Monthly Archives: April 2024

April 15, 2024 – Sasha Saves the Day For Deception, Not Royalty On Deck, A Thought & Fever

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Carly tells Jason that even if Nina doesn’t let Sonny know directly, she’s going to make Sonny aware that she slept with John Cates. But just to be clear, she did not. Jason says, copy that, and she says, that’s new. She doesn’t remember him ever saying, copy that, before. Anyway, she doesn’t know what she’s worried about. Sonny already considers her a traitor. Why would he care who she slept with? Jason says, because he loves her, but she says she doesn’t think he does anymore, and leaves.

Ava goes to Nina’s office and tells Madison that Nina is expecting her. Madison says, unfortunately, Nina’s been called away to guest services, but Ava says she doesn’t mind waiting and goes into Nina’s office and sits down. She takes out her phone and pulls out a plastic bag with some pills in it. She flashes back to taking Sonny’s pills to help her sleep and makes a call. She asks if this is Applied Analytical… Good. She’s hoping they can help her. She thinks there’s been a mistake with her husband’s medication. If they took a look at his pills, would they be able to identify the prescription and the strength?… She can’t ask his pharmacy. They’re online… That’s wonderful. She thanks them and says she’ll messenger them today.

On air at Home & Heart, Lucy says he has every intention of returning as mistress of ceremonies at the Nurses Ball… Backstage, Brook asks Maxie how they’re doing, and Maxie says, see for herself. Lucy says, it’s not the same without her, and Haven says she watches the Nurses Ball every year. Lucy thanks her and says, that’s very kind of her. Sometimes they do have very special guests… Haven says, and the guests always look so fabulous, so tell them what role Deception plays in all that gorgeous hair and makeup. Lucy says, of course (🍷) Deception is so very important, but she has to say, it’s not more important than wardrobe. Especially her wardrobe, because sometimes she’s had more than a dozen gown changes. Of course (🍷), like she mentioned, she was unable to host last year. It was the first time ever, but she was lucky because she was able to run things remotely… Maxie tells Brook not to worry. She called the cavalry, and Brook says she hopes Maxie means a literal legion of soldiers who will distract the viewers from this disaster. Maxie says, only one soldier, the best one for the job, and Brook says, they’d better get here soon, because they’re going down fast. Lucy says she started Deception. It was her little brainchild back in the 90s…

Lois invites Gregory in and asks if there’s something she can get for her favorite in-law to be. He says, no, but thank you. He doesn’t want to take up too much of her time. He was just hoping to get a quick word with Brook. She says, Brook is off doing something with Deception. Is this about the wedding? He says, as a matter of fact, it is, and she says, then he’s come to the right person. As the mother of the bride, it’s her honor and pleasure to make sure this wedding comes off without a hitch.

Anna sits at her desk, making notes about the people connected to Pikeman. There’s a knock at the door, and John asks if he’s interrupting. She says, my God. What happened to you?

Lucy says she’s sure some of the viewers remember, the 90s were a very different time, and Haven says, you know what she remembers most about the 90s? Lucy says, do tell, and Haven says, the hole in the ozone layer. It was an environmental crisis that affected everyone on earth, not just Port Charles. And does Lucy know what layers were affected the most? The epidermis and the dermis. They could have used a face cream like the one Lucy brought them today. Lucy says, they sure could have, and Haven asks her to tell them about it. Lucy says, they didn’t have that, so she’s thinking, maybe subconsciously, that is exactly the idea that made her want to create Deception. Haven says, and she did. And now, Deception and Home & Heart would like to invite the home audience to enjoy Deception’s new face cream at home. Brook tells Maxie that she never thought she’d hear herself say this, but thank God for Haven. She doesn’t know how much more of the Lucy chronicles they can take. Maxie says, don’t worry. The cavalry is here. and Scotty says he got here as quick as he could. Brook says, this is the cavalry? Scotty joins them, and Maxie tells him, this is what they need him to do. Get up on that stage and get Lucy to talk about the product. Brook says, just get her off the damn stage, and Scotty says he’ll take care of it.

Haven says, come on, just a little dab, and tries to put some of the cream on Lucy’s face, and Lucy says, no, but thank you so much. As she mentioned, this cream looks best, starts, and works best on completely washed skin. You do not put it over makeup. Haven says she’s sure they can get someone up here to get that makeup right off Lucy’s face, and Lucy says, on camera. Haven says, oh yes, on camera, and her washed, unmade up face will be in a nice, tight close-up. Lucy says, that will only happen over one of their dead bodies, when Scotty comes onstage and says, good thing he just showed up. Haven says, this is a closed set, but Lucy says, actually, it’s not a closed set to a dear, dear friend. Also, he happens to be the lawyer for Deception. So viewers out there, please welcome noted personal injury and defense attorney, Scott Baldwin. Scotty thanks her for the warm welcome, and says, about this face cream… Lucy says, know what she’s thinking? Memory Lane. The 2013 Nurses Ball, they were on the stage together at one point, and this takes her back to that Nurses Ball. Actually, that was a time twelve years went by when they didn’t have a Nurses Ball, and she knew she couldn’t let that hiatus to go on one more year. Maxie says, oh well. It was worth a shot. Deception was nice while it lasted. Brook tells her, don’t give up yet. She’s got one more Hail Mary. She jets.

Tracy walks into the stable in riding clothes and calls to Cody. She says she’s ready for her ride, and Cody comes out. He says, she’s running a little late, and she says she hopes that means her horse is saddled up and ready to go. He says, actually… and she says she wanted to tell him that she hasn’t ridden in a while, so she wanted to just take the horse for a walk around the arena. Just until she gets her feet back. He says, okay, so about the saddle… She says she loves that saddle. She rode that saddle for years. It’s a multi-generational saddle. He tells her, like she said, she hasn’t used it in a while and there was a problem with the way it was stored. She says, that’s a dressage saddle. It was custom made. If there’s a problem with it, he’s out on his hind end with no pillion to cushion him.

Gregory tells Lois that he’s sure Chase and Brook’s day will be hitchless, especially with her at the helm. She says, he’s right of course (🍷), but she thanks him for noticing, and he says he calls it like he sees it. She asks him to sit down and says, come on, tell her. What’s worrying him? He says, it’s a small thing really, and she asks if he needs to change his entrée from chicken to fish. Because there’s plenty of time. Speaking of time, does he happen to have a copy of what he’s going to be saying at the altar? It’s not because she needs to approve anything at all. It’s just that she needs to know how long it’s going to take. He looks startled and a bit overwhelmed.

Jason asks when Sonny stopped loving Carly, and she says, people fall out of love all the time. He knows that. He says, but not her and Sonny. They can’t live together – that’s happened before – but they still love each other. She says she tried. Sonny was different after he came back from Nixon Falls. He was infatuated with Nina. Jason agrees he was different, and Carly says, and to Sonny, nothing could ever be Nina’s fault. It was her fault, it was Jason’s fault… He thinks they went behind his back. He thought she was unfaithful to him. When they got word Jason had died, she felt like her heart was ripped out of her chest, but to Sonny, he barely noticed Jason was gone.

Tracy says she wants to see her saddle, and Cody says he thought she’d never ask. He calls to Sasha, who walks in with the saddle. He says, it turns out Sasha has a way with Havana leather, no matter how old or water damaged. Tracy says she can’t believe that’s the same saddle, and Sasha says, it’s a wonder what some balm and a sheepskin glove can do. Tracy says she had no idea that when Sasha chose to leave Deception, it would work out so well for her, and Sasha says she’s welcome. Tracy asks Cody what he’s waiting for. Put the saddle on the horse. He says, yes, ma’am, and Tracy says she’ll be outside. Cody thanks Sasha and says, she just saved his hind end. She says, it’s the least she could do. It’s a nice hind end.

John says, by all appearances, he was the target of a mugging, and Anna asks what he means, by all appearances. He says he was attacked by two guys on the waterfront. They came out of nowhere, laid him out, but they didn’t get around to robbing him. It could have been because the beating was interrupted or… Anna says, or it could have been orchestrated, and he says he’d bet his badge on it. She says, for argument’s sake, the waterfront isn’t the safest part of town, and he says, especially this part of the waterfront, a block from the Corinthos Coffee warehouse. Coincidence? She says, that depends. What was he doing snooping around Corinthos Coffee?

Carly says, Sonny told her that he was in love with Nina. Then he tried to walk it back, telling her that they were leftover feelings from Nixon Falls or something like that, but she told him she wanted a separation. But Sonny decided they were going to reconcile. More than that, he wanted to renew their wedding vows, and he gave her an old tomato ultimatum. If she didn’t show up, he’d know they were over. Jason asks if she showed up, and she says, yeah, she showed up. She was an hour late, and by then, Sonny was in bed with Nina. She literally walked in on them. He says he’s sorry, and she says, it was awful. It was horrible. There was a big fight. Sonny blamed her and that’s when she stopped caring what Sonny thought and she stopped caring how Sonny felt and she asked him for a divorce.

Cody says he’d better get the lady of the manor mounted (excuse me?), and Sasha asks if Tracy knows she can’t fire him. He says, sure, but it doesn’t stop her from trying. Speaking of employment, this would be a great time for Sasha to fill out those applications for all those jobs she doesn’t want. Do it. He leaves, and she says, or she could straighten up the tack room. She walks out, leaving her phone on the table, when Brook calls.

Gregory tells Lois that he hasn’t settled on a final draft of what he’s going to say. He’s been writing for weeks. She says she totally sympathizes. She knows he wants it all to be perfect. She’s just saying, when he knows what it is he’s going to be saying, would he mind sending her a copy? She needs to time out the ceremony so she can let the kitchen at the MetroCourt know when to start firing up the food. He says he hadn’t realized… and she says, it’s crucial. It’s totally crucial. You have to have the food come out to the table when it’s hot, not when it’s overdone. And definitely not when it’s been heated under those heating lamps. Those contraptions need to be outlawed. Her phone rings, and she says, excuse her for one second. She picks up her phone and says, oh, it’s Brook. She answers and says she’s sitting here with Brook’s future father-in-law. Brook says she needs Lois to do something for her. It’s an emergency. Lois asks Gregory to excuse her for one moment, and leaves the room. Gregory now looks startled and confused.

Lois runs into the stable and tells Sasha that Brook has been trying to reach her. Sasha says she’s sorry and picks up her phone. Lois says, there is a Deception disaster. Lucy is crashing and burning on Home & Heart. Sasha says, Lucy? and Lois says, she decided to do the spot herself, which is a complete disaster. She doesn’t watch H&H herself, but her ma does, and you know who else watches it? All of her ma’s friends, and they all know that Deception is Brook’s company. So Lucy’s failure is Deception’s failure is Brook’s failure, and they can’t let that happen. So come on. Lois needs her to go. Sasha says she’ll have to change, but Lois says, there’s no time. She snagged the fastest ride in the garage. Can Sasha drive a stick? It doesn’t matter. She can drive one. Let’s go. She grabs Sasha’s hand and drags her out the door.

Lucy says, what she remembers in particular about that year is all the obstacles she had to overcome. She had to get all these good people together for such a good cause and raise so much money for those very good people. Haven says, just like their viewers at home, and Scotty says, hello, viewers, and suggests they tell the viewers how this face cream can take a mug like this and turn it into a matinee idol. Lucy says she’s so delighted to see him and have him here with them, but it’s kind of rude to interrupt. Where was she? Oh, right. There was a ball for nurses and the year was 2014… Haven says, yes, and her dear, dear friend Scott showed up right at the end and kissed her… in her underwear… again. Lucy thanks her and says, it’s so kind of Haven to remember that. Haven says she never forgets a Nurses Ball. Isn’t Lucy unforgettable? Doesn’t she look great? And you know what? You can look great too. She holds up the cream.

Nina says she’s so sorry to keep Ava waiting, but Ava says, it’s no problem. She had some business to take care of anyway. Nina kisses her on the cheek, and Ava says, what about her? Did she have a hotel emergency? Nina says, Ava knows how it is. One guest’s crisis is a hotelier’s whole day. Ava says she’s not familiar with that expression, and Nina says she hopes it never becomes one. Madison comes in and gives Nina a list of things she needs to deal with, and Nina thanks her. Madison leaves, and Ava says, Nina’s assistant is very diligent. In the fifteen minutes she was waiting, Madison must have come in and out of here three times. Nina says she thinks she was checking up on Ava, and Ava agrees. Nina says, she might be overcompensating, and Ava says, for what? Nina says she’s had a few unexpected visitors lately. Drew has gotten in the habit of just barging in unannounced whenever he wants to. He feels like he’s entitled to everything and has to wait for nothing, and when it comes to her… Ava says, the woman who sent him to prison where he almost died, and Nina thanks her for sharing that. Ava says she thinks somebody had to, and Nina says, which brings her to why she wanted to see Ava. Ava says, and here she thought Nina just missed her, and Nina says, of course (🍷) she does. She needs a progress report on her reconciliation with Sonny.

Carly tells Jason that Sonny did offer her a huge settlement, but all she wanted was the house. She thought she could take care of herself with her half of the hotel. He says, Diane told him how she lost it, and she says, her big investment with Aurora. She didn’t know it at the time, but it was 100% insider trading, but the only reason the SEC even paid attention was because Nina turned her and Drew in. He says, Diane told him that too, and she asks if Diane also told him that she could have saved herself and Drew by flipping on Sonny. He says, no, and she says, there wasn’t a formal offer, but Diane thinks the Feds would have made a deal because she had evidence against Sonny. He asks, what kind of evidence? and she says, proof that Sonny violated the National Security Act. He says, how did she get that? and she says, Michael.

John asks if he’s the bad guy here, but Anna tells him that she never said he was. He says, she just insinuated that he had it coming because he was in the vicinity of Sonny’s coffee warehouse, but she says she’s just suggesting the possibility that Sonny’s guards handled him because he violated their security perimeter. He says he didn’t violate anything; he was a block away. He was jumped by professionals. She says, he most likely was, and he says, if she agrees with him, why did she just… She says, a crime has been committed and she’s just trying to rule out possibilities. It’s part of a process called police work. He says, oh really? Could she spell that out for him? She says she’ll text him. Does he want some water? He says, yes, and she pours some for him. She asks what he was doing skulking around Sonny’s warehouse, and he says he was tailing Jason Morgan’s lawyer, Diane Miller. Does Anna think she’s clean? Anna says she doesn’t know. How many lawyers are clean? He says, touché, and she tells him, that being said, while most of her clients are disreputable, the woman herself is quite a professional. She’s a paragon of ethics, or at least skilled enough to make it appear so. He says, then what was she doing heading to Corinthos Coffee at that dangerous time of the night? and Anna says, Jason is part owner of the coffee company. He says, which makes it all the more likely an alliance is brewing between Jason and Sonny Corinthos.

Carly tells Jason, Michael and Josslyn were devastated over everything that happened with Sonny and Nina. Michael decided they were all better off if Sonny was in prison, and Jason knows Michael. He’s like Jason. When he sets his mind on something, he just doesn’t stop. Jason asks how Michael got evidence against Sonny, and she says, he hired a professional, and ex-soldier named Dex Heller. And Dex was able to record Sonny getting illegal weapons from a company called Pikeman. Dex gave Michael the footage and Michael gave it to her. He asks what she did with it, and she says she destroyed it. By then, Michael’s feelings toward his father had changed and Michael realized Sonny going to prison would tear the whole family apart. So they came up with a new plan. She and Michael were paying Dex to keep an eye on Sonny and report back to them if Sonny found himself in any kind of trouble. He says, so she was paying this guy to spy on Sonny, and she says, it was for his own good. He says he doesn’t think Sonny would see it that way, and she says, he did not when he found out.

Tracy comes into the solarium and says she didn’t know Gregory was here. He says he was talking to Lois. She excused herself and said she’d be back in a moment, but that was a while ago. Tracy says, she operates in a different time zone. Why was he talking to Lois anyway? He says, happenstance. He actually stopped by to talk to Brook. She says, in the afternoon? She’s working. He says he supposes when you have your afternoons free, you forget other people don’t. Anyway, it’s not urgent. He can call her later. She says, or he can give her the message and she’ll pass it along, and he says, very well. He just wanted to let Brook know that he won’t be bringing a plus one after all. She asks, what happened to Alexis? and he says, something came up. She had to cancel. She says she doesn’t think it’s much of a tragedy. Alexis and weddings don’t mix. Of course (🍷) she’s prejudiced ever since Alexis went runaway bride and left Ned at the altar. He says, if she doesn’t like Alexis, isn’t that a good thing that Alexis didn’t marry her son? She says, it’s not that she didn’t marry Ned. It’s how she didn’t marry Ned. But she had her reasons then and Tracy supposes she has her reasons now. He says, as a matter of fact, she does. He shouldn’t say anything. Tracy says, then he must, and he says, she has to promise not to… She says she won’t say a word, and he says, Alexis has to appear in Manhattan the morning after the wedding. She’s hoping to get her disbarment overturned. Tracy says, good for her, and he asks if she means that. She laughs and says she’s sure some part of her must, and he says, anyway, that’s why she can’t make the wedding, which means that he’ll be going stag.

Ava says, a progress report, huh? Should that be single or double spaced? Nina says, sorry, and Ava says, maybe she could email it to Nina. Her assistant can flag it in her inbox. Nina says, all right. She apologizes. Ava isn’t her assistant and doesn’t need to report to her, but she did say she would act as her advocate. Ava says, and she is, and Nina asks how things stand. Does Sonny miss her? Ava says, of course (🍷) Sonny misses her, and Nina asks if he said that. Ava says, he doesn’t have to. Whenever Nina’s name comes up, his mood gets dark, and he might fix himself a drink. Nina says, Sonny’s drinking again? and Ava says, not to excess. It’s just gone back to him fixing a scotch or two in the evenings. Nina says she feels so bad for him. He’s been so volatile. Ava says she doesn’t recommend lecturing him on the subject, and Nina says she didn’t mean to interrupt. Ava said Sonny doesn’t like hearing her name. Ava says, he asked her not to mention Nina at all unless it’s absolutely necessary. That proves he misses her, right? She’s still under his skin. That’s obvious. It’s progress. She’s sure of it. Nina says, Ava is a lot more sure than she is.

Lois brings Sasha to Home & Heart, and asks Brook and Maxie, how hard did the iceberg hit and is the ship still afloat? Brook says, see for herself, and they walk closer to the set. Lucy says she really thinks all her years as president and CEO of Coco Cosmetics… Haven asks if they can get a camera on the product, and Lucy says, it made her really be the driving, creative force that made Deception. Lois tells Sasha that she needs to get in there, and Brook says, it’s trending like crazy. Lois says, in a good way? and Brook says, Haven, yes. Scott, yes. Deception, meh. Lucy, you don’t want to know. Maxie says, sales are still really low, and Sasha undoes her ponytail and says she’s on it. Haven asks how Lucy would describe the cream, and Lucy says, on their Deception website. That’s how. She bets the viewers don’t remember, she wrote not just one tell-all book, but two. They probably all purchased A Travel Guide to Port Charles, but who remembers Left for Dead? Sasha says she remembers Left for Dead, and Haven says, look who it is, viewers. Sasha Corbin, the former Face of Deception. Sasha waves at the camera, and Lucy says, now she’s really not the face of anything. By the way, what is she wearing? Sasha says, these are her work clothes now. She’s a stable hand and she loves it, but it’s a lot of hard work and it doesn’t really afford an opportunity to feel pretty. Haven says, this is her not pretty? Look at her. Isn’t she gorgeous? Sasha thanks her and says, that’s so sweet. She thanks Lucy and says she’s got it, but Lucy says, no, she doesn’t. She’s not quite done. Scotty says he thinks she’s got it, but Lucy says she’s not. She has so many more things to say. Scotty says he thinks Sasha could handle it, and Haven says, it’s always such an experience with Lucy. Scotty steers Lucy offstage, and Haven says, if she may ask, Sasha’s makeup… Sasha says she’s not really wearing any, and Haven says she hates her. Sasha says, it does make it a lot easier for her to show Haven, and the audience at home, what Deception’s Deceptor Nourishing Moisturizer can do. Haven says, take it away, honey.

Anna says, the last thing Sonny wants is anything to do with Jason, and John asks where she’s getting that information. She says, Sonny. He came here to her office, trying to persuade her to file charges against Jason. John says, for what? and Anna says, for whatever part he played in the attack on the docks. Sonny conveniently forgot, Jason’s the reason his son is alive. So John said these attackers of his were surprised. What happened? He says, the two guys who jumped him ran off when Carly Spencer pulled up in her car.

Ava says she doesn’t understand where this skepticism is coming from. Nina trusts her, doesn’t she? Nina says, of course (🍷) she trusts Ava. Ava is her best friend. It’s just that if Ava can’t even mention her name to Sonny, how does Ava know he’s even open to the idea of saving their relationship? Ava says, Nina is still his wife for one thing, but Nina says, only because she hasn’t signed a sheet of paper. Ava says, right. And is Sonny pressuring her? Nina knows how insistent he can be; how he hates loose ends. Is Sonny standing over her with a pen, demanding she sign the divorce papers? Nina says, no, and Ava says, exactly. This is going to take time and she knows it’s agonizing for Nina. Nina says, an understatement, and Ava says, Nina’s got to be patient. She can’t rush this. She has to wait for just the right moment, when Sonny realizes how much he wants Nina back, and then she strikes. Nina says, so what, if any, difference does Ava think it would make if she sells her half of the hotel to Jason Morgan? and Ava asks where this is coming from. Nina says she had a little visit from Diane Miller, and she proposed the sale, and Ava says she thought Nina liked owning the hotel. Nina says she does. It’s just that the novelty has worn off. Ava says, more fun running it as a prize she took from Carly than a day job, and Nina says, so does Ava think if she sold her half of the hotel to Sonny’s best friend, she’d win some points.

Carly tells Jason, it was crazy. Sonny was going to kill Dex, so she had to tell him everything. He was furious. And betrayed. He disowned Michael the same way he disowned the two of them. She’s a traitor. Jason’s a traitor. None of it matters. Nothing they’ve done, none of the sacrifices they made. They don’t count for anything? Jason says, they count with him. Everything Carly has been through, everything she’s done, Sonny might not be grateful, but he is. She hugs him.

Tracy tells Gregory not to worry about a thing. She’ll pass along to Brook that he’s no longer bringing a plus one. He says he hopes it doesn’t mess up the seating too badly. He knows how much care and planning… She says, stop. He’s the father of the groom. He’s officiating the wedding. He’ll take his rightful place at the family table next to her. He thanks her and says he’d like that very much.

Lucy asks Maxie, what is Sasha doing here? She’s not with the company anymore. She’s not even spokes-modeling anymore. Why, pray tell, is she dressed like an escapee from Mayberry? Maxie thanks her for stepping in until reinforcements got here, and Lucy says, don’t do that to her. Don’t handle her. Maxie says she’s not handling Lucy. She was put in an impossible situation and handled it the way only Lucy Coe would. Lucy says, thanks a lot. Since she put it that way. Her phone starts to ding, and she says she’s blowing up. This phone is blowing up. She’s blowing up!

Brook says, Lois is a superhero, and Lois says she knows. Brook says she doesn’t know what they would have done if she hadn’t gotten Sasha here, and Lois says she did, so they’ll never have to find out. It’s a really nice set-up they’ve got here. She’s used to concert lighting, which is fabulous of course (🍷), but this is elegant in its own way, like Brook.

Haven says, that’s all they have time for today. She thanks Sasha and says, it’s great having her back. Sasha thanks her and says, it was great being here. The producer says, and we’re out, and Haven tells Sasha that she saved the show. She just wants to say thank you. Sasha says, her friends needed her, and Haven says, they’re very lucky to have her. And if she may say so, for whatever it’s worth (🍷), she wishes she’d been kinder. Sasha asks if that’s an apology, and Haven says, her attorneys advised her not to apologize in case Sasha sues them, but yes. She apologizes and hopes Sasha will come back.

Brook says, socials look great. People have never loved Sasha more. Maxie says, Deception has had a roller coaster of a day. All time low to almost all time high. They didn’t sell out, but she thinks they will by the time they leave the building. Brook says, not a bad day, and Lois says, not bad at all, and hugs her.

Lucy tells Scotty that she’s actually trending. Her public has never loved her more.

Nina says she’ll admit to Ava, but not anyone else, that running the hotel is a lot more work than she wanted, and it’s not really work she enjoys. So she’s pretty sure Jason is going to buy the hotel and turn around and give it to Carly. At the very least, that will annoy Drew, and at the very best, humiliate him. Ava says, payback for firing her, and Nina says, among other things. If she can sell the hotel to Sonny’s best friend, it might earn her half a point with him. Ava says, Sonny and Jason were closer than brothers. From what she’s seen, Sonny would be deeply moved if Nina made a deal with him. Nina says, she thinks so, but Ava says she knows so.

John says he has no idea what Carly was doing there. He was too distracted by the beating to ask. Anna says, she was probably going to visit Jason, and John says, it seems like he hasn’t had any trouble settling back into his old life. She says she distinctly remembers him telling Jason to do exactly that, to stay in Port Charles and wait for Pikeman to take him out. There’s a term for that – bait. He says, she sounds disapproving, but she says, it’s just a reminder of why Jason originally came back to town. It was as half of a sniper team, and his partner had a handgun that fired armor piercing rounds. So Jason knows firsthand what Pikeman is capable of. Every day he’s walking the streets, knowing they’re coming for him, and when they do, it’s going to be a hell of a lot worse than being jumped by a couple of thugs. So she’s just saying, why doesn’t he back off and give the man a little credit?

Jason says he doesn’t know what’s wrong with Sonny, but Carly says, maybe nothing’s wrong with Sonny. Maybe this is who he really is. Sonny doesn’t give a damn about anybody else. Why should they give a damn about him? Don’t tell her it’s because of the kids. She’s not going to set a bad example for Donna by letting Sonny walk all over her. He says, good, and she says, he’s not going to ask her to forgive Sonny? but he says, it’s up to her. She asks if Jason is going to forgive him, and Jason says, for now, but it’s possible Sonny could push him too far. Considering how he’s treating Carly, he’s getting pretty close. She says she misses who Sonny used to be, and she misses how they all were together. She misses the Sonny she used to love and just wishes there was a way they could reach him. He says, they can’t force Sonny to trust them or accept their help. All they can do is live their lives right now and be there if he needs him. She says, or they could turn their backs on him and let him drown… Jason would never do that, and she wouldn’t do that either. He thanks her, and she says, sometimes she thinks about how it would have been so much better if she never would have loved Sonny and stayed in love with Jason. He says he likes them the way they are, and she says she does too.

Tomorrow, Maxie tells Felicia, if she lets him in again, how does she know nothing bad will happen; Brick asks if Jordan can come out and play; Gregory asks if there’s a problem; and Laura says, it’s not her call to make, but she does know whose call it is.

Below Deck

Barbie wails to her mom that she ruined the day for everyone, and her mom says she understands, but Barbie needs to change her attitude. She’s not a quitter. She’s a good employee who does her job. Fraser tells Max that he’s done, and Max says, Barbie is in the bathroom crying on the phone. Xandi says, God bless, which I assume is a variation of bless your heart. In her interview, Xandi says, there’s been a lot of drama and Barbie had her hand in most of it since she got on the boat. We flash back to some of that, and Xandi says, if she doesn’t want to be here, no one is forcing her. Barbie whines to Kyle that she’s not herself anymore, and he tells her to stop being someone she’s not. Barbie says she’s a bad bitch and never quit in her life.

The crew gets ready for dinner and Ben gets handsy with Paris. In Sunny’s interview, she says she feels like she’s been dating Ben since their first crew night out. He’s playing into temptation and it’s disrespectful to her. It’s not cool and he just looks like an a-hole. She tells Dylan, it’s disgusting behavior, and there isn’t even tequila (yet). They sit down for dinner, and Anthony raises his glass to the family, to the crew. Barbie says she apologizes for the sh*t that was going on today. There’s been a lot of drama with her and Fraser, and they have to figure it out. She’s sorry it affected everyone. Xandi says, that’s the worst toast ever, and in Ben’s interview, he says, it should have been a private conversation. In Kyle’s interview, he thinks it’s passive/aggressive, and in Paris’s interview, she says, this is a sh*t show. Ben asks for Paris’s IG and Sunny switches seats to get away from Ben. In Ben’s interview, he says he has no idea what’s going on. Why is he in a situation like this again? Maybe he’s really stupid and some kind of yacht savant. Fraser tells Xandi, tomorrow they’re going to be three stews again. Sunny talks to Ben on the side, and he says he wants to spend more time with her, but she says she feels disrespected in many ways. When someone else touches someone’s waist and ass in front of her and everyone, it’s not okay. Ben asks what she wants. What are they? She says, it doesn’t have to be titled for him to respect the fact they’re sleeping together. He says he likes her, and she asks if they’re an item. He says, they’re not dating, but becoming an item. I have no idea what that means, and Sunny asks if he’s saying their like for each other is going down the drain and they’re just sleeping together, and Ben says, maybe by the end of the season they’ll be dating. For reasons I can’t fathom, Sunny says she can live with that, but in her interview, she says, the conversation was so full of sh*t. Ben was all over Paris, and she’s not the only one seeing it. They get back to the boat and head straight to bed. Fraser says, 10 o’clock. Are we this fun? Good for us, actually. In Sunny’s interview, she says she doesn’t want to get hurt, and in Paris’s interview, she says, flirting usually goes over her head and she doesn’t want to be that girl. She keeps forgetting boys just want to f*** 24/7. Barbie says she’s totally getting fired.

The next morning, Fraser meets the captain on the bridge. In Fraser’s interview, he says he’s been honest with the captain and wants to continue that. He tells Captain Kerry that his gut feeling is that Barbie needs to be gone. She’s causing that much aggravation for the team. She lacks respect and has done everything to undermine his authority. Her behavior is past its sell-by date. Insubordination is a fire-able offense.

Fraser tells Captain Kerry that Barbie made a speech at the table yesterday, airing their dirty laundry, and the captain says, they’ll need to find someone first. They’re mixing business with personal issues, and for Barbie to bring it up on their day off, he took it as being insulting. Fraser took it personally, but he has to separate that from business. Three days ago, Fraser said she was doing a good job, now she’s impossible to work with. Being chief stew isn’t just about hiring and firing. Fraser says, what the captain sees isn’t what they’re getting, but Captain Kerry says, strength is not always acting on the power we have. Fraser says, good point (it is!), and the captain tells him to have a talk with Barbie. Try his best to remove the emotions. In the captain’s interview, he says he gets the feeling that Fraser is pushing his own agenda. That’s the problem with a leadership role when you let emotions take over. He can help Fraser to be a good stew, but he’s got to let go of the emotions. Paris tells Xandi that she loves being in laundry. She feels like she’s ironing out the issues in her life. In Xandi’s interview, she says, Paris is living proof prayers work. She’s an actual stew and she’s funny. Sunny tells Ben that she’s confused by their conversation. She’s not asking for a ring, but she’s not open to f***ing around with other people. Ben says, they’re on the same page (highly doubtful), and she says, if they are, it sets the tone better. Captain Kerry calls Barbie to meet near the aft deck and tells the crew that he’s heading off the boat. Paris says, if pillows could talk, and Fraser says he doesn’t want to know. I’m in total agreement.

The captain sits with Barbie at a picnic table, and he says, she and Fraser have a personality conflict, like nobody knew. Barbie says, it’s an honor to work under Fraser, but they clash. She’s never had a chief stew and was always a solo stew, so that’s another struggle. Captain Kerry says, it’s the emotions. Fraser respects her work. She can’t fix what he does, but she can fix the way she sees things. Explain that she’s struggling and doing her best. If that doesn’t work, talk to him. She says she thinks she and Fraser have to sit down and talk. Fraser tells Xandi that the captain doesn’t want to get rid of Barbie, and Captain Kerry asks Fraser for a talk. Lots of talking and talking about talk going on. They sit at the picnic table, and the captain says, Barbie wants to stay and do a great job. She respects Fraser, but understands her delivery is not great. Listen to what she says, and process before he responds. Fraser sits with Barbie, and she says she’s sad that yesterday ended the way it did. She actually admires him and knows she’s been a nightmare. Fraser says, they had harmony after Cat left. Barbie is the person he needed and needs. He wants her to be there. If she puts the effort in, he thinks there’s good stuff ahead. Barbie suggests they start over. Don’t fire her. He says he’ll try not to. Ben tells Kyle that he needs someone he can trust to be his eyes ears when he’s not here. Dylan is knowledgeable, but doesn’t know the boat well. Sunny doesn’t have as much experience, but she wants to improve and has initiative. However, if he makes Sunny lead deckhand, the crew is going to think it’s because they’re sleeping together. In his interview, Ben says he’s going to make either Dylan or Sunny will be pissed. He’s between a rock and a hard place again. This guy is so full of sh*t.

It’s time for the preference sheet meeting. The primary is Carmen who owns a PR management company in Washington DC that caters to athletes. She and her husband Ray wish to be called Queen and King while on the yacht. Carmen dislikes pork and guest Tiphanie is not a fan of seafood. Anthony reads that they want a beach picnic and a movie premiere night where they walk the red carpet. Ugh. This screams nouveau riche. The only red carpet I’d want to walk would be an actual red carpet that I was entitled to walk, not some made up nonsense. They read that guest Brandon is not allergic to anything. Just gay and picky. Fraser calls him a loser. Captain Kerry predicts they’ll be high maintenance, so make sure their departments are impeccable. In Anthony’s interview, he says he feels like he’s constantly failing. We flash back to Anthony floundering and being disorganized, and he says, it’s hard to come back when he feels not good enough.

The boat is readied, and provisions come in. Ben tells Captain Kerry that he’s ready to appoint a lead deckhand. He based his choice on character and knowledge of the boat. He’s appointing Sunny. The captain says, excellent. He’s very happy and agrees she’s the right person. She’s already doing it. In Ben’s interview, he says he and Sunny are good at separating work and pleasure, and he thinks the job comes first. Captain Kerry tells him to be kind with Dylan and give him a moment to process. Paris makes towel swans, and in her interview, she says she used to make turkeys. People are weird. Maybe they like bestiality in the bedroom. Yacht service calls Captain Kerry and says, guest Brandon missed his flight and will arrive at 3. He says, give him a yell when Brandon gets there, and they’ll meet him at the closest dock. Ben tells the deckhands that he’s decided to give one of them more responsibility. We flash back to Ben being dubbed lead deckhand with the golden deck brush, and he says he’s going to continue the tradition. The next lead deckhand is Sunny. In Sunny’s interview, she says, wow. It’s gratifying to know she’s doing a good job. She pats her own shoulder and says, kudos. Ben dubs her with the golden brush and in Dylan’s interview, he says he thought it was a joke, but it’s not April 1st. He realized Ben is serious and doesn’t want to be an a-hole. He doesn’t want to say it right on deck, because everyone is going to think he’s a d*ck. He has a d*ck, but he’s not being a d*ck. In Sunny’s interview, she says she doesn’t want people to think she slept with her boss. I think it’s kind of too late for that.

The guests arrive and the primaries receive crowns. In Fraser’s interview, he says, calling them king and queen is kind of an insult to the monarchy. But the monarchy isn’t paying him, so he’ll do it. He gives them the tour, and in his interview, Dylan says he’s going to do his best regardless of the situation with Sunny. Sunny asks him advice. How is she supposed to lead when she’s asking the lower deckhands for advice? Does he need to have sex with the bosun? If he had a vagina, he wouldn’t be in this situation, and it bothers him. This guy is a d*ck. He also just got here, so why would he be given the promotion?

Dylan congratulates Sunny, no doubt while gritting his teeth, and the yacht pulls out of the slip. Primary Ray says, land, hoe, which is actually kind of funny. Another guest says, when the drinks start flowing, we start hoeing. The yacht anchors, and Anthony tells Fraser that lunch is going to be Mexican. Ben rubs Sunny’s neck as Dylan watches, his blood boiling. Captain Kerry gets a message for guest Brandon to be picked up, and Kyle tells Ben that Dylan isn’t happy. Ben says he’s giving Dylan space, and Kyle says he thinks Ben made the right decision. Lunch is served, but it’s mahi-mahi, and guest Tiphanie doesn’t eat fish. In his interview, Anthony says, f***, and makes her a Ceasar salad. In Captain Kerry’s interview, he wonders how many times he told Anthony to look at the preference sheets and make sure he doesn’t do what he did last time. If Anthony keeps f***ing up, he’ll have to make a change.

Halifax Harbour. Barbie and Ben pick up Brandon, while the other guests ride around on the jet skis. Brandon arrives and one of the guests says, the party has arrived. Fraser mumbles, he seems insufferable, and in his interview, he says, Barbie says she wants to turn over a new leaf and be better. He’s going to put her on housekeeping. He wants her to be well-rounded and wants to see Paris on service. He should be able to count on his stews to do anything. The primaries are getting busy and leave the cabin blinds open. I’m not sure how they’re watching without being seen, but the deckhands watch them going at it. In Sunny’s interview, she wonders if they’re into voyeurism. Why keep the blinds open? The guests get ready for dinner, and Dylan whines to Barbie that he’s had two years commercial experience, and she tells him, be a man about it. In Barbie’s interview, she says, Sunny is her girl, but personally, she’s Team Dylan. She’s in a weirder position being second stew when Xandi is second stew. So she’s more on Dylan’s side because she feels Dylan’s pain. Tuna ceviche is served, with Tiphanie getting mac and cheese, the others coveting her dish. Fraser tells Paris, these guests like Burger King and McDonald’s. They’re not going to like ceviche. In his interview, Fraser says, Anthony’s food is brilliant. Anthony’s got it, but he doesn’t know if Anthony can pull it out at this stage. He tells Anthony that the guests have no adventure. The next course is basically fancy chicken salad, which you’d think they’d like, but guest Clifton says, this is bullsh*t.  Dylan tells Paris that he’s pissed and feels like he got a slap in the face. She tells him to hug the banana downstairs. I assume she means the floatie, but it’s unclear. Dylan pretty much tells anyone who will listen how Ben did him dirty. Brandon and Ray start to argue, and from what I can grasp it’s about Brandon inviting Ray to a drag show without preparing him in advance that it was a gay thing. Apparently, Ray needs a heads up about what he’s walking into. Was it a mine field drag show? In Fraser’s interview, he says, Brandon is upset because… He doesn’t know and doesn’t care. In Barbie’s interview, she says she lives for guest drama, but this is dark, and in Paris’s interview, she says, this is comedy gold. Carmen says, bon appetitty, and I’m thinking maybe this group should have gone to that place in Florida where the circus people live or something.  

Brandon leaves the table, and loudly explains why Ray is wrong to a couple of guests who follow him. Anthony says, this is the probably the worst tasting of his life, and at the table, Ray says he’s got to feel safe. Xandi tells Fraser that Barbie has a different mindset, and Fraser says that’s what he wants from her. He thanks Xandi for her coaching and they high-five. Paris tells Ben that Dylan thinks he gave Sunny lead deckhand because they’re banging. He’s got his panties 100% wrapped around his ball sack. In Ben’s interview, he says, if Dylan is upset, Dylan should talk to him. It’s not okay for him to talk to the crew. We flash back to Ben doing the exact same thing on several occasions, and he says he feels dumber when he’s around Dylan and it’s pissing him the f*** off. Fraser and Kyle hug, and Barbie tells Kyle to stop hugging her man.

Meanwhile, Tiphanie tells Brandon it’s good to get a different perspective, and Brandon says, it’s not a different perspective. Ben tells Dylan that it wasn’t cool of him to gripe to the crew, and they’ll chat tomorrow. In Dylan’s interview, he says, for f***’s sake. Ben is offended that he’s offended by Ben’s sh*t decision. He guesses he can’t tell anyone anything. Hmm… Maybe he’s just really stupid, since what Ben is not offended by, but annoyed by, is him talking to the crew instead of putting on his big boy pants and talking to Ben. Brandon continues his tirade in the hallway, and Tiphanie says, the only way to change is to inform and educate. Paris tells Fraser, lava cake is a great Band-Aid and will help everyone. Agreed. In his interview, Fraser says he’s beyond ready for this sh*tshow to be over. The chef doesn’t know where he is or where anything is. He thinks Anthony realizes it’s too much. It seems as though he’s giving up. Anthony digs around for a scooper and says, it’s really not good. Brandon goes back to the table and Ray says he understands where Brandon is coming from. Fraser says, something needs to change or they won’t make it until the end of the trip. Paris says, they need dessert, and Fraser says, he needs Anthony to focus, and Anthony says, it’s a hot mess.

Next time, Ben talks to Dylan; primary Carmen wants to know why there’s only regular bacon; and Captain Kerry has a talk with Anthony.

💭 I just remembered, Anthony is dyslexic and never told anyone. At least as far as we’ve seen. I would never blame anyone for any condition they have, but if he keeps it a secret when it’s causing a problem, that’s on him. The captain and crew would totally work with him. It’s actually very sad, since he’s such a nice guy and not moody, which isn’t always the case with the chefs.

🪢 At the End Of My Silly String…

Come back if you dare tomorrow for soap and VanderFolly. Until then, stay safe, stay not taking up the entire sidewalk if you’re with a group, and stay remembering, in a crisis, lava cake is a great Band-Aid and will help everyone.

April 12, 2024 – Jason Has a Generous Impulse, Outside the Soap, Cancelled Talk, Knots Again, Just Awful, VanderSituation, Details, BravoCon Man, Three Tails, Nonet Quotes & Wild

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

At the MetroCourt, Alexis says she’s missed Gregory, and The Invader isn’t the same without him. He says he misses it too. He truly enjoyed the work, but in the words of a famous American poet, you’ve got to know when to fold ‘em. His best days aren’t ahead of him. She says she hopes he doesn’t mind if she still calls him every day with her problems, especially if they’re ethically sticky. He says he’d be hurt if she didn’t. Anything in particular? She says, let’s just eat before I lose my appetite. The Invader gives me heartburn. He says he’s sorry to hear that, and they look at their menus. She says, there was something else she wanted to say to him. She’s so sorry, but she can’t be his extra one for the wedding. He says, why not? and she says, because there’s a slight chance she may be getting her law license back.

At the coffee warehouse, Diane says she takes it Jason got her message about some of his bank accounts being unfrozen. He says he did. Fast work. She says she’s Diane Miller, and he asks if he has enough money to buy back Carly’s half of the MetroCourt. (I swear, I thought that’s what he was going to say before he said it.)

Michael says he doesn’t know what his mom was doing with Agent Cates… and because she never learns, Nina says, it’s all too clear what they were doing. Carly was bringing up room service for two and Agent Cates was wearing nothing but a towel. Curtis says, Nina knows things aren’t always as they appear. He’s sure Carly wouldn’t cheat on Drew. Drew says, it wouldn’t be cheating. He and Carly broke up. Curtis says he’s sorry; he didn’t know. Michael says, his mother’s personal life is her business, not Nina’s, and Nina says she just thinks it’s a shame Carly would hook up with a guy who’s a federal agent after she and Drew broke up.

As she brushes him, Sasha asks not-Comet not to tell his buddies, but she thinks his coat is the shiniest. He must get a lot of vitamin A, D, and E. Cody comes in and says, you again. Any luck with the job search? She says, not really. She’s applied for everything; receptionist positions, corporate communications, positions in insurance and public affairs, most of them in New York and Connecticut. He says he’d hate to see her move, but at least she’s getting nibbles, right? and she says, but nothing that interests her. She’s tired of being considered because these jobs are public facing, and she fits the company’s image. He says, receptionist jobs are out. She’s way too qualified for that. But any company would be lucky to have her. She says, not if they only care about her looks. Been there, done that.

At the Home & Heart studio, Lucy tells Maxie that they need gels because the light is just not flattering… to the product. She asks a woman on the stage if they could please get some lighting gels, and Maxie says, they’d really appreciate it. The woman says she’d have to get the producer’s permission, and Haven says, that’s okay. Just do it. She asks if Maxie and Lucy are ready for another blockbuster segment, and Lucy says, absolutely. Maxie says, all set, and Haven says, no Sasha she hears. Maxie says, unfortunately not, and Haven says she doesn’t know this Blaze, but her granddaughters are very excited. She’s been ordered to get an autograph. So is she here yet? Maxie says, they’ve decided to streamline the duties of the Face, so Blaze will not be the spokesmodel today. Haven asks, then who is doing the selling today? and Lucy says, who else? Moi. (I’ll have what Morgan Fairchild is having. She’s 74 and looks amazing.)

On the phone, Brook says, it’s fully electric, not a hybrid?… Tracy walks in and Brook says, that is so awesome. Send her all the specs and financials. Send her everything. She’s so excited that they have the pickup in stock. She’ll be waiting. Tracy says, don’t tell her that she and Chase has eschewed the traditional limo ride to church for a 4×4.

Michael says, before they believe what Nina’s telling them, just consider the source, and Nina says she imagines Michael is used to this. Carly is not known for her discretion. Drew says, Carly has a right to privacy just like everybody else. He doubts any of them would like everybody to know what they do behind closed doors. Nina says, that’s the thing. Cates’s door wasn’t closed. They were perfectly visible from the hall. Maybe Carly just needed a good… night out. Curtis says, they don’t know what did or didn’t happen. What they do know is, Carly and Agent Cates are consenting adults, so whatever happened is none of their damn business. Drew says, Curtis is right. He’s done discussing it. Nina says, yeah. It must be painful knowing Carly got over their relationship so quickly.

Haven says, so Lucy is the spokesperson, and Lucy says, yes siree bob. Because who better than the founder? Maxie says, and nobody knows the product better than Lucy, and Lucy says, yes, indeed. She’s been in on every single step of developing their new face cream. Haven says she’s going to have to check with her producer about this, and leaves. Lucy says, that certainly could have gone a lot better, and sees Maxie looking at her tablet. She asks, what is with Maxie’s tepid attitude? She just stood there like she swallowed a fish. Why didn’t Maxie have her back more? Maxie says, maybe because she doesn’t agree with Lucy’s decision to do this. Why is she insisting on taking this all on herself? Lucy says, why is Maxie so against… Wait a minute. Maxie wants to get up there herself. She wants the spotlight. Is that correct? Maxie says, Lucy has to be kidding her. She wants Sasha in the spotlight. The public knows her, and they love her. Lucy says, okay, fine, but Maxie has to get over that because Sasha – she lowers her voice – quit. Maxie says, thanks to Lucy, and walks off.

Carly goes the MetroCourt bar and says she got Michael’s text. How did he know she was in the hotel? He says, Nina told him. He guesses she spent the night in Agent Cates’s room. She says, that woman. Nina called to tell him that? Is she going to put it on the cover of The Invader? He says he was in Drew’s office downstairs, and she showed up and filled them in, and Carly says, she told Drew? He says, and him and Curtis Ashford. They were in the middle of a meeting. She says, Nina once told Sonny that she was having an affair with Brick and she was wrong. Does that woman ever learn? Just to be clear, she stayed over with Agent Cates. She did not sleep with him. Michael says he knows, and she asks, how is Drew?

Diane says she doubts Jason has developed a sudden interest in the hospitality industry, so she can only assume… He says he’s going to give the MetroCourt back to Carly, and Diane says, that’s a very generous impulse, but it’s going to take some finessing. First of all, Nina has no incentive to sell. He says, give her one. She can name her price. Diane says, no she can’t. Absolutely not. She has far too much pride in her skills as a negotiator to hand anyone a blank check, much less that real estate heiress. She can make a little profit, but Diane isn’t going to let him overpay. He tells her, handle it however she thinks is best. Just make it happen. She says, his real obstacle is going to be Carly, and he asks, why? She says, because he’s not the first person to offer to help her reclaim the MetroCourt. Initially, Olivia offered to loan her the money. Then Nina, in a craven attempt to suck up to Sonny, offered to sell it back to her. Then Sonny and Michael. And Carly has said no to all of them. She wants to do it herself. He says, don’t worry about Carly. He’ll work it out with her.

Sasha says, Cody’s not trying to get rid of her, is he? and he says, never. But as great as it’s been, she can’t stay with him and the horses forever. She says she knows. She’s going to run out of savings at some point. Sooner than she’d hoped actually. But she loves being here with the horses. They don’t care how she looks. He says, the horses appreciate her for her, and she says, exactly. He says he gets what she’s saying about being underestimated, and she says, people underestimate him too, don’t they? He says, occasionally, but she’s on a whole other level. She has brains, business savvy, personality, not to mention a strong work ethic. She says she’s proud to say she helped develop Deception’s initial business plan, and he says he bets Lucy and Maxie are kicking themselves right now for letting her walk away. Sasha wonders if she should be kicking herself. Was she crazy to leave Deception? He asks, why? Is she thinking about going back?

Maxie says, if Lucy hadn’t undermined Sasha by telling her that she needed to be edgier, they wouldn’t be in this mess, and Lucy says, what mess? They’re not in a mess. There’s no mess. Deception is not in a mess and she’s perfectly capable of being a pitchwoman. Maxie says, not as capable as Sasha. Their customers admire her. Not just for her beauty, but for her courage and the challenges she faced. She justified their faith. She’s not just beautiful, she’s inspirational, and you can’t buy that kind of narrative. Lucy asks, what is Maxie all of a sudden, the voice of reason? It seems like right now Maxie is a little bit power hungry. Maxie says she has just as much of a right to an opinion as Lucy does. They’re equal partners. Lucy says, they are. Maxie is absolutely right. And as such, they should work together against their common enemy, Tracy Quartermaine. But it feels like Maxie’s friendship with Brook has clouded her judgement lately, and maybe Tracy could then bring down Deception. Maxie says, Tracy didn’t want to get rid of Sasha. She actually lobbied to keep her. Lucy says, until she didn’t. Because Sasha quit and she was not fired. Maxie says, all right. Fine. Maybe if Sasha had felt heard and included, she would have stuck around, but Lucy is only interested in her own opinion. Face it. Her love affair with herself is the real problem.

Brook says she and Chase are going to Florence on their honeymoon, and Tracy says, congratulations. Florence is beautiful. It’s one of her most favorite spots on earth. Brook says she can’t wait to stroll through the Tivoli Gardens hand in hand with Chase. It’s going to be so romantic. Tracy asks what this has to do with a truck, and Brook says, since Tracy is so generously paying for the wedding, Chase insisted on paying for the honeymoon. And Florence is a dream come true, but it is more expensive than a stateside destination, so he sold his truck so he could pay for the trip. Tracy says, wow. She has to hand it to him, that is a sweet gesture. Brook says, he loved that truck. That’s why she’s going to be surprising him with a truck as a wedding gift. And guess what? It is fully electric, top of the line. Tracy says, don’t do it, and Brook says, come again? Tracy says, disrespecting your husband is no way to start a marriage, but Brook says, she’s not disrespecting him. She loves him. But there’s no reason he has to choose between their honeymoon and a truck. They can afford both. Tracy says, Brook can afford both.

Curtis says, Nina is way out of line, and she says she’s sorry. She takes his hands and says, but maybe he doesn’t know Drew as well as he thinks. She tells Curtis that she loves him, and he says he loves her too. She leaves, and Curtis tells Drew, that was uncalled for, and Drew says, it’s been worse. Now where were they? Curtis says, in a minute. He wasn’t aware Drew and Carly had broken up. Drew didn’t tell him. Drew says, because Curtis had a few things to focus on, and Curtis says he remembers when Drew came to the gym and told him that things were rocky between him and Carly. He thought they’d work it out, but he guesses they didn’t. They seemed so happy. Drew says, that was before Jason came back.

Carly tells Michael that Agent Cates didn’t want to go to the hospital, so she brought him back here. She stayed with him so she could wake him up every couple of hours. Basically, she was on concussion watch. Michael asks where she found him, and she says, a couple blocks from the coffee warehouse. At first, she thought he was trailing Jason, but then she realized he must have been following Diane. He asks, why? and she says, because Jason’s too hard to follow. He says, it didn’t bother her that the guy she sat up with all night taking care of wants to bust Jason? but she says, it doesn’t bother her because he’s not going to find any evidence against Jason. There’s nothing in that warehouse but coffee. And Sonny is so furious with Jason right now, there’s no way he’s going to bring Jason back to the business. So basically, Sonny is doing Jason a favor.

Alexis says, so basically, instead of sitting and enjoying a wedding with Gregory and the happy couple, she’ll be pacing up and down a hotel room, preparing for her appearance in front of the Appellate Division of the New York Supreme Court. Gregory says, this is momentous. Although he has to admit he’s a little irked that she kept it from him until now. She says she really doesn’t think it could actually happen. It’s the longest of long shots. He says he doesn’t know. Her and Diane teaming up to argue her case. He’d take that bet. He raises his glass and says, to her then, but she says she doesn’t want to jinx anything. Sorry. She’s alternating between pretending this isn’t happening and having paralyzing anxiety because she really, really wants this so much.

Brook tells Tracy that she and Chase share everything. What’s hers is his and vice versa. Tracy says, sounds great. Very unrealistic. Brook says, don’t go there. They already had the prenup conversation, and that’s not happening. Tracy says she totally respects Brook’s misguided decision to forego the prenup. However, she’s learned from previous experience that having more personal wealth than your husband puts undue stress on the marriage. Brook says, no offense, but Chase is nothing like Tracy’s ex-husbands, and Tracy says, Brook means her ex-fortune hunters? She’s absolutely right. But – she pats the spot next to her on the sofa, and Brook sits down – she knows Chase’s father. And she’s assuming in addition to being a stand-up guy, Chase was taught to be the breadwinner in the family. Brook says, please. That is so old school. Tracy asks if Brook hasn’t noticed her husband-to-be is very traditional. It’s part of his charm. Brook says she almost blew it, didn’t she? but Tracy says, she did it out of love. Like he sold his truck out of love. But her going off and buying another one totally negates the sacrifice he made. She’d be devaluing his loving gesture. Brook says, wow. Tracy saw that. She didn’t. Tracy says she’s had many years to make mistakes and learn from them. But buck up, girlie. She’s got herself a thoughtful, generous, devoted husband-to-be. Brook says, the best. She’s just sad he has to give anything up for her.

Gregory asks if Alexis knows what happens when well-meaning people find out you have a terminal illness. You start getting suggestions; mindfulness, positive visualization, prayer, alternative medicines, healthy diets, yoga, acupuncture, you name it. She says, that’s got to be really overwhelming, and he says, yes, but you get used to it. He knows it comes from a good place. She asks if she’s done that, but he says, no, not at all. She asks, what’s his point? and he says, despite what other people may suggest, he thinks what it all comes down to is what you choose to believe. Alexis believes that she could still be a good lawyer. She says she does. She still has as much passion for it than she’s ever had and there’s nothing more satisfying than helping someone get the justice they deserve in court, no matter what the obstacle. He says he bets she was a force to be reckoned with in the courtroom. He hopes he gets a chance to see her back in action. She says she hopes he does too. He should know that most of these appeals are denied, which is why she’s so quiet about it. He says he has faith for both of them, and puts his hand on hers. She says she wishes everyone felt that way.

Madison hands Nina a stack of messages and tells her that the proofs from the shoot are on her desk. No one can locate Pedro; he still hasn’t delivered the dress for the cover. Nina asks her to call the agent and tell them if Pedro doesn’t deliver in 24 hours, he’s off the cover and her roster. She’s not doing this with him again. She looks through the messages and says, these can wait… Really? Olivia? Madison says, she keeps calling, and Nina says she can’t believe Olivia is still harping on the color refresh she gave the fourth-floor bathrooms. And forget about calling the agent. She wants that pleasure herself. Oh, and if Drew Cain calls, she’s not available.

Drew says, Curtis knows he loves Carly. He still loves Carly, but he’s moving on. He’s getting over it. He’s accepted the fact that she’ll always put Jason first and that is exactly why he had to end it. Curtis says, he ended things? Is he sure Carly is okay with that, after everything they’ve been through? Drew put his life on the line for her. Drew says, believe him. They both know it’s for the best. He did them both a favor. Curtis says, that sucks, and Drew says, it does, but he also knows it’s the right decision. The next time he’s in a relationship, he’s going for the brass ring. He wants what Curtis and Portia have. He wants it to be tested, survivable, solid… Curtis says, it’s true. That’s what they have. They’ve definitely been through the fire, and they’re still standing. Drew says he couldn’t be happier for Curtis.

Lucy tells Maxie that she’s just so passionate about her company. Right now, Deception is the most important thing in her life. Maxie says she knows Lucy loves Deception, but so does she, and Lucy says she knows. She has nothing but love and respect for Maxie. That’s why she lured Maxie away from Crimson to join Deception, but this friendship she has with Tracy’s granddaughter sets her teeth on edge. Because she can’t let that harpy ruin everything that she… they worked so hard to build. Maxie says, they built Deception together, and unless they get on the same page and start trusting each other again, Tracy’s not going to have to lift a finger to destroy Deception. They’re going to do it for her. Haven comes back and says, her producer agrees with her. Lucy is not a suitable replacement for Sasha, so their segment is cancelled.

Diane asks if Jason wants her to put him in touch with a real estate agent, and he asks, why? She says, to find him a place to live? but he says he has a place to live. She says, a rented room above Bobbie’s? and he says, yeah. He likes it there. She says, if he changes his mind, and if she can convince Nina to sell, he’ll have a whole hotel of rooms to choose from. He says he likes where he is, and she asks if he signed the papers her assistant dropped off last night. He says he didn’t get any papers, and she asks what he’s talking about. Her assistant was supposed to bring them to him last night. Carly walks in holding the envelope, and Diane says, this looks familiar, taking it from her. Carly says, Diane’s assistant came by Bobbie’s, and she said she would bring them over, but she got sidetracked. Diane puts them on Jason’s desk and tells him, start signing. He doesn’t need a notary. She’ll pick them up from him the next time she sees him… which she thinks will be soon. She’s off. She leaves and Carly asks if Jason is okay. Jason says he’s good and thanks her for bringing the papers by. She says, that was just an excuse. She wanted to see him. He asks if something happened, and she says she did something he’s not going to like.

Sasha says, if she was thinking about going back to Deception, and just hearing him say that made her stomach drop… He says he guesses that’s a clear answer, and she says she doesn’t want to do something she dreads. Besides, Deception has already moved on. They have a new Face, and booked a new segment on Home & Heart. Today, actually. He says, no regrets? and she says, not one. She may not know what she wants to do, but she knows what she doesn’t want to. He says, that’s progress. When she does figure out what she wants, let him know.

Alexis says, Molly is worried if her appeal is denied, she’ll start drinking again, and Gregory asks if she thinks that could happen. She says she’s an alcoholic. A lapse is always possible. Maybe that’s why she downplayed it so much, because she’s worried the disappointment might… He says, might destroy her? and she says, it’s destroyed her before, and Molly had a front row seat. The life she’s rebuilt doesn’t get her pulse racing, but it’s steady. And she worried if she gets her hopes up, it might be too big of a gamble, and she’s worked too hard for her sobriety. So is this a risk she can afford?

Tracy says, it may be old school, but no spouse or partner worth their salt is going to want to live on their other half’s money, and Brook says, Tracy has dealt with this her entire life, hasn’t she? Tracy says, the family money has given her a lot of advantages, but it’s also caused her a lot of pain. Brook says, those men are idiots. How could anyone look at Tracy and only see dollar signs? She’s an amazing woman, filled with wit and depth and beauty and surprising sensitivity. If those guys couldn’t see that, it’s their loss. Tracy says, yep, she’s a catch. So is Brook. Brook says, not that the Quartermaines are poster children for happy marriages. Look at Edward and Lila. Yeah, they were in love, but how many times did he cheat on her? Tracy says, too many, and Brook says, and Alan and Monica. Tracy says, both serial cheaters and they argued about it the whole time. Brook says, her father was a bigamist. He was married to her mother and Katherine Bell at the same time. Tracy asks, what’s her point? and Brook says, what if she and Chase follow the same pattern? What if their marriage is doomed already?

On the phone, Nina says, they are in charge of the kitchen. Is that correct?… She may have authorized the slightly cutting back of the service staff, but she did not intend for the room service orders to arrive cold. Outside her office, Madison tells Diane that Nina can’t be disturbed. If she likes, Madison can make her an appointment. Diane says she wouldn’t, and barges into Nina’s office, Madison following her. Nina says she expects the room service to maintain the same high standards as the rest of the hotel. She thanks them and Madison says she’s sorry. She told Diane… Nina says, that’s all right. She understands Miss Miller does not like to take no for an answer. Madison leaves, and Nina says, if Diane is here for the divorce papers, she’s wasted her time. Diane says she’s actually here to make an offer on the hotel. She has a client who is interested in purchasing Nina’s half of the MetroCourt, and willing to do it at 3% over market value. Nina asks, who’s the client? and Diane says, Jason Morgan.

Carly says, he was just lying there, and Jason says, and she got out of the car. That’s too big of a risk to take. She says she couldn’t just leave him there. Besides, the muggers took off after she blasted her horn. Anyway, she grabbed John and took him back to his room at the MetroCourt. She spent the night there, waking him up every two hours to make sure he was okay. Jason says, he was jumped a block away from here, and she says, yes, but they didn’t steal anything. They just beat him up. He asks what she’s thinking, and she says she’s thinking it wasn’t a mugging. Maybe it was Sonny.

Lucy says, Haven can’t just cancel their segment, but Haven says, this is live TV. She can’t go on air with an amateur. Lucy laughs and says she hosted the General Hospital Nurses Ball for years and years. And it was on a stage and on camera and she raised millions of dollars for GH. Haven says, congratulations, but she won’t be selling face cream on Home & Heart today. Maxie says, if Haven cancels their segment, what is she going to put in its place? And why would she turn her back on a sure thing? Haven says, they have lots of pre-taped segments. This isn’t the first time this has ever happened. And with Sasha, it was a sure thing. With Lucy, a whole other story. Maxie says, Deception is her highest earner. Haven said so herself. All of their segments have sold out. So will this one.

Gregory tells Alexis, risk is a funny thing. You don’t want to do it unnecessarily, but then again, you’ll never get anywhere if you don’t do it at all. Trust him when he tells her, the things you regret at the end of your life are not the things you tried to do and failed at. It’s the chances you didn’t take. Say she gets reinstated and she’s back doing the thing she loves. Let’s say she doesn’t. She’ll still know she gave it her best effort. And that’s its own reward. Her taking this chance is like skydiving was for him. She says, terrifying? but he says, life affirming.

Carly tells Jason that Cates stopped by Bobbie’s a couple of times, and she just assumed he was working her for information about Sonny, but he never asked her anything significant. But when she told Sonny, he was furious. The way he was toward Jason the other night after his arraignment. Jason says, she thinks Sonny had Cates beat up, and she says she definitely thinks it’s possible. Sonny hates him. And not because he’s an FBI agent, but because of the history they have. She knows the basics about what happened with Karen Wexler, but Sonny regrets it. And Jason knows, when Sonny regrets something, he’s volatile. And on top of that, John was Stone’s older brother and Sonny feels like John abandoned Stone. So she thinks it’s possible Sonny would be targeting Cates. Jason says, John Cates is an FBI agent (in case we didn’t know), and assaulting an FBI agent is a federal crime and Sonny knows that. She says, Sonny knows it. He doesn’t care.

Nina asks, since when has Jason Morgan been interested in the hotel business? and Diane says she’s just here to make the offer. Nina says she would imagine this is for Carly. Does he know whose bed Carly was in last night? He might change his mind. Diane says, interested or not interested? when there’s a knock at the door. Nina says, come in, and Madison says she’s so sorry to interrupt, but accounting needs Nina to sign off on the ad rates. Nina finds the folder and Madison leaves. Diane says she imagines it must be so difficult to run both Crimson and the MetroCourt, and Nina says she loves them both. Diane says she hadn’t realized Nina was interested in the mundane. Cranky guests, plumbing issues, all that tableware and linen to keep track of… Well, she’ll leave Nina to it. She starts to leave, and Nina says, 15% over market. Diane says, four.

Tracy says she doesn’t believe Brook’s marriage is doomed. Just be aware of it. What she thinks is reasonable, Chase may think is extravagant. Like public school versus private school. Brook says she hears Tracy, and Tracy says, as long as she understands that they have very different frames of reference about money, they’ll be okay… on that front. Chase really loves her. Brook says she loves him too. She’s sorry Tracy wasn’t treated with more respect. Tracy says, it’s true. She kissed a lot of frogs. She even exchanged vows with some of them. But in the end, she got her prince. Her marriage to Luke started with blackmail, but it ended with a true partnership. They were equals. Luke accepted her for her. He loved her and she did the same for him. Brook says, it sounds like she was very lucky. Tracy says, she was, and so is Brook. They hug.

Brook says she thinks she and Chase will make it, and Tracy says she certainly hopes so. And whatever happens, she’s always on Brook’s side. Brook says, back atcha, and Tracy says, now she has to get down to the stables because she’s riding again. Brook says, have fun, and Tracy thanks her. Brook says, good talk, and Tracy says, anytime.

Sasha says, very funny, and seeing all the pieces of hay in her hair, Cody asks, what happened to her? She says, Ranger, and he laughs and says, she got a whole bag of tricks. Not a mean bone in his body though. She says, he’s a sweetheart, except messy, and he asks if she’s sure she doesn’t want to reconsider Deception, as he picks the hay out of her hair. She says, can he imagine if Haven de Havilland saw her now?

Haven says she’s here today with Lucy Coe, founder of Deception. Welcome, Lucy. So tell us what fabulous product you have for us today. Lucy thanks Haven and says, in fact, she’s so happy to bring them their brand-new face cream for the woman on the go. It is super moisturizing and goes on like a dream. It’s lightweight and you put this on just one time, and you’re good for the whole day. Haven says, sounds like her kind of moisturizer. She’s so busy and definitely on the go. Lucy says, tell her about it. No one is busier than she is. Besides running Deception of course (🍷), she has a thriving real estate business, and she was also, for many years, on the advisory board of ELQ. On the side, Maxie starts looking miffed, and Lucy says, and her vote kind of contributed to major decisions… Just recently though, that’s changed, but that’s a long story. She can tell them all about it later, but she thinks the viewers probably recognize her the most for being the mistress of ceremonies at the General Hospital Nurses Ball for many years… well, actually until last year. She wasn’t, because… Maxie looks like she has a headache and a half.

Alexis tells Gregory, that parachute jump was euphoric. And she almost backed out. When she forced herself to do it, she realized, until then, she’d been living in fear, and she doesn’t want to do that anymore, so she has to try. He says he thinks they call that resilience, which is also life affirming. And as far as he’s concerned, whether she ever practices law again or not, she already won.

Drew thanks Curtis for coming by. He really wants to discuss this fitness/wellness idea further. Curtis says, definitely. He still can’t believe Nina came at Drew like that. Drew says, it’s all good. She knew what she was doing. Curtis says, maybe. He thinks she’s still hurting over Sonny. Go easy on her. Drew says he and Nina have reached an understanding. They’ve made accommodations with each other. (Is that what the kids are calling it now?)

Nina says, nine. Take it or leave it. Diane says she will take it back to Jason, and Nina says, this might be a little premature. She knows they’re talking about price, but she hasn’t made up her mind to sell, so she needs to think about it. Diane says, the offer won’t be on the table indefinitely, and Nina says, if Jason wants the hotel so badly, he can wait.

Jason asks if that’s why Carly took care of Cates, to make up for what she thinks Sonny did? She says, no. She was just trying to help. It wasn’t until after when she thought about it, and she realized it could have been Sonny. He says, there’s nothing she can do about it. So here’s the thing. Cates is either going to figure it out or he’s not. The best thing she can do is just stay out of this. She says, yeah… That could be a problem. He says, why? and she says she told him, Last night she spent the night in John’s room, in a chair. But this morning, she ordered room service, and when she opened the door to get the tray, John came out of the shower wearing nothing but a towel, and Nina was standing right there, and she saw him. She left a vapor trail straight to Michael and Drew. It’s only going to be a matter of time before Nina tells the entire world that she spent the night with John Cates, including Sonny.

On Monday (unless there’s another eclipse), Brook tells Maxie not to give up yet, she’s got one more Hail Mary; Tracy says, if there’s a problem with it, Cody is out on his hind end; Ava tells Nina that she’s sure it’s progress; and Jason tells Carly that he doesn’t think Sonny would see it that way.

🎭 Old Gig, New Gig…

I’ve never seen this show, but I remember seeing the title in the guide listings.

This looks promising.

💫 What Goes Around…

It would only be fitting, since the replaced a soap. Now can we say goodbye to The View?

👄 Knotty Girls…

And Donna Mills is another one. She’s 83. Is it her vitamins? Something in the water? What? She has no right to look that good. I’m just kidding though. Good on her and Morgan Fairchild.

💃🏿 Back With the Wind…

It might be a season worth watching with Phaedra and Kenya returning.

🏊‍♀️ Another Awful Summer…

Warning: sarcasm ahead. I just can’t understand how things fell apart when Lindsay was in love enough with Carl to make him a sandwich. If you follow this awful nonsense, you might remember many seasons ago when Lindsay’s boyfriend, whose name has been blessedly wiped from my mind, wanted her to make him a sandwich and she went out of her mind. I’m embarrassed to even know that. Then we have Kyle and Amanda who are married, but living on different planets. Run, Amanda, run! Paige and Craig seem to be the only sane ones right now, but we’ll see what happens the next time he brings up marriage.

If you must have more.

🪀 Rebounding From the Rebound…

Ugh. I hate guys like Schwartz. He thinks it’s friends with benefits, while she thinks it’s something more, but he doesn’t dare say anything because he doesn’t want to lose her. Usually, those types don’t say I love you, for which I give them credit, but not good old Schwartzy. He’ll say anything to keep things status quo, which makes him even worse. No surprise he bounced quickly to an actual girlfriend. No doubt he doesn’t like being alone with himself. The good news? He ditched the blond look.

🍸 Giving Them Reunion…

I’m not sure how Lala didn’t fare well. She had zip to be embarrassed about this season. I don’t think I could forgive Sandoval, but I understand why she is. I also understand why she’s getting annoyed with Ariana. Not that I blame Ariana for still being pissed off. I would be too. But to act all middle school and say, if you hang out with him, you’re dead to me, is ridiculous since they’re all in the unique situation of having to deal with each other for the show. What she really wants is for Sandoval to be off the show, but that doesn’t look likely. Instead, she should just rub his nose in the best revenge of living well, instead of snarking at him every chance she gets and acting like she’s a queen banishing a subject. It’s not a good look and could backfire on her eventually.

🎰 Speaking Of Reunions…

Viva Las Vegas. What’s the matter? NYC not good enough for him anymore? And 2024?

🍻 Two Dogs and a Cat Walk Into a Bar…

As Reggie said in Strays, poop for your freedom!

https://people.com/united-airlines-flight-forced-to-divert-after-dog-pooped-in-first-class-aisle-8629565

Get rid of the dude. Keep the dog.

https://people.com/woman-refuses-to-give-away-dog-even-though-boyfriend-allergic-8630181

Do you know this kitteh?

https://people.com/authorities-search-for-owner-of-lost-cat-in-strawberry-dress-8629238

🎺 Quotes of the Week

Our prime purpose in this life is to help others. And if you can’t help them, at least don’t hurt them. – Dalai Lama

You cannot hope to build a better world without improving the individuals. To that end, each of us must work for his own improvement and, at the same time, share a general responsibility for all humanity, our particular duty being to aid those to whom we think we can be most useful.Marie Curie

A little progress each day adds up to big results. – Satya Nani

Clichés are tropes because they’re true. – Wesley Fists (Austin Crute), Daybreak

Make the choice to embrace this day. Do not let your TODAY be stolen by the ghost of yesterday or the “To-Do” list of tomorrow! It’s inspiring to see all the wonderfully amazing things that can happen in a day in which you participate. – Steve Maraboli

People find it far easier to forgive others for being wrong than being right. – Albus Dumbledore (Michael Gambon), Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

When you are content to be simply yourself and don’t compare or compete, everybody will respect you. – Lao Tzu

The traveler sees what he sees, the tourist sees what he has come to see.Gilbert K. Chesterton

I don’t care to eat a chicken foot. – Karen Everett, The Family Chantel

✈️ Absence Makes Someone Not Here…

Take a cuppla days off, then visit again on Monday really Tuesday for soap and not Jill on Deck. Until then, stay safe, stay not fixing it if it ain’t broke, and stay remembering that the things you regret at the end of your life are not the things you tried to do and failed at. It’s the chances you didn’t take.

April 11, 2024 – Chase Changes the Honeymoon Plans, Blame Game, VanderMoments, Shading Shannon, Dead Talk, Pet (!) Diversity & Normally

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Carly wakes up in the chair and looks over at John sleeping on the sofa.

Brook says, what if they made a mistake? but Lois says, they didn’t. Brook says, what if the style’s all wrong? but Lois says, it won’t be. Brook says, what if the lace is like a gross shade of ivory? but Lois says, that’s never going to happen. Brook says, what if they ruined Lila’s dress for nothing? and Lois says, Lila’s dress was already ruined. Unsalvageable, said the seamstress, except for the best part, which they’re putting to perfect use. So what is she really afraid of? Brook says, what if she doesn’t like it? and Lois says, if she doesn’t like her wedding dress, they’ll scrap it and find her something she loves. Because there’s nothing more important than her happiness on her wedding day. Capisce? Brook says, capisce, and Sandrine walks in with an assistant carrying a garment bag. She says, ladies, are you ready? The wedding gown of your dreams.

Curtis walks slowing into Drew’s office, and Drew says, look at him. He can’t believe this progress. It’s incredible. Curtis says he firmly believes if you do the work, you can achieve anything, and Drew says he was in Greenland with Curtis, so he’s not going to underestimate him, but walking this soon after surgery is next level. Curtis thanks him, and Drew says, and he can take a compliment. Curtis says, Trina’s been on him about absorbing good energy. It sounds a little woo-woo to him, but he’s trying. Drew says he’s happy for Curtis, and Curtis says, don’t keep him in suspense. Why is he here? Michael walks in and says, what’s going on? Drew says, let the meeting of the minds commence.

Alexis says, Nina did not just say that, and Nina asks if she denies it. Alexis says, that she’s being mean to Nina’s precious gossip slinger? Are they in second grade? Nina says, DeWitt is not just The Invader’s society columnist, and Alexis says, ugh, that title. Nina says, he got a promotion. He is now associate publisher. Alexis says she knows that. Nina reminds her of that all the time. How could she possibly forget that Nina has hired someone so incompetent? Nina asks, says who? and Alexis tells her, says me. And it’s not DeWitt’s fault that he’s going to make an ass of himself. That honor belongs to Nina.

TJ meets Marshall at a park bench, hands him a coffee, and says, good morning. Marshall says, and what a beautiful morning it is, and TJ says he has egg sandwiches too, handing Mashall a bag. Marshall says, that’s very thoughtful of him. Not that he wasn’t thrilled to get TJ’s call, but since he has the morning off, why isn’t he spending it with Molly? TJ says he considered it, but he knew how the conversation would go. Marshall asks, how’s that? TJ says, she’d thank him for wanting them to do something together, then she’d say she has an arraignment in five minutes, but she’ll make it up to him tonight. Then that would turn into her trying too hard and both of them faking it through whatever she thought of, or even worse, she stays late at the office to avoid the situation altogether. Marshall asks who they’re talking about here, because that doesn’t sound anything like TJ and Molly.

At the MetroCourt, Anna thanks Valentin for meeting her and apologizes for it being so last minute. He says, lucky for her, he had no breakfast plans, and they sit down. He says he ordered her tea and pours her some. She thanks him for being thoughtful, and he says, she called, and he came. What’s this about? She wonders if he can help her with a case, and he says he’ll always help her. What’s the case? She says, Pikeman.

Brook says she doesn’t know what she was so afraid of. The dress is perfection. Lois says, the only thing more beautiful than that dress was her in it, and Brook asks if she’s crying again. Lois says, get used to it. Her baby girl is getting married in the most magical wedding gown. Brook says she doesn’t know how Sandrine did it, but she really captured the spirit of Lila’s dress to a T. Lois says, it feels like she channeled Lila, all of her kindness and her warmth and her acceptance and her generosity, because that’s who Lila was. Brook says, Lois is so lucky she got to wear Lila’s gown, and Lois says, Brook gets to be a part of that too. Brook says, in the tiniest way, but Lois says, no. In her own way. That’s what makes it so special. Brook gets to have a piece of Lila while still being who she is. Beautiful, amazing, incredible her. Brook thanks Lois for doing this with her, and Lois says, is she kidding? Is she insane? She would have busted that door down if she hadn’t gotten an invite. Brook says, then she’s glad Lois did, and Lois says she’s so happy for Brook. And she’s happy for Chase. She’s happy for all of them really. Brook says she’s happy for them too, and they hug.

Alexis says, why doesn’t Nina just admit it. Nina hired DeWitt to piss her off. Nina says she actually does think he’s an asset, and Alexis says, and the fact he’s a colossal thorn in her side? Nina says, that’s just a perk, no doubt about it. Alexis asks, why? and Nina says, why does she enjoy steam shooting out of Alexis’s ears? Alexis says, why is she doing this? She doesn’t even work here anymore. Nina says, that’s exactly why she needed a replacement, but Alexis says, Nina didn’t need a replacement. Alexis was doing just fine and would do even better if Nina would stop breathing down her neck. Nina asks if Alexis wants people to read her publication, and Alexis asks, what kind of question is that? Everything was fine before Nina got here. Nina says, but is it better since she brought DeWitt on? Be honest about that. It is, because there’s a measurable rise in website traffic. Alexis says, and she thinks that’s because there’s a gossip column? and Nina says, yes, partially. Alexis has to court their readers. She has to give them something delicious and irresistible, so they stick around for the hard news. What she can’t do is decide what’s good for them and ram it down their throats. You have to woo them. Alexis says, what if she just quits? and Nina says, there’s the door.

Michael says, it’s good to see Curtis back on his feet, and Curtis says, it’s good to be back. He hears Jason was exonerated. Michael says, yeah. They’re all relieved about that. Curtis says, when Jason was suspected of taking shots at Sonny, he thought maybe there was a chance he tried before last summer at the MetroCourt. It’s nice to know Jason didn’t put him in that wheelchair. Drew says, he didn’t stay in that wheelchair very long though, did he? and Curtis says, no. He was lucky. He had experimental surgery and it worked. Drew says, come on. The surgery just gave him a chance to walk again. Curtis is the one who made that a reality. All the rehabs, learning how to walk again… Is Curtis kidding him? He can’t imagine what that was like for Curtis. Curtis has all his respect for making it through that and getting to the other side. Curtis thanks him and says he doubts Drew brought them here to compliment him on walking again. Why are they here?

Carly asks how John is feeling, and he says, sore. She says she bets, and he says, and very tired. She says, really? He didn’t sleep well? He says, it’s hard to get a good night’s sleep with her waking him up every couple of hours. She says she’s sorry. Should she have let him monitor his own signs of concussion? He says, is he, by the way, concussed? and she says, no. He’s bruised and bloody, but somehow, his head came out unscathed. He asks if that’s her professional opinion as his almost nurse, and she asks if he’s going to start arguing with her this early in the morning. He says he already knows it won’t do any good.

Sandrine says, Lois might surprise Brook, but Brook says, nothing her mother does surprises her. She’s well-aware of her mother’s flair, shall they say, and she wouldn’t have it any other way. Lois comes in, and Sandrine tells Brook, like she said. Wearing a midi dress with a black lace overlay and a short white jacket along with pearls, Lois says, ta-da. Brook says, wow… ma… that’s… Lois says, she hates it?

Alexis tells Nina that she always says that – there’s the door – but they both know Nina needs her. Nina says, agreed. And she’s been agreeing with Alexis the whole time. Her point is, she thinks the paper would benefit if they just had DeWitt’s expertise and experience. Alexis says, no, and Nina says, that’s it. Just no. Alexis says she will not sit by and let The Invader be turned back into a tabloid, and Nina says, then don’t let it. Alexis says she’s trying, but Nina is making it very difficult. A messenger comes to the door and says he just needs a signature from Alexis. Alexis signs the form, and Nina says, you know what it’s going to say on Alexis’s tombstone? Alexis says, death by frustration? and thanks the messenger. He leaves, and Nina says, no. It’s going to say, Alexis Davis, didn’t play well with others. Alexis says, and now they’re back to the schoolyard, and Nina says, because Alexis refuses to grow up. DeWitt stays. End of discussion. She leaves, and Molly walks in. Alexis says she hates that woman, and Molly tells her, take a breath. Alexis says, how? She sucked all the air out of the room. Molly says, professional differences? and Alexis tells her, you could say that. She invites Molly in and says, tell her something wonderful that has nothing to do with this publication. Molly says she would, but she can’t. The Invader is actually why she’s here. Alexis puts her head on the desk.

TJ asks if Marshall has ever looked back at a decision and known he should have gone with his gut, and Marshall says, too many times. TJ says, when Molly pitched the idea of Kristina being both their surrogate and egg donor, his instincts were screaming, this is the wrong move. For a million reasons, but the most glaring being that Kristina’s too close. There’s no finish line. There’s no cutting ties at the end. Why? Because there couldn’t be. She’s Molly’s sister. Marshall says, and since Molly couldn’t go forward without his buy-in, that was TJ’s moment to shut it down. TJ says he should have explained why he was against it, calmly and unequivocally, before anything got too far. Instead, he went with the short-term gain of giving Molly what she wanted. Marshall says, some would call that being supportive, but TJ says he calls that being a coward. She was so wrecked. She was utterly devastated that she couldn’t get pregnant. So when she pitched the idea, he knew that for Molly, the closest thing she could have to carrying her own baby was for her sister to have it for her.

Anna tells Valentin that she and Dante were ambushed on the docks by Roman Hume. He worked for Pikeman. It’s just so strange. All roads seem to lead back to this one, ultra secretive organization that’s run by a ghost. He says, a ghost? and she says, Pikeman’s ties to the WSB are clear, but no one seems to know who’s at the top of the pyramid. So she needs information. She was hoping maybe he could provide it for her. He says, Pikeman? and she says, he was working for them as recently as last summer. He says, as an intermediary, a glorified messenger, and she asks how that job came about. He says he did some contract work for them back in the 90s, and they felt comfortable asking him to introduce them to Sonny, but whether Sonny and Pikeman did any work together after that was none of his concern. She says, okay. Maybe she can pick his brain about something else. Or someone. He asks, who? and she says, Jack Brennan.

Lois asks, what’s wrong with it? and Brook says, absolutely nothing. Lois says, well, something, but Brook says, the dress is lovely. It’s classy and elegant and tasteful… Lois says she feels a but coming, and Brook says, no buts. It’s just not really Lois’s style. Lois says, it’s just and but are exactly the same thing, and Brook asks if Lois thinks that’s her style. Lois says, to go out on a Saturday night? No, but she was under the impression that what you wear to your daughter’s wedding isn’t what you wear to go clubbing. They’re two completely different things. Brook says, it doesn’t have to be this different. What kind of nails would she even do with that? Lois says she was thinking maybe just clear, and Brook says, what? Lois says she’s the mother of the bride. She’s supposed to be understated. Brook says, there’s no supposed to be here. This isn’t a royal wedding. There areno standards she has to live up to. Brook just wants her to wear what she wants to wear. Something that makes her feel like her. Lois says, this definitely doesn’t feel like her, and Brook says she didn’t think so. Back to the drawing board. Lois tells Sandrine, let’s pull some colors, some swatches… Maybe show some skin this time. You know what? Maybe a plunging neckline. Brook says, let’s not get carried away, when Chase walks in. He asks if he missed it, and Brook says, missed what? What is he doing here? Sandrine says, there’s been a special order for the bride-to-be, and Brook asks what they’re up to. Sandrine says she was commissioned to design a dress for Brook’s honeymoon, and Brook asks if Chase really thinks that’s necessary. He says, very, and Sandrine takes out a beautiful black cocktail dress. Brook says, it’s gorgeous, and Chase asks if she likes it. Brook says she’s obsessed with it, but it’s long sleeves. Doesn’t he think she’ll be a little warm in Palm Beach? He says, they’re not going to Palm Beach.

Molly says, The Invader ran a piece on the DA’s office being opposed to the overturning of Heather Webber’s conviction, her multiple convictions of assault and homicide going back nearly twenty years. Alexis says, that would be with the metallosis diagnosis. Yes. She signed off on that. Molly says, then she knows the article cited an unnamed source, and Alexis says, yes. Molly says, mom, and Alexis says, what? Molly says, everybody at the DA’s office assumes that source is her. Alexis says, it isn’t, and Molly says, Alexis knows that, and she knows that, but her colleagues, specifically DA Scorpio, do not know that. Alexis asks what Molly wants her to do about it. The story checked out. Molly says she wants Alexis to help her prove that she’s not the one who broke confidentiality and discussed the case with a reporter, and Alexis asks how exactly Molly wants her to do that. Molly says, tell her who did.

Marshall asks if Molly knows TJ has misgivings about Kristina being the surrogate, and TJ tells him that he wouldn’t say it exactly like that, but yeah. Molly has her worries too. He thinks that’s the problem, because whenever he tells her his concerns… Marshall says, about what, besides the being too close part? and TJ says he just doesn’t think Kristina is taking the best care of herself. (Huh?) She’s out late, she’s not avoiding stress, plus the small fact that she’s out with her dad, who’s getting shot at on the regular. Marshall says, points taken. So when he brings all these things up to Molly… TJ says, she takes the position of defending Kristina, even though he knows they share the same concerns. That’s why they avoid the topic altogether. He just feels like, during this time, he and Molly should be closer together, but he just feels more and more distant from her. Marshall says, and what about Kristina? Has their relationship been affected? TJ says, how can it not be? Any time he shares a worry he has with her, she accuses him of overreacting. It’s as if Kristina is having the baby and she’s going to let them know when it’s here. He sounds ungrateful, doesn’t he? Marshall says, no. He sounds human. TJ tells him, that’s what mom said. Marshall says, smart woman, your mother.

Drew says he’s been doing some research and Floodgate Consultancy Group says, the wellness and fitness space is booming out there. They’re all across the country, but especially in the high-end areas, with both residential and urban people spending so much money not only to look good, but to feel good. Really laying the foundation for health, wellness, and longevity. Michael says he read that report too. 40 is the new 25, and with the right fitness regimen and the right products, you, too, can achieve it. Drew says, so thoughts? and Michael says he thinks it’s a good time for Aurora to diversify. Crimson and print media is still a front burner for them, but it is drying up. They need to find alternative revenue streams. He thinks dipping in to an expanding market makes sense. Curtis says, an expanding market like health and wellness, and Drew says, which is where Curtis comes in.

On the phone, Carly says she just ordered toast and eggs. She doesn’t understand what’s taking so long. John comes in, wearing only a towel, and Carly says she’ll hold. She tells John that she bets the shower felt amazing. He says, it did, and she says, it’s amazing what hot water can do, but he says, not so hot really. Carly tells the kitchen that she’s still holding, and looks at John. He says, the water never got too warm, and she says, he’s got to be kidding her. Back on the phone, she says, she’s here. She’s still here… No. She’s pretty sure there’s no food in her hotel room… What? They left the food outside the door, without knocking…?… Okay. She hangs up and says, they’ve got to be kidding her. No hot water, shoddy room service… This hotel is definitely going downhill. She opens the door just as Nina is walking by, and Nina says, oh. Good morning to you. She looks at John standing behind Carly in the towel.

Valentin tells Anna, what he remembers about Jack Brennan is, his rapid rise to director of the WSB was followed by a spectacular fall. He singlehandedly orchestrated Frisco Jones’ ouster and a year later, he was out himself. She says, he knows Jack is in Pentenville, right? and he says, yeah, thanks to her. She says, in part. She went to visit him the other day. Valentin asks, why? and she says, curiosity? Valentin hasn’t been to see him yet? Valentin says, has he been to see Jack Brennan in Pentenville? No, he has not. Why would he do that? She says, because they were close back in the day, when they were all coming up together at the WSB, but he says, no, not really. Jack Brennan did really well academically and even better with the ladies, but he was in the back of the room, not making eye contact. She says she distinctly remembers them at that pub they used to go to… The Archangel. The two of them were playing dice or something. Whatever it was, they were laughing because they’d aced an assignment that the rest of them just botched. He says, that sounds like Jack, but it doesn’t sound like him. If he was at The Archangel, he was lurking. He wasn’t hanging with the cool kids. Not like her. She was at the center of the circle. Jack was too. He thinks she probably has him mixed up with someone else. She says, he and Jack were just feeding off of each other. They were pushing each other to be better, to be smarter… He says, if anybody was pushing anybody, Anna was pushing Jack. They were the best of the best. Everybody knew that. Valentin was on the fast track to a desk job. He and Jack Brennan have never shared more than ten words together.

Alexis says she cannot and will not reveal the identity of her sources, and Molly tells her that now she’s going to say journalistic integrity. Alexis says, very good, counselor, and Molly says, that’s crazy. Leaked, privileged information is not protected speech. Whoever that source is, not only violated their professional conduct guidelines, they also jeopardized future cases. Alexis says, that sounds like a DA problem, not her problem, and Molly says, it’s a very big problem if the article affected the fairness of a trial. Alexis says, what trial? Heather’s already been convicted on multiple counts, and the DA has already refused to revisit any of those cases. And without a case on the docket, Molly can’t argue that a leak compromised anything. Molly says, she’s impossible, and Alexis says, that’s part of her charm. She holds out her wrists and asks if Molly would like to lock her up until she cracks.

Marshall says, TJ is in a tough and undesirable situation. Life hands those to us sometimes. When one was handed to him, he went for the big fix; he left his family to protect them. But had he stayed, had he gutted it out, it turns out he probably would have had a pretty decent life. TJ says, so Marshall is telling him that he made a huge mistake? but Marshall says, no. He’s saying it’s human nature, or more specifically male nature, to go for the big fix. Sometimes that’s not always the answer. Sometimes you can just let it breathe and settle, and that can be the way to go. TJ says, unfortunately, that ship has sailed, and Marhsall laughs. He says, not for the here and now. Kristina is who she is. And yes, she’s carrying TJ’s baby, and he can’t change that, he can’t erase that. But what he can do is step back and take a look at the whole picture and focus on what really matters. His relationship with Molly.

Carly closes the door and steps out in the hall, telling Nina, stalk much? Nina says, just doing her regular rounds. Carly remembers. Carly says, vividly. Although this hotel is definitely not what it used to be. Nina says, better? but Carly says, not quite. Nina says she didn’t think Carly could surprise her anymore, but she’s done it. An FBI agent? What’s Sonny going to think? Or Jason, for that matter? And poor Drew, forever the runner-up in the twin department. Carly asks if she’s finished, but Nina says she could keep at it all day. Carly looks at the food under the cloche and says she’s happy that Nina’s here. Nina says, no one could be happier than her, and Carly says she’d like to file a complaint about room service. Nina asks if Carly even has time to eat, because she seems quite busy, and Carly asks why Nina doesn’t spend less time worrying about her private life and more time managing her hotel. Nina tells Carly to enjoy the rest of her stay, and leaves. Carly pushes the cart into the room, mumbling about Nina, and John comes out fully dressed. He says, friend of hers? and Carly gives a short laugh.

Curtis says he’s listening, and Drew says, as he mentioned, the wellness/fitness space is booming. Aurora wants to move into that business, but they need someone to spearhead the initiative. Curtis says, meaning? and Michael says, someone with practical experience and knowledge of the fitness industry, a strong leader with customer service experience, and multi-level management skills. Drew says, which are skills Curtis has. The Savoy is a huge success. Curtis asks how they see Aurora moving into the business, and Michael asks what Curtis would do. Curtis says, the most practical thing might be for Aurora to buy up some of the small gyms around the country, rebrand them, and combine them into a national high-end fitness club. People are spending a lot of money in wellness. Meditation rooms, plunge baths, yoga, Pilates, physical training… A mind body connection and combined with a training-slash-fitness facility, this is a one-stop shop. It might require significant capital. Drew says, which they have… Nina walks in, saying, Drew won’t believe this. She just saw Carly… She stops when she sees the other two.

John says he gets the sense Carly and Nina don’t get along, and she says, he must be an FBI agent. He asks if she’s okay, and she says she doesn’t let Nina get to her… She tries not to let Nina get to her. He says he knows a little bit about their history, and she says, lucky him. He says he takes it there isn’t enough water under the bridge yet, and she says, there’s not enough water in the world. Sorry about the eggs. He says, it’s not her fault. Besides, coffee is the only necessary component. (Agreed.) She says, when she owned the MetroCourt, this would have never flown. If a customer complained about their food, they would redo it at no charge. She refills his coffee, and he says, she’s big on customer service. She says, it’s literally what the hospitality industry is all about, and he says, she must have had her fair share of jerks blow through here though. She says, yeah, sure, but for the most part, people were great. And she loved it. She loved making people feel happy and comfortable and special. He asks if she doesn’t get to scratch that itch running Bobbie’s, and she says, to an extent. She loves Bobbie’s – she really does – but it’s a restaurant. Full stop. In this place she got a taste of all of it, really curating a space. From the carpets to the linen to the lighting. Even the music. Putting all of those things together to create the ultimate experience. She loved it. He says, sounds like a symphony, and she says, it kind of was. He says, and she was good at it, and she says, she was great at it. He asks if she thinks she’ll ever do it again, but she says she doesn’t know. She tells people that she will, that she’s going to get her half of the MetroCourt back, but she thinks that’s just a pipe dream, The MetroCourt belongs to someone else, two someone elses. She’s just going to have to accept that.

Chase says he’s been working on a surprise for Brook, and she says, but he’s terrible at keeping secrets. Chase says, it’s true. Her mom has been helping him keep this under wraps. Lois says, guilty as charged, and Brook says, so no more Palm Beach? Chase shakes his head, and she says, please tell her that he’s not working. It’s their honeymoon. He says, they’re still going away, but there has been a change in destination. He leads her over to the loveseat, and she says, okay. As long as it’s not a downgrade, she’s in. Everyone else quietly leaves the room, and she says, so what are they talking? Miami? Charleston? Palm Springs? She’s never been to the desert. He says, think a little further away than that, and she says, like out of the US away? He nods, and she asks what he did. He says he’s marrying the woman of his dreams. No, scratch that. He never dreamed of her because he didn’t know someone this wonderful could exist, and he wants their honeymoon to be a reflection of that. He wants her to remember this trip for the rest of her life. Because she deserves it. She deserves everything. She says, he’s the sweetest man on the planet. So where on this planet is he taking her? He says, Florence, and she says, he’s kidding. He says he’s not kidding, and she says, Florence, Italy? He says, her mom told him that she wanted to go, and she says, only for her entire life. Oh my God, Florence? She jumps up and says, not only does she get to go, she gets to go with him? He asks if she’s happy, and she says, happy doesn’t even begin to cover it, and kisses him.

Molly says, so she guesses Alexis wins – again, and Alexis says, freedom of the press wins – always. Except she has no idea why she’s fighting so hard for it when it comes to this paper. Molly says, because she cares about her job and the integrity of her paper, and Alexis says, integrity the new associate publisher will undoubtedly destroy. Molly starts to leave and picks up the envelope the messenger delivered. She asks, what’s this? and Alexis says, a messenger dropped it off when she was fighting with Nina. Molly asks if she’s looked at it, but Alexis says she was too consumed with rage to care. What is it? Molly says, it’s from the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York, and Alexis says, they’re handling her appeal. Molly says, it’s probably her decision, whether they’ll review her case, or she’ll stay disbarred. Open it. She holds it out to Alexis, who backs up, saying, no. She can’t. She tells Molly to do it, and Molly asks if she’s sure. Alexis nods, and Molly opens the envelope.

As Molly reads what’s inside, she looks sad, and Alexis says, it’s okay. It was a longshot anyway. So the appeal was denied… Molly says, they’re giving her a hearing. They set a date and everything. Alexis grabs it from her and looks at it. She says, they’re giving her a hearing, and Molly says, not just that. They’re giving her hope. This is hope. They hug and jump up and down.

Marshall says, TJ needs to find reasons for him and Molly to come together that aren’t about the baby. It’s those moments of now, those moments where it’s just the two of them. Those moments are precious too. Now, as much as he enjoyed that egg sandwich and this beautiful park… TJ says, and the incredible company of his grandson, and Marshall says, that too. Get his behind over to the store and buy all the ingredients for Molly’s favorite dinner. Just make sure it’s reheatable in case she does have to work late. Wouldn’t it be nice for Molly to come home and see her favorite meal on the table waiting on her? TJ says, Molly would love that, and Marshall says, don’t spend the next three months wringing his hands over what Kristina is or isn’t doing. Spend the next three months with his partner, being just that – partners – before they become parents. Molly is a very special woman. TJ agrees she is and thanks Marshall. They bro hug.

Chase says, mimosa for the bride-to-be, handing Brook a drink, and she thanks him. They say, cheers, and clink glasses. Brook says she can’t believe it’s true, and he says, believe it. She says, Florence… the Uffizi, the Duomo, David… He says, whoa. Who’s this David guy? She says, and they have to take a day trip to Pisa and an overnight to Verona, the city of Romeo and Juliet. He says, she’s thought a lot about this, and she says, this is like a bucket list thing for her. And she can’t wait to look up all the best restaurants and they’re going to have gelato every, single day, no exceptions. Okay? He says, yes, ma’am, and she says, they’re going to drink wine at sunset in every piazza they can find. It’s going to be so incredible. He says, she’s so incredible, and they kiss. She says, they have so much planning to do. Wait. He asks, what’s wrong? and she says, a honeymoon to Florence is a lot more expensive than one stateside. The airfare alone. He says, that’s okay. He has the money for it. She asks, how? and he says he sold his truck.

Anna says, Valentin and Jack weren’t friends, but they certainly knew each other, right? He says, of course (🍷) they did, and she says, when he was working with Pikeman, in his dealings with them, did he ever get the sense Jack was involved? He says, she believes Jack Brennan was working with Pikeman? and she says she does. She can’t get him to admit it, but when Valentin was an intermediary, did anything jump out at him? He says he wishes he had something useful to offer her, but sadly, he doesn’t. She says, okay. It was worth a try. Maybe when she goes back to see him again. He says, don’t. Pikeman and Brennan are dangerous. If they’re working together, then they’re not to be messed with. She thanks him for his concern, but says she can take care of herself. He says, please do, and she thanks him for breakfast and leaves.

John opens the door for Carly and says, thanks again. She says she doesn’t think he thanked her the first time, and he says, then thank you. Not just for saving his hide on the docks, but for getting him back here and keeping an eye on him all night. She says he’s welcome, and he says, and he guesses they get to be friends, even if it’s just for a minute. She says, just for a minute? Are FBI agents not allowed to have friends? Oh. Worried he’s going to divulge classified information? He says, something like that, and she says, makes sense. But how does he know he doesn’t talk in his sleep? She leaves and he watches her walk down the hall.

Drew tells Nina, they’re at a meeting, so try back later, but Michael asks what she was going to say about his mom. And what did Nina do now? Nina says she didn’t do anything. She just thought Drew would want to know Carly moved on quickly from him and is now sleeping with everyone’s favorite FBI agent, John Cates.

Tomorrow, Tracy tells Brook, disrespecting your husband is no way to start a marriage; Maxie asks why Lucy is insisting on taking this all on herself; Alexis tells Gregory that it’s a risk she can afford; and Carly says she did something that someone isn’t going to like.

🛟 Here It Comes…

Now it’s somebody else’s fault she was a pita. Maybe she confused Fraser by answering every time the primary was asked a question.

🍸 Between Rules and Reunion…

I can’t believe anybody actually monitors who follows who. Aren’t they busy not opening restaurants and stuff?

It’s not about the pasta mirror.

🍊 Shady John…

Andy leaps with glee as he twirls his moustache.

⚰️ About Those Dead…

Like the franchise is ever going away.

Ha-ha! I thought it said giant zombie heads. Now that would be a variant.

https://screenrant.com/walking-dead-new-villain-zombies-season-1-return

Carol’s turn coming up.

https://www.cbr.com/daryl-dixon-book-of-carol-release-date-cast-news

🐕 From Around the Globe and Back…

Bollywood babies.

Backup pups.

https://people.com/meghan-trainor-stars-in-music-video-with-dogs-8629755

☔️ April Showers Bring More April Showers…

Stop by tomorrow for pre-weekend soap, the Summer smack talk promised, and shenanigans. Until then, stay safe, stay thinking twice before engaging in online debates, and stay doing the work. If you do, you can achieve anything.

April 10, 2024 – Sonny Meets Jason At the Warehouse, There Goes the Sun, Nathan’s Lane, VanderViews, He’s Toxic, This Week In Chefs, No Snow, Animal Reaction & Paris

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Getting up from the floor and gathering her clothes, Nina says, Drew has been planning something like this all along, but he asks if he needs to refresh her memory. He wasn’t the one who started all this. She says she knows, but she thinks he had this on his mental backburner since he took her magazine away and gave it to Carly. They all know how that worked out. Drew says, the only thing he’s been fantasizing about Nina is her losing all her money, losing her looks, and getting convicted of a nameless crime that gets her sent to prison, like she sent him. (Wow. Most of us would just say, was it good for you too?)

Carly puts some ice in a towel on John’s head and says he looks like he was mugged by a small army. Is he sure it was only two people? He says, yeah. Those guys might not have killed him, but this ice might. She says, it’s not that cold, and he says, it’s ice. By definition, it’s cold. He takes the ice from her and sits down, holding it himself. She says, the ice machine on this floor was broken, which is appalling, and he says, that’s what she finds appalling? A broken ice machine? She says she had to go down a floor to get the ice and it was melting by the time she got it to the towel. He says, yet, when placed against the human body, it’s still plenty cold, and she wonders if the FBI knows the only thing it takes for an agent to spill his guts is a couple of ice cubes. He says he likes to keep some things to himself, and she tells him, all she’s saying is when she ran the MetroCourt, that ice machine would have been maintained. She hands him some water, and he says he’s grateful for the medical expertise. She shakes some ibuprofen out of the bottle, gives it to him, and says she went to nursing school. She didn’t graduate, but the training was really good. When you have kids, you have little reaction time. then you have to keep it together before you get to an actual doctor. Speaking of which, please let her take him to the hospital. Or at least let her call the house doctor here. He says he’s quite happy with the care he’s received so far. He wouldn’t change a thing.

Laura tells Doc that she doesn’t want to jinx it, but she thinks Ace finally fell asleep. She told him a story, did a little singing… Maybe she’s getting the hang of his bedtime routine. Or maybe he’s just getting used to falling asleep without Esme and Spencer. She looks over at Doc, who’s concentrating on his tablet, and she says, or maybe she’s just telling herself a story.

Blaze and Kristina watch TV, Kristina’s head in Blaze’s lap. Blaze asks if Kristina is sure she’s okay with it, and Kristina says, yeah, but if Blaze isn’t into it, just change it. It’s just a movie. Blaze says, the movie is fine. She wasn’t really paying attention. Kristina asks, what’s going on? and Blaze says she keeps thinking about the whole Face of Deception thing. Is Kristina sure she’s okay with her being the Face? (Sounds like a Batman villain.) Kristina says, yeah. Blaze already shares her music with the world. Why not share her beautiful face too? Blaze says, because her mom inserted a clause keeping her private life private in every contract. And if anyone pushes against that point, she made it very clear it’s a deal breaker. Kristina says, Blaze is her public persona and Blaze is not out, but Allie, her girlfriend, is. Blaze says she’ll never get tired of hearing Kristina call her that, and Kristina says, she and her girlfriend are out to their families, to their closest friends, and the people who really matter. That’s all she really cares about. So locking down her private life is the deal Blaze made with her mom and everyone else, but as long as it doesn’t impact them and their relationship, she doesn’t see a problem with it. Blaze says, right, and Kristina says, unless the person who has a problem with it is her.

Curtis walks a little unsteadily into the bedroom, and Portia calls to him, asking where he is. He says, why doesn’t she come upstairs and find out? and she walks into the bedroom. She sees him without his cane, and says, oh my God. He says, one small step for man… Actually, it was a bunch of little steps, but one giant leap for yours truly. She says, this is huge. It’s so great not to see his cane anywhere. He says, no cane. Just him and his two legs. He sits on the bed, and she says, he’s amazing, but he says, no. She’s amazing. If it weren’t for her, he would still be stuck in some hospital bed. Or in his wheelchair still. Mad at the world, feeling sorry for himself, some version of that. That’s how his story would have ended. Because of her, he has nothing but new chapters to write. And he can’t wait – he stands up and she squeals – he can’t wait to write them with her. He takes her hands and says, thank you, my love. They kiss and she says, anytime.

Ava tosses and turns in bed. She sits up, takes her sleep mask off, and says, this is pointless. She gets up.

Jason says he owns half this warehouse, and Sonny asks if he’s taking it back. Jason says he never gave it up, but Sonny says, he deserted it. He was gone for more than two years. He lost the right to take it back. He doesn’t want to see Jason’s face. Didn’t he make that clear? Jason says, that’s why he had Diane speak to Sonny on his behalf. He still owns 50% of Corinthos Coffee. Sonny says, don’t quote his own lawyer… Jason says, their lawyer. They both trust her and what she says. Why not trust her judgement on this? Sonny says, forget Diane. Jason came to his warehouse to get an answer from him. He got his wish. This is his business, and he doesn’t want Jason anywhere near it.

Portia says she’s so proud of Curtis, and not because he made it up the stairs, but because he didn’t give in to despair. He didn’t quit. He says, truth be told, he thought about it. There were times he thought about it, and each time he thought, what would he say to Trina? She got hit with something terrible when Spencer died and it’s okay to call it quits, just curl up in a ball? It’s not him. She says, it’s not. Those words sound like a foreign language coming out of his mouth. She loves it. He says he’s a father now; he’s a son. It’s not just about him anymore. She says he did forget one thing out of that list, and he says, what’s that? She says, lover, and he says, is that so? She says she’d be a fool to let all the effort he took getting up those stairs and into their beautiful bedroom go to waste. And she’s no fool. They kiss.

John thanks Carly for the ice. He thinks it helped. Or else the bitter cold destroyed all the nerve endings in his body, so win-win. She says, he needs to keep this on his head, directing his hand back, and he says, she needs to go home to that adorable daughter of hers. Carly says, she’s great. She’s happy with her nanny. What Carly is concerned about is him having a concussion. He says he’s fine. Trust him. It will take more than a couple of shots to this hard head to do any damage. She says she doesn’t know about that. If he does have a concussion, someone needs to check on him every couple of hours to see if he’s having a hard time waking up. If he is, that means his concussion is getting worse. He says he’ll be fine, but she says, please, just let her take him to the hospital. Just think. If he’s right, he gets to say I told you so. He says he does like that, but come on. All they’re going to do is admit him and wake him up all night long. He’d rather stay here. She says, okay. She can wake people up with the best of them. She takes the pillow off a chair, sits down, and puts her feet on the coffee table. He asks what she’s doing, and she says, getting comfortable. She has to conserve her energy. She has to shake him away in a couple hours, then a couple hours after that. He says he really appreciates… She says, he’s wasting his time. She’s staying right here and she’s going to save him from himself.

Nina asks if Drew is saying he regrets this as much as she does, and he says, two people consumed by mutual, passionate hatred with no acceptable outlet? It’s better than poisoning. She says she doesn’t see a big difference, and he says, think of it like a screwed up spontaneous combustion. She says she’s going to think of it this way, as a downpayment, and he asks, what’s on layaway? She says, appoint her to the board, and he says, of Aurora? What possible sense would it make for him to appoint her to the board of Aurora? She edits Crimson. That’s her entire value to them. She says, and she makes the magazine a success. Okay. Maybe not that, but he’s close to Michael and he’s close to Willow. Find a pathway for her to get back in her daughter’s good graces. He asks if she thinks 45 minutes on his office floor commits him to dragging her out of the wreckage she made of her life. It’s going to take more than a couple of rug burns for him to lift a finger for her.

Nina says she tried to treat Michael and Willow to a surprise anniversary dinner, and they turned her down, which was humiliating. Drew says, surprise dinner, huh? Translation. Regardless of what Michael and Willow wanted, she pushed whatever she wanted on them, which is so on brand for her. She says she doesn’t care how he describes it. It felt like she was punched in the heart. Forgive her if she had to come down here and pull herself together and get a breath. Instead of sympathizing with her… He says he never will sympathize with her, and she says she knows she has a little part in this, but she thinks he took advantage of her emotional, vulnerable state. He says, she’s projecting. Taking advantage of people is her stock and trade. She tells him, shut up, and he says, let him just be clear. Her offer of an anniversary dinner when she can’t stand Michael and wishes Willow hadn’t married him, was it really just for Willow? Or was she hoping maybe they’d tell Sonny how generous she is? Does Sonny know she’s still pining for him? She goes to slap him, but he grabs her hand and says he’ll take that as a yes.

John asks, what time is it? and Carly says, almost midnight. He says, that late? She should really go home. She says, if he insists, she’ll drop him off at GH on her way, but he says, that’s not necessary. She says, it probably is, but he’d probably just be trading one problem for another, huh? He asks what she’s talking about, and she says, if he went to the hospital, the nurses would start asking him questions – she puts a blanket on him – and they’d have to call the PCPD. Then the PCPD would want to know what the heck he was doing wandering around the waterfront at that time of night. He says he wasn’t wandering around. He took a walk. She goes back to the chair, using her coat as a blanket, and says, in the most dangerous part of town at night. He says, Port Charles is a safe place, and she laughs. She says, make sure he mentions that safe part when he talks to the police because they love that kind of feedback. He says he got mugged. It’s a terrible thing, but it happens. This time it happened to him. She says, he should stick with that story. But she wants him to know that she knows he was tracking Jason.

Jason says, if Sonny doesn’t want him in his organization, he understands, but Sonny says, no. Jason doesn’t understand. He trusted Jason more than anyone and now he can’t trust him. Jason says he never gave the Feds anything on Sonny, and Sonny asks why he should believe that. Jason says, because if he had, they would have arrested Sonny. He’s been protecting Sonny this whole time. Sonny says he’s not a child. He doesn’t need protection. He needs Jason to get away from him. Otherwise, he will have to remove Jason.

Laura tells Doc that she’s concerned about how small Ace’s family is going to be. There are no siblings. He may never know Lulu and Lucky. She knows there’s Elizabeth’s boys, but they’re quite a bit older and they have their own lives. It’s really just her, him, and Ace. Doc says, and Heather, and Laura says she knows Heather likes to call herself Ace’s grandmother. He says, technically, she is Ace’s grandmother. They may not like it, but Esme was her daughter. He asks about the transfer to California, and Laura says she forgot to tell him. The DA cancelled the transfer because of her medical condition. So she’s in Pentenville for the foreseeable future. He says, unless something else occurs, and shows her the tablet. She reads: chemically induced abnormal behavior. This is really what he thinks happened to Heather, isn’t it? Does he think they would ever reopen Heather’s case after all the things that she did?

Nina says, if Drew breathes a word of this to Sonny… He says, having sex with her on his office floor isn’t something he’s going to be bragging about. He wouldn’t worry about Sonny. Sonny is a little preoccupied right now with Jason’s surprise return. She says, he can think about more than one thing at a time, and Drew says, and somehow, he isn’t thinking about her at all. She has to face it. She’s not even on Sonny’s radar right now. He doesn’t care who she’s mixing it up with. Maybe because he’s got a new roommate.

Ava calls to Sonny and asks if he’s home. She pours herself a drink, then sets it down and goes to Sonny’s bedroom. She wonders what he has that would make a person sleep. She checks in a box by his bed, but only finds an OTC pain reliever. She says, he’s got to do better than that, and goes into his bathroom. She wonders where he keeps the good stuff and looks in the vanity drawers. She finds a prescription bottle labeled Lorphenadine, and says, may cause drowsiness.

Jason tells Sonny, it doesn’t have to be this way. He’s not a threat. He’ll stay out of Sonny’s organization. All he wants is his half of the coffee business. Sonny says, and all he wants is the truth. If Jason didn’t inform on him, what was he doing with the Feds? Jason says he told Sonny everything he could, but Sonny says, Jason told him nothing. He thought it was because Ava was right there, but Ava’s not here now; it’s just them. If Jason wants Sonny to trust him, if he wants half of the business back, he’s going to have to trust Sonny. What happened to him?

Jason says, the FBI picked him up on Cassadine Island. They flew him back to Quantico. They offered him a deal. Become an informant and no charges will be filed. He took that deal because it was his best option. They didn’t want him to inform on Sonny because they knew he would never do it and it would never work. So they sent him after somebody else. Sonny asks, who? but Jason says he can’t tell Sonny. Sonny says, why? Does Jason think he’s going to go tell these people he’s a traitor? Jason says he can’t tell Sonny because it’s part of the deal. If he talks, that violates the terms of the agreement, and the charges get filed. Sonny says, was part of the deal to take a shot at him? How many times did Jason try to kil him? Jason says he never tried to kill Sonny, and Sonny says, and he’s going to believe that? Because Jason is loyal, because Jason’s his friend, his brother? Jason says, because if he tried to kill Sonny, he wouldn’t have missed.

Ava tells herself that she can’t self-medicate with somebody else’s prescription. It does cause drowsiness though, and if Sonny can handle it… She pops the top off the bottle so easily that it’s probably the most unbelievable thing ever seen on GH. She takes a pill, then says, who is she kidding? and takes another one.

Blaze tells Kristina that she wants to be fair. Having a control freak for a mom can be really helpful when it comes to her career. Kristina says, what about the rest of her life? Her real life. Blaze says, her mom tells her that she knows her better than she knows herself, and Kristina says she hates when parents say that. Blaze says, her too, but she thinks her mom says it because when she was Blaze’s age, she crossed the line a few times. And then she became a mom. Kristina says, becoming a mom certainly changes your perspective on everything, but she’s only an aunt, so… Blaze says, Kristina’s not only an anything. She thinks because her mom didn’t want her making the same mistakes she did, she became super strict. Kristina says, it kind of worked. Look at her. She’s smart and disciplined and built an incredible career for herself. It’s amazing. Blaze says, a lot of that is because she paid attention to everything her mom said when she was growing up. Her mom should be able to look at her life and know that and trust her enough to live her own life. Kristina’s parents do. Kristina doesn’t respond, and Blaze says she must have missed something. Is there a problem with her parents?

Curtis is sitting up in the bed, and Portia asks if this is the folder he wanted. He says, yes. He probably could have gotten it himself, but it would have been 2 in the morning before he got himself down the stairs and back up. She says, with the progress he’s making, he’ll be up and down those stairs in no time, and he says, the miracles of modern medicine. You doctors can fix anything. He asks if everything is okay, and she says, yeah. She’s fine. He says he sort of lost her there for a second. He wondered where she went. He thought maybe she was thinking about these bills. She says, no. Those bills are all his. He says he doesn’t know if she saw this note from Brook Lynn Quartermaine. She’s pushing him to have an invitation only event at The Savoy to showcase Blaze’s new single. He’s probably going to say yes, but he thinks he’ll let her sweat a little bit. She says, it has nothing to do with that, and he says, talk to him. She says she was at the hospital and overheard Doc and Alexis saying something about how they could use a preexisting condition to overturn a conviction. Heather Webber was diagnosed with metallosis. Basically, her artificial hip is poisoning her. And one of the symptoms of metallosis is a shift in personality. He asks if anyone is arguing that Heather Webber isn’t responsible for all those lives she took, and Portia says, that’s exactly what she’s afraid of. Someone is going to use her condition as grounds to reopen Heather’s case, and possibly set that woman free.

John says, Carly thinks he was tracking Jason. She’s getting warmer. She says, hide and seek. Really? Is that how the FBI conducts its business now? He says, his supervisors would definitely not approve of this situation, but they’re not here. So does she want to guess again? She says, okay. If he wasn’t tracking Jason, he was tracking… his lawyer. Diane Miller? He says, give the lady a cigar, and she says she doesn’t want a cigar, but she will take a very expensive glass of wine at a date to be determined. He says, deal, and she says, getting mugged isn’t generally a mood lifter, but it’s made him fun. He thanks her and says he is fun. She just doesn’t know him well enough to see it yet.

Curtis says he gets the legal argument that Heather’s condition – Portia says, metallosis – has contributed to her mental state, but she committed multiple homicides. There’s no way she should be allowed to go free. (Pointing out that we’ve been here before with Franco.) She says she prays he’s right, because Trina’s been through enough. It’s enough, this whole family. He says, but they made it through and they’re stronger than ever. She says, they are, aren’t they? They made it through together as a family. He says, she better believe it, and he’ll do whatever it takes to make her feel safe and secure and loved. She says, he just told her that he’d do whatever it takes? and he says he sure did. She says she thinks she’s going to need him to prove that.

Doc tells Laura that he couldn’t stop thinking about his conversation with Alexis about Heather and the hypotheticals that could set her free. So he did a deep dive into a database about toxicology and abnormal behavior. At first, you would think the chances of Heather’s murder conviction being overturned are inconceivable. Laura says, but then with further investigation… He says, it’s not without medical and legal precedent. She says, wow. She can’t imagine what the reaction would be to Heather going free. They know Portia Robinson, Sasha Gilmore, Dr. Obrecht, all those people are going to be outraged. As would most of the citizens of Port Charles she thinks. He says, understandably, and she says, unless it can be proven that Heather herself was victimized. And if that were the case, she thinks it would be wrong not to give her a second chance. He says, selfishly, there’s a side of him that would like to see Heather redeemed. Not released, but rehabilitated into someone functional. Someone stable that Ace could know, even have a relationship with. And if he’s being honest, he’d like to think some good could come of the harm he’s caused. She says, none of this is his fault, but he says he made one decision about his brother, and it resulted in a series of devastating events. If Ryan hadn’t gotten loose, then Heather would still be institutionalized, and her victims would still be alive. So would Spencer and Esme. They never would have even met Esme. She says she thinks he’s forgetting one thing. Ace wouldn’t be here either.

Kristina tells Blaze that she doesn’t have a problem with anyone in her family right now. Actually, it might be the first time she’s been able to say that. Her mom’s good; she’s supportive of their relationship and the surrogacy. Blaze says, what about her dad? and Kristina says, her dad’s good. He loves her unconditionally. He of course (🍷) has a dark side, but he’s loving and generous and more sensitive than people think, and he can get hurt too. She’s a little worried about her dad right now. Blaze asks if that’s because he and Nina broke up, and Kristina says, Nina’s not perfect, but he was happy with her. And since Ava moved in… Blaze says, wait. She moved in? She thought Ava was just staying there temporarily. Kristina says, so did she.

Nina says, Ava is staying with Sonny for security reasons, and Drew says, keep telling herself that. She finishes getting dressed and says, let her worry about Ava. Just figure out a way to get her closer to her daughter. And if it’s not appointing her to the board, then come up with something else. He says, even if he were to help her, Michael will never see her as anything other than a threat to his family. She lied to him about his father’s death, then sued him to get access to his child. But Willow’s got a softer heart, and he’s still friends with her. Nina says, he’ll help her plead her case to her then, and he says, maybe, but after his near-death beating he took in prison because of her, she’s going to have to make it so worth his while. (I used to find Drew kind of boring. Now he just creeps me out.)

Jason tells Sonny that Port Charles is still his home. This warehouse is still half his. He’s going to be here every day, importing coffee, totally legit. So whatever business Sonny wants to do, do it away from the warehouse, so he doesn’t have to be witness to it. Sonny asks if Jason thinks he won’t do it. He thinks Sonny won’t get rid of him? He could do it in a heartbeat. All he’s got to do is say the word, and Jason is gone. Jason says, come on. If anything happens to him, Sonny knows the cops are going to look at him first. Sonny says, don’t tell him what he knows. Know what he knows? Jason can’t be trusted and he’s going to have to get protection. From Jason. Because Jason is a traitor. Jason says, stop, and asks if Sonny is taking his meds.

Nina says, Drew will be her ally, and he says he thinks ally is a strong word for what he’ll be, but she’s a creative person. She can put her thinking cap on and come up with something that will be worth his time and effort. He picks up his shirt and says he likes this shirt. She can start by sewing the buttons back on it. He tosses the shirt to her, but she says, do his own mending, slinging it back, and she walks out.

Carly tells John that they need to order all new ice machines for this hotel. But she doesn’t need to keep going on and on about how this hotel is not great anymore. He says, it’s a nice hotel, and she says, it was, but she’s not going to bore him with all her complaints about the hotel. She puts new ice in a towel and says, what about him? Are there any other circumstances, besides being beaten up – she laughs – where he’s fun? He says he must be concussed or at least punchy. He’s said way too much already. She says she has a lot of experiences where she’s listening to things she doesn’t repeat or remember. She looks over at him and he’s asleep. She says, that’s a way to end a conversation, and turns down the lights. She gets back in the chair and says, sleep well, Agent Cates. I’ll wake you up in a couple of hours.

Portia comes out dressed in fabulous lingerie and says she guesses Curtis is still working on the bills. So she guesses she’ll just… He says, no, no, no. Not looking as good as she is. Come here. She sits on the bed next to him, and he says, in case she doesn’t remember, they never had an official honeymoon. He thinks they should do something about that as soon as possible. She kisses him and I assume they get busy, since the camera pans to the ceiling.

Laura shows Doc her phone and says, viola. You can see Ace in real  time. He’s still sleeping. Doc says, that’s amazing. She makes the same face when she sleeps. She says, maybe it runs in the family, and they sit on the sofa. He says, the picture and the sound is so pristine. Here he thought the baby monitor was the pinnacle of technological advancement. She says, it was… twenty years ago, and he laughs. He says, and when he hears people say twenty years, he thinks, oh, they’re talking about the 80s. Then he realizes… no, they’re not. She says she knows them raising a baby at this point in their lives wasn’t part of his bucket list, and he says, was it on hers? She says, no, and he says, it’s not like they’re ready to retire and they’re not exactly people who back away from life. She says, and she thinks Ace has given them so much more life, and he says, Ace has, and he loves it. And he loves her. She says she loves him too, and kisses him. He says, they took an awful lot of wrong turns and detours before they found each other, but they did. And he thinks Ace is just another unexpected… Laura says, responsibility? but he says, miracle. She says, wow. He’s really something. He says he’s a lucky man, and she says she’s a lucky woman. She puts her head on his shoulder and he puts his arm around her. Aww.

Kristina tells Blaze that she knows there’s still a security reason for Ava to be staying at Sonny’s place, but it’s just that something doesn’t feel right about it. It’s weird. Even Dante noticed, and he’s on pain meds. Blaze asks if she said or did anything, but Kristina says, no. It’s just little things. She can’t see the whole picture yet, but one thing she does know is, Ava is a Jerome. And the Jeromes love power. It’s like a drug. Blaze says, Kristina thinks she’s going to what? Make a move on Sonny’s business? Kristina says, not a move move. She’d never come at something straight on; she’s too smart for that. She’d slither in from the side or something. And she’s making herself indispensable to Kristina’s dad. She’s running interference, she’s making him drinks… Blaze says, her dad doesn’t see what she’s doing? and Kristina says, worse. He likes it. A lot.

Ava lies awake and says, may cause drowsiness, and sits up. She says, Sonny must like the taste of those. She feels absolutely nothing. Nada. They don’t help you sleep. They don’t help anything else. What do those stupid pills do? (Got it.)

Sonny tells Jason that he takes his medication every day, every dosage, like clockwork. He’s not having a breakdown. He just has to face the truth. Jason’s not who he thought. Or maybe he never was. Jason says he’s not Sonny’s enemy, and he doesn’t want any trouble. And he accepts that Sonny doesn’t trust him. Sonny doesn’t have to trust him. He’ll stay out of Sonny’s way. Sonny says, he’d better. Sonny pauses a moment and says, go ahead, take the warehouse. He can sit in it until he rots. He starts to leave, but stops and says, if you double-cross me again or I suspect you’re interfering with my business or my life… I will end you. He walks out and Jason looks concerned.

Tomorrow, Brook asks, what if they ruined Lila’s dress for nothing; Curtis asks Drew what he’s doing here; Anna asks for Valentin’s help with a case; and Alexis says, what if she just quits?

🌞 Since They Had the Day Off…

Celebrities – they’re just like us. Except for the paycheck. And the fame.

💔 Hallmark’s Loss…

As a general rule, I don’t watch romances, but I can’t imagine him not pulling in viewers.

🍸 Rehashing the Rules…

The Reunion is probably going to be a doozie, but anything would be mild compared to last year. I think.

🍼 Kentucky Shade…

I’m still trying to figure out why she settled for him in the first place.

🔪 Tonight’s Top…

Those who can’t do, watch stuff like this.

https://people.com/top-chef-recap-episode-4-buddha-lo-guest-judge-two-cheftestants-eliminated-8624517

🦣 He Shows Nothing…

Oh well. I would have liked to see a few more mammoths, giants, and such.

https://ew.com/jon-snow-game-of-thrones-sequel-shelved-kit-harington-says-8629070

🦁 An Eclipse For Everyone…

They must have thought it was a short day and an even shorter night. This is basically just a clip of zoo animals getting ready for bed, but the guy who’s being interviewed is pretty excited about it. According to him, every question is a great question. My pets couldn’t have cared less.

https://people.com/texas-zoo-animals-caught-reacting-darkness-during-eclipse-8628890

🤸‍♀️ Bringing It Off…

Join me tomorrow for soap and smack talk about the awful people on Summer House. Until then, stay safe, stay listening with all your senses, and stay never self-medicating with somebody else’s prescription.

April 9, 2024 – Nina’s Plans Take a Surprise Turn, Wait What, Schwartz Embraces His Pre-Midlife Crisis Mode, In the Valley & Never

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Trish tells Michael and Willow, as requested, the best table in the house. Michael thanks her, and she tells them that their waitress will be right with them. Enjoy their meal. Trish leaves, and Willow says, isn’t Michael the perfect husband, taking her out for supper. He says, only the best for his lovely bride. Happy anniversary. She says, just a little bit early, and he says, early or late, every single day with her is a celebration.

Nina asks Trish if everything is okay, and Trish says, everything is fine. She just thought Nina would want to know that her daughter’s here with her husband.

Kristina goes the penthouse and Ava answers the door. Kristina asks if her dad is here, but Ava says, he’s not really available. He’s resting. She’ll tell him that Kristina came by though. Kristina says she’s going to wait for him because she really needs to speak with him tonight, and Sonny says, who’s that? Just what he needs, a visit from one of his favorite daughters. She says she doesn’t know about that, and they hug. He says, definitely in the top three.

Drew calls Carly at Kelly’s, and she says, it’s really great to hear his voice. He says, and hers. He’s calling because he needs to get in touch with Jason and doesn’t have a way to reach him. She says, he has a phone now. She can give him Jason’s number. He says, just give him a message please. Tell Jason that he got a little visit from the FBI this afternoon.

Jason leads Diane into the Corinthos Coffee warehouse, and she thanks him for meeting her in the parking lot. It isn’t the best area of town. Why did he want to meet here in the first place? He says, because this – he opens a door – is going to be his office. She laughs and says, that’s Sonny’s office, and he says, not anymore. (I’m with Jason so far on just about everything, but taking Sonny’s office? Um… no.)

Nina says she didn’t know Michael and Willow were coming in tonight, and Trish says, they’re celebrating their anniversary. Nina says, but their anniversary isn’t until later in the month, and Trish says, there’s a note on the reservation that it’s an anniversary celebration. And somebody called ahead for a special dessert. Nina thanks her.

Willow says she can’t believe it’s a few more weeks and they’ve been officially married for a year, and he says he knows. And he knows their actual anniversary is in the middle of Brook and Chase’s wedding, so he thought they should celebrate tonight. But nothing says they can’t sneak off for some alone time that night too. She says she’s glad they did this. They have a lot of anniversaries to look forward to, but the first one is a big milestone and it’s nice to be here alone with him. He says he feels the same way and they kiss. A server comes over with champagne for the table, and Michael says he thinks it’s a mistake. They didn’t order that. Nina appears and says, that’s her gift. Happy anniversary.

Sonny tells Kristina to have a seat. Put her feet on the table if she wants. Is she hungry? He can grab her something to eat. She says, he doesn’t have to fuss over her, and he says, she can’t blame a father for worrying about his pregnant daughter. She says she knows, and she loves that about him, but she’s good. Ava says, how about something to drink then? and Kristina asks for a water. (Not loving Ava’s new bangs. They belong on a 12-year-old, and Ava is way too stylish for that.) Ava says, of course (🍷), and goes to the bar. Sonny says, it’s late. What’s going on? Kristina says she ran into Josslyn at Bobbie’s and they kind of got into it. There may have been some yelling. He asks what they were fighting about, and she says, him. He says, it’s not surprising because Josslyn isn’t one of his fans, and Kristina says, she’s definitely on the warpath. It drives her crazy that Josslyn always has to be right about everything. The holier-than-thou attitude is so annoying. He says, it doesn’t matter what Josslyn thinks because Kristina shouldn’t have to defend him, but Kristina says she wanted to. He says, these are his battles, not her battles, and she says she knows better than to engage with Josslyn anyway. She couldn’t help herself. Maybe it’s the pregnancy hormones, which are no joke anyway. Ava gives Kristina her water and gives Sonny a drink. Kristina looks from the drink to Ava, then back to the drink.

Carly says, the FBI questioned Drew about Jason? and he says, at least they came to his office and didn’t drag him in for a formal interview. They wanted to know how much contact he’s had with Jason since he resurfaced. She says, that’s ridiculous, but he says, not really. The FBI doesn’t know them and they’re brothers. They might have thought Jason would confide in him. She says she’s sorry he got dragged into this, and he says, at least they know Jason didn’t shoot Dante. Did he happen to mention where he’s been since 2021? She says, no. He hasn’t said much. Drew says, never does. Take care of herself. Stay out of whatever trouble he’s in, okay? If not for herself, then for Josslyn and Donna. They need her to take care of them. Jason can take care of himself.

Making himself comfortable in Sonny’s office, Jason tells Diane that he and Sonny were partners. He still owns 50% of Corinthos Coffee. Or he did. She says, no, he does. Or he will, once the necessary paperwork has been filed. He says, what about everything else? He knows he left his estate equally divided between Jake and Danny, and the other half went to Carly. Nobody’s asked anything. Nobody seems to know what’s going on. What happened? She says, the short answer is, his estate has been in probate the whole time, and he asks, why? What’s the problem? She says, because the law is complicated. There are a lot of hoops to jump through. Normally, it takes seven years for a certificate of death in absentia to be issued, and that was necessary in this case because they couldn’t find his body… which is now very evident as to why. He says, okay, and she says, and even with the notarized statements she had from witnesses, who all claimed no one could have survived that cave-in in Greece, it still should have taken several years. Strangely enough, the government issued a certificate of death in absentia for him the moment she filed the paperwork. Which leads her to believe someone behind the scenes was working in his favor.

Michael says, if they were going to order champagne, they would have done it themselves, and Nina says, that’s just the start. She arranged for the chef to prepare them a fabulous five-course dinner, only their finest dishes. Her treat. Willow says, the last time they spoke, she made it clear she doesn’t want to see Nina, and Nina says she didn’t mean to intrude. She’s just confused because they’re here, so she thought… Willow says, Michael asked her where she wanted to go, and she picked the MetroCourt because she’s always liked it and doesn’t want to avoid it because of Nina. She thought the fact that Nina hadn’t reached out for the past few weeks meant that Nina accepted and honored her wishes. Nina says she’s sorry. She didn’t mean to interrupt. She just thought because they were here… It doesn’t matter what she thought. She picks up the champagne and says she’ll cancel everything and won’t bother them again. She leaves, and Willow asks if that was as awful as it felt. Michael says, it was pretty bad, and she says, this is her fault. They should have gone to the Grill or Café Cherie. He says, she wanted to come to the MetroCourt because she loves their chocolate soufflé, and he wanted to bring her here because she loves their chocolate soufflé, and he loves her. She says, but it was wishful thinking that Nina would actually keep her distance. He says, that’s on her; it’s not on Willow. They’re here together, it’s their anniversary, the chocolate soufflé has already been ordered. So let’s just have a glass of wine and celebrate. She says, he really is the best husband, and he tells her, don’t you forget it, and they kiss.

Kristina says, that water really hit the spot. She thinks she dehydrated herself yelling at Josslyn. Sonny says, next time, she has to just take a deep breath and walk away, and she says, he’s right. What Josslyn thinks doesn’t really matter. He asks, what else is going on? How’s work? She says, work’s fine. Everything’s fine. She does have some good news actually. Allie – Blaze – is going to be the new Face of Deception. He says he knew that because he ran into Blaze’s mother at the MetroCourt when he was meeting with Lois. Natalia was going to talk to Brook about everything. She says, small world. It’s a smart move for both Blaze’s career and Deception. She thinks they’re going to have a lot of crossover exposure there. It’s cool. He says he’s just worried about how it’s going to affect her, and she asks what he means. He says, Blaze is going to be the new Face of Deception and get famous or more famous. Does she think she can deal with that with everything she’s got going on? She says, yeah. She doesn’t think that spotlight’s going to fall on her at all. Maybe if Allie were out publicly, but she made a deal with her mother to keep her personal life personal. He asks how Kristina feels about that.

As Carly flips over the sign at Bobbie’s to Closed, Olivia blows in and says she’s going to kill her. Carly is going to have to bail her out of prison because she’s going to kill her. Carly says, who? and Olivia says, Nina. She fired Pearce. Can Carly believe it? Carly says, the room service waiter? And Olivia says, yes. Some picky guest had a mix-up with the order, which has been known to happen during peak hours when the guy gets a little overwhelmed. Carly says, but they just apologize for him, comp the order, and pull back on the amount of orders he was filling, and Olivia says, of course (🍷). That’s what they would do, but not Nina. She looks at his record, she sees there’s a couple of complaints, and off he goes. (I guess it never occurred to them to maybe not have him scheduled for peak hours or, God forbid, let Nina know.) Carly says, Olivia has to hire him back, and Olivia says, of course (🍷) she’s going to hire him back, but the guy was heartbroken and mortified. The whole staff knew about it. Carly says she can’t believe Nina fired Pearce. He’s been with the MetroCourt since it opened. Olivia says, the woman’s been on a rampage ever since Sonny dumped her, but Carly says she thinks dumped is an excuse. She can’t believe Nina fired sweet Pearce. And she did it without input from Olivia, her partner. Olivia says, that’s not the only thing Nina’s done without input from her.

Jason says, if Diane has his death certificate, why is his estate still in probate? and Diane says, because there were various rumblings about money laundering and racketeering… He says, come on. They know the assets in his will are legitimate. She says, but that needed to be proved to the government’s satisfaction. The wheels of justice turn very slowly when an estate as large as his needs to be vetted. But this is great news because none of his assets have been disbursed and his estate is intact. He should be able to reclaim it with a minimum of fuss. He says, okay. What about Carly? Why is she running Bobbie’s? Why did she give up the MetroCourt? Diane says, she didn’t, and he says, then what happened? She says, in a word – Nina. (Oh, come on. How is it that Nina’s to blame for everything, even things she had nothing to do with? She bought it, but she wasn’t the reason Carly had to sell it. Not to mention she tried to give it back to Carly a couple of times. She even had to be talked into buying it in the first place.)

Willow asks Michael to tell the truth. If Nina hadn’t tried to comp the champagne, was he going to order a bottle? He says he thought they weren’t going to talk about Nina, and she says, he’s right. Consider the subject changed. He says, good, because they’re celebrating, right? and she says, yes. He says, and what is a celebration without – he reaches in his jacket pocket and takes out a jewelry box – a little gift. She tells him that they said no presents. She didn’t get him anything. He says he knows he said that, and he means it, because honestly, he has everything he could ever want. But she, his beautiful bride, deserves the world. She opens the box, sees a gold bangle, and says, it’s stunning. He says he’s glad she likes it, and she says, who wouldn’t like this? He takes it out and puts it on her wrist, and she thanks him. She loves it. She just wishes she had more places to wear it. He asks what she means, and she says, something this fancy doesn’t exactly go with her scrubs, but she’ll save it for special occasions. He says he’ll make sure that more of those occasions happen, and she says, it’s a deal. How did he decide on this? He says, Wiley actually picked it out. He brought Wiley to the jeweler’s, narrowed it down, and Wiley chose that one. She says, Wiley never said a word to her, and he says, Wiley is very good at keeping secrets. She says, it probably helps that Wiley is in bed asleep half the time when she gets home. She constantly feels like she’s playing catch-up and missing things with the kids. Sometimes she only hears about their day from Michael or the nanny. They’re only going to be this young once and she feels like she’s missing so much.

Olivia holds out a paint sample card and asks what color Carly would say that is, and Carly says, light yellow. Olivia says, yes, and thanks her. According to Nina, this is either off-white, chartreuse, or her personal favorite, greenish gold. (I was actually thinking off-white.) The woman is insane. Carly says, that’s for sure, and Olivia says, Nina’s taken advantage of her being distracted with Dante and the hospital and everything, and she painted all the bathrooms on the fourth floor that color. Carly says, that can’t look good, and Olivia says, everyone one of them looks like a walk-in corpse. Carly says, at least it was only one floor, and Olivia says, so far. Who knows what Nina is going to do next time she has her back turned? The woman is a menace. Carly says, for many reasons. Can she get Olivia something? A coffee? Olivia says she just needed to vent, thanks Carly, and hugs her. Olivia leaves, and a woman walks in. Carly says she’s sorry, but they’re closed, and the woman says she’s looking for Diane Miller. Diane asked her to bring these documents here for a meeting with Jason Morgan at this address. Carly says, he stays here, but he’s at his Corinthos Coffee office. Maybe she’s meeting him there. The woman asks if Carly has that address by any chance, and Carly says, actually, she’s on her way there. She can drop off those documents to Diane if she wants. The woman says, that would be a lifesaver, and thanks Carly, giving her the envelope. Carly thanks her back, and the woman leaves.

Jason asks what Nina has to do with the MetroCourt, and Diane says, where does she begin? Jason says, before he left for Greece, Sonny and Carly were back together and Nina was behind him. Diane says, their marriage fell apart shortly after he left. Details not necessary. Suffice to say, Sonny chose Nina over Carly. Then Drew and Michael hatched an ill-advised scheme to get control of ELQ by merging it with Aurora Media. Carly wanted to help; she wanted to invest. So she leveraged her half of the MetroCourt. Then when the deal fell apart, Carly took a huge hit financially. He says, she didn’t tell him any of this, and Diane says, Carly couldn’t buy back her half of the hotel, so Nina swooped in and purchase it. (I hate when they rewrite history. Heaving a Jason-like sigh.) Bobbie gave the diner to Carly to help her back on her feet. He asks why Nina would want the hotel, and Diane says, because Nina Reeves believes that Carly is the reason for everything that’s wrong with her life. So after she took Carly’s husband and her hotel, Nina turned Drew and Carly in to the Feds for SEC violations. Jason’s brother took the blame, did some prison time, but Carly had to pay a five million dollar fine and almost lost her house. Jason says, but she didn’t, and Diane says, no, she didn’t. Somehow, she’s managed to hang on and she’s building back her life. Carly’s not the easiest client she’s ever had, but she’s astonishingly resilient. He says, yeah, she is.

Kristina says she’s fine with the way Allie wants things to be, and Sonny says, really? She says, yeah. Blaze is a famous musician, and she works hard – Ava listens in – and a lot of people in the public eye want to keep their personal lives personal. They’re already on display so much as it is, so she gets it that Blaze would want to keep some things to herself. He says, that’s true, and she says, it would be the same thing if she were dating a male musician who was an up-and-coming hot new artist. She wouldn’t want to be joined at the hip with him either. She wants to be known as her own person and wants to be known for her own achievements, not being someone’s girlfriend. Sonny says, she works so hard. No one is going to think that. She says, maybe not, but she also loves her anonymity. She doesn’t want to be recognized in public. She’d have to think about looking good whenever she goes out. Is he kidding her? It’s not for her. But she’s proud of Allie. She saw Allie when she was going in for a meeting with Nina at Crimson, and she thought, Allie is going to be on the cover of Crimson, and she deserves it. She’s really happy for her. Sonny says, Nina’s at Crimson? and Kristina says she thought he knew that. He says he didn’t – Ava listens even harder – and Kristina says, she is and, no offense to Carly, but she’s really glad for Allie’s sake. She thinks it’s great Nina is back. She just has more experience, and with Allie being the Face of Deception, she’s going to need that. He says he’s happy for Nina. She always loved that magazine. But something seems off here. Ava asks what he means, and he says, why would Drew hire back the woman who put him in prison?

Drew gets ready to leave the office, when Nina comes in. She says, he’ll never guess what happened, and he asks if this has to do with Crimson. She says, no, and he says, too bad… She says she tried to do something really nice for Michael and Willow for their anniversary and she got completely shut down. She wanted to comp Michael and Willow dinner and champagne, and Michael, of course (🍷), immediately said no, and Willow felt she had to side with him. And she has no one. She needs some help. Drew can help her, help her find a way to get back into her daughter and grandkids’ lives. He says he can’t help her, but she says, all she needs to do is talk to Willow… He says, if she’s trying to get sympathy, she came to the wrong place, but she says she doesn’t want sympathy. She wants him to help her. He says, come on. She’s got to take responsibility for her actions. She’s the one who ruined her relationship with Michael and Willow. She burned that bridge. There’s nothing he can do. She says, that’s where he’s wrong. Now that she’s back at Crimson, he can appoint her to the Aurora Board of Directors. Then Michael will be forced to deal with her. And this will be the start of her way back in. He asks why he’d help her. What would he get out of this? She says, for one thing, it would drive Carly crazy.

Nina says, Carly expects all the men in her life – Sonny, Jason, Drew – to be wrapped around her little finger, no matter how poorly she treats them. Drew says, except he’s not in Carly’s life, and she says, but that doesn’t matter to Carly. Come on. He’s not this naïve. Carly expects him to be loyal to her, even though she’s not loyal to him. And he knows she’s right. Carly’s sense of entitlement knows no bounds. If he promotes her to the board of directors, Carly will think they’re allies, or maybe even friends. And that’ll drive Carly crazy, and she’ll come running to him, begging for his attention.

Diane says she has already started the process by having Jason’s accounts reinstated. Once that happens, he’ll have complete access to everything. He says, good, and she says, in fact, her paralegal was supposed to come to this meeting tonight and bring her some documents for Jason to review and sign. She’s guessing because of the hour and the location, they got too nervous to come down. She’ll have everything to him tomorrow, latest. He thanks her and she starts to leave, but he says, hold on. He needs her to do something else for him. She says, name it, and he says, Sonny made it very clear to him that he doesn’t want to see his face or hear from him again. So he wants her to let Sonny know that he’s taking back his half of the company and he’s going to be working right here.

Michael says, it’s up to Willow. What he said from the beginning still stands. He’ll support her if she wants to keep working and he’ll support her if she wants to quit. She says, getting her nursing degree was hard and she really wanted to get back to work, but the truth is, she does have the luxury of spending more time at home with their kids. Wiley’s school is half-day, but Amelia is still so little. She wants those sweet baby moments… and she notices he’s not saying anything. He says he doesn’t want to influence her, and she says, but? He says, but nothing. It really is her choice. They have plenty of money. She says, he has plenty of money, but he says, it’s her money too, because she’s family. Her, him, Wiley, and Amelia. And what’s best for their family is for her to do what she thinks is right. She says, it is an incredible luxury knowing she doesn’t have to work, that she could choose something different, something that gave her more time with the kids. And maybe it is time she really thought about it. He says, if she decides not to keep working at the hospital, there is other work she can do. More flexible, and she’d still be doing a lot of good. She says, please tell her more about this flexible do-gooding occupation he just described, and he says, his great-grandmother Lila was on the board of several non-profit charities, and they did amazing things. She could choose a charity, or charities, she’s interested in, and she could really make a difference. She could work it around her schedule with the kids and she’d have the best of both worlds.

Ava tells Sonny that she wouldn’t worry about it. If Drew is up to something, then Nina will figure it out. She can take care of herself. He says, she’s probably right, and Kristina says, it’s getting really late, and she has plans with Blaze, so she’s going to get going. She hates to drink and run, but… She hugs Sonny and says she loves him. He says he loves her too, and Kristina says goodbye to Ava. She leaves, and Ava says, other than her little tiff with Josslyn, Kristina seems good. He says, she does. So did Ava’s friend Nina tell her that she got her job back at Crimson, and Ava just didn’t mention it? Ava says, that’s not what happened. In fact, Nina’s phone must be lost under some photographs on her desk because she hasn’t heard from her. And maybe those divorce papers she hasn’t signed yet are there too. He says he didn’t know she was keeping track, and she says she just knows he wants things settled. It’s none of her concern. He laughs and says he guesses she’s right. They look at each other longingly.

Two guys beat the crap out of John in an alleyway, but they hear a car horn and stop. Carly yells, leave him alone! and gets out of the car. The guys take off, and Carly runs to John. She asks if he’s okay and takes his pulse. He groans, and she asks if he can hear her. She flips him over and realizes who it is.

Carly tells John to look at her. She asks if he knows who she is, and he says, she’s Carly Spencer. She says, that’s good. Thank God. She helps him sit up, but he says he’s got it. She says, he’s hurt. She’s going to call 911. They can’t have gotten far. He says, no. Don’t. They jumped him from behind. He can’t identify them. It’s pointless. She asks why they attacked him. Was it a robbery? Did they take anything? He checks to see if he has his wallet and says, they didn’t take anything. She says she must have scared them off when she pulled up and started yelling at them, and he says, either that, or robbery wasn’t their intention. He gets up and leans against the wall. She says, they have to get him out of here in case they decide to come back. She’s going to walk him to his car. Lean on her. He puts his arm around her shoulders, and she helps him down the alley.

Michael says he thinks Willow would be fulfilled raising their kids and working with these charities. And she’d be amazing at both. Taking his hand, she says, even after all this time, sometimes she still forgets how much he believes in her. He says, always, and she says, it’s kind of crazy. Growing up like she did, she never dreamed that one day she’d be in a position to have this kind of choice. He makes her feel like the luckiest person in the world. He says, right back at her, and they kiss.

While Ava and Sonny stare at each other, there’s a knock at the door. He says he has to get that, and opens the door to Diane. He says, it’s pretty late. What’s wrong? She says, there’s nothing wrong. She’s here on behalf of another client. He says, Jason, and she says, yes. With Jason’s return, his estate will immediately be pulled from probate. All of his assets will be returned to him, and he’s asked her to tell Sonny that he’ll be resuming his half-interest in Corinthos Coffee. He says, that’s not going to happen, but she says she just came from the warehouse where he’s setting up his office. Sonny says, message received, and walks out of the apartment. Diane smiles at Ava.

Nina tells Drew that just because Carly comes running, doesn’t mean he has to let her in. He already played hero for her. Do something for himself for once. He says, by doing something for her, and she says, by helping her get closer to her daughter. He says, Willow has made it very clear. She doesn’t want to get close to Nina. She doesn’t want to know Nina at all. Nina asks Drew to have some compassion. He knows what it’s like to be separated from his child. He asks, who’s fault was that? How dare she demand his help with her kid, when she got him locked away? She says she didn’t create those consequences. He and Carly did when they… He says, the excuses keep coming, and they both yell at the same time. He starts to walk away, but she grabs his arm, and his shirt opens, several buttons popping off. She says she’s talking to him, but then gets mesmerized by his abs. He asks, what’s wrong with her? and he realizes his lack of buttons. She wonders where the buttons have gotten to, and he takes off his shirt. He tosses it at her and says, they’re all hers.

In John’s hotel room, Carly says she wants John to see a doctor, but he says he just needs some ibuprofen. His head is pounding is all. She says, no surprise there. What the hell was he doing walking around the waterfront at this hour, two blocks from Corinthos Coffee? He says, that’s not important. He appreciates her walking him in. He can take it from here. She says, what he needs to do is sit down and rest. She’s going to get him some ice and water, so he can take that ibuprofen. He says, that’s not necessary. He can do it himself. She tells him, stop trying to be so macho. She’ll accept that he won’t go to the hospital, if he accepts that he needs her help. Deal? He says, deal, and she says she’ll help him sit down. Be careful. He may have some broken ribs. She helps him to the sofa, and he thanks her. He says she’s welcome.

Michael frowns at his phone and Willow asks if there’s something wrong. He says, no. It’s just Aurora business. He’ll talk to Drew about it tomorrow. Tonight is about them. She asks, how is Drew? Does he seem okay to Michael? Michael says, he seems fine. Why? She says she was just thinking how weird it is that when they were hiding Jason and taking care of him, they never asked Drew for help even though Michael works with him and he is Jason’s brother. He says, Jason and Drew aren’t very close. It never even occurred to him to tell Drew. Drew hasn’t said a word about Jason’s return, and he didn’t think he should be the one to bring it up. She says she just feels bad for Drew. It must feel like things changed overnight for him. One minute, Michael’s mom and Drew are a solid couple. Then Jason comes to town and Carly and Drew break up. The two of them basically stopped reaching out to him too. That’s got to sting. Michael says he doesn’t want to hurt Drew, but protecting her is his number one priority, and nobody can know they were involved with hiding Jason. She says she knows. He’s right, but she can’t help wondering how Drew is dealing with all of this. He says, because she has a big heart and cares about people, but not to worry. Trust him. Drew can take care of himself.

Drew asks if there’s something else Nina wants, and Nina asks if Carly ever told him that he has a nice body. He says, she’s only seen half of it, and she says, you boys. You’re all the same. You act so brave when you’re on your barstools or picnic benches and behind your desks. But what do you do when a girl takes you up on it – she moves closer to him – and does something like this? She unbuttons her blouse and says, do you cower? He unbuttons another button, and she touches his chest. He kisses her, then stops and looks at her. She says, he’s such a Boy Scout, and he says, a man lets a lady say no. She asks if she said no, and he kisses her again. He kicks the door shut, and backs her to the desk, swiping everything off with his hand. They start getting busy, and he throws her blouse at the camera.

Jason hears someone come into the warehouse, and says, hey, Sonny. Sonny says he doesn’t want Jason here. He wants Jason gone.

Tomorrow, Drew says, Nina is going to have to make it so worth his while; Carly says she’s staying right here and saving John from himself; Portia says she’s going to need Curtis to prove that; and Sonny says he doesn’t want Jason anywhere near him.

🤯 I’ve got to say, did not see the Nina/Drew thing coming.

Vanderpump Rules

Venice Beach. After driving Sandoval away, Ariana asks, what’s up with this? and Brock says he thinks she just castrated Sandoval and he’s sitting in the corner. Ariana says, he’s been throwing jabs at her. She’s allowed to feel a certain way. She never did anything to him. In Ariana’s interview, she says, now Sandoval is doing everything he can to make her seem like she was a horrible partner. If this is the type of conversation he has when everyone is present, he needs to STFU. Schwartz says he and Sandoval will go elsewhere, since he doesn’t want to jeopardize the vibe, and Ariana says, bye. Schwartz leaves, and Ariana says, he’s never going to get it. She wants him to jump in the ocean. Lala says, no way is this winning, but Ariana says she didn’t do anything to him, period. The Toms go to a bar on the boardwalk, and Schwartz says, Sandoval needs to get out of that house, but Sandoval says, Ariana paid for the dog, that means everything else is his. (Mwa-ha-ha-ha!) In Sandoval’s interview, he says he paid for everything the house needed. Pens, batteries, the electrical work, repairs, toilet paper, paper towels. Schwarz says, Sandoval got destroyed on the internet when he said that. Why bring it up again? In his interview, Sandoval says, when Ariana gets her own place, it’s going to be a rude awakening.

Brock suggests they go to the bar, and Scheana says, Tori is coming to the bar. In Scheana’s interview, she says she doesn’t have the best track record at matchmaking – we flash back to her encouraging Schwartz to make-out with Raquel – but now that Schwartz and Katie are totally over, it might be okay to set him up again. Lala says she loves Tori. They talked at Scheana’s wedding. In her interview, Scheana says, she introduced Schwartz to her former nanny Tori, and we see a clip of Tori saying she thinks Schwartz is hot. Scheana says, clearly, she misjudged things. When Katie heard about it, she said Tori should date her instead. But all’s fair in love and war, and with Schwartz and Katie, that’s really all you get. Katie calls Schwartz to tell him that he left his stuff, and Schwartz says, it was for a greater cause, Ariana’s feelings and the beach day vibe. He thanks her for grabbing it, but she says she’s just letting him know the stuff is there. They’re moving. The group heads for the bar. Schwartz and Sandoval flirt with some girls and buy them a drink. Sandoval toasts to Venice, sun and laughter, and a continued happy ever after. Tori arrives and introduces herself as Schwartz’s ex-wife. He asks what she wants to drink, and she says, he knows what she likes. He says, champagne, and in his interview, he says he thought Tori was super cute and super fly. When they were at Hotel Ziggy, she confessed that she thought he was fly as well. Some validation? He brings back champagne sparkling wine and not a champagne glass. Schwartz asks if she wants to go on a date, she says, okay, and they clink not champagne glasses. The others eat oysters in a booth, until Katie decides to invade Schwartz’s space. In Schwartz’s interview, he says, what a little c*ck blocker. He doesn’t know if Katie is into Tori or just competing. In Katie’s interview, she says, if Schwartz doesn’t like her taking his girl, maybe he should try harder. Schwartz leaves, and she calls him a weirdo.

James plays cornhole while Ally plays ping-pong with Brock. Lala tells Ariana that she can’t control what Sandoval does. She can only control herself. She wonders if Ariana has unresolved feelings, and Ariana says she understands her anger isn’t healthy, but they can never say she f***ed up. Lala tells her that she never said that, and asks if Ariana feels like Sandoval threw her away like she was nothing. She created a life with someone, and this is what happens when it unravels. There are no guarantees it will work out. Scheana suggests they get Ariana out of that house. Who cares about material items? They just want her to be happy. Ariana cries and says, it sucks. She put so much of her life, money, and time into making that her dream home. It was not only wrecked, but Sandoval wants to act like he’s someone deserving when she never did anything to him. In Ariana’s interview, she says she keeps her armor up because this sh*t is traumatic. She’s trying to find ways to go through it without making it everyone’s problem. (Too late.) She tells them that Sandoval is openly talking sh*t and has no remorse. Lala says, Ariana rose to the occasion, grabbed opportunity by the balls, and ran.

Katie talks with Tori at a picnic table, and says, while she hasn’t had a relationship with a girl, she’s had sex with a girl. Tori says, it’s better, and Katie says she would never put a label on herself. She likes people. In Katie’s interview, she says she’s always had an attraction to women. She thought she and Schwartz were forever, but that’s not going to stop her from doing anything. Tori says, Katie is so pretty, and she wants to kiss her. They kiss, and at another table, Lala says, they’re giving each other sex eyes. They kiss some more.

Jo meets Lala at a hot dog place. They order and sit down. Jo says, they look like a lesbian couple, and thanks Lala for coming here. Lala says, Schwartz suggested she talk to Jo. She saw Jo at Ziggy and saw she was not okay. We flash back to that, and Jo says, very much not okay. In Jo’s interview, she says she didn’t feel welcome. Schwartz loves his friends, and she wants to be welcomed into the group. Lala’s the ticket. Lala asks if Jo knew about Sandoval and Raquel, but Jo says, no. They hung out a couple of times, but she wasn’t paying attention to them. She was looking at Schwartz. In her interview, Jo says she thought Ariana and Sandoval had broken up. It’s crazy to think she’d pry and ask Sandoval how his relationship is going. Move on. Lala says, Jo and Schwartz are the strangest thing in the world, and Jo says, he doesn’t want a relationship, but they’re emotionally close. She’s being there for T-Money. That’s a random thing she made up. Lala says, T-Money and Joseph should be on their wedding invite, and Jo is like, no, but we all know she’s thinking, ooh, wedding.

Ariana, Katie, Ally, and James go to a golf range. James’s ball is a dud, and he says, it was a practice run. I laugh because I stink at golf. He asks if Katie remembers making out with Tori, and Katie says, they were chatting. He asks, at what point did it go from chatting to making out? and she says, Schwartz is going on a date with Tori. James asks if she’s moving in on Schwartz’s date, but she says, it’s not always about him. James says, it’s in the same month she slept with Max, and in James’s interview, he wonders why everyone is acting like this is normal. Katie married Schwartz in a white dress with vows and cheers. Now they’re divorced and dating the same girl who looks 21. Sh*t is f***ing weird. Ariana says she doesn’t want to be triggered, and Sandoval keeps throwing jabs at her. James says, Sandoval invited him to paintball, and Ariana says, there are group texts she’s not included in now. Seriously. I don’t know what either Ariana or Sandoval expect. No one wants to be in the same room with the two of them together. Katie tells James to take Ariana’s anger out on Sandoval, and Ariana says, Sandoval thinks he’s a professional paintballer. Ally asks how the house stuff is going, and Ariana says she’s waiting to see if he counters her counter offer. James asks, what if he rejects it? and she says, the letter says, after this many days, they’ll go to court and have the house sold. I didn’t quite catch it, but I think she added it would be a short sell, which is something you don’t want because that means doing it ASAP, and you’re not likely to get top dollar. Ally asks what Ariana’s dream place looks like, and Ariana says she wants treehouse vibes. Ally tells her to manifest that, and Ariana says she wants a place where this is hers and no one can take it.

Scheana accompanies Lala to the sperm bank, and in Lala’s interview, she says she loved being pregnant and knows she’d like to carry on her own. She wants to be fully in charge of her child and never wants the unknown. It may work out or you may enter into a custody battle and have to share the child. We flash back to her custody war with Randall, and she says she just wants to know her kid is hers forever. Director Brian comes out and asks how she’s doing, and she says she’s a little nervous. She never thought she’d be coming to a sperm bank, but she’s learned to never say never. She asks if most people that come to donate are looking for cash or just being good humans, and he says, a lot of donors desire to help others. She asks if they know the sperm is healthy, and he says, every donor has a psyche evaluation in addition to a genetic panel screening. The most important part of the process is donor selection. Lala says, in her mind, her daughter was conceived out of love, but because that type of love is taken out of the process, she wants this baby to know they’re all there, waiting for her enter the world. He says, they do their best to make the process simple, easy, and maybe a little exciting. He leaves Lala to process, and Lala tells Scheana that she’s going to form a family. She feels like part of something broken. Scheana says, Lala has a lot to think about, but at the end of the day, she’s an amazing mother and will provide an amazing life for her kids. In her interview, Lala says she pictured life how she grew up, with a mom and dad in the same household. That didn’t happen and it’s really hard. She feels like she deeply failed an innocent soul, and it wasn’t because of her. So she’s not risking that again. Scheana says, the beach was intense. She’s treading lightly with Ariana and doesn’t want to upset her. Lala says she doesn’t know if Ariana is trying to stand her ground, but she’s not going to win. It’s simple. Move out. If she’s choosing to stay, Lala can’t feel bad. Scheana says, it’s her pride. She can’t let go. Lala says, it’s more than pride. Your pride is saved living with the man who screwed you over? You’d have more pride living in a box on Sunset. Scheana says, one day, whenever this is over, it will make sense as to why it took this long, and Lala says she hopes so.

Schwartz goes to the hair salon where Jo works. He tells her to do anything to his hair, and she says she’s going to bleach it. He says he went on a date with Tori, who’s been very close to Scheana for ten years. Jo says she’d like to know why he’s going on a date with someone in the friend group, and Schwartz says, that’s changed since Katie slept with Max. Jo asks, how come she’s getting hate? and Schwartz says he has a tidbit. Tori made out with Katie before their date. It feels bizarre, and Tori is going on a date with Katie today. We see Tori and Katie doing some painting at Katie’s place, and Katie says she’s going to Bob Ross her way through this. Jo asks who liked Tori first, Schwartz or Katie? but he’s not sure. He tells her that he’s going to a singles mixer with Sandoval because Sandoval didn’t want to go alone, and Jo says she wants to go. She takes the bonnet off Schwartz, and he asks if he looks edgy. Jo says he looks like Eminem, but not agreed.

Scheana, Ariana, Katie and Ally have a girls’ night at a bar, and Katie and Schwartz going out with Tori is discussed. Lala thinks it’s weird, and Katie says, Tequila Katie is a ho. At the LA Singles event, Schwartz says, he’s feeling Kenergy, and tells Sandoval that he wanted to invest in himself. In Schwartz’s interview, he says he’s heard blonds have more fun, and it’s ringing true for him. He’s embracing his pre midlife crisis mode. In Sandoval’s interview, he says, Schwartz and Jo are on different pages. Jo sees their situationship glass as half full of a relationship, and Schwartz being Schwartz is giving her mixed signals. It’s part of his superpower. He’s charming all the time. Jo messes with Schwartz’s hair, which, IMO, is less of an I-love-you thing than a hairdresser thing. Kyle says, she’s not going to get him girls.

At girls night, Katie says she heard Lala and Jo got together, and Lala said she reached out to Jo, who wanted to give her side. Schwartz asked her to. Katie says, Jo means nothing to Lala, but she does. Why is she doing this? In Lala’s interview, she says, Jo is harmless. She’s not rolling up to steal their men. She says, Katie is her homie, but she called Jo a crackhead and is treating her like the bad one. Katie says, this isn’t making sense, and Lala says, it’s not her job for her life to make sense to Katie. Katie says she likes consistent, and Lala says, she’s not best friends with Jo or Raquel, but they need to let it go. If Katie wants to hang on to it, she wishes her the best. At LA Singles, the hostess gives the group wristbands – green for single, yellow for open, and red for wingmen. Kyle tells Schwartz that he can’t be with Jo always and expect to get girls. Sandoval talks to several girls, and Schwartz says he’s a make-out slut. In Jo’s interview, she says she had the impression they were here to support Sandoval, but when they got here, Schwartz was interested in other women. Is she chopped liver? In Schwartz’s interview, he says, maybe it’s not realistic to be as close as he and Jo are and go out with other people. He’s wondering if she’s in deeper than he is. She’s not his girlfriend. In her interview, Jo says, they are still hooking up and have said I love you, but it bothers her that he doesn’t want to share their relationship with his friends. It bothers her and she’s tired of feeling like a secret. She says she hates this and leaves.

The group, minus Ariana and Katie, meet for paintball, along with some other random friends. When they see his blond hair, Schwartz says, he woke up like this, and in James says he thought maybe Schwartz got sick of dying it the wrong brown. In James’s interview, he wonders if he’s the only person who’s realized Schwartz has been covering his grey hair for a long time. You can’t see the grey when it’s bleached blond. Sandoval asks Scheana how it’s going, and she says she’s not playing. She’s just here for moral support. She thought it was indoors, like a more of a laser tag situation. So there’s no VIP bathroom? Instructor Matt says, you can go blind or get your teeth knocked out, and Scheana says, that doesn’t seem fun. Agreed. Matt says, they have rattlesnakes too. When a paintball breaks on their body, they’re out. James is captain of Team One, and Sandoval is captain of Team Two. Sandoval tells his team to spread out, and Schwartz says, Sandoval is cold blooded and takes this sh*t seriously. The girls watch, and Scheana says, Sandoval is like a professional. Lala says, the energy at girls’ night took a turn, and Ally says, update her. Lala says she and Katie have been getting into it a lot, and Scheana says, Katie got upset that Lala went to lunch with Jo. Lala says, they grabbed a hot dog, and Ally says she’s glad. She felt bad for Jo. Lala says, Jo is hard to follow; she’s all over the place. Katie got upset, saying she liked loyalty and constancy, and Lala was like, hold the f*** up. Loyalty from a girl who just f***ed her ex’s best friend. She knows Katie’s been unhappy for a long time and she tried to baby Katie, but she isn’t going to be on the receiving end of her going crazy. It’s unclear who, if anyone, won the paintball game.

Schwartz comes home and Jo is there. He asks, what happened the other night? He’s confused and wonders if he’s sending mixed signals. They have undeniable chemistry and have a good time, but that being said, he doesn’t want a relationship. He wants to date other people. Jo says, imagine how she feels. They’ve been there for each other. Does she embarrass him? He says, not at all. People are saying they’re secretly dating. Maybe they need to not hang out as much. Jo says, or at all, and in Schwartz’s interview, he says, to hear her say that is gut wrenching. They had a fantastic voyage full of compassion and support. Maybe even love. It would be a tragedy if they never hung out again. Schwartz says girls he just wants to have fun, and Jo says, they have a weird connection. Everyone else sees it. It’s so easy with them together. They’d be disgustingly ugly and old and laughing. He agrees 100%, and she says, maybe they need time, because deep down, she has feelings for him. He says, it’s the same with him; he’s not denying them. Jo tears up and says, there’s nothing wrong with being honest. She’d never pressure him. She wants to let him do him. He says, same, and she says, the most amazing thing they have is the support, the laughter, and the banter. She’ll miss that. She thinks it only comes around once in a while. It’s okay to say he can find it somewhere else. In Jo’s interview, she says, it’s hard. She just wants him to be happy. He’s her favorite person in the world and that’s the goddam truth. She thinks the world of him. She cries and Schwartz asks if she’s okay. She gets up, says she wants to call her dad, and leaves. Schwartz weakly calls after her, because he’s a ballless dude who fears pretty much everything.

I hate this type of guy even more than a player. They mess with your feelings, but won’t commit, then pretend they don’t get what’s happening. I hope he rots.

There was no preview.

🐍 Valley Venom…

Jax: I just want to have a nice dinner, have some shots, and get drunk.

Me: Same.

When this show isn’t boring me, it’s giving me a headache with all the nonsense screaming and yelling.

🌴 Watching Out For That Tree…

Drop in tomorrow for a little soap, a little this, and a little that. Until then, stay safe, stay standing at least a foot away when talking to someone new, and stay never giving mixed signals. It’s the worst.

April 8, 2024 – GH Eclipsed, Drop Dead Gorgeous Blond Australian Stew On Deck, Poor Ant, At the Villa, Arguing Already, Farewell Too Soon, He Will Finish, Behold the Echidna & Total

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Not today, eclipse.

Below Deck

Fraser thinks Anthony bit off more than he can chew, and he’s worried the chef is not quite there yet. Jill badgers Fraser about the dinner start time, and I already want to smack her. Anthony tells Fraser that he’ll try to make the magic happen. In Barbie’s interview, she says she’s taking the brunt and giving a fake-ass bullsh*t smile that she doesn’t feel. She’s not a complainer. The captain joins the guests for dinner, and Fraser asks for the primary’s dinner preferences first. As Melinda tries to tell him, Jill butts in since she thinks she’s a primary. Anthony tells Fraser that instead one main course, he has to make three different main dishes at the same moment. He can’t build all the plates at the same time. Guest Jen ends up without a plate, but she tells the others not to wait. Jill says her food is cold, and Fraser says, it’s the worst day of his life. In Captain Kerry’s interview, he says, this is the worst dinner service all season, but if he looks pissed, the others will get pissed. To top it off, we have Jill. In Dylan’s interview, he says, when he was growing up, no one told him that he was good looking. Now he gets hit on by guys and girls. He tells Ben about dating a guest, and in his interview, he says he likes the hunt. When he sees a hot girl at the bar, he does pushups and asks, what’s going on baby? Seriously? I don’t care how hot he is. No, just no. The guests finish eating, but dessert isn’t ready, and Fraser says, they have to kill 20 minutes. The stews make up a concoction of rum and almond milk, with a touch of strawberry. The captain tells the guests about meeting his girlfriend on a ship, when the French chocolate souffle comes out. IMO, it’s well worth waiting for. Fraser says, Barbie seems quiet, and she says her fake smile only lasts so long. In the captain’s interview, he says he needs to talk to Anthony after the charter. There’s no use doing it now.

Fraser tells Xandi that tomorrow is going to be the sh*ttiest night. Everyone is so sensitive, the energy is horrific, and they have no stew. Barbie sees Xandi and Fraser talking and tells Kyle that Xandi is talking sh*t about her. In Anthony’s interview, he says, dinner was disappointing. He doesn’t want to be on charter. He wants to run in his room and cry all night. Ben talks about choosing lead deckhand to Fraser, and says, Dylan is like a puppy, interested in everything, but Sunny knows the boat. On the minus side, obviously they’re sleeping together. In Ben’s interview, he says, on paper, Dylan is fantastic, but Sunny works well with the crew and he can rely on her. He has to assess their strengths and weaknesses. Fraser tells him that the person who puts the most effort in needs it. Barbie sighs as she works, looks in the laundry, and says, f*** you. I’m not helping. Stupid-ass bitch. Nice.

In Sunny’s interview, she says she wants to love and connect. She wants to feel feelings. She’s got butterflies over Ben (ick). Captain Kerry gets a text that a new stew is arriving. Anchor is in the pocket and the yacht is en route to Port Louis Marina. Xandi says, this trip might kill her, and in Barbie’s interview, she says she’s ignoring Fraser. She doesn’t know how to communicate with him. He dismisses what she feels, and she can’t win. She can’t be herself and feels defeated. Ben and Sunny are called to the bridge, and the captain says, today is windier. In his interview, he says, the wind is at over 30 knots. The last time he was in this kind of wind, he lost the bow. If anything goes wrong, he’s going to smash into the dock and hit a concrete bank. Fraser wonders why Barbie is ignoring him, and in the captain’s interview, he says, the wind is coming in and there are two steel workboats to the side. If the wind doesn’t back down, he’s going to hit them. It’s a very difficult docking. The wind is holding him off. Jill says, he’s in trouble, because she knows all about being a captain and docking a massive yacht.

Jill says, blah-blah-blah, and Melinda says, this is giving her anxiety. I’m not sure if she means the docking or Jill babbling about it. Captain Kerry manages to dock the boat without incident, and the crew change into their whites. To their happiness, the guests pack. In Fraser’s interview, he says he’s never wanted anything more than to drop these guests in the sh*tter. He’s done. Fraser tells Barbie, well done, and Jill says she’s so sad. She hates this part. They had fun and she hopes she wasn’t too much work. 😐 Melinda thanks the crew, and says, it’s the best vacation ever. The deck crew was flawless, and she knows they were the hardest to cook for with all their different preference. She gives the captain the tip envelope, and they finally leave the crew in peace. Captain Kerry says, that was a fun charter. He’s cracking a beer now. Fraser asks Barbie, what’s happening? and she says, nothing. Kerry calls Anthony to the headmaster’s office. He says he’s going to tell Anthony straight. Dinner service was bullsh*t. His food was cold and two guests were without food. What the f*** was going on? Anthony says he was looking for the best solution for the guests to find dinner amazing. He’s upset with himself. Captain Kerry says he shouldn’t have kicked off with sushi and been laser focused on one guest, and in Anthony’s interview, he says he failed this one. It reminds him of bad moments when he was younger. He was called a loser at school and sees the teacher in his head. Born a loser and dies like a loser. I feel badly for him, but not too dramatic. The captain tells him to do the stuff he can do with his eyes closed. Fraser tells Barbie that she seems off, and she says, it’s an off day. He says, when it’s aimed at him, he thinks she’s in a bad mood and it’s not conducive to the team. She says she went to bed pissed and woke up pissed. He could have told her that he and Xandi were going to the beach to meditate. He says, it’s not like they were chilling, and she wasn’t talking yesterday. She says she’s scared to communicate with him, and he says he can’t deal with it. She says she’s flipped the switch back, so it’s good now.

It’s time for the tip meeting, and Captain Kerry says, it feels like they’ve gone a few rounds with Mike Tyson. His hat’s off to them. The tip is $20K or $1667 each. We hear crickets, and in Kyle’s interview, he says, it’s the worst tip they’ve gotten, but it’s still a lot of money. His mom recently found out they have a Native American heritage and a huge extended family in Montana. He’s going to spend a couple years there, and it will be nice if he can support himself. The captain says, they have tomorrow off, and they’re heading to a resort. The new stew is arriving tonight and will meet them at dinner. In his interview, Fraser says he’s excited. It’s like Christmas has come early. The captain says, the new stew’s first day is a day off. He’ll drink to that. Ben says he’s going on a two-day bender. Barbie tells Kyle that she wants to quit, but he says, mama didn’t raise no quitter, which is pretty funny to hear with his accent. Anthony says he’s ready to party, but he’s sad inside. He feels people know he made a mistake. He’s trying to stop thinking about it, but it not going to be a great night. Kyle drinks some liquor straight from the bottle and says he’s good to go.

New stew Paris arrives at the restaurant. In their interviews, Ben, Kyle, Anthony, and Sunny all say, wow. In Fraser’s interview, he says he knows who Paris is. She’s the ex of a dear friend. We flash back to two seasons ago, and see Fraser with his friend Jake, who’s talking to Paris on the phone. Fraser says, to him that means she’s gold. He tells the others that he worked with her ex, but this is their first time meeting in person. In Paris’s interview, she says she’s a sailing stew. She’s outgoing, funny, and loves mayonnaise. She says what’s on her mind because she has no serotonin left and regains it though people’s suffering. She laughs and says, that’s not true. She’s not evil. She is Australian though, and in Sunny’s interview, she says she’s definitely jealous. Paris is drop dead gorgeous, blond, and from Australia. She feels a little worried about what Ben thinks. Barbie tells Paris that she looks like she can take it emotionally, which is actually kind of rude. Ben and Kyle talk on the side, mostly about Paris. Paris says she’s had four years’ experience, and Fraser says she must be competent with housekeeping. Anthony tells Barbie that he needs them. He’s alone in his department every day. In her interview, Paris says she started in the Mediterranean, then the Atlantic, the Caribbean, and America. She doesn’t know the dynamics on the boat and it’s like a new school. The crew gets back to the boat, and Paris finds out she’ll be bunking with Xandi. She meets Captain Kerry, who says, everyone is nice, but the captain is an a-hole. Sunny and Ben have sex in the bathroom (ick again), when Barbie asks if Sunny can throw out a tampon. It’s an emergency. Sunny says, they were c*ck blocked so hard. What happened to the tie on the door thing?

In the morning, on the way to the resort, Paris says she lives in the country, and they have two kangaroos. She tells them that the echidna (which kind of looks like a hedgehog – see below) has a four-headed penis. Fun fact! They get to the resort and head for the pool. I’m jealous even though I live near the Atlantic Ocean, one of the biggest pools in the word. I need to get a friend who has a pool or talk one of my existing friends into getting one. Barbie tells Ben that Fraser wants to fire her, while Fraser tells Xandi, in the beginning, Barbie was amazing with her work, but her attitude is feral. Barbie whines to Ben that she doesn’t eat or take breaks, and Fraser tells Xandi that Barbie is talking about him now, because he has bat ears. Barbie tells Fraser that she doesn’t feel like she can talk to him because she works for him, not with him. He says she’s horrible to work with when she’s in a mood, and she asks if Fraser wants her to go, but he says, no. He just wants her to accept that this is the job. She then whines to Paris, and in Paris’s interview, she says, this is awkward. Fraser feels comfortable venting to her, but he’s her boss. She just got here, and she feels like Dr. Phil. Everything can be fixed with conversation, a hug, and tequila. Fraser tells Barbie that if she can’t move on, he can’t, and she says she doesn’t feel safe telling him her feelings. He says, if she doesn’t like it, she can f*** off, and she says, that shows how much she can’t trust him. In her interview, she says, Fraser doesn’t like her even though he likes the way she works. He doesn’t care about her or her feelings. In Fraser’s interview, he says, speak up, bitch. Don’t be passive/aggressive. She tells Fraser that she loves him, but he says she doesn’t act like it. She’s a horrible person when she doesn’t want to speak. She says, he wants her to go, but he says he wants her to understand how this works. If she can do it, fantastic. If she can’t… She says, okay, cool, and they part company. In Anthony’s interview, he says he’s still learning. It’s tricky. The restaurant business is different. There’s a guy for everything, and here, he’s by himself. He promised his younger self that one day he’d be successful, and he has to keep that promise. Sunny wonders if Xandi and Ben could have been a thing, but Xandi says, if he was ten years older. Sunny asks if she likes them old, which would be like 40, and Xandi says she’s done raising people’s husbands, whatever that means. Paris asks Barbie if she’s okay, and Barbie tells Paris that she and Fraser are too different, and they clash. They don’t get each other, and personally trigger each other. Paris thinks there’s a resolution if they communicate, if they if don’t trigger each other’s defensiveness. Barbie says she can’t, and in Paris’s interview, she says she feels Barbie and Fraser are similar and the issues cause both of them to be defensive. They’re also out in the sun drinking, which makes them all drama queens. What started from a small issue has grown into a mole hill. She tells Barbie, if it doesn’t work out, it’s his neck on the line. Fraser tells Ben that he’s done with Barbie. Ben says, what about one more charter? but Fraser isn’t having it. He says, she’s impossible to work with. In his interview, Fraser says, he’s given more chances in the past than he should have, and now he’s not about giving more chances. You show your true colors after two chances. We flash back to Barbie’s first, second, third, and fourth chances, and Fraser says, if it’s not great after the fourth, you’re off. He needs to pull the cord earlier. He tells Ben that he’s done.

Ben hugs Fraser and suggests he sleep on it, and in Ben’s interview, he says he thinks Fraser is taking it too far. The problem is Fraser’s lack of management skills in making people gel. Dylan asks if Paris likes Steve Irwin, and she wonders what kind of question that is. He’s a national treasure. Dylan says he watched Steve while growing up, so it must count for something. Paris says, if he was here, he’d say, crikey, that’s cringe. In her interview, she says, Dylan is gorgeous, but so awkward personality-wise. If he was mute, he’d get more action. Dylan leaves and Ben comes along. Paris asks if he put out the fire, and he puts his hand on her knee. He gets even more handsy, and no surprise, Sunny sees. Xandi says, good God, and Sunny says, sayonara. In Sunny’s interview, she says, Ben touching another woman makes her uncomfortable, jealous, and angry. It’s mad disrespect. Paris tells Fraser that she thinks he and Barbie are upset because they’re similar, but he’s like, no way. Barbie calls her mom as she puts on her makeup and cries. She says she doesn’t want to be here and she’s mad at herself for giving up, but she has to quit. She wants to go home. Fraser tells Paris that he’s supported Barbie and tried it all. He won’t look after someone who speaks to him like she does. She’s a subordinate and he’s the chief. Barbie tells her mom that she can’t get through to him and can’t fix it. She has an amazing life at home and doesn’t need to be with people who don’t understand her and she clashes with so much. She doesn’t like giving up. Fraser tells Paris, welcome to the circus.

Next time, in Sunny’s interview, she says, Ben looks like an a-hole; Sunny tells Ben, it’s not okay; Anthony makes fish for a guest who doesn’t eat fish; Barbie says she’s sorry her and Fraser’s contention affected everybody; and Fraser goes to the captain about Barbie.

⚓️ Atlas Of the Deck…

It’s doubtful he’s carrying the show, but despite his faults, he’s one of the best chefs they’ve had.

🏰 Viva La Villa…

I started watching this and the venue is magnificent. Not so much the employees who are already drinking too much and arguing in front of the guests. But Lisa is there along with Puffy (!), so all will be well.

🍊 That Didn’t Take Long…

Apparently, Tamra is already causing problems and the horse hasn’t even left the gate yet.

🥀 Sad OC News…

Today’s PSA: Drug responsibly and for the love of all that’s holy, stay away from fentanyl.

https://people.com/real-housewives-lauri-peterson-son-josh-waring-dead-at-35-8627969

https://www.eonline.com/news/1398971/rhoc-alum-lauri-petersons-son-josh-waring-died-amid-addiction-battle-his-sister-says

🐎 Not Done Yet…

They lost me somewhere in season 4. I think it was a big mistake to open things up to the real world so early. Westworld stopped being Westworld and turned into something else.

https://ew.com/jonathan-nolan-still-intends-to-finish-westworld-8624582

https://www.inverse.com/entertainment/westworld-season-5-storyline

🦔 Cute But Mighty In Its Own Way…

Behold, the echidna.

https://www.bushheritage.org.au/species/echidna

But wait, there’s more.

https://www.bushheritage.org.au/species/echidna

🌚 Stars Aligning Now…

Join me tomorrow for soap and VanderExploits. Until then, stay safe, stay not leaving puddles around the sink in a public restroom, and stay remembering that everything can be fixed with conversation, a hug, and tequila. And also, that the echidna has a four-headed penis. You’ll be a real hit at parties.

April 5, 2024 – Anna Visits Brennan In Pentenville, Come Monday, New Manager, Their Portrayal, Buddy Project, Poor Ann, Mutual Admiration, Dead Talk, Happily Ever Afters, X Quotes & Clearly

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Lois touches up her manicure in the nook, and Brook says, thank God she’s still here. She needs Lois. Lois asks if it can wait. She’s already late. Brook says, it’s about the wedding, and Lois says, whatever it is, they’ll fix it later. She promises. She starts to dash off and Brook says, fine. She’ll just have to get married without a wedding dress. Lois says, okay, you win.

Sonny sits at the MetroCourt bar and sends a text to Lois: I’m here. Where are you? Natalia comes up to the bar and says, Mr. Corinthos, we meet again.

Molly goes into Bobbie’s and Carly says, she just missed the lunch rush, so take a seat anywhere. She’ll have someone bring out a menu for her. Molly thanks her, and Carly says she wanted to tell Molly she did a great job in court the other day… at Jason’s arraignment. Molly says she’s surprised to hear Carly say that. She thought Carly would hold prosecuting Jason against her. Carly tells her, who says she doesn’t?

In his office pretending to be working, Drew picks up the phone and says, send her in. Jordan walks in, and he asks, what brings her by? She says, when they spoke the other day, he said he’d be open to Aurora promoting the city of Port Charles. She’s here to follow up.

At Pentenville, a guard brings Brennan to the visitor room, and Brennan says, look who it is. Anna says, good afternoon, and he says, it is now. She asks, why is that? and he says he likes being right. He told her that she’d be back to see him, and here she is.

Sam brings Dante into the apartment, and he says he’s got this as he slowly walks to the sofa. She asks if he’s sure about that, and he says he might need a little help. She helps him to sit, and he takes her hand and says he just wanted her to sit next to him. She says she’s missed this, and he says, him too. She says she was afraid she’d never have him here again in their home, and he says, see? All that worry was for nothing. She says she loves him so much, and he says, him too. She says, welcome back, and they kiss.

Sonny asks what brings Natalia to the MetroCourt, and she says she has a meeting and they’re officially late. He says, the person he’s meeting is late too, and asks if she wants to wait with him. She says she would like to, and takes a seat. She’s always surprised by people who just don’t respect the value of other people’s time, but it doesn’t seem to be bothering him. He says he’s just waiting for a friend. Business is business. He asks what she’s drinking, and she asks what he’s having. He says, scotch, and she tells the bartender that she’ll have the same. He says, she doesn’t seem like the white wine type, and she says she’s found that business rivals don’t really respect a Sauvignon Blanc. He says he’s sure her rivals are impressed by her, and she thanks him. She asks if she can make a personal observation and he says, no… He laughs and says, go ahead, and she says, since they last met, he seems lighter, happier. He says, is that right?

Lois says, sit. Tell her everything. Brook says, when they decided to downsize the wedding, she called Sandrine and told her to stop working on alterations on Lila’s dress. But now that Dante’s feeling better – Lois says, thank God – and they’re having the wedding they originally planned, she called Sandrine back and told her to start working on the dress, and she said… Lois says, there was a fire, but Brook says, no, and Lois says, a broken pipe flooded everywhere. Brook says, ma, no, and Lois says, oh God, it’s squirrels again. Brook says, worse. She said the fabric is too old, that it’s falling apart, it won’t hold a seam. Bottom line, the dress cannot be altered. Lois says, that is a setback for sure, but Brook says, it’s more than a setback. The dress can’t be worn. Game over. Lois tells Brook to bite her tongue. She knows when things are impossible, that’s when they start to get creative. There’s got to be some way to salvage some part of Lila’s dress.

Rocco comes in with Scout, and says, Dante’s home. Dante says he is. He told them he was coming back, right? Rocco says, but now he’s here, and Dante says, he’s right, and Rocco’s here too. Sam asks, where’s Danny?

Molly tells Carly that she was assigned the case. She had to make the best argument she could. Carly says she knows Molly was just doing her job. If Jason didn’t make bail and Dante hadn’t woken up to exonerate him, she wouldn’t be in this good of a mood, but that’s not what happened. Jason’s free, Dante’s home with Sam and Rocco, and Molly’s niece and nephew. Molly says, and they’re crazy about him. She just hopes they’re not so excited to see him, they pop Dante’s stitches and Sam has to take him back to the hospital. They laugh, and Carly says, that would be awful. Kristina comes in and says, guess who’s on time? Molly says, not just on time, but early, and Kristina says, the end times must be upon us. She says hi to Carly, who tells them to take a seat – clearly, they can sit anywhere – and she’ll bring them menus. Molly sits, and Kristina tells Carly that she knows Nina is back at Crimson. Is she okay? Carly says she’s better than ever, and Kristina says, really? Carly says she’s busy enough here, and Drew’s a savvy businessman. She’s sure he had a reason for taking Nina back.

Jordan says, since Aurora is headquartered here, it benefits his company for Port Charles to be seen as the vital, thriving, culturally rich city it is. He says, as opposed to the smuggling mecca with outbursts of violence from organized crime get away from, and she says, that’s the image they’re trying to get away from. He says he’s sure the shootings at Selina’s warehouse didn’t help any, and she says she’s really glad they’re having this chat. He asks, why is that? and she says, there are some days she really misses being Police Commissioner, but he’s made it so she doesn’t miss law enforcement at all. They should do this more often. He says, they’ve got to find a way to make that happen. Starting with cleaning up the city’s image. She says she’s hoping Aurora Media will play a pivotal role in rebuilding the city’s image, from the streets up.

Brennan says, they told him that the Police Commissioner was here to see him. When did Anna take back her old job? She says, it’s been a couple of months, and he asks if Police Commissioner wasn’t a come down. International spy to small town cop. (Wow. It was a mecca just two seconds ago.) She says she could do worse. She could be wearing one of those jumpsuits. He laughs and asks if she doesn’t miss working intelligence, and she says, sure, but she actually enjoys doing local police work. He asks how that’s even possible. He remembers her back in the day, the ambition. She was downright scary. She asks if she’s scary now, and he says, she’s not not scary. She laughs and says, he was always such a smooth talker. He says, all Australians. It’s in the genes. He asks why she’s here, and she says, a name came up that made her think of him – Pikeman.

Jordan tells Drew that she wants to rebrand this city. Emphasize the art scene, their gorgeous location, its architecture… His phone rings and he says he thought he told his assistant no interruptions. He’s so sorry. The door opens and John walks in. He tells Drew not to blame his assistant, and Drew says he won’t. Who the hell is he? Jordans says, this is Special Agent John Cates with the FBI, and John says, Deputy Mayor Ashford, always a pleasure. She says she’s sure it is, and Drew says, as John can see, he’s at a meeting right now. What does he want? John says he needs Drew to answer a few questions about his brother Jason Morgan.

Molly asks if Kristina can be any more insensitive, but Kristina says, Carly is fine. Molly says, if she weren’t fine, does Kristina think she’d let on? This is Carly, for God’s sake. Kristina says, honestly, she doesn’t think Carly is crying many tears over her breakup with Drew, and Molly asks how it’s her business. Kristina says, admit it. She’s just as curious. Know how she knows? Molly hasn’t even asked her about… Molly says, oh my God. How’d it go at the doctor? She’s sorry she and TJ couldn’t be there. Kristina says, it’s totally fine, honestly. She’s laying there in what they have the nerve to call a gown. They put that goop all over her belly and roll that electric eye over it, and that’s it. She was totally fine doing it on her own. Josslyn comes in and Molly says, hi. Josslyn says hi back and goes to the counter. Carly asks if she isn’t sick of this place, and Molly asks Kristina, what’s up with her and Joss? Kristina says she has no idea what Josslyn’s problem is.

On the phone, Lois says, the bodice is completely unsalvageable?… How about those gorgeous pleats?… How popped and yellowed?… And the crinoline?… Oh no… Wait. What? They’re intact? Are they sure?… She’s going to put her daughter on the phone with them right now. She hands the phone to Brook, who says, yes? Hello?… Uh-huh… Oh my God, yes. That would be amazing… She can come in for a fitting anytime… Oh no. She’s so sorry. She can’t come in right now. She has a crucial meeting right now. She hands the phone to Lois, says, sorry, and leaves. Lois sees a bowl of ice cream on the counter and says, ooh, strawberry. She sits down, eats a spoonful, remembers she’s late, and runs off.

Sonny says he’s in the mood to celebrate a little bit, and Natalia asks, what is the special occasion? Sonny says his son is a cop, his oldest son, and he was shot in the line of duty. It was touch and go for a bit, and they thought he wasn’t going to make it. She says, but he did, and Sonny says, yeah. She raises her glass and says, to his son. He says, to Dante, and clinks his glass against hers. She asks if he’s still in the hospital, but Sonny says, he’s home today, and it’s going to take him a while to make a full recovery. She says, okay, but that’s wonderful. She’s happy for both of them. He says, thank you very much. He’s so happy. She says, that reminds her of something he said, that there is nothing more important than making sure your child knows you love them. She’s been thinking about that a lot lately. He asks if things are better with her and Blaze, and she says, yeah – she takes a sip of her drink – and no.

Scout tells Sam, Danny said he had to do something, and Sam asks if he mentioned what that was. Rocco says, no, but that’s just how he is. He’s not big on explanations. Sam says, all right. No big deal. She’ll just shoot him a text. Scout says, she can’t, and Dante asks, why not? Scout says, mommy took his phone when she grounded him, and Sam says, ouch. Scout’s right. She did do that. All right. She knows where to start. Dante says, she thinks he went to see… She shoots him a look, and looking at Sam’s phone, Scout asks why Carly would know where Danny is. Danny walks in with a bakery box and tells Dante, welcome home. Dante says, there he is. He’s back. Sam asks where he’s been, and Danny says, Eckerd’s. He wanted to get some donuts to celebrate Dante’s homecoming.

Natalia tells Sonny that she doesn’t want him to think less of her for saying this, and he says, there’s only one way to find out. She says she’s still struggling with mixed feelings about Allison, and he says, being gay. She says, yeah. She wishes she could wake up tomorrow morning and just feel enlightened and comfortable with the way she is. He says, it takes time, and she asks if it took him time with Kristina. He says, no, not really, but he thinks with Kristina, it took her so long to tell him because she was afraid he’d reject her, which he would never do. Natalia says she feels like it’s a little bit different with Allison, because she’s not altogether convinced that it’s not a reaction to the harassment and abuse she got from her former manager. He says, Linc Brown, and she says, that’s the one. She knows Sonny accepted her right away, but did he ever wonder with Kristina? Did he ever ask why? He tells her that he’d be lying if he said he never wondered if her bad experiences changed her and made her who she is. Know what he learned? That happens to all of us. Kristina was, is, and always will be Kristina. Natalia says, and she’s charming and beautiful, and he says, she gets that from her dad. She laughs, and he wonders if he can ask her something he thinks she may not like. She says, hold on, and takes a sip of her drink. All right. He asks if she thinks she knows what her daughter wants more than her daughter does, and she says, of course (🍷) she thinks that. Of course (🍷) her daughter doesn’t always agree with her all the time. He says, to daughters, and they clink glasses. Lois and Brook arrive and see Sonny with Natalia.

John says, if Jordan wouldn’t mind, but Drew says he wants her to stay. He’s got nothing to hide. John says, it’s fine by him. Has Drew heard from his brother? Drew says he has not, and John says, not since the charges were dropped? Drew says, nope, and John says, what about before? Drew says, the only time he saw Jason was at his arraignment, and John says, and they didn’t speak then. Drew says, actually, no, and John says, to his own brother? Drew says, they’re not that close, and John asks, then why go to the arraignment? Drew says, they have people in common. He was there for them. And that is the extent of their contact. John says he’s sorry, but he finds that hard to believe.

Brennan says, Pikeman, and Anna says, come on. Don’t tell her that he doesn’t know what that is. He says, of course (🍷) he knows. Armaments, defense systems, skilled mercenary soldiers. She says, very lucrative business, and he says, it was. He’s sure it still is. They were investigating them. She says, he was? and he says, the WSB was. Sadly, he no longer considers himself part of that institution. She says, what really amazes her is the fact that he was able to be the director of the WSB and head up Pikeman at the same time, and he says, what? She says, that was terrible, that look of astonishment. He’s not even trying. He says he doesn’t see how one can head a global law enforcement agency and a paramilitary defense contractor at the same time. But the fact she thought he could have, he’s quite flattered. She says, Pikeman has weapons. WSB needs weapons. That way we were able to… She keeps referring to the WSB as we. He says, institutional espionage is addictive. It’s a hard habit to break. She says, a partnership with Pikeman gave the WSB access to untraceable weapons, which allowed them to meddle in countries they were supposed to leave alone. He set it up perfectly. He says he did? He must be really good. She says, he’s one of the best. Then he got himself caught because he couldn’t leave Port Charles alone. Why? What’s so important here?

Kristina says, Molly was in the courtroom, so she didn’t see it, but she and Josslyn got into it before Jason’s arraignment. Josslyn went on and on and on about how Jason just had to be innocent. Molly says, which it turns out he was, and Kristina says, yeah, but no one knew that at the time. But did Josslyn listen? Nope. She was being totally unreasonable.

Josslyn sits down at the counter and says, Dex is becoming a cop, and Carly asks if she’s sure. Josslyn says, yes. He was here and he was reading the paperwork right over there. So what happens when Sonny finds out? What happens if Sonny takes him to the Pine Barrens and Carly isn’t there this time to stop him? Carly says she could try to talk Dex out of it, but if he’s that determined… Josslyn says, Dex should be able to do whatever he wants to do, but he can’t because of Sonny. The FBI should be investigating Sonny, and they should put him away in jail until the end of time like he deserves. Kristina gets up, and Molly says, no, just leave it, but does Kristina listen? Nope. She says, Josslyn is talking trash about her dad, and Josslyn says, in a private conversation. Kristina says, their voices carried. She might want to walk that back. Josslyn asks why she’d want to do that, and Kristina says, a lot of reasons. Everything her father’s ever done for Josslyn.

Josslyn says she’s sorry. What is she supposed to be grateful to Sonny for? Kristina says, he’s been wonderful to Josslyn. She grew up in his house. Josslyn says, he was her stepdad. She was a child. She had to live there. Kristina says, Sonny has always loved Josslyn and treated her like she was one of his own daughters, and what does she do? She tears him down behind his back. Josslyn says, call him over. She’ll say everything right to his face. It wouldn’t be her first time. Kristina says, Josslyn hates him like he is some terrible person. Her father has donated wings to hospitals… Josslyn says, where’s the money coming from that he donates these wings? His coffee imports? Kristina says she’s not discussing what her father may or may not be doing with his business… and Josslyn says, may or may not… Kristina says, about which none of them has firsthand knowledge. Josslyn says, Kristina might not, and Kristina says, Josslyn does? Carly walks over and says, they’re not having this conversation here. They need to take a step back. Kristina says, no, please, enlighten her. She can’t wait to hear this. What does Josslyn think she knows about what her father does? Josslyn says she knows Kristina’s father is a vicious thug and a murderer.

Brook hugs Sonny, and he says he didn’t know her mom was bringing her here. Lois says she wasn’t, but Brook was meeting someone here, and Natalia says, that would be her. Lois and Natalia introduce themselves, and Lois says she’s sorry they’re late. They had a wedding dress emergency. Sonny says, that happens, and Natalia says, does it? She’s never heard of a wedding dress emergency. Lois says, now she has, and Brook suggests she and Natalia chat somewhere more private. Sonny says he hears Blaze is the new Face of Deception. That is exciting. Natalia says, we’ll see, and Brook says, let’s take that table over there and let them catch up. Natalia says, have a nice lunch, and goes with Brook. Lois tells Sonny, she seems… nice.

Sam says, since they eat donuts with their hands, why don’t Scout and Rocco go upstairs to wash up? Scout asks if Danny is in trouble, but Sam says, no. Rocco tells Scout that their business is upstairs. Let’s go mind it. They go upstairs, and Sam tells Danny that she needs him to tell her the truth. No matter what, he’s not in trouble. When he went to get the donuts, did he go and see his father? Danny says, no, and she says, okay. He asks if she believes him, and she says, shouldn’t she? He says, yeah. He just didn’t think she would. She opens a drawer and says, how about this? She’s actually going to give him his phone back. She takes out the phone, hands it to him, and says, but under one condition. She is going to put the locator on, so she knows where he is. He says, so not only does she not believe him, she doesn’t trust him either, but she says she does believe him, and she trusts him. She just wants to protect him. He says, from his own father, and she says, his father isn’t someone he should be around right now. Jason leads a dangerous life. Danny says he’s got homework. He tells Dante, enjoy the donuts, and goes upstairs. Sam says, what? and Dante says, she’s the mom, so what she says goes, but respectfully, he thinks she might have made a mistake there.

John says, like Drew told him, he and his brother have people in common, most notably Sam McCall and Carly Spencer. Both of them were married to one, and both of them were involved with the other. Jordan says, none of which merits investigation from the FBI, and John says he was getting to that. She says, well, hurry, and John says, both Drew and his brother have been charged with a federal crime. His brother went to prison after a no contest plea, and Drew went to prison after pleading guilty to insider trading. He was granted early release, which means if Jason is involved in any criminal activities and Drew is implicated, he could be sent back to Pentenville. (Wouldn’t the FBI already know how close Drew and Jason are or aren’t?)

Brennan says he’s thought a lot about Port Charles. There’s so much to do in this city, so much to discover. Anna says, like a mission report on the defection they worked on together. Does he remember that? He asks, how could he forget? It was a dismal failure. She says, but then he found out she had a hard copy, and he couldn’t let that get out, could he? He says, because it went south? He’ll have her know that he’s been a part of more than one failed mission. She says, but none of those resulted in ten million dollars disappearing, and he says he remembers the ten million too. It’s funny, because back then they thought that was a lot of money. She says, they did, but it’s enough to provide seed money for Pikeman. That’s why he had to destroy the report and silence her in the process. He says, right. So if he’s such a diabolical mastermind, why is she still alive? If she’s the only person who can tie him to the missing money, why wouldn’t he just kill her? She says, it’s not for lack of trying, and he says, or maybe that’s what someone wants her to believe. She asks if he’s saying he’s being framed, and he says, like she hasn’t? She says, it happens to the best of us, and he says, someone didn’t like the direction he was taking with the WSB, and now he’s in here. Maybe she can help him get out. Maybe she can find out who framed him. For old time’s sake. She says she’ll consider it, if he gives her something in return. He says, such as? and she says, a name. With him in here, someone’s got to be running Pikeman. Who?

Josslyn says, Molly is the ADA. She must have access to the file on the assault of Cyrus Renault. Show Kristina. Kristina says, Josslyn wants to talk about thugs and murderers, Cyrus Renault is at the top of that list. Josslyn says, he used to be. Maybe he still is. It doesn’t matter. She should look at the file. And she should take a really good look at the photos and see what her beloved daddy did to a helpless old man who couldn’t fight back. Molly says, this isn’t accomplishing anything. They’re going to go. Josslyn tells Molly, show her. And then show her all of the information in all of the files on all of the lives Sonny has ruined and all of the people he has had killed. Carly tries to interrupt, but Josslyn says, then maybe Kristina will see him for who he really is. Kristina says she can’t be around Josslyn, and walks out. Molly looks at Josslyn, who says, if Molly wants her to apologize, she can’t. Molly says, Kristina is pregnant right now. She can’t handle this kind of stress. Even if she could, what good does it possibly do, rubbing her nose in how Josslyn feels about Sonny? He’s her father. She loves him. She has every right to. Molly leaves, and Josslyn looks guilty, as she should. She can be a mean girl.

Sonny says he thinks that’s a record. Two seconds, and Lois wrote Natalia off. Lois says, oh no. She’s as open as the next person. He says he can see that, and she says she means it. She’s willing to give anyone a chance, but come on. She’s been in the music business a little bit too long. She can spot a stage mother from a mile away, and she’s telling him, that Natalia is enmeshed in her daughter’s life. So much so, that poor kid isn’t going to be able to have a life of her own. He says, and no one can say that about her, and she says, there is no questioning how close she and Brook are. But her daughter is her own person, and she accepts the beautiful, brilliant, vibrant human being that she’s become. He says, and she is that, and Lois says, let’s see if that Natalia can say it about her own kid.

Brook asks what Natalia’s concerns are about Blaze becoming the Face of Deception, and Natalia says, she’s already a star. Brook says, she is, a rising star, and Natalia says, higher and higher every day. So forgive her if she questions some of Brook’s managerial choices. Brook says she’ll be happy to answer any questions Natalia may have. Fire away. Natalia suggests they start with the most obvious, which is that Brook has this wedding taking up all of her time. So will Brook even have time to focus on what’s best for her daughter? Brook says, yes. Next question. Natalia says, let’s just stick with this one. What if she had a wedding dress emergency and she had a meeting with a record label or a venue manager?

Dante says, the more Sam forbids Danny to see his father, the more he’s going to want to see his father. She says she doesn’t know what else to do. Does he have any suggestions? He says, talk to Jason? He doesn’t know. He may be biased right now because technically, the guy saved his life.

Brennan says he can’t tell Anna who’s head of Pikeman because he doesn’t know, and she says, might she remind him that she and Dante Falconari were targeted by Hume. Hume was employed by Pikeman, working under his orders. He says, if she has proof of that, by all means, show it to his attorneys. He’s sure they’d love to see it. As would he. Let him ask her. Does she have any evidence directly tying him to Pikeman? No? Then why does she think that is? She says she may not have anything to tie him to Pikeman now, but she can certainly tie him to it back in the day.

Sam says she’s grateful Jason helped save Dante’s life, but this isn’t about him and Jason. This is about her protecting Danny from Jason. She doesn’t want him to get sucked into Jason’s life more than he already has. Dante says, first of all, he’s not trying to make it about him. He’s with her. He’s just concerned that… She says, forbidding Danny from seeing Jason is only going to make him want to see Jason more. She knows that. She just doesn’t know what else to do. He says he’s going to do whatever it is Sam tells him to do to help her. She says, of course (🍷) he will. Because he knows what it means to be a father. And it’s more than biology. He’s the one who’s here. He’s the one who’s put in the time. He’s the one Danny can count on. He says he doesn’t know about that, but he knows he’s the lucky one, because he has her and those kids. She says, yeah, and they’re about to kiss, when Scout asks if they can eat now. Sam says, of course (🍷). Come on down. The kids all come downstairs, and Sam says she has some really good news. Olivia brought over some dinner, but she was thinking maybe they’d do something a little different. Since it is a celebration, maybe they could have dessert before dinner. Unless of course (🍷), they want to have dinner before dessert. Show of hands. Dinner first?… No? Dessert first? All the hands go up, and Sam says, dessert it is. Danny says, Dante gets first choice, but Dante says he’ll give his first choice to Scout. Scout asks if there’s a pink one with sprinkles and Danny asks what she thinks. She takes one out, and Sam asks what she says. Scout says, thanks Dante. Welcome home. Dante thanks all of them and says, this is the best welcome home ever. Now pass those donuts around.

Drew says, if John wants to investigate him, go for it. Sift through every detail of his life. John can audit his company. He has absolutely nothing to hide. He’s just going to give John a little bit of advice. Make sure he dots every i and crosses every t, because he’s going to make this very public. And he’s pretty sure the FBI doesn’t want John bringing on that kind of exposure for them. John thanks Drew and says he appreciates Drew’s time and cooperation. Drew says, he’s very welcome. So they’re done. John says, for now. If he does hear from his brother – Drew says he won’t – or obtain any information, give him a call. Drew says, John wants to bring down Jason, that’s on him. John leaves, and Jordan asks, who does Drew hate more, his brother or Very Special Agent (ha-ha!) John Cates? He says he definitely doesn’t hate his brother. It’s just, Jason brings on his own trouble, and he doesn’t want to be dragged down into it. She says, heard, and he thanks her for staying. She says she’s so glad she did. Drew tearing into Special Agent Cates was a thing of beauty.

Anna says, that mission report, and Brennan says, the one she believes he tried to have her killed over. She says, that one. It clearly states that he was instrumental in planning that operation where the ten million went missing. It put him in a perfect position to sabotage the op and abscond with the money. Everyone else involved with that op was either sidelined or demoted, but not him. His career skyrocketed. It’s almost as if someone in a much, much, much higher position at the Bureau not only approved of his actions, but was rewarding him for them. They were rewarding him with positions that were advantageous to him and to Pikeman. Pikeman is far too valuable to collapse in his absence. So who did he hand it off to? Who is running it now? He says he wishes he could help her, but alas, she’s wasting her time. He calls the guard and says, the Police Commissioner is done with him. The guard leads him away.

Brook tells Natalia, Blaze wanted to keep it at smaller venues for now, then move on to other ones once they sold those out. After all, it’s better to sell 300 tickets to a 200-person venue than it is to sell 500 tickets to one that holds 1000. Natalia says she happens to believe Blaze could sell out a 1000 plus seat venue, and Brook says, so does she, but this is Blaze’s choice and she backed Blaze because she believes in her. Blaze is her client. She and Blaze will decide what direction to take her career. Natalia says, Blaze might be Brook’s client, but this is her child. It’s her job to safeguard Blaze’s happiness. Brook says, Natalia’s not going to get an objection from her. They all want Blaze to be happy. Natalia says, to that end, she wants to make sure Blaze doesn’t publicize something she can’t take back later. So she wants Blaze’s private life to remain private. Are they clear? Brook says she doesn’t manage Blaze’s private life. And neither does Natalia. Whoever Blaze decides to spend her time with and whoever knows about it, that’s up to Blaze. A word of advice… Natalia says she doesn’t need Brook’s advice, but Brook says, trust her. She does. Sonny is Blaze’s girlfriend’s father, and he loves his little girl. He thinks she hung the moon. She doesn’t think he’d appreciate Natalia trying to keep their relationship a secret.

Lois says, thank God. She can see the relief in Sonny’s face. She can hear it in his voice. He says he’s been relying a lot on Dante lately. Not just as a son, but as a friend. Lois says, how so? and he says, Dante has a way of getting through to him – he lowers his voice – and he needs that in his life right now.

Carly says, Josslyn was right about Sonny, but Kristina refuses to see it. Of course (🍷) she does. Sonny is her father. Josslyn says, don’t tell her that she has to go apologize, and Carly says, no. She doesn’t have to apologize. Kristina isn’t a delicate flower, and she gave just as good as she got. But she’s worried about Josslyn. Josslyn is so angry about the situation with Sonny and Dex, and she gets it, but all that rage Josslyn has inside is only hurting her. Josslyn says, of course (🍷) she’s filled with rage. Sonny sent Dex to kill Cyrus and Dex was going to do it, but he felt like he didn’t have a choice. And she can’t be with someone who could do something like that. Carly says, that’s the choice Josslyn made and she’s proud of her for it. Josslyn says, even if she’s miserable? and Carly says, that’s how she knows it wasn’t an easy choice to make. And as far as if it was worth it or not, only Josslyn knows the answer to that. Josslyn says, all she knows is, she still loves Dex, and she misses him, and Carly says he understands. She’s been there. Josslyn says, but she’s terrified because Dex is going to become a cop, and there’s a real chance Sonny will have him killed.

On Tuesday (see below), Drew asks Nina what he gets out of this; Sonny asks Ava why Drew would hire the woman who put him in prison; Jason says he needs someone to do something else for him; and Carly yells for someone to be left alone.

👓 No Soap Monday…

It’s the solar eclipse, baby.

📋 Carly’s New Hire…

Meet Hunter.

🔬 A Little Mental Health On the Side…

When art imitates life. One of the reasons I love GH. They keep it relevant.

💣 Joining Forces…

I can see them as The Blues Brothers 2.0.

William deVry Updates Fans on His Project With Kin Shriner!

🍸 For Ann’s Sake…

But will she ever actually be working?

There’s no doubt it was stressful.

But apparently, the worm with a mustache doesn’t think it’s stressful picking up his dirty drawers and being a go-between for two people who shouldn’t be sharing a house in the first place.

💎 When Worlds Collide…

Definitely a meet cute.

⚰️ What’s Next In Dead…

New addition to the City.

https://undeadwalking.com/posts/dead-city-season-2-update-sons-of-anarchy-actor-kim-coates-added-to-cast-01htqk16jafm

Thoughts on the Dead future.

🐶 Miracles Happen…

Best happy ending ever.

https://people.com/woman-viral-search-for-senior-dog-missing-from-animal-hospital-exclusive-8620174

That grasshopper must live!

https://people.com/zoo-vets-make-tiny-neck-brace-for-grasshopper-bug-8619996

He’s in love.

https://people.com/simon-cowell-cuddles-adorable-black-white-puppy-8620886

💡 Quotes of the Week

It’s not a lie if you believe it. – George Costanza (Jason Alexander), Seinfeld

I’d rather see my face aging than a face I don’t recognize at all. – Cameron Diaz (Thank you.)

Quitting can be a hard choice to make, but often it’s a brave one as well.Susan David

A polite enemy is just as difficult to discredit, as a rude friend is to protect. – Bryant H. McGill

The beautiful thing about learning is that no one can take it away from you. – B. B. King (No one can take integrity away from you either.)

If you have made mistakes, there is always another chance for you. You may have a fresh start any moment you choose, for this thing we call ‘failure’ is not the falling down, but the staying down. – Mary Pickford

Fear imprisons, faith liberates; fear paralyzes, faith empowers; fear disheartens, faith encourages; fear sickens, faith heals; fear makes useless, faith makes serviceable – and, most of all, fear puts hopelessness at the heart of life, while faith rejoices in its God. – Henry Emerson Fosdick 

People will always have opinions about your decision because they’re not courageous enough to take action on their opinion. – Steve Maraboli

The man who insists on seeing with perfect clearness before he decides, never decides. – Henri-Frédéric Amiel

And that, my dear, is how you run an asylum. – Matron Grady (Judith Light), Escaping the Madhouse: The Nellie Bly Story

⚡️Aftershocking…

Enjoy the eclipse then join me on Monday really Tuesday for what’s cringeworthy on Deck. Until then, stay safe, stay opening/holding the door open for any human immediately before or after you, and stay celebrating with dessert before dinner on occasion. Unless of course, you want dessert after dinner.

April 4, 2024 – Doc Sees a Striking Change In Heather, Bette’s FOMO, She’s the Worst, This Week’s Top, Two Awful Houses, For the Win & Pieces

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Tracy comes into an exam room, and Terry says, it’s her birthday. Tracy says, it is. A fact that only the two of them noticed. Terry says, well, happy birthday, and Tracy thanks her. Terry asks if she has any big plans, and Tracy says, just her, her couch, and the remote. Terry says, sounds blissful, to be honest. In other good news, she sees no cause for concern in Tracy’s bloodwork. Tracy asks if she’s surprised, and Terry says, no, but Tracy looks a little pale, enough so that she wondered if anemia was in play, but her hemoglobin looks good. Tracy says, if she’s pale, it’s because they’ve just slogged through winter, and like everybody else, she hasn’t been outside much. Terry says, fair enough, and Tracy says, if she has any complaints at all, it’s cold hands and feet, but she assumes it’s because of her age. (Is that why there are so many migrations to Florida after retirement?) And she has been a little lethargic lately. Is that an indication something is going on? Is she sick? Terry tells Tracy that she’s not qualified to say, but Tracy says, she’s Co-Chief of Staff. Who’s more qualified than her? Terry says, a psychiatrist? and Tracy laughs. Terry says she can refer Tracy to Dr. Collins if she likes, and Tracy asks, what possible diagnosis could be going on in here? Terry says, depression?

Cody’s phone rings at the stable, and Sasha tells Olivia that he stepped outside for a second. Should she go get him? Olivia says, no. She just wanted to give him the good news. Dante is being discharged. Sasha says, that’s fantastic, and Olivia says she’s pretty sure Cody would want to be filled in. Sasha says, absolutely. He’ll be thrilled to know Dante is coming home. Olivia says, while she has Sasha on the phone, is she at the house? Sasha says she’s at the stables. Why? Olivia says she was making mashed potatoes and chicken parm for Tracy’s birthday, but now with Dante and the kids coming home, Sam’s not going to have time to cook. She was thinking maybe she’d bring dinner for them instead and grab a cake to celebrate with Tracy. Sasha says, good idea, and Olivia says she could use Sasha’s help. She chopped up the veggies and peeled the potatoes, but the chicken still hasn’t been made. Does Sasha think she could get it started if Olivia talks her through it? Sasha says she could try.

Portia takes Heather’s vitals and asks, what happened to her restraints? Heather says she thinks maybe she lost some weight after the surgery or something. Her hands just slipped out.

Josslyn introduces Felicia to Bobbie’s new manager, Hunter Cruise, and Felicia says, this place is a favorite of hers, so expect to be seeing her a lot. Hunter says, looking forward to it, and Josslyn says, Felicia is one of their regulars. Felicia says she used to work here when she was Josslyn’s age, and Josslyn says, they get a lot of customers from the hospital because it’s a short walk. Curtis comes in with Trina, who tells him to remember he has back-up, and he says, slow and steady. Josslyn starts applauding and everyone else follows suit.

Kristina comes out of the hospital elevator and Blaze is there. Blaze asks, how’s her brother? and Kristina says, he’s good. Actually, he gets to come home today. Blaze says, that’s fantastic. She must be so relieved. Kristina says she is. Every day he’s awake and moving around, she feels a little bit better. Blaze says she bets. She was wondering if Kristina might have a minute. Kristina says, okay, and Blaze says she didn’t mean for Kristina to find out about the whole Deception/Crimson thing like that. She hopes Kristina didn’t think she was keeping it from her. Kristina says she really didn’t know what to think. She still doesn’t.

Cody puts Comet in his stall, when Sasha comes in. He says, Comet must have spring fever. He gave them both a workout. Where did she disappear to? She says she was up at the house. He left his phone on the table, and she answered a call from Olivia. He asks what she said, and Sasha tells him, Dante’s being released from the hospital today. He whoops and hugs her, lifting her in the air.

Tracy says she’s not depressed and doesn’t need a shrink, and Terry tells her, if you say so. Tracy says she leads a full life. She’s the head of a company. If she’s being honest, she’s the majority shareholder in a company that she wants to give to her granddaughter someday, but it keeps her very busy. Terry says she’s sure it does, and Tracy says, if she’s a little down or at loose ends sometimes, it’s because she lost her husband a little over two years ago and it’s grief, and it takes as long as it takes. Terry says, absolutely. There’s no buzzer that will ring and say, that’s it, you’re done. Tracy says, if there was, she’d ignore it. She’s doing this her way, and she doesn’t care what anybody else thinks. Terry says she knows Tracy’s family well enough to know her husband hasn’t been her only loss. Both her parents, her brother Alan – a legend here at GH – a nephew and a niece. Tracy says, that’s not unusual at her stage of life, but Terry says, that doesn’t make it easy. Her general health is good. All the numbers are in range. Maybe she needs to get out more, be a little more active. Tennis club, a women’s golf league… Tracy says, oh no. There will be no popping of my collar, thank you very much. Terry says, then something else, anything, to keep her body moving and get her interacting with people of similar interests. Tracy says she’ll keep it in mind. How’s that? Terry says she’ll take it, and leaves.

Portia tells the guard outside Heather’s room that she needs him inside, and he asks if there’s a problem. She says, the patient’s restraints are loose, and she needs to be supervised at all times. She calls Nurse Erin to come in and help tighten the patient’s restraints, and Erin does. Heather says, there you go – she shows Portia the restraints are on – and she’s not going to say thank you. Though these are more comfortable than handcuffs. (They also seem to be Velcro, so…)

Felicia says, it’s so good to see Curtis. Not only up and about, but on his feet. That must be a record. Trina says, he’s been working at it non-stop, and Felicia says, it shows. Curtis thanks her so much. He didn’t think going out for a bite to eat would call for a hero’s welcome. Trina says, a lot of people were worried about him. They’re allowed to be happy about his recovery. He says, on the road to recovery, and Felicia says, in the fast lane it looks like. Curtis says he’ll accept he applause and the encouragement, and Trina says, thank you. Felicia says she’s got to get back to the hospital, and tells Curtis, keep up the good, and what she’s sure is very hard, work. He thanks her, and Felicia leaves. He says, not exactly lowkey, and Trina says, there’s nothing lowkey about this. He didn’t just beat the odds; he defied them. She’s so proud of him.

Cody says, sorry about the sweat, and Sasha says, no problem. He says, Dante is coming home. That guy. They all thought he wasn’t going to make it, and he probably set a record for getting released from the hospital the fastest. She says, he’s pretty amazing, and Cody asks if Olivia said anything else. Sasha says, she did actually. She wanted to bring some food over to Dante’s because Sam won’t have time to cook. Olivia asked her to get her chicken parm started, but unfortunately, the chicken is spoiled. He asks if she’s sure, and she says, trust her. It won’t be much of a welcome home if Dante, Sam, and the kids all get food poisoning. (Been there, done that, did not like the T-shirt.) She’s going to go back to the house and look in the fridge. She’s sure she can figure something out. He says, she’s a good friend, and she says, it’s the least she can do since Dante helped him rescue her from Ferncliff. He says, she has every right to appreciate it, but he was actually talking about himself. Dante’s his best friend. She’s doing this for Dante, and he appreciates it. He appreciates her. She says she appreciates him too.

Terry goes into her office and says, sorry to keep them waiting. Alexis says, don’t apologize, and Laura says, they know how busy she is. Terry says, unlike Laura, who gets to relax all day, every day, and Laura says, relax? What’s that? Terry says, Portia is doing rounds, so she’s all Laura is going to get. Laura says, which is fine, since she only needs one Chief of Staff to sign off. She hands Terry a manila envelope and Terry takes out some paperwork. She asks what she’s looking at here, and Laura says, it’s a contract that would put city employees on GH’s health plan. Terry says, that’s great, and Laura says she thinks so. Alexis says, what their illustrious mayor is leaving out is that this was a culmination of her efforts. Terry asks how she pulled this off, and Laura says, there was a little bit of arm twisting involved, but she happens to believe city employees deserve access to the best possible health care. After all, they’re the ones who keep the city running, so they deserve it. Terry says, not every politician would make that a priority.

Doc goes in to see Heather, and she says, you again. He says he can come back if she’s not up to talking, but she says, it’s all right. She’s just not really sure where all these conversations are leading, except back to a prison cell. He says, all right. Does she know where she is? She says, he needs new material. She’s in the hospital. He says he means specifically, and she says, General Hospital, in good old Port Charles, New York. He asks if she knows what day it is, and she says she wishes. This place is like a casino. No clocks, the lights are on all the time… It’s like she’s a slot machine and he’s a five-card stud. See what she did there? He says, very clever, and she says she knows everybody thinks she’s dumb, but it’s not true. All the horrible things she did weren’t because of stupidity. It was more like… She doesn’t really know how to describe it. He says, try, and she says, it was like her blood was on fire, and the only way to put out that fire was to do something crazy. He says, or highly illegal, and she says, that too. She’s glad her hip’s better. He says, she must be in much less pain, and she says, it’s not just that. Now when they throw her back in the slammer, at least she’ll be able to pace the yard. It’s the small things, doc.

Josslyn says, PCU keeps bugging her about finding a new roommate, but she’s holding out hope, and Trina says she still doesn’t know what she’s going to do about the fall. The Sorbonne is holding a spot for her, but she can’t even think about going back to Paris. She’s not sure if she wants to go back to PCU either. Curtis says, luckily, she still has time to decide, and Josslyn says she can hold out on housing for as long as necessary. Trina thanks her, and Josslyn says, of course (🍷). Anything for her. Curtis says, that’s a real friend, when Dex walks in and sits at a table.

Curtis takes off his shirt (the new Nathan) and tells Comet, let’s get dry. He begins wiping Comet down, when Tracy comes in. She clears her throat, and he says, Matriarch Quartermaine. She says, hard note of that taken, and he says, okey-dokey. What should he call her now? She says she told him, Tracy. Can she have a word? He says, sure, and she says, clothed? He says, sorry about that, and puts on another shirt. He asks how he can help her, and she says she was speaking with someone earlier today and was reminded that she really enjoyed riding. So now that spring has sprung… He says, she really wants to get back up on that horse, and she says she hasn’t actually ridden any of the horses they have now, so she wants one with a sweet temper and an easy gait. He says, don’t we all? and she says, why doesn’t he make himself useful and help her make a selection. He says, follow him, and they go in the back to the stalls.

Trina asks if Josslyn is going to go talk to Dex, but Josslyn says, no, and she doesn’t intend to wait on him either. Curtis says he’s been out of the PI game for a minute and he’s guessing she and Dex aren’t together anymore. Trina says, very astute, and he asks what Josslyn thinks her grandmother would say. Josslyn says, about her relationship status? and Curtis says, Kelly’s, now Bobbie’s, has always been a place where everyone felt welcome. Does she think Bobbie would want a customer ignored? Josslyn says, that’s not fair, but Trina says, he’s not wrong. Curtis says, it is the hospitality business, right? and Josslyn says she’ll ask Hunter to wait on him. She’s the new manager.

Blaze and Kristina sit on a bench and Blaze says she’s sorry the first Kristina heard of her deal with Deception was in an office with Maxie and Nina. Kristina says, it caught her off-guard. She assumed if Blaze had something that big coming up, she would have told her. Blaze says she would have. She should have. But the first time she was approached by the Deception team, nothing came of it. So she didn’t say anything because she thought nothing was going to happen this time either. Then all of a sudden, it was done before she even had time to wrap her head around it. She swears she wasn’t keeping it a secret from Kristina. Kristina says she gets it. The whole thing just blindsided her, but this is very cool for Blaze. She thinks it’s great. It’s really going to broaden Blaze’s demographic. Blaze says she just hopes raising her profile will help her music career, and Kristina says, why wouldn’t it? Blaze says she doesn’t know. It’s a bumpy ride getting there, but the music world, she understands. The fashion and beauty world is a big unknown. Kristina says, fortunately, Blaze has Maxie. There is no one better than her. She’s savvy and she’s chic. She’s also so human. Blaze says, Maxie’s great. What she’s not so sure of is herself. She’s not sure she’ll fit in with what people consider hot or pretty or trendy. Kristina says, she’s beautiful, she’s hot, and she’s trendy. But who cares? That could change in the morning. Blaze says she guesses she’ll find out. But for now, her mom thinks it’s smart to keep her private life private. Is that going to be a problem for them?

Terry signs the document and says, it’s official. She tells Laura, congratulations, and thanks her. Laura says, it’s her pleasure, and Alexis says, since she’s covering this for The Invader, does Terry have any comments? Terry says, public relations isn’t really her strong suit. Can Alexis make something up? Alexis says, funny Terry should ask, because she’s already drafted something up. She takes a paper out of her bag, and says, concise and to the point, handing it to Terry. Terry looks it over, and says, on second thought, maybe she should have their public relations office come up with something.

Doc tells Heather, let’s pretend the restraints don’t exist, and she says, you mean these guys? holding up her hands. He says, and the doctors and the warden have told her that she’s free to go wherever she wants, do whatever she wants. What would that look like? She says she thinks about that all the time, but it’s not what he’d expect. He says, try him, and she says, okay. The first thing she’d do is put flowers on her daughter’s grave. Then she’d remember her daughter’s not in it. So she’d go and take those same flowers to the woman whose husband she killed, the one who’s really beautiful. He says, Sasha Corbin, and she says, yeah. And she’d give them to her instead. And then, if his brother had a will and left her something in it, which – spoiler alert – he didn’t… Doc says, let’s say he did, and she says, then she’d buy a tiny, little house with a yard where her grandson could play. She’d even get one of those playgrounds, the simple kind with the swing and slide and monkey bars. She cries and says, but what good is it to torture herself with things that are impossible? She sinks back down into the bed and says she’s sorry, but he says, no. That’s enough for today. He’ll be back.

Josslyn says, what do you want? and Dex asks if that’s how she talks to all the customers, or is he just lucky? She says, what would you like today, sir? and he says, a lot of things he knows he can’t have, so he’ll settle for a coffee and a grilled cheese, please. She says, coming right up.

Doc tells Portia that he was just in with Heather Webber, and she says, her apologies for that. He says he sees a change in her since her surgery. The difference is, to be honest, quite striking. She says, a difference in Heather? Maybe he should try telling someone who didn’t just almost lose their daughter to that madwoman.

Tracy says, so she plans on riding a few times a week, and Cody says, she won’t regret it. She says, her thighs might, but he says, she’ll be in riding shape in no time. She says, that’s it? He’s not going to try and discourage her? Tell her that she’s too old or fragile; she might break a hip? He says he’s been around long enough to know Tracy Quartermaine’s a lot of things, but fragile ain’t one of them. She says she’s glad he’s paying attention, when Sasha comes back. She says she’s not used to seeing Tracy at the stables, and Cody says, she’d better get used to it. Tracy says, Sasha has to listen to the man. She plans on getting back in the saddle. Pun intended. Sasha says, good for her, and Tracy asks if this is where she’s been spending her time. Sasha says she likes horses, so she asked Cody to put her to work, and Tracy says she’d rather be here too. She’s sorry things didn’t work out between Sasha and Deception. Sasha thanks her and says she really appreciates Tracy going to bat for her. She hopes she didn’t seem ungrateful. She just realized that she didn’t want to spend her days getting her picture taken. Tracy says, that’s definitely Sasha’s prerogative and she gives Sasha credit for making that decision and not going along with what everybody else wants. She tells Cody, see him soon, and he says, adios. Tracy leaves, and he says, that Tracy, all bark, no bite. Sasha gives him a look, and he says, plenty of bite, but she does have her moments. Sasha says, that, she does.

Curtis tells Trina, when he was sitting in that wheelchair, he felt so hopeless. He knew he wasn’t the man he was before, and society didn’t help either. Trina asks what he means, and he says he got to know what it’s like to be disabled in this world. Even if it was unintentional, you get the elbows to the face. You get drinks spilled in your lap, even at his own club. The disrespect was real. She says she’s so sorry he had to go through all that, but he says he’s not. It was a wake-up call. It made him realize that he’s always going to be him. Always, no matter whether he’s seated or he’s standing or somewhere in between. And no one should be made to feel small. No one.

Doc sees Laura with Alexis and says, wife. She says, husband, taking his hands, and he asks what this dynamic duo is up to. Alexis says, he’ll read about it tomorrow in The Invader. Or possibly the next day, depending on how fast the hospital’s PR department can draft an appropriate comment. Laura laughs, and he says, so the contracts are signed. Laura says, they’re signed, sealed, and delivered. From now on, the city employees will have access to GH’s health plan. He tells her, congratulations. He knows the work she put in to make this happen. She says she has to admit, it feels really good, and he asks if she’s headed home or back to city hall. She says, actually, she thought since she’s at the hospital, she should visit Heather. Sort of fulfill her Webber family duties. He says, she’s too good, and she says, she is, isn’t she? He suggests she meet him after, and she says she will. She heads for Heather’s room, and Alexis says, have a good one, but Doc asks if she has a moment. He was wondering if he could run something by her just to get a legal opinion. She says, he knows that she can’t advise him legally. However, she can speak to him as a friend who’s read a few books. He says, fair enough. So hypothetically, let’s say someone has been convicted of horrible, heinous crimes, but we’ve since learned there were mitigating circumstances. Something that wasn’t known during the trial. Not because someone hid it, but because no one knew it existed. She says, he’s talking about Heather Webber, and Portia watches from the reception desk.

Josslyn refills Dex’s coffee and he thanks her. She asks if he’s looking at an employment packet and he says he is. She says she didn’t realize they had employment agencies for bodyguards, and he says he’s trying out a new line of work. She picks up the top page and looks at it. She says, he’s working for the Port Charles Police Department?

Cody finds Sasha with Comet and says he was just reminded of their first photo shoot. Remember? She says, how could she forget? She had the most handsome co-model… the alpaca of course (🍷). Cody says, yeah, he was adorable, when Olivia comes in with a tray of food. Cody says, Mama Q, what’s good? and she asks, what is this? Sasha says, it’s shepherd’s pie; the chicken was bad. Olivia says she knows what it is, but who made it? Where did it come from?

Josslyn says, sorry, it’s just… Dex says, Josslyn Jax, at a loss for words, and she says, this is crazy. He’s going to go from working for Sonny to working for the police? He says, quite a leap, and she says, it’s reckless and stupid. He says, she’s assuming they’ll turn him down, but Anna actually invited him to apply. They’ll accept his military service in place of a college degree. All he has to do is take the test, but who knows? Maybe he’ll fail it. She says, he’s not going to fail the test. He can’t possibly think this is a good idea. He says, why not? and she says, because it makes him even more of a target for Sonny. He says, we can’t all be doctors… What’s that look? Something wrong at school?

Trina picks at her food, and Curtis says, not hungry? She says her appetite’s been pretty weak these days. Besides, it’s this place as well. He says he thought she liked the food here, and she says she does. The food’s amazing. She just doesn’t come here as much, since… He says, right. She and Spencer used to come here a lot. She says, it does sound ridiculous. She can’t even have lunch with her own dad like a normal person. He says, she doesn’t sound ridiculous. She sounds like someone whose heart’s been broken.

Kristina says, as long as she and Blaze can be their authentic selves, be who they are with their friends and family, that’s enough for her. Blaze asks if she’s sure. All she’s done so far with Deception is sign a contract. She can pull out of the deal. Kristina says, Blaze would blow up this deal for her? and Blaze says, that’s the least of what she’d do for Kristina, but Kristina says, no. This could be huge for her career. Blaze says, don’t get her wrong. She wants to be successful, but she also wants to be happy. And Kristina makes her happy.

Laura says she’s sorry she hasn’t come to visit more often, and Heather asks, why would she? Laura’s the mayor; she’s a convict. Laura’s got a city to run and she… doesn’t. Laura says, technically, they’re family. They’re connected through their grandson. Heather says, speaking of. Is he going to be calling Laura mom or grandma, now that she and Doc have adopted him? Laura says she hasn’t really thought about that one yet, but she thinks she has a little bit of time before she crosses that bridge. Heather wonders what his first words will be. She used to wonder that about Esme too. Laura says, Heather is looking really well. How is she feeling? Heather says she’s not in nearly as much pain, and Laura says, good. Heather says, from her hip anyway, and Laura asks if something else is bothering her. Heather says, not physically. But she can’t stop thinking about the disaster that is her life. What has she done? Laura takes her hand.

Alexis says, cobalt poisoning from and artificial hip, and Doc says he knows it sounds like fiction, but it’s real. The official name is metallosis. She says, there is legal recourse. It’s called post-conviction relief. Some say it can be abused, and she knows the governor has tightened up some loopholes over the year. So, in the event of, say, a forced confession, or a coerced guilty plea, suppressed evidence, or evidence that hasn’t been discovered until after the fact, yes, the case can be reopened. He says, so it’s a possibility, and she says, a real one. Eavesdropping from afar, Portia flies down from the desk, and says, please, please tell her they’re not considering letting Heather Webber skate.

Trina says she misses Spencer all the time, but it’s worse in places they used to be together, especially here. And it seems normal. Like in an instant – a literal split second – she’ll forget, and the door will open. She’ll look up, thinking he’s going to be there. Then he’s not. Curtis says he knows their situations are different, but she knows how he had to learn to walk again? She’s going to have to do something similar. She says, how? and he says, it’s going to take patience, grace… It’s definitely going to take time, but broken hearts, like broken bones, do mend themselves together again. Maybe not as strong as they once were in some ways, but miraculously stronger in others. She says she so wants to believe him, and he says, that’s all right. He has enough faith for both of them. She will love again, and she will be loved again, and he can say that with utmost certainty. She tells him that he has to say that, he’s her dad, but he says, no. Because there’s no one on this planet more deserving of love than her.

Josslyn tells Dex, it’s fine. She’s just not sure pre-med is for her anymore. He says, since when? and she says she’s been rethinking a lot of her decisions lately. He says, she told him she wanted to be a healer, that’s all, and she says, you can heal the world in plenty of other ways. Look at what pre-med did to Adam. He says, she’s not Adam, and she says she also sees how hard Trina’s mom works. And the patients aren’t always grateful or even good people. He says, patients like Cyrus Renault? and she picks up the coffee pot and leaves.

Sasha says she used the vegetables and potatoes Olivia had already prepped and found some ground beef in the fridge. She hopes that was okay. Olivia says, okay? and Cody says he can’t tell. Did that mean okay or not okay? Olivia says, it’s amazing, and Cody says, it meant okay. Sasha says, really? and Olivia says, absolutely. It’s delicious. Sam, Dante, and the kids are going to be so psyched. A, to have a homecooked meal, and B, it’s not one of her standard recipes, which she’s sure they’re sick of. Cody says, it does smell good, and Sasha says, Brando always liked it. (So do I. Stop talking about it.) Olivia says, how could he not? and thanks Sasha. Sasha says she’s glad to help, and Olivia says she’ll deliver this and make sure Sasha gets the credit. She’ll see them later. She leaves, and Cody says, wow. Sasha is just racking up the hidden talents. She has selling beauty products, ax throwing, shoveling horse manure. Now she has chef extraordinaire. What’s next? Sasha says she’s no slouch at curling or ice fishing either. He says, this he’s got to see, and she says, stick around and he just might.

Tracy walks into the nook and sees a paper bag on the counter. She slides out a birthday cake that says Birthday girl on it, and says, oh good Lord. She leaves the cake on the counter and walks out.

Trina asks if Curtis is ready, and he says, let’s do this. She helps him walk to the door, and says, he’s cool. He says he’s got this.

Josslyn plops Dex’s grilled cheese and fries on the table. The sandwich is burned and looks like there’s not much cheese in it. She probably spit in the fries. She says, anything else? and he says, nope. Looks great. He picks up the sandwich and takes a bite. (I laugh at how he’s just ignoring it.)

Portia says, this is insane. Doc has to know this. Laura approaches, and Doc says, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Just listen… Portia says she’s listening to everything they’re saying. It makes no sense. Laura wonders what she’s interrupting and asks if everything is okay. Doc says, everything is fine. Really. How was her visit with Heather? Laura says, actually it was surprisingly calm and uneventful. Has Portia noticed a change in Heather? She would love to get her thoughts about Heather’s progress. Portia says, Laura wants her thoughts on Heather Webber? Let her see. Don’t try to sell her on this. Poor, misunderstood Heather Webber? That woman is a murderer. She pulled one over on everyone and they’re going to let her do it again? Alexis says, of course (🍷) this is very personal to Portia… and Portia says, of course (🍷) it’s personal for her. Alexis says, Doc was just asking her if there was any legitimate legal reason… Portia says, no, no, no. She doesn’t want to hear it. She doesn’t want to hear any of that, especially from Alexis, considering she doesn’t practice law anymore. And after this, she thinks she’s seeing why. Alexis says, don’t hold back, and Portia says she won’t. She doesn’t care how nice or how changed or how victimized Heather seems to be to them. How much time has Laura actually spent with her? How much time has she actually spent with that woman? A moment here, a moment there? Why doesn’t Laura try being her or a member of her staff who actually had to deal with her unhinged madness 24/7? And just so they know, this doesn’t even touch on the pain she’s caused Portia’s family and countless other families. So if they want to bring her case in front of a judge and jury, she wants them to do it. Because she’ll fight it. She’ll fight them with every breath that is in her body.

Tomorrow, Carly tells Josslyn that only she knows the answer to that; Anna says she’ll consider it if Brennan gives her something in return; John says, Drew can be sent back to Pentenville; Dante asks if Sam thinks she might have made a mistake; and Sonny wonders if he can ask Natalia something she may not like.

💎 Not So Divine…

Maybe she better watch the show first.

What if she does it for scale?

🛟 Primary In Her Own Mind…

About that freeloader Jill.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-13265725/rhony-jill-zarin-deck-worst-guest.html

Cry me a river.

🔪 No Croquettes For You…

The latest in Chefs.

https://people.com/top-chef-recap-episode-3-buddha-lo-calls-out-chefs-for-all-making-croquettes-8624513

🚣‍♂️ Don’t Go In the House…

I thought Kyle got rid of the mullet. It looks like it’s creeping back in. I actually didn’t watch much of this because A, I just can’t, and B, there was a great documentary on VICE about the early Real World shows. When it was an actual show and not just drunken hot tub sex.

https://people.com/summer-house-recap-lindsay-hubbard-didnt-want-kyle-cooke-as-a-groomsman-wedding-to-carl-radke-8624898

What I really don’t get are the spin-off people. Didn’t they see the show before signing up? Do they really want to be playing beer pong into middle age?

🦝 Will Work For Scraps…

It would have been nice to hear how these people came to have a raccoon as a pet. My chihuahua El Wray would be a shoo-in if he didn’t growl at everything bigger than him. Which is most of the world.

https://people.com/florida-rescue-raccoon-louie-wins-cadburys-annual-easter-photo-contest-8621406

🐈 Nervous As a Cat In a Room Full Of Big Dog Breeds…

Slide into my blog tomorrow for soap and mix of amusing diversions. Until then, stay safe; stay minding your CC’s and BCC’s, and don’t always reply to all; and stay remembering that no one should be made to feel small. No one.

April 3, 2023 – The Wedding Plans Change Again, Sudsy Stuff, Dead Talk, VanderEmo, The Queen’s Villa, Farewell To a Funny Man, Parade & Rainbow

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Chase and Brook visit Dante, who says he’s resting up for all the dancing he’s going to do at their wedding. Chase says he’s going to need a little more than dancing from Dante.

Tracy sees Gregory at the hospital, and says, this is a nice surprise. He says he’s here so often, he should pay rent. He could put in a little café table and have his own Bobbie’s. She says she thinks the seating would be too limited to be profitable. What’s on his docket today? He says, Dr. Cramer. He’s having a follow-up. Her? She says she just had a blood draw for her annual wellness visit with Dr. Randall. It’s a perk of being a board member, although she thinks they’re playing a little fast and loose with the term perk in this context. He says he remembers when his doctor visits were annual. Looking back, it was a perk. Elizabeth comes by and says, if he’s ready, they can go to the exam room. He says he’s as ready as he’ll ever be. Maybe he’ll see Tracy later. He leaves with Elizabeth.

Kristina goes to Nina’s office at Crimson, and Nina says she’s so glad Kristina decided to stop by. Kristina says she wants to clear the air. She’s really not okay with what Nina did to Carly and Drew – she closes the door – but she is willing to accept Nina made an impulsive decision that spiraled out way beyond what she ever intended. Nina says, yes, that’s it exactly, and Kristina says, one bad decision doesn’t negate all the good Nina’s done, and she has done a lot of good, especially for Kristina’s dad. She knows how happy he was when he was with Nina, and even if he never admits it, she knows he misses Nina.

Cody pushes around hay in a stall, when Sasha comes in wearing super cute overalls that would look incredibly stupid on me, and says, put me in, coach. He asks if she’s sure, and she says, yes. She got her check from Deception and now she can finally do something besides worry about how she looks. He says, she still looks too good for this place, but she says, nothing and no one is too good for this place, and that’s a fact. He says, Comet isn’t here. She can save her flattery. He asks if her overalls are new, and she says, they may or may not be. As he knows, she’s looking for her new purpose in life. He asks if she thinks she’s going to find it here in one of these stalls. Believe it or not, this isn’t exactly the resumé builder she might think it is. She says, honestly, she doesn’t know what she’s looking for or where she’s going to find it. But she figured if she’s someplace comfortable that makes her happy, inspiration might find her sooner. So if it’s okay with him… He asks if she’s sure, and she says, come on. Put her to work. What’s the worst that can happen?

Elizabeth takes Gregory’s temperature and says, everything looks good. How is he feeling? He says he’s like to be honest with her, if he may, and she says she hopes he’s always honest with her. He says, unless he’s mistaken, this was a standard follow-up, and yet somehow, it merits the attention of the head nurse of a very busy hospital. She says she assists doctors and nurses all the time, but he says, she has more important things to do and they both know it. She says, he is important, and he thanks her. He says, while he’s honored to have her look in on him, he was hoping to keep some aspects of his life private, and she says she’s sorry if she made him feel his privacy hasn’t been respected. He says, she’s always very respectful, but as his disease progresses, he would like to keep his patient life completely separate from the other parts of his life. She says she understands, and he says, she’s very important to her son and to him, so he realizes that may be easier said than done. She says, not at all. It’s not a problem. He says he means no offense. He hopes she knows that. She says, none taken, and she hopes he knows that she never meant to presume. He says he does, and she says, if he’s ready, she’ll let Dr. Cramer know that he’s here. She thanks him for telling her, he thanks her, and she leaves.

Chase tells Dante that he and Brook were planning on downsizing the wedding to a civil ceremony at city hall and a family only reception at the Quartermaines. Brook says, they didn’t see the point in throwing a big bash without him there, and Chase says, they want him to be a part of it. Finn is going to be his best man, but he’d be honored if Dante would be his groomsman. Dante says, the honor would be his, and Brook says, that would be so wonderful, except she doesn’t want to put any pressure on him. Being a groomsman involves a lot of standing and walking and dancing and drinking. Does he think he’ll be ready for all that? Dante says, they’re getting married in like, a month. He’d better be ready. Brook says she hopes she is too. She has so much to do. Chase says, whoa, and she says, no. He’s been wonderful, but let’s face it, it’s crunch time. They still have a million details to lock down, and decisions to be made, and a seating chart that has to be finalized. Dante says he doesn’t care where he sits, but when the dancing starts, he wants to be dance with Brook after Chase, not some rando cousin. First Chase, then him. Chase says he booked that spot for his dad on Brook’s dance card, and Dante says, of course (🍷). He’s a gentleman. How’s his dad doing? Chase says, he’s not looking too great at the moment. He’s also not too good at telling them what his doctors have to say. Brook says, maybe he just wants a tiny bit of privacy, and Chase says, if he had it his way, he wouldn’t have told them he was sick at all. Brook says, that is because he’s a self-sufficient adult who’s losing control of his body and who he chooses to share or keep things private from is one of the few ways he still has agency. Chase says, but they’re his family. They love him and just want to help. Brook says, he just wants to be Chase’s dad. Not his dad who needs his help. Everybody deserves a little privacy sometimes, even from their family who loves them the most. Sam comes in and says, this is a nice surprise. She kisses Dante and gets next to him in the bed. He says, she just kissed a groomsman. So now they have to get him in rehab so he’s ready to go. She says, between her and the kids, they’ll have him fixed, and Brook says, good luck. He’s not known for his patience. Sam says she’s way ahead of them there, and Chase says, they’re heading out, so if Dante needs anything… Dante tells him to go protect and serve and stuff, and Chase says he’s on it. They leave, and Sam says she was going to take Dante on his morning walk, but he says he already walked with Chase. For a 90-year-old man, he didn’t do too bad. She looks at her phone, and he asks, what’s going on? A new case? She says, sort of. She asked Danny’s best friend at school to text her if he ditched any classes. So far, so good. Dante says, maybe she’s giving him a bit of a hard time, but she says, Danny’s made some bad decisions lately. She doesn’t know if she can trust him. She certainly can’t trust his father.

Nina says, Kristina thinks Sonny misses her? and Kristina says she does. That’s why Ava and Avery are still at his place. It fills up the quiet and helps him forget what he lost. She doesn’t know if Nina and her dad will ever work things out, but she hopes that they do. That’s all she came here to say. Nina thanks her and says, it means so much to her. Kristina says she’s always liked Nina and wants the best for her, whatever that might be. Nina says she wants the best for Kristina too, whatever is going on in her life. She looks at Kristina’s bump, and Kristina says she’s pregnant with Molly and TJ’s baby. She’s their surrogate. Nina says, that’s wonderful. What an amazing, generous thing she’s doing. Kristina says, it’s amazing, but it’s also difficult. The morning sickness has been hard, but the hardest part has been not being able to tell everyone. For the longest time she’s wanted to shout it from the rooftops and tell strangers on the street, I’m having a baby! She means she’s having a niece or nephew baby. Nina says, it’s probably the hormones talking, when there’s a knock at the door. Nina says, it’s her 10 o’clock, and Kristina says she’ll leave Nina to it. It was great to see her. Nina says, it was very, very nice (WOTD) to see her too, and thanks her for reaching out. Kristina says, of course (🍷), and opens the door. Blaze is there with Maxie, who says hi to Kristina. Maxie says she’s sure Nina recognizes her, but she wanted to introduce her to the new Face of Deception. She introduces them, and Nina says, of course (🍷) she recognizes Blaze. She’s a big fan, and congratulations. Blaze, who has barely looked at Kristina, thanks Nina and says, it’s nice to meet her too. Nina says she remembers Blaze from Sonny’s compound in Puerto Rico when they got married, and Blaze says, belated congratulations to her. Nina thanks her and says, so Blaze remembers Kristina, and Blaze says she absolutely remembers Kristina. Nina says, a big change for Deception, and Maxie says, it’s very new and Nina is among the very first to find out. Nina says she would hope so, since this is Crimson after all. Kristina says she’s going to head over to GH to visit her brother, so she’ll let them get down to business. She tells Blaze, wow. The Face of Deception. She can really see it. (Ouch!) Congrats. She leaves and Blaze looks unhappy.

While helping Cody, Sasha says she grew up around horses. She used to love brushing them and feeding them. She would just sit on the fence and watch them do horse things. Cody says, horse things. She really is sounding like a ranch hand. She says, one day her neighbor put a saddle on a horse and let her mount. She did and she fell off like, a dozen times, but she never cried, and she kept getting back up. So eventually, they a saddle just for her. The rest is history. He says, and maybe her future if her love of horses and stables continues. She says she loves being here… at the stables. What about him? What does he look forward to in his post-Deception future? He says he’s doing it right now.

In the breakroom, Elizabeth tells Finn that his dad had an appointment with Dr. Cramer and she told his assistant that she’d do Gregory’s pre-appointment check-in. He asks if everything’s okay, and she says, everything is fine, but he did tell her – in the kindest, sweetest way possible – that she’s overstepping. Which means… He says, that they’re all overstepping, and she says, mm-hmm. Finn says, that’s his dad and he loves him. They’re all just trying to support him. She says, it’s possible their support makes him feel like they’ve already decided, without consulting him, that the time has come for them to take over, but it hasn’t. Because he can still make his own decisions and do things for himself and really, they have to let him. Finn says he always feels like he doesn’t do enough for him, and she says, because he always feels like he should be doing more for everyone else all the time. It’s who he is. He says he doesn’t know. He reached out to this buddy of his who’s a neurologist to see if he had any advice for them. She says, and? and he says, they didn’t get much of a chance to talk. They worked Doctors Without Borders together in the Ukraine, literally putting people back together in a war zone. It made him kind of miss those days. It made him feel useless with what he’s doing here. She says, it must be contagious, and he asks what she’s talking about. She says, that’s how she feels at home right now, useless with Jake. Everything she does or says is wrong and she feels like she’s making everything worse. He says, she’s being hard on herself. She’s an amazing mom. She says she didn’t feel that way when Jason came by yesterday. It was a complete trainwreck.

Gregory tells Dr. Carter, fair to say things aren’t improving, and the doctor says he’s worried about Gregory’s shortness of breath. It’s gotten a little worse. Gregory says, but it’s manageable if he doesn’t push it, which he can accommodate, with one exception. Dr. Carter says, which is? and Gregory says he needs to know if he can still preside over his son’s wedding. The doctor says he’s not a psychic, and Gregory says he’ll settle for an educated guess. Can he make it through the month speaking and walking under his own steam? Dr. Carter says, this is no more than his educated guess, okay? But he thinks a month is a safe bet. Gregory says, and when his son comes by asking for an update… The doctor says he won’t discuss a patient with anyone, not even another doctor, without he patient’s express permission. Gregory says, that’s what he was hoping to hear, and thanks him.

Nina says, it was a pleasure meeting Blaze, they shake hands, and Blaze leaves. Maxie says, that person? That’s not an act. That’s who she actually is. Nina says she does need to know. What happened to Sasha?

Sam tells Dante that she doesn’t think she’s ever felt so betrayed in his life. She thought – they all thought – Jason was dead, and he shows up out of nowhere, and tells their son to keep a secret from him. With no explanation, no idea where he’s been the past two years. She doesn’t know if Jason is different or if she’s actually seeing him clearly for the first time. Kristina says, knock-knock. Is it a good time for visitors? Sam says, yeah, and Kristina hugs Dante. She says, it’s about time he woke up. Not that he did that on purpose or anything, but maybe try to be a little more careful next time? Dante says he’s all about the caution, but she’s done some growing. Kristina says, isn’t it crazy? She’s been waiting and waiting and waiting to show, and it finally happened. Stella walks in and apologizes for the interruption, but how would Dante feel about going home today?

Tracy asks how Gregory’s appointment went, and he says, the doctor thinks with some rest and some medications and continued use of his CPAP machine for breath support, he should be in good shape for Chase’s wedding. She says, he must be so relieved, and he says he is. She says she’s guessing Alexis will be relieved as well, and he asks, why is that? She says, Alexis is a very accomplished, bright woman… He says, spare him the preamble, and she says, but she’s not particularly close to Chase or Brook, and were it not for him, she wouldn’t make the guest list.

Nina tells Maxie, that’s more or less what Sasha said to her. As long as it’s Sasha’s decision, she’s behind her 100%. Maxie says, so they circled back to Blaze and the timing is perfect. Blaze expands their youth market and she’s got a flawless complexion which they’d really like to pair with their new face cream. If they do it right, it could be huge. Nina says, definitely. She’s on board 100% for all of it. Isn’t it really nice what Kristina is doing, acting as a surrogate for her sister and TJ? Does she think it would be too much if Nina sent Sonny just a casual note, congratulating him? Because that baby is going to be his great niece or nephew. (I get confused for a moment, thinking it’s his grandchild, because biologically, it kinda is.) Maxie says, that depends. Does she care if Sonny casually throws that note in the trash? Nina says, Maxie… and Maxie tells Nina that she said it herself. Her marriage is over. Nina says, not legally, and Maxie says, not yet. Nina says, Kristina was just in here, so she thinks it’s only natural if she offers good wishes, and Maxie says, to Molly and TJ, and then to Kristina. Nina says, and Maxie thinks it looks desperate if she also includes Sonny.

Tracy tells Gregory that she has time before her appointment with Dr. Randolph. She was going to get a cup of coffee while they run her bloodwork. Would he care to join her? He says, more than he could express. But his mission, which he had to accept, is just getting started. He has to have his blood drawn and an EKG, and then a nerve conduction study. She says, that’s a full day, and he says, there was a time ALS was just his diagnosis. Now it’s his fulltime job. She says, he’s much more than his diagnosis. He’s much more than a patient. He says, it’s hard to remember that on a day like today, and she says, let her remind him. He is terrifically charming… and a wonderful conversationalist, and he’s intellectually challenging, and… he’s not bad to look at. He laughs and says, you, vixen, you (then I laugh), and walks down the hall.

Finn says, Jake has more reason than most to be shaken up by Jason’s appearance, and Elizabeth says, shaken? That’s a mild way to describe it. His anger with Jason is all over the place right now. Finn supposes that’s understandable. How is it otherwise seeing Jason again? She says, it’s strange. He’s just so vague about everything. Where he’s been, what he’s been doing, why he never reached out to anyone. He’s never been a big talker, but even for him, it was maddening. He says he knows a little bit about that. Some of his past relationships, the things he just accepted… He wonders how that was ever enough for him. He thinks about her and what they have and it’s deeper. She says she feels the same way. She can’t believe she settled for someone so limited in what they could or would share of themselves with her. She’s glad she got it right this time. He says, him too, when Chase pops in with Brook and asks if they’re allowed in here. Finn says, they’ll bend the rules, and Elizabeth asks if everything is okay. Brook says, perfectly fine. Except… Chase says, they need Finn’s help to save their wedding.

Kristina asks Dante to try and spend some time with their dad if he can. Their dad’s been worried about him. They’ve all been really worried about him, but dad has been blaming himself. Dante says he will. Sonny can come visit him and he can get his exercise walking down the hall to see Sonny. She asks what he thinks, and he says, about what? She says, Ava’s still living there. With Avery of course (🍷), but the whole thing just seems a little weird. He agrees it’s weird, but he doesn’t think Sonny’s going to care one way or the other what he thinks about Ava living there. But he’ll keep an eye on it. She says, maybe just in his spare time. The most important thing is, she wants him to focus on a full recovery. He says he’s way ahead of her there, when Sam comes in. Kristina tells Dante that she loves him, and he says he loves her too. She tells Sam to let her know if they need anything, and Sam says, will do. Kristina leaves, and Sam says, there’s general rejoicing about Dante going home from the hospital today. He says, as there should be, and she says, but she did tell Olivia, no visitors until tomorrow. She knows he’s going to be exhausted tonight. He says he’s just going to be happy he’s home, and she asks if everything is all right with Kristina. He says yeah. Why does she ask? She says, it’s just something she picked up on when Kristina was in here. If it’s private, he doesn’t have to say anything to her. She shouldn’t even be asking. He says, no. She’s just worried about their dad, and more importantly, the fact that Ava’s living with him. She thinks it’s weird. So does he.

Nina says, Maxie thinks sending Sonny a casual note, and nothing more, comes across as her looking desperate? Really? Maxie says, yes, really. Because she is desperate. Nina says she’s not desperate. She just misses Sonny, that’s all. She doesn’t want her marriage to be over. Maxie tells her that she’s saying all the right words, but it’s her tone that gives her away. She wants Sonny back and she’s willing to do anything. Nina says she has two things that give her hope that she can get him back. The first thing is, she hasn’t signed the divorce papers yet. Maxie sighs, and Nina says, the second thing is, she has a secret weapon.

Sasha and Cody take a break, and Sasha says she must admit, Cody’s post-Deception life has very good coffee. He says he has a connection that can get him Corinthos Coffee whenever he wants, and she says, what more can he ask? He says, not much. He’s not one of those guys that’s sweaty with want. He likes his job. He gets paid enough to cover basic expenses, he’s got his own room and board, and Monica enrolled him in GH’s HMO, in case one of these buckos kicks him or puts a nail in his hand instead of a horseshoe. She asks if that’s ever happened, and he says, not here. But he hasn’t – believe it or not – always been the consummate horse whisperer she sees before her. Don’t tell James though. James will never let him live it down. She says, he is Maxie’s son, and Cody agrees and says, he’s a fun little dude. Leo too. Sometimes they have more kids here than horses. He loves it. It’s kind of like being part of a family. She says, he does actually have a family he could be part of if he’d just come clean with Mac, and he says, that might be a little bit more than he can handle. Horses are enough… What? She says, nothing, but he says, come on. Tell him the truth. Did he make himself sound like too much of a loner?

Tracy finds Stella reading a magazine in the Bistro. Looking over Stella’s shoulder, Tracy says she doesn’t think women should color their hair. Stella says, there’s a shock. She doesn’t think she could carry the green off anyway. Tracy says she doesn’t think the model does either. She happens to have some time to kill before the appointment Stella relentlessly insisted she make with Dr. Randolph. May she join Stella? Stella says, yes, she may, and she’s not apologizing for insisting. She needs to get back soon too. She just needed a cup that wasn’t from the hospital cafeteria. Tracy says she’d rather be audited, and Stella says she heard Deception’s new Face person was a woman of color. Tracy says, yes, Blaze, and Stella says, you sure wouldn’t know from anything in here. Tracy says, it’s too soon. She just signed on. By the way, in those magazines, women of any color make her feel like she’s from another planet. Oh, to be young. Stella laughs and says, amen, sister. Amen.

Tracy says, while she’s sitting here waiting for her blood to be centrifuged, may she ask Stella a question? Stella says, yes, she may, and Tracy asks why she’s still working. Doesn’t she want to retire? Stella says, and do what? Knit? If she was in Baltimore, she’d have a whole group of friends, mostly widows that she could hang out with, but if she didn’t have anything better to do with her life than play matchstick poker on Thursday nights with the family, she’d lose her mind. Tracy asks why she doesn’t play for money, and Stella says, fear… theirs. They laugh, and Stella says, but Tracy is from here. She knows everybody. Tracy says she does. She knows hundreds of people. But social acquaintances are just that. They’re cordial, superficial… Not that it bothered her mother. Her mother was gracious to everybody. She had more friends than she knew what to do with. Stella says she gathers Tracy takes after her father, and Tracy says she does. And she was proud of it. She’s still proud of it, but truthfully, it has its disadvantages. She doesn’t have a lot of deep, meaningful relationships with people, and one of the very few, she… he… He’s otherwise occupied.

On the phone, Finn says, Simon is absolutely right… He will… Thank you. He tells Chase and Brook that dad’s doctor won’t tell him anything about how he’s doing. Patient confidentiality and all that. He didn’t have to ask before because he used to go to all of Gregory’s appointments with him. Then Gregory asked him to stop. Chase says, so if they want to find something out… Finn says, dad’s going to have to tell them himself, if and when he chooses to, and Brook says, until his father decides to talk, can Finn please help them pull their wedding back from the brink? Elizabeth asks, what happened? She thought they had everything under control. Chase says, it seemed like dad was getting worse, then Dante was in the ICU. So instead of just canceling it altogether, they just thought they’d downsize. Brook says, significantly, and Elizabeth asks, how significant? Brook says, a courthouse wedding, two witnesses, Chase in a suit and tie, and her in something understated. No gown, no veil… Elizabeth says, they can relax because Dante’s being discharged, and Chase says, and now dad’s holding his own. Brook says, and now they want everything to go back to the way they originally planned it. Finn says, absolutely. They’re here for them, whatever they need. Elizabeth says, let’s get you guys married in the style you deserve, and Chase tells Brook, see? Everything’s going to work out.

Nina tells Maxie that Ava and Avery are still at Sonny’s because of security reasons, and Ava can act as her advocate. Maxie looks like she has a headache and says, if Nina was depending on Ava for anything, she’s going to be disappointed. Nina says she disagrees, and Maxie says, let’s name one selfless or generous thing that Ava has ever done. Not a nice gesture. She’s talking about something real where Ava put someone else ahead of herself. Nina says, Ava has nothing at stake here. She trusts Ava to act in her best interests. Maxie says she doesn’t think Nina knows what her best interests really are. Any man she has to plot to get back isn’t a man she’s going to keep. And to be honest, she never liked Nina as Sonny’s wife anyway. Nina asks, since when? and Maxie says, since she started being Sonny’s wife. It took over Nina’s life, and frankly, Maxie never thought she’d become one of those women. The Nina she knows was erased by Mrs. Corinthos, and she misses her Nina.

Sasha says she doesn’t think Cody is a loner. She’s spent enough time with him to know better. He says, that’s a relief, and she tells him that she would say there’s something a little aloof. He asks if that’s because he doesn’t give her long, lustful looks and try to manhandle her, and she says, then he’d be trading aloof for creepy. He says, she knows what he means. She made it very clear she’s not ready for anything. She says she knows, and she likes how comfortable and easy it is between them. He says, him too. That’s why he’s kept his very significant interest at bay. But he has to be honest. Sometimes he thinks two or three days of manhandling could be fun too.

Tracy asks Stella if it isn’t hard to work with people who are suffering. How does she keep from feeling sorry for them? Stella says, sometimes she can’t. But she doesn’t let those feelings keep her from treating that person as a person. They’re much more than the terrible thing that’s happening to them. Tracy thanks her and says she appreciates that. She has a friend that’s going to appreciate it as well. Nothing annoys him more than being handled. As a matter of fact, it annoys her as well. Stella says she never would have guessed. If Tracy is up for some matchstick poker, she’d be happy to leave Tracy humbled. Tracy asks how she feels about backgammon, and Stella says, love it. Be happy to beat you at that too. Tracy says, she’s on, and Stella says, all right, sister, and they clink coffee cups.

Sam’s phone chimes and Dante asks if it’s his mother asking what she should bring for dinner. Sorry. Or is that Danny? Sam says, it’s actually her mother seeing if they need anything when he gets home. And yes, she does admit she was checking to see if there’s an update on Danny and there isn’t one. He says, that’s good news, right? and she says, for today. But what about tomorrow or next week? They know Danny, and when he decides to do something, he does it. She knows he’s going to try and see Jason again. Dante says, maybe there’s a compromise in there somewhere, but she says she doesn’t think so. Danny being anywhere near Jason is dangerous. Dante is actual, living proof of that. He tells her not to blame Jason, but she says she does blame Jason for putting Danny in danger. And she will make sure it never happens again.

Gregory walks into the breakroom, and says, excuse him, but the desk nurse said he could find Finn in here. Finn asks what he can do for him, and Gregory asks if he called Dr. Cramer about his condition. Finn says, yeah. He just wanted to check in with him, and Gregory says, from now on, he’d appreciate it if Finn would check in with him. Finn says, understood. How did his appointment go? Gregory says, Dr. Cramer told him that he might have had a little slump, but he’s much better now. Finn says, that’s good news, and Elizabeth says, Chase and Brook just left. Does Gregory want her to call them? Maybe they can give him a ride home. Gregory says he can get his own ride, and tells Finn, don’t end run him again. He leaves, and Finn says, Elizabeth is right. He needs to step back. This is going to be hard. She hugs him.

Brook says she knows she and Chase have a thousand details to finalize, but the venues are booked, the flowers have been picked, the menus are approved. Her dress is still a work in progress. Chase says, what about the honeymoon? and she says, excuse me? He says, you, me, alone together somewhere romantic? She says, ha-ha, funny. They’re going to Palm Beach. Unless… Did he cancel the reservation? That would be totally fine, and they can probably just rebook it… He says, they still have their reservation, and she says, don’t scare her like that. He says he’s just checking in. Is she sure she wants to go to Palm Beach? She says, absolutely. They already went over the places that are in their price range. He says, his price range. Her family is paying for this big wedding; he wants to cover the honeymoon. She says, and he is, and it’s going to be amazing. She’s never been to Palm Beach, but everybody tells her it’s gorgeous. And the hotel they picked looks exquisite. He asks if she has any other superlatives that she wants to throw in there, and she says, just one. They are going to Palm Beach as Mrs. and Mr. Harrison Chase, and that will be perfect. She kisses him and leaves, and he says he can do better than perfect.

Tomorrow, Josslyn says, Dex can’t possibly think this is a good idea; Laura tells Terry that they need only one Chief of Staff to sign off; Heather asks Doc, what need is there to torture herself with things that are impossible; and Blaze asks Kristina if that’s going to be a problem for them.

🧼 All the Soap That’s Fit To Print…

So glad they said something. I thought maybe I’d had it wrong all this time. Although Jack and John are sometimes interchangeable. I have no clue why and always thought it was weird.

I thought it was probably regarding the time Carly subbed for Sonny too.

There are worse jobs.

I wasn’t worried.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/cameron-mathison-says-his-new-series-wont-affect-gh

These two are super cute.

Reeling in the years.

In their Easter bonnets, or not.

⚰️ About Those Ones…

The consensus is, maybe or maybe not on Season 2.

https://ew.com/the-walking-dead-the-ones-who-live-creators-season-2-future-8622369

I love Andrew Lincoln saying [it] would’ve been a bit rude to kill off Michonne and Rick at the end. So very British.

https://ew.com/the-walking-dead-the-ones-who-live-finale-ending-explained-8622179

Someone actually took the time to make a detailed log.

https://thecosmiccircus.com/walking-dead-the-ones-who-live-review

🍸 VanderTease…

Like the last one wasn’t emotionally draining.

https://extratv.com/2024/04/01/lisa-vanderpump-teases-emotionally-draining-pump-rules-reunion-exclusive

🏰 Past the Rules…

I haven’t had a chance to check this out yet, but since LVP can do no wrong, I know I’ll love it.

https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Culture/lisa-vanderpump-vanderpump-villa-decadent-naughty-poignant/story?id=108727696

🧛🏻‍♂️ Goodbye Count Floyd…

SCTV was the best sketch comedy show ever. Even in its best years, SNL paled by comparison.

https://people.com/joe-flaherty-freaks-and-geeks-actor-dead-at-82-8623637

🐥 Peep This…

I’ve never gone to it, but this thing gets pretty crowded. I’d have to carry my dogs in tote bags or something.

🪺 Bobbin’ Like a Robin…

Join me tomorrow for soap and whatever gems can be mined from the entertainment pages. Until then, stay safe, stay not waiting for the right time (it will never come, so just do it), and stay remembering that any person you have to plot to get back isn’t someone you’re going to keep.

April 2, 2024 – Jason Gets a New Assignment, Circling the VanderDrain, High School Never Ends For Kristen & 500

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Curtis locks his wheelchair, and after struggling for a moment, he stands. Stella comes out and gasps. She asks how long he’s been able to do this.

Drew asks Nina’s assistant if she’s in her office, and Madison says, yes, but… Drew barges into the office, where Nina is on the phone. She sees Drew and says she’ll have to get back to them. She tells Madison that she said she was on a call, and Madison starts to answer, but Nina says, close the door on her way out. Drew says, Nina doesn’t have to pick on her assistant. He didn’t give her a chance to announce him. He just came by to see what she’s up to because he doesn’t know how to do his own work and has nothing better to do.

Dex goes into the station and tells the desk sergeant that he’s here to see Detective Bennet. Bennet says, right here, and Dex says, Dex Heller. Nice to meet him. Dex holds out his hand, but Bennet ignores it and says, follow him. They go into the interrogation room, and Bennet says, have a seat. Dex sits, and Bennet says, Commissioner Devane asked him to interview Dex. He’s an instructor here at the police academy. Dex says he knows. He looked Bennet up. He likes to know who he’s dealing with. Bennet says, so does he. So why don’t they start with the obvious question. Why does he want to be a police officer?

In Sonny’s old kitchen, Donna is dressed for cooking in an apron that says mini chef and chef’s hat. She thanks Carly, and Carly says, it’s a lot of work. Josslyn comes over with a pot of sauce and says, but it’s worth it. Donna wonders what they do first, and Josslyn says, first, they put the pasta sauce in the pan, making a thin layer. Donna says, she can do it, but Josslyn says, how about if she does this, and then Donna can spread it around a little. Carly asks what she should do, and Josslyn says, she can check the noodles and make sure they’re not too hot for Donna. (I don’t see the moss bowl🎍, and have concerns they’re making moss bowl🎍lasagna.) Carly says, check them how? and Josslyn says, touch them. Just don’t pick them up please. Donna says, they don’t want to scare them, and Carly says she’d be insulted if she didn’t know they were right. Josslyn says, they’re lucky she’s so happy today, and Donna asks why Carly is so happy. Carly says, why wouldn’t she be happy. She’s with her girls and her best friend is back. Donna says, Jason Morgan, right?

Anna opens her office door and thanks Jason for coming by. She thanks him for getting himself a phone. She had to wrangle with his lawyer for a good fifteen minutes before she’d relay that message to him. Jason says, Diane is very cautious, and Anna says she doesn’t blame her. she saw Dante. He’s awake. It’s relief. And Jason is exonerated. Jason says, it’s a relief for him too, and Anna says, even though he’s not facing capital murder charges, he’s still in a great deal of trouble and she’s been giving his situation some thought. She thinks they have mutual goals.

Donna asks if Jason is coming for dinner, and Carly says, probably not tonight, but soon. Donna says she wants to meet him, and Carly says, she knows him. She just doesn’t remember. Donna asks if Carly thinks Jason will remember her, and Carly says she knows he’ll remember her. He’s going to be so amazed at how much she’s grown.

Anna says she has information from a special sauce source that Sonny was doing business with Pikeman and suddenly stopped, which could be why he was suddenly targeted. So what can Jason tell her about Pikeman’s internal organization and their areas of involvement? He says, nothing, and she says, why not? Because she already knows he was a part of it. He says he can’t, and she says, because of Agent Cates? He’s on his way over. Her desk phone rings, and she says, send him in. She says, speak of the devil, and tells John, come on in. She thanks him for coming, and says, he already knows Mr. Morgan.

Bennet says, Dex served in the army, and Dex says, he did two tours in Afghanistan, Lahgman and Kandahar. Then he was promoted to a post in Germany. Bennet says, he was discharged for assaulting a superior officer, and Dex says, yes, but he can explain. Bennet says, it wasn’t a dishonorable discharge, so he’s guessing there was some level of provocation. Still, it’s a blemish on Dex’s record just the same. What did he do after he got out? Dex says he worked in private security, and Bennet says he sees that on the application, but he doesn’t see any names or references. Dex says, they were private clients, high profile, rich. He signed non-disclosure agreements. Bennet says, legitimate? and Dex says, yes, sir. Corporate heads, politicians, Silicon Valley guys. Bennet says, what about his last employer? Corinthos Coffee? It’s not included on the application. Why is that? Does he not consider that employer legitimate? Dex says, technically, yes. In reality, no.

Curtis says, honestly, he didn’t know Stella was here, and she says, obviously. He asks where she was, and she says she was in the kitchen dropping off a coconut cake for Trina. It’s her favorite. (I like them too, so if she has an extra…) Now that he knows about her, what about him? He says he’s taken a few steps lately, but he knows he needs a lot more practice, and she says, this is great. Why on earth is he keeping this from his family, especially his wife?

Nina tells Drew that she’s had her hands full with the fall issue, pulling Crimson back from the brink. Carly did huge damage. He says, the only damage that was done during Carly’s tenure was by Nina. She literally ripped out walls to sabotage that first issue, but it went out on time. All her major advertisers, her designers, her collaborators all stayed. There wasn’t a dip in sales or circulation. In fact, there was a little bit of a bump because people were kind of curious to see what Carly would do. She says, if things were so wonderful, then by all means, bring Carly back and she’ll just walk. He says she’s not going anywhere. She’s just a rich, spoiled brat (way to keep an employee), and although she can’t find true love or even a functional relationship, she does have everything money can buy, except for this. This magazine is his and she wants it, she needs it. She says, and he needs her because Carly is long gone.

Michael comes into Sonny’s old kitchen with Wiley, and Carly says, wait a minute. There’s supposed to be four of them. Wiley says, mommy and Amelia aren’t here, and Carly says, what? Wiley says, April fool, and Michael says, Amelia fell asleep on the drive over, so Willow’s upstairs putting her down. (I always think putting them down sounds like they’re shooting a horse or something.) So they’re having lasagna? Donna says, yes, and she made it… She helped. Carly says, a little bit, and Wiley says he can help too. Josslyn says, the lasagna is already in the oven, but they can help her set the table. Wiley says, that’s not fun (agreed), and Josslyn says she gets it, but if they help her, they can play some Star Wars. Donna says she gets to be Darth Vader, and Josslyn says, of course (🍷). She, Donna, and Wiley leave, and Carly says, okay. Before Jason turned himself in, he was with Michael, wasn’t he?

Curtis says, of course (🍷) he plans to tell his wife. He plans to tell all of them, just when he’s better able to walk. Stella does understand that, doesn’t she? She says she thinks she does, looking at his cane. After she had her stroke, she had to relearn things too. Not to the extent he has, but she had to put effort into being whole again. Look at her life differently and think differently about her health. But the hardest thing for her to come to terms with wasn’t just physical, it was mental. Accepting that she couldn’t do everything on her own, that she, too, needed help, that she wasn’t invulnerable. He says he gets it. This has motivated him more than ever. He just doesn’t want his family to have to witness him struggle, witness his baby steps, especially with everything he’s put everyone through. He just wants to be further along. She says she’s beyond thrilled and proud right now. She just wants the rest of the family to be able to experience the joy she’s having right now. They’re all on this journey with him. What happens to him affects them too, especially Portia. She’s been holding it down. Let her have some of this joy. Baby steps or big steps, let her experience it with him. Keeping secrets, even if your aim is true, it can destroy a marriage.

Carly says, Jason didn’t say anything to her, but the Quartermaine estate is the perfect place to hide, and Michael lives at the gatehouse. He says he and Willow were helping Jason, and she says, Willow? He says he knows he blindsided Willow when he told her Jason was shot and needed her help. She stepped right up. She took care of his wound and made sure he had the right medication. Willow’s the reason why Jason had such a good recovery. She says, he didn’t say anything about where he’s been, what he’s been doing? and Michael says, not really. Jason told him that he was picked up by somebody who has leverage over him and they had him working as a mercenary soldier. Did he say anything to her? She says, after the arraignment, Jason went straight to see Michael’s father. She was there, and surprise, surprise, so was Ava. He says, Ava’s been spending a lot of time with him these days, and she says, he thinks Ava is trustworthy and she and Michael are not. Which gives him a pretty good idea of how things went with Jason. He says, obviously, now dad realizes Jason didn’t shoot Dante, and she says, he also knows he was an informant for the FBI. He says, an informant? That’s what Jason couldn’t tell him. She says, and he didn’t say much more than that, which infuriated Michael’s father, and Sonny called Jason a traitor. She tried to calm him down. She tried to fix things, but it didn’t work, so she and Jason left. He asks if Jason said anything else, but she says, not really. They went to Bobbie’s and sat and talked, but he didn’t say anything about where he’s been or the FBI. And there’s a vacant room above Bobbie’s, so that’s where Jason is going to stay. He says, that’s good. It’s easier for him there than at the MetroCourt or… she says, the MetroCourt or with her? and he says, yeah, especially there. He’s been through something. She says she knows. She can see it. But Jason’s going to be okay. He’s got a lot of people pulling for him. Michael says, especially her. He knows it’s been an emotional ride. Is she okay? She says she hasn’t been this okay in a long time, and they hug. Willow comes in and says, Wiley needs Michael. He tells her, say no more, and leaves. Willow asks if she can do anything to help, and Carly says she’s been entrusted with the salad, so Willow can help her with that. Willow says she’s got it, and Carly says, hold on. She knows Willow really put herself on the line to help with Jason. Thank you.

John says he can’t imagine why Jason is here, and Anna says she told him to come. Jason says, Anna knows he’s working for John. He told her. John says, that violates the terms of their agreement, and Jason says, John lied when they made their agreement. Why should I continue to honor that, Jagger? John looks at Anna, and Jason says, John chose not to tell him that he knew him in high school. John knew his family. He knew Jason’s mother. And John engineered a scenario where he had to let her believe he was dead. John asks what it would matter if he told Jason something he can’t remember? It’s too bad about Jason’s personal life, but he took this deal of his own volitions, so don’t lecture him on the consequences of being Jason. Jason says, he couldn’t find anybody else to go after Pikeman? and John says, no one with Jason’s qualifications. No one he had leverage over dropped in his lap. He doesn’t give a damn how Jason feels about this job. He only cares that Jason gets it done.

Drew tells Nina that he’s going to save them both some time. They can keep playing chicken. She threatens to leave him. She goes to HR to star search for a new Editor-in-Chief. Or they can take that energy and focus it on the fall issue. (I was just thinking, Nina should put herself on the cover.) Nina says, let’s be clear here. We are not getting the fall issue out. She’s getting the fall issue out because she’s the driving force behind Crimson. That’s why he begged her to come back. He says he doesn’t beg anybody, least of all her. He came to her because there was a vacancy he needed to fill, and he knows how much she loves this magazine. He thought it was a bit of a win-win. He’s open to the possibility of them working together because they both get something they want. She says, it can’t really be that easy for him. Jason blows back into town and suddenly there’s a vacancy in Carly’s bed. Drew’s out; Jason’s in. He says, it was his choice to end things with Carly, but she says, he got out before Carly could dump him. And he’s standing here telling her that he doesn’t want payback? He asks what payback has ever gotten her.

Stella says, keeping secrets ended Curtis’s first marriage, and this one nearly ended before it got started because of a secret. The marriages that work best are the ones where partners can share. They can lean on each other and go through tough times together. Both he and Portia are strong enough to handle anything. And his desire to protect is admirable, but he’s got to ask himself, if he were Portia, wouldn’t he want to know? Portia conveniently walks in and says she’s home. Curtis wheels around and smiles at her.

Bennet asks Dex to clarify what he meant when he said, technically yes, but in reality, no. Dex says he worked closely with Mr. Corinthos. After a period of time, it became clear his business wasn’t one Dex could support. Bennet says, wasn’t he there nearly two years? and Dex says, it took him a while to figure out how to go about it, but eventually, he got out. He planned on leaving Port Charles for good, but… Bennet says, but what? and Dex says he didn’t like the idea of running away. So instead, he went to see Commissioner Devane. She suggested he become a cop, so here he is.

Willow tells Carly that she was more afraid that she wouldn’t be able to treat Jason correctly than she was about whatever legal jeopardy she’d be in. She was able to bandage him up and bring him antibiotics from the hospital, which lowered his risk of infection. Carly says, she took a huge risk, taking meds from the hospital, and Willow says she won’t lie. She was pretty nervous when the shortage showed up on the computer, but Michael called Spinelli… Carly says, and the shortage disappeared. Willow says, thankfully, and Carly says, Spinelli is a good person to know. Willow says, so is Jason. He helped save her from Shiloh. Michael loves him. So does Carly. He’s important to this family. Carly says, he is, but he was also a fugitive wanted for shooting a cop. And she knows it wouldn’t occur to Michael not to get involved, but it might have occurred to Willow. Willow says, sometimes you’ve got to put your own doubts aside and back the person you love. Michael’s done that for her. It was her turn to do it for him. Carly says she understands that because she knows what it’s like to have a special relationship, and Willow says, she must be relieved now that Jason’s back. So will he be all right now that the charges have been dropped? She still doesn’t understand what kind of trouble he was in or what happened to him. Carly says she doesn’t either. He’s said very little. Willow says, really. She thought Carly and Jason told each other everything.

Anna says, obviously, Jason’s cover is blown. He can no longer work for Pikeman as Alan Jacobs. John says, he can’t work there, but he still has value, and she says, how? They will have adjusted their protocols by now, and she’s sure they’ve relocated any personnel who have come in contact with him. John says, maybe, but he knows too much. Pikeman is going to want to shut him up. Jason is going to stay here in Port Charles. Out in the open. Anna asks if John wants to use him as bait, and John says he wants to draw Pikeman out. Jason says he’s not going to be a walking target in his hometown, surrounded by people he cares about. He’s not going to let anybody wind up as collateral damage. John says, then be real careful. Jason knows how Pikeman operates. Draw them out. He’s willing to bet they’ll send someone senior to deal with him. They turn the tables, take them into custody, and incentivize them to give up whoever runs the company. Jason asks how he’s going to turn the tables, and John says he’s sure Jason will think of something. He has an impressive skill set and he’s good at improvising. So what’s it going to be? Cooperate – Jason walks toward the door – or they use the information they already have and charge Carly Spencer with RICO violations and criminal conspiracy.

Jason says he’ll do what John wants as long as he leaves Carly alone, and John says, as long as Jason holds up his end, he has no use for Carly. Anna suggests they clarify the objective, and John says, Jason shouldn’t have involved her. It’s an FBI investigation. She’s not part of it. She says, but she is. They’ve already been over this. It’s her jurisdiction. She wants in. He says, the whole point of using Jason is, he’s not an agent. How they use Jason is at his discretion. He’s not going to risk a leak or open the door to some interagency turf war at this late date. She asks if he thinks any of that would apply to her. Why would it? He says, come on. She’s WSB and so is Pikeman.

Carly tells Willow, one of the great things about Jason is that even when he can’t tell her what’s going on, she knows she can trust him. He’ll let her in when he can. There were so many times Jason didn’t know what she was doing, but he trusted her anyway. Willow goes to the sink, and Carly asks why she has the feeling there’s something Willow wants to say. (I still haven’t seen the moss bowl🎍, and worry it’s part of the salad Carly is mixing.) Willow says she’s sorry. She didn’t want to bring it up. Drew told her that they broke up. Carly says she didn’t know Drew was going to say something to Willow. Not that it’s a secret or anything – it’s not. She just didn’t know how she’d feel when people found out. How is he? Willow says, she knows Drew. He puts on a game face, but she knows he was hurt. Carly says she loves him. She misses him. He went through so much with her and for her, and she really wanted to return that kind of loyalty, but… she didn’t know Jason was going to come back. Willow says, Drew is a good friend, literally her life saver. She hopes he can put his own life back together and find something that really matters to him.

Drew says, that’s Nina’s problem. When things don’t go her way, she focuses on the wrong thing. (I can’t stand this guy. He consistently talks to women like they’re five.) She says, right now, her problem is that she has a sanctimonious boss who barged into her office and now wants to lecture her about her shortcomings. He says he’s sorry he forgot to include victimhood complex in there. Nothing’s ever her fault, right? That’s how she justifies her actions. When she loses something, she just tries to take something from somebody else in return. Think about it for a second. She lost Nelle. She lied to Carly and made her think that she lost Sonny. She lost Willow and tried to send Carly to prison. Nina says, he’s still defending Carly. How pathetic. The best decision he ever made was to fire Carly and reinstate her. Why is he backtracking now? He says he’s not backtracking now. He’s not rewriting history. He has a very clear mind on what happened, and he has a very clear memory. But that’s in the past and they’re trying to move forward here, right? Hasn’t she ever heard that living well is the best revenge?

Portia says, Stella. This is a wonderful surprise. She’s staying for dinner, right? Stella says, no. She just came by to leave Trina a coconut cake. She left it in the kitchen. Portia says, that’s so thoughtful of her. It’s her favorite. Stella says, her pleasure, and she hopes they have a wonderful evening. She kisses Curtis on the cheek and says she’s sure they have a lot to catch up on. She leaves, and Portia says, Stella ran out of here so fast, she didn’t get a chance to tell her some good news. Dante woke up. Curtis says, that is good news. How’s he doing? She says, he’s amazing. He’s weak, but he’s coherent. Sam and Olivia are over the moon. She’s really happy for them. Does he remember how excited she was when he finally woke up? It felt like she hadn’t taken a breath in months. Then he opened his eyes and look at him now. He says he’d rather look at her, and she says she’d rather look at that cake. She runs into the kitchen. (A woman after my own stomach.)

Drew tells Nina, Carly never wanted to be the editor of Crimson. He talked her into it. She did it for him. Nina says, and it didn’t feel good at all to show her the door? but he says, no. That’s Nina’s petty way of thinking. He doesn’t want Carly to suffer at all. He gets nothing from that at all. He wins when he focuses on himself and builds something for himself. If she could only do that, focus on her talents and what she has and get out of her own way, she could probably eventually be happy. She says she was happy, happier than she’s ever been in her life. Does he know why? Because she had a family. Her surviving daughter was back in her life, she had two wonderful grandchildren, she was married to a man she loved and who loved her. She had a job she was great at too, and what does she have now? Nothing, except for Crimson, which is all she started with in the first place. He says, she bears no responsibility for those turn of events? Everything she claimed Carly had to begin with. Nina says she did not want anything from Carly. Things just happened the way they happened, and yes, she takes responsibility for keeping the truth about Sonny being alive in Nixon Falls from his family, but once Sonny remembered, it was his choice, and he chose her. She didn’t force him. It was Sonny’s decision. He says, she’s so big on choice. What about accountability? She asks if he wants to talk accountability. How about Carly? She chose to buy shares of Aurora and commit a crime, but was she held accountable? No. Carly always gets the pass. She even had Drew take the fall for her. He says, after Nina turned them in to the SEC, and she says, which was perfectly legal. But apparently unforgivable for her. Now she’s exiled from the man she loves and the only family she was ever able to call her own. Is that fair?

Josslyn sets the lasagna on the kitchen island, and Carly says, that’s so beautiful. It smells like heaven. Josslyn thanks her and says, it’s a great recipe. Carly asks when she learned how to cook lasagna. When did she learn to cook anything from scratch? Josslyn says, Dex was teaching her how to cook. He’s really good at it. Carly says, she misses him, huh? and Josslyn says she’s trying not to. She knows she has to let it go, and overall, she has. It’s just there’s that part of her that’s waiting for a text or call. Carly says, what if he does text or call? and Josslyn says she promised herself that she wouldn’t answer. Carly hugs her.

Bennet says he started off this interview asking why Dex wants to be a cop. Aside from him saying Commissioner Devane asked him to apply and stating he wanted to stay in town, he hasn’t answered the question. Dex says, yes, the Commissioner suggested he join the force. He could have refused, but he thought it over and realized he misses that feeling he had back in the army. Bennet asks, which is what? and Dex says, doing something good through service. The way he sees it, being a cop is like being a soldier. You go through a lot of tough stuff, but it’s for the greater good. It’s about serving others. Bennet says, Dex took an oath to serve his country and the Constitution in the military. Law enforcement officers take an oath to defend the Constitution and uphold the laws in their jurisdiction. Is he prepared to do that? Dex says, yes, sir. There’s another thing. He liked being a part of something bigger than himself. When he was in the army, the men and women he served with became his brothers and sisters. They were in it together and had each other’s backs. They were doing something real and important. It was hard as hell and it was challenging, but they had a purpose. They believed in a cause so strongly, they put their lives on the line for it. That gave his life meaning. To protect their way of life and their freedom was the goal. The goal in working private security and working for Sonny was to make money. That was a stupid and ugly reason to die.

Anna says, so now they get to the real reason for John’s attitude toward her since he came to town. Is she part of his investigation? John says, there’s no way to know, but they do know that Pikeman has longstanding and unhealthy ties to the WSB. She says, so he doesn’t like her poking around. He’s been playing nice to keep tabs on her, to keep her in check. He says he can neither confirm nor deny, but the ties between Pikeman and the WSB go back to her early days as an agent in the 80s. She says she can tell him flat out, she’s never had anything to do with Pikeman. Jack Brennan, who ended his rather brief tenure as head of the WSB by being shipped off to Pentenville, could tell him more. It’s alleged he was running both Pikeman and WSB. Unless he thinks she’s the new head of Pikeman and by packing Jack off to prison she was making a big power grab. He says, anything is possible, and it falls within the scope of his investigation. He wants Pikeman and everything affiliated with it to go down. That’s his focus. She says, it’s hers too, but how do they do it? and he says, that is the billion-dollar question. Hopefully Jason will get them an answer.

Portia says, it took every ounce of willpower she had to make sure… She sees Curtis standing, and he says, wait a second. He puts down his cane and takes a few steps toward her. He falters, but rights himself and says, looks like he’s going to need a little more practice. He could certainly use a good coach. She says, he’s got one, and takes his hands. He walks the rest of the way to her, and they hug, then kiss.

Nina says she could almost believe Drew if she hadn’t personally experienced his version of payback. Maybe he’s seen the light. Maybe he’s a kinder, gentler Drew, but she somehow doubts it. She thinks the rage and the anger is still in there somewhere. She wonders, if there was a button he could somehow push that would make Jason disappear again, and no one would know except for him, would he push it, knowing his brother would just go away and everything would go back to the way it was? Madison comes in and says, the article on how the wellness/fitness market is booming and evolving is in her inbox. Nina thanks her and says she’ll look at it right away. Madison leaves, and Nina tells Drew that she needs to get back to work. He says, so he heard. What’s this piece about? She says, it’s for the next issue. It’s about feeling good. It’s a powerful, profitable industry. Fitness and wellbeing are not just trendy buzzwords. He asks if she’ll forward it to him. He’d like to read it. She says she’s forwarding it right now, his phone dings, and he says he’s got it. He thanks her and says, maybe they can work together after all. He leaves, and she says, stranger things have happened.

Bennet says he gets what Dex did in the military. He respects Dex’s discretion about his private clients. He doesn’t like the gaps in Dex’s work history, but he’s familiar with that road and non-disclosures. What concerns him the most is Dex’s familiarity with the Corinthos organization. What he’s seen. What he’s done. Dex says, it’s because of the time he worked for Sonny that he wants this. He did things he regrets. Bennet asks if he thinks he can make up for them by becoming a cop. That’s not how this works. The Commissioner may have suggested this, but if he’s thinking of it as some kind of penance, don’t do it. Dex says he told Bennet, he wants a purpose in his life. He needs to do better for himself.

The kids run into Sonny’s old kitchen, and Josslyn asks, who won? The Rebels or the Empire? Wiley says, they haven’t finished yet. The Rebels will win. Carly asks how he knows that, and he says, because Josslyn’s playing for them and she’s the best. Michael says he plays for the Empire and he’s a pretty good pilot, and Josslyn says, they’ll see what happens. Carly says, before they sit down to dinner, she just wants to thank Willow, Josslyn, and Donna for making dinner. Cutest child in the universe Donna says, Carly helped too, and Carly tells her that it’s nice of her to say that. She also wants to say she loves them very much and how lucky they are that they have each other. And they’re lucky Dante is doing better, and they’re so lucky Jason’s back. They have so much to celebrate. Donna says, let’s eat, and they all move to the dining room with their plates.

Jason says he knows a lot about Pikeman, but he doesn’t know who’s in charge or the chain of command. But John is right. they’re going to want to shut him up. Anna say, the same way they tried to eliminate Sonny, but Jason says he doesn’t know. They sent separate teams for Sonny. The first team was at the MetroCourt, then Puerto Rico. He was on the third team, as they know, but their approach is not working. They’re definitely going to try something different with him. John says he regrets Jason has to be used as bait, but it’s real. He’s playing the hand he’s been dealt with now. The mission remains shutting Pikeman down. He leaves, and Anna asks if Jason is okay with this. Jason imperceptibly shakes his head and says, it just has to be done. She says, it all makes sense now. He didn’t become an FBI informant to protect himself. It was to save Carly. He says, she can’t know, and Anna asks, why? but Jason says nothing and leaves.

Tomorrow, Sam tells Dante that she doesn’t think she’s ever felt so betrayed in her life; Kristina wants to clear the air; Nina has a secret weapon; and Chase says, they need someone’s help to save their wedding.

Vanderpump Rules

Starting with a random fact. We find out instead of Play-Doh, in New Zealand, Brock had mud. The girls work out in the park, and in Katie’s interview, she says she doesn’t understand how fitness people are addicted to endorphins. It’s like they never drank wine or experienced true happiness. This isn’t it. Lala asks if Ariana and Katie are coming to the water tasting. She warns them that she invited everyone, including Sandoval. Ann comes to Ariana and Sandoval’s house dressed in a suit and tells Ariana that she came professional and prepared. In Ariana’s interview, she says, it might be rough with her roommate if she poached his assistant. But he didn’t respect her enough not to f*** her friend while she was at her grandma’s funeral, so she’ll poach gleefully. She says, Ann typically comes in at 11 and stays all day whether there’s stuff to do or not. Ann says she usually has to pick up Sandoval’s socks and underwear, and in her interview, Ariana says, he sometimes wears them for days in a row. Change your drawers, bro. Anna says she can’t wait to do more administrative work and she’d love to work for an amazing girl boss. She’d love to work with Ariana, but if it doesn’t work out, she’ll understand. Ariana says she loves Ann. In Sandoval’s interview, he says, Ariana’s already got his friends. Now she wants his assistant when she can hire anybody she wants. Ariana tells Ann, it’s weird now with the living situation, but once she’s out of the house… Ann says, they’ll keep in touch, and Ariana says, lucky for Ann, she’s the HR department.

Schwartz visits Scheana and Brock, bringing them a plant, his new M.O. He says, when he looked on Instagram, the first six posts were people having kids, and in his interview, he says, Father Time is knocking in the back of his mind. He’s not getting any younger. He’s not sure about a lot of things, but he’s sure he’d be a good dad. He hopes he’d be a DILF, but he’ll be 60 when they graduate high school. As I always say, there’s 60 and there’s 60. Although I’m not so sure Schwartz will end up in the latter category. Katie goes to see Ariana, and says she’s had six shots of espresso and she’s got to keep the buzz going. Ariana tells her about Ann coming for an interview. She had a suit on brought her resume. She told Ann that they could do something in the future, but right now it would be petty and vindictive. When she was getting ready to leave, she found Ann in the kitchen crying. Ann told her that Sandoval had been coming down on her; he was eavesdropping. Katie says she doesn’t like the invasion of privacy. She feels like hers was invaded by Scheana tracking her. Nice turning that around to herself, although she must be tired of being on the outskirts of Ariana’s limelight. We flash back to last week, and Ariana says, Scheana knows her location, but how many locations does she have? Katie says, it’s none of her business, and Ariana says she never had Sandoval’s location.

Scheana tells Brock that it wasn’t his place to talk about Katie and Max. And it backfired on her. Brock reminds her that Katie said she wanted to watch Scheana’s world burn, and we flash back to that. In Schwartz’s interview, he says, Katie was his closest friend, and he kissed Raquel once. She can be upset all she wants, but at the end of the day, he doesn’t feel bad. It’s not like they had an agreement. Lala texts Katie and Ariana about coming to her water tasting, and Ariana says she’s not feeling it. Considering it’s Lala’s thing, it makes sense Sandoval will be there. She’s trying to understand that this is part of Lala’s healing journey. In Ariana’s interview, she says, short of removing herself from the friend group, it’s not possible for her not to be in the same room with him. Lala is her friend, and she wants to find out what a water tasting is.

James tells Ally that he’s seen Lala’s water guy on the news talking about water. Well, we would assume if he was a water guy, that would be his area of expertise. We see a news clip with Martin, water sommelier, and James and Ally set up the backyard. Lala arrives and thanks them for hosting. James says, her water man is here, and Lala says she’s excited. In her interview, she says, since she quit drinking, she’s become a sparkling water connoisseur. She asks Martin how he is, and he says, living the dream. In James’s interview, he says he’s more of a Red Bull/Coca Cola kind of guy. The friends trickle in, Scheana bringing vodka because it goes well with sparkling water. I can’t argue with that. In Katie’s interview, she wonders if Brock telling Schwartz about Max is payback for her talking about his private life. We flash back to Katie talking smack about Brock seeing his kids and questioning his child support, and she says, so are they good? Lala thanks everyone for coming. She’s been sober for nearly five years. One day at a time. In her interview, she says, sparkling water was there for her when she wanted to go buck wild, when she felt stressed, and when she felt sad. It’s at the point where, if she can’t get the sparkling water she wanted, it can f*** up her entire day. Martin talks about some water from the oldest spring or whatever, and says, it might be dino piss. He tells them that he’s the Harry Potter of water, and shows them a bottle of still water, shakes it, and it turns into sparkling. He says, it’s natural carbonation, which I’ve never heard of and now want to check out. He shows them another bottle, and says, it’s the only cuvée water created and is $1000 a bottle. He pops it like champagne, and Sandoval asks why it’s so expensive. Martin says, it comes from two spring sources like a Bordeaux blend. They toast with it, and in Katie’s interview, she says, it tastes like water. This doesn’t compare to a wine tasting at all. Brock asks Sandoval what happened with Tii, and he says, they’re just chilling.

The girls gather inside, and Ariana gives a Medusa look to Sandoval when he comes through with the guys to get the pizza delivery. She makes a few snarky remarks, and in his interview, Sandoval says, it’s harder to be a wallflower when he hears Ariana making comments about him. He’s working hard to rebuild relationships and Ariana is putting pressure on their friends to choose her. The deck is stacked against him. The guys hang out in the back, and Sandoval says, Tii told him that Ariana was asking her questions at the bar, and we flash back to that. Sandoval says, she was talking sh*t when he was on a first date. It felt tacky. Brock says, Sandoval and Ariana’s change in status is still in the infant stages. They have to figure how to go through living together. They should have a conversation. Sandoval says, maybe everybody needs to chill, and Brock says, if he doesn’t want Ariana attacking Tii, he has to talk to Ariana, not them. Sandoval says he loves how people put it on him. Inside, Ariana wonders if Ann is okay, since Sandoval sent her home. Lala says, she’s not just an assistant, Ann’s their middleman. What’s the game plan? Ariana says she’ll probably have her lawyer do it, and Scheana says, she won’t have someone telling her when it’s all clear to go upstairs. Lala says, she’s got to figure it out, and in Lala’s interview, she says, Ariana’s lawyer has better things to do than mediate between Ariana and her boyfriend when Ariana is choosing to stay in the house. Katie goes outside, and Schwartz asks if she wants to talk. Katie says she thinks he does, and he calls her a dirty dog. She says she’s trying on his pants, but he says, don’t put it on him. He’s not mad, even though Max was literally his best friend and Katie roasted him into oblivion because he kissed Rachel. Katie says, he couldn’t respect one simple wish, and he says, it was a flimsy agreement, but he’s sorry he hurt her feelings. Katie says, everything felt flimsy to him, and her feelings didn’t matter. In Schwartz’s interview, he says, after he betrayed their agreement, Katie had an air of moral superiority. He says, she’s f***ed up too. It feels good to say it. She tells him that she’s let a lot go over the years, and he asks her to shake and start fresh, not delve into the past. He’s not saying be BFFs, but they can get dinner and just hang out. Katie jokes that she doesn’t want to until he makes better choices in clothing.  Inside, Brock asks about Ann applying to be Ariana’s assistant, and Ariana says Ann told her that she’d love to work for her, and the attempted dog murderer was eavesdropping. Once again, said attempted dog murderer is within earshot, and she says when she left for Katie’s, Ann was crying. Brock wonders who the attempted dog murderer is, and Sandoval says, she’s referring to him.

Sandoval says, Ariana left food out, and in Ariana says, Sandoval went into her room, where the door was closed. In Ariana’s interview, she says, he let Mya in and locked her in there for hours. While she was trapped, she chewed on a takeout container that had wooden skewers in it. His carelessness could have ended her dog’s life. Sandoval says, she never empties the litter box, and the argument begins. Ariana says she guesses she’ll have to take pictures, but no, she doesn’t, because Bravo has, and we see her cleaning the litter box. She asks if he wants to kill her dog over a litter box. It was her only safe space and he wrecked it. In Sandoval’s interview, he says, she’s quick to jump from accident to murderer. There’s no dead dog. Outside, Schwartz asks Katie if they’re fighting, and Ariana tells Sandoval to stop interrupting her. Her lawyer will deal with him, not her. Sandoval says, then her lawyer should be professional, and she says, he is and he’ll be sending Sandoval an email with a well thought out response. Sandoval says, it’s been two months, so it better be. Ariana asks why he’s talking to her. She also found the door wide open when she came home from SUR. One more example of his carelessness and callousness. He wants to destroy her dream house and her children. Get the f*** away from her. She keeps repeating this until he’s on his way, and she tells to never look her in the eye again, calling him a f***ing POS. He says, she has everything. She has all the campaigns. Now she’s taking his assistant. Ariana tells him to run for his life. He tried to kill her dog. Outside, James says, sorry dude, and Sandoval says, her dream home for her kids? Okay. He leaves, and Katie promises not to f*** any more of Schwartz’s friends. Ariana tells the table that Mya ate the shit from her taken container, including wooden skewers. She spent $6000 have that sh*t extrapolated. I’m guessing she means extracted because that word does not mean what she thinks it means. In Lala’s interview, she says, Sandoval shouldn’t have gone in, but the dog eating sh*t is Ariana’s fault. Throw you trash away. Didn’t you do a trash bag commercial? Sandoval calls Schwartz and says, Ariana called him a dog murderer, but he had to get in the room and either him or Ann, didn’t close the door. Throwing Ann under the bus is new – what a d-bag. Schwartz says, that stuff happens with dogs, and we flash back to him saying his dog ate laxative pills. He wonders if it’s a lowkey trial run to see if they can co-exist, but Sandoval says, it’s the rage he dealt with during the relationship. Schwartz says he should probably excuse himself and go. Ariana is still going on and on, and says, Sandoval is taking literally zero responsibility for locking Mya in her room. She made sure Mya wasn’t in the room and shut the door, which she does responsibly every time. Lala says, they need to have a productive conversation, but Ariana says she’s not capable of that with a sociopath, disgusting, psycho, narcissist, gaslighter, piece of sh*t person. In Scheana’s interview, she says, seeing Ariana upset breaks her heart. Ultimately, she has to figure out the best way to process her emotions and move on. Schwartz asks how the pizza is, and Ariana says, now she’s mad at him again because of association. Schwartz tells Katie to call him and leaves.

Ariana gets a text from Katie asking if they’re going to Scheana’s beach day or faking their deaths, but Ariana says she’s not missing out because of dumbass him. Brock and Scheana have the same old nanny discussion again because Gaby isn’t more available. Scheana says she hates going back to the drawing board, but Brock wonders how many times they’ve gone to the drawing board at all. In Brock’s interview, he says, before the pandemic, he co-owned a couple of fitness studios, but he sold them. Scheana became the bread winner while he was home with Summer. A nanny will help him figure out the next step in his career. Scheana tells him that he has to uninvite Sandoval after last night, and we flash back to two seconds ago. Brock says, if you can’t handle it, don’t go. What he saw wasn’t okay. Scheana says she’s assuming there was no interaction when they got home, but she’s curious if there was. Brock says, it’s childish stuff, and Scheana says, sometimes Brock gets heated quick. Who the f*** is he to judge someone? She hates that Sandoval did something irresponsible that sent the dog to the hospital. He says he doesn’t condone Sandoval’s actions, but Ariana needs to let it go for her own sanity. In Scheana’s interview, she says, what Sandoval did was the best thing to happen to Ariana. It brought her prosperity, wealth, and opportunities in life. She’s afraid if she says anything to Ariana about wanting to move past the anger and hatred, Ariana will cut her off.  

Interior designer Lucinda comes to see Ariana – which I could swear they did already – and in Ariana’s interview, she says, suffering through the water testing made it more clear that she has to get out of the house as soon as possible. She and Sandoval furnished the home together and Lucinda helped design and pick out everything. She put it in an inventory and has who paid for what. Ariana doesn’t want there to be any loopholes to f*** her over in her counteroffer to Sandoval. They go through house, and Ariana says she doesn’t care about the little things, like the penis flute Sandoval made Ann glue back together. In her interview, Ariana says she’s sure when Sandoval sent the letter of intent, he thought she’d say, great, thanks for the cash, and leave him everything. She doesn’t f***ing think so. She tells Lucinda that she’s going to attach the list to an email to her attorney, and then they’ll send it to Sandoval.

In James’s interview, he says, going to the beach in LA is work. You have to pack a picnic bag, go through traffic, and deal with parking. That’s why he has a pool now.  Brock sets up the canopy, and Scheana asks if Schwartz is ready to get a drink thrown in his face. We flash back to that, and Schwartz says, it’s beach day redemption. Brock wonders if Sandoval is coming, and Ariana says, when she was ready to leave, he had that stripy crochet thing in the dryer, so he must be planning on coming. Brock sees Sandoval in the distance wearing the stripy crochet thing, and says, Ariana was right on the money. Sandoval joins them, and James makes a literal line in the sand. Sandoval says he met a girl who puts on singles events in LA, and he signed up for one on Saturday night. Schwarz asks if Katie wants to be his date. Ironically, he thinks their divorce brought them closer together, and Katie says, he was getting it while they were together. Schwartz says he was pretty faithful, almost nil mistakes. Katie asks if Sandoval knew that Schwartz had kissed Scheana in Vegas, and we’re back. She says, Scheana can keep a secret, and Scheana says she buried that sh*t. Every guy in the group has been flirty with her at one time or another. Sandoval says, more like the recipient, and Brock asks if that’s what he told Raquel. Sandoval says, that was low hanging fruit, and Ariana says, the subject matter is disgusting. Have this conversation somewhere else.

Lala is late, having had to take Ocean to the eye doctor, and Katie says she heard Ann was out of a job. Sandoval says he didn’t fire her. He said, let’s take a couple days off. James asks who’s mediating, and Ariana says they haven’t crossed that bridge yet. He asks about Mya, but she says, Ann wasn’t Mya’s sitter. James asks if she feels Mya is safe, and Ariana says, now she does. Schwartz says, she and Sandoval are great pet parents, but Ariana says, the pets are hers. James asks if Sandoval agrees, and Sandoval says, no, but Ally says, Ariana paid the adoption fee. In Ariana’s interview, she says, Mya is her dog. She pays for everything, and she’s the only one who walks her and bathes her. He can suck her d*ck. Sandoval says, that’s one bill she paid. Since he applied for and got the loan for the house… Ariana tells him to stop speaking to her, like, twelve times, and in Sandoval’s interview, he says, anything he does or says triggers Ariana. He had this delusional idea that they’d be more civil than Schwartz and Katie. Delusional. He might try taking into consideration that the circumstances are radically different. Lala arrives, and Ariana says, Sandoval is saying sh*t and she won’t do this again. He ruined her entire life. In Lala’s interview, she says, what the f*** did she just walk into? Brock says, Sandoval has been walking around with his tail between his legs all summer, and Schwartz says, when they go to the next spot, he and Sandoval will sit somewhere else. Ariana says, none of them put Sandoval in check, and in James’s interview, he tells us that he’s not saying forgive and forget, but the anger is consuming her life and she’d be more at peace if she released it. Ariana says, they should step in as men and tell him to STFU. He only respects men and they need to put him in his place because he’s in the wrong. Brock says, they don’t need to do all that. He left. Lala says, he’s going to be in defense mode about anything they say, and Ariana says she doesn’t need Lala playing devil’s advocate. Lala says she’s not, and in her interview, she says she understands Sandoval was an uber douche and it was a devastating break-up, but at what point do you choose inner peace? He didn’t win. Look at his life. You won. Ariana says, if Sandoval’s not going to be remorseful and take jabs at her, and they’re going to shove him down her throat, what do they expect?  

To be continued…

🍼 Down In the Valley…

Congratulations. In record time, this show has become a Vanderpump Rules, the early, even more immature seasons. Once again Kristen played telephone and got herself backed in a corner. Ho-hum. There was even one point where there were literal crickets chirping after Kristen’s firing from VPR was brought up. I don’t think Kristen is a racist and I don’t think that’s the reason she went after the girl whose name I’ve already forgotten in whatever season that was. But I do think she’s emotionally juvenile and not the brightest bulb in the box. It might not be cause for cancelation, but those crickets have their work cut out for them.

https://people.com/the-valley-recap-kristen-doute-revisits-painful-vanderpump-rules-firing-racist-actions-8623783

🐕 Seeing a Dog About a Dog…

Stop in tomorrow for soap and a heavy discussion about current events and politics. April fool. See? Works even better when no one’s expecting it. Until then, stay safe, stay extending more grace than you would expect or hope for were the roles reversed, and stay not keeping secrets from your significant other, even if your aim is true.