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.