Category Archives: Bravo

August 25, 2021 – Michael Makes a Decision About Austin, Crystal Hosts a Launch Party & Hallelujah

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Willow says, Chase, please. Don’t give Austin the power to go after the Quartermaines, and he tells her, considering she just told him that she’s in love with Michael, maybe she isn’t the best person to make this argument. Michael says he gets it. He and Willow kept the truth from Chase, but that’s on them, not the rest of the Quartermaines. Chase says he’s right. His family didn’t do anything. He hands Michael the paper, and tells him to do what he wants with it. He starts to walk out, and Brook says, his wheelchair. He says he doesn’t need it anymore. He doesn’t need any of this. Austin says, congratulations. The better man won.

Sonny finds Phyllis outside, crying. He hugs her.

Maxie shows Carly her phone and says, well? Carly tells her, she said understated, remember? Maxie guesses polka-dots are a bit much. She’ll find something less 50s retro. Carly asks if they can do this another time. She’s meeting Josslyn and Jax for a dinner date. Maxie says, absolutely, and don’t worry. Her wedding is going to be gorgeous. Carly says she knows it will, and thanks Maxie for helping her. Maxie thanks Carly for keeping her mind off Louise, and says they’ll talk tomorrow. In the hall, Maxie runs into Valentin carrying Bailey/Louise in a sling. He says, hey, Maxie.

Peter says, the more interesting question is, what is Sonny Corinthos doing here, alive and well, and calling himself Mike? as Nina takes out the gun. Nina says they haven’t talked about Peter, and he says, why don’t they sit? They obviously have so much catching up to do. Before she can bring out the gun, he points his own at her.

At the pool (🍷), Spencer tells Esme, that was Doc. He wants to talk about their plan. She says, sounds ominous. Does he want them to get jobs? He says, bite your tongue. His grandmother leaves town for two seconds on mayoral business, and Doc thinks he needs to take her place. He didn’t mind Doc at first, when they first got married, but it’s not like they kept in touch that much when he was away at school. He doesn’t understand why Doc is trying to intervene, and take control of his life. She tells him everything will be fine. They have a plan. It’s just not the one Doc thinks they should have. He says he never asked her to set fire to Ava’s car, and she says, but now he has an alibi, and daddy dearest is pretty guilty about talking to Ava. He’s got his father right where he wants him. Relax. Enjoy the moonlit pool (🍷), and of course (🍷) his girlfriend. She calls to Trina, who comes over to their table.

Carly thanks Cameron for joining them, and Josslyn thanks Carly for doing this. Jax says, it’s a real pleasure. This is a big event. It’s their little girl’s freshman year of college. Josslyn says if he calls her their little girl one more time, she’s going to leave, but he promises to be on his best behavior. He can’t say the same for her mother. Carly says they don’t have to worry about her. She’ll be just fine, and keep Josslyn’s dad in line too.

Peter asks Nina if they can’t play nice, and she says, absolutely. He should really put that gun away before Mike returns. He asks if she doesn’t mean Sonny. He guesses he’ll just have to take care of him too. She tells him that he should relax more. Would he like something to drink; perhaps some wine? He says, just her cell phone. Please. She takes it out, and comes around the bar, putting on a table. She says, happy? and he says, very. He takes the phone, and she sits down. She asks where he’s been, but he says, details aren’t important. Of course (🍷) once Maxie betrayed him, and secretly recorded his confession and sent it to Mac, he had to disappear. No easy task. She says, no one knew if he was dead or alive, and he tells her, let’s just say he was lying low. He also searched for his precious Louise. A search that’s taken him straight to Maxie.

Valentin says, it’s wonderful to see Maxie, and asks, how was Texas? She says, Georgie and James really enjoyed seeing their great aunt; she of course (🍷) spoiled them rotten. Bailey’s grown so much since she’s been gone. He says, a couple more pounds, and she’ll be ready for management at Deception, and she says she’ll be happy to work for Bailey any day. How is Deception? She was on her way there now to go through her accumulated messages. He said he just came from there. He was showing Bailey off to some of the staff. She notes what Bailey is wearing, and says, she’s going to be so beautiful and stylish when she grows up. She says she’d better go, but he asks her to wait. There’s been a development in Louise’s case.

Willow tells Michael, she has to talk to Chase. She can’t leave things like this. He asks if she wants him to come with her, but she says, it’s between her and Chase. She leaves, and Brook asks if Austin is proud of himself. Or are there any other lives he’d like to destroy? Michael says, Brook… but she says she means it. This Gatlin-Holt creature better scram before she calls the cops on him for trespassing. Austin says he’s not going anywhere until he gets what if he came there for, so if they don’t mind… He holds out his hand for the paper, and Michael says, what he minds is Austin manipulating Chase to get this. That’s as underhanded as a person can get. Austin says, no more underhanded than sleeping with the man’s wife. (Touché.)

Esme asks if Trina is there alone, and Trina says she’s there to meet Joss and Cam after their dinner with Joss’s parents. She came a little early to work on an assignment for one of the electives they’re taking at PCU together. Esme says, how adorable. She’s never had childhood friends that she’s known since forever. Trina says she and Spencer aren’t close; they just met. Spencer says she knows that’s a lie.

Josslyn tells Carly and Jax, she was starting to believe Spencer was behind it all; then the call from Ryan Chamberlain, the writing on the wall that said, this ends tonight, the power outage… Cameron says, when Joss’s bodyguard started talking about getting them off the island in a Corinthos boat, he knew Spencer wasn’t behind it. Josslyn says, it turns out Spencer’s father was pulling the strings, and Cameron says, all to keep Spencer a lesson, when he hadn’t even done anything. He guesses Spencer did throw a huge party without permission, and Josslyn says, but he didn’t stalk Ava. It blows her mind that his dad even thought he was capable of that. Anyway, she’s sorry Tony called Carly. Jax says, it’s better to err on the side of caution, and let her mother know what’s going on. Her life, unfortunately, is more dangerous than most kids her age, even if… Carly says, even if what? and he says, even if Carly is preoccupied with other things. Carly says, she’s never let other things, or business, get in the way of protecting Josslyn, or her other kids. He knows that. Josslyn says she really wasn’t in any danger, and Jax says, they know that now, but it wasn’t that long ago that Novak guy approached her at Kelly’s and harassed her. Carly says, Josslyn is fine, just like she said Josslyn would be, so they can just let that go.

Brook tells Michael, don’t listen to this snake. Just let him slither on out of here, and back under the rock he came from. Michael says, Austin took advantage of a complicated situation he knew nothing about. Chase has been through hell, but so has Willow. Not that it matters to Austin. He just cared about finding an opening he could exploit. Austin says, Chase is a grown man; he doesn’t think he exploited Chase at all. Despite what they think, he’s not some heartless bastard. If he did let his baser instincts guide him, maybe he does owe Chase an apology. Brook asks how that will make anything better, and Austin says, all he’s trying to do is right a terrible wrong that was done to his father. His dad was not a perfect guy – far from it – but he was always there for him. He worked really hard to put Austin through medical school, and in return, he watched his father die a slow and painful death. Brook says, it’s too late, and any sympathy points he earned for his dad were gone the second he used Chase to poke around in Edward’s office. It’s a nice sob story, but they’re not buying it. Right, Michael?

Chase opens his door to Willow, who says she’ll understand if he wants to slam it in her face, but she would really like to talk to him. He asks, what else is there to say? and she says, besides the million apologies he probably doesn’t want to hear, the AC conked out in her car, and she could use a glass of water. He steps aside, and she comes in. He says, what she’s probably going to say, is that she didn’t start out intending to lie to him. She says, she and Michael realized how much they cared for one another, and she came there to tell him. He gives her some water, and says, he was so sick, he passed out on the floor. She took him to the hospital instead. He gets why she didn’t break up with him that night, but after that, she had plenty of chances. And she was going to tell him, the night of his pretend Nantucket getaway, but then Finn interrupted, saying he had the cure for the poison that was killing him. She says, when it didn’t work, she knew she couldn’t tell him. He says she should have, and she should have turned down his marriage proposal, but she says she could never say no to him when he needed her.

Trina asks if Spencer is calling her a liar. He says he just meant she doesn’t have to cover for him. He told Esme that Trina knew he was in Port Charles before anyone else. Esme says, she and Spence have no secrets, and he says, Trina wasn’t thrilled to find out that Victor was just an alias, and he was really Spencer Cassadine. He thanks her for not telling anyone, and Esme says, aw, Treen. <gag> What a true friend. Spencer says she is; he’s lucky to have her. Esme suggests he rustle up some truffle fries for them. Are they as good as the ones they had in Brussels when they were studying for midterms? He says they’ll find out, and leaves. Esme says, he’s so sweet, but Trina already knows that. Trina says she really doesn’t know Spence that well, and Esme says, it’s just them. They can be real with one another. She knows Trina has a crush on her boyfriend.

Peter tells Nina, since his own search didn’t turn up any results, he was hopeful Maxie might be following some leads. Nina asks if she was, but he says, no. It’s all the same. He’s going to be the first one to find his daughter, and when he does, Maxie will have a choice. If she wants to be in her little girl’s life, then Maxie will have to share her life with him as well. She says, Maxie doesn’t know he’s following her, and he says, once it was safe for him to resurface, he tracked her to Texas, but when he arrived, Maxie was already leaving. He followed her there to this quaint little town, and this quaint little bar. When he found her… and Sonny. She says, Maxie’s not here anymore, and he says he’s aware of that. He was about to follow her, when he ran into Sonny… or is it Mike? He’s told her his story; now let’s hear hers.

Sonny tells Phyllis, eight months ago, he washed up in Nixon Falls with only the clothes on his back, and a watch that was engraved with his name on it. She not only gave him a place to stay, she gave him a life, and made him a part of her family. They’ll miss Lenny. She cries, and he takes her hand.

Jax and Carly toast to Josslyn, and Cameron says, speech! Josslyn thanks them for embarrassing her in a public setting, but she wouldn’t love them as much as she does if they hadn’t. No way is this goodbye. She’ll still be home every weekend with her dirty laundry, and she’ll be there for the wedding of course (🍷). Jax says, oh yes, the wedding. Have they set a date? Josslyn says, they did; September 17th, and Jax says, so soon. Carly says, why wait? and he says he can think of a few reasons. Josslyn asks if there’s something wrong.

Valentin says, Anna is certain that Peter survived, and Maxie asks how that’s a development in the search for Louise. He says, Peter is very well connected, and well financed. He’s Faison’s son, and could have all of his father’s assets and contacts. If that’s the case, he’ll use them to find Louise, unless he’s already found her. Maxie says she doubts that, and he asks why she says it like that.

Nina says, since Carly covered up the death of her daughter, she desperately needed to get away. So she came to this quaint little town, Nixon Falls, to visit a friend. He says, Phyllis. She and Sonny mentioned him. She says she was just as surprised as he was to find Mike there, and he asks if she doesn’t mean Sonny. There’s no one there except them; no need to use Sonny’s alias with him. She says she calls him Mike because he’s Mike to her. He’s kind and he’s gentle, and he loves the simple life. She hasn’t thought of him as Sonny in a very long time. He asks how Mike came to be, and she says, he lost his memory when he fell into the river looking for Julian Jerome. Peter asks if the memory loss is permanent, and she says she doesn’t know. All she knows is that he’s happy. She didn’t tell him the truth because she thought it would ruin everything he found there. Peter says, oh Nina. It’s very kind of her. He’s sure getting one over on Carly never even crossed her mind when making that decision. Nor the fact that she’s fallen for Mike.

Carly says she and Josslyn’s father had a little disagreement, but that’s okay, because tonight is about her. Jax says, absolutely, and suggests they order. Josslyn asks if they’re going to be like this all night, and Jax says, like what? Carly asks Josslyn and Cameron to give them a minute to talk. Head over to the pool (🍷), and they’ll call them when it’s safe to come back. They leave, and Jax says, Carly just told Josslyn this was about her, then sent her to the pool (🍷). Is this what it’s going to be like from now on? They can’t even be in the same room?

Josslyn tells Cameron that she’s so sorry. She’s never seen them act like that before. They’ve had their fair share of arguments, but never in front of her or her friends. He says she doesn’t have to hide the messy parts of her life from him. His family’s far from perfect. She says, still, and he says, it’s him. The boy she pushed in the sandbox when she liked his pail better than hers. The boy who went trick-or-treating with her all three years when she dressed up like a stalk of corn (the corn again!). She asks him not to bring that up, and he says he knows her. He knows her family. He’s sorry her parents are fighting, but it doesn’t matter to him. She’s so amazing, and makes him feel like the luckiest guy in the world. They kiss.

Esme tells Trina (Treen – ugh), it’s okay. She only brought it up because she didn’t want there to be any awkwardness between them. Trina asks why she cares. Why is she going out of her way to be nice to someone she thinks likes her boyfriend? Esme says, Trina didn’t do anything wrong. Spencer didn’t even tell her that he had a girlfriend. Trina asks if it doesn’t make her mad, and Esme says she knows how guys are. They’re denser than a redwood forest, and Spence is no exception. She’s sure he didn’t mean to lead Trina on. She’s not into girl-on-girl rivalry. Trina asks if she walks on water too, and Esme says she likes Trina’s sense of humor. She seems like a really nice girl, and Esme would like to be friends with her. At the very least, she’d like them to get along for Spence’s sake. She can tell Trina’s friendship means a lot to him. Spencer comes back, and asks what he missed. Esme says, just a little girl talk.

Willow says she never wanted to hurt Chase, but that doesn’t change the fact that she did. She gave him hope, then took it away. All she wanted to do is repay him for everything he’d given her. He asks if she’s talking about Wiley, and she says, before Wiley. After she gave her baby to Brad and Lucas, she was so empty and alone. She had no family, no one to turn to. Then he walked in; Detective Harrison Chase. Handsome, intelligent, and above all, kind and understanding. She thought, I could build a home with this guy. Her horrible past no longer mattered. Just the present and future she was going to have with him. Then… He says, then he and Sasha staged the affair.

Michael says he understands where Austin is coming from. He lost his own father recently. Austin says he’s sorry to hear that, and Michael says, family was the most important thing to him, and he’s like him in that respect. Family is everything to him too. Austin says he’s not trying to threaten Michael’s family, and Brook says, Austin coming after ELQ is coming after the family. Austin asks how that’s hurting them; to be getting a few shares of ELQ? That document proves that Edward wanted his father to have those shares. His father isn’t there to claim his rightful seat at the table, so he’s going to have to do it for him. Michael says, that’s very noble of him, but you know what’s not? Using Chase. Taking advantage of a very painful situation. Why would Michael ever let him in by those methods?

Austin says he made a desperate play using Michael’s friend Chase – who’s not his friend, by the way – and that’s it? There’s no coming back from that? Michael says he’s in no position to judge. His father could never stand a hypocrite. Michael hands Austin the paper, and Brook asks what he’s doing. Has he lost his mind? Michael says, Austin played dirty, but he’s not the only one. Their family has a history of playing dirty, especially when it comes to ELQ. It’s time to break the cycle. Austin thanks him, and says, it means a lot. Michael says, don’t thank him yet.   

Chase says, when he and Sasha came up with the plan, he knew there was a possibility of losing Willow. He told himself it was worth it, no matter how painful. It was more important that she and Michael get custody of Wiley. Then he took a step back, and didn’t tell her the truth when he saw how close she and Michael were getting. Then they started spending all this time together, and it was like it was before. She says she felt like if there was a chance she should take it; she wanted to take it. He says, what really hurts is that he truly believed she loved him as much as he loved her.

Esme asks if Trina plays tennis. It was mandatory at their school. She’s good, but Spence is addicted; he’ll probably play all weekend. While he’s out pursuing athletic glory, can she interest Trina in a mani/pedi? What time works for her? Josslyn and Cameron arrive, and Josslyn says, they have a bunch of startup semester parties and events to go to. She doesn’t think Trina is even going to be available this weekend. Trina says, that’s right; she’s totally booked. Esme says, that’s okay. Some other time then. She takes a fry from Spencer, takes a bite, and says, they’re amazing. As good as the ones they got in Brussels. Why don’t they get more; her treat. He says, at your service, mademoiselle, and glances back at the others as he and Esme walk away. When they’re out of earshot, he says, what’s with the girl bonding thing? Esme says, Trina is a nice girl, and she’s got good taste. He says, Esme… and she says, it’s fine, Spence. They just have to be careful. Trina knows things about him that could hurt his plan. He says Trina’s not like that, but she says, broken hearts can do strange things. She wouldn’t want all his hard work to be for nothing. She wants him to have everything he deserves.

Josslyn asks, what’s going on between Trina and Esme? but Trina says, nothing. She’s got it handled. Josslyn looks at Trina, as Trina looks at Esme sitting down with Spencer. Trina says, okay. Maybe she doesn’t.

Sonny says he told Nina that this feeling of loss is really familiar, and Phyllis asks if he remembers losing someone. He says, if he did, he doesn’t know who, but it was a real aching… in here. He touches his chest. He says he knows if it was somebody, they’d have to be important, like Lenny was. She hopes he knew love in his previous life. It’s the greatest gift a human can receive. He says he’d be lucky to find what she and Lenny had, and she says, he has. Even if he doesn’t know it yet. She thinks he’s in love with Nina. He smiles.

Nina says Peter has a vivid imagination. She doesn’t have feelings for Mike. He laughs, and says, it’s too late to cover. He saw the way they were looking at each other. Imagine if he told Carly that her husband was alive and well, and being kept secret by her. How fast does she think Carly would ensure she’d never see Wiley again? She says, just tell her what he wants, and he says, there we go. He’s always thought she was a smart woman. Cards on the table. He found it very difficult, searching for his daughter while being forced off the grid, so he needs some shelter and a place of operation. She says, he’s Faison’s son. Why doesn’t he just tap into Faison’s former contacts? He says, it would be simpler to have her ask Maxie and Valentin for him, without raising any red flags. They trust her, and they’ll tell her what they’ve learned. And she, in turn, will relay it to him, so he can find Louise first. She says, and if she doesn’t do it?

Carly asks what Jax thought would happen when he tried to blackmail her? He says, it wasn’t blackmail, and she says, he recorded their conversation on his phone, and tried to get her to admit to criminal activity. He says he was just trying to protect Josslyn, and she says, if he was, he’d respect the decisions she made about Josslyn’s well-being. He asks, what about respecting his decisions? Does she ever once see things from his point-of-view? In what world does she think taking over Sonny’s business is safe for their daughter? She tells him to keep his voice down. Josslyn doesn’t need saving, and neither does she. He, on the other hand, could learn a lesson in humility. He asks what that’s supposed to mean. Is she going to tell Josslyn what he did?  

Michael says Austin might not get a seat at the ELQ table, and Austin says, why not? Michael says, because the lawyer wrote to Edward after a conversation about changing his will, but Edward never followed through. The will was never changed. Austin says, the letter proves that Edward was at least thinking about his father. He’d like to believe a judge would agree. Michael says, good luck then, and Austin thanks him, adding, this would make his father so happy. He leaves, and Brook asks if Michael is happy now. He just cost them ELQ.

Maxie tells Valentin, she prays every day that her daughter is returned home safe, but she’s done with false leads and dead ends. It’s part of the reason she left town. She’ll never stop hoping Louise comes home safe, but until that actually happens, she needs to focus on being her best self. For Georgie and James. And for her. It’s the only way she’s going to heal. He tells her not to take this the wrong way, but if she’s not ready to return to work, don’t rush it. She thanks him, and says, but she needs to keep busy, even when it’s hard.

Peter says, if Nina won’t help him find his dear Louise, know this. James will be a more than adequate replacement. And if she even thinks about telling Maxie, he’ll return the favor, and let Carly know that her not-so-dearly departed husband is there, and exactly who he’s spending his time with. So she has a choice to make. She either helps him find his daughter, or she suffers the consequences. She asks if she has his word that he won’t touch James, and he says, if he has her word that she’ll do everything in her power to tell him where Louise is. She stands up, and says, they have a deal.

Sonny tells Phyllis, even if he and Nina are… Look, all she has to do is go to Port Charles, spend time with her grandson, and then she doesn’t have to come back. Right? Phyllis says, mm-hmm, and takes his hands. She says, you can always come up with excuses not to go after something because you’re afraid. She can’t tell him the number of people who told her it was too soon to marry Lenny; he could be deployed at any time. They’d be separated more than they’d be together. But she knew. In her heart, she knew Lenny was the one. Her only regret was that they didn’t have enough time.

Carly says she would never undermine Josslyn’s relationship with Jax, and he says, glad to hear it. She says, but Josslyn’s not their little girl anymore, as she keeps telling them. If he wants to say on his moral high horse, he’s going to lose her all on his own. He asks if that’s what Carly is hoping for, and she says, no. She always wants him to be in Josslyn’s life, even if he’s not in hers anymore. He says, they’re always going to be in each other’s lives because they’re co-parenting Josslyn, but she says, they’re not. Josslyn’s moving out; she’s moving to the dorm. The days of them raising Josslyn together are over. He says, just because Josslyn is going to college doesn’t mean they’re not going to see each other. They’ll be at volleyball games, graduation, a wedding hopefully. She says, yes. Their paths are always going to cross, and Josslyn is always going to connect them, but the days of raising Josslyn are over. They’re going to show up as mother and father. Nothing more.

Willow says, she and Chase shared a beautiful, once in a lifetime love. Then he sacrificed it for her and Wiley. She’ll always love him for that. He says, Sasha told him that Willow would leave him for Michael, but he knew it was worth the risk, because Wiley is her life; he’s her whole world. He couldn’t forgive himself if he did nothing to help her keep him

Jax says, Carly has been one of the most important people in his life, and they just walk away; that’s it? She says he’s been one of the most important people in her life. He gave her Josslyn, and she’ll always love him for that. But she doesn’t trust him anymore, and let’s face it, he doesn’t trust her. He asks how many times she’s forgiven Sonny, or how many times Jason and Sonny have forgiven her. Were his actions that unforgivable? She says, he never used to live in a black and white world. She remembers when him living in a grey area suited him just fine. But he changed, at least when it comes to her actions, and she can’t have somebody in her life who’s going to judge her all the time, or go behind her back and hurt her. So this is their new reality, and it’s totally on him. He’s going to have to find a way to live with it.

Esme says she’s been thinking, and Spencer says, always dangerous. She says they’re going to be in Port Charles for a while, seeing their plan through. He says, her point? and she says, they may as well find something to do. Maybe they should prey on his step-grandpa. He asks if she thinks they should get jobs, and she says, ugh, no. She suggests they audit some classes at PCU. She’s feeling collegiate.

Chase says he’s really grateful for having Willow in his life, and she says, her too. How many people could say they loved as deeply as they did? He says, not many. They were lucky. She says, they were, and he says, no more apologies. She takes off her wedding ring, and he holds out his hand. She places it in his palm.   

Michael tells Brook that she’s wrong. They keep ELQ by ending their family dysfunction. She says, they don’t keep ELQ by handing out shares to random strangers, and Michael says, maybe Austin wouldn’t have been a stranger if grandfather wasn’t so harsh, or Tracy so self-serving. She says he doesn’t know that. No one does. There’s no point in worrying; they’re only in the here and now. Despite all of Michael’s noble intentions, that doesn’t change the fact that he just made a big mistake.

Valentin sees Austin come in, and asks Maxie to hold Bailey for a second. He’ll just be a minute. She tells him to take his time, and is obviously thrilled. She picks up a binkie from the table.

Valentin sees Austin at the bar, and asks if it would have been luckier to schedule a dinner than a lunch. Austin says for Valentin, not for him, and Valentin says, productive day? Austin shows Valentin the paper, and says, check it out. The keys to the kingdom; the kingdom of the ELQ boardroom. He’ll see Valentin there. Valentin says, yes you will.  

Nina and Peter are about to shake hands, and Peter pulls her a little closer. He says she mentioned he was Cesar Faison’s son. Remember that if she ever thinks of double-crossing him. Sonny comes back in, and says he hopes they’ve had enough time catch up. Peter says, not quite as much as he’d like. He’s sticking around Nixon Falls for a while. Nina said she’d show him around. Sonny says, okay. He looks forward to getting to know one of Nina’s friends. Peter says, it will be really great to get to know him too, and Nina looks sick.

Tomorrow, Michael asks if it would really be the end of the world, Finn asks if Chase would do things differently if he could go back, Carly tells Josslyn that she doesn’t know why it feels weird, and Peter tells Nina, an eye for an eye

The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills

I missed the very beginning – meeting ran late – but I doubt it was anything earth-shattering. When I tuned in, LisaR was whining that she felt like she was losing her grip on her kids. They were leaving the nest, Harry was in Romania working, and everyone was gone. She and Harry were beyond proud of how their kids had overcome challenges. In her interview, she said Crystal had offered to host a launch party for Rinna Beauty at her house. LisaR thought maybe Crystal wanted to balance out the last time they were there, and we flashed back to the ugly leather pants incident.

In Crystal’s interview, she said she hosted parties all the time. It fed her intense control scheduling personality. I guess that’s a fancy way of saying control freak. Dorit came by, and said Kyle’s dinner had been intense. We flashed back to that, and Dorit said, it was a holiday party, and Erika was a shell of herself. It didn’t seem night to pounce on her. She also felt that Garcelle had been making jabs at her. In Dorit’s interview, she said it was happening too often. We flashed back to what Dorit thought were jabs, but I thought of as the truth. Dorit said it was starting to piss her off, and Crystal thought it was best to address things like that early. In her interview, Dorit said she and Garcelle had been friends, and obviously she was trying to say something she didn’t have the guts to say.

Erika said she hadn’t lived alone in almost 30 years. Cleaning was her way of meditation. I totally understand this. My motto is, when in doubt, clean something. She said if she was having good sex, it wouldn’t be as depressing. I’ll bet she hasn’t had that in over 30 years either. BA-DUM-CHH! My heart bleeds for her. LisaR arrived with champagne, as the three of them were going to celebrate Kyle’s birthday. She asked Erika how it was going, and she said, like she told her lawyer, she needed to get past this, and unpack the emotional stuff later. Kyle joined them, and they popped the champagne, drinking out of fancy glasses Erika said she’d snuck out of the house in the night. LisaR also got Kyle a very pretty grey faux fur coat, and in LisaR’s interview, she said it wasn’t from her garage; she actually purchased it. For those not in the know, she has racks of designer clothing in her garage. She said she’d seen Dorit, who said Sutton was still nervous because she hadn’t asked the question she’d wanted answered. Kyle said she wasn’t being a bitch, Sutton was just saying she didn’t want legal and/ or society problems. Erika said, how small town of her. What will the neighbors think? In her interview, she said, we’re not in Augusta, Georgia, bitch. It had zero to do with any of them. She asked, how about her effing fear, wondering how this was going to play out? She talked about having discovered Tom’s cheating, saying, Yolanda had said, boys will always protect boys. When she got home from Yolanda’s condo, Tom was sleeping. She opened his phone, and wanted to make sure she was seeing what she thought she was. In Erika’s interview, she said she’d thought of leaving before, but how and where? She was solely dependent on her husband. She told Kyle and LisaR she’d made plans not to leave, but work for her own money. LisaR reminded them, we have champagne and cake, bitches. I have to say, I don’t remember ever having called by girlfriends bitches. And it looks pretty unattractive coming from a 75, 68, 58 year old.

In LisaR’s interview, she said she couldn’t have launched at a more difficult time, but when you’re a hustler, you do what you need to do just to keep going. She was like a cockroach; you couldn’t get rid of her. Agreed. During the interview, a bug literally flew into her lip-gloss and got stuck. If that wasn’t repulsive enough, she plucked it off, showed the camera, and then put more lip-gloss on. Bleh. The launch party was set up in Crystal’s backyard, and it looked beautiful, with bowls of pink roses on the table. Although I was surprised to find that the launch party only consisted of the women on the show. I guess it was a more upscale way of LisaR handing out lipstick samples in her living room. They began with cocktails, Erika asking for a drink called No Apologies; no hot toddy this time. In Garcelle’s interview, she thought it was ironic that Erika had made that choice. In Erika’s interview, she said she wasn’t putting any expectations on Sutton, especially since it was her own reputation being trashed. In Sutton’s interview, she said she still didn’t like it and had questions, but she could go to a lipstick party. They toasted to LisaR launching a beauty line in a pandemic year. She’d killed it. They sat down for lunch, and Dorit said she’d been thinking about Garcelle a lot. Something had been bothering her for the last couple of months. Garcelle had been making jabs at her. She didn’t know why, but she’d been noticing it, and it didn’t sit well with her.

Garcelle asked, what kind of jabs? and Dorit said it was more her tone; it was obnoxious and rude. We flashed back to Garcelle saying, as if Dorit would ever stick up for Sutton, and in Kyle’s interview, she said, Garcelle wasn’t wrong, but go ahead. We also flashed back to Garcelle calling Dorit on what she’d said about Erika, and then flashed back further, to when Dorit said everything she knew to be true about Erika was really the opposite. In Garcelle’s interview, she said she wasn’t wrong about that. Dorit said Garcelle caught her off-guard, and seemed like a bully. Garcelle told her, stop it right now, and in her interview, she said, a bully picks fights. She was reacting. Bully was a loaded word, and it wasn’t okay. Dorit asked why Garcelle was doing this, and if Garcelle had a problem with her. Garcelle said it wasn’t a problem, but she felt like when they were all discussing something, Dorit hijacked the moment. It felt like no one had a chance to say anything. Dorit asked if Garcelle considered them friends, and Garcelle said she did, but Garcelle also didn’t know where she sat with the group, and felt like an outsider in a way. LisaR said they’d had a great relationship before, meaning before LisaR acted like a complete ass about Denise. Garcelle said they’d talked about that, and we flashed back to Garcelle telling LisaR that it was going to take some time. Dorit said there was an easy way to feel like a part of the group; be honest. I’d thought that’s what Garcelle was doing, and Garcelle said she didn’t have a problem with Dorit. Only when she wouldn’t let anyone else speak. And she didn’t believe she was the only one who thought that. Kathy diplomatically said, it wasn’t like Dorit hadn’t heard it before. In Kyle’s interview, she said, Garcelle had a point. If you asked Dorit what time it was, she’d tell you how to build a clock. Yep. I know those people. Kyle told Garcelle that she might have been passive/aggressive about it, but she was being honest now. She’d gotten into it with Dorit, as had Erika. In Erika’s interview, she said Dorit was known as a marathon talker. When Dorit is talking, she checks in with herself… How’s the dog?… Did she lock the door?… Where is she going tomorrow?… Then she said she absolutely agrees with what Dorit is saying.  Then, because Dorit really doesn’t know when to shut up, she brought up how Garcelle relayed what Erika said about Tom calling her every day. We flashed back to Erika saying Garcelle had betrayed their friendship. In her interview, Dorit said Garcelle poked until she made you uncomfortable, and then acted surprised, but she knew what she was doing. Garcelle got up, and said, f*** you, to Dorit. A few times. Dorit asked if Garcelle was taking the easy way by walking out, or were they going to talk it out. Garcelle said, f*** her with that. She knew exactly what happened. She’d talk it out if it was going to be fair. In Erika’s interview, she said she wasn’t mad about it; she understood. It was a misunderstanding. We flashed back to them hugging it out, and in her interview, Garcelle said Dorit kept bringing it up because she was looking for stuff on Garcelle.

Garcelle sat back down, and in Crystal’s interview, she said she got why Garcelle was upset. This was the third time they’d talked about it. She told the women, Garcelle wasn’t there when Erika said she didn’t want to talk about it, but Erika said she didn’t say not to mention it, confusing everyone. Sutton tried to interject something, but Erika wasn’t having it, and told her, shut up, small town worried about her reputation. Sutton laughed, and Erika said she could go all day with Sutton. Go get another mo fo legal opinion. Sutton told Erika not to take her problems out on her, and Erika said her problems didn’t effect Sutton. Her small town sh*t was whack. Crystal said she thought it had been a private moment, and Erika said, it was. Dorit said she believed Garcelle was smarter than that, and Garcelle told her not to jump in on something when she wasn’t there. Dorit got back on the hamster wheel, and said, Garcelle had been giving her jabs, but she didn’t want to be accused of belaboring a point. Garcelle said, case in point. She’d say whatever to Dorit’s face moving forward. Dorit could let it go just yet, and said it made her feel sh*tty. Garcelle said she heard Dorit, and would approach things differently. LisaR said she was glad they were talking about it. We flashed back to years ago, when LisaR said in her interview, if someone else didn’t want to talk about it, you’d better believe she’s going to talk about it.

Kathy’s cutest, tiniest white Pomeranian named Muffy, was sitting on the presents under the tree. At first, I thought she was going to pee on them, but she was a good girl. Kathy said she did it every night. She showed Kyle the glassware and such she was going to use for her dinner, and in Kathy’s interview, she said it took a good four days for her to lay out what she wanted to use. I noted that her candle holders were $950, and she also had $150 party favor tiaras for everyone. I want to go to one of her parties. In her interview, she said, Dorit liked to do a entire look for the evening. She does it on the table. They had lunch on TV trays, and in Kyle’s interview, she said, growing up, their mom used TV trays, and Kathy still does. It made her laugh how Kathy brought it to another level; TV trays, but elegant. Kathy asked what Kyle thought of the launch party, and Kyle said, it was great… until it wasn’t. She was surprised when Garcelle told Dorit, f*** you. Kathy wondered when that happened, and Kyle said Kathy was probably putting on her lipstick. We flashed back, and sure enough, Kathy wasn’t paying one bit of attention to anything going on around her. She was just concentrating on that mirror.  

At LisaR’s afterparty, they had a lipstick reader, who seemed incredibly accurate, and told Kyle her mom was disappointed. Kyle said she’d later admitted she had googled everyone, and American Woman came up. Kathy said their family had put up with scrutiny for so many years, it drew attention to them. In Kyle’s interview, she said she and Kathy had their first setback in their relationship when she and Mauricio started an agency. It was the first time they’d had an issue. We flashed back to 2011, and Kyle and Mauricio on the beach, talking about family. In her interview, Kyle said Kathy thought it was going to disrespect her mother or sister. We flashed back to 2015, and Kyle talking to LVP, telling her, any time she tried to have a conversation to create peace, it just never went well. Then we flashed back to 2017, with Kyle talking to Dorit about being estranged from her family. Kathy said there were so many things out there, there was no way it could be anybody else. It put their mom in a bad light, and jealous people made comments. In Kathy’s interview, she said she did have her lawyer send a letter saying she and her family couldn’t be used. She would have done it with her own kids. I can’t believe anyone cares that much. Kyle said it was inspired by their mom, and a love letter to her. In her interview, Kyle said it was difficult to talk about. She was so scared it was going to spark another issue. Kathy asked why Kyle didn’t talk to her about it beforehand, but Kyle said they weren’t speaking. Kathy insisted she wouldn’t have done it without talking to Kyle, and Kyle said if it had been a real story about their real family, she wouldn’t have done it. It was about a single mom in the 70s, learning how to navigate. Kathy said some of it was off-color, and talked about things you’d only understand if you’d watched American Woman. In Kyle’s interview, she said one of the things Kathy was talking about was Alicia Silverstone on a floaty in a pool, smoking. She thought it was benign. In Kathy’s interview, she said, if it’s shown, people think it’s their family. It’s unacceptable. Okay, your highness. She told Kyle that Kim had never said an unkind thing about it, but Kyle thought Kathy probably just forgot things Kim had said. There were times Kathy and Kim had been close, and she was the outsider, and times Kim was the outsider. There was also the Christmas when Kyle wasn’t included. In her interview, she said, when her mom passed, the dynamic changed. Her mom had been the mediator. We flashed back to the infamous limo scene, where Kim accused Kyle of stealing her goddam house. In Kyle’s interview, she said if their mom was still alive, they’d still argue, but their mom would have brought them together. She thinks it’s time for healing the wound. Kathy reached out for her and Mauricio to join them for dinner.

Two months earlier. We saw Kyle and Mauricio talking, and Mauricio said, all wounds healed with time, but this one was taking longer. In Kyle’s interview, she said she never wanted to go back to that place, and got all teary . Kathy got teary in her interview too, saying, what a waste.

Next time, Kyle asks Sutton about Erika’s divorce being a sham, Sutton thinks the divorce looks fishy, and Erika tells Sutton to STFU.

🏂 Slip Slidin’ Away…

Tomorrow, the cheese soap stands alone, while Friday will bring the finale of some major real estate. Until we meet again, stay safe, stay unruffled, and stay not letting your broken heart do strange things.

August 24, 2021 – Nina Meets Someone From the Past, a Thought, He’s Back, Ramona Hosts a Hamptons Weekend, Shah Quickie & Summertime

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Drew sits in his cell, thinking about Sam and Scout. He envisions them as he thinks they are now, and Sam says, say hi to Daddy.

At the bistro with Dante, Sam says she hates waiting. He says, the upside is that Anna has agreed to share information with them. She says she appreciates that, and he says, the case file from the WSB is a good place to start out. She says, it’s been almost three years. He can’t imagine how many questions she has that have never been answered. He says she seems more convinced than ever that the person on the phone was Drew, and she says, Scout’s father is alive. She doesn’t know how to explain it; she just knows.

Peter looks in the window of the Tan-O and sees Nina. Sonny asks if he can help Peter. Peter turns around, and Sonny asks if he’s all right. It looks like he saw a ghost.

Jason tells Carly, the Five Families vodka sauce seem convincedfor now, but that can change. The Novaks asking for a wedding invite was definitely a veiled threat. She says, it’s not necessarily a bad idea, and he suggests they invite all the families. That way, they can make sure they don’t do anything, but this means it can’t be some kind of courthouse wedding. She says, okay. The wedding needs to be real and as public as it gets.

Austin is going into the elevator as Britt is coming out. She says she needs to speak with him, but he says, whatever it is, he really can’t talk. He’ll have to speak with her later. Thanks. The elevator doors close.

Michael asks Brook to leave so they can speak with Chase privately, and she says, of course (🍷), telling Chase to remember what she said. She leaves, and Chase asks, what’s going on? Willow says, there’s something they’ve been keeping from him. He folds up the paper in his hand, and says he’s listening.

Peter says, this is most unfortunate, and Sonny says, that’s one way of looking at it. A stranger lurking outside the bar is usually a red flag. Peter says, a stranger… Sonny doesn’t know who he is? Sonny asks if he should.

Maxie calls Brook, and says she’s in her car. She’s giving Brook a heads up; she’s coming home tonight. Brook says, oh, and Maxie says she doesn’t sound too excited. Brook says, of course (🍷) she’s happy to see Maxie, but is Maxie sure she’s ready for this? Maxie says, it will be hard seeing Lou… Bailey, but Nina made her realize, she can’t stay away from her daughter forever. Brook says, she did? and Maxie says, what if Peter finds out? She has to protect her baby. Brook says, they have Yuri, but Maxie says, Peter killed the real nurse Chloe and replaced her with an imposter. Does she really think Yuri is a match for him? Brook asks if Maxie thinks she is, and Maxie says she has a better shot than anyone. She’s going in to Deception right now, and she’ll talk with Brook later. Brook hangs up, and says, great.

Ryan says, Scout, and sees a strange woman standing in his cell. She says, don’t die on her, okay? He hides the pen, and asks who she is. She says she’s a nurse. Her name is Chloe.

Sam tells Dante that he can say it, and he says, say what? She says that he doesn’t believe Drew is alive. He says what he does believe is that she has the right to those answers she was talking about. He’ll do whatever it takes to help her get them. She thanks him and his phone rings. He says, it’s Rocco. He asks Rocco what’s going on, and says, that sucks. They’ll get them next time… Yeah, he’s coming home tonight… No, Rocco can’t wait up; it will be too late… He’s just helping a friend with something… He loves Rocco too. He hangs up, and asks if Sam is okay. She says, yeah. It’s just what he has with Rocco. Scout doesn’t have that with Drew.

Chase says he’d ask if he should be sitting, but he’s already got that covered. Willow sits down, and says, the first thing she wants to say isn’t an excuse, just the truth. She never wanted to hurt him. She starts to cry, and says, it breaks her heart knowing how badly she’s about to break his. She needs to ask him for an annulment. She knows it seems like it’s coming out of left field… He says, not really. He knows she and Michael are in love with each other.

At the MetroCourt, Carly tells Jason, she prefers wedding planning to planning this dinner she’s having with Jax and Josslyn. They were supposed to be celebrating Josslyn and Cameron’s freshman year of college, and she’d love to celebrate them, but after the stunt Jax pulled… Jason says, Jax thinks they’re marriage is going to put Josslyn at risk, but she says, the opposite is the truth. He says he gets where Jax is coming from. He doesn’t want Josslyn to be put in an awkward position. She says, Jax is the one putting her in an award position. Josslyn is happy about them. It’s Jax’s choices that are making life harder on everyone. He says, they’ve all made choices. Now they have to live with them.

Elizabeth tells Britt that she wanted to confirm that she put in for some vacation days starting tomorrow. Britt says she saw that. Kind of last minute, doesn’t she think? She doesn’t think they can swing it. Elizabeth says they’re her days to take, and Britt says, with reasonable notice, sure. Elizabeth says she’s sure Britt can find someone to cover, and Britt says, normally, yes, but Elizabeth was scheduled for a double. It’s a heavy lift. Elizabeth sees Terry, and walks away, mumbling, petty until the end. Britt says she heard that, and it’s not petty, it’s… forget it.

Chase says Willow can admit it now. She loves Michael. She says, how did he… She didn’t think he knew. He says, which part? That she only married him because she thought he was going to die, or that she and Michael had sex on Wiley’s birthday? Or that she was lying to his face the entire time? Which part did she think he didn’t know? She says she’s so sorry, and he says, don’t be. Just tell him why. After everything they’ve been through, why couldn’t she be honest with him?

Brook calls Nina, who asks how she is. Brook says she’d be better if Nina hadn’t told Maxie to come back to Port Charles. Every second Maxie is there, she risks exposing their entire plan. She thought Nina understood that. Nina says she did; she does. It’s what Brook signed up for. Can she handle it? The doorbell rings, and Brook opens the door. She says, oh, she’s on it. It’s Austin.

Peter tells Sonny that he’s well-known in his field, that’s all. Sonny asks, what field? and Peter says, that of author. He’s Peter Sinclair. Sonny introduces himself as Mike, and Peter says, good to know you, Mike. He asks if the place is closed. Sonny says, yeah. The owner passed a few days ago. Peter says he’s sorry to hear that. He’s heard good things about the place, and was hoping to pop inside. Sonny asks what a hotshot writer like him is doing in Nixon Falls.

Chloe says the did a number on Drew, and he says, she’s a nurse? She says that’s what they tell her, and he says, she couldn’t find a better gig than this? Like a hospital or clinic? She says she’s not there by choice. He didn’t think he was the only hostage, did he? He says, now he doesn’t feel special anymore. She puts a wound closure thing on his head, and says, it’s not stitches, but it will do. He thanks her, and says, not that he doesn’t appreciate the company, but he hasn’t seen a single person except Russ and the guards in over a year. She tells him to keep his voice down. If they hear them talking like this… He says, then what? and they hear a scream. She says, they’ll do to them what they’re doing to their fellow prisoner.   

While Elizabeth pleads her case to Terry, Britt talks to Obrecht on the phone. She says she doesn’t know why Obrecht is surprised that she’s still at the hospital. No offense, but it seems a little hypocritical coming from the woman who worked 18 hour days her whole childhood… She appreciates that, and promises to take some time off soon… Goodnight, mother. Elizabeth tells Britt, good news. She spoke to Terry, and Terry told her to take her vacation days.  

Carly tells Jason, she doesn’t understand why she’s so jumpy about the wedding. There’s no reason for her to be nervous about marrying him. So why is she? He says, because marriage is a big deal, and it’s okay to be nervous. She says, really? Is he nervous? He says, nope, and she asks if he’s sure about that. Even though it means what he has with Britt is over? He says he hates that he hurt Britt, but they need to do this. It’s the situation they’re in, and no, he’s not nervous about marrying her. He understands that she is, but good news. He’s seen her nervous about a lot of things, and she always finds her way through it. She will again. They’re going to be okay.

Brook asks why Austin is there, and he says he doesn’t think that’s any of her business. She says, her family, her house, her business. He says, okay. He needs to see Chase. She says she’s sure he does. Chase told her a little bit about their subterfuge. Austin is using Chase to weasel his way into the Quartermaine pie. What the hell is wrong with him?

Willow tells Chase that she and Michael realized months ago that they wanted a life together. She knew he deserved to hear the truth from her. She was there to tell him the night he first collapsed. Then he was so sick, and they all got so scared. Then he got better – thank God – but then he couldn’t walk. It was like every time he got over one hurdle, another appeared. He was going through so much. Michael says, Chase can see that right? There was never a good time. Chase says he could almost laugh, thinking about how grateful he was for Michael taking him in. A stand-up guy, that Michael. Michael didn’t take him in so he could be in close proximity to his wife. Michael wanted him healed and out the door as soon as possible. Michael says, Chase is right. He wanted Chase better so the situation would stop; he wanted the lie to stop. Chase says, there didn’t have to be a lie in the first place, and Michael says he understands Chase is furious. He has every right to be. Chase thanks Michael for giving him permission, and Michael says he finds it ironic that Chase is wondering why Willow couldn’t be honest, when Chase couldn’t be honest with her. Sometimes, with the best intentions, you tell a lie, because you truly believe it’s the right thing to do. He thinks Chase knows that more than anyone. Chase asks if any of it was real, and Willow says she tried; she really did. When the truth came out about Chase and Sasha, she tried to get back what they had, and forget what she had for Michael, but she couldn’t. He says so she married him for all these reasons, but couldn’t tell him. He gets it. He hates it, but he gets it. But why would she turn around and sleep with Michael? Or was it because she’d been sleeping with him all along?

Drew tells Chloe that he had no idea there was anyone else there. Does she know from where? She says, wherever she was causing trouble. All she was told was that her accommodations were downgraded. He wonders what Chloe did to end up in a place like this, and she says she saw a job posting for a private nurse for some pregnant woman. She was interviewed by the father, or at least he said  he was the baby’s father. Next thing she knew, she was jumped. He says, worst interview ever, and she says, pretty much. He asks if it’s the same person holding them there, and she says she hasn’t seen him since she’s been there, but that doesn’t mean anything. Drew says, whoever he is, using an unborn baby as bait… She says, he sounds like a real prize, and he asks if she’s got kids. She says, no; him? He says, yeah, a little girl. And he’s damn well going home to her. Chloe picks up her medical bag, and he asks her to wait. She doesn’t have cuffs on. She says, it would be hard to do her job with them, and he says that means she can help them get out.

Sam tells Dante that she shows Scout pictures and tells her stories about Drew before… Dante says, he disappeared, and she says, Scout loves the stories, but she doesn’t know he’s a real person; her father. The more she thinks about it, she hopes Peter is found alive. He asks, why? and she says, after everything Peter has done to Drew, Jason, and Scout, she’d like to kill him with her bare hands.   

Peter tells Sonny, he came down with a bit of the wanderlust. He got rid of everything; he sold his apartment and his country home. Sonny hopes he kept his car, and he says he did. He’s been driving up and down the countryside, searching for his new place in the world. A place away from it all; a new life. Sonny says, it sounds like he’s running from something, but Peter says, more like looking for something. But who knows? In doing so, he might stumble on something with much more value. Sonny says he understands about wanting to find a new life, and Peter says, does he? Sonny says, it’s a long story. The bar is closed, but he can get Peter some water for the road. Peter says, if it wouldn’t be too much trouble, and Sonny says, no. His girl… his friend is in there. Don’t worry about it. Sonny goes inside, and calls to Nina. She comes out with a tray of glasses, and says he’s back so soon. Did he even meet Phyllis? He says Phyllis is feeling a lot better, and Nina turns around, seeing Peter. She drops the tray of glasses, and Peter says, Nina Reeves. What a small world.

Chloe tells Drew, it’s not like she has free reign around there; she’s kept on a very short leash. They don’t trust her. He says they’re going to find a way to help them trust her. He shows her the pen, and she asks what it is. He says, it’s Russ’s pen. He was going to use it to open the cuffs and attack the guards, but he doubts he’d get that far. All she has to say is that she found it on him, and he was trying to escape. She says, they’ll beat him up again, and he says, probably, but they’re not going to kill him. If that was the plan, they would have done it two years ago.  He can take a beating. He doesn’t look forward to it, but she should have seen what he went through in training. She says, training? and he says he’s a Navy SEAL. She says, oh my God, and asks if they don’t use waterboarding and things like that. He says, stuff like that. He can handle the pain, and if she gains their trust, it will be worth it.   

Sonny tells Nina that he’s got it, and begins cleaning up the glass. Peter says, it’s been a long time, and Sonny says they obviously know each other. Peter says, through the media. He’s Peter Sinclair, and they ran in the same publishing circles. Nina says, of course (🍷); her apologies. Seeing him there is very out of context. He says he knows the feeling. And yet it seems she found herself there, and apparently she and Mike/Sonny found each other.

Carly thanks Jason for saying that; she needed to hear it. He’s right. Everything is going to be okay. She guesses she needs to start planning a wedding. Maxie walks in, and Carly says she thought Maxi was in Texas. Maxie says she was, but she wanted to come back to Port Charles, be with her friends, and get her life back. And also be nearby if there was any news on Louise. Carly welcomes Maxie back, and says she has to make a call. She leaves, and Jason gives Maxie a hug, asking when she got in. She says, literally right now. Her parents are driving back with James and Georgie. Family road trip, complete with stops at county fairs. They’re loving it, but she’d be tearing her hair out. That’s why she’s there. She wanted to check in with Deception and see if she could get back to work. He asks if she thinks she’s ready for that, but she says, no. He tells her, there’s no shame in taking some more time, and she says, it’s not about shame. Maybe a little bit, but she’s horrified about how things got with Peter. She’s also embarrassed and disappointed, but mostly she’s furious. Peter took so much from her, and she can’t keep putting her life on hold because he’s out there somewhere. Carly comes back, and says, they’re all set. She talked to the event planner at All Saint’s Chapel, and they have the minister and the venue for September 17th. Maxie says the engagement has progressed since she left town. The wedding is happening? Carly says it is, and Maxie says, excellent. When does she get started?

Britt asks Terry, what the hell was that? and Terry says, good evening to her too. Britt says Terry gave Elizabeth the weekend off, and Terry asks if that’s a bad thing. Britt says, considering she told Elizabeth no, yeah. Terry says she was just trying to help out a friend, and Britt says, and undermining her in the process. She gets that she’s reviled by the entire staff, but she’s trying to change that. Playing bad cop to Terry’s good cop makes it that much harder. Terry says, point taken, and Britt says, they’re sharing a job; partners is how Terry pitched it. If they let people pit them against each other, this will never work. I totally understand this. I took care of kids who tried that with me and their mom. Their mom was smart though. She asked right away what I had said, so it didn’t work.

Brook asks, how dare Austin use what Chase is going through for his own selfish reasons? He says he’s only trying to get what’s his, but she says, if that was the case, he woudn’t have involved Chase. She’s sorry his dad had a crappy relationship with Edward, and her great-grandfather cut him out. He says, that’s exactly the point, and she says, she knows he thinks Edward was going to put his father back in the will, but whether he was or wasn’t, that’s Austin’s problem. To think he would take this extremely painful situation and twist it so it serves him to get what he wants; if there was any question he was a Quartermaine, there’s not now. And she doesn’t mean it as a compliment. He doesn’t suppose she does, and she says, what a lousy way to be, and an even lousier way to introduce himself to the family. He says, next time, he’ll bring a fruit basket, and she says there was a sliver of her that felt bad for him. She was moved by his devotion to his dad. But it’s all about the money, and she’ll be damned if she lets him get a dime.

Willow tells Chase, it was just the one time after they were married. Her intention was to honor her vows, and be with him until he was better. He says, but on Wiley’s birthday, she just couldn’t help herself? Michael says, that’s not fair; he knows what that day means to Willow. Willow says she slept with Michael because she loved him, and in that moment, she needed him. Chase wanted honesty, so here it goes. She loves him, and always will, but because she loves him, she couldn’t bring herself to hurt him. Her lack of strength and courage is 100% on her. She’s in love with Michael. Michael says, he’s in love with Willow too, and Willow says, they want a life together. Chase says, so that first lie he told her that broke them up and changed things between them turned out to be forever. She says, yes, and he says, it doesn’t feel good, but at least she’s being honest. Now it’s his turn. He parks his chair, and gets up, walking a few steps.  

Willow says, Chase is walking? That’s so wonderful. Chase says he thought so too, until he walked to the gatehouse the night she and Michael were there. Michael says, Chase was at the gatehouse the night of Wiley’s party? and Chase says he didn’t know what to do. Then Austin had a suggestion. He’s not really steady on his feet yet, and Austin helped him walk to the gatehouse. Austin was there when he realized his marriage to Willow wasn’t really a marriage at all. When they got back, they saw the two of them celebrating with Wiley like nothing had happened. Michael wonders why Chase didn’t confront them after the party, and Chase says, Austin gave him the idea to keep playing the dutiful husband, while he searched for this. He shows them the paper, and Willow asks what it is. Chase says, apparently Edward Quartermaine wanted Jimmy Lee in his will after all. He shows them what it says. 

Austin says, Brook’s position is noted. He’d like to speak to Chase himself. She blocks his way, saying, Chase is busy at the moment. He says he’ll wait, and she says, Chase is a good guy, and he’s got an even better heart. No matter how angry he is, he won’t betray her family. He says, maybe; maybe not. But the decision is up to Chase.   

Terry asks to talk to Elizabeth, and says, Britt told her that she denied Elizabeth’s vacation request. Elizabeth says, okay, and Terry asks why she didn’t make that clear when they spoke. Elizabeth says she didn’t think it was a big deal. Britt was just being difficult as usual. Britt watches from around the corner, and Terry says, however Elizabeth feels about Britt, she’s got a job to do. Elizabeth asks if Terry is scolding her, and Terry tells her, she’s saying Elizabeth can’t run to her when she doesn’t like the answer Britt gave her. If Britt didn’t think she could get Elizabeth’s shift covered, it was probably for a good reason. Britt comes out, and tells Terry, she just remembered Amy was looking for extra work. She could probably fill in if Britt reached out to her. If it’s good with Terry of course (🍷). Terry says, sounds like a plan, and Elizabeth looks more annoyed than anything else.   

Sonny tells Peter, Nixon Falls is the best place to get away from it all. Peter asks what Sonny is trying to get away from, and Sonny says, that’s a long story. A few months ago, he woke up with no memory of who he was. Peter says, wow, that’s intense, and Nina says, and very complicated. Sonny tells Nina that he has to give Phyllis something. He tells Peter that Phyllis is the owner of the Tan-O. Her husband died a few days ago. Peter says, his condolences, and Nina asks what Phyllis wants. Sonny says, just a photo album, and takes it out of the trunk. She tells Sonny to go ahead and bring it to Phyllis, and he asks if Nina will be all right.  

Maxie says, they have the venue. Now they have to talk flowers, DJ, dress, caterer. Carly says, Maxie has so much going on right now, and Maxie says that’s why she needs the distraction. Her life has completely imploded, and planning a wedding would be like a vacation, to be honest. And she never really acknowledged or apologized for the fact that Peter took five years of Jason’s life. Carly says, whatever Peter did to Jason, none of it was Maxie’s fault, and Jason agrees. Maxie says, maybe not, but she feels culpable for deluding herself about Peter, and ignoring everything Peter had taken from him. So giving him Carly’s dream wedding is her way of making amends. Please. She’s good at this, they know she is, and they’d be doing her a favor. Carly says, when Maxie puts it that way, how can they say no?  

Dante reminds Sam that she has one month left on her parole, and murder is a crime in all 50 states. She says she’s not going to actually murder Peter. She might maim him; chop off a toe or two. He says he’s all right with that, and she says she is kidding. Dante says, that’s good. He is a cop, and it is his job to track Peter down and put him away. She says, the sad thing is, even if he does bring Peter to justice, it won’t balance the scales.   

Chloe asks what Drew wants her to do, and he says, it’s very simple. Just say she found this while she was treating his wounds. It will make them trust her. She asks why he trusts her, and he says she’s the first kind face he’s seen in two years. She must be real, and he really doesn’t have any other choice. She takes the pen, and he tells her, she can do this. She calls for the guards, and the main guard asks, what happened? She says she found this on Drew. She thinks he was trying to escape. He thanks her, and tells the other guard, take the nurse and go outside. She leaves with guard #2, and the main guard says, that was a very stupid move.

Maxie says she’s so excited, and Carly tells her, just remember, classy, elegant, and understated. Maxie says understated is her middle name, but understated can be surprisingly expensive. Budget? Jason says, whatever, and she says, oh my God. Is he sure? He says he’s sure, and Maxie says, buckle up, Port Charles. This is going to be the wedding of the century.

Nina tells Sonny, everything is fine. She’ll see him when he gets back. Tell Phyllis that she loves her. He says he will, and tells Peter, if he doesn’t see him again, it was good to meet him. Peter says, great to meet you too… Mike. Sonny leaves, and Nina quietly unlocks a metal box under the bar. Peter says, Nina, Nina, Nina. Of all the gin joints in all the world. What have you gotten yourself into now? She fingers a gun in the box.

The main guard comes out of Drew’s cell, and says, the prisoner got the message. He tells Chloe, good work, and they take her down the hall. Drew lies on his cot, and thinks about Scout and Sam. He says, don’t worry, Scout. Daddy is coming home to you.

Sam tells Dante, Peter cost Drew and their daughter three years. That’s time they’ll never get back. He says, at least Drew has the luxury of knowing it’s Peter’s fault. She says, that’s a luxury? and he says, that time was taken away from Drew and Scout. The time taken away from Rocco was the result of his own actions. She tells him not to be so hard on himself, and he says, that guilt choked him for a long time, but little by little, he realized that time is gone. He can’t get that back for him or Rocco. So his only shot at redemption is do whatever he can do now, and move forward. Be present for Rocco, and be an example. Sam wishes Drew could do the same thing.

Elizabeth says she appreciates Britt making it work. It will mean a lot to Violet and her boys. Britt tells her to get some rest, but Elizabeth says, they’re going camping. It’s literally the opposite of restful. Britt says, have fun then? and Elizabeth thanks her. She leaves, and Britt thanks Terry for what she said to Elizabeth. Terry says, when Britt is right, she’s right. They have to stick up for each other professionally. Britt says, and personally? and Terry says, personally, she can’t stand Britt, but who knows? They laugh, and Terry says, maybe it will change. Britt says, stranger things have happened. Terry says, partners? and holds out her hand. Britt says, partners, and they shake.

Chase tells Michael and Willow, this is a letter from Edward’s lawyer, reviewing the changes he requested in the will. One of those changes was that Jimmy Lee Holt be included. His intentions were clear. Michael says Chase isn’t seriously considering giving that to Austin, is he? and Willow says, please, don’t do this.

Austin tells Brook, what Chase does or doesn’t do, is up to Chase. It’s Chase’s decision to make. She says she thinks he’s going to be disappointed, but he’s right. Let’s find out. She opens the door, and says Chase has a visitor. Austin says, hi. Please forgive him; he didn’t mean to interrupt. He’s just there to pick up the proof that Edward Quartermaine wanted his father in his will. Everyone gives each other soap looks.   

Tomorrow, Brook says she’s not buying Austin’s sob story, Nina asks Peter what he wants, and Valentin says there’s been a development in Louise’s case.

🤷 I dunno. Is it me? If Michael is such a stand-up good guy, why isn’t he honoring what are obviously Edward’s wishes, and giving Austin what’s – at least morally – rightfully his?

🕶 What a Tease…

Peter is back.

The Real Housewives of New York City

Bryan, Bunny, and brother Danny visited Leah, and she brought out the kosher food. In her interview, she said it was important to see her parents, even if they drove her crazy. She knew her grandmother was watching, and her grandmother had wanted Leah and her mother to get along. I had to laugh when Leah fed Angel off her fork, because I do that too. She said Shabbat was a great tradition, but she had no one to do it with, and a lot of people were naysayers. In Leah’s interview, she said, Bunny was supportive, but she didn’t think Bunny was going to believe it until she saw it. Leah thought the more Bunny saw her dedication, the more Bunny would respect her. Danny said Jesus was a Jew, and it was good enough for him, and Leah said, actually it wasn’t good enough, he started something new, making me laugh again. Danny asked what was up with her book deal, and she said she was signed with a publisher. In her interview, she said it was going to be an anti-self-help book. She didn’t think she should give advice to anyone, but if anyone wanted to hear things from her, they could read the book. It was going to be part memoir, and Bunny thought Leah should include her drug use. It would show how drugs could rob someone of their life. Danny said, certain years, not Leah’s whole life, and Leah said she got to experience the raging of the 90s, and woudn’t trade it for anything. I clubbed in the 80s, and agree. Bunny said those years would have been cherished by them, but in Leah’s interview, she said she didn’t lose anything. She was at the Limelight and the Tunnel. She told Bunny that she didn’t need compliments, but also didn’t need Bunny criticizing everything she did. Bryan agreed that Leah had a point, and Leah said Bunny claimed she was addicted to plastic surgery. Bunny said she’d had three surgeries within a few months, and we saw that Leah had her nose and boobs done, but there was a maybe on fat transfers to her butt. Leah said she was done, and in her interview, said she thought maybe Bunny had an effect on how she saw herself. Maybe she could blame Bunny if addicted to plastic surgery. Bunny said she’d be behind Leah 100%… based on what she did.

Ramona was working on getting her real estate license, and said Eboni had given her great advice. She’d told Ramona to go at her own pace, and not to place a limit on when she’d finish. She thought she was progressing faster since she’d stopped pressuring herself. Sonja said she was calling with bad news. She’d tested positive for covid, and so had her assistant Emma. They’d both felt crappy, and Sonja thought it was allergies. No surprise, Ramona had to play can you top this? saying she thought she might have it again, but her test was negative. She’d been so tired, she went to bed at 10 o’clock. In Sonja’s interview, she said Ramona going to bed at 10, then feeling better, didn’t help her, but go ahead and share.

Four weeks later. In Eboni’s interview, she said Linda had been right that her dad had been one of three brothers, and on the money with which one she thought was him. Linda reached out to him, and he’d been willing to do a DNA test, and he was her father. Eboni looked the happiest I’ve seen her, and she said his name was Jude. It was incredible that, for the first time, she knew her father’s name. Reaching out had been the scariest, most exciting call of her life. We saw her getting voicemail, and leaving a message to call back. In her interview, she said she was relieved he didn’t pick up, but hopeful he’d call back. She hoped he could hear the pureness of intention in her voice.

Sonja’s whole team was at the townhouse, so I assumed she was better. She told them it was an emotional moment when she’d told Ramona that she was running a fever, and Ramona said she was sending an ambulance, and coming there. In Sonja’s interview, she said she was fine when she first found out she had it, but the next day, she was so sick. It was nice to get calls from the girls, and Ramona sent gorgeous flowers. When the doctor cleared her, Eboni and Leah had come over. We saw a clip of Eboni unloading a shopping bag full of vitamins and supplement for Sonja. Sonja said it felt good to know that it didn’t matter what they’d been through, when the chips were down, the girls were there. Ramona told Sonja, when she was feeling better, she could come to the Hamptons. Sonja thought Ramona wanted to keep an eye on her. They hadn’t seen each other in months.    

Ramona arranged for all the women to come to the Hamptons, as she wanted to pamper their core group. LuAnn was at her house in Sag Harbor, and in her interview, LuAnn said she’d been away, Sonja had been sick, and everyone was in different places. She could understand why Ramona wanted to get them together. We saw Ramona telling LuAnn that she wanted to have a Galentine’s Day party, and LuAnn said, it was winter in the Hamptons, so not a lot was going on. It was nice to huddle down with her girlfriends. LuAnn called Sonja, saying she missed her, and Sonja said she was exhausted. She didn’t think LuAnn realized how sick she’d been, but LuAnn said she knew Sonja was sick when she hadn’t heard back from her. Sonja said her assistant had been on an inhaler. They talked about the Hamptons weekend, and Sonja thought she hung up, but didn’t. She told her assistant that she loved LuAnn, but couldn’t stop talking sh*t about her. LuAnn said she could hear Sonja, and heard her say she talked sh*t about her. Sonja said she loved LuAnn so much, and LuAnn said Sonja was caught red-handed. In her interview, LuAnn said, Sonja claimed not to drink at home, but she wasn’t too sure about that.

Everyone climbed over mounds of snow to get into the party bus. Sonja bitched about all the taxes she paid, and how NYC still couldn’t plow, while they did in New Jersey. I have news for her; New Jersey is the most heavily taxed state in the nation, so count your blessings. In Leah’s interview, she said she didn’t want to stay in the same room as last time. She’d been in the worst emotional state, and the room reminded her of her grandmother dying. She didn’t think it was a big ask to switch. Ramona had invited Bershawn later in the weekend, and in Eboni’s interview, she thought it was fine that Ramona had invited her. It wasn’t easy finding your footing with the women, so it was good for her to spend more time with the ladies. Eboni said LuAnn would bitch if she wasn’t in the same room.

Ramona said she was nervous, like she was entertaining a boyfriend, but it was just the girls. LuAnn arrived first, with her huge Jovani tote bag. She was impressed with Ramona’s décor, and Ramona said they’d worked relentlessly. Everything was done up for Valentine’s day, all reds, hearts, and flowers. In Ramona’s interview, she said she could whip up anything on short notice. In other words, this old thing? She told LuAnn that Sonja was driving, and she wanted Sonja to chill. LuAnn said Sonja had been so wasted on phone yesterday, she’d thought she’d hung up, and said she’d been talking sh*t about LuAnn. LuAnn had gotten her friends to rent Sonja’s townhouse for several months, and was a tried and true friend. Then she heard Sonja talking smack about her. Ramona said Sonja was drunk. Their lives had been bettered by their divorces, while Sonja lost money, and she resented it. LuAnn said she understood, but she could only take so much. In her interview, she said she was fed up, and not getting anything back from the friendship. She loved Sonja, but wasn’t going to be abused. Ramona said Sonja was in trouble, but LuAnn said she didn’t have to take her problems out on them.

Leah admitted it had been no fun last time, mostly because of her. We flashed back to that, and Leah said she was looking forward to it this time. When they got to Ramona’s, Leah went in first, and there were lots of hugs. In Ramona’s interview, she said she and Leah had their ups and downs, but right now, it was up. So she was embracing it, and Leah. Eboni said she’d come a long way with the women since last year, and now considered them her best friends. In her interview, she said it had been full-circle growth with her and the women, Ramona in particular. It was nice to return to the scene of the crime. She thought they’d do good by it, and was excited. We saw a clip of Leah telling Rob that they were having an identity swap dinner. She’d been assigned Ramona, and gotten an IV stand. She was making a sign that said, covid blood plasma. She was excited about this sh*t. Eboni brought in two giant suitcases, and LuAnn kept saying, for two nights? Eboni said she went all out for the ID swap. In Sonja’s interview, she said Ramona could do a plank for 20 minutes, but couldn’t help her carry her bags upstairs. Sonja lugged some her own stuff up, saying she did have covid. Ramona wondered if there was a dead body or two in Sonja’s third bag, as she carried it up with LuAnn.  

Sonja told Ramona that she was going to be emotional, and started crying. Ramona said she was glad Sonja was there, and Sonja said she’d been holding sh*t in about the stuff she went through. We flashed back to two months ago in Bravo time, when Sonja was screaming at Ramona during Black Shabbat. In Sonja’s interview, she said, covid made her look inward. What was really important to her? She knew she needed to be there with the people she loved. Ramona said she got it, and Sonja said, Eboni and Leah were there for her during covid, but Ramona was sending an ambulance. In Ramona’s interview, she said, it was a serious illness. Sonja had a fever for a long time, and she was alone. Who was going to take care of her? Nurse Ramona to the rescue. Sonja apologized to Ramona, and said she had a long apology list.

Ramona had gotten matching PJs for everyone and press-on jewels for their faces, along with red feather boas. In Eboni’s interview, she said, in the spirit of sisterhood, she’d put on cheap-ass PJs, and crystals on her face, because they were all in it together. Sonja said she felt like a leper having had covid, and LuAnn asked her about her blind date with Brad. Sonja said Brad hadn’t even sent chicken soup when she was sick. He was Jewish, and should know better. Not even flowers. In Sonja’s interview, she said she and Brad fizzled out. She gave it her best effort. She made herself available, she was a good listener, they’d FaceTimed while he was watching TV. That’s not Mr. Right. She thought she’d go back to Mr. Right Now for a while. LuAnn asked if he’d sent nothing for Valentine’s Day, and Sonja said she’d gotten more from LuAnn. Frenchie used to send flowers for everyone. LuAnn said, he’s French, and Sonja said American men weren’t romantic. LuAnn thought they needed to go to Europe.

They put the fake jewels on their faces, and Eboni said, who needed a man when they had Ramona. In her interview, she said she loved a Galentine’s Day. You could love on your girlfriends too. LuAnn reminded Sonja about still being on the phone when Sonja was trashing her, and Sonja said she’d apologized to Ramona, and meant to apologize to LuAnn. LuAnn said she couldn’t be Sonja’s punching bag, and Sonja said she loved LuAnn, and they hugged. LuAnn said a person could only take so much, and she didn’t want anything to happen to their friendship. In Sonja’s interview, she said she loved LuAnn, and felt bad about talking sh*t about her, but if you didn’t talk sh*t about your best friends, who could you talk sh*t about? I dunno. Maybe the people you don’t like? Everyone wore their red boas to dinner, and LuAnn’s interview, she said she hoped she could take Sonja at face value, and she was being honest. She seemed to be laying it on thick. In Eboni’s interview, she said she didn’t know how she was going to feel, since she was just coming off another break-up, but she was looking forward to dating again. In the meantime, she’d get in some time with her gals. Leah pointed out that even the beets in the salad were shaped like hearts. Eboni said she’d love for all of them to go to New Orleans with her. To know her was to know that part of her. She told everyone that it was confirmed Jude was her father. She’d already told Leah and Sonja, and we saw a clip of that. She said she had two sisters, who welcomed her into the family. Both of them were wives and mothers. In her interview, she said, it was so incredible. For six months, she’d had no family, and now she had a huge family. She had to start knowing them. Leah said she needed something new, and was thinking about getting a sugar daddy. In her interview, she said, whatever strategy she had, wasn’t working. She had no jewelry, her rent had never been paid, and she even had to pay for her own boobs.

LuAnn announced they were going to play Pin the Tail on Harry, and put up a poster of a Harry close-up. In her interview, she said, five of them had dipped their toe in the Harry pot, and we flash back to that. LuAnn told the women that whoever was furthest away from his mouth, had to kiss him. She passed out lips , and because she has to be contrary, Ramona said Harry was her friend, and it was disrespectful. Because Sonja has to trump Ramona, she said he wasn’t Ramona’s friend, he was her ex, who cheated on her, and slept with her friends. Leah nearly busted a gut laughing, and in her interview, she said, the picture was so effing creepy. Putting a boa around her eyes, LuAnn spun Ramona around, and Sonja said, even when Harry wasn’t there, he was there. Truer words. She couldn’t stand it. Leah was next; then Eboni, who was way off. In Eboni’s interview, she said, everybody else kissed him. She might as well. Sonja cheated and had to go again, but still got it by his ear. In Sonja’s interview, she said, one game she never wanted to play again was find Harry between the sheets, and pin an effing kiss on his poster. That’s two games, but we’ll let it slide. Ramona told Sonja that she and Harry were just friends, and he missed and adored Sonja. LuAnn took a picture of Eboni kissing Harry, and Eboni looked sick. It was like some weird sorority rush week game. In Eboni’s interview, she said she lived for a live nice older man, but Harry seemed ratty, like an overgrown frat boy. (What’d I say?) Maybe she’d do his father.

The women hopped around, and a phone rang. LuAnn picked it up, and said Harry was calling. He didn’t call her; it was Ramona’s phone. LuAnn held the phone up so Ramona couldn’t get it.

To be continued…

Next time – the season finale – Ramona thinks covid changed her, the women smash some plates, Bershawn joins the women in the Hamptons, the ID switch dinner happens, and Ramona throws hydrangeas at Leah.   

💰 It’s been hit and miss for me watching The Shahs of Sunset this season, but I caught some of the reunion. My God, Destiney needs to lay off the fillers, or at least not get them injected so close to being on TV. She looked like she had a blown-up Kim Kardashian face. I also think MJ needs to get rid of the growth that is Tommy. It’s a shame, because I’d liked him, but he’s been holding a grudge against Reza for something long past where they were both wrong, and refuses to let Reza see Baby Shams. It’s unreasonable and just not right.

🧗🏽‍♀️ Cliff Hanging…

I have a meeting tomorrow, so I’m not positive when Beverly Hills will land, but for sure I’ll meet you here for the usual soap. Until then, stay safe, stay lighting up others’ lives, and stay being honest from the jump. It might cause some pain, but it sure beats the complications later.

August 23, 2021 – Brook Discovers Chase Is Helping Austin, Constructive Criticism On Deck & Suddenly

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Nina says, oh my God, and asks Maxie what she’s doing there. Maxie says it’s nice to see her too. Is Nina going to invite her in? Nina says, of course (🍷). She’s sorry; she’s just surprised to see Maxie. Maxie says she’s the one who should be saying sorry; she should have called. So this is the famous Tan-O. Nina says, it doesn’t look like much, but Maxie thinks it’s cool. It has a retro chic vibe. She loves it, and can see why Nina spends so much time there. Aside from her guy. Is he here? Can she meet him?

At the pool (🍷), Valentin tells Anna, that phone call came at an opportune time; it chased Martin off. She asks why he cares if she likes Martin’s company. Valentin doesn’t have to protect her from him. He says, on the contrary. He’s protecting Martin from her.

Laura asks Martin what kind of trouble they’re in, and he says, for one thing, the police escorted him there. Doc asks what he did, and how it involves Laura, and Jordan comes in. She says, it’s not what Martin did, it’s what their other brother did.   

Anna says, she understands she can be challenging, and Valentin says, that’s a polite word for it. She says, yet he’s here, and he says he always will be. His phone rings, and he says, but not today. He has a lunch date. He steps away, and says, hello, Dr. Gatlin-Holt. Austin says he has to cancel lunch; something is going on. Valentin says, another time, and goes back to Anna. Anna says, bad news?  Was he stood up? He says his lunch date did just cancel. He doesn’t suppose she’d have lunch with him instead.

Sam sees Dante at the pool (🍷), and says she didn’t realize detectives got a day off. He says, shocking, isn’t it? He’s meeting his mom and Leo. Rocco is too cool for school, so he’s at a friend’s house. He asks if she’s still thinking about the call from the man who claimed to be Drew.

Nina says she thought Maxie was in Texas, and Maxie says she was, but her mom and Mac drove down to surprise her, Georgie, and James. They said they wanted to see that she was okay with their own eyes, but she thinks they missed the kids, so they’re all driving back together. She decided to give them the joy of a family road trip, while she gets settled in Port Charles again. Nina says, she’s going back home? and Maxie says she misses Louise.

Brook asks how long Chase has been able to walk, and why he hasn’t told anyone.  

Michael tells Willow, the situation has gotten harder, and she says, it’s harder for her to lie to Chase. He’s her husband, and he loves her so much. She made a vow to stick by him for better or worse, and she keeps breaking those vows over and over again. She’s breaking them right now by being with Michael. He says if she needs to walk away from him to fully be Chase’s wife, he’ll hate it, but he’ll accept it. She’s right. They can’t keep living a lie.

Laura asks if Cyrus escaped, and Jordan says, he’s still in custody, but he doesn’t have to be loose to wreak havoc. Martin says, their brother is nothing if not resourceful, and Doc asks, what about Cyrus? Jordan says, he’s put out a contract, and Laura asks who the target is. Martin says, there are two; Laura and him. Their loving brother wants them dead.

Dante says, since the trace didn’t work, what are Sam’s next steps? She says she wants to find out what the WSB knows about the plane crash, when Leo runs in, followed by Olivia. He says hi to Dante, but ignores Sam. Olivia tells him to say hi, but he doesn’t respond, and sits down playing with a plastic bag. WTH? Olivia asks if Sam wants to join them for lunch, but Dante says, he doesn’t think… Sam says it was good to see the., and says good by to Leo. She leaves, and Dante asks if Leo wants to hit the pool. Leo says, he’s thirsty, and Olivia gives him can of juice. She says, Dante and Sam… Anything new?  

Anna says she’d love to stay and needle Valentin, but she has a lunch date of her own. Sam joins them, and Anna asks if Valentin remembers her. He says, of course (🍷) he does. It’s nice to see her. He tells Anna, some other time, but Sam says maybe Valentin can help her. He says, if he can, and she says she’s looking for information involving Peter. 

Ned is at the reception desk, and Austin says he hopes Ned is planning on wining and dining him like Valentin said he would. Ned wonders if Valentin was going to order a bottle of Chateau Lafite in exchange for Austin’s vote at the next ELQ Board meeting, but Austin says he’d have to ask Valentin. And he has no voting shares, does he? Ned says, no, he doesn’t, and Austin says, not unless the court overturns Edwards will, and redistributes the shares. Why is Ned there? To tell him that he should withdraw a lawsuit he’s not going to win? Ned says Austin won’t return his calls. He wants to know what Austin wants. Austin says, a seat at the Quartermaine table, and Ned says, besides that. What can Ned give him to walk away from his ridiculous claim?   

Chase tells Brook that he wanted to be 100% before he told anyone, but she says she knows he wouldn’t let them worry for no reason, especially Willow, and Chase says, maybe she doesn’t know him as much as she thinks. She says, he’s been passive/aggressive since Wiley’s birthday. Would he like to share? He says he’s tired, and he’d like to rest, and she gets up. He gets into the chair, and she grabs the paper out of his hand. She suggests they talk about this.

Willow tells Michael, she never should have married Chase, but she thought he was dying. Now it sounds selfish and awful. She thought she’d give him five minutes of happiness before he passed… He tells her not to do this to herself. Neither one of them expected Chase to end up in a wheelchair. She says she’s a coward. She’ll never find the resolve to tell Chase that she loves Michael not him, but she realizes she can’t betray Chase any longer. Michael says he understands if she needs to end things between them, but know this; he’ll wait for her for as long as it takes. She says she didn’t come there to end things between them. She came to tell him that she’s going to end things between her and Chase. She’s going to tell him the truth, that she loves Michael and wants to be with him.

Maxie tells Nina that her mom texted a picture of Mac and the kids at the county fair. Nina looks at it, and says, they look adorable in their matching cowboy hats. She says she’d offer Maxie a glass of wine, but she must be ready to hit the road. Maxie says she has time; one glass wouldn’t hurt. She missed Nina. Nina and Brook are the only people she can talk to about Louise, and she wants to check on her daughter. Nina asks if they’ve found Peter, and if it’s safe for her to go back to Port Charles, and Maxie says, Dante called. The PCPD found some of Peter’s blood in a subbasement lab at GH. Nina asks if that means he’s dead, but Maxie says they still haven’t found his a body. That could mean Peter was hiding there before he escaped. Nina says, so nothing has changed? and Maxie says, Louise has to stay with Brook until Peter can’t take her away. Nina asks why Maxie is going back. She left because she couldn’t stay away from Louise – which Nina totally understands – and Monica was getting suspicious. Maxie says, let’s face it, Monica thought she was losing it, and Nina asks if her time in Texas gave Maxie the strength she needs to stay away from her baby girl, but Maxie says, just the opposite.

Anna says she didn’t realize Sam was still searching for Peter. Does she have a lead? Sam says, not on Peter; on one of this victims. Valentin asks, which one? There were many. Sam says, Drew Cain.

Dante tells Olivia that he wants to say this nice and polite; butt out of his personal life. She asks if she wasn’t the one who gave him the advice that he needed more than work in his life. There’s nothing wrong with having a little fun. Dante says he and Sam are having fun, talking about a case and work. She says, that’s work, not fun, but he says, it became fun. He and Sam have a really good time together. She says, and…? What happened? Leo tells her to look, and she sees his finger is bleeding.   

Austin tells Ned, it will take $500 million to drop the lawsuit, and they both laugh. Austin says, it’s funny; the whole thing is ridiculous. Ned told him to name his price. He doesn’t have one. Ned says he’ll rephrase that. What can he offer Austin to drop this lawsuit against the family? Austin says he doesn’t need money. He wants shares because he wants to honor his father, who was disrespected by Edward and unfairly shunned. Ned says he admires Austin’s loyalty, despite Jimmy Lee’s antics, but Austin says his father led a quiet life. He never hustled anybody, and he wasn’t greedy. Ned tells him, the same couldn’t be said for Jimmy Lee’s mother Beatrice. She was a gold-digger, and probably the real source of Edward’s grudge against Jimmy. But none of that matters; Jimmy Lee was cut out of the will, and none of them have the power to cut him back in. Austin says, Edward did, and Ned says he wishes Edward had, then they woudn’t be having this conversation. Austin won’t accept money. What will he accept, short of voting shares?. Austin says he thinks Ned is scared. He thinks Ned is afraid he’ll win. Why is that? Did something change? Did the Quartermaines finally discover a revised will after all?

Brook says, it’s a letter from the lawyer to great-grandfather, talking about a conversation they had where they discussed Edward changing his will. The family was worried something like this might exist… But it’s not a will and it’s not signed. Edward might have changed his mind, but they’ll never find out because he’s dead. The only will that counts is the one where he clearly stated he cut out Jimmy Lee and all of his descendants. Chase says, don’t tell him. Tell it to a judge in probate court. She asks where he found it, but Chase doesn’t say anything. She says he went looking in great-grandfather’s office; why? Austin got to Chase. Why is Chase helping him? If Chase values her friendship, hell tell her the truth. Chase says, fine. He took the document for Austin.   

Laura wonders what good it would do Cyrus to go after them now, and Martin says, it’s a fair point. It’s not like Cyrus is eliminating witnesses. Getting rid of him and Laura does nothing to improve Cyrus’s circumstances. Doc says he’d speculate Cyrus’s motives are of a more personal nature. He’s had months to stew about his incarceration, and what brought him down. And plenty of time to nurture his grudge against the siblings whose love and acceptance he craved. Laura says, and turned against him in the end. She’s sure that’s how he sees it. Martin says he wishes Cyrus never existed, and Jordan says, the bottom line is, the two of them are in danger. Martin asks what they can do about that.

Austin tells Ned, he’s right, isn’t he? They found something in Edward’s will? Ned flashes back to telling the family, there’s nothing specific in the letters, but if Edward left something intending to change the will in Jimmy Lee’s favor, it might just give Austin’s case a leg to stand on. Ned tells Austin that he’s just trying to save them all the expense and inconvenience of a court fight; a fight Austin will surely lose. Austin says Ned is awfully confident, and Ned says Austin has no documentation that Edward wanted to change his will and put Jimmy Lee in it. His whole case is built on a pipe dream. Austin says, that remains to be seen, and starts to walk away. Ned asks what Austin knows that he doesn’t.

Brook asks why Chase would throw her family under the bus for some guy he barely knows. Chase says. the correspondence between Edward and his attorney shows he wanted to add Jimmy Lee back in his will. And Edward must have thought it was important because he saved it. He’s kind of surprised that Monica and Ned didn’t search Edward’s office when Austin made his intentions known. She says, probably because they never thought in a million years that her great-grandfather would change his will over Jimmy Lee Holt, someone who he specifically went out of his way to disinherit. And Chase never answered her question. What’s going on between him and Austin? Why is he willing to help Austin? He says, to get back at Michael.

Willow tells Michael, what she hates, is not the lovely moss bowl🎍 is that she let this whole thing get so out of control. What does it say about her that she let this go on for so long, and forced them all to live a lie? He tells her, it says she was put in an impossible situation. No decision she made would have been the right one. She says, admit it. She’s a terrible person. He says, she’s not. She’s a brave one. 

Olivia asks, what happened? and Leo says he twisted the cap off, and Olivia says, the jagged part cut his finger. It looks like he might need stitches. She’s taking him to the hospital. Dante asks what she’s talking about. It doesn’t look that bad. She asks if Dante remembers when he cut his foot when he was five. She said she didn’t have time to deal with it, and the next thing she knew, he was sitting in a pool of blood listening to a Yankee game. He says, the Yankees won; he survived. She says she almost didn’t. She almost died of a heart attack before age 22. Let’s go.

Sam tells Anna and Valentin that she received a phone call from someone claiming to be Drew. He said he needed help. There was all kinds of commotion, then the line went dead.

Nina tells Maxie, if it’s difficult for her to stay away from Louise – and she completely gets that – why not stay in Texas longer? Maxie says she dreams about her little girl every night. Her, Louise, Georgie, and James are playing a game or singing a song, and laughing, and she wakes up with tears streaming down her cheeks, and her heart breaking into a million pieces. Nina says she’s so sorry, and Maxie says she has to see Louise again, but not like before. She’s not making up lame excuses to stop by the Quartermaines and steal precious moments. She has to be stronger, and she’s almost there. Nina asks what will make her fully ready. What can she do to help? Maxie says she was hoping Nina would let her stay in Nixon Falls with her.  

Austin says he may have information Ned isn’t aware of, and Ned asks what he plans to do with it. Austin says, whatever happens, he hopes Ned doesn’t take it personally. Because they’re family; this is just business. Olivia comes in, and tells Ned that Leo cut his finger. She thinks he might need stitches. Austin crouches down to be on Leo’s level, and asks to take a closer look, smiling at Leo.

Brook says, Chase wants to get back at Michael? and Chase says, Willow went to the gatehouse on Wiley’s birthday. She was upset about her mom stopped by out of nowhere. She says, and? and he says, he asked Austin to help him to the gatehouse, and when he got there, he found Michael’s shirt had been tossed aside… along with his belt. She says, maybe Wiley spilled something on Michael, and Willow was just helping him clean up, but Chase says, when Michael and Willow left, he went upstairs to Willow’s room, and there was no question. They’d been sleeping together. Brook says she’s so sorry, and he says, this morning he heard Willow on the phone, saying she wanted to see Michael, and she sounded so desperate to see him in private. They lied to him. Michael was his friend. He trusted Michael, and he loved Willow more than anything in the world, and they lied to him. She says, and Austin convinced him that Michael has to pay, but he’s not just hurting Michael. He’s hurting the rest of her family too.

Moss bowl! 🎍 Michael says he thought Willow believed Chase should know the truth, but was waiting until he could walk again. She says she thought so too, but she can’t keep going like this. She can’t sleep, and she’s distracted at the hospital. She can’t live with herself anymore. The moss bowl 🎍 looks sad, and Michael says he knows how she feels. Chase has been a good friend; the closest friend he’s had since Morgan died. Now Chase is going to think Michael betrayed him, that he took the one person Chase loves most. He’s not wrong, but he’s not right either. She says, all Michael did was go along with her decision, and he says, all she did was help Chase when she thought he needed her. Two things can be true. One truly wrong thing they did was let Chase believe he had a future with her when he didn’t. She says, that’s a nice way of saying they lied to him, and he says, not with the intent to do harm. They lied to Chase for his own good, and he’d argue that they helped him in the beginning. The love Willow gave him was an incentive to recover. Who knows if he would have made that progress without her. She says, maybe, but the longer she waits, the more Chase will be hurt. He has a right to know the truth, but she has to be brave enough to tell him. She just wanted to tell Michael first. She thanks him for backing her, and he says, of course (🍷); always. She says, time to go find Chase, but he tells her, wait.

Jordan says, the FBI has a team in place, ready to take Laura and Martin into protective custody, and Laura asks what about their families? Cyrus has a history of going after loved ones to get back at his enemies. Jordan says, the PCPD has been alerted, and will have surveillance on their families, but the FBI said the threat was specific to the two of them. Martin asks if they can’t move to a safe house in Port Charles, but Jordan says she’s afraid not. They need to Laura and Martin to an undisclosed location. Even she won’t know where they are. Doc asks when this is going to happen, and Jordan says, immediately. The threat to Martin and Laura is eminent. Martin asks, what about his mother? She worries when she doesn’t see him, and as fond as Cyrus says he is of her, he could change his mind and go after her. Jordan says, the FBI will keep an eye on her, but he says, she’ll be confused. He needs to explain the situation. She says she’s afraid not. He’s not going to be able to contact her. Laura says she’s sure Martin has cases pending, and she has a city to run. How are they going to work? Doc asks if she can’t work remotely, and delegate the rest to her deputies, and she asks if she gets a choice. Jordan says she’s sorry. She knows this is difficult. Doc says he’s going with Laura, and she says, it’s one of a million reasons she loves him so much, but she needs him to stay there.

Anna asks if the caller said where he was, but Sam says, no. Dante had a PCPD tech trace the call, but no luck. Valentin asks if she thinks it was Drew, and she says, yes. Dante joins them, and Anna says, Sam had a brief conversation with a bad connection. She obviously wants Drew to still be alive. Could someone be manipulating her? Sam says, it’s possible, but why? Valentin says, to lure her somewhere, to throw her off an existing investigation, and Dante says they thought of that possibility, but it still doesn’t tell them who was on the other end of the line. Anna asks if they think Peter’s involved, and Dante says, it sounded like something Peter could be involved with. Valentin says, they all know Peter arranged for Drew’s plane to go down. If Drew survived he crash… Anna says, Peter will be desperate to find him and shut him up for good.   

Maxie says Nina is her hero. She’s been through so much, and always comes out on the other side. She wants to soak up some of Nina’s strength, but Nina says she’s no hero. She makes plenty of mistakes. She’s probably making a mistake right now. Maxie says she knows Nina regrets telling Wiley that Willow isn’t his real mother, but instead of moping about it, Nina made a new life. Nina says she ran away, but Maxie says she found happiness, and she needs to know what that feels like. She wants to stay until she gets the courage to go home and live with the decisions she’s made. Nina gets a text from Sonny, saying he’s wrapping things up soon, and will see her in a few. Maxie asks if it’s from Nina’s guy, and Nina says, sorry. Maxie has to leave now.

On the phone, Jordan says, they’ll be ready in a few more minutes. Laura says she knows how much Doc wants to be with her, but she’s worried about Spencer. He just went through that horrible ordeal with his father, and he’s acting out. Doc needs to be the voice of reason; to keep an eye out for him. Doc understands, but… She says, please. It’s the best thing he can do for her. He says, all right, he’ll stay, and she thanks him. Tell everyone that she’s on a business trip. Martin says, he’ll look after Laura. If there’s one silver lining, it’s that he’ll get to know his new sister better. By the way, can they box up the croissants and take them? Laura laughs, and Doc says, please.

Olivia admits she overreacted about the stitches, but she’s glad Leo got a tetanus shot. Austin tells her not to worry. Her son is a champ. He took that shot without a peep. He tells Leo that he’s a very brave young man. He’d like to give Leo something. he reaches into a jar and tells him to pick a fidget spinner. Leo takes one and spins it. Austin tells Oliva to keep Leo’s finger dry, and make an appointment for next week. Olivia says she thought she’d take Leo to his regular pediatrician, but Austin asks her to please bring him there. It’s important that he finishes what he starts.   

Chase says, Brook’s family wants to claim every penny in the vault, but she says, it’s not about money for her. He asks what it is about, and she says she doesn’t want Austin to waltz in there, claiming ELQ shares, when she had to do a lot to gain control of ELQ for her father. No surprise, she leaves out the part where she lost it for him in the first place. This is her dad’s legacy, not Jimmy Lee Holt’s, and definitely not Austin’s. Chase says, not according to Edward Quartermaine. Before he got sick, he was going to add Jimmy Lee back in the will. She says, he got sick and didn’t, so the point is moot. He says, maybe a judge will think otherwise. She asks what happened to him? Is he in that much pain, the only way to relieve it is to hurt Michael, and the rest of them as collateral damage? He says, they can survive the loss of a few shares of ELQ, and she says, Michael invited him to live there; her family opened their hearts to him. Why turn his back on them? He says, Michael only invited him to ease his guilty conscience. She tells him that he’s better than this. He saves people; he doesn’t betray them. She’s been where he is, and done things and hurt people out of spite. She knows from experience, hurting Michael and Willow isn’t going to heal his pain. I agree with that, but I guess she doesn’t care about how unfair this is to Austin regardless.   

Willow asks Michael, what is there to wait for? Every day that passes, every minute, the lie gets worse. He agrees, and so does the moss bowl. 🎍 Chase needs to know the truth, but she’s not doing this alone. They’re in this together. She says she’s the one who married Chase. She’s the one who took the vows, made the promises, and lied. She has to take responsibility. She starts to walk to the door, and he says he was the best man at their wedding. He could have told the truth at any time, but he didn’t. He also chose to stay close to her, and keep loving her, and building their bond together. He’s every bit as responsible as she is. She asks if it won’t be more painful for Chase if they tell him together, but he says, it will be painful no matter what. The first thing they can do to make this right is to stop playing God with Chase’s life, and deciding what he can and cannot handle. He’s incredibly grateful that she chose him, but if she’d left him for Chase, he’d want Chase to face him. So the least he can do is face Chase. She asks if he’s not just trying to protect her, and he says he always will protect her, but that’s not what this is. They said they’d love each other for better or worse. They’re doing this together. He holds out his hand, and she takes it. Their plan is moss bowl approved. 🎍  

Anna thinks they have to entertain the possibility both Drew and Peter are alive. In which case, Drew desperately needs their help. Sam says she knows Anna can’t involve her in a WSB investigation, but can she possibly let Sam see the file on the plane crash? She might find something they overlooked. It would be a great place to start. Can Anna help her?

Maxie says, Nina wants her to leave? and Nina says, no… yes… no. Nixon Falls is a wonderful place, but staying there isn’t going to solve Maxie’s problems. Maxie says, it solved Nina’s, but Nina tells her to think about James and Georgie; she misses them already. Maxie says, what if she has no strength to stay away from Louise? but Nina says Maxie had the courage to give her baby to Brook. She’s proved she has strength. Don’t doubt herself about doing anything. Don’t use Nixon Falls as an escape, the way she has.

Olivia thanks Austin for taking good care of her boy, and Ned says, he’s a special boy. He appreciates the special treatment. Austin says it’s his pleasure, and Olivia says she made an appointment for next week. She wants to kick herself for not being more careful with the juice can. Austin says, boys get into trouble when no one’s looking, and Olivia says, truer words. They leave, and Austin asks the reception nurse to leave a reminder on his appointment calendar to confirm Olivia Quartermaine’s appointment with Leo. It’s really important that he sees that kid again.  

In the hallway, Jordan says, Martin does know they’re going to feed him in the safe house, and he says he suspects the FBI’s taste doesn’t go to croissants. How much longer should they give them? In the apartment, Laura and Doc exchange I love yous. Laura says she’s sorry, and he says, it’s not her fault. She says she doesn’t deserve him, and he says she’s got that right. She laughs, and says she doesn’t know if it will possible, but she’ll try to call… He tells her not to do anything to jeopardize her safety, and she promises she won’t. Her heart is always with him, even when she’s not. He says she has his heart, always, and they hug.

Austin listens to Chase’s message, saying he found proof that Edward wanted to ad his father back in the will, and to call him back.  

Chase asks if he can have the paper back, and Brook says he didn’t listen to a word she said. He’s siding with Austin. He says he heard her, but it’s his decision to make, not hers. She hands it back, and says she hopes he makes the right decision. She doesn’t have many friends, and doesn’t want to lose him. Willow and Michael come in, and Michael says they need to speak to Chase. Brook says they’re in the middle of something, but Willow says, this can’t wait.  

Anna says she’ll get the file and give it to Sam and Dante to look through to see if it can help. Valentin says they should look at it for another reason. A new lead on Peter.

Maxie tells Nina that she’s right. Staying there will just be another version of running away, like she did to Texas. She asks Nina if there’s something wrong. She feels like Nina is regretting her time there. Nina says, of course (🍷) not. It’s just hard to explain. Maxie says she doesn’t have to leave right away. They can grab dinner, and Nina can tell Maxie about her life in Nixon Falls, and her guy Mike. Nina says, sorry, she just can’t. Her friend Phyllis needs her. She just lost her husband. Maxie says, oh my God, I’m so sorry, and Nina says, he had health issues, but it was still unexpected. Not that they’re ever prepared to lose people they love. Maxie says Nina definitely has to be with her friend. She’s missed Nina, and wanted to spend as much time with her as she could. Nina comes around the bar, and takes Maxie’s hands. She says she knows everything Maxie is doing to protect Louise is difficult. She wants Maxie to call her if she needs to talk things out. And remember this. Maxie left Louise with people who can protect her and keep her safe. Maxie says, Nina is right, as usual. Valentin and Brook are the best protection her daughter has. It’s a lie worth keeping. See? Nina already taught her to be strong. Nina says, who loves ya? and Maxie says, this guy. They hug, and Nina tells her to take care of herself. Maxie says, her too, and leaves. Nina nearly passes out. She looks in the trunk, and takes out the picture of her, Sonny, Phyllis, and Lenny going to the firehouse dance.

Maxie walks away from the Tan-O, while looking at her phone. Someone watches her, and we see a shadow. A man leans on one of the chairs outside. It’s Peter.

Tomorrow, Brook says she’ll be damned if she lets Austin get a dime, Elizabeth asks if someone is scolding her, Drew asks who someone is, and Sonny says Nina looks like she saw a ghost.

Below Deck Mediterranean

Guest Sydney tells Katie that Lexi started on her room, but never came back; they have no clean towels. Katie says she’ll deal with it, and calls Lexi to get the towels. Mathew tells Malia, the guests loved his food from the start, and it makes him more confident. In his interview, he says, it’s the first charter this season that he didn’t leave or quit. He’s finally getting his footing. Lexi and Katie eat in the crew mess, and it’s very quiet. Katie suddenly realizes that she forgot to phone her mother on her birthday. In her interview, she says she was so consumed with the charter guests and Lexi not pulling her weight, she forgot her own mother’s birthday. When she goes home, her mother gives her a birthday present and a Christmas present, since she was born on Christmas day. She thinks maybe her mother feels bad about that. She texts her mom, saying she’ll call later.

The guests play on the water toys, and Courtney says they have to start setting up for this beerfest thing. She takes out decorations, and Mathew says he has to think about Germany. Malia tells guest Tanner about going to Oktoberfest in Germany. She backpacked through Germany, and they kicked it off by going. In her interview, she says she blacked out, and doesn’t really remember it. There were huge beers, pretzels, and dancing in the street. It was epic. Captain Sandy and Katie laugh over the costumes, and the guests commence drinking. Although I’m not sure they’ve stopped since they boarded. Lexi manages to fold a whole napkin, and Mathew makes pretzels. Katie tells Courtney that she hates feeling like she failed at her job, and that’s how she feels today. Courtney says, it makes you feel like sh*t. Lexi finally brings towels to Sydney, and walks in on her coming out of the shower, since she’s so bad at her job.

Guest Sydney tells Lexi to just leave the towels outside. Courtney serves drinks, and Mzi deflates the slide. Sydney tells another guest about the towels, and how Lexi walked in on her when she was naked. Mathew tells Katie that he’s making brats and pretzels, then they’ll have a fancy dinner. In his interview, he says he worked for a rich and powerful man who had a team of chefs, and he learned a lot. He’d hated school, and the vice principal said maybe it was best for him to drop out. His mom said okay, as long as he made the world his classroom. He dropped out at 16, and learned cooking all over the world, pursuing his passion in his own way. Malia tells Lloyd she thinks he’ll be perfect to hype Oktoberfest, and in his interview, he says he can use the awesome skills he got guiding people around Europe. He’s been to Oktoberfest twice, and knows exactly the kind of party the guests want. Malia says it was what he was born to do. Be his normal self. Primary Patrick asks if Katie takes breaks, since they only see her. Courtney sets the table and hangs decorations. Lexi does laundry, and in her interview, she says it’s hard to focus. If you hate something, you don’t want to give it your all. The next charter, she’s on service, so that’s fine. I’ve noticed that whenever she says, that’s fine, it’s not.  

The decorations are hung, including a photo stand-in for pictures. Katie tells Mathew that she’s sorry she’s grumpy, but he tells her not to worry. She calls the stews to change into their Oktoberfest outfits, and tells Captain Sandy the only word she knows in German is sh*thouse. Mathew makes sauerkraut to go with the pretzels and brats. Katie apologizes about no towels earlier, and asks if the guests have towels now. David puts on his hat, and in his interview, a producer asks what it feels like to be a real boy. We see a picture of him next to Pinocchio – twinsies – and he says, it feels great. Mzi thinks he looks like an elf, but the guests think they all look adorable. Katie tells Captain Sandy that she’s having fun, but not fun fun. The captain asks how things are going with Lexi, and we flash back to Lexi’s various screw-ups. Katie says she can’t be in a million places at once, and the captain asks if she needs help. In her interview, Captain Sandy explains, they have an extra bed and a crew member in quarantine, doing nothing. She tells Katie that she’d gotten another crew member after the chef disappeared. They’re being paid, and just sitting in a hotel, when they can be put to work. The deck team is getting twelve hours rest. Katie says, that’s not happening with her team, but she’ll think about it. She wants to run it past the girls. In Katie’s interview, she says she doesn’t know how it feels. Lexi isn’t pulling her weight, and they need an extra hand, but she doesn’t want to hurt Lexi. She doesn’t think Lexi will take it in a good way, and just wants to get though the charter. It’s been the hardest one, because of all the sh*t. The guests are thrilled with the humongous mugs of beer Courtney pours. Lloyd and Mzi come out and dance around. Lexi mumbles that she’s sick of doing cabins, and they stink like ass. Lloyd asks Captain Sandy if they can have alcohol-free beer to cheers with the guests, and she says okay. BTW, Lloyd is dressed like a beer.

The captain puts what looks like a scarecrow hat (maybe they ran out of German stuff) for a hot minute, and comes out on deck to mingle with the guests. Courtney asks if Lexi wants to switch with her and be on service. It’s a lot of fun. In her interview, no surprise, Lexi turns this into a bad thing, saying that it would be an unfair trade-off. She did cabins and laundry, and now she’d be stuck cleaning up after their fun with the guests. She’d rather finish the cabins. In David’s interview, he says he’d prefer a healthy relationship, but obviously, that’s not going to happen with Malia. He can live with that, but the realization he’s spooning his pillow is tough. It’s not a human being, but it is what it is. The guests dance around, and include floatie Chad. Courtney tells Katie that Lexi wants to stay on cabins, and in Katie’s interview, she says, they’re having fun upstairs, and she didn’t want Lexi to feel isolated. What else can she do? Mzi and Lloyd chug a non-alcoholic beer, and in Mzi’s interview, he says he has experience in the beer drinking department. They had the Beer Olympics in Cape Town. Alcohol can definitely change you a little bit. Katie asks Lexi how she’s doing; she’s been quiet. Lexi says she feels good, and breakfast will be set first thing tomorrow. Katie says she can’t let forgetting the settings happen again. She tells Lexi that Captain Sandy has a girl in quarantine who’s doing nothing, but she’s feeling anxious about bringing in another person. Lexi asks what the girl’s position is, and Katie says she doesn’t know their experience, but she’s not trying to replace anyone. She knows how it might seem to look, and wants Lexi to understand. Lexi says she appreciates that, and she’s not offended. They could use extra hands. Katie says she’s just concerned about the dynamic. In Lexi’s interview, she says, the nerve wracking part is she doesn’t know if the girl will act high and mighty (pot meet kettle), but if she’s going to be Cinderella, Lexi is good.

Lloyd dances with the Gabe floatie, and in Malia’s interview, she says she has the best deck crew. They’re dancing around, making fools of themselves. There’s no egos or cockiness. Katie tells Courtney that there’s a girl on stand-by sitting in quarantine, doing nothing, and they could use the help. Courtney asks if she’ll be demoted, and is she moving again? Katie assures her there won’t be any changing of titles, and in Courtney’s interview, she says they need help because Lexi’s not doing her job. Really she should be coming on to replace Lexi. Katie says they have to make cabin arrangements, and Malia joins them, wondering, what’s going on? Katie explains about the new stew, and says she thinks they might come on for the next charter.   

The guests decide it’s time to go to dinner. Malia discusses new sleeping arrangements, saying David can sleep with the boys. Katie calls Mathew to find out how quickly he can make dinner. He says, twenty minutes, and asks if the guests are ready, but she says, no, she was just asking. He says he loves her, and they laugh. Katie asks if the guests will be hungry in twenty minutes, and Mathew finishes up. Katie tells Mathew, 8:35, and in his interview, he says, the guests’ plans are always changing, and it takes a toll, but it’s a huge complement that they want him to keep doing his thing. It makes him want to crush it. Dinner is served, and Malia tells her deck crew, way to kill it with Oktoberfest. She tells Lloyd that he can get some extra sleep, and Lloyd tells Mzi about the new stew. He hopes one of them gets lucky. Crème brûlée is served for dessert, and Mathew comes out with it. Patrick gives him a high-five, and one of the guests wants to take Mathew home with her. She says it’s the best crème brûlée she’s ever had.

Malia says, the weather isn’t picking up, but it might come in early. She wants the deckhands to get everything ready now. Katie tells Courtney that she made a list of what has to be done, and Courtney vacuums the public areas, and generally cleans up.   

The crew is up at 6:30 am, and Captain Sandy tells Lloyd that they’re going to need the fenders. She’ll also need everybody; all hands on deck. They need to haul anchor and dock, and the wind is at 16 knots. Malia says she had the deckhands prep last night, so they’re ready. Mathew makes breakfast, and Lexi piles up laundry. The captain says, the current is wicked, but they manage to dock, and she tells everyone, nice work. It wasn’t easy. Malia fist bumps Mzi, and says, it’s getting easier, isn’t it? Patrick and Tanner hunt around for service, but no one is there since Lexi is hiding. Patrick makes drinks, and Katie emerges. He tells her not to be mad. He made his own drink, but the joke was on him since the juice was very pulpy. She says he should have waited, and he says, or yelled louder. In Katie’s interview, she says, obviously, she’s failing at her job. The primary poured his own drink because Lexi was downstairs when she should have been upstairs. Lexi had told her there were no guests up. The guests sit down for breakfast, and Katie calls Mathew makes my favorite, eggs benedict, with the twist being lobster. Captain Sandy asks if the guests had fun, and Patrick says, what they can remember, and she asks how the food was. They all say incredible and unbelievable, and the captain relays to Mathew that the guests were singing his praises. The guests have a parting shot.

The guests pack, and Captain Sandy radios for the crew to get in their whites, and meet on the dock in five. The deck crew takes a picture with Chad. The guests say goodbye, and Patrick says, it was an amazing trip. It was the second time they’ve gone on charter with them, and it was great, but as a business owner, he thought the captain would want to know how they could improve. He felt there was a lack of attention, and he had to make his own drink this morning. In Katie’s interview, she says, he’s not wrong. Patrick says he doesn’t want to be negative, and the saving grace was Mathew. The deck crew was badass, but there were moments they couldn’t find anyone on interior. The captain thanks him for his feedback, and he gives her the tip envelope. When the guests are gone, Captain Sandy tells them to get into their reds and meet in the main salon for the tip meeting.    

Mathew tells Courtney that she should always be the morning girl. Katie tells Lexi that the guests were all up when she got there this morning. They all need to be more aware In her interview, she says the primary pinpointed where the department was failing, and it comes down to one person, but it falls on her. The captain must think she’s an idiot, but her hands tied. She goes to the bridge, and tells Captain Sandy that her gut is telling her no, but the stew is there, and they’re paying her. They could use the help, and she doesn’t want any more complaints. If it doesn’t work out, then it doesn’t work out, but she’ll try. The captain says, whatever she needs, and in the captain’s interview, she says she allowed Katie to make this decision so Katie sees she believes in her. Katie’s been a chief stew for a long time, and has had eight girls under her. She’s got this. Captain Sandy radios everyone for a tip meeting.

The captain says they got their first complaint, but it was really constructive criticism. As a business owner, Patrick highlighted the things they could improve. They’re going to bring the energy back up by adding a second stew. She’s not replacing anyone, but supporting the interior. In Courtney’s interview, she says she hopes the captain knows she wasn’t on breakfast. It’s Lexi’s fault, and she’s getting away with more than she should be. In David’s interview, he says it will be nice to have more conversation with the lads, but there will be three bodies in a small room, and he’s been trying to keep things clean. Captain Sandy says there hasn’t been one complaint about Mathew’s food, and thanks him. She says, even though they had constructive criticism, it’s the biggest tip they’ve gotten – $23,585; $1965 each, or 1673 euros each. In Mathew’s interview, he says, he was their saving grace, and they got the biggest tip. He hopes they only get bigger.

Malia asks what Mzi thinks about having another stew, and he says it will be interesting to see how the dynamic changes. Captain Sandy calls Mathew, Malia and Katie to the crew mess for the preference sheet meeting. The primaries are Niki and Halie, who are true Southern belles. Niki is a realtor, and Halie is a boutique owner. Mathew reads that Niki eats like a five-year-old. She likes bacon, bacon, and more bacon. Halie, however, does not eat like  eat like a five-year-old, and has the most dietary restrictions he’s ever seen. Not his favorite. In his interview, he says, at least one eats like a five-year-old; that should be easy. But there are tons of restrictions, and it’s all girls, so he knows they’ll be high maintenance. Malia says, they want a beach picnic, and Sandy tells them to enjoy their evening. Courtney says she’s so tired.

Courtney tells Malia it’s been frustrating, doing things that should have been done. The primary had to get his own drink this morning. Malia says, it sucks because it reflects on the whole department. Courtney wonders what the new girl is going to be like, and Malia says, some people can come in and rock it mid-charter; she might kill it. Courtney is worried she’ll think she’s second stew, and it will cause drama. David, Mzi, and Lloyd decide to have a lad’s night in the hot tub. In his interview, Mzi says he feels trauma as Lexi is walking up the stairs. In his interview, he says, Lexi is a ticking time bomb, and he’s just waiting for it to happen again.  

Lexi tells them that she’s coming back. She’s wearing that same red hoodie she wore when she went apesh*t, and I’m hoping it isn’t her Satanwear. She mumbles that everyone is asleep; they’re boring. Katie calls her mom to tell her happy birthday, and Lexi joins the lads in the hot tub. She thinks they should have a movie, and Mzi suggests Harry Potter. She says she wasn’t allowed to watch it when she was a kid because it had witchcraft. It was against her religion. In her interview, she says, her parents were super religious, so when she got to college, she did everything she couldn’t do. The guys call her a muggle, explaining it means someone who has no magic. They get out of the tub, and Lexi says she had fun; it was chill. Lloyd says they like this Lexi. In David’s interview, he says, obviously, Lexi is trying to be more a part of things. There was a point in his life when he felt worthless. He’d lost two friends in an accident, then the girl he was going to be with broke up with him. When he sees someone who’s hurt, every ounce of him wants to be there for them, because it heals him a little.

In the morning they clean up, and Katie tells Courtney that when the new girl gets there, show her everything. Malia helps Mzi into a harness that hangs off the side of the boat, and in Mzi’s interview, he says he’s learning everything at the same time. He’s scared of heights, but his dad taught him to face his fears. He was scared of birds and feathers, so his dad would make him go to the garden every day, and bring him a feather. In doing that, he overcame his fear. He hangs on the harness, freaking out a little. Mathew studies the preference sheets, and the captain calls for the new stew to come. In Malia’s interview, she says, Mzi is terrified, but she’s proud of him. She remembers her first time in a harness. She laughs, and says, it is scary. Katie tries once again to talk to Lexi, saying she feels like the mistakes are more laziness than anything else. Whether they are or not, that’s how it’s coming across. Katie feels like she’s not up to second stew, and now they’ll have an extra hand so there’s no excuse. She’s decided not to have ranks anymore, but doesn’t know how it will go down. Lexi says she understands, and two seconds later, the new stew arrives.  

This season, more partying, scuba diving, and shore excursions. The new stew says she went to Berkeley and got a captain’s license. Now she’s doing laundry. Malia says it’s thew worst docking of their lives, and tells Lloyd that he has to pick up his game. Lloyd has chest pains, Lexi gets stupid again, there’s a kitchen fire and Mathew gets burned, and Courtney dances on the lazy Susan.

🏞 Don’t Fence Me In…

Moving closer to freedom as we speak. I wonder if I’ll remember how to wear dress up clothes – i.e. my good jeans. Whatever your wardrobe choices, stay safe, stay pushing all the envelopes, and stay taking the leftover croissants with you when you go to the safe house. You never know.

August 20, 2021 – Chase Gets Proof, the Legacy Lives On, RHONY’s North Fork, Goodbye For Now, It’s Not Turtle Time, This Week’s Wives, Eboni’s Freshman Year, SyFy’s Dead, First Episode, Just Over Ten Quotes & No End In Sight

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Sonny and Nina walk into the Tan-O, and Nina says, it feels empty. He was so great with helping Phyllis with the arrangements, and holding her hand. She doesn’t know how he did it. He says, she needed it, and that’s what people do. Like how Nina spent the night with her. In times of crisis, people step up. She says, it’s great to see all the friends and family who came out to support Phyllis and remember Lenny, a decorated war veteran and native son of Nixon Falls. The people of this town really loved him. Sonny says, he loved this town and the people in it. That’s all that really matters, right? Loving others, and being loved.

Josslyn tells Carly that she’s going to Kelly’s – moss bowl! 🎍 – and Carly asks, what’s the rush? Josslyn says she wants to hear about the rest of Spencer’s party from Trina. She asks if everything is okay with Carly, and Carly says, it is; why? Josslyn says it was pretty obvious she had somewhere to be last night, and Carly says maybe she just wanted to get Josslyn and Cameron away from that ridiculous island. There was already enough drama, doesn’t she think? Josslyn says, that’s the way Spencer does things, over-the-top, but once Carly realized Tony got them home, she couldn’t leave fast enough. Why was she in such a hurry, and who was she meeting?

Trina walks into Kelly’s, where Cameron is bussing tables. She says, Joss isn’t here yet? and he says, they left the party so late last night, he figured she was sleeping in. What did they miss? Did Spencer’s dad have any more crazy surprises after that knife trick he pulled? Hey, is she okay? Did something worse happen last night? Do they need to reach out to Spencer? She says she wouldn’t worry. Despite what his father did, Spencer is definitely not alone. He asks what she means, and she says, let’s just say Spencer has a bigger support system than any of them realized.

Laura tells Doc, she has a full slate of meetings today. For some reason, that budget is just never finished. She sees a breakfast spread on the table, and tells Doc that he shouldn’t have. He says he didn’t, and Spencer walks in, telling her and Doc, good morning. Esme follows him with French press coffee, and says, bon appétit.

Anna sits at the pool (🍷) sipping a drink, when Martin sits next to her. He asks if she thinks anyone would judge him if he ordered a bloody Mary, and she says she learned long ago that when a lawyer is all smiles, it’s best to be on your guard. He says, no fear; he’s off the clock. Or couldn’t she tell by what he’s wearing? She says he does look comfortable, and he says, as does she. One more thing they have in common. She says, they have something else in common? and he says their mutual friend and sometimes partner – Valentin Cassadine.

Valentin comes downstairs, and checks himself out in the mirror. Brook says he’s in a good mood for a guy who just dribbled toothpaste on himself, and he says, it’s Bailey’s baby formula. She loves it when daddy makes silly faces to get her to finish her bottle. Brook says he’s really in love with that little girl, isn’t he? and he says, who woudn’t be?

Chase looks at a text from Austin that says, counting on you. Remember, they have it coming. He flashes back to finding out Michael and Willow slept together, when the two of them walk in, Michael chattering away about how Wiley got his phone. Michael says, hey, Chase. He didn’t know Chase was there. Chase says, don’t stop what they’re doing on his account, and they look all kinds of guilty.

Sonny says, it’s quiet, and Nina says, Lenny would hate this. He says, Lenny loved his customers. He welcomed strangers, and loved his music. He played that jukebox every morning; his favorite song. She says, and when he thought no one was looking, he’d dance with the broom. Sonny laughs, and she says, but his favorite was dancing with his wife. She can see them over there, dancing their last dance. He says, he used to watch them, and think to himself, he’d love to have that one day. She says he’s right. They were lucky they had love for a very long time. He says, nothing can change that. Not even death.

Carly tells Josslyn, they got back late last night, and then she had a pressing engagement. Josslyn says, with Jason? and Carly says, yes; how did she know? Josslyn says, because they’re engaged, and it’s not unusual for engaged people to want to hang out. She’s going to Kelly’s now… Carly tells her to wait. There’s something she has to tell Josslyn, and it also involves her brother.

Willow – who is starting to totally annoy me – asks if Chase is ready for her to take him out to the yard so he can work on his physical therapy. He says he got up early, and already did his morning routine, and Michael says it sounds like he’s making progress. Chase says he’s getting stronger every day, but then again, he has great motivation. He looks at Willow, and Michael’s phone dings. Michael says his mother wants him to swing by the house. It’s something important. He leaves, and Chase asks if Willow wants to go with him. She asks why she would, and he tells her, Michael said it was important, and he knows how much Michael means to her.

Laura says, it’s very sweet of them to go through all this trouble, and Spencer says, it’s the least they could do after she and Doc took them in last night. Esme says she did her research and found an excellent patisserie with an excellent croissant. Spencer says, Esme is very resourceful. They have no idea. He flashes back to Esme telling him how she set fire to Ava’s car, and Laura says she hopes Esme found the guest room comfortable. Esme says she slept like a baby, but she knows the three of them have some catching up to do, so she’s going to explore the town. She kisses Spencer on the cheek and says, à bientôt, and Doc says, au revoir. Spencer thinks maybe he’ll go with her, but Laura says his friend seems capable of exploring on her own. She’s just curious why Spencer hasn’t mentioned her before.

Anna says she and Valentin have a very long, very complicated history, and Martin says, it’s not all in the past. They recently took a trip to New York together, didn’t they? On the trail of Peter August. One could only hope they were successful. She says they were following a lead, which ultimately didn’t pan out, and he asks if she puts her relationship with Valentin in that same category. She says, what’s that to you, Mr. Grey? and he says, please, call him Martin. Or better yet, call him Marty. All his friends do. Anna asks if he considers her a friend, and he says he hopes they’re moving in that direction. As a matter-of-fact, can he be honest? She says she’s not sure she can stop him, and he says he’s long been fascinated by the mystique of Anna Devane. He’d surely love to get to know her better, and vice versa. She says, Marty, are you hitting on me?

Willow tells Chase, of course (🍷) Michael’s important to her; he’s Wiley’s father. He says, great. That’s what she shares with Michael; Wiley. Valentin and Brook come in, and he tells Brook that he’s just saying his daughter lights up when he comes in the room, but Brook says she doesn’t recognize him; she just has gas. Willow asks if they’ll ever agree on anything, and Valentin says, just that they created a spectacular baby girl. Brook says, sadly, they don’t agree on much else, least of all Austin Gatlin-Holt’s bogus claim to ELQ shares. Valentin says, Austin’s lawsuit may be an inconvenience to the Quartermaine family, but that doesn’t mean it’s without merit. She says, spoken by the guy who’s keeping Austin in play, on the off-chance he wins his case and gets ELQ shares, just so he can potentially be a vote to keep Valentin as CEO. Chase says, not that anyone asked his opinion, but he has a point of view. Brook says, he’s a neutral observer. She, for one, welcomes his input. He says he hates to disappoint her, but he’s far from neutral. It’s true, he’s not a Quartermaine and doesn’t have a vested interest in the outcome, but he sides with the guy who’s being kept in the dark. Brook says they only have Austin’s word to go on that he’s being denied his birthright. The will made by her great-grandfather Edward was very clear. Jimmy Lee Holt was cut out and wouldn’t get a dime. Edward actually didn’t want him anywhere near ELQ. Chase says, what if there was proof Edward changed his mind and wanted the will to include Austin’s father? Valentin says he’s the detective; does he have proof? Brook says, no he doesn’t because there isn’t any. If there was, Austin would have produced it. Valentin says, as it happens, he’s having lunch with Austin. Maybe he’ll produce it then. He leaves, and Chase says he’s sorry if he spoke out of turn, but Brook says she’s not angry at him, especially since he’s speaking from the heart. She hears Bailey cry, and leaves. Chase says he knows Willow has class this morning, and doesn’t have to stick around on his account. She says she’s leaving soon, but hopes he knows Brook is right. He does have a big heart. He asks if that’s why she loves him.

Martin says Anna will have to forgive him. They’re not all as suave and debonair as Valentin. Come to think of it, even his name sounds romantic. Martin tells her that he’s never shied away from the challenges of the fairer sex, and from where he’s sitting, she’s the fairest of them all. Aww! He’s kind of cute. She tells him, says the man who’s had six wives, and he says, be fair. That was Henry XIII; he’s only had three. And they’re all on speaking terms. What does that tell her? She says, that he got a good deal on alimony, and he laughs, saying, she’s disconcertingly perceptive. She says he’s quite charming, and he asks if that means he’s making any headway. She says his interest is duly noted, and he says he’ll take that as a definite maybe.

Laura says, Esme seems like a nice girl. She assumes Spencer met her at school, and he says, yes. At first he thought she was too cool for him, but they hit it off. Doc says maybe she thought he was cool too, and Laura says, of course (🍷) she thought he was cool; he’s her grandson. Spencer says, bless her, but it’s not like she’s the most objective source, and she says he has his father’s charm. Spencer says he hopes that’s all he inherited, and she says his father does love him very much. She hopes he knows that. Spencer says, he has a warped way of showing it. Either he’s pretending he’s dead or pretending to stab Spencer, but either way, Spencer is done. She says, he’s hurt and angry, and with good reason. It was wrong of Nikolas to accuse him of being Ava’s stalker, and even more wrong to stage that attack. She doesn’t know what he was trying to do; make Spencer see the error of his ways… Doc says he admits, he was beginning to wonder if Nikolas was right. Spencer’s dislike for Ava is well known. Spencer says he doesn’t love that Doc thought he was guilty, but appreciates Doc can admit he was wrong. Doc says, it’s not even remotely the same thing, but if Spencer can see his way to forgive him, he wonders if there’s any chance Spencer can do the same for his father. Spencer says he doesn’t mean to be rude, but he has no energy nor the emotional bandwidth to think about his father right now. His top priority is figuring out where he and Esme are going to live. Laura tells him, as she said, Esme seems like a lovely girl, and shows good taste in dating him, but there’s no way he and Esme going to live together.

Trina tells Cameron, last night was weird. Beyond weird, and that was before Esme showed up. He asks, who’s Esme? when Esme walks in, saying, it’s good to see Trina again. She wonders if they can direct her to the Museum of Fine Art, and Trina says, around there, they call it The Chuck, and it’s good to see her too. She introduces Cameron, who says he doesn’t know if Spencer mentioned it, but they’re sort of cousins. They share the same grandmother, but aren’t actually related. Esme says Cameron is exactly the way Spence described him, and Cameron says, he is? She says she and Spence share everything.

Michael enters moss bowl town, and asks what he missed. Josslyn says she doesn’t know. Carly wouldn’t tell her until he got there. Carly says she wanted to tell them both at the same time. Last night she had a wake-up call. Josslyn says, Spencer’s party was a wake-up call? and Carly says, it had nothing to do with the party. She and Jason realized they don’t need or want a long engagement. She wanted them to be them first to know, they’re getting married on September 17th. Josslyn hugs Carly, and says, here’s to the future Mrs. Jason Morgan.

Sonny tells Nina, a memorial wall is a beautiful idea; everything from Lenny’s past life. They’ve brought out a trunk, and Nina says, let’s take a look. Sonny takes out a medal, and says, Lenny was so proud of being a Marine, and serving their country. Nina suggests they leave the medals out so they can put them on the wall. She takes out some postcards, and says, Lenny sent them to Phyllis when he was overseas. Sonny takes out a photo from their wedding, saying, Lenny is in his uniform, and Phyllis has a white dress on. Nina says, they look so young and happy. Sonny concentrates on the photo, and Nina asks him, what’s wrong? He remembers Carly in a white dress with a bouquet, but doesn’t see her face. Nina asks again, what’s wrong? Talk to her. He says, for a second, he thought he’d remembered something; the woman he told her about, with a wedding bouquet. Maybe it’s not a memory, just a vision of his future. Nina asks if the vision was good or bad, and he says, good.

Josslyn says, it’s so exciting, and asks why Michael isn’t jumping up and down like she is. He says, inside, he’s doing backflips, and congratulates Carly, hugging her. Josslyn says she has to tell Cameron and Trina, and jets. Michael says Carly and Jason aren’t giving themselves much time to plan a wedding. What is he saying? She’s not giving herself much time. Jason will just show up and do what she tells him. She says she can get it together by then, especially if she keeps it small. He asks if the point wasn’t to send a message, and if it shouldn’t be a big deal.   

Spencer says he never thought of Laura as a puritan before, and she says she’s not; far from it. But he can’t go from his high school dormitory to moving in with Esme. Doc says, last night, Spencer’s father shook the ground underneath him. It’s only natural that he’d want to spend time with someone he can count on. Spencer says he appreciates their concern and counsel, but he assures them that he and Esme won’t be moving in together. He’d planned on offering her a room at Windymere, but that’s out the window now. He needs to help her find a place in town. Laura asks, for how long? Do her parents know about these plans? And how does he plan to finance this independent lifestyle? Spencer says he has money, but Laura says, his father has money. He took control of Spencer’s trust. He may grant Spencer access, but would Spencer take money from his father with one hand, and push him back with the other?

Anna says she’s not in the market for a romantic entanglement, and Martin says, just for his own verification, if he may be so bold, is it because she’s not interested, or because she’s already romantically entangled? She asks if he approaches every situation in his life like an attorney. She feels like she’s being cross-examined. He says, forgive him, but he feels they all bring their professional life into the personal. For instance, with her training with the WSB, is she always more comfortable with her secrets and deflections, rather than answering a simple heartfelt question? She says, touché. There are people who consider her lack of transparency a deal breaker. He says he’s not one of them. He flatters himself that they were made to dance together. Hell, just for the chance, he’d even let her lead. She laughs, and Valentin watches.

Brook tells Bailey that Valentin loves her so much. He wants to be a good daddy to her. Let’s face it; he’s succeeded. She pushes the stroller through the foyer, and says, what is she going to do when Peter is finally caught and punished, and Maxie gets to bring her home forever. How is she going to explain to Valentin? What’s going to happen to her? Let’s face it, Bailey is all she’s got right now. She leaves with Bailey.   

Chase says his and Willow’s marriage began under dire circumstances. She thought he was going to die – everybody did – but he survived, and then he couldn’t walk… She says she married him because she wanted to, and he says, that’s generous, considering he made her believe he’d cheated on her with Sasha. She says, that’s only because he wanted her to be with Wiley. Once she found out the truth, she could only be grateful. He says he never stopped loving her. Even now, even when… She says, when what? and he says, even when he’s not the man he was. She says he’s still that man. He’s getting better, and he will walk again. She absolutely believes that. Nothing has changed. He says, really? Nothing?

Anna says, next time she’s in the market for an attorney, she’ll give Martin a call. He says, next time he’s in the market for a little cloak and dagger, he’ll return the favor. Who knows? Maybe one day he can bail her out of trouble, and she can turn around and help him get into some. She says, stranger things have happened, and Valentin asks what he’s interrupting. Martin says they’re not sure, but it was getting interesting. Anna says she has to make a call, and asks Martin to save her chair. He tells her that she can count on it. He says, that is one amazing woman; the kind you take home to mother. Valentin says, not his mother, and they sit down. Valentin asks what Martin is doing. He’s not getting ideas about Anna, is he? Martin says, if he was, what would it mean to Valentin?

Spencer says, from now on he’s going to take care of himself, and Laura wonders if he’s going to ask Cameron to put in a good word for him at Kelly’s, so he can join Cameron bussing tables. Spencer says he hopes she’s joking, but she says she’s not. Doc says, there’s nothing wrong with an honest day’s work, but he thinks the point Laura is trying to make is that it’s not healthy walking around with all this unresolved anger toward his father. Spencer asks, what’s been left unresolved? After last night, he wants nothing to do with his father, or his money. He storms out, and Laura says, Doc is the expert. How can she help him when it’s clear he doesn’t want her help? And like his father, Spencer has no idea how badly he needs it.

Esme sits down, and Josslyn runs in, saying, she has the most exciting news. Trina says they have news too, and Cameron says, not what, but who. Trina introduces Josslyn to Esme, who says she’s never met a Josslyn before. At least not how she spells it. Josslyn asks if she knows Esme, and Esme says, Spence has told her all about Josslyn. Everything from her scar from her kidney transplant, to her Australian roots, to her mad volleyball skills. She even knows all about Josslyn’s family’s – quote, unquote – coffee business. Josslyn takes it Esme went to school with Spencer, and Trina says, more than that. Esme is Spence’s girlfriend.

Nina and Sonny look at a picture of them with Lenny and Phyllis on their way to the firehouse dance. Sonny says, it’s sweet, all dressed up, ready to go to the dance; preserved forever. She says, nothing lasts forever, and he asks if she doesn’t believe in the afterlife. Does she think this is all there is? Doesn’t she think Lenny is somewhere looking down on them? She says she doesn’t know, and he says he believes their souls and spirits continue on after they’re gone. She says she’d like to believe that, and he says, he found her, and he’s not going lose her. What they have, what they will have, is going to live on. They start to kiss, and Nina says, sorry. This is wrong.

Carly tells Michael that she doesn’t know what to do. He’s absolutely right. This wedding was supposed to make a huge statement – along with the moss bowl🎍. They’re supposed to prove to the Five Families sliced pepperoni, and the rest of the world, that she and Jason committed, but she’d rather have a small gathering with the people they love the most. He says part of the reason they’re getting married is to keep Josslyn and her little sister safe. They get to dress up and go to a party for two of their favorite people. And it’s not like she and Jason don’t love each other in their own way. Who knows where it could lead? He and Willow got married for Wiley’s sake, and it turned into something real. She says, then Chase got sick and Willow married him. Is there something he wants to tell her?

Willow tells Chase, what’s never going to change is that she wants him to be happy. He says she makes him happy, and she says, does she? He says, she knows she does. Even stuck in this chair, no one makes him feel like he’s on top of the world like she does. She says, that’s a lot of responsibility to put on someone. One slip, and you can go from the top of the world… He says he’s been there; rock bottom. She asks if he means when he Sasha pretended to have an affair and they broke up, and he asks, what else would he be talking about? She says he survived that, and learned to live again, and he asks, what about her? She says she loves her life and has no regrets, but… He says, but what? She can tell him anything. She says she has to go to class. She suggests he do more PT work, kisses him on the cheek, and leaves. He looks at the text from Austin again, and deletes the message.   

Nina says, sorry, and Sonny says he shouldn’t have kissed her. He knows they have a responsibility to Phyllis; she’s counting on them. She thanks him for understanding, and takes his face in her hands. She says he’s found his true self there, hasn’t he? and he says she doesn’t sound surprised. She says she’s not. She’s grateful she’s able to share this time with him, for however long she can. He takes her hand, and says he’s not going anywhere.

Michael says he thought they were talking about Carly’s future marriage; not his past one. He sits near the moss bowl 🎍, soaking up its glory, and she says he’s the one who compared the two. She thinks it’s kind and generous he offered for Chase to stay at the Quartermaine’s while he gets his life back together, but with Willow and Wiley so close? He says, they’ll make it work, and she says, is he sure? At what cost? His phone rings, and it’s Willow. She says she needs to see him. Not at the house; someplace private. He says he’s at his mom’s along with the moss bowl 🎍. She can come there. She says she’s on her way, and dashes out the door. Chase peeks out of the living room.

Josslyn says she takes it Esme is in town for Spencer’s party. How long is she visiting? Esme says it’s funny to hear them refer to him Spencer; no one at school calls him that. Cameron says, and no one in Port Charles calls him Spence. Josslyn says, especially the people who have known him his entire life, and Esme says, cool, and that would include her? Josslyn says, it sure would, and Esme says Spencer has told her so much about all of them. She looks forward to getting to know them personally. Trina says Esme never said how long she was visiting, and Esme says, that depends on Spence. Spencer walks in, and Esme says, come join them. They were just getting acquainted.

Valentin suggests he and Martin agree that Anna is off limits, and Martin says he’s positively neanderthal, marking his territory. Valentin tells Martin, he’s just saying the woman is very complicated, and Martin says he enjoys complications. Valentin says, as much as Martin enjoys his retainer? and Martin says, point taken. Perhaps what Anna needs is someone as complicated as she is. Martin’s phone rings, and he answers. He says, of course (🍷)He’ll meet them downstairs. Anna comes back, and asks if everything is all right, and Martin says, to be continued. He looks at Valentin and says, perhaps not, and leaves. Anna asks, what happened? and Valentin says he doesn’t know, but it doesn’t look good.

Brook goes into the living room, telling Chase that she didn’t mean to… She sees an empty chair.

Carly looks over the moss bowl 🎍, and tells Michael that he can tell her anything; she won’t judge him. He says he knows that, but he has nothing to say. She tells him, whatever he says, and he says, he’s not suggesting his situations are the same, and he’s not going to lie and say he’s happy with how things are with Willow. He’s just saying Carly and Jason might find their marriage of convenience might bring them closer to a real happy ending. 

Sonny says he should probably go. He promised Phyllis he’d come by the house. Nina says he should go, and she’ll stay there and look for more souvenirs. But tell Phyllis that she’ll drop everything if Phyllis needs her. He says he’s sure she knows that, but he’ll remind her. And don’t forget, grief can be very tricky. He leaves, and she looks at the photo of the four of them. There’s a knock at the door, and she says, sorry; they’re closed. The knock is persistent, and she says, can’t they see the sign on the door? She opens it, saying, sorry, they’re closed, and finds Maxie.

Valentin says Anna and Martin seemed to get along like a house on fire, and she says, he’s very Southern gentleman. Very different than what she’s used to. He says, so are grits and ham, but he doesn’t believe she’s given up on the finer things in life, has she?

Laura says she should go to work, and Doc tells her that he’ll clean up there. There’s a knock at the door, and Laura says she’ll get it. It’s Martin, who says, sister, I fear we are in trouble.

Trina says she has to go to the gallery. She doesn’t want Ava to handle things alone today, especially after the stalker torched her car. Esme says, as an art fan, she looks forward to meeting Trina’s boss. Trina leaves, and Josslyn follows her out. She asks if Trina is okay, and Trina says, why wouldn’t she be? Josslyn says, maybe because Spencer never told them he had a girlfriend. Trina asks what it matters, and Josslyn says, is she kidding? Spencer’s been acting all kinds of interested in her, turning on the charm. And Trina went out of her way to be there for him last night. He should have been honest. Trina says, he’s just a guy. It’s not like she was his girlfriend. She needs to go. Ava is counting on her. Trina leaves, and Cameron comes out. He says, it’s not like they didn’t already know Spencer was a jerk, and Josslyn says, a jerk who might be in way over his head. He asks what she means, and she says, who mentions a kidney transplant five seconds after meeting her? He says, Esme’s a little extra, and she says she guesses that’s what Spence deserves.

Spencer says he thought Esme was sightseeing, and she says she came in for directions and ran into his friends. She wants to get to know the people who are important to him.

Willow throws her arms around Michael, and the moss bowl 🎍 approves. He asks, what’s going on? What happened? She says she can’t do this anymore.

Chase walks shakily back to the living room, holding on to a paper. He calls Austin, and leaves a voicemail saying he found proof that Edward wanted to add his father to the will. Call him back. He goes into the living room to find Brook sitting in his wheelchair. She says she’s glad to see he’s back on his feet. Why doesn’t he tell her what’s really going on?

On Monday, Michael says he’ll wait for Willow as long as it takes, Ned asks what he can give Austin to walk away, Sam says maybe Valentin can help her, Brook wants the truth from Chase, and Nina asks Maxie to leave.

Million Dollar Listing New York

Fredrik finally met KJ in person at the 4 bedroom, 4 bath, 2700 square foot penthouse on East 1st Street that was going for $8.7 million. KJ said he was taller in person. When they’d initially met, he was a robot – i.e. an iPad on a stick. She wanted to put down her bag, and Fredrik pointed out the Mathieu Lehanneur art piece furniture (I finally snagged the name), and told her, just to look was $1000. KJ thought she might have a client for the penthouse. They were Texans looking for something with outdoor space – the penthouse had 1200 square feet of it – in a cool, funky area of NYC, and were willing to go up to $10 million. KJ thought the apartment’s renovation was neutral, but still new and fresh. Fredrik pointed out the onyx walls and floors in the primary bath, and in his interview, he said when he was feeling NYC, he liked KJ more. They discussed the possibility of KJ striking out on her own, and Fredrik said there came a time when you wanted to start doing it your way. He had 50 people in NYC, and in KJ’s interview she said there were 12 people on her team at Hudson Advisory. If she went out on her own, she’d have to start from scratch, but she’d made a goal to stop limiting herself.  

Tyler had the listing for the townhouse at 159 West 87th Street from Evan, Kemba’s bae, and it had been five weeks, but still no offers. The townhouse was entirely restored, with original details, pocket doors, outdoor space, and 8 converted fireplaces. It was so beautiful, it made me want to cry. If I had a spare $6.995 million lying around, I’d buy it in a heartbeat. Tyler had posted an old-fashioned musical promoting himself on Instagram that had gotten a lot of attention. Even though they couldn’t have a party, or serve food and drinks (this was earlier in the pandemic), he’d staged the house, and was showing it as much as he could. In his interview, he said he’d staged it simply, so that potential buyers could see the timeless beauty. His team members dressed like characters out of The Great Gatsby, and Tyler said, a bedazzled mask, top hat, and magic stick were how he sold houses. He also impressively produced that magic stick from a hanky.

Steve was at 157 West 57th Street, a luxury, fully furnished rental on Central Park, going for a $69,500 a month. Can you imagine? In Steve’s interview, he said, the apartment sold itself. It was hard to imagine any negative feedback from brokers. Fredrik walked in, and he said, well, almost any. He and Fredrik had FaceTimed during the pandemic, but didn’t see each other anymore, and he was looking forward to meeting. In Fredrik’s interview, he said Steve dressed casually, but he liked the style. Steve was like McQueen, he was Tom Ford, and Ryan was Men’s Warehouse. Steve and Fredrik admired the view of the Chrysler and Empire State Buildings, and Steve asked how L.A. was. Fredrik said he’d dedicated his life to NYC, and knew every stone. It was scary to basically start over at his age. Steve said it wasn’t like Fredrik had abandoned NYC, since he had a team there, and Fredrik said Ryan had been contacting developers directly, saying he’d left. He’d thought they were past that. Steve said he’d had issues with Ryan in the past, but liked him now. Fredrik said it wasn’t personal, but he wanted to call it out for what it was. In his interview, Steve said the apartment he was the broker for had come from Fredrik, who’d taken it over from another broker. It happened all the time. He said, Fredrik had five markets, and he was worried about a couple of developers? But Fredrik said he’d taken the high road for ten years, and it was a pattern. It was time for Ryan to stop. Steve said Ryan wasn’t there to defend himself, and in his opinion, it was petty. In his interview, Fredrik said, with all due respect, he thought Steve didn’t fully understand. He was talking about multiple buildings, and hundreds of millions of dollars. Steve said he wasn’t taking sides, but thought the conversation was for Fredrik and Ryan. He told Fredrik that he expected Ryan to be there at some point.

Steve told Fredrik that he thought the time and energy Fredrik was extending on Ryan wasn’t worth it. At this point, Ryan came in – like this wasn’t planned – and Fredrik said they were just talking about him. In Ryan’s interview, he said he didn’t know Fredrik was town. Fredrik asked if he could speak to Ryan before Steve showed him the apartment, and Ryan was like, what’s happening? He asked how Fredrik had been, and Fredrik said he was missing his kids, so if he seemed emotional… Ryan said he was always emotional. I concur. Fredrik said it had come to his attention that Ryan was going after his developers, in particular Yan from 32 East 1st Street. Ryan said he didn’t pitch the building, but when he’d started his business, they sent the same email to all of the developers, telling them about the new place, and saying he’d love to work with them in the future. He didn’t need to poach Fredrik’s listings. In his interview, Ryan said they’d sent the same email to every developer, saying it had been a pleasure to meet them, and he’d like to work together in the future. Fredrik was the only one who took issue with it. Fredrik asked if Ryan could deny saying he’d left NYC and his team. Ryan said, since Fredrik had moved, the primary reason anyone reached out to him was that they thought they were hiring Fredrik, but he’d moved to L.A. In his interview, Ryan said, if he moved, he wouldn’t be surprised if his projects went to other brokers. It would be the risk he was willing to take. If Fredrik didn’t like what was going on, don’t take it out on him; look in the mirror. Fredrik said he wished Ryan would just tell him the truth. Why was he doing this now? Ryan said if a developer came to him, saying they were interested in interviewing other brokers, he would say yes. Fredrik said he thought they were friends. He’d always said no when the shoe was on the other foot. In Ryan’s interview, he said his first interaction with Fredrik was when he was brand new, and Fredrik was a big broker. He was having lunch with his first sale, his client Bonnie. We flashed back to that in 2016. Ryan invited Fredrik to sit down, and Fredrik blew his own horn to Ryan’s client, and gave her his card, in case she wanted to sell the apartment and not just list it. Ryan said, talk about unethical. He would never do that. Fredrik asked Ryan not to put him down, and Ryan insisted he never had. In Fredrik’s interview, he said Ryan had been doing it for ten years. He asked Steve why he was smiling, and Steve said he was Switzerland. In his interview, Steve wondered when Fredrik ever said no to making money. On the other hand, developers didn’t just end up on an email list by accident. In Fredrik’s interview, he said there hasn’t been a ton of resolution, but he felt better. He’d defended his business and reputation, and maybe Ryan would think twice about going after his developers. In Ryan’s interview, he said, confident is silent, and insecurities are loud. Fredrik thanked Ryan and jetted. Ryan said Steve did it on purpose, but Steve maintained he didn’t realize they had any beef.

On the Upper East Side, Tyler met Kemba at the townhouse. He said, at the end, he’d be able to walk away from whatever decision was made, but she’d have to live with it for a while. In his interview, he told us, a flapper party and a musical brought the boys to the yard. He finally had good news. Evan joined them, and Tyler said he knew Evan’s mom Linda was emotional about the property, and Evan confirmed that she was both financially and emotionally invested. They called Linda, and Tyler reminded her that the NYC market was challenging, but they’d gotten what he considered a very good offer. It was all cash, and the buyer wanted to use the home like they did. They had children and grandchildren, and wanted to use it as the family gathering home. The legacy would live on. He told her it was non-contingent at $6.65 million. He asked if he heard a sigh of happiness, but Linda said, not quite, but let’s talk. She thought the offer was somewhat low, and Tyler said, as a broker, he thought a client should counter every offer, because you didn’t know where the negotiation might land. Linda didn’t want to take less than $6.85  million; they’d put a lot of money and effort into the house. Tyler said, and it showed. He called broker Michael, and said the seller wanted to pursue the deal, and was countering at $6.85 million. It was a turnkey property, and everything else in the neighborhood under $7 million required a lot of work. Michael said he wanted to be honest, and his clients were looking at other properties. There were larger houses in the area, and with the market being in the position it was, he thought there had to be something to push his clients over the edge. Tyler said he didn’t like to go back and forth too many times with an emotional seller, or the deal might be over. Michael hinted that his clients had loved the fixtures. Tyler went back to Evan, with Linda on the phone, and asked how much the fixtures had cost. Evan thought it had been upward of $30K all together, and Tyler said the offer was $6.7 including the fixtures. He thought it would be a huge win, and the people would take great care of the home. Linda asked Evan what he thought, and he said, considering the market, he thought it was a solid offer, and they should take it. Linda said he was the professional, so she’d take his advice. Tyler called Michael back, telling him, $6.7 million, all cash, and it included the handmade light fixtures. In Tyler’s interview, he said light fixtures in NYC were a hot topic. Anything fastened to the walls was excluded, and a broker needed to have a conversation about it in every sale. He had to hope it was enough. Michael’s clients accepted the deal, and Tyler would be getting a $201K commission. He said he was proud, and Linda said she was shedding a tear, but she was pleased. In his interview, Tyler said he really liked Evan, and was happy for Kemba. She deserved someone special, and it was a special family.

KJ met Jacopo, the representative for Giovanni who was selling his Tribeca loft, and had given KJ two weeks to do it. It was listed at $10 million, but if she could get $30K in rent, he’d take it. KJ went to Jacopo’s showroom. He represented several high-end Italian brands, so I couldn’t blame her for cruising the clothing racks before she talked business. She said the offer was from an Italian client for renting at $23k month. She knew it was a far cry from $30K, but rentals were dicey at that price point, considering the market. She thought they should counter at $27.5K, and Jacopo gave her the go ahead. She called broker Alexandra, who said in Italy, people read articles about the NYC real estate market, and the concessions offered. She thought her client wouldn’t be comfortable at any more than $25K a month. In KJ’s interview, she said Giovanni could be stubborn when it came to price, but no vacancy was important in the market. She told Alexandra that they’d need significant liability insurance, and a character reference from someone in Italy, and Alexandra said her client would do whatever was necessary. In her interview, KJ said, losing $5000 a month was better than losing $25K if the loft was empty. She hoped Giovanni saw it the same way. Jacopo said Giovanni had the last word, and she presented the offer on a video chat with him. He said she’d been given a difficult task, and they’d asked a lot from her, although the offer was low. She said it would be a low-use apartment; a pied-a-terre, since the client lived in Italy. And the rental market in Tribeca was soft. If he waited, there was a chance he’d see no activity for two or three months. Giovanni told her, vet the profile, but he was inclined to accept the proposal. They had a deal. KJ’s commission was $108k, and in her interview, she said she would take her commission in the form of beautiful Italian cashmere. She asked Jacopo if she got a present, and he gifted her with a pretty nice coat.

Next time, Manhattan high end design comes to Brooklyn, an ice hockey game, and Ryan says he and Fredrik will never be best friends; they’re competitors.

🗽 Travel RHONY Style…

Not quite the Hamptons, but close enough. I actually wouldn’t mind checking some of these places out. I like an oyster or twelve myself.

https://www.purewow.com/travel/real-housewives-of-new-york-travel-guide-north-fork?amphtml=true

🐎 Not Quite Canceled…

Bravo’s not exactly breaking up with RHOD, but they’re taking a break.

https://www.eonline.com/news/1299219/the-real-housewives-of-dallas-is-not-returning-to-bravo-in-2022

🍞 Shabbat Debacle…

The sh*t show that is Ramona.

https://pagesix.com/2021/08/18/ramona-singer-called-out-by-eboni-and-luann-after-dinner/

https://pagesix.com/2021/08/11/eboni-k-williams-horrified-by-ramona-singer-at-black-shabbat/

🎢 The Week In Wives…

A stroll down this week’s Wives Memory Lane.

https://ew.com/tv/real-housewives-the-week-in-wives-aug-20-2021/

🍲 Great Addition…

Eboni is the pepper that spices the stew that is RHONY. I love her willingness to teach others, as well as learn herself.

https://www.etonline.com/eboni-k-williams-on-the-toll-of-her-rhony-freshman-run-and-those-reunion-rumors-exclusive-170549

⚰️ New Dead…

This isn’t super new news, but I hadn’t heard about it before. Day of the Dead was the third in the Night of the Living Dead trilogy by George Romero, but it’s not shown very often. This looks really promising, very old school zombie stuff, but I’ve learned not to get too attached to anything on the SyFy channel. Being Human Channel ZeroZ Nation<sob!> I will never forgive them for that one.

https://comicbook.com/horror/news/day-of-the-dead-tv-show-syfy-poster-release-date/

https://comicbook.com/horror/news/syfy-day-of-the-dead-tv-show-trailer-watch-online/

⌛️ Coming This Sunday…

Episode 1 of Season 11 of The Walking Dead premieres Sunday, August 22nd at 9 pm on AMC. Followed by Talking Dead, which I nerdily like even better. In this trailer, everyone looks very glamorous and has fabulous cheekbones.

https://comicbook.com/tv-shows/news/the-walking-dead-final-season-11-teaser-cure-zombie-apocalypse-virus-commonwealth-mercer/

📚 Quotes of the Week

Do not let your fire go out, spark by irreplaceable spark in the hopeless swamps of the not-quite, the not-yet, and the not-at-all. Do not let the hero in your soul perish in lonely frustration for the life you deserved and have never been able to reach. The world you desire can be won. It exists.. it is real… it is possible… it’s yours. – Ayn Rand

Painting is poetry that is seen rather than felt, and poetry is painting that is felt rather than seen. – Leonardo da Vinci

As usual with women who want to find out things, she told more than she found out. – Addison DeWitt (George Sanders), All About Eve

You don’t even have the balls to be your own psycho. – Holland Price (Brad Loree), Mr. Hush

Our lives are the only meaningful expression of what we believe and in Whom we believe. And the only real wealth, for any of us, lies in our faith. – Gordon B. Hinckley

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. – Philippians 2:3 (NIV 1984)

If you are insecure, guess what? The rest of the world is too. Do not overestimate the competition and underestimate yourself. You are better than you think. – T. Harv Eker, American Author and Spiritual Teacher (And for those of you who are egoists, you’re worse than you think.)

We got a whole lot of money, but we still pay rent, cuz you can’t buy a house in heaven.Lady Gaga, You & I

You don’t know what can happen tomorrow. Life is like a novel, isn’t it? It’s filled with suspense. You never know what’s going to happen until you turn the page. – Sidney Sheldon (Unless it’s a Sydney Sheldon novel.)

Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards. – Søren Kierkegaard

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

🤸 Freedom For Me…

I got my second round of vaccine, and it smells like freedom. The weekend, or the tag on the end of another five days, depending on where you’re at, is also here. So no matter where you are at, do something you enjoy. The world might look different these days, but it can still be entertaining. Until we meet for the beginning of the Dead end, stay safe, stay on the sunny side of the street, and stay not letting your lack of transparency be a deal breaker.

⚠️ Waring: Might be offensive words. If you’re a puritan.

August 19, 2021 – A Date For the Wedding Is Set, Drew’s Return, the Girlfriend, Interviewing Diane, Taking a Break, From Hospital To Horror, Second Time Around Salt Lake & Time

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Jason asks how Josslyn is, and Carly says, Nikolas Cassadine is a self-absorbed jerk, which really answers that question. He says, there’s no question about that, and she says, fortunately, everything at Windymere was fine; it was a false alarm. She’s glad she went, but she’s sorry she missed the meeting. Did they come to a conclusion? He says it’s a good thing she did miss it. It gave him a chance to see exactly where they stand with the Five Families Italian style flatbread. She says, okay; where’s that? and he says, they’re in trouble.

Spencer says, the first time he saw Trina, he knew she was something special. She says, please. The first time he saw her, she was running into The Savoy covered in fake blood. He says, exactly. He saw her drenched in blood, and thought, that’s someone I need to get to know better. She asks how that’s going for him, and he says what he knows he likes, and he’d like to know more.

Laura says Nikolas is her son, but he’s a father now; a parent. Tonight, he chose to terrorize his own son to make a point. He says he honestly believed Spencer was Ava’s stalker. And if Spencer could do these horrible things to  them… She says, he wanted to give Spencer a taste of his own medicine. Her worst fears are coming true. He says, what’s that? and she says, he’s finally becoming a Cassadine through and through.

Portia tells Ava, this is unspeakably cruel. Who would set her car on fire, and leave her daughter’s ID badge? She’s so sorry Ava is going through this. If Ava needs something to sleep, she can prescribe something. Ava says, absolutely not. She can’t let her guard down. Portia says, she has a bodyguard, but Ava says, a lot of good that did her tonight. There is a psychopath out there. Someone is leaving reminders of the daughter she lost, and threatening the one she has left.

At The Savoy, Nika asks if Britt would like to see the drink menu, but Britt says she likes her misery straight up; double whiskey, neat. She flashes back to her last conversation with Jason, and telling him, if she needs to pretend to get through it, that’s what she’s going to do. He says, okay, and she says it’s so him; just listen, absorb, and accept. Terry, Epiphany, Deanna, Amy, Bobbie, and Elizabeth come in, and sit at one of the tables.

Jason says, the families think they’re isolated and vulnerable, and Carly says, are they? He says they’re definitely isolated, but nowhere near as vulnerable as the families believe. Maybe they can use that. She asks, how? and he says, let them think they’re winning. Think they’ll do anything to avoid conflict because they’re not strong enough to protect what’s theirs. Carly asks how they convince them, and Jason says they get married, as soon as they can schedule it. She says, getting married because of mob politics. That’s why she married Sonny the first time. He says, so she couldn’t testify against him, and she says, that’s why she married him the fourth time, although Sonny was lying. He was just trying to stop her from marrying Jax. But that’s not the point. He asks, what is the point? and she says she thought they were getting married to show the families that they’re a united front; that they can’t divide and conquer. Now he’s telling her that they’re doing it to make them think they’re weak? Jason says, they’re doing it to comply with their ultimatum, and she says, which is? He says, which is to marry her or eliminate her. She says they wanted him to kill her? and he says he would never let that happen.

Britt listens to the nurses talking, and finally walks over to the table. She says, this is definitely the party table. It’s great to have Bobbie back on staff. Bobbie says, it’s still Nurse Spencer, and Britt says, right. It’s great to see them letting off some steam. Relaxation after a hard day at GH is Chief of Staff approved. Epiphany says, Chief Terry is the one who suggested this outing, and Elizabeth says, it’s really nice having someone in a position of authority treating them like people and not flunkies. Britt says no one could mistake Elizabeth for a flunkey; everything about her screams competent. Epiphany says she thinks the word Britt is looking for is gifted, and Britt tells Terry, getting the competent and gifted together was definitely a great idea. Terry thanks her, and says she thought they could all use some time when they didn’t have to think about work. Britt says she’s definitely had a day herself, and tells Epiphany that she hasn’t had a chance to welcome her back. Was it hard to leave a sandy beach and come back to GH? Epiphany says, not as hard as being demoted from head nurse. But she guesses Britt knows a little about how that feels now. Britt says, indeed she does. She tells them to enjoy their evening, and goes back to the bar.

Ava says she’s sorry she snapped at Portia. She knows Portia is trying to help. Portia says Ava has nothing to apologize for. She had her car set on fire by some psychopath who planted Kiki’s badge there. On top of everything else Ava has been going through, she thinks it’s a miracle Ava is handling things as well as she is. Ava says, which is not at all, but Portia disagrees. There’s a knock at the door, and Doc comes in. He says he’s glad Ava is still there, and asks if she’s okay. She says her car was set on fire, and he says, Nikolas told him. She says she spoke to the firemen, and they’re certain it was done on purpose. Luckily, the car was the only casualty; and her nerves of course (🍷). What about him and Laura? Tell her they got to Windymere before Nikolas did anything stupid.

Nikolas tells Laura, he is a Cassadine; he can’t change that. She says she’s not talking about his DNA. She’s talking about the kind of man he’s becoming. When she thinks back to the man who raised Spencer, Nikolas never left Spencer’s bedside when he was so horribly burned in the fire. That’s the Nikolas that she knows. He says, that’s still him, and she says she really wants to believe that. She wants to believe he’s still that man, and she sees glimmers of it, but it seems that when he takes one step forward into the light, he takes two giant steps backward into darkness.

Trina says she likes Spencer too, and he asks if she’s sure. She says he’s not as bad as she thought at first… Victor. He says he did his penance for that with her writing KICK ME in sunscreen on his back. She laughs, and asks if he wants to rejoin his family. His grandmother seemed really worried about him. He says, not just yet. Can’t they just stay out there? She says, in a perfect world, they could stay out there all night, but she’s not offering him advice. There was a time when she wasn’t getting along with her mom, and Trina didn’t want to talk to her, but a friend said she should just hear her mom out. He says he thought that was Ava, and she says, Ava said it too, but her friend said it first. He says her friend sounds like a real punk, and she says she’s not there to tell him what to do. She’s not sure many people can. He says, nobody tells Spencer Cassadine what to do, and she says, except his grandmother? He laughs, and says, except his grandmother. She says she just wants him to know that he’s not alone. She’s there if he needs her. He says he was just starting to think that, if she goes with him, he might actually be able to face his father. A female voice says, not so fast, and we see creepy nurse come out onto the turret balcony. She asks where exactly does he think he’s going without her? Ugh. Not liking where this is going.

Ava asks Doc, what happened at Windymere? Please tell her that he and Laura were able to talk some sense into Nikolas. He says, unfortunately Nikolas set his plan in motion long before they arrived, and Ava asks what Nikolas did, but Doc says he’s more concerned with how she’s feeling. She says, that bad, huh? and he suggests they just focus on her. She’s been under severe, persistent stress, and she is managing to bear up well under it, but it’s taken a toll. She says, it’s so confusing. For a while, the threat seemed to have passed, but now… And it isn’t just the car. They also left this. She shows him Kiki’s ID, and says, what kind of a monster taunts someone with the memory of their murdered daughter?

Creepy nurse says, my God, your face, and kisses Spencer. I’d say I hate her already, but I hated her for Ava’s sake already. Trina says she guesses they know each other, and creepy nurse says, you might say that. So Spence, who’s your friend? Spencer introduces creepy nurse as Esme Prince, and introduces Trina to Esme. Esme says, the girlfriend. She’s sure he told Trina all about her.

Laura says, since Nikolas got back to Port Charles, she’s been trying to guide him down a better path, but he’s not listening to her. He says he is, but she says he didn’t listen to her when she told him not to get involved with Cyrus Renault. He says, he returned Cyrus’s mother, but Laura says, he traded her for what he wanted. He says, Alexis’s safety, and she says, the point is, he was willing to use a fragile old woman to his advantage. He says, because she was better off as Carly and Jason’s hostage? and Laura says, she was safe and happy. He says, that’s one hell of a rationalization, and she says, from a man who pretended to stab his own child, and who apparently doesn’t see anything wrong with it. The fact that he was willing to plot against his own son for any reason, makes her think she should stop trying to save him. It’s already too late.

Britt drains her drink, and Terry comes over to the bar. She says, after that warm welcome, she figured Britt could use another, and Britt says, a pity shot? Thanks for having her back. Terry asks what she was supposed to say, and orders shots for the table, and two of what Britt is having. Britt says, anything she drinks goes on her tab. At the table, Amy wonders what Terry and Britt are talking about, and Bobbie says, that would be none of their business, but Deanna respectfully disagrees. Britt and Terry are Co-Chiefs. How they handle each other directly affects their work environment. Epiphany says she’ll treat Britt respectfully when they’re at the hospital, and Elizabeth says, when they’re not at the hospital? Epiphany says she won’t be pulling any punches. Amy asks if anyone told Epiphany, while she was gone, Cyrus tried to have Britt killed, and Jason saved her life. Deanna says, and he got shot in the process, and Britt saved his life. Epiphany says she heard something about that, but thought Britt’s role was greatly exaggerated. Bobbie says, not according to her daughter. Carly confirmed Britt saved Jason’s life. Elizabeth says, maybe people can change.

Terry says Britt is taking the fun out of watching her suffer, and Britt says, sorry to disappoint. Terry says Britt should be proud of herself. She went to a table full of people she’s alienated, and tried to connect; that’s a good thing. Britt says, if Terry saw her making an effort, why didn’t she invite Britt to join them? They would have accepted it coming from her. They’re clearly team Terry. Terry says, it wasn’t her invitation to extend. She and Britt are a team now, but she can’t make people like Britt.

Doc asks Ava, given what happened with Kiki’s badge, does she still think his brother is behind this somehow? She says, does he? and he says, since he found out Ryan was communicating with people outside the prison, he doesn’t know, but ever since Ryan was diagnosed as a locked-in, he would say, no way. Although he has to admit there are similarities between Ryan’s M.O. and what’s happening to her. Ava says, one thing she does know is, whoever is stalking her can’t be Spencer, and Doc says, that’s another thing the stalker’s good at; turning their lives upside down. Making them doubt each other. She says, please tell her that whatever Nikolas did tonight, he didn’t ruin his relationship with his son.

Esme holds out her hand, but Trina doesn’t take it. Trina says her boyfriend Spence wasn’t kidding when he said the night would be full of big surprises. She finally shakes Esme’s hand, and says, nice to meet her, and no, he hasn’t mentioned her. She tells Spencer, well, Spence, thanks for throwing this big party. It was definitely unforgettable. Nice meeting Esme, the girlfriend. Esme says, any friend of Spence’s… but Trina is already gone. She says, Spencer never told Trina he had a girlfriend? Ha-ha! I think Spencer is going to get a taste of his own medicine better than Nikolas could have given him.

Amy asks if Bobbie is excited for Carly and Jason’s wedding, and Bobbie says she was more surprised than anything. But now that she’s had a minute to get used to the idea, she’s happy for them. Epiphany says she’s still stuck on surprised. She’s known them for years, and there was never the slightest indication that they were anything other than friends. Elizabeth says Epiphany was never involved with Jason. She and Jason are ancient history. They had Jake together and they’re friends, but she’s just making an observation. Deanna tells her, observe away, and Elizabeth says, Carly will always come first in Jason’s life. She wouldn’t have it any other way, and honestly, Jason wouldn’t either. It used to make her so frustrated. She wanted him to stand up to Carly; let her figure out her own disastrous life, and stay out of his. She tells Bobbie, sorry, but Bobbie says, don’t apologize. There have been so many times in Carly’s life that it’s been a disaster – by her own making – but every time she would turn to Jason for help, he was there to give it to her. And in all fairness, she did the same for him. Elizabeth says, that’s true. She and Carly have never been friends, but she’d be the first to admit Carly has always been loyal to Jason.  

Terry says, Britt’s stint as Chief of Staff wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows. Far from it. Britt asks if she’s supposed to apologize for keeping her eye on the bottom line, and Terry says, this isn’t about numbers. This is about how Britt deals with people, especially Bobbie. Britt says she had nothing to do with Bobbie or Monica getting fired. That was all Cyrus. Terry says, taking Epiphany off the floor, and cutting Elizabeth’s hours; was that Cyrus too? Britt says Cyrus ordered her to, and Terry says, when Cyrus was gone, did Britt make it right? Britt says, you would think with so many people being chummy with Sonny, they’d understand when you do things you don’t want to do under duress. Terry says, it’s no secret Britt doesn’t get along with Epiphany or Elizabeth, or pretty much anyone, so don’t be disappointed when she digs up what she planted. Britt says, fine; she’s awful, and things need to change. How is she supposed to change things when everyone’s against her? Epiphany looked right through her. Terry says, because Britt went out of her way to humiliate, belittle, and demote her, and several people she cares about – all on Britt’s first day. Britt says, so this cold shoulder business, it’s all on her. Terry says, it is, and Britt says, so she guesses getting invited to the cool kids table is impossible. Terry says, nothing is impossible, but if she wants the respect, she’ll have to earn it. Terry can see Britt’s changed, but that doesn’t mean the situation has. She’s burned some pretty big bridges. It’s going to take time to rebuild them. Terry goes back to the table.

Jason says he doesn’t want Carly to be afraid. The Five Families mascarpone are never going to touch her, but she has the right to know what was said. She says, which was what exactly? and he says, the position is, unless and until they get married, she’s a civilian who could flip and give evidence to the Feds. She says she’d never do that, and he says he knows. It’s just an excuse to see how he would react. She asks if he told them what they wanted to hear, and he says he told them they would get married as soon as they can arrange it. This just proves any honest negotiations are a waste of time. They’re not interested in cooperating, and they believe Sonny’s territory is wide open, and she’s the key. She is, but threatening her was the worst mistake they ever made, and they’re going to pay.

Jason tells Carly that he can move now. He can probably get to Vincent Novak tonight. It would be a relief to get rid of that guy anyway. She says, but waiting is the smart move, and he says, moving quickly is always a risk. They should set the date, send out the invitations, and give them time to set whatever they’re planning motion. She says he knows how this works; he’s obviously thought a lot about it. So they’re going to do what he said, and set the date, send out the invitations, and make them think they’re winning. She gets up and looks at her phone, saying, they have to do something really soon. He gets up, and says, Carly… and she says, just tell her. Is any part of the wedding going to be about them?

Epiphany approaches Britt, and says, Terry told her Britt wanted to see her. Britt looks at Terry, who nods, and Britt says, yes, she did. Epiphany asks if she’s sure; she seems surprised. Britt says, she is. She didn’t expect Epiphany to come over. Epiphany says, well, she’s there, and she’d like to get back to her friends, so what is it? Britt says she’s sorry for how she treated Epiphany. It was self-serving, callous, and… Epiphany says, and dishonest, conniving, nasty, and lowdown. Britt tells her, don’t hold back, and Epiphany says, trust. There’s plenty more where that came from.

Spencer says he was going to tell his friends all about Esme, and she says, when? He says, tonight, and she asks what stopped him? He says, all hell breaking loose, and she says she could definitely sense tension. What happened? He says, it would take too long to get into. What about her? When did she get there? What has she been up to? She says, tailing the demon bride, and he says, she was following Ava. She says she got curious about his stepmother, so she checked Ava out at the gallery. She wasn’t there long before Ava rushed out, and she followed Ava to the hospital. When she got there, she overheard his father telling Ava that he was faking a trip to Dubai, so he could trick Spencer. Spencer says, and she didn’t think to call or text, or give him any kind of heads up? She says, almost, but then she overheard Ava ask his grandmother to go to Windymere. That’s when she got her beautiful brain wave. He says, what brain wave? and she says, to set Ava’s car on fire. He says, she what?

Trina walks into the hospital, looking sad, and sighing.

Doc tells Ava, Nikolas and Spencer will need some time to heal from this. Trina comes in, and says she was so worried about Ava, but Ava says she’s okay; just shaken up. Trina says, her car was burned, and Ava says, she wasn’t in it at the time. She guesses it was just meant scare her. Trina says, that is so messed up, and Ava totally agrees. She heard there was some drama at Windymere, and Trina says, nothing exploded. Mr. Cassadine came to Spencer’s party determined to teach Spencer a lesson, but he took it way too far. She doesn’t know if Spencer can forgive his father. Ava says, like, for the time being? but Trina says, like, ever. Ava wonders what Nikolas did, but Portia comes in with a police officer, and says, sorry. They want to take Ava’s statement. Ava thanks Doc and Trina for checking on her, and leaves. 

Nikolas says, please don’t give up on him, and Laura says, please give her a reason not to. He says he realizes he’s made terrible choices, but he wants to do better by her, Ava, Spencer, everyone. She says it’s lovely that he wants to do better by her, and she’s sure Ava feels the same way, but she and Ava are adults. Spencer is still a kid. He’s not even twenty yet, and Nikolas has broken Spencer’s heart time and again. He literally attacked Spencer. How is he going to make that better? What steps is he willing to take? He’s way past the point where his promises have any meaning. One more terrible choice, and he could lose everything, and everyone close to him.   

Portia says she thought Trina had plans tonight, and Trina says she did, but she wanted to check on Ava. Portia says, fortunately, she’ll be fine, and asks where Trina was. Trina says she was at a party, at Windymere. Portia says she heard Ava ask Doc if he’d gotten there in time. What in the world happened at Windymere?

Britt tells Epiphany, by all means, unleash. Let her have it. Epiphany says, okay, but Britt better get comfortable. This is going to take some time. Britt says, fire away. She hurt people, so she deserves everything that’s coming to her. Epiphany asks how she can enjoy tearing into Britt when she’s being contrite? and Britt says, once she draws blood, she’ll have a taste for more. Let her have it. Epiphany says, okay, she’ll say this. Losing her position as head nurse wasn’t just about the title. She worked hard to get there, but it was losing contact with the patients that broke her heart. Britt says she’s so gifted with patients. She’s glad Monica reinstated her. She just regrets she didn’t do it first. As far as hearts go, contrary to popular belief, she has one, and understands what it feels like to have it broken. Epiphany says she’s sorry to hear that. Since she’s still in the throes of her own heartbreak, she wouldn’t wish it on anyone. Britt says, since they’re sharing… and Epiphany says, is that what they’re doing? If it is, she doesn’t like it. Britt says she may never convince Epiphany, but she’s not the person she was. At least she’s trying not to be. Epiphany says, when she was in Cabo, she heard Britt tried to take down Cyrus, and risked her life for Jason, who Epiphany considers to be a friend. Also, Terry said she’s not all bad. Britt laughs, and says, a ringing endorsement. Epiphany says, as for her, she needs a second opinion. Britt says, that’s fair.

Spencer says, Esme was the one who torched Ava’s car? and she says, to save him. Something had to happen when he wasn’t around to prove he wasn’t involved. Even though they both know he’s up to his eyeballs in it. He says, he appreciates her trying to cover for him, but torching the woman’s car went too far. She asks if he’s sure. His father pretended to be dead for three years, and chose that awful woman over him. Doesn’t he want her to pay?

Trina tells Portia, it was so awful; Spencer was so hurt. Portia thinks the word Trina is looking for is traumatized. Poor Spencer. He must have felt so betrayed. Not that she hasn’t disappointed her own child. Trina says, no, just no. What happened between Portia and Curtis is A) none of her business, and B) nothing compared to pretend stabbing you kid. She doesn’t even know if there’s a word for that. Portia says, there is; assault, grabbing someone and hitting them with a blunt object. If anyone says it’s a crime what Nikolas did to his son, they mean that literally. Trina says, as a parent, Portia is doing lightyears better than he is. Portia thanks Trina, saying, she appreciates that, and Trina says, anytime.

Doc asks if Ava finished her statement, and she says, yeah, for all the good it did. It makes no sense. The threats and stalking, it all stopped when she and Nikolas filed for divorce. Why would it start up again? This person is getting everything they want. Doc says, something about all of it feels off. If they can figure out what it is, it might lead them to whoever’s doing this. She says, Nikolas came to visit her at the gallery, and Doc asks if he could have been seen. Ava says, yeah, if she’s under constant surveillance, which means she’s not safe anywhere. Not at her place of business or where she sleeps. Obviously not in her car, which she doesn’t have anymore. Where is she supposed to go? Is there any place left this psychopath can’t get to her?

Nikolas tells Laura, if he’s going to redeem himself and make almonds amends, he has to start with Spencer. He knows she said he should let Spencer come to him, but he needs to find his son. Spencer walks in with Esme, and says, here he is. Nikolas says he can’t begin to tell Spencer how sorry he is; how much he regrets… Spencer introduces Esme to Laura, and Laura says it’s nice to meet her. She wishes it were under better circumstances. Nikolas says he didn’t know Spencer was seeing someone, and Spencer says, why would he? Clearly, Nikolas doesn’t know anything about him. Laura asks if Spencer would like time alone with his dad, but Spencer says he has nothing to say to him.

The waitress brings shots to the table from the lady at the bar, and Bobbie asks if they should send them back. Deanna says, she didn’t have to do this, and they take the shots. Epiphany says, it will take a hell of a lot more than a round of shots to inspire their loyalty. To GH. They all raise their glasses, and Britt leaves the bar. She takes a last look at the table, and slips out.  

Portia can’t believe Nikolas pretended to stab his own son, and Trina says, it was awful. The whole night was just awful. Portia asks, what’s wrong? Is she okay? Trina says, it’s not a big deal; it shouldn’t be a big deal. Just forget it. Portia says, Trina knows she can tell her anything. Talk to her. What’s wrong? Trina says, it turns out Spencer has a girlfriend. Portia hugs her.

Laura says, Spencer may have nothing to say to his father tonight, and it’s understandable, but tomorrow… Spencer says, on second thought, he does have something to say. He wishes Nikolas had never come back, and yes, he does mean that. Laura says, she sincerely hopes he won’t mean it forever. It’s clear nothing is going to be resolved here tonight. Spencer says if Laura is taking the launch back, he and Esme will come with her. Nikolas says, Spencer… but Spencer says he can’t stay there one more minute. He leaves, and Esme follows him. Laura tells Nikolas, it didn’t have to be like this, and leaves. The cheese Nikolas sits alone.  

Ava tells Doc, whoever is doing this has proven time and again they can get to her, that they can get to Avery. No matter how many bodyguards; no matter how advanced the security system. Doc says he knows it seems that way, but the authorities can protect her. She says she can’t trust in that. She can’t rely on the authorities. She can’t believe it’s come to this, but she can’t risk Avery’s safety. She has to get the hell out of Port Charles, and she has to do it alone

Carly tells Jason, she’s not expecting hearts and flowers, but people are really wishing them well. Josslyn, her mom, his mom. Well, his mom is wishing him well; she just tolerates Carly. But all these people they love. They think they’re coming to a joyous celebration, but it’s really just a show for the Five Families white lasagna. He says, their wedding is not just a show, but Carly says, he just told her… He says, the families have to be dealt with, but it’s still them up there getting married. She says she’s really nervous about that. Not the wedding, but after the ceremony. What’s it going to be like when they’re married? When she married Sonny the last time, Jason was gone, but going back to her first marriage to AJ, she always had Jason as her best friend, and he’d always be there for her. If something went wrong, and the marriage ended, he’d be there and he was. But this time the marriage is to him, and he’s her safety net. She’s marrying her safety net, and she’s kind of freaking out. He says he’ll still be her safety net, and he’s counting on her to be his. She says he doesn’t need a safety net, but he says he needs her to stand by him, no matter what. She says she always will, and he says, okay. Then they’ll just figure the rest out. She tells him, he keeps saying that, and he says they don’t know what’s going to happen when they get married, no one who gets married knows what’s going to happen. All they can do is hope for the best, and trust each other. She says, they have the trust thing down, and he says, so he needs her to remember that when she freaks out. She says, and count to ten. He says, count to ten, and she hugs him. She says, okay, let’s pick a date. She looks at her phone, and says, how’s September 17th? He says, it works for him.

Tomorrow, Willow tells Chase that nothing has changed, Laura says no way are Spencer and Esme living together, Anna asks if someone is hitting on her, and Carly asks Michael if there’s something he wants to tell her.

🥁 Drew Debut…

Cameron’s first day in GH class.

💉 Creepy Nurse Girlfriend…

Otherwise known as a taste of Spencer’s own medicine.

⚖️ Never Enough Diane…

I so wish they’d have more storyline for her.

👋 Goodbye Hello…

Vague, but it sounds like she’s just going on vacation.

😈 All American Horror…

What the old Spencer has been up to.

🧂 Salty Return…

I could have lived without seeing Jen do the worm.

https://people.com/tv/real-housewives-salt-lake-city-season-2-trailer-exclusive/

🏃🏽‍♀️ And I’m Outta Here…

Because Bravo hates me, and chose to put Million Dollar Listing New York on at an inconvenient time, stay tuned tomorrow for those deluxe apartments in the sky. Also included, a little soap, a little tea, and a little wisdom. No matter what your cuppa is, stay safe, stay cheeky, and stay not burning too many bridges. It will take time to rebuild them.

August 18, 2021 – The Party Of the Summer Is Over, Questioning Erika & Radio

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Nikolas says, someone set fire to Ava’s car, and Trina says, no. He says, Ava is shaken up, but Dr. Robinson is looking after her. Doc asks, where did it happen? and Nikolas says, at the hospital. Doc says, far from here; far from Spencer. Laura says, so Spencer is innocent. She wishes she could say the same for Nikolas. Nikolas tells them, he’s not sure what to say. He was so sure it was Spencer, and was horrified that he could be so cruel. Spencer says, so Nikolas decided to show hm what real cruelty looks like. Congratulations, father. Mission accomplished.

Jax sits at The Savoy, wondering what’s wrong with his phone, when Obrecht asks if she can join him. As friends, of course (🍷). She’s very much taken these days. He says he’d be delighted, but has to warn her, he’s not in the best mood tonight. She says then they won’t make banal small talk, and asks what’s troubling him.

Cameron tells Josslyn, he knew Spencer’s father might be mad about the party, but this is ridiculous. Should they go back inside and back him up? She says she thinks it’s a personal family matter, and they don’t want an audience, but the question is, should they extract Trina? Carly calls to Josslyn, and Josslyn thanks her for coming. She asks if Carly saw Tony; did he tell her what happened? and Carly says, he told her what happened from a security standpoint. She says hi to Cameron, and tells Josslyn, Tony said they weren’t in any physical danger, but it was an unstable situation, and he wanted her out of there. Josslyn says, they want to get out of there too. What happened here tonight, was all kinds of wrong.

At The Savoy, Sam asks if she can talk to Curtis a moment, and he asks, what’s up? She says she got a call tonight. The caller ID said it was an unknown caller, and it was a man’s voice. He said he was Drew.

Guard Russ asks how many times he has to tell Drew, he’s not leaving. Drew says, the law of averages is on his side. Russ has to stop him every time; he just has to get away once. Russ says he’s going to tell the boss. Maybe he’ll finally agree Drew is more trouble than he’s worth, and he’ll let him kill Drew. Drew says, tell his employer that he managed to steal Russ’s phone on his watch, he’s going to fire him. He’s got to look to his future. Russ says at least he has a future. That’s more than Drew can say. Drew says, all Russ has to do is give him a ride to the nearest airport, and tell him the name of the bastard who’s kept him locked up for two years. That’s it. Russ says he doesn’t look like a wealthy man, but Drew says he is. Russ says the world thinks he’s dead. (Which isn’t necessarily true, but okay.) If he made money double-crossing the boss, he wouldn’t live long enough to spend it.

Jason arrives for the meeting, and one of the family heads congratulates him on his exoneration. Some people have all the luck. Jason says, now that they’re all assembled here, he wants to discuss some recent actions by a member of the Novak family. Ms. Wu asks where his fiancé is, and Jason says, she couldn’t be here tonight. He’s speaking for the Corinthos Organization. She says she’s sorry. That’s unacceptable. When he called this meeting, it was their understanding that both he and Mrs. Corinthos would be there. He says he speaks for both of them, and Mr. Novak says, the last time their group met, Mrs. Corinthos proclaimed herself head of the Corinthos Organization. Jason says, as they all know, he was unavailable for that meeting. Ms. Wu asks why Mrs. Corinthos isn’t there tonight, and Jason says, something came up. She says, something more important than this meeting? He called this meeting, and they managed to make the time. I think, Carly has officially set women back by trying to prove you can’t have a career and children. He thanks them, and says, if time is an issue, he’ll be brief. Mr. Novak’s nephew Joey approached his fiancé’s daughter. That is unacceptable. Novak says, forget it. If Mrs. Corinthos isn’t coming, he’s not staying. He gets up, and Mr. Buscema says, neither is he. Jason says, it’s their choice. This meeting will continue, and repercussions will follow.

Curtis asks Sam to run that by him again, and she says she got a call from an unknown caller. Actually, she got two calls. The first call she got, she sent straight to voicemail since she thought it was a telemarketer. A little while later, she got another call, and that one, she picked up. It was a man’s voice on the phone, and he called her by her name, and said that he was Drew. He said he needed help. He said they were coming, and there was all this commotion, and the line went dead. She had one of Dante’s techs run the call, but they came up empty. He says, she went to the police? but she says, no. She and Dante happened to be together when she got the call. Dante thought it was just a hoax, or intended to throw her off the case. It makes sense, but she just doesn’t know. He says, Drew’s plane went down in the Gulf of Adan. There was a search, which turned up nothing. There were no signs of any survivors. She says, he was a Navy SEAL. If anyone could survive a plane crash into the ocean, it would be Drew. Curtis thinks Dante’s right, doesn’t he? He says he thinks what’s more important is what she thinks. Does she believe Drew is still alive?

Obrecht tells Jax, maybe his phone is just out of power. She finds phones get temperamental after a while. Has he updated? He says, it was just 98% charged a minute ago. He was hacked. He’s pretty sure he knows who it was. He drains his glass, and signals for another, and she says he wasn’t kidding about his mood. He says, sorry. He did try to warn her. She says she can think of only two things that cause such consternation; a woman or a child. She’s guessing the latter. Is his daughter all right? He says, very good, but Josslyn is fine. He just wishes Josslyn’s mother was as concerned as she is for her safety.

Josslyn tells Carly, they showed them the creepy writing in front of the fireplace, then Trina and Spencer came in, saying, Spencer had been stabbed. Carly asks how badly he was hurt, but Cameron says, he wasn’t actually stabbed. Josslyn says, it was a retractable knife, like a prop in a play. Spencer thought it was Ryan Chamberlain, until Nikolas came in and said he was behind it all. Carly says, Nikolas stabbed Spencer? and Cameron says, he wasn’t actually stabbed, but yes. His grandmother was very upset. Josslyn says, they were headed for a dysfunctional family trainwreck, and Cameron tells Carly, he never thought he’d say these words, but he feels bad for Spencer. Carly wonders, what the hell was Nikolas thinking?

Spencer says Nikolas turned against him once again. He guesses he shouldn’t be surprised; it’s not the first time it’s happened. He never should have come back. Nikolas tells him, please don’t say that. He never turned against Spencer. Spencer says, Nikolas never chose him either. He’s just supposed to live with whatever horrible decisions Nikolas makes. Roll with the punches, and suck it up in the end. His neglect was hard enough to deal with, and now he wants to dole out the punishment too? Nikolas says he wanted Spencer to understand how damaging his actions have been, but Laura says, the incident tonight with Ava’s car proves he was wrong. Even if he’d been right, he took this way too far. He chose to terrorize his own son and his friends to teach him a lesson. There’s no excuse. Spencer says, it’s obvious Nikolas will always choose Ava over him, and Nikolas says, it wasn’t about choosing Ava. Spencer says, oh please. Nikolas was afraid he’d drive Ava away, and he decided to retaliate. Nikolas starts to protest, but Doc says, Spencer’s not wrong. His actions are more those of a thwarted lover than a concerned father. Nikolas says, was he angry when he thought Spencer was behind everything? He was furious, but he was also concerned, and wanted Spencer to see the error of his ways, so they could get it out in the open, and hopefully move past it and move forward together. Spencer starts to cry, and says Nikolas decided to invoke his mother in order to manipulate him, telling him to be the man she would want him to be. Nikolas says he’s sorry, and Spencer says, just because Nikolas decided that he’s guilty. Nikolas says he pushed too hard. He was wrong. Please forgive him. He loves Spencer. Spencer tells Nikolas not to call him his son, and don’t claim to love him. He storms out, and Laura says, Nikolas almost had him; his son was back. He let his rage blind him, and decided Spencer was the stalker, that Spencer was the one who took Ava from him. Spencer was right; Nikolas decided to retaliate. He thought his way was the only way, the very definition of arrogance. And where has it gotten him? For God’s sake, now is he willing to listen to her?

Nikolas says, he never meant… and Laura says, stop. He could have just paused for a moment, and thought it all the way through. She hoped he’d be able to see how disastrous this could be, but no. He wanted to do what he wanted to do, and even Ava couldn’t talk him out of it. How did he think this thing was going to turn out? He says he hoped Spencer would admit what he did, and she says, he didn’t do it. Was Nikolas so intent on making him pay, he didn’t even consider Spencer might be innocent? The damage he could do if he was wrong? She wants to be with her grandson now; he’s in pain. Doc suggests they let Spencer have some time. Trina’s with him, and it might be easier for him to process this with a friend; someone who isn’t family. Carly comes in, and asks if Nikolas has lost his mind.

Trina asks if Spencer is okay, and he says, a party’s not a party until someone gets stabbed. She says he doesn’t have to do that, and he says, do what? She says, be all cavalier about what just happened, or pretend his father didn’t just break his heart. Spencer says, he really hates me.

Drew says, this is progress. He made a phone call. Sam picked up. Of course (🍷) Sam thinks he’s dead, but it’s not the first phone call she’s gotten from a dead man. She’ll start asking questions. Come on, Sam. Ask questions. He wants to go home. He misses his little girl so much. He flashes back to talking to Scout, who’s in an incubator. He says, she had a bumpy ride, didn’t she? She’s probably wondering where her momma is. She would be there if she could, but for now, Scout gets him. He’s her daddy. He’s been waiting and waiting for her. He’s going to tell her a little secret. Not much scares him, but she does. He wants so badly to give her everything she needs. To love her and protect her. He’s going to make sure nobody hurts her. He’s going to give her the world. Back in the cell, he says he misses his little girl. Not so little anymore; he’s been gone so long. He wonders how tall she’s grown. He wonders what she’s like, and what makes her laugh. He’s so sorry. He didn’t mean to be gone so long. He promises her, whatever it takes, he’s coming home to her.

Sam tells Curtis, she honestly doesn’t know what to think. Logically, none of this makes any sense. He tells her to throw logic aside; what does she feel? She says she feels that she owes it to Scout to see who made that call. Danny too. Drew was a huge part of their lives. He says he gets it. He does miss his man, and wishes he was back. He could show Drew his nightclub, and they could argue over football games the way they used to. He was a good friend, but he has been gone a while. Where the hell has he been, and why did he wait until now to make contact?

Obrecht tells Jax, co-parenting can have many obstacles, especially when co-parents aren’t on the same page. She got lots of emails about this when she had her column in The Invader. (Speaking of which, who’s running that paper now?) However, she always thought he and Carly managed very well. He says, they did… until now. She asks if one of his obstacles happens to wear a black leather jacket, and he says he tried to make Carly see that some of her associations might be putting their daughter at risk. She asks if he regrets these actions, and he flashes back to his argument with Carly in the hallowed halls of the moss bowl.🎍 He tells Obrecht, only that it didn’t work.

Jason says, their leaving sends a clear message that they’re not interested in cooperation. That’s too bad, but he’ll adjust. Mr. Buscema sits back down, and says, forgive them for being confused, but it’s tough to do business when you’re not sure who you’ll be dealing with. Ms. Wu asks if Jason is challenging Mrs. Corinthos’s leadership. At the last meeting, she proclaimed she was head of the Corinthos Organization. Now he’s saying that he’s head of the organization. It seems the only way to solve this problem, is to eliminate Mrs. Corinthos.

Trina says, despite everything that happened, she doesn’t think Spencer’s father hates him. He asks if she’s okay with what Nikolas did, and she says, no; that was seriously messed up. His father honestly thought he was the stalker, and did all those horrible things to him and Ava. He says, for a moment, he thought she did too, and she says she admits she was shaken up, but he does hate Ava, and he’s made no bones about it. He asks what that even means, and she says he doesn’t hesitate to show his disapproval of her. He doesn’t want his father and Ava together, just like the stalker, but she should have known he wasn’t capable of something so twisted. He says, what if he was?

Russ comes into Drew’s cell, and says the boss wasn’t happy with his latest stunt. Drew says, so he told after all, and Russ says, stealing the phone was another pointless attempt on his part. Or does he really think Sam McCall is going to come for him? He heard Drew tried to convince her that he was still alive. He’d better pray she thinks it’s a crank call. If she decides to look for him, she’ll be dead before she leaves the US.

Curtis tells Sam, let’s not assume anything definite right now. Why don’t they go over this phone call? Tell him anything she remembers. She says, the caller said her name a few times, said his name was Drew… The connection was bad. He says, bad reception, like a call from overseas, and she says, yes. He asked if she could hear him. Curtis says, like he knew there might be bad reception, and she says, right. He knew he was calling with bad reception, asked if she could hear him, and then there was all this commotion. He asked for help, and then the line went dead. He says, commotion? Like there was a struggle? She says, maybe, and he says, other than the bad reception and the struggle, could she hear anything else in the background? She says, just static, and he says, whoever this guy is, he wants her to believe he’s Drew, and that he’s on the run from someone or something. He asks if she thinks he could have been running all this time, but she doesn’t know. Why wouldn’t he have tried to contact her earlier? He says, maybe this was his one shot to make a call before he was recaptured, or at least that’s what this guy wants her to believe. Does she?

Nikolas says he’s not in the mood right now, but Carly says, too damn bad. She had something really important planned for tonight, and had to race over there because she thought her daughter was in danger. Only to show up and find out he’s playing boogie man, trying to scare his son and his friends. He says, sorry for the inconvenience, but he’s not taking parenting lessons from her, of all people, or does she want to discuss why Josslyn had a bodyguard tonight? She says, thank God she did. Leave them out of his family drama. She has enough on her plate without his asinine decisions making her life more difficult. She apologizes to Laura and Doc, but Laura says, it’s really okay; it’s been a rough night all around. Carly says, they’re out of there, and leaves with Josslyn and Cameron. In the foyer, Josslyn asks her to wait. She can’t leave yet.

Jason says it sounds like Ms. Wu just threatened Carly, and she says, this isn’t a club. Their alliance is a carefully constructed balance of power; one built on mutually assured destruction. He says he knows what it is. If one of them goes down, they all go down. She says, yes, and when Mrs. Corinthos joined their ranks, she was made privy to information that could destroy every one of them. Jason says they can trust Carly, but she says, that hasn’t always been so. There were reports that she threw a valuable shipment of guns into the Port Charles harbor as a protest against their business. He says, that was a different time, different set of circumstances, and Ms. Wu says, yes. She’d since accepted Carly’s word that she’s changed, but here they all are, and she’s nowhere to be found. Perhaps she’s doing something more advantageous to her, like talking to the Feds. Jason says, that’s ridiculous, and she says, is it? The Feds have been circling the Corinthos family for a long time. Maybe the good widow decided to cut a deal so she can be free of them for good. Mr. Buscema says, Madam Wu might be right. What if Jason’s fiancé decided to cut them all down, so she’s in the clear? Ms. Wu assures Jason, if that’s so, there will be consequences.

Trina asks why Spencer is playing into this game. He didn’t do any of those horrible things, so why even go there? He says, he was just wondering, hypothetically, if he’d done those things to Ava and his father, would she hate him? She says, but he didn’t, and he says, what if he had? Would she be able to forgive him? She asks if this is about him and his dad? Is he trying to decide if he can forgive Nikolas after everything he’s done tonight? That’s not a decision she can make for him. He asks what she means, and she says when her dad first deceived her, when he pretended to be dead, she swore she hated him. She never wanted to see him again. Spencer says, been there, done that, and she says, but he got over it, like she did. But it took some time. He says, years, and she says, now his dad’s disappointed him again. He says, this goes so far beyond disappointment. He had to walk away earlier, because he actually wanted to punch the guy. He thought he was going to die tonight. When this knife came at him, he thought it was over, and he was done. What kind of father does that to his son? How is he supposed to forgive that? She says she’s so sorry he’s going through this, and he says, that’s it? That’s all she has to say? She asks if he was expecting something else, and he says she’s not going to tell him what to do?

Nikolas leaves a voicemail for Ava, saying, he knows she’s dealing with a lot right now, but call him. He needs to hear from her. Doc says he’ll go to GH and check on her, and Laura thanks him. She’s really worried about Ava, and wants to stay there a little longer. Can he take the boat and send it back to her? He kisses her goodbye, and leaves. Nikolas says she should have gone with Doc. He already feels terrible. There’s nothing she can say that will make him feel worse. She says she just wants him to understand how his thinking led to his actions, and he says he doesn’t want to lose his son again. Should he go to him? She thinks Nikolas has to give Spencer a little time to cool off. Maybe let Spencer come to him. He says he’ll be waiting a long time. Another three years; maybe forever. She asks what he thought was going to happen when he made the decision to stalk and stab Spencer? How could he possibly think that this was the right way to deal with his son? He says he thought Spencer was the stalker. It angered him, but it also scared him. He felt that he had to do something drastic to get through to him. He wanted Spencer to understand on a visceral level, by making him feel how he made Ava feel. She says, so he struck back at him. At his own son. Like any good Cassadine would.

Jax tells Obrecht, Carly and Jason’s marriage has been on his mind. He can’t believe she’d associate herself with another mobster now that Sonny’s dead. She had a chance to start fresh and stop putting Josslyn and her other kids in danger. Instead, she chose to double-down. She asks if he’s tried telling Carly how he feels, and he says he’s tried  talking to her. He went as far as trying to get leverage to force her out of that life. She gathers his phone is a casualty for his quest for leverage. There is an art to gathering covert evidence, you know. Lucky he’s come to a pro for some tips. She’d love to see Carly squirm. And Jason Morgan, even more so.

Josslyn tells Carly that she’s sorry, but they need to talk to Spencer. She heard Doc on his way out; Spencer ran off somewhere and Trina went with him. He’s probably devastated over what his father did. Carly says she’s sure he is, but she has to get back to the mainland. Josslyn asks Cameron if he can find Trina, and see if she needs a ride back. She’s going to stay and talk to her mom… alone. Cameron leaves, and Carly asks what she wants to talk about. Josslyn says, you. What’s going on? Did they interrupt something important?

Jason says, the idea of Carly going to the Feds is laughable. She’s known everything there is to know for years as Sonny’s wife. Mr. Novak says, Sonny’s dead, and Jason says he’s aware of that. He and Carly will be getting married. Ms. Wu says, will be, but they aren’t now, so Carly could be coerced to divulge what she knows about their operations with or without his consent. He just said she already knows everything. He can’t see the risk this poses to all of them? He says, there’s no risk. They’re sitting around speculating about something that’s not going to happen. Ms. Wu says, when and if they’re married, Carly can’t be compelled to testify against her husband. Fiancés don’t share the same legal protection. So he must understand, until he and Carly are husband and wife, Carly is a liability.

Trina says she’s not Yoda, and not there to tell Spencer what to do. He says, why not? Everyone else does. What to do, what to think, especially about his father and Ava. She says she has her opinions, but now’s not the time for them. She understands how it feels when your parents let you down. That’s why she followed him, to listen in case he wanted to talk. He thanks her, and she says, what are friends for? He asks if that’s what they are. Friends… buds… She says, why not? Cameron joins them, and Spencer asks what he’s still doing there. The party of the summer is over. He should hang on to that wristband; it might be worth something someday. Cameron says, Joss wanted to make sure he was okay. She also wanted to ask if Trina needed a ride back to the mainland. Trina says she’s good; she’ll take a launch back later. Spencer says he’ll make sure Trina gets back safely. The launch should be freed up, so Cam and Joss should be able to get back okay. Cameron says, Mrs. Corinthos brought her own boat, so… Spencer says, Carly’s here? She’s going to kill him for involving Joss in this mess. Cameron says she knows his father is responsible for all this; she let him have it. Spencer says, tell Joss he’s sorry tonight was a fail, but enjoy the novelty with his compliments. Cameron says, what novelty? and Spencer says, for once, he’s the innocent party.

Nikolas tells Laura, it’s true; he’s a Cassadine. There’s nothing she can do to change that. She says he just needs to tame these dark impulses he has. He has to recognize it and turn away from it, for Spencer’s sake. He says, or he’ll pass those traits on to Spencer. It’s too late for that. He’s not the stalker, but he has a cruel streak. She’s already seen that. She says she has. Spencer grew up with a sense of entitlement, just like Nikolas did, but it is not too late to change; to break the cycle of trauma. He could start by just setting a good example for Spencer. He says he’s trying, and she asks if that’s what he was doing when he decided to terrorize his son. When he made Spencer believe that he was going to stab him and kill him? If Nikolas isn’t careful, he’s going to end up going down the same path his father did.

Josslyn says she should have never asked Tony to call Carly. She’s sorry for pulling Carly away from whatever she had going on tonight, but Carly says she did the right thing. Josslyn and all her kids are her top priority. Josslyn says she just feels so bad for Spencer, and Carly says she does too. Josslyn asks why his father would do that, but Carly doesn’t know. She doesn’t think Nikolas has any idea what it’s like to be a parent. He grew up spoiled and selfish, and turned around and raised Spencer the same way. Cameron comes back, and tells them, Spencer said he’s fine and they should go. Carly says, works for her, and Josslyn says, what about Trina? Cameron says, she wants to stay, and Spencer will make sure she gets home okay. Carly says, she’s in good hands; let’s go. They follow her out.

Curtis says, if that phone call was fake, he’s really not okay with someone using Drew’s memory to get to Sam. Sam says, her neither. She’s had people from her past showing up to settle a grudge, but this didn’t feel like that. Why would someone want to send her on a wild goose chase looking for Drew? He says he doesn’t know. Does she have any big cases coming up, or a trial coming up soon? She says, Naomie Dreyfuss is the only thing she has going on right now, and clearing Shawn’s name, but she doesn’t see how it could be related to Drew. He says she still hasn’t answered his original question, and she says because she didn’t have an answer. Until now. The more she thinks about it, the way he spoke to her… his voice… it sounded real. She thinks it was Drew on the phone.

Drew says, Russ’s boss is targeting Sam? and Russ says, the boss has a long reach. They plucked him out of the ocean, didn’t they? Got him there without anyone realizing he survived that crash. They went to a lot of trouble to extract Drew from his life. He won’t hesitate to kill anyone sniffing around. Drew says, because he wants him alive. Russ is losing it. First the phone, now the loose lips… He probably needs a vacation. The stress of the job is getting to him. Russ says he’s not going anywhere, and neither is Drew. Drew slams him up against the wall.

Trina says she keeps picturing Spencer lying on the floor, and he says he’s sorry she had to deal with that. She says, it’s not his fault, and he says, still, he appreciates her listening to him. People don’t always do that. She says, it’s hard to hear him between all the flash and snarks, and he says, but she manages. He moves closer to her, and she says she hears him.

Nikolas asks if Laura thinks he’s as bad as his father, but she says, no. Stavros was insane. He was sadistic and cruel. He had no remorse, but Nikolas does, which means he’s capable of so much more. But the Cassadine instincts are so much a part of him, it terrifies her. He asks what she means.

Jax asks if he can walk Obrecht to her car, but she says, no need, and thanks him for the drinks and conversation. He says he should be thanking her for listening and for her support. She says he has it. And remember, come to her next time, if he wants to try again. She’s confident they can bring down Carly and Jason by working together. Auf wiedersehen.

Carly runs into the meeting like she’s late for a parent/teacher conference. Mr. Buscema and Ms. Wu nod to her as they leave, and Mr. Novak tells her, you’re too late, Mrs. Corinthos. He guesses he’ll have to get used to calling her Mrs. Morgan. He’ll be checking his mail for his invitation. She asks Jason, what happened? How’d the meeting go? He looks grim, but that could mean anything from the meeting was bad, to he wonders what they’re having for dinner.

Sam asks Curtis to tell her. She’s crazy, right? He says, no, she’s not. She’s level-headed, and has great instincts. If she says that’s Drew’s voice she heard, he’s going to trust her on that. She says, Drew’s alive. Scout’s father is alive.

Drew tussles with Russ, but Russ gets the better of him, and literally kicks him when he’s down. He tells Drew, one of these days, you’re really gonna piss me off, and I’m going to snap your sorry neck. Russ leaves, and Drew writhes in pain for a hot minute, then sits up looking at the pen he swiped off of Russ in the fight. He takes it apart, and gets to work on his handcuffs.

Tomorrow, Ava wonders if there’s anyplace left this psychopath can’t get to her; Laura tells Nikolas, one more terrible choice and he can lose everything; and Epiphany is back from vacation.

The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills

Sutton was concerned, wondering what they’d gotten themselves into, being supportive of Erika. She wasn’t sure how much she wanted to be around Erika, and said she was just protecting herself, lest there be guilt by association. In her interview, she said, Ruth Madoff had no friends. People don’t like liars, cheaters, and stealers. In LisaR’s interview, she said, a friend is going through something major, and you’re worried about your reputation? Princesses worry about their reputations; queens don’t. Who knows where the hell she got that fakakta bon mot. I’m pretty sure queens are on top of their PR. Dorit said they didn’t want their support to be misinterpreted, and Sutton said  there was a red flag years ago, when one of the partner’s wives told him something was off, and he left the firm. There was another escapee recently too, and some of the stories didn’t add up. Crystal said it seemed to have started three years ago, with Tom’s decline, but Sutton didn’t buy it. Dorit said the LA Times said the firm’s swindling had been going on for a decade. She didn’t know what to believe. Sutton pointed out that Erika was saying the same things Tom’s attorneys were saying, and in Sutton’s interview, she said, two plus two equaled four, and she wasn’t even good at math. LisaR said there was no proof that what Erika was saying wasn’t true, and believed her. In LisaR’s interview, she said that she knew she was going to get sh*t for not backing Denise, but supporting Erika, but she didn’t care. Dorit said Erika’s life was the opposite from what Erika had presented to them, and we flashed back to Tom tooting his own horn about being a do-gooder. Sutton said she didn’t think ignorance was an excuse when Erika was so smart, and thought the mistress discovery was a distraction. They agreed to ask Erika if she knew what had been going on. At Kyle’s holiday dinner. Another brilliant choice for a confrontation. In Kyle’s interview, she said she felt like the Grinch who was stealing Erika’s Christmas.

Garcelle did a huge Haitian family dinner, and the dishes looked so very good. In her interview, she talked about her oldest son Oliver, and how he’d been a drug addict. To see him now, as the father and man he’d become, was amazing. His partner/wife/not sure Sam had three kids from a previous relationship, and they had Oliver Jr. together, who was quite a cutie. They’d become a family. She told Oliver that she couldn’t believe he was a dad, and he said the diaper in his pocket made it official. Garcelle said you couldn’t pay her to deal with four kids in quarantine. When they said they wished she lived closer, she said she was good. Meanwhile, Kyle told Dorit that Teddi would be coming to the dinner, and Dorit suggested plying her with alcohol, since she was no longer pregnant. Kyle said Erika was also coming, and Dorit said they’d have to figure out a way forward. First world 1% problems. Kyle said she wanted to be supportive, but had questions.

It was Christmastime in Beverly Hills, but it’s just not as pretty as it is on RHONY.

Garcelle thoght Teddi was annoying for no reason. I think she’s annoying too, but I can think of plenty of reasons. LisaR wore her wig named Heather, and Kathy ho-ho-ho’d her way in, saying she was discombobulated, which I thought was her natural state. Teddi talked about baby Dove’s neurosurgery, and we saw clips of Dove in her little helmet at 10 months. Kyle got lots of free booze as hostess gifts, and she wondered if Erika would skip out at the last minute. LisaR reminded everyone, innocent until proven guilty, and said Erika might not be able to answer questions because of legalities. Kyle thanked Erika for coming, and Erika thanked Kyle for having her, since she was a little radioactive these days.

They sat down for dinner and a ticking time bomb. Sutton bugged Garcelle about saying hello to Erica, and in Garcelle’s interview, she said she hadn’t seen Erika since Erika had flipped out on her. Sutton asked if Garcelle was nervous to talk to Erika, and Garcelle said it was awkward, but she wasn’t afraid. Kyle made a full Christmas dinner, and told the women, there was no chef. She’d put her heart and soul into it. LisaR said it was like Christmas on a plate. Erika thanked Kyle for inviting her, and Kyle said she wasn’t just there for the good times. In her interview, Kyle said seeing Erika down like that made her feel bad. She wanted to be able to support her, but with a clear conscience. Kyle gave a toast to happy holidays, and a special thank you to Erika for coming. She hoped 2021 would be better than 2020, as we all did. Kathy toasted to health, happiness, and the best to everybody. Erika said her doctor did tell her she was healthy, so there was that. I’ll bet a lot of people would give everything for that. Kyle asked if Erika ever wondered if it was a dream and she’d wake up, but Erika said she woke up thinking, this is really happening. She said she was so tired, and Dorit said she must keep being blindsided by everything that was coming out. Erika said, more is coming, and there were crickets for a moment. She added, it was far from done, and Sutton asked if she was truly blindsided, or did she have some sort of… Erika told her to go ahead and ask the question, and Sutton asked if she was able to get a heads up on the information about to come out before it hit the press. Erika said she had no access to that, and Sutton said she thought the timeline in the LA Times article was confusing. Crystal said Erika had told them about Tom’s deterioration, and what had happened three years ago. We flashed back to Crystal comparing it to her father’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis. She said things had been happening with the firm further back than three years. Erika said she it was only recently litigated, and she couldn’t answer those questions. Dorit said no one was looking to pry, and in Garcelle’s interview, she said Dorit apparently didn’t remember being supportive when they had their sister circle moment. Dorit told Erika that they’d all met the other day. Sutton had asked them to get together.

Sutton said she’d wanted to see where they were, and Erika asked if it was a committee to discuss if they were supporting her or not. In Erika’s interview, she said, there were holes in the story, it’s what they heard; is this the grand jury? Sutton said she didn’t think Erika had anything to do with it, but wanted to make sure… and Erika said, that she addressed the allegations in the LA Times. In LisaR’s interview, she said Sutton was there, but left her spine at home, and told Sutton to be real. Sutton said Erika was going through a lot. She’d talked to an attorney… Erika said, about her case? and Garcelle said she didn’t think Sutton was the only one who got a legal opinion. Erika was like, who else? like anyone would confess, and Dorit said she spoke to her husband and Boy George. Erika asked what Dorit’s husband said, and Dorit said he told her they were by no means legally in trouble, but would be dragged in, like it or not. Kyle said they talked about the LA Times article, and thought it was likely Erika had no idea what was going on. Erika said that was true, and Sutton said she just wanted to make sure. She was protecting herself. Erika asked how she was involved, and Kyle said Sutton was worried about her reputation. In Sutton’s interview, she said she was on all kinds of boards and committees where it would not be cool for her if Erika was complicit. She told Erika that it was a personal issue, and Erika asked if Sutton was that afraid of her. Sutton said, no, but there was a $20 million elephant in the room. Why was the press saying it went to Erika’s LLC? Kyle said the obvious question was, did Erika know? but quickly added that she didn’t think so. In Garcelle’s interview, she said Erika’s answers seemed surface, and she wondered why Erika didn’t seem angry at Tom for being implicated in bad things. She needed Perry Mason or someone to try and explain. Sutton thought it seemed like Erika might have noticed or questioned things, and Dorit said the headlines were hard to digest. The thought of ripping off orphans and widows made her feel sick. Erika said if they wanted to know where the money was, talk to Tom. $50 to $80 million in cash was gone, and no one knew the answer but Tom. Dorit said most people believed Erika was innocent, and it would come out. Erika said it wasn’t nice to repeat things that weren’t true. In Sutton’s interview, she said she was disappointed in Dorit, since they’d been sympatico. We flashed back to a hot minute ago when Dorit was agreeing with Sutton, and saying they didn’t want their support misinterpreted. Teddi said everyone was making it about themselves, and a big portion of the had a lawsuit under their belt, and no one else was involved. She had to believe Tom was the a-hole. Sutton wondered if Erika had any discussion  with an attorney on how to navigate through the story. Dorit said she was getting uncomfortable, and I had to agree that was an intrusive question. Erika said she hadn’t, which I actually found hard to believe, and in Garcelle’s interview, she told us that Dorit had a lot to say when Erika wasn’t around, but now that Erika was there, Dorit did a 180. Now it was, I support you. <kiss, kiss> Garcelle told Erika, to be 100% honest, her sister had a kidney transplant, and was supposed to have been awarded money. She was concerned her sister had been stiffed, when her sister said it was just taking a long time. If what they said Tom did was true, f*** Tom. She personally knew what it was like to be waiting for compensation.

Erika said it was terrible, and Tom would pay the price if what they said happened, happened. He wasn’t mentally capable, and had sole control of the firm. She thought it got away from him. They were dealing with a man who had diminished capacity, who was in control and not doing the right thing. If he did steal the money, she wanted to know where it was. Dorit said if they didn’t love and care about Erika, there would be no situation. They all loved and cared about her. For some reason, this turned into a who-knew-Erika-longer thing, and Garcelle asked if it was a competition. The victims were the most important thing. Erika would always be okay. Erika said, of course. She wasn’t worried about herself. She was the last in this, and at the forefront were the people who were owed money. She needed to see what he’d done. LisaR wondered if they’d ever know, and Kathy thought they would get to it. Erika said it was going to be a long road. Those who wanted to be her friend, thanks, and if anyone was more comfortable away from her, she understood and respected that. In Erika’s interview, a producer asked if she felt strong, but she said she didn’t know if she was strong. She was just trying to put one foot in front of the other. She wouldn’t do herself any favors by being hysterical. She had to be calm, and work though all of this. Kyle said she felt bad about asking questions, but Kathy said it was good practice. BA-DUM-CHH! Erika said that was one way to look at it. In Kyle’s interview, she said the dinner was so awkward, she was looking for the eject button.   

They moved to the living room for dessert, and Sutton took Dorit aside, asking if Dorit threw her under the bus. She and Dorit had the same feelings, but Sutton felt like, once in front of Erika, everyone disagreed. In Sutton’s interview, she said she felt like she’d been set up, and they’d decided to rally to Erika’s side. Everyone abandoned ship. They got her. Erika left, and in her interview, she said you really knew what people were made of when you were going through a troubled time. She didn’t know if the rat was leaving the ship, or she was leaving the rat.

Next time, LisaR shows Nona’s wedding dress to her daughters, Kathy and Kyle discuss American Woman, Dorit confronts Garcelle, and Garcelle tells everyone, f*** you.

📻 See You On the Radio…

FYI, tomorrow (Thursday) Bravo will be having a marathon of Southern Charm’s first season, starting at 6 am. Yes, you read that right. No matter how early you start to consume media, stay safe, stay being a trailblazer, and stay consulting a pro in the area of gathering covert evidence. It’s an art.

August 17, 2021 – The Party’s Over, In Memory Of, Ramona Makes Excuses & Anti-Social

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Sasha is getting a sonogram, and Dr. Navarro says, boy or girl? Sasha says she and Brando have decided to be surprised. She was asking about the baby the doctor just delivered. The doctor says, boy and girl; twins. She thanks them for waiting, saying, these things have a way of messing up schedules. There’s their baby. We see the sono screen.

Carly says, Jax was recording her? Is that why he was asking her why Cyrus’s ship went down? He wanted her to incriminate herself? He says he wanted her to tell the truth. She says, so he recorded her. Why? He says because he had to save their daughter from the danger Carly put her in.

At the pool (), Dante says in his professional opinion, this was a date, and Sam says, good work, detective. He wonders if it’s against the rules to date another member of their support group, and she says they just invented this two-person support group. She thinks they can make any rules they want. He says, so dating’s allowed? and she says she’s open to the proposition. He asks if she has time for another drink, and she says she thinks she could be convinced to stay for one more. He says, in that case, he’ll be right back, and goes to the bar. Sam’s phone rings, and she sees it’s unknown, but answers anyway. She says, who is this? and a voice says, Sam, can you hear me? She says, Drew? and he says he needs her help.

Jason calls Brick, and says he called a meeting with the Five Families sun dried tomatoes tonight. Vincent Novak’s nephew Joey is acting a little too confident. They need to get a better idea of where the Novaks and the other families stand… He and Carly will confirm they’re getting married, and he’s in charge, so they know there won’t be a power struggle for them to exploit. But he needs Brick to do something for him.

Josslyn and Cameron watch the fireworks, and Cameron says he wishes they could enjoy them instead of waiting for Ryan Chamberlain to attack. She says she doesn’t know what’s going on, but she doubts Ryan is prowling the grounds. He tells her not to worry, when Tony comes in and asks if they’re okay. Cameron says they’re a little shaken up, but okay otherwise. Josslyn says they were actually enjoying the fireworks, and Tony says he took a look at the boathouse; none of the boats were tampered with, and both launches are back. When the fireworks are over, the guests should be able to make it back to the mainland. Josslyn says, so it’s over, but Tony says, not yet. He’s going to arrange for one of their boats to pick them up. Josslyn says, that’s not necessary, but Cameron suggests they think about it for a second. If the party is still going on outside, and the boats are back at the dock, that means all the craziness that’s been happening is targeted toward people inside the house. Tony says, exactly, and Josslyn says, it’s Spencer’s party in Spencer’s house, so this is probably about him.

Ava sees Portia at the hospital reception desk, and says, just the doctor she was looking for. Portia asks if everything is okay, and Ava says she just wanted to see how Portia was doing. Portia says she’s doing much better, thanks to Ava. Creepy nurse watches them.

On the turret, Spencer tells Trina, admit it. Fireworks are the perfect grand finale. She wonders why he’s so calm. Ryan Chamberlain just called to tell him it ends tonight, and as if Spencer needed to be reminded, Ryan projected it on his fireplace. Why isn’t he terrified? He tells her to look at the guests down there; they have absolutely no idea what’s going on. They’re just having a good time. Trina wonders why they don’t join them; get lost in the crowd. Or is he afraid he’ll make them targets too? He says all he cares about is making sure she has a good time. She says, this is about her? and he says, when he first brought up the party, he could tell she was skeptical. All of this is just him trying to prove himself. She says he succeeded, and he says, nothing or no one is going to ruin this night for her. He promises. We see a hooded figure in a mask, holding a knife, watching them.

Carly says Jax used their relationship, her trust in him, to get her to implicate herself? He asks why he should trust her to protect their daughter. Does she think she can just build a wall between her criminal activities and Josslyn? Either she thinks he’s naïve or she’s lying to his face. She says he came into her house, their daughter’s house, and tried to entrap her. He tried to get her to incriminate herself. He says, so she admits she’s involved in criminal activity; activity that puts Josslyn in danger every single day? She asks if he wants to shine a light in her face or handcuff her to the table. How far would he take this? He says, now she’s being ridiculous, and she says, is she? What if she’d said what he wanted her to say? What would he have done with this recording? What was his plan?

Sam says, this isn’t Drew; he’s dead. Who the hell is this? He says, it’s Drew. She has to listen to him. He doesn’t have much time. They’re coming. She says, who’s coming? Where is he? She can no longer hear him, and Dante comes back with the drinks. He asks, what happened? and she says she just got a call from a man claiming he was Drew.

Brando tells Sasha, that’s their baby. He’s had friends who wave their sonogram around like it’s the Holy Grail. Now he gets it. Sasha says, that fuzzy little person is theirs, and Dr. Navarro says, the fun isn’t over yet. She has a special treat for them.

Ava says she’s glad Portia and Trina patched things up, and Portia tells her, Trina said Ava advised her to speak to her mother. She feels so embarrassed. Ava asks, why? Because she had an affair? She’d thought Portia was perfect. Portia says it looks like she’s fallen off her pedestal for sure, and Ava says, she must have been very lonely to look outside her marriage for companionship. She sympathizes with Portia. Portia says Ava is more forgiving of her than she is, and Ava says, all that matters is that Trina forgives her, right? They sit, and Portia says, for the first couple days, she wasn’t sure, but now things seem to be moving in that direction. Ava says, good. Trina has looked up to Portia her whole life. It’s scary for her to realize Portia is human too; she makes mistakes too. That some of those times it felt like she had all the answers, she was making up as she went along. Portia says Ava seems to be speaking from personal experience. Ava says, if she’s being honest, there was another reason she encouraged Trina to talk to Portia – her daughter Kiki.  

Josslyn says she’s worried about Trina. She’s off somewhere with Spencer, who’s the target. Cameron wants to go look for them, but Tony says he has to insist they stay there. Cameron says, but they’re their friends, and could be in trouble, and Josslyn says she knows it’s Tony’s job to protect her, but can’t they widen the circle a little bit, and include their friends? He says, Mr. Cassadine has his own security, and Josslyn says she knows, but he can’t call them because there’s no service. Josslyn says, they were going to the turret. She and Cameron know the way there. Can’t the three of them just go together, grab their friends, and bring them back? The doorbell rings, and Tony tells them, stay there. They listen at the door, and Tony checks his gun. He opens to the door, and finds Laura and Doc. Laura says she takes it he’s working there, and he says he is. She tells him that she’s the host’s grandmother, and she’d like to see him immediately. Cameron and Josslyn come out, and Laura says, it’s nice to know Spencer invited them, but it would have been nicer if they’d known about the party. Cameron says, about that. There’s something seriously strange going on tonight, and Laura says, something Spencer’s security can’t handle? Josslyn says, Tony is her security, and Laura says, her mistake; sorry. Tony says he’s making arrangements to get Josslyn and Cameron off the island, and Doc says, lucky for them. The rest of the partygoers are at the dock, waiting for a ferry to take him to the mainland. He’d say this party is officially over. Cameron asks if they shut the party down, but Laura says they didn’t even know there was a party until they got there. They came to see Nikolas. Josslyn says, Mr. Cassadine is in Dubai… Is he not?

Trina says, the fireworks are over, but Spencer says he hadn’t noticed. She hears something, and asks, what is that? Spencer says, probably Cameron playing a trick on him, but she says, he wouldn’t do that, especially after the night they’ve been having. Spencer looks around the corner, but doesn’t see anything. He says he’ll check to see what it is, and Trina says he’s not leaving her alone out there. She follows him inside, but he says, no one is in there. She says, maybe it was a rat, but he says, there are no rats in Windymere. She says, the house is huge and over 100 years old. Of course (🍷) there are rats. He says, fine. A rat made the sound. Let’s go outside and continue where we left off. Trina tells him to check the WiFi, but he says, it can wait. She says, no more distractions. Tonight’s been weird enough. She’s going downstairs to find Joss and Cam. He says, they want privacy, but she says she’s not buying it. The fireworks are over. She leaves, and he says, fine. He’ll check the WiFi. He looks at the device, and the masked figure grabs him from behind.

Jason says he needs Brick to check out the meeting venue for him. Make sure there’s no surprises waiting... He doesn’t know. He thinks there’s a bit of a power struggle with the Novak family. Vincent backed off when they retaliated, but Joey didn’t get the message. He approached Josslyn. Maybe it was to provoke him into having a meeting of the Five Families roasted artichokes, but this guy could set a trap for him. He doesn’t know and needs to be sure.

Sam tells Dante, she picked up the phone, even though it said unknown caller. For a second, she really thought it was Drew. He says, but it wasn’t? and she says, how could it be? The guy was yelling her name, and saying he needed help. There was a bunch of commotion and noise, and then the line went dead. He says he’ll have the techs at the PCPD put a trace on it. Maybe they can find out the origin of the call.

Carly says, when Jax got her confession of her alleged crimes, what was he going to do? Take it to the PCPD, and have her arrested, and let Josslyn relive that nightmare for a second time? Because Nelle did that; she had Carly arrested and prosecuted. He says, for something she didn’t do. Can she still say that? She says, everything she’s done, she’s done to protect her family, and he wants to put her in jail for it. He says he doesn’t want to put her in jail. He was going to play back her confession to her, and let her decide what to do. She says, how noble; thanks. He says, under the circumstances, he thinks it is pretty noble. She knows she’ll always have a special place in his heart, but Josslyn is his daughter, and his first priority. Moss bowl! 🎍 She says, he doesn’t think Josslyn is her first priority? and he says, obviously, he doesn’t. She sees this as a betrayal, but he sees it as a rescue. Saving their daughter. He was trying to save her too. If she would have incriminated herself, she would have had to make a choice between her so-called business or Josslyn. What choice would she have made?   

The masked figure holds onto Spencer, who says, please don’t hurt him. He’ll give them anything. His father has tons of money. The figure stabs Spencer, who drops to the floor. He tosses the knife aside before jetting.

Josslyn says, there’s clearly no way to stop Tony from contacting her mother, and taking her home on a Corinthos boat, and Laura asks, what exactly happened tonight? Cameron says it would be simpler to show her, and turns out the lights. They see the writing in front of the fireplace, and Laura says, oh my God. Josslyn says, before the WiFi went out, Spencer got a call from someone who claimed to be Ryan Chamberlain. Cameron says, the launches went missing too; someone must have done that on purpose. Laura asks if Doc thinks he would have gone this far, and Cameron asks who she’s talking about.  

Trina runs in to find Spencer on the floor. She goes to him, and asks, what happened? He says, a guy stabbed him, but she says, where? There’s no blood. Where is he hurt? He looks at his stomach, and says, that’s weird. There’s no blood. He looks at the knife, and says, there’s nothing on the blade. Trina says, this is crazy, and he says, what the hell is going on?

Ava says she’s taken so much of Portia’s time. She’s sure Portia needs to get back to work. Portia says she was just about to take s break. She’d love to hear about Ava’s daughter. Ava says she made so many mistakes with Kiki, and – Ava starts to cry – she died before Ava was able to make amends or be the kind of mother Kiki deserved. Portia says she’s so sorry, and Ava says, Portia and Trina is so lucky to have something so special. She thought if anything good could come out of losing Kiki, it would be for her to help other people not make same mistakes she did.

Laura asks where Spencer is, and Cameron says, he went upstairs with Trina. Doc says, let’s go, but Spencer and Trina come back. Spencer asks if they saw him; a guy in a hood and a mask. Trina says, he pretended to stab Spencer, and Spencer says, it was Ryan, Doc’s brother.

The masked figure lurks around, and takes the hood and mask off. No surprise, it’s Nikolas.

Brando says, the heartbeat is fast, and wonders if that’s normal. Dr. Navarro says, the baby is perfect, and he says, how could it not be with Sasha as a mother? Sasha says she thinks he had something to do with the baby’s perfection too.

Carly puts the phone on the kitchen island – aka home of the moss bowl. 🎍 She says she made her choice. Everything she’s done since Sonny died was for her family. Him blackmailing her with a recording doesn’t change that. He says, so there’s nothing he can do to make her see reason, and she says, he blackmailed Michael to give Nina more time with Wiley. She doesn’t know why she’s surprised he’d stoop so low with her. He says he’d do anything to protect Josslyn, no matter the cost. Jason walks in and Carly says she’s glad he’s back. Jax has been busy trying to get her to incriminate herself.  

Sam asks if Dante thinks the tech guys can figure out where the call is coming from, but he tells her not to get her hopes up. She says, it couldn’t be Drew. He was on his way to Afghanistan to give back the money Shiloh stole. Dante says he heard. Peter sabotaged Drew’s plane, and it went down in the Gulf of Adan. Sam says, by the time search and rescue got to the wreckage, the bodies were long gone. He says, they know Peter caused the crash, to keep Drew from identifying him and Shiloh from the original abduction, and she asks if he thinks it was Peter who called her. He says, the WSB doesn’t know if Peter is dead or alive, but if Peter was alive, why would he pretend to be Drew? She says she doesn’t know, but it sounded like Drew’s voice. He says, maybe Peter was using voice altering technology, but she asks why Peter would want to make her think Drew was alive? 

Portia says she wasn’t very nice to Ava when they met. Honestly, she was jealous of Ava’s relationship with Trina. She was defensive about it, but now she’s so happy that Trina has Ava in her life; that both of them do. She thinks she has to say that she may have underestimated Ava. She has a generous heart. Ava tells her to keep that between them, and Portia promises not say anything. She has to get back to work, but suggests she and Ava grab a drink and talk about something other than Trina. Ava says she looks forward to it. Ava leaves, and the creepy nurse watches and smiles.  

Laura asks if Spencer is hurt, and he says, Chamberlain used a retractable knife, but went right for his chest. He thought he was a dead man. Doc’s brother isn’t as helpless as everyone thinks. Josslyn asks if Trina is okay, and Trina says when she saw Spencer lying on the floor, she was so scared. Doc asks where the attacker is now, and Spencer says, he took off; he could be anywhere. Is that why they’re there? Did he escape? Laura says, they came because Ava told them something might happen there tonight. Trina wonders how Ava would know, and Doc says, Spencer’s father told her that he had a plan. Laura says they don’t think Ryan is behind this, but Spencer says, of course (🍷) he is. Who else could it be? The masked figure comes in, and removes his mask. It’s Nikolas.   

Ava goes to her car in the parking garage, and finds it on fire.  

Laura says she was hoping Ava was wrong, but it was Nikolas terrorizing Spencer, and all of his friends? Doc says, Nikolas used his brother to feed their fears, and Nikolas says, Spencer needed to be taught a lesson. Laura says, like this? It’s like something out of a horror film. Doc says, you have a problem with your son, you talk to him about it, and Spencer says, it was Nikolas. The call from Ryan, the writing on the fireplace, the hooded figure. Why? Laura says, it’s bad enough Nikolas wanted to teach Spencer a lesson, but what about his friends? He had no right to frighten them like that. Doc asks if he doesn’t think Trina was traumatized enough by the real stalker. He had to make it worse? Laura says she’s never been so ashamed of him in her life.

Dante tells Sam, wherever Peter is, he should still be focused on Maxie and the baby. She says, if it’s not Peter, could the call be related to Hayden Barnes, as a way of distracting her from investigating Hayden, and go off looking for Drew? He says he doesn’t know if it has anything to do with Hayden, but whoever called wanted to distract and upset her. She says, and they’re using Scout’s father to do it.   

Jax asks if Carly thinks he wanted to take it this far. Doesn’t she think he went through a hundred different scenarios in his head to try to get her away from Sonny’s business, and keep their daughter safe? She says, even if she had walked away from the business, it woudn’t have walked away from her. It’s already too late. He says, that’s the biggest lie. They both know Jason would do anything for her. If she asked him to take over the business, and leave her out of it, that’s what he would have done. The fact that Jason is still there tells him that she doesn’t want him to; she’s happy the way things are. She says, they’re done. Jax crossed a line. So whatever bond she thought they had has been broken – by him, and only him. He says she still doesn’t understand; this isn’t about them. He leaves, and Carly tells Jason that Jax betrayed her. He used her trust, and tried to bait her into incriminating herself. Jason asks if she said anything that could get her in trouble, and she says she doesn’t think so. He says, they need to be sure.

Tony tells Josslyn, sorry to interrupt, but they should have a boat to get her out of there soon. She says, great. She’s definitely ready to get out of there. She asks if Tony could somehow contact her mom, so she doesn’t freak out when she finds out he sent for a special boat for her. Tony tells her to come out when she’s ready; he’ll be outside. Cameron thinks they should go now, and asks Trina if she’s coming. Trina looks at Spencer, and says, not yet, and Josslyn hugs her. Laura hugs Cameron, and says she’s so sorry. Cameron and Josslyn leave, and Spencer asks if Nikolas shut down the WiFi earlier. Nikolas says he didn’t want Spencer calling for help, and Doc says, pretty extreme lesson for his son, doesn’t he think? Trina asks, what happened to Costas? and Nikolas says he told Costas to disappear for a while. He also made the launches unavailable. Laura asks why he would go to such lengths to terrorize his own son, and Nikolas says he wanted Spencer to feel as frightened as Ava did when Spencer stalked her. 

Firemen use fire extinguishers on Ava’s car, and one of them asks if it’s hers. She says, yeah. She called it in. She thanks him for coming quickly, and asks if he has any idea how it started. Was there a short or something? He says, it wasn’t electrical. They found a gas can under the chassis. She says, so someone deliberately set fire to her car, and wanted her to know it was done on purpose? He says, they found this nearby, and hands her a hospital ID. She faints into his arms.

Dante tells Sam that they couldn’t ID the call, and she wonders why someone would do this; call her and pretend to be Drew. He asks if anyone has a reason to gaslight her, and she says, not that she knows of. Maybe in her past, but… The voice, it felt so real. It felt like she was actually talking to Drew. It couldn’t be… except… He says, except what? She’s not telling him that she believes it’s Drew.  

On the phone, Jason asks if Spinelli is sure it was deleted… Wipe the whole phone… He doesn’t care; Jax can buy a new one. Just do it… Thank you. He tells Carly, okay, it’s done. No one will ever hear the recording. She says, the number of people she can trust just got smaller. He says, it sucks; he’s sorry. She tells him, don’t apologize. He didn’t do anything. Jax did. He asks if she’ll be okay for the meeting tonight, and she says, it’s not like she has a choice. She’ll be fine. Good thing Jason will be there. It was difficult last time. He says, Brando told him that she owned the meeting, and she says she was nervous, but she did own the meeting. Tony calls, and she says, what’s wrong?

Spencer laughs, and asks if Nikolas is accusing him of stalking Ava again. They already discussed it, and Nikolas said he believed Spencer. Nikolas says he has proof this time, and Doc says he was with Ava when she got the phony hand. Trina says she was drenched in fake blood. There’s no way that could be Spencer. Spencer says, maybe they shouldn’t be so quick to defend him.

Portia gives Ava some water, and Ava says, she’d prefer vodka. Portia says she’s still cracking jokes, so she might be okay, but she can examine Ava to be on the safe side. Ava says she’s just a little shaken. It’s not every day someone sets your car on fire. Portia asks if she has any idea who could do something this awful, and Ava says, her stalker. 

Outside Windymere, Tony tells Josslyn that her mom is coming. Josslyn says, they’ll wait there. She doesn’t want her mom to be any part of whatever is going on in there. Cameron says, you and me both.

Spencer says, before Nikolas jumps to conclusions, he’s confessing to one transgression, and one transgression only. He threw a party at Windymere when he thought his father was in Dubai, not lurking around Windymere, scaring the hell out of his friends and him. Trina says, Nikolas pretended to stab Spencer, and Spencer says, who the hell does that? Nikolas says Spencer sent Ava’s daughter a teddy bear that spoke with Ryan’s voice. Who does that? Trina says, Spencer doesn’t like Ava. He doesn’t want her with his father; he’s made no secret about. Oh my God. Would he really go that far? Setting up the sprinklers in the gallery to spray fake blood? Nikolas tells Spencer to own up to what he did. Be the man Nikolas knows he can be. Be the son his mother would want him to be. Make her proud. Nikolas’s phone rings, and he says, Ava? She says, there’s been another incident. Her car was set on fire. He asks if she’s hurt, and she says, no; she’s okay. Is Spencer with him? Nikolas says, yeah. He’s looking right at him. She says, well, this happened at the hospital, and he says, then it couldn’t have been Spencer. Because Spencer isn’t possibly smart enough to maybe have worked that out to throw them off.

In the hallway, Brando stares at the sono picture, mesmerized, and Dr. Navarro asks if Sasha still suffers from morning sickness. Sasha says, no, she’s been feeling better, and the doctor says she’ll see Sasha at her next appointment. She tells Brando, congratulations, dad, and says it was nice to meet him. He says, her too, and thanks her for everything. She leaves, and he thanks Sasha for letting him be a part of this. Who knew a doctor’s appointment could be so fun? Sasha says, every check-up gets her closer to meeting this little person, whoever they turn out to be. He says, whoever they turn out to be, they’re already lucky to have her as a mom. She says, and him as a dad, and they look at the picture together.

Carly tells Jason that Tony said something weird is going on at Windymere. He said Josslyn’s fine, but he doesn’t trust the launch, so he sent one of their boats. She needs to go to Josslyn, but she’s supposed to be at the meeting. He says, don’t worry about it, and she asks if he’s sure. He says he’ll take care of it. Josslyn is more important. Carly says, she is, and starts to babble. Jason says, forget Jax. Don’t let it get to her. Just take care of Josslyn. She tells him to take care of himself tonight, and be careful. She needs him. She leaves the home of the hallowed moss bowl.🎍

Cameron asks if Josslyn thinks it was Spencer’s father the whole time, but she says she doesn’t know, and doesn’t even think she wants to know. Spencer can be over-the-top sometimes, but for his own father to do that to him? He stabbed Spencer, and made him think he was going to die. Tony tells her that her mother will be there soon.

Trina asks if Ava is okay; what happened? Nikolas says, someone set fire to Ava’s car, and Trina says, no. Nikolas says, Ava is shaken up, but Dr. Robinson is looking after her. Doc asks where this happened, and Nikolas says, at the hospital. Doc says, far from here; far from Spencer. Laura says, so Spencer is innocent. She wishes she could say the same about Nikolas.  

Portia says she’ll wait with Ava until the police get there. Is she sure she’s okay? Ava says, not really, and Portia says, who is this stalker? Ava says she doesn’t know. Someone emulating Ryan; a copycat or someone doing his bidding. Whoever it is had just upped the stakes. Portia says, how so? and Ava says, the firemen found this next to her car. She shows Portia the ID, which belonged to Kiki. Portia says how would the stalker get that? Where was it even last seen? Ava says, it was with Kiki. She buried the badge with her daughter because working there meant so much to her. Creepy nurse walks by, and smiles.

Sam tells Dante, Drew’s body was never recovered. She has to at least consider the possibility that it was his voice. He says, so she’s considering the unthinkable? and she says, yeah. Maybe Drew didn’t die in that plane crash after all.

A man is tossed into a primitive cell; just a cot, paint peeling off the walls. The guard says, wrong choice using the phone. It won’t happen again. He says, this is the last place you’ll ever see, Drew Cain. We see Cameron Mathieson looking all scruffy.   

The text says, In Memory of Jay Pickett.  

Tomorrow, Laura tells Nikolas that he’s going to end up on the same path his father did, Obrecht meets with Jax, and Jason says the meeting will continue or repercussions will follow.

🎭 Doing What He Loved…

In case you hadn’t read about Jay Pickett.

The Real Housewives of New York City

Still at Black Shabbat, we revisited Leah telling Ramona, it’s not about white people right now. Eboni told Leah that she regretted even doing this. Ramona said she was hangry, and haunted the kitchen, kvetching to the staff that she didn’t eat, had been running all day, and needed food. In Ramona’s interview, she said when no food went into her mouth, her foot went in. Leah told Eboni that she thought Ramona had a low IQ,, and in Eboni’s interview, she said Archie had opened her beautiful home, and given them beautiful food and drinks. Shut up and enjoy it. LuAnn found Ramona, who whined they had another hour to go. LuAnn came back to the table, saying it was shocking and embarrassing. Archie said it was supposed to be about the human values we all have, and gave a toast. In Ramona’s interview, she said Sonja had been drinking since they were on the bus, and had no food. It wasn’t going to be pretty. Unlike the mess she’d just made. But Ramona’s prophecy was correct, since it wasn’t long before Sonja started screeching about finding a purpose, tossing her napkin around, and jumping out of her chair. LuAnn hugged her to shut her up, and Sonja said Ramona wasn’t doing the hard work or heavy lifting. Ramona needed to get real and feel people’s pain. Like she was telling us something we didn’t know. Eboni told Ramona, it was time out on white people, and Ramona said she was both, pointing out that she was wearing a zebra print. Linara tried to tell a story about a turning point in her life, and how medical care was different for a pregnant Black woman. She talked about how the medical staff assumed she was addicted to drugs when she was in pain, and refused to give her medication. The pain ended up inducing labor, when it could have been avoided. This prompted Ramona to bitch about a Black nurse not believing she was in pain when she was in labor. It is pretty amazing how badly Ramona fails at reading a room, or even letting anyone else have a moment. In LuAnn’s interview, she said it was like a runaway train. If you jumped out the window, you were doomed, but you were doomed if you stayed on. Eboni said Ramona didn’t realize her questioning felt adversarial, and in her interview, she said, God help her, she believed in Ramona. Ramona wailed that she was tired, and it had been four hours. Eboni said she wasn’t holding anyone hostage, told Ramona to go home, and apologized to Archie. In her interview, Eboni wondered if Ramona really wanted to leave, was undermining the evening, or was just too selfish to appreciate it. I vote for D) All of the above. In Ramona’s interview, she complained that his was longer than a wedding. Not being able to leave without focusing some more on herself, Ramona said one thing she would change about herself was to be less unfiltered. She wanted to be honest, and said she didn’t take in what others were saying before she jumped on what she was thinking. Eboni told her friends that the women said Ramona was better than she had been, and in LuAnn’s interview, she said Ramona had come a long way. She thought Ramona had exhausted the bad behavior. We flashed back to Ramona screeching about Simon attending a ladies night, berating Bethenny about having no one in her life, hassling a limo driver, screaming take a Xanax! at Aviva, and other random obnoxious behavior. LuAnn couldn’t believe Ramona still had it in her. Sonja and Ramona hugged it out, and Archie just laughed at the ridiculousness of it all. She seems like a pretty cool chick.

LuAnn visited Ramona, and in her interview, said that she thought Ramona had no clue that she was over-the-top rude. She told Ramona it had been quite the night, to which Ramona responded by going on and on about how drunk and nuts Sonja was, and that she thought Sonja was projecting. She said it felt like Sonja was on a train that was going to crash, and she had no regard for people’s feelings or property. In LuAnn’s interview, she said it was typical of Ramona to keep the focus on someone else. LuAnn said Ramona had been rude, and Ramona said she’d been starving. LuAnn said, there were plenty of appetizers, but Ramona said she was still starving. LuAnn said she didn’t need to scarf down a whole meal in the kitchen, and Ramona said she’d had too much to drink. LuAnn knew how it was. LuAnn told Ramona not to throw that at her, and Ramona said she’d apologized to Eboni first thing the next morning. In her interview, LuAnn said it was one excuse after another; too much to drink, she needs food, she needs to pee. In the meantime, Eboni visited with Sonja at the townhouse, while Marley periodically stole cold cuts from the charcuterie board on the coffee table.  In Eboni’s interview,  she said she was proud that Sonja standing up for herself had been successful, but they needed to find the sweet spot that included social graces. She asked if Sonja remembered peeing in Archie’s driveway, and we flashed back to Sonja taking a leak in other unconventional places like the cornfield.

LuAnn met Eboni at the Alpine Lodge restaurant, and brought Leah along on the phone. In Leah’s interview, she said she thought it would be nice to be isolated for two weeks, but she was having FOMO, and missed the ladies. Ramona joined them, and in LuAnn’s interview, she said it was typical Ramona. After she burns down the house, let’s be nice. In other words, completely ignoring what an ass she’d been at Black Shabbat. Ramona started talking about Sonja’s drinking, and in her interview, Leah said the last thing she wanted to hear was Ramona gaslighting Sonja. Some women from Fortune Society also showed up, and told stories about going to prison. Of course, Ramona interrupted a thousand times, and in her interview, LuAnn wondered where the radar was that Ramona wasn’t born with that says, do not speak now. Ramona managed to turn it into a conversation about Sonja, and the women told her that you could be there for a friend, but they were the one who had to go through their own process. Like Ramona is going to take advice about anything.

Rob brought Kier back to Leah’s place, and she was glad to see them both. She and Rob discussed schools for Leah, and Rob thought they were expensive for high school. Leah said she wasn’t thrilled with some of the elitist viewpoints, but they had to think of the good education Kier would be getting. In Leah’s interview, she said she wasn’t on any boards, and there was no hospital wing named after her. Clearly, she was in over her head. Eboni was a bundle of nerves, waiting for Linda to come with news of a DNA trace. Linda told her that she had three candidates who were all brothers, but thought there was one in particular, who was closest in age to Eboni’s mother, that was probably Eboni’s father. He was still alive, married, with two kids. Eboni got all emotional, and in her interview, she said, it was a lot, but it was extremely wonderful, and the best case. She looked at the picture of most likely brother, and said she was basking in the truth that she had a dad.

Next time, LuAnn says Sonja is getting totally wasted in the daytime, and the women play Pin the Tail on Harry. 

🌆 Closed For the Night…

See you tomorrow for more soap and Wives. What will Erika deny next? Will she finally discover waterproof mascara? Until then, stay safe, stay floating like a butterfly and stinging like a bee, and stay talking about it if you have a problem with someone. Don’t lurk about the halls in a hood and mask.

August 16, 2021 – It Ends Tonight, Repeat Partiers On Deck, Returning Wives & When

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

At the hospital, Ava goes to Doc’s office. She flashes back to asking Ryan (when she thought he was Doc) why he can’t be her doctor if she’s not so horrible. He says she’s not horrible; he finds her fascinating. Too fascinating. In many ways, he can identify with her. She asks, what kind of ways? and he says he can’t say anymore. She says, if he’s not her doctor anymore, nothing he says can be unprofessional. He can’t be her doctor because he can’t be objective where she’s concerned. The real Doc startles her, and apologizes. She says she was just struck by a memory of when Ryan was pretending to be him. He says, sorry, and asks if there’s something specific about Ryan that she’s worried about. She says she is being stalked by a madman, and he fits the bill, but Doc says, it isn’t Ryan. He was at Spring Ridge this morning, and Ryan isn’t moving, let alone stalking. She says that’s why she’s there. She’d like to talk about who is capable. He asks what she’s thinking, and she says there’s no easy way to ask this, but does he think Spencer could be the stalker?

Spencer, Trina, Josslyn, and Cameron use the photo booth props, and strike poses while there’s a song part. They head back to the house, and Spencer says, maybe he’ll post this one of Joss and Cam; very affectionate. Josslyn says, then they’ll see how his dad feels about him throwing a rager on Spoon Island. At the door, guard Costas wants to see their VIP bracelets, and Trina says she thought they were the only ones allowed in the house. Spencer holds up his bracelet, and tells Costas, well done. He’d told him no exceptions. The others show their bracelets, and they go inside. Josslyn tells Tony – who I suddenly realize, is also Oscar from The Haves and The Have Nots – as he can see, they’re the only ones going inside, and asks if he can stay in the foyer. He agrees, but wants her to check with him before going outside, or to any other areas of the house. She thanks him, and goes in.

Trina says she’s glad to be off her feet, and sits on the couch, putting her feet up. She says, the DJ was tight. She hasn’t danced like that since she doesn’t know when. Spencer says he’s glad the DJ lived up to the hype. Everybody seems to be into it. Josslyn says, you think so? His friends are hard to read, and kind of standoffish. Trina says, and by that, she means total snobs. What’s up with them anyway? All they’re interested in doing is taking selfies. Are the influencers or something? Josslyn says, no one she recognized, and asks if they’re Spencer’s friends from school. He says, they just take a while to warm up. Some of them just flew in today. Jet lag. Josslyn says, good thing Cam invited some people from Port Charles. They can have conversations with them. Cameron says, you know us townies, and Trina says, whatever. The party’s a hit. Spencer says he never doubted it, and sits next to her. She says, please. He’s among friends there. He can admit that he’s relieved he pulled it off. Spencer says, the party isn’t over yet. He might still have a few surprises up his sleeve.

Laura goes to the reception desk, and Elizabeth asks, what brings her by? Laura says Doc is finishing up his notes, then they’re going out to dinner. She asks if Elizabeth has a minute to talk while she waits, and Elizabeth says, sure. Elizabeth comes out and walks with Laura, asking, what’s on her mind? Laura wonders if Elizabeth spoke to her father about Naomi Dreyfuss’s death.

Dante and Sam have drinks by the pool (🍷). It’s nighttime, so it’s all pretty with those light-up pool floats. She tells Dante that when she asked Danny why he put a broken skate in the oven, he said he thought she’d never find it there. Dante says, why not? and she says because she never uses the oven. I identify, and Dante laughs, saying, now he gets it. That’s messed up. Rocco makes him feel like a rockstar making him pasta. He asks if she’s getting going, and she says she supposes she should…

Jax acts all stealthy around the halls of the hallowed moss bowl 🎍 – i.e. Sonny’s kitchen. He sets his phone to record, and hears Carly coming. She says, crisis averted. Donna just wanted a sip of water and to be read to, and went right back to sleep. Jax puts his phone face down near the moss bowl 🎍 to get moss bowl 🎍 energy. He says he remembers all the bedtime stories they read Josslyn; she couldn’t get enough of them. Carly says, it seems like yesterday, but also a lifetime ago, and now she’s going off to college. He says, no matter how old she gets, in his heart, she’ll always be the little girl with the messy hair. (I still want to revisit that dressing like corn thing.) She says, climbing, swimming, and taking every dare, and he says, but still vulnerable, and dependent on them for everything. She says she understands what he means, and he says she couldn’t possibly. Otherwise she wouldn’t continue to put their daughter in danger like this.

Sam says, since they’re here, does Dante want to go over the Naomi Dreyfuss case? He asks if that isn’t against the rules of the SPA; Single Parents Anonymous. Parents need to kick back and relax, and not talk about work. She says he’s right. It’s been relaxing and unwinding, and all that, but they’ve talked so much about the kids. He says it goes with the single parents territory, and she says he started by telling her all about the rock climbing thing. He says he thinks his stories are fascinating, and she says, breathtaking. He says, it was a good time, right? and she says, it was. He asks if this is a date.

Elizabeth tells Laura, she hasn’t heard from her dad in months. She believes he’s still working in Africa, but has no idea where. Laura says she thought that might be the case. She just wanted to make herself available in case Elizabeth needed to talk. It’s another death, and that sometimes kicks up other feelings. Elizabeth thanks her, and says she doesn’t even know how to process this. What’s proper etiquette when the woman who your father cheated with, while he was still married to your mom, dies? Is she supposed to track him down and tell him the news? Laura says she thinks you do what you’re most comfortable with, and Elizabeth says, which, until this conversation, was nothing. She guesses there’s always email, and Laura says she’d be happy to send one, but Elizabeth says, the person she really wants to talk to is Hayden. Does she even know her mother died? Laura says, if she does, she might reach out to Elizabeth. Elizabeth says, it’s been so long with no word, she’s starting to think she’ll never see Hayden again.

Doc asks Ava what makes her think Spencer is the one that’s threatening her? and she says, Nikolas is convinced of it. She’s afraid it might tear Nikolas and Spencer apart again. Doc says he and Laura were at Windymere, and Nikolas apologized to Spencer for suspecting him. After Spencer left, Nikolas showed them a letter addressed to Spencer from Ryan; it was quite a surprise. She says, a surprise indeed, and he says, the letter was returned to Ryan unopened, and Nikolas said he didn’t believe Spencer was the stalker because the dates didn’t match; but based on what Ava is saying, Nikolas must have reconsidered. She says, he just doesn’t think that Spencer’s story holds together; there are some holes there. He asks what she thinks, and she says, she thinks Nikolas might be about to make a big mistake. He and Spencer have just started to repair their relationship, and if he confronts Spencer, he could lose his son for good.

On the phone, Spencer says, everything’s cool here. He’s just enjoying the time alone. It gives him space for quiet contemplation… Outside, we hear someone yell, Mark! Let’s go ride that bull! Spencer says, that? That was just some mockumentary. He was streaming shows on HULU. Have a safe flight; text me when you land… I love you too. He hangs up, and Josslyn asks Cameron how many mockumentaries he’s watched. Cameron says, it’s difficult to say… None? Trina says, speaking of bull, what was that guy talking about? Spencer says, his first surprise. He got a mechanical bull. Cameron says, impressive, and Spencer says, thanks. Josslyn tells Cameron to start on the lowest setting; it’s trickier than it looks. She tells Spencer, this party is epic, but isn’t he the least bit concerned about his father’s reaction when he gets back? He’s going to find out, unless Spencer is going to reseed the entire east lawn. Spencer says, it’s more than likely he’ll find out, but he’ll get over it. His father might get annoyed, but never really gets angry with him.

Carly asks how many times she and Jax are going to have this conversation. She told him that she and Jason will do everything in their power to keep Josslyn safe. He says he’s not angling for a fight, but now that Sonny’s gone, he’s struggling with this. Struggling to understand it. She says, understand what? and he says how she can get mixed up with the Five Families grated parmesan cheese. She says she knows he doesn’t approve, but she’s already told him it’s the perception of unity and continuity. Everything has to stay the same; there can be no disruptions. That’s how she protects her family and keeps her kids safe. He says, the way Sonny protected Morgan.

Sam says, this can’t be a date; she and Dante are colleagues. He says, not really, and she says they work together. He says he’s a cop, so he’d never commit to that. She says, they’ve shared information, and he says, when it’s available and falls within the legal limits, sure. She says because he works within the legal limits of the law, and he asks if that annoys her. She says, it does, a little bit, and he says it’s a good thing they’re not talking about the case then, and she says it’s a good thing they’re doing their two-person support group meeting… meeting. Because it’s not a date. He says, dinner and drinks, and she says, everyone in the world has dinner and drinks. He says she’s right. He’s being ridiculous. This is totally not a date. She says she’s sure, and he says, it kinda feels like one though.

Ava tells Doc, she doesn’t know the details. She just knows that Nikolas is convinced Spencer is the stalker, and it’s tearing him up. Doc says, Nikolas did let Spencer believe he was dead for over three years. Obviously, he feels guilty about that. Perhaps his guilt is affecting his perception of the situation. She says, just because Nikolas feels guilty, that doesn’t mean he’s necessarily wrong about this. What does Doc think? Does he think Spencer is capable of doing everything the stalker has done? Doc says his first reaction is no, but then he’s married to Spencer’s grandmother, so he’s biased. She says she needs him to put that guy aside for a moment. She needs the opinion of Dr. Kevin Collins.

Spencer puts his feet up, and Josslyn asks what other surprises he has in store. He says, apparently, she’s unfamiliar with the concept of surprise. The whole idea is, you don’t know what’s coming. Josslyn says, in the meantime, can she take Cam up to the turret? She just loves the view from up there. Spencer asks if she’s sure there’s room up there for her, Cam, and Tony, and she says they’ll figure it out. Spencer says, then by all means, enjoy. They go out to the foyer, and Josslyn tells Tony that they’d like to explore the house a little. Is it okay for him to stay there? Tony says, sure, but if she’s not back in 30 minutes, he’ll have to come looking for her, which he’s sure they want to avoid. Cameron says they’ll be back in 30 minutes or less, guaranteed, but instead of making a pizza joke, Tony says, fine. Josslyn and Cameron head to the turret.

Spencer asks Trina, did he disappoint? and she says she has to admit, he’s exceeded her expectations. He thanks her, and asks if she’s having fun. She says she is. She needed this. Not so much the bougie friends, but the chance to chill and let go. He asks if things have calmed down between her and her mom, and she says she had a talk with Ava, who gave her some good advice as usual. He rolls his eyes, and she says she thought he was making an effort with Ava. Didn’t he call a truce? He says they’re on better terms now, but they’re far from being friends, and if he recalls, he also offered some pearls of wisdom. She asks if he’s jealous, and he says, it depends. What is this great advice Ava gave her? Trina says Ava told her that she can’t let the past get in the way of her relationship with her mom. He says he basically told her the same thing, and she says, then he and Ava agree. Costas walks in, and Spencer asks why he’s left his post. Is there a problem with the mechanical bull? Costas says, the launch is missing.

MOSS BOWL! 🎍 I swear it’s getting bigger. Carly asks, how dare Jax bring up Morgan? And Sonny. What the hell is wrong with him? He says he’s not trying to hurt her. This is too important to keep dancing around. She says, dancing around? She lives with what happened to Morgan every day of her life. As well as the reality that she lost her husband, and he’s throwing both in her face. Why? To prove his point? She gets it loud and clear. He can go now. He says, not until she listens to him. He loved Morgan too. He helped raise Morgan. They decided to send him away to school where he’d be safe, and he was, until he came back, and  got mixed up in Sonny’s feud with the Jeromes. She says, that’s not the whole story and he knows it, but he says, it’s close enough. She had a chance to break free of this life, yet she chose to stay in it. How can she justify running the Corinthos Organization when it’s already cost her one child? She says, to walk away would be more dangerous. To stay safe they have to show strength. He asks if she’s sure she’s strong enough, and she says, yes. He says, then tell him what she’s willing to do to protect their daughter.

Carly says she and Jax have worked so hard to come together for Josslyn’s sake. What is he doing? Is he trying to say she doesn’t love her daughter? He says, no, of course (🍷) not, but that Novak guy targeted Josslyn. She says, yes, but it’s not going to happen again, and he says, why? Because Jason said he handled it? Or because she’s going to send a message to the Novaks and the other families? Give them a show of force so they won’t move against her again? So they’ll fear her? She says she’s not going to talk to him about this, and he asks if they fear her already. She says, yes, they do, and he says, because she blew up Cyrus’s cargo ship?

Sam swishes the pool (🍷) water with her foot, and asks, why Dante is so insistent on their support group meeting being a date? Is he one of those men who can’t be friends with a woman kind of people? He says, no, and she says, good, because she has a lot of male friends. He says, good for her. He has a lot of female friends. She says, good for him. She thinks it’s great. He says, but he doesn’t kiss his female friends on the mouth the way they kissed on the 4th of July. She says she was drunk, and he said he wasn’t going to… He says she’s right. It never happened. Except it did happen. She says, Dante, and he says, all right; his bad. Besides, he knows he’s definitely not her type.  

Ava says, if Spencer weren’t Laura’s grandson, would Doc think he was capable of being the stalker? Doc says, that’s a complex question; the answer even more so. Spencer never knew his mother, which was traumatic enough. Nikolas was an indulgent father; a wealthy, indulgent father. Spencer got used to getting his way, and was known to act out to get attention. She asks if there were ever any consequences for Spencer’s bad behavior, and Doc says, aside from Laura, probably not. She says, Spencer was dead set against her marriage to Nikolas, and the stalker seems to feel the same way. He says she does seem to be the target of the fixation, and she says, the threats stopped as soon as she and Nikolas made their pending divorce public, and started to create distance between them. He says, it’s what the stalker wanted, and she says, and what Spencer wanted. He tells her to remember that Spencer is still a young man; the brain isn’t even fully formed until age 25. (Truth!) It’s possible Spencer doesn’t grasp how traumatic it is for her. She says she thinks Nikolas is on to something, and asks if he thinks Spencer is the stalker.

Laura tells Elizabeth that she ran into Cameron working at Kelly’s, and she’s proud of him. He’s being so mature and so responsible. And he and Josslyn are so adorable. Elizabeth says, can she believe it? Things are finally coming together for Cameron. Laura says she has to admit she’s happy he chose to stay at PCU, instead of going somewhere far away. Elizabeth says, he chose to stay close to home, even though they all told him it was okay to go to California. But she’s glad he’s there. Although she’s a little concerned that he sacrificed his dream school. Laura hugs her, and says Elizabeth raised a wonderful young man. He’ll do well no matter where he lands.

Josslyn and Cameron go out on the turret balcony, and Josslyn says, isn’t it great up there? Cameron says he’d forgotten, and Josslyn brings up how Spencer had them fully convinced there was a monster in the tunnels when they were kids. He wasn’t completely wrong. Cameron says, he wasn’t completely right either, and she says, typical Spencer. When they were kids, she never realized how lonely he was. She just thought he was spoiled and obnoxious. Cameron says, and now? and she says she still thinks he’s spoiled and obnoxious, but she guesses he’s trying, or at least trying to try. Cameron says, it seems like it, and she says, enough about Spencer. He says, fine by him. It may be Spencer’s house and his party, but the way he sees it, in this moment, the turret is theirs. They kiss.

Costas tells Spencer, some of the guests wanted to leave, but when they got to the docks, the launch was gone. Spencer says, they’re probably picking up people on the mainland. Serves them right. Who’d want to leave so early?  Costas says, the plan was to have a boat there at all times. It was to wait for the second boat to return before departing. They can’t reach the pilot of either launch. Tony comes in, and tells Costas, he just wanted to confirm; there’s no transport off this island? Costas says, not at the moment, and Tony says he’s sorry, but he’s going to take Josslyn home. Spencer says he thinks Tony is jumping the gun. It’s probably just a mix-up. One of the pilots probably figured the party was well underway, so it was safe to take a break. Tony says he saw a boathouse earlier. They need to check if the boat’s been sabotaged. Trina asks if that’s necessary, and Tony says, it’s the simplest way to find out if someone wanted to strand them there. He asks how many people Costas has, and Costas says, six; they’re all good and they all know their business, but they’re hardly crowd control for kids. Tony tells Costas to have his people keep their eye on the party goers. He’s going to find out if the boat’s been sabotaged. He thinks it might be a good idea to keep Josslyn there, and Costas says he’ll stay there and keep an eye on things. Tony says if he finds out the boat’s been sabotaged, he’s calling a chopper. He tells Trina and Spencer to find Josslyn and Cameron, and tell them to stay in the living room. Tony leaves, and Trina says she’ll go find Joss and Cam. Spencer starts to follow, and Costas says he’s going to watch the door, and tells Spencer to stay put. He leaves, and Spencer’s phone rings. It says unknown, and he answers saying, everything’s fine. Ryan says, hello, Spencer. It’s Ryan Chamberlain. Spencer was trying to get his attention. Now he’s got it. This ends tonight.

Trina interrupts Cameron and Josslyn, and says she’s sorry, but things are getting weird downstairs. Josslyn asks, what’s going on? and Trina says, the launches are missing. Cameron asks what she means, and she says, there’s supposed to be one in the dock, and there isn’t, and the captain’s aren’t answering. Josslyn says, that’s so weird. Both boats? Trina says, maybe it’s nothing, but Josslyn’s bodyguard is in overdrive, and wants her downstairs immediately. Josslyn says, okay. They should go. Spencer says, there’s always something with the Cassadines, and they leave the turret.

Sam asks what Dante means that he’s not her type, and he says he doesn’t brood, and he has a sense of humor. She says he does slay the dad jokes, and he says, Rocco likes them. What else? He respects the law. She says, because he is the law; very convenient. He says, and he can cook. She says he gets points for that one because she’s not doing the cooking. He says, it probably wouldn’t work. He’s a pretty simple guy. He likes movies with explosions, playing with the kids, softball on the weekends, pancakes at Kelly’s afterwards. She puts her finger on his lips and says, stop talking, and kisses him  

The moss bowl 🎍 and phone start to make plans to take over the world, and Carly says she doesn’t know what Jax is  talking about. What ship? He says, come on. Back in May, around the same time Jason escaped from GH, a ship carrying cargo for Cyrus Renault was sabotaged. She says she doesn’t remember the sinking of that ship being widely publicized. How did he know about it? He says she ordered the sinking of that ship, didn’t she? She says, the loss of that ship rattled Cyrus, and he backed off, didn’t he? and Jax says, because he knew she was the one that took it from him. She’s responsible for that ship going down, isn’t she? She asks what he’s doing.  

Laura knocks at Doc’s office door, and says she’s sorry; did she interrupt a session? A nurse in scrubs stands outside the door and eavesdrops, being very obvious, and no one bothers to close the door. Doc says Ava was just telling him that Nikolas feels Spencer is the stalker. Laura wonders when that happened, and says she’ll talk to him when he comes back from Dubai, but Ava says, there’s no trip; there’s no Dubai. Doc says they saw him leave, but Ava says, they saw him pretend to leave. It was part of his plan to trick Spencer. Outside, the nurse’s head whips around so fast, I’ll be surprised she didn’t get whiplash, and Laura says, how? Ava says she doesn’t know the specifics. Only that Nikolas wanted to give Spencer a taste of his own medicine. Doc says, it sounds ominous, and Laura says, it sounds like a mistake. Ava agrees, and says she tried to talk Nikolas out of it, but Nikolas thinks he can save Spencer from himself. He’s so bullheaded, he can’t see that he’s just going to make it worse.

Spencer says, hello? but the line is dead. Trina comes in, saying, she found them, and Cameron and Josslyn follow her in. Josslyn asks Spencer, what’s going on? and he says, Ryan Chamberlain just called him. Josslyn says, what? and Cameron asks if it’s another surprise of Spencer’s. He doesn’t think it’s going to go over well with his guests. Spencer says he’s serious, and Trina says, is he? Because this isn’t funny. He says, he called and he said he was Ryan Chamberlain. He said Spencer had his attention, and this ends tonight. Cameron says, what ends tonight? but Spencer says he doesn’t know, but he knows it was Ryan, and recognized his voice. Trina asks how it’s possible. Ava said Ryan is practically paralyzed. All he can do is blink. Even if he could talk, he’s in prison. You can’t just call people. Cameron says Spencer is slipping. His pranks used to be way better thought out than this. Spencer says he’s not lying, when the lights go out. Josslyn says, what is that? and we see phosphorescent letters in front of the fireplace that say, it ends tonight.

As she and Dante are kissing, Sam’s phone rings. He asks if everything is okay, and she says, it’s unknown. It’s probably a telemarketer. He asks if that was maybe more than a friend kiss, and she says she doesn’t know. He can figure it out. He says his professional opinion deduces this was a date. She says, good work, detective, and he says, maybe it’s against the rules to date someone in the support group. She says, a support group of two people. He asks if she’s open to it, and she says she’s definitely open to the proposition.    

Spencer wonders how that got there, and Trina says, it’s some kind of projection. Josslyn says, please tell her that it’s one of his surprises. He says, no, and yells for Costas. Costas runs in, and asks where the message came from, and Spencer says, that’s what he wants to know. Who’s been in this house? Costas says, no one. All the other entrances are locked. The only way in is through the front door, and him. The lights come back on, and Spencer says, the generator kicked in. Costas says he’s going to check the exterior and look for any signs of a break-in. He tells Spencer to lock up behind him. Spencer locks the door behind Costas, and Trina says, this is bad, isn’t it? Spencer says, the writing on the fireplace is exactly what Ryan said to him. Then the phone went dead. Josslyn says, if this is another one of his stupid jokes, she promises she won’t be mad, but he needs to admit it. Her bodyguard doesn’t mess around, and if he gets worried enough, he’ll call for back-up. Then they’ll have a real problem. Spencer says, this is not a joke. If her bodyguard would like extra back-up, good for him. Maybe it will discourage Ryan, or whoever’s behind this. Cameron looks out the window, and says, the party is still going on outside. Only inside the house seems to be affected. Josslyn says he means targeted, and Trina says she’s had enough hostage for one lifetime. She’s going to call the cops. She gets no signal, and Josslyn and Cameron don’t have one either. Spencer says they have a signal booster to get reception on the island. The power outage probably threw it offline. Cameron asks where it is, and Spencer says, the sitting room; he’ll go. Josslyn asks if he’s insane. He’s getting creepy messages from Ryan Chamberlain, and he wants to wander off by himself? Trina asks if he’s seen a horror movie. He asks if they want cell service or not, and Trina says she’ll go with him. He probably doesn’t know how to reboot it. They leave, and Josslyn and Cameron hug.

Laura says, Nikolas’s phone is going directly to voicemail, and Doc says, so is Spencer’s. Ava wishes Laura had been able to talk to Nikolas; he listens to her. Laura says, sometimes he listens, sometimes he doesn’t. He has that strong Cassadine streak in him. Ava says, especially if he thinks he’s right, and Laura says, if he’s wrong about Spencer, he could destroy their relationship. Ava says, exactly, but he was determined confront Spencer tonight. Laura says, not without her, and leaves. Doc and Ava follow.  

Jax says, Carly wants to know what he’s doing? He’s worrying, and he’s not sleeping. He’s fantasizing about grabbing Josslyn and taking her to Australia, the way he used to when she was little, and things got too hot for Sonny. She used to understand that. Why can’t she understand it now? She says, because Josslyn’s 18. She’s in college, she has a boyfriend, and family, and friends there. Does he really think she’s going to move halfway around the world with him? He says, of course (🍷) not. He understands, but he needs to know Carly will keep her safe. She says, as safe as anyone. She doesn’t know what to say to him. She can’t give him guarantees. He says he needs more than vague assurances. She needs to convince him. She says she doesn’t know what he wants her to say; what magic words he wants to hear. He says it would be good to know what she’s already done to protect Josslyn, and what she’s willing to do in the future. That’s what would make him stop worrying and sleep at night. Tell him, how bad is it?

On the phone, Elizabeth says, Cameron’s ears must be ringing, because she and his grandmother were singing his praises. Call her back no matter how much fun he’s having. Don’t make her be a nag.  

Cameron and Josslyn look in the foyer, but Costas isn’t there. Josslyn wonders if they should look for him, but Cameron says, Tony told them to stay put. Josslyn says she doesn’t like this. The party is going on outside. No one even knows what’s going on in there. Her bodyguard is off somewhere, so is head of security. Maybe they’re doing their jobs, or maybe they’ve been decoyed. Cameron says he also wants to believe this is just a series of crazy coincidences, instead of what it feels like – a trap. Josslyn throws her arms around him.

Carly says, okay. As Josslyn’s father, Jax should know everything. She’s going to tell him exactly what she’s going to do tit for tat… She walks around the kitchen island, which holds the hallowed moss bowl 🎍, and grabs the phone. She says, wow, holding up the phone, showing it’s recording. She can’t believe he’d go this far.   

Laura wonders if they can still get a launch to the island, and Ava says she’ll make the call, and a launch will be waiting at the pier. Laura says, Ava’s not coming? but Ava doesn’t think it’s a good idea. If Spencer is the stalker, she’ll just make it worse, and if he’s not, she doesn’t want whoever is the stalker to see her going to Windymere. Doc says, that’s wise, and Laura say she’ll call and let Ava know what happens. They leave, and someone watches as Ava calls for the launch.

Dante asks if Sam has time for another drink, and she says she can be convinced. Dante says, in that case, he’ll be right back. He leaves, and Sam’s phone rings. It says unknown, but she answers, saying, who is this? A voice asks if she can hear him, and she says, Drew?

Trina tells Spencer, it should take five to ten minutes to reboot. There’s a loud noise, and Spencer tells Trina, the fireworks are starting. It’s his other surprise. She says she thinks she’s surprised out, and he suggests they watch on the turret, while the reboot finishes. They go outside, and Trina says she hopes Joss and Cam can see it from the terrace windows. He says he hopes they enjoy it, and it calms them down too. He doesn’t know what the hell is going on, but right now, they’re okay. He puts his arm around her, as a masked man with a knife watches.

Tomorrow, Dr. Navarro says she has a special treat for Sasha, Laura and Doc get to Spoon Island, Cameron says there’s something seriously strange going on tonight, and Carly wants to know what the plan is exactly.

Below Deck Mediterranean

We ended with a group hug for Lloyd, who was questioning his sexuality.

Sibenik, Croatia. Everyone is winding down, grabbing food, and passing out. Zee wants to invite Courtney to his parents’ place by the ocean in Cape Town. David tries to help Courtney into her bunk, and fails miserably. She ends up in Malia’s bed. Zee eats cake in the crew mess.

Four hours before charter, and it’s a mess. In Malia’s interview, she says, Courtney got sick in the night, and vomited all over her bed. David says his head hurts, and Lloyd thanks Katie for last night. They hug, and in Lloyd’s interview, he says, this is sh*t he never shared even with close friends. He’s never felt this comfortable with a group of people. It’s overwhelming. Courtney does laundry, and Mathew says he feels like sh*t. Courtney finds a pair of bikini bottoms in the crew mess, and wonders what happened. In her interview, she says, it wasn’t her; it was Chloe, her persona when tequila takes over. She tells Zee that she has beer fear, whatever that means. He doesn’t know and neither do I.

Everyone gets down to business, getting the boat ready, and in Malia’s interview, she says, maybe David doesn’t remember asking her out, which is okay with her. They can just slide it under the rug, and move forward with no awkwardness on deck. Captain Sandy calls Mathew, Malia, and Katie for a preference sheet meeting. She tells them that Jennifer and Patrick are repeat guests, and she remembers they loved to party. We flash back to them doing just that, and Malia reads that the guests want the boat transformed into an Oktoberfest celebration. Mathew says they’ll have to get lederhosen, and makes a note to order German products. In his interview, he says he’s happy to be there, and that the captain gave him a second chance. They have Oktoberfest in the Newport are where he’s from, and he’s worn lederhosen, drank beer, and vomited in the street like a tourist. They had Oktoberfest where I grew up, but I just drank beer, ate bratwurst, and petted horses. Katie calls for provisions, and Mathew calls for groceries. Katie has a meeting with the interior, and says Courtney is going to be on dinner service. In Lexi’s interview, she says she doesn’t want Katie giving Courtney more second stew duties. She’s beyond pissed off. So what else is new? Why does this girl think she’s the boss? I just don’t get it. Do your job or find another one.

Two hours to charter. In David’s interview, he says he let loose, and no is cool. He understands. He wants to travel with someone he can grow with, rather than have a go just for the sake of having a go. Lexi complains, provisions come in, another day in paradise. Captain Sandy radios for the crew to get in their whites, and meet on the dock in five minutes. In Mathew’s interview, he says he has another chance, and no matter what is thrown at him, he’s not effing it up. The captain says, it’s a glorious day to start a charter.

Primary Patrick’s T-shirt says, Alcohol Now, and primary Jennifer introduces her pool float, Chad. In Courtney’s interview, she says she thought, alcohol now? Hell yeah. Then remembered she was on service. Katie gives the tour, and the guests are given champagne. Jennifer says they killed 69 bottles of booze in 7 days, and in her interview, Katie thinks she needs to order more alcohol. The lines are freed, and Chad floats in the hot tub. Malia is going to take the boat out of the dock, and in her interview, she says, the first time Captain Sandy let her do it – we flashed back to that – was different. This time she’d be taking the boat out of the slip between concrete dolphins. The captain calls Malia to the bridge, and gives her instruction as she pulls out. Lexi serves drinks, and there’s a spread of snacks, veggie plates and such. Lunch is plated, and in Katie’s interview, she says, the guests are drinking quickly. It’s going to be a long charter.

A couple of the guests need their drinks replenished, and Patrick announces they’re out of booze. The guests start crawling around the boat, looking for alcohol, and being annoying. Katie tells them to sit TF down. Well, not really. She says the more diplomatic, please be seated. In the laundry, Lexi says, psycho chef has clothes, since she’s such a gem of a human being. Lunch is served, and in Courtney’s interview, she says she loves doing service. Nobody puts baby in a corner. In Lloyd’s interview, he says, after all that support, he’s comfortable, and 100% himself; exceptionally rare. Anchor is dropped, and the transom is opened. The dreaded slide is brought out, and Maureen the unicorn. Courtney tells Katie that she thinks Lexi was mentality changed since the captain and Katie talked to her. It felt like she’d been different; she was quiet. Yeah, the quiet ones are the ones you have to watch out for.

Captain Sandy asks the guests how lunch was, and it’s pronounced awesome. The guests go down slide, and the captain tells Lloyd that he can drive the boat out of anchorage. David shows a couple of guests how to use the jet ski, and Lexi sends steam from the iron into the air, setting off an alarm, which I’m pretty sure she did on purpose. Malia calls to Captain Sandy that a police vessel is approaching, and the captain goes down to the deck. In Captain Sandy’s interview, she says, it’s never good to see a police vessel approaching. She finds out the guests have been speeding, and getting too close to the tourists. She tells the guests to stay away from the shoreline. The guests move on to the hot tub. Katie thinks they’re hitting the booze too hard, and asks when they’d like dinner. Katie suggests Lexi cut oranges, and in Lexi’s interview, she says she’s literally the Cinderella of this charter. That’s not okay. I’ll bet the real Cinderella would beg to differ. Malia says David is in charge when she’s not around, and in David’s interview, he says, it’s kind of awkward, but feelings and crush or not, he’d rather be prided on his work than anything else.

Captain Sandy asks Katie how interior is doing, and Katie says she has Courtney on service. The captain remarks that Lexi has been quiet, and Katie agrees, but in her interview, thinks Lexi isn’t happy with housekeeping. She’s not going to change the way she does things to keep Lexi happy though. That’s how it works; they rotate. In Mathew’s interview, he says usually there’s pressure from the guests, and it’s nice that it’s not happening. In Malia’s interview, she says she’s comfortable letting the crew anchor on their own, and not one guy has a problem with asking questions. She loves it, reiterating, just on charter. The guests dress for dinner, get cocktails, and head to the table, where they’re wowed by the glittery setting. Zee and Courtney say the same things about each other in their interviews, that they have a connection, it’s like they’ve known each other for years, and they like each other. At the end, they both say, we’ll see. The soup starter is served, and Katie tells Courtney to help Lexi with cabins. Lexi insists they’re done, but upon inspection Courtney finds the beds are made wrong, and calls Katie to help her fix it. In Courtney’s interview, she says, Lexi doesn’t like doing it, so it’s sh*t, and it’s annoying. The guests call for more wine, and in Katie’s interview, she says she feels like she’s failing at her job.

The main course of surf and turf with lobster is served, and Patrick says Mathew absolutely killed it. One of the guests glad there are no vegans in the group. Malia tells Mathew there are no guest complaints, and the galley is clean; she’s impressed. Mathew visits with the guests, and Patrick says Mathew’s food is the best he’s had in his life. For Oktoberfest, he’s not telling Mathew to drop  the German flair, but just make an awesome dinner. In Mathew’s interview, he says, his schnitzel chill is gone. Malia, Zee, and Lloyd make up games for the guests’ beer Olympics. Mathew takes a break, with slices of cucumber on his eyes.

Second day of charter. Lexi is on breakfast, and says she’s staying TF away from Mathew. In her interview, she says that she’s nervous doing breakfast with Mathew. She doesn’t know if she’ll get, best day ever, or his other side. Pot meet kettle. Captain Sandy calls Lloyd to drive them out, and Zee is on anchor. The captain instructs Lloyd, and in Lloyd’s interview, he says, after being on the last boat, he wondered if it was worth it, and if he was going in the right direction. This time, he’s bloody loving it. Guest Lindsay asks Lexi for tea, and after nearly half an hour, and after Katie is on deck, Lexi asks Katie to take the tea to the guest. The guests sit down for breakfast, but there are no plates or bread or anything on the table. In Katie’s interview, she says she takes pride in what she does. When something like this happens, it looks like she can’t do her job; it’s a simple thing. Katie wakes up Courtney, telling her, it’s a sh*t show. In Mathew’s interview, he says, Katie is struggling because Lexi didn’t set up. He doesn’t think it’s a fireable offense, but it’s effing annoying. The guests jet ski some more. Lexi looks in a guest bath, and says, shower untouched. Thank you. I have the feeling that’s not how it’s supposed to work. They should be wiping it down regardless. Captain Sandy notices the slide isn’t hard enough, and says, WTF? In her interview, she says she loves having the toys out. She wants the boat to look like the most fun boat on the water. We flash back to her telling every crew the same thing every season. She says, on charter, you have to make every second count for the client. She tells David that she doesn’t care how much of a battle the slide is; they battle it. She tells him to keep giving it air after every slide. Malia complains that they only have one pump, but more than one thing that needs air. Malia thinks one of the valves is broken, and they hunt around for a repair kit. Chief Officer Marten disagrees with Malia’s assessment, and thinks they just hate the slide. He tells them to keep the pump next to it. In Malia’s interview, she says, the slide is always drama, and tells the captain, it depends on when the guests go on in relation to when it’s inflated. Captain Sandy tells her to calm down. She wasn’t challenging Malia. Malia says she’s just hungry, and the guests are full-blown water sports. She shovels some food into her mouth.

Katie asks Lexi about the tea, and Lexi makes excuses, saying she’s doing twenty different things. In Lexi’s interview, she says her brain is swamped. Yeah, I’m sure with ideas on how to get back at people, and how much better she is than everyone else on the planet. Malia takes charge of the beer Olympics, which is kind of like a Survivor obstacle course challenge, but chugging beer is involved with every step. It’s basically just a different way to drink a lot of beer. At the end, Malia passes out gold medals. Katie sends Lexi back to laundry hell – ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! – and Katie tends bar. She finds out that Lexi never picked up a guests laundry or gave them fresh towels, and in her interview, Katie says that she can’t have her second stew failing at simple tasks. Captain Sandy asks Katie how it’s going, and Katie says Lexi is making her job hard. The captain says she’s had crew members like that, and she didn’t give up on them. Katie says it’s not that she doesn’t like Lexi, but she’s the one who ends up being responsible. In the captain’s interview, she says, this is about Katie’ leadership, and she needs to encourage her team to step up. She relies on Katie to navigate the stews, and that’s not happening.

Captain Sandy gets a text that the crew member she requested is out of quarantine.

Next time, Octoberfest, a new crew member on deck, and Patrick says having to make his own drink was unacceptable.

🏔 The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City will return on September 12th.

⚾️ Sliding Into Home…

Tomorrow, join me for soap and perhaps a Housewife or two. Until then, stay safe, stay working toward a goal, and stay never wearing a shirt that says Alcohol Now. Just no.

August 13, 2021 – Jax Confronts Jason, Steve Negotiates With Ryan, New Drew, Seinfeld Shah, Mad Erika, Not Guilty, OC Divorce, VanderGrandBaby, Ending Dead, Tony’s Home, Quotes Of Twelve & Electric

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Sonny tells Nina, he knows they planned on living in the moment, but he’s feeling inspired. Why don’t they make long term plans?

Outside, Phyllis asks if she can get Lenny a refill on his ice tea, but he says all he wants is her beside him. Now and forever. She says she thinks that can be arranged.

At the hospital, Shawn asks Jordan and Dante if there’s any news on Hayden’s mother’s toxicology report. Dante says he told Shawn they’d rush the results, and Jordan says they just met with the Medical Examiner. Sam says, and? and Dante says, it looks like they were right. Highly unlikely Naomie Dreyfuss’s death was an accident.

Spencer finds Josslyn, Cameron, and Trina at the door, and asks, who invited the riff-raff? Josslyn says, very funny, and he invites them in, asking if they’re ready to party. Josslyn says, yes, and tells Spencer, it looks amazing outside; the LED lights, the dance floor, the photo booth. He thanks her, and asks, what about Trina? Does she approve? Trina says she doesn’t hate it.

Carly says she doesn’t know what to do. Sonny’s gone, and she doesn’t know what her future with Jason looks like. She knows she needs to put the past behind her and let go. In her mind, Sonny appears, and says, that’s easier said than done. She says he’s back. She hasn’t seen him in months. He says he likes to keep her on her toes. She says she was wondering if… He says, what? and she says, she thought recent developments might have kept him away. He says, recent developments? Oh, she means her marrying Jason?

Jax tells Britt, he watched Jason choose this life, and he had plenty of opportunities not to. So the violence that follows him, even if it’s not of his own making, is his responsibility. So don’t fall into the trap of thinking that he’s some kind of hero, because he’s just not. She says, Jason’s no longer a part of her life, but that doesn’t stop her from thinking he’s one of the good guys. He says, good guys don’t put his daughter at risk, and she says, don’t tell her that; tell him. Jax turns around to see Jason in the doorway. Jason asks if there’s a problem, and Jax says he doesn’t even know where to begin. Jason says, name one, and Jax says he knows Josslyn is in danger, and he’s demanding Jason put a stop to this.

Spencer says, the DJ is doing a soundcheck, the extra launch is on the mainland, and his father just texted he’s over the Atlantic. Operation Rager is a go. Trina says, not so fast. They couldn’t risk getting dirty on the way over. Josslyn asks if there’s somewhere they can change, and Spencer tells them, take any guest room in the south wing, Trina says, she likes the east wing, and Josslyn says she’s more of a north wing kind of girl. Spencer says they’re hilarious, and Trina says, south wing it is. Spencer says, before they go, take these, and hands the three of them bracelets. Trina asks what they are, and he says, VIP bracelets. They give access to the house, and only the four of them have one. Trina says, really? and Spencer says, what if they need to escape from the randoms? Trina says he thought of everything, and he says he always does. Josslyn tells Cameron, they’ll be right back, and she and Trina leave. Spencer asks if Cameron needs to change too, but Cameron says, this is what he was going to wear. Spencer says, not to his party. He specifically said, solstice chic. Cameron says, what does that even mean? and Spencer says, come with him.

Britt asks if she needs to get security, but Jason says he has no issue with Jax. Jax says they’ll have to excuse him if the feeling isn’t mutual. He has to admit, this isn’t like how it was with him and Sonny, or Carly and Sonny, for that matter. Sonny was selfish, and Carly backed down because that’s what Sonny needed. He didn’t care about her safety or the kids’ safety. It was a very unhealthy relationship. He understands it’s different with Jason. He knows that Jason loves Carly, and knows he loves Josslyn, and would give his life for them. He doesn’t say that lightly, so whatever reason Jason has for marrying Carly, whether they’re both sad about losing Sonny, or to solve some business problem; whatever it is, he’s begging Jason to do the right thing. End this before someone gets hurt.

Sonny asks why Carly would think he wouldn’t want her to marry Jason? She says she doesn’t. Not only does she think he’d understand; she thinks he’d be all for it. He tells her, he was going to say, he thought she knew him better than that. Why does it seem like she’s holding back? She says she’s scared, and he says, of what? She says, of losing her relationship with Jason. It’s a perfect friendship, to love someone like that without any complications. He says, that’s true, and she says, what if marrying him changes all that?

Nina asks what kind of plans does real Sonny have in mind? He says he was thinking about that story Lenny loves to tell about how he met Phyllis while he was fishing, and Nina says Phyllis wanted him to lose his big catch because she felt sorry for the fish. He says he was thinking maybe they could all take a fishing trip. When Lenny is up to it. She says, they both seem pretty committed to this new lease on life, no matter what the biopsy results are, but she sees one little problem with his idea. She doesn’t know how keen Phyllis is on fishing. He says, it’s less about the sport of fishing, and more about getting away from the bar and the stresses of life. They can just take a vacation. She says she likes it; great idea. It will give Lenny something to look forward to. He asks if that means she’s going to stay for a few more weeks, and she says she’s not going anywhere. He says, so fishing; she’s sold? She says, hook, line, and sinker.

Sam says, define highly unlikely. Was Naomie murdered or not? Dante says they can’t divulge the details of an ongoing investigation, and Shawn says if they’re going to keep looking into Hayden’s disappearance, they need to know what they’re getting into. Word on the street is that there’s compelling evidence that her mother’s death wasn’t a suicide. Jordan says, whose word and what street? and Sam says she has her sources. Dante asks if she can tell them, but she says she promised to be discreet. Jordan says, according to the toxicology report, Hayden’s mother was injected with a powerful drug, and Shawn says, so the bottle of pills left behind was just a prop. Jordan tells them, she didn’t say that; did Dante? Dante tells them, he didn’t say that, and Shawn says, so the Medical Examiner said Naomie did ingest the toxin that killed her. Sam asks if it’s possible she injected herself, but Dante says, most drug users inject themselves in the arm or the leg or the groin. Shawn says, whereas Naomie was injected someplace atypical. Jordan says she was injected in a spot they almost missed; in the back of the neck.

Jax says Jason wasn’t around when Morgan died, so he doesn’t really know. Jax only knows a little of what it did to Carly and Josslyn, but he can tell Jason what it did to him, and it scared the hell out of him. He doesn’t want to think about it. He doesn’t even want to wrap his mind around losing his daughter that way. Jason says he understands, but Jax says he doesn’t really understand because his kids are safe across town at their mother’s, while Josslyn grew up in Sonny’s house, and is going to remain living there until she goes off to college. His business rivals obviously know that, seeing how the Novak guy approached her. So when Jason tells him that she’s protected, he doesn’t believe it. Jason says he’s right. This is a risk to Josslyn. He’s doing everything in his power to minimize that risk. She has one of their best bodyguards with her all the time. Jax says, a bodyguard didn’t save Morgan, but Jason says, Josslyn isn’t Morgan; she understands the situation. Does she love it? No. Do we love it? No, but she gets why it has to be this way just for now. It’s true, he does love Carly, and he does love Josslyn. Trust him when he says he’s not making any decisions for himself or what he wants. All his decisions are made for them. Jax says, to keep them safe, and Jason says, yes. He gets that Jax is scared for his daughter, and Jax says he’s not scared; he’s terrified. Jason says he gets that he’s not giving Jax the answers that he wants, but it’s the only answer he has. Jax says then Jason gets it’s not the answer he wants. He thought he could appeal to Jason as a rational human being, but if he can’t even do that, he’s sorry. He’s done co-parenting with Josslyn’s mom. He walks out.

Josslyn tells Trina that she looks incredible, and Trina says, so does Josslyn. Spencer really went all out, huh? Josslyn says, when Spencer sets his mind to something, there’s not stopping him, and Trina says she can see that. Josslyn says, he likes Trina, and Trina says, she thinks so? Josslyn says, doesn’t she? but Trina says she doesn’t know. Maybe. Josslyn says she has a confession to make.

Spencer says Cameron looks almost as good as he does in that outfit, and Spencer says he appreciates it. Spencer says he should; it came all the way from Milan. Cameron says, my God. Milan, the south wing, this party in general. Spencer asks if his hospitality is bothering Cameron, and Cameron says, what’s bothering him is Spencer is trying too hard.

Moss bowl! Carly says, to her, marriage is what she had with Sonny. He says, what’s that? and she says, he knows, but he says he likes to be reminded. She says, bold and passionate, caring and heated. They had all the shades, and loved as hard as they fought. He says she’s not going to fight with Jason the way she fought with him, and she says she knows it’s going to be different. It has to be different. She just doesn’t want Jason to stop being Jason, and he says she knows Jason better than anyone except him. Why does she think Jason is going to change just because she’s marrying him?

Phyllis tells Lenny, look at you; you’re exhausted. She suggests they go home, but he says, not yet. The sunset’s almost as beautiful as his wife. And the Tan-O is home. She tells him, like she always says, an answer for everything. He says that’s why she loves him, and she says he knows she does. She pats his hand, and says she’ll refresh their ice teas. She kisses the top of his head and goes inside. He smiles, and leans back in his chair.

Phyllis tells Sonny and Nina, she knows they should probably be opening, but it’s so nice having the place to themselves. She asks what they’re all huddled up about, and Sonny says they have an idea. Nina says she doesn’t know if they have an idea; it was kind all Mike/Sonny’s idea. Phyllis tells them, Lenny always says, when Mike’s mind stops to rest, a back-up generator kicks in. They laugh, and Sonny says Nina can go ahead and tell Phyllis the romance part, and he’ll do his best to reel in Lenny. Nina says she’s on it, and Sonny goes outside. Phyllis asks what that was about.

Sonny asks Lenny, where’s his fishing rod? They have to start practicing to impress the girls. He sits down, and says, Lenny? He touches Lenny’s arm, and I start tearing up already. I knew this was coming. He feels Lenny’s pulse, and says, Lenny, but he knows Lenny is gone.

Cameron asks if Spencer didn’t say he appreciated people in Port Charles because they were authentic, and Spencer asks if Cameron is calling him fake. Cameron says he’s saying Spencer says all this stuff, and does all this stuff as a way of putting up a barrier between him and everybody else. So maybe if he stops acting like a jerk for five minutes, he’ll find out people actually like him. Spencer says he’s touched, and Cameron says, there he goes again. Spencer says he’s sorry; it’s a reflex. Cameron says, it’s great to have a party. The DJ looks killer, everybody’s pumped; it’s going to be a great night. Spencer says, it is, and Cameron says, maybe try having a conversation with some of the randoms. They might actually surprise him. He might surprise himself.

Josslyn says she and Cameron talked about this, and Trina says, about what? Her? Josslyn says, and Spencer. She convinced herself that she wasn’t going to get involved, but when they got here, and she saw them all sparkly with each other… Trina says, sparkly? and Josslyn says Trina knows what she means. She would never tell Trina not to date Spencer because it is her life. Trina says, but? and Josslyn says, but Trina doesn’t know Spencer like she does. Trina says, tell her, and Josslyn says, inside that pretty fun package is actually a pretty messed up guy, who’s done some pretty messed up things. She’s not saying they should judge someone by what they did when they were eight. She used to go around dressed like corn. Trina says they’ll revisit that later (oh, please do), and Josslyn says, but Spencer has a certain edge to him. He grew up super rich, obviously. Trina says he told her that his mom died, and Josslyn says, the day he was born. Of course (🍷) everyone felt sorry for him. It’s horrible. Trina says, so they decided to throw money at him, and Josslyn says, there were never any limits, and that stayed with Spencer. He just keeps testing and testing, and pushing things way too far, until he realizes what he’s done. That’s not to say he doesn’t have a great heart, because she thinks he does, but it’s something for Trina to keep in mind before diving in head first. Trina thanks her, and says, just so they’re clear, she gets that Spencer has this whole racket thing going; he’s running it all the time. Josslyn says, all the time, and Trina says she appreciates Josslyn looking out for her, and hopes Josslyn knows she’d do the same for her. Josslyn knows she would, and Trina says, sisters before misters? and Josslyn says, always.

Jordan says she wanted to talk to Shawn privately. It might be none of her business. He’s recently out of prison. Is he sure he wants to get in the middle of all this? Maybe for his sake and TJ’s, he should let Sam investigate the past, and instead focus on what comes next for him.

Dante gets something from the vending machine, and Sam asks him to please tell her what they’re going to do to get to the bottom of this. He says he’s going to start by eating some of these; does she want some? She says, no, and her phone rings. She tells him, it’s Danny; she has to take it, but they’re not done with this conversation. He says he hopes not because he loves talking to her. Sam steps away, and Jax says he needs to talk to Dante about Josslyn. Dante asks, what’s going on? and Jax says he’s sure Dante’s aware that organized crime conflict hasn’t ended with Sonny’s death or putting Cyrus behind bars. People have stepped in to fill the void. Dante asks what people Jax is talking about, and Jax says he’ll give Dante one guess.

Britt says she’s a little disappointed in herself. She thought she was making progress. Jason says, with what? and she says, Britt 2.0, the kinder, gentler, more empathetic version. She has to say, it really helps to see it’s hard for him. He says, you’re welcome? and she says, don’t get her wrong. She’s not all, ha! he’s hurting too. She hasn’t regressed that much, but whatever’s going on, she can see it’s costing him. And choosing Carly over her, for lack of a better phrase, wasn’t something he did lightly. That doesn’t make it hurt any less, but it makes it a little easier to live with.

Moss bowl! Sonny says, the relationship will change, like Carly said, unless she decides to stay platonic and not have a real marriage. She says they haven’t decided anything, and he says they’ll figure it out, but if she’s going to have this conversation with anyone, have it with the person she trusts the most, and that’s Jason. She says she trusts Jason more than anything. She thinks she’s fixated and worried about how her relationship with him is going to change. That’s real, but she thinks she’s deflecting. He says, from what? and she says if she marries Jason, and he becomes her husband, that means Sonny is gone from her life. She’ll remember him and love him always, but she’ll finally have to let go.

Phyllis asks if she can level with Nina, and Nina says, of course (🍷). Phyllis says, it sounds less like a romantic getaway, and more like an excuse for a boy’s weekend. Nina says she did a little bit of research, and there are some really nice cabins on the river with lux accommodations. So while the guys are hooking these disgusting worms, they’ll be getting facials and sipping rosé. Phyllis says, now Nina is speaking her language, but she can’t ask anything more. Nina is already helping out with the hospital bills. Nina says she’s happy to do it, but this vacation is for all four of them, and Phyllis says, an opportunity for her and Mike/Sonny to connect? Nina says, maybe, and Phyllis says Nina has changed since she first came to Nixon Falls; she’s lighter now, and unburdened. Nina says, space from your problems will do that to a person. Phyllis says, so will love, and they laugh. Nina suggests they get some tea, and tells Phyllis, it’s really good. Sonny comes in, and Phyllis asks if his ears were burning. She sees his face, and drops the glass she’s holding, sending it crashing to the floor. She shakes her head, and Sonny looks so very sad.

Britt says she didn’t even ask what Jason was doing there. Was he looking for Jax? He says he came to see her. When Joey Novak approached Josslyn, he was worried she could be next. She says, why? and he says because of their history. She says that’s just it; history. They’re not connected anymore. He says he’s always going to care what happens to her, and she says no one’s approached her, so he can stand down. He asks how she’s feeling, and she says, good, strong. Huntington’s hasn’t reared its head yet. He says she doesn’t have to pretend with him, and she says, yes, she does.

Shawn tells Jordan, believe him, he’d love nothing more than to focus on the future, but he can’t do that with a would-be murderer on the loose. That person shot Hayden and stole years of his life. She says, isn’t that the point? In pursuing this, he could be sacrificing even more years of his life. He just got out of prison, and finding himself at the scene of a probable homicide is not a good idea. If it hadn’t been Dante who showed up that day, who knows what another police officer might have assumed? She would hate for TJ to just get his father back, only to have him taken away again.

Phyllis strokes Lenny’s arm, and says, it was quick. By the expression on his face, it was likely his heart or lungs. Lenny was just… carried off. She adjusts his collar, and tells him, you said you would never leave the Tan-O again. She knew he was stubborn, but this one takes the cake. Sonny asks if she wants him to carry Lenny out, but she shakes her head. Weeping, Nina asks if she can call someone or help in some way, but Phyllis says she just needs a final word alone with her husband. Nina and Sonny go inside, and Phyllis breaks down crying.

Carly says she loves Sonny so much. He says he loves her too, and she says she loves him in a way she could never love anyone else. He says, there’s only one us, and she says it makes her laugh because she was told a million times he was bad for her. He says she even told herself that a million times, and she says, she did. There were hardships, tough times, and unimaginable losses, but he was also the best for her because he loved her and gave her children. They built a real life together. He says, a partnership, and she says he was the one guy she couldn’t walk away from.

Jax tells Dante, Carly and Jason have taken over the Corinthos Organization, and Dante says, even if that were true… Jax says Dante knows it’s true, and Dante asks why it concerns him. Jax says because his daughter lives in their house, and Dante says, his daughter has always lived in that house. Jax says, but she hasn’t always been approached by business associates from rival mobs. He’s not going to stand by and lose his only daughter because of Carly and Jason’s shady business dealings. Dante asks if this associate has a name, and Jax says, Joey Novak. Dante says as a father he understands Jax’s concern, and Jax says, but from a police standpoint, he’s out of luck. Dante says he’ll talk to Novak, and open a plainclothes on Josslyn for a while, but without an actual crime being committed… Jax says, his hands are tied; he gets it. Good thing his aren’t. Dante asks what that means, and Jax says he’s going to do what he has to, to protect his daughter.

Sam asks what that was about, and Dante says, nothing good. How’s Danny? She says, major emergency. He got locked out of his game account. Dante says, damn. Is he going to make it? She says, it was touch and go for a while, but she reset his password, and she thinks he’s going to make it. He says, that’s good news. It happened to Rocco once, and he wasn’t sure Rocco was going to make it. She asks if he thinks they’re going to survive, and he says, their kids? She says, all of it, and he says, yeah. They could start up a support group. She says she likes that. When’s the first meeting? He says, how about now?

Shawn says he knows Jordan is coming from a good place, but what’s he supposed to do? TJ and Molly took a huge risk to expose Judge Carson, and got him out. He can’t take that for granted. She says she’s not asking him to, but if the choice is between uncovering the truth about Hayden, or living with the mystery unsolved forever, what does he think TJ would choose? He says he’ll give it some thought, and she thanks him. He says, TJ is all he’s got. He doesn’t want to risk the chance of finally being his father.

Spencer tells Trina, wow. She looks… She says, he approves? and he says he doesn’t hate it. She says he looks pretty nice himself. Cameron says Josslyn looks beautiful, and she thanks him. She says, what is all this? indicating what he’s wearing, and he says Spencer thought he needed some flair. Spencer says he would never use the word flair, and Josslyn says, well, Cameron looks great; flair or no. Spencer says, the guests should be arriving any minute, and Trina says, she’s so excited. He asks if everyone has their VIP bracelets, and they all raise their hands. He says, now, who is ready for some epic misbehavior?

Britt tells Jason, she won’t run anymore. Things are different now. He says he knows, and she says if she needs to pretend to get through it, that’s what she’s going to do. He says, okay, and she says that’s so him. Listen, absorb, and accept. She misses that. He says he thinks about that day in the doctor’s office a lot. When she was struggling to decide if she wanted to find out if she had the marker. She says, fun times, and he says she asked and wanted to know what he would have done. She says, if he’d been her, he wouldn’t have found out, and he says he meant that. He meant everything he said that day. She says he usually does, and he walks to the door. He says he’s glad she decided to have that test. He really respects the courage she showed then, and the way she’s living through it now… He just wishes he could help. She says, but he can’t. She wipes a tear from her eye, and tells him to take care of himself. He says her too, and leaves, heaving a huge sigh in the hallway, now officially taking the title of Sigh King from Griffin Monroe.

Sonny tells Nina, Lenny gave him a hard time at first, but why wouldn’t he? Sonny came there a stranger with nothing. But once he lets you in… They laugh and Nina says, it happened so fast. He was there just a half-hour ago, and now he’s gone. How does that happen? He guesses it’s better than slow, and she says she feels so sorry for Phyllis; he was everything to her, her first love. He says he can’t imagine losing a spouse like that. It must just be never-ending pain.

Imaginary Sonny says, God knows Carly wasn’t the only one who tried to walk away. He tried many times, and she says, they always found their way back to each other. He’s her whole life. He says that’s his line, and she says he is. She’ll always love him. He says, right back at her, and she says, forever. He says, forever, and disappears, replaced by the hallowed moss bowl.

Dante tells Sam, he knows a great place. They’ve got beer and snacks, and dinner, if someone wanted to have dinner too. She says, a beer sounds really good right now, and he says, so she’s in? She says, she’s in, but what should they call it? He says, call what? and she says, the support group. He says he’s got something, and she says, hit me. He says, SPA; Single Parents Anonymous. She says it reminds her of spa, which is really relaxing, and parenting is… He says, not, but it’s kind of worth it. She says, totally worth it. He says, inaugural SPA meeting, here they come, and Sam says she thinks it could really take off. He says maybe they should sell stuff like hats and travel mugs. She says she loves a good travel mug.

Sonny/Mike says, it’s strange. Obviously, he doesn’t remember who he lost in his former life, but this feeling is so familiar, this ache. Nina says she wishes she didn’t know that pain, but she does. He says if he’s feeling this, can she imagine Phyllis? He has to support her. She says he doesn’t have to do it alone, and takes his hand. They’ll figure out how to support her together.

Jason walks into the hallowed halls of the moss bowl, and asks if Carly is okay. She says she is now. She’s so glad he’s home.

Spencer says, it’s official; the launches are on their way. Josslyn says she can’t believe he rented a second one just for tonight. Spencer says, what’s the alternative? and Trina says, people wait? Cameron says, Trina. Unacceptable. Trina says, sorry, her bad, and Spencer says, make fun of him all they want, but mark his words. Tonight is going to be epic. Josslyn says, one thing that hasn’t changed about him, is that he… Someone watches them.

On Monday, Elizabeth tells Laura that she doesn’t know how to process this, Spencer still has a few surprises up his sleeve, Ava asks Doc if he thinks Nikolas might be onto something, and Jax asks what Carly is willing to do to protect their daughter.

Million Dollar Listing New York

Ryan was selling an apartment on the Upper East Side in the Aldyn on the Hudson River. He’d gotten some  traffic but said the apartment felt staged, so the owners brought in their interior designer Sofia, who had worked on the original renovation. The apartment was 5847 square feet, 6 bedrooms and 8 baths, with motorized shades, a custom wine wall, amazing closets, 3852 square feet of outside space, a private elevator, and a Euro concept kitchen (shrugging once again, since I have no clue what that means). Sofia had been given a $65K budget to work with, and brought in a lot of bling, including some fabulous beaded wallpaper. Ryan thought it was going to help him showcase the added value, but he couldn’t convince the owners to fill the 37’ pool. In his interview, he said it was called a swimming pool for a reason. He thought it was the perfect home for a family, although the design was now for a glamorous family. He and Sofia called owner Maria, and once again Ryan explained that people had no vision, and he’d be happy to get out there with a hose to fill the pool. It was still a hard no, since Maria said she’d have to maintain it, and it was too big of a hassle. She was sure Ryan could work his magic. Ryan was good with the $16 million asking price, with his potential commission being $480K. In his interview, he said, comps pre-covid now meant nothing.

Fredrik met with developer Yan at the 32 East 1st Street penthouse. Fredrik had the building for three years, and had started with it when it was just a construction site. There were two penthouses available, but Fredrik was focusing his effort B, priced at $8.7 million. Fredrik said the East Village was a great neighborhood, but not known for luxury property, and he wanted to set a record. He’d been waiting for Yan to put in furniture, and Yan had brought in a designer, whose pieces were sold in art galleries, not furniture stores. Sorry, I didn’t catch the name, but you can’t afford him anyway. One of the carpets alone was worth $40K. Even if I could afford it, it wasn’t exactly my taste, but impressive, and the couches actually did look comfy. Fredrik was happy, since he said buyers saw the same thing in every penthouse, and would take note of how rich the décor was. The penthouse was 2766 square feet with a chef’s kitchen (shrugging again, and saying, aren’t they all?), 3 bedrooms and 2.5 baths, and a 1200 square foot wraparound terrace. In the primary bathroom, the stonework alone had cost $100K. Fredrik told Yan it felt good. He loved the interior, and it would make his job easier. Yan complained that Fredrik wasn’t there half the time, and he’d had people contacting him about ideas to sell it, one being Ryan. Fredrik was upset that Ryan hadn’t called him directly, saying it was unethical. In Fredrik’s interview, he said Ryan was always going after his business, even though he’d never done the same. We saw a clip from Bravo Con, where Fredrik said he’d often been approached to steal Ryan’s listings, but always turned them down. In his interview, he said if someone wanted to screw him and take his business, just be honest. They didn’t have to be friends. He asked Yan if he was fired, and Yan said, no; he just wanted Fredrik to work harder. In his interview, Fredrik said he’d worked on the building for years, but he was going to work even harder. Yan told him that he had to push it, and Fredrik said it was good to be back, yelling, New York is back! from the terrace.

Steve met with the developer’s representative Dan at the penthouse in 15 Hudson Yards. Dan asked what Steve thought of the apartment, and Steve said, this place is nuts, and it was. The penthouse was on the 88th floor, making them 900 feet up, with 270* unobstructed views. The apartment was 5200 square feet, with 26’ ceilings, and 120 linear feet of curved glass, the top of the building being a four-leaf clover shape. Going for $29.5 million, the apartment was a 4 bedroom, 5.5 bath duplex, with views of both the Empire State Building and Chrysler Building. In Steve’s interview, he said NYC was a concrete jungle, and he’d seen his neighbors do things maybe he should not have seen, but the penthouse was literally above everything. It was the pinnacle of living in NYC. He told Dan that he was at a loss for words, which was rare. In Steve’s interview, he said the sneak peek was a vote of confidence, but there were still a lot of other brokers who would want the listing. It would be a game changer for his career. Dan asked how the sale of the 4 bedroom was going, and Steve said he’d invited Ryan and his family over, so he could get a feel of the building to help describe it to his client, who was moving to the city. We flashed back to that, and Steve said there was real interest, and he was talking to several parties. Dan said the partners were happy with what Steve had done, and wanted to offer Steve the penthouse listing. In his interview, Steve said his mind was effing blown. He told Dan that it was a dream come true. He’d be literally setting the bar in Hudson Yards, Dan said there was one catch, and Steve said there always was. Dan said Steve would have to get the 4 bedroom sold. If he got that done, he would be given the listing. In his interview, Steve said the 4 bedroom was the most challenging of all the sales there. He couldn’t ask for another reduction, since they’d already gone from $12 million to $8.995 million, and they’d need room for negotiation. It was a massive opportunity thought, and he was going to find a way to get it done. Steve’s potential commission was #185K. They shook on it, and Dan told Steve not to let them down. Steve asked if he had ever let them down, and Dan said, no… not yet.

Ryan said he was working his broker butt off to get the Aldyn building apartment sold. He’d done marketing videos, and had top brokers coming inf for showings, including Kim from his old firm, whose clients were looking for a family compound. In Ryan’s interview, he said some of the decorating choices weren’t for everyone, like the leather bedazzled headboard and the skulls, but aside from a skull or three, the design was pretty cool. The aesthetic was fancy, and he hoped that made it stand out. Kim said it was like having a Hamptons place in Manhattan. Ryan showed her the pool, saying it was one of the largest private swimming pools in Manhattan. Then he road a bike around the inside of the pool. In his interview, he said the idea had come to him when he saw a line of Citi bikes, and thought he’d put them in there. We saw him lugging one upstairs and into the pool.

Fredrik met with business partner John. In his interview, Fredrik said John also had twins, and had been carrying the New York office throughout quarantine. Fredrik felt it was coming together. John told Fredrik that the L.A. office had been carrying the business, and Fredrik was happy that it had been lucrative, since New York had been struggling. Now he was going to do his best to help them navigate a tricky New York market. John promised to always have Fredrik’s back, and said, speaking of which, he’d heard Ryan was talking smack, saying Fredrik had left New York. John didn’t want to give it credence, but thought it was important enough to discuss. Fredrik said Ryan had always had it in for him, and told John what Yan had said. Fredrik didn’t know how to feel. He was sad because they were supposed to be friends. We flashed back to four years ago, when Ryan had been shading Fredrik to Fredrik’s clients. In Fredrik’s interview, he said brokers were allowed to take over another’s listing, but there was a way of doing it that was classy. He got that you had to be competitive, but stealing another broker’s active listings was disheartening. He didn’t think they should feed into it, since he didn’t think it would ever end. He thought he should mention it to Ryan, so he knew he’d been put on notice about doing slimy, desperate things. But after that, he thought they should focus on the business.

Steve met with Ryan at the penthouse, where a waiter served them wine. In Steve’s interview, he said Ryan’s offer of $6.5 million was offensive, but it was still an offer and a start. So he’d invited Ryan to lunch to try and negotiate. In Ryan’s interview, he said when the wine was being poured before noon, it was clear what Steve’s strategy was. In Steve’s interview, he said he was trying to loosen Ryan up, since he was wound pretty tight. Ryan told Steve that he’d spoken to his clients, and gotten them up to $7 million. Steve said it was a precedent that couldn’t and shouldn’t be set for the building. In his interview, Ryan said there was a high inventory of 4 bedrooms in the area, which meant there was negotiability. Steve said the quality surpassed most buildings, but Ryan said there were a significant number of comps in the area, covid, and a strip club a few blocks away. Steve said he was authorized to only go down to $8.5 million, and Ryan said if that was the bottom number, thanks for the wine.

Steve told Ryan that if his clients bought now, they could ride the market up later. Ryan said he knew they’d walk if he came back with $8.5 million, but Steve said, in two years, Ryan would look like a champion; the apartment would be worth more than $10 million. In Ryan’s interview, he wondered if Steve’s best and final was $8.5 million, why was he still negotiating? In Steve’s interview, he thought Ryan was being super aggressive, which put him in a position of power. Ryan’s client must want the apartment. Steve said he’d call, and see what his client’s bottom line was, and Ryan griped that they could have done this faster on Zoom. Since Steve took more than 10.5 seconds with the call, Ryan went outside, hunting him down. Steve said his client’s bottom line was $8 million flat. He went back in while Ryan made his call. Ryan said he thought his client should jump over it. It would be the lowest price per square foot in the building. He went back in, and told Steve it had been easy convincing them, and they had two stipulations. A contract as soon as possible – Steve said he’d have it in an hour – and Ryan wanted 4%. If Steve was going to drag him to the top of a building for what they could have done on the phone, he wasn’t doing it for less than $300K. In his interview, he said commissions could be negotiated to a higher percentage. As long as the client was happy and aware of what was going on, go for it. Steve said they had a done deal, and his commission of $160K was nothing to sneeze at even with a cut. In his interview, Steve said it was a small commission, but a big sale. He was glad they had wine, since he was celebrating something bigger. Ryan told Steve that he’d even stay to finish his wine, and Steve said Ryan had just gotten him the effing penthouse at Hudson Yards. Ryan drained his glass.

Next time, Tyler dons a top hat, and has a roaring 20s showing, Fredrik and KJ meet in person, and Fredrik confronts Ryan.

⛹️‍♂️ Growth Spurt…

Does this mean Drew got taller in Afghanistan?

https://ew.com/tv/general-hospital-cameron-mathison-exclusive-first-look/

👠 Puffy Shirt Indeed…

Jen Shah dresses for court.

https://pagesix.com/2021/08/10/rhoslc-star-jen-shah-rocks-seinfeld-shirt-to-nyc-court/

🕶 There Is No Privacy In Reality…

Bring on the shock, awe, and non-waterproof mascara.

https://people.com/tv/rhobh-erika-girardi-angered-garcelle-beauvais-private-moment-ex-tom-revealed/

⚖️ Out, Guilty Demons, Out…

I’m guessing this has something to do with her son’s girlfriend.

https://people.com/tv/rhoslc-star-mary-cosby-pleads-not-guilty-two-charges-unlawfully-sheltering-runaway/

💬 Drawing a Blank…

Is it me? Who the hell is this?

Noella Bergener “Blindsided” as Husband James Files For Divorce, RHOC Star Requests Spousal Support and Primary Custody of Son Amid $5.8 Mil Tax Debt, Plus She Reacts

🤰🏼 Pregnant Pandy…

I’m sure LVP is thrilled. Especially since those kids at SUR were such a disappointment.

https://www.distractify.com/p/is-pandora-vanderpump-pregnant

⚰️ Dead End…

I have no doubt they’ll be pulling out all the stops.

https://comicbook.com/tv-shows/news/the-walking-dead-epic-end-final-season-11-conclusion-go-out-bang-producer-denise-huth/

🗽 Back In the New York Groove…

Tony is back where he belongs.

https://nypost.com/2021/08/12/74th-annual-tony-awards-to-be-held-at-winter-garden-theatre/

🌠 Quotes of the Week

Cheerios killed her. – Helen Fahey (Jean Smart), Mare of Easttown

The whole secret of a successful life is to find out what is one’s destiny to do, and then do it.Henry Ford

Try to be like a turtle — at ease in your own shell. – Bill Copeland

The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain. – Dolly Parton

It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop. – Confucius

If you’re not confident in something, don’t plate it. – lesson from Top Chef

Whatever you are, try to be a good one. – William Makepeace Thackeray

Stay close to any sounds that make you glad you are alive. – Hafez

Seek first the virtues of the mind; and other things either will come, or will not be wanted. – Francis Bacon

Time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time. – Marthe Troly-Curtin

Don’t move the way fear makes you move. – Rumi

Thoughts are like an open ocean, they can either move you forward within its waves, or sink you under deep into its abyss. – Anthony Liccione

🛰 Mission Complete…

Another rough week under my belt, but feeling closer to 100% every day. See you the next week around, and until then, stay safe, stay doing you, and stay not shunning the randoms. They might surprise you.

August 12, 2021 – Jason Wants To Talk To Jax, Bluestone BNB & No No No

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

At the Tan-O, Sonny says he hopes they don’t regret it, and Nina says, leaving the hospital? It’s Lenny’s decision, and Phyllis is a nurse and backed him up. Sonny tells her, the doctor said it was Lenny’s choice whether he wanted to wait for the biopsy or come home. He doesn’t blame Lenny for wanting to come to the Tan-O, rather than staying at the cancer ward. Nina takes his hand, and says, they don’t know anything yet. They could still get that happy ending. Phyllis brings Lenny in, and he says he missed this old place. He tells Phyllis, he’s home, and he’s never leaving again.

Carly says she hopes Jason doesn’t feel like she’s pressuring him, and he says, about what? She says, Donna won’t remember a time he wasn’t her stepfather. They’ve been friends a long time, best friends. Now they’re getting married and that changes things, doesn’t it? Josslyn comes in with a file box, and asks if she’s interrupting.

Jax is waiting for Britt outside her office, and she says, it’s all his fault, pointing to her new Co-Chief of Staff nameplate. He asks, how’s that his fault? She says she took his advice and agreed to share her job with Dr. Randolph. Of course (🍷), if it all blows up in her face, she’ll know who to blame. It’s a joke. What’s with the long face? He asks how much time she’s got.

Curtis asks Portia if there isn’t something he can do to help her out with Trina, and she says she’ll let him know if she thinks of anything. Hell, she probably would have stormed over to Josslyn’s house, and dragged Trina home herself if Jordan hadn’t convinced her not to. Curtis takes her hands, and they turn to see Trina. Portia drops Curtis’s hands like a hot potato, and says, it’s good to see her. She was wondering if they could talk, but Trina says she came to see Stella.

Cameron sees Spencer reading by the pool (🍷), and says War and Peace? Spoiler alert. Andre dies and Natasha marries Pierre. Spencer says, he already finished the book? but Cameron says, he has a job. That’s what Wikipedia is for, but since he saved Spencer about 1000 pages of reading, Spencer can thank him by telling him a little more about this party he’s having on Spoon Island.

Ava tells Nikolas that he can’t be at the gallery, but he says, actually, he can. She says, no, he can’t. If the stalker finds out, it can get worse for them. He says, they won’t, because he knows who the stalker is, and she tells him, then go to the police, and talk to them… He says, so far, the stalker’s been in the shadows, but now he has a name and he has a face. It’s a face Nikolas knows as well as his own, because their stalker is his son.

Sonny asks why Lenny doesn’t have a seat and take a load off, and Nina suggests Lenny let them pamper him. Lenny walks over to the bar, and Nina asks what he’s doing. He says, reminding himself how good this bar feels, and it’s still here. And he’s still here. Nina thinks maybe it’s a good sign they’re taking their time analyzing Lenny’s biopsy,, and Lenny says, he’s been married to Nurse Caulfield long enough to know a test like the one he took is like shooting craps. Sometimes the lab comes up sevens, and sometimes it comes up snake eyes, but until they get that call, please don’t treat him like he’s fragile. Nina says, they’ll try not to, but Phyllis says she’s sorry. She just can’t do that.

Carly says Josslyn could never be interrupting. They were just having a sweet moment with her baby sister. Josslyn says, Donna has a way of bringing people together, and Carly asks, what’s in the box? Josslyn says she was just going through her stuff, deciding what she wanted to bring to her dorm, and what she wants to donate. Carly takes out a doll, and says she’s not going to donate Mrs. Trizzle; she was Josslyn’s favorite. Josslyn says, she still is, but she’s not going to take a doll to her dorm. She wants Donna to have her. Carly says, that’s so sweet. She tells Jason, when Josslyn was Donna’s age, she took Mrs. Trizzle everywhere. Josslyn says she was under the belief that the doll could make all the monsters in her closet go away. If only it was that easy in real life. Jason asks what that means; is Joey Novak bothering her again? Josslyn says, no, she hasn’t seen him. Moss bowl! Jason asks if Devon is staying close, and Josslyn says, he’s an excellent bodyguard, so she’s fine, but she did get a message from her dad. Carly says, about what? and Josslyn says, that’s just it. All it said was, are you okay? So what does she think he meant by that?

Jax says, it’s about his daughter, and Britt asks if Josslyn is okay. He says, no thanks to Carly’s new living arrangements, and Britt says she thought he made peace with Carly and Jason. He says, that was before he learned, despite Carly’s assurances, her marriage to Jason might not actually make his daughter safer. It might do the exact opposite.

Portia says she’s glad to see Trina is okay, and Trina says she’s fine. Joss and her mom made her feel very welcome staying at their house. Portia says, it won’t be long before Trina moves into her dorm, and she’d like to enjoy spending time with Trina before she leaves. Trina says, tonight, she’s hanging out with Joss, Cam, and Spencer, so she’ll probably crash at Joss’s one more night. Can she see Miss Henry? Portia says, actually, Miss Henry has been cleared to go home, but she’ll see if she’s up for a visit before she leaves. She goes to Stella’s room, and Trina says she knows what Curtis is going to say; that she was wrong to make her mom worry. He says, actually, he was going to say he was worried about her too.

Portia goes into Stella’s room, and Stella says she doesn’t know Portia well, but she seems concerned. Has there been some complication? Some reason to keep her there longer? Portia says she’s still cleared to go home, but as far as a complication – Stella says, just tell her – her daughter is outside and would like to see her.

Ava says, Nikolas thinks Spencer is the stalker? and he says, yes. She says, that’s impossible, but he says he thinks they both know, when it comes to his son, nothing is impossible. She says she had a recent conversation with Spencer, and they seemed to reach a kind of detente. He asks if she doesn’t think Spencer is capable of faking a breakthrough, and she says, that doesn’t explain how he could terrorize her long distance. The incidents began long before Spencer came back to Port Charles. Nikolas says, that’s what they were led to believe, and she says she doesn’t understand. He says, the postmark on the letter would suggest otherwise, and she says, what letter? He takes it out, and says, special delivery to Spencer from an old friend of hers. Ryan Chamberlain. She takes the letter from him.

Spencer says he invited some old friends, and Cameron says, like who? Spencer says, Britt Westbourne, and Cameron says, he invited the GH Chief of Staff? Spencer says, she turned him down, but he’s hoping she’ll change her mind. And some friends from school are flying up from the city. Cameron says, flying up? Impressive. Tell him more about the party. Is Spencer flying in a DJ from the city? Maybe London? Spencer says, California, actually. The DJ works some of the hottest clubs in Los Angeles. His friends from school are really looking forward to it. He’s hoping he can broaden the horizons of some of his Port Charles friends. The way he sees it, a good party isn’t just a collection of people; they all have to blend together just so. Cameron asks how they’re supposed to blend with European kids they’ve never met?

Trina says, there’s no reason for Curtis to worry about her. She’s eighteen, she voted, she’s moving into a dorm soon. He says he’s not questioning her independence. He’s simply pointing out she’s been avoiding her mom by staying at Josslyn’s, since she overheard his aunt talking about her mother and him, back when she was still married to Trina’s dad. She says, it wasn’t easy, finding out her mom wasn’t perfect, and sure, there’s a part of her that wishes she’d never found out, but the bigger part of her needed to know. So in a way, Stella did her a favor.

Stella says she’s sure Portia’s daughter isn’t there to bring her flowers. More likely, she’s there to dress her down for telling tales about Portia and Curtis. Honestly, she wouldn’t blame Trina. Portia says her daughter wouldn’t be there unless she cared about Stella. That’s why Trina wants to see her. Stella asks, what about Portia? Does she want Trina to see her, or does she feel Stella has caused enough harm as it is?

Jax tells Britt, he made the choice of giving Carly the benefit of the doubt. Whatever else her marriage to Jason means, he accepted the premise that they’d be stronger together, which would hopefully mean more protection for Josslyn. But instead… Britt says, a random mobster approached his daughter. He says, that’s right. Is he supposed to be okay with that, because it was completely inappropriate. Britt says, his daughter is going to college soon. Does he think inappropriate is going to end when she walks through the ivy-covered gates of PCU? That’s what Title 9 is for. He says, but Title 9 isn’t going to protect her from guys like Joey Novak. Carly invites this kind of threat purely by the nature of her business. She knows that he’s right, and it doesn’t just apply to Carly; it applies to Jason too. She says he has every right to be concerned, but she thinks if he takes a step back, he might see Jason isn’t the problem. In fact, he could be the solution.

Moss bowl! Carly says Josslyn’s father knows about her run-in with Joey Novak, and Josslyn asks why Carly would tell him. Carly says she didn’t; he overheard them talking. Josslyn asks if Carly couldn’t reassure him, and Carly says she tried, but to be fair, he has every right to be concerned. Jason says, he’s not the only one. He ran into Cameron at the boxing gym, and he was hitting the heavy bag like it was Joey Novak. Josslyn says, great, just what she needs. Her father, and now her… friend getting hurt on her account. Jason says, nobody’s going to get hurt. He’s going to make sure of that. Josslyn says, this is what dad doesn’t seem to understand. The two of them getting married is the answer to everything. They trust each other, they can handle any problem that comes up, and bonus, they actually love each other. So her only question is, when is this wedding actually going to happen?

Sonny suggests he and Nina go for a walk, but Phyllis says, no. She wants everyone to hear this. Lenny’s not the only one who came home from the hospital with a different perspective. All along, she insisted Lenny do everything he can, try every treatment, go the extra mile. Nina says, of course (🍷). She’s a nurse. Phyllis says she’s also the woman who loves her husband, but love also means living, not simply existing. There has to be a quality of life. So whatever that biopsy says, whatever lies ahead, she wants Lenny, and the both of them, to know she’s all in. She wants Lenny to savor the time he has and enjoy it. Or as a certain former marine would say, better to die of living than to die of dying. He says, when she puts it that way – he kisses her hand – he may just live forever. They hug, and Sonny and Nina smile at one another.

Lenny goes over to Nina, and says, no tears. The Tan-O is all about good times. It reminds him of an old Cajun buddy he knew back in basic training. He used to say, laissez les bon temps rouler! It means… Sonny says he knows what it means. Let the good times roll! Lenny says, you really do remember the things that count, Mike. That’s pretty special.

Josslyn asks why they haven’t picked a wedding date, or started making plans? Jason gets a free pass because everyone knows he hates social events. He says he doesn’t hate them… Yeah, he pretty much hates them. Josslyn says, he hates party planning, but Carly owns a hotel and can plan big events in her sleep. So what’s stopping her? Carly asks if Josslyn isn’t supposed to meet her friends. She’s going to be starting college soon. She might as well enjoy the summer while she still has it. Josslyn says Carly is right; she should meet Cam and Trina. She asks if it’s okay to leave the box for Carly to drop off. Also, don’t worry, but she may be back late tonight. Carly says, how late? and Josslyn asks if Carly didn’t just tell her to go off with her friends and enjoy her summer. A couple of them are getting together one last time before they part ways for college. Carly says, that’s vague. Who all is going to be there? Josslyn says, Trina, Cameron, Spencer, the usual crew. Does she need to be more specific? Carly is pretty sure that’s the best she’s going to get, and Jason says he’s going to have Tony drive Josslyn. Josslyn asks, why? Tony is great, but Devon gets the job done. Jason says, Tony has more experience. There’s going to be a lot of kids, a lot going on, a possible distractions. He’d feel better if Tony was with her. She says, okay, and Carly says, Tony knows how to be unobtrusive. He’ll stay out of the way and respect her privacy… to an extent. Josslyn says, oh joy, and Jason says he’s sorry. Josslyn says, it is what it is, and he asks if she’s heading to the pool (🍷) now. She says she is, and he says he’ll have Tony meet her there. Moss bowl! Josslyn says, not tonight, but sometime in the near future, they really should talk about her getting her own car. That way, Tony, or whoever it might be, can follow her. Like a discreet tail. Like a Secret Service Agent. Carly says they’ll definitely think about that, and Josslyn leaves. Carly thanks Jason, and he says, for what? She says, making sure that wasn’t a mother/daughter issue, and he says she’s welcome. But his work is only beginning. She asks what that’s supposed to mean, and he says he has to talk to Jax.

Jax can’t believe Britt is defending Jason. The guy’s a magnet for violence. She says she’s not denying violence is a part of Jason’s life, but from her experience, Jason can also be the best defense against it. Case in point, the time he escaped from GH. Jax says, the time he almost got her killed, but she says, no. Jax couldn’t be more wrong. Cyrus figured out that she was on to the illegal drugs he was manufacturing, so he sent his goons to her office. They were five seconds away from injecting her with a lethal overdose, when Jason jeopardized his own escape to save her. She’s alive because of him. He says, what is it with Jason Morgan? No matter how much damage he causes, he has otherwise intelligent people lining up to forgive him for almost anything.

Curtis says the last thing he wanted was for Trina to get hurt. Like he always tells TJ, actions have consequences, so if she wants to blame someone, blame him. Stella needs to recover, and all Trina’s mom has been doing for the last few days is worrying about Trina. Portia comes back, and asks if everything is okay. Curtis says, yeah; they were just talking. Trina asks if she can see Stella now, and Portia says Stella is expecting her. Trina goes to Stella’s room, and Curtis says, she’s a helluva kid. Portia says, which only makes it more painful to know she’s disappointed Trina so much.

Trina tells Stella that Cameron told her what happened at Kelly’s, and Stella says she’s so grateful. If Cameron hadn’t acted so quickly… Trina says she’s so sorry, but Stella says, please. Let her talk first. She’s really glad Trina came, because it gives her a chance to say how sorry she is; how very, very sorry.

Cameron says, if Spencer is afraid that Joss, Trina, and him are going to embarrass him in front of his Euro friends, screw him and his party. He gets up, and Spencer says, wait. It’s not like that. He follows Cameron over to the bar, and says, it’s the other way around. Cameron asks what he means, and Spencer says, it’s not like he didn’t meet tons of people overseas, but they’re more like acquaintances, not actual friends. They can talk for days about fashion or fusion cuisine or who’s hooked up with who, but it’s all surface. Superficial. No one asked him once if he missed his dad. They all just wanted to know what kind of care he drove. Tonight, he wants them to see what real friends are like. That’s one of the big reasons he came home, because he wanted things to be more… Cameron says, dull? Pedestrian? Spencer says, authentic. Why does Cameron think he likes Trina so much? She doesn’t BS; she tells it like it is. Cameron says he’s right about that. Maybe if Trina can put up with Spencer, he and Joss can try to put up with his Euro friends. Spencer was hoping he’d say that, and asks if Cameron won’t mind hopping on the phone and inviting some more people like himself. Cameron asks if he means more townies, and Spencer laughs.

Ava reads, my apologies for the disappointment called your father. Don’t let his and Ava’s selfishness stymy your progress. Looking forward to more tales of your exploits. Ryan. She tells Nikolas, so this is Ryan’s sick idea of a fan letter, but how does it make Spencer the stalker? He says, Spencer lied about when he received the letter from Ryan, and before that, he caught Spencer in another lie. He admitted he knew about the cockroach. He talked his way out of that one, but it all adds up, because Ryan couldn’t have possibly done all those things to threaten him, but Spencer could have. She says, but all those things happened weeks before Spencer came to town, and he says they only have Spencer’s word that he was on the Amalfi Coast. What if Spencer returned to Port Charles weeks before he walked through the front door of Windymere? He’s got the money and the resources to hide, and he’s crafty enough to make all the various incidents look like they were planned by a madman obsessed with her, except nothing about it was crazy. Everything was calculated to drive them apart, and it almost succeeded. She says she understands Spencer has reason to resent her, hate her even, but why would he do this to Nikolas? He loves Nikolas. Nikolas says, the father that let him believe he died. The father that abandoned him, and wasn’t there for him. Whatever Spencer’s done, whatever the reasons, it’s as much his fault as it is Spencer’s. That’s why he has to put a stop to Spencer’s plans, and give him a taste of his own medicine – tonight. Ava tells him, stop. That is the last thing he should do.

Lenny puts on some Cajun music, and tells Phyllis, he won’t take no for an answer. She says he’s incorrigible, and he says that’s why she loves him. He and Phyllis dance, and it looks like loads of fun. Nina and Sonny bop to the music.

Ava tells Nikolas, she knows Ryan’s letter seems incriminating, but it’s hardly a smoking gun. Why doesn’t he give Spencer a chance to explain himself? He says he already tried. He showed Spencer the letter, suggested its implications, and Spencer never even broke a sweat. She asks if that didn’t tell him anything, and he says, yes. It tells him that Spencer is his father’s son. And even when he wasn’t there in person, he was still teaching Spencer the Cassadine way. Maybe it’s in his DNA, or maybe those three years Nikolas was away taught Spencer all the lesson he needed. Regardless, he knows Spencer is the stalker, and it’s up to him to help Spencer, even if it makes Spencer hate him.

Cameron says, let him get this straight; Spencer wants him to invite more authentic people. Spencer says, he’s been away so long, he’s practically a stranger. Doesn’t Cameron know anyone that’s cool? The more the merrier. Josslyn joins them, and asks what Spencer is doing there. Spencer says, not happy to see him? and she says, just a little suspicious. Ragers on islands don’t throw themselves; they require planning. Is he there planning the party, or is there still a party?

Trina says Stella doesn’t owe her an apology. All she did was tell Trina the truth. Stella says she can hear the hurt in Trina’s voice. A multitude of sins can hide behind the truth. Since her stroke, her short term memory has been hazy, but Curtis helped her fill in some of the blanks, and it leaves her ashamed and embarrassed. Not only was she way out of line when she sat in judgement of Trina’s mother, but she made things so much worse by confronting her in public where Trina could overhear. Does Trina think she can find a way to forgive her? Trina says she still thinks there’s nothing to forgive. Stella says that’s very generous of her. She doesn’t think Trina’s mother feels the same way.

Curtis says, Trina is disappointed, but that’s only because Portia has always been a hero to her. Portia says, exactly, and now she’s failed Trina. He says, Portia didn’t fail her; she turned out to be perfectly human and capable of making mistakes. Sooner or later, shouldn’t every kid find that out about their parents? She says, some lessons are just too hard and painful, especially with Trina going off to college soon. What if they don’t get past this?

Phyllis and Lenny finish their dance, and take a bow, while Sonny and Nina applaud. Lenny is winded though, and Sonny asks if he’s okay. Lenny says he’s just a little out of practice, but Phyllis says he’s out of breath. She wants to take him home and put him to bed. He says, what did she just tell him; love means living. Nina says they can all drink to that, and Phyllis says, then let her take him outside while the sun’s still shining. He can put his feet up, she’ll pour him a nice glass of ice tea, and they can plan that trip they’ve been meaning to take. Lenny says, to the islands? and she says, no time like the present. They leave, arm-in-arm, and Sonny says, it might sound strange, but he envies those two. Nina says she gets it. Some people live a lifetime, and never find a love like that.

Carly asks if it’s a good idea to talk to Jax, and Jason says, if Jax has concerns, he wants Jax to deal with him, not her or Josslyn. She says, Jax was never a fan of Sonny’s. To him, Jason was the lesser of two evils. Jason says, not anymore. Moss bowl! Carly says, it was one thing when she and Jason were friends. Jax didn’t love it, but he tolerated it. Now everything’s changed. He thinks she’s picking Jason over her kids, and she’s putting her kids in danger for a chance to be with him. Jason says, that’s not true. It’s the exact opposite. They’re getting married because it’s the safest option. She says, right, and he says, it only works because of what they are to each other. She says she’s scared of how this is going to change things between them, and he says, it’s as new for him as it is for her. He takes her hand, and says, they’re just going to have to figure this out… together, okay? She says, yeah, and asks him to drop the box off at the community center for her, starting a honey-do list for him already. He takes the box, walks past the hallowed moss bowl, and Carly hugs Mrs. Trizzle to her chest.

Sonny asks why Nina is smiling, and she says she’s grateful that he reached out to her when he did when she was in Port Charles. Not just to help Phyllis and Lenny with the treatment costs, but she feels so blessed to be with them at this time. And him. No matter how much time they have left. He asks if she’s talking about Lenny and Phyllis, or her and him, and she says, why don’t they take a page out of Lenny’s book, and live every moment they’re given as if it were their last. He says, yeah, and kisses her.

Trina tells Curtis that his aunt would like to see him, and he goes into Stella’s room. Portia asks Trina how it went with Stella, and she says, no offense, but she thinks that’s between her and Miss Henry. Portia says she’s right. She almost has a college student on her hands. She’s sorry she keeps treating Trina like a little kid. And she’s sorry she hurt Trina by the choices she’s made in the past, her time with Curtis while she was still married to Trina’s father. Honestly, those are things she never wanted Trina to know, but now she does. Does Trina think she can find it in her heart to forgive her?

Spencer tells Josslyn, yes, there’s an actual party, as they will soon see for themselves. They sit, and Josslyn asks if it’s just going to magically appear on Spoon Island. What about his father? Spencer says, he’s off to Dubai on business. Is that gentleman with her? Josslyn says, that’s Devon. He’s there until Tony takes over. Spencer says, Tony? and she says, he’s an excellent bodyguard. Spencer asks if it doesn’t bother her having constant supervision, but she says, you get used to it. He says, tell him about it. His dad keeps a close eye on him too. He guesses it shows how much he cares.

Ava says Nikolas has lost so much time with his son. They’ve just begun to repair that relationship. Does he really want to jeopardize that based on one letter from Ryan and a questionable timeline? What if he’s wrong? He says he’s not. This is their shot, maybe their last shot, at unmasking the stalker, and finally putting their family back together. She says, but Spencer is part of that family, and he says he knows that, but Spencer’s no longer a child. His antics aren’t cute anymore. For his own sake, as well as theirs, Spencer needs to be stopped. She tells him, don’t take Spencer’s love for granted. Nikolas almost lost him once, and it nearly broke his heart. Don’t risk losing him again. He says, when this night is over, he won’t lose his son. He’ll have him back. The son he knows and loves, and he and Ava will finally be back together again.

Josslyn asks if Cameron is up for a party, and he says, try and stop him. Spencer says he’s in too. Let’s make tonight a night to remember.

Trina tells Portia, she had a talk with Ava. She thinks she should try and patch things up with Portia. Portia asks what Trina thinks about that advice, and Trina says, honestly, she’s not sure why she’s angry or who she’s mad at. She spent her whole life thinking one thing, and now she finds out there’s something she knew nothing about. It’s just a lot to process. Portia says she understands that, and Trina says, all she knows is, she missed Portia these past two days. Portia says she missed Trina too, and Trina says, tonight she’s hanging out with Spencer, Joss, and Cam, so she needs to get ready, but maybe they can talk later when she comes home. Portia says she’d like that, and Trina leaves.

Stella tells Curtis, she’s very impressed with Portia’s daughter. It seems she was raised right. She should have given Trina’s mother more credit. If Portia’s daughter is any indication, Portia must be a fine person. Curtis says, on that, they agree, and puts his hand on hers.

Jax tells Britt, he hated Sonny from the day he met him, but Jason was more difficult. In the beginning, he was misguided. He alienated himself from his family, and Sonny took Jason under his wing. But over the years, he watched Jason choose this life. He had plenty of opportunities to get out, but he didn’t, so the violence that follows him, even if it’s not of his own making, Jason is responsible for. Don’t fall into the trap of thinking he’s some kind of hero. He’s just not. She says, Jason is no longer a part of her life, but that doesn’t stop her from thinking he’s a good guy. He says, good guys don’t put his daughter at risk, and she says, don’t tell her that, tell him. Jax turns to see Jason in the doorway.

Nina says, there’s Lenny, playing Cupid with the playlist, and Sonny says, better not disappoint him. She says, okay, and they slow dance.

Carly tells Mrs. Trizzle that she doesn’t know what to do. Sonny was her life. Sonny’s gone, and she doesn’t know what the future holds with Jason. She just knows she can’t live in the past. She has to let go. Sonny appears, and says, that’s easier said than done. Carly smiles.

Tomorrow, Spencer asks who’s ready for some epic misbehavior, Sonny suggests he and Nina make long term plans, and Jax tells Jason to do the right thing, and end this before someone gets hurt.

🕍 A Night To Remember…

Now you too, can sleep in the fish room.

https://nypost.com/2021/08/10/rhonys-dorinda-medley-lists-blue-stone-manor-on-airbnb/

💰 Million On the Morrow…

Join me tomorrow for some Friday soap and expensive real estate. Until then, stay safe, stay thriving, and stay letting the good times roll.