What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Trish tells Carly that somebody is here to see her, and Carly sees Anna waiting. Carly asks if she can get Anna a table, but Anna says, no. She doesn’t need a reservation. She needs some answers. Can Carly tell her why she went to visit Jack Brennan in Pentenville?

In the nook, Sasha asks Michael if he wants her to heat up something for him, since she’s just scoping out recipes, but he says, no. Take her break. She’s earned it. Her cooking is getting rave reviews from adults and kids alike, and she knows how hard kids are to please. She says, in this case, it’s the adults that have her digging for recipes, and he says he hasn’t heard any complaints from them, so she’s doing great. She says, if they’re happy, she’s happy, and he says, they’re thrilled. Not only is Olivia less stressed, but they’re getting regular meals and still have access to their own kitchens, so she’s the perfect cook. She says she’s very glad that someone thinks so, and he says he’s a little surprised that she took the job though. She says, why? Because she used to be a glamorous spokesmodel? but he says, because of her and him.

At the stables, Cody tells Tracy, nice ride. She’s got a nice seat. Has anybody ever told her that? She says, not in a long while. That is a great saddle. She thanks him for letting her try it, and he says, no problem. He asks if she’s expecting someone, and she says she thought she was, but now she thinks she’s getting stood up. He asks, who would do that to her? and Gregory walks in and says, sorry he’s late.

At the gallery, Stella helps Trina stuff envelopes, and Trina says, Stella just worked a full shift at GH. Is she sure she doesn’t want to soak in a hot bath, order in, and watch one of her favorite shows? Stella asks if Trina is trying to back out of their movie date and attempt to find something else for her to do. She can’t stay cooped up in this gallery all day, surrounded by – she looks at a painting of steps going nowhere – a different style of art. She knows art is subjective and expensive, and doesn’t know how Ava stays in business. Trina’s great-grandmother used to say, a fool and his money are soon parted, because their father was always coming home with these get rich quick schemes. She’ll tell Trina about him someday. Trina says she can’t wait, and she just wants to say she knows what Stella is doing and wants to let her know it’s working.

Nina says, is Drew sure about this? Maybe this is a mistake. The last few times she and Willow were together, they actually parted ways without things deteriorating. She doesn’t want to push it, and she doesn’t want Willow to think they’re handling her in a certain way… Drew asks her to calm down and stick to the program. He’s her boss. He called her in to talk about Crimson. Don’t worry about it. He’s got everything else handled. Willow walks in and says, the copy looks great. She hopes she can do it justice. She sees Nina, who says, hello, and Willow asks what she’s doing here.

Drew says, he and Nina were just wrapping up some Crimson business, and asks if he answered all of Nina’s questions about the new accounting system. She says, he did, and Drew says, good. He’ll make sure to speak to the software engineers and express her other concerns. She thanks Drew, and says, there’s been lots of change since she’s been back. He says, sure is, and his door is always open. Willow says, they can wrap up. She can step outside and go over this copy. Drew says, no, stay, and tells Nina that Willow is prepping for her very first PSA for the New Tomorrow Institute. Nina says, that’s really great. She’s proud of Aurora for supporting such a worthy cause and Willow for being the spokesperson. She’ll leave them to it. She heads for the door, but Drew says, wait a second. He just had a brilliant idea. Would Nina mind sitting in?

Stella asks if Trina thinks she has some ulterior motive for wanting to spend time with her, and Trina says, doesn’t she? The last time they went on a coffee date, Stella was worried about how she was handling losing Spencer. And she took Stella’s advice and tried to do something meaningful that would try to help her get closure. Stella asks if it helped, and Trina says, a bit, but she’s no closer to knowing what she wants to do with herself. Stella says she knows, and she does see Trina trying. She’s seen Trina struggling and wishes she could wave a magic wand and take all the hurt away. Trina says, her too, and Stella says, Josslyn is Trina’s great friend and she’s keeping herself busy at the gallery, but sometimes you just need a hug and a shoulder to lean on. So here she is. She hugs Trina, and Trina thanks her. Stella says, they’ve got to keep going, right? and looks behind the painting. She says, 15 grand, huh? Well, there’s no accounting for taste. Trina says, Aunt Stella… when Jordan walks in. She says she’s glad to see them both so happy, but she’s sorry to say, she’s about to be a buzzkill.

Carly asks if this is an interrogation, but Anna says she’s just curious why Carly would visit her attempted abductor in prison. Carly asks if she has to check her comings and goings with the PCPD, and Anna says, maybe, when she’s talking to the former head of the WSB and Pikeman Security Group. Carly asks if that’s been confirmed. Brennan was head of Pikeman? Anna says, working theory. She’s answered Carly’s question, now she wants Carly to answer hers. Carly says, the last time Anna came knocking at her door to give her the third degree, Anna and Agent Cates accused her of harboring a criminal. Doesn’t Anna have better things to do with her time? She does. She has to run a hotel. Anna says, the fact Jason slipped out of Carly’s house doesn’t mean he wasn’t there. Carly is deliberately not answering her question. Why is that? Carly asks how Anna knows she went to Pentenville, and Anna says, Brennan may be sequestered, awaiting trial, but he’s still considered a dangerous man. He has a lot of eyes on him. Carly says, especially the FBI’s?

Tracy says she was beginning to think she’d been stood up, and Gregory says, since she asked Yuri to drive him, he could hardly not show up. It was such a lovely evening, he asked Yuri to take the route around the lake, and the sunset was breathtaking. So he asked Yuri to stop, and Yuri found a nice spot and pulled over and piped Tchaikovsky into the back seat. And he just soaked in the music and the splendor and got lost in it. He thinks they both did. She says she’s sorry she missed it, and he says he is too. She would have enjoyed it, and he would have enjoyed it more with her. She says she did get to see some of the sunset on her ride, and he’s so right; it was lovely. Cody says he bets they could convince Tracy to hop back on her horse so the two of them could finish that sunset together. What does he say? Does he want to trade out his cane for a saddle? Gregory says, maybe next time.

Anna says, that’s an interesting assumption, the FBI, and Carly says, if this is Anna’s way of trying to figure out what she knows, let her save Anna some time. John Cates was asking Jason about a connection between Brennan, Sonny, and Pikeman, but Brennan didn’t seem to know anything about it. Anna says, so she told Brennan that Agent Cates was on his case specifically? and Carly says, it’s not like it’s some deep, dark secret. Anna says, yes, it was. Didn’t she learn firsthand how law enforcement works when she was married to the mob?

Willow says she’s sure Nina has better things to do than listen to her practice her PSA, and Nina says, like she told them, she’ll let them get back to work, but Drew says, hold on a second. Is Willow sure? Nina listens to pitches and ad campaigns just about every day. It would be a shame not to take advantage of her expertise. As someone with so much media and promotion experience, he figured she might see something he would miss. Unless Willow is uncomfortable. Willow says she’s not sure she’ll ever be comfortable being a public figure, but it’s important and she agreed to do it. But Nina has a magazine to run… Drew says he’s just suggesting it because it’s Willow’s first PSA and they really want to knock it out of the park. Of course (🍷) it’s completely up to Willow. Willow looks at Nina.

Cody says, do they know what happened the first time he rode a merry-go-round? He fell off. Gregory says, stop trying to make him feel better, but Cody says, it’s a true story. He was a little younger than Leo. He was probably 8 or 9 and trying to impress a really cute girl. Tracy says, hard to believe, and Cody says, she kept looking at this brass ring at the top of the pole, so he climbed up on this carousel pony and stretched out his little body as far as it would go and kept reaching for that brass ring. Then he fell. Flat on his face. He doesn’t know how he didn’t break his nose, but he got 8 stitches in his head. Tracy says, too bad it didn’t knock some sense into him, and Gregory asks, what about the girl? Cody says, the next day, she sat next to him on the school bus, and Tracy laughs. Gregory says, and the moral is? and Cody says, reach for that brass ring. You may fall flat on your face, but you never know. He goes in the back, and Tracy says, he’s well-meaning. Gregory says he wishes everyone treated him so kindly or gave him such good advice.

Sasha says, given Michael’s family’s history with relationships, she’s pretty sure that she and Michael used to be a couple barely registers on their radar. Maybe he’s just disappointed that she never used to cook like this for him. He says he’s a little disappointed, and she laughs. He’s just sorry she had to take this position. He never thought she’d walk away from Deception. He could have negotiated a golden parachute or something. She left all that stock on the table and now she’s cooking for his crazy, mixed-up family. She says, please take that off his mind. She wanted to walk away. And yes, selling all her shares was a big gulp, but it was a loss she was willing to take for her peace of mind. And Gladys already took all of her money, so it’s not like she didn’t have any practice. He says, she doesn’t have to do that with him, pretend that she’s okay, but she says she’s not pretending. It was time for her to go. She’s made peace with her decision and honestly, she hasn’t looked back. When Olivia offered her this job, she jumped at it. She had other options, but none that she liked. He says, maybe she could have given her job search a little more time. He would have lent her the money to tide her over. He’s sure Sonny would have too. She says she really appreciates the gesture, but first, she wouldn’t have taken it, and second, there’s no need. She likes it here. She doesn’t know if he remembers, but she always used to say she longed to be part of a family after growing up without one. So now, she gets to cook for Michael’s crazy, mixed up family. She gets to practice her cooking and stay in a home with people she knows and trusts. Michael says, trust. He wouldn’t go that far. She says, but maybe she should have asked him before she said yes. She never even talked to Willow about it. She really hopes she hasn’t made things awkward between him and Willow. Has she?

Sasha tells Michael that she didn’t even think to ask Willow about how she’d feel about her moving in here. They used to be so close, then with everything that’s happened to both of them, they lost touch. Then after Willow had Amelia, she showed up at the gatehouse hopped up on pills. Willow is probably worried about having her around the kids. Michael says, that’s not the case at all. They know what the situation was. She was sabotaged. They trust her. She thanks him, and he says, as far as their history, they’ve shared a lot of memories, but they’re good though, right? Unless she’s saying it’s awkward for her. She says, no. She really likes being here. He says, good, because the Quartermaines, who rarely agree on anything, agree on her, especially the kids because they love her menus. She says she’s so glad, and honestly, this is not a step down for her. She really loves cooking for his family. She’s found it really nurturing, grounding. She likes seeing how happy people are when they eat her food, knowing she’s contributing to their well-being. And she really loves seeing how happy he is with Willow. They’re really inspirational, the love and commitment they share. Cody comes in and she says she used to have that once and thinks she will again. Cody says, have what?

Jordan says she doesn’t know if there will be an actual motion to reopen Heather’s case, but she wanted to let them know what was brewing, and Stella says, this is preposterous. She knew that woman’s victim’s and she almost made Trina one of them. What is there to revisit? How can this even be considered? Jordan says, it’s been discovered that Heather was slowly being poisoned by an artificial hip implant decades ago, with neurotoxic results, and Trina says, what? They think her artificial hip made her crazy? Stella says she read about this, and she did some digging. Some people who have been poisoned by heavy metals are affected mentally with anxiety, depression, cognitive dysfunction, bipolarity, even schizophrenia. But even if that were the case, Heather is a brutal killer. Surely this can’t erase her actual crimes? Jordan says, no, but some people think it can explain them, and Trina says, some people? Who would even advocate for Heather Webber? Jordan says, she’s going to find out anyway. Her boss has raised the question. Trina says, Spencer’s grandmother?

Willow talks while Drew films, and she says, blood cancer, considered fatal, can now be cured, if only people knew where to look for help. I should know since a marrow donor saved my life. That’s why the New Tomorrow Institute was created, to help people like you and me. Drew says, that was so good, especially on her first try, and Willow thanks him. She says, Nina? Anything to add? Nina says, she comes across as very sincere and authentic, and Willow says, but? Nina says she doesn’t want to make Willow feel self-conscious. What she’s doing is spot on. Willow says, that’s okay. She’d like to hear what Nina has to say. Nina says, okay. Willow is living proof that cancer doesn’t need to be a death sentence. She’s a success story. She’s the example people can aspire to. She came through a harrowing ordeal and now she has a healthy, happy, fulfilling life. Show that. Show the people who are dealing with cancer, and their families, that they not only stand to survive, but like Willow, to thrive. Willow says, so in other words, it’s totally okay to smile a little, and Nina laughs. Willow says, noted. Anything else? Nina says, Willow’s got this. She’s going to go back to her office. Willow thanks her, Nina says, anytime, and leaves.

Anna asks, why on earth would Carly think it’s a good idea to tell Brennan that he and Pikeman were the subjects of an investigation, and Carly says, because she wanted to know how he’d react and she took stupid pills this week. Anna asks, why? Is she running an investigation of her own? Carly says, from the minute she laid eyes on Brennan… and Anna asks if he hasn’t asked her to call him Jack yet. Carly says, he told her that he was in the security business, and she took that to mean he was ex-intelligence or ex-military. She thought he was going after Sonny, then she realized he was working with that guy Hume. When she heard the name Brennan in connection with Pikeman, it wasn’t a far stretch to think the FBI had their sites on him. Anna says she might regret telling Carly this, but the FBI didn’t realize the former director of the WSB was involved with Pikeman, running it, because he managed to conceal his involvement. And that’s why Brennan came after her. Carly asks if Brennan did come after Anna. She thought that was Hume. Did Jack Brennan come anywhere near Anna? Anna asks how Carly found out about John Cates. Because Brennan was already in prison when he came to town. Did he tell her that or did Carly tell him? Carly says she may have mentioned it, and Anna says, so she blindly confirmed to Brennan that he’s under FBI surveillance. Now she’s put Pikeman on high alert and compromised a major investigation.

Carly says, what happens with Anna’s investigation is not her problem, and Anna says, Carly needs to listen to her. So she understands what’s at stake. Carly says, like what? Never mind. She doesn’t want to know, because why should she trust Anna? Why should she trust any of them? John shows up, being all nice and genuine. Then he goes to Jason and hassles him about Pikeman. Anna says, and she knows this how? She doesn’t think John would have shared that information with her. Was she listening? She was listening, wasn’t she? Of course (🍷) she was listening. Carly just asked why she should trust Anna. Because she’s trying to help Carly. Or has she forgotten that Brennan could have killed her the day they arrested him? Carly says she remembers Anna and Dante bursting in with their guns drawn, and the only thing Brennan was packing was a couple of zip ties. Anna says, like everyone walks around with zip ties in their pocket. She’s never ever considered Carly to be stupid or naïve, but Brennan could have kidnapped her that day or worse. Carly says she’s not so sure about that. If Jack Brennan is as dangerous as Anna says, he could have taken her down. He could have pulled out a gun. He didn’t do either. Maybe what Anna saw as a life-or-death situation was just a miscommunication. (Is that why Carly – according to Jack – nearly took his head off with a tray?) Anna says, why doesn’t Carly try being as smart as she thinks she is and stay the hell away from Jack Brennan. She walks off, and Carly says, oh, really? She makes a call and tells Fritz that she doesn’t feel like driving tomorrow, so she’s going to need a ride… Yes, that’s right. Nina walks in, and Carly says she’d like to go to Pentenville… She wants to leave from here… Great. She’ll see him tomorrow. Nina says, that’s nice of Carly to still visit her friends behind bars.

Tracy says, Finn and Violet have probably already left for the rehearsal in Coney Island, so why doesn’t Gregory have dinner with her? As it turns out, Sasha is a fabulous cook. All she has to do is heat it up for them. He says he’s not having dinner with her tonight because she’s going to Coney Island, and she laughs. She says, in the words of the Bensonhurst Brigade, fuhgeddaboudit. This is Lois’s event, not hers, and while they’re all dining on hot dogs and cotton candy, she’ll be enjoying Sasha’s delicious meal with cloth napkins and a tablecloth. Besides, she’s not in the ceremony, so there’s nothing for her to rehearse. He says he couldn’t disagree with her more. He needs her to stand in for him at the rehearsal. That way, she can tell him when the music starts and stops, when he makes his entrance, where to stand. All the little details that he needs to know. She asks if this is why he wanted to see her tonight, and he says, partially. There’s something else. He guesses she could call it his fail-safe plan, in case he can’t make it to his son’s wedding.

Willow tells Drew that she’s really excited about, hopefully, helping so many people, but she has so much to learn when it comes to the media side of things. He says he has no doubt she’s going to get the hang of it. Plus, she has so many people around to help. She says she thinks it was a good idea to have Nina stay around for the rehearsal. Her idea for Willow to simply smile will make it so much easier the next few rehearsals. He says, Willow is a natural, but he has to admit, Nina’s media savvy can really help them reach their target audience. So if Willow is open to it, he could ask her to be more involved. She says she’s not surprised, since he and Nina planned this whole thing, didn’t they?

Cody says he’s just here to scrounge. He was hoping to find some yummy leftovers in the fridge. Sasha says she takes it he’s hungry, and he says, isn’t he always? showing her an apple core. He sees the recipe box and says, this is what he likes to see. Is she trying out new recipes? She says, yeah. She was thinking of trying some new appetizers. Stick around long enough and he might get to sample some. She tells Michael that she’s really glad they talked, and leaves. Cody says, she’s amazing, and Michael says he knows. So what are Cody’s plans for all of her amazingness?

Stella asks how Trina is feeling about all of this, and Trina says she can’t feel anything but betrayed, for her and Spencer. Stella says she understands and doesn’t blame her one bit. Right now, she’s straining her objectivity, trying to see it from Laura’s point of view. She’s trying to think how she might feel if this was a member of their family. Jordan says she was Police Commissioner throughout Heather’s killing spree and her jailbreaks. She’s struggling to find objectivity too. Still, she recognizes Laura’s courage to even consider taking this on. Stella says, she has to realize the political firestorm she’ll cause if she gets that case reopened, and Trina asks if Jordan is saying that Laura is asking for Heather to be set free.

Cody says, Michael just put that out there, didn’t he? and Michael says he finds it saves a lot of time to be direct. He saw them just now; there’s sparks. There’s something there. Cody says, they have a good time. They’re friends. Michael says, friends. Okay. Friendship’s good. Cody says, you can’t have too many, and Michael says, but some friendships are more special than others, and he hopes Cody realizes how special Sasha is. Cody says, doesn’t he ever. Her molten chocolate lava cake is to die for. Michael asks if he’s ever serious, and Cody says he’s very serious about his job, so no worries there. Michael says, what about Sasha? She’s been through a hell of a lot these past few years and she’s come through it. She’s one of the best people he knows, so he hopes Cody is serious about being good to her. Cody says he’ll be as good to her as she’ll let him be.

Drew asks if Willow is accusing him of setting her up, but she says she’s accusing him of being a well-meaning friend who is trying to patch things up between her and Nina. He says he’ll admit he would love if she and Nina worked things out, but he’s a businessman, and Nina coaching her might make for a better PSA which may widen their reach for the appeal, which is what Aurora promised the New Tomorrow Institute. She says, so it’s good business, and he says he would never do anything to hurt her. He hopes she knows that. And he does get how sensitive the situation is between her and her mother. She says, her mother. It still lands with a jolt. She hasn’t thought of Nina in those terms in a while. He says he knows, but if he can get past it and find a way to work with Nina, maybe she can too. She says she meant what she said before. his attitude toward Nina, his ability to put the past in the past and deal with Nina here in the present, made her rethink her own attitude. But it’s hard. She’s opened herself up to Nina on more than one occasion and it did not go well for her. There was always a lie or a manipulation, and she’s left feeling angry and foolish. Like how many times does she have to go through the same thing before she learns her lesson? He says, Nina was the one who needed to learn her lesson, and maybe she has, and Willow says, maybe. He says, they can’t be sure, but he’s willing to give her a chance. He realizes it’s easier for him. She says, Nina sent him to prison, and he says he has a professional relationship with her, not a personal relationship. She can disappoint him, she can frustrate him, but she can’t wound him. So he gets how letting her in is a much bigger risk for her than it is for him. In saying that, he realizes he owes Willow an apology. She asks, why? and he says he may have finagled the meeting and pushed things a bit so that they would have a chance to interact, and he’s sorry. But he stands by his business perspective that Nina will make things better. But if Willow isn’t comfortable… She says, no. She’ll think about it. He says, then why does she look so upset? and she says, because she has no right to come down on him, especially when she’s been keeping something from him herself. He says, she’s keeping something from him? and she says, about his brother.

Carly says she can’t do this. She doesn’t have time for this. Nina says, that was unnecessary. She’s having the best day ever, and she doesn’t want to ruin it. They’re never going to hear bluebirds or see rainbows when their paths cross, but they don’t need to take shots at each other unnecessarily. Carly says, like Nina just did? and Nina says, that was a reflex that she regrets and she’s sorry. She approached Carly because there was actually another reason she needed to talk to her. Carly says, it can’t be another apology. She’s already heard them all. Nina says, no. She wanted to tell Carly that she was right about Sonny.

Gregory hands Tracy a paper and says he hobbled together some traditional texts with some thought and musings of his own. She says she’s sure it’s very beautiful, and he says, thanks, but he’s not looking for assurance. He’s holding her to her promise to take his place if… She says, yada, yada, yada. He’s presiding over Chase and Brook’s ceremony. It’s meant to be. He says, the only things that are meant to be are death and taxes, and she says she takes exception to the latter. He says, don’t tell him that she has stage fright, and she says, whether she does or not is beside the point. He’s the officiant. He says he’s just covering his bases in case he can’t read his notes or he loses his breath, things that have been happening more and more these days. He’ll need his understudy to go on if that happens. She says she seriously doubts she’s going to need to go on, as he puts it, because he’s perfectly capable of marrying those two, all while being the most attractive man in the room. He says, flattery will get her everywhere, except Coney Island. Can they get the airport in time? She has to make that rehearsal. She says she’ll get there. What’s the dress code for Coney Island? He says, think mermaid, and she says, ugh. He laughs and they leave.

Sasha says she heated Cody up some beef bourguignon, otherwise known as beef stew. Where’s Michael? Cody says, he left, right after warning him to be good to her, and she says she knows Michael. He had the best of intentions, but it’s not his job to make sure she’s well-treated. That’s hers. She gets to decide all on her own if a situation works for her, if it fits her needs. He wonders if they’re talking about her job as a cook, and she says, situation is pretty vague. It covers her job, but also the people she associates with. He says, like him, and she says, he doesn’t need a lecture from Michael on being good to her. He already is.

Jordan says she can’t speak for Laura’s intentions, but she does know Laura as her boss and as a person. She is smart and sensitive, so let’s not jump to any conclusions. The question is, where does Heather belong while they sort out her medical and legal issues? Stella says, her vote is, someplace safe and secure. This is a very complicated issue. She’s worked with psyche patients and their families, and she knows people’s pain, mental and physical, can drive them to do and say things that would otherwise be unthinkable. Trina says, maybe Heather was acting out of physical or mental pain, as Stella says, but what about her victims? What about the victims’ families? What about the pain she inflicted on them?

Willow says, what she’s about to tell Drew is confidential, okay? When Jason got back to Port Charles, after he jumped off the bridge, she and Michael found him in the boathouse badly wounded. They bandaged him up and got him antibiotics from the hospital. He says, Jason should have never put them in that position, but Willow says, they had to do something. He says, Jason was shot. So did she stitch him up?… Of course (🍷) she did. Because that’s what she does; she helps people. She helped Jason, she helps people at GH, and now she’s helping people through the New Tomorrow Institute. He appreciates her so much. Her secret is safe with him.

Nina says, Carly told her that it wasn’t going to last, that Sonny would leave her, and he did. If she’d listened to Carly, maybe she could have saved herself some heartache, but she wouldn’t listen to Carly or anyone else. She had to live it and she has. Carly asks if that’s all, and Nina says she’s trying to make amends with Drew. Carly says she understands needing to be on good terms with your employer, and Nina says, it’s in hers and Drew’s best interests to have a good working relationship. Carly says, then she guesses this all worked out, huh? Nina and Drew have a good working relationship, Nina is back at Crimson, and she has her hotel back. No reason to look back at all of the damage done, huh? All they can do is move forward. Nina says, she makes it sound easy, but Carly says, not easy. Necessary. She’s not looking back. She’s not going that way. She leaves.

Anna looks for Jason at the coffee warehouse, but finds he’s not in his office. She says, well, you were right.

Tomorrow, Gregory tells Alexis that he’s not sure an apology will do; John asks someone if they’re planning on walking away with Sonny’s organization; Nina tells Ava, if that’s not worthy of payback, she doesn’t know what is; and Anna tells Jason that they can use Carly’s mistake to their advantage.

Below Deck

Port Louis Marina. Kerry learns Turkish while everyone stumbles out from the night before. Fraser and Ben both have department meetings, and the provisions come in. Barbie and Kyle kiss on the stirs. Dylan wonders if they hook up with a charter guest, will they get fired? and Ben says, Fraser kissed one, so they should be okay. In Barbie’s interview, she says she and Kyle have a real connection, and wonders what it would be like in the real. She doesn’t know how it would work off the yacht. She talks to her mom on the phone, when Kyle comes along. Her mom asks how he is, and he says, hungover, but good, then wisely jets. In Captain Kerry’s interview, he says, the guests have their own yacht. They haven’t been challenged yet, and they’ve had easy guests, not even close to high end clients. No more mistakes. The guests arrive, and neanderthal Ben says, pretty girls. They’re in for a whole lot of sh*t.

Fraser does the tour, and co-primary Rob says, they have a boat in Newport Beach. The St. David is three times the size of his boat and he’s getting boat envy. Frazer tells the guests that he’s excited. They haven’t had a family yet. In Fraser’s interview, he says, this is the kind of yachting he’s used to working. Working for a family, they’ve been in yachting for a while. They have lots of money. They’re bringing their kids on board to congratulate them for being their own kids. They are not like other guests we’ve had this season. We flash back to previous charters this season, and he says he’s finally happy to have a group on board that really know how to enjoy themselves politely. In Sunny’s interview, she says she’s starting to see who Ben really is. However, the chemistry is there. If she chooses to ignore the red flags, that will be on her. Kerry tells the crew to get ready to depart. Paris says she heard Rob owns his own boat, and Rob says, it’s a navigator with three cabins. Dylan asks the guests how they like their STD, and when they look all confused, he explains it’s his shorthand for the St. David. Ugh. Fraser goes over the plates to be used for lunch with Nick, but Nick says he doesn’t want to do plates, and claims, it’s about timing. In Fraser’s interview, he says he’s offering to help, but it feels like Nick doesn’t want his help. There’s no walking side by side, and he wants it, but he’s feeling a lot of f*** yous. Anchor is dropped, and Xandi goes to the beach with Fraser to set up. Captain Kerry shows Rob the engine room and says, whatever he doesn’t know he’ll make up. Rob says, beautiful engines, and tells the other guests the boat carries 30,000 gallons of fuel. Nick joins the others at the beach, and in Paris’s interview, she says she hasn’t worked with Nick long, but it hasn’t been collaborative. We flash back to Nick vs. Paris, and she says, you might have a weird personality, but if you can’t perform, she has no patience for it. The guests takes the tender to the beach, and the tablescape is gorgeous, flowers and greenery and rattan placemats. Captain Kerry walks around the boat with Sunny, and in her interview, Sunny says, the captain won’t cut corners. He’ll tell you straightaway if you do something wrong. He’s a great captain, but she wouldn’t want to be on his bad side. The guests play pickleball and discuss people getting killed by falling coconuts. I look this up and it’s 150 a year worldwide. Paris suggests some things to Nick, and in his interview, he says, when micromanaging happens and someone is being bossy, he lets them think they’re in charge, but he’s been doing this a long time. Three stripes, one stripe.

Sushi and Asian salad is served as a starter for lunch. Nick doesn’t want to plate, but Paris says she doesn’t want to walk around with a tray for 10 minutes asking people what they want. In Fraser’s interview, he says, the plan for the beach was that lunch was to be plated, but Nick needs love and support at this point. Nick says he has to get back to the boat, and in his interview, he says, Paris wants to take over, and he’s not going to stop her. He’d rather that than argue in front of the guests. He needs to get ready for dinner and has no time for this f***ing sh*t. He leaves, and Paris says, family style? Maybe at Sizzler. They make fish and beef skewers – on plates – and the guests say, it’s amazing. On the boat, Xandi talks to her brother on the phone. In her interview, she says, her baby brother is the most important person in her life. She sheltered him growing up and protected him. Their parents never got along, and it was not ideal growing up. When the fighting started, they’d watch TV, something happy. He loved Friends. There was a lot of fighting and a lot of Friends. Paris uses a torch to finish the crème brûlée, and the guests pronounce it perfect. They go back to the boat and are met with mini Palomas and cold towels. Nick tells Captain Kerry that he had things the way he wanted, but Paris changed it. In the captain’s interview, he says, a team member with a single stripe stew on the beach needs to adapt to the chef, not the other way around. Nick says, they’ll see what the feedback is. He wants to get a crack on tonight. I’m starting to wonder if he’s smoking crack. In Nick’s interview, he says, they want showstoppers. He’s doing grilled octopus and there’s going to be nice colors on that. Sunny kisses Ben, and in Ben’s interview, he says, a week ago it was different than today. He’s genuinely liking Sunny and wonders if the break they took could be the magic formula. They go into the bathroom, and we hear giggles. Paris tells Fraser that it was embarrassing. Nick left because she wanted the food plated. She did everything. Is this some kind of sick joke?

The crew puts on their blacks for dinner. Kerry and Fraser eat in the crew mess, and Kerry asks if there was confusion regarding how lunch was presented, but Fraser says, no. No dramas, no tragedies, everything was fine. That’s all that matters. In Captain Kerry’s interview, he says, Fraser is being coy with him and not telling him everything. He’ll deal with it later. Dinner has casino décor and games are set up. Co-primary Noreen says, the chef is amazing, as Dylan decides to assess the situation with the blonde one. Paris tells Nick that the next dish needs a drizzle, and in Nick’s interview, he says he has no time or patience for Paris. It’s not her job. He loves a garnish, but it’s going to look weird. He doesn’t tell her how to scrub toilets. Do what you’re good at. Rob tells Captain Kerry about following a rock band from Ireland, and in his cabin, Dylan does a terrible rap about taking a guest to his room and showing her his big d*ck. Sunny calls her friend Bish and tells her about Ben. She says, they’re just having fun. In her interview, she says, before, there was a lot of back and forth – does he or doesn’t he like me? – like picking flower petals. She’s taking a step back and having fun. It’s positive. Is it though? In Nick’s interview, he thinks Paris is f***ing with him, trying to f*** him up. Captain Kerry says, it’s going to be windy docking. It’s going to be challenging. He thanks the guests and tells them to enjoy the rest of their night. He checks in with Nick and says, he loved it and the guests loved it. Dylan acts like a creeper around the hot tub and gets in on the Truth or Dare game by saying he’ll take a dare. Guest Sarah tells him to take off his shirt and do his best dance. In his interview, Dylan wonders if this is a good idea. He dances, if you want to call it that, pours a bottle of water on himself, and attempts to twerk. The guests chant, Dylan… Dylan, and in his interview, he says, if he was going to hook up with a guest, it would be a fireable offense. He knows the risk factor and decided to play it on the safe side. He’s depressed. The guests go to bed at midnight.

Nick tells Dylan that he’s liking the trip. He has issues with Paris, but they’re her issues, not his. Dylan says, she’s full of sh*t, and Nick says, she demands power and gets it. Be happy. Live life. I’m really glad that I don’t know either of these guys. Captain Kerry looks at the wind level and sighs. Dylan DMs with Sarah, and they make plans to meet in LA, which will probably never happen. The breakfast specials are crêpes and the St. David breakfast wrap, and most of the guests ask for both, as we all would. Nick says he knew he should have made crêpes in advance. Paris tries to school Nick in the art of making crêpes, and in his interview, Nick says, she needs to back the f*** off. F***ing hell. The crew makes plans to go bowling on their night off, and Captain Kerry talks to Ben about the docking. The guests watch as they dock, because it’s not hard enough. The captain says, there are strong winds through the marina in multiple directions, and Kyle says, it’s going be tight. Captain Kerry says, it’s going to take a lot of effort and control. A lot can go wrong. The guests all gasp, and say, oh my God, it’s so close, but they dock without incident. It’s time for the guests to say goodbye, and Fraser says, they’re a wonderful family. Rob thanks the crew, and Noreen says, the food was divine and the service was impeccable. Rob invites the crew to come on their boat anytime they’re in Southern California, and they’ll be the crew’s crew. They leave, and Captain Kerry says, let’s get the boat turned around.

The captain calls everyone for the tip meeting. He says, they have areas to work on, but there’s only one charter left and it’s a quick turnaround. There’s no need for sore heads. The tip is $25K or $1923 each (wow! for one night?), and Captain Kerry adds that they also have a free place to stay in California. In Barbie’s interview, she says her tip is going toward something to wear. Her closet is like Saks Fifth Avenue, and if her father ever cuts her off, she can sell all her stuff. Captain Kerry call Paris to the bridge, and in his interview, he says, three stripes and one stripe are butting heads, and the one with three stripes is stepping back instead of the one. Fraser tells Paris, don’t get fired. He needs her. She tells him not to stress her out. The captain tells Paris that he wants to talk about beach day. He’s seeing a lack of communication. In Captain Kerry’s interview, he says, if the chef says that’s the way he wants to do it, it’s not her place to argue. Paris says, when they were organizing, Fraser said they’d be plating, and she assumed it had been discussed with the chef. They’ve all been butting heads with Nick and it’s frustrating. The captain says, that’s between the chief stew and the chef, and she doesn’t need to be dragged into it. Paris says, perfect, but I’m guessing that’s not what she’s thinking. Fraser and Nick are called to the wheelhouse, and Paris tells Barbie that she was kind of out of line. The captain’s tells Fraser and Nick that they have to work together. He doesn’t care if they like each other or not, he’s not allowing this bullsh*t. They have one more charter and have to work it out how they can work well together. In his interview, Captain Kerry says he hopes by knocking their heads together he knocked some sense into them and for the next charter they can get their sh*t together. Fraser suggests he and Nick go over the menus for the next charter straightaway, so all the meals are set, and they fist bump.

It’s time for the preference sheet meeting. The primary is Michele, a pediatric dentist, who’s bringing friends who travel together frequently. She’s also recently separated and wants this to be her freedom tour. Ben reads that they want a Reiki practitioner, and Fraser reads that a request for a fashion show. They’re celebrating the primary’s 50^th birthday as well, and she wants to celebrate Beyoncé style. Sunny says, it’s going to be a good vibe tonight. She feels it. Kyle comes out in a bow tie and a kilt, and Barbie says, that’s not hot. In Barbie’s interview, she says she gets that it’s his heritage, but he doesn’t wear anything underneath and likes to show his situation. She wants to put pants on him. She tells him, don’t start showing people that. They go to Lavo Lanes bowling alley, and in Kyle’s interview, he says he loves how Barbie hates the kilt. Barbie says, he loves to show it and she’s trying to get him not to. They do shots, and Kyle makes the winning spare. Ben tells Kyle to flash his willy, and Kyle obliges. Barbie tells him, stop doing that, but he tells her, deal with it.  

In Barbie’s interview, she says, her family is going to have a heart attack. She’s from Argentina and was raised conservative. She’s never dated somebody who doesn’t wear pants. She can imagine introducing Kyle to her father and him pulling his pants down. It’s embarrassing and cringe worthy for her. Kyle promises not to do it again, and she asks how he’d like it if she flashed her boobs. He says he would like it, but he gets what she’s saying. Barbie says she doesn’t like that, and he says, noted. In his interview, Kyle says he needs to flash someone, but doesn’t want to make her uncomfortable. He knows he’s in the doghouse, so he’s going to work at making her happy. They leave, and back at the boat, Kyle says he needs to piss and take his kilt off. I guess the kilt does make that easier. Xandi says she can’t believe she’s sober. Barbie and Kyle bunk together, and so do Ben and Sunny. Kyle tells Barbie that she has him wrapped around her little finger, and in Barbie’s interview, she says, the season is ending and they’re in a good spot. She’s thinking this is not the end of her and Kyle. She has love for him and is possibly falling in love with him. She wants to see what the future holds, if they have real feelings. He’s a great guy, but at the same time, the fact is, he’s different from her family and not Jewish. A producer asks if she thinks her family would want her to be with him, and she says, no. She has so many things to think about. She’s scared that they’re so different, and she wants to see if it works in the real world, if they make it that far.

Next time, a Beyoncé birthday; Captain Kerry says, schoolboy errors are happening and it’s unacceptable: and the captain finds blatant disrespect on deck.

🥤 I’d Like To Buy the World a Pepsi…

Come on down tomorrow for soap and a Reunion of Rules. Until then, stay safe, stay prioritizing quality choices and people, and stay reaching for the brass ring. You may fall flat on your face, but you never know.