What I Watched Today

(Weekday bites, Friday’s whole GH enchilada & media minutiae)

General Hospital

🥢 Weekday Bites…                                                                           

Monday: 

A shirtless Chase wandered into the Nook and kissed Brook. She said he didn’t smell like roast turkey anymore.

Lucas came home to Windymere and Marco had a romantic evening set up.

Rocco told Charlotte that Dante wouldn’t let him see Gio anymore. He Wouldn’t have come back if not for keeping his dad from arresting Gio. It meant so much to see the dogs free, but his dad couldn’t get that. He knew her dad had done some… Charlotte said she never felt about her dad the way Rocco was feeling toward Dante and would give just about anything to speak with him. Lulu listened in.

Nathan told Dante that a high-profile prisoner had escaped from a private jet. He’d managed to get free and jumped with a parachute.

On the phone, Brennan said he wanted 24-hour surveillance on the daughter. They needed to find that SOB immediately. Josslyn asked what was going on, and he said, Valentin Cassadine escaped.

Carly heard something and turned around raising a fireplace poker, but Valentin grabbed her arm. He said she didn’t want to do that. He’d told her they’d be in touch. He wasn’t sitting idly by and watching her have all the fun. He’d told her that they were taking Jack Brennan down together.  

Marco said he wanted his and Lucas’s first Thanksgiving to be special. He’d get Lucas a drink, then rub his shoulders. He came with a full complement of services. Pascal came in and asked if he could get them anything. A late-night snack perhaps?

Chase said if Brook found the smell of roast turkey sexy, he’d put a sprig of rosemary behind each ear and baste himself every night. She said she found his heart sexy. He’d made dinner, but they’d given it away. At this point, she liked the tradition of pizza on Thanksgiving, but he was so excited to make dinner, she’d figured the curse would crush his dreams. He said he’d wanted to make them happy, and she said he always did. They kissed, when his phone rang. Nathan said he was sorry, but he needed Chase to come in. They had to track down an escaped prisoner. Dante had said Chase knew them and they’d need his expertise. Chase asked who the prisoner was, and Nathan said, Valentin Cassadine.  

Rocco said he shouldn’t complain about his father when Charlotte couldn’t see hers, but she said, that might be changing. He was supposed to be transferred to the states and she couldn’t wait. Lulu’s phone rang, and Dante asked if she was home with Charlotte. Don’t let her leave the house. Valentin was in the process of being transported from Europe to the states and parachuted out of the plane. He landed somewhere in the area, and he bet Valentin was going to try and find Charlotte. Lulu ran outside and told Rocco and Charlotte to get in the house now. Charlotte asked what was going on.

Josslyn asked how Valentin escaped from Steinmauer, and Jack said he’d been in the process of transferring to the states, under his orders. The PCPD was coordinating a manhunt with the WSB. Valentin was strategic, dangerous, and brilliant. He was heading to Port Charles, and they needed everybody with a badge and a gun looking. Josslyn said eyes needed to be on Jack too. Valentin tried to kill him before and that meant her mom was in danger too.

Carly said Valentin showing up at her house wasn’t part of the plan, and he said, the best laid plans need room to improvise. She asked how he escaped, and he said she’d fed the idea to Brennan to transport him, and he exploited it by jumping out of the jet. He knew the flight plan crossed over Port Charles, and when they got close, he made his move. Carly said tell her that he didn’t kill anyone, and he said he incapacitated a guard and the pilot. He took control of the aircraft and engaged the autopilot, then jumped. He had help from the other guard, but needed to make it look like an attack. She said he was going to get caught, and he said that’s why he came there. It was the last place they’d look.

Lucas wondered if Pascal was always around. He said he didn’t need a snack, but Marco said he was sure there were leftovers from dinner. Did Lucas eat? Lucas said, actually no, and Marco asked Pascal to make a couple of sandwiches. Pascal said, of course (🍷), and Lucas asked for a little stuffing and a spot of cranberry. Pascal left, and Lucas and Marco clinked glasses.

Dante told Nathan to make sure Charlotte was okay. It wasn’t a question of if, but when Valentin would show up, and he had to stay at the station. Valentin could be lethal, so be careful. If he put up a fight, things could go sideways fast. Nathan left.

Lulu locked the door and said Valentin had jumped out of the jet when it was flying over Port Charles. Charlotte asked if he’d been hurt, and Lulu said she didn’t know, but assumed he landed safely. The authorities thought he’d come straight for her. She couldn’t lock Charlotte in her room and didn’t want to. She had to promise not to sneak off with him.

Dante asked Chase to head up one of search parties and told Officer Matthews that he had to bring someone in. Don’t take no for an answer.

Josslyn said her mom almost died from polonium poisoning, and Jack said it had been intended for him. Josslyn said Valentin knew he and her mother were in a relationship. Who was to say Valentin wouldn’t go after her mother to get to him? He said he was sure Charlotte was Valentin’s number one priority, but they’d get someone to watch Carly. Josslyn said she didn’t trust anyone, and Jack said he’d needed critical information about Faison and Sidwell’s final project. Josslyn said Valentin was possibly trying to kill him, yet the priority was the op, and he said the op was always the priority. Now he had to go to the PCPD, crawling, hat in hand. They left the office together.

Carly told Valentin, don’t get blood on the couch, and he said he knew how to remove blood stains. He needed a burner phone and clean clothes, and he could go for a hot meal. She said she wasn’t making him a snack. He needed to patch himself up and get the hell out. He said he needed a place to hide out, but she said he was an international spy. He said they were partners, but she said they weren’t. She wasn’t going down for treason. She wouldn’t tell anyone he was there, but he needed to get the hell out immediately.

Brook turned on the light in the nook to find Ned eating in the dark. She asked what he was doing.

Lucas told Marco about his day and said his sister stopped by to visit. In her own Carly-like way, she apologized without actually apologizing. She wanted him to say it was okay that she didn’t support them as a couple, but he wouldn’t. Marco said he was sorry to cause problems, but Lucas said he wasn’t the problem. Carly was the problem. She thought Marco wasn’t who he said he was and was going to disappoint him. She was judging him based on his father, but what his father did or didn’t do had nothing to do with them. They heard a knock at the front door.

Pascal opened the door to Chase, who wanted to speak to Sidwell, but Pascal said he was out at the moment. Lucas and Marco came down, and Lucas asked what Chased was doing there. Chase said they were searching for an escaped convict.

Charlotte said Lulu couldn’t make her choose between her and her dad, but Lulu said her father was a fugitive. She’d seen how dangerous it could be to be with him. Charlotte said he’d kept her safe, but Lulu said Valentin knew she was better off there. Charlotte needed to promise to stay with her. Charlotte asked if Lulu wanted her to say what she wanted to hear or be honest, and Lulu said she needed Charlotte to be honest. Charlotte said, in that case, sorry, but if her father showed up, she couldn’t promise to stay.

At the station, Dante asked if Alexis had heard from Valentin, and she asked if he wasn’t locked up. Brennan joined them and said the WSB, and the PCPD were working together to bring Valentin in, and Alexis asked what Valentin had done now.

Valentin said he was disappointed. When he was in Steinmauer, Carly had been just as committed to take Jack down. Carly said she was very committed, and Valentin said her daughter was under Jack’s thumb. She needed him because he understood the WSB, and he needed her for her connection to Jack. He also needed a safe place to hide. Was she comfortable with Jack having her daughter’s life in her hands? She said, of course (🍷) not, but she had a younger daughter. Donna was with her father tonight, but it was too risky for Valentin to be there. Josslyn came in the front door and called to Carly.

Brook said Olivia forbade Ned to eat any pizza, and Ned said he was only allowed steamed vegetables. He asked her to keep this between them, but Brook said she didn’t want Olivia mad at her, and he’d just had a heart attack. He said, what was a Quartermaine Thanksgiving without pizza? Let him have one little piece. She said, one piece, but don’t make it a habit, and he said he was committed to eating responsibly… for the most part. She said he’d scared them, and he said he scared himself. He thought it was the end and all he wanted was just one more moment to tell his family that he loved them. He loved her. She said she loved him too.  

Lucas asked why Chase was looking for Valentin at Windymere, and Chase said Valentin used to live there. It made sense he’d hide out there. Marco said, being a lawyer, he had to ask about a search warrant, and Chase said they could get one, but because Valentin was a dangerous criminal, time was a factor. He hoped they’d cooperate. Lucas said they hadn’t seen Valentin, but it was possible he’d snuck in, and Chase asked if they didn’t mind them having a quick look at the house and grounds. Marco said, of course (🍷). They were happy to cooperate. Chase promised to be as quick as they could, and Marco suggested he and Lucas go to bed. Pascal could answer any questions. Pascal said, of course (🍷).

Lulu said she knew Charlotte loved her father, but she needed… Someone banged at the door, and Lulu stood in front of the kids. Nathan said Dante sent him, and Lulu let him in. He asked if everything was all right, and she said, so far. Charlotte said she’d seen the news, and Nathan said they had an APB out on Valentin. Lulu asked how he managed to escape, and Nathan said they’d know more after questioning the pilot and guards. He was there to protect them and didn’t want anyone to get hurt, but in order to be safe, they had to be honest and trust each other. Lulu said, no problem, Rocco agreed, and Charlotte nodded. Nathan said he needed Charlotte to do something for him and had the feeling she wasn’t going to like it.

Alexis said she had no idea Valentin planned to escape, and Jack asked if there was no indication in his letters. She said she assumed he read them and knew they were innocuous, and he said they could be coded messages. She wondered if he thought, how is Charlotte? was code for, I’m jumping out of a plane, and Dante asked what they were writing about. She said, mostly Charlotte. She updated Valentin on Port Charles and told him Monica had passed. She told him that Britt and Nathan were back from the dead, since he’d been married to Nina. Jack said they did seem innocuous… too much so, and Alexis said she had no idea what had been going on. If she did, she’d tell them. So unless they were charging her with something other than bad penmanship, she was going home. Jack said he wanted a team to stake out her house, but Dante said they were doing that already. Alexis said, excuse me?  

Carly asked if Josslyn forgot something, but Josslyn said Trina and Kai were back together, so she thought she’d give them some privacy. Was it okay if she spent the night? Carly said she loved spending time with Josslyn, and Josslyn said, even when she made it awkward between her mom and Jack? Carly said Jack thought it was him, and Josslyn said she knew the tension had to do with her. Carly said she wasn’t happy about Jack forcing Vaughn to lie to Josslyn, but she’d move past it. It was a civil, but awkward situation. Josslyn said she still had reservations about Jack and saw the first aid kit behind a couch pillow. She asked what it was doing there.

Marco massaged Lucas’s shoulders, and it was the perfect end to the night, without Mrs. Danvers. Marco said he took it that Lucas wasn’t a fan of Pascal, and Lucas wondered if Pascal didn’t like him or was just being European. Marco said Pascal was like that with everyone, and Lucas asked how Marco was so calm, knowing the police were roaming around. Marco said he knew there was nothing to find. It wasn’t like Valentin was hiding in the laundry room. Lucas asked if he shouldn’t warn his dad, but Marco said he wasn’t worried. His father had nothing to hide. Lucas said when he first saw police, he thought they were there for Sidwell and his sister would be proven right, and Marco asked if he was having second thoughts, but Lucas said, no. He trusted Marco with his whole heart. They kissed.

Ned was substituting chamomile tea for a nightcap, but Brook took it out of his hand, saying the tea could interact with his medications. He said he was watching all the fun in his life wither away and die. Chamomile tea was rock bottom. She said Chase had been called into work, and he said, it must be an important case. She said, Valentin Cassadine was being transported and escaped. They thought he was on his way to Port Charles. Ned said, and Charlotte. Lulu must be frantic. Brook said Valentin could be terrifying. When she’d passed off Bailey Lou as his, he was so protective, and when he found out she wasn’t his, he was livid. (Hmm… I don’t remember it that way, but okay.) Ned said she was only trying to keep Bailey Lou from Peter and get ELQ back for the family, and she said she hurt Ned in the process. She let him think he had a grandchild. It was the part she regretted the most. He said it was in the past. And it turned out she did make him a grandfather after all. His grandson had been a big part of saving his life. Gio was a special young man.

Charlotte asked what Nathan needed her to do, and he said give him her phone. She said, no way, but Lulu said, give the phone to Nathan. Charlotte said it didn’t matter why or if he had the right to ask? and Lulu said, please give him the phone. Charlotte said, fine. Her father wouldn’t contact her that way. She gave the phone to Nathan, who said, sorry. He had to take every precaution. Charlotte said she needed air and wanted to go outside, and Lulu said, absolutely not, but Nathan said they had units out front and in back. The WSB also had eyes on the house. Charlotte should be fine on the porch. Lulu told Charlotte to stay where she could see her, and Charlotte and Rocco went outside. Lulu said, once again, she was in a no-win position with her daughter, who worshipped her father. It was going to look like she was keeping Charlotte from him. Nathan said Charlotte knew Lulu loved her, and Lulu said she never should have let Brennan talk her into an initial meeting. The real reason Valentin wanted to see Charlotte was to use her to go free. He was selfish and arrogant, and now he was going to get her daughter killed.

Alexis said they had no legitimate reason to suspect her, but Jack said he thought she might be hiding something. She said she and her cousin had a decent relationship, but she didn’t help him to escape, and Jack said she was trustee of the Cassadine estate. If Valentin needed cash, he’d come to her for funds. She said, not if he was smart, and Valentin was smart, and he said it was worth looking at the records. Dante said, not necessarily. He knows Alexis didn’t help Valentin, but he may reach out to her. Anna was out of town, so she was the only person he’d go to for help.  

Carly told Josslyn that she and Donna were playing doctor. She had two broken arms and a temperature of 124. It was a miracle she survived. Josslyn asked why it was behind a pillow, and Carly said it was her sister’s idea of how to put things away. What was she saying about Jack? Josslyn said she didn’t want her reservations to get between her and Carly. She loved Carly and would support her no matter what. Carly said she felt the same way. They may not always agree, but Josslyn was her daughter, and she’d love her always. She was there for her. They hugged, and Josslyn said, on her way there, she got an alert that Valentin escaped and could be in the area. Carly said she thought he was in Switzerland, and Josslyn said she didn’t know what happened, but Carly needed to make sure the alarms were on. Carly asked why Valentin would come there, and Josslyn said she was dating Jack. It was better to be safe. Josslyn went upstairs.

Lucas woke up, but Marco wasn’t beside him. He sat up.

Marco asked if they were finally gone, and Pascal said, yes. They found no trace of Valentin. Marco asked if they saw anything concerning his father’s covert acts, but Pascal said they’d been extra vigilant and discreet. That’s why he permitted the search. Marco said there would have been a lot of questions if they’d refused to let them in and thanked Pascal for handling it so quickly. It was important that Lucas never find out what his father was up to and the extent of his own involvement. If Lucas found out the truth, he’d lose him for good.

Ned said it was nice having Gio there for Thanksgiving, and Brook said she felt like it was progress. He said, all it took was for him to have a heart attack. The things he did to bring his loved ones together. She told him, don’t joke, and they hugged. He said, don’t worry. He wasn’t going anywhere.

Alexis said they could post officers, fly a helicopter and drones, but they were wasting her time, their time, and taxpayer money. Dante said if Valentin did reach out, don’t hesitate to contact them, and she said, of course (🍷). Jack said, do not aid and abet Valentin. It could prove to be a fatal mistake.

Nathan told Lulu that Charlotte would be fine. She had a lot of people looking out for her, including him.

Lulu made an I love you sign with her hand, and Rocco asked if she saw her dad out there. She said, he could be watching. If he was, she wanted him to know she loved him.

Valentin made the same sign on Carly’s balcony, and Carly walked out. She gave him the key to the shed, and he said, but it’s freezing. She said he wasn’t staying in the house, but he said he was good at being invisible. She said, be invisible in the shed. It was her best offer. Take it or leave it. He took it.

Tuesday:  

Britt woke up and Jason said, good morning. She asked, what’s so good about it?

At Alexis’s house, she thanked Marco for taking some cases so she could concentrate on Willow’s trial. Suzanne came in bearing coffee, and asked if Alexis would mind if she sat in on the trial prep. If it got tense, she could act as a buffer with Drew. Alexis said, absolutely, when Drew came in with Willow. He said it wasn’t going to work. What about this being a private meeting did Alexis not understand?

Lulu brought Nathan coffee, and he asked if she slept. She said, not even a little, but she was glad he was there. Dante came by and she asked if he had any leads on where Valentin was, but Charlotte said they wouldn’t find Valentin unless he wanted them to.

Carly asked what Valentin was doing in the house, and he said he was freezing. She said there were blankets in the shed, but he said they were tarps. He didn’t escape Steinmauer to freeze in plastic. She said he’d have to find another place to hide, since Donna was coming home, and he said there was something he needed her to do for him.

Turner asked how Maxie was, and Mac said she was a fighter. It was a great facility, and he hoped to see progress. He asked how her Thanksgiving was, and she said, uneventful. She was working. She asked for his take on Sonny Corinthos, and he asked her to be specific. She asked if he could have killed Henry Dalton to protect his grandson, and Mac said, absolutely.

Sonny thanked Laura for coming over, and she said she was so sorry. She never should have called him when she found Dalton’s body in her trunk. He said he was glad she did and he was happy to help, but she said she’d given Sidwell everything he need to destroy them both.

Britt said her head hurt and asked Jason if she’d head butted a wall. He said, not quite, and gave her a glass of water (or Alka-Seltzer or something). She asked what he was doing there, and he asked what she remembered. She said, not much. It was all a blur, but she knew she’d never ask him to spend the night. Did he drug her? He said, really? and she said it was a valid question. She felt horrible. He said she drank a lot, and she said she was having a great time with Cody. He said, until she wasn’t, and she said, when he showed up.

Alexis said the reason she was holding this meeting was because of Drew’s ridiculous paranoia about Diane, and Drew said, Diane was Michael and Sonny’s lawyer, and she could feed them information. Willow suggested they get started, but Drew said they weren’t saying anything in front of Marco. Marco needed to leave now.

Dante said there had been no sightings, but thought Valentin would reach out. Charlotte asked, how? Detective West took her phone. He had no way to reach her. Charlotte went out on the porch, and Lulu followed her. Dante was about to join them, but Nathan said let him go.Charlotte might listen to somebody not as close to the situation. He went outside, and Charlotte said they were convinced her father was going to show up, but there was nobody better at staying off the radar. Nathan said he thought her father loved her too much to contact her.

Valentin said he needed to get a message to Anna, but Carly said he couldn’t. Anna was out on assignment. He wondered if Jack sent her to get her out of the way, but Carly said Jack seemed genuinely surprised. He said there was something else she needed to do for him. He held up a key and asked if she had any blue ribbon.

Mac asked if Turner had reason to believe Dalton was dead, and she said, technically, he was considered missing. Mac said he had plenty of incentive to run, and she said it was increasingly likely that he’d lied about Rocco trashing the lab. Dalton was facing destruction of property and obstruction of justice charges. He hadn’t used his credit cards or contacted family or friends for days. It was like he’d dropped off the face of the earth. Mac said, and she wondered if Sonny killed him, and she said, yes. He said it was certainly possible. Despite his charm and philanthropy, Sonny Corinthos was a criminal and a killer.

Laura told Sonny that she wanted to be upfront. She’d told Doc everything, but he wouldn’t go to the police. Sonny said Doc would protect her with his life. The most important thing was for them to be on the same page. How exactly did Sidwell threaten her? She said Sidwell had photos of them looking at Dalton’s body in her trunk. Sidwell planned the whole thing – her flat, and someone with a telephoto lens taking pictures. Sidwell said she was the target and having Sonny there was just a bonus. Sonny asked if Sidwell mentioned Jason or any photos of him, but she said, no. She thought the photographer followed her. Sonny said Sidwell had the gun that killed Dalton and it had Laura’s DNA all over it, and she said that wasn’t possible. Sidwell had planned it perfectly. She’d have to do what Sidwell told her, which meant she had to be his mayor and follow his orders. Sonny asked if Sidwell had wanted her to do anything specific, and she said, not yet, but she knew it was going to be something she didn’t want to do. She was the one who got Sonny into this. If she went down, he did, but what should she do if Sidwell asked her to do something she really couldn’t live with?

Marco told Drew that he represented the firm’s clients, including his father. He was sure his father wouldn’t be happy if his interests were being ignored. Drew said, fine. Willow was the most important thing, and he wouldn’t rest until she was cleared. Marco said Drew was lucky to have Alexis. He was heading out to a meeting anyway. Alexis walked him out, and Drew said Suzanne could show herself out. Suzanne said she could make herself scarce, but she knew it was helpful with rehearsing if there was a stand-in for the jury. Willow said she liked the idea, and Drew said whatever she wanted. Alexis suggested they get started.

Valentin told Carly that his and Charlotte’s system ran on separate key signals. A red ribbon meant, get ready, I’m coming for you. Blue meant, I’m safe, but stay put. Bring this to her. Carly said the PCPD was watching. Charlotte would know he was there and want to come. He said, don’t give it to her. Leave it somewhere for her to find. She’ll be looking for it. Carly said, what if she didn’t find it? but he said she would. He told her that he’d get in contact with her. Carly asked if he was trustworthy, and he said, when it came to his daughter, always.

Lulu told Dante that she was trying hard to deal with things as they came, but she didn’t think she could take much more. She was scared for Charlotte and Rocco’s trial coming up. He said it was increasingly looking like Dalton didn’t just skip town. They were investigating his background and known associates. She said, he didn’t think Sonny… and he said he hated to admit it, but didn’t think Sonny would hesitate to kill someone to protect his grandson.

Sonny told Laura that Sidwell was forcing him to sell his piers. He knew from the beginning Sidwell would have jobs for him, one more illegal and dangerous than the last. Laura said it was a nightmare. There had to be a way to get out from under him. Sonny said he had some ideas, but needed time. Could she stomach doing what Sidwell wanted until he figured out how to handle the bastard?

Molly told Turner that she wasn’t sure how to proceed with Rocco’s case. Dalton was missing. Was Turner willing to drop the charges and go back to the original plea deal? Turner said she had no desire to prosecute Rocco for a crime he didn’t commit, but she couldn’t let Sonny get away with murdering Henry Dalton.

Britt said Jason showed up and ruined her night. What else happened? Jason said she drank too much, and he helped her back to her room, and she said she’d learned her lesson and would make sure to eat before she went bar hopping. She had to use the shower which was down the hall. Jason said he gave her the medication.

Lulu walked Dante out, when Carly arrived. She said she wanted to check in and see how Lulu was doing, and Lulu said they were under house arrest. Dante said once they found Charlotte’s father, things would settle down, and Nathan left with Dante. Carly asked how Lulu really was, and Lulu said she wanted to kill Valentin herself. 

Laura told Sonny that Sidwell would want her to enact Measure C. How would she justify it to the people? Her grandchildren looked up to her. Dante was acting Police Commissioner. What if Sidwell asked her to squash an investigation? How could she look Dante in the eye and lie? Sonny said Sidwell was too smart to push too much too fast. It would give him time to make a plan. She said it seemed Sidwell had all the cards, but Sonny said, remember how they met? Frank Smith was hot on her and Luke’s trail and they teamed up. The three of them took him down. They found a way out against all odds, and they’d do it again.

Turner said she didn’t hear Molly making an argument that Sonny was innocent, and Molly said she hoped Sonny didn’t kill Dalton, but there was no way to know. Turner said they couldn’t prove it, and Molly said she thought Turner and Sonny had been getting along better, and Turner said because Sonny was flirting with her? She assured Molly that she wasn’t falling for any of it. She was pretending like his act was working and he had her wrapped around his little finger. Then she’d get the goods on him and send him to prison.

Emma told Mac that she had great news. She’d heard back from her grandma.

Jason said Britt was too drunk, so he gave her the injection. She talked him through it. Two milliliters, right? She said, yeah, and he said her alarm went off. She should check it. She said, now that she was awake and sober adjacent, he’d want an explanation. He’d want to know what the medication was and who she got it from.

Alexis said Turner would call Drew to be a witness for the prosecution, but she could cross-examine. Take her through the night he was shot. Start with when he arrived at home. He said he was at GH to see Willow and drove himself home. It was raining. She asked if he saw anyone outside, and he said, no. She asked what he did first, and he said took off his jacket and made a drink. There was something in the safe he needed to get. Alexis said, what? and he said, Willow’s engagement ring. He got it and went back into the living room and put the ring on the mantel. All he was thinking about was how excited he was to marry Willow. He heard the shot. There was no pain at first, just the sound. Next thing he knew, he was on the ground, when the pain came. She asked if he saw the shooter, but he said he was shot in the back. She asked, how many times? and he said, twice. The second shot was after he was already down. He assumed the shooter fled after that. After the second shot, he had nothing. She asked if that was the last thing he remembered, and he said, yes… Wait… No. There was something else.

Mac said he was glad Anna called and asked Emma if she said where she was or when she was coming home. Emma said she didn’t actually talk to her. It was a voicemail. He said when you were on assignment you called when you could. What did she say? Emma said, happy Thanksgiving and that she loved her. She did say she probably wouldn’t call again, and she’d be back as soon as she could.

Nathan told Dante that he didn’t think Valentin wanted to put Charlotte in danger. If it was him and James, he’d stay away. Dante said that’s because he was a stand-up guy. Valentin was selfish and wanted Charlotte with him.

There was a knock at the door and Lulu said, this day just gets better. She opened the door to Jack, who said he needed to speak to Lulu privately. Carly left, and he said he needed to speak to Charlotte, but Lulu said, absolutely not. Outside, Carly dropped her glove and placed the key in front of the porch as she picked it up.

Jason said he did have questions about Britt’s medication, but was willing to wait until she was ready. She didn’t drink for no reason. Something happened that scared her, and he hoped someday she could tell him. He hoped she realized the reason she could was because he was on her side. He could promise her that. Britt said maybe he was right, but she couldn’t remember. So please leave. She needed to take a shower. He left and she closed the door and said he didn’t mention how she dared him to kiss her.

Drew said, sorry. He thought he had something, but didn’t. When Alexis asked if that was the last thing he remembered, something in him wanted to say no, but if there was, he didn’t remember. Alexis said it was his job to find the memory, and he said he knew Michael shot him and he’d tell the jury, but she said, no. The surest way to discredit his testimony was not sticking to the facts. He said she’d ask if he thought Willow was the kind of person to shoot someone in cold blood. He’d say, no, but Michael Corinthos was. Alexis said the prosecution wouldn’t let him finish the name, but he said, the damage would be done. Once the jury heard it, there was no way Turner would un-ring that bell.  

Lulu said Valentin played Jack from the start, getting a transfer so he could escape. Saying he wanted to see Charlotte was part of the plan. Jack said Valentin loved Charlotte, but Lulu said she was the only one thinking of Charlotte. She wasn’t letting Jack use her. He said Charlotte wasn’t truly safe while Valentin was free. Charlotte probably knew the places he liked to hide. She said he could figure that out for himself. He wasn’t seeing Charlotte. Charlotte came downstairs and said it was okay. She’d talk to him.

Britt flashed back to Jason bringing her back to her room, falling, and him giving her a shot. She said next time she drank, she really had to black out.

Alexis told Drew that he needed to listen. No tricks. Just stick to the facts. Theories were out. He said everyone in the room knew Michael shot him, and she said it wasn’t her job to convince the jury that Michael did it. It was her job to convinced them that Willow didn’t. Their strongest case was to get the police to admit they rushed to judgement and focused on the wrong suspect. He hired her for her expertise as a defense attorney. He should want to listen to her.

Mac told Emma that he knew Maxie was fighting to come back. He hoped she woke up when the kids were there. Emma said she missed Maxie more than she could say. She would pull out her phone to text her, then remember. He said he wasn’t sure he was doing any good going to Boston. Maybe he should stop splitting his focus. Did Georgie and James ever say he wasn’t there for them?

Molly said she was relieved that Turner saw Sonny for who she was and admitted she’d been wondering. Turner asked if people in the office were talking, and Molly said not that she heard. Sonny was her uncle, and she’d seen him charm many people. Turner said she was walking a fine line, encouraging Sonny without compromising her authority, but she had confidence she could do it. Molly said she believed in Turner, but many people had tried to take Sonny down and failed. Turner said, that’s because they came at him directly. She was making him think she was on his side… until she wasn’t.

Jason went to Sonny’s and Sonny said making arrangements to sell the piers would fall on him. Jason said he’d handle Sidwell’s demands and stay as clean as he could. They needed to let Sidwell think he’d won and could rely on them. Once he did, Sidwell would expose more of his organization to them. Laura said she knew how to use her position as mayor. Sidwell was going to tell them why he came to Port Charles in the first place and what he was after.

Willow said Alexis was an amazing attorney. Let her do her job. Drew said he saw her point. If Alexis was sure she could convince a jury of Willow’s innocence without mentioning Michael, he wouldn’t do it. Alexis thanked him and suggested they go over who was going to be on the stand. Willow asked if they shouldn’t rehearse her testimony, and Alexis said Willow wasn’t testifying, but Willow said she had to.

Marco knocked at Britt’s door, and she said she wasn’t sure why he was there, but it wasn’t a good time. He said it wouldn’t take long and handed her an envelope. He said it was the address to Dalton’s new lab and a key fob that would grant her access. Their work would continue despite the setback. Britt said Sidwell executed a man in front of her, and he said she was in charge of the new lab. Sidwell wanted her back to work as soon as possible – 9 am tomorrow. She said she had to work at GH, but he said, no, she didn’t. She asked if he was spying on her now, but he said, more like monitoring. And after her behavior at the Five Poppies, he wasn’t surprised. Britt told him not to push it. They needed her. He said he was aware that she brought a certain value to the project, but no one was irreplaceable. Just ask Henry Dalton. His father’s patience was wearing thin. Don’t be more trouble than she was worth.

Sonny said Sidwell was arrogant enough to believe he had Laura completely under his control. Lean into that. Laura said, let him walk all over her? and he said, until he was confident enough in her to lower his guard. Sidwell would start yapping, then they could figure out what he was after and where he was vulnerable. Laura said then she’d get the information they needed to bring Sidwell down together.

Jack asked if Valentin had a way to contact Charlotte, but Charlotte said the cops took her phone. Jack said there had to be another way. If Charlotte didn’t help, he had no way to guarantee her father’s safety. Lulu asked to speak to Jack alone and asked Charlotte to go to her room, but Charlotte said she’d be on the porch. She left, and Lulu said how dare he threaten her daughter and make her think his screw up was her fault? He said, the longer the manhunt went on, the more Charlotte could be used for bait.

On the porch, Charlotte saw the key with the blue ribbon and picked it up.

Emma said she knew her grandma would tell Mac to do what was best for his family. Don’t second guess himself.  

Dante told Nathan that Anna could come back anytime now, and Nathan said it would be easier to find Valentin if she was there. Dante said, unless she helped him escape.

Carly said she left the key, and Valentin asked how Charlotte was doing. She said they were watching Charlotte like a hawk, but she’d be happy to hear from him. He said he didn’t think that was a good idea, and she agreed. He said he found a better hiding spot inside, but she said he wasn’t staying. He said, without him, she couldn’t bring Brennan down and Josslyn wouldn’t be free of his influence or the WSB, and she said he could stay in the attic. It was the best she had. How long would he be skulking around her house? He said, until Anna came back.

Anna meditated in a not-bad-for-being-a-captive room. She rose and looked around. She walked up to a two-way mirror and yelled, what do you want from me?  

Wednesday:

Michael asked for Kristina’s help in explaining to Wiley why his mommy married Drew.

Willow told Alexis that the jury needed to hear her side in her own voice, that she didn’t shoot the man she loved.

At the station, Turner said they were a week from the trial, and they were bringing in a brand-new suspect? and Dante said there was new information they couldn’t ignore. The bartender at the Brown Dog remembered Curtis arriving later than he claimed. Nathan said, maybe late enough to shoot Drew, and Dante said it was a real possibility that Curtis Ashford shot Drew Cain.

Nina walked into Curtis’s office and said it couldn’t wait. It was about Portia and the baby.

In her office, Portia told Isaiah that she had to tell Curtis about them.

At Windymere, Pascal served Lucy a drink, but Brook and Felicia said they were good. Lucy said Pascal was a delight. Very français and very accommodating. Sidwell joined them and said it was lovely to see Felicia, but he’d had the impression the meeting was exclusively for Deception shareholders. Felicia said she was there to make sure her daughter was represented, and Sidwell said he had no objection. Brook said they hoped Deception would be thriving by the time Maxie woke up and was out of the hole it had been in since her illness, and Sidwell said that hole was the reason why he’d called them. He’d come up with a guaranteed way to reinvigorate Deception.

Anna said it had been long enough. Answer her. What did they want from her? She tried the door, then picked up a notebook. She looked folded the corner of a page so that the writing said, Faison. You will get out.

Anna looked at another page where she’d written Britt Westbourne and Nathan West, and flashed back to telling Dante that Jack needed information because Faison’s two children had resurfaced. She wrote, both surface, and flashed back to saying, if anyone could fake their own death and lull them into a false sense of security, thinking for one moment they were safe, it was Cesar Faison.

Michael asked Kristina to be there to soften the blow, and she said she was always there for the kids, and him. Was he doing okay? He said, not exactly, but he was hoping it didn’t show. She said it probably didn’t to everyone else except her, and he asked how not to show it to Wiley.

Willow admitted she’d had a meltdown during the custody hearing because she’d been blindsided by the ruling, but she wasn’t the same weak person. She wouldn’t let the ADA get to her and would make the jury believe her. Alexis said it could help if her testimony was perfect… and Willow said if she didn’t beat the charges, she’d lose her children forever. Alexis said by her past performance in their trial runs, the risk outweighed the benefits, but Willow said she’d been practicing. Suzanne suggested Willow rehearse before an impartial jury – her.  

Isaiah said it was up to Portia, but why now? and Portia said there was a good chance she might be compelled to tell Curtis in a court of law. She had a motive to shoot Drew that no one knew about and someone she’d trusted tipped off the defense. He asked if she thought she was going to be arrested, and she said there had been nothing yet, but if they asked about her whereabouts… He said she’d have to tell them that she was with him, and she flashed back to that. She said she was so sorry, and he said he understood, but didn’t get where Curtis came in. She said Curtis had taken extraordinary steps to protect her. It was the reason they weren’t divorced yet. She couldn’t let Curtis put himself on the line when she was sitting on information that could exonerate him. She owed him that much. Isaiah said she didn’t.

Nina told Curtis that Alexis needed to argue that the PCPD rushed to charge Willow when they had other suspects they should have investigated. She told someone who knew Alexis that Portia might have a motive, and that person told Alexis. When Portia found out, she wasn’t happy. Curtis said, a friend sold her out and stabbed them both in the back.

Brook said Sidwell was going to sell them the zincite at cost? and Sidwell said, and any other minerals they used. It would be significantly less in price. Lucy said she’d crunched the numbers, and it was true, and Brook said, they’d discussed it already? Lucy said, just tidbits. It would cut production costs significantly. If they wanted Deception to get back in the black, this was the way to do it. Brook said Sidwell would be taking a huge hit without the proceeds, but he said they’d be delivered to Piers 55 and 56, so there would be no cost to him. Brook said she doubted Sonny was going to throw him a freebie, but Sidwell said he bought the piers.

Michael said he wanted Wiley to enjoy Thanksgiving, and Kristina said she hoped he enjoyed it too. Michael flashed back to watching Willow marry Drew through the window, and said, it had its ups and downs. That was another reason he hadn’t told Wiley yet. He didn’t know how to explain what Willow did without Wiley seeing that he was furious.

Drew said Suzanne was Alexis’s assistant and incentivized to back her up, but Suzanne said Alexis had made it clear that telling her what she wanted to hear wasn’t part of her job description. Alexis wanted her to be objective about everything, from the clients to the coffee she gave them. Alexis said, when it came to juries, Suzanne was a bloodhound. She’d sat in on numerous trials, was crucial to jury selection, and had insight into how testimonies would land. Suzanne said, it was another chance to practice, and Willow suggested they do it. Don’t go easy on her. Alexis said Turner wouldn’t, so she couldn’t.

Isaiah said he didn’t get the timing. Had Portia been called as a witness? Portia said, not yet, and Isaiah said if the police hadn’t found out, she might just be provoking Curtis. She said, and damaging his career potential, and he said he’d definitely be looked at as unprofessional. He might be asked to leave the hospital, or not, but either way, it would dog him. If it was between her telling the cops who she was with or going down for something she didn’t do, tell the truth. He’d handle the consequences.

Nina asked Curtis to understand that her daughter was going on trial for something she didn’t do. She’d already screwed up, leading to Willow’s arrest. She had to try and fix it. She knew Drew was blackmailing Portia, and it gave her a motive the police didn’t know about. She couldn’t control what the person she told did with the information. Curtis said, the only reason she knew was because Portia trusted her, and she repaid that trust be stabbing Portia in the back. Nina said she didn’t mean to hurt Portia, but she had to protect her child, and he said, at the expense of another. In saving her child, she may have insured his child was born in prison.

Dante said there were inconsistencies in Curtis’s statement, and they were waiting for The Savoy security footage, and Turner asked when they expected it. There was a ding, and both Nathan and I said, right now. Nathan brought the footage up on his tablet, and Dante asked him to scroll to the time Curtis claimed he’d left the club. They watched and Dante asked Nathan to freeze it. Turner asked if that was who she thought it was, and Dante said, yeah, and it’s not good for Curtis Ashford.

Alexis asked where Willow was during the time of Drew’s shooting, and Willow said, at the hospital. She was working and got upsetting news, so she wanted to go for a walk, a drive. Alexis asked if she drove to the congressman’s house, but Willow said, no. Alexis asked where she went, and Willow said, nowhere in particular. She was just driving around. She needed time to think and be alone. Alexis said, why was she upset? and Willow said she’d learned Judge Haran died and that meant she’d have to wait longer to see her children. Alexis asked how losing her children made her feel, and Willow said, devastated. She loved them more than anything. Alexis asked if she blamed the congressman for losing her kids, and Willow said, of course (🍷) not. Alexis asked if the congressman had been advising her on matters regarding her children. Did he invite her to bring Michael Corinthos’s son Wiley to the inauguration? Willow said Wiley was her son too, and Alexis said, her adopted son. Willow said, yes, and Alexis said, Wiley wasn’t her biological child. Willow said she didn’t give birth to him, but he was still her son, and Alexis asked again if Drew invited her to bring Wiley. Willow said he did, and Alexis asked if she’d gotten her ex’s permission to bring his… her son across state lines. Willow said it was her decision, and Alexis said, when Michael was in the burn unit at GH, did Drew advise her to withhold his access to his family? and Willow said, yes. Alexis asked if she took his advice to keep Michael’s parents from him, and Willow said, at first… Alexis said, after Michael came back from Germany, she sued to get full custody… Drew said, enough. The jury would twist everything to make it seem like Willow shot him. Alexis said the prosecution wasn’t going to have to work too hard to do that.

Dante said Curtis had associated with Selina in the past, running her illegal card games at the club, and Turner said, so she was someone he could go to, to get the job done. Dante said Curtis was a stand-up guy… but Nathan said everyone had their breaking point. Turner told them, say Curtis brought in Selina Wu to arrange a hit, how did they get Edward Quartermaine’s revolver? Dante said Michael could have had Curtis over to talk business, and Nathan said, Portia was the Co-Chief of Staff and could have met with Monica. Turner said, why go to the trouble to get a gun from the Quartermaines’ and plant it in Willow’s things at Elizabeth’s house? and Dante said those were answers they didn’t have. Turner said they needed to tie Curtis to the shooting or clear him before the trial, and Dante said, or the defense would claim they glossed over evidence. Turner said the defense would ask to have the case dismissed and she’d be shocked if any judge didn’t grant it, and Dante asked how she wanted to play it.

Brook said Sonny sold Sidwell his piers? and Sidwell said it was pretty much done. Felicia said Sonny held onto the piers for decades and narrowly won the right to keep them when Measure C was defeated. Then he sold them to the man he was fighting with over control of them? Sidwell said he was hoping Measure C would pass, so he could buy them at a competitive rate, but since it failed, he had to up his offer substantially. Everyone had a price, even Sonny Corinthos.

Michael said it wasn’t about his relationship with Wiley, but about Willow’s with the kids, and Kristina said Willow loved the kids. He said she thought she did, and Kristina asked what the plan was after he told them. He said he didn’t know, but didn’t want the kids to be in the same room, let alone the same house as Drew, and Drew couldn’t wait for them all to be under the same roof. Hopefully, a judge would think that disqualified Willow as a mother.

Alexis said Willow and Drew were recently married. It was their second attempt to tie the knot. What happened the first time? Willow said she didn’t go through with it, and Alexis asked, why? Willow said she learned Drew had been untruthful about certain things, such as an affair with her mother, and Alexis said, he was sleeping with her mother while he was courting her? How did that make her feel? Willow said she was upset, but after time, she calmed down and reconsidered. Alexis said, back to the night of the shooting. Where did she go after her drive? Willow said she went back to the hospital to finish her shift. That’s when she found out Drew was shot. She fainted. It was so horrible. How could anyone think she’d shoot her husband? She loved him. She needed him. Willow flashed back to telling Nina that she didn’t need to love Drew. She loved her kids and would do whatever she needed to get them back with her. Drew said it was perfect. There was no way a jury wouldn’t believe her. Alexis said except Willow couldn’t volunteer any of that.  

Nina told Curtis that as far as she knew, Alexis hadn’t said anything to the PCPD. Portia wasn’t being questioned, let alone charged. It might never happen… unless he thought Portia actually shot Drew. If so, he’d stood by and let her daughter take the fall. Curtis said Willow had as much reason as anyone to shoot Drew, in no small part thanks to Nina, and Nina said she knew Willow was innocent. It was a pity he couldn’t say the same thing about his wife. There was a knock at the door and Nathan came in. He asked Nina to go into hall, and he closed the door. He told Curtis that he was under arrest.

Talking to herself, Anna said, someone was hiding in the car. They used chloroform to put her out. She flashed back to waking up, and said, then she was blindfolded and drugged again. She woke up in transit – in a truck or a bus. Then they were on water… They were definitely on water. She wrote truck, ferry, near water, by boat, and wondered how long she was drugged. Where was she?

Felicia said Sidwell didn’t stand to gain anything, but he said he was a majority shareholder. Their success was his success. He did have one non-negotiable stipulation. All materials imported would be under his exclusive management. Brook asked if he expected them to slap Deception’s name on any import without supervision, and he said it would stop the price from spiraling. Brook said taking his word didn’t work for her and she didn’t think it would work for her grandmother.  

Kristina said, even though they were valid feelings, Michael couldn’t show his anger and resentment to the kids, and he asked how he explained that mommy married the man who destroyed their family. She said he didn’t. They both knew how painful it was being in the middle of their parents’ battleground and loved Wiley too much to put him there. Simply tell him the truth and when he asked when he could see his mother, tell Wiley that he didn’t know. The decision was up to the judge. Michael said he could do that, and Kristina said he couldn’t pass judgement on Willow and what she’d done, but he could be there for his son and reassure Wiley that he wasn’t going anywhere.

Drew said Willow’s testimony was honest and perfect, but Alexis said it looked and sounded like she was trying to manipulate the jury. They’d see through it. What did their impartial jury think? Suzanne said, guilty.

Nathan gave Curtis his rights as Nina listened outside the door. Portia arrived and asked what was going on. Nina pointed to the door, and Portia walked in. Curtis told her to call his lawyer and Nathan led him out.

Pascal offered the guests freshly made brioche, and Sidwell said, maybe later. He needed to explain the new arrangement. He was more than confident they’d take Deception to loftier heights than before Maxie’s tragic incapacitation. Felicia said, if only Maxie was there to offer her thoughts, but Sidwell said, what was important was preventing the company from going bankrupt and he could guarantee it. Lucy said Brook and her grandmother would be fine if Deception tanked. She had her real estate to fall back on. The one person who would suffer the most if Deception collapsed… Felicia said, Maxie, and Lucy said Deception was Maxie’s whole livelihood. They didn’t have to believe or trust Sidwell, but believe her when she said it was the only way to save Deception. Do this for Maxie.

Drew said, so much for an impartial jury, but Alexis said that’s what trial prep looked like. Suzanne said Willow came off as defensive. Sorry. She reacted sharply when a potential motive was brought up. Drew tried to interrupt, but Willow said, please. What else? Suzanne said Willow volunteered too much. She justified what she was saying. Like when Alexis asked where she went after her drive. She went on and on about how she found out Drew was shot. Willow said it was the truth, and Suzanne said, maybe, but she fainted? How could anyone think she’d do that; she loves him so much. It would look terrible to the jury, but what came through loud and clear was how much she loved her children. Willow said, good, but Suzanne said, unfortunately, it was her biggest liability. It was obvious she’d do anything for them. Willow said, of course (🍷), and Suzanne said, including trying to kill someone.

On the phone in Curtis’s office, Portia said Curtis needed them there as soon as possible.

Dante said Curtis was an ex-cop and would be sharp at not incriminating himself, when Nathan came in with Curtis. Turner asked Curtis to have a seat. There were serious gaps in his story about the night Congressman Cain was shot. He was going to need to fill them in.

Anna wrote in the notebook, and heard Pascal say in French, put the pencil down. Turn against the wall, hands on head. He came in behind her with a tray of brioche and said, bonsoir. He thanked her for being a model guest. He brought her something to make her stay a touch more enjoyable.

Brook said, for Maxie, and Sidwell said, fantastic. He’d get Marco to set it up. Lucy said she’d be in touch. She was staying there a little. Brook and Felicia left, and in the foyer, Brook said Lucy was right. They had no choice, but there was something about the arrangement that was… Felicia said, unsettling. As Georgie and James would say, sus. Brook said, all of the above. She didn’t like how close Lucy was with Sidwell. Felicia said, Lucy always had a weakness for powerful men with deep pockets, even though it hadn’t always worked out. Brook said, had it ever? and Felicia said, no, but knowing Lucy, she wouldn’t let it stop her. They left.  

Lucy told Sidwell that she was sorry. The others could have been more collegial. Sidwell said it never hurt to have diligent business partners, and she asked if it was really the absolutely best thing for them to do. He took her hands and said, of his many endeavors in work, Deception’s success was a vital part of them. Just as she was vital to him. They kissed.

Michael said Wiley’s sister was too young, but he thought Wiley should know that mommy married Uncle Drew. Wiley asked if she looked pretty, and Kristina said, Scout was there and said she looked beautiful. Wiley asked why they didn’t go, and Michael said they had to wait until the judge said it was okay to see mommy. Wiley asked if the judge would make him and Amelia live with Uncle Drew. He didn’t like it there and wanted to be with Michael. Michael said it was okay. Wiley and Amelia didn’t have to go. This was their home, and they never had to leave. They hugged.

Alexis said whether Willow chose to testify or not was entirely up to her, but she trusted Suzanne’s instincts and suggested Willow did too. Nina walked in, and Alexis asked if she didn’t know how to knock. Nina said no one had to testify. They were going to drop the charges against Willow.

Curtis told Turner that he had nothing else to say without his attorney present, and Turner said, fine, but she wanted to show him something first. She showed him a screenshot of Selina and said it was captured on the security camera before the shooting. He could wait for his attorney, but she needed to know what he and Selina were discussing.

Dante told Natan that Curtis had flown under the radar, but he wouldn’t be happy if Curtis ended up being the guy. Nathan said, if he was, it would let Willow and Michale off the hook, and Dante said they had to be 100% certain before they moved forward. Turner and Curtis came out, and Turner told Officed Matthews that she wanted Curtis booked for obstruction of justice and making a false statement.

In Portia’s office, she told Isaiah that all she knew was that Curtis was led out in handcuffs. Nina was there, but didn’t say what he was charged with. It had to be Drew and it was all her fault. Isaiah asked how that was possible, and she said she was the one who got herself blackmailed by Drew. Curtis never would have been mixed up in this mess and Drew would never have pushed Curtis so far going after Stella. Isaiah asked what Drew had on her, and she said she was just trying to protect her daughter. Suddenly, she doubled over in pain.

Thursday:

Nina said someone else had been arrested, and Drew said, finally Michael was getting what he deserved.

Michael said Aurora was his property. If they wanted to search, they needed a warrant. Nathan asked if he meant this, showing him the warrant.

Molly went to the hospital to support Kristina, who was getting her allergy shot and had a huge fear of needles.

Jordan went to the station, and Dante said they needed her to sign the transcript of the Thanksgiving conversation between her, Curtis, and Nathan. Curtis had been arrested for obstruction of justice and filing a false statement.

Trina and Kai went to see Curtis in his cell, and he asked if her mom told her that he’d been arrested, but she said his lawyer called. Why did he lie to the police?

In an exam room, Portia told Isaiah that the pain had stopped, when Britt came in and said, Portia needed to see her? Portia said she needed to see Dr. Navarro, but she was delivering a baby. The other OBs were with patients, and an examination couldn’t wait. Isaiah said Britt wasn’t a doctor, but Britt said she was one of the best. He said, those usually had medical licenses, but Portia said, please. She needed it to happen now, and it needed to be Britt. She couldn’t lose the baby.

Felicia saw Elizabeth rubbing her eyes, and Elizabeth said they were super itchy and had been irritated for days. She felt like dust or something was in them. Felicia took a look and said Elizabeth’s eyelids were crusty and red. It might be a crazy idea, but they worked in a hospital and maybe she should see an ophthalmologist. Dr. Wells was the best in the country. She’d see if the doctor was available.

Kristina asked if she owed Molly an apology for encouraging her to meet Cody, but Molly didn’t want talk about Cody. Had she told Kristina about her new book?

Jacinda saw the Crimson clothing rack and wondered where to start.

Dante said video footage showed Selina entering The Savoy when Curtis swore he was alone. She’d been out of the country for months, so it must have been important. Jordan said maybe Selina reached out to Curtis, but Dante said, maybe Curtis reached out to her to take care of something or someone. She asked if he really thought Curtis was guilty or was he pursuing that angle because the case against Willow was questionable and he didn’t want Michael to be guilty?

Michael asked, what exactly was the crime? and Nathan said Curtis had been arrested for making a false statement and obstruction of justice. Michael said, in regard to what? and Nathan said, the attempted murder of Drew Cain.

Curtis told Trina that he’d made a false statement about being alone at The Savoy the night Drew was shot. In fact, he’d been with somebody else. She wondered if it was Jordan.

Drew said he told Willow the day would come. Michael had been arrested, and she’d definitely get her kids back. Nina said, it wasn’t Michael. Curtis had been arrested. Suzanne said the PCPD had questioned Curtis and dismissed him as a suspect, and Alexis wondered what was going on. Nina said she was with Curtis when her brother showed up and arrested him. She wasn’t sure for what, but Nathan and Chase were heading up the investigation into Drew’s shooting. Alexis said they couldn’t afford to speculate, and Suzanne said she had a source at city hall. She went to make a call, and Willow said if that was true, they were done with her, but Alexis told her not to get her hopes up. It was a big leap. Drew agreed and said he thought the police had the wrong man.

Britt told Isaiah that it was time for him to go, and he left. Portia asked if she was having a miscarriage, but Britt said, one step at a time. Try to stay calm. How far along was she? Portia said, the first trimester. She suddenly had two bad cramps, but no blood, and there had been nothing since the initial cramping. Britt said that was good. Everything was going to be okay.

In the hallway, Isaiah flashed back to getting busy with Portia. Britt told him to get Dr. Jones from the ER.

Michael went into the Crimson office and saw Jacinda in a gorgeous red gown. She said, oops. He caught her.

Molly told Kristina that she’d been working on a new novel for the past few months. She hadn’t told anyone, just her dad. It was just for fun, and it had been nice to get lost in a fantasy world. Kristina said she knew what it was like to pour yourself into something to forget the pain. What was it about? A romance? Molly said it was set in the Old West and was about a woman caught between a ranch owner and a cowboy. Kristina asked who the cowboy might be inspired by, and Molly said, maybe it was slightly inspired by Cody.

Felicia said Dr. Wells would see Elizabeth now, and they left. Isaiah told Lucas that Dr. Robinson needed him.

Curtis asked Trina why he’d see Jordan at The Savoy, then meet her at the Brown Dog, and Trina guessed it didn’t make sense. Curtis said he wouldn’t lie about his relationship with Jordan. They hadn’t talked about the kiss, but he promised he never cheated on her mother with anyone. She asked who he was with at the club and why he didn’t want the cops to know, and he said there was video footage of Selina Wu at The Savoy when he was there. Kai wondered why he knew that name, and Trina said Selina was a Port Charles mob boss. She’d thought Curtis had cut ties with her. Why were they meeting?

Dante told Jordan that he didn’t want his brother to be guilty, but that’s why he put Chase and Nathan in charge. Nathan had wanted to question Curtis, not him. That led to the release of the video footage. Jordan said the footage wasn’t evidence, and he said that’s why Curtis had only been charged with obstruction. They both knew Curtis and Selina had worked together in the past. Why would he cover up their meeting? He was just following the evidence. She said it was a reach, and he asked if she was saying that as the former Police Commissioner or Curtis’s ex-wife. She asked if he was going to recommend dropping the charges against Willow.

Michael admired the dress on Jacinda, and she said Nina took the day off, so she thought she’d explore the Crimson closet. She held up another gown and asked what he thought. He said he was sure she’d look great in anything, and she said, or nothing. He said, that too, and she asked why he was there. He said the police were tossing his CEO’s office. The lead detective thought Curtis was involved in Drew’s shooting and they’d charged him with obstruction of justice. If they found anything, they may charge Curtis with attempted murder. That meant Willow would go free.

Nina said she didn’t want Curtis to be guilty, but what was most important was that Willow not go through a trial for a crime she didn’t commit. Alexis said they didn’t know the charge, but Nina said if they had enough to arrest Curtis, couldn’t it help with the reasonable doubt argument? Willow said, then the charges against her would be dismissed, and Alexis said, potentially, yes, but the evidence wouldn’t go away. The judge may decide to go on with the trial and let the jury decide. Nina said, if they had evidence on Curtis, Willow shouldn’t be under suspicion one more day.

In the interrogation room, Jordan signed the statement and asked Dante if the case against Willow would evaporate. Dante said he wasn’t advising they drop the charges. They were still gathering evidence. Nathan came in and Dante thanked Jordan for coming. She left and he asked how the search went. Nathan said Michael showed up and was upset about Curtis being arrested

Lucas went into the exam room and wondered how Britt was in charge, since it looked like she sort of was. Britt said she needed tests done on Portia and couldn’t order them, but he could. Dr. Navarro was in the delivery room and desperate times. Portia said, please, and Lucas said, all right. He left, and Britt said Portia wasn’t losing the baby. She just wanted to be 100% sure, but her initial diagnosis was dehydration and stress. Portia said she had a lot going on, and Britt said Dr. Navarro would examine her as soon as she was free, but she recommended a few days bed rest and for Portia to pay attention to her health.

Curtis told Trina that he’d made a mistake, but ultimately realized the cost of involving himself with Selina was too high. They hadn’t been in contact since. Trina said, if it was no big deal, why not mention it to the police? and he said Selina didn’t want anyone to know she was back in town and he didn’t think it relevant. They believed him, didn’t they? Trina said she wanted to, when the guard said Curtis had another visitor and brought in Jordan.

Britt told Isaiah that Portia was resting comfortably, and Lucas came back with a folder for Britt. He said, before she went in, could he have a word? and they stepped away. Isaiah went into the exam room and asked Portia if the baby was his.

Britt told Lucas that Portia needed help, so she gave it to her. If he was going to write her up, just do it and save the lecture. She knew she’d broken the rules, but Portia was terrified, and license or not, she knew her stuff. Lucas agreed and said he wanted to know if she needed another letter to record with her petition to get her license reinstated. Britt laughed.

Portia said Isaiah could be the father, but so could Curtis. She hadn’t said anything yet because she was waiting to get a paternity test. He asked if she was afraid to know the truth, but she said she was afraid of what she thought just happened. The odds for a miscarriage were higher in the first trimester, and she had one more week. He asked if Curtis knew she was pregnant, and she said, yes.  

The guard said Curtis had too many visitors, and Jordan said she’d go, but Trina said they were just leaving. She loved Curtis and would see him at the arraignment. Trina and Kai left, and Jordan said she was sorry. Curtis asked how she found out he was arrested, and she said Dante had asked her to come in to sign the transcript of their conversation with Nathan. He said he was sorry he’d involved her, but she said she’d volunteered. He said he was glad she was there, and she took his hand. He said they saw Selina in the security footage, and she said they thought Curtis hired her to shoot Drew. He asked if they were charging him with attempted murder, and she said, that’s where it was headed, but they hadn’t dropped the charges against Willow yet. He said he thought he could mitigate this, but needed her help.

Elizabeth came back to the desk, and Felicia asked if it was serious. Elizabeth said she had an easily treated eyelid disease that affected millions every year. It was a type of eye infection that came from an overgrowth of demodex mites.

Jacinda said she thought Willow shot Drew, and Michael said so did he. If she was exonerated, the outcome of the hearing would change. Willow would play the wrongly accused mother who couldn’t see her children and was married to a congressman. Jacinda said, while he was dating a hooker.

On the side, Willow told Nina that if she was exonerated before the hearing, they’d have to let her see her children, and Nina said if Curtis was charged, it changed everything. What would Willow do now? Willow said she couldn’t talk about this now, when Drew’s phone rang. Jordan said she had a message for him.

Michael said hooker was a derogatory term, but Jacinda said sex worker wasn’t any better. Whatever she was called, that’s how people saw her. The upside was, if Curtis was charged, they’d no longer need to fake a relationship to prop up his alibi. If there was a chance Willow was innocent, them spending time together wasn’t a good idea. He said it wasn’t about his alibi anymore, especially not after last night, and she said not for her either. She never took clients back to her apartment. She did last night because he wasn’t a client. He said he didn’t want to be and didn’t want her to think he took her invitation for granted. He wouldn’t have gone home with her if he didn’t think there was something real between them. She said she felt it too, and they kissed.

Felicia said she thought they all had mites, and Elizabeth said they were benign in small numbers. Hers were overpopulated, which happened to 25 million other Americans. Felicia said it was never a good idea to diagnose themselves, and Elizabeth said it was easily treated with eyedrops. Felicia said their heads had been close together and wondered if it was contagious.

Kai said it wasn’t easy for Trina to hear her dad met with Selina, and Trina said they’d had a business arrangement at The Savoy, but she’d thought her dad had cut that off. Apparently not. Kai said her dad told them nothing came from the meeting. Did she not believe him? She said she didn’t know what to believe. Her mom was pregnant. Her parents hadn’t filed for divorce yet, but her dad couldn’t wait to move on with Jordan. She never thought he’d cheat on her mom, but he was doing a lot things she didn’t think he would. Then who walks in but Jordan, and her conversation was done. How did her dad not see how manipulative Jordan was? He walked away from his pregnant wife and was arrested. Kai said she didn’t want to see her dad in prison, and she said, God no. But why did he lie about Selina? She didn’t want to believe her dad wanted Drew dead, but she was beginning to think she didn’t know him as well as she thought.

Britt said Lucas couldn’t stand her and blamed her for being a bad influence on Brad, but Lucas said, not anymore. Brad knew what he was doing and made his own choices. How they were besties was beyond him. He’d never give her a positive reference under other circumstances, but she was a good doctor, confirmed by her treatment of Ned and Portia just now. She should be practicing, so he’d help her get her license back.

Portia told Isaiah that Jordan figured out she was pregnant and told Curtis. When Curtis confronted her, she couldn’t lie. Isaiah assumed Curtis didn’t know about them and assumed the baby was his, and Portia said that was true. And if that was the case, no one had to know about them. His professional reputation would remain intact. He said, if he hadn’t found out and the test indicated it was his, would she have told him the truth?

Alexis said now they knew Curtis had been charged with obstruction of justice and making a false statement, and Drew told them that a friend said a search warrant had been issued for security video footage and Curtis’s bank records. Suzanne said there was a rumor Selina Wu was in the footage, and Drew said he needed to head out. Nina told Willow to keep her posted and she and Drew left. Willow asked Alexis what she thought, and Alexis said if it was true that Selina was involved, it added a new angle. Willow said, could this all be over?

Nathan said a large withdrawal would indicate Curtis had paid Selina, and Dante said they were going through the video footage to find out if Selina’s men were in the vicinity of Drew’s house the night of the shooting. They looked at a tablet, and Dante wondered why there were two traffic cams for Route 66. Nathan said one had been mislabeled for Route 65, and Dante said they’d go through both. They needed to know what was on the footage.

Elizabeth said it wasn’t contagious, and Felicia asked if she felt like walking to the pharmacy. They left and Kristina came back. She told Molly that everything went fine, but it was nice having her there waiting. Molly said, of course (🍷). That’s what sisters did. Kristina came to countless appointments for her endometriosis. Kristina said she was excited about Molly’s book, but Molly said it was still rough. Kristina said she needed someone impartial to weigh in, and Molly said she’d call their mom. Kristina asked if she couldn’t be impartial, but Molly said, no. Kristina asked to be given a chance, and they left.

Michael and Jacinda kissed, and she said she didn’t want to compromise his visitation hearing, but Michael said, even if Willow was innocent, she was still an unfit mother. He’d figure out what to tell the judge when and if he had to. She said that worked for her, and they began to get undressed as they kissed. Nina walked in and said, oh my God.

Britt said Lucas thought she was a good doctor? and he said, yes, she was. She said she didn’t get that much because she was difficult to work with, and he said he’d keep that out of the recommendation. She said she accepted his offer, but wanted to read the letter, and he said it was obvious she was overwhelmed with gratitude.

Portia said if Isaiah was the father, she promised to tell him. She’d made the mistake of keeping Trina away from Curtis and wasn’t doing that again. If it turned out he was the father, she wasn’t holding him to anything since they weren’t official. Did he want to be a father? He said there was no point in talking about it until they knew, and she said she’d let him know when the test was scheduled. He thanked her and left. She told the baby that it was going to be okay. Mommy already loves you.

Suzanne said it was just a rumor, but her sources were rarely wrong, and Alexis said they had nothing to confirm it. If Selina was involved, it changed the charges from a crime of passion to a professional hit. Then there would be a good chance Willow wouldn’t go to trial. Willow said she’d see her children again, and Alexis said she didn’t want to get Willow’s hopes up, but if the PCPD followed through and charged Curtis, they’d have to drop the charges against Willow.

Drew went to see Curtis and said he’d heard Curtis was behind bars and charged with shooting him. Curtis said, not yet, but he supposed it was coming, and Drew said justice had been served. Curtis told him, drop the act. They both knew if he was going to shoot Drew, the possible motive for him wanting Drew dead would be incredibly inconvenient. Maybe they could find a way to help each other.

Trina wondered if it was possible her dad was lying, and Kai said, about Selina Wu or Jordan? She said, maybe both, and he asked if she still wanted to figure out what really happened. She said she needed to know the truth, and he asked what she’d do if it turned out that her dad shot Drew or paid someone to do it.

Dante, Nathan, and Detective Ramirez looked at the footage from the traffic cam on Route 65. Dante said, stop… Go back… Play that again… Freeze it there. Nathan said, I’ll be damned, and Dante said, there’s our answer.

🫔 Friday’s Enchilada…

Britt comes into her room to find Jason holding her meds. She asks what he’s doing with them.

Isaiah asks how his favorite patient is doing, and Portia says she feels good. The IV fluids are doing their job. He says he’s so glad to hear that, and she says, Dr. Navarro confirmed Britt’s diagnosis, and they moved her to a patient room, but she’ll be released tomorrow. He says, that’s good news, and she says, a few days bed rest, and she’ll be good as new. He says, bed rest, huh? and she says, yeah. Just a few days, thankfully. He asks how she would feel about spending those days with him.

Kristina brings food to Alexis and says she thought Alexis would be hungry after working so hard. Alexis calls her a dream child, and Kristina asks how things are going with Willow’s trial. Does she think she’s ready? Alexis says she’s not sure there’s going to be a trial. She learned there was a new suspect, and the DA may drop the charges. Kristina says, great… That’s not great? Alexis says, it’s great for Willow, but for them, it could be a disaster.

Drew says, how about that? He and Curtis are on the same page for once. They should find way help each other. Curtis asks what exactly Drew has in mind, and Drew says, Curtis shot him. Curtis knows it and he knows it, but Curtis isn’t the one he wants to go down for it.

Nina asks if they’re out of their damn minds, and Michael asks if they can have some privacy. Nina says, yes, of course (🍷). How rude of her. Please take as much time as they need to finish having sex in her office. She leaves.

Chase lets Willow into the nook, and she thanks him for smuggling her through the gate. He says she knows he’ll do anything he can to help her, but she’s not supposed to be here. What’s going on? She says she had to tell him. Her nightmare is almost over. The charges are being dropped. She’s waited so long. Please help her see her kids.

Dante says he wasn’t expecting to see that, and Nathan says, that’s the last thing he thought they’d find looking for evidence against Curtis Ashford. He tells Officer Daniels that he needs to review the statement of one of the suspects in Drew Cain’s shooting. New evidence has come to light that contradicts their version of events. Daniels says, no problem. Whose statement does he need? Dante says, Willow Tate’s.

Michael tells Nina that she can come in, and she says, may she enter her office? Thank you so much. He suggests she not blow it out of proportion. She’s an adult. They’re adults. She walked in on a personal moment. No harm done. She says, private behavior should be done in private, not her office where she was coming to do some work, and he says, didn’t she and Drew engage in private behavior when she had an office downstairs at Aurora? She says she’ll need her office professionally sanitized, and Jacinda says, for a woman who hired someone to drug a congressman, she’s acting awfully superior, but Nina says, she’s not acting superior, she is Jacinda’s superior. And Michael is hers, which means him having his way with a hooker who is also her secretary could be constituted as sexual harassment. HR was going to learn about this arrangement and incident immediately. He says she can call HR if she wants, but they already know about them. He disclosed their relationship as soon as Jacinda started working here.

Chase says, the charges are being dropped? That’s great. What happened? Willow says, apparently new evidence came to light that points at Curtis Ashford. Without this murder trial hanging over her head, she can focus all her energy on getting her kids back. He says, Judge Haran put the court order in place before Drew was shot. That means nothing can legally change until her visitation hearing in January. She says she knows, but this is the best news she’s gotten in such a long time, and he says, if someone found out she snuck onto the property to see her kids, it could damage her chances at the hearing. She says, okay, but what if she saw them from a distance? They wouldn’t even know she was here. Please. He’s one of the few people who still believes in her. She just needs to see Wiley and Amelia. Brook comes in and says, she can’t be here. She needs to leave now.

Kristina asks if Michael is the new suspect, but Alexis says, no. Kristina says, thank God. If it’s not Michael, then why is the new evidence such a disaster? Alexis says, Kristina knows why. Her arrangement with Drew is contingent on her proving Willow’s innocence. How can she prove Willow is innocent if she doesn’t go to trial? Kristina asked if it wasn’t better this way, with Willow being spared the trial and Wiley and Amelia being spared all the press and chaos that goes along with it. Alexis says, that’s true, but if Willow is exonerated, then the police get the credit and she doesn’t. Drew will use it as an excuse to keep the restraining order in place, and it won’t end until Scout is 18 and can make her own decisions.

Turner says, this better be good, and Dante says, it is. They got new evidence that’s pretty damning. Turner says, good. The obstruction and false statement charges brought against Mr. Ashford are only temporary until they can tie them to the shooting. Nathan says, the new evidence doesn’t point to Curtis, and Turner says, excuse me? Nathan says, it turns out some of the footage from the traffic cam near 65 and Drew’s street was misfiled and logged under a different camera. Nobody has seen it until now. Dante shows Turner the footage on a laptop and says, you can’t see too clearly because of the rain, but you can see it’s Willow and she’s on Drew’s street at the time of the shooting. And they have her leaving a few minutes later. Turner closes the laptop and says, that directly contradicts her sworn statement. She claimed she went for a walk and drove around, but didn’t remember where. Nathan says they checked the suspect’s phone records and Willow’s phone was pinging from a nearby cell tower. Turner says, how nearby? and Nathan says, within a five-mile radius. Turner says, a five-mile radius isn’t conclusive of anything, and Nathan says, no, it’s not. Michael and Tracy’s phones pinged off the same tower. Dante says, it’s not hard evidence, but if they combine the footage with what they have, it will improve their case against Willow. Turner says, it certainly doesn’t hurt, and Dante says, it doesn’t have to invalidate anything they’ve learned about Curtis, but it proves they were on the right track with Willow in the first place. With the new information, who does she want to go after, Willow or Curtis?  

Curtis says he knows the truth doesn’t matter much to Drew these days, but just so Drew knows, he didn’t shoot him. Drew says he supposes he believes Curtis, but Curtis says he doesn’t give a damn what Drew believes. Just believe this. Drew has as much to lose as he does. So if he goes down, Drew can sure as hell believe Curtis is taking him along.

Isaiah asks Portia, so what does she say? They can head up to the cabin. Nothing but fresh air, peace, and quiet. A crackling fire at night and no stress about the baby or pressure. Just the pure realization of him taking care of her. She says, sounds like a dream come true. Her room at the MetroCourt is nice, but not as warm and inviting as his cabin. Trina walks in and says she’s so sorry. She didn’t mean to just walk in. Were they in the middle of an exam? She can wait outside. Portia says, it’s okay. Dr. Gannon was just giving her some treatment options. She’ll let him know what she decides. Isaiah says, sounds good, and tells Trina that it’s nice to see her. Trina says, him too, and he leaves. Trina says she was looking downstairs for Portia when a nurse said she’d been admitted. What happened? Portia says, nothing serious. She’s fine. She was just dehydrated. Trina says she’s glad nothing happened to Portia or the baby. When was Portia going to tell her about that?

Britt says, how dare he? Just because Jason helped her last night, doesn’t mean he gets to sneak in here and steal her medication. Jason says, if he wanted to take her medication, he would have done it while she was sleeping and thrown it out the window before she came back. She says, oh, more of Jason Morgan’s skill set, and he says he told her that he was going to keep coming back and here he is. He has some questions. She says, all right. What does he want? He says, at the Five Poppies, she told him that her progression of Huntington’s had slowed, and she says, yeah. She told him she was fine. He says, she looks great and seems okay, but he looked into it and the standard medication for Huntington’s only blunts some of the symptoms, and only temporarily. It doesn’t keep them in check like this. She says she told him it was an experimental drug. He’s not going to be able to read about it on Wiki-Drugs. He says, something doesn’t add up. It hasn’t since the moment he saw her alive in Paris. Tell him what’s going on.

Portia asks how Trina found out about the baby, and Trina says she overheard Aunt Stella and her grandpa talking on Thanksgiving. It feels like everybody knew about it but her. She just wishes Portia told her. Portia says, if it had been up to her, Trina would have been the first person she told. She’d planned on keeping it a secret until the end of her first trimester. She wanted to spare everyone pain in case something happened, including Trina’s father. Trina says, but he knows? and Portia says, yeah. She didn’t tell him. He figured it out and when he confronted her, she couldn’t lie. Trina asks if it changes things between them. Were they calling off the divorce? Portia says, nothing changed between her and Trina’s father. They’ve got other issues too. Trina says, like Drew? She guesses it doesn’t matter to the baby if they’re married or not, or if their dad is in jail for trying to kill Drew.

Drew tells Curtis, drop the threats. They both know he doesn’t have a leg to stand on. Curtis says, maybe not, but let him make it clear that it’s not a threat. It’s a promise. If he goes to trial, the prosecution will be forced to ask about a motive. He’ll insist on taking the stand and he’ll tell them that Drew was blackmailing his wife and used his political office to target his aunt. A congressman abusing his power and committing crimes makes for a compelling headline. (How about a congressman who has never gone to work once?) Drew says, Curtis would never expose Portia like that. She’s his wife and he’s been trying to protect her for a while now. Curtis says he has no reason to anymore. His marriage is over. Portia can take care of herself and so can he. So believe this. If his life falls apart, Drew’s life falls apart.

Nina says, HR might know, but that doesn’t mean Michael and Jacinda can have sex all over the building… Is that a Cardullo on the floor? Jacinda picks up the dress and says, beautiful clothes deserve to be worn, and Nina was supposed to be gone all afternoon. Nina says, Jacinda is right. She’s so sorry. Next time they plan on having sex in her office, text her first. She’ll stop and grab a coffee to give them a little more time. Jacinda says, no one planned anything, and Nina says, HR might be okay with this, but family court won’t be. Michael says, maybe not, and she asks if he heard Willow’s not going to trial. The police and the ADA have another suspect. Her daughter is innocent. Does he know what that means? Willow will be at the hearing in January, and she and Drew will be standing right next to her to make sure she wins visitation. And after that, custody. Then Michael and her secretary can work to christen every flat surface in Port Charles.

Willow says she knows she’s not supposed to be here, but Chase was nice enough to let her in, and Brook asks Chase why he would do that. Chase says, Willow received good news, and Willow says, the trial isn’t moving forward and the charges against her are being dropped. Brook says, great. Then she guesses that means Willow is here to let her husband know that he doesn’t have to risk his career anymore to prove her innocence, right? Willow says she can’t tell them how grateful she is to Chase for everything he’s done. She promises them both that she’ll never forget it. Today she was just here to see Wiley and Amelia. Brook says, then it’s a good thing she walked in when she did.

Britt says, so Jason is an expert on Huntington’s now. Can they add that to his resumé under breaking and entering? Jason says he called in a big favor and learned from an expert that there’s no known medication that can put Huntington’s into remission, but she says, that is not news. He says, if whoever her supplier is cuts her off, she’ll have no way to get the medication, and her symptoms will come back. She doesn’t have to say anything. He knows whatever she was doing at the Five Poppies was in exchange for her medication and he thinks she’s still doing it. She has the key fob to Dalton’s lab. Maybe Dalton is involved. Maybe Jenz Sidwell is too. The locations may change, but she’s in just as deep as she was when they were in Croatia.

Britt says Jason thinks he has it all figured out, but he doesn’t. Okay. What does he want from her? He says he wants them to work together on this. He has a contact, somebody with ties to the best medical research centers in the country. He just wants to give them a sample of the medication. She says she’s not letting him get the WSB involved in this, but he says, it’s not the WSB. Britt doesn’t know him, but she can trust him. She says, just because Jason trusts him, she should trust him? She’s not bringing someone she doesn’t know in on this. Jason says, he’s former intelligence and he’s a good friend, but she says, nothing about that makes her feel better. He says he wants to take a sample of the medication to a lab to figure out what’s in it. If they can reverse engineer this, she’s not going to be handcuffed to whoever her supplier is. She’ll be freed from whoever is making her do all this.

Portia says, Trina knows about her dad’s arrest? and Trina says, yeah. Portia says she was going to call Trina, but Trina says, Portia has enough going on, and her dad’s lawyer called. She went to the PCPD, and he swore he was innocent. He said he was determined to beat the charges and get cleared, then Jordan showed up. She feels like Jordan is around her dad a lot these days. Portia says, no argument from her, and Trina says, sorry. She shouldn’t bring up Jordan’s name when Portia is avoiding stress right now. Portia says, it’s fine. What she doesn’t want Trina to do is stress about her and Curtis. She just wants Trina to focus on school, focus on Kai, and most important, focus on herself. She’s the one thing they did right. Trina says, they’re both amazing parents. The baby is lucky to have them, like she is.

Michael says he looks forward to his day in court with Willow, but in the meantime, he hopes Nina isn’t planning any retaliation against Jacinda. He promises they won’t look kindly on that in HR. Nina says she won’t talk to HR if – she can’t believe she has to say this – they promise not to have sex in her office. He says he thinks they can control themselves. Now if they’ll excuse him… He tells Jacinda that he’ll see her soon and kisses her on the cheek. He leaves, and Jacinda says she thinks she hers the phones ringing. She’d better get back to her desk. She heads for the door, still holding the dress, and Nina says, don’t you dare walk out that door.

Kristina asks if Alexis really thinks Drew will enforce the restraining order because she isn’t the one to get Willow acquitted, and Alexis says, absolutely. That’s exactly how he operates. She can only hope he’s impressed enough with her work that he’ll let her see Scout. Kristina says she hates that Drew is holding it over Alexis’s head. It seems like they replaced Ava and Ric with Drew. Alexis says, at least Ava and Ric never pretended to be something they’re not, and Kristina says she’s worried about Scout and also Michael. What if all this makes Willow sympathetic to the family court judge? If she gets visitation, Michael will be devastated. How might he react if something worse happens? What if Willow wins custody back?

Brook tells Willow that her husband is a kind and compassionate man. He’d never be able to tell Willow no, but she can. Willow says, there was nothing malicious going on, and Brook says, maybe not, but asking her husband to break a court order on top of everything else he’s done for her is a lousy way to repay him for being such a good friend to her. Willow says she’s sorry. She never should have put Chase in that position. Chase says, it’s really okay, and Willow says, it’s just really hard being away from her kids. Brook says she knows and she’s sorry for that, but she stands by what she said, and Willow says, Brook is right. She never should have come. She put them both in a terrible position. She starts to leave, but turns around. She says she knows she has no right to ask anything else, but can they keep this between them? She didn’t see her kids, so no harm done. She doesn’t want to affect her chances at the visitation hearing. Chase says, she has his word. He has the feeling the hearing will go really well for her. She thanks both of them and leaves. Brook asks what Chase is doing. How is he letting Willow take advantage of him like that?

Turner says she doesn’t love the optics of a brand-new suspect popping up with the trial only a week away. But there’s no denying the new evidence against Willow is pretty incriminating. Follow up and see if they can find more. Dante says they’re already there. He’s in the process of warrant requests for every traffic light from General Hospital to Drew’s house. Nathan suggests it extend to private businesses and doorbell cameras along the road as well, and Turner says, they both did very good work, which means they’ll be proceeding with Willow Tate’s trial after all.

Nina says, all these dresses need to be steamed, and the Cardullo needs to be dry cleaned immediately, and Jacinda says, of course (🍷). Nina says, and everything needs to be logged and photographed before they’re put away exactly as she found them, and Jacinda says, understood. Nina says, do all this and she’ll look the other way, and Jacinda says, thank you, boss. Nina says she knows Jacinda is Team Michael now, but if she’s at all serious about turning her back on her former line of work, this is the place to start. This is the top of the food chain and she’s in control of all of it.

Chase says he didn’t let Willow come in and see the kids, and Brook says she loves him, but she could tell he was wavering pretty good for a minute. He says, maybe she’s right. He watched Willow face things no one should have to, things that were out of her control. But this is different. Brook asks, how? and he says, because it can be fought. It fell within the area of his expertise and there was something he could do. That’s why he pushed so hard to find evidence in the case. Brook said she did sympathize. It was awful that Willow couldn’t see her kids, but they’d talked about this before. Willow made her choices and they brought her to this point. He needed to step back and let it play out. He nods, and she says, it’s good that she came in when she did. Nothing good could come of Willow seeing the kids. It would be awful if Michael had seen her. Michael walked in and said, yeah. It would.  

Alexis’s phone rings and she says she was expecting Turner to call. Is this regarding the dismissal of charges against Willow Tate? Turner says she’s afraid not. The indictment against her client still stands. Alexis asks if Turner is saying the state is proceeding with the trial, and Turner says, that’s correct. She’s calling to disclose additional evidence per discovery obligations. The new evidence shows footage placing Willow in Congressman Cain’s neighborhood the night he was shot. That makes Willow’s current statement false, and this could lead to lesser charges of perjury and obstruction. Alexis says she sees and thanks Turner for calling. Turner says, the evidence will be in her inbox shortly. See her in court.

Nathan brings Turner the warrant requests, and she says, it’s a great move to drop the charges against Curtis Ashford. Nathan asks if she’s sure she wants to do that. Curtis meeting with Selina Wu wasn’t nothing. They could pursue both suspects. Turner says, dropping the charges now doesn’t mean they can’t pursue it later. They’ll keep it in their back pocket, just in case. The Willow Tate evidence is far more conclusive. Dante says he’s got to get going on Curtis’s release, and Turner says she’s going to get the warrants in front of a judge. She and Dante leave, and Nathan closes the door. He makes a phone call.

Nina says it’s nice to hear Nathan’s voice. He’s exactly what she needed today. He asks if she’s busy, and she looks at Jacinda and says, well, sort of. What’s up? He says, when she gets the chance, he needs her to come down to the station. It’s a lot to go over on the phone. Something happened and he thinks she should hear it from him.  

Drew told Curtis, as he said, Curtis isn’t the one he wants to go down for this. He’ll see what happens when Curtis takes the stand and if it looks like Curtis will end up going to trial, he’ll suddenly remember who did this. Curtis asks if he’s supposed to take Drew’s word for it, and Drew says, from where he’s standing, it doesn’t look like he has much choice. Dante comes in and says, Drew’s still here? He has good news for Curtis, but not so much for the congressman.

Nina tells Jacinda that she needs to go out again and trusts all will be well. She’d like to add to something she said earlier. Those who get ahead and those who get left behind, she’s in control of that. That goes for models, photographers, designers, and the Crimson staff. She knows Jacinda doesn’t want to be a 40-year-old turning tricks. Jacinda says, but Michael… and Nina says, Michael is going to get rid of her as soon Michael gets what he wants, and that changes like the weather. Be careful where you make your messes. Jacinda says, understood, and Nina says, you never know when you’ll find yourself alone and in need of a friend. She leaves.

Chase says, yeah, Willow was here, and Brook tells Michael that Willow said the charges against her were being dropped. Chase says, she wanted to see Wiley and Amelia, and Michael says, the charges for Drew’s shooting have absolutely no bearing over Willow’s visitation rights. She has no right to see the kids and no right to be here. Chase says, that’s basically what they told her, and Brook says, don’t worry. They convinced her to leave before she saw the kids. Michael says, good. It’s still further evidence of a pattern of behavior, and the judge needs to hear about it. So he needs them both to sign a statement saying she was here. Chase says, sorry, but that’s not going to happen.

Willow says, please tell her the charges were dismissed. Has Alexis heard from the ADA’s office? Alexis says she has, and Willow says, amazing. So what happens now? Alexis says, what happens now is, Willow explains why she’s been lying to her, her legal counsel, and the police the entire time.

At the hospital, Curtis tells Isaiah that the office said Portia was brought to this floor. Is she okay? Isaiah says, she’s doing well. She’s resting and can’t have any stress; Dr. Navarro was very clear. Curtis says he’ll make sure she doesn’t, and Isaiah says, she’s in the room just past the elevator to the right. Curtis leaves.

Trina says she’s scared about what happens to her dad if he’d found guilty, but Portia says, let’s not go there. They’re not there yet. She’s also seen Trina’s father come back from a lot. He won’t go down without a fight and wouldn’t let anything keep him from her. Curtis walks in and Trina hugs him. She asks if he’s okay, and he says he’s fine, he promises. He came as soon as he could. Is Portia okay? Is the baby okay? Portia says they’re both okay, and asks, what happened at the station? He says, everything will be fine. The important thing is that she’s healthy and he’s here with his beautiful daughter and their little one is on its way. Nothing else matters.

Jason says, if they succeed in reverse engineering Britt’s medication, imagine what it would do. Not just for her, but for everyone who has Huntington’s. Britt says, great. Now he wants to cure Huntington’s around the globe. He says, come on, but she says she can’t do this. He says he always accepted her for exactly who she is, and she says, who’s that? She can’t wait to hear his assessment. He says, she’s a doctor who helps people. She tried to shield her mother from watching her deteriorate. She cares about Rocco and Nathan and Brad, and she’s so much more than she gives herself credit for.

Curtis says, don’t be the brave doctor now, but Portia says, no, really. She’s okay. She just needs a few days bed rest. Isaiah lingers around the door, and Curtis says, okay. Why not come home, just until she’s rested up. Wouldn’t she rather be home than some room at the MetroCourt? Trina says she can come too. Maybe she can take care of Portia. Portia says, sure. It sounds like a really good plan. Trina says, mom’s coming home, and Isaiah continues to eavesdrop.

Brook says, actually, Chase means they didn’t want to get involved, but Chase tells Michael, what his wife is too polite to say is, leave us out of the war you have going with Willow. Michael says he’s not asking them to break the law or lie, like Willow did. He’s asking them to tell the truth. Why does it seem to be such a problem? Chase says he has no interest in coming between a mother and her kids. If Michael wants to subpoena him, go right ahead, but he’s not saying or doing anything. Brook suggests they call a truce for tonight. Please.

Nina meets Nathan in the interrogation room and asks if it’s about Willow. He says, yeah. She lied on her statement. She’s been lying the whole time. There’s new evidence that places her near Drew’s house at the time he was shot. Nina says, no. That’s not right. There has to be an explanation. He says, it isn’t good that the ADA is dropping the charges against Curtis Ashford and Willow’s trial is moving forward.

Dante gives Turner the traffic light warrants and a warrant ready to be served to private businesses and residences along the road. She says, he realizes he’ll have to be put on the stand at the trial. Will he be okay testifying again against his former sister-in-law? (I don’t remember them ever being particularly close, so question mark over my head.)

Alexis shows Willow her tablet and says, the footage was taken near Drew’s street the night he was shot. Willow looks at herself in the car, and Alexis says she told Willow multiple times, she can’t prove her innocence unless she’s transparent. Does she want to stay out of prison? If she does, she’d better start telling the truth right now. Where was she and what happened that night? Drew comes in and says, Dante told him that there was new evidence, and Alexis says, there are two video files. One shows Willow running down the street around the time he was shot, and the other shows her leaving minutes later. Willow says, all she did was drive by, she swears. She didn’t go inside. It wasn’t her. She didn’t do this. Drew says he knows, and she says, he believes her? He says, of course (🍷) he believes her, and Alexis says, that’s lovely. Now they just have to convince jury of that. Drew says he has confidence that Alexis will find a way, and Alexis says she’ll do everything in her power to prove Willow’s innocence. Unfortunately, the little lie she told the PCPD makes her job a lot harder.  

Jason says he’s never judged Britt. He’s only ever tried to help her. He was with her when she got her diagnosis. He came to find her in Croatia. When she had the bomb strapped to her ankle and she was begging him to go, he stayed. He will never turn his back on her and he’s not going to start now. So please, just let him help her. She grabs his face and kisses him, then says, not a chance.

On Monday, Tracy asks Ned, what kind of health scare; Dante tells Nathan that if this doesn’t go their way, it’s because of him; Sidwell says, Laura will take credit for making it all happen; and Sonny asks Turner to tell the judge that she wants to drop the charges.

🧼 All the Soap News Fit To Print…

My favorite episode ever.

https://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/general-hospital-stars-reveal-the-adorable-chaos-of-gio-and-emmas-animal-rescue-excl/

He likes her. He really, really likes her.

https://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/general-hospitals-van-hansis-on-lucas-britts-fiery-relationship-and-bond-with-kelly-thiebaud-excl/

We’ll wait for as long as it takes.

https://parade.com/news/is-maxie-coming-back-to-general-hospital

💉 A Dose Of Reality…

Below Deck Mediterranean

Nathan had to choose a lead deckhand and in Eyebrows Joe’s interview, he said if Max became lead deckhand, less pressure, no problem. Among the charter guests were football players, a guy who rapped with Lil Wayne, and a professional fighter who Kizzy immediately set her sites on. In Aesha’s interview, she said she was trusting Kizzy to respect the guest/ crew boundaries. Good luck with that. They watched the American Cup, and Nathan decided on Joe as lead deckhand. Max didn’t take it well and rebelliously let a guest drive the tender – again – then lied to Nathan about it. In the who’s-the-worst-crew-member competition, when guest David and Kizzy were alone, she said she wasn’t averse to breaking the rules. To be continued…

Below Deck Mediterranean Season 10 Episode 11 Recap: A Lead Deckhand and an Illicit Crush

Real Housewives Of Salt Lake City

Angie took the group to Greece where they yachted the Mediterranean and stayed in an amazing villa. There was a lot of rich competition talk – Cartier watches! Porches! – and I decided Lisa and Meredith are just nasty. I’m perplexed about their friendship with Mary, but really, I think only Jesus can help here. At dinner, of course, Whitney said she still didn’t understand what happened on the plane, and in Britani’s interview, she said all had been forgiven, but it wasn’t just about them anymore. Meredith and Lisa owed an apology to everyone for saying they didn’t see what they saw. Whitney said Meredith messed up and they were all paying the price. Meredith was the problem. In Meredith’s interview, she said Whitney was projecting and she was the problem. Meredith was rubber and Whitney was glue. No big shock, she stormed off, Lisa following.

Real Housewives of Salt Lake City Season 6 Episode 13 Recap: Bad Weather Stirred Up a Storm in Greece

We want receipts! Proof! Timelines!

RHOSLC’s Heather Gay on Lack of Meredith Marks Plane Footage: ‘Tune Into Reunion’

Vanderpump Rules

I don’t know what to say about this show. I’m watching it, but I can’t get into it. It’s not LVP. It’s never LVP. But the show isn’t all LVP. It’s too many boring, hoping to be either rick or famous or both, and failing to convince me their worthy of either.

Vanderpump Rules Season 12 Episode 2 Recap: Marcus Was Being Two-Faced With Kim

My point exactly. Maybe I need to revisit Vanderpump Villa.

Beloved Bravo Show Could Be Canceled, Claims Report

Southern Charm

Ugh. In Shep’s interview, he said they had a throuple in Salley, Charley, and Craig, but he couldn’t read the room because he wasn’t in it. At new guy Whitner’s literary figure birthday party, Craig worked hard to stir the sh*t. After Austen made an offhand remark that wasn’t even worth remembering, Craig began to throw a tantrum, along with throwing Shep under the bus. He told Austen that Shep had info that would ruin his life. Shep revealed that some stupid girls came up to him and said something about Austen talking to their friend, but he said leave him out of it. Afterward, for reasons known only to peabrain Shep, he told Craig, wondering if he should tell Austen. Craig told him not to disturb Austen’s peace – whatever that means – but probably because he was saving it as ammunition. Why should Shep get all the fun? Another one vying for worst friend in the world, Salley couldn’t comprehend why Craig wasn’t making any moves on her. She was practically living in his hot tub and had never met a man she couldn’t get. This in itself wasn’t the problem. Charley had clearly indicated she was interested, which seemed to make it a challenge for Salley. Ugh again. I’ve met women like that and I can’t. As usual, Molly was the voice of reason, and it seemed like a possibility that Austen was getting a clue that Shep and Craig didn’t have his best interests at heart. Other than seeing everybody’s dogs, the most amusing part was Austen getting a kitty and trying to decipher a 30-page instruction booklet when putting a water dish together.  

Southern Charm Season 11 Episode 4 Recap: Will Austen’s Real Friends Please Stand Up?

Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills

Kyle was cagey about her dating life and Mauricio was an a-hole. It was the same old in Beverly Hills. Extending an olive branch, Erika invited Sutton to a spa day. Dorit fretted over PK’s mission to torture her and said Jagger looked like the weight of the world was on his shoulders. The kids were excited to visit her parents in Florida, but PK was determined to squelch their good time by first trying to stop the kids from going and then saying he’d be coming along and the kids would stay in a hotel with him. New cast member Amanda was living in Kyle’s old house, and had gotten hate for ripping out the foyer floor. I’m not sure why since it was outdated black and white tile. Jennifer (my favorite!) had a Sip & Draw party, for which she’d hired nude male models. The women acted like 12-year-olds, some giggling, some hiding behind their easels. I took a college course in Life Drawing (i.e. nudes) when I was in high school and no one reacted like that. Erika felt the need to comment on Amanda not drinking, and in Amanda’s interview, she wondered if she was going to be shamed for good life choices. Rachel’s drawing was deemed the best art (it wasn’t bad), and Erika focused only on the nether regions. Jennifer said Erika had skipped over the head, and I wondered why no one – no one – made a joke. In Jennifer’s interview, she said she didn’t think they’d unearthed any artistic geniuses. Kyle was grilled on her dating life and remained vague. Supposedly, she’d found love, but the other person (Morgan?) wasn’t into a public lifestyle. She also said that she could go Brad or she could go Angelina, but – and absolutely no judgement – I still wonder if that’s for the storyline.

Real Housewives of Beverly Hills Season 15 Episode 2 Recap: Kyle Comes Clean About Dating

RHOBH Recap: Kyle Cries Over Dating Someone Who Disliked Public Scrutiny as She Hints at Morgan Wade Relationship; Dorit Accuses PK of Using Their Kids to Hurt Her and Newbie Amanda Clashes With Erika

Random Reality Items

Again, don’t try this at home. Or outside. Or anywhere.

Fraser Olender’s Boyfriend Gives Update After Below Deck Star’s Heart Attack

Shah has been sprung.

RHOSLC Alum Jen Shah Released From Prison: Details

Checking for pigs flying…

RHONJ’s Teresa Giudice Reveals Another Shocking Reconciliation

I think the farting incident put her over the edge.

https://pagesix.com/2025/12/11/celebrity-news/rhoslc-star-bronwyn-newport-and-husband-todd-bradley-splitting-after-9-years-of-marriage/

👀 Last Weekend’s Watch…

Expired. Amazon Prime. The reviews said it dragged. I said it was depressing. Tomato/Tomahto. Hugo Weaving was a big selling point, since I enjoy his work, and he didn’t disappoint. In a futuristic Hong Kong, an assassin and karaoke bar hostess find love. The downside is, when the assassin starts to get the feels, his health goes downhill. It was an interesting premise, but gloomy as hell for a good portion of the film. Weaving’s scientist has a butterfly as a pet, so my main question was, how did they get that butterfly to hit its marks?

https://www.beentothemovies.com/2022/04/review-expired-2022-aka-loveland.html

EXPIRED (2022) aka LOVELAND

Last Night on Earth. Amazon Prime. As you might have guessed, this is about the last night on earth, before an asteroid destroys the planet. The main focus is on a couple who have decided to spend their last days together. No surprise, even in apocalyptic times, there are a-holes who will rain on your parade. The countdown clocks placed everywhere don’t add any joy to the atmosphere either. Well-written and acted, but it did make me want to see Melancholia again.

https://nerdsthatgeek.com/film/nerds-that-geek-movie-review-last-night-on-earth

Since I occasionally have a life, I only watched two films this weekend, although I did squeeze in a few more episodes of Upload and the weekly IT: Welcome to Derry. I’ve been watching that one weekly, and I thought this week’s episode – The Black Spot – was the best episode yet. Lots of spoilers in this article, but one of the reasons I loved it was its parallels to Sinners.

https://collider.com/it-welcome-to-derry-episode-7-sinners-parallels-explained/

🦃 Extra Stuffing…

If you’re not ready to move on, lots of factoids to keep you busy.

https://ew.com/why-singers-lip-sync-during-macys-thanksgiving-day-parade-2025-11858419

https://ew.com/worst-macys-thanksgiving-day-parade-mishaps-11852717

https://ew.com/macys-thanksgiving-day-parade-through-the-years-8751652

🎭 Best In Shows…

Festival fashion.

https://ew.com/toronto-international-film-festival-2025-exclusive-celebrity-photos-11804051

Red carpet coming up.

https://ew.com/2026-golden-globes-nominations-full-list-11862210

🎄 Traditionally Speaking…

And all we got was Black Friday.

https://explorethearchive.com/christmas-traditions-around-the-world

🦑 Just Like (Some Of) Us…

🐻 Bears love a parade.

https://people.com/black-bear-close-encounters-in-gatlinburg-tennessee-during-christmas-festivities-11868208

🦝 Apparently, he’s a repeat offender.

https://people.com/raccoon-caught-at-liquor-store-revealed-to-have-a-rap-sheet-including-2-other-break-ins-11868546

🦌 Even sober, I have the same sense of direction.

https://people.com/deer-warned-to-lay-off-the-eggnog-after-crashing-into-christmas-store-11866338

🐕 The roar of the crowd is hard to resist.

https://nypost.com/2025/12/08/lifestyle/national-dog-show-champ-soleil-shocked-handler-in-drive-to-win-its-like-she-can-feel-the-crowd/

🎅 Dressing up isn’t just for Santa.

25 Dogs Dressed Up For Christmas

Have Yourself a Merry Little Everything!

🪅 Quotes of the Week

Don’t look at your feet to see if you are doing it right. Just dance. – Anne Lamott

What I’ve experienced is that I can’t know the future. I can’t know if anything that I do will change what happens tomorrow. I can’t know with certainty, but what I do know is if I do nothing, nothing will change. – James Orbinski

Only when we’re drowning do we understand how fierce our feet can kick. – Amanda Gorman

All changes, even the most longed for, have their melancholy; for what we leave behind us is a part of ourselves; we must die to one life before we can enter another. – Anatole France

Goal setting is the secret to a compelling future. – Tony Robbins

Thoughts lead on to purposes; purposes go forth in action; actions form habits; habits decide character; and character fixes our destiny. – Tyron Edwards

Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out. – Robert Collier

My responsibility to myself, my neighbors, my family and the human family is to try to tell the truth. –Toni Cade Bambara

The world’s messed up. Either you go good or you go bad. He went bad. – Daryl Dixon (Norman Readus), Daryl Dixon (Daryl sums up the world in a nutshell.)

If the tongs come out, it is not a sophisticated evening. – Aesha Scott, Below Deck Mediterranean

☃️ Let It Snow…

Until next week, stay safe; stay not feeling pressured to be happy – or anything else you’re not – during the holiday season; and stay being careful where you make your messes. You never know when you’ll find yourself alone and in need of a friend.