Category Archives: Below Deck

Jul23

July 22, 2024 – John Tells Jason That Sonny Has To Pay, Burn Book Of Laundry Crimes On Deck & Blues

Posted on July 23, 2024 by theresakp

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

At Bobbie’s, Danny asks how Jason made this happen, and Jason says he asked. Danny says, that hasn’t worked before, and Jason says, Danny’s mom just wants what’s best for him. Danny says, lately, what’s best has been staying away from Jason and taking his phone. Now they’re going on a speedboat trip. He wonders if they can camp out, and Jason says he promised to have Danny home by 10, but they’ll make it happen soon. Carly comes over to their table and says she hears Danny’s dad is taking him out on the boat. She’s having the kitchen whip up some sandwiches to take with them. John comes in and tells Jason, a word, but Jason says, John will have to wait. He has plans with his son. John says, not anymore. (Pretty early in the show for me wanting to punch him.)

Laura goes to see Anna, who says she always has time for the mayor. Laura says, it’s a personal matter, and Anna says she has even more time for a friend. Laura asks if Anna heard from Valentin today or last night, and Anna says, no. Why? Laura asks if she knows why the FBI would be looking for him.

Brook thanks Kristina and Blaze for meeting her at the boathouse. It’s the only place they won’t be interrupted. Blaze says, it has a great vibe, and Brook offers them coffee and herbal tea. Blaze says she needs coffee; she didn’t sleep much last night. Kristina says, Nina gave them a lot to think about. They asked her about how to deal with the press. Blaze says, so they don’t make things worse, and Brook says, that’s why they’re here today, to prepare for an interview with Perez Hilton. It’s their one chance to reverse backlash caused by Blaze’s mom’s homophobic comments. Just be themselves. They’re fabulous. Kristina asks if their questions were agreed to. They don’t want any curveballs. Brook says, after careful consideration, they said no

Scotty tells Ava that they need character witnesses. They need all the love they can get. Ava says she and Sonny both have shady pasts, but Sonny is still running his organization. He asks if she has proof that won’t get her killed, and she says she thinks the playing field is level, but he says, Sonny will dig up people who will canonize him and vilify her. What about Alexis?

Sonny thanks Michael for coming over, and Michael asks what it’s about. Sonny says he needs Michael’s help.

Laura says, an FBI agent paid her a visit and demanded to know Valentin and Charlotte’s whereabouts. It’s one thing for them to want Valentin, but Charlotte? They talk and text all the time… Anna says she hates that Laura is going through this, but Laura knows that she can’t divulge anything about an ongoing investigation, and she doesn’t have any answers. Laura says, Valentin and Charlotte’s phones are no longer in service, and Charlotte’s social media accounts have all been wiped out. They’re gone. She wants Anna to just tell her that she knows some way to get in touch with Valentin. Anna says she doesn’t, and Laura wonders what this could be about. She knows Valentin has been working at ELQ for the past few years. Why would he run unless the FBI uncovered something from his past? She was thinking Anna was going to tell her that it was a misunderstanding. She has a very bad feeling. Anna says she understands that, and Laura says she knows Anna and Valentin aren’t together, but can Anna tell her why the FBI is looking for him?

Ava says, no matter how much Sonny displeases Alexis, Alexis despises her, and Scotty says, what about Nina? Ava says, now that Nina knows she and Sonny are on the outs, she’s probably camped out in Sonny’s hallway pretending it’s a coincidence. He says he doesn’t want a roll call of exes who Ava hasn’t angered. She doesn’t have a lot of people in her corner. Ava says, Laura. She’s the mayor. He says, that’s as good as it gets, but it’s only one. She says, they’ll figure it out. She bets Sonny has fewer allies than she does.

Sonny asks if Michael wants coffee, but Michael says, Sonny doesn’t have to win him over. How can he help? Sonny says, he knows Ava is filing for full custody of Avery and she’s been going behind his back to everyone, including Kristina. Ava made Natalia’s recording public and now Kristina and Blaze are suffering because of it. Michael says he had no idea Ava was involved, but it doesn’t excuse what Natalia said. Sonny says, Natalia is making it right, but he doesn’t want Ava to be part of his daughter’s life. Michael says, Avery loves her mother, but Sonny says, she’d be better off without Ava influencing her. Michael says he’s glad Sonny kicked her out and wonders why she was living here in the first place. Sonny says, there was the break-in at Windymere and like Michael said, Avery loves her mother. He moved her in, but never again. Diane says, there’s an aspect of all of this they haven’t explored. Ava is adamantly voicing her concern about Sonny’s mental stability. If she could sabotage Morgan, imagine what she could do to Avery?

John tells Jason, send the boy home, but Carly says, Jason has spent enough away from his family. Let him spend the day with his son. Jason asks her to drive Danny home while he talks with this… agent, and tells Danny that he promises they’ll reschedule. He leaves with John, and Danny asks if Carly has any idea what this is about. Carly says, they both know his dad can take care of himself, right? and Danny nods.

Ava says, Trina. She’s seen firsthand how Ava makes Avery a priority. Scotty says, she’s an employee. It’s not their best look. She says, Trina is strong, honest, and immensely capable. Her character is sure to impress the judge. Scotty says, okay, but it’s only two, and she says she’s had it with his pessimism. He says, unless a member of her fan club knocks on the door, they’re in trouble, and she says, he’s fired. He suggests she hire Alexis, and wonders if a lawyer can testify against their own client. She says, he’s unfired, and he says he’s in her corner, but he just wants her to understand what she’s up against.

Michael wonders, if they bring up Ava tampering with Morgan’s meds, doesn’t it open the door to talk about Morgan and Sonny’s rocky relationship? and Diane says, yes, but the friction with Morgan was due to Ava’s relationship with him and the onset of his bipolar, which Ava did sabotage. Sonny says, the real question is, who is the better parent? He gave Michael a lot of love and a great home. Will he testify to that? Michael says he can swear on a stack of Bibles, but it’s ancient history. What’s not is his mom sending Morgan to military school to get him away from Sonny, and Morgan being hit by a ricocheting bullet meant for Sonny.

Kristina says she thought the interview would be fair, and Brook says, it will be. Kristina asks, then why won’t their questions be used? and Brook says, once a guest dictates the questions, it’s no longer an interview, but becomes a press release. He will and should ask the questions he wants to. Kristina says she gets the principle, but they have no control? Brook says, of course (🍷) they do, and Kristina asks about their request for certain subjects to be off limits. Brook says, like Kristina’s father and Blaze’s brother? and Kristina says, let her guess. They said no to that too. Brook says, they did, but what’s most important is for them to have the opportunity to tell their side of the story to the world. Blaze says, it’s too much to risk. They’re canceling the interview.

Ava says, Sonny’s not invincible and she won’t let him take her child, and Scotty says, let him help her then. Does she have anyone in the contacts on her phone? She says, Agent Cates, and he says, Jagger? The FBI guy? Didn’t he question Ava at Selina Wu’s warehouse? Ava says, he wants to be supportive, and Scotty says, he’s law enforcement and has hate for Sonny. That’s good, but she’s only known him for 15 minutes and he thought she’d said Cates was having her followed. She says, because of her association with Sonny, but that’s over, and he found no evidence to incriminate her on anything. Scotty asks, other than hating Sonny, does John have any other reason to take her side? She says she hasn’t known him long, but maybe they have gotten closer.

Jason brings John to his room and asks, what’s so important that John pulled him away from his son? John says, they raided Valentin’s house and found no trace of him, and Jason says, his assignment was to find out who was running Pikeman and get evidence, and he did. Finding and arresting Valentin is on John. John says, Jason was stalling, but Jason says he was waiting until John finished talking. John says, he was here a half hour, and by the time they got to Valentin’s house, he’d vanished. He was tipped off. Jason asks if John thinks he did it, and John says, if it wasn’t Jason, who was it?

Anna says she doesn’t have a cordial working relationship with the FBI, and Laura says, what about Cates’ relationship with Robin? Anna says she and John haven’t seen eye to eye on pretty much anything since he’s been here. And given her closeness to Valentin, there’s no way the FBI would disclose anything to her. Laura says, makes sense. She’s sorry. She’s grasping at straws. This came out of nowhere. She was convinced Valentin had made the decision to provide a stable home for Charlotte and leave his old life behind. Anna says she thought that too, and Laura wonders how they can both be that wrong. She has to believe that if Valentin is with Charlotte, he’ll do everything in his power to keep her safe. Anna says, Valentin is trained in these situations. Not with a child, but they know Charlotte is resourceful. Laura says she knows. It’s just that for some reason all of her children are out of her reach, and now Charlotte is also missing. She cries, and Anna says she’s so sorry. Laura says, it’s okay. Will Anna let her know if she hears anything? Anna says, of course (🍷), but the way they left things, she doubts she’s going to hear from Valentin. Laura says, you never know, and thanks her. Anna says, of course (🍷). Anytime. Laura leaves and Anna sits down, wiping tears from her eyes.

Sonny says he thought that was in the past and asks if that means Michael won’t testify. Michael tells him that he’s not saying that, but they’re going bring up history. Diane agrees and says, they have to prepare. Sonny says, her too? and Michael tells Sonny that all he’s saying is, who’s to say that won’t happen to Avery now? Sonny asks if Michael doesn’t think he’s thought about it, and Diane says, this reaction is what she doesn’t want in court. Scotty will bring it up. Sonny wonders if Michael wants to take the stand to punish him, but Michael says he’s trying to help. Sonny says, like he helped Dex. Michael is only a good son when he wants something. When he doesn’t, he looks at Sonny like something he scraped off the bottom of his shoe.

Scotty says he’s got to ask, and Ava’s got to be honest. Is there something going on between her and Cates? She asks if he’s jealous, and he says, if Diane finds out… Ava says, don’t worry. They’re not involved. Not yet anyway. He asks her to promise they won’t get involved until after the hearing, and she says, so in addition to Cates… What about Dex? He used to work for Sonny and barely escaped. Sonny beat him within an inch of his life. Maybe he’d be willing to testify. Scotty says, she has no proof, and she says, Dex is almost a cop, and she has it on excellent authority that Kristina witnessed the beating. He asks if she thinks Kristina would testify against Sonny, and she tells him to subpoena her. It’s about time Sonny answered for his behavior. He asks, what about Josslyn? She thinks Sonny is public enemy number one. Ava says, she hates Sonny, but she’s her mother’s daughter. She’s an entitled brat who looks down her nose at Ava. He asks if she has a better idea, and she says, Carly, and he rubs his forehead like he has a headache.

Carly say she was hoping Cates confided in Anna, but Anna says, John is more likely to confide in Carly. Carly says she regrets any kindness she’s shown John and asks if Anna is going help. Anna says she can’t divulge any information she finds out, and Carly says, thanks for nothing. Anna says, tell her what this is about, and Carly says, Cates came for Jason this morning.

Jason asks why he’d warn Valentin, and John says, maybe Jason wants to sabotage his case and stick it to him. Jason says, and risk prolonging their deal. There’s no way he’s not done. John says, that would be true if they could find Valentin, but until they do, he has nothing to show for his assignment. Jason’s days as his informant are far from over. He’s putting Jason on a bus to Quantico, where he’ll receive a new ID as a federal prisoner. He’ll go to Lompoc Penitentiary, where he’ll be inserted into a drugs and arms trafficking outfit they believe is there. He leaves tonight.

Carly explains what happened at Bobbie’s, and Anna asks if John said anything to suggest he’s coming for Sonny. Carly says she thinks John is helping Ava with the custody hearing, but she also thinks it’s all one big excuse. Anna says, for what? and Carly says she thinks John is doing what he can to take Sonny down. Anna asks if that’s Carly’s theory or Jason’s, and Carly says, all she knows is, Jason was supposed to be done, when John barged in and started pushing Jason around again. If it’s not about Sonny, what the hell is going on?

Blaze says she’s sorry, but Kristina says, they can’t let her mother’s voice be the only one. They have to share their side. Brook says, that’s the idea, but Blaze says, it’s looking like a firing squad. Kristina says, let him ask questions about her dad and her pregnancy. He can try, but she can also say, they choose to keep that part of their lives private. Brook says, or Kristina could explain what it is. She’s having the baby for her sister because her sister can’t. People will swoon over that story. Kristina says, it’s not her story to tell and she’s not going public with the details of her sister’s health and fertility issues. Brook says, they wanted her advice, and she thinks they should take the risk and do this. Blaze says she knows it’s not true that they can’t make it worse, but Brook says, Perez has no private agenda. He just wants to the truth. They can’t get any better or broader exposure, and they don’t have to answer. Kristina says, it will look like they’re hiding, and Brook says, they could reframe the question and answer in a way that’s comfortable. For example, if they ask what it was like being a mob boss’s daughter growing up, Kristina can say, both of her parents encouraged her to be her best self, and she trusts they’ll continue to do that. Blaze says she likes that, and Kristina says, it’s a good idea, but she would never say that. Brook suggests she figure out what she would say and that they do a mock interview.

Michael says, Sonny asked him to come here and he put aside their bad blood, but now Sonny is attacking him. Sonny says he’s not attacking anyone, but Michael says, the only time he’s seen Sonny like this is when he’s off his meds. Sonny says he’s been taking them and asks if Michael wants to check his medicine cabinet. Michael says, maybe they’re not working anymore. Something is wrong. Sonny says, what’s not working is Michael sabotaging him to get back at him. Then he gets mad, and Michael says he’s crazy. Diane tries to intervene, but Michael says he’s done. Give him one reason to stay. Sonny has no idea how badly he wanted things to work out. Sonny says, he’s made a hell of an effort, and Michael tells Diane, this was a mistake. This isn’t the father he knew growing up. He walks out.

Brook tells them, heads up and make eye contact. Take their time. Here we go. When they first heard the recording, how did it feel? Kristina says, she had been out for some time, so these types of slurs and insults weren’t new. It’s part of the reason she started the Corinthos-Davis House, a non-profit for LGBTQ youth. The center has just been completed and they have amazing programs: counseling, job searches, health education, and referrals. Brook says, that’s amazing. What about Natalia’s comments? Kristina says, it was difficult when she first heard them. It felt like someone had ripped open a shower curtain. She wasn’t ashamed, but it was a massive intrusion. It’s hard to know her privacy was violated by someone she knows and trusted.

Anna suggests John might be trying to debrief Jason, and Carly says, about what? It’s more. She could tell. Anna says, John has been gunning for Sonny since he came to town. He’s resentful about having to protect Sonny when Sonny had a target on his back. Carly says, it’s clear how he feels, and Anna says, now Sonny has no target. Carly says, John thinks it’s his turn, and Anna says, it’s a likely explanation. Carly says, he’s wasting his time. There’s no way Jason is going to flip on Sonny.

Jason says, the deal was for him to infiltrate Pikeman, ID their leadership, and provide proof. He gave John more than that, and if John can’t make a case, that’s his problem. John says, maybe he can, maybe he can’t, but one case is ironclad – The People vs Carly Spencer. If Jason’s not on that bus, Carly is going to Pentenville.

Scotty says, Ava is nuts. Why would she think Carly would testify against Sonny? Ava says, they’re just asking her to tell the truth, and he says, the opinion of an ex-wife isn’t exactly a slam dunk. Ava says, Carly also happens to be the mother of two of Sonny’s children, Donna and Morgan, but he says he wouldn’t bring up Morgan if he were her. She says, whatever happened, when Morgan was a child, Carly had to ship him off to military school to keep him safe from Sonny. He says he could dig up those records, but it’s ancient history, and she says she happens to know Carly won’t let Donna sleep over at Sonny’s because of his erratic behavior. She was there when Carly accused Sonny of not taking his meds. She even pushed her way into his bathroom to check because he was being so combative. He asks if Sonny is taking the meds, and she says, yes, for all the good it’s doing. She thinks their strongest witness will be Sonny himself. Scotty asks why she thinks that.

Anna says, whatever Carly is thinking of doing, don’t. Don’t confront Cates without any information on what really happened or what Jason intends to do. She understands the impulse, but she’s asking Carly to hold off. Let her find out what’s going on first. Carly apologizes and says she never should have involved Anna. This is between her and Jason, and they’ll fix it themselves. She leaves, and an obviously frustrated Anna makes a call.

Scotty asks what Ava is thinking, and she says, attorney/client privilege? He says, yes, as long as she’s not going to tell him that she’s going to commit a crime. She says she’s not doing anything. One of Sonny’s meds was replaced with a placebo. He says, not that again, but she says she didn’t do it. Not personally. But she figured it out. He asks who else would do it, and she says she doesn’t know, but she’s seen the results up close and it ain’t pretty. He says, so what she’s telling him is that she wants him to get Sonny on the stand and then push his buttons, and she says, he’ll blow like Vesuvius. They can prove to the court that Sonny is to volatile to have custody of Avery – ever.

Sonny says, when it comes to his family, that’s his business, and Diane says, absolutely. Now she’s speaking as his attorney. He was abusing a witness who came into his home at his invitation to help him. Sonny says, Michael turned on him, but Diane says, he was trying to help. Sonny just refused to listen. He’s behaving more erratically, aggressively, and more self-defeating than she’s ever seen, and she’s seen a lot. If he can’t get a grip on what’s got him, there’s no way she’ll be able to convince a family court judge that he’s a responsible, loving, dependable parent to any child, certainly not his own.

John says he has a bus ticket and Jason’s detailed assignment. Read it and destroy it. He knows the drill. Jason says he’s not going, and John says, if Jason is going to stay in Port Charles, Jason has to get him enough evidence to arrest and convict Sonny. Jason says, what if he doesn’t have it? and John asks why he’s still protecting Sonny. Sonny has left a trail of broken lives in his wake, starting with John’s wife and brother. Sonny has to pay! John is unhinged and literally panting, and Jason just stands there. Jason says, Sonny has been wrong about a lot of things, but there’s one thing he’s right about and that’s John. Pikeman was just an excuse to come to Port Charles and take Sonny down. John says, Jason knows where the bodies are buried, enough to put Sonny away until the end of time. So either give it to him or get on that bus.

Tomorrow, Jason asks Anna to give him the same consideration she gave Valentin; Carly tells Sonny that John wants to take him down; and John tells Ava that if she wants his help, she has to help him first.

Below Deck Mediterranean

🐈every time one is seen lounging around Greece.

First day of charter. Captain Sandy is boxed in, with six inches between the ground line, the dock, and the other boats, and the wildfires are getting closer. All the lines are freed, and the captain tells Joe to take a line, but he says, it’s stuck under the fender. Nathan says, a wee tender is passing next to them, but as soon as it passes, he says, they have a small RIB off the bow. Somehow, the captain gets out, and Iain says, that’s precision driving. The guests cheer, and the captain says, that was intense. Undocking can be challenging, but Nathan is her bow guy now. In Joe’s interview, he says, fake it before you make it. He has to prove himself to the captain. Aesha sings about how she’s going to wet her pants and has no time to go to the bathroom. In Bri’s interview, she says she’s been writing things down, and we flash back to Ellie suggesting a notebook for the laundry. Bri says, the last thing she wants to do is mess up something else.

The yacht heads for Hydra, and Aesha tells the guests that they’re going exploring. Nathan tells Gael that he feels sh*tty for Joe. They can work as a team, so he learns on the job. Joe has been thrown off the bow and Nathan knows he’s feeling hurt, and his ego is bruised. In Nathan’s interview, he says, Gael is in her head, but he doesn’t blame her. He finds her attractive and enjoys her company, but he wants to be respectful and give her the space she needs. A few of the guests do The Worm in the main salon, and 1980 calls. They drop anchor, and the jet skis and wave runners are put out. The captain asks Bri to pop into her cabin, and Joe dives off the side of the boat to help with the equipment. Captain Sandy shows Bri a greyish pair of pants against a white pair and says she doesn’t know what happened, but this must have been put in with the darks. It’s not white. Aesha tells Bri, even with a color catcher, don’t put the light and dark clothing together, and Bri promises not to. In Aesha’s interview, she says, Bri started off badly, then had one good charter. We flash back to both, and Aesha says, ever since, it’s gone downhill. So far, there have been no fights, so that’s got to be a sign of improvement. But there’s not a chance she can rest easy. She’s been full-on and she has to figure out how to change this. Since there isn’t much to do upstairs, Aesha sends Ellie to help with the laundry, but when Bri finds her there, she says she’s got the washing. Ellie says, she’s just doing a job. Aesha told her to help, since there’s nothing to do upstairs. Stop chasing her out. In Bri’s interview, she says, she thinks Ellie wants her off the boat. She feels paranoid. (She really isn’t too bright, is she?) She’s organized the laundry into messy piles, but she knows where everything is. Ellie messes up her messy piles. Dude, it’s not your desk at home. It’s the superyacht laundry. The guests head back inside, and Aesha calls Bri to the bar. She tells Bri to go on a break, and meanwhile, Ellie is in the laundry and sees the Bri’s notebook. In Ellie’s interview, she says, Bri seems to be writing a list of laundry crimes, mistakes she’s found in the laundry. She’s just finding her own mistakes and blaming them on her. What the f*** is going on here?

The captain tells the deckhands to take in the anchor and calls Joe to the bridge. In Joe’s interview, he wonders what he’s done now, but Captain Sandy asks him to take the wheel while she goes to get coffee. She says she trusts him. In her interview, she says, she supports Joe. She’s not demoting him. He just needs more experience. He knows how to do it, but not how to do it under pressure. She put him at the helm to give him confidence. In Joe’s interview, he says, the captain is still giving him responsibility and it makes him feel at ease. In Captain Sandy’s interview, she says, all they have are rocks, so she’s using two anchors. It will be difficult, but she has confidence that it should be a smooth operation. Jono wraps stuff in grape leaves, and in his interview, he says he loves Greek food. He’s not experienced in it, but his BFF is from Athens, and her grandma is a master chef. He calls friend Penelope to get instructions, and says, one more setback and he might lose his job. He has no room for error. I pick up on the use of leeks instead of onions and wonder if the Greek restaurant in the strip mall near here is still open. Bri calls her best friend to complain about Ellie, and Captain Sandy says she’s going to back in like a mofo. She’s backing into rocks, and in Nathan’s interview, he says, keeping them in position is an easy thing to do, but a lot of people make it complicated.

Iain gets confused and says, there are no guys to catch the heavy lines at the dock, when there are clearly two guys there. 🐈 In the captain’s interview, she says, sometimes Iain doesn’t look before he speaks. Pay attention. Be aware. Aesha asks Ellie if she’d be comfortable doing lunch service. They need the table set by two. In Aesha’s interview, she says, they’re halfway through the charter season and she can’t keep doing everything. We flash back, and she says, maybe it’s her, and she has too tight of a leash on them. Sometimes you have to throw someone in the middle of the ocean and see if they sink or swim. In Ellie’s interview, she says she’s never done lunch service before, but her energy isn’t matching with Bri’s. She’s not going to be mean. It is what it is and she has to deal with it. In Gael’s interview, she says she knows Iain is going to brag about how he can climb rocks, but it’s not going to be as easy for the guests as he thinks. He’s tiptoeing around Captain Sandy. Just make it safe. Even though she’s on break, Aesha listens to the stews over the radio, and Ellie asks Bri to help fetch various things. She’s extra polite, and in Bri’s interview, she says, Ellie looks good, but it feels fake. In Gael’s interview, she says she’s anxious regarding her relationship and doesn’t want to let it affect her work. She could use a win this charter. Iain tells her, good job, and the captain says, nice work. In Aesha’s interview, she says, this is why she doesn’t take breaks. The person left in charge doesn’t know where things are. She tells Jono that Ellie is running service and she’s nervous. She wants to check. 🐈 She sees the table isn’t set up and it’s ten minutes until dinner. Ellie says, they were making cocktails, and Aesha says she’s coming back from her break. Start setting the table. In her interview, Aesha says she’s learned her lesson. They’re not ready.

In Ellie’s interview, she says, Aesha isn’t giving them a chance. She’s taking it away and it crushes her soul a little bit. Five more minutes, and they would have had it more under control. She’s lost her pho and has no confidence. Aesha tells Bri that the bar is a mess and the table’s not set. They’re not on top of it. In Bri’s interview, she says, if she was Aesha, she wouldn’t trust her and Ellie. Platters of food porn come out, and a guest says she didn’t know shrimp came that big. Bri says, they’re king prawns, and the guest says, if you live in a fancy place, they’re prawns, but if you live in a not so fancy place, they’re shrimp. Truth! Aesha tells Jono, the guests really, really like lunch, and Bri takes a plate to the captain. Gael gets a text from her boyfriend, saying, in spite of anything, he loves and misses her. She texts back that she misses him too. She knows he’s got to focus on his exams, so they’ll talk soon. In Gael’s interview, she says she has a strong connection with Nathan, but at the same time, she definitely has a lot of guilt. She doesn’t want to do that to her boyfriend. She’s a people pleaser and hates to disappoint others. The last thing she wants to do is hurt him more.

The next morning, Aesha says, the guests are leaving the boat at 10 and she’s going with them. I can’t say I blame her. The women guests twerk, as the men chant, Myrtle Beach. They do know they’re in Greece, right? lain helps them over the rocks to the shore, and says, two at a time to keep them safe. One woman wants to take a picture, or her parents will never believe she did this. 🐈 It’s a sweet, quaint, colorful city, and in Aesha’s interview, she says, Hydra is gorgeous. She loves exploring, by foot or donkey. She sometimes wishes she was a donkey on the island so she could poop on the street. I nearly die laughing. Captain Sandy calls her wife Leah, and says she misses her. Leah says, ditto. She took Little Bear for a walk, and Little Bear misses the captain too. Captain Sandy asks if Leah is excited about coming, and we see she’s due to arrive in three weeks. In the captain’s interview, she says she and Leah have been together five years and they’re in love. She moved to Colorado where there’s no water. She would follow Leah to the desert, but would ask if they could please live near the ocean. She tells Leah, it’s one of those days where everything is crazy. One of the guests asks how old the city is, and Aesha says, it was built quite some time ago, showing her vast historical knowledge. 🐈 They see a store named Carolina, which is weird since they’re from Charleston. In that eerie small world way, it turns out the owner is also from North Carolina. In the crew mess, Joe tells Nathan that he dreamed about Bri. She was wearing an old school retainer, and he woke up in an utter panic. Bri walks through and tells him to enjoy the rest of his evening. She doubts she’s going to see him. In Bri’s interview, she says, actually, she’s never been in a weird work love triangle. It’s affecting her work, but she feels chemistry,

The guests come back, and Ellie says, they’re preparing for the sequined dinner. A guest says, it’s time to get ready for sparkle night, and Ellie says, the primary wants Joe to perform. If Gael wants, she can perform with him. She asks if Joe is up for a performance. 🐈 Aesha tells the stews that the décor looks great. Disco balls hang from the ceiling. In Ellie’s interview, she says she’s warming up to Joe. Bri’s feelings aren’t bothering her, and she’s personally looking forward to spending more time with Riz as she calls him. It’s short for charisma. Jono asks how things are going with Gael and her boyfriend, and Gael says, they haven’t spoken much, but she thinks they’re all right. Then she amends that to, they’re good. In Jono’s interview, he says he wants to wow the guests with beautiful food. It’s just as important plating as how it tastes. He’s made grilled lobster with cauliflower rice and he’s taking just as much time digging into his plating skills, so it looks as beautiful as it tastes. Aesha says she appreciates Ellie being a professional, and Ellie says she’s checked out of the drama. This morning when Aesha sent her to the laundry, she started folding and Bri came in and told her to leave. She told Bri that she was there now and just here to help. Bri literally stormed out. It was disrespectful. Aesha says, Bri loses her place if someone else comes in, but it can’t be only hers. If there’s free time, Ellie should help. Ellie says, Bri started writing a laundry crime list. Gael’s clothes were found in the washer, there was no color catcher in with the clothes… In Aesha’s interview, she says, this is what she has to deal with now. She feels like a good chief stew needs to listen and assess both sides before making a decision. Ellie says she’s not getting involved or Bri will twist it like it’s her causing the problems. It’s just too much.

Aesha says, it doesn’t happen in front of her, but thanks for letting her know. Kacie sees the sparkle décor and says she’s going to cry. Guest Ashley says, it’s sparkle night, baby, and Joe puts on a sparkly top, wondering if this is really his job. In Gael’s interview, she says she thought she was going to pursue dance until she tore her ACL when she was 16. Desert is a poached pear with berries, and Jono puts edible gold leaf on the pear. In his interview, he says, a poached pear is simple, and to add value to the desert, he’s incorporating gold leaf. Timeless extravaganza. On of the guests says, they’re having a sparkle party today and tomorrow, and Aesha suggests they take a picture. When she does a big one, she likes to show Scott. In Aesha’s interview, she says, he tells her that she doesn’t need to send him that, and she tells the guests that he doesn’t like it, but she does it anyway. She’s such a dude. Bri tells Aesha that she’s done with the cabins, and Aesha says she can knock off. Aesha tells the guests that they have a big surprise, and Joe and Gael enter all sparkled up. In Joe’s interview, he says, it’s going on. He’s got to perform, baby. They dance and they’re actually pretty good. The guests cheer and Aesha says, they killed it. They were so good. Joe and Gael high-five, and he says, well done. He goes to his cabin and tells Nathan that he can’t wait to have nightmares. Aesha goes to the laundry and flips through the notebook. In her interview, she wonders why Bri is writing this down. It looks like a book of receipts. What is this, a burn book? She can’t tell if Bri is stirring the pot or Ellie is. She takes something out of the dryer and wonders why it’s in there. In her interview, she says she sees cashmere in the dryer and a burn book. It’s time to involve Captain Sandy. She can’t handle this.

Next time, the primary is a branding expert and the guests look difficult; Ellie tells Bri that second stew outranks her; and Captain Sandy says, if Ellie and Bri can’t work together, she’ll have to let go of them both.

🔮 Formerly Known As…

Join me tomorrow for soap, what I’ve been watching, and perhaps some Dubai talk. Until then, stay safe, stay taking it easy with the fireworks (every day doesn’t have to be 4^th of July), and stay not abusing a witness who’s trying to help you.

Jul16

July 15, 2024 – Willow Tells Nina About Kissing Drew, Leaving the Anchor Behind On Deck, Two Goodbyes, Goodest Boy & Cruel

Posted on July 16, 2024 by theresakp

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

In bed with Valentin, Anna asks if he sees something he likes, but he says, no. He sees something he loves. He tells her to kiss him like she means it, and she says she does, and kisses him.

Jack sees Carly in the visitor’s room and says, you again. He’s running out of charming greetings. She never comes to see him just to chat. There must be something wrong. Does it involve the FBI?

Jason stands outside Elizabeth’s door with an envelope in his hand. He’s about to slip it under the door, when Elizabeth opens it.

Drew tells Michael that as Aurora’s de facto CEO, he’s going to have Nina reporting to him directly. Is that going to be a problem? Just say the word, and she’s gone. He’ll fire her today if Michael wants him to. (I wasn’t crazy about Drew when he was a good guy, and I’m starting to like him less every time he opens his mouth.)

Willow goes to Nina’s office, and Nina asks her to come look at the issue she’s working on. An artist wants to push scaled down turbans, and she can’t tell if it’s brilliant or ridiculous. Willow says she doesn’t know if she’s the best person to ask, and Nina says, it probably seems frivolous to her, but Willow says, it’s not that. She did something terrible, and there isn’t anyone else she can talk to about it. It’s the kind of thing you can only tell your mom or a sister, and she doesn’t have a sister. Nina says, Willow can talk to her about anything, and Willow starts to cry.

Carly tells Jack that she took his advice, hired the best lawyer, and told them everything. He asks if her lawyer is aware that the FBI is forcing Jason to help them by holding the recoding of her over his head that suggests she’s guilty of RICO violations. Carly says, there’s nothing suggestive about it. They have her flat out saying she’s head of Sonny’s organization. He says, that’s no small feat considering the size and scope of the organization, and she says she’s impressed with how familiar he is with it. He says, the WSB has been known to have interest in local businesses when it furthers their interest. When tampering with the nation’s power structure, one can’t be too scrupulous about the partners one enlists, can one?

Elizabeth says she’s sorry she didn’t hear the doorbell, but Jason says he never rang it. He came to give her this for Jake’s art school. He heard voices and didn’t want to interrupt. She asks if he’d like to come in, but he says, no. He should be going. She asks if he has someplace to be, and he says, no. It’s her house and Jake’s house, and he didn’t want to put them on the spot showing up uninvited and forcing Jake to talk to him. Just because they enjoyed a baseball game doesn’t mean Jake wants to take his money. He doesn’t want Jake to feel pressured to take it. She says, the only way to know is to make the offer and let Jake decide.

Drew says, when Michael came to him and said he and Nina were going to put their differences aside, he thought Michael might feel differently in the light of day. Michael says, even though he’d just as well never see Nina again, she’s a fantastic Editor-in-Chief and it would be bad business to let his personal feelings interfere with Crimson. Besides, Willow is starting to want a relationship with Nina again. If he got in-between that, it would only hurt Willow and that’s the last thing he wants to do.

Willow says, what happened could ruin her life, and Nina promises it will stay with them, mother and daughter. Willow says she’s not proud of this and can’t believe it happened. It was the 4^th of July party. She and Drew had a few moments alone to talk. They were toasting his success, and the fireworks were going off. She doesn’t even know how it happened. She guesses they were just caught up in the moment. One minute, they were looking up at the sky, and the next, they were kissing.

Anna says she has to get to work, but Valentin suggests they go sailing. She says she can’t make any decisions until she gets some caffeine in her body, and he says he can fix that. He goes to the kitchen, and she asks if he can make her a latte. He says, as she wishes, and she takes the satellite phone from behind the books. She puts it in her bag, and he comes back, saying, he’s out of milk. She says she thinks that’s a sign she should go to work, but he says, maybe it’s a sign they should go out to breakfast, and he’ll buy her a fancy latte with one of those hearts in the foam. Or they could stay home and do this. He nuzzles her neck and asks if they don’t deserve some time by themselves before everything changes. They’re not going to be able to keep their feelings for each other a secret. People with opinions are going to find out, and he wants to keep this moment as uncomplicated as he can for as long as possible, before the world comes crashing down on them again. They start to kiss when Charlotte walks in.

Valentin asks what she’s doing here. He was going to fly to Europe and pick her up after her holiday. She says, that was the plan, but her friends decided to go island hopping and she’s seen enough of Greece to last a lifetime, so she decided to surprise him. She looks at Anna and says she obviously succeeded. Anna says, it’s lovely to see her. She knows Charlotte and Valentin have catching up to do and she has to go to work. Charlotte says, please stay. There’s something she didn’t say to Anna before she left Port Charles, and she doesn’t like loose ends.

Jack says he’s well acquainted with the corruption and violence in organized crime, and Carly says, unfortunately, she is too. He says, despite knowing that, she went toe to toe with rival mobsters, and she says, they thought Sonny was dead. She had to make a show of strength, or Sonny’s enemies would have moved in and taken over his territory. He says, their first step would have been to eliminate anyone close to Sonny, including his family, and she says, so she did what she needed to do to protect them all. He says, not many people would have the nerve. It seems to him that her talents are wasted in hospitality. Someone with her skills is a born secret agent.

Michael tells Drew that when he sees Willow smile, he thinks about all the months there was nothing to be happy about. He used to pray for the life they have now, so if he has to pretend everything is okay with Nina and put a smile on, he’ll do it to keep the life he’s been blessed with. A life he’s indebted to Drew for. Drew says, no. He did what anybody would do in that position. Michael says, Drew risked his life to bring Dr. Obrecht home (so where is she???) and saved Willow. They’ll never forget that. Willow thinks of him as her guardian angel. Drew says he definitely doesn’t deserve that, but Michael tells him not to be so modest. Drew was able to forgive Nina and it motivated Willow to do the same thing.

Willow tells Nina to forget she said anything. She’s going to go. Nina says, wait, and Willow says, Nina must think she’s a terrible person, but Nina says she could never think that. She’s not judging Willow. How could she with all the mistakes she’s made? It was just surprising. It’s the last thing she expected. Willow says, Nina would never think she’d do something so stupid and self-destructive, but Nina says she’s sure Willow is remembering it a lot worse than it was. She had a cocktail or two and the kiss was probably more chaste than she thinks. Willow says she wasn’t even tipsy. She kissed Drew the way she kisses her husband. It was real and it was wrong. Nothing like this has ever come close to happening before… Except she and Drew have always had this special connection and it’s only gotten stronger. She loves Michael and she’s grateful for their family and the life they’ve built together, but Drew saved her life. It bonded them in a way she’s never felt with anyone else before. In a way, he even brought her and Nina closer together. She doesn’t know what she feels for Drew, but she can’t stop thinking about their kiss. Nina says she thinks Willow is being too hard on herself, but Willow says she’s being unfair to Michael and Drew.

Drew says, if Willow wants to have a relationship with Nina, it’s not because of him. It’s because of the person she is. She tries to see the best in people. Michael agrees, and says, but she idolizes Drew. Drew running for congress has given her something to believe in. Drew says he hopes he can live up to Willow’s faith in him.

Willow says, Drew needs to focus on himself right now and not have this confusing situation with her, but Nina says she thinks Willow is giving Drew far too much consideration here. He’s a grown man. He can look out for himself. Did she force this kiss on him? Willow says, of course (🍷) not, and Nina says, so she wasn’t acting alone. Drew shares some of the blame. Willow says, it doesn’t matter whose fault it is. The kiss never should have happened at all. Nina says she’s kissed someone she wasn’t supposed to kiss and can relate to Willow’s feelings. That’s why she knows the issue isn’t really the kiss, but how Willow feels about it. Or more importantly, what she does about it. Willow says, it’s never going to happen again, and Drew agrees with her, and Nina says, so she regrets the kiss. Willow says, very much, and Nina says, and Drew? Willow says, he does too, but when they talked about the kiss, Drew said something that surprised her. That in a different world, under vastly different circumstances, there might be something between them.

Charlotte says she owes Anna an apology, one that’s long overdue. She should have said something before she went to school, but she wasn’t ready yet. She is now. Anna says, it’s sweet of her, but not necessary. Apology accepted of course (🍷). They can leave it at that. Valentin says he thinks it might be good for Charlotte to say what she needs to say, and Anna says, of course (🍷). Charlotte says she’s sorry she trashed Anna’s hotel room. She’s sorry she wrote those terrible things on Anna’s door and mirror. Anna was always so sweet to her, and she thought it was all an act. Her Grandfather Victor told her that Anna was evil, and she believed him. Now she knows he was the one who was lying and she’s so sorry for how she acted. Valentin wonders what’s behind this shift, and Charlotte says, there were kids that came to the school after their country was attacked. Some lost their entire families and had to leave everything behind when they escaped. Their entire lives were taken by powerful people who didn’t care who they hurt or killed as long as they got what they wanted. It made her realize Grandfather Victor was like that too. Valentin says, he was, but she’s not, and Charlotte says she hopes not. She’s a Cassadine and Cassadines are bad, unless they die trying to be good. Valentin looks sad.

Jake comes out and sees Jason, who says he just stopped by. Elizabeth says, Jake’s dad wants to give him something, and Jason says, Jake’s mom told him that he was accepted into an art academy in Spain. Jake says he just got lucky, but Jason says, they only take the best. They’re not going to waste their time unless he’s really good. Jake says, maybe, but it’s expensive, and Jason says, that’s why he’s here. He wants to pay for it. Elizabeth says, isn’t that amazing? and Jake says, it’s super generous, but not necessary. Jason says he gets it. Jake is worried that he’s trying to buy a place in Jake’s life and his forgiveness, but he knows he has to earn that. He hopes one day that comes, but there are no strings attached. When he wasn’t much older than Jake, he had an important decision to make that shaped the rest of his life, like the one Jake’s about make. He wants Jake to choose what makes him happiest without worrying how to pay for it. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity and might not come around again. If he’d been a different kind of father – any kind of father – paying for Jake’s education would be no question. Please take the money and don’t let his failings mess with Jake’s future.

Michael tells Drew that he sees Willow is all-in with his campaign. It’s all she can talk about. She’s Drew’s biggest supporter as long as he stays the stand-up guy he is. Drew says he’ll do his best, and Michael says, Drew forgave Nina and hired her back at Crimson. Now, Crimson has never more successful. He respects Drew’s judgement and will follow his lead. Drew asks if Michael is sure he can handle working closely with Nina, and Michael says, if it means it’s good for the business, he’ll put a smile on and do it.

Nina says, of course (🍷) Drew would wonder what could have been between him and Willow. She’s a remarkable woman. What man wouldn’t? Willow says, a remarkable woman who kissed her in-law with her husband in the next room, and Nina says, things happen. Drew is a handsome man, and their lives became intertwined. The lines were blurred, and Willow made a mistake. It’s understandable. She’s human. Don’t beat herself up too much. Willow says, even if it costs her marriage? but Nina says, one kiss doesn’t need to lead to divorce. Willow says, Michael might feel differently when she tells him, and Nina says, then don’t tell him.

Carly says she’s never been an intelligence agent. She didn’t want to save the world. Jack says, that’s only for idealists. He’s a pragmatist. If he can tilt the scales of justice, he considers it a job well done. Now he takes pride in a well mopped cafeteria. She says, her lawyer told her that if she follows through with a trial, she has a 30% chance of getting off, and Jack says he doesn’t like those odds. Maybe they can improve them.

Anna says, Charlotte is proof all Cassadines aren’t bound for tragedy, and Charlotte says all she wants to do is make it right. She wishes she could go back and change things. Anna says she’s made a lot of mistakes and hurt a lot of people. Shooting Charlotte was – she cries a little – the worst thing she ever did, and she hopes Charlotte knows how sorry she is. Charlotte says she does and also knows Anna didn’t mean it. It happened because she snuck into Anna’s place to harass her. All she can do is ask Anna’s forgiveness. Anna says she’s already forgiven Charlotte, and asks if Charlotte can forgive her. Charlotte says, consider it done, and they hug. Anna says, Charlotte has a lot of grace. She wishes she’d had half of that when she was Charlotte’s age. Charlotte says, it’s kind of recent. The other students taught her how blessed she is. She has a father who loves her, which is more than most have. Anna says she has to get to work, but she’s glad they had this talk. She hated how they left things. Charlotte says, her too, especially since she sees how important Anna is to her papa. She’d never do anything to hurt him. Anna leaves.

Willow says she doesn’t know how she can keep the kiss a secret. She’s a mess, and Michael will know something is wrong. If she confesses, maybe they can find a way to work through it together. Nina says, at the very least, it will relieve Willow’s burden, but there’s no way to predict Michael’s reaction to his uncle kissing her and imagining a life with her. Willow says, he’ll be hurt and his relationship with Drew will be ruined, and Nina says, she can assuage her guilt or choose to put it behind her and move on. It was a momentary minor slip, and if she treats it as such, she’ll eventually forget it happened. Willow says she tried, but she felt too guilty. That’s why she came here. Nina says she’s glad Willow came to her and hopes Willow keeps coming to her. For the sake of the family, let her be the only one Willow confides in. Eventually, she’ll realize a kiss is not the end of the world. The less power she gives it, the less it will matter. Willow thanks Nina for being able to dump on her. It means so much. She should get going. She has a lot to think about. Nina reminds Willow that she’s just a text or phone call away, and Willow leaves. Nina’s smile fades.

Michael says, they’re in agreement, and Drew says, if he’s elected to congress, Michael will return to being CEO and Curtis will keep control of the wellness division. Drew’s phone rings, and Nina says she needs to see him. He tells her that he’s busy and to set up a meeting, but she says, if he’s thinking of hanging up, she’ll make him regret it. Get up here right now or his campaign is over before he kisses his first baby.

Jack says, the FBI will have no mercy and no pity for Carly. To them, she’s a high-profile target that they have evidence against. She asks if he agrees with her lawyer, and he says, he does. The best bet is for her to avoid a trial entirely. She has two other options. One is to go on the offensive. Make everything public and cry government overreach to anyone who will listen. Out the agents involved and kick up a fuss. Maybe they’ll be shamed into cutting her loose. She asks, what if she just makes them mad and they double down? and he says, that’s the risk. She asks about her other option, and he says, make sure Jason remains valuable to the FBI, but she says, he can’t do it forever. Jack says, as long as they have the evidence. Destroy the evidence, destroy the case. She says, it’s on a protected FBI server. How? He says, easy. She has his sympathies.

Anna lets herself into Jason’s room and opens a laptop. She takes the satellite phone out of her purse and loads the files from it onto the computer. She looks at the files that come up.

Jason says, it’s Jake’s choice. Either way, he’ll understand. Jake says he knows it’s not that simple for Jason and knows Jason’s life isn’t regular. It seems like he tried to do his best with what he had. Art school is what Jake wants and to do it in Spain… He’s excited and grateful for Jason’s offer, so he accepts. Jason hands him an envelope, and Jake holds out his hand. They shake, and it turns into a hug.

Carly says, if it was just her, she’d take her chance in court. She hates how Jason has been blackmailed and she wants to punch Cates every time she sees him. But it’s not just her. Jack says, her kids will suffer too, and asks about Donna. Carly says, Donna is happy, but if she went to prison… Jack says, welcome to his world. You choose the lesser of two evils, whatever would least damage the people around you. Carly says, it’s cowardly letting Jason suffer the repercussions of something she did, but Jack asks if it isn’t worth it if she stays with her kid. She says she guesses it is better if she takes the hit rather than Donna, and he says, there’s her answer. She thanks him for his advice and expertise, and he says, always a pleasure. She says, take care of himself, and he says, her too.

Valentin asks if Charlotte wants breakfast, and she says, sounds great. He thanks her for making peace with Anna, and she says, Anna made it easier than she had to. She’s happy he and Anna are back together. He says he doesn’t know about that, but for the first time in a long time, he thinks there’s hope.

When he returns, Jason finds Anna in his room and asks if she got it. She says, it’s just as they thought, a treasure trove. Files, metadata, everything they need to shut Pikeman down and nail Valentin ten times over. Jason says, it’s finally over. He can get back to his life. Give him the phone. Anna says, she can’t. Not yet.

At Pentenville, a man says, they’re ready for Jack. I think it’s Valentin, but we don’t see his face.

Willow goes into Drew’s office, but finds Michael in his chair. Michael says, Drew had to leave. He’s not running for office, but will she settle for him? She hugs him and says she’s never settling with him. She hopes he knows how happy she is with him. He’s given her everything – a home and a family, and she loves him so much. He says he loves her too. He’d rather be in her arms than in a congressional seat.

Drew goes to Nina’s office and asks, what the hell is wrong? She ordered him to come see her and threatened him. Did she forget he’s her boss? She smacks him across the face and says, you son of a bitch. You kissed my daughter.

Tomorrow, Willow tells Sonny that she wonders if it’s a good idea; Drew tells Nina that it’s time they came to a new understanding; and Ann tells Jason that she can’t let Cates take Valentin away.

Below Deck Mediterranean

Final day of charter – 25-minute delay (so far). Captain Sandy tells the deckhands to put the brake on and stop the anchor. She tells lain that they’re not going to be able get to get the anchor up. He says he’s waiting for the tender to charge, and she tells him to stay with it. In the captain’s interview, she says they’ve never had to leave the anchor before. They could try to haul it by hand or leave it. Leaving it is a risk. It’s an expensive piece of equipment, and she hopes it’s still there when they come back for it. They don’t have an option because she has to get the guests back to the dock. On top of it, the wind is insane. At this point, there’s a 39-minute delay. Trishelle says, they’re hosting people at 3, but Marsha says, she’s not making that flight. The captain says, it’s not the crew’s fault. It’s too windy to transport them back. In Aesha’s interview, she says, the guests are missing flights that she doubts are economy. She has to distract them and keep them entertained. The captain explains what’s happening to the guests, and everyone is totally cool about everything. Captain Sandy tells Iain to find the largest fender and get reflective tape. She gives him instructions, and in her interview, she says, they put the reflective tape on the buoy they hook to the anchor, like they did in Jaws to see where the shark is. Hopefully it works out better for them. She tells the guests that they’re not sinking; the windlass broke. Trishelle says, she’s legit not making her flight, and Brittany says, it’s like extending the vacation and she’s okay with it. In Joe’s interview, he says, whatever Captain Sandy says to do, he’s doing it. Aesha asks Bri if she’s organized in the laundry, and in Aesha’s interview, she says she’s glad Ellie and Bri aren’t fighting. Since Bri hooked up with Joe, they’re letting their petty drama infiltrate the interior. It’s a she said/she said situation and they’re both so convincing. We flash back to them separately telling Aesha what happened, and Aesha says, after charter, she’s brokering a truce. She doesn’t care who said what. Aesha sends Ellie to help with laundry, and the captain says she needs to get the guests back. Nathan takes the chain off the anchor and ties it to the buoy, and Captain Sandy says, he’s free to drop anchor. In Joe’s interview, he says, if the chain hits you or the boat, someone could get hit or die. The chain snaps as the anchor is let go.

Aesha says, this is a first for her, and the captain says, time is of the essence. The wind is worse. It’s at 33 knots, and the forecast is for 63 knots. If she doesn’t get back now, she can’t dock the vessel. The guests finish packing, and Captain Sandy calls the Marina Emergency Services. She says, they had to leave the anchor. They need someone to meet them to help repair the windlass and a retrieval team for the anchor. The guests rave about the trip – these people are unbelievably nice – and Marsha says she could start a modeling agency in the Mediterranean. Bri and Joe flirt like elementary school children, sparring and poking at each other. Blech. In Bri’s interview, she says, you can’t put toothpaste back in the tube. In Iain’s interview, he says he’s been playing the long game with Ellie and thinks he’s a shoo-in. In Ellie’s interview, a producer asks if Iain has a chance, and it’s a hard no. In Jono’s interview, he says he almost packed after the last charter, but he’s putting the Givenchy back in the closet. He thinks his training taught him to improve and be made stronger by criticism. Captain Sandy says, it’s a lot of boat to hold in the wind, and lain keeps asking for Joe to drop the big fender on starboard. In Captain Sandy’s interview, she says, it’s taking too long. She can’t keep holding the vessel. If the fender isn’t down, she can slam into the dock and damage the boat. The delay is now 3 hours and 20 minutes. Nathan helps Joe, and the captain says, Joe needs to learn how to tie a line. Nathan has more knowledge, so until Joe learns, he’ll be doing it. She calls lain to the bridge and asks why he chose Joe to be lead deckhand in the beginning. Iain tells her that Joe had experience and was good at guiding people, and we flash back to Joe’s mess-ups. Iain says, Joe is good at running a team, and the captain says, Nathan is working circles around him. She thinks Joe is a great talker and Iain needs to reassess their experience. In her interview, Captain Sandy says, it was clearly an oversight. lain should have come to her first. She’s had to correct Joe’s dockings, and if Iain had taken the time to read the CVs, he would have seen that Nathan is more experienced. This is a red flag. She tells him, in the future, run things by her. Nathan is now the bow guy. Gael’s boyfriend texts her, wanting an update, and Nathan and Joe both wonder where their trousers are. Bri says she’s confused.

The guests are ready to go, and Marsha gives Aesha a baseball cap and tells her that she’s adopted. Brittany says, Captain Sandy runs a tight, perfect ship. In Nathan’s interview, he says he wouldn’t leave a tip if he was them, but they’re rich and don’t care. Brittany says she loves them, and has Aesha help her get the tip envelope out of her dress bodice, which is just weird. After the guests leave, Aesha tells the stews that they’re having a meeting. They can make a cocktail. The deckhands get to cleaning, and in Joe’s interview, he says he practically got demoted. He wants good laughs and good energy around him. The stews sit down with their cocktails, and Aesha says, well done. They were lucky that the guests were lovely, but they nailed it as well. Ellie and Bri lost focus because of their personal issues. They all need to have respect and kindness when they say things. Ellie says, when it’s put out that she’s disrespectful, she has a problem with that, and Bri says she felt that her feelings weren’t considered. Ellie says, during charter isn’t the time to be overly sensitive, and in Aesha’s interview, she says, the meeting is off to a good start.

Zea Marina. Aesha says, Ellie and Bri have different personalities and need to be conscious of how someone is taking something. You can’t just say, I’m me and you have to take it. Ellie says, things can’t be blown out of proportion all the time. It’s exhausting. Aesha says, they’re going to squash it now. Be aware of how they speak and be the best team. Just keep getting better. There’s a group hug, and in Aesha’s interview, she says she doesn’t feel like they actually fully resolved things. All she can do is keep eye on them and hope the situation doesn’t escalate. If it does, she’ll have to ask the captain for assistance. She’s at her wit’s end. Gael’s boyfriend texts that he’s sorry for being needy. It’s time for the tip meeting, and Captain Sandy says, engineers are coming to fix the windlass. It was difficult, but the windlass is getting repaired, and the anchor is being brought to them. She knows it’s never easy, but it’s part of their character to remain teachable. Nathan is their bow guy now. She tells Jono, good job, and says, the tip is $25K, $2000 a person or 1800 euros. The crew cheers.

The crew gets ready to go out, and in Bri’s interview, she says, in the beginning, she thought Ellie could be a friend. Now all chance of that is gone, so she just has to look out for herself. In Ellie’s interview, she suggests that Joe let it go. She and Bri will battle it out. She comes out in a black catsuit, and Iain’s eyes nearly pop out of his head. In Jono’s interview, he says he’s ready to party, but everyone is still stressed. He doesn’t know what’s going down, but he’s going up. They take a taxi to a bar and have shots. I think, please eat, and Nathan licks Gael’s hand. Joe tells Aesha that it’s weird, and she asks if he can please take the night off from the girls. Joe says he’s not a machine and doesn’t think tonight is his night. In Aesha’s interview, she says she shouldn’t have to ask a deckhand to leave her girls alone, but she’ll try anything at this point. In Joe’s interview, he says he has to take a step back and be professional. Iain tells Ellie that she looks beautiful, and Gael tells Nathan that she loves him. Ellie tells Iain that she’s a person of few words, and he says, him too, but he feels he’s not connecting with everyone as much as he’d like to. Ellie tells him to ask them about them and then listen. In Ellie’s interview, she says, this is not the way to go about it, and in Iain’s interview, he says, sh*t. They sit at the table in awkward silence, then everyone hits the dance floor. Iain talks and talks and talks about himself to Ellie, totally ignoring her advice. In her interview, Ellie says, her bodysuit is working well… on the wrong person. It’s a torture method. He’s waterboarding her with words. Joe tells Bri that she makes him laugh and he finds her attractive, and she says, they’ve caused drama already. He says, he understands that they have to function on a professional level, and she says, if he doesn’t want anything, she won’t invade his space. He says, right now, he doesn’t want anything, and they shake hands. Aesha points out Joe and Bri to Jono, and she asks, what’s with Nathan and Gael? as they watch them at the bar. Jono says he doesn’t know, and Gael and Nathan move closer to each other. Gael tells Nathan that he’s getting her horny, and Jono tells Aesha, it is what it is.

In the taxi, lain blows on Ellie to give her a breeze. Eww. Back on the boat, Nathan and Gael go up to the top deck, and Aesha goes to bed. Gael tells Nathan that she’s a heartbreaker, and he kisses her cheek. She says she can give him a kiss on the cheek and does. He says, they’re friends, and they leave. The declare their like for each other on the stairs and nuzzle. In Gael’s interview, she says she liked it, but at the same time… In Nathan’s interview, he says he doesn’t think Gael’s boyfriend is going to be too happy, but f*** that guy.

In the morning, the anchor is retrieved. Joe says, anything? to Nathan, and Nathan says, there was some neck kissing. Joe tells him, be careful, and Nathan says, she’s fire. In Captain Sandy’s interview, she says, wildfires are burning near the marina. It’s the first time she’s dealt with that, and it’s so sad that the people are suffering. It’s not close to the boat yet, but getting closer by the day. They need to get off the dock before they have a problem. Iain and Aesha go over what needs to be done with their departments, and the captain tells Iain that the fires are north of Athens. She wishes they could just take off, but leaving the guests at the dock id not a good thing. The anchor arrives, and in the captain’s interview, she says, thank God. A diver goes down and floats it up. They’ll put the chain back on and wrap it around the windlass. We see this operation cost just over $40K. Yachts are expensive. Don’t they say that the two best days are the day you buy the boat and the day you sell it? That’s probably why. It’s a money pit.

It’s time for the preference sheet meeting, and Aesha, Jono, and Iain gather in the crew mess with the captain. Captain Sandy says, the co-primaries are Kacie and Quint, who are exploring Europe for the first time. Aesha reads that they want to have an excursion to a local island, and the captain says, they’re going to Hydra. It’s tough to dock there, so the deck crew needs to be on their A-game. Gael has a guilt hangover after she sees texts from her boyfriend that say he’s sorry if he’s needy and he feels hurt. She shows Jono and says she feels like she’s always on the phone. We flash back, and she is always on the phone. Jono says, maybe they need a break. They can’t change that they’re not together. Does she want to be with him?

Gael says, he’s a good guy, and Jono asks, does she want to be with him? She says she thinks she struggles, especially when she’s tired and working. She doesn’t want to paint him as bad. Jono says, that’s not what he asked, and in Gael’s interview, she says, if he hated her, this would be easier. She’s torturing herself every day keeping up the relationship when she has a connection with someone else. Being apart, people do things they wouldn’t normally do. Growing up, it was always, you can do better. At the same time, she reaps the seeds she sows. She tells Jono that she hates disappointing people, and he says he thinks she and her boyfriend need to have a conversation. Be honest and transparent, even if it’s hurtful.

Once again, Captain Sandy can’t find her shirt, and in her interview, she says, it’s not the first time her laundry was mixed up. We flash back to several times, and she says, the third stew is an entry level position, so she wouldn’t fire someone, but it needs to be corrected. It’s charter four and Bri needs to develop a system. Provisions come in, and the captain brings some clothes back to the laundry. She says, they’re not hers, and Ellie calls Bri to the laundry. Bri explains that the captain’s clothes are in the washing machine, and Ellie says, there needs to be more clarity. Captain Sandy says, they’re not leaving until the wind dies down. She hopes it blows the smoke the other way. Things start blowing around and the placemats fly off the table. In the captain’s interview, she says, they need to wait for a weather window and have to get off before the smoke gets to the marina. Ellie calls Bri to the laundry again, and Bri says, the captain’s clothes are in the dryer. Ellie tells Captain Sandy that she’ll bring them up. Finding the clothing on her bed, the captain looks for a shirt. She says, this is terrible, and goes back downstairs to find the crew eating in the mess. She asks why it’s so hard to get her clothes back, and Bri says, her shirt should be in the pile. Ellie says, her clothes were all pressed and hanging, and in Captain Sandy’s interview, she says she’s dealing with wind, fires, and guests. She doesn’t need to lose a shirt. This is the last time. Now she’s gonna get pissed.

Ellie asks if Bri checked their cabin. It has to be somewhere. The captain says, Bri will pay attention now, and tells the crew to meet on the dock in 15 minutes. Bri finally finds the captain’s shirt, and Captain Sandy says, she’s got to fix this. In Bri’s interview, she says she knows she’s making mistakes, but she’s not the only one in the laundry room. She’s going to log every piece. Receipts, bitch. Iain tells Joe that people are picking up on little things and saying the deck work is incomplete. They’ve got to work together and get everyone on the same page.

The guests arrive, and the captain tells Iain, if they don’t get off the dock, they’ll spend the day in a bulk of smoke. Co-primary Kacie introduces herself and says, they’re from Charleston. Captain Sandy says, they’re not departing immediately because the wind is insane. She doesn’t want them seasick their first time out. Aesha gives the tour, and in Nathan’s interview, he says he feels bad about Joe. Joe is his boy. He can tell Joe feels bad and he doesn’t want to be a d*ck. The captain calls Iain to the bridge. She tells him that a superyacht just docked right in front of her (bastard), and in her interview, she says, the wind is getting worse, she has a boat portside, and now a boat has pulled in front of her. Typically, she wouldn’t take the risk, but the smoke is coming in, so she’s taking it. She tells Iain to drop the lines. She’s casting off and is going to come as close as she can to the other boat. The guests see the fire coming, and Captain Sandy tells the deck crew that they have a window and need to leave. The crew moves quickly, and Iain says, she has 4 meters on the stern and has cleared the groundlines. In the captain’s interview, she says, it’s crazy. They can see the fire and the clients on the boat can smell it. If they don’t want ash on top of them, they have to get out, but how can they get out? She’s boxed in and has 6 inches to work with. One wrong maneuver and the season is over. They’re so close… She says, sh*t. It’s too tight.

To be continued…

🎽 Dancing In the Clouds…

This guy was so precious. I barely remember him from GH, but I work out every day and when I’m feeling lazy, I don’t mind sweatin’ to the oldies with him on YouTube. Rock on, Richard.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/general-hospital-fave-richard-simmons-dead-at-76

🥀 Released From Battle…

Such a shame. Whether you loved her or hated her, there’s no question that her work will live on.

https://ew.com/shannen-doherty-costars-pay-tribute-after-death-8677736

And she loved her dog.

https://people.com/all-about-shannen-doherty-dog-bowie-8677823

🐕 Who’s a Good Boy…

Olympians need furry encouragement too.

https://people.com/meet-beacon-golden-retriever-therapy-dog-team-usa-olympics-gymnastics-trials-8672007

🧚‍♂️ Chasing a Midsummer Night’s Dream…

It’s been a long, humid day, but join me tomorrow for soap and entertainment info and recaps. Until then, stay safe, stay choosing to live your memories rather than record them, and stay not waterboarding anyone with words.

Jul10

July 9, 2024 – Cody Tells Mac That He Lied About the DNA Test, Sudsy Newsflash, Just a Preview, Messy New Jersey, Shocking, Have Some Brisket & Born

Posted on July 10, 2024 by theresakp

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Sorry, I missed the beginning, but it’s always just a bit of a rehash. Basically, Drew told Willow that in another time and place, they might have meant something to each other.

Nina tells Michael that, more than anything, she wants a relationship with her daughter and grandchildren. If they continue to be at odds, that won’t happen. That’s enough motivation, but she also loves her job at Crimson, especially after being at The Invader. She’d be an idiot to continue to antagonize Aurora’s CFO. Curtis says, they share family, but they also have a similar work ethic. They’re professionals and damn good at their jobs. Their work is interdependent, they need each other, and Aurora needs them both. Michael says he’s starting to believe that, and he’s willing to put down the past and focus on the here and now. Curtis says, and hopefully, the future, and Michael says, and not just at Aurora. He’s a husband and father, and doesn’t want Willow feeling torn. Whatever she decides, he’s on board. Willow’s happiness is his top priority.

Portia says, while Laura is defending Heather’s rights, how does she know Heather won’t come after Portia’s family? Laura says, the law is for everyone, including the people they hate, but Portia says, it’s not about the law. It’s about Laura feeling bad for a family member who’s locked up. It’s uncomfortable, and sitting in discomfort is hard, but so is fearing for her daughter’s life. Elizabeth comes in and asks if they’ve seen Aiden… Clearly, she’s interrupting. Portia says, Laura’s got backup. Elizabeth came just in time to take her side.

Drew says, that was a rotten thing for him to say, but Willow says, that they might have meant something to each other under different circumstances doesn’t sound rotten. Drew says, it’s a trap when you think of things that might have been. You don’t mess up, and everyone does and says the right things. You don’t doubt your choices. When they met, Willow was already in love with Michael. Willow says she loves Michael so much, she can’t believe she did that, but Drew tells her not to put it all on her. They had a couple of drinks and got caught up in the fireworks and the proximity, and probably a little bit of election enthusiasm. Things happen. She says, it’s not the end of the world, and he says, it’s not even the end of the day. It happened, it’s over, and it will never happen again. Willow says, ever, and Drew says, they’re on the same page. Michael, Curtis, and Nina come in, and Michael says, coincidentally, them too.

Gio joins Trina and Josslyn at the boathouse, and Josslyn asks how the concert was. Gio says, good, and tells them there’s food at the house, but Josslyn says, they’re still full. She offers him a beer, and he asks, how was the barbecue? Josslyn says, eventful. Drew Quartermaine announced he was running for congress. Gio says he thought it was Cain, and Trina says, it was, 24 hours ago. Her dad said Quartermaine has a higher recognition factor. Josslyn says, Drew brought back the mayor and the congressman, but it wasn’t all business. There were friends and family there. Gio asks why Sonny wasn’t here and wonders why he wasn’t invited. Josslyn says, maybe he was and didn’t come. Gio would have to ask the Quartermaines.

Cody says he wants to be part of Mac’s family, but Mac says, he has an interesting way of showing it. Cody says he didn’t know how to tell Mac, and Mac says, so he actively lied. Cody says he’s not proud of it, and Mac says, what upsets him most was that Cody felt he couldn’t be honest. The worst part is that he lied to Felicia. He lied to Maxie, Georgie, James, and Bailey Lou. Everyone he claimed to give a damn about. Cody says he loves them, but Mac says, if he did, he wouldn’t treat them like that. Cody asks if it helps that it was killing him. He’s eternally sorry. Mac says, it doesn’t help. He doesn’t trust Cody. For all he knows, it’s just another lie. He walks away.

Portia says, Heather was Elizabeth’s mother-in-law. Of course (🍷) she agrees with Laura. Laura says, this conversation is over, and Portia says she’ll leave them with this. Heather Webber is a serial killer, and she has every reason to believe Trina was her target. If Laura thinks she’s going to allow Trina to be at risk again and continues to try and set Heather free, the next conversation they have will be in public. She walks out.

Drew says, he and Willow were just watching the fireworks and talking politics. What’s up? Curtis says, they had an impromptu meeting about Aurora, and Nina says, they’re putting aside their differences and moving forward. Michael says, it’s time to move forward, and Nina says, everything is aboveboard, and their agendas have been put to bed. Willow says, it’s a relief to hear that, and Drew says, it feels like a new beginning, a new era, a clean slate. Nina says, with endless possibilities, and Drew asks how this came about. Curtis says, in order to move smoothly, the CFO of Aurora and the Editor-in-Chief of Crimson need to be in the for same room more than two minutes. Portia runs in and tells Curtis that she needs to go home.

Elizabeth says she doesn’t think she’s ever seen Portia so angry, and Laura says she understands. She went through hell with Heather, then Esme, and is genuinely concerned about her daughter. Elizabeth says, Esme is gone, and strange as it is, Heather’s situation has changed. Laura says, thank God she can see that. Portia can’t and it surprised her. Elizabeth says, why? Because she’s a doctor? Laura says, Portia knows Heather was sick and knows the medical ramifications. She was there when they were figuring it out, but she won’t consider the possibility that once the poison left Heather’s body, she’s no longer as dangerous. Elizabeth says, it’s easier for Laura to see. All Portia sees is a monster who tried to hurt her child. It’s like her experience with Franco. She could look past the tumor, but his victims couldn’t and never forgave him. Laura says, she thinks Portia is the same way, but Elizabeth says she hopes not. She hopes Portia realizes she’s asking questions only the court can answer. It’s not up to them. That’s why they have laws. It’s supposed to be justice for all. Laura says, that’s all she’s been saying, and thanks Elizabeth for hearing it. Elizabeth hugs Laura and says she’s proud of her, and so are her grandkids. She leaves, and Laura wipes tears from her eyes.

Maxie goes to the stable and asks if Cody has seen James’s riding gloves. He needs them for his next lesson. He’s obsessed and keeps asking everyone to watch. He even asked the grocery bagger. Cody says he doesn’t think he should keep giving James lessons, and she asks, why not? Did he say or do something? Cody says, it’s nothing like that, and Maxie says, he can’t take the lessons away from her. It’s her only leverage. He says, Mac is furious with him, and she says, her Mac? That doesn’t sound like him. Cody says, he’s our Mac, and Maxie says, explain please. Cody says he’s been lying to all of them. He’s Mac’s son. Maxie says, but the DNA test… and Cody says he lied. Maxie says she can see it, and he says he totally lied and now Mac knows the truth. She says, now Mac is unhappy, but Cody says, that’s a massive understatement.

Gio says, it’s his first boathouse party, and Trina says she hopes not his last. He tells them, keep inviting him and he’ll keep showing up, and Josslyn asks what they do in Bensonhurst on the 4^th. Gio says, they have a huge block party. Everyone within 10 blocks is a Cerullo or a Falconari. They’re big Italian families. Trina asks if his mom was from Italy, and he says, she was. It was her proudest moment to officially become a citizen. She told him to never take it for granted and he never does. Neither do his relatives. That’s why the 4^th is a big deal. Trina says, it means something to his family.

Curtis asks if everything is okay, and Porta says she just needs to go home. Curtis tells Drew, congrats again, and Portia says, if he wants her vote, he needs to pledge to keep Heather Webber in prison, no matter what the mayor has to say. She and Curtis leave, and Willow says, Portia is a mom and entitled to her feelings. She tells Michael that she’s exhausted and suggests they round up the kids, but Michael says, the kids are staying here, so they can head back to the gatehouse when she’s ready. Willow says she’s happy Nina and Michael made up and Nina is helping with the campaign. It’s nice being on the same side again. Nina says she couldn’t agree more, and Willow leaves with Michael, glancing at Drew on her way out the door.

Felicia says she’s been looking everywhere for Mac. What’s wrong? Mac says, Cody is his son, but she says, no, he’s not. He says, yes, he is, but she says, he can’t be. She did her own DNA test. She’ll explain the details later. Mac says, Cody must have doctored the results and lied the first time. She asks how he knows, and he says, Cody confessed to him. She says, he’s known all this time? and Mac says, and he never said a word. Cody gave him some convoluted excuse, but he was barely listening. She asks how he feels, and he says he’s furious. He has a son. Cody knew it and lied about it on purpose. She was right about him. He’s nothing but a grifter and must have some agenda for it coming to light now. She says, he really doesn’t think Cody needs a kidney or points removed from his driver’s license, but Mac says he can’t think of another reason. Can she?

Mac says, maybe Cody doesn’t need an internal organ, but he’s coming from some kind of angle. Felicia says, Cody is his kid, but Mac says, on paper only. Felicia says, it’s Cody’s loss. It’s sad really. Mac says he would have welcomed Cody to the family, and Felicia says, he did. Mac says, it would have taken adjusting, but he would have found a way to love him. Felicia says, of course (🍷), and Mac says, now it’s too late for that.

Maxie says she feels her brain melting. Why did Cody lie? Mac is the best father in the whole world. Cody says, at first, he thought he wanted money more than family. Pathetic, he knows. By the time he changed his mind, he didn’t know how to take back the lie. Maxie says, tell the truth? and Cody says he was afraid Mac would hate him, and guess what? He was right. Maxie says, Mac is upset. He doesn’t hate Cody. Cody says he wants her to know that he’s sorry he messed this up. They’re all a terrific family. She says, especially her. She’s a fantastic sister. He says, they’re not related, but she says, Mac is her father and that makes Cody her brother, and her kids his nieces and nephew. Cody says he loved teaching James, and Maxie says, when James finds out Cody is Mac’s son, he’s going to be over the moon. He tells her to hold off telling him until she talks to Mac. James is a good rider, and you can’t beat his enthusiasm. He wants her to know that he’s grateful for all their time together. She says she sees what he’s doing. If he thinks he’s going to get rid of them that easily, think again.

Gio says, it’s not just patriotic. It’s a reason for everyone to get together. Thanksgiving and Christmas are the same, but it’s cold. On the 4^th, they’re all hanging out in the street. Josslyn asks if he’s been to the soft serve truck, and Trina says, it’s easy to overlook, but there’s nothing like it. Josslyn says, it’s usually parked by Rice Park. All they have is chocolate and vanilla in cones, but there’s nothing like a classic cone on a hot day. Trina says, it’s her afternoon treat when she’s at work, and Gio asks if there are any other Port Charles traditions he should know about. Josslyn says, one is about to start, the Country Club fireworks. Now that he’s done playing, he can relax and enjoy the view. He says, the company’s not bad either.

Curtis asks, what’s going on? and Portia says she had a chat with Laura. As long as Laura continues to help Heather to go free, she’s the enemy. And so is anybody who supports her, including Drew and the Quartermaines. (Ugh. I hate when Portia puts her self-righteous hat on. She also has a habit of what my dad called, crying before you’re hurt, and it’s annoying.)

Curtis says, to be clear, he wants Heather to stay locked up until the end of time and he’ll advocate for that, but it’s not his call. No more than it is hers. Portia asks why he’s not angry, and he asks, what good would it do? He’s on her side, but regardless of how they feel, it’s the court’s decision, not theirs. She says, that sounds like spin. Trina is his daughter. Doesn’t he care? Curtis says, it’s one thing for her to fight Heather. It’s another thing to fight him. She knows he wants his daughter to stay safe. She says, he’s not the one she’s mad at. She’s sorry. They hug.

Gio, Trina, and Josslyn watch the fireworks, and Gio says, beautiful. Trina asks how they rate compared to Bensonhurst, and he says, these are tame. She asks if he misses home, and he says he misses his family of course (🍷) and his neighborhood, where he knows everyone, and everyone knows him. But he needed a change, to try something new. He likes Port Charles. It’s the perfect fit. Josslyn lifts her beer bottle and says, to finding your place. Trina says, and making new friends, and the three of them clink beer bottles.

Maxie says, admit it. In Cody’s mind, he’s packing and saying his goodbyes. Don’t do it. He says he doesn’t see what choice he has, and she says, stay. She’s had lots of experience with huge lies and life wrecking mistakes. Running just makes it worse. She once pretended to be pregnant to get a guy to be in a relationship with her. She’ll tell him about it sometime. He needs to stay and process. Give Mac time and them time to adjust. Don’t leave, for Mac and Sasha and mostly himself. Promise. He says, okay, but she says she needs him to say the words. He says he promises, but she says, too vague. What exactly is he promising? He says, not to leave, and she says, he won’t regret it. He gives her James’s riding gloves and she leaves.

Nina asks Drew if she was dreaming just now. She never thought the day would come. He says he’s happy for her, and she says, maybe she’ll get to spend time with Wiley and Amelia, be part of the family, and he says, it’s looking that way. She thanks him with tears in her eyes, and says, he built a bridge between her and her daughter. She’ll be forever grateful. He says, she’s welcome and they kiss. (Wow. Is this getting messy or what?)

Sasha is having a glass of wine and sees Michael and Willow outside on the patio. Willow says, it’s a beautiful night, and Michael tells Willow that she’s gorgeous. They kiss, and Sasha watches, flashing back to seeing Willow and Drew kissing.

Tomorrow, Sasha says, if Cody leaves, he’ll have a lot more than Maxie to worry about; Felicia wants to be wrong; and Ava says she’ll do what she wants.

🧼 All the Soap News Fit To Print…

He might be gone, but he’ll never be forgotten. I still live in hope that he’ll be back. It’s happened before.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/michael-easton-pays-tribute-to-his-gh-leading-ladies

A super soap spy couple reunites.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/ian-buchanan-and-finola-hughes-reunite-in-london

Sad news.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/general-hospital-star-doug-sheehan-dead-at-75

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/gh-ryans-hope-and-loving-producer-joseph-hardy-dead-at-95

Happier news.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/ghs-kate-mansi-is-engaged-to-matt-mcinnis

🐪 No Camel, Preview…

As of this posting, there was zilch on tonight’s RHODubai, but here’s a taste.

RHODubai Season 2, Episode 6 Preview: Caroline Stanbury Tells Sara Al Madani to ‘Shut Up’

👠 They’re Not Wrong…

For once, Andy is not to blame… totally.

Jackie Goldschneider Blames RHONJ Cast for ‘Destroying the Show’

Melissa Gorga Thinks ‘Toxic’ RHONJ Needs ‘Changes’ After ‘Dirty’ Cast Tactics

Me too.

Why RHONJ Fans Yearn for the Good Old Days

Case in point.

Rumored Details About RHONJ Finale Fight Revealed: ‘Beyond Explosive’

Just for fun.

Why Teresa Giudice’s Photoshop Fail With Larsa Pippen Is So Annoying

⛵️ Over the Bounding Reef…

Well, he isn’t exactly known for keeping to the rule book.

Revealed: Below Deck Sailing Yacht Captain Glenn Shephard’s Shocking History

🐕 The Lassie Of His Generation…

Meet Brisket.

https://paradepets.com/pet-news/glen-powell-rescue-dog-brisket-twisters

Oh, there’s a dude in the photo? Seriously though, no on the pants like that.

https://people.com/glen-powell-shares-steamy-photo-instagram-post-about-dog-brisket-8674643

🥏 Tell Me More, Tell Me More…

Join me tomorrow for soap, and the latest in Listing and Dubai (I hope). Until then, stay safe; stay not bringing uninvited guests or pets to someone else’s event or party without asking permission; and stay being willing to put down the past and focus on the here and now, and hopefully, the future

Jul9

July 8, 2024 – Two Major Surprises In Port Charles on the 4th Of July, Anchor Disaster On Deck, Sharks Ahoy & R.O.C.K.

Posted on July 9, 2024 by theresakp

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

On the television, McConkey says he’s proud of what he’s accomplished, and serving in congress has been the honor of his life. He did it all for the hardworking citizens of Port Charles. Port Charles is a city that has everything you want in a place to live. Olivia says, he’s a good man, but wears too much pomade, and Sasha says, everyone speaks highly of him. Olivia says, he’ll be a tough act to follow, but Sasha says she doesn’t know. Drew looks pretty sexy in his suit. Olivia says, don’t tell her husband, but she thinks so too. If they want sexy politicians, they’ll have to move to Canada. Sasha says, if Drew is elected, Canadians will start moving here. McConkey says he’s retiring. It’s time for him to enjoy his golden years with his wife and family.

Cody shows James a hoof pick and explains how it’s used. James asks if Cody’s father taught him about horses, but Cody says, no. James asks if his brother did, but Cody says he doesn’t have one. James says he doesn’t either. He just has sisters. There are so many girls in the house. But he sees Cody as just as good as a brother.

Portia and Mac watch on a laptop as McConkey says he feels gratitude, and Felicia asks if Mac brought work home. Portia says she brought the laptop. She’s hoping to glimpse Curtis in the crowd. Georgie says she’s bored and asks when they’re leaving. Mac suggests she go for a swim, but she says, there are too many boys at the pool. Felicia says, boys she’s known her whole life, and Georgie says she’s spent enough time with them already.

Tracy watches McConkey’s speech on her phone and asks Sasha why she can’t rewind. She wants to see Drew’s close-up again. Sasha says, sometimes you can’t rewind with live events, and Tracy says, they have expensive tech and all it does is allow them to be tracked down. She prefers her old TV and VCR. Sasha tells her, preach it.

McConkey says he’s endorsing Drew Quartermaine, and Tracy says, what? McConkey says he’s confident Drew will do great things for the New York 28^thcongressional district. Meet their next representative to congress. Drew steps up to the podium and confetti falls.

Olivia runs around putting the finishing touches on the picnic, and Portia asks if she’s excited about Drew’s campaign. Tracy says she’s thrilled, and Felicia says she’s sure that anyone has reservations about a family member going into politics. Mac says he’s sure all the skeletons are out of the Quartermaine closet by now, and Olivia says, it will be over in a couple of months. Tracy says, unless Drew wins. Then they’re in for two years. All eyes will be on the Quartermaines. Ned says he was mayor and he’s been there, and Tracy asks if that ill-fated adventure is supposed to make her feel better. It’s not the same. Drew is running to be a member of congress. Olivia puts a campaign button on Tracy and says, it will help her get in the spirit.

Willow says, Drew is a natural, and Michael says he likes Drew’s chances. Curtis walks in and says, same here, and Portia says, Curtis will have his work cut out for him at Aurora. Curtis says, he and Michael will keep the business afloat, but Michael says, more than that. It will be thriving. Sam says, Drew’s not elected yet and has a hard road ahead, and Laura says, Chelsea Grimes is a formidable opponent. She’s a shameless self-promotor, but she has a following. Willow says, she exploits people’s worst fears, while Drew’s been to hell several times and come out the other side. Who wouldn’t want a man as strong as Drew? Jordan agrees, and says her money is on him. McConkey comes in with Drew and says, anyone who bets against Drew is either a fool or a cynic. Everyone applauds and Drew thanks them. He says he loves them and couldn’t have done this without them. He thanks McConkey for his wisdom, his friendship, and his endorsement. Nina comes in, and Drew says he couldn’t have done it without McConkey. McConkey says, or her, indicating Nina, and Tracy asks, who the hell invited her?

McConkey says he was sparked by Nina’s timely introduction, and Tracy says she applauds Nina’s commitment. She didn’t completely ruin Drew’s life, but pushing him into politics should do the job. Ned tells her that she needs to learn to read the room, and Olivia says, who’s hungry? McConkey tells Drew that he needs a bigger gut and American shoes, then he’ll make a fine representative. Drew asks what Sam thinks, and Sam says, far be it for her to question the congressman’s judgement. McConkey excuses himself, and Sam asks how it went with Scout. Drew says, she’s a little vague about what the campaign means, but she’s excited about the name change. Sam says, he’s actually doing this, and he says he’s having his lawyers handle Scout’s name change. Cain was just a placeholder given to him by the state. Sam says she’s glad he’s claiming his Quartermaine name, and Scout too, but it will take some getting used to. Dante joins them and tells Drew, good job. Drew’s got his vote. Sam says, tonight is Drew’s night. Enjoy it.

Willow notices Nina sitting alone and asks if Nina is okay, and Nina says she’s fine. Sometimes she forgets the universal contempt for her, then someone comes along like Tracy to remind her. Willow says, she’s wrong about it being universal, and Nina says she’s glad to hear it. How did Willow feel about participating today? Willow says, surprisingly good. She’s been disillusioned with politics. (Same.) No one seems to care about the important things, and most of them just pretend to listen to the voters when their job is on the line. Drew makes her hopeful that there can be good, important change that can help people. Nina says, it might be a surprise to hear, but she feels the same. Drew is building a bridge between the two of them and it changed the way she thinks of him and herself. She has a habit of clinging to a grudge too tight. Willow says she’s guilty of that herself.

Jordan asks if Ned misses his mayoral days, but Ned says, the people made their choice and Laura is an excellent mayor. Olivia says she can’t imagine dealing with all that baloney, and Laura says, her either. Mac and Felicia join them, and everyone says how good it is to see him, and they missed him. He says, ditto, and tells Laura that he’s sorry about Spencer. She says, it’s still kind of unreal, and he says, when someone so young is taken from them, it’s hard to make sense of it. Laura says, but today is a happy occasion and she’s glad Mac made it back in time for the party. Jordan says, it’s been too long, and Felicia says, that’s what she’s been telling him. Mac says, they kept it together without him, and Ned says, he’ll take the backstabbing at ELQ over local politics any day. Thank God he doesn’t have to deal with that Heather Webber business. Mac wonders what he’s talking about, and Laura says, it’s come to light that Heather may not be legally responsible for the crimes she committed.

Cody says, James thinks of him as a big brother? and James says he doesn’t know what it’s like, but he bets this is close. Is it okay with Cody? Cody says, it’s a little scary, to be honest. He doesn’t know what it’s like. Dante comes in with Sam and says, Cody’s been his brother since he was twelve. Dante taught Cody how to pick up girls, and Cody taught him how to ride horses and make cherry bombs. James says, cherry bombs are cool, and asks if it’s okay that brothers have different last names. Dante says, it’s better, and Sam says, it means you’re not family by accident. Dante says, it’s the family you chose. James says he wants to be brothers, and Cody suggests they make it official with something only brothers do. They each spit on their palms and shake hands, and James says, Georgie would never do that.

Mac says, if Heather isn’t responsible for Britt Westbourne’s murder, who is? and Felicia says, it’s complicated. Heather was sick. Mac says, she’d have to be sick to kill all those people, and Portia leaves the room. Curtis follows her and says, it’s a day to celebrate. Don’t let herself get dragged into hypotheticals about Heather.

Olivia tells Ned that she needs help in the kitchen, and Ned says, of course (🍷), and leaves with her. Laura explains Heather’s condition to Mac, and he asks if she means a bum hip made Heather a murderer. She says, it caused psychosis. No one knew and maybe the case needs to be reopened. Mac says, she was a willing participant. Heather knew what she was doing on Spoon Island. They were there. Laura says, she wouldn’t have made the decisions she did if the poison wasn’t in her system, and Mac says, they live in world full of toxins and don’t turn into serial killers, but Laura says, he doesn’t have a medical degree and neither does she. She’s putting her faith in the expert’s opinion, whatever that may be.

Tracy asks what Drew’s name is, and he says, Drew Quartermaine. He shows her the papers and asks if she minds sharing her last name. She says, a Quartermaine will always get her vote, and for the record, her brother Alan would be proud of him.

Nina scarfs down some cookies in the nook, when Sasha comes in. Nina asks how they could know each other this long, and she had no idea Sasha was a talented chef? Sasha says she’s full of surprises, and Nina says, she’s glad. She’s starving and there were slim pickings at Drew’s announcement. Sasha says she’s surprised Nina was there, but Nina says, the whole Aurora team came to support him. Sasha says she’d thought they didn’t get along, but Nina says, something changed when he hired her back at Crimson. She thinks they realized they have more in common than they thought. Drew is the reason her relationship with Willow is healing, and she introduced him to McConkey. They’re both seeing another side of each other lately.

Drew finds Willow in a room by herself, looking outside at Wiley. He asks if she minds him hiding out with her, and she says, not at all.

Cody tells James that it’s a big responsibility and he doesn’t want to let James down. James says, Cody is the best and would never let him down. Cody thanks him, when Mac comes in with Georgie, who says, she told him James would be here. His grandma is looking for him. It’s almost time for the fireworks. James asks if Cody is coming, but Cody says he’s got to stay here and make sure the horses aren’t scared. James says he could stay and help, but Cody says, no way. Then who would record the awesome video for him? James promises to get it and leaves with Georgie. Mac says, Cody is good with James, and hopes James isn’t too much. Cody says, too much fun? James is the greatest. Mac says, Cody has had an effect on James. He constantly talks about the horses and Cody’s stuntman days. He wants to do the same thing when he grows up. Cody says he’ll walk it back. He doesn’t want to lead James in the wrong direction. Taking care of horses, living above the stalls, and wrangling Quartermaines isn’t for everyone. Mac says he can see the appeal. Cody’s life seems good. He wouldn’t do a thing to change his own life, but if he had two, one would look like Cody’s.

Laura tells Felicia that she’s sorry she brought the party down. Clearly Mac doesn’t share her point of view. Felicia says, Heather brings out strong feelings. It’s a complicated situation, and there’s no solution that will make everybody happy. Laura thanks her, and Ned announces, it’s time for the fireworks. Everyone leaves except Laura, and Portia tells Curtis that she’s going to stay a minute. Save her a seat. He leaves, and Laura says, Portia is obviously angry with her. Would she like to talk about it? Portia says, the only thing she wants is Laura’s assurance that Heather will stay in Pentenville where she belongs.

At the boathouse, Dante tells Sam that they’re the first ones here and get to pick a spot. The kids seem to be having fun. Sam says she’s glad they’re having a good time, especially scout. Drew was right; she’s happy with the name change. He asks if she wants to talk about it, and she says, talk about what? He says, my mother’s potato salad… or Drew running for congress, but Sam says she’s not wasting time arguing with Drew. He and Jason know how to compartmentalize. It’s done, and now all she can do is be happy for Drew and show up at a rally or two and smile for the camera. He asks, what if The Invader calls? and she tells him that she has nothing to say to that sleazy rag after what DeWitt did to Blaze and Kristina. Dante suggests she have a plan of attack. Saying, no comment, might look like there’s something to hide. She says, it’s Drew’s problem, not hers. The only thing she’s worried about is Scout. Drew’s new career could hurt her in all kinds of ways.

Willow tells Drew that she loves this party, but it can be overwhelming at times. He says he had an honest to God moment, a positive one, with Tracy, and she says, there’s no one he can’t impress. He suggests Mercury might be in retrograde, but she says, that’s next month. It’s impressive how quickly he took to politics. People can tell it’s not just a vanity competition, and Drew is going to carry on McConkey’s legacy and do great things for the people in the district. Drew says he was blindsided, but the more he gets into it, the deeper he goes, the more convinced he is of his duty to do it right. Willow says, that’s why he has to win, but Drew says, if he does, things will change, including things for them.

Nina tells Sasha that she and Drew… Sasha says she gets it, and Nina asks if Maxie told her, but Sasha says she picked up on a vibe earlier. Nina says she’s glad they’re not too obvious. Neither of them wants to advertise it. The reaction would be less than ideal. Sasha says, so it’s a casual thing, but Nina says she doesn’t think it even reaches that point. It was just a few times… a few very good times. Sasha says, so she’s enjoying herself, and Nina says she is, but it’s not going to happen again… probably. Sasha says, she’s not judging. Drew is hot and his body is amazing. Nina says, you could grate cheese on his abs, and Sasha says, she’s happy to see Nina laughing. She deserves to have fun, but it’s time to stop. This kind of thing can only end in disaster.

Nina says, disaster is a strong word. It’s just a little fling. Sasha says she just wants to make sure Nina knows what she’s doing. She was deeply in love with Sonny, and Drew was in love with Carly. Both of their relationships ended abruptly and were heartbreaking. The end of a relationship isn’t the end of the feelings. It takes time for the feelings to recede, and until they do, Nina has to find an outlet somewhere else. Nina says she gets it, but sees nothing wrong in wanting a little company, a human touch now and then. It’s difficult to be alone when you’re used to being a couple. It’s been so long. Sasha knows what it’s like, doesn’t she? Sasha says she does, and she might have been too careful with her heart since then, but maybe it’s better than having her heart broken again before it’s had time to heal.

Drew says, if he gets elected, he’ll have to spend more time in DC, after he lured Willow away from her GH job. He feels like he’s abandoning her. Willow says she’s worried he’ll think she’s exploiting him, since she plans on lobbying the heck out of him for the New Tomorrow Institute. He says he looks forward to it, and she says she doesn’t want him to feel guilty. She loved her job at the hospital, but she’s grateful for the change. She gets to spend more time with her kids, and she loves the work. The kids are too young to understand, but Wiley is fascinated that she smells like perfume instead of antiseptic. It’s fun dress up and not be in scrubs all the time. Drew says, she could win a beauty contest wearing scrubs. (Rut-roh. I think I’m smelling what Drew is cooking.)

Mac tells Cody, working at the Quartermaine stables with an apartment upstairs doesn’t exactly qualify as roughing it. It reminds him of growing up in Australia and the walkabouts he and Robert took with their parents. He once flew over the area in a prop plane and the landscape was amazing. He wouldn’t mind living in a treehouse or camping. When he was away, it reminded him of how much he likes it. Cody asks if that’s why he was gone so long, and Mac says, it took longer than he expected. He hated being away, but he had to go honor a commitment he made so long ago he doesn’t remember making it. Some things become such a part of your blood, you stop questioning them.

Sam says, Drew will probably live in DC away from Scout, and she’s going to miss her father. Dante says, he has money and access to a jet. He can come and go as he pleases. She says, it’s frustrating how she wound up choosing Jason and Drew to be parents when they don’t prioritize their children. Dante says, biologically, the kids have other dads, but he thinks they’re good at parenting and thinks their crew would agree. Who cares what Jason and Drew are doing? Scout and Danny have them. It’s not always easy, but it will always be good. They kiss.

Tracy and McConkey come downstairs, and Tracy says she’s glad they did that. Monica enjoyed catching up with him. He says he enjoyed it too and asks how long Monica has been laid up. Tracy says, she doesn’t like to talk about it, but Monica had a difficult year. She understands he did too. He says, they’ve known each other long enough that he doesn’t have to pretend. He has lung cancer. She asks, how advanced? and he says, Stage IV. She says, her father thought ill health was a sign of carelessness, and McConkey says he feels like he’s in his prime, and still has a lot do and more to give. She says, her father was the same way, and he says, he was a fine man and a giant pain in the ass. She says, that’s why they loved him. If he’s up to it when the campaign is over, she’d like to invite him and his wife over for dinner. He says he’ll have Hazel reach out, if he’s not six feet under. She says, if he is, she’ll send a spread over to his wake. She tells him to take care of himself, he says, her too, and leaves.

The fireworks start and everyone is enthralled. Felicia wonders where Mac is, while James films. Mac and Cody come out of the stables, and Mac says, they went all out. The display gets bigger every year. Cody says he knows, and Mac says, it’s amazing how elaborate they are since he was a kid. He’s never seen one look like rain. Cody struggles for a moment, then says, I’m your son. (I nearly choke on my coffee.)

Laura tells Portia that Trina said she had concerns about Heather, but Portia says she has concerns with Laura. Why go to bat for a convicted murderer instead of protecting the citizens? Laura says, Portia was part of the team that diagnosed Heather, so she must understand the questions it raised. Portia says she treated Heather according to the oath she took, but can’t forget that Heather’s entire mission in life was to murder her daughter.

Curtis asks if Nina wants to join him for the fireworks, but she says she thinks she’ll head home. He says, she can’t miss the best part, when Michael comes in. He gives Nina a curt hello, which Nina returns. She thanks Curtis for the offer, but says she’s going to take off. She tells both of them, Happy 4^th of July, and starts to leave. Curtis says, he doesn’t like getting into their personal lives, but when Drew is on the campaign trail, they have to learn how to work together. Are they going to be okay or is one of them always going to have to leave the room?

Willow says she hopes she didn’t give Drew the wrong impression. She believes in him so much. He’s always been there for her family, her kids, and her. she wouldn’t be alive today if he hadn’t risked his life in Greenland. He’s the reason she can see her kids grow up. Everyone would be lucky to have someone like him in their corner. She’ll do whatever she can to help, but selfishly, she doesn’t want him to move to DC. She’ll miss him. He says he’ll miss her too, and they kiss. Sasha sees them. (Almost choking on my coffee for the second time.)

Wow. Two bombshells on a Monday.

Tomorrow, Gio says he never would have guessed; Laura says her concern is to see justice served; and Maxie asks why someone lied.

Below Deck Mediterranean

Ellie tells Bri, the victimhood needs to stop. She’s sorry, but Bri’s lack of experience shows in her not being aware how a boat works. There’s a chain of command. Bri says, Ellie makes her feel dumb and it hurts, but Ellie says, maybe it’s Bri’s own insecurities making her feel that way. She never said Bri was dumb, and she’s tired of this bullsh*t. She’s had it. She’s done. In Bri’s interview, she says, Ellie is on a power trip and against her since she hooked up with Joe. In Ellie’s interview, she says, Bri doesn’t listen. Both she and Aesha are her superiors. Breakfast is lobster eggs benedict, and in Jono’s interview, he says he doesn’t want to put out cold eggs again, so he’s making them nice and fresh. He still thinks his job is on the line, so please, no complaints. Captain Sandy asks the guests how dinner was, and they say, fabulous. She says, Aesha will tell them about their next destination. It’s a very cool place. Jono tastes his eggs benedict and dances around. Guest Dean declares the lobster delish, and Aesha explains that they’ll be going to a cave on Moni Island that they have to swim to. Guest Marsha says she can’t put her head underwater. The peacock (i.e. her hair) doesn’t like the water. In Aesha’s interview, she says she loves Marsha’s attitude. She can’t imagine the time it takes to look like that. She’s exhausted just looking at her.

Ellie asks Joe what the Bri situation is, but he says he doesn’t know. She slept on a mattress on the floor. Ellie says, Bri is creating drama for no reason and playing the victim. It has nothing to do with her. Anchor is hauled, but the windless isn’t working properly, and Joe says, it’s a piece of sh*t. Iain says he’s going to send Joe and Gael in the tender with the guests, and Ellie tells Aesha that the Bri situation is out of control. She’s been sleeping on the floor in the guys’ cabin and said Ellie was belittling her. Aesha asks if she is, but Ellie says she’s not that person. That’s where she draws the line. Aesha says, they both need to get on with it, and they’ll sort it out after charter. In Aesha’s interview, she says, there’s an annoying rivalry circling around Joe, but she can’t discipline them out of their emotions. The guests are paying a lot of money to be here. Captain Sandy does some weird jumping jacks on the bridge, and says she needs exercise. Yeah. She needs to learn how to do jumping jacks.

Aesha tells the captain that Ellie is going to the cave because of her thumb situation, and Nathan tells Gael that he’s glad the drama has nothing to do with them. Gael says she thinks they’re the same. Anchor is dropped and the tender is loaded with supplies for the cave excursion. Bri talks to her mom, who asks if she’s got everything sorted. Bri tells her that she’s saying the wrong stuff, and her mom says, show kindness. There’s a fine balance between being assertive and people perceiving you as cheeky. In Bri’s interview, she says, boarding school has a way of making you feel small. You had to wait at the door for whoever was above you, no matter how far away they were, or you’d be bullied. Captain Sandy says, they’ve got to be faster, and she sees the swim platforms leaning up against the side of the boat. In her interview, she says, the fact Iain is in charge and hasn’t caught this is not okay. She tells the deckhands put the swim platforms in the water, and calls Iain. She says, it can’t look like that. It’s a guest area and they have to get the platforms in the water. In Iain’s interview, he says he planned to get them set up after the guests were in the water. Joe says, it’s difficult being told two different things, and they put the platforms in the water. Captain Sandy says, the guests are waiting, and tells Iain that he’s got to be faster.

Aesha is bummed and wishes she could come. Iain says he’s waiting for the guests, who are waiting to be told where to go, and Aesha suggests he go get them. Ellie wonders if it’s a good time to say she’s not a good swimmer. On the yacht, lain tells the captain that he had a different plan, and she says, his plan wasn’t working. In Gael’s interview, she says, growing up being half Asian wasn’t cool, and on top of it, she was slightly socially anxious, which gave her identity issues. When she started yachting, she found that being underwater made her feel safe and at peace with herself. The guests swim to the cave, Ellie following. They hang out in the wading pool inside and it’s amazingly beautiful. One of them says, it smells good, like salt. Iain whines to Nathan that if he’d done it correctly, he still would have been told he was wrong. Ellie has a hard time with her flippers and says she’s the worst person to do this. Gael hauls Ellie back into the tender, and Ellie says she hopes Joe doesn’t believe she’s a bad person or belittles Bri. He says, all he knows is this girl came to their cabin, crying and moaning. Aesha calls Bri to meet her in the upstairs pantry, and says she doesn’t want to get into what Bri and Ellie are fighting about, but why did Bri sleep in the boys’ cabin? Bri says, because it was just fun. She needed her own space and was sleeping in the galley, but Joe said she could sleep on the floor. Aesha asks if she’s trying to prove a point to Ellie, but Bri says, no. She tried saying something, but Ellie didn’t want to hear it. Aesha tells Bri that she can’t sleep in the boys’ cabin. It will affect them. Ellie tells Joe that she was honest with Bri about wanting to pursue things with him, and in Joe’s interview, he says, they’re butting heads, and he’s the cherry on top. (Ugh.) He doesn’t want anything serious, but of course he’s interested. Who wouldn’t be? Bri tells Aesha that Ellie is annoying. When they’re sharing, Ellie has completely different times than her. Aesha says, that’s yachting. If they can’t cancel their sh*t out, she’ll have to make some changes.

Aesha says, they can’t be fighting. It’s affecting their work. Bri says she’s sorry, and Aesha says, they’ll sort it out. Those who went on the cave excursion are back, and Aesha tells Ellie that the guests are chill, but keep an eye on them and set the table. She’s taking a break. Iain tells Gael to keep an eye on the guests when they’re in the water, and Aesha finds that she has no polo. The one on her bunk belongs to Ellie. She tells Bri to put the laundry in the right place, and in Bri’s interview, she says, they’re not labeling their stuff properly. A producer asks if she actually looks at the tags, and she insists she does. In Gael’s interview, she says she’s gained confidence since being here. She wants to be treated like an equal or die trying. On her last boat, a piece of metal crashed down on her and she needed 16 stiches, so she couldn’t prove herself to the men. She wants to not just be good, but pass expectations. Ellie tells Bri that they should change into their nights and pull plates for the chef, and in Bri’s interview, she says, her job depends on her getting on well with Ellie. Whatever Ellie wants, she’ll do. Aesha tells Ellie to start setting the table and wonders why the plates weren’t pulled ages ago. In Aesha’s interview, she says, she doesn’t know if Ellie is distracted or not as capable as she lets on. We flash back to Aesha having to remind Ellie of various things, and Aesha says, she has to always keep an eye on Ellie and Bri, and it’s exhausting. How about doing your job? Just work. She asks why the plates weren’t pulled, and Ellie says she was serving the guests and cleaning up the bar. It just didn’t happen yet. Aesha says, they need to be done in an hour, and in Ellie’s interview, she says, the time got away. At the same time Bri is getting away with murder, she’s put on the cross for the smallest mistake. It’s bullsh*t.

Jono is excited about dinner, and in his interview, he says, the guests want a Hollywood extravagant experience, and he wants to push past last night’s experience. He wants everything perfect and wants to erase last night. We flash back to the primary Brittany’s steak being dry, and he says he wants that gone. They guests dress up like old Hollywood, and Joe tells Gael that he had a word with Ellie. She said Bri broke girl code and is playing the victim, but it’s between them. Gael says, there’s two sides, so they don’t know, and laughs that it’s over him. He wonders if he should go for Ellie, and Gael tells him, whoever he bangs should be the person he continues to bang, or it will cause issues. The guests sit for dinner, and the tablescape is gorgeous. Iain says, the guests want the crew to sing Happy Birthday, and Joe says he hasn’t practiced yet, but Ellie says he has an hour. In Joe’s interview, he says, being an entertainer, he’s always acting. His mom has fibromyalgia and is bedbound, so she got her son to entertain her. To this day, he’s never stopped. He goes to practice on the piano. In Aesha’s interview, she says she and Jono have had a nice trajectory, getting closer with each charter. He’s a lovely human and she’d love nothing more than for him to run the ribbon at the finish line with a gold medal. She asks how the food is, and Brittany says, mama like. Meanwhile, Joe plays the piano while Nathan sings badly. As they do cabins, Ellie asks Bri, how’s laundry? and Bri says, good. In Ellie’s interview, she says, Bri is trying to make her look like a bad person. None of her concerns are being addressed, but Bri’s concerns are being addressed whether they’re real or not. Injustice frustrates her. In Captain Sandy’s interview, she says, Jono’s presentation between this charter and the last one is like night and day. She’s relieved she has a back-up chef, but she’s impressed. The captain helps serve, and Trishelle says, Jono gives a classy presentation. The topic of escaping boobs comes up, and Marsha mentions Trishelle’s Playboy spread. Trishelle says she’s not ashamed. She looks good and her boobies are generational. Brittany asks if they can see them, but Trishelle is like, no. Brittany does the splits a la Kyle Richards, and Aesha wonders if she’s overserved her.

Aesha says, there’s a surprise for the guests in the main salon and leads them to the piano. She tells Jono that they absolutely loved dinner. Well done. He smashed it. In Jono’s interview, he says, it’s what he wants every dinner. He needed to stop and p*ssy up and she stepped up. Aesha calls the crew to the salon, where Joe is at the piano. They sing Happy Birthday – badly – to guests John and Rich. In Aesha’s interview, she says, no one wants to hear her sing. She’s horrific. God gave her other gifts, like her tiny hands. What is she supposed to do with these tiny hands? Wait. Don’t answer that. Ellie apologizes to Aesha for not getting the plates in a timely manner, and Aesha says, they can’t be perfect all the time. Marsha doesn’t want to go to bed. She doesn’t want it to be over.

3^rd day of charter, Moni Island, Greece. In Bri’s interview, she says, it feels good to be in her own bed. It’s not like she was sleeping in a bed though. She was on the floor. She’s trying her best to stay away from Joe. She wants to be drama free. Even though she likes watching it, it’s not for her. Aesha asks where Bri slept last night, and Bri says her own bed. Aesha high-fives her and says she doesn’t want it festering when they go out to drink. They’re going to squash it today. A producer asks Joe and Nathan how they know the bromance is in effect, and Joe says, it happened in like, two seconds. Nathan thinks it’s their energy, and Joe says, it’s spiritual. Jono tells Aesha that he’s going to do eggs benny again. The guests seem to like it. Captain Sandy tells the deckhands to start hauling anchor, and the windless makes a lot of sad noises. Nathan radios the captain that they’re having trouble. There’s no power on the starboard side. Captain Sandy asks if it’s because of the wind or is the windlass not connecting. He says, it’s not connecting, and Joe says, it doesn’t sound good. No, it doesn’t.

Captain Sandy gets the engineers involved, and in her interview, she says, the windlass is like a spool of thread. The clutch is frees it from the teeth that haul the anchor, but it’s not grabbing, so they’re having a difficult time. While the engineers try to figure it out, breakfast is served. Jono says, juicy food porn, and he’s not wrong. The guests love that he gives them extra lobster on the side. The captain talks with engineer Luka, and in her interview, she says, they have to release the clutch and haul a little at a time. The worst-case scenario, she leaves the anchor. The battery is dead in the tender, and the captain says, it’s the worst possible time to make a mistake like this. She wonders, who left the battery on? and asks Nathan, who was the last one to dock the tender? Nathan says, Joe or lain. Nathan wakes Iain, and tells him, the battery in the tender is dead and the anchor isn’t working on the starboard side. To his credit, Nathan doesn’t bitch and just gets out of bed. Brittany says, they’re flying to Paris this afternoon, and we see in the text that there’s already a 20-minute delay. Captain Sandy asks Iain, who was the last one to dock the tender? and he says, probably him. She says, he has to turn off the battery, and he says he was refueling and got distracted. She says she needs him to help sort that out, and in her interview, she says, it’s like herding cattle. In Iain’s interview, he says, he’ll take the blame. He wonders if they can jumpstart the tender like a car, and Joe says, what a disaster. They start hauling by hand, but the line snaps, and the chain releases. Captain Sandy tells them to put the brakes on. Stop the anchor. F***, f***, f***!

To be continued…

🦈 Doo-Doo Doo-Doo Doo-Doo…

Shark Week is upon us. Here’s your schedule.

https://www.discovery.com/shark-week/schedule

☀️ Three-H Summer In Progress…

Hope you made the most of the long weekend if you had one. If not, hope you didn’t work too hard. Either way, put your feet up tomorrow and join me for soap and Dubai talk. Until then, stay safe; stay yielding to hikers, runners, and horses when biking on a trail; and stay preaching it if you prefer your old TV and VCR.

Jul3

July 2, 2024 – Natalia Causes a Backlash Tsunami, Lots About Soap, Just Caroline, Stirring the Jersey Pot, New New York, Deck Doings, Keep Them Safe & Party

Posted on July 3, 2024 by theresakp

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

I missed the very beginning, but that’s usually just a rehash anyway. So…

Diane tells Sonny that it’s her job to plead his case and provide counsel. It’s steep hill he’s going to have to climb. Avery isn’t a baby anymore, and if she sees him trying to take her from her mother, it could permanently alter her relationship with him. He says he’d rather she hate her father than become her mother, and Diane says, it’s his call. She records some notes for herself on her phone, and her phone beeps. He asks, what’s the problem? and she says, it’s a big one. Does he mind if she makes a phone call?

Alexis says, Kristina is in the homestretch of her pregnancy. The last part is challenging, physically and emotionally, and she wants Kristina to know she’s here for her no matter what. Kristina says she knows, but it never hurts to hear. Alexis’s phone rings, and Diane says she saw The Invader alert. What is Alexis doing? Alexis says she’s with Kristina celebrating quitting her job. She’s left the tabloid life behind. She doesn’t know what’s in The Invader, unless they’re running a picture of her face on a dartboard. Diane says, it’s not about her, but it’s bad. Go to the website now. Alexis asks what she’s looking for, and Diane says, she’ll know when she sees it. And turn up the audio. Alexis and Kristina listen to the file from The Face of Deception’s Daughter, and Diane says tell Kristina that she’s sorry.

Sonny asks if everything is okay, and Diane plays the audio file for him.

Everyone in Maxie’s office listens to the audio file, which includes Natalia talking about her fear that someone will take a picture of Blaze and Kristina holding hands. She’s scared it will be sold to the tabloids and there will be a scandal. Blaze glares at Natalia and says, don’t hold back. Tell us how you really feel.

Alexis and Kristina listen, and Kristina says, turn it off. She gets the gist. Alexis asks if she’s okay. Her blood is boiling, so she can’t imagine how Kristina feels. Kristina says she’s not the one who was just outed. Blaze was discriminated against by her own mother in public. She’s angry, but she’ll be fine. Alexis wonders if Kristina has heard from Blaze, and Kristina says, they usually text constantly, but no. Alexis says, maybe she hasn’t seen it, but Kristina says she doubts it. Deception is probably coming up with PR strategy for a response. She’ll call when she can. Alexis says she doesn’t understand how a mother could talk about her own daughter that way, and Kristina says, that’s why she’s grateful. She can forget about maternal leave from the center. After this, they won’t let her in the front door.

Ava says, her phone is blowing up, and Adrian asks if she wants to celebrate with him. She calls him a little worm and tells him to forget he knows her. Her name isn’t to cross his lips, not anytime to anyone, especially not Nina. Adrian says, sounds like a story. Does she care to dish? She says, she’ll see to it that he’s typing with his toes. Men have killed for her for a lot less. They’ve never met. They’ve never spoken. Take down the recording. There’s no reason for it to be online anymore. He says he can’t do that. It will just draw more attention to it and people will ask questions, to which every answer would be Ava Jerome. Besides, wire service has already picked it up. It’s everywhere and there’s no going back now.

Natalia says she doesn’t know what that was, and Lucy asks if Natalia is denying that’s her voice, but Natalia says, it’s obviously her. Scotty asks if Deception doesn’t have a PR master, but Lucy says she let them go when they had to save money. Lois says, that wasn’t a good idea, but Lucy says she had no idea this would happen. Scotty says he knows a guy… but Maxie says, stop. She tells Lucy to talk to the regular PR people. She’ll coordinate with Brook and have her lock down the social media. No comments. And she wants Scotty to guard the door from Tracy, who will be there soon, because the stock is going to take a nosedive. She asks Natalia where this took place, but Natalia says she never spoke to a reporter and doesn’t remember who she said it to. Blaze wonders if it’s because she says things like that so often.

Sonny says he knew Natalia was uncomfortable with her daughter being gay, but didn’t think she’d spew that kind of garbage. He asks Diane if it could be fake, and she says, possibly, but she doubts The Invader would run it without authentication. They’d be opening themselves up to a huge lawsuit. Sonny says, it makes no sense, but she says, he’d be surprised how easily some people hide their ugliness in polite company. He says he thought she’d be smart enough not to talk to somebody who was recording it, and Diane says, sometimes hated gets the better of people. He wonders why Alexis would run such a thing, but Diane says, Alexis didn’t. She quit this morning. Sonny says, whoever did this hurt his daughter, and that means there’s a target on their back

Diane tells Sonny to take this lesson seriously. Even things said in privacy behind closed doors run the risk of exposure. Sonny says he knows the danger, and she tells him, things said in anger can work against him in a custody fight. The court needs to see him as a reliable and stand-up parent who they can trust. He asks how he can be a good parent if he doesn’t do anything about the garbage being said about his daughter? Diane says, activists on social media are calling for Kristina to resign from the center she founded. They don’t think she should be running an outreach if she’s dating someone who’s in the closet. They’re saying she has too much internalized homophobia to be trusted. People get worked up about things they know nothing about. Sonny throws his phone against the door.

Alexis tells Kristina not to jump to the worst case, and Kristina says, people are already saying ugly things. Alexis says, Natalia robbed Blaze of coming out on her own terms. She’s not going to interfere between Blaze and her mother, but she is going after the person who made this public. Alexis leaves.

Ava says she didn’t set out to hurt Kristina, Blaze, or herself. Adrian will keep his mouth shut and she’ll have plausible deniability. If anybody asks him to identify where he got the audio file… He says, it came via the anonymous tip line. Ava tells him, get out, and he heads for the door. She asks if he’s learned nothing, and she checks the hallway. She says, okay. Go.

Natalia says she keeps going over it in her mind, but has no memory of saying that to anyone. Maybe her phone was tapped. Lois says, it doesn’t sound like a bad connection. It sounds like it was in person, but she doesn’t think that’s the real issue. Lucy says, it’s not about the how and why. It’s about, what the hell do we do now? Blaze says she’ll need to respond. Not so much because she’s the Face of Deception, but there’s so much more. It’s going to impact her music career. Natalia says, they’ll put together a joint statement and give it to a friendly outlet, but Blaze asks why she’d publicly associate with Natalia when the whole world heard what Natalia thinks of her. Natalia says, it wasn’t specifically about her. It was more a generalization. Blaze says, Natalia mentioned both her and Kristina, but would it matter if she’d left their names out? Which gays are disturbing and offensive to her fragile sensibilities? Do drag queens on a Pride float make her angry? Do her and Kristina holding hands make Natalia sick to her stomach? Or is the problem that any two women in love disgust her? She’s quiet now. She has nothing to say now that they’re in private. Why? The whole world has heard her words by now. She should have known something like this would happen. She talks about gay people dismissively or with pity, reducing them to how they look and talk, and who they love. They’re not real people, herself included. Lucy says, it’s ironic that the same person who locked Blaze in the closet is the same person who just outed her, and Maxie tells her that she’s not helping. Natalia says she’s the victim. She was used to damage her daughter’s career. Blaze says, Natalia hasn’t heard what she said. She let Natalia convince her to portray a straight person, and now Natalia’s words are going to destroy any hope for her future life in music. Blaze walks out.

Natalia says she’s sorry. Her daughter is emotional. Lois says, she has a right to be. Does Natalia want to go after her? Natalia says she doesn’t think it would do any good, not when Blaze is in this frame of mind. She knows her daughter. Maxie says, does she? and Scotty says he has nothing more to contribute. He’s going to leave. Maxie tells him to stay. They might need legal advice. Lucy says she thinks a lawyer should be here to finalize the last addendum to Blaze’s contract, and she rips it up. Natalia says, she can’t do that. Blaze is known everywhere as the Face of Deception. If they try to get rid of her, they risk backlash in the press and in court. Maxie says she thinks they’re within their rights to change their relationship with Blaze.

Blaze knocks at Kristina’s door, and when there’s no answer, she lets herself in. Kristina is on the sofa, looking at her phone, and Blaze asks if Kristina didn’t hear her knocking. Kristina says, sorry. She was zoned out on her phone. Blaze says she’s guessing Kristina read The Invader article. She was hoping Kristina hadn’t seen it, but then she’d be the one giving the bad news. Kristina says she’s definitely seen it. The comments are awful. Instagram is particularly brutal. It looks like she’s canceled. Blaze says she thinks they both are.

Adrian goes to the pool and asks for a margarita pitcher and the guac trio, extra salty chips. And put it on Nina Reeves’s tab. He lies on a chaise lounge and closes his eyes. Someone approaches his chair, and he says, they’re in his sun. Alexis says, it’s better than being all up in his business. Which she will be if he doesn’t agree to play ball. She had to harass his assistant until he cracked to find out where Adrian was. Adrian says, note to self, fire assistant, and tells her, whatever it is will have to wait until tomorrow. She’s intruding on his hard-earned afternoon off. She says, good, since he published that loathsome recording in The Invader, and intruded on her daughter and her girlfriend. He asks if that’s what’s snapping her brassiere (really? have we been transported to the 1950s?), and she says, it will be fun to sue him and him and The Invader into oblivion.

Natalia asks if they’re saying her daughter is no longer good enough to be the Face of Deception since she’s been outed. She can’t sell their products because she’s gay? Maxie tells her that she’s saying the exact opposite. What they can’t afford to have is someone ashamed to be gay. They have a diverse clientele that they’re proud of, a lot of whom are gay and have a large social media presence. What they can’t do is align themselves with someone who’s ashamed. They’re proud to be a gay friendly company, so they need Natalia and Blaze to either get with the program or kick rocks. Lois says, they’re all parents and love their kids. A difficult situation is evolving, but it’s less about a contract than about a mother and daughter finding their way back to each other. They should be a little careful with hurtful words. Maxie says she’s telling the truth, and Lucy says, they love Blaze, but they can’t sacrifice their reputation for her. Lois agrees, but thinks they should put the negative aside for now and work on their PR response. Give Natalia a chance to try and make peace with her daughter. Natalia says, her relationship with her daughter is none of their business, but when it comes to Blaze’s contract, if they do anything to hurt Blaze, they’ll deal with her. Natalia leaves.

Blaze says she’s so sorry. People are saying horrible things and it’s her fault. Kristina says, it’s not. It’s her mother’s fault. Blaze says, they wouldn’t be having this conversation if she’d been truthful, but Kristina says, Blaze did what she thought best. Blaze says she did what was easiest. She didn’t want to rock the boat and tried to have it both ways. Now it might cost her everything, including Kristina. She knows how much the center means to her, and if Kristina can’t forgive the damage that she and her mom caused, she understands. They can go their separate ways and no hard feelings. Kristina doesn’t have to decide now. She’ll leave and let her figure it out. Kristina says, don’t you dare. She’s not going anywhere. She’s hadn’t caused any damage in Kristina’s life. She was already planning on handing over the reins of the center. The only thing she lost was the title of undercover girlfriend. She was already out and had nothing to hide. Blaze says, there might be nothing left to salvage. What if she loses everything? She hid, and people hate liars. Kristina says, Blaze is breaking her heart. She’s beating herself up when it’s not her fault. It’s going to be okay. They’re going to be okay. They’ll get through this. She has faith in them. Does Blaze still feel the same way? Blaze says she’s sorry, but she doesn’t.

Adrian tells Alexis to do her worst and laughs. If her legal skill is on par with her ability to publish a newspaper, he’ll be just fine. He has the Bill of Rights on his side. Alexis says, even the Bill of Rights has its limits. She remembers warning him to be cautious about how deploys secret recordings. He says, if Natalia didn’t know she was being recorded that’s too bad. New York is a one-party consent state. Perhaps Alexis should consult her law books before returning to court. She says, perhaps he should seek legal counsel. Nina is going to cut the tightrope he’s walking on when she finds out. There’s reasonable expectation of privacy. Adrian says, Blaze is the Face of Deception and a famous singer. Public figures don’t get to claim privacy. She says, Blaze’s mother isn’t, and he monetized and commercialized a private citizen without consent. He left a big softball hanging left for her hit out of the park. He says he wants to consult a lawyer, and Alexis says, he has one right here. She’ll even waive the retainer. She’ll make it go away in exchange for one small thing. She wants him to name the person who supplied him with the recording.

Natalia gets in her car, crying, and breathing heavily. She listens to the recording on her phone, and wonders who she was talking to. Why the hell did they record it and send it to the media? Suddenly, the lightbulb comes on.

Maxie wonders, what’s next? and Lois thinks she should cool her appearances, but Lucy says, they need her. She’s the only Face they have left. They need to show they have nothing to hide or be embarrassed about. Scotty says, Lucy is right. They have to deal with it head on. Lucy says, this might not be a popular opinion, but they can’t afford another stumble. They can’t put out that they’re not going to associate with Blaze. Maxie says she didn’t mean that part. She just said it to prompt Natalia to sacrifice herself. She underestimated Natalia’s self-absorption. Lois suggests they take a day to think, but Lucy says, they have no time. They need to make sure the public knows that’s not how they feel, or they could be inundated with candlelight vigils and marches and be canceled on social media. Scotty asks if he should draw up a statement. Is Blaze in or out?

Blaze tells Kristina that she’s not saying they should break up, but she doesn’t see a way to move forward. Kristina says she does. She’ll guide both of them. Blaze says, it’s a huge responsibility, but Kristina says she doesn’t care. Blaze is worth it, and she loves her. She refuses to accept that Blaze’s enormous talent can’t override the ugly things being said. She’s not saying that out of love, but out of love she’ll continue to say it until Blaze believes it.

Sonny tells Diane that they’ll talk again after she comes up with a strategy, when Natalia walks in. Sonny turns his back to her, and Diane says she’ll be in touch. She leaves and Natalia says she can tell Sonny heard the recording. He says he has, and she says she knows he’s pretty upset and doesn’t have a high opinion of her. He says, obviously, and she says she’s not going to force her presence on him. She’ll go, but first, she wanted him to know where the recording came from. He says, she insulted his daughter, and she says, unfortunately, those are her words, but they were said to someone close to him who secretly recorded her. He says, who? and she says, it actually took a while for her to remember who she had that regrettable conversation with. She realized the person who edited out their part is the same person who supplied the recording to The Invader – Ava Jerome.

On the phone, Ava wonders where her room service is. There’s a knock at the door, and she says, there it is now. She opens the door, and Alexis is there. Alexis says, they need to have a conversion. One that won’t be recorded.

And I laaaugh because Adrian folded like a cheap suit.

Tomorrow, Sasha wants Blaze and Kristina to benefit from her hard-won experience; Lois has a suggestion; Sonny says, there are no limits to how far Ava will go; and Carly tells Josslyn there’s a good chance she could go to prison.

🧼 All the Soap News Fit To Print…

Blaze and Kristina’s storyline today brought tears to my eyes. It almost softened the blow of Finn’s departure. Almost.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/ghs-jacqueline-grace-lopez-shares-why-representation-matters

Life imitating art.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/ghs-kin-shriner-is-recovering-from-surgery

He’s got a better perspective on his being let go than I do.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/michael-easton-puts-his-gh-exit-into-perspective

I’ll have what he’s having.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/ghs-chad-duell-shares-an-important-message-with-fans

So cool how they stay in touch. Soap stars are a different breed of actor.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/ghs-kimberly-mccullough-and-brooklyn-rae-silzer-reunite

GH won’t be on July 4^th. You get the whole day off.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/abc/soap-opera-soaps-holiday-schedule

🐪 No Camel For You…

Sorry. As of this posting, there was no recap for Real Housewives of Dubai. Stay tuned for it tomorrow, and in the meantime, there’s this. Discuss amongst yourselves.

https://www.realitytea.com/2024/07/02/caroline-stanbury-sergio-carrallo-might-not-make-it-rhodubai/

👠 What Happens In Jersey…

What happened.

Real Housewives of New Jersey Season 14, Episode 9 Recap: A Wedding and a War

What’s going to happen.

RHONJ Season 14, Episode 10 Preview: Margaret Josephs and Dolores Catania Sit down for Serious Conversation

And what the Marge hopes will happen.

Margaret Josephs Suggests She Will Be ‘Vindicated’ With RHONJ Finale

🗽 If They Can’t Make It There…

RHONY used to be my favorite of the franchise because, NYC, but I found the new cast to be mind-numbing, city or no city. Maybe the latest additions will make a difference. Or not.

Erin Lichy Teases RHONY Season 15: ‘Highly Entertaining and Pretty Shocking’

🛟 Random Topics On Deck…

The perfect guest.

Why Trishelle Cannatella Was the Perfect Below Deck Med Charter Guest

The feud.

Below Deck Med Feud Ends: Captain Sandy and Hannah Ferrier’s Relationship Explained

And the fans.

Below Deck’s Biggest Celebrity Fans

🐕 Knowing the Drill…

It’s that time again. Actually, that time started here on Sunday night when I was wearing my chihuahua on my head after he heard the first firecracker.

https://www.morrisanimalfoundation.org/article/10-easy-tips-happy-safe-pets-july-4th

⛲️ Summer Mood: On…

Join me tomorrow for soap, tea, and entertainment news. Until then, stay safe, stay wearing sunscreen whether you think you need to or not, and stay never reducing anyone to how they look and talk, and who they love.

Jul2

July 1, 2024 – Ava Releases a Bombshell Via Adrian, Newlyweds For the Ninth Time On Deck & Asbury

Posted on July 2, 2024 by theresakp

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Drew and Nina argue about what she needs for Paris Fashion Week, and he says, it’s not like they focus on one brand. Alexis comes in and says, Nina’s office said Nina was here, and Drew says, she’s always here. Nina suggests she wouldn’t be if he’d do his job instead of getting in the way of hers, and Drew asks if Nina has forgotten that he’s her boss. Nina tells Alexis that she’s in the middle of something, but Alexis says, it’s important. Nina says, it will have to wait. She’s busy. Or has Alexis forgotten Nina is her boss? Alexis says, not anymore.

In Maxie’s office, Scotty says, don’t be surprised if Natalia plays hardball anyway, and Lucy says, this is the fourth addendum to Blaze’s contract. Natalia brings new meaning to the term momager. She hopes Lois doesn’t screw it up. Lois walks in and says she thought that was Lucy’s job.

Blaze finds the phone she’s been looking for, and Kristina asks if that means they can have breakfast. Blaze says she has to get to Deception before her mother gets there and she needs to pull her back. Kristina says, Natalia has Blaze’s best interests at heart, and Blaze says, that’s what Natalia thinks, but that’s not always the same thing. She leaves.

Gio sees Sonny and Avery come to the pool. Avery goes over to Josslyn, and Sonny asks if the Quartermaines are driving him crazy. Gio says, they’ve been great, and the grounds are so big, he can practice without bothering anyone. Sonny says, Gio’s practicing never bothers him, but Gio says, Sonny is biased. He has his living and work situations together, and he has new neighbors. Josslyn and Trina are moving into an apartment on the grounds.

Trina goes to see Ava at the hotel, bringing her the proofs for Harriet Nakaya. Ava says, the borders still aren’t right, and Harriet is particular. They’ll have to do it again. Trina says she’ll relay the message and asks if Ava needs anything else. Ava says she needs Trina to tell her everything Josslyn has ever told her about Sonny.

Lois says, Brook won’t be joining them, and Lucy asks, what’s more important than her job? Lois says, she’s needed elsewhere, and Maxie says she’s getting positive feedback on Lois’s department store appearances. Lois says she’s having a blast, and it’s getting her ready for her Home & Heart appearance. She was at Wyndam’s, when a woman raved to her about Blaze, and said how proud Lois must be. She thought Lois was Blaze’s mother. Can you imagine? Natalia walks in and says, no, she can’t.

Nina asks what has Alexis upset now, and Alexis thanks Nina for taking a job she didn’t love in the first place and making it a job she hates. She quits. Nina says, they have a contract, but Alexis says, on the contrary, they don’t. She never did. She and Shawn trusted each other. But if Nina wants to dispute that, it will be a cool warm up for her since she got her law license back. Drew says, congratulations, and Nina says, Alexis was born to argue, but it won’t be with her. Good luck and goodbye. She’ll inform Adrian that he’s acting Editor-in-Chief effective immediately. She leaves, and Alexis says she thinks that went well. Drew says he enjoyed it, and Alexis says she’s not happy that DeWitt will be in charge. He’s been the bane of her existence. Drew says, she reframed The Invader and elevated the paper. She should feel proud. She says she does. It’s not Camelot, but there have been some shining moments. Drew says, watching her cut Nina down to size was the most fun he’s had all week.

Sonny thanks Josslyn for looking out for Gio, and she says, of course (🍷). He says, Gio is talented and he’s a special kid, and she asks, what’s his point? He says he’s known the Cerullos his whole life. Gio is family, and he thinks it’s best if Josslyn didn’t give Gio her personal views him. He thinks it’s better to just leave the subject out of the equation. Josslyn says, it’s clear Gio puts him on a pedestal, and she didn’t share her opinions with him. She regrets trying to open Kristina’s eyes about him. It wasn’t her place, and Sonny is her father. Kristina is entitled to those illusions, and she’s not making the same mistake twice. If Gio finds out the truth, it will be because of something Sonny did.

Trina says she doesn’t keep tabs on Sonny, but Ava says, she and Josslyn are close, and she’s spent time with Dex. There’s got to be something she can use to protect herself and Avery. Sonny said she could expect a call from his attorney, and that means he must be going for full custody. Trina needs to be her eyes and ears. Listen to Josslyn and pass on anything she says about Sonny. It’s only a matter of time before he tries to revoke their shared custody. He wants to take her baby from her, and she can’t let that happen.

Trina says, sorry. Josslyn never talks about Sonny. They avoid the subject and Josslyn has never given her any details. She’s sorry, but she’s afraid the only thing she can do for Ava is cover for her at the gallery and run errands. Ava says, let her know if she thinks of anything. Every little bit helps. Trina leaves.

Alexis visits Kristina and says she walked into Drew’s office, Nina was there, and she quit. Nina claimed they had a contract, but they don’t. Kristina says she’s happy for Alexis, but sad for Nina. Alexis is an asset and invaluable to the paper. Alexis says, Nina has her pet gossip columnist and doesn’t have to worry about the pesky truth now, and Kristina says, congratulations. This calls for a celebration – mimosas, hold the champagne. Alexis says, in other words, just orange juice, and Kristina goes to the kitchen. Alexis looks at the resumés on the coffee table.

Lois says she’s sure Natalia gets people fangirling and fanboying about Blaze, when Blaze comes in. She says she’s sorry she’s late. What did she miss? Natalia says, just an amusing story from Lois, and Lois says she’s having a ball. When people find out her daughter is Blaze’s manager, they ask for her autograph. Blaze says, people ask her if Lois is her mother, and Maxie suggests they wrap things up. Lucy says, they’re fortunate to have both Blaze and Lois representing Deception. It was one of her more inspired ideas… She didn’t mean to imply she came up with it by herself, and Maxie reminds her what happened the last time she did that. Her appearance on Home & Heart led to their lowest sales ever. Not only is Lois gorgeous, but she’s warm and approachable. They’re lucky to have her. Natalia asks if they can finalize the addendum to her daughter’s contract.

Jordan tells Drew that she just got back from a conference in DC where she was subbing for Laura, and she heard internal rumblings. Is it true he’s running for McConkey’s seat? Drew says he didn’t think it would come out so soon. He was planning on July 4^th. As soon as his name change goes through, he’s getting yard signs. She says, Congressman Quartermain has a nice ring to it. He’s full of surprises. He says he’s not bailing on the esplanade, and she asks if he’s running to raise his profile or does he plan to win.

Trina finds Josslyn at the pool, and tells her, don’t look up. Ava has a room overlooking the pool and just made her very uncomfortable. Josslyn asks, what happened? and Trina says, Ava was wound up. She thinks Sonny is going to file for full custody. Josslyn says, there are certain things they shouldn’t talk about, and Ava is one of them, but Trina tells her to say what she’s thinking. Josslyn says, it’s going to sound ironic, but she thinks Avery is better off with her dad. Trina says, Ava’s been supportive and loving to her and she thinks of Ava as a close friend, but the Ava she’s been seeing lately is like the one Spencer used to talk about. Josslyn says she’s sorry Trina got dragged into this, but Trina says she feels bad for Josslyn’s sister. She’s in the middle.

Adrian goes to Ava’s room, and says he’s not accustomed to being summoned. He hopes this covert visit is worth the hype. What does she have for him? Ava asks what he knows about Natalia Rameriz, and he says, she’s popstar Blaze’s mom. Ava says, she’s controlling, insufferable, hypocritical, and not politically correct. Did he get the audio file she sent him? He says he hasn’t had time to listen to it, and plays it. We hear Natalia say that she’s not a prude. What people do behind closed doors is their own business, but she thinks gay people, or whatever alphabet soup they’re calling themselves these days, are flighty and not serious about life. Kristina is going to be pregnant for nine months and just hand the baby over. It seems like Kristina and Blaze think it would be fun to have a baby as long as there’s not hard work and they don’t have to be serious about it.

Drew says he fully intends on winning the seat, and Jordan says, he has her full support. He says he appreciates her input, and she says, it comes down to one name, Chelsea Grimes. She should not be considered a serious candidate, but her numbers are up, and her campaign is picking up steam. She’s an absolute terror. She’s out for herself and will do or say anything to get power. She’ll be a distraction in congress and a waste of a seat. She has to be stopped at any cost. Drew asks if she has any advice, and she says, start his campaign, with or without yard signs.

Kristina toasts to her accomplished mother and her bright legal future ahead. What’s next? Alexis asks why Kristina is looking at resumés, and Kristina says she’s looking for a replacement to fill in for her when she goes on maternity leave. It’s overwhelming. Some candidates have master’s degrees in social work and decades of experience. She’s figuring it out as she goes and learning on the job. Alexis says, the center exists because of Kristina. She’s sorry about the delays, but that stuff happens. Kristina says, it’s ironic. The center is finally opening its doors right when she’s taking a leave of absence.

Gio asks if Trina is going in for a dip, but Trina says, Ava needed to see proofs. She shows him one of them, and he says he figured it would just say, live music. He didn’t think he’d be credited. She did this? She asks if his name is spelled correctly, and he says, it’s all good. He lucked out. He moved here and met the nicest people in the first month. She says she got him the gig at the gallery, but she can’t do a thing about the pool, and he says he assumes that means he should get back to work. He leaves, and she watches him as he goes.

Scotty suggests they get this show on the road, and Maxie says, the new ad campaign with Blaze is fantastic. And they’ve had a great response to the division of duties. Blaze and Lois each reach a different segment of their market. They’re happy to accommodate the addendum. Scotty says, the third time’s the charm, and Lucy says, it’s the fourth.

Adrian listens as Natalia says she tries to be open minded, but if her way of thinking is considered old-fashioned, so be it. Adrian asks Ava if this is legit and hasn’t been doctored, and Ava says, it’s the real deal, or rather, the real Natalia Rameriz. He can have the recording, as long as she’s assured none of it tracks back to her. He says he always protects his sources. Isn’t Natalia’s daughter the new Face of Deception, a company that’s supposed to be socially conscious? Ava wonders if Adrian will encounter some resistance from Alexis, but he says, her timing couldn’t be more perfect. Alexis is gone as of this morning, and he’s the new Editor-in-Chief. They have an anonymous tip line, so send the file there, and stay tuned to her laptop for a smoking hot story going live today. He kisses her hand and calls the copy department as he goes out the door. He leaves, and Ava says, the pleasure’s all hers.

Nina walks into Drew’s office and says she’s so sorry. She didn’t know they were having a meeting. Is this about the docks project? She’ll come back. Jordan says, no need. She was wrapping up some things at city hall and stopped by to fact check. Drew says, Nina knows about the campaign. He promises an announcement soon. And when he’s elected, she can expect their project to move faster. Jordan says, Congressman Quartermaine. She looks forward to his yard signs and buttons. She leaves, and Nina says, Congressman Quartermaine?

Kristina tells Alexis, it’s been a lot to handle. Now her due date and the opening of the center are both in August. The timing’s not great. Alexis asks if Kristina thinks she’s not entitled to maternity leave because she’s not raising the baby, because that’s not the case. Even as a surrogate, she’s entitled to leave. Kristina says, that’s why she’s looking for a replacement, and Alexis asks, what isn’t she saying? Kristina says, she’ll be away, giving birth to a child she’s carried for nine months that was never meant to be hers.

Maxie says, what Lucy meant to say is, Natalia is diligent, but Natalia says, that’s okay. She’s not apologizing for the care she takes with her daughter’s career, and this meeting is validation that her effort has been successful. Blaze says, her mother has her best interests at heart, and Scotty says he’s drafted a new version that addresses her concerns. He thinks they’ll find it acceptable. Natalia looks at the revision and says, no. This is awful. It’s not what they agreed to.

Ava comes down to the pool, and Josslyn asks if Gio wants to help Sonny. He says, sure, and she tells him to follow her lead. She tells Avery that ice cream is being served in the Garden. She can’t take Avery because she has to watch the pool, but Gio can. Sonny tells Avery that he’s known Gio since he was smaller than her, and Ava says, it’s fine by her (like anyone asked). Gio tells Avery that he can get her extra sprinkles. He knows a guy. They leave, and Ava says she was watching from her balcony and saw them. Avery is becoming a strong swimmer. Sonny says he showed Ava the door because he didn’t want to see her face anymore. Not at his place, not here, not anywhere.

Drew asks if Nina is still harping on Fashion Week. She can have two editors and two photographers. She says, thank you, Mr. Quartermaine. She appreciates his generosity and thinks the name change definitely raises his recognition factor. He says he didn’t expect her to support him, but she says, she backed him to be put in that spot. He says, she extracted her quid pro quo quickly, and she says she told McConkey that he would be a great representative and she thinks he’ll do well in Washington. She’s all in to get him elected and is ready and willing to support him. If she knew what she was doing, she’d offer to be his campaign manager. He asks why she’s helping him.

Kristina says, reality is hitting. She’s planning maternity leave, but not as a mother, just a surrogate. She cries, and says, now that she’s experiencing it and it’s coming to an end, she’s thinking it’s exactly what Alexis and Sam warned her about. Her body and her hormones don’t know the difference. She keeps thinking, if things go according to plan, and Molly and TJ stay together and raise the baby, are they going to miss her? Will they think about her? Will they know the woman holding them isn’t the one who gave birth to them? Does it matter? She can’t stop thinking, what’s going to happen to her? What is she supposed to do? Just bounce back, work to get her body back in shape, and go on like nothing happened? Alexis says, no one expects that, and Kristina says, as it gets closer to the due date… That’s another thought. Is the due date hers, or is it really Molly and TJ’s and she’s just the person doing the labor? Alexis says, it’s definitely hers, and Kristina says she’s sorry. She’s spinning a little and knows Alexis warned her. she doesn’t want to be a disappointment. Alexis tears up, says she’s so proud of Kristina she could cry, and hugs her.

Lucy asks, what’s the problem now? and Maxie asks, what specifically are Natalia’s concerns? Scotty says, Blaze told them that she’d do interview as long as she knew the questions ahead of time. What’s the problem? Natalia asks where video interviews enter into it, and he tells her, welcome to the 21^st century. Maxie’s phone keeps going off with alerts, and Lucy says, that’s how you build followers. She should know. She has quite a few. Natalia asks if Maxie can turn her phone off, but Maxie says she gets an alert every time Deception is in the news. Lucy says, they’re probably trending. She crafted a particularly good motivational post this morning. It’s about authenticity. Maxie suggests they just continue, starting with page one, paragraph three.

Ava says she doesn’t want any trouble. She just came down to say, hello. No harm in that, right? Sonny says, as long as they understand each other, and she says she does, but maybe he doesn’t. He needs to be careful. If he’s thinking about taking her daughter from her, it will go worse for him than he can imagine.

Nina says she and Drew have managed to get along. Clearly, he’s committed to this if he’s changing his name. Maybe it will help. He says, she’s all about public service, and she says she’s desperate to have a relationship with her daughter, but she does believe in him. He’s no worse than most politicians and vastly preferred to his opponent. Stop questioning her motives. He’s going to need all the help he can get.

Alexis says, Kristina volunteered to have her sister’s baby. it was incredibly generous. She’s opening the LGBTQ – did she get that right? – center for youth, which is an incredibly generous act. She has the biggest heart. Kristina says, because she’s been loved, accepted, and supported. Her dad always made her feel important and accepted. Alexis asks why he wouldn’t. She’s so damn fabulous. She hugs Alexis and says, that’s her girl.

Josslyn watches as Sonny asks if Ava is threatening him, and Ava says, it’s not a threat; it’s a promise. (What does that even mean anyway?) Did he forget who she is and what she’s capable of? She suggests he remember quickly. Avery is her daughter, and she’ll do whatever she has to in order to make sure she stays in Avery’s life. Some of her history is questionable, but in some respects, his is worse. Can he afford the kind of trouble she can make for him?

Maxie’s phone continues to blow up, and Natalia suggests they reschedule. Scotty says he’s revised it four times; he can draft a fifth. Lucy wants to get it done now and tells Maxie to turn off her phone. Maxie looks at it and Lucy says, it must be because Deception is having so much success. Maxie sees Blaze’s picture and the headline, The Face of Her Daughter’s Deception. She scrolls down and sees Natalia’s picture along with the audio file. She says, oh my God.

Tomorrow, Maxie says, Natalia needs to get with the program or kick rocks; Ava tells someone on the phone that they can’t risk being seen together; and Sonny tells someone, that means there’s a target on their back.

Below Deck Mediterranean

The crew heads back to the boat, and Ellie says she’s feeling a vibe with Joe. Gael’s boyfriend whines to her in a text that he’s feeling hurt. Aesha says, bikinis, jacuzzi now, and Ellie says she doesn’t want to do something she regrets. In her interview, she says, you don’t get to drive a Lamborghini for nothing. You have to put in the work. Gael tells her boyfriend that she’s sorry she’s not doing more to make him comfortable. He sounds like a d*ck. Iain says he has a huge little toenail, and in Nathan’s interview, he says he’d rather spend time with Gael, but he’s talking to Iain about his f***ing toes. Joe and Bri stare at each other, and in Aesha’s interview, she says, they have f*** me eyes. It’s enough for her to say, time for bed. Everyone wanders off, and Joe asks if he and Bri are the only ones left. Bri says, they’re the last men standing. Nathan admires his own ass and tells Gael to squeeze it. That’s a hard no, and he and Iain want her to decide who has the best ass. Gael gives Nathan a strawberry. Nathan wonders if they should be nosy, and they sneak downstairs. Bri and Joe are kissing in the hot tub, and Bri takes her top off. Ellie is sleeping, and Gael’s boyfriend gets all emo. In her interview, Gael says, she knows she should put the relationship first, but she wants him to have her back and he’s pushing her away. She’s beating herself up over Nathan. Joe goes back to his bunk, and in Bri’s interview, she says, now they’ll carry on like normal, like nothing happened.

Ellie asks if Bri and Joe had sex, but Bri’s not saying. In Ellie’s interview, she says she feels snaked by Bri. Bri doesn’t give a f*** about her feelings, and it’s irritating. In Joe’s interview, he says, there’s no tension. His door is open even for Captain Sandy. News flash. Captain Sandy’s door ain’t opening for him. In the morning, Aesha tells the stews that she wants everything turned over, and Jono calls his boyfriend David. He says, the guests on the last charter didn’t like his food. He was shocked at the feedback and feels like he’s going to be fired or shouldn’t be here. He’s doubting himself. In his interview, he says, it’s a skill. Sometimes, you take it with a grain of salt, sometimes a boulder. You have to learn how to carry it. Norma texts the captain, saying, a chef will be available in two days. In Captain Sandy’s interview, she says, she thinks Jono knows her expectations. He has to perform. Otherwise, she’ll replace him. In Nathan’s interview, he says he likes Gael, but he’s not pushing it. He’s letting her call the shots, and if she wants to do it, they’re on the same team.

It’s time for the preference sheet meeting. The primary is Brittany Brower, a former fashion model turned stay at home mom from Tampa, Florida. The captain says, they may have seen Brittany and her friends on TV, but don’t fan out. Jono reads that they want five tins of beluga caviar, nothing gamy, and no melons except watermelon. There are also other restrictions, yet Brittany says she’ll eat anything, and they laugh. In Jono’s interview, he says, after the last charter, he was looking for less picky guests. Aesha reads that guests Marsha and Big Daddy Dean would like the captain to help them renew their vows in a silly, fun, ancient Greek themed ceremony. The captain says, no chicken and no guests floating away in a boat. Gael tells Aesha that she’s scared, and Aesha asks if she wants a cuddle. She gets in Aesha’s bunk, and says, she and her boyfriend had a fight. Aesha says, it’s hard when they’re here and it’s just a phone call, and in her interview, she says she feels for Gael. It’s intense. This thing with Gael’s boyfriend is making Gael upset and it’s too much. Bri asks Ellie if everything is okay between them, but Ellie says, not 100%. She made it clear that she wanted to pursue Joe, but Bri thought, f*** that, and did her own thing. If Bri hadn’t had Ellie’s training, she’d be in a different situation, but after that, Bri gave zero f***s about her. She broke girl code with a random guy.

Ellie says she’d never break a friendship over a random f***ing guy, and Bri says, if she’d known, she never would have done it. Ellie says, it was a snake move, but Bri says she was never snaky. Ellie says, Bri genuinely hurt her, and in Bri’s interview, she says, the last thing she wants is to be called a snake. She never does anything with – she has trouble with the word and a producer has to help her – malice. Bri says, if she’d known it would be like this, she wouldn’t have done it, and Ellie says, it’s changed the relationship completely. She’s done. She’s moving on. She walks out, and Bri call outs that she appreciates Ellie. Bri finds Joe and tells him that she f***ed up and she’s feeling sh*tty. Joe says he’s sorry, and in his interview, he says he’s got to be careful. He’s a magnet for chaos and doesn’t want to complicate things within a department. Bri decides to sleep in the crew mess, and when Nathan sees her, he says, what the f***? In his interview, he says, the charter is having a bit of drama, and he loves it. He tells Joe, and they laugh. Joe says, it’s pathetic, and tells Nathan to ask Bri to come here. Joe makes a place on the floor for her to sleep, and in his interview, he says, if he can provide comfort, so be it, but he doesn’t want it to be an ongoing thing.

The captain calls Iain to the bridge. She tells him that he needs to step it up. She wants the deck team to be happy, but they need to stop making rookie mistakes. We flash back to some of their mistakes, and captain Sandy says, they look like amateurs. In Ellie’s interview, she says she didn’t hear Bri come in last night. She has no compassion. She can sleep wherever she wants. Aesha tells the stews to make the beds and smash the cabins out. One of the guests is going to renew their vows with a fun, silly, ancient Greek themed wedding, and they also have to do a runway show with the yacht crew. She wants to not just maintain the standard, but improve it. In Iain’s interview, he says, the last charter was a nightmare. He’s almost like a motivational speaker with the deck team. Are we ready for today? He’s got to build them up. Aesha shows Captain Sandy her thumb and points out a sign of infection. She says, it feels like she still has glass in there, and the captain says she’s sending Aesha ashore to the doctor. She’ll get her car service. In Captain Sandy’s interview, she says, if Aesha can’t work the charter, it will be catastrophic. The last charter, the chef wasn’t the greatest and Bri is still getting her feet wet. She doesn’t want the interior to fall apart. Aesha tells the stews about her thumb, and says, if she’s not back, Ellie should do the welcome drinks. In Aesha’s interview, she says, the guests are coming in three hours. It’s not much time to go to a Greek hospital to get this looked at and come back.

Provisions come in, and Ellie tells the deckhands to put the alcohol on the sundeck. In Ellie’s interview, she says, what the f***? Bri is calling the shots and making decisions. She tells Bri that she’s overriding her, and it needs to stop. It would be like her giving Aesha instructions. It’s not Bri’s place and it’s disrespectful. In Bri’s interview, she says she thinks Ellie might think she’s trying to compete with her, but that’s not the case. Ellie is focused on the hierarchy. Just talk nice to her. Ellie asks Bri to throw out the rotted citrus, but Bri says, that’s not a priority for her. Aesha said to clean up the laundry. In her interview, Bri says she’ll show Ellie hierarchy, and in Ellie’s interview, she says, that Bri is feeling this empowered to speak to her this way is shocking. Bri’s job is to support her. Ellie tells Jono that she asked Bri to do the citrus, but Bri said it wasn’t a priority. She’s playing with fire. Jono says, it’s getting hot in here. Thanks for the earworm, Jono! In Joe’s interview, he says, management isn’t Iain’s strong point. Bri says she might burst into tears. There’s unnecessary drama on the yacht. Jono says, it’s crazy. Ellie is going to be spicy. Bri says she’s going to be passive/aggressive spicy, and the captain overhears. She asks what Bri means by that, and Bri says, she’ll be angry, but do the right thing. (Right.) The drama is affecting her. Captain Sandy says, they all get tired sometimes and people can say things with a sharp tongue. Bri says, not everyone likes her, and the captain says, but she’s so likeable. They laugh, and the captain says, she’ll be fine and can come to the bridge anytime. In the captain’s interview, she says she has to make sure Bri is okay. It’s charter three and the wheels are falling off. She doesn’t need details. It’s not her business until it becomes her business. Bri needs to go to Aesha.

Aesha comes back and shows Captain Sandy the glass in a little plastic bag. The captain says, she didn’t feel it? and Aesha says she was trying to ignore it. She has to keep the bandage on for two days and can’t get it wet. The captain says she caught Bri having a moment and Aesha needs to talk to her. Aesha finds Bri and asks if she wants to talk. Bri says she got overwhelmed and told the deckhands to put the alcohol on the sundeck. Ellie told her to stop calling the shots. She’s the third stew. There’s an awkward vibe and she feels like Ellie is power tripping. She’s trying to stay positive and not take it to heart. Aesha says, Ellie is here to help guide Bri, not boss her around in a way that makes her feel upset. In Aesha’s interview, she says, the charter is already intense. Don’t screw the crew if you can’t emotionally handle it. She asks if Bri wants her to speak with Ellie, and Bri says she does. The captain radios that the guests are coming in 30 minutes, and Aesha tells Ellie that Bri feels like she’s having a power trip, but Ellie says she doesn’t need to power trip. It’s a large team. She thinks Bri is playing the victim, but she’s not easily manipulated. The captain radios for the crew to meet in ten minutes, and Ellie says she’s not going to be upset and argue.

Ellie tells Aesha that Bri’s attitude is disrespectful. She wouldn’t tell Aesha what to do, and there are certain things Bri doesn’t understand. In Aesha’s interview, she says, it’s important that she stay neutral with the girls. She doesn’t actually know what happened, but her place as a leader is to stay professional and treat them both the same. When it’s appropriate, she’ll address it. The guests arrive, and Captain Sandy welcomes them and says, they’re happy to have them. Aesha will show them around. In her interview, Aesha says she doesn’t watch TV, so she’s the last person who would recognize the girls. Well, I watch a lot of TV, and don’t recognize anyone, except Trishelle who was on The Real World. Hardly something to fangirl over. They shove off, and in Iain’s interview, he says, the deck team is kicking ass and taking names. Guest Marsha says she used to teach modeling and Aesha wants to see a walk. Captain Sandy asks how Jono is feeling, and he says, nervous. She tells him to do what he did on the first charter. In Jono’s interview, he says, one more bad meal and he might lose his job. The guests have an Asian-y vibe, and his sushi skills are up there. It’s time to step it up get this p*ssy popping. In Gael’s interview, she says, Nathan knows what he’s doing. He doesn’t need to prove anything. On deck, he’s a nice leader to have. A sushi and tempura parade comes out. Finally, some food porn. Jono tells Aesha that she needs to talk to the stews. The interior drama is going to affect their work. She says she has no time to address it now and tells him the guests loved lunch. In Jono’s interview, he says, thank the f***ing Lord. Hallelujah. It’s time to drop anchor, and in Gael’s interview, she says, Joe is feeling the pressure, and the captain is waiting. She guesses this is where experience comes in. She helps Joe with the anchor.

Captain Sandy tells the deck team to lock it down and put the toys in the water. Joe says, sh*t. This is getting annoying. Bri text whines to her mom, who tells her to rise above. Marsha gets dressed for her wedding – for the ninth time – and Bri and Ellie decorate, creating a beautiful aisle and archway. Aesha says, it looks amazing, and everyone gets Greeked up, except for Marsha who wears a real wedding dress. She thanks Captain Sandy, who says, it’s an honor. In the captain’s interview, she says, Marsha had breast cancer and is a three-time survivor. She knows what it’s like since she had kidney cancer. She thinks when you go through things where you don’t think you’ll survive, it changes everything. She doesn’t lose sleep over stuff. She’s just grateful for another day. Marsha walks down the aisle holding a potted plant, and Captain Sandy says, for the ninth time, they’re celebrating the love between Marsha and Big Dean. They’re celebrating good health, love, and commitment to one another once again. She pronounces them husband and wife for the ninth time, and there are cheers. Marsha and Dean kiss, and Aesha says, that’s lots of tongue. In her interview, she says, that must be why they call him Big Dean. Aesha takes photos and asks if Jono can pull the dinner forward. Dean says, it’s the best wedding they’ve ever had, and Gael helps Jono shuck oysters in the galley. In Jono’s interview, he says, steak, beluga caviar, and lobster that’s going to swim on the plate. She’s going to be fresh. The guests indulge in caviar and oysters at the bar. Gael calls her boyfriend, who gripes to her, and she says she’s going to take a wee nap. They’ll speak soon. Aesha tells Marsha and Dean, happy Vow Day, and Dean says, now the honeymoon begins. Dinner is served and Brittany says her steak is dry. Aesha asks if Brittany wants her to change it, but Brittany says she’s good. In Aesha’s interview, she says she’s absolutely rooting for Jono, but Brittany’s not good.

Brittany tells Aesha that the steak isn’t good, and Aesha asks if she wants a shot of tequila, to which Brittany also says she’s good. In Aesha’s interview, she says, it’s a steak. Jono must have cooked hundreds of them. She tells him that the guests seem fine, but the primary said it was dry. Jono says, he’ll come up and talk to her, and in his interview, he says he doesn’t want a repeat of the last charter where the primary’s experience blanketed everyone else’s culinary joy. We flash back to that, and he says, not again. Ellie tells the captain about the steak, and the captain asks Aesha about it. Aesha says, everyone else thought it was good, and in Captain Sandy’s interview, she says, this can’t keep happening. Jono’s presentation has improved, but this is one step away from her making a change. She texts Norma, asking if the chef is still available. The dessert is some kind of cake with a white chocolate drizzle and I’m all in. Jono tells Brittany that he’s sorry about the steak, and everyone says, dessert is so good. Marsha asks what their after-dinner activity is, and Brittany says, the fashion show. Captain Sandy asks the guests how their dinner is, and Brittany acts all happy. Marsha thanks the captain again, and Aesha tells the crew that the show starts at 10:30. They put on costumes and wigs, but Ellie is taking forever to get into her black leather BDSM outfit with thigh high boots. In Aesha’s interview, she says, the guests requested a fashion show, and the guests are waiting, but Ellie is taking 50 billion years to get ready. Delivering to the guests comes before your OnlyFans career. The guys go first, and Aesha tells Ellie that she’s going to have to miss out. She’s being so selfish, and Aesha is frustrated that she’s not listening. Ellie is already 20 minutes late, and struggles getting her boots on. Aesha says, this is the first time Ellie has disobeyed her and she doesn’t like it.

Ellie runs out and there are lots of cheers. She nearly falls off her six-inch heels, and Brittany says, just keep going. In Aesha’s interview, she wonders if Ellie is using the time to seriously be scouted since Marsha is a modeling agent. Iain says, they had good teachers, and Marsha says, good comment. Joe says he feels bad about the situation with Bri and Ellie. The guests go to bed, and Ellie wonders where Bri is, since she’s not in their cabin. In her interview, she says, once again, Bri is sleeping in the boys’ cabin. Bri is making it look like Ellie is being so abusive, she can’t even sleep in the same cabin.

Second day of charter. Bri complains that Ellie leaves the lights on all night, and Nathan tells Joe that he thinks she’s going to suggest a cabin change. Joe says, that’s not happening, and in his interview, he says, Bri needs to STFU and sort out her differences. He tells Nathan, it’s not his fault… is it? Nathan says, yeah, it is. Ellie asks Bri, what’s going on? and Bri says she knows she has problems. She’s sorry they affected Ellie. She’s sorry she’s not sleeping cabin. She doesn’t know if it made Ellie feel weird. Ellie tells her to do what she wants, but it’s kind of unusual. Nathan tells Aesha that Bri has been sleeping on their floor and he doesn’t know what’s going on. Bri tells Ellie that her teaching is in some ways belittling, and Ellie says, whoa. That’s a strong word. She’s out. She’s not engaging in that. Is Bri f***ing kidding her? In Ellie’s interview, she says, Bri saying she’s belittling is baffling and stupid. Bri says, Ellie makes her feel insecure, and Ellie says, if she feels that way, it’s her own doing. Her victimhood needs to stop. Bri says she has every reason to feel that way, but Ellie says, do not tell her that.

Next time, a guest does the splits a la Kyle Richards; there’s no power in the windless; Captain Sandy says, it’s the worst possible time for a mistake like this; and the captain thinks they may not be able to get the anchor up.

🛀 Inaction Required…

Join me tomorrow for soap and Dubai talk. Until then, stay safe, stay keeping your pets indoors on 4^th of July (or whatever day your city and neighbors start blowing off fireworks); and stay not losing sleep over stuff and just being grateful for another day.

Jun25

June 24, 2024 – Tracy Gives Finn an Ultimatum, Just Okay Food On Deck & Greatest

Posted on June 25, 2024 by theresakp

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

John says he needs to celebrate with someone, and so far, Carly is the closest friend he has here. She tells him that he has to get some new friends, and toasts to taking down the bad guys – or bad persons. He says he’ll definitely drink to that.

Molly comes home, where TJ is waiting. She apologizes for being late. She was stuck at the office, then there was traffic. He asks if that’s true or was she avoiding coming home?

Kristina goes to Sonny’s office and says she got him a gift. He looks in the bag, and she asks how she did. He says, perfect.

On the phone, Tracy says, Brook’s mother is waiting. She’ll take care of it. Finn comes out and says, tell him where his daughter is.

Brook and Chase bring Violet to the Quartermaines. Lois tells Violet that there’s nothing she loves more than a sleepover. They’re going to stay up all night, eat tons of sugar, and do all the fun stuff. Chase tells Yuri to make sure the front gate is locked, and the staff knows not to let his brother in.

Molly asks if TJ thinks she’d volunteer to stay at work, and he says he wouldn’t blame her. She says she was stuck at the office, and he says he ordered take out, but she tells him that she had a late lunch. Maybe later. He says he was hoping they could talk about what happened, but she says she doesn’t know what more they can talk about. They can’t go back in time and change the surrogate. TJ says he wants her to accept his apology. He was a total ass and he’s sorry.

Sonny takes something out of the bag, and Kristina says, it’s organic and locally grown. He says he’ll put it to good use. He’s starting to feel like he wants to cook. Is she hungry? She says, Blaze is meeting her and they’re going out, when Natalia and Blaze come in. Natalia says she told Blaze that Sonny wasn’t a vampire, and tells Sonny that she thought she’d drop by and say hey. He says he’s glad she did and hopes she stays. He has a lot of basil in the kitchen, and he’s thinking of making pesto and chicken piccata. Blaze and Kristina agree to stay for dinner, and Natalia says, he had her at pesto. Can she help? He says, that depends. How good is she in the kitchen? She tells Blaze, careful, and Blaze says, she’s a pretty good cook. Sonny says, there are some kitchen rules. In the kitchen, he’s the boss. Natalia says, yes, chef, and they go to the kitchen. Blaze asks if Kristina is cool with this, and Kristina says, yeah. It helps that Blaze is here and can be a buffer. Blaze says, who thought they’d be having dinner all together? and Kristina says, it’s been a long and winding road. Blaze says she wouldn’t change a thing, and Kristina says her either.

Carly asks if John will be checking out when he wraps up his assignment, and he says, soon. She asks, how soon, or is it classified? and he says, within the week. He was here longer than he’d intended. Carly says, thanks for choosing us for your stay, and he thanks her for saving his hide on the docks and watching him all night. She says, he thanked her already, but he says, it deserves repeating. Carly says, he’s welcome, and he tells her to enjoy the rest of the champagne. She says, if he insists, and he says he did enjoy her company. She says, back at him. Give her a give a call if he’s severely beaten, and good luck with whatever happens next. He says, it’s been a while, but he feels like luck is finally on his side. He leaves, and she says, not for long, you bastard.

Violet wonders if she should go home in case her daddy needs help, but Lois says she spoke to Brook’s grandma and she’s with Violet’s daddy, helping him feel better. Let them spoil her. Violet says her stomach hurts, and Brook takes her to the bathroom. Lois says, of course (🍷) Violet feels sick. So does she. Chase thanks her, and she says, they all want to help. Chase says, if Violet had stayed with them, Finn would have been pounding on the door all night. Violet is going through enough. She found Finn bleeding and couldn’t wake him up. She says, thank God Violet called Tracy, and Chase says, with the amount of booze Finn consumed, he could have been passed out all night. As it is, Violet is going to carry this with her for the rest of her life. Lois says, they’ll get her through this. It’s important that Chase is here, and Violet knows she has him. He says, he hopes so. He has to make some more arrangements. She tells him to let her know if there’s anything else she can do, and leaves. He makes a call and says he’s sorry to be calling so late.

Tracy says, Violet is safe, but Finn says, that’s not what he asked. She asks if he has any idea what Violet saw when she walked in here. He was passed out cold, bleeding on the floor in a sea of broken glass. He says he’s sorry Violet had to witness that, but Tracy says, she didn’t have to. He created the situation. Finn asks if Violet called her, and she says, Violet picked up the phone, saw the missed calls from her, and had the good sense to call her back. She said her father needed help. She’d thought he died. Tracy called 911, and when she got here, Violet was standing over him, keeping watch, scared out of her mind. Finn says he’s sorry for how he spoke to her earlier. This was the wake-up call he needed. He’s going to clean himself and the apartment up, and bring Violet home. Tracy says, no, and Finn says, he’s Violet’s father. She says, he can’t care for his daughter, and she’s not coming home until he proves he can care for himself.

Finn asks where his daughter is, and Tracy says, she’s with people who love her, and they’ll continue to care for her when he seeks help. She’s booked him a room at Sky Meadow Lodge. It’s a 90-day minimum treatment facility. He says, she’s overstepping. He doesn’t need residential treatment. She says, even before tonight, she would have argued that he did, and he says he’ll go to meetings, but Violet is staying with him. She says, meetings are no longer sufficient, and he says, she doesn’t know his life. His daughter is at the Quartermaines, isn’t she? He’s going there and getting her, and if anyone tries to stop him, he’ll call the police.

On the phone, Chase says, Yuri will meet them at the gate. Violet comes back with Brook and asks if Chase is sure that Brook’s grandma will take care of her dad. He says, she can, and she will. Violet says, it’s a big house, and Brook says, their room is next to hers. If she needs anything, or if she has a bad dream, they’ll be right there. Violet asks if they think her daddy had bad dreams, and Chase says, they make some people so sad, they feel sick. Violet says, like grandpa? but Brook says, no. This is completely different. Violet says, if her daddy is sick, he needs her, and Chase says, that was his first intention, but Brook says, her daddy taking some time away is the best way. Violet asks, what if he thinks she doesn’t love him anymore? but Chase says, he would never think that and that will never change.

As they enjoy dinner, Natalia tells stories about Blaze as a kid, and Blaze asks if they’re done laughing at her younger self. Dinner was incredible. Natalia says she thought Corinthos was a Greek name, and Sonny says, it is. She asks how he got so good at cooking authentic Italian food, and Sonny asks how Brook’s wedding looked. Natalia says, the Cerullos, when Ava walks in and says, isn’t this cozy?

Carly flashes back to Sonny telling her that Jason working for Cates is proof Jason is working against him, and Carly saying, if he thinks Jason is trying to get evidence against him, Jason must be bad at it, since he’s a free man. Spinelli comes into Carly’s office, saying, gracious greetings. He says, she seems disgruntled, and she says she wonders why. She can’t believe that guy used her as leverage to hold Jason hostage. Then he had the nerve to show up here with champagne. Spinelli just missed him. Spinelli asks how it went, and she says, she smiled and said she hoped he’d enjoyed his stay in Port Charles. Spinelli wonders if there was cause for celebration, or was he trying to come on to Carly, and she says she wishes he’d tried something. It would have given her an excuse to stab him. (Ah, my favorite side of Carly.)

TJ tells Molly that he let his anxiety run away with him and it wasn’t fair. They both decided on Kristina being the surrogate together. It’s not like she strongarmed him. So for him to blame her was messed up and he’s sorry. She thanks him, and asks if he wishes they hadn’t used Kristina, but he says, Kristina is a great surrogate. She loves Molly more than anything and would never hurt her… intentionally. He’s not going to allow worry to overshadow their joy. What he hates most is that he didn’t make Molly feel like she could share things with him because his reaction would be so… She says, big? and he says, an understatement. They weren’t on the same page, but now he’s all in. She says she’s scared when the time comes… She doesn’t want to say it out loud, but he tells her that she can say anything to him. She says she’s afraid when the time comes, Kristina won’t be able to let go of their child. What if they were wrong to trust her sister?

Ava says she came by to see if Sonny wanted to grab dinner. It looks delightful. Natalia says, he’s a master chef, and Sonny says, she minced garlic like a pro. Ava says, it’s nice to share a passion. She’ll grab a chair. Kristina says, no. There’s no way in hell she’s sharing a meal with the woman who stabbed her mother in the back.

Brook says, Violet is braver than she was at Violet’s age, and Chase tells Violet that she did the right thing, calling for help. Violet says, that’s what he told her to do when there was trouble, and he says, she got the ball rolling, and now she can leave it to the grown-ups to get her daddy better. Lois comes in and asks if Violet would like to see her room, and Brook says, when she wakes up, she’ll see the most beautiful view. Lois says she picked out a pair of Scout’s pajamas and suggests they set her up. Brook says, they’ll be up in a minute, and Lois takes Violet upstairs. Brook thanks Chase for being her rock, but he says he’s just following her lead. He knows Violet can’t stay with Finn, but getting it in his head… She says, watching it play out breaks your heart.

Tracy says, if Finn calls the police, she’ll show them the pictures, and he asks her not to take Violet away from him. She’s all he has left. She can’t take his daughter. She says, nobody wants this, and he insists he’ll pull it together. She asks if he thinks he’s the only one grieving. This is not the way to handle it. Finn says, and taking away his daughter is? He made a mistake. Seeing the pictures, he doesn’t like the person he is any more than she does. That’s not him. She says, but it is. (Thank you.) But it doesn’t have to be if he goes to rehab. He says he’ll fight it on his own. He’ll do whatever she wants. She says, this is not a negotiation. If he wants Violet back, he’ll have to seek treatment. If he can’t or won’t commit to sobriety, she’ll have to use all her resources to make sure his brother and Brook get custody of Violet, temporary or otherwise. Finn asks why she’s doing this, and she says, it’s not about him. It’s about Violet, and until he understands that there’s nothing left to say. She walks out.

Chase and Brook talk about Florence, and Chase says he wishes they were there, but Brook says she doesn’t. It’s hard and messy and heartbreaking, but it’s real, and they’ll get through it together. Home is where he is. It doesn’t matter. He says he loves her, and she says she loves him too. They’ve got this. Diane walks in, and Chase thanks her for coming. She says, he felt it was important that they met, and he says, to protect Violet from her father. Finn is in danger. Brook says, he’s been drinking heavily since Gregory died, and Chase says, Violet walked in on him, passed out. Brook says, he’d cut his hand and was bleeding. Violet was terrified. Chase says, she thought Finn had died like her grandfather, and Diane says, tell her what they need.

TJ tells Molly that Kristina keeping the baby is their worst nightmare, but isn’t it anyone’s who uses a surrogate? They wanted to have a child, but they couldn’t. Kristina gave them a beautiful gift because Kristina loves her. He thinks she loves him too, but a little less. Molly says she was being paranoid. They’re the ones who wanted to be parents, not Kristina. It was the furthest thing from her mind, and now she’s in a new relationship. The last thing she needs is to be up all night with a baby. TJ says, their baby is going to sleep through the night, and Molly says, they’re going to come out of the womb a perfect angel and never want screen time. They’ve mastered parenting already. TJ says he’s sorry about their fight, and she says her too. He says he knows it sounds rich coming from the guy who was second guessing things, but they need to try and have faith in her sister. She says she’ll try if he will, and he says, deal.

Ava asks if Sonny is going to condone this hostility, and Kristina says, she’s lucky hostility is all it is. Ava had her mother disbarred because she was mad that Alexis was being mean to her brother. Ava says, it goes deeper than that, and Kristina says, she didn’t even have the courage to attach her name. Ava says, Alexis lied under oath, and Kristina says, this coming from the paragon of truth and justice. Sonny suggests someone fill him in, and Kristina says, that actually sounds like fun. Does Ava want to do the honors or should she? Ava says, knock herself out. She’ll give Sonny the unbiased version later. She walks out, and Natalia looks like she wants to disappear, as we all would.

Spinelli tells Carly that he tried his best to pull the file out of the hands of the FBI, but there were too many levels of protection to penetrate. Carly says, for two years Jason could have been with the people who loved him, but he was too busy protecting her. She has to make it right. She’s going to tell Cates to arrest her. Spinelli says he can’t let her do that, and blocks her way.

Molly says she shouldn’t have kept what happened from TJ, but he says, he didn’t make it easy for her to confide in him. She thought he’d react in anger, and she was right. She wonders if they’ll ever feel easy again, and he says, considering they’re bringing a baby into the mix, no. At least not for a while. Something can be wonderful and hard at the same time. Molly says she can’t believe how fast it’s coming. Soon the apartment will be littered with baby stuff. TJ says, and diapers everywhere, and she asks if it’s stressing him out. He says he’s not worried. He just wants to do right by their child and let them know they’re loved and supported, no matter what.

Kristina says, at the hearing, her mom found out Ava was the one that accused her of perjury, and signed an affidavit that was hearsay. Sonny asks if it’s Ava’s fault Alexis lost her license, and Kristina says her mom just found out now. She can’t believe he lives with the same woman who caused so much pain. It’s the first time she’s seen Ava since the hearing, and she had to say something. She’s sorry she ruined dinner. Sonny says, she didn’t ruin it, and Natalia says she commends Kristina. She defended her mother and has nothing to apologize for.

Diane says, it will be an uphill battle, and Chase says he’s aware of that. She says. Finn is Violet’s legal guardian, and the law is on his side, but they can preempt him with an emergency custody order, so Violet can stay for the time being. Lois comes in and says she can’t find Yuri. Tracy walks in behind her, and says, he was opening the gate for her. Diane being here saved her a phone call. She’s afraid they’re going to need a restraining order.

Carly says she’d rather be in prison than see Jason blackmailed one more day. Diane has successfully gotten her exonerated before; she’ll do it again. He says, what if she doesn’t? What if she’s incriminated? What happens to her children, specifically Donna? Carly says she can’t stand the thought of that, but how is Donna more important than Danny or Jake? He says, what happened to them was tragic, but they still had their mothers. If she goes away, Donna will be without hers. He’s sure Jason was aware of that and wanted to avoid it at all costs. Carly says she’s struggling with how she’s feeling. On one hand, she’s frustrated that Jason would do this without her knowledge or consent. She’s responsible for him being gone so long. Spinelli says, and on the other hand? and she says she’s so moved to see how much he loves her. Spinelli says he’d do the same for Maxie without hesitation. He loves Maxie the way Jason loves Carly. And if Carly loves Jason… She says, he knows she does, and he says, then she has to let this go. She asks, how? and he says, it’s already done. They can’t go back and undo it, and if she turns herself in, Jason’s sacrifice was for nothing.

Molly says, they won’t have much time for themselves, and TJ says, not any. She suggests they make the most of it while they can, and he asks what she has in mind. She says she was thinking they could start with this – she kisses him – and go from there. He says, so basically, dinner can wait, and she says, dinner can wait. They get busy and I think it would be really funny if she got pregnant.

Natalia says, it would have been easy to keep the peace, but Kristina defended her mother. She hopes her daughter would do the same. Blaze says, of course (🍷), she would, and Sonny says, Alexis should be proud. He asks, who’s up for tiramisu? but Natalia says she couldn’t eat another bite. Kristina says, she can, and Sonny says, she won’t regret it.

Spinelli says, freedom is the greatest gift Jason could give Carly. She can’t give it back and has to accept it. She says, okay. She won’t turn herself in, but she won’t allow the FBI to use her as leverage with Jason. He asks how she plans to stop them, and she says, she’ll find a way. And when she does, Cates won’t see her coming.

Tracy says she tried to get through to Finn, but doesn’t know if she succeeded, and Brook says, arrangements have been made if Finn wants. Chase says, that’s a big if. He wishes you could force someone into treatment. Diane says she’ll need a statement from him, and Brook asks when the restraining order can be filed. Diane says she’ll present it to a judge tomorrow morning, and Chase wonders if Finn is going to come there tonight. Tracy says she doesn’t know, but she hopes he realizes they’re trying to save his relationship with Violet.

Alone in his apartment, Finn looks at family pictures on his phone.

Tomorrow, Finn says he’s not going to let Chase steal his daughter; Carly says she needs Jack’s expertise, but doesn’t know if she can trust him; and Sonny asks someone, who are you to judge?

Below Deck Mediterranean

Captain Sandy calls Jono to the bridge and tells him that the primary came to her and said the spices were too strong and the eggs were cold. How did that happen? He says he had the eggs ready at 8:30 when they’d wanted to have breakfast, but the guests had a slower morning. She tells him to make sure the eggs are made to order, and in her interview, she says, for a chef to tell her that he made breakfast when it was supposed to start is a huge red flag, but she has to give him the opportunity to show he can do this. Finish strong and she’ll assess the next charter. Anchor is in the pocket, and they head out. Bri says she’s feeling more confident, and in Ellie’s interview, she says she’s putting in a lot of effort because they’re improving as a team. The team’s success is her success.

Nathan tells Gael that she’s a genuine girl, and she thanks him. Did she not know? Was she a questioning young adult? The captain tells Iain that once the beach is set up, take two crew members there and come back. He can help them set up, but then he has to stay on board. Since he’s bosun, he’s not allowed to have fun anymore. In her interview, the captain says, if something goes wrong, she needs someone to know what’s going on. It’s a safety thing, Aesha talks to Jono about lunch, and in Jono’s interview, he says he’s hoping lunch goes smoothly. He needs to create a menu that doesn’t need microwaving. There’s no microwave on the beach. In Aesha’s interview, she says she thinks Iain heard Captain Sandy say the guests knew what they wanted and that meant the guests set it up themselves. In Iain’s interview, he says he’s had no time to scout for a location, and it makes him nervous. He prefers to trust his team rather than micromanage. This is a little test. Ellie and Joe flirt, and in Ellie’s interview, she says she would not kick Joe out of bed. Iain drops Joe and Gael off with a ton of stuff, but goes directly back to the boat instead of helping them set up. They lug the stuff a long way to the beach, making several trips, and in Joe’s interview, he says, there’s no leadership. Iain could have helped. Back on the boat, the guests are getting antsy to leave, and are finally given the green light. Iain radios that the guests are on their way, and Joe says, what the f***? The guests are underway, and they haven’t set up. This is bad. Gael wonders why no one is communicating. It’s a sh*tshow.

Aesha comes with the guests and helps with the set up. She asks Joe if the beach Olympics were organized, but he tells her, there was no time. On the boat, Jono frets over what Captain Sandy told him, and in his interview, he says, there’s no time to process his disappointment like there would be at a normal job. He has to focus on the meals to come. Joe tells Aesha that no one let them know when the guests were coming, and she says, it’s their first beach picnic. They’ll get it. Gael says, they’ll make it work, and Aesha says, when the food comes, Gael can swap out with Bri. There’s volleyball, then a ring toss. Joe takes his shirt off, the guests cheer, and he wins the long jump. The food is served, and on the yacht, the captain has the deck crew set up the water toys. Joe tells Gael that he’s never had guests arrive before everything is set up, and they wonder why they weren’t told until the guests were on their way. In his Joe’s interview, he says, his granddad taught him that respect is everything, and he doesn’t want step on Iain’s toes. He’s in an awkward situation. Lunch is a success, and one of the guests suggests they’ll have to wear muumuus on the plane back. When the guests come back, Aesha tells Iain, if there’s something like Beach Olympics on the preference sheets, he has to organize it ahead of time, and he makes up some lame excuse per usual. In Gael’s interview, she wonders what Iain was doing. Where was he? And he didn’t even acknowledge that they managed to do it anyway. In Iain’s interview, he compares his lack of management to a difficult task on a previous job – i.e. apples and oranges – and says, sometimes you have to do things that frustrate you. Just get it done. Aesha calls the provisioner for a Greek folk dance instructor, and the provisioner says she knows just the guy and he’ll bring plates for smashing. In his interview, Jono says, there’s a lot to be proved. If he makes a mistake and the captain picks up on it, his job is at risk.

The captain is joining the guests for dinner, and Aesha tells Iain that the Greek dancer needs to be picked up at 9:15. One of the guests says, they’re going to their next feeding, and they sit down for dinner. Gigi asks Jono about the spices in the gazpacho, and he says he googled it. It was some grandma’s recipe and it sounded authentic. In Captain Sandy’s interview, she says, don’t say it’s some grandma’s recipe; say it’s a secret recipe. Don’t say you googled it; say it’s someone else’s recipe. Joe and Ellie flirt, and in Bri’s interview, she says, it feels awkward. After tasting the entrée, Gigi says, there’s that spice again. It’s not agreeing with her palate. Jono takes the dessert out of the oven, and in his interview, he says he can see the cakes are overdone. F*** me. In the captain’s interview, she says, this is a superyacht. The food shouldn’t be just okay. It should be excellent. Jono is 0 for 2 now.

Captain Sandy asks Gigi about qualifying for the Olympics, and Gigi says, when she and Mary Jo Fernandez were in the finals, two audience members came in between serves to sit in some front seats. She’d missed her first serve and it was distracting, so she asked Mary Jo who those people were. Mary Jo told her to calm down. It was the Queen and King of Spain. That’s okay. I wouldn’t know who they were either. In Gael’s interview, she says she’s more comfortable with Nathan every day. He’s a good guy to be around. Jono doesn’t have a freezer in the galley (!) and leaves to get vanilla ice cream. Aesha and Ellie look at the cakes, and Aesha thinks they don’t look good. Ellie agrees, and Jono comes back with coffee ice cream. In Aesha’s interview, she says, last night, she had to serve grocery store sponge cake. Now she has to serve overcooked lava cake and melted ice cream. When she finds herself questioning too many dishes this early on, she needs to say something. Gigi says, the cake is interesting, and in Captain Sandy’s interview, she says, it’s subpar. When the guests are off the boat, she’s going to have a very real conversation with Jono, but she’s definitely looking for backup. The guests are brought to the sundeck where they’re serenaded by two guys on lute and guitar. Afterward, the instructor teaches them Greek dancing.

Aesha cuts herself on a glass behind the bar, and in her interview, she says, it’s been a long day. When you’re exhausted, that’s when accidents happen, but unless they have to amputate her thumb, she’s going to keep going. Guest Rabbi Deb offers to get her Band-Aids. Upstairs, plates are smashed, and the guests all say, that was so fun.

Third day of charter. The captain hauls anchor, and Ellie says she’s proud of Bri. Bri says, they can drink to that tonight. They talk about Joe, but neither one of them stakes claim. Ellie says, no matter what happens, she’s not fighting over boys, since there’s no future in any of them. The boat docks, and it’s time for the guests to leave. There are lots of hugs, and Gigi says, it’s been a special couple of days. They had an amazing time and beach day was outstanding. The food was… okay. It was hit or miss. Some of it was good, but some of it missed the mark. The tip represents a little bit of that. Captain Sandy says, feedback makes us better, and they hug. In Aesha’s interview, she says, Gigi’s comment was accurate. Jono’s plating is mostly average, and she doesn’t want to be embarrassed by any plate she puts down on charter. She tells Ellie and Bri that she’s impressed with their improvement. Ellie is a natural born service person, and she thanks her for taking Bri under her wing. The captain radios that it’s time for the tip meeting.

Captain Sandy says, the deck team killed it. There were some issues with a guest and the catamaran, but Nathan and Gael did an amazing job with the beach games. She loved how they worked together. She’ll discuss the food with Jono on the bridge later. She tells interior that the party was epic, and the guests loved it. The tip is $25K or $2000 each, which doesn’t reflect okay to me. I wonder what excellent would have been. She tells them that they’re going to turn the boat around and thanks them. In Joe’s interview, he says he likes two babes in the same department. He’s testing the waters on both ends. The captain calls Jono to the bridge, which is where we started this episode.

Captain Sandy tells Jono that she tasted the food, and it was salty. She asks why he chose chicken for the chef’s choice when it was a chance for him to show what he could do. We flash back to the guests being underwhelmed, and he says, he was trying to see what he could serve that satisfied all preferences. Some people didn’t like seafood, and some didn’t like red meat. The captain says she doesn’t think chicken should be served on a yacht. He could make epic seafood for those who like it, and a different protein for those who don’t. He’s got to work on his plating, and the ice cream was also melted. Jono blames the freezer, and Captain Sandy says, she’ll make sure it’s fixed. Don’t lose his mind in the galley. Jono says he prides himself on his professionalism and accepts criticism. He was self-trained, and if the guests don’t like it, he needs to know why and he’s happy to improve. In Captain Sandy’s interview, she says, it’s only charter two, but it has to be perfect from charter one. She’s given second chances in the past, but she’s not waiting to find another chef just in case he doesn’t come through. She texts provisioner Norma, and says she needs someone on standby.

The crew goes out to a restaurant, and Aesha asks Jono if he’s okay. He says, the captain wasn’t super critical, and he welcomes feedback. Bri wonders what’s up with the espresso martinis in Greece. They’re like a sweaty person after a long day. In Ellie’s interview, she says she’s not jealous of Bri flirting with Joe, but Bri knows she’s attracted to him and they’re roommates. The general rule on a boat is, you don’t want to go for the guy your supervisor is interested in. Gael’s boyfriend texts her, and Bri tells Jono that she’s annoyed with Ellie because she wants Joe.

They leave for a club, drink some more, and dance. Ellie dances with Joe, and Nathan comes on to Gael. In Ellie’s interview, she says she’s going for Joe. They’re getting it on. Not tonight, but pretty soon. Gael says, it looks like Bri needs to get something out, and Bri says she’s irritated. She and Ellie talked about Joe, and she knows Ellie is interested in him because she asked if Bri was. Gael encourages Bri to go after Joe anyway, and while Ellie takes a break, Bri sits next to him. He asks who she’s gravitating toward, and she says she’s feeling it out. He asks if she’d s*ck Nathan’s d*ck, and she says she’d take his.

Ugh.

Next time, Jono says, it’s still not good; Ellie tells Bri that she’s breaking girl code; Bri tells the captain that this unnecessary drama is killing her; and Ellie says she’s out.

🏇 Matching My Polos…

Join me tomorrow for soap and a little Dubai talk. Until then, stay safe, stay never body shaming anyone who hasn’t worked on their summer body, and stay remembering that something can be wonderful and hard at the same time.

Jun22

July 21, 2024 –Carly Hears the Audio File, On Returning, No Social, Almost Brandy, OC Drama, Coming Deck, VanderJunk, Expectations, Reunion, Animal Tales, Jesting, More Than 8 Quotes & Love

Posted on June 22, 2024 by theresakp

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Carly says she’s sorry to keep Sam waiting, and Sam says, crisis averted? Carly says, more like crisis handled for now. Sam says, good, because she’s going to need Carly’s undivided attention. She only wants to do this once. Carly says, do what? and Sam says she knows why Jason let them think he was dead.

Anna tells Jason that she’s having dinner at Valentin’s house tomorrow. She’ll find the opportunity to search. Then she’ll get the evidence that he’s running Pikeman. Jason says his way is simpler, and she says, if by his way he means he’s going to break in, search, and if he doesn’t find anything, he’ll beat the truth out of Valentin, that’s not going to work. He says, her way will? and she says, yes, because she’s Valentin’s blind spot. She can take him unawares. Jason just has to be patient. Jason says he sacrificed over two and a half years to protect Carly. He will not let this go to waste. He needs to prove to the FBI that Valentin is their guy.

Chase says, Brook really went all out for dinner, and she says, it’s their first homecooked meal as a married couple. It’s a big milestone. It doesn’t matter that she’s cooked a ton for him in the past. This was the first official one. He says, then he officially declares it delicious, and she asks how he’d rate it. He says, five stars. And the food was pretty good too. He kisses her.

Maxie says, Bailey Lou has had her second bath and is in bed, and James asks her to tell Georgie that he didn’t throw food as a baby. Maxie asks Violet if they’re still fighting about this. Who’s winning? Violet says she thinks it’s a tie, and James says, that means he won. Georgie says, no, it doesn’t, and Maxie says, they’re all winners. Why doesn’t Violet get her stuff and she’ll take her home. Georgie says, they really don’t want Violet to go home. Can she please sleep over? Spinelli comes in and says, hello, family, and the lovely Violet. He’s sorry he missed dinner. Maxie says, he also missed clean-up. How was work? He says he’ll fill her in after dinner, and James asks if Violet can’t stay. Maxie says, maybe next time. Violet’s dad really wants her home. Violet says, it’s okay. She had a lot of fun today, but she hasn’t to go home now. Her dad gets really sad and lonely when she’s not there.

Finn lies on the couch, his phone playing morose music alongside an open bottle of tequila. (Why? Why is it always tequila?) He wakes with a start, sits up, and holds his head. He picks up the bottle and takes a swig. (Ugh. It’s bad if you’re drinking straight from the bottle, and Michael Easton is so good, he’s making me feel ill.) He notices a smear of blood and some glass on the table, and looks at his hand, realizing he has a piece of glass imbedded in his palm. He pulls out the glass, takes another swig, and pours some tequila on the wound, which is obviously painful. He tries to get up, but falls on the floor and stays there.

Sam puts her phone on Carly’s desk and says, what she’s about to hear isn’t all about her, even though she knows Carly is going to make it that way. Sam’s life and her children have been affected. Elizabeth and Jake, and anyone who’s ever loved Jason and mourned his death. Carly asks where she got this and how she knows it wasn’t altered, and Sam says, it’s real. Spinelli got it from the FBI’s evidentiary database. And of course (🍷) Carly will be able to confirm its authenticity. Sam hits play, and Carly’s voice says, as you all know, my husband is dead, but his organization isn’t. It’s still strong and stable. The only thing that’s changed is the person who sits in Sonny’s seat, and from now on, that will be me.

John comes into the warehouse and asks, where is she? Jason says, where’s who? and John tells him not to play games. He knows Anna was here. Jason says, and now she’s not. John asks what they talked about, and says, Jason had better have been smart enough to record it. Jason says he never records conversations, and John says, then they have a problem. Unless he’s figured out another way to prove Anna is the one running Pikeman. Jason says, John’s not going to find anything on Anna because there’s nothing there. Or does proving it not even matter anymore?

Anna says, sorry she’s late, but Valentin says, don’t worry about it. He’s just glad she wasn’t canceling. She says she did think about it, but she wanted to see him. He says he’s glad, and she says, whatever he’s cooking smells delicious. He says, coq au vin, and she says, the classics. They never get old. She’s always loved how he decorated this place. He says, that makes him happy because it’s all for her. He bought this house hoping they would share it. Does she know what goes well with coq au vin? A Bordeaux he brought back from his travels. Would she like a glass? She asks how she could say no, and he says, she can’t. He’ll be right back. He goes into the kitchen, and she says, take your time. When he’s gone, she starts snooping around.

Violet thanks doorman Carl for walking her up and he says, anytime. Tell her dad he said hi. She closes the door and sees Finn on the floor. She says, dad? and runs to him. She shakes him and says, she’s home. Wake up. She sees the blood on his hand and takes his phone off the table. She sees he missed a call from Tracy, and she hits the number to call back.

Tracy picks up and says, it’s about time. She’s left him three messages. She was beginning to think he was avoiding her. Violet says, her dad needs help, and Tracy asks, what’s wrong? Violet says she thinks he’s dead, and Tracy says she’ll be right there. She calls 911 and says she needs to report an emergency. 347 Portside Road, apartment 9.

Spinelli kisses Maxie, and says, it seems as though she may be somewhere else. Is something wrong? She says, no. She’s just worried about Violet. He asks if something happened when she dropped Violet off, but she says, it was a completely normal drive. She just really heard what Violet was saying while she was here. How she needed to get home and be with her dad because she was worried about him. It kind of sounded like she was raising Finn, not the other way around. Spinelli says, she does seem responsible for her father, but what if that’s just their normal relationship? After all, in the dictionary, under the word precocious, there’s a picture of Violet. Maxie says, even so, it’s possible for a child to be too sensitive. She feels like there might be something going on at home.

Tracy runs into Finn’s apartment, and Violet says, he won’t wake up. Tracy says she called an ambulance, and asks Violet to wait by the door until they get here. She checks Finn, and the paramedics come. Violet tells them, he’s over there, and they go over to him. Tracy says, his daughter found him like this when she came home. Luckily, Violet had the good sense to call her. She tells Violet that she thinks her dad is just sleeping, and Violet says, on the floor? Did he fall? Tracy says, maybe, probably, and Violet asks why there’s blood on him. Tracy says she thinks he cut his hand when he fell. The paramedics will take care of it and they need to give them room. She’ll talk to them. She tells Violet to stay where she is, and asks one of the paramedics how bad Finn is hurt. The paramedic says, the cut? and Tracy asks if they checked his airways and his heart. The paramedic says she’s sorry to put it this way, but drunk is not an emergency. Tracy says she knows that, they know that, but Violet doesn’t know that. She has to get her out of here, so she’ll be back. She tells Violet that the paramedics want a little time to help her dad. Grab her bag. She thinks they should visit her Uncle Chase. Violet says she’s already been gone too long today, and Tracy says, her dad didn’t hurt himself because she was gone. She knows how happy it will make her Uncle Chase to see her, and she’ll come right back here and make sure her dad is as good as new. Violet says she doesn’t want to go, and Tracy says she understands, but she would say her dad needs to rest, wouldn’t she? Violet says, what if he doesn’t wake up like grandpa? but Tracy says, it isn’t the same thing. Her grandfather was really, really sick. Does she remember all the doctor’s appointments and the special things he needed to walk and to breathe? Her dad just needs a little time to feel like himself again. Violet asks if she’s sure, and Tracy says she is. Violet asks if she can give him a kiss before they go, and Tracy says she wishes Violet could, but they need to give them room to work. Violet says, okay, picks up her bag, and leaves with Tracy.

Carly says she can’t believe this, and Sam says, she didn’t know the FBI had evidence against her? Carly says, no. All Jason told her was that he was an informant. She assumed they had evidence against him. It never occurred to her… Sam says, that it was her, and Carly says she can’t believe this recording even exists. It took place over three years ago with the heads of all the families under incredibly tight security. Sam says, obviously not tight enough, because the FBI was able to record the whole meeting, including Carly’s declaration that she was taking over for Sonny as head of his organization. Carly asks why Sam even went looking for it, and Sam says, because she wanted to know what the FBI was using to force Jason to cooperate. So she was able to borrow and copy Agent Cates’s credentials, and Spinelli was able to hack into the evidentiary database. Their plan was to get rid of the evidence once they had it, but Cates’s access did not allow for him to alter or delete the file. So all Spinelli could do was make a recording of the audio file. Carly says she can’t believe Jason was protecting her. Everything he’s been through… Poor Jason. Sam says, he’s not the victim here. Jason abandoned his children and let anyone who ever loved him think he was dead.

Anna rifles through Valentin’s desk, listens for him coming, then looks on the shelves. He comes back with two glasses of wine and says, sorry to keep her waiting. He hands her a glass and she says, some things are worth the wait. He asks if she found what she was looking for.

Chase opens the door to Tracy and Violet, and Tracy says, sorry to come by unannounced, but she told Violet how happy they’d be to see her. Chase says, of course (🍷) they are. He can always use some more Violet time. He invites them in, and Brook says, they were just talking about how much they miss her and want to hang out with her, and here she is. Perfect timing. She just made dessert – apple pie – and they were about to dig in. She’s sure Violet wants a piece. Violet says, that’s okay. She’s not hungry. Chase asks if she wants some hot cocoa. She can put all the marshmallows she wants in it. (All I can think is, Chase, it’s 90 out today.) Violet says she’s fine, except she was in the pool all day and put her wet swimsuit in her bag. It gets all gross if she leaves it in there. Brook says, come with her, and they’ll hang it up. She and Violet leave, and Chase asks Tracy, why is Violet with her and what’s going on?

Anna says, Valentin caught her. She was just looking at all the titles on his books; they’re so interesting. He knows how she’s always pretending she’s going to read at night instead of going to sleep as soon as her head hits the pillow. He says he always loved the untouched stack of books on her bedside table. She’d never let him move them because she said she was going to get to them. She says she promises she will one day… when she retires, and he says, it sounds like her work is very busy. She says, the Commissioner’s job is never done, and he tells her to try the Bordeaux. She takes a sip and says, that’s delicious. Yum. He says he’s glad she likes it because there’s plenty more where that came from for them to share in the future. She says, that’s a bit presumptuous of him, and he says, hope springs eternal, darling. She says she did actually find out an interesting piece of information in her work about Jack Brennan, and he says, he’s ancient history, but she says, he’s not so ancient. He was injured recently in Pentenville. He was taken to GH for treatment. He got caught in a knife fight. He says, that’s unfortunate. Still, you can count on Jack to make enemies of those he’s stuck with behind bars. She says she was alerted when he was taken in for treatment. Jurisdictional courtesy and all that. She went to see him. Valentin says, and? and she says, he knows Jack. You can never get a straight answer out of him. But he did strongly imply that he did stab himself in the hopes he’d get a visit from Carly of all people. He says, hopefully, he’ll recover. He’s really not interested in discussing Jack. He’d really rather discuss her. She says, he’s so good at deflecting, and he says he learned from the best. He suggests they adjourn to the patio and have dinner.

John tells Jason, the good people of Port Charles may have been fooled into seeing Anna as a dedicated public servant, but you don’t have to dig very deep into her background, especially her time at the WSB, to uncover evidence that proves Anna is the head of Pikeman. Jason says, the evidence can be interpreted any way he wants, and he wants Anna to be guilty. John says he won’t be lectured by a man who spent years working for Sonny Corinthos, and Jason says, John is also derailing his investigation by targeting the wrong person. John says he’s following the evidence, and if Jason won’t or can’t find him what he needs to shut down Pikeman and close this case, he won’t go back to Quantico empty handed. He will take Carly Spencer with him. He walks out.

Carly closes the door and says, Sam knows Jason didn’t want to leave Danny and Jake or anyone else he loved. He was doing it to protect her. Sam says, yes, because he loves Carly more than he loves his own kids, and Carly says, it isn’t Jason’s fault. If Sam wants to blame someone… Sam says, blame her? Don’t worry. She does. She thinks Carly is just as responsible for this as Jason. She showed up at a mob meeting. She claimed to be running Sonny’s organization. She incriminated herself. And instead of paying for her actions like the adult she is, Jason abandoned his children and abandoned his life to cover for her. Carly says, Jason was doing what he thought was right, and Sam says, how convenient for her. She doesn’t ever have to pay for her mistakes. Carly says, why doesn’t Sam direct some of this anger toward Agent Cates? He’s the one who started all this, not Jason. Sam says, Carly will always stick up for Jason like Jason sticks up for her. What about everyone else? What about the people who believed in Jason? What about the people he left behind… for you? Sam walks out.

Tracy tells Chase, Violet just walked in on her father, passed out, drunk, and bleeding on the floor, and Chase says, bleeding? She says, he cut his hand. It wasn’t serious, but it was messy. Violet didn’t know it wasn’t serious. She actually thought he might have died while she was having fun on a playdate. She blamed herself because she left him alone all day. He asks how she found Violet, and she says, Violet saw missed calls from her on Finn’s phone and called her back. Violet told her that her father needed help. He says, poor Violet, and Tracy says, he should have seen the look on Violet’s face when she walked in there. She was terrified. He says, Tracy wanted to get her out of there, so she brought Violet here, and she says, Violet adores him and she thought maybe he could distract her from what she just saw. He asks, where’s Finn now? and she says, he’s at home with the paramedics. She called 911 and hopefully, they got him bandaged and sobered up by now. She will soon see. He says he’s coming with her, but she says, no, he’s not. He says, of course (🍷) he is. Why wouldn’t he? She says, because when Finn wakes up, he’s going to want to see Violet and he just can’t. Not like this. So she wants him and Brook to take Violet back to her house. He asks, why? and she says, he doesn’t have the room here for Violet to stay here, and what if Finn decides to come and get her back? Does he really want Finn pounding on his front door, putting her through that after everything else she’s been through tonight? He says, God no, and she says she can handle Finn. He needs to comfort his niece. She needs her Uncle Chase to make her feel safe. He says, okay. He’ll do it here way, but she has to keep him posted on Finn’s condition. She says she will. She has Violet’s keys so she can let herself back in. He thanks her for all of this, and she says, he knows she loves Finn. He’s her friend. And she also knows this is what his father would want, and she’s grateful she can help his son any way she can. He says he can’t believe Finn would let Violet see him like this. The pain he must be in to let this happen. He wants to be here for his niece, but he feels like he’s failing Finn if he doesn’t go with her. She says, he’s done everything he can to help his brother, and truthfully, she can say things to Finn that he can’t. And what she’s going to say to him, he really needs to hear. She leaves.

Spinelli and Maxie snuggle on the sofa, when there’s a knock at the door. Maxie asks if Spinelli is expecting anyone, and he says, no. She says, great, and gets up to answer it. She opens the door to Sam, who says she’s sorry she didn’t call. She has to discuss something with Spinelli. Maxie says she owes the kids some butterfly kisses, and leaves. Spinelli says, Sam left him earlier quite expeditiously. Dare he ask where she was going? She says she went to see Carly, and he says he thought she’d go see Jason. He should have anticipated her need to confront Carly. She says she wanted to see what Carly knew about Jason and the FBI, and he says, she played the recording for Carly? She says, Carly can lie like a pro, but her reaction was genuine. Tonight was the first time she knew that Jason spent the past two years under the control of the FBI so she didn’t have to face charges of racketeering.

There’s a knock at Carly’s office door, and she says, come in. John asks if she’s got a few minutes, but she says she’s a little busy. He says he’ll make it worth her while, and holds up a bottle of champagne. Full disclosure, even though she owns half the hotel and could get this bottle for free, he charged it to his suite. She says, he didn’t expense it to the FBI? and he asks who she thinks pays for his suite. He just never thanked her properly for coming to his rescue that night in the alley or spending the night nursing him in his suite (WOTD). Things could have gotten a lot worse had she not been there, and he appreciates her help. She says, he’s welcome, and he says he’s also grateful that she didn’t tell anybody about it like he asked. She says, and that deserves an expensive bottle of champagne? and he says he just thought he should celebrate. His investigation is almost finished. A little more time wrapping things up and he’ll be heading back to Quantico. She says she’ll be sorry to see him leave Port Charles, and he says he won’t miss much about Port Charles, but he will miss her.

As they walk back inside, Anna tells Valentin that his coq au vin is perfect, and he says he’s glad she liked it. But he can’t take full credit. It’s not his recipe. She says she appreciates honesty. It’s so rare these days. He says, and all the more precious because of it. In the spirit of honesty, he has an armagnac that makes the perfect digestif. He pours them each a glass, and asks, what should they drink to? She says, their lovely conversation under the stars, and he says, that is cause for celebration. Anna says, or they can talk about something they haven’t touched on yet. Like his success at ELQ. He seems to be jetting around all over the place lately. What exactly is he up to these days? He says, most of his trips to Europe are just excuses to pop in and see Charlotte. It’s one of the perks of having access to a corporate jet. She says she wouldn’t know. And the rest of the time? He says he’d bore her to tears with all that corporate stuff. He thinks her work is far more interesting. What case is she working on now? What mysteries is she solving at the moment? She says, everything she’s working on is classified, and he makes a pouty face. She says, which reminds her, she has a very big day tomorrow. This is really lovely. Thank you, but I have to go. He takes her hand and says, no. Please don’t. There’s something he has to tell her.

She says, sounds serious. Should she be concerned? He says, it is serious. They’ve been dancing around this for a long time. A long time ago, the trust between the two of them was damaged. She says she expects that’s true for both of them, and he says he really only believes 30% of what she tells him. She says, that’s interesting. Her percentage for him is actually a lot lower. He says he supposes he deserved that. If he hasn’t completely drained the trust tank, he’d like to say something to her, and he thinks she’s going to understand it’s completely honest. She says, and that is? and he says he loves her. He always has. It’s in his DNA; it’s like the color of his eyes. Being apart from her is the hardest thing he’s ever done, and he keeps wishing that this hopeless feeling of loving someone he can’t have will fade away. But it doesn’t. He doesn’t think it ever will.

Carly says, since John is opening up a bottle of fancy champagne and celebrating heading home, does that mean he’s rounded up all the bad guys and put them in prison? He says, wouldn’t that be nice? and she asks if that means he hasn’t. He says, investigations are rarely cut and dried. One thing about bad guys, there’s always one more out there. She asks if this one more is really dangerous, and he says he’s not sure what they’re capable of, but this person has done some very bad things. She says, interesting choice of words – this person. Does that mean the bad guy is really a woman?

Spinelli asks if Carly is worried about the information on her that the FBI is holding over Jason’s head, but Sam says, they really didn’t talk about it. She was more concerned about what Jason was up to. He says, perhaps when she has time to process, she’ll realize the great jeopardy. The recording incriminates her for possible RICO violations… Sam asks why he’s worried about Carly being charged. That’s never going to happen. Jason made his choice. He turned his back on everyone to keep Carly safe. Now he’s going to have to live with those consequences.

Chase says he knows Violet is scared and worried about her dad, but he promises her dad is going to be okay. She asks how he knows that, and he says, sometimes, grown-ups just know things. Brook says, he’s not lying to her. Her Uncle Chase is a cop. He’s telling her the truth. Violet asks if Chase knows how to cook, and he says he sure does. She asks if he thinks he could teach her how to make stuff besides sandwiches. Maybe her dad won’t look so tired or be so sad if she can make him some good things to eat when he comes home from work. Chase says he knows she wants to help her dad, but it’s not… Brook shakes her head, and he says, it’s not that hard to – Brook nods – to make something special. How about this? They’re going to go and spend the night at the Quartermaines, and in the morning, he’ll make some French toast. Sasha can cook for everybody else, but he, Violet, and Brook will have their own thing. It’ll be his special recipe with cinnamon. Violet says, with whipped cream on top? and he says, of course (🍷). It’s no good any other way. He puts his arm around her and hugs her to him.

Finn half sits/half lies in a chair, his hand bandaged. Tracy comes in and says, hello? She looks around and says, they just left him like that. She kicks one of Finn’s feet, but he barely stirs. She kicks him again, but nothing. She sighs and gets her phone out of her bag. As she fights back tears, she takes pictures of Finn, the broken glass, and the nearly empty bottle, with the blood smear next to it. She gathers her composure and takes another photo of Finn. (Reality check. It’s highly doubtful the paramedics would have left Finn alone and passed out. If something had gone sideways, like him dying from alcohol poisoning, they could be sued.)

As he opens the bottle, John says, if he didn’t know any better, he’d say Carly was trying to worm confidential information out of him. She says, he’s the one who showed up here with champagne trying to lower her defenses. He says, maybe he just wants to celebrate the beginning of the end, and she says, by all means. He pours the champagne and says, as for the gender of the bad guy, a good agent never tells. He hands her a glass, and she asks if he’s a good agent. He says, the best, and she says she’ll drink to that, and they clink glasses.

Anna says, as much as she tried to fight it, she’s still very much drawn to him. And like him, she wishes she didn’t feel it. It’s late. She really should go. She’s had such a lovely evening. She takes his hand, and he thanks her. He kisses her hand and says he loved it too. He just wishes it didn’t have to end. She says, maybe it doesn’t, and he kisses her. They continue to kiss, as Jason lurks around the front of the house. He sees them through the window. He looks… I don’t know. It’s Jason. He never looks any kind of way but Jason.

Violet says, spending the night at the Quartermaines will be fun, but she didn’t bring her PJs. Brook tells her not to worry about that. Scout has a bunch at the house she can borrow. Violet says, all right, but she still has to call her dad and ask if she can come. He cut his hand, and it was bleeding. He might need her help tonight. Brook suggests she give Violet’s dad a call and make sure it’s okay. She thinks she left her phone in the kitchen and asks if Violet wouldn’t mind grabbing it for her. Violet says, sure, and goes to the kitchen. As soon as she’s gone, Brook says, all she wants to do is take care of Finn. It’s breaking her heart. Chase says he knows. Him too. She says she didn’t think she could love him any more than she does, but watching him be such a great uncle to that little girl… He says, is she kidding him? He’d do anything for that girl. He hates lying to her. It feels wrong. Brook says, no, it’s not wrong. There are certain things children need to be protected from. What Finn is going through right now is one of them. Violet is too young to understand the truth of what’s going on. It will only scare her. They’re keeping Violet safe. So any time he starts to feel guilty, remind himself of that, okay? Brook calls to Violet that she found her phone. She called dad and he said it was okay for her to spend the night at the Quartermaines.

Tracy walks into the living room with Finn’s medical bag. She fishes around in it and comes out with a capsule of what (I think) they used to call smelling salts. She pops it open under his nose, and he sits up, coughs, then groans. He says, what the…? What happened? Tracy says, you tell me, and Finn looks at her for a moment, then says, where’s Violet? Where’s his daughter? Tracy says, she’s gone. She’s not coming back.

Tomorrow, Carly says she has to fix this and make this right; Kristina asks if Ava wants to do the honors, or should she; Violet asks Brook, what if he thinks she doesn’t love him anymore; and Finn tells Tracy, if anyone tries to stop him, he’s calling the police.

🧼 After His Break…

It’s great how GH gives actors wiggle room and also fosters their other talents.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/dominic-zamprogna-opens-up-about-his-break-from-gh

🔌Ryan Unplugged…

Can’t say I blame him.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/ryan-paevey-explains-why-hes-retreating-from-social-media

🥂 Valentin’s Digestif…

I’d never heard of this before. The more you know…

https://www.liquor.com/articles/brandy-armagnac/

🍊 That Boy Is a Monster…

Looks like someone has been on Ozempic. Maybe everyone. Most of this is just sad. I don’t remember a lot about Alexis, but I’m guessing she’s not super bright. Rhyming door with Beador isn’t exactly poetic genius.

VIDEO: See RHOC Season 18 Trailer! Shannon Calls John Janssen a “Monster” as Alexis Taunts Her, Travis Moves Out of Home With Gina, & Heather is Accused of Lying, Plus Ryan’s FBI Drama, Shannon’s DUI, and Meet Newbie Katie!

🛟 Preview On Deck…

What’s coming up on the next Med.

Below Deck Med Season 9, Episode 4 Preview: Captain Sandy Sees ‘Huge Red Flag’ With Chef Jono

🍸 Perception Of the Rules…

The VanderQueen herself.

Lisa Vanderpump Discusses Ariana’s Potential Exit, If They’re Feuding, and Lala Nearly Quitting Vanderpump Rules, Plus VPR Pause, Ann Maddox’s Future on Show, and Credits Stassi for Start of Series

This season’s MVanderP.

Lala Kent Says She Was Approached for ‘The Traitors,’ and Shares Update on Scheana Friendship, Plus She Talks Tom Sandoval’s Casting, Katie & Ally’s Convo, Due Date, and What She’s “Most Excited” for With Baby No. 2

On the VanderOutskirts.

Billie Lee Says She Staged “Intervention” for Tom Sandoval After Finding “Drugs” as She Explains Why They’re No Longer Friends, Plus Claims Tom’s Girlfriend Victoria Wanted Ariana’s Stuff Out of House & Dishes on Their “Toxic” Fights

⚰️ Setting the Bar…

Wake me when September starts.

https://undeadwalking.com/posts/norman-reedus-sets-high-expectations-of-daryl-dixon-the-book-of-carol-01j08qn5shvk

🎸 Together As a Hole…

I loved this band. Whatever else you think of Courtney, she’s a brilliant musician.

https://people.com/hole-courtney-love-melissa-auf-der-maur-reunite-in-studio-8666898

🃏 A Joke…

A burglar broke into a house one night. He shined his flashlight around, looking for valuables when a voice in the dark said, Jesus knows you’re here. He nearly jumped out of his skin, clicked his flashlight off, and froze. When he heard nothing more, after a bit, he shook his head and continued.

Just as he pulled the stereo out so he could disconnect the wires, clear as a bell he heard a voice say, Jesus is watching you. Freaked out, he shined his light around frantically, looking for the source of the voice. Finally, in the corner of the room, his flashlight beam came to rest on a parrot.

Did you say that? he hissed at the parrot. Yep, the parrot confessed, then squawked, I’m just trying to warn you that he is watching you. The burglar relaxed. Warn me, huh? Who in the world are you?

I’m Moses, replied the bird.

Moses? the burglar laughed. What kind of people would name a bird Moses?

The same kind of people that would name their Rottweiler Jesus.

🦄 It’s Okay To Be Different…

Kind of like that eagle in Strays.

https://people.com/intersex-tortoiseshell-kitten-found-in-oregon-8661653

Who knew he was a farmer at heart? Or is he hoping to hatch a dinosaur egg?

https://people.com/chris-pratt-chickens-washington-state-ranch-8665857

The donkey has found his people… er, elk.

https://people.com/pet-donkey-missing-5-years-found-living-with-wild-elk-8667442

🐓 Quotes of the Week

Many a trip continues long after movement in time and space have ceased. – John Steinbeck

Life doesn’t have to be perfect to be wonderful. – Annette Funicello

Behind her back, like a lady and a professional. – Kate Chastain (Below Deck) on how one should gossip

The great Western disease is, I’ll be happy when… When I get the money. When I get a BMW. When I get this job. Well, the reality is, you never get to when. The only way to find happiness is to understand that happiness is not out there. It’s in here. And happiness is not next week. It’s now. – Marshall Goldsmith (Or my favorite, when I lose weight.)

I go to nature to be soothed and healed, and to have my senses put in order. – John Burroughs

The road to success and the road to failure are almost exactly the same. – Colin R.Davis

Good judgment comes from experience, and experience comes from bad judgment. – Rita Mae Brown

Sometimes when you have a lot of bars and a lot of people, people make bad choices. – law enforcement officer, Drugs Inc.: The Fix

Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day. You shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

🤽‍♀️ Coming Up For Air…

Enjoy the first weekend of official summer, or the A/C if it’s too hot where you are, and join me on Monday for soap and what’s on Deck. Until then, stay safe, stay always using sunscreen, stay saying the things a friend needs to hear, especially if others can’t.

Jun20

Juneteenth 2024 – Alexis Gets Good/Bad News (and we’re back to present tense), Her Conflict, Standing Alongside, Their Baby, At the Top, Weeds In the Garden State, Rankings, New Life, Pets (!) Too & Kinky

Posted on June 20, 2024 by theresakp

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What I Watched Today

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

🤸‍♀️ Shifting tenses. Going back to using present tense, since the other way wasn’t working for me.

General Hospital

Josslyn marvels at how early Gio gets to the pool, and says, he knows she’s very competitive. Now she has to figure out how to be a better, more conscientious employee than him. She tells him not to save someone; leave the lifeguarding to her. Sonny brings Avery in, and Avery tells Josslyn that she’s taking swim lessons. Josslyn introduces her to Gio, and Sonny says, it was about time he and Gio saw each other again.

Chase and Brook go to see Alexis, who says she’s sorry she didn’t make the wedding. If she’d known it would be the last time she’d see Gregory, she would have. She’s going to miss him. She shows them the medal Gregory gave her, and says, it was for good luck. She’s sure he’s going to send it when he can. Brook says, in between charming the angels, and Alexis asks the reason they’re here. Chase asks how it went with his brother, and she says, not well.

James and Cody come into the stables, saying, it was so cool, and Tracy asks, what’s cool? James says he jumped, but Cody says, technically, Comet did the jumping. Tracy wonders if Cody set jumps up for James, but James says, it was a huge tree, and Cody says, really, Comet took a longer than average step, but it counts as a jump. Tracy says she hasn’t worked up to jumping, but James has inspired her. She asks Cody to get her horse ready, and he says, it’s done. He’s going to take James back to the house. James complains that there are only girls there, and Cody says, his family is the best.

Maxie wonders why Spinelli is wearing a towel around his shoulders, and he says, Bailey required an unscheduled bath. He’s leaving it at that. Maxie says, they’re going to the pool when James gets back, and there’s a knock at the door. She opens it to Mac, who asks if anyone has seen his wife. There’s lots of hugging.

Stella, TJ, and Felicia discuss a patient who can’t afford treatment and has to wait five months for their benefits to kick in. They decide on the route they’re going to take and fist bump. Maxie calls Felicia, but Felicia says she can call Maxie later.

Alexis tells Chase and Brook that Finn was worse than she’d ever seen him. He was defiant, angry, and denied there was a problem, despite the evidence to the contrary. She thought she could navigate this road, since she’d done it before, but she had no magic words for them. Finn wasn’t going to listen until he was ready. Chase says, he’s not there yet, and Alexis says she’d try again if she thought it would help. Brook says, their immediate concern is Violet, and Alexis asks if they’ve noticed anything, like Violet being neglected. Chase says he doesn’t think so, but Brook says she’s concerned about Violet being left in a situation that’s potentially damaging. They want to protect her in every way. Chase says, they thought Alexis might have some advice for them.

Sonny says, it was a big deal for Gio to switch to PCU, and Gio says he likes it already. Sonny asks if he doesn’t regret leaving the city, and Gio says he’ll always be grateful that Sonny made it possible for him to go there. Sonny says, Gio has a gift that he wants him to pursue, but he’s concerned that Gio accepted going to PCU because Gio doesn’t want him to keep paying tuition. Gio says, it’s more complicated than that. PCU has an excellent music department and gave him a scholarship. He’ll always be thankful to Sonny… Sonny says, but he wants to pay his own way. He gets that. He likes making his own money and being independent. Gio says he’s not that independent. He’s living at the Quartermaines’. Sonny says, he should get hazard pay.

Natalia walks into the pool area on the phone and leaves a message for Brook. She wants to discuss the last recording session that Brook wasn’t able to attend… for good reason. She’s sorry about Brook’s father-in-law and hopes they got the flowers and card. She’s at the pool and wondering if Brook would like to join her. She sees Sonny, who says he was hoping to run into her. Would she like to join him? She says she’d love to, and he says his daughter is taking swim lessons. Natalia sees Avery and says, she’s adorable. She’s a water baby. Sonny says he loves swimming in Puerto Rico, and she says, it has the most beautiful beaches, but she might be bias. She had been biased about Kristina too, but she underestimated his daughter.

Maxie says, of all the days for her mom to ignore her calls, but Mac says she’s busy. Maxie says she left a message that there had been an exciting development, and Mac says, she thinks a sale at Wyndham’s is an exciting development. Spinelli brings nuBailey in, and Mac says, she got so big. He wonders if she’s getting her driver’s license next, and takes her from Spinelli. Spinelli tells him, gracious greetings and a heartfelt welcome home, and Mac asks if he’s a permanent fixture or temporary. Georgie says, he lives here now, and Spinelli makes an excuse to take Bailey and get out of the room. There’s a knock at the door, and Georgie opens it to Cody and James, who runs to Mac. Mac says he thinks James has grown a foot, and Cody says, pretty close. Mac says, it’s good to see Cody, and Cody says, him too.

Natalia says, it’s not that she didn’t think Kristina was lovely and intelligent, but the other day, they were all at a recording session and Blaze was terrible. In came Kristina, and a light switch flipped. She realized how much they loved each other. Sonny asked if Kristina made Blaze’s performance better, and Natalia says, Kristina’s presence made all the difference in Blaze’s emotional connection to the song. She asked if he believed in muses, and he said he thought so. He’d dabbled in the industry and was a silent partner in the 90s for a big music label. She says, everything was fun in the 90s, and he says, it was a good time. She says she thinks good times are ahead, and he says he hopes so.

Alexis says, family court isn’t for the faint of heart. It’s not what they’d expect. The best interest of the child should be the priority, but the way the state defines it and the way a loving relative does is hardly ever the same. Reporting a parent to CPS doesn’t guarantee protection, and the child can end up in a group home or with strangers. Chase says, that’s the last thing they want, and Alexis says, he’s in a tough predicament, being between his loyalty to Finn and protecting Violet. Her advice to them is to call a licensed clinical social worker, and Chase says, then that’s what they’ll do. Alexis wishes she was more help, but Chase says, just talking helped, and thanks her for trying with Finn. Alexis says, he’s a good man. He’s just lost. Chase says he knows that at some point, they’ll help him find his way back. She tells them, good luck, and they leave.

In the hallway, Brook sees she missed Natalia’s call, and tells Chase that she’s demanding. Chase says he’s still on leave and has extra time. He suggests she deal with it now. He’s going to GH. He knows exactly who to talk to.

Mac says he heard Cody was the new Face of Deception, but he thinks Sasha is better for business. Maxie says, they’re the former Faces, and Mac says, sorry. Cody says, don’t be. It’s not up his alley. Mac asks what he’s doing now, and Cody says he’s managing the stables at the Quartermaines. Maxie says, he’s been spending a lot of time with James, teaching him about horses, and James says, they jumped over a tree. Maxie says, what? and Cody says, James is exaggerating. It was more like a big stick, but it was still an awesome feat. He asks what Mac was up to, and Mac says he was helping a friend. Maxie asks if that’s all they’re getting, and Mac says, unfortunately, yes, and he hates keeping secrets. Cody says, him too, and Mac says, that’s something else they have in common. Cody says he’ll leave them to their family reunion. He’ll see James soon. Mac says he’d like to tag along sometime if it’s okay with Cody, and Cody says he’d like that. Mac says, he’ll set it up, and Cody watches the family interaction for a moment, then leaves.

Sonny asks how Natalia is feeling about Blaze and Kristina’s relationship, and she says, worried. Not because she thinks it’s wrong, but the way she was brought up in Puerto Rico, they’re not accepting. Sonny says, love is love was not a motto she grew up with? and she says, no, but she’s evolving. She has a hard time seeing that kind of love ending in real happiness. He says, Kristina and Blaze have to figure it out, and she says, that means she’d have to relinquish control. It’s not her favorite. Her phone dings, and she says she has to approve some photo shoot proofs. She hands him a thumb drive of the recording session and asks him to give it to Brook. He says, on one condition, that he’s invited to the release party. She says she’ll see what she can do, and leaves.

Gio asks if Josslyn talked to Michael about the apartment yet, and she says she’s going after work to see him in person. She knows he’ll say yes, but she doesn’t want him to think she’s taking advantage. Gio says, that’s like him and Uncle Sonny. Sonny has paid for his musical education and would probably pay for him to go to Europe and visit all the concert halls, but that would be taking advantage. Josslyn asks if he’s worried about taking advantage of Sonny, and Gio says, when someone is as powerful and important as Sonny, people are always asking for things, and he never wants to take it for granted. Josslyn says, it’s nice to hear how Gio appreciates Sonny. She’s sure it means a lot to him.

Maxie tells Mac that Cody has been great for James. He treats James like a little brother, and all the kids at the Quartermaines are obsessed with him. She doesn’t know how he has the patience. Mac says, they’re not his. No matter how bad it gets, they go back to their parents. (Been there, done that as a mother’s helper. I had all the patience in the world because I was getting paid and going home at the end of the day.) Maxie says, Cody is gifted, and Mac says, so is she. She says she’s not sure her kids agree. Cody is like a real-life superhero around here. Like someone else she knows.

Diane goes to Alexis’s office, and says she comes bearing gifts. What she hopes is a source of clarity. She holds out an envelope and says, it’s from the Court of Appeals. It came in care of her office. Alexis says, she didn’t open it? and Diane says, tampering with the mail is a federal offense. She doesn’t know what’s in there, but Alexis’s future awaits.

TJ says he’s impressed with what Felicia has done in record time. The few things she didn’t get are probably in the patient’s records, but they’ll have to get the patient’s consent. She says she already got it and it’s on file, and he says, she thought of everything. Her phone rings, and he says, Maxie again? It’s fine if she wants to pick it up. She says she will, when she’s officially off duty.

Tracy calls Finn and leaves a message. She says, he keeps not calling her back. She’s worried about him. Please call her. She goes into the other room, and startles Cody. She asks if he’s okay, and he says he’ll take care of her gear. She says, that’s not what she asked.

Maxie asks, what kind of mother doesn’t answer her daughter’s calls or texts? and Mac says, the working kind. He’s so proud of Felicia. Maxie says, she goes the extra mile for her patients and it’s spilling into other areas. She advocates for everyone, including Maxie, whether she wants it or not. She asks if Mac was in on Felicia’s plan to get Spinelli to move in, but he says he had no part of it. Maxie says, her heart was in the right place, and she’s glad it happened, but don’t tell Felicia she said that. They’re taking things slowly. Mac says, that’s music to his ears, and Maxie says she missed him so much. He says, it’s so good to be home.

Brook sees Sonny at the pool, and he motions her over. He tells her that Avery has her swim class, and she asks if he’s seen his wedding date. He says, Natalia just left, and Brook says, Natalia summoned her, then took off? He says, Natalia left something with him for her, and gives her the drive. He asks if she’s okay, and she says, it’s Chase’s niece Violet. He asks if she’s hurt or sick, and she says, Violet is fine for now, but if she tells him something, will he keep it between them? He says, of course (🍷), and she says, ever since Gregory died, Finn has been drinking… a lot. Sonny asks if he isn’t recovering, and she says, that’s why they haven’t faced this before. Finn furiously maintains it’s none of their business. Sonny says, that’s where he would be wrong.

Chase sees Stella in the café and tells her that TJ said she’d be here. She says, he ratted her out, and Chase promises to be brief. She’s a social worker. She says, and he’s a police officer, and he says, normally, he’d hand this off to someone else, but it’s personal, and he doesn’t feel comfortable with that. She asks if it has something to do with his father. She was sorry to hear about Gregory’s death. He says, no, but yes, and she says, that clears things up. He says, not directly with his death, but it may be a catalyst. There’s a child is with a parent in the throes of SUD. She says, Substance Use Disorder. Long term or recent? and he says, they’ve been clean for years, but the recent environment isn’t safe for anyone, let alone a little girl.

Alexis says, a friend just died and her two daughters are courting disaster, and Diane tells her, don’t buy a lottery ticket. Alexis says, or open that envelope, but Diane says, the outcome won’t change, no matter what. Isn’t Alexis tired of being in limbo? She knows she is. Alexis says she’s sorry to inconvenience Diane, and Diane says, if Alexis doesn’t open it, she will. Alexis says, do it… No, wait. She picks up Gregory’s medal, and says, go ahead. Diane opens the envelope.

Cody tells Tracy, where he comes from is a story with a winding road. He thought his dad was Mr. Bell, but he wasn’t. Then he assumed his dad was the rich guy Mr. Bell worked for, but he wasn’t. He moved to Port Charles and had a DNA test and finally knows who his father is. Tracy asks if it’s good news or bad news, but he says, his father doesn’t know he has a son. She asks if he’s a bad guy, but Cody says, the opposite. He likes him a lot. She says she’s confused, and he says, join the club. He’s had multiple chances to tell him, but he lied instead. He’s not sure he can walk it back. She says, it’s his story. He can walk it in any direction he wants. He asks, what if his father is furious? but she says, what if he’s thrilled he has a son?

Mac puts Bailey down for her nap, and Maxie says she thought he’d be more tan since he was in South America. Spinelli says, it’s winter there now, and James asks if it’s winter in Florida too. Spinelli asks Maxie if they teach geography at James’s school, and she says, he takes after her. (Same.) Felicia comes in and says, she’s here. What’s the exciting new development?

Sonny tells Brook that this has to be stopped. Kids are innocent, and they think the suffering and pain are going to last forever. Even if they get through it, it changes them. But with people like Brook in their corner, this child will never go through what he did. She won’t let it happen.

Chase says he’d prefer not to give specifics, and Stella suggests she ask questions and he can tell her what he’s comfortable with. She asks if the child is being neglected, but he says, no. She says, threatened or abused? and he says he doesn’t think so. Don’t tell him he has to wait until it happens. She says, there are agencies where he can report his concerns, but as a cop, he knows the drill. It’s not easy. A judge isn’t likely to break up a family over a couple of benders. Document everything and get statements from people who have seen the parent under the influence and acting irresponsibly. He asks if he’s supposed to build a case against his brother, but she says she’s advising him to build a case for his niece.

Alexis says, just tell her, and Diane says, well… There’s some good news and some bad news. Which does she want first? Alexis says, the bad news… no, the good, and Diane says, the court vacated her disbarment as improperly applied. Alexis says, she won? She can practice law again? Diane says, that leads to the bad news. Her legal license has been suspended for two years. Alexis says she’s waited this long. She can put up with this hellhole for a couple of years. Diane says, she doesn’t have to. Her two-year suspension started four years ago. She knows, she’s awful. Alexis says, it’s over, and Diane says, Alexis needs 48 hours of legal education and will have to apply to the bar. Alexis says she couldn’t have done it without Diane, and Diane says she knows. They dance around, saying, it’s over, and hug

Cody wonders if Tracy thinks he’s crazy, stupid, or both, and she asks if he wants to know what she thinks. He says, at this point, he’ll take Comet’s advice, and she says, he’s lucky. He has a clean slate and the opportunity for a fresh start. He says he lied and he’s still lying, but she says, one admission can put an end to it. The rest of their lives can begin any time, and he gets to decide when that is. She leaves.

Felicia says she fulfilled her duties at the hospital, despite the steady stream of interruptions. She’s confused as to what was so important. The kids are fine. The house isn’t on fire. James starts to say something, but Maxie stops him and says, it’s not on fire, but the house is hotter than it’s been in a while. Felicia asks if the A/C isn’t working, and coming in behind her, Mac says, the A/C is working. He’s sorry he was away so long. It won’t happen again. Maxie asks if Felicia understands why she was blowing up her phone. Felicia says, you’re here, and hugs Mac. James suggests they get ice cream to celebrate, and despite Maxie’s objection, Mac says, James can have all the toppings. Felicia says, welcome home, and they kiss. Mac says, it’s good to be here.

Tomorrow, Violet tells Finn that she doesn’t want to be alone; Spinelli tells Sam that they found their prize; and Carly tells Jason, what he’s doing affects you.

🧼 Not Twinning…

Excellent actress in a tough role.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/ghs-eva-larue-reveals-how-shes-trying-to-redeem-natalia

🧹 Enough Already…

It baffles and infuriates me how people use the anonymity of the internet to say whatever pops into their feeble little heads.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/general-hospital-defends-tabyana-ali-against-racist-attacks

🔮 Meanwhile In Another Soap Galaxy…

How cool is this?

https://people.com/kelly-ripa-and-mark-consuelos-reunite-with-their-all-my-children-baby-enzo-8664900

🔪 Top Of the Heap…

Since there was no more Quickfire Challenge, the chefs went right to Elimination, where they had to make the best four-course meal of their lives. There was food porn galore, including a new take on Hummingbird cake. Emeril Lagasse was the secret guest judge, which thrilled the contestants to no end. I went to see his show once at the Food Network in NYC, but I was in mountain goat territory, so no tasting for me. We did get a righteous bag of potato chips though. Read on to see who came out on top.

‘Top Chef’ finale recap: ‘Cruising to a Win’ crowned the season 21 champion – was it Dan, Danny or Savannah?

👠 What Happens in Jersey…

What’s annoying about RHONJ is that I’ve lived at the Jersey Shore for quite a while and have never met anyone like these people. That goes for the cast of The Jersey Shore as well. And I’ve never once heard anyone use the term bitch boy.

Real Housewives of New Jersey Season 14, Episode 7 Recap: An Ice-cold Housewarming

They should be scared. It’s time to call it a Jersey night. While they’re at it, they might find people who live in this century.

Report: RHONJ Cast ‘Walking on Eggshells’ and ‘Scared of Speaking Out’

The Countess speaks.

Luann de Lesseps Predicts Money Loss for RHONJ Cast After Canceled Reunion

🧑‍🍳 Chef On the Water…

Chef Ben will always know the way to my heart.

A Definitive Ranking of Every Below Deck Med Chef

🏡 Surreally Back…

Why, Macy Gray, why?

Kim Zolciak Joins Macy Gray and More Celebs in MTV’s Surreal Life: Villa of Secrets

🐕 Don’t Forget Your Pets…

Pets enjoy holidays too. Okay, we probably enjoy dressing them up for holidays more, but that’s beside the point. They do love being included.

Celebrating Juneteenth With Your Dog

🏄‍♀️ Sea-ing Clearly Now…

Take a break with me tomorrow for soap and useless, but amusing, information. Until then, stay safe, stay not monopolizing a community grill, and stay never taking advantage of your benefactor.

Jun18

June 17, 2024 – Alexis Confronts Finn, Tennis Pro Again On Deck, Soap Fathers, A Farewell, Covering Pride, Tearful Trailer, The Tonys, Don’t Watch This, Showing Off & True

Posted on June 18, 2024 by theresakp

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Michael surprised Willow with a birthday party at the MetroCourt pool.

At the hospital, Portia told Elizabeth she was headed to the party, but Elizabeth said she wasn’t in a party mood. Portia said she had something that would put a smile on Elizabeth’s face. Finn was going to be back at work tomorrow. Elizabeth asked to talk to Portia in private.

Finn was binging hard when there was a knock at the door. He hid the bottle and glass and sprayed his breath. He opened the door to Alexis, who said, surprise!

At the party Gio told Josslyn that Olivia and Lois insisted he come and meet people, and she said, his big night out was at his workplace, but at least they didn’t have to work. Gio said if she and Trina moved to the garage apartment, they could carpool, and Josslyn said she wanted to talk to Michael about moving, but not at the party. They clinked glasses in hopes of being neighbors. Nina popped in and asked to borrow Drew, saying it was something about Crimson. They stepped away, and she told him to do his thing and make it convincing. He said it had been his idea, so chill. He went over to Willow and said that Nina hadn’t known they were having a party. He thought he’d gently ask if she minded if Nina stuck around.

Willow asked if Michael minded, but he said, it was her party, so she went over to Nina and asked if Nina would like to stay. Nina said she knew she wasn’t invited, but Willow said she was inviting Nina now. Nina told Willow, happy birthday, and Willow said she was glad Nina was there. Cody told Chase that he was sorry about Chase’s dad, and Chase said he couldn’t believe he’d never see him again, but he was grateful for the time they’d had together. He wouldn’t trade it for the world. Sasha told Nina that she noticed Nina had tried the if you love someone, set them free thing, and Nina said, it worked. Sasha said she was thrilled. Willow had a good heart, and if Nina didn’t push it… Nina said she was trying.

Portia took Elizabeth to her office, and Elizabeth said, Finn was still drinking. Portia said she needed to be absolutely clear. The last time Elizabeth came to her as a friend, not as a boss. What about now? Elizabeth said, the situation had escalated, and she didn’t have a choice. She had to say something.

Alexis said she hadn’t seen Finn at meetings and was wondering what happened to their two meeting a day plan. Finn said he’d gotten busy, and Alexis asked if Violet was there. He asked, where else would she be? and Alexis said, a sleepover? Finn said, Violet was asleep, and Alexis asked if he minded if she checked on her. She was worried Violet might have been listening. She went to Violet’s room, and Finn took out his bottle and glass.

Michael told Carly that Nina had been invited by the birthday girl, and she asked how he felt about that. He said he hoped Willow wouldn’t be disappointed again if Nina failed her, but it was up to Willow. He was never going to try and control her life again.

Elizabeth told Portia that she’d ended the relationship because of Finn’s drinking. So she was coming to Portia as Co-Chief. She wanted to let Portia know that Finn was spiraling, and she was afraid he’d be a danger to his patients.

Alexis came back, and said, oh good. Finn was defiant drinking. He asked if she wanted one, and she said, more than anything, but no thanks. She thanked him for not hiding it. At least she wouldn’t have to get him to admit it, since he was clearly drinking. She asked if it was since the wedding, but he said, the first drink was an accident. She said, to be fair, she assumed it had been since his dad died, and he said, they’d just reconnected after a lifetime of being estranged. He’d felt his father’s love, then he was gone. Who wouldn’t drink? Alexis said, an alcoholic might try not to, but Finn said, alcohol had never been his problem. He was a recovering drug addict and hadn’t taken drugs. And it wasn’t like he was just getting high. Zekenestrol had been keeping him alive. Alexis said, he’d developed a dependency, and Finn asked if she was saying he was at fault, but she said, it wasn’t about fault. Addiction was a disease. He said he was an addict, but not an alcoholic. That was her thing. She laughed and asked what his point was, and he said, just because she couldn’t drink, didn’t mean he couldn’t. Alexis said, people who had only a drug addiction didn’t hide their liquor, but he said he wasn’t. He’d quit drinking out of an abundance of caution. He didn’t need it. Alexis said, he was making up for it now, and he said he could handle the alcohol, but not the snarky judgments and telling him how to live his life. No doubt, that’s why she was there.

Carly asked Drew, since when did he go to bat for Nina? Michael told her that he’d asked for Nina to stay. Drew said he did, and she asked, why, after everything she’d done to him? He admitted Nina wasn’t his favorite person, and Carly said, then why?

Curtis said he was glad Nina was assisting him with PR and the roll out of the wellness division, but was she sure she was okay working with Drew? She said, they had their problems, but they were working together. Despite the bad blood, they were grown-ups, and in a position to help each other. Curtis said he was in the room when Nina was throwing accusations about Carly and the alleged FBI agent in Drew’s face, and Nina said, it had been unprofessional, and she regretted it. She and Drew had reached a détente. If she could be in contact with Willow, she could put up with Drew as long Willow could put up with her. She just wanted to be part of Willow’s life and had no agenda. Curtis told her to hang in there. It would be worth it. He and Trina had a rough start, but now she was his greatest joy. They wished each other well.

Willow told Chase that she was sorry about his father, and asked how he was. He said he was recovering. Grief was like a series of natural disasters hitting you at random. She said, his father’s last day was spent with his family, celebrating Chase’s future, and Chase agreed it wasn’t a bad way to go. They hugged.

Drew said Carly had told him that his obsession with revenge against Nina would only hurt him, and he realized she was right. She said she hadn’t meant she wanted him to advocate for Nina, but he said, practically speaking, he needed her. Carly asked, why? and he said, she kept Crimson profitable and had introduced him to McConkey. Carly said, Nina didn’t do something for anyone without something being in it for her, and Drew said, Nina greed to coach Willow about being the New Tomorrow spokesperson, and he was inspired to keep on her good side. Carly told him not to push Nina and Willow together, but he said, it was about what Willow wanted.

Alexis said she was worried about Finn. He was saying and doing things to justify his drinking and pushing people away who wanted to help. Finn said he had an ache inside that wouldn’t go away and felt like he was rotting on the inside. He didn’t know anyone who wouldn’t need something to numb that kind of pain. She said, of course (🍷) they would, but numbing the thing inside stopped people from loving him. He said, maybe that was a sign people should leave him alone, and Alexis asked if he wanted his brother to leave him alone. Chase had lost the same father. Finn said he wasn’t sure it was the same loss, and she said, maybe Chase wanted to share their loss, but Finn said he didn’t want to. It was his to deal with in his way.

Elizabeth told Portia that Finn had been triggered by his father’s death. He had found Gregory, and now it had become an excuse. He claimed he’d been addicted to Zekenestrol and alcohol had never been a problem. He could handle it. Portia asked if he could, and Elizabeth said she’d found him with a woman and a bottle of tequila. Portia asked if he’d been with the woman in a none of her business way, but Elizabeth said, that wasn’t relevant. After seeing Finn’s anger, and his refusal to accept responsibility and admit there was a problem, she was concerned it would affect his patients. Portia said, she should be concerned, and Elizabeth said she was also concerned about Violet.

Brook thanked Carly for hiring Gio and gushed out his accomplishments. Gio said he could fold towels like nobody’s business, and Brook said, he’d played at the wedding, and there wasn’t a dry eye in the house. Carly said, Josslyn had told her that he was playing at the summer festival, and Brook said, he was also majoring in music at PCU and was first violin. Gio told her that she was getting carried away, and Carly said, when you were proud of someone, you wanted the whole world to know. She hugged Josslyn.

Elizabeth told Portia that she went to check on Violet the next day, and Finn was clearly hungover. He and Violet were supposed to go to the pool, but he’d fallen asleep. He was an amazing dad and didn’t break plans with Violet. He’d had too much to drink, passed out, and was lying to cover it up. She didn’t want this to jeopardize his relationship with his daughter. Portia said, Elizabeth had to be hoping for some kind of outcome by telling her, and Elizabeth said she wanted Portia to convince Finn to go to rehab. Medical leave allowed them 12 weeks. Portia said she’d consider the options. She was sorry and was here for Elizabeth. She told Elizabeth not to hesitate in calling her if there was anything else. She knew how difficult it was to come forward, but Elizabeth had done the right thing for the hospital and the patients. Elizabeth said she hoped in the end it was the right thing for Finn, and they hugged.

Alexis said, got it, and Finn asked if that meant they were done. She said she didn’t see any point in continuing, and he said he could see in her eyes that she’d given up on him too. (Because there’s no pleasing him.) Alexis said she knew better than anyone how Finn hated bumper sticker preachy stuff at meetings. It was the last thing she wanted here, but only he could make the turn, see the cost of his drinking, and stop it. Finn agreed and said, only him, not any of them. Alexis said, and only he could ask for help and accept it, and he said, when he needed it, he would ask for it. He thanked her for her concern, and she asked why she suspected he didn’t mean that. He said, she was projecting her own stuff on him, but she said, even if that was so, the difference between them was, when she was free falling and living from bottle to bottle, she wasn’t the sole parent of a nine-year-old girl.

Willow said, when she thought of the mistakes and wrong turns that she and Chase made… He said, it was a miracle they ended up where they should be. She told him that he’d been the first man she loved, the first choice her heart made on its own, and he said, it all worked out.

Drew told Curtis and Michael that he was going to accept McConkey’s offer and endorsement. Curtis said he was going to be great, and Drew appreciated his support, not just as a candidate, but the wellness division was now on Curtis’s shoulders. This came out of nowhere, but the more he thought about it, he realized it was important to him. He had to try. Michael said he’d gotten a phone call from Judge Perez that made sense now. The judge told Michael that Drew had filed a petition to change his name. Drew said, that was another thing he’d thought hard about, and decided the Quartermain name was higher in recognition and had philanthropic history. Curtis said, there was also the implication of privilege, but Drew said, having money made him less susceptible to special interests. He’d be able to focus on the needs of the people. Curtis said, Drew sounded like a man with a plan.

Finn asked if Alexis was suggesting he was a bad father, but she said she thought he was a wonderful father when he was sober. But when he was drunk, he was this. He said he loved Violet more than anything. She was his whole world. He had always and always would put her first. Alexis told him, prove it and go to rehab, and he told her that she was overreacting. She said, why didn’t he ask Violet, since she was behind him listening. He turned around, but Violet wasn’t there, and Alexis said, made you look. But before he cursed her out, imagine if Violet had heard him. How proud did he think she’d be of her dad then?

Willow asked Sasha if things were going well, and Sasha said, they couldn’t be better. Willow told her not to let the Quartermaines railroad her, but Sasha said, after Lucy, she could handle anything. Cody asked if they wanted anything, and Willow was good, but Sasha asked him for a glass of wine. When he left, Willow asked how things were going, and Sasha told her that the job was fun and interesting. The accommodations were comfortable, and the salary was reasonable, and knowing she got to see Cody every day was a huge plus.

Brook said, Gio was the pride of the Cerullo family, and Gio said he’d better get home and practice. He left, and Carly said she heard Gio talk about a lot of family members, but not a mom or dad. Brook said, Gio’s father died before he was born. His mother had been a violinist with the New York Philharmonic, but also died. He’d been raised by the vast and loving Cerullo/Falconari clan. Carly said, he was lucky to have a supportive family.

Curtis said he was glad Portia could make it, and asked if she was okay. She said, it was just a thing at work, and he said he was going to be busier than he’d thought. Drew made his decision. She said, Drew was going to run? and Curtis said, yes. Portia said she supported him as a candidate, but didn’t like him leaving Curtis in the lurch, and Curtis admitted he was going to be busy. She said, as long as he wasn’t too busy for her, she had no problem with it. He said he liked being his own boss and this had opened the door for him to make things his own.

Finn said he thought it was time for Alexis to leave, and she said she thought it was time for him to go to rehab. Apparently, neither of them were getting what they wanted. If he started getting booze in bulk like she had, maybe then he’d look inside himself. Meetings weren’t going to fix this. He needed 90 days to dry out and sort himself out. Finn said Violet needed him and there was no way he was abandoning her, but Alexis said, he already did every time he drank. Violet had been living with a wonderful father, and now was trapped in the house with a drunk. He told her to get the hell out.

Michael told Willow that it was official, and Willow said she thought Drew would do a great job. He had to win. She didn’t know if changing his name was necessary, but he should go for it. Michael said, she was fired up, and she said, it was hard not to be. Drew’s opponent would set anyone who wasn’t a white, male billionaire back to the Stone Age.

Cody told Sasha that he’d been talking to Chase about his dad and how much he’d cherished the time spent with him. It got him thinking. Sasha said, about Mac? and Cody said, Mac was his father. He was like Chase’s dad; he was a good guy and Cody admired him. But unlike Chase’s dad, he was still here. Who knew for how long? Cody wondered if he was wasting time he’d want back. Sasha said, if he was asking that question, he knew the answer already.

Finn said, Alexis knew nothing about him and Violet, and was projecting her sad story on him. He wasn’t interested, and for the last time, he wanted her to get out. He opened the door, and she said, sober Finn would say that with more concern. Drunk Finn is mean. Her good friend, the kind, wonderful man and wonderful father was in there somewhere, and at some point, he’d have to live with the consequences of what he was choosing now. Call her when he hit rock bottom. It was going to be sooner than he thought.

Everyone sang Happy Birthday to Willow, and Sasha told her to make a wish. Willow blew out the candles, and everyone applauded and called for a speech. Willow thanked them, thanked Michael for throwing the party, and thanked the guests for coming. She was genuinely surprised. The occasion called for a speech, but not from her. She believed Drew had an announcement. Drew said he guessed that there was no time like the present, even though it wasn’t how he planned to do it. He was running for Congressman in the 28^th district inf the state of New York. He truly believed there was too much division and greed with his opponent. Because Drew had money, that meant no one could sway him. There was a big difference between prosperity and greed. When they all prospered, they all won. There was applause, and Willow said she was proud he was part of the family. The best present they could give her was to vote for Drew.

Finn closed the door. He sat on the sofa, picked up his glass, swirled the liquor around, and caressed his face with it.

Tomorrow, Sasha asks, what’s stopping Cody; Anna tells Valentin that she wonders if it’s wise; and Jason says, someone is being framed.

Below Deck Mediterranean

Gael goes to meet Nathan, but walks past a producer who asks if she needs a mic. She makes up an excuse that she’s just getting water and texts Nathan, telling him the situation and suggesting they call it a night. In Gael’s interview, she says she’s still in a relationship and was having stronger feelings than she needed to. Nathan said, f*** me, and in his interview, he said he hoped this wouldn’t make it awkward, but he was willing to take the risk. The boat heads for The Acropolis, and in Captain Sandy’s interview, she says, the last charter was the worst provisioning experience, so she was changing companies. Normally, she’s all about three strikes and you’re out, but if the first strike was that bad, you’re out. She calls a new provisioner and sets things up. Gael calls her boyfriend, probably out of guilt. Afterward, Nathan apologizes for being a knob, but she says she was a knob too, and they could be knobs together. Ellie talks to Bri about a laundry plan, and in Iain’s interview, he says he wants to be Captain Sandy’s best bosun ever. In Bri’s interview, she says she’s only been in the industry two years and knows she’s the baby, and in Ellie’s interview, she says, Bri is like a baby giraffe figuring out how to walk. The captain calls Aesha, Iain, and Jono for the preference sheet meeting.

Captain Sandy says, the primary is Gigi Fernandez, a 17-time Grand Slam champion, who’s won Olympic gold several times. She’s had Gigi on charter before and they became friends. We flash back to that, and the captain says, they had a great charter. She tells Jono that the chef made seven courses for each meal, and their expectations are high. They see the guests want Mexican food, yoga, and the water toys. The captain says, they’re going to Poros, and Jono sees that one of the guests has a lot of restrictions. Jono says, she hates seafood, and it’s one of the top requests, and Captain Sandy says, they’re used to getting what they want when they want it. In Jono’s interview, he says he’s never had exposure with this many preferences. He still looks at things like a designer rather than a chef. The captain tells him, pressure makes us better. You can tell she’s in AA. It’s that bumper sticker stuff Finn hates.

Provisions actually are provided, and Aesha and Jono are ecstatic. In Ellie’s interview, she says, there might be something between her and Joe. The guests arrive, and Captain Sandy says she’s happy to have Gigi back. Aesha will show them around the boat, then they’ll take off for their first adventure. Gigi visits the captain on the bridge, and they talk about their passions being their work. In Aesha’s interview, she says she feels these guests have higher expectations than the last guests. She prays to the god of the ocean to give her stews who know their jobs. Joe flirts with Bri and finds out she has a tattoo. In his interview, he says his granddad was Italian and his father figure. He was against tattoos, so Joe has none, but on a female, they’re like forbidden fruit. Bri wants Ellie to teach her how to be flirty and seductive AF, and Ellie asks if she’s thinking of anyone specific, but Bri says, just in general. In Ellie’s interview, she says she has chemistry with Joe. Usually, when she sets her eyes on a guy, he’s already interested, so it’s just giving him the green light. In Bri’s interview, she says, yeah, it’s Joe.

In Jono’s interview, he says, it’s a Mexican themed lunch. The last boat he worked on, the owners were Mexican, so it’s going to be a breeze. Lunch is served, and in Ellie’s interview, she says she’s definitely biting her tongue with Jono, but it’s hard for her. All she can do is remain professional going forward. Gigi thinks there’s something overbearing with the spices, and Jono did look pretty heavy handed with them. Aesha asks if Bri is writing down the laundry pieces so she doesn’t forget, and in Bri’s interview, she says she hates laundry so much. Thank God for the notebook. She doesn’t know why she didn’t think of it first. Gigi tells Captain Sandy, the food’s not Rachel good, but it’s good. Aesha tells a guest to make sure they pencil when jumping off the boat, because they don’t want to tear their anus.😐Anchor is dropped, and in Iain’s interview, he says, it’s early in the season, but he has a good team. No one’s an idiot. The guests request to be seated for dinner as the sun is going down, which sounds lovely. They do water sports, and guest Laura asks Nathan to paddleboard with her. Aesha’s boyfriend calls, and in her interview, she says, when she gets check-ins from Scott, he has a wonderful way of bringing her back to reality. (FYI, she was on Watch What Happens Live, and they are now engaged.) She says, Scott could totally work on a boat. He runs a bar and has the highest standards. They’d be a perfect match on a yacht. She tells the captain that they’re doing a toga competition after dinner. In her interview, Aesha says, maybe they wore togas because they had so many orgies. It’s open and waiting. Gael’s boyfriend texts her, and the guests yell for Nathan to take his shirt off. In Nathan’s interview, he says, they’re going backwards. The current is that strong. He and Laura can’t be seen, and in Joe’s interview, he says, this can’t be happening.

Joe radios lain to come to the platform. They see Nathan and Laura coming back on a catamaran, and Gigi says, a random boat picked them up. In Iain’s interview, he says, it’s not a good look and doesn’t make him happy. Captain Sandy asks to see Joe and says, it’s embarrassing. In her interview, she says she appreciates that Joe is accountable, but it still goes back to Iain. They need two people watching, and it’s Iain’s job as bosun to delegate the watch person. She tells Iain that she’s not happy. When the guests are in the water, she wants one person in the tender following them. She tells him to apologize to Gigi, and he does. He says, at the end of the day, it shouldn’t happen. The guests use the slide, then do some yoga. I’m tired just watching these people. Iain tells Gael that he didn’t know Nathan was out with a guest, and in Gael’s interview, she says, he sent her down, but not to watch the guests. If no one was watching them, it’s kind of on him. We flash back to Iain telling her to go down for three hours; Joe was coming to relieve her.

Jono tells Ellie that the guests didn’t say anything about snacks, but he’s prepping them anyway. He doesn’t want her to be in that position again. We flash back to that, and in Jono’s interview, he says he’s upset about what happened and is committed to making sure it doesn’t happen again. At the end of the day, they’re a team, and they need to have each other’s backs. He tells her, they’ll move forward and work well together. lain discusses watching the guests with the deckhands, and in Joe’s interview, he says, Gael should have stayed on the platform. The yoga instructor tells the guests to exhale out stress, because it must be really stressful to be on one of these charters. In Ellie’s interview, she says, Bri has been receptive to her advice. If Bri fails, she’ll see it as her failure as well. When it came to being a stew, she would be a Lamborghini, an A player. Bri would be a Mazda who will get you from point A to point B. Ellie tells Aesha that Bri is improving, and the captain radios the deckhands to bring in the slide. She’s ready to go. Iain orders Nathan around, and in Nathan’s interview, he says, there’s a noticeable change when Iain is frustrated. To him, it’s a sign of weakness in a bosun.

In his interview, Iian says, to be a leader, you’ve got to be tough. Sometimes you have to bark at them, and they bark back. Aesha tells the stews they’re so organized. Well done. Nathan tells Joe that he loves Iain, but hates micromanaging. He knows what he’s doing. Just let him do it. The boat lands in Poros, and in Aesha’s interview, she says, Bri has improved so much. She’s gone from Charmander to Charizard. She’s morphing slowly into a more evolved Pokémon. Gael calls her boyfriend again, apologizing for not calling enough. The guests get ready for dinner, and both the Greek décor and the view are beautiful. Captain Sandy wants to do synchronized service with the stews, and they all put on white gloves. The entree is a chicken dish, and in her interview, the captain says, the expectation of a Mediterranean cruise is five-star food. Gigi has traveled the world. She has dined in the finest restaurants. Chicken is not really something to be served on a superyacht. Everything has to be perfect. It does look pretty, which Gigi comments on. It’s super quiet while the guests are eating, and in Aesha’s interview, she says, coming from someone who proclaims it loudly when they love food – we flash back to Aesha’s happy reaction when eating – she feels like it’s usually not great if people are not wowing from their seats. She asks the guests if the food is okay.

Gigi says, it’s pretty decent – not exactly a compliment – and Jono makes deconstructed chocolate sponge cake for dessert, which I guess means just breaking it apart. He adds a scoop of sorbet, and in Aesha’s interview, she says, it’s the most boring out of all the cakes. It’s like poop on a platter. First, she was made to serve chicken. Now she’s giving them sponge cake. And she has to be the face of all this sh*t. I literally laugh out loud – Aesha is a riot. I’d probably love the food, but yeah, it’s not five-star. Gigi says, it could be more chocolaty, and in her interview, Aesha laughs. She hopes if she rushes them into the toga party, they won’t have time to think about dessert, and asks if it’s time to start the competition. The guests put on togas, but they look more like halter dresses. Aesha notes that guest Julie Ann is wearing a butt plug necklace. Iain picks his nose on the bridge like he’s digging for gold. The toga contest commences; the stews, Gael, and a few of the guests competing. Julie Ann wonders why they did this. Guests Julie Ann and Roberta are tied for winner, and Aesha suggests a butt plug for a prize. The guests go to bed, and Bri sings, it’s clean up time at a normal hour. Everyone is glad to get to bed.

In Jono’s interview, he says, breakfast is ticklish. It’s hard to time huevos rancheros, especially when there are three selections. On deck, Aesha tells Bri that she’s looking at history. You don’t get this anywhere else in the world. Yoga is set up, and in the galley, Jono covers the eggs with a towel – where they sit for one and a half hours until the guests are up for breakfast. You’d think he could at least pop them in the microwave, but no. Gigi asks Aesha for hot eggs and says, there’s nothing worse than cold eggs. I’m not sure if there’s nothing worse, but yuk. Aesha tells Jono that the primary wants extra hot eggs, and Gigi goes to the bridge. Captain Sandy asks how breakfast was, and Gigi says, the eggs were cold. She can’t believe the chef’s choice dinner last night was chicken, and thinks deconstructed means, it didn’t work out (ha-ha-ha!). Lunch also had an overbearing spice flavor. The captain agrees that she should want the food to be superb, and in her interview, Captain Sandy says she knows Gigi. She wouldn’t complain just to complain. Jono was good during the first charter, but the circumstances didn’t allow her to see what he was capable of. She calls him to the bridge.

Next time, a beach excursion; Gigi says, the food was just okay; and Ellie wants to go for Joe, but so does Bri.

🧰 It’s Their Day…

How the dads celebrated.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/gallery/general-hospital/see-how-your-favorite-stars-celebrated-fathers-day-2

🥀 Dimming the Lights…

She certainly had an amazing career. Kind of like Angela Lansbury.

https://people.com/janis-paige-dead-at-101-8657895

🦚 Proud As a Peacock…

I saw him in Threepenny Opera on Broadway, and he was amazing. He’s the perfect host for The Traitors and can definitely rock fashion.

https://ew.com/see-photos-alan-cumming-ew-2024-pride-cover-shoot-8662602

🌱 Moving On…

Apparently, you can’t keep them down on the farm after they’ve tasted freedom. Premieres July 16th.

https://people.com/ethan-and-olivia-plath-attempt-to-move-on-after-divorce-in-tear-soaked-welcome-to-plathville-trailer-exclusive-8662585

🎭 Hitting the Heights…

The Tony winners.

https://broadwaydirect.com/2024-tony-award-winners/

The performances.

https://broadwaydirect.com/watch-now-musical-performances-from-the-2024-tony-awards/

The highlights.

https://broadwaydirect.com/highlights-from-the-2024-tony-awards/

The fashion.

https://www.etonline.com/gallery/tony-awards-2024-red-carpet-arrivals-227498

🫣 No Pleasure, Guilty Or Otherwise…

MILF Manor 2 has to be one of the most embarrassing displays of desperation I have ever seen. A middle-aged woman crying because a middle-aged dude is looking for the shiny new thing as soon as he scored. If by this time, she hasn’t accepted that it’s not her, he’s shallow, and that’s just the way things are, she needs therapy, not a reality show. The first season was bad enough, but this one is worse, throwing not only cougars and cubs together, but also the cubs’ daddies. It’s doubtful any of the men are there for a serious relationship and the women are acting like middle school girls fighting over boys. Please don’t watch this. Please. It’s worse than awful. It’s what awful calls awful.

🐕 Raise Your Paw High…

I could look at Demi Moore’s chihuahua all day long.

https://www.etonline.com/gallery/paws-up-celebs-show-off-their-precious-pets-117103

🌞 Hot For Summer…

Surf by tomorrow for soap and a peek at Dubai. Until then, stay safe, stay checking the wind direction before shaking sand off your towel, and stay not serving chicken to someone who expects five-star food.