Category Archives: Bravo

Jul22

July 21, 2023 – Sonny Sizes Up Austin, New Nanny, Will He, Transformed, Dueling Deckhands, New Chef, Dead Stuff, She’s Here, Robfusal, Sea Dog, Just Five Quotes & Her World

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Sonny says, to protecting our own, and clinks glasses with Nina and Ava. He asks Austin, what’s wrong? Does he have a problem with the toast?

As the doctor pokes at Curtis’s legs, TJ asks what he feels, but Curtis says he doesn’t feel a thing. He can’t feel anything. None of them seem surprised that he can’t feel his legs. Will somebody tell him what the hell is going on? He shouts, what’s going on?!

Diane walks into the hospital on the phone, and says she’s literally walking in the door… Don’t worry. She’ll find Sasha and take care of everything. Leaning on the counter, Robert says, everything? That’s a tall order, even for Killer Miller.

Sasha is wheeled out of the elevator, and Gladys says, she’s going to get better. She knows it doesn’t look like it, but she promises to do everything she can to get Sasha all the help she needs. Dr. Montague comes out and says he knows how upsetting this must be for Gladys, but he’s here now. He asks if Sasha remembers him. He’s Dr. Montague, and he’s here to help her. She says, help her? and he says, she’s not herself right now, but he promises she will be soon. He’ll make sure of that. He asks the officer to take Sasha to the exam room, and the officer leaves with Sasha. Gladys says, he never told her that Sasha would get this bad, but Montague says, her daughter-in-law is much worse off than she led him to believe. Gladys asks what he gave her. She hurt somebody. It’s lucky she didn’t kill him. And she’s in so much pain now. She never meant for Sasha to suffer… He says, shut up. They both know what she meant to happen. She did her part; now he’ll do his. He goes into the exam room, and closes the door. Gladys looks at Sasha through the window, and Montague closes the blinds.

Carly visits Drew in Pentenville, and says she knows she promised she wouldn’t visit so soon, but he says he’s glad she did. She says she knows he wanted to feel more settled, but she had to see him. She misses him so much. He says he misses her, and she says, here she is. He says, she looks so beautiful, even in a place like this, and she says, she talked to Sam. Scout’s determined to visit him ASAP. He says, she knows how Scout is when she sets her mind to something; you can’t change it. The last time he was locked in a cell, he etched her name in the wall, and that’s what kept him alive, but now he has so much more to live for. She says, this place is better than Crete, right? and he flashes back to Cyrus giving him a Bible with a screwdriver in it. Carly asks, what’s wrong?

At the pool, Dex tells Josslyn, other people were at the pool when the shooting happened. Anna Devane for one, and the police are even certain Curtis wasn’t the target. She says she’s certain. Curtis was in the wrong place at the wrong time. The bullet was meant for Sonny. It could have been Dex. He says, no, but she says, he already got shot working for Sonny. What’s to say it won’t happen again? He says, because now he has more to live for. He’s never loved anyone as much as he loves her. He’s not going to give that up. They kiss.

TJ says, Curtis has every right to be concerned, and Portia says, TJ is right, but he doesn’t want to put too much stress on himself right now. That’s going to make it… Curtis says, stop. He can’t feel his legs. He needs them to stop talking to him like family. They’re doctors and he’s a patient. Why can’t he feel his legs? Dr. Barnsdall says he understands why Curtis is so concerned, but he’s just come through very extensive spinal surgery. Curtis is lucky to be alive. The bullet fragments he removed were lodged very close to Curtis’s spine. He was under very heavy sedation during the procedure. Every patient’s body reacts differently when that wears off. Curtis says, so the anesthesia is why he can’t feel his legs? and the doctor says, that’s one of the possibilities. Curtis says, cut it to him straight. What are the other possibilities? Dr. Barnsdall says he still needs to look at some of the other tests and scans they took after the surgery, and then he’ll better be able to answer some of Curtis’s questions. He’ll leave Curtis with his family now. The doctor leaves with the nurse, and TJ asks if Curtis heard what Dr. Barnsdall said. Very few people would have even survived that surgery. Portia says, if Aunt Stella were here, she thinks Stella would call it a miracle, and Curtis says, a miracle.

Diane tells Robert that she’s here to see her client Sasha Gilmore. Yes, she knows Sasha was recently represented by Martin Grey, but he asked her to take over when he was called away. He asks if Martin is going to be back, and she says, he is, but Maxie felt Sasha needed… He says, a killer shark, but she says, compassion and complete dedication. She will take care of everything. She knows why he’s here, and no, he won’t interrogate her client in her current state.

Gladys tells the guard that her daughter-in-law is not a criminal. He saw how gentle she was. She just needs a little psychological help, that’s all. He looks straight ahead like a guard at Buckingham Palace, and she says, oh God, and walks away.

Sasha says she knows he’s Dr. Montague, and he says, very good. Does she know why she’s here? She says, for more of those pills he gave her? but he says, no. Those pills would have helped her, but he warned her not to take too many. She says she only took three pills a day like he told her, and as he prepares a syringe, she notices blood on her clothes. He says, soon, all of her questions will be answered, and she sees the syringe. She asks, what’s that? No. He gives her the shot.

Austin says he really respects Sonny. Sonny is a powerful man and puts such a high value on family. Sonny says, nothing more important than family, and Austin says, absolutely. Let him try to put Sonny’s mind at ease. He hasn’t spent a lot of time with Avery, but the little time he’s spent with her, she’s lovely. He thinks she looks at him and sees him as not just her mom’s friend, but maybe her friend as well. Sonny says, Avery sees the good in everybody, and Austin says, that’s wonderful. He wonders if she got that from Ava, or is it a trait she inherited from Sonny? Sonny says he always gives people another chance, and Austin says, just the one? What happens when people disappoint him? Sonny asks, what happens when Austin loses a patient? and Austin says he thinks he can speak for every doctor in the world when he says, it’s hard to lose a patient. Sonny says, you’ve just got to move forward. It’s sad, but some people are beyond helping. You’ve just got to move on.

Portia says, please talk to them, and Curtis says he understands what the doctor was saying. He’s lucky to be alive, and he’s grateful for everything everyone at the hospital has done for him. But he wants to walk out of the hospital on his own, and that’s not going to happen. TJ tells him, that’s not what Dr. Barnsdall said, and Curtis says, yet. Portia says, no one can walk right after spinal surgery, and TJ says, Portia’s right. People going through the same kind of surgery, it can take weeks before they can walk. Curtis asks, how long before they can feel their legs again? when TJ gets paged, and Curtis tells him to go. He knows TJ has a job to do. TJ says he’ll be back as soon as he can, and leaves. Portia takes Curtis’s hand, and says, it’s going to be okay, and he says, yes, it will. As soon as he gets his life back. All of it.

Robert says he takes no pleasure in Sasha’s current predicament, but Cody Bell’s the real victim here, and Diane says, come on. They both know there was no intent. Sasha never meant to hurt the guy. He says, she stabbed him with a paring knife, and Diane says, it’s well-documented that Sasha hasn’t been herself since losing her baby and her husband. And might she point out, Heather Webber killed Sasha’s husband and came perilously close to killing yours truly, so she would think he’d have more… He says he’s not there to persecute her client, and she says, good. Why is he here? He says, after Maxie spoke to her, she called her Uncle Robert. She says, so Maxie asked him to look out for Sasha to make sure she was treated fairly, and he says, who’d have thunk it? Her and him on the same team. They get into the elevator together, and bump shoulders.

Sasha scrubs at the blood, and says she can’t get this off, but Montague says, don’t worry about that. He sets up a recorder, and says, they’ll take care of that later. Now tell him what she remembers. She says, there was a pool, and he says, what happened at the pool? She says, Gladys was there… and he grabbed her by the wrist. She flashes back to seeing Cyrus grab Gladys, and tells Montague, she saw him. He tried to ruin her life. He gave her drugs. Montague asks who she thinks she saw at the pool, and she says she knows she saw him. He grabbed Gladys and she knew she had to stop him. She had to stop Cyrus Renault.

Carly says she doesn’t understand. Cyrus is a murderer. She assumed Drew would be separated from people like him. Where did Drew run into him? Drew says, Cyrus found him. Cyrus wants to make him a fisher of men. She says, Cyrus Renault? and he says, what good is a messiah complex without disciples he’s recruiting? She asks if he told Cyrus to go to hell. Better yet, he has to tell the guards. They don’t know what kind of sick game Cyrus is playing, but Drew has to stay away from him. Drew doesn’t want to get on his bad side. He says she doesn’t have to worry about him, but she says, he just told her some maniac has him in their sights, and he doesn’t want her worrying about him? He says he’s got this; he can take care of himself. Cyrus knows not to make a move on him. She says she knows all the training he’s had, but he doesn’t know how many men Cyrus has under his control. He can’t fight everyone. He says, it’s okay, but she says, it’s not okay. He says, it’s taken care of, and she says, how, and by whom? He says, her ex-husband.

Ava says, Sonny is incorrigible, and tells Austin that his bark is far worse than his bite. Sonny says, the doctor knows he was joking, right? and they all laugh. Austin’s phone rings, and he asks them to excuse him. Sonny asks if there’s a problem, but Austin says, occupational hazard. He’ll be right back. He leaves, and Ava says, all right. Nina says, don’t get her wrong. Austin is awkward, but very nice and there’s some kind of chemistry there, but as a couple, she doesn’t really see it. I’m glad she said it, since I’ve been thinking it.

Outside on the phone, Austin tells someone, you could say that. It was super awkward. A lunatic walks into a restaurant and he’s with Sonny Corinthos. Not great. He guesses the question is, what’s Mason going to do about it?

TJ asks if Dr. Barnsdall reviewed all of Curtis’s latest test results, and the doctor says he did, and the final scans they took after Curtis’s surgery. TJ says, will his uncle ever be able to walk again?

Carly says, Sonny has people watching Drew’s back, and Drew says, she doesn’t sound completely surprised. She says, vintage Sonny, and Drew says, to protect him? She says, Sonny knows he’s a good guy, and deep down he knows Drew is good for her. She and Sonny will always be family, and at the end of the day, nothing’s more important to Sonny than family. He asks if this is Sonny’s way of welcoming him into the family, and she laughs, saying, she wouldn’t go that far. She just wants him to come home. Nothing’s more important. He says he’s working on it. So what else is going on? She says, Willow came home, and he says, that’s great. She says, the only reason Willow is okay is because he rescued Liesl. The only reason Willow’s okay is because of him. He says he’s just happy she’s home where she belongs. Are they planning a big party at the house for her already?… What’s going on? Carly says, nothing, but he says he knows her. He loves her. Tell him what it is.

Portia says, what Curtis needs right now is rest, and she’ll be right back. He doesn’t let go of her hand, and says, what he needs is her here. He also needs to tell her something before the doctor gets back. She says, they’ll have plenty of time to talk later, but he says, she’s wrong. Time is the one thing we’re never sure we have. When he came to find her at the pool, he’d just had a conversation with Sam, and she said something he didn’t think was important at the time. And now, he can’t forget it. Portia asks what she said, and he tells her, she said, you never have enough time with the people you love, and she’s right. He realized how much time he was wasting and came to find her. He’s not sorry he went to the pool looking for her, but he’s sorry he didn’t get to say what he wanted to say.

Robert and Diane come out of the elevator, and Gladys says, her daughter-in-law is in no condition to be hounded by lawyers right now. Diane says, Gladys might be Sasha’s guardian, but she’s not Sasha’s gatekeeper. She’s assuming Sasha is in the exam room. Gladys says, she’s getting the treatment she needs from her shrink, and Robert says, he’ll handle this. He goes over to the guard, and Gladys says she’s sure Diane means well, but Sasha is in pretty bad shape. If Diane makes her more upset, she swears she’ll… Diane asks, what will she do? Word to the wise; never, ever threaten her. Robert tells Diane, ten minutes max, and Diane asks Gladys to excuse her.

Sasha says, he was going to hurt Gladys like he hurt her, and she couldn’t let that happen. So she saw the knife, and… Diane walks in, and says, Sasha, stop right there. Not one more word. And you – she looks at Montague – turn off that recording device right now. He grabs it and shuts it off.

Ava says, she and Austin have only had a few dates. Of course (🍷) Nina doesn’t see them as a couple. Nina says, on the plus side, he’s nothing like Nikolas, and Ava says, that’s for sure. He is very… Nina says, alive, and Ava says, what? Nina says, don’t get her wrong. Ava and Nikolas had some connection and chemistry, but Nikolas always seemed like he was brooding. He was always serious all the time to her. At least Austin is mysteriously… expressive. Ava says, he’s definitely more alive, and Sonny says, he’s very attentive to his patients, because earlier, that guy Gordon was hostile. Austin could have blown him off, but he took the time to deal with the problem. Nina asks, what happened when Sonny went out after him? and Sonny says he’s pretty sure that Austin’s patient understands the situation. Austin comes back, and Ava says, Sonny was just complementing his bedside manner. Sonny’s phone rings, and he tells Gladys that he’s in the middle of something. Gladys says, it’s Sasha. She’s been arrested. Sonny asks, what the hell for? and Gladys says, she’s getting a psyche evaluation at GH right now. Sonny says he’ll be right there, and Nina asks, what’s going on? He says, Sasha’s in trouble. He has to go to GH. Nina says she’s going with him, and tells Ava and Austin that she’s so sorry. Ava says, no, go, and Sonny and Nina leave. Ava says, disaster averted, for now, and eats her martini olives off the stirrer.

Josslyn puts suntan lotion (I think… I hope) on Dex, when his phone rings. She says, don’t answer it, but he says, she knows he has to. Sonny says he knows it’s Dex’s day off. Something came up. Dex asks what he needs and Sonny says, surveillance. Port Charles Grill. Austin Gatlin-Holt.

Portia says she loves the sentiment, she really does, but is Curtis saying if he hadn’t spoken to Sam, he wouldn’t… He says, it’s done. They’re here. And what he wants her to know right now is, whatever happens, his feelings for her won’t change. And once he’s back on his feet… She says, and he will be, but she needs him to listen to his doctors… and his wife. She just wants him to relax and let his body heal as long as possible. He says he’s feeling stronger by the minute, and she says, good. That’s what she likes to hear. She has to check on a patient really quickly, but she promises she’ll be right back. She leaves, and cries in the hallway. Curtis pinches his leg, and sighs.

Dr. Barnsdall shows TJ his tablet, and says, they were successful in removing the bullet and every fragment. TJ says, Dr. Barnsdall always does good work, but was it enough?

Carly says, there’s nothing for Drew to worry about, but he says, something is going on. Is it the financial penalty from the SEC? She says she can handle it. She doesn’t want him to even think about it. He says he doesn’t want her thinking about it. That was a huge fine. He doesn’t want this weighing her down along with everything else. It’s really simple. He can sell Aurora. She says, no, he can’t. Diane made it crystal clear that she can’t accept anything from him, Michael, or Sonny. She could be hit with an even bigger fine, or worse. He says, Diane knows what she’s talking about. Did she come up with a Plan B? Carly says, she did, and Diane told her it’s going to take a while, but it doesn’t matter because she has resources. He says, tell him she’s not selling the house, and she says, the house is too big for them. He says, it’s not just the house, it’s the moss bowl’s🎍 her home, and she says, the home she had with Sonny. She has a lot of great memories of the kids growing up there, but those memories aren’t going away because she sells the house. She wants to focus on the future, and getting him out of here and sharing that future with him. No piece of real estate is going to change that. Life is too fragile to wait around. You think you have everything under control, and think the people you love are safe, then just like that… He says, what happened?

Dex puts his shirt on, and Josslyn asks if he really has to go. It’s his day off. What could be so important? He says, it’s no big deal. Nothing dangerous. Just a little surveillance. He kisses her, and she says, if it’s not important, why can’t they go back to his place right now? and he says, it’s not that he doesn’t want that. He made a choice when he decided to work for Sonny. She says she thought she was the choice he made, and he says, the best ever; the most important ever. But now he needs to go to work, and she – he takes a book out of their beach bag – needs to finish that mystery. The minute this job is done, he promises… She kisses him, and he says he promises. I gotta say it. I think she’s too immature for him.

Austin says he can’t tell. Did Sonny think he was okay, or does Sonny hate him? Ava shrugs and says she doesn’t know, but when he decides, believe her, Austin will know. He asks how she thinks it went, but she says she doesn’t know. Sonny plays things so close to the vest, but when it comes to Avery, he’s not going to take any chances. Austin says, Sonny has nothing to worry about with him and Avery. He loves kids. Ava says, that’s good, because Sonny said something he really meant; family is everything. He lives by that. Austin asks if he’s like that with all her lovers.

Gladys thanks Sonny for coming, and Sonny asks Robert, where’s Sasha? Robert says, she’s in there, indicating the exam room. Diane’s with her.

Montague says, how dare Diane barge in here and interrupt while he’s evaluating a patient. Get out! Diane says she’s not going anywhere. She’s Diane Miller, and she’s Sasha’s attorney. And that trumps his title any day of the week, and don’t turn that recorder on again. She gently asks if Sasha remembers her, and Sasha says, Diane. Diane says she’s Sasha’s attorney. She helped Sasha once before, and she’s going to help her again. Sasha tells her, Dr. Montague said… but Diane says, no. She doesn’t need to pay any attention to Dr. Montague. Just look right at her and she doesn’t say one more word. Montague says, unfortunately, Diane is a little too late. Sasha already told him more than enough.

Nina tells Gladys, this doesn’t make any sense. Why would Sasha stab Cody Bell? Gladys says, it was obvious she wasn’t herself. She would never hurt anyone. Something made her do it. Sonny says, like what? What made her do it?

Alone in the office, TJ yells, dammit! and pounds the desk with his fist. Portia walks in and says, no. He walks over to her, and she tells him, please don’t say it. She cries as he hugs her.

Gladys says she’s not a shrink. How would she know what’s wrong with Sasha? First there was the shoplifting, now she stabs Cody? Nina’s own journalist was there; she saw the whole thing. Nina says she talked to Alyse. She said it came out of nowhere. It doesn’t make any sense. When she was on Home & Heart, and someone did that horrible mind game on her, she handled it. Sonny says he saw her a few weeks ago and told her that she was ready to be on her own; to end Gladys’s guardianship. What changed?

Montague and Diane step away from Sasha, and he says, the police brought Miss Gilmore in for a psyche evaluation. As her lawyer, he’s sure Diane knows what that entails, what his responsibilities are. He’s sorry, but at this point, his hands are tied.

Robert tells Gladys, Sonny, and Nina that he just got off a call from Judge Palmer… Diane joins them and says, please, let her tell them. Sasha needs help. She’s being sent to Ferncliff Hospital for the Criminally Insane. Oh yeah, Ferncliff. We haven’t seen that place for a while.

Ava says she needs to make something very clear, she and Austin aren’t a couple, and they’re definitely not lovers. He says, what happened at Windymere… She says, means nothing. They’re nothing. She had a little moment of weakness. She’s regretted it ever since. He says he’s only regretted they haven’t done it again, and she says, he has an inflated opinion – he rubs her leg under the table – of his sexual prowess. And she assumes as a doctor – she picks up her knife – he has a need for that hand creeping up her thigh. He says, she wouldn’t, and she just looks at him. He removes his hand, and says, she didn’t answer his question. Sonny is a jealous guy? She says, Sonny doesn’t care who she sleeps with, as long as it doesn’t negatively impact Avery. He says, good to know. He assumes she sang his praises when he was away from the table, and she says, what praises might those be? His gymnastics in bed. He says, thank you, and she says, his willingness to help bury dead husbands? She told Sonny as little as possible about him; only what she thought he’d actually believe. He says, then how come he didn’t buy it?

Drew asks, what happened? and Carly says, Curtis was shot. Drew says, is he… She says, no. He’s in the hospital. He asks, how bad was it? and she says, it was touch and go. She heard this morning he’s out of surgery, he’s in recovery, but she doesn’t know his condition. Drew says, who shot him? and she says, they don’t know. It was at the MetroCourt pool. He asks if anyone else was hurt, and she says, no, luckily. He says he doesn’t get it. Who would want to kill Curtis? She says, the PCPD isn’t sure he was the target.

Curtis unsuccessfully tries to move his legs. In the hallway, Portia wipes the tears from her cheeks and puts on a smile. She goes into his room, and says, told him that she wouldn’t be long. He says he’s glad she’s back. Could she make sure they schedule a therapy session for him as soon as possible? She says, it’s way too soon for something like that, but he says, it’s never too soon. He’s not going to sit here in this bed and wait for another miracle. He knows it’s going to take hard work, but he’s here for it. Because no matter what it takes, he’s going to walk and stand up on his own two legs. Who knows? Someday, he might take her in his arms and they can dance the night away again. What does she think about that? She says she absolutely loves it. There’s something she wants to tell him. He asks, what’s wrong? and she says, Dr. Barnsdall got the latest tests and scans back and he consulted with three other surgeons, and none of them think he’ll be able to walk again.

Carly says she’s sorry. As soon as she gets any information about Curtis, she’ll get it to Drew. He thanks her, and says, she told him Portia was with Curtis. Does she know who else was out there? She says, his attorney Zeke, Jordan Ashford… Dante, Anna, and Sonny. He says, Curtis is such a good man. They’d better find out who did this. A guard says, time’s up, and Carly says she’ll come back as soon as she can. Seeing him makes everything better. He says he loves her, and she says she loves him, and leaves after taking a last look.

Portia says, doctors have been wrong before, and this isn’t a death sentence. They almost lost him for good, and Dr. Barnsdall said there’s no reason he can’t live an absolutely… Curtis says, stop. Just stop. She says, but they all love him. No matter what. He says he needs some time, and she says, of course (🍷). Of course (🍷) he does. He says, alone, and she says she understands. She leaves, and stands in the hallway crying, when TJ sees her. In his room, Curtis looks lonely.

Josslyn reads her book, when her phone rings. She says, hello?… This is Josslyn Jax. Who’s this?… Excuse me?… What are you talking about?

Ava says, Sonny rarely makes snap judgements, but when he does, look out, and Austin says, so she doesn’t think Sonny’s judged him yet. She says, probably not, but she thinks she managed to convince him that he has nothing to worry about with Austin spending time around Avery. Austin says, he’s not the only one who can read people. And he gets the distinct feeling Sonny is on to them. Dex listens from the bar.

Cyrus sits on a couch reading, and looks up to see Drew.

Sasha is wheeled out, and Nina says, it’s horrible. Diane promises Nina that she’ll fight this tooth and nail. Gladys says, she’s going to a good place, right? and Montague says, that’s exactly where her daughter-in-law should be. She’ll get all the help she needs. Isn’t that what they all want? He gets in the elevator, and Sonny asks the guard for a moment. He asks if Sasha can hear him. He knows she’s in there. Listen to him. She’s not alone. Does she understand? She’s not alone. She thanks him, and the guard wheels her into the elevator.

On Monday, Carly tells Josslyn that she’s been entrusted with their family institution; Austin tells someone that everything will be okay; and Sonny tells Dex, stay with him. See what he can find out.

🧸 Bye Pilar…

The nanny Mason wants.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/ella-lentini-cast-as-betty-rutherford-on-general-hospital

⚖️ Come On Back, Jack…

I feel ripped off. I was hoping he was going to be a regular.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/will-jackson-montgomery-return-to-gh-walt-willey-speaks-out

👩🏻‍⚕️ Spreading Her Wings…

Now if they’d just give her a love life. Chad was great, but it’s been a minute… or two… or three…

GH’s Cassandra James Opens Up About Her “Transformational Year”

⚓️ Two Stooges On Deck…

He needs to mansplain.

‘I Am Not a Cheater’: Colin MacRae Clarifies Below Deck Sailing Yacht Reunion Bombshells

He’s got work to do, he’s just not sure what.

Gary King Admits He Has ‘A Lot of Work to Do’ After Below Deck Sailing Yacht Season 4

🥗 She’s the Top…

No one can replace Padma, but the show must go on.

Bravo Announces Padma Lakshmi’s ‘Top Chef’ Replacement

⚰️ Let’s Talk About Dead…

Wow. Daryl hasn’t even had his first season yet.

https://www.avclub.com/amc-is-already-tossing-new-seasons-at-its-latest-walkin-1850665927

And coming up behind Daryl.

https://people.com/the-walking-dead-rick-michonne-spinoff-title-teaser-andrew-lincoln-danai-gurira-7564287

City recap.

https://www.cbr.com/the-walking-dead-dead-city-season1-episode5-recap-spoilers/

🩰 Time To Shine…

Barbie in review.

https://www.avclub.com/barbie-movie-review-margot-robbie-greta-gerwig-1850646537

I love this song!

https://slate.com/culture/2023/07/barbie-girl-song-movie-aqua-nicki-minaj-ice-spice.html

When and where you can see it.

https://www.barbie-themovie.com/

📸 Meanie Meanie Jellybeanie…

I included this only because I thought it was odd and kind of funny.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/entertainment/news/abby-lee-miller-slams-rob-lowe-for-refusing-to-take-a-picture-with-her-at-elton-johns-oscar-party-he-was-mean/ar-AA1e5DmS

🐶 The Old Man and The Sea, and The Dog…

I’ll bet he was glad for the company, and it’s a good pet parent who recognizes their dog would be happier in another home.

https://people.com/dog-lost-at-sea-with-sailor-adopted-by-crew-member-rescued-them-7563071

💫 Quotes of the Week

Today is a new day. Hiding from your history only shackles you to it. We can’t undo a single thing we have ever done, but we can make decisions today that propel us to the life we want and towards the healing we need. – Steve Maraboli

It isn’t what you have, or who you are, or where you are, or what you are doing that makes you happy or unhappy. It is what you think about. – Dale Carnegie

To be nobody but yourself — in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody else — means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight; and never stop fighting. – e.e. cummings

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

I’m fast, cheap, but average. – Director Higurashi (Takayuki Hamatsu), One Cut of the Dead

🩱 Life In Plastic…

Meet me here on Monday really Tuesday for soap, and who knows what, since I can’t watch one more Deck. Until then, stay safe, stay making your own kind of music, and stay keeping in mind, time is the one thing we’re never sure we have.

Jul21

July 20, 2023 – Esme Visits Her Mother, Getting Around, Happy Birthday, Uniting, Bringing Drama, Under the Runway, About Barbie & More Barbie  

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Gladys struggles with Cody and tells him to let her go. He says he asked her not to touch him, when Sasha stabs him in the side with a knife from the bar. He touches the wound and sees blood on his hand, while Sasha holds the bloody knife. He says, Sasha… why? and drops to his knees. She sees Cyrus asking her, why, Sasha? and Maxie runs over along with a pool guy. Maxie says, everything is okay, and tells Sasha to drop the knife, but Sasha says, stay away. Cody/Cyrus says, please, Sasha, but she says, no. Stay away.

At Bernadino’s, Ava taps her plate with a knife, and Austin takes it out of her hand. He says, if she’s worried about anything that’s going to happen, just know he’s here with her. She says, everyone in this place knows he’s here with her after that ridiculous display he put on yesterday. He says, anyone with eyes would know he wants her. Just so she knows, their attraction to one another might save their lives. Nina approaches the table with Sonny and asks if they’re sure they want a double date.

Esme is in the visitor room at Pentenville when Cyrus approaches her. She says she thinks he may have the wrong visitor, but he says, on the contrary. She’s exactly who he wanted to see. He sits down.

Molly says she was just leaving, but Kristina tells her not to. She’ll go. Sam says, no one is going anywhere – she closes the door – until the two of them talk.

Trina asks why they were made to leave Curtis’s room, and Portia says, it’s just protocol. She needs the room to be able to do her job. Marshall says, TJ is on his way, and Trina says, Curtis seemed so out of it just now. Is that normal? Is he going to be able to talk when they remove the tube from his mouth? Please tell her that he’s going to be okay.

Maxie tells everyone to get back, and tells Sasha, just drop the knife, but Sasha says she can’t let him hurt anyone else. Cody looks at his blood-covered hand, and Cyrus says, you’re going to have to do better than that. She lunges at him with the knife.

Nina and Sonny sit down, and Nina says she was just trying to find out some information on Curtis’s condition. Ava asks how he is, but Sonny says, they haven’t heard yet. Ava says she just feels so badly for Trina. She’s just now getting to know him as her father. Austin says, it’s probably really difficult for Portia and TJ, and Sonny says, it sounds like Austin is pretty close to his colleagues. Austin says, at GH? They were very welcoming to him. Sonny says, was Britt? He remembers seeing Austin at the memorial. Austin says he and Britt were friends, and Sonny says, from what he heard, Britt trusted him. Austin says, she did. He’s starting to think maybe Sonny doesn’t.

Sam says, it’s clear Kristina and Molly have very different points of view here, but neither of them are actually listening to each other, so it’s not going to help. She suggests Molly tell Kristina a little bit of what they were talking about today, and Kristina will listen. Then Kristina will tell Molly exactly what she was thinking when she suggested she’d be a good surrogate for Molly and TJ’s baby. Kristina says, that’s lovely, but she tried, and Sam says, try again.

The nurse tells Portia that Curtis is off the ventilator and his vitals are stable. She’s paged Dr. Barnsdall. Portia thanks her, and Trina asks if they can see him. The nurse says, yes, but only two at a time. She leaves, and Portia suggests Marshall and Trina go first. Trina and Marshall go into Curtis’s room, and Spencer says, that’s great news, but Portia says, he’s not out of the woods just yet. He says, what the nurse told them about his vitals is a good thing, right? Curtis has family here with him, and he’s heard having people around who love you can make a big difference. He promises he’s not going to let his family connections harm Trina or her family ever again. TJ comes around the corner, and Portia asks if Spencer thinks that’s really a promise he can keep.

Marshall tells Curtis, welcome back. Is he okay? Does he need anything? Trina lingers by the door, and Curtis says he needs… Marshall asks, what? and Curtis says, his daughter.

Esme asks if she knows Cyrus, and he says, no, but he knows who she is. Sorry. Who she was. He read everything there is to know about her early time in Port Charles. She had quite the journey. Clearly, she’s no longer the young lady who first came to town. She says she wishes other people would see it that way, Mr. … He says, Renault. Please call him Cyrus. Maybe he can see her for who she is now because he’s a fellow pilgrim on the same journey, trying to change hearts and minds. She says, if he’s in some kind of religious thing, she doesn’t… He says he’s not trying to convert her, but he thinks they face the same dilemma. They were on the wrong path before, and now that they’ve changed, people are skeptical of their sincerity. Esme says, exactly. People tell her that she’s done all these terrible things and look at her like she’s as horrible as her mother and father. He says he completely understands. His family suffered because of their connection to him and his sordid past. He wants it to end. That’s why he sought her out. She says she doesn’t understand, and he says, her blessed child is a part of his family.

Maxie crouches down by Cody, and tells Sasha to stop, but Sasha says, Maxie doesn’t understand. She can’t let him hurt anyone else. Maxie says, Cody hasn’t hurt anybody, and Sasha says, Cody. Suddenly, Cyrus turns back into Cody, and Sasha says, no, it was Cyrus. She saw Cyrus. She sees the knife in her hand and drops it, hyperventilating as she backs away. Gladys runs to her, and Maxie says, call 9-1-1, as Cody keels over. Sasha says, oh my God, over and over.

Alyse films with her phone as the paramedics put Cody on a stretcher, and Sasha says, how could she do that to Cody? Gladys says, it’s going to be okay, and Maxie says she knows Sasha didn’t mean to hurt him. Sasha says she would never, and Gladys says, none of this is her fault. Maxie says, Gladys is going to stay with her. She needs to handle something. She leaves, and Sasha asks, what’s wrong with her? Why did she do that? Gladys tells her, don’t worry. It’s going to be okay. They’ll fix everything. Sasha wonders what Brando would say, and Detective Bennet (remember him?) says, Sasha Corbin? She asks, how is Cody? and he says, in bad shape. From what he was told, she’s responsible. The paramedics take Cody away.

Sam takes Kristina and Molly’s hands and says, no matter how mad they get, how much they fight, they love each other. They’re sisters. That’s never going to change. Now talk. Please. She walks away, but Kristina says, Sam… Sam says, please, and Kristina says, okay. She’ll admit she’s not always the most self-aware person, but when she thought of offering to be a surrogate, it’s only because she wanted to help Molly, and TJ. Molly says she might have overreacted at the hospital, but she’s still trying to deal with the fact they can’t have a baby. Then Curtis got shot and almost died, and it was all too much. Kristina says she gets that, and she was trying to be sympathetic and sensitive, but Molly lashed out at her with so much anger and hatred. Sam’s phone rings, and she says she has to get this. You two talk. She leaves, and Kristina says, Molly told her that she always tries to make herself the center of attention. Is that really how Molly sees her? Molly says she was hurt and upset, and wanted to hurt Kristina, and Kristina asks, why?

Sam says, Dante’s not here, and asks Maxie, what’s up? Maxie says she’s at the MetroCourt pool. Cody has been stabbed. Sam says, what?

Curtis asks, what happened? and Trina says, he doesn’t remember? Curtis shakes his head, and Marshall says, he was shot. Curtis says, who? and Marshall says, the PCPD is trying to figure that out. Trina says, they think the bullet wasn’t meant for Curtis, and Curtis says, any leads? Marshall says, he’s a patient, not a cop. Trina says, mom will tie him to this bed herself if he tries to help with the investigation, and he asks, where’s Portia?

TJ asks, how’s Uncle Curtis? and Portia says, his vitals are stable. Trina and Marshall are in with him right now. Only two people at a time. TJ asks if Dr. Barnsdall knows Curtis regained consciousness, and she says, he’s been paged. TJ was in the operating room with Curtis and knows there were complications. What if there are residual effects?

Sonny says, who Ava spends time with is her business. Who Avery spends time with is his business. Nina tells Austin that she thinks what Sonny is trying to say is, they’d like the opportunity to get to know him better. Austin says, absolutely. It’s not a problem. Ava has been very clear about how much Sonny loves Avery, so it’s only natural he’d want to get to know any man who’s potentially in her mother’s life. Sonny says he appreciates that. Does Austin have anything to do with Ava wanting to look for a new nanny for Avery? Ava says, no, absolutely not. Pilar has been negligent lately. Avery’s well-being is her only concern. He asks if she’s started looking, when a man approaches the table, and says, Dr. Gatlin-Holt. Austin says, he is? and the man says, Gordon Stevens. He was a patient of Austin’s. Austin says, nice to see him again, and Gordon says, maybe not so nice when Austin hears what he has to say.

Esme says she should have realized; he’s a Cassadine. Cyrus says, no. Thankfully, he’s not. Any transgression he’s committed pales in comparison to that family. He’s the only fallen angel in his lineage. His siblings are absolutely above reproach. She has firsthand knowledge of his sister’s fine character. She says, his sister? and he says, her son’s grandmother, Mayor Laura Collins? She’s his beloved sister, which makes little Ace his family. Heather is suddenly there, and tells him, never say that name again. She’s the only family her daughter and grandson need.

Molly says, Kristina knew how important it was for her to have TJ’s baby. Her own body betrayed her. Does Kristina know what that feels like? What it’s like to know she’s letting TJ down? How it feels when no degree of focus and hard work can accomplish a dream she’s longed for? Sam comes out and says she has to go. Kristina asks if everything is okay, and Sam says she hopes so. There’s ice cream in the freezer; take their pick. She runs out.

Trina asks if Curtis wants her to send Portia in, and he tells her, go eat. Get some rest. She says, someone told her that he’d want her to take care of herself, and he says, someone smart. She says she’s so glad he’s back, and leaves. Marshall asks if Curtis is feeling okay, and Curtis says he feels strange. Like something happened. Marshall says, the doctors almost lost him in the operating room, and Curtis says, that explains it. Marshall says, explains what? and Curtis says, why he was with mom and Tommy.

Cyrus says, they were just making conversation, and Heather says, make it somewhere else. Her daughter’s here to see her. He says, she might want to be more punctual, and Heather laughs. He says he hopes he and Esme get to do this again sometime, and leaves. Heather takes his seat, and tells Esme that she should never talk to other inmates, especially Cyrus. He’s dangerous. Esme says, not like her? and Heather says she was so thrilled when they told her that Esme wanted to see her. She looks beautiful. Motherhood becomes her. Ace must be so big now. Does she have any pictures? Esme says, no. She can’t believe she’s actually here. She swore to herself that she’d never let Heather see her again, or meet Ace. Heather says she understands. She made a couple of mistakes. But Esme’s given her a second chance. Esme says, that’s not why she’s here. She still thinks Heather is the same vile, reprehensible person, but Heather is the only one who can give her the information she needs. Heather says she’d do anything for Esme, and Esme asks why Heather abandoned her.

Ava says, perhaps Gordon didn’t notice they’re having lunch here. Maybe he could find a more appropriate time to discuss whatever health concerns he has. Gordon says, apologies, but what he needs is immediate attention right now. Getting up, Austin says, it’s not a problem. Why don’t they find a place where they can chat? Please excuse them. The price of doing business as a doctor; always on call. He leaves with Gordon, and Ava says, the nerve of that guy, interrupting us like that. Nina says she guesses they’re both involved with men who are in high demand, and Sonny says, Nina always comes first with him because they have no secrets. What about Ava and Austin? Any secrets?

An officer gives Bennet the knife in an evidence bag, and Bennet tells Sasha that she’s being charged with assault with a deadly weapon. She’d better hope he makes it. She says she would never hurt Cody, and Maxie tells Gordon that Sasha doesn’t belong in jail. He can see she’s not well. He says he knows Maxie was married to a good cop. So she can see how convenient this act is. Maxie says, it’s not an act, and goes over to Sasha’s bag. She takes a prescription bottle out, and hands it to Bennet, saying, he can see she’s on antidepressants, and he knows what effect they can have on people. Alyse joins them, and says, it’s true. Sasha Gilmore has a very well-documented history of mental breaks following the death of her infant son. He says, and she knows this because? Alyse says she was just interviewing Sasha for Crimson about her recovery. Gladys guides Sasha over, and Bennet says, she lost her baby? Sasha says, Liam… He left us… Then Brando. He asks, who’s Brando? (Oh come on. He doesn’t read the paper?) Gladys says her son and Sasha’s husband; her dead husband.

Austin and Gordon walk out to the back alley, and Austin says, what was that? He can’t just do that. He can’t just confront Austin in a restaurant. Gordon says, take it up with his cousin. Mason gave him no choice. Austin asks, what’s Mason done now? and Gordon says, it’s what he hasn’t done. He hasn’t paid for Gordon’s services.

Ava says, so Sonny and Nina have no secrets. That’s got to be a first for Sonny. She and Austin like a little mystery. Sonny asks if that means she doesn’t know much about the guy, and Nina says, that’s not what Ava said. Sonny says he just wants to know Austin can handle himself. That Gordon guy seemed a bit hostile… Ava says, Austin knows what he’s doing, and Nina asks if he didn’t face down the Quartermaines. Ava says, yes. Austin demanded his birthright, the Quartermaines strongarmed him, and he decided it just wasn’t worth the fight to be part of that particular clan. Nina says, their sense of entitlement knows no limits. Michael isn’t that way though. Sonny says he’ll be right back, and leaves. Ava says, this is going great.

Marshall says, what was she like? and Curtis says, loving. It felt like home. Marshall says he bets she was still beautiful. He said he was there with Tommy too? Curtis says he didn’t see him, but he could feel him. He’s still trying to process. It felt realer than a dream. Marshall says, there are more things in heaven and earth than they’ve dreamt of, and Curtis says he misses her too. Marshall says, Curtis was happy there, wasn’t he? But he came back. He came back for them. Why? He says he came back for the same reason Marshall did. He came back for his child.

Trina thanks Spencer for coming, and says, it made such a difference having him here. He says he’ll always be here for her, and she says, even if it means he has to hang out with her mom in the waiting room? He says, the only exceptions are in fine print, and she asks what he and her mom were talking about when she walked in earlier. He flashes back to Portia suggesting he let Trina go, and he says, they were talking about putting family first. It’s definitely something her mom does. Trina says, she’s a fighter. There’s nothing she wouldn’t do to protect the people she loves.

Heather says, from the very first moment Esme was born, she loved her so much. She’d already made some mistakes in her life that would have complicated things for Esme, and she wanted Esme to have the best life possible. That’s what a mother wants for her baby, even if it means making the ultimate sacrifice to make that happen. Esme says, Heather really believes that, doesn’t she? and Heather says, it’s true. It was all worth it to protect her. Esme says, no, no, no. Going around town murdering people with a hook does not qualify as an act of love. Heather says she might have been a little overzealous, but she saw those people as a threat to her daughter. She had to protect Esme; the way Esme would protect Ace. Esme says, oh no. She’s raising Ace. Heather abandoned her. Heather says she made a sacrifice for Esme, and now Esme is doing what she has to do for her baby. Esme says she’s nothing like Heather, but Heather says, that’s why she’s here, isn’t it? Esme finally realized how much they have in common.

Kristina says she never meant for Molly to overhear her about being their surrogate, and it’s possible she may have been a bit too impulsive that night. Molly says, that night? and Kristina says, all right, most nights. But Molly knows that about her, so she should also know that Kristina would never think just because she can have a baby naturally and Molly… can’t, that it makes her some kind of hero. She just thought if she could give her little sister what she desperately wants, that she wants to do that. Molly says, but Kristina didn’t even ask her if that’s what she wanted. She knows Kristina meant to help her, but she wasn’t the first person Kristina talked to about it. She knows Kristina has a big heart, but… Kristina says, but she also has a big mouth, and sometimes when she gets excited about something, she has a tendency to… Molly says, word vomit, and Kristina says, yeah. Molly says, the kids at the shelter are so lucky to have her, but she’s Kristina’s sister. She’s not some stranger Kristina is trying to get off the street.

At the hospital, the nurse tells Cody that there’s someone to see him, and Sam comes in. She says, ouch. He set a new record for stitches. He says, the procedure has become all too familiar, and she says, from what she was told, the amount of blood at the pool, she thought he might be lucky to just make it here alive. He says, her and him both. How did she know he was here? She says, that’s not how this is going to work. He’s not asking the questions; she is. How much trouble is he in this time? He says, for once, he’s not in any trouble. Sasha is.

Bennet says, they need to do a psyche evaluation. He’ll call on ahead and they’ll be waiting for Sasha at GH. He tells the officer to cuff her, and Maxie asks if that’s really necessary. He holds up the bag with the knife, and says, yeah. Maxie tells Sasha, everything’s going to be okay, and Gladys says she’ll come with Sasha, but Bennet says, she can’t ride in the car. The officer takes Sasha away, and Bennet says, Gladys should probably clean up and get to the hospital. Gladys looks at the blood on her hands. Ooh. Symbolism.

Sam says, Sasha stabbed Cody? That doesn’t make any sense. She never hurt anyone. He says he thought exactly the same thing… until she stuck a bar knife in his side at the pool and called him Cyrus. Sam says, Cyrus Renault terrorized her a couple years ago. He asks if he looks like the guy, but she says, not remotely. Besides, he’s been in Pentenville for a while now. He says he could see in her eyes that something was off, and right before that, she got accused of shoplifting. Sam says she guesses Sasha’s recovery had a setback.

Spencer says he’s sorry Trina has had so much to deal with lately. He knows Greenland wasn’t exactly a picnic, and since she’s gotten back… She says she’s fine, and he says he hates feeling like he’s letting her down. Just let him know. Is he making her life better, or just harder?

Portia goes in to see Curtis, and says she thought she was going to lose him. He says he thought he was going to lose her, and she says, nothing matters now except him getting better. Curtis says, Dr. Nephew, and TJ tells Dr. Barnsdall that Curtis even has his sense of humor back. Dr. Barnsdall says, Curtis looks and sounds good, but he’d still like to do some tests. Curtis asks, what kind of tests?

Kristina says, Molly is her little sister, but Molly has always had her life so much more out together than Kristina. She just had this ability to work hard, figure things out, and accomplish it. Molly never needed her. Molly says, that’s not true, but Kristina says, it is true, and that’s okay. Molly has comforted and counseled her more times than she can count. And she just thought finally she’d be able to help Molly. That Molly actually needed her this time, and she could help Molly in a meaningful way. Molly says, all she ever needs is for Kristina to be her big sister.

Esme says, maybe the old Esme who came to Port Charles was a bit like Heather, but she’s not that person anymore. She would never hurt anyone and she would never abandon her child the way Heather abandoned her. Heather says she knew if she and Ryan raised Esme, there was no way she could flourish. Esme says she didn’t exactly flourish with the Prince family, and Heather says, they were stable, they had money, they gave her the traditional upbringing she deserved. Esme says, then why did she tell everyone they were cold and withheld any emotion they might have had for her? and Heather says, that’s what she remembers? Esme says, no, but… Heather says, that’s what Spencer Cassadine’s been telling her, isn’t it? but Esme says, Spencer’s been good to her. He loves Ace. Heather says, Ace is his half-brother, and he’s half Cassadine. That’s all Spencer cares about. He’s willing to ignore the rest of Ace’s bloodline. Esme says, bloodline does not determine who we are meant to be unless you’re a werewolf, and Heather says she knows she and Ryan had their faults, but maybe what they gave her, what the Princes gave her, helped her to become the wonderful woman she is today. Esme says, Ace is never going to know anything about her parents, real or adoptive. She and Spencer have decided to co-parent him and raise Ace to be his own person. Heather tells Esme, her and Ace and that pampered punk is very unhealthy, but Esme says, any family is better than hers. Heather says, how does that fairytale end when Spencer finds out exactly what happened to Esme’s adoptive parents?

Austin tells Gordon that he’s the last guy on earth who would defend his cousin. He knows exactly who that guy is, but he pays his debts. Gordon says, Mason did pay him for the work he did at General Hospital, but he did some extra… Austin starts to blow Gordon off, and Gordon says, bottom line is, Mason is ducking him and he wants his money now. Austin says, talk to his cousin, because it has nothing to do with him, but Gordon says, it has everything to do with Austin. Because Austin is in on it with him. They both know that. Austin says, they’re done here. Don’t ever contact him again. He starts to leave, but Gordon grabs his arm and asks, how difficult is it for a doctor to operate with a broken arm? Sonny comes out and says, you break him, I break you.

Sonny asks if Gordon knows who he is, and Gordon says he does. Sonny says, then Gordon knows he’s a nice guy until you do something he doesn’t like, and he doesn’t like what Gordon is doing right now. So apologize to his friend Austin… Austin says, he doesn’t have to, but Sonny says, hey, and tells Gordon, now. Gordon says, I’m very sorry, Dr. Gatlin-Holt, and Sonny says, he can go now. Gordon thanks him, and leaves. Austin shrugs, and says, so patients don’t always understand doctors are human beings. They can’t help everybody about everything, so sometimes they get angry… Sonny says he didn’t know the medical profession was so hazardous, and Austin says he made it this far, so he guesses he’ll just keep doing what he’s doing. Sonny asks if Austin wants to go back to the ladies, and Austin says, yeah, and jets.

Esme says her adoptive parents died in an accident, and Heather says, well accidents – air quotes – happen – end air quotes. The way that bartender Oz Haggerty’s overdose happened. Esme asks if Heather is saying she had something to do with her parents’ deaths, but Heather says, never mind. That’s all in the past. She shouldn’t have brought it up. Esme says, Heather was just trying to get in her head. It was obviously a mistake to come here. She gets up, but Heather says wait, and follows her. She says, Esme’s mistake is caring what people think about her. She doesn’t need Spencer… Esme says she does. If she wants any chance of living down the things people say she’s done. Heather says she promises Esme, the people in Port Charles don’t forget. And they don’t forgive. Does she know why Heather named her Esme? It means to love, and Heather loves her and accepts her for exactly who she is. She just may be the only person in the whole world who will ever feel that way.

Kristina tells Molly, from now on, no matter how good she thinks her intentions are, she’s not going to assume anything. she’ll wait for people to tell her what they need. Molly says, and she promises to lean on her big sister a little more often, putting her head on Kristina’s shoulder. Kristina says, now that she’s not assuming what Molly wants or needs, she does have an important question for her.  Molly says, already? and Kristina says, mint chocolate chip or mocha? Molly says, both, and as Kristina gets up, she says, and that offer she never officially made still stands. She and Molly touch hands, and Kristina goes to the kitchen.

Cody tries to sit up, and Sam asks what he’s doing. He says he needs to check on Sasha, and Sam says, that’s not a scratch he has right there. He asks if she’s ever been thrown from an unbroken colt. This is nothing. He has to at least see if he can help Sasha. She says she doesn’t think there’s much he can do right now, and they look through the door to see Sasha handcuffed to a wheelchair and looking pretty worried. She’s wheeled into the elevator.

Nina says she’s so glad they’re doing this. Isn’t Sonny? Sonny doesn’t look glad, and flashes back to seeing Austin and Gordon in the alley. Sonny says, yeah. He feels like he knows a lot more about Austin. He smiles.

Trina says, if Spencer is asking if she regrets being with him… His phone rings, and he sees it’s Esme. Trina says, answer it, but he says he’s with her right now. Anything else can wait. She says, it could be about his baby brother, and he steps away. He says he’s in the middle of something right now, but Esme says she just needs to talk to him about something. He asks if Ace is okay, and she says, he’s fine. She’s just been digging into some things in her past and has some questions about her adoptive parents. Does he remember… He says he’s not doing this right now. He’ll see her back at the apartment. He hangs up, and Trina asks if everything is okay, but he says he only cares if he and Trina are okay. Are they? She says, if he’s asking if it’s been easy, it hasn’t been, and he says he knows things have been complicated with him and his family, and he hasn’t been there for her, but he thinks he’s doing better and he promises… She says, it’s not just him and he knows that. Life hasn’t been easy for either one of them. He says, and he feels like they deserve a break. He knows they got one with Curtis waking up, and he’s thankful and grateful that Curtis did. She says, maybe things will be easier for them for a while, and he puts his arms around her. He says, no matter what comes, they’ll face it together.

Dr. Barnsdall tells Curtis to close his eyes and just respond when he feels something. The doctor pokes him in different places on his body, and Curtis is like, yeah… yeah… mm-hm. TJ and Portia look hopeful, but when the doctor gets to his legs there’s no response. TJ asks what Curtis feels, and Curtis says he didn’t feel anything. (Way to panic a patient.) He opens his eyes and says, he can’t feel anything. TJ and Portia don’t look hopeful anymore.

Tomorrow, Curtis says, none of them seem surprised that he can’t feel his legs; Austin asks someone, what happens if people disappoint them; Carly visits Drew; and Josslyn tells Dex that they both know who that bullet was meant for.

🤹🏻 Busier Than You…

Who knew Leo wore so many hats?

Yes, That’s GH’s Easton Rocket Sweda in the New Old Navy Campaign!

👶 Double the Ace…

You can tell these two were destined for show biz. I’m also glad I’m not the only one who thought, that’s a pretty big newborn.

Happy First Birthday to GH Cuties Jay and Joey Clay – See How They’ve Grown!

🪧 Joining the Cause…

It was bound to happen. Give those people their money already.

Soap Stars Join the SAG-AFTRA Picket Lines

🗽 Up For Debate…

It’s only been one episode, so I don’t have the names down, but there are a couple of pot stirrers in the mix.

https://extratv.com/2023/07/13/rhony-s-new-housewives-on-who-created-the-most-drama-on-the-reboot/

🩲 Underside Out…

This week’s Runway was all about using underwear as outerwear, but in a chic way. IMO, there were a couple of gorgeous pieces, but there were also a few klunkers, one of which was in the top three, so what do I know? I was thrilled that Paulina Porizkova was a guest judge, since I loved her book. Designer Sergio Hudson was also in attendance.

‘Project Runway’ 20 episode 7 recap: ‘Fashion, Inside Out’ put underwear on the forefront [LIVE BLOG]

🩰 Dream Car Pulling Up…

The set. What I wouldn’t give to play in it.

https://ew.com/movies/barbie-set-toy-box-margot-robbie-greta-gerwig/

The looks. It’s all about the close… and those tiny shoes.

https://ew.com/movies/margot-robbie-barbie-style-doll-inspired-looks/

The cast. I love Weird Barbie, although I never did that to any of mine.

https://ew.com/movies/barbie-movie-cast-everything-to-know/

🤖 Not Written By AI…

Join me for Friday’s free-for-all of soap, tea, citations, and music. Until then, stay safe, stay not being a lousy tipper, and stay remembering, bloodline does not determine who we are meant to be. Unless you’re a werewolf.

Jul20

July 19, 2023 – Portia Confronts Spencer, Tamra Continues To Be a Screeching Moron, Another New One, NYC Talk & Lollipops

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

As Gladys, Maxie, and Sasha got to a table in the pool area, Maxie says she spoke to the Crimson journalist who’s going to be interviewing Sasha about the tone of the piece. She happens to be a good friend of Maxie’s, and is very sympathetic to Sasha’s situation. Not to mention, she loves a sob story about someone coming back after being down and out. Not that Sasha is a sob story. Sasha says, nope, she’s just a thief, but Maxie says, she’s not that either. She’s just had a rough couple of years. And in the interest of transparency, she wants to tell her side of the story about what happened at Logan’s. Sasha says, right. She’s coming forward of her own volition to take responsibility for her actions and speak about her recent mental health issues. Maxie says, maybe say journey… Unless she thinks it’s too woo-woo. Gladys says she likes it, and Maxie says, then maybe not. She’s going to say this one last time; Sasha does not have to do the interview. The story that broke was a blind piece about a model shoplifting. Nobody knows it was her. Gladys says, not yet anyway, and tells Sasha that she trusts her impulse to get ahead of the story. Sasha thanks Gladys for faith in her, and she just prays everything goes smoothly. Maxie says she’ll be right by Sasha’s side to make sure it does, and Gladys says, oh great, as Cody walks in. She says, Cody Bell is the last thing they need right now, and he lies down on a chaise lounge.

In Alexis’s office, Esme looks through some boxes of papers on the floor. She hears something, and quickly puts everything back in the boxes, but Alexis walks in before she’s done and asks, what is she doing?

Sonny lets Kristina into the penthouse, and she says she’s glad he texted. She was already gearing up for the rest of the day. Sonny says, she knows he’s always here for her. What’s going on? She says she applied for the wrong building permit. She thought she filed it correctly, but it turns out, she didn’t. No one bothered to let her know, so now she’s in violation of Title VII.III of some thousand-page indecipherable law. He says, she has to take a breath, and she says she’s trying, but just like everything else in her life, it feels like her foundation is just being ripped out from under her.

There’s a knock at the door, and we hear, the role of Molly is being played by Brook Ann Smith (see below). Great. It was hard enough keeping nuMolly and nuKristina straight, but at least the old nuMolly was a head taller than everyone else. Not so this one. Molly thanks Sam for letting her stop by, and Sam says, she’s always welcome here. Molly says she’s been spending so much time at GH waiting for updates on Curtis, and on top of that, Kristina just had to make everything so much harder than it has to be. But really, does that surprise anyone? Sam asks, what happened? and Molly says, mom didn’t clue Sam in? Sam says, mom stopped by last night, but she doesn’t know if what Alexis told her is what Molly is talking about. Molly says, Kristina has decided she’s going to be the surrogate for her and TJ’s baby. Then she discusses it with Sam and Alexis without even bothering to tell her and TJ. So now, as usual, she and TJ were the last to know.

Taggert looks at a photo of him and Trina on his phone, when Trina comes in. They hug, and Trina thanks him for asking her to meet him for breakfast, but she can’t stay long. She has to go back to the hospital. He says he understands she has to be there, but she has to eat, and she says, she knows. But she feels guilty when she’s away from the hospital. She feels like she should support mom and d… Curtis, because it feels like he may never wake up.

Portia says, come on, Curtis. It’s time to wake up. They’ve all been here waiting for him. Trina’s here, his dad, his Aunt Stella. Even his girl Nina was here. They all love and miss him so much. Spencer walks in, and Portia turns to see him. He says he didn’t mean to intrude, and she says, Trina’s not here. She went to have breakfast with her dad. If it’s important, Spencer can give her a call. Spencer thanks her and says he’ll get out of her hair (another phrase they say a lot that no one else does). He leaves, and Marshall comes in. He asks if there’s any change, but Portia says, nothing. All they can do is wait. Meanwhile, Spencer, of all people, decides to stop by. Marshall says he’s sure Spencer was just looking for Trina, and she says, he was, but she told him that Trina was having breakfast with her dad, so thankfully, he left. Marshall says, not exactly. He’s sitting right out there in the waiting area, and doesn’t look like he’s leaving any time soon. She glances out the window and sees Spencer.

Taggert says he promises Trina is going to get through this crisis. It’s a hard lesson learned, and he hates that she’s learning it at such a young age, but she needs to understand she has a whole family that loves and supports her. He takes her hand and says, she doesn’t have to go through this on her own. She says, but she can’t help but feel like being here with him, she’s giving up on Curtis.

Portia comes out, and Spencer says he hopes Trina is enjoying breakfast with her… dad. He was just going to wait for her here, unless Portia would rather he leave, because he can. She says, no. She wants him to stay because there’s something she needs to say, and she needs him to hear what she has to say.

Molly wonders when Alexis came by Sam’s last night. Was it before or after Molly saw her at GH? Sam says, after, but she promises mom wasn’t trying to keep anything from Molly. They didn’t know Molly overheard Kristina saying she wanted to be a surrogate for her and TJ. They were trying to stop her from saying anything insensitive or hurtful. Molly says she just wishes that idea had worked, because TJ was furious, and Sam says, Kristina was really just trying to help them out. Molly says, by swooping in with this great plan? Would Sam ever have done that? Sam says, no, and Molly says, of course (🍷) she wouldn’t. Because she understands their fertility issue is a private topic. It’s their problem to figure out, not Kristina’s. Sam says, Molly has every right to be angry… and Molly says, angry hardly describes it. She doesn’t know if their relationship as sisters will ever be the same.

Sonny says, in his experience, dealing with these big shot types, you’ve got to be patient. It’s not easy. You got to have everything exact. She says she’s so mad at herself for making such a stupid mistake, and he asks if she’s done this before. She says, no, and he asks why she thinks she has to be perfect right out of the gate. She’s learning on the job. She asks if he has any bright ideas on how she can fix it, and he says he’ll make a few calls and take care of this, but she says, no. It’s her mess and she’s going to fix it herself. He says, then she has to own her mistake and make it clear what it is she needs to fix it. Then do it in person. She says, of course (🍷), and thanks him, and he says, anytime. Her mom mentioned she might need some support. She says, so mom’s been talking to him about her behind her back.

Esme says, she had them put some boxes in Alexis’s office, and when she picked up one of them, the lid fell off… Alexis says she wasn’t asking Esme for an excuse. She was asking for an explanation. Esme says, it wasn’t an excuse. She was just trying to be more proactive like Alexis asked. Alexis says, and by proactive, Esme interpreted that to mean she could comb through Alexis’s documents? Esme says she never would have done it, but they’re all about her. Is Alexis researching her? Is that why Alexis hired her in the first place, so she could do some story?

Gladys says she’s going to talk to Cody, but Sasha says, he has every right to be here. Gladys says, he does, but he’s clearly a distraction. Does Sasha really need that right now? This interview has to go perfectly. Maxie says, smoothly. Stay here. She’ll talk to Cody. Sasha thanks her, and Maxie leaves. Gladys says, Sasha is going to do great, but is she keeping up with her meds? Sasha takes a pill out of her purse and swallows it. No water because she’s a pro at this.

Maxie taps Cody on the head, startling him, and he says he swears he didn’t know they were here. It’s his day off. She asks if he can at least do them a favor and stay away from Sasha. She needs some space. He promises he won’t bust into their brunch by the pool, but Maxie says, it’s a little more than a brunch. Sasha’s telling her side of the story about what happened at Logan’s. He says he didn’t know the story came out, and she says, there was a blind piece in The Sun. He says, if it didn’t mention Sasha by name, why is she coming forward? Won’t that just make things worse?

Gladys tells Sasha, maybe Maxie was right. Maybe this is a bad idea. Sasha says, Gladys told her that she should do it, and Gladys says, what does she know about publicity? Sasha says, maybe there’s still time to cancel, and takes out her phone, when a woman calls her name. She holds out her hand and says, Alyse Taylor. Ready to tell her side of the story? Sasha asks if she isn’t a bit early. Maxie is supposed to be here for this. Gladys says, don’t mind Sasha; she’s a little out of practice. Alyse says, they can push back the interview if she needs more time to prepare, but Sasha says, let’s do it. Besides, she’s an open book. No need to prepare if you’ve got nothing to hide.

Maxie tells Cody, look. Sasha felt she owed the public an explanation, and she respects that. He asks, who’s that with Sasha now? and Maxie says, dammit. She wanted to do the introductions. Whatever he does, do not come over to their table. And would it kill him to put a shirt on or something? He says, at the pool? and she says, whatever. Just don’t come over to their table. He says he’s not going to. Just take care of Sasha.

Molly tells Sam, time after time, she’s made allowances for Kristina’s feelings, thinking somehow, she overshadowed Kristina. All of her achievements made Kristina feel less than. So what did she do? She apologized for not being sensitive enough or that she was too uptight and stood in Kristina’s path. But now she’s wrestling with something difficult and painful, and maybe even life changing. Except what is their family doing again? They’re all tiptoeing around Kristina’s feelings. Sam says, she and mom never thought of it that way, and Molly says, none of them do because Kristina has to make everything about her. Except this time, she’s the one with the health condition, not Kristina. Yet what are they all talking about? They’re all talking about Kristina wanting to be the surrogate for her and TJ. Sam says she knows Molly is upset and she really wants to be there for her, but maybe it’s not Kristina who Molly has the probably with. Molly says, in what world is Kristina not her problem? and Sam says, she’s talking about a family dynamic that’s obviously been bothering her for a really long time. So maybe her issue isn’t with Kristina. Maybe it’s more with her and mom, because they take Molly for granted, and spend more time focused on Kristina. Any chance that’s what’s making her so upset?

Sonny tells Kristina that Alexis hinted there was something wrong, but it was Kristina’s story to tell, and she doesn’t want to betray Kristina’s confidence. Kristina says, did she or did she not ask Sonny to come and talk to her? and he says, Alexis suggested that they have a conversation. There’s no harm in that. She says, of course (🍷). It’s just so obvious that no one trusts her to make decisions about her own life.

Trina says, it’s been so crazy, and she just doesn’t think she’s been making enough time for Taggert, but he says, it’s a little hard to make time for her dad when she’s being held hostage in Greenland by some maniac. She says, but ever since she got home, she feels like all her energy has been focused on figuring out her relationship with Curtis. She just feels like they haven’t been connecting the same way… not since they got those DNA results back. He says, it’s a fair statement, and she says, but they promised each other before they got those results, nothing was going to change between them. She thinks they just need to be honest. They’re struggling with this, aren’t they?

Spencer tells Portia that he knows Trina’s been here since Curtis was shot, and he knows he should have been here to support her. He really does wish he could have visited more. Portia says she hasn’t seen much of him, and he says he wanted to respect Trina’s boundaries. She says, not to mention his extremely complicated home life. It was one thing for him to be living with Esme while Laura and Doc were supervising, but now that they’re gone looking for Nikolas… He says, it’s not just him and Esme. And the only reason he’s living there is so he can help take care of his little brother Ace. She says, it’s got to be a lot of responsibility, and he says, more than he could have imagined. But he’s very lucky, because Trina has been incredibly patient and supportive of him. She says, that sounds like her daughter. She’s always been one to see the best in anyone. He says, even people who don’t deserve it, like him. But he can promise Portia that whatever happens with his little brother, he could never hurt Trina, because she’s the best thing that’s ever happened to him. She says, really? and he says, without a doubt. She says, then can he answer her this? Is he the best thing that’s happened to Trina?

Sonny says he hopes Kristina knows he’s supportive of her, and she says, he might be the only one. He says, she has to help him out, because if this isn’t about the foundation, and it’s some personal issue, he’s flying blind here. She has to give him some details and tell him what’s going on. She tells him, let’s just say she had an idea to make an offer to help Molly, and he asks what she means. She says she can’t say exactly, but it would have been a really big deal for both of them. She told mom and Sam about it the other night, but they completely shot her down. They said, Molly wouldn’t want her to interfere, and she didn’t think this through, and she had no idea what she was getting herself into. He asks if she did know what she was getting herself into, and she says, no, but she would have figured it out. But that’s not even the problem. The problem is, Molly figured out what she wanted to do, and it turns out mom and Sam were right. For whatever reason, her offering to help Molly was the worst thing she’s ever done in her entire life.

Molly says, this isn’t about Sam and mom. It’s about Kristina. From Kristina’s perspective, all she has to do is offer to be her surrogate, and all Molly’s problems are solved. It’s like she’s saying, let her have a baby for them, and everyone will congratulate her for being the savior for this poor barren couple. Then once again, Kristina is the center of attention. Sam says, Molly needs to take a step back, because that is not at all how Kristina presented being a surrogate for her and TJ. She was just really focused on wanting the two of them to be parents. Was it an impulsive idea? 100% yeah. But Sam doesn’t doubt for a second that she had good intentions. Molly says, Sam’s taking her side? but Sam says she isn’t. They’re her sisters, and she’s just trying to understand. No way would Kristina ever want to hurt Molly. Molly says, Kristina may not have wanted to hurt her, but she really did, and Sam says, Molly wasn’t there for the entire conversation. At the end of that conversation, Kristina agreed to wait until she and TJ decided for surrogacy or not. If they didn’t want to do that, Kristina would have been totally fine with that. Molly asks if Sam doesn’t think it would have become something about her rejecting Kristina or not trusting her, and Sam says she can’t predict the future, but she’s really surprised by Molly’s attitude right now. Molly says, Sam is surprised that she’s angry, but Sam says, she’s not surprised Molly’s angry, but it doesn’t make sense that she’s directing all her anger at Kristina. Molly says, because having a kid isn’t a big deal to her. She doesn’t want a kid, but Molly does. And she can’t have one, but Kristina can. In what world is that fair? Sam hugs Molly.

Alexis says she doesn’t have to explain anything to Esme, let alone why she chooses to choose any document from the archives. And as much as Esme’s curiosity is piqued, that doesn’t give Esme the right to rummage through her office. Move. Esme steps out of the way, and Alexis moves the boxes. She says she can’t believe she’s having this conversation, and Esme says she’s sorry. She hasn’t exactly had a job before. Alexis says she wouldn’t have guessed, and Esme asks, what happens now? Is Alexis going to fire her? Alexis says, not that Esme deserves an explanation, but these documents aren’t about her. She has a reporter who wants to do a retrospective on Heather Webber and Ryan Chamberlain’s reign of terror in Port Charles. Esme says, her biological mother and father, and Alexis says she requested the material as a matter of due diligence. She hasn’t decided yet whether she’s going to approve the retrospective or not. Esme says she’s begging Alexis, do not publish that story, but Alexis says, that’s not how she runs a newspaper. Esme says she thought Alexis, of all people, would understand how she feels.

Maxie greets Alyse, and says, as she’s sure Sasha was just explaining, there were a few misunderstandings that happened at Logan’s that they all want to clear up. They recently adjusted the deals in the loaning contract between Logan’s and Deception, and Sasha’s been out for a while, so she’s not quite caught up. So actually this whole thing is just some big non-story. Gladys says, Sasha’s just a little confused, that’s all, and Maxie says, Sasha just wasn’t clear on the terms of the agreement. Alyse says, makes sense to her, but she was really hoping Sasha would speak for herself. Not just about what happened at Logan’s, but how she’s coping with her return to the spotlight. She’s been through so much – the loss of her husband, the loss of her child – and she had a very public breakdown on the Home & Heart shopping channel. All that pain… Their readers really want to know, how does she keep going?

Taggert tells Trina that he wouldn’t say they were struggling… Okay. He’s been holding back a bit. He doesn’t want to be a burden. She says, but he’s not a burden. When she was angry at mom for lying to her, and trying to sort out her feelings for Curtis, she assumed he’d always be there for her. He says, because it’s true. There’s nothing she could say or do that would change how he feels about her. Besides, she’s going through that time in her life where spending less time with her parents is natural. She’s growing up. She’s finding her way in the world. She has no time for a parent, even though they know it will happen eventually. She says she thought it was different with them. She’s trying to understand where she came from and who she is. He says, the person to help her do that is Curtis.

Spencer tells Portia, honestly, he doesn’t know if he’s the best thing that’s happened to Trina. She’d have to ask Trina, but he certainly knows he’s not the worst thing. Portia says, really? Because from what she recalls, some of the worst moments that were in her daughter’s life all have one common denominator. They all happened because of him. Her daughter was arrested for creating revenge porn of her best friends Josslyn and Cam. And who’s the real guilty party? It was Esme. Who brought Esme to Port Charles? It was him. Trina was almost kicked out of PCU; she was put on trial. And if she was convicted, that would have haunted her for the rest of her life. He says he’s not disagreeing with anything she’s saying, but he and Trina have made a real effort to work past those things. Portia asks if they’ve worked past those things, or has Trina simply overlooked them? What about the fact of Trina following him on that boat and being trapped with his insane great uncle. The only reason Trina is alive is because Curtis saved her, not Spencer. He says, Trina should probably run as far away from him as she possibly can, but what is so amazing is that she hasn’t. She’s chosen not to. Despite everything that’s happened, Portia’s daughter has chosen to stand beside him, and he thinks they’re good for each other. And he thinks he makes her happy. Portia asks how he can say that with a straight face. After everything he’s put her daughter through, he still chose to move in with Esme, the person who caused her daughter all that pain. So no. Absolutely not. She doesn’t think he makes Trina happy at all.

Taggert tells Trina, Curtis is tough. He’s going to pull through. She says she hopes he’s right. She doesn’t know what she’d do if she lost the chance to get to know him. She looks at her phone and says she has to get back to the hospital. She hugs Taggert, and tells him that she loves him. He says, him too, and she says, it’s nice to know she can count on him. He says, always, and she leaves.

Sam says, Molly not being able to carry a child isn’t fair at all, and Molly says, Kristina just throwing it out there like that, that she could carry a child for Molly. She’s clueless about how sad Molly is. TJ’s equally as sad. They both thought she’d be pregnant one day, and that there would be sonograms, getting tiny clothes, and TJ would put his hand on her belly and feel it kick. None of that’s going to happen now. Sam wipes a tear from Molly’s cheek, and says, Kristina knows Molly is having a hard time, but maybe she doesn’t understand all the reasons why. Has she talked to Kristina about it? Molly says, before they blew up, hardly. Kristina makes her uncomfortable; she goes on and on about her foundation. Sam says, Molly has to talk to her and be direct, but Molly says, no. She’s not doing that. She’s so tired of always being the bigger person. Kristina needs to figure this one out on her own.

Sonny says, Kristina knows he loves her, right? and she says, of course (🍷) she does. That’s not the issue. He says he doesn’t seem to know what the issue is exactly, but she needs to have a conversation with Molly. She says she wishes she could. She wishes it were that simple. They could just say, weapons down, and have a sister heart-to-heart, but that’s not going to happen. She knows the way they see her. To Molly and TJ, it’s like, doctor and lawyer versus the college dropout. That’s just the way it is. They think she’s irresponsible and that she’s self-serving, and that she just fundamentally can’t be trusted. Maybe they’re right. He says, she’s beating herself up, and he doesn’t want to pile on… She says, he’s not piling it on. She just doesn’t know what to do. He says, she told him it was an impulsive decision to help Molly. Kristina needs to figure out why she’s so willing to help her. Kristina says, because she wanted to help, and he says, there’s no other reason? What about the foundation? She said she wanted to make a difference in Port Charles, but then she wanted to be in charge of something. She said she wanted some flexibility, and then she wanted something creative. Does she see what he’s saying? It wasn’t totally self-sacrificing. She needs to figure out why it was so important to do that and have a conversation. He doesn’t want anything to come between the two of them.

Sasha tells Alyse that her family is supportive, and gives her the strength to keep putting one foot in front of the other. Gladys and Maxie move to the side, and Gladys wonders what Cody is still doing here. She thought Maxie was going to get rid of him. Maxie says, it’s a public place; he’s fine. We see Cody looking through a magazine, with his shirt on, and Gladys tells Maxie, says you. She’s going to go talk to him. Maxie says, whatever, and Gladys goes over to Cody.

Alyse says, poor thing, and wasn’t Sasha involved with Cyrus Renault for a time? Maxie jets over to the table, and says, that was the past. They’re focusing on the present. Alyse says she thought Maxie told her, no holds barred, and Maxie says, within reason.

Gladys kicks Cody’s chaise, and says, beat it. He sits up and says, excuse me? and she says, Sasha doesn’t need him distracting her. Not when she’s trying to concentrate on an important interview.

Sasha says, that was a long time ago, and Maxie says, she doesn’t have to talk about Cyrus. No one wants to talk about him. She says she thought she and Alyse had an understanding. Sasha watches as Gladys argues with Cody, and he turns into Cyrus.

Spencer tells Portia that Esme is his brother’s mom. He doesn’t like living with her either, but he’s kind of stuck with her right now. She says, he is, but does Trina need to be? That girl tormented her daughter and he’s living with her. Spencer says, she’s right. It’s a complicated situation. She says, maybe it is, and maybe it isn’t, and he says he’s not going to turn his back on his little brother. She says she gets that, but if he really cares for Trina the way he says he does, and he’s stuck with Esme, wouldn’t he want to spare Trina from continually having to see her? Wouldn’t the selfless, mature thing to do be to let Trina go? Trina shows up, and says, he’s here, hugging Spencer.

Curtis moves his hand, and Marshall asks if Curtis can hear him. He calls Curtis’s name.

Trina says she just had breakfast with her dad at Kelly’s. She didn’t know Spencer was coming by. Portia says, it gave them a chance to chat, when Marshall comes out and tells Portia, come quick. He thinks Curtis is waking up. Portia and Trina run into Curtis’s room.

Esme says, all she’s asking is for Alexis to have a little heart. She’s a Cassadine, right? So she knows what it’s like to be judged by her relatives even though she’s done nothing wrong. She’s just trying to explain… Alexis says she’s going to stop Esme right there. That comparison is not only inappropriate and false, it’s really irritating. She is a Cassadine, and her family is very complicated, which is why she did the work to confront her past. She worked really hard to establish herself as her own person apart from her family. So a Cassadine doesn’t define her, nor she them, but Esme on the other hand, claims she doesn’t remember her past – Esme says she doesn’t – which doesn’t mean she doesn’t have one. She does, and she’s done nothing to earn that clean slate. Which is why she’s sure the stories about Esme’s biological mother and father frighten her. She’s worked really hard to try to be civil to Esme, but she doesn’t trust Esme, nor does anyone else. Now if she wants to change that, Alexis suggests she take a really good, long, hard look at herself and her past, and face what she did. Because other than that, these boxes are the least of her problems.

Sasha sees Cyrus arguing with Gladys instead of Cody, blinks, then sees Cody. Maxie asks if she’s okay, and Sasha says she just thought she saw someone she knows. Maxie tells Alyse that they’re going to reschedule the interview. She thinks Sasha’s had a little too much sun. Sasha says, no. She wants to tell her story.

Gladys says she wants to know why Cody wants to bother a troubled young woman, and he asks, what happened? Sasha was doing great as far as he could tell. She says, far being the operative word. He wasn’t there, so how would he know?

Sasha says, yes, she’s been through a lot… like many people. Probably like a lot of Alyse’s readers. Mental illness isn’t uncommon, and the stigma of mental health issues is still… She sees Cyrus with Gladys again, and he looks at her.

Sonny says, Kristina knows he’s always here for her, right? and she says he does, and thanks him. Sometimes she feels so alone in this family, it’s nice to know someone has her back. He says, she’s not alone, and she says, we’ll see. He tells her to think about what he said, and she promises she will. They exchange I love yous, and she leaves.

Alexis says, Esme may not remember her past, but she can’t pretend it didn’t happen because it will find her. Alexis’s phone rings, and she says she needs to take this. She says hello to Sonny, and Esme quickly takes a paper from one of the boxes. Alexis says, she came to his house? Good. Esme slips the paper into her blouse, and Alexis tells Sonny, hold on for a second. She asks why Esme is still here, and Esme bolts to the door. She walks out, and Alexis says, shut the door, so she does. In the hallway, she takes the paper out, and looks at it. It’s a copy of an Invader article with the headline: Heather Webber, Hook Killer, Moved To Pentenville.

Sam says, if Kristina doesn’t say the right thing to Molly, what does that mean for the two of them? but Molly doesn’t know. She says, maybe they need some time apart. There’s a knock at the door, and Sam opens it. Kristina says, thank God she’s home. She’s not going to believe… Molly.

Taggert looks at the photo of him and Trina again, and takes a flask out of his pocket. He pours something into his coffee. I’m guessing whiskey.

Portia asks if Curtis can hear her, and Marshall says he swears he saw Curtis’s fingers move. Portia says, it could have just been a muscle twitch. It doesn’t mean he’s waking up. But wait. It does. Curtis opens his eyes, and Portia says, welcome back. Spencer looks in from the hallway.

Sasha sees Cyrus laughing at her, and jumps up. Maxie asks, what’s wrong?

Gladys asks if Cody hears her. She doesn’t want him anywhere near Sasha. He gets up and says, they both know that Gladys isn’t in any position to give him orders. She says, he doesn’t intimidate her, poking him in the chest, and he says he’d really prefer if she didn’t touch him. She says, oh yeah? Is he going to stop her? She pushes him, and he grabs her wrist.

Sasha sees Gladys struggling with Cyrus, and Maxie asks if she’s all right. Sasha goes to the bar and grabs a knife. Gladys tells Cody to let her go, when Sasha comes up behind him and stabs him. He turns around, feeling his back, and sees blood on his hand. Sasha holds a bloody knife, and Cody says, why? sinking to his knees.

Tomorrow, (the real) Cyrus says he wants it to end; Kristina asks if that’s really how someone sees her; and Esme tells someone that they’re the only one who can get her the information she needs.

The Real Housewives of Orange County

This episode was everything I don’t like about the show. Mostly Tamra. Seriously, this woman needs medication, and if she’s on it already, she needs a changeup.

Aww, Archie was still alive. Nothing sweeter than an old Golden Retriever. Shannon was also still with John. It’s weird when you know things have changed since filming. They’d been discussing living together, but not in any detail. She wasn’t in any rush. In her interview, she said, some people rush into things, but she prefers to take her time. There were red flags with David she refused to see. John said he got stressed out just hearing about the things in Shannon’s world, and she said she also had three kids going to college soon. He wished she could turn her mind off; it was spinning all the time.

Tamra and Emily went for a pedicure, and Tamra told Emily about Heather shoveling sh*t and how she’d said she appreciated those who did manual labor now. In Emily’s interview, she said, it was mind-boggling that Heather had an ah-ha moment about appreciating manual labor in her 50s. Heather joined them, and Emily asked how Taylor was on the trip. Heather said Taylor claimed she was condescending, and Emily said, Heather could be hurtful. Heather said Emily was assuming she was in the wrong, but Emily said, Heather came across like she was better than everyone else and her life was more important. Maybe she didn’t mean it, but it’s how it was being received. In Heather’s interview she said, let’s talk about Emily’s behavior – ugh. I hate those what about you? people – and in Emily’s interview, she said, maybe no one ever told Heather before. I’m guessing, Heather never let them get a word in. Heather told them she’d planned a Duffy (a golf cart on the water!) cruise before dinner, and Tamra said she couldn’t make it because she had an audition for Taylor’s new movie, which was actually pretty funny.

Jenn did her namaste thing at her yoga studio. She said she needed the studio because she wanted to feel like she didn’t need to rely on anyone to provide for her and the kids. Gina came to visit, and said Jenn was the only person she’d do yoga for. She felt badly about what happened in Montana, and said she’d been forced to process feelings she hadn’t processed yet. She’d been where Jenn was. Jenn said she felt bad for a long time, but realized the people who love you might not approve of your behavior, but they would still love you. Stuff was said by Tamra that she had no idea, and she’d told Tamra to talk to her, not the group. In Gina’s interview, she said, Jenn had big expectations for someone who was never going to show up for her. Tamra had already shown up and dragged Jenn’s ass all over town.

Emily’s dog Togo was wearing the cone of shame, and Shane suggested everyone wear one so he didn’t feel alone. Ha-ha! I don’t care what anyone says; I like Shane. Emily had gotten childhood pictures from her mom, and in Emily’s interview, she said her mother was depressed when they were little and slept a lot. She and her sister had to fend for themselves. She told Shane that her mom hadn’t been there since 2019, and he suggested Emily have her visit. She called her mom and said the pictures made her realize how quickly the kids were growing, and she thought her mom should visit. In her interview, Emily said she wanted get past anger and hurt, and let it go. She didn’t need an apology. She just wanted to go forward. Run, Emily. You’re much to sane for this Housewives nonsense.

Shannon took the twins shopping after their trip to Paris with their father. I only mention this because ugh, David. In Shannon’s interview, she said she was passionate about things that weren’t toxic, and wanted the girls to get clothes from a consignment shop, but it was a hard no on most of it. There was a huge discussion about the twins going to college, but all I came away with was that it was about $75K a year, and Shannon didn’t think they’d be inundated with scholarships. Shannon said she’d foot the bill for a college counselor, since apparently David can afford a trip to Paris, but not help for his kids to go to school.

Before the Duffy ride, Gina told Emily that she was still pissed at Heather, and Emily told Gina not to mess up the pool party she was going to have. Taylor arrived first, and Heather told her, the movie thing had gotten out of control. She was sorry for hurting Taylor’s feelings, and Taylor said, same. In Heather’s interview, she wasn’t quite as sorry. She was hoping they just made it to the entrée, and we flashed back to Heather kicking everyone out of her house last season. Poor acting coach Lauren also got roped into this trip, although maybe she’s taking notes for Marat/Sade. Tamra immediately started to irritate me, since she has no inside voice, and the only volume she has is high pitched and loud. Emily invited everyone to her pool party at her mother-in-law’s house, and I’m sure she’ll be sorry. Shannon pointed out the bridge John lived under, and Emily and I wondered if he was a troll. He really just lives in a houseboat, but that was exactly what it sounded like.

After the Duffy ride, they went to a restaurant. Heather made everyone sign a card for Max, who was having a hard time in Boston. She also had a personalized chopsticks at every place setting, as well as a candle. It said in Japanese, too fabulous to shovel sh*t, and in her interview, Emily said she didn’t know anyone who was so unaware of being unaware. I wonder why it’s always a candle, but I’m not a candle person. Tamra zeroed in on Jenn right away, and said Gina had been triggered by Jenn in Montana. Jenn said she and Gina had a real talk, and decided they were going forward. Emily asked if Jenn felt she was overlooking red flags, and Jenn said she’d get concerned if Ryan f***ed up (i.e. actually cheated). Tamra wasn’t having it because of Ryan cheating when they were on a break. She didn’t think Ryan was going to be loyal, and that’s what hurt. Jenn said, what hurt was Tamra airing her dirty laundry. Tamra’s pitch got higher as she babbled about Ryan wanting to do her, and how rumor had it he went after married women. Jenn intimated that Tamra had eyeballed Ryan before she and Ryan got together, and Tamra threw a napkin in Jenn’s face, and stormed out, saying, you need to leave your f***ing boyfriend, you f***ing bitch. In Jenn’s interview, she said, Tamra claimed she wanted to show up in the friendship, but this wasn’t showing up. She didn’t have one other friend who acted like this. News flash. I have no friends who act like this.

Shannon chased after Tamra, and in her interview, Heather said, Tamra could be mean (like this was a revelation) and she just didn’t want it directed toward her. Tamra told Shannon that Jenn was dating a d-bag, while at the table, Emily asked if Jenn was saying Tamra had the hots for Ryan. Jenn said there had been a lot of joking about how hot he was, and in Jenn’s interview, she said, Tamra had joked about it at the time, but now it made her uncomfortable. It wasn’t fair. In Shannon’s interview, she said, Jenn may be an idiot, but let her figure it out on her own. It troubles me when Shannon is the voice of reason. Tamra said she needed a shot of tequila which was probably the last thing she needed. Jenn said she didn’t believe the comment about Ryan wanting to do Tamra, but ever the bearer of hearsay tidings, Heather said, Tamra had heard it from several people. In Emily’s interview, she wondered how many napkins had to smack Jenn in the face before she says something negative about Tamra. Clearly more than one. At the bar inside, Tamra yelled that she needed a shot and a Xanax, then made a rude comment to a married guy at the bar. In her interview, Emily said she thought Heather was afraid of Tamra, since she could be nasty. As soon as Tamra came around again, Heather wasn’t interested in anyone else. We saw a clip where Emily told Gina that Heather needed a change of address card that said Tamra’s ass. Gina said she was pissed about to Heather throwing her under the bus in Montana, and looking back, she wondered if Heather was her friend or not.

Tamra wasn’t sure if she wanted to go back to the table, but she did. Gina wondered if Heather was trying to manage the relationship between Shannon and Tamra, and she was getting left. Shannon wondered what they’d walked in on, and Heather told Gina that she had personal issues going on. Lauren filled Shannon in on the drama, and Tamra told Jenn that she was sorry about the napkin, but she was livid. In Jenn’s interview, she said, Tamra could take her napkin back and clean up her own mess. Gina said, Heather had hurt her feelings a couple of times, and Heather said it hadn’t been her intention and admitted she’d crossed the line with the Travis thing. In Gina’s interview, she said she was happy that Heather seemed to have heard her. All the personalized chopsticks and candles in world didn’t do anything if she wasn’t sure about the friendship. Heather got all dramatic over Terry texting her about David getting divorced, but Shannon already knew. Tamra pulled her chair over to hear the gossip better, and Shannon said, he filed on their anniversary. In Shannon’s interview, she said she’d heard rumblings that things weren’t going well, but her main concern was her own kids. In Taylor’s interview, she wondered when they’d have a girls dinner where there was actually food. The waiters were probably afraid to come to the table. The food did come, and Gina said she was glad they made it to dinner. One of the waiters flambéed wagyu steak at the table, but sadly, Tamra did not catch on fire.

Next time, a Slip N Slide; Vicki is back; Taylor tells Jenn that Tamra got the Ryan stories from Heather; and Shannon says her relationship is over if this is on the air.

🎢 Adding To the Confusion…

I guess they couldn’t hold her spot forever, but can we close the revolving door now? And what about Kristina? Are we done there?

Brooke Anne Smith Is the New Molly on GENERAL HOSPITAL

🗽 Because I like to torture myself, I watched the new RHONY again. I guess what I’d expected that wasn’t delivered was more sophistication. What I got was juvenile. Too much behind the back petty talk and I’m better than you bullsh*t. I think Ramona’s antics were getting old, but the old RHONY cast had a certain level of NYC sophistication. They could have shown the Ramonacoaster the door and brought a few more Leahs in so we could go downtown more. And I don’t mean that as a euphemism. I mean like the Village and Soho. The old cast might have been drunker, but they were part of the fun of the city.

🪟 Closing the Drapes…

Stop in tomorrow for soap and freshly brewed tea. Until then, stay safe, stay using your utensils from the outside in, and stay actually working past things and not just overlooking them.

Jul19

July 18, 2023 – Leo Explains Why Squids Are Cool, Reunion’s End On Deck, Rebooting New York & Mandela

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Oliva sees Ned, and says, hello… you. Welcome. Brook seconds that welcome, and says it’s good to see him. Ned says, Chase persuaded him that it would be a good idea to pay a visit, and Brook says, Chase made this happen? She thanks him, and Chase says he was just trying to help out. Cody steps up with his hand out, and says, they haven’t met yet. He’s Cody. He works with the horses in the stables. Ned says, it’s nice to meet him. Of course (🍷) this estate would have horse stables. Olivia says, this is his home, but Ned says, no. Living in a mansion like this is definitely not his style. Brook asks if this is just a drive-by and he’s not staying, and Ned says, no, he’s not. Olivia says, if that’s the case, then just turn around and leave right now.

Tracy asks what Gregory wants, and he says he’d like to have a few words with her about how she meddled in Chase’s life. She says she has less than zero interest in a lecture from him, and he says, then it’s a damn good thing he’s no longer teaching. She asks if he retired, and he says, something like that. He’s now on the editorial board of The Invader. She says she sees. Now he can tell even more people what to think. Save his breath. She’s not apologizing for helping her granddaughter. He asks her to please stop talking for five seconds, so he can say thank you.

Sam opens the door to Alexis, who asks if Kristina is here. Sam says, hello to her too. No, Kristina’s not here. Why? Does she want to find Kristina? Alexis says she wants to find her all right. She’s just not sure what she’d do if she did. That’s why she came here. She needs Sam to help her resist temptation. Help.

Dante asks Anna, what’s their next move? He wants her to be as safe as possible while they lure out whoever’s trying to kill her. Anna says she’s arranged for townhouse security to make a significant upgrade. Not that she thinks it’s likely someone’s going to attack her in her home, because it’s so specific to her. Whereas if someone is trying to assassinate her at a public pool, that leaves a lot of questions like, was she the target? Was it Sonny? Was it someone else? If they try to kill her in her own home, she was obviously 100% the target. He says, right, but he likes the idea of heightened security here, because you can never be too careful. She says she completely disagrees. The point is for them to make the enemy believe they can get to her, so that’s what she intends to do. The doorbell rings, and she answers. It’s Mac, who asks if she’s heard from Felicia.

Felicia looks in the file, and says, jackpot. A security guard says, freeze. Put her hands where he can see them. She turns around to see the guard with his gun on her, along with Jack and Lucy, who’s wearing handcuffs. She waves to Felicia. Jack says he’ll take his file back, and removes it from Felicia’s hands. Lucy says she’s so very sorry, but there’s no need for handcuffs. She thinks they can work this out together. Jack looks at the file and says, the Maquillage. Felicia says, Lucy couldn’t find a way to keep him occupied for five whole minutes? and Lucy says, they drank a whole bottle of wine. She was stalling. What was Felicia doing? Lying down and taking a nap? Jack wants to know what they’re both doing here in his office trying to steal his confidential client file, and Felicia says she wasn’t trying to steal it; she was just trying to read it. Jack asks if the guard has another pair of handcuffs. He wants Felicia arrested for breaking and entering, and Lucy committed straight up fraud.

Sam tells Alexis, Kristina wanted to be a surrogate for Molly and TJ’s baby. Talk about bad timing. Alexis says, unfortunately, Molly didn’t stick around long enough for Kristina to tell her that she thought it was bad timing. Sam asks if she explained that to Molly, but Alexis says, it wasn’t a good time. Molly and TJ had been up all night because Curtis was in surgery. Sam says, at least they know he’s out of surgery safely, and Alexis says, right, so she’s just going to sit here next to Sam and let Molly and Kristina work this out on their own. Sam looks at her phone and says, she has no text messages from either of them. Molly’s text messages have been silenced. Alexis says, because she doesn’t want to hear from anybody. This isn’t exactly staying out of it. Sam says, Alexis is staying out of it. She’s low-key offering support here. She texts Kristina: R u ok? She says, Kristina is replying.

Walking into the living room, Ned says he didn’t want to come here in the first place. Chase talked him into it. So if he’s not welcome here, he doesn’t see any reason why he should stay. Brook says, they do want him here, but Olivia says, not if he’s just going to turn around and walk out again. He can’t keep dropping in and out of Leo’s life; it’s too confusing. Chase says, Brook texted him, and said Leo got hurt riding Comet. That’s why he and Eddie are here. Ned says, that’s right. How’s the kid doing? Olivia says, his leg will heal just fine, but he’s confused, and Eddie just showing up like this is going to make things worse. Ned says, then they agree, he should leave. He only came because Chase convinced him that he might be able to help this kid understand the situation better. Olivia says she doesn’t see how that’s possible when she doesn’t even understand it herself, and Cody asks if he can have a word with her for a minute. They step outside, and Brook asks Ned to stay and talk to her; just for a few minutes, she swears. He says, sure, he can do that, and she says she’s really glad Chase convinced him to stop by. She knows Olivia is really glad too. She just needs a few minutes to figure that out. She pours a drink, and Ned says he’s not so sure about that, but she seems charming enough, so he won’t go just yet. She hands him the drink and thanks him, and he says, unless that woman, Tracy, who says she’s his mother, comes around. Then forget it. She is really, really intense, so if she comes around, he’s out of here. Brook asks where she is, and Ned says, she’s probably harassing some other person in Rice Plaza.

Tracy says, Gregory wants to thank her for meddling in his son’s life? and he says, yes. He’s grateful for what she did, regardless of her motives. Chase would never be happy if he didn’t get his badge back. Being a detective is Chase’s calling, so he’s glad she did whatever she did to convince the CCRB to give him a second hearing. He’s confident Chase got his badge back on his own merits, but without Tracy’s help, he may not have had that chance. She says, but Chase is upset that she interfered, and he says, because Chase believes in following the rules; he’s always been like that. She says, if he’s such a rule follower, what is he doing with Brook? Their family motto is basically, we’re Quartermaines and rules don’t apply. He says, that may be the case, but he thinks Chase has finally found the woman he’s willing to bend the rules for.

Mac asks what Dante is doing at Anna’s, and Dante says he just stopped by to ask Anna a few more questions about the shooting at the pool. Anna says she hasn’t seen Felicia. Is something wrong? Mac says, she’s on a case, and Anna says she didn’t know Felicia was a P.I. again. Mac says, it caught him by surprise too. She didn’t tell him who her client was, but it has something to do with Martin Grey. Anna says, and Lucy’s out of town too. She guesses that means something. Dante says he’s guessing, nothing good.

Felicia says she thinks if they just stop and take a deep breath, they can find a way to deal with this, and Lucy says she barely knows this woman. Jack says, she told him that Felicia was her sister, and Lucy tells him, what can she say? They’re just not that close. Jack says, Lucy wanted to drag dinner out so blondie here could crack his safe. And when he got suspicious and wanted to leave, she assaulted him. She says she did no such thing, and he says, she tried to push him down a flight of stairs. She says she wouldn’t do that; you, sir, you tripped. He tells the guard, then she stole his car keys from the valet, and she says, because he had a lot more to drink than she did. She was trying to save him from a DUI. He says, they both had wine to drink. Who’s she kidding? She says, he had a lot more than she did, and if the guard doesn’t believe her, give him one of those things… Jack says, breathalyzer. Why is he attracted to these fiery women? He tells the guard, if you please, and the guard puts handcuffs on Felicia.

In the hallway, Jack suggests the guard call for back-up. These two are either going to divide and conquer, or… In the office, Felicia asks how Jack got on to Lucy, and Lucy says, that is not important right at this moment. What’s important is for them to get out of here. She tells the guard, hey, Mr. Policeman Guy. This is the wife of the Police Commissioner of Port Charles. Felicia says, no, but Lucy says, yes, so he can kind of take it easy on them as perhaps a professional courtesy. Felicia tells her not to drag Mac into this, and Jack tells Lucy not to be mad at Ray. He’s just doing his job. Lucy asks if they don’t get one phone call each, and Ray says, they do. Lucy tells Felicia that she knows exactly who they’re going to call.

Alexis asks, what’s TL mean? and Sam says, it’s code for talk later. Alexis says she misses actual words, and Sam says, her too. Does she really think Molly’s that upset that Kristina offered to be their surrogate? Alexis says she thinks Molly is just plain upset. She doesn’t know how much of it is about Kristina, and how much of it is about the fact she has fertility issues. Sam says she was afraid Kristina’s offer would cause friction, and Alexis says, at least everything is out in the open now. She’s going to do everything she can to make sure they work this out. Dante comes in, and says, sorry if he’s interrupting anything. Alexis says, not at all. It’s a nice night. She’s going for a walk. Sam thanks her for coming by, and Alexis says, TL, and leaves. Dante asks how Sam’s day was, and she says, very busy. He says, interesting case? and she says, about that. She thinks it’s time she filled him in on what she’s been doing.

Anna gives Mac a drink and asks where Felicia went. He says he doesn’t know. All he knows is, she took a short flight. She asks, when was the last time he heard from her, and he says, she texted to say she arrived safely early this morning, but nothing since then. Anna says, that’s not long, but he says he can’t shake the feeling she’s in trouble if she’s with Lucy. Anna says she knows, when her phone rings. She shows Mac, and he says, thank God. Anna tells Felicia that she’s here with Mac. They were just talking about her. Felicia says, she’s with Mac? and Anna says she’s going to put Felicia on speaker. Mac says he was starting to worry about her, and Felicia says, surprise. He asks if something’s wrong, but she says, there’s nothing wrong. She just remembered she’s supposed to have drinks with Anna tonight. Lucy says, tell her, and Anna says she’s sorry. She doesn’t remember them having plans. Felicia says she must have gotten her days mixed up. Sorry to bother her. Lucy grabs the phone and says, it’s her. Could Anna please call her friend Jackson Montgomery and tell him not to arrest them? Anna says, who’s going to arrest them? and Mac says he knew it.

Cody says he thought Olivia wanted Ned here, and she says, yes. She wanted Ned here, not Eddie. Leo cannot deal with his father not even knowing who he is. Cody says, nobody wants to see Leo getting more upset, but maybe instead of kicking Eddie out, take this opportunity to talk to him. Make plans to see each other outside of the main Q house. Clearly Eddie showed up today because he cares about Leo’s injury. He may not know he’s Leo’s dad, but it’s still a good sign, right? She says, maybe. She doesn’t know. She wanted Ned here because she thought that maybe being around things that were familiar, it would jog a memory or something. She still thinks it’s a good plan, but she has to put Leo first. Brook is a grown woman, and it still hurts her that her father doesn’t seem to know who she is. Leo is just a little kid. If they can’t handle this, how the hell can he? Cody says, maybe Eddie can take his room above the stables. That way, he’s still on the grounds, but it will be easier to keep him and Leo separate. She asks if Cody would take a guest room in the house, and Eddie would stay in his room, and Cody says, sure. Or he’ll just bunk with Dante and Sam. They’ll figure something out. She tells him that he’s a good man, and hugs him.

Brook says, that’s kind of funny. Ned was challenged by another busker? Ned says he would have won too. People want to hear classic rock. They don’t want to hear grunge. But Tracy stormed in before they could have a sing-off. Leo runs in, and says, dad’s home.

Dante wonders why he gets the feeling Sam’s going to tell him something he’s not going to like, and she says, because he’s probably not. She knows Cody was his camp buddy, and they had a really strong bond. She was pretty worried about him after he got arrested for supposedly stealing Gladys’s bracelet at the Nurses Ball. Dante says he was worried about him too, but the charges were dropped, so he’s in the clear. She says she’s not so sure about that. Before the charges were dropped, she and Spinelli tried to prove Gladys wasn’t a victim. According to Cody, she tried to set him up for another crime. He asks if she and Spinelli were the ones who found the waiter who got Cody exonerated, but she says, no, but she’s pretty sure she knows who did it, and it’s shady times a thousand. He says, who? and she flips over a photo of Cody and Selina talking, and says, Selina Wu.

Anna says, Jackson Montgomery. She never thought she’d hear his voice again. He says, him neither, but it’s a very pleasant surprise. He did tell Lucy that he knew her, but in no way suggested they had a personal or professional relationship. Anna says, there you have it. Lucy doesn’t really pay attention to the finer details. She’s more of a big picture girl. He says, so he found out, but what’s going on with her? He knows she runs a successful cosmetics company, so what is she doing running a scam on him? And is Felicia Scorpio really the wife of the Police Commissioner? Anna says, that last part is true, and she does work as a P.I. He says, that explains that; what’s Lucy’s excuse? Anna asks if he minds telling her the middle part again, and he says, Lucy came in, claiming she was recently widowed, and Felicia was her sister. Talking to Lucy, Mac says, she said they were sisters? and Lucy says, yeah. Felicia said they were sisters, and even said their last name was Martin. Then hummingbird cake got mentioned, and it sort of blew her cover. The restaurant they went to happened to serve hummingbird cake – which is really odd, because most restaurants don’t – and Jack said he didn’t like hummingbird cake, which made her really mad – Mac’s face looks blank as he tries to follow – because it’s Martin’s favorite food. She said he would like hummingbird cake if he ever had the proper recipe, but apparently, he’d had hummingbird cake because he knew Martin’s family’s recipe.

Jack tells Anna, believe it or not, one of his most contentious divorce cases involved a recipe for hummingbird cake. The wife was his client. She was threatening to divulge the recipe to Little Debbie’s for mass production. Anna says she bets the husband in that case was Martin Grey, and he didn’t like that idea. Jack says, he’ll put it to her this way, the husband hated it so much, he knew he could get his client sole custody of the couple’s beach house in Miami if he could just get the wife to sign an NDA, and never divulge the recipe.

Lucy tells Mac, Martin’s mother guards that hummingbird cake recipe like it was gold in Fort Knox, and he says, let him guess. Once Jack connected Lucy to Martin, it was all over. Lucy and Felicia nod like Mac can see them.

Gregory says he’s sorry Tracy couldn’t get through to her son earlier, and she says, wow. He does always eavesdrop on private conversations. He says he couldn’t help but hear it. they were both speaking very loudly. She says, not loud enough to get through to her son, and he says, she certainly did all she could. She says, and she should do what? Just give up? Gee, her son doesn’t remember his family. Maybe he will someday. What’s for dinner? He says, she really makes conversations hard because that’s not at all what he meant. She says, Quartermaines don’t give up. He might stand there idly by and watch his son face plant again and again like he’s some Larry, Curly, or Moe, but she’s not like him. If he wants to abandon his son, go right ahead. She’s not going to abandon hers. Gregory says, and as usual, she doesn’t know what the hell she’s talking about.

Ned asks how Leo’s leg is, and Leo says, it hurts, but only when he runs. Olivia tells him that she never thought she’d say this, but then stop running. Why doesn’t he go up to his bedroom? Leo asks Ned, which is cooler, an octopus or a squid? and Ned tells Leo that he guesses he’d say an octopus, but Leo says, that’s not right. His dad would know the answer. He’s really not Leo’s dad, is he? Ned says, no, he’s not, and Leo says, then who is he?

Dante wonders why Cody is with Selina, and Sam says she doesn’t know, but does he know the PCPD has been running surveillance at The Savoy? He says he knows; how does she know? She says she ran into Mac earlier, and Mac knows about Selina’s illegal high stakes poker game in the back room. He says, that explains it then. If there’s a poker game, Cody’s going to sniff it out. That’s what happened to him last June when he got beat up. He was going to take the bus out of town, and missed his bus because of a poker game. She asks if he thinks it was Selina’s, and he says, Cody didn’t tell him whose it was, but could very well have been Selina’s game. She says she told him this was shady. She thinks it’s highly likely it was Selina’s guys who beat up Cody when he first came to town. So it’s troubling to think Cody is more connected to her now. Dante wonders what Cody is up to now.

Anna says she apologizes for her friends, and she’s sorry Jack got caught up in the middle of this. But at the end of the day, was there any real harm done? He asks if she didn’t hear him say that Felicia was going through his confidential client files, and Anna says, let her throw that name out there again – Martin Grey. She wasn’t going through any other files, was she? He says, not that he can tell, but who the hell knows what she saw? and Anna says she can vouch for her friend. If she was there with Lucy, she was only looking at Martin’s files. He says he’s going to need a little bit more. What’s the interest in Martin Grey? She says, Lucy’s dating him. Anna looks on this as a lover’s quarrel. He can see for himself that they’re not criminal masterminds. Could he see his way to dropping the charges? She would be forever in his debt, without a doubt. He looks in at Lucy and Felicia.

Lucy tells Mac, Jack knows the officer who’s arresting them, and convinced him to check with his office before taking them to be booked. Mac says, okay, but why did she take his car keys? and she says she didn’t mean to. It was sort of a panic moment. Is that what he wants to hear? She panicked. She didn’t mean to steal the car. She was doing it as – she raises her voiced – a public service thing. He tells Felicia to take him off speaker and she does. Felicia says she’s sorry. She really didn’t want to involve him in this. He says, and that’s why she called Anna instead of him, and she says she didn’t want him to worry. How angry is he? He says he just wants her home safe, when Jack comes back, and she says she guesses that depends on how well Anna negotiated on their behalf. She just hopes Anna’s convincing.

Olivia tells Leo, it’s past his bedtime, and Leo says, Ned looks like his dad, but he doesn’t know about squids so who is he? Ned says he’s Eddie Maine. He’s a musician. Leo asks Chase, is that true? and Chase says, yes, at least for the time being. Ned says he’s sorry that’s confusing for Leo, and Leo says, people always confuse him, but his dad knows squids are the coolest. Eddie got it wrong. Ned laughs and says, Leo’s right. He doesn’t know the first thing about squids or octopuses. Leo says, octopi, and Ned says, right, octopi. He does know that octopi have eight legs. How many legs do squids have? Leo says, they don’t have legs. They have ten limbs, eight arms, and two tentacles. Brook and Chase leave, and Leo says, the biggest squid is 60 feet, and the biggest octopus is only about 30 feet. Ned says, wow. He always thought octopi were bigger, and Cody tells Olivia, Leo’s got this.

Outside, Brook says she was so happy when Chase walked through that door. Does that mean he’s still talking to her? He says, does she mean after he figured out that Tracy was pulling strings with the CCRB? and she says, yeah. He says, his kiss goodbye didn’t convince her? and she says she was so happy when he kissed her, but she was worried that after he left and thought about it, he would be. He says, nope. He’s not doing that anymore. She says, doing what? and he takes her hands and says he knows he’s a by-the-book guy. That sounds good on paper, but in real life, he needs to be more accepting that life is complicated and it’s messy, and that is okay. She says, he knows her. He’s by-the-book and she’s a leap before you look person. Look what she did with Valentin. She pretended to be pregnant with his baby; that was crazy. He says, no. What she did was gutsy, and it was brave, and it was pretty magnificent. A plan that complicated and messy wouldn’t have occurred to him in a million years. That’s why he thinks their differences make them such a good team. That’s what he’s trying to say. He doesn’t want her to feel like he’s constantly judging her. Because he loves her… exactly the way that she is. She says she loves him too, calling him Mr. By-the-Book, and they kiss.

Gregory says, Tracy has no right to judge him. She doesn’t even know him. She says, isn’t it infuriating when someone just inserts themselves into your private conversations and just starts doling out advice? He says he wasn’t doling out advice; he was offering understanding. He saw how her son’s rejection hurt her. She says, he saw no such thing. Do not project his disappointment about his sons on her. And who is he to give her parenting advice? She knows full well that Finn didn’t speak to him for decades. He says he doesn’t know why he bothered. He’s going to leave her to the one person who can tolerate her poisonous tongue – her. He drops his car keys, then gropes for them on the ground, and she says, so much for his self-righteous exit. Not as effective when you have to fumble around for your keys. Suddenly, Alexis is there, and says, she’s got them, scooping them up and putting them in his hand.

Chase says he’s been wanting to do that all night, and Brook says she’s so glad. At the risk of ruining the mood, she’s ready to tell him everything that she’s been up to with her grandmother. She doesn’t want to keep anything from him. He says he’s going to stop her right there. He thinks it’s better if she doesn’t tell him everything. He’s going to trust that she’ll tell him everything he needs to know, just like he’ll trust she’ll come to him if she’s in trouble. She says, deal, and thanks him for bringing her dad home. He says he was worried if it was the right thing to do. Does Leo seem okay? She says, yeah. So how about his grandmother? Chase says, she took the bulldozer approach, and Brook says, she always does.

Alexis goes over to Tracy, who asks, what’s going on? Alexis says she’s just helping out a friend. No one should have to face Tracy alone in this state. Tracy says, what state? and Alexis asks if Gregory is ready to get out of here. He says, definitely, and Alexis takes his arm. They stroll out of the plaza, and Tracy says, what nerve.

Dante says he’s kind of surprised Mac is sharing police business with a civilian, and Sam says she thinks he did it because he’s worried about Cody. Does he know how long they’ve been running surveillance at The Savoy? He says, it’s got to be three, four months, and she asks if he doesn’t think that’s a long time. He says he does. Normally, you’ve got to have results in three, four weeks to keep something like that going. She says she thinks Mac doesn’t want Cody to get arrested before he takes down Selina’s illegal poker game, and he says, so Mac’s trying to protect Cody? She says, as much as he can. Mac says he loved Dominique and Cody is Dominique’s son, but she thinks there’s more to it. She thinks Mac was disappointed when the paternity test came back, and it revealed Mac wasn’t Cody’s dad.

Sitting next to Ned on the sofa and thumbing through his book, Leo asks if he knows that the brown-nosed three-toed sloth naps up to 16 hours a day. And it’s arms are twice as long as its legs. Ned says he did not know that. Leo sure knows a lot. Leo says he knows a lot about animals, and he loves them all (me too!), even though Cody likes horses best. Cody says, hey, he likes his horses, but he likes other animals too. Leo says, just not beetles, and Cody says, no beetles. Never. I wonder why, and Leo says his mom likes feeding him. Olivia laughs and says, that is true. Leo asks what Ned/Eddie likes, and Ned says he likes music. He picks up a guitar leaning against the wall, and Leo says, that’s his dad’s guitar. Ned asks if it would bother Leo if he plays it. He’ll give it right back. Leo says he’s still learning how to play it. Is Eddie any good? Ned plays a little, and Leo says, that’s really good. So he can play it, until his dad gets back. At least he thinks his dad is coming back.

Jack tells Ray to uncuff them. He won’t be pressing charges. He’s sorry for wasting Ray’s time. Ray uncuffs Lucy and Felicia, and Felicia thanks Jack. Lucy says, triple thank you from her, and he says he’s been around the block a couple of times. Love can make you do crazy things. He hands Felicia the stethoscope and says, I believe this is yours, doc. Felicia thanks him, and he says, it looks like he’ll have to get a better safe. Goodnight, ladies. He hustles them out the door, and closes it. In the hallway, Lucy hopes this wasn’t all for nothing. Did Felicia get something useful? Tell her. Felicia says she doesn’t know if this will help, but she did find out the shell corporation who’s responsible for depositing $50,000 every month in Martin’s account. Lucy asks, who is it?

Gregory suggests he and Alexis sit for a while, and they stop at a bench. He sits down, and she asks if he’s okay. He says he is, and thanks her. He just couldn’t get his fingers to work. She asks if he’s all right to drive home, and he says, it should ease up soon. He’ll just sit here until it’s gone. He’s fine. Really. She says, it’s a lovely night. Does he mind if she joins him? He says he’d like that, and she sits next to him and takes his hand. He smiles at her.

Ned finishes playing, and Olivia tells Leo, it’s time for bed. Leo asks if Ned is staying, but Ned says, no. He’s staying at Sonny’s house. Leo says he knows Uncle Sonny. He’s cool. Ned says, he is pretty cool, and Leo holds out his hand. He and Ned shake hands, and Leo says, goodnight, Eddie. Ned tells him, goodnight, and thanks Leo for teaching him all about animals. Olivia steers Leo to the stairs, and tells him to put on his PJs. She’ll be up in a minute. Olivia tells Ned that she doesn’t mean to push, but there’s an apartment over the horse stables if he wants to stay there; if he’s not comfortable in the main house. He says, that’s very nice of her, but he’s okay at Sonny’s house. She says, fair enough, and thanks him for being so kind to Leo. Ned says, of course (🍷). He’s a sweet kid. He doesn’t want to hurt anyone. He just wants to live his life. She says she just wants her husband back, and Chase jumps up, saying, Eddie. Why doesn’t he take him back to Sonny’s? Ned says, yeah, and leaves with Chase. Olivia cries, and Brook and Cody surround her with a hug.

Lucy asks, why would Martin’s horrible ex-wife number three be depositing 50K in his account every month? and Felicia says, why would any ex send monthly payments? Lucy says, ew. Martin’s getting alimony. Felicia nods.

On the phone, Jack says he just thinks they should know that Lucy Coe and her private investigator were here today asking questions about Martin, and Maquillage.

Sam tells Dante that she thinks Mac wants to give Cody a heads up. But since he can’t interfere in his own investigation, he tipped her off to his surveillance of Selina. Dante says, so he wants Sam to try and get Cody to stop playing in Selina’s poker games, and she says, so should she do what Mac can’t? Does she warn Cody before he gets arrested?

Tracy shuffles into the living room, and says, oh God. What happened now? Brook says, Eddie Maine paid them a visit. Chase is driving him back to Sonny’s now. Tracy says, Ned was here and they let him go? Cody says, that’s his cue to go, and tells Brook and Olivia, good luck. He jets, and Tracy says, they can’t just let him go, but Olivia says, he’s not a prisoner here. Tracy says, that’s because they have no imagination, and Olivia says she’s had enough for one night. She leaves with her glass of wine, and Brook tells Tracy that she’s going to make this really clear. She will no longer spy for Tracy. Tracy says, good. Then she’s going to tell Chase that Brook committed corporate espionage. Brook says, Tracy can’t do that without admitting her own guilt. If Tracy takes her down, she’ll take Tracy down with her. Face it. She has to find another way to get info on Deception. Brook leaves, and Tracy says, good thing she has one.

Tomorrow, Spencer tells Portia that Trina should run away from him as fast as she can; Sasha tells Gladys, no need to prepare when you have nothing to hide; Esme tells Alexis, do not publish that story; and Kristina tells Sonny that her foundation is being ripped out from under her.

Below Deck Sailing Yacht – The Reunion – Part 2

A viewer asks why Daisy thinks Gary couldn’t take the hint about Mads just having fun, and Daisy says, Mads was very direct. She thinks they all need to be aware of what they are saying and doing to other people. Andy asks why Alex didn’t make a move on Mads before Gary did, and Alex says, they have to live together. He wasn’t jumping on the first person who came along. By the time they realized they were into each other, it was late in the season. Andy asks, what was Gary’s reaction to Mads saying she regretted hooking up with him on Watch What Happens Live? and Gary says, it’s not the first time someone’s said that. I’ll bet not. Andy says, if Mads regretted it, why did she keep going back for more? and Mads tells him that she didn’t say she regretted it. She said if she could go back, she’d choose differently. Hindsight is 20/20. She suddenly loses her train of thought, and says, she’s sorry; she has ADHD. Andy asks again why she kept going back, and Mads says, at the time, she didn’t regret it, but she would rather not be in messy drama. She didn’t know that’s how it was going to be at the time. Gary goes the bathroom, and we wait. Daisy tells Andy, welcome to our world. When Gary gets back, Andy says, a viewer asked if Daisy was surprised at how needy Gary was of Mads’ attention after hooking up, and Daisy tells him, she literally said, what the hell? Another viewer asks how Mads could forgive Gary calling her pathetic and Mads says she can take it on the chin, but she didn’t like it. Gary explains that he was calling himself pathetic, and I actually buy it. Andy says, just about as cringy as anything he’s seen on Below Deck, Gary confronted Mads about letting him go down on her when she allegedly had her period. Yeah, I’m cringing again right now – hey, I just relay it. We flash back to that so we can all cringe. Chase slides out of the screen, and Alex says he needs a bathroom break. Gary apologizes and says, it was uncalled for. No one deserves that, and he’s sorry. It was probably one of his lowest points of the season. Mads accepts his apology, and Andy asks if she was over Gary at that point. She says she was. She was exhausted, done, and so ready to leave. It was the cherry on top. Andy asks for Daisy’s reaction, and she says she was horrified. She feels protective over the girls, and nobody should speak about another in that manner. Mads says, the only reason she did so well was because Lucy was there and automatically killed the tension. Andy asks why Alex felt the need to repeat Mads’ joke, and Alex says, it was just the first thing that came out when Gary said he’d gone down there. It wasn’t meant maliciously.

A viewer asks if Gary saw any similarities between Ashley’s actions toward him during whatever season, and his actions with Mads. Gary says, they were both 100% cringe. They were needy and it wasn’t nice to see himself in that light. Andy asks if Gary’s attitude hadn’t been one of just having fun and not looking for anything serious. Did he think he’d gotten a taste of his own medicine? Gary – who’s possibly never had an original thought – says he’s only human, makes mistakes and learns from them. Andy asks, after making out with Chase, did Mads think they could have a boatmance? but Mads says, even though she loves Chase, he’s too sweet and genuine. She’s not a good person sometimes, and it wouldn’t be a good match. She wouldn’t do that to him. Andy asks Daisy’s reaction, and Daisy says she thought Gary was going to try not to jump into bed with the stews this season. Mads told her about it, but Gary didn’t, which was weird. Gary says he didn’t want to tell her straight away because there had been something between him and Daisy in the past. A viewer asks if Daisy agrees she c*ck blocked Gary, or was it that he was a distraction to the stews? Daisy says she lets them do their own thing, but when you’re wearing a uniform, that’s a no. However, she’s earned a kiss in the engine room after her years in the industry. She did think Gary was distracting for her stews, and Gary says she should lead by example. Glenn says he can see both sides. Daisy’s role is to manage her department and she can police herself, but he can also see leading by example. Andy ask if Mads and Alex saw each other after filming, and she says, there have been instances. Alex says, they explored it to see if it was worth continuing, but they’re both busy. They’re geographically close, and they’ve stayed close as friends. They’ve been on trips together, and talk weekly. He’s happy about how it stands. Mads says, their friendship outshines everything, and Andy asks if it’s with benefits. Alex says he technically doesn’t have a girlfriend right now, but he’s hopeful about someone (not Mads).

Andy asks who would want to eat sushi off a naked Gary? I’m out, and only Alex and Mads raise their hands, Mads adding, if she was really drunk. Andy says, they learned that throuples don’t work. It was the first time Glenn had to step in and almost kick an unruly guest off the boat. We flash back to that, and Andy asks how Glenn knew he had to intervene. Glenn says he’s seen that kind of thing before, and wanted to make it clear what was at stake. Andy says, newly single Colin made a move on Daisy. But after learning the truth about her history with Gary, and being mistakenly called Gary in bed (oof!), did Colin regret stumbling into a love triangle? We flash back to all that, and Andy says, we have lots to unpack. A viewer says, on Watch What Happens Live, Daisy said Colin had the most to answer to. What happened? Daisy suggests Colin narrate the story, and Colin says, the first time he saw Daisy again after the season was at a boat show in the UK. They hung out, and also spent some time together in Mexico. He even flew to New York to see her, but it turned toxic, and he ended things. Andy asks why it was toxic, and Colin says, they triggered each other. Daisy says, he’s missing the point of why it turned badly. She found out that after Colin broke up with his girlfriend, he’d been sleeping with someone he was working with. So she retreated, put up walls, and became defensive. Colin made her feel guilty about the Gary thing, and he claimed there was nothing between them; there was no future. Then she found out from some crew members that after she and Colin broke up, he was in a serious relationship with the same woman. It was shocking and hurtful. Colin says, before filming season four, he and Daisy hooked up, and Daisy suggests they go back to season two. Alex makes raising the roof hands, and everyone looks shocked. Colin says, you can’t reason with this woman, and I want to smack him. He says, they hooked up before the season, and he rang Gary and told him. He asked how Gary felt about it, and Gary said he was stoked. Glenn said he was happy about it too. Daisy looks pissed off, and Andy takes out his pitchfork and asks if Daisy told Colin that she’d hooked up with Gary at that point. Colin says he found out halfway through the season, and Daisy again says, go back to season two. Colin was in a serious relationship and pulled her aside, saying, if he was single, she was definitely the person he’d hook up with. At the end of season three he pulled her aside and said he wanted to kiss her, but she walked away. Colin says he’s always had a crush on Daisy.

Andy asks why Daisy made out with Alex, and Daisy says she wasn’t trying to start a relationship. Colin having been in another relationship also made her take a step back, but she can kiss multiple people and not be ashamed. She and Colin had only kissed, and not slept together. When he told her that he’d been sleeping with someone else, she thought they were figuring stuff out. She kissed Alex in a Truth or Dare drunk moment; they weren’t exclusive. Colin says, it was deeper than that. He’d told girlfriend Brit about Daisy, and vice versa. Daisy says, he didn’t tell her until they were off the boat, and Colin says, she blocked him. Daisy says, that’s not what happened, and Colin says, let him finish. She has zero remorse, and turns it around. Andy asks if Daisy is gaslighting Colin, and she gets up and leaves the screen. Colin says he was just laying it all out there, and now it’s his fault. It makes no sense. Lucy says he needs to take Daisy’s feelings into account. She clearly liked him a lot. It’s not a nice situation, and it’s hard to lose a friendship as well. Daisy comes back, and Andy asks why she left, like he doesn’t know she cried in the bathroom. She says she’s f***ed either way. She’s never going to win. It will never matter what she says or does. If she sleeps with someone, she’s a slut. If she’s silent, she’s weak, but if she speaks up, she’s toxic. Chase says, they’re quite empathetic. He thinks Daisy’s been slighted by both Colin and Gary, but nobody thinks it’s malicious; just an unfortunate situation. Andy asks if Colin had real feelings for Daisy, and Colin says, 1000%. There was a genuine connection, and he did his best to try and be with her. He tried to make it work. He’s not badmouthing Daisy, but she was pushing him away, trying to figure out if it was real, and by the time she figured it out, they were arguing. Daisy says, Colin made her feel guilty about Gary. She even stopped talking to Gary and being friends with him. Colin says he thinks his insecurities were justified, and Daisy asks, why not do a show about Colin and his girlfriend? Colin says, watching the show, there were things he saw that were shocking and news to him, and Daisy says, like him flirting with Ileisha.  

Ileisha says, that’s the first time she’s heard that. She and Colin got on well, and got each other as friends. She had a boyfriend, and had no idea what was going on with Daisy and Colin. Daisy asks if anyone will back her up, but there are no takers, and Colin says, he and Ileisha definitely had chemistry and got on well, but he’s curious as to the point here. He wonders if it’s to detract from how Daisy treated him. Andy asks Ileisha if they were flirtatious, and Ileisha says, there was chemistry there, but she didn’t pursue it since she had a boyfriend. Daisy says she’s not allowed to have chemistry with anyone, and Andy asks who called her a slut. She says, everyone online, and Andy says, people online are a-holes and a bunch of trolls. Daisy says she doesn’t know what she’s supposed to do. She’s damned if she does, and damned if she doesn’t. She starts to cry, and Andy asks if Colin thinks Gary expressing interest in Daisy was genuine or ego driven. Colin says he thinks it was ego driven. It was shocking see Daisy and Gary making out. At that point, he thought he and Daisy were a true boat couple. Daisy says, Colin was 100% flirting with Ileisha, and Colin says, Daisy kept saying that she had no feelings for Gary, but watching it back, he didn’t feel that was the case. Andy asks Gary to put himself in Colin’s shoes, and asks if he can understand how rankled or questioning Colin might be. Daisy asks if Gary feels remorse or shame at how he behaved, and Gary says he has a huge defense mechanism because he’s scared of getting hurt. (Oh boo-freakin’-hoo.) Andy asks how it landed with Mads, and Mads says, it was shocking. Everyone was messy. Andy suggests Gary broke bro code. He was sending mixed messages, saying he didn’t have feelings for Daisy and he was fine with her and Colin being together. Lucy says, Gary supposedly liked Mads, and Mads says, there was lots of hypocrisy and they all played a part. Andy asks why Gary told Colin had that he had no interest in Daisy, but told Daisy that he had feelings for her. Who was he lying to? Gary says, probably himself in the end, and I wonder what movie he got that from. He says he has a jealous side that was coming out. Deep down, he felt something for Daisy, but he was still happy for Colin. He’s seeing now that it’s for the best it didn’t work out. Andy asks Daisy if she thought Gary had genuine feelings or was he like a child who wants a toy someone else is playing with? Daisy says she felt like a piece meat or a prize in an ego competition. She doesn’t think Gary has genuine feelings for her, but thinks they have a genuine connection. Being on the show creates a bond, and they’ve been through so much together. They make each other laugh and feel good, and she thinks Gary confused that. She did too. Ileisha says, that’s what happens when you live on top of each other in a yacht. Colin says, he gave it 100%, and they had incredible times and have great memories. He thinks they triggered each other and it turned toxic. Unfortunately for Daisy, he realized first, and was able to move on. He feels bad about it, since it’s never nice to feel rejected. Daisy tells him, calm down, and Colin says, she blocked him, then went on WWHL.

Andy asks if Daisy was in love with Colin, and Days says, she definitely had strong feelings, and was possibly falling in love, but she felt more betrayed that he didn’t tell her that he was with a girl. She thought they were friends, and broke up in friendship. Knowing that others knew for months before her was humiliating. Glenn raises his hand and confesses it was Chase. Andy asks what Glenn’s rection was, and Glenn says, very sad. He thinks Gary could have been less flirty with Daisy, but if he was in Colin’s shoes, he would have expected Daisy to push back harder. He thinks it’s their nature. He’s not condemning them. When he did see her push back, he was like, go Daisy, but it should have been more. He sees why Colin was upset, but he loves them all. Andy wonders where Daisy and Gary will go from here, and Daisy says, if they work together, they work together. They don’t have much of a relationship, but she’s always going to be his friend. He needs her. Andy asks where Gary and Colin are at, and Gary says, they chat now and then. Andy says, they don’t seem great, and Colin says, they’re friends. He doesn’t say anything about Gary that he hasn’t said to his face.

Andy suggests they close this out,. and Colin says, it’s fresh, and there’s a lot of emotion, but he thinks him and Gary will be okay. It’s open with Daisy, but he was taken aback when she was on WWHL. Gary says, Colin hit the nail on the head. He doesn’t see Colin traveling a rocky relationship. Daisy says, they didn’t think they’d be how they were, and Andy says he wants to give Daisy the last word. She apologizes for being emotional, and says she loves them both. This season taught her a lot about herself. She has regrets, but knows she has a good heart and her intentions are good. Onward and upward.

Andy says, Alex is on the new season of Winter House, and Alex says, imagine the Below Deck Sailing crew night out for three straight weeks. It’s pandemonium, just a different version. My emotions are mixed. While I’m happy he hit the descriptive nail on the head, I think, why? He seemed like a decent human. Andy says he’s trying to hook Chase up with Countess LuAnn, but he’s still waiting. I think The Countess will eat Chase alive. Andy asks Glenn for his rose and thorn, and Glenn says, his thorn was the engine being full of salt water. His rose was making it through the season. It was an amazing season and crew, and he’s glad they got to the end and survived. Andy thanks Glenn and the crew for a great season.

🗽 If They Can Make It Here…

I watched some of the new RHONY, and I want to believe it will be better, hipper, and more down to earth, but it’s doubtful. This being the first episode, a lot of it was just set-up, but the pettiness is shining through already. I have difficulty with names, and think everyone should wear a nametag, so an entirely new cast is a pita, but other than being younger, I’m not sure how much they’ll end up differing from the old cast. No doubt, social media will be one factor. Already it starts. One of the women blows off dinner with another, only to go to dinner elsewhere and post about it on Instagram. Pas de classe whatsoever.

‘RHONY’ Reboot Premieres With Cheese-Gate Drama: Season 14, Episode 1 Recap

🪁 Breaking the Dreamhouse Ceiling…

Stop in tomorrow for soap and badmouthing the OC. Until then, stay safe, stay voicing your appreciation for public service workers, and stay never divulging your hummingbird cake recipe.

Jul18

July 17, 2023 – Felicia Breaks Into Jack’s Office, Part One Of the Reunion Sets Sail & Sun

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Felicia meets Lucy, who’s wearing a skintight dress, at Le Brasserie, and says, nice dress. When did she have time to go shopping? Lucy says she packed it, and Felicia asks if she always packs dresses like that for a business trip. She says, her name is Lucy Coe, and she believes in always being prepared. Felicia wonders what Lucy is prepared for wearing that, and Lucy says, Felicia is the one who told her to bring grieving widow type garb, but Felicia says, the widow is done grieving, and maybe out for revenge on Martin.

Brook comes downstairs with Tracy, and they hear a noise in the living room. Brook wonders if someone is in there, and Tracy says, ghosts aren’t usually that loud, so yes. Brook tells her, wait, and grabs a cane from the umbrella stand. They open the doors, and Olivia is there, tossing things around. She says, damn you, Ned.

Gregory meets Chase at Rice Plaza, and says he thought they were having dinner. Why are they meeting here? Chase says, change of plans. How would Gregory like to go to a concert instead? Gregory says, here? He doesn’t think the Plaza is set up for that sort of thing. Ned begins to play his guitar.

Lucy says, revenge? Moi? Felicia says she thinks Lucy wants revenge against Martin for keeping secrets from her, and for not asking her to marry him. Lucy admits if one Jackson Montgomery – this tall, handsome, debonair fellow – wants to lavish attention on her, then yeah. It might make her feel a teeny, tiny bit triumphant. Felicia says she knew it, but Lucy says, more than that, she wants Felicia to prove that her Marty isn’t pulling some kind of scam on her. Then maybe she could actually, once and for all, live happily ever after, even if she doesn’t get to walk down the aisle. So thusly, this dress is her tool to give Felicia time to search his office. She thinks this dress could keep him occupied. Felicia says, if it doesn’t, it’s not for lack of trying, when Jack walks in. Lucy tells Felicia, show time.

Nina meets Ava at Beradino’s and apologizes for being late. Ava wouldn’t believe the day she’s had. She almost canceled. Ava pushes a martini across toward Nina, and says, she definitely needs that. Nina takes a sip, and Ava says she heard about Curtis getting shot. If Nina feels she needs to be at the hospital, Ava doesn’t mind. Nina says, Curtis is out of surgery, but he’s still unconscious. There’s nothing any of them can do but wait, and on top of all that, a major advertiser pulled out of this ad campaign and now Sasha’s in this weird legal trouble, so please tell her that Ava wanted a drink because she has good news to share. Ava says, no can do, and Nina asks, what happened? Ava says she had sex with Austin.

Anna tells Dante and Sonny, offering herself up as bait is the best way for them to find out who shot Curtis, and Dante says, except for the part where she puts herself in danger. She says, it’s not exactly new territory for her, but Sonny says, except whoever shot Curtis used a rifle stolen from the WSB arsenal. Anna says, something’s off about that. It doesn’t make sense that the Bureau would want her dead. Sonny asks if it’s possible someone within the organization went rogue, and she says, maybe. They’re going to have to set a good trap for them. Dante asks if she’s really going to do this, and she says she’s not going to live under a constant threat. He says he gets that, but there are other ways of handling this. This is a little dangerous, a little reckless. Sonny says he likes it.

Nina says, Ava had sex with Austin, and Ava says, surprise. Nina says, now she’s definitely glad she came tonight. She knows Ava went to the Nurses Ball with him, but she hasn’t talked about him since. Nina just figured nothing came of it. Ava says, quite the opposite actually; things have definitely escalated. Nina says, obviously. How long has this been going on? Ava says, they only just slept together for the first time, and Nina says she’s a little confused here. Ava is acting like sleeping with a hot doctor is a problem. Isn’t it a good thing? Austin comes over to the table, and says, there she is. He’s been looking all over for Ava. He kisses her cheek, says hi to Nina, and sits down. He says he missed Ava.

Gregory says, isn’t that Brook’s dad who hit his head and thinks he’s a rock star? and Chase says, he goes by Eddie Maine now. Brook’s Uncle Sonny has been keeping a close eye on him, but she’s on edge because of Curtis getting shot at the MetroCourt last night. He said he’d help watch him, and report anything alarming back to the doctors. Gregory asks if the PCPD is okay with this, but Chase says, strictly off-duty hours. Gregory says, giving up his free time is a big commitment, but Chase says he doesn’t mind. It’s for Brook. Gregory says, she means a lot to Chase, and Chase says, she means everything to him. So he hopes Gregory doesn’t mind hanging out here, instead of going to dinner. (Geez, did he at least pack Gregory a sandwich?) Gregory says, not at all. He’s proud of Chase for helping Brook out. He’s sure it’s a big relief to her; she seemed so tense last night. Chase says, that was all her grandmother Tracy’s doing, and Gregory asks, what’s that harpy done now?

Tracy says, Olivia, as Olivia tosses a box aside. Olivia says, they scared her, and Tracy asks what she’s doing throwing things around. Brook says, and yelling about dad, and Olivia says she’s looking for the supplies they need to set up the games for the General Hospital Fund Raiser Picnic, and she can’t find them, and Ned isn’t here to ask, and – she starts to cry – she can’t do this by herself. Brook says, it’s okay. They’ll help with the picnic. Olivia says, it’s not about the picnic. It’s a whole damn thing. It’s a whole life. Their entire life just stopped. Ned is supposed to be here beside her. She needs her husband. She misses him. Brook says she misses him too, when Cody comes in carrying Leo, and says, Mama Q, we have a situation here. They see Leo’s knee is bleeding.

Jack says Lucy looks absolutely ravishing in that dress, and Lucy thanks him, adding she didn’t even remember she had this old thing. Felicia says, hello, and Jack says, nice to see her again. She says, nice to see him too, calling him Mr. Montgomery, but he tells her that his friends call him Jack. Would she like to join them? Lucy says, no. Felicia was just keeping her company while she was waiting. Now she has all the company she needs. Felicia says she does have other plans, and Jack tells her to enjoy. She leaves, and Jack and Lucy sit down.

Dante says, Sonny’s not helping, but Anna says, they have to get out ahead of this. She doesn’t need anyone’s approval or permission to handle it how she sees fit. Dante tells her that he’s not saying she does, but does she want to make herself vulnerable to a rogue WSB agent? Sonny says, Dante’s right to be concerned. It is dangerous and reckless, but he thinks it’s the only way to nail this bastard. Dante says, it’s a crazy plan; it’s dangerous. Sonny says, Anna was a WSB agent for years. He trusts she knows what she’s doing. Dante says he’s not doubting her abilities… and Anna says she gets his concern, but this is her choice. Dante says, it’s just that when someone is trying to assassinate you, you don’t run to the bullets, you run away from the bullets. She says she’s done that. She was in a safe house, but it didn’t end up being very safe. She was shot there, and she’s done running. Sonny says, this plan gives Anna the advantage. She lets the enemy come to her on her terms, whenever she’s ready. Anna says, instead of just laying there waiting for someone to strike, you smoke them out. She’s run ops like this before. Dante says he’s sure she’s run many successful operations, but that was when she was with the WSB, when she had the resources. That’s not the case anymore. It’s all different now.

Chase asks if that’s not a little harsh, and Gregory says, after what that woman has done, he thinks harpy is very generous. Chase says, Gregory wasn’t this hostile toward her at dinner, and Gregory says, maybe because she attempted to be pleasant last night, as opposed to some of their recent interactions. She was almost civil. Does Chase think she was just pretending? Chase says he’s not sure. The only thing he knows is that Tracy Quartermaine does very few things that don’t serve her own agenda. Gregory says he agrees, but why is Chase saying that? Has she done something to him? Chase says, actually, she did something for him. Brook asked for her help after the CCRB first met and took away his badge, and Tracy used her connections to get him a second meeting. Gregory asks if Chase thinks she had an ulterior motive, when a street musician approaches and says, Chase is that singing detective, right? Chase says he is, and the guy says, arrest that man, pointing at Ned.

Olivia says, my God, what happened? as Cody puts Leo on the sofa. Cody says, he noticed that Comet wasn’t in the stable, so he went looking for him, and found Leo riding. He was going pretty fast, took a sharp turn, and he lost his balance. Olivia asks if Leo is all right, and Leo says he is, but it does hurt. Cody says he checked Leo out. There are obvious cuts and bruises, but nothing too serious. Olivia says, he could have been killed, and Tracy says, that horse is dangerous. Somebody ought to give a call to the good people at Elmer’s. Leo says, it’s not Comet’s fault, and Tracy says, he’s right, but he knows he’s not supposed to do that. Leo says, she can’t tell him what to do. She’s not his dad.

Jack asks if they should get all the standard boring questions out of the way, and Lucy says she has the feeling he’s never boring, but yes. Let’s go. He orders some wine, and she says, that’s a rare bottle, but he says he thinks she’s probably a rarer one. He handled the owner’s divorce a few years ago, and he felt so grateful, he kept some of the special stuff in stock just for him. She says she thought he was just a probate lawyer, but he says he actually considers himself a generalist, specializing in many things. She says, do tell. Sorry. Where were they? He says, they were at the point where he was asking as much as he could to find out about her. So where is she from? What does she do? She says, home is Port Charles, and she runs a very, very successful cosmetics company. He says she would still be beautiful without a stitch of makeup on. He’s spent some time in Port Charles, and still has a few friends there. She doesn’t happen to know Anna Devane, does she? Lucy says, she knows of her. She’s a big supporter of the Nurses Ball there. He says, Lucy’s maiden name wouldn’t happen to be Coe, would it? and she says, such a very specific guess, but he says, it’s a very educated guess. He knows exactly who she is and what she’s doing here.

Lucy says she doesn’t know what he means or what he’s even saying, but now she’s at a disadvantage. She doesn’t even know what his hobbies may be. How does he unwind? He says he likes to keep up to date on the business world. For instance, she says she’s from Port Charles and runs a very successful cosmetics business. That must be Deception, right? And that would make her the infamous Lucy Coe. She says, he’s quite the detective, but he says he just happens to know a little bit about that world. Her company has been doing very well lately. She says, thank you. That’s very true. She takes it he’s not one of those men who get easily intimidated by a very successful woman, right? He says, not so intimidated anymore, but he will give her a warning. He doesn’t like being used. She asks what that means, and he says he knows exactly why she’s here. His ex-wife Erica Kane ran Enchantment Cosmetics. She says, he was married to Erica Kane? and he tells her, don’t do that. That would explain why she’s here and not grieving her late husband. She should know, he and Erica were divorced years ago, and she divested herself from Enchantment a long, long time ago. She takes his hand and says, he couldn’t be more wrong about why she’s here. The reason she’s here has absolutely nothing to do with the cosmetic business.

Felicia sneaks into Jack’s office.

Chase asks why the guy wants Ned arrested, and the guy asks Ned, what’s up, Pete Townshend? Ned says his name’s Eddie Maine. Who the hell is he? The guy says he’s the musician who’s going to have Ned thrown in jail, and Chase says, everybody calm down. What’s going on? The guy says, his name’s Seth… Kruger? He’s here every day. Everyone in the busker’s circle knows this is his spot. You can’t just steal it, so go ahead; arrest him. Chase says, actually, he’s off-duty, and Seth asks if he loses his ability to protect the public when he’s off the clock. Chase says, no, but this is a public place. It’s not illegal for him to be standing in this space… unless Seth has a permit. Seth says, permits aren’t very rock and roll, and Ned says, preach! He’s sorry if he stole Ned’s territory. He’s new here, and just doing his thing. He wants to be heard and this is a great spot. Maybe they could share it. Play a couple of tunes together. Seth says, no way. He plays grunge. He doesn’t need his sounds ruined by Ned’s old man sound. Ned laughs and says, that’s good. Wait a minute. Isn’t grunge like, thirty years old? Seth says, 90s nostalgia is huge right now. Ned says he guesses there’s only one way to settle this; they’ll have to play for it.

Olivia thanks Cody for helping Leo, and Brook asks if Olivia wants her to take Leo to the doctor, but Olivia says, no. Nothing’s broken. All he needs is a little TLC from his mom. She tells Leo that she’ll get him all fixed up and feeling better, and leads him out. Brook thanks Cody for helping Leo. Who knows how much worse it could have been if he was by himself? Tracy says, that’s what they pay him for. Why didn’t Cody stop him? Brook says, it’s not Cody’s job to stick around Leo all the time. Besides, they both know what’s going on here. Leo is acting out because he misses dad. Tracy says, obviously. Her son is a fool, out God knows where, calling himself Eddie Maine, pretending to be a rock star while his whole family suffers. Brook says, actually, they do know where. Chase found him busking in Rice Plaza. Tracy says, busking? We’re Quartermaines; we don’t busk. Brook says, Eddie Maine does, and Cody says he’s sorry they’re going through this. Is there anything he can do to help? Tracy says, no, because as usual, there’s only one person who can put things to right – me. She walks out.

Austin asks what Ava and Nina are talking about, and Nina says, they were talking about him. Ava’s been holding out on her. He says, you know our girl. She knows when to keep her mouth shut. Ava says, yes, of course (🍷). She was waiting to tell Nina because she wanted to be sure this thing between them was real. He says, feels real to him. He thinks he and Ava have the potential for something really special. She flashes back to getting busy with Austin, and Nina says she’s going to the ladies room, but when she gets back, she wants to hear how all of this happened.

Anna tells Dante that she’s been an agent for most of her life. Her skills didn’t just evaporate because she was told she had to resign from the Bureau. He tells her that he didn’t say they did, and she says she may not have access to their assets anymore, but she doesn’t need them. Don’t forget, she worked outside of the WSB. She feels capable of bringing in whoever it is who’s after her without them. Dante says, so there’s no talking her out of this? and she says, no. Sonny says, so that’s the plan. He has to meet Nina, but his offer still stands. If she needs anything, let him know. She says she’ll keep him posted, and he says, for whatever it’s worth (🍷), his money is on Anna. He leaves, and Dante says, just so she knows, his money’s on her too. She asks why he’s fighting her so hard, and he says, because he cares about her and doesn’t want to see her hurt. She says, someone almost killed Curtis, and she feels responsible for that. And this is her life and she’s going to handle it her way. He says, okay. So if she insists on doing this, they’ll do it together.

Anna says, no one tells her how to run her operations, and Dante says, but she’s not with the WSB anymore, and she’s not a cop. But he is, and he’s done special ops too. He knows what she’s proposing isn’t a single-person operation. She needs two. Let him be her back-up. She says, the PCPD would never agree to that, and he says, the PCPD doesn’t know about it. She says she’s not going to put his job in jeopardy, but he says, it’s his life, his choice. He’s known her a long time. He’s been by her side with the WSB and the PCPD. Trust him to do it again.

Seth says he’s giving Ned one last chance to back off before he humiliates himself. Ned says, bold words from someone his age. He’s been playing rock and roll since Seth was in diapers. Seth says, he really wants to do this? Here’s how it’s going to go. They trade off songs. Then, the audience decides who gets to stay. Gregory asks Chase, what audience? and Ned says he’ll let Seth go first, since this will be the last time he actually plays on this spot. Seth starts to play, and Tracy strides across the plaza, saying, Edward Lawrence Quartermaine. Ned says his name is… She says she knows what his name is. She gave it to him after 24 hours of labor. Seth says, excuse me, lady, we’re in the middle of something… and Tracy says, please. Go embarrass his parents someplace else. She tells Ned, this has gone on long enough. She’s putting a stop to it right now.

Felicia looks at the safe and says, Lucy isn’t the only one who come prepared. She listens with a stethoscope, holding the flashlight in her mouth, and messes with the combination lock.

Jack pours the wine, and Lucy says she does love a man with a good… pour, and he says he has a fine, steady hand. Does she like a man who likes to pair his Margaux with oysters on the half shell? She says, oysters. Now he’s talking. His phone dings and he looks at it. He says, you’ve got to be kidding, and tells Lucy that he’s sorry, but he has to cut their evening short. He’s got a kind of issue he has to handle at the office. He’s so sorry to end their evening like this. She plays footsie with him, and says, it really would be such a shame to end this evening. This wine is absolutely delicious. It would be a shame to waste a beautiful night. She thinks his client will understand, and feels like something a little sweet would definitely be worth his while.

Ava asks what Austin is doing here. Please tell her that he’s not following her. He says he went to Windymere to look for her, and her very friendly housekeeper told him where he could find her. Ava says, she’s definitely fired, and he says, in her defense, she thought it was an emergency because he told her it was an emergency. So he heard from Mason. She says she’s not interested in anything that weasel has to say, and he says, Mason is very pleased at how they set up Avery’s nanny. She says, how Austin set her up, and Austin says, he’s not concerned with the details. He just wants somebody to work as a mole inside Sonny’s house. He wants this woman. He sends Ava something, her phone signals, and she looks at it. She asks if he knows this Betty Rutherford, and he says, no, but she’s the woman that Mason wants to spy on Sonny. Ava says she can’t do it. She told him, going against Sonny is risky enough. She draws a hard line at letting a stranger she knows nothing about into her daughter’s life. She can’t. Austin says, Mason thought she might respond this way, so Mason told him what to say if she did respond this way. He said to tell her that Ryan’s Bar is a wonderful place. He doesn’t know what that means, but Mason said she would. She says she does. He’s threatening her mother.

Ava tells Austin, Ryan’s Bar is where her mother Delia works. She has no idea how Mason could have found her. She gave Ava up for adoption. There aren’t even any public records tying them together. He says he’s sorry. It’s a real low blow. Mason and everyone he deals with play dirty. That’s why they don’t have a choice. They have to do what they say. She says she can’t stand this, and he says, it’s no picnic for him either. But they play along, and hopefully, it will be over soon. He’ll call as soon as she gives him the word. Sonny walks in, and Ava asks what he’s doing here. Sonny says, Nina asked him to meet her here, and Austin gets up, asking if Sonny wants to join them. Sonny doesn’t say anything, and Austin says, okay, sitting back down. Ava says she’s glad Sonny’s here because they really should talk about Pilar. He says, Pilar’s been with his family for years, and he had her take some time off. That way, when she comes back from vacation, she’ll be more focused. Ava says she thinks it’s going to take a lot more than a vacation to restore her faith in Pilar. Pilar obviously needs help. Especially now since she’s going back and forth between his place and Carly’s place. That’s why she’s decided she’s going to be hiring her own nanny to take care of Avery. He says, that’s not going to work for him.

Cody asks Olivia how Leo is doing, and she says, she bandaged his leg and got him set up with his books and cookies… Then he asked her when his dad was coming home. She didn’t know what to tell him. She can patch up his little body, but how is she supposed to fix his broken heart? Cody says, she’s helping more than she knows. She’s a good mom. She says she just wants this whole nightmare to be over. She wants her husband back home where he belongs.

Ned tells Tracy that he’s going to say this for the last time. He’s not her son and she’s not his mother. She tells him, Eddie Maine is not real. He doesn’t exist. It’s a fake name to go with a fake life. He is Ned Quartermaine, former mayor of Port Charles, CEO, loving son, husband, father. That’s real. He says he’s sorry if he’s hurting so many people, but even if what she’s saying is true, he doesn’t remember any of it. She says, then fake it. He says, what? and she says, he’s living a pretend life. She knows he can do it. So why doesn’t he just act like he cares about the people who care about him, and are heartbroken that he deserted them? He says, she’s asking him to be someone he’s not? and she says, he’s her son. Her annoying, stubborn, smart, beautiful boy. And if he doesn’t remember that, she can get him the help that he needs. Until then, allow her to fill in the gaps. He has a wife who loves him. He has a daughter who needs him. And he has a little boy who got hurt today because he was acting out because he misses Ned so much. He has a wonderful life… Look at her. He has a wonderful life. Just come back to it. Please come back to it. He says he’s sorry. He can’t. He picks up his guitar and walks off. Chase follows him.

Felicia gets the safe open, and finds some folders inside. She takes out the one that says Maquillage, and looks inside.

Jack says he thinks he can stay a little longer, and Lucy says she thinks that’s a good idea. And she really does feel like something very sweet. How about a souffle? He says, she knows how long those take to make, and she tells him, you don’t say. He says, she’s bad, and she looks at the menu and frowns. He asks, what’s wrong? and she says, nothing. She just finds it so fascinating. They have hummingbird cake on the menu, which is actually extremely rare. He says he never noticed it. He’s not very fond of it. She says, he doesn’t like hummingbird cake? Is he kidding? It’s so sweet, and it’s reliable and dependable… most of the time. He says he didn’t know she was so passionate about it. He’s sorry. She says she’s not. It’s just that her Aunt Charlene loves hummingbird cake. In fact, she has her favorite secret recipe that she loves. He says he’s sure he’d love her Aunt Charlene’s cake, and she says, it’s amazing. It has toasted almonds, and she takes nutmeg, which kind of enhances the cinnamon, and this Tahitian vanilla. She doesn’t know what it does, but it brings out the tropical flavors. Then the best part – her favorite part – is when she puts in… He says, bourbon, and she asks how he knew.

Anna says she appreciates Dante’s offer of help, and he tells her, then say yes, but she says, no. He keeps pointing out how dangerous this is. He says, so the best chance she has of staying safe is for them to work together, but she says, he has a family. This isn’t just about physical safety. She saw how hard it was for him to overcome PTSD. He struggled with that for a long time, and she’d never forgive herself if she felt responsible for him going through anything like that again. He says he appreciates that, but he’s a grown man and takes responsibility for all his choices. He went through hell and back with everything and the PTSD. There were some days when he didn’t think he was going to make it, but he did. And everything he went through then and since then, showed him how strong he is and what he’s capable of. He’d be betraying the man he’s become if he let her put herself in harm’s way and he didn’t help her.

Sonny says, Ava doesn’t trust Pilar at the moment. He’s not thrilled with her right now for losing Avery. He can’t stop Ava from hiring who she wants to hire to look after Avery, but whoever she hires, he needs to approve who’s in his daughter’s life. Nina comes back and asks if everything is okay, and Sonny says, that’s up to Ava. Ava says, of course (🍷) everything is okay. She’ll contact Sonny before she interviews candidates. He says he’ll be expecting her call, and tells Nina, let’s go. Nina makes a call me sign and leaves with Sonny.

Outside, Sonny asks what Nina knows about Austin, and she says she knows he’s a doctor. She also knows he helped save Maxie and Bailey Lou, and wasn’t he the one who found Avery? Sonny says, yeah, he did, and Nina says, now he and Ava are dating. She always thought he was a good guy. Sonny asks when this relationship started, and she says, we went to the Nurses Ball together… Why? He says, if Austin is going to be around his daughter, he’s going to have to get to know him a little bit.

Anna says, it would be great having someone with Dante’s experience having her back, but she has too many reservations about him risking his life for her. He says, she can have as many reservations as she wants, just accept. He wants to do this, but either she goes along with them working together, or he goes to Robert and Mac, and tells them what she’s up to. She asks if he’s blackmailing her, and he says he totally is. But he’s also protecting her. They wouldn’t want her to do this on her own either. She says, that’s a nice move, and he says he likes his chess. So what does she say? Partners? She says, partners.

Olivia says she’s done with the pity party, and invites Cody to stay for dinner. He suggests he just order some pizza to give Olivia a break, and Brook says, but it’s not Thanksgiving. Olivia says, cooking soothes her, and walks into the foyer where Chase is coming in with Ned.

Seth starts to play, Tracy glares at him, and he moves on. Gregory clears his throat, and she says, show’s over; nothing to see here. And if he gloats about Ned… He says he wouldn’t dream of it. He knows all too well how easy it is for children to push their buttons. It doesn’t matter. They’d still do anything for them. She asks what he wants, and he says, a few words with her about how she meddled in Chase’s life.

Felicia reads the file, and hears something. A security guard says, freeze. Put her hands where he can see them. He holds a gun on Felicia, as Lucy and Jack stand behind him.

Tomorrow, Olivia says, if that’s the case, Ned can turn around and leave right now; Sam says it’s time to fill Dante in on what she’s been doing; Lucy knows exactly who they’re going to call; and Chase says he’s not doing that anymore.

Below Deck Sailing Yacht – The Reunion – Part 1

We find out the Parsifal is still up and running after a lot of work was done. Daisy is in Spain, as is Gary. Colin is in French Polynesia, and Mads is in Florida. She’s nervous, but wants to get through it. Lucy is in Wales and Alex is also in Florida, but not the same city as Mads. Chase is with dachshund Charlie in Miami. He says, Charlie is ready for the tea. Ileisha is in Australia where it’s nearly 3:30 am. We flash back to the crew having too much fun, including Lucy’s spectacular fall from her bunk. A viewer asks if Chase had the worst game of all time, and Mads says, Southern girls probably love him. Andy asks what Daisy’s sister’s take on the group was, but we never hear the answer, and he asks Alex which sister is the better kisser, but Alex isn’t going there. We see Chrissy Teigen’s posts, and Andy asks about celebrities sliding into the crew’s DMs. Daisy says, Christina Applegate is a huge fan. We flash back to Glenn picking on Daisy, and Daisy going out of her mind with busyness, and going to the bathroom to cry. Daisy says she needs either reinforcement or no comment. Negative feedback wasn’t productive. Andy asks how she recommends feedback being given, and Daisy says, starting with something positive, but she felt the feedback was personal and irrelevant. If they don’t want her to sleep, it’s fine.

Andy reminds us he’s the king of late-night fun. He asks if Glenn thinks he set unrealistic expectations for Daisy, and Glenn says his point was he didn’t want her working harder, but thought there was a way to make sure someone was always there. It didn’t mean he wasn’t happy overall, and he loves working with her. Andy asks how she didn’t hear Gary radioing her about the guest’s injury., and Daisy says, she thinks she turned down her radio during docking. Glenn says, communications are always difficult, but the guests should have been checked on periodically. Someone should have gone to Daisy if she didn’t hear the radio. Daisy says, Glenn is aware of what she does, but not what Gary doesn’t do. Glenn says, watching it back, there was a miscommunication, and he thinks they were both right. Daisy needs the stews on board, but the guests also need full service on the beach. Daisy wonders if there’s a rule book, and Gary says at the end of the day, it’s her department. Glenn thinks they’re going in the wrong direction. Andy says, Daisy was rankled when Colin sided with Glenn, and wonders if it played back as harshly as it felt at the time. She says, it was obvious she was affected, and she didn’t understand what it had to do with Colin. Andy asks if she overreacted, and Colin says he thought she took it too personally. Daisy says, to everyone else it might have just been a comment, but she was tired, exhausted, and feeling a lot of pressure at the time. Andy asks if Lucy is glad she stayed, and she said she never really wanted to quit, but everyone has bad days. A viewer asks why it was okay for Gary to go for a smoke when Daisy had asked for help during service, and Gary admits it was selfish. Andy asks if there’s anything Gary would change about his professional behavior, but Gary says he thought it was a good season. Daisy says she’s learned to accept it’s never going to change. Maybe she’s asking too much of the deck crew. Gary says, finally, she’s taking accountability.

Gary says he never watches the seasons back, and Andy wonders if he might change for the better or grow by watching his behavior and seeing how other people view him. Daisy says they have a unique opportunity to see themselves, reflect and grow, but Gary doesn’t take it. Gary says he’s just there for the drama, and Alex says, everything is perspective. The show is about nine people working together and seeing things in different ways. Perspective is the best way to grow; the most effective. Andy says, the Most Trouble award goes to Parsifal III’s engine, and we flash back to that. Andy says, a lot of fans were tweeting their admiration and awe about Colin saving the day. Colin says he thought it was game over after the first time. They couldn’t get parts, and the engine was full of salt water. It was a struggle, but they got there in the end. A viewer asks if the boat gets routine checks, and Glenn says, the boat recently crossed the Atlantic, and had just been serviced and tested. Colin says, luckily he’d been checking on it, so they had advance notice of a problem. Andy asks if Colin freaked out when the engine started smoking again, and Colin says, that time was a freak accident, and it took a long time to troubleshoot, but they had huge strokes of luck. It could have been season ending. Andy asks why Colin was annoyed when Gary barged into the engine room, and Colin says, that’s his department. He was monitoring the issue, and Gary came down in a panic, pushing a cameraman out of the way. He was being too frantic in Colin’s space. He doesn’t need anyone panicking. Gary insists he wasn’t panicking, even though we just flashed back to him panicking, and asks if Colin was just going to watch the boat burn. Colin says, there wasn’t a fire.

Andy says, Ileisha started with self-doubt and criticism from Glenn early on, but proved herself small but mighty. We flash back to some Ileisha moments, and Andy says, she’s the most even keeled yacht chef of all time, or at least in Below Deck history. Ileisha says she wasn’t okay on the inside, and doesn’t know how she seemed so relaxed. Maybe it was like how you can stay calm when you’re in emergency mode. Andy asks what her biggest challenge was, and she says, burning her thumb. Everything was tough after that. Andy says, Ileisha had timing issues in the beginning, and asks if she takes responsibility, or if she thinks it lies lay with the stews. Ileisha says, they were different situations. She wasn’t quick enough, not understanding how it worked when cameras were involved. Andy asks how much Chase was freaking out when he was eating the cake and then the guests wanted more, and did Daisy regret sharing it. Daisy says, it had been while since the guests were done, but it was her fault. Ileisha says, it was a joint f*** up. Andy asks if Ileisha is still with her boyfriend, but she says she’s single and ready to mingle. Andy asks if there’s hope for her and Chase, and we find out they got together after filming. She’d ended things with her boyfriend, and she and Chase were there for each other. He came to Australia, and she’s been to America, specifically Charleston. Alex looks like his mind is officially blown, and Chase says, they live on opposite sides of the world. Andy says, Gary arrived late, and the deck team never seemed to click, and we flash back to that. Andy says, it seemed like Gary came on board guns blazing. He asks what about Chase rubbed Gary the wrong way, but Gary says he doesn’t know.

Gary says he hasn’t met a deckhand before with such a strong personality. Chase is blunt, but good at his job. He thinks it was just a personality conflict, but that was in the beginning, and they ended on a high. It’s not how you start, but how you end, and he thinks it ended well. Chase says, some of his best friends hated him when they met. He’s an acquired taste, and so is Gary. Andy asks what Chase did that specifically made him cringe, and Chase says he cringed all the way through. Andy says he seemed hypnotized by large breasts, like that can’t be said for all the deckhands, and asks if Colin thinks Gary has a problem with management skills. I interpret this as Andy’s way of throwing Colin under the bus, and Colin says, Gary was bitching to him about Chase instead of telling Chase. Andy asks for Glenn’s overall take on the deck team, and Glenn says he was impressed. They weren’t perfect, but no team is. He thought it was a great season and he’s proud of them. Andy asks Gary what the biggest difference was between Chase and Alex’s work ethic, and Gary says, Chase gave 150% every minute he was awake. Alex was just happy to be there, and coming with the ride. Chase picked up the slack. Alex says, Chase has an incredible work ethic, but it was a lot of work for a two-man deck team. They have different styles. Chase is in your face, and he probably learned more from Chase than anybody. Alex says he works best when he has clear direction and constructive criticism, and he had neither. He was left to pick up the pieces, hoping it was what was expected. At every team meeting, Gary said it went well. He does an imitation of Gary that’s spot-on and they laugh. Andy asks why Gary lied to Alex about Chase being upset with the cleanliness of the boat, and Gary says he apologizes for that. Chase says, Gary does care that the season is a success, but it wasn’t collaborative. They should have talked as a group instead of playing one-on-one telephone.

Andy asks if Mads thinks Gary romantic entanglements affect his professionalism, and Mads says, you’re giving energy to something besides work. Don’t screw the crew. Andy asks Glenn what he loves about Gary as a chief officer, and Glenn says, his attitude and knowledge. He knows boats and sailing, and he’s a good leader with good qualities. He thinks it would benefit Gary to watch the season. He thinks Gary is the kind of guy who would learn from his mistakes and come back stronger. Andy says, Gary has had his fair share of love triangles, but may have met his match. Mads drove him mad, especially when she cozied up to Alex. We flash back to all that, and a viewer asks how Gary could say Mads led him on when she was clear about just having fun. Gary says, every night she tried to have sex with him, and that’s what puzzled him. He was definitely into her. Andy says, it’s interesting how confused he was about her intentions when the producers played the montage. It felt like Mads was the female Gary. Lucy says, Mads is very direct. She said from the start she was just having fun.

Next time – Part Two – who’s hooking up with who; Daisy, Gary, and Colin square off; and all the drama after the season.

🦹🏽‍♀️ Winding Up the Masquerade…

Join me tomorrow for soap and more Deck. Until then, stay safe, stay not crying over spilled milk (unless it’s chocolate), and stay always being prepared.

Jul15

July 14, 2023 – Anna Has a Plan, Busy Lady, No Guard Here, Yet Another, Spilling It, VanderLatest, Daryl’s Date, Dead Rank, Already, Next Last, Record Setter, Pet (!) Fashion, Just Enough Quotes & Wild

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Anna comes downstairs, hears something, and draws her gun. She opens the door to Dante telling a guy in a hoodie not to move.

Alexis tells Sonny, the details aren’t hers to give him, but their daughter is considering doing something Alexis believes she’s completely unprepared to do. He says, and she wants him to be the bad guy.

Arriving back home, Sasha tells Gladys that she’s not sure what happened. She was so sure she could take those clothes. How could she have misunderstood Deception’s agreement with Logan’s? Gladys says, it’s all over now. The PCPD let her go, Maxie took care of everything with Logan’s, they dropped the charges, and no one’s mad at Sasha. She looks tired. Has she taken her afternoon meds? Sasha says she is tired. She’s going to splash some water on her face and take her pills. She leaves, and Gladys’s phone rings. She says she’s glad they called. She’s so sorry she rushed out of the store like that… She definitely wants the coat and the belt… You know what? She’ll take it all. Leave the card on file. Can they send it over today? There’s knock at the door, and she opens it to Cody. She says, he’s the last thing they need right now, and slams it shut.

Sam says, he scared the hell out of her, and Mac says, for the last time, he’s sorry. She says, fine. Now will he tell her why he basically abducted her and took five years off her life? He says, not until she tells him why she was following Cody, but she says she wasn’t. Actually, she was following Selina Wu, but why does he think she was following Cody? Is he in trouble? Mac says, yes. He thinks Cody’s in trouble, and from the way things look, he doesn’t think he can get Cody out of it.

Portia asks if Curtis made it through surgery, and TJ says, he did. She asks if Dr. Barnsdall (settling on this name) was able to remove the bullet, and the doctor says, they were, but the bullet left significant damage.

Anna asks, what’s going on? and Dante says he saw this guy hanging around her house. He identified himself and the guy ran. He was also carrying, so he took the guy down. He helps the guy stand, and pulls back his hood. Dante asks if Anna recognizes him, but she says she’s never seen him before. Dante says, Ricky Vasquez, and Anna asks if Dante knows him. Dante says, he works for Sonny. What is he doing here? Ricky says, taking a walk; enjoying the pretty houses. Is it a crime to take an afternoon stroll now? Dante tells him, it’s going to go one of three ways. Ricky tells him what he’s doing here, or he takes Ricky down to the station and then Ricky tells him, or he asks Sonny about it. Anna says, it’s okay. She knows why he’s here.

Stella asks if Curtis has woken up yet, but TJ says, not yet. Portia asks if they can see him, and Dr. Barnsdall says, Mr. Ashford is being moved to ICU. Once he’s settled, he can have one visitor at a time. She thanks him, he says he’ll keep them posted, and leaves. Marshall asks, what’s the best way to do this? Should they wait here or what? Portia says, there’s a waiting room outside the ICU. Maybe they can all wait there. TJ tells them to go ahead; he’ll catch up.

Sonny says, Alexis wants him to say no. That way, he’s the bad parent and Kristina’s mad at him, not Alexis. She says, Kristina never gets mad at him, just at her, and he says, maybe they should consider why that’s true. Alexis says, because Kristina thinks everything he says is awesome, and whatever she says is critical and judgmental. He says he thought things were fine between them, and Alexis says, they are. That’s why she doesn’t want to screw it up. Kristina values his opinion. He says, maybe because he doesn’t criticize or judge her, and she says, maybe because he tells Kristina what she wants to hear, and she tells Kristina what she needs to hear. She’s already weighed in on this, so he can weigh out. He says, so Alexis wants him to tell her it’s a bad idea, whatever it is, but Alexis says she’s not telling him what to say. He asks if she’s going to have cue cards for him, or feed the lines through earbuds. She says, maybe he won’t even agree with her, and he says, but she thinks he will, and she says, any normal or rational person would. Kristina is going to do something because she thinks it’s a good thing to do, but Alexis knows she’s not thinking about how this is going to affect the rest of her life. He says, this sounds serious, so she needs to tell him what kind of trouble Kristina’s in for.

Nina tells Kristina that she’s calling Sonny. She promised to update him as soon as they heard something. She steps away, and Kristina sees Molly and TJ hugging. She goes over to them, and says, what a relief. She was so worried. TJ says, his uncle is still in critical condition, so it’s a little early to start celebrating, doesn’t she think? Kristina says, he made out of surgery, so she’s being positive, and he asks if she understand his uncle could have died. And he can still… TJ storms off, and Kristina turns to Molly, but Molly says, not now, and follows him.

Back on the phone, Gladys says she wasn’t talking to them. She had some idiot knocking at her door. Cody knocks again, and she says, so they’ll send it over, right?… Thank you so much. She opens the door and asks if Cody can’t take a hint, but he says, no, sorry, and walks in. She says, it’s not a good time, and he says, good thing he’s not here to see her. Sasha comes out, and he says he got her message. He’s sorry he couldn’t answer the phone. She was at the police station? Gladys says, she called Cody? and Sasha says, Chase couldn’t reach Gladys, so she used her one phone call to call Cody. Gladys says, why? Don’t answer that. It doesn’t matter. Sasha says she’s glad Gladys sees it that way, and Gladys says, what does matter is that Cowboy Cody couldn’t bother to show up. He couldn’t even take time to answer Sasha’s call. What was more important than helping Sasha out in her time of need?

Sam asks if the PCPD is running surveillance on The Savoy, and Mac asks, what’s her interest in Selina Wu? She says she thinks Selina may have roped Cody into something shady, and he says, like what? She says, he’s a really good card player… and Mac says, she can relax. He knows all about Selina Wu’s illegal poker game.

Anna tells Dante that she gets it. He had a conceal/carry permit. He wasn’t really doing anything wrong. She knows why he was here. She knows why he was armed. Dante says, Sonny sent him here. Speaking of guns, is she always toting that thing around, or is it because of the shooting at the MetroCourt pool? She says, many reasons, and asks if he’s heard anything about Curtis. He says, Curtis is in surgery, and she says, if he hears anything, let her know. He says, of course (🍷), and she asks if she can run something by him. He says, officially? but she says, not yet. They sit on the sofa, and she says she has reason to believe she was the sniper’s target, not Sonny. He says, that would explain why she went up to the room the sniper was set up in, and she says, he knew about that? He says, of course (🍷). And officially, he has to tell her that she’s not law enforcement anymore, so she can’t do that. He’s the one to mess with this. She says, got it, and he says, now that they’ve gotten that out of the way, the reason he’s here is he wanted her impressions of the crime scene. She says, the pool area? but he says, the room the sniper was in. Think they missed anything? She says, there was nothing to notice. It was clean as a whistle. Other than what they found, the discarded rifle, the ammo… He says, it was clearly a professional, and she says, definitely. She heard the rifle was a ghost gun, so it was assembled at home, not mass manufactured. That means it’s untraceable? He says, it does, and she says, so the weapon’s a dead end, but he says, maybe not so much of a dead end as she thinks. Because he was able to trace where the weapon came from.

Alexis tells Sonny that she’s said all she can say. Now his job is to get Kristina to open up of her own accord. He says, just tell him if Kristina’s in any kind of danger, but she says, it’s nothing like that. If that was the case, she’d tell him. His phone rings, and he says, hold on. It could be about Curtis. He says, hi, and Nina says, hi. He’s out of surgery, but there were complications. He says, like what? and she says, that’s just it. The doctors don’t know just how extensive the damage was. They’re bringing Curtis to the ICU right now. He asks if she thinks Curtis could be paralyzed, but she says, the doctors didn’t say anything like that. She hopes not. She’s so worried about him. Sonny says, they all are. Is Curtis holding his own? She says, he is, and Sonny says, focus on that; that’s all that matters. She thanks him, and says, he always gives her great advice and knows how to make her feel better. He asks if she’s headed home, but she says, not yet. Maxie left her this vague voicemail. She has to follow up with her. She said something happened with Sasha.

Gladys says, he has nothing to say, but Cody says he has a few things to say. First, he doesn’t owe Gladys any explanations for anything. Gladys says she’s not asking him to explain his hurtful and negligent behavior to her. She’s asking him to explain it to Sasha, the poor woman he abandoned when she was under scrutiny by the authorities. Sasha says, that’s enough, and Cody says, and second, yes. He might not have been available when Sasha called, but the reason Sasha called him in the first place was that no one could find Gladys. So what was she up to? Care to share? Gladys says, don’t make this about her, and Sasha says, knock it off. Cody had no obligation to answer her call. They’re not even friends. Gladys says, is that right? and Sasha says she’s not even sure why she called him. Must have been an old impulse. Cody says, for what it’s worth (🍷), he’s glad she called him. He wishes he could have helped. Gladys says, if wishes were horses, he could ride them out of town, so get along, little doggy. Sasha asks to talk to Cody alone, and Gladys says, fine, but if he gives her any trouble, just let out a blood curdling scream. Gladys leaves, and Sasha says she’s so sorry about that. Cody says he’s not worried about Gladys. Is she okay? She says she screwed up. Big time.

Molly finds TJ, and says she knows it must have been rough in there, observing in the OR, while they were operating on Curtis. It must have been scary. He says, it was. Not a great sign if he wants to be a surgeon, is it? She says, this wasn’t just any surgery, and he says, now he has a greater understanding of why doctors aren’t allowed to operate on their loved ones. Seeing his uncle laying there, not knowing if he’ll ever walk again… It was horrible. She hugs him.

Portia, Trina, Marshall, and Stella go to the ICU waiting area, and Trina asks Portia if Curtis could still die. Portia tells her, from what Dr. Barnsdall said, Curtis’s condition is precarious, but they have faith in him. Stella says, they all do, and they join hands. Marshall says, they’re going to get through this together, as a family, and Stella says, including Curtis. Dr. Barnsdall comes out, and says, one of them can go in. Portia tells Trina to go in and see her dad, and Marshall says, go on in there and tell her father that they’re waiting on him. Trina says, okay, she will, and goes into Curtis’s room. He’s all hooked up to machines, and she says, dad.

Anna says, how was Dante able to traced an untraceable rifle? and he says he’s glad she asked. It was one of seventy-two rifles that were impounded back in 2021. She says, by the PCPD? but he says, by the WSB. That rifle should be locked up in Berlin, not in the streets. She says, the sniper has ties to the Bureau? Like a former agent or something? Dante says, or a current one. Maybe her resignation wasn’t enough. She asks what he’s saying; that the Bureau wants her dead?

Kristina finds Molly, and asks if TJ is okay. Molly says, he’ll be fine. He’s just upset about Curtis. She’s going to the ICU. Kristina follows her, and says, it seemed like something was off with him earlier, and Molly says, leave it alone. Kristina says, so there is something, and Kristina says, enough is enough. Not everything is about her.

Trina approaches Curtis’s bed, looks at all the equipment, and runs out. Portia says, what is it? Did something happen? Trina says, nothing happened. She’s sorry. He was just so still. She didn’t recognize him. She was so scared. She’s sorry. Portia says, there’s nothing to apologize for, and Trina says, Portia should go in. She’ll be in later. Portia asks if she’s sure, and Marshall says, they’ll take care of her. Trina says, go. She doesn’t want him to be alone.

Sam says, Mac knows about the poker game? Great. It will save them some time. How long? He says, between them, he’s known for months, which is why they’ve been staking out The Savoy. She asks if he’s going after Curtis, but he says, the target is Selina Wu. If Curtis is involved, it’s not because he wants to be. She says, so if the PCPD has been running surveillance for months, why haven’t they made their move? What’s taking so long?… Oh, it’s because he doesn’t want Cody caught in the trap they’ve set for Selina.

Sasha tells Cody that she thought Deception had a blanket agreement with Logan’s, and she could go in and take the things she wanted. She didn’t know she had to ask first. He says, it sounds like an honest mistake, and she thanks him. He says, its all over now, right? Will there be any charges? She says, no. Fortunately, the store dropped the charges. She’s just not sure she’s ever allowed back there. All she wanted was to get Willow a gift. Willow’s her best friend and she almost died. Oh my God. She needs to tell Michael and Willow… He says he bets Michael and Willow will understand. Can she finish the conversation with him right now? She says, sure, but that’s really all there is to the story. She’s so sorry she had him come all the way over here. She’ll never bug him again. He says, she can always call him if she needs him. He’s just sorry he couldn’t answer the phone. She says, it’s okay. They’re all busy people. He has his own life, right? There’s a knock at the door, and she says she hopes it’s not the police coming to arrest her again. It’s Nina, who says she’s so relieved that Sasha is okay. She is okay, right? Gladys comes out, and says, oh, it’s Nina. Cody asks if she was expecting someone else, and she says, it’s none of his damn business. Sasha asks if Gladys called Nina, but she says, no, and Nina says, Maxie left her a message that Sasha was at the PCPD, but she was coming home. What is going on? Sasha asks if Gladys would mind filling Nina in, and Gladys says, gladly. Sasha says she’s so thirsty, and asks if anyone wants anything. She and Cody go to the kitchen, and Nina takes Gladys aside. She asks if she should be worried, and Gladys says, our girl’s in trouble.

Alexis asks if Sonny is going to talk to Kristina, and he says he’ll give her a call, but if she doesn’t confide in him, he’s not going to push her. She says, of course (🍷) he’s not. She’s meeting with her editor, but she’s stopping at the hospital first. She thinks Kristina’s there… nudge-nudge. He says he was going to stop there anyway, and his phone dings. She asks if everything’s all right, and he says, there’s just something he has to take care of.

Anna says, one of the factors that contradict it being a WSB hit was that it was unsuccessful, and Dante says, but she knows even the best laid plans can go awry when you’re in the field. There’s a knock at the door, and she says she knows who this is. Sonny says, open up, and she says she was expecting him. He says he got a text from Ricky, and Dante says, saves him a trip to visit Sonny. Anna says, Sonny understood that if she needed any help, she’d ask for it, and he says, that’s what he’s doing. She says, but she didn’t ask, and he says he doesn’t apologize for putting someone on her to keep her safe. He apologizes because the person he put on her got caught. The next person he puts on her is going to be invisible and silent… Dante says, he should send a ninja, and Sonny says, so that way, he doesn’t have to apologize for keeping her safe. Anna says, that’s a shame, because he could certainly use the practice. I wonder if she means practice apologizing or keeping people safe, and Sonny says, on another note, he talked to Nina. Curtis made it out of surgery. Dante asks if he’s going to be okay, and Sonny says, it’s touch and go, but he’s alive, and that’s the only thing that matters at this point. Here’s what concerns him. The shooter. Who was he targeting? Dante says he’s happy that Sonny brought that up, since he has a question for him. Sonny asks if he needs an attorney, but Dante says, no. Can he think of any reason the WSB would want him dead?

Kristina says, so Molly is mad at her too. What did she do? Molly says, nothing… yet. She knows Kristina and she’s never going to let it go. Kristina says she’s going to need a translator for this conversation, and Molly says she overheard Kristina at The Savoy, telling Sam and mom that she can give TJ what Molly can’t. Kristina says, ew! That doesn’t even sound like her. Molly asks if Kristina’s forgetting she heard her. Kristina says, Molly knows she has no interest in TJ, and Molly says she knows that. Kristina asks what the hell they’re talking about here, and Molly says, Kristina wants to give TJ a baby since she can’t.

Portia tells Curtis that she’s right here with him and takes his hand. His dad, Trina, and Aunt Stella are right outside too. TJ is on his way with Molly, and Nina was here earlier. If she doesn’t make it back today, she’ll be here tomorrow. He’s surrounded by so many people who love him so much. His family loves him and they’re right here. They’re waiting for him to come back to them.

Trina says she can’t believe she ran out of that room like a scared little girl, and Stella asks, why? Trina says she’s supposed to be stronger than that, and Stella says, the reason she ran out of that room like a scared little girl was because, at that moment, that’s what she was. There’s no shame in that. Marshall says, none at all, and Stella says, a man who Trina just recently learned was her father was lying in front of her, hooked up to machines, and looking like the life was drained out of him. If that didn’t upset her down to her soul, Stella would think something was wrong with her. Marshall says, that’s why they keep her Great Aunt Stella around, for pep talks, and Stella says, they’ve all been here the better part of yesterday and today, praying for Curtis, all the while, scared out of their minds. Everybody’s nerves are fried, and Curtis would be the last person who’d want her beating up on herself. Marshall says, Trina can wait until he wakes up and talk to him then.

Gladys whispers, fortunately, Deception has a professional relationship with Logan’s which gave Maxie the clout to get them to drop the charges, but Nina says, Sasha insists it was just a misunderstanding. Gladys says, even if Deception had such an arrangement with Logans, which they don’t, what would make her think she could just take anything she wanted and walk out without telling anybody? It doesn’t make sense. Nina says, it doesn’t, and Gladys asks, why wouldLogan’s leave the security tags on if they knew Sasha was taking the clothes? Nina asks if Sasha didn’t set off the alarms, and Gladys says, she did, but she just showed them the receipt for the clothes she did pay for, so they thought it was just a glitch. Nina says, here’s the thing. She doesn’t think Sasha’s lying. Gladys says, that’s what worries her, as Sasha laughs in the kitchen. What if she’s getting confused again? What if she’s losing touch with reality?

Sonny says he doesn’t see any reason why he’d be on the WSB’s radar, and Anna says, it’s looking more and more like she was the intended target, not him. He asks why she’d say that, and Dante says, the gun that was used is the property of the WSB. Sonny asks if Anna thinks the Bureau feels she knows too much, and is trying to silence her. Anna says she can’t rule that out, but she can tell them both, if they were trying to get rid of her, they could just take her out like that. So efficiently, no one would be any the wiser. But shooting at her in a public pool like that, ignoring the possibility of collateral damage? It’s just too high profile for a Bureau assassination. Sonny says, then who else? and Anna says, making headline news like she has recently, internationally, because of her past as a double agent, gives any number of people a motive to want her dead. Sonny asks how they narrow down the suspects.

Mac tells Sam, even though they know about the illegal poker games, they don’t have enough to make the charges stick, especially for someone as slippery as Selina Wu. Sam says, and that’s the official reason? and he says, at least it’s legit. Also, if they’re going to catch a crime boss like Selina Wu, it has to be for something a helluva lot bigger than a casino racket. She says, it makes sense, but still… He says, still, Cody’s involvement has given him cause to hesitate. Cody may not be his son, but he is Dominique’s, and he wants to do right by him. She says, even though he’s in way over his head, and he says, especially then. Cody’s been doing pretty much whatever he wants his whole life. He’s used to doing what it takes to survive. Sam says, whether it’s legal or not? She’s not judging. She’s just saying she gets it; she’s been there. He says he thinks Cody has a good heart, and she says she’s known him only a little bit, and she thinks Cody has a well-paved road to hell. Mac says, he’s not doing himself any favors, especially with what happened with that bracelet at the Nurses Ball. Something was off about that. Sam asks if Mac thinks Cody stole the bracelet, and he says he thinks Cody’s smart enough not to put an expensive bracelet in his coat pocket, so no. She says, her neither, but she does think Selina helped Cody get the charges dropped. He asks what makes her say that.

Sasha asks if Nina and Gladys are whispering about her, and Nina says, no, but they’re worried about her. Sasha says she’s just kidding, but seriously, today could have been an even bigger disaster. After many, many public meltdowns and humiliations, the Face of Deception gets locked up for shoplifting? Throw away the keys. Does she look good in a straitjacket? Gladys says, even she has to admit it wasn’t that bad, and Sasha says she’s just grateful to Chase for bringing her in the back way to the station so photographers and reporters wouldn’t see her. Nina’s phone dings, and Sasha wonders if she talked too long, but Nina says, it’s just Ava. She was supposed to meet Ava, but she’ll cancel. Sasha says, no. Crisis averted. Everything is fine. Go meet Ava. Nina asks if she’s sure, but Sasha says she’ll be fine. Nina hugs Sasha, and says she’s going to call her a million times today. Gladys says she’ll walk Nina out. They leave, and Sasha asks if it’s just her, or was Nina being a little weird? Cody says he thinks Nina’s just worried about her. And honestly, so is he.

In the hallway, Nina says she’s assuming Gladys wants to talk about Sasha, and Gladys says she does. In fact, she needs Nina’s advice. Nina knows Sasha is seeing this psychiatrist as part of the process of dissolving this guardianship, right? Nina says, right, and Gladys says, Dr. Montague has to report to the court his professional opinion of Sasha’s mental health, and as her legal guardian, is it her responsibility to let the court know Sasha was caught shoplifting?

Kristina asks if Molly is talking about her being their surrogate, and Molly says, first, she plans a night out. Then Kristina spent the whole night talking about her shelter, her foundation. Kristina says, Molly told them she didn’t want to talk about babies, and Molly says, so Kristina automatically talks about herself? Kristina says, Molly was off-limits. Yes, she was talking about herself, because she’s actually doing something she’s proud of for the first time in her life. Is that a problem? Molly says, no. The problem is Kristina making Molly’s fertility issues all about her. Kristina asks, how? and Molly says, because if Kristina inserts herself as their surrogate, she and TJ having a baby becomes all about Kristina and her pregnancy. Kristina says, here’s a shocker for Molly. She wasn’t thinking about herself. She was thinking about her little sister and how upset she was and how she could help. She was willing to give up a year of her life, and give birth, so that Molly could have a baby, and she’s selfish?

Portia says she doesn’t know if Curtis remembers what happened, but if he does, everybody else is okay. She knows he worries about everybody else before himself, and she loves that about him. She loves his bravery and his big heart. But he’s got to look out for himself too. His family needs him. She needs him. She doesn’t want to live in a world without Curtis Ashford.

Molly tells Kristina that she doesn’t want to talk about this right now. They’re all upset about Curtis. Kristina says, they are all upset about Curtis, and now she’s upset because Molly and TJ think she’s making all of their problems about her, when she’s trying to help them have a baby. She was going to offer this to them sooner, but mom and Sam helped her realize it was too soon. Molly says, she needed mom and Sam to help her figure this out? and Kristina says she did, because she’s just Molly’s dumb, self-centered, narcissistic sister. She and TJ are right to think she shouldn’t be their surrogate, because God forbid their child is anything like her when Molly is this perfect… TJ walks up, and says he could hear them down the hall. What’s going on? Kristina says, nothing. They’re fine. Molly was just educating her on why she’s not good enough to be their surrogate. She storms off, and passes Alexis standing in the elevator. Alexis says, Kristina… but Kristina says, not now mom, and keeps walking. Alexis asks Molly and TJ, what happened?

Nina asks if Gladys is out of her mind. She wants to tell the court about this? Gladys says, of course (🍷) she doesn’t want to. The question is, should she? Nina says, no! but Gladys says, for her own good. They both know something isn’t right with her version of events. Nina wonders if Gladys is asking for her permission to tell the court about Sasha, and Gladys says, of course (🍷) not. Nina says she wants Gladys to listen to her, because nothing legally or officially happened. Gladys tells her, she wouldn’t say nothing, and Nina says, Gladys is going to say nothing. Sasha made a mistake. Logan’s is not pressing charges. Gladys wants to go to the court and tell them about this? If she does, she’s just causing Sasha trouble. Is that what she wants?

Sasha says, Cody is worried about her? and he says he is. Despite what she said before, he is her friend. She says, he’s the one who told her that they couldn’t be friends, and he tells her that he says stupid stuff all the time. If they’re going to be friends – which, hey, too late, they already are – she’s going to need to know when not to listen to him. So hold on to his number. If she ever needs anything, call. Gladys comes in with two shopping bags, and Sasha says, what now? Gladys says, don’t panic. These are for her. She ran into the delivery person in the hall. And Cody needs to leave. Sasha needs to rest. Sasha says, actually, she’s gotten her second wind, but Cody says he should get going. He has a horse to groom and a stable to clean. He tells Sasha to remember what he said, and she tells him that she will. He leaves, smiling at Gladys on his way out. Gladys says, here’s what she needs Sasha to remember. Whatever Cody said, Sasha can’t count on him. He’ll only get her into trouble.

Mac wonders why Selina would lift a finger to help Cody, and Sam tells him, at this point, the less said the better. He says, she’s probably right, and she says, he’s a good guy to worry about Cody, but she’s worried it’s too late for them to save him from himself.

Stella wants to check on Trina, but Marshall says, she’s just taking a minute to herself. She says, it’s been a long minute, and starts to get up, but then sways on her feet. Marshall says he’s got her, steadying her and helping her sit back down. He asks if it’s her heart again, but she says she’s fine. She’ll be even better once Curtis wakes up. He says, they’re in a hospital. Why don’t they get her checked out? Trina comes back, and Stella asks if she’s feeling better. Trina says, a little, and Stella says, nothing makes you feel better than a splash of water on your face. I can think of plenty of things, but okay. Trina asks if her mom is still in there, and Marshall says, she is. Stella says she knows Trina is worried, but it’s not unusual for patients to take their time waking up after surgery, especially one as difficult as Curtis’s. Trina says she knows, but until he wakes up, they won’t know how much damage the bullet did. He could be paralyzed.

Portia says, Curtis knows she hates this, not being able to do anything. But she’ll just stay right here, right by his side. She hates that she stayed away from him after she found out he kissed Jordan, because they made a commitment and she let her pride get in the way. But not anymore. Because she loves him so much. And her harsh words can’t be the last thing he hears her say. So open his eyes for her, so she can tell him how much she loves him. She squeezes his hand and says, please.

Dante says, Sonny’s got to keep his eyes open, and Sonny says, Dante knows him. He won’t drop his guard. Dante asks if there’s anything in Anna’s files with the WSB or DVX that could give them a lead, but she says she doubts any of it has been declassified, even after the leak. But they don’t need it because she remembers everyone. She remembers the name of every person who was ever compromised by her actions. He suggests they find out what they’re doing, but she says, it’s going to take too long. This person has proved they have little to no regard for human life, that they’re willing to sacrifice any innocent bystander… probably knowing she’d blame herself for that. She’s not going to let anyone else get hurt because of her. Sonny asks, what’s the plan? and Anna says she thinks they need to lure her enemy out in the open… using her as bait.

Tomorrow, Ned says, there’s only one way to settle this; Tracy says, there is only one person who can put things to right; and Sonny asks if it’s possible someone in the organization went rogue.

👵🏾 She’s His Mama…

She’s been in a million other things too.

Who Is Irene Ashford on GENERAL HOSPITAL?

💸 Life Imitating Art…

It sounds pretty messy.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/tyler-christopher-embroiled-in-guardianship-drama-with-sister

🥀 What the What…

So many gone already this year.

ONE LIFE TO LIVE Actress Bronwen Booth Dead at 59

💎 Keep Pouring…

Garcelle shares the tea.

RHOBH’s Garcelle Beauvais Admits She Was “Suspicious” of Kyle’s Marriage, Shares Status With Rinna, and Reveals Biggest Pot-Stirrer of Season, Plus Why She Unfollowed Lala, & Talks Ozempic

🍸 Those Crazy Kids…

So should we call her Raquel now to be annoying? I bet her people told her to do this.

Raquel Leviss Makes Power Move: Returns to Birth Name Rachel

Bringing the new drama.

Pump Rules Season 11 Drama Taking Place in TomTom

Is he still here?

Tom Sandoval Is ‘Being Pushed Out’ of Schwartz and Sandy’s

🏍 See Him In September…

The latest on Daryl’s spin-off.

‘The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon’ Gets Premiere Date At AMC; New Photos

⚰️ Best Of the Dead…

Hard to believe there have been only four so far. It seems like there are always Dead around somewhere. No surprise about number one. It’s my favorite so far.

https://undeadwalking.com/2023/07/14/walking-dead-spinoffs-ranked/

🗽 Rushing the Season…

Wow. We just got started.

https://undeadwalking.com/2023/07/14/walking-dead-dead-city-season-finale-air/

⛰ Last On the Way…

2025… Wait. What?

‘The Last Of Us’: Co-Creator Craig Mazin Provides Season 2 Status Update, Rules Out Another Bill & Frank Episode, Reveals Season 3 Plans

🏆 Kudos…

I remember that episode vividly. He was excellent.

https://ew.com/awards/emmys/the-last-of-us-keivonn-montreal-woodard-sets-emmy-record-youngest-nominee/

🐕‍🦺 A Different Runway…

Some lovely pet fashions to usher you into your weekend.

https://moderndogmagazine.com/articles/new-york-pet-fashion-week/208

Going to the source.

www.petfashionweek.com

💐 Quotes of the Week

For most of us the problem isn’t that we aim too high and fail. It’s just the opposite. We aim too low and succeed. – Sir Ken Robinson

But instead of spending our lives running towards our dreams, we are often running away from a fear of failure or a fear of criticism. – Erin Wright

Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. – Steve Jobs

No one else has access to the world you carry around within yourself; you are its custodian and entrance. No one else can see the world the way you see it. No one else can feel your life the way you feel it. Thus it is impossible to ever compare two people because each stands on such different ground. When you compare yourself to others, you are inviting envy into your consciousness; it can be a dangerous and destructive guest.  – John O’Donohue

I believe in being strong when everything seems to be going wrong. I believe that happy girls are the prettiest girls. I believe that tomorrow is another day, and I believe in miracles. – Audrey Hepburn

The merit of all things lies in their difficulty. – Alexandre Dumas

Looks like he wipes his arse with his house. – Gaap (Paapa Essiedu), Black Mirror: Demon 79

⚾️ Put Me In Coach…

If you still use a calendar, start your week here on Monday really Tuesday with soap and a Reunion on Deck. Until then, stay safe, stay giving more positive comments than you do negative ones, and stay being brave and having a big heart, but looking out for yourself too.

Jul14

July 13, 2023 – Michael Brings Paris To Willow, About Jack, First One, Coming Soon, Andy Talk, Cracking Up, VanderSituation, Rad Runway, How To Shark & Burning

Posted on by
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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Chase tells Sasha that she’s under arrest, and she asks if it’s a joke. He says, it’s not, and suggests they step outside, but she says she’s not going anywhere without an explanation. Michael says, that seems fair, and asks Chase, what’s going on? Chase says, Sasha left the store with this blouse and several other items she didn’t pay for.

Gladys admires herself in a faux fur coat in the dressing room mirror. Scout wanders in, and touches the coat. She says, this is pretty, and Gladys tells her, hey kid, it’s couture. Keep her hands to herself. Sam comes in and says, Gladys has a way with children, doesn’t she?

Cody says he can explain, but Selina says, he was marking cards. No explanation necessary. Cody says he swears he’ll pay her back, and she says, that’s a given. But by losing so dramatically, he damaged the reputation of her game. There’s a rhythm; you can’t win them all, nor can you lose them all. He guesses she’s never played with his cousin Barry, and she cracks him across the face. She says, he’s making jokes, and tells Li that she guesses it’s time Cody learned how humorless they are. Li grabs Cody.

At Kelly’s, Kristina looks at the Invader headline: Blood in the Water: Shots Fired at the MetroCourt. Alexis joins her, and asks if she’s talked to Molly. Kristina says she’s going to the hospital after this, and Alexis says, with everything they’re going through, now Curtis gets shot. TJ must be going out of his mind. Kristina says, it makes her want to help them even more. She’d really make the perfect surrogate for them. Alexis says she really appreciates how open and willing Kristina’s being… Kristina says, but she needs to wait to be asked first, and Alexis says, please. If Molly and TJ actually asked her to be their surrogate, would she say yes? Kristina says, yes, and Alexis asks if she’s sure. Is she really ready to have a baby? Kristina says, it’s not just a baby; it’s Molly’s baby. Molly’s her sister, and Kristina would do anything for her.

Marshall asks if Molly’s heard anything, and she says, if TJ could give them an update, he would. Stella wonders why it’s taking so long, and Portia says, this type of surgery could take hours. Stella says, all night? and Portia asks if Trina is cold. Trina says, a little, and Portia says she’ll get Trina a sweater from her office. Marshall says he can go, but Portia says she could use to stretch her legs. She leaves, and Marshall says, Portia might have the right idea. Molly asks if he wants to take a walk, and he tells her, lead the way. Stella sits with Trina, and says, she’s so strong, but Trina says she’s not feeling very strong right now, and Stella holds her.

Nina and Sonny arrive at the hospital, and Nina says she assumed Curtis would be out of surgery by now, but she guesses he’s not. Sonny tells her not to jump to conclusions. He’s going to ask the nurse for an update. He sees Molly, hugs her, and asks how she’s holding up. Marshall says he has to admit, he’s surprised to see Sonny here.

Portia picks up the sweater, then sits down in her empty office. She flashes back to Curtis asking her not to give up on them when they’re so close to finding their way back to each other, and her saying she wishes it was that simple, then leaving. She says, please Curtis, give us a chance to make it right.

We see Curtis in surgery, while TJ watches from the sidelines.

Sasha says she’s allowed to take those clothes, and Chase says, without paying for them? She says, yes. Deception has an agreement with Logan’s. It’s basically free advertising for the store. He says, the manager didn’t know about it, so why doesn’t she just come down to the station, and if what she’s saying is true – she says, it is – then it will just take a few minutes to sort out. Besides, they should probably let Willow get some rest. Sasha says, fine, for Willow’s sake. Let’s get this over with. She leaves, and Chase follows her out. Willow says, call Gladys, but Michael says he’s already on it.

Gladys tells Scout that she’s sorry if she was snippy. It’s just that it’s a very expensive coat. Scout says she knows, and Sam asks, how? Scout says she saw the price tag, when a call comes in on Glady’s phone from Sonny’s Kid. Gladys says, mother/daughter shopping trip? and Sam says, they’re picking out a dress for Scout for swim camp. Gladys says, don’t tell her that they swim in dresses now, but Sam says, it’s for a dance the kids put on. What about her? Special occasion? Gladys says, no. She just thought she’d treat herself. Sam says she’s glad they ran into each other. She’s been meaning to ask Gladys something. She tells Scout to try the clothes on in the dressing room, and Scout leaves. Gladys wonders what Sam wanted to ask her, and Sam says, how is her new BFF Selina Wu?

Li smushes Cody’s head against the bar, and Selina says, it’s not only that he cheated. To a certain extent, she expects that. He’s done it before, so they’ve been keeping an eye on him. He mumbles that he’s impressed, and she says, white ink? Child’s play. What she didn’t expect and what she won’t tolerate is that he lied to her, and even worse, that he thought she wouldn’t notice. He says, confession time? and she says, better late than never. He says he made sure the house lost so she’d think he was no longer valuable to her operation, and she asks, why? He says, honestly? He just wants to move on from the game. It’s nothing personal. He’s no good at doing anything for too long. He gets restless. She says she has news for him. Her employees do not come and go as they please. Once you’re in, you’re in. Is she making herself clear? He gives her an okay sign.

Sonny asks how Marshall is, shaking his hand, and Marshall says he’s been better. Nina asks if they’ve heard from TJ, and Molly says, not yet, but TJ has always said Curtis’s surgeon is the best in the country. Marshall says, thank God for that, and Sonny says, if his family needs anything, they’re here. Marshall says, first and foremost, for Curtis to pull through. Then some answers would be nice. Who would do this to his son?

Trina tells Stella that she just hates that she was holding Curtis at arm’s length. She was angry and confused… Stella says, and rightly so. She still has time. Trina says, Stella doesn’t know that, but Stella says she does. She knows Curtis, and she knows her nephew will fight to get back to Trina. Just like he’s fighting to get back to Portia. Portia stands behind her holding the sweater.

In the OR, the surgeon says, that’s the last of the bullet fragments, putting them into a bowl. Vertebrae looks good, but he doesn’t like that heartrate. Close him up before it climbs up any higher. Curtis suddenly flatlines, and the doctor says, they have to turn him on his back.

Curtis wakes up on a blanket in the grass, and a woman’s voice says, Curtis Ashford, did you eat all the potato salad? Again? Next time, she’s going to put a padlock on the container. He sees a woman sitting next to him, who looks like an older Jennifer Hudson, and says, mom?

Marshall tells Sonny that he’s sorry. Whoever shot his son last night isn’t Sonny’s responsibility. He shouldn’t have laid that at Sonny’s feet. Sonny says, don’t worry about it. He doesn’t know who the shooter is yet, but he’s not going to rest until he finds out.

Stella helps put the sweater around Trina’s shoulders, and Portia asks if Trina wants to talk about it at all, but she says she’s fine. Portia says, really? Because she’s not. Stella says, me neither. This waiting is fraying on her nerves. Trina says she was just so worried that she wasted all that time; that she didn’t resolve things before. Portia says she knows, and holds Trina, as Nina and Molly join them.

Alexis says she really appreciates Kristina’s willingness to help her sister out, and Kristina says, but… Alexis says, not only does surrogacy a huge deal, so is getting pregnant. Kristina’s never been pregnant before. does she have any idea what it’s like having a baby? Kristina says she’ll figure it out. She’s young and healthy and single, and don’t Molly and TJ deserve to be parents? Alexis says, of course (🍷) they do, and Kristina says, so if they decide to move forward with surrogacy, then isn’t it best if they go with someone who’s already prepared and ready to go? Alexis says she doesn’t know that anyone is truly prepared to be a surrogate. It’s not just a physical thing, it’s an emotional… Maxie comes up to their table and says she’s sorry to interrupt. She heard Alexis was trying to reach her. Alexis says she was. The Invader would like to do a feature on The Deceptor. Maxie says, great. What’s the angle? Alexis says, it’s in the leisure section. It’s an interest in the design process. Maxie says, then she’ll probably want to talk to a product manager or someone in marketing, and Alexis says she’ll have her assistant call Maxie’s office. Maxie thanks her, and starts to leave, but Kristina says she has a couple of questions. Maxie says, about The Deceptor? but Kristina says, no, about surrogacy. Wow. That whole conversation for no reason other than to get to Kristina’s question.

Gladys says, Selina Wu’s not her BFF, and tells Sam to get her facts straight. Sam says, that’s pretty interesting, because according to Spinelli, she and Selina were seen at the MetroCourt all cozied up… Wait, no. It was actually Gladys, Selina, and Cody Bell. That’s an interesting trio, doesn’t she think? Since Gladys did accuse him of larceny. (Who uses that word?) Gladys says, a misunderstanding, and Sam says, they put him in handcuffs. Gladys says, then isn’t he lucky to have a friend like her to bail him out? Sam says, Gladys hasn’t answered her question. How does she know Selina? Gladys says she’s bumped into Selina at The Savoy a time or two. Should she get the red one or the black one? She compares coats, and Sam says, and what about Cody? What is his relationship with Selina? Gladys says, Sam will have to ask Cody, and Sam laughs. She says, either Gladys can tell her what’s going on with the three of them, or she’s going to figure it out for herself. There’s obviously something. One word from Selina, and Gladys changes her story about Cody stealing her bracelet? What does that woman have on her?

Nina asks if there are any updates on Curtis, but Stella says, nothing yet. Portia says, Curtis would be so glad to know Nina is here, and Trina hopes he feels their support. Molly says, and all the strength and love they’re sending his way. Nina says, he’s very, very lucky to have such a close family, and Stella says, it’s at these moments they realize how truly important family is.

They do chest compression and use the defibrillator on Curtis.

Curtis says he doesn’t understand, and Irene asks if he’s still hungry. She made biscuits, and there’s blueberry pie for dessert. There’s a whole picnic set-up on the blanket now, and he says he remembers this blanket. Does it still have the… She says, the hole that he burned in it when he was playing with matches? Sure does. He says, it was Tommy’s idea, and she says, blaming his brother, just like always. He heaves a tearful sigh, and she asks if he’s all right. Does he feel sick? She feels his forehead, and he says, just fine. A tear rolls down his cheek, and she asks if he’s sure. He takes her hand and says, mom, is this really happening? Are you really with me right now? She says, where else would she be? and he kisses her hand. It reminds me a little of that scene in Our Town when Emily gets to relive her 12th birthday.

Irene says, it’s a beautiful day, and Curtis says, it’s just magical. She says, when they’re done here, would he mind taking a look at her car? He asks, what’s wrong with her car? and she says, the check engine light’s on again. He says he doesn’t understand why she won’t take her car to the garage, and she says, what does she need with a garage when she’s got two strapping sons? Tommy’s working on it now, but she thinks he needs a little help. He says, Tommy’s here? and she says, in the parking lot. Go help his brother. He gets up, and the doctor says, we’re losing him. TJ says, stay with us, Uncle Curtis, and Curtis asks if Irene heard that. She says, hear what?

Stella tells Nina, whatever Tommy did, Curtis had to do it too. It continued when they were older. When Tommy learned to ride a bike, Curtis was determined to learn too. Tommy made Varsity; there was Curtis on JV. Portia says she didn’t realize Curtis was that competitive, and Stella says, that was part of it, but he was also very protective. He didn’t want to be far away in case his brother needed him. She thinks he was like that with all of them. All they had to do was call, and Curtis would come running. Trina says, he’s still like that today, and Portia says, he certainly is.

Sasha bounces around the interrogation room, and outside on the phone, Chase leaves a message for someone to call him back as soon as possible. It’s about Sasha.

Gladys asks if Sam is implying she’s done something wrong, and Sam says, she must have. There was no way she was going to let Cody off the hook; she was out for blood. So the only reason she can think of that Gladys backed off was to save her own skin. Scout asks what Sam thinks of the dresses, while Gladys sees she has two missed calls; one from Sonny’s Kid and one from Unknown. Sam tells Scout to try them on, and they’ll decide together. After listening to a voicemail, Gladys tells Sam, as much as she’s enjoyed being accosted, she has to run. Family emergency. Sam says she hopes everyone’s okay, and Gladys says, so does she. She stops at the door, and tells Sam to have her kid pick the white one. Pink’s not her color.

Maxie says, it’s not every day she gets asked about her surrogacy, and Kristina says, it was such a selfless thing Maxie did. She’d love to hear more about it. Alexis says, please don’t feel like she has to divulge anything personal, but Maxie says, there’s nothing not personal when it comes to surrogacy. Let her wrap her head around this first. Kristina says, of course (🍷), and Maxie says she’ll call Alexis and leaves. Kristina says, what?

Maxie’s phone rings, and she asks Chase, what’s up?… Sasha did what?… Okay, she’s on her way.

Kristina says, Alexis told her that she could never know what surrogacy was like, so isn’t asking someone who’s actually done it the next best thing? Alexis says, it was just a little insensitive, but Kristina tells her, Maxie said she’s fine with it. Alexis says, okay, and Kristina says she has to go to the hospital. She’ll see Alexis later. She leaves, and Alexis texts Sonny: Got a second? It’s about Kristina.

On the phone, Sonny thanks Brick, and says, keep him posted. Nina asks if Brick found out anything new about the shooting, when Sonny’s phone dings. He says, ugh, and Nina asks, what’s wrong? He says, Alexis wants him to come by. It’s about Kristina. She says, go, and he says he feels kind of weird… but she says she’ll stay here and call him if there’s any updates. She kisses him goodbye, and he leaves.

Sasha asks how long Chase is going to keep her here, and he says, Maxie’s on her way. He tried to track down Gladys, but he’s having trouble reaching her. He holds out his phone and says, she’s allowed one phone call. She should really contact a lawyer. She says, lawyers are for guilty people, and he tells her, be reasonable. She says, why, when something completely unreasonable is happening to her? She needs someone in her corner. Someone who understands what a colossal mess this is.

As Selina plays solitaire and Li roughs up Cody. Cody’s phone rings, and Cody says, mind if he gets that? Selina says she doesn’t, but Li would find it quite rude. Well, she must be going. Enjoy their afternoon. She thinks he’ll find Li is both creative and resourceful. Li takes a bar tool and starts to stab Cody’s hand with it, and Cody yells, wait! Selina says, he came into her game with his own agenda. There must be consequences. Cody says he has a proposition, and she asks what he could possibly have to offer. Li spins Cody around to face her, and he says, plenty, but she says, no one crosses her. Goodbye, Mr. Bell. Li drags Cody off.

Irene says, it’s probably Tommy swearing at the car. Curtis knows how his voice travels. TJ says, Uncle Curtis, you have to come back, and Curtis wonders if somebody just said his name. Irene says, it’s Tommy. He’s calling for Curtis. He needs Curtis’s help. Curtis says, it didn’t sound like Tommy. It’s like he recognizes the voice; he just can’t make it out. She puts her hand on his shoulder and says, come. Just be here. They’ll go see Tommy together. She takes his hand, and TJ says, come on, Uncle Curtis. Fight. Do it for Trina.

Nina says, Portia can tell her to buzz off if she wants to be alone, but is she doing okay? Portia says she just needed a minute. Everyone’s so scared, and they’re desperate for answers. Nina says, and she’s not? but Portia says she’s terrified. But the fortunate, or unfortunate, thing about it is, she knows the answers to some of those questions, and the surgery’s taking way too long. The longer they have him open, the longer the recovery… if there is a recovery. Nina says, there will be a recovery, and Portia says, it’s a bullet to the spine. The damage could not only be significant, it could be life-altering. Nina tells Portia that she wishes there was something she could do or say, and Portia thanks her but says, the only thing they can do is… wait.

Sasha says, that manager is trying to embarrass her, and Chase says, there’s something she needs to see. Gladys walks in, and runs to Sasha, hugging her. Sasha says, they’re accusing her of shoplifting, and Gladys asks, who is? Sasha says, Logan’s. It’s just like Home & Heart. They’re out to get her. Chase asks if he can show them something, and tells them, take a seat. He takes out a tablet, and says, this is the security footage from Logan’s. Sasha says, finally, something to prove she’s innocent, and they see a video of Sasha putting the garments to her face and smiling, then shoving them in her bag. Sasha says she doesn’t remember doing that. Why would she? It’s not like she can’t afford the clothes. Something is wrong here. Gladys says, she may not remember it, but she did it. That is Sasha, isn’t it?

Willow says, any word? but Michael says, Gladys didn’t answer. But Sasha’s with Chase. He’s sure Chase is taking good care of her. Willow says she thought Sasha was acting strangely, and he says, Sasha’s been through a lot. She says, understatement, and he says, she’s been doing good lately, but there’s bound to be setbacks. Willow says she knows, but… shoplifting? and he says, maybe she didn’t realize she had clothes in her hands and walked out the door. He takes Willow’s hands and says, it’s going to be okay. She tells him, if you say so, and he tells her that he says so. She asks why he’s looking at her like that, and he says he still can’t believe she’s home. She says, there’s no place she’d rather be, and he says, uh-oh. He and Wiley have been planning a little trip. She says, rude, considering she can’t go anywhere yet, but he says, au contraire, mon cheri. If mademoiselle wouldn’t mind looking out the window… She looks out and sees Wiley wearing a moustache and dressed in a French outfit, including a beret. He holds up a sign that says, bonjour madame, and she asks Michael what they’re up to. He says, bienvenue à Paris.

Sam says, both dresses look absolutely beautiful on Scout, but hurry up and choose. She has to take her to swim class. Scout says she doesn’t really want to go, and Sam says she thought Scout loved going to swim class. Is this because daddy is the one who normally takes her? Scout says, and he picks her up, and Sam asks, what else does daddy do? Scout says, he asks how many laps she swam and how long she held her breath under water, and Sam says, that’s not fair. She wants to know those things too. She leads Scout to a chair, and they sit down. She says she knows Scout’s sad because daddy is gone, and it’s hard for both of them, but guess what? Daddy’s going to want to know how many laps she swam. So they’re going to write everything down. This way, when she goes to see daddy, she can tell him all about it. Sound good? Scout nods, and goes back to the dresses. She asks, which one? and Sam says she thinks Scout deserves both of them.

As Li hustles him toward the door, Cody says he can make Selina rich. She says, is that so? and he says he’s coming into some money. Actually, it’s a lot of money. She asked why he wanted out of the game. Really it’s to tie up some loose ends before he retires to the Cayman Islands. She says, so he lied, and he says he stayed quiet because he didn’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings, but now that he’s thinking about it, he feels he owes her a debt of gratitude. She asks where this money is coming from, and he says, the WSB. Li twists his arm, and Cody says he’s not an informant. The WSB took something from him, and they’re willing to pay through the nose to make it right. She says, took what? and he says, a family heirloom. The WSB is willing to cough up ten mill to make up for his pain and suffering. Would she like a cut?

Michael says, obviously, they’ll plan a real trip when she’s ready, but for now, he and Wiley decided to bring Paris to Willow. She thanks him, and he says, don’t thank him; her son was the mastermind. Look at him. Wiley holds a toy accordion, and lowering her voice, she says, please tell her that thing doesn’t actually make noise. Michael says, well… and Wiley pulls and pushes the accordion, making a dreadful sound. Michael tells her to picture it. Her and him, walking hand in hand on the Champs-Élysées. She laughs and says she can’t wait. She loves him too much. He says, too much? There’s no such thing.

Cody says, some of it can be hers, and Selina says, define some. He says, 50/50 split, and she says, 60/40. He says he has to pay some… Li twists his arm again… his attorney. She says, he’ll have plenty left over, and tells Li to let him go. Li releases him, and she says, they must also discuss how Cody will pay his debt from last night’s fiasco. Cody says he expected as much, and she says something to Li which I interpret as, come on, and they walk to the other side of the room. Cody picks up his phone, and listens to the voicemail from Sasha. He asks if he’s free to go, and Selina says, something wrong? He says, possibly, but it has nothing to do with her or her operation. She says, of course (🍷) he’s free to go. Because wherever that is, Li will always find him.

Gladys says she’s sure Maxie will take care of everything, when Maxie walks in. Sasha says she swears she didn’t do anything, and Maxie says she spoke to the store manager at Logan’s. She explained everything, and they’ve agreed to drop the charges. Sasha says, thank God, and Maxie says, they should be calling the station now. Chase leaves, and Sasha says she can’t thank Maxie enough. She honestly doesn’t know what happened. Maxie says, it’s okay, everything’s fine, and Sasha asks how she convinced them. Maxie says, as Sasha knows, they’re doing a cross-promotional event with The Deceptor… and Sasha says she’s sorry. Maxie says, it’s all right. It ended up working out well for the brand. Sasha says she’ll help out wherever she can, and Maxie says, actually, Logan’s would prefer if she and Lucy handled it. She hopes Sasha understands. Sasha says, of course (🍷). It makes sense. Gladys says, Sasha has been working so hard. She thinks Sasha’s earned a break, doesn’t she?

Sonny meets Alexis at Kelly’s and asks, what’s up with Kristina? Alexis says she was just wondering what his involvement is with Kristina’s foundation, and he says he’s been hands-off because he figured that’s what Kristina needs. Unless Alexis thinks otherwise. Alexis says, not that she would admit to this, but she thinks Kristina is a little overwhelmed, and he says he’s here for whatever Kristina needs. She says she was hoping he’d say that.

Kristina runs into the waiting area, and hugs Molly. She asks, how’s Curtis? and Molly says, they’re still waiting for news. She’s so glad Kristina is here.

Nina and Portia walk down the hall, and Portia says, things were already so complicated between them. And now… What if she doesn’t get the chance to tell him that she loves him. She cries, and Nina holds her.

Curtis says, Trina, and starts to walk toward the voice. Irene asks, who’s Trina? and he says, she’s his daughter. She says, he has a daughter? How wonderful. TJ says, Trina needs you, Uncle Curtis. So does Portia. Irene says, once he and Tommy fix the car, they’ll go home. She’ll make dinner. TJ says, you’re stronger than anyone I know. Fight. Irene says, then they can go for a walk through the neighborhood. They’ve missed him so much. He says he’s missed her too; more than she’ll ever know. She says, now they don’t have to. The family’s back together again. Come. They’ll go see Tommy together. She pulls on his hand, but he doesn’t move. He says he wants to, but why does he have the feeling if he leaves this park, he’ll never see Trina or Portia again?

Michael says, hungry? and Willow says, famished. Michael signals to Wiley and says, garçon. Wiley drapes a towel over his arm like a fancy waiter. Michael, now also wearing a beret, comes out with a tray, and says, we have ze… He’s not even going to attempt a French accent. They have quiche Lorraine and a lovely green salad, a crispy baguette, and the Frenchiest butter they could find. She says, c’est parfait, and he asks if that’s good. She says, very, and they kiss. Wiley is still too young to be horrified at seeing his parents kiss yet.

Alexis tells Sonny that Kristina has the passion and energy to make this shelter happen. She just thinks Kristina needs a little guidance. And for better or worse, she listens to him. He thanks her, and she says she’s thinking Kristina might actually receive some constructive feedback from him. He asks how come he feels there’s a lot more going on here, and she says, he probably feels that way because there is.

Gladys says, everyone makes mistakes. And one day in the not too far future, no one will remember this even happened. Maxie says, Gladys is right. Clean slate. Chase comes back and says, Maxie worked her magic. Logan’s is happy to drop the charges. Sasha thanks Maxie, who says, anytime. Hopefully, this is the only time. Gladys asks if Sasha is ready to go home, and Sasha says, yes. She’s exhausted. They file out, Maxie at the end, and Chase says, hey, keep an eye on her. Maxie says she was going to do that anyway.

Outside, Cody leaves a voicemail, saying, he’s sorry he missed Sasha’s call. Is she okay? Call him back when she gets this. Selina says, he forgot something, and holds up the bottle of ink. She hands it to him, and asks, is everything all right? He says, a friend needs his help, and she says, and we always take care of our friends, don’t we? brushing his face with her hand.

Someone is taking pictures. That someone is Sam. A hand comes down on her shoulder.

Irene says, Curtis isn’t going to stay with them, is he? He says he can’t. There’s too many people waiting for him. But he doesn’t want to say goodbye. She says, then don’t. Say until we meet again. He cries and says, until we meet again, and she says she’s so proud of him. Maybe if she’d been as strong as he is, maybe she would have met Trina. It’s time for him to go back. He hugs her and says, I love you mama, and she says she loves him too. It’s time. She lets go of his hands, steps back, and disappears.

TJ and the doctor come out, and everyone gets up. Portia asks, did Curtis make it through surgery?

Tomorrow, Dante says, it might not be as much of a dead end as Anna thinks; Sasha says she screwed up; and Sonny asks Alexis, what kind of trouble Kristina is headed for.

⚖️ You Don’t Know Jack…

Just in case you don’t know Erica Kane’s 10th husband.

Who Is Jackson Montgomery on GENERAL HOSPITAL?

I didn’t know he wouldn’t be sticking around. I feel ripped off.

Walt Willey’s Special Message to GENERAL HOSPITAL Fans

🏥 Dipping In the Vault…

I can’t believe I don’t remember this. Although the house might have still been under reconstruction after Hurricane Sandy. I was pretty busy.

Ronnie Marmo Looks Back at His First Episode of GENERAL HOSPITAL

🗽 Newest New York…

Premiering July 16th, here’s the basics. I want to like it, and the beginning of the trailer looks promising. But then it seems to go middle school, so my jury is out.

https://www.bravotv.com/the-daily-dish/rhony-season-14-premiere-date-teaser-video

You have to remember, we are in our 50s, so the world that we navigated was a very different world, said Dorinda. Women today have financial power, they have children, they have devices! Alrighty then.

https://www.bravotv.com/the-daily-dish/what-original-new-york-housewives-say-about-new-rhony-reboot

📺 More RHONY Than Rules…

Andy gets misty-eyed over his Bravo children.

https://extratv.com/2023/07/12/andy-cohen-on-new-rhony-pump-rules-season-11/

🍊 Calling Out Fancy As Fake…

While I think Fancy Pants Heather just makes things worse, Gina makes her own spectacle about her issues and problems.

https://pagesix.com/2023/07/12/rhoc-recap-gina-kirschenheiter-blasts-calculated-heather-dubrow-as-friendship-begins-to-crack/

🍸 What a Tease…

Well, I doubt they can top last season, which pains me to say, since it’s someone’s real life problem that boosted the ratings.

https://extratv.com/2023/07/12/lisa-vanderpump-teases-another-situation-as-pump-rules-films-season-11-exclusive/

👗 Today’s 1990s…

This week’s Project Runway was all about the 90s, with Jennie Garth as guest judge. It was fly.

‘Project Runway’ 20 episode 6 recap: ‘Like Totally ’90s’ was a blast from the past – as if! [LIVE BLOG]

🦈 How To Doo-Doo Doo-Doo-Doo-Doo…

In case you needed instruction.

https://people.com/how-to-watch-shark-week-2023-with-jason-momoa-7559270

🥐 Storming the Bastille…

Come on by tomorrow for soap, a spot of tea, a dose of wisdom (or not), and a song befitting the day. Until then, stay safe, stay speaking up if others are disrespectful or inappropriate, and stay not saying goodbye, but saying, until we meet again.

Jul13

July 12, 2023 – Brook Confesses To Chase, More Of the Same But In Montana & Rock

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Chase takes statements at the pool, while Brook tells Tracy that she can’t get her anything else. The Deception crew is watching her very closely. Chase comes over and says, sorry if he’s interrupting, but Brook says, he’s not. He says, that’s not how it looked.

Willow wakes up from her nap, and Michael takes her temperature with a forehead thermometer. She asks if she doesn’t get a kiss first, and he says, that’s coming. She’s good. No fever. He kisses her, and she asks if that coffee’s for her. He says, it is, and she says, the smell of Corinthos Coffee probably woke her up. She asks how long she’s been asleep, and he says, her morning nap almost turned into an afternoon siesta. She says, best sleep she’s had in weeks. Being home is… healing. Although she still feels like she’s dreaming. He says, there’s only one way to be sure, and kisses her again.

Popping out from behind a rack of clothing, Sasha tells Maxie, that sun dress she tried on complements her eyes. She should totally get it. Maxie says, so did that top Sasha tried on. It didn’t seem like her style though. Sasha says her old style belongs to another life. When her guardianship ends, she needs to send a statement to the world. This is Sasha 2.0.

Gladys runs out from the back of The Savoy, Montague following her, and she says, this calls for champagne. He asks if they shouldn’t get some orange juice to justify the early hour, but she says, no. She can’t believe how much energy she has after playing all night. Selina comes out and says, it’s the adrenaline rush. Winning will do that. Congratulations to them both. Gladys says she knows one win won’t make them square, but she can pay Selina an installment today. Selina says, champagne is on her. Enjoy their win. Gladys says, it’s like lightning in a bottle, when Cody comes out, and Selina says, except lightning isn’t supposed to strike twice.

Outside an office, Felicia asks if Lucy is clear on the plan, and Lucy says she is. She’s to keep the lawyer occupied, busy enough so Felicia can have the proper snoop. She does have one question. Why did Felicia have her get all glammed up when the lawyer is probably some short, stodgy, boring bifocaled attorney? Felicia says, the charm offensive is tried and true. Would Lucy rather she be the honey trap? Lucy says she’s better suited to it, as Felicia knows. She just hopes they can find out what Martin’s hiding from her.

Anna takes the police tape down from the unoccupied room at the MetroCourt, and slips inside. She looks around, then looks out the window. She hears someone coming.

Michael tells Willow that he’s missed this. It’s been torture not being close to her. They kiss, and he asks, what’s wrong? She says, unfortunately, the torture isn’t quite over.

Montague pops the champagne, and Gladys squeals. Cody sits with Selina, and says he doesn’t know what happened. It must have been an off night. She asks if he has any idea how much money he’s cost her, but he says he’s better at counting cards than counting losses. She says, from where she stands, he’s a failure at both. His job is to always get her a profit. He says he’s sorry, but she says she hired him expressly to avoid large payouts to players, yet they’ve operated at a loss two games in a row. He can’t afford the luxury of off nights, and if she has to pay, so must he.

Gladys says, finally, it feels like her luck is changing, and clinks her glass against Montague’s. He says, with her daughter-in-law on his new drug regimen, her good luck has no end in sight.

Sasha holds up a couple of tops, and tosses them aside. She picks up a tiny lacy camisole, and asks Maxie, what about this one? Maxie says, wow. That’ll certainly send a statement to the world. Sasha says, and to think she spent the last year praying the press would ignore her. She guesses she’s ready for them to sit up and take notice again. Maxie says, now for something more comfy and PG rated, and takes down a pair of pants from the rack. These are a little short for Sasha, doesn’t she think? Sasha says, they’re not for her. She had Logan’s personal shopper select a few items in Willow’s size; comfortable, mommy dear, but still lovely. Like Willow. Maxie says, that’s thoughtful of her, and Sasha says, she sounds surprised, but Maxie says, more like in awe. If being a great friend had any sway on the judge, he’d grant her petition without a second thought.

Chase says, it seems like every time he sees Brook and Tracy, they have their heads together, and Brook says she pleads the fifth. Tracy asks if a woman can’t spend time with her granddaughter, and Chase says, at ease, ladies. This isn’t an interrogation, just an observation. He’s just happy to see Brook. How is she holding up after last night? Brook says she was just catching grandmother up on the shooting, and how he saved the day. Chase says he was just doing his job, and she says, nobody does it better. She admires his passion and commitment. He tells her that he could say the same about her, the way she feels about music, but she gave that up to go back to work at Deception.

The hotel room door opens, and Anna clocks the person coming in. They fall to the ground, and Anna says, it’s you? Martin says, ow! What the hell is wrong with her? Has anybody ever told her that for such a little thing, she packs a ridiculously big punch? She says, yes, all the time. He’ll find out what else she’s packing if he doesn’t tell her what he’s doing here.

Willow says, yesterday, when Michael stepped out to get her discharge, the oncology nurse went over Terry’s instructions with her in more depth. As he knows, there are a lot of dos and don’ts. He says he knows. He fell asleep reading the packet last night. He’s got the food and medication schedule, and visitor protocol down, but he’ll make time to finish the rest of the packet today. She says she’s sure he will. He’s barely had time to get anything done. He’s already done so much to make her homecoming smooth. He says, what else would he do? and she says, he’s incredible. He does nothing but think of her, and he’s sacrificed so much for her already. She hates having to ask him to sacrifice longer. Because he’s dense, he asks what she’s talking about. What did the nurse say? She says, that they can’t make love.

Martin struggles to get up, and Anna asks how he got a keycard for this room. He says, probably the same way she did, and she says, that’s doubtful. Was he following her? He says, no, not really… kinda, sort of… All right. Fine. Just give him a minute. She does know this hurts, right? Somehow, Valentin got word about the shooting, and reached back to him. Valentin was worried about her, and wanted him to check on her. He was on his way out and over to her place, when he saw her crossing the lobby. She says, he was following her. She didn’t notice that. She must be slipping. He says he’d say she’s still got it, based on the amount of pain coming from his face. That’s his story. Why did she cross the police tape? What in the hell is she looking for? She says she’s sure the PCPD did a thorough job, but she just wanted to check for herself. This is where they found the rifle the sniper used. He says, and that’s of what interest to her?

Felicia and Lucy walk into Jackson Montgomery’s office, and Felicia tells his assistant Cheyenne that they’re here for their appointment. Cheyenne tells Jack that his 10 am is here, and he comes out and introduces himself. Felicia introduces herself, and says, they spoke on the phone. This is her sister Lucy Martin. He says he’s so sorry for her loss, calling Lucy Mrs. Martin, and she holds out her hand, thanking him and asking him to call her Lucy. This little affair with her husband’s estate is very confusing for her. She’s never lived in Pennsylvania, but he did for quite a while… with his other family. Jack says he sees how that could complicate matters. Why don’t they go into his office and see if they can untangle this a bit? Felicia says she’ll wait out here, and Lucy goes into Jack’s office with him. Felica eyeballs the file cabinet.

Sasha takes a top off a hanger, and says, once Willow can get out again, this would be perfect for a romantic outing with Michael. Maxie says, yeah – she looks at the price tag – or she could sell it and take that overdue trip to Paris. Sasha says, Willow would never spend this amount of money on herself, but she deserves a whole new wardrobe for her new chapter. Maxie says, it’s beautiful. She’ll love it. She’d be happy to contribute. Sasha says, it’s incredible. Her friend has all new DNA. It’s like she’s been reborn. She presses the top to her face, and Maxie says, she’s very philosophical today. What’s up with that? Sasha says her court appointed shrink prescribed something that totally revolutionized her approach to wellness. I’ll have what she’s having.

Cody says, as much as he’d like to, he can’t cover Selina’s losses, and she says, last night she received bad news about the proprietor of this establishment, a man she’s fond of. Cody says, N’neka informed him about Curtis and the shooting, and she says, and his incompetence only compounded her distress. He says he’s sorry, and he completely understands if she no longer wants to retain his services.

Tracy asks if Chase doesn’t think her granddaughter is committed to her job at Deception, and he asks if he can speak to his girlfriend in private. They make a mean iced cappuccino at the bar. Tracy says, that sounds dreadful. Why would anybody want to add ice to a perfectly good cappuccino? But she’ll leave, since apparently that’s what he wants her to do. She strides off, and Brook says, that was impressive. There aren’t many people granny will listen to. He asks why she always seems so tense around Tracy, and she says, it’s complicated. He says he knows Tracy wants her to have a career to fall back on, but all she needs is her talent. Don’t let Tracy, Linc, or any of her other personal demons make her doubt her talent. She takes his hands, and says she loves how much confidence he has in her. He says, unlike Tracy? Is Tracy pressuring her? She says, leave it, but he says, not if her grandmother is making her unhappy. Brook says, Tracy doesn’t care if she doesn’t want to work at Deception, and he says, then why not tell her to back off? Brook says, because Tracy put her up to it.

Willow says, they can cuddle and caress, but they have to put sex on hold. She’s so sorry. They didn’t even get a chance to consummate their marriage, and she’s making him wait even longer. He says, she’s not making him do anything. This is about her health. He’s not upset or surprised about it. She tells him that she knew he’d say that. He can tell her if he’s disappointed. He says, what’s disappointing is coming home to an empty house. Or telling Wiley, I don’t know, when he asks when she’s coming home. Imagining a life without her. Which is why, no matter how many times she’s brought up the subject, he’s never wanted to talk about it. He’ll do whatever it takes to make sure she’s home to stay with him and their family. She says, but what if it takes a while? She says she wants him. She’s disappointed they can’t be intimate like they used to. He says, first of all, hold that thought, and second of all, she does have him. And when she’s healthy and ready… She says she’ll definitely be ready, and he says, there you go, kissing her.

As she looks around, Anna says, Martin may or may not know this, but she’s currently unemployed. She was hoping she could be a little useful. He says, call it a hunch, but he suspects Valentin wouldn’t be too thrilled if he found out she was putting herself at risk. She makes a frustrated noise, and he says, what does she want? His client cares about her. He misses her. Anna says, she misses him too, obviously, and Martin says, it might come as a shock, but as demanding as the man can be, he does too. He’s with Laura, who’s his closest confidant, and they’re both on the other side of the world, just when he needs them most. She asks, why? What’s wrong? He says, wait a minute. She’s a woman. She says, can’t get anything past him, and he says, and she’s close with Lucy. She says she’s been in close proximity with Lucy for extended periods of time, but he says, it’s about Lucy. Anna’s good with riddles, so maybe she can help him with one. An unexpected, unmistakable chill suddenly came between them, and he for one, wonders why.

Felicia looks at Jack’s awards and diplomas, and says, impressive. She tells Cheyenne, if she needs to pop out for any reason, don’t mind her. If she needs to overnight something or if she wants to take an early lunch, it will be their little secret. Cheyenne says, it’s not even 11 am, when Jack comes out and asks if she can run around the corner to the gourmet coffee shop and get Mrs. Martin some coffee. Cheyenne says she’ll make a fresh pot, but Jack says, Mrs. Martin has a very particular coffee order. It would probably be best if she just went out and got it. He hands her a paper, and asks if he can get Felicia anything. Felicia says she’d love a latte, and he says, a latte it is, and tells Cheyenne to get something for herself. Lucy calls out, don’t forget her cinnamon, and Felicia says, her sister takes her coffee very seriously. Cheyenne leaves, and Felicia checks a file cabinet, but all the drawers are locked.

Selina says, letting Cody go doesn’t solve her problems. She still needs a reliable ringer. He says, clearly that’s not him; not any longer. They had a good run, but he’d hate to let her down again. She says, then don’t.

At the bar, Gladys asks if Montague saw the look on his face when she pulled out that third Jack, and he chuckles. She lowers her voice, and says, those drugs Sasha’s taking, they aren’t dangerous, right? He says, not at all, and she says, good. She needs Sasha’s guardianship to stay in place a bit longer, but she does care about Sasha. He says he’s explained this before. The medication is harmless on its own. It’s the reaction with Sasha’s antidepressant that will create the behaviors Gladys wanted, none of which are life threatening. She’ll be off-kilter, foggy, prone to mood swings. Gladys asks, will that be enough? Will people even notice some simple side-effects? He says, trust him. People will notice.

Maxie asks, what exactly did Sasha’s doctor prescribe? and Sasha says, meditation. She just breathes. Maxie’s phone rings, and she says, it’s Georgie. She steps away to take the call, telling Georgie, stop yelling at her brother. Put her on speaker phone. She tells James to give his sister her journal back right now, and Sasha takes another dose of medication. Maxie says, don’t make her have to ask again, or call her again. Just so he knows, tonight, they’re having a talk when she gets home. She comes back and asks Sasha if meditation will help her with her squabbling children. Sasha says, even Zen has its limits, and Maxie says she’s going to have to give in and get a bigger place, where everyone has their own room. She loves her apartment, but it’s time to move on. Sasha says, that’s the spirit, draping a scarf around Maxie. Lean into possibility. Maxie says she’s going to lean into some real estate listings. She really needs to get back to her kids. Is Sasha good? Sasha says, yeah, and Maxie leaves, taking a last questioning look before she goes out the door.

Chase asks why Tracy is making Brook work at Deception, when Tracy comes back, and says, that’s between her and Brook. This coffee drink is not half bad. Lucky she’s open-minded. Chase says, it kind of sounds like there’s more to the story, and Tracy says she knows he’s trained to look for crimes everywhere, but this really doesn’t concern him. He says, it does if she’s exerting undue influence, and she says, undue, shmundue. She’s just compelling. Brook says, like the guillotine, and Tracy says, that’s enough. Brook says, she’s right. It is enough. She’s done jumping through Tracy’s hoops. Say this, not that. Work here, not there. Hide this… Chase says, hide what? and Tracy says, be careful. Chase says, Brook knows she can tell him anything, and Brook takes a deep breath. She says, months ago, she asked granny for a favor that concerned Chase, and she granted it. He asks, what favor could Tracy possibly do for him? and Tracy says, getting his badge back.

Cody stares at Gladys, and Selina asks if she has his attention. He says, sorry, and she says, the more he apologizes, the less it means. So is this funny business? An accomplished ringer who couldn’t lose suddenly can’t perform. She finds that odd. He says, happens to the best of us from time to time, and Selina nods to Li, who comes over to the table. She asks why Cody insists the best course of action is to dismiss him, after he recently pressed her to stay on. Is he trying to get fired?

Montague tells Gladys, if Sasha took the medication as prescribed, her body will have metabolized it, and its interaction with her antidepressant has already had an effect.

Michael opens the door, and Sasha says, surprise! She hopes they don’t mind her dropping by like this. That’s what they get for adding her to the approved guest list. Can she come in? He says, Willow will be happy to see her, and tells her that she has to wear a mask, handing one to her. She yells for Willow, who says, what a surprise. They keep their distance, yet both hold out their arms, and Sasha says, until we can do that, let’s close our eyes and reach out our hands and pretend to hug. Can she feel the embrace? Willow half-heartedly attempts this, but Sasha is obviously into it. Michael’s phone rings, and he steps outside to take the call.

Michael asks Josslyn, what’s up?… He’s just getting Willow settled. Why?… Oh my God. When?

Felicia goes through Cheyenne’s desk drawers and finds a ring of keys. She tries them on the file cabinet, and finally hits the right one.

Anna tells Martin, all right. She’ll bite. Describe this unmistakable chill between him and Lucy. They sit down, and Martin says, maybe chill’s the wrong word. More like a distancing, and he doesn’t like it. He’s not used to being kept at arm’s length. Usually, you can’t slip a ruler between… Anna holds up her hand, and says, visual, and he says, up to this point, he and Lucy have been on the same page with just about everything. And he means everything – vacation, family, home… The perfect evening, shaken, not stirred, true crime over sports, cake over pie, companionship over marriage… Anna says, stop right there. That’s his problem. The Lucy Coe she knows likes marriage. He says, she used to like marriage, but been there, done that, several times. As has he, and neither one of them is anxious to make the same mistake again. Anna says, is that what she told him? and he nods. Anna says, she doesn’t mean it. She’s exhaustively romantic. He says, Lucy insists she’s happy with things as they are, and she says, yet here they are, dissecting his relationship. Has marriage been brought up lately? He says, actually, yes, but they both said they’re not interested. Anna tells him, it’s one thing to say that to yourself, but it’s quite another thing when the man you love says, nope, it’s not happening.

Chase says, so Tracy orchestrated his rehiring. That’s how he got the CCRB meeting and his badge back. Tracy says, actually, all she did was get the Board back in the room. They made a decision based on the case he presented, so really, that’s all him. Brook says she cost him his badge, so she called the one person she knew who could help, and he says, and now that person is holding it over her head. Tracy says, hello?  That person is standing right here. He asks how Deception fits into all this, when his phone rings. He steps away to take the call, and Tracy asks if Brook is under the influence. Brook says, Tracy knows she doesn’t do drugs, but Tracy says she means truth serum. First, it’s her colleagues, now it’s with Chase. How long is this confessional going to go on? Brook says she has nothing left to confess. In the past, her relationship with Chase ended over secrets. Tracy says, no. Her relationship ended because she got caught. Brook says, Chase doesn’t want her to be perfect, just honest, and Tracy says, transparency leads to questions, which she’ll soon find out when Mr. Perfect gets off the phone. Chase comes back, and Brook asks if it was about the shooting. He says he can’t get into it right now, but he is going to need some answers from her.

Brook tells Chase that she didn’t want to say anything because she didn’t want to involve him, and he says he’s got to get back to work. Unfortunately, this is going to have to wait. Tracy says, work? As in the job she helped him get back? He says he owes her nothing, and neither does Brook. If Tracy is strongarming Brook into something unethical, he’s going to find out. Brook tells Chase that she’s so sorry. She’s so done with secrets. He says he has to go, and tells Tracy, this isn’t over. He heads for the exit, comes back, and kisses Brook, then leaves. Tracy rolls her eyes.

Felicia looks through the files. She takes one out that says Maquillage, but it’s empty, so she puts it back. She goes over to the credenza and looks through the drawers. She’s about to take a crack at a safe, when she hears Lucy saying she hasn’t been in Pine Valley in so long. It’s a shame The Chateau closed down. Jack says, the real shame is that he isn’t able to do much for her at this juncture, but it was a real pleasure to make her acquaintance. She says, and it was such a pleasure to make his, and he says, but she’s right. The Chateau was the gold standard in Pine Valley for many years, but he thinks she’ll enjoy this new restaurant he told her about. He’ll see her at 8. Lucy says she can’t wait, and Cheyenne comes in with the coffee, apologizing that it took so long. Lucy thanks her, and says she’ll take hers to go. She scoops up the coffee on her way out the door, and Felicia follows suit.

Martin says, so Anna is telling him that Lucy is angry because he doesn’t want to get married again, and she says she’d bet her career on it, but… He says, she doesn’t have one, and she says, yeah. He says, that doesn’t make any sense. Why would you put your head back in the lion’s mouth? Lucy’s heard all his horror stories, and knows his track record. Anna knows about it. She tried to blackmail him over it. She says, that’s bygones. She doesn’t think Lucy would ever compare herself to his exes. She thinks Lucy sees herself as someone entirely different. He says, she is entirely different. He’s never met anyone like Lucy before. She gets him. Anna says, then what’s the problem? Won’t he at least consider it? He says his mama is only going to walk him down the aisle so many times, and Anna says, make light of it if he wants, but buy himself a sweater. Because that chill he’s feeling from Lucy is liable to set in. She wants to amend something she said earlier about Lucy not comparing herself to his exes, because there is one area where she’s keeping score. And that is, he was willing to marry them, but refuses to take the plunge with her.

Sasha enthusiastically describes the clothing she bought for Willow, as she pulls it out of the shopping bag, and Willow tells her, slow down. She can’t keep up. Sasha thought of everything. Sasha says she just wants Willow’s homecoming to be perfect, and Willow says, just being with the people she cares about is perfect. Sasha gasps, pulling out another top, and asking, isn’t it exquisite? She suggests Willow try it on, but Willow says she shouldn’t. She has to wash or clean everything before she wears or uses it. She notices a security tag, and points it out to Sasha.

Cody asks Selina why he’d try to get fired. She pays him nightly more than he makes in months working with the horses. She asks, why continue with horses? and he says, they make him happy. She asks if he’s happy in her employ, and he says, who wouldn’t be? Right, Li? He holds up his hand for a high-five, but nothing. Selina says, there is one way to find out if that’s true, and asks Li to bring the cards used in tonight’s game.

Brook lies down on the chaise, and Tracy says, Chase isn’t the only one with work responsibilities. Doesn’t Brook have someplace to be? Brook says, nope. Chase now knows Tracy helped get him reinstated at the PCPD. Tracy says, so? and Brook says, so Tracy no longer has any leverage over her. The sun is out. The pool awaits. And today seems like a wonderful day to resign from Deception… again. Tracy says, Brook is forgetting something. She committed corporate espionage. What would her pious policeman think about that?

Anna says her advice to Martin is very simple; just be honest with Lucy. Share his frustrations about marriage. He says he has; she’s heard them all. Anna says, no. She’s heard him bitching about his ex-wives. He has to figure out if this has translated into an institutionalized phobia. Tell Lucy his fears. But before he does that, he needs to be very honest with himself. Is he worried that it’s too soon? Is he concerned about compatibility? Is he afraid of failing again? Or is it something else? He says, it may be too soon. God knows they’re compatible. Yes, all of the above; frightened, concerned, afraid. He hates to commit again, and then fail again. She smiles, and he says, what? She says, he forgot the something else. Because there is another reason, isn’t there?

Down the hall, Lucy asks how she did. Did Felicia have enough time? Did she get anything? Felicia asks if Lucy made a date with the man she spent the last hour lying to, and Lucy says, good point. It usually takes her half the time. She’s slipping. It must be trauma from that whole Victor thing. She sips her coffee, and says, she told him no whipped milk. Felicia gets her attention, and Lucy says, maybe she did make a date, per se. Felicia says, remember what happened when she went rogue with Victor? Spending more time with Jackson Montgomery opens them up to exposure. Lucy says, okay. Did Felicia get anything? She doesn’t see anything. Did she get a file? Lucy doesn’t see a file. Did she find a flashdrive? What did she get? Felicia says, no. She got nothing. The assistant was glued to her desk. By the way, that was a brilliant gambit of Lucy’s, ordering coffee. Lucy thanks her and says, Anna Devane eat your heart out. Felicia says, making the order more complicated was a stroke of genius, and Lucy says, it was all part of her plan. Felicia says she needs to continue to search. And she thinks she knows where. The Maquillage file wasn’t with the other documents, but she thinks it’s in that safe. She bets if she can get into it, she can find that file, and they can find out what Martin’s been hiding. Lucy asks if Felicia can really crack a safe, and Felicia says she has skills. So she guesses it’s a good thing that Jackson will be otherwise occupied tonight at 8. They clink their to-go cups.

Martin says he doesn’t know what Anna’s talking about. All the reasons she listed, besides compatibility, are perfectly valid. And legitimately good reasons not to want to get married again. Anna asks, what about the giant one in particular? The one that hasn’t been listed? The one she found out when she knew about his three ex-wives. Because one of them is so different from the others, isn’t she? He says, number three. She’s far more sadistic. Anna says, and rich. She’s the only one he doesn’t pay alimony to. In fact, she pays him, a cool 50K a month. And if he remarries, his ex-wife is going to cut him off, and that’s what this is really all about, isn’t it? He can either marry Lucy, or ride the gravy train, but he can’t do both. And what he can’t tell Lucy is that he’s already made his choice.

Montague says he has to catch some winks before his next session. He’ll see Gladys at Sasha’s next session. He believes he’ll have a lot to report to the judge. He leaves, and Cody tells Selina that Gladys is up to something. Selina says, his chance to come clean is over when Li returns. Li comes back with the cards, and gives them to Selina. Cody says, give him a chance to explain. It won’t happen again. She says, no, it won’t, and looks through the cards. She holds up a card, and says, white ink, but he swears he didn’t know where that came from. She says something to Li, who grabs Cody and frisks him. He pulls a small ink bottle out of Cody’s boot, and Cody says he can explain, but Selina says, there’s no need. It’s evident what happened here. Cody threw her game.

Sasha says, so much for being perfect, putting the top back into the bag. She’ll have to return it to the store to have the tag removed. Willow tells her, don’t worry about it, and Michael says, Chase is here. Willow says, the more the merrier, and Chase says, it’s good to see her outside the isolation room. She says, tell her about it, and he asks to talk to Sasha. Sasha tells him to hold on a second, and pulls the top out again, telling Michael that it’s for him to take Willow someplace nice, like a sunset cruise. Chase tries to get her attention, and she tells him, wait, but he says, this can’t wait. She’s under arrest.

Tomorrow, Sasha says, lawyers are for guilty people; Sam asks Gladys what that woman has on her; Sonny’s not going to rest until he finds out; and Curtis’s surgeon calls for a crash cart.

🍊 The Real Housewives of Orange County were still inflicting themselves on Montana, and Gina was still bawling about Jenn’s infidelity. Or Ryan’s. Or both of them. In her interview, she said there were a lot of triggers all over for her. Like how recently she’d gone to a church wedding, and she’d gotten married in a church. Pretty soon it’s going to be, people were breathing, and Matt breaths. As much as I hate agreeing with Fancy Pants, this girl needs therapy. Tamra said, if she didn’t care about Jenn, she wouldn’t have announced the whole world that Jenn’s boyfriend is a lying liar who lies. Again, as with Fancy Pants, it’s not what she says, but the way she says it. And when. To Fancy Pant Heather’s credit, she did bring weed for the whole class. Instead of in tents, they slept in a 9500 square foot villa, and got more stoned.

In the morning there was a choice between fly fishing or white-water rafting. On the phone, Jenn cried to Ryan that Tamra hit below the belt. Apparently, she doesn’t know Tamra and has never watched this show. In Jenn’s interview, she said she’d decided to wait until she and Ryan were face to face before confronting him with wanting to hit on Tamra. Shannon, Gina, and Fancy Pants went fishing, while the rest rafted. In her interview, Fancy Pants said, diction should be taught in Montana since she confused the word waders with waiters. Go home, Fancy Pants! You’d think being a fitness enthusiast, Tamra wouldn’t have screeched quite so loudly during the rafting expedition. There was a lot of screaming and such coming from the fishing group as well, but I’m not sure why. Fancy Pants said, cowgirl is hard, so maybe that’s it. There was also quite a to-do over the rafting guide’s shorts having a peek-a-boo issue.

There was a candlelight dinner outside where they talked highs and lows, and Shannon got all misty about reconnecting with Tamra. Fancy Pants pretended shoveling sh*t was her high because it reminded her about how hard people work. Her low was how left out she was when Tamra and Shannon reconnected. She whined about them not inviting her to their PJ party of two, but in Tamra’s interview, she called bullsh*t, and Shannon wondered how much attention she needed. Shannon thought Fancy Pants saw it as a competition, and made a mini speech about how she and Tamra had been through so much, and she never thought this day would come when they’d be sitting together again.

Fancy Pants said she was sorry she’d shared, and in her interview, she said, it wasn’t like it was an isolated incident. We flashed back to her being a third wheel a bunch of times, and she said, they’re friends again and she’s nowhere. Taylor thanked Fancy Pants for helping her with her acting skills, and Heather somehow made that into a bad thing. Jenn felt badly about being a trigger for Gina, who got weepy all over again. Fancy Pants had to ask how much longer Travis was going to put up with this endless cycle, and Gina said he wasn’t putting up with anything; she was a human and these were her feelings. In her interview, Gina questioned whether Heather was really her friend.

Back in the OC, the gym was over with, but Tamra said she and Eddie had a successful THC product business. She told Eddie about Ryan saying he wanted to f*** her, and Eddie said, Ryan’s friends told him that he likes to prey on married women. Tamra said he’d cheated on Jenn already, and in Tamra’s interview, she said it reminded her of Vicki and Brooks. I didn’t see that, but it gave a good reason to flash back to those two morons.

Annabelle had her first modeling job, and Emily was concerned about getting to the point where Annabelle would say, have Emily’s people call her people. As a mom she felt it was her job to make sure her kids were happy and able to pursue their dreams. Sounds reasonable. She should probably escape now. Jenn told Ryan about what Tamra had said, as a Golden Retriever with a sad expression watched. Jenn said she, Tamra, and a different Heather, not Fancy Pants, had been friends. Heather stirred the pot, spreading rumors about Ryan, Jenn started to question Ryan, and they all parted ways. Ryan was all deny, deny, deny, and in Jenn’s interview, she said, if Tamra wanted to talk to her, Tamra needed to come to her and not announce it to the group. Can’t blame her there.

Gina told Travis that she’d thought it would be a nice getaway and relaxing. Seriously? She hasn’t been on one of these girls trips before? In her interview, she said she was mad at Fancy Pants. She had few close friendships, and had let Heather in. She told Travis about how Heather took her phone when she wanted to call him, but didn’t even bother checking in later because she was hanging with Tamra. Gina asked if she shouldn’t talk to him, but Travis said it was his job in the relationship. I was distracted by his beard/moustache combo that looks painted on, and in his interview, he said he was her person, and they were there to help each other. Frankly, I think Gina is taking this way too personally, since Fancy Pants is also Bossy Pants. She just likes to control everything. Do as my father told me. Smile, nod, then do what you want.

Next time, a boat ride; Emily tries to talk sense to Heather; Tamra throws a napkin at Jenn, and screams that Jenn should leave her boyfriend. At a restaurant.

 🦙 Off To Count Llamas…

Come see me for a dose of soap and tea tomorrow. Until then, stay safe, stay not worrying about tomorrow’s problems today, and stay leaning into possibility. (Hey, just because Sasha’s high doesn’t mean she can’t have a good idea.)

Jul12

July 11, 2023 – Curtis Is Taken Into Surgery, Two Losses, Even Longer, Je M’appelle Daryl, City News, Birthday Bubbles & Hair

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Gabe says he made sure Brook got home safe and sound. Now he’s taking Sonny home. But Sonny says he’s not going anywhere until he gets an update from Dex at GH. He asks if Anna is ready to go home, but she says she can’t stop thinking about Curtis. It’s the worst that he was caught in the middle of all of this. The shooter was aiming at either her or Sonny, and Curtis got in the way.

Esme puts her hand on Spencer’s shoulder, and says she really appreciates him taking these parenting classes with her. He says he did it for his little brother. There’s nothing he wouldn’t do for Ace. From the doorway, Josslyn – who is starting to annoy me to no end – says, what’s this? Hanging out after class?

Outside, Finn says, Elizabeth did great tonight, and she says she learned from the best. Epiphany always told her that she needed to compartmentalize. Put her fears and doubts aside, and just do her job. Finn says, Epiphany would have been really proud of Elizabeth. The way she stayed focused on her patient despite all the chaos, not knowing if the shooter was going to shoot again. She helped keep Curtis alive. She says, they did it together, and he says, they did, didn’t they?

At the Bistro, Stella says she’s glad she could join Marshall tonight. And for once, they’re not squabbling about the check – he’s paying. She laughs, and he says, his pleasure. It’s been a long time since they had a night out, just the two of them. She says she agrees. Even after all these years, there’s only one thing that would make it better, and that’s if there were three of them. He takes her hand and says he knows. She’s thinking about her sister Irene. Not a day goes by he doesn’t miss her. She says, Irene was so full of life, just like Curtis.

The doctor comes out and Trina says, Curtis is going to make it, isn’t he? Tell her. Portia says, she’s in shock. The doctors and nurses are doing everything they can to help Curtis. The doctor says, that’s right. He called in Dr. Barnsole, the neurosurgeon. He’s on his way. He leaves, and Portia tells Trina that she’s worked with him before. He’s the very best at what he does. Trina says, what if something goes wrong? The surgery is complicated, and the bullet is lodged near his spine. He could be paralyzed. Portia says, yes, there is a risk, but because Curtis is unconscious, he can’t speak for himself. They have to speak for him. And the Curtis Ashford she knows would do anything to be with the people he loves. Anything. She and Trina hug.

Trina says she knows Portia has Curtis’s best interest at heart, and trusts her judgement, and Portia says, it means so much to her that Trina has faith in her. The doctor gets Portia’s attention, and Portia says she has Curtis’s family’s blessing, do everything they can to save Curtis’s life… no matter the risk. The doctor says, they will, and leaves. Portia says, Trina’s so strong, but Trina says, honestly, she doesn’t feel so strong. She’s so scared. Portia says she’s so scared too, and holds Trina.

Stella says, if Irene were here, she’d tell them, don’t dwell on the past; look to the future. Marshall says, amazing, isn’t it? He came here looking for a son and found a whole family. He gets a faraway look, and she says, everything was good at Curtis’s birthday party. Has something changed? He says, it seems Curtis and Portia are still working it out, and she says, what about him? Does he think she doesn’t know what losing Epiphany Johnson meant to him? She got a chance to know Epiphany; she was a fine woman. They even hung out a little bit at Curtis’s nightclub. She cared about Marshall, and he doesn’t have to tell her the feeling wasn’t mutual, because she knows better. He says he has this memory… Just before Epiphany was going off to take her MCATs, she kissed him, and that kiss, that one kiss, is going to have to last him forever. Stella says she’s so sorry. Does he think it would help if he talked to somebody? A professional maybe, a shrink? He says he already has.

Esme says she didn’t see Josslyn there, and Josslyn says, obviously. She tells Spencer that his girlfriend’s downstairs, and he asks if something’s wrong. She says, Trina’s dad Curtis was shot tonight.

Elizabeth tells Finn that she doesn’t understand why someone would take a shot at Curtis. He left that world behind him when he traded in his P.I. license for The Savoy. Does Finn think an enemy from the past followed him? Finn says he talked to Dante for a moment at the scene. There were three shots fired, and he thinks Curtis was hit by a ricochet of one of them. She says, so he wasn’t the intended target? and Finn says, seems that way. She says, in a way, that only makes it worse, the randomness of it. If either of them had been at the pool instead of the restaurant… They both say, it could have been you, in unison.

Anna tells Sonny that it’s no secret her past has caught up with her. She should have taken someone spray painting murderer on her door more seriously. She just wanted to believe it was a teenage prank. Maybe it wasn’t. Maybe it was a warning of things to come. He says, three shots at long range lacks a personal touch, and she says, he’s right. It’s military procedure; not exactly his world, is it? She knows he and Valentin have gone into some business venture together, which Valentin hasn’t told her anything about. She didn’t press, but she didn’t think it was charitable work. Is that what this shooting’s been about? Nina runs in, and says she came as soon as she heard about the shooting. Thank God they’re okay. Sonny says, there was a shooting, but she needs to go home, and Nina says, absolutely not. This is her hotel. How would it look to her staff and her guests if she just went and hid? Her presence helps send a message that things are safe here. Besides, she’s not going anywhere until she finds out if anyone was hurt. Sonny says, somebody was hurt, and she asks, who was it? Please, just tell her. He says, it was Curtis.

Nina says, Curtis was shot? My God, is he all right? Anna says, Finn and Elizabeth were here. They were able to help him until the paramedics got here. Sonny says, they rushed him to GH. They’re just waiting for an update. Nina asks, how bad is it? and Anna says, he was hit in the back. Nina asks if anyone else was hurt, but Sonny says, no one else was hurt. She says she’s grateful for that, but who would shoot Curtis? Was it someone from his past with a score to settle? If Sonny knows anything, he doesn’t have to protect her; just tell her. Anna says, it’s just conjecture at this point… and Sonny says, he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. That’s it. Nina says, so someone else was the target. Did they mean to finish what they started and try to kill Sonny? Is that it?

Elizabeth tells Finn that she knows life is fragile. You pretty much learn that the first day in nursing school if you didn’t already know it. Finn says, there’s death at GH every week, in all its forms. Sometimes it’s a shock. Other times, it’s almost a relief when you see a patient struggling with a longtime disease. In med school, they teach that you have to build an armor against it. Because if you don’t do that, you can’t do your job. She says, until it’s someone you know, someone you care about… and he says, they all wake up thinking they have all the time in the world, but they don’t. Tonight taught them that they shouldn’t waste a single second.

Stella says she’s so proud of Marshall for seeking help. Did talking to the therapist give him closure; help him deal with the pain about Epiphany? He says, it helped to talk about it, but then things got even more personal, and she says, he doesn’t have to tell her if he doesn’t want to. He asks if he hasn’t kept enough things locked up inside of him, and she asks if he talked about his diagnosis from back in the day. He says, yeah. He’s been off of his meds long enough that he has a sense of his behavior and biochemistry and all that. Stella asks if the psychiatrist agreed with Portia. Is there any chance Marshall was misdiagnosed with schizophrenia over 40 years ago? He says, there’s more than a chance. It seems almost certain it was something else.

Josslyn tells Spencer that Trina is on the first floor near the trauma room, and he jets, telling Esme to call a Ride Share to get Ace and get home. Esme starts to get her stuff together, and Josslyn asks where she’s going. They’re going to have a little chat.

Trina tells Portia that she can’t believe she just found out Curtis is her father, only to maybe lose him. It doesn’t feel right. Portia tells her, no one said she’s going to lose him. She can’t think like that. She has to think positive thoughts. Trina says, Portia doesn’t have to be brave for her benefit. She just told Trina that she was terrified. Portia says she is terrified, but she also has hope. Trina’s father’s a strong man, and as much as Trina wants him in her life, Portia knows he wants to be there for Trina. Spencer comes out of the elevator, and Trina runs to him. He holds her as Dex watches from across the room.

Esme says she doesn’t think she and Josslyn have anything to talk about, but Josslyn says, that’s where she’s wrong. Spencer might have done his part for his little brother, coming with Esme to parenting class, but right now, Trina’s going through hell, and he needs to be with her. I love how she’s talking like there was some argument about this. Are we watching the same show? Esme says, then it’s lucky for Trina that Josslyn knew where to find them. Does she stalk all her friends? Josslyn says, it’s not luck actually. Her grandma runs all of the educational classes here at GH. She told Josslyn that Spencer was in this class. She thinks it’s a good thing she showed up when she did. Esme heads for the door, and Josslyn says she’s onto Esme. Esme asks what that means, and Josslyn says, it means she saw that tender little moment between Esme and Spencer. What was that? Your homework? Did the instructor tell her to get closer with Ace’s brother after class? Esme says, that tender moment Josslyn thinks she saw was just her thanking Spencer for coming to a class he didn’t want to go to. That is all. Josslyn says she saw exactly how Esme thanked him, and Esme says, look. She’s apologized to Josslyn, but that is who she was. She’s not that person anymore. Josslyn says, that’s not good enough. Esme took things from her that she can never get back, and Esme has yet to pay for them. Esme says she’s so sorry, but she doesn’t know what Josslyn expects her to do in order to believe her. Josslyn says, she can turn herself in.

Stella says, so if the psychiatrist thought Marshall was wrongfully diagnosed all those years ago with schizophrenia, did he say what he thought was really wrong with Marshall? Marshall says, of course (🍷) not. All he said was he didn’t want to speculate without reading the original file that was written by whoever diagnosed him 40 years ago, back before computers even documented everything. Even if he was able to track down a hard copy of the file, he already thinks he knows what would be in that file. She asks if he’s thinking it’s what led Portia to the same conclusion, and he says, bingo. Her phone rings, and she says, Portia. Hey. She’s in the middle of something. Can she call Portia back? Portia says she’s sorry, but this can’t wait. She’s been trying to get ahold of Marshall and she’s not getting a response. Does Stella happen to know where he is? Stella says she’s sitting with him at the Haven Bistro. What’s wrong? Portia says, Curtis has been shot, and Stella says, oh dear God. Portia says she’ll tell Stella everything when she gets to GH. They’re about to take him to surgery. Stella says, they’re on their way, and Marshall asks where they’re going. She says, pray for Curtis and come with her, and they jet.

Elizabeth tells Finn that she was working on adrenaline tonight. After they took Curtis away and the job was done, all she wanted was to be with Finn. And to see his face and hold his hand, and know that he was out of danger. He says he felt the same thing. He just wanted her to be okay. He learned the hard way, life isn’t always fair. Sometimes it’s cruel, and bad things happen to really good people. She says, sometimes good people do bad things, and he says, they’ve all made mistakes. They can’t help beating themselves up about bad decisions they made five minutes ago in their past. Either can move past them or… She says, or what? and Finn says, or they have to courage to admit they weren’t just mistakes. They were failures, and they’re brave enough to move on. Maybe a little bruised, but not beaten, and hopefully a helluva lot smarter.

Sonny tells Nina that he’s got his share of enemies, but there’s no reason to believe that he’s the shooter’s target. Anna says, it could have just as easily been someone aiming at her, and Nina says, Anna risked her life bringing Aunt Liesl home in time to save Willow. Does she really think there are people still out there who are loyal to Victor Cassadine? Anna says, the mercenaries who were on his payroll, no. She doubts any of them would care to honor his memory by seeking revenge. But now that her sordid past has been publicized around the world, it’s likely it’s someone from her past looking for payback. Sonny’s phone rings, and he steps away. He asks Dex if there’s any news, and Dex says, Curtis is hanging in there. The bullet is lodged in his spinal cord, so there’s a lot of concern about that. They just wheeled him into the OR for surgery. Sonny says, anything else? and Dex says he’s not a doctor, but from his battlefield experience, it feels like the odds are stacked against Curtis. Sonny asks if Josslyn is with Trina, and Dex says, yeah. She’s here at the hospital. Sonny tells him to stick close to Josslyn, and call him if anything changes. He goes back to Anna and Nina, and says, what they know right now is, Curtis is alive and they’re going to take him to surgery. Anna says, that’s good news, and Nina says, it is, but the way Sonny said that was like there’s bad news too. And she doesn’t have to guess what that is, does she?

Curtis is wheeled past Trina and Spencer, and Portia runs out. The doctor says, they’re taking Curtis up to surgery. They’re going to do everything they can. Portia says she knows they will, and everyone wastes time looking at Curtis for a moment before he’s wheeled into the elevator.

Esme says, and people tell her that she’s the dangerous one, and Josslyn says, when you hurt someone the way Esme hurt her, they pay for it. She learned that from her family. Esme asks, who taught her that? Her ex-stepdad, the mob boss? Josslyn says she’s here to protect her friend Trina. No more, no less. Esme doesn’t have any friends, so she can see why Esme would have trouble understanding that. Esme says she doesn’t know if Spencer considers her a friend or not, but he is Ace’s brother. And because Nikolas decided to skip town, Spencer has been helping her with Ace, and she appreciates that, but that’s all he is to her. No more, no less. Josslyn says, that might convince some people, and Esme says, it should; it’s the truth. She knows all of the lies she allegedly told Josslyn, but this isn’t one of them, and she isn’t the old Esme. Josslyn says, then who is she? Because this is still abrasive, and she wonders which psychopath Esme inherited that from, Ryan or Heather? Esme says, how dare she? For real. Why is Josslyn being such an asshat?

Sonny tells Nina, all Dex said was, Curtis is being sent to surgery. They both know he’s a fighter, right? Nina says she has to get to the hospital, and he says he’ll have Gabe take her, while he… She says, he and Anna were witnesses. Maybe they can help the police track down whoever did this to Curtis. Sonny asks Frank to take Nina to the hospital, and Nina kisses him goodbye, leaving with Frank. Anna asks Sonny what Nina meant by someone finishing what they started, and he says, Nina always worries that he’s going to be in the line of fire. It just goes with the territory.

Spencer tells Trina, it’s going to be okay, and gets her to sit down. She says, he doesn’t know that, and he says, okay, he doesn’t. But until the doctors give them something to worry about, they need to stay positive. She and Curtis are cut from the same cloth. Look at the way she snuck onto the Haunted Star. She stared death right in the face. She survived everything Victor threw at her, and that was a lot. Where did that will to live come from if not from Curtis? She says, when they were in their darkest times and didn’t know if they were going to make it, she knew Curtis was fighting for her. He says, now it’s her turn to keep fighting for him, when Marshall and Stella come out of the elevator.

Marshall hugs Portia, and asks, where’s his son? Stella asks when they can see him, and Portia says, they took him to the OR just a little while ago, but the surgery is going to take some time. Stella says, when she got the call, she was hoping she could see him, because she never got a chance to tell him how very much… She breaks down crying, and Marshall hugs them both. Portia says, he knows. Don’t ask her how, but he knows.

Elizabeth tells Finn, that makes her think about when she used to take the boys to the park. She remembers when each of them was finally big enough to jump off the high dive. They were fearless because they’d never done it before. But after that first time, especially if they belly flopped, they knew jumping off was a risk. He says he knows that feeling. Standing up there, looking down, thinking about everything that could go wrong, thinking about how much it might hurt. She says, it takes a lot of courage to take that plunge a second time, and he says, kind of like how she confronted her parents after all those years. It was a risky thing to do, but she seemed pretty fearless to him. She says she guesses she was, and he says, so tell him, is she ready to take the plunge again? She says, is he?

Josslyn says, how dare she what? Esme took a shot at her ex, and she can’t say anything about Esme’s nutjob parents? She remembers the sociopath Esme was before she lost her memory. Dex walks in and asks if there’s a problem, but Josslyn says, nothing she can’t handle. Back to what really matters; how’s Curtis? Dex says, they’re taking him to the OR for surgery, and Josslyn says, so there’s a chance. He says, there’s always a chance, and Josslyn says, good. She’s so glad Trina has Spencer to lean on. Esme says she needs to go get her child and relieve the babysitter, but could Dex please tell Trina that she’s thinking good thoughts for her and her dad? She leaves, and Dex asks, what was that all about? And why is she asking him to deliver a message to Trina? Josslyn says, because Esme knew she wouldn’t do it. But she thinks she just caught a glimpse of the real Esme. Okay, so she’s supposed to be Josslyn’s punching bag if she’s not a sociopath? What I said before.

Stella hugs Trina, and says, it’s just so hard for her to wrap her head around. Curtis was shot by the MetroCourt pool. It just doesn’t seem real. Trina says she wishes it wasn’t. Curtis is the most alive person she knows. And to think… Stella says, no, don’t think it. Just sweep those negative thoughts out of her mind. He needs them to think good thoughts now. Trina has to think about how much life she has left to share with her father. Trina says, her father. She wishes she’d known that sooner. Stella says, she can’t change the past, but the fact is, Trina knows he’s her father now, and Curtis knows she’s his daughter. And if there’s any justice in the world, this isn’t the end of this journey; it’s just the start. Trina says she wishes she believed that, and Stella hugs her.

Marshall tells Portia that she doesn’t have to be Dr. Robinson right now; she’s just a part of this family… his family. He never knew how much that meant to him until right now. Nina comes out of the elevator and runs over to Portia. She hugs Portia, saying, she’s so sorry. She heard about Curtis. Portia thanks her for coming, but Nina says, Portia doesn’t have to thank her. She just needs to know that Curtis is going to be okay. Portia says, Nina knows Curtis, and she knows he’s not going out without a fight, and Nina says, that’s exactly right.

Anna says, Nina might have bought it, but Sonny can’t fool her. He’s on someone’s hitlist. He says he thought they had an unwritten rule; don’t ask, don’t tell. She says, oh, that rule, and he says he’s not going to ask her about the people who could be targeting her, and he’d want the same kind of courtesy. He motions Gabe over, and asks him to get the car. Gabe leaves, and Anna asks if it’s worth it, this life Sonny’s chosen, or the one that chose her. Every single choice they’ve ever made in their lives brought them to this moment; this moment tonight, this situation. From different directions obviously, but they have to face the same violent conclusion; that they always have to watch their backs. Sonny says, let him ask her a question. If she could turn back the clock and start over, would she do things differently? She thinks for a moment, and says she’s not sure. Would he?

Finn tells Elizabeth, tonight’s a reminder of just how precious life can be. Curtis didn’t go to the MetroCourt thinking he was going to get shot, and Portia never expected she was going to have to try and saved his life. None of them get promised another sunset, another sunrise. All he knows is, if they don’t take this chance, they might not get another one. She asks if he thinks they really can, and he says, you and me, make it work? He doesn’t know. All they can do is try. He kisses her.

When they come up for air, Elizabeth says she should go home to the boys, and Finn says, Violet’s probably talked the babysitter’s ear off at this point, and she’ll be waiting for him to read her a story before going to bed. Does Elizabeth have any plans for tomorrow night? She says, no, no plans, and he says, it’s funny. He doesn’t have any plans either. He could take her out. She says, they could stay in. She’d love to cook him dinner. Does he like lasagna? He says he loves lasagna. He’s sure anything she made would be amazing. She says, then she’ll surprise him, and they stroll out of the park.

Stella asks Portia why they haven’t been given any news. It seems like a long time since they’ve gotten an update. Trina says, Portia works there. Can’t she pull some strings or something? They know Curtis is in surgery, but they could be told something, like it’s going well, or it’s not going well. Why haven’t they been told anything? Portia says she knows Trina’s scared; they all are. But the most important thing to focus on right now is the surgery. Whatever they need to do to give Curtis the best possible care, that’s the priority. So the only thing they can really do right now is pray and be patient. Stella nods and walks off, and Spencer tells Portia, let him see what he can find out. His family still donates a great deal of money to this hospital… Portia says, this isn’t about his family or their money, and he says, she’s so right. He’s sorry. She thanks him, and says she knows he’s just trying to help. She follows Stella, and Spencer holds Trina as Esme comes out of the elevator. She goes over to Trina and says she just heard about Trina’s dad. She’s so sorry. Trina thanks her, and Esme says, she and Spencer were in this parenting class when Josslyn found them and broke the news. They were both devastated for her.

Josslyn says, let’s go, and Dex asks if she’s sure she’s okay. As long as he’s known her, she’s been pretty rock solid. He’s never seen someone get under her skin like that. (Did they just meet today?) She says, that’s what Esme does. She finds all of your buttons and presses every last one of them. He asks if she’s saying Esme is pretending to have amnesia, but Josslyn says she doesn’t know. Esme’s dad is Ryan Chamberlain, and her mom is Heather Webber, so… Even before they knew that, they knew she was a sociopath. She’s more convinced than ever that jealous, spiteful Esme is in her and just waiting to come back out.

Spencer says he thought Esme was heading home because she was so anxious about leaving Ace with the new babysitter for the first time. Esme says she just spoke to Melanie, who assured her that Ace is sleeping like a rock, but she’s headed home now. They seem preoccupied, but is there a message Spencer wants her to pass on to his little brother? Spencer says, just that he’ll be home soon, and he loves him. Thanks. She says, sounds good, and tells Trina, when she tucks Ace into bed tonight, she promises to say a prayer for her dad. She walks out, giving a last look to Spencer holding Trina.

Sonny tells Anna that he’s not the type of person who spends time second guessing. When he was washed up from that river, and ended up in Nixon Falls without a memory of who he was or what he did, he created a life for himself. Cowboy Mike, the bartender. He laughs, and says, then when he got his memory back, he still had a little piece of Mike inside his heart. But at the end of the day, he’s Sonny Corinthos mob boss. Love it or hate it, that’s the life he chose – or the one that chose him. Either way, it’s his life and he’s okay with it. She says she sees. She’s going to go home. He says he’d offer to get her a ride… She says, except he knows better, and he says, yeah, he does. She heads for the door, and he says, if she changes her mind, the offer still stands. She says she appreciates that, and tells him to take care.

Nina tells Portia, nobody loves their life as much as Curtis loves his. She knows this because he said those exact words. Portia asks if Nina minds telling her what he said, and Nina says, of course (🍷). They were talking a while back, and he said he loves running the nightclub – Marshall and Stella walk up – especially when his family can join him at night. When Portia and Trina go there to unwind after a long day at work and school. When his dad can be there – she takes Marshall’s hand – and join in the live music and maybe sing along. Then Aunt Stella – she takes Stella’s hand – joins, when they’re lucky enough to have her in town. And he said all this with a big smile on his face. Stella says, amen to that, and Marshall says, that’s a beautiful sentiment. He’s still kicking himself for all the years he wasted staying away. Watching from a distance, Trina tells Spencer that she wishes she had her Aunt Stella’s faith. Spencer says, Trina might not have the same faith in God that she does, but Trina can at least trust he’s not going anywhere. He smooths her hair and kisses the top of her head.

Tomorrow, Chase asks Brook what Tracy could possibly do for him; Cody says he’ll understand if Selina no longer wants to retain his services; Lucy tells Felicia that they’re going to find what Martin’s been hiding from her; and it’s Sasha 2.0.

🥀 Sad Soap News…

This was so sad to hear. She was always one of my favorites.

Soap Star Andrea Evans Dead at 66
Stars Remember the Late Andrea Evans

Another groundbreaker gone too soon.

ALL MY CHILDREN Actor Jeffrey Carlson Dead at 48

⚔️ Hatfields And McCoys 2023…

It’s doubtful I could sit through two hours of this. And really? At someone else’s house?

Danielle Cabral Reveals Which Teresa Giudice and Melissa Gorga Fight Lasted Two Hours

⚰️ Across The Dead Sea…

Daryl has a hard time communicating in his native country. It will be interesting to see how he navigates France.

https://www.looper.com/1300810/the-walking-dead-daryl-dixon-everything-you-need-to-know/

https://ew.com/tv/walking-dead-daryl-dixon-norman-reedus-branded-teaser-footage/

🗽 This Week In the City…

https://movieweb.com/the-walking-dead-dead-city-surprise-cameo-character/

https://comicbook.com/tv-shows/news/the-walking-dead-dead-city-recap-season-1-episode-4-everybody-wins-a-prize/

🐶 Lucky Dog…

Now I don’t feel as bad about Jiggs next door not liking me too much.

https://people.com/sofia-vergara-joe-manganiello-celebrate-dog-bubbles-birthday-7558714

🏃🏽‍♀️ Sliding Into Home…

Boomerang back tomorrow for soap and trash talk about the OC. Until then, stay safe, stay keeping in touch with old friends, and stay not dwelling on the past, but looking toward the future.

Jul11

July 10, 2023 – Shots Are Fired At the MetroCourt Pool, Guest Randy Instigates a Problem On Deck, Surviving the Season From Hell & Sunset

Posted on by
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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

TJ and Molly go to dance, and Sam says, it looks like Molly is doing better. Alexis says she’s glad Molly is taking some of the pressure of that she’s putting on herself, and Kristina says she has a way that Molly and TJ won’t feel alone in this. Sam asks, what’s her big idea? and Kristina says, she’ll be Molly and TJ’s surrogate. Molly overhears, and asks if she and TJ can sit somewhere separate; as isolated as possible. He asks why she doesn’t want to be around her mom and her sisters, and she says, because she may have to kill her sister.

Trina and Josslyn set up a picnic on a blanket in the park, and Josslyn says she feels like she just goes from one disaster to the next. She feels like they haven’t done something like this since high school. Trina says, times sure were simpler then, and Josslyn agrees. She says, for one thing, they didn’t have boyfriends who couldn’t stand each other.

Waiting outside the parenting class, Spencer tells Esme that she’s late. She apologizes, and says she got held up at work. She asks how Ace is, and he says, Ace was asleep when he left. She says she can’t wait for his grandmother and Doc to get back from looking for Nikolas. She’s more comfortable leaving Ace with them than a strange babysitter. Spencer says, Melanie is one of the Quartermaine nannies. She’s doing this as a favor to him, and her credentials are impeccable. Esme says, but her child has already been kidnapped once by his demented relatives, so forgive her if she’s overprotective. He says, it’s completely fine with him if they bail on this class. It was her idea.

Chase calls the station, and says, three shots were fired at the MetroCourt pool… No. He wasn’t present at the shooting. He was in the restaurant… He doesn’t know if anyone was hit.

Sonny asks if Dante can see the shooter, and on the phone, Jordan says, somebody already called it in? She was at the pool when it happened. It looked like it came from above; from a hotel room.

Finn and Elizabeth find Chase, and Finn asks, what happened? They heard gunshots. Chase says, thank God. He needs their help. Come with him.

Dante yells that he’s with the PCPD and wants everyone to stay where they are. On his stomach, Curtis lies motionless, and Portia calls to him. There’s no response, and she crawls over to him. She says, no, no, no, and Jordan asks what they can do. Portia says she needs towels to stop the bleeding, and tells Curtis to hang on; she needs him to be with her. Dante helps Jordan up, and they run out.

Sonny asks if his man Gabe (I think) saw where the shots came from, but Gabe says he was in the entranceway on guard. He ran out by the pool area as soon as he heard the first gunshot. Jordan gives some towels to Portia, who says, there’s so much blood. She doesn’t know the damage that the bullet did. She asks Curtis to stay with her, as Finn, Elizabeth, and Chase run in. Finn asks her to let him and Elizabeth take over. It’s going to be okay. Chase asks Jordan, what happened? and Finn tells Portia, it’s okay to let go. They’ve got this. Trust him. It’s going to be all right, he promises. Portia moves away, and he keeps pressure on the wound. Finn and Elizabeth turn Curtis partway over, but there’s no exit wound, and Finn says, the bullet is in his back.

Josslyn tells Trina that she knows it’s rare for her to defend Spencer, but his dislike of Dex started because she handled her break-up with Cameron very poorly. She should have broken up with him before she started seeing Dex. It started the night she was attacked by the Hook. Emotions were running high, and she wasn’t thinking. And it’s not an excuse, but she thinks that Spencer just wants to have Cameron’s back, and she thinks that’s a good thing. His bad impression of Dex is really about her. And besides the whole Cameron situation, she thinks Spencer is just intimidated by Dex. Trina asks, why? and Josslyn says, Spencer throws his wealth around. It also makes him defensive about being dismissed as a spoiled rich kid. He’s always wanted to come across just as tough and just as smart as anyone else. Dex works for Spencer’s Uncle Sonny, and she thinks Spencer wants to prove he’s just as tough as Dex. Trina says she thinks Josslyn may be right, and Josslyn says, to be clear, she’s not okay with how Spencer’s been acting toward Dex, but Dex can defend himself. As far as the fake evidence goes, she thinks Spencer really took what Trina said to him to heart, because he’s taking a whole new approach with Esme. Trina asks what Josslyn knows about Spencer’s whole new approach to Esme.

Esme tells Spencer, her idea that they take this parenting class together is genuine. She really wants them to work as a team, and be able to cooperate for Ace’s sake, but it doesn’t seem like he wants to cooperate with her. He asks what she thinks he’s doing here. This is him cooperating. He’s the one who was here. She’s the one who just said she doesn’t want to be here. She tells him that she never said she didn’t want to be here. She just said she was uncomfortable leaving her son. Something he can never understand because Ace isn’t his son. A woman comes out and says, it sounds like they’re here for the parenting class. Come on in.

Kristina says, as soon as Molly told them that she had endometriosis, she made an appointment with her OB, and Alexis asks if she has it too. Kristina says, no, but she thought maybe it’s hereditary. She’s happy to tell them that she’s in excellent health. And she’s the right age, she shares DNA with Molly, not currently in a relationship, and doesn’t have any immediate plans to have a child in the near future. So that puts her in a perfect position to carry a child for Molly and TJ. Alexis says she knows Kristina wants to help her sister, but she thinks offering to be a surrogate at this juncture is a bit premature.

TJ says, what did Kristina do? and Molly asks how he knew it was Kristina. He says, she’s the one who pushes Molly’s buttons, and she’s never tried to kill someone. She says she’d never try to kill a person, but she feels so out of control, she could see herself losing it on Kristina, tearing into her, and doing damage that would be irreparable. He asks why she’d be tempted to do that, and she says, because Kristina wants to be their surrogate.

Sonny says he thinks the shooting stopped, and starts to get up, but Anna stops him, saying, he doesn’t know that. The shooter could be waiting for one of them to come out. She gets on her phone, and says, she’ll find the floorplan, and he says, good idea. He pops out from where they were hiding, and Dante wonders, what is he doing? Looking up, Sonny says he’s ending this. Come on out!

Finn tells Elizabeth that they have to be careful with injury to the spine. He’s trying to stop the bleeding. Under a table, Portia says she doesn’t understand. Who would want to shoot Curtis? Jordan says she doesn’t think he was the intended target.

Josslyn says, Grandma Bobbie told her that she saw Spencer and Esme had signed up for a parenting class together at GH, and Trina asks if her grandmother teaches the class. Josslyn says, no. She just oversees all of the outreach classes there, and saw their names. She mentioned it the other day. She said it looked like Spencer was starting to make an effort with Esme. It remains to be seen whether or not she’ll reciprocate. Trina says she just hates the thought of Spencer spending even more time with Esme, and Josslyn agrees. Dex arrives with iced lattes, and Josslyn asks what he’s doing here. He says, she told him to swing by when he got off work, and she says, she did, didn’t she? kissing him.

The teacher welcomes the class, and congratulates them for signing up. Plenty of people will tell them, parenting come naturally, and you shouldn’t need instruction. In fact, this is not a how-to class, because there is no magic formula; no strict regimen on how to parent. What works for one child doesn’t necessarily work for another. Spencer raises his hand, and asks, if this isn’t a how-to class, what are they doing here? She says, good question. This class is for strategies of cooperation between parents. How to communicate. How to make room for the other’s opinions, even learning to compromise. It doesn’t mean always getting along. It means, being able to negotiate; to avoid ultimatums because children can sense tension. And when the parents are at war, no one suffers but the child.

Alexis tells Kristina, first of all, it was only a few months ago when Molly decided she wanted to have a child, and sadly, that option biologically has been taken away from her. She’s devastated; they’re both devastated. But she’s pretty certain this isn’t the time to make any rash decisions or any grand gestures, because they need to regroup; they need to heal. They need to figure out if they even want to have a family, and what they family may look like. Maybe it will be a surrogate, maybe it won’t, but now is not the time to do anything. Kristina says she couldn’t disagree more, and Alexis wonders why she thought Kristina was going to say that. Kristina says, what if there’s less time than they think?

Molly tells TJ that she knows Kristina wants to help; that she thinks she’s helping. But what she’s really doing is throwing it in Molly’s face that she has viable eggs and a healthy uterus, and Molly doesn’t. She can get pregnant and carry a baby, no problem. And she’ll get to experience all of it. The life growing inside her, and pregnancy, and labor, and giving birth, and Molly won’t experience any of it. And once again, it will be the Kristina show. Not even the worst thing that’s happened gets to be about her. It’ll all be about her. TJ kisses her hand and says, not to him.

Curtis is strapped to a gurney, and Zeke says he can’t believe how fast the SWAT team got here. Jordan says, they had to clear the building safe before the paramedics could come in. Portia tells the paramedics that she’s his wife, and wants to ride in the ambulance. She leaves with them, and Zeke says he’ll give Jordan a ride to the hospital if she wants, but she says, they’re crime scene witnesses. They have to stay and give their statements. He tells her, hold on a second, and goes over to Dante. He says he really wants to take Miss Ashford to the hospital, and he wants to be there for his sister Portia. Can they give their statements later? Dante asks if they saw the shooter or have any information about the shooter that could help, but they both say, no. Dante says, then he’d better take her to the hospital. Zeke thanks him, and they leave. Chase joins Dante, who asks if he got anything.

Anna says, Sonny should have stayed hidden. She doesn’t know what he was thinking. He made himself a target. Sonny says, it was a calculated risk. He assumed the shooter was gone, and it was the best way to prove it so the paramedics could help Curtis.

Dante tells Chase that he came to the pool to talk to his dad, and saw the rifle. He yelled for everyone to run for cover, and fired off a shot at the same time. Chase asks if he knows what room the shot came from, and Dante says he doesn’t know the room, but it came from that window. He points, and says, they have to search the whole building. A SWAT officer says, they already did a preliminary search to let the paramedics in. Now their team is clearing the hotel, room by room.

Anna says she heard three gunshots, and Sonny says, one hit the water here, and another one hit this way; he points behind him. He thinks Curtis got hit by a ricochet.

Trina says, Dex can have her spot, and Dex asks where she’s going. Is she still mad at him about punching Spencer? Josslyn says, she has to stay. Please. She wants her best friend and her boyfriend to get to know each other better. Dex says he’d like that. Why doesn’t Trina tell him one of the things she knows about Josslyn that he doesn’t? Trina says, if he’s ever seen Josslyn play volleyball, he knows how competitive she is, and he says he sure does. Josslyn says, it’s true, and they laugh. Dex’s phone rings, and he steps away to take the call. Dex asks Gabe, what’s going on? and Gabe says he needs Dex to alert the rest of the team. There’s been another ambush at the MetroCourt pool. Dex says, what? Where’s Sonny? Is he okay? Gabe says he thinks Sonny was the target, but he can’t be sure. There was one person who was shot… Dex looks over at Trina, and says, thanks for letting him know. He goes back, and Josslyn asks, what’s wrong? He says, there was a shooting at the MetroCourt pool, and she asks if everything is okay. He says, one person was shot… Curtis Ashford. Trina looks stunned.

The teacher tells the class to remember it’s not a test. It’s just an exercise to see how their expectations match up with their partner’s. If one partner wants the child to go to bed at 6, and the other wants the child in bed when they get tired, that’s going to be a point of friction. The goal is to answer honestly. Truth is the best starting point. Esme looks at Spencer, and he says, what? He put 7 pm. That’s what time she puts Ace down. She says, right, but it’s not exactly her rule; it’s what the books recommend. She never realized, she never asked his opinion. What time does he think Ace should go to bed?

Kristina asks if what happened to Molly isn’t a cautionary tale about waiting too long. By the time she was diagnosed with endometriosis, it was already too late. Her eggs were no longer viable because she waited too long. Sam says, never ever make that argument to Molly, and Kristina says, no, of course (🍷) not. Her point is, she’s healthy now. She’s single now. She’s at a place in her life where she can carry a child, and she doesn’t know how she’ll feel in two years. Maybe she’ll have met someone by then. God willing she’ll have met someone by them. She thinks if she’s going to do this for her sister, the sooner, the better.

TJ puts his arm around Molly, and says, over the years, he’s seen Kristina’s tendency to make things all about her. When Molly achieves something, it’s almost like clockwork that Kristina has a crisis that refocuses the attention on her. Whether they choose to have a child or not, and how they go about that, is a decision for them to make together. Kristina will have nothing to do with it.

Curtis is wheeled into the hospital, and a paramedic says a bunch of medical stuff to the doctor, including that Curtis lost a lot of blood. The doctor tells them to get Curtis into Trauma 1, and asks if they used spinal precautions. The paramedic says, they did, blah-blah-blah, and they take Curtis in.

Brook hugs Dante, and says she’s glad he’s okay. She heard someone was shot, and she’s glad it’s not him. He says, Curtis Ashford wasn’t so lucky. He was shot in the back. Brook says, that’s horrible, and Dante says, the GH doctors are looking after him now. Dante leaves, and Chase asks what she’s doing here; this is a crime scene. She says she knows, but was told it was safe to come out here. She promises she’s not going to get in his way, but she had to see him; to keep her eyes on him. The thing that’s going on with her dad, and now the shooting tonight… She wants Chase to know how much he means to her.

Curtis is moved to a table, and the doctor says he has a (sounds like) GPS to the back, and they’ll continue spinal precautions.

Finn tells an officer that they were in the restaurant and heard gunfire. Detective Chase asked for their help. Elizabeth says, when they got out here, they saw Curtis Ashford lying on the ground unconscious because he’d been shot in the back. The officer thanks them, and says, if there are more questions, they’ll be contacted. He leaves, and Dante thanks them for their help before the paramedics got here. They’re free to go. Dante leaves, and Elizabeth says, if Curtis lives, it will be because of Finn’s quick actions, but he says he couldn’t have done it without her help. He just prays it’s enough. She says, it was such a beautiful summer night, and suggests they get out of here.

Curtis is transferred to the table, and the doctor says a bunch of medical stuff as Portia stands in the doorway. Deanna goes to the door and says, they can’t have Portia in here. She leads Portia to the hallway, and says she knows Portia is scared, but she has to stay out here. Portia says, that’s her husband. Please. She’s depending on Deanna to save him. Deanna says she knows, and goes back in, closing the door. Geez, talk about pressure.

Molly says she never knew TJ had such strong opinions about Kristina, and he says, her sister has the classic Jan Brady syndrome as the middle child who wants all the attention all the time. Of course (🍷) she does. A person can be selfish and generous at the same time, and Kristina is living proof. But obviously, this situation is not happening to her. It’s happening to them.

Kristina thinks she should present the idea to Molly and TJ as soon as possible, but Sam says, before she does that, she needs to really think about what being a surrogate actually means. Alexis says, Sam’s right. Kristina needs to think about what carrying someone else’s child means to her.

Anna tells an officer, then the third shot hit right here, and she and Sonny were hiding behind the bar. Dante says, the last shot could have been aimed at either one of them. One of them is the target here. Chase asks if he can talk to Dante privately, and they step away.

Chase tells Dante that he spoke with hotel security, and there’s only one room on the 11th floor with a pool view, and it’s currently unoccupied. Dante suggests they check it out, and Brook watches them leave.

Portia frets as she sees a nurse dash out of Curtis’s room. Zeke and Jordan walk in, and Jordan asks if there are any updates. Zeke hugs Portia, and Portia says, he’s is in the trauma room now, and they’re prepping him for surgery. They just have to find the exact location of the bullet. Zeke thinks they should find a seat, but Portia says she’s fine here. You’d think this would be easier for her because she’s a doctor. She knows what they’re doing in there, and knows every step they’re taking. She also knows doctors are human too, and sometimes everything you can do isn’t enough. Her phone rings, and she says, Trina? Trina says she heard about Curtis. Is he…? Portia says, they’re working on him now. Curtis is alive and he’s fighting.

Sam tells Kristina, when she was pregnant, she was not at all prepared to be a mother. It was Jason who offered to help her raise Sonny’s baby. But as the pregnancy progressed, it affected her profoundly in ways that she would have never anticipated. So by the time her daughter Lila was stillborn at birth, it shattered her. She guesses her point is, she thought she knew what it meant to be pregnant; when in reality, she couldn’t have been more wrong.

Molly says, TJ is right. This has been happening to both of them, and she’s been shutting him down and pushing him away. This is her loss, but it’s his too, and she’s sorry. She wanted to give him a child. Their child. She wanted to carry that baby and give birth with him by her side. She had all these dreams that she just took for granted would happen someday when they were ready, and now she knows they’re never going to happen. She’s grieving, but in her grief, she forgot to ask what his dreams were.

Zeke asks how Jordan is doing and she says she’s okay. He doesn’t need to worry about her. He should worry about his sister. He says, Portia knows he’s there if she needs him. Right now, her best comfort is her daughter.

Trina says, if Portia doesn’t want to talk about it, she’ll understand, but what happened tonight? Portia says she’s still processing everything; it all happened so fast. She was at the pool with Jordan and Zeke, and saw Curtis come in. Then they heard a gunshot. Trina says, from where? but Portia says she doesn’t know. Then Jordan told them to take cover, and she heard two more gunshots. Then she looked over at Curtis, and he was face down on the ground. She ran over to him, and tried to stop the bleeding as best she could… Wait. Who told her? How did Trina know Curtis was shot?

Josslyn scrolls on her phone, and Dex asks who she’s looking for. She says, Spencer. Trina needs him. She thinks she knows where to find him.

The teacher tells Spencer and Esme that they have the exact same answers. Either they’re perfectly in sync or they’re reading from the same parenting guide. Esme says, they’re reading from the same parenting guide, and the teacher says, they’re both very young. Ace is their first child? Esme says, Ace is her baby. Spencer’s his brother and… baby daddy’s not in the picture. The teacher asks how that’s working out, and Esme says, surprisingly well. She and Spencer haven’t always gotten along, but she has to admit, Spencer always comes through for Ace. Spencer says, Esme’s a devoted mom. She found this parenting guide, and he thinks she found it helpful, so she had him read it as well. She found this class for them because she wants what’s best for Ace, and he wants the same thing. The teacher says, it sounds like they’re a great team.

Brook says she’s glad Sonny and Anna aren’t hurt. It’s times like these when she realizes how dangerous Chase and Dante’s jobs really are. She’s not doing anyone any good just standing here, so she’s going to go, and Sonny tells Gabe to make sure she gets home safe. Brook protests, but Sonny says, she’s in bad shape. She’s not driving home by herself. She thanks him and leaves with Gabe. Anna says, that was really nice, and Sonny says, it depends on your perspective. If he’s the shooter’s target, he has to bear some responsibility for what happened here. She says, judging from where the bullets hit, she’d say he was being targeted. Have there been any other incidents lately? Is someone trying to kill him?

Dante and Chase go to the unoccupied room, which has police tape across it. Dante asks an officer if they found anything in there, but the officer says, they swept all the rooms, and there was no sign of the shooter. Dante tells him, the hotel staff said this was the only room not occupied. He wants to take another look. The officer says, be his guest, and they go inside. Dante tells Chase, the shooter may be gone, but maybe he left something behind. Chase goes to check the rooms, and Dante feels around the couch cushions. He lifts one up, then moves the couch aside to reveal an automatic rifle. He calls Chase in, and says, come take a look.

Trina runs finds Portia, and says she’s so sorry about Curtis, hugging her. Portia says she knows. All they can do is pray. Josslyn and Dex are there, and Josslyn says, if there’s anything they can do to help… Portia thanks her, and says she’s sorry, but she doesn’t remember Dex’s name. He says, Dex. He’s Josslyn’s boyfriend. If she needs anything, they’ll be over here. Josslyn asks if Dex can stay with Trina. She’ll be back in a minute.

Kristina says, Sam is right; she didn’t really think this through. She was so busy focusing on helping her sister, she didn’t really think about how it could affect her. Being pregnant for nine months, then giving birth, it’s a lot. For Molly and TJ too. Surrogacy isn’t something she should just do on impulse. Alexis tells her not to be hard on herself. It was a loving impulse. Kristina says, it’s good she only blurted it out to them, and not to Molly and TJ. The three of them join hands in the middle of the table.

TJ says, even if he’s never said it out loud, he guesses he also dreamed for Molly to carry their child. He’s been grieving the loss of that dream, but on his end, he’d still like for them to have kids… somehow. And when that happens, that is all up for grabs. Things they’ll figure out when they’re ready. She says, okay. Good. Because she still wants to have kids someday too. Although if they were to go the surrogacy route, Kristina is healthy, and she does share DNA with her. Kristina might actually be their best choice.

Elizabeth and Finn walk outside, and she says she doesn’t know why she’s feeling like this. She’s seen plenty of gunshot wounds. Finn says, you do your job, then the emergency passes and the adrenaline fades, and you have the same fears as everyone else. You look down and see that victim, and he’s bleeding. And he’s your friend. He’s Curtis; that’s Portia’s husband. She says she just can’t stop shaking, and he puts his arm around her.

Sonny tells Anna that he’s been experiencing some friction from a newer business associate lately, and she says he doesn’t have to speak in code. She’s not affiliated with law enforcement in any capacity now. He says, her fall from grace is pretty new and very public, and somebody was upset enough to spray paint murderer on her front door. She asks if he thinks maybe those shots weren’t aimed at him; that those bullets were meant for her.

The bullet casings are bagged, and Chase calls the station, saying, they believe they found the rifle used in the MetroCourt shooting. He asks for a forensics team to come over, and Dante says, you know what they’re going to find on this gun? Absolutely nothing. No prints. No way to trace it back to the shooter. It’s a ghost gun. Same thing with the shell casings and the rest of the room. They’re not going to find anything. Chase says, this person was a pro, and Dante says, maybe a pro. But to tell you the truth, it also feels like it could be an intelligence op.

Esme says, Spencer never did answer her question. What time does he think Ace should go to bed? He says he’s been a late-night guy for as long as he can remember. When he was little, he used to sneak out of bed. He had this whole gaming set-up in one of the spare rooms in Windymere. She laughs, and he says he thought he was being slick getting away with it, but his dad knew the whole time. He guesses it was nice of him to turn a blind eye. She says she thinks that’s the first positive thing she’s ever heard him say about his dad, and Spencer says, they were close when he was younger. Josslyn comes to the door and stands quietly, but doesn’t go in. Esme says, Ace may not know his father, but he does have a really good older brother, and Josslyn watches as Esme puts her hand on Spencer.

On the phone, Jordan says, set it up. She’ll be there shortly. Zeke says he doesn’t know if she can use an attorney, but he’s willing to help out any way he can, and she says she’s the acting Deputy Mayor now. And with Mayor Collins out of town, she’s the highest-ranking city official. So she has to do a press conference about the shooting and reassure the public they’re safe. So she’s going to do that now. He asks if he can at least walk her out, and she says, sure.

Portia asks the doctor if there’s an update on Curtis, and Trina asks if her dad is going to be okay. The doctor says, Curtis has been stabilized, but he’s still unconscious. He’s going to need surgery to remove the bullet, which is complicated by the fact the bullet is lodged against Curtis’s spine.

Tomorrow, Trina asks if this means Curtis could be paralyzed; Finn asks if Elizabeth is ready to take the plunge again; Dex says, it feels like the odds are stacked against Curtis; and Josslyn asks where Esme thinks she’s going.

Below Deck Sailing Yacht

Gary tells Mads that he wonders how Alex found out she’s on her period. He doesn’t get it. Mads says, WTF? Alex tells Chase that Colin and Gary are the largest gossip queens, and Chase says, it won’t be a secret within the next five minutes. Mads realizes Gary found out she’d told Alex that she was bloated because she had her period, and tells Lucy that she was kidding. Lucy wonders why boys are so dumb, and Gary says, what’s done is done, like someone was killed. He doesn’t want to show his face. Mads says, these people are unbelievable. Provisions come in, and the boat heads out. Gary finds out that he misunderstood and tells Mads that he feels embarrassed, but in her interview, Mads says, that’s not an apology. One more charter and she’s done with it. Alex says he can’t even deal with this f***ing boat. If he put out any effort, Gary wouldn’t be getting laid, and now he won’t. Gary gripes about Alex, and Chase tells Gary not to involve him. Anchor is home, and Chase tells Alex that Gary seems pissed. Alex explains the latest Gary drama, and in Alex’s interview, he says, it goes to show Gary’s leadership style is toxic AF. What a f***ing mess.

They anchor and put out the water toys, Glenn telling them, put as much sh*t out there as you can. Daisy says she hopes Colin doesn’t tell the deckhands anything about her, and tells him about Gary going nuts over Mads. It’s super f***ed up. Gary and Chase pick up the guests in the tender, and the guests get champagne and the tour. Primary Todd asks mom Debra what she thinks, and she says, every mother deserves a gay son. The guests begin downing tequila, and ask for a rope swing. Mads sees how many garments she needs to press, and says she’s over her life. Gary demonstrates the rope, and they notice Debra drifting a little too far in the unicorn inner tube. In Alex’s interview, he says, the current is strong, and they have no barrier or windbreak. He has to act quickly before it becomes an open water rescue.

The rescue is successful, and Alex gives Debra a paddleboard to get herself back, as he lassos the unicorn and brings it in. Chase asks if Colin has heard about the Gary and Alex debacle. In Chase’s interview, he says he’s sure Gary feels embarrassed, but he doesn’t feel bad. The immature way Gary deals with conflict is why he’s in this mess. He tells Colin that he doesn’t know if he’d hook up with a girl after Gary did. Maybe Colin should see a doctor. In Daisy’s interview, she says, the guests are drinking like it’s water. She wants the guests to enjoy the sea, but here we are. They drink shot after shot, and Daisy can’t believe how much they’re drinking. She tells Colin that the guests are pretty hammered, and guest Randy starts to get pissy. Glenn asks how the mood is, and Daisy says, drunk. Randy escapes from the table, and flops around on deck. The sails go up, and the pirate movie music starts. Somehow, guest Nic gets Randy back to his cabin, and tries to give him water, but Randy says, f*** you. He’s going to be sick. Things start falling everywhere.  

Nic says he was trying to help. If Randy falls, he could break his damn neck. He tells Randy to get back in bed, but Randy says, leave him alone. The sails go back down and anchor is dropped in Porta Palma. Randy says, Nic shouldn’t have left him on the floor, and Nic says, Randy got drunk; he tried to take care of him. Randy wails that Nic left him on the floor, and Nic says he couldn’t wake him. Randy says, Nic is a guest of his, and Nic says, he was flopping around, then fighting him. Brad is a witness. Guest Brad says, Randy threw a glass of something-or-other at him, and Mads and Lucy approach the cabin with a massive stack of clothing that’s been refreshed. In her interview, Lucy says, if this is an example of a throuple, take her away. They drop the clothes off to whoever answers the door, and jet. In the galley, Lucy tells Daisy about the argument, and Glenn hears. In Glenn’s interview, he says, this is the last charter in a long tough season. He wants happy guests, and doesn’t need a spat. He tells them, if they see anything weird, let him know. Randy whines that he’s miserable, and going to throw up. Brad says, if he makes a public scene, what happens? It’s not worth it. Randy storms out, apparently not that sick. He goes back to the table, and in Ileisha’s interview, she says, drunk fighting guests are not ideal, but she put in a lot of hard work in and they’re going enjoy this. Lucy tells Mads that one of them got sick in the sink, and gets gloves. The entrée is a bone-in ribeye with parsnips, which one of the guests says is like a potato. X <game show wrong sound>. It’s more like a turnip. Lucy says she can’t believe they’re in their 40s. Debra says she’s noted how many people don’t have mirrors, and guest Grant says, if they’re happy, you should mind your own business. He and Randy start going at it, and guest Todd gets up, saying, he needs a martini, and takes Grant with him. I need one too. I can’t even follow this argument. Probably because they’re drunk and there’s nothing to follow. Randy smokes at table, and I hope he has an ashtray. He decides he’s going to talk to them, and some of the guests stay at the table, which they’ve dubbed their safe space. Randy comes into the cabin, and Grant starts yelling, get out of his room. Glenn comes down, and says, don’t push anyone. The first moment he sees them getting aggro, they’re getting off the boat. Randy insists he’s not violent, and Glenn says, Randy is getting aggro to him,, and he’s that far from getting off the boat.

Glenn says, it’s ridiculous, and Randy says he tried having a normal conversation and was calm. On deck, guest Brad says, if Randy is rubbed the wrong way, you’re f***ed royally. In Lucy’s interview, she says she’s dealt with nightclub scenes. A woman punched her when she wasn’t allowed into the private section. She didn’t punch her back, but wishes she had. Debra tells Brad that he deserves better, but Brad says, if they get a divorce, he’ll get taken for all he has. There’s no prenup. She asks what he was thinking. In Chase’s interview, he says he feels like he can help. He’s been a security guard before. Daisy says she doesn’t understand Gary’s drama. Does he want to be with Mads or not? Gary says he doesn’t know. He needs time off. Glenn tells Chase that Randy instigated the problem. If anything happens, get them. In the cabin, Randy says he wants off the boat, and Nic tells him, go to sleep, you messy motherf***er. Chase walks the hallway until morning.

Chase says, they have one crew night left, and Mads asks what bad decision he’s making tonight. Glenn asks Chase, how was the evening? and Chase says, happily uneventful. Breakfast starts, looking more wonderful than these morons deserve, and in the cabin, Nic says, if they can’t enjoy Sardinia, why are they together? which is a fair point. He tells Randy to let it go. Bury his sh*t, smile, and enjoy one day. Some of the guests go on the beach workout excursion, along with some tequila punch, so I’m not sure what kind of workout this is. Randy tells Glenn, sorry about last night, but Glenn says, it’s okay, remembering that they get a tip. Nic wonders how they’re going to approach the others, and Randy says, sh*t happens. It is what it is. Sh*t also happened in the cabin toilet, and in Lucy’s interview, she says she’s never had to flush a toilet for a grown-ass man. She calls her father, and says, the guests are animals, and she wants out. She’s done. She’s cleaned up sick and sh*t, and wants to go home.

Lucy’s dad tells her, don’t break now. It’s silly. Don’t let it get to her; it’s not worth it. On the beach, the guests do a weird workout where they use each other as equipment; minus Debra, who drinks while wading in the water. Alex and Mads take selfies. On the boat, Colin tells Gary that he’s not his perky self, but Gary says he’s good. Maybe it’s because it’s the end of the season. Colin says, not because Mads in on the beach with Alex? but Gary says, he’s over it. He’s tired of everyone telling him how to feel. Colin asks, who’s telling him how to feel? and Gary says, him and Daisy. She keeps asking if he likes Mads. He doesn’t know why it’s concerning to her. Alex calls for guest pick-up, and Colin tells Daisy that Gary says she keeps asking him if he likes Mads, and it got him thinking. Daisy says, Gary is confused. She asked why he was upset. In Colin’s interview, he says he feels like Gary’s not going to step aside. Alarm bells are going off. Daisy tells him, all she did was ask if he’s okay, and Colin says, it’s a spanner and pretty pathetic. He and Daisy go to her cabin to talk privately, and Colin says, Gary is desperate for a relationship. Mads tells Lucy, it’s so awkward. She can keep up a smile, but there’s a point when she can’t. Daisy tells Colin that she couldn’t care about Gary and his relationships. She just cared as a friend. Colin says, the way Gary twists things is confusing, and Daisy says, Gary is disrespectful toward Colin. She wants to be with him, and this love triangle is over. In her interview, she says she thinks Gary is trying to f*** up her relationship with Colin. She tells Colin, it’s the last f***ing straw. If she and Gary can’t be friends without him stirring the sh*t, then they can’t be friends.

Below Deck Sailing Yacht – Part Two

Wait. What? Did he say finale? Please let it be so.

Daisy tells Colin that she was trying to be friends with Gary, but he says, Gary is full of sh*t. You’ve got to be careful with people like that. In Daisy’s interview, she says she needs to put distance between her and Gary’s relationship in order to have control over her and Colin’s relationship. Gary snarks that someone must have died and made Daisy queen, and she tells him that karma is coming for him being nasty. The crew gets ready for the ABC – Anything But Clothes – dinner. Among the creative outfit materials are duct tape and a garbage bag, while Gary uses a traffic cone to cover his junk and sports pigtails. In Lucy’s interview, she says she never wants to do this again. The starter is amazing oysters, and I want to cry. Lucy is relegated to cleaning the cabins, and when she sees the filth level, she wonders how much she’s going to be tested. Ileisha presents a pappardelle dish with rainbow noodles. Finding condoms in one of the guest’s beds, Daisy says she’s getting wasted tomorrow night, and Lucy says she’s drinking straight vodka. The guests play ring toss on Gary’s cone using plastic hangers. Gary tells Glenn, they got 1 out of 21. When he sees Colin, Gary says, it’s been a roller coaster of a season, and he asks Colin what’s going to happen with him and Daisy. He doesn’t even know if it will work, and it’s going to break Gary. Colin shouldn’t let a good friendship go. In Colin’s interview, he says, after all the lies, flirting, and manipulating him, Gary’s friendship with him is the one in jeopardy. Nothing Gary says will affect how he feels about Daisy. Chase prays for strength during the next 24 hours. I wonder, did those guests just pee off the side of the boat?

It’s morning, and their alarm is like mine and I hate it. It’s the last day, and in Alex’s interview, he says, in a matter of hours, Gary won’t be his boss. To him Mads is fair game. In Mads’ interview, she says, this season has been a roller coaster, and not one she wants to ride anymore. That’s why she’s avoiding Gary like the plague. Alex tells Gary that he appreciates Gary’s patience and teaching, and Mads finds red wine all over the sheets. She takes them to the laundry, and says, not today Satan. Gary hunts Mads down, and asks how she’s feeling about the end of the season. She says, good, and he asks how she feels about them. He wants to know where they stand. Should he back off or keep hounding her? He’s got feelings for her, and doesn’t want to be an idiot. Well, it’s way too late for that. Mads says, they’re just having fun, and Gary says, that’s fine, although it doesn’t seem like it. In Gary’s interview, he says he would have liked it if she’d told him the first time he asked, and a producer says, she did. She told him that they were just having fun; it was just sex. He says, when? and the producer says, the whole time. We flash back to several times, and Gary says, oh… Glenn says, the wind is picking up, and Daisy says, they haven’t cleared breakfast yet. He tells her, two minutes, and everyone scrambles. He says, it’s the last time for the sails going up, and they heel hard. In Glenn’s interview, he says, the Parsifal has had a hard time. To get to this point seemed out of reach, but they made it through, and can finish on a high note. She’s doing exactly what she does best – she’s shining.  

Mads tells Lucy that she fears there will be drama tonight. She doesn’t know what Gary wants from her. They get drunk and have sex. She thinks he’s more into Daisy than her. In Lucy’s interview, she says, it’s about time, and she tells Mads that there’s obviously sexual tension between her and Alex. The guests whine that they don’t want to go home, but it’s time for goodbyes. Co-primary Grant tells them it was out of this world, and he’s feeling it for them. He gives Glenn the tip envelope, and Glenn says, the crew knows the drill. He does his horn thing, and goes back to the crew. He says, in the beginning, they didn’t think they’d get to this point, but they made it. There’s a group hug, and in Glenn’s interview, he says, it was the season from hell, and we survived. The deckhands put Glenn on their shoulders.

Chase says he can smell himself, and I hope he takes a shower before they go out. He tells Alex that Gary turned into an a-hole. He wants to have a good night, and not want to punch this guy in the face. Glenn calls everyone for the final tip meeting. He says, they went from thinking they wouldn’t get of the dock to engine troubles, and he’s proud of how they pulled it together as a team. Everyone applauds, and he says, Daisy had challenges, but she led a team of new stews to become stronger after working with her. In Daisy’s interview, she says, constructive or not, she got a lot of criticism, and it wasn’t easy to take. But she does feel like she’s growing as a person. Glenn says, it took Ileisha time to find her bearings, but she got better with every charter, and she says, everyone was supportive. That’s what got her through. Glenn tells them, now the moment they’ve been waiting for. The tip is $17,500 USD, and we’re all disappointed. In Lucy’s interview, she says she flushed their sh*t over and over for 17 grand? F*** off. Glenn says he’s arranged for a final outing at a restaurant. He’ll be meeting up with them for a drink, but he wants to get a good night’s sleep, so he’s staying off the boat tonight. They clink glasses, and Gary says, what a motherf***ing season. Everyone gets ready to go out, and Mads has Alex tie the back of her dress. In the cab, Daisy tells the girls that she likes Colin. He’s insecure about their relationship, but she doesn’t hold it against him. She thinks they’ll be seeing each other again, but doesn’t want to over-hype it in her head and be disappointed. Mads says, all the girls are rooting for them. They stop at another beautiful restaurant.

Glenn joins them, and says, per tradition, he wants to hear what they felt were their personal highs and lows this season. Colin says, the lowest of lows was the engine failing, and we flash back to that. Daisy says her high was a great relationship with her team. It made her job pleasant. Her low was Glenn on her back. We flash back to that, and she says, maybe she should be more open minded, and reflect on who she is as a person. She tears up.

Glenn says, if Daisy wasn’t a strong person, she wouldn’t be as good as she is, and Daisy toasts, here’s to me being a better person. In Glenn’s interview, he says he feels terrible that he hurt Daisy. He wants to have a good working relationship with her, but he also wants her to be open to suggestions and ideas, as the interior is the most front facing with the guests. Glenn says his goodbyes, so I guess those highs and lows weren’t too interesting, or they’re saving them for bonus scenes. Gary walks Glenn out, and the crew sits down for dinner. The server says, to start, vegetables from their garden, then the 12 different meats. I went to a Brazilian barbecue restaurant once where they had dudes come around with different meats. I felt like a slug the next day. Gary sort of apologizes to Chased, and in Chase’s interview, he says, there are a lot of things he wants to say to Gary, like about his poor leadership and the sh*tty things he’s done – he tells Gary that they crushed it – but he thinks it’s best not to burn bridges. In Gary’s interview, he says he hasn’t had to deal with rejection too often, but it was the story of his life this season. Ileisha hugs Chase, and says, he’s a cool person. They leave, and in the taxi, Alex says he likes Mads, and thinks she can do better. Mads says she gets along with him a different way, and he kisses her. In another cab, Gary says he’s over it, and in Mads’ interview, she says, Alex finally made a move, and applauds. Back at the boat, Mads tells Ileisha that she’ll have to tell Gary about Alex before Colin and Daisy do. Ileisha says, in the cab, Gary was sulking the whole time. Gary gets in his bunk, and Chase tells Alex to go get his woman, but Alex says he wants to stay away from drama. Mads goes to Gary’s cabin, and tells him that she and Alex made out. She wanted him to hear it from her. He tells her to get the f*** out of his room, and she asks if he’s serious. He says, 100%, and shoves her out the door, shutting it behind her.

Gary says he doesn’t want to see Mads again in his life, and in her interview, Mads says, Gary’s reaction is exactly why she didn’t have this conversation with him mid-season. She wonders if he’s upset because he cares or because he looks like a fool. But ultimately, he’s not serious about anyone except Daisy, so…. Gary mumbles that he’s over this f***ing season. Chase dances on deck, and in Ileisha’s interview, she says she loves how authentic Chase is. He’s big and goofy, and has amazing attributes. Maybe if she didn’t have a boyfriend… You never know. Chase tries to lift her Dirty Dancing style, but it doesn’t quite happen. They hug in the galley, and she says, he’s her best friend. He says he loves being her friend. Daisy tells Colin, what they have is amazing, and Colin asks, what are they doing? Where are they going? Daisy says, to sleep, and he laughs.

Chase says his goodbyes, and in his interview, he says, this season was rough. He wasn’t the most tactful, and learned about himself. He’s an acquired taste. It’s weird finishing a charter season. None of them know what’s next. He figures another boat and making some money. He’s free. Mads tells Alex that she went to bed after Gary screamed at her, and he says, it’s not fair. She says, she was the one having sex with him, and Alex says, whatever she chooses, he hopes it’s good for her. In her interview, Mads says, Alex is flirty and fun, and there’s no drama. He didn’t make her life harder. She’s taking it one day at a time. She tells Alex, what’s meant to be, will be. Gary gripes to Colin about Mads and Alex making out on his last night, and Colin says, maybe they realized it was their last night too. He asks if it’s Gary’s pride or does he really like Mads, and goes off to find Daisy. Gary tells Alex, obviously he’s not happy about what happened, but Alex says if Mads and Gary had been serious, it would be different, but Gary says, it’s no different. It was snakish. Alex says he apologizes if Gary thinks he’s snaky, but he had to get it out of his head. Gary gives him the usual comeback of, whatever. In Lucy’s interview, she says, the interior didn’t fight once. Women can support women. (You go, girls!) She’s learned if she gets her emotions under control, she’s a good worker and people love her. Glenn whistles in the galley, and everyone is saying goodbyes. In Ileisha’s interview, she says, sometimes she doubted herself. Inside, she knew she could do it, but in the moment, she wondered. She definitely pushed the boundaries. We flash back to some memorable meals, and she says she’s proud of herself. Colin tells Daisy that they haven’t even started, and in Daisy’s interview, she says, vulnerability is scary for anyone. She and Colin are going back to their own worlds, and won’t see each other for a couple of months. He tells Daisy that it’s been a roller coaster. He likes her, but he doesn’t want to get hurt. In her interview, Daisy says she’s not saying long distance isn’t possible, but maybe it’s unrealistic.  

Colin says he wants them to be open and honest, and they’ll see where it goes. His feeling are real, and that’s why they can figure it out. He’ll miss her. They kiss, and she says she’ll miss him too. In Colin’s interview, he says he thinks he and Daisy realized there’s a genuine connection. She’s shown him an affectionate side he didn’t think she was capable of. She tells him that she wants to spend time with him on Parley, and in his interview, he says, the only way they’ll know if this has potential is if they pursue it outside the boat and away from Gary. In Alex’s interview, he says he doesn’t regret anything this season. We grow through what we go through. All the problems and speedbumps they went through to get to the end, they handled it well. He cares about Mads, and hopes she knows she deserves better. He doesn’t think he’s going to miss her because he’s pretty sure he’s going to see her again. Peace. While Daisy is talking with Gary, Mads stops in to say goodbye. Gary agrees to speak with her, and she says she didn’t mean to hurt him. She thought they were having fun, and she’s sorry it happened the way it happened. Gary says he was broken, and she says she was aware when he screamed at her. He says he’s sorry. He felt like he was being cheated on. In his interview, he says, being on the receiving end isn’t a nice feeling. He feels like a f***ing idiot. In Mads’ interview, she says she’s realized a lot things can go wrong living with people on a boat. You know people in a weird way; you know their underwear. She doesn’t know what’s next, but if this season has taught her anything, it’s don’t screw the crew. It’s not worth it. Colin tells Gary that he’d like to say it’s been a pleasure, and in his interview, Colin says, this season was a challenge to him professionally and personally. It challenged some of his friendships, and he feels that he needs time away from Gary. There was a trust that was broken. He needs to reconsider the friendship and what it means to him, and Gary. Colin kisses Daisy goodbye, and in his interview, he says, they’re good friends. Maybe they’ll be good lovers. He’s not sure, but he’s willing to explore it. He didn’t enjoy the weird little love triangle. Gary says he’s going to miss Daisy, and she says she knows. In Daisy’s interview, she says she understands why her relationship with Gary confuses people. She isn’t sure she understands it. She hopes Gary can give her and Colin the room and respect they deserve to develop a relationship. Daisy says goodbye to Glenn, and he tells her that he understands she was under stress this season, but Daisy admits she was defensive. He tells her to be open to new ideas. It will make her stronger. He hopes to see her back. In her interview, Daisy says she feels lucky. Glenn is an incredible captain, but this season broke her. She’s sure she’s going to need a lot of therapy. In Gary’s interview, he says, people want what they can’t have. It’s a pity things didn’t work out. Glenn says, then there were two, and in his interview, Gary says he’s going to be single for a while, and reflect more. Little Gary gets him in trouble. He’ll see if it works. He asks Glenn, what are the plans? and Glenn says, tidy the boat, and find a new engine. He starts calling around for an entire rebuild kit, and finds where there’s one in stock. He says, yeah baby!

🧨 Not a Firework…

Join me tomorrow for soap and whatever rabbits I can pull out of a teacup. For those interested, Bravo has a marathon of Ultimate Girls Trip going on, as well as an airing of Crappie Lake. It’s free-for-all summer! Until then, stay safe, stay being charitable, but choosing your charity wisely, and stay being able to compromise and negotiate, and avoid ultimatums.