Category Archives: Bravo

December 20, 2021 – Cyrus Warns Laura About a Secret Enemy, Bailing Stew Off Deck, the Salt You Need & Don’t Want To

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

On the phone at the prison, Laura tells someone to email her the details, but it sounds like they made the right choice. A woman says her proposal on creating environmental offsets is ready, whenever Laura has the chance. Laura says she’s looking forward to sitting down with them in person. After all this screentime, it will be a welcome change. The woman says, does that mean… and Laura says she’s coming home.

Brook thanks Chase for bringing her coat to the Quartermaine’s, and he says he didn’t think she wanted it left in the steam room. She flashes back to Chase saying he sees her, and them coming thisclose to kissing. She says she’s sorry for barging in, but he says, no, she isn’t. She asks if they have to keep talking about it, but he thinks they should. She says, why? Because she saw him naked? Michael clears his throat, and he and Willow come in. Brook asks how they slept, and Michael says, not great. Willow says she was up thinking about Sasha and Brando, and Brook says, of course (🍷); she’s so sorry. Michael says he has to get to the MetroCourt. He’s having breakfast with his parents. Willow says, tell them she said hi, and Brook says, her too, and he leaves. Chase asks if Willow wants to talk, but Willow says, she doesn’t know what to say. Brook says, it’s just so horrible, and wonders how anyone gets past saying goodbye to their son. Willow says, you don’t have a choice.

Sonny sits at Charlie’s bar, and Phyllis says, the loss of a child, there are no words. He apologizes for starting her day off with bad news, but he needed somebody to talk to. Scratch that. He wanted to talk to her. He says he’s happy she’s there, and she says she is too. He asks if she’s really happy. She’s not missing Nixon Falls? She says she misses it, but she’s starting to love Port Charles too. She has some good friends there. He says, really? Who? and Nina walks in.

Obrecht goes into the MetroCourt, and asks if she can borrow Carly for a moment. Carly asks if there’s a problem, and Obrecht says she wanted to offer her condolences. Jason Morgan was a good man. Carly thanks her, and says, he was. Although she’s a bit surprised Obrecht went out of her way to tell her that. Obrecht says she didn’t agree with all of Jason’s choices, but she’s saddened by his death. He saved her life, and Britt’s. Carly says, Jason had a habit of doing that.

Victor walks into Kelly’s, and Spencer asks what he’s doing there. Victor asks if people don’t customarily eat breakfast at this time of day, and Spencer says, they do, but Kelly’s? It’s not exactly the kind of establishment Victor is used to. They serve pre-ground coffee. Victor asks if Spencer is calling him a snob, and Spencer says, no. Victor says, he’s joking, but thanks for the warning; he’ll have some tea. He just wanted to see where his great-nephew works. He needs to get to know Spencer better.

Laura asks the woman to please keep it to herself. She’d like to surprise her family. She tells the guard that she’s ready, and he lets her into the visiting room. She sits down opposite Cyrus, and they pick up the phones. He says, sister. How he’s prayed this day would come.

Brook says she’s batting a thousand this morning, and tells Willow that she’s sorry. If anyone knows the horror of losing a child… It was insensitive of her. Willow says she doesn’t expect it to be at the top of Brook’s mind; it happened years ago. But on days like today, it still feels raw. Brook says, this may sound trite, but she means it. She admires Willow’s strength. Willow says, at the time, she was anything but strong, but Chase says, that’s not true. Willow says, lucky for her, she has people to hold her up, and Brook says, Chase is good that way. Willow thinks she’ll get some air, and goes outside. Brook tells Chase that he should make sure she’s okay.

Cyrus says, Laura looks wonderful; healthy and vibrant… She says, let her stop him. She’s here for one reason, and that is to tell him that she’s not going to run anymore. He’s not going to keep her from her family even one more minute. He says, she’s been away? and she says, don’t play with her. His plan to have her and their brother killed has failed. He asks if she’s all right. Is Martin? She says, that’s it. He’s completely done. He doesn’t have any influence in this place. He has no more favors to call in. The assassin he hired was his last opportunity for revenge. He says she has to listen to him. He did not try to kill her.

Spencer says, sorry about the tea bag, and Victor says he thinks he’ll live. He asks Spencer to join him, and Spencer says, it’s completely dead in here, so he thinks he can. He sits down, and Victor says, they never really got a chance to talk at Thanksgiving. Spencer says, thanks to Valentin. Sorry, but is Victor sure Valentin is his son? Victor laughs, and says he is. As Spencer knows, fathers and sons don’t always see eye to eye. Spencer says, they don’t, and Victor says he was sensing a little tension between Spencer and Nikolas that day. Spencer says he’s done with his father. No more trust fund; no more nothing. He refuses to live by Nikolas’s rules. Victor says Spencer is going through some legal problems. He understands Spencer was harassing Ava in an attempt to keep her and Nikolas apart. Spencer says, things got a little out of hand; more than a little. Victor says, and he’s out on bail, and Spencer says, he’s awaiting trial. He could be looking at jail time. Victor says, then it’s a good thing his Uncle Victor is here. He may be able to do something about that.

Michael meets Carly at the MetroCourt, and she hugs him. He asks if she’s okay, and she says she’s just sad. She’s sad for Sasha and Brando, and sad for baby Liam. Out of the clear blue, Obrecht came there to offer her condolences about Jason, and it got her thinking. She’s been thinking about the night Michael was born. What if Jason hadn’t shown up when he did? What if he hadn’t gotten her to the hospital? Michael wouldn’t be standing there right now. Jason saved both of them that night. She’s sorry. She’s just so jumbled up with gratitude and sadness, and anger, so much anger. He says, anger at Nina, and she says, she’s angry with Nina, but she’s angry Jason’s gone. She’s not mad at Jason; she’s mad at the universe. It sounds incredibly selfish, because Brando and Sasha are never going to see their little baby boy grow up. Michael is right there in front of her, and he’s healthy and strong, and he’s capable. She should be grateful for the miracle she got, and not focused on the one that didn’t happen. He says she can be grateful he’s alive, and still angry that Jason is gone. One doesn’t have to cancel out the other. He can feel terrible for Sasha and Brando, and still be grateful he’s got Wiley. They sit, and she asks, how is her favorite grandson? He says, he’s eagerly awaiting Santa. He wakes up every morning and asks if it’s Christmas, and every time he puts Wiley to bed, he asks if Santa is coming tonight. She laughs, and asks if Wiley is getting every single thing on his Christmas list. Michael says, Wiley will, but he won’t.

At another table, Scotty says he missed his schnitzel last night, and Obrecht says he should have allowed her to come over. He says she knows he was working, and her figure – he makes an hourglass with his hands – is a little distracting. She asks how the preparations for Nina’s hearing are coming, and he says, not good, to be honest with her. She says she thought he said Nina’s actions didn’t constitute fraud, and he says, they don’t in his opinion. However, if he can’t get this thrown out in the preliminary stage, he’s not sure how to mount a defense. He wishes he knew something, anything, so he could turn the DA’s narrative right on its head. She says, how’s this? She believes Nina and Sonny are in love. He chokes on his water.

Nina says, she and Sonny had the same idea, huh? Phyllis is a great listener. Sonny says, yep, and Phyllis’s phone rings. She says, apparently, it’s unanimous, Lenny’s sister, and steps away to take the call. Nina asks how Sonny is, and he says, preoccupied, thinking about Sasha and Brando. She says she can think of nothing else, except for Peter. She’s glad he’s in custody, but the idea of him being back in Port Charles is just… He says, not for long, and she says, is he going to… take care of Peter?

Cyrus asks again if Martin is all right, and Laura says, he’s fine. He says, thank goodness, and she wonders why he’s bothering with this innocent act. Did he think she was going to buy it? He says he deserves her distrust and her anger. The path he was on was dark. She says, yeah, and he says, because of that, he has much to atone for. She asks what he’s talking about, and he says he’s finally heard the call. His life is no longer his own. He’s given it to a higher power. She laaaaughs.

Chase puts Willow’s coat on her shoulders, and she thanks him. She says, Brook won’t mind? and he says, no. She was the one who told him to come out there. Not that he wouldn’t have anyway. He can take a hike if she wants to be alone. She says she doesn’t want to be alone, and he says, just frozen. She says, you know how when you got mosquito bites as a kid, you used your nail to make an X in them? (Huh?) and he says, he still does that. It takes his mind off the itching. She says, that’s what it’s doing for her. Maybe if she gets uncomfortable enough, she can forget about everything else.

Scotty says, Nina told Obrecht this? She and Sonny fell in love? Obrecht says, not exactly. She flashes back to Nina saying she met someone and thinks it’s good for her and him, and tells Scotty, Nina hasn’t said anything directly, but trust her, she knows. He says, so when Sonny was in that little Podunk town in Pennsylvania, he was cheating on his wife?

Carly asks what Michael wants for Christmas that he’s not getting, and he says, Brad staying in prison. Everything going on with Sasha and Brando brought back the past year and a half, and when he thought his son was dead. She says, Nelle was just a terrible person, but Brad was Lucas’s husband; he was part of their family. Brad watched Michael act as Wiley’s godfather. The time Brad took from Michael and Wiley, and the needless grief he caused their family, it’s not much different from what Nina’s done to their family. He says, at least Nina is going to be tried for her crimes; Brad is already released. She asks if he’s sure, and he says, Brad was here yesterday. She says, at the MetroCourt? and he says, with his Aunt Celina.

Sonny says, Peter’s in a coma, and Nina says she’s aware. He asks if she wants him to say he’s sorry, but she says, no. The Mike she knew in Nixon Falls would never take a life, but she wasn’t sure about Sonny Corinthos. He says, death is too good for Peter. It’s best to let him lie in limbo. That way he doesn’t hurt anymore people, especially Maxie. He has to go; Carly and Michael are waiting for him for breakfast. Phyllis comes out, and he says he’ll see her later. She says, he knows where to find her, and they hug. He leaves, and Phyllis asks if Nina wants to talk about it. Nina says she wants to grab some coffee, and goes behind the bar to get it. She says she’s so worried about Sasha and Brando. She gets that they have each other, but it’s going be so hard for them. Phyllis says, yes, it is, and she’d be worried about them too, but she was asking if Nina wanted to talk about Sonny. Nina says, what about him? and Phyllis says she doesn’t know . What’s it like for Nina to be constantly bumping into the man she used to love, and maybe still does?

Willow says she doesn’t want to make Sasha and Brando’s loss about her, and Chase says, of course (🍷) not, but Sasha and Brando aren’t here; she doesn’t have to edit. She can feel however she wants to feel; there’s no judgement. She says she misses her son every day. Not minute to minute, or hour to hour, the way it was in the beginning, but the loss is always with her, and it always will be. It’s hard enough to lose a child. You don’t have that physical baby in your arms anymore, but the hopes and dreams that you had for him died too. It’s just so much. He puts his arm around her, and Brook sees them through the window.

Nina tells Phyllis, it’s really hard to see Sonny and not see Mike, but she’ll get past it. She has to. Phyllis says, Mike is still a part of Sonny, and Nina says, she knows. She was just thinking about that yesterday. Phyllis says, even now, back in his old life, sometimes he seems like Mike in a suit. Nina laughs, and says, right? Like where’s the flannel and cowboy hat? They laugh, and Phyllis says, seeing them together just now, it’s obvious the connection is still there, but Nina says, no; there’s no connection. What Phyllis saw was just Sonny being kind. Phyllis says, Nina never answered her question, but Nina says she did. Phyllis asked what it’s like running into him all the time, and she said it’s fine. Phyllis says she asked if Nina is still in love with Sonny.

Obrecht tells Scotty to keep his voice down, but he says he’s just so excited. Christmas came early for him. Sonny stepping out on Carly when he was Mitch. She says, Mike, and he says, whatever. That’s the reason why Michael’s going after Nina, because Sonny doesn’t want to remind Carly that he was… Wait a minute. How is Nina intact? He would have thought Carly would have severed one of her limbs by now. She says, because Carly doesn’t know, and he asks how that’s possible. Somebody in Nixon Falls must have… Wait a minute. The woman who owned the bar is now running Charlie’s. Does Obrecht think Sonny gave her some hush-hush money to keep her mouth shut? She says, possibly, and he asks if the affair is still going on, but she says, Nina’s too sad to be in love. Sonny comes in, and Scotty says, Sonny and Nina, and Carly none the wiser. Until now.

Spencer takes his apron off, and tells Victor that he’s officially on break. Did Victor mean it when he said he could keep Spencer out of Pentenville? Victor says he’ll make some calls, and see what he can do, and Spencer thanks him, saying, that would be great. Victor says, after all, Spencer is the Cassadine heir, the future of this family, and he takes that seriously. Spencer asks if Victor wants him to reconcile things with his father, but Victor says, no. He’s proud of Spencer being his own man, and won’t interfere with that. Spencer thanks Victor for trusting his judgement, and Victor says, however, he is a little concerned about how Spencer is going to support himself on what he earns in this place. Spencer says, he plans on getting something better than this. He was going to wait until after the trial to see how it pans out, but now that Victor’s given him his life back… Victor says he’ll do his absolute best, and Spencer says he can’t thank Victor enough. He doesn’t know how to repay him.

Laura says, let her get this straight, and Cyrus tells her to take all the time she needs. She says, he’s saying he’s been saved, and he says, yes. She says, after all the people he’s killed, and all the lives he’s destroyed, now he’s found God? He says, God found him, and she says, good Lord. He says, He is good. She doesn’t know this, but he became very ill. He had a cold that turned into pneumonia. At first, the guards ignored his symptoms. She says she wonders why, and he says, during a fever spike, he cried out for help, and guess what happened? She shakes her head, and he says, an angel appeared. She says, that’s called a hallucination, but he says he felt it touch his forehead, and this tremendous sense of peace washed over him. He slept, and when he woke, his fever was gone. She says, miraculous, and he says, it truly was. That same day, he asked for a Bible, so he could read and learn, and he let God into his heart. She asks how that’s possible; he doesn’t have a heart. She and Martin have been shuffled from safe house to safe house, all because of his quest for revenge. He says, not this time; never again. To the Lord our God are the mercies and the forgivenesses,; the weak have rebelled against Him. Daniel 9:9. She says she’s heard enough. This charade is obscene. She gets up, and Cyrus bangs on the window, saying, she’s in danger.

Scotty says, Sonny might get knocked down a peg or two. Here he comes. He gets up, but she says, nein. Don’t do this to Nina. Carly can’t know she and Sonny were involved. Scotty goes over to Sonny’s table, and says, hello, Corinthos family. He asks how Sonny is doing, and Sonny says he was doing good until Scotty showed up. Michael says, if this is about Nina’s trial, Scotty can save his breath, and Scotty says, it’s about Nina, just not in the way Michael thinks. Obrecht suggests Scotty leave this family alone, but Sonny says, if Scotty’s got something to say, spit it out.

Victor looks at his phone, and Spencer says, something important? Victor says, very, but not as important as Spencer. Where is he living now? Spencer says, with his grandmother’s husband. Doc took him and Esme in after paying his bail. Victor says, Spencer is living with Laura’s husband, not with Laura herself? and Spencer says, she’s out of town; she has been for months. Victor says, it must be a little uncomfortable. Doc’s not family, not really. Spencer says he’d be lying if he said it was ideal, but they didn’t have many options. Victor says, they do now. Allow him to put them up at the MetroCourt. Just until Spencer decides on his next steps.

Laura picks up the phone again, and tells Cyrus, it looks like they’re back on familiar territory, with threats and more threats. He says, he’s not the one posing the danger, and if she continues to put her focus on him, it only makes it easier for her true enemy to strike. They’re family, and he legitimately cares about her. She says, what about Sonny and Buscema? and he says, what about them? She says, they came there to visit him, and he didn’t put on this little act for them. He dropped hints that he still had power in here, which he doesn’t. He says, it’s true. He has no legitimate power, but he hears things. His change in circumstance left a vacuum on the west coast, which is now being filled… She says she doesn’t care about this, but the fact that he does proves this conversion of his is just for show. He says he can’t deny he feels a pull toward his old life. What do they say? The road to redemption is long and lined with temptation, but he was tested and he chose the light. Will she?

Chase and Willow come back in, and Brook says she made some coffee. Mostly to unscramble her brain, but also to warm them up. Chase asks Willow if it’s still light with two sugars, and makes her a cup. Willow tells Brook that it was thoughtful of her, and Brook says, they may be few and far between, but she does have her moments. Willow tells Brook, there’s something she needs to say to her, and Brook says, good thing she’s sitting down.

Scotty says, Sonny might be able to bribe the DA, but the judge is going to see right through his trumped up charges. Michael says, is that all? and Scotty says, for now. He and Obrecht go back to their table, and Carly says, what was that about? Michael says, no one is more full of hot air than Scott Baldwin.

Obrecht thanks Scotty for thinking about Nina, instead of giving in to his compulsion to stick it to Sonny. He has to keep her secret. He says, sorry. No can do.

Sonny asks Michael to tell him about his run-in with Brad, and Carly says, the gall. Coming in here, of all places. Michael says, Brad claimed he’d stay far away from Wiley, but he doesn’t trust a word that guy says. Carly says, they have another issue. Brad was here with Celina Wu. Michael says he thinks it was a power move on her part, and Sonny says he’ll talk to Celina, but Michael says he already did. He made it clear to her that he’s going to protect his family, no matter what the cost.

Laura says, the light would be believing Cyrus found God? and he says, precisely. She says she knows that’s not true, and he asks, how? She says, that would require love and compassion, and Cyrus isn’t capable of those things. Don’t look so hurt. It’s common knowledge that he only cares about himself. He says, how very wrong she is. He’ll pray for her. She thanks him, and he says, but she must be careful, and keep an eye out for the serpent in the garden. She says she doesn’t know what it is he thinks he has to gain from this latest stunt, but it’s not going to work. She’s going home. Her family needs her.

Spencer says, it’s a very generous offer, but he can’t accept, and Victor says, why not? Spencer says he wants to prove to his father that he can make it on his own, and Victor says he admires Spencer’s principles, but just out of curiosity, how is living at the MetroCourt different than living with Doc? Spencer says, the MetroCourt is a five-star hotel. If he lets Victor put them up there, won’t he be a bit of a hypocrite? Victor says he doesn’t see why. Spencer wants to live his own life, and being a Cassadine is part of that. People make the mistake of equating struggle with virtue. You can be honorable without being uncomfortable. The two don’t necessarily come hand in hand. Spencer says he’ll talk to Esme about it, and Victor says, please do.

Chase gives Willow her coffee, and says he thinks he heard Bailey. He’s going to check on her. He leaves and Willow asks if Brook heard anything, but Brook says, not a peep. Willow says, Chase just wanted to give them time alone, and Brook asks Willow, what’s up? Willow says, she wanted to apologize for what she said to Brook in Rice Plaza. As Brook pointed out, she has no right to judge. Brook says she pushed the issue, and should never have spoken to Willow the way she did. Willow says she guesses she’s overly sensitive to Chase getting hurt after what she put him through. That’s her problem, not Brook’s, and it’s unfair to punish Brook for her mistake. She thinks about it all the time. What would have happened if she’d just told Chase the truth, that she’d fallen in love with Michael? Brook says, then maybe Chase wouldn’t have fought so hard to get better. That’s the thing with what ifs; we’ll never know. You did what you thought was best in the moment. Willow says, like Brook did when she said Valentin was Bailey’s father. She gets it. A mother will do anything to keep her child safe.

Nina says, what she feels or doesn’t feel about Sonny is irrelevant, but Phyllis says, of course (🍷) it’s relevant. Nina can’t just ignore what’s inside of her. Nina says, what’s she supposed to do? She doesn’t know what to do. She and Sonny will never be friends, let alone anything else. Phyllis says she agrees. Sonny loves his wife. She’s not suggesting Nina pursue him. Nina asks what she is suggesting, and Phyllis says, nothing. Take it as more of a warning. Things hidden away in the dark tend to fester, and Nina knows as well as she does, that’s no good to anyone.

Obrecht says she doesn’t understand; Scotty didn’t tell Carly. He says, for now. Not when he can use the secret to keep Nina out of prison. She says, how? and he says, the DA’s whole case is centered around Nina’s intent to harm Sonny, but Sonny never felt like he was being harmed. That’s why he didn’t press charges. Sonny’s not the victim. He thinks Sonny is still in love with Nina. She sees where he’s going right? He wants to convince the judge that it reeks of prosecutorial  overreach, and it would be a big waste of time. Charges dropped. Obrecht says, that part she likes, but what about Nina? She’d still be in danger of Carly’s wrath. He says, but she’ll be free. They’ll deal with that prison; it’s a whole different story. The trouble is the preliminary hearing. He can’t call witnesses; only the prosecution can. She says, because the burden of proof is on them, and he says, he can cross examine if the DA calls them. She says, the DA will call Sonny, and he says, Sonny will lie through his teeth. Nina on other hand… She says, Nina doesn’t want anyone to know, but he says, she’s under oath. She asks if he’s saying he’s going to force her niece to testify that she and Sonny fell in love, and he says, he can’t really as Nina about their affair on the stand, although she’s less likely to lie than Sonny. Then where would they be? She says, Nina clearly wants what happened in Nixon Falls to remain a secret. He’s her lawyer. Isn’t he supposed to be on her side? He says he is on her side. He’s trying to keep her out of prison.

Carly says, if Michael makes a move against Celina, she’ll retaliate. Then his father will be forced to answer. They’ll be looking at another mob war. Michael says she can’t expect him to let it go, and Sonny says, Michael is trying to protect the family, and he appreciates that, but let him deal with Celina. Michael says, dad… but Sonny says, no. How many times have they talked about how he wants Michael nowhere near this part of his life? It’s his responsibility.

Scotty says he can’t wait to see the look on Sonny’s face when this comes out in front of God and everyone, and Obrecht asks, how will he accomplish that? Sonny will simply lie, and he can’t risk Nina doing the same without perjuring herself. He says, the bar lady, and she says, Phyllis. He says, yeah, but he thinks she’s already been bought off by Sonny. If he could just come up with somebody else who knows what happened in Nixon Falls. Somebody. He’s got to find them.

Phyllis says, let her repeat. In no way, shape, or form is she telling Nina to take action, but she can’t get over Sonny by ignoring her feelings, or his. She needs to come to terms with them, in order to let them go. Nina says, what’s the point? Sonny loves Carly; Carly loves Sonny. It doesn’t matter how she feels. Phyllis asks if she doesn’t want to move on, and Nina says, no. She likes sitting in limbo; it’s her favorite. Phyllis says, if Nina she tries to run, instead of acknowledging what’s in here – she points to Nina’s heart – she’ll never find peace.   

Chase asks if the coast is clear, and Brook says, all clear. Willow is being gracious and understanding. Sometimes, Brook’s mouth gets away from her. He says, anyone who’s ever met her understands that. She asks how Bailey is, and he says, she was out like a light. She must have been babbling in her sleep. Willow says, she, for one, thinks it’s good to speak your mind. Brook says, even if it’s something no one wants to hear? and Chase tells her, you know what they say; honesty is the best policy. Brook says, he’s such a Boy Scout, and he says she loves it. She says, a little bit, and Willow says she learned the hard way that telling the truth, however painful in the moment, is the right thing.

Cyrus says he doesn’t expect Laura to trust him, but he’s begging her to believe him when he says he did not hire someone to kill her or Martin. Please be careful. Someone else means her harm out there, and it isn’t him.

Victor comes out of Kelly’s, and sees the woman Laura was on the phone with at the gate. He addresses her as Mayor Ashley, and says he understands from her text that the mayor is returning. She says, Mayor Collins is headed back to Port Charles, and he says, it seems the failed attempt on her life flushed her out, just like he planned. He looks forward to seeing Laura again. She’s always been a worthy adversary.

Tomorrow, Laura asks Santa/Doc if there’s anything in his bag for her, Drew asks if Elizabeth is ready for someone special, Victor tells Ava that danger lurks behind every corner, and Spencer thinks he knows what he wants for Christmas.

Below Deck

Jessica is feeling defeated and overwhelmed. She feels like Martha Stewart in prison. It’s not working for her. The crew gets ready for the next charter, and Jessica asks to talk to Heather. She tells Heather that she wanted to do this, but her body is shutting down. She couldn’t anticipate how taxing the job would be on her system, and her body isn’t letting her. She’s sorry, and hates putting them in a bad place, but she has to leave. In Jessica’s interview, she says she gets that she’s leaving them high and dry, but at the end of the day, she comes first. Heather says she has one hour to pack. In Heather’s interview, she says, bravo, Jess. She leaves three hours before a charter, when Heather could have called to have someone there yesterday. She’s effing pissed. She asks if Fraser has a moment, and says it will be their last one for a while. In Fraser’s interview, he says, as much as he previously wanted to get rid of Jessica, he understands the gravity of the situation. They’re not in a good place, and he’s worried. Jessica packs, and Heather says, she knew it. Fraser asks if she’s effing kidding him. Jessica says goodbye to Heather and Fraser, but not to anyone else. In her interview, she says she’s already leaving them in a predicament. She’s leaving a few hours before charter, and doesn’t want to make a bigger deal than it needs to be. She just wants to get her stuff, get out, and let them go about their day. In other words, she doesn’t want to face the music with anyone. Walking down the dock, she says, sorry not sorry, and Heather says, don’t let the something-or-other hit her ass on the way out.

Heather tells Captain Lee that Jessica quit. She walked her sweet ass off the yacht already, not even giving Heather ten seconds. In the captain’s interview, he says he’s never had a crew member leave without saying anything; goodbye, f*** you, go to hell. He’s never had a silent departure. This is as f***ed up as a Georgia road lizard. The captain calls Eddie to the bridge, and tells him that the third stew took a hike. Interior will need somebody from him to do heads and beds. Heather tells Rachel that Jessica said she hadn’t anticipated how taxing the job would be, and just departed. She asks if Jessica said goodbye to Rachel, but Rachel says, no. She’s okay with it though. If you don’t want to be somewhere, don’t. In Rachel’s interview, she says, she likes to say f*** you before she leaves, and we flash back to her not being happy about making a ten-course meal. She says, if you’re going to bail, bail.

Eddie tells the deckhands that Jessica quit, and it is what it is. They have a job to do, and they’re going to get it done. In Wes’s interview, he says he wishes she would have at least waved. He thought they had a connection, and still does. Eddie tells them that they’ll be needed in the interior, and Rayna says she’s mad as hell. Jessica was one of her best friends there. In Rayna’s interview, she says, it’s the worst timing ever. She has other issues affecting her, like Heather saying the n-word. She’s over it. She whines to Wes, and provisions come in. Eddie says, a storm is coming in, and it’s about to pour. The wind picks up, and Eddie says, welcome to the Caribbean. In Captain Lee’s interview, he says, it sums up the morning. Fraser tells Heather that he’s in battle mode, and Heather says she’s 100% with him. Eddie leaves to pick up the guests.

Shitten You Not Bay. Captain Lee looks online for a third stew, and Fraser curses his life in the laundry. The slide is put out successfully on the first try, and Eddie says, it’s literally perfect. Rayna chants, it will be a good charter, and the captain tells the crew to get their assess on the aft deck. He should never be the first one there. The guests arrive, and Fraser passes out champagne. Primary Chelsea introduces herself, and in Heather’s interview, she says, they’re so screwed. They have eight guests, and did she mention there’s a lady with her jaw wired shut?  Guest Rachel introduces her broom, Sally; she’s magic. In her interview, Heather says, and it’s her first charter with a witch. She hopes guest Rachel and Chef Rachel can brew her a new stew.

Captain Lee says Heather will show them around, and they’ll get the party going. In Heather’s interview, she says she doesn’t know how someone with their jaw wired can go on a girls trip. It should be interesting. In Captain Lee’s interview, he says, the guests are on board, and the deck crew is still uncovering. They’re not down a person. They can’t start that way, or they’ll be catching up for the rest of the charter. It only gets worse. His patience level is transparent now. Rayna bitches that she’s hungry.

Rachel goes over the menu with Chelsea and co-primary Michael. He says they try to liquify whatever everyone else is eating, so Chelsea can enjoy the same things. In Rachel’s interview, she says, someone with their jaw wired shut has to eat constantly, since they’re not ingesting solid food. Now she’s finding out Chelsea wants every course liquidized. WTF? Guest Rachel talks to her broom, and sounds drunk already. In Eddie’s interview, he says, maybe she’s here to clean. Maybe she’s the new stew. She seems clairvoyant and might have got the memo before they did. Rachel opens a cupboard in the galley, and stuff starts falling out. Just like at home.

Heather puts out some cheese, and I get grossed out thinking of pureed cheese. The guests sit down for lunch, and Chelsea says, everyone is eating, and she doesn’t have anything. She’s shaking, and about to have a meltdown. Guest Tiffany asks Fraser to get food for Chelsea; she needs to eat now. Tiffany announces no one is to eat any more until Chelsea gets something. Heather relays the message to Rachel, and Chelsea says she feels like a homeless person who hasn’t eaten, walking by a restaurant. Fraser says, it’s on its way, and Tiffany says, Chelsea is to always be served first. Rachel gives Heather pureed whatever, and says, tell them it takes a while for her strain it. Heather leaves, and Rachel says, it’s going to be one of those charters. She feels it. In Eddie’s interview, he says, as First Officer, it’s his responsibility to help out. He washes dishes, and Captain Lee says, he knew Eddie wasn’t just a pretty face. In his interview, Eddie says, his first job was as a dishwasher in a yacht club. He also cleaned up vomit and poop. I don’t want to know. I also don’t want to go to that yacht club.

Rachel says, she’s over this sh*t. In her interview, she says she has to add liquid to emulsify, but can’t lose integrity of the flavor. It’s not just throwing sh*t in a blender. The guests are having lobster, and Rachel tells Chelsea that she’s getting a lobster smoothie. My stomach flips over. Rayna says, this sucks. She misses Jessica. The guests use the jet skis and slide, and Captain Lee laughs watching them have fun. Eddie sees a rogue jet ski, and tells Rayna, who says, oh wow. She doesn’t know how that happened. Eddie says, it’s amateur hour. In his interview, he says, Rayna is on the swim platform, and should be taking a mental inventory at all times. They can’t have a $20K piece of equipment float into the sunset. It’s bush league. He keeps seeing the white wizard walking down the stairs, with his blue sunglasses on. Please don’t let him come out. On the bridge, Captain Lee remarks on the pretty day, and the jet ski is rescued. The guests play in the water, and things are packed for the beach.

Jake says they’re throwing a sick beach party. He’s jealous, since it’s his favorite kind of party; music, hot girls, and getting absolutely wankers. Rachel curses in the galley, and tells Eddie that they need to shuck oysters. In Eddie’s interview, he says he grew up on the east coast, and they love their oysters in Baltimore. Shucking is dangerous, since it’s easy to put a knife in your hand. He’s shed some blood on oysters. Rayna and Jake set up on the beach. Fraser curses the iron, then does cabins. Heather blows up balloons. In her interview, she says she has a pink party, a silent disco, a bonfire, and a lady with her jaw wired shut. Stop the world, make a latte, and get back to it. Guest Rachel keeps trying get Sally to stand, but it’s not happening. Heather asks Wes to help blow up balloons. She and Wes move to using helium, and talk in funny voices to each other.

Another jet ski escapes, and Captain Lee says, at least they both didn’t get away. In Eddie’s interview, he says he doesn’t know what’s going on, but feels having a wiccan on board might have something to do with it. They could be cursed. He shouldn’t have talked sh*t about Sally. She’s coming back for vengeance. Eddie tells the captain that the jet ski came unclipped, but in Captain Lee’s interview, he says, he thinks someone’s inattention to detail did it. That’s pretty lame. Eddie says he watched it fall off, but the captain isn’t buying it. In his interview, he says, it’s an excuse for sloppy seamanship. They look like a bunch of effing idiots. Eddie picks up Rayna and Jake from the beach. Eddie tells Rayna about the jet ski, and she thinks there’s something wrong with it. Eddie tells Rayna and Jake that he’ll talk to them after he gets back from the principal’s office.

Eddie shows Captain Lee what he thinks happened with the clip, but in his interview, Eddie says, the captain doesn’t want to listen to his point-of-view. The captain says he’s chalking it up to human error. The table is set for the pink party, and it’s very pretty. As well as being dressed in pink, the guests wear pink heart-shaped sunglasses. In Fraser’s interview, he says, this day has not stopped. His legs hurt, he can’t feel his feet, and he’s losing his mind, but they’ll do what they do best, make magic happen… somehow. Eddie says, another day, another ass reaming. He’ll go to bat for the deckhands, but don’t put his head on the chopping block. The crew shovels a meal down in silence in the galley. Rayna criticizes Heather for sticking her finger in the food, and Heather apologizes, and makes a hasty exit. Eddie tells Rayna that wasn’t cool, since Heather is effing exhausted. Rayna complains to Wes about the n-word, and how Eddie doesn’t care. She says she’s got to get off this boat.

Captain Lee texts a staffing agency, but no luck. Rayna goes to help Rachel, and in her interview, she says she’s excited to be in the galley. At Thanksgiving, she’s in charge of the turkey., She loves cooking; it’s a huge stress reliever. The only time she’s happy is at night in the galley. I think, why TF doesn’t she work in that area of yachting instead? In Rachel’s interview, she says, every time there’s service, it’s an arduous process. She has to blend something for a guest to suck down with a straw. Chelsea tells Heather that the gazpacho needs to be strained more, and in her interview, Rachel says, f*** my life. This can eat a d*ck. Oysters are the next course, and I say, ewww! No, no, no. Not strained oysters. Fraser radios Eddie to help with housekeeping, and Chelsea wails that she’s starving. Or at least as much as you can wail with your jaw wired shut. Chelsea won’t stop making everyone else miserable, so Tiffany asks if they can get some quick food for Chelsea. Rachel says, it’s an effing nightmare, and Chelsea says if they bring something out for everyone else, she needs to have something too. This is not a joke. She asks Michael if he’ll go to their room with her, and they get up. Guest Alicia says the rest of them still have a big night ahead of them. In the room, Chelsea cries, while Rachel storms around the galley. Chelsea says she just wants to be like everyone else for a night, but Michael says, unfortunately, that’s not where they’re at. Fraser says, effing hell, and Heather says, oh my God.

I dunno, maybe it’s me, but either I’d have skipped this trip, or seen if I could change the date or something. And if I’d insisted on going, I’d keep it to myself after saying it once. At least give the chef a hot minute to get acclimated. Exist on green drinks and chocolate shakes for a while. And booze.

This season, the crew makes it rain; skinny dipping; Rayna, Jake, and Fraser form a threesome, and yes, it’s what you think (didn’t see that coming); a day off; a new stew; Heather tells Fraser, it was her or nobody; Captain Lee tells Eddie that he thinks the deck crew is spending too much time doing nothing; Rayna says she feels like she can’t trust her boss; and Heather apologizes again.

🧂 This Needs Salt…

What happened in Salt Lake this week.

🎶 Turning the Beat Around…

Come by tomorrow for some soap and who knows what, since there are no Rules this week. Until then, stay safe, stay outspoken, but not rude, and stay not letting hidden things fester in the dark. That’s no good to anyone.

December 17, 2021 – Saddest Farewell Ever, Over, Lawsuit, Big Series, Two From One, Cover Girl, Salem Holiday, Salt Lake Tea, In NYC, Stockings, Pre-Nup, Haunted, Asking Dead, The Tree, a Supreme Court Worth Of Quotes & Spice Wrap

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Sam finds Drew fixing a little tree in the Quartermaine kitchen, and asks what he’s doing. He says he knows it doesn’t compare to the big one in the foyer, but he hasn’t had a tree, or lights, or anything Christmas for the past couple of years. She says she thinks it’s perfect. She brought someone along who she thinks might agree. Scout comes in, and clings to Sam.

In Portia’s office, Curtis punches the wall, and she tells him, take a deep breath. He says he did, but she says, not deep enough. He says he just can’t believe how willing his family is to accept this guy in their lives. TJ is already calling him grandpa, and, after the initial shock, he thought Stella might invite Marshall over for Sunday dinner. She asks if that would really be so terrible, and he says, yeah. The man deserted his family and let them believe he was dead for decades. Then when he shows up, he shows up without even a shred of explanation. She wonders if she can ask him a question without him getting angry… or angrier. Is trust really the issue here? Or is he just afraid of getting hurt?

Marshall tells Stella, cards on the table, huh? Since when did a nice church-going lady like herself take up poker? She says, these stakes are much higher than a poker game, and he says her secret is safe with him. She says he just doesn’t get it, and he says, tell him what he’s missing. She says, he’s making this about her, when it’s about him, and his choices; to walk away from his family, have her sister raising those boys without him, and then he asked her sister to lie, and tell her children that he’s dead. And she did, and kept her word until her dying day. He says, and what about her?

Britt and Elizabeth look at Liam in the NICU, and Elizabeth says, how is it possible an innocent baby gets to die, while Peter gets to live on? Britt says, for now. Hopefully, not for long. Elizabeth says, still, she doesn’t understand, and Britt says, sometimes it’s a blessing; sometimes it’s a curse. But it’s not their job to pick and choose. Elizabeth says, in this case, she wishes it was.

Sasha tells Brando, no more wallowing, or feeling sorry for herself. She needs to be at her best today for Liam. Their son needs them. Brando says, they’ll be there for him, and she says, what if she’s not strong enough? What if she doesn’t have the courage to do the right thing? He says, that’s why they’re doing this together.

Olivia thanks Carly for setting her straight about this neurology appointment, but Carly says she didn’t set Olivia straight. She just gave Olivia a pep talk. Olivia says, whatever she wants to call it, she just wants to be solid. If Ned sees she’s nervous, he’s going to be nervous. Carly says Olivia is going to be great, and she’s going to pull herself together to be there for Sasha and Brando. Let’s go.

Nina tells Sonny, when they came back to Port Charles, he said the man he was in Nixon Falls wasn’t real, but he was; he is. He’s one and the same, and both Mike and Sonny are men that his father would be very, very proud of. Carly and Olivia come down the hall, and Olivia tells Carly to remember what she said.

Drew tells Scout, he knows it probably feels strange, them getting to know one another again, but he was hoping it comes back to them; kind of like riding a bike. Scout says she doesn’t know how to ride a bike, and he says he’ll have to teach her. Leo comes into the kitchen with Ned, and goes straight to a plate of cookies. Ned says, just one, and asks if they mind. Leo’s going to the doctor. Sam says, and Ned’s bribing him with cookies? Ned says, guilty as charged, and Drew tells him, don’t worry about it. He was just telling Scout that he needs help eating them, and thanks Leo. Leo says, anytime, and leaves with Ned.

Curtis tells Portia, Marshall doesn’t have the power to hurt him anymore. That damage was done when he took off, and let them believe he was dead. She says, some wounds never heal. You can stitch them up, put on a bandage, sometimes there’s a scar, but deep down… He says, that wound never would have reopened if he hadn’t decided to return, and she says, okay, but he has. So now what? He says, now he’s wormed his way into TJ’s life, and he’s cozying up to Aunt Stella. She says, and he doesn’t like that, and he says, that’s an understatement. She says, but what happens now in regards to him? and he says he doesn’t know. She asks if he thinks eventually he could maybe find a place in his life for his father, and Curtis says he can’t see Marshall as that until he knows where Marshall has been, what he’s been doing, and why he’s here. She says, he’s making it sound like Marshall is dangerous, and he says, they don’t know that he isn’t. Joey Novak swears he didn’t see who jumped him outside the club. She says, whoa. He thinks that was his father?

Stella says, Marshall is right. When her sister turned to her for help, she went along with the lie, and heaven help her, it’s haunted her ever since. Marshall says he never meant for her to be part of this, but she says he knew how close she and Irene were. Did he really expect Irene to keep something that big bottled up? One night, it just became too much, and she told Stella that he was alive, but he had his reasons for leaving, and didn’t want the boys to know why. He says he did it for Curtis and Thomas, and for her and Irene, believe it or not. She says, it doesn’t matter what she believes. He and her sister had an agreement. Her sister hated it, but she went along with it, and so did Stella. But only because he said he’d never come back. He tells her, he kept his end of the bargain pretty well, wouldn’t she say? He didn’t even come back when Irene passed. She asks why he’s here now.

Olivia tells Carly that she’s got this, and asks if Nina got her message yet; she’s been trying to reach her. Nina says, no. She’s been busy, and hasn’t even checked. Olivia steers Nina away, saying, this will only take a second. Carly looks at Sonny.

Brando says they don’t have to do anything until Sasha is ready. Dr. Fleming said they could take as much time as she needs. She says, time won’t change anything; Sonny helped her see that. Brando asks what Sonny said, and she says, he mostly talked about Mike, and how difficult the decision was to let him go. He talked about how he didn’t want to, but in the end, he realized that was about him; how it would make him feel better. When in reality, he needed to focus on what was best for his father. He says, that’s true, but Mike had a long and fulfilling life, while Liam’s never going to have that. She says, Sonny said that too, that there’s no comparison, but lost is lost, right? And there will never be another time. They named their son after Mike, so they need to be as brave for him as Sonny was for his father. Can they do that? He says he can if she can, and she says, okay.

Nina tells Olivia that she can stand down. She’s not going to cause any problems for Carly and Sonny. Olivia says, yet she’s here where they are, and where they have no desire for her to be. Nina says she’s here because she’s supporting Sasha and Brando. Not that she owes Olivia any explanation because it’s none of her business. Olivia says she disagrees with that. Carly is her friend and business partner, and what affects her… Nina says, affects the MetroCourt. Don’t even pretend this is about business. Olivia says she’s doing Nina a favor right now. Does Nina have any idea how close she just came to getting wiped off the map? Maybe she hasn’t been in town long enough to know, but Olivia knows from personal experience, Carly Corinthos takes no prisoners. Nina says, is that a threat? and Olivia says, that’s a fact. The only reason Nina is still breathing air right now is because Carly loves having her husband back and alive more than she wants Nina dead.

Sonny says, he and Nina were just talking… but Carly says she doesn’t want to talk about Nina. Sasha, Liam, and Brando are all that matter.

Drew asks what Scout thinks of his tree, and she says, it’s pretty. He says he thinks it would be prettier with some ornaments, but he just can’t find any. She says, they’re all up on the big tree, and Sam says, Scout’s right, but she doesn’t think they’d mind if they borrowed some. He says, he’s looking for one in particular, but it’s not on the big tree in the foyer, and Scout asks, what is it? Sam asks if it’s the star, and Drew says she remembers. He doesn’t know what it is about it; he just loves it. Sam wonders where it went, and Drew says, maybe it got lost or broken or something, or Annabelle II ate it. Sam says, dogs don’t eat ornaments (apparently, Sam has never owned a dog), and he asks if she’s met Annabelle II. She eats everything. He suggests they go online, and Scout can help him shop for some new decorations. Scout says she’s going to find grandma, and leaves. He tells Sam, he’s doing this all wrong, isn’t he?

Marshall tells Stella, a man can change his mind, can’t he? Like a musician can improvise in the middle of a tune. A good musician anyway. She says, this is not a gig; it’s real life. He says she doesn’t have to tell him. Tommy’s gone, and Curtis is a grown man, and he has a grandson who’s a doctor and has a big, beautiful life ahead of him. Can she blame him for wanting to be a part of it? She says, no, but she can blame him for walking away in the first place. He says she knows why, and she says, yes, she does. He says he’s not trying to change the past, or even be forgiven. He’s just hoping to be understood moving forward. She asks if he really thinks there’s a way forward, and he says he thinks this homecoming is meant to be. She says, carful now. He talks like he knows what the good Lord has planned. He says he’ll leave the good Lord to her, but think about it. Curtis owns a nightclub now. She says, so? and he says, as much as music was a huge part of his life, it can’t be a coincidence.

Sasha tells Brando, this isn’t how it was supposed to be. They were supposed to raise him, and love him, and watch him grow into a man. Liam would have had an incredible life. Brando says, yes, he would have, and she says he would have been so lucky to have a dad like Brando to show him the way. He asks if she’s thinking family owned body shop, and she says, maybe, but she’s not talking about teaching him about cars. She’s talking about teaching him to be a good, decent, caring person; the kind who comes into a new town and takes a bullet for a total stranger. He says, Liam would have been lucky, but not because of him; because he had her. She could dazzle him with her beauty of course (🍷), but mostly, she could teach him what real love is. Real, unfiltered true love, so he would never settle for less. She starts to cry again, and asks how this is happening. He just got here, and now it’s over? He says, it’s not over yet, and she says she’s not ready. And she can’t even begin to explain how much she doesn’t want this, but they can still show Liam what real love is. And when they do, they’ll know beyond a shadow of a doubt, that he never settled for less.

Nina says, message delivered, thank you, and Olivia says, for Nina’s sake, she hopes it was received. Nina says, if Carly even knew what she was trying to do for… Oliva says, what? but Nina says, nothing. But if Olivia suddenly has an impulse to weigh in on her friend’s marriage, from what she hears, Olivia might be better served to worry about her own. Merry Christmas.

Sonny says Carly doesn’t have to stick around. He’ll stay there as long as Brando and Sasha need him. She says she’s not going anywhere. Unless he’s trying to get rid of her. He says, never, and kisses her cheek. Nina watches.

Sam says she saw the cell they kept Drew in, and he says, nice accommodations, right? She doesn’t know how he did it, being in there for so long, staring at nothing, all alone. He says, it was tough, but the thing that kept him going, the thing that made him believe he was going to get out of there one day, was Scout. She says she saw he scratched Scout’s name in the wall, and he says, it was like the most important part of him was missing. She says, good; now he has her back. He says he does. Not quite the perfect fit. She says, not yet, but it will be. He says, it will be.

Curtis tells Portia, first, Joey Novak shows up, causing trouble at The Savoy, the kind of trouble that gives a club a bad name. Fast forward to Joey being beaten and jumped between the pier and The Savoy. She says, that doesn’t prove it was his father, and he says, right. The nightclub’s reputation takes a hit, the act that was booked suddenly cancels. She says, then a new one magically appears, and he says, he knows Marshall had a hand in Joey’s beating, but she says he doesn’t know that. He says, they do know he’s a proven liar, and she says, that doesn’t make him a criminal. He says, maybe it does, maybe it doesn’t, but he’s damn well going to find out.

Stella says, Curtis may have inherited some positive traits from Marshall, like his love of music. Does he still play? He says, sure do, and she says, don’t tell her he still has that old clarinet. He says he likes to think of Henrietta as vintage, but no, he lost her too. He lost her a long time ago. She says, Henrietta. She’d almost forgotten his first love. He says, you never forget your first, and laughs. In any case, he learned his lesson. He pats his clarinet case, and says, this baby never gets left in a car. She says she’s sure they’ve made some improvements over the years, and he says, the newer models are nice. Maybe it’s him, but his fingers don’t fly like they used to. But he has to believe if the mood was right, and he was holding Henrietta, he could still make her sing.

Olivia meets Leo and Ned, and asks how they’re doing. Ned says, good. Just doing what everyone does in a doctor’s office – wait. Olivia asks if Leo knows why they’re here, and he shows her his cookie. Ned says, it’s family tradition, bribery, and she says, if Leo is going to take the Quartermaine name, she’s going to have to accept the family traditions. A doctor walks up, and says he’s going to take a wild guess and assume this is Leo. Olivia says, that’s the guy, and he introduces himself as Dr. Newman, and his nurse, Nurse Meyers. He asks how Leo is doing, and Olivia repeats the question. Leo says he’s good, and Dr. Newman asks if he’d like to play some games and talk for a bit. Leo says he loves games, and the doctor says, great; come with him. He tells Olivia and Ned that they can wait there; they won’t be long. Ned tells Leo to have fun, and Olivia says if he needs anything, she’ll be right here. The doctor and nurse leave with Leo, and Olivia says, no big deal. Ned hugs her.

Britt asks if Nina is okay, and Nina glances at Sonny and Carly. She says she’s just worried about Sasha and Brando, and Britt says, it must be difficult for her; a reminder of Nelle being taken away from her; getting to know her, but it was too late. She knows it’s not the same, but Nina still lost a child. Nina says, and all the mistakes she made because of that.

Carly says she can’t imagine how Sasha and Brando feel, and Sonny says he understands why she stood up for Sasha. Behind that face, she’s got a lot of grit. She’s going to need it. Carly says she understands why he feels so close to Brando. She knows he’s family, but he was practically raised by Sonny’s father. (Wow, has that story changed.) Sasha and Brando come out, and Britt tells them to follow her.

Sam says Drew and Scout will find their way back to each other. It’s just going to take some time. They have to get through the holidays, and then in a couple of months, it’s her birthday. He says, so he’s buying his way back? but she says, that’s not what she’s saying. He says he’s just kidding, and she says, there are going to be so many moments; little ones, big ones, and all the ones in-between. He says he likes the sound of that, when his phone rings. It’s Curtis, and Drew asks, what’s up? Curtis says, what Drew told him, that he’d help look into his father’s reappearance? Does that offer still stand?

Marshall says he’s determined to put down roots, and get back with the family he left behind. She says he can be as determined as he wants, that doesn’t mean Curtis will let him in. He tells her, Curtis may say no, but he’s sensing a definite maybe from TJ, and he’d like to build on that, and have a relationship with his grandson. He could use some help if she’s willing to give it.

Ned says he was wondering if Olivia balked and canceled the appointment, and she says, it crossed her mind. He says he’s proud of her, and she says, he might not be when they get their diagnosis… if they’re getting a diagnosis. She looks at him, and says, they’re getting a diagnosis, and he says, most likely. She says, that’s okay, because their son’s alive and strong and thriving, and it’s more than a lot of people get. He’s unique, and it just makes him more special. Ned says, absolutely, and she says she wants him to know she’s all in on this. Whatever the doctor tells them, she’s here to give Leo all the help that he needs. He says he knows she will, and she asks if he can forgive her. He says, for what? and she says, for making him the bad guy because she was too afraid to look at the facts. He says he was afraid too. The unknown is scary. That’s why they’re here, to figure out what’s going on, and come up with a game plan. If they have that, and each other… She says, they have everything, and he says they do, and they hug.

Carly asks if Sonny is hungry or thirsty, but he says, no; maybe some water. She leaves, and he takes a rosary out of his pocket. He sits down and begins to pray the Hail Mary, as Nina watches.

Dr. Fleming tells Brando and Sasha, once they disconnect the respirator, they’ll give Liam an injection of morphine. Sasha says, so he won’t be in any pain, and Brando says, that’s why we’re doing this. So there’s no pain, no suffering, and he can be with his namesake. Sasha asks if she can hold him. Once he’s off of those machines, can she hold him in her arms? She doesn’t want him to be alone. The doctor says, of course (🍷), and Sasha says, he was with her when he came into this world. She wants him to be with her when he leaves it. Elizabeth and Dr. Fleming help Brando and Sasha get ready, and Britt goes out to the hallway, and leans on the wall. They go into the NICU.

Drew tells Curtis, they’ll talk soon, and Sam says, she’d ask what that was about, but she’s assuming it’s confidential. He says, just a background check. It seems pretty cut and dried actually. She says, how many times she’s said that and it’s been anything but, and he says, don’t worry. She says, too late, and he says he wouldn’t have gone through all that hell just to come back and put a bunch of trouble on her doorstep, or his. She says, no more risks, and he says, no more risks… within reason. He’s got too much to lose. Scout comes in, and Sam says, there she is. He says he was just about to fire up the laptop and shop for some new decorations. Does Scout want to help? Scout asks Sam if they can go home.

Curtis tells Portia, if there’s any dirt on Marshall, he trusts Drew to dig it up. She says, what if he comes up empty? but Curtis says, he won’t. He may not be a P.I. anymore, but those instincts don’t just evaporate. Marshall is hiding something. He looks at her, and says, what? She says, nothing, but he says, it’s definitely something, so say it. She says she knows he’s prepared to hear the worst about Marshall, but what if the big discovery is just that Marshall wants to be his father? Is he prepared for that?

The doctor brings Leo back, and Leo says, it was fun. Dr. Newman says, they had a really great talk. They’ll schedule a follow-up to discuss everything; just call his office. Ned says they will, and the doctor tells Leo, it was nice to meet him. He hopes to see Leo soon. Leo waves, and the doctor leaves. Olivia asks if Leo knows how much she loves him, and she hugs him. Leo says he knows, and she tells him, don’t you ever forget it.

Carly brings Sonny some water, and asks if anything happened while she was gone. Britt comes out, and they go over to her. Carly asks, is it over? Britt just looks sad, and at a distance, Nina closes her eyes.

Sasha holds Liam, and says, Liam Mike Corbin, you were here for such a short time, but you made quite the impact, and you were so, so loved. She has to believe he felt that, and hopes with everything in her that he still does. She kisses him, and says she’ll love him forever. She starts to cry, and Brando kisses Liam. He says, their first born, their son. He looks up, and says, look after him, okay, Mike? Mike appears, and I lose it. Mike tells them, like he said, with everything he’s got.

Marshall sits in his hotel room, and plays his clarinet. We hear his music over the final scenes.

We see Sasha place her baby down, and start to walk away with Brando. She turns back, and Brando puts his arms around her. She cries on his shoulder, and they leave. Mike holds Liam.

Stella comes into the hospital, and sees Curtis with Portia and smiles.

Sam says goodbye to Drew, and Scout hands Drew the star. He gives it to her to put on the tree, but she says she can’t reach. He lifts her up, and she puts it on the tree.

Olivia holds out her hand to Leo, and he takes it, holding out his other hand to Ned. The three of them walk out, hand-in-hand.

Brando and Sasha come out. Everyone looks sad, and Sasha starts to cry. Brando holds her. In the NICU, Mike holds Liam, and asks if he’s ready to go. He says, me too, and walks until he disappears.

On Monday, Chase says Willow can feel however she wants to feel, Laura tells Cyrus not to play games with her, Michael says he’s going to protect his family no matter the cost, and Phyllis asks Nina if she’s still in love with Sonny.

😭 Thanks, General Hospital. Because the holidays aren’t depressing enough. Although I was glad Mike showed up.

💔 That Was Quick…

And their wedding looked so cool. I wonder if he’s taken on too much of the Michael persona at home.

🎾 Ball Changes Court…

I can’t help but wonder if he practices his religion in other areas. Or is he like the people who screech if you eat meat, but wear leather shoes?

💼 Branching Out…

What Diane does on her off-time.

👯‍♀️ BFFs IRL…

I recently wrote an interview for Jessica Morris on Mupo & Friends (YouTube). She is a Lifetime queen, and real life BFF of Melissa Archer.

👠 Going Glam…

First Co-Chief of Staff, now this.

🎄 Christmastime Is Here…

At least in Salem.

🧂 Pass the Salt…

What’s going on in Salt Lake City.

Usually, it’s Jen doing the denying.

🗽 Sticking Around…

They’re not going anywhere.

Unless it’s running out of a restaurant.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/luann-de-lesseps-dines-real-housewives-of-new-york-dashes-out-of-dc-restaurant-le-diplomate

🎅🏽 And You Get a Piece Of Coal…

Apparently Leah is not happy with her co-stars.

⚖️ Little Did She Know…

Suckerfish Hoppy does kind of look like Christian Bale in American Psycho.

🍸 Haunting Split…

What is wrong with that guy?

⚰️ Burning Questions…

The skinny on the mid-season finale of Fear the Walking Dead.

https://ew.com/tv/fear-the-walking-dead-midseason-finale-708-interview-padre-alicia-strand-war/

🌟 Behold…

This years Rockefeller Center contribution to the Christmas spirit.

https://gothamist.com/arts-entertainment/photos-it-aint-christmas-season-until-2021-rockefeller-center-christmas-tree-has-been-lit

☄️ Quotes of the Week

If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world. – J.R.R. Tolkien

The more clearly we can focus our attention on the wonders and realities of the universe about us, the less taste we shall have for destruction.Rachel Carson

Women and cats will do as they please, and men and dogs should relax and get used to the idea. – Robert A. Heinlein

The most common form of despair is not being who you are. – Soren Kierkegaard

Ask not what you can do for your country. Ask what’s for lunch.  – Orson Welles

I had an epiphany a few years ago when I was out at a celebrity party and it suddenly dawned on me that I had yet to meet a celebrity who is as smart and interesting as any of my friends. – Moby

A celebrity is a person who works hard all his life to be well-known, then wears dark glasses to avoid being recognized. – Fred Allen

There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed. – Ernest Hemingway

True peace is not merely the absence of tension; it is the presence of justice. – Martin Luther King Jr.

🦌 On Dasher…

Why is it the weeks seem to go faster just before the new year? Here we are at another weekend, or for those of you who are on permanent robe duty, those two days you used to get off work. If nothing else, at least change your slippers for 48 hours. Maybe even live it up and put on real shoes. Until we meet for some soap and whatever’s on Deck, stay safe, stay taking some time for yourself, and stay not settling for less, be it love, or whatever it is you need.

December 16, 2021 – Stella Meets With Marshall In Secret, Unconventional Cocktail Material On the Runway & Fairytale

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Brook can’t open the door to the steam room, and tells Chase that she thinks they’re stuck in there. He says, it’s probably just jammed, and tries it himself, but nothing. He says, it’s stuck, and she says, nice mansplaining, Sherlock. He says, it probably just needs some force, and pushes his shoulder against it, but she says, she’s no weakling. It feels like something is blocking it. He says, then he just has to keep pushing, and throws his shoulder into it, but it still won’t open. His towel slips to the floor.

Finn runs into the hospital, and sees Elizabeth. She says she didn’t think he was on until this afternoon, and he says he’s not, but he wanted to see her. She says she wanted to see him too. She’s been doing a lot of thinking about them. He says, so has he. Maybe it’s time to stop dancing around, and just acknowledge it.

Portia spies Stella at the MetroCourt, and says, it’s nice to see her. Stella is somewhere else, and Portia says, Stella? Stella apologizes, saying she had something on her mind. Have a seat. Portia sits, and says, whatever was on Stella’s mind must have been pretty important. Stella says Portia has no idea.

TJ punches the heavy bag, and Curtis comes in and says, nice. Remember to keep his other hand up. (I always have to remember that too.) Marshall comes out from the other side of the bag, and says, that’s what he keeps telling TJ.

Alexis says, honestly, she has no idea why Harmony even wants to be friends with her. All she does is dump her emotional baggage on Harmony. Doesn’t she have something she wants to complain about? Harmony says, don’t worry about her. There’s not much going on in her life, but she gets the feeling that’s not the case with Alexis, so dump away. She’s there to listen if Alexis needs her.

Olivia dashes into the MetroCourt, and thanks Carly for rescheduling their meeting. It’s impossible to get a doctor’s appointment during the holidays. Thank God the pediatric neurologist was able to reschedule Leo and put him in before New Year’s. Ned is taking Leo over to GH, and she’s going to meet them later. Carly asks if Olivia is okay, and Olivia says she’ll keep Carly posted; she’s a little nervous. Carly says she’s going to the hospital to see Sasha. They can go together. Olivia says she’d really appreciate that, but in the meantime, she needs a distraction. What’s going on with Carly? Nina’s pre-trial hearing is coming up, and she bets Carly can’t wait to see that woman go down for what she did to Sonny.

Sonny and Nina lock eyes at the hospital reception desk.

Brando asks Sasha if she’s ready to go to the NICU, so they can… She says, can what? Say goodbye to their son? No. She’s sorry, but she just can’t do that. Not now. Not ever.

Chase covers himself with his hands, and Brook says, good morning to you too, Detective Chase. He asks if she minds turning around, but she says, oh please. Aren’t they better off now that she’s seen… everything. He’s the one who told the entire world that they had a one-nighter. He says he doesn’t think anyone is going to quiz her on it, and picks up his towel. She says he’s never been to a bottomless brunch with Olivia. He asks if she’ll please use her phone to call someone to get them out of there, but she says her phone is in her purse. Her purse is outside.

Elizabeth says, she and Finn had that kiss in his office, and he says he was so surprised, he couldn’t find his words. She says she did kind of run out like her hair was on fire, and he says, that’s true. He figured she wanted her space. Instead of thinking he knew what she wanted, he should have just asked. So what does she want?

Carly tells Olivia, she can’t see that woman without wanting to throttle her. She’s losing her mind. She’s having dreams about pummeling Nina over and over again. Olivia says, sometimes dreams really do come true.

Gladys runs to Sonny, hugging him, and thanks him for coming. Nina asks if there’s been any word about the baby, and Gladys says, there has, although she doesn’t know why Nina is entitled to it after all she’s done. Sonny says, Nina’s here for Sasha; they don’t need to hash all that out right now. Gladys supposes he’s right, and Sonny asks if Brando talked to her about the baby’s condition. She says, he said something about the baby being without oxygen for so long… and that because of that… her grandbaby… She starts to cry and puts her arms around Sonny. He holds her, and says, it’s all right.

Brando says he knows how Sasha feels; he doesn’t want to say goodbye to Liam either. She says, then don’t. As long as he’s still breathing, even with those machines, he’s still with them. Their son is alive. He says, is he really though? He’s not sure if Liam’s life would be truly living. She says, his heart is beating; that means he’s alive. Maybe it’s different for Brando. He’s got plenty of family and it’s growing by the day, but Liam is her only flesh and blood. He is her baby. Brando says, Liam is his baby too, and he’s only thinking about Liam. They both want Liam here with them. They want to love him, and hold him tight, but they have to think about what’s best for their son. She says, no, and he says, what kind of life can he have… but she’s out the door, closing it behind her.

Curtis asks what Marshall is doing here, and Marshall says, there’s no need for a showdown; he’ll go. TJ says, wait, and tells Curtis that he invited Marshall there. Curtis says he asked Marshall to leave his family alone, and Marshall asks if it’s not TJ’s choice. He’s TJ’s grandfather, and TJ wants to get to know him. He’s just trying to make up for lost time. Curtis says, you can’t reclaim lost time, by definition. It’s over; it’s gone. Now he can make himself useful by being straight with Curtis for a change. How about that? Why doesn’t he tell them why he let them believe he was dead, and where the hell has he been for the last forty years?

Chase yells that they’re stuck in the steam room, but tells Brook, it’s no use. He can’t believe she left her phone outside. She says she’s not exactly thrilled herself, even with his little striptease. He says he’s dressed appropriately for a men’s steam room. She barged in here fully clothed. A steam room is a lot more tolerable if she wasn’t fully clothed. She asks if he’s suggesting she strip down, and he says they’d be on an even playing field. She says, he’d like that, wouldn’t he? Speaking of being on an even playing field, he blew this whole thing up. She was handling her business side of keeping Bailey safe before he involved whatever kinky fantasy he had about her. He says, it’s like whiplash talking to her. One second, she’s grateful for him keeping her secret from Valentin, and the next, she’s dragging him for doing it. She says, the only thing being dragged is her name through the mud. He says, who cares? She needed someone to help her, and he did it. Why does it matter what people think about the way things went down between them? She says, because, this lie gives everyone permission to believe every horrible thing they’ve thought about her is true.

Alexis tells Harmony, here’s the thing. Everybody wanted her to plead out, but she insisted on taking her lumps and doing penance. Then she was given a shortcut and she took it. Everyone thinks she should be grateful, but the truth is… Harmony says, she’s not, and she can’t, because she feels like redemption was unearned.

Portia asks how Stella is doing, and Stella says she thinks she’s doing fine. Some things are still fuzzy, but she’s been practicing self-care and doing her best to stay calm. Portia says, good. Curtis didn’t even tell her that Stella was in town. Stella says she’s not surprised. Curtis has so much on his plate these days. And not just The Savoy. Portia says, so Stella knows Marshall is alive and in town.

TJ suggests they go somewhere and talk things out, but Curtis says he’s done talking. It’s Marshall’s turn to talk now. Marshall asks what he can say that would justify him walking away from his family? Curtis already said there’s no way he can bring back lost time. He knows Curtis wants answers, but there’s no excuse. No excuse for him not being there when Curtis was growing up. Curtis says, at least they agree on something, and Marshall says, great. Let’s start there. They agree, the past can never be made right, but they can focus on rebuilding the future together instead, can’t they?

Brando comes out, and Gladys hugs him. He says, they still need to decide what’s best for Liam. He was trying to talk to Sasha, and she just walked out. She’s probably in the NICU. He didn’t know if he should go after her. He knows she needs time, but she probably shouldn’t be alone. Sonny tells Brando to stay with his mom; he’ll go keep an eye on Sasha. Brando asks if Sonny doesn’t mind, and Sonny says, she shouldn’t be alone. Brando thanks him, and Sonny leaves. Gladys hugs Brando again, and he says, Sasha doesn’t know what to do with Liam either. He thought he knew, but he’s questioning what the right thing to do is himself. He starts to cry, and Gladys holds him.

In the NICU, Sasha says, Liam knows her. He knows her scent; he knows her touch. She cradled him nearly the entire time he was in her belly. She cries, and says she knows that he could feel her then, and believes he can feel her now too. He has to know that mommy is here with him, and his tiny, little heart. He has to know that he’s not alone in the world. Mommy’s here. She reaches in to touch Liam, when Sonny comes in. He says he wondered if she wanted some company, and she says, that depends. Is he there to tell her that she’s being selfish for not wanting to let her baby die? He tells her that he would never say that. He knows how difficult it is to lose someone, someone you love. He understands if she wants him to get lost, but he thought she might want someone to be with her. He joins her at the incubator, and says, he really is beautiful. She says she hopes he knows she’s here, and Sonny says he’s sure he does; love’s powerful. He saw that in the last days of his dad’s life. His dad didn’t go through what Liam’s going through. As a matter-of-fact, he just wanted to say that naming him Liam Mike is great; his father would have loved that. She says, it’s become a real family name, hasn’t it? and he laughs. He says he had a complicated relationship with his father. He was very grateful that the last couple years, they reconnected. They had a great time, and it meant the world to them, but that illness was going to prevail at the end. Mike accepted it before Sonny did; before he could. She says, at least Sonny had that time with him. Her baby hasn’t even opened his eyes and looked at her. He hasn’t seen her smile at him, or felt her hold him in her arms. She just prays he recognizes her voice when she tells him that she’s here and she loves him. She doesn’t want to accept this. It’s not fair. Other people get miracles; why can’t he get one? Sonny says, he felt the same way about his dad. He wanted any way out; a miracle, a cure. And when he knew there wasn’t going to be one, he had to make the decision, put him on a feeding tube, or let him go. It was a decision he couldn’t make, that he couldn’t bring himself to do, because he’d just gotten back together with him, and it felt like he was giving up on him. She asks how he decided, and he says, he asked himself a question. Is prolonging his dad’s life the best thing for him, or is he just afraid to have to deal with the pain? He puts his arm around her.

Gladys says she understands Sasha is in pain, but Brando is too. Sasha shouldn’t attack him. He says, Sasha’s not attacking him, and Gladys says, Dr. Fleming is looking for him. If they’ve decided to keep the baby on a ventilator, they need to find an appropriate facility. Sasha needs to be on this. She walks off, and Brando calls to her to give Sasha a minute. Nina says, let her go. His mom is hurting too; this is the way she’s coping. Nina suggests they sit, and tells him, Sonny is with Sasha, and he’s not going to let Gladys upset her. Brando says, Sasha thinks it’s easier for him to let go, because he has family and she doesn’t. Maybe she’s right not to give up hope. Look at Nina. She was in long-term care and she’s thriving now. Maybe Liam can have a life after all, like her.

Carly tells Olivia, it’s a lovely dream, but it’s one she’s going to have to let go of, because she wants to honor Sonny’s wishes, and not escalate things. She’s hoping the court will deal with Nina. Olivia laughs, and Carly says, what? Olivia says she’s sorry, but it’s not in Carly’s nature. Compartmentalizing is in Sonny’s nature. That’s why the man can go to mass on Sunday and still does… whatever he does for a living. For better or worse, that’s not Carly. She takes action. She says whatever is on her mind, and doesn’t bottle things up. Carly flashes back to being with Jason after the wedding, and telling him that she’s in love with him. Olivia asks how long Carly thinks she can keep this up, and Carly says she doesn’t know, and she doesn’t have a choice, but she’s gotten a lot better at pushing down her feelings for the good of everyone.

Chase asks if Brook isn’t being hard on herself, and she asks if he thinks she doesn’t know what people think about her. She hates how easy it is for people to believe the worst of her; it isn’t fair, especially since she’s actually someone who gives a damn. She’s trying to do good in the world, but it doesn’t come as naturally as it does for someone like him.

Elizabeth tells Finn, she’s not going to pretend the kiss didn’t mean something to her, but it’s complicated for her. It’s been almost a year since Franco died. She knows there’s no timetable for grief, but if she’s going to start dating again, maybe she should be doing it casually. He says, is that what she wants? and she tells him, she’s just saying, if they were to take that next step, it couldn’t be casual. He’s too good of a friend, one she’s come to depend on in the past year. He’s helped her fight her worst instincts; he’s her closest confidant. He’s become her family to her boys. If they were together, it would inherently be something serious. He asks, what would be so bad about that? Neither one of them is expecting a lifetime commitment right now, but he’s not looking for something frivolous either. He doesn’t want that, and has Violet to think about. She’s already over the moon about the two of them. He needs to very carefully manage her expectations going forward. Elizabeth says, Violet’s not the only one confused. She hasn’t even taken off her wedding ring. Finn says, she’s right; it’s too soon. Forgive him if he pressured her. If she’s not ready, it’s okay. Things don’t have to change between them. She says, but she wants to be ready. She’s grown to care a lot about him.

Curtis says, Marshall had the right idea before; he should leave. TJ says, come on, but Marshall says, it’s fine, and thanks TJ for the invitation. He’ll see them around. He leaves, and TJ punches the bag hard. He says, Curtis knows that wasn’t his place, right? He knows Curtis might not want to know the guy, but he does. Curtis says, he’s been in this game a lot longer than TJ, and needs TJ to hear him. He needs TJ to stay away from Marshall; keep his distance until he checks Marshall out. If he finds out Marshall is no danger, he’ll stay out of TJ’s way. TJ says, all right, but what if Curtis finds out something troubling? Curtis says, then he’ll be damned if he lets Marshall hurt his family again.

Stella tells Portia, she stopped by the club last night to see Curtis, and who should show up but Marshall. Portia asks if she’s okay. Seeing Marshall alive must have brought up some painful memories. Stella says, it does, but she doesn’t want to keep Portia. Portia says, she’s not. She had a breakfast consult, but it’s over. She can stay longer if Stella wants to talk. Stella says she knows Portia is needed at the hospital, and she’s truly fine. Go ahead. Portia tells her to take care, and leaves. Stella picks up her phone.

Alexis says she knows Harmony knows, and Harmony says she does. She took a deal too, remember? She told herself it was for the right reasons, to look out for Wiley and Willow, but it was just an excuse. Even now, she feels like her purification cycle is incomplete. Alexis says, and everyone thinks they’re nuts. Harmony says, she doesn’t, and Alexis says she’s going home and making lunch. If Harmony would like to join her, she has an enclosed porch. The rest of her house is commandeered by Molly and TJ in the living room, and Kristina in the… She forgot Kristina was one of Harmony’s DoD victims. Harmony says, and the reason she was in prison in the first place.

Sonny tells Sasha that he thought he was motivated by love. He was so wrapped in his own pain, he forgot his dad had pain. He wanted to go, and hung on for Sonny. It was up to him to give his dad the permission to go, and he loved his dad too much to leave him that way. She says, so he let love decide? He says he can’t tell her what to do. He made peace with that decision a long time ago, and believes it was the right one, but he’s not 100% sure; not in this life at least. Gladys comes in, and tells Sasha that Dr. Fleming is looking for her and Brando. Sasha says, she wants them to make a decision, doesn’t she? and Gladys says, arrangements have to be made if they’re putting Liam in a facility, or… Sonny whispers to Sasha that whatever she and Brando decide, they’ve got them, and Sasha cries. She says she has to find Brando, and tells Sonny to take care. She leaves, and Sonny comes out. Gladys says, he’s wrong, and Sonny says, about what? She says, she knows he made the right decision about Mike. Sonny did right by him. Never forget that. He thanks her, and she asks if it would kill him to give her some privacy. He leaves, and she looks at Liam. She blesses herself, and prays.

Olivia says she’ll take Carly’s word for it. If Carly thinks she can keep bottling these feelings up, more power to her, but just know that trying to push all these feelings down is liable to make someone crack. Carly says she can bide her time until Nina is brought to justice, as long as Nina stays away from her family.

Nina says, what Brando and Sasha are facing is unimaginable. Of course (🍷) they’re looking for anything and everything to bring a little bit of hope. She’s sorry she’s not it. Her situation was different from what their little Liam is facing. She was able to breathe on her own. That’s a lot different than having a machine breathe for you. She doesn’t think the doctors would mislead them on Liam’s condition and prognosis. They want to give him a happy ending as much as he wants to hear one, if they could have found a way to give it to him. He says he wishes they could, and she says, her too. Now it’s time for him and Sasha to come together. They have a big decision ahead of them. She wants him to scream, cry, maybe even pray that they make that decision together. And whatever decision they make, they’ll all be there for them, every step of the way. They hug, and Sonny watches.

Elizabeth says, the way she feels about Finn scares her. What if things don’t work out? She’s terrified of losing him. He says he’s not going anywhere. She’s not getting rid of him that easy. She laughs, and he says, in case it’s not clear, he feels the same way; he really cares about her. No matter how this winds up, his world is so much better for having her in it. She says, hers too.

Brook tells Chase, here she is, trying to protect her family’s legacy, and all she’s getting is shame and grief. And it’s so much more than that now. She has to protect Bailey. Nothing is more important than that, so she’ll just keep on taking the insults and bearing them. Chase says, for what it’s worth (🍷), he recognizes her sacrifice. Doing the right thing when it costs you is a very brave thing. But the only reason he stepped up when he figured it out was because he saw what she was about. He believed in her, and he sees her. She says, he does, doesn’t he? and they move closer. A worker opens the door and says, they were both trapped in there? The manager said no one was in there, so he pressed his floor buffer against the wall. Brook says, he should be more careful next time, and leaves. The man says he should warn Chase, the hot water’s out. He hopes Chase doesn’t mind cold showers. He leaves, and Chase says, no problem.

Elizabeth wonders, what’s next? when Finn’s phone beeps. He says, it’s an emergency; he’s needed upstairs. They get up, and he says he’s not going to press the issue, not until she’s ready. But if and when she is, if she wants to see where this could go, so does he. He leaves, and she smiles.  

Alexis says she may have gotten a little ahead of herself. It would be inappropriate for her to invite Harmony to her house. Harmony says she doesn’t need to explain; it’s fine. Maybe some friendships in prison are meant to stay there. Alexis says she’s sorry, and Harmony says, her too. She tells Alexis, have a good life and take care of yourself, and she leaves.

Portia comes out of the hospital elevator, and she asks what Curtis is doing there. He says he just dropped TJ off, and thought he’d come and see her. She says she’s glad he did. She saw Stella at the MetroCourt, and they talked about Marshall. She made like she was okay, but Portia had the feeling she was a bit shaken up about everything. He says, yeah. He ran into Marshall with TJ today. She asks if he had any luck getting answers out of him, but he says, no, but he was right about one thing. There’s nothing Marshall could ever say that could excuse him for letting them believe he was dead this whole time.

Marshall goes into the Bistro, where Stella is at a table. He says he got her message, and she says, it’s just the two of them now. Let’s put all the cards on the table, shall we?

Brando asks if Sonny saw Sasha, and Sonny says, she’s in her room; she’s looking for him. Brando thanks Nina and leaves, and Nina asks how Sasha is. He says, as well as can be expected, and she asks how Sonny is. He says, it just hits home. It reminds him of when he said goodbye to his father, Mike. He doesn’t know if he told her, but before he ended up in Nixon Falls, he was dying in the woods. He saw his father; he saved Sonny’s life. She says, he probably knew Sonny had to be there for his family right now, and Sonny says, or maybe it wasn’t a coincidence he ended up in Nixon Falls and his name was Mike, and he was a lot like him. He smiles and says, my dad.   

Brando looks for Sasha in her room, and she comes in from the hallway. He takes her hands, and says he’s been doing some thinking. He says so has he, and she starts to cry. He holds her.

Nina says when she and Sonny went back home to Port Charles, he said the man he was in Nixon Falls wasn’t real. He was; he is. They’re one and he same. Both Mike and Sonny are men that his dad would be very, very proud of. Carly and Olivia walk in, and see them. A lot of soap faces all around.

Tomorrow, Portia asks Curtis if it would really be so terrible, Sam says she brought someone along, Nina asks Olivia if that’s a threat, and Sasha wonders, what if she doesn’t do the right thing?

Project Runway

I’ve realized that I enjoy watching other people do things I don’t enjoy doing, like sewing and cooking. Those who can’t do, watch.

Anna was feeling the loss of Octavio aka Daddy, but to give them all a break, Christian fronted them a bottle of mimosas at the bar next door. In Prajje’s interview, he said he didn’t feel good about it. Christian didn’t just invite you out for drinks. Brandon and Christian met them at the bar, and Brandon said fashion and cocktails had a long history. Cocktail dresses were invented when laws were changed to allow women to drink publicly. Later, the cocktail dress was a woman’s go-to garment when she wanted to be less formal, and free to have fun. The challenge was to make a cocktail dress for the modern woman using anything they could find in the cocktail bar. It was the unconventional material challenge. In Chasity’s interview, she said it was her favorite challenge, and she’d made things out of weird stuff before. Brandon said it should be technically exciting, but please just watch the hot glue gun. It was a two-day challenge with no trip to Mood. They had twenty minutes to strip the bar. They included the champagne bottles in their grab.

Bones wore a babushka as he worked. This doesn’t really factor into anything, I just wanted to write babushka. Christian called it his Edith Beale look. Anna got weepy, but Prajje told her that Octavio would want her to be working. Coral had a billion straws, then noticed so did everyone else. Anna was doing something with tin foil, but when Christian made his rounds, he told her that she was in her head. It would look like a tin foil dress, when the whole point was to be unconventional. Working with unconventional material also required unconventional tools, like lighters and hammers. And gallons of spray paint. Outside, fireworks happened, but I’m not sure why. The designers had a phenomenal view from the street.

The guest judge was Christopher John Rogers, who Nina described as the go-to designer for influential women like Lady Gaga and Kamala Harris. Elaine said, everyone was good at this point, and it was going to get really real. Everything was quite impressive, especially to someone who thinks hemming pants is an achievement – i.e. me. Shantall had used mostly black straws, and Brandon’s mouth fell open when he saw the dress. I wasn’t sure if that was good or bad. Among Anna’s finds were plastic bags and an exit sign, and she went with a silhouette that reflected her Asian roots. Bones had used a beaded curtain and broken glass for his creation, and Coral used a bar mat and trash bags. Chasity’s dress contained coffee filters, bottle caps, and napkins (I was surprised everyone didn’t go for linens first), and Aaron used a table cloth, straws, and parchment for a cape. Prajje focused on coffee filters and doilies, making his own lace, and Kristina made sequins by melting plastic containers, and used a bar mat as the base of the dress.   

Aaron blew the judges away, Nina saying, she loved the geometry of his design. Elaine said it was extra in all the right ways. On the low end was Chasity, who’s construction was poor; pieces had actually fallen off. Nina said, too much of a glue gun did her in. Anna also scored low, Christopher saying, graphics could be good, but she was all over the place. She needed to be more intentional. Shantall was another favorite. Brandon said using all straws showed she had no fear. It should have gone wrong, but didn’t. Elaine said, this was what the competition was about; to find people like her. She was impressed. Nina said Shantall had confidence in her vison, and her design was edited and precise, the mark of a good designer. One of their least favorites was Prajje, although Brandon said he responded to the lightness and happiness. Fit was an issue, however, and he thought the problem was the use of pleather underneath. Elaine said the fit wasn’t flattering, and Nina said the model was drowning in doilies. Another high scorer was Kristina. Christopher said her dress looked expensive, Nina said she could feel the confidence of the design, and Elaine said it was a fresh take.

The judges deliberated, and Elaine said Shantall was a clear frontrunner. Nina said Kristina’s design was modern and creative, and Brandon said Aaron’s dress didn’t look like it was made from stirrers; the skirt looked like sequins.  In discussing who would be out, Elaine said Chasity’s dress flattered the model, which was more than she could say for Prajje; it looked like a paper bag. She thought Anna’s piece was too gimmicky, but Nina said Anna was the only designer who created a print, and she’d gone back to her roots with the silhouette. Christopher said, it was convoluted, and Brandon said, all three of them were chaotic.

The high/low designers were brought out again, and Shantall was declared the big winner. In her interview, she said she’d been out of the competition she’d put all her effort and soul in. She’d been given a chance to start over, and felt so proud of herself. The three low scorers were told they hadn’t managed their time well, and it showed in the work. Still, they were all tremendously talented, and this was hard. Anna’s message was unclear, Prajje’s model was overwhelmed by doilies, and Chasity’s look was too crafty. Ultimately, Prajje was out. Brandon said he was incredibly talented, and it had been a challenging moment, but use it to move forward. Through his tears, Prajje thanked them for the experience. He was going home with pride. Elaine said his journey wasn’t ending, and it was only up from there. I’ll miss his costumes. Christian told the group, it gets harder; they were all good. Prajje was a great designer and artist, and he’d brought color to the workroom. He was an inspiration. In his interview, Prajje said it was a platform where he could represent his country. The stories didn’t always get to be told, but don’t let misery be a reason to be stuck. Push yourself to be better, and you could be somebody. He was coming out of this a greater someone.

Next time, a real client challenge; the designers will have to create a dress for a Real Housewife for the Ultimate Reunion show; and Andy Cohen is the guest judge.

🎅🏽 Be Good For Goodness Sake…

Calling it an early night, but drop by tomorrow for soap, tea spillage, and words to live by. Until then, stay safe, stay saying what you mean and meaning what you say, and stay doing the right thing, even if it costs you. It’s also the brave thing.

December 15, 2021 – Brad’s First Day Of Freedom, Shannon’s Non-Apology Tour & Rest

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

In the gym steam room, Chase says, Finn was right. He should have taken it easy, but it’s just so frustrating being on suspension. Finn is a million miles away, and Chase tells him, this is where you say, you shouldn’t have punched Valentin, Chase. Finn flashes back to Elizabeth kissing him and running out of his office, and Chase says he knows Finn has an I told you so locked and loaded. Finn asks if Chase is implying he rubs it in when Chase blows it, but Chase says, he’s implying Finn is a know-it-all. He never misses an opportunity to trash talk Chase. Something’s on his mind.

Portia sees a sign that says yoga class is canceled. Terry and Elizabeth join her. Portia says, it’s been a week since she could take a class, and now it’s canceled. Terry says she was looking forward to it too. Portia opens the door, and says, it looks like they have the room. She says, Terry is as good as Stacy, and suggests Terry teach the class. Terry asks if Portia really thinks she’s that good, and Portia tells Elizabeth to back her up, but Elizabeth is busy flashing back on kissing Finn. Terry asks if Elizabeth is up for a do-it-yourself yoga class, but Elizabeth says she doesn’t know. Portia says, Elizabeth must have gone straight to the meditation phase, and asks what Elizabeth’s mantra is.

Walking through Rice Plaza, Willow tells Michael that she still can’t believe Brad was paroled. She doesn’t understand. After hearing Michael’s statement, how are they not convinced Brad should remain in prison? He says, Celina must have more pull than he realized. She obviously got to the parole board. It was a done deal before it even began. Willow is glad he suggested Kelly’s. If they’d stayed home, Wiley must have picked up on their anger. Lord knows, they’ve had to sit on it a lot these past few weeks. They’re just going to have to figure out a way to make peace with Brad being back in Port Charles. How long before he’s released? He says, they told him within a few days. Whenever it is, Brad better never come anywhere near Wiley.

Celina and Brad walk into the MetroCourt, but Brad says he’s not really feeling this. Walking into Carly’s restaurant just after being released is not good luck. Celina tells him to hold his head high. She and Sonny have an agreement. Brad says, about him? and she says he has nothing to fear from Sonny or his family, as long as he doesn’t attempt to see Wiley. He says he knows he has no place in Wiley’s life, and doesn’t want to cause anymore grief. He’s just grateful to have a fresh start. And he’s grateful for her help in making this happen. Although he doesn’t know whether to call her Miss Wu or auntie. They’ve never spoken before yesterday, and she collected him from prison, and here they are having breakfast. She tells him, call her Aunt Celina; that’s what she is. Brad is her brother’s son. Since he was adopted, she wanted to respect his adoptive parents, but she’s always kept tabs on him. He asks why she’s reached out now, and she says, it became clear he needed help when he went to prison, so when he was released, she reached out to help him get back on his feet. She arranged for him to have a place to stay, and a job. She sees great potential in him; potential she wants to encourage – if he listens to her. Britt walks in, and Brad yells her name. They run to each other, and hug.

Kristina walks into Alexis’s house, and asks if that’s Molly in the daylight. She must be hallucinating. Molly says she’s been working a lot, but this is her first trial, and she has to be ready. Alexis says she’s so proud of Molly. She remembers her first trial and how excited she was. She worked for weeks, and she’ll have that enthusiasm again for something else when she finds that fit. Sam says she feels that rush when a case starts to come together. Maybe Alexis will come to love it as much as she does. Kristina says, Alexis is going to be a P.I.? She and Sam are going to be working together? Alexis says she’s thinking about it. It could be interesting. Kristina says, it’s a disaster waiting to happen.

Michael asks why Willow chose an outdoor holiday fair, when they could be inside a cozy, warm restaurant. Willow says she likes supporting the local artisans, and once she’s shopping, she won’t feel the cold. But if he’s cold, he can take off. He says he’s in no hurry, as long as he can keep his arms around her. She says, then she’ll feel guilty for enticing him to blow off work, and he says, entice away. She tells him, go; she’ll be fine. Olivia should be here any minute. He tells her to have fun shopping, and leaves. Olivia arrives, and says she’s sorry for being late, but look who she found. Brook says she just loves a holiday fair. Mind if she tags along? Olivia says, the more, the merrier, right? and Willow fake smiles.

Brad says, it’s so good to see Britt, and she asks when he got out. He says, yesterday, and asks why she wasn’t at the hearing. She says she meant to come, but there was a sensitive situation at the hospital. Very sad, actually, but she guesses her letter of support made a good impression on the parole board? He says, it made a good impression on him too, and he’s going to try to live up to those words. Celina says their table is ready, and Brad introduces his Aunt Celina to his best friend. Celina says she’s very well-aware of who Dr. Westbourne is, and Britt flashes back to Celina telling her to stay out of Brad’s life. Britt says she had an interesting conversation with Brad’s aunt the other day, and Celina says, yes, and repeats their table is ready, and she doesn’t want to keep Britt. She’s sure Britt must be very busy. Britt says she has nowhere pressing to be, especially when her best friend just got out of prison. He hugs her again, saying, he’s missed her so much. Britt looks at Celina over Brad’s shoulder.

Chase asks if Finn is with him, and Finn says he’s listening. Valentin. Who doesn’t want to punch that guy in the face? He’s wanted to punch Valentin a few times himself. Chase says he hates knowing he has six months of suspension ahead. He was just about to get out from behind the desk. Finn says, but isn’t it a really good time? Chase can spend all this time with his baby girl. Think about it. There was tension with Willow; Chase didn’t know whether he wanted kids or not. Now he and Brook have a beautiful daughter together. That’s got to be a lot to process. Chase tells Finn, stop looking for something that isn’t there. Bailey is an amazing, beautiful, precious baby, and when he holds her, he wants nothing more than to protect her with his life. Finn says, that sounds good, but it seems like when Chase talks about his feelings for his daughter, he’s holding a lot inside. If he’s having doubts about being a father, it happens to all of them. Chase can talk to him.

Alexis says, they were just looking over a missing person’s case; Todd Worth’s daughter. Sam says, actually it’s more of an estrangement than a missing person, and Molly wonders where she knows that name. Alexis says, he’s CFO of Deany (not positive on the name, but until I am) Shipping Partners. Was Sam aware? Sam says, yeah, so? and Alexis says, his company was responsible for the big oil spill in the Arctic. Molly says, Deany Shipping Partners have a horrible environmental record, and Alexis says she is kind of surprised Sam took him on as a client. Sam says, she’s working for Worth, not Deany Shipping Partners, and Alexis wonders, what if he’s looking for the whistleblower, and claiming she’s his daughter so Sam will find her? Sam asks if Alexis thinks she hasn’t vetted her client to make sure the daughter is real. She knows how to do her job. Kristina says, three minutes. Longer than she thought.

Terry says, now mountain pose, feet hip width apart; spread those toes, balance your body weight. Roll the shoulders back, and settle the moment. Portia says, something is obviously on Elizabeth’s mind. Is she sure she’s up for this? Elizabeth says she needs this; yesterday was an intense day. Terry says she can imagine, especially with Peter being brought in while she was working. Palms together, interlace the fingers. Reaching down, stretch up, and release the arms slowly to the side. Elizabeth flashes back to holding the scalpel, and says, she reacted badly. Portia says she’s so sorry. She wishes she could have been there to support Elizabeth. Terry says, her too, but Elizabeth says, Finn was very supportive and understanding. She felt like she could lean on him. Terry says, it sounds like they’re getting closer. She knew something was going on between them. Portia says, well? and Elizabeth says she kissed him.

Britt highly recommends the French toast, or the eggs benedict, with… Brad tells her, whatever she’s going to say, yes. Everything looks amazing. He’s here for all of these things. Britt tells him, watch out. He doesn’t want to ruin that beach bod he’s been working at. Has he found a place to live? Celina says, her nephew will be staying with her, and Brad says, for the time being. Britt says, how generous, and Brad says he can’t wait for Britt to catch him up on all the GH latest. Speaking of which, is Lucas seeing anyone? Celina says, it’s important for him to look forward, not backward. Who his ex-husband is seeing shouldn’t matter to him now. Britt agrees. She understands how hard it is to let go, but that’s what he should do now. Finally and completely; that means no holding out for hope. He says he knows he and Lucas are over. What he did was unforgivable. Lying to him, lying to everyone about Wiley being their son. Britt says, let it go; guilt, shame. She knows he can get through this. In time, people will forget all about what happened. Michael comes in, and stomps over to the table, asking, what the hell is Brad doing here?

Willow tells Olivia, she loves this time of year, especially now with Wiley. Olivia says she’s always loved Christmas, especially with the little ones around. She already got all the Christmas shopping done, but there’s always room for stocking stuffers. Willow says, or that special something that catches your eye. Brook asks if Willow has bought a gift for Monica yet. She’s always the hardest to shop for, but maybe if they put their heads together… Willow says she and Michael already have something for Monica, and Brook guesses she’s on her own. What about Leo? He won’t stop talking to her about octopuses, or octopi. She wants to get him a cool T-shirt or something. Willow says he talked to her about it too. Brook could try an online shop. Olivia asks what’s going on between the two of them, and Brook says, Willow hates her because of Chase. Olivia says she means Willow is upset because Brook lied about Valentin being Bailey’s father, when she was Chase’s daughter? Brook says, yes, that, and Willow says she’s still processing and Michael’s jerkface ways are rubbing off on her. She’s still coming to terms with what Brook put Valentin and Chase through; the whole family actually. Brook tells her, she said she’d get over it, and Willow says, yesterday. It’s going to take more than a day for her to work it out. She walks away, and Olivia says, Brook just had to push it. That’s why Brook is here. She knew Olivia was coming there to meet Willow. That’s why Brook practically knocked her down, waving her arms around in the parking lot. Brook says she just wants everyone to get along for Christmas, and Olivia says she wants that too; for all the holidays actually. But it seems like maybe it’s the impossible dream when you’re a Quartermaine. Brook says, Olivia’s forgiven her, and Olivia says she’s being cool in the spirit of the season. She hasn’t forgotten what Brook’s done, and Brook can’t expect everybody, Willow included, to just shrug their shoulders and say, oh well. Willow comes back, and says, they’re here to shop. She’s going to start over there. Brook suggests they get everything out in the open, but Willow tells her that she’s said everything she needs to say. Brook says there’s no room for Willow to judge her. Willow cheated on Chase while they were still married.

Alexis wants Sam to know that she thinks Sam is a competent, responsible P.I. What she does is so necessary and important. Sam says, Alexis doesn’t have to placate her. She knows she’s good at her job, and she likes what she’s doing. Alexis says, Sam’s not good; she’s terrific. She’s oversensitive, and doesn’t want Sam to wind up like her, making the wrong choice thinking she’s doing the right thing. Molly asks what she’s saying, and Alexis tells her that she just doesn’t trust her own judgement. She lost her license over Neil; what was she thinking? She gets self-destructive when things get normal; normal isn’t normal to her. Molly asks if Alexis thinks she’s the same person she was when that happened, and Alexis says she’s been through a lot, so probably no. Molly says, so chances are she wouldn’t make the same mistakes. A small child learns not to touch a hot stove after burning themselves once or twice. She’d think Alexis’s life lessons would impart wisdom. Alexis says, one would think. No matter what, she’ll never be as wise as her soon to be victorious in court daughter. Molly hugs her, and Sam says Molly is such a show-off. Molly says, who? Me?

Brad tells Michael that he got out this morning; his release was expedited. Michael asks what Celina did to leverage the parole board, but she says, she did nothing. He says, we’ll see, and turns to Brad, saying, Brad had the audacity to enter his mother’s restaurant. Celina says, Carly is co-owner of this establishment, and the two of them are friends. Brad asks if he can speak to Michael for a moment privately, and Michael says, most definitely. They leave, and Britt asks, what’s really going on here? Why is Celina using Brad to try and stick it to Carly and Sonny? Clearly, she doesn’t know who she’s messing with. Celina says she thought she made her wishes clear. Britt has no place in her nephew’s fresh start. Yet here she is, crashing their breakfast. Seems like they have a problem.

Finn says, Chase didn’t get nine months to wrap his head around being a father, but Chase says, it’s not that. He’s good with being Bailey’s father. He knows she needs him, and he wants nothing more than to be there for her. In fact, he’s honored. Finn says, that’s one way of looking at it; detached but honored is good. Chase asks if there’s anything he can say to get Finn off of this, and Finn says, okay, Mr. Sensitive, no more questions. Well, just one. When do they get to meet her? Dad and Jackie will be on a plane so fast, it will make his head spin. Chase says, that’s exactly why he’s not telling them. They’re still settling in, and the Quartermaines are a lot to handle. He promises he’ll tell his mom and dad. Finn says, what about Violet? She was talking again last night about a new baby sister; it’s her favorite subject. Chase says, really? The last time he talked to Violet, she was going on about Finn and Elizabeth, something about wishing on a wishbone at Thanksgiving. Finn asks if they weren’t talking about Bailey, but Chase says, now they’re talking about Violet, and Finn and Elizabeth. How’s that? Finn says, he doesn’t even know what to say. There was one thing. She kissed him.

Terry tells Elizabeth, that’s what she’s talking about. Go after what you want. Portia says, if that is what Elizabeth really wants, and Elizabeth says, she didn’t plan on kissing Finn; it just happened. She thinks he was as surprised as she was. Then she ran out of his office. Portia says she’s been known to make a hasty exit too, but if Elizabeth would have stayed… and Terry says, he would have kissed her back. Elizabeth says, all she could think about was getting out of there, and Portia says, she hears her, but maybe this is about more than just a kiss. Elizabeth is still wearing her wedding ring. Elizabeth says she hasn’t been able to take it off. She still loves Franco, and always will. Terry says, of course (🍷) she does. It’s perfectly understandable, and healthy. Elizabeth says, but should she be getting involved with Finn if she still feels this way?

Willow says, Brook is right. She wronged Chase. She was living a lie. Brook says, then she realizes she’s in no position to throw stones, and Willow says, her reasons for marrying and staying married to Chase were a lot more complicated, and Brook knows it. Brook says, how does Willow know hers weren’t? and Olivia says, they’re in the middle of Rice Plaza right now. Let’s just say, nobody has any room to throw stones at anybody right now. She personally feels Brook’s lie had a bigger impact on the family as whole. She may need to work a little harder to regain the family’s trust. Brook says she wishes for once she’d be the one to get the benefit of the doubt, especially since she was just doing what she thought was right for the family, and to protect Bailey. Willow asks how passing off Bailey as Valentin’s daughter could ever be the right thing to do. How is that protecting her? Brook says, Willow will never be in her shoes, so she doesn’t know what she would have done. Willow says she knows she went to jail rather than tell Shiloh where to find her son. Brook used her daughter as a bargaining chip. Brook says, never mind. They’re all right. Willow is a better person than she is. She’s just the family screw-up. Olivia says, everyone take it easy, and Willow says, she  didn’t pick this fight. Olivia suggests they take a breath and cool down. Brook walks away, and Olivia asks if Willow is still in the mood to Christmas shop. Willow says, she needs a minute, and sits by the Christmas tree. Harmony comes into the plaza, and says, hi

Elizabeth says, what they’re saying is true. After Franco’s funeral, she felt like she was walking in a nightmare; life didn’t feel real. Then she had to snap back for her boys, and it was off to the races. Not that she didn’t welcome it. Anything to keep her busy, and keep her from feeling the emptiness when she closed her bedroom door. She eve slept on the couch for a while, until she realized it was making Jake and Aiden sad. Terry says, she’s such a good mother, but she’s a woman with needs too. Loving and letting herself be loved is one of them. Elizabeth asks, but is it fair to get involved with Finn? and Terry says, fair to who? Elizabeth says, Finn? Franco? Herself? She doesn’t know what to feel and think right now; she’s so confused. Portia says, that’s understandable, but as long as she’s figuring it out, it’s okay to take it slow. Terry says, there’s slow, and there’s glacial, and Elizabeth says, that’s what she means. Is it fair to string Finn along while she figures it out? Portia says, Finn is a grown man, and can make his own decisions. It sounds to her like he’s decided Elizabeth is worth the wait. Elizabeth says, no matter how long? and Terry says, she’s seen the two of them together. They both light up; there’s obviously a connection. She thinks, if they’re honest with each other, and talk about their feelings and concerns, it will work out the way it’s supposed to. Elizabeth say, what if they can’t talk about their feelings and concerns? and Portia asks why she thinks that. Elizabeth says, after she kissed him, neither of them knew what to say.

Chase says he’s glad Finn and Elizabeth are moving forward; Violet must be thrilled. Finn says, Violet might be jumping ahead a few steps, and Chase says, Finn just told him that Elizabeth kissed him. Clearly, things are moving in the right direction. Finn says he doesn’t know, and Chase asks, what’s the problem? Talk to him. Finn says he has no idea what the kiss meant to Elizabeth, and Chase says, why? Does she go around kissing people all the time? Finn says, he would hope not. Of course (🍷) not. She was going through something emotional at the time, something heavy. Then afterwards, she ran away. Chase says, well, that’s not the best response, and Finn says, no it isn’t. Now he’s wondering if she just got caught up in the moment and now regrets it. Chase says, absolutely not. He’s not letting Finn do this again.

Harmony says, she’s sorry. She didn’t mean to bother Willow, but Willow says, wait. She’s not mad at Harmony. She just had a thing. It’s good to see her. Harmony says, really? She’s glad to see Willow too. She hopes Willow doesn’t mind, but she couldn’t resist getting a gift for Wiley. Willow can tell him it’s from Santa, or whatever makes her comfortable. Willow says she’s not going to pretend Harmony doesn’t exist. She wants Wiley to know his family, especially since his other grandmother won’t be anywhere around him this year.   

Kristina comes out of the kitchen, and asks what she missed. Alexis says, just a crisis of confidence. She’s all better. She tells Sam, thanks for trying to help. Clearly (WOTD) this P.I. thing isn’t a good idea. Molly says, that means she’s not busy, right? She can look over Molly’s opening statements. Alexis says, Molly doesn’t want her two cents, but Molly says she would love Alexis’s two cents; her five cents, ten cents, twenty-five cents. Sam says, stop before she makes it to a dollar, and Molly says, Alexis is the most amazing lawyer she’s ever known, and Alexis holds out her hand for the papers.

Celina says she thought Britt was an intelligent person. Was she mistaken? Britt says, not at all. She’s intelligent, and brave, loyal, and amazingly resourceful. That’s why she has no intention of abandoning her best friend. Celina says, Bradley is with his family now, who will provide for him, and Britt says, a family he’s known for 48 hours? Let’s be real. Brad barely knows Celina. Celina says, it’s time that changed.

Brad tells Michael that he doesn’t want any trouble with him or his family, and Michael says, then why have breakfast at his mother’s restaurant? Brad says, it was his Aunt Celina’s idea, not his, and Michael says, Brad’s Aunt Celina has taken quite an interest in Brad. What does she want in return? Brad says he’s not sure; he’s just glad to be out. They both know Michael’s father could have blocked his parole if he wanted to, but he didn’t. For whatever reason, Sonny’s given him a second chance. Michael says, it was a transactional arrangement between Celina and his father. Bottom line, his dad made a deal, but he didn’t. Brad gets no second chances with him

Willow asks how Harmony is doing, and Harmony says, keeping busy. She’s enjoying her work at Spring Ridge actually. Willow says, is that it? Just work?  Harmony says, what else is there? and Willow says, she gets to have a social life too. Does she have any friends? Harmony says she tends to keep to herself. Her friend group is a little limited to begin with, and after she got out of prison, and Dawn of Day dissolved, she opted to stay away from that crowd. Willow says, good decision. Still, it must have been lonely. Harmony says, don’t worry about her. She needed to focus on herself without distractions. She respected Willow’s need for space, and isn’t trying to make her feel bad. She supports the decisions Willow made for herself and Wiley. She’s sorry she overstepped and showed up at Wiley’s birthday. Willow says, they’re past that now, and Harmony says she’s glad Willow is doing so well; with Michael, and making a loving home for Wiley. It’s important that we live our truth, isn’t it? That’s what she wants to do. She wants more to life and she feels more sure of herself, so hopefully, when Willow is comfortable, Harmony would like to have a relationship with her grandson and her daughter. Does Willow think that might be possible?

Brad says he swears to Michael, if he even sees Wiley, he’ll turn around and go the other way. Michael gets in Brad’s face with his finger, and says, never speak his son’s name again, or he will end Brad. Ugh. I’m so tired of this new tough guy persona. Go back to being boring.

Michael comes back, and Britt asks, where’s Brad? He says, processing; he gave Brad a lot to think about. Britt excuses herself, and leaves. Michael tells Celina, bringing Brad to his mother’s restaurant is a sign of disrespect. She’d be wise to remember that. Celina gets up, and asks if he’s threatening her.

Portia tells Elizabeth, she remembers obsessing over a spontaneous kiss she gave Curtis. She was mortified and she bolted too. Terry says, just talk to Finn, and Elizabeth tells her, and say what? She didn’t know what to say then, and obviously doesn’t have the words now. It’s going to be so awkward the next time she sees him. Terry says she’s overthinking things. They probably both feel the same way. Portia says, Terry’s right. Curtis wanted to talk about it just as much as she did. Elizabeth asks what they said, and Portia tells her, they said what they were feeling. It’s all the what ifs and worst case scenarios rolling around in her mind that will drive her crazy. She doesn’t need yoga to be still and listen to her heart. She just has to trust what’s there. It won’t steer her wrong.

Alexis tells Molly, great job with the evidence, but don’t get too detailed; it’s just the opening. She thinks admitting the neighbor is an unreliable witness is kind of gutsy. Molly says she knows the defense is going to go after her, and she… Alexis says, no, it’s a good strategy, but maybe if Molly…  just ignored her. Molly has her own style, and she’s got this. She’s going to be great. Molly thanks her, and says, it’s good to have her back. Sam and Kristina come back in, and Sam says she seconds that. Kristina thirds it, and Sam says, if private investigation isn’t Alexis’s thing, they’ll come up with something she enjoys. Kristina says, unless Alexis wants to chill. She just got out; no rush. Sam pokes her, but she adds, maybe Alexis should just take her time. Alexis says she has an errand to run, and Sam says she thought Alexis was free this morning. Alexis says she forgot she had something to do, and could use a little fresh air. She thanks them for their help, for the food, for their love. Sam says they do love her, and support her, and they’re here for her, whatever she needs. Alexis says she loves all of them, and jets. Sam tells her sisters, they need to get a few things straight.

Chase says he gets why Finn is gun-shy after how things ended with Anna, but he’s not going to let Finn talk himself out of something potentially great with Elizabeth, for both him and Violet. Finn says, that’s exactly why he needs to be more careful this time. Violet is becoming very attached to Elizabeth. Chase says, as is Finn. That’s why the kiss rattled him so much. Finn says, it’s so confusing. Elizabeth is a really good friend, and they work well together. He doesn’t want to ruin that. Chase asks if that’s why Finn let her run out without following her, and Finn says, at first, he was in shock, and secondly, he didn’t want to push. Chase says, there’s pushing her away, and there’s letting her know he’s still interested. He deserves to be happy. Doesn’t Elizabeth make him happy? Brook walks in, and says, there Chase is. Why hasn’t he answered her texts? Chase says, because he doesn’t keep his phone on him in the steam room, and Finn says, the men’s steam room; the place she shouldn’t really be in. She says she’s seen it all before, and Finn says, that might be true with Chase, but… Never mind, he’s leaving. At the door, Finn tells Brook, Chase is a good man. Bailey is lucky to have him as a father. She never should have kept Bailey from him. Brook says, message received, over and over. His towel’s slipping. Finn leaves, and Brook tells Chase, that is exactly the problem. He asks what she’s talking about, and she says Chase needs to defend her.

Brad tells Britt, it’s true his aunt has taken a sudden interest in him. It’s kind of scary. She says his aunt is definitely used to getting her own way. When they had their little chat, Celina threatened her, telling Britt that she had to stay away from Brad. Brad asks if she’s going to listen, and she says, hmm… like she’s thinking about it, then says, of course (🍷) not.

Celina says, Michael forgets himself. There’s an agreement in place with his father. No retaliation against her nephew. Michael’s body language is aggressive, and he says, the agreement will last as long as Brad stays away from his family. Seriously, Michael is behaving like real jerk, and now has a pattern of crying before he’s hurt. Is he on drugs or something?

Olivia joins Willow and Harmony, and asks if everything is okay. Willow says she and her mom were just getting caught up. She’ll find Olivia in a minute. Olivia moves on, and Harmony says, it’s nice to hear Willow call her mom again. She reaches for her shopping bag, and says, here’s Wiley’s present, but Willow says, keep it. Maybe Harmony can give it to him herself. Harmony says, any time; she has zero plans. Willow says Harmony is going to be alone on the holiday? and Harmony says she’s fine. She’ll just be counting down the days until she sees her grandson. Willow says she’ll speak to Michael and see when they can set up a visit. Harmony thanks her, and says, Willow has given her the best present of all. Willow says, goodbye, and leaves.

Finn dashes into the hospital, and sees Elizabeth by the elevator. She says she thought he wasn’t on until this afternoon, and he says he’s not. He wanted to see her.

Sam tells her sisters, she didn’t expect mom to sign on as a partner forever. She just wanted to give her something to do. She’s floundering without a purpose. Kristina says she wishes Sam had given them a clue. She wouldn’t have opened her big mouth. Molly asks if Sam is really worried about mom, and Sam says, this is a really hard time for her, and she’s vulnerable. If they don’t help her find her way, who will?

Harmony sees Alexis, and calls to her. Alexis says she almost didn’t recognize Harmony without the florescent lighting. It’s nice to see her out in the wild. Harmony says she breaks free now and again. How is Alexis coping now that she’s back? Alexis says she’s not quite sure what to do with herself, and Harmony says she gets that. She usually dives into work, but she’s resolving to find more balance. If Alexis needs a friend, she’s available.

Brook says, do something, and Chase says, what? She says, everywhere she turns, she’s getting grief. Even Willow’s mad at her, and she gets along with everyone. He says he doesn’t know what she wants him to do; he’s supposed to be the injured party. She says, this was his idea, and he says, not all of it. She says, she’s tired of being painted as the bad guy when all she’s doing is protecting Bailey. She fans herself, and says, it’s sweltering in here. She thought he was just coming to the gym to work out. He says he was. His shoulder hurt, so he thought he’d take some steam. He asks how she found him, and she says, the attendant told her. He says, not to be a prude, but can they discuss this after he showers and changes? She says, gladly, and tries to open the door, but it doesn’t budge. She says, the door won’t open. She thinks they’re stuck in here.

Tomorrow, Olivia tells Carly, sometimes dreams do come true; TJ tells Curtis that it wasn’t his place; and Brando tells Nina, maybe Sasha is right not to give up hope.

The Real Housewives of Orange County

Shannon went to get some work done on her face, and in her interview, she said, last year she’d pumped six vials of filler into her face, and still couldn’t recognize herself. Noella came along for support, but had a hard time watching needles go into Shannon’s face. Noella talked about her son, and said, his autism was a curveball they hadn’t anticipated. In her interview, she said, it wasn’t a membership she thought she’d be part of, but she was proud of their son. She told Shannon that she and her husband had a house in Puerto Rico; it was beautiful, but a nuisance on the finances. Her husband hadn’t told her that there was not one, but two, tax debt liens on it. On top of it, at first, he’d told her $2.6 million was owed, but it turned out to be $4 million. It was difficult not having trust in the marriage. Shannon said, trust was essential in any relationship. In Shannon’s interview, she said, after David’s infidelity, they’d had a day of truth where she’d asked questions she didn’t like the answers to. She thanked Noella for her support at Heather’s party. She asked if Noella had spoken to Nicole, and Noella said, what Shannon had done was something a lunch couldn’t fix.

Jen’s husband Ryne had been visiting her mom in Jackson Hole. She’d always wanted a close relationship with her mom, and never got it, but her husband did. Gina told Travis all about Heather’s party, and I wondered if he was tired of hearing about these women. In Gina’s interview, she said she didn’t like being the girlfriend since she was a grown woman with three children, but Travis wasn’t there yet. She told Shannon told Heather not to trust them, because she was trying control situation that was already f***ed up. She said Shannon had been there for her in the past, and we flashed back to Shannon helping Gina when she got the DUI. In her interview, Gina said, Shannon was taking shots at her personal integrity. Shannon was consumed with not looking like a bad person, and didn’t give a sh*t who got destroyed.

Heather visited Terry at his office, and told him Nicole called her, feeling bad that she’d ruined the party. We saw a clip of Nicole and Heather talking, and Heather said, Nicole had nothing to do with it. She was as much a victim as they were. Heather didn’t know what Shannon’s goal was, but this wasn’t cool. She said Shannon had texted her, and read the text to Terry, along with her reply. Every time he thought she was finished, and was about to say something, she continued. Shannon texted that she felt badly about the way things ended. She wanted to continue their conversation if Heather was open to it. Heather texted back, among other things, that she didn’t have time to listen to more of Shannon’s rhetoric. Shannon had passed information on that could be twisted, and could hurt Heather’s family. She’d also spread private information about Nicole that could have hurt her as well. It had all happened years ago, and was none of Shannon’s business. Shannon replied that her apology was genuine, but Heather pointed out that there had been no apology in the text. Unless Shannon took accountability, they couldn’t move forward. In Heather’s interview, she said, Shannon hadn’t liked her from the get-go, and we flashed back to that. Shannon was never wrong, it was never her fault, and she was never the problem. Heather begged to differ.

Noella and Gina had a cryotherapy session, which supposedly releases endorphins. They got into booths wearing earmuffs, mittens, socks, and little else. Noella said the cold went up her who-ha, and in her interview, she said being cold was among the top three things she hated, but she’d committed to go with her friend. When they got out, Noella demanded alcohol, and told Gina about the tax debt. She said she thought her husband should just pay it, but he was fighting her on that. Afterward, Gina called Shannon and said she was upset about what happened at Heather’s party. She thought they should sit down and figure it out.

Shane had finally passed the bar, and Emily asked if he was excited. He said, super excited, with the usual lack of enthusiasm. In Emily’s interview, she said, when Shane graduated college, he didn’t even tell his mom, and she was still pissed to this day. Annabelle was being baptized into the Mormon religion, and Emily said she needed to allow the children to follow in their father’s footsteps. She told the kids how their father hadn’t had an issue with her not being Mormon, but with the pandemic, their dad getting sick, and things being dark, she could understand how people had faith. In her interview, she said in the past, she wasn’t open to them being baptized as Mormons, but as she got older she understood how people looked to faith and religion for guidance. She wanted to have a more open view.

Noella, Nicole, and Shannon met for lunch, and Noella asked Shannon if everything was good. True to dismal form, Shannon said, not really, but it’s not important. She was sorry about what happened at Heather’s party, but wanted to explain her frame of mind. She thought it didn’t make sense that the Dubrows would be friends with someone who’d sued Terry. Nicole said, it was never the time or place to discuss someone’s medical history, never mind that the lawsuit never happened. Noella said it wasn’t a lawsuit; it was a non-suit. Nicole said, Heather and Terry hadn’t been mad about it, and she’d felt attacked by Emily. Shannon said she’d stupidly told Emily and Gina about it, but had made them promise if Nicole was the same Nicole, they wouldn’t talk about it. She took full blame, and shouldn’t have said anything. Nicole felt that Shannon was sincere and forgave her, but I’m sure she’ll be sorry for that later in the season. Noella asked if Shannon had talked to Heather, and Shannon said she’d reached out, but Heather had no interest. In her interview, Shannon took back her earlier ownership by saying, she was owning her part, but was anybody else? Maybe Nicole should have communicated that she’d sued them, and Gina was the sole destroyer of the dinner party. The bottom line, and the thing Shannon never seems to get, is that none of it is any of her business. Noella wondered how Shannon could move forward with Heather, but Shannon didn’t know.

Ryne brought Jen’s mom back with him for a visit with Jen and the grandkids. In Jen’s interview, she said her mother had been born and raised in England. She’d been strict, but now as a grandma, she was more relaxed. They talked about Jen’s father, and Jen wondered if he was proud of her. Her mother said he’d been on Jen’s team 100%. In her interview, Jen said her father had died just before she was taking the test for medical school, and it had been traumatic. He’d been riding his bike, and a motorcyclist, going the wrong way down a one-way street, hit him. He’d been the glue that kept the family together. His death brought them together briefly, but without him there to keep it that way, they fell apart. Her mother had been depressed, and Jen felt alone. It forced her to become independent very quickly.

Noella called Shannon, and said she’d been served with divorce papers from Puerto Rico. Everything was in Spanish, so she’d had to get someone to translate. His stuff was still all there, including his cars. His life was there, but he’d shut off the credit cards. In Noella’s interview, she said she was lost. She didn’t know what to do or think. It was a bad dream. She told Shannon that she’d talked to an attorney. She never thought this would be the end of her marriage, and she’d be a single mom. Their son had just been diagnosed, and her mom had recently been hospitalized. Shannon asked if there was no way to reach out.

Gina met Shannon for drinks and appetizers, and Gina said Noella had called her. She was glad she was past her own issues, and in a place where she could help someone else. In Gina’s interview, she said she could completely sympathize, since she’d been through it. It had consumed everything, and she felt like she was trapped in an effed up bubble where it was all bad. They called Noella, and asked if she wanted to join them for a well-needed cocktail, and Noella said she’d love it. Gina told Shannon that she wasn’t happy with what had happened at Heather’s party, but she didn’t want to be fighting. Shannon said it still didn’t make sense that Heather and Nicole wanted to be friends, again not grasping that, one, it’s none of her business, and two, it wasn’t really an issue to begin with. Shannon said she’d wanted to believe they had each other’s backs, and Gina said the day she’d found out her husband was having an affair, he’d brought her to the woman’s home. Everyone knew but her. Shannon wanted to focus on being right, and she didn’t care if Shannon was right. Shannon said she’d gone out of her way to be kind to Gina, and Gina said she didn’t need to go out of her way to be kind to people; she just did it. If it was that much of a burden to Shannon, she needed to reevaluate the friendship. Shannon had told Heather that she and Emily couldn’t be trusted, so why did Shannon tell them? And why was she talking sh*t about them behind their backs in the first place? Shannon said she made a mistake, and was an a-hole for doing it. No argument there, but I don’t think she quite understands what her mistake is. Gina said she could only work with what she had, but she genuinely cared about Shannon. In Gina’s interview, she said she and Shannon had recently gone to New York together, and she’d thought their friendship was on a deeper level. She felt Shannon was pulling her back to a place she didn’t want to go. Shannon said she’d been in a positive, happy place. The last thing she’d wanted was drama or anything negative. In her interview, Gina said she wanted to put this to bed and move on, but she was going to keep one eye open. She wished she had three eyes, so she could keep two open. Gina said it was out of control, and Shannon said, lesson learned. Although she was frazzled to the max, Noella showed up looking gorgeous. She said her husband shutting off the credit cards was a big no-no when she had their son. In her interview, she said she had no savings account, and no access to a line-of-credit. Her husband controlled the family finances. She wondered why this was happening, and had more questions than answers. Here’s where I stop, and say, ladies – or whoever has a partner who’s the main breadwinner – know what’s going on with your household finances, and always have your own money stashed away. I don’t care what the situation is. I have a friend whose father died, and it took her and her mother a year to figure out what was going on financially. Don’t let this happen to you. Noella told them, it wasn’t a safe place for her to be, and thanked them for being helpful. Shannon said both she and Gina had been blindsided, and Noella said, they’d been forced to sell the house in Puerto Rico, and that’s when she found out about the liens. She couldn’t understand why there was this emotional attachment to the house. They’d only owned it for seven months. Why was it a big deal? It was a weird time in her life.

Ooh. I wonder if he has another family in PR.  

Next time, Heather visits Jen, Noella’s life is falling apart, Emily has a party for Shane, Emily confronts Shannon, and Heather tells Shannon, if she ever comes after Heather’s family, Shannon will lose a lot more.  DUN-DUN-DUNN!

🗄 Closing Out the Drawer…

Tomorrow, soap of course, and seeing what fashion can be made out of barware. Until then, stay safe, stay believing you can, and stay living your truth. It’s important.

December 14, 2021 – Michael Gives His Impact Statement, the Toms Take a Break, Madcap Moment, Sad On Deck, Nominees Of Gold & Her List

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Stella tells Curtis, no more secrets, when Marshall walks in. She says, Marshall Ashford. What are you doing here? and he says, Hello, Stella. Good to see her again after all these years.

Austin comes out of the hospital elevator and sees Britt. He says, just the person he was looking for, and she says, lucky her. Does he remember when he said things could only get better? He says, did something prove him wrong? He’s sorry. Let him make it up to her; he has news on her brother. She asks if it’s his obituary, and Austin says, close. He’s in the ER, and he’s more dead than alive. Austin leaves Britt to ponder this.

Maxie asks Finn, arsenic or strychnine? She hopes whoever poisoned Peter took that into consideration. He says, it’s possible it wasn’t intentional. Inmates get botulism from homemade prison alcohol. She says, in solitary? and he says, just speculating. She asks if he speculated the best case scenario, like, what are the top three deadly toxins in a prison? Which one could be killing Peter August right now? He says, if Peter were poisoned intentionally, getting it to him in solitary would take real effort. Who would go to that kind of trouble? She says, who wouldn’t?

Elizabeth peeks out from the ER, and goes to Peter’s bedside. She looks at the scalpel in her hand, and flashes back to Peter saying he’s being persecuted the same way Franco was, and Finn stopping her from attacking him. She remembers finding Peter at the bottom of the stairs when Finn thought he’d killed him, and saying, Peter doesn’t get to take another life; they won’t let him.

Carly comes home, and tells Sonny, she has so much work at the MetroCourt, she can’t believe she let him convince her to blow it off. He says, they need to take a break. Sasha and Michael are going through hell, Michael’s making a statement at Brad’s parole hearing, and everybody’s climbing the walls because Peter August is back. She says, here’s hoping he dies quickly. Although it seems to be taking forever. Sonny asks if they can just focus on the fact that he’s home with his family, and celebrate, and she asks what he means. He brings her into the living room, where everything is decorated, and says, Christmas.

Sasha tells Brando, if she has to stare at these walls much longer, she’s going to scream. Does he think that’s how their little boy feels in the NICU? Does Liam feel trapped in that incubator? He says, no. Liam feels safe, and cared for, and loved. She asks if he thinks Liam can feel that, how much they love him, and he says, of course (🍷) he can. She says, some people go through their whole lives and never have that. Every challenge they have to face, if their son can feel that they love him, isn’t that enough?

Willow asks if Michael feels nervous about the hearing, when Brad is brought in. Michael says he’s never felt more sure about anything in his life.

Brando says, he and Sasha love their son so much, if he’s aware of nothing else, he’ll at least know that. She says, even if his life isn’t perfect, even if it’s hard, he will at least know love. She knows it’s not going to be easy, and at times it will feel impossible, but with Brando as Liam’s dad, they’ll get through it. She’s not giving up. He says, they’ll do whatever it takes to give their boy a fighting chance.

Elizabeth looks at the scalpel, and moves closer to Peter. Finn comes in, and says her name, startling her.

Britt asks Austin, what happened? Did someone attack Peter in prison? He says he’s not clear on the details. Should he not have told her? She says, is he kidding? it’s the best news she’s heard all day. She had to tell terrible news to anxious parents, and she has a very dear friend who has his parole hearing today, and she can’t be there to support him. And she was just recently told, she was a bad influence. He says he’s sure her friend knows she’d be there if she could. As for her being a bad influence…

Celina comes into the hearing, and goes over to Michael. He says it’s a pleasure to see her again, and introduces Willow as Wiley’s mother. Celina says, it’s an honor, and Willow says, for her as well. Celina says she wants Michael to know that she in no way condones what her nephew did. She also wants to assure him, should fortune fall in Brad’s favor, she will be responsible for him. He will never again disturb Michael’s family. Michael says he appreciates it, but after the board hears his statement, there’s no chance in hell her nephew sees the light of day. I guess Michael thinks he’s in Cool Hand Luke.

Sonny tells Carly that Pilar is bringing the kids down from the nursery, and she asks how he managed this right under her nose. He laughs, and says, it’s a gift; does she like it? She says she loves it; it’s beautiful. Has he checked the calendar? They never decorate this early. He says he missed Christmas with his family last year, and wants to make up for lost time. Family is everything. It’s all that matters.

Curtis leads Stella to a seat, and asks if she’s all right. She says she is, but it’s a shock. It really is him. Marshall says he didn’t mean to startle her, and Curtis says, it comes with showing up in places he’s been asked not to. Marshall says he came there to see Curtis. How would he know Stella would be there? Curtis says, that’s beside the point. His presence is unsettling and unwelcome. His auntie is recovering from a stroke. Marshall says, what? He’s sorry to hear that. How’s her recovery coming? Curtis says he’s sure a lot better before she saw him. She thought he was dead, so seeing him alive after all this time, they’re lucky she didn’t have a relapse. She says, actually, that’s not exactly true.

Sonny tells Donna and Avery, look at all those presents, waiting to be opened on Christmas morning. Avery asks if he’s going to be there Christmas morning, and he says, there’s nowhere he’d rather be. Carly says, and he’s going to be there Christmas Eve to help set out the treats for Santa. He says, then he’s going to read them The Night Before Christmas and tuck them in. Last year, he wasn’t able to be there, but it wasn’t his choice. Avery asks, whose choice was it? and he says, it’s so amazing that he’s able to be with his little girls today. He’s going to make up for lost time and never let them down again. Can he get a hug? The girls hug him.

Michael thanks the parole board for being able to address them today. Three years ago, he laid to rest a child he thought was his newborn son, Jonah. His family mourned with him as they buried his baby boy, and grieved for the life he’d never have. Later, they discovered he was actually alive; now being called Wiley and being raised by Mr. Cooper. It was only when Mr. Cooper was forced to tell the truth, that he intentionally misled Michael, his family, and even Brad’s then husband, Lucas Jones. Worse yet, the day he got his son back was the day Willow Tate realized hers was gone forever.

Brando asks if they’re ready, and Sasha asks if they’re ever. Since the day they met, they’ve always been scrambling. Now with Liam coming earlier than expected, here they are scrambling again. Not on the menu, was it? They don’t prepare you. He asks if she’s up for this, and she says, they’re done scrambling. They need to be ready. She wants to start planning to give Liam his best life. How about him? How does he feel? He says, like it’s time to get some answers.

Austin says, he hasn’t been at GH a long time, but he’s been watching Britt, and sees how she is with her patients and her staff. She has a better bedside manner than she thinks, and she’s always fair with the staff. She was more than fair with him when his career was on the line, and he holds Maxie in high regard, and Maxie holds Britt in high regard. She respects Britt and comes to her for advice; she listens to Britt. He doesn’t know who this individual is who says Britt’s a bad influence, but maybe they just don’t know her. At all. Britt pauses a moment, then says, sorry. He says, why? and she says, the reasons she’s terrible usually don’t sound nice. He says he doesn’t think she’s terrible, and she says it’s her job to bolster the staff, not the other way around. He says he won’t tell if she won’t. Brando interrupts, asking if Britt has a minute to talk, and Austin says he’ll leave her to do what she does really well. She says, if Brando and Sasha are ready, she’ll tell them everything they need to know.

Curtis asks, what isn’t true? and Stella says she’s certainly surprised that Marshall… Marshall says, Curtis is right. This was no way for Stella to find out he was still alive. (I’m guessing she knew he was alive by the way she’s looking at him.) If he’d respected Curtis’s wishes, he wouldn’t have disturbed her health. She says she’s fine. She just needs a moment to process his return… and some water. Curtis goes to get her water, and she says, it really is Marshall. He says, here they are. Look at her, like not a day has passed. She asks how he’s here, now, and Curtis says he asked the same question. Marshall wasn’t very forthcoming, so maybe she’ll have better luck getting to the truth.

Finn says Elizabeth doesn’t need that. He reaches for the scalpel, and says, it’s okay. He’s going to take that from her right now. She says he doesn’t understand, but he says he does; he knows. He takes it. Austen comes in, and Finn hustles Elizabeth out. He tells her that he understands she’ll regret it.

Stella says she’s sure Marshall will share his truth when he’s ready, and Curtis asks if he’s really hearing her say that, because she never had such a liberal view of truth telling when she raised them. If his memory serves him correctly, her stand on honesty was pretty cut and dried. She says, lessons are made simple for children; everyone here is grown. Marshall says he knows he can’t take credit for the man Curtis is today, but he can thank Curtis’s aunt for her part in it. In his absence, she made sacrifices. She took responsibility for his family, and he owes her. She says, they all did their best at the time, and Curtis asks how she can say that. They don’t know what this man did after he abandoned his family. Stella says, Curtis… and Curtis says he’s sorry. Out of respect for her, he allowed Marshall to say his piece, but he’s saying nothing. So, sir, please leave; this time for good.

Austin comes out of the ER, and Maxie asks, what’s the latest? He says, nice to see her too, and she says, is Peter going to die? Austin says, Maxie… and she says, please. Just tell her Peter is going to die.

Michael tells the board that Willow chose Brad and Lucas as her son’s adoptive parents. Unfortunately, the baby succumbed to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome within hours after being brought home. Then Brad conspired with Michael’s son’s biological mother, the late Nelle Benson, to switch the babies. She convinced Michael that his son had died, while giving his son to Brad to raise. Complicated, yes, but the consequences are still felt to this day. Should they grant Brad parole, a man who has shown a staggering lack of character and judgement, they’d be opening a wound that has just begun to heal. He and Willow implore them on behalf of their sons – the one who is gone, and the one they’re raising together – to protect this community and deny Brad Cooper parole. He thanks them, and a board member says, before they question Brad, would he like to make a statement? Brad thanks them, and says, first, he wants to apologize again to Michael and Willow. He says again because he’s done so before, but he knows no amount of contrition will ever be enough. Today, he’s asking for a chance to try and redeem himself. They have statements from several CO’s and the warden that he’s been a model prisoner. They also have a letter of support from his dear friend Dr. Britt Westbourne. One line from Dr. Westbourne’s letter has stayed with him. Despite his mistake, Brad Cooper is infinitely more capable of virtue than vice. Brad says he’s more than his mistakes. Please grant him parole, and he promises to live a life of virtue.

Carly looks at a keychain that says Caroline on it. Sonny clears his throat, and she looks up. He says, the girls are decorating cookies with Graciela and Pilar; they’re going to be bouncing off the walls. She says, that’s okay. The sugar crash will make them sleep like babies. Look at him. He’s been sampling the icing himself. She wipes his mouth, and he says he sees she found the ornaments. He was thinking of inviting a bunch of people over to trim the tree, and she says she’d love that. He says they can get a head start with the girls. She says, yeah, and he asks, what’s wrong? She says, last year, they trimmed the tree without him; it wasn’t right. He says he knows his coming home hasn’t been seamless, and she says, but it’s a dream come true. He asks if she can promise him something, and she says, anything. He says he wants her to know it’s all right to share her feelings about Jason.

In Finn’s office, Elizabeth says she can’t believe what she almost did, and he says, that look on her face. He recognized it. When Peter dangled the antidote that would save Chase in his face, and then threw it off the roof, it was that same look of rage that made him want to push Peter down the stairs. She says, if he hadn’t stopped her… and he says he wanted to spare her the regret he had, thinking he’d almost killed someone. She says, spare her? Peter murdered her husband. He’s the reason Jason is dead, and the reason her boys are in a constant state of grief. If he hadn’t spared her, she could have given her sons some semblance of justice. But no, Peter is still alive because she couldn’t rid the world of the monster Finn tried to kill.

Austin says, Maxie knows he can’t discuss Peter’s medical condition with her, and she says, please. She has the right to know if this nightmare she’s living is going to end. He says, all right. Here’s what he can say. Wow. That guy behind the curtain is in really bad shape. She says, and? and he says, and whoever did this to Peter, it was intentional, not an accident. Someone wanted him dead. That doesn’t surprise her?

Carly tells Sonny, Jason gave her the keychain years ago, when she showed up on his doorstep pregnant with Michael. She told him Carly Roberts was really Caroline Benson, Bobbie’s long lost daughter. They spent that Christmas together, and every year she puts it on the tree, and remembers. Sonny puts the keychain on the tree, and she puts her arms around him from behind. She says she he knows things have been hard for him, with how complicated things had gotten with Jason. As much as she misses Jason, there is only one man in her life, and it’s him. She kisses him, and says, they’re going to get through this, as long as they keep being open with each other.

A board member tells Brad that the panel will deliberate, and inform him of their decision at the earliest opportunity. He thanks Michael for his statement, and says, this hearing is adjourned. Michael looks at Celina.

Curtis tells Marshall that he won’t say it again. Get out of his club and stay out of his life. Marshall nods, and tells Stella to take care of herself. He starts to leave, but Stella says, stop. She knows Curtis’s father’s reappearance in his life has thrown him, but Curtis says, Marshall hasn’t been his father for a very long time. Stella says, he’s always been Curtis’s father. Whether he’s been around or not, or whether Curtis likes it or not, Marshall Ashford is the only father Curtis has. And by some miracle, he’s standing here, whole and well. Curtis asks what she’s suggesting; that they pick up where they left off? He’s a little too old for toy lawnmowers. She tells him that she’s not saying that at all, but what has it cost Marshall to show up here? At least hear him out. Curtis tells her that Marshall has nothing to say. He’s a ghost with no public record, who makes sketchy references to a possible danger. Marshall says, just hear him. As much as it killed him to go, every minute he remained in their lives, he put Curtis and Tommy at risk. If he’d stayed, what kind of father would it have made him?

Britt says she’s happy to answer as many questions as Brando and Sasha can think of, but she needs to provide a more thorough explanation of their son’s prognosis. Liam’s brain is severely impaired. Sasha says, they know that, and Brando says, it’s already been explained to them, but Britt says she needs to clarify what that means. Liam will never breathe on his own. He will never open his eyes, never recognize their voices or have any awareness of his surroundings. Life for Liam will entail permanent ventilation, a feeding tube, and around the clock care. Sasha says, they know it’s a lot. If it’s too much for them to care for him at home, they’ll bring him here. Britt says, General Hospital’s not set up to care for what their son needs, and Brando says, then where? Britt says, they’d have to transfer Liam to a long-term care facility, and Sasha says, away from his parents? No. He needs love. There must be a way for Liam to come home. Britt says, she’s sorry to be so blunt, but Liam’s quality of life… Sasha says, he won’t have any quality of life without them. If Britt refuses to help them, they’ll find someone who will.

Curtis says, so it wasn’t safe for Marshall to come back when Tommy died, and it wasn’t safe when his mom died. In all those years, it wasn’t safe when Aunt Stella took on his responsibility, but now it’s safe for him to waltz back in here, and they’re required to do what? Be his captive audience? Stella says Curtis has every right to answers, and someday his father provide them, but can Curtis consider for a moment that Marshall was trying to protect him? Curtis says, from what? and Marshall says, a complex situation that would had repercussions on the entire family, and still could. Curtis says, what situation and what repercussions? Tell him; he can take it. Marshall says, just know he didn’t leave because he wanted to; he left because he had to. Curtis says, this is bull, but Marshall says, it’s all he has to offer Curtis, at least for now. Curtis says, it’s not enough, and Marshall says, it’s enough for TJ. Curtis says he thought he told Marshall to stay away from TJ, and Marshall says, he came here to reconnect with his family. Blood or no blood, TJ is his family. If TJ, Tommy’s son, wants to have a relationship with him, it’s his call. If Curtis wants to have one, Curtis can find him at the Harbor View Inn. He leaves, and Stella says she’s so sorry. Curtis asks what she has to apologize for.

Sonny opens the door to Michael, Willow, and Wiley, and asks how the parole hearing went. Willow says, Michael was very eloquent, and Sonny says he doesn’t doubt that. Michael says he didn’t expect to give his impact statement in front of Celina, and Sonny says, she is Brad’s aunt. Willow asks if Wiley would like to say hello to Grandma Carly, and they leave. Michael says he hopes he didn’t make it awkward for Sonny’s business relationship, and Sonny says he told Celina that Michael had every right to oppose Brad’s release, and she understands. Michael says he’s glad the hearing is over. He just wants to put all this business with Brad behind them.

Carly asks if Wiley wants to go to the kitchen, and have cookies with Donna and Avery, and he says he does. She tells him, go, and he leaves. Willow says, it’s like a wonderland in here; Carly really went all out. Carly says she can’t any credit; Sonny did it all. Willow says, good for him, getting back in the swing of things, and Carly says, he missed last year, and thought the family needed a big dose of Christmas. Any word about Brad? Willow says, not yet, but Michael spoke so passionately, she’s sure he got through to the parole board. Carly says, whatever happens, Wiley has the full protection of the family. Willow says she knows, and she appreciates that, and Carly says, but? Willow says, no buts. She knows Carly always has Wiley’s best interest at heart, even when they don’t see eye to eye. Carly says she may tend to chime in when it comes to her grandson, and appreciates Willow’s grace, and Willow says, Carly’s instincts tend to be spot on.

Elizabeth tells Finn, her boys loved Franco. Not because she loved him, but because he earned it. He reached Jake through art, and helped Aiden be comfortable with who he is. Cameron was a battle and a half, but Franco was willing to give his life for that boy, and Peter ripped Franco away from all of them. She wanted to hurt him like he hurt her. Finn says she knows that’s not how it would have gone. If she’d succeeded, she’d go to prison, and allow Peter to take from Cameron, Jake, and Aiden, allow him to take their mother on top of everything he’s already taken. He doesn’t think Franco or Jason would want that. When he thought he’d killed Peter, he wanted to go to the police and confess, remember that? She stopped him from making a choice that would have taken his daughter from him. He’s returning the favor, like it or not. She can be as angry as she wants, but it’s not going to drive him away from her.

Brando says he and Sasha are frustrated with the situation, not Britt. They appreciate her time. Sasha says she’s so sorry, but Britt tells her, don’t apologize. She can’t possibly imagine what they’re going through. She would help them look into everything they need for home care, if it were feasible. If they want a second opinion, or third, or fourth, or if they want to talk to every specialist on the planet, she’ll reach out for them and make it happen, but they should consider Liam’s likely lifespan and quality of life. Brando says, a lifespan of how long? and Britt says, he could live for years. Sasha says, years, with hope in her eyes, but Britt says, in a permanent vegetative state. Brando says, as to quality of life? and Britt says, he would have none. Liam is being kept alive by machines, and his little body is vulnerable to seizures, pneumonia, sepsis, sepsis shock, fractures, and the high likelihood of bed sores. She’s so sorry to be so direct, but she can’t leave them make this decision without seeing the full picture. Sasha asks how they can make a decision when they don’t know all the options, and Brando says, it sounds like Dr. Westbourne is saying there’s only one option. Sasha says, what’s that? and Britt says, to take their son off life support. Brando says, they let Liam go, and Sasha says, no, and cries in his arms. 

Brando asks what Sasha is thinking, and she says, she’s thinking, even though he’s only been here such a short time, she can’t imagine a world without Liam in it. Brando says, him neither, and she says, then they don’t have to, right? There must be something they can still do. This can’t be the end of the road.

Finn tells Elizabeth, next time she needs to unload, unload on him. If she wants to punch it out, his shoulder’s all hers. Anything she needs to move forward, he’s right here. She kisses him, and jets.

Curtis says he hopes it didn’t rattle Stella, seeing Marshall after thinking he’s long dead. He promises not to allow that man to haunt or guilt her, or TJ. She says, Curtis Ashford gonna do what he’s gonna do, and TJ’s got a good head on his shoulders. And it’s not like Marshall can surprise her again. Curtis says, well, he’s gone, and she says, what he needs to do is give her a tour of his beautiful club. Live his life, and free himself from all the burdens of the past. It’s what his mom would want. Curtis agrees, and Stella says, how about if she makes him a promise? As long as there’s a breath left in her body, she’s not going to allow anything or anyone to upend this family. They hug.

Michael picks up Wiley, who puts an ornament on the tree, and everyone is all, yay! Carly says they have to pick out the next ornament, and goes over to Sonny by the tree. She asks, what’s this? indicating a gift, and he says she’s got to wait until Christmas. His phone rings, and it’s Celina. She said, the parole board has made its decision. Her nephew is being released in a few days. He has her gratitude. He says, a deal’s a deal, and Carly asks if everything is okay. Sonny says, everything is good, and Carly goes back to the kids, saying, they have to put more ornaments on; start looking. Sonny looks grim.

Tomorrow, Kristina says, it’s a disaster waiting to happen; Chase tells Finn, stop looking if something’s not there; Michael says Brad gets no second chances with his family; and Britt tells Celina, she has no idea who she’s messing with.

Vanderpump Rules

In James’s interview, he said he’d been going less to social events, and we flashed back to him drinking through the week. He told Raquel it wasn’t about him questioning his sobriety; he was done with it. He’d been to three events that week, and was tired. Raquel suggested they get together with friends and family, and celebrate their engagement. She thought it would be fun to go somewhere outside L.A. Everyone else was hanging out at TomTom. Sandoval told Lala that Ariana thought he was taking her to a late birthday lunch, but they were really going to Madcap Motel (see below). He took Katie aside, and they sat in a booth. Katie said the situation at her house got out of hand, but he said his goal was to create situations where they were not only hanging out having and having fun, but making money. They were getting to the next level, and he’d worked his ass off to turn his and Schwartz’s friendship into a brand, and bring money into her household. He also had to deal with Schwartz’s insecurities, so he seemed like he was extra and pushing it. Katie said she had a different perspective. She saw it as Sandoval thinking his ideas were better. He said he was protecting Schwartz’s interest, and had his back. She told him that all she was saying was to listen to her husband’s ideas. He took credit for what Schwartz had done, and wanted to dress him up like a Barbie, and put him in a sidecar. We flashed back to Sandoval doing just that, and he told Katie that he built people up and praised them; she just wasn’t there to see it. She told that she wasn’t saying he didn’t support Schwartz, but he had an effing ego problem. He said, so did she, having been reduced to elementary school responses. Katie told Schwartz that Sandoval was an effing a-hole, and in his interview, Schwartz said the mediating was killing him inside. He wanted to throw his hands up and walk away. Go to Florida and open a tiki bar. In Lala’s interview, she said Sandoval was like the other woman in Schwartz’s life; he was like Schwartz’s mistress. They had cocktails and manifested sh*t. In Schwartz’s interview, he said he couldn’t have days where everything was falling apart because Katie and Sandoval were butting heads. He knew he had an issue with riding the fence, but they both had valid points. They needed three-way couples therapy.

Brock and Scheana talked about the photo shoot for Brock’s company, HomeBody. In Brock’s interview, he said he didn’t think he’d been asking for too much. He wasn’t asking for a kidney. Scheana whined about Charli saying she hadn’t been a good friend lately. Sorry; she just had a baby. Brock asked why she was always apologizing, and she said if Charli felt hurt, her feelings were valid. He said, what about Scheana’s  effing feelings? Scheana said she felt she’d been rightfully selfish. It had been a year since her miscarriage. When she was pregnant with Summer, she’d been afraid of getting sick, or being around anyone. All she cared about was the baby.

Katie paid a visit to Villa Rosa – Puffy! – and in her interview, she said she didn’t like asking for Lisa’s time, but she understood the restaurant business, and had officiated at their wedding. Who else would she ask when the business put a strain on her marriage? Katie told Lisa about her conversation with Tom, and how it went bad. He’d taken credit for the TomTom brand. In Lisa’s interview, she said it had been her idea, and she’d surprised them at Schwartz’s wedding. We flashed back to that, and Lisa said Katie had put having a baby on hold, and in one way, this had been her baby. Katie said, now it was just Schwartz and Sandoval’s, and asked if Lisa thought they were ready to open their own place. Lisa said, no, but they were working with someone who had experience. She did think Greg might get frustrated with the Toms chasing their own tails. Katie said Schwartz’s defense of Tom made her upset, and Lisa said she would not let her husband have more loyalty to another man than her.

As Sandoval and Ariana got ready for the fake dinner, Sandoval said he thought Katie was being unfair. Ariana said Lala thought there was more going on between Schwartz and Katie, and they should take a break. Sandoval thought that was terrible advice, and Ariana thought it was extreme, but in her interview, she said there must be something Lala knew that she didn’t. In Sandoval’s interview, he sai,d the Madcap Motel was an awesome art installation with different rooms and actors. He was stoked. He and Ariana went into a pseudo laboratory, then walked through a decontamination chamber, to find all their friends waiting. Sandoval said they were to enter at their own enjoyment, and thanked everyone for coming. He told them to have drinks and explore. They went to the rave room, which Scheana said was a combination of Stranger Things and the Twilight Zone. It would be a fun place to take mushrooms. The Toms went to standard motel room that was slanted, and sat on the bed. Schwartz said he didn’t want to kill the vibe, but Katie told him some crazy sh*t. She’d told him that Sandoval said he was the one making the money, and made it sound like Schwartz was a charity case. Sandoval acted like he never heard of such things, when everything Katie told Schwartz was what he’d said. Sandoval said their friendship was a brand now, but Schwartz said they weren’t creating a brand, just awesome sh*t. Sandoval was like, no, it’s a brand, and Schwartz said he knew Sandoval spearheaded things, and embraced it. But Katie thought Sandoval was taking him away from his wife, and she was going to unravel. Sandoval got all animated, and Schwartz told him, easy. Katie and Lala’s conversation on the subject was much more concise. Katie told Lala what Sandoval had said, and Lala called him a little punk ass bitch.

After Madcap Motel, the group went to a bar called Tramp Stamp Granny’s. Sandoval toasted to Ariana, the love of his life, and said they were all lucky to know her. In Katie’s interview, she said Tramp Stamp Granny’s was a great name for a bar. In James’s interview, he said he didn’t know anything about Brock’s HomeBody app, and told Lala that he wasn’t doing it for free. His Instagram was a whole other thing, and he didn’t want to advertise for Brock. Lala said James was the best roller coaster she knew. James talked about staying sober, and Lala said, even though that was the goal, it wasn’t about not drinking. It was about being a better human. In Lala’s interview, she said James had done a lot of self-work. He still had outbursts, but giving up alcohol was a big deal. I agree, especially in the business he’s in. A ton of pizza arrives, and James gets everyone to chant, pizza! Ariana sat with Charli and Raquel, and ate a miniscule amount of toppings off Raquel’s slice. They talked about Scheana, and Raquel said Scheana had asked her to end friendships. Ariana said she and Scheana went through some f***ed up sh*t as friends. When she started dating Sandoval, Scheana thought he was the devil. We flashed back to Scheana discouraging the pairing, and in Ariana’s interview, she said their friendship almost ended, but they were like family now. Ariana went to the bar, announced she hadn’t eaten anything all day, and promptly fell on her ass. In her interview, she said, when Sandoval told her they were  going to dinner, she didn’t eat. Things were escalating. She yelled, it’s my effing birthday! and tried to have a conversation with Katie. She suggested she and Sandoval, and Katie and Schwartz all go to the dinner the next night, but Katie said she’d rather do anything else. Ariana offered to lick both their buttholes, and cupcakes with candles in them came out. Perfect timing. I thought she was so drunk, she wasn’t even going to remember this. Ariana smashed a cupcake on Sandoval’s face, then proceeded to lick it off. She told him that she hated chocolate (who hates chocolate?), and yet she was still licking it off his face. She effing loved him.

Lala talked to Randall about getting an assistant, and in her interview, she said she’d started off with a lipstick, and now she was a successful brand. Since becoming a mom, she’d been overwhelmingly busy, and she was planning a Give Them Lala beauty party. Randall had suggested she get an assistant so she’d stop harassing his. Randall told one candidate that the company was all Lala. He’d wanted to be a part of it, but she kicked him to the curb. In Lala’s interview, she said she did it all herself. She didn’t want to be dependent on a man. Candidate Jessica worked for American Idol, and was good with social media. She told Lala that she knew what it was like to be a filter. She was the chosen one, and Randall said Lala did great.

In Schwartz’s interview, he said the whole thing had reached a breaking point. Something had to give, and it wasn’t going to be his wife. He wasn’t choosing Sandoval over Katie, ever. Maybe he and Sandoval needed to sort some things out. Ariana told Sandoval that it mattered to her to have Katie in their lives, and Tom whined that women were entitled to yell, but as a straight man, if he raised his voice, he was wrong. Katie told Schwartz to look Sandoval in the eye and say, you can’t talk to my wife that way. Let him know who’s effing number one. He went to Sandoval and Ariana’s house, and I was impressed with how quickly they got a drink in his hand. I didn’t even see anyone pour it. It was like magic. Poof! A drink.

Ariana made herself scarce, and Schwartz said something had been weighing on him since the blow-up at TomTom. Sandoval agreed it had been dark and depressing, and Schwartz said, the bottom line was, he needed Sandoval to respect Katie. Sandoval said he wanted to keep his distance from Katie. He felt like no matter what he said or did, it got twisted. Schwartz said it was partly his fault, and he took responsibility for that, but Sandoval needed to give Katie a higher level of respect, and she’d extend the same courtesy to him. Sandoval thought it was best they stick to being business partners, and keep non work related socialization to a bare minimum. Bar hopping wouldn’t be happening for a while. Schwartz agreed they should take a break, and in his interview, he said it sucked to keep it strictly business, but thought it’s what had to be done. Schwartz told Sandoval that they could still have some fun; 90% business and 10% pleasure.  

Next time, Brock wants to propose to Scheana, James asks Raquel if he’s controlling, and Schwartz becomes self-conscious about the boundaries in his and Sandoval’s friendship.

😵 It’s a Madcap World…

It looks like a really cool place.

🛥 Deck’s Loss…

I’d just watched the first season again not long ago. He seemed like a nice guy, but it sounds like he didn’t exactly live a healthy lifestyle.

https://www.eonline.com/news/1313178/below-deck-mediterranean-star-captain-mark-howards-cause-of-death-revealed

🏆 They’re Golden…

Hard to believe it’s almost 2022.

Winners & Nominees

⚽️ Kicking Back…

Tomorrow, the usual soap, and I’ll see what Fancy Pants is up to in the OC. Until then, stay safe, stay not letting the holidays be a big stress ball, and stay being infinitely more capable of virtue than vice.

December 13, 2021 – Britt Delivers Bad News, Togas On Deck & Hey Sis

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

TJ tells an elderly patient with a walker that she’s doing great. She asks if that means Dr. Finn will release her today, and he says he was just coming by to give her the good news. He knows she can’t wait to get home, but what about him? He’s going to miss her. She says she’s going to miss him too, and pats his cheek. He turns around and Stella is there. He says, Aunt Stella! and hugs her. She says, in the flesh. She’s so proud of him right now, her heart’s about ready to fly out of her chest.

At The Savoy, Curtis flashes back to Marshall saying he could tell TJ the simple truth; Marshall came back to reconnect with his family. Curtis remembers telling Marshall that he is not, nor ever will be, his family. He brings up a search engine on his tablet, when Drew walks in. Drew asks if he can spare a few minutes for an old friend.

Trina runs into the MetroCourt, telling Portia that she’s sorry she’s late. She was working on a presentation for art class, and lost track of time. Portia says, Trina likes what she’s doing, and that’s a good thing. Trina says she told Portia how tough the professor is; she doesn’t want to blow this. Portia says she won’t. Trina’s professor already said she was going to get an A because of the wonderful presentation she put on at the gallery. This presentation is just the icing on the cake. Her daughter is the star of PCU. Trina says, if that’s true, why does she feel like such a loser?

Anna tells Sonny not to be disingenuous. Prison bars are no impediment to him. Even with Peter in solitary, Sonny still has people on the inside who can reach him. He says, Peter’s not even on his radar. She says, they both know Peter’s arraignment is today, and Peter could be vulnerable during transportation to the court. He asks if she’s giving him a road map, when Carly comes in, and asks what they’re talking about.

Finn tells Elizabeth that he just found out. He’s sorry. He hasn’t seen her since before. She says, since before they knew Jason was dead? He says he can’t imagine how difficult this is for her, and she says she wishes Peter had died when Finn pushed him down the stairs.

Maxie is looking at Liam in the NICU when Epiphany comes by. Maxie says, all those tubes don’t hurt him? and Epiphany says, he isn’t in any pain. Watching these sweet little babies probably reminds Maxie of her own loss. Maxie says, Louise will be home someday. She just hopes Britt is saying the same thing to Sasha and Brando about their baby.

Britt says she knows how difficult these last few days have been for Brando and Sasha, and Sasha says, it will all be worth it if she’s there to tell them that they can take Liam home today. Brando says, that is why they’re here, isn’t it? Britt says she’s sorry, but Liam won’t be going home with them today. Sasha says, tomorrow then, and Brando says, or the day after, but Dr. Fleming suggests they start with the results of Liam’s EEG. Britt says she’s so sorry, but the tests indicate Liam has brain damage.

Sonny says, Anna was telling him that Peter’s arraignment is today, and Carly says, any chance Peter is going to confess and be locked away for life? Anna says she was just with him in Pentenville, and Peter is still under the illusion he and Maxie and their baby are going to be reunited. Sonny says, they’d have to find the baby first, and Carly says, Peter is responsible for Jason’s death. There’s no way in hell he’s going free. Anna’s phone rings, and she steps away to take the call. Sonny tells Carly that he can guarantee Peter has no future.

Portia asks how Trina can feel like a loser. It can’t be her grades. She said she was doing well in all her classes. Has something changed? Trina says, kind of. Cam and Joss are together, and so are Spencer and Esme; she guesses since boarding school. Portia says, and Trina is feeling like a fifth wheel, and Trina says, they’re all supposed to go away for a weekend, and she already knows Esme will take every opportunity to remind her that she doesn’t have anybody in her life. Portia says, of course (🍷) she will, because she’s threatened by Trina’s smarts and talent. Trina tells Portia that she has to say that; she’s her mom. Portia asks if it really bothers her that much not having a boyfriend. She thought she raised Trina to be independent, and not attach her self-esteem to someone else. Trina says she did, and she was Trina’s role model. After she and dad split up, Portia barely dated anyone. Portia was all about her and medicine… until she and Curtis met up again. Portia says they aren’t talking about her, but Trina says, they are now. For a while, it looked lie she and Curtis were getting serious. Now she hardly sees them together. What happened?

Drew says, somebody better have told Curtis that he was alive, and Curtis says, Sam came in about a month ago. She said she got a call from someone who she believed was Drew. She was convinced Drew was alive, and she couldn’t be reasoned out of it. Drew says, tenacity is Sam’s middle name, and Curtis says, well, it paid off because here he is, and not killed in a plane crash. Drew says, faked by Peter August. Curtis says, so that guy held him captive this whole time? and Drew says, not that he knew Peter was responsible until the very end. Peter never showed his face. Curtis says, Peter has been raising all kinda hell around here. Disappearing from GH to allude the cops. He almost got Nina and her friend killed when he set fire to her friend’s bar. And of course (🍷) killing Jason when that tunnel on Cassadine Island collapsed. He guesses it’s true what they say about the devil. Drew says, that he’s busy? and Curtis says, that he can multitask.

Elizabeth says she knows how guilty Finn felt when he thought he’d killed Peter, but if Peter had died, Jason would still be alive. Finn says, Jake would still have his dad. How’s he doing? She says, he was already grieving Franco, and now Jason. It’s more than any kid should ever have to process. Finn says, yes, it is. He’s so sorry. She says, it’s infuriating to know Peter is responsible for both Franco and Jason’s deaths, and he says, Peter’s in custody. He’s going to spend the rest of his life rotting in jail. She says she hopes so, and he says he wishes there was something he could do to make her feel better. He holds out his hand and she takes it, and he takes her into his arms.

Maxie asks if there’s anything Epiphany can tell her about Liam’s condition that doesn’t breach HIPPA, but Epiphany says she’s afraid not. Maxie says, that’s okay. She’s sure Brando and Sasha will tell her. She’s going to stick around for moral support. Epiphany says she thinks that’s a really bad idea.

Brando says, brain damage? Are they sure? Don’t these tests have a margin of error? Britt says, they know Liam’s brain was deprived of oxygen during the placental abruption, and Brando says, she thought the cooling treatment for seventy-two hours would give Liam’s brain a chance to recover from the trauma. Britt says, which was up this morning, so the doctors did an EEG which indicates the levels of Liam’s brain activity. The test results show Liam has little or no activity in his brain. Sasha asks what that even means, and Dr. Fleming says, his brain has no cognitive function. Britt says, or motor function. He has no capacity to think or grow, and his life can only be sustained by machinery. She’s so, so sorry. Brando asks if they can’t try the cooling therapy again, but Britt says, the outcome would be the same. He says, they won’t know if they don’t try, and Britt pulls up a chair next to the bed and sits. She says, the tests show almost a complete lack of brain activity; the cooling blanket won’t change that. Sasha says, but there must be some other therapy that will, right? and Brando says, what about surgery? Britt says, unfortunately, there’s nothing more they can do for Liam, and Sasha cries on Brando’s shoulder.

Epiphany says, Brando and Sasha are with Dr. Westbourne and Dr. Fleming right now, and Maxie says she knows. They’re probably going to want a friend around for support when they get their baby’s prognosis, good or bad. Epiphany says Maxie’s heart is in the right place, but she’s worked with enough patients to know how they react to news about themselves or a loved one. After Sasha and Brando speak with the doctors, they’re going to want to come to the NICU to be with their baby. Just the three of them. Deal with the news, be with each other, celebrate or not. Does Maxie understand? Maxie says, yeah. Epiphany is saying, the best way to be a friend is to leave them alone for a while.

Elizabeth thanks Finn, saying, she didn’t know she needed a hug. He says he didn’t know how much he needed to see her smile, and she says they should do this more often. He says, definitely. Let’s make a date for the next one. His phone beeps, and he says, it’s an emergency; he has to go. She says, her too. She’s covering the ER. He says he’s going her way; they just brought someone in.

Anna says, that was Warden Alvarez from Pentenville, and Sonny asks if it’s about Peter. Anna says, he doesn’t know what happened, but Peter’s on his way to General Hospital. Carly says, please tell her that he’s dying, but Anna says she doesn’t know. She has to go to the ER. She’ll keep Sonny posted. She leaves, and Carly asks if Sonny knows what happened to Peter.

Stella tells TJ, her doctors in Baltimore told her that she’s completely recovered from her stroke, and she can resume her normal activities. He says, and she made GH her first stop? He thought she’d be fed up with doctors. She says, not when her grand nephew is one. How’s Molly? He says, wonderful. Busy championing justice and saving the world. She says she expects nothing less from Molly, and he asks if Curtis knows she’s here. She says, no, and she refuses to see him until he lets her know what he’s hiding from her. Thomas Junior, what’s going on with your uncle?

Drew says, clearly, Curtis is out of the P.I. business, and into the nightclub business. Curtis says he got tired of the daily constant stream of lies and cheating. The owner happened to be selling the place and he was ready for a change. Drew says, he loves it. This place screams good times and good music. Curtis says, and happy reunions, and Drew asks when he’s taking Curtis and Jordan out to dinner.

Elizabeth and Finn see a guard outside the ER, and rush in. They see Peter unconscious, wearing an oxygen mask, and look at each other.

Anna runs into the hospital, and Maxie calls to her. Anna asks what she’s doing here, and Maxie says she was visiting Sasha and Brando. What about Anna? Is she there for her phlebotomy treatment? Anna says, Peter’s been brought here from Pentenville; he’s in the ER.

Finn comes back into the ER, putting on gloves, and tells Elizabeth, the guards found Peter unresponsive in his cell. He was transferred to the prison infirmary, and couldn’t be revived, so they called 9-1-1. She says, there’s no sign of trauma, no injury. There’s no blood anywhere on his body. Finn looks at the chart and says, BP’s 80 over 40, pulse is 42, respiration is shallow. They’ll start him on a norepinephrine drip, and run a toxicology panel. She says, tell her that Peter is going to die; that his life will be cut short like Franco’s, and his next few breaths will be his last.

Carly says, Sonny and Celina had their heads together earlier. Then Celina said something cryptic to her about protecting family. Now Peter is on his way to the hospital. Even Anna thinks Sonny knows something. Sonny asks what he could possibly know, and she tells him, please don’t do that. She’s his wife. She deserves to know if he sought justice for Jason. He says she’s right; she deserves to know the truth. He put out a hit on Peter.

Portia tells Trina that she and Curtis have jobs that keep them busy. That’s why they’re taking things slow. Trina says, because of their jobs, or because of her? She knows she was snarky when Portia was with Curtis while she was still married to Trina’s dad, but she’s over it now. Portia thanks her, but says that isn’t the reason she and Curtis are taking it slow. He has a lot going on right now, plus The Savoy. Trina says, more important than Portia? My God, is he seeing someone else? Did he go back to Jordan? Portia says, neither, and Trina says, she knows this how? Portia says she knows because Curtis told her, and Trina says, then what is it? Marshall approaches the table, and says, Dr. Robinson.

Drew says he doesn’t know what to be sorry about more; Curtis’s split with Jordan or her health issues. Curtis says, Jordan will be fine, but it’s going to take some time; a lot of time unfortunately. Drew wonders if they can make their marriage work when Jordan comes back to Port Charles, and Curtis says, he admits seeing Jordan so ill in that hospital reminded him that he’s still in love with her. But he’s not willing to live with those secrets anymore, so he made a break, started over. Drew says he’s starting over himself. Easier said that done, right? He and Sam were over for months when Peter faked that plane crash. Then he was held captive for two years after that, but even then, when he got the guard’s phone, Sam was the only person he thought to call. Curtis says that makes sense. Sam is the mother of his child, and always going to be important to him. Drew says, she seems happy, and it’s all he wants for her. Curtis says, just so Drew knows, Sam never gave up fighting for him, and Drew says, she didn’t. She came all the way to Crete, and only went home when she was told Peter shot him, and they couldn’t recover his body. Curtis says, Peter August again, and Drew says, he staged the whole thing. He also took Liesl Obrecht prisoner, and Britt needed help rescuing her mom, so she turned to Jason. It just kills him the way things turned out. Now Jason is dead, and he’s there trying to figure out how to live his life in a way that honors him.

TJ says he’s not sure what Stella means; Uncle Curtis is fine. She says, then why is it that in every phone conversation from him, she can tell he’s hiding something from her? He asks if she asked Curtis, and she says, of course (🍷). All she gets is the classic Curtis Ashford dodge. Is it Jordan? Has she taken a turn for the worse? He says, no; she’s doing okay. He and Molly visit at least once a week. This has nothing to do with her. She says, he does know something. Don’t look away from her. Come clean, and tell her how she can help her nephew.

Brando says, there’s nothing they can do for Liam? Nothing? Sasha says, they can wait and see, right? Give Liam a chance to improve on his own. Britt says, Liam’s brain doesn’t have the capacity to improve. He suffered a significant trauma. He won’t be able to breathe without help, or eat without a feeding tube. Dr. Fleming says, Liam will likely suffer from seizures, and Sasha says, all this means is, Liam needs lots and lots of care. They can handle that. Brando says, whatever the challenges, with a lot of love and hard work, they can give Liam a better life. Britt says she thinks they need to take some deep breaths, and wrap their heads around this, and be realistic. Sasha says she thinks they are, but Britt says, they still have some important decisions to make for their son. Sasha says, the only decision she and Brando have to make is when to take their baby home. Dr. Fleming starts to say something, but Britt stops her. Britt suggests they take some time to process what they’ve learned. They have two specialists from other hospitals confirming the EEG results, just to be double sure, but she wants them to know, right now, their baby is getting the best possible care. Brando asks if they can speak to the other specialists, and Britt says, of course (🍷). They also have counselors and social workers on hand to help. Dr. Collins is available… Sasha says she doesn’t need to speak to Dr. Collins. She needs to see her son. Brando says, so does he, and Britt says, of course (🍷). Brando helps Sasha out of the room as she cries. Britt tells Dr. Fleming, she knows she should have told them what needs to happen next for their son, but she just couldn’t. Not yet. Epiphany sees them walk past, and looks sad.

Elizabeth asks if Maxie knows Peter’s been brought in, and Maxie asks if she knows what’s going on. Finn comes out, and Anna asks, what’s happening? Maxie says, this isn’t some trick, is it? Where he’s faking being sick, and uses everyone’s distraction to escape? Finn says, it’s not a trick. Peter is in critical condition. He managed to stabilize Peter, and now they’re waiting for his test results. Anna says, she just saw him at Pentenville, and he was fine. He was getting ready for his arraignment. Finn says, after a preliminary examination, it’s very possible Peter ingested a toxin, and Anna says, like he did to Chase? Someone poisoned him? Finn says, it’s possible, but too soon to say for sure. He asks to speak to Elizabeth for a second, and they leave. Anna tells Maxie, Peter was terrified someone would get to him in prison. Maxie flashes back to telling Sonny that she wants Peter dead, and asking what Sonny is going to do about him. She says, looks like he was right.

Carly thanks Sonny for telling her the truth, and thanks him for what he did. So many people are going to be grateful, especially Maxie and Drew. He says, that son of a bitch has to die, and she says, she thinks justice would be better served if Peter suffered a slow and painful death. He says, that’s actually what he promised Peter. He just didn’t know when or how it was going to happen.

Portia says she knows who Marshall is now, and why he was asking all those questions about Curtis. Marshall apologizes for being so disingenuous (WOTD) about his identity trying to find out how Curtis would react to his return. She says, she heard it didn’t go very well for him, and he says, no, it didn’t. Not that he’s blaming Curtis. She says, as well he shouldn’t. Trina asks, what’s going on? and Marshall says, forgive him for not introducing himself. He’s Marshall Ashford. Portia says, Curtis’s father.

Curtis says he’s been where Drew is, and Drew says, Curtis lost his brother as well. Curtis says, that grief stays with you, so if there’s anything he can do to make it easier, let him know. Drew says he will, and asks, other than Jordan, how’s everything going? He saw Curtis studying his tablet earlier. It looked like it was delivering some bad news. Curtis says, yeah. He was trying to look into someone’s background, and kept coming up empty. Drew asks if Curtis can tell him what it’s about; maybe he can help. Curtis says, it’s about someone he thought was dead, and it turns out, he’s alive. Drew says, it happens, and Curtis says, unlike with Drew, he wasn’t happy to see this person. Drew asks, who is it? and Curtis says, his father.

Maxie says, it must be hard for Elizabeth to stay professional while she’s treating Peter, and Elizabeth says, it’s not easy, but she has a job to do, no matter who the patient is. Maxie says, even if that patient killed her husband? and Elizabeth says, normally, the hospital wouldn’t let her within a hundred feet of him, but they’re understaffed, and everyone else is with other patients. Maxie says she’s sorry. She shouldn’t have brought it up. Elizabeth tells Maxie, all she did was say it out loud. She always thinks about what Peter did to Franco, then compounded the grief and misery by framing Jason for his murder. Maxie says, Jason, another person Peter killed, and Elizabeth says, leaving Jake without a dad. Maxie says, Jake must be devastated, and Elizabeth says, he’s a mess, vacillating back and forth between grief and anger. She’s getting him counseling, but it’s not fair that her kids have to cope with grief and loss while Peter is benefitting from the best medical care. Maxie says she’s so sorry, and Elizabeth says, she understands, right? Because of Peter, her daughter is missing. Maxie says, doesn’t at least part of Elizabeth want Peter to die? Finn comes out, and says, Peter’s still alive. There’s no way to treat Peter until he finds out if he’s poisoned. Maxie says, let’s hope it takes a really long time, when Anna comes back. She says she just spoke to Warden Alvarez, and he’s treating Peter’s cell as a crime scene, so someone tried to kill him. They’re going to identify that person. Maxie says, so they can award them the Medal of Freedom?

Sonny tells Carly, he wonders how long Jason was alive under that collapsed tunnel, just thinking when he’s going to die. Carly says she doesn’t want to think about that, and he says he knows. That’s why she concentrates on her work and all that, but that doesn’t work. He knows Peter’s death doesn’t make up for all the pain that he’s caused her, and she says, the pain he’s caused them.

Marshall assumes this lovely young lady is Portia’s daughter, and Trina says, and she’s getting the feeling her mom doesn’t like him. Maybe he should go. Portia says, that’s her daughter; she’s very opinionated. He says, that’s okay. He gets that reaction a lot. He left Curtis and his brother and his mom when Curtis was a very young child. They thought he was dead. Trina says, that’s terrible, and he says he knows. That’s why his and Curtis’s reunion wasn’t a happy one. He still hoping to find his way into Curtis’s good graces, and Portia says, maybe don’t rush things. Give Curtis time to process the fact he’s alive. Let Curtis come to him. He says, that’s very sound advice, although no one’s ever accused him of listening to sound reason. He says it was a pleasure meeting Trina, and it was good to see Portia again. They have to stop bumping into each other like this. He leaves, and Trina says, so that’s why Portia’s relationship with Curtis is on hold. Curtis is dealing with his dead dad coming back to life. She could give him a few pointers. Portia says, do her a favor and don’t. Trina says she understands why Curtis is uncomfortable around his father, but why is Portia?

Curtis tells Drew, his father was gone for decades, then suddenly shows up in Port Charles, asking questions about him. When dear old dad finally shows his face, he says he wants to be a family. Now that burns Curtis up. There’s absolutely no way he can make up for the lives he changed when he left. Drew asks if he’s mentioned where he’s been all these years, but Curtis says, not a word. So he’s been trying to find answers, but unfortunately none of the search engines he’s been using have been helpful. There’s plenty of Marshall Ashfords, but none that fit his description. How would someone go about not having any information online? Drew says, Curtis thinks he’s been using a different name all this time? and Curtis says, that’s what he’s been thinking. Drew says he thinks Curtis is too close to this. When that happens, sometimes you don’t see things clearly. Why doesn’t he let Drew help him?

TJ says Stella is right; Uncle Curtis is dealing with something. She says she knew it, and he says, Curtis didn’t tell her because he was afraid it would upset her. Stella says, how? Like give her another stroke? TJ says, it crossed his mind, and she says, it’s that bad? He says, it’s not bad, just unexpected, and she says, what is it? He says it’s not his story to tell. He knows she just wants to help Curtis, but she’s going to have to ask him herself. She says, what if he won’t tell her? and TJ says, that means he’s not ready to, and she’ll have to back off. Which he knows is not part of her DNA. She says, her job is to support Curtis, whatever he wants to do. It started when he was a little boy, and it hasn’t ended just because he’s a grown man. TJ says that’s why they love her so much, and she says, she loves him too, for too many reasons to count, and one of them is his loyalty to Curtis in not giving up his secret. He says he thought she’d be upset with him, but she says, just the opposite. True loyalty is a very rare gift indeed.

Epiphany finds Britt in Sasha’s room with her head in her hands, and says she saw Brando and Sasha on their way to the NICU. She assumes the news wasn’t good about their baby. Britt says, no. Who better to deliver it than the Britch? Epiphany says, no one calls her that anymore, and Britt says she feels so badly for Brando and Sasha, and thinks she just made things worse. Epiphany asks, how? and Britt says, because she wouldn’t let Dr. Fleming speak. She didn’t think they were ready to hear just how limited Liam’s options are. But she’s afraid withholding the information gave them false hope, which only makes things worse for them.

Brando and Sasha look through the NICU window, and Brando says, he can’t be brain damaged. Take all the tubes away, and he looks like any other normal, healthy boy, like he could wake up any second. She says he’s their strong-willed warrior. He says, Sasha?… Never mind; it’s not important.

Curtis thanks Drew for his offer, and says, but he just got back to Port Charles. He has to figure out what his next move is. He’s got to spend time with his daughter, and do what he wants to do. Drew says, she didn’t recognize him when she saw him, but he’s going to make sure they get to know each other again. Curtis tells him, that’s what he’s saying, priorities, but Drew says, spending time with his daughter isn’t going to take up every second of every day. Curtis says, okay, he’ll think about it, but in the meantime, go have fun with his little girl. Drew says, it’s going to be a pleasure. He thought about Scout all that time in his cell. Even though she wasn’t physically with him, she was here and here; he points to his head and his heart. They bro hug, and Drew leaves.

Portia tells Trina that Marshall makes her uncomfortable because, when he first arrived in Port Charles, he was asking questions about Curtis without revealing his true identity. Curtis was angry that Marshall was sneaking around behind his back, and now that his father has been alive after all these years, he feels like his life has been upended. Trina says, don’t blame him, but Portia says, Curtis’s father pretended to be dead much longer than hers, and her dad only did it to keep her safe from Cyrus Renault. Trina says, maybe Mr. Ashford had a good reason too, and Portia says, if he did, he’s not saying what it was. Trina says, as much as her dad was away with work, he was a huge part of her life. He was always there when she needed him. Portia says, he sure was, and Trina says, Curtis didn’t even have a father while growing up.

Stella goes to The Savoy, and says, Curtis Byron Ashford, come here and give me a hug. He hugs her and says, she’s the second greatest surprise of the day. She says, he means she’s not the first? and he asks how she’s doing. She says she’s healthy and strong, and ready to hear what’s going on with him. No more secrets. Marshall walks in.

Britt says, Epiphany doesn’t have to stay and hold her hand. Epiphany sits in the other chair, and Britt says, she’s sure Epiphany has better things to do. Epiphany says, this is where she’s supposed to be right now. Does Britt think Epiphany has never been where she is right now, forced to give parents bad news? She knows when they can take it, and when they can’t, and never in a million years did she think she’d be saying this to Britt, but she did right by Brando and Sasha. She has nothing to regret. She showed that young couple grace, and right now, they need all the grace they can get. We see Sasha put her hand on the window, and she and Brando watch Liam.

Sonny tells Carly, there were a million reasons to eliminate Peter, even before what he did to Jason. This is for all of them, and for Jason. He will be avenged. She thanks him, and he says, they just have to wait for Anna to confirm that Peter is gone for good.

Elizabeth tells the guard that she needs to check on Peter, and goes into the ICU. She closes the curtain.

Anna says, not so long ago, Finn didn’t know if he’d killed Peter, and now he’s saving Peter’s life? Finn says, the irony isn’t entirely lost on him. Maxie joins them, and says, the best thing that could happen for everyone is if Peter dies. Then they’d all be free of him. Anna says she doesn’t disagree. There’s so many of them who’ve been harmed by him, and then the ones who didn’t survive him. Maxie says, the ones whose lives Peter stole. For Franco… For Jason… Let him die.

Elizabeth stands by Peter’s bed. She reaches in her pocket, and unwraps a scalpel.

Tomorrow, Stella says, it’s not exactly true: Austin has news on Britt’s brother; Michael has never been so sure about anything in his life; and Sonny tells Carly, there’s nowhere he’d rather be.

Below Deck

Jake wonders why Rayna is giving him sh*t, and she says, it’s been a long day. She tells Eddie that Jake got on her about a coffee cup, and she’s tired. Eddie says he hears what she’s saying, and tells Jake that he needs to take a gentler approach sometimes. In Rayna’s interview, she says, it’s Jake’s tone. He’s disrespectful and she’s over it. In Eddie’s interview, he says, they were loud enough for the guests to hear, and it’s unprofessional. They need to get their sh*t together. Rachel makes a Greek dinner, and in her interview, she says, from what she’s learned about Greek culture, they like to sit at the table, discuss, eat, and share. She’s all about getting on the table and throwing some damn plates. Jake tells Eddie about asking Rayna why she gives sh*t to only him, and how she said he’s a child, and the others are adults. Eddie says, they’ll figure it out, and Rayna tells Wes that she just wants to be done.    

The guests get Greeked up with togas and head wreaths. Rayna tells Wes that Eddie will never agree with them, and always takes Jake’s side. Wes says, it’s petty, but Jake needs to ease in, instead of coming in hot. In Wes’s interview, he thinks Rayna is overreacting. It’s not that bad. Jessica helps the guests with getting ready, while Fraser irons. The guests are seated, and Eddie tells the deck crew to change into their blacks. Rayna bitches to her dad on the phone, saying, Jake was getting on her for a coffee cup, and her boss shrugged it off. Her dad tells her not to let anyone walk over her, and she says, at first, she let it slide. Maybe she overreacted, but he’s been doing it. Dinner is served, and Heather tells Rachel that the guests are absolutely loving the meal.

Jess grumbles to herself, and says, f*** them all. The guests head for the hot tub, and Captain Lee tells Eddie that the crew seems to be walking on eggshells. Does he need to know something? Eddie wants to try and handle it himself. Guest Nicole tells primary Michael (also her dad) to close his eyes, because her titties are coming out. He tells her to sit with her back to him. In Heather’s interview, she says, this is some weird sh*t. She’s close with her dad, but clearly Nicole and her dad are more comfortable than they are. Eddie asks Rayna how she’s doing, and Rayna says, it’s Jake’s tone; it’s not okay. Eddie wants her to know that he heard her talking on the phone; his room is across from hers. He heard some strong words. She says she was scared to say anything to him, since he takes Jake’s side, but she doesn’t want it to be an issue. Eddie says he doesn’t want her time there ruined, and he’ll always talk. He advises her to swallow pride occasionally, instead of talking over them, which she’s good at. He tells her that she’s awesome, and doing a great job. I think Rayna needs therapy.

Jake comes out by the hot tub, and Nicole says she has to cover her boobies. He says she’s too young for him anyway, which is a joke, since she clearly isn’t. Fraser wants to have a quick smoke before bed, and talks to Heather on deck. He says, Jessica seems like she’s trying sometimes, but it’s not good enough, and Heather says, they have to communicate more. We flash back to Jessica not knowing what she’s doing, and in Heather’s interview, she says, she’s pulled everything out of her hat that she knows, but there’s no initiative, no excitement. You can only lead a horse to water so many times. Fraser says, thinking about it makes him tired, and the guests go to bed, the crew following shortly after.

Rayna sees Jake while she’s working on deck, and mumbles, please don’t talk to me. Eddie asks how Rayna is doing, and she lies and says fine. Jessica and Fraser do cabins until Jessica is called for service. Eddie goes over the schedule with the deck crew. Heather tries to explain her expectations to Jessica by using Pictionary showing her an example of how things should be organized after clearing service. She says, if she can do it by herself, there’s no reason anyone can’t. While doing cabins, Fraser tells Jessica not to leave things on the floor, and she makes an excuse. In Jessica’s interview, she says, she feels like she’s the only one who’s spoken to about not pulling her weight, and it can’t all be put on her. She’s doing the best she can, and doesn’t give a flying. She tells Fraser that she feels like she’d never doing well enough or is quick enough, and Heather’s standard is high. He says he understands why it’s issue, but doesn’t like seeing her down. The boat heads out, and Captain Lee scares Eddie with the horn. One of his favorite things to do.  

Fraser tells Heather, he’d tried explaining to Jessica that she should be positive and change if she’s not getting along with people. Jessica walks in on them talking, and in her interview, she says, she’s not surprised. Fraser wants to move up, and Heather needs a man. I assume she means to do stuff like lift things, or she’s really, really stupid. Captain Lee calls for radio silence, and they dock. He radios the crew to be on the main deck in their whites for goodbyes. Michael says, they appreciated everything. It was awesome, and watching them pull up the slide was the funniest thing he’s ever seen. In Eddie’s interview, he says, thank you for kicking us when we’re down. Michael says, the service was awesome, and the meals were fantastic. It’s hard to believe it’s over. He gives the captain the tip envelope, and the guests leave. The captain does not look happy, and Rayna says she’s afraid. Captain Lee says, some people should be, and Eddie says, they’re about to get destroyed. Jessica tells Rayna that she doesn’t get paid enough to stress this much. Heather tells the stews that she wants to finish by four, and sends Fraser back to the laundry.

The captain tells the crew to be in the crew mess in five, and in his interview, he says, the deck team needs a wake-up call, and he’s going to deliver it. If after all this time, they can’t get the charter right halfway through and don’t have their act together, when will they? He tells the crew that he’s less than happy with this charter. The food was great as usual, and there was proper service at the table, but the deck crew needs to raise the bar. If they don’t, people will be gone. Work hard, work smart, or get fired. It’s halfway through the season, and they’re making rookie mistakes. It showed in the money, and he’s disappointed. The tip is $19K, and in Rachel’s interview, she says she’s pissed off. If she’s not getting sleep, she wants $30K. Captain Lee says he wants to talk to the deck crew. In Jake’s interview, he says he’s ashamed of the job he did. Fraser thinks everyone is on edge, and Heather agrees.

On the bridge, Captain Lee tells Eddie that the tip sucked; he’s disappointed. The first thing the primary mentioned was the f*** up with the slide. He’d thought it was comical, but the bar is up here, and they’re way down here. He shows a span with his hands of about three feet, and says, if they f*** up the slide once more, he’s going to have someone’s ass. He doesn’t care if it’s all of them; he’ll cancel the season. This is their final wake-up call. He wants to see people being proactive. They need to anticipate what happens this charter, or people will lose their jobs . No more second chances. In Eddie’s interview, he says he hasn’t seen the captain this angry for a long time, if ever. It’s embarrassing, and he let Captain Lee down. He’s not proud of himself. Heather tells Fraser. if the world is crumbling, she wants to have a proper good time. Rayna mumbles, effing punkasses, and Wes tells her to stop talking to herself. He tells her that she’s the female equivalent of Morgan Freeman.

Rayna tells Jessica that Eddie asked if she was happy. Did he have Black parents? She can’t count the ass whoopings she went through. In Wes’s interview, he says he thinks Jessica is cute and cool. He feels like he has a high school crush. They leave in a water taxi, and watch the sunset on the way to Carambola Beach. At the bar, Wes says Jessica is smiling too much, and she says she has a sad resting face. She doesn’t know what people want. Eddie tells Jake, poor Wes has no game, but he’s working hard. He’s got so much to learn. They go to the table, and Rayna says, cheers to a beautiful boss (no doubt being sarcastic), and Eddie says, cheers to them (no doubt being sincere). Heather and Jake go out to sit in a huge patio chair together, and Jake tells Heather to give him a cuddle. She says he has a fiancé and she has a boyfriend. In her interview, she says, if she was five years younger, in her party phase, and not taken, a moustache ride wouldn’t be bad. Jessica tells Wes that she’s been single for three years, and in her interview, she says she feels like Wes wants to kiss her, but is expecting her to kiss him. It’s an awkward thing going on. She tells him that she’s hung out with her grandparents her entire life. Rayna says, Jake looking crazy.

They go back to the boat, Jessica and Wes in one taxi. She says she’s tired, and just wants to go home and smoke a joint. I think she’s been hanging around her grandparents for too long. Back on the boat, Jessica kisses Wes on the cheek, and they go to bed. Separately. In Jessica’s interview, a producer asks why she decided to kiss Wes, but she says, it was just a peck on the cheek, and hardly a kiss. She’s just not feeling it. Sorry. In the crew mess, Rayna tells Heather that she can’t say the n-word. She needs to be careful. It’s not 2002 anymore. Heather doesn’t remember saying it, but Rayna tells her that she said in the bathroom. Rayna still loves her though. In Heather’s interview, she says she’s in shock. She doesn’t remember saying it. She tells Rachel about it, and says it made her feel bad. Actually, she did say it, in a drunk moment when they were walking back from somewhere, and she was repeating what Rayna said. I think it was a rapping situation, but it was bleeped, so I’m not sure what the context was.

In Rayna’s interview, she says, Heather thought she was being cool, but it hurts her heart. Eddie tells the deck crew about the slide, and in his interview, he says he wants the deck team to step it up. Their asses are on the line, and they have to get it together. They practice with the slide while Jessica curses a pillowcase. Eddie says, no lives were lost, no bends in the slide. They’re good.

Captain Lee has a preference sheet meeting with Heather, Eddie, and Rachel. The co-primaries are Chelsea and Michael, who are obsessed with travel. Chelsea had a bicycle accident, and her jaw is wired shut, so she can have no solid food. In Rachel’s interview, she says she couldn’t handle having her mouth wired shut. The guests want traditional cuisine, and a silent disco on the beach, as well as a black and gold birthday party for Chelsea. Fraser asks Jessica about Wes, and she says, he’s super nice. Rayna says she can tell Wes is ready for it, and Fraser asks, what happened? Jessica says, nothing. Captain Lee shows Eddie some things that aren’t clean, and Eddie says, Wes and Rayna told him that they’d washed everything down. In his interview, the captain says, Eddie isn’t handling this well if he has to double-check the work. That’s why he has three stripes. The captain is going to start handing out plane tickets, one-way, compliments of Captain Lee’s Travel Agency

In his interview, Eddie says, the crew’s mistakes are reflecting poorly on him. He tells Rayna and Wes, they’d said they did the rescue tender and jet skis, but Captain Lee went off on him, and he’s pissed. In Rayna’s interview, she says, Jimmy Neutron, she’s not in the mood. She’s been working her ass off, and she’s over it. Eddie tells them to get it done, and catches Rayna rolling her eyes. Rayna tells Wes about Heather saying the n-word, and says she’s tired of this sh*t. She doesn’t want to talk. Probably because Wes never finds anything as big a deal as she does. Jessica talks to her mom, and says, it’s busy and stressful. In her interview, she says she has innate guilt, like she has to do this or she’ll let people down. She’s never been on a charter that runs this fast, and she’s having a hard time. Um… maybe telling her boss about it might be a good idea. Rayna whines to Fraser about Heather, and Eddie tells Wes that Rayna rolling her eyes isn’t cool. Rayna tells Fraser that Heather said the n-word, but Fraser says Heather didn’t think she said it. Rayna says she’s not deaf. Everything is in the air, and it’s driving her crazy. Fraser says, when you’re frustrated, everything bothers you. She needs to voice it. He takes her to talk to Eddie.

Rayna tells Eddie that she’s sorry she rolled her eyes, and the equipment wasn’t cleaned properly, confusing TF out of me. Eddie says, he appreciates that she realizes it; they’re good. He knows she’s frustrated, but she has great organizational skills. She doesn’t handle authority well, but things needed to get done. He suggests when she talks, please take her face off, and she says she’s had trouble with her parents about that from the beginning of time. Eddie says, if you do that to Captain Lee, you might as well pack. She tells him about Heather and the n-word (a new children’s book), and he says he didn’t hear it, but it’s not okay. Rayna needs to take care of herself, and stand up for herself when she needs to, but she also needs to separate the personal stuff from the deck. She has the potential to move up in the ranks, but needs to focus, and not take things personally. He doesn’t want to be a d*ck, but he can be one. Rayna goes back to her room, and says, Eddie doesn’t understand. Me neither. Pick a lane.

Next time, guest Chelsea is starving and having a meltdown, Jessica asks to talk to Heather, and Eddie says, everything is going wrong.

🌾 Bringing In the Sheaves…

Stop by tomorrow for some soap and a few Pumptinis. Vanderpump Rules will also be followed tomorrow by Bad Moms Christmas, one of my favorite Christmas movies. Get TF out, Kenny G! Until then, stay safe, stay being yourself or being a cheap imitation of someone else, and stay letting tenacity be your middle name.

December 10, 2021 – Peter Feels Threatened, Back Home, Rebuttal, Holiday Duo, Busy Countess, Ouch, Pulled Over, Another One, Maybe, People’s Carpet, Before His Time, Close To 10 Quotes & So It Begins

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Sonny finds Carly working at a table in the MetroCourt, and says she left so early, he didn’t get a chance to say good morning. She says, good morning. Christmas will be there before they know it, and it’s on a Saturday, so she thinks they’ll be busier than ever. She looks at her phone, and says, what? She tells Sonny that she just got an email from her supplier, and there’s a shortage of marzipan. She has to talk to the chef; she’ll be back. She leaves, and Celina comes in. She says, Sonny’s wife certainly throws herself into her work, doesn’t she? He says, the holidays are busy, and Celina says, true. She supposes she’d fill up her days with work too, if she’d lost a good friend like Jason. She trusts Sonny is keeping himself busy too.

Peter wakes with a start in his cell, and says, who’s there? The guard tells him, take it easy. He has a visitor. Peter says, no visitors, unless there’s bullet-proof glass between them, but the guard says, relax; it’s law enforcement. Anna comes in, and asks Peter, what’s wrong? Did he have a bad dream?

Brook opens the door to Chase, and asks, what’s wrong? He says, what isn’t? He hates being suspended from work. It was one thing when he was sick, but he feels useless. She says she gets it, and she’s so sorry. He says he can’t stop thinking about the look on Willow’s face when she found out he was the father to Brook’s baby, and Brook says, just for clarification, she didn’t make him do that. It was his choice. He says it was all he could think of to protect Maxie’s secret. That’s the most important thing, right? Keeping Peter from finding out Bailey is really Louise? She asks if he’s there to face the music, even if it means Willow will never speak to him again, but he says, no. He’s there to step up. To assume the role of Bailey’s father. Everyone has to believe he’s the real deal, so he’s going to start changing diapers, and playing with Bailey, and doing what any proud papa would do.

Brando adjusts Sasha’s covers, and she wakes up and kisses his cheek. He says, good morning. She’s in a good mood this morning. She says, isn’t he? and he says he’s a little stiff from sleeping in the chair. She says she thinks it’s a small price to pay to wake up and face this day together. Can he believe it? Today is the day their baby will be coming home.

Nina asks Britt if there are any updates on Sasha’s baby, but Britt says they’re still on hold, and if she had information… Maxie says they understand; it’s confidential, family only. She can only imagine what’s going through their minds right now; hoping for the best, and worried the worst might happen. The hardest part is not knowing. Britt takes Maxie’s hand, and says she still has faith Louise is going to come home to her. Maxie thanks her, and says she has faith too. Of course (🍷) Louise might already be home if Nina had just called the police when Peter showed up in Nixon Falls. Nina says, maybe she should just go to Crimson, but Maxie says she won’t have any of that. There’s no point in second guessing anything. Choices were made. Peter will get what’s coming to him, and her baby will come home. Britt says she truly hopes so, but at what cost? and Maxie says, whatever it takes.

Willow tells Michael that Wiley was hoping daddy had some time to help pick out a Christmas tree for the gatehouse today. Michael says, maybe tomorrow, and Willow says, so he hasn’t changed his mind about appearing at Brad’s parole hearing? He says, it’s his duty as Wiley’s father. He’s going to do whatever he can to make sure Brad never comes near their son again.

Sonny tells Celina that he instructed his friend on the board to vote in favor of Brad’s parole, but she has to understand something. Michael wants to be at that hearing. He wants Brad to serve out his full sentence. So Sonny doesn’t know what guarantee she has of things going her way. She says, things might be different if Jason were around to guarantee it, but he says, Jason might not be able to influence Michael any more than he would. She says, admirable, but she has to think others might be influenced by Jason’s presence, if he was still around. She’s avoided talking about this topic out of respect. She thinks it’s in everyone’s interest if Sonny just… He asks if she’s saying they should move on, and Carly comes out. She says, move on from what?

Sasha tells Brando, it feels like she’s been counting every second for the last 71 hours and – she looks at her phone – and 42 minutes. All the stress will be worth it when Britt and the other doctors say the therapy to cool Liam’s brain worked, and the EEG confirmed it. He rubs her hand, and she puts her hand on top of his. He asks if he’s rubbing her too hard, and she says, he’s done everything right. From holding her hand to making her laugh to sending her pictures of their sweet little boy, so she can be reminded what it’s all about. She loves this one. She shows him her phone.

Willow says she knows Michael is committed to keeping Wiley safe, just like she is. That’s their first priority. He says, but? and she says, but if his dad is willing to give Brad another chance… He says, this is just a business move for his dad. Brad’s Aunt Celina is a business associate of his father’s, and he thinks she can keep Brad away from Wiley, but Michael doesn’t agree. She says, she doesn’t claim to know all the ins and outs of his dad’s business, but it doesn’t seem smart for Brad’s aunt to break her word with his dad. He says, that might have been true before, when Jason was still there, but now that he’s gone, the level of enforcement is gone. She says she knows he’s grieving for Jason, so why don’t they forget about the parole hearing today? Forget Brad, forget Nina, and forget everyone else Michael thinks he has to protect them from. Let’s enjoy today. The three of them have a chance to shop for a Christmas tree. Wiley’s old enough to really enjoy that. Let’s celebrate that. Brook and Chase walk in.

Anna says Peter looks like something scared him half to death, and he says, not something, someone. Sonny Corinthos has all but put a bullseye on his back. Anna says, it’s hard to believe there’s room for yet another target, and he says, look around. Which one of the guards is on his payroll? Even in solitary he doesn’t feel safe. Not with a Corinthos hit out on him.

Sonny tells Carly, they were just discussing Celina’s nephew’s parole hearing, and Celina says she hopes they can move forward from the mistakes in judgement Bradley made. Carly says she knows Sonny has agreed not to interfere with Brad’s parole as a favor to Celina, but her son has a mind of his own, and plans on testifying against Brad at the hearing. Celina says, these situations have a way of sorting themselves out, as her husband knows. Sonny flashes back to telling Celina that his family is best served with Peter taken care of, so see to it that it happens. Sonny says, as long as everyone keeps up his or her end of the bargain, they’re good. Celina says, consider it done, and leaves. Carly says she always liked Celina. As the only woman running one of the families, she’s tough and she’s fair, but business is business, right? He says, agreed, and she asks, exactly what bargain did she walk in on just now.

Nina goes into Sasha’s room, and says, this isn’t fair. No one should look this beautiful after a C-section. Sasha says she has her new stylist to thank for that, looking at Brando, and Nina says they’ll just have to add that to Brando’s list of talents. Georgie forgot her lunch, so Maxie had to bring it to her, but she’ll be here in a second. She asks if there’s anything Brando can’t do, and Sasha says, if there is, she hasn’t discovered it yet. Lucy walks in, and says, hello there. She comes bearing goodies she got past the nurses station. She didn’t want to face the wrath of Epiphany, but guess what? She pulls out a bag, and says, Sasha’s favorite; gummi bears. Brando says it looks like he’s literally the odd man out, so he’ll leave Sasha with her friends. Sasha says, if he sees Britt, send her in right away, and he promises. He leaves, and TJ sees him getting in the elevator.

Brook says Chase has a lot to learn. Can they believe this guy doesn’t even know the name of their diaper service? Willow says she just thinks they’re lucky to be able to afford to use one. Cloth diapers are so much better for the environment than disposable ones. Chase says he couldn’t agree more. Violet was way past the diaper stage when she came into Finn’s life. This is all new to him. Michael says, too bad he didn’t come forward as Bailey’s dad. Instead, Chase focused on making Willow feel guilty for wanting to be with him and Wiley while she was married to him. I used to not like Michael because he was boring; now I don’t like him because he’s a jerk. Chase says he didn’t come forward because he didn’t know, and Michael says, but he did know he slept with Brook around the same time she got pregnant. The fact that he didn’t ask is a pretty clear indication that he just didn’t want to know. Brook picks up the monitor, and asks if Chase heard that. Bailey really needs them. Chase says, here’s the deal. The other day when Michael and Willow rushed off to be with Sasha and Brando, it was before they could deal with this news, but they can’t keep avoiding this forever. Is there any way they can get past this?

Anna says she’s not going to deny she has some satisfaction in seeing Peter like this, but the reality is, he’s safer there than the gold in Fort Knox. He says, Sonny wants him dead, and she says, she’s sure he does; so do a lot of people. But Sonny’s hands are tied. He knows that since he got back to town, he’s been in the spotlight. Peter asks if she really expects him to believe there’s no credible threat on his life, and she says, Sonny is too smart to risk it. Trust her. Sonny knows law enforcement has been watching his every move. Still, they both know Peter has made a lot of enemies. He says, meaning what? and she says, meaning, if he wants to stay alive, he’s going to have to save himself.

Sonny says, Celina suggested it’s time they start thinking about replacing Jason, and Carly says, replace Jason? That’s impossible. He’s… Sonny says, irreplaceable. She says he knows that, and he says, Jason was like a brother to him, but like his dad always said, the graveyards are full of indispensable men, and Jason was one of them. She says she knows, and Sonny is irreplaceable. Nothing was the same, or could be the same, without him. She means that. Sonny says, she had to carry on for the family and the life they built together. Nobody understood that more than Jason, but when he came back, it threw him that they were together. It doesn’t matter, because there was a void, and Jason had to fill it. Now that he’s gone, because of how much they loved him, and how much he loved them, they have to do the same.

Lucy says, Deception has been doing absolutely great lately, and it’s largely because of Sasha’s role as the Face of Conception. The public is so excited, and everything is turning out so well. There’s a financial institution that really wants to get behind them, so – drumroll – they’re thinking of taking the company public. They’ll all get their initial investment back, not to mention, Sasha has to think about the future. Sasha says, it sounds very exciting, and she’s glad Lucy shared the news with her, but the only future that matters to her right now is lying in an incubator in the NICU.

Britt calls Dr. Fleming to confirm they can go ahead with the EEG on Liam. She says, great. Please send her the results as soon as she gets them.

In the chapel, Brando kneels, and says he doesn’t know what he’s doing. He can’t remember the last time he came to church. He certainly can’t remember the last time he made a confession. Liam has opened his heart in so many ways he never thought possible. He doesn’t know why Liam was born with so many obstacles to overcome. TJ stands in the doorway and listens, and Brando says he guesses that’s why he’s there. Until he can hold Liam in his arms, will God make sure Liam feels loved, and feels safe? Let him know that his mom and dad are here for him, and always will be, and they need him too. He crosses himself and gets up, seeing TJ.

Britt asks what brings Nina back to her office, and Nina says, she thinks there were some things they didn’t get a chance to say last night. Or more accurately, avoided saying. Britt says she was just trying to be gracious, and avoid having this conversation. Nina says, Britt is a doctor. She knows it’s not healthy to stuff those feelings deep down inside. Britt says, no, but talking about it isn’t going to change anything. So what’s the point? Nina asks if Britt doesn’t want to say it to her face; that her life could have been different if Nina had just told  the truth about Peter. Britt says, okay. Nina wants to go down that road, they’ll go down that road. Why didn’t Nina call the cops when Peter showed up in Nixon Falls?

Michael asks why Willow should make it easier for Chase. Chase wanted them to feel guilty for being in love, and the whole time he knew he’d slept with Brook. Brook says, Michael is her cousin and she loves him, but she’s not going to let him call Chase out for this. He didn’t lie about being Bailey’s father; he didn’t know because Brook deliberately kept it from him. She needed to get her ELQ shares back from Valentin, and couldn’t think of another way. So if he’s looking to blame someone, blame her. Willow says she knows how betrayed Chase felt when he learned about her and Michael, but eventually he was able to make peace with it. She’d be a hypocrite if she didn’t do the same with him. But Brook is a whole different story.

Peter asks Anna what she expects him to do now. What deal could he possibly cut? She tells him, who said anything about a deal? He has to confess. He says she can’t possibly mean that, but she says he has to own up to everything he’s done. Every single crime, and they’re not going to stop there. He’s going to give up his rights to his daughter, so that Maxie can have some peace of mind that somewhere down the line, whoever has Louise will return her. In more simple terms, he has to take his punishment, and he has to do it like a man. He asks why he’d do all of that, and she says, because if he faces up to it and stops all his endless games, maybe, just maybe, there’s something she can do for him.

Carly says no one could ever replace Sonny; Jason didn’t even try. And now, there’s no way they can replace Jason. It’s impossible. Sonny could find someone to take on Jason’s responsibilities, someone he trusts, but they’re just going to be following in Jason’s footsteps, right? Sonny can’t replace Jason, and if he thinks he can, he really did change while he was in Nixon Falls.

Lucy says she’s sorry. She thinks it was just her misguided way of taking Sasha’s mind off things for a little minute. Being a mom is tough, huh? It’s sometimes the most healing, breathtakingly beautiful thing in the world, and other times, it breaks your heart. She doesn’t talk about this too much, but she had several miscarriages, and wanted to be a mom so badly. She’s not the only woman in the world who ever had a miscarriage, but that’s why she’s so grateful, because her friend Dominique asked her to carry Serena, and also asked her to help raise Serena with Scotty. She can’t tell Sasha what that meant to her, and even though her girl is living all the way across the ocean, Serena will always be her daughter, in every way that counts. What she’s trying to say is, she knows this is overwhelming and so hard, but eventually, somehow you manage to cherish each and every moment, no matter how very, very scary. Sasha thanks her, and says she’s trying to do that; cherish every single moment.

TJ says he didn’t man to intrude. He heard Brando’s baby is in the NICU, and wanted to see if Brando was okay. There was a time they used to be friends, then stuff happened. Brando says, TJ rearranged his jaw, and TJ says he hopes they’re past that now. He saw Sasha’s friends in her room talking, and thought, if Brando needed someone to talk to… Brando says he was actually talking to someone, and TJ asks if they talked back. They laugh, and Brando says his mom wanted to be an altar boy so bad. Father Hogan would make him say ten Hail Marys and run ten laps if he made a joke like that. TJ says, his Aunt Stella would have made him wash his mouth out with soap for sure. Brando thanks TJ for making him forget for two minutes that his son’s in the NICU fighting for his life. All he can do is wait for him to win.

Nina tells Britt that Peter was blackmailing her. He said he’d hurt James. He also said he was going to tell Carly that Sonny was alive and well Nixon Falls. Britt says, and avoiding trouble with Carly was more important than making sure Peter was stopped. Nina says she thought she could do both, and Britt says, by turning to her mother instead of the police? Nina says, in retrospect, she knows what she did was wrong. She was desperate and needed someone she could trust and confide in. It was Obrecht’s idea to go after Peter, and Britt knows better than anyone else, once Obrecht gets something in her mind, there’s no stopping her. Britt says, too bad Nina didn’t think of that before she got her mother involved. Nina says she’s sorry, and Britt says, Nina does realize, she could have gotten her mother killed. Nina says she does. She loves Obrecht. At least Peter’s in prison. Britt says, Jason is dead, and Nina says Carly believes his blood is on her hands. She’s sure Britt does too.

Chase says Brook didn’t tell him because she knew how he felt about Willow. She kept silent about Bailey’s paternity so they could be together. Willow says, there’s a little more to it than that. She also did it so the Quartermaines could regain control of ELQ. Michael says, that’s what they were taught their entire lives; put the company first. Willow says, obviously, she grew up with a warped idea of what family is supposed to be. She thought other families, real families were different. Maybe not this one. Chase tells Brook that he came to see their daughter, and she suggests they go upstairs. Willow asks them to wait. She says, their kids are around the same age. They’re both Quartermaines, so they’re going to grow up together. She can’t speak for Michael, but for the kids’ sake, she promises to get past this. Brook thanks her, and says she hopes Michael can forget about it too.

Peter can’t believe Anna would suggest he give up his parental rights to Louise. That would mean giving up all hope of being a family with Maxie. Anna says, come on. That was an illusion; it died a long time ago. He says, Louise and Maxie are what keep him human. He won’t give them up. The guard says, time’s up, and Anna says, that means Peter’s arraignment is starting soon. All the pain he’s caused, all the lives he’s ruined and cut short, that isn’t good enough for him. The trouble with her is, she still believes in the justice system. If he owns what he’s done, she’ll do what she can. She leaves.

Sonny says he can’t say the time away from Carly didn’t change him. But when he came back, it wasn’t to pick up where they left off; he wanted them to get closer and just be better for their kids. She says she wants that too. It doesn’t matter what Celina Wu wants, or the people who think they know what’s best for them. They know what’s best. They know what they want. He says he wants her, and she says, she wants him; only him. No one’s here; we’re not open yet. He asks if she thinks that’s going to stop him, and kisses her.

TJ tells Brando, try not to let his imagination get the best of him. Enjoy the fact that Sasha survived a difficult birth, and she’s doing better. Focus on the positive. Brando says, the tests will also come when they come. He thanks TJ, and says he’s been trying to do that. They walk to Sasha’s room, and Brando says, when he left, Sasha’s friends had her laughing. They go in, and Sasha says, Lucy was just showing her the latest Deception baby care products. Lucy says, organic, hypo-allergenic, of course (🍷), and adorable if she does say so herself. Brando says he hates to ruin the party, but they should be hearing from the doctors soon. Lucy says, she didn’t know she’d been there that long, and hugs Sasha. She says she’s rooting for Sasha; for all of them. Then she says, bye, instead of ta, and I puzzle over this longer than I should. TJ says Brando has his number. If he has any questions with medical lingo or anything, call him. Brando says he appreciates it, and TJ leaves. Sasha says, Lucy did a terrific job of distracting her, but they can’t avoid it any longer. It’s almost time, right?

Britt says she’s not playing the blame game with Nina. Nina made choices, and so did she. She’s pretty sure if Nathan was still here, he’d probably tell her to go pay it forward, and go help Nina. Nina thanks her, saying, she sounds exactly like Jay. Britt says, if she can come back, so can Nina. Nina says, Britt will be there for her? and Britt says, Nathan wouldn’t have it any other way. Britt’s phone rings, and she says she’ll be right there. Nina asks if it’s news about Sasha’s baby.

Brook says, that went well, and Chase says, as opposed to what? A firing squad? She says, they have to take what they can get. It seems like Willow is going to give him a pass, whereas everyone thinks she’s the next Cruella de Vil. Chase says he hopes Brook knows what she’s doing is very noble, and she says, that’s not exactly a word used to describe her – ever. He says, one day, her family will know the good thing she’s done, but while Peter is still a potential threat to Maxie and Louise, they’re in this. She says, what other choice could they have made?

Michael kisses Willow, and she says she’s not complaining, but what was that for? He says he’s amazed at how generous she is, and willing to forgive. She says, let’s be clear. Forgiving Chase is one thing. Brook is a whole other story. Michael says, that’s going to be a longer road for sure, and Willow says, while they’re on the topic of forgiveness, if she forgave Chase, and hopefully soon, Brook, does he think he could find it in his heart to forgive Brad?

Peter’s breakfast is slid into the opening in the door by an inmate worker, but he says he doesn’t trust it. The guard says, fine; they’ll give it to the next inmate. It’s removed, and Peter says, wait. Bring it back. The inmate puts the tray back, and Peter takes it.

Carly says, the happiest day of her life was when Sonny came back, and Sonny says, that makes two of them. It all started with the dreams. A blonde woman in the dream; then she became a reality.

Michael says he has to feel consistent, and do what he can to keep his family safe, and that includes keeping Brad in prison and away from their son. The same rules apply to Nina. This is a black and white subject for him; there’s nothing grey about it. Willow flashes back to hearing Sonny tell Nina, that what happened in Nixon Falls has to come from him – and it will. She remembers Nina saying that the love she and Sonny shared was the purest thing she’s known in her life, and she’s so sorry, but she can never regret that. Michael says he understands how Willow can give Chase a pass, and someday forgive Brook. He also gets that she and Brad were close in the past, but he can’t help but wonder how she’s so forgiving about Nina.

Brando says he knows he and Sasha can lean on each other, but it’s nice having friends who can back them up too. Sasha says, when the doctors give them the news, they’ll deal with that. Whatever it takes to give Liam a long and happy life. Starting today. Dr. Fleming and Britt come in, but they don’t look happy. Britt closes the door.

Brook asks if Chase is ready for some diaper changing 101, and he says he’s up for the challenge. He thinks with a little practice, he could be good. He does hope for Maxie’s sake, all the lies stop soon. She says, her too, and they head upstairs. She says, it isn’t enough that Peter’s in custody. It seems that Maxie and her baby won’t be safe until Peter is dead and buried.

Sonny says the second he remembered Carly, he remembered all of it, and all he wanted to do was come home. He just wanted to be with her, his family, and his life. This is where he belongs; this is his home. Anna comes in, and says, she’s sorry to interrupt. She tells Carly that she just wanted to say how sorry she is about Jason. Carly thanks her, and tells Sonny that she has some things she needs to do. She goes behind the bar, and Celina comes in. Carly says, she’s back, and Celina says, the more she thought about it, the more she recognized that the subject of Jason might have caused a miscommunication. But it’s all about wanting to protect Carly and her family. That’s what she and Sonny both want, right?

Anna says, if Sonny wanted to put the fear of God in Peter, mission accomplished. She just came from Pentenville, so can he leave it at that, and let the law run its course? He says she gives him too much credit. Peter is behind bars 24/7, with guards. Even if he wanted to get his hands dirty, how would he do it?

Peter finishes his breakfast, and starts choking. He falls to the floor.

The inmate worker brings back empty trays, and wheels them away. We see it’s Brad.

On Monday, Stella asks TJ what’s going on with Curtis, Trina tells Portia that she doesn’t want to blow this, Epiphany tells Maxie that it’s a bad idea, and Sonny thinks Carly deserves to know the truth.

👯‍♀️ Coming Home For Two…

Kristina on GH.

And the Christina of Christmas fame.

🗣 Ingo Rebuts…

I don’t think his itchy Twitter finger helped him much.

🦚 Days On Peacock…

A look at DOOL’s Christmas movie.

https://ew.com/tv/days-of-our-lives-christmas-movie-peacock-first-look/

🎄 Not a Hallmark Movie…

This actually looks intriguing. Like The Big Chill gone sideways.

🎤 She’s Keeping Busy…

I’m not sure which is a worse sounding project.

❗️ Long Island Real…

Gina doesn’t mince words.

🍷 He Should Have Had a V-8…

I doubt he only had a glass of wine with dinner.

🎃 It Keeps On Ticking…

Yet another Halloween movie in the works, including Kyle.

🏖 Make It Stop…

New, no doubt awful, people added to the already awful cast.

https://ew.com/tv/meet-the-cast-of-bravos-summer-house/

👋🏼 Lala Hints Bye-Bye…

I don’t know how much of a loss she’d be, but surprisingly, she’s been the voice of reason this time around. They probably need one of those. LVP has enough to do.

👠 Color the Carpet Red…

The best part of any awards show.

https://www.eonline.com/photos/33624/peoples-choice-awards-2021-red-carpet-fashion

🎸 Leaving the Stage…

IMO, he was the most talented of the group. He was doing music videos long before MTV was a thought. And his mother invented Liquid Paper. Micky Dolenz must be getting pretty nervous though.

https://people.com/music/monkees-star-michael-nesmith-dead-age-78/

https://people.com/music/heartbroken-micky-dolenz-pays-tribute-to-monkees-bandmate-michael-nesmith/

👩🏽‍🏫 Quotes of the Week

When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves. – Viktor Frankl

The best protection any woman can have is courage. – Elizabeth Cady Stanton

Vision without action is daydream. Action without vision is nightmare. – Japanese Proverb

Mistakes are part of the game. It’s how well you recover from them, that’s the mark of a great player. – Alice Cooper

It is common sense to take a method and try it. If it fails, admit it frankly and try another. But above all, try something. – Franklin D. Roosevelt

When I was young I thought that money was the most important thing in life; now that I am old I know that it is. – Oscar Wilde

True terror is to wake up one morning and discover that your high school class is running the country. – Kurt Vonnegut

I still believe that the unexamined life is not worth living: and I know that self-delusion, in the service of no matter what small or lofty cause, is a price no writer can afford. His subject is himself and the world and it requires every ounce of stamina he can summon to attempt to look on himself and the world as they are.James Baldwin

If you’re going to be able to look back on something and laugh about it, you might as well laugh about it now. – Marie Osmond (Who knew she was such a philosopher?)

🏀 Dribbling Off the Court…

If you’re in a work mindset, another weekend has arrived. For those who’ve moved on from that, another seven Xs have been put on the calendar. And for those people who are already in a holiday panic, you’ve got two weeks until Christmas. No Dead are Walking for a while, so I’ll see you for a little soap, a little Deck on Monday. Until then, stay safe, stay respecting others’ personal space, and stay not second guessing anything. There’s no point.

December 9, 2021 – Sonny Asks a Favor Of Miss Wu, Elevated Pajamas On the Runway, Fredrik Does Monroe & Fun

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Carly video chats with Avery, and tells her that she’s going to hang on to Avery’s present for Liam right now; it’s getting a little crowded in his room. She says she’ll be home soon, and turns around to see Miss Wu (who now has a first name – Celina – so we’ll use that). Celina says, darling child, and Carly thanks her for the flowers. Celina says she was sorry to hear about Jason, but hopes he prevails. Carly says, he has a record of beating the odds, and Celina says she’s not a betting woman, but if she were, Jason is the safest bet there is. Carly asks if Celina is there to see Sonny, but Celina says her business isn’t with Carly’s husband. Give her best to the family. She leaves, and Carly ponders that.

Britt says it looks like Obrecht is almost ready to get out of there. Scotty sits next to Obrecht in her hospital bed, a box of chocolates on the tray, and Obrecht says she can’t believe he’s not a fan of nougat. He says he’s a fan of her nougat, and she says, naughty boy. They are so cute, I can’t stand it. He says, that’s what they tell him, and Britt says, although it might be another three weeks, give or take. Obrecht asks if caramel elicits the same response, and Scotty says, nectar of the gods, like her, booping her nose. She says, excellent, and Britt says, by the way, she’s pregnant. Surprise! Quintuplets. Can they believe it? Obrecht says, Britt finds public displays of affection unseemly, and Scotty wonders how she could have given birth to such a prude. This is what love looks like. Britt tells him, if he says so.

Maxie says she needs to talk to Sonny about Peter, and he says he just came from seeing that bastard. What’s on her mind? She says she wants to know what Sonny is going to do about him. She wants him dead. He tells her, listen to him. Peter has to live.

Ava sips some cognac, and Nikolas says, it’s getting late. She says she hadn’t noticed, and he says he has a fire going in their bedroom too. What does she say? Her, him, a bearskin rug? She says, maybe later, and he says, ouch. She says she’s a little preoccupied, that’s all. He asks, what about? and she says, rat killings. He says, that’s not the answer he was expecting, and she says, they remind her of his family. Tails all knotted up together, unable to break away, destined to die together, unless they do the painful thing, and chew their way free.

As she fills the tub, Laura talks to Doc on the phone. She says she misses him too, but the good news is, the FBI is getting close to finding the assassin Cyrus hired, so she doesn’t think this thing is going to go on much longer. She asks him to hang on while she turns off the water, and she hears thumping coming from the living room.

In the living room, Martin struggles with fake cleaning lady, who has a cord around his neck.

Scotty tells Britt that he’s sorry about Jason, and she thanks him, but says, they were long over. Obrecht says, pfft! and Britt says, what does that mean? Obrecht says, it’s not weak to admit she’s hurting, but Britt says she’s fine, and thanks them for their concern. Nina comes to the door, and Obrecht says if only she’d ended Peter’s misbegotten life when she had the chance. That schwein would be brisket, and none of this would have happened. Britt says Obrecht would be in prison, but Obrecht says, a small price to pay. Scotty says, bite your tongue, and Nina comes in. She says it’s nice of Obrecht to take the blame, but they all know who’s responsible for Peter’s latest reign of terror – i.e. her. Britt says she has some work to catch up on, so don’t stay up too late, and don’t pop any stitches. Scotty says he’ll do his best, and Britt leaves. Nina says, Britt seems to be doing okay, but Obrecht says, it’s a façade. Over or not, Jason was the closest thing Britt has come to true love. Any chance of rekindling that is now over. Peter robbed her of it. Nina says, he’s not alone. Jason’s death is her fault too.

Britt walks into her office, and Celina is sitting at her desk. Britt says she’s sorry; this is her private office. Celina says, she’s aware, and Britt says, all appointments have to go through her assistant. Celina says, better to keep this meeting off the books, and Britt asks if she knows Celina. Celina gets up, and says, no, but she knows Britt. Britt says, now she feels left out. Please introduce herself. Celina says who she is depends on Britt. She hopes they’ll be friends, but if not, she’s willing to settle for a more transactional relationship.

Nikolas says he takes it Ava has his Uncle Victor on his mind, and she says, doesn’t he? He says he’s thought of little else since Victor’s visit this afternoon. Ava says Nikolas never should have thrown in with him, and he says, he might not be alive if he hadn’t. She says she’s grateful for Victor saving Nikolas’s life, but Victor is a little too proactive for her taste. He says, to be clear, he didn’t ask Victor to take it that far with Hayden, and she says she knows. Victor took it upon himself. That’s what she means by proactive. God help the next poor soul who falls victim to Victor’s instinct for enterprise.

Martin pulls fake cleaning lady onto the couch, as he goes down to the floor, still struggling. Silva asks if everything is okay in there, and Martin slumps. Silva says he’s coming in, and fake cleaning lady says, be right there. Silva finds the door is locked, and fake cleaning lady gets something to hit him with, but Laura comes out behind her, and says, batter up, whacking her with a plunger. She sees Martin on the floor, and lets Silva in. She tells him, call 9-1-1. She doesn’t know if her brother is breathing. She runs to Martin, and he sits up coughing. He grabs the plunger, asks if there’s back up, and passes out.

Celina introduces herself to Britt, saying, she’s Brad Cooper’s aunt. Britt says, no way, and Celina says, way. Britt says, Brad never spoke much about his family. Is he okay? Celina says she’s surprised Britt has to ask. She was under the impression that Britt and her nephew were close. Britt says, they were… They are. She’s been away, and before that, there was a lot going on. It’s been hard to visit. Celina says she sees, and Britt wonders why she feels she’s being judged. Celina says, friendships are difficult to maintain, even under the best of circumstances. Her rather fluid commitment to Brad is not unexpected. Britt says he’s still her friend, and will continue to be. Celina doesn’t have to worry about her abandoning Brad. Celina says, that’s precisely what she wants.

Obrecht says, it’s Peter, along with the assistance of her reptilian ex Victor, who sealed Jason’s fate. Nina says, if she hadn’t called Obrecht when Peter showed up in Nixon Falls… and Obrecht asks, what else would she do? Nina says, call the police, and Obrecht says, that schwein was blackmailing Nina, using sweet adorable little James. Of course (🍷) Nina needed her. Scotty thinks this might be a good time to talk about Nina’s preliminary hearing. He wants to get the charges tossed out. Obrecht says, hearing? Charges? What is Nina accused of now?

Michael says, he thought Carly would have left by now, and Carly asks where Willow is. Michael says, she went home to be with Wiley. He thought he’d stick around and be with Liam, if Sasha and Brando want to take a break. She asks if he saw the baby, and he says, yeah. Take away the tubes and machines… She says, you’d never know anything was wrong; he’s perfect. She says she had placental abruption with him, and Michael says, Jason found her passed out on the floor, right? She says, he was living at Sonny’s old penthouse. Sonny was out of the country, and not expected to return, and she showed up on the doorstep. Of course (🍷) Jason let her in. She had this terrible pain, and the next thing she knew, Jason was there, and rushing her to the hospital, and she was rushed in to an emergency C-section. Of course (🍷)  she doesn’t remember any of that; she just remembers waking up in the ICU. Michael says, and of course (🍷) Jason was right by her side. She says, that’s when he told her Michael had surgery, and it was the scariest moment of her life. She remembers, right then and there, she promised herself that she would die before she ever caused Michael pain. He says he knows the feeling. He makes that promise every day. She takes his hand, and sighs, because someone has to now that Jason is gone.

Maxie tells Sonny to wait. He’s not seriously suggesting Peter deserves mercy? He says, not at all, but she wants her daughter back, right? She says, of course (🍷) she does, and he says, then getting rid of Peter is a bad idea. (Probably talking about it in the middle of the hospital is too. Just saying.) He set up the kidnapping, so if Peter dies, any information about where Louise is will die with him. She says, no; Peter doesn’t know where Louise is. He asks if she’s sure about that, and she says, why would he have blackmailed Nina if he did? and Sonny says, it’s a possibility. She says, here’s the deal; as long as Peter is breathing, Louise is in trouble. Forget about her, and she knows he doesn’t care about Franco, but what about Elizabeth and her sons, and Drew, and Jason? Is Sonny really going to let the man who killed his best friend get away with it?

Britt says, Celina wants her to abandon Brad? and Celina says she appreciates Britt looking after him now and then, but she’s no longer needed. Britt tells her, says the woman who had nothing to do with him his entire life? Celina says she doesn’t know of what she speaks, and Britt says, the hell she doesn’t. She would have heard of Celina if she’d meant anything to Brad. Celina says, the circumstances are favorable to Brad’s imminent parole, and Britt says, she had no idea. Celina says, naturally. If parole is granted, Britt is advised to remain at a distance, and Britt asks, why? That’s not what Brad would want. Celina says, it’s what she wants, and more important, it’s what he nephew needs. This is Brad’s chance to rehabilitate his character, to evolve it beyond its current limited scope, and his ability to do so will be constrained by harmful influences lingering from his old life. Britt says, harmful influences like her, and Celina’s phone dings. She looks at it, and thanks Britt for her time. Britt says she wasn’t given much of a choice, and Celina tells her, the best of luck in her endeavors. She sees no need to revisit this conversation, as long as Britt abides by her wishes.

Silva tells a handcuffed fake cleaning lady, congratulations. She’s going away for the rest of her life. Laura says, she doesn’t know about that. She thinks there’s a scenario where fake cleaning lady could spend a few of her golden years outside, provided she tells them who she’s working for. It’s Cyrus Renault, isn’t it? Fake cleaning lady says, lawyer, and Laura throws up her hands. Silva takes fake cleaning lady out, and Laura goes over to Martin, where an EMT is tending to him. Martin says he’ll be fine after a little laryngitis, and Laura thanks the EMT for getting there so quickly. Martin says she won’t be without his dulcet tones for long, and the EMT leaves. Laura tells Martin not to strain himself, and he says he doesn’t intend to, unless she used all the hot water. He needs to relax. He’s going to take a nice hot soak before their minders move them to the next location. She says, that’s one option, and he says, there’s another?

Michael asks if Carly wants a ride home, but she says she’s going to stick around and see if Brando and Sasha need anything. He says he checked; they’re out. Hopefully, they stay that way until morning. He gets the feeling she’s avoiding going home. She said everything was okay with her and dad; is it? Celina comes by, and says she can’t help but wonder if Michael plans to attend her nephew’s parole hearing. He says she wouldn’t miss it, and she says she assumes his position on Brad being in prison has remained unchanged. He says he believes Brad should remain in prison, and she says, Brad repents of his sin. He says he’s heard that one before. Recently, in fact, from the woman who kept his father away from his family. It sounded as hollow from her as it does from Celina. Celina says she’s sorry to hear that, and tells them to have a good evening.

Scotty says, if Nina is guilty of anything, it’s making this town a better place. She almost helped rid them of the worst menace that ever walked these streets. Obrecht says, this is an outrage. Peter is finally locked up, and they persecute her niece instead? For what? Attempting to thwart a madman? Nina says, her charges aren’t related to Peter, and Obrecht asks, against who else has she transgressed?

Sonny says, Maxie is grieving and angry; so is he, but bringing up Jason is not a way to get into his good graces. She says, this is no time for grace. Peter took Franco and Jason from their families. He took Louise from her. Does Sonny think he’s going to stop there? Sonny flashes back to Peter saying he recorded Sonny with Nina, and if Sonny kills him, he’ll be breathing life into that. Maxie says, taking is what Peter does, and he’s going to keep taking until he gets what he wants, and when he gets it, he’s going to want something new. God forbid you have what he’s set his sights on. She walks away, and Sonny takes out his phone.

Nikolas says he and Ava are on the same page. He wants nothing to do with what Victor is plotting. She says, what he wants is beside the point. She gets the feeling that Victor is using their past association as a  license to reduce Nikolas to his pawn. Does he disagree? He says, name one person who’s ever gotten the better of him besides her, and she says, this isn’t funny. He says he knows, and she says, they’re better together. He says he knows that too. He promises he learned his lesson. She says, has he? and he asks what she’s getting at. She says he didn’t fill her in about Victor until it was almost too late, and he says he made a mistake. She says, the mistake is done. If there’s anything left to tell her, the time is now.

Nina tells Obrecht, that’s it. Sonny returned home, and was reunited with his family. Scotty says, the rest will play out in court. Obrecht asks, what exactly are the charges? and he says, fraud, but they’re going to get them thrown out before the trial phase. Obrecht says, what Nina said about Jason… and Nina says, it’s true. Peter would have been in custody sooner if she’d called the police. Obrecht says, but she didn’t want the truth about Sonny to come out, and Nina says, she called Obrecht. Jason might still be alive if she’d made a different choice. Scotty says, if it’s any consolation, he calls Obrecht whenever he gets involved in shady business. Obrecht asks him to leave them, and he says, give him one of those caramels, and they’ll have lawyer/client privilege, but she says, some things can only be said to family.

Britt looks at a photo of her and Brad on her phone, when Maxie comes in. Britt says, it’s so good to see her; she has no idea. Maxie asks, what’s wrong? Or what’s not wrong is the more appropriate question. Britt says, it would make for a short conversation, and Maxie says, talk to her, but Britt says, no. Maxie doesn’t have the time. She has kids. She doesn’t have time to listen to Britt’s sob story. Maxie says her kids are at her parents; she has time. They sit, and Maxie says, she’s listening.

Carly tells Michael that she’s no fan of Brad’s; not after what he did to Michael and Lucas. Michael says, and Willow, and she says, it’s despicable on all fronts, and she definitely thinks Brad should be serving his full sentence. Michael says, but? and she says, but she thinks he should take a different tack when it comes to Brad’s aunt. He says, she asked him questions and he told the truth. Carly says she knows that, and he says, if he’d glossed over his feelings, Celina would have been surprised and angry when he went after Brad at the parole hearing. She says she just thinks he could be less confrontational about it; Celina is his dad’s ally. He says he knows, and he plans to honor their agreement. He’s not going to pull any strings to block Brad’s parole behind the scenes, but he has every intention of speaking at the hearing, which his dad understands. And Celina should know better than to trade on the alliance. Doesn’t Carly think dad would agree? She says she doesn’t feel comfortable speaking for his dad. They’re not exactly on the same page right now.

Sonny thanks Celina for coming by; he knows it’s late. She says she always has time for him, and he says he hopes she has some consideration for him. She says, meaning? and he shows her a photo, saying, this guy is at the PCPD, in custody; his arraignment is tomorrow. There won’t be a bail; they’re sending him back to Pentenville until the trial, but there’s not going to be a trial because he’s going to be dead before that. Celina says, and he wants her to make sure that occurs. He says he’d do it himself, but it’s public knowledge how Sonny feels about him, and Sonny would be the number one suspect. He laughs, and she says, and he requires more than the usual degree of plausible deniability? Sonny says, he is a danger to society. Can she do it? She looks at Peter’s picture, and says, it’s possible, but it will cost Sonny.

Sonny says, obviously, he’ll compensate her for her effort; parcel out any holdings he got from Novak. She says, that’s very generous, but she’d prefer payment in another form. He says, what form is that? and she says she was hoping they could revisit the subject of her nephew. He says, he’s not going to pressure board to refuse Brad’s parole, and she says, that’s all well and good, but she was hoping he’d undertake a more positive approach; use his sway to ensure a more favorable result? He wonders if she understands what she’s asking him to do. Because of Brad, his son couldn’t be a father and thought his son was dead, and she wants him to set Brad free. She says, there’s no more consequence to his family. Brad’s attachment to his grandson has been severed. He says, words are cheap, but she says, not hers. No one’s taking a life. Peter’s removal is of great value to Sonny? Sonny says, yes, and she says, then she asks him to give her something commensurate in return; a life for a life, as it were. He says, okay. He’ll tell his guy on the parole board to vote to release Brad, but she says, a single vote might not be enough to ensure her nephew’s freedom, especially with Sonny’s son on the warpath.

Michael asks, what’s going on with Carly and his dad? but she says she doesn’t want to put him in the middle. He says he gets that, but she obviously needs someone to talk to, and she says, but it can’t be him. It’s not that complicated. She and Sonny thought things would just go back to the way they used to be. He says, easier said than done? and she says, yeah. It’s hard with Jason, and… They’ll work things out. They always do. He says he knows, but hopefully he can help speed things along.

Nina says, let her have it, but Obrecht says, she’ll do no such thing. What is the point? To make Nina feel worse than Carly and Sonny already have? Nina says, it’s more painful when it comes from family, so here she is; go for it. Yell at her, dammit. Obrecht says, masochism doesn’t suit her, but Nina says, if she doesn’t suffer, how can she be redeemed? Obrecht says, first off, she makes amends with Britt. Nina has no idea what she’s taken from Britt. Nina says, she thought Jason and Britt only dated for a little while. Then he left to be with Carly. Obrecht flashes back to talking to Britt about Jason on Cassadine Island, and Britt saying that Jason accepts her as she is. She tells Nina, Jason was more than a fling to Britt. She gave him something most precious; her trust. Now he’s gone, and Obrecht is afraid. Nina says, of what? and Obrecht says, of Britt hiding her heart at a time she can least afford to. Nina says she’ll be there for Britt, always. She promises. Obrecht said, first off. What’s the second thing? Obrecht says, the path to redemption is resurrection. Nina is no saint, but neither are Carly and Sonny. If they don’t apologize, why should Nina? Remember who she is; sister, niece, friend, mother, grandmother, a force to be reckoned with. When she goes to court, don’t cower in the corner. Take up arms, and fight for her life.

Britt tells Maxie, nothing specific is going on. It was just nice to look up and see a friendly face. What brings her by? Maxie says she realized she hadn’t checked up on Britt or Obrecht since they got back. Britt says she’d give her mother another night, and Maxie says, she’s not well? but Britt says, she’s great. She’s cocooning with Scott. Maxie says, gross, and Britt says, yeah. Maxie says, but cute? and Britt says, totally. Maxie says, sounds like a better reunion than she had with Peter. She went to see him at the police station. Britt says, good. She had this vision of Peter escaping and showing up at Maxie’s apartment. Maxie says, it was all her doing, and Britt asks, why? Maxie says she wanted to prove to herself that she wasn’t scared of him anymore; that he didn’t have this hold on her. But leave it to Peter to find new ways to terrify and obsess over her. Britt says, at least she tried, and they put their hands on top of each other’s hands on the table. Britt says she’s proud of Maxie, and Maxie thanks her. She says, anyway, that’s it for Peter. Now it’s just a matter of time. Britt says, before what?

Martin and Laura argue, and Martin asks, what’s to prevent Cyrus from taking another shot? Literally. She says, the FBI told her that Cyrus hired a single assassin, and he says, she thinks that’s it? Just one and done? She says she believes so. He’s completely cut off from his funds, he has no allies, he has zero support. How’s he going to be able to sic anyone on them now? Martin says he doesn’t know. Where there’s a will, there’s a way. She says, not this time, and he says he fears she’s dangerously underestimating their brother, but she says she thinks Cyrus underestimated her – twice. Both times, to his regret. Martin says, thank God, but what if the third time’s the charm? She says her family and community need her, and she can’t be there to help them if she’s in hiding or on the run, always looking over her shoulder. Believe her, that’s no way to live. There is only one way to win here. You turn around and stand your ground, and you take on your enemy, face-to-face. He asks if she was some kind of cheerleader in high school, and she says, drum majorette.

Ava says, it’s a simple question. Either Nikolas trusts her and loves her, or he doesn’t. He says, of course (🍷) he loves her and trusts her, and she says, prove it. He says, she wants complete honesty? Even if it makes her an accessory after the fact? She says she’d rather that than being kept in the dark, and he says, Shawn didn’t shoot Hayden. Someone else did. She says she knows. Nikolas hired them.

Laura tells Martin to relax, and rest the vocal cords. She’s going to talk to Agent Silva, and start packing up their things. He says he hopes she knows what she’s doing, and she says, so does she. He says, funny, and she tells him, somehow, some way, she’ll take care of Cyrus, and will protect him in the process. Okay? He says, okay.

Nikolas says, Ava knows? How? When? She says, weeks ago. In the midst of his hand-wringing over Alexis and Shawn, it all became pretty clear. Then Victor essentially confirmed it this afternoon. He asks why she didn’t say something, and she says she knew he was trying to protect her. She was happy to let it lie. Why coerce him into confessing something that happened so long ago? It’s not like she’s an angel herself. Then Victor surfaced. He says, one secret too many, and she says, make no mistake. There can be no more secrets between them. So he needs to decide, is it all or is it nothing? He kisses her, and asks if that answered her question. They get busy as we see the fireplace. The fireplace is the new code for getting busy. It’s winter.

Scotty goes back to Obrecht’s room, and says, hey, blue eyes. Any chocolate left? She asks if he thinks he stands a chance at getting a judge to throw out the charges against Nina, but he says, not really. If it goes badly, they can taint the jury against her. She says, then why bother? and he says, because they have to see what the prosecution’s case looks like, not to mention the key witnesses and what they’re going to say. She says, key witnesses like Sonny. It’s not like him to deploy the court system against his adversaries. Scotty says, he didn’t; Michael did. She says, the avenging son, and he says he’s not so sure Sonny is too happy about that. She asks if Sonny has undertaken any retribution, but he says, no, and it’s not like him. He and Sonny have one thing in common; they hold grudges. There are no bygones. She asks, then why hasn’t he lifted a finger against Nina, the woman who kept him from his wife and children? He says, maybe Sonny still thinks he’s that country bumpkin bartender Mike. She asks if he said Mike, and Scotty says, why? Obrecht flashes back to Nina telling her that she’d met someone, and thought they were good for each other. His name is Mike. Obrecht tells Scotty, no reason, and he says he’s still a little confused as to why Sonny hasn’t gone off on Nina. He peruses the candy box, and says he has to get to the bottom of that. Nina’s whole future could hinge on it.

Britt says, Maxie’s planning something, but Maxie says, not anymore. Now it’s up to someone else to do the planning; at least she hopes. Britt asks what that means, and Maxie says, nothing. Britt says Maxie is freaking her out, and Maxie says, that’s the opposite of what she wants to do. Why doesn’t Britt come back to her place?. She has wine and actual wine glasses. They can get old school wasted. Nina comes to the door, and asks if she’s interrupting. Maxie says she was just bullying Britt into coming to her house and getting wine hammered. Nina asks if that’s a technical term, and Maxie says, it is now. Is she in? Nina says she doesn’t want to intrude, but Maxie says, the more the merrier. The two of them are the perfect people for Maxie to raise her glass with. Nina asks what they’re toasting to, and Maxie says, a Peter-free world. Coming soon.

Celina says, Sonny’s son plans to argue for her nephew’s continued imprisonment, but Sonny says, he’s not going to push Michael on this. Michael is going to vote his way, and Sonny is going to vote his; that’s it. He stands up, and she follows, holding out her hand. They shake. and he asks when he can expect this to happen. She says she’ll make the necessary arrangements immediately, before Brad’s parole hearing. He walks her to the door, and she says, for what it’s worth (🍷), she’s sorry for his trouble. She knows it puts him in an awkward position. She truly hopes Michael forgives him for this meeting

Michael says it’s obvious Nina is the reason Carly and Sonny are having issues. She’s about to get what she deserves. Carly says, if only, and plops down onto a bench. He says, she will, and sits next to her. Nina is going to go to prison, and when she’s gone, things are going to be better. She says she knows it, and pats his leg.

Sonny tells Celina that he’s prepared to accept the consequences for his actions. His family is best served with Peter taken care of. So see to it that it happens. She nods, and starts to leave, but he asks her to wait. He says, the details of their original agreement still stand. If Brad gets set free, and goes anywhere near his grandson, if he even utters his grandson’s name, there will be hell to pay.

Tomorrow, Brook tells Willow that she’s a whole different story, Anna says maybe there’s something she can do for Peter, Carly asks Sonny what bargain she walked in on, and Sasha tells Brando, today their baby is coming home.

Project Runway

Christian treated the designers to a 2020 fashion retrospective, which consisted of mostly sweats and robes. Christian said everyone had been living in awful couch clothes for over a year, but people felt at ease and comfortable in them. Designers were finding new ways to elevate casual clothing so it looked like effortless luxury. The challenge was a modern version of luxury; comfortable chic. They were to create a look fit for a day out on the town. It was to be luxurious and fabulous, but still comfortable enough to be on the couch. They had one day, and there was no more immunity. In their interviews, Octavio said he spent quarantine in slides and gym shorts; Bone said panties and drag had been his quarantine look, and he was sure his neighbors got enough; for Shantall, it was a sports bra, T-shirt, and leggings; and Prajje said he was naked, just him. What was the point in wasting clothes? The designers were given 30 minutes and a $400 budget at Mood. Christian said the fabric choices were everything. It had to be something that felt great on your body.

Prajje decided he wasn’t doing painting; he was still high from the last time. Octavio wanted to design an oversized sweatshirt dress, which was speaking my language. Shantall decided to use fabric she had created during quarantine. Chasity said she was known for bridal gowns, and had taken a financial hit, and Aaron said he went on food stamps. It had been humbling, but out of something bad came something good. He was going to shine brighter than the sun.

Christian brought the designers a special surprise, Cyndi Lauper, along with Geoffrey Mac, Project Runway’s Season 18 winner. Christian said Cyndi was an Emmy, Grammy, and Tony winner, which is pretty impressive. Geoffrey said when he’d won Cyndi’s challenge, it gave him more confidence for the big win. We flashed back to that, and Cyndi said she couldn’t tell them how to sew, but they were the future, and could make an impact. Geoffrey praised his CFDA mentorship, and in Octavio’s interview, he said he and Geoffrey had never met in person, but had DM’d, and styled some of the same people. Octavio said it was because of Geoffrey that he was on the show. At 42, he thought he was too old, but Geoffrey was in his 40s. In Prajje’s interview, he said he had a daughter in Haiti, and wanted her to join him, so she could have a better life.

The guest judge was Maria Cornejo, a designer of wearable chic for every woman, and a founder of the CFDA. Most of the outfits bordered on the same thing: wide pants, some flowing and some gathered; a crop top and/or bralette; and an oversized or long flowing jacket. Basically a lot of elevated pajama sets. Octavio did his hoodie sweatshirt dress, and the model revealed lingerie that he’d designed underneath it. She also wore pink, marabou feathered shoes that Christian had warned Octavio against. The dress had some crazy long sleeves that the model whipped out at the end of the runway, which seemed useless. Norma Kamali has done dresses like that, and I hate them. Brandon put it best when he asked,  just in case your arms are 6 feet? Bones had his model come out in big pink rollers, which was fun. Not understanding the assignment, Coral decided on a black sequin two-piece number, more clubwear than casual.

Shantall, Anna, and Bones were in. On the high end was Chasity, Nina saying her outfit was stylish, comfortable, and versatile. It had included three pieces, so there were many options for a look. Elaine liked the juxtaposition of girly and sporty. On the low end was Octavio, which surprised me. Brandon said he’d been waiting to be blown away, but it was anticlimactic, and the pink shoes were a no. If I’ve learned anything from this show, it’s listen to Christian, Also on the low end was Prajje, who maybe should have stuck to painting, and instead had picked out a print with nudes on it. Nina said the spirit was gone. It wasn’t comfortable or luxurious; it was just eh. Elaine said she’d been the dissenting voice, feeling it was effortlessly chic. Aaron was on the high end, with another three-piece PJ set that included a long mohair cardigan. Brandon said it was feminine, but comfortable and believable. Again Elaine was by herself, saying she thought it was frumpy. It was overly comfortable, and not enough chic. At the bottom was Coral, because no one was wearing sequins on the couch. Zayden was also a low scorer, the judges feeling his jumpsuit was ill-fitting. Kristina’s two-piece set got high marks, Maria saying that it was a hot hippie dress. Kristina demonstrated how the pants could be removed, and the top pulled down to make a dress that was quite cute. Elaine said it was thoughtfully executed, but Brandon was in disagreement that time, saying he felt it was borderline costumey. Chasity had immunity, so it didn’t really matter.

The judges deliberated, and Brandon said, clearly Coral had been at a different party. Elaine said Octavio’s outfit seemed less like getting out after quarantine, than something from when you were deep in quarantine, and confused as to what to wear. Regarding Prajje, Nina said, comfortable should never be dull.

Kristina was the winner, with a chic look that was comfortable and confident, and an innovation in style winner. In her interview, Kristina said winning was the best, especially after being at the bottom. Elaine told Coral that she was safe, but to pay attention to the challenge. Prajje was also safe. Elaine said that they were at that point where everyone was talented, which made it difficult. Octavio had overstyled, and lacked originality. Zayden’s execution of the fit was off. They were both out. Octavio thanked the judges for a great experience, and said it was just the beginning. Zayden was crying, and had a hard time getting words out. Elaine said it had been an honor getting to know him. In Zayden’s interview, he said he came in with his head high, and he was walking out the same. He woudn’t change anything. Elaine thanked Zayden for bringing who he is into his work, and he said it was for every Black kid like him, who struggled. He knew it wasn’t the end. Elaine said she wasn’t going to cry today. In his interview, Zayden said he was proud of how far he’d come. He’d been eliminated with Octavio, whose work he loved.

Christian told the designers that they had to come to this moment. They were all talented. There was a group hug, and in Octavio’s interview, he said it took him until age 42 to have the balls to come on the show. He not only showed his designs, but also showed himself in a vulnerable state. He was proud. Zayden was also proud of what he’d done, and hoped he’d proved who he was as a designer. It’s always a lesson never a failure.

Next time – executing a cocktail dress using anything found in a cocktail bar; the unconventional material challenge.

👠 I have no clue what’s going on with Million Dollar Listing Los Angeles, but next week Fredrik dresses up like Marilyn Monroe. Might be worth a look-see.

🚗 Putting It In Park…

Tomorrow, the usual soap and free-for-all. Until then, stay safe, stay above-board, and stay standing your ground, and taking on your enemy, face-to-face. It’s the only way to win.

December 8, 2021 – Willow Confronts Nina About Sonny, It’s Sort Of Real, Heather Shuts Down Her Sushi Party & Love

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Martin picks up Laura’s plate, and she says, yummy. She can see why hummingbird cake is his mother’s favorite. She’ll have to remember to order one when she gets home. He says, maybe. Or maybe they could just order another one and have it brought here. She says she still has to get back, but he says, she still can’t. Not while there’s a threat out there. She says if she chooses to assume the risk, that’s her business, and he asks if they have to keep going over this. Does she really want him to tell Silva that she’s going to make a break for it? She says his devotion to her is astounding, and he says he is devoted; live with it. They’re stuck here, and they’re going to make the best of it. As a matter-of-fact, he has a surprise for her later.

Gladys looks through the NICU window at baby Liam, and dabs at her eyes. Carly hugs her.

Michael goes to Sasha’s room, and sees she’s sleeping. Brando dozes in a chair, but hears Michael, and wakes up. They go outside, and Michael says he didn’t want to wake Brando. Sorry he got there so late. Brando says he wasn’t sleeping, and Michael asks how he’s holding up. Sasha calls to Brando, and says she’d like to see Michael too.

Willow and Nina go into an office, and Willow says she thinks this conversation calls for privacy. Nina says, she and Sonny thought they had privacy in the chapel too, but that turned out not to be the case. Willow was there. Willow says she wishes to God she hadn’t been. She wishes she hadn’t heard a single word.

Maxie goes to Austin’s office, and asks if she can come in. He says, of course (🍷). He’s just a little surprised to see her. Is she there to tell him that he’s wrong again? She wouldn’t be wrong; he was wrong. He really shouldn’t have interfered with Brook and Valentin. He asks why she’s there if they’re not friends, and she says she doesn’t know where she is with that, but there is someone who thinks they’re friends. Maybe even more than that. He says, her ex, Peter August.

Peter dozes in the interrogation room, when Sonny comes in, slamming the door and startling him awake. Peter asks how he got in there, and Sonny laughs. He says, funny thing about Jason. Some of the cops hated him, and some of the cops liked him, but they all respected him. Peter asks if Sonny really expects him to believe the police thought Jason was an honorable man, and Sonny says he doesn’t give a damn what Peter thinks. Look around. Nobody’s there but the two of them. He killed Jason; all rules go out the window. Nobody wants to protect him, and everybody wants to see him pay. So it looks like Sonny is going to do the honors.

Silva tells fake cleaning lady that he called the management office, and it seems Nancy called in sick. She’s good to go. He’s sorry she had to wait and stay later. She says, it’s okay; she can use the overtime.

Inside, Laura says, nothing in the news about Victor Cassadine’s release. Then again, she supposes they wouldn’t tell the press. Most people don’t know him anyway, but she… Martin says, there is nothing she can do about Victor from here. She’s not leaving. It’s final. It’s too dangerous. She says, it’s not just Victor; she misses her family. He says he empathizes. He feels bad that he selfishly has her to himself. It’s not like he has anybody to miss back home like she does. They hug, and he says he’s sorry. He’s going to make sure Agent Silva gets a slice of this wonderful hummingbird cake, since he’s the one who arranged it. He opens the door, and Silva tells him to close the door and stay inside. Fake cleaning lady digs in her pseudo cleaning supplies, and Martin says he just wanted to make sure Silva got a slice of hummingbird cake. Enjoy.

Austin says he was on duty when Peter came in, so he treated him. Peter saw his name on his ID badge, and recognized him as the one who delivered her baby. Then he insinuated Austin kidnapped Louise. Maxie says, he did what? She’s so sorry. What did Austin say? He tells her that he reacted with professional detachment. Until he didn’t. Because he kind of reacted like an angry middle schooler. He stuck Peter a couple extra times with the syringe when he was drawing blood. Maxie tries not to laugh, and asks what he said about her and him, and their friendship, or lack thereof. He says he told Peter the truth. He told Peter that he’d do anything to keep him from hurting Maxie.

Sonny asks if Peter doesn’t get it. They’re all their friends. They want him gone, and he has the power to make that happen. Peter says he didn’t kill Sonny’s precious Jason, and Sonny says, Peter shot at him, and caused a cave-in, and Jason was buried in that godforsaken island. He doesn’t deserve another breath. Peter says, yet here he is – he takes a deep breath – still breathing. Sonny says, not for long. Peter says, Sonny’s not going to kill him, because if he does, his little secret is going to come out.

Carly tells Gladys, she knows it must be terrifying to see her grandson like that, and Gladys says she wasn’t prepared. She knew there were issues, but she was trying to be good about giving Brando and Sasha space. She didn’t visit. Then Brando gave her the okay, and she came straight here. He’s so little. Hooked up to all those tubes and machines. Carly says, it’s overwhelming. The first time she saw him, she was visiting with Sasha, and Brando brought Sonny there. Gladys asks if Carly heard the name they gave him – Liam – and Carly says, it’s a nice name. Gladys says, it’s not rugged, or stylish like Brando. It sounds like a character in a fairytale book. Not like Brando, one of the most fantastic movie stars in all of movie history. Carly says, Liam Neeson’s a pretty big movie star too, and Gladys says, not like Brando. She tried to offer names, but did they listen? No. Liam, it’s such a lackluster name. It must be a millennial thing. Probably Sasha’s idea.

Michael gives Sasha a giftbag, and says he got this for Liam. She thanks him, and says she loves getting gifts for Liam. She can’t wait to see him in his nursery, playing with all of them, making a mess. Maybe his cousin Wiley can show him how to play blocks. She remembers Wiley being obsessed with them, and Michael says he can’t wait to see them together. She asks if Willow is there, and he says they showed up together, but when he was talking to his parents, she must have wandered off. He’s sure she’ll be here soon.

Nina says, Willow must have misunderstood what she heard, or maybe took it out of context. She and Sonny were talking about Peter, and they were both really upset. She doesn’t know if Willow knows this, but Peter tried to kill her. He set the bar on fire when she was in there, and Sonny rushed into the burning building, and saved her life, so they had a friendship back in Nixon Falls when he didn’t know who he was. They had a bond… Can Willow just tell her what she overheard? Willow says enough to know that Nina and Sonny fell in love, and Nina doesn’t regret it, because it was the purest thing she’s ever known.

Maxie tells Austin that she appreciates chivalry, but Peter might have interpreted it as something more. He says, Peter kind of fished around about that, and he told Peter that he’d be proud to be her friend. She asks what Peter said, and Austin tells her that he thinks Peter senses he’s not in that hallowed circle, and said he’s going to do everything he can to keep it that way. She says, he threatened Austin? and he says, Peter mewled like a cornered little kitty cat, instead of yowling. What’s going on? Why is she asking him all of these questions? She says she went to see Peter, and he asks why she’d do that to herself. She says she needed to prove to herself that she could stand in front of Peter and show him that she’s not afraid of him anymore. She wanted him to know he means nothing to her; that she feels nothing for him but contempt. He says, how’d that go?

Michael says, Liam is a great name, and Brando says, Liam Mike Corbin. Michael says, Mike goes on, and Brando says, he was a helluva guy. Michael says he’ll put the gift with the rest of the collection, and Brando says they’d like to ask him something. Michael asks, what’s up? and Sasha says, it involves Willow too. She takes Brando’s hand, and says, it would mean so much to them. Brando asks if they’d do them the favor of being Liam’s godparents, and Michael says he thinks he can speak for Willow in saying, yes, absolutely. They’d be honored to be there for Liam. He and Brando hug.

Gladys tells Carly, she likes the Mike part of his name; she’s going to call him Mike. Carly suggests she let Sasha and Brando decide what they want people to call their son. Gladys says she’s not people; she’s the grandma, the one and only. She doesn’t have to share him with anybody. She bets Carly hates having to share hers with that awful Nina Reeves after what Nina did to her and Sonny. Carly says she’s just glad Wiley has a lot of people who love him, and Gladys says, depends on the people. Carly says, you know what? Liam’s going to have a big extended family. He’s going to have tons of people who love him. Gladys says she can’t wait to take him to the park, or show him off at Carly’s restaurant. Carly laughs, and Gladys says she wants to be there for his first smile, his first steps, his first word. Wouldn’t it be good if it was grandma? Carly says she bets Gladys will stop at nothing to make that happen, and Gladys says she was so young when she had Brando. She wasn’t ready for a baby, and she missed so much. She hopes she can make up for it. They look in the NICU window, and Gladys says, he looks like Brando, don’t you think? Carly says she sees both Sasha and Brando in him. Both of his parents have strong, fighting spirits.

Nina says, Willow deserves to know the truth. She was good to Nina when she didn’t have to be. Willow says, when she didn’t know the whole story. She was willing to bend the rules for Wiley, even though Carly kept pounding it into her how toxic Nina was to their family. She just didn’t realize how toxic, and my God, Sonny’s been insisting that Michael and Carly let go of their hostility toward her. Is it because they’re in love? Have they been sneaking around all this time? Are Nina and Sonny having an affair? Nina says, no, it’s not like that. Yes, they were in love, but as soon as Sonny found out who he really was, it ended. Willow says, so they had an affair in Nixon Falls? but Nina says, no, they never went that far; it never went to that level. It’s exactly what Willow heard her say; it was pure. It was just love. Willow says, and Nina’s not over it.

Sonny says, are you trying to run a bluff on me, Petah? and Peter says, look at Sonny. So calm, and cool, and collected. Nothing like Mike in Nixon Falls. Poor Mike. He was too simple to even know he was being duped by Nina. Does he remember… Can he remember how righteous he was? Telling Peter all about how he found himself in that little town. What he found for himself was a whole lot of Nina, and guess what? He recorded all of it. He has a great picture of that kiss too. It’s all on a thumb drive, safe in a vault, locked away, ready to be opened in the event of Peter’s death. So if Sonny kills him, he’s just going to breathe life into that little secret about Nina and him.

Martin says he doesn’t know how Laura does it, and she says, do what? He says, maintain a stable marriage. He never could. She asks, why not? and he says, simple. He was a terrible husband. She asks if he thinks it’s because his father was a terrible role model, and he says, possibly. Possibly it was because he was always overly attached to his mama, especially after the family went sideways. On the upside, if it wasn’t for his daddy’s philandering ways, he would be without his magnificent sister. He holds up his coffee cup, and says, to you, beautiful. They clink cups, and she says, if he’s trying to cheer her up, it’s working. He says, excellent, and she nearly does a spit-take. He asks if she’s ready for her surprise, and she wonders if it’s a new video game. He says, no. It’s something to get them in the holiday spirit with everyone’s favorite holiday classic Christmas film. He puts on the TV, and she says, not Christina Comes Home for Christmas? (I wonder, is that a real thing? See what I found below.) She can’t watch that movie; she just can’t. She’s sorry.  

Maxie tells Austin, she doesn’t believe she didn’t see through Peter until now. She used to try and protect him, change him. She’s such a fool. Austin says, he doesn’t think so. Don’t beat herself up. She’s a generous person, kind-hearted, and Peter took advantage of that. From the little time he spent with Peter, he can turn the charm on when he wants to. She asks what he means, and he says, Peter has this way of talking, like heightened language, pretty words. He does seem certain the two of them will be together someday. She says, that’s all Peter’s got; dreams and delusions. He says, Peter mentioned fate, but he doesn’t believe in fate, and told him so. She wishes he hadn’t done that. He probably made himself Peter’s newest obsession. He says he’s not worried about that, and she says, make no mistake. Peter sees him as a rival for her, and that could be dangerous for him.

Peter says, Carly won’t have to know anything about Sonny and Nina, as long as he stays alive. Sonny says, Carly will know everything, when the time is right. Peter can keep his little threats to himself. He doesn’t believe for a second Peter has anything stashed in a vault. Even if he did, does Peter think Sonny would let him hold Nixon Falls over his head? This is bigger than Nixon Falls. He took Jason away from him and his family; he terrorized Maxie. Does Peter think Sonny would let him hurt anyone else? Peter asks if Sonny is going to kill him right here in the police station, but Sonny says, no. He’s going to let Peter wait, and wonder, when he hears those footsteps approaching his cell. He’s going to think to himself, did he send somebody? Am I going to die tonight? Hopelessly obsessed with a woman who despises him, he’s never even met his daughter, and doesn’t know where she is… dead or alive. Peter jumps up, and tells Sonny, don’t say that. Don’t you dare say that to me. Sonny tells him, sit down; relax. Wherever she is, she’s better off there than with him.

Gladys tells Carly, Brando was born so healthy. She didn’t know how lucky she was. Then when he succumbed to drugs, she told everyone he was dead, instead of supporting him through it. How could she have done that to her own son? Maybe this is punishment for her being such a bad mother. Carly says, it’s not punishment. Gladys was a young mother, who probably didn’t have the support she needed, and did the best she could under the circumstances. Brando arrives, wheeling Sasha, and hugs Gladys. Gladys says she was giving them space. Their baby is gorgeous. She asks how Sasha is feeling, and Sasha says she should be up and around in a day or two. Gladys says, that’s great. Now will the two of them tell her when her sweet little grandson gets to come home?

Nina tells Willow, it doesn’t matter how she feels about Sonny. He doesn’t love her; he never did. It’s Mike who fell in love with her. Willow says, because Nina didn’t tell him who he really was; that he had a family here, missing him, grieving him. Nina says she swears she didn’t want it to happen. She fought against it. She tried leaving Nixon Falls, but it would always draw her back. When she left Port Charles, she was in such deep pain and confusion, and she found peace in Nixon Falls; a new life, a new her, and Mike was a part of that. Then Michael called, and told her that she could be part of Wiley’s life again. She thought she’d go back to Port Charles and tell the truth, but that didn’t happen. Willow says, all that time, Nina knew Sonny was alive, and never told them. She played with their son, and never said a word. Nina says she wanted to tell them about Sonny, but then Mike would call, and say he missed her or Phyllis needed support. She couldn’t turn her back on them, and went back to Nixon Falls, and there he was. Mike behind the bar, this man that was so sweet and good. He didn’t want to know who he really was. She tried to stop it, but she fell in love with him. Willow says she knows, and Nina will never regret it. But what about Carly? She understands why Nina hasn’t said anything, but why hasn’t Sonny? Nina says, because it’s over. Why would he tell her? There’s no reason to. Willow says, because they’re still sneaking around, having hushed conversations. Nina says, okay. Willow knows the truth now. What is she going to do? Is she going to tell Michael and Carly?

Carly says she’s going to find Michael, and Sasha says, he’s in her room. He was kind enough to offer to pack up the gifts, and take them to Liam’s nursery. Carly says she’ll lend him a hand, and tells them to call if they need anything. She leaves, and Gladys says, sometimes she’s not so bad. What’s the matter with her little Mikey? Brando says, he was deprived of oxygen, and there was a problem with Sasha’s placenta. No one knew what was happening until Sasha went into labor, and that’s when things turned serious for her during the delivery. Gladys says, but Sasha’s okay now, right? And what about the baby? He’s okay too, right? Aren’t they taking him home soon? Sasha leans on Brando’s arm.

Austin says Maxie doesn’t have to worry about him. Peter is under constant supervision; the PCPD, the WSB. Even if he does somehow manage to escape and come after him, Austin will just kill him, and call it self-defense. He thinks Peter has a lot of enemies. Probably someone else will do him in before it comes to that.

Sonny says, Peter really messed up this time. He has two little girls that are a delight. Thank God Peter’s daughter never has to know the horror show he is. When Sonny is playing with his little girls, and his whole family is loving him back, Peter is going to be meeting his maker. He’s going to be in his cell, alone, asking for mercy, and he ain’t gonna get it. Peter says, Sonny, of all people, feels like he’s qualified to judge him, and end his life? Sonny says he’s doing this with peace in his heart, in the name of all the people Peter has hurt and killed. Jason is at the top of that list. He wants Peter to remember that when they come for him, Sonny sent them. They’ll tell when it’s finished, and he’ll smile, and guess what? Everybody is going be so happy that Peter is done, and it’s the end, especially Maxie. They never have to think about him again. He tells Peter, have a nice life, whatever’s left of it, and leaves.

Michael tells Carly, it’s so unfair. Brando and Sasha should be laughing and having fun, planning where they’re going to put all this in Liam’s nursery, not terrified he’ll never get to play with any of it. She says, it’s hard, and she’s sure it brings up painful feelings for Michael over Jonah. He says he grieved for over a year until he got his miracle. He hopes Sasha and Brando don’t have to wait as long for theirs.

Willow tells Nina that she knows about running away and starting over. She also knows something about secrets and loss. She’s been both the recipient and perpetrator, and knows how they can fester and grow. She knows how you can feel trapped in them and by them. Nina says, that’s how she feels, but Willow says, the thing is, someone always gets hurt, and that pure love of hers was based on deceit. She kept Sonny’s identity and whereabouts a secret. Was it because Nina fell for him, and didn’t want him to leave? Nina says, not at first, but toward the end… it got kind of confusing. She knows what she did was wrong. There’s no excuse for it. Keeping Sonny away from his family caused so much pain, but why should Willow compound it by telling people what she overheard; that Nina and Sonny fell in love in Nixon Falls, when it’s over? Willow says, is it? and Nina says, yes. Sonny is with the woman he loves. He’s with his wife and his family, and she respects that. The fallout from all this has been brutal. Why make it worse for Carly and Sonny’s family? Willow asks if Nina means why make it worse for her?

Martin says he doesn’t understand. Everyone loves Christina Comes Home for Christmas; why doesn’t Laura? She says she does love it. She watches it every year. It’s part of their family Christmas tradition, and she can’t do it this year. He says, because she watches it with Doc, and she says, because it reminds her too much of home. It reminds her of her children and her grandkids, her family and friends, everything she’s missing right now. Going out Christmas shopping, the tree lighting in Rice Plaza. She can’t watch a movie where a woman is struggling to get home when she can’t get home. He says, it might be cathartic. How about they watch it tonight, have a good cry, and wake up feeling better tomorrow? She says, but they’re not going to feel better tomorrow, because Christina gets to go home. She gets her happy ending, and they’re going to be stuck there in this damn house. He says he knows that. He’s trying to make the best of the situation. She says, he’s not. She can’t take it anymore. She’s getting out of here. She gets up, and he gets up, saying, stop talking about it, dammit. Don’t do this. He’s begging her. She just has to hold on a little bit longer. She has to do the right thing, the responsible thing, and that means keeping the faith and sitting tight. This too shall pass, but not if she does something stupid. What good will it do for all those people in Port Charles who she loves and misses, who love and miss her, if she gets herself killed? She says, he’s a pretty good lawyer, and he says he has his moments. She says, she does too apparently. She’s sorry she freaked out. She wants to do the responsible thing, for him and herself, but she can’t watch that movie. He says, understood. How about if he pours her a nice glass of cognac, and she can have a nice soak in that oversized tub? She says, for about two hours? He’s totally going to watch that movie, isn’t he? He says, oh yeah, and she says, pour her a glass. She’ll give him the room. They hug.

Nina says, it’s true. If Willow shares what she overheard, that she and Sonny fell in love in Nixon Falls, it will make her bad situation even worse. Carly despises her, but Sonny loves Carly, and Carly loves Sonny. Does Willow really want to drive a wedge between that? One that doesn’t need to be there? Willow says, the secret is driving the wedge between them. Nina asks if Willow has ever heard it’s best not to confess everything to your partner that’s going to hurt them. It might even be selfish to do so, but she’s begging Willow to keep quiet. Not for her sake; she can take whatever Carly throws at her. Carly already hates her, and Michael got her arrested, and told her that he doesn’t want her to see Wiley anymore. She’s begging Willow to keep the secret. Willow doesn’t owe her anything, and she gets what Willow thinks about her, but just let her do this one good thing. Please keep it to herself. Willow says she doesn’t know what she’s going to do, but she has to go, and leaves.  

Michael tells Carly, he knows the situation is hard enough without Nina hanging around, but Carly says she’s not going to let it get to her. There are more important things. She just came from visiting little Liam. Has Michael seen him? It’s heartbreaking. Michael says he wanted to give Brando and Sasha some alone time, but Carly says, they’re not alone. He asks if Willow is with them, but she says, no, Gladys. She thought Willow was with him. The elevator opens, and Willow comes out. Michael says he told Sasha and Brando they’d bring Liam’s things to his nursery, and she says, Liam is such a beautiful name. How is he, and Sasha? Michael says, Sasha is on the mend. She and Brando are hanging in there, waiting for word on their baby’s heath. They have a long night ahead of them. Carly says they were wondering where Willow was. Nina almost comes around the corner, but ducks back, and Willow sees her.

Austin says he wanted to keep an eye on Peter, and volunteered to be his physician, but Maxie says, undo that. He says he wants to do it for her sake. There’s nothing she can say that will change his mind, so save her breath. It’s the least he can do. She asks what he means, and he says, this whole Brook baby daddy thing; he gave her a hard time. He’s not sure why she’s so invested in Bailey’s paternity, but it doesn’t matter. He’s truly sorry, and he can see now that for whatever reason she and Brook are very close. Maxie asks if they can stop talking about it, and he says, that would be great, because he’s been thinking about it a lot, and like he told her ex, he’d do anything to get back in her good graces. She says, and could he stop talking to Peter and asking questions. He asks, why? and she says, anything and everything. He says, cool, and asks if they can be friends, and she says, sure. He says, congratulations by the way, and she asks, for what? He says, facing Peter, and she says, thanks. It feels pretty good. She leaves.

Sasha says Gladys raised a terrific son. She couldn’t have gone through this alone. She can’t believe she even considered it. Being a single parent must have been hard for Gladys. She can understand why Gladys was worried that she wouldn’t be prepared. Gladys thanks her, and says, she was just telling Carly, she hopes she can make up for her mistakes with Brando with her new grandson. She doesn’t want Sasha to worry. She’s going to be around all the time to take care of their little guy. Brando says, they need to wait and see what Liam’s prognosis is. Then they’ll know when they can take him home.

Michael asks if Willow was checking her nursing schedule this whole time, and Willow says she should have known she’d get caught up in things. She should have come straight here. Michael says, she’s here now. He hopes she doesn’t mind, but Sasha and Brando asked them a big favor, and he took the liberty of answering for both of them. They want them to be Liam’s godparents, and he said yes. She says she’s glad he did. Of course (🍷) they will. He says, as their first official act, they should get the gifts to the car, and go see the baby together. Nina continues to listen in, as Carly redistributes the packages. Carly says she’s so happy they’re so supportive of Brando and Sasha. They need to be surrounded by them right now. Family’s really important. Willow says, yes, it is, and glances at Nina.  

Sonny runs into Maxie, and she says she’s so happy to see him. He asks if she’s coming from Sasha and Brando; he was just going to see them. She says, no; she’s planning on visiting tomorrow. She wanted to talk to him about Peter. He says he just saw that son of a bitch. What’s on her mind? She says, what is Sonny going to do about him? Is he going kill him?

Laura says she’s really glad she and Martin got this time to make up for the time they lost not growing up together. He says, on the other hand, they might have driven each other crazy, and she says, there’s still time. She loves him. She gives him a hug, and he says he loves her too. She goes into the other room, and he puts the movie on. There’s a knock at the door, and fake maid says she has their laundry. He opens the door, and says they were told Nancy was sick. He appreciates it. Of all the things he misses about being home, doing laundry isn’t on the list. He sits back down on the couch, and tells her to put it wherever she sees fit. Behind him, she takes a cord out of the laundry basket, and wraps it around his throat. She tightens it, and he struggles against it.

Tomorrow, Ava says, if Nikolas has anything to tell her, the time is now; Britt wonders why she feels like she’s being judged; Nina says, Jason’s death is her fault; and Carly tells Michael, they’re not on the same page right now.

🎄 She’s Coming Home…

I don’t remember this at all. You can find the episode on YouTube, but it’s in parts.

https://daytimeconfidential.com/2008/12/10/christina-comes-home-for-christmas

The Real Housewives of Orange County

Heather’s sushi party was all fabulous, and Heather introduced Nicole to everyone. In Emily’s interview, she thought it made no sense for Heather to be friends with someone who’d sued Terry. Heather had gotten a photographer, and wanted to do a group shot, which I thought was pretty odd, but she has too much money and needs to spend it. In Shannon’s interview, she said that Nicole wasn’t the Pam Anderson lookalike she’d met 16 years ago. The skimpy dress was the same, but not much else. Meow. Because the expense just kept on coming, each place setting had a personalized box, which I assume held chopsticks. Jen and Nicole literally banged a gong, and Heather asked if they should all go have a nibble, which made me cringe. In her interview, Shannon thought it was bizarre that Nicole was friends with Heather and Terry, when she’d sued Terry. God knows what happened in 16 years, but apparently quite a bit. Gina wondered how Shannon could smile to her face, and talk sh*t about her behind her back, and told Emily the lawsuit had been over an alleged (my word; left over from RHOBH’s last season) botched boob job.  Emily engaged Nicole in a conversation about boob jobs, and Nicole said hers were a long story. It had taken four and a half years for her to get where she was. Shannon found out she and Noella went to the same healer, and Terry stopped by to get screen time. In Gina’s interview, she said she felt like she was participating in something to make someone look stupid. Taking Heather aside, she explained what Shannon had told her and Emily about Nicole.  

Emily asked Shannon if she’d told Heather about Nicole, but Shannon said she wasn’t out to hurt anyone. Shannon went to talk to Heather, and saw Gina had beat her to it. In Shannon’s interview, she said she’d made them promise that if it was the same Nicole, they wouldn’t talk about it. While all that was going on outside, inside, Emily told Nicole about what Shannon had blabbed.

Gina said Shannon always made a big thing out of nothing, and Shannon said Gina had promised to keep her mouth shut. Gina said it wasn’t the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, and she hadn’t known Heather when Shannon told her about Nicole. Gina split, going back inside to Emily, and Noella came out. Shannon told Noella that she didn’t trust Gina. Heather stomped around saying the show was over. Nicole explained to Emily that she’d made a mistake as a young model. Her attorneys had forced her into a lawsuit. Heather went upstairs, and told Terry that she was leaving the show, and kicking everyone out. That didn’t take long or much.

Shannon told Noella that she became loose-lipped when she drank, and thought she could trust Gina. In Shannon’s interview, she said Gina had no place talking to Heather. They’d just met, and now she was Gina’s good friend. Who TF did Gina think she was? Emily thought if Nicole and Heather were going to be friends, they should clear the air, and in Jen’s interview, she said it was the worst thing in the world to sue your doctor. They were the ones who took care of you, and no one who’d sued her or her husband would be sitting in her house. I get the last part, but it depends on the situation whether it’s the worst or not. Nicole said they’d figure it out, and she hadn’t asked Emily’s opinion, nor did she need it right. Emily told Nicole not to get in her face when she was being a friend. Nicole said she’d only known Emily for 20 minutes, and told Emily, sit down. This was the stupidest thing ever, since, as Emily pointed out, she was already sitting. Emily told her to put her anger somewhere else, and Nicole said Emily was stupid. Go eat sushi, bitch. I might want that on a bumper sticker. Then the yelling started, and Gina suggested Emily walk away. As she walked away, Emily told Nicole that she was trash. She had no education, and had never had a job. F*** you. Then she demanded Gina come with her, which Gina did. This reminded me why I don’t like these shows. It’s not even that I mind the cat fighting, but get a thesaurus, and stop ordering your friends around.

Emily wanted to leave, but Jen coaxed her back inside. Emily joked that she’d handled it well, and Gina said at least she hadn’t called anyone a sloppy chihuahua. We flashed back to Gina calling Braunwyn that. Noella got all excited to meet Heather’s daughter Max, as they were both bi-sexual. Actually, Noella seems like she’s excited about everything all the time. Gina suggested Shannon table it, and Shannon whined that Gina had made a promise.  

Heather and Terry went hunting for Nicole, found her alone, and beat the crap out of her. Not really, but Terry said Nicole had sued him, and Heather asked why Nicole hadn’t told her; they’d been friends for years. Terry said she’d had a complication, and Nicole said she hadn’t thought Terry did anything wrong. She’d been in her 20s, and pushed by her attorneys. She started crying, and Terry said it was fine; Nicole had dropped it, and it went away. In Heather’s interview, she said doctors got sued all the time, and it wasn’t a big deal. It was years ago, and Nicole was allowed a fresh start. I worked for a clinic, and she’s right about them getting sued all the time. That’s why their insurance premiums are so high, and in turn, their fees. The more you know… I was, however, confused at how insane Heather acted, and then she was practically shrugging it off. Terry suggested they hug it out, and Heather said if Nicole left, she’d be super upset. Noella said there seemed to be love and hurt feelings on both sides. Heather asked to talk to Gina and Shannon, and told Gina that people said don’t shoot the messenger, but she was going to. If it didn’t exist in her world, she didn’t know about it. Gina only knew because Shannon told her, and she thought it was sh*tty that Shannon did this. She shouldn’t have said anything. In Shannon’s interview, she said she’d been looking forward to rekindling her friendship with Heather, and she was livid. Heather walked away, and said the party was over. In her interview, she said thousands of dollars of sushi went to waste. Is it me? Who’s fault was that? I wouldn’t have shut down my sushi party for this nonsense. Not to mention, why should Nicole stay if there was going to be no dinner?

Shannon said she hoped someday Heather would know her heart. She hadn’t wanted to hurt Heather. Heather said she was disappointed. She’d honestly thought they had a chance to be real friends. Shannon insisted she was loyal and trustworthy, but Heather said Shannon wasn’t. Shannon could have given her a heads up. She told Shannon, let’s just be done.

The next day, Emily asked Heather to have lunch with her and Gina to sort things out. Shannon called Noella, who was still processing, and thanked her for being supportive. In Shannon’s interview, she said, maybe she wasn’t on an island by herself. Part of her felt horrible. She shouldn’t have said anything, but she didn’t intentionally hurt Heather. She told Noella that she hoped one day her apology would be accepted. Terry and Heather discussed the previous night’s events, and Terry said it had been more like a misunderstanding. He wondered what prompted Shannon, and Heather said, no matter what, it was none of Shannon’s business. The only thing she could come up with was that Shannon wanted to hurt them. Terry said it was like a social acid trip, whatever that meant, and maybe Shannon was harboring something from the past. We flashed back to Shannon telling everyone that Terry and Heather wanted to take the Beadors down, and Shannon screeching that everyone would know the truth. Heather told Terry that the party had cost $36K, and they hadn’t even gotten to the entrée. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, all the wrong people have the money.

Jen met her husband for lunch, and he brought the chihuahua. I love him now. In her interview, she said, when she met him, he’d been shirtless, holding a chihuahua, and that was pretty much how he always was. He was an avoider, who didn’t handle high stress well, but she thrived on it. She was looking to have more balance in her life. Emily and Shane went out to dinner for a date night, and in Emily’s interview, she said they were in a good, loving place in their marriage and not fighting. She asked him if he could believe they’d been married 13 years, and he said he thought he’d be dead by now. Emily said she did too. We flashed back to quarantine, and Shane getting covid, and Emily said there was a time she thought he wouldn’t make it. They talked about the afterlife, and Emily said she wanted the kids to feel like they had a purpose in life. She thought Shane could give them a better example, since she didn’t have roots in any kind of faith. In Emily’s interview, she said, growing up, she’d had no structure, and it felt chaotic. She thought that’s why some of the anger she felt as an adult bubbled up. She wanted her kids to have something to turn to in troubled times.

In Gina’s interview, she said she’d f***ed up Heather’s party. As they waited for Heather at the restaurant, she told Emily that she hadn’t thought what she said would have such a domino effect. Then Heather scolded her like a schoolgirl. As soon as Heather got there, Gina told her that she felt bad about messing up the party. Again, is it me? Heather messed up her own party. Heather said she understood Gina was in a difficult situation, but there was a time and place; it wasn’t good judgement. Gina said, hindsight, and told Heather about her ex bringing her to a barbecue at the home of the woman he was having an affair with. Everyone knew, and she found out later; no one had told her. So she did what she thought was the best thing. Heather said she felt bad, and had she known, she would have treated Gina differently. In Heather’s interview, she said she and Gina had connected, and it had been disappointing and confusing. Now that she had an explanation, she was ready to move on. Emily wondered what Shannon’s goal was, and Heather said, success bred contempt. She didn’t like the J-word, but couldn’t come up with anything else. She hadn’t run over Shannon’s cat. Shannon said she’d trusted Emily and Gina with the info on Nicole, but that was a lie too. Earlier, she’d told Heather that they were manipulative and not to be trusted. Which was it? Emily said, same old Shannon, and Heather said a leopard didn’t change its spots.

Next time, Gina and Noella do cryotherapy; Heather wonders about Shannon’s goal; and Gina confronts Shannon.

🐓 Moving Like Jagger…

Tomorrow, I’ll be serving soap with a side of Runway, so come join me. Until then, stay safe, stay having high ideals, and stay cultivating a strong, fighting spirit.

December 7, 2021 – Maxie Confronts Peter, Can’t Keep Her Down, Schwartz Loses Two Bets, a Break-Up, Ladies Of the Lake, Miami’s Coming, Back On Fear & There

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Spencer comes into the gym and sees Josslyn. He says he heard about Jason. He doesn’t even know what to say except he’s sorry. She doesn’t think there’s much else to say, and he asks how Sonny is doing. She guesses about what you’d expect. They’re all just really, really sad… and shocked and angry. He says he was kind of surprised when she texted. He thought she’d be laying low. She says she’d rather be under her covers, but Jason would hate that. So instead of moping around all day, she decided to let off some steam; punch something. He says, and she thought of him, and she asks if he can handle it. He tosses her some boxing gloves, and says, lace up, Jax. She puts them on, and they fist bump.

Esme dashes into Kelly’s, going over to Trina’s table. She asks if Trina minds if she sits, and Trina says, sure. Trina is doing some work, and Esme points out that she looks busy. Trina says, the life of a college student, when Cameron comes over and asks if he can get Esme anything. She says, a large half-caf latte with soy milk, no foam, and Trina says, God forbid. Esme asks if he got all that, and he says they’ll see when she takes a sip. I have this vision of her getting a lukewarm cup of Sanka. Esme says she just loves Cameron’s sense of humor, and Trina says, he’s a real crack-up. Esme says, and now, down to business, and Trina says, they have business? Esme says their trip isn’t going to plan itself. They’re going to have so much fun.

At the hospital, Michael says he’s sorry he wasn’t there when Carly heard about Jason, but she says, it’s okay. She and his dad wanted to be the ones to tell him. They didn’t want to do it over the phone. He says he would have hated that. If he had to hear it from anyone, he’s glad it was Drew. She says, her too, and they sit. He says he can’t believe this is happening again. He knows they’ve survived without Jason before, but… She says, he doesn’t know how. They’ll handle it the second time like they handled it the first time. As a family. She puts her arms around him.

Willow stands outside the chapel, and hears Sonny tell Nina, whatever happened between them in Nixon Falls needs to come from him, and it will. Nina says she understands, but despite all the pain she caused people – and she knows they’ve gone on with their lives – she has to tell him that their love is the purest thing she’s ever known. She’s so sorry, but she can’t regret that. Willow is like, whoa, and jets. Sonny says he refuses to accept that what Nina did, lied to him and his family, was an act of love. She says, it wasn’t; she can see that now. But it went on for so long. She didn’t know how to get out of it. She didn’t know what words to use. How do you explain something like that? She felt like she was just trapped, like her lies were trapping her, and she was living this life she never intended. In a way, it’s like they have that in common.

Peter is sitting in the interrogation room, when Mac comes in. Peter asks, where’s his lawyer? and Mac says, he hasn’t arrived yet. Peter says he hopes Mac knows better than to question him without representation. That’s literally his job as acting Police Commissioner, isn’t it? To protect Peter’s rights? Mac says he doesn’t give a damn about Peter’s rights because he’s not there as the Police Commissioner. Right now, Peter’s talking to Maxie’s father.

Maxie comes into the station, and asks Anna, where is he? Anna asks, what’s wrong? and Maxie says, pretty much everything. She needs to talk to Peter. Anna thinks it’s a terrible idea, but Maxie says she didn’t ask for Anna’s opinion; she asked where Peter was. Anna says, he’s here, but he’s not allowed visitors, and Maxie says, is that what she is? A visitor? She thinks they can make an exception given the circumstances, but Anna says, that’s not up to her to decide. Maxie says she knows; it’s up to Mac, who they both know is going to say no, unless Anna backs her up. Anna asks, why, after everything Peter put Maxie through? All the physical, mental, and emotional torture. Why is it so important for her to see him?

Mac says he’s dealt with some cowards and lowlifes in his time, but Peter is in a class all by himself. Peter tells him, that’s sweet, and Mac says he takes it back. Peter is in a class with Faison. Peter says, like father, like son, he supposes, and Mac says, coming to town, pretending to be an actual human being. Meanwhile, manipulating Mac’s daughter the entire time, using her grief over Nathan to worm his way in. Peter says he loves Maxie, and Mac says, all the time Peter spent with her, and his grandkids. Peter says, i.e. James, the child he brought into this world with his own hands? Mac says, if only he could take Peter out of it, and Peter says, it’s too bad he’s in police custody then. Mac says, bad things happen in jail all the time, and Peter asks if that’s a threat. Mac says, just a fact, and Peter says, noted. Here’s another one. If anything happens to him, Louise stays gone for good.

Spencer tells Josslyn that he and Esme have been talking a lot about that trip she wants to take. Maybe they could do it on Josslyn’s winter break. Does she think Sonny would let them use his cabin? She says, whoa, and he asks if she thinks he wouldn’t. She says she’s sure he would, but she never agreed to this vacation. He says she and Cameron have to go; Esme really wants to get to know his friends better. She says, so let’s get coffee, or have lunch. Do they really have to go on vacation? She’s sorry, but she just doesn’t think a weekend getaway together would best improve their relationship, if he knows what she means. He says, a toddler would know what she means. Why doesn’t she cut Esme a break? She says, she set Ava’s car on fire, and he says he agrees she went too far, but she only did it for him. She says, in that case… and he says, Esme loves him. She asks if Spencer loves her, and he says, yeah. She asks, why? and he says, she’s gorgeous and exciting and passionate… Josslyn says, so she’s hot, and he says, it’s not the sex… It’s not just the sex. He knows Esme can be a lot, but so can he, right? She says, she doesn’t think he wants her to answer that, and he says, they fit, all right? He thinks if she just gave Esme a chance, she’d see how incredible she really is. She says, okay. Tell her about the real Esme.

Esme asks what Trina is studying, and Trina says, a lot of things, but right this second, nature photography. Esme says, like the exhibit at the gallery? and Trina says, something like that. Cameron brings Esme’s latte, and says, it was such a hit, Trina’s professor asked her to give a presentation to her class. Isn’t that cool? Esme says she doesn’t know; it sounds like a lot of extra work. Trina says, which is why she should get back to it. Esme takes a sip, and Cameron says, well? She says, no offending foam; it’s perfect. Cameron starts to leave, but Esme says she and Trina were just talking about their trip. She’s so excited. Spence is too. Cameron says he didn’t think anything was decided, and Esme says, they’re still batting around ideas. She was thinking winter break. She hasn’t been skiing in ages. Do they ski? Cameron says he does, and she asks if there’s a mountain nearby. He says there is, and Esme says, how amazing does that sound? Skiing by day, snuggling by the fire at night. Her and Spence, Cameron and Josslyn, and Trina, of course (🍷).

Sonny tells Nina not to text him again, because he’s not going to meet her, and she says the only reason she reached out was to warn him about Peter. It’s not like she reached out because she wanted to spend more time with him. She’s not delusional, contrary to popular belief. She knows he loves his wife. He says he does, and she says she’s trying to preserve that. She’s trying to protect his relationship with Carly from whatever this psycho may have planned to break them up. He tells her, don’t worry about Peter, and she says, she’s being honest. She doesn’t want to cost him any more than she already has. He might not believe her, so if Peter is trying to stir up more trouble… He says, Peter’s not going to cause more trouble. Trust him. That son of a bitch killed Jason, his best friend, his brother; he’s gone.

Michael asks where his dad is, but Carly says she doesn’t know where he disappeared to. She thinks he’ll be back soon, but in the meantime, distract her. Did Wiley enjoy Thanksgiving in New York? He says, Wiley enjoyed the holiday lights and the holiday windows. His favorite thing was the dogs. Carly says, the dogs? and Michael says, Wiley pointed out every single one of them when they passed them. She says, that’s a lot of dogs. She bets Annabelle is going to need a brother or sister this Christmas. Michael tells her, he said the same thing; they just have to get Willow on board. She asks if they took Wiley skating, and he says they went to the Central Park rink because Rockefeller Center was too crowded. He crushed it. She says, of course (🍷) he did. She asks if he remembers the first time he was on skates, and he says, she, Jason, and dad brought him. She says, her heart just dropped every single time he fell, but Jason was so calm. He’d just pick Michael back up, and make sure he went off again. He says, he always pictured Jason being there for Wiley. the same way Jason has always been there for him. She says she knows, and puts her arm around him.

Willow comes out of the elevator and sees Epiphany, who asks if she’s all right. Willow says she just heard some bad news, and Epiphany says, Sasha and Brando. Just remember they have a great team doing everything in their power to help that baby boy. Willow asks if she’s seen Michael.

Josslyn hits the heavy bag while Spencer holds it, and he says, Esme puts on a good show, but she’s never actually had a lot of friends. Josslyn says, shocking, and he says if she’s not actually going to take it seriously, they’re not going to talk about it. She says she’s sorry; she will. He says, Esme grew up in boarding schools, and her parents died when she was still pretty young. Josslyn says, that sounds awful, and he says, it was. Not that he realized it at first. He saw party Esme like everybody else, but she was one of the few students who stayed on campus during breaks. Josslyn says, like him, and he says, one night they started talking, and they clicked. She says, it doesn’t surprise her. It seems like he and Esme would have a lot in common. He says, they bonded over the loneliness they felt, and how hard it was to connect with other students. Ever since then, they’ve been together; just the two of them. Them against the world. She says, except the world isn’t actually out to get them. He says she knows what he means. He has Esme’s back and she has his. She says, partners in crime, and he says, so to speak. So after hearing all that, does she think she could maybe possibly give Esme the benefit of the doubt?

Esme tells Trina that she doesn’t have to come solo. She can totally bring a plus one. Trina says, she’s not really seeing anyone, so… and Esme says, it could be a fun start to a relationship. Someone must have caught her eye at PCU. Trina says, not really, and Cameron says, which is fine. This is not really a couples thing anyway. They’re just going as a group of friends. Esme says, right, and Cameron goes to wait on another table. Esme says she hopes she didn’t make Trina uncomfortable, but Trina says she’s fine. She’s sure the weekend will be fun. Esme says she feels kind of bad. She never would have suggested they go away had she known about Trina and Cameron. Trina says, what about them? and Esme says, he told her that he and Trina almost got together. Now he’s with Josslyn. Ouch.

Maxie tells Anna, she hasn’t seen Peter since he disappeared from the hospital, but knowing he was out there somewhere, was like a nightmare she couldn’t wake up from. She spent months terrified that she’d walk into her apartment or turn the corner, and he would be there. He’s taken too much from her, and she refuses to be scared of him for one more minute. Anna says, she gets it. If she was in Maxie’s position, she’d want to confront Peter too. Why should she be surprised that her fierce, brave goddaughter wants to do the same? Maxie says, so Anna will help her with Mac? and Mac comes out, saying, absolutely not. Maxie says, he doesn’t even know why she’s there yet, but he says, she wants to see Peter, and the answer is no. He’s not done fighting. Peter claims to know where Louise is. Anna says, he doesn’t. He blackmailed Nina in Nixon Falls precisely because he didn’t know where the baby was, and wanted help finding her. Mac tells her, now he’s saying that he just wanted to ascertain how far Anna and Valentin were in their search, and Maxie says, he’s lying. Mac says he’s sure he is. Peter knows his time is up, and he’s grasping at straws, but that’s his point. Anything Peter would say to Maxie would be a lie, and probably a hurtful one. Why would she want to subject herself to that? She says, it’s not about what Peter has to say to her, but what she has to say to him. Anna says, Maxie is very strong, and Mac says, and stubborn. Maxie says she wonders who taught her that, and Anna says, if Maxie says she needs to do this, she believes her.

Nina tells Sonny, it’s not fair. He’s lost so many people. His father, and now Jason. She wishes she could take his pain away. He says, that’s not how life works, and she says she tricked herself into thinking that if she could keep him away from his past, she could save him from a life of violence. He was so unburdened as Mike. He was so relaxed. She thought Nixon Falls would be a fresh start for him, and maybe a fresh start for her too. He says, it’s not a fresh start if you don’t know what came before. He was living a lie. She says she believed in her head it was real, and he says, his friends and family were stolen from him. He would take the pain of losing Jason any day, because Jason was like his brother; they would do everything together. They would protect each other… She says, she’ll regret every day of her life what her lies robbed him of, and he says, they have to move forward. Live the life they have now. She says, move forward; separate lives. He says, yeah, and leaves.  

Epiphany tells Willow that she hasn’t seen Michael. Willow says, that’s okay; she’ll text him.

Carly asks if Michael heard about Sasha and Brando, and he says, that’s why they came to the hospital. How’s the baby? She says, he’s in the NICU. They named him Liam. Michael says he likes it, and she says, he was deprived of oxygen during the delivery. It’s too soon to tell if he has any brain damage. He says, it must be hell for Sasha and Brando, waiting for news like that, and she asks if Willow is with him. He says, she went to put in a good word at the chapel, and Carly suggests they go to the nurses’ desk and see if there’s an update. They see Willow there, and Michael says, what is it? Is there news about the baby? Willow says, none that she’s aware of, and Carly asks, then what’s wrong?

Maxie says, Mac, please, and he says he’s never been good at saying no to her; why break the cycle now? She thanks him and says she loves him. He says he loves her too, but the second whatever’s going on in there feels weird to her… She says she’s out of there. He says, good, and Anna kisses Maxie’s head, saying, she’s very brave. Maxie says she feels anything but brave right now. She has to do this. Not just for herself, but for Louise.

Trina tells Esme, she’s happy for Cam and Joss; there’s no issue there. Esme says, that’s great, and Trina says she’s serious. Esme says, it’s just that, when Cameron brought it up, it sounded like… Never mind. Trina says, she’s gone this far. Just say it. Esme says, not only is it nothing, it’s none of her business. Just for the record, she’s not one of those people who thinks everyone has to be coupled up to be happy. Before she met Spence, she was perfectly fine on her own. She guesses she just never realized the beauty in having someone understand you so completely. Trina says, and that’s Spencer? and Esme says, now that she’s found him, she has no intention of letting him go.

Michael says Willow seems upset; what’s going on? Sonny comes out of the elevator, and hugs Michael, saying, he’s glad Michael is home. Michael says, so is he, and Sonny asks how he’s holding up. Michael says he’s still in shock. He’s so sorry about Jason. Sonny says, it’s good to have family, and Carly says that’s what she was just telling Michael. As long as they have each other, they can get through anything. Michael says he just can’t believe Jason is gone, and Sonny says, it’s because of Peter August. Carly says she’s glad that bastard has been caught. At least now, he’s going to pay for his crimes. Sonny says, he’s going to pay. He’ll make sure of it.

Peter says, what’s going on? and Mac says, one wrong move, and he’ll shoot Peter himself. He leaves, and Maxie comes in.

Michael says he guesses they’ll just wait for Brando, and Willow says, waiting is her specialty. He says she never answered his question; is she okay? Nina almost comes around the corner, but sees them, and stops. Willow says she’s just praying for that little boy, hoping with all her heart that Sasha and Brando can take him home soon. He says she’s been gone a while. Was she in the chapel the whole time? Willow says, she went, but she didn’t want to disturb the people inside. Nina is like, uh-oh.

Josslyn says, she guesses Spencer thinks Esme is the know all, be all, and she’s really nice – to him. But if she treats everyone else like trash, she’s sorry. She doesn’t want to hang out with her. He asks if they can be real, and she says, let’s try it. He says, it’s not like she’s been that nice to Esme either. Josslyn says, she fired the first shot, but he says, did she though? If he remembers correctly, Josslyn has been pretty cool to her from the start. She says, maybe if he’d mentioned he had a girlfriend; maybe just once instead of hanging all over Trina… He says he was not, and she says she thought they were being real. He says he likes Trina. He thinks she’s super cool. She says, and? and he says, maybe he could have been more direct when he first met her about what was happening. She says, maybe, and he says, but it has always been Esme for him. She asks, then why keep her a secret? and he says he didn’t handle things well in the beginning, okay? She says, all the lying, and the terrorizing of Ava. Ava’s not her favorite person, but even she didn’t deserve that. He says he screwed up. Why is she acting so surprised? It’s not like it’s the first time. She says, no, and she’s sure it won’t be the last, and he says, that’s what friends are, right? The people who love you anyway. She says, all right. Enough with the love talk. He says, she knows what he’s saying. They’ve been friends since forever, so as his friend, can Josslyn give Esme the chance to show her who she really is? She says she can definitely do that.

Peter says Maxie is more beautiful than he even remembered. He knew she woudn’t be able to stay away. She closes the door, and tells him, just shut up. For once, he’s going to listen to what she has to say. This little fantasy he has of them being together, living happily ever after, it’s not going to happen. And honestly, it blows her mind that he still thinks it could. After everything he’s done to her, how could he think she could feel anything toward him but hatred? He says, everything he did was out of love for her, and she says, he’s a murderer. A murderer. He hired a fake nurse to kidnap her and induce labor. That is not love. That is… She doesn’t even know what to call it. Abuse? Torture? She can’t be a mother to her child because of him. She can’t rock her to sleep, or kiss her tiny little hands. She’s missing those moments, and it’s Peter’s fault. She will never forgive him for that. He says he doesn’t believe that, but she says she doesn’t care what he believes. He says he can tell her where Louise is, and she tells him, stop it. He says he can find their little girl, and she says, he’s lying. He says, they can be a family again, and she says, oh my God. He’s in handcuffs, headed to prison, where he’ll rot in a cell for the rest of his life. He’s not going to have a family. He’s not going to have her, and he’s not going to have Louise. There’s nothing for him. Think about that. Choke on it.

Carly tells Sonny that she’d asked for a body pillow for Sasha, and he says, smart idea. She says, it felt good to do something, even if it was just a pillow. He says, every little bit helps. It’s just not easy to wait. She says, nothing is easy right now, and asks him to come sit with Michael and Willow. He says he has something to take care of, and she says, now? He says, Brando texted him, and said he didn’t need anything except good news. She says, the support of his family. What could be more important? He says, if it wasn’t important, he wouldn’t be going, and she asks, what takes precedence over a baby in the NICU? He says he doesn’t want her to worry about it. Call him if there’s an update

Mac says, the search for Louise is going nowhere, but Anna says, that can change in an instant; he knows how this works. He says he feels so hopeless right now, and she says, he’s not putting any weight on what Peter said just now? She doesn’t believe he knows where that little girl is. He says, as a cop, he knows that. Peter is just trying to save his skin. She says, but as a father and grandfather… He says he can’t discount any lead, no matter what the source.

Peter tells Maxie to look at him, and she says there’s nothing she’d rather see less. He says she made him a better man, but she says, he’s not a man; he’s pure evil. And she regrets the day she met him. Goodbye. She’s about to leave, and he says, this is about that doctor, isn’t it? Dr. Gatlin-Holt, the savior in the woods who delivered Louise. Peter met him earlier at GH. Maxie says, so? and he says, so it’s quite obvious he’s interested in Maxie. She says, this is not happening, and he says, which is of course (🍷) a no brainer to him; she’s beautiful. What surprised him is he never imagined Maxie would give him the time of day. She says, are you insane? (Yes!) This has nothing to do with Austin. He says, she’s on a first name basis with him, so they are close, and she says, so what if they were close? So what if they were dating? So what if she was dating the entire PCU football team? That is none of his damn business. She’s none of his business. He says, on the contrary, and stands up. He says, doesn’t she know by now there’s only one man in her life, and that man is him? She says, go to hell, and storms out.

Trina wonders if Cameron’s shift is over, and asks him to join them, but he says he’s meeting Josslyn at the gym. Esme says, that’s where Spence is, and asks for a ride. Trina says, it’s a bummer Esme has to leave so soon, and Esme says, Spence was so glad to have the day off. He’s been working so hard lately. Trina says, maybe Esme should get a job, but Esme laughs, and says she’s way too busy. Trina says, with what? and Esme says, all those classes she’s auditing at PCU, and her internship obviously. Cameron says he can’t imagine working in a prison, and Esme says she calls it prison light. It’s really not that terrible. Trina says, she enjoys it? and Esme says she does. It’s fascinating from a psychological perspective, but she’ll definitely be ready for a break by the time their trip rolls around.

Carly leans her forehead against the vending machine, and repeats, count to ten. Epiphany says, Carly? and Carly says she’s sorry. Epiphany says, what for? and Carly says, for blocking traffic here. There’s no one else around, and Epiphany says, there’s no traffic here. Carly says she doesn’t know why she apologized. She doesn’t usually do that. Epiphany agrees, and Carly says, she doesn’t know why she’s done half the things she’s done in the past few days. Epiphany says, grief. She heard about Jason, and she’s very sorry for Carly’s loss. Carly thanks her, and Epiphany says she means it. Jason was a remarkable person; someone she respected. Carly says, Jason respected her too, and Epiphany says she never doubted that. And she never doubted he loved Carly, without condition or reservation. He would do literally anything for her. Carly says she never doubted that either. Whatever happened, good or bad, if she was hurt, or scared, or wrong, without question, Jason would always be there. She knew he would be, no matter what. Now he’s not going be there anymore. He’s not going to be there ever again. She knows he would want her to keep going and move on, and she will, but she’s going to miss him every single day for the rest of her life. Epiphany says, when Carly is missing him, she hopes Carly thinks back on their wedding day. Jason was happy, and so was she. The love she felt that day is still there, and hers to keep.

Nina comes out, addressing Michael and Willow, and Michael asks if she shouldn’t be meeting with her lawyer. Her preliminary hearing is coming up soon, isn’t it? Nina says, Scotty is on it, but she appreciates his concern. He’s says he’s sure she does, and she says she’s just there for Sasha, not to upset them. Willow says, yet she keeps doing it, and Michael asks, what is her goal exactly? She says, to provide support for Sasha if she needs it. She’ll go wait someplace else. Willow says, good idea, and Nina moves along. Michael asks Willow if it’s selfish to say he’s glad her empathy for Nina only goes so far, and she says, his family comes first with her. He says, their family, and she says, their family. She hopes he knows that, and he says he does. It’s time like these that bring them together. With everything going on, he’s grateful for that. They hug. Wake me when it’s over.

Anna sees Sonny in the stairwell, and asks what he’s doing here. He says, one guess, and she says, she knows he’s ready to explode – they all are – but he’s got to let the authorities handle Peter. He’s being brought up on multiple charges in multiple jurisdictions; he’s not going to walk away. He says, Jason is dead because of that trash, and he wants Peter to know exactly what he’s waiting for.

Josslyn is punching the heavy bag when Cameron and Esme come in. Cameron says, nobody better mess her, and Josslyn says, that’s right. He asks, what’s up? and Josslyn says, she and Spencer were just talking about their trip. Spencer tells them, Josslyn said she thinks they can use Uncle Sonny’s cabin, and Josslyn says she doesn’t see why not, unless he and her mom are planning on using it, but she doesn’t think so. Esme says, sounds like a blast, and Josslyn says, it will for sure be memorable. Esme and Spencer go off to the side, and Esme says, good workout? Spencer says, it was fun, and she says she’s surprised Josslyn agreed to the trip. He says, they had a good talk, and she’s open to getting to know Esme better. Esme asks if he thinks she meant it, and he says, Josslyn doesn’t lie. Cameron asks Josslyn if she’s really cool about this trip thing, and she says, no, but Spencer wants her to get to know the real Esme, and she has a hunch he may be the one surprised. Cameron asks what she’s planning, and Josslyn says, her? Nothing. Esme will do all the work on her own. Until then, there’s no way Josslyn is turning her back on that girl.

Carly tells Michael that his dad had to leave. He said he had something to take care of. Willow says she’s going to check her schedule for next week, and will be right back. Michael asks Carly if everything is okay with her and his dad, but she says, they’re fine. He says, it seems like there’s tension, and she says, there is. There’s grief. Everything that’s been going on with Liam, and… It’s Nina who she’s mad at, not his dad. Michael says he just ran into her, and Carly says, she’s still here? Michael says, hopefully her trial is soon, and they’ll be sending her to jail, and out of their lives for good. She says, from his lips.

Nina sees Willow, and says she overheard that Willow was in the chapel. So was she. Funny. She didn’t see Willow there. Willow says she heard Nina with Sonny.

Peter is dozing, when Sonny comes in, and slams the door, startling him. Sonny stares at him.

Tomorrow, Maxie wishes Austin wouldn’t have done that; Brando needs to ask Michael something; Nina asks what Willow is going to do, now that she knows the truth; and Sonny says since Peter killed Jason, all the rules are out the window.

👠 What Did I Say…?

Helena will be around as long as Constance Towers is. I wonder if I’ll ever find out why Nikolas was left that painting though…

Vanderpump Rules

Brock, James, and Schwartz took a dip in some tubs of ice. Some pseudo therapist told them that it was a mindset, and Brock said it was a way to learn lessons. Yeah. Don’t get in cold water. James was trying to learn to calm down, and the foundation was learning to breathe intentionally. In James’s interview, he said he was looking past normal therapy to get out his rage and anger. He claimed talk therapists didn’t know what to say to him, but I suspect he doesn’t know how to listen. In Schwarz’s interview, he thought, since hot baths were bad for his sperm count, maybe a cold one would do the opposite. I don’t think it works that way though. James said all he could think about was that he was freezing, but it was progress. Afterwards, the guys hung out to talk, and Brock said kids had been cruel when he was young, because he only had four fingers on one hand. In his interview, he explained his hand had gotten caught in the gears of a moving gate as a child. Ouch a million times over. James said when he got in a confrontational moment, it threw him back to a defensive mindset.

Lisa visited Lala, and met dog Lily. Lala said, if Jesus had a dog, it would be Lily. Lily had high liver levels, and was on meds. Lala was waiting on some test results, and was putting out in the universe that it would be a good report. In Lala’s interview, she said Lily had been her companion, her ride or die since she was 21. Lily had gotten her through her drunken days when she couldn’t get out of bed. In Lisa’s interview, she said, Lala had come a long way, and she was happy to be part of her journey. At one time, Lala had been sneaking drinks behind the hostess stand, and now she was a mother, and it was lovely to see. Lala told Lisa about Brock’s birthday, and how she’d gone off on Schwartz for not backing Katie up. She also told Lisa about how the girls were taking pictures of their feet to raise money for Raquel’s new nose. And yes. I know how absolutely stupid that sounds.

Katie’s photographer friend Courtney came to take the foot fetish photos (say that three times real fast), and Ariana said it was the dumbest most amazing thing they’d done. In Raquel’s interview, she said she’d done everything to make the best of her bad nose job, but it needed to be redone. Ariana said she’d done a lot of weird sh*t, but never thought she’d be adding this to her resumé. Raquel told them that she was going to be hosting a picnic as a thank you,  a fancy floral scene. In her interview, she said it was an excuse to be a girly girl; she loved it. Charli brought up Brock’s friend grabbing her at the birthday party, and said she wondered why there’d been no back-up from Scheana. In Charli’s interview, she said she’d been a loyal friend, and Scheana chose a random dude’s back over hers.

Lisa escorted Schwartz to a tattoo parlor, since he’d lost a bet with her. In his interview, he said he’d been pouring his heart out to Lisa while they were drinking wine. She challenged him to a high stakes ping-pong game, and ping-pong was his forte. We saw a clip of him saying that he was going to smoke her, but if he lost, he’d have LVP tattooed somewhere on his body. She said, if she lost, she’d send some cases of wine to the new bar. He lost. He said, that’s how he ended up at the tattoo parlor, He told Lisa that the Katie Bubba tattoo had to remain prominent, since Katie wasn’t feeling supported, which didn’t surprise Lisa, since Katie had been pushed out of the new bar equation. Schwartz said he couldn’t get a home equity loan, and would have to stop with the bets. He’d bet Randall in a pickleball challenge, and if he won, Schwartz would get $2000. If he lost, Randall got a drink named after him featured prominently on TomTom’s menu. He wondered if Katie was going to kill him about the tattoo, but Lisa said Katie was going kill him for other reasons. Tell her it’s a message from God.

Raquel had her Raquel’s Dream Tea Party, and invited the usual suspects, along with her friend Paige. Everyone wore poufy dresses, except for Lala, who said, no one told her that it was going to be so chic. In her interview, she asked if she looked like a bitch who had puffy sleeves and a tutu in her closet. Ariana said she’d understood the assignment. They discussed the foot project, and Raquel said it wasn’t about the pasta; it was about the feet. She told the girls that James had been trying different kinds of therapy, and we saw a clip of him doing (I think) bioenergetics where you let the sound out. I only know about this because of a movement class I was required to take at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. The teacher was into it, and we all hated it. She was all about no one getting enough love as a child, and going back to the womb or something. We pretended to go along with it just to get through the class. But I digress. Scheana said she’d sent invites out for a photo shoot Brock was organizing to advertise his fitness start-up HomeBody. She said he’d put his heart, soul, and every penny into the company. James had been cagey about doing it for free. Charli told Scheana about the dude grabbing her at Brock’s party, and at first, Scheana claimed she didn’t see anything. Then she amended it to not saying anything because Charli had already said something. Lala said Charli had gone hard for Scheana, and Scheana expected people to defend her, but when the shoe was on the other foot, she was nowhere to be found. Charli said she was loyal and a good friend. When Scheana didn’t like someone, Charli told them to go f*** themselves, but it hadn’t been reciprocated. She thought Scheana didn’t want Brock’s friends not to like her, so she’d ignored the incident. Scheana got all teary, and wanted to go home, as she always does when anyone calls her out.

Ariana visited Katie to enlist her help with designing a drinking game, an embellished Never Have I Ever. In Katie’s interview, she said it was nice not being around an egomaniac, and being expected to kiss their ass every minute of every day. Schwartz came home in the middle of their brainstorm, and told Katie that he had one more betting gaff. He hadn’t thought Lisa would be good at ping-pong, so he hadn’t taken the bet seriously. He showed them his new tattoo, which was actually pretty small, and in Ariana’s interview, she said, Schwartz was so good at charming his way out of everything. If she had been Katie, she’d have shoved her rosé glass up his ass. Katie said Schwartz never had her back, and other people took precedent, but Schwartz said it was out of necessity, and not emotionally. He continued to try and explain himself, but she just said, no, every time he started talking.

Randall had all kinds of pickleball pros at his house for the Emmett/Schwartz 2021 Open. In Brock’s interview, he said it was like little man syndrome on steroids with Randall competing against the least competitive person. Brock wanted to talk to James, who didn’t want to do anything for free. Avoiding the tournament, Raquel and Charli got together for a workout. Afterward, Raquel told Charli that Scheana had asked her to stop being friends with Danica, and she had. Charli said she stopped commenting on Danica’s Instagram, since it offended Scheana. Scheana had been texting her about it, and she hadn’t wanted to lose the friendship over it. Charli told Raquel that when she brought up Scheana not having her back at the party, Scheana had flipped it, and played victim. She said Charli was trying to turn it into a me too moment. 

Lala came out in a cheerleader outfit, hoping they could put an end to this grandpa game. Willie, an American Idol runner-up, sang the National Anthem, and the game began. In Ariana’s interview, she said she hadn’t watched American Idol since Kelly Clarkson won, but she wasn’t going to hate on it. I haven’t watched it since Scotty McCreery won, and Lady Gaga performed at the finale. I didn’t think they could ever top that, so why bother? Randall won, scoring 11 points to Schwartz’s 4. Schwartz gave him a copy of the menu with his drink on it, but in his interview, Schwartz said it wasn’t real. Lala asked James about the photo shoot, and James called Brock over. Brock said James had told Raquel not to text him back, but James said he’d told Raquel, not yet, because he wanted to discuss it with her. I have the feeling that wasn’t the case, since James got animated, and Ariana told him to take it down a notch. Katie suggested James might need a favor from Brock one day, and in James’s interview, he said there was a time Katie was on a campaign to take him down, but she had his back now.

Lala was glad the tournament was over. It was time for Randall to get back to making those dollar signs. Ariana found out that the picture of her feet had been sold, and she tried to get a shot of Lisa’s feet, saying she’d charge extra, but Lisa said she’d better not. Charli told Scheana that she hadn’t been a good friend lately, and in Scheana’s interview, she said she’d just birthed human child, and that was her whole focus. For the unenlightened, Scheana was like this long before she had the baby. She wants to be liked so much, she’s never on anyone’s side but her own. Charli said Scheana was a dictator in friendships, and in Charli’s interview, she said if Scheana couldn’t understand where she’s coming from, they couldn’t be friends. She told Scheana that she hadn’t been getting friend energy back from her, when she’d been a good friend, and they hugged it out.

Next time, Katie and Sandoval go at it, and not in a fun way; Schwartz tells Sandoval that he needs to respect Katie; the Toms decide to take a break from each other; and Ariana has a birthday.

💔 No Festival This Time…

There aren’t many details, but according to Ariana on Watch What Happens Live, everyone was surprised.

https://people.com/tv/vanderpump-rules-james-kennedy-and-raquel-leviss-call-off-engagement-taping-reunion-bravo-breakup-split/

🏔 Salty Talk…

Bringing you up to speed on Salt Lake City.

🌴 The Wives You’ve Been Waiting For…

The Real Housewives of Miami are back.

https://ew.com/tv/real-housewives-of-miami-season-4-trailer/

⚰️ Back From the Dead…

Well, we never really did see her die.

https://ew.com/tv/kim-dickens-fear-the-walking-dead-madison-clark-return/

😌 Time For Some Shut-Eye…

Come by tomorrow for some soap and an update on Fancy Pants. Until then, stay safe, stay upfront, and stay giving back the friend energy you’re getting.