Monthly Archives: June 2024

June 14, 2024 – A Full Friday In Port Charles, PSA, Her Offer, Island Host, Already, Andy’s Issues, In the House, Those, New Reality, Bye Dog, Tonys, Three To See, Amusing, 9 Concise Quotes & Club

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What I Watched Today

(rambling, random thoughts, recaps, and the whole GH enchilada on Fridays)

General Hospital

On the phone at the gallery, Trina asks if Portia is sure she didn’t say anything to The Invader about her giving them an interview, because she’s not… Gio walks in, and she says she has to go. They’ll talk later. She says, he made it, and he says, she could have finished her call, but she says she didn’t want to deal with it anyway. She talked him up to Ava, but she can’t make any promises. He says, she got him a shot. That’s all he can hope for. Ava comes in, and Trina introduces her to Gio, and says, he’s the musician she told Ava about. Ava shakes his hand and says she’s sure Trina explained she needs somebody to do background music for their next opening. Trina said, Gio got a full ride to PCU’s music program, and he’s drafted to their summer concert series too, andAva says, a full ride. His parents must love that. He says, if he hadn’t earned the scholarship, his Uncle Sonny was going to pay his way.

In his office, Drew gets a call from Nina, but before he can answer (or decide if he’s going to), McConkey walks in. Drew turns off the call and says he wasn’t expecting the congressman. McConkey says, Drew came to his office without an appointment, and he thought he’d return the favor. So time to fish or cut bait. Is Drew going to run for his seat or not?

Alexis asks, what’s on Kristina’s mind? and Kristina says, all the warnings Alexis gave her about being Molly’s surrogate. Alexis says, she’ll have to be a little more specific, and Kristina says, there’s one thing they didn’t cover. What happens to the baby if Molly and TJ split up?

Elizabeth meets Chase at the café, and she says she hopes she didn’t keep him waiting. He says he just got there, and thanks her for agreeing to meet him. He got her message. He was about to knock on Finn’s door when she called. After talking to Finn, he had a good idea why she called. She asks, how bad was he?

Finn wakes up with a start, fully clothed and on the couch. Violet asks, what’s wrong? and I can feel Finn’s hangover.

Ava asks if Gio means Sonny Corinthos, and he says he does. Sonny’s not an actual relative, but he’s an honorary member of the Cerullo family, so Sonny is treating him like blood. She says, he’s very fortunate, and he says, no question. Uncle Sonny’s paid for his musical education, lessons, conservatory, his instrument… Ava says, he’s a very generous man. Why doesn’t Gio go ahead and play something? Gio says he’ll go tune up, and steps away. Trina says, full disclosure. She’s never actually heard him play, but Josslyn says he’s fantastic. Ava says she didn’t realize Josslyn was an expert in classical music, and Trina tells her not to feel obligated to use him if this is a bad idea. Gio comes back and says, any requests? Ava tells him, play something that puts people in the mood to buy some very expensive art, and he says he’s got her. He begins to play.

Alexis says, hold on a second. Where is all this coming from? Kristina says, Molly came over to her house and she was really upset. She was venting about all the issues she’s having right now with TJ. Alexis says, couples fight, and Kristina tells her, that’s exactly what Allie said, but not TJ and Molly. They don’t. Not until… this. She indicates her bump and says, the baby is changing everything. Alexis says, babies do change things. Things shift. Sometimes it’s stressful. Kristina says, according to Molly, they’re not communicating right now. They’ve been together since high school. You’d think by now the two of them would have figured out how to talk to each other. Alexis says, back up, and Kristina says she is backing up. She’s backing all the way up to when Molly insisted on a domestic partnership instead of a marriage. What if, in her heart of hearts, Molly always had this feeling that she and TJ might drift apart? Alexis says, that’s just pure speculation. She doesn’t know where this is coming from. They’re having trouble, a little conflict. That doesn’t foretell the end of their relationship. Kristina says she hopes it doesn’t, but she has to be prepared either way. She has to know what she’s going to do. Alexis says, what she wants to know is what Kristina wants her to do, and Kristina says she knows this puts Alexis in a sticky situation because she’s Molly’s mother, but she’s also her mother. All she’s asking Alexis to do is walk her through the possible consequences if Molly and TJ do split up. Alexis told her that the only two people who would have legal claim to custody of this baby would be her and TJ.

Finn guzzles some water, and Violet asks if he’s thirsty. He says he’s so thirsty. Does she remember how he’s always telling her how important it is to stay hydrated? She asks, how was his nap? and he says, it was good. He guesses kids who nap have the right idea, but she says, not her. She thinks naps are boring. She would rather anything else. (Just wait, kid. You’ll wish you took all those naps once you’re working a day job.) So now that he’s up, can they go? He says, okay. Go where? She says, he told her that they could go to the pool after his nap. She’s been waiting for him to wake up. She made them peanut butter on toast for a snack and asked him if they could go to the pool. But he said he was too tired and needed to digest the food first. Doesn’t he remember?

Chase tells Elizabeth that Finn was belligerent and combative. He alternated between guilt tripping Chase and insisting that nothing was wrong. He’s never seen Finn like this before. Elizabeth says, that escalated quickly. He may have felt that he could keep this from her, but last night, Jake saw him coming out of a bar. And in his words, with some random woman. Chase looks stunned, and she says she was really shocked too. At first, she thought, he’s just slipped up. He’s had a couple drinks. Maybe it’s not as bad as it sounds. Perhaps Jake was confused by this woman. Maybe she’s an old friend. So she went to Finn’s apartment, and it was exactly like Jake said. He picked up this woman in the bar and brought him back to his place. He didn’t even know her name. Chase says he’s so sorry. He did see a bottle and two glasses, but it didn’t register. She did nothing to deserve this. She says, he has nothing to apologize for. This is Finn’s illness, his responsibility. So she just came from her first Al-Anon meeting, probably not her last. It only reenforced what she already knew. She can’t save Finn and she can’t subject her children to what’s happening with him right now. He says, of course (🍷) not. He understands what she’s saying. She ended things with Finn, and he gets why. He drew a hard line with Finn too, but Finn’s his brother. He doesn’t have the option to end things. He’s got to figure out a way to reach Finn.

Drew tells McConkey that this is a very big decision for him, and he had to consult with family and friends. He needed to get their input. McConkey says, sure it is. But they’ll support Drew and back him up, no? Drew says he was looking for someone who wouldn’t support him, for reasons not to run. That the campaign would be relentless, and his chances were slim. McConkey asks if he found someone who would oblige him, and Drew says, that’s why he intended to drive up and see the congressman tomorrow, to tell him that he’d made a decision… He would be honored to run for McConkey’s seat. McConkey says, that’s a great decision and he’s glad to see Drew recognizes a golden opportunity when it falls in his lap. They shake hands.

Elizabeth asks Chase to please believe her when she says she hasn’t stopped caring about his brother, but she has seen him addicted before, when he was with her sister. She went toe to toe with him, and he refused to admit he was using. He was arrogant and confrontational. He lied to her face, and she saw that same style last night. Chase says he’s so sorry, but she tells him that she’s going to say this as many times as he needs to hear it. He is not responsible. She knows he wants to support his brother, but he can’t enable him. He says he won’t, but he won’t drop him either. He can’t. She says, addiction is tricky. She can’t help Finn, but she can help Chase. Finn’s sponsor left town about a year ago. She doesn’t think he ever got a new one because of how well he was doing, but there is someone he might talk to. He and Alexis are close. They work the program together. He says, that tracks, and she tells him, with all that being said, her biggest concern is her niece. Violet is a strong little girl, but she’s dealt with so much loss, with her mother and her grandfather. And while Finn is battling himself, they have to figure out where she’s going to go. He says he and Brook came up with a plan for Violet to come live with them at the Q mansion this summer for a few weeks, long enough for Finn to have an intervention, hopefully, but he wasn’t having it. She says, maybe he just needs a minute for it to soak in. Tell her their plan, and she’ll try to talk Finn through it. He asks if she thinks Finn will listen to her, and she says, there’s only one way to find out. What she does know is, Violet is going to need all the support she can get.

Finn says he thought Violet said school. He was wondering why she wanted to go to school in her swimsuit. She asks why she’d want to go to school in her swimsuit. And he told her that he wanted to see her somersault in the water. He says he does, but does she think maybe he could have a hug first? She hugs him, and he says he loves her so much. He’s sorry if he’s been a little sad lately. She says, about grandpa? and he says, yeah, about grandpa. How is she? She says she’s sad too, and he says he’s going to get cleaned up and they’re going straight to that pool. They’re going to stop being sad and have so much fun. He promises. They pinky swear, and Violet hugs him again.

McConkey says, there are very few things that matter more than good government, and it’s easy to lose sight of that. With all the noise, and the innuendo, and the competing echo chambers… There are a lot of charlatans and cheats in the House, and it’s important for people of integrity to step forward and do the right thing. Drew thanks him and says he looks forward to shaking things up in the halls of Congress. This district… hell, this country deserves the best he can give. McConkey says, it sounds a little bit like his I’m running speech. Does he have a good speech writer? Drew says, no. Any suggestions? McConkey says, use his own voice, but think also about changing his last name to Quartermaine. He can’t beat that for recognition early in the race. Drew says, as a matter of fact, he… Nina walks in and asks why Drew hasn’t called her back, then sees McConkey. She asks, what brings him to Aurora? and McConkey says, as if she didn’t know.

Ava tells Gio, that’s enough, and thanks him. He definitely has the job. She knows he’ll be the perfect enhancement to their opening. Why don’t they go in the back and talk numbers? He says he’s grateful for any opportunity to perform live, and follows her into the back. Trina gently touches his violin, when Josslyn comes in. She asks if Trina is ready to go. Three new apartment listings just dropped, but they’ve got to be fast or else they’ll lose out… Is she okay? Trina says, yeah. This is Gio’s. He just auditioned for Ava. Josslyn was right about him. Josslyn says, he’s really good, but Trina says, no. He’s more than good. The way he played, it was like a painting. Gio’s an artist.

Kristina tells Alexis that she remembers in the State of New York, the birth mother is legally the baby’s mother until she signs the rights away to the baby. So what she needs to know is, if TJ and Molly split up, would TJ have to share custody with her, since Molly has no legal claims to the baby? Alexis says, she’s so jumping to conclusions here. There are so many factors to consider. Kristina says she knows that, but she needs to know what she’s going to do to protect this child and keep it in their family. She knows there’s a surrogacy contract that TJ might try to invoke, but Alexis said that won’t hold up in court. Alexis wonders if Molly knows Kristina is here asking these questions, and Kristina says, no. Alexis says she’s not entirely unprepared for these questions, because bringing up these questions has been her worst nightmare since the two of them told her about the surrogacy. She cannot and will not take a position on this, because she cannot choose between her daughters. Don’t ask her to.

Trina tells Josslyn that she’s never been that into violin, but the way Gio played, it was like a secret voice, like if somehow the paintings on the wall started singing. She can see how violinists were like rock stars back in the day. And it’s so easy to access – Gio comes back – the greatest music in the world on the internet, but it’s nothing like seeing it live. Josslyn tries to get her attention, and Gio asks if Josslyn is here to look at art. Josslyn says, no. Actually, they’re looking for apartments. She and Trina are getting a place together. She looks at her phone and says, oh no. Assuming the can find a place. Two of the listings just got taken. Trina says, already? and Ava comes back. She says hello to Josslyn and tells Gio that she’ll be in touch. She tells the girls, good luck with that apartment hunt, and returns to the back. Gio says he happens to know about a great apartment and it’s not going to be listed. Trina asks, why not? and he says, it’s over the Quartermaines’ garage.

McConkey says, maybe they should ask Nina about the name thing or Drew could pitch his platform to her… if she hasn’t already heard it. Nina says she’s sorry. What’s going on? The platform? The name? Drew says he’s running for Congress. The congressman wants him to take his seat when he retires. She says, Drew, a politician, and McConkey says he’s truly sorry. He assumed Drew would confide in Nina and that she would know what he was planning on doing. Drew says he just hadn’t gotten to it yet, and McConkey says, how about now? As the minister would say, all those who think Drew should not run for office, speak now or forever hold your peace.

Kristina says she’s not asking Alexis to choose, but she is responsible for this baby. And she has been ever since Molly and TJ chose her to carry this child. Alexis says, their child, and Kristina says she knows it’s their child, and she’s been trying so hard to do the right thing. She’s due to give birth to this baby in August, and she’s freaked out about it enough as it is. She doesn’t want to have to be thinking about this. Honestly, she’s been mentally preparing herself to sign away the rights and give this baby to Molly and TJ. Now she doesn’t even know if they’re going to make it. So she has to understand what her rights are in case she needs to protect this child. Alexis goes to her computer and says she’s sending Kristina the links to relevant statutes. Kristina asks if she just happened to have that open on her browser, and Alexis says she’s had it bookmarked since Kristina told her that she was pregnant. Kristina says, so Alexis does understand her concern, and Alexis says she just sent Kristina the link to the relevant statutes. Use the information as she sees fit. Kristina thanks her, and starts to leave, but Alexis calls her back. She says she wants Kristina to think long and hard about the promises she made to Molly and TJ, and the consequences if she breaks them. Kristina nods and leaves.

Elizabeth knocks on Finn’s door, and Violet answers. Elizabeth hugs her, picking her up, and Finn comes out.

Gio takes Josslyn and Trina to the apartment, which is super cute and about a hundred times nicer than my first apartment. He says, a living room, kitchenette, two bedrooms, only one bathroom. Trina says, it beats the showers in the dorms, and Josslyn says, it’s crazy. She’s been to the Quartermaines a million times and parked right outside the garage. She had no idea this place was here. Gio says, Ned offered it to him. Ned thought he’d like a place of his own, a little extra privacy. But Aunt Lois and Olivia weren’t having it. They want him at the house. Josslyn asks, why? Are they scared he’s going to get into trouble or something? He says, more like they think he might expire if he doesn’t have someone to do his laundry and make sure he eats regular meals. He can’t say for sure the Quartermaines will want to rent this place. They’ll have to talk to them directly, but since Josslyn’s brother Michael is a Quartermaine, he’s guessing they won’t drive too hard of a bargain. His phone rings, and he steps out to take the call. Josslyn says she knows they haven’t seen the bedrooms or the closets, but what does Trina think? They’re close to campus, it’s clean, it’s safe, there’s plenty of parking. She kind of loves it.

Chase knocks at Alexis’s door and asks if this is a bad time. She says, it’s been a day. From his expression, she’s thinking he’s having the same one. He asks if she knows Finn’s been drinking, and she says, he told her… How bad is it? Chase sits down and says, he’s drinking non-stop. He’s being irresponsible and reckless. He tried to confront Finn, but Finn completely shut him out. Elizabeth tried, but his behavior left her no choice but to end the relationship. She says, if Elizabeth jumped ship, it must be pretty bad, and he says, she still cares about him, but she doesn’t want to enable him or expose his behavior to her sons. (I think he meant expose her sons to his behavior.) She didn’t know if Finn ever got a new sponsor when his sponsor left a year ago, and suggested he talk to Alexis. Alexis says, if she was his sponsor, she wouldn’t be able to break a confidence, but she’s not. She hasn’t talked to Finn in a few days, but he did tell her that he slipped at the wedding. Chase says, Finn drank at his wedding before their dad died?

Elizabeth says, looks like someone is going swimming, and Violet says, they’re going to the MetroCourt pool. Elizabeth says, it’s a little late for that. By the time they get there, they’re not going to have whole lot of time to swim. Violet says, they would have gone early, but daddy fell asleep and forgot, and Finn laughs. He asks if Violet wants to run to the lobby and get their mail, and she says, okay. She leaves, and Finn asks if Elizabeth wants to come in. She puts her bag down and he closes the door. She says, Jake and Aiden have been asking about Violet. Even though they’re not together, Violet is still her niece and the boys’ cousin. She’d really love to take Violet to the pool right now, then bring Violet back to her house for dinner. He says he knows a wellness check when he sees one. Did Chase send her here?

Josslyn tells Trina that they can go hiking in the woods. They can even use the pool and the tennis courts on the grounds. She’ll talk to Michael. She’s sure they’ll get a great price on rent, because she knows everybody. Why isn’t Trina saying anything? She hasn’t said more than two words. Does she not like it? Trina says, no. She’s just not sure. Josslyn asks if she’s having second thoughts about moving off campus, but Trina says, no, not at all. Josslyn asks if it’s the idea of moving on, and Trina says, maybe. Josslyn says, if she’s not ready… but Trina says she wants to be, and this place is perfect. Maybe a little too perfect, like it’s too good to be true. Josslyn says, every now and then, that can happen. Isn’t she due for something like that? Gio comes back and asks what they think of the place.

Nina says she thinks it’s actually very inspiring, and Drew is going to be the perfect candidate to succeed the congressman. Despite his past legal problems, but they don’t need to get into that right now. McConkey says, old news, and they’ll deal with that, and Nina says, no doubt. Drew could not have a better mentor in politics. And the congressman couldn’t have chosen a better, more fitting successor. McConkey says, there’s nothing he likes to hear more than his instincts were correct, so they’ll time his retirement with Drew’s announcement that he’s going to run to take his place in the House. They need to work on getting their campaign together, so it will run as smoothly as possible. Drew says he just has to get his staff together first, and McConkey says, better hurry up. His opponent is the worst kind of opportunist. And it’s not a question of Drew saying he wants to win; he has to win. They need people in influential places in his stead, like this lady here. It’s good to have her. Good to see them both. He leaves, and Drew says, what the hell was that? Past legal troubles that they need not get into? She forgot mention that she was the one who pointed the SEC in his direction to begin with. She says, please. She couldn’t have been more supportive with the congressman right now. He says, agreed. So what’s the catch? She says, no catch. As loathsome as she feels he is, his brand of loathsome is perfect for Washington. He says he’s flattered, and she says, and also, she needs a favor. He says, of course (🍷) she does.

Alexis tells Chase, Finn wasn’t drinking per se at the wedding. He inadvertently grabbed a glass that had champagne in it, and she didn’t think that would… and she can tell from Chase’s face that Finn wasn’t very forthcoming about that. He says, it’s the first he’s hearing of it. Finn told him that he had his first drink when he found their dad. She says, he told her that as well. He came over and they talked. He told her that there was a bottle of alcohol in his apartment someone had left as a gift and he drank it after their father died, but he was adamant that he was stopping. Chase says, he’s been drinking the whole time. At their dad’s memorial, he saw Finn taking shots. He’s been going to bars… He came here because he had questions. She says she’ll do her best, and he says, Finn tells him that he’s a drug addict, not an alcoholic, so he can drink normally like everyone else. She says, it’s the story he’s telling in order to justify his behavior. He hasn’t had a drink in years, and he goes to regular AA meetings, so he wouldn’t do that if he weren’t an alcoholic. Chase says he trusted Finn when he said it was just a slip and he had it under control, but all addicts say that. He knows that because he has training for it and he was willfully blinded by it. Alexis says, listen to her because she knows what she’s talking about. This isn’t on Chase. He can’t control this. All he can do is take his cues from what Finn does, not what he says. Chase says, that leads him to his next question. Finn promised that he was going to AA meetings. Has she seen him?

Finn tells Elizabeth that he admits he’s had a couple of bad days, but if she and Chase think him getting drunk after his father’s funeral is a crisis, then he doesn’t know what more there is to say. She tells him to say he’ll stop lying to himself and everyone else. She didn’t want to come back here. Not after what happened last night, which she’s not even sure he fully remembers. Yet here she is. Because she loves him and he’s in trouble. And Violet needs a safe home. He says, Violet has a safe home. Please leave his daughter out of this. She says, Violet doesn’t deserve to be in the middle of his crisis. He’s got to get help before things get really out of control. He says, of all the people in his life, she was the last one he thought would turn their back on him. But clearly, that’s the choice she’s made. (Show of hands. How many people want to smack him right now?) She says, all she’s asking is for him to get real with himself and to give his daughter a break from the way he’s handling his grief. Violet can stay with her and the boys. She can stay with Chase and Brook… He says, she’s not going anywhere. Violet is his daughter. He is her father. And she stays with him. This is the last time he’s going to say that.

On Monday, Portia has something that might put a smile on Elizabeth’s face; Chase tells Cody that he wouldn’t trade it for the world; and Finn tells Alexis that it’s his loss and his to deal with in his own way.

🛟 Al-Anon…

Even non-profits have a business to run, and I worked in Al-Anon’s corporate office for several years. You didn’t cause it, you can’t cure it, and you can’t control it. If a loved one’s drinking is affecting your life, let Al-Anon help you. And in the long run, them. (Sorry the link is so small. Occasionally, the come out like that, but there’s nothing I can do about it.)

👠 Will Quit For You…

I’m still creeped out about how Jenn changed her entire look artificially just to fit in. Bowling For Soup was right – high school never ends.

🌴 Island Of Questionable Love…

I could tell from the opening credits that I did not want to watch this. As usual, when it comes to this genre of reality, I feel embarrassed for the contestants.

🍸 He and Billie Lee…

I love the stunned look on his face.

🤹‍♂️ Andy On Everything…

I’m guessing he’ll skate from all these issues, but is it even worth it anymore?

🐉 Imagining Dragons…

Premiering June 16th.

https://www.etonline.com/house-of-the-dragon-season-2-everything-we-know-about-the-dance-of-dragons-storyline-193169

And already renewed for Season 3.

https://ew.com/house-of-the-dragon-renewed-season-3-hbo-8662955

⚔️ It’s a New Game…

Hopefully, Iwan Rheon’s character won’t be quite as sadistic as Ramsay Bolton, although it is about ancient Rome. They weren’t exactly known for their compassion.

https://ew.com/anthony-hopkins-iwan-rheon-those-about-to-die-trailer-8662636

💃🏼 We Will Always Have Paris…

The forever friends are back with their not so simple lives.

https://www.eonline.com/news/1402961/youll-be-sliving-for-paris-hiltons-update-on-her-and-nicole-richies-new-show

🥀 Seven In Heaven…

It sounds like he had a wonderful life. See you at the Bridge, buddy.

https://ew.com/the-walking-dead-dog-animal-actor-dies-8663330

https://comicbook.com/tv-shows/news/the-walking-dead-dog-seven-dies-norman-reedus-daryl-dixon/

🏆 Light the Lights…

The Tonys air June 16th. The nominees.

https://www.tonyawards.com/nominees/

Speculation.

https://www.theatermania.com/news/what-shows-will-win-the-best-musical-play-and-revival-tonys-in-2024_1742256/

Everything you ever wanted to know.

https://www.tonyawards.com/

🐾 Animal Kingdom Newness…

The new tallest dog.

https://people.com/great-dane-dog-kevin-worlds-tallest-living-dog-8663127

New wild jaguars.

https://www.batimes.com.ar/news/argentina/first-wild-jaguars-in-70-years-born-in-argentina-national-park.phtml

More on the new rare white buffalo.

https://people.com/birth-rare-white-buffalo-yellowstone-fulfills-lakota-prophecy-8662986

🧯 The Definition of Irony…

Is it a radio or a fire alarm? Maybe he needs to take his own advice and get his eyes checked.

https://www.etonline.com/henry-winkler-is-evacuated-from-hotel-in-dublin-says-he-thought-fire-alarms-were-a-clock-radio

📻 Quotes of the Week

Thinking will not overcome fear, but action will. – W. Clement Stone

Someone is sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago. – Warren Buffett

The worst walls are never the ones you find in your way. The worst walls are the ones you put there. – Ursula K. Le Guin

You can waste your lives drawing lines. Or you can live your life crossing them. – Shonda Rhimes

I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me. – Dudley Field Malone

A room hung with pictures is a room hung with thoughts. – Joshua Reynolds

Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence. – Vince Lombardi

Jesus Christ, it’s like a f***ing dog movie in here! – Doug (Will Forte), Strays

Be water, my friend. – Bruce Lee

⛓️‍💥 Going Out Like a Wrecking Ball…

Go forth and conquer the world. Then join me on Monday for soap and dirty deeds on Deck. Until then, stay safe, stay embracing the local culture when traveling, and stay supporting, but not enabling, those with addictions.

June 13, 2024 – Curtis Thinks It’s Time He Met Heather, Explanation, Rallying, End Of Awful (For Now), Crossing Over, Earth’s End, After the Glee, Prophecy Fulfilled & Words

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What I Watched Today

(rambling, random thoughts, recaps, and the whole GH enchilada on Fridays)

General Hospital

Tracy saw Stella sitting on Gregory’s bench at the park, and said Stella was sitting in her seat. Stella told her to sit her boney ass down, and they smiled at one another.

Blaze made raspberry iced tea for Kristina and said, it helped tone the uterus and made it more efficient. She had to take care of her baby, figuratively speaking. They both admitted to fantasizing that the baby was theirs, and Kristina said, they’d need a bigger place. Blaze said, their new house would have several bathrooms and a big backyard, and Kristina added a tire swing. Blaze said, they’d need three bedrooms for when her brother Eloi visited and the abuelas. Kristina liked the sound of Abuela Alexis.  

Adrian brought champagne to Alexis’s office and wanted to toast to the sweet circulation numbers. Alexis said she was a recovering alcoholic and couldn’t join him even if there was something to celebrate, which there wasn’t. She called him a poor excuse for a journalist, and he suggested she refer her complaints to the First Amendment. Alexis said she and the mayor understood the First Amendment, and leaked information had been used for clickbait headlines. She warned him that he did not want to square off with Laura.

Laura said Trina must have seen The Invader’s claims that she was launching a campaign to free Heather, and Trina asked if she was. Laura said, no, and she didn’t want Heather to be free. Trina said she was glad to hear that, and her mom would be too. Her mom had freaked out. Laura said she could empathize, but Trina said, not enough to leave it alone.

A guard brought Heather to the visitor’s room, but Heather said, there must have been a mistake. She didn’t know this guy. Curtis said, maybe not, but he knew her.

A mosquito was after Tracy, and she told Stella that her pheromones attracted bloodsuckers and parasites. It was a wonder she and Gregory became friends. Stella said, they don’t make them like that anymore, and Tracy remarked that the bench was solid and handsome, like the man. Stella asked how the memorial was, and Tracy said, good. A lot of memories were shared about what Gregory had left them. Stella asked what Gregory left Tracy, and she said, cheated.

Kristina thought Blaze’s mom would make a good grandma, that a baby would mellow her out. Blaze said, it might make her more comfortable with them, but she wouldn’t want Natalia to push the kid into music if they weren’t into it. Blaze would want them to be their own person, not molded into what she wanted. Kristina said, it was important that people be accepted for who they were. They’d let their child reveal who they wanted to be. It was nice to fantasize about the future, but she didn’t know if it was the right timing to be doing that. There was a knock at the door, and Kristina opened it to Molly.

Heather said, everyone knew the notorious Heather Webber, and Curtis said, she was all over the news. Her hook too. She said she didn’t need reminding how wretched a place the world had become and how she contributed to it. He did give her a reminder of the beauty in it though. It had been years since a man came calling. She asked what his name was, calling him hot stuff, and he introduced himself. He told her that he was Trina’s father, and he was sure Heather knew her.

Trina told Laura that she’d been freaked out too, but had to think objectively. What she knew about Laura was different than what people were thinking. Spencer thought world of her, and she and Doc were adopting Ace. Spencer would be so happy about that. She wanted to hear what was going on from Laura directly. Laura thanked her for keeping an open mind, and admitted she was torn in several directions, but she’d try to explain. Trina said her mom had already explained about the metallosis, and Laura said her actions had been mischaracterized. She’d only requested copies of Heather’s court records. Trina asked, why? and Laura said she wanted to see to what degree Heather’s condition was responsible for her actions, since it hadn’t been known at the time. Trina asked, if it had been, would Heather have gone free? Is that what Laura wanted?

Adrian told Alexis that they were only vulnerable to liable if the article was proved untrue. Did Laura prove that? Alexis asked what he didn’t get about we’re done, and he asked if Laura demanded a retraction or correction. Was she considering pushing the DA to set Heather free? Alexis said, Laura didn’t want Heather free, and Adrian asked who had more credibility, The Invader or the claims of an elected politician? Who was fighting for justice, their paper or Laura? Diane walked in and said she’d also like an answer to that.

Blaze offered to leave, but Molly said, stay, since Blaze was sister adjacent. Kristina asked what was going on. Did Molly lose a case? Molly said, no, just her domestic partner. They had a blowout fight. Kristina said, they didn’t even disagree on dinner, and Molly said, they never disagreed on anything until this year. Kristina said, until she was their surrogate.

Diane asked Alexis where the paper got their information and was it reliable. She’d been on the receiving end of a poison hook. Adrian said, it was a matter of civic interest, but Alexis said, it was more like prurient interest. He could see himself out. He left, and Alexis told Diane that Laura had only requested the transcript of Heather’s hearings. Diane asked what the file was on Alexis’s desk, and Alexis said, it was the transcripts. She’d gotten them from Laura. Diane asked if it was true that Laura was angling for Heather’s freedom and Alexis was helping her do it.  

Laura told Trina that there was no way to know how the inquiry would go. They only had what ifs. What if Heather’s illness had been discovered and diagnosed? Perhaps the atrocities she committed wouldn’t have occurred. Trina said, but they did. Five people were dead. She asked if there was anything in the transcripts that would get Heather released, but Laura said she wasn’t a lawyer. Trina said, Alexis used to be one, and asked if Laura was discussing it with her. There was a knock at the door, and Trina said she’d go, since she hadn’t made an appointment. Laura opened the door to Doc and told him that she and Trina were in the middle of a conversation. He said he was sorry to interrupt, but maybe he was just in time to run interference. Trina said, there was no need, but he said, her upcoming article in The Invader made him think otherwise.

Curtis said he knew Heather remembered Trina, and Heather kept her head down as he talked. He said, she barely escaped with her life, but not Spencer. Heather’s daughter made sure of that. He saw Trina’s broken heart because of what Heather put in motion and saw the light go out of her eyes. He asked if Heather was offended by the truth, but she said she knew the truth and had no problem with what he was saying. It was what she didn’t want to say that was the problem.

Tracy told Stella that she wished she’d met Gregory sooner, before his illness. He thought it brought out his strengths and would probably tell her something enlightened that made her feel obliged to look for untapped powers in herself, if she had any. Stella said, Tracy was a formidable woman, and she was surprised at this streak of self-doubt. Therapy worked. Tracy said, nice knowing her, but Stella told her, don’t give up on herself. We could see our weaknesses coming, but our strengths were a surprise, revealed when life demanded it. The trick was to recognize them before they went to waste. Gregory did put his to good use, but she could relate to Tracy feeling cheated. That’s what brought her on this walk. She didn’t even notice the plaque until she’d been there a while, but Gregory’s name seemed fitting, so she stayed. She was thinking about someone dear to her that she lost a long time ago and lost all over again today.

Molly told Blaze that she and TJ had been together since high school. Maybe all this time she’d been thinking they were in sync when it wasn’t the case. They were focused on their careers and school and catching up. Maybe they ignored the reality that they grew apart. Maybe they pushed new thoughts and feelings away until it exploded in their faces.

Doc said, there was a promo in The Invader that survivor Trina was sounding out on the mayor’s efforts to free Heather Webber. Trina said, it was a lie. She never talked to them. Her mom said they’d reached out, but she said she wasn’t interested. She’d never give an interview. Laura said she believed Trina, and doubted Alexis knew about it, since she hadn’t known about the original article. Doc said, it’s official; Laura was clickbait. Trina said she’d taken up enough of Laura’s time, and Doc said he was sorry that all this had been dredged up. Trina asked, in his expert opinion, did he think it was possible that the poison made Heather a killer?

Heather said she was a sorry excuse for a human being, and Curtis agreed. She said she didn’t have the words to express how she felt. Nothing would be sufficient to take away the pain she’d created. Saying she was sorry was ridiculously inadequate, but it was true. She cried, and said she was so, so sorry. Sorrier than he would ever know. He said she was right. Nothing she could say would change anything. He’s not sure what he expected to accomplish, but he thought it was time they met, especially with what was going on in the news. There was one thing that might help. If she hadn’t been captured, what were her intentions for his precious daughter?

Alexis told Diane that she was looking over the records as a favor to Laura and giving Laura her noncredited opinion. Diane said, no offense, but why didn’t Laura ask a lawyer lawyer? and Alexis said, offense taken. She and Laura were friends and she’d been standing there when Doc asked if Heather would still be accountable if her medical impairment had affected her judgement. Diane asked what she’d discovered, but Alexis said she hadn’t had much of a chance to discover anything yet. She did notice there was never a medical exam. Now they know the cobalt poisoning was an issue, and the implant causing it had been removed. Diane asked if Heather was nice now, and Alexis said, it was new evidence and they both knew there were lots of precedents about that. Diane said, in every one, a deterrent was found, and Alexis said, except one. Diane said, name it, and Alexis said, the one Diane set herself.

Diane asked what Alexis was talking about, and Alexis wondered if she was being uncharacteristically modest or feigning ignorance. Diane said she had no idea, and Alexis suggested they go to the gym. Diane said, it must be serious if Alexis would rather sweat than gloat. What precedent did she set in defense of Heather? Alexis must have misread one of her dusty old cases. Put your money where the precedent is. Alexis said, the State of New York versus Robert Frank, aka Franco.

Heather said, an honest answer might not be what Curtis wanted to hear, but he said he wanted to hear the truth. She said she didn’t know. Somehow, she mixed up wanting to protect her daughter with taking lives. She’s not claiming she doesn’t remember the horrible things she did. But what she can’t piece together or reconstruct is why. What she thought she would accomplish by murdering people. He asked if she was working out her argument in the event of her case being reopened, and she asked why her case would ever be reopened.

Doc told Trina that metallosis was a real diagnosis. It manifested itself differently in different patients. Was the issue because they were clinically psychotic or because they were raging with toxins? One way to find out was to remove the toxins. Trina’s mother had advocated for removing Heather’s artificial hip. Trina said, and now she was kicking herself. Would they let her know if there were further developments? She promised she wasn’t giving any interviews. Laura said she would, and thanked Trina for not rushing to judgment. She feared there was more to come. Lately, there had been a lot of it. Trina told them, goodbye, and left.

Kristina asked what she was missing. How could they fall apart over one argument? Most high school romances didn’t last, but theirs did. Molly said, it was less complicated then. They were on the same page with everything, but now, not so much. TJ says something, then later claims he never meant it, like he had to fall in line with her. They’d had disagreements, but not like this where it was filled with pent up resentment. Was it wrong for her to want him to mean what he said, instead of waiting months to tell her how he really felt? Kristina asked if he was having buyer’s remorse about her being their surrogate. She thought they’d hashed it out already. Molly said she thought so too, and Blaze said she didn’t get what the issue was. Kristina said, TJ thought she was unreliable. Despite the questions and doubts, he just agreed because it’s what Molly wanted. He wouldn’t trust her to take care of a cactus, let alone a baby.

Molly thought she and TJ’s argument was exacerbated by an underlying issue, and Kristina said, communication was more important now than ever. Molly said, they needed to work on that and do better. She had to get back to work, and Kristina and Blaze encouraged her to stay, but Molly said she was good. She was sorry to interrupt their afternoon and thanked them for hearing her. Everything was going to be fine. TJ was still the most wonderful guy on the planet, despite his bout of un-wonderfulness. She left, and Blaze said she’d never seen Molly like that. Kristina said, her either.

Alexis said, it was discovered Franco had an infliction that seriously impaired his judgment, like his mother. He was found not liable and the person who presented that to the court was Diane. She wasn’t judging Diane and respected her. She didn’t want to see Franco go free, but Diane did her job and did it well. If a smart lawyer deployed her Twinkie defense, Heather’s sentence could be overturned. Diane said, if it was, and a murderer went free, she had no one to blame but herself.

Heather said she pled guilty, case closed, and Curtis said, she had no idea? According to The Invader, the mayor was questioning her conviction and asking for it to be looked at. Heather asked, what mayor? and Curtis said, Laura Collins.

Doc says he hated the outrage toward Laura, especially when he was to blame too. He performed a psyche assessment on Heather that was different from any other, and asked Alexis if there were any legal ramifications. He never thought there would be a chain reaction that would affect Laura’s career. Laura said, he’d been professional and ethical. There was no way he was at fault, and frankly, neither was she. As mayor, she was supposed to do the right thing. And the right thing by all the citizens of Port Charles, not just the ones they liked.

Tracy said she was assuming this was about a man, and Stella said, the love of her life – Marcus. They were engaged, but circumstances changed that. She broke engagement and left him behind to help her sister raise her nephews. Marcus married a lovely woman who passed away. There was never another man she could be serious about. There was a man in London who she thought she loved, but he couldn’t hold a candle to Marcus. She convinced herself that she chose the life of a single woman and believed it, until a friend called and told her Marcus died. It hurts so much every day. Everything she’d done seemed nothing compared to what she never had and never did.

Heather said, even she knew it was a crazy idea. She’d reach out and ask Laura to stop. She was a rotten person who’d done terrible, unforgiveable things. She remembered all of it. The weight of the hook in her hand and the sound when it made contact. She was exactly where she belonged and didn’t need a judge to verify it or say otherwise. She was so sorry about the light going out in his daughter’s eyes. Curtis said, she’d given him lot to think about and thanked her for her time. He wouldn’t be back. The guard took Heather away.

Laura said Portia was treating Heather, but didn’t see a conflict in holding her responsible, and Doc said, Portia trusted the legal system that sent her to prison. No wonder Portia wanted to see her stay. Laura said she didn’t think Heather was innocent, but it was important for her to have a fair hearing. It wasn’t up to them to decide. Doc said he admired the stand Laura was taking, and she told him to remember that when they were calling for her head. He might be the only supporter she had left. They hugged.

Diane said she was stymied and didn’t know what to do. Alexis said, the goal was to keep Heather in jail. Diane should keep her mouth shut and hope no one stumbled on her defense to save Heather like her son was saved.

Stella said she’d be fine in an hour… or two, and Tracy said she had the time, putting her hand on Stella’s. Aww!

Kristina thought Molly had a bigger problem than she was admitting, and Blaze asked if they wouldn’t fight to save their marriage. Kristina said, they weren’t married. They were domestic partners. Blaze asked why they didn’t get married, and Kristina said, Molly didn’t want to see it fail. Blaze said, it happened with domestic partners too. What would happen with the baby if Molly and TJ broke up? Kristina said she never thought about that. What would be her responsibility? She needed to figure that out.

Tomorrow, Drew asks Nina, what the hell was that; Kristina wonders, what happens with the baby if Molly and TJ split up; and Elizabeth tells Chase that she can’t subject her children to Finn.

🏊‍♂️ Oh Poolboy…

I have to confess, I didn’t notice. And I desperately want that pool for my living room.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/ghs-adam-j-harrington-explains-what-happened-to-his-eye

⚖️ Demanding Justice…

A beautiful tribute from Perry Shen.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/gh-stars-join-rally-to-demand-justice-for-johnny-wactor

🤽 Making Life a Beach…

Finally, an end to this Summer hell. Amanda said she’d gone into a funk after marrying Kyle. I wondered if she ever considered that she might be in a funk because she married Kyle. There was more about the Carl/Lindsay debacle, and Lindsay backpedaled and grandstanded, while Carl just looked blank. Mr. Kyle Obvious said there was a history of her drinking and being irate. I noticed that Lindsay is one of those people who goes up on the ends of their sentences, kind of like it’s a question? And once I noticed it, it became annoying AF. When asked about what she actually did for a living, there was a moment of crickets. I’m still not sure. The million-dollar question was, how was she blindsided? She confirmed it was because of her ego when she said it seemed like Carl had laid the groundwork for her to be the villain. Kyle said he thought she’d have a sense of self-awareness at the Reunion. He asks a lot. And this coming from someone who has little self-awareness themselves. She did agree Carl had made the best decision for her, but didn’t like the way he’d done it. When asked about their situations, Lindsay said she was in a new serious relationship, and Carl said he hadn’t kissed anyone since Lindsay. Andy told Kyle, the mullet needs to go, and although he had no credentials in this area, he cut Kyle’s hair. Badly.

Paige’s take, a New York POV.

It’s doubtful Lindsay understands the meaning of sisterhood.

⚰️ Still Interviewing…

I haven’t really kept up with this show, but from watching the first season and the beginning of Season 2, it’s worth your time. It’s incredibly stylish and the gore is magnificent. I’d wanted to watch Mayfair Witches too, but you can’t watch everything. At least not in the same season.

https://screenrant.com/interview-with-the-vampire-season-2-mayfair-witches-crossover-tease/

🌏 Just Go About Your Business…

My latest K-binge. What do you do when an asteroid is about to hit the earth?

And in the plot twist we didn’t see coming. This is a shame. I also loved #Alive and Hellbound.

https://thedirect.com/article/goodbye-earth-yoo-ah-in-netflix-scenes-controversy

🎼 Coming Up Roses…

While they lost some cast members way too soon, it sounds like those remaining didn’t do badly. I resisted watching this for a while, but enjoyed it when I finally gave in. I thought they could have done better with Rocky Horror though.

https://ew.com/tv/glee-where-are-they-now/

🦬 Good News and Bad News…

Supposedly, the white buffalo is both a message of hope and a warning. It was sad to hear buffalo are essentially extinct in the wild.

https://www.msn.com/en-ie/news/uknews/warning-as-birth-of-rare-white-buffalo-calf-in-yellowstone-park-fulfills-ancient-prophecy/ar-BB1o8cio

🪁 Being Lazy, Hazy, and Crazy…

End the week with me tomorrow, along with the whole bar of soap, tea, quotes, and a tune to send you off to whatever life holds for you. Until then, stay safe, stay not spending your time at a party on your phone, and stay recognizing your strengths before they go to waste.

June 12, 2024 – TJ Pitches a Fit About Kristina, Mystery Maybe, A Guest, Justice For Johnny, Fishy Chefs, Slam, Daryl’s Carol, House Cast, Shark-No-Do, No Joe, Lucky Kitty & Livin’

Standard

What I Watched Today

(rambling, random thoughts, recaps, and the whole GH enchilada on Fridays)

General Hospital

Carly introduced herself to Gio, and Josslyn said he was a great pool attendant, even if he was wasting his talent.

Alexis met with Laura and told her that the article about reopening Heather’s case was thanks to Adrian DeWitt and his insatiable appetite for clickbait headlines. Laura said the information regarding her request for Heather’s court records was leaked, and Alexis said she didn’t appreciate DeWitt’s tactics, but believed in freedom of the press. Laura said, the first amendment didn’t cover shouting fire in a crowded theater. The article was intended to get people riled and it was successful. She reminded Alexis that she’d said she couldn’t answer questions about reopening the case unless she saw the records, and handed them to her.

Jason walked into the pool area, and Gio told Josslyn that he looked familiar, but it wasn’t from the wedding. Josslyn said, maybe he’d seen a photo at the Quartermaines. Jason used to be one.

Carly hugged Jason, who said he’d gotten her numerous messages and texts. Did she get his? He said he was okay. She said, he never admitted when he was hurt. He’d almost been killed, and she had to see for herself that he was okay. He said she was seeing it now, and she said, it was two days after it happened. She thought he might disappear again.

TJ heard Molly leaving a message for Alexis, asking about Kristina, and wondered why she wasn’t asking Kristina directly. She said she’d been keeping something from him and didn’t want their level of trust to stop now. He had every right to know about Kristina.

Sonny went to Blaze’s room and asked if Kristina was there. Kristina came out and Blaze said she had errands to run, but Sonny said he needed her to hear this. He owed Kristina an apology. What she saw between him and Dex was unacceptable, ugly, and vicious, and he never wanted her to see that part of him. Kristina said, but she did see it.

Sonny said he’d seen the expression on Kristina’s face and couldn’t stop thinking about it. He had a lot of rage that night and didn’t know what got into him. It wasn’t an excuse though. He was responsible for his words and actions. He was sorry, and it never should have happened. When he followed her and saw her crying, she backed away from his touch like she was scared of him. He never wanted that, and it shocked and hurt him. He doesn’t blame her. He understood that’s not how he should act. He told Blaze that he knew she’d come to help Kristina. He appreciated it and thanked her. Blaze said she was glad she was there, and wondered if she could make some calls in the kitchen. Kristina said, go ahead, and Blaze left. Sonny said he and Kristina had always been honest with each other. If she wanted him to leave and never come back, he would.

Jason told Carly that he’d been busy with actual work in the coffee business, and Jake had called when he got back. Elizabeth had a situation, and Jake wanted him to help. Carly said she knew it was a big deal for Jake to reach out to him. Sonny had told her that he wasn’t responsible for the attempt on Jason’s life, and she believed him. Jason said, it had nothing to do with Sonny, and Carly wondered, then who sent the gunmen?

Gio noted that Carly and Jason looked like they were having an intense conversation, and Josslyn said, Carly was probably talking Jason into doing something he didn’t want to. They were best friends. She explained that if Jason wanted anything at the pool, it was to be comped. He was the ultimate VIP.

Laura asked if Alexis saw grounds to reopen Heather’s case, but Alexis said she’d have to spend more time looking at the records. She thought there were potentially grounds to appeal, and Laura said she was glad to hear it, but to be clear, she didn’t want it used as an excuse for Heather’s crimes. She thought Heather should be punished, but if she wasn’t in control of her actions… Alexis said, Heather had pled guilty and was sentenced before she was diagnosed, and Laura said, no one knew if her crimes were influenced or created by the cobalt poisoning. Alexis said she couldn’t do anything because she wasn’t a lawyer, and the way things went in Albany, she probably never would be. Laura asked if she thought it was worth pursuing, and Alexis said she thought a good lawyer could argue that there were legitimate grounds to reopen Heather’s case.

Cody and Sasha went to the pool and agreed that when they went to the Quartermaines’ pool, it felt like they were still working. Here, people waited on them. Gio came over to see what they needed and praised Sasha for her delicious meals. He knew good food, and hers was excellent.

Molly told TJ about what happened with Kristina and Sonny at the reception, but said, the baby was fine. He asked how long she’d known, and she said, not long. He asked if she’d heard it from Kristina, but she said no, and told him about shaking Blaze down. Not her proudest moment, but it worked. TJ thanked her for telling him, and said, someone needed to remind Kristina about being careless with their baby. Molly said, nothing happened, but TJ said, it could have. What if Kristina had tried to intervene? Sonny was dangerous to anyone who came in his orbit. He was done. Until the baby was born, Kristina had to stay away from her father.

Kristina said, people warned her that she wasn’t seeing Sonny clearly and didn’t really know him, but she was sure she knew better. She couldn’t fathom that same man was her loving father. Sonny said he was sorry, and she said she was too. Seeing him commit that violence and scream those threats was like watching a stranger, and she realized everything anyone said about him was right all along. He said he didn’t blame her for feeling that way, but it wasn’t who he was. Kristina said she didn’t know, and asked, what happened? He said, Dex had worked for him and betrayed him. Then Dex showed up at the wedding like a peacock, like he belonged. He was talking to Sonny’s family and friends like he was the guy. He told Dex to stay away from him, but Dex refused. He walked away and Dex grabbed his arm, and he snapped. He wasn’t proud of it, but he lost his temper, the temper he’s been trying to get rid of his whole life. It was never going to happen again. She said she understood his temper. She had one too. She got it from him. He said, she was the best part of him, and he wanted to let her know that he needed her and loved her. He wanted her to know that he’d never hurt her. Kristina said she had something to ask him and please don’t lie. When he said he was going to kill Jason and Dex, did he mean it?

Sonny said he knew he had to make things right with Dex, and they talked. They came to an agreement. He was letting Dex live his life and not interfere. Kristina said, a truce wasn’t exactly peace, and he said, that was up to Dex. There was nothing more important than her, and nothing was worth the cost of losing her. She said she didn’t want to lose him, and he said that was never going to happen. He’d still be her father, no matter what. He would cheer her from afar and root for her happiness and love her until his dying breath. That would never change. He said he brought a present for the baby, and handed her a giftbag. She took out a stuffed Mickey Mouse from Fantasia, and said she had one when she was little. He said he’d gotten it for her, and her face lit up like it is now. She never would get rid of it and no one could take it away. She thanked him for the gift and the sweet memory, and he asked if she was taking good care of herself. She said, the baby was good and kicking up a storm, and he told her to let Blaze take care of her. He was sorry he upset her and got intense when he talked about it. He told her that he hoped to see her soon, and left. She cried a little.

Molly said she knew TJ was upset, but he couldn’t confront Kristina. She would get defensive and shut them out. He said, Kristina had to deal with them, but Molly said, no, she didn’t. In the state of New York, the baby was legally Kristina’s until she signed the adoption papers. TJ said, Molly had to have her sister be the egg donor after a lifetime of impulsive decisions, and now Kristina was making decisions about their baby.

Laura asked what her next step should be, and Alexis said she needed to find a lawyer. She thought it would be easy because the case was interesting and involved a point of law not fully explored yet. An attorney might be interested in setting a precedent. Laura asked if Alexis could recommend someone, but Alexis said she’d have to give it some thought. She needed to give Laura fair warning though. In setting the case in motion, she couldn’t determine the outcome. It was unpredictable. Laura asked if she was saying Heather could go free, and Alexis said, it depended on the judge, the argument, and the precedent. The bottom line was that Heather could get a lesser sentence, be sent to a new facility, or freed outright.

Josslyn said, Gio was killing it. Sasha was impressed. Gio said, it was in his DNA. He could talk to anyone. He asked how she knew Sasha, and she said, Sasha had dated Michael. He said, Michael lived in the gatehouse with his wife Willow, and their kids Wiley and Amelia, and Josslyn was impressed. He said, if he could keep all of his family straight, the Quartermaines were a piece of cake.

Carly asked if Jason thought he’d been attacked because he was an FBI informant, but he said he didn’t have a chance to ask. She said she wanted to help him, and he said, she could help by staying out of it. He had enough going on and didn’t want to worry about her getting caught in the crossfire. Let it go. She told him that she knew it wasn’t Sonny and thought Sonny was worried about Jason, even though he wouldn’t admit it. On cue, Sonny walked in, and went over to Jason and Carly. He said, Brick told him what happened at the warehouse, and Jason said, luckily, he was a better shot. Sonny said he assumed Anna thought it was him. Did Jason think that too?

Sasha put lotion on Cody and noticed he had a nasty bruise. He said he’d stopped James from falling out of the saddle, and Comet caught his leg. Sasha said, Cody was heroic, but Cody didn’t see it that way. She told him that his eyes lit up when he talked about James, and she thought he loved James. James also loved Cody back, even though he had no idea he was Cody’s nephew. Imagine how excited he’d be if Cody told Mac that he was Mac’s son.

Blaze asked why Kristina was crying, and Kristina said, the man that was here was the dad she’d believed she had. She loved him and knew it was incredibly confusing.

Molly told TJ not to act like she’d decided alone. They’d agreed. TJ said, it wasn’t like he had a choice, but Molly said, he did. She’d asked him if he was sure before they went to Kristina. He said he had reservations, but wanted to make her happy because he loved her. Still, he knew they should have waited. Molly told him not to play the victim, and TJ said, she would have been devastated if he’d objected because she wanted a baby so badly. She said she wanted to have a baby with him, and he said, using an egg tied to her erratic sister and her violent erratic father. Was she happy now?

Molly admitted she wanted a biological connection to the baby. It killed her that she couldn’t carry one herself, and she was devastated that she’d never experience pregnancy. He didn’t understand that, because the baby had half his DNA. TJ said he never questioned that, but it felt like she was blaming him. She said she wasn’t, but he was blaming her because she’d wanted a connection to the baby. Kristina was fragile, and the best thing was to let her be. Let her get through the pregnancy, give birth, and not upset her, or else… TJ said, what? and Molly said, if Kristina decided to back out and keep the baby, there was nothing stopping her.

Kristina told Blaze that when she was little, she took Fantasia Mickey everywhere and even slept with it. Sonny had brought one as a gift for the baby. Blaze said she could tell it meant a lot, and Kristina asked if she was crazy. Blaze said, not at all. Sonny was her father. No matter what else he’d done, he loved her. Kristina said she loved him. He was always there and knew what to do to make her feel better. He never judged her or gave her a list of things she was doing wrong. He came to give her a gift and she knew the little one would love it as much as she had loved the one he gave her.

Laura said, the last thing she wanted was for Heather to go free. The families of the victims would be outraged, and she didn’t blame them. Alexis said, Laura needed to drop it. Forget it and walk away. Laura said, and leave Heather in a supermax for the rest of her life to make her own life easier? She couldn’t do that. Alexis said she got it. This wasn’t just an esoteric conversation. She couldn’t believe she was saying this, but this time she was glad she wasn’t a lawyer. Laura said, Alexis had just defended her right to practice law. What would the old Alexis say?

Jason said, at first, he thought it was Sonny who put out a hit on him, and Sonny said, Jason could have given him up, but didn’t. Jason said he never would, and he was wrong anyway. Sonny says, it’s good the police believed him.

Cody said he’d kept the secret hidden for too long. There was no way Mac would ever trust him again. Sasha said she’d lied to Nina for months, making Nina think she was her daughter. Nina was so angry when she found out, and so was everyone else in Port Charles, but she got past it. So did everyone else. Give Mac a chance to forgive him. He might be pleasantly surprised at the outcome. Cody said he wasn’t brave enough, but she said, he was brave. He broke her out of Ferncliff. He said, that was a different situation. She needed help. Mac was happy and had a family who adored each other. He didn’t want to ruin it. He didn’t know if Felicia had come clean about the secret DNA test and didn’t want to blow it for her. Sasha said she thought those were just excuses, but it was hard to maintain a lie forever. She found it was freeing to tell the truth. Maybe he would too.

Alexis told Laura that the old Alexis would say, if the justice system decides Heather should have a lesser sentence or go free, let the law take its course. There was a knock on the door, and Trina came in. Alexis said she was going to take a longer look at the records and left. Laura said she thought she knew why Trina was here, but Trina said she didn’t think Laura did.  

Blaze asked if Kristina was feeling better, and Kristina said, a little. Blaze said, sometimes, she wished this was their baby. I actually think the baby would have a better chance at life. Molly and TJ are way too high strung to raise a child.

Molly cried, and TJ said, she wasn’t wrong. There was nothing stopping Kristina from keeping the baby. What should they do? Family law would be on Kristina’s side. It was such a nightmare. Molly said, all they wanted… and TJ said, be careful what you wish for. He told her that he had to get to the hospital and when he left, Molly sobbed.

Sonny said he was glad to know Jason didn’t give him up when he had the chance. Part of him wanted to trust Jason again… but he couldn’t. He stood there for a moment, then walked out.

Tomorrow, Kristina tells Blaze that she doesn’t know if it’s the right timing; Curtis visits Heather; and Alexis tells DeWitt that he doesn’t want to square off with Laura.

🤔 Who Could It Be Now…

He doesn’t really give much info.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/frank-valentini-teases-a-former-cast-member-is-returning-to-gh

But this guy did. Unless this is a red herring. I doubt it though.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/is-bryan-craig-teasing-his-return-to-general-hospital

🚑 Perez Does Port Charles…

He keeps turning up like a bad penny. Or athlete’s foot. Or something.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/perez-hilton-to-guest-star-on-general-hospital

⚖️ Getting Justice…

If you’re in the LA area, go to the rally, but even if you’re not, you can make a difference.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/join-the-fight-to-get-justice-for-johnny-wactor

🔪 Almost At the Top…

Lionfish was the Quickfire Challenge, which kind of creeped me out. Then they paired it with gouda, and I was like, just no. I’m usually pretty adventurous when it comes to food, but, invasive or no, a lionfish is too pretty to eat, and I don’t see fish with cheese. The Elimination Challenge was an 8 course fresh fish menu, which I was totally on board for. Tom thought the chefs were cooking scared. The winner got a Holland America cruise – 10 days, anywhere Holland went. <heaving huge sigh>

⌛️ Andy, Andy, Andy…

Whether it was Carole or not, agreed.

⚰️ Reading the Book…

A review of the newest in Dead.

https://www.themarysue.com/the-walking-dead-daryl-dixon-the-book-of-carol-episode-1-review/

🐉 Let There Be Dragons…

Casting in the House.

https://www.themarysue.com/all-house-of-the-dragon-season-2-cast-confirmed/

🦈 She Tried…

I don’t even know what that means, she tried. It makes me wonder if she tried to get in the movie, but they didn’t want her. Although I could definitely see her in one of them.

https://ew.com/whoopi-goldberg-tried-star-sharknado-movie-8660924

🌭 Say It Ain’t So…

I hope it was worth it to him. Nathan’s are the best.

🐱 Snoous On the Loose…

Nothing like a new furbaby to lift your spirits.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/abc/kristina-wagner-introduces-her-sweet-new-kitten

🧘‍♀️ Summer Breezing…

Come on by tomorrow for soap and Summer smack talk. Until then, stay safe, stay going straight to your seat and stowing your bag quickly after boarding a plane, and stay killing it at your day job, even if you are wasting your talent.

June 11, 2024 – Chase Confronts Finn, It’s Amazing, Dubai Talk, Prepared, New Reality, G To the Minus One, Cat On Tour & Super

Standard

What I Watched Today

(rambling, random thoughts, recaps, and a GH blow-by-blow on Fridays)

General Hospital

Anna went to see Jack at the hospital, but they were interrupted by John. John wondered what they had to discuss.

Elizabeth called Chase, but he and Brook were about to knock on Finn’s door, so it went to voicemail. The door was unlocked, and they went inside. Chase called to Finn, who came out from the back. He said it was a nice surprise, but early. What brought them by?

Spinelli told Sam that he’d gotten past the FBI firewall, but he was still no closer to getting the information they needed. He couldn’t get access to the evidentiary database unless he had an agent ID. Sam said, it was time for Plan B. She’d been tracking John and thought they could swipe his digital key without him being the wiser. If he stuck to his routine, they’d get their opportunity.  

John told Anna that Jack’s fate would be decided in the courts, not by the Police Commissioner, and she said she didn’t need a lesson in protocol. He said he didn’t know what she and Jack would have to discuss, and Anna wondered if John should have more coffee or leave caffeine alone altogether (been there). He asked why Anna was there, and she said she was just telling Jack goodbye. John left, and Jack told Anna that he wanted to give her a heads up. John thought she was the secret head of Pikeman.

Aiden wondered what happened that Elizabeth and Finn broke up, although they’d broken up before and got back together. Jake said it wasn’t happening this time, and Elizabeth said she didn’t know the future, but Finn couldn’t be part of their lives. He wasn’t handling Gregory’s death well at all, but that wasn’t why they broke up. It just wasn’t going to work out. Jake said he didn’t care if he ever saw Finn again, but what about Violet?

Chase told Finn that his door had been unlocked, and Brook asked if Violet was still at Maxie’s. Finn said she was and asked if Chase had talked to Elizabeth. Chase said no, Should he? Finn said they’d ended things, and Brook wondered if the mess in his apartment had something to do with it. Finn said it was his fault and he should clean up before Violet home. Brook said she and Chase had an idea and maybe the timing was right. Chase told Finn that he and Brook were moving into the Quartermaines for a while in order to get their place ready after getting so many gifts, and Brook told Finn all about the kids who hang out there in the summer. Chase said, James would be taking riding lessons, so Georgie would be there too, and Brook said they were thinking Violet could come hang with them. It was better than summer camp. Finn asked if they didn’t think he knew what they were doing. There was no way they were taking his daughter from him.

Elizabeth said, Violet was the boys’ cousin and that would never change, but Aiden was worried they’d drift apart. Elizabeth said she wouldn’t let that happen, and Jake told Aiden that maybe their mom had a reason to be mad at Finn. Aiden said there was something he didn’t know, but Jake obviously did, and he had a right to know too. Elizabeth told him that there was no easy way to say it. Jake saw Finn coming out of a bar drunk. Jake said, and he had some drunk woman… but Elizabeth said they didn’t need the details. Aiden asked what bar was by the Cineplex, and Elizabeth said, Jake never told her how he was nowhere near where he said he’d be.

Finn told Chase that Violet was staying with him; he was her father. Chase said, no one was trying to take her away, and Brook said, they just wanted Violet to have a fun summer, especially after her grandfather’s death. Finn said, it wasn’t going to happen, and for once in Chase’s life, he had to take no for an answer. Chase wanted talk to Finn alone, and Brook left. Finn said Chase was leaving too, but Chase said he wasn’t going anywhere.

Spinelli said he’d watched John going to his room through the security cameras. He looked agitated, but that might just be his face. They watched John leaving for his morning swim, and noticed a bag he was carrying. Sam assumed it contained any credentials he didn’t want leave in his room.

Sam went to the pool wearing a caftan, big sunglasses, and high heels. She pretended to trip near John, and he caught her.

Jack flashed back to his conversation with John about Anna, while Anna asked for a delay in Jack’s transport. She got it and told Jack that they had until noontime to finish their conversation. Why did he think the FBI was after her? He said he didn’t know as it was the whole organization, but John had already been tailing her when she’d visited him. Anna told him that John did say he didn’t trust her when he came to town, but she didn’t care. Let him stew. She wasn’t hiding anything. Jack told her that she should be worried. John was a true believer, the most dangerous agent of all. She asked him to enlighten her, and he said, they believed God and the law were on their side. They thought anything they did would be justified, because it made the world a better place according to their definition of it. They’d rather wreck themselves and everyone around them than compromise their beliefs. Anna agreed that could be dangerous, but so could too much cynicism. She asked if Jack had he ever believed in anything.

Sam told John that she was embarrassed and blamed her shoes. Her pride was bruised, but otherwise she was okay. She pretended her ankle still hurt and asked him to help her. He picked her up and carried her to a lounge chair and asked an attendant for ice and a towel. Sam asked for help getting her shoe off, and wondered if he thought her shoes were cute. He said he wasn’t a shoe connoisseur, but they looked cute on her. Dressed as an attendant, but hiding his face with a bucket hat, Spinelli snuck into John’s bag as John was helping Sam. She asked if John was a guest at the hotel, and he said he was there on business. She told him that she was a local and her family came here every summer. He asked if she was married, but she said, no. She was single, divorced, with two kids. He suggested she rest her ankle for 20 minutes, and she said she was going to get bored.

Finn said, Chase was a cop, but not to make him the bad guy. Chase said, no one was calling Finn a bad guy, but maybe he could use some help and not to be too proud or stubborn to take it. Finn said he could take care of himself, but Chase said, not from what he was seeing. Finn said he’d been there alone, going through their dad’s things, and Chase picked up the bottle and said he didn’t think their dad left this out. He’d seen Finn doing shots at the memorial. Finn said he wasn’t the first person to have a drink at their father’s funeral, and Chase told him not to bring Gregory into this. Judging by the bottle, the two glasses, and the hangover Finn was wearing, he’d had quite a night. Finn said, Chase had solved the mystery, and Chase said, Finn was oblivious to the problem. But if he didn’t think there was a problem, it was a bigger problem than Chase thought.

Elizabeth told Jake that they’d talk later. He’d been someplace he wasn’t supposed to be, and it must have crossed his mind not to tell her, but she did appreciate that. She needed to know what was happening with Finn, but also because she was Jake’s mom and needed to know Jake would come to her when things were difficult. Jake promised he would, and she said she was glad he called his dad and asked for help.

Brook went to the nook at the Quartermaines, and Lois said she was just in time for breakfast and Sudoku. She could see something was wrong, and asked Brook, what happened? Did she and Chase have a fight? Brook said, Chase had a fight with his brother. She knew they both loved each other, and Gregory’s death should bring them together, not pull them apart. Lois said she’d seen it so many times. Weddings and funerals brought out the best and worst in people, but things would calm in time. Brook said she thought it was getting worse. Chase was taking care of his father’s estate and was also grieving. He needed his big brother, but Finn was nowhere to be found. Lois asked if Finn left town, but Brook said, Finn was in a full-blown alcoholic spiral. He’d been hungover and completely unreasonable. Chase had stayed to talk to him, but she knew how that was going to go.

Spinelli synced John’s ID with his phone. He said, the first time is the charm, and got access.

John introduced himself to Sam, and she did the same, using her real name, which surprised me. He asked how long she’d been divorced, and she said, six years. The less said the better. He asked if it was a bad breakup, and she said, that was an understatement. He wasn’t who she thought he was. John asked if he’d lied, and she said, all the time. What about him? He said he was divorced too, and she said, people always let you down. Her ex had everyone believing he’d died. Her son thought his father was dead, then he turned up. John said that was highly unusual. Was she at least happy he was alive? She said, sure, but she was conflicted. It brought up a lot of stuff. John said his ex passed away and sometimes he fantasized about where they’d be if she hadn’t died. How different his life would have been. He wondered what time it was and said he should get his phone.

Sam asked if she could be honest for a moment, and John said, of course (🍷). She said, after what he’d shared, she didn’t mean to come off flip. Sometimes she thought about her ex when things were good. Now they never even talk. John asked what her ex was doing now, and she said she was tired of talking about exes. Life goes on. Spinelli put John’s phone back in his bag, and Sam said she thought her ankle was good, but she wasn’t in the mood for a swim. She didn’t want to push it. She told John that it was nice getting to know him and asked if he’d be in town a while. He said he wasn’t sure, but hoped he saw her again. She asked him for help putting her shoe back on, and he put it on her. She told him that she felt like Cinderella

Jack said he’d warned Anna, and she was repaying him by probing the depths of his psyche. She said she was genuinely curious and wondered if she’d ever known the true Jack Brennan. She’d thought she did. He was a rising star, the fair-haired golden boy. It wasn’t a surprise he became director, but she was surprised he fell so fast. Why did he steal money to start the company? Did he abandon his principles? Did he ever have any? He said he believed in democracy, but at the end of the day, a man had to pay his bills. John was going to spend his nights trying to prove she was a cop by day and a mastermind by night. Anna said it wasn’t lost on her that John was trying to take her down for something Jack did.

Lois told Brook about not sending wedding invitations to an alcoholic aunt and uncle. Uncle Vito was her favorite until his drinking took over. Brook said, at family gatherings, she would see them get up and there would be ice cubes clinking in the other room. She just thought they must be really thirsty. Later, they’d be bumping into things, and she thought it was because they were old, but it was because of the drinking. Lois said, the family tried to get them into AA or to a doctor, but after years of broken promises, she realized they had to commit to their own treatment. They never did. They say that God protects fools and drunks, but she doesn’t see it. They’re still alive, but what kind of life is that? Brook said she didn’t want that for Finn and hoped Chase would get through to him, and Lois said, it was sweet of them to try and help Finn. Brook said she knew Finn was a grown man. Either he would get himself into recovery or live with the consequences, but Violet was a child. Finn was Violet’s sole parent, and he wasn’t capable of parenting. Elizabeth had kids of her own, so that left her and Chase. They were going to do everything in their power to keep Violet safe, even if it was from her own father.

Finn said, what he did in his own home was his business, and he wasn’t an alcoholic, but Chase said, Finn was a drug addict, and this would lead to the same result. He needed help. Finn said, Chase wasn’t the man because he’d gotten married, and couldn’t tell him what to do. Not everyone had his perfect life. Chase told Finn that he could keep fooling himself, but no one was buying his crap, and Finn said, Chase didn’t know the pressure he was under. Chase asked Finn to tell him. He didn’t have to do this alone. They could talk while they straightened up. Finn said, Chase wouldn’t understand, but Chase said his life wasn’t perfect. He’d nearly died a year ago. Finn said he remembered. He’d saved Chase. Chase asked if Finn had any idea how many calls he went on like this, seeing a drunk tearing their family apart. Finn’s life was a mess. Chase just lost his dad and couldn’t take losing his brother too.

Jake said he thought Elizabeth might need back-up, and asked if Finn gave her a hard time. She said, no, but when Jason showed up, she was grateful for the support. She wanted Jake to always feel he could call his dad for help. He did the right thing, and it meant a lot to Jason. Jake said he did it for her, not for Jason or himself, and they hugged. He asked if that meant he was forgiven for lying, but she said, not a chance.

Sam asked Spinelli if there was any progress, and he said, it went perfectly, but he didn’t think she fully comprehended how many records were in the database. Ask him in a month, and maybe he’ll have found out what the FBI was holding over Jason.

Jack said he hoped Anna would visit him. He missed their conversations. She said she did too, and she had one more question. She was the only witness that could tie him to Pikeman. Would he have had her killed if she hadn’t arrested him first? He struggled for a moment, then said he’d never been good with hypotheticals. She left, and Jack looked sad.

Lois said she wasn’t surprised Brook was focusing on Chase’s feelings, but she should pay attention to her own feelings. Brook also had grief over Gregory. So did she. Brook said she was so worried about Chase. He’d believed Finn drinking was a one-time thing, so he wasn’t just feeling betrayed. He was beating himself up for not seeing it. Lois said, Chase was Finn’s little brother and hoping for the best. Maybe he’d get through to Finn. Brook said, something told her it was going to be a whole ordeal for all of them, and Lois said, it wasn’t supposed to be this way. Brook and Chase were supposed to be blissfully happy in Florence and coming home to newlywed magic, not dealing with the problems of a hurt family. Brook said, Florence wasn’t going anywhere, and she and Chase were each other’s person. They would get through whatever life threw at them. Lois said she was happy Brook found that kind of love.

Finn said he was sorry that Chase was bothered. He’d try to fall in line and not be a problem. Chase asked if nothing he said was getting through to Finn, and Finn told him to stop reaching down from his pedestal; he would be with the rest of humanity. Chase said, that had nothing to do with Finn hiding in a bottle. The bottom line was, Finn was grown and made his own decisions. He couldn’t stop that, so have his trashy life. But Violet shouldn’t watch him self-destruct. Finn said, Violet was the only good thing in his life, and told Chase, get the hell out. Chase left, and Finn cried.

In Memory of Johnny Wactor. 🥺

Tomorrow, Molly says she’s been keeping something from TJ; Carly asks Jason if he thinks it was a one-time thing; and Sonny talks to Kristina.

🏥 Going Home Again…

I’m not sure if it’s me, him, the writing, how he’s being directed, or what, but I like Jason a lot more than I used to.

https://ew.com/steve-burton-amazing-to-return-to-general-hospital-after-firing-8661636

🐪 In Camel-lot…

What’s happening in Dubai. Season 2, episodes 1 and 2.

This was the only recap on episode 2 as of this writing.

Who’s worth what.

https://parade.com/tv/real-housewives-of-dubai-cast-net-worths-ranked

💣 From Chief To Traitor…

I haven’t seen this show, but I enjoyed The Villains, and I’m guessing it’s similar. Plus, Kate is a national reality treasure.

https://okmagazine.com/p/kate-chastain-reveals-seasons-below-deck-prepared-traitors/

🎪 Even More Complicated…

I loved her other reality series (It’s Complicated) and had looked forward to her joining RHOBH. Well, that was a bust, so I’m glad she’s going back to her reality roots.

https://people.com/denise-richards-gets-new-e-reality-docuseries-wild-things-8661098

🦖 A True OG…

I watched this twice last week (once alone and once with my SO) and it was just as good the second time. I loved the Japanese monster movies as a kid, and it’s great to see how f/x and dubbing have improved. The story is incredible too, but I don’t think this critic needs to worry. Obviously, an old film from the 1950s isn’t going to be as visually amazing as one made in the 2020s. It is possibly the first Godzilla worth paying attention to the narrative. I mean, I don’t watch Jurassic Park for the interpersonal relationship drama.

https://screenrant.com/godzilla-minus-one-first-godzilla-movie-ruin-franchise-worried/

Not resting on their laurels.

https://movieweb.com/godzilla-minus-one-director-has-reportedly-found-their-next-movie/

🐈‍⬛ One Cool Kitty…

Nothing better than a cat in costume.

https://people.com/cat-owner-creates-taylor-swift-eras-tour-costumes-photos-8659501

🚣‍♀️ No Clue What You Did Last Summer…

Drop by tomorrow for soap and seeing who lands on Top. Until then, stay safe, stay observing the house rules when you’re a guest, and stay never being too proud or stubborn to take help if you need it.

June 10, 2024 – Chase Asks Tracy For Help With Finn, Sleeping Beauty Chef On Deck, Trolls Will Be Trolls, You Pick the Ending, More Emmy & Real

Standard

What I Watched Today

(rambling, random thoughts, recaps, and a GH blow-by-blow on Fridays)

General Hospital

While on their dinner date at The Surf Lodge (where Aunt Stella went with Trina and Josslyn), Willow told Michael about running into Nina at the pool because she wanted to be upfront with him. Michael said he still didn’t trust Nina, and while he didn’t love the idea of her being around their kids, Willow was the decision maker, and he would support whatever she decided. He said, it seemed like there had been a shift, and wondered, what changed?

Curtis met with Drew and told Drew that he thought it was the right time to launch the wellness division. Drew said he had a new venture that might conflict with it. He was thinking of running for congress. He told Curtis about his meetings with McConkey and said McConkey cared about his legacy and wanted a functioning government. He wanted Drew to take his seat and would endorse Drew if he ran. Drew wanted Curtis’s opinion, and said, if he did run, it would affect Aurora and Curtis.

Chase and Brook went to see Tracy, who told them that she’d spent the day remembering Chase’s dad. Chase said he’d like to be doing the same thing, but unfortunately, he was dealing with his brother. Brook said they needed help, and Chase said, more accurately, Finn did. He was drinking. He told Tracy about the bourbon after Gregory’s death, and how he’d caught Finn drinking at Gregory’s memorial party then covering it with breath spray. He was drinking on purpose and didn’t want them to know.

Finn asked what Elizabeth was doing at his apartment, and the woman he brought home said, you’re not the wife, are you? (The wife – ugh.) Elizabeth said, no. She was just the ex-girlfriend.

Josslyn and Dex made plans for dinner. Josslyn told him about Trina meeting Gio, and said she thought it was going to be a good summer.

Nina went on and on to Maxie about seeing Wiley, while Maxie wanted to get their meeting over with so she could go home to Spinelli. Nina said Drew had become tolerable. It had been a long time since she had this much contact with Willow and the kids, and it was because of Drew. If that was the price she paid for dancing with the devil, she was willing to pay up.

Elizabeth told the woman that she thought it was time they called it a night, and the woman asked if Finn was going to let Elizabeth order her around. She told Elizabeth to take a hint; the man’s moved on. Elizabeth asked her name, and the woman said it was Barb. Elizabeth told Barb, go home and sleep it off, and Finn looked like he had a headache. Barb told Elizabeth that she had some nerve, and Elizabeth said, bye. Barb left, and Finn said, Elizabeth didn’t live there. She didn’t love him and didn’t get to judge him. She said he was drunk and making out with a stranger, so yeah, she got to judge. He asked where she’d been and said she’d abandoned him. He wasn’t perfect, and she couldn’t stand to be around him when he was grieving, so he tried to find someone who could. (It sounds like Finn can’t stand himself.)

Willow told Michael that she still took everything Nina said with a hefty grain of salt. She didn’t know how to explain it, but it seemed like Nina wasn’t trying so hard and pushing for more. She was respecting the boundaries. Michael asked if nothing actually happened to change things, and Willow said, his uncle happened. Things changed because of Drew.

Nina told Maxie that she’d seen a side of Drew not many had seen. He was objectively handsome, but she’d seen the way he was with Wiley. Maxie wondered if it was a turn on, and Nina said she was sure Maxie felt the same about Spinelli, that his interaction with the kids made him attractive. Maxie said, it did, and that’s why she wanted to get home to see him, but Nina continued talking. She said, Drew having a 6-pack didn’t hurt… Maxie interjected that it was a 12-pack, and asked why Nina was focused on Drew’s looks when she wasn’t planning on sleeping with him again.

Drew said Curtis would have Michael for support financially and he would pitch in where he could, but Curtis would be in charge of both the internet platform and the brick-and-mortar end. Curtis said he could handle it, but had something to say as a friend. He thought Drew should do it. He thought it would be good for Drew. He had integrity, was pragmatic, and not afraid to fight, but he also understood what was worth fighting for. He thought there should be more people like Drew in government. Drew said he’d get the ball rolling first thing morning, when he got a call. He said, ugh, Nina.

Chase told Tracy that Finn was in denial, saying his addiction was with Zen-Zen, not alcohol. Brook said, Finn had abstained out of a precaution, and Chase said, Finn claimed he was working the program, but rather than telling them he’d changed mind about drinking, he was hiding it. Tracy said, Finn needed counseling or an intervention, and Brook said they wanted to get Violet away from him and to keep her in an emotionally stable environment. Tracy said, Finn wasn’t going to respond well, and Brook said, that’s where Tracy came in.

Elizabeth said, Finn was talking BS and would know that if he wasn’t drunk. Finn said he’d just had a couple of drinks, and Elizabeth said, just tell her Violet wasn’t home. He asked if she thought he’d be like this around Violet, but she said she never would have thought that before, but now she didn’t know. Finn started crying and said he’d made a mistake. He hated himself and hated what he said. He didn’t expect her to forgive him, but give him a chance to explain. Elizabeth said what she wanted was for him to get the help he needed, for his sake and for Violet’s, but they were done. She couldn’t do this to the kids or herself. Finn begged her to stay, when Jason walked in and said, let her go.

Josslyn and Dex saw Michael and Willow at The Surf Lodge, and Michael asked if they wanted to join them. Willow said she thought they had other plans, and Dex and Josslyn went to their own table. Michael said Josslyn told him that she wanted to take things slow, but she thought things had changed now that Dex was a cop, and Willow was surprised Josslyn was confiding in him. She told Michael that she was grateful to Drew for her new position on Nina, and Michael asked why she thought Drew was the reason. Willow said she thought Drew setting aside his anger at Nina allowed Nina to grow in a way she couldn’t before. If he could start fresh, maybe she could too.

Nina insisted she wasn’t going to sleep with Drew again, but Maxie said, Nina was focused on his abs and needed to be honest. Nina said she thought Drew was loathsome, a snake, and unprofessional, and Maxie said unlike Nina. She asked if they could get back to their meeting. Natalia’s had notes… Drew walked in and asked what the hell Nina’s problem was.

Brook told Tracy about her and Chase’s idea for Violet to stay with the Quartermaines and be one of the gang. Tracy said, then it would give them an opportunity to intervene, and Chase said the goal was to get Finn into rehab. He thought Finn would go when he realized he was jeopardizing Violet. Tracy said, of course (🍷) Violet was welcome to stay there, but Chase be prepared for Finn to disappoint him.

Finn asked if Elizabeth called Jason, and Jason asked Elizabeth what she wanted to do. She said, let’s go, but Finn begged her not to. She said they’d talk when he was sober, and Finn said he stood by her when she was tearing canvases apart and shredding wedding dresses. She could leave her keys and go. She dropped them into his unfinished drink, and left with Jason, who told Finn, don’t go near her.

Jason brought Elizabeth to the pool, since she said she needed someplace quiet to think. She remarked that it was closed, but he said he knew the owner. Elizabeth said she wasn’t ready to go home and field questions from the boys as to why she and Finn broke up. Jason said he was sorry. She deserved better. She said, so did her kids.

Chase said he had to hold on to hope, and Tracy said he should, but it might be difficult convincing Finn. If he was in the throes of his addiction, the only voice he could hear was his own. Nothing they said or did would change that, no matter how destructive he was being.

Finn fished the keys out of the drink, threw them at the wall, and took another sip.

Elizabeth and Jason sat with their feet in the water, and Elizabeth said she couldn’t believe she got him to take off his shoes. He told her not to tell anybody, and she promised his secret was safe. She couldn’t believe this happened so soon after Gregory dying, but she wanted to be supportive of Finn. Jason said, it was Finn pushing her away, and she said, the question was, does she let him?

Josslyn said, it was familiar, but different, and Dex asked if she meant good different. She said she was sorry she was hard on him, but he said she should have been. He didn’t like the person he was becoming either, but everything worked out how it was supposed to. He hated losing her though. It ripped his heart out. She said, hers too, and he said he finally felt good about himself again. It never would have happened if she hadn’t been honest with him. She said he was welcome.

Willow said Michael looked shocked, but he said he was just absorbing what she’d said. Was she saying she forgave Nina? She told him that she was saying she was ready to move on, and he said, Nina had sent Drew to prison. He wondered what was different about the situation now. Willow said she didn’t think Drew had made peace, but was choosing to let it go as much as he could. He was choosing the future over the past. Wasn’t that what they should all be doing?

Nina said Drew was using Crimson for his interest in his other company, but he said Crimson was his company too. Maxie said she didn’t want to be here, and skipped out the door, as Nina told her to send Natalia’s correspondence to her. Drew told Nina that he’d fulfilled his end of the bargain, and she said she had too; he was getting the esplanade. Drew said she was getting her grandchildren back, and she said she’d never give in to her natural instincts and compromise her standing with Willow.

Elizabeth told Jason that she might stick it out if it was just her, but she wasn’t sacrificing her boys, physically or emotionally. Jason said he got it, and she said, that’s because he actually heard her. It was like she was speaking another language with Finn. She’s glad Jason showed up when he did. She asked how he knew where she was, and he told her that Jake had called. Jake was so worried, Jake had reached out to him. That’s how much her son loved her.

Josslyn said she was happy for Dex. It was a gift to figure out what you wanted in life. He asked her about school, and she said she’d changed her major to environmental science. Maybe she’d come up with a way to save the planet. She told him that could see herself dating a cop. He asked if that included a cadet, and she said, it was risky, since he didn’t have a badge yet, but she was a risk taker.

Michael told Willow that it sounded great in theory, but he was surprised about Drew, unless Drew had some other reason to make nice with Nina. Willow said she thought Drew was able to see the good in Nina despite what she’d done, and she wanted to see it too. Michael said, Willow seemed happy, and she said she was. He said that was all he wanted, and she said, no more lies and secrets felt good. Michael asked if it felt better than this, and kissed her. She said, nothing felt better than that.

Drew asked what Nina wanted, and she said it was abundantly clear she couldn’t stand him. She closed the door, and he said, the feeling was more than mutual. She wondered, then why did she want to do this? and they got busy.  

Jason asked if there was anything he could do, but Elizabeth said he’d done enough. He let her talk without giving her well-intentioned advice. He said he wasn’t in a position to give advice. He’d left her and Sam to raise their sons on their own. She asked if it was because he wanted to, but he didn’t say anything. She said she didn’t think so. She didn’t know where he’d been, but she was pretty sure it wasn’t on vacation. He said he was here now and would do what he could to make time up with Jake however she thought best. She said, their son needed help and called him, and he showed up. That could go for a lot with Jake and with her.  

Chase said, they had to give it a try, and Tracy agreed, but told them to be prepared for an uphill battle. Chase said, while he was on the job, he’d seen how addiction wrecked lives. He didn’t want that to happen to Finn. Tracy said, they had her full support, and he said that meant a lot. She said, they were family, but she just hoped Finn could hear them.

Finn sat smiling, and flashed back to the camping trip, trivia night, and suggesting to Elizabeth that they take a chance and see where it went. He remembered kissing her, them deciding to get serious, and him saying that he was going be there for her because they were stronger together. He knew he was. He flashed back to more kissing, Elizabeth saying her life was better with him, and him telling her that he was in love with her. He remembered them wishing on a star, getting busy in the hospital shower, and the weekend in the cabin. He looked at the glass and drained it.

Tomorrow, Sam tells Spinelli that a window of opportunity opened up; Elizabeth wonders how Jake really saw Finn; and Chase tells Finn that they have a bigger problem.

Below Deck Mediterranean

Chef Jono won’t get his ass out of bed, and Ellie says she doesn’t want him to have a negative experience because of this. Maybe he should think about it. He says, no, and Gael helps her make grilled cheese. The guests start making their own drinks, and decide they provide nicer service than the actual crew. Guest Simon says, they’d rather fix it themselves than complain. In Ellie’s interview, she says she wants to be chief stew and has to figure out how to manage these kinds of conditions. She’s always been very self-reliant. Her dream was to have a house for her Barbies when she was little, but there was no money. So she got cardboard, a stick of glue, and crayons, and put a roof over these bitches’ heads. The guests finally go to bed at 2:50 am. Ellie goes to bed at like, 6 am.

The boat heads for the Temple of Poseidon. In Princess Jono’s interview, he says he’s proud of standing up for himself. It’s always been an issue for him. In Aesha’s interview, she says she’s setting her standards as high as possible. With no provisions, she might not be able to get to the full extent of them, but she’s going to make sure to get as close as possible. Iain tells Captain Sandy that someone tried to wake up the chef, but he’d thought it was a dream. The captain texts the provisioner, who tells her, the wine will be in this evening, but she says, that’s too late. Iain shows Joe what to do with the lines when docking, and in his interview, he says he loves to teach. Aesha tells Bri that she’s sorry yesterday was stressful. It was the first day on a new boat, and it was a sh*tshow. They’ll get better each day. Jono whines to Aesha about how Ellie tried to wake him up, and she says, to be fair, the guests listed late night snacks on the preference sheet. She suggests Jono pre-prep.

Gael talks to her boyfriend, who’s got a new job, and she reminds him that their goal was to find a boat they could both work on. In her interview, she says, relationships in yachting are hard. If someone gets your lifestyle, you want them to be there with you. She doesn’t know how good she’ll be at long distance, but guesses she’ll find out. Captain Sandy calls Jono to meet with her, and I hope she rips him a new one. Instead, she suggests he put some paninis in the fridge the night before, and they’ll address it at the tip meeting. In the captain’s interview, she says, if the chef is down, he shouldn’t be woken up. Ellie didn’t know, but she’s learning. Aesha has to tell the guests that there’s still no rosé, and says, they have every right be grumpy. In Gael’s interview, she says, Nathan is cute and she thinks platonic relationships are a possibility. In Nathan’s interview, he says, they’ll see what happens. Aesha tells Ellie that the chef not having rest is dangerous, but Ellie says, breakfast wasn’t until 10. Aesha says, next time, there will be premade food. She’s sorry Ellie had to go through that. In her interview, Aesha says, a stew should never be in bed more than an hour after the guests, but she feels confident they’ll keep learning and improving. The guests do a TikTok video and say, content is king. Captain Sandy suggests someone be sent over to a nearby humongous superyacht to ask for wine – ask politely. Aesha tells the guests that they’re going to beg the big boat for wine, and in Joe’s interview, he says, it’s his first lead deckhand role. He wants to become someone in the industry. Captain Sandy gives Joe some money and tells him to do whatever it takes. He and Nathan take the tender to ask for the wine, and Nathan tells the captain, name your price and I’ll put it in your pocket.

Aesha begs from a distance while the trade is done. The captain of the other boat won’t take less than €75 a bottle, and Joe says, according to his research, the brand is 20 quid. The captain says, take it or leave it, and Nathan forks over the money. In Nathan’s interview, he says he’s done sales his whole life and once sold a broomstick. The total is 300 quid, and Joe says he doesn’t even have that in his personal account. The guests cheer when the wine is brought back. The provisioner texts captain Sandy asking if she still wants the wine for this evening, but she says, that’s too late. The charter will be over. Afterward, she says, they’re f***ing fired. Guest Jacob says, the chef somehow nailed their preferences, although another guest thinks it’s not as tasty as the drunk cheese last night. Ellie tells Jono that they’re raving about his food, and he barely acknowledges her. In her interview, she says, he hasn’t apologized asked how her night went. Has she failed him on some level? Ellie tries to teach Bri the ways of the laundry, and in Bri’s interview, she says, in boarding school, their laundry was picked up and brought back all done. She’s stressing balls and doesn’t want to lose her job. Everything about adulting scares her. One guest is missing a pair of pants and another is missing a shirt.  

Bri cries over the laundry while the guests do water sports. Ellie tells Aesha about the missing clothes, and in Aesha’s interview, she says, if she comments on every mistake, it’s like endless nagging, so she’s trying the tactic of more compliments, hoping Bri will improve. In Bri’s interview, she says she found the frickin’ pants. She tells Ellie that they’re on warm air, but Ellie tells her, that’s just for crew clothes. They don’t want to risk shrinkage with the guests’ clothing. In Ellie’s interview, she says she feels she has her work cut out for her. It’s her first time as second stew and she’s working toward chief stew. She feels like she’s on the right trajectory, but there isn’t much competition on this boat. She tells the guest that his pants were hang drying and that’s why they didn’t see them. Bri trips, and God help me, I laugh. Anchor is hauled and Joe bandages Bri’s toe. In Joe’s interview, he says he’s scared about docking. He has no experience on the bow. He’s usually on the aft deck. He’s supposed to keep the stern from hitting the dock, but the rope keeps slipping.

With the deckhands working together, the boat is finally docked. The captain tells Joe to use muscle until she’s in the berth, but he explains the rope was slipping and he couldn’t get the groundline off without mechanics. In Nathan’s interview, he says he doesn’t want to be lead deckhand. He’s just here to have fun. It’s time to say goodbye to the guests, and Jacob thanks the crew for an amazing time. He shakes Jono’s hand, saying, the food… He says, obviously, there were a few things that were disappointing, like the lack of provisions and clothes missing in terms of getting pressed, but overall, they had an amazing time. The guests leave and the crew changes into their reds. Aesha announces to everyone how long her poo was, and then calls a meeting with the stews. She says, they’re going into the next charter with limited manpower, and Bri needs to be quicker. Ellie tells Bri not to feel like she’s the only one making mistakes. They all are. Bri says she didn’t keep track of whose stuff was whose, and Aesha says she’s not mad, but if it’s still the same when they’re at charter 5, she’ll have to look for another solution. She tells them to never be in bed more than an hour after the guests. If they are, it means they were with the guests too much. Ellie says, it was a like a form of entertainment for them, and Aesha tells her to just say, cooking is a safety thing. The captain calls for the tip meeting.

Captain Sandy tells the crew, well done. It’s easy to do a good job when things are going your way, but when they’re not, and they show up the way they did, that’s what is looked for in character. She tells the deck team, first charter, first boat, good job. She says, Aesha leads with kindness and people follow. That’s what makes her stand out. Jono created incredible meals on the fly, even with the lack of provisions. Never wake the chef, but next time food will be prepped to make paninis. Ellie says, the guests wanted a whole thing, and the captain says, she’s learning, and it’s fine, but you don’t wake the chef. Maybe on bigger boats where there’s more than one, but he’s one. The tip is $15K or $1250 each. Not bad for a one-nighter. They were lucky this was a nice bunch of kids. Captain Sandy tells the crew, have a blast.

Jono tells Ellie that she knows not to wake him again, but he’s empathetic to the crazy situation. He’ll make some stuff ahead of time. He doesn’t want that to happen to her again. Jono calls his boyfriend David, and brags, the guests said the best part of the trip was him and the food. In Jono’s interview, he says, David is an opera singer and the most supportive long-distance relationship he’s had. Yeah. I’ll bet he’s a handful. And I don’t mean that in a good way. Ellie tells Bri that Jono complained, but what about what she was going through? She didn’t get enough sleep. It’s all about the chef. She cries and says she’s pissed off. Aesha asks why she was up so long, and Ellie says she was busting her ass. Jono mumbles, that bitch is going to drive him crazy, and Ellie says, he’s making her look like an idiot.

As the deckhands clean the boat, Gael promises to be the best wingman ever. In Ellie’s interview, she says she feels that Jono has affected the captain’s perception of her, and this is her career. The crew gets ready to go out, and in Nathan’s interview, he says, Gael is attractive and has a boyfriend, but he owes no loyalty to anyone. They go to a restaurant and toast to getting through charter one. In Bri’s interview, she says, Joe is a charmer, and in Ellie’s interview, she says, Joe is hot, so it helps. Joe says he has a bromance with Gael, and Gael says she feels like a thorn between two roses. Gael talks to Aesha about her boyfriend and says she’s figuring out the trust factor. What happens when her boyfriend is on a boat with attractive women? Aesha suggests she deal with it when it happens and not think about it. In Aesha’s interview, she says she and her boyfriend have been together for three years, and she’s never been paranoid. If you’re worried, it’s not right. She tells Gael that she’s a catch and if he can’t see it, f*** him. Bri asks if Nathan is an alcoholic, and Nathan says he is Irish. (Hey, he stereotyped himself, not me.) They go to a club and dance, and in Iain’s interview, he says, Ellie is a fancy lady. Aesha thinks Bri likes Joe, and Ellie says she wants to play hard to get. Bri says she has to go to the loo, and Ellie dances with Joe. Nathan asks if Gael has stolen a strawberry for him, and in his interview, a producer asks if that’s a euphemism. He says, they’ll eventually find out, and the crew goes back to the boat.

Nathan tells Gael that they need to lose the cameras. Everyone goes to bed, and Gael texts Nathan: keep an eye on me. Nathan texts back, asking where they can meet that there are no cameras. They sneak off to the bow, and he says, all this for a few strawberries. In Gael’s interview, she says, maybe she likes him a tiny bit. She’s not harming anyone.

To be continued…

😡 Haters Gonna Hate…

She’s a better woman than I am. And she looks absolutely gorgeous in that gown.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/ghs-tabyana-ali-had-the-perfect-response-to-an-online-hater

🤰🏼 Art Imitates Soap…

Pregnant By My Ex’s Dad sounds suspiciously like what happened on GH with Esme.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/ghs-adam-huss-stars-in-a-new-movie-you-control

🏆 Party, After-Party, House Party, Denny’s…

In case you missed the winner’s list.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/gallery/daytime-emmys/the-2024-daytime-emmy-award-winners

Behind the scenes.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/gallery/daytime-emmys/the-2024-daytime-emmys-you-didnt-see-on-tv

I honestly don’t see any duds here.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/gallery/daytime-emmys/2024-daytime-emmy-awards-fashion-gallery

Pretty much what you’d expect.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/gallery/daytime-emmys/2024-daytime-emmys-fashion-the-guys

🏸 Hot Town Summer In the Suburbs…

Come back tomorrow for some soap, a little Dubai, and a few tea leaves. Until then, stay safe, stay being thoughtful about how long you hold a chair without using it at the beach or pool, and stay choosing the future over the past.

June 7, 2024 – Jake Sees Finn At the Brown Dog Bar, Everything Emmy, Shahs Now, Bad Timing, Sandy On Deck, More Last, Dragons Plus One, Black Barbie, Don’t Worry, Stanley’s Pups (!), Quote Octet & Queen

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Hey, whatever happened to Roxie, Finn’s bearded dragon? Just curious.

Willow is with Wiley in the pool, when Drew comes in. Wiley hollers to him, and she says, Wiley is excited to see him. So is she, but she’s not as exuberant about it. He says he’s excited to see them too. He didn’t know the Navy SEALs were training here today. Wiley says he wishes there were SEALS in the pool (although it’s questionable as to which kind he means), and Willow says she’s glad they’re not. It will be hard enough getting him out of the water today. Drew says he hears that, and she says, of course (🍷) he does. He and Wiley are kindred spirits. It’s good to see him. He says, it’s good to see her too, but he’s surprised to see them bobbing around in here. Willow says, Wiley thinks the hotel pool is more fun than the one at the Quartermaines. She can’t say he’s wrong and it’s a gorgeous day. Drew says he had a similar thought process himself, and she says, great minds. Amelia is loving her swimming lessons. She’s a proud mini fish. Drew says, amazing. So if Amelia is a mini fish, what does that make Wiley? Wiley says, a shark, and dives under the water.

Nina walks into the pool area on the phone. She says she needs them to hear her on this. Crimson is an elite publication and they’re not giving a discounted ad rate to a gym equipment company… She doesn’t care what Mr. Cain said. It’s still not happening. She watches as Drew gets in the pool.

Dex sees Gio at the towel bar and says he didn’t expect to see Gio here. When did he start working at the MetroCourt? Gio says, this morning. Can he interest Dex? He holds out a towel and says, fresh from the dryer. Dex says, Gio read his mind. So did Olivia put him to work? Gio says, good guess. He’s living at the Quartermaines and said he was looking for a part-time job, and here he is. Dex says, Olivia did him a favor. There are definitely worse places to work. Gio says he’s with Dex there. Aunt Olivia promised that he could be off duty early enough to watch the NBA finals, even if it goes to seven games. Dex says, here’s hoping, and Gio says he’s been following all season. He can’t wait for game two on Sunday night. (I assume it’s on ABC.) Dex says, be warned, and looks at Josslyn. The lifeguard is a big sports fan. She’s fierce and a terrible loser, so if Gio is rooting against her team and his team wins, don’t gloat. Josslyn and Dex smile at each other.

Going into Chase’s apartment, Chase tells Brook that he doesn’t know if he’s being strategic or just avoiding the thing he dreads. Maybe they should have gone to Finn’s first like they planned. She says, they still could. What would he say to Finn? Chase says, you son of a bitch, how could you use our dad’s death as an excuse to dive into a bottle? She looks at him, and he says, not the best approach, huh? She says, certainly justified, but no. She doesn’t think Finn would have a good response to that. Chase says, he’s sick. It isn’t his fault. Addiction is a disease. He knows this. He has training for this, and he’s still so angry and frustrated and disappointed that Finn would do this to Violet. And his dad. She says, and him, and he says, frustrated and angry will get them exactly nowhere. They need to come up with a plan. A way to confront Finn, get him into recovery, and most of all, protect Violet.

At the Brown Dog Bar (remember that place?), Jake and his friends Gordo and Dale take a seat in a booth. Jake asks what they do now. Does somebody take their order or what? Gordo tries to get the bartender’s attention, but he says, the bartender’s not even looking this way. He guesses if they want a drink, they have to go to the bar. Jake says, if they do that, they’ll be carded. Gordo will be fine, he has a fake ID, but Jake has nothing. He’ll just be out here twisting. Gordo tells him, relax. Nobody ever gets carded here. Jake asks how he knows, and Gordo says he just knows. He asks Dale if he’s got this, and Dale says, no problem. They give their money to Dale, who says, three of their best cheap beers coming up, and goes to the bar. Jake looks over and sees Finn at the bar, sitting next to a woman.

The woman says, here’s to ignoring first impressions, and Finn says, okay, clinking glasses with her. He holds up two fingers, and she says she wasn’t sure she was going to come over here. She was afraid he was going to be one of those dark, brooding types, but she figured, what the heck, and came on over. She’s glad she did because he is all kinds of fun. (I doubt Finn has ever been called all kinds of fun before.) Finn says, really? Huh. They clink glasses again as Jake watches Finn down the shot.

Wiley pops out of the water, and says, how about this time? Nina watches them, and Drew says, that was like, fifteen seconds. He’s going to have to hold his breath a little bit longer to be a Navy SEAL, but he has a lot of time to figure that out. Willow says, ever since she mentioned to Wiley that Drew was in the Navy, all he’s talked about is how he wants to be a Navy SEAL. He’s less certain, though, about what that is. Drew says, he’s got a lot of time to figure that out. The Navy will be lucky to have him. Willow says, and Wiley will be lucky to have Drew as his mentor, and Wiley asks if he’ll get a uniform. Nina smiles and walks toward the pool, but she literally runs into Gio, who drops the towels he’s holding. She says she’s so sorry, and helps him pick them up. She doesn’t know where her mind was at just now. He says, somewhere good, he hopes, and Wiley yells, Grandma Nina! He gets out of the pool, and she wraps him in a towel. She says, look how big he’s gotten, and hugs him.

Chase says he doesn’t know where to start with Finn or with Violet. The day his dad died, and Brook took Violet to Bobbie’s, Finn completely broke down. He knew he’d screwed up and told Chase to pour the rest of the bourbon down the sink. He made a bad choice, but it was like Finn was getting back on track, and he bought it. Brook says she would have thought the same thing, but he says, no, she wouldn’t. She says, they have very different experiences with substance abuse. The Quartermaines have a lot of history with it and there was this couple down in Bensonhurst… Anyway, she knows how to recognize it for exactly what it is. He says, what kind of detective is he if he’s this naïve? and she says, believing in his brother says nothing about his work as a detective. He says he bought Finn’s whole act. The remorse, the resolve to do better, and Finn lied to him. She says, he didn’t do it on purpose. It’s part of the disease. He says, reading about it is one thing. Experiencing it firsthand is another. He keeps thinking about when Finn was at their dad’s memorial. He was shaking hands and wiping away tears, putting on this whole devoted son act. Then he’d sneak away to the bar and have a few tequila shots. And for the record, he bought the whole devoted son act too. She says, it’s not necessarily acting. He could be a devoted son in mourning and an addict who just had a relapse. Chase says he defended Finn to Elizabeth. She was worried about Finn, and he said everything was okay. She says, he has to give himself a break. Finn isn’t the only one who just lost his dad. Chase is in mourning too, and he’s way too close to Finn and the entire situation to see it clearly. If this was a case, he’d take himself off of it. He says, but it’s not a case. He can’t hand Finn off to someone and say, good luck to the both of you. She says, even if he could, he wouldn’t do it. Finn is his brother. He says, she’s right. He loves Finn and wants to help him through this, even though he’s madder at Finn than he’s ever been. She says, no one can disappoint you like the people you love the most. That’s why they call addiction a disease. He says he knows. And when he’s less angry, he’ll remember that Finn is suffering too. She says, they both love Finn and want to treat his situation compassionately, but their main priority has to be protecting Violet. He asks, so how do they shield Violet when her father is falling apart?

Jake tells Gordo that he had to go – now, and Gordo says, why? What’s wrong? Jake says, his mom’s boyfriend is here and if her boyfriend sees him, he’s dead. Gordo asks, what’s he doing here? He thought Jake said he’s a good guy. Jake says he doesn’t know. He’d thought he was.

Finn tells the woman that he signed up for Doctors Without Borders right out of med school, right after he graduated, and she says, so she’s having drinks with a fun doctor? Lucky her. Did he go anywhere good? he says, no. The good places don’t usually need them. He was in Rota, the Mariana Islands. She asks if people were shooting at him, but he says, no, not really. A lot of people needed help and didn’t have anywhere else to get it. Their operating room was a tent. She says, he’s lived quite the life, and probably save quite a few along the way. He says, not enough, and she asks if that’s why he’s here in Port Charles. Dr…? He suggests they leave the names out of it, and she says she doesn’t see why not. They’ve been doing just fine without them so far. He says, just think of him as in town to visit family, and she asks, how bad is it going? She’s only asking because he’s sitting in this place with her instead of doing whatever families do when they visit. He says, just taking in the local sights, and she says, he sure is. And she hopes he feels welcome. She’s also hoping there’s something she can do to make his trip memorable. He downs another shot. (I’m getting drunk just watching.)

Willow goes over to Wiley and Nina, and Nina says she’s sorry. He was just coming out. Wiley says, Grandma Nina is here, and Willow says she can see that, and says hi to Nina. Nina says, nice to see her, and Wiley asks if she’s going swimming, but Nina says she doesn’t think she’s dressed for swimming. Actually, she came here to look for his Uncle Drew, but maybe some other time, okay? Wiley says, sure. Swimming’s always good. Nina says she thinks so too, and Wiley says, the Quartermaines have a big pool too, and they have a big blow-up thing that looks like a duck. He thinks she’d like swimming there. He does. Willow says, they’ll see about that, and sits down with Wiley. Drew gets out of the pool and says he heard Nina was looking for him. What does she need? Willow says, Wiley smells like chlorine, and Drew says, there’s a pre-swim lotion you can put on your skin that prevents the chlorine from getting through. Willow asks if that’s something he learned from the Navy, but he says, no. He actually read it in Crimson. They had a few ads for it, or is he just imagining things? Nina smiles at him.

Dex says, here’s to Josslyn’s first day of lifeguarding, and she thanks him. She says, here’s to no running, fighting, or cannonballs, and he says he bets she can get two out of three. Trina says that’s not what she wants to hear, and Josslyn thanks him for remembering it’s her first day. He says, she knows how much he loves swimming, and she says, it’s a good thing he got those stitches out. Otherwise, she’d have to stop him from getting in the pool. He says, that might be easier said than done, and Trina says she heard about what happened to him at Brook’s wedding reception. That’s insane. He says, it was a little, but it’s over and he’s okay. Thanks to Joss. She’s the one who took him to the ER and made him wait to get stitches. He would have gone home, put some ice on it, and probably wound up with a scar. Trina tells him, some people say a scar makes you look a little daring, and he says, but then people as how you got it and he’d have to explain it. Some things are best left forgotten. He looks at Josslyn, and so does Trina.

Brook brings Chase something to eat, but he says he’s not hungry. She says she knows, but he has to keep his strength up. Wow. She thought she’d have more time before she’d see her mother. He says, there are worse things, like sitting around feeling helpless. He just lost his dad. He can’t risk losing his brother too, and he can’t let Violet get caught up in Finn’s mess. He thought Violet would be reason enough for Finn to get back on the wagon. Brook says, she hasn’t been so far, and he says, she’s right. A person can’t be an addict’s only incentive to get sober. She says, they have to do more than just cross their fingers and pray that things don’t go from bad to worse. If Finn is in denial about his drinking, he’s certainly not going to think there are any problems when it comes to Violet. Chase wonders how Violet is going to feel about whatever they decide to do. How does this end without one or both of them hating us? She says, Finn is going to hate whoever makes him confront his drinking, and there’s absolutely nothing they can do about that. And yeah, Violet might think she hates them for a little while. He says, it’s better than leaving her with her father… He can’t believe he just said that. She says, if he hadn’t, she would have.

Dale comes back with the beers, and Gordo says, see? Told you we wouldn’t get carded. Good job. He takes a long sip, and says, the best money can buy. Their money anyway. Jake continues to watch Finn, and Gordo says, chill out. Drink his beer. Jake says, the last thing he needs is for Finn to see him drinking, and Gordo says, yeah. He’s really taking in the beauty of this place. Come on. That guy hasn’t looked at anything but that woman in half an hour. He’s not sure that guy knows there is anything else in this bar. Jake says, shut up. His dad just died. Gordo says, he looks real sad, but Jake says, he doesn’t know. This doesn’t mean anything. He would never do this to Jake’s mom.

The woman puts her hand on Finn’s leg and says, there must be other things he’s dying to see besides the inside of this bar. She can think of a few things that might be of interest. Finn motions for the bartender to come over and asks if there are any liquor stores around this establishment, but the bartender says, not really. Finn says, how about that bottle there? and points. That’s a nice bottle. Would he be willing to part with it? The bartender says, they’re not supposed to, and Finn says he knows that, and puts a fifty on the bar. How does he feel about that bottle now? The bartender scoops up the bill and puts the bottle on the bar. The woman says she loves the sight of a man taking care of business, and Finn picks up his drink. He says, here’s to taking care of business, and they clink glasses.

Trina says she’s going to grab herself an iced tea while Josslyn and Dex catch up. Does anybody want one? They say, no thanks, and Trina leaves. She bumps into Gio, who maybe needs glasses, and he says he’s so sorry. She says, that’s okay, and he says, for some reason, he’s like a human bumper car today, but she says, he’s okay. It’s fine. He says, it’s not, but he promises he’s not always such a klutz. He was just going to check in with Josslyn. Trina says she would probably hold off if she were him. Those two used to be together and now they’re not, but it looks like they’re patching things up. He says, they obviously still like each other, and she says, that’s what she keeps trying to tell them. She loves them, but they’re exhausting. He says he comes from a long line of nosy Italians, so he has to ask. Why did they break up in the first place? She says she doesn’t know all of the details, but it had something to do with Josslyn’s stepfather. Technically, ex-stepfather, which is bonus points for Josslyn. Sonny Corinthos is basically awful.

Dex asks if Trina knows everything that went down between him and Sonny, and Josslyn says she told Trina that Sonny assaulted him. She didn’t get into the details and probably won’t. He says, Sonny tracked him down in the park the other day, and she says she doesn’t see any fresh wounds or bullet holes, so she guesses that’s progress. He says, Sonny told him the bad blood between them was done, and he could live his life however he wants. Even become a cop. She says, wow. Dex doesn’t need his permission, but she’s a little surprised. He says he’s surprised too, and she asks if Dex believes him. It’s the least he could do after trying to kill Dex, but it’s Sonny, so… He says he believes Sonny hates him, but he also believes Sonny has taken the target off his back. She says she can finally breathe, and he says, him too. She says she guesses it’s a fair trade. Dex doesn’t press charges and Sonny leaves him alone. He says he’s just ready to put Sonny and whatever he does or doesn’t do behind him, and just focus on what’s in front of him. That’s all that matters.

Drew tells his future frogman to come along and let Willow and Nina talk lotions. He goes back into the pool with Wiley, and Willow says, Nina and Drew seem to be working well together. Nina says, it’s amazing how perspectives can change. They respect each other as professionals and that’s been nice. Willow says, however they managed it, they seem to be in a more peaceful place, and they both look happier. Nina says she’s certainly on board for more peace, and Willow says, he’s so good with Wiley and Amelia, and of course (🍷) his own daughter. Nina says, he really is. She’s never seen Drew Cain like this.

The woman whispers something to Finn, and Jake says, you’ve got to be kidding me. That’s it. He gets up, but Gordo says, hang on. Not here. Jake says, he doesn’t need to do this to his mom, but Gordo says, if Jake gets in his face here, they’re all going to get busted, right? Jake says, right.

Finn says he needs to go. He needs to get out. He needs some fresh air. He picks up the bottle and tells the woman, let’s go, and she says, that‘s an excellent idea. She follows Finn out, and Dale tells Jake that he’s really sorry. Jake thanks him and says he’s sorry, but he has to get out of here. He leaves, and we see the two empty shot glasses on the bar.

Brook says, Violet doesn’t have a passport, does she? and Chase says he’s not sure. She says, if they need one, they’ll get one, and he asks why exactly Violet needs a passport. She says, because they’re going to take Violet with them to Italy while Finn is at rehab. What’s that saying about seeing the world through a child’s eyes? He says he doesn’t know, but he knows the saying about abducting a minor and taking them across state and international lines. It’s a felony. She says, they’re not kidnapping Violet, but he says he’s pretty sure Finn’s going to say they did in court. He loves that she’s willing to bring Violet on their honeymoon, but Finn’s never going to go for it, and Violet’s not going to want to go if Finn’s not 100% behind it. And if he’s being honest, he doesn’t think child abduction is the answer to all of their problems. She says, what if they keep it local? and he says, like a scavenger hunt? Where Finn goes around town looking for his own child? (Ha-ha-ha!) She says she can tell by the tone of his voice that he’s not completely on board, and he says, it’s a terrible plan. It’s actually one of her most troubling. Her family would be proud. She tells him that he always knows exactly what to say, and he says he knows she came up with that plan just to take the edge off. She asks if it worked, and he says, no, but he loves her for it anyway, and they kiss.

Gio says, Sonny Corinthos is Josslyn’s ex-stepfather? and Trina says, yes, to her eternal regret. He says his family thinks Uncle Sonny is second only to the Pope in terms of greatness, and she says, Uncle Sonny? He says, Sonny’s not really his uncle, more like his benefactor. Sonny’s been really good to him. She says, okay. She’s happy for him, but pretty much everyone in Port Charles has an opinion about Sonny. Some good, some bad. She just knows there’s some bad history when it comes to Joss. He says he’s sorry to hear about that, but now that they’ve gotten that settled, tell him. Why did she have such a weird look on her face when they first met? Did he do something, or have they run into each other before?

Finn brings the woman to his apartment, and he looks at all the boxes. He flashes back to packing up Gregory’s stuff and picking up the shoes Gregory wore at the wedding. The woman asks if those are the things from his border work. These boxes, are they his Doctors Without Borders stuff? He nods and says, it’s hard to believe he lived that life. It feels like it happened to somebody else. She says she sure likes the doctor guy who’s living this life, but he says he doesn’t. He doesn’t like anything about him. She smooths his hair back and says, hey. Come on, sugar. This is not the time to be sad. Anything he’s feeling, she can take it away. He asks how she’s going to do that, and she says, how about this? and kisses him. Doesn’t that feel better? He nods and she says, and this, kissing him some more. (I’ve been basically yelling, no, no, no! at the TV since they left the bar.)

Jake goes into the hospital and finds Elizabeth at the reception desk. She says she didn’t expect to see him until later. She thought he was going to the movies with Gordo. He says, they were, but… She asks, what happened? and he says he met up with Gordo and Dale, and they were on their way to the movies, and they passed this dive bar. He’s talking super sketchy, and they saw Finn coming out. She asks if he’s sure it was Finn, and he says, positive. And he wasn’t alone. She says, great. He’s found himself a drinking buddy. Jake says, sort of. He was with this lady, like with her with her, and it was pretty obvious he’d been drinking with her.

Elizabeth turns away, and Jake says he’s sorry, but she says, he has nothing to apologize for. He says he didn’t want to tell her, but he had to, right? and she says, he absolutely had to. She’s glad he did. Thank you. He says, sure, and she says she’ll handle this when she’s done here, but he says he doesn’t know. That might not be the greatest idea right now. She says, don’t worry. She’s got this. She’ll see him at home, okay? He says, okay, and she leaves. He takes out his phone and makes a call. He says, it’s Jake. My mom’s got a situation. She needs you.

Chase tells Brook that there’s got to be something they can do that doesn’t mean them spending their honeymoon in separate prison cells fighting assorted felony charges. Brook says, okay. What if they make something happen at the Q’s house that Violet just won’t want to miss? He says he’s listening, and she says, they tell her that all the kids are out of school, that there’s tennis and swimming and horseback riding and barbecues every night. He says, like summer camp, and she says, exactly. He says, that sounds promising. Are they just talking about this or doing it? She says, we are doing it, baby. And all the Quartermaine adults will take turns on supervising shifts, work schedules permitting. He says, because of his dad, he has some time off he could use, and she says, and she can work from anywhere. So they’ll just say they’re spending a few weeks at the Quartermaines. He says, and there will be a bunch of cousins and pseudo cousins and assorted rugrats running around playing with Violet. She says, not bad, huh? and he says, yeah. He’ll talk to Finn tomorrow, assuming that he’s sober. She says, and with Violet staying with the Qs, they can do some sort of intervention. Get him to see what kind of trouble he’s in. Chase asks if she’s sure her family is going to be okay with this. He can’t imagine Tracy will be. It’s a lot. (One more kid? And Violet no less? Hardly.) She says, then they’ll tell her the truth, privately. Tracy and Finn are friends. She should know anyway that her friend is in trouble. Then she can help them get the rest of the family on board. He says, that might be a leap, and she says, maybe. But at the end of the day, every last Quartermaine is going to be doing this, no matter what it takes.

Nina and Willow sit by the pool, and Nina says, the lotion. It’s called DermaPool and it’s fantastic. It contains shea butter and green leaf extract in it. It leaves a moisturizing coating on the skin and vitamin C neutralizes the chlorine. Olympic swimmers swear by it. They had medalists that were actually part of the ad campaign at Crimson, and they were great. It also helps with pool rash and swim hair… Willow says, swim hair? and Nina says, you know how chlorine can change some hair green? Willow says she didn’t know it had an official name, and Nina says, Crimson has boxes of DermaPool in storage. Why doesn’t she send Willow a couple of boxes?… She can really overdo it sometimes. The last thing Willow needs is a truckload of product showing up on her doorstep. Willow says, that’s okay, and Nina and Drew exchange glances.

Trina is on her laptop at a table, and Gio says, sorry. The way people go through towels, you’d think they never saw one before. Trina says, people go wild when they’re not the ones doing the fluffing and the folding, and he says, that makes sense. At the risk of trying her patience, is she sure they never met before? He’s positive he’d remember someone like her. She says she promises they haven’t, but she will admit that if she looks at him just the right way out of the corner of her eye, he does look like someone she used to be close to. He says, why used to be? Why aren’t they close anymore? She says, he died, and Gio says he’s sorry. He’s an idiot. She says, no. You know what? I’ll just… She dashes out, and Josslyn looks at Gio.

Willow tells Wiley that they have to get home. Mommy has a date. He says he doesn’t like that idea, and she says, it’s with daddy. He’s taking her to dinner. Wiley says, okay then, and she says she’s glad he approves. Nina asks if they’re going anywhere fun, but Willow says she has no idea. It’s a new place Michael wants to try. Nina says, nice. She’s sure wherever they go, it’s going to be lovely. She should get back to Crimson before they send out a search party. They still have some things to iron out before they launch the next issue. She tells Wiley that it was really, really great spending some time with him, and he says he knows. Let’s do it again. She says she hopes this is the start of an incredible summer for him and Amelia. She hopes they have lots of adventures and lots of fun and lots of swimming. He says he already told his mom that he’s going to swim every day this summer, and Willow says, he’s not lying. He started telling her about his swim plan in February. Nina says, that sounds like a great plan. It was really good to see Willow. Willow says, it was nice seeing Nina too. Wiley loved it. Nina says, and if she ever needs DermaPool… Willow says she knows who to call. Nina leaves as Drew watches.

Josslyn catches up with Trina and asks if she’s okay. Trina says, yeah. She just went to the ladies’ room. Josslyn says she saw Trina take off. Did Gio say something? She’ll beat him up if he did. Trina says, Gio didn’t say anything wrong. It’s just that sometimes some things will just hit her a certain way, and memories of Spencer will flood in and just knock the wind out of her. Josslyn says she’s so sorry, and Trina thanks her. She thinks it’s best if she just goes home. Josslyn says she’s going to be off soon, and they could go somewhere. They could talk or go see a movie. Whatever she wants. Trina thanks her, but thinks it’s best if she just has some alone time tonight. Josslyn says, of course (🍷), and hugs Trina. She says, but she’s here, and Trina says she knows. She leaves, and Dex comes back. He asks if Trina is all right, and Josslyn says, not at the moment, but she will be. He asks if something happened, and she says, not really. She thinks that grief just snuck up on her. He says, it’s going to take her a while to get over Spencer, and Josslyn says, it is. She really loved him. She feels so bad for Trina. He says, there’s been some big losses lately. What he keeps trying to say and keeps screwing up is, every moment is precious. They both know that life is short, so have dinner with him.

Chase says he wishes there was something they could do to fix Finn right now, and Brook says, her too, but they can’t lock him in a cage for his own good. He says he desperately wants Finn to stop drinking before he hits rock bottom, and she says she knows. They just need to remind him that the stakes are different for him than they are for other people. On top of everything else, Finn is a doctor at GH. People know him from there. If he keeps this up, word is going to get out. He says, if Finn does something he truly regrets and can’t take back, he’ll never recover. There will be nothing left of the Finn they knew and loved.

Elizabeth approaches Finn’s apartment and almost knocks, but then lets herself in with her key. She sees Finn and the woman sitting on the sofa, the woman’s legs on Finn’s lap, and the nearly empty bottle on the table with two glasses. Elizabeth is stone-faced and Finn just looks drunk.

On Monday, Curtis tells Drew, this is just the right time to do this; Willow tells Michael, if Drew can start fresh with Nina, maybe she can too; Nina tells Maxie, this is the price they pay for dancing with the devil; and Finn wants a chance to explain.

🏆 Winning Daytime…

The winners.

https://people.com/daytime-emmys-2024-winners-list-8653423

The important winners.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/gallery/daytime-emmys/the-2024-daytime-emmy-award-winners

Red carpet gallery.

https://parade.com/tv/daytime-emmy-awards-red-carpet-fashion-outfits-2024

History maker.

https://people.com/daytime-emmys-2024-dick-van-dyke-becomes-oldest-winner-guest-performer-in-drama-8652791

🌍 Where In the World Is Reza Farahan…

This was another reality show I actually liked. Yeah, there was fighting and fussing, and Mike… Well, let’s not talk about him. But it had tons of heart, and it was the real deal. I need someone to root for and this group was worthy of cheering on.

📹 Nice Try…

Doubtful I’d have watched this before the whole Rust tragedy anyway. He just doesn’t seem like a good guy.

https://people.com/alec-baldwin-reality-show-not-ideal-timing-rust-trial-source-exclusive-8659398

👩‍❤️‍👩 There Went the Brides…

After the wedding and other hookups.

https://extratv.com/2024/06/04/captain-sandy-on-married-life-and-below-deck-hookup-shockers-exclusive/

Who was in attendance.

Supposedly, there was no shade intended on excluding Captain Lee.

🌁 Are We There Yet…

The latest news on The Last of Us. Sounds great if we ever get to see it.

https://comicbook.com/tv-shows/news/the-last-of-us-season-2-will-expand-on-unseen-stories-from-game/

https://comicbook.com/gaming/news/the-last-of-us-season-2-episode-count-seasons-3-and-4/

https://www.inverse.com/entertainment/the-last-of-us-four-seasons

🐉 Caution – Dragons Ahead…

This makes me want to give it another try.

https://www.inverse.com/entertainment/house-of-the-dragon-season-2-review

A spinoff of a spinoff.

https://www.inverse.com/entertainment/game-of-thrones-sea-snake-spinoff-steve-toussaint

💃🏾 Evolution Revolution…

This is definitely on my must-see list.

https://ew.com/shonda-rhimes-black-barbie-documentary-trailer-8658080

🕸 Not So Itsy Bitsy…

Everybody, calm down. It’s not going to bite you or your pets, and it doesn’t have wings. Actually, my first thought was, I hope I get to see one.

https://people.com/joro-spiders-2024-everything-to-know-8659303

🐶 Move Over Montreal…

The pups are taking over the ice. More on the Stanley Pup.

https://people.com/stanley-pup-adorable-rescue-dogs-take-nhl-ice-8659802

https://www.nhl.com/fans/2024-stanley-pup

📠 Quotes of the Week

Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I’m not sure about the former.Albert Einstein

A mathematical formula for happiness: Reality divided by Expectations. There were two ways to be happy: improve your reality or lower your expectations. – Jodi Picoult

The border to eternity is never ahead of us. It runs parallel to life and can be crossed over at any moment by old and young. – Reinhard Bonnke

As I get older, I am becoming more selective of who I consider a friend. I find that I would rather have 4 quarters than 100 pennies. – Steve Maraboli

The only real mistake is the one from which we learn nothing. – John Powell

I believe the most important single thing, beyond discipline and creativity, is daring to dare.Dr. Maya Angelou

I am under no obligation to make sense to you. – Neil DeGrasse Tyson

Be yourself, but not too much.  – Jasmine Pineda, 90 Day Fiancé: Happily Ever After?

⛺️ Oh Those Summer Nights…

Join me on Monday for a little soap and a little Deck. Until then, stay safe, stay respecting others’ boundaries at the beach or pool (also, please don’t leave litter behind), and stay remembering addiction is a disease, and give grace, but don’t excuse it.

June 6, 2024 – Finn Makes a Choice, Soaping Up, Latest In Emmys, An Awful Reunion With Awful People, Carl Is a Big Baby, Rescued, Happy Dance & Girls+

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

The pool has officially opened!!!

Natalia tried to get rid of Kristina, but that was a hard no. Blaze felt she’d do better with another take on her track, but Natalia said it was perfection. Engineer Marv was sent on a break, and Kristina asked Natalia if Blaze shouldn’t make her own decisions about her music, but Natalia said she was never wrong. Kristina said, Blaze was the artist, but Natalia said she was the mother and Blaze ended up agreeing with her assessment every time. Kristina said she knew she’d surprised Natalia by showing up, and that she’d only ever been a surprise to her.

Chase saw Finn knocking back shots, then spraying breath freshener into his mouth. Finn then saw Chase and Georgie in the doorway and looked like a deer in headlights. Chase didn’t say anything, and Georgie asked if Violet could go to the pool with the other kids. Finn said, okay, and Maxie invited Violet for a sleepover afterward.

Gio got a job already and was working at the pool, and Josslyn introduced herself. She said his family claimed he was a genius who played like angel. She said she wasn’t sure about the genius or angel, but she knew he was very good. She wondered what he was doing working as a pool attendant, and said they were both nepo hires, but Gio told her that Olivia made him sit for an interview and he was on probation for the first month. His family had faith in his music ability, but not so much in his hourly employment skills. Josslyn asked why he was slumming in Port Charles.

Brook offered to help Finn go through Gregory’s stuff, but Finn said he’d like to do it on his own. Maxie said she thought the same thing when her sister died, but couldn’t have done it without Spinelli. So maybe Finn should let people help him. Finn told Violet that the most important thing was for her to have fun, but Violet didn’t want to leave him alone.

Kristina said Natalia was as subtle as a brick, and Natalia said she wasn’t in the habit of repressing her feelings to make others comfortable. Everyone knew where they stood with her. Kristina said, honesty without tact equals cruelty, and was confused as to why Natalia just didn’t say she didn’t want her around Blaze. Natalia said Blaze was grown and made her own choices. She wasn’t going to pretend Kristina’s new role in Blaze’s life wasn’t a surprise, but she was adjusting to that reality. She’d come to realize how deeply Blaze cared for Kristina and was trusting her to put Blaze’s feelings before hers when the time came for them to part ways, which they inevitably would.

Violet asked if Finn was crying, but he told her they weren’t sad tears and to never worry about him. It was his job to worry about her. She said a daughter’s job was to make sure their dads weren’t lonely, and he said she was doing a good job and deserved a break. Finn told Chase that he wished Gregory had been there to see the memorial, and Chase suggested they spend some time together, but Finn wanted to start packing up Gregory’s stuff, so Violet didn’t see. He left, and Chase told Brook that the reason Finn wanted to be alone was so he could drink in peace.

Kristina asked why Natalia was implying she and Blaze would break up, and Natalia said, Blaze cared for Kristina, but was poised to jump to the next level in her career. She was so close to her lifelong dream, and she was going to be torn when she’d have to make the painful choice of following her dream or staying with Kristina. Kristina had the power to alleviate that pain if she could let Blaze go gracefully, which Natalia believed was the best decision for her daughter. Kristina said that Natalia didn’t know that because she couldn’t predict the future, but Natalia said the path Kristina and Blaze were going down would end in pain and disappointment. She was protecting her daughter and Kristina would learn soon enough, that’s what mothers do.

Gio told Josslyn that he was doing a Summer Stage concert in the park, and she said, tickets were hard to get. He said, unless she knew someone who had comps. She accidently knocked him into the pool, and as he was getting out, Trina showed up. Josslyn introduced him and told Trina about his violin skills. Gio said he’d be performing at PCU and was going to school there. He hoped they’d all be seeing more of each other.

The kids wanted Maxie to come in the pool with them, but she said she’d spent too much time on her hair and makeup to get wet. If she even got misted, there would be dire consequences. Spinelli told the kids they had the rest of the summer to make it happen, and their mom was powerless in the face of his considerable charm. Violet asked to sit with Maxie, and asked if Maxie thought her dad was okay.

Chase told Brook that Finn thought he was alone and downed two shots of tequila, then pulled out breath spray like he’d planned it. Brook said she was worried that would happen, but was hoping she was wrong. She thought Chase knew his brother better than she did, but Chase wondered if he knew Finn at all.

Finn packed up Gregory’s stuff and flashed back to helping him get dressed for the wedding. He picked up an AA pamphlet.

Blaze told Natalia that they were ultimately in agreement about the take she liked; it was great. Natalia said she was sure Brook would agree, and Blaze asked what she and Kristina were talking about. Natalia said, not much, and Kristina wasn’t here to see her. She went to listen to the track, and Kristina joined Blaze. Blaze said, after the way they left things, she was surprised to see Kristina, and Kristina said she couldn’t put this off any longer, giving us all a heart attack until she followed that with saying that she had to apologize to Blaze and asked for her forgiveness.

Kistina said she’d overreacted, but it wasn’t an excuse. She never should have yelled at Blaze and stormed out. She should have given Blaze the benefit of the doubt and they should have worked it out together. Blaze said she’d wanted to call, but wasn’t sure Kristina would pick up. She never meant to betray Kristina’s confidence or betray her in any way. Kristina said she’d like to blame the hormones, but she’d probably react the same way if she wasn’t pregnant. Her dad was a sensitive topic, and Molly admitted she’d had to pry it out of Blaze. Blaze said she felt cross examined, and Kristina said she should have been up front with everyone and not expected Blaze to keep her secret or gotten upset if she couldn’t. That’s what her dad did.

Chase told Brook that he’d thought it would be a mistake to confront Finn, but maybe he was wrong. Brook told him not to second guess himself, but he wondered how he couldn’t see it since he was a detective. He knew how their dad’s death was affecting Finn, but didn’t know he was lying. He should have seen through it, and he let himself be fooled. Brook said they were both in mourning and Finn had given Chase years of reasons to trust him. Now that they knew, they could move forward. Chase needed to talk to Finn and let him know they were here for him or have out if it came to that. Chase said he needed to hear why Finn was drinking again and lying.

Finn called about a meeting, asking if the church having it was still under construction. Then he picked up his car keys and left.

Gio told Josslyn and Trina that PCU had recruited him. He’d been invited to audition and been given a full ride, first chair, and Summer Stage. Josslyn offered him a word of caution, saying, scholarship students stayed in the worst dorm. The dorms were all bad though, so she and Trina were looking at apartments. Gio said he was staying at the Quartermaines, and Trina asked how well know he knew them. He said he knew they could be overwhelming, but the noise and togetherness made him feel like he was home. He’d been warned about Tracy, but knew she liked music and hoped to score some points with that. Trina said they were looking to hire musicians for a gallery exhibition, and Gio gave her his number.

Blaze said, Kristina was nothing like her father, but Kristina said, their number one rule was to be open and honest with each other. The second she saw it would result in discomfort with Molly, she threw out that rule. She shouldn’t have gotten upset. Blaze said she wasn’t angry and understood that Kristina was shielding the baby. She was thinking like a mother and Blaze forgave her. They hugged and Natalia bristled when she saw it.

Trina told Josslyn that Gio seemed cool, and Josslyn asked if Trina was okay. Trina said, when Spencer first died, she thought she saw him everywhere, but it hadn’t happened in a while. She thought her mind had accepted his death, but when Gio stepped out of pool… Josslyn said she knew and hugged her.

Spinelli promised the kids that they’d get Maxie into the pool. Maxie told Violet that her dad was just sad about his dad. You could be sad and okay at the same time. Violet said she thought Chase was like that, but there was something different with her dad. He hid it. Maxie said, parents didn’t want to worry their kids and grown-ups wanted to be by themselves sometimes. She offered to take Violet home, but said her dad was probably glad that she was getting out and having fun. If he was sad and wanted to be by himself, he didn’t want to make her sad too.

Instead of a meeting, Finn went to a bar and ordered tequila. Why is it always tequila? Blech.

Brook told Chase that he was trying to make sense of Finn’s drinking and not just attributing it to a hard day, but he wouldn’t know for sure if he didn’t talk to Finn. She offered to go with him, and he said he wanted her there. She thought his instincts were good. They knew Finn was drinking and lying, and they needed to see how Finn would respond and go from there. Chase said he needed to go in with a plan in case Finn wouldn’t listen, and Brook said she knew it was hard, but if Finn wanted to keep drinking, there might be nothing they could do. Chase said he felt helpless, and Brook said, they might be when it came to Finn, but not Violet. They needed to step up for Violet, especially if… He didn’t think Finn would do anything to put Violet in harm’s way, did he?

Tomorrow, Nina is on board for more peace; Chase wonders how it ends without Finn hating him; and Finn clinks glasses with someone at the bar, telling them that he’s taking care of business.

🧼 All the Soap News Fit To Print…

I love the actor and I loved his GH character. It’s a shame they didn’t let him play out the ALS storyline and the triangle with Tracy and Alexis, but he did have a beautiful passing.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/gregory-harrison-shares-his-biggest-regret-about-leaving-gh

Even though it brought back her heartbreak, I thought I saw some little hearts pop out of Trina’s eyes when she saw Gio.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/giovanni-mazza-teases-gio-and-trina-on-general-hospital

She’s a Jackie of all trades. Mom, realtor, and a sidepiece for Finn.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/devon-ogden-cast-as-barb-on-general-hospital

It’s not the first time she’s had to field this topic.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/laura-wright-settles-rumors-shes-leaving-gh

I don’t remember her from GH, but still doff my cap in respect.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/daytime-alum-janis-paige-dead-at-101

🏆 All About That Daytime…

The Daytime Emmy presenters.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/daytime-emmys/2024-daytime-emmy-award-presenters-announced

Everything I voted for won. I still wouldn’t suggest taking me to the racetrack though.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/gallery/daytime-emmys/2024-daytime-emmys-see-who-you-voted-to-win

Summer House – Reunion Part 1

Andy said nothing was off limits, and the Reunion started briskly with Lindsay and Carl arguing over recent history. The main thing that seems to piss Lindsay off is that the break-up conversation happened during a time when they weren’t normally being filmed, and she was called to come film. So the only logical supposition is that Carl alerted production. As much as I dislike her, it was disgusting to watch her get blindsided. And I’m not saying he shouldn’t have broken up with her – I certainly would have – but it was the way it was done. Not cool. The topic of Lindsay nixing Kyle as a groomsman floated around for a minute. She insisted it had nothing to do with her opinion of him, and Kyle said his feelings had been hurt, but I’d rather be a flower boy than a groomsman. Everyone, including Carl, thought Carl was afraid of Lindsay, with the exception of Jesse, who made a comme ci, comme ça motion with his hand.

Just after a big conversation about the girls all getting along this season, Paige claimed that Danielle and Lindsay came for her on various occasions, and it started a big thing. I like Paige, but she never seems to consider anyone else’s feelings, attributing it to her NYC candor. I lived in the city a long time, and while Paige might have the wit of a New Yorker, it points back to what Kristina said in today’s GHhonesty without tact equals cruelty. Carl smirked a lot, which made me want to smack him. One more reason not to watch these things. It might just be a contributor to the violence quotient in the US.

Andy wondered if Lindsay expected Balloon Guy Joe’s presence to cause a stir among the women – which it had. She said, no, while I wondered how women could consider competing for someone called Balloon Guy Joe. I don’t care how hot he is. The romance between Ciara and West was discussed. After Ciara had stayed with his family a couple of times and gone to a wedding with him, it sealed the deal. Ciara felt he’d been with her for the show during the summer and then in December he said he couldn’t commit for show related reasons. Andy asked if West thought it was because he might get new opportunities (i.e. offers of sex) after the show aired, but West made the excuse that he’d be hit on at events and it wouldn’t be fair to Ciara. He also didn’t like that her name was basically bigger than his in the headlines – that is if we want to look at either of their names as big or internet nonsense as headlines. In other words, he wanted his own lane. Kyle said that West overthought the show and deprioritized the relationship, but Ciara hit the nail on the head when she said that he used it as an excuse. West told her that his parents said he was going to look like an a-hole. Well, congratulations, West. You did. Job well done. Ciara said she gave him an out after filming ended, but he’d said no.

Sounds like he’s a scaredy-cat. Paige said they lived their real lives on camera, but they didn’t live their lives for the camera. Snap!

🤽‍♂️ Same subject, different angle.

If you want to see the billboard campaign. Express is actually a good brand.

⚓️ Boat Daddy Can Do No Wrong…

There’s no doubt Carl was just being a big baby. Captain Lee isn’t the type to say, gotcha! on a podcast. He was also gracious enough not to air it when Carl threw a tantrum after realizing he answered questions during an interview he’d agreed to.

https://okmagazine.com/p/below-deck-captain-lee-carl-radke-accused-taking-advantage-podcast/

🐕 Lassie, Get Help…

One time, I was running around with my Golden Retriever, the misnamed Einstein, and I fell in a hole. He ran. Not to get help, but because he got scared.

https://people.com/dog-runs-4-miles-to-get-help-for-owner-after-crash-8659778

🐶 Best News Ever…

LVP is surely behind this. Here’s hoping the others involved in this sickening practice follow suit.

https://people.com/two-puppy-fattening-farms-for-the-dog-meat-trade-shut-down-and-surrender-animals-8659575

🎉 Had Me a Blast…

Swing by tomorrow for a soap blow-by-blow and the usual Friday free-for-all. Until then, stay safe, stay not raining on anyone’s parade, and stay tempering your honesty with tact and not being cruel.

June 5, 2024 – Gregory’s Memorial, Down In the Valley, Who’s On Top, Doug Plus One & West

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Gathered at the park for Gregory’s memorial service were those closest to him: Finn, Chase, Brook, Violet, Tracy, Alexis, Elizabeth, Aiden, and Jake. The bench where he sat now had a plaque with Professor Gregory Chase on it.

Finn said that he’d found Psalm 121 on a card Gregory was using for a bookmark and read: I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth. He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber. Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is thy keeper: the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand. The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul. The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore. (King James version)

Finn said this was his dad’s favorite spot, so it was fitting that he should become part of a place that brought him so much joy and contentment. Chase said the people who mattered most to Gregory were there, and he thought the hole his dad left would hurt less if they filled it with shared memories.

Elizabeth said Gregory had taken her in under his father umbrella and never judged her. She’d forever take with her his understanding and support. He showed her the level of kindness, compassion, and wisdom possible in a person, and she wasn’t settling for anything less. She thanked Finn and Chase for sharing their dad.

Alexis said she considered people she met who had a hardship inspiring, but ALS was beyond a hardship. She watched Gregory reject the limitations that were put on him, and it was a lesson to her. She was now aware of the limitations she’d put on her own life. No one on the face of the earth could convince her to jump out of a plane, except him, and they shared a big, mad, passionate kiss at the end. She wouldn’t have tried to get her law license back if not for him, and he taught her that even if you’re doomed to lose, you try. That’s the triumph.

Finn said he should have learned forgiveness from his dad who forgave him. He was the example of the man Finn wanted to be, but he was sorry it took so long to become the son Gregory deserved, even though he had a great example in Chase.

Tracy said, Gregory didn’t suffer fools. He’d told his son not to value the opinion of snobs, and she was the snob. She was being foolish and regretted it deeply. The missed opportunities in life loom larger as time goes on and get heavier. She didn’t believe in regrets, and Gregory was a great friend to her, but he was also a missed opportunity. If she’d known him sooner, longer, or better, would he have been… She doesn’t get to know, but the moral of the story is, if opportunity doesn’t present itself, make one. Contrary to conventional wisdom you can miss what you didn’t have.

Brook said, Gregory was magical, almost like a wizard. He created her wonderful husband and stood up in church and gave Chase to her. She said, sometimes life made us feel like there’s no such thing as magic, but because of Gregory, she knew it was real and her life was filled with magic, more than she could hope for.

Violet said she didn’t know if ghosts were real, but she’d found the last poem Gregory read to her. Then she read about how it’s not always easy or fair and we’re sometimes scared, but it’s a great, wide, wonderful world. She hoped he was happy.

Chase said his father was a good, strong, and gentle man in all the ways that mattered. He’d told Chase that there are no perfect people and people were fine the way they are, but he thought Violet was perfect. He called himself ordinary, and it took Chase until now to realize ordinary meant we should be what we are. We shouldn’t think we’re so special that no one understands or relates, and we should find something remarkable in every person we meet. If he could be ordinary like his dad, he’d be extraordinary. Finn and Chase scattered Gregory’s ashes under the tree.

At the reception afterward in the MetroCourt Gardens, Brook told Tracy that she was sorry about Gregory’s passing. Tracy said that she thought Gregory would have been pleased, and she and Brook told each other, I love you. Tracy said that Gregory had talked her into doing a shot, so they should do one in his honor, and they did. Brook was worried about Finn, but Tracy said she thought he was coping. Brook said she and Chase were thinking about taking Violet for a while to give Finn time to grieve. Tracy said they were both grieving, and she didn’t think they wanted to be separated because they were a comfort to each other. Alexis told Finn that his father would be proud, and Finn asked about the kiss. Did they have a romance he didn’t know about? She just smiled.

Natalia went with Blaze to rerecord a track, but Blaze was uncomfortable not having Brook there. Blaze told Natalia that she’d hurt Kristina, but didn’t share the details. Natalia said that Blaze’s hope was lost, but she still had her pride, and her passion for the music would get her through the day. The engineer was surprised Blaze was redoing the track, but Natalia said she thought they could maybe implement the notes she’d made during the first recording and make it better.

Blaze told Natalia that her singing was off, and Natalia told her to fall back on her discipline and training. That’s what professionals did. Blaze said she felt like a fraud singing about love, and Natalia asked if Blaze wanted her to call Kristina. Blaze said if Kristina wanted to come, she would have shown up. She was sure Kristina felt hurt and betrayed.

Kristina waited for Molly while she was in court, claiming she wanted to have sister time. She asked if Molly wanted to go to lunch, but Molly had a staff meeting. Kristina wondered why Molly wasn’t asking about the baby, and Molly asked if there was anything new to report. Kristina said things were good and moving on as they were supposed to. Actually, the only new thing was that she was aware Blaze had told Molly about what happened at the reception and Molly was pretending like she didn’t know. Molly said that Blaze had made one innocent remark which she’d picked up on and pressed for details. All Blaze would say was that Kristina and the baby were fine, but Blaze was probably never going to speak to her again because of the way Molly interrogated her. Kristina said, Blaze was very forgiving, and Molly said, so is TJ, but if the topic of the baby was off limits to keep Kristina happy, she’d honor Kristina’s wishes, no matter how obnoxious they were. Kristina asked why she wouldn’t be defensive when Molly was the perfect sister, but Molly said they were in this situation because she couldn’t reproduce, which was hardly perfect. Kristina said, Molly had rescued her from bad decisions countless times, and Molly said she’d be eternally grateful for what Kristina was doing for her. She couldn’t wait until the baby was here and they could argue about who spoiled it the most and who was being too tough.

Natalia pressed Blaze for details, but Blaze said telling Natalia would just make it worse, and don’t try to get it out of Sonny. Natalia wondered what Sonny had to do with it, but Blaze told her that time was money. Natalia said she was hoping Blaze was starting to understand that relationships like this one weren’t real. Blaze said, it was real, but Natalia said it was infatuation. It was natural to respond warmly to someone who admired you. Blaze said she knew the difference between fans, stalkers, and regular people, but Natalia said, maybe she’d misconstrued it. Blaze said if she was half as gullible as Natalia made her sound, her portfolio would have nothing but magic beans in it. Natalia used the term you people and denigrated Blaze’s relationship with Kristina some more, until Blaze said Natalia was making her angry. Natalia said it was a mom’s job to tell the hard truth.

Alexis told Finn that Gregory was funny, smart, and authentic, and he asked her why they hadn’t moved forward. Alexis said because she was too chicken, too cowardly to fall in love with a man she knew was dying. Chase told Brook that Gregory’s death made him realize we don’t know when our last moments will be, and he’d always tell her how much he loved her when he was leaving her. Elizabeth said Finn seemed more settled and asked if the memorial helped. Finn said, it did, but he worried that he’d gotten so good at pretending, he was fooling himself.

Kristina showed up while Blaze was recording and the way they looked at each other, you could tell all was forgiven.

Elizabeth thanked Tracy for arranging everything, and said she thought it helped. Tracy said she did too. Elizabeth told Chase that they were family now. She said Finn had gotten a call and asked Chase to tell him that she’d call him later. She left with the boys, and Chase decided to look for Finn. He found Finn at a bar in another room and saw Finn doing a shot… and then another shot.

Tomorrow, the pool is open (!); Kristina tells Natalia to let Blaze decide what she wants; and Brook tells Chase that she was worried something like this would happen.

🍼 At the Valley’s End…

When a dude is having the same issues he did a decade ago, it’s time to cut the cord, and Jax will be an eternal Peter Pan. He’s also one of those people who wail about needing help, but then refuse to take it because their plea is just for show. Hearing him make excuses was stomach turning, but even worse was hearing him sniffle that he needed therapy and then never going. Yep, this is why I’ve grown to hate this stuff.

On the other hand, Kentucky muffin has matured a lot.

🔪 Top Of the Chef To You…

Tonight’s Quickfire Challenge was a blind taste test of 26 ingredients. To make it extra special, the chefs had to make a dish with the ingredients they’d guessed right. For the elimination, they had to make a dish representing their time thus far. Spoiler alert. No one came out with an empty plate.

🐶 Pug Piling…

It’s official. Doug has a sister.

https://people.com/doug-the-pug-welcomes-rescue-dog-sister-dory-exclusive-8658235

🏄‍♀️ Beaching Off…

Come by tomorrow for a soap quickie and a little Summer tea. Until then, stay safe, stay being considerate of others at public events, and stay making your own opportunity when one doesn’t present itself.

June 4, 2024 – Ch-Ch-Changes, Jason Agrees To Do It Anna’s Way, Paddling Andy & Survive

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

👩🏽‍🔧 At present, there will be quickies on GH during the week to keep you caught up, and the full enchilada on Friday episodes for those who like to experience every word. Again, if there are any shows you want to read about or have any other suggestions, let me know. (Refer to the June 3rd blog for details on upcoming changes.)

General Hospital

Drew told Carly about the plans to run for congress. Carly promised him her vote if he runs.

John tried to hassle Sonny about the shooting, but Diane intervened. Sonny insisted on calling John Jagger, which I think suits him better. John said Sonny had taken advantage of someone who had brain damage (i.e. Jason) and he couldn’t wait to see Sonny behind bars for good. When John was gone, Diane admitted to Sonny that she thought he’d done it.

Jason wanted to tell John about Valentin being head of Pikeman, but Anna was like, no way. She told Jason that she had no hard proof, but he said he wanted out from the FBI and if he gave John the info, he could get away. She said if the FBI get what they wanted, they’d never let him go, so he agreed to wait until there was evidence. He wanted to go get the evidence himself from Valentin, but Anna said she’d be invited in – no need to break in – so she’d do it.

Finn discussed his drinking with Elizabeth. He told her that he had cut alcohol out of his life as a prevention, not because it was a problem, but he still kinda sorta promised not to drink.

Sonny told Carly about the shooting, and that both Diane and John thought it was him, but it wasn’t. He said he was still angry at Jason, but didn’t try to have Jason killed. He wanted Carly to relay that message to Jason, and Carly told him that Jason wasn’t his enemy. He knew it deep down or he wouldn’t have come to her. She said, if Sonny didn’t give a damn, he wouldn’t care what Jason thought, but Sonny said he wanted nothing to do with Jason anymore.

Chase talked to Brook about his father’s death and how he still picked up the phone to call him, even calling once just to hear Gregory’s voice. He was concerned about the future, but Brook said they were in this for the long haul and whatever happened, they’d stick together.

Jason said he didn’t have time to play the long game with Valentin, but Anna said the only way to get Valentin was for her to do it personally. She would, however, need back-up and needed it to be him. He agreed to do it her way.

Tomorrow: Finn wonders if fooling himself and Gregory’s memorial happens.

🤷‍♀️ What Did I Say…

Do an Elsa, Andy. Let it go. It’s not going to get any better.

https://people.com/anderson-cooper-says-andy-cohen-paddling-really-really-fast-under-the-water-to-maintain-career-8657540

⛅️ Throwing Off the Cold and Dark…

Until next time, stay safe, stay flying your Pride flag high, and stay doing it personally if you want to play the long game.

June 3, 2024 – Carly Gives Sonny a Reality Check, Blog Revamp, No Wine On Deck, New Pairing, Inside Scoop, Number One, Who’s On Stage, Furbabysitting & Born

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Poor Jason can’t get any real work done. Two gunmen slip into the coffee warehouse, but he can feel it. He chucks his clipboard, takes out his gun, and ducks behind some shelves before shots come his way. There’s a shootout and Jason hits one of the gunmen. The other is apparently a coward and runs out.

Carly says, if Jason doesn’t sell his half of the coffee business to Sonny, what does he plan on doing about it? Sonny says, it’s just business, but Carly says, it isn’t. Sonny made it personal when he insisted Jason was the enemy. Sonny says, that’s who he is now; he’s working with the Feds. He was free to make a choice how to handle it. Sonny made his. She says, he told her that what happens next is on Jason. What the hell does that mean? What did he do?

Kristina sits at a beautifully set table in Blaze’s room and says, when Blaze surprises a girl with dinner, she really goes all out. And her favorite chocolate cake for dessert. She can’t believe Blaze remembered that. Blaze says, to be fair, Kristina talks about the chocolate cake a lot, and Kristina says, yeah, because it’s her favorite. Not that she’s complaining, but what’s the occasion? Blaze asks if she needs an occasion to spoil Kristina… Maybe there’s a little something else going on here. She knows Kristina has been having a hard time with what she saw at the wedding reception. She just wanted to do something to show Kristina that she’s not alone. She’s here. Kristina says, that’s really sweet of her, and thanks her. It has been hard lately. It’s been hard facing the reality of who her dad actually is, but talking to Dante really helped because she could see he was struggling with the same issues. Blaze says she’s glad, and Kristina says, also, being here with her like this makes her feel even better. She feels so safe with Blaze. She used to think the only person in this whole world who really understood her was her dad, and now she knows that’s not true because she has Blaze. Blaze says, Kristina does have her, and Kristina says she knows. She’s glad Molly doesn’t know about this because if she did, Molly would be out of control, and she really can’t handle that. She asks Blaze, what’s wrong? and Blaze says, Molly does know. She told her.

Ava records on her phone: Welcome to the first US exhibition of the work of Lagos based Harriet Nikia, exclusively at the Jerome gallery, when… She says, dammit, and rewinds. She says, welcome to the first… when there’s a knock at the door. She opens it to Natalia, who says, she hopes this isn’t a bad time. Is it?

Deanna brings Jack into his hospital room and says, he did a good job keeping up with her on his walk. Now he should get some rest. She helps him back into bed, and he says, being in a hospital is a lot like being in a casino. You have no idea what time it is. (Didn’t Heather say that too?) Deanna says, his stab wound might be healing, but his aim is to regain his flexibility with two or three walks a day. He says, it’s always good to have a goal, and the guard handcuffs him back to the bed. The guard’s phone dings, and he says, there’s a disturbance on the third floor. They need his help. Jack says, take your time. He’s not going anywhere. Deanna says, they’ll be fine, and Jack thanks her. She follows the guard out, and Jack takes out a paperclip and undoes his cuff. He gets out of bed and finds some conveniently stashed scrubs in a drawer in his room.

Jason tosses the gunman’s gun aside and checks for a pulse. He hears someone and draws his gun, but it’s Anna coming in with her gun drawn. She says, he seems to have a dead man on his floor, and he says, there was a second shooter, but he got away. She asks if he got a look at him, but he says, no. He was too busy returning fire. She asks if he has any idea who sent them, and he says, she got here right after the shooting stopped. That’s perfect timing, unless she’s watching the place. She says, what? No, it was a coincidence. She was coming over here to get more details about Sonny attacking Dex. She heard shots and she drew her weapon. She’s going to call this in. She takes out her phone, they hear sirens, and she says, it appears someone beat her to it.

Sonny says he doesn’t have to explain himself to Carly after all her lies and broken promises. She says she never lied to him about Jason, and he says, just broken promises. Is that better? She asks if he knows what she thinks, and he says he’s sure he’s going to hear it. She says, he still hasn’t made up his mind about Jason. Deep down, Sonny still trusts him. He might want to hate Jason, but he still trusts him. He asks if that’s what she thinks and starts to leave, but she grabs his arm and says, wait a second. He came here for the reality check he knew she would give him, so here it is. He never had a friend like Jason, and he never will. And even now, after everything Sonny has accused him of, Jason still has his back. And he knows it. Deep down he feels it. He says, does he? and she says, does he know why he’s struggling with all of this? Because he can’t erase Jason from his life. And if they’re both being honest, he doesn’t want to. He says he didn’t come here to bare his soul to her. He’s going upstairs to see Blaze. She asks if he’s serious. Please tell her that he’s not going up there to ask Blaze to defend him to Kristina.

Blaze says she’s so sorry. Telling Molly was a complete accident. Kristina says, how? How does someone say something like that by accident? Blaze says she ran into Molly outside of Kelly’s. At first, it was a totally normal conversation. Then Molly wanted to talk about what happened with Kristina at the wedding, so she thought Molly knew about Kristina’s dad, but it turns out she was just fishing. Kristina says, of course (🍷) she was. Of course (🍷) she was just fishing. That’s what Molly does. She gets information out of people. She’s a lawyer. She’s a damn good one too. She can’t believe Blaze fell for that. Kristina gets up and Blaze follows. Blaze says, Molly could tell by her reaction that something had happened, and she was afraid that if she didn’t tell Molly, she would just ask Kristina and it would upset Kristina even more. So she told Molly what Kristina’s dad did to Dex and that she witnessed it and called Blaze from the ladies’ room. Kristina asks why Blaze didn’t tell her this right away, and Blaze says she didn’t want to make it a bigger thing that it was, so she assured Molly that Kristina and the baby are fine. Kristina says she highly doubts Molly believes Blaze. Molly and TJ are already convinced she’s not responsible enough to take care of this child as it is. Now, this is definitely not going to help. Blaze says she’s so sorry. If she could take it back, she would. Kristina says, this is really bad. Molly is an ADA. She has the power to prosecute Sonny even if Dex doesn’t file charges for himself. Blaze says, she seemed completely fine when they said goodbye. She didn’t seem upset at all. In fact, she said she was headed to their mom’s house. Did Kristina see her there? Did she say anything about it? Kristina says, no. She said nothing. And that makes it even worse.

Ava says she assumes Natalia is here to see Sonny. He isn’t home yet. She’s expecting him very shortly though. Natalia is welcome to wait if she’d like. Natalia says, okay, thanks, and Ava invites her in. She asks if she can get Natalia a drink, but Natalia says, no thank you. She actually comes bearing alcohol because she remembered that single malt scotch Sonny like so much, so she picked him up a bottle. Just to say thank you for inviting her to the Quartermaine wedding. Ava says, that’s so thoughtful. She heard it was a very lively affair, especially the reception. Natalia says, was it?

Jack slips out of his room wearing the scrubs. He goes out to a stairwell, leans on the railing, and says, son of a bitch. Valentin is at the top of the stairs, and Jack says, it took him long enough to make this happen. Valentin says he’s got to give Jack credit. Not everyone would stab themselves in the stomach. He doesn’t know how many people would have thought of that, since there are other ways to communicate. Jack says he’ll remember to tell Valetin that when he’s the one behind bars, and Valentin says, the last time they talked, they agreed they weren’t going to see each other face to face. So this better be important.

Jack says he has information that couldn’t wait, and Valentin walks down to him. Valentin asks where he got this information from and how much did it cost, and Jack says, suddenly now money’s an object? Nothing. It was completely free. It came from Carly Spencer. Valentin says, now Jack has his attention, and Jack says, Carly came to visit him in Pentenville. She wanted information, then let something of her own slip. He knows which three letter agency is investigating Pikeman – FBI. Valentin says, he heard that from Carly Spencer? and Jack says, it seems the FBI relocated an agent to Port Charles, specifically to investigate Pikeman. John Cates. Valetin says he’s aware of John’s presence, and Jack tells him, do the math. If the FBI went through the trouble to bring Agent Cates here, they can safely assume they’re also the ones responsible for creating Alan Jacobs aka Jason Morgan and having him infiltrate Pikeman. Valentin says, now they know that Jason Morgan is reporting to the FBI.

In the interrogation room, Ann comes in with a recorder and tells Jason, let’s start from the beginning, shall we? He says, she knows everything he already knows. He was working, and two men he didn’t recognize came into the warehouse. They opened fire; he fired back. One is dead and the other one ran away. She asks if he has any idea who might have sent the gunmen, but he says, no. She asks if anyone has threatened to kill him, and he says, ever? She says, recently, say, where it could have been overheard by witnesses, like outside the MetroCourt ballroom for instance. Diane walks in and says, okay. Not another word. An officer tells Anna that he’s sorry. He tried to stop her. Anna says she can handle it. Don’t worry. He leaves, and she says, Diane got here fast. Diane says she happened to be in the area and came right here when she got the call. So she’d like a word with him alone. Anna says, fine, and leaves. Diane asks Jason, who tried to kill you? and he says, there were two shooters. One’s dead and one got away, but she has to get to Sonny and warn him that the cops are going to come to question him.

Sonny says he doesn’t need Carly’s permission to tell him what’s best for his daughter, and starts to walk away. She says, come on. Wait. She knows how much he loves Kristina and how much he cares about that baby, but if he pressures Blaze to intervene with Kristina, he’s only going to push Kristina further away. He has to let Kristina reach out to him first. He says, what if she doesn’t? and Carly says, it might take longer than he wants, but he has to let Kristina come to terms with this on her own, and she’ll definitely contact him. Despite what Kristina saw him do, she loves him fiercely, and that doesn’t just go away. But if he tries to manipulate Blaze into talking to Kristina, Kristina is going to find out, and she’s going to see it as him going behind her back and that’s just going to make everything worse. He says he knows what’s best for his daughter and goes to the elevator. His phone rings, and he says, Brick, can this wait?… How many shots were fired?… Cops there?… All right. Thanks for letting him know. He’ll handle it.

Blaze says, considering the fact that Molly didn’t bring up what Sonny did to Dex means that she trusts Kristina, but Kristina says, really? They don’t even trust her to go to the grocery store or take a yoga class. Does Blaze think they’re going to be okay with the fact that she’s been hiding from them? That she freaked out in a public restroom after seeing her father brutally attack someone? Blaze says, she doesn’t even know that Molly told TJ, but Kristina says, she told TJ. If she hasn’t yet, she’s about to. This is so bad. Now they’re going to start putting more restrictions on her… Blaze says she knows Kristina is worried about a lot of things right now – her dad and the baby – but please don’t let herself spin out. Molly and TJ are rational people… Kristina says, Blaze doesn’t know them like she does, and Blaze says, Kristina… but Kristina says, no. She trusted Blaze. She trusted her more than anyone and Blaze has completely betrayed her. She walks out. (Please don’t let them break up. They have more chemistry than all the other couples put together.)

Diane says, Sonny just ordered a hit on Jason, and he’s worried about her warning him? and Jason says, she’s Sonny’s lawyer. It’s her job. She says she’s his lawyer too. And right now, she’s a lot more worried about keeping him alive than she is warning the man who just tried to have him killed. Her phone rings, and she sees it’s Sonny. Jason says, she should answer it. Go ahead. Diane answers, and Sonny says, Brick just told him there was trouble at the coffee warehouse. He rubs his forehead and says he needs her to meet him there. She says she’s sorry. She’s with another client at the moment, when Jason gestures to her. She says, hang on, putting the phone on mute, and Jason asks if that’s Sonny. She says, he wants her to meet him at the coffee warehouse, and Jason tells her, go. He’ll be fine. She says, he just shot and killed a man. He claims it’s self-defense, but there’s no guarantee the police are going to believe him. It’s more likely they won’t. He says, either Anna is going to release him or she’s not; either way, he’ll be fine. Sonny might not be. He’s going to say something incriminating if she’s not there to protect him. Diane says she’ll just assume Jason knows what he’s doing, and tells Sonny that she’s on her way. Sonny says he’ll see her there, and Jason thanks her. She says she wants him to think about something. While he’s in here worrying about Sonny, how does he know Sonny isn’t planning another hit on him? She leaves.

Ava says she takes it that means Natalia didn’t stay for the reception, but Natalia says she did. Sonny insisted she see the MetroCourt Garden all decked out for the party, so she couldn’t say no. Ava asks if she enjoyed herself, and Natalia says, it was an interesting evening. Sonny knew everybody, but she only knew her daughter, and Kristina of course (🍷). Ava asks if she stayed until the very end, and Natalia says she doesn’t know when Allison and Kristina left, but she got tired and Sonny was off socializing. She just thought she shouldn’t overstay her welcome, so she went up to bed. Ava says, it sounds like everybody had a lovely time. And it must have been nice for Sonny to see Blaze and Kristina so happy together. Just between the two of them, Kristina has been a bit of a problem child over the years. Natalia says, really (and I say, Ava, why?), and Ava says, she’s made some bad decisions. Luckily, Natalia’s daughter isn’t one of them. Natalia says, while they’re sharing, she has to say their relationship is a little too unconventional for her liking, and Ava says, in what way? Natalia says, they’re not really a normal couple, are they? Kristina is pregnant with her sister’s baby. She’s holding hands with Allison out in public. She’s scared to death someone is going to take a picture and sell it to the tabloids when her daughter’s career is taking off. It’s going to be such a scandal. Ava says, would it be? It’s 2024. She thinks most people seem to be very comfortable with both those things. And since Natalia and Sonny have struck up a friendship, she should know, career worries aside, Sonny is completely supportive of Kristina in every way, sexual identity included. Natalia says, it would seem so. She just can’t say she’s of the same mind.

Carly sees Kristina coming out of the elevator and calls to her. Kristina says she’s sorry. She was in her own head there for a minute. Carly says she knows Kristina has a lot on her mind, and Kristina says she does. Carly says, baby brain. It’s a real thing. She used to go to the freezer to get some ice cream and open the door and just stand there staring, wondering what she went there for, and the ice cream is sitting right there. (Am I pregnant???) She asks if Kristina is feeling okay, and Kristina says she feels great with the baby. Honestly, whenever she feels it kicking or moving around or making her uncomfortable, it’s kind of nice because she knows it’s safe and healthy. She knows it sounds kind of weird. Carly says, it doesn’t sound weird; it sounds perfect. Kristina says, it’s crazy how much she cares about this little life growing inside of her, considering it’s not hers. But it is hers for nine months, right? Carly says she thinks it’s amazing what Kristina is doing for her sister. It’s selfless. And this little baby may be her niece or nephew one day, but it’s always going to be a part of her. Kristina thanks her for saying that, and Carly says, just like Kristina is always going to be a part of her father.

Valentin tells Jack that they already knew Jason Morgan was working with one of the agencies. All Carly has done is confirm it was the FBI. Jack says he’s glad Valentin is taking the news so well, but it does present a problem. If Jason knows Valentin is heading up Pikeman… Valentin says, but he doesn’t. Otherwise, he’d be sharing a cell with Jack. Jack says, then don’t do anything to draw attention to himself. Leave Jason Morgan well alone.

Anna tells Jason that she just saw Diane leaving. Does he want to postpone this conversation until she can be present for it? He asks if he needs her, and she says, it’s his right. She encourages him to protect himself. He says he’s fine, and she says, okay. They found the dead guy’s ID. They put him through the system, and wouldn’t you know he’s had multiple run-ins with law enforcement. He’s a low-level member of an organization with ties to the big guys downstate. She shows him the gunman’s picture on her tablet and asks if Jason recognizes him. Jason says he’s been away for a long time, and Anna says she’ll take this as a yes. It seems his organization has done business with Sonny in the past. Jason tells her, like he said… She says, he’s been away a long time. She doesn’t believe this man was a stranger to him. She thinks Jason knows exactly who he worked for. Why doesn’t he just say it? It was Sonny who tried to have him killed.

At the warehouse, Detective Bennett says, Sonny needs to let them do their jobs, and Sonny asks what he’s talking about. This is his place. He’s checking the damage. Diane comes in and says she advised him not to talk to the police. Sonny asks where she’s been, and she says she got here as fast as she could. She introduces herself to Bennett, and he says, Detective Bennett. Please be advised that her client is a person of interest. She says, for what crime? Surely not this, because Mr. Corinthos wasn’t even in the building when shots were fired, so how could he be a person of interest? Bennett says, she’ll be able to get more information down at the station, and she says, fine. She’d like to speak with her client first, however. Please tell her that he’s not denying her client his right to speak with his attorney, because that’s not going to end well for him. He tells her, make it quick, and she says, oh, okay. Diane and Sonny go into the office, and Diane says, he knows she can’t help him unless he tells her the truth. Was he responsible for that?

Sonny says he can’t tell Diane what happened tonight, but he can tell her this, he had nothing to do with it. He wasn’t even here. Jason uses this place as his office. Maybe she should ask him the same question. She says, Jason was here tonight when two armed men broke in and started shooting at him, one of whom ended up very dead. If Sonny wants her to represent him to the very best of her ability, he has to tell her everything she needs to know before those cops take him into custody.

Anna tells Jason, sit down, and reluctantly, he does. He says he’s told her all he knows, and she asks if he has a death wish. He says, no, and she says, really? Because that’s not what it looks like. He just came within an inch of being killed tonight, and he’s still protecting Sonny. He says, he’s not… and she says, they both know that Sonny threatened to kill him the other day. How many bullets is Jason going to take for him? She gets loyalty. She understands it, but she thought he was smarter than this. He’s looking out for Sonny, and Sonny is sending people off to kill him. When does it end? And how much blood will be shed before it does?

Valentin says he’s meeting a very interesting side to Jack. Jack’s got issues, and he’s not just talking about the stitches in Jack’s side from his self-inflicted stab wound. He thinks Jack needs to relax. He thinks Jack needs to delegate, trust other people. Jack says he thinks Valentin is forgetting how he got where he is and the people who helped him do it. It took Valentin a long time to get to the top. It’ll only take him seconds – Jack looks down the stairs – to fall all the way back down. Valentin asks if they’re threatening each other, and Jack laughs. Valentin says he’s going to assume it’s the painkillers talking. So heal up and let him take care of everything. Jack says, they don’t even know what Jason told Cates about Pikeman’s operations, and Valentin says, assuming he knows anything. He may not. Jack says, Valentin wants to put their entire operation at risk over may not. Jason Morgan was smart enough to infiltrate Pikeman without getting caught. If he puts the pieces together… Valentin says, calm down. Once Jason Morgan figures things out – assuming he does – Sonny will already have taken him off the chessboard and saved them both the trouble. (Oh ho! Got it.)

Jack says he doesn’t know how long the guard will be occupied. He has to get back to his room before the guard does. Valentin says, okay, but can they get one thing straight? Once Sonny eliminates Jason, he’ll get word to Jack in Pentenville. Until then, they are not to talk to one another. Jack asks what he’s supposed to do. Stab himself again when he wants some fresh air? Valentin says, he’s an enterprising fellow. He’ll find something to do. Join a book club. Make a friend. It’ll be fine. Jack says, Valentin has been stalling for months. When the hell is Valentin going to get the charges against him dropped? Valentin says he hears Jack. He just needs a little bit more patience. Because if they shine a light on the WSB/Pikeman connection, it’s going to backfire. It’s all going to blow up in their face. So stay strong. Be patient. He has everything under control.

Kristina says, obviously, Carly knows what’s going on between her and her dad, and Carly asks if they can sit. Kristina nods, and they sit down. Carly says, Jason called her right after he broke up the fight. He told her that Kristina saw Sonny attack Dex and threaten to kill him. Kristina says, then she also knows everything Josslyn ever said about her dad is true and she’s so stupid for even arguing with her because Josslyn was right all along. Carly says she loves her daughter more than anything, but Josslyn has her own issues with Sonny, and Kristina tells her, it doesn’t even matter what Josslyn said. She knows what she saw, and she keeps seeing it over and over and over again. Watching her dad be so violent and out of control. Carly says, it must have been so awful for Kristina. She’s so sorry Kristina had to go through this. Kristina says she thinks it’s something that all of Sonny’s kids have to go through eventually, right? Carly knows that more than anyone with Michael. She’s just the idiot who took so long to finally see the truth. Carly says, she’s not an idiot, and Kristina says, not anymore, because now her eyes are wide open. And whether Dex files charges against her father or not, she’ll never forget what she saw her dad do. So now, she’s just ashamed she didn’t admit what she saw right in front of her sooner. Carly says, that’s because she wanted to see the best in Sonny. It’s because she loves her dad. Kristina says, Carly loved him too once, but does she think she really knew him?

Ava says, it sounds like Natalia doesn’t approve of her daughter’s relationship with Kristina, and Natalia tells her that she could say that. Ava says she doesn’t want to pry, but is it because they’re gay? and Natalia says, no. She’s not a prude. Whatever people do behind closed doors, that’s their own business. She just feels like gay people, or whatever alphabet soup they’re calling themselves these days, they’re flighty. They’re just not very serious about life. (Regardless of what she believes about sexual identity, that’s an odd statement to make.) Ava says she doesn’t think that’s true at all, but Natalia tells her that she just said herself that Kristina has had her own problems with bad decisions. Ava says, years ago. She was younger. You could say the same thing about a lot of straight people too. Kristina’s really gotten herself together. She works hard. She’s very serious about her baby. Natalia says, that choice of words is very interesting because it’s not really her baby now, is it? and Ava says, not in the way Natalia is talking about it, no. Natalia says, right. So she’s going to be pregnant for nine months, give birth, and just hand the baby over. To her, it just seems like Kristina and Allison think, wouldn’t it be so fun to have a baby because we don’t have to do any of the hard work or be serious about it. What are they going to do? Visit the child every once in a while, or take it to an amusement park sometimes? (I don’t think she understands how this works.) Ava says she’s sorry if this offends Natalia, but she thinks that is just a very unfortunate way to look at this beautiful thing that Kristina is doing for her sister. Natalia says, Ava is entitled to her opinion, as is she. She does try to stay open-minded. It’s just that if her way of thinking is considered old fashioned, so be it. (It’s not even old fashioned; it’s just weird.)

Anna says she knows how deep Jason’s loyalty to Sonny goes. She used to look at him through rose colored glasses herself. But what if the person he used to know no longer exists? Or worse, it was an illusion all along, and Sonny never really was the man Jason believed him to be? (That would be one long ruse.) An officer comes in with an evidence bag containing a phone and says, forensics thought Anna would want to look at what they found. She thanks him and he leaves. She puts on gloves and tells Jason that it might have been useful for reporting back to whoever it was that ordered the kill.

Natalia gets up and asks Ava to do her a favor and make sure Sonny gets her gift. Ava says, of course (🍷). She’ll walk Natalia out. Ava opens the door and says she enjoyed their chat. They should do it again sometime. Natalia says, perhaps, and leaves. Ava closes the door and sits down. She sees that her phone was still on record and listens to Natalia saying that she just feels like gay people, or whatever alphabet soup they’re calling themselves these days, are flighty and not very serious about life. She half-smiles.

Carly tells Kristina that she married a complicated man, and she knew that going in. And without making excuses for Sonny, he was capable of many things – great love, great anger. She watched Sonny have incredible highs and amazing lows, but he was never downright cruel. He always had a reason for doing what he did, and he never hurt someone just because he could. Kristina asks if she thinks he’s the same man now, or does she think he’s changed? and Carly says, that’s hard to answer because they’re not as close as they used to be, so she doesn’t know. But what she does know is the bond that Kristina has with him. Her father loves her more than anything. He brags about her all the time. He would give up his life for her. So she has to decide how much that matters, and where it fits into the relationship she has with Sonny, along with the stuff she’s learned about him recently. About to cry, Kristina says, what if it doesn’t fit at all? and Carly takes her hand and says, then she’s going to have to really think about if she can live her life without her dad.

Sonny tells Diane that he’s been trying to figure out what those guys wanted, but nothing makes any sense. They’re a coffee warehouse. It’s not like they have product here that anybody wants to steal. They don’t keep a large amount of cash here. He opens a desk drawer, takes out a metal box, and says, they do have small bills for cash expenses. He opens the box and says, everything is right there. Does she see that? She says, all right. So it wasn’t about the money. They must have had some other target in mind. He says, whatever they wanted, they didn’t get it, and Jason made them pay for breaking in. So why is it his problem?

The guard sees the door to Jack’s room is open a bit and hurries in. Jack raises the hand that has the cuff on it and says, miss me? The guard closes the door, and Jack smiles.

Anna tells Jason, only one number in the call history. She’d really like to know who it belongs to. She dials the number, and it rings a few times. Valentin says, is it done… Just tell him if it’s been done. Anna looks stunned, and Valentin frowns and hangs up.

Tomorrow, Chase tells Brook that it’s the best way to pay tribute to his dad; Elizabeth talks to Finn about his drinking; Drew asks how Carly feels about the possibility of that; and Sonny says he has to confess something.

🔎 Reviewing the Situation…

I have some things coming up in my life that, while positive, will require a lot of my time, so I had to rethink what I’m doing with my time now. I adore GH and while it might sound weird, I even enjoy typing it out. It’s sort of like being sucked into their world and leaving mine behind for a while. However, the reality shows have become another story.

Personally, I think the Housewives are dead, but Andy won’t let them lie down. I’m not sure what it is about these shows in general, but they’re all starting to smell like The Real World did when it took a turn from being incredibly interesting and something to look forward to, to a mess of drunken hot tub sex. It’s like they start off well, but within a few seasons, it turns into one big screaming match, or worse. I have the feeling production has a lot to do with it, possibly using cattle prods to urge the cast to create drama for screen time. I’m sure alcohol doesn’t hurt either. It isn’t quite as bad in the shows where there’s an actual job involved, like Below Deck, but where the hell are they getting some of these crew members? And who knows what will happen with Vanderpump Rules? I think Lisa should move on rather than mother a new brood at SUR. It’s all been too much of a steady diet of argument and angst. In an informal poll of my friends, we all agreed that we’d rather less arguing, more fun.

Perhaps production is catching on. The most embarrassing Housewives of all, New Jersey, aren’t even having a Reunion due to animosity. (See below.) And another season at all is questionable. Good job, Teresa. But here’s a thought. Maybe it’s time to scrap the whole thing and do something fresh. Or at least actually real. The exception seems to be the 90 Day Fiancé franchise on TLC. The first time I watched it wasn’t on purpose. I thought it sounded stupid, but I was waiting for the next show to come on. I was immediately hooked and have loved the spinoffs. These people are going through a real process and have real problems. Not whether or not they can get on a yacht with their sister-in-law or if they can be in the same room as their lying, cheating ex while they’re living their best life.

While I won’t leave them behind totally, it’s time for them to go into the background. Less time spent with others’ stories and more time spent on my own. So recaps will be less detailed, some scrapped altogether, and GH possibly only a couple of times a week, but always on a Friday. I hope those of you who read this blog will come along for the overhaul, and if there are ever any ideas for change or improvement, let me know.

https://people.com/the-real-housewives-of-new-jersey-season-14-reunion-canceled-exclusive-8655924

Below Deck Mediterranean

Aesha is back as chief stew and so is Captain – teamwork makes the dream work – Sandy, on a 180-foot yacht called the Mustique. This season is in Greece, and from the preview, it looks like there will be some crying too. No doubt after drinking. There’s already a leak in the forward cabin, so we’re off to a good start.

Iain (pronounced Ian), who was called Mr. Magoo by his parents prior to landing on his misspelled name, is the bosun. Chef Jono, who calls himself a culinary architect, will be providing the food porn this season. Elena is back and aspiring to be a chief stew. Nathan, Joe, and Gael are the deckhands, and Bri is another stew. Bri says she has room to improve with her cocktail skills, but I get an inexperienced overall vibe. Elena thinks the crew is exceptionally good looking, but it’s rare when one of them isn’t. There are no ugly people in yachting. The deckhands are bummed to find out Gael is taken, by an engineer no less.

Influencer Jacob is the first primary, bringing along his fellow internet besties. In Aesha’s interview, she can’t believe these kids are taking pictures and living it up on a superyacht, while she’s living in a van with her boyfriend and sh*tting in a bucket. When the provisions come in, the provisioner is having some issues, so there’s no wine, prosecco, or champagne. At the protocol meeting, Captain Sandy tells them, pressure makes us better. I must be perfect by now. Luckily Aesha finds one bottle of champagne in the crew mess for the welcome.

The guests are very young and very excited. Captain Sandy finally calls the provisioner, not asking, but telling them to send wine. The provisioner agrees to send over a few things until their bigger order can get there. There’s still no rosé or red wine, and the captain tells them, it’s unacceptable.

Athens is the oldest capital city in Europe, and the captain points out all the places that aren’t covered in tourists, but will be now. Like that lake in the Progressive commercial. Bri grew up with a maid and finds laundry a real challenge. She takes so long, Aesha wonders if she’s blowing on the garments to dry them. In Bri’s interview, we find out she’s never made it through a season in her three years of yachting. There’s the usual battle with the slide, and not surprisingly, the guests record everything for social media posterity. They’re not too happy about the laundry delay and not wrong in saying, it’s a great service, but if it can’t be fulfilled, it’s bullsh*t. Aesha finds out provisions have gone in the wrong water taxi and tells the provisioner, your company f***ing sucks. The chef doesn’t have lobster either, and decides to work with the crab legs he wisely bought.

Elena travels with her costumes, which she says are 10% PG-13, and wears a sequined top with metallic spandex pants to serve dinner. There’s a disco party afterward, even though this bunch wasn’t a twinkle in their parents’ eyes in the 70s. Maybe even their grandparents. There’s a confetti gun involved, and all I can think is, someone is going to have to clean up that mess. Late night munchies are requested after the guests get in the hot tub, and in her interview, Elena says she feels overwhelmed and needs help. She tries to wake Jono to rustle up some snacks, and he says, I don’t think so. Nice, since a good portion of the tip relies on food. Rather than press the issue, Elena tells the guests that all they have is grilled cheese. One of them wonders what’s in grilled cheese. Maybe he should actually take a look at the internet sometime instead of just posting content.

While Elena is wondering what the hell she’s going to do, somehow the guests coral Gael and demand the drinks they’ve been waiting for. Gael ends up helping Elena out, and in Elena’s interview she says, Jono’s selfish behavior is making her look bad. She gives waking him up another try, and in Jono’s interview, he says he hates being woken up. Aw, me too, princess. Elena tells him that she’s giving him another chance before this becomes a problem for him. It isn’t going to be good for him. In his interview, Jomo says, bitch, are you stupid? This is not going to be good for you.  

Next time, missing pants, Elena in tears, and the first crew night out.

Best quote tonight: Nothing’s lost until mom can’t find it. – Iain Maclean

Meet the cast:

https://www.eonline.com/photos/37027/below-deck-mediterranean-season-9-meet-the-cast

💘 Another Shocking Twist…

Didn’t see this one coming, but it’s cute.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/ghs-josh-kelly-and-chloe-lanier-are-dating

🍹 Ladies Who Lunch…

Looks like stiff competition this year, but no surprise, I’m rooting for Finola Hughes.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/gallery/general-hospital/inside-the-emmy-nominated-actresses-lunch

💣 The Victor Before the Last One…

What the original bad guy is up to now.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/days-of-our-lives/catch-up-with-soap-star-thaao-penghlis

🎷 They’ve Got Essence…

This looks like an amazing line-up.

https://www.essence.com/gallery/efoc-2024-performers/

🐩 Most Trusted…

Much easier than caring for an actual celebrity.

https://www.trustedhousesitters.com/blog/pets/favorite-famous-pets/

🌻 Because It’s June…

Join me next time for soap and whatever’s worthy. Until then, stay safe, stay enjoying what summer life has to offer, and stay not promising a great service if it can’t be fulfilled. Or as Captain Lee would say, don’t let your mouth write a check your ass can’t cash.