Category Archives: Bravo

August 22, 2024 – Irene Marie’s Funeral Ends Badly, For Real, Cast List, Gloves Are Off In the OC, Disturbing Dance, Dark Reality, New Dead, Coming Soon, Tribute, Cutest & Lobster

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Cody tells James, no more riding without a helmet, but James says, Cody’s hat is cooler. Cody says, James can’t even see with it on, and gives him a smaller version of the hat. Excited, James runs off and Cody takes the helmet and follows him.

Maxie tells Natalia that Lois has been making the rounds as Deception spokesperson, but this will be her first time as an on-air presence on Home & Heart. Natalia says, Lois does have the gift of gab, and Lucy says, they’ll see if she can pull off selling on camera to the home audience.

Lois asks Brook if she looks too demure, but Brook says, she looks beautiful. Is she nervous? Lois says she’ll be talking to people already interested in the product. It’s in the bag. She goes to get her earrings from the makeup artist and overhears her saying that Lois’s Brooklyn accent gives her a headache.  

Molly puts a spray of flowers on the casket, and people begin to come into the church. Kristina comes in with Sam (played by Lindsay Hartley) and Alexis on either side. TJ asks if Molly is okay, and she says, yeah. Him? He says, yeah. Stella lights a candle, and hugs TJ. Molly runs out of the church. Outside, Ric arrives and hugs Molly.  

Sonny says, Ava deserves to pay for what she’s done, and his face should be the last thing she sees, but he’s not here to take her life. He’s here to save her life. Let’s go. Ava says, he assumes she’s going to walk out with him no questions asked? Does he think she’s that gullible? He says, she’s not seeing the whole picture, and she tells him to give her the layout. He says, Jagger Cates wants to end her life, not him.

Molly says she didn’t know Ric was coming, and he says he and Alexis agreed he needed to be here. He’s so sorry. It’s a horrible loss. She says she’s glad he’s here. She feels so alone. He hugs her.

Kristina says, they shouldn’t have to make coffins so small, and Alexis gives the minister the baby’s name. She warns Sam that Ric is coming for Molly. Kristina says she called the baby Adela. She knew it was going to be a girl, but she didn’t tell anyone. When she was lying awake at night, thinking of the baby’s future, that’s what she called her. Dante says, Sonny’s mother’s name.

Tracy says, Maxie can’t be happy about Sonny being a part of Deception, but Maxie says, he’s just investing. Tracy says, he’s forcing them to take on Natalia as CFO, and Maxie asks how many meetings she sat in on where Natalia negotiated Blaze’s contract. She went over everything and was never satisfied. Isn’t that what they’re looking for in a CFO?  

Brook reminds Lois to hold up the product and asks, what’s wrong? She has weird energy. Lois says, last minute stage fright, and Brook asks, since when? Lois says, since she heard her accent gave someone a headache.

Sonny tells Ava that Jagger is going to try and frame him for her murder. The only thing Jagger wants is her dead.

Josslyn sees Trina at the church and keeps walking. Stella asks Trina if everything is okay.

Jordan says, TJ is bearing up well, and Curtis asks how she’s doing. She says, it’s hitting her harder than she thought it would. Portia says she’s sorry for their loss. If there’s anything she can do, she’s here.  

Sam asks, where’s Sonny? and Alexis says, Molly had a meltdown and blamed him for everything. Out of respect and to avoid a scene, he stayed away. Sam says she wishes he was here for Kristina’s sake, and the minister says they’re going to begin the service. Sam says, they have to wait for Molly, and the minister asks if Kristina isn’t the mother. Alexis says, she’s the surrogate. The parents are Molly and TJ. Ric brings Molly back in, and Alexis says, that’s Molly.  

Brook asks, who’s talking smack? She’ll make sure they’re transferred to late night. Lois says she doesn’t want trouble, but be honest. Is it that bad? Brook says, it’s part of her charm. Their different dialects are what makes them cool. Just focus on her and remember everyone in Bensonhurst is watching. She called them.

TJ thanks Ric, and Sam tells Alexis, it’s nice of him to come for Molly. She hopes they don’t regret it. She can’t remember a time when he didn’t make things worse. Alexis says, good thing Sonny’s not here.

TJ and Molly sit down, and Ric tells Alexis that he came as soon as he could. Good thing he was late, since he met their daughter outside.  

The minister says, they gather to celebrate a life and honor the memory. This life was too brief, but Irene Marie loved, gave love, and had an impact. They grieve not just for what was lost, but for what could have been. They mourn Irene Marie and the life she could have had.

The director (Debbie Matenopoulus) asks if Lois is ready, and Lois asks if she’s ever worked in the music business. Was she in music videos? The director says she’s been on TV for years, but prefers the view from behind the camera. Is Lois ready for her debut? Lois says, as ready as she’ll ever be, and Brook tells her, break a leg.

Sonny says he’ll take Ava where Jagger can’t find her. Doesn’t she want to be around for Avery? She says, that’s why she’s not going with him, but he says, if he wanted to take her out, would he be here today trying to convince her to go with him? She says, it’s the baby’s funeral, and he says he needs her alive to do the right thing when the time comes. She says, Scotty would never go for it, and he asks if she’s talked to Scotty lately. She says she and John are closer than he knows. John would never hurt her. He says, Jagger just put handcuffs on Kristina when she was in a wheelchair. Ava gave her statement and now she’s a liability. She says, John is protecting her, but Sonny says, he’s using her. She asks why she should believe him when she knows for a fact that he’d kill her if given half a chance.

The minister asks God to hold Irene Marie in His everlasting love and light. Amen. Now Irene’s grandmother will give a reading. Kristina says she has something to say and goes to the front.

Coming back into the stable with James, Cody says, he looks great. He’s a real natural. His grandparents are horse people and will be super proud. Is he okay? James says, yeah, and Cody says, James knows he can tell him anything, especially now that he’s James’s uncle. James wonders why Grandpa Mac was so mad at Cody, and Cody says he thinks Mac was more mad about the time they didn’t get to spend together when Cody was a kid. James says, that’s not Cody’s fault, but Cody says, Mac has a good reason to be mad at him. James asks what he did.

Haven meets Lois, and Tracy asks if Maxie is sure Lois can do this. Maxie says, if Tracy had seen any of Lois’s trunk shows, she wouldn’t ask. Lois is popular wherever she goes. Tracy says, success in one venue isn’t necessarily success in another. Maybe Lois is too much for TV, from her shoes to her fingernails. Television magnifies things, and she’s not sure if a magnified Lois wouldn’t overwhelm the audience. Maxie says she doesn’t agree, and if Tracy was concerned, she should have said something weeks ago, not just before Lois gets on camera.

Brook tells Lois to imagine she’s talking to the same people that she does at department stores, and Lois says she’ll try. Brook tells her that she’s got this, and looks at Lois’s hand. She says she told Lois to break a leg, not a nail, and Lois says she can’t go on. Her nails are her brand. Brook says, no one will notice, but Lois says she will. Brook says, take a breath. It will be okay.

Haven says, their favorite brand Deception Cosmetics is introducing an exciting new product. She welcomes Lois, and Lois says she’s so… happy to be here, but then just stares at the camera.

Sonny says, let’s go, but Ava says, no deal. She doesn’t need Sonny to save her. She’s a wealthy woman and can disappear on her own. He says, not really, because she’s damn sure not going to take Avery. Jagger’s got her cornered. He doesn’t care where she runs. She can’t hide unless she’s with him. He’s her way out.

Kristina tells everyone that the minister said something that resonated with her, and she wanted to share that. Even though Irene’s life ended just as it was starting, she had impact. He’s so right. She did, and even though none of them had a chance to meet Irene, they knew her. Anyone who felt her kick knew she was destined to be a US Women’s Olympic champion. She laughs, then starts to cry and says, for eight months they shared every second together. She felt her move and watched her grow. They breathed together and she learned about her, what she liked and didn’t like. She used to love walks in the park and was so peaceful after. She liked pastilles and peanut butter, not together, but liked when Kristina ate them. She liked being sung to. Now everyone is crying, and Kristina touches the casket. She says, even though Irene isn’t physically with them, her memory is. The feeling, the weight of her, her impact will stay with Kristina and she hopes with them forever.

Stella says, her wish is for TJ and Molly to find strength and comfort in each other, and she prays they have the family they so deserve. She tells Kristina that she knows Kristina doesn’t have the same connection, but she carried Irene in love and felt her loving spirit, and that makes them eternally grateful. They can’t know what Irene would have become, but with the support of her loving parents, it’s not hard to imagine she would have been a happy girl and gone far in life. She takes comfort in knowing Irene is in the hands of her namesake, Stella’s sister.

Cody says he didn’t tell Mac the truth about something important, and James says, he lied? What about? Cody says, something that wasn’t fair to Grandpa Mac and he regrets it. James says, you’re not supposed to lie, and Cody says he wishes he hadn’t. James says he’s lied before. He said he brushed his teeth when he hadn’t, and he got caught. His toothbrush was dry. Cody says, rookie mistake, and James tells Cody that he said he was sorry, but he’s lied about other dumb stuff. Sometimes it’s easier to lie, but he feels bad and regrets it. Cody says he knows exactly how James feels.

The minister says, they’re going to move to the gravesite, Irene’s final resting place. Kristina begins to sob, and TJ tells Molly, we can do this. Willow says she doesn’t think she can go, and Michael suggests they see Jonah instead. Josslyn sees Trina sitting alone, and Portia asks how Trina is doing. Does she want to ride with them? Trina says she’s okay, but she wants to sit for a while. Portia says, let her know if she needs anything, and leaves. Josslyn asks if she can sit with Trina.

Dante finishes with a phone call, and Sam asks if it’s the station, but Dante says, it’s Laura. He’s got to go. She says, Lulu? and he says he’ll let her know when he gets there, and leaves.

Haven says, the new serum used with the Deceptor is a game changer. She can’t believe all the money she’s wasted on serums that don’t do half of what this does. She asks Lois to tell them how to get firmer, younger looking skin, and Tracy says she guesses Lois isn’t going to overwhelm the viewers after all. Brook nods to Lois, and Lois says, everyone watching should take out their cellphones and credit cards before this product runs out – Deception’s newest serum, The Deceiver. Brook encourages her to smile, and she asks if the viewers have spent a small fortune on their neck, eyes, and lovely faces. Is their bathroom counter covered with half-used products they tried, but didn’t cut it? Haven asks if Lois has sneaked into her house and checked out her bathroom (same), and Lois says, clear that clutter because this product does it all. It plumps and rejuvenates the skin from below the surface. Deceive your skin one drop at a time with Deceiver serum. Haven says, they’re offering it at a special price which will be gone at the end of the day, but she has the feeling they’ll be sold out before then. Lucy tells Maxie, kind of a rocky start, but Lois is watchable. Lois explains how to use the product, and Lucy looks at her phone says, Scotty is out of town on a lucrative, promising new case. She has to call him. If he leaves them high and dry, they’ll need a new lawyer. She leaves, and Maxie says she heard an earful from Tracy about Natalia joining Deception. Now she’d like to hear from Natalia. Natalia says, ask her anything, and Maxie says, Sonny was willing to invest to secure her a position and she’s more than qualified, but what’s in it for her? What did he promise her?

Sonny says he’s glad Ava came to her senses, but she says she’s not going with him. Unless he’s planning to shoot her in the back, why doesn’t he go so she can lock up. She can find a place to hide herself. He says, she’s playing into Jagger’s hands, and she says, he needs to work on his sales pitch. She’s not buying. He tells her to do it for Kristina and the baby. She needs to recant her statement. They don’t have time. Ava tells her to leave him alone and pseudo hero John comes in and tells Sonny, get away from her.

Josslyn says she hates the way they left things, and Trina says, her too. She apologizes for being so defensive. Ava is her friend, but Josslyn is her best friend. She doesn’t know what she’d do without her. Josslyn says, her neither. She’s sorry too. She has no right to tell Trina who she can be friends with, even if she doesn’t like them. Trina says she understands why Josslyn feels the way she does, and why Spencer felt the same way. Ava is complicated, but they’ve always been honest with each other. Maybe she still has hope for Ava. Josslyn says, Ava is lucky to have a friend like Trina, and Trina says she wouldn’t ask Josslyn to change her mind, but don’t ask her to change hers. She puts her head on Josslyn’s shoulder.

Sonny says, Ava isn’t going anywhere with John, and John asks if he thinks she’s better off with a dangerous criminal. Sonny says, she’s safer with him than Jagger, and John says, let him guess. Sonny offered Ava his protection. Funny how the how the ones he claims to protect are the ones who end up suffering the most. Like Karen, like his brother, even Sonny’s own children. Sonny is toxic and radioactive to anyone he gets close to, and no one knows that better than Ava, right?

Natalia says, Sonny just gave her a chance, that’s it. After her incredibly regrettable words that ended up being run in The Invader, she wanted to run, but Sonny wanted to help her just because they’re friends. To be honest, she thinks it’s a convenient excuse for him to be able to back Brook because he really cares about her. Maxie says she appreciates Natalia’s candor, and Natalia says she’s spent some time going over the books and one thing is abundantly clear. Maxie is the beating heart of the company, the one constant that keeps this business going. She has no interest in challenging that. She’s here to help support Maxie and thank Sonny by giving him a good return on his investment. She looks forward to working with Maxie. Maxie smiles.

Michael says he’s glad they came to Jonah’s grave, and Willow says she feels terrible for Molly and TJ, but Kristina’s speech was touching. The little details rushed back and how she felt, even though she was giving Jonah up for adoption. It’s hard loving someone you know you can’t have. Michael says he understands because of the time he believed Wiley was Jonah, but now they have two healthy happy kids. Maybe Jonah brought them together. Willow leans on him, and he says, she can share anything with him. Her memories, fears, ideas, whatever it is, good or bad. They’re in this together. Willow looks troubled and says she wants Michael to know something… Jonah liked Mozart.  

Each person places a pink rose on the grave, and TJ puts a teddy bear that says for a special boy with them. He says, daddy loves you, and Molly says, mommy loves you too. She hugs Ric, and Kristina puts her rose last. She says, I love you my sweet Adela, and Molly says, what did you just call my daughter?

Haven answers a call from Myrna in Indiana, and Myrna says, she’s been using Deception for years and she’s been watching Home & Heart for even longer. She has some advice for Lois. Lose the accent. She had to mute her television. If Deception wants to sell their product, they need a spokeswoman who can speak properly. (I wonder if it’s Lucy on the phone.)

Kristina says she had to call the baby something, and TJ and Molly just named her this morning. Molly says, Kristina didn’t. It was her baby, and Kristina says, the baby was a part of her and she was part of the baby. She knows Molly can’t know what it feels like… Molly says she knows she’ll never feel what it’s like to carry a child, but she refuses to watch Kristina’s grieving Madonna act for the rest of her life. Kristina says she’s not playing anything. She’s devested. Molly says she hopes so. Kristina is the reason the baby is dead.

Ava tells John and Sonny, let’s keep a cool head. There’s expensive artwork to consider. John calls another agent to come in, and she introduces herself as Linda Boyle. John says he’s sure she recognizes Sonny and tells her to take Ava to the car. He’s bringing her into protective custody. Sonny tells Ava, don’t do it. She knows he’s right. Ava asks if John is sure this is necessary, and John says, trust him, it is. She goes with Agent Boyle, and John tells Sonny that he’ll take it from here, and follows them.

Kristina asks how Molly can say that, and Molly says, it’s true. Kristina never should have gone to that hotel room. Kristina says she had to talk to Ava. Ava was making her testify against her own father. Molly says, she had a choice. To protect her unborn child or her criminal father, but Kristina says, it’s not like that. Molly says, it’s exactly like that. In order to protect her father, Kristina sacrificed her baby’s life.  

Tomorrow, Lois says she needs Brook to be honest; Jordan tells Curtis that Kristina and Alexis were planning on stealing her son’s child; and when Maxie asks Dante what he’s doing here, he says, it’s Lulu.

🪞 Life Imitating Soap…

First a MetroCourt beach towel. Next, the Deceptor

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/ghs-deception-beauty-products-are-real-and-on-sale

🕵🏻‍♀️ Follow the Port Charles Road…

I’ve always wondered if the writers have one of those big bulletin boards like detectives do, with strings going all over the place.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/general-hospital-cast-list

🍊 Orange Is the New Blackmail…

Every week, I watch this again, and every week, I wonder why, since it just aggravates me. While there are some close seconds, the most aggravating thing is the return of Alexis. I barely remember her from the seasons she was on previously, although I remember Tamra picking on her ad nauseum and feeling badly for her, as well as her husband being no prize. This time around, she’s making up for it, coming fast and hard for Shannon from the jump. It’s no secret that I’m not a Shannon fan, but this is bordering on harassment. She keeps talking about how Shannon is doing Johnny J. wrong, but other than fighting the lawsuit, there’s no clarification as to what it is she’s doing. Yet Alexis is doing plenty and threatening more, kicking someone who is clearly down. Not exactly the Christian she claims to be.

Tamra follows closely behind, saying she’s coming from a place of love, yet her words about Shannon’s drinking are nothing but loving. Tough love doesn’t mean badgering and cruel words. I, too, think Shannon has a drinking problem. I’m not saying she’s an alcoholic – only Shannon can make that judgement – but her drinking has definitely been problematic. So has Tamra’s, but one thing Tamra is right about is that she hasn’t drove her car into a house. Shannon’s problem with alcohol mirrors her problems in general. She can’t seem to take responsibility for anything. Her issues are always because of someone else. That being said, apparently, Tamra is unaware that hassling a supposed alcoholic does nothing to lead them to help. She needs to put her time where her mouth is and attend a few Al-Anon meetings if she’s that concerned.

As for the videos Alexis is hanging over Shannon’s head, while Alexis has remained not at liberty to disclose their content, Katie claimed that Shannon had nearly run over Johnny J.’s daughter while drunk. Yeah, that’s bad, but why is he hanging onto this as a blackmail item? Hasn’t it been a while now? Shannon may have done something more than stupid in a blackout, but extortion is never a good look, and Johnny J. is looking more rotten by the minute, while he hides behind the jugs of Alexis.

If someone even has to ask why it’s wrong, there’s something wrong with them. Again, I’m no fan of Shannon’s, but I’m not liking what Alexis and Johnny J. are doing one bit. And maybe he should pay for her facelift since he took quite a few years away from her.

🩰 New Level Of Cringe…

Is she trying to top Abby Lee’s talent for being insensitive? Or is she that out of touch with human emotion? Even worse is the how the viewers didn’t even get the connection.

https://ew.com/dance-moms-a-new-era-disturbed-viewers-with-a-jonbenet-ramsey-routine-8699661

🌌 While We’re On the Subject…

The Dark Side series is excellent, and I can’t wait to see this one.

https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/dark-side-reality-tv-trailer-174927225.html

While I was looking for that, I came across this related article.

https://www.cracked.com/image-pictofact-7747-29-reality-tv-shows-with-very-dark-downsides

⚰️ A Different Walk…

This sounds intriguing. One of the reasons I love zombie films/shows is because they’re never really about zombies. The zombies are nearly always an allegory for something else, and ultimately, they’re about us being our own worst enemy.

https://www.cbr.com/walking-dead-fans-will-love-handling-of-the-undead/

🎬 Posh, Becks, and Gordon Ride Again…

I’m very much looking forward to checking both of these out. I loved Victoria’s other reality shows and there’s no one more real than Gordon.

I’ve yet to see this one, but it’s on my short list.

https://ew.com/david-beckham-says-making-docuseries-helped-him-forgive-himself-8699550

🦸 Deadpool’s Softer Side…

Sad, but sweet.

https://ew.com/ryan-reynolds-explains-deadpool-and-wolverine-tribute-to-rob-delaney-s-late-son-8697791

🐶 Best In Rescue…

You can vote daily from August 21 to September 20.

https://people.com/worlds-cutest-rescue-dog-contest-2024-8661021

Mine isn’t entered because it wouldn’t be fair to the other contestants.

El Wray the Rescue Chi

🎣 Keeping It Reel…

Join me tomorrow for the usual soap and Friday mixed bag. Until then, stay safe, stay using what you’ve learned to help others going through similar struggles, and stay never making fun of someone’s accent. Our different dialects are what make us cool.

August 21, 2024 – Anna Gives Jason a Warning, LA Millions, Smallest Violin Playing, Miami Adoption, Marvel-ous, They’re Tripping, Bravocoaster, Imploding, Furbabies With Fans & Love

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

On the phone, Alexis says she’s sure they’ll handle it. They’re resourceful. Just see that they get here. They’re needed here for once. She asks if Kristina got enough sleep, and Kristina says, every time she sleeps, she wakes up at GH and her daughter is gone. Then when she wakes up, she’s in the nightmare where Ava is blaming her for everything.

In the interrogation room, Ava says, Kristina came at her and she grabbed Kristina’s arm to fend her off. There was nothing she could do. Kristina wanted one thing. Anna says, that being, to kill Ava, and Ava says, she screamed it over and over – I’ll kill you! John stands nearby with a smug look on his face that I’d like to smack off.

TJ puts his arms around Molly, and she wonders how they do this. How do they bury their daughter? He says, together.

Josslyn walks into the gallery, and Trina tells her that Ava’s not here. Josslyn says, if there’s any justice, Ava won’t be here again and will be behind bars.

Anna says she’s been over the transcript from Ava’s original interview and not once did she mention Kristina threatened to kill her. Ava says she was in shock. Her memory was a mess. She forgot. Anna says, and she only just remembered? and John says, it happens, and Anna knows that. Anna asks if Ava is now his client since he seems to be speaking for her, and John says, she’s a witness in an ongoing RICO investigation for a crime boss who seems to operate freely under Anna’s nose. Anna asks if Ava’s official counsel agreed to that, and Ava says, if Anna can find Scotty, she can ask him. Anna asks where Scotty is, and John says, ask Jason.

Jason says, Clement shas been safely relocated to Sonny’s island. He’s under Sonny’s protection and off Cates’s radar. Now they’ve got to find Valentin. Sonny says, they just have to use the right bait and he’ll come like a dog. Jason says, what bait? and Sonny says, not what, who. Anna.

Molly tells TJ that the family is on their way early. Is it possible to want something and dread it at the same time? TJ says, his mom is strong and steady, and he needs her now. She’ll hug him, and her just being here will make him feel better, but he can’t stand to look in her eyes today. Molly says, today, it’ll be in all their faces, and TJ says, if they can’t hide the pain, that means it will be big and heavy and crush him. She says her too. Is there anything they can do to make it bearable? TJ says he can’t think of anything, and Molly says she thinks it will help if they stop thinking about the baby as our baby. He asks what she means, and she says, he tried to tell her, and he was right. Their baby deserves a name and it’s time to give her one.

Alexis tells Kristina that the funeral is today. They’re going to come together as a family. Kristina wonders if TJ and Molly would still consider her family if they knew what she was going to do. She was going to keep her baby girl had she lived.  

Sonny says, Valentin has zero motivation to show his face, and Jason asks if Anna is the right button to push. What about Nina? Sonny says, only Anna and his daughter, and he’s not using a child. Jason says, he’s assuming Valentin still cares about Anna, and Sonny says, if Valentin thought Anna was in trouble, he’d come running. Jason says he doesn’t like it.

Anna wonders why she should ask Jason about Scotty, and John says, Scotty never showed up for their meeting. He checked with Scotty’s doorman, and he didn’t come home last night. Anna says, some of Scotty’s favorite activities happen after the streetlights come on, and only after 24 hours does he consider himself late. Did they reach out to Lucy Coe? He might be there. Ava says, or he might be six feet under, and John says, the last time Scotty called, he said he had a run in with Jason. Anna asks if he’s suggesting Jason killed him, and John says he’s suggesting Scotty’s not here, hasn’t been in touch, and the last one to speak with him was Jason. He’d be happy to investigate if he didn’t think he’d be stepping on the PCPD’s toes. Anna asks if Scotty is another surprise witness, but John says, not at this time. Anna says, then it falls in her jurisdiction. She’ll look forward to handling the situation. John says, keep him apprised, and she says she will, and she leaves. John says, Ava did great. Her words were perfect. She says, as he scripted them. Now she’s on the hook for falsifying a statement. He says, she’s in this to take Sonny down, and she asks if he thinks antagonizing the Commissioner is the way to do it. He says, if Anna is angry, she’s less likely to look for discrepancies in Ava’s statement. (Wow, He is stupid.) Ava says she imagines Sonny waiting for her, and John says, the only thing Sonny responds to is leverage, and he knows just where to get some.  

Josslyn asks if Trina thinks Ava will get away with it, but Trina says she doesn’t know. Ava has come out okay before. Josslyn says, she’s been accused of a baby’s death, and no one is surprised. So what if she pushed Kristina out a window? Trina says, she’s acting like Ava’s been tried and convicted, and Josslyn asks if Trina is buying Ava’s story that Kristina came after her. Trina says she believes Ava deserves her day in court same as everybody else. Apparently, Josslyn doesn’t agree and wants to ignore the court process. Josslyn tells Trina that she’s not saying that, and Trina says, Josslyn doesn’t want to say anything to offend her, but she doesn’t want Josslyn to censor herself. Josslyn says she despises Ava, and Trina asks, what’s the problem behind the problem? Josslyn says, you.

Kristina looks over the affidavit she was going to submit for custody and says, it’s worthless now, but Alexis says, it’s not meaningless. TJ and Molly need understanding as much as Kristina does. Her affidavit is unnecessary and will only hurt them. The last thing anyone needs is more hurt. They need to be kind to one another. Kristina says, that’s what she’s trying to do, and Alexis says, then forget about it. They never need to know what she intended to do.

There’s a knock at the door, and TJ lets Jordan, Marshall, Curtis, and Stella in. Jordan hugs Molly and asks how she’s doing, and Molly says, not so great. Jordan says, she’s not alone. They’re here for them both. They’ll get through this together. Stella says she hopes they’re not early, and TJ says, they expected it. They both say, early is on time, and Curtis says, sometimes it helps to take the time to get ready for well-wishers. Jordan asks what they can do, and TJ says, them being here is everything. Stella says, they’re always her for them, and Marshall says, between them, they have the love and strength to get them through. Jordan says, they know how to unite when things are hard, and Marshall says he’ll make coffee. They need something stronger than brown water. Curtis says his coffee is good, and everyone is like, um… Marshall goes to the kitchen, and Molly says she needs to do one small thing before the funeral. Curtis says he’ll go with her, but Molly says she thinks it’s better if she goes alone. She leaves, and Jordan says, something is wrong. One small thing?

Jason says, this could bring the PCPD and the FBI down on Sonny, and Sonny says he didn’t want trouble. Anna is the one who made him her enemy. There’s a knock at the door and Jason opens it to Anna.

Trina says, the problem is her? and Josslyn says she loves Trina and hates Ava. That will never change. Her problem is Trina sticking by Ava. Trina says she’d do that for anyone she considers a friend, and Josslyn asks how Ava’s friendship can compare to hers. Trina says, it’s different, and Josslyn says she knows they bonded over Spencer, and she doesn’t begrudge Trina that. Trina says she’s not stupid. She knows Ava’s done horrible things. Josslyn says, she still does. She’s never changed and hasn’t tried. Trina says, Josslyn doesn’t know that, and Josslyn says she knows what happened is more complicated that they could possibly know, but it wouldn’t have happened if Ava hadn’t provoked Kristina. Trina says, they weren’t there, and Josslyn asks, how many people does Ava have to hurt, how many people need to be hurt bad before Trina sees that Ava isn’t worthy of her friendship? Trina says, there are plenty of people in Josslyn’s life she’s looked the other way for. Give Ava a break. Ava walks in.

Anna tells Sonny that Ava was at the station amending her statement. She now claims Kristina attacked her and threatened to kill her. Sonny says, the lies are all Jagger’s, and Anna agrees. He happened to be at the station, and she feels like Ava was coerced, but she can’t prove it. Sonny says, Jagger couldn’t be a man and has to get to him through his daughter, and it’s on Anna. None of it would have happened if Valentin hadn’t messed with his medication right under Anna’s nose. Valentin made a deal with Pikeman and targeted him. Maybe he did it from Anna’s bed. Anna says, Sonny’s life choices are his responsibility, and he set this in motion when he put Karen on stage at the Paradise Lounge. (Remind me never to make a mistake in Port Charles. People will remember it for a million years.) Sonny says, she needs to go, and Anna says she’d like Jason to accompany her. She didn’t just come here to apprise Sonny of Ava’s statement. She has questions for Jason. Jason says, about what? and she says, Scotty’s disappearance, and they leave.

Molly goes to Alexis’s house, and Kristina says she’s early. Where’s TJ? Molly says, at home with the family, and Kristina asks if they’re fighting. Molly says, no. She wanted a moment alone with Kristina before the funeral. They’re naming the baby. Kristina says, without her?

TJ says he wants to tell them something. He and Molly have done a lot of talking about names. They made lot of lists. Some of the names were good, but not right. Stella says, it’s not as easy as you’d think to name a baby, and TJ says, this name needed to be perfect. The baby was the first of a new generation. They were afraid to pick the wrong one and got stuck. Then it got harder when she… when they lost her before they could meet her, but they couldn’t bury her without a name. Then Stella said something that made it clear. Stella says, he’ll have to be more specific, and he says, she was talking about her sister, her strength, composure, and light. It gave Molly the idea and he knew it was right. The name was staring them in the face all along when they look in Stella, Marshall, and Curtis’s eyes. It’s right there. Their baby is Irene. Irene Marie.

In the interrogation room, Anna asks, where’s Scotty? and Jason says he has no idea. She asks, when was the last time Jason saw him? and Jason says, here, after Ava was arrested. She says, Cates thinks Jason has seen him recently, and Jason says, Cates thinks a lot of things. Anna asks where he was last night, and Jason tells her that he’s not saying anything without his attorney. Anna says, Scotty appears to be a missing person, and it’s her duty to follow up, but Jason says he doesn’t buy Cates’s claim. She says, they had an understanding about Valentin, and he says, she had a request, and it wasn’t the first one. He did his best. He didn’t tell Sonny that she let Valentin go. That stays between them. But Sonny had a right to know about the medication, since this never would have happened if he hadn’t been off his meds. Anna says, ever since Jason has been back, he’s straddled two world’s – Sonny’s and hers. He can’t continue. He’ll have to choose.

Jordan says, it’s a lovely name. They’ll cherish it like they cherish TJ and Molly. Curtis says, they got it exactly right, and TJ says, if they want to talk about it… but Marshall says, don’t dare change it. Stella takes TJ’s hands and says, it’s a fine name. His grandmother would be honored. She’s going to check on the bagels. The delivery guy is probably circling the block. She leaves and cries in the hallway. Curtis follows her out and holds her as she sobs.  

Kristina says, they named the baby without her? and Molly says, it was time. They needed it for the birth certificate before they bury her. Kristina says, they should have talked to her, but Molly says, they’re the parents. It’s done. They named her Irene Marie after TJ’s grandmother. Kristina says, that’s not what she would have named her, and Alexis says, stop. Do not fight. Do not turn on each other, or it will cost them so much more. There’s a knock at the door, and when Alexis opens it, the biggest idiot in the world is there. That would be John.

Ava says, obviously, she arrived at an inopportune time, and Josslyn says, TJ and Molly are burying their baby. Ava tells Trina to go. She’ll take care of everything. Trina says she’ll get a Ride Share, and Josslyn says she’ll meet Trina there. Just so Ava knows, if it had been her and not Kristina in that hotel room, she wouldn’t have been the one who went through the window. She leaves, and Trina says she’s sorry, but Ava tells her, never apologize for someone else. She takes it Josslyn has given Trina and ultimatum – her or Josslyn – but Trina says, not yet. Is it true the FBI arrested Kristina for trying to kill her? Ava says, yes, and Trina says, when she came to see Ava in jail, she never said anything about Kristina wanting to kill her. Both stories can’t be true, so who is Ava lying to, her or the police?

Ava says, Trina should probably get going, and Trina asks if Ava lied to her. She needs to know. Ava says she’s not supposed to talk about her case, and Trina asks if she’s talking about the one where she’s the victim or the perpetrator. Josslyn stood here and said Ava wasn’t worthy of her friendship. Ava asks what Trina wants her to say, and Trina says, the truth. Ava says she doesn’t want to involve Trina. It’s dangerous. Trina says she fought Esme for her life and saw a man die in front of her. She’s not a child and Ava isn’t responsible for her. How can they be friends if Ava can’t be straight with her? Ava says, the truth is… She’s in trouble. The FBI is making her do things she’d rather not. The only way for her to stay alive is do what she’s told.

Alexis asks what the hell John is here for, and he says, Kristina. He’s taking her to the station. Alexis says, not today, and he says he has questions for her. Alexis says, what kind of questions? and he says, like what brought her to the hotel room. (Wasn’t that already answered?) Alexis says, it can wait. They’re burying the baby today. John says, because Kristina tried to murder his witness. The longer they drag this out, the less time they’ll have at the service. Alexis says, no one is going anywhere except him, and he says he’ll take them all in and their dead can be buried without any of them. (I know it’s a show, but in what world would an FBI agent acting like this be feasible?)

Stella says she didn’t want anyone to see her being a weak and pitiful mess, but Curtis says he doesn’t see that. He’s just glad he could be here for her. He can imagine what his mama would have said if he wasn’t. She would come down from heaven and read him the riot act. She says, that’s a talking to that she’d pull up a chair and pop some corn for. There’s only so much TJ and Molly can bear. He says, good thing TJ and Molly have them to help them carry on, and she says she’ll need him to keep an eye on her and shoo her out of the room if she gets shaky. He says he will if she promises to do the same for him.

Anna says, Jason has been given a second chance. He doesn’t need to go back to Sonny, and deep down, she doesn’t think he wants to. She sees him with Carly and the boys. She sees a life for him apart from Sonny. He says, she sees what she wants to, and he gets up. She says, he has that life at his fingertips, the way it would have been if Sonny hadn’t gotten his hooks in Jason when he was young and didn’t know better. He says, she knows it’s not that clear cut, and she says she knows it’s not clear why he’s taking orders from Sonny. It’s one thing when you’re young, damaged, and alone, but you can’t hide behind naiveté and misplaced loyalty. Jason asks when she learned better. After she became a double agent? After Faison? Or did it finally happen after Valentin. She’s demanding better from him, but she’s compromised herself again and anger. She’s doing it now.

Curtis brings the bagels in, and Stella says she’s so proud of TJ. She loves him so much. And so do their Irenes. She hugs him.

Alexis asks Molly to check her briefcase. The terms of Kristina’s release are in there. John’s limit to contact is clearly spelled out. He can’t just barge in. He has to make an appointment in advance, and they all have to agree on it. He says, that’s not his understanding, but she tells him, read it again. It’s interesting to her how little he understands for an FBI agent. (Agreed, and what I said before. I’m starting to question if he is one.) Take a walk, or she’ll call the judge and his supervisor at the DOJ, who will have his ass in a sling before his second cup of coffee. If he spent less time harassing her daughter and more time presenting his shred of a case… He says, he did. Ava made a sworn statement presenting her version of the case, and that’s all the case he needs to pursue Kristina. And he will. Alexis says, get out, and he leaves. She slams the door and hugs Kristina.

Ava says she answered Trina’s question and told her what she wanted to know, and they will never talk about this again. Trina thanks her, and Ava says, go to the funeral. Maybe she shouldn’t come back for a bit. Trina asks if Ava thinks it’s that easy to get rid of her, and Ava says she can’t bear anything happening to Trina. Trina says, it’s too late. It already happened to her. For better or worse. There’s nothing that can break their bond. She knows who Ava is. It was never a secret, but she’s seen that Ava can do good. And everyone else will see it if she stops John Cates from hurting Kristina. Ava says she’ll make this right somehow, and Trina says, somehow starts with telling the truth, but Ava says she can’t. Not yet. Trina says, time is running out, and she leaves.

Molly finds the affidavit and looks at it. Kristina asks if Cates is going to take her at the funeral, but Alexis says, no, he isn’t. If he tries, he’s going to run into the stark reality that is her. Nothing is more important for Alexis than protecting her.

Ava types on her laptop when she flashes back to Kristina saying she’s going to tell the truth about Ava, then going through the hotel window. She closes the laptop and gets her bag. Sonny walks in and says, going somewhere? She asks if he’s going to kill her.  

Anna says, it’s true. She’s compromised. Jason doesn’t have to be. He has the opportunity to get out. He says he appreciates the heads up. So are they done? With tears in her eyes, she says she and John have one thing in common. They swore an oath to protect and serve. John’s methods will never be hers, but she is going to take Sonny down. She only hopes Jason’s not standing next to him when she does. Jason nods and leaves.  

Sonny says, after what Ava did to his daughter and her daughter? She let Cates come after Kristina and use her to get to him. She deserves to die, and his face should be the last thing she sees. He moves closer and says, but he’s not here to take her life. He’s here to save her life.

Tomorrow, Cody says he needs to tell James the truth about something; at the funeral, Kristina has something she’d like to say; Trina still has hope for Ava; and Sonny says, no matter where you run, you can’t hide

💰 This Week In Listings…

JoshA was on both sides of a listing for a 20,000 square foot house on an acre and a half. It was absolutely massive, but he said what made it desirable was also what worked against him. The size made it hard to visualize what it would look like finished – i.e. with furniture in it. So, while it was a pricey venture, he staged the house. He encouraged the seller to take $23.5 million instead of the $25 they’d insisted on, because something can happen on Planet Earth and the ripples in the financial world move. In other words, today’s $25 million can drop to $20 million tomorrow. What I love most about this show is the comradery between the cast members. They might act competitive, and probably are, but Tracy and JoshF singing I’ve Been Working on the Railroad while driving in a hot dog truck was everything. The best quote came from JoshF: A well-priced house in the Flats will sell faster than Ozempic at a Housewives Reunion. The best visual? A Yorkie wearing sunglasses.

🚷 Seems We’re At an Impasse…

If they want to stick with a Jersey group, maybe they should just scrap the area. I’d love for them to film where I live. I don’t want to be on it; I’m just nosey about my neighbors.

https://extratv.com/2024/08/16/andy-cohen-s-rhonj-update-no-moving-forward-with-this-group-exclusive/

🚂 Off the Rails…

Breaking it down.

First of all, this sounds like nothing but drunk dialing and talking nonsense. Secondly, while I’ve sometimes suspected Andy of being a closet heterosexual, no, just no. And if it were ever to be yes, it wouldn’t be Kate. Thirdly, he’s never acted like a boss and he’s always inappropriate. It’s part of his schtick charm. If this ordeal has taken its toll on Brandi, it’s because she’s once again making an a-hole of herself. She went too far, got the boot, tried to backpedal and make it someone else’s fault, and it didn’t go well. Didn’t like her then, like her even less now.

https://okmagazine.com/p/andy-cohen-brandi-glanville-kate-chastain-explicit-video-leaked/

Now, a desperate last-ditch effort and another failure to launch sympathy. Oddly enough, this is kind of funny and I wonder if Brandi would have played this card had a woman said the same thing.

https://okmagazine.com/p/brandi-glanville-andy-cohen-eddie-cibrian-manhood-size/

👩‍👩‍👦‍👦 It’s a Boys…

Aw. I know how much Julia wanted this and I’m sure they’re going to be great moms.

Their story.

https://people.com/all-about-martina-navratilova-and-julia-lemigova-marriage-8639538

🗽 Last Night’s Watching…

Pirate vibes! Scary Island 2.0! While this article was for the premiere on Peacock, this is being shown on Bravo now. Their personalities are pretty much the same. It just makes me miss the old cast more though. Even Ramona. She’s just so clueless.

https://people.com/bravocon-2023-rhony-ogs-are-back-in-rhugt-rhony-legacy-trailer-8387603

🔁 Which Way Did They Go…

So is the podcast with Jenn still on or will Jackie be One Jersey J?

So is Jax fired? Will Brittany be going to The Valley solo next season?

https://okmagazine.com/p/jax-taylor-fired-the-valley-after-entering-in-patient-mental-health-facility-debunked/

🧔🏽‍♀️ Next In Marvel…

This looks pretty good, but Deadpool & Wolverine might have ruined me for all others.

https://ew.com/kraven-the-hunter-goes-toe-to-toe-with-rhino-in-bloody-new-trailer-8695169

🦹 Three… Two… One…

Is Scorsese kidding? Superhero movies are practically the only cinema. I don’t want to pay movie theater prices to watch two people lowkey talk about relationships. I can wait and stream that.

https://ew.com/brian-cox-says-hollywood-is-imploding-because-of-marvel-dc-films-8697645

A random find that might make Cox’s credibility questionable. I, too, am a Spice Girls fan, but at least I own it.

https://ew.com/celebrity/brian-cox-closet-spice-girls-fan-sings-wannabe-carpool-karaoke/

🐩 More Followers Than You…

Pets with a presence.

https://www.revolt.tv/article/10-celebrity-pets-with-their-own-fan-bases

🪸 Beached You To It…

Make a return trip tomorrow for soap and idiOCy. Until then, stay safe, stay making the most of summer’s end, and stay never apologizing for someone else.

August 20, 2024 – Kristina Is Arraigned, Soap Bubbles, Sergio Wants a Baby, Salty Talk, VanderBail, Best R Ever, Zoo Babies & Afternoon

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Laura asks, what hell are you doing here? and Cyrus (didn’t see that coming) says, hell had nothing to do with it. Laura tells Lulu, mom is here. She’ll be right back. She and Cyrus go out into the hall, and Laura says, Lulu’s doctor called her. Why is he here? He says he hasn’t seen Laura in months and assumed she had her hands full with the baby, her mayoral duties, and Heather. He visits frequently, so he’s surprised he hasn’t run into her.

Ava leaves a voicemail for Scotty. She asks, where’s the pharmacist? Is everything okay? She needs for him to call her back. She throws her phone as Nina walks in. Nina picks it up and says she thinks Ava dropped something.

Dante comes home, and Sam hugs him. She says she brought Scout home from her softball game. She was awesome. She’s upstairs and she’s sure she’ll tell Dante all about it. She’s headed over to her mom’s, since Kristina is there. Is he okay to stay and watch the kids? He says, the kids aren’t a problem, but Kristina isn’t at her mom’s.

Molly meets TJ at the hospital, and he says he heard about Kristina. He’s so sorry. She says, her mom is with Kristina, but she’s had no chance to talk to her. She did have time to be reprimanded by his mom. She used her authority as ADA to confront Ava in jail. Scotty complained to the DA’s office, and it landed on the Deputy Mayor’s desk. All she could think about was that her child was gone because of Ava. She could have been suspended or fired, but instead she got more than her share of professional courtesy and grace off the books. She doesn’t regret confronting Ava, but she’s sorry about so many other things. She hopes he can forgive her.

Alexis tells John that her emergency hearing should be granted soon, and John says, Kristina assaulted and threatened to kill a federal witness. She says, this is malicious prosecution and doesn’t serve him, which he’ll find out in court.

Sonny goes into the interrogation room, and Kristina asks why this is happening. He says he’s going to take care of everything.

Kristina tells Sonny that John claims she threatened Ava and tried to kill her, but that’s not what happened. Ava grabbed her. She only threatened to tell the court the truth about Ava on the witness stand. Sonny says he’ll tell her what’s going on. Is she up to hearing it? She says, yeah, and he says, he and Jagger go way back to a time when he did things he’s not proud of. That’s a weight that he’ll have to live with. The guilt is his weight, not hers. She says, his past doesn’t matter, but he says, Jagger has come back to settle the score. Jagger knows how much he loves her, and that’s why Jagger is targeting him.

Nina says, her life is in her phone, and hands Ava’s phone to her. Ava asks what she wants, and Nina says she managed to squeeze out half a page for the artist Ava is so excited about. Ava says, under other circumstances, she’d be thrilled, but she has bigger concerns. Her lawyer isn’t answering his phone. Nina says, Scotty isn’t always reliable, and Ava says she was arrested for murder and the FBI agent who was helping her clearly has his own agenda. Go ahead and say it. She has nobody to blame but herself. Nina says, it’s true she wanted to see what Ava had coming to her, but this is not what she had in mind. Ava says, Nina wanted to see her suffer. She got her wish.

Molly says she’s sorry she was hiding behind work and left TJ to handle everything, but he says, she’s grieving too, and he wasn’t always understanding. She says, it’s like living in a slow-motion nightmare. She’s living in one horrible moment when the next comes. Sonny and Kristina got off the elevator, and Kristina was ready to go home, when Agent Cates stormed in and arrested Kristina. He claims Ava is a witness in a RICO violations case, and Kristina assaulted her. He says, that doesn’t sound right, and she says, their mom went into lawyer mode, but now she’s starting to wonder if she shouldn’t have defended Kristina.

Laura asks if the doctor has been in there, and Cyrus says, no one’s been in there since he got here. She asks how often he visits Lulu, and he says he tries to be here two or three times a week. He reads the Bible to her. He’s her uncle, and he hopes it brings her a little comfort. Laura asks why he didn’t tell her, and he says he knows she’s got a lot going on, so he thought he’d help. He sees now that he should have cleared it with her, and he apologizes. If it causes her distress, he’ll stop. She says she appreciates his intentions. She’s worried about Lulu. He asks, why? and she says, the doctor asked to see her. She said something’s not right with Lulu’s tests, and there was an urgency about it. He asks if she’d like him to pray with her, and she says, her only prayer is that if her daughter needs help, she has the strength to give it to her.

Alexis tells Kristina that she got the emergency hearing, and Kristina wants to know how this happened. Alexis says, it’s a desperate miscalculation by a desperate man, and it’s going to blow back on Cates big time. She’ll be in the courtroom and meet Kristina outside. She leaves, and Sonny says, they’ve got this. Don’t worry. He leaves, and Kristina says, it isn’t her fault. Ava grabbed her. She flashes back and says, Ava grabbed me.

Doc asks if Lulu is okay, and Laura says she only saw Lulu for a moment. Cyrus was there. Cyrus says he’s only seen the nurse since he’s been here, and Laura says, apparently, Cyrus visits Lulu regularly. Cyrus says, among other patients, and Doc says, ministering, he supposes. The doctor joins them and says she’s run some tests and is waiting for the results. She’ll see if the lab can put a rush on them. She wants to have the most current information in hand before she updates Laura. Doc asks if she has any indication of what’s going on, and she says, when they get the results, they can decide on what course of action, if any, they want to go for. She leaves, and Cyrus says he doesn’t wish to intrude. He’ll pray for them both. He leaves, and Doc asks if Laura is okay with Cyrus visiting. She says she doesn’t know. She can’t think about anything but Lulu.

Nina asks why an FBI agent would concern himself with a custody case. It’s not something they usually take on. Ava says, he wanted information he could use against Sonny. She told him that she had nothing to give him, then Sonny showed up at her hotel suite. He was livid about the custody battle. Nina knows how he gets quiet and intense, and Cates stepped in. Nina says, Sonny can be intense, but she doesn’t believe he’d harm Ava, and Ava says, Sonny hates her and Cates was there for her like a hero. He said he’d help her with the custody battle, so she threw in with him. The only thing she cares about and that matters to her is Avery. Now she thinks she made a gigantic mistake.

Dante tells Sam about Kristina’s arrest, and Sam asks if Anna and her mom know. He says, her mom is all over it. Cates is saying Kristina went after Ava, who’s a witness in a RICO case against Sonny, and Sam says, unreal. He says, her mom is trying to get Kristina arraigned. He just got back from seeing Laura. She asks if the mayor is in on this too, but he says, something is going on with Lulu.

Molly says she showed Ava the autopsy photos. She wanted Ava to know what she’d done and live with the memory of the images. The autopsy photos upset and horrified Ava, but it didn’t make her feel any better and Ava didn’t confess. So what did she accomplish? She jeopardized her own career. She wanted to take action, and what she did, she did out of anger. She can see why Kristina would do the same thing. He asks if she thinks Kristina threatened to kill Ava. She says, Kristina wouldn’t mean it and wouldn’t physically attack her. He says, they have photos, and she says, a picture can tell a thousand lies. It’s how it’s interpreted. Maybe Ava was grabbing Kristina. Maybe she was fending Kristina off. He asks if she thinks that scenario is possible, and she says she doesn’t want to, but maybe Kristina’s actions are responsible for the death of their baby.

Alexis says, Sonny will say and do nothing, no matter how much Cates goads him. If he can’t do that, he has to leave. Sonny asks how she is. She hasn’t had a case in a while, and this is their daughter. He wants to know if she’s up for it. She asks if he’s doubting her. If she had any qualms, Diane would be here. When she sees Cates’s smug mug, she’ll be filled with righteous indignation and a strength she forgot she had. He says, that’s what he likes to hear. His presence here will present a problem for Cates, not him. Cates hates the fact he’s breathing, so he’s going to watch as she pokes holes in his bogus arrest. It’s going to drive him crazy.

The FBI lawyer shows up and tells John that he doesn’t feel comfortable about the case. It’s not clear cut. John tells him to make it clear. It’s part of an ongoing investigation involving Sonny. He needs Kristina to stay put until the trial. The lawyer says, got it, and they go into the courtroom. The bailiff says, all rise… Judge Sullivan presiding. Judge Judy The judge takes her seat and tells them, let’s get going. It’s late.

Dante says, the doctor wanted to see Laura because Lulu had a setback, and Sam says she’s sorry. Does Rocco know? Dante says he wanted to know more first. Lulu has been a prisoner in that bed so long, he hopes miracles happen, but he feels like the chances are slim. Sam’s phone rings, and she says, it’s Diane. She listens for a moment, then thanks Diane for calling. She tells Dante that the emergency hearing was granted. It’s starting now. He tells her to go and keep him posted. She says, let her know what happens with Lulu and if he needs anything, and he says, he needs to figure out what to try and say to Rocco. (I thought Laura told him to hold that thought.)

Ava tells Nina that she and Sonny had a falling out and he gave her the boot. The next thing she knows, they’re lining up character witnesses for family court. She got involved with Cates, but now she sees how obsessed he is with taking Sonny down. Nina asks if it won’t help Ava’s case, but Ava says she’s still facing criminal charges for Kristina’s fall. She can’t take care of Avery from behind bars. Nina thinks it’s not going to come to that, and asks, what happened? Ava says she swears it was an accident. She and Nina were friends before she blew it, and Nina knows whatever else she is, however selfish or bad she is, she’d never hurt a child.

TJ says, Molly’s not only one who saw Ava. He went to the gallery. She asks, why? and he says, for the same reason. He needs answers, and the two of them have been so far apart. She says she feels terrible, but he says, she’s dealing with the same loss, and he understands. What Ava suggested lines up with what Molly told him. He doesn’t think Kristina is blameless. She says, Kristina made the choice to go see Ava. If she hadn’t done that one thing, their child would be alive. (These two are idiots on a good day. If Kristina had gotten hit by a bus that went through a red light, I’ll bet Molly would say, she shouldn’t have been crossing the street.)

Alexis tells judge Sullivan that there’s no witness statement, no report, no video. Besides that, her client was just released from the hospital where she had an emergency C-section. It’s not only an unjust arrest, it’s jeopardizing her health and bordering on malicious prosecution. She asks that her client be released immediately. The judge asks where the evidence is to back up the charges, and the lawyer looks at John, who’s got nothing. He gets up and says, they have a report from a reliable citizen, but the FBI has a heavy workload and has yet to file a formal transcript. In light of this, he asks for a continuance. Judge Sullivan says, denied. This has been a colossal waste of everyone’s time. The defendant is released on her own recognizance, effective immediately. John jumps up and says, no. She’s making a mistake (I wait for her to say, you again?)

TJ says he loves Molly and he’s sorry, and she says she loves him too. She was too scared to handle her own grief and too heartbroken to handle his. He’s her best friend and partner and she let him down in every possible way. He says he accepts her apology and loves her so much, and they hug. She says, there’s so much to take care of, and he says, they’ll figure it out. They’ll go someplace quiet. Molly’s phone dings, and she says, it’s a friend from the courthouse. Kristina’s been granted emergency bail. TJ wonders why Alexis didn’t call, and Molly says, since she works in the DA’s office, they thought it was better if she kept her distance. He tells her, go see about her sister and don’t worry about anything else. They’ll figure it out together tomorrow. She leaves.

Laura tells Doc that when the doctor called and said it was about her daughter, she had a surge of hope that the doctor would say Lulu was awake and asking for her. It has happened so many times, a sort of irrational spark of joy, only to be followed up by a crash when she hears them say, there’s no change. This is worse than no change. She can tell by what the doctor isn’t saying. Lulu is getting worse.

Dante leaves a voicemail for Laura, saying, he’s checking in. He hears Rocco and says he didn’t know Rocco was downstairs. Rocco asks if there’s any truth to the rumor they’re getting pizza, and Dante says he ordered pizza, but he’s got to talk to Rocco about his mom.

Ava tells Nina that Kristina came to her suite. She was furious about the subpoena. Sonny attacked Dex and she saw the whole thing. Nina says, it must have been traumatic. She’s fond of Kristina and knows Sonny is protective of her. Ava says, Kristina was beyond. Kristina barged in, screaming at her. At some point she put her hand on Kristina, and Kristina jerked away. She stumbled and tripped on some luggage, then crashed through the window. It happened so fast. She had nothing to do with it. It was an accident. Nina says, Kristina lost the baby and nearly died, and Ava says, it was tragic and horrible. Nina says, the luggage was just right there? Was Ava going somewhere? Ava says, Carly threw John out and she let him keep his bags in her room, since he was helping her with the custody fight. After Kristina fell, she supposes she was in shock. She didn’t know how to explain the bags of an FBI agent, so she did something stupid. She hid them. She put them in a closet, and of course (🍷) the cops found them. Nina says, Ava altered a crime scene and lied about what made Kristina fall. Of course (🍷) they’ll wonder why Ava would lie if it was an accident. Ava says, but it was. She didn’t push Kristina. Nina has to believe her.

John says, as soon as the defendant leaves the courtroom, her father will have her on a plane to a country with no extradition treaty. Judge Sullivan says, the only reason John hasn’t been cited for contempt is because of his FBI badge. He has 48 hours to get his case together, including documents that show Ava is listed as a witness in a RICO case, or he’ll be the one in a cell. (Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! John’s face.) The bailiff says, all rise, and the judge leaves. John asks the lawyer, what the hell was that? and he says, it was a lousy case, and they got treated accordingly. John better get it together and his evidence had better be bulletproof or he’ll have John’s badge, and John will be sitting in a cell. John glares Sonny on his way out, and Sonny asks Alexis, how’d I do? Alexis smiles and Sonny winks at Kristina. (Our Sonny is back.)

Ava says she sees Nina isn’t convinced, and Nina says she believes a lot of it. It was a confusing situation and probably happened fast. Ava says, Kristina fell, but everybody assumes she pushed her, and Nina says, life isn’t fun when your credibility is shot. She knows about that. When you meddle with people in a life changing way, nobody gives you the benefit of the doubt, especially when you need it most. She hopes Ava gets out of it. She’s a good mom. Let her know about the magazine space, and if she sees Scotty, she’ll tell him to call Ava. She walks out, and while she’s looking in her bag in the hallway, Ava says she’s sorry. Nina says, her too, and leaves with tears in her eyes.

Laura says she wishes she had an update for Dante. Thank God that Doc is here. He says, waiting is excruciating, but he appreciates that Lulu’s doctor is so thorough. Laura says, hearing no change would be good news today. She can’t bear thought of Lulu living out her life like this, so she has hope. He says, it’s okay to be hopeful, and she says she needs to be strong for Lulu. She cries and he holds her. He says, hang onto that and hang onto him.

Sam sees Molly at the courthouse, and says, mom was on fire and Sonny kept his composure, and Molly says she’s not surprised about mom. Sam says, what Molly missed was Cates’s meltdown, and Molly says she’s had the misfortune of dealing with him. He waves his badge around like it’s proof he walks on water. What evidence did he have? Sam says, nothing, and the judge told him he has 48 hours to get it or he’ll be brought up on charges. Finally, justice in action. Kristina gets to go home and heal. Molly says, she still has the charges hanging over her head, but Sam says she believes they’ll be dropped. Cates has nothing even resembling evidence. It’s just a way to get at Sonny.  

Dante says he’s sorry Rocco’s grandma can’t be here for their video game rematch, and Rocco says he thought that’s why they were having pizza. Dante says he went to see Rocco’s mom, and Rocco says he likes visiting. It’s quiet and peaceful and mom knows he’s there. He tells her stupid stuff that happened in school and reads her horoscope from The Invader. He remembers she used to read that. Dante says he wants to talk to Rocco’s grandma. The doctors ran some tests and got the results, but he doesn’t know more than that until he speaks to Laura. He asks if Rocco is okay, and Rocco nods. He says he has pictures of mom, so he’ll never forget what she looks like. There’s footage and recordings, but her voice never sounds right, like her. He’s afraid he’s going to forget what her real voice sounds like.

John goes to the gallery and tells Ava that Alexis was granted an emergency bail hearing. The judge practically walked Kristina and Sonny out of the courtroom. Ava says, Kristina was arrested? and John says, after they went over her story – how Kristina was the aggressor, came to her suite uninvited, forced her way in, and threatened Ava – the next logical step was to file charges. Ava asks if he’s talked to Scotty, and he asks, why? She says she hasn’t heard a peep from him all day, and something tells her that she’s going to need her lawyer. He says, Scotty is obviously busy, but she doesn’t need him. He’s the only hope she has left. (I think the only hope she has left is coming clean.)

Kristina thanks Alexis, and Alexis says she gives credit to Kristina’s father. He behaved no matter how much Cates goaded him. Sonny says he’d do anything for his daughter, even listening to the rants of an FBI agent. Kristina says she didn’t think she’d be back in this house again, and Alexis says, they both love and adore her. Sonny says, they’ll always protect her.  

On the phone, Nina says that someone owes her a favor and she’s ready to collect.

Rocco says he believes if his mom wakes up and says one word, it will all come back, and Dante says, that’s a good way to look at it. Rocco says, as long as she’s alive, it can change. They can’t give up hope that she could wake up tomorrow or next week. She’s hanging in so they need to. When the day comes and she opens her eyes, he hopes he’s sitting there and he’s the first thing she sees. He wishes it could be soon. He misses her. Dante says he misses her too.

Sam says she thinks it’s absurd. Kristina just lost the baby and could have died. She should be home grieving and taking care of herself, instead of winding up in a courtroom… She’s so sorry. Why wasn’t Molly here? Molly says, her office was concerned about a conflict of interest, and Sam asks if she wouldn’t have heard. Molly says she was caught up in something with TJ. They have to plan the baby’s funeral. Sam hugs her and says she’s sorry.  

John says, they have to rehearse Ava’s story for the record on file, but she says she’s given her statement. He says, give it again, but this time, she’s going to say what he tells her to say and do it how he wants it. She says, it’s been a long day. She’s going to close up and head back to her hotel. They can start tomorrow. He says, the judge gave him 48 hours. He’s not losing his badge or Sonny’s case over this. Let’s get started. They’re going to work on her statement until it’s perfect.

The doctor apologizes for the wait and tells Laura that they did a test on Lulu’s liver, and it’s been compromised. If they continue on this trajectory, her liver will fail. Laura asks if the doctor is telling her that her daughter is going to die.

Tomorrow, Alexis says, TJ never needs to know what Kristina intended to do; John tells Ava that the only thing Sonny responds to is leverage; and Anna tells someone that they have to choose.

🧼 All the Soap News Fit To Print…

I’m thrilled that Brad is back, but bummed that Britt is no longer around to cause trouble with him.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/parry-shen-celebrates-his-return-to-general-hospital

In case you don’t know him.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/abc/general-hospital-brad-cooper-parry-shen-171676

Background on Lulu, much of which I don’t remember. On the show, it sounds like she’s going to die, but there was that Soaps In Depth article that said they’re recasting, so who knows? Whenever they change writers, it’s a surprise a minute.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/abc/general-hospital-lulu-spencer-falconeri-169139

Still pretty incensed about this.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/jacqueline-grace-lopez-shares-a-special-message-with-fans

Do you think he really says things like, holy heck?

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/nicholas-chavezs-netflix-series-gets-a-premiere-date

🐪 A Camel Walks Into Dubai…

In one of the creepiest moments in Housewives history, Sara revealed that her housekeeper had been plotting to kidnap her young son. She was also sharing his picture with various creepers, who responded with how cute he was, which is pretty f***ed up. To add insult to injury, when Sara told her to start packing, she packed some of Sara’s things as well. Thankfully, she’s now in jail. A thousand showers can’t wipe that away.

Sergio wanted to have a baby with Stanbury, and it sounded like it might be a deal breaker. If I were her, I’d have that baby lickity-split, since a puppy at her heels he might be, but he’s also a real find who adores her and who’s actually thoughtful. For her birthday, he took her on a private yacht cruise and had a cake made that looked like their new house. I love stuff like that. I mean the cake, but the yacht is good too. They finally have the leeway to use a surrogate, and money is no object as far as a nanny or anything else goes, so why not? She said it would be life changing, but not so much when you have a life like theirs. It’s not like he’ll have to take a second job.

Stanbury and Lesa had lunch, and Lesa did one of those things I hate that many of the Housewives do – play the family card. You know, what you said effects my family. Well, if people don’t get that you’re on a reality show and nonsense is going to be said about you, maybe you need a new address book. It just seems way overused. Fancy Pants Heather made the same claim just last week on RHOC. It’s just doubtful anyone cares about secondhand hearsay from a co-star.

And the rest…

🧂 Pass the Salt…

Coming September 18th.

In case you need an explanation.

https://ew.com/real-housewives-salt-lake-city-season-5-trailer-explained-8697919

🍸 Adding Bail Bondsman To Resumé…

That’s a lot of weed. How stupid is he to be carting that to another country?

🦸 You’re Welcome, Canada…

Movin’ on up.

https://ew.com/deadpool-and-wolverine-beats-joker-highest-grossing-r-rated-movie-of-all-time-8696677

🦥 New At the Zoo…

It doesn’t get much more adorable.

https://people.com/atlanta-zoo-excited-about-birth-of-baby-two-toed-sloth-8697807

🐼 No surprise, Ying Ying looks exhausted.

https://people.com/giant-panda-hong-kong-gives-birth-twins-worlds-oldest-first-time-panda-mom-8696512

🦩 The times, they are a-changin’.

https://people.com/same-sex-chilean-flamingo-couple-hatch-and-care-for-chick-8696536

🌊 Good Tides, High Vibes…

Join me tomorrow for soap and what’s being listed in LA. Until then, stay safe, stay speaking about others as though they were standing next to you, and stay never throwing in with an FBI agent who has their own agenda.

August 19, 2024 – John Arrests Kristina For Attempted Murder, Starboard Cabin Leak On Deck, Charged, Our Talk Daddy & Island

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Cody tells Sasha that he knows it’s a big step for her and doesn’t want to mess it up. She tells him to stop talking, and they get busy.

Brad (yay!) thanks Terry for seeing him, and she asks if his concern is a medical issue. He says, no, and she asks what she can do for him. He says he was checking the GH job website and noticed an opening for a lab tech. He realizes it’s an entry level position, but he’d like to apply. She asks, what’s stopping him? and he says his history with GH. She asks if he’s referring to his extremely checkered past as an employee of this hospital. Does he think it’s worth his time applying? He says he knows it’s a long shot… unless the Co-Chief of Staff goes to bat for him.

Jason looks for Anna at the station.

Laura tells Anna that it was the long-term care facility on the phone. The doctor wants to see her, so she needs to go. Anna asks if there’s anything she can do, and Laura says, yes. Step up the search for Valentin. Charlotte may need to see her mother. She hopes to God it’s not the last time.

John tells Kristina that she’s under arrest, and Alexis asks, for what? He says that’s between him, the perp, and the FBI, and Sonny says, John wants to come after him, but can’t do it like a man, so he’s going to harass his daughter. John says, even if that were true – and he’s not saying it is – there’s nothing Sonny can do about it.

Tracy brings Violet to the stables. They’re both dressed in riding outfits, and Violet says she loves her new costume. Tracy says, she looks wonderful, and Violet asks if she looks elegant. Tracy says, exceptionally, but the outfits are about more than looking good. There’s also safety and comfort. She tells Violet to pay close attention to Cody when he saddles her horse. Everybody should be able to saddle their own horse. She wonders where Cody is, and Violet says, maybe he’s hiding. Tracy suggests they find him.  

Laura asks Jordan to cover for her at the breakfast meeting on waterfront planning. Lulu has had a setback with her health, and she may need to rely on Jordan more than usual. Jordan says, that’s what she’s here for. She hopes everything is all right. Laura says her too.

The desk sergeant tells Jason that Anna’s not in her office and asks if he can take a message, but Jason says he’ll wait. He sits with Dante, and they discuss Danny’s upcoming baseball game. Dante’s phone rings, and he says he’ll be right there.

John asks if Sonny is feeling powerless, but Sonny says, against John? Not a chance. John says he’s got the FBI behind him. What’s Sonny got? Sonny says he’d be happy to show it to John, and John says, bring it. Alexis tells Sonny, stop it, and Sonny says he’s going to make a phone call. He leaves, and John tells the officer to cuff Kristina, but Alexis says, not until he tells her what the charges are. John says, Kristina is an adult. He doesn’t have to answer to her parent. Alexis says she’s not here as Kristina’s mother, but as her lawyer, and John (who is eternally out of every loop) says, she lost her license. She says, he needs to catch up. She got her license back. Molly says, it’s a judicial review process, not unlike the one he’ll be facing at the DOJ. John tells Kristina that she’s being arrested for the assault and attempted murder of Ava Jerome.

Anna comes into the station and Jason says he was waiting for her. She tells him to follow her.

Dante goes to see Laura, who says she’s sorry she didn’t call herself. Dante says he hopes she’s not too busy for dinner tonight. Rocco has reached level 20 in Fortune Quest and wants to tell her all about it. She says she has to go to Silver Water. Something’s not right with Lulu.

On the phone, Sonny says he doesn’t care if she’s in court or what client she has, he needs to speak to her. (I assume it’s Diane.)

Molly says, that’s ridiculous, and John says, the victim would disagree. Kristina says, Ava Jerome is nobody’s victim, and John says, only because Kristina didn’t succeed. Alexis tells Kristina not to say another word and asks John when this alleged assault took place. John says, the attacked happened on August 1st at 10:30 am, and Alexis says, the altercation when Kristina fell three stories and Ava walked away without a hair out of place? but John says he’s not litigating this at the hospital. Molly says, he doesn’t have a law license, and won’t be litigating anything, and he says he’s here to take the perp to the PCPD. Kristina says, Ava attacked her, nearly killed her, and did kill her baby, and Molly says, his claim is shaky at best and John can’t arrest Kristina. This is out of his jurisdiction. He says he’s a federal agent. The whole country is his jurisdiction. She says, this is local matter to be handled by the PCPD and the Port Charles DA’s office, and he says, where she works, but she says she won’t be on the case. He says, Kristina made a criminal threat against a material witness in an ongoing FBI investigation. Which means it’s absolutely within his jurisdiction.  

Tracy tells Violet, Cody’s not out back or in the stable. She knows she told him they were going riding. Where could he be? Violet says, Cody lives upstairs. Maybe he’s up there. Tracy says, there’s only one way to find out, walks up the stairs, and calls to Cody. Cody and Sasha stop what they’re doing, and Cody says, maybe if they’re quiet, she’ll go away. Sasha says, it’s Tracy, and he says, touché. She hopes he locked the door, and he calls that he’ll be be right down. Just give him a minute. He tells Sasha that he’s sorry.

John says, Kristina got a subpoena from Ava’s lawyer to testify against her father and went to Ava’s hotel suite to confront her. She threatened to kill Ava if she was forced to testify. Kristina says, that’s not what happened, and John says, when Ava wasn’t intimidated, Kristina flew into a rage and attacked Ava. During the struggle was when Kristina crashed through the window. Kristina says, that’s not true, and John tells her, that’s what Ava says, and thanks to the photos she provided, the evidence shows Kristina assaulting Ava. Alexis says, the photos show Ava had hands on Kristina, and John says, she was defending herself. Alexis says, Ava was sending Kristina off balance and crashing out the window, but John says, that’s for the court to decide. He tells Kristina, get up, but Alexis says, don’t move. This is abuse and harassment. It’s a threat to Kristina’s physical health and to John’s employment. He says, she’s being discharged, and Alexis says, to go home to a clean bed. He’s not about to drag off Kristina to a dirty cell. Sonny says, she’s in a wheelchair, and Alexis says, if he insists on this, she’ll call the ACLU, the DOJ, the FBI, and the local press. John says, fine. Bring the wheelchair. Alexis tells Kristina not to do or say anything. She’ll be right behind them. She tells Molly that she can’t come, or it will risk favoritism. Sonny promises to fix this, and the officer gives Kristina her rights. Alexis says, she’ll keep them posted, and follows Kristina, John, and the officer out of the hospital.

Dante asks if Laura wants him to come, but she says, Doc is going to meet her there. He wonders if he should tell Rocco, but she says, not yet. She wants to talk to the doctor first. She’s hoping it’s a false alarm. She’s hoping Lulu will be better and this will just be a surprise visit. She’ll call as soon as she knows anything. Dante thanks her for keeping him in the loop, and she says, of course (🍷). He’s family and always will be… What’s wrong? He says he knows he and Lulu weren’t together when it happened, but he’ll always love her. Laura says she knows and takes his hand.

Molly meets Jordan at an outside table, and Jordan says she appreciates Molly coming here. Molly asks if Jordan is here as her mother-in-law or the Deputy Mayor, and Jordan says, a little of both. Kristina tells her that Agent Cates arrested Kristina, and she doesn’t mean to rush Jordan… Jordan says, they need to take some time. She wants to make sure Molly really hears her. Molly says, about what? and Jordan asks, what on earth possessed her to go see Ava in jail?  

Terry says, Brad altered Finn’s drug screening, and faked lab results that said Britt was pregnant with Patrick Drake’s child. Brad says, she was pregnant, and Terry says, after he helped her steal Lulu’s embryo. She brings out his folder, and he says, for the record, he did nothing to implant the embryo, but she says, he gets no points for that. He also helped Nelle pass off her child as his and Lucas’s. He says his child died and Lucas hadn’t even met him yet. All he was doing was watching their new baby and the baby just died. She says she can’t imagine what he was going through, but it’s no excuse for what he did. He says he made a monumentally bad call that cost him everything. He knows he hurt people, but he also believes he’s been punished enough. Terry asks if he expects her to trust him, and he says, Britt did. Before she died… before she was murdered by Heather Webber, she lobbied for him to get a job as a patient advocate. Terry says, she was a good friend, and he says, the best ever. Terry says, she was also a professional and committed to the good of the hospital. He says, she was, and she wouldn’t have lobbied for him if she didn’t trust him. She believed in second chances and got more than a few. She offered one to him, and she wasn’t able to follow through, but Terry can. Please give him one more chance. For Britt.

Cody comes downstairs and says he’s sorry. Tracy asks if he was sleeping on the job, but he says, definitely not sleeping. She asks if he forgot, and he says he did. She says, that’s never happened to her before. She’s been ignored, but never forgotten. She tells Violet, there’s a first time for everything, and Cody says he forgot in all the excitement. Tracy asks if he means James being missing, and Violet says, James is missing? Cody says, they found James, and Tracy says she thought he was the one who found James.  

At the station, Alexis asks where Kristina is, and John says, she’s being booked. Sonny says, John has gone too far, and John asks if that’s a threat. Alexis says, it’s a fact. This is a massive overreach of jurisdiction and an abuse of power. He says, tell it to the judge, and she says she’s going to tell his superior at the FBI about the supposed investigation. (Someone, please do that.) John asks if they think he’s making it up. The FBI has been investigating Sonny for decades. Alexis says she thinks the FBI is a lot less interested in Sonny than he is, and Sonny says, John is off the rails. He can’t wait to see John crash and burn. (Agreed.)

Anna asks, what’s on Jason’s mind? and Jason says, they talked about Sonny being a little off. His bipolar meds were tampered with. She says, Carly told her that, but he seems back on track. Jason says, he is, and she asks if they know who it was who tampered with the meds. He says, Valentin, and Valentin got away when he gave Anna time to warn him.

Cody asks if they want to get on the horses, but Violet says she forgot her hat. She runs into the other room and sees Sasha coming downstairs. Violet asks if she was taking a nap with Cody.

Brad tells Terry that no one ever accused him of being incompetent. Nothing he did wrong was self-serving. He was either blackmailed or coerced. Terry says, he’s no one’s innocent victim, and he says, one thing he never was, was innocent. He always brought on his own trouble, but that doesn’t change that he’s an expert lab technician and would be an asset to the hospital. She asks why he doesn’t apply to another lab. Why is it so important he work at GH? He says, for the same reason it was to Britt. It’s home.

Jordan says, they got a call from Scotty saying the DA’s office was harassing his client, but Molly says she wasn’t alone and brought an impartial witness with her. She never said she was a representative of the DA. Most importantly, Ava killed her daughter. Jordan says, it has yet to be proved. If Molly was there as a private citizen, why did she ask Dex to be her witness? She would have never even gotten in there if she didn’t work for the DA. Not only did she abuse her position, she compromised the case. Molly says she’s sorry. She wasn’t thinking. Jordan says she’s glad Molly understands. Molly asks why she isn’t hearing this from Robert, and Jordan says, he understands she was acting out of grief, and as a professional courtesy, he’s letting her handle it rather than give Molly an official reprimand. What she doesn’t understand is why Molly did this on the day TJ and her family needed her. She thought Molly needed them too. Molly says she does, and Jordan asks, why did she leave them to confront Ava? Molly says she was angry. She wanted justice for her daughter, bur doesn’t even know if prosecuting Ava will accomplish that. Jordan says, nothing will bring that beautiful baby back, and Molly says, don’t they deserve to know what happened? She’s starting think Kristina falling wasn’t Ava’s fault.  

Kristina comes out and asks where Molly is, and Alexis says she suggested Molly stay behind so it doesn’t look like there’s bias. Kristina says, Cates is biased. She almost died and her baby did die. Alexis asks if she’s in pain, and Kristina says, no, but she’s uncomfortable and wants to go home. Sonny says, he’ll have Frank pick up her medication, and Kristina says, this is a nightmare.  

John says, Kristina’s cell is ready, but Alexis says she’s going to find a way to make Kristina more comfortable. She goes to the desk, and Sonny tells Kristina that he doesn’t want her to worry. She’ll be home before she knows it.

Anna says, Jason thinks Valentin tampered with Sonny’s meds, and Jason says, yeah. Anna says, Carly thinks it’s Ava. She has no proof. She’s just going off of Ava’s history. She did the same thing to Morgan. Jason says, that’s what they thought, and Anna says she’s trying to make sense of it. Jason says he found the pharmacist that switched Sonny’s medication, and he said it was on Valentin’s orders. He filled Jason in on everything. Anna says she had no idea Valentin tampered with Sonny’s meds, and Jason says he knows. It’s not her style. She says, she appreciates that, for what it’s worth (🍷), and he says, for what it’s worth (🍷), he needs to know where Valentin is,  but she says she doesn’t know. He asks if she’s still protecting Valentin, and she says she knows she screwed up, but she swears she had no idea that Valentin tampered with Sonny’s meds. Jason asks if she’d tell him if she did, and she says she would. He says, that he believes, and she asks if Sonny knows. He says, not yet, and she says, Jason can’t tell him. he tells her to stop protecting Valentin, but she says, it’s not about him. She needs to find Charlotte.  

Violet wonders why people take naps when they don’t have to, and Cody says, we get old. We get tired. We take naps. Violet says, they’re not old. Tracy is old. Tracy coughs and says, it’s not polite to discuss age. Violet asks, why? and she says, those are the rules. Sasha says she’d better get back to the house, and Tracy suggests she take Violet to get some apples and carrots for the horses. Violet asks if she’s not supposed to watch Cody saddle them, but Tracy says, they’ll wait. Sasha says, if Violet feeds Buttercup apples and carrots, Buttercup will love her even more, and Violet says, sounds like a plan. They leave, and Cody says he’s sorry he made them wait. It won’t happen again. Tracy says, in the middle of the day? and Cody says he’s entitled to a break. Tracy says, there are children on the grounds, and Cody says, they were in his bedroom. She asks if Leo has never barged in unannounced, and he says he thinks that kid can travel through walls. She asks what he was thinking, and he says, it was a big afternoon. She says, because he returned James, but he says, not that part. It was huge, but it’s what happened after. Mac told James that he’s Mac’s son. He thinks Mac might have forgiven him.

Terry says, Brad can’t ask her to turn a blind eye on his misdeeds, and he asks if she turned a blind eye on Britt. She says, they didn’t like anything about each other, and Brad says, but by the time Britt invited Terry to her first and only birthday bash, they were more than co-workers. They were friends, right? Terry says, it was a great party. He and Britt sang the hell out of that duet. She remembers how excited she was for Britt to embark on a new life. He says, none of them knew that life was ending that same night. Britt died because she saved Josslyn. Terry asks if he thinks that will persuade Michael not to object, and he asks if she’s saying she’s going to try and help him work here. She says she can’t believe she’s going to say this, but she’ll do it.  

Dante says he heard from three different people that Cates arrested his sister, and Sonny says, he sure did. Dante tells John that his sister was just in the hospital, and John asks if that means she doesn’t need to face the consequences of her actions. Dante says, what actions? but John walks away. Sonny says, bogus charges. John is using Kristina to get to him. Bogus charges or not, it’s better than lockup. Kristina says, they know it’s not true, and Alexis says, it’s not even plausible. Kristina says, when she let Ava know that she’d tell everything about Connie and Morgan, that’s when Ava grabbed her. She didn’t attack Ava. Alexis says, she knows, and if she has to, she’ll prove it.

Molly says she doesn’t think Kristina would intentionally hurt Ava, and Ava has nothing to do with being a witness for the FBI. Jordan says, it’s painfully obvious, and dealing with Ava would set anyone off. Molly says she was there when Kristina received the subpoena, and Jordan asks, what was her initial reaction? Molly says, Kristina was adamant that she wouldn’t testify and went to ask Ava to withdraw the subpoena. Jordan says, maybe her actions were rash, but that hardly seems unhinged, and Molly says, Kristina has a temper, and she’s hated Ava ever since Morgan died. She can’t help but wonder what Kristina did when Ava refused.

Jason says, nothing is going to happen to Charlotte, and Anna says, while Jason was waiting for her, she was in with Laura. Lulu isn’t doing well, and Laura wants Charlotte back here to spend whatever time Lulu has left with her, but she has no idea where Charlotte is and needs to find Valentin. Jason says, he’s not keeping this from Sonny, but she says, if Sonny finds out, he’ll retaliate. He says, Sonny will have to find Valentin first, and she says she’s just asking him to hold off. It’s about Charlotte. She owes it to Charlotte. Charlotte almost died because of her. She should not be forced to watch her father die. Jason says he’s not telling her that’s not going to happen, but if it does, Charlotte won’t be anywhere near it. She says she’s asking for time to track them down and Jason sighs. He says, if this is about Charlotte, when Anna finds them, is she going to warn Valentin about Sonny? Anna says she won’t let a private citizen take the law into their own hands.

Cody says he’s got a dad and a family. James is super psyched about his new uncle, which is him. Tracy says, it’s wonderful and she’s happy for him, and he says, that means a lot. She tells him, now saddle the horses.  

Terry says, Britt will haunt her if she doesn’t, and Brad thanks her. It’s amazing. She won’t regret it. He’ll be totally opposite of the person he was. She says, he doesn’t have the job yet, but he says, with her recommendation, he’ll be in. She says, in the highly unlikely event that it happens, he’ll be on probation, and he says he’s already done parole. Probation is nothing. She says, a lot of people will want him to fail, and he says he looks forward to winning over the haters. He thanks her, she says, get out, and he leaves.

Laura asks someone, what the hell are you doing here? (Valentin?)

In the interrogation room, Dante says he got Kristina some soup, but she says she’s not hungry. Alexis says she’s got to try and eat, and Kristina says, fine. She takes a couple of spoonfuls and says, it’s kind of good. Dante says, would her big brother steer her wrong? Sonny looks though the window and John comes up behind him. John says, it must be weird to be on this side, and Sonny asks if he feels guilty. John asks, why? and Sonny says, because he made a bogus charge and used Kristina to get to him. John says, he had to watch Sonny use Karen. Now he’ll watch justice take its course. Sonny says, this isn’t not justice, when Jason arrives. John says, if it’s not the enforcer right on cue, and Sonny tells Jason, let’s walk. This guy gets on his nerves. They leave.

On the phone, Anna tells someone that she needs help locating one of their clients.

Alexis says, John is still here. Fantastic. He says, someone’s got to stand guard, and she says, knock himself out . She’ll be petitioning for a emergency hearing, but he says, it won’t get the charges dismissed. She says, we’ll see. In the meantime, she’ll see about bail. John says, he’s sure with a father who owns a private island, Kristina won’t be a flight risk, but she says she won’t let him railroad her daughter.

Dante says, Kristina won’t spend the night in a cell, and she asks if he thinks she’ll get out. He says, if she can’t, she’s still not going downstairs, and she asks if she’ll get house arrest at the MetroCourt. He says, she’ll spend the night here, and she asks if it’s better than downstairs. He says, of course (🍷), and she says, at least the cell has a bed, but he says, they have Wi-Fi. They’ll binge one of those crappy reality shows she loves. She can pick the one he hates the most. He asks if she’s okay, and she says, just scared. They don’t have evidence of what actually happened. The photos show that Ava grabbed her, but the look on her face is angry. At the end of the day, it’s Ava’s word against hers. Dante says, that’s a great thing. Who would believe Ava over her?

Jordan says she’s surprised Molly has doubts about her sister, and Molly says, Kristina loved the baby and would never intentionally hurt her, but Kristina doesn’t think sometimes. She’s sure TJ has shared his concerns. Jordan says, he has, and Molly says, Kristina has had her outbursts during the pregnancy. She saw the photos of the confrontation. Jordan asks if Ava’s hands weren’t on Kristina, and Molly says, it doesn’t prove Ava was the aggressor. They were both so mad. Jordan asks what she’s saying, and Molly says, the idea of Kristina threatening Ava isn’t that farfetched. Jordan asks if she thinks Kristina attacked Ava, and Molly says, they wouldn’t be here. None of this would have happened if Kristina had listened her and stayed away from Ava.

In Sonny’s car, Sonny tells Jason that Jagger arrested Kristina to get to him, and Jason agrees. Sonny says, Ava was right about one thing. She didn’t tamper with his medication. Jagger did. Jagger expected him to lose his mind and attack him. Jason says, it wasn’t Cates, and Sonny says, he had the motive and the dates match. Jason says, it wasn’t him. It was Valentin.

Tomorrow, Molly tells TJ that if Kristina hadn’t done that one thing, their child would still be alive; Sam asks Dante if the mayor is in on this too; Sonny says, this is going to drive someone crazy; and Laura asks if they’re telling her that her daughter is going to die.

Below Deck Mediterranean

D*ckwad Joe tells Ellie that he doesn’t want to go on the date. He’s never been asked on a date before and thinks it’s serious, and he doesn’t want serious. Ellie says, it’s just about having fun, talking, and getting to know each other, but Joe says, for him, dating is up there and he’s not ready. He feels pressure and doesn’t want a date. Ellie says, okay. Not a problem. He says, she doesn’t hate him? and she says, no. Thanks. Bye. In her interview, she says, he liked her well enough to make out with her, but not enough to get to know her as a person and talk to her. She understands why some spiders eat their mates after mating.

Joe tells Nathan that maybe he took it too serious, but he doesn’t want to force himself. Gael asks if Ellie is all right, and Ellie says she’s numb to everything at this point. She imitates Joe and says, it’s not that serious. She’s moving on. In Gael’s interview, she says, Joe is being a d*ck. He wants what he wants when he wants it. He doesn’t care about the girls and she’s losing respect for him. Bri tells Jono that she heard Ellie speaking to Aesha, and she needs to stop flirting with Joe. Jono says, her job may depend on this. In Nathan’s interview, he says he usually dresses casually, but tonight, he’s here to impress. He puts on a turtleneck and slacks, and says, one look in the mirror and he looks like a knob. The crew leaves to go out, and in the taxi, Joe tells Bri about the non-date and says he didn’t want the pressure. In Bri’s interview, she says she’s not surprised, but he should have said no first instead of yes. This is what annoys her. Joe starts something and never finishes. He leaves her there, dangling. The crew heads for a restaurant.

At the table, they talk zombies, and Joe asks if Ellie is all right. She says she’s fine, and he says he’s never been asked on a date before. He was overwhelmed. It seemed too serios. She says, he was wrong, and in Joe’s interview, he says his last relationship was in 2017. When they broke up, he was going through a rough time. He was sleeping in his car and had no job. He thought he didn’t deserve this woman. The next person he dates is going to be the person he marries. Wow. He really doesn’t understand dating at all. Aesha says that if she marries Scott, he’s going to take her name, so he’ll be Scott Scott. Joe asks if Ellie wants children, and she says she was an only child, and wants three. He’s surprised and says he doesn’t know her, and in her interview, Ellie says, that’s what the date was about. How many ways can you chase away good p*ssy? In Bri’s interview, she says, f*** Joe, and tells Jono that it’s awkward now. Jono thinks it’s funny, and in her interview, Bri says she’s confused. If Joe wants Ellie, then take Ellie and stop teasing her. Well, we know he won’t be taking her on a date.

The crew goes to a penthouse club where they – surprise – dance and drink. In Bri’s interview, she says, Joe looks in her eyes and she’s locked in. Stop it. Nathan asks Gael to come with him, and she asks if she’s in trouble. He says, maybe, and Aesha wonders if they’re finally having a moment. Nathan says, they should get off the boat and do something cool, and Gael asks if they’re allowed. He says he asked Iain and Iain said it was okay. They’ll have fun. In Gael’s interview, she says she hasn’t had time to fully resolve her feelings about her last relationship. She wishes she could deny how she feels about Nathan, but she can’t. She’s never had a connection this quickly and it’s scary. Iain sits with Aesha, and he says he feels she’s doing well. She says she had her trials with the girls and had to teach them, and he says he wondered if she was going to make a change. She says she almost fired both of them, and in Aesha’s interview, she says, they’re doing well enough to keep their jobs, but she’s had to do her job, then repeat theirs if she wants the boat to run to the administrative standard. We flash back to her dealing with their screw-ups, and she says she needs to be on all the time and it’s not sustainable. Bri and Ellie sit together, and Bri says, Joe is playing both of them. It’s like chasing a flea. Ellie says she apologizes for hurting Bri’s feelings. It wasn’t her intention. She saw Bri’s defense mechanism was going into sensitive mode, and was afraid if she responded, Bri would keep defaulting to it. So she stayed firm to bring Bri out. Bri says she’s sorry for projecting and accusing Ellie of things she didn’t do, and in Ellie’s interview, she says she’s surprised Bri apologized and is owning up to her role in their issues. If she had known Joe was leading Bri on, she would have approached the situation differently. They hug. Nathan tells Iain that he asked Gael out and she said yes. Iain asks if Nathan is nervous, and Nathan says, a wee bit. Nathan asks Gael if she wants to go bungee jumping or skydiving, and she says she’s flexible.  Insert your own joke here. Joe follows Bri to the bathroom and asks why Bri’s face dropped when she saw him. She tells him not to be giving her eyes, and he says he’s only giving her eyes because she’s giving him eyes. She says, f*** off. She wants to hook up with him. He goes into the stall, and we hear them saying rude things. Joe tells her to get her skirt up. Gross. I’m not into angry sex or toilet sex.

Joe says, Bri started it, and she says, if he doesn’t know how to make a decision, she’ll make it for him. If he can’t be a man, she will be. Get out. He walks out, and in Bri’s interview, she says, sh*t. In every way possible, Joe isn’t good for her. He’s feeding into her impulsiveness and not making her a good human. The crew leaves the club, and Ellie tells Aesha that Bri said she was sorry for the unnecessary drama. Aesha says, unless they did it for themselves, she couldn’t do it for them. In Aesha’s interview, she says, maybe the cabin switch made them make up. She needs to see them at work to see if this is actually going to happen. She tells Ellie that she loves that they had the conversation. Back on the boat, everyone goes to bed. Bri wonders if she should talk to Joe and clear the air, and Aesha says, be honest with him. Joe gets a text from Bri saying they should chat. He wonders what she wants to chat about.

28 hours before charter. Captain Sandy reads that heavy rainstorms are predicted, while Nathan searches for fun activities in Athens. In Nathan’s interview, he says he likes the idea of rock climbing. Aesha tells Bri and Ellie that they know the drill. Cabins and laundry. The captain goes into the laundry room where it looks like a clothing store exploded, and in her interview, she says, the laundry is a disaster. Joe tells Nathan that he and Bri kissed in the toilet, and Nathan says, get off. Joe says, Nathan is shouting when he’s trying to keep it on the downlow, and in their joint interview, Nathan says, Joe can do what he wants. He’s single. Joe says he doesn’t know what he’s doing. How can he expect a good outcome? Nathan says, exactly.

Bri calls her friend and is talking as she walks into the laundry room where Captain Sandy is ironing. The captain says she wants Bri to clean up this mess. Hang up. The way she left it, that can’t happen again. She doesn’t like messes. If Bri is disorganized, how can she keep up? Fix this for her and get started now. Nathan goes to the bridge and asks Captain Sandy if it’s possible for him to bring out Gael to do a wee activity. The captain asks if something is going on, and he says, he’s enjoying her company and thought it would be nice to get off the boat for a wee distraction. She tells him to enjoy himself. As long as the work is completed, have fun. Bri tells Jono about what the captain said, and says, but she’s an organized mess. In Jono’s interview, he says, it’s a fiasco, but Bri is his girl. He doesn’t want her to lose her job. He’s not covering up for her, but he feels empathetic. Nathan tells Gael that they’re going rock climbing, and she says, nice, and hugs him. Captain Sandy shows Aesha where she’s going to ask Leah to marry her, and in the captain’s interview, she says, Leah is coming in a few days and she’s nervous. She doesn’t want to mess it up. Aesha suggests she do it on the dock there. It will be more ceremonial. Captain Sandy says she wants it to flow and not bawl her eyes out. She tells Aesha that the laundry room is an explosion. She thinks a lot of Bri’s confusion is that. She sees Aesha standing to eat her meals. She never sits and the captain wants to help. In Gael’s interview, she says, when it’s more serious, she overthinks it more. She tells Jono that it’s exciting, but terrifying, and in her interview, she says she thinks she and Nathan have a connection, but she’s seen guys be sweet to girls, and behind their back, they don’t know what’s going on. Maybe Nathan is playing games. In the past, she’s been hurt and it scares her. She and Nathan leave.

At the preference sheet meeting, Captain Sandy says, the primary is Pamela Duke, who created a nautical themed jewelry line. The other guests are her husband Denny, Uncle Steve, and his wife Janie. Janie and Steve will be celebrating their 25th anniversary, and there’s a fireworks surprise from Steve. They have a lot to discuss. They’re going to be stuck on the dock the first day. The wind is going to be over 40 knots, and they wouldn’t be able to get back in. In the captain’s interview, she says, instead of a hurricane, in the Mediterranean, it’s called a Medicane. There are going to be high winds and lots of rain. She thinks it will move by quickly and hopes to get off the second day. She tells Aesha that there’s a lot of history in this town, so it should be easy to figure out what to do.

At the rock-climbing place, Gael asks if Nathan still thinks it’s a good idea and he says, no. In Nathan’s interview, he says he’s afraid of heights. He doesn’t know why he chose this activity. F***. Nathan says he’ll race her up, and Gael slips, but then passes him. He says he’s scared, but she says, he’s got this. They reach the top, and he’s afraid to go back down, but she says, just think of it as a bosun’s chair and push on the wall. They go back down, and in Gael’s interview, she says she feels a bit vulnerable. They’re progressing and she wonders if that’s why it’s scary. They climb again, and a little kid begins his climb. Nathan says he hopes the kid falls. When they’re finished, Nathan says, it turns out that she’s the better rock climber, and she says she’s proud of him. He was scared, but he got here. He says he will puke on their first date, and she says, it’s a story to tell. In his interview, he says, it was fun getting to know Gael. He might have found his pot of gold after all.

18 hours before charter. Bri tells Joe not to f*** around. Don’t make her feel dumb. He says, cut the sh*t, and in Bri’s interview, she says, her time with Joe is done. She knows who Joe is and sees through his bullsh*t. It’s nice to feel wanted, but she has to set boundaries and needs him not to cross them. Aesha looks up the Agora of Athens, and says, it looks beautiful. She asks Bri about the laundry and says, the captain said it was a total sh*tshow. She feels Bri works inefficiently and gives her some tips. In Aesha’s interview, she says, the boat is meant to be run with four stews. She does it with three and two have little experience. It’s just hectic. Ellie looks for her Pepsi and is courteous, but not too friendly, with Joe. In Joe’s interview, he says he has no regrets about not going on the date. He’s not interested. Gael and Nathan get back to the boat, and Nathan asks for a kiss. In Gael’s interview, she says, right now, screw it. She’s going to do what makes her feel happy. He’s nice and she likes him, Did she say that? Nathan tells Joe that they had fun. He’s a hopeless romantic, and Joe is just hopeless.  

5 hours before charter. Thunder starts, and Captain Sandy says, this sucks. The provisions come in and rain begins to fall. The captain wonders what the dripping noise is and sees there’s another leak in the forward cabin. We flash back to her telling Aesha that they can’t use the cabin, and she says, this is not good. She radios the deckhands and says, the leak is getting in the bosun’s locker now. The door is closed and they’re taking on water. In her interview, Captain Sandy says, when they take on this much water, it can sink the boat. They can’t go to sea, and it will end the season. Nathan says he needs a wet vac, and the captain says, f*** me.

Captain Sandy says, the forward hatch is leaking, and the crew cabin is really flooding. Joe says he hates the rain so much. They use the wet vac, and Luka says he was plugging it and the plug fell. He tells Captain Sandy that the leak is finished, and in her interview, she says, they have to dry it out and make sure the hatch is sealed. It showed them where the leak was, so they were able to fix it. She tells the deckhands to put in fans. In Jono’s interview, he says he has to dig deep to focus on stellar food. He used to ride horses, and taking care of them requires discipline. He’s digging from that to focus on producing stellar food when they’re stuck at the dock. The captain radios, 30 minutes to guest arrival, and Nathan tells Joe that Bri is having a hard time in the laundry. Things go missing. Joe says, they can’t complain, and in Joe’s interview, he says he knows Bri is treading on eggshells, so he’s not saying anything. The captain radios for the crew to go to the main deck, and primary Pamela comes out of the taxi screeching. Captain Sandy says, Aesha will show them around the boat and after that, she’ll have a chat with them about the plan. Aesha does the tour, and Pamela looks for the bar. The captain says she has bad news regarding the weather. They can’t leave yet, Pamela asks, where’s her alcohol?

Captain Sandy says, if they went out, the guests would hate her and be scared for their lives. Pamela says, it wasn’t supposed to happen until three. Where’s her alcohol? This sucks. The captain says, sorry, and in Aesha’s interview, she says, they look like they were just told Santa isn’t real. It’s really sad. Aesha tells the guests that after lunch, they’re going to a wine tasting at Athen’s oldest winery. It’s absolutely beautiful and will be a nice excursion. Perhaps realizing what an ass she’s being, Pamela says she knows it’s not their fault. Lunch is about to be served, and Nathan and Gael spoon in Nathan’s bunk. Aesha asks if there are deckhands available, interrupting their cuddle, but it turns out Nathan isn’t needed. The guests deem lunch delicious, and Iain calls Nathan to meet in the galley pantry. Aesha tells Gael that she’s going to the winery with Gael’s boyfriend and they’re going to cuddle. Gael asks if Aesha is bringing back some wine for her, but Aesha says, no, and Gael says, bitch. In the taxi, guest Eric says, it’s what they call pre-rain in Florida, and on the boat, Captain Sandy says, holy sh*t. It says, 30 inches of rain today. Pamela is afraid they’ll get to the winery, but won’t be able to get out. Aesha says, it’s indoors, but Pamela says she thinks they should have stayed on the ship. She’s not agreeing to this anymore. Take her back.

Gael says, this is why the storm had a damn name, when an alarm goes off. Captain Sandy says, oh sh*t. F*** me, man. Which seem to be the words of the day. She thinks they might be leaking again and tells Iain to check the starboard cabin. Nathan radios Aesha in the other taxi that the guests want to turn back because the roads are flooding, and Aesha says, let’s go back. The captain says, it’s getting wet. It’s leaking like a motherf***er. Iain says, yeah, it’s dripping, and the captain says, f***, f***, f***!  

To  be continued…

⚖️ Justice For Johnny…

An update on the Neanderthal murderers.

https://ew.com/murder-charges-announced-fatal-shooting-johnny-wactor-8697940

🎤 King Of Talk…

It wouldn’t be right not to acknowledge Phil Donahue’s contribution to daytime talk TV. He had a real reality show.

https://ew.com/talk-show-hosts-react-to-phil-donahue-death-oprah-katie-couric-more-8697726

💦 Walking On Raindrops…

Join me tomorrow for soap and Dubai talk. Until then, stay safe, stay making promises sparingly and keeping the ones you make, and stay giving second chances, especially if you’ve gotten a few of them yourself.

August 16, 2024 – Jason Confronts Clement, Backstage, Next, Vacation, She Was Served, Jersey Tawk, Yes Or No, Dead Spins, New Scare, Dogues, Precisely 10 Quotes & Glory

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Cody says, James went for a swim, eh? and James says he didn’t mean to. Cody says he knows. Everything is going to be okay. Mac asks if James is all right, and James says, Cody saved him. Mac says he can see that.

Laura’s office phone rings and she says, send her right in. And when her other guest arrives, send him right in too. Anna comes in, and Laura thanks her for taking the time to meet. Anna says, of course (🍷). It sounded important. Laura says, it is. They’re meeting with the new WSB station chief. Anna says, Jack Brennan. No grass grows under his feet.

At the hospital, Alexis says, Kristina’s room is all ready. She’s welcome to stay as long as she wants, and Alexis will try not to smother her, although she thinks a little smothering would be okay. They’ll call it pampering. Kristina says she’s sorry, and Alexis asks, what for? Kristina says she’s just not in a good mood. Alexis says, she’s allowed to be in whatever mood she wants to be in, and Kristina says she guesses she thought she’d be happy or at least relieved to leave the hospital. But she’s just realizing that when she walks out that door, that’s when her life starts over. Everything starts over again now, only without her baby.

In the hospital breakroom on the phone, Curtis says, talk to me before you make any moves… Okay. Sounds good. Stella pours some coffee, and he says, sorry, but she says, don’t apologize. He says, things are crazy at Aurora, especially with Drew on the campaign trail. Let’s just say, my plate is overflowing. She says she has every confidence he can handle it, and he thanks her for walking them through this administrative paperwork. Planning a funeral, any funeral, is already hard enough, but a baby’s… She says, seems unnatural, doesn’t it? and he says, completely. She says she’s happy to help TJ and Molly any way she can. He asks what they’re looking at, and she says she’s got a jump on most of it. It’s really just the birth certificate that needs their attention now. TJ comes in and says, Molly’s not here? Curtis says, no, not yet. He’s sure she’s on her way. TJ says he told her that they had a small window for this, but Stella says, it’s okay. Don’t worry. She’s not in a rush. TJ says, she can catch up. Let’s get started.

Scotty tells Clement, don’t worry. He’s on his side. Clement asks if he’s with the FBI too, but Scotty says, not exactly. The guy whose meds Clement messed with, Sonny Corinthos, is mad as a hornet. His strong suit is murder, so if Clement wants to get out alive… Clement says he does, and Scotty says, okay. Then hide. He’s Clement’s only hope, and he’ll help.

Ava says, John thinks the surveillance photos could actually help her case, and he says, absolutely. Sonny, and the corrupt cops in his pocket, are trying to spin one narrative, but those photos can tell any story they want, especially when the victim in them is a federal witness. (Will somebody call his boss already? Anna did it once before for a way lesser infraction.)

Sonny tells Jason, who knows how much further Jagger is going to go? They can’t take that risk. Jason says, if Sonny takes out Cates, he’s eliminating an FBI agent. There’s no coming back from that. Sonny says, if Jagger forces his hand, he won’t have a choice.

Maxie shows up at the boathouse with Sasha and Felicia and says she’s so glad James is okay. Come here. She hugs him and says, he cannot keep doing this. He says he’s never fallen into the lake before, but she says she’s not talking about that. She means running away. There are only so many heart attacks she can survive. She asks Felicia to text Spinelli and let him know James was found, and Felicia says, on it. James says he wasn’t trying to scare anyone, and Maxie says she knows he didn’t, but they were all really worried. They’ll talk about this at home. Cody says, let’s cool it on the escape attempts, and James says he wouldn’t have to escape if he was allowed to see Cody. Why can’t he take riding lessons with Cody? Maxie says, now is not the time to tell him this, but he can take riding lessons from Cody, but not because of any of this. No ice cream or video games for two weeks. James says he doesn’t care what she takes away, as long as he can be here. Why did she change her mind? She says, he knows how they talk about owning their mistakes and how it’s really important. Kind of like how he’s going to own this one? She made a huge mistake and agreed he couldn’t take riding lessons with Cody anymore. Mac says, it wasn’t his mom’s mistake. It was his.

Laura asks if Anna didn’t just arrest a Jack Brennan, and Anna says, uh-huh. Laura says, and now they’re going to work with him, and Anna says she was informed of his posting. He’s a fully accredited agent, but the previous activities that took place here in Port Charles were part of a classified operation. Laura asks if that’s all the explanation they’re going to get, and Anna says, apparently. There’s a knock at the door and Jack comes in. He says, Laura’s assistant said he could come in, and Laura says, welcome, Mr. Brennan. He tells her to call him Jack, and they shake hands.

Alexis says she almost forgot, and holds out a key to Kristina. Kristina says she already has a key, but Alexis says, it’s not for her. It’s for Blaze. She figured Blaze would be visiting and she wants Blaze to come and go as she pleases. Kristina says, that’s really very thoughtful of her, but it’s unnecessary because she and Allie broke up. Alexis says, when? and Kristina says, yesterday. Alexis asks, what happened? She thought they were okay. Kristina says, they were, but Allie got this really incredible touring opportunity, and she couldn’t turn it down. Alexis says, she couldn’t, or Kristina wouldn’t let her? Kristina says she couldn’t be the reason Allie stayed. She’s been working toward this her entire life. Alexis says, maybe it was her choice to make. Maybe she wanted to stay and support Kristina. Kristina says, it’s not just about Allie’s career. It’s about her too. She doesn’t even recognize herself right now. Without the baby, she can’t be anything to anyone. Alexis says, for the record, Kristina is something pretty big to her, when Dr. Navarro walks in. She asks if it’s a good time, and Alexis says, of course (🍷). The doctor says she has the results of Kristina’s discharge examination.

Stella says, as TJ can see, most of the information has been filled out, and he thanks her. She says, but there’s still the issue of the baby’s name, and Curtis asks if TJ and Molly ever talked about that. TJ says, they batted ideas around, but they never landed on one specific name, and Stella says, it’s okay. They’ll just use the last name, Lansing-Ashford. And once he and Molly have a chance to talk, they’ll update the certificate. Molly comes in and says, sorry she’s late. She had a meeting with DA Scorpio. TJ says, she couldn’t tell him that she had to leave? and she says, he’s her boss. She got here as fast as she could.

Scotty says he’s got to see a guy about a boat and get some supplies. What kind of snacks does Clement like? They’re going to Spoon Island and there may not be any power over there, so nothing perishable. Clement just looks at him, and Scotty says he’ll just get them some glazed donuts and coffee, so sit tight. He’ll be back. He leaves.

Ava tells John, only one party in those photos went crashing through a window. She thinks it might be a bit of a stretch to paint her as a victim. He says, not if she uses her imagination. She’s a federal witness agreeing to testify against Sonny Corinthos. She says, is she though? and he says, for the sake of this exercise and keeping her out of prison, yeah. Now the picture of her with her hand on Kristina’s arm, that was self-defense, to protect herself from Kristina attacking her. She says, yes, and he says, the look on Kristina’s face was pure rage. She was clearly out of control. So Ava is a federal witness participating in a RICO investigation against Sonny Corinthos. Sonny’s daughter comes to her hotel suite, violent and threatening, intending to shut her up permanently. That is criminal conspiracy and falls within the FBI’s jurisdiction. It also happens to be attempted murder.

Jason suggests they be smart about it and cover every base, and Sonny says, the consequences are too severe not to. Jason says, okay, but if they mess up, they’re talking about a federal agent, a federal crime, life in prison, or worse. Sonny says, Cates won’t stop coming at him. Jason knows that. Jason says he knows, but be clear on what he’s doing, and Sonny says he’s clear on one thing. Cates will not stop going through the people that he loves to get to him. He’s not just going to sit around and wait for Cates to make the next move.

Dr. Navarro says, as Kristina knows, there were concerns after her hemorrhaging about damage to the uterus or her ovaries or both. But she’s happy to report all looks good on those fronts. Alexis says, great. So Kristina will be able to conceive and carry a child in the future. The doctor says, they’ll have to monitor her going forward, but she sees nothing to suggest otherwise. Kristina should be able to make a complete recovery. Kristina thanks her, and Dr. Navarro says, any time. She should be ready for discharge shortly. Alexis thanks her and she leaves. Kristina says, full recovery, and Alexis says, that means her body will heal. Kristina says, what about the rest of her? and Alexis says, that may take a little more time and require a little more work. But Kristina’s heart will get better too. She promises.

Molly asks what she needs to catch up on, and TJ says, everything. Stella says, they were just going over the birth certificate, and TJ says, they just have to give a name to their little girl. Curtis tells her, but like Aunt Stella said, it doesn’t have to be done today, and Stella says, Baby Lansing-Ashford is just fine for right now. TJ says, but they can’t put it off forever, and Stella says, no. The two of them are in a storm. There’s no getting around it. His Grandmother Irene had a knack for being the calm within the storm. She hopes she picked that up from her sister. TJ says, she did, and Curtis says, she’s always been their rock. He kisses her forehead, and she says, Irene was her rock. So she feels like she’s speaking for her when she says, the hardest thing to reconcile during times like this is that life goes on, even during the most horrific tragedy. You want it all to stop. Give you space to process and grieve, but there’s still stuff going on all around you, pulling you in different directions. That’s why it’s so important, especially for couples going through something this profound, that they hold onto each other, to be the anchor through this godawful, wretched storm. She tells Curtis that she’s going to stretch her legs for a bit. She thinks these two need a moment alone. Curtis says, that sounds good, and they leave.

Sonny says he has no intention of being reckless, but that’s what they’re counting on. Jason’s phone rings, and he says, Brick. Any update?… All right. Text him the address. Thanks. He tells Sonny, as soon as Scott Baldwin left the gallery, Brick’s guys tracked him to a part of town he has no business hanging out in. Sonny says, he got to the pharmacist, and Jason says, seems like it. Sonny says, seems like they’re desperate. They have to involve Scotty. Jason says, Cates and Ava both know the walls are closing in, and Sonny says, find Scotty and bring that pharmacist to him. Jason asks if he’s heading to GH, and Sonny says, Kristina’s being discharged today. Keep him posted. Jason says he will, and leaves.

Jack says, it’s quite an honor, and Laura invites him to sit down. She says, since the WSB has decided to open a field office right here in Port Charles and he’s the field chief, she thought it was important they all meet because they have several common interests. Anna says she already informed the mayor that his arrest in December and his incarceration in Pentenville was all part of this covert WSB op. He says, with this op successfully completed, he’s been returned to desk duty, which he much prefers over being in a prison cell. Laura says she’s sure. She takes it that Anna and Jack have worked together previously. Jack says, all the way back to their WSB training days, and Anna says, all the way back. Laura says, then they must have developed sort of a shorthand. Jack says, in a sense, and Laura says, it should help, right? Make communicating a little bit more effective. Jack says, one can only hope, and Laura asks if she may cut to the chase. Anna says, please, and Laura says she thinks they have a unique opportunity here with a WSB outpost here in Port Charles and their shared history and skillsets. Anna asks what kind of an opportunity she’s talking about exactly, and Jack says, it sounds like she has a task in mind. Laura says she wants them to find Valentin Cassadine.

Mac tells James that his feelings were hurt, and he took it out on Cody. Which he regrets, in and of itself, but that it ended up hurting James is the part he hates the most. He hopes James can forgive him. James says, Mac told him that family always forgives each other, and Mac says, that’s right. They do. James asks if he’s mad at Cody, and he says he was, but not anymore. James asks why he was mad at Cody in the first place, and Mac says, because Cody is his son.

James says, Mac is Cody’s dad? and Mac says, that’s right. James says, does that make Cody his uncle? and Cody says, it sure does, buddy. James says, this is so cool, and tells Maxie that Cody is her brother. Maxie says, he is, and James says he does have a question. Why does Cody being Mac’s son make him mad? Mac says, because he just found out and he was angry about all the time they didn’t get to spend together. But it reminded him of a lesson he hopes James can take to heart. Not only does family forgive each other, but they’re the ones who love, no matter what, even when they run away or get mad at us like he did with Cody. So they love each other how? James says, no matter what, and Mac says, no matter what, and hugs James.

TJ says, Aunt Stella’s right, and Molly says, she usually is. He says, they have to hold each other right now, and she says she knows, but if she stands still for even a moment, she’ll be swallowed whole. So she keeps burying herself in work. He asks if that helps, but she says, no. Nothing helps. Not even facing off against Ava. He says, she saw Ava? and she says she went to see Ava in her jail cell in the hopes that she’d confess. Yeah, right. He asks what she said, and Molly says, nothing. It was excuse after excuse. Not there’s anything Ava could actually say that would make this better. That’s the worst part. No matter who they want to blame, their baby is still gone.

Alexis looks at her phone and says she was still hoping Molly had called. They could have Molly and Sam over this week and have Davis Girls night. Kristina says she doesn’t think she or Molly will be in the mood for that, and Alexis asks if she’s spoken to Molly in the last few days. Kristina says, Molly came to see her. She told Molly about how she went to Ava’s and what happened. How she went to Ava’s asking her to lift the subpoena and she refused. And she told Molly how Ava started going in on her family and insulting Alexis and Sonny, and she told Ava that if Ava forced her to testify, she’d tell how Ava murdered Connie and helped kill Morgan. Alexis asks how Molly responded, and Kristina says, she was appalled, especially after she showed Molly the pictures. Molly is as furious as she is.

Anna says, the FBI is already handling this. They’re in pursuit of Valentin now. As far as she’s concerned, that case is beyond her scope as Commissioner. Jack says, the WSB tries not to entangle itself in FBI interests, when it’s at all possible, and Laura says, while she can appreciate both stances, she still thinks they have a unique situation here. And it’s personal for her. Valentin has her granddaughter. Anna says she doesn’t think Laura should be worried about her. With all his faults, Valentin is an excellent father. He would never let any harm come to Charlotte. Laura says, he may not be able to stop it, when her office phone rings. She apologizes and answers it. She says she forgot. She’ll be right out. She says she’s sorry. There’s something she forgot that she has to take care of. It will just take a moment. She hopes they don’t mind waiting. Jack says, not at all, and Anna says, they’ll be right here. Laura leaves, and Anna says, Jack knows damn well where Valentin is. He’s hiding him. Jack says, she has no proof of that. If she’d like to confess and let this anxious grandmother know that she helped orchestrate Valentin’s escape, don’t let him stop her. She says, that’s not going to happen. He’d really like that though, wouldn’t he? Laura comes back and says, sorry to keep them waiting. What did she miss? Jack and Anna look at each other.

Jason bangs on the door where Clement is, and around the corner with groceries, Scotty sees him and jets. Jason opens the door, and Clement backs away. We see the bag of groceries Scotty was carrying on the hallway floor.

Sonny goes to Kristina’s hospital room and hugs her. He asks how she’s feeling. Is she ready to get out of here? She says she guesses, and Alexis says, it will be nice for her to have a mattress she can sleep on and sheets with thread counts. Kristina asks if Alexis can grab her a seltzer, but Sonny says he’ll get it. Kristina says, he just got here. Mom can do it. Alexis says, fine. She got the hint. Does Kristina want plain or flavored? Kristina says, surprise her, and Alexis says she’ll check on Kristina’s discharge papers on the way out. She leaves, and Sonny says, Kristina didn’t answer his first question. How is she feeling? She says she’s feeling anxious for an update about Ava.

Jason closes the door, and Clement asks if he’s with the FBI. Jason says he works for Sonny Corinthos, and Clement says, whatever Jason needs him to do, he’ll do it. Please. He’s got a family. Jason says, so does Sonny, but that didn’t stop Clement from tampering with his medication. Clement says he didn’t know what else to do. He didn’t want trouble. Jason says, he’s got trouble now, and Clement says, please. He just wants to live. Jason says he doesn’t want to kill Clement. He just wants the truth. Who paid him to tamper with Sonny’s meds?

Jack says he and the Commish were just catching up. And some playful ribbing about jurisdiction and whatnot. Anna says, of which he has none in Port Charles. Jurisdiction, not whatnot. Jack laughs and says he must be going. It was a pleasure meeting Laura. Laura says, likewise, and he says, her reputation precedes her. He’s sure she has some fascinating stories to tell. He’d like to hear them sometime. She says, they’ll have to make that happen, and he says, excellent. He says goodbye to Anna and leaves. Laura says, he’s quite charming, isn’t he? (yes!) and Anna says, he can be. Laura says, that concerns her.

James hugs Cody and says, welcome to the family. Cody thanks him and says he’s happy to be a part of it. Maxie says, Cody knows how she feels, and Cody says he does. Maxie says she’s proud of Mac and hugs him. She says, it’s time to get James home. What does he have to say to Cody? James says, see you soon, and Cody says he’s looking forward to it. Maxie asks what else he has to say, and James says, thanks for saving him. Cody says, hopefully, it’s a first and last time, and Maxie says, agreed, and thanks him. She leaves with James, and Mac says, if Cody hadn’t found James when he did… Felicia says she can’t even think about it, and Mac says his gratitude knows no bounds. Cody says, he sounds like Spinelli, and Mac says, Spinelli must be rubbing off on him. Cody says, the son Mac never had, and Mac says, except he does have a son, and he’s looking right at him. Cody says, and he has a dad, and they hug.

Curtis says, Stella did good back there, and she says, how so? He says, TJ and Molly are clearly drifting apart, but she helped nudge them back together. She says she hopes it sticks. She sees this all the time in her work. We all process grief differently, and sometimes our way doesn’t align with our loved ones. He says, couples have certainly fallen apart over less, and she says she just prays TJ and Molly remember their why. Why they fell in love in the first place and why they stayed together all these years. He says he’s sure they will, and she says she hopes so. Because when they can learn to lean on each other and support each other, that’s when the real healing begins.

Alexis runs into Molly coming out of the elevator and hugs her. Alexis says, good timing. Kristina is just getting released. Molly says she actually came to see TJ and Stella. They’re processing the baby’s birth certificate. Alexis says she’s sorry, but Molly says, it’s okay. Alexis says, none of this is okay. It must have been so difficult for her. Molly says, what isn’t these days? She’s on her way back to the office. Alexis asks if she doesn’t want to say hi to Kristina before she goes, but Molly says she doesn’t think that’s such a good idea.

Ava says, John’s federal witness idea is certainly inspired, but isn’t he concerned it will escalate things when the goal is to calm them down? He says, the goal is to wipe Sonny off the map entirely, when his phone rings. He asks Scotty, what’s up?… What? When?… No. He’ll deal with it. Ava asks, what happened? and John says, Jason has Clement Moore, who you can bet is spilling his guts as we speak. She says, Clement is their only leverage, and he says, now he’s a liability. She says, this is not good. She’s going to be Sonny’s next stop. He knows that, right? He says, not if he has anything to say about it. Stay here. He leaves, and she calls out, where is he going?

Back at the stables, Sasha says, Cody is still soaked, and he says he’ll get some dry clothes on. She asks if he’s okay, but he says he doesn’t know how he feels. He just keeps thinking about, what if he hadn’t gotten to the boathouse in time? He doesn’t know what he would have done if something happened to James. She says, but he got there. He saved that little boy’s life. And even more. Something beautiful came out of it. He says he has a father, and she says, he has a whole family. They hug.

Ava finds TJ standing in the gallery and asks if she can help him. He says he thought it was time they spoke, and she says she prefers to handle any communication through her lawyer. She’s already been on the receiving end of one interrogation. He says, by Molly, and she says she’d like to avoid another. He says he’s not here as a prosecutor. He’s here as a grieving father. He needs to know what happened in that hotel suite, and not just the story Kristina tells. He needs to hear from Ava why his child died.

Alexis asks, what’s going on? She knows Molly and Kristina talked about what happened the day Kristina fell. Molly says she’s sure Kristina said everything’s just fine between them. Because why wouldn’t it be? And everything has to be fine because Kristina has to be coddled at all times no matter what anyone else is going through. Alexis says, her sister almost died, and Molly says, her baby did die. Because Kristina just had to confront Ava. Why? Why couldn’t she just stay away?

Clement says, FBI Agent Cates brought him here for his protection, and Jason asks if he was operating under John Cates’s orders. Clement says, no, and Jason says, Ava Jerome’s. Clement says he did have some interactions with her, and Jason asks, what kind of interactions? Clement says, when Miss Jerome approached him, she knew Mr. Corinthos wasn’t taking his full dose of medication. Jason says, so he was taking less, and Clement says, Mr. Corinthos was being given a quarter of both his lithium and his mood stabilizer. Jason asks how Ava knew this, but Clement says he doesn’t know. It’s the God’s honest truth. He thought she’d go to the authorities, but she didn’t. Instead, Miss Jerome came back and ordered him to reduce Mr. Corinthos’s prescription to zero. Jason says, that’s when he started giving Sonny placebos, and Clement says, yes. Jason says, because Ava Jerome told him to, and Clement says, yes.

Sonny says he can’t tell Kristina what she wants to hear, and Kristina says, so Ava’s still alive then? He says, yes, and Ava’s going to stay that way. She asks, why? and he says, her mom knows she wants Ava dead, so it’s not worth it. She says, it’s very worth it to her, and he asks if she thinks eliminating Ava is the right way to balance the scales. She says she does, and he says, there are other ways. She says, like what? and he says, she’s going to have to trust him. He doesn’t want Ava’s death on her heart or her conscience.

Molly says, Kristina was about to give birth. Was it really necessary to confront Ava like that? She just coached Kristina through the entire subpoena. They wouldn’t be here. Kristina would be fine and her baby would be alive if Kristina had just shown a little restraint. Alexis says she gets when tragedy happens – especially one as gut-wrenching as this – it’s just human nature. You want to blame something or someone. You want to know why. She takes Molly’s hand and says, sometimes there just aren’t answers. There aren’t answers as to why things happen, and you can’t logic your way out of it. You just have to feel the grief. Molly says, trust her. She’s feeling it. Alexis says she wishes there were answers. She wishes there was something Molly could hold onto that makes sense of this. She’s so sorry Molly lost her baby. She’s so sorry she’s gone. Molly says, it’s not fair, and Alexis says, no, it’s not fair. But don’t throw that grief at the person who’s feeling exactly the way she is. Molly says, Kristina, and Alexis says, Kristina.

Laura says, maybe Brennan already has intel about where Valentin is located, when her cellphone rings. She says, yes, it’s Laura Collins… When did that happen?… She understands, yes. She’ll be there right away. Thank you. Anna asks if everything is all right, and Laura says, it’s Lulu.

Jason asks if Clement is on Ava’s payroll, and Clement says, Ava never gave him any money. She just made threats. Jason says, and she approached him after Sonny’s medication had been lowered, and Clement says, to a quarter dosage, yes. Jason asks, who hired him originally? but Clement hesitates. Jason says, they can do this the easy way and Clement can answer him, or they can take another route. He guarantees Clement isn’t going to like the other route. So who hired him? Clement says, Valentin Cassadine.

Sasha asks how it feels to receive all of that love at once, and Cody says, it’s like nothing he’s felt before. She says, nothing? and he says, until now. They kiss.

Felicia puts her arms around Mac and says, he has a son. He says, looks like it, and she asks if he’s happy. He says he is. She was right. She says she’s always right, and he kisses her.

Ava says, first and foremost, what happened to TJ’s baby was a horrible, tragic accident. She’s so sorry for his loss. He asks, what did happen? and she says, it won’t bring him comfort, but he says, tell him anyway. She says, Kristina showed up at her hotel suite, enraged that she’d been subpoenaed to testify against her father. Kristina was ranting and raving and threatening her. Kristina said if she didn’t withdraw the subpoena, she’d be sorry. She tried not to engage, especially because of Kristina’s pregnancy, but Kristina just kept coming at her… Everything happened so fast. He says, so what she’s telling him is, Kristina falling was her own fault.

Alexis says, Kristina and Molly are suffering, the both of them, so much. If they could just maybe figure out a way to go through this together. Just be open to that. Sonny wheels Kristina out of the elevator, when John walks up with a guard. He says, Kristina Corinthos-Davis, you are under arrest.

Please. Somebody. Call John’s boss.

On Monday, Molly tells Jordan that Kristina falling might not have been Ava’s fault; Laura tells Dante that something’s not right with Lulu; and John says he’s got the FBI behind him. What’s Sonny got? (Sanity?)

🛟 Behind the Save…

Looks like it was a lot of fun!

https://www.soapsindepth.com/gallery/general-hospital/go-behind-the-scenes-of-james-rescue-on-gh

📖 Turning the Page…

At first, I thought he was leaving the show. Blaze was such a shock, I don’t know what to expect.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/cameron-mathison-is-ready-for-his-next-chapter

🏰 Better Than Yours…

So Tony Geary basically had a staycation.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/gallery/cbs/stars-share-their-summer-vacation-photos

👑 Serving the Countess…

Minister Mason waiting on you is quite the coup.

🕺🏻 Meanwhile, Somewhere In Jersey…

This is a great idea. Chances are, there will be more butt cracks shown than angry leaps across the table.

Another point in his favor. He is a one of the Housewives.

This explains why I don’t remember her in the other room.

Frank is right. Even though Teresa is problematic on her own, Luis added fuel to the fire. He’s not doing her any favors.

🍑 Voting No…

Although once again, she is good TV.

⚰️ Walk This Way…

Hush. We’re not supposed to think about these things.

https://screenrant.com/daryl-dixon-spinoff-timeline-walking-dead-ending-pointless/

Another one we have to wait until 2025 for.

https://www.cbr.com/twd-dead-city-season-2-everything-we-know/

🎬 The Latest In Murphy…

This is the show Nicholas Chavez is in, but Travis Kelce? What?

https://ew.com/grotesquerie-first-look-teaser-niecy-nash-betts-travis-kelce-ryan-murphy-horror-drama-8695829

🐕 Here a Dogue, There a Dogue…

This is from 2021, but he’s also a Dogue cover star.

https://people.com/pets/billie-eilish-celebrates-dog-shark-1st-birthday/

The whole Dogue, and nothing but the Dogue.

https://www.vogue.com/tag/misc/dogue

🎋 Quotes of the Week

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the things you did. – Mark Twain

The longer we dwell on our misfortunes, the greater is their power to harm us.Voltaire

Bad things do happen; how I respond to them defines my character and the quality of my life. I can choose to sit in perpetual sadness, immobilized by the gravity of my loss, or I can choose to rise from the pain and treasure the most precious gift I have – life itself.Walter Anderson

Ideas do not reach perfection in a day, no matter how much study is put upon them.Alexander Graham Bell

You are not called to be a canary in a cage. You are called to be an eagle, and to fly sun to sun, over continents. – Henry Ward Beecher

The truth is, everyone is going to hurt you. You just got to find the ones worth suffering for. – Bob Marley

Apologizing does not always mean that you’re wrong and the other person is right. It just means that you value your relationship more than your ego. – Unknown

Sometimes you make the right decision, and sometimes you have to make the decision right. – Dr. Phil McGraw

That very hurt. – kid after falling off his bike, Neighborhood Wars

A person’s a person, no matter how small. – Dr. Suess, Horton Hears a Who!

🌚 Ain’t No Cure…

Grab what the weekend holds for you by the tail, then swing back again on Monday for soap and what’s on Deck. Until then, stay safe; stay loving people and using things, not the other way around; and stay remembering that sometimes there just aren’t answers as to why things happen, and you can’t logic your way out of it. You just have to feel the grief.

August 15, 2024 – Felicia Calls Out Mac, Nepo Walk-Ons, Marathoning, Finally, Oh Say Can OC, VPs Vs NYCs, Tag Who You, He’s a Hot One, A Win Either Way, Good Cover Boy & Spill

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

James looks for Cody at the boathouse. He picks up a frisbee and flings it, but it goes into the water. He reaches for it, but hears Willow coming toward the boathouse on the phone and runs inside.

Mac calls the station to have them help look for James, and Felicia says she thinks he’s on his way to the Quartermaines.

At the stables, Maxie says, there’s no sign of James, and Cody says he and Sasha will search the stables. If they can’t find him, they’ll search the rest of the property. Sasha suggests they go in separate directions, then meet at the stables later. They’ll find him. Maxie says, the only one in more trouble than James is his grandfather.  

Tracy says she won’t allow Sonny to invest in Deception, and Brook says she can see the potential challenges. Tracy says, it will be exposing them to criminal liability and damage the brand, when Lucy comes in. She says she’s glad to see them all so hard at work. If Natalia hadn’t called her, she might have missed it. What’s the agenda? Brook says, they’re deciding on a multimillion dollar offer from Sonny, and Lucy says she loves Sonny. Tell her more.

Lois says she knows Sonny has the best intentions, but she won’t expose her daughter to RICO charges because he wants to impress a woman. Sonny says she sounds like she did when she was 12 years old, and she says, he can’t change the subject. He says he wouldn’t dream of it, when there’s a knock at the door. Sonny lets Jason in and says, if Lois can’t trust one of her oldest friends, does she think she can trust Jason?

John goes to the gallery and tells Ava that he thinks he’s got Sonny. He’s using Clement as bait. Sonny will come for him, and John will nail him in the act. It’s that simple. Ava says, Sonny is rarely simple, and he says, after all this time he’s finally got Sonny where he wants him and it’s all thanks to her. He hugs her.

Nina finds Willow at the boathouse, and says, the gardener told her that Willow was headed here. Willow says, she and the family are going to the beach, and she forgot her hat, and Nina says, it sounds like fun. Willow says, between chasing the kids and covering them in sunscreen, it will be, and Nina says she’s been thinking about Willow since seeing her outside the MetroCourt elevator. Willow says she’s so sorry she ran off. She must have looked ridiculous. Nina says, no. She imagines being stuck in an elevator is high on the list of things people want to avoid. Willow says, it wasn’t the most fun, but they both know not why she rushed out. She’s resigning from the New Tomorrow Institute and going back to GH. Nina says she’ll miss working with Willow, but Willow needs to do what she thinks is best for herself, and Willow says she has to get out of there. She starts to cry and says she’s feeling guilty for kissing Drew. James hears them from inside the boathouse, and Willow says she can’t risk that happening again.

Tracy says she won’t allow Sonny to invest, but Lucy says, an investor with deep pockets. How foolish is that? Tracy says, there’s no world where Sonny would be a silent partner. Otherwise, why bring in a stage mother who said horrible things about her daughter as his mouthpiece? Natalia says, so many insults in one sentence, and Tracy says she heard what Natalia said about her daughter and the LGBTQ community. Natalia tells her that she said things she regrets to someone she never should have confided in. It’s a lesson she won’t forget, but it has nothing to do with her navigating her daughter’s career. Tracy asks if outing Blaze was part of her master plan, and Natalia says she regrets outing Blaze, but that has zero to do with Blaze’s portfolio. Brook admits Tracy has a point. The things Natalia said are the antithesis of what Deception stands for. Natalia says she’s happy to do a public mea culpa campaign, but being CFO has nothing to do with their image. She’ll have no media presence. Lucy says she needs to go with her first reaction. She thinks it’s a great idea. Tracy says, of course (🍷). Because she’s opposed to it. Lucy says, in this case, she feels Tracy isn’t thinking it through. It’s about what’s best for Deception.

Sonny says, Natalia’s daughter left town, and she has no friends, but Lois says, she has one at least. Sonny says, it’s good for Natalia and will help Deception grow, and if it grows, it helps Brook. Lois says she appreciates that Sonny wants to do good, but donate money to an animal rescue or adopt a dog. He and Natalia would look cute with a puppy. Don’t use Deception money to park mob money. Sonny says, the money earmarked for Deception is absolutely legit and accounted for. If she wants to know where it’s coming from, Jason will tell her. Just ask him.

Ava says, John’s plan is great, and she loves it, but out of curiosity, what is his Plan B? He says he doesn’t need one this time. Someone made Clement mess with Sonny’s medication, and Sonny is going to want to know who that is, so he’ll look for Clement. John will be waiting when he does. She asks, what if Sonny kills Clement? but John says, he won’t. She says, if that happens, she’ll lose any leverage she has to protect herself, and he says, she has him.  Scotty walks in and says he wanted to talk to Ava about the case, and Ava says, Scotty is a brilliant strategist. John should tell Scotty his plan. He’s not friend of Sonny’s. Scotty says, that’s a polite way to put it, and Ava says, Scotty will give John an honest objective opinion. John can trust him.

Cody and Sasha come back, and Maxie says she thinks James is on the property. Felicia and Mac join them, and Mac asks if there’s been any sign, but Maxie says, not yet. Sasha says, they should split up, and Felicia says, they’ll stay here in case James comes back. They leave, and Mac says, she can stay. He’ll go look. She says, the others have that covered. She wants to have a chat. This nonsense with Cody ends now.

Cody tells Sasha that he feels like garbage. James ran away because of him. Sasha says, James is a little kid. Running away is how they solve their problems. Cody isn’t the problem. Cody says he created the problem, but Sasha asks if he saw how frosty Maxie was with Mac. It doesn’t matter. They’ll find James together. He says, she has a nose like a bloodhound, and he has a voice that carries for miles. Together, they’ve got this. If she was a tiny cowboy, where would she go?

Willow tells Nina that after their kiss on the 4th of July, she doesn’t trust herself to be around Drew. She never thought something like this would happen. She loves her family. They’re her everything. Nina says, Willow never thought part of her could have feelings for anyone else, but she did, and Willow says she hates the feeling and it’s not going away. Nina says she’s in no position to be giving relationship advice, but she thinks the feeling will pass with time. Willow says, that’s what she thought, but this doesn’t feel like a crush, and Nina suggests they talk it through. What about Drew gets to her? Willow tells her that she wishes she could say one thing. She could get over one thing. But she’s attracted to all of him. Nina asks for an example, and Willow says she knows it sounds cliché, but part of her is attracted to him because he’s not her husband. She doesn’t have to ask him to do things around the house. She feels horrible saying it, and in the grand scheme of things, it’s nothing. Nina says, the feeling is normal, but Willow says, Drew doesn’t seem like every day normal. He risked life to save hers. His kind of courage and strength are pretty rare. Nina says she’ll be forever grateful, and Willow says, her too. Drew fought to put himself back together after Pentenville, and all he wants to do is give back and be a good dad. Sometimes she feels like there’s a part of Michael’s life that he keeps from her. It’s not like that with Drew. He gives his whole self to things… She just made a list about the man she’s attracted to who’s not her husband. Nina says, Willow can talk to her. She knows Willow loves Michael, and Michael loves her. Willow says, Michael has withheld things from her, but Nina says, the things he was withholding aren’t necessarily bad. Willow says she knows when Michael keeps things from her, he’s trying to protect her, but Drew treats her like she’s strong enough to know the truth. She knows he’d never lie to her.

Lucy says, Deception’s leadership is heavily weighted with Creatives, which isn’t a bad thing, but they’ve never had a CFO, and they need one. Tracy says she agrees. She’ll contact some people and get suggestions and set up interviews. Lucy says she needs to remember to let the candidates know they need to be ready, willing, and able to invest a large amount of cash. The last report she saw had a lot of sad arrows pointing down and she doesn’t want to see that again. Natalia says, that’s what she’d be solely focused on. It would be totally about the numbers. Brook says, it will free them up to explore the expansion initiatives they’ve been talking about, and Lucy says, they could use a large infusion of cash. Tracy says, once they accept Sonny’s offer, why stay legitimate? and Lucy asks if any of them know anything about smuggling, being a bookie, or counterfeiting. She understands that Tracy isn’t comfortable working with Sonny, so she needs to pick up the phone and call people who can come up with millions to match Sonny’s offer.

Jason says, the money set aside comes from Corinthos Coffee, and Sonny says, it’s a legitimate business, in good standing with the IRS. Jason says, the Feds audit them all the time, but they’ve always passed, and Lois says she appreciates Jason being honest. He’s also selective with what he says, and it’s nice to talk to someone who doesn’t just like to hear the sound of their own voice. She’ll tell Brook about what they discussed. Sonny says he looks forward to doing business with her, and she says, we’ll see. She leaves, and Sonny asks what Jason found out about the pharmacist.

John says, as long as he’s got the pharmacist, he can get to Sonny. Sonny has gotten away too long without paying. It’s their chance to get justice. Scotty asks if John thinks he can pull this off, and John says he does. Scotty asks how he can help.

Jason says, Ava admitted she knew about the tampering, but wouldn’t say who was behind it, and Sonny says, assuming it’s not Ava. His judgement became cloudy after she moved in. Her story is convenient. Jason says, she wants them to think she has something of value to trade, but the only way to know is to question the pharmacist.

Scotty says, Sonny is a two-bit criminal and he’ll shed no tears, but John says, he’s more than that. He’s involved in money laundering and extortion, and he’s got to be honest. There’s something personal to this piece – Karen. Scotty says he’s glad John said it. Karen deserves justice for what Sonny did to her and it’s about time she gets it. Ava clears her throat to get their attention and says, she thought they wanted Sonny to pay, but it seems to be more than that. It’s a little risky. Scotty says, they’re throwing in with the Feds. Is John going to give him a gun? John says, no, and Ava says, if this works, Clement is eventually going to disclose to the Feds that she knew he was tampering with Sonny’s medication. John says he can’t see why that would come up, and Scotty says, they’ll make a deal in exchange for giving them Sonny. John says, they need to get Clement in a secure location first. That part will be tricky. Scotty says he can handle that.

Nina says she supports any decision Willow makes. She just wants Willow to do what’s best for herself. But do her a favor and not be so hard on herself. No one is perfect and she’s trying to do what’s best for her family. Willow says, if she was trying to do that, she wouldn’t have kissed Drew, but Nina says, one tiny kiss doesn’t have to change anything. James continues to listen, and Willow thanks Nina and takes her hands. She says she doesn’t know how Nina knew the exact words she wanted to hear, and Nina says, because Willow is her daughter. Willow says, they should go back to the house, and Nina grabs Willow’s hat and says, she has a beach to get to. They leave, and James comes out. He says, huh.

Mac asks why Felicia is looking at him like he’s responsible, and she says, James adores Cody. He ran away because Mac wouldn’t let him see Cody. Mac says he just told Maxie that James could go back, but she says, Maxie should have been allowed to make her own decision about James’s association with Cody. By the time Mac issued his decree, it was too late. James is just a child. He doesn’t understand what happened in the first place. He says, it’s not something you discuss with a child, and she says, and apparently an adult. It seems like he’s deliberately punishing Cody. Mac knew Cody adored James. His ego was bruised, and he decided to get between them. It’s true and he knows it and look where got him.

James reaches for the frisbee, then thinks for a moment. He balances himself on the wall, but when he reaches out, he falls in the water. He yells for help and calls to Cody.

Maxie calls to James and says, he’s making her nervous. He’s not in trouble. Come out. Her phone rings, and she says she hopes it’s someone with their hands on James. She looks at the phone and says, sorry, Tracy. For once, you’ll have to handle the decision on your own. Spinelli joins her and she asks why he’s not talking. He says he overextended his larynx while yelling for James, and she says she should have known what would happen. She knows how James’s mind works. He says, no one could have predicted this, but she says, James was sad because he and Cody were being kept apart. Like his dad Nathan, James is loyal to the core. Mac is upset that Cody worked his way into James’s heart, but Cody’s not going anywhere.

Mac asks if he’s the only one who thinks James shouldn’t be spending time with some grifter, and Felicia says, Mac isn’t the patron saint of honesty. He came to Port Charles with his own agenda and was always working an angle. Sound like someone else? Has he conveniently forgotten the missteps he took with Robert? Robert rescued him from the water only to push him back in. He says, that was a long time ago, and she says, Mac changed. He grew up and matured, and he’s the most trustworthy person she knows. A lot of people gave him a second chance. She’s disappointed that he won’t he extend the same grace to his own son. She walks out.

Natalia is talking finance, when Lois comes in. She asks if she missed anything good, and Brook says she doesn’t know if it’s good, but Natalia is holding her own. Tracy says, the offer looks good, but it’s supposed to. It seduces you into thinking there’s a brighter future ahead. Lucy says, it’s business, not one of Tracy’s many marriage proposals she accepted from fortune hunters. Tracy says, Lucy knows all about fortune hunting. Maxie isn’t here, so it falls on her to be the voice of reason. They need to think about the company and its employees. Lois says, from in the cheap seats, she thinks Tracy is making an excellent point, and Tracy says, finally someone besides her is willing to engage in rational thinking.

Jason says, Clement worked a shift the other day at GH and hasn’t been seen since. He’s not at home, and Brick is going through GH’s security tapes to see what time he was last seen. Sonny says, he has no other talents or identities? and Jason says, no. Sonny says, he’s going to want protection, and Jason says, or a ticket out of town. Sonny says, he’ll lead them to whoever he’s working for, when Jason’s phone rings. Jason asks if Brick has something… Is it a positive ID?… Okay. Call when he finds him. He tells Sonny that Brick looked at the hospital footage, and Clement was last seen being escorted out of GH by John Cates.

Jason wonders why the FBI would take the pharmacist into custody. Why get involved? Sonny says, Ava’s been spending time with Jagger, and Jason says, maybe Cates ordered Clement to switch Sonny’s medication. Sonny says, Jagger is capable of doing a lot of things he didn’t think he was. Jason looks at his phone and says, Cates is with Ava at the gallery. Scotty is there too. Sonny says he wants eyes on all of them.

John says, Scotty thinks he can scoop up Clement and take him to a secure site? and Scotty says he knows he can. John asks, where? and Scotty says, Windymere. Ava doesn’t live there anymore, and nobody has moved in. John says, it’s perfect. It can only be accessed by boat and there are no nosy neighbors to give them up to Sonny. Okay. They’ll meet there once Scotty gets his hands on Clement. Scotty says, he’ll see them soon with the package, and leaves. Ava asks if the FBI isn’t supposed to protect the public, and John says, Clement will be fine. She says she’s not worried about the pharmacist. She’s worried about herself.

Tracy suggests they table the conversation until they calm down and Maxie is available, and Brook asks if she’s saying they’re the ones who are too emotional. Tracy tells her that she’s saying, upon further reflection, letting Sonny in is like inviting in a vampire. He’s a duplicitous crook who would sell his mother to make a deal. Lois says, whatever faults Sonny has – and he has many – Sonny is a man of his word. Lucy says, it’s his bond, and Lois says, if he claims the money is clean, she believes him. Brook says, Sonny would never invest tainted money in Deception, and Natalia says, she’ll do the forensic accounting, and if it doesn’t seem legit, she’ll kill the deal herself. Lucy says, it looks like they have themselves a brand-new CFO.

Nina and Willow find Michael back at the house, and Nina tells Michael that she was hoping to talk to Willow about the PSAs, but Willow told her that she’s going back to nursing. She thinks it’s wonderful, and Elizabeth will be so happy to have her back. She knows that GH and every patient of Willow’s will be thrilled.

Cody looks for James at the boathouse, and says he needs James to come out. He needs help with the horses. James yells, help me, and Cody takes off his shoes. He says he’s coming, and dives in.

Maxie tells Spinelli, the first thing she’s going to tell James is that he can take all the riding lessons he wants. Then she’s going to strangle him. Spinelli says, she should walk him through the consequences of his actions, and she says she wants him to learn from this and feel bad. He says, that’s reasonable. He’s a lucky kid to have so many people worried about him. She says, there could be a thousand people out looking for him, but nobody will find him unless he wants them to.

Cody grabs James and brings him back to shore. He asks if James is okay, and James says, Cody saved him. They hug, and Mac sees.

Nina says she’ll miss working with Willow, but she’s proud that Willow is choosing what makes her happy. Willow thanks her for everything. And on that note, she’s putting her hat in her bag along with all the sunblock she can find, and she’ll join them on the beach. She leaves, and Michael thanks Nina for keeping their conversation between them. Nina says, Willow didn’t need to know about it the way things are going. She hopes he has a great time at the beach with his family. He deserves it. She starts to leave, and he asks if she’s busy on Friday the 30th. The Quartermaines are having a dinner for extended family. Willow and the kids would love to see her. Drew will there too, of course (🍷). Nina says she’d love that, and she’ll be there.

Tracy says, they’ve thrown rational thinking out the window over misplaced loyalty to Sonny. What about those of them who didn’t grow up with him? Lois says she trusts Sonny and he wouldn’t put Deception in jeopardy, and Brook says she knows Tracy is nervous. Tracy says, everybody should be nervous. If they let Sonny in, it will be the end of Deception, and they’ll be lucky not to be escorted out in handcuffs.

Clement paces in a basement, when Scotty comes in. Clement asks, who’s he? and he says, Scott Baldwin. He’s here to rescue him.

Ava says, John is placing everybody at risk except himself. He’s using Clement and it’s dangerous. Now John wants to hide him at Windymere, putting her in more danger. John says, it’s ideal, and she says, if it doesn’t go the way he wants, it’s also an ideal place to dump her body. Even if she survives, she’s being charged with attempted murder. There are photos of the incident with Kristina, one of the many things that keep her up at night. He says he’s seen them. Hold on… It’s possible they don’t prove what everybody thinks. If you look at the photos another way, they could tell a different story about what happened in the hotel room. (Ugh. He’s such a jerk.)

Jason wonders how much the FBI knows about what Cates is doing. His assignment was about Pikeman. How would he explain what he’s been doing all along? Sonny says he doesn’t care. It’s personal. Jagger hates him and crossed lines to get to him. Sooner or later, Sonny is going to cross lines too.

Tomorrow, Laura tells Jack that she thinks they have a unique opportunity; Mac admits to James that it’s his fault; Ava tells John that it’s a stretch to make her the victim; and Sonny tells Jason that if Jagger forces his hand, he won’t have a choice.

👯‍♂️ New Faces of Rice Park…

It’s cute when the actors bring their family members into the fold.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/bradford-andersons-daughters-make-their-gh-debut

🏃🏻‍♀️ Run, Kelly, Run…

She’s a better woman than I am. I ran for two years and I hated it. I could always tell how well it was going by how quickly I started thinking about the cup of coffee I was going to have when the run was over.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/kelly-thiebaud-tackles-a-new-challenge

⚖️ Justice For Johnny…

It’s good news we never should have needed in the first place. They’re practically children, but I hope they rot.

https://ew.com/johnny-wactor-killing-arrests-8696211

🍊 A Split Of Oranges…

I must be a masochist on some level. Otherwise, why would I keep watching these Housewives? Nearly everyone is equally awful, but in different ways. I still kinda like Emily. I don’t believe she’s become meaner since she’s become friends with Tamra, as Gina said, but I have to admit, the friendship puzzles me. Why anyone would be friends with Tamra puzzles me. The women split into two groups to take girls’ trips. Tamra, Jen, Katie, and Alexis – who could only talk about Johnny J. and it’s getting seriously old – went to Tamra’s house in Big Bear; while Gina, Emily, Shannon, and Heather went to La Quinta to stay in a house that Gina was going to be showing. It’s beyond me why Gina would have a party in a house she doesn’t own and is the broker for. No surprise, every time someone committed a housekeeping sin, she nearly had a heart attack. Shannon told Emily about Gina’s mean girl comment, which didn’t sit well with Emily, but when she tried discussing it with Gina, Heather quickly made it about herself, and we were in the middle of the paparazzi thing again. There was some discrepancy about the time frame between Katie telling Gina what she allegedly knew and Gina telling Katie to keep her mouth shut, and Gina asked if she’d ever lied to Heather before. Heather said she didn’t know, which should probably always be the answer to that question, since if they’re a good liar, no one would. Heather decided to give Gina the benefit of the doubt, but this will only last until she doesn’t. You know it will come up again. Heather is never letting this paparazzi stuff go even if she’s the one who has to bring it up. It’s now joined the ranks of Munchausen, Pantygate, and Lucy, Lucy Apple Juicy. While I was a little jealous of them riding saucers down a snowy hill in Big Bear, I can’t even talk about Jen putting her foot in an apple pie and then… No. I can’t. Let it suffice to say she’ll be making money on OnlyFans.

I wouldn’t use the word traitor, but IMO, you can speak hard truths without being an a-hole.

🗽 Hard Choices…

Oh no. What will we do?

🪪 Wearing Humility Well…

I love how down to earth she is. This is a great idea too. I wish everyone would wear nametags all the time. I can remember what somebody said 20 years ago and memorized the entire score of Hamilton in a few weeks, but I’m terrible with names, zip codes, and phone numbers.

https://ew.com/jamie-lee-curtis-asks-crew-wear-name-tags-on-set-8692789

🔥 Avoiding the Heat…

Sean Evans was on Watch What Happens Live last night and told this story.

https://ew.com/ryan-reynolds-joked-about-avoiding-hot-ones-for-years-says-host-sean-evans-8695795

🎬 Battling For Bucks…

So do you think things are frosty at home? Or are they too busy counting their money?

https://ew.com/blake-lively-ryan-reynolds-battle-for-box-office-supremacy-8693731

🐕 You Dogue You…

Another precious nugget gracing the cover. I totally get his desperate need for Brisket. I saw my rescue chihuahua El Wray’s picture and had to have him.

https://people.com/glen-powell-reveals-how-desperate-he-was-to-adopt-his-pup-brisket-8695639

🌇 On Manhattan Island Time…

Start your downtime here tomorrow with soap, a spot of tea, a few wise (or not) words, and a little music. Until then, stay safe, stay being thoughtful about how your actions affect those around you, and stay being selective about what you say. Don’t talk just because you like to hear the sound of your own voice.

August 14, 2024 – James Disappears From the Park, Oh No, Two For Tea, This Week In LA, NYC Comeback, Next Squid, Witchy, No Cameo, Cover Girl & Goes

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Mac and Spinelli play frisbee in the park. James wanders off, and Mac wonders what he did.

At the stables, Cody flashes back to Sasha kissing him. Tracy comes by, and he asks if she wants him to prep Hades, but she says she’s planning on taking him for a ride. So buckle up.

Sasha flashes back to Cody saying he loves James, when Willow comes in and tells her that Cody left his hat. She suggests Sasha take it back to him, but Sasha says she has to be on a call with the caterers. Willow says, Olivia isn’t here. She must have forgotten. Sasha says, it’s not with Olivia. It’s with Drew and he’s MIA.

Drew wakes up next to Nina and asks, what time is it? She says, too early to get up, but he says he’s got a call he can’t miss with Sasha and the caterers. It’s for the campaign. Nina tells him to skip it, but he says, it’s too late to bail. She says, Sasha can handle it, but he says, she can’t make decisions without him. Nina kisses him.

Brook, Lois, and Gio eat on the patio, and Lois asks if Blaze got off okay. Brook says, she got on the plane, and Gio says he has to get going. Lois says, pretty soon, he’ll be focusing on concerts, but he says, there might not be as many as he thought. He was counting on the gallery concert for exposure, but who’s going to go to a gallery owned by a murderer?  

On the phone, Sonny says he needs to find Clement. He opens the door and Natalia is there. She says she came to say goodbye. She’s going home to Puerto Rico.

Tracy says she plans on testing Cody’s mind, not his body, and Cody says, fair warning. He has a finite set of skills. She says she’ll go easy on him, and he says, it doesn’t sound like fun. She asks if he can count and differentiate between black and white, and he says he can. She says, then he can play backgammon.

Lois tells Gio that she’s sure the show will go on in spite of Ava, and Brook says, it might bring more people out of curiosity. Lois says, artists would jump at the chance to attach themselves to Ava’s notoriety. He’s too good and has too many positive things in his life to play background music for the upper-class bourgeoisie. He says he doesn’t care what people think about him, but there are a few people whose opinions matter. Like Uncle Sonny.

Natalia tells Sonny about Blaze’s tour, and says, she and Kristina broke up. Sonny says, Kristina didn’t tell him, and Natalia says, it was difficult for both of them. Maybe Kristina is still processing. She saw Blaze off, but they didn’t part on good terms. Sonny says he’s been there. It’s not easy, but they love each other and he’s sure it will work out. Natalia says, hopefully, but their potential reconciliation won’t take place here. Sonny says, so it’s a permanent move, and she says, that’s the plan. Alison doesn’t want her on tour, and she came here be with her, so she has no reason to stick around. He says, what if he gave her one.

Drew says, it’s a great way to start the day, and Nina says, it was a great way to spend the night. He says he thinks they set a new record. It’s been 10 hours, and they haven’t said anything nasty to each other. Now his would-be constituents await. She says, duty calls.

Michael asks if Willow has seen Drew, and she flashes back to her and Drew being in the elevator. She says, not since last night, and he asks if she’d mind calling him. He’s sure Drew will pick up for his star fundraiser. She says she doesn’t know where he is and doesn’t want to call. They hardly cross paths, and from now on, they won’t see each other at the foundation at all. Michael asks what that means.

Spinelli finds James sitting under a tree and asks if James wants to play frisbee, but James says, no, and asks how long they’re going to stay. Spinelli says, they just got here, but James says he’s bored. Spinelli asks what he wants to do. It will just be between them. James says he wants to ride horses with Cody, but Grandpa Mac said no.

Mac tells Felicia and Maxie, Two Trees is amazing, but Maxie says, there’s no Cody. She knows Mac has his own issues with Cody, but forbidding James to see him wasn’t Mac’s call. Felicia says, they discussed this at home, and Mac says, summer is almost over. James will be back in school before he knows it and he’ll forget about Cody. Maxie says she doubts it and asks if he doesn’t think he’s punished Cody long enough. She leaves, and Felicia says, Mac messed up big. She hopes he plans on fixing it, since she’s not doing it for him.

Maxie meets Nina as she walks into the park, and Nina thanks her for texting. It’s a lovely day. Maxie says, Nina is in a good mood. Did she have her teeth whitened? Nina says, no, and Maxie asks if she did her hair. Something is definitely different. Lucy would say her aura is glowing. Lucy would say, when Scott… Did she sleep with Drew again?

Drew comes in and tells Sasha that they’ll have to reschedule. His campaign strategy session went late and he overslept. She tells him, no problem, and Drew apologizes for barging in. Michael tells him that he and Willow were talking about her work at the Institute, and Willow says she’s come to a decision. She’s decided to go back to nursing. She’s resigning.

Tracy says, Cody gets the first roll, and Cody says, she must have been playing for a long time; she’s so knowledgeable. She says she played with her boys when they were young, then picked it back up when she was in the hospital for a while. He asks what she was in the hospital for, and she says, that’s a little forward. He says, she brought up, and she says she was infected with parasitic brain worms on a tropical vacation from a treat fed to her by Ned’s con artist father, Larry Ashton. Cody says, sounds scary, and she says, it was. He says, there are worse ways to spend time in the hospital than playing backgammon, and she says she remembers it fondly. He says, because she got to be the center of attention, but she says, because she made a friend. (I went through a backgammon phase years ago, so I get why Tracy loves it. It can be addicting.)

Brook says she thinks Sonny would respect Gio for sticking to his word, and Lois says, he has to do what’s best for him. Sonny isn’t his keeper. He’s his own man. Gio says he doesn’t want to let Sonny down, and what’s best for him right now is to get to work. He leaves, and Brook says, Lois is usually Sonny’s biggest defender, but she’s telling Gio not to care what Sonny thinks. What’s going on?

Sonny asks if Natalia wants to stay in Port Charles, and she says, it has its charms, but in her current situation, she lacks the income to sustain a bicoastal life. He says, this is where he can help, but she says, the only thing she knows about coffee is that she’s useless in the morning without it. (Same.) He says, she knows numbers, and he calls Brook. He says he was wondering if she could come over. He’s got a proposition for her. Brook asks, what kind of proposition?

Willow tells Drew and Michael that she agonized about it for weeks. She missed nursing. It fulfilled her and she feels she has a purpose as a nurse more than doing PSAs. Michael says he would have understood, and she says she wanted to be sure. She didn’t want to disappoint anyone. Nina has been helpful, and they won’t be working together anymore. Neither will she and Drew, and he’s been so supportive. Drew says he’ll always believe in her. She’s got his faith and support whether she works at the Institute or GH. He and Michael feel the same way. She should do what makes her happy. Willow says she appreciates him making it easy. She has to get the beach stuff together. She’ll meet Michael back here. She and Drew leave in opposite directions, and Sasha says, Michael rolled with Willow’s decision, but he says, what choice did he have?

Nina says she thought Drew would ditch his plans. They had an amazing time. Maxie says she knows. They had great sex. There were fireworks. Drew spending the night was unexpected. Nina says, it’s not like they’re in love. They’re two consenting adults enjoying each other. The more Drew sees it as enjoyable, the less he’ll intrude on her daughter’s marriage.

Spinelli tells James that he knows it seems unfair, but disagreements happen sometimes. Like how he has fights with his friends. James says, they usually make up, and Spinelli says he’s sure Mac and Cody will too, but it will take time.  

Mac says he’s not apologizing to make it easier on Cody. He’s a liar and a sneak. He doesn’t need or want Cody in his life. Felicia says she’s not convinced Cody shouldn’t get a second chance, but it’s Mac’s decision and she’s good with whatever he decides. He says, thanks, and she says, but don’t drag their grandson into it. The longer he keeps James and Cody apart with no explanation, the worse his and James’s relationship will be. Is that a price he’s willing to pay?

Tracy tells Cody that she was not a model patient. Her doctor weathered her ill humor with grace and got to know her. He was gentle and kind, but he was tough. And don’t get her started on how prickly he could be. Cody says, he sounds like an interesting fellow, and she says she clicks with few people the way she did with him. He says he’s glad the doctor was there for her, and she says, her too. Finn is one of a kind. He says, she misses him, and she says, very much.

James sneaks around and watches the others from behind a tree. Spinelli asks if Nina and Maxie want to play frisbee.  

As they sit on a bench, Mac tells Felicia that he’s trying to shield James from disappointment, but sooner or later, he’ll realize Cody is not the hero he pretends to be. She says, what if he’s wrong? What if Cody lives up to James’s expectations? Sometimes people can be better if they know someone believes in them.

James slips behind another tree and watches Mac and Felicia.

Lois and Brook go to the penthouse, and Sonny says he didn’t know Lois was going to show up. Lois says she was with Brook when he called and it piqued her curiosity, so she thought she’d come along. She and Brook greet Natalia, and Lois asks, what’s the idea he’s got them so eager to hear? Sonny says he was investing in a new record label, and Brook says, don’t get her wrong. She’s happy that Blaze is living her dream on tour, but she’s disappointed their idea got shelved. Sonny says, the money he set aside is still there, and he thought of a better use for it than it sitting in a bank collecting interest. Brook asks what he has in mind, and he says he’d like to invest in Deception.

Drew goes to the boathouse where Willow is getting the beach stuff together and asks if Willow needs some help. She says, thanks, but no thanks, then slips moving a box and falls on her behind. He holds out his hand, but she says she’s got it. She gathers what she needs and says she doesn’t want to keep Michael waiting. Drew says he doesn’t want her to make a big mistake.

Sasha says she knows Michael was excited about Willow’s job at the Institute, but he says, only because Willow was. If he’s learned anything from her, it’s that time is precious, and he doesn’t want her wasting it being unhappy. He doesn’t have to tell Sasha how precious time is with the person you love. He’s sorry. He wasn’t thinking. She says she’s made as much peace as she’s going to with Brando’s death. Now she smiles most of the time, rather than cries, when she thinks about him. She doesn’t think she could survive another heartbreak. He says she’s stronger than she thinks. Life doesn’t come with guarantees. You can wonder if you missed out on something great or risk being hurt.

Cody asks if Tracy has heard much from Finn, and she says she thinks he’s been concentrating on his recovery. He says it sounds like they have a special relationship, and he’s sure they’ll be happy to see each other when Finn comes home. She says she doesn’t know how happy Finn will be to see her, and he asks, why not? She says she may have been too hard on him. He hugged her when he left, but she hasn’t heard from him. He says he’s had friends go through rehab, and when Finn is thinking clearly, he’ll understand. She says she hopes so. Her only goal was to help him. He says, it sounds like underneath that tough shell, she’s pretty warm, fuzzy, and compassionate. Did he just win? She says, what? How? He says, beginner’s luck.

Sonny says, Deception has been struggling since last summer. He thinks the cash will take them over the hump and they’ll expand their audience. He’ll structure the deal, but be a silent partner. Brook says, this could be a game changer, and he says, on one condition. They hire Natalia.

Maxie brings Nina over to the group, and Nina says she wanted to come by to see them and James. Mac says, if James is still hellbent on taking riding lessons with Cody, he won’t stand in his way, and Maxie says, finally. She calls to James, but there’s no answer. She wonders where he is and yells, answer me right now!

Sonny says he wants to invest a lot of cash in Deception without taking an active role, but he wants a representative to handle his interests. Natalia is great with finances and negotiating. Brook says, Natalia’s haggling over Blaze’s contract kept Lucy awake at night, but Lois says, the music business is different than a cosmetics company. Brook says, she and Lucy lean more toward the creative side rather than financial, and Sonny says, Natalia knows numbers and will work in his best interest. Lois says, what about when his best interests don’t align with Deception’s? and Natalia says, that’s a fair question. Deception’s best interests are identical to Sonny’s. If he succeeds, then they do. Brook says she needs to discuss it with her partners. She’ll start with Tracy.  She suggests Natalia come along, since she thinks Natalia is her own best advocate, and Natalia says she’d love to. Brook thanks Sonny and says she’ll be in touch, and Natalia tells him, what she said. They leave, and Sonny asks Lois to stick around. He has a few words to say to her. She says she has a dictionary she’d like to break over his head, and he tells her that he just wants to say he’s sorry.

Spinelli suggests they split up to search for James, and Nina says, he’s a smart kid. Maxie says, too smart for his own good, and Spinelli says, it’s the first time he’s taken off like that. Maxie says she thinks she knows where to find him, and leaves, when Nina gets a call from Michael. She asks if everything is all right, and he says, everything’s fine, but he needs to talk to her about Willow.

At the boathouse, Willow tells Drew that her role isn’t what she expected. She’s not feeling fulfilled. He says, then they’ll make her feel fulfilled, but she says, they can’t. Being there at all is the problem. He says he had no indication, and she says she didn’t realize until she visited Kristina. When she was helping Kristina, she remembered why she fell in love with nursing and realized she missed the work. He says, she’s so good. He’s seen the numbers and she’s driving up donor registration. She says she’ll keep doing it until the Institute finds a replacement, but she can’t commit to anything else. She’s going back to GH. He says he’s happy for her, but wants to make sure her motivation is honest. Does her resignation have anything to do with him?

Tracy says, Cody cheated, but he says, how could he? She was watching him the whole time. She says, he’s not a beginner, and he says he never told her that he was. She assumed. It’s only hustling if you’re playing for money. She says she could have won if she hadn’t been distracted by his questions about Finn, and he says he wanted to know more about her. If he happened to win in the meantime, good. She says, next time, she won’t be so benevolent, and he says he expects nothing less. Sasha comes in and says she doesn’t want to interrupt, but Tracy says she arrived just in time. She was about to beat Cody senseless. Rematch? He says he looks forward to it, when Tracy’s phone rings. She walks out while talking to Brook, and Cody tells Sasha, backgammon is a bloodsport around here. She says she found this, and hands him his hat. He puts it on, and she says she found something else – her senses. He asks what she means, and she says she’s tired of being scared and playing it safe. Life is short. She thinks they should do this. He says, do what? and she kisses him.

Mac says he saw James and Spinelli with their heads together. What were they talking about? Spinelli says, James is distressed about Mac’s antipathy toward Cody, and Felicia says, this isn’t the way she wanted to be proved right.

Sasha asks if Cody can take a break, and he says he can take the whole day. He has to shower too. She says, he doesn’t smell bad. They can get dirtier together. They start to get busy, when Maxie walks in. She says she’s sorry. She doesn’t need to see this. Congratulations. She’ll let them both get back to it, but she has a question. Have they seen James anywhere?  

Nina asks Michael, what’s wrong? and Michael tells her that she and Willow won’t be collaborating on the New Tomorrow Institute anymore. Willow is resigning and returning to GH. He’ll let Willow be the one to tell her why. Nina says she can probably guess.  

Drew says, Willow’s work at the Institute is important to them and she’s changing lives. Don’t give up because he made it complicated. She says, it’s the only way to make it better. She loves Michael, and she’s committed to him and her family. But she can’t stop thinking about Drew. It’s wrong, and she wants as much distance put between them as possible before she does anything else she regrets. She takes the beach stuff and leaves.

Sonny says he found out that his meds had been off for a while, and Lois says, that’s a big deal. Is he okay? Did they fix the dosage? He says he’s back on track. He wants her to know she means the world to him. She always has and always will. Lois says, he means the world to her too, and thanks him for telling her. She saw he was off. Now she knows why. He asks if they’re friends again. Are they square? She says, they’re always friends. Square, not so much. He asks what she means, and she says, the infusion of money to Deception. Where is it coming from? (Didn’t they have this conversation? It’s the same money.) He says, every dime is legit. She can call his accountant. She says she believes him, but even the appearance of impropriety will be more damaging than maleficence. He asks what’s worrying her, and she says she loves him, and his personal life is his own, but she doesn’t want the business under federal scrutiny because he’s trying to impress a woman.

Brook tells Tracy, it’s a large infusion of capital that could fund Research and Development for five years. They can finally break ground on that. Tracy asks what Natalia thinks her title should be, and Natalia says she thinks CFO is appropriate. Tracy says she’s surprised the financial institution didn’t contact her, and Brook says, it’s a small bank, but the money is vetted and secured. Tracy asks, what’s the name of the bank? and Brook says, the Bank of Sonny. Tracy says, over my dead body

Tomorrow, Lucy says she thinks it’s a great idea; John tells Ava that he’s got Sonny where he wants him; Maxie says, nobody is going to find James unless he wants them to; and Cody dives into the water, presumably looking for James.

🍽 Eating My Words…

I have no words. Actually, I do, but this blog is rated PG-13.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/jacqueline-grace-lopez-says-goodbye-to-general-hospital-2

🫖 Striving For Elegance…

Love these two together.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/ghs-jophielle-love-on-violet-and-tracys-tea-party

💰 Hard Times In Listings…

Not only does the market still stink, buyers are also pulling out of deals; JoshA saying the fallout was around 25%. He came close to getting a new house for JoshF, going so far as to forego his commission, but JoshF wasn’t willing to come up even another $200K. I always figure, when you’re talking millions, what’s another couple hundred thousand? Tracy, playing the role of JoshF’s broker, had already agreed to no commission since JoshF had done the same for her. Since they were at an impasse, Tracy suggested they finish the tequila and call it a night. JoshF then began to lean toward rebuilding his gutted dreamhouse. In an interesting panty twist, Tracy found a pair of satin undies amongst the rubble and threw them over the fence. Nice. She’s going to be exiled to Summer House if she’s not careful.

🗽 Returning To New York…

That pigeon décor is pretty impressive.

https://extratv.com/2024/08/13/watch-erin-lichy-confront-husband-abe-about-lying-in-rhony-season-15-trailer/

🐙 Your Post Christmas Present…

A new Game is coming December 26th.

https://comicbook.com/anime/news/squid-game-season-2-new-players-trailer/

🧹 Channeling Those Before…

Instead of WandaVision’s sitcom approach, Agatha will be using the witches of yore to tell her story.  

https://ew.com/agatha-all-along-trailer-kathryn-hahn-joe-locke-d23-8693175

🦸 Not Done Yet…

The ones who didn’t make it.

https://ew.com/halle-berry-says-ryan-reynolds-never-asked-me-to-cameo-in-deadpool-and-wolverine-8695666

https://people.com/robert-downey-iron-man-cameo-deadpool-wolverine-8693208

🐶 What a Dogue…

Pilaf deserves her own magazine cover. She’s an unbelievably cute little nugget of pup.

https://people.com/demi-moore-tiny-dog-pilaf-gets-her-own-vogue-cover-8695515

🍫 Love You S’more…

Join me tomorrow for soap and the OC in LaQuinta. Until then, stay safe, stay understanding that integrity and character are what really matter, and stay not wasting time being unhappy. Time is precious.

August 13, 2024 – Blaze Makes Two Decisions, New Heather, Old Friends, Next Chapter, Dubai Swings In Bali, Watch Party With Awful People, VanderSales & Sugar

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

I was busy with something else at the beginning, but my main takeaway point was Tracy having a tea party for Violet and her stuffed animals. And Ava, John, and Scotty showed up…

At the MetroCourt, Carly says she doesn’t understand why Ava is here and not in jail, and Ava says she pled not guilty and made bail. Carly says, Kristina could die and her baby did die, and Ava sails in here like she doesn’t give a damn. She’s not capable of shame. Ava says, Kristinka’s fall was an accident, and Scotty tells her to hold her peace until the trial. Ava says she wants to collect her things, but Carly tells her, good luck. Her room is a crime scene. Ava says, that’s ridiculous. Nothing happened. Carly says, she’ll also have to find other accommodations. They’re booked. Ava says, of course (🍷), and Carly tells her to contact the PCPD for her things. John asks if they can have a table, and Carly says she’ll send someone over.  

Anna wonders what Jack wants with Carly, and he asks if the table and the wine don’t give it away. She says, a romantic dinner for two? and he says, exactly. Valentin must have used that tactic on her. She asks why he’s using it on Carly, and he says he enjoys Carly’s company. She wonders if he’s incapable of giving a straight answer, and he asks if it’s difficult to believe he’s intrigued by a woman, enjoys her company, and wants to see where it leads. She says, yeah. Something big is definitely in the works. Why else would the WSB open an office here? Jack admits that the WSB never does anything without an ulterior motive.

Kristina says, Blaze worked her whole life for a break like this. Her mother is right. She has to go. Blaze asks why Kristina is pushing her away. Yes, she focused on her career at the expense of everything else. Love, happiness, and belonging were things she was afraid to hope for because she was afraid to lose her mother and family’s love. Then Kristina happened and became her everything else. Now Kristina wants to push her away. Go ahead, but she’s not leaving Kristina alone to deal with her grief because she loves her. Kristina says, she really does, and Blaze says, so much. Kristina says, then she really has to leave.

Sonny tells Jason that Ava will say anything to save her skin, and Jason says, they’d still have to prove or disprove what she says. If it wasn’t her, who was it? Sonny says, she had easy access, and Jason wonders, what if the switch didn’t happen here? Sonny says, then it’s the pharmacy. Jason needs to go and find out who’s filling his prescription and see what they have to say, and Jason says, copy that. Sonny’s phone rings, and he tells Jason that it’s good news. Ava made bail. Jason asks why he wants Ava out of jail, and Sonny says, it’s easier to even the score.

Ava says, John being there made all the difference. Who knew she was being called to testify as a material witness in an ongoing FBI investigation? Carly approaches the table and asks, what kind of investigation? If she contacts the FBI, how surprised will they be that there’s an investigation? Ava asks what she’s implying, and Carly says, the FBI isn’t interested in Sonny, but that’s all Cates cares about. John says, it’s his job to arrest criminals, and Carly says, he’s using Ava like he used her and Jason. The only thing he cares about is sending Sonny to prison.

Anna says, something else is going on, and Jack says, absolutely yes, but he has no idea what. The WSB’s hidden agenda remains hidden. She says, he expects her to believe he has no inkling, and he says he’s been demoted to lowly station chief. She sits down and tells him to level with her. She’s already figured out his arrest and Valentin being revealed as the head of Pikeman was a charade. John asks, how many syllables? (BA-DUM-CHH!) and she asks if Valentin is really on the run. She imagines he’s cozied up with Charlotte in a chalet in Switzerland courtesy of the WSB. He says, Valentin was allowed to flee their jurisdiction, and asks whose side Anna is on. Anna says, whose side indeed, when her phone rings. She answers and tells them, thank you. She tells Jack, it’s been fun, and he says, either jaywalking or a parking violation. She says, trespassing. Enjoy what’s left of his evening. The wine is really good. She leaves.

Violet asks if Tracy’s mother liked tea parties, and Tracy says, she loved them. She was a proper Englishwoman and had tea every afternoon. Violet says, there are a lot of pictures of her all over. She was pretty. Tracy says, she was a beauty, and Violet says, she seemed nice. Tracy says, she was the nicest and down to earth. She could put someone in their place and still be kind. She was impossible to argue with. Violet asks, if she was so nice, why argue with her? and Tracy says she doesn’t know. Sometimes families argue and the Quartermaines do it more than most.

Kristina tells Blaze that she loved the baby so much and had so much hope, but all her hope and love went with her. She’s empty and has nothing left to give, even to Blaze. Blaze asks if Kristina is saying she doesn’t love her anymore, but Kristina tells her that she’s saying she can’t love anything or anyone, and it’s not fair for Blaze to give up something that could make her life great, when Kristina will make her life miserable. Blaze says, what if it’s the grief talking? What if they can navigate it and Blaze can see her through this hell, and they find heaven on the other side? Kristina says, it sounds beautiful. It seems like it belongs in a song. Maybe Blaze can sing it on tour. What if, in the best-case scenario, they get through this, then what? What if every time Blaze sees someone performing and living the life she could have had, Blaze hates her, or worse resents her? She’ll leave anyway and they’ll be where they are now. Is Blaze telling her that some part of her doesn’t want to get on the plane to Hong Kong and open for Miguel Morez? Blaze says, of course (🍷) she wants to go, but why is Kristina making her feel like she has to choose her career over her? Kristina says, because she has to live her best life right now and Blaze’s best life is not here with her.

Jason says, Kristina is strong. She’s made it through so far, and she’ll make through this. Sonny says, Jason didn’t see her eyes when she asked him to make Ava pay. Jason says, of course (🍷) she was angry. She should be, but when she calms down… Sonny says, Kristina didn’t know that kind of hate, but he understands because he has the same hate. Ask Alexis. She walked in and asked him not to kill Ava. Jason says, she believes in the law and thinks that’s the way to get justice, and Sonny says, she thinks if Ava dies, Kristina will think it’s because of her and not be able to live with herself. But if she goes through a long trial and Ava walks or worse… Kristina deserves peace. Jason asks what he’s going to do. 

John says, how dare Carly question his integrity? She just squirmed out from under RICO charges because the evidence conveniently disappeared. She escaped justice. Carly says, John was using her. He doesn’t care about justice or the law or his son. John gets all ruffled, and she asks if he’s been in the city where his son lives or where Sonny lives. It’s only a matter of time before the FBI finds out what he’s been doing. She leaves and Scotty says, some celebration. He’s going to split. He leaves, and Ava thanks John. She tells him not to let it get to him. Carly is naturally abrasive, and Sonny brainwashed her for decades. John asks, then why doesn’t she let Donna stay with him? and Ava says, only Carly can judge Sonny. Speaking of Sonny, there’s something she’s been meaning to tell him. When she was in lockup, Sonny sent Jason to intimidate her. She’s afraid her life is in danger.

Sonny says he can’t make a move now, especially with Jagger here. He’s going to bide his time. Jason asks, what about Kristina? Is she willing to sit back and not take matters into her own hands? Sonny says, Kristina doesn’t have it in her on her own to kill Ava. There’s a knock at the door, and Frank says, the Police Commissioner is here. Anna comes in and says, it’s like old times. She learned Ava made bail. Sonny asks what that has to do with him, and she says, nothing and it needs to stay that way. If Ava so much as skins her knee, she’s going to come down on him with full force. Do not touch a hair on Ava’s head.

Tracy says, no argument with her mother lasted long. Everybody adored her. She was the perfect combination of fun and elegant. Violet asks if elegant is the same as fancy, and Tracy says, yes and no. It can also mean tacky, which is the opposite of elegant. When you’re elegant, everything is just right – your words, your voice, the way you carry yourself. Her mother made it look effortless. Violet asks if Tracy is elegant, and Tracy says, on occasion. Violet asks if she is, and Tracy says, for a nine-year-old, very elegant. Keep at it. It takes work. Strive to be elegant and avoid animal prints. Violet says, but she loves animals.

Kristina says, Blaze wants to do what’s best for her and them. She can’t stay here just to be with her or feel like she has to or because she thinks she loves Kristina. All she’ll think about is the tour. Blaze says, if she goes on tour, all she’ll think about is Kristina, and Kristina says, Blaze can be living her dream or living Kristina’s nightmare wishing she was living her dream, and Blaze says, fine. She’ll go, but she’s just a phone call away if Kristina needs anything. After the tour ends… Kristina says, stop. They can’t make promises. They don’t know what they’ll be doing or who they’ll be after the tour. Blaze says she knows she’ll still love Kristina, but Kristina says she can’t put a timeline on grief and healing. She can’t guess what her life will be like. Blaze asks if they can at least check in and see how the other is doing, and Kristina says, deal.  Blaze says, finally, a win, and Kristina says she just wants Blaze to be happy and free to live her life. Blaze says she can’t if Kristina isn’t there, but Kristina says, she’d be surprised. Blaze says, great. Another surprise. She cries and takes Kristina’s hand. She says she’s going to miss Kristina so much, and Kristina says, she’s going to be doing the thing she was born to do. Watching Blaze soar will make her happy. She’ll be so proud. Blaze kisses her and leaves, and Kristina cries.

Anna tells Sonny, stay away from Ava, and he agrees. He says, she’s not a priority. He has Donna, Avery, and Kristina to worry about and no time to worry about Ava. Anna says, see it stays that way. The same for Jason. Sonny says he knows he’s been out of line. He went through some stuff and wants her to know he’s handling it. She says she’s glad he’s doing better, and he thanks her. She says, but she has a job to do, and he says, to serve and protect. Even Ava? She says, even Ava, and he says, she doesn’t have to worry. It’s good seeing her. She leaves.

John asks if Jason threatened Ava, but she says, he’s not much for talking, but he got the point across. He asks what Jason said, and she says, he accused her of replacing Sonny’s medication with the placeboes. She said she didn’t do it, which is true. The point is… He says he knows. The pharmacist is safe and out of Sonny’s reach. She can finally tell him who paid Clement to sabotage Sonny’s mental health. She says she doesn’t know, but don’t tell Sonny. Jack walks in, and John says, unbelievable. Ava asks, who’s that? and John says, somebody who’s supposed to be in prison. At the bar, Trish asks if she can help Jack, and he asks if Carly is still around.

Tracy says she likes animals as much as the next person, and Violet says, she doesn’t like Annabelle II. Tracy says, Annabelle II has one virtue – she’s housebroken. Other than that, she’s ill-mannered and ill-trained. The house is full of antiques, and they might as well put them on the lawn and make an obstacle course. Violet asks if they can ask Monica’s permission, but Tracy says, no. She’d probably say yes, and she’s not turning the house into a canine obstacle course. Violet says, it’s Monica’s house. Alan gave it to her. Tracy says, Alan was too generous for his own good.

Kristina hugs her blanket when there’s a knock at the door. Molly asks how she is. Is she in pain? Kristina says, not so much. She’s able to come home in a couple days. She asks how Molly is doing, and Molly says she was just with TJ at Woodlawn Cemetery. She went to see Ava in jail. Kristina asks, why? and Molly says she wanted Ava to know she’s not getting away with it. Kristina says, she won’t, and Molly says she wishes she was so sure. Kristina says she is sure. She promises Ava is going to pay for what she did. Molly says she doesn’t know how strong a case they have, and Kristina says, there are photos. Has Molly seen them? Molly says she found a note in the case folder, but she hasn’t, and Kristina says she had Michael send them to her. Everyone, including the jury, will see that Ava is the reason she went through that window. She shows Molly the photos on her phone.

In the car at the airport, Natalia tells Blaze that the tour manger will be waiting for her. She’s got to snap out of it. She hasn’t said a word. Blaze looks at her, and Natalia says she knows leaving is hard. She knows leaving Kristina behind in pain is hard, but Blaze must know that the tour is going to boost her career. Opening for Miguel Morez on an international stage in front of millions is not something to pass up. Blaze says, it’s not like she had a choice, and Natalia says, of course (🍷) she did. She can go and be a huge success or stay… Blaze says, and wind up a failure, but Natalia says, it will just take longer. Blaze says she agreed. Natalia doesn’t need to sell it, and she isn’t coming. Natalia says she has to tie up some things in Port Charles and will meet Blaze in Europe, but Blaze says she meant Natalia isn’t joining her at all. She got what she wanted. Kristina broke up with her. Now she’s breaking up with Natalia. You’re fired.

Ava asks what Jack did to get John so spooked, but John says he’s just surprised to see him here.

Carly asks if Jack and Anna got things settled, and he apologizes for the interruption. He suggests she come back and finish the bottle of wine, but she says she doesn’t think that’s a good idea. He says, if he buys her a drink here, is it a better idea? and she says she thinks that would be okay.

John tells Ava not to worry. Sonny won’t get his hands on Clement. Not yet. Ava asks what he means, and he says, when the time is right, he’ll lead Sonny right to him.  

Jason says, Anna doesn’t make empty threats, but Sonny says, nothing is going to happen to Ava. They have other problems. He doesn’t want Avery being influenced by Ava. He’s going to let the court handle it, but don’t forget he has pictures of Ava putting her hands on Kristina. It’s Ava’s fault Kristina went through the window and the baby died. Ava is going down and he’s getting full custody of Avery. Ava is going to prison. Jason wonders what happens once Ava is in prison, and Sonny says, bad things happen in prison.

Violet asks how someone could be too generous for their own good, and Tracy says, her brother was a good man, but sometimes he gave too much of himself. He liked to make others happy, and that side of generosity can be exhausting. Violet says, there are a lot of pictures of him too. Sometimes he looks happy and sometimes he looks serious. Monica said he was a doctor, and they were very much in love. Tracy says, they were a perfect match and loved each other, but it took a while for them to realize it. She thinks Alan giving Monica the house was a stretch. Violet says, they wouldn’t have a place to live or have tea parties, and Tracy says she can’t argue with that. Who was it who told her to say, this is Monica’s house, and Alan gave it to her? Violet says, everybody, and Tracy laughs and says she’s not surprised.

Blaze says she’s firing Natalia, and Natalia says, she doesn’t mean that. Blaze says, doesn’t she? Natalia is always dismissing her. Nothing she wants or feels matters. Natalia is her parent, but as a business manager, Natalia works for her. This is happening whether she wants it to or not. You… are… fired. Now she’s done. She gets out of the car.

Kristina says, the pictures show what happened, and Molly agrees. Kristina says she asked Ava to withdraw the subpoena, and Ava went after their family. She said, their mother was a pathetic drunk and her father was a violent thug not fit to be around a child. Kristina said she’d testify that Ava was the reason Morgan died and that she shot Connie in cold blood and got away with it. She’d tell the court everything she knows about Ava. That’s when Ava grabbed her.

Jack toasts, to new friends, and Carly asks if that’s what they are. He asks if there’s some other zone she prefers, and she says, pals. They clink glasses and she asks why he’s in Port Charles. He says, like she heard him tell Anna, the WSB opened an office here. She says, the real reason, and he admits he didn’t tell Anna everything. She asks what he held back, and he says he was given a choice of positions, here or Bali. She says, and he chose Port Charles? Why? He says, once you’ve seen one tropical paradise, you’ve seen them all, and because she’s here. Carly says, that’s a line, but he says he always speaks the truth.

Ava says, sorry, she doesn’t think she heard right. John wants Sonny to find Clement? John says he’s using Clement as bait. When Sonny goes after him, he’ll be there to arrest Sonny. Ava says, in order for John to do that, doesn’t Sonny have to do something to Clement first? John says he’ll make sure Clement survives to testify. He’s going to use Sonny’s relentless pursuit of vengeance to take him down once and for all.

Jason says, either Ava is lying and she got to the pharmacist, or she’s telling the truth and it’s someone else. Either way, there will be a trail. Sonny wonders if there’s anybody out there who’s actively coming at him, and Jason asks, what about Ava? Sonny says he’ll wait as long as it takes. Kristina doesn’t know that the last words Ava is going to hear will be, this is for Kristina and her baby.

Tomorrow, Tracy says she’s planning on taking Cody for a ride; and Sonny asks, what if he gives Natalia another reason to stick around?

⛓️‍💥 Change Of Heart…

Portia’s head is going to explode.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/alley-mills-on-the-new-heather-on-general-hospital

🎊 Double the Fun…

Lucky and Stone Cold, together again.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/ghs-steve-burton-jonathan-jackson-reunite

📺 Grotesque Return…

Doubtful he’s ever coming back to GH. He was using it as a springboard. I’m not sad about it though. Gio is a much better match for Trina. Spencer was too loud and talked too fast. If they decide to bring Spencer back, they should recast.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/nicholas-chavez-teases-his-return-to-tv

🐪 Dollar Stores In Dubai…

This was the end of the trip to Bali, and I had mixed emotions. The women who griped about wearing the traditional dresses decided that, rather than be seen in these beautiful creations, they just wouldn’t show up. Nice. I was disappointed in Stanbury. Being British, you’d think she’d have more manners than that. She evened it out by making up with Ayan and afterward, they got on a Bali Swing (see below). It looked absolutely terrifying, so better them than me. The episode ended on an all-around positive note, when Ayan announced that the group was like sisters who fought and made up. She’s not wrong, even if that’s because it’s against the law to publicly display your anger at others.

Apparently, these swings are a thing in Bali.

https://www.walkmyworld.com/posts/the-bali-swing

There was also a palm reader who told Stanbury that she’d have a boy. It was unclear whether she meant a baby or just that Stanbury would remain married to Sergio. It looks like there’s a possibility of both happening.

👠 Unreunion In Jersey…

This was kind of weird, but not entirely an awful premise. The group was split in two and had watch parties for the last awful episode. They consisted of Teresa, JenniferA, and Jackie in one room, and Danielle, Rachel, Marge, and JennF in another. According to the recap, Delores played Switzerland and switched between the two rooms, but it seemed like she was mostly with the former group. Admittedly, I wasn’t totally paying attention, but I don’t think she spent much time with the latter. JennF was a bit of a tie breaker, since she was late and chose her own room. Although that might just be a sign that production didn’t care. At the very end, the women gave individual thoughts on their feelings about the season – a need for change seemed to be the universal theme – and Rachel announced to her group that she was pregnant.

Looks like Rachel wasn’t buying what Teresa’s group was selling.

And there are still questions. I, too, was somewhat disappointed, although I don’t know why. Maybe because I decided to watch it in the first place.

👕 Something About Merch…

I’m surprised they bothered opening. That’s some chunk of change for T-shirts and whatnot.

🌇 Left a Mediocre Job In the City…

Come on by tomorrow for soap and the LA art of the deal. Until then, stay safe: stay standing up to rude behavior, but not losing your cool; and stay striving to be elegant and avoiding animal prints.

August 12, 2024 – Jack Takes Up Residence In Port Charles, Who Is Miguel, Mean Girl Guests On Deck & Anthem

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Drew sees Willow at the hospital and says, the pharmacy messed up some of Monica’s medication so he’s here to straighten it out. Has she recovered from their elevator adventure? Elizabeth comes by, and he thanks her for figuring out Monica’s meds. She says, of course (🍷), and he says he’s got to get these to her, and leaves. Elizabeth says she’s missed Willow, and Willow says she’s missed her too. She wishes she was back under better circumstances. She came to see Kristina.

At the MetroCourt bar, Carly says, a 2000 Bordeaux. The customer has great taste. Trish says, they didn’t have what the customer wanted, and they demanded to see the hotel owner. Carly says she has no patience, and if the wine wasn’t so nice, she’d be tempted to throw it at them. Trish says she’d pay money to see that, but Carly says, don’t encourage her.

Maxie goes to Nina’s place and says she thought Nina should hear about James’s big adventure baking brownies by himself. Nina says, Drew is coming over. She’s helping him refine his campaign platform. Maxie says she doesn’t know if Drew’s platform needs any help, but Nina’s story certainly does.  

At the cemetery, TJ says, this is a nice spot, and Jordan says, it’s pretty with the tree. It has space and shade. TJ says, the tree will change with the seasons, reminding them that things grow and change, and nothing lasts forever, even this pain. She says she’s sorry. She wishes she could wave a magic wand and take it away. If it helps, she thinks of all the spaces, this is the most peaceful. He says he thinks so too.

Willow goes to Kristina’s room and says she can come back if Kristina wants to sleep, but Kristina says she’d rather be awake now. When she closes her eyes, all she sees is her daughter. Then when she wakes up – she starts to cry – she has to realize her daughter is gone all over again.

Maxie asks, what’s going on? and Nina says, nothing. She got the wine out to sooth Drew’s nerves after his call with McConkey. And they can celebrate after they’re finished for the night. Maxie says, it’s not Nina’s best idea or her subtlest, and Nina says, whatever Maxie thinks or believes, she’s doing it for Willow.

Willow says, Kristina is in shock and sedated. It’s normal for her mind to play tricks on her. But that doesn’t mean she’s not feeling terrible. Kristina says she knows Willow suffered this kind of loss, and Willow says she has. Kristina says, and Willow knows this empty feeling, and Willow says she does. Kristina tells her that they say time heals, but she can’t imagine that being true. Did time help her forget the horrible loss of her baby? Willow says, forget? No, but the passage of time makes it easier to remember without falling apart. Kristina says, sometimes she thinks she feels her daughter kicking. Did that happen to Willow? Willow says, something similar happened. She kept reliving the last and only time she held her baby and could his feel weight in her arms. Kristina says she thinks she’s going crazy and can’t handle this much pain without breaking. She can tell people are just saying anything to make it better, but nothing makes any difference. Did anyone say anything to Willow that made it feel better? Willow says, the only people who helped were the ones who could sit with her in her sadness and understand how much she was hurting. The ones who just let her be. Kristina agrees.

Brook asks Blaze how Kristina is, and Blaze says, everyone else has been in there but her. Brook suggests she focus on the good stuff and asks if Blaze got her email. Blaze says she hasn’t been able to focus on it, and Brook says, it’s happening. They haven’t signed a contract yet, but Blaze is going to be the opening act for Miguel Morez’s fall tour. (See below.) Blaze says she needs to nurse Kristina through her recovery. Can’t she join in a few months? Brook says, the tour is starting in Hong Kong and Blaze has to leave tonight, but Blaze says, that’s impossible. Brook says she knows it’s fast, but it’s doable. The tour will take Blaze’s career over the top internationally, and the fallout from her mother outing her and her being dropped from her record label will be forgotten. She deserves to be a superstar, and this is her chance. She knows the timing is terrible, but Kristina has people who love and will care for her. She’s out of danger. If Blaze turns this tour down, the opportunity isn’t coming around again.

TJ thanks Jordan for helping. It makes an awful day better. He should reserve the site before someone else does. She says she doesn’t want to overstep, but shouldn’t Molly be helping him? He says, of course (🍷). He texted and called, but he’s gotten no response. He doesn’t know where she is, but he’s there picking out a plot for their baby without her.

Jack finds Carly says, good. She brought the wine. She says, it’s not the one he wanted, but she hopes it will do. He looks at the bottle and says, it’s fantastic. And it’s too good not to share. Will she join him? (I love Jack. He’s the epitome of suave.)

In Jack’s room, Carly says, he ordered a lot of food, and he says, everything sounded so good, he couldn’t help himself. Will she join him? He hates to eat alone. She should test the wine to make sure it lives up to its reputation. Unless she prefers champagne. She says she should taste it. It’s from their special reserve and she should make sure it’s not corked. He says, she has a reputation for serving her guests only the best, and he opens the bottle. He pours a glass, and tells her to give it a minute to breathe. Make herself comfortable. She says she’s only staying long enough to sip the wine, but he says, sit. The experience shouldn’t be rushed. He pulls out a chair and she sits down.

Kristina says, her IV is uncomfortable, and Willow says she’ll call someone to fix it. She heads for the door, but turns around. She says, the nurses are busy, and she knows how. Does Kristina mind? Kristina says she trusts Willow.

Natalia finds Brook at the hospital and says she got Brook’s text. It’s insanely exciting. She took the liberty of packing for Blaze and her bags are in the car. She can’t believe Blaze will be touring with Miguel Morez. Where is Blaze? Brook says, she went in to see Kristina, and Natalia says she thinks spending time with Kristina might be good. Blaze will be reassured she’s on the road to recovery before she says goodbye… What’s going on? Brook says she’s going to call Miguel’s manager and pass. Blaze isn’t going on tour.

Molly says she got here as fast as she could. She didn’t know TJ had planned to be here. He says, she’s not home. He texted and left her messages, and when he didn’t hear back, he decided do it without her. She says she had to take care of things at work and hasn’t been checking her phone as often as she should. She’s sorry. She thanks Jordan for being here, and Jordan says, of course (🍷). She should get going. She hugs Molly and TJ, and says, if they need anything, she’s here. She leaves, and Molly says she’s sorry. He says he doesn’t need an apology. He needs her input about which plot to get. He feels completely alone going through this without her. He doesn’t want to do any of this without her. It feels like grief is eating at him and he’s alone. She’s the only person who knows how he feels and he needs her here. She says she knows, and he asks, what’s going on with her? Does she want to be part of this?

Willow fixes Kristina’s IV, and says she loves taking care of her patients. Kristina says she can’t imagine anyone better, and Willow says she’s glad to be here for her. Kristina says, she’s impressive, and Willow says, most nurses consider it a calling. Kristina says she’s in awe. She always thought being a nurse was crazy. She can’t imagine they have much life outside of the hospital or that it leaves much time or emotional space for anything else.

Maxie says, Nina is spending time alone at night with Drew for Willow’s sake? and Nina says, it’s complicated. If she tells Maxie something, it has to stay completely between them. Maxie says she hopes to forget this conversation as soon as she leaves, and Nina says, at the Quartermaine’s 4th of July party, Drew and Willow kissed. Maxie says, what? and Nina says, they got caught up in the moment. Willow loves Michael and loves her life. She had a weak moment. They’ve all had them. Drew saved Willow’s life and Nina thinks it’s hero worship, but Willow is drowning in guilt. She refuses to let Willow suffer with that. Maxie says, there’s not much she can do to stop it, and Nina says she’s going to try to put the attention on herself. If Willow doesn’t spend time with Drew, she’s sure the attraction will fade. Maxie says she’s not close to Willow, but knows she’s a good person. She’s sorry Willow is having a hard time. Nina tells her to remember this stays between them, and Maxie says, she’s not going to say a word, but just so Nina’s plan is clear, her solution to Willow’s inappropriate feelings is to throw herself at Drew. Does she have that right?

Maxie says she thinks it’s admirable that Nina wants to help, but doesn’t think this is the healthiest way. She can’t pursue a physical relationship that was based on anger, hatred, and pain. Nina says, admittedly, at first their reasons were muddled at best, but over their time together, most of the negative feelings have fallen away and they’re left with genuine attraction. Maxie says, this is an unexpected turn of events, and Nina says, they’re not running away together either, but they enjoy each other’s company. Maxie says, it makes sense. They’re both consenting adults and they’re both hot. But with all the heat between them, why is Drew making out with Willow?

Blaze asks how Kristina is feeling, and Kristina says, as bad as she looks, she feels worse. Blaze says, she has her color back, which is good. After the fall, she was so pale. Blaze was so scared. She didn’t think they’d be talking like this ever again. She loves Kristina and she’s glad Kristina is okay. Kristina says she’s not okay. Her daughter is dead, and her life has completely fallen apart. She’s just here. Blaze says she’s grateful for that… Sorry. Does Kristina want some water? Kristina says, no, and Blaze says she could ask for another blanket or some meds, but Kristina says she doesn’t need that. Blaze asks if she can do anything else, but Kristina shrugs and shakes her head. Blaze says she was thinking of going back to Kristina’s place and bring her whatever she wants, but Kristina says she’s sorry. She knows Blaze just got here, but she’s so tired.

At the MetroCourt, Anna looks at her phone, and Felicia runs in. Felicia says she’s sorry she’s late, but Anna says she has to go. She’ll be right back, she promises. She ordered Felicia a glass of wine. She leaves and Felicia sits down.

Carly says, Jack didn’t have to go to all this trouble. He could have just asked her out to dinner. He says, what fun is that? and she asks why he’s still not behind bars. He says, mistakes were made that put him there, and the mistakes have been rectified. He prefers not to dwell on the past. The only thing he remembers that brightened his day was her visiting him. She asks how long he’s going to be in Port Charles, and he says he’s not there on business. He’s staying in town. She asks what he’s going to do, when there’s a knock at the door. Jack opens it, and Anna asks, what the hell is going on?

Jack asks what Anna is referring to, and Anna says she just got a message informing her of Jack’s new position. Carly asks if there’s a problem, and Anna says she’s sorry to interrupt whatever is going on here… Carly says, she’s having a quick dinner with a new guest, and Anna says she doesn’t want to be here for this conversation, but Carly says she thinks she’ll stay. Anna asks how Jack was assigned to Port Charles of all places, and he says, because of the criminal element, the WSB decided to open a permanent field office here and they needed a chief. Carly asks if he’s the new head of the WSB in Port Charles, and he says he’s become fond of the city. Anna says, he wanted this. He probably convinced them to open the station. Carly says, Anna is right. She doesn’t want to be here. She thanks Jack for his hospitality, and he thanks her for joining him. She leaves, and Jack asks if Anna is happy. She ruined everyone’s evening. Anna says, ruining his evening is the only thing she’s happy about.

Maxie says, in trying to keep Drew and Willow apart, Nina is crossing the line on purpose, and Nina says, Willow isn’t pursuing Drew, but she admires him. Every time Willow and Drew look into each other’s eyes, he loves the man he sees reflected back. She’s going to make him look in a different mirror, and if it stops Willow from making the mistake of jeopardizing her family, she’s happy to do it. Maxie says, Nina and Willow are building a relationship now. Willow trusted her enough to tell her about Drew, and even got Michael on board. It’s amazing news, but Nina’s plan to save Willow by throwing herself at Drew could jeopardize all that.  

Natalia goes to Kristina’s room and says she wanted to check on her. She’s sorry for all Kristina is going through. Kristina thanks her and says, Allie was here. She doesn’t know where she went. Natalia says she knows where Allie isn’t going. She was supposed to tour with Miguel Morez. He wants her to open for his fall tour. It’s an incredible opportunity, but Allie turned it down to stay with Kristina. Kristina says she had no idea, and Natalia says she thought Allison would keep her in the dark. She has no right to ask anything of Kristina, but she needs to anyway. Her actions screwed up so many things and amazing chances for Allie. She wants to overcome that and have a chance to be a better mother. It’s Kristina’s best interest to let her daughter go. (Natalia’s popularity quotient drops by a billion points.)

Willow tells Elizabeth that she’s not sure she was able to say anything meaningful, but she’s glad she spent time with Kristina. She asks if the nursing department is still understaffed, and Elizabeth says, always. Does Willow know someone willing to help? Willow says, me.

Molly says she’s holding onto anger and she’s sorry, but it’s all she’s got. TJ says he’s angry too, but they have to set it aside for the moment. There are things they’re supposed to do. Molly says, they did everything they were supposed to do, and this is how they were rewarded, and he says, they need to have a reception to honor their daughter. They need to pick out a casket and a headstone and a burial plot. She says she can’t. It’s too much. He says he knows. It’s tearing him apart, but they have to do this. And they need to start by giving their baby a name.  

Nina says, Willow is her most important relationship, and she’d do nothing to jeopardize their progress, and Maxie says, she better hope Willow never finds out her plan. Nina and Willow’s relationship has come a long way. She doesn’t think Willow would be happy and Drew might think she’s using him. Nina says, they’re using each other for a mutually beneficial good time. Drew is having a good time. Maxie says she can’t talk anymore about Nina and Drew having sex. If Nina falls in love with Drew, she’ll have to kill her. Nina says, if that happens, she’ll do it herself. There’s a knock at the door, and Maxie says, perfect timing. Nina lets Drew in, and Maxie says, she was just leaving. Enjoy their evening.  

Carly sees Felicia, who says, it’s good to see her back. Carly says she sees there are two wine glasses. Felicia must be meeting someone. Felicia says she’s meeting Anna, but Anna got a text and had to go. She’ll be back soon. Carly says, it might be a little longer than Anna thought. She just left an intense conversation between Anna and Jack. Felicia asks if Jack is staying here, and Carly says, he’s the new head of the WSB office in Port Charles. He’ll be in town for the foreseeable future.  

Natalia sees Brook at the bar and asks if she called Miguel’s manager to pass on the tour. Brook says, not yet, and Natalia says, good. Don’t.  

Elizabeth says, Willow wants to come back to nursing? and Willow says, talking to Kristina made her realize her mistake. Elizabeth says she thought Willow wanted to spend more time with her family and she’s doing amazing things with the bone marrow registry. Willow made her want to donate. Willow says, they’re doing important work here and she realized she misses it, and Elizabeth says, nursing does worm its way into your heart. Willow says, there’s also more traveling with this job than she realized, and she doesn’t want to be away unless it’s with her family on vacation. She did what was required of her and gave as much as she could. It’s time for her to come back to GH.

Nina shows Drew a map and says she’s circled the areas he needs to focus in on. That shirt looks great with his eyes, and he should definitely wear it as much as possible on the campaign trail. He says, she looks nice too. (Nice? He’s a real charmer, that Drew.)

TJ tells Molly that he needs a church service and a minister to issue a blessing. He needs to come here. He needs a place to remember his daughter. His family has always put their faith into this, and it means a lot. Molly says she knows the steps of grieving, but you’re supposed to have closure, and there won’t be any. She doesn’t want there to be any. He says he knows she puts her faith in the law, but he needs rituals to fill the void. She says she needs to do something about what happened to them, and he asks what she can do other than mourn. She says she’s going to make sure Ava is punished to the full extent of the law. That’s what her ritual will be.

Anna asks Jack what his agenda is. He’s gone to a lot of trouble, moving people around like chess pieces and taking some off the board. Why install himself as the new head of the WSB in Port Charles? He says he likes it here, and she says she doesn’t believe him. He says, like he told her in DC, the job is a demotion. Both the Bureau and the PCPD have similar objectives and can coexist without ruffling each other’s feathers too much. Anna asks, what’s going with dinner? and he says he’ll be staying at the MetroCourt long term and wants to be on good terms with the owner. Anna says, it was him, wasn’t it? She knew it.  

Blaze comes back to Kristina’s room and says she grabbed Kristina’s favorite blanket, the one she wraps them in to watch movies. It smells like Kristina’s place. She starts to put the blanket on Kristina, but Kristina says, stop. Blaze shouldn’t fuss over her. She should be at home packing for the tour. Blaze asks how Kristina knows about it, and Kristina says she had a visitor. And for once, she and Blaze’s mom are on the same page. Blaze has to go on tour.

Elizabeth says she’s surprised. Willow only left a little while ago. Willow says she thought it was the right decision. She jumped in to fix Kristina’s IV and seeing Kristina’s relief made her happy. The personal one-on-one interaction lets her help those most vulnerable. The Foundation is great, but the job isn’t for her. She belongs here. Elizabeth asks if she’s sure, and Willow says she is. She’ll talk to Drew and Michael and get it sorted out, but she knows it’s the right decision. She’s exactly where she needs to be. Elizabeth says, in that case, welcome back, and hugs her.

TJ says, and after Molly makes sure Ava is punished, what then? They still have to be alone in their apartment, avoiding the room that was going to be the nursery. She says she hasn’t thought that far ahead. What does he want? He says, to be together. Going through this horrible thing, he feels like he’s been alone, and he wants her to be here with him. Right now, it feels like they’re going through it together. She says she’s here, and he holds her. She says she thinks this is a beautiful place for their daughter.

Nina says she thinks they’ve made progress and she’s excited to see the things she and Drew discussed put into practice in his campaign. He says, him too. She never had him over to work at her place before. She says, normally, she likes to keep her home and work life separate. (And why would she? He’s her boss.) She doesn’t just invite anyone. He says, he’s not just anyone? and she says, absolutely not. She thinks they’re embarking on a different relationship, one of mutual regard. He says, she has so much to regard, and she says, him too. She’s pretty sure he knows that. He says, it only matters that she thinks so, and she says, they’re officially in agreement. They kiss, and Nina almost misses the table putting down her wine glass. They get busy on the sofa.

Maxie was right. This is an unexpected turn of events.

Tomorrow, Kristina tells Molly that Ava needs to pay; Ava feels that her life is in danger; Jason tells Sonny that he has another enemy; and Blaze says, you’re fired.

🪇 Shaking His GH Bon-Bon…

It’s doubtful, as this article suggests, that Blaze will be leaving the show. She just started appearing in the opening credits.

Below Deck Mediterranean

Bay of Zea. Iain sets up a basketball net, since guest Mike is an NBA player, and in his interview, he says he had one or two hiccups – we flash back to those – but he hopes this charter is a smooth one. He’s got to dig deep for the love of the game. In Ellie’s interview, she says, now that she’s doing only rags and towels, she’s expecting things to go the same way as they did previously, since it was Bri f***ing up. Provisions come in, and Joe and Gael take the tender to pick up some balloons. Gael drives, and in her interview, she says she hasn’t had enough tender experience, and it scares the sh*t out of her. She gets excited when she docks without incident, and says, when she has little wins, yay her. They pick up an elaborate balloon arch for the Fire and Ice party and Aesha is thrilled since she thought she’d have to blow up the balloons. The crew changes for the guests’ arrival, and Iain and Nathan take the tender to pick them up. Iain explains to the guests that the big boat is anchored because the wind is picking up. The guests take selfies on the tender and we focus on a Berkin bag. The crew welcomes the guests, and Captain Sandy says, it’s a shorter charter, so Aesha is going to show them around and they’ll get going. Nathan says, anchor is home and secure, and they shove off. Primary Mahisha says, the couches are an eyesore. It would be great if they were gone. Are they heavy to move? In Aesha’s interview, she says, what? Aesha and Bri move the couches, and the guest take pictures. In her interview, Aesha says, thank God it’s a shorter charter. For real.

Anchor is dropped and the water toys go out. Mahisha tells Aesha that she needs to wake up and get her drink, and in Aesha’s interview, she says she’s more than happy to grab her very close drink, but ask politely. She tells Ellie that the guests seem like hard work and goes to the laundry to give Bri a mental health check. Bri says she’s 80%. The guests require drinks, drinks, and more drinks with lots of vodka. While Ellie goes downstairs with the drinks, but the impatient guests have come up to the bar. In Ellie’s interview, she wonders what just happened. That was a lot. Aesha tells Bri to pull the plates for Jono, who’s making sea bass and tomahawk steak. In Jono’s interview, he says, they want flashy food, and we flash back to him reading that they want culinary masterpieces at every meal, like a Michelin star restaurant. Nathan and Aesha take the balloons outside, and Jono says he’s feeling Michelin vibes. The table décor is amazing with some dry ice stuff going on.

Ellie looks for her dress, and in Bri’s interview, she says, no, man. She can’t make a mistake. She’s pretty sure it happened before Aesha implemented the new rule. She finds Ellie’s dress in her bag and gives it to her. In Ellie’s interview, she says, they’ve been treating Bri like a baby deer. If she brings the dress up, it will be like she shot Bambi. Mahisha whines about the caviar, and asks Jono if Beluga isn’t top tier. It tastes like a washcloth. He says he has to work with what’s available, and in his interview, he says he did whatever he could do. It is what it is. Now can he go back to work, or do they want to talk more? Ellie asks if Joe likes peanuts, but he says he’s more into fish. I’m not sure if that’s supposed to be a double entendre or he’s just an idiot who doesn’t know what peanuts are. Dinner is served, and Aesha tells Jono that the guests absolutely love the fish.

In Joe’s interview, he says he thought he lost Ellie because of that stupid song. We flash back to that, and he says, she accepted his apology and they’re on good terms. Maybe there’s a chance to reignite the flame – no strings attached. In Ellie’s interview, she says she’s moved on. They can proceed with the flirtation. Guest Max says her utensil situation is off. She wonders why she has a butter knife when there’s no bread and butter. She doesn’t want to be rude, but complains to Aesha, and Aesha says, it’s not a butter knife; it’s a fish knife. Fish isn’t supposed to be tough. Max says, their caviar service sucked. (I’m not kidding. That’s what she returned with.) In Aesha’s interview, she says, the guests like to claim they’re upper class, but where’s the class part? She’s good enough at her job that she’s got to stand up for herself at some point. Max gripes that Aesha tried to school her. Well, yeah. Apparently, you needed to be schooled in utensil situations.

Gael gets in Nathan’s bunk with him and tells him not to turn out to be a d*ck. He promises not to hurt her. Max is still bitching about the butter/fish knife thing and says she’s okay with being wrong (doubtful), but Aesha’s face changed. The next course is served, and Max says she’s uncomfortable now. Captain Sandy comes down and asks, how’s dinner? Mike says, it’s really good – how many of these people need thesauruses? – and noticing the captain’s stylish shoes, Max says she wants to see the captain’s shoe collection. Captain Sandy says, it’s at home, and wisely jets. The women go upstairs for a dance party, and Mahisha wants drinks. Aesha asks Ellie to tend the bar, and the guests complain that they need liquor. Ellie says, someone will check on them every 15 minutes, and when she leaves, Max insists Ellie made her head shake. Whatever that means. Ellie tells Joe to go charm the ladies, and Aesha tells him to gyrate. In her interview, Aesha says, maybe Joe should keep it in his pants, but he’s got to do something. Max asks if he’s their distraction, and the captain asks Aesha how it’s going. Aesha says, they’re mean girls, and tells her about the butter/fish knife fiasco. The captain says, you can tell it’s a fish knife because of the point on the end, and Aesha says, the guest was in her face and in a minute would have eaten her. Mahisha says, they brought Joe up to sweet talk them, and guest Mike says, it was a successful first day. He tells Aesha that Mahisha gets hungry at night, and Aesha says, they have sandwiches, but Mahisha says she doesn’t eat sandwiches. Of course she doesn’t. Mike says, his wife is bougie, and Aesha says, the chef is in bed, but they have fruit and berries. Mahisha says she’ll have some berries, but when Aesha leaves, Mahisha decides to go to bed. Mike says, she just ordered berries, and Mahisha promptly trips on the stairs, which is happiness to us all. Joe asks Aesha if he should do research on the island, and she says, if the guests got facts from him, they would love it. In Aesha’s interview, she says she’s had to scratch by with three stews. When they’re pushed, the cracks show, but she’ll do what she can to help. She’s Aesha, everything everywhere all at once.

In the morning, Aesha asks how Gael’s first night was without her, and Gael says she cried. Mahisha is hungry, and Aesha radios Ellie to start breakfast. Mahisha wanders off to take pictures, and Ellie says, she’s not at the table now. Aesha finds the guests and tells them that the food is on the table. Jono comes up and says he made a spread, but tell him if they’d like anything else. Mahisha says she wants berries because she’s a complete and utter a-hole. Aesha tells the guests that they’re going to Temple Aphiah and lunch is scheduled for 2. Captain Sandy asks Aesha how the guests were, and Aesha says, the same. In Gael’s interview, she says, Iain isn’t the best communicator, but they’re just getting it done if it needs to be done. Maybe Iain is some kind management genius and structured it so the team is self-sufficient. Mike tells Captain Sandy that her staff is top notch, and she says, if you beat their character down, it kills their spirit. But if you’re gracious and thankful, they’ll do everything for you. She tells the guests about a charter where the guests were so rude, she pulled the primary aside and said she’d cancel the charter if they continued to treat the staff that way. They turned it around. She called the owner who said they didn’t need the money and to cancel the charter. Max tells Mike that she’s over this conversation – yeah, I’ll bet – and makes herself scarce. In Captain Sandy’s interview, she says, how we treat other people is important. These clients are difficult. She tells Mike, you don’t have to clean your plate, just be kind, and in her interview, she wonders if she got her point across. The guests leave for their excursion.

When they get to their destination, Joe says it’s his first time here too. Leah texts the captain that they need to talk about Bailey… Captain Sandy says, oh my God, so we know it’s not good news. Joe tries to give the guests factoids, but they just want to take selfies. In Joe’s interview, he says, history isn’t appreciated as much as he thought it would have been, but he’s having a good time. The guests call them lovebirds and take their photo, and in Ellie’s interview, she says, despite what happened, Joe has his charm. The guests are picking up on the attraction between them, and it validates what she’s been sensing. On the boat, Captain Sandy tells Aesha that their dog Bailey died, and Aesha hugs her. The captain shows Aesha pictures, and in the captain’s interview, she says, her heart hurts for Leah. She got five years with Bailey, but Leah had 11 years. She tells Aesha that Bailey was all love, and shows her a video. Aesha says she’s so sorry Captain Sandy isn’t there, and they cry. The captain says she is too, and I get teary eyed as well. Aesha says, the hardest part is missing things, and in her interview, Captain Sandy says, being captain, a lot of deaths happen when you’re at sea. Her mom and dad died when she was at sea. Now losing Bailey brings up all her losses.

The guests head back, and Aesha asks if Captain Sandy is going to be okay. She says, yeah. Leah says she loves the dogs more than her. Jono says he spent time in Ho Chi Minh City and learned all the cooking techniques. Nothing says rich motherf***er than duck for lunch. The guests are back on the boat, and in Aesha’s interview, she says, the guests seem to have a base level of decency. Maybe they realized how horrible they were and it’s their way of saying they’re sorry. Asian food porn is served, the entrée being extra crispy duck. I’m not a fan of duck, but it looks wonderful. In the crew mess, Joe says he’s excited for a night out. He wonders what the f*** he did. He doesn’t want either Ellie or Bri, but alcohol turns him into a demon and then he just drinks more. Gael says he’s playing with these women, when Bri comes by, and everything gets quiet. In Bri’s interview, she says, they were talking, and it went quiet, and it hurts her. Obviously, she’d be upset. She feels they were talking about her. Mike says, the duck was fire, and in Jono’s interview, he says he’s always been great at crafting good flavors. If he didn’t know better, he’d call himself a Michelin chef. Guest Tante says, they could use one more day, and Aesha says, it’s a shame it’s a short charter. You know she’s saying, hallelujah! in her head. Ellie tells Gael that she and Joe had a nice time. He apologized and she realized he wasn’t being malicious. Joe asks how Bri is, and she says, as if he cares. He says he does, and in Gael’s interview, she says she doesn’t know where her ethics lie. She wonders if she should be loyal to the deck crew, but Joe is stringing these women along and she feels like she doesn’t want Ellie to get hurt.  

Anchor is hauled and the boat is en route to Zea Marina. The captain says she’s backing all the way in. It’s a tight one. Iain gives the wrong line instructions, but Gael says, that’s not right, and corrects him. In Gael’s interview, she says she’s more confident now that she knows what she’s talking about. She needs to trust herself. The boat is docked, and the captain says, nice work. She tells the crew to get ready for guest departure, and Aesha says, thank God. Mahisha says, the food was amazing. Jono has great food and great taste. She can’t wait to see what happens later with the lovebirds. She’s not naming names. We flash back to the guests playing Cupid, and Mahisha says, it was phenomenal, and they had no issues. In Aesha’s interview, she wonders if they were on the same charter. She’ll take it, but it’s so confusing.

The guests leave, and Captain Sandy says, they made it through. It wasn’t easy, but well done. The crew cheers and applauds. Bri says, they weren’t bad at the end, but Aesha says, it was all fake. She meets with Bri and Ellie, and says she knows it was a sh*t charter guest-wise, but nothing went wrong with the laundry. She thinks it was just a miscommunication with both of them. She’d been training them on the job, but this time, she didn’t have to. She wants to finish like this. They join hands. In Ellie’s interview, she says she’s going to invite Joe on a date. She’s over the stagnant energy. She’s getting out of her comfort zone and making the first step. She wants to see if there’s something there or not. She finds Joe and says, she has a question for him. She wants to invite him out on a little date. He says, just them? Let’s do it. They hug, and she promises they’ll have a good time. Ellie tells Aesha and says she thinks he’s scared, but he said yes. Joe tells Nathan that he’s never been asked on a date before by a bird. He likes her and she’s attractive, but he’s not asking for more from either of them. He says he’s changed his mind and he’s not going, but Nathan tells him that he already said yes. He asks how Ellie reacted, and Joe says, she was ecstatic. Nathan says, it’s only an hour out of his life, and in their joint interview, Nathan says. Joe is afraid to go on the date. Joe says he’s petrified of Ellie, and Nathan says, Joe is falling in love with Ellie, but Joe says, don’t even. He’s not going. End of story. In Gael’s interview, she says she has the feeling, if scorned, Ellie will burn the boat down and she’s on the boat too.

The captain calls the crew for the tip meeting, and says her first question is, who are the lovebirds? Someone says, Iain and Nathan, and Captain Sandy says, stay professional. They kept showing up and kept smiling, and it’s difficult when your spirit is getting beat down. The tip is $20K or 17,000 euros – $1400 per person. After the meeting, Ellie asks if Joe is excited, and in Nathan’s interview, he says he’s sh*tting himself. Joe tells Ellie, let’s talk, and they sit on her bunk. He says he doesn’t want strings attached, and in Joe’s interview, he says he’s not going on a date. He tells Ellie that he feels pressure and doesn’t want a date.

She is missing nothing. This guy is immature and a relationship disaster waiting to happen. He’s not even that good looking.

Next time, a rock-climbing wall; a bad rainstorm; and Bri wants to hook up with Joe.

🎤 The Song Sings Itself…

Join me tomorrow for soap and Dubai talk. Until then, stay safe, stay being aware of your social footprint, and stay remembering that, while it doesn’t make you forget, the passage of time makes it easier to remember without falling apart.

August 9, 2024 – Sonny Says Ava Is His Problem, VanderDeux, Miami Fanning, WWDD, Negan In the City, Coming Last, Stream This, Stuck, Furry Reunions, Twice 4 Quotes & Beach

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Elizabeth says, Heather is looking good. She predicts Heather’s tests are going to come back great and she won’t need to stay at GH as long as they thought. Heather says, oh… joy. She’ll be back in Pentenville in time for Mah Jong. Elizabeth says she’ll check on Heather in a bit. Did she get enough lunch? Is there anything else she can bring Heather? Heather says, hospital food is like five-star dining compared to prison fare. Does Elizabeth think she could square her up with some vanilla pudding? Elizabeth says she’ll see what she can do, and Heather says, she’s an angel. Elizabeth leaves and goes to the reception desk.

Laura comes out of the elevator, while Elizabeth is on the phone asking for a lunch tray. She tells them to just bring it up to the 10th floor and she’ll take it in. She asks what brings Laura here, and Laura says she had a free hour and thought she’d spend it with her husband, but he’s not in his office. Has she seen him around? Elizabeth says she hasn’t. He’s probably with a patient. She assumed Laura was here to see Heather. Laura says, she’s here? She didn’t know that. What room is she in? She’ll visit her. Elizabeth says she doesn’t want to speak out of turn, but Laura might want to visit her another day.

At the MetroCourt, Nina thanks Michael for the working lunch, and he says, Crimson’s budget is on track. It was a good call to increase the print run on the latest issue. She says, he’s not going to regret it. This latest issue is going to fly off the racks. (I drift off for a moment, wishing ABC would actually publish a real issue of Crimson.) He says he has to admit, he’s not much of a Crimson reader himself, but Willow is, and he’s sure she’ll enjoy it. He asks if he can get her another cappuccino, but she says she’s still working on the one she has. She’s always loved the coffee here. It was one of the perks when she owned… She never thought he’d agree to her request so easily. She appreciates it. He says, nobody knows more about Crimson than she does. He wants to make sure she has everything she needs to be successful. Plus, he wants to show his appreciation for everything she’s done for Willow.

Willow gets in the elevator, but as the doors close, Drew stops them and gets in with her. He asks if she has room for one more.

On the phone with Sam, Alexis says she thinks Sam should go to Scout’s softball game. She’s got everything covered at the hospital… Kristina is improving. Why doesn’t she just fill Sam in on everything later. She calls Molly and leaves a message that she just wants Molly to know she’s thinking about her every minute, and she loves her.

Sonny says, Kristina doesn’t have to worry about Ava. He’s got it handled. She’s not going to get away with this. She asks what he’s going to do, and he says, she has to rest. That’s all she’s got to concentrate on. Just rest. Understand? She says she’s resting. It’s not like she’s going to feel better. There is no better from here. She needs Sonny to promise her that he won’t let Ava take another life like Ava took her daughter’s.

Heather is officially in the opening credits!

Laura asks, what’s going on with Heather? and Elizabeth says, she was brought in for a standard follow-up and some tests. They’re waiting on the results. Physically, she seems fine. It’s her mental state. Laura says, what about it? and Elizabeth says, she seems really down, like there was a switch in her mood and demeanor. She’s not her usual chaotic self. She’ll see if a psychiatrist can chat with her. Laura says, let her talk with Heather first. She thinks she can cheer Heather up.

Michael says, thanks to Nina’s coaching, Willow is more confident in her role as spokeswoman for the New Tomorrow Institute. Nina says, she’s knocking those PSAs out of the park. He doesn’t need her to tell him this, but Willow’s got a lot going for her. She’s intelligent, she’s approachable, she’s kind and strong and fearless and relatable. He says, everyone at the Institute is thrilled with her, and she says, they should be. She puts an alluring face on a very daunting issue. She’s living proof that donations save lives. Michael says, she’s a living miracle and they’re forever thankful. And the kids love their mom’s new job because she’s around more often. He’s really got to hand it to Drew for giving Willow this opportunity.

Drew asks Willow – who can’t meet his eyes – what brings her to the MetroCourt? Is she here to see Michael? She says, actually, she’s going to Crimson. Nina left a few outfit choices for her upcoming meeting with New Tomorrow’s board. He says, that reminds him. He wanted to speak with her. He just spoke with them, and he’s got some really good news for her. The elevator makes a buzzing sound and jerks to a stop, and he says, that didn’t sound very good.

Sonny says he knows Kristina is upset and he wants to make Ava pay too, but there’s a time and place for… She says, think about everything Ava has done to this family. How she shot Connie in cold blood. How she switched Morgan’s meds. He never would have been in that car if not for Ava. She is the reason that he died. And with Mike. She used Mike’s Alzheimer’s to blackmail Sonny into sharing custody of Avery. When is Ava finally going to pay for everything she has done? Her baby is dead because of Ava. Please. He has to do something so Ava can’t hurt anyone else in their family. (She left out destroying Alexis’s career for a good couple of years.)

On his phone, Drew tells Olivia that they’re both fine, but how long is it going to take to fix this thing?… No. He understands… Absolutely. They don’t really have any choice but to wait it out. Just keep him updated, okay? He tells Willow, the elevator company is on their way, but they’re going to be a while. She’s not claustrophobic, right? She says, no. Is he? He says, no, but he’s a little warm. Would she mind if he took his pants jacket off? She shakes her head, and he takes his jacket off and loosens his tie. She says, so what was the good news he was about to mention? and he says, the Institute’s director called about the PSAs. They’re getting a great response, and they owe it all to her. She says, that’s nice of them to say, but she gives some of the credit to Nina. Well, a lot actually. Since she’s been working with Nina, Nina has made her a lot more comfortable in front of the camera. He says, Nina’s been great, but she’s a natural at this. And he’s sure they were planning on bringing this up at the board meeting, but everybody at the Institute loves her and the director wants to fly them out to LA for the big annual fundraiser. She says, us, as in you and me? In LA?

Nina says she knows Drew sat in on Willow’s earlier rehearsals, but she imagines he’s super busy now with his own campaign. Michael says, he did agree on focusing on expanding the donor pool because of his late son Oscar, so he makes the time. He and Willow are working really closely together. She says, he really needs to focus in on his own campaign now. Go full throttle. And if he gets elected, his base will be in DC. He says, they all get that. Willow didn’t say anything, but he thinks she’s really going to miss Drew when he’s gone.

Drew says, it’ll be a quick trip, but the fundraiser sounds really impressive. They’ve got a celebrity host, celebrity presenters, Tamron Hall wants to get an interview with Willow. They rented out the Getty villa in Malibu. It’s a magical spot. Willow says she can’t.

Heather looks at a picture of Ace, and Laura says, he’s such a cut-up, right? Heather says, he’s got quite the little personality. She wonders where he gets it from. Laura says she supposes both Nikolas and Esme had a certain kind of charisma, and Spencer was every bit the prankster when he was young. Heather thanks her for including Esme in that assessment. She loved that little boy so much. If she ever gave her best self to anybody, it was him. Laura says she saw that. She was a really good mom. Laura shows her another picture, and Heather says she thinks he’s beginning to look a little like her in this one. Does Laura think so? Laura says, that’s interesting. Tell her something. How is she feeling? Heather says, everybody keeps asking her that around here (well, it is a hospital). She’s sorry. She doesn’t mean to be cranky, but she’s feeling sort of discombobulated. She had a visit from Trina Robinson earlier today. Laura asks how it went, and Heather says, Trina listened to her apology, but in the end, she didn’t accept it. She can’t blame her, and at least she listened, which is more than her mother is ever going to do. Not that she blames her either though. That’s the thing. Laura says she’s so sorry. She thinks it’s admirable the way Heather wants to take responsibility for the things she’s done and try to make amends. Heather says, like in AA, except without the perks of boozing it up first. Not that being an alcoholic is like a perk exactly. She meant that it’s not so serious… She doesn’t even know what she’s talking about. She doesn’t know if she’s coming or going right now. Being here is totally giving her the heebie-jeebies. She’s been thinking a lot about her future. Laura says she thinks she understands. She wants to put Heather’s mind at ease about her sentencing. Heather says, that’s what she’s been thinking about, and Laura says, the last time they talked, Heather made it really clear that she wanted to stay in prison and serve out her whole sentence. She just wants Heather to know that she heard her, and when Heather asked her to drop it, she did. Heather tells Laura that she knows she said that… Laura says, it’s over. She promises she’ll never bring it up again. Heather has her word on that.

Sonny says he knows how Kristina is feeling because he’s been there. She’s in a place of emotional distress, grief, but she’s going to feel differently when this passes. Kristina says, no. She’s going to feel differently when she knows Ava can’t hurt anyone else. He asks if she thinks payback is the answer. It wasn’t for him and Morgan. He did everything he could to Ava. It didn’t bring Morgan back. She says, at least Ava would have been out of the picture and her baby would still be alive. Now all she can do is get justice for her child. He says, she’s not going to get peace because in the end, she’ll have grief, but she says, please spare her the conversation on grief right now. He’s wasting his time. He says, there’s a time and place for everything. Hear him out. He doesn’t know how or when, but Ava is going to pay. She says, she didn’t pay for Connie. She didn’t pay for Morgan. They died and nothing happened. Ava just went on living her life and she’s going to do the exact same thing again. He says he has proof that Ava laid hands on her. Brick had her under surveillance and one of his guys took photos. She says, let her see them, and he says, she will, but she asks if he has them now. Are they on his phone? Let her see them. If he wants to make her feel better, show her. Please let her see them. He takes out his phone, and she scrolls through the photos. He says he wants her to know, those are at the PCPD and Ava is in custody. She’s not walking away from this. He’s going to make sure.

Laura tells Heather that she and Ace aren’t going anywhere, but in the meantime, she’ll print up the photos and drop them off the next time she visits. Heather says, Laura knows where to find her, and Laura tells her to take care of herself, and leaves.

Doc tells Alexis that he happened to be seeing someone else on this floor, so he inquired about Kristina. Things seem to be improving. Alexis says, they are, and he says his guess is, she’s been by her daughters’ sides since Kristina came out of surgery, scared to death. She’s been the chief communicator between friends, family, and medical staff. She hasn’t slept. She probably hasn’t eaten, and yet she’s done it with composure and a game face. How is he doing? She says, pretty good. She’s been doing it here alone. She’s been holding down the fort, making calls. She’s testing, making sure everybody’s okay, dealing with all the conflicting emotions, which for her most recently is rage. He says, which is understandable. It isn’t easy to be caregiver to a loved one who’s hospitalized, even with lots of support. His advice is to let anyone who offers to help, help, and make herself a priority. She can’t do it all alone, even if she is a pillar of strength. It’s times like this that it’s really okay to take your comfort where you can get it. She says, Sonny’s in there with Kristina now, and he says, good. Then she gets a bit of a break. And his door’s always open if she ever wants to talk. She says she might just take him up on that.

Kristina says, maybe Ava will get convicted and go to prison. Maybe she’ll be there for the rest of her godforsaken life, but Ava will still be alive, and her baby will still be dead. It’s not fair. Sonny says he doesn’t want her to think that way. She’s got her whole life ahead of her. She has a family that loves her, and he knows it doesn’t feel like it right now, but she’s going to be okay. She says she won’t be okay until she knows Ava Jerome is no longer breathing. He hugs her and says, listen to him. She doesn’t have to worry. He’s going to take care of Ava. Alexis walks in and says, take care of Ava how exactly?

Willow says she can’t go to a fundraiser in LA with Drew. Wiley starts school soon and he’s transitioning to full days, which will be a big adjustment. And they’re talking about taking a little family vacation before school starts. He says he’s sorry. He didn’t mean to spring this on her. He just kind of thought she’d be interested. She says, no. She’s sorry. If these kinds of business trips are expected of her, she doesn’t know. Maybe this isn’t the right position for her after all. He says, hold on. She’s really the perfect person for this position. He was just telling her how much everybody loves her in this role. It’s completely fine if she doesn’t want to go. She says, really? and he says, of course (🍷). They know she has two young kids. They want to make this work for her, not the other way around. She says she’s sorry. She overreacted. It’s just the wrong time. Not that she wouldn’t have loved a trip to California. It all sounds great, but… He says, if he’s the reason she doesn’t want to go, that’s something they should talk about.

Nina wonders what’s taking the elevator so long. You’d think Carly… someone would look into this… They probably are.

Willow says, there’s nothing to talk about. They’ve gotten past what happened on the 4th and it’s never going to happen again. He says he’s sorry. He’d never forgive himself if he ruined this chance for her. She says, he hasn’t. She’s so thankful to him for giving her this opportunity and she’s enjoyed working with him. He says he’s enjoyed working with her too, and he supports her no matter what she does.

Michael says he wants to check on Kristina at the hospital before he goes to the office, so he thinks he’s just going to take the stairs. He’ll see Nina at the office. She thanks him again for lunch, and he says, his pleasure, and leaves.

The elevator starts up, and Drew says he guesses they’re back in business. She should go to the benefit. He’ll stay in Port Charles. She says, but he’ll miss out, and he says, that’s not important. She’s one of his favorite people, and all he wants is for her to be happy. They gaze at each other, when the elevator door opens, and Nina is there.

Nina asks if Willow is okay, and Willow says she’s just anxious to get on with her day. How did Nina know they were stuck? Nina says she didn’t. She just knew that the elevator was slow. She and Michael were having a business lunch. Willow says, Michael’s here? but Nina says, no. He just left. He took the stairs. He said he was going to the hospital. Willow says she should go, and Drew says, didn’t she tell him that she had some outfits to pick up? Nina says, they could go to her office and get them, or she could have Madison pick them up. Is Willow hungry? She could keep Willow company. Willow says, thanks, but she can’t stay. She’ll pick up the outfits later. She leaves, and Nina asks Drew, what did you do now? (I laugh.)

Willow’s phone rings and she sees it’s Michael. She says she just missed him.

Kristina says she just wants to make sure she has her day in court, and that Ava will pay for what she’s done to her and her daughter. Alexis asks if she can speak to Sonny outside for a moment. They’ll be right back. Sonny winks at Kristina on his way out.

In the hallway, Alexis says, please tell her that Kristina didn’t ask him to do what she thinks she did, and Sonny says, don’t worry about it. She says she’s worried about it, because if Kristina is seeking revenge… He says, he doesn’t think they should be having this conversation right here. Can they go somewhere in private?

Portia sees Laura and asks if she can speak to her for just a moment, and Laura says, of course (🍷). Portia says, Trina told her that Laura’s given up trying to reopen Heather’s case and she wanted to thank her. She just knows Trina will be safer with Heather remaining behind bars. Laura says, don’t thank her. She didn’t do it because Portia put pressure on her to do so. Heather had a sudden change of heart and asked her to let it go and she has.

Elizabeth brings Heather some lunch and says, sorry for the wait. She brought Heather some soup and crackers… and vanilla pudding. Heather says she’s not hungry anymore. She’s sorry Elizabeth went to all that trouble. Why is everybody so busy trying to get her in tip-top shape just so she can go live out the rest of her life behind bars? What does it even really matter? Elizabeth says, of course (🍷) it matters, and Heather says she knows. It’s probably all for the best. She did terrible things, there’s no getting around that. People are dead because of her, because she killed them. But is it really all on her? Is justice really going to be served if she’s the only one who pays? (She’s not wrong.)

Sonny and Alexis go to the chapel, and Alexis says, this is much better. It’s the perfect place to discuss murder. He says, no one’s getting murdered, and she asks if he’s telling her that their daughter didn’t ask him for help. Sonny says, she asked, and Alexis says, listen to her. She has lethal thoughts about Ava too, after what Ava did to her family, her career, and the agony that her daughters are in because of her. It’s unbearable. He asks if she’s at a breaking point, and she says, not yet, but sadly, Kristina is. So she’s asking him, this request of Kristina’s, he isn’t going to do it, is he?

Michael goes to see Kristina and says he’s so, so sorry. He wishes there was something he could say, something he could do. He knows this pain, and he would do anything he could to take it away from her. She says, he got a happy ending. Wiley is still alive. Did he see the photos Brick had taken? He says, yeah. Did she see them? How? She says, dad told her there was proof Ava pushed her, there were photos. So she made him show them to her. Does he have them too? He says he does, and she says, send them to her. He asks if she really needs that right now, and she tells him that he said he would do anything to help her. She needs those pictures.

Portia says, Laura can see her concern. As a mother, her very real fear that Laura’s questions would gain momentum and Heather’s sentence might be reduced or she might be set free. Either way, she’s relieved. She’s grateful it’s not going to happen. Laura says she understands and wants Portia to know that she treasures Trina. Trina is a very special young woman. She had a profound effect on Spencer. She made him a better man. Portia says, Trina loved Spencer very much. Trina thinks the world of Laura as well. Laura says she hopes now they can put their differences behind them and move forward in a more positive way, and Portia says she’s all for that. (Until she isn’t.)

Heather says, the truth is, she wouldn’t have done any of those horrible things if that medical supply company hadn’t given her a radioactive hip. So really, shouldn’t one of their fancy executives be in a jail cell right next to hers? Elizabeth says she sees Heather’s point, and she’s appalled at the lack of quality control. Heather says, they probably knew all about this and they just hushed it up. That’s what they do. (Again, not wrong.) She took responsibility, but it wasn’t all on her. So why should she have to spend the rest of her life without her grandson in a prison cell? It isn’t fair to Ace to have his grandma in the slammer. Elizabeth says she knows Heather misses him, and Heather says she does. The other thing is, she’s never been compensated at all for their negligence. Isn’t she really entitled? She doesn’t want anything astronomical. Just something to make her comfortable. Maybe a little house with room for Ace, a little garden with petunias. She loves petunias. Elizabeth says she’s going to just take the tray right now. Use her call button if she wants it back or if she wants anything else. Heather asks her to wait. By any chance has she seen Scott Baldwin around?

Nina asks if Drew saw how quickly Willow left. She couldn’t wait to get away from him. He says he didn’t do anything, and she tells him to give her a break. She’s probably running down the stairs two steps at a time. What is wrong with him? She loves Michael. She doesn’t want to lose him. She doesn’t want to hurt her kids or blow up her life. He says he doesn’t want that either, and she says, then leave her alone. Just get over whatever this is, this hero complex of his and cut her loose before he destroys her life. He says, it was one kiss. He’s not trying to defend it, but he already told Nina that they got caught up in the moment and it’s not going to happen again. His phone rings and he says, it’s McConkey. He has to take this. He steps away and asks what he can do for the congressman… He understands and he’ll take care of that… He looks at the phone and says, suddenly being stuck in an elevator doesn’t sound so bad. Nina says, dare she ask? and Drew says, McConkey doesn’t think he’s making enough progress with the school board, that he’s not being proactive enough to get their support. She asks what he’s doing tonight, and straightens his tie. He asks, why? and she says, because she might be able to help.

Laura goes to Doc’s office, and he says, hey, wife. It’s good to see her, if only for a few minutes. It’s been a busy day. She hugs him and says, it has been. She came to see him, but he wasn’t here, so she visited Heather. He says, she’s in the building? He didn’t know that. She says, yeah. Elizabeth said she was kind of depressed, so she tried to cheer Heather up. He says, with pictures of Ace, and she says, yes, and some reassurance that she stopped looking into Heather’s sentencing. He asks if that did the trick, but she says, not really. Heather seems concerned that she’s going to abandon her and will stop visiting her. He says, that sounds like reality is setting in. Her emotions will be all over the place. She says she tried to reassure Heather that she’ll keep visiting just as she has been, and she’ll keep Ace in her life with photos. She perked up just a little bit, but she thinks the reality of Pentenville is weighing on Heather. He says, trips to the hospital can be a mixed blessing. It’s a break from prison, but then she has glimpses into a life she can no longer have. Laura says, make no mistake. She knows who Heather is. She knows the things Heather has done pre and post metallosis, but there’s always been this sort of tragic, poignant thing about Heather. But the horror she became is something altogether different. He asks what she thinks now that she’s taken a step back, and she says she has mixed feelings, but she’s relieved to have made the decision to put it behind her and she knows Portia’s relieved too. He says, she spoke to Portia? and she says she ran into Portia here. Portia wanted to thank her for dropping Heather’s case.

Kristina looks at the photos and tells Michael, that bump. That’s her. That’s the last time the baby was with her, safe and protected. Why did she go in there? What was she thinking? Why didn’t she just leave Ava alone? He says, it doesn’t help going down that path, and she says, he’s never asked himself what if? What if I had made some different choices would everything be different? He says, many times, but it doesn’t change anything. It’s just another way to beat yourself up. She doesn’t need that. She says she wishes she could go back in time. Just walk out that door. Turn around and leave. Then her baby would still be here. Her baby would still be with her. She would still be alive.

Alexis says, Kristina is traumatized, and while she and Sonny are lucky she’s alive, her baby didn’t make it. And she still doesn’t know if she’ll be able to have a child again. Sonny says he didn’t know that, and she says, that’s why they’ve been monitoring her so closely, because they’re trying to avoid a hysterectomy. She is so fragile right now. He says, she thinks he didn’t see that when he walked into the room? It broke his heart. She says, good. Then he realizes Kristina doesn’t know what she’s asking. He says he knows what she’s saying, but this is between him and Kristina, and she says, no. They’re not doing this again. She’s Kristina’s mother and she’s telling him that he can’t do what she asked. Because if Ava dies or disappears or whatever euphemism applies here, he’ll leave a forever mark on Kristina’s soul.

Doc says he’s glad Laura and Portia were able to mend fences, and she says her too. She’s always liked Portia and she adores Trina. And she does understand where Portia was coming from. As a mother, if you perceive a threat to your child, you do anything you can to stop it. Ironically, that’s what Heather was doing too. He says he admires her for asking the questions, and for her sense of fairness and decency, and for overlooking what’s popular and politically expedient. Come to think of it, he admires himself. She laughs and says, really, and he says, for having the good sense to marry her. She hugs him and says, he’s not so bad himself. She doesn’t regret raising the questions she raised, but she thinks in the end, it’s best Heather remains in prison.

Elizabeth says she hasn’t seen Scotty today, and Heather says, he was in here earlier. Could Elizabeth ask him to come back in and see her in her room? Elizabeth says she doesn’t know if he’s going to be back by the time Heather is discharged, and Heather asks if she can just make a teeny-weeny phone call. Elizabeth says, Heather knows she’s not supposed to call from unmonitored lines, but Heather says, it’s really important. It’s actually kind of urgent. Could she ask Elizabeth to call on her own phone? Elizabeth says she doesn’t think she wants to get involved, but Heather says, just leave a message. Just two words, that’s all. Simple. Heather’s in.

Drew says, after reading him the riot act, Nina is offering to help him? and she says she promised she was going to help him get elected and she really needs him to be elected. And McConkey is counting on Drew, and she doesn’t want to let him down. So why doesn’t he just come by her place tonight and they’ll order dinner. He asks if she’s sure about this, and she says, if she wasn’t sure, she wouldn’t have offered. See him tonight. She leaves.

Willow finds Michael and hugs him, and he says he’s glad to see her. She says she’s glad he called. How’s Kristina? He says, she’s not good. Physically, she’s on the mend, but emotionally she’s in a dark place. She’s hurt and she doesn’t see an end in sight. Willow says she understands that. He does too. Michael says he was thinking, if she’s willing, Kristina could really benefit from someone who’s carried and lost a child. He knows it’s a big ask, and she can obviously say no, but would Willow be willing to talk to Kristina?

Kristina looks at the photos and says, you will always be with me. We were a part of each other, and I pray you knew just how loved you were. How loved you still are. You changed my life, baby girl. You taught me the power of a mother’s love, and that is something Ava can never take away from me… like she has everything else.

Alexis says, their daughter is surging with grief right now, and if Sonny takes any action against Ava, she will feel responsible. He says, everything she’s saying, he already knows. He loves his daughter. He’d do anything for his daughter to protect her, but Ava is his problem, and he will take it from here.

On Monday, Maxie says, this is an unexpected turn of events; Anna says, ruining someone’s evening is the only thing she’s happy about; Jack tells Carly, an experience like this shouldn’t be rushed; and Brook tells Blaze that she has to grab the chance.

🐪 Coveted Seating…

IMO, Chanel and Stanbury should have gotten the seats next to Andy.

🍸 Second VanderChapter…

I thought, instead of firing Stassi for something she did years before, it would have been better to watch her grow from it. But she grew anyway and has obviously moved on. However, the LVP connection remains. I started watching Vanderpump Villa, but drifted away. Maybe I’ll give it another shot.

🌴 They’ve Got Style…

In theory, a Bravo FanFest sounds like a good idea, but it’s probably hot, crowded, and ultimately annoying.

https://www.bravotv.com/the-daily-dish/bravo-fan-fest-miami-2024

⚰️ The Next Chapters…

It will be interesting to see how they top themselves after that stellar first season.

https://undeadwalking.com/posts/melissa-mcbride-and-norman-reedus-talk-about-carol-and-daryl-s-time-to-shine-01j45se86fkn

Ah for the days of more than a handful of episodes in a season.

https://undeadwalking.com/posts/the-walking-dead-daryl-dixon-how-many-episodes-per-season-01j4j9whkv7k

Hola, Daryl!

https://undeadwalking.com/posts/daryl-dixon-season-3-confirmed-with-story-moving-to-spain-here-s-everything-we-know-01j3x6ppyak7

🗽 City To Come…

I never knew his last name was Smith. Come to think of it, I never knew he had a last name.

https://undeadwalking.com/posts/walking-dead-did-negan-s-redemption-arc-reveal-his-true-nature-or-just-a-path-to-survival-01j4pdzwvt8b

Geez. A little benefit of the doubt would be nice.

https://undeadwalking.com/posts/dead-city-negan-s-motivation-to-squander-the-second-chance-given-to-him-by-rick-grimes-01j44ztttajb

I’m including this mostly because I saw Frozen Empire a few weeks ago. It was a lot of fun, and the little Stay Puft marshmallow guys were adorable, but I would have liked more of the frozen part.

https://undeadwalking.com/posts/watch-dead-city-actor-logan-kim-in-ghostbusters-frozen-empire-now-streaming-on-netflix-01j3j9fjy50d

🌁 The Latest On Last…

It seems like it’s been forever already.

https://www.etonline.com/media/videos/the-last-of-us-season-2-first-look-catherine-ohara-joels-rescue-aftermath-and-more

https://deadline.com/feature/the-last-of-us-season-2-cast-release-date-everything-to-know-1235940502/

🦄 IF You’re Streaming…

This is on Paramount+ right now. Saw it. Loved it. It rides that fine line of being sentimental without taking a trip to the cornfield. Kind of like a sweeter version of Drop Dead Fred.   

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lists/if-cast-imaginary-friends-voice-actor-guide/

🦫 Is It Me Or…

It would probably be my luck that when I finally got a prize from one of those stupid machines, it would be a groundhog.

https://people.com/penn-officials-rescue-groundhog-stuck-in-claw-machine-at-mini-golf-course-an-unusual-prize-8693471

🐶 Only a Tail Wag Away…

I was gone like, four hours the other day, and according to my dogs, it was four years. Nothing like a pup to make you feel wanted.

https://paradepets.com/pet-news/chihuahua-best-reaction-being-reunited-with-mom

https://paradepets.com/pet-news/dog-reunites-with-girlfriend

https://paradepets.com/pet-news/australian-shepherd-reunites-with-mom-after-month

🦜 Quotes of the Week

Let others lead small lives, but not you. Let others argue over small things, but not you. Let others cry over small hurts, but not you. Let others leave their future in someone else’s hands, but not you. – Jim Rohn

So let me get this hetero-straight. So you’s a vampire, that can come out in the daytime?… Oh there goes the damn neighborhood. – Lafayette Reynolds (Nelsan Ellis), True Blood

Life is a succession of lessons, which must be lived to be understood. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Tact is the knack of making a point without making an enemy. – Howard W. Newton

Each day we are given the opportunity to choose between that which is easy and fast and that which is more difficult and slow. The fast and easy track is attractive, but doesn’t bear fruit. The slow and hard track is intimidating, but has the most potential. – Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein

Critical thinking and curiosity are the key to creativity. – Amala Akkineni

His self-awareness makes him almost invincible. – Chris Evans in reference to Ryan Reynolds

Don’t make us die. – girls going parasailing to the boat captain, Customer Wars

🌈 If You Want the Rainbow…

Do something fabulous this weekend, or at least watch something fabulous. Then come back again on Monday for soap and mischief on Deck. Until then, stay safe, stay doing what you’re afraid to do, and stay not going down the path of what if. It doesn’t change anything.