What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

At the Quartermaines’, Carly says, this seems a little too familiar, and Michael says, turnabout’s fair play. She says, it was almost a year ago when he accused her of playing God with Willow’s life because she hid the fact that Nina was Willow’s mother, and Michael says he was terrified. He was desperate… She says, don’t do that. He accused her of making a very crucial decision without considering the consequences for anyone, and he was right. He says, now he kept the truth about Nina being the SEC informant to himself, knowing that information would affect her and Drew and Willow and so many others. He should have seen this blowing up, but he didn’t. She says, when protecting their families, they can all have tunnel vision, but he tells her, just say it. He chose dad’s happiness over hers, and that he’s also a giant hypocrite.

At the Bistro, TJ asks if Jordan is tired or just full, and she says, content. This was really nice, and long overdue. He says, that’s on him, but she says she realizes he’s got a lot on his plate right now. Her phone dings, and she says, and so does she. He says, a Deputy Mayor’s work is never finished, and she says, something like that. He says he’s glad her new role is fulfilling, but he hopes it leaves room for a personal life. She wonders if he’s asking about her love life, but he says, more like hoping she’ll have time to babysit, because if everything goes according to plan, her grandchild was conceived today.

Kristina looks at the aftercare information for intrauterine insemination, when there’s a knock at her door. She opens it, and Blaze says, greetings, stranger. Remember me? Kristina asks what she’s doing here. She thought Blaze had another out of town stop on her tour. Blaze says she did, but a blizzard knocked the power out at the venue. So if Kristina doesn’t have any plans tonight, how about it? Can she come out and play? Just a thought, but why does no one ever look through the peephole or ask, who’s there? when someone’s at the door?

Drew sits next to Anna at the bar at Charlie’s and orders scotch, neat. Make it a double. Anna says, tough day at the office? and Drew says, tough decade. (I hear you, Drew.) Every time he thinks it’s taken a turn for the better, the universe kind of shuts that down. She says she’s sorry, but he says, no, he’s sorry. She’s sitting here with her drink, enjoying her book, and he just lays that on her and brings her down. He asks the bartender for another drink for Anna on him, and she says, that’s okay. He didn’t bring her down. He just made her realize how much she relates to everything he just said.

At the hospital, Esme tell Cyrus, wake up. She needs his help. He asks what she’s doing here, and she says she had nowhere else to go. He says, why? What’s the matter? She says, her baby’s gone. He’s been kidnapped by his own father.

TJ says, Kristina underwent intrauterine insemination today, and Jordan says, congratulations. She’ll be praying that the procedure is successful. He says, her and him both. He can’t believe it’s finally going to happen, even though they didn’t get here the way he thought they would. Not in his wildest dreams did he think Kristina would be their surrogate, much less their egg donor. She says she knows it took some time to get comfortable with that, and he says, it did, until he sat down with Kristina, and they talked it all out. He came to a real understanding about her thoughts and feelings about the whole thing. Kristina is as prepared as she can be, emotionally and physically, which is more than some people can say, right? She says, absolutely, and he asks, then why is she so quiet? She’s not weighing in nearly as much as Molly’s mother. Is she comfortable with Kristina being their surrogate? She says, it’s not up to her, and he says he knows. He’s asking. What does she really think?

Kristina says she was just planning on having an evening in tonight, and Blaze says, that sounds a lot better than anything thrown together by someone who just showed up at her door. Any chance she feels like having some company? Kristina says, sure, yeah, come on in. She’s not a great chef or anything, but she was going to make some pasta… Blaze says, she doesn’t have to entertain or play hostess. She was excited about seeing Kristina and totally forgot common courtesy. She should have called first. She apologizes. Kristina says, it’s okay, but Blaze says, no, it’s not. But in her defense, Kristina hasn’t been the easiest to get on the phone lately. Kristina says she knows. She’s been really busy. Blaze says she knows Kristina has a lot going on. Can she ask Kristina a question? Kristina says, okay, and Blaze says, why does it feel like she’s started pulling away?

Esme tells Cyrus that she went to Laura’s apartment to pick up Ace, and Spencer was there. He told her that he wanted to talk, and she should have realized he was just stalling her. Cyrus says he’s not sure he understands, and she says, well, understand this. While she was in a courtroom because of some stupid broken window at Windymere, Spencer was conspiring with his father to steal her baby. He says, this doesn’t sound like Spencer, but she says, yes, it does. He doesn’t know the real Spencer or the real Nikolas. He asks what the police said, but she says she hasn’t called the police. Spencer told her if she called the cops, he’d have her old charges reinstated against her. He says, that’s not Spencer’s call, but she says, he’ll convince the DA. Cyrus says he doesn’t know how. The way he understands it, she could easily sway a jury based on her memory loss. So how can Spencer hold that against her? Has something changed?

Michael tells Carly that he knew he couldn’t cut off Nina completely because Willow would be suspicious, but containing Nina would mitigate the damage. She says, blackmail for the greater good? and he says, if that makes him a hypocrite, so be it. He’s been called worse. She says she thinks that makes him his mother’s son. No one knows why he did the things he did better than she does. Although she can’t say it doesn’t hurt that he kept the things Nina had done to himself. He says he thought he was lessening the hurt by keeping quiet, and she says, how? He says, for Willow mostly. And for his dad. He seemed happy in his marriage, and she seemed happy with Drew and was moving on. She says, that’s all true, but he forgot the lesson they both learned about keeping secrets last year. Even with the best of intentions, keeping things buried can have unintended consequences. He says, and nothing ever stays buried.

Kristina says she’s been really busy with her youth center and everything with her sister and work, and Blaze says, she’s got a lot going on, but come on. She obviously did something to hurt Kirstina’s feelings and she never wants to do that. So help her. Kristina says she pulled away because Blaze pulled away, and Blaze says, when? Kristina says, at Rice Plaza. They were talking about their family traditions… Blaze says, Kristina said her presents a year ago were a pepper spray holster and free legal advice, and Kristina says, among other things. They’re hands sort of found each other and it was really nice. Then Brook and Chase came, and Blaze literally dropped her hand like it was on fire. Blaze says she didn’t realize she did that, and Kristina says, she did. She knows there are certain things Blaze hasn’t shared with her family, but that hurt. Blaze says she’s so sorry, and Kristina thanks her. She says, does Blaze think maybe that’s because she’s not out to her family? but Blaze says she’s not used to public displays of affection. She never has been. Her performance life is in the public eye. She shares so much of herself with her music, she wants to keep her private life just for herself. Kristina says she gets that. She understands Blaze’s life is more complicated than hers in that way, and that’s fine, but when she likes someone, she likes to show it and likes if they do too. Blaze says she’d like to be more like Kristina, but old habits die hard. It might take a bit before she’s as comfortable being in public as Kristina is. Can Kristina be a little patient? Kristina says she doesn’t know.

Jordan says, after everything TJ and Molly went through, she got the impression they wanted to take a break to process and regroup before they tried again. TJ says, they both thought waiting was their best option. But after Kristina volunteered to be their surrogate, he and Molly agreed it wouldn’t be fair to ask Kristina to put her life on hold for them indefinitely. Besides, is there ever a right time to have a child? If you wait for everything to be perfect, you’ll wait forever, right? She says she can’t answer that, and he says, this is the right decision. She says she’ll answer his question with one of her own. Would her opinion change his mind? He says, no, and she says, if it wasn’t clear, how his child comes into this world will never change how much she loves them. Got it? He says, got it, and she says she does love that he values her opinion, and she appreciates how thoughtful he is with every aspect of his life. If he ever truly feels he needs her take on something, she’ll give it to him, but from where she’s sitting, he’s doing just fine in determining his own destiny. And she couldn’t be prouder.

Michael says, part of him wishes he’d never gone looking for the truth, but Carly says, come on. Would he really be happier not knowing, while Nina was settling in to her happily ever after with his dad, getting closer to Willow after everything she’s done? He says, she’s right. he needed to know. He just regrets the way he handled the information. And to top it all off, he hurt the two most important women in his life. She says she’ll survive, but he says, she deserves better. She’s always had his back. No matter how many times he screwed up, he knew she always loved him unconditionally. She says, that’ll never change, and he says, even if the man she loves doesn’t feel the same way?

Drew says he just feels like a stranger to himself lately, and Anna says, angry, but impulsive? He says, yeah. How did she know? She says she feels the same. She guesses a lot has happened to them both since Greenland. He says he heard about her house being burned down and he heard about the other incident, and she says, this life she’s chosen, she’s seen a lot of terrible things, but shooting that young girl… Charlotte… that was the worst moment of her life. He says, she must have been devastated, and she says she doesn’t have words. She’s just been cycling through so many different emotions. He says, it’s exhausting, isn’t it? and she agrees. Then when you think about the people you believe you know the best, and you find out they are unrecognizable… That hurts. And it makes you feel so naïve, and stupid, and very, very sad. But she thinks mostly what she feels right now is anger.

Michael says he doesn’t remember the last time he saw Drew lose his cool like that, and Carly says, it doesn’t happen a lot. He says he’s sorry he put her in such a terrible position, but she says, Drew’s mad, but it’s not all about Michael. He’s struggling. He’s going through a lot since he got attacked in Pentenville. Michael says, no one ever comes out of Pentenville the same way they went in, but you move past it. With honesty and support and maybe talking to somebody, Drew will be able to move past what happened to him in Pentenville. Carly says, yeah. Of course (🍷) it might take a little time, but Drew’s an amazing man. And he’s not the only one. Michael says, not so amazing lately, and Carly says she’ll talk to Drew. He says he’s amazed at her love and forgiveness, and she says she’s always going to forgive him and she’s always going to love him. Know that. His apology tour’s not over. He’s going to have to make things right with Willow. There’s nothing more important than his wife and children, and he cannot let Nina damage this family more than she already has. The nanny says she’s sorry to interrupt, but Wiley is asking for his daddy. Michael thanks her and she leaves. He tells Carly the kids are upstairs because Willow’s working the late shift. He hasn’t seen much of them lately. Carly says, go, tuck in his son, and he thanks her. He leaves, and she takes out her phone.

Drew asks how Anna shook the anger, and she says she’ll let him know when she does. Did he know that anger is really just a byproduct of fear? (I did, from Dr. Phil.) He says, so it’s a symptom, and she says, according to her book, yeah. He asks if there are any other nuggets of wisdom in there, and she says she’s sure there is. She’s only on chapter one. Her focus is a bit off these days. She thinks she read one page three times, but she did grasp that anger/fear connection thing. He says, maybe the fourth time is the charm, and she says, maybe. She’s just biding time until her friend gets here. He says, it looks like she’s got a little bit of time to give that page another shot, and she says she wonders whether an antidote to betrayal is a sort of fellowship, in a way. He says, she might be on to something there. Her company has been medicinal. She says she’s never been called medicinal before, and he says, talking to her, he realizes he’s got to get the toxicity out of his life. She tells him to let her know how that goes.

Jordan’s phone dings, and TJ asks, who is blowing up his mama’s phone? She says she’s working on a special project, and he says, for the mayor’s office? She says, with the mayor’s permission, but the project is off the books, and he says, got it. Say no more. She says, it’s no secret from him. She and Curtis have been looking into his shooting. The alerts she’s getting could be her first solid lead. TJ says, promise him that she’ll be careful.

Esme tells Cyrus that she has no idea what’s going on in Spencer’s mind. All she knows is that she has no faith that the PCPD will help her get her son back from the mayor’s son. He says he’s sorry, but he was under the impression that his sister has been good to her and little Ace, and she says, Laura is the reason she’s in this situation. Laura told her to turn herself in and insisted she’d get a slap on the wrist, and then Ava pressed charges. He says, perhaps it’s time she turned to his brother Martin. He’s a lawyer. She says, he’s her lawyer. He was at her hearing. But a lawyer’s not going to do her any good. There’s no way she’s going to find Nikolas with traditional channels. Cyrus says, he’s also very resourceful, but she says, even if Laura and Martin can help her get Ace back, it won’t do her any good if she’s behind bars. He says, so she doesn’t really fear for Ace’s safety. This is less a matter of protection and more about possession. She asks if she’s being lectured by an ex-con, and he says, she sought him out. Besides, a rap sheet doesn’t preclude morality. Or motherhood, right? She says, right. Which is why she’s appealing to his better angels. He says, what makes her think she can trust him?

Kristina says she has no idea what it’s like to be a public figure. So she can’t even pretend to relate to Blaze’s sensitivities there. Blaze says she’s glad. She wouldn’t want that for Kristina. Kristina says, if she were dating someone in the public eye, she’d be willing to make some compromises, but it would really depend on what they were. It took her a lot of time and a lot of work to get to where she is today, to live authentically her truth, and she’s never going to go back to anything less than that. Blaze says, okay, so if she tries to do better and she’s conscious of her attitudes and behaviors, can they just pick up where they left off? Kristina says, that would be kind of tough. Her life is about major league change. Blaze asks if she means with the youth center opening, and Kristina says, that… and this, showing her the aftercare handout. As of this afternoon, she might be pregnant. Blaze looks at the sheet and says, this is major. No wonder she’s lying low tonight. How is she feeling? Kristina says, all right. How is Blaze feeling? Blaze says, it’s not a total surprise. Kristina made it very clear that she was going to be her sister’s surrogate. Kristina says, but now it’s a reality, and Blaze says, people get pregnant all the time and they find ways to hang out with other people. So will they. At least that’s what they talked about. Kristina says, but now that it’s actually happening, it’s a little hard to see how they’ll juggle that and be together, right? Blaze says, maybe, and Kristina says, here they are, taking the sheet from Blaze. It’s been really nice getting to know her… Blaze says, hang on. So their timing isn’t perfect. She’s missed Kristina, and she likes her a lot, a lot. Kristina says she likes Blaze a lot too, but she doesn’t know if that’s going to be enough.

Blaze says she feels so stupid. She should have picked up on the distance between them sooner, but it sounds like Kristina has made up her mind. Kristina says she’s not sure about much these days, which is why she thinks it’s probably best if they call it. Blaze says she guesses so, and gets up. She goes to the door and says she should have held Kristina’s hand at Rice Plaza and never let go. She walks out, and Kristina says she’ll see Blaze around. Blaze says, sounds good, and leaves. Kristina is pissing me off now. They have more chemistry than most of the couples on the show.

Carly leaves a message for Drew, telling him that she loves him, and Michael comes back downstairs. He says, Wiley is playing with a truck Nina got him. It took everything he had not to chuck it out the window, along with everything else associated with that woman. She says, okay, but being out of the family is going to kill Nina, and she has no one to blame but herself. He says, but is that justice? They both know Drew was just collateral damage. Nina wanted the SEC to get Carly sent to prison. Carly says she knows that, but now everyone knows that. And for her, the silver lining is, she doesn’t have to co-exist with Nina anymore. She doesn’t have to bite her tongue around her. She doesn’t have to serve Nina at her restaurant. She doesn’t have to listen to another sappy speech about why the two of them need to get along. She hates Nina for what she did to Drew, but now she doesn’t have to pretend otherwise. He says, she doesn’t want payback? and she says, yes, she wants payback, but she wants peace of mind more. Since her mother passed, she’s realized closure only comes from letting go. And she’s ready to move on. She suggests he does the same, and she leaves.

Anna says she doesn’t really have a picture of what her life is like after the WSB, and Drew asks if she knows what she wants it to look like. She says he thought she did, but now… He says, there’s no clock. She doesn’t have to put pressure on herself. She says, that’s very good advice. She doesn’t suppose he’d take it. His phone rings and he says, it’s Carly. She’s probably wondering where he is. She says, that’s really nice, to have someone wonder. It’s been her experience that after you ignore the first call, it just gets easier and easier to ignore the rest. They both have a lot of questions that they want to answer for themselves. But Drew has one thing for sure that she doesn’t. He says, what’s that? and she says, he has someone who loves him and wants to support him.

Esme says she doesn’t trust Cyrus. Not for a second. She doesn’t trust anybody. For all she knows, Laura could have known about Nikolas’s plan. He says, she’s accusing his sister of being party to a kidnapping, and she tells him that she’s saying she needs help. There must be something he can do. When she met him in the visiting room at Pentenville, he told her that he cared about family. Were those just empty words? Ace is his family, and he’s also hers. He’s been taken from her. He’s been taken from both of them. Is he going to let that stand?

Jordan tells TJ not to worry; she’s taking precautions. He says he hopes so, and she says she is. Especially now that Curtis is focused on his recovery and can’t provide back-up. He says, she’s not going to forget she’s not the top cop anymore, and she says, it’s not something you forget. If she discovers anything that even flirts with putting her in danger, she’ll turn over the investigation officially. Her phone dings, and he says, go. Take care of her investigation, safely. No danger flirting. Jordan says she hates to ask which one of them is the parent, but she guesses she can’t ask that for much longer.

Kristina sits on the sofa and says, I don’t know if you’re in there or not, or if you even exist yet, but hi. It’s me. Your Auntie Kristina, the crazy one. I am a mess. Clearly. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be talking to you. But you’re the only person who heard what just happened, so please just tell me whether I did the right thing or not. There’s a knock at the door, and Kristina opens it to Blaze holding a shopping bag.

Cyrus tells Esme that his own means are greatly reduced, but he still knows people who can make discreet inquiries on her behalf. And if there’s a trail, they’ll pick it up. She thanks him and asks, what’s the next step? He says he makes a phone call, and she says, that’s it? That’s all he can do? He says, no. He can also pray with her. He picks up his Bible.

Carly comes into Charlie’s and says, there’s the man she adores. Looks like he found some good company. Drew says he did indeed, and Anna says she didn’t get a chance to say, the service for Carly’s mother was really beautiful. They’re all going to miss her so much. Carly thanks her, and Anna says she’s going to call her friend to see where they are. It was nice talking with Drew. He says, her too, and she tells them to have a nice night. She leaves, and Carly sits down. She thanks him for calling her back and says she knows why he’s mad at Michael. He should have told them the truth. She wishes he would have. But she’s made some missteps herself when it came to protecting her family from Nina, so she really does understand. He says he and Michael are going to have to hash this out, and they will, but the bulk of his anger is reserved for Nina. Carly says, blech. Join the club. He says, the failed merger and her investment would have never been on the SEC’s radar if it wasn’t for Nina’s actions. It left him to the mercy of that judge and violent prisoners. It took him away from his daughter, his only child. She says she knows. She understands all that. It’s like she told Michael, there’s a silver lining. They don’t have to pretend to play nice with Nina anymore. They can put Nina in the rearview. He says, not him.

Willow walks into the Quartermaine mansion, and Michael says he didn’t expect her back so soon. He’ll get out of her way. He goes into the living room, and she follows him. She says, wait. How is he doing? She knows he had to have some rough conversations today. He says he got quite the beating from Drew, which he deserved. His mom gave him grace and understanding, which he really appreciated. She says she wants him to know that she didn’t tell Carly or Drew anything about his part in this, and he says he knows. It was Nina. She says, Nina approached her at the hospital. Carly and Drew found them, and it didn’t take Nina 30 seconds to throw it in their faces that he’d known the truth for months. He asks if she understands now why he went to the lengths that he did to protect her from Nina, and she says she does. And that’s the problem. Nina is petty, vindictive, envious, because – let’s be real – she wanted to send Carly to prison so that she couldn’t be a grandmother to Wiley and Amelia or competition for Sonny. Her mother is manipulative, insecure, and a liar, and she had the right to know that. He says he knew how hurt she’d be. Like he said, he was trying to protect her… She says she doesn’t want his protection. She wants the truth from him. Always. Nina’s awful, but that does not absolve him. He says he’s not looking for absolution; he’s looking for forgiveness. She says, that can’t happen overnight, and he says, it can’t happen if they’re apart like this. She says she’s too tired to get into this right now, and he says, then when? Wiley is at the door and asks if it’s time to go home.

At the pier on the phone, Jordan says, so they can tell her where the gun came from… Name the time and place… Okay. Got it. She starts to leave, but a man blocks her path. (For all her talk of being careful, she’s there by herself, and wasn’t even aware this dude came along?) She says, excuse me, but he won’t let her pass, and she asks if there’s something she can help him with. He says he can help himself, and she turns to face another man. He says, going somewhere?

Kristina says, Blaze is back, and Blaze says she thought she heard Kristina talking to someone. She can go if Kristina has company. Kristina says she doesn’t know if she has company or not yet. Did Blaze forget something? Blaze says, not exactly. She just wanted to tell Kristina that she may be right about everything. Maybe she’s not ready. Maybe Kristina has too much going on. Maybe this won’t work, but how will they know if they don’t try? Kirstina says, they won’t, and Blaze says she’s not a quitter, and she gets the feeling Kristina doesn’t like what ifs any more than she does. So what does she think? Will Kristina take a chance with her? Kristina says, it depends, and Blaze says, on? Kristina says, what’s in the bag, and Blaze says, all the ingredients for the dinner she’ll make while Kristina relaxes. She did a quick internet search on foods to avoid after an IUI, so there’s nothing processed, spicy, or hard to digest. She promises. Kristina says she’s going to guess there’s no wine in there either then, and Blaze says, no, but Kristina did mention she wanted to try coquito, so she got some stuff to make some… minus the rum. Kristina says, wow. She thought of everything. Blaze asks if it’s enough, and Kristina stands aside to let her in. All is forgiven by me.

Willow asks what Wiley is doing up. It’s way past his bedtime. Wiley says, daddy never came back up to read to him, and Michael says, if he’s still interested, he can read Wiley a story now. Wiley asks if they can do it at their house. He likes their house better than this one. Michael says, so does he, and Wiley asks, then why he hasn’t been home? Michael says he’s just been a little bit busy with work, but how about if he carries Wiley and Amelia to the gatehouse, and he can read Wiley a story there. Wiley says, yes, please. Will he stay with them tonight? Michael says, probably not tonight, and Wiley asks when they’ll all be together again.

Esme tells Cyrus, no offense, but she’s not going to waste time praying when she could be doing. She dashes off, and he gets out his phone. He says, apologies for the late hour, but when you get this message, please come see me right away. It’s of vital importance.

Drew says, Nina needs to pay for the damage she caused them and their families, and Carly says she agrees. And someday, she hopes Nina will. He says, not someday, now. And he knows exactly how to make her pay.

Anna leaves a message for Jordan, saying, she’s at Charlie’s Pub. She thought Jordan would be here by now. If she can’t make it, just let her know. Call her back.

At the pier, Jordan asks what the men want. Money? She starts to reach into her bag, and Dude #1 says he’s sure Deputy Mayor Ashford keeps her pepper spray in her purse. She asks who they are, and Dude #2 says, they’re going to need her to come with them. She says she’s not going anywhere until they identify themselves, and Dude #2 says, they’ll save the introductions for the ride. They hustle Jordan off, one on either side of her.

Tomorrow, Sam asks if Carly has noticed Drew’s changed since he’s been back; Nina asks if Drew thought she’d just roll over and accept this; Dex asks what Josslyn has to apologize for; and Laura lets Spencer have it. I can’t wait for that one.

Southern Charm – The Reunion – Part Two

After Olivia calls Taylor a sh*t friend and a sh*t human, they take a break. Shep tells Taylor to take a page out of his book. Silence is golden right now. She tells him, thanks, even though she didn’t need coaching. Rodrigo and Rod arrive, and Olivia continues to bitch about Taylor even though she really outed herself about T-Rav. Wow. She must have been blackout drunk. He reminds me of somebody’s creepy uncle who hangs out with the teens by the pool. Taylor says she was this close to not coming, and Austen wants to put a muzzle on the chihuahua that is JT, while JT whines to Rod about Austen.

They reconvene, and Andy welcomes Rod and Rodrigo. He points out that Rodrigo has been in a relationship the longest and asks why Rodrigo thinks the Charleston guys have a hard time settling down. Rodrigo says, it’s a college and tourist town, and a rotating platter of girls. Andy reads a post from a viewer who says, Rod got Olivia gluten-free bread. Don’t let this one go. Olivia says they have fun together, but the timing is off. A nice way of saying, not in a million years. Venita says, Rod is sweet and a gentleman, and Olivia needs someone to take care of her. Women supporting women. Andy says, they got a lot of comments about Olivia’s bra, and we flash back to Rod telling JT about the bra on the ottoman. Olivia says she knows how it looks and sounds, but she was getting comfortable. She was halfway out the door when Austen realized her bra was still there and she told him to throw it away. Madison says, it must have been beige, and Andy asks who thinks they did more than they’re saying. Shep isn’t too sure, and Rod says some vague thing about how he knows for a fact they didn’t. Olivia apparently has a new guy named Alex who lives in Dallas, and we see a clip of Austen golfing with them. Olivia says she took Madison’s advice to look outside Charleston. Even though Charleston still seems to be tagging along. Craig explains that Austen brought Olivia to the club, and now they both get invited there. Andy wonders why Austen gets a pass and not Taylor, and Olivia says, Taylor lied to her face multiple times, but Andy says, Austen also lied. Dodging around that, Olivia says she really tried with Taylor, but it didn’t get her anywhere. In watching the show back, she could see Taylor wasn’t thinking about her. Rodrigo tells her that she keeps saying she doesn’t want to kick Taylor when she’s down, but she was doing it all the time. Olivia says, she kept it positive and looked like an idiot, and when Rodrigo tries to talk, she tells him, shut up. He says, f*** you, since he’s the only one on stage with balls, and he’s had enough of her playing the death card.

Andy gives Olivia condolences about her brother Connor, and after floundering a little, since she doesn’t want to thank Austen and Taylor, Olivia says, everyone stepped up and she appreciated that. Andy asks how her family is, and she says, not good. Her parents are trying to get through and figure out their new reality. We find out that Taylor’s brother also passed away after filming wrapped, and Andy gives Taylor his condolences. There are a lot of jokes and sarcasm I can put in here, but I’m going to show restraint. As awful as they are, these are still people. Andy says, it must have been hard for Olivia to be on the outs with Austen when her brother passed. Olivia says, it was good they could put that aside, since Austen understood more than anyone. But then she does a 180 and says, everyone came to her room except Austen and Taylor. Then Austen was calling her inconsistent. We flash back to that, and I’m thinking, inconsistent? What we just saw was weird; her thanking them, then saying they weren’t there. She says, there was no grace and understanding from them, then Austen expected an apology from her. Okay, I agree with her there. He should have just let that one slide. Austen says, when they were in Jamaica, everything was fine, but then she turned on him and he wondered what happened. Andy wisely moves onto Venita disinviting Taylor to girls’ night, and we flash back to that. Venita says she was trying to protect Olivia’s peace, and Andy points out that last year, Venita and Olivia butted heads. I’d actually forgotten about that, but they flash back to remind me. Andy says, this year, Venita was Olivia’s champion. He asks, what changed? and Venita says, they made an effort between seasons. Olivia says she’s grateful; it helped them grow. Andy asks how Taylor felt about the women talking about her all season, and Taylor says, they were right. He asks if the women think, with time, they’ll be friends again, and Leva says she doesn’t want to see Taylor like this. Taking on the role of your parents, Venita says, they don’t hate Taylor. They’re just disappointed in her behavior. Madison says, there won’t be any sleepovers at her house – BA-DUM-CHH! – and they take a break. The producers tell everyone not to play with their mics so much.

Andy suggests they talk about Austen some more. A viewer points out that when Austen started on the show, he was called Shep’s protégé, and now he’s exactly like Shep. Austen says he only watched half the season, and Craig says he thinks Austen still has a chance to make a choice. He needs to stop making decisions where he’s disappointed in the consequences. Next to take on a parental role, JT says, who you hang out with is who you become. Craig needs to be careful. Craig asks if he should just cut Austen loose, but JT says, he should keep Austen at arm’s length. Craig says, if Austen wasn’t trying to get better, they wouldn’t be hanging out. Translation: Paige wouldn’t let them hang out. Craig says, if Austen stops working on himself, they won’t be hanging out. Translation: If Paige sees no progress is being made, Austen will be cut loose. Olivia thinks Craig is harder on Shep than he is on Austen, and Craig says he and Shep have a longer history. Andy says, Austen felt misrepresented on the show, and asks, what was misrepresented with his and Olivia’s relationship? Austen says, the merry-go-round of Olivia wanting to hang out with him, then being angry with him. Olivia says, they did a full stretch of traveling together after last season, and Shep says, Austen had every opportunity to commit to Olivia; she was ready. Austen found a loophole, saying their relationship wasn’t defined, so he could do what he wanted. It broke his heart seeing Austen throughout the season. He laughed about kissing Taylor. Craig says, Shep had suppressed his feelings, and he’s glad Shep is talking about it. Shep thought if he admitted he was mad at Austen, it would make him look weak. Shep says he felt like they were all in this together, and watching it back was super hard seeing Austen’s blasé attitude. Andy asks Austen what they didn’t show that he wants people to know, and Austen says he wasn’t prepared to answer that. He asks if Shep is angry because of the show or is it because of the past week or two? and Shep says he showed Austen grace (WOTD) and hoped he’d seen the light. Andy asks if he hopes they can get back to a good place, but Shep says, Austen has zero self-awareness. Craig says, Austen was loyal to Shep at BravoCon, and Rodrigo says, when Austen gave Shep the cold shoulder, it hurt Shep’s feelings. Austen says he doesn’t want to deal with Shep right now, and Rodrigo says, that’s why Shep is upset. Austen says he thought they needed a break.

Andy says, new kid on the block, JT, aimed to be the perfect Southern gentleman, and was determined to prove nice guys don’t finish last. He asks how JT’s first season was, and JT says, it was one of the most coolest things in his human experience. Andy says, JT’s mom Bunny got lots of love on social media, and JT says, fans at BravoCon wanted him to FaceTime her. She was cooler than him there. Andy asks if having four sisters played a part in JT’s gentlemanliness (yes, it’s a word!), and JT says he had an older sister and a brother, then three stepsisters later on. It turned the tide of power. Andy says, JT took heat from the guys this season, and we flash back to them making fun of JT all over the place. Andy asks Shep if JT is the new Craig to him, and Shep says he thinks JT likes the ribbing. Craig tells Andy, that’s what Shep said about him – Craig likes it – and Shep says, maybe he’s reading the room wrong. Andy says, JT came in saying he wasn’t in love with Taylor, when he clearly was. JT says he started off playing it cool, but he fell hard and he’s not ashamed to admit it. Andy says, JT has all the things Shep lacks, and Taylor says, JT is an amazing human being and fun to be around, but that’s not happening. Craig says, nice guys finish last, but Olivia says, Craig finished first. Craig says he had to be a little bad. Andy asks why JT brought up the sleepovers, and JT says, if he was in that situation, he’d want a buddy to tell him. Austen says, it was brownnosing at its finest, and Olivia says she doesn’t think she would have known if JT hadn’t said something. Rodrigo says, JT saw an opportunity to weasel his way in with Taylor, and then said he was here for Shep, using him to get to Taylor. Leva says, Rodrigo can’t gaslight someone for doing something right, and I’m trying to figure out how questioning JT’s motive is gaslighting. Genius of the year Rod says, things would have been different if it hadn’t happened, and Craig says, maybe JT thought he’d get the competition out of the way and be Olivia’s knight in shining armor. Leva says, over the summer, people came to her and said something was going on, and Shep says, JT brought the truth to light. Andy asks if Shep thinks they’re still lying, and Shep says, Taylor swore to him nothing happened, but he knows Austen and it’s hard to believe. Venita says she doesn’t think she’d tell her mama that she was thinking of dating someone if they weren’t f***ing, and Madison mimes dropping the mic. Andy says, it’s a good time for a break.

Andy says, things came to a head in the finale, and the group came to a place they’ve never seen. We flash back to Austen pushing that little troll JT off the barstool, and Austen says he attributes it to JT getting a rejection. We flash back to JT professing his love for Taylor, and Taylor saying she needs time. In other words, not a chance in hell. JT says, Austen pushed him first, and Austen asks if JT thinks he’d be with Taylor if it wasn’t for him. JT says, they have to bifurcate those two things because he wants to use a big word, and everyone is like, huh? He told Taylor that he loved her, and he called out Austen for being a sh*tbag. Taylor has nothing to do with that. Austen needs to wake up and learn how to be a man. Austen says, it’s JT’s first season and no one knows what a POS he is, just because he calls himself a gentleman. Andy asks, who’s to blame for the fight? and Shep says, JR was aggressive and forced Austen’s hand. He left when he saw where it was going. Leva says, you can’t make someone punch someone, and I want to throw a pie in her face. Austen says, JT got in his face, and Andy asks if they’ve talked since then, but Austen says, they haven’t spoken. Andy asks if either of them has apologized, and JT fails to see what he should apologize for. Andy says, he got in Austen’s face. Come on. He was trying to get Austen to punch him. Everyone is laughing at this point, and even JT has to smile, but he’s not budging, and says he was minding his own business. Craig says he would have knocked JT down, and Andy asks why JT holds Austen accountable and not Shep. JT says, Shep is upfront about who he is, where Austen manipulates women and lies his way out of things. He’s a narcissist egomaniac. A viewer says if they hear JT tell one more guy they need to apologize, they’re going to scream. We flash back to JT telling various dudes to apologize, and Craig asks if there’s anything Austen could do to better himself in JT’s eyes. JT says, Austen need to do the work. He wants to root for Austen, but he needs to be held accountable. This is the real therapy. Andy says, they do this every year, and we flash back to other Reunions. Austen says, JT claimed he coached Taylor to lie, and we flash back to Austen telling her, there’s no good time to tell Olivia. Taylor says she’s not good at this stuff and she was trying to protect Olivia. She didn’t know how to handle it and genuinely apologizes again to the people she’s hurt and Shep as well. Olivia says her heart breaks for what Taylor’s family is going through. She’s even more sad that she couldn’t be there for Taylor. She doesn’t wish any bad on her. Andy asks how they can move forward, but Olivia says, that’s not happening. They won’t be friends again, but she’s not going to make Taylor miserable or be negative. They’re moving forward, but not necessarily together. During the break, the girls complain about their dresses being uncomfortable. They look great though.

Andy says, they’re wrapping up a season that created cracks in the foundation of the group. He’s been watching the way Taylor looks at Shep and he feels there’s still emotion there. Taylor says, love is still there. She’s here for Shep. She’s happy for him and proud of him. Shep says he has love for her too, and Craig thinks they’re going to get married one day. Andy asks if Taylor loves Shep, and she says she always will. He asks if she’s in love with him, but she says, no. He asks if Shep is in love with Taylor, and Shep says he’d be lying if he didn’t say he made a mistake. He’s scared he’s going to look back at the one who got away. He’d be lying if he said he didn’t love her. Andy says, Shep is finally accessing his anger with Austen, even though he wasn’t in touch with it while living through it. And Austen feels like he’s had to take care of Shep when he’s misbehaving or drunk. Shep says he appreciates it. They’re working through it and Austen needs space. Andy wonders how they move forward, and Austen says he’ll always want to. He doesn’t know what the world looks like where he and Shep aren’t buddies. But he’s been an enabler for a long time. Andy says, they have to redefine what they do together. He asks what Shep thinks is the reason things went down, and Shep says he was suppressing everything because of his love for Austen. Maybe it’s time he cultivated relationships with other people. Craig says, they have a history, but he thinks Shep is finding his new normal. It’s important. Andy says he thinks they all agree that they should find people outside the friend group to date. He asks if JT exorcised the f***boy, but JT says, they’re not even halfway there. Austen says he took it all, and Andy says, they’ll try again next year.

In the spirit of good vibes, Andy produces glasses of Jamaican rum punch, and tin foil hats for everyone. He points out that Shep is drinking only juice and asks Shep to give the toast. Shep goes into a long thing, my takeaway points being, he’s soared like an eagle, slithered like a snake, and everything in between. There are no guarantees in life, and life owes you nothing. He ends with toasting to perseverance in the face of adversity, and they clink glasses.

Good on all of us who made it through this season of awful.

🪄 Gilding My Age…

Join me tomorrow for soap, a spot of tea but little sympathy, and pre-weekend fun. Until then, stay safe, stay praising publicly and criticizing privately, and stay realizing closure only comes from letting go.