger on the pulse of the high-end real estate market. She just picked up the phone, put the word out, and given her track record, the referrals started rolling in. She just had to pick the most promising one. Ava asks, who is it? Who wants to buy Spoon Island? (Um… Nikolas perhaps?)
Cyrus says he likes what Carly’s done to the place, and this décor really captures the holiday season. She says, get out, and he tells her, don’t be so inhospitable. She says, this is her place, and he’s not welcome here. He says he just thought with their history, she would at least hear him out, and she asks what he wants. He says, a job, and she asks if he’s serious. He says he has experience as a cook, and she says, from the prison kitchen detail? That’s not what they do here. He says, touché. Many incarcerated do learn valuable skills in prison, however, he’s been cooking since his youth. When he had to fend for himself, he was living out of his car… She says, that’s touching. If he has to impress his parole officer by getting a job, he’s barking up the wrong tree, because he will not be working here. He says he never expected her to be someone who discriminated against ex-cons. Her beau Drew will be one eventually. She says, half the people she cares about have rap sheets. So him being an ex-con is not why he’s not going to be working here. It’s because she knows who he is. He’s a monster.
Brook says she doesn’t need a caretaker, especially not one with Tracy’s manipulative tactics. Yeah, she loved working at Deception, but it’s not one of her passions. Tracy says, passion doesn’t pay the bills, and the ups and downs of the music business – mostly downs – will not support Brook in the style to which she’s become accustomed. Brook says she can make sacrifices if she has to, and Tracy laughs. She says, been there, done that. She thought she could subsist on the great love she had for a pauper. It didn’t end well. Brook says she’s not Tracy, and money’s not everything. Tracy says, no, but it’s far from irrelevant, and Brook would be foolish to think otherwise.
Eddie says he’s fine, and Lois asks if he’s sure about that. It looks like he’s seen a ghost. He says, they were married, right? and she says, yes, they were. He asks if that was at the Brooklyn Bridge, but she says, no, it was at St. Ignatius, but after the wedding, they went to the top of one of the towers of the Brooklyn Bridge. He says he has to go, and jets. Leo comes back, and asks where Eddie is going, but she says she has no idea. He asks if she wants to play Suduko, and she says, you’re on, kid.
Charlotte tells Anna and Valentin, watch out; they’re hot. Anna says, they’re delicious. Really good. Not too sweet, nice texture. Charlotte says she’s so glad, and Valentin says, these really are good. Anna says, quite delicious actually. She thinks Aiden’s going to be impressed. Charlotte says, that’s the plan. Another batch is in the oven. It could be a housewarming gift for Anna for her new place. Anna thanks her, and Valentin says, her new place that he didn’t even know was on the horizon. Anna says, it all came about because she needed a caffeine transfusion. She needed some coffee and met with Felicia at Kelly’s. She said Maxie was subletting her apartment because she and the kids were moving into a new house. The smoke alarm in Valentin’s kitchen goes off, and I nearly jump out of my chair it’s so loud. Charlotte runs to the kitchen, and tells Valentin, the oven’s on fire. Anna tells her not to worry about it, and she and Valentin go into the kitchen.
Diane tells Robert that she has ticket to a fundraiser for a cause near and dear to her heart, Animal Advocacy, and she was toying with the idea of asking him, but ever since that time… He tells her, just say no more. He is in. Where? When? What’s the dress? Cocktail attire?Maybe a tux. She says, yeah.
Ava says, a holding company? That’s the impressive buyer Lucy selected? Just a faceless LLC? Lucy says, that’s how it’s done these days. Important buyers use holding companies. (It’s gotta be Nikolas, right?) Ava asks if Lucy verified this company’s financials. Just because they made the offer, doesn’t mean they have the 25 million in cash to back it up. Lucy says she’s in the final stages of verifying all their assets, and Ava says, if they don’t put the whole amount in an escrow account, there’s no deal. Lucy asks if she understands they could lose this sale. Putting the whole amount in escrow is not standard practice. Ava says, why get herself mired in some drawn out real estate mess? and Lucy says, what Ava needs to understand is, sellers of private islands in upstate New York can’t really be too picky. Ava shrugs and says she’s not just any seller, and she can afford to wait for the buyer who meets her exact terms. So if Lucy wants her big, fat commission, she’ll get this buyer to put up the whole asking price, or there’s no deal. She gets up, and Lucy asks where she’s going. Ava says, people and places, and leaves.
Diane says she’s loving Robert’s enthusiasm, and yes, definitely a tie, black tie. He says he so kills a tux, and she says she’s seen him in a tux, and yes, he does. She’s off. That’s enough for now. He says, wait. She’s going to leave him in suspense? She says, suspense is the spice of life. Details to follow. She leaves, and he says, a tux… Oh, a tux. He puts tuxedos near me into Spyder Finder, and says, there we go. Freddy’s Formals. He calls the shop and asks what time they close.
Cyrus says he understands Carly’s position, but she should know, he turned over a new leaf. He’s here to set her mind at ease. She says she was there. She held the line while Sonny was gone and protected their territory from him. He says, that white dress she wore. He remembers that… She says, remember this. She knows who he is. He’s a predator and he’s dangerous. Those spots don’t change. He can walk around town telling everyone he found the Lord, but she knows better. He’s lying in wait and seeking out vulnerability, but that’s not going to happen here. So he can take his phony humility and sob story and get the hell out, because Kelly’s is off limits. He says, she’s every but the fierce woman he remembers. That hasn’t changed but he has. Ask Drew. That man she described would have let Drew die, but he saved Drew. He tells her, farewell, and leaves.
Tracy says she didn’t do all this to sabotage Brook’s friendships. She worries about Brook. Brook says she never asked Tracy to worry, but Tracy says, she doesn’t have a choice. Brook has no stake in ELQ. And they’ve all seen firsthand what the music business did to her mother. Years of hard work and nothing to show for it. Brook says, her mother’s overseen four Grammy nominated albums, and countless national and international tours. Tracy says she’ll be sure to look all that up when she surfs the net. The point is – the truth is – she wants Brook to have something real, something stable, something lasting. That’s Deception. And yes, maybe she let her disdain for Lucy Coe color her approach. Brook says, ya think? and Tracy says, everything she did was to secure Brook’s future. Brook says she gets it. In her own twisted Tracy way, Tracy thinks what she’s doing is best, but it’s not. Accepting Tracy’s gift would be like declaring herself and her dreams a failure. It would rob her of any confidence she had, confidence she sees in Tracy. Something she’s still trying to build. Do not sabotage her. Tracy says, sabotaging Brook is the last thing she wants.
Eddie brings his guitar into the nook to work on his song.
Lois gets up and tells Leo, pause the timer. She’ll be right back. She dashes out.
At the hospital, Charlotte says, how could she be so stupid, turning on the broiler? but Valentin says, don’t worry about it. It’s just a minor kitchen disaster. It’s not like she burned the house down. (I say, ooh, out loud.) She says, at least the first batch of pumpkin bars turned out okay. Doc comes out and asks them to come in, and Valentin thanks him for seeing them on such short notice. Doc says, it’s his pleasure. Charlotte’s family. Valentin says, full disclosure, this was his idea. Charlotte’s had a difficult year and they’re kind of navigating it alone. It would be nice if she had somebody she could tell everything to. He’ll just be waiting outside. He leaves, and Doc asks if they should have a seat. He and Charlotte sit down, and he asks what she thinks. Does she feel comfortable talking to him?
There’s a knock at Robert’s office door, and he says he swears, if it’s Scotty, there will be manslaughter. He says, come in, and Anna walks in. She asks what he’s doing. Off to save the world? She kisses him on the cheek, and he says, no. He’s finding a tuxedo. The last one finished up with a bullet hole in the lapel when they were in London. He’s still waiting for a call. What’s up? She says she just sublet Maxie’s apartment, and she’s wondering if he can help her move. He says, everything she possessed in the world went up in smoke. What exactly are they moving?
Lois comes into the nook and listens to Eddie play. When he stops to write something down, she says, he’s still got it.
Tracy says, the confidence and poise and smarts Brook’s developed is all her.Nobody can take that away. She wants to build Brook up; she doesn’t want to break her down. Brook says she’s sure Tracy believes that, but in this family, nothing comes without strings. Even when they’re giving, they’re usually taking. Tracy says, they’re flawed. Most people are. Actually, it’s what keeps things interesting. Brook says, interesting is exhausting. (Agreed.) She just wants something mundane and predictable. A little peace and quiet in this house. Tracy says, that’s never going to happen.
Scotty meets Lucy at the Bistro, taking Ava’s seat. He asks, what’s so important that she had to drag him away from his important business? And give him back his pen. (Ha-ha! He’s so me with that.) She asks, what’s so important about the pen? She doesn’t know where it is, and it has bad mojo. She thinks she threw it in the bushes at the Quartermaine’s. Maybe Yuri has it. He says, Yuri? and she looks at her phone and says, this is exactly why she bailed on the cutthroat real estate business. Fussy sellers, slimy buyers, and they just want more and more. You know what? She tries so hard to keep the peace. She tries to broker the peace, but she can’t. All she wants to do is end up with her cut. He says, she’s got to dial R for real estate lawyer. If she wants to dial him, go to T, because he’s a trial lawyer. She says she knows that. That’s not what she wants. Look at her. She needs him to help her break that agreement she made with Tracy.
Avery runs into Kelly’s yelling, Mama Carly! They hug, and Ava says, they’re ahead of schedule. She hopes that’s okay. Carly says, it’s okay; it’s amazing. Avery’s costume. Spin. Mermaid Avery twirls around, and Carly says, it’s great. Does she want to be the first to decorate a pumpkin cookie? Avery says, yes, please, and Carly brings her over to one of the tables and shows her all the cookie toppings. She tells Avery, go for it, and goes back to Ava. She says, Avery seems to be doing great, and Ava says, yeah. She’s very excited about this party. She didn’t even mention trick-or-treating. Carly says, good, and Ava says, it will ease her mind. It’s easier and well out of harm’s way.
Robert and Anna carry a trunk into Maxie’s old building, and he says, it’s not what he was expecting, rubbing his back. She says, it’s heavier than she thought. Robin was holding on to it for her. She guesses it got stuck in storage somehow when Robin moved. She’s been meaning to go through it for years. He asks, what’s in it? and she says, her and Alex’s leftovers from a life she’d rather not dig up. It’s just personal paperwork from her early years at the WSB. Files and journals and even draft mission reports. She’s hoping maybe there’s a clue in there to help her find out who it is that’s targeting her at the WSB. She goes through her pockets, and he asks what she’s looking for. She says, the key. It’s typical. She thinks she’s lost the key to this apartment.
Doc says he wants to assure Charlotte that their conversations are confidential. Whatever they talk about in here is privileged information. She says, anything? and he says, uh-huh. She asks if that means he won’t tell papa what they talk about, and Doc says he might give him his general findings. For instance, if he thinks she’s under significant stress or she needs additional support, he might tell Valentin that. But the details of what they discuss in here, that stays in this room. And he meant what he said; she’s family. His only goal is to help her. And if she’s uneasy about it, it’s fine. He can always recommend someone else. She says she’ll talk to him; it’s okay. It’s not like there’s a big secret or anything. Papa’s overthinking this. She did miss him when she was away, but nothing terrible happened when she was at boarding school. He suggests they start there. Why doesn’t she tell him about her experience at boarding school?
Ava asks Carly if Nina and Sonny are bringing Donna, and she says, yes. They’re going to take Avery home with them, and the girls are going to be spending the night. (Revolving kids!) Ava says, nice. It’s too bad really. Windymere would have made the perfect backdrop for a Halloween party. Just the right amount of spooky. Carly says, it really would, once they’re old enough not to have nightmares; when they’re like 13 or 10. Ava says she’s hoping Windymere will be someone else’s problem long before then.
Scotty says, there’s no such thing as an undo button when it comes to signed contracts, and Lucy says she knows. She just can’t take it. She can’t take Tracy having 51% of Deception, and Tracy is sabotaging her creative vision. She has to do something. She has to get Tracy out. She wants to get her out. Scotty asks what she’s going to do about that, and Lucy says, her? He’s the smarty pants lawyer. He has all the legal expertise. There has to be something like… Wait a minute. A loophole. Some sort of loophole they didn’t see. She thinks that contract is not written in the right kind of font – he holds his head in his hands – or what about this? There was none of that blue paper, that stuff on the back of the pages… He says, come on, man. She’s got to get in the twentieth century. All of that went out with electronic signing. And if – and it’s a big if – what if she could nullify the contract? Tracy would just reinstate the lawsuit and Deception would go down as fast as the Titanic did. She says, over her dead body.
The super lets Anna in, and she says she’s so sorry. She doesn’t know what happened to the key. She must have dropped it in the chaos of moving. The super says, it happens to the best of us, and hands her a key, telling her to make sure she returns that after she makes a copy. She says she will and thanks him. She says she really appreciates it, and the super leaves. She tells Robert, shall we? and he says, of course (🍷). They lift the trunk, and go inside. I have to give them this. They made that trunk look heavy. I hate when a character is carrying a grocery bag or to-go coffee, and it looks like it’s empty by the way they hold it. Kudos.
On the way out, Charlotte tells Doc that she made pumpkin bars for her friends. He says, great, and Valentin asks, how was their chat? Doc says, Charlotte was just telling him about her trick-or-treating plans for this evening. Charlotte says, papa is the chauffeur, and Doc says, have a wonderful time, and he’d like to continue this next week if that’s all right. Valentin asks how she feels about that, and Charlotte says, it works for her. Doc’s easy to talk to. Valentin says, they’ll sew up the details later, and Doc tells them, happy Halloween. Charlotte thanks him, and she and Valentin leave.
Lois tells Eddie, that’s really good. Play the rest for her. He says, no can do. That’s all she wrote. He puts his guitar on the table, and she says, come on. Her and him, they go way back. There’s no reason for stage fright. He says, seriously, it’s a work in progress, and literally, it’s only half-baked. She says, he’s in the zone. She doesn’t want to mess with his mojo. She gets up, but he says, no. No mojo. Just a creative dead end. She sits back down and says, he’s got something there, so don’t trash it, but he says, easier said than done. She says, listen. The same fire that got you there will also see you through. Okay? Trust her. Leo yells, the clock’s ticking, and Lois says she forgot. Sudoku showdown. She’s got to go.
Tracy tells Brook, all right. She’ll back off. No more pressure from her. Brook says she appreciates that, and Tracy asks if Brook will think about her offer. Brook says, think, but no think. She’s on a new course, one Tracy inadvertently helped to set. She really wants to make a go of it, and she has a new musical protégé. She signed a rising star named Blaze. Tracy says she’s heard of her, and Brook says, she has? Tracy says, yeah, and she has every confidence Brook is going to make her a household name. Brook says she’ll do her best, and Tracy says, of that, she’s sure. She goes back in the living room, and Brook smiles.
Scotty tells Lucy, Tracy’s always had the upper financial hand.That’s why she agreed to the deal in the first place. Lucy says she’s very well-aware; she knows. He says, so she can just ride it out until Deception is bankrupt, and Lucy says she can’t let that happen for Maxie or Sasha. You know though, she is quite the dynamo at real estate. She could just pivot back to that. He says, like a rat deserting a sinking ship, but she says, no rats, no sinking ship. She would never do that to them. Maxie needs Deception for her future, and that ridiculous Gladys almost took everything Sasha has. He asks why she doesn’t just become a silent partner, but she says, no way. And let Tracy run her company? She doesn’t think so. She won’t let that happen with the last breath left in her body. She won’t… let that happen. She picks up a piece of muffin, showing it to him, and he says, she’s going to poison Tracy’s muffin? She’s better off poisoning Tracy’s cognac. Lucy says, as tempting as it is to poison her, she thinks she just got it. Think about it. She doesn’t need to get that 51% back, does she? No. If she can wiggle just a teeny tiny 2% out of Tracy’s greedy hands, then she’s the major shareholder again, and Deception is hers. All hers. She eats the piece of muffin.
Avery asks if she can have Ava’s phone to take a picture of her cookie, and Ava says, of course (🍷), handing her the phone. Avery runs off, and Ava tells Carly, isn’t it lovely how kids can find joy in the simplest things? We adults are burdened by adult things. Carly says, adult things. Like selling Windymere? Ava says, yeah, like selling Windymere. She has to move on, but she can’t do that while she’s anchored to that place. And after what happened with Austin’s cousin Mason, she’s determined to sell. Carly wonders what kind of buyer she can get for that place, and Ava says she has no idea, but Lucy assures her that she’s found one. Carly says, really? Who? Ava says, that’s vague, but if Lucy can get confirmation that the buyer has the money, Windymere and its torturous memories will be in her past.
Anna open the trunk, and Robert says, whoa. Someone’s a bit of a packrat. (Not really. It’s not even full.) She says, you never know what type of information could be handy down the line, and he says, in this day and age, all of that goes on a thumb drive. She says, that can be hacked into in a heartbeat. He does realize this stash is completely off the grid, and no one has any idea this information even exists. He asks if she’s sure about that.
Speaking into a recorder, Doc says, subject, Charlotte Cassadine, session one. Charlotte displays a maturity that belies her years. She’s both insightful and evasive. We see Valentin and Charlotte going back to their house, and Doc says, she’s already mastered the art of camouflage, presenting only what she believes people want to see and hear.
Valentin and Charlotte go inside, and Charlotte says, it still stinks in here. How are her friends going to be smelling burnt pumpkin bars? Valentin says, don’t worry. He’ll open the windows in the kitchen and air the place out. He thanks her for meeting with Doc. He knows it wasn’t her first choice, and he appreciates it. She says, a deal’s a deal. She kept her side of the bargain because she knows he’ll keep his. He says he loves her – he kisses her forehead – a lot. She says, papa? and he says, what? She says she’s sorry, and he asks what she’s sorry for. She says, for… burning the pumpkin bars, and he says she worries to much, and goes into the kitchen. Charlotte flashes back to reading Victor’s letter: Anna Devane is not who she seems. Do not trust her.
Doc continues, she is anchored to her father, a relationship that seems almost symbiotic. Charlotte takes Anna’s key out of her pocket, and Doc says, he is very protective of her and in return, she feels a great responsibility to protect him. Charlotte looks at the key and smiles.
Tomorrow, Anna finds something important; Valentin asks what Charlotte is doing; Halloween continues; and Josslyn tells Adam, it looks like he’s seen a ghost.
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills
I get irritated at Erika before it even starts. Over that hair flip at BravoCon.
Erika meets with Dorit, since Dorit is apparently still irritated about it too. Dorit tells her that it sucks she had to ask for an apology. Erika acts all contrite and says, what she did was wrong and Dorit means a lot to her. In her interview, Dorit wonders where this was on the retreat. She tells Erika that it had a bigger impact because of the year she and PK had. In Dorit’s interview, she says, it was 14 months since the home invasion, and she took $10K out of the bank for Christmas gifts. (Yeah, I know.) She had her handbag in the shopping cart and walked away. When she came back to the cart, she realized it was gone. I want to feel bad, but why do that? And I know women do this. I have told complete strangers, don’t leave your bag like that. Seriously, bad, bad, bad idea. She says, the surveillance footage showed she was followed by three men, and it threw her back into throes of PTSD. Erika says she wants to repair the friendship because she doesn’t have many friends. (No surprise.) She wants them to move forward together and they hug. How long this will last is anybody’s guess.
Sutton calls Garcelle, who’s bummed about Jax leaving. In Garcelle’s interview, she says, she and Sutton are planning an amazing weekend in Vegas for Crystal’s 40th birthday. They want her to have fun and hopefully get the stick out of her ass. We flash back to Sutton and Crystal butting heads, and in Sutton’s interview, she says she hopes they can start fresh.
Matchmaker Alessandra visits Sutton, and in Sutton’s interview, she says, dating apps not working for her. She’s getting a callus on her finger from swiping left. She’d rather meet in person. Alessandra is known to be the best in Beverly Hills, and Alessandra is her only hope, like Obi Wan Kenobi. Sutton tells Alessandra that she doesn’t click with people, and usually doesn’t get a second date. In her interview, she thinks she can be slightly intimidating. She’s highly intelligent, nervous, acts strangely, and wears things like cat sweaters. Alessandra asks about her ideal man, and Sutton says, tall, handsome, and a college grad. They’ll talk about the wealth part later. Alessandra says she’s a believer in letting the men lead, but Sutton gives a hard no, which is funny since she sounds like she’s waiting for them to ask her out if she’s not getting a second date. Or is she asking and they’re turning her down? It’s not clear. In her interview, Sutton says she’s a first child and an overachiever. She wants to win with Alessandra and needs to get to a second date. Alessandra says she’ll bring 3 men (I assume she means their profiles) and Sutton can decide which she wants to meet.
Crystal and Rob meet Crystal’s brother Jeff for dinner, and in Crystal’s interview, she says, she and her brother are close, but even though he’s older, she’s the more mature of the two. He’s a pop star and is known as the Bieber of China. He’s like a little kid who happens to have money. He was engaged three years ago, but before the wedding, the pandemic happened. She and her mother begged him to come home, but he couldn’t because his fiancé only had a Chinese passport. It led to the breakup, and Crystal thinks he blamed them. The food comes and I want what they’re having. Jeff asks if Crystal would be okay if he was with someone younger, and in his interview, Jeff says, when he first met Rob and found out he was twenty years older than Crystal, he said, oh no. Rob and Crystal determine that if his girlfriend is fabulous like her, she’ll welcome her with open arms.
Kyle picks up Dorit, who thinks they’re going to lunch for her birthday, but PK intends to recreate Pretty Woman for her at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel. In Kyle’s interview, she wonders what message PK is trying to send. Dorit asks Kyle, what’s up with her, since she’s sensing a heaviness. We flash back to the retreat, and Kyle saying things weren’t exactly in sync with Mauricio. Kyle tells Dorit that she thinks it will pass, but in Dorit’s interview, she says, she and PK used to go out with Kyle and Mauricio, but haven’t seen them as a couple in a long time. Something is up. Dorit tells Kyle, even on Instagram, it seems like they’re apart a lot, and Kyle says she needed some freedom. Dorit asks if she means specifically away from her husband.
Kyle says she wanted to get away from everything, but Dorit feels like Kyle isn’t telling her something. In Dorit’s interview, she says she needs to respect Kyle’s boundaries even if she suspects something’s up. When Kyle brings her to the hotel, she wonders what’s going on. Meanwhile, Garcelle visits Sutton, and asks about the matchmaker. Sutton says she thinks she was a bit hard on Alessandra. Traditional doesn’t work with her. In the beginning of her marriage, she gave up her power. In Sutton’s interview, she says she wasn’t invited to the boardroom in her marriage. He made decisions about the finances and the kids, but the one thing she got to do was plan summer vacations because he didn’t come until the end. She tells Garcelle that she’s holding on to her power now. She asks what’s going on with Garcelle, and Garcelle immediately tears up. She says she Jax thinks she’s doing it wrong. We flash back to last week on the beach, and in Garcelle’s interview, she says she thought Jax was being a brat, and the realization is now hitting her. She tells Sutton that being a mom is the most important thing to her, and Sutton says, teenage boys are kind of a-holes. Garcelle says, when Jax asked to live with his dad, it hurt her, and in her interview, she says, during the summer, Jax was hinting around. She thought he was punishing her, but also seeing how much he could get away with. In Sutton’s interview, she says, people don’t understand why she and Garcelle are friends, but they’re both single moms dealing with an ex.
When they get to the hotel, Dorit nearly freaks out because Kyle won’t tell her what’s going on. When they get to the room, which Dorit complains is not the presidential suite, there are tables with everything on the menu, a la Pretty Woman, but it takes Dorit a while to get it. In her interview, Dorit says, plating her own food doesn’t scream, it’s your anniversary. She suddenly panics about who’s taking care of the kids, and goes out on the balcony for some air. Kyle calls PK, who tells her to tell Dorit that it’s a surprise the whole family is in on. Dorit calls her kids, who tell her to stop stressing. They’re fine and with Winnie the Dog. Their exchange is very sweet and cute. In Kyle’s interview, she says, the control is out of Dorit’s hands and is freaking her out. Dorit’s stylist Justine arrives with a rack of red dresses, and now more relaxed, Dorit gets all into it.
In Dorit’s interview, she says, like in Pretty Woman, she’s leaving reality behind for one night and living out her movie fantasy. She’s excited now. PK awaits her wearing a tux, and in her interview, Dorit says, they’re good at surprising one another and big grand reveals. We flash back to some of those, and she says, she needs to do some work to get back to surprises or hang up her grand reveal hat. PK presents her with a Peter Marco necklace that’s on loan and worth $5 million. He puts it on her, and they go to an incredible suite. He tells her that he wanted to take her breath away as they walk in, and singer Berlin is there. She sings, YouTake My Breath Away, and they dance. The text below reminds us that the song is from Top Gun, not from Pretty Woman. It’s not my fantasy, but I’m happy for her. In PK’s interview, he says he likes the idea of switching the soundtracks of movies, and suggests taking the Jungle Book soundtrack and putting it in The Godfather. He and Dorit have an incredible dinner, and she says, it was a difficult year, but this is so much better. It’s not that she doesn’t love surprises, but a lot of effort goes into looking a certain way. In their dual interview, Dorit says she doesn’t like someone else choosing what she’s wearing, and PK says, sometimes she needs to let her husband take control. PK says that he struggles to understand her PTSD. The concept of her not being in control is unusual. In Dorit’s interview, she says, she doesn’t need a grand gesture. She needs him to step up and help with the kids, house, and daily stuff, but it’s not in his personality.
Oh no. Mauricio is on the Lovebean train again. I’m not a huge fan of pet names, but that’s especially annoying. Maybe because it almost seems forced. In Kyle’s interview, she says she and Mauricio have always been in sync, but now it doesn’t feel that way. She thinks his heart and soul is in the agency. It’s the other woman. It’s Portia’s birthday, and they have a huge Mexican food spread. Kyle’s MIL Estella asks her about the rumors of trouble in their marriage, but Kyle says, it started because she was seen without her ring. In her interview, Kyle says, it had nothing to do with them having a hard time. It was one time when she was lifting weights. It’s not what she wants to hear at her daughter’s birthday dinner. She tells Estella about her tattoos, and Estella doesn’t think it’s a big deal. Then as a joke, she tells Estella that Mauricio has one, but when she gets zero reaction, she says, not really. She tells Mauricio about it, and he gets all pissed off. She says she thought it was funny in the moment to see Estella’s reaction, but she didn’t care. Mauricio stomps off and says he doesn’t want to talk about it. I don’t get this. Doesn’t he smoke a lot of weed? Where’s his usual mellow?
Oh I misunderstood. I thought only Garcelle and Sutton were going to Vegas, but they were just the ones planning it; everyone is going. This probably won’t end well, since no Housewives vacations do. They get on a private jet, and I say a prayer: Please God, let me one day make friends with someone who has a private jet. They give Crystal a $3K necklace, and Erika says she’s taking Crystal to Magic Mike. She wonders if Channing Tatum will be there. Sutton says they’ll all bond and have fights, but Erika says she’s given up fighting with them for Lent. In Erika’s interview, she says, a higher power told her that she needed to give up fighting with them for Lent, and in Kyle’s interview, she says, that could have come in handy a while back. I don’t need to tell you that the hotel is magnificent and so are the rooms. They’re met with champagne, and the rooms even have personalized pillows on the beds. In Garcelle’s interview, she says, Sutton’s assistant went on ahead and unpacked her clothes. She just gets a corner of the closet.
4 hours later. The women are at Magic Mike, and Erika gyrates on stage with the dudes. There’s some kind of altercation that we really don’t see, but my interpretation is that Erika was not wearing underwear. Crystal says Sutton is upset and they’ve got to go. Kyle calls Sutton a bitch, and Erika says, Sutton is being Judge Judy.
To be continued…
💀 Sugaring My Skull…
Join me tomorrow for soap and Charmers too old for their behavior. Until then, stay safe; stay getting your holiday act together, since it will be here before you know it; and stay finding joy in the simplest things even when you’re burdened by adult things.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Trina is in the gallery, when Cyrus walks in. She tells him stay away from her, but she turns and he’s there. He grabs her, and she tells him to let her go. Spencer walks in, and she asks him to help, but Cyrus says, no need to intervene. He needs a hostage. Spencer says, Trina’s his girlfriend, and Cyrus asks if he doesn’t love Esme. He drags Trina across the room, and Spencer says he’s sorry, but his uncle is right. Trina wakes up screaming. (Told you so.)
Esme cuddles Ace and tells him that he’s the cutest card in the deck. She says she has to take him to daycare and needs to find her purse, but there’s a knock at the door. She opens it to Cyrus and asks if she can help him. He says, nice to see her again. They met at Pentenville. He’s Laura’s brother, Cyrus. This must be little Ace. He moves forward, but she backs up.
At Pozzulo’s, Sonny says, Laura is always a good start to his morning, and she thanks him. She says, this way, she gets to congratulate him in person on his wedding, and he says, she already congratulated him on the phone. She says, this way, she gets the free coffee, and he says, she can have coffee anytime she wants. She says, to tell him the truth, there’s something she wanted to talk to him about, and he says he knows what it’s about, and wants her to know he’s sticking to the deal they made on the phone. He’s been keeping an eye on Cyrus, from a distance. He promised he wouldn’t take any action, and he’s not, but if Cyrus makes a move, he’s going to be all over him. She says she appreciates he has respect for her wishes, but it’s not what she wanted to talk about actually. It’s another family member. It’s Spencer.
Maxie runs into Kelly’s and says, to say she’s thrilled about Carly having a Halloween party is an understatement. Carly asks if she’s that excited about carving pumpkins, but Maxie says, not at all. It means she doesn’t have to go trick-or-treating. James is thrilled to come here, which means she doesn’t have to walk miles with him, since that kid insists on stopping at every single door. She’s not kidding. The kid spends ten minutes at every single house. She thinks he has a future as a traveling salesman.
Anna meets Felicia at Kelly’s, and says, caffeine now. Felicia says, good morning to her too, and Anna says she’s sorry. She’s very tired and not able to function right now. Felicia asks if she slept badly, but Anna says, that would imply she slept, which she didn’t. Not a wink. She’s still at the MetroCourt and has Sonny’s bodyguard, which should give her peace of mind, but it doesn’t. Felicia says, that break-in would rattle anyone. Maybe she would feel better someplace else. Anna says she’s been thinking about that, but the timing isn’t right for her to move in with Valentin. She thinks he and Charlotte need some space. She’s wondering if she should find a place of her own, and Felicia says she has a brilliant idea.
At the bistro, Charlotte tells Valentin that she’s old enough to go trick-or-treating on her own. She’s 15 (which is when most of us stop), and he’s still watching her. He says he knows she’s disappointed, and she says she’s not disappointed; she’s embarrassed. The next thing he’s going to tell her is that she has to wear a coat over her costume, so she doesn’t get cold. She’s not a baby. He says, she’s been through a lot lately and he’s not okay with her going out alone. End of story. She says she’s not going to be alone; she’ll be with her friends. He says, and with him. He’s joining the group. The more, the merrier, right?
Finn wakes up and sees Elizabeth painting at an easel. He says, there’s a sight worth waking up to, and she says, look at his cute little bedhead. He says he thought the haircut might fix that, but he guesses he was wrong. She asks how he slept, and he says, never better. Her? She says, so well, thank you, and he says, it must have been the maple syrup. (Seriously, what did they do with that?)
Esme asks what Cyrus wants, and he says he’s here to see his sister of course (🍷). He closes the door, but then Spencer comes in. Cyrus says, great to see him. He was just about to get acquainted with his other great-nephew. Spencer asks what he’s doing here, and Esme tells him, he says he’s here to see Spencer’s grandmother, but she was just about to tell him that Laura’s not here. Spencer says he’ll tell Laura that Cyrus dropped by, but Cyrus says, he came all this way. He might as well take the opportunity to get to know this little guy, and he and Spencer barely talked the other day. They should maybe catch up? Okay?
Josslyn asks if Trina is okay, and Trina says, sorry if she woke Josslyn. Josslyn tells her, don’t apologize, but what happened? and Trina says she just had the worst nightmare. Adam knocks at the door and asks if everything is all right, and Josslyn opens the door. He asks, what’s going on? and she says, nothing. Everything’s fine. Trina had a nightmare. He says he’s had his share of them, and Trina says, sorry if she woke him, but he says, that’s okay. He’s been up for hours studying for midterms. He was about to head out on a coffee run. Does Josslyn want anything from Perks? She says, no, she’s okay, and he says, maybe he’ll see her later? She says, yeah, bye, and closes the door. She asks Trina to tell her about this dream.
Sonny asks if Laura has proof Nikolas is alive, and she says, irrefutable. Not only has Nikolas been in Geneva, his banker said his employees saw Nikolas there and he showed her withdrawals for a significant amount of money that Nikolas has taken from his accounts. Sonny asks if she gave this information to Spencer, and she says, yeah. He didn’t react the way she thought he would. She thought it was just going to be more anger, but he was so sad and so disappointed. She thinks it was like a final confirmation that his father has abandoned his life here, and his two sons. She knows Spencer would probably never admit it, but she thinks he was holding out hope that his father wasn’t missing by his own choice. He says, just when you think Nikolas couldn’t sink any lower. He’s sorry. He knows Nikolas is Laura’s son. It’s just that he feels for Spencer. She says she does too, but as a mother, she feels there’s more to this story. There’s probably some extenuating circumstances they don’t know about, some real reason he had to leave. But she knows, at this point, he’s really forfeited his right to be a father to Ace, and she doesn’t think Spencer would even want him back. Sonny says, Nikolas doesn’t realize the damage he’s doing to Spencer. Sonny was abandoned as a kid, and he was bitter and resented his father for a long time. He knows what Spencer is going through. She says, that’s exactly why she’s here. Can he please help Spencer?
Elizabeth thanks Finn, and he says, for what? She says, for this trip. She feels so relaxed, like she’s a million miles away from Port Charles. He says, that was kind of the idea, right? Just getting away and leaving everything behind for a few days. She says, he needed this more than he realized. He’s been so consumed with his dad and his illness, he really needed to take a break and get out of his mind, even if it was just for a day or two. He says, she’s the one who told him to enjoy every moment in life. That’s what he’s doing. He looks at her painting and says, this is really good, and she says she hopes it’s okay she used paint she found in the closet. She couldn’t resist. He says, of course (🍷) it is. Maybe she should get back into painting when she gets home. She says she’d like that. It used to be such a passion of hers. Then kids and life took over… He says, she’s really talented – we see it’s a painting of a tree-lined path – and she says, waking up to the beauty that surrounds them inspired her. She wanted to capture it. It’ll remind her of what a special weekend this is. He says he loves it… He loves her. He has for the longest time.
Maxie says, Georgie is at the age where she wants to go trick-or-treating unsupervised, and Carly says, that’s a tough one. She remembers when she and Josslyn went through that. It was quite the battle. She’s just happy Donna has a few more years before she reaches that stage. (What’s up with these parents? We were going out by ourselves by 6th grade. Although no mob bosses lived in my neighborhood… I don’t think.) Maxie says she doesn’t want to smother Georgie. She remembers what it was like at that age, but she did get into a lot of trouble. You know what they say about the apple and the tree. Carly says she does, but listen to her gut. How many kids does she want to go with? Maxie says, three, and two of them are boys, so that’s a plus, and Carly says, or a minus, depending on how you look at it.
Felicia asks what Anna thinks of a sublet. It might be better until she figures out her long-term plans. Anna says, ideally, she would move in with Valentin and Charlotte, but the truth is, this person, whoever’s after her, she doesn’t know when they’re going to make their next move. She doesn’t want Charlotte anywhere near that. So she has to keep her distance. Felicia says, makes sense, but a furnished place would be convenient, right? and Anna says, of course (🍷). Felicia says, a furnished place in a nice neighborhood, a secure building with lots of families, but Anna says she doesn’t think a place like that exists. Felicia says, that’s where she’s wrong, and calls Maxie over.
Charlotte tells Valentin that she’ll be the only one with a chaperone. Jake, Danny, and Georgie are all going in a safe neighborhood. They’re going to Harbor Vista. He says he’s a highly trained agent. She won’t even know he’s there. She says, this isn’t funny. The whole point of the night is to be on their own. She doesn’t need him holding her hand like a little kid with a pumpkin flashlight. He says he’s not changing his mind and she asks if he doesn’t trust her.
Maxie says, so Anna wants to sublet her old place, and Anna says, it wasn’t her idea; it was Maxie’s mother’s brilliant idea. What does she think? Maxie says she thinks it’s a great idea. She tried to sublet it already, but the woman go transferred out of town at the last minute, so it’s just been sitting there empty. Not empty exactly; her old furniture’s still in there. She bought all new stuff for her house. Anna says she needs furniture; she doesn’t have any. Maxie says, okay. Then Felicia’s a genius. Felicia agrees that she is.
They go to Maxie’s old apartment, and Felicia tells Anna, welcome to her new home.
Trina says, the dream was definitely triggered by Cyrus showing up at the gallery yesterday, and Josslyn says, she must have been so shocked to see him there. Trina says, her mom warned her that Cyrus was released, but she didn’t expect him to track her down. Josslyn asks if Cyrus threatened her. She can talk to Sonny; he can handle it. Trina asks, what happened to her grudge against Sonny? A few weeks ago, Josslyn wanted nothing to do with him, and now she’s willing to reach out to him? Josslyn says she thinks Trina’s safety is more important than any issues she has with Sonny, and he’s well-equipped to handle Cyrus and he will. She just doesn’t want Trina to worry. Trina says she’d appreciates that, but Cyrus didn’t threaten her. It was the opposite. He apologized.
Esme thanks Spencer for getting diapers, and he says, not a problem. He thinks she should get to work. She knows how Alexis is when she’s late. Cyrus says, so she works for Miss Davis? and Esme says, Miss Davis was nice enough to offer her a job even though she has no experience. Cyrus says he doesn’t know her well, but she seems like a formidable woman. She runs that paper… Spencer says, The Invader, and if Esme doesn’t get going now, she’s not going to have that job very much longer. He walks Esme to the door and gives Ace to her. He closes the door and asks if Cyrus wants to tell him what he’s really doing here. What does he want?
Sonny says, Laura knows he’d do anything for her. It’s just that he’s had so many difficulties with Nikolas in the past, he can’t be neutral on this subject. Even if he talks to Spencer, he doesn’t really want to trash his father. That wouldn’t be healthy for them, and it wouldn’t be fair to her. She says, he doesn’t have to justify his feelings about Spencer’s dad. She just wants Sonny to be there for him in case he comes to her for advice. It would ease her mind. He says he’ll always be here for Spencer, and she thanks him. Spencer really admires and respects him, and he can get through to Spencer in a way she and Doc can’t. She has to be honest, she’s kind of worried about him right now. She’s afraid he might do something rash, something he might regret in the future. He says he’ll do whatever he can to make sure that doesn’t happen. She takes his hand and says, thank you.
Walking through the woods with Elizabeth, Finn says, this is the best apple he’s ever had. She says, it’s his second one. If he has any more, Aiden won’t have enough for his pies. (Highly unlikely, since they’re both carrying full baskets.) He says, Aiden’s got enough for ten pies, and she says she has to account for multiple attempts. He says, Aiden’s a wiz in the kitchen, and she says, he is, but baking is very precise. It’s a science. Finn says, it is, although he doesn’t remember seeing a single pie in organic chemistry class (what about a pie chart?), and she says, following the recipe is key. It’s not like any barbecue. He says, excuse me? and she says she’s not knocking his culinary skills. It’s just seeing him at the grill, there were spices and sauces flying everywhere. He says he guesses that’s a fair assessment. It still tastes pretty good, right? She says, it does. She guesses they should get back. She didn’t know how far this orchard was. He says, if they’re tired when they get back to the cabin, they can just take a nap.
Sonny asks how Spencer is doing with Ace, and she says she’s so proud of the way he’s stepped up. He’s really trying to be a surrogate father to that little boy. He even took parenting classes with Esme. Sonny says, that’s impressive, and she says, the only thing is, it causes a little bit of friction between him and Trina, and he’s very much in love with Trina. She’s worried his devotion to Ace and the time he spends with Esme could hurt his relationship. Sonny says, he’s in a tough spot, because if he backs away from Ace, he’s going to feel miserable, and if he doesn’t put Trina first, he could end up losing her. She says, exactly. It’s a lot for someone his age. He didn’t ask to be a father, but he’s doing his very best to fill the role. Anyway, she just wanted Sonny to know what’s going on in Spencer’s life in case Spencer does come to him for guidance. His phone chimes, and Sonny says he thinks she’d better get home. She has a visitor.
Cyrus asks if Spencer is implying that he has an ulterior motive, but Spencer says he’s not implying anything; he’s stating it outright. Cyrus must want something. Cyrus assures Spencer that his motives are purely altruistic. He wanted to see his dear sister and thought he’d save her the embarrassment of a newly released convict showing up at the mayor’s office. Spencer says, she’d be far more concerned knowing he came here where Esme and Ace were vulnerable, but Cyrus says he had no intention of intimidating Esme or Spencer’s brother. Quite the contrary. He was pleasantly surprised to find them home, and he enjoyed the little time he had with them. He meant them no harm. Spencer says, Esme may have met him before, but she has no idea how dangerous Cyrus truly is, and Cyrus says, like the Lord Himself, he comes in peace, and he’s very disheartened to find Spencer so unwelcoming. He thought they’d come to an understanding in Pentenville.
Josslyn says, she did not, but Trina says she sure did. Josslyn says, she screamed at Cyrus, told him to take his apology and shove it? and Trina says, yeah. Josslyn says, good for her, and Trina says she surprised herself. She wasn’t sure she had it in her. It was such a release to unload on him. She was terrified the night he held her and her mom hostage, and she’s not going to be a victim again. Josslyn says, clearly, she’s stronger than she thinks. Trina says, maybe, but Cyrus is free. If he sees her again, he might not apologize. Josslyn says, it’s no wonder she’s having nightmares, and Trina says she thinks the scariest part of the dream wasn’t Cyrus. It was Spencer. Renault was holding her, and she was screaming for Spencer to help her, but he just stood there. Josslyn says, let’s hope that never becomes a reality, but Trina says, it won’t because Spencer was so protective of her when Cyrus came to the gallery. He stood up to Cyrus and told him to leave, so it’s not a thing. Josslyn says, good. That makes her feel better. Trina says, just one thing though. Spencer told her that Cyrus protected him at Pentenville, and it’s unnerving to think he must be grateful to Cyrus.
Elizabeth rinses the apples, and telsl Finn that she didn’t know how much work went into all this. It was a long walk. The baskets were heavy, and they have to wash them all. Finn wonders if he can help, and stands behind her, washing the apples like they washed their hands together. I guess this is supposed to be reminiscent of Ghost? She says she doesn’t know about him, but all this washing has worn her out. He thinks they should take a nap, and she says, totally, and they kiss.
Valentin says he trusts Charlotte, but she says, it doesn’t seem like he does. He says, she’s been through a lot these past few years, her mother’s condition, boarding school. She says, but boarding school taught her to be independent. He’s the one who always says, independence is a good thing. He says, stability’s a good thing. She was on her own for a while. She came back and was bounced back and forth for a while between her grandma’s and Sam and Dante. She needs a stable home life. She says, but that’s not a problem anymore. They finally have a house of their own, just the two of them, the way it should be. He says he knows she loves the house, but it doesn’t change anything she’s been through. And he’s worried for her. He thinks she’s putting on a brave face because she thinks he’ll be disappointed if she’s unhappy. He wants her to tell him the truth, not what she thinks he wants to hear.
Maxie says, Anna doesn’t even need to buy a bed. Everything she needs is already here. All right. Full disclosure, there are a few quirks. The bedroom floor is a bit uneven, the doors in the kitchen kind of stick, and the oven… uh… the oven is broken. Anna says she barely cooks. The microwave works though, right? Maxie says, yes, and Felicia says, they should be pointing out the positive features. Maxie says, the microwave works, and Felicia says, the clawfoot tub is amazing, the hot water never runs out. The walls are fully insolated, so you can barely hear your neighbors… Anna says she’ll take it, and Maxie says, what? Anna says, this is really perfect, and Maxie says, Anna’s not just saying that so she can help Maxie out, but Anna says, Maxie is helping her out. This is exactly what she needs.
Trina walks into Kelly’s and Carly asks if Joss sent her over. Trina says, no, why? and Carly says, because she needed Josslyn to come help her decorate for the kids’ Halloween party, so she assumed she enlisted Trina for back-up. Trina says, no. Josslyn didn’t mention anything to her, but please put her to work. She needs the distraction. Carly asks, what’s going on? and Trina says she’s sure Carly heard Cyrus Renault was released. Carly says she was visiting Drew in the hospital, and he walked right into Drew’s room. She couldn’t believe it. Trina says she’s pretty freaked out that he’s back on the streets, and Carly says she doesn’t blame Trina, but she does know they’re watching him carefully, so hopefully, he doesn’t try anything.
Maxie hands Anna the keys and says, the place is all hers. Anna asks if she shouldn’t fill out some paperwork or something or give her a security deposit? but Maxie says, minor details. They’ll get to that at some point. Anna should just enjoy the apartment. Anna hugs her and thanks them both. She asks if she can move in right away, and Maxie says, whatever she wants. Felicia says she can help Anna pack up her things at the MetroCourt, but Anna says she doesn’t have anything really. It will just take her a second to move. Felicia says she’s really glad this worked out, and Anna says, this feels like the first positive thing that’s happened since her house burned down. It feels like a new beginning. Only good things from now on.
Charlotte says, Valentin wants to know how she really feels? She feels like she needs to go out with her friends tonight – no supervision. He says, okay. She wants to go out with her friends alone, then she has to do something for him. She says, anything, and he says he wants her to see Kevin Collins (who Lucy and I call Doc). He wants her to tell Doc everything she’s going through. She asks why she has to talk to Doc. She’s perfectly happy. He says he feels like there’s something going on; something she doesn’t want to tell him. She says she tells him everything… If he really wants her to do this, she will. He thanks her and says he’ll drive her and her friends, and he’ll drop them off and let them trick-or-treat alone. She says, thank you, and hugs him.
Spencer says, Cyrus looked out for him while he was in Pentenville and it would have been a lot tougher without his protection. Cyrus says, so Spencer sees his motives are only for the good of their family. And as he warned Spencer, the only person he needed protection from was Victor Cassadine and not him. No need to be so suspicious of his visit today. Spencer says, Cyrus turned out to be right about Victor, and he did turn out to be who Cyrus said he’d be; ruthless, sadistic… Cyrus says he’ll take that as a thank you, and Spencer says he knows he owes Cyrus for the way he was looked out for in Pentenville, but he still knows Cyrus is a very, very dangerous person. He held Trina Robinson and her mother at gunpoint. He shot Curtis Ashford, and he wants to know why Spencer is leery when he comes around? It’s because he’s a threat, and he doesn’t want Cyrus anywhere near his little brother. Cyrus says he’s not going to deny his past deeds were heinous, but those were acts of a desperate man, a caged animal, and that man no longer exists. He has seen the Light, and that Light is their Lord and Savior, and He has forgiven Cyrus’s sins, and his life is now devoted to helping others. Spencer asks if Cyrus expects him to believe he’s repentant because he can spout some rhetoric about finding God, and getting louder, Cyrus says, Spencer can believe whatever he wants – Spencer says, calm down – but don’t forget, people gave Spencer a second chance after he got out of prison. He’s only asking for the same courtesy. Laura comes in and asks if Spencer will give her a moment alone with her brother.
In bed, Elizabeth and Finn kiss, and she says she thought the purpose of a nap is to actually sleep. He says, she’s right. No more napping. She tells him that she was only making an observation that they’re not very good at it, and he says, they’ll just have to continue practicing until they get it right. They get busy.
Cyrus says he’s sorry, and Laura says, coming over here unannounced and uninvited, but he says, it wasn’t a calculated move. He was released a few days ago. He thought it would be nice to pay her a visit. She says she doesn’t appreciate it, and he says, then she’s certainly not going to appreciate that not only did he spend time with Spencer, he had the pleasure of meeting his great-nephew Ace. He and Esme crossed paths at Pentenville, but this is the first time he saw Ace. What a delightful baby. She says, he has no business being around children, and he says, but he does when they’re related to him. Like it or not, dear sister, they’re my family too.
Spencer goes to Kelly’s and asks Trina if everything is okay. She says, it will be once they start decorating, and he says, that’s what this is about? This is a decorating emergency? She says, yes. They have to decorate for the kids’ Halloween party. He says he thinks Ace still might be a little too young for it. He cried when he saw a jack-o-lantern. She says, the concept of Halloween doesn’t sink in until they understand they get free candy, and Carly says, that’s right. And Trina volunteered his help because they need someone tall. He says he’s happy to help. Where would she like him to start? She hands him a box and tells him to spread these in all the corners. Trina laughs.
Josslyn opens the door to Adam, and he asks if she wants to head over to the library or stay here. She says, stay here. She’s got to cut today short. She has to head over to Kelly’s and help her mom decorate for a Halloween party. He says he’ll just head over to the library, and she asks what he’s talking about. It’s Halloween. Isn’t he doing anything? There must be lots of parties on campus. He says, it’s the perfect time; the library will be empty. She says, he could study tomorrow, but he says he’s taking four extra credits this semester and it’s a lot. And he’s not really big on dressing up. She says he doesn’t have to dress up to decorate. Why doesn’t he come to Kelly’s with her?
Sonny’s phone rings, and he asks how Anna is holding up. She says, pretty good. First of all, she wants to say, congratulations on his wedding. Is he a happy groom? He says he is, and she says she can almost hear him smiling over the phone. She wants to wish him and Nina all the best. They really deserve it. He thanks her and says, it means a lot to him. So what can he do for her? She closes the door so the bodyguard can’t hear and says she’d like to return her gift. He asks if she bought him something for the wedding, but she says, he was kind enough to give her a bodyguard, and now she’s sending him back. He says he’s not sure that’s a good thing, but she says, her circumstances have changed. She says she feels like she has the key – she picks up the keys Maxie gave her – to a new beginning. She’s taken an apartment. Before he says anything, it’s very safe. It’s small, a doorman building, 24-hour security. It’s mostly families, and she doesn’t need a bodyguard. The biggest threat she’s facing is maybe being caught in the elevator door while trying to dodge all the strollers. He says, it sounds great, but she shouldn’t let her guard down. She should maybe keep Trey until everything is settled. She says she really appreciates his concern, but she doesn’t want a bodyguard. She needs her privacy. She feels like she just really wants to get her life back, and this is the first step.
Finn puts the book he’s reading down and watches Elizabeth paint. She asks if he isn’t supposed to be reading, but he says, she’s much more interesting. She says, this, coming from the man who wanted to listen to a dengue fever podcast on the way here. He says, to be fair, the doctor on the podcast has a very soothing voice – he goes over to her – but still, he’d rather watch her paint. She asks him to thank Dan for her, not just for the cabin, but for all of this. They have to send him something. He says, let’s do that, and she says, it’s so beautiful here. The view is amazing. He says, yes, it is, looking at her, and she says, he’s not even looking out the window. He says he knows.
On the phone, Carly asks if Willow is still bringing the kids to Kelly’s Halloween party… Okay. They’re starting early so the little ones don’t crash… Okay. She can’t wait to see Wiley and Amelia’s costumes… No. Don’t tell her what it is. She wants to be surprised. See her soon.
Trina says, Spencer still has a lot of webs, calling him Spiderman, and he says, he’s sorry, what? She asks if he’s all right, and he says, yeah. He was just thinking about Pentenville. She says, that’s a dark thought, but he says, not really. He was just thinking about the day he was released. They were so far apart then. Now they’re a lot closer and she loves him, and he feels like the luckiest guy in the world. She says, he is the luckiest guy in the world, and he kisses her.
Charlotte asks if she can get a scone, and Valentin says he loves her so much. She’s the most important person in the world to him. She knows that, right? She says she feels the same way about him. It was hard at boarding school. She missed him so much, he has no idea, but none of that matters now. She’s back where she belongs, with him, and nothing’s going to change that. he says he has so many regrets. He would change so much, but he’s going to fix everything. She just has to keep her end of the deal and meet with Doc, okay? She says she will, she promises. She leaves to get her scone, and he looks worried.
Cyrus says, like it or not, and it’s quite clear she doesn’t, he and Laura are siblings. She laughs and says, what’s that saying? You can’t choose your family. He says he prefers the words of the great Bishop Desmond Tutu. He said, you don’t choose your family; they’re God’s gift to you, as you are to them. She says, spare her the sermon, and he says, they are connected by blood, and he cares about her. just as he cares about Spencer and Ace. He treasures all of them. He used to be obsessed with money and power, but they pale in comparison. She says she’s just not buying that, and he asks how he can prove it to her. He protected Spencer when he was in Pentenville. he will continue to keep all of them out of harm’s way. She needs to give him a chance. Is she willing to do that? She says, if they’re going to do this, they’re going to do it with ground rules, and that means he’s going to respect her boundaries when he wants to see her and those boys. That means he doesn’t come here unless she calls him and invites him. Is that clear? He holds up his hands, and she says, this visit is over. She opens the door, and he says he’ll wait for her call, handing her his number, but he hopes it’s soon. She closes the door, and the phone rings. She asks Valentin if everything is okay, and he says he hopes so. Charlotte’s finally agreed to talk to Doc. He’d like to set something up for this afternoon. Could she talk to him? He thinks it’s probably better if it comes from her. She says, of course (🍷). She would do anything for her granddaughter. He says he’s very worried about Charlotte. He thinks she really needs help. Charlotte is on her way back and hears him.
Tomorrow, Lois tells Eddie/Ned, the same fire that got him there will also see him through; Tracy tells Brook, it would be foolish to think otherwise; Charlotte sees Anna; and Carly tells Cyrus that he’s not welcome at Kelly’s.
Hang up your costume and join me tomorrow for soap and Beverly Hills talk. Until then, stay safe, stay being anything you want to be every day, not just on Halloween, and stay believing, only good things from now on.
What I Watched - TV With Theresa 