Monthly Archives: February 2024

February 28, 2023 – Josslyn Tracks Down Dex, Lots Of Weaponizing In Beverly Hills, Here Comes Another One & Respect

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Lois is looking through wedding dresses in the solarium, when Brook comes in with Maxie. Brook thanks her for the private wedding dress viewing. She feels like a celebrity. Maxie says, she’s the bride, so she basically is, and Brook asks if Lois is crying. Maxie says, she hasn’t even tried anything on yet, and Lois says she can’t help it. Her baby girl is getting married. Brook is standing in front of her this beautiful, accomplished woman, but when she looks at Brook, she sees a toddler with jam all over her. She sees a 9-year-old girl playing bride with one of her scarves on her head, and she sees that 12-year-old girl who came home crying because all the girls were mean to her, and she sees Brook at her high school graduation. They’re all mental snapshots that she has in her head, and this is just going to be another one of them; Brook Lynn trying on wedding dresses. This is going to be an image that she holds in her heart for the rest of her life. Brook says, no pressure or anything, but Lois says she’s going to be beautiful no matter what dress she chooses. Maxie says, and they will find the dress. Don’t worry. Brook says, it’s not Cinderella. The dress doesn’t have to be magical or legendary. It just has to look good. Lois says, what? No. It has to look more than good. The dress has to make her feel as beautiful as she is. Brook says, it’s really not that big a deal.

Chase shows up at Finn’s apartment, and Finn asks what the drop-in is all about. Chase says he needs to ask Finn something and he wanted to do it in person, and Finn says, sure. As long as it’s not a best man request, knock himself out.

Scotty puts some flowers on a grave and says, happy birthday, Karen. John asks if it’s okay if he joins Scotty, and Scotty says, Jagger? Johns says, Scott. It’s been a while.

Josslyn is sneaking around somewhere, when her phone rings. At the boxing gym, Michael says he was just checking in. Seeing how she’s doing since… She says, since Sonny drove Dex out of town? He says, yeah. He’s sorry. She says, don’t be, because she’s going to find Dex and bring him home. He says, what? and she says, he heard her. She’s not going to lose Dex. Not like this. He says, that’s not a good idea. If Sonny finds out… She says she has to go, and ends the call.

Dante comes into the gym, and Michael thanks him for coming. He wasn’t sure Dante would. Dante says, because of him and dad? That’s Michael’s business. Michael says, so they’re good? and Dante says, they’re good. Michael says, glad to hear it because he could use a favor.

Carly asks if Donna is ready to tackle this playground, and Donna asks if Carly thinks she can climb to the top a dome of monkey bars, but Carly says she doesn’t know. It is tricky. Sonny walks up and says, if anybody can, Donna can, and Donna runs to him, hugging him. Donna asks him how he is, and he says, better now. I involuntarily smile because this kid is just so damn cute.

Chase says he did actually come over here to… Finn says, ask him to be best man? and Chase says he’s seriously reconsidering that decision right now. Finn says he was kidding. Of course (🍷) he’ll stand up for Chase at his wedding. Chase says he doesn’t want to force Finn, and Finn says, he’s not. He does want to warn Chase, he might not be good at best man duties. He’s usually the guy at bachelor parties sitting in the corner. Chase says, nobody puts his brother in a corner, and Finn laughs. Chase says, Finn knows he doesn’t care about that stuff. He just wants his brother to be by his side when he marries Brook. Finn says, then Chase has him, and Chase says, Finn scared him there for a minute. Finn says, Chase was kind of tripping all over himself. It makes him wonder. If he’s this worked up about the best man thing, how does he feel about the wedding in general?

Brook says, they should get started, and Lois says, if she didn’t know Brook any better, she’d think Brook was implying she doesn’t care about her own wedding dress. Brook says she cares. It’s just not the be all, end all for her. Not everyone gets a dress like Lois. Maxie says she loved her mother’s wedding dress, when Tracy comes in and says, really? Which one? Brook asks how many times Tracy got married. Six? Seven? And she wore something different each time, so she’s in no position to judge. Maxie says, it was a Spanish style dress with a mantilla made of lace, and Brook says she saw pictures. It was gorgeous. Maxie says, she’ll never forget Robin coming back for Lois’s wedding. She went on and on about Lois’s dress. She said it was straight out of Gone with the Wind. Lois says, that’s so sweet and so accurate. She loved that dress, that big, full skirt made her feel like she was floating on air, and it was surprisingly sturdy. She had to run 17 blocks in that dress. It actually held up really, really well. And that beautiful cream-colored satin… Tracy says, one other small detail about that dress. It wasn’t Lois’s. The dress she’s raving about belonged to Tracy’s mother. Lois says, who was gracious enough to let her borrow it. Kindest woman alive, Lila Quartermaine. Tracy says, if only others could emulate her, and Brook says, Cerullos have been coming out of the woodwork for years begging for that dress. Remember Cousin Francie wanted to turn it into a jumpsuit? Lois says, can she imagine? and Brook says, that gown is something else. Lois says she wishes she could pass it on to Brook. Unfortunately, it’s not her dress to give.

John places flowers on Karen’s grave, and Scotty says, good to see him. What’s he doing back in town? John says he’s with the FBI now. A case brought him here. Scotty says, Jagger Cates, FBI? and Jagger says, John. He would have reached out, but… Scotty says, he should have, but John says, honestly, he wasn’t sure if Scotty would want to see him after the divorce and everything. Scotty says he was disappointed when John and Karen broke up, but he respected John then. He respects John now. He pulled himself up from nothing. John says, that means a lot, and Scotty says, so did Karen. Both of them never were looking for things to be handed to them. They struggled. That’s what he calls true grit. John says, they were so young. He often wonders what would have happened had they met later in life. Scotty says, people grow up and then they just grow apart, and John says, but the love that started it all, that was real. Scotty says, people change. Everything changes. So, has he seen Corinthos? John says he has, and Scotty says, tell him that’s why he’s here, to take that criminal down.

Donna asks if Sonny wants to watch her climb, and he says, of course (🍷) he does. But before she goes – he points to his cheek – right here. She kisses him, tells him that she loves him, and runs off. He says he loves her too, and Carly says, be careful. As Donna plays, Sonny asks, how’s Josslyn? and Carly says, devastated, heartbroken, desperate to have Dex back. Sonny says he’s sorry. His back was against the wall. He had no choice. Carly says she knows he’s not here just for Donna. What’s going on?

Josslyn approaches a sketchy stranger, and says, sorry to bother him. She was wondering if he could help her. She’s looking for somebody. Has he seen this man? She shows him a photo of Dex in a tux, and he says, nope. She asks if he can look again. Maybe he had a beard or was wearing a hat or something. The man looks again, but says, sorry, handing her back her phone. She thanks him and asks if he knows where someone new to town would look for work. The man laughs and says, good luck with that. There’s not enough jobs for the people who live here now. His bet is, her friend moved on. He leaves, and Josslyn takes Dex’s dog tags out of her bag. Dex peeks at her from the shadows.

Josslyn is about to leave, when Dex says, Joss. She says, oh my God. Dex. They hug and he kisses her. He asks what she’s doing here, and she says she had to find him. He says, someone could see them. They have to go. He takes her hand and leads her away.

Chase says he feels great about the wedding, and Finn says, it’s okay to have cold feet. Chase says, his feet are perfectly warm, and Finn asks if they’re sweaty. Does he have sweaty feet? Chase says, warm, not sweaty, but Finn says, if they’re warm, one might assume they’re sweaty, and Chase says, he’s impossible. Gregory comes in and asks what all the fuss is, and Finn says, Chase has got sweaty feet. Chase says, ignore him, and Finn says, Chase also asked him to be his best man and he accepted. Chase says, in the most roundabout way, but yeah, and Gregory says, his sons supporting each other. He loves to see it. Finn says he might need a little help with the toast, and Gregory says, happy to help. So what’s this about sweaty feet? Finn says, there’s a slight smell but he’s also detecting a little nervousness from his brother. Gregory says, about the wedding? He’d be worried if Chase wasn’t feeling anxious. Chase says he’s not anxious, but thanks Finn for that. Finn says he’s there for Chase. He’s welcome. Gregory says, weddings can be joyous occasions, but they can also be very stressful with all the planning. Not to mention, Chase is about to make the biggest commitment of his life. Chase says, it’s a commitment he can’t wait for. Okay, fine. There was a little anxiety in the run up to the proposal. It was hard for him to get past the fact that Brook was keeping things from him, but they’re in a great place now. A phenomenal place actually. Gregory says he couldn’t be happier for them both.

Maxie asks, so how did Lois end up with Lila’s dress? and Lois says she was planning on wearing her own mother’s dress… Brook says, but it got eaten by squirrels. Maxie says, no way, and Lois says, hand to God. Gloria is going up to the attic to get it down, so she can get it cleaned before they get it altered. It was a squirrel’s nest, nothing but scraps of fabric left. Tracy says, only in Brooklyn, and Lois says, if they ever talk to Gloria, don’t say a word. To this day, it still pains her, the loss of that dress. Brook says, another thing she would never tell Grandma Gloria is, as much as she loved that dress, she thinks those squirrels did her a favor. Lois definitely traded up, getting to wear Lila’s dress. Lois says, ain’t it the truth? But she didn’t know that at the time. There she was, about to walk down the aisle with nothing to wear. She was this close to calling off the wedding. Then Tracy’s mother came to her rescue. Brook says, an angel sent from heaven, and we flash back to Lila telling Lois, in that box is the dress from when she married Edward. She’d hoped Tracy would wear it, but it wasn’t boutre enough for her. So it became her desire to pass it on to her granddaughter and that’s Lois. Baby Lois says, Lila wants her to wear her wedding dress? and Lila says, if she likes it. Go on, take a peek. Brook says she loves that story, and Lois says, her too. Brook asks why Tracy didn’t wear great-grandmother‘s dress, and Tracy says, the dress was definitely of that period. It was the late 30s, early 40s, and when she got married, the first time, it was way out of style. Her mother asked her to try it on, which she did, but the color and those big, puffy sleeves, she felt like she was wearing a costume. Lois says, she didn’t tell Lila that, did she? and Tracy says she didn’t, but mother was perceptive and knew the dress wasn’t for her. So she said it was Tracy’s wedding and she should have the dress that she wanted, so that dress went back in the box until she lent it to Lois. Lois asks, where’s the dress now? and Tracy says, in storage she assumes… somewhere. Are they going to keep discussing weddings from the past when they should be looking for a dress for Brook to wear for her wedding to come?

Dante says, if this is going to be about dad, he doesn’t want to get involved, but Michael says he wants to make things right with him. Dante says he knows, and he wants to help Michael, but Sonny’s pretty pissed off right now. He tried to get Sonny to forgive Michael. Michael says, let him guess. He wasn’t having any of it? Dante says, it’s too soon. Michael has to give him some space. Michael says, in an ideal world, he would, but who does Sonny have left? He’s not the only one Sonny pushed away. Dante says, no, but Michael’s the one who hired Dex to be a spy, and Michael says, at first, he did, but he didn’t go through with it. Whatever Dex found to incriminate dad, he didn’t use it. He changed Dex’s assignment. He was there to protect dad and let him know if dad got in over his head. Dante says, there you go. Michael hurt his pride. Michael says, exactly. That’s the exact reason dad is lashing out, because he and mom thought he was vulnerable. They dared to try and protect him. But they were right, and Dex is gone. Sonny has already shut Michael and his mom out. Who does he have? Brick is great, sure, but he’s not based in Port Charles. Nina’s a liar and their marriage is practically over, and who’s left? Ava? Would Dante take her advice on anything? Dante says he gets that Michael thinks dad’s allies are dwindling, but Sonny has him. Michael says he’s grateful Dante is willing to look out for him, and Dante says, of course (🍷) he is. He’s his son. Michael says, but he’s also a cop, and they both know dad will never let him in, not fully. That makes him vulnerable.

Carly says she knows things aren’t great between them, and Sonny says, that’s an understatement. She says, something’s wrong. She can tell. He says he used to believe under any circumstance she would understand and have his back, but that was before she and Michael paid off Dex to spy on him. She says she told him why they did it, but he says he didn’t quite buy it then and it feels like betrayal. She asks if he’s kidding. She’s had many, many opportunities to betray him over the years, the latest being when Nina turned her in to the SEC. She could have made a deal and given them information, but she’d never ever do that to him. He says, this is family. She violated his trust after everything they’ve been through. Like he said, he just never thought she would do that, that’s all. She says, whatever. He’s going to believe whatever he believes. They watch Donna climbing, and Sonny says, look at her on that thing. Carly says, she’s fearless, and he says, just like her. She says, don’t do that, and he says, what? She says, when he says fearless, he means a risk taker. She gets it from both of them. He says, maybe, and she says she’s worried about him. He says, contrary to popular belief, he can take care of himself, and she says, Olivia Jerome is dead and she doesn’t want to think about who’s next.

At a surprisingly nice hotel room, Josslyn says, this is where Dex has been staying? and he says he’s got to keep a low profile. Gabe made it very clear when he dropped him off that he’s not out of the woods yet. She says, why? He said Sonny might still change his mind? and Dex tells her that Gabe said he needed to lay low and not make himself a target. She says, he must be so lonely, but he says he has some books to pass the time. (If I was Dex, I’d be on my own private island, sipping umbrella drinks.) He asks how she found him, and she says she traced Gabe’s number. She saw that he was in Rockland for a couple of hours, so she figured this is where he brought Dex. He says, and she thought it would be a good idea to come look for him? Flashing his picture around, asking questions? She asks, what else she was supposed to do? and he says, stay away. She was supposed to let him go.

Sitting on the smallest bench ever, Sonny asks what Carly heard, and she says she heard the attempts on his life were part of a larger conspiracy. She knows he can’t tell her everything, but she’s worried. He says, she shouldn’t be, and she asks if he’s sure about that. They share children. He says, she knows he does the best he can to protect his kids. He always does. She says she knows the FBI is involved, because she now has a regular at Bobbie’s, and Sonny knows him very well. He’s now a Fed. He says, so she’s met Agent Cates. That son of a bitch. He gets up.

Scotty says, the last time John was here, Corinthos was a small-time hood, and John says he remembers. Scotty says, a couple of seedy businesses. He lived over his own strip club. Now he’s living in a penthouse, and he walks around like he’s the mayor. John asks why Scotty hasn’t done something about it. Wasn’t he the DA for a while? (He was? I missed that.) Scotty says he was and he tried many times, but Sonny is very slippery. He’s convinced people he’s a good guy instead of who he really is. John says, Karen was so smart. Smarter than him. Scotty says, she was, and John says, that’s why it’s always driven him crazy that Sonny was able to get to her the way he was. Scotty says, you and me both, and John says, he made her believe that she needed him, like without him, she’d cease to exist. (Seriously, I remember none of this.) And he put her to work as a stripper, convincing her that it was something she chose. Sonny figured out where Karen was vulnerable, and he exploited her. Scotty says, she’s dead, so make him pay. Take him out.

Lois tells Brook that they’re ready, and Maxie says she’s so excited. Tracy says, her too, and Brook comes out. (Love the long sleeves, but that’s about all I love. No, just no.) Brook asks what they think, and Lois says, she should try on all the other dresses, but sometimes lightning strikes and you just knock it out of the park on the very first try. (Are we seeing two different dresses?) Brook says, she likes it that much? and Lois says, yeah. She likes it, but she’s not the one getting married. Brook looks in the mirror, and Lois asks if she can see herself walking down the aisle in this dress, saying her vows to Chase, and dancing with her father at the wedding. Tracy says, it depends on what kind of dance. Is it a waltz or a polka or what was that – she does hand motions – Y-M-C-A? Brook says, all three of course (🍷) and maybe a little line dancing too, and Tracy asks if she can line dance in that. Brook dances a little and says, probably. Maxie is the wedding planner, so what is her professional assessment? Maxie says, Wedding Planning 101, never give your opinion on a prospective wedding dress, but her mom is right, she needs to feel beautiful. So does she? Brook says, she does, and looks in the mirror again. She likes it. It’s definitely a maybe. Lois asks if Brook loves Chase, and Brook says, of course (🍷) she loves Chase. What kind of question is that? Lois asks if she intends to be with him until death do they part, and Brook says, of course (🍷) she intends… How did this go from trying on wedding dresses to Lois questioning her commitment to Chase? Lois says she’s not questioning Brook’s commitment to Chase, she’s merely pointing out that, if everything goes according to plan, this is going to be Brook’s one and only wedding, and her one and only wedding dress. Unless of course (🍷) when she has her 25th wedding anniversary vow renewal, they’ll find something else. Tracy says, good grief. Could they just get her married first, and at her 25th anniversary, they’ll take care of it then? Maxie says, but Lois is right. This isn’t like picking a dress for the Nurses Ball. One year, you pick something good enough, the next year, you end up in something spectacular. This is like going to the Academy Awards. Not just taking pictures on the step and repeat, this is the equivalent of holding the gold statue. Brook is going to see photos of herself in this dress for the rest of her life. She has to feel beautiful in whatever she chooses. Brook says, not all of us can have perfection handed to them. Some of us just have to accept what’s available and move on. She flounces out.

Finn says, what Chase and Brook have is truly aspirational. No one deserves it more. Chase thanks him, and Gregory says, quite the winding road to get here, wasn’t it? Chase says, worth every step. He found a true partner in Brook. Gregory says, it shows, and Chase says, she gets him. She knows how he’s going to feel about something before he does, and God, does she make him laugh. Gregory says, it’s probably the most important ingredient in a marriage – laughter, and Finn says he couldn’t live without it. Chase says he doesn’t know how else to describe it. They’re safe with each other. They’re in step together. He doesn’t have to wait for the other shoe to drop because he knows it’s not going to. Brook is his best friend, and he trusts her more than anybody. Chase’s phone dings, and Finn says, speak of the devil… He means, angel. Chase frowns at the phone, and Finn says, what’s with the long face? Chase says, it’s from the Quartermaine lawyers. Brook wants him to sign a prenup.

Brook looks at Lois and Ned’s wedding photos on her phone and sighs.

Lois says she didn’t mean to upset Brook, but Maxie says, Lois didn’t. She did. Her Academy Award metaphor was a huge fail. Lois says, she’s the one who put Brook on the spot. She just wanted Brook to understand how important her wedding dress is. Maxie says she can understand why Brook is frazzled. She’s been putting in a lot of hours at Deception and things have been crazy. Tracy says, that’s why they call it work, and Lois says, stop running Brook ragged. Tracy says, if anything is running Brook ragged, it’s this, trying to pull together a wedding so quickly. She can definitely understand why, but she thinks Brook is smart to be realistic about her wedding dress. She doesn’t have time for perfect. She needs to content herself with good enough. Lois says, good enough? On her wedding day? Tracy says, yes, and Lois says, this is so sad. Trying on wedding dresses is supposed to be a happy occasion. Maxie says, it is. Or it will be. Lois asks, how? and Maxie says she hasn’t figured that out yet. Brook comes back, and Lois says she’s so sorry. She didn’t… Brook says, it’s time she was honest about her feelings, and Lois says, about the dress? Brook says, about the wedding itself.

Chase looks at his phone and says, how long is this thing? Gregory says, he’d take a look, but he can’t read it on there, and Finn asks if the phone is connected to his printer. Chase says, yeah, and Finn says, print it out and he’ll get it. He leaves, and Chase says he can’t believe this is happening, but Gregory says, don’t jump to conclusions. Chase says he’s not jumping to anything. It’s right here in black and white. Literally. Gregory says, prenuptial agreements are very common these days, especially when both parties bring assets to the marriage, and Chase says, Brook is just bringing a few more than he is. Gregory says, still, he’s sure the document is meant to protect them both, and Chase tells him, it says something here about a termination event. That’s code for divorce, right? Finn yells, or annulment, and Chase says, this is just great. Right when they’re preparing for their wedding, Brook’s already planning a way out.

Dante says, Michael is right. Dad’s circle of trust is shrinking. But whether or not Michael thinks Sonny is going to let him in or not, he’s still going to protect him. Michael says, Dante knows that’s not going to be enough. That’s no reflection on him, but Dante is bound by the PCPD’s code, and whoever is targeting dad is playing by a completely different rule book. Again, that makes him vulnerable. Dex made him less so, but he’s gone now. Dante says, so Dex is gone. What’s done is done. Trust him. Michael says, okay. Any progress on the case? Dante says, a little bit. They’re just trying to make some headway on the Olivia Jerome killing. Michael asks how Olivia Jerome’s killing is connected to Sonny.

Carly says, John came into Bobbie’s a couple of times, but the first time, she didn’t know who he was, and Sonny says, but he would talk to her. She says, he was very friendly, and Sonny asks what he said. She says, just what she told him, that the attempts to kill Sonny were part of a larger conspiracy and also related to the killing of Olivia Jerome. He asks if Agent Cates told her that they have a history together, and she says, yeah. He also said Sonny belongs behind bars. Sonny says he can’t believe John even has the nerve to talk to her. He’s a punk with a badge who has an ax to grind who thinks he’s just doing his job. She says, which is? and Sonny says, to protect him. Carly says, so he doesn’t trust John, and he says he doesn’t trust anybody at this point, but he knows the truth about Agent Cates.

John says, nobody wants to go after Sonny Corinthos more than he does, but he can’t, and Scotty asks, why not? John says, because he’s been tasked with saving Sonny’s life, and Scotty says, John is telling him that he’s here to protect Sonny? John says he can’t share the details because it has to do with a case he’s working on, but the bottom line is, Sonny’s in danger and he’s supposed to find the person who’s after him. Scotty says, so John is going to forgive him for what he did to Karen? and John says he’ll never forgive, but he has a duty to uphold. Scotty says, come on. Just look the other way. Let nature run its course. Sonny is gonna go bye-bye. It’s inevitable. So why not let this be the time now? John says, because he’s not that kind of agent, or man, and Scotty says he sees. So John doesn’t think Sonny should get what he deserves.

Josslyn says she went to Dex’s apartment, and he was gone, but Sonny was there, and he gave her Dex’s letter. She would have thrown it in his face, but it was too precious. She hates Sonny. She hates the way he treated Dex. He forced Dex to leave and expects her to be grateful that Dex is still breathing, and she didn’t even get to say goodbye to him. Dex says he hated leaving her, and she says she missed him so much. He says he missed her too. She has no idea. She says, then show her, and they kiss, moving quickly on to getting busy.

Basking in the afterglow, Dex says he missed them. She says, so has she, so much, and he says he must think about her every five minutes. Who she’s with, what she’s doing. She says she’s been looking for him. She finally found him. He kisses her, and she says, it’s really going to be complicated. He says, what is? and she says, going back to Port Charles. But Sonny’s just going to have to accept there’s no keeping them apart.

Carly says, the truth about John Cates, what does that mean? and Sonny says he’d love to be able to tell her the truth, but because of what went down with Dex, he thinks he’s not going to. She says, if John comes by the restaurant again, she’ll let him know, and he thanks her. She says she doubts he will though, because she made it clear where her loyalties lie. He starts to leave, and she asks if he doesn’t want to say goodbye to Donna. He looks at Donna, playing on a rocking horse, and says, she’s having too much fun. Just tell her that he loves her. She says, okay, and he says, bye. She says, bye, and he leaves. She shakes her head.

Finn says, it could be Brook’s family is pressuring her. Brook could want nothing to do with a prenup. He hands the papers to Gregory, and Chase says, maybe. Gregory asks if Brook hasn’t been spending a lot of time with Tracy at Deception, and Finn says, a prenup is very on brand for Tracy. Gregory says, not out of malice, but out of a desire to protect her family, and Chase says, now that he thinks about it, when he and Brook told Tracy that they were engaged, one of the first things she said was, they should sign a prenup. But Brook wasn’t having it then. Maybe Tracy changed her mind. Gregory says, why speculate? Call his fiancé. Chase says he needs to talk to her face to face, and Gregory says, let’s go, but Chase says, Brook’s trying on wedding dresses this afternoon. Finn says he doesn’t think Brook would want Chase to stew on this, and Gregory says, she’d want it out in the open. Chase says he’s right, and Finn Chase and Gregory, good luck. Violet’s going to be home any minute and he needs to be here for her. Chase and Gregory leave, and I wonder why it takes more than Chase to do this. And really? Crashing the wedding dress try-on?

Lois tells Brook, talk to them, and Maxie says, planning a wedding can be stressful. Nobody knows that better than she does. It’s okay to have big feelings about it. Lois says, they just want her to be happy, and Tracy says, her mother is right. She can’t believe she just said that. Brook says she is happy, and Lois says, really? Because she doesn’t seem like it right now. Brook says she can’t wait to marry Chase. To become his wife is literally her dream come true. Lois says, but… and Brook says, but she can’t help but wish they could just run away and elope. Tracy says, God forbid, and Lois says, she’s kidding. If Brook and Chase want to elope, they’re going to elope. Is that what Brook wants? Brook says, no, and Lois says she didn’t think so. Brook says she can’t wait to say their vows to each other in front of both of their families. For Gregory to officiate and Violet to be their flower girl. And dance with her father at their wedding reception, including the YMCA. She just doesn’t want to agonize over the dress and all the other wedding details. Tracy looks at her phone and says, uh-oh. Brook asks, what’s wrong? and Tracy says, there’s been an error. One Brook unfortunately might have to pay for.

Brook says, a prenup? How could she? Tracy says, the lawyers sent it to Chase in error. They were supposed to wait until after she and Brook had a chance to review it. Brook says, Tracy reviewing her prenup to Chase? Wouldn’t she be the one to review it if she even wanted one, which she doesn’t? Tracy says, please don’t be naïve about this, and Lois says, Tracy can just butt out. Tracy says, I beg your pardon? and Lois says, Tracy heard her. Whether Brook and Chase want or don’t want a prenup is completely up to them. Tracy said she was throwing this wedding for Brook, which means that her only job is to smile and sign the checks, and not run around trying to control things that are none of her business. Tracy says, Brook is her granddaughter. Safeguarding Brook’s future is her business. That said, it was sent to Chase prematurely, and she’s sure when Brook explains that to him, he’ll understand. Brook says, understand what? That she thinks he’s after her money? Get her out of this stupid dress. She needs to find him. Maxie says, she’s not going to have to look very far, and Brook turns to see Chase walk in with Gregory. Well, now she can’t get that dress.

John tells Scotty that he’ll do his job, but don’t lose the hope that Sonny will pay for his crimes. He learned a thing or two since he left Port Charles. Scotty says, like what? and John tells him that he said it himself. For people like Sonny, it only ends one way.

Donna runs over to Carly, who asks if she’s having fun. Donna says, yes. Where’s daddy?

Michael holds the heavy bag while Dante punches it. He says he should have realized that Olivia Jerome’s death could be connected to the attempts on dad, and Dante says, they’re going to catch the killer. Michael says, will they though? and Dante asks, what the hell is that supposed to mean? Michael says he just doubts there’s going to be much urgency from the PCPD to protect a gangster. The worst part is dad probably knows that. And that anger and isolation will cause him to lash out. What if he crosses paths with the wrong person? Sonny walks in.

Dex says he thought Josslyn understood. He’s not coming back to Port Charles. And now he’s leaving Rockland as soon as possible. She says, he’s disappearing again? and he says, this is the last time they can be together. This is goodbye… for good.

Tomorrow, Chase tells Brook that there’s a chance they might not make it; Lois asks when Tracy is going to stop interfering in Brook’s life; Josslyn tells Dex that they can beat Sonny, they just have to call his bluff; and Sonny asks someone whose side they’re on.

The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills – Reunion Part 1

Oh Lord. It’s in three parts.

Sutton is accompanied by a French bulldog, putting me immediately on her side about everything. Garcelle waves sage around, and I don’t blame her. Everyone gets their glam on, and Annemarie says it’s been the hardest year of her life. Dorit tells Erika that Kyle claims she exaggerated their friendship, and we see a clip of that. She says she hasn’t heard from Kyle in a couple months, then she got a text trying to silence her. It was manipulative and calculated. Erika reads Kyle’s text saying, the interview comments hurt her feelings. She doesn’t want to lose someone else in her life over a TV show and doesn’t see the need in bringing certain things up. Dorit says, fair is fair. This is the Reunion. Erika says she hears Dorit, knows where she’s coming from, and hates every moment of this. Dorit has to be sewn into her dress and is the last one on stage. Ugh. Her dress has a hood, and she looks like Mary Magdeline in Jesus Christ Superstar.

Andy welcomes us to the Season 13 Reunion, and says, it’s a backyard cocktail party in the Hollywood hills. He asks what Dorit was going for, since her dress is so radically different, and she says, fashion, fashion, fashion. I say, no, no, no. Erika says she’s the happiest she’s been in this situation in two years, and Kyle says she wishes she felt like Erika. Andy says, when Erika was on Watch What Happens Live, she said she’d been eviscerated last year, and would like to see everybody get the same treatment. Kyle says, she saw the headline, and we see something about Erika saying it’s Kyle’s turn. Kyle says her feelings were hurt. She values Erika as a friend, but she thought it was more about Erika than her and didn’t take it personally. Andy asks what Dorit’s reaction was to Kyle’s comments about their friendship, and Dorit says she was hurt when she saw Kyle said she’d exaggerated their friendship. Kyle tells her that she said it in response to what Dorit said throughout the season. She’d asked about Kyle’s marriage on camera when they were supposed to be good friends. We flash back to Dorit asking how things are going, and I’m thinking, so is everyone supposed to watch what they say in regard to Kyle, even in casual conversation? After 13 seasons, I think she knows it’s a reality show. We see a flashback of Dorit saying she feels like she’s been replaced by Morgan, and a clip of Dorit on WWHL, saying, the closer Kyle gets to Morgan, the further Kyle goes from her. Dorit says, Mauricio and PK are best friends, but Kyle says she and Dorit don’t have that kind of friendship. She invited Dorit to workout, but Dorit didn’t have the stamina. Dorit says, Kyle and her friends think a brisk walk is ten miles, and Kyle says, that doesn’t mean Dorit isn’t important to her. Dorit knew by saying something, it would create a problem with the Morgan situation in the media. Dorit says, it had already been in the media, and not because of her. Kyle says, just because she has a friendship with Morgan, that doesn’t mean Dorit isn’t important. She loves Dorit. Dorit says, Kyle is a punisher. When she says something that upsets Kyle, Kyle shuts her out. They haven’t spoken in months. Wow. I guess the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. That’s exactly what Kyle complains about with Kathy. Dorit says, then she gets a text the day before the Reunion. Kyle thinks she’s an idiot. It felt manipulative. She’s not trying to destroy Kyle. Kyle says, it wasn’t meant as manipulative, and I guess Andy wants to move on, because he tells them that he knows they love each other, and he thinks there’s a resolution in the future.

Andy says, Garcelle had a balancing act between movie premieres and teaching her boys to become young men. And she had some tough discussions with her friends. We flip through Garcelle’s season, and Andy congratulates her on her ASTRA Award and NAACP nomination. Garcelle says, the reason she took the reality job was that she needed to be home. Films were taking her away too much. Andy says, on the after-show, Garcelle said she wishes Mike had told the boys about his infidelity, and Garcelle says, he never talked to them. (Coward!) That’s why she takes on so much responsibility for talking about sex and feelings. If they don’t get it from her, they won’t get it anywhere else. He says, there was tension between Garcelle and Dorit, when Garcelle said she couldn’t trust the group with her kids. Dorit says, it hurt her feelings, and Garcelle says, it hurt for her to see her friends laughing at the situation of a 14 year old being cussed at. We flash back to Dorit, PK, Kyle, and Mauricio finding it a laugh riot. Garcelle says, let’s call it even, and Dorit says, Garcelle seems to be holding a grudge. Garcelle says she felt how she did. She shared her feelings, but Dorit was being defensive and not letting her have her feelings. She told Garcelle that it happened a year ago, so she should be fine. And she’s not singling Dorit out. Dorit says, she felt sad that Garcelle felt that way, and Andy says, Garcelle said she doesn’t believe Dorit is a racist, but she’s an unconscious Karen. Garcelle says, Dorit is unaware. Using the word attack seemed unnecessary. Dorit says, she doesn’t know all the words, but Garcelle should judge on character and intent (again telling her how to feel). She would never deliberately hurt Garcelle, and if Garcelle is hurt, she should tell her. Garcelle says, Dorit was attacked by strangers and knows that’s different. She lived it and it was horrific. Yet Dorit said Garcelle attacked her when she knows what an attack really is.

Annemarie says, Garcelle told Dorit that you don’t call Black women angry and aggressive. At Sutton’s store, when she asked about Sutton’s esophagus, Sutton asked why she was yelling, when she was clearly not yelling. We flash back to that, and Annemarie says, Garcelle was right there and said nothing. I can tell you from personal experience, there are people who will tell you that you’re yelling when you’re just speaking in a firm tone. I do think it’s a controlling move and it pisses me off. Annemarie says she’s a Black woman too, and she was being weaponized. Garcelle says, Annemarie can stand up for herself, and Annemarie says, who stood up for her? Dorit did. Andy tries to talk, but it’s not going to happen. Dorit says, Sutton labeled Annemarie, and Garcelle says, Dorit labeled her as angry. It changes someone’s perception when they meet her. Dorit says, Garcelle said she lives in a bubble, and we flash back to that. Garcelle says, then Dorit went online and said she’s happily living in a bubble. She doubled down. It felt like she’s clueless. Dorit says, in hindsight, it was a mistake, and Garcelle says, why not take it down? but Dorit says, the next one clarified that it was a love bubble. Does Garcelle still believe she was sticking her middle finger up? Garcelle says, that’s how she perceived it, and Dorit asks if Garcelle thinks that was her intention. Garcelle says, yes, and Andy says, it was cut and run. Dorit says she wanted to clarify it. It was a big accusation. Garcelle says, so was the word used for her, and Andy says, two things can be true, which we know from General Hospital. One thing he’s learned is that it’s important to listen and say less in situations like this. So where do they go from here? Erika says, on a break because she needs one, and Dorit asks if Garcelle likes her. Garcelle says, sometimes, and Dorit asks if Garcelle has a problem with her. Garcelle says, there’s something, obviously, and Dorit asks if Garcelle wants to have a friendship. Garcelle says she’s not sure, and Andy says he wants to move on and shift to something not so heavy. When it comes to sex talk, the women were not afraid to let their freak flags fly. We flash back down Sex Talk Memory Lane, ending with Erika saying, if Sutton’s d*ck riding is like her bull riding, it’s no wonder she doesn’t get a second date. Sutton says, bull riding is tough. The other riding is easier. Andy says, Coco on X wants to know about the driver Sutton made out with, and Sutton says, it was her personal guy. Andy asks if it was more than once, and she says, maybe. Andy says he wants a driver with benefits, and Sutton says, he’s very good looking. Andy brings up Kyle saying she’d date a woman, and she says she doesn’t know what the future holds. Sutton says, no one would be judgmental or care. They’d be supportive.

Andy introduces Annemarie as a new wife, busy mom, and fitness fanatic, whose husband says she’s an 8.5 at everything, which is a solid B. The questioning of her job title and Sutton’s esophagus had Crystal calling her a B. We flash back to Annemarie’s season, and it actually looks like she downplays her own career by getting upset by others saying she’s a nurse. Andy tells her, condolences on her mom passing, and we see photos of her. Annemarie says she had a terrible cough, and a tumor was found in her lung. Andy can’t believe this was going on during filming and wonders why she didn’t share. Annemarie says she wanted to compartmentalize, and Andy says he’s going to make a right turn. Annemarie wasted no time in calling things as she saw them. She seemed confident. Annemarie says she speaks her mind and she’s honest with her observations. It’s the only way to get to know people. Andy says, in some viewer’s eyes, Annemarie can do no right, and asks, what’s the hardest part about the negative feedback, and Annemarie says she was an athlete, so she’s used to criticism, but she internalized it. Andy says, there’s no preparing anyone for the criticism that comes with the job. Annemarie says, Crystal was awesome off camera, but as soon as they were on camera, she was different. Andy says, Crystal said Annemarie claimed to be a doctor when they met, and Crystal says, Annemarie said she was an anesthesiologist. She told Annemarie that her sister is one too and has a private practice. Then Annemarie changed it and said she was a nurse anesthetist, and people often get them mixed up. Annemarie says she’ll tell them what really happened. When they first met, Crystal said she was a housewife (it’s unclear whether she meant being on the show or being a homemaker), but Crystal says she’d never talk like that. Annemarie is proven to be liar. She thinks Annemarie intentionally misrepresents herself because people don’t know the difference between an anesthesiologist and a nurse anesthetist. Annemarie then launches into an account of how there are political issues between the two, and says, it’s like a market turf war. Kyle says, because they can do same thing, but at a different price (I’m sure it’s more complicated than that), and Crystal says, Annemarie weaponized (the word of the night) her profession against Sutton, and Andy asks why Sutton’s esophagus bothered Annemarie. Annemarie says, the way it was presented was odd. Now that she’s watching it back and seeing how she behaved and handled situations, she apologizes. She hated watching it and is begging to be brought back. Sutton says she’s not angry about the esophagus thing. It was the talking behind her back and saying she had an eating disorder and was hiding behind an ailment. It was hurtful. Andy says there was a lot of response to it, and thinks Sutton spread awareness. Sutton says, who knew so many people shared her medical issue? and Annemarie says, she’s very sorry and please give her another season. Sutton says, they all make mistakes in this group. She got that one right.

During the break Kyle tells Andy that Crystal met LVP and told Lisa that she’s on the show. Lisa asked if Kyle was still on. I don’t think this is farfetched, and not just because Lisa can do no wrong. She’s said she doesn’t watch the show and she is kinda busy with her own stuff. Andy welcomes us back even though he’s the one who left, and says, when she was first on the show, Crystal was accused of not speaking out, but with Annemarie on the show, she found her voice. We flash back over everything Crystal, then specifically Crystal and Annemarie. We end with Dorit calling Crystal a child bride in her interview, and Andy says, Rob said the reason Crystal is quiet is because she’s preoccupied about how skinny everyone is. Crystal says she’s spent her life uncomfortable in her own skin. She’s constantly looking and comparing. Andy asks, what about Annemarie in the moment pushed her to call Annemarie a bitch? Crystal says, that Annemarie accused her of saying Sutton had an eating disorder. She’d never say that about someone. She suffers daily and has felt like she was crazy. She wonders if Annemarie is ever going apologize, and Annemarie says blah-blah-blah. Okay, I spaced out, but I’m sorry wasn’t in there. Andy moves into Spain and Annemarie’s accusation that Crystal called the women uneducated. Crystal says she probably did say that, but she tells people they have dumbass conversations. Annemarie says, there are instances where Crystal is less than truthful, and Crystal says, don’t throw rocks. Proving that they do have dumbass conversations. Annemarie, who must have taken her leisure time to watch previous seasons, says, Crystal talked about Sutton saying something dark, then said that wasn’t the case. She doesn’t want to be part of the system of lies. (Huh?) Crystal tells her, don’t worry about it, and Andy says, Dorit seemed most offended by the slight about their education. Dorit, who lives in a bubble inside another bubble, says she’s the only one with a degree, but it turns out there’s three of them. Crystal asks if she knows the term child bride is akin to mail order bride for an Asian. She stands by uneducated. Dorit says, Pricilla Presley was called a child bride, and Garcelle says, that’s what she’s talking about. Dorit says, that’s not what she was insinuating, and Crystal says, she was 24 when she got married, had gone to college, and built her coconut water company, that’s now worth $100 million. So to say they were all in college and building businesses when she was getting married at 12 is bullsh*t. Dorit says, that wasn’t her intention. Lesson learned (her phrase of the season). She appreciates it.

Andy says, Beverly Hills OG Kyle showed up this year almost unrecognizable. Tattoos, a fitness regime, no booze, and no people pleasing. We flash back, and Andy says, a big motivation for Kyle’s changes was when she learned her best friend since age 7 committed suicide. He asks where she is in the grieving process, and Kyle says she learned in therapy that she uses disassociation. When something is too painful, she tries not to think about it. There are other days when she can barely move. It depends.  Andy says, last year, Kyle said she was disappointed how Dorit handled the Kathy situation at the Reunion, and we flash back to Dorit trying to explain Kathy to Kyle, and Kyle telling her to butt out. Dorit says, she can say with absolute assurance, she wants nothing more than Kyle and Kathy to be okay. She has a relationship with Kathy that’s independent from her relationship with Kyle and didn’t want to get in the middle. Kyle says, Dorit doesn’t know Kathy the same way, and Dorit says, she and Kathy never spent time together until Kathy was on the show. Kyle says, by the conversations she and Dorit were having, Dorit led her to believe she was disappointed in Kathy’s behavior. Dorit says, when Kyle told her stories she didn’t know from the past. That was the only time she said that. Kyle says, in Aspen too. It feels like people she doesn’t even know are coming after her and are rah-rah about Kathy. She just wants support and thinks Dorit wants to be on the side of the audience. Dorit says she doesn’t follow what the audience says, but Kyle says, Dorit cares more about the audience than her. Dorit says, that’s the most hysterical thing she’s ever heard.

Next time, Dorit says, it’s been a difficult two years; Garcelle says she thought it was strange for the burglar to leave Dorit’s phone at the gate because she asked (it is weird); Dorit says, Garcelle is peddling a false narrative; Sutton says, Kyle was relentlessly mean to her this season; and Kyle says, her family is falling apart. There are things she could have said, but didn’t.

⚖️ Watching What Happens…

Again, flabbergasted that the lawsuit I was sure was coming, is against Andy personally. I guess he just got too big for his jock. Brandi can kiss my backside, but Leah’s story has the ring of truth.

https://people.com/leah-mcsweeney-sues-andy-cohen-bravo-discrimination-culture-drugs-alcohol-8601411

🦔 Raining Cats and Hedgehogs…

Join me tomorrow for soap and a mix of entertainment knowledge. Until then, stay safe, stay shielding your lemon when squeezing, and stay remembering that laughter is the most important ingredient in a marriage, or any relationship really.  

February 27, 2023 – Nina Pleads With Sonny, Worm With a Mustache Goes To Tahoe & Girl

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Sonny tells Nina, let’s not waste each other’s time standing around. If she has something to say to him, say it. She says she’s sorry, but she’s startled. She’s heard him use that tone of voice with other people, but never dreamed he’d use it with her. He wonders what she was expecting, and she says she wanted a conversation. She doesn’t want to waste any more time than they already have. They’ve wasted enough time being apart. He says, okay. This is her chance. Stop stalling. Get to where she needs to get. She says she misses him, and she’s done missing him.

Blaze says she and Kristina are more than friends, and Natalia asks what that even means, more than friends. Blaze says, she knows what that means. Don’t pretend… Natalia says she doesn’t have to pretend. Blaze has said barely anything since she got here, and she’s completely lost. Blaze tells her that she’s saying Kristina didn’t stay over because they had some girl’s night that went late. (Well…) Kristina isn’t a friend. She’s Blaze’s girlfriend.

Spinelli says, it’s an auspicious day when two co-parents such as themselves share a house, then share a kiss, and Maxie says, it’s a first for her. He says he has no precedent either, so what now? and she says, they could just pretend the kiss never happened. He asks if the kiss wasn’t to her liking, but she says, it was fine. He says, fine? Fine is akin to nice, linguistically speaking, and neither indicate a great review. She says, it was better than fine. It was better than nice. It was definitely a good kiss. He says, it was very good for him as well, and Maxie says, great. Now that they’ve got that worked out, let’s just go back to the way things were. Spinelli asks if she wants to put the genie back in the bottle, and she says, why not? He says he’s afraid it would be impossible, and she asks, why is that? Please no lectures on the metaphysical properties of genies and why they can and can’t be put back in bottles, because I’m sure there are laws governing the genie universe, but they don’t apply to us. He says, us? Did she just say us? She says, us as in us. Just standing here. It’s only a word. He says, but it means more, and she says, since when? He says, since he thinks he’s falling back in love with her.

Carly asks, so how was Drew’s day? and he says he and the heavy bag spent some quality time together. How was her day? She says, not so great, and he says he hates the way this feels between them, but he’s at a loss. Can they find their way forward or is it the end for them? It’s a good thing she kept her day job, now that she’s printed her first and last issue of Crimson. She comes around the counter and tells him that she may have said some things she didn’t mean at the office. He says he knows he did. He missed her last night. She says she missed him too. She’s been missing him for a while now. He says he’s not the same since prison. He’s been hearing that a lot lately. If she’s looking for the man he used to be, he’s gone, for good.

Sonny says, if he wasn’t willing to listen, he would have been gone by now, and Nina says, it’s funny, because she came here to ask Ava to orchestrate some way for them to be alone together. Lo and behold, he shows up, so no orchestration needed. He asks if she and Ava were talking about him, and she says, of course (🍷) they do, because they’re friends and Ava’s currently staying with him. Ava doesn’t tell her a whole lot, but Ava did tell her that he was almost killed in Puerto Rico. She can’t stand the thought of him being struck down by some unknown assassin… He says, if she talked to Ava, she knows that nobody got hurt. As she can see, he’s fine. She asks if he knows who’s responsible for this, and where was Dex? He shouldn’t let something like that happen to Sonny. Dex should be protecting him. Sonny says, Dex is not her concern, and she says, Sonny is her concern. Everything about him is her concern. She’s not going to stop worrying and caring about him because he served her with divorce papers. No legal document is going to… She starts to cry, and says, his ring. He says, what about it? and she says, his wedding ring. Where is it?

Blaze asks if Natalia heard what she said, and Natalia says she did. Her hearing is just fine, thank you. She looks around and says, Blaze needs to pick up after herself. She starts cleaning up the room and says, unbelievable. She guesses now that Blaze’s career is taking off, she can just have other people do this for her. It doesn’t matter how big she gets. You need to pick up after you. Discipline, self-respect, courtesy, and hard work; these are all really good habits that matter. (She’s not wrong.) Good habits matter because they serve you your whole life, and you don’t just let them slide like this. She guesses what they say is true. A mother’s work is never done. It’s clearly more than just finances. Blaze says, please stop. She doesn’t need Natalia to pick up after her. She needs Natalia to look at her. Natalia does, and Blaze says, there are a million reasons why she didn’t tell Natalia the truth, but now she has one big reason to tell her everything. The fact that Kristina and I… Natalia says, there is no Kristina and I. There’s you, and there is her, and there is some story, some fantasy that this young lady has been whispering in your ear. Blaze says, Kristina hasn’t done anything like that, and Natalia says she doesn’t know Kristina, but she knows her daughter and she knows her daughter doesn’t have these ridiculous ideas. Blaze says, she only knows parts of her daughter. The parts Blaze lets her see and the parts she lets herself see, but she’s trying to get Natalia to see more. Natalia says, Blaze thinks she doesn’t see her? She brought Blaze into this world. There’s nobody who knows Blaze better than she does. She’s always been there for Blaze. Blaze says she’s not that child anymore. She’s an adult who’s been fending for herself in a very tough industry for years. Natalia says she’s always helped Blaze. She’s always been there. Blaze says, and she’s grateful, and kisses Natalia’s hand. But she also knows who she is. And now, she needs Natalia to know too.

Maxie says, Spinelli thinks he’s in love with her. Huh. Well, when he’s sure, shoot her an email. He says, there’s no need to involve the internet. He is in love with her. He’s always been in love with her. She says, let’s not rewrite history here. There have been long periods of time – she’s talking like, years – where Spinelli was not in love with her. He says he may not have always expressed it, and she asks why he’s expressing it now. He says he wishes he was more articulate, for both of their sakes, but please, bear with him. Hear him out, okay? She says, okay, and he says, it’s true, for years he sublimated his feelings, but they’ve returned and they’re stronger than ever. He’s been trying to fight this since last Christmas. She says, he’s had these feelings this entire time? and he says, living in this house, together but separately, if she knows what he… He can’t explain it, but his feelings have overwhelmed him and it just kind of happened. One day, they were co-parents, and the next… She knows, doesn’t she? Last night, he said it using someone else’s words, someone else’s lyrics in a song, but he’s saying it again as him right now. Does she have anything to say in return?

Drew says he doesn’t have a firm grasp on the old Drew or the man he is now for that matter, and Carly says, Drew Cain is good, and kind, and funny, and sweet, and so decent. He’s the man she fell for. He says, he sounds interesting, and she says she’d like to spend the rest of her life getting to know him and never scratch the surface and love every minute because she loves him. And she’s not the only one. Scout adores him because he’s such an amazing father, and he risked everything, including his life, to save Willow. And when they were both facing the possibility of going to prison, he stood up and took the blame for everything and it cost him so much. Drew says, there was no other choice, but she says, yes, there was. Lesser men make easy self-serving choices every day, but not him, not ever. He says he feels like there’s a but coming, and she says, it must be so hard to be such a good man and move through the world the way he does. And she loves him so much… but she wants him to put Pentenville and the past behind him.

Sonny asks why Nina is so surprised that ring means something. It’s a symbol of love, fidelity, and trust, and when they’re gone… She says, it’s only gone when they say it’s gone, and it has to be with the same conviction and passion they felt when they put these rings on their fingers. Look. She still has hers right here. She’s never taken it off. He says, that’s her choice. Nothing is going to change anything once they sign the papers. She asks if he really thinks they can put everything that they are on some pieces of paper, and he says, the paper is going to make things easier. It’s going to make the ending easier. She says, this is hard on him too. Okay then. Forget about the damn papers. Forget about the rings. Even forget about the vows they made to each other. The only thing that truly matters is that she loves him, and she knows that he still loves her. He says, it’s not the only thing that matters, and she says she knows. He can blame her all he wants for throwing Carly and Drew under the bus. She reported them to SEC, but he can’t tell her that he doesn’t understand why she did that. On some level deep down, he understands, and does he know why? He says, why? and she says, because they both live by this golden rule, do unto others before they can do unto you. He says, in his case, it’s business; in her case, it’s jealousy. Jealousy almost put Donna’s mother in prison. What about Wiley? What about Amelia? Carly’s as much their grandmother as Nina is. Nina says, and she’s reminded of that over and over again. She made a rash decision. He says, she doesn’t want Carly happy, plain and simple. It didn’t matter who went to prison, Drew or Carly. As long as Carly’s miserable, it’s a win-win situation for her. Nina says, he blames her for taking Drew away from Carly, but does he ever blame Carly for taking her daughters away from her? Daughters, plural, Nelle and Willow. It seems like she’s the only one ever outraged by that. He says, she can come up with a million excuses why she did what she did, and yeah, he can be ruthless when he has to be, but she’s reckless and petty, and that’s unforgiveable.

Spinelli tells Maxie, forget about Sonny. Not forget forget. He’s unforgettable. The man’s a legend. Maxie says she thinks she’s in love with Spinelli too, and he says, what? She says she thinks… no, she’s almost positive, and he says, you love me? Did you hear that world? She loves me! He moves toward her, but she holds him back. He says, no? and she says, but is that enough?

Kirstina says she’s going to go. She thinks Blaze and her mom should talk. Blaze says, please stay. Kristina is a part of her life, and her mother needs to hear it. Natalia says she doesn’t need to hear any more about this. They have more important things to talk about, like Blaze’s finances. Blaze says, at this moment, the most important thing is Kristina and her, and the sooner Natalia accepts that… Natalia asks, what more does she need to accept? When Blaze first came to her and said she wanted to earn a living trying to sing, she was nervous, but she said, okay. Then Blaze said she wanted to go around the world singing, and what did she do? She jumped in, she took care of the books, and made sure all Blaze had to think about was her music. Blaze says, Natalia managed her money and her investments. She doesn’t manage Blaze’s career. Natalia says, no, that is Brook Lynn Quartermaine, and to be honest, she thinks Brook is awfully distracted lately. As is Blaze, if she’s being honest. Blaze says her focus has never been better, and Natalia says, really? Then where is the new song she’s been promising? Because all she’s heard about is Blaze’s friend. Does Blaze think maybe she’s been distracting her? (I notice that Natalia seems to be refusing to use Kristina’s name.) Blaze says, Kristina’s inspired her more than she ever has been, and Natalia asks, where’s the proof of this inspiration? Blaze asks if she’ll stop looking for a song and look at what’s standing right in front of her. Blaze. She’s being more of her true self with Natalia than she ever has been before. Natalia says, okay. She can see Blaze is clearly not in the mood to listen. She thinks that might be good because they really can’t discuss that kind of business in front of her friend. She picks up her things and says, they can just talk about it later, but Blaze says, don’t shut her out. This is hard enough. Natalia says she’s had enough. She doesn’t want to talk about this anymore. She slams the door behind her.

Kristina asks if Blaze is okay, and Blaze says, her mom is right. She’s really a mess sometimes. Kristina says, she’s allowed to be messy, but she’s not a mess. She’s so sorry Natalia can’t see Blaze for who she is, because she’s missing out on an incredible person. Blaze tells Kristina that she wishes she could say she was surprised by what happened, and Kristina says, Natalia didn’t seem surprised when she came in. Blaze says, and one minute later, her head was back in the sand, and Kristina says, so it seems like maybe they’ve been here before? Blaze says, sort of. She’s tried to talk to her mother, but she just bobs and weaves and dodges the subject every time. She could have given Mohammad Ali a run for his money. Kristina says, her denial did seem practiced, and Blaze says, you would have thought the woman in her bed would have made it a little harder for her mother to avoid the subject this time. Kristina says, happy to help, and Blaze says, the confusing part is, so many of her friends and colleagues are gay. Kristina says, really? and Blaze says, yes, and she doesn’t have any issue with them. None. But when it comes to Blaze, her own daughter… Kristina says, maybe it’s because Blaze is her daughter. She cares about Blaze and worries about her more than she would about someone who was just a friend. Blaze says she wishes they could talk about it like normal people. This is hard enough climbing over the walls she puts up. Her family means everything to her, and she’s always tried to be a good daughter, the kind of person her mom would be proud of. Now Natalia won’t even look at her even though she’s the same person she always has been. Kristina says, it should not be this hard. There are actual problems in the world. Blaze says she guesses for her mom, she’s one of them.

Spinelli tells Maxie that he must confess he’s confounded. How can true love not be enough? True love is everything. Maxie tells him that it sounds great when he says it, but they both know true love didn’t keep them together before. And it’s so easy to look into the past and think the sky was bluer, the grass was greener, there’s no problem they couldn’t solve. He says, that scenario only exists in video games and not very interesting ones at that. They’re talking about them. She says, no. They’re talking about nostalgia. And that’s exactly what she told Sasha when… He says, she discussed this with Sasha? Cody didn’t mention that. She says, he talked about this with Cody, and he says, it may have come up. She says, and? and he says, Cody urged him to – and he quotes – go for it. What did Sasha say? Maxie tells him that she pretty much said the same thing, and he says he fails to see the problem. Everyone is saying the same thing. They were meant to be together. She says, maybe he’s right. They did have a hand in this when the pipes in his apartment burst and he had to come live with them, so who is she to argue with fate? He takes her hand and says, fate had nothing to do with his pipes. She takes her hand away and asks what he said, and he says, his pipes are fine. He moved in to help her.

Drew tells Carly, believe him. He wants to put Pentenville behind him too, but he doesn’t know how that’s even possible because he can’t ignore what Nina did to him. She says, he has every right to hate Nina. She hates Nina too, but she doesn’t have the bandwidth to care about her. She’s not worth it. But he is, and she cares so much about him. She cares about them. He says he cares about them too, and she says she told him before, she doesn’t know how this relationship works if he can’t let go. He says, has she? He means really. Because he doesn’t remember twisting her arm to get her to take over for Nina at Crimson. She asks what he’s talking about. She only took that job because he asked her to. She did it for him. He says, but admit it. She enjoyed seeing Nina lose something she loved. She says, oh my God. She freely admits she loved taking over something Nina loved and making it better, but it didn’t stop there for him. He kept finding ways to get back at Nina, and that’s when she knew she couldn’t stay at Crimson. This place was named in honor of a woman who gave as good as she got. She knew not to chase revenge. Her mom never gave in to her worst impulses; she rose above them. That’s what she’s trying to do. Underneath all the wrongs that Nina has piled on top of him, she knows that Drew Cain – she puts her hand on his chest – is in here. She sees it and she needs him to see it and she needs him to own it. Or else… He says, or else what? and she says, or else Nina wins.

Nina tells Sonny, petty and reckless. She’s been called worse. She never claimed she was a saint. When their paths crossed in Nixon Falls, she did try to call Carly, but Carly didn’t want to hear anything from her. She supposes she could have called Carly back… He says, but she didn’t because she hated Carly so much, and she says, that’s true at first, but then something changed. Something she never expected. She fell in love with him. He’s so certain she’s motivated by jealousy and envy. He says he only knows what he sees, and she says, he’s not seeing the whole picture. Because she’s motivated by something a hell of a lot stronger than jealousy and hate. She’s motivated by the same thing he felt when he forgave her after they got back from Nixon Falls and he realized she knew who Mike was all along. And that motivation is love – their love. He says he’s not going to deny that, and she says, he can’t deny it because it’s true. He felt the kind of love he’s never had before. He never had this with Carly or with anybody else. She’s never had that kind of love. So in spite of everything that’s happened, she dares him to tell her right now that he doesn’t still love her.

Kristina says she and her mom got to a better place, and she thinks with time, Blaze and her mom will also… eventually. Blaze says she’s not holding her breath. Kristina’s already had her coming out. It’s not fair for her to ask Kristina to come along for her ride. Kristina asks if that’s it, or is Blaze sorry she called Kristina her girlfriend?

Sonny says he hasn’t stopped loving Nina, not for a second. That’s why it felt like a knife in his back when she betrayed him. Because he forgave her in Nixon Falls, then she lied to him again. She says, what happened in Nixon Falls was terrible. She should have never kept him from his family. But what she’s saying is, sometimes something beautiful can come from even the worst mistakes. Without that bad, horrible decision, they never would have found that path to getting married, to building a life together. He says he’s not going to play the what if game, and she says she’s not asking him to. She just wants him to consider this, that maybe something beautiful can come out of this mistake. What she did to Carly and Drew was wrong and lying to him was wrong, but they can make all those things right again, as long as they’re together.

Drew says, the only way Nina wins is if she splits them up and she almost did when he got sent to Pentenville, and Carly says, but she didn’t because he’s right here. They’re together and these moments belong to them, no one else. He says he wishes he could be as enlightened as she is, and Carly says, don’t let her desire to move on fool him. She’s not being noble. It’s self-preservation. Her life is far better when it’s not chained to hating Nina. Quit trying to get back at Nina and his life will be better too. He survived that attack in Pentenville. Those animals are still there, behind bars, but he’s here. He’s free. He says, sometimes he feels like he’s still there, on the inside, that he’s far away from her and Scout and everything he loves. She says, his only prison is the one in his head, and he says, but that doesn’t make it feel any less real. She says, he’s going to have to make the choice to let it go. He has to make the first step. (I see the talk with Curtis went in one ear and out the other.)

Spinelli says he’ll admit, a little bird may have told him that Maxie was having financial issues, and she asks if this little bird looked like her mother. He says he wanted to help, so he offered to rent a room here in her home, and she asks, who told him? She’s pretty sure they didn’t discuss it. He says, what matters is true love. Let’s get back to that. She says, let her see if she has this right. His response to her momentary financial setback was to hatch a plan with her mom to bail her out of her own problem behind her back, because they don’t think she can take care of herself and her kids. True love has nothing to do with this. (Actually, it kinda does.)

Spinelli echoes me and says, actually, it did. He was motivated by his love for her. She says, that’s exactly what Peter used to say to her. And Austin. They would use their love for her as a reason to justify lying, but she doesn’t really care what the reason is. Lying has nothing to do with love. At least not the kind of love she wants. (Just putting it out there. If anyone wants to lie in order to pay my bills, go for it.) He says his falsehoods are hardly of the same degree. He didn’t mean to… She says, even if he hadn’t just compared himself to that murderous psycho… He says he did not. Nor would he ever compare himself to him. During her whole lamentable time with that man, he begged her, he fought with her, he did everything in his power to try and warn her away from him. She says, he’s right. He did and she didn’t listen. So now she’s not capable of solving her own problems? He says, of course (🍷) she’s capable, and she says, but he lied to her. He moved in with her under false pretenses. He of all people should know, there are no degrees to trust. And she has to be able to fully trust the person she gives her heart to. He says he does know that, but she should also know, his heart hurts to see her in distress. He only wanted to help. He’s sorry. She says she’s sure he’s sorry, and he says, things came out okay, right? Living here together, watching the kids, rolling their eyes behind their backs, they experienced that old, familiar feeling, right? She says, that old, familiar feeling? As in the wild and crazy Maxie that he constantly had to bail out? That wild and crazy Maxie grew up, and she knows how to take care of herself and her kids. But he still sees her as someone so irresponsible, he has to bail them out. He says, yes… He means, no. She is still as exciting and unpredictable as ever. Living here has afforded him the opportunity to see the new and improved Maximista, and she is even more attractive, more alluring, and… She says, helpless? Is this because she hasn’t been at the top of her game at Deception? Because she’s got to tell him, that’s about to change. And you know what? He can go tell her mother that she doesn’t need his help with any of her financial issues. In fact, better yet, she’s going to tell her. He swears by the old gods and the new (ha-ha! Game of Thrones reference), that they do not see her as helpless. He just wanted to make her life a little bit better, and he’d still like to do that, given the chance. She says, he wants to make her life better? She has something he can do. He says, name it, and she says, pack your bags and get out. (They’re so cute. Why is she doing this?)

Drew says he’d do anything to get rid of this rage he feels toward Nina. He’d rip it out of his body if he could, because he knows Carly is right. He knows he should be content with taking Crimson away from Nina, and if that isn’t enough, he knows she threw away any chance she had of being happy when she lied to Sonny about what she did to them. She asks if that’s so hard, and he says, it’s one thing to say it; it’s another thing to live it. Because it’s still in him. He’s not done. He tossed Nina out at Crimson only to watch her land on her feet as The Invader’s new publisher. She says, imagine how Alexis feels, and he says he doesn’t know how she does this. He doesn’t know how she turns the other cheek and moves on with life. He doesn’t know how she makes it look so easy. She tells him, who says any of this has been easy?

Nina says, if Sonny believes there’s even the smallest chance of them being together, she’ll do anything to make that happen. He says he almost believes her, and she says, he should. It’s true. The magic they found in Nixon Falls, falling in love there, doesn’t have to be a distant memory. They can find that again. They can repair all that damage. They can renew their vows and put that ring back on his finger. They can be Mr. and Mrs. Sonny Corinthos. He says, Mr. and Mrs. Sonny Corinthos, and she says, just forgive her.

Carly tells Drew, there’s nothing easy about dealing with Nina. Every time she hears Nina’s name, she can’t stand it. The hair stands up on the back of her neck. He says, at a basic human survival level, she knows Nina just means trouble, and she says, yes, but she’s never going to be anything different. But Carly can be. She’s done letting Nina rule her life. And since losing her mom… Life is short, and she’s not going to waste any more time settling scores. She won’t. He says he won’t take one second of their time together for granted, and she says, he’s not alone in his hatred for Nina. She’ll never forget what Nina did to her and her family. She’ll never believe a word that comes out of Nina’s mouth. If Nina walked in here and said, good morning, she’d be looking for the meteor to hit. He thanks her for saying that because he thought he was alone in realizing how dangerous she really is. Carly says, he’s not alone, but just remember that Nina is her own worst enemy. He says, she does shoot herself in the foot a lot, and she says, every single time. But as long as they’re together, that’s all that matters. He says he likes the sound of that. Any idea how they can make up? She says she has a few ideas, but they can’t do it here. Drew and Carly leave, and Carly locks the door. We see the closed sign. At home, they get busy.

Spinelli says, just like that Maxie wants him to pack up and vacate the premises? and she says, he told her that he wanted to help her and this is what he can do. Don’t let the door hit him on the way out. He says, she doesn’t mean that literally, and she says, as literal as a busted pipe. He asks where he should go, and she says, how about his own home since his pipes aren’t actually busted? And if he’s feeling lonely, hit up his good friend Cody. Maybe there’s an empty stall at the Quartermaines. (Hey, those stalls are nothing to sneeze at.) He says he knows she’s upset, but she has to understand his intentions were pure. He only wanted to help her without her feeling indebted to him. She says she’s feeling furious and played, but not indebted, so job well done. He says, please elaborate, and she tells him, who says she couldn’t have solved her own problems? Who says she couldn’t have done it without him? He says, she can do anything, and she says she knows that. He and his little bird seem to have forgotten. Forget the packing. She’ll forward his things to whatever address he ends up at. He just needs to go. She backs him toward the door, and he says he never meant… She says, he can see Georgie whenever he wants, but as far as they’re concerned, they’re over, before they even started. She opens the door, he walks out, and she closes it. She looks around, runs back out, and calls, Spinelli!

Blaze says she could never be sorry she called Kristina her girlfriend. From the first time they kissed, she knew what she felt for Kristina was real and so strong. She wondered how she’d find the courage to tell her mother, but when the time came, the words just came out. And for the first time in forever, she felt free. Kristina says she hopes Blaze never loses that, and Blaze says she’s not going to let someone take it from her, that’s for sure. Kristina says she thinks they’ve been honest with everything so far, and they just have to continue to be honest with everything with Blaze’s mom. Blaze says, she may never come around. Her past experience with her mother is reason enough to believe that she won’t. Kristina says, she just has to realize how important this is to Blaze, to them, and Blaze says, even though there’s no guarantee she’ll understand. Kristina says, there’s no guarantee anyway. They didn’t get into this because there’s a guaranteed happy ending, did they? Blaze shakes her head, and Kristina says, so they just have to talk to her and try. Blaze says, don’t worry. She will. Kristina says, good. She has to get going to her meeting for the foundation. Blaze says, this isn’t an ending, but she’s already feeling happier with Kristina, and Kristina kisses her. She leaves and they’re both smiling, but their smiles fade when on opposite sides of the door.

Sonny says he’s asked for forgiveness quite a bit for himself in his life, so he can forgive Nina. But he can never forget. What she did in Nixon Falls, keeping the truth from Carly and his family, that was hard to accept. He told himself that she wasn’t getting back at Carly. She was doing it because she was in love with him. She says, that’s true, and he says, but this is different. It’s more difficult because she deliberately set out to punish Carly. Drew wasn’t the target; he was just collateral damage. But she lashed out without caring about the consequences. He picks up his coat and says, now she’s going to have to deal with the consequences. He walks to the exit, and she follows him. She says, that’s not the end of their story, but he keeps walking. She says, he may be willing to walk out on their marriage – she hears the door shut – but she never will.

Tomorrow, Chase tells Finn that he’s seriously reconsidering that decision right now; Scotty asks John if that’s why he’s here; Carly tells Sonny that Olivia Jerome is dead and she doesn’t want to think about who’s next; and Josslyn says, oh my God.

Vanderpump Rules

Katie wants to know if her car smells like weed, but Ariana gives it the all-clear. The Toms go to an outdoor supply place, while James raps about Graham. In his interview, he says he never thought he’d be able to love Graham again, so he let it go. He erased Graham from his life. We see clips of Graham growing up from puppyhood, and James says, their bond was unbreakable. Somehow the universe… He’s back with who he’s meant to be with. He and Ally have discussed getting a dog – we see a clip from 2 weeks ago – but he doesn’t know how she’s going to react to him bringing in his ex’s dog. Ariana and Katie discuss Something About Her in the car, and in Ariana’s interview, she tells us that she doesn’t want to say things are sh*tty at the restaurant, but someone pooped on their patio. They go over the permits needed, and violations found, and in her interview, Ariana says, they wanted to open already, but there’s logistical red tape. She’d ask who she has to blow to get past it, but it’s West Hollywood and they’re all gay. They talk about the glasses they’re inheriting from PUMP, and in Katie’s interview, she says her level of FOMO over the Tahoe trip is zero. She’s not sure Schwartz even thinks it’s a good idea, but he’s such a people pleaser, he doesn’t want to leave out anyone. Ariana tells Katie that she’s not being loyal to people who don’t reciprocate.

James surprises Ally with Graham, and explains he was a foster and not well-behaved. Kitty Banks comes in, and James holds Graham. Ally says, Banks has never met a dog, and James says, Graham just needs the right training. In Ally’s interview, she says she loves cats. They’re independent. But with dogs… When you have a kid, your life changes. She asks if Raquel knows, and he says, no. She says, Raquel is going to want Graham back, but James says, she’s not getting him. Lisa gave Graham to him. In her interview, Ally says, it wasn’t ideal last year having to deal with Raquel. Now her dog is here. She can’t get rid of Raquel. Graham barks at Banks through the patio door, and James says, let them have a moment, but Ally isn’t keen on that idea. Actually, that’s exactly right. You have to supervise, but they need to figure it out for themselves. Separating them just makes it worse. And I’ve actually had zero problems integrating dogs and cats, even when I had the meanest cat in creation.

The Toms’ shopping commences, and they try to find cool stuff. Schwartz asks Sandoval if he knows about Rachel. He got a news item that she’s out of the facility. Sandoval says he knew she was out because when he sent a text, it went blue. That means her phone is back on. We see his text that says, thinking of u. Hope u r doing ok. (Is he 14?) He tells Schwartz that he got no response, and in his interview, he says, once he didn’t hear from her on his birthday, he started to think she was purposely not talking to him. Sandoval tells Schwartz that Raquel’s publicist is sending his calls to voicemail, and Schwartz says, it’s time to start healing and moving on. The trip is a good start. He’s going in with the utmost positivity. Sandoval says he wants to have fun, and in Schwartz’s interview, he says he’s sticking his neck out and the responsibility is on him. He’s hoping the trip is fun and lighthearted. Like White Hot American Summer, not like The Shining. He tells Sandoval that’s he’s going to need to have conversations with people. It’s time to start moving forward.

Brock and Scheana also go shopping, and in Scheana’s interview, she says she’d definitely feeling anxious, leaving Summer. She has mom guilt, and just spending a few days with Sandoval gives her anxiety. She wonders if he’s going to talk to her and if Ariana is going to be upset. These are constant thoughts in her head. Still in the store, she and Brock discuss getting a nanny, and Scheana says, the woman Tori works for just had a baby, so Tori has a newborn to look after. It’s not going to work. In Brock’s interview, he says, all the effort he went through, finally getting an okay from Scheana, and not it falls through. They’re back to square one again. He just wants a consistent nanny. Scheana tries on clothes as they argue, much to the amusement of the clerk, and Brock asks why they can’t get someone outside of their friends and family. Scheana says she’s not just leaving Summer with some nanny. Maybe he’s comfortable hiring a stranger when they go on trips. Brock says, not from day one, but they have to take the steps. Scheana says she only wants her mom if they’re going out of town, and Brock asks, why can no one else do the job? He thinks Scheana is paranoid that her mom doesn’t think she’s a good enough parent. Then her mom doubles down on pointing out that she’s not a good enough parent. Outside, Scheana tells Brock that arguing in the store is weird and to stop talking.

While picking up the dogs, Katie asks Schwartz if Sandoval is going to Tahoe. He says, yes, and she says she’ll be praying for them. James tells Ally that it was too late to add Graham to the plane ticket, but Lisa offered to take him in her private jet. He told Graham, don’t get too drunk on the plane. Ally says she’s nervous to see Sandoval, and James wonders if he hung out with Graham a lot. Lisa takes photos with the Wolf marketing mascot, Oliver, who is, no surprise, a wolf. In Lisa’s interview, she says, there’s nothing shy about her new restaurant. It’s going to be sexy and masculine, the big bad wolf. It’s just what Tahoe needs. Sandoval calls and tells her that Scheana let him sit with them at the airport restaurant, and Lisa says, keep it going with good energy. He has the rest of his life to get his points across. Don’t attack. He tells Schwartz, so far, so good, and Schwartz says, he got a little humanity from the gang. Sandoval starts crying, and Schwartz says, just to get a hello from people who were disgusted by his very essence is a positive. In Sandoval’s interview, he bawls and says, just Scheana saying hi is a hint of acceptance. Schwartz says, it’s a start.

As usual, there are stupendous accommodations for those who don’t deserve them, and by that, I mean the Toms. In Schwartz’s interview, he says, there’s an air of peace. Who knows what’s possible? They might bond on the trip, and the next thing they know, they’re a happy family again… because of him. Sandoval and Brock meet in the kitchen, and Brock asks how Sandoval is doing. Sandoval says he’s living in the moment, and Brock says he thinks it’s hard on the whole group. He wonders how Sandoval is going to have a good, but Sandoval says he’s already feeling better. I’m hoping that changes, since he still doesn’t seem to get it. Brock says, Sandoval put their friendships in a bad position, and as usual, Sandoval has nothing to give but excuses, saying that he and Raquel didn’t do out of malicious intent, but felt things were done to them with specific malicious intent. James tries to drift through invisibly to go outside, but Sandoval thanks him for being nice, and James says he want to keep the vibes positive. He suddenly has to do his hair and can’t leave fast enough. In James’s interview, he says, it’s too soon for Sandoval to try connecting. They’re not cool yet. Brock tells Sandoval that his feelings are valid, but other people were involved. He needs to understand that they’re not the enemy, just very hurt friends. In his interview, Sandoval says, they’re expecting him to grovel and beg forgiveness (well, yeah), but they’re failing to acknowledge how they came after him. They were talking sh*t about him, selling merchandise, and promoting hardcore conspiracy theories on podcasts. It’s not just him. They need to move on from this together. Everyone sits around outside, and Sandoval thanks them for being friendly. He wants to build on that, and is bringing in Shannon, who will be doing guided meditation and yoga. In James’s interview, he says, Mr. Try Hard. This seems like something Sandoval would do. Sandoval says he thinks he was a functioning alcoholic, and he’s taking a break. Lala says, he doesn’t have to make the call a forever thing. Even she goes day by day. In Lala’s interview, she says she thinks working oneself admirable. Whether it’s BS or not, who gives a f***? They don’t have to go to bed in his head at night. James says he has news, and Lisa brings out Graham.

James says, Lisa saved him, and Lisa says, he’s good, but go slowly. Schwartz says, Graham was in the gulag, and James says he’s renaming Graham Hippie. In James’s interview, he says, it’s an homage to his late godfather George Michael’s dog. He obviously didn’t pick the name Graham Cracker. In Sandoval’s interview, he says he knows what James is saying is not the case, but James isn’t in the headspace hear what he has to say. He definitely doesn’t need to make waves. Sandoval tells Ally that the adopting family couldn’t do it and tried to find a home for Graham. That was the last he heard. Schwartz says, it’s the plot twist, and Brock says, Raquel isn’t coming back. Schwartz says, she wants to be called Rachel now, and Ally says, if she can do that, they can rename Graham. It’s a fresh start for everyone. Rachel and Hippie. The guys jump in the water, but the girls don’t want to get their hair wet.

Designer Lucinda FaceTimes with Ariana, who says, Tom is determined to buy her out, but there’s furniture they jointly acquired. He can’t just have that. In Ariana’s interview, she says she’s come around to the idea of Sandoval owning the house, but the majority of the furniture is hers and she needs to be compensated. She tells Lucinda that she wants to make a list, and Lucinda says, the artist that made Ariana and Sandoval’s LEGO portrait will rework it if she wants.

James congratulates Ally on comparing Graham/Hippie to Raquel/Rachel. He thinks it’s pretty funny. Brock tells Scheana that this happy time away has allowed him to reflect and he apologizes. It’s been bothering him. He should be more aware of his surroundings and care more about her feelings. Scheana says she was caught off guard and went into defense mode. Brock says he’d like to get through the weekend.

Lisa is at the Wolf site in a hardhat, helping with demolition, and I totally get why. After Hurricane Sandy, I helped smash the bottom parts of the walls on my first floor. You’d be surprised at how much fun it is. The group comes by, and Lala says she’s never seen one of Lisa’s restaurants in the building stage. Lisa says, it’s not as big as looks; something they’ve probably heard before. She shows them renderings of the finished restaurant and tells Sandoval to be on his best behavior. She asks if anyone wants to hit a wall, and James says he’ll take a whack at it. He says, you should have looked after Graham better! and hits the wall. Schwartz is next and says he doesn’t want to be single at forty, which is just sad. Scheana yells something about the restraining order, and when it’s Sandoval’s turn, he yells various insults he’s heard like, worm with a mustache! and Charles Manson’s son! In James’s interview, he says, if Sandoval would just admit he’s wrong, he’d seriously start listening and might take Sandoval seriously. Lisa suggests they all have a drink, and they go upstairs, Lisa and Ken joining them with one of the pups (!) after she changes. Lala says, that’s the third outfit she’s seen Lisa in today. She tells Lisa, Graham is like a different dog, and Lisa says, James is too. Lala asks if Schwartz is really single, intimating that Jo shares his bed, but Schwartz says he has no emotional capacity to be in a relationship. He’s single, but not ready to mingle. Sandoval says something insignificant and there’s an uncomfortable pause. Lisa asks James, what’s something he likes about Sandoval? and there’s more silence. Sandoval says, that felt awkward, and James says he needs to eat before having that conversation. In James’s interview, he says, Lisa put him on the spot. But then he thinks about how much Sandoval was put on the spot. It’s embarrassing. Brock asks about the house, and Sandoval says he made Ariana an offer. In Scheana’s interview, she says she can’t imagine how hard it must be for Ariana, living in the house with Sandoval. It’s hard being at the same table. She doesn’t understand how either of them can move on until they’ve made a clean break. Lisa toasts to the new restaurant and tells them, howl to the moon. No surprise, they obey.

Brock asks what to expect tomorrow, and Sandoval says, the wellness facilitator will read the room. James suggests they be chill and normal, giving away no clues. In Sandoval’s interview, he says he knows James well enough to know he exhibits childish behavior when he’s hurt. He asks James to go for a walk, and in his interview, Sandoval says he wants to acknowledge James’s feelings. If he doesn’t rip off the Band-Aid, it won’t happen. He tells James that he doesn’t want to cause problems. He just wants to co-exist. It was so overwhelming, but he wanted to talk to James. He didn’t mean to hurt him. James says, but Sandoval knew it would, and Sandoval says, they couldn’t see any way of it not being catastrophic if it came out. James suggests Sandoval should have put an end to his relationship with Ariana first, and Sandoval says, that’s easy to say. James tells him, say what you have to say, say goodbye, and shut the door. Man up and leave the relationship. Sandoval says, but he and Arina built an entire life, and James says, if that’s what he wanted, he should have left. He asks if Sandoval thinks he’ll be with Rachel when she gets back, but Sandoval doesn’t know. He’s torn between resentment and love, and in his interview, he says, it’s not just about being with Rachel. It’s about getting out of a relationship he knew wasn’t suiting his life path. He wasn’t on a good one and that needed to change. James says he and Sandoval have gone through a lot, and Sandoval says he’s sorry for discounting that. James says, Sandoval is the one he thought was most trustworthy, and in his interview, James says, he thought Sandoval was the last person in Hollywood who was going to f*** him over, the one guy he trusted. It blows his mind that Sandoval would backstab him harder than anyone. Sandoval says he can’t take it back. He’ll just never do it again. In Sandoval’s interview, he says he knows he screwed up and hurt people. He knows he hurt James. He has to take accountability, acknowledge James’s feelings, and make amends. James thanks him and says he misses the whole thing. We flash back to their relationship over the years, and James says, what breaks his heart is that Sandoval was like a big bro to him. Nothing is ever going to be the same. Sandoval says he’s sorry, and James says, that’s why he’s angry and why he says it’s a betrayal. Sandoval promises to listen better, and James suggests they just get through the night. They hug, but it’s one of those halfhearted hugs where you pat the person’s back.

Next time, a boat ride; Lala calls Sandoval insane; Ariana says she won’t be friends with anyone who wants to be Sandoval’s friend; and Scheana tells Ariana that she can’t keep hating Sandoval for her.

🫗 Not Crying Over Spilled Half and Half…

Drop in tomorrow for soap and the beginning of the end of an endless season of RHOBH – otherwise known as Reunion Part 1. Until then, stay safe, stay never making someone feel like a bother or a bore (even if they are), and stay ending one relationship before starting another.

February 26, 2023 – Curtis Has Words Of Wisdom For Drew, A Waterfall Wedding Off Deck, First Ones & Beautiful

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Kristina wakes up and sees Blaze is already awake. Kristina asks Blaze to please say she’s not watching her sleep, and Blaze asks if that’s creepy (a little). It’s Kristina’s fault. She looks so beautiful when she sleeps. She was thinking how lucky she is to have Kristina in her bed, and her life. They kiss.

Spinelli comes out of the bedroom and says, Maxie? Children? Maxie runs in the front door and says, he’s up. He asks where everybody is, and she says, the kids are in the car, but he says, school doesn’t start for an hour. She says she knows. Her mom has Bailey. They’re meeting them at James’s school to help his teacher to set up for the Arts and Crafts Fair. She thought she mentioned it. He says, she didn’t, but he’s glad to know the early start isn’t because she’s avoiding him.

John walks into Kelly’s and Carly tells him to sit anywhere he likes. He sits at the counter and says, she owns this place. She shouldn’t be waiting on tables. She says, one of her waitresses is running late, so here she is. She doesn’t mind serving him. Can she get him some coffee? He says, yeah, and as she pours, she says, the last time they met, he didn’t tell her why he was in town. He says, work, and she asks what he does. He says he’s with the FBI. Agent John Cates.

Drew attacks the heavy bag with vigor, when Curtis rolls into the gym. Curtis says, wow, and Drew says he didn’t hear Curtis come in. How long has he been here? Curtis says, long enough to know he doesn’t want to be on Drew’s bad side.

Nina comes into the gallery and asks if Ava is in the middle of something important. Ava says, that was phrased like a question, but sounded more like a demand. What’s going on? Nina says she’s about to lose Sonny for good, and Ava says she does have an appointment in just a little bit, but she does have some time later this afternoon. Nina says, just let her know when Ava can fit her in, and Ava says, hold on. Last she heard, Nina and Sonny were in a holding pattern. Has something changed? Nina says, Sonny had her served. He wants a divorce. Ava tells Nina that she can’t say she’s surprised.

Maxie asks Spinelli why she would be avoiding him, and he flashes back to kissing her. He says, because of what happened last night? when there’s a knock at the door. Sonny says, hello? and Spinelli opens the door. Sonny says, Damien Spinelli, you are a hard man to find.

Blaze asks if Kristina is hungry, and Kristina says, for food? Blaze says, she has someone else to consider here, and Kristina says, Blaze heard her stomach growling. This baby is not subtle. She thanks Blaze for helping her process everything last night and sort through her feelings. She feels really seen. Blaze says she thought it was time she returns the favor, and Kristina says, still, thanks for being there for her and this little one. Blaze says, always, and what would the little one like for breakfast? and Kristina says, they would like eggs benedict and home fries. Blaze says, coming right up, and I swear I will marry this woman tomorrow.

Curtis says, either Drew has beef with that bag, or something else is bothering him, and Drew says, sometimes you’ve just got to show that you mean business, right? He’s honored that Curtis wanted him in the gym his first workout after his surgery. That means a lot. Let’s get to it. Where does he want to start? Curtis says he’d love to start with what’s bothering Drew, and Drew says, it’s just Carly. She’s worried about him. She’s worried he’s changed since he came back from his time in Pentenville, that’s all. Curtis says, prison can change a man, but the Drew he knows is fundamentally the same guy, so what’s got Carly concerned? Drew says, she thinks he’s holding on to everything that’s happened, and Curtis says, he means the whole Nina situation. Drew says he knows she’s a friend of Curtis’s, and Curtis says, but that doesn’t mean he’s okay with Nina turning Drew into the SEC. He’s not cool with that. Drew is his friend too, and it’s okay if he’s mad because Curtis would be mad too. Carly doesn’t understand that? Drew says, she’s not trying to tell him how to feel. It’s just that she’s more concerned with his behavior. She thinks he’s more focused on payback instead of getting through this and moving on. Curtis says, and he is, isn’t he?

Carly says, Cates. Any relation to Michael Stone Cates? John says, his little brother, and Carly says she never knew him, but her ex was close to him, but obviously he knows that because he and Sonny share a history, and they’re not great memories. Now he’s an FBI agent, and now she knows what he’s doing back in her restaurant. He asks if he can’t just like the coffee, but she says, no. He’s here because he wants information on Sonny. He says, that’s a cynical outlook, and she says, because it’s not her first rodeo. Feds making small talk with her is never a coincidence, so let her know when he wants to put in an order. She starts to leave, and he says, believe it or not, he didn’t know she was Sonny’s ex the first time he stopped by. She says she knows he’s here to make a case against Sonny, and she’s telling him now that he’s wasting his time. He says he’s not currently building a case against her ex-husband. However, if he had his way, her ex-husband would be behind bars.

Sonny hopes Maxie doesn’t mind he stopped by. He was surprised to see Spinelli moved in here, and she says, temporarily. He’s got a plumbing emergency at his place. Sonny says, is that so? and Spinelli says, it came on suddenly. Maxie finds a lunchbox and says, got it. She’s got to get the kids to school. Spinelli asks what she was looking for and she holds up the lunchbox as she dashes out the door. He says, Georgie’s. That’s the second time this week. He apologizes to Sonny for his attire, and Sonny says, it’s early. She’s something else, isn’t she? Spinelli says, a force of nature. Sonny didn’t say what brought him here. Sonny says he has a job for Spinelli.

Nina says, Ava expected Sonny to end their marriage without so much as a word? but Ava says, no. Of course (🍷) not. Nor does she approve of him doing so. It tracks though. She thinks Sonny’s been reexamining his whole life. Nina says, he’s taking some hits lately. She’s not giving up on him. She loves him and hates that he’s had to face these challenges alone. Ava says she’s not the one Nina needs to convince. She needs to convince Sonny. Nina says she wishes she could. He’s not taking any of her calls or texts. She thinks he’s blocked her. He barred her from the penthouse. Ava says she gets it. That must hurt. Nina says, it’s a nightmare. If she could only just have a conversation with him. If she could only just look him in the eyes and remind him of what they are together, what they’ve come to mean to each other. Ava says, maybe she’s right, and Nina says she is. That’s where Ava comes in.

Blaze says she’s going to grab a quick shower. Breakfast should be here shortly. Kristina says she should get up, but Blaze says, no she doesn’t. They’re having breakfast in bed.

Spinelli says, it’s been some time since Sonny availed himself of his skills. May he ask, why now? Sonny has qualified personnel in-house as it were. Sonny tells him, let’s just say, out of an abundance of caution, he’s outsourcing this one. Spinelli says he sees, and Sonny asks if he should find another guy. Spinelli says he has the utmost respect for Sonny, but since the passing of their dear friend Jason, he hasn’t worked for anyone in Sonny’s field. Arguments over his previous hazardous exploits led to the demise of his relationship with Ellie. Sonny says he’s not twisting Spinelli’s arm. The task is relatively low risk. Spinelli was his first choice. Spinelli says he’s gratified, but also somewhat baffled. Sonny found him pretty annoying. Sonny says he did. He used to complain to Jason all the time, but Jason always said Spinelli was the smartest person in the room and he could trust Spinelli with his life, so that’s good enough for him.

Nina says, if Ava could somehow get her and Sonny in the same place alone together… Ava asks if she means like, lock the two of them in the backroom or something, but Nina says, no. Maybe Ava could get him here and he’d have to hear her out. Ava says, no. She can’t do it. Nina asks, why? Ava is her closest friend. She has access to Sonny. Ava really isn’t going to help her? Ava says she wants to help Nina. She just doesn’t think Sonny would take very kindly to her interfering in his personal… He knows they’re good friends and she’s walking a delicate tightrope as it is. Nina says she understands that she’s putting Ava in a very awkward position, but she’s running out of options because Sonny’s family has closed ranks against her. She can barely get a civil word out of any of them. Ava goes to her desk, and Ava says she’s sorry she’s interrupting Ava’s very busy day, but Ava says she’s not trying to brush Nina off. It’s just no good can come of her involving herself in this. At least not while she’s still under Sonny’s roof. Meddling in their marriage like that could really harm her relationship with Sonny. Nina says, Ava and Sonny have a relationship now?

Kristina looks at her sonogram on her phone and sinks down under the covers, smiling. She hears someone coming into the hotel room, and a woman says, Allison, mami’s here. She looks at Kristina in the bed.

Ava tells Nina that by relationship, she means co-parenting. She has Avery to think about, and Sonny still has primary custody. That factors into every single thing she does. Avery is her first priority and she’s not going to apologize for that. Ava says she understands that. She just got thrown when Ava said she and Sonny had a relationship. Really, what else would she call it? Ava says, going along to get along. They’re co-existing very well at the moment and she doesn’t want to jeopardize that. Nina says she gets it, when a man comes in and says, Ava Jerome? Ava says, yes, and he says he has a registered delivery. He’ll need her to sign for it and he’ll need to scan her driver’s license. Ava says, sure.

Kristina quickly gets out of bed and puts on a robe and introduces herself to Mrs. Ramirez (Natalia). She says she’s so happy to meet her. She’s heard so much about her. She holds out her hand, and Natalia says, it’s not Mrs., it’s Ms. Ramirez, and she hasn’t heard anything about Kristina. Blaze comes out drying her hair with a towel and asks if the food is here already. The sooner they eat, the sooner they can… Kristina says, look who came early, and Blaze says, mami. What is she doing here? Natalia says she has the same question about the young lady she just found in Blaze’s bed.

Drew says he’s focused on sending the message that he’s nobody’s victim, and Curtis says, not a victim, definitely a survivor. He went through hell and back. Drew starts to life weights and says, held captive for years, got out only to be put in prison and attacked, sent to the hospital. He’d say that kind of qualifies, right? Curtis says he hears Drew. It’s a lot to process. Drew says, the goal is to get through this and move on to the good stuff, and Curtis says, but that anger won’t let go, huh? He knows what that feels like. When he was shot and lying there in that bed, knowing he might be paralyzed, he felt everything from rage to despair to self-pity, but mostly rage. Because he doesn’t like being vulnerable. He doesn’t like being a victim. So he was mad at the world. He was mad at God. Does any of that sound familiar? Drew says, very. It’s taken him a while to access these feelings. Feelings aren’t one of his strengths. He just wishes Carly would understand that what he’s going through is what he’s going through, his process at his speed, even though it may not be the way she wants him to. Curtis says, okay. So this thing with Carly, is it a minor disagreement or something more? Drew says, they’ll see, but Curtis didn’t come here for a therapy session. It’s really good to see him. He’s amazing. He looks incredible. Curtis thanks him and says, that procedure was a godsend, and because of it, he and Portia reconnected. Drew says he’s happy for both of them, and Curtis thanks him. He says, all the challenges they’ve been through, he never thought they’d be that close again. Drew says, he did it. He got through. Congratulations. Curtis thanks him and says he’s just glad they never gave up.

Ava tells Nina, escrow papers. As of today, Windymere and Spoon Island are now somebody else’s problem. Nina says, the sale went through, and Ava says, just this morning. The money was deposited into her account. Not nearly enough to make up for her pain and suffering, but a nice little nest egg. Nina says she can’t believe Ava found a buyer for that place (if not Nikolas, Jason?), and Ava says, credit to Lucy. It took a while, but she was finally able to find a developer who bought the house and land instead of separating them into separate lots. Nina wonders what they’re planning to build, but Ava doesn’t know. Maybe they’re going to turn the house into condominiums. Maybe they’ll tear it down. That would be her vote, but it doesn’t matter really. That awful place with all the awful things that happened are part of a past that will not be revisited. The only person who had an emotional connection to that place was Spencer. Now that he’s gone and little Ace is living with Laura and Doc, nobody needs that place, least of all, her. Her focus is on the future.

Spinelli says he’s honored by Jason’s faith and that he spoke so highly of him to Sonny. He was a kind and gracious friend. Sonny says, he had zero patience for fools, and the fact that Jason put up with Spinelli, and also found him as a collaborator and associate… If he recommended Spinelli, that works for him. He knows Jason trusted Spinelli and he trusts Jason’s judgement. He has to make a decision now. Spinelli says, this job can’t put anyone in this house in danger, and Sonny says he’d never ask Spinelli to put his children or Maxie in danger. He knows how much Maxie means to Spinelli. Spinelli says he’s sure Sonny does. Sonny knows from his own experience, while a romance may end, one who becomes family is family forever.

Carly says, if John wants to continue this conversation, he can call her lawyer. Her name is Diane Miller, and he can look up her number online. She goes out to the tables and John follows. He says he’s not here to question her and he’s not in Port Charles to investigate her ex-husband. She says, he just said that, but he also said Sonny belonged in prison, and he says, he does. She says, really? After everything he did for John’s brother? He says he doesn’t deny Sonny was good to Stone, and Carly says, good to Stone? He bought a penthouse so Stone would have a place to live. He paid for the best care that was available at the time and he nursed Stone until the day he died. There’s an entire wing at the hospital dedicated in his brother’s memory, endowed by a gift from Sonny worth millions. Does he know that? He asks if she thinks that buys Sonny redemption, and she says, like she told him, she didn’t know his brother, but she heard a lot about him. Her son, Morgan, his middle name was Stone. John says, his son’s name is also Stone, and she says, isn’t it ironic that he and Sonny, who hate each other, both loved Stone so much, they named their sons after him? He sits back down and she goes behind the counter. He asks if she’s saying he should back off Sonny for Stone’s sake, and she tells him, what she’s saying is, if she were in his position, she’d be grateful a person took care of someone she loved. He says, what about a person who hurt someone she loved? Exploited their vulnerabilities to turn a profit. He’s going to take a wild guess and say she’d come out swinging and not stop until they paid. She asks, what makes him say that? and he says, professional assessment. There are people who freeze when they or someone close to them are threatened. Others will negotiate or placate. And then there are those who fight. She’s a fighter. He’d stake his badge on it. She asks what he and his badge are doing in town, if it’s not to take Sonny down, and he says he’s here to help Sonny. The attempts on his life are part of a bigger conspiracy. So far, Sonny has been lucky, but he can’t end this without the help of law enforcement… Sonny never told her about this, did he?

Drew says, when Curtis found out Trina might be his, and even when he found out she was his, he gets it. He knows what it’s like to lose years and years of time with your daughter. Curtis says he knows, and he did his fair share of blaming Portia, but recently he’s had to admit he withheld the truth about something that could affect his family. He told himself that he was doing it for the right reasons, but that was just an excuse. And he has to be honest; it hurt both of them and justice is hard to swallow. Drew says he hears that, and Curtis made it through. Curtis says, thankfully, but he sure didn’t make it easy. When he first got shot, he acted up, he acted out, he pushed away everyone who loved him, especially Portia – again. Finally, he had to accept that if he didn’t want to live his life miserable, he needed to take a long look at himself in the mirror and be real. Get out of his own way. Because the ability to change his outlook and his life, starts and ends with him and him alone. So now he and Portia are back on track, happy, and they’re excited about moving forward together. Drew says, Curtis is a lot of things, but he’s not slick, and Curtis says, they’re just having a conversation. Drew says, Curtis is dropping these pearls of wisdom, trying to give him advice not very stealthily. But he hears Curtis, and it’s exactly what he needed to hear, and lesson learned. Because he hasn’t really been playing fair himself. Carly didn’t want him to go to prison to protect her, but he did it anyway. And in one heat of the moment slip of the tongue – he punches the teardrop bag – he made it seem like he resented her for that. Curtis asks if he does, but Drew says, no. He’s the one who made the deal with the DA, even though he knew she wouldn’t want him to. Now she feels responsible for what happened to him in Pentenville, and since he’s been released, all she’s been doing is being supportive and being there for him, even when it’s meant compromising what matters to her. He flashes back to Carly telling him that she really appreciates his sacrifice, but she can’t move forward until Nina is behind her. She doesn’t want to think about Nina anymore, she doesn’t want to argue with Nina anymore, and she doesn’t want to hurt Nina anymore, because it always comes back to bite her, and she doesn’t want to do that to herself anymore. Drew tells Curtis, you know what? Maybe it’s time for him to do the same thing for her.

John says he’s sorry. He thought Carly knew about the larger conspiracy. He just assumed Sonny would keep her in the loop. She says, now that he brought her in the loop, how much danger is her family in? and he says, her family hasn’t been the focus so far. She asks, then what’s the focus? and he says, three former and current heads of major crime families. Now there’s four. She says, Olivia Jerome being the fourth.

Natalia says she’s waiting for an explanation, and Kristina looks at Blaze, who seems frozen. Kristina says, they were having a girls’ night last night and it was super late, so Allison let her crash here. Natalia says, okay. Allison is so generous like that. Blaze asks how she even got in here, and Natalia says she booked the room on Your Escort and her name is on the paperwork, so she just asked for a key. She hugs Blaze and says, but she never would have come so early if she’d known Blaze had plans with a friend.

Nina says, now that Ava has sold Windymere, is she going to have Lucy help find her and Avery a place? and Ava says, eventually. Assuming Sonny is going to let them leave. Nina says, but it’s just temporary, right? He’s not thinking of having Ava and Avery stay there permanently, is he? Ava says she doesn’t know what he’s thinking. She doesn’t know what his next move is and she’s not going to pressure him. Like she told Nina, she and Sonny are in a good place right now. She knows from personal experience that he lashes out most when he’s hurt. Nina says, Ava doesn’t need to tell her that; she lived it. She can’t believe Sonny slammed to door in her face like she wasn’t even there. Ava says, but the fact that he’s hurt means that he still has a lot of feelings for Nina. So she thinks Nina just has to give him time. Nina says she has been giving him time. She’s given him space. Ava says, and she’s right to do so. He’s going through a tough time lately. Nina says, it was a blow when he lost Spencer, and Ava says, and now Dex is gone. Nina asks, what happened to Dex? and Ava says, it doesn’t matter, but Nina says, it matters to her. She’s not budging until Ava tells her everything that happened.

Sonny puts on his coat and says he needs a decision. What’s it going to be? Spinelli says he’ll do the job, and Sonny says he appreciates that. He wants to do something for Spinelli in return. What’s that problem he’s having in his apartment with the plumbing? Spinelli says, it’s been since Christmas Eve… and Sonny says, that’s unacceptable. He’ll have his contractor go over there and he’ll fix it by the end of the week. Spinelli says, that’s not necessary, but thanks just the same, and Sonny says, the way he feels, if there’s a leak, you have to deal with it. Spinelli says, that’s a wise course of action, but in this case, there is no leak. He staged the whole thing to give himself an excuse to move in here to help Maxie with her financial situation. Sonny says, that’s one way to show someone you care. The other way would be, why doesn’t he just tell her? Spinelli says he’ll take that under advisement, and Sonny goes to the door. Spinelli says, he misses Stone Cold too… He’s sorry. Has he spoken out of turn? Sonny says he’ll keep in touch, and leaves.

Kristina comes out fully dressed, and Blaze says, the food they ordered arrived. Kristina says, her mom is probably hungry after traveling, so she’ll let them enjoy, but Blaze says, there’s more than enough to share. Kristina should stay. Kristina says she has a full day. She should just get going. Blaze tells Natalia, Kristina is starting a youth center, and she also manages a restaurant, and Natalia tells Blaze, look what I brought back from Puerto Rico, showing her a pair of sandals. Aren’t these adorable? Blaze says, but are they vegan? and Natalia says, does that matter? Blaze says, it has for a while, and Kristina tells Natalia to enjoy her stay in Port Charles. Natalia thanks her and says, all of Allison’s friends call her Natalia. Natalia takes a covered dish out of her suitcase, and says, look what she managed to smuggle in, Blaze’s abuela’s tembleque. Blaze thanks her, but says she’s told Natalia before, she doesn’t really like coconut pudding. Natalia asks when Blaze told her that, and Blaze says she told Natalia multiple times. Natalia never listens to her. Natalia asks what she doesn’t like about it, and Kristina says, the texture. She’s the same way about avocado and flan. Natalia says she thinks she knows her daughter, and Kristina says, of course (🍷), but Blaze asks if Natalia really knows her. She didn’t know Blaze lied to her earlier and it isn’t the first time Blaze has kept something from her.

Drew finishes with some pull-ups, and Curtis says, that’s impressive. Good work. Drew says, so good to see him. He’s so happy everything is working out for Curtis. Curtis says he doesn’t know what’s going on, but it must be important since Drew looks like he’s in a hurry. Drew says he is, and jets.

John says he can neither confirm nor deny the death of Olivia Jerome is connected to the case he’s working, and Carly says, so now he’s clamming up? He was super talkative a minute ago. He tells her, this much he’ll say. He’s making headway on this case, and he promises her, he will nail whoever’s behind this. She says, before or after Sonny’s death? Play this right and it saves him the hassle of building a case against Sonny and putting him away, right? He says, Sonny is a potential victim and he’ll do everything in his power to make sure Sonny is safe. If, after this case is closed, it becomes his business to investigate Sonny on charges of racketeering, he’ll do everything in his power to secure a legal conviction against him. He doesn’t cut corners. It does no good to catch criminals by becoming one himself. She says, he sure does pride himself on his integrity, doesn’t he? You know what’s funny? The most honorable man she knew, he’d consider a criminal. He says, and she doesn’t? and she says, no. He was her friend. She adds, and by the way, he’s drinking Corinthos coffee, and walks away.

Ava says, Sonny doesn’t really share much with her, and Nina says, it doesn’t seem that way to her. She thinks Ava knows more about her husband than she does. Ava says, the assumption of proximity, nothing more, and Nina says she’s not asking for a lot. She’s just asking for the opportunity to have a conversation with her husband. He evicted her from their home, he’s kept her at bay, and he hid behind his lawyer when he served her with divorce papers. Sonny walks in, and Nina says, if he wants to end their marriage, the least he could do is have the decency to say it to her face. Sonny says, here he is.

Nina asks if she can have a word with Sonny, and he asks if Ava is ready to go. Ava says, just about, and Nina says, her appointment was with Sonny? Ava nods and goes in the back. Nina says, while Ava grabs her things, can they just talk? She’s been waiting, she’s been biding her time, hoping he’d realize what they mean to each other. He says, not now, and she says, then when? After she’s given him a divorce? They made vows. He swore he’d love her until death, and now he can’t even spare her an hour?

Natalia says, Blaze lied? About what? Blaze looks at Kristina, who starts to leave, but Blaze says, don’t go. Please. She needs Kristina here for this. Kristina puts down her bag, takes off her coat, and stands next to Blaze. Blaze says, Natalia doesn’t know her as well as she thinks, and it’s partially her fault. Natalia says, partially, and Blaze tells her, when Kristina said that she let her crash here, it wasn’t the truth. Kristina was covering for her. Natalia asks why she’d need to cover for Blaze. What has she done? Is she sick? Blaze looks at Kristina and says, she’s great actually. She lied to Natalia. She and Kristina are more than just friends.

Maxie comes back and tells Spinelli that she feels like she’s had a full day already, and she hasn’t even gone to the office yet. But the Craft Fair looks great. He says he’s sure it does with her help and creativity, and she says, Sonny’s gone? He says, Sonny left a while ago, and she says, the kids are having so much fun at the Craft Fair, she didn’t want to leave. Bailey’s really enjoying playing with the clay and James is making something special for Spinelli, but she’s not allowed to say what it is, so… He kissed her last night. He says he did, and she kissed him back. She says she did, and he says, so what happens next?

Carly comes out to find John gone, and a note with his check that says, sorry for upsetting you. She flashes back to asking him how much danger her family is in. She remembers telling Drew that he agreed to her condition of ending his war with Nina if she became Editor-in-Chief of Crimson. Then telling him that this was her first and last issue. She looks at the note and says, you’re not the only reason I’m upset. I’m just so sick of not being considered. She crumples the note, and Drew walks in.

Ava comes back, and Sonny tells her to go ahead and leave. Send the car back, and he’ll try to make it to the school. If he can’t make it, he’ll talk to her tonight at home. She says, okay. Sounds good. She quietly tells Nina, good luck, and leaves. Sonny says, the floor is Nina’s. What’s she got to say?

Tomorrow, Kristina asks if Blaze is sorry that she called Kristina her girlfriend; Spinelli tells Maxie that he thinks he’s falling back in love with her; and Carly tells Drew that she doesn’t see how this relationship works if he can’t let go.  

Below Deck

Second day of charter. Fraser tells Captain Kerry that Barbie thinks everyone is against her and they’re not, but she’s been vile to him. The captain asks how she gets along with the rest of the team. He can’t just say someone is gone, but if they’re not fitting in, they’re not fitting in. Fraser says, she’s not a team player, and Captain Kerry asks if he’s happy with her work. Fraser says, she could be an asset if her attitude changed, and the captain tells him to think about it open minded and professional. In Captain Kerry’s interview, he says, with Fraser, emotions are involved. He doesn’t have to like her. Fraser says he’ll talk to her and keep it short, sweet, and professional. Barbie tells Sunny that she feels underappreciated, and in her interview, she says she grew up with a dad who applauds her 24/7. All she knows how to do in this situation is shut down. She’s in a hard place and it sucks. Oh, does she mean actually being required to listen to her boss? Captain Kerry tells Jared that they need to be on the dock at 11, and in his interview, he says, there are going to be two vow renewals and one couple getting married. He became ordained, but he knows more about divorce than weddings. In Sunny’s interview, she says she’s mad at Ben for calling her out over the radio. It makes her look bad. She’s had past issues with men on yachts. She worked with two deckhands and a bosun, one of the deckhands being a greenie. He kept telling her what to do and she cried. Then she became emotional and sensitive in their eyes, so she’s learned to stand up for herself.

 St. George’s, Grenada. Some of the crew goes to set up by the waterfall, and Captain Kerry calls his girlfriend. She asks if he can marry them, and he says, they could get mirror and go for it. We find out Barbie is most interested in Jared, and in her interview, she says she’s attracted to people’s souls. Seeing her past boyfriends, you can tell she doesn’t go for looks. Not that Jared is ugly. In the taxi with Fraser, Jared says, everyone wants a piece of Barbie, and Fraser says, he might have to hurry. In Kyle’s interview, he says he has no competition. He’s already won. She just needs to see it. Fraser says, he’s not getting a positive attitude from her and getting backlash on everything. It just takes one bad apple to spread to other crew members. Jared says, it’s like bacteria. Barbie calls her mom and says, her boss told her that she lacks respect. He’s making her look like an a-hole. He pushes her every second and attacks her constantly. In Barbie’s interview, she says, at this point, she can’t win. She tells her mom that she’s not sure this is the best thing for her.

Barbie’s mom tells her that she’s capable of handling this, and in her interview, Barbie says, she’s going to push through. She thinks quitters are losers and she’s a winner. Sunny confronts Ben about him calling her out on the radio, but he says, it wasn’t on her; it was on Jared. He didn’t know it came across like that. In Sunny’s interview, she says, recognizing that he hurt her feelings would be something. He’s a d*ck and an a-hole. Good thing they’re close together. At the waterfall, the crew sets up a gazebo, and the guests leave for the shore. When they see the set-up, groom-to-be Robert says he thinks pretty damn romantic, and Fraser says he’s getting goosebumps. The couples get ready – primaries Steven and Tara and guests Ran and Rachel are doing a vow renewal, while guests Michelle and Robert are getting married. Captain Kerry gives an amusing take on performing the ceremony, adding things like, I will trust you sometimes; and I will give you my hands, my heart, and my love, but not my last beer. He has them exchange rings to remind them of their eternal love and the promises they made today, and then tells them to kiss the bride of their choosing. In Fraser’s interview, he says he loves seeing people in love after 7 years (Steven and Tara). If he gets married, he wants a small, intimate beach wedding, wearing linen. Afterwards, the guests have sushi and cocktails. I cry because I will never be able to afford a vacation like this. In Anthony’s interview, he says, the captain is serious about crew food. They’re going to have so much food, a f***ing buffet every day. In the crew mess, Xandi tells Ben that yachting means different things to different people, and Ben asks if she wants it forever. He calls it Neverland. She says, it’s not normal, but it becomes your normal. Jared texts Ben to bring the tender for the guests, and Barbie tells Jared that he’s her favorite. In her interview, she says, she’s being her regular, honest, tragic self, and in Jared’s interview, he says he was taken aback. Maybe there’s something there. He doesn’t know.

Anthony needs help, and Kyle offers. In Anthony’s interview, he says he’d love to find love. He was married at 26 to a chief stew, and one of his uncle’s, who was a captain, found her a job. He never heard from her and guesses she left him for his uncle. For the moment, he’s literally in love with his cat. We see a photo of him with a beautiful black kitty. Aww! The guests get ready for dinner, and Fraser tells Barbie that he’s putting Cat on service, at least at the beginning. In Barbie’s interview, she says, Fraser’s moving her off service. What? Why? If he wants to mix people around to get back at her for the attitude that she knows she has, fine. At the end of the day though, it’s affecting service. Fraser goes over instructions with Cat and calls the captain to dinner. In his interview, Anthony says, love is in the air. It’s going to be important to keep following the vibe. Last night’s steak was not that great. We flash back to Robert saying it was tough, and Anthony says, it’s more pressure because it’s the last dinner. He’s got to be in shape, be strong, and do his best. It’s a parade of food porn – salmon tartare, some kind of beet thing, a local crab cake, asparagus risotto with red snapper, and a lamb chop that Anthony personally accompanies. One of the guests asks if the captain has ever had crawfish, and he says, when he was growing up, they caught something similar called a yabby. You can catch them with a cake of soap and a string. I’d like to hear more about that. Do they try to eat the soap? Do they ride on it? What? Fraser goes over cutlery for the next course with Cat, who’s been committing minor, yet noticeable, infractions. In Fraser’s interview, he says, quite honestly, it’s a cat-tastrophe. The crew is called to the galley for the wedding cake, which is white and topped with raspberries. In Captain Kerry’s interview, he says, the mistakes Cat is making are showing him that she’s not trained well enough to do service. Barbie peels some aloe for Kyle’s sunburn, and in his interview, he says he knows she likes Jared, but he has nothing to lose. Don’t write him off just yet.

The captain and Fraser discuss Cat’s mistakes, and Captain Kerry says, her response is great to them being pointing out, but she didn’t have the eye to notice. There’s lobster eggs benedict for breakfast, and Xandi suggests they see if the guests consummated the marriage. Eww! In Jared’s interview, he says, the first docking didn’t have the best communication. Inside, he’s screaming, fack – with an a. In the captain’s interview, he says, the last docking was the worst experience. He’s feeling confident, but nervous. Jared tells the captain, 12 meters, no, 20, and says, he needs to work on his meters. Ya think? In his interview, he says, nailed it, then catches a fly with his fingers, surprising himself. That reminds me of the time my father did that – in church. Why is it always the places where you shouldn’t be laughing? It’s guest departure time, and Tara says, they couldn’t have asked for anything better. Steven wishes them the best of luck for the rest of the season and gives the captain the tip envelope. They leave, and Captain Kerry says, amazing charter, and the deck team has a wash party. Jared tells the deckhands that he hasn’t met his daughter yet, because his ex isn’t allowing it, and in his interview, he says, he wasn’t ready for it when his ex got pregnant and didn’t handle it properly. Now he’s trying like hell to correct it, but it’s hard to sew back together a wound without leaving a scar behind. The captain calls the tip meeting, and he says, the guests were happy. The docking was better, and the wedding was wild with the logistics involved. It was a magical experience, and the guests were impressed. The tip is $22,500 or $1730 each. In Xandi’s interview, a producer asks what she’s doing with the money, and she says, therapy and a chiropractor. Captain Kerry says, the first round is on him, and Jared unsuccessfully tries to call his daughter. In his interview, he says, he’s on a set schedule to talk to her, but the lack of cellular service puts him in a difficult way. His fear is, if he doesn’t maintain the schedule, his ex will cut him off.

Port Louis Marina. The crew heads to the restaurant, and the captain joins them. They all agree the guests were easy, and Captain Kerry says, high maintenance they can deal with. It’s a-holes they can’t. Jared knocks over a glass, then goes to the bar for a shot of tequila. Fraser thinks he seems pissed off, and the captain makes his exit, telling them, be good or be damn good at it. Jared picks the salt off his shot glass and clinks glasses with Barbie. He asks Cat if she likes ass (negatory), and in Barbie’s interview, she says, his sloppy behavior is turning her all the way off. It’s like when you’re on a first date and think, I’ve met my husband. But on the second, you think, no, I did not. She decides to hae a smoke with Kyle and sits with him on a beach couch. Ben asks Sunny to go for a beach walk, but not in a romantic way. I don’t think. Barbie complains to Kyle about Fraser and says, the guests love her and she works her ass off. Sunny tells Ben that he likes to stir the pot (agreed) and he’s being a d*ck (also agreed). He says, there’s a difference between being a d*ck and being cheeky, and he’s being cheeky. She says, it comes off as being a d*ck, and in her interview, she says, she’s been lied to, humiliated, and hurt by former boyfriends, and she doesn’t trust anybody. Ben tells her that he’s an Aussie and charismatic, and she says, he can gaslight her all he wants.

Cat asks if they can’t have a chill night at the boat and play card games, but that’s a no. Ben asks if Sunny was worried about the captain hearing the radio, and she says, yes. He tells her that it doesn’t matter. She needs to be thick skinned. He’s sorry he offended her, but she’s probably the captain’s favorite crew member. Music happens and they dance. There’s a bonfire and Cat tries talking on the phone with a friend, but the call keeps dropping. In Cat’s interview, she says she doesn’t feel a genuine connection with anyone. It’s a huge trigger. Growing up with her foster family, she suppressed who she was. Now she’s been thrown on a boat with people she doesn’t know, and it makes her feel insecure. She’s not fully able to feel like herself. Fraser puts his arm around her, and she cries. She says she’s sad and tired and hopes she’s not bland. He says, there’s nothing bland about her, and she says she’s used to having close friends. It doesn’t feel like her previous teams. In Fraser’s interview, he says, Cat at the moment is a Leaning Tower of Pisa. She’s been through so much, it’s no wonder it’s a shock to her system. He tells her that she’s beautiful, she’s fun, and she’s everything they need. She’s his most precious stew. He tells her that he’ll be her family for the next six weeks. He’ll be there for her. In his interview, he says he sympathizes. He’s been there before. All they need is to take a breath. He tells Barbie to be fragile with Cat. He can’t deal with her attitude. She says, he’s sassy too, but he says he doesn’t have sass. If something isn’t done correctly, he’s going to be annoyed. She says she’s not doing the yes, sir, no, sir thing, and in his interview, he wonders where she gets off thinking this attitude and approach to a superior is going to work. He doesn’t care how good she is. If she goes against him, it’s going to be an issue. He tells her, f***ing bring it or bring it home.

Next time, the captain has a talk with Jared; problematic and demeaning guests; and a guest’s comments affects Jared’s self-worth, making him cry.

⚰️ About Last Night…

Warning: Spoilers ahead.

Hard to tell from just the first episode, but this one looks like a keeper. Rick is now a cosignee, working outside a secret CRM city in Philadelphia, PA. Their code is security and secrecy above all, and cosignees work outside the city, killing zombies, until they get promoted to be citizens. There are also not-so-secret cities in Omaha and Portland, which the CRM has their eye on. Remember how Jadis referred to Rick as an A at the end of Walking Dead? It turns out that’s not such a great thing to be as a general rule, since A’s are intelligent and strong and the CRM doesn’t want them around. It’s the B’s who get taken in, while the A’s are eliminated. Fortunately for Rick, someone has his back. If you want to know more, read on.

https://www.cbr.com/the-walking-dead-the-ones-who-live-episode1-recap-spoilers

🥁 Banging the Drum At a Moderate Tempo…

Join me tomorrow for soap and VanderBS. Until then, stay safe, stay always following your words with actions, and stay accepting that if you don’t want to live your life miserable, you need to take a long look at yourself in the mirror, be real, and get out of your own way. The ability to change your outlook and your life begins with you and you alone.

February 23, 2023 – Cyrus’s Mission Is Interrupted, Serenade, Mom’s Here, New Scribes, Now Leaving, Bad Joke, Awful TV, Dead Talk, Fun On 4 Legs, 10 Quotes On the Nose & To Be

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

At the hospital, Sam thanks Elizabeth for allowing Danny to volunteer at GH, and Elizabeth says, they can always use an extra hand. Sam says she thought it would be a good thing for him to do while he’s grounded, and Elizabeth asks how she’s doing with everything. Sam asks if she means her teenage son sneaking out and getting drunk in the park, and Elizabeth says, yeah, that. Sam says she can’t believe this is happening already, and Elizabeth says, if it makes Sam feel any better, we tend to grow out of it. Sam says, we? and Elizabeth says, former wild child at your service. Sam says, Elizabeth is right. She just… Elizabeth asks if she’s worried something deeper is going on, and Sam says, yeah. She just hopes she’s wrong.

Tracy absently stirs her drink at the MetroCourt bar and Gregory says, fancy meeting you here. She asks if he’s getting takeout, but he says he’s having dinner with his sons. She sees Finn and Chase at one of the tables, and says, how nice. He says, and her? and she says she just had a meeting with a Deception shareholder and she’s about to go home. He suggests she join them, but she says she doesn’t want to impose. He says, don’t be silly. They’ll be family soon enough.

Kristina is having a sonogram, and Dr. Navarro says, everything looks good. Molly wonders if she’s just saying that, but TJ tells her, doctors don’t just say that. The doctor says, growth measurements are right on target and all signs point to a healthy baby. Molly says, yay, and she and TJ kiss. Kristina says, they made it through the first trimester, a major milestone, and Dr. Navarro says, most miscarriages happen during the first four weeks of pregnancy, and they’re at week 14. And they know the sex. Do they want to find out? Kristina says, yes, but Molly and TJ look at each other.

Ava watches as Sonny comes into the penthouse. He goes to the bar, picks up a short glass, and slams it against the wall.

John says, Anna is going over his head? and she says she doesn’t want to, but she will. He keeps obstructing her investigation. It’s almost as if he doesn’t want O’Neill to tell them who’s been buying those guns. He says, and now she’s questioning his integrity, and other guy tells Anna that she’ll want to hear this. She tells him, put it on speaker, and they hear O’Neill say, even in protective custody he’s vulnerable. Cyrus asks, why so fearful? and O’Neill says, the Feds don’t know who they’re up against. Cyrus says, God will protect him if he has faith. At least let him share O’Neill’s burden. Who is this man whose threats are worth a lifetime in prison?

Elizabeth asks if Danny has been acting out in other ways, and Sam says, maybe, but she doesn’t know what’s acting out normally or what is normal teenage behavior. Danny joins them and Sam asks how it went. He says, fine, and Elizabeth says, he was great when she asked him to help the other volunteers. Sam says she’s proud of him, and he says he was mostly in the mailroom. Can they go home now? Sam says, sure. Where’s his coat? He says, it’s probably in the fourth-floor lounge. Whatever. He’ll just get it tomorrow. She says, not whatever, and he says, they’re just going to the car. She tells him to get his coat, and he reluctantly goes to the elevator. She says, thank you, and Elizabeth says, totally normal teenage behavior for sure.

Elizabeth sits with Gregory and sons and asks how it’s going living under the same roof. Chase says, it’s great, and Finn tells him, says the guy who doesn’t live there. Gregory says, hey, and Finn says, just kidding. It is great. Violet is over the moon having her grandpa there all the time. Gregory says, and the feeling is mutual. They built a pillow fort the other day. Tracy says, there better be evidence, and Gregory says, but of course (🍷). He shows her his phone, and she says, that is impressive. He says, they thought so, and she asks, how many pillows do they have? Finn says, more than he was aware of apparently, and Chase asks to see it. Finn asks if he has a little fort envy, and Chase says, maybe. When he was Violet’s age, his forts tended to disintegrate into a pile of pillows, but this actually has some structure. Violet could become an architect or an engineer one day – Gregory struggles with his fork and drops it, then Tracy slips him hers – after her singing and dancing, and does she still want to be a circus performer?

Kristina says, is it a girl? It’s a girl, right? Gender can affect the way you carry… Molly says she thinks that’s just an old wives’ tale. She and TJ discussed it, and they decided they don’t want to find out. TJ says, they want the baby’s sex to be a surprise, and Kristina says, of course (🍷). Sorry. She was just caught up in the moment. That should 100% be their choice. TJ says, they might change their minds, and Molly says, yeah. For now. The doctor says, their secret is safe with her, and Molly thanks her and says, they would, however, like to hear the heartbeat. Dr. Navarro says, they’ve got it, and puts the sound on. Kristina says, whoa, and Molly says, it sounds like a horse galloping. The doctor says, nice and strong, the way they like it. TJ tells Molly, that’s their baby, and Kristina takes Molly’s hand.

Sonny picks up the pieces of glass, and Ava asks if he got anything out of Selina’s guy. He asks if she was listening, and she says, he and Selina left to talk to her guard, who she gathers has some kind of loyalty problem. Sonny says, he gave up Selina’s location in exchange for a quick payoff, and Ava says, so she was ambushed like they were. So what did this traitor have to say for himself? Sonny says, he didn’t say anything at first, and she says, let her guess. Sonny found a way to convince him. Sonny says, he claims the guy coming after him calls himself Stone.

Cyrus says, as a man of God, he can help. As a former inmate, and sinner, he can understand. O’Neill says, better than talking to law enforcement. Protective custody is going to be hell. They’ll be the only people he sees. Cyrus says, well, take advantage of this moment while he has it. Tell him his story. Dante says, this is it, and O’Neill says, almost a year ago, he was contacted by a guy… Heather suddenly appears and says, Renault, you charlatan. Who you scamming now? Dante says, dammit, and John asks, who’s that? Heather says, do not let this man fool you. Cyrus is not a man of God. He’s a good for nothing liar.

Finn says, Coney Island? and Chase says, yeah. Finn says, Tracy is flying everyone to Coney Island the night before? and she says, yes, because that’s typically when the rehearsal dinner happens, the night before the wedding. Finn says, Coney Island? and Gregory asks, what’s wrong with it? Finn says, ask him at the reception when Violet is in the throes of a sugar crash. Gregory says he thinks someone is projecting here, and Finn says he thinks that someone’s him. Gregory says, oh really? Because if memory serves, he took Finn to a state fair when he was 8 years old, and he discovered the magic of cotton candy. (I love that stuff!) He had it everywhere; on his fingers, in his hair, on his eyebrows even. Tracy says, that’s adorable, and Finn says, absolutely adorable. Chase tells Finn, that’s what people say about him, and Finn says, that’s enough. Coney Island?

Sam tells Elizabeth that Danny’s never been grounded before. She’s starting to think maybe that’s because he just hasn’t been caught. Elizabeth asks if she thinks he’s sneaking out, and she says she doesn’t know. Maybe it’s because he’s been so quiet lately. She knows that happens with teenagers his age, but she doesn’t know. What if something is actually wrong? Elizabeth says, Jason was a man of few words. Like father, like son? Sam says, Danny reminds her more and more of Jason every day. The way he frowns when he’s concentrating or something, and the way he considers himself Scout’s biggest protector. Elizabeth says, that’s very Jason-like, and Sam says, so yeah, when Danny says less than 10 words to her in a day, she has to remind herself that Jason wasn’t a big talker. But Danny being quiet is just different somehow. Elizabeth says, because he’s a kid, and Sam says she knew if it was important enough, Jason would eventually tell her. She just doesn’t think Danny knows better. And while she wants to hold him accountable for all his screw ups, she doesn’t want him to look at her like she’s the enemy. Elizabeth says, it’s quite the ride, isn’t it? What does Dante say? Sam says. Dante’s been wonderful, amazing, and supportive, but she knows how that goes in the end. Her kids, her life. She just wishes there were a rule book or just someone to tell her what to do. Elizabeth says, you and me both.

Dr. Navarro hands Molly an envelope and says, if they do decide they want to know the sex of the baby. Molly tells TJ that he’d better hang on to it, and gives the envelope to him. He says, she doesn’t trust herself? and she says, not even a little. TJ thanks the doctor for accommodating his schedule and seeing them tonight, and she says, no problem. Everything looks great with the pregnancy. Next appointment in four weeks? Molly says she’ll call Dr. Navarro’s office, and the doctor says, goodnight, and leaves. Kristina joins them, and TJ thanks her for coming to the hospital this late. Molly says, TJ really wanted to be here for the appointment, and Kristina says, of course (🍷). Molly asks if everything is all right, and Kristina says, everything is fantastic. Their baby’s a rock star. Molly says, and so is their surrogate, and TJ says, they were going to dinner if she wants to join them, and Kristina says, no. She has plans, but thanks them. Molly says, plans with Blaze? and Kristina says she’ll call Molly tomorrow and jets to the elevator. TJ says, is it him or was that weird? and Molly says, it’s not him.

Cyrus says, a few cleansing breaths might help, and Heather says, cleanse this. She tells O’Neill that Cyrus says he leads a flock, right? Well, he led her little daughter to her death. Cyrus says, that’s not true, and she says, the hell it isn’t. By the way, what is Cyrus doing here anyway? She thought that his sister – she leans in toward O’Neill – the mayor got him out of here. Cyrus says, Laura had nothing to do with his release, and she says, yeah, right. O’Neill gets up and says, Laura Collins is his sister? (like people wouldn’t know this) and Heather says, he might as well be talking to the mayor herself. She and her big brother keep no secrets. He says, she doesn’t know anything about his relationship with Laura, and Heather says her little girl came to him for help, and he denied her, but he shared her every word with his sister, and now her little girl is dead. Her daughter died because of him. She launches herself at Cyrus and pushes him back. His microphone is muffled in the struggle, and Anna runs out of the room, followed by Dante and John, who tells other guy, find out what happened to that audio.

Elizabeth says, the teenage years are hard on everyone, us, them… Sam says, especially them. She just wishes she knew what to do. Elizabeth has raised boys. How? Elizabeth says she tries to meet each of them where they’re at. The way she parents Cameron is not how she operates with Jake. Hard lesson learned, by the way. It’s like they all have their own language, and she needs to find a way to translate. Sam says, that sounds simple, and Elizabeth says, she knows. Sometimes a shared experience is a good way in. Like doing something Sam loves, or they love, or if Sam can possibly find something they both love doing together, she finds it helps them open up. Sam thanks her and says, that’s really good advice. Elizabeth says, it took years of practice, when Danny comes out. Sam asks if he’s ready to go, and Elizabeth thanks him for his help today. Same time tomorrow? He says, yeah, tomorrow, and walks off with Sam. He says, time to go back to the old lock-up, and she says, it’s their home; it’s not a prison. He says, could have fooled him, and she asks if he wants to go somewhere else. She walks around the corner, comes back, and asks if he’s coming.

Ava says, Stone. As in Stone Cates Memorial AIDS Wing? Sonny says he thinks someone is trying to use Stone’s memory to rattle him, and she says, that is despicable. He says he never knew she cared so much, and she says, it happened to her or doesn’t he remember? Esme used Kiki’s memory to hurt her, to torture her, on Ryan’s orders. Sonny says, for what it’s worth (🍷), he’s glad that son of a bitch is dead, and Ava says, that makes two of us. You’d think it would give her just a little bit of closure, a little peace. He says, nothing can give you that, and she says, no.

Chase thanks Tracy and says, to have her involved in the wedding planning means a lot to Brook, and him. Gregory says, Tracy’s dedication is unparalleled. She’s been collecting RSVPs personally. Chase says, what? and she says she dropped by The Invader to… Lois wants a final headcount ASAP. He says, they just got the invitations back from the printer yesterday, and Tracy says she knows, but he knows Lois. Patience is not one of her virtues. Chase says, right. Don’t leave him in suspense. Is Gregory coming to the wedding? Gregory says, since he’s officiating, he thought it might be prudent to show up. And Alexis has agreed to be his plus one. Chase says, nice, and Finn says, that’s great. Tracy says, yes, it’s great, and Finn says, what about Tracy? Who is she bringing to the wedding?

TJ says, it felt strange, didn’t it, when Dr. Navarro asked them if they wanted to find out the sex, and Kristina answered, when she knows they’re the ones making all of the decisions about the baby. Molly says she thinks Kristina just blurted it out, Kristina being Kristina. She’s all in with everything she does, this pregnancy being no exception. He says he guesses, and she says, Kristina seemed totally cool when they said they didn’t want to find out, but he says, she doesn’t get to be cool. This has nothing to do with her. (Okay, he’s officially annoying me.) Molly says, and she knows, or she’ll get there. And it actually has a lot to do with her. Their baby is dependent on her sister for the next 8 months. Of course (🍷) she’s invested in the life inside her. Isn’t that what they want?

Kristina knocks at Blaze’s hotel room door, and Blaze lets her in. She says, Kristina had an OB appointment tonight, right? Did everything go okay? Kristina says, yeah. The baby is growing appropriately, strong heartbeat. It’s all good. Blaze says, thank God. The look on Kristina’s face made her think something had happened. Kristina says, all good, and Blaze says, then what is it? Obviously, something’s wrong. Kristina tells her that she wouldn’t say wrong, and Blaze asks if she wants to pick another word. Kristina says, more like strange.

John charges toward the room where Cyrus is, but Dante says, wait, and Anna says, if he goes in there, he’s going to blow Cyrus’s cover. We hear Heather yelling, and John says, what cover? This operation’s been cursed from the start. There’s no saving it now. They go in, and Heather tells Anna, that man is a false prophet. Off to the side, Cyrus has his arm around O’Neill’s shoulders and is talking to him. Heather continues to rant, and Anna tells her, calm down. Two guards hold Heather back, and she says her daughter died because he wouldn’t help her. Cyrus says, don’t hurt her. Heather is a lost soul with a troubled mind, and Heather says, he’ll pay for not helping Esme. Her daughter will not have died in vain. John says, enough, and tells a guard to take O’Neill back to his cell. Anna tells the guards, don’t hurt her, please. Just get her out of here. As O’Neill is led away, Cyrus says, go in peace, my friend, and John tells them to get Heather out of here. She wails that they’re hurting her as she’s taken away, and Dante asks Cyrus, what the hell was that?

Kristina says, when that heartbeat filled the room, it was like… Blaze says, magic, and Kristina says, yes, magic. And it was so real. It was more real than anything has felt so far. There’s a baby in there. Blaze says, that’s what happens when you become pregnant, and Kristina says, of course (🍷). Obviously, the pregnancy test is proof and morning sickness is definitely proof, but seeing and hearing that little blob… Blaze says she gets it, and Kristina says she can’t wait to see who this little person becomes. Blaze says, so what’s the issue? and Kristina asks what she means. Blaze says, Kristina is making everything sound so positive, but she said things felt strange. Kristina says, at the appointment, Dr. Navarro asked if they wanted to know the sex and she immediately without hesitation said yes. She wasn’t even thinking about it; it just came out of her mouth. Blaze says, and Molly and TJ told the doctor, no, and Kristina says, being them, they had discussed it ahead of time. Of course (🍷), and as they should. They’re the parents. It’s just… Blaze says, strange, and Kristina tells her that she feels bad saying this, but in that moment, she felt like the baby was hers. And she knows that it’s not. She knows it’s 100% TJ and Molly’s. She gets that. Her voice breaks, and Blaze takes her hands and says, right now, today, that baby is a part of Kristina’s body. Of course (🍷) she would think of it as hers. They hug.

TJ says, of course (🍷) they want Krissy to care about their baby, and Molly says, and remember, that’s her little niece or nephew in there. If it were Molly who was pregnant, Kristina would still be at every appointment and demanding to know the sex. He says, good point, and she says, this is new, for all of them, and like they say, three can be a crowd. He asks if she doesn’t mean four, and Molly says, four. He kisses her and she says, they’ll find a way through this, together. TJ says, any second thoughts? and she says, second? Try third, fourth, fifth… She’s fighting the urge to know and planning everything around the sex, but they’re not really the pink or blue type of people anyway. He says, their son or daughter is going to be whoever they want to be anyway, and she says, the ours part is not negotiable.

Walking onto the footbridge, Danny tells Sam that he used to come here with dad, and she says, it was his favorite place to think. He says, it makes sense. Quiet, no traffic, no people. She says, that’s why he liked it. That’s why she likes it to. He says, it’s cool… Why did she bring him here? She says, because she feels closer to his dad here and she thought maybe he would feel closer to him too. His dad was going to teach him how to ride. 16 isn’t that far away, but it’s not the same as learning from his dad. He says, no, it’s not.

Ava says, you’d think after all these years, she’d have a better handle on her grief. And normally she does she guesses, but losing Spencer brought it all back up to the surface. He asks if she’s been thinking a lot about Kiki and she says, constantly. He says he understands. Spencer’s death blew everything up. For all of them. Now he has this faceless enemy who’s using Stone’s name. She says, Stone was very important to Sonny, wasn’t he? and Sonny says, Stone represents all the people he couldn’t save. She says, he can’t be responsible for everybody. That’s not possible. He says, that’s not how he feels. His mother, Lily, Courtney, Morgan. He couldn’t do anything for any of them. She says, he can’t blame himself, but he says, how could he not?

Cyrus says, what does Dante mean, what was that? Wasn’t he listening? Anna says, his mic went out after Heather showed up, and he pats himself and says, it must have gotten loose during their struggle. Dante says, Heather really doesn’t like him, does she? when John joins them. Cyrus says, he must be Agent Cates, and holds out his hand. John ignores him and tells Anna, this whole thing is a colossal waste of time. Cyrus says, on the contrary, and Anna asks what he means. He says his talk with Mr. O’Neill was very enlightening.

Tracy comes back to find only Gregory at the table and asks if it’s something he said. He says, Finn is checking in with Violet, and Chase is in the restroom. It wasn’t lost on him what she did there. She says, what she did where? and he says, getting up to powder her nose when Finn inquired as to her date for the wedding. She says she had to use the rest room, and he wonders if he can ask her something. She says, as long as it has nothing to do with her plus one, and he says, did she really stop by The Invader to confirm his RSVP? She says, Lois wasn’t really sure if he was bringing somebody to the wedding. He shouldn’t be surprised. He’s experienced her… enthusiasm firsthand. He says he just got the feeling she was there for something else, and she says, if she was, it slipped her mind. He says, okay. He guesses it wasn’t important then. She says she guesses not, and sips her drink.

Sam says, Danny can talk to her about his dad any time. He knows that, right? He says, it feels weird sometimes, and she says, why? Because of Dante? Yes, Dante loves him, but in no way would he ever try to replace Jason. Nor would he want Danny to avoid the subject of his dad. Danny says he’s been missing his dad a lot lately, more than usual, and she asks if he wants to tell her about it. He asks if she remembers Wyatt. His dad came home last month after serving two years overseas. She says, Wyatt must be really happy, and Danny says, he is and he’s happy for him. They used to talk about their dads all the time. She says, and how they missed them, and he says, and now Wyatt’s dad is back. Is it terrible if he kind of wishes he wasn’t? She says, no, not at all. She thinks it’s normal that he would have somebody to relate to, and that’s comforting. Not having that can be sad, but he can talk to her. He steps away from her and says he’s good.

Sonny says he wants to do everything he can to find out who’s threatening his family, and Ava says, and Selina Wu is going to work with him. He says, they’re going to use her guard to lay a trap for whoever’s gunning for him. She says, and Selina, and he says, right. He’s going to tell Stone’s guy that they’re setting up a secret meeting at some isolated location where it’s easy to ambush. She says, really though, it’s a trap for Stone’s gunman, and he says he’s going to find the leak in his organization and he’s going to destroy it. Then he’s going after Stone. She says, he’s suffered some betrayal lately, hasn’t he? and he says he has. Carly, Michael, Nina… She says she thought he and Michael reconciled, and he says he thought so too, but it was all a lie. She says, maybe in their own way, they thought they were helping him, and he says, going behind his back? He can’t trust them. He can’t trust anyone. She says, what he can’t do is go through life alone, so if he really thinks he doesn’t have anybody else, he has her. He says, her? and she says, yeah. Her. He says, who would have guessed? and they laugh.

Kristina thanks Blaze, and Blaze says, for what? Kristina says, for letting her process her feelings without judging her. It’s all really confusing. But one thing she knows with absolute certainty is, this baby is TJ and Molly’s and that’s what matters. Blaze says, she’s amazing, but Kristina says she really isn’t. Blaze says, yes, she is. Being a surrogate is an act of love. Kristina loves that little baby inside her, nurturing him, or her, for her sister and TJ. Kristina says, that is exactly it. That is exactly the thing. She loves this baby for them. Blaze says, no. For all of them. This baby is her family too. Kristina says, yeah. It’s her niece, or nephew… Blaze says, look at her. Everything Kristina is feeling is not only normal, but healthy. Kristina tells Blaze that she always knows what to say, and Blaze says, for some reason, it always comes easy with Kristina. She sees Kristina, and what she sees takes her breath away. They kiss.

John says, Cyrus got useful information from O’Neill. How? The woman busted in, and all hell broke loose. Cyrus says, true, but after the guards pulled her off, Heather kept them conveniently occupied, giving him and O’Neill a chance to continue their conversation. Dante says, why would O’Neill tell him anything, especially after he found out the mayor is Cyrus’s sister? and Cyrus says, that was a setback for sure, but ultimately, the man wants to unburden his soul. Anna says, Cyrus threatened him? and Cyrus says he appealed to O’Neill’s better self. John says, enough with the semantics. Did O’Neill tell him who’s behind the mob hits or not?

Blaze says, stay with me. Don’t go. She and Kristina kiss, and then they get busy. Afterwards, they spoon in bed. (Kudos, GH!)

TJ and Molly come out of the elevator and Molly says, first trimester’s over. Their baby is healthy. Does he know what this means? He says, they don’t have to keep it a secret anymore, and she says, they can tell the whole world they’re going to be parents. He asks if he should announce it over the PA system, and starts walking toward the desk, but she says, don’t you dare, and pulls him back. He says, fine, and she thanks him, hugging him. He says, thank you. She’s given him everything he’d ever want. She says she loves him so much, and he says, not even close to how much he loves her. They kiss.

Tracy thanks Gregory for dinner and says, he didn’t have to do that. He insists he did. He invited her as his guest. Finn asks if Yuri is driving her home, and she says, it’s Yuri’s night off. She’s taking a Ride Share. Chase says he’ll drop her on his way home, and she says she is not on his way home, but she thanks him. She’s capable of taking care of it herself. Gregory says, just because you are doesn’t mean you must, and Chase says, and Brook would kill him if he didn’t get home safe. She says, okay, and thanks him, and Finn says he thought they were going to arm wrestle. Chase says, next time, and Tracy thanks them. She says, this was fun, and Gregory says, yeah, it was.

Cyrus says, O’Neill was much too terrified to give up a name, and Dante says, that’s too bad. John says he told them, and Cyrus tells them, but he did say something quite provocative. O’Neill is terrified of – pardon the pun – the man who is gunning for the mobsters. He’s convinced this person can get to him in here despite the protective custody. John says, that’s typical snitch behavior, and Cyrus tells them, he said this man is untouchable because he’s a ghost. Literally. Anna says, care to explain that? and Cyrus says, according to O’Neill, the person they’re so desperate to find does not exist because he’s dead. Soap looks all around.

Sam says she knows she and Danny haven’t talked about his dad too much, so it might seem a little strange to start now. He says, it’s not that, and she says, then what is it? He says, she and Uncle Drew were close at that time, and he didn’t want to add to that. He wanted to be strong for her. She says, there is no burden too big that she will not help him carry. No matter how tall he gets. And he can talk to her about his father any time. What say they go? They pick up their bags, and Danny asks if she thinks he can get his phone back, but she laughs and says, no chance. She puts her arm through his as they walk, and says she knows. Tough life, kid.

Sonny looks at his wedding ring and makes a fist. Ava says, if you look up brooding in the dictionary, this is the picture you’d see. He says, everything changes, that’s a fact. Just when you think you’re getting close to someone, you’re not. The only person you can really trust is yourself. Ava says, not Avery. She has us. Always. Sonny says, she’s got him there, and she tells him, goodnight. He says, goodnight, and she leaves. He looks at his wedding ring and takes it off. He looks at it for a moment, puts it on the mantel, and walks away.

On Monday, Blaze tells Kristina, maybe it’s time she returns the favor; Carly tells John that he’s wasting his time; and Nina asks if Ava and Sonny have a relationship now.

❤️‍🔥 Melting Maximista’s Heart…

All about Spinelli’s flirtation with karaoke and Maxie.

💃🏽 Mamá Comes To Town…

Great choice for this role.

✒️ Be Excited…

Loving some things – like Blaze and Kristina and Jagger John returning – not so much others – Carly unrealistically taking over at Crimson. Although she is getting a load of Drew’s madman persona.

🍑 No More Peach For You…

I’ve liked Marlo ever since the argument she and Shereé had that was totally in gibberish. She didn’t hold the peach for nearly long enough, but I don’t blame her.

https://people.com/real-housewives-of-atlanta-marlo-hampton-departs-ahead-of-season-16-exclusive-8585035

🍿 On the Wrong End…

I know I’ve said Andy is cruising for a lawsuit, but I didn’t think it would be this one.

https://ew.com/brandi-glanville-lawyers-call-for-andy-cohen-firing-8599618

🧽 Take Your Pick Of Messes…

The recap from the trainwreck that is Summer House.

I couldn’t even find a recap for this Reunion. Apparently, no one cares. This was the closest thing.

https://www.bravotv.com/the-daily-dish/southern-hospitality-cast-relationship-updates-after-season-2-finale

⚰️ Walking Again…

Basic info and a really cool picture.

https://undeadwalking.com/posts/rick-and-michonne-return-this-weekend-in-the-walking-dead-spinoff-the-ones-who-live

https://bleedingcool.com/tv/the-walking-dead-the-ones-who-live-time-takes-a-toll-on-rick-grimes

These people don’t seem to like the franchise too much. I get disenchantment with the original Walking Dead, but City of the Dead and Daryl Dixon were both stellar.

https://www.avclub.com/tv-review-the-walking-dead-the-ones-who-live-1851274240

A kinder, gentler review.

🦔 Not Your Average Pets…

Who wouldn’t want a goat for their anniversary?

https://people.com/kevin-bacon-explains-how-he-surprised-wife-kyra-with-goats-on-anniversary-8599569

This little guy is the cutest.

https://people.com/baby-rhino-gets-a-case-of-the-zoomies-at-toronto-zoo-8598864

🥠 Quotes Of the Week

They have a name for people who quit. They call them quitters. – Rose (Betty White), Golden Girls

What I did or said should never be more important than why I did it or said it.Andrea Kelly

If exhausted from severe and long-continued thought, he had to touch the earth again to renew his strength. When this weariness set in, he would stop thought, and get down with a little dog or kitten to recover.William Herndon, Abraham Lincoln‘s business partner

He does it in annoying ways, but he’s not wrong.Olivia Flowers referring to JT, Southern Charm

Those who do not find time for exercise will have to find time for illness.Earl of Derby (I don’t have time for illness either.)

Never say never. Because limits, like fears, are often just an illusion. – Michael Jordan

Peace is not an absence of war, it is a virtue, a state of mind, a disposition for benevolence, confidence, justice. – Baruch Spinoza

You will have bad times, but they will always wake you up to the stuff you weren’t paying attention to. – Robin Williams

Genius begins with great works; labor alone finishes them. – Joseph Joubert

Have a drink. Become nice again. – Emile Calvet (Ronald Guttman), Mad Men

🛑 Stopping In the Name Of Love…

Enjoy your time off if you have it, your work if you don’t, and your happy place if neither is happening for you. Come back refreshed on Monday really Tuesday for soap and sketchy people on Deck. Until then, stay safe, stay never giving your power over to anyone, and stay not being the picture in the dictionary if you look up brooding.

February 22, 2024 – Anna Gives John a Choice, Thoughts, A Little Bit Of Soap, Reunion Scare, Volcanic House, VanderFlat, Turning 40, More Awards, Pet (!) Friendly & Revolution

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Carly says, Drew threatened to blackball writers and photographers if they worked with Nina on her new magazine, and he says, Nina tried to ruin both of their lives. The least he could do is return the favor. Carly says, but they’ve already gotten their revenge. He fired Nina and hired her as Editor-in-Chief of Crimson magazine. He knows it’s killing Nina to see Carly take her place. Drew says, she bounced back as the editor of a new magazine and he had to shut her down, and Carly asks, why take the bait? What is the benefit of one-upping Nina? They already have everything they want. Their happiness and success is the best revenge. Why can’t he just ignore Nina? (Because apparently, Drew doesn’t have an actual job himself and has a lot of free time.)

Sasha and Maxie come into Charlie’s and Sasha asks what Cody is doing here. She thought he had to work at the Quartermaines tonight. Cody says his plans changed. He would have let her know, but she said she was staying in to watch a movie. Sasha says she and Maxie had to blow off some steam after the day they had at work. A latte and streaming service wasn’t cutting it, so they decided to come here for a drink or two. Cody says, looks like they had the same idea, and Spinelli says, what a fortuitous happenstance. Maxie says, her mom took the kids for a movie and ice cream, so she thought she’d take advantage of a free night and let loose a little bit. Sasha says, this is perfect timing, and asks the guys to join them. Cody says, they would, but Spinelli was just about to bail on him. Sasha says, what? They just got here. Stay a little bit. They all had so much fun together at the Hatchet Range, she feels they should keep that going. She and Maxie could really use it. Maxie says, definitely. Please stay. Spinelli says, slumber can wait, and Cody says, great. The ladies need drinks. Does Sasha mind helping him? She says, sure, and they go to the bar. Sasha says she brought Maxie here like Cody asked. What tricks does he have up his sleeve?

Dante says, while they’re getting Cyrus mic-ed up, why don’t they go over the plan one more time? Anna tells Cyrus that he’s at Pentenville to preach a sermon as a volunteer chaplain. The arms dealer they’re very interested in, Philip O’Neill, is in protective custody, but they’ve made a deal with his guards to attend the sermon. So Cyrus is going to strike up a conversation with him… Cyrus says, wait. He thought time was of the essence here. He’s already agreed to their plan. Why is she talking to him like he’s an idiot? She says, maybe it’s because he likes to exploit loopholes and she doesn’t want him to weasel out of what they’ve already agreed to. So although she might have made a deal with the devil, she refuses to be damned.

Sonny approaches a house in a woodsy area with Selina, and says he thought he was supposed to come here and question her guard who betrayed her, not take a scenic tour around the property. She says, with everything that’s gone on recently, she prefers to be surrounded by security, and that’s easier on her estate. But don’t worry. His patience is about to be rewarded. He says, how so? She says she doesn’t imagine he cares about her gardening, and opens the door. He sees Li, tied to a chair and gagged, and she says, but she does all her best work here. (I’m like, whoa. Li.)

Drew says, the day after they agreed not to engage with Nina, she tried to sabotage Carly’s first issue as Crimson’s Editor-in-Chief. Is he supposed to let her get away with that? Carly says, no. He’s supposed to have faith in her, because she handled it. That magazine made it to the printer on time despite Nina’s dirty tricks. He says, that’s a testament to how good Carly is already at her job. It doesn’t excuse Nina from her behavior. Carly wants her out of their lives, but Nina has made it very clear that she isn’t going to disappear, no matter how badly they want it. She says, so what? Let her play her games. The only thing Nina wants is a reaction from them, and the best way to fight her is to not give her that reaction. He says, she doesn’t really believe that, does she? Nina was standing right here in Carly’s office, gloating about her next strategy on how to take them down. Doesn’t that infuriate her? She says, yes. It took everything in her not to smack Nina, but she knows and has learned that every time she stoops to Nina’s level, it only causes more conflict. And come on. Sonny’s dumped her. Michael and Willow don’t want her anywhere near them or their children. Nina is almost disconnected with everyone in Carly’s life, except Drew apparently. He says, she’s got a near bottomless bank account. She’s got nothing else to lose. That is a dangerous combination. He did what he did to try to get her out of their lives quicker and to minimize the damage she can cause in the meantime. She says, he just wants to humiliate her, and he says, that, too.

Cyrus says, at least let him reassure Anna that he knows what he’s doing today. After his sermon, Mr. O’Neill’s guards will delay returning him to his cell, allowing him to enlighten O’Neill as to the healing power of confession and how it frees the soul. Anna says, that’s a good start, but the goal is to get him to give up the name of whoever it is he sold the WSB stolen cache of guns to. He says, she does realize she’s asking him to betray his values and his sacred duties as a man of the cloth, and Dante says, Cyrus might want to dial back just a little bit. He’s not even ordained. Cyrus says, there are people at Pentenville who actually see him as a chaplain, with all the responsibilities that entails, and Anna says, he believes they all get closer to God by admitting their sins, right? He says he does, and she says, that’s exactly what he’s doing for O’Neill. Regardless of the motives, Cyrus is giving him an opportunity to change and be a better person. Dante says, that’s right. O’Neill isn’t talking to them. He hasn’t got a plea deal and he’s going away for a long time. They’ve got him dead to rights on an illegal weapons trafficking charge, so nothing they do today, none of the information they’ll be getting, will cause any more trouble for him. Cyrus says, and this may help others, and Dante says, 100%. Anna says, for sure, so much, and Dante says, it’s going to be putting less people in harm’s way, innocent people like Curtis Ashford, who may never walk again because of the guns that O’Neill sold. This confession they’re going to get will help a lot of innocent people. Cyrus says, the Lord does work in mysterious ways, and Dante and Anna agree. Anna says, it’s time. Is he ready? Cyrus says he is. He just hopes his Lord and his Police Commissioner remember his sacrifice. He leaves.

Selina says, Curtis Ashford’s warning that she might be open to assassination came just in time. Sonny asks, how so? and she says, between Curtis’s information and the failed attack on her, she realized she was in greater danger than she thought. He says, that’s been made clear to them already, and she says she needed to start asking questions, and wouldn’t you know, discovered that Li here had just bought a new car, a luxury vehicle. She dug a little deeper and found out he’d recently come into quite a large and unexplained sum of money. She puts her hand on Li’s shoulder, and he flinches. She says, after some convincing, Li confessed that he’d agreed to share her whereabouts, putting her in a very vulnerable position. Her loyal men also recovered a gun that was in Li’s possession, and her people examined it closely. No serial number, but there was a marking on it. Sonny says, let him guess. It’s another one of the missing guns that was stolen from the WSB. Li looks at him and he says he’ll take that as a yes. Li’s been working for the people who took a shot at him – twice.

Cody tells Sasha, so Spinelli used to sing karaoke to Maxie back when they were dating, so he figured, what better way for them to remember their history then for Spinelli to serenade her again. Sasha says, that makes sense. He wants to remind them of all the good times they had together as a couple. Smart. He’s the best.

At a table, Maxie tells Spinelli, Tracy is out of control. She’s trying to make all the decisions at Deception. Tracy thinks she knows better than her or Brook or anyone else who works there. Tracy even suggested she quit and go back to Crimson. Not that she would ever do that. She’s completely committed to Deception. Also, she can’t give Tracy that satisfaction. Spinelli says, that’s egregious. Without Maxie, Deception would crumble faster than if Thanos snapped it out of existence. Maxie thanks him and says she is working really hard to make Deception successful. They all benefit. Tracy’s just not making it easy. The MC comes by with slips of paper and pencils and tells them to remember to put in their song choices early. Maxie says, they have karaoke here now? and Spinelli says, apparently, Kristina just started it. It reminds him of their wedding. Remember? She says, how could she forget?

Sasha says she hopes getting Maxie and Spinelli together here tonight works, without betraying girl code or telling Cody anything they talked about. Cody says he would never disclose the conversations he and Spinelli have had, and Sasha says, they’re keeping their friends’ confidences, but they can have eyes. He says, they do have eyes, and she says she’s keeping her fingers crossed that a night of karaoke with Spinelli will give Maxie the clarity she needs on her feelings for him. He says, once the music starts, who knows what will happen?

Drew says he doesn’t want to fight with Carly, but he’s not going to apologize for wanting justice for what Nina did to him. He thought she would actually back him up on this. Normally, she’s the first person to want to get even with somebody who wrongs her. She says, he’s right. Payback has been her go-to reaction for most of her life. If someone hurt her, she was going to hurt them back twice as bad, but most of the time, that reaction has caused more conflict and life is short. Losing her mom so unexpectedly just brings it home all over again and she’s happy now. She’s so happy with him. They have a great life. Isn’t that enough? He says he thought it would be and it would have been if he didn’t find out who turned them in to the SEC, but he knows and he can’t pretend it doesn’t affect him. He just came back from Pentenville with so much rage. Does she have any idea what it feels like to be beaten within an inch of your life? He was lying on the floor of that shower, and he was in so much pain, he wished he was dead, but he was praying for someone to come save him. She says she’s so sorry that happened to him. That was horrible. He says, then he was freed, and he had nowhere to go with that anger. He had no one to blame until he found out who sent him there. She says, seeing Nina must be so hard every time, and he says, every time he does, he feels the rage boiling inside of him, and he thinks about how much time he lost with Scout when he was in prison. He thinks about being beaten and the pain and the recovery, so yeah, sometimes he feels like he’d like Nina to feel a little bit of that humiliation as payback. That’s true. She says she’s not asking him to forgive Nina. She would never ask him to forgive her. But this anger scares her. He hasn’t been the same since he went to prison. He says he went to prison for… She says, he can finish that sentence. He went to prison for her.

Sonny says he’s done playing games here, removing the gag from Li’s mouth. Who hired him? Selina says, unfortunately, Li seems quite loyal to his other employer. They haven’t been able to get a name out of him yet. She uncovers a table of garden tools and says, perhaps Sonny can get him to be a little more forthcoming. She tells Li, Sonny can be very persuasive, and Sonny says, Li’s working for people who are trying to have him killed. People who would put his family and the people he cares about in the crossfire of an assassin’s bullet. Whoever did this is gonna pay. He picks up a pair of shears, and Li moves around. Sonny says, hey. He usually has people who do this sort of business, but since Li’s friends took a shot at him while his little girl was nearby, he needs a more personal touch. He moves closer to Li and says, whoever did this is going to suffer; he can promise Li that. And whoever’s helping them is going to suffer unless Li gives Sonny a compelling reason to spare him.

Cody asks if Maxie and Spinelli have decided what they’re going to sing yet, but Maxie says, not her. Spinelli is the singer. Cody says he has to check something out. He’ll be right back. He leaves, and Spinelli says, if Maxie isn’t going to grace them with the dulcet tones of her voice, he’s not going to sing either. Maxie says, he can’t sit it out because of her. She knows how much he loves karaoke. He says he does, and the MC takes the mic and says, they’re going to get started, so drink some liquid courage if they need it and get ready for some great tunes. Their first singers tonight are Cody Bell and Sasha Gilmore. There’s applause, and Sasha looks surprised. Maxie tells her, get up there, and Sasha tells Cody that she hopes he knows what he’s doing. He says, she trusts him. Come on. She says, he’s never heard her singing voice, and he says, she’s never heard his, and she gets on stage with him. They sing like a pair of professional singers who’ve been singing together all their lives. They finish to lots of applause.

Anna, Dante, and some other guy listen in as Cyrus says, when we confess our sins, we’re not punished, but rewarded for having the courage to bear our souls. With penance and absolution, our conscience is freed and we’re able to step forward with a clear heart.

Sonny says he doesn’t see Li’s lips moving, so he guesses Li’s made his choice. Li asks what Sonny wants, and Sonny says, a description of the man who hired him to betray Selina and his name. Li says, he didn’t give his name. He said it was better Li didn’t know. Sonny moves the shears toward Li’s face and says he guesses Li’s out of luck, but Li says, no. That man doesn’t matter anyway. He was just a go-between working for who’s really in charge. Sonny says, that’s convenient, isn’t it? and Selina says, and Li’s telling them he never met his boss? Li says, no, never, and Sonny says, so let him guess. He never gave Li his boss’s name. Li says, the guy didn’t trust him enough, and Sonny yells, come on! Li says, but he overheard one of his phone calls. His boss goes by the name Stone. (I’m like, double whoa.)

John walks into the room where Anna and Dante are and says, starting without me?

Sasha tells Maxie that she never thought she’d like doing anything like that in front of a crowd, but it was so much fun performing with Cody. Maxie says she’s not surprised Sasha had such a great time. The two of them make a great team.

Cody asks if Spinelli isn’t glad that he stayed tonight, and Spinelli says, it has been illuminating. Cody says, Maxie looks like she’s having a good time too. Maybe Spinelli can convince her to sing a duet with him after all. Spinelli says he knows what Cody is doing, and Cody says, having a fun night out with his friends? Spinelli says, Cody is trying to get him and Maximista to spend as much time together as possible in the hopes it will lead to something, but he’s already told Cody that he has no intention of pursuing his unrequited feelings for her. Cody says, what if it isn’t unrequited? What if she feels exactly the same way he does? Spinelli says, what’s wrong with him? Please stop. Let this go. Cody says he’s just trying to help out, but Spinelli says he didn’t ask for Cody’s help. This is none of his business. Why does he care so much anyway? Cody says he just wants Spinelli to be happy. Okay, maybe he does feel bad about the way he treated Spinelli when he first came to town. Spinelli says, when Cody was blackmailing him? and Cody says he knows. He’s trying to be a better person. He feels like he owes Spinelli one. Spinelli says, then he releases Cody from that debt, making a releasing motion with his hands, but Cody says, that’s not the only reason. He cares about Maxie and her family. They mean a lot to him. And he sees how much Maxie likes Spinelli. He just wants her to be happy. Spinelli says, it’s a touching tale, but Cody isn’t that altruistic. He thinks Cody realizes the longer he plays Cupid with him and Maxie, the more time he can spend with Sasha. Cody says, Sasha is smart, fun, and he’s not going to deny he likes spending time with her, but that’s not the reason he wants Spinelli and Maxie to get together. Spinelli says, tell himself whatever he wants, just butt out of his life, and Cody says, fine. Spinelli says, now that they have that settled, he’s leaving. He gets up as Sasha and Maxie come back, and Maxie asks where he thinks he’s going. He’s not going to sneak out before he sings, is he?

Drew tells Carly that he’s sorry. He didn’t mean that. He doesn’t feel like he went to prison for her. She says, he did. He paid for her crime by losing time with his family and he almost died, and her life basically stayed the same. He says he made a choice to cop a plea to protect her and he doesn’t regret that for a second. He would do the same thing in a heartbeat because he loves her. She says she loves him too, and he says, that’s all that matters. She says, is it? She’s not so sure anymore. He asks what that means, and she says she understands his desire for revenge against Nina. If she had to go to Pentenville and found out it was because of her, she’d feel the same way. She would want to kill her. He says, it’s nice to hear her acknowledge that, and she says she knows her situation is very different. She didn’t have it as bad. She lost some money and a business, but she wants him to know she understands and truly appreciates his sacrifice. He says he knows she does, and she says, but she can’t move on with her life unless Nina is behind her. She doesn’t want to think about Nina anymore, she doesn’t want to argue with Nina anymore, and she doesn’t want to hurt Nina anymore. Because it always comes back to bite her. Nina suffers, but she suffers, and she doesn’t want to do that to herself anymore. She doesn’t want Drew to do that anymore, but she can’t make him feel the way she feels. He says, it’s obvious they’re not on the same page about Nina, but they can keep talking. They can figure things out as they move forward on how to deal with her. She says she wants Nina out of her life completely and she doesn’t know if he can do that. She doesn’t know if he wants to do that. He says he understands, and he wants her to know that he hears where she’s coming from, but he’s not just a passenger here for the ride along with her life. He’s in this relationship just as much as she is, and he gets to have just as much of a say about what to do about Nina as she does.

O’Neill sits at a table, and Cyrus introduces himself as the honorary chaplain at Pentenville. He and O’Neill shake hands, and Cyrus sits down. He says he hasn’t seen O’Neill at any of their services. He wanted to introduce himself and see if there was anything he could do for him. O’Neill says he appreciates that. He thinks he’s good. He’s only recently become incarcerated here. Cyrus says he’s sorry O’Neill finds himself behind bars. As a former inmate, he knows how disconcerting that can be. O’Neill says he didn’t realize a former felon could be a chaplain, and Cyrus says his journey has been an enlightening one. He spent years making all the wrong choices, and finally he decided to listen to what God had been trying to tell him all along. That he was not beyond saving if only he would trust in Him to guide him. And now that he’s been given a chance at redemption himself, he tries to pay it forward by helping other lost souls. O’Neill says, that’s quite a transformation, and thanks Cyrus for sharing. Cyrus says, it turns out it’s his calling, helping others find a way forward when all seems lost. He can see something’s troubling O’Neill. Maybe he can help.

Selina and Sonny come out of the house, and Selina says, from Sonny’s reaction, she gathers that name means something to him. Sonny says, it was somebody he knew a long time ago who was very important to him. He’s gone now. She says, then it can’t be the same person who’s targeting them, and he says, but that name is also very important to somebody else who just arrived in Port Charles.

John says he’s disappointed in Anna. He thought they’d come to an understanding. She says, so did she. She doesn’t think she’s violating that in any way. If he’ll excuse her, she and her detective are in the middle of an operation. He says, one that was never cleared by him. Imagine his surprise when he found out Philip O’Neill isn’t available for questioning tonight because he’s in a religious service, on Anna’s orders. She says she stands on her decision, and might she remind him, this is her jurisdiction and O’Neill is a possible witness. So she’s at liberty to conduct her investigation any way she chooses. He says, she’s not at liberty to keep the FBI in the dark, which is why he’s shutting this operation down.

Dante asks if they don’t want the same thing here, to stop the attacks on these mob figures? and John says he gets that they’re all invested in this case. But it’s their methods he’s got a problem with. They’re trying to get his witness under a wire and extract information without looping him in. He can’t allow that. Dante says, so he wants to tank the entire investigation because his pride’s hurt? John says he’s been working on this case for months. He’s put everything into it. So he’s not going to allow them to blow the whole thing because they have a bias toward Sonny Corinthos. Dante says, and there it is. This whole thing, right? It’s the vendetta John has against Dante’s father. Anna says, Sonny’s been targeted twice. It’s not a bias to find out who’s responsible. It’s literally their job, and O’Neill is the best lead that both of their cases have. And the federal prosecutor couldn’t convince him to talk, so she’s taken matters into her own hands. John says, by acting without authority and going behind his back? and she says, but this could work. Why is he so willing to shut it down?

Sonny tells Selina that Stone was a kid he took in back in the 90s who was very, very important to him. He had a brother, John. After Stone died, John had a son and named him Stone in memory of his brother. John is a Fed. She says she sees, and Sonny says, they never got along. As a matter of fact, John hated his guts. The only thing they had in common was Stone, and after Stone died, he hadn’t seen John in years, until recently. And John still has it in for him. John is the agent investigating all the attacks on organized crime figures. She says, that seems like suspiciously convenient timing, and he says he feels the same way. So if whoever is coming after them is named Stone, it can’t just be a coincidence. She says, it does raise a lot of pressing questions, and Sonny says, and he’s going to get the answers.

The MC says, Damien Spinelli, you are up. Amid pats on the back and cheers, Spinelli takes the stage. He sings It All Comes Down To You to Maxie, who looks enraptured. He finishes to applause and goes back to the table. Sasha says she and Cody are going to get some fresh air, and they go outside. Spinelli and Maxie look at each other.

Carly says she doesn’t mean to make Drew feel like it’s her way or no way. He’s completely justified in wanting to make Nina pay for what she’s done to him. But not if it’s turning him into someone that the people he loves don’t recognize. If Nina accomplishes that, then she wins. He says, that’s the last thing he wants, and she says she knows. And she hates that this is where they are. When they talked about her taking the job at Crimson, her condition was that he end his war with Nina, and he agreed. She picks up the magazine and says, so consider this her first and last issue. She hands it to him and walks out. I’ve never been a huge Carly fan, but I’m liking this new Carly.

Maxie says, that was a beautiful song, and Spinelli says, maybe he should have gone for more of an up tempo, more of a crowd pleaser. She says, the song was perfect. It reminded her about how he’s been singing Lullaby and Goodnight to Baby Lou every night for the last two months. He says, two months? Time flies when you’re crashing in someone else’s abode. She’s not getting tired of that bedtime song? She says, no, never. She loves hearing him sing to her. Almost as much as she loves having him at the house and seeing him with the kids every day. They adore him and they’re all happy to have him. He’s the one who hasn’t been able to be in his own space for so long. He says, it appears the repairs have taken longer than expected, but she says she doesn’t mind. If it didn’t mean his apartment would look like a scene from Avatar: The Way of Water, she would say he should never leave. She’s sorry. She didn’t mean to… He says, no. Don’t take it back. He feels the same way. Living together the last couple of months felt so right. She says, for her too, and he says, there’s nothing he wouldn’t do for her. He’s here for whatever she needs. She says, whenever her life was falling apart, he was always there for her. She knows she can count on him. He says, always. She’s one of his closest friends… Actually, he considers her more than a friend. She says, how so? and he kisses her. (Aww!) She kisses back.

Outside, Cody says, this was really fun. He’s glad they did this. Sasha says, her too. She has to admit, as much as they always say you regret your past, it’s fun watching him scheme for a good cause. He’s very good at it. He says, it’s easy when you have a great accomplice.

Maxie suddenly pushes away and picks up her stuff. She says she’s got to go, and jets, telling someone she passes that she’ll see them at work tomorrow. She comes out, and without even stopping, she tells Sasha, we have to go. Sasha says, o…kay, and shrugs at Cody, who says, bye.

Li says he told Sonny everything he wanted, but Selina says, it’s not enough. Li says, but it’s all he has. They know everything he does; he swears. Please. Sonny says, then he’s got one shot to save his life, and Li says he’ll do anything. Sonny and Selina look at each other, and Sonny says, anything.

Cyrus asks O’Neill to tell him what’s weighing him down, so they might pray on it together and find him some peace. O’Neill says he’s worried about his safety. He hasn’t slept in days and feels like there’s so many people in here who are out to get him, after all the things he’s done and the people he’s mixed up with. Cyrus says, his past doesn’t define him. He can move forward in his life. It begins by telling the truth. So give himself a chance. Tell him everything.

John says he is lead agent on this case. He doesn’t have to explain his actions to Anna. He answers to a higher authority. (So does Cyrus. ha-ha!) Anna says she wants them to work together. She’s not the enemy here. Her daughter thinks the world of him, and that’s worth something to her. He says, personally, he has no problem with her. Professionally, that’s a different story. She’s standing in the way of him tracking down a large shipment of stolen guns and possibly stopping whoever’s murdering mob bosses from consolidating their power. This ends now. Dante says, yeah… Something doesn’t feel right about this. It almost feels like John is having a personal issue with Anna or something. John says, that’s big accusation with no proof, and Dante says he’s got proof. They’ve come this far, and he can’t believe John wants to stop them from questioning this witness. Anna says, neither can she. Something else is going on here. If John forces her to shut down this operation, then her hands are tied. She’s going to go to his supervisor and tell them that he’s not fit to investigate this case. So what’s it going to be? It’s his choice.

Tomorrow, TJ asks Molly if it’s him or that was weird; Kristina tells Blaze, in that moment, she felt like the baby was hers; Elizabeth asks if Sam is worried something deeper is going on; and Cyrus asks O’Neill, who is this man who’s worth a lifetime in prison?

💭 Thoughts. This was a good one. I made noises out loud at the Li and Stone reveals. Since I remember squat about Spinelli and Maxie being together, his beautiful singing voice was a surprise too. Although seriously, the most unrealistic karaoke ever. Sasha was surprised when Cody asked her to do a duet, yet they looked and sounded like they’d practiced the song a million times. Even more unrealistic, they put on a show rather than their eyes being glued to the lyrics screen like their lives depended on it. The general consensus in my karaoke group is, if we had to sing Happy Birthday there, we’d need to see the lyrics.

Also, and hear me out here, I’m not sure if John is the man behind the shootings or they just want us to think that. Somebody could have set him up. Even though he hasn’t been in the opening credits yet, they don’t usually bring on a guy like that just to show him the door five minutes later. Just a thought.

🧴 All the Soap That’s Fit To Print…

I wonder if she gets to pet the chihuahua.

She’s living the dream.

Feelings.

Up for tons of awards, but they change the team. Go figure.

🚑 It’s Not About the Esophagus…

This really just describes the scene, but gives no new info.

🤽‍♀️ Sorry, Hamptons…

Those awful people are back for another season. No recap online yet. Maybe no one wants to watch it.

🍸 Falling Rules…

I don’t know if I agree. Certainly not that Raquel is needed. Got along without her before we met her, we’ll get along without her now.

🩰 Kick Off Your Sunday Shoes…

Iconic.

https://people.com/footloose-40th-anniversary-lori-singer-kevin-bacon-chemistry-electric-exclusive-8584419

🏆 Rewarding Their Work…

BAFTA winners.

https://www.cnn.com/2024/02/18/entertainment/bafta-award-winners-nominations-live/index.html

More important, BAFTA fashion.

https://www.theroot.com/our-favorite-black-celeb-outfits-from-the-2024-bafta-aw-1851272322

Everything about the Golden Globes. My dream is to get ahold of one of those swag bags.

🐶 Award Worthy Pup…

But did he pee everywhere?

https://people.com/host-david-tenant-brings-dog-named-bark-ruffalo-to-2024-baftas-8584703

💎 Shining Bright Like a Diamond…

Stop in tomorrow for some pre-weekend soap, interesting tidbits on the famous and furry, and quotes to ponder. Until then, stay safe, stay assuming three pieces per person for a pizza, and stay not reacting to someone only trying to get a reaction. It’s the best way to fight them.

February 21, 2024 – Selina Pays a Visit To Sonny, From White Party To Separation & Someday

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Maxie and Brook rave over the new issue of Crimson, and Maxie says, best of all… Brook says, it makes her want to buy the product. Maxie says she knows it’s too early to track sales, but… Brook looks at her tablet and says, website traffic and social media mentions are spiking. If this continues, they’re in for one hell of a quarter. Maxie says, congratulations, and Brook says, to all of them, but Maxie says, no, to her for all her work with Carly to make this happen. Brook says, that’s why she’s here, and Maxie says, not to make this weird, but since she’s so reinvested in Deception, is Brook reconsidering her plan to turn the company over to her? Brook says, absolutely not. As soon as it’s possible, Deception will be Maxie’s again. Just as it should be. Maxie says she knows it’s hard to tell because their waterproof mascara is just that fantastic, but she’s tearing up right now. Lucy and Sasha come in, and Lucy asks, what’s going on in here?

At Charlie’s, Trina tells Josslyn that since she saw Spencer disappear into the water, she’s been walking through a fog. It’s like the world doesn’t have meaning anymore and everything that was important to her has lost its value. Josslyn says she hears Trina, but not everything has lost its value. What about art? What about her family and her friends? Trina says she loves them all, but it’s more like something she remembers feeling, and Josslyn says she thinks she felt something similar when Oscar passed. That’s how she knows Trina will get through this. Trina asks, what makes her so sure? and Josslyn says, because Trina is Trina, and she says so. She just can’t believe Spencer is gone. Trina says, he’s not the only one. What about Dex?

At the bar, Felicia thanks Spinelli for going through this entire ruse; moving in with Maxie and paying rent to keep her afloat so she can sort out her finances. It’s meant a lot. He says he was only too happy to help, and she says she’s sure giving up his personal space has been a huge sacrifice, which is why she’s happy to report – fingers crossed – that his pipes might soon be fixed. He says his pipes were never broken. That was all part of the… Oh. He sees. She says, Maxie’s almost back on her feet, so she was thinking it might be time to put an end to their little deception. He says, as it were, and she says, so he can finally pull up stakes and move back home. Won’t that be great? He says, yeah… great.

Lucy says, look at you two, thick as thieves. It forces her to wonder, what inspired Maxie to get so cozy with the resident rat? Maxie says, it’s nothing. They were just excited about the spread. She holds up the magazine, and Lucy says, oh. She’s actually excited. It’s better than she imagined, and she does have a very vivid imagination. Brook says, clearly, and Sasha says she has to give it up for their team. The copy, the placement, this entire ad campaign looks fantastic. Tracy comes in and says, you know what they say about appearances. They have all been deceived, (well, that would be ironic), and someone is going to be held accountable.

Alexis tells Gregory that the social media reports came in, and the online engagement about their coverage has been on a steady rise, so she’s hoping the numbers will impress their new – she makes a gagging gesture – management. Nina comes in and says, her? Satisfied? Never.

Carly looks at the headline about Olivia Jerome, when Drew comes in with the magazine and says, look what you did. She’s a beauty, just like her editor. What’s the matter? Doesn’t she want to celebrate her first issue of Crimson? She says she wishes she could, but right now she can only think about one thing.

Ava comes into the penthouse and says she didn’t think Sonny would be here. She’s just going to pick up something for the gallery. She’ll stay out of his hair. He says, she can’t avoid him forever, and she says, but she can try. He says, they need to talk about her sister.

Carly tells Drew that she’s so proud of that magazine. She’s never done anything like that before. She should be out there thanking her staff for all their hard work, but – she shows him her tablet with the headline about Olivia – this happened. Olivia Jerome is dead, the woman who planted the car bomb that killed Morgan. Seeing the headline opened a door that she’s been keeping closed really tight, and all she can think about is her son and how he was taken from her. Drew says he’s definitely thought about Morgan too. He was on his way to see how she was doing, but then he saw the magazine. He was so proud of her being able to focus on this considering. She says, it should be a happy thing, and she should be feeling that instead of all these feelings that are coming back to her. Drew says, he was her son, and she says, his death was so sudden and so senseless. He says he knows. Morgan was so young and had so much life left to live. She says, she should have processed this already, and she should be able to bounce back, and he says, why? There is no should. Not when it comes to losing a child. He hugs her.

Ava says, Sonny’s right. She has been avoiding him, but does he blame her? She’s sure she’s not a person he wants to see right now. He says he didn’t ask her to steer clear, and she says she knows. And she knows he’s not one to mince words, and she also knows he wouldn’t tell her to leave for Avery’s sake. He says, if she’s in his home it’s because he wants her to stay, and she says she doesn’t mind if Avery stays and she finds someplace else, but he says, she knows that’s not an option. She says, but staying here is? Doesn’t her being here bring up an awful lot of memories?

Tracy says, Carly changed the layout, in bad faith, she might add. They were promised an interview and a full-page spread in the first 20 pages. Maxie says, they were, and then Carly called them personally and said there was a spacing issue. She got the change approved by Brook and by her. (What did I say? Carly was making all these promises as the magazine was going to press. I know zilch about that stuff, yet I could guess there wouldn’t be the space she was offering.) Brook says, and she gave them an addition half page of ad space as compensation, and Maxie says, which means they got better placement and more space, all thanks to Tracy’s granddaughter’s exceptional negotiation skills. Tracy says, it isn’t what they agreed upon, and they could have squeezed more out of Carly. But clearly, Maxie is too close to her or maybe just too trusting to realize it. Sasha suggests Tracy take another look at the issue. She thinks if Tracy keeps an open mind – Lucy says, what little mind she has left – she’ll see how fantastic this ad campaign is, thanks to Maxie’s guidance. It’s vital, it’s fresh, and you can see how much passion went into it. (Does anyone really look at ads that hard?) Tracy says, maybe if Maxie loves what Carly is doing so much, she should sell her shares of Deception and go back to Crimson.

Alexis says she didn’t realize they had a meeting this morning, and setting down some potted flowers, Nina says she couldn’t sit on her hands after reading Alexis’s Olivia Jerome coverage. Gregory says, they’re all very proud of their work on that piece. Not only did The Invader get the scoop on Ms. Jerome’s murder, they provided valuable context and insight into her life as well as her death. Nina says she loved it. That’s why she wants to promote Alexis’s work. She wants to find Alexis her Peabody, her Pulitzer. Alexis says she thinks what Nina is suggesting is a little ambitious, and Nina says, of course (🍷) it is. Alexis says, what she meant was, a little too ambitious. She knows Nina is used to running a glamor magazine, but this is a daily newspaper, so the pacing and style is different. Nina says she gets it and trusts Alexis’s instinct on journalistic integrity. But what she brings with her from Crimson is more than a little expertise in circulation. And The Invader, while good, leveled off. Alexis says, again, with respect, the landscape of journalism is the daily struggle. What she would suggest is Nina spend some time learning about the business and then make a big change if she wishes. Nina says, that’s a great idea. That’s why she wants Alexis to focus in on the important issues and quality journalism and let her worry about the numbers. Alexis says, right. What does that mean?

Tracy asks Lucy, what’s so funny? and Lucy says, it’s just that she’s so pleased to know Tracy hasn’t lost her famous people skills. Brook suggests they take a moment to recognize there is no Deception without Maxie. Have they even taken a minute to look at social media? The campaign is doing great. Crimson readers are going straight to the website, all thanks to Maxie. Maxie thanks Brook, and says, Brook deserves just as much credit. Tracy says, clicks and likes do not translate to sales, but Brook says, they literally do. People who go directly to the website usually end up buying more than one product, making up for those who are just browsing. Maxie says, likes keep them trending, which means more clicks, so… Lucy picks up her bag and coat, and Maxie asks where she’s escaping to. Lucy says, this is so boring. All that Tracy does is complain and she’s sick of hearing it. She’s sure they are too, so she has more important things to do with her time. She leaves.

Spinelli says, any number of bad things can happen to Maxie. There could be a downturn in the market. Deception could have a downturn. The debt ceiling could be a socioeconomic trash compactor. Felicia tells him, breathe. Maxie’s financial advisor is confident that she’ll be fine. He asks if they trust this advisor. What are their credentials? Are they even a fiduciary? They could be an itinerary gambler, an embezzler, or God forbid, clandestinely involved in the performing arts. (Oh, horrors!) Felicia says she really doesn’t think that’s the case, but you never know, right? He says, her attempt at humor is no solace to him, and she says she’s getting a very strong impression nothing would be. Level with her. Why doesn’t he want to move out?

Sonny asks if she’s talking about her sister Olivia, and Ava says, he brought her up. He says, yes, he did, and she tells him that she knows she probably doesn’t have to say this, but it bears repeating. She and Olivia were not close. She barely knew Olivia. Olivia did hold her hostage. Sonny says he remembers, and she says, so whoever killed her dearly departed sister, she’s grateful. He says he doesn’t know how grateful she’s going to be when he tells her who did it. It was the people who tried to kill him at the MetroCourt and in Puerto Rico. She tells him that she can’t say she’s a fan of all their work, but she’ll give them credit of doing the one good deed of wiping Olivia off the planet. But where does this leave them? There’s a lot of history under this roof right now and she doesn’t know how long they can sustain it. He says he doesn’t even want to think of the past, because there’s so much trouble going on in the here and now. Do they agree on that? There’s a knock at the door, and Ava says she’ll check on Avery. Sonny asks the guard, what is it? and he says, Sonny has a visitor. Sonny says he doesn’t want to be disturbed, and the guard says he’ll send her away, but Selina says, he’ll do no such thing. She walks to the doorway and says, Sonny Corinthos, you never write, you never call.

Alexis says, absolutely not, but Nina says, just hear her out. Alexis says, fine, but only because she has to, and Nina says, this is what she does. Take her two top op-ed writers and publish them on alternate days, so The Invader will have space for a syndicated gossip columnist. Alexis says, when Valentin told her that he bought this paper and hired Nina to be publisher, she told him on no uncertain terms that she would not let this paper be turned back into a seedy tabloid. Not on her watch. Nina says she promises Alexis will be able to provide quality journalism for her readers (it’s not like Crimson was some rag), and Alexis says, great. Are they done here? Nina says, in order to fund and expand that work, they need to increase revenue, and the only way to do that is by readership growth. One thing she did learn from Crimson, it pays to give the readers what they want. Alexis says, Nina’s already hired someone, hasn’t she? and Nina says she likes to work with people who are open minded and not afraid of change, and she knows that’s Alexis, whether Alexis knows it or not. She adjusts the flowers and leaves. Alexis tells Gregory, help… Okay, here’s what they’re going to do. They’re going to convince Nina that there’s going to be no gossip column here or they’re going to hightail it out of here with their integrity intact. Will he say something? He says, don’t hate him, but he thinks Nina might be onto something.

Spinelli tells Felicia, it’s not that he doesn’t want to move out. He’s gotten used to spending time with Georgie and James and Bailey Lou. It would be a shame to abruptly end their tutelage of fantasy role playing games at this juncture. Felicia says, Bailey plays fantasy games? and he says, they work as a team. She has a deft touch with the dice. A hand clamps down on his shoulder, and Cody says, if it isn’t two of his favorite people. He asks how Mac is doing, and Felicia says, still away. They talk a little bit every day if they can. He sends his regards. Cody says, please send Mac his as well. He couldn’t help but overhear them, and asks Spinelli, why not tell Felicia the truth?

Josslyn says, there are things she can’t tell Trina about why Dex left, and she wants Trina to know it has nothing to do with their friendship. Trina says she’s here for Josslyn, so tell her what she can. What has she figured out so far?

Cody says, Spinelli wants to keep spending time with the kids. Wouldn’t it be jarring if he suddenly left, especially after their used to having him there so much? And he bets Spinelli would miss them too. Right, buddy? Spinelli says, that’s exactly right, and Felicia says she supposes they could work out some kind of arrangement to wean him out of the house. Talk to Maxie. Lucy comes in and trots over to Felicia. She says, you, with me, now. Excuse them. She practically drags Felicia outside, and Cody says, Spinelli does know Felicia’s right, doesn’t he?

Tracy says, thank God Lucy left. They can finally get some work done. Brook says, before they do that, she’d like to have a word. She asks Maxie if they can please use her office for a second, and Maxie says, yes, by all means. Maybe Brook can get Tracy to see what a triumph they’ve made. She tells Sasha to get out while she can, and they both leave. Tracy says, finally, it’s just her and Brook. How does Brook want to manage this crisis? Brook says, they don’t, because there isn’t a crisis, and Tracy asks if she’s learned nothing. Brook says, what she’s learned is that there’s obviously something that’s upsetting Tracy and she’s taking it out on everyone else. And she’s pretty sure it has nothing to do with Deception.

Sonny asks if Selina just happened to be in the neighborhood, and she says, first of all, she wanted to congratulate him. He says, why? What did he win? She says, the woman who’s responsible for the death of his youngest son is finally dead, and he says, too little too late. Anything else she needs? She asks why she had to hear from Curtis Ashford that she might be the target of a shooter going after – Ava comes back – certain independent business owners. He says, it’s okay. Ava knows everything. Selina says, even so, care to answer the question? He says he thought she could handle it herself, and Selina says she appreciates the vote of confidence, but why should she believe him? He says he doesn’t really care if she believes him or not, and she says, before all this happened, they were managing to peacefully co-exist in Port Charles, but now with all this secrecy, she’s thinking maybe that should change. Perhaps now is the time to bring their alliance to an end.

Sonny says, if Selina wants to end their alliance, that’s up to her, but he wouldn’t recommend it. Selina asks, why not? and Ava says she’ll leave them to it, but Sonny says, don’t leave. He might need her input. Ava says, really? and Selina says, and why? Sonny asks if Selina forgot Ava was in the business, but Selina says, not for some time now. He says, she knows the business from the inside and the outside, and she may even give Selina some insight. Selina says, unlikely, but one never knows. So tell her, why should she and Sonny not dissolve their partnership? Sonny says, she never represented a threat to him or his business whatever that is and they both know she doesn’t want to. It’s a matter of scale. Selina says, then why not tell her the truth, that she has a target on her back? and he says he was going to. That’s the actual truth. Selina says, and he changed his mind, but he tells her, like he said, there were other factors. Selina says, such as? and he says, if he tells her this, she needs to give him her word that it doesn’t go out of this room. She says, he has her solemn oath, and he says, there’s a leak in his organization. She says she sees. Does he know who it was? He says he did, but it turned out to be a dead end. He didn’t want to say anything to her until he was positive. She says she sees the wisdom in that. As it turns out, he’s not the only one with a traitor in their midst.

Carly says she thought if Olivia ever got what was coming to her, she’d feel some kind of relief, and Drew says, then it happens, and… She says she feels anger… It’s sadness He suggests she take the day off. This is a lot to process. People will understand. She says she can’t. People worked so hard to put this issue together. Everyone showed up and taught her the ropes and they deserve some recognition. So does she look okay? He says, she looks amazing, and hugs her. Nina walks in.

Tracy says she’s not upset about anything. Where did Brook get that idea? Brook says she saw the way Tracy reacted to Lucy, and Tracy says, she’s an airhead. Brook says, look, ever since Tracy lost Luke, she’s been a little rudderless. Maybe a little lonely, dare she say, although she knows Tracy would never admit it. But it doesn’t have to be that way. She knows it must be scary, opening her heart up after losing the man she loves, but Brook also knows she must want to. Tracy says, this is not appropriate workplace conversation, but Brook says she’s right. It’s obvious there’s someone Tracy wants to bring to the wedding, but she just hasn’t asked them yet. Tracy says, Brook’s not right, so how can it be obvious? and Brook asks, why else would she have pitched a fit about not getting a plus one? Tracy says, come on, and Brook says, Tracy’s right. She doesn’t know what she’s talking about – Tracy says, thank you – because if she did, that would mean Tracy is too afraid to ask. But she is Tracy Angelica Quartermaine. She’s not afraid of anything. Is she?

At the café, Maxie tells Sasha, the mock-ups are exactly the same. They’re just spaced out a little more, which means they have more ad space. They look less crowded. It’s a win for them. She doesn’t even know what Tracy is talking about. Sasha says, stop, and Maxie says she’s sorry she’s rambling. It’s just that Tracy drives her so crazy sometimes. Sasha says, she drives all of them crazy, but she can’t take Tracy too seriously. Besides, Brook knows how to handle her. Maxie says, Sasha’s right. Normally, she wouldn’t let something like this bother her; she’d just dive straight into work. But this time… Sasha asks if she’s okay, and Maxie says, yeah. Why? Sasha says, she just stopped talking, and Maxie says she can see why that would be a cause for concern. Sasha asks if there’s something else on her mind, and Maxie says, her accountant said she’s close to being financially solvent again. Sasha says, that’s great. She must be so relieved. Maxie says, yeah, she is, and Sasha asks if she’s sure. Because by the look on her face, it doesn’t seem like good news. Is something else going on?

Cody sits next to Spinelli and says he knows what Spinelli is going to say, that he and Maxie are just friends or co-parents or whatever, but… Spinelli says, as much as he loathes to admit it, Cody is right. His feelings for Maxie extend beyond the platonic and into the romantic. Again. Cody says, way to go. Look at him. He said it out loud. He’s really proud of Spinelli. Doesn’t it feel good? Spinelli says, only because he knows nothing will come of it. Maxie will ask him to move out, which he will, and everything will go back to normal. Cody says, or now maybe is the perfect time to tell Maxie how he feels, but Spinelli says, and risk their friendship? How could he possibly throw that away because of some fleeting infatuation?

Lucy asks if Maxie has said anything about Deception, and Felicia says, other than working night and day on a new ad campaign? but Lucy says, not about work. She’s talking about Brook. She did help Tracy steal Deception from her and Maxie. She just can’t figure out why Maxie is trying to make Brook look so good.

Trina asks Josslyn, if Sonny made Dex go away, would he trust Dex or would he have his guards make sure Dex stays away? Josslyn says, Trina is a genius. She has most of Sonny’s guard’s numbers because of Donna and Avery. Trina asks if she can trace them or something, and Josslyn looks over at Spinelli. She says, she can’t, but she thinks she knows someone who can.

Nina says she’s there to make sure this office still meets Carly’s high standards, and Carly says she’s satisfied with the repairs. Thanks. Nina says, Carly is much more understanding than that boyfriend of hers, and Carly says, how so? Nina says, Drew was so upset with the repairs being done, he made some choice phone calls to some very important people and crushed her dreams of starting her own magazine, but fortunately, she’s resilient and adapts, so she’s no longer in fashion. She’s in news media. Carly says, cable access? and Nina says, no. Carly hasn’t heard. Valentin bought The Invader and now she’s publisher. So she guesses the moral of the story is, everything always works out in the end. So thank you, Drew. He freed her from the insular world of fashion, allowing her to broaden her horizons with The Invader. So from now on she’s on to far bigger and far better things.

Gregory says, Nina wants a money-maker that relies on subscribers than advertisers. Gossip columns began as populist journalism, written by and for the elite. Alexis says, you know why the society page died? Because no one gives a crap anymore about debutants and divorcées. He says he knows she thinks it’s soft and unworthy of interest in her newspaper, but it also reveals what’s going on behind the closed doors of influential people. She says, columns about who wore what where don’t interest her, and he says, she’s not her only subscriber. And don’t forget, not all newspapers are dropped off at a doorstep anymore. Most of their readers prefer to come to them and they want them to keep coming, do they not? She says, of course (🍷) they do, and he says, so if they want them to eat their vegetables, i.e. the good stuff they offer them, maybe they need entice them with a little dessert. She says she doesn’t like it, and he says, she doesn’t have to like it. She says, so they just have to do it? and he says, unless she can come up with a highbrow alternative that’s just as popular and profitable. She says she has a better idea. Why doesn’t he come up with a highbrow alternative that’s whatever he said. Earn his paycheck. He says he’ll get back to her on that. In the meantime, he hopes she won’t hold his falling in line against him because he has a favor to ask. She says, depends. What’s the favor?

Tracy says, of course (🍷) she’s not afraid, and Brook says, then why not ask? Tracy says, it’s not her business, and Brook says, if she hadn’t inherited Tracy’s relentlessness and insistence on meddling, she’d let it go, but alas. Tracy says, fine. There is someone. Brook says she knew it, and Tracy says, but she’s not going to ask him. Brook says, why not? and Tracy says, because it’s not necessary. Brook says, why not? Is he already going to be at the… She gasps and says, it’s Gregory, and Tracy says, good guess. So now she sees, there’s no point. Brook says, but wouldn’t it be great to show up on Gregory’s arm as opposed to just happening to be at the same place?

Maxie tells Sasha, they must be almost done with the repairs in Spinelli’s apartment and that means he’ll be moving out soon. Sasha says, that’s too bad. Maxie really seemed to enjoy having him at her house. Maxie says, they drive each other crazy; they always have. Sasha says, but in a good way, right? and Maxie says, sometimes. She guesses she missed seeing Spinelli every day, because now that she does, she loves telling Spinelli about her day. And she loves explaining the business to him and listening to him talk about chemical compounds and situational epics and hearing about his day, the details of which are completely incomprehensible. It’s like listening to R2-D2. Sasha says, who doesn’t love R2-D2? and Maxie says, right? But he loves what he does, and she loves hearing him talk about what he loves. For somebody who uses 500 words when 5 will do – Sasha says she can’t imagine what that must be like – he’s a great listener. Spinelli always helps her put her day in perspective and remember what matters the most. Sasha says, if things are going so well, why doesn’t she ask him to stay? but Maxie says, no, no, no, no, no. Sasha says, why not? and Maxie says she’s already asked so much of him. How can she ask him for anything else?

Trina tells Josslyn, go find Dex. And when she does, never let go of him. They hug.

Felicia says she doesn’t know what’s going on with Maxie and Brook. All she knows is, they have a very strong bond. You don’t care for the same child without developing a deep trust and understanding. Lucy says, friendship though, is one thing. Business is quite another. Felicia says she doesn’t know why Maxie is being so generous with Brook or why Brook is suddenly so invested in Deception. They’re probably just working out their differences and it’s as simple as that. She wishes she could be of more help, but she can’t. Lucy says she’s got to go, and jets.

Spinelli tells Cody that he used to woo Maxie with karaoke. Those were the days, my friend. That’s an expression. He and Cody are acquaintances at best. Cody says he’s well aware, and looks at a card advertising karaoke at Charlie’s. Josslyn approaches Spinelli, and he says his condolences about Spencer. She thanks him and asks if she can talk to him.

Sonny says, any idea who the leak is? and Selina says, with all due respect, and looks at Ava. Sonny says he told her, she can trust Ava, but Ava says, it’s okay. She was just about to fix herself a drink. Selina says, cheers, and Ava leaves. Sonny and Selina sit on the sofa, and Selina says she takes it he heard about the attack on her and her men. He says he doesn’t know the details. Is there something else he should know? She says, between them, she was quite taken aback that she left herself in so vulnerable a position, and he says he knows the feeling. She says, after the attack, she discovered one of her most trusted guards had been accepting bribes. He tipped off her location. Sonny says he needs to talk to this guy, and she says, that can be arranged, but she’ll need something from him in return. I’m shocked she let him live.

Josslyn asks if Spinelli can find the location of a cell phone off the number, and he says, it’s possible, but it does depend on a variety of factors. It might help if he knew who she was looking for. She says, trust her. The less he knows, the better. At the bar on the phone, Cody asks Sasha if she and Maxie have any plans for tonight. Sasha says, not that she knows of, and he says, she does now. Bring her down to Charlie’s. Spinelli will be waiting. Do not take no for an answer. She says, they’ll be there.

Alexis tells Gregory, that is a favor she’s more than happy to grant. As soon as she checks her schedule. Tracy knocks at the door and says, Gregory’s assistant said she could find him here. He says he doesn’t really have an assistant, and she says, somebody knew where he was. He says, it’s always lovely to see her. What brings her by? She says she actually had something personal she wanted to talk to him about, and Alexis says she just wants Gregory to know her schedule is free and she’s available to be his plus one. Tracy asks, plus one for what? and Gregory says, Brook and Chase’s wedding. Did she want to go somewhere? She says, no. Actually, Lois has been harassing her about nailing down the RSVPs, but now she can tell Lois they spoke. It’s great Alexis will be joining them on the big day. She leaves and, in the hallway, she looks sad.

Nina says she was so excited about her new venture, she just had to share. Being publisher of The Invader is allowing her to tell these new stories. She’s especially interested in exposing how those at the top are willing to do anything to stay there. So don’t they dare cancel their subscriptions. They won’t want to miss a beat. She leaves, and Drew says, can she believe that woman? Carly says, she’s hateful. They knew that. So why go out of his way to antagonize her?

Lucy goes into Brook’s office and says, Brook and Maxie are up to something, and Brook is going to tell her exactly what that is. Brook says, just trying to run Deception, that’s all, and Lucy says, so if she were to go to Tracy and suggest that maybe her true-blue granddaughter isn’t all she’s pretending to be, would she stick to the same story? Think about it. If she were to suggest to Brook’s dearly beloved granny Tracy, what would Brook think Tracy would think if she knew Brook and Maxie are conspiring against her express wishes for Deception? Brook says, Lucy doesn’t need to upset her that way. So tell her. What does Lucy want to make sure that doesn’t happen? Lucy says, easy. She wants in.

Sonny asks what Selina needs, and she says she’d like to resume her poker games. They were rather profitable, and their absence has sparked a demand for their return. He says, in exchange, she gives him access to her guard, and she says, access. Is that all? He says, and free reign to get what answers he needs by whatever means necessary. Ava listens in.

Tomorrow, Sasha asks what tricks Cody has up his sleeve; Carly asks Drew, what is the benefit of one-upping Nina; John says he’s shutting this operation down; and Sonny says, whoever did this is going to pay.

The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills

Kyle meets with personal assistant Jenn, Erika, Kevin Lee (remember him?), and the event manager at the SoFi Stadium to plan the White Party. In Kyle’s interview, she says, the White Party is nostalgic for her. It’s always been about their family. We flash back to White Parties past, and she says she’d rather put her energy and focus on planning the party than her personal life. The White Party is back and bigger and better than ever. They check the place out and act stupid on the field. Kevin shows Erika the stage, and in Erika’s interview, she says she can’t believe Kyle is having her party there and asked her to perform. It’s a warmup for her Vegas residency and a chance to redeem herself. Erika Jayne is back and at SoFi. Take that. In Kyle’s interview, she says she learned about Kevin from LVP, and we flash back to bling, bling, bling, shi, shi, shi. She says, if she’s doing an over-the-top party, she needs an over-the-top planner.

Sutton goes to see jewelry designer Martin, bringing along her daughter Porter. In Sutton’s interview, she says, it’s a special day. Porter is home and she’s had her store for four years; they survived the pandemic. She wants to show Porter that as women, they can do this. They browse, and in her interview, Sutton says, in a previous life asking permission was not fun. This is freedom. She’s doing what she wants with no guilt. Martin shows her some jewelry that none of us will ever be able to afford in several lifetimes, like a 9-million-dollar ring. Sutton says her business manager would kill her and settles for $68K earrings. In her interview, she says she’s struggled about a lot of things since her divorce. She wants everyone, especially Porter to see she’s thriving and not being a cliché wealthy woman, sitting around planning galas in a muumuu with bonbons. We go to work. She tells Porter that it was hard when daddy said he was moving. When she married, she lost her independence, but now she can’t believe what she’s able to do. She wants Porter to know that, going forward in her life, keep her independence. Fall in love and have babies, but never lose that person. Don’t let the hard worker in her go. Then Porter can buy Sutton jewels.

The stadium is set up for the party and Erika’s concert, including white palm trees and a giant KYLE written in the middle of the floor. In Kyle’s interview, she says she wants the ground to open her up and swallow her whole. Why isn’t Kevin getting that it’s not all about her? She shades LVP, and I call her an a-hole.

Everyone gets ready, and Dorit calls PK in London. In her interview, she says, PK is still in London for work. He knew the White Party was on the calendar and knew how much it meant to her. She tells him, 8 months ago, if he’d delayed his return, it would have created resentment, but he says, back then, he wouldn’t have done that. She says, but he did, and in her interview, she says, PK says he’s starting to understand her PTSD better – we flash back to their therapy session – but his actions don’t show it. She tells him that she likes having him around, although sometimes he can be annoying. He says, sometimes, he can’t get a word in, and in Dorit’s interview, she says she has moments when she worried about them being able to stay together.

Mauricio wanders around, wondering where Kyle is, and backstage, Mikey gathers the performers together. He says, they haven’t done this in four years, so it’s extra pressure, a new look. The party guests enter by walking through a gauntlet of cheerleaders with pompoms and Sutton says, it’s freakin’ real cool. Mauricio says, they decided to throw something small, and in Garcelle’s interview, she says, for someone who doesn’t drink and would rather stay home and read, it’s a contradiction. Go big or go home. The guests include the morally corrupt Faye Resnick, Cynthia Bailey, Jeff Lewis, and Camille Meyer (formerly Grammer). Dorit says, it’s so chic, because she desperately needs a thesaurus. Kyle comes out on the field with her daughters, but her big entrance isn’t very big, since no one notices except Sutton. In Sutton’s interview, she says, where is Mauricio? They’ve been looking for him since the memorial service.

Sutton tells Mauricio that Kyle is on the football field, and he says, right now? Mauricio tells the girls that they’re slaying, and Kyle tells Jeff, f*** him and his podcast talking sh*t about her. She’s never taken a diet drug. I believe it if you believe it. The party is on a platform in the middle of the field, and the dancers on stage have disco balls for heads. I wonder how they see. Denise arrives, committing the cardinal sin of wearing a pink jacket. In Dorit’s interview, she says, the last time she told Denise that her jacket was upside down, it didn’t go well. We flash back to that, and she says she doesn’t want to be the one to tell Denise it’s a White Party. Kyle talks about the first White Party when they were on a budget, and everyone tells her how amazing the party is. Truthfully, it looks pretty boring. Garcelle asks if Sutton has heard from Steve, and Sutton says, yes, two days after he ghosted her. She decided that’s not good enough, and Garcelle says, there are other Steves in the fish… in the sea. In Sutton’s interview, she says she gives her success on getting a second date and being asked on a third date to Allessandra. She’s more confident on how she presents herself, but dating isn’t as important as she thought. What she wants to date now is her business. That’s what she’s in love with. In Kyle’s interview, she says, the White Party is sentimental for her. Mauricio thought it was in the parking lot, and it shows he’s not listening. Does she look like the kind of person who’d have a party in a parking lot? Backstage, Mikey says, they haven’t done a prayer in four years, and Erika says, it’s been a few years, and she thanks and loves them. It’s been a long road. In Erika’s interview, she says she hates what the last few years have done to her, and we flash back over all that. There were times she quit caring what she looked like, ate, or what people thought of her. She thought she’d never perform again in her life. She thanks her people for being here and says, have a great show. In her interview, she says, if she hadn’t gone through what she’d gone through, it wouldn’t have led to SoFi and Vegas.

Kyle takes the mic and welcomes everyone. She says, they need some entertainment, and Erika comes out on the field with her dancers like a boxer in a hoodie. In Erika’s interview, she says, if it doesn’t go right, the buzz and momentum comes to a screeching halt. Kyle introduces the beautiful and talented Miss Erika Jayne.

Erika hits the stage to cheers applause and performs XXPEN$IVE. Zzzzz…. Same old. No Lady Gaga here. In Kyle’s interview, she says, Erika Jayne just made her comeback, and in Dorit’s interview, she says, Erika gave the people what they wanted. She’s a real showman. At the end, a bunch of streamers come down like it’s a disco, and in Erika’s interview, she says she wakes up, smiles, and feels good about the person she’s working on. Kyle tells Erika that she killed it. She’s proud of her. We see text that says, after Erika’s success, she’s planning more. Her Bet on Blonde is playing out. More text says, PK came home after 39 days, and in her interview, Dorit says, no matter how hard she tries, PK is never going to take her seriously and be as present as she’d like. Maybe he’ll never change. Can she accept that? She doesn’t know. We read that Dorit and Kyle haven’t spoken since December, and Annemarie and Crystal haven’t interacted since the White Party. Annemarie is also retired from giving out medical advice at cocktail parties. I’m confused, since we’re only halfway through the show. In Annemarie’s interview, she says, not everybody can get along and that’s fine. She’s all about pushing herself to be a better person. The text says, Crystal is accepting Jeff living part-time in Thailand and that he has a new girlfriend. They show a clip of Jeff telling Crystal and their mom that they have to trust them. Their job is over. The text says, and Crystal finally admitted to Rob that he was right. In Garcelle’s interview, she says, her takeaway from this season was meeting people where they’re at. She’s grown with setting boundaries and as a mom, realizing the boys need different things. She’s a better version of herself. We read that Garcelle is basking in all her skills and won the ASTA Award for Black Girl Missing, and we see her acceptance speech. In Sutton’s interview, she says, when she found out Christian was moving, she was scared. In becoming independent, she tapped back into the business side of herself. Now she’s on her own and not leaning on someone. She’s making it happen for herself. We read that Sutton continues to grow her brand. Her son James is with her full-time, and she’s put dating on hold. The new man in her life is Santos. She tells us that she and her esophagus are doing just fine. The women take a group photo.

One month later. Garcelle looks at her phone, and says, oh my God.

July 23, 2023. Crystal tells Rob that Kyle and Mauricio are separated after 27 years of marriage. Dorit tells PK that Kyle never gave any indication there was trouble, and Annemarie wonders if the People magazine exclusive came from Kyle to get ahead of what people are saying. Rob wonders, who planted the story? and Crystal tells him that he’s storyboarding a movie. Sutton calls Garcelle, and says she thinks there was truth leading up to this. The exercising, not drinking, the tattoos. When they asked questions, they got in trouble. Methinks she doth protest too much. Garcelle asks if Sutton thinks Kyle was lying the whole time, and Sutton says she thinks the whole thing is sus.

One day later. Kyle says, there was no wrongdoing on anyone’s part. The rumors are not true. We see Twitter posts (yeah, I know, X, but does anyone use that in reference?) about the separation, and in Kyle’s interview, she says, when the article came out, she was with Mauricio and the girls. All of their phones started blowing up. Mauricio was focused on who gave the story, and she was focused on how it’s affecting them. Alexia started to cry, and no one knew what to do or say. It felt like her whole life was over, life as she knew it. Erika goes to Kyle’s, and in Erika’s interview, she says, when she filed for divorce, she felt overwhelmed and alone. It’s important she be here for Kyle. Kyle was always good to her. Kyle didn’t shade her or push her out or judge her. If you care about people, you show up when they need you most. Erika tells Kyle that she needs to acknowledge and apologize for not being observant at the dinner. She didn’t know. We flash back to Sutton and Garcelle asking questions, and Erika says, if she missed something or wasn’t an attentive friend, she’s sorry. Kyle says, there was nothing to be observed. They were dealing with things in private. Erika says, like what? and Kyle says she feels bad talking about it. The hardest part is that it’s not one big, huge thing. Erika says, she can’t point at one thing and say, that’s it, and Kyle says, there are things she was needing and wanting more from her marriage that she just can’t get. Since the article came out, she’s seeing things like, obviously Mauricio cheated, or she cheated. It has literally nothing to do with anyone else; it’s just about them. Erika says, she can acknowledge how painful it is, and Kyle says, Mauricio is the kind of person who pretends everything is okay. That makes it hard. Erika says, she was told, everything is fine, and Kyle says, when they met, they were opposites, but it worked. She kept him safe and because of him, she took chances. They’ve been together since their early 20s and she was proud of it. Erika says she should still be proud of it, but Kyle says she’s not proud now. Erika asks, why? and she says she feels like she’s let down Mauricio, the kids, and even people who don’t know them. Complete strangers have said they looked up to them and they made them believe in true love. Erika says, there are only two people who matter, and everyone else’s opinion can f*** off. Make herself happy. She’s raised the girls, and she’s been a good wife, mother, sister, and daughter. Kyle says, what if they can’t work it out?

One week later. Mauricio tells Kyle that they’re opening an office in Panama, and in Kyle’s interview, she says, things are more uncomfortable since the article came out. It made it more real. Mauricio jokes that he’s glad she’s having the affair for once, and in her interview, Kyle says, the kids lived a fairytale, and the article pulled the rug out from under them. Things are worse than they told them. Farrah arrives, and Kyle asks all the girls come to the living room. She says she wants an open conversation and to clear anything up. Mauricio says, what’s most important is that they didn’t tell the girls anything because they tried to protect them, and now they were blindsided by the news being made public. They ask if the girls have any questions. Kyle reassures them that there’s been no talk of divorce, but they’re no strangers to rumors. One of the girls asks, what happens now? and Kyle says, they’re taking the time while they’re working to work through their own stuff. They’re figuring out what they want and are going to work through this while living under the same roof. She doesn’t want to leave and doesn’t want dad to leave. If it’s not working out, they’ll go on to the next step, and if it’s working, great. Porsha starts crying, and Kyle says, they’re not broken, just bent. They’re a strong family and always will be.

In Kyle’s interview, she says she’s come to realize she’s taking a big chance. They might not end up together. A producer asks what the issue is. What can’t Kyle let go of? Kyle says, things happened that made her lose her trust and they haven’t been able to recover from. We flash back to Kyle and Mauricio at the Pont des Arts Bridge in Paris, adding their lock to the bridge. We go down Memory Lane, and it makes me feel sad, even though I don’t care about these people. We read that Kyle reconciled with Kathy, and things are hunky dory for Whitney’s wedding. In her interview, Kyle says, Mauricio is still away. She wants to be at peace. She’s never had that. A producer asks, is she done? and she says, it’s over, and sobs.

Way to end a season. I hope I don’t have nightmares.

Next time – the Reunion – Dorit says, Kyle sent her a text, silencing her; Kyle says she’s holding a crystal and Erika says she’s holding a Xanax; Erika wants Andy to eviscerate Kyle; Sutton says, Kyle was relentlessly mean to her – watch the show; Crystal wonders if she’ll get an apology from Annemarie for the eating disorder remark; Dorit accuses Garcelle of peddling a false narrative; Andy asks Kyle if she sees herself with Morgan; Kathy joins the group; and Sutton has some kind of attack.

🚬 Dave’s Not Here…

Stop by tomorrow for some soap and a gathering of entertaining info. Until then, stay safe, stay cultivating a positive digital footprint, and stay showing up for people you care about when they need you most.

February 20, 2024 – Anna Asks Cyrus For Help, Sandoval In the Running For Narcissist Of the Year & Strange

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Diane says, Sonny has at least four people on stand-by who could do this. He doesn’t need her. He says he wants her to handle this directly. He needs somebody he can trust. Will she do this for him or not? She says she lives to serve, and leaves. Frank tells Sonny that his son is here, and Sonny asks, which one? Dante walks in and says, what does he mean, which one? Does it matter?

Walking into the MetroCourt, Nina asks if Valentin is sure he can’t sit and brainstorm with her, but he says he’s sorry. He’s booked. He goes over to a table where Laura and Robert are sitting, and Robert tells him, have a seat. Since they all know why they’re here, they can get on with it. They’re here to discuss the consequences of Charlotte’s actions when stalking Anna.

Cyrus is folding napkins at the PC Grill when he hears someone come in. He says, we’re closed, and Anna says, even for her? She moves aside her jacket so he can see her badge.

Portia brings in coffee for Jordan and Curtis, and says, now she’ll leave so they can talk, but Curtis suggests she stay. He’s sure whatever Jordan has to say, she can hear. Jordan says, technically, what she’s about to say, Portia can’t here.

Sonny asks what he can do for Dante, and Dante asks if he’s okay. Sonny says, yeah. Why? Dante says, Diane seemed a little pissed off and this isn’t the warmest welcome he’s gotten from Sonny, so he can come back if Sonny is busy. Sonny says he’ll just go out of his mind, and Dante asks, why? About the Olivia Jerome killing? Sonny says he read about that. He’s not going to shed any tears, but he had nothing to do with that if that’s what Dante is implying. Dante says he actually thinks the people who killed Olivia Jerome are the same people who are trying to kill Sonny.

Robert says, as Laura knows, the DA’s office must avoid all appearance of bias, and Valentin says, meaning what exactly? Robert says, meaning any familial ties to the mayor, minor age, injury incurred in the course of the crime negate the fact that the crime was committed at all. Several crimes actually. Valentin says, she wasn’t in her right mind. Robert knows that, and Laura says she appreciates the difficult position Robert is in, so please just tell them what his office has decided. He says his office will not pursue any charges… at this time, provided Charlotte work with a court-ordered therapist, a thousand hours of community service, and three years’ probation. Are they good?

Cyrus tells Anna that he’s sorry, but the Grill won’t open for another hour. He’d be happy to tell the maître d’ she’s looking for a table. Just let him know the number of people in her party and what time. She says she’s not here to dine. She’s here to offer him an opportunity to save lives, including his own. He asks why she’d want to save him.

Curtis assures Jordan that anything she has to say will be kept in the strictest confidence, and Jordan tells her that nothing she says will leave this room. She can’t provide all of the details, but there have been some results in the investigation of the MetroCourt pool shooting. Portia asks if the shooter’s been captured, but Jordan says, no. Portia says, found? and Jordan says, no, but they’re closer now that they know the shooter’s agenda, and they have a definitive answer as to who the target was. Portia says, they already know the target wasn’t Curtis, so who was it? Anna? Sonny? Jordan says, the shooter was aiming at Sonny, and Curtis asks if that’s definitive. Jordan says, they’re as sure as they can be without a statement from the shooter. Sonny wasn’t the only target.

Dante says, they think the same person, or people, who took out Olivia Jerome are the same people who tried to take Sonny out at the MetroCourt pool and in Puerto Rico. They also think they’re responsible for the deaths of various organized crime figures across the country. Sonny says, so Olivia was next on the list, and Dante says, that’s right. They were operating on the assumption it was a lone gunman, but they’re not working alone because Olivia’s guards were ambushed by two men, part of a bigger group or organization. Sonny says, that tracks with what Jagger Cates told him. He also advised Sonny to watch his back. He asks if Dante is telling him there’s a possibility that someone is infiltrating his organization, and Dante says, this is serious. They’ve got to find this traitor. Sonny says, Dante tells him that like there’s only one.

Diane approaches Nina, who’s working at the bar, and Nina says, the bartender should be back momentarily, but Diane says, not to worry. She takes a manila envelope out of her bag and says she’s not here to see him. She’s here to see Nina. She slides the envelope over and says, you’ve been served. Nina opens the envelope and takes out some paperwork. She says, these are divorce papers.

Jordan says, they have reason to believe the shooting is related to a series of attacks on organized crime figures across the eastern US, and Portia says she’s relieved to know Curtis wasn’t the target, but she’s still furious that he became collateral damage because somebody had a vendetta that actually had nothing to do with him. Jordan says she understands the feeling, and Curtis says, they appreciate the update. Actually, he’d begun to look into things himself. Jordan says, really? What did he come up with? He says he didn’t get to far. He had to pause because he underwent surgery. Jordan says, understandable, and Portia says, he’s been focused on his recovery. Jordan asks how the recovery is coming, and Curtis says, there’s definitely been progress. Jordan says she’s glad to hear that. She said she’d keep them in the loop, so that’s why she gave them this information. She knows standing on the sidelines isn’t how Curtis operates, but now that he’s mentioned he’s working on the case, maybe it’s time she speaks to Anna about making him a more active part of the investigation.

Cyrus tells Anna that he can’t imagine why he’d be in danger. Clearly, he’s not the man he once was. She says he considers himself reformed, but she’s not sure everyone feels the same way. His former life puts him at risk. Who’s to say he’s not the next target? He says, then he shall rely on God to be his protector, not the PCPD, and she says, what about all the other targets or collateral victims? Will his conscience be at peace with their deaths, knowing he didn’t do everything in his power to stop this violence? He says, God helps those who help themselves, and he’s not in the business of saving lives. That’s her job. He’s just trying to save a few souls. She says, that’s a very lofty goal, and he says, it’s all he’s got. She says she happens to know he retained contact with his religious acolytes at Pentenville, and he says he goes there twice a week. The new warden has seen the wisdom of allowing him to continue his ministry. She says she wants to make a proposition to him. It’s a win-win situation, because he’s perfectly placed to use his influence at the prison. He says, let’s just speak plainly. She’s not concerned about his ministry or the men who turn to him in search of a pathway to salvation. She’s asking him to exploit the very people who turn to him for guidance. Is he right?

Valentin says, a thousand hours of community service and three years’ probation. He thinks maybe Charlotte should go to court. The judge would give her a more lenient sentence, certainly more reasonable. Laura says, but they’re very grateful Charlotte isn’t going to face detention of any sort. She wants Robert to know though, Charlotte’s already in therapy. Robert says, that was factored into the decision. When it comes to juveniles, his office likes to pursue a direction of reformation over punishment. Valentin says, Victor manipulated Charlotte, and Robert says, Victor was her grandfather and an adult. She was a kid. She didn’t know any better. Valentin on the other hand… Laura says she thinks it’s time for her to get to her next appointment and thanks Robert for his fairness and his consideration in this matter. She’s really grateful, but she really should be going. Why doesn’t Valentin walk out with her? Valentin tells her to go ahead. He has more business. Robert says he’ll be in touch, and Laura says she looks forward to it. She leaves, and Valentin says, Robert has done his professional duty. Now’s his chance to get personal.

Diane tells Nina, the terms are very simple. It’s a 50/50 split of all assets accrued during the marriage. Other than that, both parties keep the toys they came with. Nina says she’s heard nothing from Sonny in all the time that’s gone by, no contact. She thought that he was cooling off, that after he did that, they might try again, but now these papers. No word to her? Nothing? Diane says she always advises clients that communication should be kept to a minimum during separation and Sonny listens to her counsel. Nina says, nice try. Sonny does what he wants. She doubts Sonny would listen to Diane’s counsel more than his own heart. Diane laughs and says, it’s true. Of course (🍷), Sonny listening to his heart over his head is what got them here in the first place.

Dante asks if Sonny is saying he thinks he has more than one mole inside, and Sonny says he takes nothing and no one for granted. Dante says, nor should he, so let him help, and Sonny asks how he’s going to do that. Dante says, for starters, they see where Sonny’s key players were during the attack on Olivia Jerome. So Brick was out of town. Frank was with Sonny? Sonny says, yeah, and Dante says, how about Dex? Sonny says, Dex is not the guy, and Dante says he knows Sonny trusts Dex… Sonny tells him, that’s not what he said. He said, Dex is not the guy. Dante asks how he knows, and Sonny says he appreciates what Dante is trying to do, but he has to go. Dante says, if they pinpoint where Sonny’s people were, then they can figure out who wasn’t where they were supposed to be, and Sonny asks if Dante thinks he doesn’t know how to run his own organization. Dante says, whoa. He thinks he’s actually trying to help Sonny. Sonny says he’s heard that before, and Dante says he gets that Sonny might be on edge with everything that’s going on, but this feels like something else, something Sonny’s not telling him. Why doesn’t Sonny talk to him? Sonny says, it’s his problem, but Dante says, what affects Sonny, affects him, okay? Sonny says he hasn’t figured out the ID of the shooter, but he did sniff out a rat. He got rid of Dex. Dante asks, why? and Sonny says, Dex wasn’t working for him. He was working for Dante’s brother, his son. Dante asks what he’s talking about, and Sonny says, Michael hired Dex, planted Dex in his organization to get evidence against him so Michael could send him to prison.

Nina says, Diane never liked her, but Diane says, none of this is personal. Nina says, please. She turned Diane’s friend Carly in to the SEC. She’s probably doing anything she can not to gloat right now. Diane says she’s had many triumphs in her long career. Nina’s failed marriage to Sonny doesn’t even rate. Nina says, it’s really sad that when Diane considers her accomplishments, it’s only in the context of her career. Profession is not a life. Diane says, Nina is concerned about her. That’s so sweet. Nina wants to play? She’s got a few minutes. They can play. Nina knows nothing about her. However, she knows boatloads about Nina. She knows, for instance, that Nina is an heiress and she’s benefitted her whole life from the sort of soft landings that money provides. (Leaving out those years in a coma where Nina had twins who were stolen from her by her mother who was trying to steal her inheritence.) So when Nina committed – she’ll just pick a random case from their files – assault and kidnapping, she did a three-month stint in a luxury mental facility and then walked out, free as a bird. Fast forward to Nixon Falls, where Sonny is living and has no idea who he is, but Nina knows. And she took advantage. Just like she took advantage of the strain between Sonny and Carly after Sonny came back to Port Charles to break them up, catch Sonny on the rebound. Nina sets herself up as the embodiment of sweetness and light, but thank God, Sonny has finally come to his senses. But don’t worry. She still has all that inheritance money. She’ll have a soft landing, again.

Valentin says, so Robert is coming after him. That’s what this is. Robert says he thinks he’ll keep Valentin guessing. He’s having lunch with a female friend of his. Valentin says he’s trying to be as optimistic as Laura was in hoping Robert isn’t taking his loathing of him out on his daughter. Robert says he thinks the word Valentin is looking for is gracious. He has so much sympathy for Charlotte and everything she’s been through. She shouldn’t be behind bars. Valentin on the other hand, should. He walks away.

Curtis says he hated giving up on his investigation. The stakes are high on this one and he didn’t like the idea of Jordan being out there digging on her own. He’s glad to hear the FBI’s involved now and that she hasn’t been hurt in the process. Jordan says, there was a sticky situation in a hotel room with a dealer who sold the sniper rifle, but she had Anna as back-up. Portia says, this all sounds incredibly dangerous. Why doesn’t Jordan just let the FBI handle this, especially since she and Curtis aren’t in law enforcement anymore? Jordan says, one of the perks of her current office is that she gets to liaise with the PCPD. They all agree that what matters is stopping this guy. And if Curtis likes, she can get the ball rolling bringing him in as a consultant. With her and Laura singing his praises, she doesn’t anticipate much pushback on that. Curtis says, thanks – he looks at Portia – but he’s going to sit this one out.

Cyrus tells Anna that he has work to do. Please respect that, and him. She says she’s not trying to strongarm him at all. She’s asking him to use his powers of persuasion and influence to gain the confidence of a certain person at Pentenville who has valuable information that could just stop this killing spree. He says, gain their confidence by deception. That’s not his way. People come to him who are scared and vulnerable. She says, you know who else is scared and vulnerable? The next person who believes they’re a target. And he may not like them – she may not like them – but she doesn’t think either of them is in a position to judge whether they should live or die. They need their help. And she’s not talking about an offering of thoughts and prayers on Searching with Cyrus. He says, so she’s heard his radio broadcast, and she says she has. He has a unique way of communicating. She might go so far as to say he’s quite gifted in his ability to persuade and instruct. He could be a real asset to them in trying to gain this intel. He says he’s sorry, but aside from everything else, he doesn’t work with cops, and she says, even for a good cause? He says he has only her word for that, when Laura walks in and says, what about her word?

Curtis says he appreciates the opportunity, but he’s focused on his family and his recovery. Jordan says she understands and respects his decision. He would have been an asset to this investigation. Did he turn up anything on his own? Curtis remembers Sonny saying, Pikeman is in bed with the WSB. Former WSB agents work for Pikeman and then Pikeman personnel work for the Bureau. Pikeman has made overtures to him, but let’s just say it didn’t live up to Pikeman’s satisfaction. Curtis tells Sonny that Pikeman may have a reason to come gunning for him, and Sonny says, anything is possible. Curtis tells Jordan, nothing comes to mind. Like he said, his priority is getting back on his feet so he can be fully present for his family. She says she’s certain he will. He’s got this. She thanks Portia, who says, of course (🍷), and Curtis says, Jordan and Anna make a pretty formidable pair. Jordan says she and Anna are working on a tactic, even if it is a little dicey, and Curtis asks, how so? She says, it requires help from Cyrus Renault.

Cyrus says, bringing in the big guns, eh, Commissioner? and says hello to Laura. Laura asks why he’d balk at stopping more killings, and Anna says she has some calls to make and leaves. Laura says, Anna thought he might need a little more encouragement. She has to say she’s really disappointed Anna was right. He says, come on. She knows how he feels about law enforcement. She says, and how law enforcement feels about him? This isn’t about personal or professional animus. It’s about stopping an assassin who’s working an agenda they haven’t even uncovered yet. This is important. This person must be stopped. He says, and she’s really this wound up about saving mob bosses, and she says, he claims the most important thing in his life right now is helping his fellow man. What if it is another mob boss? He used to be one not that long ago, right? He told her that he’s turned over a new leaf now and she really wants to believe that. Here’s his chance to prove it to her.

Dante says, Dex was working for Michael the whole time? and Sonny says, it started off that way, then Carly got involved and it changed course. But no one decided to notify him. So here’s what happened. They sit down, and Sonny says, Carly and Michael hired Dex to protect him, like he’s a child, and Dex reports back to them if he thinks Sonny’s in trouble. Dante says he gets now why Sonny is pissed off. He relied on Dex. Sonny says, and trusted Michael. He’s not going to make that mistake again. Dante says, then Sonny is telling him that Michael had a change of heart and hired Dex to look out for him, and Sonny says, too little too late. Dante says, is it? and Sonny says, his son tried to take him down from the inside. He didn’t just say he was going to do it. He actually tried to do it. So just because Michael changes his mind, he’s supposed to forgive and forget? Dante says, no, but he does remember back then that Michael felt betrayed by Sonny, right? And he came around and opted to protect Sonny. Does he really want to write off his son who, in the end, was looking out for him? Sonny needs people close to him who care about him and it doesn’t really matter how they got there. Sonny tells him, that’s what Michael said, but there’s no room in his life for anybody he can’t trust.

Nina says, Diane wouldn’t be so callous if Diane could relate to what she stands to lose, and Diane says she shall await word from Nina’s attorney. She gets up and heads for the door, but Robert appears and takes her arm. He says, shall we? but she asks if they can get out of here. He says, happily, and they leave. At the bar, Nina tells Valentin that Diane just served her divorce papers from Sonny, and he says, Diane and Robert are infuriating, aren’t they? Reveling in the misery of others. It’s bad karma and they have a lot of it. Nina says she’ll toast to that, and they clink martini glasses.

Outside, Jordan calls Anna, who says she was just about to call Jordan. Jordan says, any word? and Anna says, yeah. None of it good. Jordan says, dammit. That’s what she was afraid of.

Jordan asks if Curtis is having second thoughts about joining the investigation, but he says he’s clear on his role. He’s a husband and father first. She says she’s so glad. She knows how much all of this means to him for him to make that sacrifice. Anna and Jordan are going to figure out who’s responsible for these shootings. They’re going to wrap it up, and they’re going to catch him, so no one else has to endure what they’ve had to endure, or worse. He says he hopes so and tells her that he has to make a call. She says, sure. She’ll start dinner. She walks toward the kitchen, and he calls her back. He tells her that he’s never felt closer to her than he has these past few days, and she says she feels the same way. He says, that’s why he feels like he has to be completely honest with her. He has to warn someone who may be the shooter’s next target. She says, warn who? and he says, Selina Wu. She asks why he’d need to warn her, and he says he’d do it as a courtesy. Because they used to be in business together.

Valentin says he’s sorry and asks how Nina is feeling. She says, miserable. She waited patiently for months and months. She gave Sonny a lot of space. The first real conversation about her marriage that she’s had was with Sonny’s lawyer telling her it was over. She doesn’t want to talk about it anymore. Tell her what happened with Charlotte. What did Robert Scorpio have to say? Valentin says, he’s not pressing for jail time, but he wants her to serve a thousand hours of community service and three years of probation. She says, that’s absurd, and he says, lucky Laura was there. She kept him from blowing up. It would have made things worse. She asks him to tell Charlotte that she loves her, and she’ll call her. It’ll be okay. Charlotte has him and her, and Nina will be there for her. She just has to call. He says he’s so grateful Charlotte still has Nina in her life. And for what it’s worth (🍷), he’s sorry she’s being treated so poorly. Sonny serving her with divorce papers without any warning. She says, he probably has a lot going on. Maybe he just needs a little reminding. He tells her, don’t make excuses for that guy. He thinks it’s time she came to terms with the fact that her soon to be ex-husband is not the man she fell in love with. She gets up, and he says, hey, it’s her life. She wants Sonny to change his mind? How is she going to do that? She says she has to get his attention first.

Dante says he gets that this isn’t easy. First Sonny loses Nina, then Spencer, and now it’s Dex and Michael. That’s a lot of loss. Sonny says, it’s different situations, but Dante says, it’s all the same in that these are people who were close to him. Sonny says he guesses not that close, and Dante asks, where’s Dex now? Sonny says, he’s not a problem, and Dante says he obviously can’t just leave that at that, can he? Sonny says, he’s alive, but they both agreed it’s best for him to leave town. He’s telling the truth. Dante doesn’t trust him? Dante says he trusts Sonny. Does Sonny trust him?

Jordan says, if anyone can get through to Cyrus, it’s Laura, and Anna says, yeah, but she has her work cut out for her. He’s being very resistant. Jordan says, not to pile on any more bad news, but Curtis opted not to consult on the investigation. He wants to make a fresh start.

Portia says, wow, and Curtis says, for a while there, he received a cut of Selina Wu’s profits in the poker games in The Savoy’s backroom. She asks if that’s why that woman came to their home with a basket of fruit. That’s why she wanted to buy the club, right? Did Marshall know about this too? He says, yeah. He figured it out. Dad’s no fool to these kinds of things. She says, no, he’s not a fool, but clearly, she’s the fool, and Curtis says he wanted to keep the family safe. Selina Wu respected that until she came here. She crossed the line. She says, that’s what these people do, and he says, she has every right to be angry with him. He should have just told her. She says, this isn’t about anger. She’s terrified.

In Robert’s hotel room, Diane says, this is precisely why she told Sonny that she didn’t want to serve the papers. She doesn’t need the aggravation. He says he has a room service menu here somewhere, and she says, and for Nina to imply she’s some sort of soulless, cold-hearted automaton with no personal life only gets her blood up for a fight in court. He says he does call her Killer Miller. There is nothing wrong with being good at your job. She says, there’s no argument there. She’s good at other things too. He says, not cold either, and kisses her. If it’s any consolation, Valentin accused him today of personal animosity in the professional handling of his daughter. She helps him undo his tie and says, Valentin is a pompous ass. Robert is the soul of integrity. He’s a consummate professional. He’s also quite the softie. He says, every guy likes to hear that, and she says, he’s tough when it counts, but he’s also soft when it counts. He says, let him tell her where it doesn’t count. It doesn’t count what Nina and Valentin think of them. She says she wholeheartedly agrees. You know what does count? What she can give him. She kisses him, and Robert says he thinks he now knows the secret of Diane’s success. She takes rational human beings and makes them forget themselves. He almost forgot the lunch. He’s going to call downstairs and have them send up another menu. He’s famished. She says, her too. She has quite the appetite. She kisses him again.

Dante says he knows he might be the last person Sonny trusts, but he feels like he’s proven himself over the years. Sonny says, of course (🍷) he trusts Dante. And he knows Agent Cates didn’t show up at his office the other day because Cates was concerned about his well-being; he was encouraged by Dante or Anna. Dante says, because they have Sonny’s back, and Sonny says, they’re in the minority. Dante says, Sonny has more friends than he thinks he has. Misguided actions don’t necessarily mean bad intentions. Sonny says, lies and loyalty don’t mix, and Dante says he’s not going to tell Sonny who he should or shouldn’t trust. He doesn’t know, but these are dangerous times. He wants Sonny to consider that help could come from some pretty unexpected corners.

Cyrus comes in with a dish tub, and says, Laura’s still here. She says she’s not leaving until he hears her out on saving lives. She listened to his whole radio show the other day, and he almost had her believing him. Anna comes back in, and Cyrus says, everything he said in that broadcast was the gospel truth. Laura says, he values the lives of others, and he says, as the Lord commands. She says, what about the lives of his former rivals like Sonny Corinthos? and he says, she’s asking too much of him. Anna says she’s sorry to interrupt, and Laura says she thinks it was a mistake to come to her brother. Cyrus asks if he’s just supposed to forget Sonny beat him to a pulp and put him in the hospital. Where’s the concern for him? Laura says she was concerned. She was very concerned, but that was at the time Ace disappeared, and they didn’t know where Esme went… He says he’s so sorry. The Good Book tells us that not even sparrows are forgotten by our Father. So if our Heavenly Father can protect those He overlooks, so can he. He’ll try to live up to Laura’s faith in him. What does Anna need him to do? Anna suggests they sit down, and they do. She says, this all starts with his ministry at Pentenville. They want him to reach out to a certain inmate there.

Curtis tells Portia, there are no more card games in the backroom at The Savoy. His business with Selina Wu is over. She asks why he feels so compelled to warn her, and he says, it seems like the right thing to do. She says, why? She doesn’t get this. Why is Curtis so intent on helping her? She tried to steal his club from him. She tried to take The Savoy away from him. She wasn’t trying to help him. She was trying to swoop in when he was most vulnerable. He says he knows what she was trying to do, but she didn’t, did she? Because dad and Sonny fended her off. He even managed to part ways with Selina Wu amicably and he intends to keep it that way. She says, right now, she’s less worried about Selina Wu and more worried about the shooter who was targeting her. Maybe now they’re targeting him. He says his was an accident, and she says, an assassin was trying to kill a mob boss, and now he’s telling her that he’s in league with another mob boss, and he just told her that Sonny is the one that helped him with Selina Wu. That’s a lot of organized crime going on. She doesn’t get it. He says, she doesn’t have to worry. He’s out. She says she’s worried and she honestly can’t believe he isn’t. All they’ve been doing here is fighting. Fighting for their marriage again. They’ve been fighting for this perfect life together. They’ve been saying how they’re going to make it work and be stronger than ever. How are they going to do that if he’s collateral damage again? How do they know he isn’t already one of the names on the hit man’s list?

Valentin suggests they set some ground rules before Nina goes about getting Sonny’s attention. She’s too classy to grovel. She says, grovel? He should know her better than that. He says he thought he did, then she went and fell in love with a gangster, and she says, it was a very confusing time when she fell in love with Sonny… Mike, or whatever. It was the only thing that made sense. Sometimes she thinks they would have been better off if they’d just stayed n Nixon Falls. They’d still be together. He says, Nixon Falls isn’t reality. Mike wasn’t reality. Sonny is reality. Has she come to terms with that? She says she knows who she married, and he says he can’t believe he’s going to say this, but if she wants to stay married, this is how she stays married. Sometimes the best way to get what you want is by not giving someone what they want. She says, the only thing Sonny wants from her right now is a quick divorce, and he says, don’t give it to him. That’ll get his attention.

Dante asks Sonny to give what he said some thought, and Sonny says he appreciates Dante’s input, but he’s going to handle this himself. Dante says he’s sure Sonny has something he’s cooking up, and Sonny says, Dante knows how much he loves to cook. Here’s the thing. There’s a special place in hell for those who have put his family in danger. And he’s going to send them there.

Tomorrow, Brook tells Maxie, if this continues, they’re in for one hell of a quarter; Tracy says, they’ve all been deceived; Felicia tells Spinelli that it’s time to put an end to their deception; and Selina tells Sonny, now is the time for them to put their alliance to an end.

Vanderpump Rules

James says, it’s pool party day, and he’s excited. In his interview, he says, it’s their first get together in the new house. Welcome to Casa Kennedy. He bought drinks, food, and a grill for the party. He spent at least two grand. Where did it go? Yeah, we all say that. Not the two grand part, but where did it go?

Ariana tells Katie that the Lyft driver who dropped her off the other night said he remembered the house. He said, she and her husband were fighting. He was cheating on her. She told him that they weren’t together anymore, and he said, that makes sense. Good. In Ariana’s interview, she says, he was the driver from the night on March 1st. She tells Katie, he had no idea it’s a thing, and Katie says, have you heard of reddit? In her interview, Ariana says, he has no clue how many people want to talk to him. Katie says, Lala made some good points, and then Schwartz said they were ganging up on him. In Ariana’s interview, she says, a guy she hasn’t spoken to is suddenly an authority on who she is, how she thinks and feels, and how she lives her life. Just like a man. They talk about Tahoe, and Katie says she’s not abandoning work to get the shop open. In Katie’s interview, she says she’d rather eat a jean jacket. (That’s a new one, but I don’t think it’s going to happen.) They need to get permits and licenses and staff the place. They have their work cut out for them. Ariana says she’s not comfortable staying in a cabin with the Toms, and Katie says she doesn’t understand it.

Scheana and Lala go to Villa Rosa, and Lala asks if Schena wants to bet Lisa is going to say she has no clothes on. Lisa greets them holding new pup Donut(!), and remarks that Lala has no clothes on. She might get everyone here in a bit of a tizzy. They sit down, and Lisa says she wants to talk about so many things, and some of them they’re not going to like. She spent time with Sandoval and knows he’s in a very dark place. Scheana says she’s pissed off because she reached out to him when his friend passed, and he blocked her. He’s diving into villain energy and she’s not here for it. He needs to be humble and have humility. She also told him to get a therapist. In Scheana’s interview, she says, Sandoval is taking no accountability. Lisa is telling them that he’s depressed, but she hasn’t seen that. She’s seen him project. Lisa says he doesn’t know what he’s doing, but Lala says, he’s doubling down. Scheana says, he called Lala a narcissist (my bad. I thought he said Ariana), and Lala says, she should have asked more questions about Randall before getting involved. Lisa says she never held it against Lala, but Lala says, Sandoval has, and he’s talked to the press about her. He also can’t acknowledge how he hurt James. Lisa says, their lives are going swimmingly, and Sandoval’s isn’t. In Lisa’s interview, she says, Sandoval is a shadow of his former self, and she doesn’t want to see him going down that path. He’s depressed. She’s seen depression and she knows it. Her brother used the same words and it stayed with her. She tells the girls that they don’t want to be in the position that they have regret when they look back. Her brother is a trigger for her, and she doesn’t think Sandoval is a person who would say he had suicidal thoughts unless he meant it. Lala says she hears Lisa. She doesn’t want anyone to wear that for the rest of their life. She knows what it’s like. In Lala’s interview, she says she never gave Sandoval’s mental health much thought. She looked at him like her ex, someone with no feelings. She’s holding on to anger and doesn’t trust anybody. It’s not healthy. She doesn’t want to be angry all the time. It’s killing her. Scheana says, Sandoval was genuinely one of the best friends she’s had in her life, and Lisa asks if that doesn’t make it easier to forgive. Scheana asks if it’s worth losing Ariana, and Lisa says, talk to her. Don’t be a people pleaser. Go with her gut. In Scheana’s interview, she says, Ariana made it clear that anyone who chooses to remain friends with Sandoval is dead to her. We flash back to Ariana kissing off Schwartz, and Scheana says, at same time, if someone is struggling at this level, how can she keep coming for him? She tells Lisa that she’s going on Schwartz’s trip, and Lisa suggests they stop attacking Sandoval. None of them is perfect.

Pool party time! Lala and Scheana bring along Scheana’s sister Cortney, and Schwartz brings a plant. In Ally’s interview, she says, that’s the third plant Schwartz has brought them. She’ll have to get a gardener. Schwartz says he’s been on a sober curious journey, but he’s having a few. In his interview, he says, his conversation with Katie and Lala didn’t go well, and we flash back to that. He says, they tarred and feathered him. He wasn’t an accessory to the affair. There’s more to him than that. James goes to the porch roof and jumps into the pool (it’s not that high). Schwartz follows because, as we know, he’s a lemming.

Sandoval and Billie go to the IntoMeSea quantum wellness studio. WTF? The woman at the desk asks if they’ve done a cold plunge before, and in Sandoval’s interview, he says he’s stressed out, depressed, and overwhelmed. He realizes that he has to be able to handle his emotions in healthier ways. He gets in the bath, and Billie asks how intense it is from 1 to 10. He says, a 9, and in his interview, he says, it feels especially weird since he’s never been an outsider with the friend group. He feels like Andy when he first gets to Shawshank. He wants to get back part of something that resembles his old life. It’s the people he was closest to that hurt him the most.

Lala works out with Ally, and they make a pact to do 50 squats a day. What is with the squats? They’re in every freaking workout and I hate them. Lala asks how long it’s been since James was sober, and Ally says, three months. Lala says, the first few weeks are the hardest, and wonders if James would open up if she asked why he decided to become sober. Ally says she knows, but Lala would have to ask James, and Lala says, everyone has a rock-bottom moment where they realize it’s no longer working. In Lala’s interview, she says, something about that rock bottom moment changes everything. We flash back to the Reunion where Lala talked about going to Disney World with Randall’s family and being drunk for four days straight. When she woke up, she knew she never wanted to live this way again and reached out to get help. She says she still has a lot of work to do sober. She tells Ally that she doesn’t want to trigger by asking deep questions, but Ally thinks she should ask.

There’s a fire on the grill, and Ariana has to tell James not to fan the flames, but he rescues the food and says, they survived. Lala tells Schwartz that she knows she came in heavy. She has to not be triggered and make other’s experiences her own. It’s a process. She can’t go from machetes to crying in a fetal position. There’s got to be a middle ground. Schwartz says, Ariana looked at him like he was subhuman. She’s been exalted to queen status and was giving diva energy, as opposed to someone who’s been hurt. He’s not fawning for her affection or validation. Lala says she thought he handled it well. At times, she takes things to heart, but she’s working on not being a dog in someone else’s fight. In Lala’s interview, she says she thought her superpower was calling people on their sh*t, but it’s not healthy. She has to practice forgiveness and can’t wear trauma like a badge of honor. She tells Schwartz that she’s watched him please everyone. That’s how her dad was. He hated conflict and he was bulldozed over. She believes the stress of it killed him. She wants Schwartz to be down for someone, but do what’s best for him and his family. His brother is in the fight of his life, and she’s sorry she didn’t give him grace. We flash back to Lala reaming Schwartz out, and Schwartz says he’s sorry he retaliated, but when he’s mad, it’s easy when they haven’t communicated. He sees she’s a great mom and how much humanity she has. What she’s doing is heartfelt. Maybe she could give Sandoval a little. He can’t abandon that man. He’s family.

Sandoval tells Billie that he feels great, and Billie says, he’s worthy and deserves bliss. She asks if he’s thinking about dating, but he says, no. He misses Raquel. It’s been at least three weeks since they’ve talked. In Sandoval’s interview, he says, when they spoke the last time, he didn’t think it would be the last time. We see a clip from 27 days ago where he’s talking to Raquel on the phone, and he says, in that conversation, she said she was extending her time in the facility. He told her that he loved her, and they’d talk later. He tells Billie that he had love and was addicted. He couldn’t see anything else. Hanging out with her was the best part. I’m guessing that’s when he pontificated, and she looked at him adoringly. In his interview, Sandoval says he hopes they can give it a shot. He’s saving himself for her. Billie says she’s tired of the world hating on him. There were times she thought she’d lose him. He says, it got close. He had to snap himself out of it. In his interview, he says he had all kinds of feelings – pain, anger, sadness, depression, bleakness. He lost all his friends and it felt like the best way to show he’s sorry, give them what they all want, for him to go away. I guess moving was out of the question? Oh yeah, then Ariana would get the house. He tells Billie that he just wants to be happy and he doesn’t feel like he’s allowed. She says, he’ll get there.

Some of the girls hang on a floatie in the pool, and Scheana says she’s personally struggling. She and Lala went to Lisa’s and all three of them were in tears. Lisa was emotional, saying she saw similarities in Sandoval and her brother before he passed. She’s concerned and asked them to ease up. Ariana says, Sandoval and Lisa’s brother are different people. Sandoval won’t take responsibility. Her getting on Instagram and telling people to be nice to her ex is not happening. In Ariana’s interview, she says she understands Sandoval might have had thoughts and feelings, but they’re based on a situation he created where he didn’t give a f*** about anyone else’s mental health. She knows she’s being a bitch to say this, but she feels like it’s a little bit annoying. Ariana says, Sandoval is a scary person, and she doesn’t trust him. It all feels manipulation to her. Ugh, I hate to say it, but I kind of agree. Only because of how he acts like he’s the victim, but then switches it on for someone like Lisa. I’m not so sure his dark thoughts aren’t contrived.

James visits Lala and asks if a baby bottle is hers or Ocean’s, and she tells him, f*** you. It’s not hers, but we flash back to when she had one with her on a group trip that was her own. She asks James how long he’s been sober, and he says, three months. Jumping right into it, she asks, what made him want to get sober? He doesn’t have to tell her if he doesn’t want to. He says, there’s not much to tell. When the Sandoval and Raquel stuff happened, emotions were flowing. He and Ally were fighting, and when he was drunk, he made nasty comments. After he wrote something on Instagram, Ally stayed with her sister. She was gone for two nights, and the cats were gone. The place was empty, and it wasn’t the same energy that was there before. We flash back to 2019, and Raquel telling James that he has to get his sh*t together. In James’s interview, he says, he quit, but then after he and Raquel broke up, he figured he was single and could do what he wanted. He’s doing it for himself this time. He tells Lala that he was going to do anything to get Ally back and basically, that’s the deal. Lala asks if he’s looking at it like forever, and he says he is. If he didn’t have that mentality, he couldn’t do it. He doesn’t want to be an alcoholic 40-year-old who loses everything. Lala says, he can come to her with anything, and she’ll never share anything. In Lala’s interview, she says, she’ll never have a relationship like she does with James. They started off as two kids being trainwrecks – we flash back to Lala saying she sees no one has worked on their summer bodies, and James making fun of Katie – to getting into relationships to their sobriety journeys. It’s hard to find someone like that, who you’re bonded with for life. She tells James that she makes time for the people she loves, and James says, she’s gone miles. He’s proud of her.

Jo cuts Schwartz’s hair at his apartment, and in his interview, he says, she’s the light in his life. We flash back to Schwartz telling Scheana that he and Jo are just friends. Schwartz tells Jo that everyone thinks she’s his secret romance, but he gets the optics. In Schwartz’s interview, he says, Jo was never living with him, although she was staying with him sporadically. She’s not his girlfriend and never was. They had a whirlwind romance, but they’re just buds now. Sandoval comes over, and I note how nicely the floor sweeps up as Jo takes a broom to it. Schwartz tells Sandoval about his conversation with Lisa, and says he booked a sick-ass lake cabin. Ariana and Katie won’t be there good, but he thinks it would be neutral ground for some one-on-ones if Sandoval can leave his ego at home and say he’s sorry. Sandoval says he can tell Lala that he’s sorry he gave her so much content for her podcast and she sold merchandise. She’s not understanding what she did. She showed an entire nation how to treat them. People followed their lead. Um… I don’t even listen to their podcast, and I hate these two, so, no. Schwartz says, this energy is not going to serve Sandoval well, and in Schwartz’s interview, he says, the tone of they don’t know what they’ve done to me worries him. He doesn’t want to undermine Sandoval’s feelings, but he doesn’t think it will be productive. He’s optimistic about Tahoe, but he doesn’t expect it to miraculously cleanse everyone’s memory. He’s just hoping it opens the door a little. He tells Sandoval, something cosmically changed. He’s not saying to let everyone walk on him, but he thinks people are in a place where they’re ready to talk and not necessarily coming after him. Wow. Sandoval is seriously a narcissistic a-hole.

Scheana’s friend Tory comes over to babysit, and in Scheana’s interview, she says she and Brock have dinner plans with James and Ally. As much as she trusts Tory, she’s anxious leaving Summer with someone who’s not her mom. She did call her sister Cortney to help. Trust issues. When they get to the restaurant, Brock says, she’s making progress, and she says, baby steps. James and Ally meet them, and they get some kind of wristbands to tap when they want a drink. Since it’s a self-serve set-up, I’m not sure if it just keeps the tab, unlocks the drink lever, both, or D) none of the above. Scheana says she had a conversation with Lisa before the pool party. She had tears in her eyes and said, after her brother’s suicide, she’s seen similarities in Sandoval. Lisa thinks they should go easier than they have been. James says Lisa called him and asked if he had a minute, and we see a clip of Lisa FaceTiming James and asking for ten minutes of his time. James asks if he’s in trouble, and she says, always a little. Scheana says, it’s going to be the same thing. She doesn’t want Sandoval to do something and then it’s too late. Brock thinks it’s not fair to put that on her, and Ally says she knows she’s going to feel bad. She’s nervous about Tahoe. In Ally’s interview, she says she has no personal issue with Sandoval. He’s been welcoming and kind, but she feels uneasy around him seeing how he hurt James. She doesn’t want to be fake, so she’s preparing for awkwardness. Scheana texts Schwartz to see if he invited Sandoval, and yes, he did. Brock says, there’s a hotel down the street, if need be, but James says he’s not stressing. Brock says, it’s not like they’re picking a side. They all know what Sandoval did was wrong. Ally says, they can ride for Ariana, but have empathy for someone who f***ed up their own life.  

At Vanderpump Dogs, Lisa asks the marketing director if she’s sure it’s him, and Summer (not the same one) says, 100%. James comes in, and Lisa asks if he wasn’t worried about Graham. We see a clip from two weeks earlier where James says he doesn’t know where Graham is. Graham comes down the stairs, and Lisa says, he’s been rescued. James cries and in his interview, he says, the second he touched Graham, he could see it was him. He’s got the same wiggle he’s had since he was a puppy. Lisa says she got a call that he’d been in a foster home for two months and bitten a couple of times. They were taking him to a shelter and asked if Lisa would take him. Thank God they knew Lisa, patron saint of dogs. In James’s interview, he says he feels anger and sadness and he’s confused. Graham is his best friend and it’s a dream come true that he’s back. He tells Lisa that he was expecting to talk about Sandoval and thanks her. He’d hoped Graham was in a good place. Lisa says, Graham belongs with James. Does he want to take him? James says, his first thought was of Ally, but they have to make it work. There’s a reason this is happening. It’s meant to be. In his interview, he says, whenever he sees a Goldendoodle, the most popular dog in L.A., he thinks of Graham. Then he shakes it off and gets back to his day. Now he’ll be able to hold and hug his destiny. Graham had made his way back to his true home. He leaves with Graham Cracker.

Again we see the Suicide Prevention Lifeline: call 988. I have no clue how that works or if it’s set up for every city.

Next time, Brock questions Scheana about why she doesn’t want to leave Summer with anyone but her mother; James brings Graham home and introduces him to Ally’s cat; Lake Tahoe; and howling at the moon.

💃🏾 Shaking It Off…

Join me tomorrow for soap and finally, the finale of RHOBH. Until then, stay safe, stay engaging in genuine conversations, and stay practicing forgiveness and not wearing trauma like a badge of honor.

February 19, 2024 – Valentin Has a Surprise For Alexis, Fraser Is Done With This On Deck & Kitchen

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Carly knocks repeatedly at Dex’s door and asks if he’s there. She says she’s looking for Josslyn and knocks again.

Brook tells Tracy that the Deception feature looks huge, and Tracy asks if she’d say they got maximum exposure at a bargain rate. Brook tells her that she would say just that. Tracy’s negotiation skills were awe inspiring. She got credit, Carly got a great first issue, and Deception got huge exposure. Everybody wins, except Nina. Tracy asks if she didn’t tell Brook that they’d be able to run this company with or without Maxie, and Brook says, let’s not even go there. Lois comes in and says, has she got a surprise for them.

Marshall comes out of the hospital elevator, and Stella says, hello, stranger. It’s so nice to see… Is he in there? He realizes she’s talking to him and says he’s so sorry, kissing her on the cheek. He got kind of caught up in his head there for a minute. She asks if he’s okay, and he says he’s perfectly fine physically. He just came from his psychiatrist. She asks how it went, and he says he was prepared for bad news. He knows how to deal with bad news. But he got good news and he’s got no idea how to handle it.

Gregory looks at The Invader headline, DEAD ON ARRIVAL, and reads, notorious criminal is shot while being transferred from Pentenville. Alexis says, notorious doesn’t even scratch the surface of who Olivia Jerome was, but it’s technically correct. He says, the headline does lean in the direction of the more lurid, but it doesn’t tip over into it, and she thanks him, taking the tablet. She tells him, it says she didn’t see her death coming. That’s unfortunate. It’s a mercy she didn’t deserve. He says, wow, and she says, it doesn’t matter what she thinks. If she can get readers who expect some sparkling headline to actually read this article, they’re going to read something that really matters. About gun control, about rising violence – Valentin approaches the office – about prison reform. Yes? Gregory says, from what he read, she got the catalyst she was looking for, and Valentin says, she usually does. There’s no one better at turning a headline into a cause than his cousin.

Carly says, come on, Dex, open the door, when Josslyn opens it. She says, he’s gone.

Trina is looking at her turtle dove, when Curtis rolls in. She asks, how was physical therapy? Was everyone blown away by him? He says, it was okay, and she says, he’s improving every single session. Everyone can see that. She and mom are amazed by how far he’s come. He thanks her for the encouragement, and she says, they’re going to throw him the biggest party this zip code has ever seen once he’s back on his feet. He says, walking over to her and her mom for a hug is all the celebration he needs. So she doesn’t have to worry about a party. She says she guesses she should cancel the caterers then, and starts to leave, but he says, she doesn’t have to hide from him. And she doesn’t have to run away from how she feels.

Stella tells Marshall that people don’t usually need her help handling good news, so she doesn’t have much experience in that area, but she’ll give it a shot anyway. Marshall says, his psychiatrist has been weaning him off his meds, and she says, for a few months now, right? He says, yes, and in all this time, there’s been no episodes. No seeing things, no hearing voices… She says, no indication of schizophrenia? and he says, it confirmed what Portia first suspected and what all this testing and observation seems to bear out. She says, back in the day, he was misdiagnosed, and he says, yes ma’am. She says she guesses there’s no sense in railing at the past, and he says, it’s not like he can track the doctor down and what? Beat him up? Sue? She says she’s not sure it would do any good if he could. So instead, why don’t they just thank the good Lord that the sword that’s been hanging over his head for 40 years is finally gone. He’s finally free. He says, that’s the thing. He doesn’t feel free.

Josslyn says, when she got here, it was too late, and Carly asks, too late how? She says, Dex was already gone, but Sonny was here and gave her this – she picks up the letter and dog tags (I’d thought he kept one, but I guess not) – as a consolation prize. She tosses it back on the table, and Carly says, so Dex left on his own. Josslyn says, it’s not like he had much of a choice, and Carly says, but Sonny didn’t hurt him. Josslyn says, not according to Sonny, and Carly asks what Dex’s letter said. Josslyn tells her that it said that he left because it was safer for everybody and that he loved her, and he was grateful for the time they had together. Carly says she’s so sorry, but Josslyn says, Dex was right. He said this was going to happen. Sonny had to send him away. He was too much of a liability. Whether it was the cops or Sonny’s enemies, they were going to come for him. He knows way too much about the organization. Carly says, he does. He’s right. Josslyn asks what she’s supposed to do. She’s supposed to be grateful that Sonny sent him away instead of having him killed? (Well… yeah.) Assuming that’s what happened. Assuming Sonny didn’t make him write this letter and kill him anyway. Carly says, Sonny wouldn’t do that, and Josslyn asks if she’s sure. She didn’t think Sonny would leave Carly. She didn’t think he would turn on Michael. (Speaking of which, why is no one angry with Michael since he’s the guy who started all this mess?) She didn’t think he would treat someone who saved his life like a traitor, but he did all of that and more. So before Carly sits here and tells her that Dex is somewhere safe, please ask herself, would she bet her life on it? Because Dex just did.

Valentin says he’s sorry. He’s interrupting? Alexis says, of course (🍷) he is, hugging him. But actually, it got her off her soapbox. He says he thought she was just hitting her stride, and Gregory says, she was. In fact, they were just in the middle of… Valentin says, running a newspaper. He understands. They should be taking a victory lap for showing restraint for running a story that in lesser hands would have become a voyeuristic tale of a vicious criminal brought down in a manner even more grisly than she herself employed. Alexis thanks him for saying that, but she doesn’t think that’s why he dropped by, and he says, not entirely. He’s guessing Shawn Butler hasn’t talked to her yet. She says she just got an email from him, but she hasn’t had time to respond to it yet. How did Valentin know he was trying to reach her? Valentin says, he and Shawn have just completed a rather substantial business arrangement and Shawn was supposed to tell her. Alexis asks, what kind of business? and Valentin says he bought The Invader.

Trina says she’s not hiding anything; she’s fine. Curtis says, okay. He has to take her at her word, but he just wants her to know if there’s ever a time she’s not fine, she doesn’t have to pretend anymore. She asks if he thinks that’s true, deep down true, and he asks what she means. She says, sometimes people will ask you if you’re okay and you can desperately see they’re hoping you’ll say you’re okay. That way they can say they checked in to see how you were doing. But God forbid you tell them the truth or give them a hint that things are not so great. They get uncomfortable. He says he knows. Then they start glancing at their watch or checking their phone, and what do you know, they’ve got a message, and all of a sudden, they’ve got to go somewhere, anywhere. And not too long ago, you were laughing, having drinks, putting something on the grill, no problem. Now it’s like they don’t know what to say or how to handle it. He knows a little bit of how that’s like, but that’s not how it goes here, and not with him. She says she does know that, but she’s afraid to let everything she’s feeling come out. He says, why is that? and she says, because she feels like if she does, she’ll fall apart and she’ll never be able to put herself back together again.

Alexis says, Valentin is joking, right? He’s never expressed any interest in The Invader, let alone buying it. He says he knows this comes as a bit of a shock given his lack of experience with publishing or the media, but she stepped out of law and became an editor and look how well that turned out. Gregory asks if she’s okay, and she says she will be once she calls Shawn. Valentin says he knows she has a long history with Shawn and should make that call, but he did make a substantial offer above market and Shawn took it. She says, Shawn doesn’t chase money. It’s not his thing. His thing is political and social issues. Valentin says, in his non-profit organization, which not only funds The Invader, it underwrites various media outlets around the world, and with this infusion of cash, it will bolster his non-profit and expand his reach. Gregory says, and he’s doing this out of the goodness of his heart? but Valentin says, not entirely. His heart’s not that good, but The Invader’s business possibilities are. Alexi says she didn’t get into this to print money. If she had, they’d still be telling stories about UFOs and celebrity diets. Valentin says he knows that and respects her incorruptibility, and she says, if he’s come here to take away her editorial control and put a corporate slant on things, she can save him the trouble of making a really difficult call because she quits.

Lois reads, it is with great joy, together with their families, Brook Lynn Quartermaine – she rubs Brook’s arm and says, that’s youand Harrison Chase invite you and a guest to the celebration of their wedding. Doesn’t it just get them where they live? Brook says, they’re just perfect. Aren’t they, granny? Tracy flashes back to Gregory telling her, no more petty fighting and arguing. All that matters is those two beautiful souls belong together and we all do everything we can to make that happen. Brook says, they’re just perfect, but Tracy says, far from it.

Josslyn tells Carly that she knows who Sonny is and she knows what he’s capable of, and he just doesn’t want to admit the fact that he was vulnerable, that he actually owes Dex. Carly says she doesn’t believe Sonny had Dex killed. Sonny let him live and he did that for Josslyn. Josslyn says, Sonny doesn’t get to play God their lives just because the rest of them let him do it with theirs. She won’t let him keep her and Dex apart. She won’t do it. She’s been here all night looking for something – she starts pulling open drawers – looking for an address, a phone number, something from Dex’s life before he came to Port Charles, something that will help her find him. She looks at the dog tags and says, he did two tours in Afghanistan, and he came back, so he can’t be gone now.

Curtis tells Trina that he gets it. She feels like if she gives it an inch, it’ll take all of her, but that pain she’s feeling, that hurt, can’t be contained forever. She can try to hide it, she can lock it deep inside her, but it’s still there. And it ain’t getting any smaller. It will turn toxic, and all that toxic grief will seep out and eventually, it will get to her heart. It’ll make it harder and that magical light inside her will dim. That’s not going to happen to her. She says, but she doesn’t know what to do with all that she’s feeling, and he says, share it. Let it out. He did and it broke him to pieces, but he was surrounded by family. His family fixed him – her mom, Aunt Stella, his dad, TJ, her. They all put him together. When he had no strength, they gave him theirs. And she, too, is surrounded by family and love, so let it out. Fall apart if she has to. They’ll catch her every single time.

Stella says she’s not sure she understands, and Marshall says, this misdiagnosis. Ever since Portia showed him that his test results didn’t show the genetic markers for schizophrenia, he’s been wrestling with this in his head. And now that he’s been weaned off his meds, there hasn’t been any reoccurrence of symptoms. It’s no longer a question mark in the back of his mind. It’s a fact. It’s real. He was misdiagnosed. She says she hopes he’s not blaming himself for believing what they doctor said all those years ago, and he says, it’s hard not to. He got one diagnosis, and he didn’t question it. She says, nobody did. Doctors were gods back then. What they said was the final word. He says he has one question. If what he was experiencing wasn’t schizophrenia, what the hell was it? And what if it happens again?

Josslyn says, every second she spends crying brings more miles between her and Dex, and Carly says she knows Josslyn is hurt. She knows Josslyn is angry at Sonny, but Dex is alive, and it could have gone differently. Josslyn says, the only reason it didn’t is because of Carly, so she has Carly to thank, not Sonny. Carly says, it’s the least that she owed Dex, but he was working for her, so some of Josslyn’s anger should be directed at her. Josslyn says she also knows that Dex was going to protect Sonny. No matter how many times she warned him otherwise, he still believed in Sonny. Just like Carly. Why, when he’s been so awful? Don’t say, because of Donna. Carly says, it is because of Donna. Because Donna loves her father every bit as much as Josslyn loves hers. It’s a really difficult question to answer and she’s probably not going to understand and that’s okay. She and Sonny have a history, and she knows he’s flawed. She knows him better than anyone. He’s hurt her and disappointed her, but she’s hurt him and disappointed him. Josslyn says, it’s not the same, but Carly says, let her tell Josslyn something. There have been people in her life who wouldn’t quit on her no matter how bad she messed up, so she doesn’t quit on Sonny, even when she doesn’t agree with him and even when he’s wrong. Josslyn says, Sonny doesn’t deserve her loyalty or Dex’s.

Valentin says he admires Alexis’s journalistic integrity, and of course (🍷) he wants to make money, because The Invader’s a business, not a hobby. But Alexis has been solidly in the black since taking over and he sees no reason to change her approach. Alexis says, it’s highly unusual for a new owner to leave everything exactly as is. Typically, they want to tinker or fine tune. Gregory suggests she hear the man out before she makes any decisions, journalistically or otherwise, and she says, fine. Please continue. Valentin says, she is the editor. He has no interest or desire to tinker with her work, and she says, that’s a relief. He says, The Invader is her baby, and he intends to keep it that way, and she says, good. Maybe they can even work together sometime within those parameters. Gregory says, that’s great, and Valentin says, that’s the spirit. But with Shawn gone, she’s going to need a publisher, someone with vision and prior experience. She says, of course (🍷). Does he have somebody in mind? Nina runs in and says she hopes she’s not late.

Tracy asks if Brook is seeing what she’s seeing, but Brook says she can almost guarantee she isn’t. Lois takes the invitation and reads, it is with great joy that together with their families, Brook Lynn Quartermainethat’s youand Harrison Chase invite you to the celebration of their wedding… Oh. Tracy says, exactly. Even Yuri rates a plus one. Lois asks, what’s that supposed to mean, even Yuri? She happens to find Yuri very handsome and charming, and that accent is to die for. Tracy says, he is free to attend the wedding with a companion of his choice, which she would be if there was an and a guest, which there is not. And she can only assume it’s Lois’s subtle way of implying that she’s not going to be able to find someone to take to the wedding. Lois says she had nothing to do with that, but if she did have something to say about Tracy’s love life or the dating apps she should be on, she wouldn’t be that subtle. Brook says, they can all agree on that, and Tracy says, there is nothing subtle about removing and a guest from her invitation. And do not try to tell her that this is just a coincidence, because years ago, she didn’t think Lois was good enough for her son, and now all these years later, Lois doesn’t think she’s good enough for anybody. Lois says, good enough, sure. Nice enough, that depends upon the day Tracy is having. Tracy says, rest assured, there are plenty of people around the globe who would be thrilled to be her guest, and Lois says she would gladly welcome any one of those lucky winners that she wants to bring. Tracy tells Lois, sure, she says that now, and Brook says, nobody is trying to slight her. It was a misprint. The and a guest was accidentally dropped from her invitation. See for herself. Here’s the master they sent to the printer. Tracy looks at the paper, and Lois says, see? So bring whoever she wants. Tracy says, fire the printer, but Lois says she’s not firing anyone. It was an honest mistake. Tracy can bring someone. She can bring a boatload of someone’s. Just let her know so she can make sure there are enough chairs. But just between us girls – and Tracy knows she can tell Lois – who’s the lucky guy? Come on.

Nina asks if Valentin told Alexis, and he says he was just about to, but her entrance kind of speaks for itself. Gregory asks if Alexis is okay, but she says, hell no. He knows Nina Reeves, the former editor of Crimson magazine. Valentin says, Nina may have been editor… Nina says, she’ll take it. If Alexis is thinking she accepted Valentin’s offer with the intention of pushing her out as Editor-in-Chief and taking over, then… Alexis says, did she? and Nina says she likes that, getting straight to the point instead of beating around the bush for half an hour. Alexis says, did she? and Nina says she was as surprised as anyone when Valentin proposed that she become publisher of The Invader, and once the surprise wore off, she got really excited because she’s watched what Alexis has done here. She’s taken this common tabloid newspaper and turned it into a vehicle for serious journalism. Alexis says, that was the point. It’s what she and Shawn Butler agreed upon from the beginning. Nina says, and she’s so honored to be part of this team. She’ll do anything she can to help Alexis hone her vision. Alexis says she appreciates that very much. What she would like to know is why the person she’s now taking orders from got fired from her last job.

Trina tells Curtis that she doesn’t know if this feeling is ever going to go away. She hates it, but she can’t make it stop. It’s like, without Spencer, all the color in the world is gone. It’s just grey and she feels like a zombie just going through the motions. Everything she thought was important, like art or good grades or the Sorbonne, she looks at it now and none of that is important. And it’s not like she doesn’t care. It’s like she doesn’t care that she doesn’t care. Curtis says he hears her, and she asks if he thinks it will go away with time. He says he’s not thinking anything, just listening, and she says she keeps getting emails from PCU asking if she’s coming back for the fall semester, and she doesn’t know if she can do that. He says, so don’t. Don’t do it. She says, but what if she never can?

Carly says, Josslyn doesn’t need to remind her that Sonny often hurts the people he cares about, then rationalizes it by saying he’s following some code. She’s watched him do it for years. Hell, she’s watched him do it to her. But she knew what she was getting into when she chose to be a part of Sonny’s world. So did Dex. Josslyn says, so this code just justifies everything Sonny’s done? and Carly says, no. It just explains it. It’s his world. It’s how he operates. It’s what he’s done for years. By now it’s a part of his DNA. Josslyn asks if loyalty is a part of this code. Why is it everybody, Dex included, has to be blindly loyal to Sonny, but he doesn’t have to be loyal to them? Carly says, Dex isn’t stupid or naïve. He’s ex-military. Adapting to situations is what he does. He’s lucky he was dealing with Sonny, and he’s even luckier he had Josslyn. Josslyn says, no. She’s part of the reason Dex is in this mess, but Carly says, she’s not. She’s probably the only reason Dex is still alive. Her and the fact that Sonny loves her. Josslyn says, he doesn’t, but Carly says, he does. Or Dex wouldn’t have gotten the option to leave. Josslyn says she doesn’t want Sonny’s kind of love. She just wants Dex back, so can Carly please help her find him? Port Charles is the only true home he’s ever known. Carly says, before Josslyn takes off and blows up her life trying to find Dex, she needs to ask herself a very important question. Josslyn says, what if she doesn’t find him? but Carly says, what if she does?

Trina tells Curtis that she can’t think of doing the things normal people do in college, not after losing Spencer. She’d just be pretending, and she doesn’t even have enough energy to pull that off. She can’t even bother trying. Curtis says, it may be one of those times where fake it til you make it doesn’t apply. If she’s not feeling college, don’t go. She says, try telling that to mom, and he says, that’s going to take some time, but she’ll get there. No matter how old, dependent, or self-sufficient Trina becomes, she’s always going to be her mother’s child. And he mom wants what every parent in the world wants, and that’s for her to be happy. Trina says she doesn’t think she’ll ever be happy again, and Curtis asks if she has an idea of what it would take to be happy again. She says, a miracle, and he says, barring that? She says she just needs to find a way to keep Spencer present in her life because she feels like she’s losing a little bit of him every day. And what if one day, the only thing she has left of him is this? She shows Curtis the turtle dove.

Marshall says he wasted half his life because some doctor thought he knew what was wrong with him, and Stella says, but doctors know more today than they knew back then. He says, but he may never know what happened to him and he has a hard time letting go of that one. She says she thinks he can be forgiven for that. What happened to him back then was a mystery and people need a mystery solved. He says, and as much as he wants answers, he’s not sure he can afford to spend the limited time he has left on this earth trying to find them. Is it fair to his family? Is it fair to the people he cares about? She says, only he can answer that.

Josslyn says she knows exactly what she’s going to say when she finds Dex. She’s going to tell him, the hell with Sonny. He’s coming back home with her. Carly says she doesn’t doubt Josslyn has what it takes to find Dex, but Dex isn’t in Sonny’s world anymore. He’s not under Sonny’s thumb. Isn’t that what Josslyn always wanted? Let Dex start a new life.

Valentin says, Nina’s exit from Crimson but Nina says she’s got it. Alexis asked a very valid question. She deserves a response. She tries to keep her personal and professional worlds apart. Drew chose to merge the two. He put Carly in place as Editor-in-Chief solely to get back at her. So if anyone put Crimson and its staff at risk, Alexis should be looking in Carly and Drew’s direction, not hers. Alexis thanks her for being so forthright, and Nina says she’ll always be like that. Any more questions? Alexis says, not at the moment, and Nina says she knows her exit from Crimson was a little dramatic, and the whole drama between her and Carly and Drew is a little scandalous, but a little scandal does not need to get in the way of serious journalism. Ask Woodward and Bernstein. Gregory says he knows it might not be his place to point this out,  but Woodward and Bernstein investigated a scandal; they weren’t a part of the scandal. Nina says she knows she hasn’t run a daily before, but she has years of experience in publishing. Perhaps a little bit more than Alexis. Alexis says, that’s true, and Nina says she knows how this industry works. She can get things done and she’s prepared to make this work. Is Alexis?

Curtis says he wishes he had something different to say, but his advice is the same. If Trina wants to keep Spencer present, then share her memories of him. Tell her mom, tell Josslyn, tell him. She says, but even he’ll get tired of that, and he says, try him. And she can start with that figurine. What makes it so special? She flashes back to both she and Spencer bringing their doves to Paris, and Spencer saying that he takes it everywhere with him. She tells Curtis that it’s a turtle dove. There’s a pair of them, like in the Christmas carol – two turtle doves. Spencer originally wanted to give her this for Christmas, but so much happened, he gave it to her months later. She didn’t care about the delay. She loved them, like she loved him.

Marshall says he guesses he’ll just have to learn to live with the fact he may never know what was wrong with him, and Stella says, better than the alternative. They laugh and she asks how he’s doing now. He says, better. Better than he has in years. The symptoms haven’t shown any signs of returning and the stress… He’s waiting for it to happen again. He didn’t know how much it was weighing on him until it was gone. She says, he’s been carrying a heavy burden for a long time. Is he ready to put it down? He says, the past is the past. Let’s focus on today. He’s been focused on yesterday and he hears today is where the good stuff is anyway. She asks if he’s sure about this, and he asks, what other choice is there? How can someone take a look at him and diagnose a condition he had 40 years ago that hasn’t reared its ugly head since? He’s got to let it go. She says, you can’t stop a man with a plan, and he says, she-bop-du-bop-bam (or something like that)! Not this man. Not this plan. He can’t tell her how much he appreciates her listening to him. He appreciates her more than she knows. She says, it’s what she does, but he says, it’s a lot more than that. He kisses her cheek, thanks her again, and leaves. She calls Felicia and asks if she can trouble Felicia with something.

Tracy says, at the moment, there is no one in particular she wants to take to the wedding, and Lois asks if Tracy wants her to introduce her to someone. Or she could help Tracy set up her dating profile for that apps. Tracy says she really doesn’t. She’s actually quite content being single. Lois says she’s talking about someone pleasant for the wedding. Someone who will open the door for Tracy, or take her coat, give her a little dip on the dance floor in the middle of the reception. Tracy says, pass. She thanks Lois though. Brook says, Tracy Quartermaine and a guest, and hands Tracy the invitation. Better? Tracy says, much, and takes it. She leaves, and Lois says she can see it in Brook’s eyes. She’s worried about her grandmother. Don’t be. Tracy doesn’t need anyone but Tracy. Brook says she’s not so sure about that. For all granny’s bravado, there’s a loneliness inside her. It’s been there ever since she lost Luke. Maybe this wedding will be a way for her to feel a little less lonely. Lois says, yeah.

Alexis shakes Nina’s hand, and Valentin says he knew she’d make the right decision. It’s for the best for The Invader. Alexis says, that’s what they all want, and Valentin says, they’re going to take off. He knows Alexis has some work to do. Nina says she also has some work to do, familiarizing herself with the operation. Alexis says she’s just a phone call away and she’ll do everything she can to make this arrangement work. Nina says, that makes two of them. It’s unanimous. They leave, and Alexis says she knows what Gregory is thinking. Just go ahead and say it. He says he’s thinking she’s taking a risk, but she already knows that. She says, of course () she knows that. She sees what’s going on. She’s not ready to leave The Invader. She wants to see what those two have going on.

In the hallway, Nina thanks Valentin for having her back and he says, of course (🍷), but make no mistake. He’s expecting great things from her and Alexis. That is, if she meant what she said. Nina tells him that she meant every word. The Invader can be a bit self-righteous, but Alexis does great work. But the newspaper could use a little sexing up. He asks how she intends to do that, and she says, it’s simple. You just focus on the stories that the readers are hungry for. He says, such as? and she says, such as Carly and Drew.

Josslyn picks up the dog tags and tells Carly that she can’t let Dex go. She’s sorry. He just means too much to her. She’s going to find him and if he doesn’t want to come back to Port Charles, they’ll go somewhere else. Together. She leaves the apartment.

Tomorrow, Laura asks Robert what his office has decided; Cyrus wonders why someone wants to say that to him; Sonny asks if someone is going to do this for him or not; and Diane serves papers to someone.

Below Deck

Port Louis Marina, Grenada. Barbie and Cat agree to try to work together peacefully, and in Cat’s interview, she says she was excited to work with girls, but… In their respective interviews, both she and Barbie say, this girl is a bitch. Fraser says he needs a drink. The crew starts drinking on the boat, then go to the restaurant. They talk tattoos on the way, and Max tells Fraser that two years ago today, his dad died. After drinks are served, Fraser toasts to a great charter, and Xandi tells them, the way to toast in French is sens mon cul, which translates to smell my ass, but they don’t know that. Barbie says she had three nannies growing up. One cooked, one cleaned, and one did her hair. I’m sure this will endear her even more to everyone. Jared tells the crew that he and his girlfriend weren’t getting along, when she got pregnant and moved to Alaska, not telling him about the baby until well after his daughter was born. Now, he FaceTimes with her twice a week. The last thing he wants to be is a deadbeat dad. On the boat, Captain Kerry eats dinner while he FaceTimes with his girlfriend. In his interview, he says he adores her, and he’s going to learn Turkish so he can ask her to marry him. He’s not single. Sorry, ladies. The crew moves on to do some dancing, and Sunny says she’s in paradise with a hot guy – i.e. Ben. She’s not expecting anything, but she’s thinking of something. Kyle says that Barbie is the kind of girl he’d take home to his mom, which surprises me, and the crew heads back to the boat. Jared says he finds truth in Barbie’s eyes. Back on the boat, it’s hot tub time. Fraser realizes he spent 300 f***ing dollars, says, what a bunch of lunatics, and goes to bed. In Kyle’s interview, he says, Xandi is pissed as a fart. A fart goes everywhere, so she’s pissed as. The first time a British friend said she was pissed as a fart via Facebook, it took me a minute to realize she didn’t mean angry. Sunny texts Ben that she wants to kiss, and he tells her to meet him in the cabins. They kiss for a while, and Ben jets.

In Jared’s interview, he says, the first charter was rough, and we flash back to his many mistakes. He says he’s been f***ing up. Slow down, calm down, and breathe. Think past the tip of your nose. Kyle thinks he’s in love with Barbie, and in Cat’s interview, she says, in the boats she’s worked on in the past, she was close with the crew. This crew is hard to connect with, and she feels super alone. It sucks. Captain Kerry is surprised the boat looks like no one was there the night before, and Jared says, that’s because he was up at 6 tidying it for the captain. Apparently, past the tip of his nose is brown. Fraser has an interior meeting and says he’s going to mix things up. Cat will be on housekeeping, Xandi on service, and Barbie wherever he needs her. In Ben’s interview, he says, everything he said he was not going to do, and here we are. This could be trouble. In Sunny’s interview, she says she separates work and play, but she likes him. The captain calls for a preference sheet meeting.

The primaries are Tara, an event planner, and her husband Steven, a contractor. They’re bringing friends Michelle and Robert who are engaged, as well as another couple. Fraser reads that the guests want to go to a waterfall where two of the couples will renew their vows, and one will be married. In Captain Kerry’s interview, he says, Annandale Falls is absolutely enchanting. He can’t think of a more perfect setting. We see the Falls and right he is; it’s stunning. Fraser reads that the guests want surf and turf the first night, and then an old Hollywood themed dinner, as well as a wedding cake. Fraser radios Cat to meet with him, and in his interview, he says, it’s evident Cat is a sensitive soul. He feels that she might want to be heard more. He never had someone to look after him when he started in yachting, and he wants to be that someone to someone else. They sit down and have a beer, and Cat tells him that her dad passed away when she was 9 and her mother passed away when she was 13. She and her brother were thrown into the system and separated. The family she went to was involved with a cult religion and wouldn’t let her talk to her brother. In Cat’s interview, she says she lived in Orange County from 13 to 18 years old, and was part of her family’s culture, life, and dynamic. She felt like a prop. She tells Fraser that it was extreme, and in her interview, she says she wanted to forget her past life. At 18, she chose her brother and living her life for herself. She became independent, and now she and her brother are close. He’s her best friend.  

Provisions come in, and after going up and down the stairs with boxes and bags, Anthony says his ass is going to be a badass ass. Fraser calls another interior meeting in the master cabin and says his standards haven’t been met. This is not how you roll a towel. It’s unacceptable. The high standard not being met puts them back where they were, so he’s putting Xandi on housekeeping, Cat wherever, and Barbie on service. In Fraser’s interview, he says, maybe Cat is overwhelmed. Super yachting is very intense, but if you want it bad enough, you’ll do what you have to in order to get there. His first job was the crew mess stew, the crew member to the crew, the bottom of the barrel. His first day, the chief engineer found out he was gay, and the engineer was homophobic. While Fraser was doing dishes, the engineer poured the boiling tea Fraser just made him on Fraser’s hand. This was his first day in yachting, but he told himself, just keep f***ing going. One day, none of this will matter. He’ll be at the top and get the engineer fired. And one day he did. Unfortunately, he does not tell that story, but I’d like to hear it. Fraser asks Barbie to be extra sensitive with Cat, and Barbie says she’s sorry she’s so terrible, but he says he doesn’t want to hear that. In Barbie’s interview, she says, what the f***? She has no filter, but she apologizes and owns her sh*t. She’s making an effort, but he’s stuck on, don’t hurt Cat’s feelings.

The guests arrive, and Fraser gives the tour. In his interview, Fraser says, the guests seem a bit tacky, but fun. In the captain’s interview, he says he sees a quality team, but Rome wasn’t built in a day. They’ll go step by step until they operate the vessel how he wants. They head out to sea, and there’s a whole big to-do between Fraser and Barbie on how a margarita is made. When Barbie leaves, he tells Cat that he wants a margarita made in less than 30 seconds and don’t give him attitude anymore. In Barbie’s interview, she speaks in Spanish, saying, she’s five minutes from losing control. He’s such a d*ck.

In Anthony’s interview, he says, it was amazing growing up France, but school wasn’t for him. He didn’t dream of having a Ferrari, but dreamt of making his mom happy (aww!). He wanted to take care of her so she wouldn’t need to work and went to culinary school. Fraser tells Barbie not to ignore him, which is becoming her M.O., and she says, yes, sir. He says, she’s giving him attitude, and she says he’s jabbing at her. She feels underappreciated. In Fraser’s interview, he says, Barbie is great at service, but if she can’t compose herself, it’s a serious issue. If she can’t learn quick, he’ll filter her out of the crew. Lunch is served and we get our first dose of food porn. The entrée is cordon bleu, which I don’t even like, but I’d make an exception here. Guest Robert wants Fraser to tell the chef they hated it to f*** with his emotions. (This was in a funny way, not a mean way.) In Ben’s interview, he says, Jared is picking up his game, but they’ll see how long it lasts. The guests play in the water, and the crew runs out of food in the crew mess. Fraser talks to Barbie about her attitude again, and Barbie says she feels like she’s trying and not being appreciated. He tells her, that’s her paranoia. It’s how she responds to him, if she responds at all. Her attitude isn’t going to fly. Barbie says, he’s treating her like a bitch, and he says, she’s being a bitch to him.

Fraser says, Barbie is giving him attitude and she’s rude to him. He doesn’t like working with that. She says, fair enough and she’ll work on it, but she’s not happy. He says he’s sorry that’s the case and hopes it changes. In Anthony’s interview, he says he’s thinking game night equals steakhouse, his way. His way looks pretty damn good, and the table is very cute with those red and white popcorn containers that look like bags in the centerpiece. In Fraser’s interview, he says, car park tailgating football is the theme, and he’s going with it. For service, he dresses like a referee and wears a whistle. Anthony says he’s reinvented French onion soup, and I’m in. Primary Steven prays before the meal, and thanks God for the food, asking that it makes them better and makes them do awesome sh*t. Ha-ha! That’s kind of how I pray.  While cleaning cabins, Cat tells Xandi that she’d like someone who makes her laugh, but there’s been no genuine banter between her and any of the crew members. The entrée is surf and turf, and I think about how long it’s been since had that. Robert thinks the filet is chewy, but it’s not the chef; it’s a bad cut. Barbie tells Anthony about the steak and asks if he has any A1. In Anthony’s interview, she says, it’s not his fault. They’re in a little island. Do they think the islanders make filet mignon every day? Barbie grumbles about Cat not doing the toilet paper right or something, and in Cat’s interview, she says, growing up with trauma makes you insecure. Her foster family did things to make her feel like she wasn’t perfect, and she had to be. How her work ethic is viewed is important to her. If she’s made to feel weak, it gives her anxiety.

The captain tells Anthony that they need more food put out for the crew. The deckhands alone could eat a whole chicken breast. Nothing extravagant. It can even be sandwiches. In his interview, Captain Kerry says, all chefs are artists and strive for perfection. But the crew needs fuel, not something amazing. Fraser mumbles that he just doesn’t like Barbie. Barbie sits with Kyle, and they have tea.

Second day of charter, Halifax Harbour. Jared sees Sunny on a jet ski without a life jacket, and calls her back in. Jared feels the need to broadcast Sunny’s mistake, and in her interview, she says she’s annoyed. She knows she made a mistake, but he made her look bad on the radio. The problems in the team should be dealt with within the team. The captain doesn’t need to know the mistakes. She tells Ben he can f*** off, and Ben thinks she’s having a day. Fraser goes to the bridge and tells Captain Kerry that he had a talk with Barbie about being harsh and disrespectful to one of the other girls, and he’s been getting attitude. He requested she be nice to Cat, and she thinks it’s something against her, but that’s not the case. Now she’s being vile to him. He’s a very kind and caring person, but he’s said his piece and he’s done with this.

To be continued…

🍦Admitting I’m Powerless Over Ice Cream…

Stop in tomorrow for soap and VanderNonsense. Until then, stay safe, stay navigating social media with care and contributing positively, and stay focused on today. It’s where the good stuff is.

February 16, 2024 – Sonny Gives Dex a Choice, Her Response, Two Firsts, No Salt, Bad Crew, VanderFave, New Chefs, Reunited Ones, Last News, Vamping, Throne Report, Big Change, Just Over 8 Quotes & If

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Doc says he just got off the phone with Martin, and Laura asks if his office got the paperwork. He says, they did, and he beneficially added to the adoption petition, which means everything is on track for them both to become Ace’s parents. She says, music to her ears, and they kiss. There’s a knock at the door, and Laura opens it to Cyrus, who says, hello, sister.

Anna asks what Dante’s got, and he says, Pentenville confirmed that they were relocating Olivia Jerome. CSI says the transport van was sabotaged and two guards were restrained, but unharmed. This is just an overview until they get the crime scene report. Jordan says, sounds like a prison break gone wrong, but Anna says, with Olivia Jerome, nothing’s ever that simple.

Sam lets Alexis into her apartment and says, she didn’t have to come over, but Alexis says, Sam seemed a little frazzled when she bailed on lunch. Not to mention vague. So she thought, why not meddle? Is she okay? Sam says, yeah. She’s just keeping an extra eye on Danny. Alexis asks, why? and Sam says she’s going to tell Alexis, and then Alexis is going to tell her that she’s worried over nothing, and nothing serious is going on with her kid.

Ava tells Josslyn, Sonny isn’t here, but she’s more than welcome to come in and wait for him. Josslyn asks if Ava can call him because he’s not picking up for her, and Ava says she’s sure he’s just busy. Josslyn says, but she’s Avery’s mom, so he might not be as busy for her, and Ava says, maybe she can help, but Josslyn says, no. It’s really Sonny she needs to speak to and it’s very important. Ava tells her, like she said, Josslyn is more than welcome to wait, and Josslyn asks if she knows when he’ll be back, and Ava says, not precisely, no. Josslyn says, then she’s going to look for him, but Ava says, wait. Don’t do that.

Dex lets Sonny in, and Sonny says, he didn’t run. He didn’t even start packing. Dex says, Sonny has at least one guard stationed nearby, and Sonny says, Dex knows how he operates. That’s why he’s carrying. He also knows his only way out is through him. What’s he going to do? Is he going to take a shot?

Laura asks, what happened to the ground rules? Cyrus is supposed to call her before he comes over. He says he knows, but he was in the neighborhood and just wanted to say hello to his sister and his grandnephew. Doc says, now is not a good time. They just put Ace down for his nap. Cyrus promises this will just be a quick visit. He has another engagement immediately after. Doc says, and yet he found time to stop by, and Cyrus says, one should always find time for family. Doesn’t he think? Laura looks at Doc, who shrugs, and tells Cyrus, come in. They hear Ace coo on the baby monitor, and Cyrus asks if he can just have a glimpse of him, but Doc says he’s afraid even a glimpse is out of the question. Naps are just so important at his age. Doc goes to Ace’s room, and Cyrus says, it seems Ace isn’t the only one in need of a nap. She says, don’t let them keep him from his next appointment, and he says, before he goes, has she been in touch with Nikolas since he left for Pentenville? She says she has, and he says he knows how hard this must be for her, and Ace. She thanks him, and he asks how they’ve taken to being Ace’s temporary guardians. She says she guesses there’s no reason she shouldn’t tell him. She and Doc have decided to legally adopt Ace. He says, that’s wonderful news. Congratulations. She thanks him and says she’s pleased that he’s so pleased, but she’s a little bit surprised. He asks why his happiness at her good fortune should surprise her, and she says she supposes it shouldn’t. He says he can’t think of two better people to shepherd their little angel through this world, and she says she thinks there’s something they need to get clear right now. Ace’s adoption does not guarantee Cyrus a bigger role in Ace’s life. As a matter of fact, or any role.

Josslyn asks why she doesn’t want to look for Sonny. Ava knows where he is, doesn’t she? Ava says, Sonny doesn’t apprise her of his movements, and Josslyn says, but she knows what he’s doing. Ava says, what she knows is, it’s a waste of time scouring the city looking for him when the one place they know he’ll show up is here. And if what Josslyn has to say is so important, then stay. Josslyn asks if Ava can just call her when he gets back, and Ava says, she’s obviously very upset and Josslyn can tell her; has something happened? Josslyn says, it’s personal, and Ava says she sees. So this must be about Dex. Or Michael.

Dex says he doesn’t want to hurt Sonny, but he’s not going down without a fight, and Sonny says, if he wanted Dex dead, he’d be rotting in the ground right now, no matter what Carly said. But he’s right about one thing. Dex says, what’s that? and Sonny says, Dex joined his organization under false pretenses, working for Michael the whole time. Dex says, his job was to protect Sonny, and he did, and Sonny says, Dex knows too much about his business and about him. And all he knows about Dex is that he can’t trust him. So if Dex was in his position, how would he handle this?

Dante says, they’ve got the crime scene report, handing it to Anna, who asks, what do they know? He says, the transport van hit a spike strip that blew out the tires. They pulled the van over and they were ambushed by two masked men. They tied up the guards and took Olivia Jerome. Shortly thereafter, they heard a gunshot. They freed themselves, one of them called for help, the other went into the woods in the direction of the gunshot and found Olivia’s body. Anna says, did they pick up the gunman’s trail yet? but he says, not yet, and she says she needs to see the body.

Alexis says, Danny was drinking? Danny? Sam asks if she’d be less surprised if it were Rocco or Scout, and Alexis says she couldn’t be more surprised. Danny? She never in a million years. Sam says she knows. Here they are. Alexis asks if Sam flipped out. She would have flipped out. She has flipped out. The trouble Kristina used to get into took years off her life. Sam says, actually, no. She was angry, but she didn’t really raise her voice or give him a long lecture or anything. Alexis asks if she gave him a short one, and Sam says, they had a really good conversation about it. Alexis says, good, and Sam says, it was actually quite mature… of her, not him. Alexis asks if she grounded him, and Sam says, hell yes. Alexis says, how long? and Sam says, until he learns responsibility. Alexis says, so she guesses Sam didn’t want to tie herself down to a specific timeline, and Sam says she didn’t think of it that way, but she likes the way Alexis thinks. She thinks somewhere between one month and forever sounds good. Alexis says, sounds reasonable, and Sam says, they got to a good place. Alexis says, okay. Is Sam ready for her to be honest? Sam says she doesn’t know. Is it something she’ll want to hear? Alexis says she thinks so. She thinks what Sam did was very normal parenting. Actually, it sounds like excellent parenting. But it sounds like Sam is still bothered. Sam says, taking the you’re grounded, but if this ever happens again and you find yourself in this position, you can call me or Dante and we’ll come and get you, no questions asked route is a normal course of action, right? Alexis says, last time she checked, and Sam says, but Danny is Jason’s son and he’s getting more and more like him every day. And Jason was drawn to danger. What if Danny is too?

Cyrus says, of course (🍷) he’ll respect Laura’s wishes as Ace’s adoptive mother, and she says, good idea. She moves to open the door, and he says, but he must ask… She says, that was fast, and he says, why would she want to deprive Ace of family after he’s already lost so much? She says, it’s because he’s lost so much that she wants Cyrus to keep his distance. She wants Ace to have some kind of stability in his young life. Cyrus says he would only bring stability. He’d be a constant presence in Ace’s life. As constant as she deems appropriate, no more, but certainly no less. She says she appreciates his good intentions, but he has to just rest assured that Ace has a lot of family who really love him. He says he knows that, and it gives him comfort, but it’s a family he’d dearly love to be part of. It’s one reason he stopped by today, to offer her what comfort he could after losing Spencer and seeing Nikolas go to prison. He cares about her. She says, he keeps telling her that, and he says, and she keeps doubting. How long is she going to distrust him? He thinks he’s proven by now that he’s turned over a new leaf. She says, it wasn’t that long ago, when he expressed his distress over somebody else’s misfortune, when what he was really doing was rubbing their nose in it. He doesn’t deny that, does he? He says he does not. He owns his misdeeds and carries the shame of them. She says, okay, but the rest of them remember it, and he says, okay. She tells him that if he wants the rest of them to believe he’s turned over a new leaf, then it may take more than just his word. He may have to forgive them their trespasses if they need more time to forgive his. He says he understands, which is why he asked her about Nikolas. Not to rub her nose it in, but because he wants her to know that he’s arranged for Nikolas to be protected in Pentenville, so that she can have the peace that comes in knowing he’ll be safe. She says, this is exactly what she’s talking about. How can he expect her to believe that he’s turned over a new leaf when he’s offering to pull strings in prison?

Josslyn says, what makes Ava think this is about Michael? and Ava says, Michael came by, and he confessed to Sonny. She happened to overhear. Josslyn says, shocker, and Ava says, come on. This can’t be the first Josslyn’s hearing of this. Josslyn asks what Michael confessed, but Ava says, he didn’t mention it. And she doesn’t think it occurred to Sonny that Josslyn and Dex are too crazy about each other to keep secrets, especially big secrets. Like the fact that Michael hired Dex, first to spy on Sonny and then to protect him. Josslyn says, fine. Yes, she knew. Ava says, that’s a heavy burden to carry. She empathizes. If Josslyn would like somebody to talk to… Josslyn thanks her, but says she thinks she’d rather talk to her mom, and Ava says, of course (🍷), but it looks like she needs somebody to talk to right now. And since she’s here right now… Josslyn asks why she cares so much.

Dex says he expected Sonny to handle it the way he almost did, and Sonny says, in Dex’s opinion, what should he do now? Dex says, if it were his call? and Sonny says, yeah. Dex says, start over. All the cards are on the table. He’s fresh out of secrets. It feels good. Yes, if it were up to him, he would keep working for Sonny, but he knows that’s not possible. He’s become a liability Sonny can’t afford. Sonny says, perceptive as usual, and Dex says, for what it’s worth (🍷), he didn’t just learn about Sonny’s business. He learned about Sonny and the man he is. When Michael hired him, this was just a job, but then he got to know Sonny and his family and realized Sonny had a code and principles that guide him. He knows Sonny has no reason to believe him, but he wasn’t lying when he said he admired Sonny. Even now. He knows he shouldn’t, but he does.

The morgue attendant slides a body out, and Anna looks under the sheet. She says, yeah, that’s Olivia. Shot point blank in the back of the head. Olivia Jerome was executed. (We don’t see her, so I guess it was too expensive to bring her in just to lie there.)

Cyrus says he’s long since cut ties with the criminal element and those who kept him trapped in the dark far from the Lord’s love, and Laura says, if it’s not his henchman who would be looking after her son in jail, then who is he talking about? He says he found another group of men in prison, lost souls seeking redemption, just like him. Well- intentioned men living with the consequences of their mistakes. His mission is to provide them an example to live by, to offer counsel to guide them through their sentences, so they can turn their life around in prison and out. She says, right, but they’re inmates, criminals. He hasn’t said they’re not dangerous. Cyrus says, of course (🍷) they’re dangerous. They wouldn’t be able to provide protection if they were meek little lambs. She says she guesses she was hoping he bribed a few guards or something, and he says, with what? He has no riches to bribe anyone. She says, maybe with those hidden riches he uses to bribe people secretly? and he laughs. He says, if only he were half as colorful as he is in her imagination, and she says, then he’d be wearing half an orange jumpsuit. He laughs again and says, she’s so funny. All she needs to know is that after his release, he never abandoned his flock. Nor has he abandoned his cause. She asks, what is his cause? and he says, with the Lord’s blessing, his flock is about to get bigger. This afternoon is the inaugural broadcast of his radio show. Soon, very soon in fact, he’ll be spreading God’s word to everyone in Port Charles.

Sam tells Alexis, on Valentine’s Day, she and Dante decided to have a date night here at the house. He cooked for her. They thought all of the kids were in their rooms, and then there was a knock at the door just as they were about to get romantic. And Dante opened the door and there was a cop with Danny. Alexis says, perspective. Danny isn’t the first teenager to sneak out of the house with his friends and go drinking. Sam says, sneaking out is one thing, but sneaking out by a fire escape that’s suspended to the side of a building on a penthouse floor? Alexis says, clearly, Danny doesn’t have any fear of heights? and Sam says, gee, I wonder who he takes after? What if Danny hadn’t gotten caught and he would have tried to sneak in the same way? Up the building? What if he slipped or lost his balance? Alexis says, okay. She’s right to be asking all these questions and she’s right to be extra vigilant. However, one incident is not a pattern necessarily. Sam says, so this is normal teenage stuff? and Alexis says, all she knows is what Kristina did to her. Sam says, Kristina’s an angel right now compared to those things, and Alexis says she never raised a boy, so she has no idea what’s normal for boys. Sam says she gets that all teenagers take chances, but what if Danny’s hardwired to take bigger chances? And if so, how does she keep him safe? Because if he’s anything like his father, the more she tries to control him, the more he’s going to fight to be free.

Anna closes the morgue vault, when Dante comes in. He says he debriefed the detectives on the scene. They found this nearby. He hands Anna a plastic evidence bag, and she takes out a gun. She looks it over and says, oh yeah. Jordan asks if she found something, and Anna says, see that marking right there? The WSB put it on all the guns they seized. That means, whoever tried to kill Sonny is also behind Olivia Jerome’s murder.

Sonny says, Dex had a lot of potential. More than he’s seen in anyone in a long time. Dex proved his abilities to him, but Dex reminded him, being capable and trustworthy don’t really go hand-in-hand. He wishes he could just let Dex go; forget he ever existed. But he’s too big of a liability. Dex says he understands there’s a risk Sonny’s enemies might use him to get to Sonny, but he was willing to take a bullet rather than give up Carly and Michael. Sonny knows he can hold up under pressure. Sonny says he has kids to consider. Dex said himself that he’ll do anything to protect his family. Dex says, so what now? and Sonny says, the only way he sees it, Dex is going to have to disappear.

Ava says she knows she’s not Josslyn’s favorite person, but Josslyn still went out of her way to get Spinelli and Dex to find her when Mason took her. Josslyn says, of course (🍷). She did that for Avery. Ava says, Josslyn still did it. She owes Josslyn her life for that. So if there’s ever anything she can do for Josslyn, no matter what it is, all she has to do is ask. Josslyn asks if she really means that, and Ava says, absolutely. Josslyn says, then please help her find Sonny, but Ava says she told Josslyn, she doesn’t know where he is. Josslyn says, then call him or get the guards to summon him home. Steering Josslyn toward the door, Ava says, she really thinks it’s best… but Josslyn shakes her off and says, Sonny is going to kill Dex. Ava knows that and she knows that. She needs to speak to him before he does something drastic. She might have helped, but Dex is the one who rescued Ava. Twice. Once at the Quartermaines when Heather Webber attacked her and once in Pautuck. Ava owes him her life twice over. Please help her protect him.

Dex asks if Sonny is going to kill him, but Sonny says he expects Dex to leave town. He’ll have Frank take Dex to one of his safe houses and tell Brick to set him up with a new identity, passport, driver’s license, and then once he’s gone, they’re going to cover up his tracks and set him up with money. Dex says, what about Josslyn? and Sonny says, the way this works, he and Brick are the only ones who have to know what’s going on. They bring Josslyn in, she’s going to drive Sonny’s enemies to Dex. Dex says, they know how to be careful, and Sonny says he knows Josslyn loves Dex. She loves her family too. But if they involve Josslyn, it’s all for nothing. Dex says, then shoot me, putting Sonny’s gun to his stomach. It’s not worth it. Joss made his life worth living. Without her, Sonny might as well finish him off here.

Ava says she would absolutely help if she could, and Josslyn says, but she won’t. So everything Ava just said, if she ever needs anything, that’s all crap. Ava says she meant every word, and she is aware of how unsparing Sonny can be with those who cross him, but Josslyn says, Dex didn’t cross him. Literally the opposite. How many times did Dex almost give Sonny his life and that counts for nothing. Ava says she knows it seems unfair, but Josslyn knows as well as she does that Sonny can’t risk fairness when it comes to his family’s safety. Josslyn says, so Ava is telling her that there’s nothing she can do, and Ava says, yes.

Laura says, Cyrus has a radio show? Who would put him on the air? Cyrus says, someone who sees the value in his message? She says, no, something is deeply off here, and he says, it saddens him that she still doubts his intentions. Fortunately, the Lord provides him strength to continue proving he’s changed. He knows he can never erase the terrible things he’s done, but he can at least counteract them by putting some good out in the world. That’s his purpose. She says, but what is his motive? and he says he can only hope one day she believes the change he’s showing the world and accept the man he’s become. He must take his leave. He goes to the door and says his debut is but fifteen minutes away on KZPC radio. He does hope she’ll tune in. He leaves, and Doc comes back. He says, it’s a miracle that Ace is still down. Then again, maybe he was trying to avoid their company. What did Cyrus want? She says, the same thing he always wants. Her trust.

Sam tells Alexis that she tried to shield Scout and Danny from Jason’s life, and when she realized she couldn’t, she broke up with him. Alexis says, Sam seems to give her kids stability despite all that, and Sam says, what if she wasn’t enough? Danny always wanted more time with his father. Jason was in and out of his life, then all of a sudden, it wasn’t enough. Danny took Jason’s death really hard. And what if in a way to get closer to his father, Danny is starting to take the kinds of chances Jason used to take? And if so, how long has this been building up in him and why hasn’t she seen it before? Alexis says, listen to her. She understands how Sam feels. At some point, every parent does in one way or another. But Sam didn’t cause this. Does she understand that? Sam says, yeah, and Alexis asks if Sam believes her. Sam says she wants to, and Alexis says, whatever Danny is going through, Sam will get him through this because she’s a wonderful mother.

Anna re-bags the gun, and Jordan says, Olivia Jerome’s long history with the mob certainly tracks with their gunman’s pattern, targeting organized crime leaders. Anna hands the gun to Dante and says, absolutely. See if they can confirm that the bullet that killed Jerome matches that gun. Dante says he’ll see if they can put a rush on it, and she says, they need to move fast. As soon as the Feds are apprised of this development, Agent Cates is going to want to take over, and they all know how thrilled he was they didn’t back off in the first place. Jordan says, it’s not like he can be any less cooperative, and Anna agrees and says, it’s common knowledge there won’t be any tears shed over Olivia. But those guards could have been injured or worse, and Curtis already got caught in the crossfire. Agent Cates needs to understand that they need to put a stop to this before any more innocent bystanders are hurt.

Sam thanks Alexis for the encouragement, because she doesn’t feel like a good mom, much less a wonderful mom. Alexis says, you know who thinks they’re wonderful moms? Terrible moms, that’s who. Sam says, so it’s good to doubt, and Alexis says, yeah. It’s like if you think you’re going crazy, the fact that you’ve asked that question means you’re way ahead of the game. Sam says, that’s good to know, and Alexis says, in the meantime, just take it one step at a time. This is just one incident. Sam says she knows, but what if it was just the first? and Alexis says, then she will know. If she sees it escalating, she’ll do something about it. She’ll take care of him just like she always has. And she doesn’t have to do it alone. Sam can count on her. Sam can always count on her. And they will figure it out. Is that a deal? Sam says, it’s a deal. Alexis’s phone rings and she says, it’s one of her reporters. She says, what’s up?… Sam asks if everything is okay.

Jordan says, their best lead is the gun dealer Philip O’Neal. His lawyers want a deal, but the FBI isn’t biting. Anna says, he’s still not talking? and Dante says, this doesn’t make any sense. It’s like this guy has a target on his back. He can ID who he sold the guns to. Anna says, it is concerning, but interestingly, whoever it is who’s after the organized crime figures, waited until Olivia was out of prison before they made their move. Dante says, that just makes him think, whoever this is doesn’t have access to anyone on the inside, and Anna says she thinks she’s going to talk to Agent Cates. She’s going to try and persuade him to keep O’Neal in Pentenville, rather than moving him out of their reach. Dante asks if she thinks they can get something out of O’Neal, and Jordan says, just because he’s not talking to law enforcement, doesn’t mean he won’t talk to anyone.

Josslyn says she should have known better and thanks Ava. This conversation was a big help. Josslyn opens the door, and Ava says she didn’t mean to upset her. Josslyn says she just wants someone to help her. She loves Dex. Does Ava understand? She cannot and will not give up on the people she loves. She won’t do it. She leaves, slamming the door behind her, and Ava takes out her phone.

Sonny says, if he pulls this trigger because Dex asked him to, he won’t be breaking Josslyn’s heart; Dex will. Dex pushes the gun away and says he loves her. He thought it had been beaten out of him. He thought it would never happen for him, but it did. Sonny says, Dex knows the best thing for Josslyn is for him to leave town. Sonny’s enemies are going to be tracking Dex down for the rest of his life. Does Dex want to put her in danger? Does he want her to be the target? Dex says he can’t lose her, and Sonny says, here’s the deal. If Dex wants to keep his life, he’s never going to come back here again. He’s not going to have any contact with anyone again. It’s up to him. Sonny’s phone rings, and he tells Dex that he needs an answer – now.

Jordan says, O’Neal might not talk to them, but he might talk to someone in Pentenville, and Anna says, she means, plant an informant? Jordan says, could work, and Dante says, seems like a long shot. Given this guy’s line of work, you’d think he’d have to be pretty tight lipped, no matter who he’s talking to. Jordan says, exactly. Right now, he’s probably more surprised than they are that he’s still alive. There might be something he wants to get off his chest just in case. Anna says, they’d have to find someone who’s good at extracting that kind of information. And also someone Robert would be willing to offer a deal to. Dante says, a lesser sentence in exchange for some information? That would be pretty good incentive. Jordan says, yes, but no one who poses a significant threat to the general public upon release, and Anna says, on top of finding this person and making a deal with the DA’s office, the informant also has to establish some kind of trust with O’Neal in order to make this work. This is all going to take time. Dante says, it’s time they don’t have, and Anna says, until they think of something faster… Jordan’s phone dings and she says, it’s from Laura. Anna asks, what is it? and Jordan goes over to a very convenient radio, turning it on and finding a station. We hear Cyrus say, this is KZPC radio and welcome to Searching with Cyrus. You’re probably asking, what can I have in common with you…

Laura and Doc are also listening, and Cyrus continues. After all, I’m an ex-convict who was serving hard time in Pentenville, but one thing I learned there is, we are all prisoners. But if we give our burden to the Lord, He will set us free. That’s why I’m here, to help you share that burden and give voice to your troubles, so that you may live a life of peace. Ace starts to cry and Doc says he’ll get Ace. He’s heard enough of this guy. Cyrus says, I’m living proof that God never gives up on any of us, and Doc suggests Laura turn it off, but she says she’s going to listen to every word. She needs to understand what Cyrus is really saying. Doc tells her, good luck with that, and leaves. Cyrus says, if I can find my way to a better place, so can you.

Josslyn runs to Dex’s apartment and sees the door isn’t closed all the way. She pushes it open and sees Sonny sitting there. She says, where’s Dex? and Sonny says he’s sorry. Dex is gone.

On the phone, Alexis says she definitely intends to run it in the morning. She just wants to be able to check it first before it goes to press. She glances at the guard outside Sonny’s penthouse, and says, but she’s going to have to call them back, because there’s something she has to do first.

There’s a knock at the door, and Ava opens it to Alexis. She asks if Alexis is looking for Sonny, but Alexis says, actually, she’s here to see Ava. Ava’s phone rings, and Alexis asks if she needs to get that. Ava says, it’s Pentenville. She’s sure it’s Alexis’s darling nephew, calling collect, but Alexis says she doesn’t think that it is. May she come in? Ava says, please. Is this a social call or are they on the record here? Alexis says she heard it from one of her reporters and she thinks Julian would want Ava to hear it from someone she knows. Ava says, conjuring her late brother’s name can’t be good. Julian would want her to hear what? Alexis says, her sister Olivia is dead, and Ava says, is that so? Alexis says she’s sorry for Ava’s loss, and Ava says, is she really? Because after what she did to Alexis, she thinks Alexis is probably wondering what circle of hell she’s roasting in.

Josslyn says she wants to see him, but Sonny says, that’s not possible. She says, where is he? What did Sonny do to him? He says, Dex is alive, but he’s not coming back to Port Charles, and Josslyn says, he’s a liar. Dex would never leave her. Sonny says, Dex did what he had to do, what was best for everyone, and Josslyn cries, saying, not for her. Sonny says, especially for her. He picks up an envelope and says, Dex wanted him to give her this. He holds it out and she snatches it from him. She takes out a note, a dog tag on a chain falling to the floor. She reads the note and says she hates Sonny. He’s a criminal and a liar and she will never forgive him for this. (When you think about it, it’s really Michael’s fault.) Sonny says he knows, and leaves. Josslyn looks at the note again, picks up the dog tag, and sinks to the floor, crying.

On Monday, Lois says, has she got a surprise for Tracy; Marshall tells Stella that he has no idea how to handle it; Nina hopes she’s not late; and Josslyn tells Carly that she and Dex are not going to be kept apart.

👠 How She Really Feels…

Apparently, she died and came back once before. That explains why I kept thinking she was dead before she died. And again, who knows? We didn’t see a body.

Tonja Walker Responds to Olivia Jerome’s Death on GENERAL HOSPITAL

📹 From Soap to Cinema…

They’re branching into new milieus.

🧂 Won’t Back Down…

I actually believe her. They probably laid a trail of breadcrumbs for Heather to find too.

🛟 Walking the Plank…

Not exactly the best way to stand out from the crowd.

https://www.dexerto.com/reality-tv/below-deck-fans-accuse-producers-of-hiring-bad-crew-for-more-drama-2531397

And will she be the first to go?

https://screenrant.com/below-deck-season-11-barbie-pascual-fired

🍸 Breakout Star…

Give that woman a raise immediately.

🔪 They’re the Top…

Here’s hoping Padma’s shoes can be filled.

https://ew.com/top-chef-season-21-cast-premiere-date-trailer-8559815

https://parade.com/tv/top-chef-season-21

⚰️ Reuniting the Dead…

Not too long now.

https://ew.com/walking-dead-the-ones-who-live-on-set-rick-and-michonne-reunion-8576529

🌁 News Of the Last…

Season 2 of the show.

https://comicbookmovie.com/spider_man/madame-web/madame-web-star-isabela-merced-on-filming-her-first-scene-as-dina-for-the-last-of-us-season-2-a209371

https://comicbookmovie.com/spider_man/madame-web/madame-web-star-isabela-merced-on-filming-her-first-scene-as-dina-for-the-last-of-us-season-2-a209371

Chapter 3 of the game.

https://www.ign.com/articles/neil-druckmann-teases-concept-for-the-last-of-us-part-3-theres-probably-one-more-chapter-to-this-story

🧛🏽 On Tap…

Cutting their teeth on Season 2.

https://ew.com/interview-with-the-vampire-season-2-premiere-date-new-cast-third-anne-rice-tv-show-announced-8559740

🐉 It’s All In the Game…

New spin-off.

https://ew.com/game-of-thrones-aegon-conquest-spinoff-reported-8574988

Throne serendipity.

https://www.etonline.com/sophie-turner-reacts-to-game-of-thrones-reunion-with-kit-harington-in-new-movie-the-dreadful-219622

🐶 After the Bowl Is Over…

This is the best story.

https://people.com/how-20-years-puppy-bowl-changed-pet-adoption-8575625

🐦‍⬛ Quotes of the Week

Every piece of the universe, even the tiniest little snow crystal, matters somehow. I have a place in the pattern, and so do you.T.A. Barron (So don’t step on any butterflies.)

Better to stay quiet than get hit with a rock. – Manuel Vëlez, 90 Day Fiancé

On truth: *I suppose there are two views about everything,* said Mark. *Eh? Two views? There are a dozen views about everything until you know the answer. Then there’s never more than one.*C .S. Lewis, from That Hideous Strength, compiled in Words to Live By

Goals. There’s no telling what you can do when you get inspired by them. There’s no telling what you can do when you believe in them. There’s no telling what will happen when you act upon them. – Jim Rohn

Goals are the thing you talk about instead of the thing you do. – Cherry (Rose McGowan), Planet Terror

We must all learn not only to not fear change, but to embrace it enthusiastically and, perhaps even more important, encourage and drive it. – Tony Hsieh

Be not afraid of life. Believe that life is worth living, and your belief will help create the fact. – William James

Humor worked with pickles, but pickles are funny. The way beans are funny, we can’t use that. We have to fight it actually. – Raymond Geiger, Heinz rep (John Sloman), Mad Men

It’s not easy having a good time. Even smiling makes my face ache. – Frank-N-Furter (Tim Curry), The Rocky Horror Picture Show

🍹 Presidential Day Drinking…

Return on Monday really Tuesday for soap and what’s doing on Deck. Until then, stay safe, stay enjoying the long weekend if you have one, and stay keeping in mind that one incident is not a pattern necessarily.

February 15, 2024 – Michael Tells Sonny Everything, All About That Soap, Brilliant Move, Two Stooges In Jersey, Golden Boy & One

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Ava walks into the living room to find Sonny staring at the fire. She says, he’s home, and he says he lives here. Is there somewhere else he should be? She says, of course (🍷) not. It’s just that he wasn’t here late last night when she went to bed. With everything going on, she was just worried something happened. Where was he? He says, out, and she says, the guards were pretty quiet about where he was. Please tell her Dex was with him at least. He says he doesn’t want to hear that name.

There’s a knock at the door, and Dex grabs his gun. Josslyn asks if he’s in there, and he puts the gun in his back waistband and lets her in. She says she’s been so worried. She hasn’t been able to reach him. He grabs her and hugs her, and she asks where he was last night. He says, she didn’t talk to her mom today? but she says, no. She’s been busy and hasn’t been able to call her mom back. Why? What happened last night?

Kristina tells Blaze that she’s so sorry. She woke up not feeling well and fell back to sleep. She’s so sorry. She forgot they had plans. Blaze says, that’s fine. Don’t worry about her. She does look a little green around the gills. How is she doing? Kristina says, morning sickness is no joke. She thought she’d be able to handle it and it would be fine, but her head will not stop pounding and the room is spinning. It feels like the ground is actually moving beneath her feet. Blaze says, it sounds awful. Kristina should lie down, and she’ll make some tea. Kristina says, that would be great, but before Blaze leaves, she has something important to tell her. Blaze says, whatever Kristina has to tell her can wait. For now, just let me take care of you. (Hell, I’ll date Blaze.)

On the phone at the MetroCourt, Nina tells Kira that she got here a little bit early. She got them a spot in the alcove. Do they want her to order them a coffee or… No. Of course (🍷) she understands. That’s fine. They should reschedule soon because she has an opportunity that’s going to be great for… Hello? Kira? Drew says, stood up again?

On the phone at a table in the restaurant, Anna says she’s coming by the station to see him… Okay, but Jordan’s coming in because she wants an update on the investigation into the stolen WSB weapons… Right, and she thinks they have to move on that ASAP because she thinks there’s urgency in this situation… Dante says, let him guess. The FBI is cool with the PCPD investigating until they’re not. Is that it? She says, exactly. She doesn’t know when they’re going to pull the agreement. She sees Valentin come in, and Dante asks if she’s still there. She says, yeah. Sorry. She has to go. Valentin comes over to the table, and she says, it’s been a while. He says, it has, and from the look on her face, it hasn’t been long enough.

Ava says she has to make a work call. She’ll be in her room if Sonny needs her. He says he’ll be fine, and she starts to leave, but he says, hey. Thank you. There’s a knock at the door, and a guard tells Sonny that someone’s here to see him. Michael comes in and Sonny says, hello, Judas.

Jordan tells Dante, good morning. She’s here to get an update on the MetroCourt shooting investigation for the mayor’s office. Have there been any new developments? He says, Anna is going to be here soon, but he doesn’t think she’d mind him telling Jordan that there’s been nothing new from the FBI. She says, why does that not surprise her? They’re not going to give up any of their intel unless it helps them. He says, they’re keeping their cards pretty close to their chest. They know Sonny was the target. They know the only person who could identify the shooter is O’Neal because he sold the shooter the illegal weapon. And he is Pentenville, at least for now. She asks what that means. Is O’Neal going somewhere? He says, not that he knows of, but it wouldn’t surprise him if Agent Cates had him transferred out of their jurisdiction so the Feds can have sole control over him. She says, as disappointing as that would be, there’s an argument for O’Neal to be in protective custody to keep him safe, and he says, that’s pretty convenient for Cates. She says, it’s pretty obvious Agent Cates isn’t too happy to have to work with the PCPD on this, and he says, according to O’Neal’s lawyer, he’s refusing to cooperate with them on his gun trafficking. But Dante still feels there’s a deal to be made there. This guy’s facing some pretty serious charges. Maybe his self-preservation instincts will kick in. She says, they need to offer him something in return, which as of now, the FBI won’t offer them, and he says, which is too bad, because given O’Neal’s line of work, he’d be a pretty valuable witness against a lot of criminals. Criminals who are in prison right now who might know he’s talking to them. Dante doesn’t know if O’Neal would want to take that chance going in there, and Jordan says, if something happens to O’Neal, there goes their only lead.

Valentin says he didn’t expect to see Anna here, and she says she lives here now. Again. Until she can find somewhere more permanent. He says he guesses that makes sense, and she says she doesn’t know if he heard, but she just got reinstated as Police Commissioner. He says he heard. Congratulations. It must be nice to have a badge back. She says, yes, it is. Anyway, she wanted him to hear it from her. He says, why? Because of what happened to Charlotte? She says, yes, and he sits down. He asks if she wants an update on Charlotte. Is that why they struck up this conversation?

Nina tells Drew that one of her contacts has canceled a meeting. No big deal. It happens all the time. He says, contacts? Doesn’t she mean friends? Trusted writers, editors, photographers. People she’s been working with for years. People who would always jump at a call from her before. Has she been able to get any of them on the phone recently? She asks what he did, and he says, it was simple really. All he did was put the word out that they’re absolutely free to work with her on her new endeavor, but if they do, they’re never going to be working with Aurora ever again. She says, so he forced them not to work with her, but he says, no. He just gave them a choice. And judging by the fact she’s sitting alone at this table, he thinks it’s pretty clear that they’re not as inclined to play with fire as she is. She says, he must not have a lot of faith in Carly running Crimson and beating her fair and square. Is he really that threatened by a little competition? He laughs and says, what competition? Speaking of Carly, all she wants right now is for Nina to be out of their lives completely. So if he can make that happen and make her pay at the same time, all the better. (Drew has officially turned into a 14-year-old mean girl. I’m wondering if it’s because Jason’s coming back.)

Blaze brings out a tray (seriously, I’ll marry her) and says, here we go. Ginger tea should help settle Kristina’s stomach. Kristina thanks her and says, that actually smells amazing. It’s a really good start because it’s not making her nauseous and everything is making her nauseous. So it’s a step in the right direction. Blaze tells her to give it a second to cool down. In the meantime, hold out her arm. Kristina asks, why? and Blaze says, just trust me. Kristina says, okay, and holds out her arm. Blaze presses on her hand and asks if the pressure is okay, and Kristina says, yeah. That is really relaxing. Blaze says, let her try another place, and presses on Kristina’s forearm. She says, how’s that? and Kristina says she thinks that actually made the room stop spinning. Where did she learn how to do this? Blaze says, on the road, and Kristina says, dealt with a lot of pregnant women, did she? Blaze laughs and says, hardly. A lot of hungover musicians. All lights and glory on stage and then there’s hell to pay the morning after. Kristina says she’s genuinely glad Blaze learned to do that because it made her feel so much better really fast. So thank you, miracle worker. Blaze says, let’s not get carried away. But now that the room isn’t spinning anymore, what does Kristina have to talk to her about? Kristina says, it’s about Molly, and Blaze says, is everything okay? They didn’t get into a disagreement about Kristina’s pregnancy, did they? Kristina says, nothing like that. Molly knows about us.

Josslyn says she knew something was wrong when she couldn’t get ahold of Dex last night. This was exactly the kind of thing she was afraid of since she learned he was working with Michael. Is he okay? Did Sonny hurt him? He says, not really. Sonny’s men roughed him up a little bit, but it could have been a lot worse. He thought he was never going to see her again. If her mom hadn’t shown up when she did… She says, thank God, she figured it out. She saved his life. He says he’s never been so happy to see anyone. Not that Sonny made it easy. He tried to get his men to take her to her car, but she flat-out refused to go. Josslyn says she’s really sorry. She knows Dex believed in Sonny, but this is who he is, and this is what he does. He uses people, and he thinks everyone else should forgive him over and over again, but the second he thinks someone’s betrayed him, he will turn on them. Dex says he gets it. Sonny knew he’d been paid off. He just didn’t know by who. Sonny pointed a loaded gun at him and tried to get him to talk. The only reason he was still breathing when her mom got there was because Sonny wanted to get the information from him. She asks if her mom told Sonny that he was originally working with Michael, but he says, no. Sonny figured it out. Sonny knew her mom didn’t have the money to pay him the bonuses that Michael had. All her mom did was confirm it. Josslyn says, Sonny’s never going to trust Dex again, and Dex agrees. She says, which means he’s free.

Michael says he’s not coming in here with excuses, and Sonny says, there is no excuse for what he did. Michael says he hired Dex from a security firm and paid him to infiltrate Sonny’s organization and gather incriminating evidence against Sonny and give it to him. He wanted to be the one to send Sonny to prison. Sonny says, because Michael wanted him to suffer, right? He gets it, but why? Michael says, because his mom risked her life and her freedom to run Sonny’s organization when he was in Nixon Falls. Sonny says, he had amnesia in Nixon Falls. Why does everyone forget that? Michael says, when Sonny came back, he cheated on her with Nina. And not only that, he sided with Nina when she was suing him and Willow for visitation with Wiley. He didn’t recognize Sonny anymore. He didn’t see his father. He convinced himself that Sonny needed to pay. Sonny says, he didn’t go through with it, and Michael says, in the end, he couldn’t do it. Because sending Sonny to prison would tear the family apart, and he couldn’t do that to his siblings. He couldn’t do that to Sonny. In the end, his loyalty to the family was stronger than his need for revenge. Sonny asks what he knows about loyalty, stabbing his father in the back?

Nina says she knows Drew and Carly wish she would just vanish into thin air, but how exactly is Drew going to manage that, because she’s not leaving Port Charles anytime soon. He says, of course (🍷) she’s not, because that would be the decent thing to do, just kind of slink out of town and never come back. She says, Port Charles is her home. He might have caused a little setback to her plans to start her own magazine, but this hotel is hers, so she doesn’t want to hear any more threats from him, idle as they may be. He says, she misunderstands him. He’s not threatening her. He’s offering to buy her share of the MetroCourt. (He has a funny way of doing that.)

Michael says he knows Sonny feels betrayed and he has every right to, but he was in the position to get the revenge he wanted and didn’t go through with it. Sonny asks if he wants credit now for a change of heart Michael still tried to take him down, and Michael says he knows and he’s admitting to it. Sonny says, then why didn’t Michael come to him as soon as he called it off? Own up to it instead of bringing his mom into the equation. Michael says he didn’t plan that. She just figured it out. He already decided he wasn’t going to turn Sonny in, so his mom came up with a plan for them to work together to keep Sonny protected and safe. That’s what they all wanted, Dex too. Sonny says, what about last night? What kind of man sends his mother in to clean up his mess? Michael says he didn’t send in his mom. He had no idea Sonny was closing in on Dex. Sonny says he doesn’t want to hear any more. Michael had every chance to tell him the truth. Michael was in his office, and they were hugging. Michael said he hated the distance, but it wasn’t about the distance. Michael was out to get him. Michael says he wasn’t out to get Sonny. He was out to protect him. Sonny says, what about his sisters, Donna and Avery? How does he think they would feel growing up without a father? They’re his sisters. Michael says he did think about that, but at the time, he thought they’d be better off with Sonny behind bars. Sonny says, it’s not his call to make. What about Wiley and Amelia? How does Michael think they would feel without him in their lives anymore?

Josslyn says she doesn’t know what she’d have done if something happened to Dex. Watching Trina go through this with Spencer, it’s terrible. She’s not even herself. She couldn’t do it. She can’t lose him. He says he loves her, and she says, last night, she had this pit in her stomach when she couldn’t find him, and to know she was right to feel that way… All she wants is for him to be safe. Not just today or tomorrow, but always. He says he wishes it were easy to make that happen, and she says, her mom had to have told Sonny that Dex was protecting him, not betraying him. He says, she did, but it doesn’t matter. In Sonny’s eyes, he still lied. Now he knows way too much about Sonny and his organization. How can he make a clean break? Sonny will never let him walk away knowing everything he knows.

Kristina says, this isn’t easy for her. She’s really trying to respect Blaze’s privacy and be patient, but hiding how they feel about each other when other people are around isn’t really a way to build a relationship. Blaze asks if that’s what they are, a relationship, and Kristina asks if Blaze thinks she would let just anyone see her like this. Blaze laughs, and Kristina says she thinks it’s safe to say they’re in a relationship.

Drew says, just think about it. Nina wants to start her own magazine. That’s going to take some capital. The kind of capital she would get if she sold half of a hotel. This offer isn’t coming out of nowhere. It wasn’t that long ago Nina offered to sell her shares to Carly. Nina says, that was before he and Carly took Crimson away from her and she found out how vindictive they are. He says, she did all that herself. She has to take responsibility for her choices. Nina says, oh good, another lecture, and he says he’ll pay her fair market value for her half of the MetroCourt. She says, not a chance. Now if he wants to buy something nice for his girlfriend, besides a magazine she has no earthly idea how to run, she suggests jewelry. She’s not going anywhere.

Valentin says he’s not comfortable giving Anna all the details. Just know that Charlotte is home and she’s settling in nicely. And he promises they’ll keep her informed. She thanks him, and he sees Nina come in, Drew following her. He asks Anna to excuse him, and leaves the table.

Drew tells Nina, calm down. There’s no reason to get so worked up. She says, don’t dare tell her how to behave, when Valentin joins them and asks Nina if everything is all right. She says, no. Drew thinks he can take her share of the hotel from her.

Jordan says, there’s got to be another way to get access to O’Neal and keep him in Port Charles under their custody, but Dante says he doesn’t see that happening. The Feds want them to stand down as it is. She says, on the gun charges, yes. They need to come at it from a different angle. He says, like what? and she says, maybe they get him on charges unrelated to the shooting. Something that doesn’t involve the Feds and would be solidly in their jurisdiction. He says, like unpaid parking tickets or something? and she says, preferably a felony. What is the likelihood that an arms dealer has been involved with another crime here in Port Charles? Dante tells her that he’d say the likelihood is pretty high. You don’t go from upstanding citizen to arms dealer overnight. She says, exactly. So they need to go over every case in the last six months involving firearms. Track all the weapons and see if it leads back to their friend in Pentenville. He says, they’ve been there and done that. Nothing. She says, then go back even longer. A year or more. Do whatever he has to do, because even if O’Neal is placed in protective custody, he’s still got a target on his back. Dante’s phone rings, and he answers, Detective Falconari… Wait. What?

Michael tells Sonny, again, he changed course. Dex was already inside. So he and Carly made sure Dex was keeping him safe. Sonny says, that little rat lied to him, and Michael says, Sonny can hate that he paid Dex to keep him safe all he wants, but he has to admit that if it wasn’t for him, Sonny would be dead… Sonny says he doesn’t have to admit anything. Michael says, Sonny came to rely on and trust Dex. For him to say something would have accomplished nothing. To tell the truth, it would have ruined everything. Sonny tells him to stop making himself look good. Michael didn’t just lie because he was worried about him. Michael lied to protect himself. Plain and simple. Admit it. Michael says, yes. He came to really like that their relationship was good again. He didn’t want to lose that. Sonny says, he lost it the day he hired Dex to destroy him, and Michael says he gets that Sonny is angry, and he hopes eventually, Sonny will be able to see why he did what he did and be able to forgive him. But this isn’t just about their relationship. Sonny asks what it’s about, and Michael says, it’s about Sonny and how he’s pushing everybody away. Because without Dex, without him, and especially without Carly, who does he have? Does he want to end up alone?

Dex tells Josslyn that there are no good options for him here. Sonny will never trust him again, so his time in Sonny’s organization is over. Josslyn says, exactly. So maybe this is the clean break they’ve been waiting for. He says, it’s not that simple. Does she think Sonny is just going to forget what he did to him? She says, Sonny hates a lot of people. She can live with that if he can. He says, it’s not about what they can live with. Sooner or later, one of Sonny’s rivals is going to realize Sonny’s cut him loose and try to take advantage. All of these guys talk. When they try to use him to get to Sonny and he refuses, they’re going to have it out for him too. She says she hadn’t considered that, and he says, if it’s not the mob, the DA or the Feds could find an excuse to bring him in and try to get him to flip on Sonny. The only way to guarantee he won’t talk is to eliminate him. She says, if that’s true, why did Sonny let him go last night? and he says he doesn’t know. Maybe Sonny is just telling her mom what she wants to hear. He knows she won’t let anything happen to him because of him and Josslyn. Regardless, he wouldn’t want to involve her in a crime. Maybe Sonny decided to walk away last night and finish the job later, without any witnesses. She takes his hands and says, he’d do anything for her, right? and he says, yes. She says, then run.

Blaze tells Kristina that her mother has been wanting to visit her in Port Charles, and she’s been putting her off, but she’s finally run out of excuses. She’ll be here next week. Kristina says, that’s fine. Don’t worry about them seeing each other when her mom is here. She has a lot of stuff to get done at the pub, and she could certainly use the time to get caught up at the center too. So they can just take a little break and then pick up where they left off when her mom is back on the plane heading home. Blaze thanks her for being so understanding, but somehow, it’s just making this worse. She doesn’t want Kristina to feel like she has to hide. Kristina says she’s not the one hiding.

Drew tells Nina, good luck getting her magazine up off the ground, because he loves rooting for the underdog, and leaves. Nina says, so much for Mr. Nice Guy, and Valentin says, he thinks he has Nina wrapped around his finger. She doesn’t have to sell him the MetroCourt. She knows that, right? She says, who knows? He basically crushed her idea to start her own magazine, and he barely had to try.

Drew says hi to Anna, and says he saw her sitting over here and wanted to say congratulations on being the new Police Commissioner. She thanks him and says, actually, she was just going to the station. He says he’s not going to hold her up. He just wants to tell her that he’s happy for her that things are going well. She says, and him? and he says he’s making progress. She says, what kind? And at what cost?

Josslyn tells Dex, go, today, right now. Get a head start before anyone even realizes he’s gone. He can hide without Sonny finding him, right? He says he’s not leaving. He can’t lose her. She says, he’s not going to lose her. She’s coming with him. He says, absolutely not. They talked about this last year. She’d be giving up her family, her friends, her future as a doctor. He won’t let that happen. Her whole world is here. She says, it’s her life, so it’s her choice. She can’t lose him. Not after everything they’ve gone through. He says, she’s everything to him, but she’d be giving up her life for nothing. He’s not going to run, with or without her. She says, that’s insane. They were just trying to protect Sonny, and now Sonny wants to kill him for it. He hugs her.

Michael says, somebody tried to kill Sonny twice now. And whoever gave that shooter inside information on his security, it was not Dex. Dex isn’t the traitor. It’s someone else inside Sonny’s organization. Sonny asks why he should hear anything Michael has to say, and Michael tells Sonny not to put himself in any more danger just to get back at him. Sonny will isolate himself, so he’ll have no one to confide in. He needs somebody around him that he can trust. Sonny says, that’s none of Michael’s concern, and Michael says, Sonny’s his father. Sonny says, is he? (and I say, isn’t he?) and Michael says, Sonny can push him away. He can push all of them away. But he’s going to need someone to talk to. He can’t go through this alone. Sonny says nothing, and Michael leaves. Ava comes back, and Sonny says, catch all that? She says, unfortunately, she did. She’s sorry. It must hurt a lot, what Michael did. She can go if he wants, and they can pretend she was never here. She starts to leave, but he says, wait. Can she stay?

Kristina says she didn’t mean that. She’s not judging Blaze. She doesn’t even know Blaze’s family. Blaze says, they’re great actually. They’re just religious and old-fashioned. They were raised a certain kind of way not to talk about these kinds of things, and there’s a part of her that feels she needs to protect them. Kristina says she gets that. She actually thinks a lot of people are in Blaze’s position. She just hates that Blaze feels she has to protect them from the fact that she’s gay. She’s personally thrilled Blaze is gay, and she knows a lot of other people would be too. Blaze says, thank you? and Kristina says, what she means is, she’s glad Blaze is living her authentic life, being her true self. And if that happens to include her being gay, then all the better, because Kristina happens to think who Blaze is, is pretty damn wonderful. Blaze says she feels the same way about Kristina, and Kristina says she does want to respect though, that coming out is Blaze’s personal choice, and she can’t pressure Blaze or anyone into making that decision. That’s her own to make whenever she’s ready. Blaze says, but that’s no way to build a relationship, and Kristina says, no, it’s not. Blaze says, then she knows what she has to do. She’s going to tell her mom about her and Kristina. It’s time her family knows the truth.

Nina tells Valentin that she can’t believe how she let Drew get to her, even that little bit. That’s what he wanted, but she couldn’t help herself. Valentin says, Drew can really push her buttons, huh? and she says, it’s not that he offered to buy her share of the hotel. It’s slowly dawning on her that she’s never going to get a magazine to rival Crimson off the ground. It’s just not going to happen. It’s too much. Even if Drew hadn’t scared everyone away from working with her, it’s just too huge of an undertaking. She’s just going to have to swallow her pride, and as much as it hurts, accept defeat. He says he can’t believe she’s giving up this easy, and she says, on the magazine? He says, on evening the score with Drew and Carly. Because he’s been thinking, there may be another way.

Anna tells Drew that she shouldn’t have said that. It’s none of her business. He says, she clearly has an opinion on him, and he values her opinions. So please let him hear it. She says she doesn’t really have an opinion, but she just was going back to the last conversation they had where he said he had regrets and that he wanted to get toxicity out of his life and move forward. He says, which is exactly why he offered to buy Nina’s half of the MetroCourt to get her out of their lives completely. Anna says, she seemed pretty upset by his approach, and he says, that’s just part of getting the best deal possible. That’s the cost of doing business. (What is? Upsetting the person you want to make the deal with? That makes zero sense.)  Anna asks if it’s worth it, and he says, she’s a big girl. She can take it. Anna says she’s not talking about Nina. She’s just going to say this. He seems harsher to her than he once was, and he has every right. It’s understandable, especially where Nina is concerned, but making her pay isn’t going to bring him back everything he’s already lost. He says, so he’s been told. And she’s not the first person to tell him that he’s changed recently. Her phone rings and she says she has to take this. Will he just think about what she said? Then they can pick up this conversation later. He says, okay, and she says, okay, and pats him on the shoulder. She leaves and he looks at Nina.

On the phone, Dante says, there’s been a development. He can’t get into it over the phone, but it concerns a prisoner at Pentenville. Anna says she’s on her way and gets in the elevator.

Drew stomps over to Nina, who says, oh God, and he says, let’s try this again, shall we?

Ava asks how Sonny is doing, and he says he knew Michael would come here. He even knew what Michael was going to say and all his excuses. It still hurts, those words coming out of his mouth. Ava wonders why he even dared to show his face here, and Sonny says, he insists that Dex did nothing wrong, that he still needs Dex’s protection. Ava says, he might have a point there. Dex did save them in Puerto Rico. Without him, she doesn’t know if either one of them would have gotten off that island alive. They still don’t know who the shooter was, so they’re still vulnerable. He asks if she thinks he should still have Dex in his organization after Dex betrayed him the way he did, and she says, it’s his call, of course (🍷). She was just wondering though, where Dex would go if Sonny cut him loose. She imagines he’s seen a lot of things, heard a lot of things, things that could hurt Sonny if they got out. She’s sure there are a lot of people who would love to get that information that’s rattling around in Dex’s head. He says he knows he has a problem. There’s a leak in his ship. She says, he’s far from shore. How much water can he take on? He says, before they all go down?

Josslyn tells Dex that they’re not just going to wait around until Sonny decides to punish him for a betrayal that didn’t even happen. There has to be another way. He says, not that he can think of, and she says she’ll talk to Sonny. She’ll make him understand. Dex says, he’s already made up his mind, but she says she doesn’t care. She has to talk to him. She has to try. She’ll go right now. Let her do this for him, for them. He says he knows better than to try and stop her when her mind’s made up, so go ahead. But if it goes badly, just get out of there. He doesn’t want Sonny getting angry at her too. She says she can handle Sonny. She’s going to fix it. Just watch. He kisses her, and she tells him, stay here. She’ll be back as soon as she can. She leaves, and he double-locks the door. He checks his gun and makes sure it’s loaded.

Drew says, despite what Nina obviously believes, he made his offer to buy the MetroCourt in good faith. She says, so he says. What she wants to know is, why do he and Carly insist on underestimating her? He says, do they? and she says, over and over and over again. And she’s sick of it, so listen to her carefully. Not only is she refusing his deal, he’s going to regret he ever messed with her in the first place.

In a hallway on the phone, Valentin tells someone that he has a proposal for them.

Kristina tells Blaze, wait. It was never her intention to pressure Blaze into coming out to her mom or force her in any way… Blaze says, stop. Kristina didn’t pressure her. If anything, Kristina being so patient with her is what helped her make this decision. Kristina says, okay… good, and Blaze says she’s grateful for Kristina’s support. For someone whose family was so accepting of her for who she is, Kristina understands her situation far more than she would have expected. Kristina says she tried to think about how she’d want to be treated if she was in Blaze’s position, and Blaze says, she appreciates that. But this isn’t only about her feelings for Kristina, and it can’t be about living a lie to keep the peace in her family anymore either. What Kristina said today made her realize she’s happy. Really and truly happy, and that’s nothing to hide. Kristina takes her hand, and Blaze puts her other hand on top of Kristina’s.

Anna joins Dante and Jordan, and asks, what’s going on in Pentenville? Jordan says, the prison transport was attacked today, and a prisoner is dead. Anna says, who? and Jordan says, Olivia Jerome. (I’ve kept forgetting she wasn’t dead for years, so no change here.)

Ava comes out and hears Josslyn tell the guard that she will get Dante up here and Sonny will not like it. This is an emergency, and she needs to speak to Sonny. Ava opens the door and asks if there’s something she can do for Josslyn. Josslyn says she needs to speak to Sonny now, but Ava says, she’s sorry. Josslyn just missed him.

There’s a knock at Dex’s door. He picks up his gun and unlocks the door. (Why none of these people check peepholes is beyond me, and Dex doesn’t even have one.) He holds the gun behind him and opens the door. It’s scary looking Sonny.

Tomorrow, Anna thinks whoever tried to kill Sonny is behind Olivia Jerome’s murder; Doc says, even a glimpse is out of the question; Cyrus tells Laura that his flock is about to get bigger; and Sonny tells Dex, the way he sees it, Dex is going to have to disappear.

🧼 All the Soap That’s Fit To Print…

She’s been mentioned periodically, and every time, I think, isn’t she dead? Although her actually being dead doesn’t mean it’s a sure thing either.

I can definitely see her as Blaze’s mother.

A few side gigs.

Check Out Steve Burton’s Wild New Look!

How they celebrated.

See How Soap Stars Celebrated Valentine’s Day!

The headline that nearly gave me a heart attack.

🍑 Stirring It In Hotlanta…

She’s come a long way from thinking the Underground Railroad was really a railroad.

👀 He’ll Be Watching You…

This guy is ridiculous. And shame on Bo Dietl. He’s the one I learned never go to crime scene number two from.

🐕 Another Star In the Family…

Of course their dog is awesome too. Is it too late for them to adopt me?

https://ew.com/goldie-hawn-and-kurt-russell-dog-budweiser-super-bowl-commercial-8576002

And he’s already got his first gig.

https://people.com/goldie-hawn-kurt-russell-dog-now-repping-wyatt-russell-cocktail-brand-8580671

👑 Queen Of Kings…

Join me tomorrow for soap and a presidential extravaganza. Really just the usual variety pack. Until then, stay safe, stay using adversity as an opportunity, and stay understanding that payback isn’t going to bring back everything you’ve already lost.