Category Archives: cooking competition

September 12, 2025 – GH Weekdays, Britt Resurfaces In Port Charles, Soap Suds, This Week In Reality, Weekend Watching, VMAs Plus One, All the Awards, It Takes All Kinds, Just Below 10 Quotes & Changes

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What I Watched Today

(Weekday bites, Friday’s whole GH enchilada & media minutiae)

General Hospital

🥢 Weekday Bites…

Monday:

At the hospital, Willow approached Alexis and said she got a call from the camp. Scout’s friend told her about Drew, and she took off. Alexis said, they knew she wasn’t taken, but where did she go?

NuCharlotte (see below) went to the hospital and told Lulu that she did something, but Lulu needed not to freak out.

Kristina asked if Molly couldn’t find a loophole to get the restraining order lifted, but Molly said her dad was the genius with family law. She wished he’d return her calls. Her phone rang, and she said, it’s Cody again. Cody asked if she didn’t get his text, and she checked it. It said, 911, and she asked what was going on.

Anna said Mac was spearheading the investigation on Judge Haran’s murder and she was handling Drew’s shooting. Chase asked if there was a connection, but Anna said she wasn’t sure. They were in a unique position to have insight on key persons of interest. At the top of the list was Willow and then also Dante’s brother Michael.

On the phone, Jack said his agents could be dead. Get on it right now… No. He didn’t have to be there. Colette was going to evade and stall. Keep the pressure on her.  

Dubrovnik, Croatia. Pascal told Vaughn and Josslyn that he’d prefer to dump their bodies in the sea and be done with them. But his superiors didn’t want to waste two healthy test subjects. Josslyn asked, what kind of tests? and he said he thought she was a spy. Dalton had made great strides in cold fusion, but there had been a radiation leak. They had a brand-new casing, and with their help, they could see if it would keep radiation at acceptable levels.

Jason found Britt in the lab and asked if she was ready to go. She said she’d love to, but she got a gift from Pascal. She showed him an ankle monitor and said, if she left, it would explode and make a big old mess.

Lulu told Alexis that Scout was safe, and Charlotte said she was a counselor in training. When Scout got the news about her father, she wanted to be with family, but didn’t want to get Danny in trouble, so she drove Scout. Alexis asked, where?  

Molly went to the stables, and Cody said, ta-da! Scout ran to Molly.

Anna started a timeline of Drew’s whereabouts leading up to the shooting, and Chase said he was at GH at 9:15. Dante said he was on the phone with his DC office from 9:46 to 9:47, then Tracy called 911 at 10:30. Anna said that gave them a 40-minute window. What was found at the scene? Dante said, there was no sign of forced entry. There was mud and water going out the back door indicating that someone came and left that way, but there were no useable shoe prints. Anna asked what time the rain stopped, and Chase said, according to weather service, 10:20. She said, Tracy said the front door was ajar, and Dante said they found an umbrella, wet, with Drew’s prints, indicating he entered by the front door. There were no other prints. Anna asked about the baseball bat, and Dante said there was no sign of a struggle and no blood on the bat. They were running the prints, but so far, there were none that mattered. She said, what about the persons of interest? and Chase said Michael Corinthos was at the Quartermaines, but left before he got there. Brook said she’d left him a message at 10:20 after the shooting. Anna asked if Chase had spoken to him, but Chase said, not yet. He hadn’t been able to pin Michael down. Anna said, that meant Michael was avoiding him.

On the phone, Jack said he wanted to be put on a video conference… Quit wasting his time and put the warden on… Yes they could. Tell him that Jack Brennan was calling and needed to speak to the prisoner today.  

Pascal said, fortunately for them, Dalton was still deep in animal testing and the preliminary test results showed a promising chance they’d be fine. Vaughn said it was a violation of the Geneva Convention (like Pascal would care), and Pascal asked, who was going to report him? One of Pascal’s goons came to the door and asked Pascal for a word. In the hallway, he said they found Hector’s body, but no sign of John Moore, and Pascal told both goons to watch the prisoners and left.

Jason wanted to check out the ankle monitor, but Britt said Pascal told her tampering with it would also set it off. Maybe they should call Spinelli?… Damn. She forgot the lab was shielded. Had Jason diffused a bomb before? He said, a few times, and she asked if it was one like this. He said, most explosive devices worked on the same principle, but she said she didn’t want to get hurt. She wanted to get out of there.

Molly asked how Scout got there, and Scout said Amber told her that her dad had been hurt, so she asked Charlotte to drive her. Is her dad okay? Molly said he was in the hospital, but everybody was worried about her. She had to make calls to let them know Scout was okay, and Cody suggested he and Scout feed Comet. Scout went with him, and Molly called Alexis. She said Scout was at the Quartermaines. She was there now, and Scout was fine. Alexis said Lulu already told her and she’d called the main house, but Molly said no one knew Scout was there. She was at the stables. Alexis said she’d be right there, and told Willow. Willow said she’d go pick Scout up, and Alexis said she was going with Willow, restraining order be damned. Lulu told Alexis that she was so sorry, and Alexis left with Willow. Charlotte told Lulu not to apologize for her. She wasn’t sorry.

Ava showed up at Alexis’s house and asked Kristina if they were alone. Kristina said, yes, but it wasn’t a good time, and Ava said they had to deal with Ric’s phone. He had 48 missed calls and 97 texts. They couldn’t leave it for too much longer or people would get suspicious.

Anna said, Willow was on duty at GH and left mid-shift at 9:20. Elizabeth saw her return, and said she’d gotten wet in the rain. Chase said when he questioned Willow, she said the news about the judge upset her, so she took a walk. Nina said they were together. Anna said she’d have someone check the security footage to see if the alleged walk took place. Until then… She put Nina’s picture next to Michael and Willow on the bulletin board.  

Molly asked why Scout was dropped off at the stables instead of the main house, and Scout said Danny liked Cody. She figured Cody would call him and he’d meet her there, and she knew she wasn’t supposed to be at the house. She didn’t understand why she couldn’t come there. Was Danny mad at her? Cody said Danny loved her lots, and Scout said, then why? Molly said the truth was, her dad loved her a lot too and wanted to keep her safe. He thought the best way was to do a legal thing called a restraining order. It was filed by a judge and said certain people weren’t allowed to see her, including Danny. Scout said Danny would never hurt her. Why did her dad do that?

Goon #2 said he’d be right back and left. Vaughn wondered what was going on. First Pascal ran off, now goon #1’s partner did. Did he look nervous? Josslyn said, so nervous. He couldn’t get out fast enough. She wondered what would happen when the WSB raided the place. What charges were they looking at? Vaughn said, international conspiracy would get them a long stretch in a super max – if they survived. The WSB would shoot first and ask questions never. Josslyn asked goon #1 if his job was worth his life. Hers wasn’t. Just let them out and they’d let him disappear, but he had to help them.

Molly said Scout’s dad only wanted what was best for her, but Scout said that wasn’t true. Not anymore. If he did, he’d let her see them. Why didn’t he understand? Cody said, because sometimes grown-ups made mistakes, and her dad made one. Maybe he’d realize he was wrong. Willow and Alexis arrived, and Scout ran to Alexis.

Lulu said, when Scout’s family heard she was missing, they were terrified, and Charlotte said she was sorry about that. Lulu said it was a start, and Charlotte said, to be honest, she wasn’t thinking about them. She knew Scout was scared and away from her family and knew what that felt like. The only parent she had left wasn’t safe or okay, and Charlotte got how Scout felt. Taking her somewhere she felt safe was more important than following the rules, and she didn’t regret doing it.

Ava said they were fighting a battle on two fronts – Ric’s personal life and professional life – and Kristina said her mom could handle the professional side. She’d send Ric’s assistant an email to push Ric’s court appearances back. Ava told her to tell Ric’s assistant to take a paid vacation too. His personal emails would be trickier. Kristina said the only people who would wonder about him were Molly and Elizabeth, and Ava wondered how Elizabeth was feeling without Ric fawning over her. Kristina told her to stay focused. They had to unlock Ric’s phone. Ava said, easy-peasy. Time for another dose of sleeping pills.

Britt asked if Jason thought he could handle it, and he said, if he couldn’t, they’d both find out in a minute. She said she knew he’d find her note. He was so right about everything here. She was in way over her head. She was here for research, not murder. Pascal was supposed to answer to her, not the other way around. He was on a power trip, and he’d lost it. She found Josslyn and some guy tied up and tried to help. He asked what she was talking about, and she said, Josslyn was there, and she was in serious trouble.

Jack saw Valentin on his screen and Valentin said Jack was lucky to have caught him at home. It was good to see him.

Alexis said Scout was just like her mom, never staying put when she wanted to be out someplace, but Scout scared her. Don’t do it again. Scout said she was sorry, but she couldn’t stay at camp. Willow said she was glad to see Scout, and Scout said her daddy got hurt. Alexis said she knew that and wished she’d told Scout instead of her finding out from a friend at camp, and Scout asked if she could see him. Alexis said, not quite yet, and Scout asked when he was coming home. Alexis said, not for a bit, but her grandma had it covered, and Willow said they were going to have a sleepover at Elizabeth’s house, but Scout said she wanted to stay with her grandma. Alexis said she wanted that too, but Scout was going to have a great time, and they were going to video chat every day. Scout said she hoped she didn’t hurt Willow’s feelings, but she wanted to be with her grandmother and brother. Willow said what they all had in common was that they all loved her and wanted what was best for her.

Dante said he spoke to Alexis, but she wasn’t answering questions without an attorney, and Anna asked if he thought she was being evasive or acting like a lawyer. Dante said, acting like a lawyer, but he also got the feeling she was hiding something, and Anna asked what they thought about Sonny as a possible person of interest. Chase said Drew had been publicly linked to trying to take Sonny’s piers, but Dante said, it didn’t feel like a professional hit. Anna agreed, and Dante said Jason was out of the country. Chase said, what about Curtis? They had animosity over Aurora and Drew targeted Stella Henry. Dante said, and the person they found at the scene – Tracy Quartermaine.

Lulu said she was proud of Charlotte and would have done the same at her age. The problem was, she needed to learn to think things through and consider the consequences. Case in point, Anna. Victor played a big part, but Charlotte could have been killed because she relied on her own perception of the situation, like today. Charlotte said that was totally different. She could admit she was wrong, but Scout didn’t know what was happening with her dad and was still a kid. Lulu said Charlotte was a kid, but Charlotte said she was also a former fugitive. She was growing up and Lulu didn’t seem to realize

Ava said, that went well, and Kristina said they didn’t have to torture Ric to get his fingerprint. She touched his phone and said, password changed. 666-666. They had Ric’s entire digital life. Ava suggested they explain his absence by saying he went on a digital detox, one of those expensive retreats where there are no cellphones or internet.

Jack said Valentin looked good. Steinmaur agreed with him. Valentin said he ran the place. Jack not only survived the fall of Pikeman, he was in a position of power. Jack said he was just a humble station chief, and Valentin said he’d been Jack’s scapegoat. Jack said, considering how much Valentin knew, he was lucky to be alive, and Valentin said, now that the pleasantries were aside, how could be of assistance? Jack asked what Valentin knew about a double agent, Colette Moreau, but Valentin said he never heard of her. What was in it for him?  Jack said, time outside, in shackles with a guard, and Valentin said, of course (🍷). Jack said Colette was the one who took an independent shot at Valentin, trying to kill him in front of his daughter, and Valentin said he may have had dealings with her back in 2016. Jack asked if she was a double agent back then, and Valentin said, she was working for Cesar Faison.

Josslyn said if goon #1 helped them, they’d help him, and Vaughn asked what it was going to be. Goon #2 came back, and reprimanded goon #1 for talking to the prisoners. Goon #1 said they should go or they were dead, but goon #2 said Pascal had it under control.

Jason said, Josslyn was there? and Britt said she was pretending to be a newlywed, but Pascal found out that she and her fake hubby were WSB. They said there was a mole… He asked where they were now, and she said maybe still locked up there or Pascal could have moved them after she found them. She acted like she didn’t know Josslyn, but she barely time to call him before Pascal grabbed her. Jason asked if the code was the same, but she said, there was no code, just the keycard. He snatched it from her hand, and said, Josslyn was in trouble. Britt said she was in trouble, and he said he’d be right back.

Molly thanked Cody for not giving up on calling her, and he said he got why she didn’t want to hear from him. She said he was good with Scout and thought they could all say Scout’s father was a selfish monster. He saved the day. He asked if that meant she’d pick up when he called.

Alexis came back and told Kristina that Scout was safe. She was upset that her father was injured, and upset and mad that she wasn’t with the family. She was trying to convince herself it was for the best since they have Ric held hostage. Now Molly was waiting to hear from Ric. Kristina explained about the digital detox and started reading her email from Ric to Molly.

Lulu said she realized that she’d been out of Charlotte’s life a long time. They were still trying to figure out the mother/daughter thing, but Charlotte needed boundaries. Charlotte said her father treated her as an equal, but Lulu said she had to know how to survive if they were caught. She’d been forced to have too much responsibility. Charlotte said her father trusted her judgment, and Lulu said she was proud of Charlotte, but now she had other people to rely on. She didn’t need to make big decisions on her own anymore.

Dante asked what they thought about Tracy’s explanation that she was appealing to Drew for Monica’s sake, and Chase said, as much as they fought, Tracy would do anything for Monica, and she called 911. Why not leave Drew to die? Dante said, remorse? and Chase said, or to cover her own tracks. But what did she do with the gun? Dante said they didn’t find it, and Anna said she didn’t think Tracy did this, but had no problem with seeing her covering for whoever did.

Jack said Faison had been dead for a while, and Valentin said, if you say so. Jack said, his brain was in a jar, and Valentin said, maybe, but his organization lives on. Jack asked, who’s running the op? and Valentin said he had no current information to share, but maybe he could use his connections and influence. In return, he wanted to be transferred to a stateside super max prison. Jack wouldn’t have come to him if he had any other option. Jack insisted he didn’t have the power he once had since he’d been demoted. Valentin could walk away, but he wouldn’t walk far. He could walk or they could help each other. Which was it going to be?  

The door started to open, and Britt said, finally, but it was Pascal. He asked if she missed him, and she said, desperately. Now get this off. She promised to be a good girl and do her work. He said the site had been compromised, so they were moving. Was her work backed up? She said it was. She just had to pack. He said she misunderstood. The operation was relocating, but she wasn’t coming with it.

Jason broke down the door, knocked out goon #1, and struggled with goon #2. Josslyn and Vaughn tried to get the knife from goon #1’s pocket.

Charlotte said she’d drive back to Lila’s Kids and tell Miss Carson what she did, but Lulu said she no longer had a car. She held out her hand for the keys, and Charlotte gave them to her. Lulu said she was also grounded for a month, and Charlotte said if that was the price to help Scout, it was worth it. Lulu said, there was the Spencer part. She was proud of Charlotte’s heart, but hoped she’d learned to look before she leapt. She could land badly and get hurt. Charlotte asked if it wasn’t her life and her mistakes, and Lulu said, not quite yet. That’s why she had a mom. They hugged.

Molly said it was better if Cody didn’t call. He was so good with Scout, but at the same time, thought it was okay to take money to seduce Ava. She believed he thought he was helping her, but that was the worst part. But if there was an emergency, call and she’d help. Otherwise, she thought they should go their separate ways. She left.

Kristina finished reading the email to Molly, and Ava said Ric wasn’t capable of that emotion, but Alexis said Molly brought out the best in him. They needed to worry about Willow. She was going to hound Ric about her hearing until she found him. Ava said, Elizabeth and Willow… and Alexis said she saw the lightbulb going off over Ava’s horns. Ava said she had an idea where they could kill two birds with one stone.

Anna said Chase’s priority was Michael and she wanted to speak with Alexis. They needed to find out where they were so they could upgrade them to suspect or clear them. Her phone rang, and Elizabeth said she had news. Drew was waking up.

Valentin asked what Jack was offering, and Jack asked what he wanted besides a stateside transfer. Valentin said, to see his daughter, and Jack said, done. He’d get her on the call. Valentin said, no. In person. If Jack could do that, he’d give Jack what he wanted to know.

Goon #2 punched Jason in the hallway, as Vaughn tried to get goon #1’s knife. Goon #2 got Jason in a headlock and Jason tried to slam him against the wall.

Britt asked where she was going, and Pascal said, thanks to her disruptive behavior, he’d convinced him that she was more trouble than she was worth. He’d set the ankle monitor to blow her into tiny pieces in an hour. She said, no way he would okay this. She wanted to talk to him. Pascal said that wasn’t going to happen, and she said he was a dead man. He said he didn’t think so. Regardless, she wouldn’t be around to find out in 59 minutes. If she wanted it to be sooner, just walk out the door.

Tuesday:

Drew woke up and saw Elizabeth. He asked for Willow.

Anna told Dante and Chase to check things out at the hospital. She’d follow up with Alexis. Alexis arrived at Anna’s office.

Michael met Curtis at the PC Grill.

Lulu took Charlotte for a latte at Bobbie’s, and Charlotte said Rocco was meeting her there. Lulu said she’d have to take care of Outback and give her a bath once a week, clean the porches, mulch the flowerbeds, and write a letter of apology to the camp director.

Rocco was outside Bobbie’s with Outback when Jack came by and introduced himself. He asked if Rocco’s mother was there. He needed a quick word with her.

Dubrovnik, Croatia. Britt told Pascal that she was the only one who understood the research. They needed her, but more importantly, he needed her.

Jason struggled with goon #2, when Josslyn whacked the goon guard over the head. Jason and Josslyn stared at each other.

Elizabeth said Willow was with Drew’s daughter and asked if he knew what happened, but he insisted he needed to see Willow. Portia came in and asked about Drew’s vitals, but Drew said he wanted a new doctor. Portia said, in the meantime, he was in her care.

Dante and Chase left, and Anna said she had questions regarding Alexis’s movements the night Drew was shot. Alexis said she was happy to answer as soon as her lawyer arrived.

Michael said he was the obvious suspect, and Curtis said he wouldn’t be surprised. He asked if Michael had an alibi, and Michael said he did, but needed to figure out who she was and where he could find her. That’s where Curtis came in. It was the woman Drew was with the night of the Savoy. Curtis said, body shot (🍷) night? and Michael said he was with her the night Drew got shot. Curtis said he knew where to find her.

Charlotte said she learned her lesson and the punishment felt like a bit much, but Lulu said Charlotte hadn’t gotten in trouble for putting a snake in Ava’s purse. Charlotte asked if there wasn’t a statute of limitations, but Lulu said, not with her mother. It set a pattern of Charlotte not facing consequences and next time she’d think twice before doing something she knew she shouldn’t. Jack came in, and Lulu told Charlotte to start her punishment and go give Outback a bath. Charlotte said Jack was considered a hero while her dad was a villain, but she didn’t buy it.

Jason told Josslyn and Vaughn it would be tough to get out. He was going back for Britt.

Pascal said there were plenty who could take Britt’s place, but Britt said he’d invested a lot of time in her. Pascal said that’s why he was able to convince him that she was more trouble than she was worth, and Britt said he wouldn’t have her killed, but Pascal would. He didn’t sign off on this. Was Pascal going to blow the place up and blame her? He said, either way, she was dead, and left.

Dante asked Elizabeth if he could talk to Drew, when Portia came out. Dante said he was here to question Drew about the shooting, and Portia said Drew was alert and his vitals were stable, but he was recovering from major surgery, so keep it brief. Dante went in and asked Drew if he remembered anything from last night, and Drew said being shot in the back was a hard thing to forget.

Diane said it wasn’t a fishing expedition, and they were only talking about Alexis’s movement pertaining to the night in question. Anna said she wouldn’t waste any of their time, and Alexis said she was at court all day dealing with Stella Henry’s arraignment. If the congressman was mad at you, he targeted a person you loved. That’s why they all voted for him. After court, she drove herself home. Anna said she wanted to back up to when the congressman served Alexis with the restraining order.

Curtis said, when Aurora was investigating Drew, he’d wanted to get the escort’s side of the story. He was hoping she’d confirm Drew brought the drugs, but she’d left town and disappeared. Michael said she was back in Port Charles. He’d been there talking to her last night. Curtis said her name was Jacinda Bracken, when his phone rang. Portia told him that Drew was awake, and Curtis relayed the information to Michael and told him that Drew was talking to the cops.

Outside Bobbie’s, Charlotte told Rocco that Jack was the reason her dad was in prison, but Rocco asked if he didn’t break the law. She said it wasn’t like there, where it was easy to tell the difference between the good guys and the bad guys. In their world, people switched sides all the time. The only difference between Jack and her father was, when Jack broke the rules, he got to hide behind a badge.

Lulu said Charlotte’s attitude was a work in progress, and Jack said the technical term was teening out. She said Charlotte was extremely loyal to her dad, but she was grateful to Jack for saving Charlotte. Jack said that’s why he was here, because of Charlotte’s father. He needed her help with Valentin.  

Vaughn said they didn’t know which side Britt was on, but Jason said Britt was the reason they were alive. He told Josslyn that they had a lot to talk about later, and left. Vaughn asked if he always acted like that, and Josslyn said, pretty much, but his timing was always spot on. Vaughn said nothing was more important than calling this in. They didn’t know what was between them and daylight, so if he went down, don’t come back. She said, same for her, and he said, no matter what, don’t turn back.

Dante asked what Drew remembered, and Drew said he came home from the hospital about 9:30. Dante asked if he was alone, and Drew said Scout was at a camp sleepover. He made himself a drink and went to his safe to get out Willow’s engagement ring. He put the ring on the mantel and stood in front of the fireplace. Then it felt like he got slammed in the back with a sledgehammer. He fell to his knees and started to fall forward and that was the last thing he remembered.

Diane asked what that had to do with Alexis’s movement, and Anna said it pertained to her relationship with the victim. He’d filed orders against Alexis and she was officially served at the Port Charles Grill. Diane said she thought they were here to make a statement, but it felt like a cross examination, and Chase said Alexis wasn’t allowed near Drew’s home. Anna asked, what was her response was to the restraining order? and Alexis said she was obviously upset. She’d been denied access to her own granddaughter. She was pursuing legal recourse, but her petition was denied and thanks to Drew, Scout was now in Willow’s custody.

Curtis told Michael that he had to get to the hospital, but he found out Jacinda worked for Exclusive Models, which was a front for an escort service. Michael helped him when he needed it and he was happy to return the favor. He had Michael’s back. Michael said, likewise.

Portia found Jacinda sitting at her desk, and Jacinda said, Co-Chief, that’s big time. Portia said she needed to leave Port Charles, and Jacinda said she did. Drew offered her $100,000 to stay away, but it turned out she wasn’t good with money. All she needed was a tiny cash infusion to be out of the red and she thought Drew would help her out, but then he got himself shot. So she figured Portia and Nina were the next best thing. They’d hired her to give Drew the night of his life, and she’d come to collect.

Britt worked on her ankle monitor and said, please don’t explode. Jason came back and she said a few things had happened since he’d been gone. Pascal put the explosive device on a timer, and she was going to officially blow up in 21 minutes. Jason said she wasn’t blowing up, and she said it was impossible. He needed to go. They both knew she was living on borrowed time and his kids needed him. Don’t risk his life to save hers.

Charlotte told Rocco that Jack wasn’t to be trusted. He’d double-crossed her dad, and he ended up in prison. She knew Lulu loved her and was trying hard to make her fit in, but she felt like her life was too different. Maybe she knew too much. Sometimes she wished she’d never been found.

Lulu said she wasn’t sure how she could help, and Jack said he’d like Charlotte to visit Valentin. He’d handle the security and clearance, and Lulu could accompany her. Lulu said, that was a no, but Jack said it would be completely safe. She said she wouldn’t allow Charlotte to be used as a pawn in whatever game he was playing, and he asked, what made her think it was a game? His phone rang and he stepped away. He said, talk to me… Were they sure?… Okay. How far out were they?… It was positive they were in the clear?… Good. Let him know when it was done. He came back to the table and Lulu asked, who was in the clear?

Britt said Jason needed to go for Jake and Danny, but he said either they’d both get out or neither of them would. He fiddled with the ankle monitor and she closed her eyes. He got the monitor off and said they had to go. They ran out.

Portia said Jacinda wouldn’t tell anyone that she drugged the congressman. If she did, she’d be admitting assault and look worse than her and Nina. She thought it was best if Jacinda found her fortune somewhere else besides Port Charles, but if she insisted on staying, forget her and Nina. Jacinda said, so much for women helping women, and Portia said, if anyone asked, she was to say Drew hired her to be his escort and brought his own drugs. He would be the one committing a crime and it would keep her out of jail. She had to get back to work. Jacinda left, and in the hallway, her phone rang. She said she’d take the job and keep ‘em coming.

Diane suggested the return to the night in question, and Alexis said she went home after court and was in her driveway by 9 pm. She was wrapping up a phone call with her assistant. They could check her phone records. She went into the house and no one was there, but Curtis came by came by to check how his aunt’s case went. After Curtis left, Kristina came by with Ava.

Dante asked if Drew entered in the front or back, and Drew said, the front. Dante asked if he noticed anyone out on the street, but Drew said not that he recalled. He was focused on getting out of the rain. Dante asked if he closed his safe, and Drew said, no. Was he robbed? Did they take Willow’s ring? Dante said, no. The ring was on the mantel. What else did he keep in the safe? Drew said, files mostly, and Dante said he’d have to be more specific for them to determine theft. Drew flashed back to showing Portia the evidence he had to incriminate her and said it was classified material. The PCPD didn’t have his consent to go through his safe. Dante said he’d relay that to the Commissioner, and Drew said he was getting tired. Dante said, one last thing. Who would he say had motive to harm him? Drew said, Michael Corinthos.

Pascal blocked Jason and Britt’s way and said this was unexpected. He told his goons to kill them both, and Vaughn shot one in the back. Jason struggled with the other, while Pascal took off. (I’m with Britt. Don’t leave this guy in charge of anything.)

Jack said the call was classified, and Lulu suggested he not yap in the middle of Bobbie’s then. He said he understood how she felt, but thought she needed to accept who Charlotte was. She asked what that was supposed to mean. Charlotte was her daughter. He said, with Valentin. Valentin was the heart of intelligence communication, which meant Charlotte was valuable and not just to him. She asked if that was a threat, but he said it was a warning. Someday she might need his help.

Rocco asked if Charlotte was saying she’d rather be on the run than there, but she said, no. She loved being with him and their mom, and there were amazing things about living in Port Charles, but there were aspects of her old life that she missed. She had a lot of independence, and she liked it. He asked if she was mad because Lulu grounded her, but she said their mom was doing her mom job. She could live without most of the things she lost, except her dad.

Curtis arrived at the hospital as Dante came out of Drew’s room. Dante said he needed to get ahold of Michael, and Curtis said he was just with Michael at the Port Charles Grill. Michael was still there when he left. Dante thanked him and left. Curtis asked how Drew was, but Elizabeth said she couldn’t give him medical information. He asked if Drew could have visitors, and she said there was nothing that said he couldn’t. Feel free.

Jacinda went into the PC Grill, saw Michael, and said, it was him. Michael said they didn’t get a chance to introduce themselves, and she said she was Jacinda. He said he was Michael Corinthos, and her eyes lit up.

Diane said who Alexis invited in was her business and she was under no obligation to explain, but Alexis said she was willing to. Her daughter had been at war with Ava for some time and it was a conflict that served no one. She was trying to broker peace. There was no love lost, but they did agree to be civil for Avery’s sake, so she took it. Anna asked how long they were there, and Alexis said, about two hours. Detective Falconari could testify to that. When she was taking out the garbage, he came back to question Kristina and Ava. Anna said he did mention it, but didn’t say it was a group therapy session. Alexis said things had been difficult since Kristina lost the baby and she didn’t want to advertise it, and Diane said it had nothing to do with the investigation. Alexis had been more than cooperative, so the interview was over. She stopped the recorder.

Josslyn said, Pascal got away, but Jason said it didn’t matter. The place was going to blow. Vaughn asked how much time they had, but Britt said she didn’t know, and they all dashed off.

Lulu said, if she didn’t do what Jack wanted, what? He’d refuse to protect Charlotte? He said, no. His protection would continue, but he encouraged her to accept the fact that the parameters of Charlotte’s life were different than that of her brothers, Lulu, and pretty much anyone. He hoped she’d reconsider. He left.

Outside, Jack said, nice to see Rocco and Charlotte again, but Charlotte said there was nothing nice about it.

Anna thanked Alexis for coming in and said she might have a few more questions. Diane told her, check the recording. Further questions were unnecessary. They left.  

Drew saw Curtis and asked what the hell he wanted.

Anna said assuming Alexis’s alibi held up, she was no longer on the list of their main suspects. Chase asked what she thought about it, and she said, the sit-down with Ava and Kristina was implausible, but it was so impossible, it might be true. She took down Alexis’s picture and said she thought somebody else needed to go higher up on the suspect list. She replaced Alexis with Curtis.

Curtis said he heard someone shot Drew, and Drew said he had every reason to think it was Curtis, but don’t worry. He was putting the blame on Michael.

Jacinda asked how Michael knew how to find her, and he said, it wasn’t easy. She asked if he was just interested in getting to know her better, or was it business? He said it wasn’t a job, and she said, it was social then. He said, unfortunately, it wasn’t that either. He didn’t know if she was aware, but someone shot Drew last night. She said she heard, and he said he may need her to say they were together when it happened. She asked if he was looking for an alibi, and Dante appeared. He said Michael was a tough guy to get ahold of. He needed Michael to answer some questions.

Vaughn and Josslyn coughed through the smoke, as he helped her up. She asked if he was all right, and he said he thought so. Better than a few hours ago. She asked if he’d say her first op was a success, and he laughed.

Jason lay on top of Britt in the smoke, and she said, all right. Very brave. Could he get off her now? Jason stood up and helped Britt up. She said there was something she’d been meaning to tell him, and he said, what? She said she really didn’t like his tattoos.

Wednesday:

At the hospital, Chase asked if Willow had seen Drew, but she said, no. To be honest, she was trying to avoid the situation. He asked if she was still planning on getting back together with Drew.

Lucas said Drew was awake and the police were back, and Elizabeth said she was trying to avoid them. Lucas asked, why? Did she know something?

Carly visited Lulu and asked if she was still dealing with the Rocco/Obrecht situation. Lulu said, always on some level, but that wasn’t why she wanted to talk. Carly’s super spy boyfriend was way out of line.

Nina met Jack at the PC Grill and asked if his girlfriend knew he was having dinner with her sworn enemy.

At the station, Michael told Dante that his lawyer wasn’t there, but he left Diane a message. Marco arrived and said Diane had sent him in her place. He would be representing Michael.

Isiah went to Portia’s office and said he heard Drew was awake. She and Lucas should be proud of the work they did to save his life.

At Bad Jen Café, Kai told Trina that Drew was awake, and she said it was good he didn’t die, but what if he could put them in the house when he was shot?

Curtis said he wasn’t surprised that Drew was trying to accuse Michael. Did he have proof? Drew said he had no proof and didn’t see who it was, but he did remember Curtis threatening to kill him. For all he knew, it was Curtis.

Lucas asked if Elizabeth had something to implicate Willow, and she said, maybe Carly. The night of the shooting, she went to Carly’s office to give her a heads up that Willow and Drew were getting back together, but Drew was already there. Things were hot and she heard Carly threaten to kill Drew. Lucas said Carly threatened to kill a lot of people. The only people she hadn’t threatened were her grandchildren and Elizabeth. Elizabeth said if she had to talk to the police, she’d have no choice but to tell them.

Lulu told Carly that Jack wanted Charlotte to visit Valentin in Steinmaur. Like she’d let that happen. He implied she’d be making a mistake because Charlote may need protection in the future from the WSB. Carly asked if he told her why he wanted the visit, and Lulu said she was guessing Jack needed something from Valentin, but that was his problem. She didn’t want Charlotte anywhere near her father.

Jack told Nina that Carly had no reason to believe he was disloyal. This was strictly business. Nina wondered what business they had, and he said he wanted to arrange a meeting between Valentin and Charlotte, but Charlotte’s mother was adamantly opposed. Nina asked why he cared if Charlotte visited her father, and he said he needed something, but Valentin would only cooperate on that condition. Nina said it made sense he’d use Charlotte as a bargaining chip, but how did she fit in? She wasn’t close to Lulu. Carly was Lulu’s cousin. He said he understood Nina and Charlotte had a good relationship, and Nina said they were still close, but she wasn’t luring Charlotte onto a plane bound for Switzerland, especially against her mother’s wishes.

Kai told Trina that Drew had been unconscious. There was no way. She said he could have heard them talking, and he said he’d find out for sure by visiting Drew. If he didn’t check on Drew, it would make Drew more suspicious. As long as Drew thought Kai was on his side, he could use that to protect them.

Curtis said, first, Drew accused Michael, and now him, and Drew said Curtis blamed him for Stella’s arrest. Curtis said he was once where Drew was. When he was recovering, he was groggy and weak. He advised Drew to make sure his head was clear before saying something he’d regret, but Drew said he thought he was seeing clearly. Curtis said Drew needed to understand how vulnerable he was. Who was to say whoever shot him wouldn’t come back to finish the job? Lucas came in with an update, and Curtis said he was just leaving. He told Drew not to rush his recovery. He didn’t want to invite a setback. He left.

Willow told Chase that she didn’t know what to do. Drew cost her her children, but he was also her best shot regaining custody. Chase said, if Judge Haran hadn’t died, he was positive she would have allowed Willow visitation. Maybe the next judge would feel the same way. She had options, but one wasn’t getting back together with Drew.   

Michael said he was expecting Diane and went outside with Marco. He asked, what happened? and Marco said Diane was already representing Alexis and couldn’t represent him too. He knew their fathers didn’t get along and Michael might feel more comfortable with another attorney, but for the moment, he advised Michael not to talk without one. Michael said he’d learned that the hard way, but since he had a lawyer with him, he might as well get it over with. He trusted Diane’s judgement. They went back in, and Anna said she had questions about the night Drew was shot.  

Nina said Jack didn’t want to risk upsetting Carly, and Jack agreed. Nina asked how she figured into all this, and he said he needed her to work on Lulu and help get her on board.

Lulu said Charlotte didn’t know and she wasn’t about to tell her, and Carly said, because she’d want to see Valentin. However Lulu felt, Charlotte and Valentin were close. She was sure Charlotte missed her father. Lulu said, of course (🍷). It was just two of them. After Valentin was gone, at first, Charlotte stayed in her room, but now she was starting to adjust. Carly said it wasn’t a permanent move, just a visit, and Lulu said she thought she was afraid if Lulu saw her dad, she’d end up back in her room, depressed. Carly said, teenagers were tricky, and Charlotte had been through a lot. Maybe it would bring her peace to see that he was okay. Lulu asked if Carly was suggesting she allow it, and Carly said she thought it was worth considering.

Emma saw Trina at the café and asked what was going on. Trina said she had a lot on her mind, and Emma asked if there was anything she could do to help, but Trina said she was good. Emma went to the counter to put in her order.

Portia told Isaiah that she was glad it went well. It felt good saving Drew, even in the light of the horrible things he’d done to people she cared about. He said that’s what made her remarkable. She stepped into a difficult situation and operated on a man she disliked. All he heard was what a miraculous job she did. She said, Lucas too, but he said Drew was lucky she was in the operating room. She said it was another reason she wished she’d stayed in bed with him, but as wonderful as it was, it could never happen again.

Anna asked Michael to take her through the evening of September 3rd, and he said he was at work wrapping things up. Kristina stopped by and he got a phone call from his dad telling him that Judge Haran had died. Selfishly, he was worried that it would affect the visitation hearing next month. Afterward, he went to the Port Charles Grill to decompress. Anna asked if anyone could verify it, and he said he had a conversation with a woman at the bar. Anna asked what her name was, and he said, Jacinda Bracken. She asked if he was aware that she was the escort in the photo with Congressman Cain, and he said, not at the time. She was just a person he was speaking to. Anna said when Dante tracked him down, he was in her company, and Marco said they were only talking about the one night. Anna said she’d observed Michael was with Jacinda two nights in a row, and Michael told her, what can he say? He enjoyed her company.

Lucas told Drew that the first bullet came out neat, but the other was tricker. It was lodged against his vertebrae compressing against his spinal cord. There could be long term effects. He could end up paralyzed.

Lulu said she needed to put a wall between Charlotte’s old life and the life she was building now, but Carly said one visit wasn’t going to change anything. Lulu said she felt like there was a tug-o-war with Obrecht over Rocco, now she was competing with Valentin. She missed so much of Charlotte’s life and now had to figure out how to be her mother. She didn’t want it to stop for any reason, especially not because Jack needed a favor from Valentin.

Nina said she couldn’t imagine Lulu being receptive, and Jack said they had Charlotte in common. She could use it as an entry point. Nina said, ask Carly, but he said it was better of if he separated his personal and professional life. Nina said she had serious reservations about using Charlotte as a pawn. She didn’t know if it was good for Charlotte and would just be a reminder to Valentin’s enemies of the best way to get to him. Jack said it would show Valentin still had powerful connections and a wide reach, and she said she didn’t want to risk anything happening to Charlotte. She didn’t get to raise Willow or Nelle. Charlotte was her first experience at being a mother. She was protective of her. Her daughter told her that she destroyed her life. The last thing she wanted was to destroy Charlotte’s as well.

Elizabeth said she had bad news, and Willow said, Drew? Elizabeth said, no. She got an email that Ric left town for a digital detox retreat, and it was unclear when he’d be back. Willow said, what? He was her lawyer and supposed to help her get her kids back. What was she supposed to do now?

Chase saw Curtis at the hospital and said he’d like to ask him some questions pertaining to Drew’s shooting. Where was he that night?

Lucas did some tests on Drew and said there was no sign of paralysis. Drew said, thank God, and Lucas said, thank Portia. She pulled a miracle. Drew said it was a miracle he didn’t let die. He and Curtis had a falling out… Lucas said Portia was a gifted and dedicated surgeon, who had taken on the duty to provide the best possible care of her patients, no matter who they were. Drew said he sensed Lucas wasn’t a fan, and Lucas said Carly and Michael were family, and he wasn’t obligated to chat. His work was done. Get some rest.

Anna asked how long Michael was at the PC Grill, and he said he got there at 8:35 and left at 10:30. He’d left his phone in the car and saw he missed some calls, then he went home. Anna asked if he stopped on the way, and Michael flashed back to sitting in the car in the rain. He said, no stops, and Anna asked if Jacinda could account for the time at the PC Grill. He said, yes. He was with her the whole time.

Emma brought Trina some tea and said she thought Trina could use the tea and a friend. Consider her Josslyn’s back-up. Trina said she could use a friend. She was in a messed-up situation she was trying to deal with. Her parents’ marriage was in trouble. Her mom altered test results to keep someone in prison.

Portia said her life was complicated, and Isaiah said being his boss complicated it more. She said it did. She was going through a tough time and when she was vulnerable, she turned to him, but she wasn’t sorry. He said him neither. He’d honor her wishes and keep it between them, but if she changed her mind, he was interested.

Kai asked how Drew was feeling, and Drew said, given the circumstances, not bad. He was glad Kai was there. He needed Kai to do a big favor for him.

Dante said, when they asked who Drew thought may have shot him, the only name was Michael’s, and Michael said it was no secret he despised Drew, but he didn’t shoot him. Anna said Drew alleged that Michael physically assaulted him at the MetroCourt on August 15th, and Marco said he wanted to see the complaint, but Anna had nothing. Marco said that was because no one corroborated in that case. His client had nothing to say about the alleged incident or anything else. Anna said Michael was free to go – for now.

Curtis said he was sorry, but he couldn’t help Chase. He used to be a cop and knew he was within his rights to refuse. Chase said he was only putting off the inevitable, and Curtis said he’d come in and answer questions willingly, with his lawyer. He walked to the elevator.

Willow wondered how Ric could leave and not have the decency to tell her, and Elizabeth said it didn’t seem like him. Willow said, what now? She had to find a lawyer. Elizabeth said Martin was back, and Willow said she guessed she had a little time. Elizabeth said, in the meantime, keep proving she’s a reliable and stable mom, but Willow said that wasn’t enough. As much as she hated Drew, she needed him by her side.

Portia said she couldn’t thank Isaiah enough for being there, and he said he was glad to be there. She said, if it only affected them, it would be wonderful, but she couldn’t do that to her daughter.

Emma said, what Portia did wasn’t okay, but she did it to protect Trina, and Trina said it was unethical and illegal. Emma said, Heather killed people. If she thought her child was in danger, she’d do the same. Trina said her mom knew better than to lie to her dad, and when Drew started blackmailing her, it was too late for them to get past it. None of it would be happening if not for her. Emma said this started because of her mom’s choice to keep her safe, and Trina said she was worried she’d make the situation worse. Emma said Trina couldn’t make her parents happy and the only one that could make her happy was her. Trina said, for back-up, Emma wasn’t bad.

Kai asked what favor Drew needed, and Drew asked him to go to his house, open his safe, just grab everything, and bring it to him. Kai said he was sorry, but he couldn’t do that. Drew’s house was a crime scene. No one was allowed in, and he couldn’t remove things. Drew said, just use his key and sneak in, but Kai said he wasn’t comfortable doing that. Drew said he understood, and Kai asked if there was anything else he could do, and Drew said, yes, one thing.

Lulu said it felt like she’d be opening a door better left closed, and Carly said Valentin was in prison for the rest of his life. She wouldn’t be able to cut him out of Charlotte’s heart and to ask her to keep her love for him a secret would be a mistake. She needed to let Charlotte make the choice. If Charlotte found out Lulu stopped it from happening, she was going to resent Lulu big time.

Jack told Nina that Charlotte wouldn’t be in danger. It would just be a meeting between a father and daughter. They may never get to see each other again. Nina said his sincerity act might do better if he didn’t need something from it, but he said they’d all benefit, even her. She and her daughter might be in serious trouble.

Willow told Elizabeth that she knew Drew was using the kids to get her back, but getting her kids back was important. Kai approached and told Willow that Drew said he needed her.

Isaiah said he’d respect Portia’s wishes and keep his distance, but he wouldn’t stop hoping for things to change. Friends? She said, friends, they shook hands, and he left.

Chase said, as a former cop, Curtis knew lawyering up implied hiding something and would make him a top suspect, but Curtis told him that he had nothing else to say without a lawyer present, and got in the elevator. Chase called the station and asked for the exact time Curtis left the station with Stella… 8:40 pm. He guessed he needed to talk to Stella.

Dante said there was one thing bothering him, and Anna said, Jacinda. He said if you could pay for company, why not pay for an alibi? and Anna said she’d have to bring Jacinda in for questioning. They couldn’t rule out Michale as a suspect.

Walking into the PC Grill, Michael told Marco that he had experience with being questioned by the police, and Marco said the next step was to speak with Jacinda. Michael said he’d touch base with her himself, thanked Marco, and went in.

Lucas told Elizabeth, despite what she’d said earlier, he was sure Carly didn’t shoot Drew, but she said they both knew how far Carly would go to protect the people she loved.

Lulu said she was grateful Carly wasn’t just telling her what she wanted to hear, but at the end of the day, she was Charlotte’s mom. She thought it was best to leave the past in the past and for Charlotte to focus on her life there now. She didn’t see any good coming from the visit and no one could convince her otherwise.

Jack said Drew Cain was in the hospital with two holes in his back. It was only a matter of time before the PCPD knocked at Nina’s door and Willow’s. Nina said she explained they were together taking a walk at the time of the shooting, and Jack said, a convenient alibi, but it wouldn’t hold up if the investigation continued. She asked what he proposed, and he said, a mutually beneficial friendship. Convince Charlotte now and the WSB would return the favor when Nina and her daughter were in need. He thought the day was coming soon. Don’t answer right now. Just think it over and tell him what she decided. He left.

Willow went into Drew’s room, drew the blinds, and watched as he slept. He groggily opened his eyes.

Thursday:

Britt slept on Jason’s shoulder on the flight back, but she said she was just resting her eyes. He said, for the last four hours? and she said they couldn’t all sit and stare at a tray table for nine hours. She wasn’t even sure he was human. Maybe he needed a reboot. He asked her to explain what was really going on in Croatia.

Trina went to Portia’s office and said she hated that things were so hard between her parents. She couldn’t stop thinking about Drew blackmailing Portia. She was glad Portia told her, but wanted to know if Drew was the only one who had proof. Portia asked why she needed to know.

Curtis went to Anna’s office with Martin, who asked that her questions be brief and direct. Anna thought Curtis should rethink his defensive position. It implied he was hiding something. Curtis said he’d been a cop and was aware of how messy things could get quickly and had every intention of protecting his rights.

Carly asked Elizabeth what Drew’s room number. She had to talk to him. Lucas wondered how many people knew she’d threatened to kill Drew.

Drew said he was happy to see Willow, and she asked how he felt. He said, better now that she was there, and she said she was relieved he was okay. Did he remember what happened? Did he know who shot him?

Dante knocked at Jacinda’s hotel room and introduced himself. He wondered if he could ask her a few questions. Did she mind if he came in? She let him in, and Michael came out with no shirt on.

Curtis said he and Drew had ended their friendship. Drew’s had deep feelings for Aurora, and he had deep feelings about being lied to, and the lines blurred. Anna said Curtis had accused Drew of abusing his office to target Stella in an insurance fraud investigation. Was Curtis angry enough to kill?

Drew told Willow that he didn’t see who shot him. He’d gone to the safe and taken out her ring. He’d been thinking about how she said she’d come back to him and wanted to give her the ring as a sign of new beginnings. That’s when he got shot in the back twice. She said it was a miracle he’d survived. He had Tracy to thank. She was the one who found him and called 911. He wondered what Tracy was doing there, but Willow didn’t know. He said he wasn’t alive because of Tracy. He survived because he had too much to live for. He had to pull through to be with her and the kids.

Lucas said Carly had Elizabeth to thank for not telling the police about her threat, and Carly told him that she did say she’d kill Drew if he went after Michael, but she didn’t do it. He said he believed her, but she might give the cops the wrong idea visiting Drew. She said she was there to intervene on someone’s behalf.

Lulu asked what she could do for Nina, but Nina said she wanted to do something for Lulu. Agent Brennan told her about Valentin’s request for a visit with Charlotte in person and tried to recruit her to help make it happen.

At the Bad Jen Café, Obrecht saw Outback and made a fuss over her. She said it had been a while, then saw Rocco with Charlotte. She said, and for him too.

Britt said she was working on a research project, and Jason asked, what kind? She said, cold fusion. It wasn’t a big deal. He said it was big enough for the WSB to pay attention, but she said she was just doing a job. He said, a job that almost got her killed, and she said she’d always thought Pascal was annoying, but didn’t know he was an annoying psycho. Jason said she was desperate to get out before the WSB back-up got there and she didn’t want to answer questions, and she said she didn’t want to be left holding the bag for Pascal. He’d done all kinds of illegal stuff, including kidnapping Josslyn and her agent partner-slash-fake husband-slash-maybe boyfriend. He said she still wasn’t telling him everything, like who she was working for.

Trina said she was worried about Portia and trying to figure out how to help, but Portia said Trina needed to stay out of it. Trina said if the evidence came to light, Portia could lose her job and medical license and be arrested. That wouldn’t be happening if she hadn’t wanted to protect Trina. Portia said she would do it again, but she would tell Trina’s father from the beginning. Keeping secrets was a pattern she kept falling into with Trina’s father. Trina said all the secrets were because of her, but Portia said, no. They weren’t Trina’s fault. They were hers and Drew’s.

Willow said Scout would be staying with her and Elizabeth, and Drew wondered why she didn’t take Scout to his place. She said she couldn’t. It was a crime scene. Carly walked in and said, wow. She guessed the rumors were true and Willow was back together with this jerk. Willow said, Drew nearly died, and Carly said, but he didn’t. Drew told her to get to the point, and she said Danny called and Scout left Lila’s Kids again and went to the Quartermaines. She wondered if Scout could stay with them while Drew recovered, since it was clear she’d rather be there. Drew said, not a chance. Danny put Scout’s life in danger. Carly said, what about Alexis? but he said it was better if Scout stayed with Willow. That’s why he made her their legal guardian. Carly suggested he think about his daughter first, but he said she needed to stop worrying about his kid and worry about her own, because if Michael hadn’t been arrested for shooting him yet, he would be, and soon.

Michael said he didn’t expect to see Dante so soon, and Jacinda asked how they knew each other. Michael said Dante was his brother, and Dante said Michael had cited Jacinda as his alibi, and she said she’d be happy to answer any questions. Dante wasn’t surprised.

Lulu said she’d made it clear she wouldn’t let Charlotte see Valentin and asked if Brennan wanted Nina to end run her and talk to Charlotte. Nina said, no, and she wouldn’t. She loved Charlotte and only wanted the best for her, and a huge portion of that was a good relationship with her mom. She would never undermine that or Lulu. As far as she was concerned, their animosity was in the past. Lulu agreed, and Nina said, let her offer Lulu some advice from one woman who loved Charlotte to another. In no way did she condone Jack’s underhanded tactics, but she thought Lulu should consider letting Charlotte visit her dad.

Rocco introduced Charlotte, and Obrecht said they spent time together when Valentin was married to Nina. Now she was a lovely young woman. Charlotte thanked her and said it was nice to see her. It was surprising to find out she was her sort of brother’s grandmother. Obrecht said, technically, that wasn’t accurate, but in her heart, she’ll always think of him as family. She went to place her order, and Rocco said, don’t tell their mom they saw Dr. Obrecht. She was Britt’s mom, and it made their mom uncomfortable that he wanted to know more about Britt.

Britt said she reported to Pascal and had no idea who he was working for, but Jason said he didn’t believe that. The WSB wouldn’t be interested. She couldn’t run from questions forever. Jack Brennan ran the office in Port Charles, and he was relentless. He was smart, strategic, and ruthless. He recruited Josslyn while he was having a relationship with Carly, who had no idea. Britt said she knew they’d circle back to Carly, and Jason said Brennan would use whoever it took to get what he wanted and wouldn’t think twice about screwing her over. If she had a problem with Brennan, call him. Britt said, other than that, she wanted nothing to do with him.

Lulu asked if Nina was here on Brennan’s behalf, but Nina promised she wasn’t. And she wasn’t in it for Valentin. She wasn’t suggesting Lulu do this for Valentin’s benefit, but do it for her own. Brennan needed something from Valentin and if he had to, he’d find a way to contact Charlotte directly. If Charlotte found out that Valentin wanted to see her and Lulu become an obstacle, keeping her from her dad… Lulu said, Charlotte would end up resenting her, and Nina said her advice was to take control of the situation and use it to her advantage.

Charlotte said she thought their mom had calmed down about Obrecht, and Rocco said she was trying, but still didn’t like it. He felt bad, but couldn’t help it if he wanted to know more about Britt. Charlotte said she got it and don’t worry. He said he didn’t want to hurt their mom’s feelings, and Charlotte said that’s why she didn’t bring up her father. It made their mom uneasy. She loved them both, but it was better to keep their worlds separate. Obrecht brought over a dessert for them to share, but she wanted Rocco to eat. He was too skinny. Outback dashed out the door, and Rocco and Charlotte chased after her.

Jason said he was hoping saving Britt’s life and getting her a ticket back would make her cut him some slack, but she said business class wasn’t what it used to be. He owed her for running out to save Josslyn. He said he came back, but she said his priorities were the same. Carly always came first. Anything else was a distant second… which was fine. It wasn’t like they were together. He asked why she was angry, and she said he was acting like she could count on him. Why would she, when she’d just get the rug yanked out from under her. She was better off relying on herself like she always had. He said he was trying to be her friend, and she said he was lousy at it.

Lucas apologized to Elizabeth for Carly being harsh, and Elizabeth said she understood. He thanked her for not talking to the police, and she said, not yet. Drew knew she’d overheard, and she was sure he’d report the incident. Lucas said, of course (🍷). Anything to torment his sister or Michael. She said she couldn’t deny it happened, and he told her that Carly said she didn’t shoot Drew, and he believed her. He hoped nobody got arrested. Drew had pushed a lot of people way too far. It was terrible to say, but he thought Drew brought it on himself.

Carly said Michael didn’t shoot Drew, and Drew said, like Michael didn’t assault him at her restaurant and she covered it up. She said everyone would see that he was doing it to get Michael out of the way so Wiley and Amelia would go to Willow. If he had any proof, Michael would have been arrested. Drew said Michael threatened him and had a history of manslaughter, but Carly said there was a long list of people who wanted him dead. He said, including her. Maybe that’s why she was sure her son was innocent. She said if she’d wanted him dead, he’d be dead. She came to ask him to reconsider Scout’s living situation, so maybe he’d remember her mother’s wishes and do the right thing, but he was beyond hope. And so was Willow. She left.

Curtis said Drew thought he could go through his aunt to get to him, and Anna said he was convinced Drew weaponized his position to open the investigation. He said that was his theory, and she said, then the next question could only be, could he account for his whereabouts the night Drew was shot?

Jacinda said Michael offered to pay for her drink and they ended up talking for a while, and Dante asked what time Michael left. She said, they left the PC Grill around 9:15 and came back there, and Dante said Michael didn’t mention that. Michael said he was trying to be discreet, and Dante asked what time Michael left her room. Jacinda said, around 10:30, and Dante thanked her and asked for a word with his brother in private. She said, of course (🍷). She’d go shower. She left, and Michael said he knew he should have told Dante that he slept with her, but Dante said he didn’t believe that. But he did believe Michael paid her to be his alibi.

Jason asked where Britt was staying, and she said she didn’t know and she didn’t want his help. He said she might need it. From his experience, it wasn’t easy to jump back into life after being dead. There were legal obstacles. She said she needed to have a prescription filled, and he said, she needed to face the people who thought she was dead. She said she doubted she was missed, but he said her mom never stopped grieving. He missed her. She said, on second thought, he could help her. Did he have $20 for a cab? Make that $40. She always tipped. Actually, how much money did he have? He handed her all his cash, and she thanked him and said it was just a loan. She’d pay him back and for the plane ticket. He said there was no need, when their final descent was announced. She said she thought the flight would never end, and he said, whatever she was hiding, she didn’t have to hide it from him.

Rocco came back and Obrecht said he was bleeding. She sat him down, and he said he was chasing Outback and ran into a tree branch. She asked if he caught Outback, but he said, no. Charlotte was still out there, but insisted he get bandaged up. Could she do it? Obrecht said it was a nasty cut and would need stitches.

Nina said if Lulu offered Charlotte a chance to see her father, she’d come out the hero, not the villain. And she’d be part of the process. She could set limits and possibly be at the meeting. Lulu said she didn’t love the idea of Charlotte and Valentin reconnecting, especially now that Charlotte was settling in, and Nina said almost all of their conversations were about how much Charlotte missed her dad. Lulu said she had no idea. Charlotte rarely mentioned him. Nina said she was neutral, and Charlotte knew how she felt about Valentin. She hadn’t forgotten him or left him in the past. If Lulu facilitated a reunion, she’d score major points. Lulu’s phone rang, and she asked Rocco, what’s up? He said, don’t freak out, and she said, too late. He said Outback was off leash and he cut his forehead chasing her. Dr. Obrecht was taking him to get stitches. She happened to be there. Lulu said she’d meet him at the hospital, and asked Nina if she’d come as a buffer between her and Nina’s aunt.

Dante said he knew Michael beelined there to shore up his story. He wasn’t buying it. Michael said he was with Jacinda when Dante brought him in for questioning, and Dante said he didn’t want Michael to be guilty, but it was too convenient. Jacinda was already connected to Drew. Michael said he knew that, and Dante said just tell him the truth. Was Michael really with her the night Drew was shot? Dante’s phone rang, and he stepped away to talk to Lulu.

Trina said Portia saved Drew’s life. Did she think he’d stop the blackmail? Portia said he didn’t seem grateful, and Trina asked if Portia was still worried he’d try to expose her. Portia said, actually, no. She made peace with it and one good thing she learned was that there were some lines she wouldn’t cross, no matter how much Drew pushed. It was surprisingly freeing. She wasn’t living in fear and living on her own terms. If it came to light, she’d face it and deal with the consequences. Trina said she was glad to hear Portia say that and they hugged.

Anna said, when Chase spoke to Stella, she said Curtis dropped her home and left around 8:45. Dante said he didn’t return home until after midnight. Could he clarify where he was for three hours? Curtis said he was with Alexis, discussing his aunt’s case. He got there about 9 and stayed until 10:15. Then he went to The Savoy. Anna asked if anyone could verify that, but Curtis said, no. He came in the back and went to his office. He wanted alone time to decompress. She asked if he went anywhere else, and he said he met Jordan for a drink at the Brown Dog Bar. He arrived around 10:50, stayed until midnight, then went home. Anna said, unfortunately, he was alone at The Savoy at the time of the shooting, and Martin said it wasn’t a crime to be alone. It didn’t make him guilty. Anna said Curtis had training in law enforcement, which enabled him to cover things up. It didn’t make him guilty, but it did put him at the top of the suspect list.

Lulu and Dante arrived at the hospital and Rocco said he was fine, but Charlotte hadn’t found Outback yet. Obrecht asked why Nina was there, and she said she was with Lulu when Rocco called. Why didn’t they let the parents take over and go for a nightcap? Obrecht said she wasn’t thirsty, and Lucas said they were ready to give Rocco stitched. Rocco asked Lulu not to be mad at Dr. Obrecht. If not for her, he wouldn’t have gone to the hospital. Dante thanked Obrecht for looking after their son.

Jacinda asked where Michael’s brother went, and Michael said he had a family emergency. She asked if he bought their story, and he said, no, but it didn’t matter. He still had to report it. She said they barely had enough time to stage their assignation, and he thanked her for helping him. She said it helped them both to have an alibi. If anyone found out she was there to blackmail Drew, they’d try to pin it on her. Michael said, since neither of them could account for their whereabouts, they might as well help each other out.

Curtis went to see Portia and said he was definitely a prime suspect. The good news was, she wasn’t on the PCPD’s radar. Her name didn’t come up. Drew couldn’t talk about their conflict without incriminating himself. Portia said no matter how bad things got, they shared a daughter. After dragging him into this mess, the last thing they’d want is for Trina to get caught in the fallout. Curtis said there was something she could do to help.

Carly went to Anna’s office and said she had a confession. She threatened to kill Drew the night he was shot. Anna asked if Carly needed her lawyer, but Carly said she didn’t shoot him. She knew Anna would hear about it, so for the record, she was with Jack Brennan the whole night. Anna said Jack told her, but Carly’s boyfriend was a skillful liar.

Willow asked if Drew thought Carly could shoot him, and he said, it wouldn’t be the first time she shot someone. Willow said if she threatened him, he should tell the police, but he said that wouldn’t accomplish what he wanted. As far as he was concerned, Michael shot him. Even if it didn’t play to his advantage, he’d have Michael take the fall. Willow asked if Drew was going to frame Michael. He already told the police that he didn’t see anything. Drew said the thing about traumatic memories was that they came flooding back any moment.

Curtis said if it became public knowledge that Drew screwed up their marriage, it would lead to more scrutiny which would lead to Drew’s blackmail. They needed to behave as though their marriage was still strong. Was she willing to do that?

Jacinda said Michael’s brother was already suspicious. What if he found out they were lying? Michael said they just needed to be consistent and commit to their story, and she asked if there were any scars or tattoos she should know about.

Willow said if Drew was going to say Michael was responsible when he wasn’t, the person was still out there to try again. Drew said he was willing to risk it. When Michael was convicted, her kids would come back, and their family would be whole. He knew she didn’t approve… She said it was fine. She’d do anything to get her kids back.

Carly said if Anna was accusing her and Jack of lying, be sure she had proof, and Anna said lying came easily to Jack. It was something Carly needed to know. Carly said she knew Jack lied about work, but when it came to their relationship, they had an understanding. Anna asked if she believed Jack would never lie to her, when they saw Jason at the door.

Britt walked into the hospital, hesitated, then walked through those loud sliding doors. Elizabeth saw her and said, Oh… my… God. Britt? Britt turned and saw Obrecht and Nina, and Lulu said they thought she was… Britt said, dead? Believe it or not, she was back. There were soap faces all around, and Obrecht fainted.

🫔 Friday’s Enchilada…

Brick shows up at Sonny’s office and Sonny says, easy trip? Brick says, no complaints, and Sonny asks if Brick did that thing he asked him to do. Brick says, it’s handled, and Sonny says, so the cops investigating Judge Haran’s murder will find the million-dollar deposit in her bank account. Brick says, it was supposed to look like it came from Sonny, and Sonny says, but it’s going to look like came from Drew Cain. Brick says, that would be true.

At the Bad Jen Café, Emma said, it’s so close, she can taste it, and Gio asks how victory tastes. She says, sweet. Every day, Dalton is trusting her more and more, confiding in her, and adding more responsibilities. He says, awesome, and she says, it’s everything working for since she was back in California. He says, she’s almost there. She just has to get answers and proof. She says, and that piece of garbage will finally get nailed. They’re going to make that happen. He says, yes, they are, together, and they clink coffee cups.

Josslyn and Vaughn come up on a deck from the beach and lean their surfboards against the railing. They go inside to a bedroom, and Vaughn says he couldn’t wait to get back here. She says, really? and they get busy.

Carly says she didn’t know Jason was back in town. How was his trip? He says, eventful, and she says she can’t wait to hear about it, but he says he needs to speak to Anna alone.

Elizabeth tells Obrecht, keep breathing… There she is. Nina asks if she’s okay, and Elizabeth tells her not to stand. She might still be dizzy. Obrecht says she still doesn’t know what happened. Her mind must be playing tricks. Britt says, this isn’t a trick, mutter, and comes into view. Elizabeth says, take it easy, and Nina helps Obrecht up. Obrecht says, this can’t be happening, but Britt says, it is. She swears. Obrecht touches her and says, you’re here. Britt says, yes, and they hug.

Obrecht cries and says she’d been dreaming of this moment. Every night, Britt is standing before her. Right now, how is it possible? Where was she?

Brick tells Sonny, the wire transfer is complete, with account numbers linking Drew with Judge Haran. It was nice and snug in his safe when Brick left. Sonny says, it won’t be hard to believe, given Drew’s public obsession with getting Willow’s kids back to her, and Brick says, exactly.  If the cops haven’t found it already, they will soon. Sonny says, and after that, Drew’s political career is going to tank, and Brick says, unless whoever tried to kill him comes back to finish job first.

Jason asks Carly to give him a minute – please, and she says she knows what he has to say to Anna is probably important, but there’s a lot of things that happened while he was gone. Can’t it wait? He says, no. He’ll find her when he’s done, but he really needs to talk to Anna. Carly says, okay, and Anna thanks her for coming in. She appreciates it. Carly leaves, and Anna says she guesses Jason is going to have to pay for that. Jason says he knows how to handle Carly. He needs to know what to tell her about her daughter. How long has Anna known that Josslyn was in the WSB?  

Josslyn wondered why it was so intense between her and Vaughn, and he says, they almost died last night. Now it’s like everything is in high definition. She says, more vivid, and he says, every touch, every sound, every sensation. Their bodies know how close they came to never feeling any of that again. They start getting busy, round two.

Britt says they have plenty of time to get into all that. Right now, she wants to enjoy the moment; doesn’t Obrecht? Obrecht says she does, but she has so many questions, and Dante says, it’s probably not the best idea to be here right now. Britt asks if that’s code for, how the hell are you? Welcome back. I’m so glad you’re alive. Dante says they can skip the pleasantries, and Britt says she sees he hasn’t lost his holier-than-thou-ness. He says she hasn’t lost her ability to cause a scene, and Nina says, let’s all just take a breath. She looks at Britt and says, oh, hello. How the hell are you? Welcome back. I’m so glad you’re alive. They hug, and Britt tells Dante, see how easy that is? Nina says she’s just happy to see Britt. She’s trying to wrap her mind around it. It’s unbelievable. They missed her so much. Britt says she missed both of them so much, and at the desk, Lulu asks if Elizabeth can do her a favor. Could she please keep Rocco in the exam room while they deal with this? Elizabeth says, yes, of course (🍷), and Lulu thanks her. Britt says, hang on. Ben is here at the hospital?  

Emma looks at the door, and Gio asks if she’s waiting for someone. She says, actually, yes, and he says, ouch. Is his company that bad? She says, Dalton stops by here every night after work, which means he should… Yep. Bingo. He says, that was almost great, and she says, wish her luck. He says, good luck, creepy, and she gets up taking her uneaten dessert. He says, that’s what the cheesecake was for.

Emma sees Dalton at the counter and says, what a nice surprise. He asks if she’s following him, but she says she’s pretty sure she was here first. She knows he loves the pistachio cheesecake. She offers him her slice, and he says, she pays attention to everything, doesn’t she? She says she tries, when Charlotte comes in and asks Gio if he’s heard from Rocco, but he says, no. What happened? She says, Outback ran away, and he asks what she’s talking about. She says they took her off leash to untangle it and this car backfired. She freaked when she heard it and ran away. He asks if Rocco is out looking, and she says, he was, but he cut his head trying to find her and went to GH to get stitches. Gio says, yikes, and she says, it’s not the best night. She promised to find Outback, but so far, no luck. How is she supposed to tell Rocco that she’s worried Outback is gone for good? Rocco loves that dog so much.

Rocco said he wasn’t looking where he was going and ran right into a branch, and Lucas says, it got him pretty good too. He’s lucky it didn’t get him in the eye. Rocco says, Dr. Obrecht made him get checked out, and Lucas says, she was right. He definitely needed stitches. Sorry about his dog. He hopes Rocco finds her soon. Rocco says, him too. His sister is still out looking. Elizabeth comes in and asks how it’s going, and Lucas says he’s just about done. She asks if he remembered to administer the new protocol, the second disinfectant wash on all superficial wounds. She tells Rocco, sorry, buddy. They’re just going to have to keep him a little longer. It’s the new rule. She gives Lucas a look, and he says, right. He thanks her for the reminder and says, new protocol coming up. Sorry about this. It will just take a minute.

Lulu tells Britt that her son’s name is Rocco. She knows that. Britt says, but he’s at GH. Is he all right? Dante says, their son is not her business, and Nina says, it’s a beautiful moment. Try not to tarnish it, please. She suggests Britt and Obrecht come home with her so they can catch up, and Obrecht says she didn’t ask why Britt was here. Is she okay? She can get someone to see Britt right away. Britt says she’s she fine. She just needs to reup some meds. Obrecht says, of course (🍷), and suggests the get them right now, but Lulu says, wait. She’d like to explain the situation to Rocco before… Britt says, before what? Before she kidnaps the kid and runs away with him? Lulu says, before he sees her. This is going to be a shock for him, and she’d like him to hear it from them. Britt says, God forbid the baby she brought into the world gets a glimpse of her. Fine. One night without her meds won’t kill her… she hopes… Come on. That was funny. Obrecht says they’ll take Nina up on her offer, and Nina says, great. They leave, and Lulu asks if Dante heard that. He says, of course (🍷), and she says, the baby she brought into this world. What the hell are they going to do?

Sonny says, Brick was in Drew’s house the night he got shot, and Brick asks if Sonny is telling him, or was there a question in there? Sonny asks if he saw anything, but Brick says he was gone long before the shooting. Sonny knows how he likes to move… Like a ghost. They laugh, and Sonny says, you know, it’s too bad Brick wasn’t there. Then he’d know who tried to off that bastard.

Anna asks if Jason found Josslyn. Is she all right? He says, she’s safe, for now, and Anna says, good. She’s so relieved. He asks how long she’s known, and she says, for a few months. He says, what? How did she find out? She says she was suspicious of Dalton, and Jason says, the PCU professor? She says, yeah. So her granddaughter Emma had this odd obsession with him. She was trying to inch her way into his inner circle, and it suddenly occurred to her, did Emma follow him out here from California? There must be something there. So she started investigating, and in tracking him, she came across Josslyn. He says, because Josslyn was his assistant, but she says, no. She had Dante trailing a courier going between Dalton and a third party, and in tracking the courier, she realized Josslyn was doing the exact same thing. He says, and Dante was sure about exactly what Josslyn was doing? and she says, yes. He saw her put a tracker in the courier’s backpack. That’s when it all fell into place, when she realized Josslyn was on a mission investigating Dalton. Jason says, she should have told him, and she says, of course (🍷) she wanted to tell him. Does he think she didn’t? She couldn’t. Jack stopped her. He realized she was suspicious and getting close to the truth, so he brought her in and told her everything. Every last word was classified. He says, so if she told him, that would be treason, and she says she could be sent to prison and wanted to avoid that. So she motivated him into Josslyn’s orbit. He says, she didn’t motivate him. She manipulated him.

Lulu tells Dante that she only indulged Rocco’s curiosity because she assumed it was harmless and couldn’t lead to anything. Now Britt is back. Dante says they’ve got to learn from their mistake, and Lulu says, what mistake? She’s kidding. He says they’ve got to be up front with Rocco, and she says she knew he was going to say that. He says he doesn’t like it any more than she does, but if they don’t tell Rocco, he’s just going to find out anyway. Lulu says, he will. Brook may just want to spring it on him. He’s right of course (🍷). She just can’t believe this is happening.

Elizabeth looks through the blinds, and Lucas says, all right, Mr. Falconari. The good news is, the stitches dissolve and the sterile strips fall off in about a week. So he doesn’t need to come back, unless there’s an issue, obviously. Rocco says, awesome. Is it cool if he looks for Outback? Is it safe or whatever? Lucas says, yeah, since there’s no concussion. But nothing too strenuous. And watch out for branches. Rocco says he will, and Elizabeth tells him to take care of himself. Good luck with his search. Rocco leaves, and Lucas says, what was that about? Elizabeth says, is he ready for this? and he says he’s not sure. She says, the Britch is back.

Rocco says he got stitches that apparently dissolve on their own, and Lulu says, let her see. Does it hurt? He says, no. Any word from Charlotte? Dante says, not yet, and Rocco says, where’s Dr. Obrecht? Lulu says, she went with Nina, and Dante says, maybe they should get going too. They’ve got something to chat about. They leave.

Nina tells Britt and Obrecht, come on in. Make yourself at home. Britt can stay as long as she wants. She’ll make sure the guest room has everything she needs, and she’ll get Britt a spare key. Britt thanks her… What? Is there something on her face? Obrecht says her face is perfect just as it always has been. She can’t believe Britt is here. Britt says, in the flesh, and Obrecht says, Britt appeared to her in her dreams all the time. She relied on those dreams so much. Britt takes Obrecht’s hands and says, hey, this isn’t a dream. She’s here. She’s home and with her. Nina says they can finally talk about that since it’s just them. Where has she been all this time? What has she been doing?

Carly and Brick hug, and she says she didn’t know he’d be in town. She would have done her makeup. Brick says she doesn’t need makeup, and Sonny says, that’s exactly why he didn’t tell her. She says she loves when Brick is in town. It makes her feel like nothing bad can go wrong. Brick says she knows he loves taking care of his favorite powerhouse. That’s automatic. She asks if he’s still cold plunging, and he says, yes, opening his jacket. Look at him. Does she see him? She says, it’s working, and Sonny asks if this can wait until they’re finished. Brick says, it’s jealousy, and Sonny says he thought Carly had something important to tell him. She says she does. Jason is back. Did he know? Sonny says, yeah, and she says, he’s with Anna. Sonny asks how she knows, and she says she was in Anna’s office when he showed up. And the first thing asked was for her to leave so he could have a private conversation with Anna. Sonny wondered what kind of business Jason had with the Commissioner.

Anna says, Jack tied her hands, but Jason says he doesn’t care. She still should have told him. Instead, she sent him to Croatia blind. She says she couldn’t risk it. Jack would have shipped her off to Steinmaur the first chance he got. Jason says, what about Josslyn? She could have been killed. She says, that’s why she pointed him in her direction, and he says, the WSB in Croatia. She says she doesn’t know why Josslyn would want to go down this path. She wouldn’t wish this on anyone. She was practically begging Jack to pull her out, but he refused. When Jason came to her, he’d said something about seeing Britt at the airport carrying a bag from a resort in Dalmatia. She had to protect Josslyn, so she sent him in.

Basking in the afterglow, Josslyn wonders what happens when they go back to the real world, but Vaughn says, don’t think about that. She asks, why? and he says, Brennan. Is she going to be able to cover? She says, yes, but… and he says, but nothing. Brennan can’t know about this. They start to kiss, but hear something outside the door. They draw their guns and Jack comes in. They slowly lower their guns.

Emma tells Dalton that the report came out today and she went ahead and printed it out. She organized it all and the report is on his desk. He says, incredible, and thanks her. She says he’s welcome. So what’s next? He says, next… well, he supposes he has to let her in on a little secret.

Carly tells Sonny and Brick that she knew it was only a matter of time before Anna heard she’d threatened Drew, so she decided to get ahead of it. She told Anna, yes. She looked in Drew’s face and told him that she’d kill him herself, but she didn’t shoot him. Brick says, smart, but volunteering anything to the police is risky, and Sonny says, unless someone is trying to draw attention to themselves to get it away from somebody else. Brick says, is the someone else her son Michael? Does she think her son shot Drew?

Jason says, Anna shouldn’t have been focused on pulling Josslyn out of the op. She should have been focused on pulling her out of the WSB. Anna asks what makes him think she has any influence over Josslyn whatsoever, and he says, because she knows that life. She knows it cost her everything. It cost her family, her relationships, who she is. You become the lie the WSB makes you live. She says, Josslyn didn’t exactly call and ask for advice before she signed up. She had no idea Josslyn was even considering this. She knows Jason loves Josslyn very much and knows how important she is and her entire family is to him, but Josslyn isn’t a child anymore. She’s a grown woman who makes her own decisions and she’s chosen this life. Anna thinks it was of her own free will. He says he hates it, and she says she does too, but she doesn’t think Josslyn was forced. He says, maybe not forced, but definitely manipulated, and she says, she probably was. They know a lot about that. They trusted and respected people who came into their lives at the exact right moment and started them on a path that they probably shouldn’t have gone down. Who knows what type of people they’d been if they’d been left alone. Jason says, Sonny was there for him. He always has been. Sonny gave him a sense of purpose. The first time they met the guy put cash in his hand. Anna says, the Bureau put cash in her hand too. Because the Bureau, because Sonny, they saw something in them that they recognized. That they would do whatever it takes to belong, to have a purpose. He asks if she’s saying the WSB saw something similar in Josslyn, and she says she thinks Brennan saw something. Something so important, he was willing to risk his relationship to Carly… Oh God. Carly. She can’t even imagine how Jack betrayed her. Jason says, it sounds a lot like what Anna did to him.

Lucas tells Elizabeth, Britt Westbourne is dead. There was a funeral and everything. She says she’s telling him that Britt is here. She saw Britt with her own eyes. Lucas says, it’s not like how it was with Jason. There was a body. Heather Webber killed her. Elizabeth asks him to consider who her parents are, consider who she is. She comes from a long line of really awful… She doesn’t know how to describe them. The point is, she or they or someone pulled it off. He says, so she faked her own death, and Elizabeth says she doesn’t really know what Britt did, but it sure looks like that. He says, now that she’s back, he has to call Brad. He was absolutely devastated when she died. Elizabeth says, that’s the last thing he needs.

Jack says, excuse me, Mr., and Mrs. Nash. He’ll give them a minute. He leaves and they get dressed. Vaughn opens the door and says they know it’s against the rules but… Josslyn says, it won’t interfere with their job. He’ll see. Jack asks what the hell they were thinking, and Vaughn says, they came to Australia… and Josslyn says, to establish her cover story. Jack says, they need to tell him everything that happened at the Five Poppies resort, starting with Britt Westbourne.

Britt says she knows they both have a lot of questions, but it’s really a long story. She promises to get to it, but right now she’s exhausted. It was a brutal flight. Nina says, Britt has been through so much, she’s probably only thinking about a bed and a shower. They can catch up tomorrow. Obrecht says, no. She refuses to wait another moment. She’s waited long enough. It’s been two years, and she mourned every single day. Now Britt is here and she needs answers. She deserves to know what happened to her daughter.

As they go into the house, Rocco says, they were weird the whole ride home. What’s going on? Did they hear something about Outback? Lulu says she’s sorry. They didn’t hear anything, but they have to believe they’ll find her. Inside, Rocco says he thinks he’ll put Outback on Investigate before he goes to bed, and Lulu says, good idea. Dante says, wait. Hold up. There’s some stuff they’ve got to talk to him about. Charlotte comes downstairs and asks if they found Outback.

Elizabeth says, things are going so well for Lucas and Marco. Does he really want to be dragged back into Brad’s drama? Who’s to say he doesn’t already know? She wouldn’t put past Brad to involved with Britt’s cover-up. Does he really want to get tangled up in that mess? Lucas says he really doesn’t think Brad could fake grief like that, but she says she doesn’t know what Brad is capable of. But she does know he lied about Wiley to him, Michael, and Willow every single day for like, two years. He says, Brad did it for him, and she says, maybe. Maybe he lied for Britt. He did love her too. She thinks it’s fair to say Brad could justify pretty much anything. He says, Brad could and has and will again, and she says she’s sorry. She knows it’s not what he wants to hear. He says, it’s not, but it’s what he needed to hear. Who knows how deeply Brad is involved in this? Anything is possible when it comes to Brad and Britt Westbourne and none of it is good.  

Britt says, okay. Before Josslyn was attacked on the pier, she was approached about an intriguing research project out of the country. Obrecht says, and she told them, yes, but Britt says, no. Not at first. But she kept thinking of the heartbreak of Obrecht watching her die of Huntington’s. She didn’t want that for either of them, so when Heather Webber attacked Josslyn, then she… Nina asks if it was all staged, but Britt says, no. The attack was real, but her dying wasn’t. Obrecht asks if she’s saying she’s responsible for this. She’s responsible for making them think she was dead.

Lulu tells Charlotte that they haven’t found Outback yet, but she’s sure they will tomorrow. She’ll help put up fliers and look. Charlotte says, so will she, and Lulu says, right now, she has something she need to tell both of them. It’s about Britt Westbourne. Dante says, they saw her tonight at GH, and Rocco asks how that’s possible. Charlotte says, wasn’t she murdered by Heather Webber? and Lulu says, apparently not. She’s very much alive. She doesn’t know all the details or what happened. Lucas asks if Dr. Obrecht knew she was alive, but Dante says, no. She definitely didn’t. They all saw her for the first time tonight. Rocco asks if Britt was there while he was getting stitches, and Dante says, she was. Rocco asks why he didn’t get to see her. Were they keeping him from her?

Anna says she knows Jason thinks she betrayed him, but she’d hoped in time he’d see that she didn’t. She didn’t have any other choices. Jason says, she had a choice. She picked the easy one. She says she didn’t see any other way. If he thinks it was easy for her to keep him in the dark, he really doesn’t know her at all. He says he thought he did, and she says she’s really sorry. She can’t change what she did. He says, yeah. Whatever. He’s got to focus on Carly. She says, he may not believe it, but she’s been thinking about Carly too, and now that he knows everything, what is he going to do? Is he going to tell Carly the truth?

Carly says, their son is not a violent person, Sonny says, their son would not shoot someone in the back. She says, but Drew is going to do whatever he can to make sure Michael goes down for it, because Drew is obsessed with Willow. And getting her kids back will guarantee she stays with him. What better way to do that? Brick says, if Michael is in prison for attempted murder, and she says, exactly. Sonny says that’s why he wanted Michael to compromise with Willow in the first place. That way, he could have ended this and still had the upper hand. Carly says, it’s too late for that because Drew will stop at nothing to get what he wants. Hell, he’s going to use his own brush with death to do it and he will destroy their son in the process.

Josslyn says she and Vaughn discovered Britt Westbourne was alive and thought it could not have been a coincidence that a doctor with a research background was at the Five Poppies. Vaughn says, a doctor who faked her own death, and Josslyn says, she had to have been involved with whatever was going on and they had an in. She knows Britt. Britt saved her life. Jack says, okay. Did they get anything out of her? Josslyn says, they tried, and Vaughn says, all of a sudden, their cover was blown. Jack says, Colette Moreau, and Josslyn says, hold on. His next in command Colette? That explains the black box. She’s who they were communicating with. They asked about the code to the black box. They knew about it. Jack says he’s confused as to why they’re still alive. Why didn’t they just kill them and be done with it? Vaughn says, they were being kept as test subjects, human guinea pigs for their radiation experiments, and Jack asks how they escaped. Josslyn says, Jason saved them, and Jack says, Jason Morgan?

Carly says she knows Michael didn’t do it, and Brick says, all right. He’ll see what he can do. Sonny says, good. They’ve got to get ahead of Drew’s accusations. Carly says, they need to protect Michael from the fallout that will come when Drew makes it, because he will. She knows this is wrong to say, but Michael, Wiley, and Amelia would be better off if Drew was dead. Sonny says, it’s not wrong, cuz it’s the truth, and Brick says, there’s still time for that. Sonny tells them, Drew can say whatever he wants about Michael, but sooner or later, his word is going to mean jack with the cops.

Looking like he has a headache, Jack says, how the hell did Jason Morgan get there? and Josslyn says she doesn’t actually know. But if she had to guess, she assumes it had something to do with Britt. Jack says, Jason’s not working with her, and Josslyn says, no, but they used to be involved. Jack says, so what she’s telling him is, Jason Morgan found out where Britt was and in doing so… Josslyn says, he found them and saved their lives. Jack says, this was supposed to be a reconnaissance mission and what they’re telling him is that they risked their lives, defied his orders, and have nothing to show for it.

On the phone, Dalton says, they’re coming tonight… No. He’ll be there to accept it. Emma asks if he needs her help, but he says, absolutely not. He can handle it. He’ll see her tomorrow. She says, count on it, and he says, good. Tomorrow, everything is going be revealed. She says, before he goes, he has to tell her what the secret is, and he says, they use sheep’s milk in the lattes. That’s why they taste so good. He leaves, and Gio asks, how’d it go? She says, Dalton just confirmed everything. He’s expecting a new shipment of test subjects and he’s a sick, sick bastard. But she’s finally got him… What’s wrong? Gio says he hates to rain on her parade, and she tells him, just say it. He says, Outback is missing.

Jason says he can’t tell Carly the truth because he made a promise to Josslyn, and Anna says she guesses he was forced to. He says, if she’d been honest with him before he found out, he could have told Carly before he promised Josslyn, and Anna says, okay. It is what it is at this point. She doesn’t know what to say. She thinks they’ve both been in situations before that were far from ideal. She told him everything she knows and answered all of his questions. What went down over there? What happened? Jack said it was a reconnaissance mission. What did Josslyn find and how is Britt even involved in any of this? He says, she wants answers? Go ask her friend Jack Brennan. He walks out.

Rocco says, please be honest and tell him what happened, and Lulu says, when he was with the doctor, everyone was overwhelmed, including Britt. She left with Dr. Obrecht and Nina to work things out as a family. Dante said they wanted to do the same with him, and Rocco asks if they talked to her. Lulu says they did, and Dante says, yeah, briefly. Rocco says, is she okay? What did she say happened? Dante says, she didn’t. This is a lot for everyone. Lulu says they need to take things slow, and Rocco says, yeah, sure.

Britt says, yes, she was in on it. She was protecting Obrecht from the agony of watching her deteriorate. Obrecht says, yes, watching Britt die in her arms was mujch better. Obrecht gets up, and Britt says she couldn’t bear for Obrecht to see her waste away. Obrecht says, so she played God with their hearts and their lives. Britt says she wonders where she gets that, and goes over to Obrecht. She says, please. She’s home and she loves her. She did all of this for her. Obrecht says, please. She was thinking of no one but herself and she tortured the people who loved her in the process. She slaps Britt, and Nina is like, whoa.

On Monday, Anna tells chase that Drew is turner’s problem now: Brennan says Vaughn and Josslyn’s little stunt is going to cost them both: Drew tells Martin to make sure the police never see the evidence; and Britt says she’s the monster Obrecht raised her to be.

🧼 All the Soap News Fit To Print…

Were they literally waiting for someone else to pass away before they let Monica rest in peace?

https://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/how-general-hospital-plans-to-honor-the-late-tristan-rogers-and-leslie-charleson/

The latest in Charlottes.

https://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/who-is-general-hospitals-new-charlotte-meet-actress-bluesy-burke-who-takes-over-from-scarlett-fernandez/

Hmm… Sounds like she invested her life in a dude and it didn’t work out. Join the club.

https://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/general-hospitals-kelly-thiebaud-shares-i-went-through-a-bit-of-a-midlife-crisis/

Well, we were hoping.

https://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/general-hospitals-cameron-mathison-one-thousand-percent-feared-drew-would-be-killed-off-excl/

It’s more than just turning on your TV. Streaming on October 17th.

https://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/how-to-watch-the-2025-daytime-emmy-awards/

💉 A Dose Of Reality…

Below Deck

More boatmance nonsense. I’m not sure what’s so great about lazy AF Solène or for that matter, any of the deck crew. Maybe it just doesn’t come across on screen. What is up with spiraling chefs that need to always be coddled, no pun intended. We ended with Chef Anthony saying he didn’t want to do a damn thing, but he did give a great quote: I’m not a f***in’ octopus and not Mary Poppins. Alrighty then. Next time, the finale.

The Real Housewives Of Orange County

Tamra invited Shannon, Gina, and Jenn on an overnight trip and Shannon packed like she was going for weeks. I understand. Fancy Pants Heather interviewed Dylan Mulvaney on her podcast and talked about her mission to foster acceptance, especially since she had a kaleidoscope of kids. Jenn’s fat photo was rehashed again and Tamra continued on her endless apology sorry-not-sorry tour. It was life as usual in the OC.

The Real Housewives Of Miami

As usual, the women didn’t appreciate being on a fabulous trip, this time on a huge yacht. The spa! An 80s aerobics class! In their interviews, everyone talked about what they did in the 80s. The best one was Stephanie, who said she’d been in diapers while her husband was in college. Even though Adriana was shunning birthdays, not wanting to be reminded of her age, a birthday party was thrown anyway. She was a pretty good sport, considering the cake said 32 x 2 – 5 on it. In her interview, she did say she hated the cake.

Random Reality Items

First of all, what’s up with Andy Cohen’s hair these days?

Of course they’re a set-up. I have never once had an overly aggressive fight with someone at a dinner – or any fight for that matter.

On the other hand, there are some real moments. Mary was just so raw last season.

Hey, hookers have to eat too. And what’s white trash about a turkey sandwich? Baloney maybe.

👀 Last Weekend’s Watch…

Love Con Revenge. Netflix. Along with a detective sidekick, Cecilie Fjellhoy of Tinder Swindler fame chases down horrible people preying on those looking for love. It makes me sick to hear how much money people can be rooked out of by these bad actors. It was somewhat satisfying to watch a few of them get their comeuppance.

https://people.com/where-is-cecilie-fjellhoy-tinder-swindler-victim-now-11805990

https://ew.com/love-con-revenge-scammers-where-are-they-now-11805593

The Endless. Amazon. That’s kind of how I felt about this film, that it was endless. Maybe I’m jaded or maybe I just should have watched something with zombies in it. I was expecting more of a Nope, but not in the way I got it. Apparently, a lot more people enjoyed it than I did, but come on, Lovecraft Country it wasn’t.

https://collider.com/the-endless-movie-lovecraft/

Upload. Amazon. A four-season series with a definitive ending (thank you – Amazon has burned me more than once), I’m only just finishing Season 1, but I’m really enjoying it. Main character Nathan has a rich girlfriend who buys him an upscale afterlife when he dies prematurely in a car accident. How great your afterlife is, depends on how much money you can pump into it. I love the attention to detail, and the show is funny AF. I do tend to agree with the reviewer who thinks there should have been more story about the difference in classes, but you can’t have everything. What’s really weird is, I just read a book called The Uploaded by Ferrett Steinmetz with a similar premise, but more dystopian with wars going on among the living, some of whom want to destroy the system. Even weirder, while I was checking to see if there was any tie between the two, I saw that there is yet another book called Upload by Mark McClelland, but it also has no connection.

https://slate.com/culture/2020/04/upload-amazon-series-review-greg-daniels-good-place.html

https://www.cbr.com/prime-video-upload-season-4-rotten-tomatoes-score/

Daryl Dixon, Season 2 premiere. AMC/AMC+. I nearly forgot about this show, but remembered by Sunday and it didn’t disappoint. Daryl and Carol went from France to London to Spain, encountering zombies and the last man in England. Who says you can’t still be a world traveler during a zombie apocalypse? This is a recap, so all the spoilers.

https://collider.com/the-walking-dead-daryl-dixon-season-3-premiere-recap/

🎃 They’re Creepy and They’re Cooking…

Halloween Baking Championship returns on September 15th and Halloween Wars returns on September 21st. I love these shows. Those who can’t do, watch it on TV.

https://www.foodnetwork.com/shows/articles/halloween-baking-championship-and-halloween-wars-new-season

📸 Celebs In the Wild…

My girl, Lady Gaga, and Apt. (another favorite) were big winners.

https://ew.com/mtv-vmas-2025-winners-list-11802732

I’m pretty sure there’s no designer name on FKA twigs because she made it herself.

https://www.eonline.com/photos/37874/mtv-vmas-2025-red-carpet-celebrity-looks

You’re welcome, Canada.

https://ew.com/toronto-international-film-festival-2025-exclusive-celebrity-photos-11804051

🏆 Upcoming Trophies…

The Emmys air on September 14th.

https://parade.com/tv/emmys-2025

And the rest.

https://deadline.com/feature/awards-season-calendar-oscars-emmys-golden-globes-list-1234814076/

🐾 The Famous and the Odd…

🐩 More fans than all of us put together. And rightly so.

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

🐶 Any list with Pilaf on it is okay by me.

https://people.com/cutest-celebrity-dogs-almost-as-famous-as-their-parents-11697141

🐊 Hey, some people carry little dogs in tote bags, others bring sweater donned alligators to Walmart.

https://people.com/mans-emotional-support-alligator-denied-entry-walmart-11808776

🐐 Their vocals are a little disturbing.

https://people.com/maine-officials-respond-to-concerned-call-about-screaming-woman-find-yelling-goat-11805555

📬 Quotes of the Week

Ethics is knowing the difference between what you have a right to do and what is right to do.Potter Stewart

I cannot remember the books I’ve read any more than the meals I have eaten; even so, they have made me. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

If you can’t yet do great things, do small things in a great way. – Napoleon Hill

Don’t watch the clock; do what it does. Keep going. – Sam Levenson

Knowledge is different from all other resources. It makes itself constantly obsolete, so that today’s advanced knowledge is tomorrow’s ignorance.Peter Drucker

Beware the fury of a patient man. – John Dryden

It’s the job that’s never started that takes the longest to finish. – J.R.R. Tolkien

I can’t tell you how bad I don’t want to be here. – Isaac Plath, Welcome to Plathville

If you fall, make it part of the dance. – Luann de Lesseps

⌛️ Golden Days Fading…

Until next week, stay safe; stay getting yourself some fun school supplies, whether you’re going back to school or not; and stay never taking your dog off leash outside of your (hopefully fenced in) yard.

August 1, 2024 – Kristina Confronts Ava, First Look, Milestone, Teed Off In the OC, VanderItems, Perfection, New Dance, Instagrammable & First

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

At the pool, Lois tells Brook that it was very generous of Sonny to bankroll a new label for Blaze and put Brook in charge. Has she spoken to him about how many employees he’s willing to pay for? Brook says she’s sure he’ll be open to whatever. It just happened and it will all come together. She’s just grateful for the amazing opportunity to prove herself and for Blaze to make the music she believes in. Lois says, true, but managing a label is like night and day from managing an artist. Is Brook 100% sure she’s willing to take this on?

Ava goes over gallery stuff with Trina in her room, when John walks out wearing nothing but a towel. (You’d think he’d have learned from the last time.)

Jordan finds TJ at the hospital, and says, her favorite son. He says he’s her only son, and she says, a minor detail. She’s sorry she had to cancel dinner the other night, but she has the feeling something is bothering him and thought she’d check in. He says, the situation with Kristina has gone from bad to worse.

On the phone with DeWitt, Alexis tells him that Kristina made her statement. If she sees any inflammatory words about her daughter in print, he’ll answer to her.

Molly meets Sam at the Port Charles Surf Lodge and says she’s guessing Sam is as shocked as she is about the interview. Sam says, it was unexpected, and Molly says, it was a sucker punch. Everyone is buying that Kristina claims the baby is hers and Blaze’s.

On the phone with Brick, Sonny says he wants to know what Ava and Jagger are doing and who else Ava is seeing. 24-hour surveillance with photos. Kristina comes in and says, he won’t believe what happened. He asks if she’s okay, but she says, no. She was served with a subpoena by Ava. She’s being forced to testify. He says he knew Ava fought dirty, but didn’t know she was that dirty, and Kristina says, Molly told her that if she doesn’t show up, she’ll be held in contempt. He says, she can’t ignore it, and she says she’s afraid if they question her, she’ll have to tell them about him beating Dex at the wedding. He’s going to lose custody of Avery and get arrested. He says, she doesn’t have to worry. It won’t get that far.

Brook says she knows she’s got a lot to learn, but she’s excited. She thinks it’s a great move for her, but Lois doesn’t seem convinced. Is she worried Brook can’t do it? Lois says, absolutely not. Her daughter can do anything she puts her mind to. Brook says she thinks they’re getting ahead of themselves. She hasn’t told Blaze yet, and if Blaze doesn’t want to take this leap of faith with her, they’re dead in the water. Lois says, it’s a great opportunity. What artist would turn down this kind of comeback after being dropped by their label? Brook says, Blaze has been through a lot, and this could rebuild her career and take her to the next level, and Lois says she’s always rooting for Brook. That being said, she has some questions about Sonny’s involvement. Brook says, other than the money, she doesn’t think he wants to be involved. She’ll make all the decision. It’s perfect, right?

Trina says she’s so sorry, and Ava says, John was just using her shower. The place he’s staying at has terrible water pressure, and he needs to be shipshape for important FBI business. Trina says, showers are important. She has to go to work. She’ll see Ava at the gallery. She leaves, and Ava says, discreet goes a long way, so heads up, but he says he didn’t realize she had a visitor. If she doesn’t want him to get caught, tell him someone is here. She says she didn’t expect him to come out undressed, and he says she didn’t mind him staying undressed last night. (Thank God I didn’t have to see that.) She says, they had fun, but he can’t stay here. She’s going through a custody battle. If it had been anybody other than Trina, it would have made her look bad.

Sonny tells Kristina, don’t worry. She won’t have to testify. It’s going to be over before the court date. She says she hopes so, and he tells her to sit down and relax. Tell him what else is going on. Scotty walks in and says, the court ruled against Sonny’s attempt to block Ava’s visitation. She’s spending the weekend with her kid. He shows Sonny a paper, and Sonny says, we’ll see. Scotty says, it’s not up for negotiation. The court has spoken, and when he’s through, the only way Sonny will see his kid is through binoculars. Sonny asks if Scotty is threatening him, and Kristina says, Scotty is riling him up. It’s not worth it. Sonny tells him, get out, and Scotty says he’ll see Kristina tomorrow at 10 am on the nose. She says she doesn’t have an appointment with him, but he says, she hasn’t read the subpoena very well.

Sam asks if Molly thinks it’s possible that she misinterpreted Kristina, and Molly says, it sounds like Sam talked to Kristina. Is that why she wanted to meet? Sam says she hasn’t seen Kristina, and they haven’t talked, but maybe Kristina didn’t mean to imply the baby was hers and Blaze’s. Molly says, obviously, they interpreted it the same way. Saying it was private implied they’re going to be new parents, and social media is thinking the same thing. Sam tells her, stop scrolling, and Molly says she talked to Kristina. She said that she was protecting Molly and TJ’s privacy. Sam says, that’s plausible. Does Molly believe her? Molly says she doesn’t know. She wants to trust Kristina will honor her promise, but in trying to force her hand, she might have pushed Kristina to do the opposite.  

TJ says, it sounded like Kristina was going back on her word and was going to keep the baby, and Jordan asks what Molly thinks. TJ says, she thought the same thing and took documents to Kristina to sign. She refused, and now he’s even more worried. She always knew she’d have to sign them. It’s the only way Molly can adopt the baby and legally become its mother. What message is Kristina sending? Jordan says she’s sorry to hear that. This should be a happy and exciting time for them. He says he doesn’t know where to go from here, and she says, at least the law recognizes him as the baby’s biological father. That gives him a lot of rights. He says, but what about Molly’s rights? Kristina is the egg donor and the biological mother. What if she refuses to sign? She says she wishes she had an answer, but she’s not knowledgeable on the subject. Maybe it’s time they consulted a lawyer. He says, that’s what he was afraid of. He doesn’t want the baby to start life in the middle of a custody battle and he’s worried that’s where they’re headed.

Brook says she’s grateful that Sonny displayed how much he believes in her, but it’s a lot of pressure. She doesn’t want to let him down. Lois says, that will never happen, and Brook says she thinks something else is going on besides supporting Blaze. Lois says she sees how much Sonny loves Kristina, and it’s clear he wants to provide support. Just put her head down and do her work. Blaze comes in, and Lois says she’ll leave them to it. She hugs Blaze and leaves. Blaze says, Brook sounded excited. Don’t keep her in suspense. Brook says, she’s about to take Blaze to the next level. She knows Blaze has been up in the air since her label dropped her, but now she’s not tied down. She’s free to use this moment as an opportunity to take herself independent and release an album on her own label. This could be the biggest move of her career. All she has to do is say yes.

Sonny says, get to the point, and Scotty says, Kristina has to give a deposition. She can’t lie or it will be perjury. Talk to her mother about that, since she’s familiar with it. Kristina asks why he’s doing this, and he says he’s doing his job. If Kristina has to testify, so be it. Kristina says, go to hell, and he says he thinks she’s just nervous. She knows what’s going to happen. Ava is going to win, so Sonny should probably get used to saying adios to Avery. Sonny says, don’t be too sure, Scotty, and Scotty laughs. He leaves, and Sonny crumples up the paper.

At the pool, Trina says, Josslyn will never guess what she saw that she wasn’t supposed to see. Josslyn says, something criminal? and Trina says, criminally embarrassing. She’ll never believe it. John Cates came out half-naked from the bedroom in Ava’s suite. Josslyn says she doesn’t know if she wants to know, and Trina says, he definitely spent the night. She doesn’t know what Ava was thinking. Josslyn says, Ava never does anything without an agenda. She thinks Cates must be helpful somehow.

Ava says, good. John put on pants. If only he’d thought to do that before Trina got there. He says, she acts like he wants to get caught. She’s beautiful and intelligent, but he’s not looking to parade her around town. She says, he could do worse, and he says he’s already in hot water. His bosses don’t need to find out he’s getting to know a member of the Jerome crime family, former, alleged, or whatever. She asks if he’s worried that she’ll tarnish his stellar reputation. He managed to do that without her help.  She thinks it’s time for him to go and take his bags with him, but he says he’s going to work and can’t be dragging his bags with him. What would people think? He’ll come grab them tonight and they can see each other again. He gives her a smarmy look and leaves. (When did he turn into such a creeper? I’m so disappointed in this character.)

Jordan says, it must be hard on Molly. Not only is Kristina her sister, she has no biological or legal rights. She must feel like she has no control. How is she doing? TJ says, she’s all over the place. At first, after they saw the interview, she was as worried as him, but now she’s backing off and giving Kristina space. Jordan says, that’s smart. Molly has good instincts and knows her sister. TJ says he thinks she’s blinded be her love for Kristina and not seeing clear. She wants to trust Kristina, but he doesn’t think they can. Jordan asks if that’s put them at odds, and he says he feels like they’re pulling in opposite directions. That scares him most of all. She says she knows the situation seems unfixable, but everyone involved is a good person and she thinks they’ll come to a compromise. But if it comes down to going to court to fight for his rights, she’ll be right there, fighting beside him.  

Molly says, it was the wrong move and of course (🍷) it didn’t go well, and Sam says, Kristina defines contrary. When someone forces her to do something, she digs in her heels and does the opposite just to prove them wrong. Molly says she knew that and did it anyway. They got in a fight, and it got ugly. She said things she regrets, and Kristina said terrible things too. Kristina said she and TJ could break up, and it would be better for her to keep the baby. It would be a more stable home. Sam says, that’s very harsh, and Molly says she doesn’t know if Kristina believes they’re going to break up – which they aren’t – or she’s using it as an excuse to keep the baby.

Brook says she thinks this is an amazing opportunity, but if Blaze isn’t on board, they won’t move forward. Blaze says she thinks it’s amazing, and Brook says, the offer was presented to her before the interview. Blaze asks why Brook didn’t tell her then, and Brook says, Blaze was reintroducing herself to the public on her own terms and was answering for what her mom said. It was a lot of pressure, and she didn’t want to add to it. Blaze says, it was the right call, and Brook says she thinks it’s the perfect moment for Blaze to reintroduce her music. Blaze says she’s impressed. She knew Brook was great, but her putting so much effort into Blaze’s career is making her feel good just when she can use it.  Brook says she believes in Blaze 100%. She’s one of the most talented people Brook has worked with. It was her mother’s idea. She knows Natalia feels terrible about what her words have done to Blaze’s career and believes Natalia thinks this one way she can make almonds amends. Obviously, she wants to be involved in Blaze’s success, but if Blaze doesn’t want to continue working with her, it’s up to her. Blaze says she needs to think about it, and Brook says, Natalia is coming to discuss the new label with them, but if Blaze isn’t ready, she can cancel. Natalia approaches their table and says, it looks like they’re in a serious conversation. What did she miss?

Alexis finds TJ at the reception desk and asks if they can talk a minute. He says, sure, and she says she’s not going to pretend it’s not awkward, but she’ll just start from a place of honesty. She knows things are tense between him, Molly, and Kristina. He says, that’s an understatement, and she says, he knows she loves her girls, but she loves him too. He’s an important part of the family. It’s her sincere hope that they can put their differences aside and love each other again like they did prior to all this. He says he wants that too, as long as Kristina follows through with her word and gives them the baby, and Alexis says she knows Molly brought Kristina the termination papers and Kristina refused to sign. Then Molly backed off to make things calmer. TJ says, Kristina threatened to keep the baby. He doesn’t know about calm. She says, just give it time and do what he can to keep the peace, and he asks if that applies to Kristina, or is she just warning him and Molly?

Molly says, this is the last thing she wants, to think the worst of Kristina. She’s always trusted Kristina, but this time… Sam says, she’s not sure what to believe, and Molly says she’s the only one not biologically related to the baby and has no legal standpoint. She can’t control it and is at the mercy of everyone else. Even the implication that Kristina was going to back out triggered her into being geared up for a fight. Kristina talked to mom and mom talked to her. She said Molly has to be the one to keep the peace and give Kristina the space to calm down. So she apologized to Kristina for bringing the papers. Sam says she’s proud of her and admires Molly’s ability to be the bigger person, and Molly says, good thing she was there. Ava subpoenaed Kristina to testify at Avery’s custody hearing. Kristina was upset and confused on how it worked, and she helped her with the best way to handle it. Sam says, that’s insane. She’s glad Molly was there to advise Kristina. Molly says she’s glad they can be on the same side of something again. As crazy as Kristina makes her, Kristina is her sister and not the enemy. The reason Kristina is pregnant in the first place is, she’s carrying Molly’s baby.  

Natalia says she’s sorry. She assumed she was expected. She’ll let them finish. Brook says, she was expected. She told Blaze about their plans and how it was Natalia’s idea. Natalia says, a lesser woman would have taken credit, but Brook says, that’s not how she does business. Maybe Natalia can share the details of her inspired idea. She’ll give them a minute. She leaves the table and goes over to the bar.  

Brook tells Gio that she’s having a great day. How should she celebrate? He suggests the guac trio, but she says, it’s not lunchtime yet. He says he knows people and can hook her up, and she says she knows he loves working here, but would he be interested in local session work? He says, absolutely, and she says she may have a new label that has use for his talents.

On the phone, Sonny says he wants Ava’s visitation blocked. He doesn’t want her anywhere near his daughter. Lois comes to the door and asks if she’s interrupting, but he says, never. They hug and she says she misses his face. How has he been? He says, busy. He saw Gio at the pool and he seems to be settling in well. She says, Gio is a charmer, and he asks how the Quartermaines are treating him. She says, they all love him. Even Tracy is cordial. It’s going well. She’d love to chitchat, but this actually isn’t a social call. She wants to talk to him about the record company he generously offered to fund for her daughter. He says, it’s not just for Brook. He’s investing in Blaze and Kristina, and Brook will be running the label. He had this discussion with Brook. She says she’d like him to have this discussion with her, especially regarding the financing.

Natalia tells Blaze that she can’t say how genuinely sorry she is. She never wanted to cause Blaze any hurt. They may not see eye to eye on everything, but Blaze is her baby, and she doesn’t ever want to cause her pain. Blaze says she appreciates that, and Natalia says she’s especially sorry for the things she said that caused Blaze to be dropped from her label. What the hell were they thinking letting go of her talent? Blaze says she assumes they were scared of the bad publicity, and Natalia says she wants Blaze to know how deeply she regrets the things she said that cost Blaze her hard-earned success. It never should have happened. She’s proud of the artist Blaze is and thinks the world should know and hear her talent. The new label is her way of trying to make things right. It’s an opportunity for Blaze to take back control of her career and put out the music she loves. Sonny is backing it financially and Brook will run it. She’d love to be involved, but it’s Blaze’s call. She’ll respect whatever Blaze decides.

Sonny asks if Lois is accusing him or needs to ask him something, and she says, speaking her mind has never been an issue. Funding a recording company feels like déjà vu, but this time it’s not L&B and she’s not involved. It’s her daughter. He says, she sounds like she’s worried, and she says, should she be? He says he’d never do anything to hurt Brook. He doesn’t know why she’d think that. She says she knows that and don’t try to guilt trip her about looking out for her kid. He says, she doesn’t have to defend her daughter with him, but she says, if anyone else swooped in out of nowhere and made the same offer, she’d say, walk away. She loves him and Brook loves her Uncle Dimples. It’s an amazing opportunity for her and Lois wants to trust him. He asks, why not? and she says, because she knows one thing. History will repeat itself if ignored. That’s why she’s here. She’s asking him to tell the truth. Is the record label going to be clean or not?

TJ says, everyone is coddling Kristina and walking on eggshells, while she’s giving an interview on a major platform, implying that the baby is hers and Blaze’s. Alexis says she doesn’t know if that’s fair, but TJ says, none of this is fair. Alexis keeps defending Kristina, which raises a question. He knows she loves her daughters. She says, fiercely and equally, and he says, what happens if Kristina tries to keep this baby?

There’s a knock at Ava’s door, and Kristina strides in. She tells Ava to withdraw the subpoena, but Ava says she’ll do no such thing. Kristina asks why she’s doing this, and Ava says she’s a concerned mother protecting her child. She’d think Kristina would understand. The maternal instincts must have kicked in by now. Kristina says, she and Ava have nothing in common. Not now or ever. Scotty is supposed to take her deposition tomorrow, but she won’t be there, and she won’t show up to testify at the hearing. Ava says, do what she wants. She’s a grown-up. She’s sure Kristina’s lawyer explained that she’ll be cited for contempt, and it will only bolster Ava’s case. What exactly is she hiding that’s making her afraid to testify?

Natalia says, Blaze hasn’t answered if it’s okay for her to be involved with the new label, and Blaze says she’s grateful for everything Natalia has done for her career. Natalia always supported her and pushed her to success. She doesn’t know where she’d have been without her. She couldn’t have been lucky enough to accomplish a fraction of what she has. But she’s moving into a new, authentic phase of her career and her personal life and she can’t see Natalia’s involvement in either based on Natalia not accepting who she is and has always been. Natalia says she knows she hasn’t been on board with Blaze’s lifestyle, but Blaze says, it’s not a lifestyle. It’s her. Natalia can’t accept who she is or who she’s in a relationship with. Kristina is amazing. She knows it bothers Natalia that she’s in a relationship with another woman, but if she can’t accept how much she loves Kristina and embrace it and them, she doesn’t know where they go from here.

Lois says she doesn’t know the inner workings of Sonny’s business, so she’s asking. She’ll be damned if she lets anyone – old friends included – stop her from protecting her daughter. If the situations were reversed, Sonny would do anything to protect his children, and she wouldn’t want to be the person he found using them. She’s trying to protect her little girl and the career she’s worked so hard for. Sonny says, it’s one thing for Ava to turn on him. Now his great friend of all time is turning on him. Everybody is turning on him. That’s just the way it is. She can leave. She folds her arms and doesn’t move.

Sam says, it’s been nice catching up, and Molly thanks her for hanging out and talking. She feels better. Hopeful even. Sam says she’s glad she hasn’t lost her touch, and Molly says, it’s a bumpy ride, but they’re at the homestretch. When the baby comes and they’re all looking at its cute, little face, everything will work out.

Kristina says, Ava isn’t going to like what happens next, and Ava asks if that was a threat. Kristina says, take it how she likes, and Ava says, Kristina is her father’s daughter. Kristina says, better than being like Ava with no moral compass, and Ava asks if she’s going to perjure herself like her mother. Kristina saw what that got her. Or is she going to tell the truth, that she witnessed her father brutally beating Dex and threatening to kill him. Kristina says she feels sorry for Avery being stuck with Ava as a mother. She deserves better. Ava says, and Kristina hit the parent lottery? Her mother is a pathetic, lying drunk, who destroys the men she claims to love. Her father is a volatile headcase who’s going to prison. Someone takes pictures through the window, and Kristina says, if she testifies, she’s going to tell the court that Ava is the reason Morgan died. That she messed with his meds and caused a mental breakdown. She’s going to tell them how Ava murdered Connie Falconari too. If she’s forced to tell the truth about her father, she’s going to tell the truth about Ava too. Ava reaches for her, and Kristina says, don’t touch me, stepping back. She trips over one of John’s bags and stumbles backward, crashing through the window and down into the pool. We all stare, open-mouthed, as she floats in the pool motionless, blood on her face.

Holy! That was some fall. Wow, wow, wow.

Tomorrow, TJ asks Alexis what she’s going to do when Kristina tries to take their baby; Chase says he doesn’t want anyone leaving without his okay; and Ava tells someone that she needs them like she’s never needed them before.

🎿 Maybe He Was Polishing His Skis…

Kind of weird how Ric never had a real exit.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/rick-hearst-shares-a-first-look-at-his-gh-return

📸 She’s Got Cred…

This kid makes me want kids. She’s such a bundle of cute.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/scarlett-spears-reaches-a-general-hospital-milestone

🍊 Situation Heather…

I just can’t imagine being their age and exhibiting what amounts to frat boy behavior. Heather mistakenly tagging Katie in an Instagram post – or what Gina called this Heather situation – was completely plausible. Also that she wouldn’t be doing her own posting. Anyone who’s dealt with the annoying autocorrect knows a word can be missed. Usually to the amusement of the recipient. Same with clicking the wrong suggestion that Google comes up with. So, yeah, I can see her assistant clicking on the first thing she saw – Katie’s name. But these women have nothing better to do than speculate as to why/if/how Heather is being shady and lying to them. When my friends and I hang out, we do not spend hours on topics like this, and if we could afford the good times these girls can, I guarantee we wouldn’t even care if Heather was lying her ass off. I just don’t get it, and it’s what puts me off these Housewives shows. Although the worst is the toddler-like behavior they sometimes exhibit, physically assaulting one another. Let me think… Nope. Not once have any of my friends had a fistfight or thrown anything at each other. However, I can’t confirm or deny that a drink has never been thrown in a man’s face. The best thing about this episode was a golf game Katie had set up. Emily won, but unfortunately, Tamra made sure the topic was Katie claiming Heather called the paparazzi on herself. Déjà vu, anyone?

About the Tres Amigas going Dos.

https://people.com/rhoc-recap-vicki-gunvalson-says-tamra-judge-has-black-heart-after-ditching-tres-amigas-8687807

She has receipts! Proof! Timelines! Screenshots!

https://www.etonline.com/rhocs-katie-ginella-responds-to-heather-dubrows-noella-15-dig-amid-paparazzi-feud-exclusive-229943

🍸 It’s a VanderWorld…

It’s about time, but will he really follow through? Maybe a drug rehab would be a good idea first. I don’t have receipts, proof, timelines, or screenshots, but he acts like he’s on something.

And in a crossover no one saw coming.

👠 How Could She Not Be…

I never had any doubts. Even if I had, seeing them together on Watch What Happens Live would have squelched them.

🩰 Dancing Like Everyone’s Watching…

Meet the new cast.

https://ew.com/meet-the-cast-of-dance-moms-a-new-era-8682610

I don’t think Abby Lee invented everyone’s replaceable.

🐾 All Ears and Smiles…

I would love to have this kitty.

https://people.com/abandoned-kitten-born-with-4-ears-at-tennessee-rescue-8687715

This is one happy pup!

https://people.com/smiley-dog-hikes-across-the-county-in-rv-adventure-with-family-8680913

☀️ Feeling the Heat…

Before starting your weekend, boomerang back tomorrow for soap and both trash and treasure. Until then, stay safe, stay going for your personal gold, and stay accepting who people are and who they’re in a relationship with.

July 10, 2024 – Cody Makes a Promise To Sasha, Dubai In the House, New Listings, What’s Cookin’, For the Senior Pets (!) & America

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

In the nook, Sasha gives Drew some coffee, and flashes back to seeing him kiss Willow. She tells him that his speech was inspiring, and he says he’s given other speeches before, but this one was different. She says, last night was full of surprises, when Willow walks in. She asks if Willow wants coffee or a beignet, and Willow says, yes, to both. Sasha says she doesn’t want to brag, but Wiley says these are his new favorites, and Willow says, he calls them bayonets. Sasha tells them to help themselves, and she leaves to see Cody at the stables. Willow and Drew look at each other.

Felicia says she always felt there was a connection between Mac and Cody, and Maxie says, Felicia’s Spidey senses have always been borderline terrifying. She asks if something could have happened to the DNA sample Felicia sent in, but Felicia says, the lab is the best. Even if the sample was contaminated, it would only add to the sample, not take away from it. Maxie says, they’ve all spent a lot of time with Cody, and he’s been wonderful, and Felicia says, that’s why she doesn’t want Maxie to be mad when she says this. He’s lied before, so why should they believe him now?

Scotty goes to Ava’s hotel room, and she checks the hall for a certain FBI agent who’s having her followed because she’s spent time with Sonny. He asks if she means John Cates, and she says, that’s the one. He says he’s known John since high school. He’s a good guy. She asks what Scotty is doing here and is he billing her for it, and he says, oh yeah. He has Diane’s countersuit. Sonny wants sole custody of Avery. He hands her the papers.

Sonny visits his old kitchen and the moss bowl🎍, and Carly says, Avery and Donna are doing crafts with Pilar. Don’t be surprised if they’re covered in glitter. He asks if she doesn’t think Donna is growing up too fast, and she says, that’s why they have to enjoy these glitter filled days. He says, now that Ava’s moved out, would Carly reconsider having Donna spend the night? He and Avery would love it. Jason walks in, as he’s another member of the moss bowl🎍fan club and can’t stay away.

Willow says she wasn’t looking for Drew, but she’s glad she ran into him. She loves Michael with all her heart, and it was wrong of them to kiss. It never should have happened. Drew says, it was an accident. (Yep. He accidentally fell into her lips.) The result of too many drinks and too many fireworks. He loves Michael too and would never hurt him. They did something impulsive and stupid, but one kiss doesn’t have to change anything for anybody.

Maxie says she doesn’t think Cody is lying, but Felicia says she saw the DNA result with her own two eyes. Maxie says, those were the results from the top secret don’t-tell-anyone test. Cody claims the results from the original test prove he’s Mac’s son. Felicia asks if Cody could be working an angle, but Maxie wonders where the big payout would come from. When she talked to Cody last night, she could tell he wanted to bolt. She knows the look of someone wanting to run from the mistakes they’ve made. He was trying to say goodbye without actually saying it. She practically had to threaten him into staying. He can’t leave town after telling Mac that he’s his son.

Sasha goes to the stable and tells Cody that she was going to keep this to herself, but last night… He says, last night he told Mac that he’s his son. He kept thinking about what she’d said. He hated lying to Mac and it just came out. He should have kept his mouth shut. It was worse than he thought. Mac’s furious with him. He said, Cody had plenty of chances to tell him the truth, but he didn’t. He also told Mac about the whole Taub/WSB stuff with Scotty. She asks if Mac understood, and Cody says, what Mac understood is that he betrayed Mac’s family. She says, it was a lot to take in for both of them, and He says, Mac stormed out, so it seems he took in enough. The only person he was madder at than Cody was himself. For believing Cody could be anything but a grifter. She says, that’s harsh and wrong, but give him time. He’s probably in shock. For what it’s worth (🍷), she’s proud of him. He must feel better having that secret off his chest. He says he feels like garbage, and there’s still a weight on his chest. It’s just for a different reason. She asks what he wants to do now, and he says he wants to get the hell out of town.

Ava says, it’s no surprise Sonny is suing for sole custody, and Scotty says, after reading Diane’s filings, he thinks Ava’s expectations should be lower. He doesn’t like the facts of this case. She says, Avery’s father is a dangerous man working in a dangerous business with other dangerous people. What other facts does he need? He says, she was living with Sonny with Avery, but she says she was living there to keep Avery safe and be a loving touchstone for her in a stressful time. He says, judges like stability and don’t like seeing kids ping-ponged around, and she says, that’s why she wants Avery with her full-time, but he says, she’s in a hotel. At Sonny’s, Avery has a routine, and she likes living with her father. Does Ava think a judge will want to take her away from that? She asks if he didn’t tell her that if Sonny had a public meltdown… He says, all bets would be off, but he doubts that’s going to happen during a custody hearing. Sonny’s not that stupid.

Sonny tells Jason that he and Carly are talking on a private matter, and Carly says she and Sonny are discussing the kids. She tells Sonny that Avery is welcome to be there with Donna any day, and Sonny says he has to take care of something, showing her the papers. Ava thinks she deserves to have sole custody of Avery. Carly says she’s happy she doesn’t have to wade into this mess, but he tells her that she might be called to testify because they share custody of Avery’s sister. He needs to know what she’s going to tell the judge about his suitability as a parent.

Sonny says he knows he and Carly have had their problems. He wants to know she’s not going to say he’s a terrible father. She says, it’s no secret they’ve had their issues – he says he’s sorry – but if she’s going to walk in a courtroom and trash anyone, it’s going to be Ava. He says, that’s not what he wanted to hear, but he’ll take it. He heads for the door, but then asks if Jason and his FBI buddy found anything on him.

Sasha asks if Cody is leaving, but he says he told her that he wanted to leave. It would be easier to just disappear, but no. Maxie made him promise he wouldn’t leave, but she’s not the reason he’s not leaving. Sasha is. At least for now. He moves closer, but she stops him and says, he has to stop doing this. He wants a connection with someone, but every time he gets close, he thinks of a reason to bolt. They’re building something. She kisses him and says, he can’t go. If he does, he’ll have a lot more than Maxie to worry about. She’ll hide Tracy’s secret cash box and say he took it. Tracy will have anyone with eyes and a badge looking for him. He says, Tracy has a secret cash box? and she says, not a very well-kept secret. Promise her he won’t go. He hesitates, and she says, how about this. He talks to her first if he decides to go. He says he can do that, and she says she should get back to the house, and leaves.

Ava goes to see Clemont the pharmacist, and he says he has a staff meeting in 15 minutes. He’s going to have to ask her to leave. She says she can sit in. She’s sure his staff will find it fascinating the way he refills Sonny’s bipolar medication. He says he knows she’s not Sonny’s wife. He doesn’t even have a wife. She says, give him time, but it doesn’t matter. She knows he’s been filling Sonny’s prescription with less than a quarter dose and thinks that’s frowned upon in his profession. She’s sure he has his reasons and doesn’t care what they are, but she cares about Sonny’s dosage. He says he’ll change it back to the proper dosage, but she says, he’ll change it to zero. He says, she wants him to give Sonny placebos? and she says she does. Unless he wants Sonny to know what he’s been doing, he’ll do what she wants. He says, it’s dangerous, but she says she’s willing to take that risk.

Drew (who now looks like a creeper) says, they kissed and regretted it and agreed it won’t happen again, and Willow says, absolutely not. He says, the worst thing they can do is dwell on it and let it interfere with their friendship and working together. She tells him that she doesn’t want to compromise her and Michael’s happiness for any reason, and he suggests they put it behind them. It won’t feel as big of a deal in the future. They probably won’t remember it in a year. Michael comes in and says he knew he smelled beignets.

Michael wants to talk to Drew about the wellness division, particularly the budget for Curtis. Willow says, the conversation sounds too exciting for her, and goes out on the patio.

Felicia says, maybe Cody is just mistaken about the DNA results, but Maxie says, they’re pretty conclusive. There’s no real room for interpretation. Felicia says her results were zero, when there’s a knock at the door. It’s Sasha, who asks if it’s a bad time, but Maxie says, no. Sasha says she’s sorry to come by without calling, but this is important. She knows Cody is Mac’s son. If they’re mad at Cody, they should be mad at her too. Cody told her the results months ago.

Clemont says he understands, and he’ll take care of it, and Ava says she knew she could count on him. She asks if anyone’s been asking about her, but he says, no. She says, if anyone does, tell them she was here for a consultation. Make it believable. She hopes he doesn’t do anything to make her come back. She leaves and Clemont looks pretty nervous.

Jason says he’s not working against Sonny, and Sonny says he hopes it stays that way. He’ll be back to pick up Avery. He leaves, and Carly says, he’s not wrong. Jason is working with Cates. Jason says, it’s not to take Sonny down, and Carly suggests he tell Sonny that the only reason he’s working with Cates is to protect her.

Michael and Drew go over the budget, and Michael says he assumes Drew is going to be campaigning to take advantage of the momentum. Drew says he was thinking about that, and Michael says, before he starts shaking hands and kissing babies, did Willow seem off to him?

Willow goes to the stable and asks if Cody is good with her being here. She was wondering how the horses were doing after the fireworks. Cody says, they’re fine. He kept the lights on and gave them extra hay. Some people say you should play classical music to soothe them, but these guys are metalheads. She flashes back to kissing Drew, and says, fireworks are beautiful, but kind of disorienting. You get so distracted, you kind of lose your bearings. (Okay. If you say so, Willow.)

Sasha says she knew Cody lied about the DNA test and that Mac was Cody’s biological father, but it didn’t feel like her secret to tell. Felicia asks how Sasha can be so sure. Her tests results came back negative, and Sasha was there when she told Cody. Sasha says she was also there at the Home & Heart set, when Felicia ordered the DNA test. She saw Felicia take hair from Cody’s brush and she replaced it with her own.

Carly asks why Jason can’t tell Sonny the truth, and Jason says, if Sonny finds out Cates is threatening him, who knows what he’ll do? She agrees, especially with how volatile Sonny’s been, and he asks about the meds. Carly says she checked. He’s taking them. Despite all his faults, he’s always been disciplined with his medication. Jason says, something is off, and she says she agrees, but just now, Sonny seemed like his old self. It was a relief. It seemed like the old Sonny was still in there. Jason says, until he walked in, and she says, that’s when the Sonny she doesn’t recognize showed up. He says he can’t tell Sonny the truth. Not yet. What if he goes after Cates again and kills him?

Holding an ice bucket, Ava opens her door, and Sonny is there. He asks what this garbage is. Is she alleging he’s emotionally unstable? She says she’s not talking to him like this and asks if she should call security. He says he took a page out of her book, and puts his phone on record. Just in case something is misinterpreted later on. Don’t do it.

Willow and Cody have coffee, and she says, he should have come up to the house last night, but he says he wanted to make sure the horses were okay. Did he miss a good time? She says, he was in better company, but people are upbeat about Drew running for congress. Even Tracy is on board. He asks if Willow is going to campaign for him, but she says she’s not a savvy campaigner. He says, she was a teacher, and she says she taught children, not town meetings full of would-be voters. He says, children are people too. If Drew is running as a Quartermaine, it might help if the Quartermaines supported him. Get the family involved. Aside from the kids, Willow is one of the more appealing family members.

Sasha tells Felicia and Maxie, Cody has been wrestling with this decision to tell Mac. She thought, if he had more time, he would get there, so she switched the samples to buy him more time, but she hated lying to them. Please believe that. Felicia says she does, and Maxie says she doesn’t understand. Mac’s a great guy. Sasha says, Cody knows that, but has an issue with not being good enough. He’ll have to tell them the rest. She owed them an explanation and apology. Maxie says she accepts and so does her mom. Felicia says, they appreciate her honesty, and Sasha asks, what happens next? Felicia says, it could turn out to be a good thing for Cody and Mac, and Sasha agrees, but says, Cody told her Mac was really angry and hurt. Felicia says, he was, and it will take time for him to trust Cody again. Sasha says she was trying to help, but by delaying the inevitable, she just made things worse.  

Sonny says, no wonder Scotty is the only lawyer Ava could get, and she says, it’s the strength of the case that matters, not the strength of the lawyers. He asks if that’s what her slip-and-fall guy told her, and she says, defenseless mothers seem to do well in family court. He asks if she’s going to have a stand-in, because that’s something she’s not, and she says, he’ll look good in court unless somebody says something he doesn’t like or looks at him funny. Then all bets are off. He says, Diane can find 20 witnesses to say she’s an unfit mother, and she asks if he thinks his reputation is off limits. What judge is going to give custody of an innocent child to a notorious mobster who used to run a strip club?

Maxie tells Sasha not to be so hard on herself, and Sasha says she doesn’t know what to do. Cody is devastated and talking about leaving Port Charles. Maxie says she made him promise he wouldn’t, and Sasha says, so did she. Maxie says, Cody’s promise to Sasha carries more weight, although she threatened him and she’s more dangerous. Sasha says, not really, and Maxie says, Sasha is so sweet, Sasha could be related to her mom. For all they know, maybe she is. Felicia says she would know. Mac is devastated too, but neither one of them is going to approach the other. It seems like they share the same stubborn gene. Maxie asks what they’re going to do about it.

Cody tells Willow that he likes all the Quartermaines, but some of them are more approachable than others. Can she picture Tracy on the campaign trail? Willow says, not so much, and he says, all kidding aside, he thinks Drew should run as part of a family, because that’s the dream. To be surrounded by people that love and care for you and want the best for you. Sometimes when you don’t deserve it. She says, he’s right about being part of a family. The Quartermaines have done that for her, especially Michael. He’s given her everything.

Drew asks what Michael means by Willow being off. Did she say she wasn’t feeling well, because she seemed fine to him. Michael says, nothing like that, but Willow doesn’t always tell him. She just muscles through. Maybe he’s being oversensitive, but whenever she comes down with something, he gets worried that the cancer came back. Drew says, that’s a normal human reaction. Michael witnessed the person he loves going through a terrible disease and has to give himself a break. Michael says, last night, she was tossing and turning, and he doubts she got an hour’s sleep. Drew says, maybe she just had a tough time winding down, and Michael says, he’s right. It was a big day. If Drew says she seems fine, he’ll stop worrying. It’s probably nothing. He leaves.

Jason asks, what happens to Donna and Avery if Sonny’s in prison for killing a federal agent? and Carly says, especially since there’s a possibility of her going to prison, but he says, that’s not going to happen. He’s not going to let it happen. She says she knows he believes that, and if anyone could stop it from happening, it’s him, but it may not be up to him. Or the moss bowl🎍.

Ava says she’s glad Sonny is recording this. Keep talking. Howl at the moon for all she cares. Then go home and listen to himself and judge how suitable he sounds as a parent. He says he’s not going anywhere, when Cates is suddenly at the door, and asks, is there a problem here?

Tomorrow, Ava proposes a deal with John; Heather makes a plea to Laura; and Portia tells Jordan her plan.

🐪 Better Camel Than Never…

I’m on Taleen’s team about the dog. Even if I hate you, I’ll send you condolences on the passing of your pet. It’s a sadness that’s universal and transcends beef.

🌆 LA Is Back…

As usual, there were fabulous houses with views to die for that all our combined incomes could never afford. The market in LA wasn’t great, and the Joshes were at odds over a co-listing, while Tracy tried to bridge the gap with them. JoshA listed a 7200 square foot house at 9000 square feet to get more eyeballs on it, since it had been on the market for 18 months. He played fast and loose with the definition of living space, saying the extra footage was a concrete area that could be a living space. It seemed shady to me, but so do a lot of things in real estate. JoshA appeared on Days of Our Lives as an aggressive businessman with an affinity for cocaine. They thought he resembled his character in real life – an arrogant a-hole – and he was asked back. I tried watching Days for a while, but I just don’t have the time for another soap. They showed clips though, and I’m hoping they have his scenes on YouTube.

Next time, the Heather and Terry Dubrow, and JoshF dresses up as a shark.

Tonight’s full recap here:

🍳 Leaving the Stove On…

I watched this tonight and really enjoyed it. I think Lisa and Gordon are a great fit, and it’s a little different from the usual cooking competition.

Also saw this, and ditto on the enjoyment factor. The new generations spin on it keeps it fresh.

🐯 No Judgement…

I don’t think the word furries means what they think it means, but even if it did, more power to them. Senior pets need extra love. My oldest Peke just turned 17½ right now, June 11th.

https://people.com/furries-raise-over-100k-for-homeless-senior-pets-at-pittsburgh-convention-8676313

🪭 It’s Getting Hot in Here…

Join me tomorrow for soap and a peek at the OC. Until then, stay safe, stay keeping anything breakable away from pools and pool decks, and stay not delaying the inevitable. It just makes things worse.

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

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

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

General Hospital

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

🧼 Not Twinning…

Excellent actress in a tough role.

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

🧹 Enough Already…

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

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

🔮 Meanwhile In Another Soap Galaxy…

How cool is this?

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

🔪 Top Of the Heap…

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

👠 What Happens in Jersey…

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

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

The Countess speaks.

🧑‍🍳 Chef On the Water…

Chef Ben will always know the way to my heart.

🏡 Surreally Back…

Why, Macy Gray, why?

🐕 Don’t Forget Your Pets…

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

🏄‍♀️ Sea-ing Clearly Now…

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

June 12, 2024 – TJ Pitches a Fit About Kristina, Mystery Maybe, A Guest, Justice For Johnny, Fishy Chefs, Slam, Daryl’s Carol, House Cast, Shark-No-Do, No Joe, Lucky Kitty & Livin’

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Carly introduced herself to Gio, and Josslyn said he was a great pool attendant, even if he was wasting his talent.

Alexis met with Laura and told her that the article about reopening Heather’s case was thanks to Adrian DeWitt and his insatiable appetite for clickbait headlines. Laura said the information regarding her request for Heather’s court records was leaked, and Alexis said she didn’t appreciate DeWitt’s tactics, but believed in freedom of the press. Laura said, the first amendment didn’t cover shouting fire in a crowded theater. The article was intended to get people riled and it was successful. She reminded Alexis that she’d said she couldn’t answer questions about reopening the case unless she saw the records, and handed them to her.

Jason walked into the pool area, and Gio told Josslyn that he looked familiar, but it wasn’t from the wedding. Josslyn said, maybe he’d seen a photo at the Quartermaines. Jason used to be one.

Carly hugged Jason, who said he’d gotten her numerous messages and texts. Did she get his? He said he was okay. She said, he never admitted when he was hurt. He’d almost been killed, and she had to see for herself that he was okay. He said she was seeing it now, and she said, it was two days after it happened. She thought he might disappear again.

TJ heard Molly leaving a message for Alexis, asking about Kristina, and wondered why she wasn’t asking Kristina directly. She said she’d been keeping something from him and didn’t want their level of trust to stop now. He had every right to know about Kristina.

Sonny went to Blaze’s room and asked if Kristina was there. Kristina came out and Blaze said she had errands to run, but Sonny said he needed her to hear this. He owed Kristina an apology. What she saw between him and Dex was unacceptable, ugly, and vicious, and he never wanted her to see that part of him. Kristina said, but she did see it.

Sonny said he’d seen the expression on Kristina’s face and couldn’t stop thinking about it. He had a lot of rage that night and didn’t know what got into him. It wasn’t an excuse though. He was responsible for his words and actions. He was sorry, and it never should have happened. When he followed her and saw her crying, she backed away from his touch like she was scared of him. He never wanted that, and it shocked and hurt him. He doesn’t blame her. He understood that’s not how he should act. He told Blaze that he knew she’d come to help Kristina. He appreciated it and thanked her. Blaze said she was glad she was there, and wondered if she could make some calls in the kitchen. Kristina said, go ahead, and Blaze left. Sonny said he and Kristina had always been honest with each other. If she wanted him to leave and never come back, he would.

Jason told Carly that he’d been busy with actual work in the coffee business, and Jake had called when he got back. Elizabeth had a situation, and Jake wanted him to help. Carly said she knew it was a big deal for Jake to reach out to him. Sonny had told her that he wasn’t responsible for the attempt on Jason’s life, and she believed him. Jason said, it had nothing to do with Sonny, and Carly wondered, then who sent the gunmen?

Gio noted that Carly and Jason looked like they were having an intense conversation, and Josslyn said, Carly was probably talking Jason into doing something he didn’t want to. They were best friends. She explained that if Jason wanted anything at the pool, it was to be comped. He was the ultimate VIP.

Laura asked if Alexis saw grounds to reopen Heather’s case, but Alexis said she’d have to spend more time looking at the records. She thought there were potentially grounds to appeal, and Laura said she was glad to hear it, but to be clear, she didn’t want it used as an excuse for Heather’s crimes. She thought Heather should be punished, but if she wasn’t in control of her actions… Alexis said, Heather had pled guilty and was sentenced before she was diagnosed, and Laura said, no one knew if her crimes were influenced or created by the cobalt poisoning. Alexis said she couldn’t do anything because she wasn’t a lawyer, and the way things went in Albany, she probably never would be. Laura asked if she thought it was worth pursuing, and Alexis said she thought a good lawyer could argue that there were legitimate grounds to reopen Heather’s case.

Cody and Sasha went to the pool and agreed that when they went to the Quartermaines’ pool, it felt like they were still working. Here, people waited on them. Gio came over to see what they needed and praised Sasha for her delicious meals. He knew good food, and hers was excellent.

Molly told TJ about what happened with Kristina and Sonny at the reception, but said, the baby was fine. He asked how long she’d known, and she said, not long. He asked if she’d heard it from Kristina, but she said no, and told him about shaking Blaze down. Not her proudest moment, but it worked. TJ thanked her for telling him, and said, someone needed to remind Kristina about being careless with their baby. Molly said, nothing happened, but TJ said, it could have. What if Kristina had tried to intervene? Sonny was dangerous to anyone who came in his orbit. He was done. Until the baby was born, Kristina had to stay away from her father.

Kristina said, people warned her that she wasn’t seeing Sonny clearly and didn’t really know him, but she was sure she knew better. She couldn’t fathom that same man was her loving father. Sonny said he was sorry, and she said she was too. Seeing him commit that violence and scream those threats was like watching a stranger, and she realized everything anyone said about him was right all along. He said he didn’t blame her for feeling that way, but it wasn’t who he was. Kristina said she didn’t know, and asked, what happened? He said, Dex had worked for him and betrayed him. Then Dex showed up at the wedding like a peacock, like he belonged. He was talking to Sonny’s family and friends like he was the guy. He told Dex to stay away from him, but Dex refused. He walked away and Dex grabbed his arm, and he snapped. He wasn’t proud of it, but he lost his temper, the temper he’s been trying to get rid of his whole life. It was never going to happen again. She said she understood his temper. She had one too. She got it from him. He said, she was the best part of him, and he wanted to let her know that he needed her and loved her. He wanted her to know that he’d never hurt her. Kristina said she had something to ask him and please don’t lie. When he said he was going to kill Jason and Dex, did he mean it?

Sonny said he knew he had to make things right with Dex, and they talked. They came to an agreement. He was letting Dex live his life and not interfere. Kristina said, a truce wasn’t exactly peace, and he said, that was up to Dex. There was nothing more important than her, and nothing was worth the cost of losing her. She said she didn’t want to lose him, and he said that was never going to happen. He’d still be her father, no matter what. He would cheer her from afar and root for her happiness and love her until his dying breath. That would never change. He said he brought a present for the baby, and handed her a giftbag. She took out a stuffed Mickey Mouse from Fantasia, and said she had one when she was little. He said he’d gotten it for her, and her face lit up like it is now. She never would get rid of it and no one could take it away. She thanked him for the gift and the sweet memory, and he asked if she was taking good care of herself. She said, the baby was good and kicking up a storm, and he told her to let Blaze take care of her. He was sorry he upset her and got intense when he talked about it. He told her that he hoped to see her soon, and left. She cried a little.

Molly said she knew TJ was upset, but he couldn’t confront Kristina. She would get defensive and shut them out. He said, Kristina had to deal with them, but Molly said, no, she didn’t. In the state of New York, the baby was legally Kristina’s until she signed the adoption papers. TJ said, Molly had to have her sister be the egg donor after a lifetime of impulsive decisions, and now Kristina was making decisions about their baby.

Laura asked what her next step should be, and Alexis said she needed to find a lawyer. She thought it would be easy because the case was interesting and involved a point of law not fully explored yet. An attorney might be interested in setting a precedent. Laura asked if Alexis could recommend someone, but Alexis said she’d have to give it some thought. She needed to give Laura fair warning though. In setting the case in motion, she couldn’t determine the outcome. It was unpredictable. Laura asked if she was saying Heather could go free, and Alexis said, it depended on the judge, the argument, and the precedent. The bottom line was that Heather could get a lesser sentence, be sent to a new facility, or freed outright.

Josslyn said, Gio was killing it. Sasha was impressed. Gio said, it was in his DNA. He could talk to anyone. He asked how she knew Sasha, and she said, Sasha had dated Michael. He said, Michael lived in the gatehouse with his wife Willow, and their kids Wiley and Amelia, and Josslyn was impressed. He said, if he could keep all of his family straight, the Quartermaines were a piece of cake.

Carly asked if Jason thought he’d been attacked because he was an FBI informant, but he said he didn’t have a chance to ask. She said she wanted to help him, and he said, she could help by staying out of it. He had enough going on and didn’t want to worry about her getting caught in the crossfire. Let it go. She told him that she knew it wasn’t Sonny and thought Sonny was worried about Jason, even though he wouldn’t admit it. On cue, Sonny walked in, and went over to Jason and Carly. He said, Brick told him what happened at the warehouse, and Jason said, luckily, he was a better shot. Sonny said he assumed Anna thought it was him. Did Jason think that too?

Sasha put lotion on Cody and noticed he had a nasty bruise. He said he’d stopped James from falling out of the saddle, and Comet caught his leg. Sasha said, Cody was heroic, but Cody didn’t see it that way. She told him that his eyes lit up when he talked about James, and she thought he loved James. James also loved Cody back, even though he had no idea he was Cody’s nephew. Imagine how excited he’d be if Cody told Mac that he was Mac’s son.

Blaze asked why Kristina was crying, and Kristina said, the man that was here was the dad she’d believed she had. She loved him and knew it was incredibly confusing.

Molly told TJ not to act like she’d decided alone. They’d agreed. TJ said, it wasn’t like he had a choice, but Molly said, he did. She’d asked him if he was sure before they went to Kristina. He said he had reservations, but wanted to make her happy because he loved her. Still, he knew they should have waited. Molly told him not to play the victim, and TJ said, she would have been devastated if he’d objected because she wanted a baby so badly. She said she wanted to have a baby with him, and he said, using an egg tied to her erratic sister and her violent erratic father. Was she happy now?

Molly admitted she wanted a biological connection to the baby. It killed her that she couldn’t carry one herself, and she was devastated that she’d never experience pregnancy. He didn’t understand that, because the baby had half his DNA. TJ said he never questioned that, but it felt like she was blaming him. She said she wasn’t, but he was blaming her because she’d wanted a connection to the baby. Kristina was fragile, and the best thing was to let her be. Let her get through the pregnancy, give birth, and not upset her, or else… TJ said, what? and Molly said, if Kristina decided to back out and keep the baby, there was nothing stopping her.

Kristina told Blaze that when she was little, she took Fantasia Mickey everywhere and even slept with it. Sonny had brought one as a gift for the baby. Blaze said she could tell it meant a lot, and Kristina asked if she was crazy. Blaze said, not at all. Sonny was her father. No matter what else he’d done, he loved her. Kristina said she loved him. He was always there and knew what to do to make her feel better. He never judged her or gave her a list of things she was doing wrong. He came to give her a gift and she knew the little one would love it as much as she had loved the one he gave her.

Laura said, the last thing she wanted was for Heather to go free. The families of the victims would be outraged, and she didn’t blame them. Alexis said, Laura needed to drop it. Forget it and walk away. Laura said, and leave Heather in a supermax for the rest of her life to make her own life easier? She couldn’t do that. Alexis said she got it. This wasn’t just an esoteric conversation. She couldn’t believe she was saying this, but this time she was glad she wasn’t a lawyer. Laura said, Alexis had just defended her right to practice law. What would the old Alexis say?

Jason said, at first, he thought it was Sonny who put out a hit on him, and Sonny said, Jason could have given him up, but didn’t. Jason said he never would, and he was wrong anyway. Sonny says, it’s good the police believed him.

Cody said he’d kept the secret hidden for too long. There was no way Mac would ever trust him again. Sasha said she’d lied to Nina for months, making Nina think she was her daughter. Nina was so angry when she found out, and so was everyone else in Port Charles, but she got past it. So did everyone else. Give Mac a chance to forgive him. He might be pleasantly surprised at the outcome. Cody said he wasn’t brave enough, but she said, he was brave. He broke her out of Ferncliff. He said, that was a different situation. She needed help. Mac was happy and had a family who adored each other. He didn’t want to ruin it. He didn’t know if Felicia had come clean about the secret DNA test and didn’t want to blow it for her. Sasha said she thought those were just excuses, but it was hard to maintain a lie forever. She found it was freeing to tell the truth. Maybe he would too.

Alexis told Laura that the old Alexis would say, if the justice system decides Heather should have a lesser sentence or go free, let the law take its course. There was a knock on the door, and Trina came in. Alexis said she was going to take a longer look at the records and left. Laura said she thought she knew why Trina was here, but Trina said she didn’t think Laura did.  

Blaze asked if Kristina was feeling better, and Kristina said, a little. Blaze said, sometimes, she wished this was their baby. I actually think the baby would have a better chance at life. Molly and TJ are way too high strung to raise a child.

Molly cried, and TJ said, she wasn’t wrong. There was nothing stopping Kristina from keeping the baby. What should they do? Family law would be on Kristina’s side. It was such a nightmare. Molly said, all they wanted… and TJ said, be careful what you wish for. He told her that he had to get to the hospital and when he left, Molly sobbed.

Sonny said he was glad to know Jason didn’t give him up when he had the chance. Part of him wanted to trust Jason again… but he couldn’t. He stood there for a moment, then walked out.

Tomorrow, Kristina tells Blaze that she doesn’t know if it’s the right timing; Curtis visits Heather; and Alexis tells DeWitt that he doesn’t want to square off with Laura.

🤔 Who Could It Be Now…

He doesn’t really give much info.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/frank-valentini-teases-a-former-cast-member-is-returning-to-gh

But this guy did. Unless this is a red herring. I doubt it though.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/is-bryan-craig-teasing-his-return-to-general-hospital

🚑 Perez Does Port Charles…

He keeps turning up like a bad penny. Or athlete’s foot. Or something.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/perez-hilton-to-guest-star-on-general-hospital

⚖️ Getting Justice…

If you’re in the LA area, go to the rally, but even if you’re not, you can make a difference.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/join-the-fight-to-get-justice-for-johnny-wactor

🔪 Almost At the Top…

Lionfish was the Quickfire Challenge, which kind of creeped me out. Then they paired it with gouda, and I was like, just no. I’m usually pretty adventurous when it comes to food, but, invasive or no, a lionfish is too pretty to eat, and I don’t see fish with cheese. The Elimination Challenge was an 8 course fresh fish menu, which I was totally on board for. Tom thought the chefs were cooking scared. The winner got a Holland America cruise – 10 days, anywhere Holland went. <heaving huge sigh>

⌛️ Andy, Andy, Andy…

Whether it was Carole or not, agreed.

⚰️ Reading the Book…

A review of the newest in Dead.

https://www.themarysue.com/the-walking-dead-daryl-dixon-the-book-of-carol-episode-1-review/

🐉 Let There Be Dragons…

Casting in the House.

https://www.themarysue.com/all-house-of-the-dragon-season-2-cast-confirmed/

🦈 She Tried…

I don’t even know what that means, she tried. It makes me wonder if she tried to get in the movie, but they didn’t want her. Although I could definitely see her in one of them.

https://ew.com/whoopi-goldberg-tried-star-sharknado-movie-8660924

🌭 Say It Ain’t So…

I hope it was worth it to him. Nathan’s are the best.

🐱 Snoous On the Loose…

Nothing like a new furbaby to lift your spirits.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/abc/kristina-wagner-introduces-her-sweet-new-kitten

🧘‍♀️ Summer Breezing…

Come on by tomorrow for soap and Summer smack talk. Until then, stay safe, stay going straight to your seat and stowing your bag quickly after boarding a plane, and stay killing it at your day job, even if you are wasting your talent.

June 5, 2024 – Gregory’s Memorial, Down In the Valley, Who’s On Top, Doug Plus One & West

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Gathered at the park for Gregory’s memorial service were those closest to him: Finn, Chase, Brook, Violet, Tracy, Alexis, Elizabeth, Aiden, and Jake. The bench where he sat now had a plaque with Professor Gregory Chase on it.

Finn said that he’d found Psalm 121 on a card Gregory was using for a bookmark and read: I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth. He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber. Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is thy keeper: the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand. The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul. The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore. (King James version)

Finn said this was his dad’s favorite spot, so it was fitting that he should become part of a place that brought him so much joy and contentment. Chase said the people who mattered most to Gregory were there, and he thought the hole his dad left would hurt less if they filled it with shared memories.

Elizabeth said Gregory had taken her in under his father umbrella and never judged her. She’d forever take with her his understanding and support. He showed her the level of kindness, compassion, and wisdom possible in a person, and she wasn’t settling for anything less. She thanked Finn and Chase for sharing their dad.

Alexis said she considered people she met who had a hardship inspiring, but ALS was beyond a hardship. She watched Gregory reject the limitations that were put on him, and it was a lesson to her. She was now aware of the limitations she’d put on her own life. No one on the face of the earth could convince her to jump out of a plane, except him, and they shared a big, mad, passionate kiss at the end. She wouldn’t have tried to get her law license back if not for him, and he taught her that even if you’re doomed to lose, you try. That’s the triumph.

Finn said he should have learned forgiveness from his dad who forgave him. He was the example of the man Finn wanted to be, but he was sorry it took so long to become the son Gregory deserved, even though he had a great example in Chase.

Tracy said, Gregory didn’t suffer fools. He’d told his son not to value the opinion of snobs, and she was the snob. She was being foolish and regretted it deeply. The missed opportunities in life loom larger as time goes on and get heavier. She didn’t believe in regrets, and Gregory was a great friend to her, but he was also a missed opportunity. If she’d known him sooner, longer, or better, would he have been… She doesn’t get to know, but the moral of the story is, if opportunity doesn’t present itself, make one. Contrary to conventional wisdom you can miss what you didn’t have.

Brook said, Gregory was magical, almost like a wizard. He created her wonderful husband and stood up in church and gave Chase to her. She said, sometimes life made us feel like there’s no such thing as magic, but because of Gregory, she knew it was real and her life was filled with magic, more than she could hope for.

Violet said she didn’t know if ghosts were real, but she’d found the last poem Gregory read to her. Then she read about how it’s not always easy or fair and we’re sometimes scared, but it’s a great, wide, wonderful world. She hoped he was happy.

Chase said his father was a good, strong, and gentle man in all the ways that mattered. He’d told Chase that there are no perfect people and people were fine the way they are, but he thought Violet was perfect. He called himself ordinary, and it took Chase until now to realize ordinary meant we should be what we are. We shouldn’t think we’re so special that no one understands or relates, and we should find something remarkable in every person we meet. If he could be ordinary like his dad, he’d be extraordinary. Finn and Chase scattered Gregory’s ashes under the tree.

At the reception afterward in the MetroCourt Gardens, Brook told Tracy that she was sorry about Gregory’s passing. Tracy said that she thought Gregory would have been pleased, and she and Brook told each other, I love you. Tracy said that Gregory had talked her into doing a shot, so they should do one in his honor, and they did. Brook was worried about Finn, but Tracy said she thought he was coping. Brook said she and Chase were thinking about taking Violet for a while to give Finn time to grieve. Tracy said they were both grieving, and she didn’t think they wanted to be separated because they were a comfort to each other. Alexis told Finn that his father would be proud, and Finn asked about the kiss. Did they have a romance he didn’t know about? She just smiled.

Natalia went with Blaze to rerecord a track, but Blaze was uncomfortable not having Brook there. Blaze told Natalia that she’d hurt Kristina, but didn’t share the details. Natalia said that Blaze’s hope was lost, but she still had her pride, and her passion for the music would get her through the day. The engineer was surprised Blaze was redoing the track, but Natalia said she thought they could maybe implement the notes she’d made during the first recording and make it better.

Blaze told Natalia that her singing was off, and Natalia told her to fall back on her discipline and training. That’s what professionals did. Blaze said she felt like a fraud singing about love, and Natalia asked if Blaze wanted her to call Kristina. Blaze said if Kristina wanted to come, she would have shown up. She was sure Kristina felt hurt and betrayed.

Kristina waited for Molly while she was in court, claiming she wanted to have sister time. She asked if Molly wanted to go to lunch, but Molly had a staff meeting. Kristina wondered why Molly wasn’t asking about the baby, and Molly asked if there was anything new to report. Kristina said things were good and moving on as they were supposed to. Actually, the only new thing was that she was aware Blaze had told Molly about what happened at the reception and Molly was pretending like she didn’t know. Molly said that Blaze had made one innocent remark which she’d picked up on and pressed for details. All Blaze would say was that Kristina and the baby were fine, but Blaze was probably never going to speak to her again because of the way Molly interrogated her. Kristina said, Blaze was very forgiving, and Molly said, so is TJ, but if the topic of the baby was off limits to keep Kristina happy, she’d honor Kristina’s wishes, no matter how obnoxious they were. Kristina asked why she wouldn’t be defensive when Molly was the perfect sister, but Molly said they were in this situation because she couldn’t reproduce, which was hardly perfect. Kristina said, Molly had rescued her from bad decisions countless times, and Molly said she’d be eternally grateful for what Kristina was doing for her. She couldn’t wait until the baby was here and they could argue about who spoiled it the most and who was being too tough.

Natalia pressed Blaze for details, but Blaze said telling Natalia would just make it worse, and don’t try to get it out of Sonny. Natalia wondered what Sonny had to do with it, but Blaze told her that time was money. Natalia said she was hoping Blaze was starting to understand that relationships like this one weren’t real. Blaze said, it was real, but Natalia said it was infatuation. It was natural to respond warmly to someone who admired you. Blaze said she knew the difference between fans, stalkers, and regular people, but Natalia said, maybe she’d misconstrued it. Blaze said if she was half as gullible as Natalia made her sound, her portfolio would have nothing but magic beans in it. Natalia used the term you people and denigrated Blaze’s relationship with Kristina some more, until Blaze said Natalia was making her angry. Natalia said it was a mom’s job to tell the hard truth.

Alexis told Finn that Gregory was funny, smart, and authentic, and he asked her why they hadn’t moved forward. Alexis said because she was too chicken, too cowardly to fall in love with a man she knew was dying. Chase told Brook that Gregory’s death made him realize we don’t know when our last moments will be, and he’d always tell her how much he loved her when he was leaving her. Elizabeth said Finn seemed more settled and asked if the memorial helped. Finn said, it did, but he worried that he’d gotten so good at pretending, he was fooling himself.

Kristina showed up while Blaze was recording and the way they looked at each other, you could tell all was forgiven.

Elizabeth thanked Tracy for arranging everything, and said she thought it helped. Tracy said she did too. Elizabeth told Chase that they were family now. She said Finn had gotten a call and asked Chase to tell him that she’d call him later. She left with the boys, and Chase decided to look for Finn. He found Finn at a bar in another room and saw Finn doing a shot… and then another shot.

Tomorrow, the pool is open (!); Kristina tells Natalia to let Blaze decide what she wants; and Brook tells Chase that she was worried something like this would happen.

🍼 At the Valley’s End…

When a dude is having the same issues he did a decade ago, it’s time to cut the cord, and Jax will be an eternal Peter Pan. He’s also one of those people who wail about needing help, but then refuse to take it because their plea is just for show. Hearing him make excuses was stomach turning, but even worse was hearing him sniffle that he needed therapy and then never going. Yep, this is why I’ve grown to hate this stuff.

On the other hand, Kentucky muffin has matured a lot.

🔪 Top Of the Chef To You…

Tonight’s Quickfire Challenge was a blind taste test of 26 ingredients. To make it extra special, the chefs had to make a dish with the ingredients they’d guessed right. For the elimination, they had to make a dish representing their time thus far. Spoiler alert. No one came out with an empty plate.

🐶 Pug Piling…

It’s official. Doug has a sister.

https://people.com/doug-the-pug-welcomes-rescue-dog-sister-dory-exclusive-8658235

🏄‍♀️ Beaching Off…

Come by tomorrow for a soap quickie and a little Summer tea. Until then, stay safe, stay being considerate of others at public events, and stay making your own opportunity when one doesn’t present itself.

May 29, 2024 – Gregory’s Final Wishes Are Read, Tributes, New Gigs, Who’s On Top, Second One, Bad Chanel, Happily Empty, Pet (!) Tips & End

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Brook asks if Chase wants coffee or to go back to bed, and he says, coffee. He’s meeting his brother, and he doesn’t want to be late. As she pours, she says she’s sure he’ll understand, but Chase says, it’s not like that. He has to be supportive. He has to make sure Finn doesn’t feel guilty or alone or whatever he felt yesterday that had him reaching for a bottle. Brook says, Finn is grieving, okay? And he’s not just grieving the loss of their dad; he’s grieving the time he stayed away. He’s going to feel how he’s going to feel. Chase asks if he should just let him feel it, and she says, there’s no stopping it. He can reach out and offer his support. She knows Finn would really appreciate that.

Alexis opens the door to Finn, and they hug. She says she’s so sorry about his dad, and he says he knows Gregory meant a lot to her. They go inside, and he asks if she just got back. She says, ten minutes ago. She’s glad she got back before he got there because she made some coffee if he wants that. While they’re waiting, they could talk. He asks how things went in Albany, but she says she wants to talk about his dad. She tears up and says she’s so sad. She’s so sad that she missed the wedding. He says, it wasn’t perfect, but it was close. There was a moment when he didn’t think his dad was going to be able to finish the wedding, but Tracy and Violet got him back on track. He willed himself through the rest of the ceremony and it was beautiful. She says she knows how much that would have meant to him. She’s so glad his last day was beautiful. They hug again.

Josslyn meets Trina at the gallery, and Trina thanks her for coming. As soon as Ava gets to the gallery, they can head out and check out those apartment listings. Josslyn says, of course (🍷), but she thought Trina had the day off, and Trina says, all she knows is, Ava called her and wanted her to open up. She said there was an emergency meeting at Crimson.

In Nina’s office, she tells Maxie, these Deception ads are gorgeous, and Maxie says, the camera really loves Blaze. Nina says she can’t wait to run them, when Ava comes in. She tells Maxie, be careful. Integrity isn’t Nina’s strong suit. Not that that’s news. Nina calls to Madison, but Ava says, she’s not at her desk. Madison couldn’t stop her anyway. Nina says, note to self, buy Madison a taser. As Ava can see, they’re busy. So why doesn’t she go out there, make an appointment for the next millennium. She’ll be happy to see Ava then. Ava says, Nina will see her now. Nina broke their deal, and she wants to know why.

Willow opens the gatehouse door to Drew, says, hi, boss, and invites him in. He says he’s not here on business, so she can just call him Mr. Cain, and she says, sir, yes, sir. He laughs and asks if Michael is around. There’s something he wants to run by him. She says, so this isn’t entirely a social call, and he says, not entirely. She says, it was Michael’s turn to run Wiley to school, but he should be back soon if Drew would like to wait. Drew says, happy to, and she says, great. Coffee? He says, always (me too). He needs her opinion on something. She says, about what? and he says, there’s something he wants to run by her, but she’s got to promise not to tell the rest of the Quartermaines.

Josslyn says, for the apartments, location-wise, she’s thinking around PCU, but does that work for Trina? Trina says she doesn’t know. She’s not sure if she’s going back to PCU after her semester off. And if she does, she’s done with dorm life. It reminds her too much of Spencer. Josslyn says she hears Trina there. To be honest, she’s pretty tired of drunk people in their halls at all hours of the day and night, and the cafeteria food. Trina says she’s tired of smelling everybody’s take-out coming through their walls, and Josslyn says, and just the noise of everybody in general. Trina says she doesn’t think Josslyn is in a position to be complaining about other people’s noises when she makes her fair share of noise herself. Josslyn says she did not, and Trina says, right. Because she only made those noises at Dex’s house. Josslyn says, all right. It doesn’t even matter now. Trina asks, when was the last time she ran into Dex? and Josslyn says, at the wedding. Trina says, how was it? and Josslyn says, it was surprisingly good. Trina says her parents told her that it was really beautiful, and Josslyn says, it was. And so was the reception… right up until Sonny attacked Dex.

Nina says she’s not sure what deal Ava is referring to, but she’s more than welcome to forward a copy to her assistant. Ava says, Nina knows very well what deal. Nina promised that she’d devote two pages to the US debut of Harriet Nikia at the gallery. Nina says, now she recalls that discussion. The assistant editor that Ava lobbied, lobbied her, and she had every intention of including it. Ava says, then why isn’t it in here? and Nina says, space. Ava says, space? Does she see the size of this magazine? Nina says, of course (🍷) she sees it. She published it. Ava asks, then how is it possible there isn’t any space? and Nina says, as she told Ava, she had every intention of putting it in the magazine, but in this issue, she had to make space for something a little more timely. Ava says, like what? and Nina says, like an in-depth profile of an exciting new charity initiative that her daughter’s involved in. Ava says, Willow doesn’t even talk to Nina, and Nina says, since she and Ava aren’t friends anymore, how could Ava possibly know what’s going on between her and her daughter? Or a gentleman friend she may or may not be seeing. Ava says, let her guess. She wouldn’t know him, right? He lives in Canada. Nina laughs and says she’d love to stand here and dish with her bestie, but since Ava put a knife in her back, that’s not her. So how about if Ava leaves and reports back to Sonny? Ava says she thinks it’s really sad that Nina’s head trip as queen of Crimson is all she has left in her little life. (The 1960s called. They want head trip back.) She leaves, and Maxie says, that was nice. Nina says, right? She was way out of line. Maxie says, Ava was definitely out of line, but she was talking about Nina. Nina says, her? and Maxie asks why she’d antagonize Ava Jerome like that.

Drew tells Willow that he happens to know Congressman McConkey is not running for reelection next fall. He met with McConkey recently, and McConkey is urging him to run for his seat. Willow says she just wants to make sure she understands. Larry McConkey wants Drew to run for his seat in congress? Drew tells her, that’s what he said. He hasn’t fully wrapped his mind around this yet. She asks if he’s going to do it. He would be perfect.

Finn tells Alexis that he dropped Violet at school. When he got home, he found that his dad had passed in his sleep. He doesn’t think his dad felt any pain. Alexis says, at least that was a blessing, and he says he called 911 and it took forever. While he was waiting, he looked over and he saw this bottle of bourbon, this gift from the Cerullos that they gave to him at the rehearsal dinner, and he was going to give it away. Instead, he drank a third of it. She says, okay, and he says, she doesn’t seem entirely surprised. She says, it’s okay, and he says he keeps asking himself, would he have drunk yesterday if he hadn’t accidentally drunk that glass of champagne the night before? He’s 99% sure he wouldn’t have, but then there’s that 1% of him that isn’t so sure. That’s the part that’s winning. She says, he has to try and look at it objectively, and he says he’ll try. She says, regardless of him slipping the night before, he woke up the next morning and it was tragic; it was heartbreaking. So he has a pretty sympathetic reason to break his sobriety. He says, that doesn’t excuse it, and she takes his hands. She says, forget about excuses, because she’s learned nothing really excuses anything. There’s just explanation and forgiveness, and after everything he’s been through, it can certainly be explained. He says he’s not the only one who’s suffered a difficult loss here. How is she? She asks if he means does she want a drink? Yeah. They laugh, and he says, did she drink? She says, no, and she has no intention of it. He says, neither did he, but here they are, and she says she thinks maybe it’s a two a day meeting thing for a while. He says he was at a meeting this morning. That’s why he didn’t pick up when she called. She says, that’s a damn good reason, and he says he drank, but he’s never going to drink again. She says, for now, and he says, yeah, for now. She says, the thing to really remember is, they have each other, and he says, yeah.

Nina says, why is she antagonizing Ava? and Maxie says, yeah. Nina says, maybe it has something to do with Ava saying that she was going to go to bat for her with Sonny and help save her marriage. Then sandbagging her because she wanted to get her claws in Sonny herself. Maxie says, it was awful… and Nina says, Ava implied that if she sold the MetroCourt to Jason, that Sonny would approve of that, knowing full well that Sonny hates Jason now. Maxie asks if Nina regrets selling the MetroCourt, but Nina says, no, and Maxie asks if she regrets signing the divorce papers. Nina says she regrets having to sign them, but she and Sonny were broken beyond repair, and Maxie says, then why take the time to make Ava her enemy? Nina says, Ava becoming her enemy was Ava’s choice, and Maxie says, that woman has a history of murder and mayhem with a touch of poisoning. Nina says, please, who doesn’t? Come on. She doesn’t think she’s in any physical danger. Maxie says, maybe not today, but if Nina keeps this up… Nina asks if Maxie saw the scowl on Ava’s face. That was almost worth the arsenic.

Chase says he’s so sorry, and Brook says, what did she tell him about apologizing? He says, this is how they’re spending her dream honeymoon, and she says, honeymoons are two things. First of all, they’re a vacation. Italy’s not going anywhere. They’ll take that trip later and make up for all the lost time. He says he likes the way she thinks, and she says she knows. He says, what about the other honeymoon? and she says, the other honeymoon is this, everything else forever. She snuggles against him and says, this is her dream. He says, coffee and scones? and she says, being with him through good times and bad, and yes, the coffee and scones are a definite bonus. Is he sure he doesn’t want another one? He says, yes, and she says, if she hasn’t made herself clear, anything she can do for him, them, or their family – if that’s jumping in and helping, giving him time to grieve with Finn, or both – she’ll do it, okay? He says, she’s amazing, and she says she really is, and she loves him so much. He says, ditto.

Diane goes to Alexis’s place and asks how she is. Alexis says, not great. She’s since learned there are greater losses than her law license. Diane says she’s so sorry about Gregory. She knows how important he was to Alexis. Alexis says she called him last night and Chase answered the phone. That’s how she found out. Any word from the Court of Appeals? Diane says, the wheels of bureaucracy do not accelerate to steamroll over you, no matter how much it seems like they want to, and Alexis says, any new insights? Diane says, they stood a really good chance of at least having Alexis’s disbarment examined, if not completely vacated, and Alexis says, and now? Diane says, now it’s clear that her disbarment was motivated by personal animus, no vigilance toward the law, and that animus stemmed from two conspiring sources, Ava Jerome and Fergus Byrne. By the way, she’s going to filing a harassment complaint against Counselor Byrne later on today. Maybe more than one, depending on her mood. Alexis says, if she needs any ammo… Diane says, please, and Alexis says, they had a little run-in at a diner in Albany. Diane tells her, say more, and Alexis says she was just sitting there, minding her own business, drowning her sorrows in a salad, and the avenging angel strolled by. Diane asks what he said, and Alexis tells her, it’s not what he said. It’s what she thinks is true. It’s not about his vengeance. It’s about his guilt, because he was estranged from both his brothers when they died about some inheritance issue. Diane says, interesting. Maybe she can use that. Alexis says, go ahead. If she’s being blamed for destroying two of the Byrne brothers, might as well make it a trifecta. Diane laughs and say she likes the way Alexis thinks, and Alexis wonders why she’s getting all the flack for this anyway. It’s Harmony who killed Neil – in Alexis’s bed – and she shoved his brother Brendan off a cliff. So why is that idiot after her? Diane says, make sure to ask him at his disciplinary hearing. In the meantime, she’s off to General Hospital. She’s going to meet with Gregory’s sons for the reading of his will. Alexis says she’s glad he retained Diane, and Diane says, after she represented the plaintiffs suing his son? Even she was a little surprised. Alexis says, he knew she was just doing her job. And they both know the justice system works best when there’s capable attorneys on each side, and Diane is a capable attorney. Diane’s not as good as she is, but she’s a capable attorney. She’s really glad Gregory retained her. Diane says, Alexis is mentioned in this will. Does she want to attend?

Finn finds Elizabeth in the breakroom, and he tells her that Amy said she’d be in here. Is this okay? She sort of smiles, and he comes in, closing the door behind him. He says he wants to… He needs to apologize. He was wrong and she was right. He never should have spoken to her that way. He has no excuse. He was grieving his father, and he drank to numb the pain. Again, it’s not an excuse, but that’s what happened. But Chase got him through the worst part of it, and he’ll never drink again. He’s already been to one meeting this morning. He just wishes he had the words to explain how sorry he is to her. She thanks him for saying all of that. She knows he means it, and she’s glad he’s doing what he needs to take care of himself. But she hopes he understands that she wasn’t trying to take charge or tell him what to do. She was only thinking about Violet and how she just found out she’d lost her grandfather forever, and she needed to put Violet first. He says he understands, and she says, good. Because he didn’t seem to yesterday. (Um… didn’t he just explain all that?)

Brook says, it’s funny, she didn’t think this was a thing, but now that she and Chase are married, she feels different. Chase says, in what way? and she says, it’s kind of hard to explain. You know when you’ve been away for a while, and you finally come home and crash in your own bed? He says, oh yeah, and she says, it’s like that, but everything is better. Even the bed is better, and somehow, you love everything even more. It’s like your capacity to love has leveled up in a way you didn’t even know was possible. And here you are. Here we are. We’re home. We belong and we’ll always belong, because the person we belong with is always by our side. And it’s not like some huge, major revelation. It’s just like remembering something we always knew, but now we won’t forget. He says, because here we are, and she says, because here we are, and they kiss.

Trina asks Josslyn if Dex is okay. Is he going to press charges? How is she feeling? Josslyn says she’s pissed off. She’s been so angry with Sonny for so long, it’s like she’s permanently stuck like this. Trina says she hears Josslyn. So is Dex… Josslyn says she took him to the ER, and they had to wait there all night because he needed stitches. Trina says, Dex needed stitches? and Josslyn says, it could have been a lot worse had Jason not been there to pull Sonny off of him. Ava walks in and says, Josslyn more than anybody should know better than to spread gossip, but Josslyn says, it’s not gossip. She was there. Ava says, she saw Sonny hit Dex? and Josslyn says, no, but she saw Dex right after. Ava says, so she didn’t see anything, and yet… Josslyn says, and yet, Kristina saw everything, and she was very freaked out by it. Ava says, and how far along is Kristina? What they wouldn’t know is that, when you’re pregnant, sometimes the littlest thing can freak you out. (I don’t think total delusion is a symptom of pregnancy.) Josslyn says, this was not a little thing, and Ava says, what they do know by now is that, when men drink, they fight. And she’s sure this encounter between Dex and Sonny wouldn’t have escalated if Jason hadn’t insinuated himself… Trina says, this conversation isn’t going to get anywhere, so maybe they should just end it here. They have those apartments to go see. Josslyn says, Trina is so right, and she shouldn’t argue with Trina’s boss, who wasn’t actually at the reception – she can’t imagine why Ava wasn’t invited – and couldn’t possibly know what actually happened.

Alexis says she’s not going to go to the reading. She thinks that’s for Finn and Chase. Diane says she’s sure they’d welcome her, but Alexis says, besides, she has to pay a visit to a certain gallery owner. Diane says, give Ava hell, and Alexis says, anyway, she thinks she knows what Gregory would like her to do from his will. Diane says, Alexis can guess, but she can neither confirm nor deny until after the will is read, and Alexis says, he wants her to be literary executor and she’s proud and happy to do it. Diane laughs and says she had a feeling Alexis would be, and Alexis says she really wishes she could have gone to the wedding – they both tear up – and seen him in his proudest and finest moments. She just really never thought it would be his last.

Elizabeth says, Violet should be Finn’s first concern, but yesterday, he made it seem like Violet was something that belonged to him, that she shouldn’t take. Instead of a little girl who just lost her grandfather and probably needed reassurance. Not only has Elizabeth never seen that side of him before, she honestly didn’t think he was capable of it. He says, she’ll never see that side of him again, and he wants to thank her for looking out for his daughter. His phone dings and he says he’s sorry. Chase is here. She asks if Chase is okay, and Finn says, Diane Miller is coming by his office to read his father’s will.

Maxie says, there’s a subtle, but clear… Nina says, who does Ava think she is, telling her that she doesn’t have a life? She’s literally a trendsetter. Maxie says, the question is… Nina says, Ava hangs paintings on a wall. She dictates fashion. Maxie says, it’s more like how much space… Nina says, the woman doesn’t even have a place to live. She’s imposing on the father of her child, a man who will never ever love her. Maxie gets up and says, okay. Since they’re obviously never going to talk about the ads, which is the actual reason for this meeting… She opens the door and Nina asks what she’s doing. What was she saying? Maxie closes the door again and tells Nina that it’s too late for what she was saying. Nina really needs to get this out of her system. Who was the gentleman friend she mentioned to Ava? Nina says, Maxie knows, and Maxie says, yeah, but she was hoping she was wrong. Nina and Drew are still… whatever? Nina says, he’s no gentleman and he’s certainly not a friend, but they have a good thing going. Maxie says, he’s her boss, but Nina says, it doesn’t hurt business. Maxie says, and they don’t like each other? and Nina says, that definitely doesn’t hurt business. Maxie asks if the sex can really be that good.

Drew says, it’s a huge decision. It’s going to affect everybody he cares about. Willow says, but he wants to do it, right? He’s going to run for McConkey’s seat. He says he didn’t even take it seriously at first. He thought McConkey was kidding when he brought it up, but the more he thinks about it, he sees the upside. Willow seems to think it’s a good idea. She says, no. She thinks it’s a great idea. He says, but it’s crazy, right? It’s nuts. Would he even have a shot? She says, absolutely. The government needs people like him. He says, really? People with no previous government experience? Because that typically doesn’t work out very good. She says, it does when those people are unselfish and open-minded. When they get involved to try and make life better for people. He says, those people typically stay out of politics, and she says, that’s exactly why we need more of them in politics. And if he doesn’t mind her saying so, she thinks it would do him good. He says, how so? and she says, he was in a very dark place for a while. She knows he’s made it out the other side, but that darkness stays with him. He says, and she thinks him running for public office is going to cure whatever’s ailing him, and she says she thinks being in office, making a difference, won’t cure it, but it will help. It’s why she loved being a schoolteacher and why she’s going to love being a spokesperson for the New Tomorrow Institute. Raising awareness for the need for bone marrow donors will make a difference. It will help make people’s lives better, or it will help them live at all. And she’ll get to make that happen because he offered her the chance to. He says he’s very glad he did, and she says she promises she won’t say a word to anyone else about him possibly running for congress, but she really hopes he’ll do it.

Finn meets Chase outside his office, and they hug. They go inside, and Finn asks how Chase is this morning. Chase says he’s okay, all things considered. How is Finn? Finn says he didn’t sleep much. He ended up sitting in dad’s room half the night. He guesses trying to feel close to him. He didn’t drink again. In fact, he went to an AA meeting this morning. Chase says, good. He’s glad Finn is doing what he’s got to do. Just so Finn knows, Chase isn’t checking up on him. Finn says, why not? and Chase says, because he trusts Finn to take care of himself and Violet.

Alexis walks into the gallery, and Ava says, good morning. Is she shopping for herself or somebody else? Alexis says, no. She just got back from Albany. She met an old friend of Ava’s. Ava asks, how? She doesn’t know anybody in Albany. Alexis says, sure she does. Fergus Byrne. Ava thinks a moment and says, any relation to those other two Byrnes whose lives Alexis destroyed? Alexis says, actually, it was Harmony Miller who destroyed their lives, but yes. He’s their brother. Of course (🍷) Ava already knows that because she hired him to get Alexis disbarred. Ava says she remembers him now. How’s he doing? She imagines he’s having a very, very good day. Alexis says, what she’s really curious about is why Ava chose to be anonymous. She would think Ava would be thrilled at the thought of Alexis knowing she was responsible for the implosion of her career and her life. Ava says, no. Alexis is responsible for that, but she was more than happy to help. Will that be all?

Diane reads, I, Gregory Chase, being of sound mind and unsound body, etcetera, etcetera. Just so they know, in addition to the regular legalese, he actual wrote out etcetera, etcetera. The first order of business I suppose is to name my executor, and that would be my son, Harrison Chase. Chase says, wait. What? Diane says, he’s responsible for seeing his father’s wishes are followed, and Finn nods at Chase. Chase asks, what are his wishes? and Diane says, brief and clear. Just take a breath. Don’t worry. If he needs any advice, she’s always here to help. He thanks her and says he’ll take her up on that. She continues, while Harrison will be the executor of my estate, I also name Alexis Davis as my literary executor. As for my rather modest estate, it is to be divided equally between my two sons, Harrison and Hamilton, with the exception of my library, which I leave to my brilliant, imaginative granddaughter Violet, to enjoy when she is ready. Chase says, she’s going to love that, and Finn agrees. Diane reads, finally, I request that my body be cremated. Rather than a church ceremony and a burial, I want an open-air memorial with my family and closest friends gathered to witness the scattering of my ashes near my favorite tree in the park. Violet knows which one. Chase gets up as Diane continues, I want my family to focus on life, not death; the sky and the world around you, not a hole in the ground. In setting my body and spirit free in the air, I can happily return to the earth which has been so generous to me. Finn says, that’s what dad wanted, and Chase says, that’s what we’ll do.

Nina says she’s not talking about sex. That’s really not part of it anymore. Maxie says, oh no. Is Nina developing feelings for Drew? Nina says, what? God. No. Maxie tells her, you know what they say about protesting too much? She’s the literal illustration right now. Nina says, no. It’s just that somehow the frenemies with benefits really did have benefits. Because of Drew, she’s back on speaking terms with Willow. Maxie says, okay. What’s he getting out of it? Nina looks at her, and Maxie says, what else is he getting out of it? Nina says she got Drew a meeting with Congressman McConkey on this big urban renewal project Aurora is working on with the city. They’re actually like business partners sort of. Maxie says she still has to ask. What is Nina going to do if temptation arises again? Nina says, don’t worry. For her, Drew Cain is the opposite of irresistible. Maxie says, if that were the case, why does Nina not keep resisting him?

Alexis asks why Ava would go out of her way to destroy her career, and Ava says, it wasn’t out of her way at all. And as to why, Alexis knew Ava’s brother loved her very much and she used that against him over and over again, leading him on, drawing him in, only to cast him aside. It didn’t matter that he saved Alexis’s life, more than once. Or that he dragged her out after she ran him over with her car while out on a bender. Alexis says, actually, she was on a bender after being manipulated by Julian to defend Carlos Rivera, who he then murdered. Which Ava’s bestie, Fergus, described in glorious detail to the court. Ava says she wishes she could have seen that. So Alexis is still blaming Julian for all her failings. Alexis says, no. She’s blaming Ava for getting her disbarred. Ava says she sees. So here Alexis is, standing in her gallery, blaming her, even though Alexis committed perjury. Did Ava call the bar with her statement? Yeah. Did she tell them Alexis committed perjury? Yeah, which Alexis did. So don’t blame her. Blame herself.

Drew says, the more he thinks about the idea of public service, the more he likes it, but the campaign could get nasty. He was in prison not too long ago for insider trading. Willow says, which he owned up to. And now he’s seen firsthand what prisons are like, so he can campaign on reform. He’s paid his debt to society, which appeals to those who value accountability. He’s an ex-Navy SEAL, which appeals to the military minded. He’s already shown a commitment to the public good, which appeals to McConkey’s base. He says, wow. Will she be his campaign manager? She says she’s a little busy, and he says, really? She’s fired. They laugh, and she says she loves the sound of that – Congressman Cain. He tells her, McConkey had something to say about that too, and thanks her. This is way more than he could have hoped for. She says, he can thank her by agreeing to run.

Elizabeth knocks at Finn’s office door and says she thought he’d still be here, even though he’s not working today. He says he figured since he was here anyway, he’d catch up on some paperwork. Maybe it would keep his mind off… things. She asks if it’s working, and he says, nah. What’s she got there? Dropping off x-rays? Isn’t that beneath the head nurse’s paygrade? She says she’s never too busy to help the people she loves, and he thanks her for that. She asks how the reading of his dad’s will went, and Finn says, he left all his books to Violet. She says, sounds like him, and he says, instead of a funeral, he wants his ashes scattered in an open-air memorial. She says, that sounds beautiful. And if he doesn’t mind her asking… He says, ask him anything, and she says, when’s his next meeting? He says, in about an hour, and she asks if he wants her to pick up Violet from school. Is she even at school? He says, yeah. He didn’t want to disrupt her schedule and she insisted that’s what her grandpa would want. She’s probably right. Elizabeth says, consider it done, and he thanks her. He’s sure Violet will love that. She says she should get back to work, and he says, him too, and she leaves.

Brook asks, how’d the reading go? and Chase says, good. His dad made him executor. She says, what an honor, and he says he always thought it would go to Finn, since he’s the oldest, but it’s almost like his dad knew Finn would be struggling and shouldn’t be burdened. She says, or maybe his dad just thought he could be trusted to take care of things, and he says he guesses that’s a possibility, and she asks how he’s feeling with everything. He says, better. He’s glad that he has one more thing that he can do for his dad. Now he just has to not let him down, or anybody. She tells him to stop putting so much pressure on himself, and he says, not only does he have to carry out his father’s wishes, but he has to worry about Finn and Violet after they get done with this. Brook says, it’s so awful that he doesn’t have anybody by his side to help him through all this… Oh, wait. He says, there you are, and she says, here I am. Don’t you forget it. She kisses him.

Ava asks if Alexis even saw the affidavit she signed, and Alexis says, yes. Ava says, was there even anything in there that wasn’t true? and Alexis says, nope. Ava says, then what in God’s name is she objecting to? Alexis says she’s objecting to Ava’s cruelty. Ava has only two ways of dealing with adversity. Just two. She either deflects blame or she inflicts harm. Ava says, her brother would be alive today if he hadn’t been on the receiving end of what Alexis calls love. She’s got nothing to apologize for. Alexis says, she means nothing she’s been caught and prosecuted for… yet. Which makes her miss being able to practice law that much more. But license or not, Ava is going to regret making that complaint. Alexis walks out.

Tomorrow, Drew asks, what makes Willow think he can do this; Blaze says she owes someone an apology; Spinelli tells Maxie that he respectfully and regretfully declines; and Sam says she believes Kristina will do the right thing, even at a cost to Sonny.

🥀 What They Had To Say…

His family.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/johnny-wactors-family-speaks-out-about-his-tragic-death

And his many friends.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/stars-pay-tribute-to-johnny-wactor

🧼 In Happier Soap News…

Gregory Harrison has a new gig already.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/abc/all-about-gregory-harrisons-tv-return

And this talented kid has a side gig. His co-stars are impressive too.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/ghs-easton-rocket-sweda-previews-his-new-movie-the-present

🔪 Who Packed Their Knives…

I love the recaps from this site. I didn’t so much love the elimination challenge where food wasn’t just plated at the table. It was plated on the table. To each his own, but I don’t want to eat off the table.

Another perspective.

https://people.com/top-chef-recap-episode-11-contestants-are-homesick-but-hungry-for-win-8655626

💎 More Than a Diamond…

Garcelle is on fire and doesn’t need a Housewives storyline to burn. Airing on July 20th.

👠 Check and Mate…

I have a friend whose sister went into Tiffany’s because she was meeting someone who worked there for dinner. The clerk asked if she could help her, and when she said, no, the clerk said – wait for it – I didn’t think so. Like rich people always dress rich. We’ve seen some of their outfits.

🎉 Worth Celebrating…

It would be nice to see this in more shelters.

https://people.com/after-months-of-overcrowding-florida-shelter-celebrates-completely-empty-cages-8654837

🐕 Summer Pet PSA…

Please never leave any pet in a hot car, even if you think you’ll just be a minute.

https://people.com/animal-experts-share-14-must-know-tips-for-a-pet-friendly-summer-8653253

🌞 Summer Is Ready For You…

Join me tomorrow for soap and Summer House smack talk or possible apathy. Until then, stay safe, stay not going into a phone vortex when at dinner, and stay forgetting about excuses, because nothing really excuses anything. There’s just explanation and forgiveness.

May 22, 2024 – Neil’s Brother Opposes Alexis’s Reinstatement, Goodbye Gregory, Fergus, Sonny’s Crisis, This Week In Chefs, New Stars, Just Sad, Nixed Awards, A Better Gala & Party

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Finn picks up Gregory’s cane and remembers the argument they had where Gregory told Finn, by all means lecture him on proper wedding etiquette. Violet comes in, and Finn asks what she’s doing home so early. She says, they had a half day, and Finn hugs her. A woman knocks at the door and says she was making sure Violet got in okay. Gretchen’s in the car so she’s got to run. She’ll see them tomorrow. She leaves, and Violet picks up the bouquet. She says, maybe they can take her bouquet out for a walk. Flowers love fresh air. And they can tell grandpa to come too, if they don’t go too far. (The knife dives deeper into my heart.) He says, they can go for a walk, but he needs to talk to her about something. She asks if she shouldn’t tell grandpa to get ready, but Finn says, grandpa isn’t here. She asks if he’s at the doctor, but Finn says, no. Grandpa isn’t with us anymore. Grandpa passed away last night.

Dex says he hasn’t turned Sonny in, and Michael says, because he doesn’t intend to, or because he hasn’t had time? Dex says he hasn’t decided yet. Why? Michael says, because he and Kristina don’t want Dex to report it.

Sonny asks, what the hell is going on with Dante? He doesn’t have a history here. Michael and Dex conspired to take him down. He didn’t take the proper steps to contain it. He let it go. Dante asks if he wants a medal for not killing someone, and Sonny says, that’s not what he’s saying. He left Dex alone and look what happened. Even more betrayal. He’s hiding behind a badge in the office with Anna, talking about Sonny’s business or whatever he’s talking about. Dex is still trying to take him down, and Dante refuses to see it. Dante says, the only thing he can see really clearly right now is Sonny, and Sonny asks what that means. Dante says, this isn’t some isolated incident. Sonny has a pattern, a history with violence. He’s not talking about Cyrus. This goes back – they both know – for a long time. Sonny asks what Dante is accusing him of.

Alexis says, Diane is right. Whether the robes buy this or not, she wants to stand in front of them and make her argument. Diane raises her hand and says, testify, and Alexis gives her a high-five. Welcome back. Alexis says, there’s a reason Diane wins all her cases. She’s not just pretty; she’s very persuasive. Diane tells her not to forget either of those things. Let’s go win this. Alexis says she has to grab something first, and picks up Gregory’s medal. Diane asks, what’s this hoodoo? and Alexis says, something from Gregory to bring her luck. Let’s hope it works.

Lois tells Ned, good news. She spoke to Monica, and she is all for it. Ned says he’s not surprised. They have plenty of room. Has Lois warned him about his mother? She says, about her irrational bias against those of us who were blessed to grow up in Bensonhurst? No, not yet. Ned says, Lois knows his mother loves her, right? and Lois says she does. She also knows Tracy loves to complain about her and Olivia, and she’s sure Tracy is going to complain about him too. But she and Olivia are adults and he’s just a kid. Ned says, she told him that he was 21, and she says, 21 is still just a kid to her. He says, maybe he’ll win Tracy over. She loves music, as long as it’s not Eddie Maine who’s playing it.

Brook asks if she can get Chase anything. Does he want some water? He says he’s not thirsty, and they hear, this is the final boarding call for flight #384 to Rome, on the loudspeaker. He says, dad was so happy yesterday. He was so full of life. He thought they would have so much more time. She says she did too, (me too), and Chase says, there were so many things he wanted to say to him, and now he’s just never going to know. Brook says she promises he knew, and the loudspeaker announces, boarding for flight 384 to Rome is now closed. Chase cries and Brook comforts him.

Dante says, this isn’t just about Sonny. It’s about him. He’s looked the other way so many times for so long. It’s embarrassing really. Not admitting who Sonny is and who he’s always been. He’s not going to do that anymore. Too many people are getting hurt. And if Sonny doesn’t do something to fix that, it’s just going to get worse.

Dex asks if Josslyn thinks he should turn Sonny in, but she says she thinks it’s up to him. He was attacked. It’s his decision. He says, and she has no opinion on it. That’s a first. She says she’s tired of telling people what they should or shouldn’t do and giving them ultimatums. It hasn’t exactly worked out for her in the past. Michael says he knows he has no right to ask anything else of Dex, and Dex says, but Michael is asking him. But it’s not like when he worked for Sonny. He’s a police cadet now. He has direct knowledge of a crime. What if somebody else gets hurt and him turning in Sonny could have stopped it? Michael says he knows. He’s not asking Dex to do this to protect Sonny, believe him. Sonny deserves to pay for what he did to Dex. He’s asking Dex for Kristina’s sake. If he accuses Sonny, she’ll have to be a witness. She’ll have to testify against her own father. She’s already an emotional wreck from all of this. And she’s pregnant. He’s just worried it’s too much for her. Dex says, when is it too much for him?

Blaze says she’s not denying that what Kristina’s dad did last night scares her, and Kristina says she knows. It scares her too. Blaze says, but she’s not as afraid of Sonny than she is about what all this is doing to Kristina. She’s the one Blaze cares about here. She hates seeing Kristina in so much pain. Besides, she’s the last one who should be throwing stones at anyone’s parents. Her mother gave Kristina every reason to run from their relationship, but she didn’t, so Blaze won’t either. She takes Kristina’s hands and says, Kristina’s not her father. No more than she’s her mother. Kristina says she doesn’t even know who he is anymore. She saw him attacking Dex, and after hearing him scream those threats, it’s like he’s a completely different person.

Finn tells Violet, grandpa wasn’t in any pain. He just went to sleep and didn’t wake up. She says, that can happen? and he says, not to him and her. Grandpa was real sick. She says, it was the ALS? and he says, yeah, that’s probably what it was. They said his heart just stopped beating. She says, but his heart was fine yesterday, and Finn says he knows. Sometimes when people are sick inside, they just don’t know. But he wants her to think about how amazing grandpa was yesterday, how much fun he had. Think about how lucky they are to have spent all this time with him. Violet starts to cry and says, no. She wants grandpa to still be here. She runs out of the room, calling, grandpa!

Finn goes into Gregory’s bedroom to find Violet looking at the bed. She asks, where is he? and Finn takes her hands. He says, the paramedics took grandpa away, and she says she didn’t get to say goodbye. Finn says he knows. If grandpa had known it was going to be the last time he’d see her, he would have hugged her so tight. He hugs her and she cries. She flashes back to being with Gregory at Bobbie’s, and Gregory telling her that she takes after her dad. When he was a boy, he always had his nose in some book. She says, he’s funny. Everyone knows you can’t draw with your nose. Gregory says, she’s so much smarter than he is. The wisdom of youth. She asks, what’s youth? and he says, it’s everything she is, and everything old guys like him long to be. She and Finn cry, and Finn says, life is so beautiful, but sometimes it’s cruel and it’s not fair. Life is so beautiful, it hurts sometimes. She says she loves him, and he says he loves her too. They hug and cry some more.

Chase and Brook walk into the Quartermaine mansion, and Brook asks if he’s okay. He says, not really. He just wishes he could have gone straight from the airport to Finn’s place. She says, her too, but Finn wanted some time to tell Violet about Gregory, just the two of them. He says he doesn’t blame Finn… She says she knows and hugs him. She says, they’re going to have to tell them everything at some point, so they might as well get it over with. Ready for this? He says he’s not sure he’ll ever be ready, but waiting isn’t going to make it easier.

Lois says, poor Ned. She bets Tracy would support his musical side had Brook not followed in their mutual footsteps. He says, if Brook had toed the line and lived her life the way his mother wanted, his mother would never respect her. She says, and Brook would be miserable, and he says, that too. His mother would never admit it, but she loves the way Brook stands up to her. Lois says she loves it too, and Brook and Chase walk in. Lois asks what they’re doing here. Aren’t they supposed to be on a plane, sipping champagne, watching another little plane on the screen in front of them getting closer and closer to Rome? Ned asks, what’s the matter? Was their flight canceled? Brook looks at Chase.

In the courtroom, Alexis flips the medal around, making a clanking sound. Diane puts her hand over it and says, now that Alexis has rubbed Gregory’s good luck charm to shreds, does she feel its good luck coursing through her veins? Alexis says, not unless luck and anxiety feel the same way, and Diane says, then put it away. Take a deep breath, because she doesn’t need luck. She has a brilliant attorney pleading her case. Perhaps she knows her name. Alexis Davis? A man walks in and sits at the other table, and Diane says, who does Alexis think is their esteemed colleague? Alexis says she has no idea. Something about him looks familiar. The bailiff says, all rise, and three judges take their places. Alexis quietly flips the good luck charm.

Finn carries Violet out to the living room and looks at the bottle of bourbon. He asks if she’s okay, and she says, is he? He says he’s very sad. He puts her on the sofa and says he knows it had to be hard for her to go to grandpa’s room just now. It was for him. She says, he was supposed to be in there, and Finn says he knows. She says, but if grandpa isn’t here with them, where is he? What happens to grandpa now?

Dante tells Sonny not to go anywhere near Dex, because if something happens to him, everyone is going to know it was Sonny. Sonny says, that’s how Dante is helping him? By telling him to hide from someone? Keep his mouth shut like some little coward? Dante says, it’s not about being a coward. It’s about being smart. Sonny better hope this kid doesn’t press charges, because if he does, Sonny can’t make amends to his family from behind bars. His freedom now rests on the shoulders, the decision, that a guy’s going to make that Sonny threatened to kill. Sonny says his own son is forsaking him, and Dante says, if he was forsaking Sonny, he’d be taking him down to jail in cuffs. He’s trying to save Sonny. Sonny says, yeah, and Dante says he is. He thinks the problem Sonny is having is that he’s reached his limit with him. He’s done protecting Sonny. He committed a crime and now he has to face the consequences of that crime. Okay? Sonny walks out without saying anything, closing the door behind him. In the hallway, Sonny holds his head for a moment, then keeps walking.

Kristina says she asked Michael to fix things with Dex. That was so unfair of her. Blaze says, it’s pretty clear Kristina’s brother loves her and will do whatever he can to help her, and Kristina says she knows. She loves Michael too, but you’d never be able to tell by the position she just put him in. Blaze says she’s being too hard on herself, and Kristina says she wishes. She hates it, but there’s really only one way for Michael to fix things and that’s by convincing Dex not to press charges against her dad.

Dex says he came to Port Charles because Michael asked him to take Sonny down. What happened last night is further proof that his first instinct was right. Sonny’s not just a danger to his enemies. He’s a danger to his loved ones too. And they’re never going to get a better chance to stop him than right now. Michael says, maybe, but like he told Dex… Josslyn says, there’s no maybe. Michael is right. Sonny absolutely deserves to be punished for what he’s done. The question is, does Kristina, and does her baby? Dex says he guesses she’s not afraid to share her opinion after all, and she says she’s thinking about him too. Because if he presses charges, and Kristina’s a witness, and they interview her, is the stress going to be too much for her and the baby? She knows Dex, and he’s going to feel terrible if it is. She’s not interested in telling him what to do. She can only ask, please don’t file charges against Sonny.

Sonny walks into the penthouse, and Ava says, there you are. She was worried. He barely said two words last night, and he was gone by the time Avery left for school. She missed her dad this morning. He starts to head for the back, and she says, please. Don’t shut her out. She’s here. He says, Kristina saw something, got the wrong idea. She’s one of the last people who believed in him, and now he lost her.

At the café, Michael asks Josslyn if she saw Sonny at the wedding, and she says, yes. She did her best to ignore him. He says, Sonny iced him out at the church. Not that he was expecting anything different. He was watching Sonny at the reception with Brook’s family, and they were all over him. They adored him. He was charming; he was flashing his dimples. He was smiling and flirting with the ladies and making jokes with the guys. He was watching Sonny and he was thinking, there he is. I know that guy. That’s my father. Josslyn says she remembers feeling that way about him. Thinking that he was so kind and empathetic. Thinking how lucky she was to have him as a stepfather. He says, it’s not like he’s lying. All that charm, the dimples, all that stuff, it’s real. So was the ugliness, the brutality, the rage. He used to be better at hiding it, controlling it… That’s why he and mom wanted Dex to stay around him, to keep an eye on him, to protect him from himself. She says, well, now Dex needs protection from Sonny, and he says, speaking of Dex. He saw them. They were dancing at the reception. He knows she waited for Dex afterwards, and actually, the whole night didn’t go as planned, but are they back together?

Finn takes Violet’s hand and says, in a few days, there will be something called a funeral. That’s where all of grandpa’s family and friends will get together to say goodbye to him. She says, but how do they say goodbye if he’s not here? and he tells her, they say it in their thoughts and they say it in their prayers. Or if she wants, she can say it out loud. It’s different for everyone. It’s whatever feels best for her. She says, but when they say goodbye, does grandpa go to heaven? Is he with the angels? Finn says, yeah. Grandpa’s with the angels. There’s a knock at the door, and Violet answers. Elizabeth is there and she hugs Violet. She tells Finn that Chase called her. She’s so sorry. Violet says, her dad’s sad too. She thinks he needs a hug. Elizabeth says she’s sure, and hugs Finn. Violet closes the door, and Elizabeth sees the glass with bourbon in it. She looks at Finn, looks at the bottle, then back at Finn again.

Diane says, on behalf of her client, Alexis Davis, and herself, she would like to thank the court for hearing their petition today. They come before the court to appeal Miss Davis’s disbarment and ask that she be allowed to return to the Bar and practice law in New York State again. And should they accept her appeal, the state and the people in it will only be the better for it. She thanks them and sits down. The man at the adjacent table stands up and says, with all due respect to his esteemed colleague, Miss Miller, the State of New York and its citizenry will be better off without Miss Davis, a proven liar, abusing their trust again. One of the judges asks, and what is the name of the party opposing Miss Davis’s appeal? and the man says, Fergus Byrne. He’s opposing her appeal. His brother Neil was a casualty of Miss Davis’s utter and complete disregard for the law. (Is this allowed? It’s not a parole hearing.)

Sonny tells Ava, the church, the music, everything was just beautiful. People were there from the old neighborhood who he grew up with, like the Cerullos and the Falconaris mostly. The church was packed. He looks over and he sees Dex. Ava says, what? and Sonny says, he had no right to be there. He knew it. Dex looks over at him with his little smirk like he knew he was getting away with it. Ava says, why would he do that? and Sonny says, because he’s a punk kid, with no respect for anyone or anything. She asks what Sonny did, and he says he punched Dex a few times, more than a few times, but he deserved it. Then Jason stopped him from doing something really bad that he was really going to regret. She says she’s sure Dex got the message, but he says, guys like Dex never get the message.

Blaze says, if Michael is willing to ask Dex to drop the charges, maybe it’s a good thing, and Kristina asks if Blaze is on her dad’s side. She’d have lost that bet. Blaze says she’s on Kristina’s side, first and always, but if she’s honest, she’s worried about what the effects of Sonny’s possible arrest and prosecution would have on Kristina. She’s very pregnant and already under a lot of pressure. Kristina says she knows. Seeing her dad attack Dex that way didn’t make it any better. Blaze says, it would be worse if Kristina had to go up in court and testify against him, and Kristina says she didn’t even think about that part of it. She was so focused on what would happen to her dad, she didn’t even… That’s why Michael agreed to talk to Dex. It wasn’t for her dad’s sake; it was for her. Blaze says, Michael already knows she has a lot to think about with the baby. On top of the already complicated history she has with her dad. She’s guessing Michael is putting himself out there because he wants to spare Kristina. That’s really a pretty amazing brother thing to do. Kristina says she knows. She just feels so bad. Michael’s going out on a limb, and she loves her dad. Blaze says, no one’s asking her to stop loving Sonny. It’s not like she’s turning off a faucet. Kristina says she knows, but he shouldn’t be allowed to get away with attacking people and threatening to kill them just because she loves her dad. Blaze says she doesn’t think he should either, and Kristina picks up her phone. Blaze asks what she’s doing, and Kristina says, what she has to do. She makes a call and says, hey, it’s Kristina. I’m at the MetroCourt. How soon can you be here?

Josslyn says, no, she and Dex aren’t back together, and Michael says, sorry he asked. She says, why wouldn’t he ask? She’s been asking herself the same question. She’s the one who broke up with Dex, even though she was still in love with him. He just did something she couldn’t accept, and she thought that was the end of it. He says, but it’s not? and she says she just hates couples that keep breaking up and getting back together. It’s like they’re terminally indecisive or they’re just addicted to the drama of it all. It just reminds her of mom and Sonny’s relationship. Every time she got rid of him, she’d go running back. She’s not saying Dex and Sonny are the same. They could not be more different. Her point is, it’s just not the kind of relationship that she wanted. When she broke up with Dex, she really meant it. Then he radically changed his life. He’s going to become a cop. At first, she thought it was to make amends with her. She knows she sounds like an egomaniac. He asks if she’s saying that Dex didn’t apply to the police academy to impress her. Because that seems like the obvious explanation.

Elizabeth wonders if she can ask Violet for a favor, and Violet says, sure. Elizabeth says, Aiden has been begging her for a friendship bracelet. Can she make him one? Violet says, definitely, and Elizabeth thanks her. Violet goes to her room, and Elizabeth makes sure that she can’t hear. She tells Finn that she can’t imagine how he’s feeling, but it’s obvious he’s been drinking. So she’s going to take Violet home with her, and he can get himself to a meeting, okay? He says, no, not okay. Violet’s staying with him. And he doesn’t need to get himself to a meeting. She says, this isn’t just about him, and he says his father is dead. She says, he must be in so much pain, and he says he stood right over there and watched two strangers wheel out his dead dad. She says, please, let her help him, but he laughs and says, nothing can help the way he’s feeling. Nothing.

Sonny tells Ava that Dex is taunting him. Dex isn’t even saying anything, but is still taunting him. Jason grabbed him and then Kristina showed up. He doesn’t know what she heard, and then she took off without… He wasn’t able to explain anything to her. Ava says she’s so sorry, and he says, Kristina was the only one who really, really believed in him. Every time she would look up at him, she would smile. By the time he finally caught up with her, his little girl was afraid of him. Ava looks like she might cry.

Blaze opens the door and tells Dex, come on in. It looks bad. He says he’s had worse. Never at a wedding though. Kristina says she doesn’t know what to say. She’s sorry doesn’t even begin to cut it. She thanks him for even agreeing to come here. Blaze asks if she can get him anything. Aspirin? Ice? He says, no thank you. Josslyn stayed with him at the ER while he got stitched up. Kristina says, Josslyn was right about her dad. She can say I told you so for… well, the rest of my life now. Dex says, it’s the last thing she wants to do. There’s no victory lap when it comes to being right about Sonny. Kristina says, he’s right. She’s sorry. She didn’t mean to be flippant about it. She had blinders on when it came to her dad. Everyone saw that but her. She wanted to think of him as the man she knew him to be, not who he was, not in his entirety. He says, for what it’s worth (🍷), when he worked for Sonny, he also saw what he wanted to see, and he was just as wrong. She says she knows her brother asked him not to press charges. Michael did that because of her, because she asked him to, but she shouldn’t have. He asks, why not? and she says, because Dex is entitled to justice, and if he chooses to pursue it, she wants him to know that she’ll testify on his behalf against her father.

Josslyn tells Michael, Dex really believes in what he’s doing. He wants to be a cop. He wants to wear that uniform, to protect and serve. And she thinks he’s going to make a really good cop, like Dante. He’s going to help people. And she thinks that he would really like it if they got back together, but if for some reason they don’t, Dex is going to be fine. He respects himself… and some other girl would get him, and she’d be kicking herself. Michael says, there’s an easy solution to this. She can just tell Dex that she wants to try again. She says she doesn’t know if she’s ready for that yet. What she does know is that she’s done changing her mind. Dex deserves better. Michael says he’s going to guess though, that Dex would tell her that there is nobody better than her. She says, he’s her big brother. He has to say nice things to her. He says, that doesn’t make them any less true, and hugs her.

Diane says, Mr. Byrne just admitted to being the brother of the late Dr. Neil Byrne, who was a factor in her client’s disbarment. Fergus gets up and says, his brother was much more than a factor in her case. Although he shouldn’t be surprised that she reduced him to such. His brother, Neil Byrne, would be alive today if it weren’t for Alexis Davis. Diane starts to protest that it’s a conflict of interest, when Alexis gets up. She says she has no problem with Mr. Byrne’s role here today. In fact, she welcomes it. She’s never pleaded her own case in court before, but she intends to do so today, so it seems fitting, maybe even necessary, that Mr. Byrne have a front row seat to it.

Lois says she’s so sorry and hugs Chase. His father was a wonderful man, and he was a wonderful father. Chase is proof of that. Every moment she spent in Gregory’s company was pure joy. Chase thanks her, and she asks if Brook is okay, and hugs her. Ned tells Chase that he’s so sorry, and Brook asks, where’s her grandmother? Ned says, she went down to the stables. She was going out for a ride. Chase says he’ll go down there and see if she’s left yet, and Ned says he’ll walk Chase down. They leave, and Lois says she can’t believe he’s gone. She knew it was going to happen someday, but… Brook says she knows. Someday wasn’t supposed to be now. Lois leads Brook to the sofa and says, sometimes God has a plan for us. She guesses it would just be nice sometimes to get a little heads up. Because of Brook and Chase and that beautiful wedding, Gregory died the happiest, right? Brook says, he was also the bravest, and holding back tears, Lois says, yeah, he was. And the way he officiated their wedding, it was with so much courage and determination. Brook says, he had so much strength, and he used so much of it to get through that ceremony. It’s like he just didn’t have any left. She starts to cry, and Lois sits next to her, putting her arm around Brook. Brook says, Chase just wanted a little more time with his dad, and Lois says, but Brook is here to hold Chase now and let him know he’s not alone. Brook puts her head on Lois’s shoulder, and they cry.

Finn says, does Elizabeth want to know what eased the pain for a few minutes? One drink. He thinks he has the right to do whatever it takes to get him through this day. She says, if that’s how he chooses to treat his pain, she can’t stop him, but she will not let him get drunk in front of that little girl in this apartment.

Tomorrow, Finn says, those are the two choices, you decide; Alexis demands to know the name of her accuser; Kristina tells Blaze that in her own way, she’s just as guilty; and Carly asks what Sonny is going to do when he runs out of traitors.

👨🏻‍💻 A Professor To Remember…

I’m so sorry to see him go. I saw Gregory Harrison years ago on Broadway in a revival of my favorite musical, Follies. He was actually substituting for the original actor, and I was skeptical at first, but he was absolutely amazing. It’s a shame they couldn’t have made it a misdiagnosis or at least let him play it out. Although kudos for such a beautiful ending.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/gregory-harrison-ends-his-run-on-general-hospital

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/gh-stars-say-goodbye-to-gregory-harrison

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/why-james-patrick-stuart-was-happy-gregory-harrison-joined-gh

⚖️ Enter Fergus…

Apparently, he and Alexis (or at least her portrayer) are no strangers.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/lane-davies-opens-up-about-his-general-hospital-return

💊 The Real Deal…

It’s unbelievable people were telling him that Sonny’s reaction to the low dosage of his meds is unrealistic or that it’s just for the next Emmy. He ought to know about being bipolar and he deserves another Emmy for this one.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/ghs-maurice-benard-on-sonnys-mental-health-crisis

🔪 The Latest On Top…

My takeaways from this week. Tom said to put your own spin on a classic, you have to understand the dish first. Even though the microwave is my best friend in the kitchen, I get this. The teacher I studied musical comedy with said, learn how the song is sung first, then make it your own. Same thing. The judges were also on Watch What Happens Live afterward, and Kristen said she finds foam to be useless 99% of the time. So my suspicions about foam were right.

🍲 In Other Chefs…

Serving up the next Food Stars.

https://thedirect.com/article/gordon-ramsays-food-stars-2024-cast-season-2-contestants-hosts-photos

🪞 Don’t Try This At Home…

I’m including this because it’s just so sad. And they’re not the only women in the industry who think they’re huge at a size 0. I have a theory that the people in media and advertising want women to disappear, since they just keep encouraging us to be smaller.

https://people.com/christina-applegate-anorexia-married-with-children-messy-podcast-8647913

🍿 No Awards For You…

They don’t quite say what the problem was. I actually thought it was the only awards show worth watching.

https://ew.com/mtv-movie-and-tv-awards-wont-happen-this-year-will-return-in-2025-8647917

🐕 The Warm and Fuzzy Side Of the Met…

I swear, next year I’m going to this.

https://people.com/dogs-dress-in-canine-copies-of-2024-met-gala-looks-for-pet-gala-8651847

🪣 There’s a Hole In My Bucket List…

Join me tomorrow for soap and throwing stones at Summer Houses. Until then, stay safe, stay sending postcards when you travel, and stay saying goodbye however feels best for you. It’s different for everyone.

May 15, 2024 – The Wedding Begins, Lots Of Suds To Unpack, They’re the Top, Westminster Win & 16th

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Tracy looks at a photo of Edward and Lila, when Ned walks in. She asks if the coast is clear. He asks, if what she means by that is, are Gloria and Carmine on their way to the church? and she says, that’s precisely what she means. He says, then yes. He sent them with a flower arrangement, so they’d think that they were doing something. She says, good. She’s very glad to have some time alone with him. He says, uh-oh. Is he in trouble? Her voice breaks and she says, no. He’s a very good father, a wonderful father. He says, thank you? and she laughs. She asks if it’s that unusual that she gives him a compliment, and he says, she caught him by surprise, that’s all. He thanks her for saying so, and tells her that he hasn’t always been perfect, but he does try. She says, and it shows. The upcoming nuptials have her thinking about all the other milestones she missed, and the most glaring of them of course (🍷), was his wedding to Lois. She’s so sorry she wasn’t there. It was her loss. He says he’s glad she’s here now, and she says, her too, and they hug. He looks at the photo over her shoulder. (I love Tracy so much.)

Sonny looks around the MetroCourt Garden and tells Olivia, this looks great… Not as great as the owner. She says, co-owner. He’s looking pretty great himself, as always. He thanks her and asks if everything is set. She says she hopes so. She’s so over the moon happy for Brook and Chase. He says, they’re great together, and she says, the best. She knows Tracy is picking up the tab for the reception, but this is her hotel, so her gift to the happy couple is, everything’s got to go off without a hitch.

At the church, Sam says, the guestbook is in place, and Willow says, excellent. Josslyn says she can’t believe the wedding day is finally here, and Sam asks if anyone has talked to Brook. Michael says, Brook texted him earlier, and she’s getting ready with her mom. Someone yells, Dante! and Dante says, speaking of the Cerullo side of the family. He goes over to greet the guests coming in.

Outside, Portia tells Jordan that her dress is absolutely beautiful. Jordan thanks her and says, hers is gorgeous too. She stopped by Drew’s office at Aurora Media the other day. She doesn’t want to spread any rumors, but she understands there may be an announcement for a new division. Curtis says he can neither confirm nor deny, and Jordan says, just in case, congratulations. She leaves, and Portia says, Curtis can tell her. When are he and Drew making the big announcement? He says, they want to build anticipation, so they can just let the rumors start flying, and she says, he’s going to be great. He says, with her by his side, how can he be anything else? She tosses her hair, and they kiss. Jordan is about to come back, and sees them.

Violet practices her flower girl thing, and Chase asks Finn how he’s looking. Finn says, pretty good, and Chase says, high praise. Thanks. Finn asks if it isn’t part of his best man duties to prop him up no matter what, and Chase suggests Finn brush up on his propping techniques. Elizabeth says, don’t listen to his brother. He looks extremely handsome. Violet says she agrees, and he thanks them both so much. But he doesn’t think it’s going to matter that much because all eyes are going to be on his gorgeous bride.

Brook looks in the mirror, and Lois says she doesn’t think anyone’s been more beautiful. Brook says, they haven’t even finished her hair yet, but Lois says she’s talking about the glow. Brook is literally radiating happiness and it makes her heart want to burst. Brook says she is happy. She’s the happiest she’s ever been, and she owes it all to Chase. Lois says, no. She owes some of it to Chase. She wants Brook to look into the mirror and say thank you to herself, for knowing what she wanted, for waiting until she found it, and fighting to hold onto it when things got rough. Because here she is on the brink of forever with the man she loves. Brook says, can Lois believe it? She’s getting married today. Lois says, yes, she is. Let’s get you ready.

Sam hugs Kristina and says, she looks beautiful. Kristina says, yes, they do, don’t they? Blaze says, aw, and Kristina says she was talking about her and the baby. Blaze looks great too. Blaze thanks her, and Dante comes out. He says, welcome to the wedding of the century, from what Maxie tells him, and Sam asks how they are. Kristina says, good, and Blaze says, can’t complain. Dante says, it’s crazy, kind of. The first time he met Blaze, he was getting an autograph for Rocco, and now she’s dating his little sister. Kristina says, his little sister who’s getting bigger and bigger by the minute. Where’s her hug by the way? Dante says, it’s right here, and hugs her.

Outside, Dex approaches Michael and Sam, and Michael says he didn’t know Dex would be here. Dex says, Chase invited him, and Sam says, welcome. Anna joins them, and Sam says, Brook wanted everyone to sign the guestbook. Anna asks if Dex wants to do that, and he says, yeah. They go inside, and Michael says, incoming. A woman yells, Mikey! and Michael says, hey, Patty. Patty says, last night was so much fun, and Michael agrees. (Wish we could have seen that.) She says, don’t forget, he said he’d save her a dance, and he says he did. He’s got to go find his wife. He’ll be… He goes inside, and Patty asks what he said. Sam says she doesn’t know, but he is a good dancer.

Kristina says she’s glad there’s so many people from the old neighborhood here, and Dante tells her, she’s only saying that because she doesn’t know any of them. She says she’s serious. It’s important their dad sees he has friends that aren’t Ava Jerome. Wait. Dante doesn’t think he’s inviting Ava, does he?

A young man walks in with a violin case, and Josslyn says, groom’s side or bride’s side? but he says, neither. The bride is his cousin. Giovanni Palmieri. Josslyn tells him, Josslyn Jax. Nice to meet him. They shake hands, and she says, he doesn’t want to sit with his family? He says he has no problem sitting with them, but he’s going to play. She says, another musical solo, and he says, that’s kind of the family business. That, and fixing cars. She says she can show him where to set up, and he thanks her. He asks if she knows if Sonny Corinthos is going to be here today.

Olivia adjusts a floral arrangement and says, that looks better, doesn’t it? Sonny says, it kind of looks like it did before, and she says, don’t make fun of her. He says, who’s making fun? but she says, he’s making fun of her. What’s he doing out of the church anyway? He says he’s picking up his plus one, and she says, really? Do tell. Natalia comes in, and Sonny introduces her to Olivia. He says, she knows Blaze? and Olivia says, of course (🍷). He says, that’s her mother, and Natalia says, guilty. Olivia says, her daughter is so incredibly talented, and Natalia thanks her. Olivia says, and she and Kristina make such a beautiful couple, and Sonny says, they seem happy. Natalia says, they do, and Olivia says she hates to cut this short, but she’s got to run. The party isn’t going to throw itself. She leaves, and Sonny asks if Natalia is ready. She says she is, and if she didn’t mention it earlier, she thanks him so much for including her. They head out.

As she curls Brook’s hair, Lois says, Brook always had the most beautiful hair as a toddler, and Brook says, there were times you wouldn’t have known it with all the hairstyles Lois gave her. Lois says, all those styles were cutting edge, and Brook tells her, if you say so. Lois tears up, and Brook says she’s sorry. She loved all her haircuts. Lois says, it’s not that. This is the last time she’s going to be doing Brook’s hair like this. Brook says, Lois can come over whenever she wants. She knows how much Brook hates blow-drying her hair. (Same.) Lois says, no, like this, like Brook’s all hers. Today, she’s going to be a married lady. Brook says, yeah, but she’ll still have hair, and Lois laughs. She says, it’s always the wisecracks with Brook, and Brook says she made Lois laugh, didn’t she? Lois says, yeah. She did.

Elizabeth asks Finn how his dad is doing today, and Finn says, he seems good, upbeat. He says he’s buoyed by the adrenaline of the wedding. She says, seems? and he says he’s worried Gregory wouldn’t tell them if he wasn’t up for officiating. She says, because this means so much to him, and Finn says he wants more than anything for this to work out, for his dad and for Chase, but his dad’s stamina hasn’t been good the past few days, and Finn doesn’t know if he can make it through the ceremony.

Finn asks Chase if he wants to check on their dad. They should probably get going soon. Chase says he’s on it, and goes in the back. Finn takes a folder out of a binder and gives it to Ned in the hallway. Ned says, all set? He’ll see Finn at the church. Finn goes back in, and Gregory asks if the famous flower girl is in their midst. Violet says, that’s her, and he says, she looks absolutely stunning. She thanks him and says, he looks Debbie Downer. He says, what? and Finn says he thinks she means debonair. Violet tells them, that’s what she said, and Elizabeth says, very debonair. And she has the final touch. She pins a boutonniere on Gregory’s lapel.

Spinelli tells Anna, precious greetings, and she asks how he’s doing. He asks if she’s just arriving or in need of a breather, as they say, and she says, taking a breather, not in need of one. He says, it’s a beautiful day for it, and she says, it is. Is he waiting for someone or…? He says, just gathering courage, and she says, for? He says, Maxie invited him as her date, which he’s clearly delighted about… She says, but he’s a little nervous? and he says, more than a little, which seems silly because they were almost married once upon a time. She says she can understand that, and he says, she can? She says, yeah. He and Maxie are rediscovering each other and that can be scary. It can also be fun and exciting. He says, all the feels, as Georgie would say, and she says, exactly. He says, she’s Maxie’s godmother, and as such, he wants her to know his intentions are nothing but honorable. She says she has no doubt.

Drew tells Jordan, happy wedding day, and she says, back atcha. He says, she looks very nice, and she thanks him. He says he doesn’t mean to interrupt. She was in the middle of texting someone. She says she was just checking work email. Is that terrible? He asks why that would be terrible, and she says she feels like she should be focused on love and fun, not government business. He says, she can be focused on anything she wants. Is she here solo? She says, free as a bird, and he asks what she thinks about these two birds sitting together. She says, so he’s saying he wants to join her flock? and he asks if he passes muster. She says, he’ll do.

As they walk toward the church, Sonny stops and says, whoa. Shame on him. Natalia asks what he did, and he says he hasn’t told her how great she looks. She thanks him and says, he looks very handsome. Dex walks by, and he and Sonny exchange a look. Natalia says, is that a friend of his or…? and Sonny says, an ex-employee who violated his trust. Shall we? He offers her his arm, and she says, yes, we shall. They begin walking, but Anna comes by, and Sonny says he wants to introduce her to Natalia. He tells Natalia, this is the Police Commissioner of Port Charles, and they shake hands. Natalia asks if she should call Anna Commissioner, but Anna says, no. She’s off the clock. It’s nice to meet her. Natalia says, it’s nice to meet Anna, and Anna tells them, have fun. Sonny says, her too, and they continue walking.

Blaze asks if Kristina is ready to go inside, and Kristina says, yeah, sure. Oh my God. Look. Sonny and Natalia walk up.

Brook says, perfect, and Lois asks if she’s sure. Brook says, again with the tears, and Lois says she can’t help it. Does Brook remember when she was trying on wedding dresses and Lois said it was like a snapshot? This is another one. She’s all grown up and ready to walk down the aisle. Brook asks if Lois is sad that she’s getting married, and Lois says, sad? No. Nostalgic for Brook’s childhood? Yes. Is she insanely proud of the beautiful, accomplished woman Brook has become? Absolutely, but never sad. She’s so happy for Brook. She’s happy for all of them. Brook tells her that she said that last night, and Lois says she means it. Being Brook’s mother is the best thing that ever happened to her. She’s loved every second of it. Brook says, every second? and Lois says, yeah, every second. She’s so lucky. Brook says she’s lucky too. And yes, she’s marrying Chase this afternoon, and hopefully, someday they’ll start a family of their own, but just for the record, she will always need her mom. Lois asks if she promises, and Brook says she does.

Blaze asks if she can talk to Natalia for a quick sec, and Natalia says, sure. They step away, and Kristina asks what Sonny is doing. He asks what she means, and she says, really? He just showed up with her girlfriend’s mother on his arm. He says, it’s not what she thinks, and she asks what she’s thinking. He says, Natalia wanted to come. He had a plus one and he brought her. Why is she upset? Kristina says, just be charming, and he says he’s always charming. She says, extra charming. Amp it up a little. She could use all the help she can get.

Natalia asks if Blaze is surprised to see her, and Blaze says she shouldn’t be. Natalia always gets what she wants. Natalia says, Blaze should hope so, because she only wants what’s best for her baby girl. Hopefully, someday she’ll see that. Blaze says she told Natalia that she was coming here with Kristina, and Natalia says, she did. But now she’s here too. Isn’t that great? Now they can all celebrate this beautiful event together.

Curtis asks if Portia is thinking about their wedding, and she says, it was the most incredible day, until it wasn’t. He says, yet here they are, over a year later. They made it. She says she’s grateful. She just doesn’t know what she would have done if she’d lost him. He says, she’s never going to have to find out, and kisses her.

Ned comes up behind Olivia and says, stress levels, on a scale of one to ten? She says, surprisingly, not off the charts. She’d say a solid six. He says, that’s impressive, and she says, everything is done at the MetroCourt. At least – she blesses herself – it better be. How is he? He says he got what he needed from Finn, and she says, they’re going to remember this day forever now. He says, yes, they will, and she says, something else happened. What? He says he had a moment with this mother, and she says, a good moment or a Tracy moment? He says, it was surprisingly good. He thinks her relationship with Brook has affected her for the better. His mother is much more open with her feelings these days. She says, you see that? That’s the power of love. She kisses him.

There’s a knock at Brook’s door, and she says, come in. Tracy walks in, and she says, hi, granny. Tracy says she guesses Brook gets to call her that, with her blessing, today and today only. The bride makes the rules. Brook says, Tracy looks stunning, and Tracy says she’s got nothing on Brook. Nerves? Brook says she feels surprisingly peaceful, but Tracy says, it’s not surprising. Brook says, it’s not? and Tracy says, no, because Brook believes in herself. She believes in her instincts, her convictions. It’s one of the things she admires most about Brook. Brook says she didn’t know Tracy admired anything about her, and Tracy says, well, she does, and she’s unbelievably happy for Brook. It took her a long time to find Luke, the man that she loved, and she’s thrilled Brook found Chase so early on and he sees all of her. Brook says, and he loves her in spite of it, but Tracy says, no. He loves her because of it. Brook, her darling granddaughter, is just spectacular, inside and out. Brook tells her that she doesn’t even know what to say. Thank you, granny. Tracy says, ugh, and Brook says, Tracy told her that she could. Tracy says she knows, but she’s regretting it already.

Gregory looks at his notes, and Finn asks if he thinks the fifth time’s the charm. Gregory says, cut him some slack. It’s been a while since he’s been up in front of a crowd. Finn says, he’s going to do great. All those years of lecturing college students, a wedding should be a walk in the park. Gregory says, it’s not just a wedding. It’s his son’s wedding. He doesn’t want to let Chase down. Elizabeth says, he could never, and Violet comes out with Chase. She says, the car’s here, and Finn says, that’s their cue. Are the ladies ready? Violet says she was ready yesterday, and Elizabeth says, Violet’s been wanting a wedding day for months as she recalls. Violet says, then she was ready months ago, and Finn says he appreciates the accuracy. They leave Chase alone with Gregory, and Chase says, so much build up. Now it’s finally here. Gregory asks how he feels, and Chase says, really excited, but really calm at the same time. Gregory says, it’s the perfect combination. Can he give Chase some advice? Chase says, please, and Gregory says, try to take it all in. The sights, the sounds, the smell of the flowers, especially though, the feelings of joy and hope, because that’s what all of them in the church will be experiencing. Try to take a mental picture he can keep with him forever. He knows he will. Chase thanks him, and not just for the tip, but for being the best dad a kid could ask for. Growing up, he was always surrounded by love and support, and he knows not everyone can say that. He loves Gregory so much. Gregory says he loves Chase too, and they hug. Gregory says, now, let’s get you hitched.

Brook asks what Tracy’s got there, and Tracy hands her a jewelry box, saying, it’s for her. Brook opens it, and there’s an exquisite, vintage bracelet inside. Brook says, it’s beautiful, and Tracy says, it was Brook’s great-grandmother’s. Brook says, it was Lila’s? and Tracy says she’s cherished it for years. Now it is Brook’s. She puts it on Brook’s wrist, and Brook says she’s honored. Tracy says, Brook’s a lot like Lila, and Brook says, in what way? Tracy says, Brook sees the glass half full. Her mother was like that. Not that she didn’t see reality. She looked at reality and saw a reason to hope, to see the best in people. That’s not a quality Tracy possesses, but her mother did and so does Brook. And while Brook has been, and will continue to be, she’s sure, a colossal pain in the ass – Brook says, right back atcha – she adores Brook beyond measure. Brook says she loves Tracy, and Tracy says she’s so grateful for Brook in her life. Brook says she’s so grateful too, and they hug.

On the phone, Spinelli tells Georgie, have no fear. He’ll take copious pictures of the bride and her gown… Of course (🍷) he’ll tell mom how beautiful she looks… He sees something, and says he’ll call Georgie back. He loves her. Jason is standing there, and Spinelli says, at long last, he sees Jason in the flesh. Jason says, Spinelli, and Spinelli throws himself into Jason’s arms, hugging him. Spinelli says, the fact that Jason is here, his gratitude knows no bounds, and Jason says, okay, and peels Spinelli off. He’s sorry. Spinelli says, for what? and Jason says, this is the first time he’s seeing Spinelli. He wanted to reach out, but things have been so complicated. He didn’t want Spinelli involved. Spinelli says he expected as much. Welcome home, Jason. Jason thanks him, and Spinelli moves in for another hug, but Jason puts his hands up, and straightens Spinelli’s lapels. Spinelli tries to do the same, but Jason bats his hands away.

Dante tells Sonny that he’s looking sharp. It’s good to see him. They hug, and Sonny introduces Natalia. Dante says, they can find a seat and he’ll see them later. Sonny sees Michael, who says, hey, dad, and Sonny says, they’ve got to find a seat, brushing past him. He says he should probably explain, but Natalia says, only if he wants to. He says, that’s his other son, Michael, and she says, they’re not close? He says, they used to be. Michael disappointed him deeply. She says she understands. Her kids have sometimes disappointed her too.

Gregory says he should go straight in, conserve his energy, and Elizabeth says she’ll go with him. She asks if Violet wants to check out the decorations in the church, and Violet says, yeah. The three of them go in, and Finn asks how Chase’s sweaty feet are doing. Chase says he’ll have Finn know, his feet are the perfect temperature, and Finn says, big day. Chase says, one of the biggest, and Finn says he’s honored to be standing by Chase’s side for it. Chase thanks Finn for standing up for him. It means a lot. Finn says, there’s nowhere he’d rather be, and they hug.

Lois joins the group outside the church, and Ned asks Lois where Brook is. Lois says, she’s doing her finishing touches with Maxie, andNed says, Lois didn’t want to go with her? Lois says, of course (🍷) she did. Brook said she was… She asks Leo, what was it? and he says, her vibe was making Brook nervous. Olivia says, those pesky vibes of ours. How is she doing? Lois says, she’s perfect. She’s the picture of calm. Olivia says, on her wedding day. That is impressive. Gloria says, that’s exactly how they know it’s right. Their Brook has found her happily ever after.

Dex and Josslyn see each other in the church, then take seats on opposite sides of the aisle. Tracy goes over to Gregory, and he says, there she is. Where has she been? She says she was at the house getting ready, and he says, she was supposed to be taking notes for him at the rehearsal. Where are his notes? Where does he stand? How does he make the day perfect for Chase and Brook? She says, him being here makes it perfect, and he says, that’s nice and all, but he was hoping for some detailed instructions. She has nothing for him? She says she’s got nothing because there is nothing. Just say what he’s written and speak from the heart. He says, that he can do.

Jason and Spinelli approach the church, and Ned says, Jason. Jason says, Monica asked him to come, and he and Drew look at each other. Willow says, it’s nice that he could make it. Brook is almost ready, so they should probably take their seats. They go in, but Ned, Olivia, and Leo stay outside. Olivia tells Ned that he’s the most handsome father of the bride ever. She loves him. He says he loves her too, and she says, their son’s not so shabby either. Ned says, no, he isn’t. Looking good. Olivia and Leo go in, and Ned straightens his tie. Lois comes out and says, can he believe it? Ned says, no, and she says, you think about this day when you have a child, right? Especially if that child is your daughter. It seems so far away, like it’s never going to happen. He says, look at them now, and she says, Brook takes her breath away. She’s so smart and she’s so beautiful, and she’s hilarious. He says, she’s a lot like her mother that way, and Lois says, he’s no slouch either. He puts his arm around her, and they head into the church. He says he made a lot of mistakes with Brook, and she says, they both did. He says, there have to be some things they did right, and she says, the proof is in the pudding. Maxie comes out and says, please don’t tell her they just referred to the bride as pudding. Lois says, you had to be there, and Maxie asks if they’re all clear. Ned says, it’s just them, and Maxie says, Brook can come in now. Lois gasps, and Brook says, don’t cry. She just touched up her mascara. Lois says, is Brook kidding her? It’s gonna be Niagara Falls in there. Brook asks what Ned thinks, and he says he thinks she’s a sight to behold. Brook says, in that case, let’s get this wedding started.

Giovanni plays the violin, and Gloria says, he’s just like his mother. He plays like an angel. Finn tells Chase, the rest of his life is about to start. Is he ready? Chase says he’s never been more ready for anything, and Finn says he loves Chase. He’s really happy for him. Chase says he loves Finn too. Dante comes in with Lois and takes her to her seat. (For a moment, I wonder why she’s not with Ned, then I go, duh.) Violet tosses petals as she walks down the aisle, followed by bridesmaids Willow and Maxie. Little hearts pop out of Spinelli’s eyes when he sees Maxie.

Ned says he doesn’t tell Brook enough how proud he is of her, and she says, he tells her plenty. He says, the woman she’s become, the story she’s already written for herself, he can’t wait to see how the rest of it unfolds. She says, her too. She bets there will be some curve balls though. He says, no doubt, and they laugh. She asks if he’s ready to give her away, and he says, he’ll walk her down that aisle and hand her over to the man she loves, but he can’t give her away. Because she’ll always be his little girl. The music changes to the Wedding March, and he says, all right. Here we go.

Everyone stands, and Brook comes in with Ned. We finally see her dress, which is gorgeous – a lace bodice and long lace sleeves, with a tiered skirt – but I’m not sure where Lila’s dress fit in with this. (See picture below – there were none of Brook’s dress published yet.) Brook joins hands with Chase, and he says, it feels like forever since he’s seen her. She says she saw him last night, and he tells her, like he said, forever. Gregory tells them to let him know when they’re finished, and he’ll get started. Everyone laughs, and Gregory says, welcome, family and friends of Brook and Chase. I know I speak for the bride and groom when I thank you for… being a part of this… His breathing becomes labored as he continues, this most special and moment… momentous day. He clears his throat and says, we are gathered here today to wit… witness and celebrate the marriage of these two beautiful young people… Everyone starts looking concerned, and he says, Brook and Chase… are you ready – Elizabeth takes Violet’s hand – ready to enter… in… into this holy state of… He has trouble getting out the word matrimony, and Chase says, dad? Gregory looks frozen and makes grunting sounds.

Tomorrow, Tracy tells Gregory that she can finish this like she promised him; Sonny says, Natalia isn’t leaving, is she; and Drew says, the fact Jason is asking that question, pretty much answers itself.

Lila’s Dress

🧼 All the Soap News Fit To Print…

This was not the dress they used – like they would have shown it ahead of time – but the skirt tiers were the same fabric as this skirt.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/amanda-setton-previews-brook-lynn-and-chases-wedding-on-gh

Chief Mac is back.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/john-j-york-is-back-at-general-hospital

So who did he really audition for? It remains one of life’s mysteries.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/ghs-adam-j-harrington-didnt-originally-audition-for-jagger

Who’s up for a Lois/John paring? Let’s do this.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/adam-j-harrington-reveals-he-and-rena-sofer-worked-together-before-gh

Not much new info, but at least you’ll know what movie to look for.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/kathleen-gati-reveals-the-title-of-her-new-movie

She’s scored the ideal gig. She can show up in her robe and slippers if she wants.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/ghs-lydia-look-has-an-exciting-new-role-in-star-wars

It looks like you’ll have to go to Netflix to actually see her, but kudos on dating a recipe creator.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/steve-burton-introduces-his-new-girlfriend

Um… I don’t think a phone call is the same as visiting her in prison. The whole thing sounds like a nightmare. Don’t drink and drive. For Pete’s sake, call an Uber.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/ghs-nancy-lee-grahn-shares-an-update-on-haley-pullos

The only real 24/7/365 job.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/gallery/general-hospital/soap-stars-share-mothers-day-love

🔪 This Week In Chefs…

My takeaway: cranberries are grown on vines, and don’t actually grow while in the water.

🐩 It’s Sage For the Win…

Do you think she knows she has that silly haircut?

https://people.com/sage-miniature-poodle-wins-best-in-show-westminster-dog-show-2024-8648544

🦥 More Fun Than a Barrel of Three-Toed Sloths…

Stop in tomorrow for soap and snide comments about the awful people who inhabit Summer House. Until then, stay safe, stay not deciding what to order at the counter, and stay remembering the bride makes the rules.

May 8, 2024 – Carly Visits Jack In Pentenville, Lotsa Suds, VanderThoughts, What’s Cooking, Post Met Looks, Together At Last, Motel Drag, Pet (!) Gala Fashion & Maggie

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Anna answers the door to Jason, who says, Agent Cates came to see him about Pikeman. She says, he’d better come in.

Sam sits on the bed, waking up Dante, and says she wanted to be here when he got home from work, but don’t leave her in suspense. How did Anna take it when he told her that he was quitting the force? Did she want him to give a notice or something?  Like a month? That seems kind of fair. He says he didn’t resign.

At the MetroCourt, Doc says, they should do this more often, and Laura says she agrees. He says, barely eating and barely talking. What’s up? She says she’s sorry. She knows they’re supposed to be out for a nice meal, but she’s a million miles away. He says, this has to do with her visit with Heather. He takes it that it didn’t go well. She says, just the opposite. It went really well, and that’s why she’s troubled.

Chase goes to Finn’s office, and Finn asks what brings him by. Chase says he just wanted to say hi, unless this is a bad time, but Finn says, it’s actually a perfect time. He’s in between patients right now. He’s surprised Chase has any free time at all, considering it’s almost his wedding day. Chase says, they’re really in the homestretch, and Finn asks how he’s feeling. Chase says he’s excited. He can’t wait for Brook to walk down the aisle. There’s just one big problem. Finn says, only one? and Chase says he really doesn’t want their dad flying to Coney Island for the rehearsal dinner. The last thing he wants is for Gregory to be tired and wear himself out before the wedding. But how does he tell that to Gregory when he knows how much their dad is looking forward to it? Finn says, he doesn’t.

Walking into Bobbie’s, Brook thanks Lois for helping her pick out the gifts for the rehearsal dinner. She hopes everyone likes them. Lois says, Chase’s family is so gracious, they’re going to love what they bought them. And even if they don’t like it, they’re never going to say anything. Now Tracy on the other hand… Brook says, oh please. She thinks Tracy is secretly looking forward to going to Coney Island. She just won’t admit it to herself. They sit down, and Brook looks at a table near the window and says, no way. Lois says, what way? and Brook tells her not to be obvious, but that guy over there is that dirtbag FBI agent who tried to question Danny without Sam present. Lois looks over to see John and says, oh my God. That’s Jagger Cates.

Jack walks into the Pentenville visiting room and sees Carly. He says, well, well, well. This day just got 100% better.

Lois says she hasn’t seen Jagger in years. Brook said he’s with the FBI? Brook says she can’t believe Lois knows that jerk, and Lois says, that jerk happens to be a very nice man. Come on. Let’s go say hi. She grabs Brook’s hand, and Brook says, ma, no, but has no choice but to follow. Lois says, Jagger, hi, and John gets up and hugs her. He says, Lois Cerullo. He can’t believe how long it’s been. It’s so good to see her. She hasn’t changed. (Truth!) She says she doesn’t even care if he’s being nice. She’s going to take that compliment. Brook asks if she doesn’t care about what this guy did to Danny, and Lois says, she knows John knows her daughter, Brook Lynn. He says, they’ve met. Unfortunately, not under the best of circumstances. Brook says, that’s putting it mildly, and he says, actually, he’s been meaning to find her. She asks why he’d want to see her again. Does he want to interrogate her too? John says, not at all. He owes her an apology, and his thanks.

Laura tells Doc, Heather was so much more rational this time. She was more clear-headed than Laura’s seen her in years. It’s like she had a glimpse of the old Heather from way back when. He says, that makes sense now that she’s getting the medical attention she needs, and Laura says she gave Heather a picture of Ace. She was so grateful. It clearly meant so much to her. She loves that little boy. He says, of course (🍷) she does, but honestly, who wouldn’t? and she says, then they talked about Esme. He asks if Heather happened to say anything upsetting, maybe about Spencer? and she says, she did mention Spencer, but it was actually in the context of her regrets. She just realized in talking to Heather, that despite all the crimes she’s committed and her crazy outlook on life, she’s really just another grieving mother who’s missing her child. He says, of course (🍷) she can empathize with that, and she says she does. Can he see why she’s distracted? She’s empathizing with a serial killer.

Dante tells Sam that he went to Anna’s office to talk to her and put his resignation letter on her desk, and she refused to accept it. Sam asks, what exactly did Anna say? and he tells her, Anna said resigning from the force is not going to solve this conflict he’s having, that it was going to open the door to further overtures from Sonny, but the boundaries would be gone. Without his badge, Sonny would see no reason to have distance between Dante and his business. She basically said, to get out of Sonny’s orbit, he’d have to leave Port Charles. He’s not going to do that. He got to thinking, and realized he was running away from his duty. He’s a cop. It’s what he loves to do and kind of what he’s good at. It just means he can’t be on a case that Sonny’s a part of. Like right now, he’s involved in a criminal investigation… Can she say something? She’s quiet. She gets up and says she just doesn’t want to say the wrong thing, but he says, she can’t say the wrong thing. He wants to work through this with her, so just say whatever she wants to say. She says she should have known better than to get her hopes up.

Anna asks what Cates said about Pikeman, and Jason says, he asked a lot of questions about the ties between Pikeman and Sonny, and they talked about that guy up in Pentenville. Anna says, Jack Brennan, and shows him a file box labeled J. Brennan. He says, John talked about how Brennan was director of the WSB, and the alleged head of Pikeman. The funny thing is, he didn’t even mention Valentin. He doesn’t think Cates or the FBI are aware Valentin’s involved. She says, that’s interesting. Did he mention Valentin to Cates? He says, no. His deal with the FBI is to take Pikeman down. He doesn’t trust Cates. He’s not going to give him any more information than he has to. She says she can’t fault him there. If they’re going to do this, she feels that they should have full transparency. She needs to know what it is the FBI is holding over him and what evidence they have against Carly.

Jack says he certainly never expected Carly to show up, and she says she’s been thinking about him. (She’s wearing an orange top and I wonder she’s being ironic.) He says, that’s encouraging, and she says she’s been thinking he lied to her about who he is and he tried to abduct her from her own restaurant. He says he never had any intention of abducting her, and she says, he had zip ties. He says, yes, he did. He apologizes if she got the wrong impression, but the zip ties are… were standard in his profession, so he always carries them. He never had any intention of harming her in any way with zip ties. She says, they just happened to be in his pocket, and he says, and sadly she jumped to the wrong conclusion and nearly took off his head with that tray – she laughs – but no hard feelings over here. She says, just chalk it up to miscommunication, and he says, that works. She says she also remembers the night that Anna and Dante came in with their guns drawn and they arrested him. It’s still a little blurry, but she thinks Anna said something about him being involved with a company or organization named Pikeman. He says, Anna’s said a lot of things about him, but not all of them are true.

Sam says, while Dante was talking, she was running through all of these options in her head, and she has to tell him, there are no easy answers. He’s right. They can’t leave Port Charles because it’s their home. Their families are here. They’re happy here. He says, they are, and she says, and that thing about him being a cop, yes, if he gave up his badge, he’d probably get dragged in deeper into Sonny’s business. He says, they don’t know that, but they don’t really want that, and she says, when he told her that he wanted to give up his badge, she had this huge wave of relief come over her. It was like she could finally breathe for a second, because there was this tiny little glimpse into what their future could look like if she didn’t have to worry every time he went to work and walked out that door.

Finn tells Chase that he doesn’t think it’s safe for their dad to be flying right now either (what is it? a half hour flight?). He’ll go to him, and from a medical standpoint, he’ll break the news to him. Chase says he can’t let Finn do that. It’s going to be hard, but he owes it to their dad to have this conversation with him, especially after the huge effort he made to be a part of the wedding. Although telling him that he can’t be part of the fun the night before is a hell of a way of saying thank you. Finn says, just be honest with him. Just remind him that by staying home from the rehearsal dinner and resting, it ensures that he’ll be well enough to be there and enjoy Chase’s actual wedding day. Chase says, that’s true, but he doesn’t know if their dad is going to see it that way. Finn says, their dad wouldn’t want Chase to spend the most important day of his life worrying about him. And he’ll know it will put Chase’s mind at ease. He’ll understand because Chase has always been the devoted son. Chase says, Finn is a good son too, but Finn says, they both know that’s not true.

Brennan tells Carly that his arrest was purely political. He made a lot of enemies on his rise to director of the WSB. His rivals framed him just to get him out of the way. She says, he was locked up because people were jealous of him? and he says, mm-hmm. And there were also allegations – completely untrue, by the way – that he was secretly head of Pikeman. As if one could secretly head up a major arms manufacturer. So here he sits, a prisoner of his own ambition, one might say, framed for crimes he didn’t commit, so someone else can run the WSB. She says, that’s a sad story, and he says, it is sad. That’s why he tries not to dwell on it, so he suggests they talk about something else. Distract him from his misery. Tell him all about her.

Brook says, John wants to thank her? and he says he was wrong to question Danny without a parent present. It may have been technically legal, but he shouldn’t have done it. And she had every right to call him out, and he’s grateful she stopped him from doing something he would have regretted. Brook tells him, that’s very nice of him to say, if he really means it, and he says, once he walked away, he realized how furious he would have been if somebody had questioned his son when he was Danny’s age. She made him see that. Lois says, he has a son? and he says he does. His son is the best thing that ever happened to him. His name is Stone. Lois says, he named his son after his brother? What a beautiful way to honor his memory. John thanks her. He just wishes they could have met. Brook says, this is the perfect timing. She has to go meet Chase down at the station, so they can catch up. Lois says, whoa, whoa, whoa. She thought they were having coffee. Brook never said anything about meeting Chase earlier. Brook says she’s so sorry. She completely forgot. John says, if her daughter has to leave, please join him. Coffee’s on him. Lois says she would love that, and Brook thanks Lois for helping her shop. Lois says, she’s welcome, and they hug. Brook says goodbye to John and leaves. Lois says, they have so much to catch up on. (Yes. Lois and John. Let’s do this.)

Jason says he needs Anna’s word that she won’t use anything. That whatever he says stays between them. She says, of course (🍷). This is the FBI’s case; it’s not hers. She’s under no obligation to act on any information he might give her. Not that she would anyway. Whatever he tells her is between them. He has her word. He says, okay, and sighs. The FBI has a recording of Carly at a meeting with other heads of organized crime families, saying that she’s in charge of the Corinthos organization, and saying she controls all the business that goes through the Corinthos territory. Anna says she had no idea Carly was involved with the mob so deeply, but Jason says, she wasn’t. It’s when they thought Sonny was dead. His business was completely under siege. They were doing everything they could to hold it together and make it look as strong as possible. He was supposed to be at that meeting, but he’d been shot, so Carly went instead. She says, against his wishes she’s sure, and he says, yeah. He didn’t want her to go, but she didn’t have a choice. She had to protect herself; she had to protect her kids. She knew that any sign of weakness, somebody would try to eliminate her and target her kids. Anna says, so Carly’s best defense was to present herself as part of the mob, and he says, and the FBI has it all on tape.

Sam tells Dante that she can’t deny a part of her will always want that, but a cop is who he is. It’s who he was when she fell in love with him. She knew what she was getting herself into and she can’t try to ask him to change or be something he’s not. She can’t ask him to be another man. The only thing she can control is her response to his choices. He says, so will she stay with him if he’s still a cop?

Doc tells Laura, metallosis, cobalt poisoning, manifests differently in different patients. In Heather’s case, it seems to have tipped her from transgressive behaviors to a pathology that led to rampage. Laura says, okay. Then what’s next? Is it right to just leave Heather in prison for the rest of her life to pay for crimes that were actually brought on by the metallosis? On the other hand, what about all the victims and all of their loved ones? Their loss, their pain is still very real. Would it ever be appropriate to show Heather leniency?

Finn says, Chase is the reason he has a relationship with their dad today. Chase was tireless when he was trying to reconcile the two of them. He wanted nothing to do with their dad, and Chase refused to accept that. Chase says he knew Finn would regret it later, and Finn says he does. He hurt Gregory. He was so stubborn and self-righteous at the time. Chase says he knows Finn still feels guilty, but that was a long time ago. He and their dad are good now. Doesn’t he think it’s time to leave it in the past? Finn says he lost so much precious time with him because of his pride and his anger. Time he’ll never get back. Chase says, Finn’s got to stop beating himself up. Their dad has always loved Finn and he always will.

Anna asks why Jason doesn’t call the FBI’s bluff. Let them proceed against Carly. She has an excellent lawyer. She may well beat the charges. He says, but no guarantee. He couldn’t take that risk. At first, he thought it would just be three months, six months, but now he’s three years in. He’s in too deep. He doesn’t want Carly to know all of this was just to protect her. She says, why not? She’s a strong woman. She thinks Carly deserves to know what the FBI has on her. He says, because if she ever finds out, he knows exactly what her reaction is going to be. She’s going to try and save him. She’s going to do something crazy and wind up sending herself to prison.

Jack says, before things went sideways, he really looked forward to talking to Carly. He suggests they pretend he’s in her restaurant. He’s just ordered a coffee and some eggs, sunny side up. How’s the world been treating her? She says her daughter just had her first dance recital, and he says, soccer girl. She says, that’s the one. And she nailed her solo, so she’s a proud mom. He says, that must be a good feeling, and she says, it is. She recently went through a break-up. That’s been tough, but she’s getting through it, mostly because her best friend is back. He was missing for two years and now Jason is back in Port Charles, and all is right in her world. He says, Jason Morgan has gotten a lot of news coverage. At first, he was a fugitive, then he was exonerated, or at least the charges were dropped. She says, you can’t believe everything the news says, right? Jason didn’t do any of the things he was accused of. And enough talk about her. Let’s get back to him. He says, that’s right. She came here because she wanted to know about Pikeman, and she says, right. Is he sure he’s not involved with them? He says, if he was, he’d have their fleet of lawyers to secure his freedom instead of him paying his own little attorney out of his own little pocket. She says, so it would mean nothing to him if the FBI is investigating Pikeman.

Anna says, it was such a hard choice Jason had to make. Carly’s safety versus him having to allow the people he loves think that he was dead. He says he just weighed what he had to lose against what Carly had to lose. It just came down to her kids. He knew Jake and Danny would be okay. They have great moms and stable homes. But Donna is just a kid. She needs her mom. Anna says, that’s very admirable of him, and he says, there’s another reason. He chose to work for Sonny. He chose to come back into this life knowing the potential consequences. Carly never chose that. He and Sonny pulled her in. When Carly went to that meeting, she had no criminal intent. She was just going to try and protect her family. She says, he got Carly into this, and he says, it’s on him to get her out.

Brennan says he just doesn’t see Carly being tight with law enforcement. How would she know who the FBI is investigating? She says, because she’s friends with an agent, John Cates. He comes into Bobbie’s to eat sometimes. He says, and they struck up an acquaintance? and she says, they have people in common. John is originally from Port Charles and recently moved back. He asks, why? To work a case against Pikeman? She says, why the interest? Does he have a problem with John Cates being in town? He says, should he have a problem?

Lois says she’s been talking John’s ear off. Enough about her. Tell her about him. How did he wind up at the FBI? He says, after his first marriage to Karen broke up, he was kind of reeling, and that’s when he joined the Bureau. She puts her hand on his and says she was really sorry to hear about Karen’s death. He thanks her and says, it took him a while to make his peace with losing her. She tells him, they say that the ones we love never really leave us, but enough about that. Let’s talk about something happy. She wants to hear about his son. He says, talk about time flying, he’s 21 now. Stone’s on the spectrum, so he lives in a group home outside of Quantico. It’s the perfect place for him and he’s really happy there. She says, it’s got to be so hard for John though, being so far away, and he says, it is. He wishes he could see Stone more, but this is the way it has to be for now, so there’s a lot of texts and videochats. She says, thank God for cellphones, and he says, what about her? How’s it been coming back to Port Charles? So much has changed. She says she knows. All of their old hangouts are all gone, except for this place, but it used to be Kelly’s. He says, places aren’t the only thing that’s changed. They have too. He guesses he should only speak for himself, but he knows he’s changed. All the dreams he had when he was young turned out to either be wrong for him or slip through his fingers.

Doc says he does believe Heather’s metallosis was a major factor in her crimes, but it’s impossible to say if that was the only cause, and Laura asks if there couldn’t be some middle ground, at least from a legal point of view. He says, philosophically speaking, he believes that Heather should have a shot at building a better life, but not with absolving her of everything she’s done. His phone rings and he says, it’s the hospital. He needs to take this. She tells him, go ahead, and he leaves. Valentin approaches the table and says he hopes she doesn’t mind if he imposes. She says, that depends. What is it about?

Finn tells Chase, it’s settled then, right? He’ll go to dad and talk to him about staying home and resting during the rehearsal dinner, and Chase can just focus on getting married and having the best day of his life. Chase thanks Finn and hugs him, saying, he doesn’t know what he’d do without him. Finn tells him to remember that and be forgiving when he stumbles through his best man speech. Chase says, okay, and leaves.

Sam says, the only thing she knows for sure is that she loves Dante, and they have a family and a life together. Is something like this worth breaking up for? She’d have to tell him and Rocco to leave. What would be the point? To separate their children when they would be miserable apart while they’re still missing each other? He says, so she doesn’t want him to leave? and she says, it’s not like she would love him any less or be any less afraid for his safety if they weren’t together. All she would lose is him. So she’ll just have to learn to live with the fear. He says he’s sorry. He’s sorry for making her feel that way. He hates it, and if he could take that fear away from her, he would. She says she knows, and he says he’s really sorry he gave her this false hope that he was going to resign. She says she can’t pretend she’s not disappointed. She’s going to have to feel these emotions and learn to work through it. He says, whatever she needs, however he can help her, and she says, probably just a little time so she can process it all. He says, whatever she needs. He promises he’ll never take her for granted and what she’s sacrificing. He loves her. She says she loves him too, and they kiss.

Brook comes into the squad room, and Chase asks what she’s doing here. He thought she was going to spend the day with her mom. She says, her mom ran into a friend, so she came here to distract him from his very important work. He says he only just got here. He actually went to speak to Finn and he agreed to talk to their dad about not coming to the rehearsal dinner. She says, that was nice of him. She’s really sad that Gregory’s not going to be there, but she really thinks it’s what’s best. And now he’ll be well-rested for the actual wedding day. He says, that’s the idea, and she says she thought her mom was crazy for wanting to have the rehearsal dinner in Coney Island, but now that it’s here, she’s actually really excited. She can’t wait to show him all her favorite places and have cotton candy with him on the boardwalk and to ride all the rides together. He says, they’re going to be so busy, they won’t have time for any pre-wedding jitters, which everyone keeps warning him about. He keeps waiting for them to happen, but so far, nothing. She says, really? Because she’s a total wreck.

Lois says she totally gets what John is going through because she feels it too. Being back in Port Charles is harder than she thought it would be. He asks, what’s that saying? You can never really go home again. She says, ain’t that the truth? But don’t get her wrong. The last few months she’s spent here with her daughter, before she gets married and starts a family and doesn’t have as much time for her ma, has been amazing. It’s a gift she’s always going to treasure. But it’s like he said, being back here is a constant reminder of what her life was, what she thought it would be, and how it actually turned out. But different is not necessarily bad.

Valentin says he thought Laura might like to hear how Charlotte’s doing in Switzerland, and she says, that would be lovely. She always loves to hear about her granddaughter. He sits down and says, she’s busying herself with school, and she’s checking in with him once or twice a week by text or phone. They actually videochatted the other day and he saw her room, so she’s thriving. Laura says she didn’t realize how much she needed to hear that. That’s so great. Charlotte sent her a couple of emails, but not on a regular basis. He says, she’s a teenager. They take what they can get. She says, that’s true. She did talk quite a bit about how much she missed that school of hers, so she’s glad Charlotte is happy to be back there, but does he think now that she’s in Switzerland, she’ll be able to put everything that happened in Port Charles behind her?

Anna tells Jason, say this all goes according to plan, and he’s able to deliver to John whatever the hell it is he wants on Pikeman. Does he think the FBI is going to hold up their side of the deal? With her experience with intelligence agencies, she’d say it’s very hard to believe they would ever destroy that evidence. They might bury it for a time, but they’ll always have it to use against him and Carly. He says he plans to honor his part of the deal and help the FBI take Pikeman down, but after that, that’s it. He’s done. He has no intention of taking orders from John Cates or the FBI for the rest of his life.

Sam says she feels so lucky to have Dante, and he says he doesn’t know what he would have done if he’d lost her. They kiss and I’d bet the farm they’re about to get busy.

Finn pushes whatever is in front of him off his desk. He gets up, picks up his phone, and sits on the floor. He hits AA meeting near me on Spyder-Finder.

Brook says she knows they put so much work into planning this wedding, but there’s still so much that could go wrong. What if the flowers aren’t what they wanted? What if her dress gets ruined? He says, that’s not going to happen, but she says, don’t be so sure. She read this post about this custom designer gown. The bride was about to put it on, and somebody had left a black felt pen open, and there was a big, black blob in the middle of the dress. He says, no. Did they postpone the wedding? She tells him, the girl didn’t say, and he says, if that happens – she says, God forbid – then she can get married in blue jeans. She can get married in a bathrobe. She can wear the dress, ink stains and all. He doesn’t care. It doesn’t matter to him. She tells him, that’s so sweet of him to say. But that’s impossible because their wedding day has to be perfect. But there is one thing she’s not nervous about, and that’s marrying him. She can’t wait to be his wife. He says he can’t wait to be her husband, and she says she shouldn’t kiss him in the squad room. He backs up and says, no, she shouldn’t. It would be a bad idea. He takes her hand, brings her into the interrogation room, and closes the door. Inside, they kiss.

Anna says, the FBI made a deal with Jason, and they need to stick to it. If they don’t and they continue to abuse their power, frankly, in her book, they’re no better than Pikeman. He says, but they have to take Pikeman down first. She looks at the flowers from Valentin, and says, it seems to her that the FBI are not onto Valentin at all, but she still thinks he’s a key player in Pikeman. And luckily, he invited her out to dinner, and she accepted. She thinks it will be an opportunity for her to work him. He asks if she thinks Valentin will give anything up, and she says, the date on the photo Dex gave him proves Valentin was in Port Charles when there was the shooting at the MetroCourt, but he doesn’t know he was caught in the lie, so he has no reason to have his guard up. She thinks if she plays it right, he could lead them to whoever is in charge of Pikeman.

Laura tells Valentin that she’s delighted Charlotte is happy back at school, but she can’t help wondering if it might be too soon for her to be so far from Port Charles and all of her family. He says he was worried about that too, but as it happens, he has a new business venture that will be taking him to Switzerland quite often. He can keep an eye on her. That should ease both of their minds. She says, it does actually. So what’s the new venture? Is it something for ELQ? He says, something for ELQ.

Lois says she thinks John is looking at this all wrong. He’s achieved so much. Becoming an FBI agent, it’s so impressive. Does he like the work? He says, for the most part, yeah, and even when he doesn’t, he can tell himself that he’s accomplishing good things by enforcing the law. (Since when is blackmail enforcing the law?) His phone dings, and he says, speaking of his job, he’s so sorry, but he has to make a phone call. She says, absolutely. You go save the world. She gets up and says, it was so great running into him and catching up. They hug, and she says, don’t be a stranger. He says, her neither, and she leaves. He makes a call and says, Brennan’s got a visitor?… What is Carly Spencer doing there?

Brennan tells Carly that the only problem he has with this Agent Cates is, he still has his badge, his freedom, and most importantly, he gets to enjoy the pleasure of her company. The guard tells Brennan, time’s up, and Carly says, that’s her cue. Brennan says, time flies when a beautiful woman comes to see him, and Carly gets up. She says she’s sure he could have done a lot worse to her that day than some zip ties. For whatever reason, he didn’t. Thank you. He says, her visit really brightened up his day. Maybe she could come back sometime. She says, we’ll see, and he says he’ll live in hope. She leaves, and he says, watch your back, Valentin.

Tomorrow, Blaze thinks it’s going to be her best one yet; Sam asks Jason to promise her someone won’t be walking into something dangerous; Ava asks Sonny, how dare someone throw her daughter’s murder in her face; and Gregory tells Finn, by all means, lecture him on proper wedding etiquette.

🧼 All the Soap News Fit To Print…

It’s so ridiculous that this poor woman has to worry about how she looks during a tough time. Have they ever seen a British soap? They actually look like real people. As for weight, I met the so-called fat girl from One Life To Live when she was on Broadway. I was at my fighting weight and felt like a giant next to her.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/kirsten-storms-opens-up-about-maxies-appearance-on-gh

Yeah. He ditched her too.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/tabyana-ali-addresses-nicholas-chavez-exit-from-gh

Events in soap.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/gallery/general-hospital/up-close-and-personal-with-the-ladies-of-general-hospital

I’m not sure how you can have an anniversary of something that was canceled decades ago, but more power to them.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/gallery/nbc/inside-the-another-world-60th-anniversary-reunion

You, too, can vote.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/daytime-emmys/daytime-emmys-2024-vote-for-the-winners

🍸 Post Rules Chatter…

There was a lot to unpack from the Vanderpump Rules finale last night, but it was late, and I needed to process. TBH, I’m not so sure this show is going to come back, at least with Ariana. It could just be the continuing recovery from Scandoval, but this finale seemed a little too final. And the Reunion probably isn’t going to help anyone. Reunions might be cathartic, but I wouldn’t call them healing.

For whatever reason, it left me feeling sad. Maybe because Lala was right when she said – and I’m really more rephrasing than paraphrasing – what happened to Ariana was horrible, but now she thinks she’s a demi-god, dictating how everyone must behave. Other than Sandoval himself, I don’t think anyone in the cast would argue that what happened to her was horrible. But I can honestly say, if that happened to me and I was suddenly given the consolation prize of Dancing with the Stars, Chicago, hosting Love Island, and just about every other media possibility, I’d be laughing my ass off at Sandoval who could barely sell a ticket to his concerts. I would never tell someone else how to feel. Only you know what’s best for you. But somehow, I don’t think this anger is helping her. Even when she grey rocks him, the hate is coming off her in waves. Seriously, I would pat him on his stupid head and rub his nose in it every chance I got. They say living well is the best revenge, and she was handed that on a platter. We were all thrilled to see the karma unfold before us. I’m now holding my breath, wondering if it’s going to backfire since she can’t contain her visible anger, even in public, probably feeling that since the world backed her during this tragedy, they’ll back her no matter what. Au contraire. The public is fickle, and this isn’t a good look. As Lala said – again rephrasing – no one died.

Yeah, he probably does just want to apologize for show, and if she doesn’t want to hear it, that’s fine. But, as several of the cast members pointed out, they’re on a reality show, like it or not, he’s in the friend group, and if you can never film with him, that makes it difficult for everyone. No one is saying she has to be friends with him or even forgive him, just reel it in for the group events. And expecting the others not to be friends with him – even when she’s not around – is unreasonable. They’re not five years old and all of the original cast members have a history with him. Katie was always a little free with her sarcasm, but the hate is now slopping onto her and she’s taking it out on people like Jo, whose only sin was to act on her feelings for Schwartz after he and Katie separated. And Katie wanted out. It’s painful to watch. I also think Jo could do better. That guy has always been commitment shy. That’s why he needs Sandoval to tell him things like what socks to wear.

On the plus side, one of the reasons I’ve stuck with this show – besides she who can do no wrong, LVP – is that it’s interesting to see how people grow over the years. That’s why I didn’t think they should have fired Stassi and Kristen. While I think Kristen has less growth potential, I would have liked to see how Stassi matured. In the early years, they were all kids. I read a review where someone said they wanted to cry when they showed the early clips. Same. After all these years, it’s like we know them. Some we might want to hang out with all the time; others are like those cousins you tolerate at family gatherings. (Hint for Ariana if she wants to continue with the show.) Apparently, Brock has been very grounding for Scheana, who had a revolving door of losers she fell in love with. She found her Prince Charming and is nearly living her best life. Kudos. She does still need some help with that anxiety, but I think she’ll get there. Whatever James is doing is working for him, and I hope he gets his dream of a family with Ally. We’ve seen him go from an unreasonable, nasty drunk to a man with a plan. Honors to him for staying California sober. IMO, Lala was the MVP of both last night and the show in general. She went from being a mean girl, calling out people for not working on their summer bodies, to being a wise and maternal woman.  Confetti parade for her. Color me impressed.

Here’s hoping the Reunion isn’t the final nail in the VPR coffin. But if it is and VanderWorld breaks up, I’d love to see Lala and Scheana move to The Valley. God knows that show could use a VanderBoost.

🔪 Tonight In Chefs…

Let Restaurant Wars commence.

Apparently, I haven’t been paying attention, but I saw a commercial for this today. Two of my favorites joining forces, sort of. It begins May 22nd.

https://www.eonline.com/news/1396174/lisa-vanderpump-is-joining-gordon-ramsay-for-season-2-of-food-stars

👘 After the Gala’s Over…

Afterparty fashion.

https://people.com/met-gala-2024-afterparty-photos-8644453

https://www.etonline.com/gallery/2024-met-gala-after-parties-224939

🦸🏻‍♂️ And It Feels So Good…

The trailer is here, and I can’t wait. In theaters July 26th.

https://ew.com/deadpool-and-wolverine-hugh-jackman-involvement-radically-changed-film-8640282

A Meta joke.

https://comicbookmovie.com/deadpool/deadpool-wolverine/deadpool-wolverine-new-footage-features-a-meta-paul-rudd-joke-and-tension-between-wade-wilson-and-logan-a210815

🩱 All Pink All the Time…

Is there anything this drag queen doesn’t do?

https://ew.com/trixie-motel-season-2-drag-me-home-first-look-photos-exclusive-8643832

🐾 The Real Gala…

You didn’t think I’d forget the pets, did you?

https://people.com/pet-gala-will-recreate-met-ball-2024-looks-for-dogs-8644929

🎳 Will Bowl For Food…

Join me tomorrow for soap and a jab at those awful Summer people. Until then, stay safe, stay pushing in your chair when you leave the table, and if your life turned out differently than what you thought it would be, stay remembering, different is not necessarily bad.