Category Archives: cooking competition

Dec28

December 27, 2018 – A Stranger from Drew’s Past, Wars Begin, Some RealiNews & Beautiful Bites

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What I Watched Today

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

 

General Hospital

Sonny meets Jason at the MetroCourt. He’s going to surprise Carly, and take her to the city. He says he’s been dealing with a lot with his father, and wants Carly to know she comes first. Jason tells Sonny that his problem is with the DA.

Griff doesn’t want wear out his welcome, but Anna says he’s family. He doesn’t think she and Finn need a house guest. Finn comes in, bringing Emma with him, who’s a young lady now (same actress though – brava!).

Kim says Oscar is sleeping and smiling. You’d never know what he’s fighting. Drew suggests she get a meal and massage, and she asks why he’s trying to get rid of her. He says, it’s New Year’s Eve. Oscar wants her to have fun. He feels bad, keeping her hostage at the hospital. She says she’s not a hostage, she’s his mother. Drew tells her Oscar said she would say that, and wants her to prove she cares by going out. Julian isn’t Drew’s favorite person, but he thinks Julian is what she needs right now. Kim asks how he knows what she needs. They didn’t even know each other until last year. He says he’s learned a lot in one year.

Laura goes to The Floating Rib, and asks Felicia if she can talk for a few minutes. She asks if Felicia is willing answer a few questions about when Doc had a breakdown, and started stalking her.

Not-Doc sees the back of someone sitting in not his desk chair. He asks if he can help them. A man turns around, and says, he guesses by the look on not-Doc’s face, he never expected to see him again. Not-Doc says he guessed right.

Emma tells Anna that her mom said she’s fine with the visit, as long as they don’t engage in international espionage. She asks Griff for a hug, telling him that she heard about Kiki, and she’s sorry. Griff appreciates that. She tells him that he shouldn’t be alone on New Year’s Eve. He says he’s happiest at the hospital helping people, so he’ll probably be there. She asks him to join them tomorrow for New Year’s Day. She wonders what Finn is holding behind his back; is it for her? He hands her a beautiful hatbox – the kind you only see on a soap opera – and tells her, open it and find out. It’s a fascinator. Anna puts it on Emma’s head, and Finn takes a picture of the two of them.

Laura tells Felicia that she’s trying to understand what’s going on with Doc. Felicia says she and Mac are trying to figure it out too. Laura says, it makes no sense. She thinks he’s headed for another breakdown. Felicia says, normally, she’d tell Laura to talk to a shrink, but Doc is the best one she knows.

Not-Doc assumes Peyton is there about the documentary on his brother, and asks how it’s going. Peyton says, great, thanks to him. Not-Doc asks if he wants a follow-up interview. He can even narrate to make it more authentic. Peyton says he has that wrapped it up with his own authentication. He’s here to shoot exteriors, but would love for him look at a rough cut. Think of it as a private screening. Not-Doc has a few things to clear up first, but will catch up with him. He asks if Peyton is still working out of the rental space at the pier. He is, and not-Doc says he’ll see him later. Peyton leaves, and not-Doc looks at his tablet. He sees an Invader article about the murders.

Jason tells Sonny that Margaux wants to take him down. Sonny says she stopped Marcus from having his dad arrested. She has a long game, but if her short game works for his dad, it will work for all of them. Margaux approaches their table, asking if it’s too soon to wish them a happy New Year. Jason says they were just talking about her. He was about to tell Sonny that she gave Drew the flashdrive with his memories. He’s not sure what she thought she’d get out of it, and she says, maybe she was just doing the right thing. Jason says, maybe. He has to go, and jets. Margaux apologizes to Sonny, saying she didn’t mean to drive his friend away. Sonny says she couldn’t if she tried. She has no leverage with Jason like she does with Drew.

Kim tells Drew that he and Oscar are trying to get her to go out with Julian, and Julian insisted she spend the evening with Oscar. Drew says, that’s generous; almost selfless. He doesn’t know if he could do that. If it was him, he’d want to celebrate with the woman he loves.

Anna says she’s going to get Emma settled. Emma tells Griff that she’s available to dance, if wants to follow in his father’s footsteps. They go upstairs, and Griff says, it’s amazing. All it takes is a funny hat and a memory of his father in a tutu, and all is right in Emma’s world. Finn says, it’s a good place to be. He tells Griff, what he’s feeling, he’s been there. Griff appreciates everything they’re doing, but nothing seems to help. Finn agrees, saying, people care when you don’t want them to, and inflict caring when you want to curl up in a ball alone. You don’t realize it until later. Griff wants to believe that – more than anything. He leaves, and Finn says, happy New Year.

Laura thanks Felicia. She knows none of these are good memories. Felicia says that’s why she and Mac went on the cruise, to get some distance from the anniversary of the murders. But she realized that if she was running from the coverage, she’d still be running from Ryan. A quarter-century later, he would still be affecting her. So she decided to do an interview with a television producer who’s doing a documentary. Laura asks, why? and Felicia says it would be done with or without her. She wanted them to know that Ryan wasn’t intriguing or glamorous. He was just a monster.

When not-Doc comes into Peyton’s work room, the film is running. Felicia is saying she survived Ryan, and his attempt to exorcise his own demons. Peyton says he’d appreciate not-Doc’s thoughts, but it’s a work in progress. He thinks Felicia is beautiful, and it’s easy to see why Ryan was obsessed. Felicia says, they first met in Texas. He was calling himself Todd Wilson. She should have sensed something was deeply wrong. Not-Doc breaks a pencil, and Peyton asks if he’s okay. Not-Doc apologizes, saying he’s fine. Felicia is dear old friend, and Ryan was his brother; his twin. It’s a bond even death can’t break up. Peyton says twins always talk about a special connection. Felicia touches on it; it’s a compelling interview. Felicia says Ryan made her life a living hell. It’s fitting that he died in a hell of his own making; an inferno.

Felicia feels just as in the dark about Doc as Laura. Laura says they both know he’s a good man. If he’s not acting like himself, something is wrong. Laura checks her phone, and sees the Invader headline: Two Gruesome Killings – One Killer?

At the hospital, Griff looks at the same article.

Margaux says Jason doesn’t approve of her. Sonny asks if she can blame him. Everyone knows she doesn’t approve of Sonny. She says he has his moments. He made a very compelling argument that she was losing herself in her vendetta against him. She decided to turn things around. He asks if that’s why she gave Drew the flashdrive. She says she was wrong to hold something as sacred as someone’s life and memories as leverage to get something on Sonny. She’s glad it didn’t work out. Sonny says he almost believes that.

Jason shoots pool at The Floating Rib. A strange man approaches him, and asks if he’s Drew. He can’t believe it; it’s really him. Jason says he’s Jason Morgan; Drew is his twin. The guy says he didn’t know Drew had one. He’d said he was brought up in a state home. Jason says they didn’t know until year ago, and the guy says, it’s such a trip. He knew Drew in Afghanistan. He was an independent contractor, and there was a lot of overlap with the SEALs. He introduces himself as Hank, and asks, how about a game? Jason racks, and Hank asks if Drew is still a SEAL. Jason can’t say, and Hank tells him that he didn’t mean to pry. Jason suggests he ask Drew himself; he’s living in Port Charles. The guy says, what are the odds of that? Jason almost clears the table in one shot.

Drew tells Kim that he can take her home, and there’s plenty of time to get ready. She says she’s not going anywhere, and reminds him about being stuck in New Year’s traffic last year. She asks if he remembers finding the CD, and says, Oscar is such a romantic. He was convinced she kept it in hopes of finding him. Drew says, it makes sense. He’s heard about himself, and he was fantastic. She says he was all right. She tells Drew, that kid never gives up, and Drew says, just like his mom. She adds, and his dad.

Margaux tells Sonny that Drew didn’t want the flashdrive. He said the past is past, and was more concerned about what’s best for his son right now. Sonny says, the kid’s got guts. It’s a shame he’s so young. Margaux says, it’s a shame for anyone; a kid or a jazz lover like Sonny’s dad. Sonny is grateful, and Margaux says he’s welcome, but wants it to be clear. He says, she’s the DA, and he’s an alleged criminal. Margaux says, alleged, and Sonny says, nothing has changed.

Emma gives Anna a bulldog keychain, and a bearded dragon keychain to Finn. She says the keys are to Anna’s house; it’s symbolic. Anna says, it’s very thoughtful, and Finn thanks her. She says she’ll leave them to discuss things. When she’s gone, Finn says he didn’t have the heart to tell her that he already has a key. Anna says, it’s not so much the gesture as the symbolism. Emma is saying that Finn should move in with her – again.

Griff is waiting at Doc’s office, and Laura asks if there’s a line. Griff says he’s not there. A shrink is like a cop or priest. There’s never one around when you need them. She’s glad she ran into him, and asks if he read Lulu’s article. He says that’s why he’s there; he needs answers. He thought someone who has looked into the darkest corner of the soul, and made a study, maybe… Laura says, maybe he can understand why Kiki had to die?

Doc is being interviewed in the film. Peyton asks what Doc can tell him about his brother. Doc says, he was misunderstood, like any artist, and he was an artist in his own way. He was too sensitive for this world. His pain was so intense, he needed others to feel it too. Like Goya and Van Gogh needed to experience it themselves to be appreciated. Not-Doc says, quite powerful, but he would cut all the stuff about Todd Wilson, and just focus on Ryan in Port Charles. Peyton says that would mean leaving out Gloria Wilson’s murder. Not-Doc suggests he just say Ryan killed his wife. Why mention Todd Wilson when there’s no such person? Peyton says, or is there? The funhouse is now a coffee franchise, and you’d never know it was there, which is fitting. Not one speck of Ryan’s DNA was found. That’s what inspired his ending. He asks if not-Doc would like a sneak peek. Not-Doc says, more than he could possibly know.

Hank tells Jason, good thing he didn’t bet money. He doesn’t remember Drew being this good. Jason says they’ve never played. Hank asks if Jason has Drew’s information. He wants to get in touch. Jason suggests he get Hank’s information, and he’ll pass it along. Hank grabs a napkin and pen, and writes it down. He says, tell Drew his buddy Hank is looking for him. He’ll remember. Jason says, memory is a funny thing, and takes a shot, finishing the game. Hank says remind him never to shoot pool with Jason again, and asks if he wants a rematch. Jason has somewhere to be, and Hank says, next time. When Jason is out of earshot, he calls Sam, saying there’s a quick change in plans. He needs to make a stop before coming over.

Margaux tells Sonny, don’t make problems for her, and she won’t for him. She has bigger fish to fry. He asks if she means a possible serial killer. She says two isolated homicides don’t make a serial killer, but he says, not according to the article. She says all it is, are theories. The police have yet make a connection between Kiki and Mary Pat’s murders. Sonny says, that doesn’t mean there isn’t one.

Finn wonders if 2018 went uphill or downhill since his and Anna’s last New Year’s Eve. She says Cassandra tried to kill him, and he says Cassandra’s henchman tried to kill her. She says they lost Nathan. He remembers her pain, and he’s sorry he couldn’t take it away. Anna says he did. He says, not a lot, and she says, enough. She tells him that she found her son, and he says, pointing a gun at her. Anna asks, who hasn’t at some point? Finn tells her, on one hand, her fearlessness is attractive; on the other hand, it makes him realize how much he’d hate to lose her. She says she’s not going anywhere. Emma comes back downstairs, and asks if they’ve reached any important life decisions, like asking Finn to move in. Anna says she’s oddly old-fashioned, and thinks it should be up to him. Finn says, it’s 2018. He’s not sure that it’s necessary for the man to propose, and Anna quickly tells Emma, he means moving in. Finn says, there are no rules anymore for cohabitation; someone just asks. He begins to stumble over his words, says, yeah, and walks out. Anna says, did he just leave?

Griff doesn’t think they should just walk into Doc’s office, and Laura asks what Griff thinks he’ll do; get moodier? She just has one quick question, then Griff can talk to him. Doc took an oath to help people in pain. Griff is thinking of going to the gym; he just wants to smash something. To think it might be the same person, and the start of a pattern with more victims. He wants justice, but at the same time, it seems pointless. Any justice that comes will be too late for Kiki.

Not-Doc tells Peyton not to keep him in suspense; show him the ending. Peyton says it’s not taped yet. It just occurred to him last night. He hasn’t told another soul. He puts the film back on. Peyton is talking to the camera.What if Ryan didn’t die in the funhouse? No way out? What if there was a trap door, or the blast itself propelled him to safety? What if he walks among them? What does he look like? Perhaps anyone. Even me. Even you.

Sonny tells Margaux that he’s taking Carly to the city tonight, but just so she knows, Kiki was family. So if she needs help with whoever did this, all she has to do is ask. Margaux asks if he’ll reach out to his contacts in the legitimate coffee import business. He says he’s just trying help. He means what he said about paying back debts. Margaux says he owes her nothing, and she’s not sure they can ever be even. Some debts can’t be repaid. Some things can’t be taken back. He’s sorry she feels that way, and she says, it is what it is. He starts to leave, and she tells him, have a happy New Year. He says, same to her.

Kim tells Drew that she’s going to check on Oscar. He says he’ll go next; they can be a tag team. Oscar can spend double the time with his parents; he’ll love it. She says they’re getting good at it, but wishes they didn’t have to be. She leaves for Oscar’s room, and Jason comes in. He asks how Oscar is, and Drew says he’s sleeping, but all things considered, he’s pretty good. Jason doesn’t want to give him anything else to deal with, but a guy approached him at The Floating Rib, claiming he thought Jason was Drew. Drew says Jason doesn’t believe him, and Jason says he was too anxious to tell his story. He hands Drew the napkin, saying the guy said he used to call him Hank. Drew looks at the napkin.

Hank shoots pool badly by himself. He ponders while drinking a beer.

Emma tells Anna that she wanted the keychain to convince Finn to move back in. Anna says she wants that, and Emma asks if she doesn’t want it too. Anna says, he’s very tidy. Emma hopes she didn’t hurt his feelings, but Anna says he understands she meant well. It’s just that men like to think they make their own decisions. Emma says, then they should make them faster. Anna tells her, they’re not all the same. Some are more anxious and tightly wound souls, like Finn. It’s best not to push them. Finn let’s himself in, carrying a suitcase and Roxie’s cage. He says he used his keychain. So do they want him to move in or not? Anna and Emma say, yes! and Finn and Anna hug.

Laura tells Griff that she was never one to believe evil wins out. That’s why she chose to run for mayor. He says, to fight evil? and she says, to do some good. She’s sure she sounds naïve, and Griff says not to him, but he probably sounds naïve to a lot of people. She says they have that in common. She wants to make the world a better place. She’s sure he wanted that when he chose be a priest and doctor. He says he took an oath to do no harm, but if he could get his hands on the person who killed Kiki, and take a life for a life, part of him thinks he’d be doing the Lord’s work.

Not-Doc says, it’s a heck of an ending. Has he screened it for anyone else? Peyton says, not yet. When it’s put together, it’s going to be a real eye opener. Not-Doc says, that it might. Peyton asks what he thinks, and not-Doc says he has a few notes, and closes the door.

Tomorrow, Kim tells Drew that Oscar was conceived on New Year’s Eve, not-Doc says he’ll see if anyone is looking for Peyton tonight, and Laura tells Scotty that Doc is sleeping with Ava.

🍗 On Top Chef, the remaining twelve were surprised to hear they were going into restaurant wars in Lexington. On previous seasons, the wars didn’t happen until they were down to eight contestants, but this time, there would be three restaurants instead of two, with the teams already decided. First, a Quickfire challenge was in order. It was an amuse bouche-based challenge, and the chefs had to come up with the quick, perfect bite, that begins a meal to get you wanting more. Michelle won immunity with what Padma deemed, one beautiful bite. When the teams were divided, training the staff seemed to be harder than the cooking, with few having prior experience, and not many of them retaining what they had just learned. The show ended just as the chefs were about to open their restaurants, and Tom threw them a curveball, telling them it would be a double elimination.

🍵 A Little RealiTea…

Bad below deckhand.

https://pagesix.com/2018/12/25/below-deck-reality-series-cast-member-arrested-in-florida/

I’m looking forward to Denise joining the pack, but I’m still just in it for the LVP.

http://www.bravotv.com/the-daily-dish/the-real-housewives-of-beverly-hills-react-to-denise-richards-joining-season-9-cast?cid=soc_tw_Bravo_RHOBH_Dish

I’m more shocked that Anfisa is waiting for Jorge while he’s in the slammer.

https://www.eonline.com/news/995117/why-90-day-fiance-s-anfisa-nava-turned-to-body-building-after-her-husband-s-prison-sentencing

Stassi (Vanderpump Rules) got a cameo of them for Christmas from her beau Beau. I knew Beau was the right one for her. Colt and Larissa are possibly the most interesting 90 Day Fiancé couple this season. I think she’s really interested in him, which boggles my mind. And there’s already a cheating scandal. With him being the culprit. Mind more than boggled.

https://popculture.com/reality-tv/2018/12/07/90-day-fiance-colt-johnson-larissa-dos-santos-lima-married/

https://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/colt-johnson-larissa-dos-santos-lima-spend-xmas-together/

And the sweetest 90 Day couple. Come on, let him come to this country. So he punched out a few dudes. It’s not like they were strangers or his SO. The football players we have here already have done much worse.

https://www.eonline.com/news/999732/90-day-fiance-s-jon-and-rachel-take-us-behind-the-scenes-of-their-romantic-reunion

🍤 Amuse Bouche…

Tomates et concombre du potager, recette locavore de Nicolas Masse, chef du Rouge nouveau bistrot de l’Hôtel Les Sources de Caudalie. (Céramiques Margot Lhomme). Par Emmanuelle Eymery.

 

 

 

Dec21

December 20, 2018 – Peter Revises His Statement, Dessert Sinks Chefs, OG Special, Unsure, Quoting the Carol & Sugar Plums

Posted on by
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What I Watched Today

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

 

General Hospital

Bobbie arrives at Sonny’s with Brad Lucas and Wiley. Sonny holds him.

On the phone, Sam says she doesn’t know who’s using her alias. She sent an email, and got an even weirder response. The call gets cut off. Alexis is at the door, wondering where Sam is. Sam had to drop the kids off, and is running late. Alexis says she has to ask Sam to make her apologies. She won’t be able to watch Sam become Wiley’s godmother.

Chase meets Willow at Charlie’s, He thinks it’s an interesting choice for a second date. She tells him it’s the closest he’ll get to her making him breakfast. Not that they… She tells her students, breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Chase says, and if the date doesn’t work out, the rest of the day is still salvageable. She says she’s free all day; they’re on break. He promises to make sure no parents are lurking around, but she’s already checked. It’s a parent-free zone.

Valentin tells Nina, good morning. She says, it’s better than good.

At the MetroCourt, Maxie leaves a message for Nina. They had a breakfast meeting; where is she? It had better be super important. Peter approaches the table. He says they haven’t set a date for diner yet, and suggests tomorrow night. She says she’s washing her hair; what about Saturday? He agreed to meet someone at the mall that day. She gets a message from Anna, and tells Peter that Obrecht is being transferred to Pentonville. It must make his day.

Obrecht is brought into the interrogation room. She says she’d rather wait in the snow, and Finn asks if that’s an option. She asks Anna if she’s come to gloat at the woman duped into saving her ill daughter who was never ill. Anna says Obrecht did save her. Not the way she’d planned, but Britt is free and out of prison. Finn shows her proof. Anna appreciates Obrecht’s concern for her daughter, and she’s sure Obrecht appreciates her concern for her son. Jordan says the van is ready, and if Obrecht is thinking about another escape, think again. It will never happen. Obrecht says a famous doctor, a legendary spy, and a decorated officer. You’d think they’d have learned never say never.

Sonny jokes that Wiley can always stay with him as the godfather. Brad asks Carly if that should make him nervous. Josslyn comes in, calling it a hipster baptism, and Michael says, it’s a naming ceremony. A celebration of Wiley and his place in the family. The house phone rings. Josslyn answers. She tells Sonny Julian is there.

Alexis tells Sam that she has to appear in person for a case. Sam says she’s sure they’ll understand, but she could have just called. Alexis says she wanted to see Sam, then admits she wanted to see Kristina. Sam says she’s not there. Alexis asks if they talked about her, and how mad is Kristina? Sam says they didn’t talk about her, and on a scale of one to ten, it’s from an eight to an eleven. Alexis says she didn’t accuse Kristina of anything. Sam says it’s not a good idea to jump to conclusions, but understands why Alexis has reason to mistrust Kristina. She sees it from both sides. She doesn’t want to get stuck in the middle, and Kristina doesn’t want her advice any more than she wants Alexis’s.

Nina tells Valentin that she has to… She looks at her phone, and realizes she’s ridiculously late. He tells her to stay. She’s going to have to apologize anyway. Nina says at least she gets to come home to him. She’s accepted he’s her home. Valentin says she’s his. She says, even though Sasha is in Chappaqua, she’s still in her heart, and she has Valentin to thank. She’ll thank him forever for bringing them together.

Peter knows Maxie’s feelings toward Obrecht are conflicted. Maxie says, that’s an understatement. Obrecht deserves to go to prison, but Maxie also understands she acted out of grief. Nathan’s death was too much for her, and she has no family or friends to turn to. So she’s not surprised Obrecht flipped out. Peter says it sounds like she’s still struggling. She says Obrecht is also Nathan’s mom, and she knows, no matter what, Nathan wouldn’t want his mother going to prison. She’s James’s grandmother. What is she supposed to tell him? Peter’s phone rings. He says it’s not important.

Jordan tells Obrecht that they’re well-aware of what happened last time, but Obrecht says she was a helpless prisoner; a victim of an unfortunate accident. Jordan says, unfortunate for the two guards. She’s lucky they survived. Obrecht says that’s more than can be said for her son. Nathan is dead. The chain of events was set in motion by Anna’s son, and he was never punished. Anna says, he was; Obrecht saw to that. Obrecht asks who she thinks she’s fooling. This is about Anna getting back at her; not justice. Finn says it is about justice. She had a right to grieve, but not take revenge. Them bringing her back was legal, and she’s going to stand trial. Hopefully, she’ll be convicted, and that will be justice.

Julian asks what Lucas is doing at Sonny’s. Lucas says, he doesn’t know? Julian says, looks like a family celebration. Sonny tells him not to make trouble, and he says he’s there to pick up Avery. It’s Ava’s day, and with all that’s happened, she thought it best if he came. Sam walks in. She didn’t know Julian was on the guest list. He explains again why he’s there. Sonny says Ava is in no condition, but Julian says she loves Avery as much as he does. Sonny thinks Avery should be celebrating with her family, and not dealing with Ava’s grief. Carly says, it’s not Avery’s job to make Ava feel better. Sonny says she’s just a child. Josslyn finds Avery, who’s been listening, and wonders if she’s done something wrong.

Avery asks if her mommy is still sad, and Julian says, a little; she misses Avery. Avery asks if she’s sad about Kiki, and Michael says they’ll all be sad about Kiki for a long time. Carly asks if Avery wants to see her mommy, and Avery says she does. Carly tells Sonny, it’s what she wants. Sonny says she can’t be alone, and Julian says he’ll be there. Carly takes Avery to get ready. Julian congratulates Brad and Lucas. He leaves to wait for Avery. Michael needs some Wiley time, and Lucas gives Wiley to him.

Bobbie thanks Sonny for not having Julian thrown out, like he deserves. He thought she was into peaceful coexistence, and she says, it’s easier from a distance.

Chase asks if Willow is finished Christmas shopping, and she says she hasn’t begun. She likes the last minute thing though. He tells he that’s a sign of mental illness, but she says she likes the energy, music, and decorations. Chase says, parking and long lines. She tells him that she doesn’t have much of a list. He says his mom is Christmas crazy. Their house is like the mall the entire month. Willow says Christmas wasn’t a big deal for her growing up; long story. He says he has the time, and would like to know.

Maxie tells Peter about a serious conflict over James’s Christmas outfit. He’s totally distracted, and she asks if something is wrong. He says there’s something he has to do, but he hasn’t forgotten about dinner. She says the week is full of Christmas parties, and he says he wants it to be special. Maybe they should wait until after the holidays, and do it right. He promises it will be worth the wait.

Brad tells Julian he would have invited him if he could have. This day wouldn’t have happened without him. Julian is just glad he and Lucas have their son. Brad says they both know that’s not entirely true, and Julian says he has to stop torturing himself. All that matters is that Wiley is where he deserves and needs to be. Avery is ready to go. Sonny takes her to Julian.

On the phone, Nina says, it’s completely unforgivable; there’s no excuse. Valentin comes in, and asks what’s wrong. She asks him if he thought he could fool her forever. Did he think she’d be so crazy in love, she’d never find out the truth? How long as she been blackmailing him? Valentin says Obrecht is crazy, and Nina says Obrecht told her everything. How he got a stranger to masquerade as her daughter. Both Valentin’s and my heart sink. How he faked the DNA test. How he used her deepest, darkest pain to get her back in bed. She slaps him. He’s only been fantasizing, and walks in again.

He asks Nina, what’s unforgivable? and she says she is. She blew off her breakfast meeting with Maxie. Valentin and I both breathe a sigh of relief. She tells him she’s not even sorry, and kisses him.

Jordan tells Obrecht, next stop, Pentonville. Obrecht tells her, so she says. Peter comes in, saying he’s here for Obrecht. Obrecht says she’s about to go to prison, but he says, there’s been a mistake. Anna says they have plenty of security this time. He says he wants to make a statement before there’s a terrible miscarriage of justice. Jordan says they have his signed statement. He said Obrecht drugged him, kept him tied up in a cabin for weeks, and left him to die in a fire. He says, that time was overwhelming. He was hallucinating, and in the throes of a fever. He couldn’t distinguish fantasy from reality. Finn says the only hallucinations he was having were from the drugs Obrecht gave him. Anna says they have the surveillance tape, but Peter says, that proves nothing. They need his statement. Without it, they can’t send her to prison. Anna asks what he’s doing. He says, the more he thinks about it, the less he can trust his memories. Jordan says his DNA was in the cabin. They pulled him out of the fire at Windymere. He was dehydrated and malnourished, and had bruising consistent with restraints. He says he was in the cabin, because Obrecht wanted him to write another book in Nathan’s memory.  She kept him alive while they tried to make sense of Nathan’s loss. They have to let her go.

Nina tells Valentin she loves him. She isn’t standing in the way of their happiness anymore. They’re spending Christmas together. Maybe Sasha could come for Christmas Eve, and they could spend it as a family. He’s given that to her – a family. It’s the most important gift. He tells her there’s something she has to know.

Willow says her childhood was unconventional. Her mother was a free spirit, who raised her alone. She often had to work on Christmas Eve, Christmas day, or both. He thinks it’s sounds lonely, but she says they were a team. He asks if she has other family, and she says they’re not close. He reminds her of the flyer for grieving parents she had in her car when they met, and asks if she knew someone who lost a child. She says, as a teacher, she tries to keep up with things that might affect her students and their families. Anything else, detective? He says he didn’t mean to interrogate her; he wants to get to know her.

Julian brings Avery to Charlie’s. Her mommy isn’t feeling well, so she’s taking a nap. Avery says, no nap, but he says, not her. Her mommy is taking a nap, and she’s going to help him run the place. He makes her his assistant manager. He says she has to make sure his customers are happy. She runs to Chase and Willow’s table, and introduces herself.

Bobbie has never been asked to preside at a naming ceremony before, and thinks it’s fitting that the first time should be her grandson. He has the perfect name, and he couldn’t have a better role model than Sam. She’s honored to be chose to be Wiley’s godmother, and promises to do whatever she can to help him make his way in the world, and love him unconditionally. When he gets lost, just look around and know she and his godfather will be there. Lucas thanks Michael for agreeing to be Wiley’s godfather.

Michael says it’s a gift to be a part of Wiley’s life, and he fell in love with Wiley the first time he saw him. He’s a reminder of everything good in the world, and if he can be an extra pair of arms to hold him, he’s honored to be Wiley’s godfather. Bobbie welcomes Wiley Cooper Jones to the family, and hopes he cherishes his name as much as all of them will always cherish him. Josslyn says every important occasion needs an accessory, and puts a Hello, My Name Is… tag on him. Brad takes a picture of Lucas and Wiley.

Willow introduces herself to Wiley. Chase says they’ve met before. He asks if she remembers him bringing her home when she spent the night with her grandfather in the stable. Julian comes over to apologize, but Chase says, no problem. Julian says she’s there until her nanny comes. She’s in charge of customer satisfaction. He asks if she wants to taste test the cocoa. She leaves with Julian, and Chase says kids seem to chase Willow.

Anna asks Obrecht what she has on Peter. How did she get him to change his story? Jordan says Peter signed his new statement in front of the DA. Without his testimony they just have circumstantial evidence. She has no choice but to release her.

Nina ask Valentin what it is. He says he was given a new beginning. He wants that more than anything, but if they’re going to start with a clean slate, he has to be honest. He’s made mistakes. His phone rings. She says ignore it, but he says he can’t. It’s Obrecht. She tells him that Peter recanted his testimony, and she’s a free woman. She’ll keep her word, and no one will ever know he passed off a counterfeit as a long lost daughter. Merry Christmas, Heir Cassadine. Nina asks who that was. He just half-smiles.

On the terrace, Josslyn asks Michael why every happy moment makes you think about the people who aren’t there to share it. That’s a good question, but it’s probably because you notice they’re not there. He says, it goes with the territory. That’s why they have to hold on to happy moments. She says, like every moment she has with Oscar, and every moment he has with his godson. He looks though the window at Wiley.

The nanny comes. Avery says she had fun. Julian says he did too. He takes her outside. Chase checks his watch, and Willow wonders if he’s bored. He says she might be on vacation, but the PCPD doesn’t get a holiday. She says, duty calls, and he says, unfortunately. She tells him that she’s sticking around to do some Christmas shopping, and he says, in that case, he’s a medium. She says, don’t get your hopes up, and he says, too late.

Valentin tells Nina that was Santa Claus. She asks why he’s smiling, and he says, her. He was a clever fool; knowing what he wanted, and how to get it. Then she came along. He has her now, and he’s never letting her go. They kiss.

Maxie sees Obrecht, and asks if she escaped, and is hiding in plain sight. That’s not going to work. Obrecht tells her, everything is all right. All the charges are kaput. Maxie asks what happened, and Obrecht says, Peter revised his statement. He’s 100% sure that she didn’t kidnap and torture him.  He realized a deeper truth happened in the cabin. Someone must have appealed to his conscience. She’s grateful, because now, she has all the time in the world to get to know James.

Jordan has to confirm with the warden that she won’t be transferring Obrecht. Unless Peter is changing his statement again. Peter hands her the paper, and says, justice has been served. She says not from where she’s standing. Anna asks him to wait. Finn says he’ll make some calls. Anna asks why he did it. His entire life has been built on hatred. He was either trying to please his father, or running from his legacy. Coming that close to death taught him there’s another way to live, and his nephew has shown him innocence still exists. Maxie has shown him there’s room for forgiveness. He tried to be the man Nathan would have wanted him to be. She asks if his forgiveness is only for others, or is there a tiny bit left for her?

Sam comes home, and opens her laptop. She writes an email to Linda Black. Thanks, but no thanks. I don’t need any help.

Nina says she’ll never get to work. He says he’s never letting her go. She says, what a coincidence. She’s never going to leave.

Anna tells Peter she’s having a Christmas Eve party thing at her house, and he’s invited. If he wants to come. She jets, and he ponders.

Obrecht looks at pictures of James. She can’t wait to hold him again. She wishes that Nathan… Maxie says, life can be horribly unfair. James will never know his father, and Michael will never know his baby. His and Nelle’s baby was stillborn. Obrecht says, really? How dreadful.

Lucas thanks Sonny and Carly for hosting. It’s a day he’s never going to forget. Josslyn says she’s available for babysitting. Lucas thanks Michael for stepping up. Michael says, hopefully the day will never come, but God forbid Wiley is ever in his care, he promises to treat him like his own son.

Chase gets a call from the station. Julian looks at the picture of Lucas and Wiley on his phone. Willow sees it, and tears up. She and Chase leave. She looks back at Julian, who looks pained. Is she the birth mother whose child really died?

Tomorrow, Jordan wishes she had better news for Stella, Bobbie says they have a Santa-sized problem, and Mike is waiting for his best girl to show up.

🍲 On tonight’s Top Chef, the contestants were to create a traditional French Christmas dinner, where chef Eric Ripert was their guest. Baking is often not a chef’s forte, and they all seemed to get hung up when it came to dessert. Eric called their desserts offensive, and Tom summed up the episode rather neatly. They all messed up, they know they messed up, and they didn’t do anything about it.

🍷 Andy Cohen is having a two-part special on Watch What Happens Live. The first part of O Come OG Faithful aired tonight, and Part Two will air on Sunday at 11:30 pm. The fun included a trip down Memory Lane, iconic moments, catch phrases (bloop!), games, and plenty of shade. Teresa, Kyle, Ramona, Nene, and Vicki were the guests, while Vicki’s son Michael bartended. Bethenny was also listed in the TV Guide, but I have no clue what happened there. It was a good time, but I wish it could have been a little longer.

🎄 Since I have a lot of Christmas goings-on, I’m not sure what will be up with tomorrow. For sure, I’ll be bringing you Z Nation, if not tomorrow, on Saturday, but GH might be very encapsulated. It remains to be seen…

❄ A Carol in Quotes

A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens, in nine quotes.

If I could work my will, every idiot who goes about with ‘Merry Christmas’ on his lips should be boiled with his own pudding and buried with a stake of holly through his heart. He should! – Scrooge

If they would rather die, they had better do it, and decrease the surplus population. – Scrooge

No space of regret can make amends for one life’s opportunity misused. – Marley’s ghost

I wear the chain I forged in life. I made it link by link, and yard by yard – Marley’s ghost

Are these the shadows of the things that Will be, or are they shadows of things that May be, only? – Scrooge to the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come

I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. I will live in the Past, the Present, and the Future. The Spirits of all Three shall strive within me. – Scrooge

And it was always said of him, that he knew how to keep Christmas well, if any man alive possessed the knowledge. May that be truly said of us, and all of us! – Narrator, referring to Scrooge

God bless Us, Every One! – Tiny Tim

💯 And if you’re up for more, here’s a hundred of them.

https://www.halloweenexpress.com/100-quotes-from-a-christmas-carol/

🎅 4 Days and Counting…

And possibly going out of my mind.

ChristmasCartoon2

Dec7

December 6, 2018 – A Picture Leads to Freedom, Padma Returns & Barry Knows

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What I Watched Today

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

 

General Hospital

No surprise lately, I miss the very beginning.

Michael sees Willow in the waiting area at the hospital. She asks why he’s there, and he tells her that he had a board meeting. He asks what’s going on. She says her kids are on a field trip, and while the nurses are giving them a tour, she’s putting smiley faces on their workbooks. She tells him that she could use his help.

Jordan wishes she and Curtis could stay in bed all day. He says nothing short of a natural disaster could keep her away from her office. His offer help still stands. She says she may take him up on it – unofficially. He tells her to take a second look at the evidence. Things too good to be real often are. Statistics show it’s often the husband or boyfriend. In this case, maybe the killer knew the statistics, and is covering his tracks. Jordan says it occurred to her too, but she can’t find anything to exonerate Griff, and he has no alibi. She says she’s wasting their morning in bed talking about the case, when they should be basking in the joys of married life. He says they can pretend they’re in Fiji, and she says, things are getting hot.

Alexis meets Sam at Kelly’s. Sam asks about Griff, and Alexis says he’s still a suspect. She’s going to the arraignment with him this morning. Sam thinks she has something to prove he’s innocent.

Griff is led to the interrogation room by Chase. Griff says he hasn’t slept. He was so excited about the hospital board’s decision; he wishes he’d waited to go there. He tells Chase that they’re wasting time while the real killer is still out there.

Laura goes to not-Doc’s office. She needs to talk to him. He doesn’t want to see her; he has nothing more say. She tells him she’s not there to talk to her husband. She’s there to talk to a psychiatrist.

Anna tries teaching Finn how to samba. He ask how long before Obrecht arrives. Anna says it’s one thing to figure out she was there, and another getting her to meet them. They dance. Finn says, there she is! Anna is like, where? and he says, just kidding. He twirls her. I already knew she was a dancer, but he’s pretty good too.

Michael tells Willow that he’d love to help. What does she need? She tells him that he gave her defective seeds; they refused to grow. She says she can’t blame him. It’s probably her. Growing things wilt when she passes. He asks, what about her kids? She helps them thrive. The seeds probably need more time, moisture, and patience. His great grandmother loved her garden. She was known for her roses. Willow ask if he gardened with her, and he says, in a way. She was already in a wheelchair when they met, but they would take tours, and she would talk to the gardeners. She had a natural instinct for nurturing. He thinks Willow does too. He owes her for helping him get through the last group session. He wasn’t planning on speaking, and was nervous. He saw a friendly face – hers – and the next thing he knew, he was talking about Jonah. He can say Jonah’s name now, and how it felt to see him for the first and last time. It’s an incredible relief to say it. He thanks her.

Not-Doc says Laura knows he can’t treat her. She says she wouldn’t ask that. She’s there about Aiden, and Charlotte is involved. He says he’s not a child psychologist. She’s well aware of that, but was hoping he could refer someone. He says there’s a staff directory, but she was hoping for a personal recommendation; some actual input. He tells her to have Elizabeth call him, and he’ll see what he can do. He asks if there’s anything else, and she says there is. It’s about his new girlfriend.

Chase gives Griff some coffee, and asks if he’s willing to answer more questions. Griff says he has nothing to hide. The sooner they eliminate him as a suspect, the sooner they’ll find the real killer. Chase asks if he and Kiki were together the night before Halloween. Griff says they were. They met Sasha at the MetroCourt. They crossed paths with Ava, and things got tense, then they met Sasha. After that, he spent the night at Kiki’s. Chase says, so Kiki is the only person who can verify he was there, and Griff asks what he’s implying. Chase asks what about Halloween, and Griff says h was at the benefit at The Floating Rib. Chase asks if he was there when Mary Pat’s severed head was discovered, but Griff says he’d left already. Chase wonders if he had time to leave something at the gallery. Griff asks if Chase is suggesting he had something to do with Mary Pat’s murder. Chase says, he’s not suggesting anything; Griff just did.

Sam tells Alexis, the way to counter circumstantial evidence is an airtight alibi. Alexis says Griff had enough time to commit the murder, and has no alibi. Sam says she can prove the premise is impossible. A friend of hers with special skills accessed his Cloud account. Alexis says, tell Spinelli thanks, but they’ve already done that, and there’s still no alibi. Sam says Griff’s phone holds more than texts and calls. It holds evidence that will set him free.

Finn says this is more his speed, and puts on slower music. They dance. Anna says it’s like at the wedding. Jordan and Curtis seemed so happy, and Peter and Maxie dancing; it was a good thing. Anything was possible that night, if Kiki hadn’t been found in their bed. Now Griff is being blamed. Why did a beautiful moment turn to tragedy. He wishes this moment could last longer. We hear Obrecht asking if Rodrigo is there. She feels a samba coming on. Finn asks if she’s there to dance.

Willow tells Michael that, although she’d like to take credit for his breakthrough, all she did was sit there and listen. Michael says when he felt he was about to stumble over his words, he looked at her. She looked so compassionate, and like she understood what he’s going through. She says, losing a child is unimaginable, especially a newborn. All the planning, the hopes and dreams for a family, and the person they would grow into is gone in an instant. What could be worse than that? Michael says she gets it, and she says when he was describing his loss, she thought about how alone he was, and it made her wonder about Jonah’s mother. She must be grieving too. 1) I think Willow also lost a child, and 2) she apparently doesn’t read the newspaper or watch TV.

Curtis joins Sam, who tells him that she’s sorry she couldn’t make it. They hug, and he says he appreciates the case. He needs to work, and stay busy. She says, while his wife trying to solve Kiki’s murder. Curtis says he’s sorry for her loss. Jordan is determined to solve the case as quickly as possible. Sam says looking at Griff is wrong, but he’ll hear about it soon enough. If it’s a case he’s looking for, she has one. He asks who the client is, and Sam says he’s looking at her.

Chase shows Griff the evidence bag with the wallet, and asks if he recognizes it. Griff says he thinks it’s Kiki’s. Chase says it was found in his apartment with her blood on it. Griff says, like the knife, the killer must have planted it. Chase says, back to Halloween. Mary Pat was a nurse. He was a doctor, until Ava blew the whistle on his career. Griff says, that’s Chase’s theory? He killed a nurse he never met; put the corpse in the gallery to get back at Ava; then killed her daughter, who he was falling in love with, to twist the knife. Jordan walks in, saying it’s a poor choice of words. Alexis comes in behind her, telling them she’s there to escort Griff to court. As his attorney, she’s entitled to see all the evidence. She wants Griff’s phone – now.

Laura tells not-Doc, no matter how she feels about Ava, she has compassion and empathy for her horrific loss. She asks him to give Ava her sympathy and that she’s sorry. Not-Doc says she’s very kind and gracious. He’s always believed she’s the heart of the town. That’s why he believes she’ll make a wonderful mayor. Laura says, if she’s elected, she’ll do her best. However, the thing she wants most isn’t to be elected, but have the people she loves around her. She starts to leave, and he tells her to wait. He picks up an envelope, saying he was going to have it delivered, but maybe this is the best this way; open and honest, as she deserves. She papers out of the envelope, and reads, petition for the dissolution of marriage.

Obrecht says Anna wasted her time and resources with this ambush. Or is it just an excuse for a vacation with her sweetheart? Anna says she came to take Obrecht back. Obrecht says Anna wasted her time; she’s not leaving. She asks where Rodrigo is, and Finn says her samba will have to wait. Why is she in Cuba, when she should be tending to her daughter? Anna asks why she’s taking dance classes, when she should be in jail for trying to kill Peter? Obrecht reminds Anna that there’s no extradition treaty in Cuba. Anna says she’s not there to bring Obrecht to justice. She’s trying to save Britt’s life. Obrecht says at least she kept track of her children. Anna walked out on her son, and didn’t even know him. Finn says Britt has a life threatening infection, and he can’t treat her. Obrecht says, can’t or won’t?

Michael tells Willow that it’s normal to wonder. For lack of a better word, it’s complicated. They’re not together anymore; she’s no longer a part of his life, and never will be. He says, at first he couldn’t say anything; now he can’t shut up. Willow says, it’s healthy. Keeping feelings bottled up can’t be good for him. He asks if that means she’s opening up during the next session, and telling her story.

Curtis looks at Leland’s obituary, and Sam says, a series of much younger partners took a toll on his finances and medical health. Curtis asks what Leland has to do with her. She says she’s his widow.

Jordan says, no messages to Kiki were returned, but Alexis say she’s not talking about texts. She’s talking about a photo. Chase says they looked at them, and there’s nothing to corroborate what Griff says. Alexis asks Griff if he took a selfie with Kiki the day of the wedding. Griff says Kiki thought she looked goofy and deleted it. Alexis says, on his phone, but not in the Cloud. It’s still stored. Alexis says, a picture is worth a thousand words. Or in this case, a good alibi. Chase looks at the photo.

Not-Doc realizes it’s a shock, but thinks it’s the best way to do it; face to face, so Laura doesn’t feel blindsided. She asks if he doesn’t think this is blindsiding her. She came to ask advice about her grandchildren, and he serves her with divorce papers. He says they were talking civilly, so he thought now was a good time. It’s like taking a bandage off; doing it quickly instead of prolonging the pain. She asks if that’s how he sees her now; something to be ripped out of his life. He says if they can’t speak civilly, let the lawyers hash it out. He tells her that he has to get to a meeting, but she says, no. He needs to tell her how they went from a happy marriage to a divorce in less time than it takes to sell a car. How? He tells her that she’s creating a scene. She tells him he doesn’t need to see a lawyer, she thinks he needs to see a psychiatrist. He tells her, don’t ever say that to him, or it will be the last thing she says to him.

Laura asks if not-Doc is threatening her. He laughs, and says, don’t be ridiculous. He’s just saying if they can’t speak civilly, let the lawyers do the talking. He doesn’t want it to be any more unpleasant than it has to be, and he doesn’t want to cause her more pain. In time, she’ll realize it’s the best way for the both of them. He leaves her with her mouth hanging open.

Alexis asks if Chase minds reading the time, date and location. He says, Port Charles, New York, November 26, 3:19 pm. Alexis says she’ll draw them a timeline. Griff was clearly with Kiki, who was alive, thirty-five minutes before the wedding. Fifty minutes later, he was at GH; they know, because he had to sign in. Assuming he went straight to the wedding after that, he was there at 3:55. She saw him herself. He left for five minutes to make call, came back, and went to the reception. He left just after the bouquet toss, and just after that Jordan and Curtis found Kiki in their hotel suite. How in the hell could Griff have time to murder Kiki, and plant her body there?

Sam tells Curtis that she was working a con. Her brother Danny had special needs. He required supplemental care she couldn’t afford, and there was no shortage of older, wealthy men. This was before she came to Port Charles. It was a different time in her life. Curtis asks how many others she ran a con on, and she says, too many. Leland was one of her first marks. His hair was grey, his house was big, and he had a heart the size of a pea. She went to the greedy bastards who only wanted a trophy wife. She would take everything, clean them out and go. That’s what she did to Leland. She left him in his big, cold, disgusting house, and never looked back. Curtis says, until now. He asks if she has any idea who sent it, and why. She doesn’t, but wants to put that part of her life behind her. So they need to figure out the mystery.

Michael says if Willow isn’t ready to talk, forget what he said; he’s sorry. She says, there’s nothing to forgive. She’ll talk when she’s ready. He says maybe misery loves company; he has something else going on. He asks if she’s heard about Kiki, and she says, it’s awful. He says she was part of his family. She’s the half-sister of his baby sister, but the connection runs deeper. They dated, but she was the love of his late brother Morgan’s life. It’s hard to believe she’s gone, or that anyone would want to hurt her. He apologizes for sounding like a downer, and asks if he can borrow a smiley sticker. She tells him to hold out his hand, and puts one on the back.

Obrecht asks Finn why he’s unable to save her daughter. Where has he failed? He says, if he had more time, he could cure her, and Anna says, just tell her. He says Britt contracted something rare, that he was able to isolate. He gives her a long name that I couldn’t possibly type fast enough, so for the sake of the story, we’ll call it Iberian corruptus. Obrecht says, impossible; he’s bluffing. He asks if he looks like he’s bluffing, and shows her a vial of blood. He tells her to check it herself at the nearest lab. Anna says Obrecht is the only one with the know-how and expertise. Finn says, if he only had time… Anna says Obrecht is the only one who can save Britt. Obrecht says, and in doing so, she gives up her freedom. Anna says the WSB wants to avoid internal complications, but as a mother, she knows what she would want to do. Finn asks, what’s more important? Her freedom or her daughter’s life. Obrecht asks how she knows it’s Britt’s blood. Anna says, there’s one way to find out. Her own eyes.

Jordan tells Griff, in speaking on behalf of the DA, he’s free to go. Speaking for herself, she’s sorry for Griff’s loss. Chase gives Griff his condolences, and removes Griff’s handcuffs. Alexis says, it’s over, and asks if he’s ready to go. Griff says he’s ready, but it’s not over.

Sam says the paper is from Galina, Illinois, where she met Leland. Curtis says they know it was mailed from Port Charles, so whoever did it brought it there to mail, which is unlikely, or they already live here. He wonders how they got it, and Sam says it could be someone from out of town who has a subscription. She used an alias, and it doesn’t make sense. She was sure it couldn’t be tied to her. Curtis says all they know is that they have a newspaper from Galina, Illinois. Sam makes a call to the circulation department, saying it’s about a subscription.

Obrecht down’s believe Anna and Finn’s trickery; they’re capable of anything. Finn says her daughter will die without her help. Anna says, Obrecht is a doctor. Tell her what she sees, and shows her a tablet.

Michael suggests he and Willow grab coffee sometime. Chase sees them, and asks what they’re doing at the hospital. Michael says he had a meeting, and Willow tells him that her class is on a field trip. What about him? Chase says he was there to see the medical examiner. He’s glad he ran into Willow though. He asks if they’re still on for tonight, and she says, sure. Michael looks surprised.

Sam tells the circulation department that she used to live in Galina and she’s getting homesick. Her husband Curtis told her to call and get a subscription, but she doesn’t know if they can do that. She’d like a hard copy, since she’s not good with computers. She tells them that she lives in Port Charles, New York. Somebody from there already gets a subscription? It is a small world.

Griff thanks a nurse for bringing him Kiki’s things from her locker. The nurse can’t believe it, but she’s happy he’s back. She wishes she could do more. Griff sits down, and opens the box. He sees a picture of them together.

Alexis finds Laura in Doc’s office, and Laura says that was fast. Alexis says she was already there. She dropped off Griff; he’s been reinstated, and is no longer a suspect. Laura says, that’s good news. Alexis asks, what’s going on, and Laura tells her that not-Doc is divorcing her, and she needs a lawyer. Alexis is sorry to hear that. She asks if Laura knows who’s representing him. She doesn’t, but the more she thinks about it, the more she’s convinced that something is really wrong with him.

Not-Doc calls Jordan. He’s checking on the Mary Pat case. His offer to assist is open-ended. She says they have a new development. Griff has been cleared of Kiki’s murder, and circumstantial evidence shows that the cases might be related. They might be dealing with a single killer.

Anna asks Obrecht if she wants to save her daughter’s life or not, Alexis looks forward to meeting Kristina’s friends, and Margaux asks Jason why she’d want to investigate him.

🍳 I checked out the premiere of Top Chef, which went with a Kentucky Derby theme at Churchill Downs. The venue’s chef, David Danielson, was the guest judge. I love a good chef show, and this was food porn at its finest. When one chef was praised for every bite being different, I wanted to reach through the TV, and grab that bowl. I can’t think of a better compliment. Looks like the show is off to a promising start.

🎆 Friday is Here…

Barry knows your pain.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4j1h1MK94W4

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dec5

December 4, 2018 – Ava is Questioned, Man Overboard, Chef is Back & Went Musings

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What I Watched Today

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

 

General Hospital

Felicia tells Mac that she can’t believe this happened. What kind of sicko murders a poor innocent girl, and plants her body in a honeymoon bed? Mac says, not just anybody; the police commissioner. Felicia thinks Maxie must have been freaked out. Being there and having come home alone; they should have called her. They knock on Maxie’s door, and she tells them come in. They see Maxie rubbing Peter shoulders. She’s like, hi mom! hi dad! Felicia smiles, and Mac is like, what?

At the hospital, Anna tells Finn that she has to get to the airport. She’s going to be late. He says he has time. He still has to figure out who’s taking care of Roxie. Anna suggests Chase, but he says, it’s kind of a big step. She’s very demanding, and Chase has his hands full with Kiki’s case. It blows his mind. She was a sweet girl, full of promise and potential. Who would do that? Anna knows it wasn’t Griff.

Chase tells Griff it’s just the two of them. Tell him what actually happened with Ava. Griff says she screamed about Kiki. It was an exercise in grief. Chase says, that’s it? and Griff says, all that’s left is for the PCPD to exonerate him. Jordan comes in, and says she wants the truth about Ava right now. He says he can’t keep repeating himself, but she’s not talking about that. She means the crime Ava committed a few days before her daughter’s murdered.

Ava tells not-Doc, Griff is so good, she actually believed Griff, but can she trust that? If he’s not responsible, who is? Not-Doc says he is. Ava asks how is he responsible? He didn’t kill her. He says, yes, he did.

Sonny notices Margaux, and asks how long she’s been standing there. She says, long enough to understand how much he misses his son. It turns out he does have a heart.

Finn tells Anna it’s an awful time for traveling. She should be there for Griff, and he can be there for her. Anna says, and Roxie, and he tells her, that’s a given. She is worried about Griff, but if she doesn’t act now, Obrecht could relocate. Finn says, if it’s so important, he’ll come with her. Hayden doesn’t need to see him. Anna says she was pregnant with his child, and they were going to get married. He says, it was a long time ago, but she says, not that long. It’s important that he see Hayden in Rome. Epiphany hears them, and asks if Anna is out of her ever-lovin’ mind.

Felicia tells Maxie, sorry. She didn’t know Maxie had company. Mac asks if that’s Peter’s tux from the wedding, and Peter says he hasn’t had time to change. Felicia asks if he spent the night, and Peter says he was in the hallway. Maxie says she found him this morning. Mac thinks that sounds stalkerish, but Maxie says after the nightmare wedding, Peter brought her home. Mac says, so he stayed the night? and Maxie says he was worried about her and James.

Griff isn’t sure he knows what Jordan is talking about. Jordan says Sasha told them. Chase says Ava drugged Sasha and made it look like Griff was cheating on Kiki. Why wouldn’t they report it. Griff says Ava was already hostile. they didn’t want it to escalate. They thought if they approached Ava themselves, she’d leave them in peace. Jordan says, what about after Kiki was killed? Didn’t it occur to him that it was pertinent information? Griff didn’t think the two things were related. Chase says he’s protecting Ava. Jordan says he’s the only suspect in a brutal murder. He’s in no position to protect anyone, including himself. Chase says, withholding information will just make it worse. Jordan says they’ve heard Sasha’s account. Now give them his.

Ava says not-Doc isn’t making sense. Why would he say he killed Kiki? He says, not literally. Neither did she. Yet she’s suffering; not just grieving, but feeling guilty. It’s on him. He encouraged her to explore her fears and fantasies about Kiki and Griff, and she did. She wrote her daughter off; even said she’d be better off if only Kiki wasn’t around. Ava says she didn’t mean this. She just wanted peace. A moment when she didn’t feel less than. Not-Doc says her feelings aren’t wrong. It’s not her fault Kiki is gone.

Sonny asks Margaux how her life is. Her mom hasn’t been arrested. He helped her get the confession, so he’s just curious. She says he’ll love this. He was right. She’s so angry at her mom, but it no matter how angry she is, her mom isn’t the one she wants to punish. It’s him. But she has no evidence. Not one single solitary thing that will lead to his arrest. So what does she do? Sacrifice her mother for the hell of it? It won’t bring her father back. Sonny says he’s done dumb stuff out of grief. He made bad choices that caused himself and other people needless pain, all in the name of vengeance. For what it’s worth, he’s happy she’s off that road.

Griff tells Jordan that he and Sasha based it on how they felt, and lack of memory. Jordan says there’s only one person who stood to gain from it. His story matches with Sasha’s. She tells Chase they have to question the staff, specifically room service. Chase says he’ll find out if the food was unattended at any point. Jordan asks Griff what Kiki thought. Did she think her own mother could be that extreme? Chase says if there was ever a time for full disclose, it’s now. Griff says Kiki was worried Ava wasn’t through with them. Jordan asks if she expected more punishment from Ava, and Chase says maybe she gave them some. Griff gets how it how looks, but in no way does he think Ava killed Kiki. She wanted revenge, and is capable of horrible things, but never that.

Not-Doc tells Ava that he’s sorry. He thought he was helping her by allowing her to express her urges, no matter how negative, destructive, or violent. Now that it’s come to fruition, he feels he might have destroyed the best parts of Kiki by encouraging her anger, rather than telling her to set it aside and reconcile. Ava asks if he’d give her the same advice if Kiki was alive and well, and not-Doc says, no. Ava says he couldn’t have known what the future held, and he says she couldn’t either. She needs to forgive herself. Ava doesn’t think she has the strength, but not-Doc says he won’t leave her side until she does.

Margaux tells Sonny, don’t get too comfortable. One wrong move, and she’ll be all over him. He knows that. He also knows she lost her dad when she was a little girl. He lost his too. His father was a gambler, and took off when he was young. Whoever’s to blame doesn’t matter. It creates a hole in your heart that doesn’t go away fully. The point he’s making is that he understands that pain, and he’s sorry she had to feel that. She doesn’t understand how he can be a ruthless bastard, and say something like that and mean it. She knows he does. He tells her it’s possible to be two things. You can be ruthless and still have a soul. He starts to leave, and comes back, giving her his scarf. He says it’s obvious she’s not used to Port Charles winters.

Epiphany tells Finn and Anna it’s the worst idea ever. Anna says her going after Obrecht or Finn going to Rome, and Epiphany says, both. Anna says it’s not her business, and Epiphany says, her hospital, her rules, with Finn saying it along with her. Anna says that’s not how it works. Finn tells Anna she’s going to so lose this battle. Anna says she’s going to protect her son, but that’s not what Epiphany has a problem with. She asks Anna why not take Finn with her? Anna says she’s capable of doing it herself. Epiphany wants to rephrase that, and asks why she would send her boyfriend across the ocean to see his ex. Is Anna trying to get rid of her man? Robin asked her to keep an eye out, and she agrees with Robin; she likes them together. Anna is shooting herself in foot. Admit she likes him, and let him come with her. Finn laughs.

Maxie thanks Peter, and Mac follows him out. In the hallway, Max says he doesn’t know what’s going on, but he’s choosing to believe Peter’s intentions are good. Peter says, they are, and Mac says if it turns out he’s wrong, and hurts Mac’s little girl, he’ll make Peter’s life a living hell. In the apartment, Felicia asks if Maxie is all right. Maxie says she’s been thinking about Kiki. She had a bright future. Felicia says, like Georgie, and Maxie says, and Nathan. It’s infuriating and unfair. Why is she still there? Felicia doesn’t know, but she’s grateful, and there’s a little boy and girl who agree with her. They hug.

There’s someone to see Griff, who says they’re a friend. Sonny comes in, and asks how he’s doing. Griff says he’s been better. Sonny wishes he could say he doesn’t know the feeling, but he’d be lying.

Ava tells not-Doc that he doesn’t have to stay, but he says he wants to; they’re in this together. She doesn’t know what she do without him and Julian. If they’d told the police she had a gun… Not-Doc says, Griff could have done that, but chose not to. He says Ava is his priority, and everyone else can take a back seat. She’s never been anyone’s priority before, and he tells her, get used to it. Jordan and Chase come to the door. Ava lets them in, and asks if they’ve found another suspect. Jordan says they have to ask her a few questions.

Mac tells Peter, it’s complicated. He’s not just some guy. He’s Anna’s son, and Robin’s half-brother. Like it or not, he’s family, and part of the Scorpio extended clan, whether he has feelings for Maxie or not. Don’t tell him that he doesn’t; he has eyes. Mac says whether it works out with Maxie or not, he’s family, no matter what. Peter says he and Maxie had a great start. It got tough, but they’re working their way back to friendship. Mac tells him, proceed with caution. He’s not surprised that Maxie forgave him. She’s a fair person, but she’s also a widow, and the grief is still there.

Felicia says she loves Maxie more than anything. How is she doing with all this? Maxie doesn’t know what this is. It’s disorienting how easy everything is with Peter. They get along so well, and he’s super attentive to everything. Not to mention he could eat James with a spoon. She’s over everything, and doesn’t think he has an agenda. He’s the opposite of his father; he’s a great person. Felicia says, but…? Maxie says she’s still grieving Nathan. It’s too soon to have beginning feelings for someone else.

Anna tells Epiphany that Finn knows she likes him. Finn says he likes her too. Epiphany asks if she really wants him to see his ex in the City of Love. Both Finn and Anna say, that’s Paris. Epiphany says, the City of Lights then, and they say, also Paris. She asks, what the hell is Rome then? and Finn says, the Eternal City. Anna likes that he knows that, and Epiphany says they’re so cute together, it’s disgusting. Anna says she wants him to go. She wants him to do what he need to; hear Hayden out. Epiphany asks why, and Anna says, life is unpredictable. Epiphany asks Finn to excuse them, and tells Anna to come with her. She tells Anna she’s got to get it together or it’s going to be too late.

Sonny tells Griff that he’s sorry about Kiki. He was proud to have her as part of the family. Griff asks about Avery, and Sonny explains he and Carly agreed it was best to let Ava decide how and when to tell her. It doesn’t matter who you are or what you’ve done. There’s no greater pain than losing a child. He knows Griff didn’t kill her. They’ll find out. They’re going by the book now, but they’re pros. They’re in it to solve the crime, and will. He tells Griff that he has the best lawyer in the state if he needs one, but Griff says Alexis already offered. Sonny says he’s in good hands. Griff says he keeps forgetting. He’s so busy convincing them that he didn’t do this, he forgets Kiki is actually dead.

Ava asks if she’s a suspect. She can’t believe this is happening. Her daughter was just murdered, and they’re here insinuating she has something to do with it. She tells them, get out, but Jordan says there’s no need to overreact. She has a pattern of obsessive, borderline stalking behavior with Kiki and her boyfriend. Sasha was drugged, and they need to know her movements. Ava knows she’s an easy target; the most loathed woman in town. She’s lost one of her few reasons for living. She’d never hurt Kiki. Chase says she’d drug Sasha, hit Kiki’s boyfriend over the head, and stage it to look like he’s cheating, but she’d never hurt Kiki. Not-Doc tells Ava, the sooner they clear this up, the sooner the police can search for the real killer. Chase asks where she was during the time-frame where Kiki was murdered. Ava says she was at the gallery with not-Doc. Laura saw them, then she came home. Jordan asks if she didn’t leave the entire time after that. Chase asks if she has someone who can confirm that, and not-Doc says he was with Ava.

Felicia isn’t advocating for Peter, but she’s not against him being in Maxie’s life. Nathan would be the first person to tell her to live it, and move on – when she’s ready. It’s for her to decide. It doesn’t mean she’s disloyal. The heart has unlimited room for expansion. She asks Maxie to remember how her heart grew when Georgie was born, and James. Maybe it’s Peter; maybe not. Maybe it’s someone she hasn’t met. When she’s ready and it’s right, it’s okay to explore the next step. Mac comes in with the decorations, and asks if Maxie is okay. Maxie says she’s feeling better.

Epiphany tells Anna that she knows she might be overstepping. Anna says, just a little. Epiphany says because of Robin, she’s aware of Anna’s past. If some men if resurface, they could throw her life into a tailspin, but she’s projecting that on Finn. She had a front row seat for Hayden and Finn. They’re both adults, and decided it’s over. Anna says, technically, Hayden decided, but Epiphany says, Finn moved on. Stop telling him what to do, and let him make his own decision on where to go. Speaking of which, she has patients she needs to attend to. Before she leaves, she yells at Anna to make her phlebotomy appointment. Finn asks, how’d it go? and Anna says, it went well. She says she has to go the airport. He says, last chance; him, her, Cuba, and she says she’ll text when she lands. She gets into the elevator, and the door closes.

Griff tells Sonny that they hadn’t said I love you. Sonny says, but they did. Griff says he was falling hard. Her intellect, humor, everything. When he thinks she’s gone, he can only see one thing; she was alone. She was afraid, and had zero comfort in her final moments. That shouldn’t be her ending; it’s wrong. Sonny says, she probably put up a fight, and Griff is sure she did. She was tough and brave, but in the end it wasn’t enough. Violence won out. Now he has to trust her to God, but he doesn’t want to let her go. Sonny says, it’s all right.

Jordan asks if not-Doc was there all night, and Chase asks why she didn’t say she had an alibi. Not-Doc says she wanted to spare Laura. She’s a public figure, and found them at the gallery in a compromising position, so they came there. Chase asks if his eyes were on her the whole time, and he says, they always are. Jordan asks what the nature of their relationship is, and not-Doc says, they’re consenting adults who enjoy each other’s company. Ava says he was with her when Griff came with the news. He went to the Haunted Star with her, and has been with her since. Jordan has no more questions, but Chase tells her, don’t go anywhere in case something comes up. When they’re gone, Ava says not-Doc wasn’t with her during a sizable gap, between the time they left the gallery, and he arrived at her place. He knows, and she asks why he lied to the cops.

Anna takes her seat on the plane. Finn sits next to her. He says he was only going to Rome because of her. He thought about it, and has nothing left to say. It’s over. He thought some more, and realized something. What makes him happy, also scares him. He loves her. She says, he does? He says, in a head over heels, can’t wipe the smile off his face kind of way. She loves him too, and can’t wipe the smile off her face. They kiss.

Maxie sees Peter’s keys on the table. Peter knocks on the door, and she hands them to him. She says she’s actually glad he came back. She thanks him for standing guard, and he says she already thanked him. She says it bears repeating. If his back ever recovers, she’d like to take him to dinner. Instead of accidentally running into each other, they should make plans to see each other on purpose. He tells her whatever night she decides, he has the feeling he’ll be free.

Alone at her father’s grave, Margaux says she has two choices. Either let this consume her for the rest of her life, or finally let it go. It’s time. She tells her father that she loves him, even if she never really knew him. She says, rest in peace, and walks slowly out of the cemetery.

Sonny knows Griff has a lawyer, but he’ll foot the bill, since Griff has been out of work. Griff says he’ll be all right, but Sonny can do something. Go to church, and light a candle for Kiki. Sonny says he’ll light a thousand candles. They tell each other to take care.

Chase shows Jordan a plastic bag with Kiki’s wallet in it. He says they found it in a canister at Griff’s place. It has Kiki’s blood on it. Jordan asks if he’s thinking robbery, but he says her license is the only thing missing. They tore the place apart, but couldn’t find it. He asks if it reminds her of another murder, and she says, sure does.

Not-Doc says it’s obvious why he lied for Ava. Ava asks how he knows she didn’t do it. Hasn’t she given him a litany of her crimes? Why take the risk?

Jordan and Chase go over the clues: two missing licenses; two female victims, both stabbed to death; and murdered in venues having a celebration. Jordan says they’ve been looking for two separate killers. Maybe they should be looking for one.

Not-Doc knows Ava is innocent. She asks how he can be sure, and he says he just is. As sure as he is about anything. He believes in her. She doesn’t know how she’d be standing without him. He says he’s right there, and not going anywhere. He holds her.

Tomorrow, Laura asks Aiden who’s bothering him, Michael asks Chase where they are in finding the killer, and Kim tells Drew something else is wrong.

Below Deck

Ross tells Rhylee that he doesn’t need feedback. She says, don’t ask for it then. In his interview, Ross says she needs to respect him. He tells her to fix her attitude, or ship out. She says, yes, sir!

The guests play in the waterfall, and Josiah takes pictures. The Intrepid comes to pick the guests up, along with Kate who needs to confer with Adrian about dinner. I always forget that they don’t wear shoes on the boat. It weirds me out.

Rhylee tells Ross the guests want to use the slide tonight. The guests tells Adrian that they want comfort food; like fries and burgers. In his interview, Adrian says he’s not keen on frying, but just because it’s comfort food doesn’t mean it has to be basic. Captain Lee calls Ross to the bridge. He asks if he heard the conversation between Ross and Rhylee right. It shows a lack of respect for him, and it’s not a good look for her. She needs to fall in line or leave. In his interview, Captain Lee says the only thing a third deckhand needs to do, is what they’re told. She’s not the captain on this boat. Ross says she has an aggressive attitude, and the captain says, ya think? He gets that Ross needs her, but doesn’t want it getting out of hand. Ross thinks Rhylee can go a long way if she changes her attitude.

Adrian says he trained in traditional French cuisine, so to make the comfort food more interesting, he’s giving it a French flair. Ooh! The sunset. Rhylee tosses flamingo pool floats into the water, and I desperately want to be there. The tablescape is a Jurassic Park theme with tiny dinosaurs amongst the flora. Why? Who knows. Adrian makes stuffed shells, and accuses Ashton of snaking he snaking girls.

Josiah says there’s more laundry, and the shifts are longer; he’s tired. The guests don’t look thrilled with Adrian’s version of lobster mac and cheese. He makes lamb sliders lamb, and a more sophisticated variety of fish and chips. Adrian visits the table, along with some truffle fries, and they all say the food is wonderful. You could have fooled me by the faces they were making.

Ross is sick of Rhylee, and wonders if the issue is with him. Ashton says he’d be exhausted explaining himself all the time. Ross says her attitude has to change, and if not, she’s out of there. Ashton is glad Ross is putting his foot down.

The guests go to the crow’s nest, which they mistakenly call the cuckoo’s nest. No. That’s a book by Ken Kesey. Shannon wants to go down the slide, but no one is up for it by now. She asks if Kate will go with her, and Kate says she never learned to swim, but maybe she can rally some people. Kate tells Josiah that she thinks Shannon believes her; she really has work to do. Adrian and Ross volunteer. Adrian has been looking at it since he got there. They put on these big glasses with flashing lights, and Ross says Adrian looks like a mad scientist. Geez. They only go down the slide once. Kate tells Josiah that he’s free to go to bed; she’ll finish. Ross and Ashton put away the slide. Kate puts away everything else. Kate thought once she worked her way up the ladder, it would be easier. Hashtag, tired.

At breakfast Adrian makes beautiful little scrambled egg with truffle cups. Ross gives Rhylee instructions. In her interview, Rhylee says she knows she shouldn’t speak to the boss that way, but doesn’t like being marginalized, and thinks her opinion is valid. The guests pack. Adrian tells Ross it’s a good crew. If he could just peace out with Rhylee. He thinks he’ll talk to her again, but because of the work environment, not in a friendly way. In Kate’s interview, she says just when she thinks she can’t love Josiah any more, he gets how they’re in this together. He’s the Thelma to her Louise.

They dock. Kate is happy it’s over, and the crew gets into their whites. The guests thank the crew. Mario says no matter what size the boat, it’s only as good as the captain and crew, and they were fantastic. In Kate’s interview, she says the Tahitian gods smiled on them. This group was just what they needed, being two crew members down.

Kate and Josiah have an interior meeting, which is a euphemism for putting their feet up. Kate feels her feet getting ready for the next charter. The captain calls everyone to the crew mess. He tells them that they nailed it. If he found anything wrong, it would be nitpicking. The tip is $17K. Kate is thrilled, and thinks they should have been firing two crew members a week a long time ago. Captain Lee says they’re going to have a barbecue tonight, and he’s gotten a day at the Meridian for them tomorrow. It’s time for some R&R. He tells Kate that she has a new stew coming later, and he’s working on getting a deckhand.

Kate tells Josiah that she can’t believe the new stew’s first day is a day off. She suggests they put her to work immediately, so she earns it a little bit. The captain calls Kate to the wheelhouse. He tells her the new stew’s name is Laura, and shows Kate her resumé, saying it might be overkill, but he’d rather over than under. Kate doesn’t think too much experience is overkill. She’s a Canadian yoga instructor, and Kate asks Adrian if he wants a roommate. He says, after the last one, he can only hope. Kate thinks Adrian and Laura will be soulmates.

And here she comes now. Josiah greets her. In her interview, Laura says she’s been in yachting two and a half years. She became chief strew on one boat, and then propelled. Backward? I’m confused. Third is low person on the totem pole. Kate comes out. In Adrian’s interview, he says Laura seems nice, but she sounds more Valley girl than Canadian. She asks Kate for a walk-around, saying, oh no, when she sees the white carpet. Yep. Had one once. Never again. She asks, who made this bed? and Kate says, we did. She points out a stain on a nightstand. In his interview, Josiah says he’s never met anyone who talks so much. Maybe she should just shut up. Ashton thinks she’s cute. Maybe someone he’d hook up with. Kate introduces Laura to the captain. In Laura’s interview, she says people think she’s a ditz because of her accent, but she loves to prove them wrong. Captain Lee says he doesn’t babysit, and she says he won’t have to.

Ross tells Rhylee she’s done for the day. In her interview, Laura says she was lucky to learn from and excellent chief stew who had the highest standards. She can really revamp an interior. Ha! I’d be careful about any revamping around Kate. Kate tells Josiah that Laura is effing annoying.

The crew gets ready for the barbecue on the dock. Adrian does the grilling. We find out Laura is single, and loves to party. Ashton opens the beach club. Everyone dances around the boat. Adrian brings out the disco ball. Rhylee is feeling alone. The guys are all after the new hot mama, and she doesn’t really talk to the interior. Josiah says there’s fresh meat in the zoo. Ashton plays bartender. Adrian puts a flower in Laura’s hair, and talks about Ashton being a snake. In his interview, Ashton says Adrian is trying to embarrass him, and it’s not cool. Everyone goes to bed. Laura thinks everyone is nice, and she’s super stoked.

Kate is excited to have a day off. She doesn’t have to wear a polyester polo and skort, while asking people what they want to drink. At the Meridian, they’re met with cocktails. Kate looks really happy. Adrian thinks they really need this, as a crew and individuals; it’s a blast. Adrian tells Laura that his father is from Texas, and his mother is French, and his father just passed away. A unicorn pool float blows into the chairs, amusing everyone. Probably because they’re drunk. They go inside as it starts to rain.

Adrian makes a dreamcatcher at the table. In Laura’s interview, she says Adrian is awesome. He has a lot of depth. She loves talking to people without judgement. She tells the others that she loves having fun, and bonding. She’s sort of like a walking dating profile. She asks what everyone’s favorite ethnicity of food is, and answers her own question. In her interview, Kate says Laura is getting on her nerves. She’s shared enough of her opinions in the short time she’s been there. Laura says she’s not going to lie. She sees clouds coming in. Kate says she is going to lie. She’s having a good time. She and Josiah leave. A white cat runs alongside them as they walk down the boardwalk. Josiah suggests he could be the third stew.

The crew goes to the beach. Rhylee and Laura use a paddle boat, and Ashton snakes up in another one. In his interview, Adrian says Ashton is full-on. He knows what he wants, and goes to get it. Rhylee comes back, saying, there was a mutiny at sea. The two lovebirds overtook the devil kayak. Adrian tells Ross that he can’t have meaningless sex. In his interview, he says he needs affection, and it’s more about sharing energy. He says they can be friends, and Ross says he can do it. Adrian asks, him and Rhylee? In Ross’s interview, he says Rhylee drives him crazy on deck, and the more he drinks, the more he’s attracted to her. Adrian predicts by the end of the charter season. Oh man. Don’t do it. That will turn awkward quickly.

Ashton does dance moves in the pool. Laura tells him, keep doing that. Adrian tells her that Ashton was a male stripper. She says, it’s not going to happen. In Laura’s interview, she says he’s not her type. They get in the taxi. Ashton puts his head in Laura’s lap. In the other taxi, Ashton’s snaking moves are noted, but Adrian tells Kate, Laura said it’s not happening. He’ll try to the end though.

Back on the boat, Ross tells Rhylee that he was serious about that back-rub. Ashton is going to the hot tub. Ross starts kissing on Rhylee, and closes the cabin door. In his interview, Ashton says, Ross and Rhylee have gone from being at each other’s throats to being in each other’s throats. He laughs so hard at his own joke, I have to laugh. Ross leaves cabin. In her interview, Rhylee says he’s good looking, but she doesn’t know.

Laura gets in the hot tub, followed by Ashton. He asks about her last relationship. She says he was a great guy, but she lost herself. She thinks a relationship should make you the best version of yourself. Ashton grew up with his parents at odds. In his interview, he says they got divorced when he was five. That’s why he hasn’t had many relationships. He doesn’t want to get involved in someone‘s life unless there’s the potential to get married.

Adrian asks Laura if she’s excited. She is. Rhylee doesn’t know what Ross was thinking, but she liked it. She doesn’t want a relationship, just drunk making out. Kate tells Laura to start in the master suite. Ashton does the windows. Rhylee tells Josiah about Ross kissing her. In his interview, Josiah says he’s shocked, but hate is the first sign of love. Ross tells Ashton that he only made out with her. Then he’s like, f**ck. It’s time for the preference sheet meeting.

The new primary is Brandy, a real estate agent on her first trip as a single woman in a while. Friends Caroline and Nadine are coming, as well as couples Kari and Joe, and Janet and Jimmy. Names we will never really need to know. There’s a request for tequila in their hands at all times. There’s a gluten-free request, but the rest is pretty basic. They ask for yoga, and Kate says Laura is a master. Captain Lee asks, how lucky is that? He asks Kate if she gets it, and Kate says she gets it as much as Kate needs her to. In Kate’s interview, she says she’s happy there’s a third stew, but Laura has only been there a day, and is already annoying. No surprise, Laura does laundry. Kate and Josiah discuss Ross kissing Rhylee. Kate thinks the kiss is weird, but it’s also just alcohol. Josiah doesn’t know.

Deckhand Tyler arrives. He’s going from sailing to yachting, to round out his knowledge of boating, and also the money. If you’re chartering a boat like this, you have money. In her interview, Rhylee says she has a hot new roommate.

Kate tells Ross that Tyler seems nice, but Caroline seemed nice too. He laughs. Tyler tells Ross he’s from Washington state, but he’s been traveling for the last four and a half years. In Tyler’s interview, he says people think he’s a surfer dude, and they’re absolutely right. He’s an adrenaline junkie, and wants to make a living jumping into forest fires, because it’s gnarly. Ross and Tyler are called to the wheelhouse. Captain Lee radios for Cheerios, reminding me yet again of my father. Tyler introduces himself. He tells the captain that he’s a quick study. In Captain Lee’s interview, he says he got a good vibe. You’re not successful on a sailboat without a good work ethic. It’s more complicated than a yacht.

Laura drops an entire tray of champagne glasses. She says the cloth was lumpy. Kate thinks they have about half the glasses left than they started with. Josiah says he broke one. Kate says this was like Laura was bowling, and she just had a strike. Laura vacuums. Kate shows her how make sure the glasses stay on the tray. The guests arrive, and Captain Lee gives the usual spiel. Kate will show you around the boat, and let’s get this party started. Brandy doesn’t think she’s ever been on a yacht with a bar attached to the jacuzzi.

Ross says he would have liked to have a day so Tyler could familiarize himself with everything. That’s how mistakes are made. It makes him nervous. The yacht pulls out. The captain wants the tender prepped. Ross thinks Tyler takes direction well. Ross says the line is loose, and Captain Lee says they’re out of there. Ross calls out to watch the other lines. Suddenly, Ashton gets swept off the boat by one of them. Rhylee radios, man overboard. He got knocked off by the tow line. On Watch What Happens Live, Captain Lee explained that Ashton had stepped into a bite, a loop that connects the two lines.

To be continued…  

😾 No preview. I’m assuming they don’t want us to know what happened yet. They would not discuss it on WWHL either, but the captain is still pretty frazzled about this incident.

🍜 Top Chef is back this Thursday at 9 pm. Preceding the season premiere will be an entire day of the show.

🙇 And in Closing…

This has been the worst day, but as Carol Burnett said, fiddle-dee-dee! Tomorrow is another one. They don’t have the whole sketch, but this is good.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sep20

September 19, 2018 – Ava Gets Slapped, the Dallas Wives Smash Things, a MasterChef is Chosen, Kitchen’s Coming, a Book, a Lawsuit & Food

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What I Watched Today

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

 

General Hospital

Valentin meets Curtis. He assumes connected with the woman in question. Curtis says there was a superficial resemblance, but that doesn’t mean anything. Valentin asks if she’s willing to cooperate with their investigation, and Curtis says she already has.

At Charlie’s, Nina tells Maxie she’s not going anywhere until Maxie tells her what happened in the elevator with Peter.

At the MetroCourt, Lulu tells Peter, no sensationalism or gruesome details. She wants the article to read like a long feature piece. Peter says, not like something from The Invader. She says they have to respect the victims and their families. He tells her they’re racing against clock. They’re not the only game in town, and already other publications and podcasts are scouting the location. Lulu says the difference is, those people will leave town when the story cools off. They’ll still be there. What happened, happened in their community. Peter says, point taken. Respect must be paid. He thought as publisher he should reassure the subjects that the story will be approached thoughtfully, especially Felicia. Lulu says she also happens to be Maxie’s mother.

Kiki sees Griff at the hospital, and asks if he’s back. He says the meeting was postponed at the last minute. Now he’s back to waiting. He doesn’t know when, or if, he’ll be reinstated. He’s in no mood for it today. Somebody ripped away the last thing he had left in world.

Still at the hospital, Michael tells someone on the phone to set up an HR meeting, and make sure the Chicago office is up and running by the first of the year. Carly hears him, and asks if he’s moving to Chicago. She tells him that she knows things are hard, but take a trip, don’t move halfway across the country. He says he’s sending one of his VPs to the new office; she made quite a leap. She’s concerned about the letter from Nelle, trying to hurt him. He says nothing Nelle does affects him anymore, but Carly says he’s internalizing his grief. He’s staying busy, and she gets it, but she needs to make sure he’s okay. Michael says he’s not okay, and doesn’t know when he will be. The best way for her to help is to accept that, and let him deal with his grief in his own time and his own way.

Griff tells Kiki that he got a call from the archdiocese. He’s been barred from receiving sacraments. She asks if it’s like excommunication, and he says it’s similar. He can attend mass, but can’t receive communion. He can’t partake in the rituals that defined his life. She wonders why now, since he left a year ago. He says it has nothing do with him leaving. He’s not supposed to be offering spiritual guidance, and he’s guilty of that. She says he’s a kind person helping people, not saying black mass. He says he’s not even supposed to live in a community where he acted as a priest. Someone called the monsignor and reported him. Kiki says they know who that someone is.

Ava stops by Charlie’s. She says it looks like the investigation has concluded, and Julian is just glad they’re not in the basement anymore. She asks if he has any insights, and he says, their bones, their problem. He’s glad to be back to business, and he’s moving forward with the renovations. He’d like some design ideas, and Ava says she’d start with suggesting he do something about the clientele.

Nina tells Maxie, no more evasion. What was up with the shirtless encounter? Maxie says, there was no shirtless encounter. Peter had a full blown PTSD attack, thanks to her and Obrecht. He was acting like he was okay, and keeping it together, but then got all hyper, and complained about the heat, even though it wasn’t hot. It was all she could do to keep him calm and breathing. She’s glad she could be there for emotional support; he’s been there for her. When they were breathing, she flashed back to being on the roadside in labor, when he was helping her. It was like déjà vu with the roles reversed.

Lulu hopes Peter isn’t going to try getting closer to Maxie using the trauma her mom suffered. He says he’d never exploit her. He considers her a friend, even if she doesn’t feel the same way. James is his nephew, and the only family he has left. Lulu says Anna is his mother, and Robin is his sister; why not start connecting there? He tells her that he has no control over other media outlets, but can control what they receive. He wants the victims to know they’ll be approached with respect and be protected. Lulu says, don’t. It’s the last thing Maxie needs. Her feelings are confused as it is. He asks, how so?

Valentin didn’t expect the woman to agree so rapidly, and wonders if Curtis offered financial incentive. Curtis says she’s not about that. She’s not interested in proving she’s Nina’s daughter; she’s interesting in disproving it. She refuses to believe she’s adopted, and loves the mother who raised her. Valentin says, we buy the story we’re given, and tells Curtis, proceed with caution.

Nina gets that Peter is a walking, talking grey area. He’s not totally evil, but not innocent either. She wrestled over if she should care when he was being detained by Obrecht. Maxie asks if that’s what they’re calling it now, and Nina says ultimately, she couldn’t leave him in a burning building. She understands, but empathy is one thing, and feelings are another. She wants to be sure Maxie is being clear. Maxie says when Nathan died, she felt empty. If she hadn’t had James, she would have withered and blown away. Peter was there for her the first few months, with no expectations. He was kind and generous, and she began to rely on his friendship; on him. When the truth came out, she was devastated. She let herself be vulnerable. The anger is still there, but is it right to blame what happened to Nathan on Peter trying to escape his father. Nina gets it and understands.

Lulu tells Peter that she wasn’t implying anything. Peter wonders if Maxie is willing to give their friendship another chance. Lulu says she’s still hurting. She’s just climbing out of the hole he made. He doesn’t want to hurt her; he never did. Lulu tells him, if he cares, stay as far away from Maxie as possible.

Griff tells Kiki that the monsignor wouldn’t give him the name, just that they expressed concerned. She says it was her mom, and that’s his guess too. She says, who else would it be? Ava showed her how low she could go when she got him suspended from the hospital. She’s says she’s sorry, but he tells her not to put it on herself. She says Ava is punishing him because of her. She took his job, now she’s taking his faith. He says, no one can do that. Even if he’s barred, his faith is his own. Kiki admires that, but says he might be able to turn the other cheek, but she can’t let Ava ruin his life like this. Lucy runs in, saying Griff was supposed to meet her in the lobby ten minutes ago to look at apartments. She has something fabulous for him. He tells Kiki, fabulous sounds expensive, and follows Lucy.

Julian offers Ava some coffee, but she refuses on principle. He tells her, as of today, he’s no longer proudly serving Corinthos coffee. He’s severed ties, and thinking about creating his own blend – Jerome Java. She asks if Sonny didn’t object, and he says Sonny never expressed any concerns. Ava wonders why so understanding, and if it has anything to do with the skeleton in the basement. She’s got the feeling he’s not telling her everything. Alexis magically appears, and says she was wondering the same thing.

Carly says she’s not telling Michael how to feel, or putting a timetable on his grief. He understand she’s trying to help him heal, but it’s out of her control; accept it. Carly says Nelle wouldn’t have been able to bait her if she’d worked through her grief over Morgan. Instead she buried it. That’s what he’s doing, working day and night. Michael appreciates that, but tells her not to worry. He’s dealing in his own way. She asks if he’s seeing someone like Doc. He says he doesn’t need that. She says, okay, then he needs to lean on his family. They’re strong; he doesn’t have to go through this alone. He says he’s lucky to have family; speaking of which… They see Lucas with Wiley by the elevator. Michael asks him how it’s going.

Alexis asks for a private word with Julian, and Ava says, all hers. Julian doesn’t know if he should get coffee or a stack of bibles. He’s feeling a cross-examination coming on. Alexis says Kristina was working behind the bar when the gas explosion happened, and Julian says he wasn’t aware of any danger. She asks if he had anything to do with the body, and he says good thing they didn’t unearth his time machine in the closet. The body had been there for decades; he has nothing to do with it. Alexis still doesn’t like the idea of her daughter working there.

Maxie is surprised at Nina expressing sympathy for Peter. She’s not saying he’s blameless, but there were a lot of variables with Nathan’s death, and it’s not fair put it all on Peter. Nina is glad she feels that way, but more for Maxie than Peter.

Peter tells Lulu that he’s trying to be a good friend; Macie was a good friend to him as well. He wants to make sure she’s okay. Lulu says she won’t be if he keeps intruding on her life. She doesn’t think he’s like his father. She wouldn’t be working for him if she did. She tells him to prove he’s the decent guy he claims to be, and do the right thing – back off. Let Maxie get on with her life.

Lucy tells Griff it was a great apartment, and goes over the amenities. She says an eligible bachelor is going to snap it up. Griff says he can’t sign the lease in good conscience; not until he hears from the review board. Until then, he has to economize and live within his limited budget. Lucy is sorry, and not just because she lost a big fat commission. She’s heard he’s a wonderful doctor. He’s sure that’s not all she’s heard. His fall from grace was very public. She says she’s been on both sides of the equation, and cheating causes a lot of pain on both sides. But she learned, just because you did a bad thing doesn’t make you a bad person. Everyone has foibles. We learn from our mistakes, and do better next time. She has no doubt he can manage that. She has an apartment she wasn’t planning showing, because it’s a little cozy (in realtor speak, it’s small), but it’s within his price range, and the building has character (in realtor speak, it’s old). He can move in right away.

Maxie tells Nina that when you can put down the blame and anger, you start to heal. Nina says it’s easier for her; she and Peter were never friends. He and Maxie were. Can she let the friendship continue?

Alexis tells Julian she’s spent most of like life keeping Kristina away from Sonny’s business. Julian says he’s not involved in the mob in any way. He has no ties, and doesn’t intend to ever again. He thinks what Alexis doesn’t like is Kristina working with him.

Kiki storms into Charlie’s. Ava says she didn’t expect to see her. Kiki says Ava moves heaven and earth to fix her face, but her soul is still same. Ava says her soul is none of Kiki’s business, and asks if that’s something she got from Griff. Do they say their prayers together before hitting the sheets? Kiki smacks her. Ava says she’ll let Kiki get away with that one because Kiki is her daughter, but just one. Kiki asks if she’s going to report it to the archdiocese. Griff was stripped of his sacraments; score one for her. Ava says she didn’t do anything. Griff slept with her while he was still a priest. He did it to himself. Kiki says Ava destroyed his life, and Ava says, payback’s a bitch. Kiki asks if she should look over her shoulder for the rest of her life. Ava says the next time she takes a lover, Kiki should try keeping her legs crossed. Kiki tells Ava to stay out of her life, and Ava suggests she do the same.

Valentin gives Curtis two envelopes. One is Nina’s DNA, and the other a check. It’s double his salary and expenses, plus an extra bonus for saving Valentin time. Curtis says, the job’s not done yet. Sasha isn’t interested. She agreed to the test to disprove their theory. Valentin says they’ll burn bridges when they come to them. He wants the test done at both GH and an independent lab. Curtis asks when they’re telling Nina about all this. He’s not just her employee; he’s also her friend. This is messy, and keeping it from her isn’t cool. If she rejects the idea, she’ll go to Sasha, and get her heart broken. Valentin says they need irrefutable proof, and if Sasha is her daughter, they’ll tell Nina immediately.

Ava tells Alexis to wipe the superior smirk off her face. Alexis says it’s not a smirk. Ava slugs back a drink.

Maxie says, embarrassing, and Nina says, no one is more deserving. Nina tells Maxie she’ll meet her at the office. Ava makes a weird face at Nina.

Carly asks if Wiley is there for his check-up, and Lucas says, six weeks. Michael says he looks strong, and Lucas says he’s a champ. He didn’t even cry. A nurse comes out, asking if she could have a word with Lucas about a patient, even though it’s his day off. Lucas he passes Wiley off to Michael, and says he’ll be right back. Michael tells Wiley that he’s his cousin.

Alexis hopes Julian will look out for Kiki. He says he’ll do his best, but it’s not a good idea for her to slap her mother. Alexis says it’s not a good idea for Ava to sabotage her daughter. Call her crazy, but she’s not comfortable with her daughter working for her ex. Julian would rather  go with weird, awkward, or messy. He doesn’t want to make it uncomfortable between them. Alexis asks why he hired Kristina in the first place. He says she might be a Corinthos, but she’s a Davis through and through. She practically demanded the job, then had the audacity to make fantastic drinks, and he was short-staffed. Alexis knows how persuasive Kristina can be. Julian says it wasn’t just that. He saw hope in her eyes, and he couldn’t resist. It was the kind of hope you have when you’re no longer used to feeling hopeful.

Outside, Nina tells Ava, that was quite a scene.

Carly tells Michael that he’s a natural. He says he feels more paternal than a cousin; more like an uncle. Maybe it’s the age difference. He says it would have been nice if Jonah and Wiley had played together. Carly says if it’s too hard, she can watch him, but he says it’s fine. Nelle wrote to him to mess with his head, but she’s right about one thing. He does find peace being close to Wiley.

Maxie sees Peter and Lulu, and asks if she can sit. Peter looks at Lulu, and says he has to be going; take his chair. He jets, and Maxie says, what was that?

Ava asks if Nina wants to gloat, and she says, actually no. She couldn’t help hearing the conversation. Ava says, her and half the county. Nina says her mother is dead. She’s not sad. She was a hateful woman, as Ava knows. All she did was use Nina. She asks if Ava knows where she’s going, and Ava says, enlighten her. Nina says her mother is out of second chances. She thinks Ava could go down the same road, and push Kiki away for good. Ava says her relationship with her daughter is none of Nina’s business.

At home, Kiki talks to herself as she changes, saying it’s like living in a sauna. She bangs on the radiator with a wrench. There’s a knock at the door. It’s Griff. Kiki asks why he’s there, and he says he’s moving in. He asks if there’s something wrong with the heat. I’m wondering why the heat would even be on in September, and does no one have an air conditioner?

Alexis says Kristina doesn’t share as much of her life as she’d like, and Julian asks what she thinks is going on. She thinks Kristina is lost; directionless. Julian says that happens to people her age; she’ll get it together. Alexis thinks Kristina is worried that she doesn’t have a purpose. He says that takes time to figure out, but she says every time Kristina is aimless, she jumps into something with momentum and rides it to hell. She keeps making the same mistakes, and isn’t learning from them. She’s repeating the pattern. Julian says Kristina is an adult, and has to come to the realization on her own. Alexis says it’s hard to watch. Julian knows how hard it is to break a destructive cycle. She thanks him for listening, and he offers to keep an eye on Kristina.

Lulu tells Maxie that she didn’t notice anything. Maxie says Peter practically bolted out of there when she asked to join them. At least he could have managed a, hey, how’s it going? Lulu says he’s a workaholic, and probably thinking about a conference call. Maxie wonders why he wouldn’t say something, and Lulu says maybe he’s understanding it’s better if he’s out of her life.

Griff says he Just signed the lease on a studio apartment. Kiki says the radiator is permanently set to tropical; it happens once or twice a month. The landlord promises to fix it, but doesn’t. If it’s hit in the right place, the gauge opens, and it can be shut off. He asks how, and Kiki tells him, watch and learn. She bangs on it. He takes the wrench from her, and they soap gaze at each other.

Nina is sure Ava doesn’t want to hear this, and Ava says, not from her; the woman who literally tore her baby out of her womb. Nina suggests Ava apologize to Kiki; it’s not too late. She couldn’t have meant what she said; Kiki is her daughter. If she’s the mother she says she is, she won’t let one minute go to waste. Ava says Nina isn’t a mother and never will be, and walks away.

Curtis talks to a doctor at the hospital reception desk, saying he called about a DNA comparison test. He’s already filled out the forms online. The doctor tells him that they’re all set. She just has to take the samples to the lab. He asks if she can put a rush on it, and she smiles.

Michael asks Carly how Mike is doing, and she says, okay. They’d love for him to stop by if he’s up for it. Lucas comes back, and asks if Wiley was any trouble. Carly says he was an angel. Michael says he should probably get back to work, and gives Wiley back to Lucas. Lucas asks how Michael is holding up, and Carly wishes she knew the answer

A doctor comes out, and says she’s glad Lucas is still there. He introduces her to Carly as Wiley’s pediatric specialist. She tells him that something troubling turned up in one of the tests.

Tomorrow, Ava refuses to lose her daughter over the likes of Griff, Brad asks what’s wrong with their baby’s heart, and Jordan tells Sonny the walls are closing in.

The Real Housewives of Dallas

Brandi instructs her daughters to tell the social workers how amazing a mom she is. They proceed to say how she doesn’t do anything for them, and is always on the stupid phone. In her interview, Brandi says bringing Bruin home doesn’t mean the adoption is final. It can take up to six months. Social workers check in once a month to make sure she’s not batsh*t crazy. One of the kids says, mom is amazing, blah-blah-blah, done.

The social workers arrive. In her interview, Brandi says the first time was quite the experience. We see a clip of one of the kids telling them mommy’s favorite drink is wine. Brandi thinks she’s an amazing mom, but right now she’s under a microscope. Everything is presented to the judge, and if anything is misinterpreted, it could reflect badly on her. She’s open and honest, and her kids are like their mom. The social workers ask about various topics, and the kids make contrary remarks. In her interview, Brandi says her kids are being sh*theads. Bryan travels a lot, and it’s a lot of pressure to represent the both of them. She has to be perfect, and the kids are being sh*ts.

Kameron is leaving for the global pet expo. She calls Cort to say goodbye, and he tells her to have confidence. In her interview, she says she has a booth at the expo. If she doesn’t find a distributor, it’s the end of Sparkle Dog. Cort is shutting it down. She’s not the best traveler by herself, and is flying commercial. Cort explains how renting a car and getting your luggage works.

LeeAnne and D’Andra go for coffee and dessert. D’Andra asks about LeeAnne’s invitation to the Smashing Room. LeeAnne says they’re going to have a smashing good time, literally smashing stuff. D’Andra asks what it is, and LeeAnne explains that it’s about letting go. They share what’s upsetting them, and be vulnerable to the group, then smash whatever it is.  In her interview, LeeAnne says they’re all getting along, but they’re surface skating. This will give them the opportunity to be real and open up. In her interview, D’Andra isn’t sure if she wants to see LeeAnne with a plate in her hand. LeeAnne asks D’Andra what her plan is. D’Andra says her mother basically owns everything. The buck stops with her, and Dee told her if she separates her company, she won’t be taking the money she made there; she’ll have to start over without anything. LeeAnne says, welcome to the world. D’Andra says she’s at a crossroads. Her mother controls everything in her life. It’s mostly financial, but that bleeds into everything else. She has to pay bills, and cut out major expenses. In her interview, D’Andra admits she was born with a silver spoon in her mouth. It’s hard to give up the lifestyle she grew up in and change course completely. She gripes about letting her cleaning lady go, and LeeAnne tells her that she’s lazy; she likes the princess lifestyle and it’s her own damn fault. In her interview, LeeAnne says if D’Andra could give her tough love in Beaver Creek, she can give D’Andra the same now. If you can’t take it, don’t dish it. D’Andra says it’s going to be a big adjustment, but she wants her business to last. In her interview, she thinks LeeAnne is being condescending, and it’s pissing her off. Rich pays for her household expenses. Girlfriends should listen, not lecture. She has a mother for that. She tells LeeAnne, if she stays laser focused, she’ll do it.

LeeAnne – who should not be wearing those pants – meets wedding planner and best friend Steve for drinks. She says he’s a ray of sunshine, and the best planner in the country. He loves her, and will want the wedding to be perfect. To my amazement, Rich joins them. In her interview, LeeAnne is glad he’s taking the time to come. And she didn’t have to use a lasso or handcuffs. He’s there because he loves her. Steve asks about Rich’s vision, and Rich says he hasn’t thought about it. LeeAnne thought wanted a say, and he says he’s there. LeeAnne is thinking five hundred to a thousand people. We had somewhere around one hundred and twenty, which surprised me. I can’t fathom a thousand gusts. Steve says, the guest list dictates what you can do for what you can spend. You can have eleven or five hundred people, but you start there. Rich says he left his checkbook at home. In her interview, LeeAnne says this is her one and only wedding. Who cares what it costs? She says she’ll be happy if they can narrow down a month and year. She suggests November, and Rich is like, okay. Steve says he has to be firm, so Rich says it again, more assertively. In her interview, LeeAnne says, D’Andra take note. They have an actual wedding date. Guess what? She’s getting married. Steve wants to do the bachelor party, and Rich asks if Stormy Daniels is available. I’m sure. For a price.

D’Andra visits Cary, who is still at her parents’ house. Oooh. She has three tiny dogs! Cary asks what’s going on with D’Andra’s mom, and D’Andra says her life is falling apart. She didn’t think at almost fifty, she’d be changing the course of her life. She probably won’t have a paycheck for a while. In her interview, D’Andra explains that her mother is the executor (wouldn’t it be executrix?) of her father’s estate. She and her husband could live on it, but she can’t run the company on it and live. Does she even realize what this sounds like to the average or – dare I say it? – poor person? She hopes her friends stay her friends. She’s going to need support. She gets weepy, and Cary hugs her.

In her interview, D’Andra says it took her a while to see what goes on in the world of Dallas society. If she can write check, she’s a valuable member. One of her friends lost all her money, and she was alienated be almost everyone; everyone scattered. She wishes she’d made different decisions; she’s falling apart, but hasn’t told anyone. She tells Cary that LeeAnne was in her face about how much she spends. Cary tells D’Andra that LeeAnne said she spends a lot, and only has $200 in her account. D’Andra says she has more than that. She was referring to when they went shopping in Beaver Creek. She wasn’t prepared to shop like that, and she said it out of frustration. She has five different bank accounts. She was talking about her shopping account. It’s humiliating that LeeAnne told someone else without her permission. Wow. And I’m not saying that because I disagree about LeeAnne telling Cary something personal about D’Andra; she shouldn’t have done that. I’m wowing because, shopping account. In her interview, Cary says she’s the last person LeeAnne should have told. She felt uncomfortable, and she wasn’t waiting for it to bite her in the ass later. Instead, she decided to be honest, and just tell D’Andra. D’Andra says LeeAnne will be sorry she said it.

At a board meeting, Travis talks about the education program being started for employees. He says, free education brings people to the middle class. He can help his employees and their kids. In her interview, Stephanie says she started the company’s Charitable Giving Initiative. She asks about offering screening for dyslexia, and tears up. We see a clip of her with son Cruz. She tells us that Travis was also diagnosed with dyslexia as a child. From the ages of four to nine, he was also in a leg brace or wheelchair. Travis tells them that college starts in a couple of weeks. He can’t think of a better way to reward the employees than by offering them education, and also the opportunity for their families to become educated. Education is the key to success.

Travis is leaving soon for a six-month program at Harvard on leadership. Stephanie asks if he’ll want her to bring the kids to visit, and he suggests they play it by ear. She says she gets anxious when she’s by herself; it’s chaos. Travis keeps everyone in line. In her interview, Stephanie says she constantly lets herself down, and it triggers depression. Travis tells her, be a leader, but she says she’s never been one. He tells her to relax. In her interview, she says that Travis isn’t giving her lists anymore, but she still feels internal pressure not to make mistakes. She doesn’t know how to handle things when he’s not home. He tells her not to cook.

At the Smashing Room, Cary isn’t clear why LeeAnne is wearing a mustache. Actually, she looks like a male aerobics instructor from the 80s. Or maybe one of The Village People on their off time.

On the way there, Brandi tells D’Andra that she threw candle one time. She ruined the hardwood, and she was like, damn. Throwing things isn’t for her. D’Andra says she’s furious right now. She shopped on the company card, and was frustrated, saying she only had $200 in her account. LeeAnne told Cary, but it was her shopping account. LeeAnne said it like she had $200 to her name. Brandi reminds Cary of when she’d said LeeAnne waits for someone’s weakness, and uses it to her advantage. We flash back to when Brandi accused LeeAnne of that at dinner. She tells D’Andra, it’s one of those things. D’Andra thinks LeeAnne is insecure about her own finances.

Kameron wonders about the mustache, as we all do. She wonders if LeeAnne feels more manly smashing stuff. The ladies ask about the expo, and Kameron says she has a lot of opportunity. In her interview, Kameron says the expo was above and beyond. She’s proud of herself, and can’t wait tell Cord, I told you so. LeeAnne passes out aprons. D’Andra says she’s never been this angry with LeeAnne. LeeAnne puts pink eye patches on them to get them in the spirit of what it’s about.

Owner and founder Donna owner gets the ready by passing out body suits. Donna says the space is big enough for them not to whack each other. She says you don’t have to be angry to go in, but you will be the first time you break something. Whatever you’ve been holding inside will come out, even if it’s years old. LeeAnne thinks they live in a surface world, and don’t address real feelings. Cary asks if this is going to be bullsh*t like the tea. We flash back to that. LeeAnne says they go to a lot of parties, and it’s exhausting to be the people they’re not. LeeAnne explains she’s dressed like the person inside. So, inside she’s one of The Village People? She says they don’t let each other see their real selves. They’re good at being fake. D’Andra says she’s never fake, and LeeAnne says if that’s how D’Andra feels, she’ll let her have it. This pisses D’Andra off more, and she asks what that means. LeeAnne says she hasn’t said everything she feels. D’Andra says LeeAnne told someone about her bank account; wtf? They’ve been friends for over ten years, and LeeAnne told Cary that she had only $200 in her bank account. It’s not helpful on any level. She knows things about LeeAnne that she’d never say to anyone. In her interview, Kameron thinks D’Andra is overreacting. No one would believe that. Was this her Starbuck’s account? D’Andra says LeeAnne doesn’t get to do it to her; she doesn’t have D’Andra’s back. She trusts LeeAnne. Carly says LeeAnne put her in a weird position. In her interview, LeeAnne says Cary took the opportunity to throw her under the bus with D’Andra. That wasn’t how she meant it. D’Andra says everybody in Dallas will say she has only $200 to her name. It’s humiliating. She thinks this is humiliating? Wait until she sees herself whining on this show.

D’Andra feels betrayed. She’s kept LeeAnne’s secrets; that’s the kind of person she is. LeeAnne owes it to her. LeeAnne says she wasn’t being malicious. It was a situation where LeeAnne wasn’t there to protect her. D’Andra says no one should be talking about it. In her interview, D’Andra says the other women have successful husbands. Hers is retired from the military, and she’s the primary breadwinner. There’s no option for failure. Kameron says she was blindsided. LeeAnne says she was trying to solve a problem, but shouldn’t have shared. In her interview, LeeAnne says D’Andra is clearly upset. She and her mom are always fighting about the company card. LeeAnne thought she and Cary were forming a trust, and wanted to include her as an additional problem solver. I believe it if you believe it, although I wouldn’t call it malicious either. She says She’d thought it was private, but it clearly wasn’t. Stephanie tells D’Andra she should never feel humiliated or embarrassed with them. They love her. Brandi says she grew up in a trailer, and it wasn’t even a doublewide. She goes back and visits sometimes.

LeeAnne asks if everyone wants to smash stuff. In her interview, D’Andra thinks LeeAnne is enjoying her financial troubles. LeeAnne should be glad she’s not smashing her damn head. LeeAnne tells Cary that she’d believed what she said would stay in Beaver Creek. Cary says what if she didn’t say something, and it came back later? She’d want to know. In her interview, Cary says last year she didn’t tell anyone what the others were saying, and it didn’t serve her. If you don’t want people to know, don’t tell her.

They start smashing stuff. Mirrors, vases, glassware. LeeAnne gives them magic markers, so they can write on the plates. D’Andra writes something, and says she’s good enough the way she is. LeeAnne asks if D’Andra accepts her apology; she loves her. D’Andra accepts it, and they hug. She says she’s still pissed off. Each woman smashes a plate as she speaks. Cary says, no more fear. She’s going to speak her mind, even if it pisses people off. Stephanie says she’s not perfect. Kameron wants to live the simple life. Everyone gets quiet. In her interview, Kameron says it’s a mixed blessing. She doesn’t have a schedule, where she’s booked months in advance. She has the time to be a wife and mom, and run Sparkle Dog LeeAnne says, in honor of the famous glass throw – no more danger. Brandi says she’s going to accept help. In her interview, Stephanie says Brandi is drowning in life, but doesn’t want people to know. Brandi admits she has a hard time letting people help. Cary says she’s offered a bunch of times. In her interview, Brandi says she has a problem with people watching the kids. She wants to be the mom that’s always there. She has a sense of pride about that.

Brandi talks to LeeAnne about telling D’Andra that she’s not her friend. In her interview, Brandi says she and D’Andra patched things up, and she thinks LeeAnne doesn’t like that they’re in a good place. She tells LeeAnne that she heard LeeAnne has a hesitation about D’Andra being friends with her. D’Andra says LeeAnne said she was concerned. LeeAnne says she told D’Andra that she’d gotten hurt. She wanted to protect her, but told to make her own decisions. Kameron says she was worried. She thought Brandi was a bad influence on D’Andra. She didn’t think D’Andra was the kind of person to put a quarter in her butt. It sounded like Brandi’s influence. Brandi is sorry she brought it up. if they don’t want to be themselves, don’t blame her. In her interview, Brandi wonders how bad an influence she can be to a grown woman who makes her own decisions. She is who she is. If they want fake, look in the mirror.

D’Andra says she’s in charge of her own decisions. Brandi says she has integrity and morals. She’s a good example for her children. She also likes to have fun, but if Kameron thinks she’s a bad influence, they don’t have to be friends. In her interview, Brandi says, for once, she cares about what people think because she’s being scrutinized. LeeAnne tells Brandi that she’d thought they were close, and she was deeply hurt. She told D’Andra that she’d been down that road, and it didn’t work out well. Because she’s D’Andra’s friend, she told her to be careful. That doesn’t mean she hasn’t attempted to try again with Brandi. Brandi says if they’re starting fresh, why would she tell D’Andra that? Cary says no one has the power to change anyone else. D’Andra says she’s done with this, and walks out.

Next time, Brandi and Stephanie meet a baby kangaroo, cary says Brandi is one of her best friends, and Cary confronts Kameron.

Lots of sharing of physical and mental challenges this season. Except for D’Andra who has rich people problems.

💭 Re Watch What Happens Live. Did LeeAnne have work done, or was that just heavy duty contouring?

MasterChef

Since it was the finale, and we went down Memory Lane, with clips of Ashley, Gerron, and Cesar. The finalists went to their home towns to prepare, where they were surprised by their mentors.  Gordon went to Opa-locka, Florida, meeting Ashley’s family and touring an amazing farmer’s market. He advised her to focus on the food; forget everything else, and she was ready to kick butt. Joe went to Nashville, showing up at Gerron’s school. He talked to the students about the impact Gerron has had. He told Gerron to think about a luxurious restaurant, and bring his food to that level. Gerron’s eyes were on the prize. Aaron went to Houston, and met Cesar’s family. Cesar declared he was bringing everything he’s got to take the trophy home.

Their opponents returned to cheer them on, as well as their families – and a live audience. The final task was cook the best three-course masterpiece. For the last time, the cooks went to THE PANTRY, where all the food in the world is. For the appetizer course, Cesar was making a squid ink infladita, which from the look of it, translates into inflated tortilla. Lobster was also involved. Ashley worked on a pan seared red snapper, and Gerron made a Nashville-style hot quail with quail eggs and fingerling potatoes. There was a tense moment when Cesar’s tortillas didn’t puff, but like magic, they finally did. Joe felt Ashley’s red snapper was overcooked and the heat aggressive. She took a risk, but her dish reeked of too much ambition. Aaron thought Cesar’s infladita was impressive, although Gordon thought it looked like a spaceship. Joe said Gerron’s quail should be spicy, moist, and crispy. If all that happened on his palate, it would be what they were looking for. After taking a bite, he said he’d never tasted anything like it. Then they paused for an ad. After they were done leaving us hanging, Joe says it was perfection Lots of things were going on, and they were all well done. Gordon said he’d elevated fast food and gave respect to his upbringing. When the big multiple-sided screen changed to ENTRÉE, I realized the structure of the show reminded me of the Westminster Dog Show.

Ashley made a pan-seared guinea hen breast, but focused on using every part of hen in the dish, incorporating her Southern roots with a French cuisine flair. Gordon called it perfection, which was the word of the night. He said he could die happy after eating it, which is pretty high praise. Cesar made a pan-seared duck breast with a mole, which (the more you know) is a sauce that apparently takes more time to make than they had, and was the subject of much discussion, Gordon saying there are chefs in Mexico who take a year to make it. Geez. I hope their patrons aren’t hungry. The duck was overcooked, but the mole defied the odds and was a success, Aaron said it was a source of pride that Cesar was wearing his pin, and Joe said he was no mole expert, but he knows good food. Gerron made shrimp and grits, in honor of his mom; it was their last meal together. Grits are not a favorite of mine, but by the way they were raving, I was thinking maybe I just haven’t had them done right. Gordon said it was too bad Gerron’s mom wasn’t present to see the grits elevated. Aaron said Gerron’s knife skills were lacking, but the flavor there, and Joe said he took it to another level tonight. He moved ahead, but stayed true to his story.

Gordon said it was the closest race they’ve ever had – the dessert was going to be the deciding factor. Cesar chose a flourless chocolate cake, based on the childhood sweets he loved as a kid. Gerron made an amaretto chess pie, and Ashley made something with a long name ending in ganache that I think boiled down to a cherry tarte. Whatever it was, it looked good. Gordon just got done saying it was so close, all three would need the dessert, when Cesar cut himself, and started bleeding all over the place. Like the trooper he is, he got himself patched up, and went back to work.

Gerron thought his plating was a disaster. It has seemed to be his Achille’s heel throughout the season, although this one didn’t look bad. Personally, I liked the teeny-tiny popcorn used as an extra. Aaron said his dessert was well-balanced, but a little sloppy. At that point, I started getting nervous, since that could make a difference. Gordon thought it was delicious, and Joe got up and hugged Gerron. I couldn’t believe I started tearing up. I must be getting old or soft or something. Joe told Gerron that he was wrong, something he doesn’t say often. He achieved the creation of a great dessert, and he was an honor to mentor. Cesar’s plating was very cute, with his cake sitting on caramel in the shape of a star. Aaron said he looked like he’d been in a back alley brawl with all the blood on his jacket, but called his dish finesse on a plate. It was a big bomb of beautiful chocolate flavor. If it means anything to you, Gordon said tamarin should always be included in caramel. Last to go, Ashley said it was a bittersweet moment. Joe called it an almost flawless, spectacular dessert. Aaron said it hit all the notes, but stayed singular to the structure – it was magical. Gordon said, well bloody done.

I started getting worried, wondering why Gerron couldn’t have been an art teacher. The judges discussed the dishes. Cesar got high praise for his mole, with Aaron saying he embodied what MasterChef was about – technique. Ashley’s duck was overcooked, but her dishes sophisticated, and she pushed to the maximum. Gordon said they were pure quality. Gerron had finesse (another word of the night), and was masterful with the quail. Joe said he had the most delicious, satisfying entrée, and it was the perfect end to his journey. Mean Aaron had to bring up his inconsistent plating, and messy work, but Joe countered, saying Gerron brought everything needed to go beyond. He cooked with passion and love, and couldn’t have been prouder. Gerron was at the top of his game. The mentor hats came off, and the judging happened.

The chefs switched places with the judges, and – YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEES! It was my man Gerron! He wished his mom was there. Joe said he did his mom proud, and he was honored to be Gerron’s mentor and friend. Gerron thanked Joe for giving him a chance when no one else saw his potential. Ashley said it had been a pleasure and a blessing, and there were lots of hugs. Cesar said the competition had defined what he was doing with his life and what he was passionate for. Gerron said he’d finally have the opportunity to go back and start a culinary program at the school. His dream came true. Turn up!

🍴 If you would like to fill out an application for the next season of MasterChef, go to fox.com/masterchef.

🔪 The new season of Hell’s Kitchen – Rookies vs Veterans – will begin on September 28th. Sounds like an interesting twist.

🚣 The Stud of the Sea…

Captain Lee has a book coming out.

https://pagesix.com/2018/09/18/captain-lee-is-still-the-same-guy-as-before-below-deck-success/?utm_source=maropost&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=pagesixdaily&utm_content=20180919&tpcc=pagesix_daily&mpweb=755-7318287-711673032

😵 More to Flip Out About…

Jeff’s troubles know no end.

https://pagesix.com/2018/09/18/jeff-lewis-wants-to-keep-legal-battle-with-surrogate-private/?utm_source=maropost&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=pagesixdaily&utm_content=20180919&tpcc=pagesix_daily&mpweb=755-7318287-711673032

🍰 Food Glorious Food…

A sampling from tonight’s MasterChef menu.

Puebla: Mole Poblano con Pollo
Sep13

September 12, 2018 – A Body Under Charlie’s, a Dallas Rodeo, Mentors of Mentors, Viva Apocalypse, NYC Travels, Charleston & Keep Goin’

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What I Watched Today

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

 

General Hospital

Anna’s doorbell rings. It’s Robert. He says Cassandra has been gone three days (!), and they still don’t know who’s behind her kidnapping or where they took her. She wouldn’t be giving them so much trouble if the good doctor hadn’t revived her. Finn comes stairs looking for his other sock, and tells Robert, good morning.

Sonny tells Carly that Kristina has no more headache or ringing in her ears. Carly says that’s good news, but Sonny can’t get it out of his head. He can’t believe Mike blew up Charlie’s to cover up what he did. Carly is surprised Julian chose to keep quiet, but Sonny thinks sooner or later he’ll want to collect.

Ava asks Julian, what the hell happened? He tells her a gas leak led to an explosion. Just another day at the office. She asks what the yellow tape is all about, when Chase comes upstairs. He says forensics is done, and the evidence has been gathered from the crime scene. Ava says she thought it was a gas leak.

Elizabeth tells Cameron that he’s going to be late. He tells her to chill; the first class is gym. She asks if he still doesn’t get a grade for that, and he asks if he’s grounded for life or gets time off for good behavior. Franco says if he shows some good behavior. Cameron asks if Franco just said that, and Elizabeth makes him apologize. She asks why he doesn’t invite Oscar over; they can do homework together. Cameron asks why she suddenly wants him to be besties with Oscar?

On the way to school, Oscar asks Drew what’s up with raiding the fridge at midnight. Drew says Monica is between cooks, so everyone is enjoying the kitchen in the meantime. He hopes Oscar stays over more often. Oscar never thought he’d say this, but he needs space from his mom. Whenever he leaves the house, she acts like she’ll never see him again. It was just one blackout, and he keeps telling her not worry. Drew says that’s what parents do. He’s worried too. Right now, he’s worried that Oscar thinks it’s not cool that Drew is walking to school with him, but he’s too nice to say it. Oscar says he’s glad they’re doing it. They might not be able to for much longer, since there’s no future to look forward to.

Finn tells Robert they were up all night, exhausting every possibility. Robert says Cassandra wouldn’t have vanished if Finn hadn’t woken her up. Anna says it was their best chance to find out who the people were, and if Finn hadn’t treated her, they would have shot him. Robert says he knew the risks, but Anna says Robert didn’t tell him. The doorbell rings. It’s Robin. She asks if it’s a bad time.

Robin tells them that the kids are growing up too fast. Anna asks what brings her to town. She says she was coming back from a medical conference in Vienna, and thought she’d check in after Anna and Finn’s latest adventure. She asks how Finn is. He says he’s still getting used to the kidnapping thing, but he’s getting the hang of it. She tells him to stick around. He thinks he will.

Drew asks Oscar why there’s no future, and Oscar says an asteroid is heading for earth. Some scientists are predicting it will crash early next year. Drew says, is that all? Oscar says the chances are one in 75,000. The odds could be better, but it’s close enough to get a good view; it would make a good news story. He’s thinking a father and son field trip to Tanzania and Mount Kilimanjaro to see it. Drew says, cool. Oscar has to get to PE; they’re doing cross country. Drew says it will be great training for Kilimanjaro. Oscar asks if they’re doing it, and Drew says, yes. Oscar says, awesome, and hugs Drew.

Elizabeth tells Cameron that he and Oscar don’t need be besties, but when Oscar was in the hospital, Cameron seemed concerned. He says he was, for Josslyn. Elizabeth suggest he invite them both, but he says so he can be a third wheel? No thanks. He’d rather do his time in solitary. He leaves, and she asks Franco if she’s going overboard. He says, maybe a little. She says things change fast. One minute, everything is fine, and the next, the person you love with all your heart is gone. Franco says, he just went to gym class. She’ll have to make due with him. They kiss, and the doorbell rings. Franco asks what kind of monster shows up at this hour? It’s Kim. She sees Franco, and Elizabeth says, it’s cool. They tell each other everything.

Chase asks Julian how long he’s owned the pub. Julian says, a year, and Chase asks why he bought it. Ava asks what that has to with anything. Julian says he’d just gotten out of prison, and sold his previous business to his daughter and son-in-law. He wanted a fresh start. Chase asks, why Charlie’s? it’s not exactly new. Julian says he walked in, and it spoke to him. Chase asks if the place was in good shape or did he have to renovate? Ava says it seems like an unusually real estate related third degree. Why? Chase says they found human remains in the basement.

Sonny tells Carly that Julian will probably gouge him with a huge repair bill. Carly says his silence is worth it. Sonny can’t believe his dad decoyed him and slipped away. He insisted Sonny stay with Jason, said he was going with the nurse, then slipped away from the hospital. Mike comes in, telling them that they don’t have to stop talking when he shows up. Carly says they stopped talking because he looks terrible. Sonny asks how he’s feeling, and he says apparently the way he looks. He knows what they’re thinking. Carly says, that they’re worried about him and love him? He says that he tried to make things better, but only made them worse.

Finn says he’s going to spend some time with Roxie, and leaves. Robert asks if Robin wants to go to the airport together, but she’s not headed back right away. She has unfinished business. He asks if he should he be there for it, but Robin says they’ll be okay. He tells her go easy on mom. When he’s gone, Anna asks if Robin wants to talk about the unfinished business now.

Elizabeth tells Franco that they have to talk about patient. Franco says he has art therapy patients to tend to, so he’s going to the hospital. He asks Kim if, as a doctor, she can suggests a how to parent manual. She wishes, and says if he finds a good one, can she borrow it? He tells her that she could write it. When he leaves, Kim asks if Elizabeth told him. Elizabeth says, no. They agreed not to keep secrets, but if he asks a direct question, she’ll have to tell him the truth. H hopefully don’t ask more people know better chance he’ll find out

Cameron sees Oscar. They’re both ditching gym, and Cameron tells Oscar that the coach is only interested in varsity, He won’t notice they’re gone, Oscar asks if Cameron wants to explain what went down between him and Josslyn while he was in the hospital. Cameron says it’s totally on him. He shouldn’t have kissed her. Oscar says, what?!

Julian asks if a body was found, and Chase says a skeleton. He asks if Julian knew about it, and Julian says, of course not. Chase says he had to ask, given Julian’s criminal record. Julian says he just gave plans to city for renovation. Why would he bring in jackhammers if he knew a body was in the basement? Chase asks him to call if he remembers anything. Julian wonders how long the basement will be off-limits, and Chase says he’ll let Julian know.

Carly says Mike gave them a scare yesterday, but everyone is okay. Mike says, Kristina almost got blown up. Sonny says, she’s doing fine. Mike says, he’s getting worse, isn’t he? The things he wants remember, he forgets, and the things he wants to forget… Sonny tells Mike that he knows it’s hard; it’s hard for him too, but Mike can’t wander off on his own. Mike says he didn’t wander off; he snuck off. The reason he went with the nurse is that he knew he could give him the slip. Sonny is going to make sure it never happens again. Mike says he just wanted to help Sonny and help fix what happened in the field. Where was It? Sonny says it doesn’t matter. Mike says maybe it’s better he doesn’t remember where it was, and only remembers what he took and what he did with it. He was trying to help and he screwed up again. Sonny says it will be fine. He’s paying for the damages, and Charlie’s will be good as new. Mike says if he’d blown himself to smithereens, they’d all be better off. Sonny tells him, don’t say that, and Mike says, even if they both know it’s true.

Anna tells Robin that she knows she dropped a bomb on everything Robin believed. She can’t imagine how difficult it was. Robin says, it was a shock, especially finding out her brother was Faison’s son. Anna says, no one is happy about that, least of all Peter. But despite all that, Robin is there. She just wants to know if Robin forgives her.

Kim tells Elizabeth that she told Drew. She’ll never forget the look in his eyes, when he found out he was going to lose the son he only just met.

At the hospital, Drew leaves a message for Kim, saying he was hoping to run into her. Franco approaches, and tells Drew that Kim is at the house talking to Elizabeth. Drew asks if he knows what about. Franco says they’re consulting about patient, but if true that’s true, why wouldn’t they do it there? He’s kept secrets, so if Elizabeth wants to not tell him something, it’s okay. Drew thinks it’s eating him up, but Franco says that’s what he looks like when he’s coping. He asks if he can he pick Drew’s brain about something – Oscar.

Oscar says, Cameron kissed Josslyn? Cameron thought that’s what he wanted to talk about. Oscar asks what happened, and Cameron says Josslyn wanted to surprise him, and he was helping her decorate the bench. When Oscar didn’t show up – Oscar interrupts, saying he was in the hospital. Cameron says Josslyn didn’t know that and blamed herself for pushing him away. She thought she’d pushed too far. Oscar says Cameron didn’t do anything stop it, and Cameron asks why he should. He knows her better than Oscar. Oscar says he knows her better than anyone. Cameron says he and Josslyn will still be friends long after she forgets who Oscar is. Oscar shoves Cameron.

Mike says Kristina got hurt because of him, but Sonny says she made her own choice. She went back in to pick up the wrench Mike left. Mike says, like he said, it’s his fault. Sonny tells him that Kristina took a chance on her own life because she loves him. Carly says, like they all do. Mike asks what about his life is worth saving? He’d gladly give up his own life for Kristina, or any of them. Carly says he proved he would do anything for his family; now it’s their turn. Let them help him. Mike says he’d like to see the brochures for the places that take care of people like him. That stomping sound is Mike jumping on my heart.

Robin tells Anna she gave it a lot of thought, and realized there’s nothing to forgive. Anna made the right choice for herself at the time, and she has no right to judge. Anna says she’s had a lot of time to think too, and keeps coming back to the same question. Should she have told Robin sooner? Robin says she’s lost sleep too. Patrick knows when she’s not there. She spent so much time way because of Faison, maybe it’s better she didn’t know; it might have been too much to handle when she was younger. She can see there was no real right time to tall her – until the truth came out. It was her secret to keep. Anna wishes felt as sure as Robin seems to be.

Finn sees Chase at the hospital. Chase tells him remains were found in a local business, and he’s waiting for test results. Finn says, good work. Chase says it freaked him out. He might need to borrow Roxie. Finn says he has to take it up with her. He’s a poor substitute, but Chase can tell him more over coffee. Chase is surprised, and Finn says when he was being held captive, Chase came to the rescue. Chase says he was just doing his job. He knows he’s been pushing Finn, but has come to accept that what he wants might be more than Finn is willing to give. Finn doesn’t owe him. Finn asks if he can’t just have a cup of coffee with his damn brother. Chase says, damn half-brother.

Kim tells Elizabeth that Drew is Oscar’s hero. Elizabeth says, the feeling is mutual. He won’t give up without a fight. Kim says she’s already scheduled a meeting with Terry to discuss options. Elizabeth asks about the prognosis, and Kim says if she can only give Oscar a little more time; just a few months. She starts to cry, and Elizabeth hugs her.

Cameron can’t believe Oscar pushed him. Oscar says his dad is a Navy SEAL, and showed him some things. He asks if Cameron is scared. Cameron says, hell no, and Oscar punches him in the eye. Cameron leaps on him.

Franco tells Drew that he’s good with Jake; Cameron, not so much. Everything he does is wrong. He knows Cameron is a teenager, and will grow out of it, but Drew is obviously there for Oscar. Drew tells him to shut up for a minute.

Robin wonders what it was like when Anna first realized Peter was her son. Anna says he was so full of pain and anger, blaming her for abandoning him. Robin says, but she found him after all this time; that was something. Anna says he’s still in town, and Robin says he can’t hate her that much. Anna says he’s not there for her. He’s there for Maxie and her little boy. It’s an uphill battle. Robin isn’t so sure. Maxie has a forgiving spirit. She knows what it’s like to make mistakes, and makes allowances. Anna hopes she’s right. It would mean a lot to Peter. Robin thinks there’s hope for Peter and Maxie, and Peter and Anna.

Drew apologizes to Franco; he’s been stressed lately. Franco says for most of his life, when someone apologized, he felt great joy. Now he feels concern, and it’s new for him. Maybe they can explore that. No pressure, but if Drew wants to talk… He asks Drew to tell him about Cameron. Drew says Cameron needs him. He doesn’t realize it, but he does. He was with Elizabeth when the kids were younger, an it was easier for him. He doesn’t think he’d know what do with Oscar if he hadn’t taken Parenting 101 from Elizabeth. She’s the best, and deserves the best. He tells Franco not to forget that, and leaves. Franco looks puzzled.

Cameron asks how Oscar’s hand is. Oscar says it hurts; how’s Cameron’s eye? He wonders if Cameron should go to the nurse. Cameron says she’ll just ask questions. If anyone asks, he tried to hurdle the bench, and face planted. Oscar is surprised Cameron is covering for him, but Cameron says it’s for himself. He doesn’t want anyone to know he was punched by Oscar Nero.

Chase says it’s a damn fine half-cup of coffee. Finn says the less you drink, the better it is. They can work up to a full cup Robert comes in, and says he’d like to talk to the doctor. It’s federal agent business. Finn would like his brother to stick around. It was Chase’s work that figured out where he and Anna were. Chase tells Robert that he’s the official liaison between the PCPD and the WSB. Robert asks Finn what he was going to say before Robin showed up. Finn says the medications Cassandra was given is hard to find, and some are illegal. He’ll give Robert a list. Chase says, trace the drugs, trace Cassandra. Nicely done.

Ava tells Julian, bodies don’t appear in the earth like truffles. Someone plants them. He’s up to something, and this is just another piece of the puzzle he intends to profit from. Julian says his days of taking advantage of other’s misfortune are over. She’s impressed he’s keeping a straight face. He says whoever the bones belong to, he hopes they get a proper burial and mystery gets buried with them.

Mike says some of the places look not bad, and Sonny says he doesn’t have to go there. Brick made it easier for him to stay there. Mike says he’ll think about it. Sonny tells him, no rush, and Carly says they just want him to be happy. Mike says he’ll be happy if he does right by his family.

Kim tells Elizabeth, if all goes well, she’ll be delivering triplets. Elizabeth tells Kim to call her if she needs her, and Kim thanks her for being a good friend. Drew sees Elizabeth, and asks what’s wrong.

Oscar tells Cameron they should head back. Cameron says if they’re stragglers at the end, the coach won’t recruit them. What said about Josslyn, he was just getting in Oscar’s face. Oscar is it for her; the only it. Oscar says he knows.

Elizabeth tells Drew that she’s so sorry about Oscar. Kim told her. He figured that, and he’s glad Kim has her to turn to. They’re both torn up. He’s glad that person is her, and she says she’s here for him too. She hugs him, and Franco sees.

Anna tells Robin that she can’t stay in a hotel. Robin says, good, because she didn’t make a reservation. They hug, and Anna asks how long she’s staying. Robin says, long enough to figure out what to do about her brother.

Robert looks forward to seeing Finn’s list. It’s just possible the two of them aren’t as useless as they present themselves. Finn says, hilarious; he’s welcome. Chase says Robert is like an angry Australian. Finn says he and Chase share more than DNA. Chase says that guy really does not like them.

On the phone, Sonny says let him through. Carly says, trouble? Nothing he can’t handle. Carly suggests she and Mike check out the brochures over a cup of tea. He says one place has a swimming pool and a pool table. All pool all the time. Carly says she’ll visit all the time.

Sonny opens the door, and it’s Julian. Sonny says it’s too soon to be billing him for damages. Why is he there? Julian says he knows why Sonny pushed so hard to buy Charlie’s. He didn’t want the pub. He wanted what was buried beneath it.

Tomorrow, Maxie asks where she fits in, Julian tells Sonny the body was found, and Peter asks Lulu if she wants the Ryan Chamberlain story.

The Real Housewives of Dallas

Kameron has photos taken. Cord asks if she was badgering them with questions. She freaks because he used the word badger.

Brandy is back from Beaver Creek and back to reality. When Bryan is out of town, juggling three kids is a lot. She was on an emotional high when they got Bruin, and now she’s exhausted. The girls are a little jealous of the baby, and there’s only so much of her to go around. The girls suggest renaming the baby Booka. She feels like if she got help, it would be like she failed. Doing it all is taking its toll. The girls eat chips and candy for dinner.

LeeAnne and Rich go out to dinner. He wants more details about the trip. She says, when they left, D’Andra and Brandi were at opposite ends of the spectrum, and now they’re best friends. Rich asks, based on what? and LeeAnne says, tequila. Rich thinks that works.

LeeAnne says Rick told her he wanted to set a date to set a date for the wedding. He says, let the ambush begin. She says it made her feel like he didn’t want to set the date, and therefore, doesn’t want to get married. He says it was a joke, but she wants an adult conversation. She doesn’t know why she’s afraid to make him set a date, and he adultly says she can’t make him do anything. She says they don’t talk about it. Does he think they’re not discussing it because they don’t want to do it? They went from a magical moment to a desert. She wants to know if he wants to be married. He says he didn’t ask just to ask. She’s afraid to push, because he might say he doesn’t want it. Rich says it’s a communication issue, and admits to avoiding her because he doesn’t want to piss her off. He says they have a lot going on, but LeeAnne thinks that’s an excuse. In her interview, LeeAnne says her abandonment and avoidance issues stem from her mother, who told her if her mother doesn’t want her, no one else will. She says, if someone doesn’t want you at three-years-old, in your cutest phase, who would want a fifty-year-old bitch? Rich says he loves her and wants to take care of her. She says she’s scared. Her grandparents were together through thick and thin; they never left each other’s side. She wants that commitment from him. In her interview, LeeAnne says it makes her uncomfortable that Rich was divorced more than once. She wants someone who understands commitment. Rich asks if has to ask again, and she thinks he needs to re-encourage her. He asks if she’ll marry him, and she asks if she can move forward with plans. For some bizarre reason, Rich says the date will be set organically by them starting plans. Um… what about invitations? He kisses her, and says he has a little romance in him.

Kameron tells her kids that she has get her stuff together for a global pet expo, explaining it’s a trade show for animal products. She asks if they can help put things together. In her interview, she says most of the exhibitors will be billion-dollar companies. This is her best shot at getting a distributor. She’ll be mortified if she can’t pull it off. The kids think the display rack is a jungle gym. Kameron says she wants to get the kids involved, instead of them always being with the nanny. The kids tell her the product is dumb. In her interview, Kameron says marrying into Cord’s family has it’s perks, like vacation spots and a private plane. The women in the family are involved in the community, and she took on that role, but wants a career now. She thinks it will be a struggle for the family to adapt to it. She tells the kids they’re the most important thing, and don’t ever think Sparkle Dog is.

LeeAnne visits D’Andra. She tells D’Andra she’s exhausted from the trip. In her interview, LeeAnne says these bitches don’t sleep. They stay up drinking all night, get four hours sleep, then start drinking again. She doesn’t know who can live like that, but she can’t. D’Andra says starting over is a big pill to swallow. Her new company will be the first time she has the opportunity to start something from the ground up, and make it successful on her own. LeeAnne tells her about the conversation with Rich. She says she needed reassurance, and it felt like they got engaged again last night. He asked her again. D’Andra asks what the date is. In her interview, D’Andra has heard of renewing vows, but this sounds like he’s buying time. How does LeeAnne know he’s not just saying what she wants to hear? LeeAnne says she knows him, and D’Andra says that’s not a real answer. They argue over what D’Andra’s age is, and talk about going to the rodeo.

LeeAnne doesn’t get it. D’Andra didn’t want to be around Brandi. LeeAnne slept, and when she woke up, they were sh*tfaced shopping. She says she knows what Brandi is capable of; she’s been Brandi’s victim, and had her heart shredded. D’Andra tells LeeAnne that her grandma always said the proof is in the pudding. LeeAnne doesn’t want D’Andra to think she has ulterior motives. She’s concerned Brandi will use the foundation she has with D’Andra to get to her, and she doesn’t want to get hurt. In her interview, D’Andra says if Brandi and LeeAnne made up, why does she care. D’Andra says she’s a big girl. She and Brandi had a great time and made a breakthrough. In her interview, LeeAnne says she can sweep things under the rug and still be cautious. D’Andra saw Brandi stab her in the back. We flash back to the brunch where Brandi went off on LeeAnne. LeeAnne says she’s forgiven Brandi, but she’s not forgetting. D’Andra hears her, and says she’ll proceed with caution.

it’s D’Andra’s birthday. She greets her guests with tequila shots. In her interview, she explains that the rodeo is part of Texas culture. If a Texas girl’s family has a ranch or farm, you know the rodeo. Kameron tells us her dad was a professional polo player, but she’s never been in an environment where people are screaming on bucking bulls. Brandi is thrilled that mom Jana steps in so she can have a life.

Only Cary and Stephanie are absent. In her interview, Brandi thinks Stephanie is missing out, but it’s not boushy enough for Cary. Kameron pronounces bull like bowl, and no one knows what she’s talking about. LeeAnne wants to see Brandi country western dancing. Brandi says she did that last week, and we flash back to her and D’Andra dancing around in the store. Kameron says Brandi is a bad influence on D’Andra. D’Andra says she has a silly side. Brandi loves when D’Andra is herself and doesn’t care.

The first thing is a bull parade. Kameron thinks they’re adorable, and they’re not even on leashes. At the bar, Brandi brings out a beer bong, and drinks one down. Kameron doesn’t like beer, but in college did a champagne bong. LeeAnne thinks public beer bonging is a no, but does it anyway. Brandi doesn’t know if it’s cute or depressing, but thinks it’s sad to feel left out at fifty… one. D’Andra says LeeAnne might as well hang up her hat if she thinks she can keep up. LeeAnne says like waterboarding, and makes a huge burp. She hates beer.

Next is the mechanical bull. Brandi goes first to show them how it’s done. It’s not her first rodeo. LeeAnne vaults on via the back end. In her interview, she says, if you can’t break a man’s ribcage with your thighs, don’t have sex or ride a bull. Alrighty then. Kameron is afraid to get hurt. In her interview, she says she doesn’t want to be a party pooper, so she’s getting on – Rodeo Barbie. She’s wearing a dress (!), and LeeAnne helps her up. D’Andra says she looks great, which of course is the most important thing. The bull is so slow, I could ride it, but Kameron is frightened. She manages to get through it, and in her interview, says being on a wild moving animal makes her feel at one with the rodeo. I guess no one has the heart to tell her it’s not real.

The ladies go to Bill Bob’s Panhandle Arena where the real bull riders are. it’s amazing to watch, but I think it’s mean to the animals. D’Andra thinks step up from watching Kameron.

Cary stops by her house renovation. Builder Susan tells her they’re getting the mechanical inspections done, then doing insulation. In her interview, Cary says there was no Michelin star restaurant at the rodeo, so it’s not her. It wasn’t boushy enough. So, Brandi was right. Susan maps out Cary’s ginormous closet. In her interview, Cary says it’s modeled after the Fendi store. It’s costing a gazillion dollars, but it will be fantastic. Mark says he’ll probably end up with the hall closet. They discuss the Molteni stove Mark is getting. Oooh, it is nice. In her interview, Cary says it’s going to be her sister wife, and she’ll have to vie for Mark’s attention. Her parents are back in three months, and they have to get out. She says the positive thing about staying there is that she realized she wants to fix the strained relationship with her father. It will never be perfect, but it’s something she wants.

Brandi says, Kameron is redefining slow ride. In her interview, Kameron says the members of her family hold each other to a high standard. LeeAnne explains to Brandi, when have a family name, you’re watched closer, and can’t let your hair down. In her interview, Brandi says LeeAnne has the perception that she’s high in Dallas society, but has a police report. D’Andra asks Kameron how she feels about the pressure, and Kameron says you’re more under a microscope, but she surrounds herself with people who are like her. In her interview, Kameron says she’s conservative anyway, and fits right in. D’Andra feels like she’s not being true to herself. In her interview, D’Andra is sick of being judged on what’s acceptable by Dallas society. She wants to do what makes her happy in the next phase of her life. Brandi thinks if they can’t accept her for who she is, screw that. At the end of the day, D’Andra needs to be happy. D’Andra says it’s her year to figure things out. Her dad told her be the fun person she is. When he passed away, she felt the freedom to be that. In her interview, D’Andra aspires to be freewheeling like Brandi. Brandi says she understands and they should celebrate that. Brandi loves D’Andra when she’s herself. It’s sad that she feels the need to apologize for it. In her interview, LeeAnne says she’s not spreading her ass cheeks and dropping out a quarter into a K-cup.

Brandi gives D’Andra the necklace she wanted in Beaver Creek. Wow. That was very thoughtful. And expensive. LeeAnne says Kameron is good at basketball, and suggests they go for a game. In her interview, Kameron thinks Brandi is investing in the friendship, and trying to buy D’Andra. Kameron and LeeAnne play basketball, but it’s not like a regular game. More like something you’d see in an arcade. LeeAnne says she told D’Andra that she could get hurt. Kameron doesn’t trust Brandi with D’Andra. Brandi can be classless. We flash back to Brandi’s dog poop hat, and also Sexual Chocolate. Kameron says if D’Andra continues to hang out with Brandi, what next?

D’Andra tells Brandi that she didn’t expect to like her so much. D’Andra says she understood that LeeAnne was protecting her, but she has to make her own decisions. She tears up, and Brandi says she appreciates what D’Andra is saying.  In her interview, Brandi is annoyed that LeeAnne is encouraging other people not be friends with her. It’s a slap in the face. D’Andra says she has to figure out her own path. She needs to do what feels right. She and Brandi hug.

We move on to the World’s Largest Honky Tonk. D’Andra thanks everyone for the great birthday, and they do shots. Leanne rides D’Andra like she rode the mechanical bull, then does some weird dance moves, many of which involve full contact with the floor. Brandi says LeeAnne talks about acting a certain way in society, but she’s giving a lap dance, and mopping the floor with her hair. LeeAnne says D’Andra is her bitch. Brandi thinks she’s jealous.

Back from Italy, Stephanie visits Brandi. In her interview, Stephanie says they haven’t seen each other in ten days. It’s like forever, and she wants the scoop. It should be entertaining. She tells Brandi and Jana about the trip, and we see pictures. She says Travis bought himself a Ferrari for his 50th birthday, but he’s not even forty-nine. Brandi tells her about LeeAnne’s lap dance. Stephanie asks if D’Andra was bruised. Brandi says she had good time, but there were some intense moments. D’Andra said she needed to start making decisions for herself, and LeeAnne is trying to influence D’Andra into not being friends with her. In her interview, Stephanie says she sees LeeAnne as wanting to change, but she’s her own worst enemy. She can’t judge LeeAnne by other people’s experiences. Brandi doesn’t think she can be friends with LeeAnne.

Next time, Brandi prepares for the social worker’s visit, LeeAnne and Rich start planning the wedding, and the ladies do some demolition.

MasterChef

Cesar, Bowen, Samantha, and Gerron (my man!) were left. The first challenge was for the cooks to conquer a colossal protein; what America was built on, still devours, and chef’s worship. If you guessed beef, as I did, you were right. They were told to make a MasterChef worthy masterpiece of a kabob in thirty minutes. The judges agreed it would come down to the tiny details. Bowen changed the dish, garnishing it with peppers underneath, which Joe wasn’t pleased with, especially since the peppers were raw. Samantha omitted the peppers entirely, going for a Mediterranean flair. Joe said it tasted okay, but her minimalist strategy didn’t work. Gerron used jerk seasoning and was told he did a good job. Ashley was praised for her generous seasoning. Casar used red wine vinegar, and although Gordon said it was perfectly cooked, it didn’t need that kick. Gerron was the first to be safe, and the other three (all Gordon’s people) had the challenge of making meatballs – or as Joe said, soft pillows of deliciously seasoned beef – in marinara sauce. Since Bowen cannot possibly listen, instead of putting the breadcrumbs in the meatball mixture, which Joe explained gives it lightness, he breaded them like cutlets. He insisted it was a Chinese thing, but Joe suggested he follow the rules at this point. Samantha put the frying pan in the oven for some reason, causing the middle of her meatballs to be raw. Since they contained pork as well as beef, Gordon bravely ate around it. He told her they had to sit in the sauce to be evenly cooked. The flavor of Ashley’s meatballs was divine, but Aaron wanted more sauce. Still, it was enough to keep her safe.

In the next round, the remaining contestants had to cook a MasterChef classic – filet mignon. Three of them – well done, medium and rare. To keep their MasterChef dream alive, the cooks had to nail all three temperatures. Cesar said it was trying to get three darts make a bullseye. Gerron was glad he wasn’t in their shoes. Bowen is a pilot? I guess I don’t always pay attention to the text. It’s enough to remember their names. Samantha won the save, and Bowen was out. Gordon told him that the MasterChef door might have closed, but he’d love to have Bowen in his brigade anywhere. Bowen said it was the best moment of his life, and he hasn’t lost his dream of opening a restaurant. He didn’t feel so well at this moment, but learned a lot, and felt it was a big step toward his future.

Next, the remaining four divided up, with Cesar pairing with Ashley, and Gerron with Samantha. They were going to be cooking for the mentors of their mentors. Aaron introduced the pioneer of California cuisine, Jonathan Waxman; Joe introduced his Emmy winning mother, Lidia Bastianich; and Gordon’s mentor was master of French cuisine, Daniel Boulud. The challenge was to make three identical plates of whatever dish they liked in sixty minutes. Cesar and Ashley decided on pork chops, and Gerron and Samantha made lamb with a rhubarb glaze. Lidia’s advice was to taste everything, which sounds obvious, but I can’t count the times on Kitchen Nightmares when Gordon asks, did you taste it? and they say, no. Cesar and Ashley’s pork chops were deemed complex, intriguing, and not overly done. They said they were going for a culmination of their talents and journey, while representing their culture in a beautiful and respectful way. Samantha had been so jazzed, she ran into the counter, and we learned to use white, not brown, sugar to give more depth of flavor. Lidia said both dishes were great, and there was a professional level on both sides.

It was Cesar and Ashley for the win, and for the next challenge, the cooks had to replicate a three-course dinner. Joe presented one of his favorite appetizers, spring risotto. He said it was so hard to nail, it’s rarely seen in restaurants. Aaron offered pan-seared salmon, with he said involved many techniques and flavors. Last was a signature dish of Gordon’s, sticky toffee pudding. I’m not so sure I would like it, but it was fun to hear Gordon say it repeatedly. The requirements were for it to be flavorful, but not too sweet, and if it was dry, game over. The cooks had ninety minutes

Samantha was a wreck, and most worried about the pudding. She forgot the gelatin and had to start over. Wine was the ingredient for something, and had I been her, I would have been drinking it. I also have to note, that although Gerron is a teacher, he used the non-word mines. Samantha’s pudding was as much of a mess as she was. The caramel sunk into it, and she burned the butter. Gerron wisely told us that, it’s not the mistakes you make, but how you bounce back from them. The mentors were proud, and in the end, Gerron had the best appetizer, and Samantha the best salmon. The dessert was the tie-breaker, and I breathed a sigh of relief that Gerron was safe. Twenty-year-old Samantha said she was going to enroll in culinary school, and Gordon offered to pay for her tuition. The MasterChef door might have closed, but she said she was opening a door to her future in the industry, and she was excited.

Next time, the 2-hour finale with a live audience. The face-off for a quarter of a million dollars, and the title of MasterChef.

💥 I happened to notice an ad in the digital guide reminding me that American Horror Story: Apocalypse began tonight. Miracles still happen, since it doesn’t look like it will interfere with anything else I watch. I didn’t even bother with the last season, since if I want to look at political rhetoric, I can go to Facebook. Or pretty much anywhere. I’ve enjoyed past seasons though. Lady Gaga can do no wrong, the dinner with the serial killer guests was superb, and I adored AHS: Freak Show. It’s fun to see what new roles the regulars assume, and this season, I was pleased to see both Billy Eichner and Joan Collins in the cast. So far, it’s exciting, and I’m in.

🗽 The Real Housewives of NYC showed an episode called Passport Edition tonight. I didn’t see it, but would assume it’s a rehash of their trips.

🌀 Hoping All Stays Well…

Most of the Southern Charm cast left town, but Patricia stayed.

https://www.eonline.com/news/967817/southern-charm-cast-evacuates-charleston-as-hurricane-florence-approaches?cmpid=emn-091218-enewsletter-button-latest-14

🌈 Nostalgically Moving Toward the Weekend…

KeepOnTruckin

Sep6

September 5, 2018 – Kim Reveals Oscar’s Illness, the NYC Reunion Concludes, the Chefs Have Heart, Dallas Tomorrow & Goodnight

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What I Watched Today

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

 

General Hospital

Kristina has asked Sonny and Alexis to meet her at the MetroCourt. She has big news. Kristina walks in with Sam.

On the phone, Peter tells someone he wants to run story on the anniversary of the Ryan Chamberlain murders, but not at the expense of any survivors. Felicia is the mother of someone important to him. Chase walks in, and Peter ends the call. He asks what the police want now, and Chase says it’s about his mother. Peter says he has nothing to do with Anna’s disappearance, but Chase tells him that they’ve found her.

In Finn’s hotel room, Finn remarks that Anna seems happier. She says she’s happier than when they were kidnapped. Finn says when there was the possibility of rescue, she made them stay kidnapped. She says she wanted to find out who was behind it. Someone wanted Finn to cure Cassandra. He can’t believe that they don’t have better things to do, and she says she definitely wants to celebrate their survival. They kiss.

Josslyn pushes Cameron away. He says he knows she’s been kissed before, but she says not when she hasn’t wanted to be. Hasn’t he heard about #metoo? And Oscar is her boyfriend. Cameron asks where he is on their anniversary?

Elizabeth tells Kim that she doesn’t have to handle this by herself. Tell her; tell Drew. Kim wonders how she can tell Drew that his son is dying. Elizabeth says that’s why Oscar is seeing an oncologist. She’s sorry. She asks what kind of cancer, but Kim can’t talk about it, and she walks away. Drew comes in, and asks Elizabeth if Oscar is okay; what happened?

Kristina says, surprise! Sonny thought she went back, and she says she heard Brad and Lucas got permanent custody of Wiley. Alexis tells her the birth mother dropped the petition. Kristina wonders why she wanted him back in first place, but Alexis says she’s had no contact. She assumes the mother just wanted what was best for her baby. She asks, what’s going on? The last thing she knew, Kristina was on a plane back to Oregon with her sister. She wonders if everything is okay. Kristina says she’s just glad that Sam was with her to keep her head and heart straight for the big decisions she needed to make.

Finn opens the room door, and pretends someone grabbed him. Anna says it’s not funny; the people who kidnapped them are extremely dangerous. She tells him, don’t do that stuff. She says Robert thinks they’re going to lay low for a while, and is hoping to pick up the trail. She peeks in on Roxie, and says she’s happy Finn is back. Finn thinks so, and asks if she wants to talk about her son. He’s back, she’s back, and he’s not going to prison. He thought she might want to talk about it. She tells him that he’s subtle, and he says he’s trying. Peter is out of the hospital, and he wonders how it is that Obrecht isn’t in custody. Anna says, that happens a lot with her; she should be locked up forever. She’s angry that Robert didn’t press charges against Peter, but Finn says maybe after all the time in captivity, Peter is rethinking his life, and maybe forgiving her.

Peter tells Chase that Anna dropped responsibility of him the day he was born. Chase says he’s a grown man now; he should find some understanding. She was kidnapped, like he was, survived the ordeal, and is back in Port Charles. Peter asks why Chase is telling him. Chase says if he even looks at Anna wrong, his new freedom, job, and hope of being part of the community will be gone. He won’t know what hit him.

Kristina tells Alexis and Sonny that her life was centered around Parker, and Parker’s life was all in Eugene and things she didn’t belong to. She had no part in college life, and Parker’s friends dismissed her. She felt smaller and smaller. Alexis says she’s strong and capable, and has so much to give. Kristina says she needed her own life, separate from Parker. She wasn’t thinking about that when she moved. Sam gave her confidence to trust her feelings. She broke up with Parker, who talked about the long-distance thing, but she needed a clean break. Sam convinced her to move back for good.

Josslyn asks Cameron why he kissed her. They’ve been friends since they were three, and now he’s jeopardized the friendship. He asks why, and she tells him that he overstepped the boundaries. Cameron says if she thinks Oscar is the perfect boyfriend; he knows her better. She asks, since when? and he says, since she gave Oscar the silent treatment. He didn’t know how to deal with it, but Cameron did. He’s the one who sent the riddle.

Elizabeth tells Drew that he should talk to Kim. Drew wonders what Kim isn’t telling him about their son. In Oscar’s room, Oscar asks if Kim has been crying. Drew comes in, and asks what’s going on? Oscar asks if Kim called him, but he says he ran into Jason. Oscar says he passed out; it’s a thing. Drew asks if it happened before, and Oscar says it’s low blood sugar; he’s fine. Kim dashes out, saying she has to speak with someone. Oscar tells Drew that he wants out. This isn’t a big deal.

Kim tells Elizabeth that she couldn’t deal. She can’t look at Drew and say Oscar will be all right. Elizabeth says Kim raised him alone all this time, but now his father is a part of his life. It should be a relief to share this with the one person who loves him as much as she does. She should tell him the truth. Kim says she’s trusting Elizabeth to keep Oscar’s illness to herself. Elizabeth says she will, but Drew needs to know. Kim says, once he knows, he can’t unknow. Elizabeth says if Drew finds out later, it will color everything. She’s not Oscar’s only parent. Just think about it.

Oscar tells Drew he’s sorry, but Drew says it’s not his fault. Oscar says he needs to eat right, or better, or more. He tries to stay on top of it, but it was a crazy day. He was getting a surprise ready for Josslyn. He asks if he can borrow Drew’s phone.

Josslyn tells Cameron, no wonder Oscar didn’t know the answer. Cameron says, to be fair, he doesn’t either, but he got her attention because he knew how to reach her. Josslyn’s phone rings, and she says it’s Oscar’s dad. She answers, and Oscar says he’s using Drew’s phone; he doesn’t have his with him. He tells her not to freak. He’s in the hospital.

Peter tells Chase that Anna’s legion of fans don’t need to be concerned. He has a good gig and he’s not interested. She’s not a part of his life, and never will be. Chase says Peter doesn’t know her well. He doesn’t think she’ll stay away from Peter. Maybe he should change his attitude toward the one person who wants to make peace with him.

Kristina says she needs to regroup; figure out what she wants to do, and start over. Most kids her age are embarking on a career. Sam says life experiences are more valuable than she thinks. Alexis tells her to do what’s right for her. Sonny is glad she’s back, and she asks if she can manage Perks again. He’s sorry, but he can’t give her the job back.

Drew approaches Kim. He says Oscar tells him it’s no big deal; low blood sugar. Kim says she tries to get him to eat small meals, but he knows how it is. He asks why she didn’t call? If it happens again, he could hurt himself. Kim says he has a specialist, and it’s under control. He suggests getting a second opinion from Monica, but she says she doesn’t need Monica to weigh in on Oscar. Drew asks what she’s not telling him, and she starts to cry. She says it’s not low blood sugar. Oscar is sick, and there’s nothing they can do about it. They can’t save him.

Sonny tells Kristina the manager at Perks is doing great. He can’t fire her for no reason. She can be a barista if she wants. He knows it’s not ideal, but she has experience. She says she needs something more challenging, and Sam agrees. Alexis knows the perfect job for her.

Anna tells Finn she’s going to do what she can to have a relationship with her son. She’s not afraid of his anger. No matter what their history, he’s her son and they’re connected. Finn understands. He hopes it’s all picnics in the park, but he’s worried. Not just for her physical safety, but Peter could hurt her heart. There’s a knock at the door. It’s Chase. Anna jets, saying she wants to give them time together.

Josslyn runs into the hospital, with Cameron tagging along. Elizabeth sees Cameron, and asks if he’s okay. He says he’s here with Josslyn. She freaked out when she heard Oscar was there. Elizabeth says Oscar is okay, but why was Cameron with Josslyn in the first place? He’s still grounded.

Josslyn asks Oscar what happened? He tells her that he passed out. He was on his way to the park, and apologizes for not showing up. She says she’s the one who’s sorry. She was getting upset when wasn’t there and didn’t text. She got mad, but it didn’t occur to her that something happened.

In Kim’s office, Drew asks if Oscar is sick. She tells Drew that Oscar has an inoperable brain tumor, and it’s malignant. She’s consulted with the best doctors in the country, but at present, there’s nothing they can do. Drew asks, how long? and she says it could be months or longer. They don’t know how much time Oscar has left.

Anna shows up at Peter’s office. She says she’s glad he’s out of the hospital. He went through quite an ordeal. Peter says Obrecht hates her, and Anna says she’s been working on her grudge for years, exacerbated by his father. Peter says, as is everything. It seems like they both have enemies. She tells him, it runs in the family. She’s heard he’s staying in port Charles. For what it’s worth, she’s grateful he’s nearby.

Chase tells Finn that he needs to talk to Anna as well. He’s following up on the case. There have been new developments. Robert coordinated with the Canadian authorities, and they did a sweep. Whoever was behind this, was thorough, and Finn needs to be careful. He tells Finn the kidnappers were Michael Carson and Sean Phillips, professionals who claim they never saw their employer. There was no trace of Cassandra, but he’s going to keep working on it. Finn tells him, good work. Chase hopes he wasn’t the reason Anna left, but Finn says she was going to see her son. Chase says he had a chat with him earlier, and he’s determined to keep his freedom. There shouldn’t be an issue with Anna. Finn marvels that Chase did that.

Anna sees that Peter landed on his feet. He says he’s in the process of repositioning the brand. Anna tells him that Robert said he had no money, and Peter says, Robert doesn’t know everything. She says he could have turned to her. He still can. He says he has all the help he needs. He has a friend who owes him more than she does. She asks if it’s Valentin.

Alexis says she could make some calls, and Kristina could get a paralegal job. They’d be lucky to have someone so quick on their feet and intelligent. Kristina says she doesn’t know anything about the law, but Alexis says she could help her. She could learn on the job or work in her office. Sam thinks they should let Kristina make her own decisions, and Alexis says she was just trying to help. Sonny says Kristina is capable of a getting job without them, and Kristina says, absolutely. Alexis apologizes for being overbearing, and says she’ll just be quiet supportive. She’s happy Kristina will be moving back in. Kristina says, what?

Cameron says Elizabeth told him he could have anyone over. She agrees, but also said he can’t leave the house. He says he was only at the park, helping Josslyn set up something for Oscar. He was just trying to be there for her. Is that so bad?

Josslyn tells thought she’d driven Oscar away by her weird behavior. He says it would take more than that. Nothing could keep him away.

Drew tells Kim there has to be something they can do. New treatments are being developed all the time. She says there’s nothing out there right now. She says she couldn’t figure out how tell him that his son is being taken away from him. He asks, what about Oscar? and she says he doesn’t know. He thinks she’s being overprotective when she gets more tests run. She’s managed to keep it from him. He doesn’t know how sick he is, and won’t until it’s absolutely necessary. Drew understands the need to be protective, but thinks Oscar should know.

Elizabeth says Cameron was being a good friend, and he asks if he’s not grounded anymore. She says she’s adding time on. There are consequences to his actions. She tells him to go home, and take a selfie so she knows he’s there. He asks if he can say hi to Oscar, and she says, five minutes.

Oscar never thought they’d be spending the anniversary of their first date in the hospital. He tells Josslyn happy anniversary. She says for a while, she thought he forgot, but he says, not a chance. it must have hurt thinking he wasn’t coming. He says he’s sorry, and asks if they’re okay. She says, definitely, and they kiss. Cameron sees, and backs out of the room.

Kim asks if Drew is questioning her judgement, but he says he’s offering a different perspective. Maybe there’s something they should be doing. Kim says they’re already doing it. Oscar wanted a father and got him. He’s happy Drew is in his life. She says he’s still a little boy. Drew says if he could die in a few months, shouldn’t he be able to determine how he does it, and choose how he lives his last days?

Kristina appreciates Alexis’s offer, but it didn’t work out last time. Alexis says it’s different now. Sam thinks Kristina wants a fresh start. Sonny says she could live with him, but she says Mike isn’t getting any better. She wants to spend time with him, but living there doesn’t feel right; she’d be in the way. Sonny says she’d never be in the way, but Sam says she would feel like she’s in the way. Alexis asks how she can afford to live anywhere. Sam says on the way back, they decided Kristina will live with her. Alexis says that’s great, but she has so much space,  and Sam has kids. Kristina says she’ll have a backup babysitter. Alexis says she loves Kristina. Kristina knows, but thinks they do better with some distance. Across the country was too far, but across town might be perfect.

Anna asks if Valentin gave Peter the money to buy the magazine, and Peter says it was the least he could do. She knows Peter wants to get his life together, but says he can’t trust Valentin, and should stay out of his orbit. He says he was just telling Chase that he wanted the same from her – to stay out of his life.

Finn tells Chase that Robert said he was instrumental in finding them. They’re lucky he was assigned to the case. Chase says Jordan didn’t want him near it, but he insisted. He wanted to do everything he could to make sure Finn was okay. He’ll let them know if he finds out anything else. He starts to leave, but Finn asks him to wait. Chase and Roxie got off on the wrong foot. Maybe he should stick around and see if they can’t make peace.

Oscar tells Josslyn, full disclosure; he was already running late. He was putting the finishing touch on something he made for her.

Kim tells Drew that she’s thought about it over and over, and always comes to the same conclusion. She wants Oscar to have a normal life instead of worrying if tomorrow might be his last. She wants him to believe he’ll live forever like any other teenager. Can Drew give that to him? Drew says she’s been Oscar’s mother much longer than he’s been Oscar’s father, and she’s done an amazing job. If this is what she wants, they’ll do it together. She thanks him.

Chase confirms that Roxie’s lettuce of choice is Romaine. Finn says if he gives her that, he’ll have a friend for life. Chase says he knows Roxie was innocent in the Charlie’s Pub incident, and Julian just wanted Finn out of there. Finn admits he should have backed up before he got arrested, but he likes to howl at the moon sometimes. Chase is glad he and Anna are okay. Finn says, thanks again for the save.

Peter opens the door. Anna says she’ll never stop caring about him, and hoping he forgives her. He says they’re not sitting down for cup of tea anytime soon. She says, maybe not, but if he needs anything, be it tea or something significant, he can always turn to her. She’s his mother, and she’ll never let him down again. She leaves, and he closes the door.

Sam and Kristina leave to get Kristina settled in. Sonny tells Alexis it seems like Kristina is thinking things though. Alexis says they’ve been here before. He says maybe this time it will be different. She says, from his lips.

Oscar tells Josslyn it’s a little goofy; a montage of their times together in the past year, set to one of his favorite songs. It’s Josslyn singing at the Nurses’ Ball. Elizabeth hugs Cameron. Josslyn can’t believe it’s only been a year. They have so much to look forward to.

Drew asks Kim, who else knows? She says Elizabeth recognized Oscar’s doctor’s name; she’s an oncologist. She told Elizabeth some, but she’s the only one. Drew says she’s been carrying this around by herself for two years. She says she didn’t realize how hard it was until right now, and starts to cry. Why does no one ever carry tissues? He tells her that she doesn’t have to carry that burden. They’ll give their son the best life they can for as long as they can. He holds her as she cries.

Tomorrow, Anna tells Valentin he’s done enough damage, Curtis didn’t see this coming, and Stella says she’s pushed things too far for too long.

The Real Housewives of New York City – The Reunion – Part Three

We backtrack a little. Bethenny asks how she bashed Carole. Andy says they bashed each other. Carole says he’s full of sh*t, and asks if he’s afraid of her too. Bethenny says Carole even did an InstaStory bashing her. We see a clip of Carole and a friend, saying SkinnyGirl is over. Carole says Bethenny blocked her on Instagram anyway; talk about being a child. She blocked Dorinda too. Andy says they seemed to have different ideas about Brian aka Red-Scarf-Guy. He asks if anyone is still in touch with him. Bethenny isn’t, but Carole is. Andy asks Carole if she believed Bethenny after watching the season. Carole says she and Brian ended up having dinner, and she asked how he knew Bethenny, since she didn’t want to get involved if they were dating, and he said they weren’t. She says there was no love connection, but he was a nice guy. She didn’t understand why Bethenny was so intense and angry. Bethenny says Carole was smug. Carole insists Bethenny’s story about Brian wasn’t true. We flash back to Bethenny reading his texts. Carole whips out her phone, and Bethenny does the same, like it’s High Noon. Carole says she has a screenshot that Brian took from his phone. Like I’d believe what some dude sent me. Bethenny says hers are directly from him. Carole tells Bethenny to get off her jock. Interesting how Carole uses something Bethenny originated. Andy looks at Bethenny’s phone, and reads about Bethenny telling Brian that she can easily set him up with Carole. Carole still doesn’t believe it, and Bethenny gets up and puts the phone in her face. Carole insists that it was after she and Brian had already gone out. Bethenny thinks Carole needs a career. Sonja says, this is a power play and egos. No one wants the red guy. He doesn’t even live in Manhattan. Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! That sounds very real. Andy asks where they go from here; is it over? Bethenny says the season wouldn’t have ended it. It was the bashing blogs. Andy points out that the season ended with Carole saying maybe the friendship would find its sweet spot again. Bethenny says Carole lies on the show. Carole says she was trying to salvage the friendship, but realized Bethenny didn’t seem interested. She thought they’d regroup after the season, but when she watched it she thought it was superficial. Andy says he’s sorry to see it go. Dorinda says they should put a comma on it; things change. She’ll make up with LuAnn eventually. Bethenny brings up the blog again, and Carole says only two people read it. I’ll bet it’s more than that. At least ten or twelve. There was so much of them talking at the same time and trying to

Andy says Sonja was refreshed after Costa Rica, but when she came home to some of her dearest friends, she felt like she was on the outside looking in. We flash back to her butting heads with Tinsley, her altercation with Dorinda, her text to Ramona, and her slippers with the family crest. We get a look at some previously unseen footage of Sonja leaving the townhouse. Sonja says she was leaving her memories, but it’s not forever. She’s made a two-year commitment. She stayed in a hotel for a while, but found an apartment near Columbus Circle. Andy asks for a show of hands from whoever thought the day would come. Bethenny is the only one, but she says she was in on the process. Sonja also got full asking price. A viewer asks if something happened to make Sonja go off to Costa Rica. She says Bethenny pointed out she was partying too much, and she started seeing a therapist. They suggested trying antidepressants, and she doesn’t regret it, but went cold turkey. The withdrawal caused her to have no filter, and she still had some resentment against Tinsley. Tinsley says it was hurtful, and she can’t blame the antidepressants. Ramon says, if you go cold turkey, it messes with your head. Any doctor will tell you that. Sonja says she’d just say anything that was in her head for a moment.

A viewer asks why Sonja thought Dorinda shouldn’t talk about her dead husband. Sonja says she has no problem with that, but she should also be able to talk about what she wants to. Dorinda says a death and a divorce are two different things. Bethenny says, some people process things differently. Dorinda tells Sonja what she said was a death is a loss, and a divorce is a choice. She’s done both, and you can’t compare the two. Sonja says her marriage was out of control. Other people helped them decide they should divorce. A viewer asks why Sonja seems to trigger Dorinda. They don’t think Dorinda likes her. Dorinda says one on one, they’re fine. It’s the environment that triggers it, and she’s sorry for that. Another viewer asks if the reason Sonja and Ramona fight so hard and make up so easily, is because they’re like sisters. Sonja says they argue well; they don’t chop each other down. We see a clip of them going blah-blah-blah in each other’s faces. Andy asks why Dorinda was upset about Sonja wearing her ex-husband’s family crest on her slippers? Dorinda says her daughter wears her father’s tartan, but personally, she wouldn’t do it. Sonja says it’s not about her. Bethenny says Dorinda thought it was pretentious. Ramona gets up and starts pounding herself on the leg; she has a cramp. Andy asks how often Sonja sees her ex, and she says, it’s getting better. She felt like she lost her best friend over lawyers. Andy asks if she sees his current wife, and she does when the collective families get together. It was awkward during the divorce, but over time it became okay. Andy wonders how she’s feeling toward everyone now. Sonja says she cares about everyone there. She’s said stupid things, but she has to be herself around her friends. That’s why sometimes she feels the need to chill for the summer, and get herself centered. Ramona kisses her and Sonja says, as much as they argue, they don’t verbally abuse each other. Although Ramona doesn’t stick up for her as much as she’d like.

Andy says before this season, the only running Carole did was for the co-op board, and then she ran the NY marathon. We see clips of that, and also of Carole and Adam. Carole says she and Adam get together once in a while, but there’s nothing romantic. She’s not dating anyone seriously. Andy suggests Tinsley pay forward, and set her up. He asks if Carole is going to run the marathon again, but that’s a no. She thinks she came in last. He asks what Carole and Tinsley have in common, and Tinsley says Carole introducing her to Scott brought them closer. Carole says they really don’t see each other that much. Bethenny made it seem like they were BFFs, but they were just friends. Tinsley’s feelings are hurt, and Carole says she’s just telling it like it is. Andy says they went to three countries together, but Carole says they only spent six days in Spain with their boyfriends. Bethenny asks even if they’re not close, why hurt Tinsley’s feelings. Carole says Bethenny is the one who said they were thick as thieves, when she hung out with other people just as much. Since this is beating a sad, dead horse, Andy switches topics to Carole’s writing. A viewer points out that she identifies herself as a journalist, but shirks deadlines, and hasn’t written anything in two years. Carole says it’s actually longer, since she considers her real journalistic career when she worked for ABC News. She and Bethenny bicker a little over how many years it’s been, and hen compare their resumes. Bethenny brings up Carole’s blog again, and Carole says she was trying to put the weekly arguments into context.

Next, the trip to Cartagena is discussed. Andy says that Tinsley had to navigate rough waters to keep them afloat. Ramona says a lot of sh*t happened; no pun intended. Andy acknowledges that Ramona was a grown-up about hotel room choices this season. Ramona says watching herself, she saw how she thought she was entitled, and realized that’s not the right way to be. Everyone applauds, and Andy says she’s a big girl now. She mentions that Bethenny and Carole were acting like a-holes, and Bethenny says she shouldn’t have gone, since she was on overload after Puerto Rico, and stressed out. She took on more than she should have. Andy asks Carole what about Bethenny’s crying was such a turn-off? Carole says she’s sensitive to unstable energy, and it feels menacing, whether it is or not. Carole says she’s a very sane person, and approaches things logically. She has a huge hippocampus (the elongated ridges on the floor of each lateral ventricle of the brain, thought to be the center of emotion, memory, and the autonomic nervous system). She doesn’t react emotionally, and doesn’t do panic. She’s also not much of a hugger. Okay, Sheldon. This chick is sounding more egocentric with every sentence.

Andy asks if it occurred to Tinsley that the trip might not go well. She says it never did. She’s always had a great time there; it’s beautiful and rich in history. Bethenny says it can happen to anyone; sometimes you’re just unlucky with a trip. Tinsley says she didn’t think it would go so badly. Andy wonders why she wasn’t concerned about the rough water, and Bethenny says because she was boozing it up. Dorinda says there was a fire alarm going off, and people going by with machetes. Tinsley says the same thing happened when she went with her ex-husband. She was freaked out, but he was like, don’t. She says she didn’t think it was that scary at the time, but watching it later, it looked terrifying. Ramona says they couldn’t film how bad it was. Carole says she was getting sick. Ramona says, furniture was flying. Dorinda says she was looking for lifejackets. Ramona adds that the waves were coming over the boat. Andy asks if Ramona really doesn’t swim, and Sonja says that’s why she needs a pool noodle. We see clips of Ramona attached to a noodle in every pool situation. Andy says he knew she loved a noodle, but didn’t know she needed one. Carole says none of them could have swum in that. Sonja says when the anchor came down, she knew there was a problem. Bethenny says they smelled the fire first, then the alarm went off. They realized there was a fire from the rope on the anchor. Ramona says they would have capsized without them cutting it. Tinsley tells them not to worry; she’ll plan the next trip – Tinsley’s Travels. Andy wonders why Bethenny and Tinsley were the only ones not to get diarrhea, and Bethenny says she has chronic constipation. Tinsley says it happened after she got home. They have a brief poop discussion, and Carole says it was everywhere. This doesn’t exactly make me long to go there, but Sonja says she’d go back, and so would LuAnn.

At last, the final thoughts. Andy says it’s been a long, bumpy ride, and asks for everyone’s biggest regret. Bethenny is first, and Carole makes faces before she even starts talking. Carole is like the face-making champ this reunion. Bethenny says she regrets calling Dorinda a drunk. Even though she didn’t mean it that way, that’s how it sounded. Dorinda chokes up, saying it means a lot They hug. Tinsley says she didn’t like how she lost her temper at Sonja. Sonja says she regrets starting the season off by opening the wound when they had gotten over it, and thanks Tinsley for helping her get over it. Ramona regrets posting the Instagram photo, saying she should have asked LuAnn first. She also regrets not thinking at all when she texted Tom. If she could take it back, she would. Andy asks if Carole regrets telling him that he’s full of sh*t. She says she didn’t, but oh yes, she did, and we see the clip. She tells him that she said it in anger. Andy admits to screaming at both her and Bethenny. Carole says she thought they’d reconnect their friendship, but it never happened. Watching it made her upset and angry, and she wishes they’d had a conversation to put it in context. She tried, and regrets failing. Dorinda regrets what happened between her and LuAnn. She didn’t mean to inflict the pain she did, and prays they get back together. She also regrets getting drunk at the dinner in Puerto Rico, but hopes she’s grown. She’s better and healthier, and it won’t happen again.

Andy says we couldn’t have asked for a more memorable, eventful season. Shots of green juice are brought out, and Ramona asks if it’s tequila because she doesn’t listen to anything except what’s in her own head. They toast to Lu, and I feel strangely sad.

MasterChef

The cooks took over Michelin star restaurant Providence, in LA. The entrées were duck, NY strip braised in its own fat, and salmon. Gerron was captain of the blue team, and Ashley the red. Gordon yelled at everyone like they were on Hell’s Kitchen, but with less cursing. It took Gerron a while to get in the groove, but then he was on a roll. Bowen got duck and beef confused, so Ashley had to babysit him. Gordon said the team captains were strong, and the types that don’t give up. This time, the judges made the final decision, but said they needed to sleep on it – it was that close. Gordon said the red team started slow, but Ashley found her voice, and made a great captain. He called Gerron extraordinary, and I was surprised that the red team ended up the winners. Gordon told them Bowen found his feet late, but their captain led the team to victory. The blue team got the black aprons. Gerron’s team let him down, but he was personally killing it because he didn’t want to let Joe down. And he was not going home. He’d better not; he’s my pick to win. The pressure test – which Joe called the most difficult the show had ever seen, foregoing the traditional in the history of – had the cooks making three chocolate desserts. Joe explained the first, a white chocolate panna cotta with raspberry something on top, that needed to be creamy without being gelatinous. Aaron showed us the most popular chocolate dessert, whipped milk chocolate mousse. I have actually made that, but it was many moons ago for a French Club dinner. I could eat a whole tub of it. Gordon finished the trio with a dark chocolate molten lava cake. The contestants had to make exact replications of all three in 60 minutes. Samantha ended up with liquid mousse, although Gordon said it was delicious. Farhan’s molten lava cake was way too molten, and reminded me of Easy Bake batter. Gerron got a fist bump from Joe on the panna cotta, but Joe told Farhan, there’s set and there’s concrete. He peeled the raspberry top off in one piece, and suggested using a jackhammer. On the other end of the spectrum, Samantha’s raspberry top was more like raspberry juice. Gerron was told did an incredible performance, and he said, who thought his big old hands could produce such delicate desserts? Time got the better of Farhan, and he was out, but Aaron told him that all of his restaurants had an open door for mentoring. Farhan said it was difficult to walk away, but he learned so much, in leaving he could see a career in food. It was just the beginning.

The mystery box held ingredients. Instead there was a taste of home underneath, letters of encouragement from loved ones – Gerron’s fiancé, Ashley’s dad, Cesar’s mom, Bowen’s husband, and Samantha’s mom. Everyone was crying, and the task was to create a dish inspired by the person who wrote the letter. And they got to use THE PANTRY. Gerron used his mom’s recipe for potato soup (I love potato soup!), as it was the first dish he made for his fiancé. Sam decided on a bowtie pasta dish that her mother makes for her birthday, but tweaked the sauce, amping it up MasterChef style. Bowen made a pan seared pork dish with sweet and sour peppers, Ashley went with pork chops and biscuits, and Cesar made pork/potato tacos.

Gordon said Gerron’s potato soup was the best he’d ever tasted, and he nailed it. Bowen hit a home run, and Sam’s pasta was perfection. Cesar used heat to elevate his dish, giving it a magical taste. Ashley’s pork chops were fantastic, and Aaron said he tasted home in it. Bowen was the winner, and given the advantage for the next challenge – he got to decide on which ingredient each cook would be using. I had the feeling when they’d said it was a challenge with heart last week, that it would be exactly that. The choices were lamb, which went to Ashley; beef, going to Gerron; duck, to Samantha; tuna, to Cesar; and Bowen took the artichoke heart for himself. True story. I’ve mentioned before that I ate what I call Depression Food when I was growing up. One of those dishes was gizzard and heart soup. It tastes better than it sounds, but the hearts are quite small, and I assume that’s why they weren’t included in this challenge. Hey, it was the Depression. No food was left unturned.

The contestants had 45 minutes to work magic and make a restaurant quality dish, with the clock starting before they even got their hearts. Cesar called Bowen a jerk when he found out he got the tuna, but managed to make some amazing grilled kabobs with an Asian flare. Aaron said his flavors complimented, rather than obscured, the tuna. Bowen made cabbage rolls, and although they were tasty, Gordon said he chose the easy route. I missed what Samantha’s dish was called, but it involved cranberries, rice, and cabbage. She wasn’t happy with her plating – which did look like a mess – and Gordon said no one was happy with her plating. Ashley fried her duck heart, and did it up Moroccan style, and Gerron did a beef heart and onions dish. His plating lacked as well, and he said he’d be pissed if he went home on presentation. Joe was blown away by the quality of the dishes. It was pretty impressive, considering no one had ever cooked anything like it before, including Bowen, who had never even eaten an artichoke. Gerron and Samantha were the two who scored lowest – for the plating alone – and Samantha was pronounced safe. I was all, no-no-no-no-no, but once again using the American Idol mold of judging, he was safe too! He declared from now on, his plates will be on point. Next time, another two-hour episode, and the most daunting challenge of the season. A series of tests and an epic culinary battle for a spot in the finale.

🎲 I got lucky with the NYC Wives being rerun at 10 pm, but not so much with The Real Housewives of Dallas, which didn’t repeat until 12:30. While I watched it, I still need to edit, so stay tuned for that tomorrow.

⏰ Until Then…

Goodnight

Aug30

August 29, 2018 – No Prague For You, LuAnn Leaves a Hole in the Reunion, Cooks Create from Scraps, Dallas Postponement & Not That Grotto

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What I Watched Today

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

 

General Hospital was a rerun, so starting off with the orphan from Tuesday night.

Below Deck Mediterranean

Backtracking on last week’s dinner, Conrad wants a girl who doesn’t criticize everything he does. He tells Hannah that he hates her calling him sweetheart. At the table, Kasey accuses João of staring at her. Conrad tells Hannah it’s not going to work. In his interview, he says if you’re arguing all the time, what’s the point in having a relationship? Hannah asks what about Prague? He says they should just leave it. I’m not sure if he means leave it as in not do it, or leave it as it is. Hannah says she’s already booked her flight, so I guess he means the trip is off. He wants to give her a hug, but that’s a no. João tells Brooke not to be upset, and she says Kasey just asked why he’s staring, and he was. Hannah joins the table, and asks who’s going out? Kasey doesn’t want her dress to be wasted, which I totally understand. In her interview, Brooke says there’s inappropriate closeness between Kasey and João, and he’s making her feel like she’s crazy, but she’s not. She can see it. She’s also annoyed that Kasey is still vying for him. Adam is excited for the charter season to be over. He, Hannah, and Conrad go back to the boat.

The others go out to drink some more. In his interview, João says it’s getting to the serious stage with Brooke, and they didn’t even go through the first stage yet. The more insecure she gets, the more distant he gets.

Adam and Conrad smoke cigars. Adam tells Conrad he used to be a fun, bubbly guy. He used to be contagious; now he’s no fun. He says Conrad is too young for her. She needs a fifty-five-year-old billionaire. Conrad says the saddest bit is that it’s all she looks for. Hannah comes out, and Adam stumbles over his words, pretending they’re not talking about her. Conrad says he’s heading to bed, but Hannah wants to talk. Adam volunteers to go for a walk.

João entertains the table, having moved closer to Kasey. Brooke says this is utter bullsh*t, and leaves. Jamie goes to check on her.

Hannah asks Conrad, why no Prague, and he says it’s going to be a sh*t show, and he wants to enjoy it. Adam listens in. Hannah says she has to change her flight now, and Conrad says she needs to do that. Adam comes back. Hannah gets up, and he asks her to stay, but she tells them to have boys’ time.

Jamie asks Brooke what’s going on. Brooke says she and João are going through a tough stage. Brooke comes back, and dances with Colin. In her interview, Kasey says the reason she’s still flirting with João is that deep down she still likes him. She says if she hadn’t left the dock party, that would be her. Too bad, since they deserve each other. João asks if anyone wants tequila.

Hannah is pissed. Conrad struggles trying to change his clothing for bed.

Brooke goes to the car and passes out. The rest of the crew goes back to the boat. Kasey asks if Brooke is okay, but she doesn’t answer. João suggests he visit Kasey when they get back. Everyone gathers for snacks in the galley. Brooke opens some wine. João and Kasey high five. João lies down, his head practically in Kasey’s lap. Brooke wonders if she should feel offended. Kasey insists he’s not on her, and João says, not yet. Brooke hates everyone and everything right now. She tells everyone to eff off and walks out.

João passes out. Kasey repeats that he’s not even on her. Colin goes to Brooke’s cabin, and she cries while he holds her. She says, it’s not okay, and he says she has to tell him. She says it’s effing obvious, and calls herself pathetic. Kasey wakes João up, and goes to bed. Colin tells Brooke that she can get whatever dude she wants. Her dancing skills are questionable, but he’s serious.

The next morning, Hannah tells Kasey about having to cancel Prague. She says the good thing about twenty-three-year-olds, is, you can take a taxi and get over them. Huh? Where is the taxi going? She picks up fresh flowers on the dock. Colin asks Conrad if he can go to dinner with his parents; he needs to get away. In her interview, Brooke is angry, but can’t remember exactly why. Colin thinks Brooke is the type of girl you should treat like a princess.

Captain Sandy calls Hannah, Conrad, and Adam together for the last and final preference sheet meeting. In her interview, Hannah says if the FBI needs a new kind of torture, they should put someone on a boat with their ex. Primary Clint is a health care lawyer. He’s bringing his daughter and longtime girlfriend Trish. His sons-in-law will be coming too, and he wants to make amazing memories. Hannah makes suggestions, and in her interview, Captain Sandy is proud of Hannah. She’s showing forethought, and this is the Hannah she likes.

Brooke is wearing sunglasses even though she doesn’t need them. João says, good morning, and she ignores him. In his interview, he says tensions are rising. They need to get away. Brooke tells him that she wasn’t thrilled about him lying on Kasey. He thinks it shouldn’t matter because of how he feels about Brooke inside. That’s a new one. Brooke feels stupid. Hannah calls for musicians. Screw blatant chemistry. if a guy I was with was blatantly flirting with someone else – right in front of me no less – we’d be done.

Colin meets his parents at a restaurant. In his interview, he says they’re always happy, and it rubs off on him. Colin’s mom talks about their visit to the boat, and says she’s happy because he was happy – their Italian adventure with Colin. Colin wants to settle down at some point, and wants what they have. I guess they are the unicorn that’s an actual happy family.

In her interview, Brooke says her dad cheated on her mom for years. It’s absolutely paramount for her partner to be faithful. Good luck with that, especially choosing dudes like João (which sounds way too much like J-Wow).

The crew gets the boat ready, then get themselves ready to meet the guests. Jamie says, last time, and Adam says, knock it out, because we needed one more baseball reference, but he was too tired to finish the sentence. Then I get really confused because they show a clip from what’s coming up, but just slide into it like it’s the next scene, without explanation. I’m like, where’s the tour, and how did we get here?

The guests board. Adam says the age difference between the primary and his girlfriend is like Hannah and Conrad. Cradle robbing. Um… not exactly. Clint is an old dude, but Trish is no spring chicken. Hannah gives the tour, and tells them that they have perfect weather arranged. Adam doesn’t know if it’s the season coming close, or because she and Conrad broke up, but Hannah is doing a great job. With Conrad out of the picture, suddenly the service is through the roof. Dolphins frolic around the boat. Bluebirds fly around with ribbons in their mouths. Okay. I made that last one up.

Adam doesn’t need a mutiny, so he’s plating lunch for the crew. João says Adam must feel bad about starving them, and Colin says he’s sucking up to them. The boat heads for Capri. Brooke and João make out in the galley, and Jamie gets the hell out of there. She thinks their PDA is tasteless. Colin says it’s never good when the girl you have a crush on is kissing someone else in front of you.

Lunch is served. The tender is lowered to take the guests to the grotto. No not that grotto. Brooke says there’s a weird dynamic between the daughters and the stepmom figure. She can relate. Her dad’s wife is young and awful. Adam likes cooking Mexican food. It makes him feel almost like he’s home in California.

Hannah thinks she’s going directly home. Brooke thinks she should go to Prague on her own. Hannah says it’s embarrassing. In her interview, Hannah finds it ironic that Brooke and João are going to Florence, and she and Conrad have canceled. She’s pissed about having to change her flights, and calls Conrad a p*ssy.

The guests set off for the grotto. Jamie accompanies them. Jamie says she’s come through a lot, and bounced back. Now is her time to shine. She tells the guests about how she changed her career from stew to deckhand. The toys go into the water. In her interview, Captain Sandy says Conrad is at his best. He’s on the ball, and being a bosun. This is the Conrad she wants. The guests go in a rowboat inside the grotto, and it’s breathtaking. Jamie calls it one of the natural wonders of the world. She says this is why she loves her job. The water is bluer than blue, and one of the guests says it’s like Disney World.

Brooke asks Kasey – who I can’t believe she’s so friendly with – if there’s been a change in Hannah. Kasey thinks she’s being more helpful. Brooke thinks it’s because of what she said to Hannah, but come on, is she really that dense? Oh, wait. João. I just answered my own question. The tender returns with happy guests, and it’s time to play with the water toys. Captain Sandy says she and Hannah have found their footing. It was a bumpy ride, but they’re on the other side. A guest crashes into the boat with a jet ski.

João can’t believe it’s the last charter, and asks Kasey how much she’ll miss him on a scale of one to ten. She says, a solid nine. He asks what happened to the last point, and it’s because they’re not together. He says she’s a full ten for him. Brooke hears all this, but at this point, it’s hard for me to feel sorry for her. Kasey serves drinks to guests in the hot tub. Hannah asks if Kasey can stay on service; she needs to book her new flight. Colin tells the other guys that one of his moves is to take a sunset picture, and send it to a chick, saying, thinking about you. Now everyone knows.

The crew dinner is served, and the singers arrive. The table is decorated in autumn flowers and colors. The guests go in for dinner, and the band strikes up. They dance. Brooke bounces as she puts out the napkins or whatever. Adam is making an Italian themed dinner at the guests’ request. At this point, he’s okay with being told what to do. He’s braindead. The captain comes through the galley and tells him the sauce smears on the plates look like poopy skid marks.

Whatever it is, the guests like it. One of the daughters tells Brooke about how they want to get tattoos honoring their late mother. Trish is like, ugh. The dinner is quiet, and she says she didn’t realize how boring they all were. Brooke tells Hannah that she’s like the evil stepmom they hate. Hannah says on the preference sheet, Trish wrote that she likes hanging out with family, and all the perks that come with it. At the table, Trish asks why they’re so quiet. Pork loin is served, and it looks damn good. Colin goofs around with Brooke. In his interview, he wants to tell her how he feels, and regrets not being more forward with her.

The guests wrap it up for the night, shocking the crew, since it’s only half past ten. Colin tells Hannah that he heard the trip was canceled. Hannah says Conrad canceled the trip, but she’s paying for it. She says, thanks for bringing it up.

Brooke asks if Colin enjoyed the trip. He says he did, but there are pros and cons to everything. He babbles incoherently for a minute, before finally telling her, since first week he’s had a thing for her. He loves joking and hanging out with her. She asks why he didn’t tell her, as I scream, dump João! at the TV. Colin says he’s not trying to get in the middle. She says she loves him as a person, which means he’s relegated to the friendzone. Maybe if he’d mentioned it weeks ago… In her interview, she says part of her wishes she could see him as more than a friend. He melts her heart, but not in a romantic way. They hug, and he says, well, he tried. He feels better knowing she knows. In the back of his head, he was hoping he might change her mind, but who knows down the road? Indeed.

Hannah is frustrated, since the flight changes are costing her money for something that’s not her choice. She mumbles something about it to Conrad, who can’t get off the bridge fast enough. She thinks he should at least pretend be a gentleman, and offer to pay half flight changes. Even though she wouldn’t accept it. Conrad tells Adam that Hannah is trying to put everything on him. In his interview, Adam says they’re both wrong – for dating in the first place. He tells Conrad he’ll put in $200 if they stop bothering him.

João asks Kasey if she thinks he and Brooke won’t make it as soon as Florence is over. She says nobody in the crew thinks so. In his interview, João says, if the crew thinks that, maybe he’s meant to be with someone else. These two are such creeps. João doesn’t regret it, but how long before it doesn’t work out? Kasey asks who kissed who first, and he says he kissed Brooke. He asks if Brooke said otherwise, but Kasey says she’s never mentioned it. Kasey says that she and João were flirty. João says, if… Kasey tells him that he already started saying it, and she has said it. She asks if she hadn’t gotten up at the dock party, if it wouldn’t have happened with Brooke. He says she’s a million percent right. Bleh.

Next time, the finale – a guest overdrinks (I mean, like, really), bets are taken about João and Brooke, Hannah tells Brooke to eff off, and Conrad wisely hides.

The Real Housewives of New York City – The Reunion – Part Two

We left off with Dorinda was being discussed. She says she started going to therapy every other week, since she didn’t like who she was becoming. She also talked a lot to her mom. We see a clip from the trip to Columbia, where Dorinda jumped all over LuAnn. Andy says Dorinda knows she sometimes turns when she drinks, and Dorinda insists she wasn’t drunk. Bethenny says Sonja said she was, and Sonja confirms that. Bethenny says Dorinda is lying, and we see more of the scene. Dorinda says it was a loaded question. Andy asks Ramona if LuAnn meant it in a bad way, and Ramona asks who is LuAnn to judge when she went to rehab? Bethenny says they weren’t normal circumstances. A viewer asks if Dorinda thinks she should be sober, and Dorinda says LuAnn didn’t go to rehab because of a revelation; she went to stay out of jail. If Dorinda chooses to be sober, it’s because she chooses to. Next question. Andy says LuAnn never apologized to Dorinda, and asks if they agree she should. Bethenny thinks they could be more sensitive to someone who just got out of rehab. Dorinda says she has to apologize more than anyone. Sonja says, but she was drunk. Carole says Sonja should be the last person to talk. Dorinda tells Sonja to shut up. Andy brings up Dorinda saying she wanted to be a soft place for LuAnn. Dorinda says she loves LuAnn more than what happened.

Andy asks who agrees that LuAnn messed up by inviting Scott to the cabaret at the last minute. Bethenny says LuAnn clarified that, but Tinsley thinks she just made it up to cover her ass. Ramona says Dorinda said she’d address later, then Bethenny brought it up. Bethenny says Carole told her to say something, and Dorinda was yelling Jovani! Andy says it felt like Dorinda was heckling LuAnn, and Tinsley joined in. Ramona thinks it was mean-spirited.

A viewer gets that they like to have a drink or three, but who is legitimately concerned about amount Dorinda drinks or how she gets when she drinks? Dorinda says she apologized ten times. She says, at some point, it’s healthy to take a pause, but she believes it always comes back.

Tinsley and Scott’s long-distance relationship is on the table next. Andy says Scott swept Tinsley off her feet. We flash back to the break-up, and then Scott showing up; wedding dress shopping; and the Tinsley and her mother getting emotional over the picture of her eggs. Tinsley wishes he was there more, and Andy asks why they keep breaking up? Tinsley says it would be easier if was something specific, but she thinks the distance is difficult, as well as Scott being busy with his job. He thinks he can’t give his attention to both. Andy asks if they see other people. Tinsley says he does, and she has too. She has to be an adult about it, and many times she hasn’t been. She’s not losing him because he went on a couple of dates, and has to just move forward. A viewer asks, why so emotional over her eggs? and she says, it was the perfect storm. She was in a wedding dress, with her mother, and they’re the closest thing to baby she has. Andy asks if Dale freaks Scott out, and Tinsley says she’s keeping them apart until she has a ring. Sonja says Dale wants to be a grandmother. Tinsley says, it’s going to be soonish. Andy asks if she wants Scott or a husband? and she says she loves Scott.

Andy says this is the point where they’d planned on celebrating LuAnn, and how far she’s come, but it’s clear they’ve yet to reach the end of her story. He invites us to look back at her journey, and we see clips of her throughout the season: telling the girls about her divorce, her arrest, Ramona trying to get an invite to Tom’s party, and her cabaret. We see an interview clip where she says she was at rock bottom, but pulled herself together. They wish she was here. Andy asks Bethenny if she’s been speaking to LuAnn. Bethenny says she connected LuAnn with Dennis, because her legal situation got complicated. I feel a weird pang, knowing he’s gone now. Bethenny says there was a recent situation with her family, and it didn’t help. There’s a lawsuit regarding the kids’ trust fund they were to get when she sold the house. Bethenny thinks it might have been the catalyst that pushed her over the edge.

Andy asks if LuAnn came into the season with her tail between her legs, but Carole says it’s more like she wanted to move on. Andy says it’s surprising that LuAnn told Bethenny she was right, and Bethenny agrees. She thinks it was a turning point in LuAnn’s trusting her. Ramona says she told LuAnn things in Mexico about Tom the night she fell in the bushes. Or as I like to call it, the gift that keeps on giving. Andy asks if all the tequila was because of what Ramona told her, and if they all suspected? Ramona talks about various places she knows LuAnn was drinking. Bethenny says LuAnn didn’t come to the rehab decision entirely on her own. A few people thought it was the right thing to do. Andy asks if they heard when she fell off the wagon, and what do they think happened? She seemed clear. Sonja says she wasn’t drinking at the cabaret. Dorinda thinks she was hiding it well. Sonja believes she’ll get back on track. Andy says he was struck by Bethenny and LuAnn’s conversation after Bobby’s funeral, and how genuine it was. Bethenny says LuAnn wants to be loved. Everyone thinks she’s tough. Dorinda thinks LuAnn’s happiest times were when she was married to the Count and raising a family. Bethenny thinks she’s like a sweet little kid, and everything together was a recipe for relapse.

Andy wonders how Ramona could think it was okay to  hint around for an invitation to Tom’s party? Wouldn’t she be upset if one of the women reached out to Mario? Ramona says she kept running into Tom. Andy says she was badmouthing him for a while. Why did she feel the need to go? She says her friend did. She should have said she didn’t feel comfortable with it. He told her she couldn’t come anyway. Sonja says she was invited, but didn’t respond.

Andy says the show is a huge success. It’s been in San Francisco and LA, as well as NYC. He asks if the success is affecting LuAnn. Bethenny says, she’s feeling herself, and Dorinda says, she’s losing people. They can’t deal with her ego; she’s confused fame and infamy. Dorinda says her mother always told her, humility should prevail, not ego. Bethenny thinks there’s a lot going on. It got larger than life, and needs to be leveled. Andy asks what she believes to be the catalyst, and Bethenny says the family suing her. She would never take from her children; she wanted to be there for them. Dorinda suggests an extra reunion for LuAnn, and I think that’s a great idea. Andy knows she’ll be back.

The Bethenny and Carole feud is next. Andy says, ride or die turned into fight and cry. We flash back to their various altercations, ending with Carole saying they’ll find their sweet spot again. Andy says they haven’t found it, and Carole says, yet. Andy asks how it happened. Bethenny says they didn’t see each other much over the summer. There was a shift (the word of the season), and she thought it would go away. They were on different pages in their lives. Bethenny talks about dropping Carole off and picking her up in Montauk, and how Carole didn’t invite her in. Carole says she didn’t want to foist new people on Bethenny, since she had enough going on already. Bethenny says she felt left out. Carole tells Bethenny that she tried to help her with Puerto Rico. As a friend, she’s had Bethenny’s back. If someone else talked about her, Carole would always say, maybe she’s having a bad day, adding she loves Bethenny. Carole brings up Bethenny recounting the Adam story, and Bethenny says she thought they’d broken up. When she realized they were still friends, she retreated. Andy thinks there was a lot of miscommunication, Carole says she thinks Bethenny didn’t want it to go back to normal. She thought they had a good talk after the holidays. Beth says Carole claimed she didn’t have high hopes, but Carole says what she said was that she was proceeding with caution. They start talking about the texting thing, with Carole putting on her glasses, and reading them from her phone. Bethenny pulls out papers, and they go back and forth for what seems like forever.

Carole says she told Bethenny that she didn’t think it was a conversation to be had by texting, but Bethenny kept going on and on. Bethenny says, other than saying Carole didn’t have a career, she didn’t talk bad about her the whole season. Carole disagrees, and Andy thinks they both said negative things about each other. We see clips of that. Carole accuses Bethenny of lying, and says she’s a bully. Bethenny asks for an example. Carole says it started with Bethenny talking about her and Tinsley. She can’t remember all the insults and passive aggressive stuff. Andy helps stir the pot by saying Bethenny said she was a clingy girlfriend. Carole says, she creates a false narrative when a narrative is unavailable. Carole says Bethenny claimed she wasn’t interested in Puerto Rico, and only cares about herself. She called Carole a puppet – Bethenny interjects that Ramona said that – and said she was childless and jobless. Carole says if her husband hadn’t died, she would have a kid. She says it started in the Berkshires, when Bethenny age-shamed her. We see a clip of Bethenny saying Carole wants to be forty-five, but acts like she’s seven. Carole says she’s never once lied about her age. Bethenny tells Carole that she meant Carole should embrace her age, rather than be someone she’s not. Carole says she wouldn’t say half of the things Bethenny does to an enemy. All she’s ever said about Bethenny, is that she’s proud of her. Bethenny says Carole has called her a narcissist twice, said she gave a performance about the nutcracker, and said she’s a sociopath.

Andy jumps in the pot, saying that reading Carole’s blog, it seems like things are worse than she’s saying. He reads, in Bethenny’s myopic world, she’s judge, jury, and executioner. She’s incapable of having a conversation unless she’s in control of the narrative – everyone’s narrative. She could give a master class in gaslighting. Bethenny asks Carole when she got her medical degree. Dorinda says Bethenny called her a drunk, Sonja a loser, and Tinsley crazy. Carole asks, is this what she calls female empowerment? Bethenny says Carole talked about her doing B-movies (I fail to see how this as an insult, but okay), and Carole says that’s not shaming; it’s the truth. They talk at the same time, which I hate because then you can’t understand either one of them. Carole says she can match her resume to Bethenny’s, and Bethenny says, the current decade. Carole wonders if bashing is her idea of female empowerment. Bethenny says Carole constantly bashes her on her blog. Carole says Bethenny bashed her on the show. Andy says they bashed each other. Carole gets pissed at Andy, and asks if he’s afraid of her too.

The episode was dedicated to Dennis Shields – 1962-2018.

Next time – The Reunion – Part 3 – Bethenny gets in Carole’s face – like really, she gets up and gets in her face, the boat trip is relived, and Tinsley joins the fray.

🍲 On MasterChef the cooks made dinner for fire fighters on a farm where they fought 281,000 acres burning during a wildfire. The fire was so huge, it was seen from space. For the team challenge, Cesar was the blue captain, and Bowen the red. Bowen’s strategy was to kick Cesar’s ass, which was pretty vague. The protein choices were rack of lamb and sea bass, which we learned is cooked properly when it turns bright white. The teams were already chosen by the judges, and a coin toss determined which captain would have a choice between picking the protein or team they wanted. Bowen won, and chose the protein – sea bass. Cesar explains that the hardest part of cooking lamb is rendering the fat. In a test piece, the lamb is raw (bleh. I’m not a fan of lamb to begin with), and they ended up using the quicker, but more inferior according to Cesar, method of cutting the fat off. Apparently, it was worth it, since the blue team won.

The pressure test was making three different kinds of pasta. Joe called the pasta by Italian names, and my translation was, ribbons, ravioli, and narrow tubes. They had sixty minutes, which seemed highly unreasonable to me, especially since there were also three different sauces. Hard to believe, but my first “real” job was being a short-order cook in an Italian restaurant. During slow times we did things like make pasta. We also ate – a lot. I copied down their meatball recipe before I left. But I digress. Joe gave a demonstration. When testing her pasta, he told Shanika that it was like a fossil, which sounds pretty bad. In the end, she didn’t make enough, and Joe said, it wasn’t the dish. Gordon told her, it was a bad finish. She didn’t have enough time to make the burnt butter for one of the dishes, and Joe said it tasted like movie theatre popcorn. I can’t even imagine. Aaron told Ashley that her pasta wasn’t talking to him like a pasta should. I have no idea what that means. Bowen never ate pasta before. How is that even possible? Joe said it was so thin, it was disintegrating, and like eating a tissue. Eww! Samantha was the winner, and said she cooked for her life – and then some. Ashley had enough compelling elements to stick around.

Shanika was out. Joe saying it was unfortunate that pasta took down a lioness like her. Her money was on Bowen getting focused and winning. She was super proud of what she’d done. She never had any lessons in cooking, and taught herself. She was pushed and tested beyond her imagination, and it ignited a fire in her. You go, girl!

Did I mention the quarter million-dollar prize? The Mystery box contained discarded ingredients. Things like chicken carcasses, carrot tops, chicken livers, and vegetable scraps. Aaron told us there are 1.3 billion tons of food thrown in the trash every year, and a movement is on the rise to reduce food waste. Food waste is a pet peeve of mine, and I thanked God our supermarket had “ugly” (cheap) produce when we were more broke than we are now. The cooks could only use the staple pantry for this challenge. The special guest cooking with them was Gordon, and they had forty-five minutes to turn trash into a MasterChef worthy dish.

Gordon couldn’t help but show off, and made three dishes, including a chicken liver mousse. Samantha made bone broth; Ashley created a pasta dish; and Cesar cooked a chicken liver mushroom thing that looked very tasty. It turned out in his broke days, Cesar’s dad was a dumpster diver. Cesar was the winner this time. For the pressure test, again the cooks could only use the staple box, and were required to turn farm fresh ingredients into the best dish of their lives. Cesar received an added bonus of getting to save one other person, and he chose my dude Gerron. He said they had the same food/culture mission, and he thought it would be a good battle. An admirable reason. Once again, I’m surprised Julia exists, she’s so under-the-radar. She did not do well, and ironically, was told her dish was bland. Ashley had great finesse, and the perfect medium rare steak, but Aaron said Farhan’s beet puree was so off-putting, it ruined the dish. Julia and Farhan were on the chopping block, both from Chicago, and both having Aaron as a mentor. They did that switcharoo thing I hate, where Gordon told Farhan to undo his apron strings – and then do them tighter, because he squeaked by. Julia was out, but Gordon told her to continue the journey. Aaron told her to keep her head held high, and go kick ass in Chicago. She said she’d had an amazing journey, and found her voice, even if I failed to notice it. She won five out of five challenges, and said she’s going to be around a long time.

Next time, another two-hour show, the top six take over a world-class restaurant in a challenge that’s all heart.

🐹 Because this week, I’m like a hamster on a wheel, and I want to do justice to my shows – or at least a respectable job of editing – The Real Housewives of Dallas will be in tomorrow’s blog.

🌀 The Blue Grotto…

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Aug23

August 22, 2018 – Julian Sneaks Around, NYC Reunion Begins, Black Forest Dreams, Chef Links, Dallas Later, Background for Medicine & Dress-Up

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What I Watched Today

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

 

General Hospital

Curtis asks if Drew isn’t attracted to a smart, funny, successful woman. Drew says it’s not that; he thinks Margaux has an agenda. Curtis says he didn’t find anything. She might as well be called No Drama Dawson. Drew thinks there’s more to Margaux than they’re seeing. Curtis says he guesses Drew would know, and shows him the picture from The Invader.

Margaux looks at the same picture at the bar, and asks Peter how he feels about lawsuits. He says he’s not a fan. She can’t believe he’s still walking free. She wants to find the publisher of this rag, and he says she’s looking at him.

At the MetroCourt, Nina and Maxie are having a meeting. Lulu stops by, and asks Nina if they’re still meeting about Charlotte’s schedule, and Nina says they’re still on. Lulu says she might not be in Valentin’s life anymore, she’ll always be in Charlotte’s. Nina thanks Lulu for including her.

Brad and Lucas come to the hospital with the baby. Kim asks how the two fathers are, and Lucas says Wiley might not be theirs much longer.

Alexis tells Diane that she knew this could happen, but hoped it wouldn’t. Diane thought the path was clear, but shame on her. The window exists for a reason. Alexis asks if Diane knows why the birth mother would reconsider after all this time. Julian opens the door a crack so he can hear better.

Michael goes to Sonny’s place and looks at family photos. Sonny walks in, and asks how it was. Michael says, quiet and peaceful. He stayed longer than he meant to. He didn’t know how to leave. Sonny says there’s a terrible moment when you bury someone you love. The grave is covered, the prayers have been said, you said everything you can say. You want to walk away, but can’t. It’s over. He tells Michael that he’s going to get on with his life. The life waiting for him, but not with them. You miss them, remember them, and imagine what it would be like with them, but it’s just a game in your head. You’re trying to hide from the grief, but the longer you keep playing that game, the worse it’s going to get.

Diane tells Alexis it won’t make things less difficult. The odds of Brad and Lucas keeping the baby are slim to none. There are no red flags with the birth mother, and no reason to question her fitness. Alexis tells her to say Brad and Lucas love their son is an understatement. Diane asks if she’s prepared them, and Alexis says they understand it’s likely they’ll lose. Diane says her paralegal was supposed to bring her a file. She looks out in the hallway, and Julian ducks around a corner. Alexis really wishes they weren’t going through this proceeding, and Diane says, you and me both.

Drew tells Curtis that Margaux asked him to help her bring down Sonny. Curtis asks what he said, and Drew says he accused her of flirting with him to get him to flip on Sonny, but it’s not happening. Curtis asks if that’s when she laid one on him. Drew says she insisted she was genuinely interested in him. There’s something going on with that woman, and he’s going to find out what.

Margaux says Peter is the publisher of The Invader? He says, the one and only. She says he certainly rose from the ashes. He thanks her, but she says it’s not a compliment. He asks why she’s so angry, and she says he turned something he knows nothing about into a news story. Congratulations on his breathtaking lack of scruples. His father would be proud.

Lulu tells Maxie and Nina that Peter is there, and he offered her a job. Maxie asks if he’s making the rounds. Lulu says, her too? Nina asks if she took it, but Lulu says, no way. She works for s legitimate publication that has staff meetings. She goes over to Peter, and tells him to cancel dinner on Friday. She won’t be joining him. She doesn’t deal in fake news. Maxie asks Nina what’s wrong with Peter that he’s poaching employees from his old company? It’s tacky. She sees Nina isn’t paying attention, and says, earth to Nina; what’s going on? Nina says she was remembering what day it was. Valentin comes in, and asks to speak to Nina. Maxie says they’re in the middle of a working lunch, but Nina says, it’s okay. They have unfinished business to attend to.

Drew says Margaux showed interest too quickly. Curtis says he doesn’t see it, but maybe she finds him irresistible. Drew tells him that she said since he has Jason’s memories, he knows where the bodies are buried. Curtis says she kissed him anyway. Does he like her, or did he before? What if he’s wrong? What if she’s digging him, and he missed out because he’s too damn stubborn?

Margaux says apparently she’s not the only one who questions Peter’s journalistic integrity. He says there’s nothing wrong with printing a picture of a public servant. She’s not off limits; neither is Drew. If she wants less coverage, she should control her impulses. She asks if he’s trying to piss her off. He says, no, and actually thinks they like each other.

Valentin asks to speak to Nina privately, but Nina says whatever he’s got to say, he can say in front of Maxie. He asks if she knows what day it is, and Maxie wonders what’s up with the day? Nina says Valentin had thirty days to change her mind, and they’re up. Maxie says she’s still going through with the divorce, right?

Kim tells Brad and Lucas that she’s sorry. Lucas says the birth mother changed her mind once; they’re hoping she changes it again. It’s possible. Brad says they already love him so much.

Diane feels for Brad and Lucas, but tells Alexis it could be worse. She just came from the funeral for Michael’s baby. Alexis says at least they have the comfort of knowing the baby is alive and well. Diane says either her paralegal was held up or took a long lunch. She’ll collect the file herself. Alexis says she’s very hands-on. Diane tells her, never let it be said that Diane Miller is spoiled. Alexis says, except when Max is feeding her grapes during her mani/pedi.

When they’re gone, Julian pops out, and goes into the office.

Curtis doesn’t want Drew to miss out on something special because he was burned in the past. He suggests he bring her to the reception. He gave Drew a plus one; he might as well use it. He can show Margaux his fancy Macarena dance moves. Drew says he’s just trying to be realistic, but Curtis says sometimes you have to let go and enjoy yourself. Maybe he should stop looking for what’s wrong, and see something right. He doesn’t care what they say, there’s hope for him. Drew says he knows what he’s doing. Curtis says, if you say so. Drew asks if they’re really going to play the Macarena, and Curtis tells him it was hypothetical. Curtis leaves, and Lulu approaches Drew. She says sorry for stalking him, but she needs his help facing the job market.

Peter thinks Margaux could help him; she knows about the juicy stories. If she accommodates him, he’ll do the same. She says, in his dreams. He tells her, there’s no expiration date on the offer. If she changes her mind, she knows where to find him.

Valentin tells Nina it’s torture living without her, and Charlotte misses her. Maxie tells him not to use his daughter as emotional blackmail. He says they can make it work, better than it was before. Maxie asks if she’s falling for this, and Nina says, sorry. There’s nothing he can do to make up for what he did to Peter. He used an innocent child as a pawn; she can’t get over it. She’s filing for divorce, and he said her wouldn’t fight her. Valentin says he won’t, and she thanks him. She has to go. Maxie asks where she’s going, but Nina doesn’t answer and jets to the elevator like she’s on fire. Maxie says poor Valentin; he didn’t get what he wanted. Valentin says Maxie did. She can’t bring herself blame Peter for Nathan’s death, so she’s punishing him. He admits he played his part. Nina understands his situational ethics; he practices doing what’s necessary to get what he wants. He doesn’t regret a moment spent with her. She knows that he loves her, complete with her complexities, contradictions, and eccentricities. He doesn’t want her money or to control her. He loves her, even flawed. He tells Maxie to punish him, but stop using Nina to do it.

Brad asks Alexis is she’s gotten any ne information. She tells them that Diane is the biological mother’s attorney. Brad says he thought she was sympathetic to them, and Alexis says, she is, but she was there to represent her client. Lucas says, even though the birth mother vetted and selected them, now she wants the child back. It doesn’t matter.

Julian take pics of the adoption file in Diane’s office.

Sonny tells Michael that he’s dealt with grief alone many times, inside himself. Sometimes physically locking the doors and covering the windows; sometime shutting down and focusing on work, so he didn’t have to think about what’s missing or the empty space left behind. Michael says, Jonah didn’t leave anything behind. He sees a picture of Morgan, and thinks of his room, and the memories he has. He can close his eyes and see him; hear his voice. He never even heard Jonah cry. Jonah never touched anything he got for him. That’s why it was easier than he thought to give his stuff away. There’s no way to compare the two. Sonny tells him not to. He loved them both, and lost them both. That’s the hell of it.

Peter is looking at other publications on his tablet, and Maxie asks him if he’s nostalgic for real news. He says he’s checking the competition. He asks how James is, and Maxie tells him not to pretend they’re friends. He says he finds no shame in giving the public what it wants. She asks if that includes poaching employees. He says it clearly bothers her that he offered Lulu a job. He didn’t think they were friends anymore. Like the two of them.

Lulu tells Drew that she’s been demoted. She’s been bumped to puff pieces in favor of a Pulitzer prize winner who came along. Drew admits it’s a good move. Lulu says it’s great, but in the meantime, all the huge stories she wrote don’t exist. Stacy appreciate her work, and said she was grateful for the stories she’s covered about people she knew personally, but she has to come up with something new. Drew says that’s the reason he hired them. If Stacy thinks it’s best for the paper, his advice is to keep it up. Keep doing what she’s doing in the event an opportunity presents itself. She asks if he realizes patience is not a Spencer thing. He wishes he could help. She thanks him for hearing her, and leaves.

Margaux asks if Drew has seen any good headlines, and he says nothing that caught his eye. She says if she’d realized the kiss would be in the news, she would have thought twice about it. He hopes it didn’t damage her reputation. She thinks it’s intact, and asks about his. He thinks he can use it, and she says it’s a win-win. She offers to make it up to him for being a jerk, and asks if he’s hungry.

At the hospital, Julian tells Kim there’s a lot going on. She says she saw Lucas and Brad, and they told her about the birth mother. It breaks her heart. Julian doesn’t understand how she can just take him back. What kind of person does that? Kim says, a mother.

Nina goes to Diane’s office. Diane has the papers drawn up, and asks if Nina has decided what she wants to do. If she’s changed her mind, Diane can make it go away. Nina says she has to divorce her husband

Valentin thanks Curtis for coming. He has a job for him. Curtis says Nina is one of his favorite people, and he feels the opposite about Valentin. Why would he do Valentin a favor? Valentin says it’s not a favor for him. The only person who stands to benefit is Nina.

Michael says he read something that said all grief is unique, yet all grief is the same. Sonny says, the difference is how you deal with it. He’ll realize eventually the only way out is through. He tells Michael not to make the same mistake he did. He has a lot of people who love him and want to help him; let them help. Michael says he just did that, and they hug. Sonny says he’ll be all right.

Brad says Wiley left his binkie in the car, and goes to get it. Alexis asks Lucas if Brad is all right. She needs them both to be focused, and stay strong. They need to present a more stable home.

Kim tells Julian the bond between mother and child is indescribable. He wonders why the birth mother didn’t balk after she gave birth. Kim says she probably doesn’t know what’s happening; she just knows she’s not with him. Maybe she decided she couldn’t go through with it. She’s sorry it’s hurting them so much. He appreciates her perspective, and her listening to him. She tells him to stick around. She leaves, and he gets a call from Brad, who’s freaking out. He asks if Julian has made any headway. How can they make sure no one finds out Wiley is another woman’s son? Julian says he’s on it. He has a plan, and will fill Brad in later. He tells Brad to sit tight. He looks at the photos he took.

Margaux tells Drew that she ran into Peter, and told him what she thought of his brand of journalism. His photographer isn’t bad though. He managed to get her good side. Drew’s, not so much. She asks if she’s boring him already, and he says he’s just trying to figure her out. She didn’t realize she was complicated. He says she came on a bit strong, and she asks if she was obnoxious. He says, direct. He’s wondering what else is going on in there. She says she hates to disappoint him, but what you see is what you get. He doubts that.

Maxie tells Peter that she and Lulu are in a decent place. He’s happy to hear that. Lulu is a lucky woman. Lulu appears, and asks if Peter has a minute. She says it’s kind of awkward, but Maxie will hear it soon enough. She asks if the chief investigative reporter position is still on the table.

Diane asks if Nina is sure. Nina says Valentin changed her office into a Moroccan holiday, bought ads to profess his love in the magazine, and bought Charlotte a horse so they could ride together. They were gestures. Diane says they had an effect. Nina says he lied so much, and condemned a small child to a lifetime of hell. No amount of love can overcome that. Diane says she still loves him, and Nina says, not enough. Diane asks if she can make an observation. Nina has told her some wonderful things he’s done, she’s shaking a little, and still hasn’t picked up the pen. She’s allowed to have reservations. She doesn’t have to go through with it. Diane can bill her for the meeting, and put it in a file; she can decide later. There’s no penalty for not signing. As someone who’s had a ringside seat for these things, there’s a special pain when you divorce someone you love. The breaking apart of two lives causes wear and tear on the heart. She tells Nina to be super certain it’s what she wants to do before she dives in. Nina signs, disappointing both Diane and I.

Curtis says he’s all about making Nina happy, but he doesn’t think they hold the same ticket. Valentin says he can find the one thing that will make her happier than anything. Curtis says, unless he found a new procedure to let her get pregnant… Valentin says he found her child. He doesn’t have a location or ID, but he knows she exists. Nina has a daughter. Curtis says she miscarried. Valentin says that’s what her mother wants her to believe, but she delivered. Curtis asks who told him, and he says, her mother. He had to drag it out of her, but she admitted it, and he believes it. The child doesn’t know she has a mother, and vice versa. Curtis can make that happen.

Margaux tells Drew about prosecuting someone she went out with in middle school. She thought it would be a conflict of interest, even though they only went together for all of seven hours. Her boss told her the discussion was a waste of time, and the case was a waste of court time. In the end, he caved, and took a plea deal of five years. Drew asks if she had no qualms about putting her first love in prison. She says it was her first conviction. He’ll always have a special place in her heart. She’s a DA first; everything else she does is second, although she’s passionate about baseball. He asks, what else? and she says, him first. What inspires his passion?

Peter tells Lulu the job is hers if she wants it. Lulu says, no hard feelings? and he says, none. Maxie says she can’t be serious. Lulu says circumstances changed. She realized a great opportunity. Chief investigative reporter would take her years anywhere else. Maxie says she’ll have to be with him all the time. She says she won’t; she’ll be gone on assignment. Peter says they’ll hardly see each other. Lulu says she’s doing this. She’s in.

Lucas asks Brad where the binkie is, and he says he just needed air. Alexis asks if he feels any better, and he says, for the first time since this went down, he feels hopeful that Wiley is going to stay with them. Lucas says, from his lips. They hug, and Alexis looks worried.

Julian is looking at his phone when Kim comes back. She says she needs to take a raincheck for lunch; a patient is in labor. She’s sorry about what Brad and Lucas are going through – and him. They can’t control the fate of their children. Sometimes all they can do is hope. She leaves, and he looks at the form on his phone again. He sees a phone number and calls it. He says, you don’t know me, but I think we should meet.

Tomorrow, Finn says now they’re all at risk, David asks what Kiki is waiting for, and Ryan says there’s a dangerous man loose in Port Charles.

The Real Housewives of New York City – The Reunion – Part One

Carole says reunions are group therapy and torture. Ramona says she’s calm, but things can change quickly. Bethenny says she’s like the mother of dragons, fighting multiple blondes. I gasp when I see Bethenny’s dress. She looks like a princess. All of the dresses are beautiful, although I’m not quite as crazy about Carole’s. I’m just not into her style.

Andy welcomes us to the season ten reunion, where they’re putting a bow on a gift of a season. Sonja is wearing one of her own dresses, and I have to mention, she has very pretty things for sale at very reasonable prices. No surprise, Dorinda is wearing Jovani. Just so she can say it again. LuAnn couldn’t be there, since she’s back in rehab – which sux – but Andy says they still have an incredible season to talk about.

Bethenny says her apartment exceeded expectations, and it’s like a home in the city. Avery moved out, so Ramona has listed her apartment for sale. Andy asks Carole the latest about her and Adam. He says at the end it was confusing; Adam was sending her tulips. Carole says they’re friends, but don’t get coffee. Tinsley got a haircut. She was worried it would make her feel older and fatter, but she feels younger and thinner. Yes, Tinsley, when you hit a certain age, long hair just makes you look like you’re trying to look younger. Unless you’re Crystal Gayle. Dorinda has been working out. She thought if Carole could do a marathon, she could get her lazy ass up, and she got a trainer. Sonja tells us that she’s a pescatarian, someone who doesn’t eat meat, but eats fish.

We look back over the fashion during the season. Ugh! Dorinda’s Lady Gaga bubble dress. That so did not work for me. And LuAnn’s Diana Ross wig. Ha-ha-ha! Andy asks about it. Bethenny says her dog had died that day, and she didn’t even notice. Carole says LuAnn is tone deaf when it comes to racial stereotypes. They agree she looked darker on TV. Andy asks about best and worst Halloween costume. Dorinda says hers was both – she lost all her bubbles by the end of the night. We find out Lady Gaga’s mother goes to Dorinda’s church.

We discuss Bethenny’s disaster relief. We see a clip of her getting an award, and clips from Puerto Rico. We flash back to Bobby’s funeral, and the Halloween party. The nutcracker incident is relived. Dorinda gets annoyed all over again. We see Ramona giving Bethenny the business, and her calling Bethenny out about not supporting women in the finale. Andy asks Bethenny about reconnecting with Jill. It was a surprise to Bethenny too. She says she knew she wouldn’t regret going, but would regret not going. It brought back memories, and Jill approached her afterward. Since then, they’ve been texting. Ramona thought it was bizarre that Bethenny asked them to film it. Andy says they were invited by Jill. Dorinda finds it morbid. Andy squashes that. He brings up Bobby not being able to fix things between them, and Bethenny tells him that everyone at the funeral said Bobby would never say no to Jill, but Jill told her he refused to fix their relationship. That was something she had to do for herself, but in the end, he did fix it, since it was at his funeral that they reconciled. We flash back to when their relationship deteriorated. Ramona says she thought it was opportunistic, and not genuine. Sonja says that’s not how Jill feels. Bethenny says it’s not about Ramona, and the important thing is Jill was happy. Dorinda asks if they’ve had lunch. Bethenny says, no, and Dorinda says, no cameras. Bethenny says Jill is making an effort, and she’s dipping her toe in the water. Ramona makes it about her. Andy says Jill has been dating a guy who used to date Ramona. There probably aren’t many guys Ramona hasn’t dated.

Andy asks what was it about Puerto Rico that spoke to Bethenny? She seemed immersed in it. She says seeing it moved her. She thanks all of them for donating. Love her or hate her, she’s grateful. This prompts Dorinda and Carole to start a big thing, saying they don’t hate her. Ramona says Bethenny doesn’t like to say anything positive, but if they say one negative thing, she gets mad. Bethenny says Ramona has only been nasty to her. We flash back to the Singer Stinger. Omg, I always forget what a nut she is. Ramona says Bethenny ends up alone because she’s a mean girl and a bully. Bethenny says she doesn’t want to talk to her. Andy wants to talk about the nutcracker.

Dorinda says Bethenny freaked out when it arrived, but she didn’t feel appreciated. She says she wished Bethenny had been more gracious. She and Carole insist Bethenny knew it was coming. Bethenny says Dorinda called when they were still in the Berkshires, and the guy said he had it. Everyone talks over Bethenny, and Andy wants to hear her effing answer. Bethenny says they were all in the text, and she has several texts and sent video of her daughter. Why is it about Dorinda and not her daughter? Dorinda says it’s called being gracious.

A viewer asks why Bethenny was condescending about Ramona’s skincare line. Bethenny says since the show began, Ramona has had at least ten business ventures that went nowhere. Currently, she’s still feverishly working on it. The products don’t exist. Bethenny claims Ramona criticizes Sonja for fake businesses, and Ramona says Bethenny was the one who did. I do remember that. We flash back to Bethenny saying Sonja’s businesses aren’t real, and they all start talking at once again, going you, you, you. Ramona can’t take Bethenny’s lies. Sonja accuses Ramona of stirring the pot from the beginning. Bethenny doesn’t think it’s ethical to make women think it’s that easy. She keeps saying she’s a maven of everything, and she’s not. Ramona says she put herself through college; not like Bethenny, who had a rich father. Andy asks the status of Ramona’s products, and she says, they’re in formulation. Uh-huh. She wants to know why Bethenny can’t support her? She’s a bitch to her, and should take a mirror. Whatever that means. Ramona says she supported Bethenny. Sonja tries to interject, and Ramona puts her hand over Sonja’s mouth. That’s so disrespectful, and I can’t believe no one said anything.

Ramona continues to babble, and tells Bethenny, don’t say she’s fake with her fake t*ts. We’re all like, huh? since Ramona clearly has been enhanced. Ramona says she did it at fifty-five, while Bethenny was thirty – like this matters. Andy asks why Ramona freaked on the phone call to Bethenny. She says Bethenny said she was enjoying Bethenny and Carole not being friends, and she felt terrible that they weren’t friends. Dorinda says Ramona wasn’t happy about it. Ramona says she doesn’t know what happened in Bethenny’s life, but doesn’t see things for what they are. Bethenny tells Ramona that she’s critical. If line is really happening, Bethenny is sorry she didn’t congratulate her.

Andy says refused to take Ramona on; why not acknowledge her? Bethenny says, it was LuAnn’s night. She didn’t want an altercation with Ramona. Carole asks, why not just say congratulations? Bethenny tells Carole to butt out, and she’ll call her when she needs her. Bethenny agrees her delivery isn’t the best. Andy says everyone weirdly winds up going to Bethenny when they’re going through big things. Ramona broke down about Mario in Turks and Caicos. Dorinda was crying to her about LuAnn on the island. We flash back to those times. Dorinda says when Bethenny is on, she’s on. She really shows an interest. Carole says she zeros in, and Dorinda says everyone has been supportive to her.

Dorinda is up next, and we flash back to her finest, and not so fine, moments. Dude, just refrain from drinking on camera and you’ll be okay, but when more than one person calls you a donkey, it’s time to check for the ears. Dorinda wants to be clear. She thinks LuAnn should apologize to her. Andy asks if Bethenny thinks Dorinda is a drunk or has a drinking problem. Dorinda says Bethenny doesn’t know her life, and suggests she be careful. Bethenny says she’s been through one intervention this week. Dorinda doesn’t believe Bethenny thinks she’s a drunk, but she was angry because Dorinda got drunk. She says what Bethenny said was hurtful, and she was blindsided. She was excited and super proud to be going to Puerto Rico. Andy rephrases, and asks if Bethenny thinks Dorinda has a drinking problem. Bethenny says she’s not qualified to make that call. Dorinda says Bethenny has no business labeling people. If she thought Dorinda was in trouble, she should have told Dorinda to stay home. Bethenny says she didn’t know how drunk Dorinda was. She had seen her manage to get through dinners before, and wasn’t focusing on her. Bethenny says she was the one who called attention to it in a constructive way. Carole says it’s not constructive to call someone a drunk on TV. Bethenny says it’s not constructive to call someone narcissistic, but it hasn’t stopped Carole from saying that about her multiple times. Carole says she calls it like she sees it. Bethenny says, so does she.

Andy says they’ve watched over a period of years, Dorinda getting to the point where she gets wound up. Sometimes it’s funny, like her toast to LuAnn on the boat – we watch it again – but thee are times like when she cut her hand. We see a clip of Dorinda telling Bethenny that she sliced her hand open with her cutlery – or when she says things she regrets the next day. We see a few of those. He asks if she thinks she has a relationship with alcohol that’s sometimes unhealthy. Dorinda says she even said at the time, she wasn’t in a good place. She was very unhappy last fall, and thinks she was depressed. She didn’t know her place, and felt heavy in all ways. She had to look at that, and what happened with Bethenny. Something had to give. Bethenny says, it didn’t. She saw Dorinda drinking in the morning. Dorinda says Bethenny does the same thing. Bethenny asks if she wants to compare histories. Ramona announces none of them are drunks. Dorinda thanks them for their inspiration and support. She’s in a good place now. Bethenny has bashed her in every interview that she could. Dorinda hasn’t said one mean thing. Bethenny disagrees. Andy asks if Dorinda doesn’t think she has a problem with alcohol, totally ignoring her having moved on from that topic.

Next time – Part Two – more on Dorinda’s drinking, some on LuAnn’s drinking, Tinsley’s relationship with Scott is discussed, Dorinda yells Jovani! Dorinda’s heckling is on the table, as well as Carole’s blog, and poop.

🍰 MasterChef traveled to one of oldest airbases, March Air Reserve Base, to celebrate their 100th anniversary. The contestants had to make one hundred plates to feed the troops, after dividing into two teams. Cesar was captain of the red team, and Emily, the blue. Gordon switched things up by having the team members pick their captain. Gordon yelled at Samantha about how she was cutting the asparagus, which ticked her off, since she’d already argued with Cesar about it. Emily got a lecture about incinerating pork chops. The air force parachuted in, invading the kitchen. Cesar’s team made steak, while Emily’s was pork chops. A raw pork chop was discovered, as well as a hair in the steak. A skydiver declared the winner by landing on a red or blue square. At first, we thought blue was the winner, until a second skydiver landed on red. Gordon said it was extraordinary. For the first time in the history of MasterChef, there was a tie. The judges made the final decision, and it was the red team by a narrow margin. Their presentation put them over the top. Gordon described the pressure test as an extremely technical multilayered culinary classic – black forest cake. It was foodgasm time, and the cake was to die for. Emily said baking was her wheelhouse. She had to decide between picking one person to go up against, and saving three others, or saving only herself. She said being safe was the best feeling in the world, but her thought her skills would keep her safe, and chose going head to head with Shanika. Emily put her cake in the glass chiller before its time, and it fell over. Since they were both Joe’s people, she was concerned about disappointing him. I loved how the judges looked at the cakes, like they were examining slides under a microscope. Emily’s ratio of cake to cream between the layers was off, but her addition of extra cocoa powder paid off in flavor. Shanika got the layers right, but Joe thought it tasted like chocolate pound cake. Gordon said it was probably the most difficult and stressful 75 minutes of their lives. The judges had little room to decide, and had to dissect each element. Emily was sent home, and Shanika said David beat Goliath. I’ll bet Emily was sorry about deciding to go for the challenge. Joe quoted Churchill, saying, success is not final, and failure is not fatal; it’s the courage to continue that counts. Emily said she comes from a small town, and to be in the MasterChef top ten was a dream experience. It added to passion for food, which will continue to grow.

The mystery box contained something different for each cook – peaches, lobster, clams, corn, butternut squash, potatoes, cranberries, venison, and duck – nine American ingredients that the country was built on. They had forty-five minutes, and could make any dish, as long as their ingredient was the star. They were also allowed to use THE PANTRY. The mentors spent time with the cooks, which we really haven’t seen much of before. Joe told Gerron that his peach whatever tasted like home, and his grandmother’s kitchen. I couldn’t think of a better compliment. I grew up eating what I called “Depression food.” My father made all kinds of soups and stews with ingredients kids today would never eat. My favorite was neck bone soup. It is so tasty, and I tried to make it myself once. It was good, but just not the same, and they hit the nail on the head – it needed to taste like home. Aaron pleaded with Farhan to lay off the coconut milk. Gerron’s peach dish was the winner, and I think my money is on him now. He was safe, and got to pick the teams for the tag team challenge, which was to make the perfect platter of Mediterranean food. I’m not crazy about feta cheese, but Trader Joe’s makes the best tomato/feta cheese soup. It’s like tasting a grilled cheese sandwich inside the soup. Just sayin’. Farhan said tag teams bring out the worst in people, and he was right. They had sixty minutes, and did not get to use THE PANTRY, but got a set amount of ingredients. Gerron was pleased with strategy, and thought his devious plan would work. Cesar and Bowen were safe right away, followed by Farhan and Ashley. Gordon said Shanika and Emily’s effort was unbalanced and fragmented, but they squeaked by. Taylor and Julia lacked direction and ownership, and the fundamental flaws in their dishes were unacceptable for being in the top nine. Only Taylor got the boot though, with Gordon saying Julia had done 85% of the work. He told Taylor to continue her food dream. Then it was the part where everyone cries while they wave goodbye, but you know they’re all glad it’s not them. Taylor was thankful for the opportunity, and grateful for Gordon’s mentoring. She was sad to go, but proud of who was walking out. She was a stronger person and home cook than when she walked in, and closer to her culinary dream of opening a restaurant. She was excited about what lies ahead. Joe’s advice to the remaining contestants was if they couldn’t stand the heat of the top eight, they’ll soon be out of the kitchen. That’s more like a fortune cookie than advice, but okay. Next time, another two-hour episode. The cooks serve firefighters, and transform trash into treasure.

🍴 Two Links That are Cooking…

If you have a dream, apply for MasterChef here:

Fox.com/masterchef

If you want to dream at home, cook with previous chefs here:

cookingwithmasterchef.com

🐮 Tune in tomorrow for The Real Housewives of Dallas.

🏥 Paging Doctor In-Your-Face…

Married to Medicine: How They Got Here airs Sunday, August 26th, at 10 pm. I might check it out, but I rarely watch the show anymore. I watched the first couple of seasons, but it fell by the wayside when I started feeling embarrassed for them. I just kept thinking, these are professionals; why? I was hoping for something more like Blood, Sweat and Heels, but got something closer to Jerry Springer. I like a good hair pulling as much as the next Housewife viewer, but I have my limits. I do like Dr. Jackie, the voice of reason, but I’m actually surprised she even knows these people.

👠 I’d Love to Play Dress-Up In This…

BethennyReunion

🌍 Preferably in Naples…

Naples

Aug16

August 15, 2018 – Dallas on the Morrow, Griff Gets Called to the Office, #Countessandfriends, Defined by Halibut, Not That Sandra Dee, Finally & LuAnn

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What I Watched Today

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

 

Today was a tough TV road to hoe. For some reason, Bravo decided to put the finale of The Real Housewives of NYC on at 8 pm, and premiere the Dallas Wives at 9. Since I’ve been mini-capping MasterChef (also on at 8), I didn’t want to miss it, and it was the finale of 24 Hours to Hell and Back, and I didn’t want to miss that either. Luckily, NYC Wives repeated at 10, and Dallas at 11:30. Speaking of which, is Andy Cohen on vacation again? Watch What Happens Live was not live, but a repeat. The result is postponing Dallas Wives until tomorrow. It needs editing, and this girl needs her beauty sleep. I know, this should be my worst problem.

General Hospital

Carly sees Sonny looking at Alzheimer facility brochures. She give him a cup of coffee, and asks if he’s had a change of heart. He says, the two things that are most important to him in the world; her and coffee. She hopes in that order. He says it’s not even close, takes a sip, and says, on second thought… He’d been thinking about showing Mike the brochures, but he made it clear yesterday that he’s not ready.

Franco and Elizabeth have breakfast at Charlie’s. Franco asks if she’s fine with Cameron giving her the silent treatment. It’s only natural that he’d be sulking. Elizabeth is concerned about his mood shifts, and Franco says he’s a fine young man. He doesn’t think Cameron will let a kid drown because he’s moping.  Elizabeth doesn’t want to be one of those moms who puts a tracking device on their kid. Kim comes in, and tells Elizabeth that she’s sorry she couldn’t make it to Kiki’s trial, but she heard the great news. Franco says to think he almost screwed it up. One wrong text to one wrong person, and Rome almost falls.

At the hospital, Monica asks to talk to Griff.

Julian calls Alexis to congratulate her. She asks if he’s talked to his sister. He’s left messages but all is silent. Alexis says Ava was the one who prodded Scotty to ask about Griff. She almost cost Kiki the case. He might tell her while she’s being so concerned over what Kiki and Griff did, she should think about what she almost did to her own daughter. Sam and Molly come by bringing breakfast. Sam says Alexis doesn’t seem happy. Molly says she struck a blow for women in general, and and Kiki in particular. Alexis says Kiki got justice, but it came at a price.

Griff understand that the hospital took a hit regarding David. He assures Monica that what happened between him and Kiki was nothing like that.

Kiki knock’s on Ava’s door. Ava says, go away, but Kiki tells her to open the door.

Sonny tells Carly that his dad thinks of it as home; not just the house, but Port Charles. He has history there, and there’s no history in places like that. How can they help him? Carly says they’ve come up with ways she and Sonny haven’t thought of. Mike listens in. Sonny says Mike is doing okay. He does better in the daytime, so Sonny does business at night, spending the afternoon time with him that he didn’t get as a little boy. How can he give that up when he doesn’t have to? Mike joins them, saying he’s feeling great. He was thinking it’s too nice to be cooped up. Let’s take off. Sonny says he’ll have Max bring the car around. Carly says she doesn’t have to be anywhere, and asks Mike, how about spending the morning together? They can make up for lost time. Sonny asks where they’re going, and Carly says, wherever Mike wants to go. Mike knows where, and Carly says they won’t be gone long. Mike says, unless they are. He might decide to steal her.

Julian tells Franco that Ava is radio silent. Franco says that can’t be good. Julian doesn’t know how Scotty found out, and Elizabeth says the important thing is that Kiki won. Kim says it’s wonderful that she’s donating the money to women’s causes. Too bad David won’t face real consequences.

Sonny looks at a brochure. The phone rings, and he says, send her up.

Sam tells Alexis she’s very proud, and Molly says they both are. Sam says, if karma is real, David will get what’s coming to him. Alexis appreciates it. She says it’s affected the big picture – ideals, the system, society – but the woman who fought and won will have to go back to work and be judged for the choices she made.

Monica tells Griff that he’s not there to discuss his personal life. What David did was reprehensible, but Griff has violated the hospital’s core values, not to mention the law. She asks if this is his signature, and hands him the DNA test request.

Ava says Kiki must be on top of the world this morning. The press is calling her vindicated. She says the press is calling her a lot of things. She thinks Ava deserves an explanation; so does she. Ava says Griff already took the blame. She doesn’t need Kiki’s mea culpa. Kiki wants to own her part, and Ava says there’s nothing to own. She understands perfectly well. Griff can’t resist a damsel in distress. He’s always a shoulder to cry on, and they have a picture to prove it. Kiki says he was being a good person and a good friend. Ava says she was wounded, lost. He took her into his arms, said there there, then took her into bed. Kiki says it wasn’t like that. Ava says what was it like? Kiki says in Ava’s number at the Nurses’ Ball, she was telling Griff that he doesn’t own her, and she’ll do what she wants. She wanted to break up. She ended things and walked out. Ava says it was only five minutes later. Kiki says, an hour, but he didn’t cheat on her or betray her. Ava says, maybe not, but Kiki sure as hell did.

Kristina shows up at Sonny’s. She’s sorry she didn’t call, and he says it’s good to see her. She says it’s good to be home. He asks how long she’s staying, and she says it’s just a quick trip. Sam kept her posted on what’s been going on, and she wanted to be here for her family. He says, funny how that works. Her family needs her right now.

Mike and Carly go to Charlie’s. Carly can’t believe this is where he wanted to go, and he says, it feels like home. He tells her to look at the pictures; every one tells a story. Julian tells Carly that he knows they’ve had their differences. Carly says they still do. Mike says he’s shaky on names, and Julian reintroduces himself. Carly asks how they met, and Julian says Sonny brought mike in. He knew Charlie; back in the day, he and Charlie were friends. Mike tells Julian, if he says so, and Julian tells her about the photo of Mike and Charlie. He says, no surprise, he had ulterior motives in giving it to Sonny. He did want him to have it, but was also extending an olive branch, since he turned down Sonny’s offer to buy the place. Kim tells Carly sorry she hasn’t called. Carly introduces Mike, and Kim says she’s been dying to meet him since he sang at the Nurses’ Ball. He says, it’s always good to meet a fan. He says she’s not a nurse; he knows all of them. Carly tells Kim that Mike is an incorrigible flirt. Kim says she’s a doctor; an OB/GYN. He says his grandson’s wife is having a baby, and Carly distracts him by saying Lucas is Julian’s son, so he’s a grandfather too. Mike says it’s the greatest job ever; you can do no wrong. Julian asks if Mike has any pointers, and Mike says it’s his main job to spoil the grandkids rotten.

Carly thanks Franco for helping Jason break her out. Although she knows he didn’t have much choice.

Monica asks if Griff ordered the test without patient permission. He says he did, and she asks if he’d care to explain why. He says Peter concerned he inherited a gene, but Monica says you don’t rule that out with a paternity test. He says he was led to believe Peter could be Henrik Faison. She says he’s a doctor, not a detective. He says Henrik was considered a dangerous criminal. She says he could have consulted with the legal team, and they would have figured something out. He says it didn’t occur to him, and he didn’t think he could approach anyone. He overheard Jason tell Anna that he’d kill Henrik. He didn’t tell anyone, although he eventually told Peter. He agreed not to reveal Peter’s identity, and Peter agreed he wouldn’t reveal how Griff found out. He asks if Peter told her about it, or was it someone else?

Ava says Kiki might have the grace to apologize, but Kiki’s not sorry anymore. She was drowning in guilt until yesterday when Ava told Scotty to keep pressing Griff until he admitted they slept together. She could have tanked the case. Ava says Griff admitted the truth after she gave him chance to tell her to her face in hallway after Franco pulled the fire alarm. Kiki asks if she thinks that was the right time. A better time might have been after Griff’s testimony. She just had to put it on public display, having Scotty bully him into telling the truth. She was David’s best friend. They could have lost the case because she had to slut shame her own daughter in court.

Sonny asks Kristina how Oregon is, and she tells him, beautiful, friendly, the perfect place to live. He asks about Parker, and Kristina says she’s fine; school is starting soon. He asks if Kristina is going, and she says she’s not cut out for a classroom. He says he wasn’t either. Has she figured out what she wants to do? She says she’s in the process, but she isn’t just sitting around. She has a job as a bartender to keep her occupied until she figures it out. He says he’s not pressing her; he’s just curious. She says, right now, she wants to focus on spending time with her family.

Franco tells Carly he didn’t expect roses, but a small gesture might be appropriate. She asks if he was brought in for questioning. He says, no, and she says Jason made sure he had no involvement. It’s like it didn’t happen. Elizabeth says he took a serious risk, and Carly says he bought truce with Jason; she wouldn’t push it. Franco says, on that note, he’s going back to the hospital. Elizabeth says she’ll catch up with him later. He leaves, and Elizabeth says she’s glad Carly made it through the nightmare and is back home; Josslyn needs her. Carly agrees; she’s her mom. Elizabeth says Josslyn needs her more than usual. They don’t want a repeat of what happened in the store. Carly asks, what store? Elizabeth says Josslyn must not have told her. Cameron got caught shoplifting earbuds. He’d never done anything like that before, and the security camera showed Josslyn with him. Carly asks if Elizabeth is implying that her daughter had something to do with her son shoplifting?

Julian asks if Mike and Charlie were close. Mike says Charlie did a big favor for him one time. It happened right under this roof.

Monica tells Griff hospital policy forbids her telling him who told her. It’s clearly an invasion of privacy, puts the integrity of the hospital in question, and opens them up for lawsuits. He doesn’t think Peter is going to sue, but she says, he could; that’s the problem. Effective immediately, Griff is suspended from any and all duties at GH. She has no choice.

Ava says she wasn’t thinking about David. Kiki says she was only thinking of herself. She didn’t think about jeopardizing everything Alexis and Francesca were fighting for, and sent a message to David and all predators, that they can do and say whatever they want to women. All Griff did was tell the truth. Ava says Kiki won; she had no effect one that. Unlike Kiki, who slept with Griff at the first opportunity. Kiki says it was a mistake. Ava says maybe for Griff, but not for Kiki. It’s payback. She slept with Griff because Ava slept with Morgan.

Elizabeth says Carly has been gone a long time, due to circumstances beyond her control. It’s natural that Josslyn feels lost without her mom, and is acting out for attention. Carly asks if Josslyn was caught, or just Elizabeth’s son. Elizabeth says Josslyn was there. Those are the facts. Deal with them how she sees fit. Carly resents the implication that Josslyn is a bad influence. Elizabeth says those are her words. Carly says, it must suck to be Cameron. His mom can’t see him except as a reflection of herself.

Julian asks Mike, what favor? Kim interrupts, asking Mike about the song he sang. He tells her it was Summer Wind. Carly says they have to go, and Mike tells her that he was just starting to have a good time. She says they promised Sonny, and they leave. Julian asks why Kim did that. She says, what? Interrupt his attempt to coax a man with Alzheimer’s into giving him information? Julian says he was trying to keep Mike from breaking a promise.

Alexis’s doorbell rings. Molly says, OMG, and Alexis asks who it is. Molly tells her to see for herself, and Kristina comes in. She heard about Alexis’s big win; it’s all over the media. She asks if it’s too late for congratulations, and Alexis says, never, and hugs her.

Monica tells Griff the board will review her report, and decide on an appropriate course of action. She has a meeting, but he can stay however long he wants. He sits sites there looking worried. Franco says, look who got called to the principal’s office. Whatever Monica does, he’s getting off easy.

Kiki says she didn’t sleep with Griff to get back at Ava. That would make it too easy for Ava to call them even, when they’re clearly not close. She made a mistake, but Ava is a vicious, vengeful bitch. She seduced Morgan twice, and when that didn’t work, she sabotaged his sanity to break them up. He’s dead because he wanted her daughter more than her. It’s the same with Griff. Ava can’t stand that he wanted her because she’s insecure and spiteful. Now she’s shown the whole world. Ava says if that’s what Kiki thinks, get out. She can forget a relationship with her sister. It’s Avery’s home, not Kiki’s Kiki feels sorry for Avery. She suggests Ava drink some more. When she wakes up, she’ll be another day older, and just as pathetic. Kiki leaves, and Ava takes that suggestion.

Alexis asks if this is Kristina’s first stop or did she see her dad? Kristina says she just came from there. He makes it sound like he has everything under control. Alexis says, he usually does. Molly tells Kristina that Jason his back. Kristina says she heard, and maybe she can stay with Sam and see him there. Sam makes a hmm… face, but says she’s always welcome to crash at her place. Molly and Sam go in the kitchen. Alexis tells Kristina that she didn’t like the way they left things. Kristina doesn’t either. Alexis say the last time they talked, she seemed unhappy. She told Sam, and Sam said not everything is about her. Kristina thinks maybe she should listen to Sam more often, and Alexis thinks maybe they should talk more often. She asks if Kristina is happy. Kristina says, yes, and Alexis tells her, that’s all that matters. They hug.

Back home, Carly tells Sonny that they went to Charlie’s. He asks who’s idea that was. She says Mike’s, and Mike says the guy who runs the place is a sweetheart of guy. Sonny says, that’s one word for him. Mike goes upstairs. Sonny asks Carly if there’s anything he should know about, and she says Julian was chatting with his dad. He told her about the picture of Charlie and Mike. Sonny says Julian gave it to him, and she says he also said Sonny offered to buy place. What’s that about?

Kim wants to trust Julian, but it’s hard when she sees him pumping poor Mike for information. Julian says it has nothing to do with them; it has to do with Charlie’s and the new life he’s built. It’s important. Mike knows a few things, and he wants to find out while Mike still remembers. Kim asks him to please not make her regret believing him. He plans to make sure she never regrets anything. They kiss.

Sonny says he thought the simple solution would be to buy Julian out, but he refused to sell. Carly says, it’s not about the restaurant, is it? Mike asks Carly for help. He found a pile of clothing in the back of his closet. She says it looks like Josslyn’s, and he hopes he didn’t go in the wrong room. Sonny and Carly act like they do that all the time. Carly says she likes to snoop. She thinks the housekeeper must have made a mistake. Sonny has an idea.

Franco says if he punched Griff, he doesn’t know if he could stop. He cares about Kiki, and being naïve and romantic, thought Griff did too. Griff says he does, and Franco says, then what the hell? It’s one thing for him to fall from grace, but to drag Kiki into it… Kiki appears, and says he didn’t drag her anywhere she didn’t want to go. Franco says he’s sorry for contributing to a large degree in the conflict. Kiki says they all make mistakes. Except her mom, who’s deliberately vindictive, but she has to live with that. She needs to talk to Griff. Franco leaves, and she closes the door. Griff thinks he feels better now that it’s out in open. Kiki says she wouldn’t.

Alexis has a client emergency – the only thing that can take her away from the family reunion. Molly says she has to preregister for classes. Sam says she and Kristina will stay and do the dishes. Alexis asks Kristina to save some private time for her before she goes home. Kristina says it’s still her home there, and Alexis says, don’t forget that. After Molly and Alexis leave, Sam tells Kristina it’s just them now. What’s really going on?

Monica finds Griff and Kiki in her office. She asks Kiki if she’s all right, and says she’s sorry about everything David put her through. Kiki wonders why he isn’t being fired, and Monica says he still has his medical license; it wasn’t malpractice. Kiki says, just harassment. Monica would love to talk to her, but she needs a moment with Griff. Kiki steps away, and Griff asks what she found out. She says the people she saw who are on the board were tight-lipped. He’s going to have to turn in his ID when he leaves. Monica gets a page, and says she’s wanted in cardiology. She tells him good luck. Kiki asks Griff if he’s been suspended. He says it looks that way. She asks if it’s because of her.

Ava looks in the mirror and talks to herself. She sees who she is, who she’s always been, and will always be. She’s cold, unfeeling, and she is filled with a need for vengeance – and she will have it. She breaks down and sobs.

Griff swears it had nothing to do with Kiki or the trial. He made a mistake. She asks what kind, but he says it doesn’t matter. She says it does. He’ll be gone, and she needs a friend, an ally. He says she just proved she can stand up for herself. He will always be her ally and friend, no matter what. She tells him to take care, and he says, her too. He takes off his ID.

Carly looks through the pile Mike found; clothing with tags and security sensors still on the. Carly wonders what the hell Josslyn has been up to.

Sonny gives Mike a handmade sign that says, Mike’s Room. Mike says he had no idea Sonny was such a great artist. He thanks Sonny, and says now he’ll never get lost. They hug. Now, even on his good days, Mike is ripping my heart out.

Tomorrow, Terry starts working at the hospital, Josslyn wonders what’s wrong with her, and Jason tells Sonny that they’re going to end this.

The Real Housewives of New York City

LuAnn rehearses for her cabaret. In her interview, she says it’s for real and it’s scary. She can’t wait for the women to see the show; she’s beyond excited. She tells director that she told Sonja to wear underwear. She doesn’t want to be Sonja’s snatchguard. But then again, life is a cabaret.

Sonja isn’t nervous – she’s been entertaining people her whole life – but she doesn’t want to let LuAnn down. LuAnn’s mother and son are coming, and LuAnn told her no T&A. She tells Ramona it’s her schtick, and Ramona thinks she should be herself. Sonja says if her own kids were coming she’s do it.

Bethenny thought it was a joke, but it’s for real. The pressure is on. She expects over-the-top glamour, performance, theater, and a little bit of drag. She tells her glam squad that Carole has changed and they’re in different places.

Daughter Victoria visits LuAnn. LuAnn is freaking out. This is scaring the hell out of her, and she’s wondering if she made a mistake. To keep from panicking, she keeps telling herself, it’s cabaret; even if you make a mistake, it’s not a big deal.

Tinsley tells pup Bambi that mommy needs a glass of wine. Dorinda arrives; she and Tinsley are going to the show together. In her interview, Tinsley says living in the penthouse is bittersweet. She’s happy to have a big place where she can invite friends over, but at the same time, she wishes Scott was there more. He’s in Las Vegas, and won’t be going to the show. Dorinda teaches her how to open a bottle of champagne. In her interview, Dorinda says she waitressed from ages fourteen to twenty-two. Tinsley says it’s a big deal that she’s wearing pants. She wanted to look more cabaret-like. She asks if John is coming, and Dorinda says he wasn’t invited. Tinsley thought he would still come to the after-party, but Dorinda says that’s not how she rolls. She assumed he’d be invited; she’s been with him six years. It would have been a nice gesture. Tinsley says it’s never been an issue with Scott, since he’s away so much. In her interview, Tinsley says LuAnn invited Scott today, but she’s not sharing it with Dorinda. Carole arrives in sequins, but I’m not sure if I like her in that type of outfit. It doesn’t seem like her style.  She says what else would she wear to a cabaret starring The Countess?

Carole tells Dorinda to call LuAnn and make sure, but Dorinda says she did. LuAnn said she should have asked months ago, or should have bought a ticket to make sure he could get in. Dorinda thinks it’s rude. Carole thought Dorinda got LuAnn’s outfits for the show, and Dorinda says she did. In her interview, Dorinda wonders if it’s LuAnn’s way of punishing her for their discord in Mexico. John has been nice to her, and she’s surprised LuAnn decided not to invite him. It’s rude, especially to a friend. She says maybe they weren’t as good of friends as she thought.

LuAnn chants. In her interview, LuAnn says Dorinda wanted to know why John wasn’t invited. She said he was welcome, but she needed to ask, since there’s limited seating. Dorinda told her that she was not kind. LuAnn shoves off for the show.

The venue is 54 Below. In her interview, Tinsley says LuAnn quickly turned things around. We flash back to LuAnn and Sonja trying to rehearse in Mexico. Tinsley says she’s not sure how going to go, but LuAnn has worked hard, and been through so much. She’s scared LuAnn’s not ready. Tinsley mentions John not being invited to Carole, and says Scott was invited. She shows Carole the text. In her interview, Carole says, not nice. Bethenny says it’s a real theater, with a real crowd; it’s exciting. She doesn’t know what to expect. Tinsley asks Carole if she should tell Dorinda. Carole says she’d usually say don’t hurt someone’s feelings, but her new motto is everyone should know everything. In her interview, she says you need to know who your friends are. As usual, the problem isn’t what gets said, but the timing of it. Why now? Sonja arrives, rounding out the group.

Carole tells Dorinda to switch seats. She wants to talk to Ramona. In her interview, Tinsley isn’t sure how Dorinda will respond, but she should know what’s going on. Carole asks Bethenny about her new place, and Bethenny says it was amazing how everything got done. Tinsley tells Dorinda not to be mad. She didn’t want to pile it on, but LuAnn invited Scott today, and she felt badly. LuAnn had texted that if Scott was in town, of course he’d be welcome. She asked Carole, who thought she should know. Now the whole table knows. Bethenny says maybe it slipped LuAnn’s mind, but Dorinda says she talked to her this morning. Ramona tells Sonja what’s going on. In her interview, Sonja thinks Dorinda needs to let it go. It’s LuAnn’s night; don’t bring up John. Exactly. In her interview, Bethenny says, who cares? It’s not a demonic plot to excommunicate John. Dorinda pulls up the text from LuAnn that says she should have asked sooner. She says she doesn’t even want to go to the after-party.

LuAnn comes out, and Dorinda’s pissed off face is priceless. Dorinda says LuAnn is wearing a dress she got her. LuAnn starts off by saying she made it – after being briefly detained. She says, not drinking exhausting. She gets up early, goes to yoga and classes, and by ten she’s exhausted, about the time when she used to get her first drink at the Regency. Rachel Dratch yells something from the audience. She comes up, and they do some banter. We also see clips of other guests, including Bridget Everett.  IN her interview, Sonja says she was pleasantly surprised to be part of the act and motorboat Bridget. LuAnn is in heaven. She shares her “diary,” to give insight into why she’s made questionable decisions. In her interview, Bethenny says she loves the ridiculousness, and how LuAnn isn’t taking herself seriously.  LuAnn tells the audience to memorize three phone numbers in case you go to jail. Tinsley yells, tell her about it. In her interview, Tinsley says, see what a mug shot can do for you? LuAnn talks about her dress. Dorinda says she got LuAnn’s dresses for her, and yells, thank you Jovani! In her interview, Bethenny says Dorinda is wasting her energy working herself up. She thinks Dorinda likes to fight.

In her interview, LuAnn says she hears Dorinda yelling. She sent LuAnn to a showroom and the dresses fit her like a glove. Don’t throw her jealous energy up there. LuAnn says Sonja is a man eater. Sonja says, really, she only loves LuAnn. LuAnn invites her up to do Money Can’t Buy You Class. In what looks like a real wardrobe malfunction, Sonja’s wraparound dress opens up. At least she’s wearing underwear. In her interview, Sonja says all of her dresses trained to come off after eleven. It’s how she stays young. Ramona says LuAnn is owning the stage; she’s amazing. Carole is loving it. Even when LuAnn is off key, it doesn’t matter. Post rehab sober LuAnn is in on the joke, but fab. In her interview, LuAnn says she landed safely. She did it. It feels like she climbed Mount Everest. It feels good to be at top, and not at the bottom in shackles.

At the after-party, Bethenny tells Sonja it was great, but not a minute went by that Dorinda wasn’t bashing LuAnn. It was like Nutcracker 10.0. LuAnn doesn’t owe Dorinda her life; she wore a dress. Sonja says she needs to go away. In her interview, Sonja says if you’re drinking and getting angry, and it’s affecting your relationships, you should go to rehab. Rehab is great. She’s not judging, but Dorinda might like it. LuAnn did.

Dorinda makes an appearance, and walks back out. Bethenny tells Sonja rehab isn’t a bad idea. Bridget sees Dorinda, and asks her if she sings. Dorinda says she does it all. Bethenny asks Carole about Adam, and she says they’re friends. In her interview, Bethenny says it feels nice to have a normal conversation at a social event. Something feels lighter. Carole asks if Bethenny is spending the summer in the Hamptons, and Bethenny says she’s not going away. Carole says she’s going to dive into projects. She’s her most creative when she’s single. In her interview, Carole says, in an alternate universe, they would be friends again, but this conversation should have happened months ago. Ramona interrupts, and Bethenny tells her that she wants to finish her conversation with Carole. Ramona had said she wanted them to be friends, so let them have a private conversation. Ramona wants to talk to Bethenny about something, and Bethenny says to call her secretary and make an appointment. <snort>

Ramona tells Bethenny to get over it. She supported Bethenny’s charity, financially and by coming to her event, but she never acknowledged Ramona’s invitation to her skincare line launch. She’s disappointed. Bethenny says she understands and it’s duly noted. Ramona asks why, but Bethenny doesn’t feel the need to explain it to her. In her interview, Ramona wants Bethenny to have common decency and courtesy. She’s impossible to deal with. Carole makes her escape. Ramona says she came to clear the air. In her interview, Bethenny says she’s never seen any business that Ramona is a “maven” at, pan out. She didn’t take it seriously. Ramona says Bethenny claims to support women, and says wow half a dozen times. In her interview, Bethenny feels like Ramona is looking to find an argument. Go away. There’s a giant ocean of men, cocktails, and hors d’oeuvres out there. Ramona tells Carole that Bethenny only wants to empower herself, and no one else. Carole suggests she lower her expectations. In her interview, Ramona says, it’s brilliant. Carole tells her to focus on LuAnn.

Dorinda is still there. Carole wonders where LuAnn is, and here she comes. In her interview, LuAnn says you should always leave people in anticipation, waiting for the star to arrive. Everyone congratulates her. Dorinda says no matter what happens, she always does the right thing, and tells LuAnn, congratulations; it was off the charts. Now she’s free to go. Bethenny asks why she’s so pumped on Jovani, and Dorinda says she wants to be appreciated. Bethenny says she should be happy LuAnn is wearing it. She doesn’t get why Dorinda is connecting the dress to John. Dorinda says she did LuAnn a favor. If her boyfriend was there, she’d have more fun and would stay longer. It would have been nothing for LuAnn to invite him. Sonja says as long as her dress falls off, it’s all good. In her interview, LuAnn explains that Dorinda never said anything, and the seating was limited. By the time she asked, it was too late, but she figured Dorinda would bring him anyway. Dorinda decided to bug her on the morning of the cabaret, and by then, she didn’t give a sh*t, and said she should have told her earlier. She knew no one else had boyfriends, but remembered Scott and texted Tinsley. Bethenny tries to tell Dorinda that LuAnn assumed she’d bring John, and Dorinda says she wasn’t bringing anyone who wasn’t invited.

Carole asks LuAnn why she invited Scott, and not John. Dorinda wants another drink. LuAnn says, no one is ruining her night. Carole said she told Dorinda there were no seats, but invited Scott. LuAnn says that’s not the way it went, and it was all cone by text. Dorinda called her up this morning, screaming. Dorinda tells LuAnn that she did an amazing job; she’s proud. LuAnn tries to say something about John, and Dorinda says she doesn’t want to talk about it. Thanks for inviting her – and Scott. She says she can show LuAnn the text where she’d said it was last minute. LuAnn says she sent the text; she knows. She asks what the problem is, and Dorinda says they’ve been friends a long time, and she doesn’t want a lecture. LuAnn says she wasn’t going to give her one, and Dorinda tells her, thanks for inviting her and Scott; she did a great job. She walks out. Bethenny tells LuAnn to enjoy her night. In her interview, LuAnn is disappointed. She thought Dorinda would be happy for her after what she’s been through. She feels bad. Bethenny tells LuAnn it’s about Dorinda, not her. LuAnn knows that, but it’s sad. Outside, Dorinda tells Carole she won’t be humiliated. In her interview, Dorinda says she doesn’t care about the friendship now. She made the effort and did the right thing. If LuAnn is fine with that, have at it.

In the text we see at the end of the finale, it says that Dorinda and LuAnn are still estranged. Ramona has lowered her expectations about Bethenny, and is looking for a hot, young swim instructor. In her interview, Bethenny says, friendships shifted, and it’s sad, but you know women; you can’t live with ‘em and can’t kill ‘em. Funny, I say that about men. She’s continuing her relief efforts, but not with Carole. Carole tells Bethenny she believes they’ll find their sweet spot again. She’s working on new projects, less toxic relationships, and writing a new chapter in her life. Sonja found a renter, and can now add landlord on her dating profile. Tinsley has a present for LuAnn. In her interview, she says, looking back to a year ago, she’s happy. She hopes Scott can be present more, but it’s a great starting point. She’s gotten a smaller hotel apartment, and is still on and off again with Scott. LuAnn opens her present, and it’s a pillow. On one side is embroidered, what happens in Palm Beach, and on the other side, stays in Palm Beach. In her interview, LuAnn says, not three months ago, she was at rock bottom. With guts, hard work, and introspection, she’s gotten to this point. It’s just the beginning of her cabaret career. She’s excited for the future. She did it. The text says that after her successful show #Countesandfriends, LuAnn took a stumble, and went back to rehab.

LuAnn tells Sonja that she’s not going back to Palm Beach for a while.

Next time, the Reunion. LuAnn doesn’t make it, but it looks lively.

🍴 On MasterChef, the contestants had to break down a halibut. Gordon demonstrated, and he was like Gene Kelly dancing, making it look easy, and getting sixteen perfect filets. Cesar totally nailed it, Gordon said Samantha’s looked like it had been mauled by a cat, Shanika just made a mess, Gordon told Gerron what he made was more like fishsticks, and I was totally grossed out by the tails on the fish carcasses when Gordon flailed them around. Chelsea said she was disappointed in herself, but Aaron thought she’d done pretty well. He told her to harness her anxiety and turn it into motivation. Emily was worried unnecessarily as well, but Gordon came down hard on Ashley, asking if she’d listened, and telling her she just destroyed a very expensive piece of fish. She didn’t even get one portion out of it. In the elimination test, the cooks were to make an original dish – anything they wanted, as long as halibut was the star. Plus, they could use anything in THE PANTRY! Seriously, can I just have five minutes in there? Joe said it was the most difficult elimination test ever, and now they’d have to deal with their own fileting skills. Emily messed up her risotto (why is it always the risotto?), Joe told Farhan his dish was provocative to the palate, and he’d managed to combine every taste sensation, Shanika redeemed herself, SJ totally bombed, and sadly, my girl Chelsea made big seasoning errors, with Joe telling her it was almost inedible. Gordon added that it was not her night. Aaron asked Ashley how she thought her fish looked. When she said she thought it looked good, he said it didn’t look good… it looked perfect. I hate when they do that. Farhan was the big winner. It was like a knife to my heart when Chelsea was told she made fundamental errors and didn’t listen to instruction. She was out. She was disappointed, but did what she came to do – cook, learn, and get in the MasterChef kitchen. And THE PANTRY! She forgot to mention THE PANTRY! She said she gained confidence, and was going to keep pursuing her dream and cooking. It boggles my mind that someone so stylish lacks confidence, and I don’t know who to bond with now. One more cook was getting the boot, and it was down to Samantha and SJ (no surprise), whose dishes were unfinished and all over the place, respectively. SJ’s halibut was also overcooked, and he had to hang up his apron. Samantha swore not to take her second chance for granted, and SJ said his dream wasn’t over. Gordon asked to see him when he graduated. SJ said he’d been mentored by the best, and was grateful for the opportunity. He knew that food wasn’t just a hobby for him, and expected to lead a Korean food empire in the future. Next time, a 2-hour MasterChef, where the contestants cook for servicemen, and a tag team challenge has the home cooks on the run.

🐟 On 24 Hours to Hell and Back, Gordon took on Sandra Dee’s Bar-B-Que & Seafood, a laid-back bar and grill in Sacramento, California. A disguised Gordon feasted on greasy calamari, mystery meat, canned cheese (I didn’t know there was such a thing), and canned beans (ack! ptooey!). The staff was inattentive, and the owner had an attitude the size of Texas. When she got overly defensive, Gordon had to explain that he was there to help, not attack her. I think she would have been more put out had the gas canisters and bleach next to the furnace exploded. Gordon asked if they were trying to create a bomb. Everything was so filthy, I almost felt sick, and I’ve watched a lot of these shows. Sandra’s daughter was called out for being the most obnoxious hostess ever, and Sandra told her, when we know better, we do better. She had a hard time taking her own advice though. The décor revamp made everything lighter and brighter, but Sandra complained that she didn’t like red, pink, or orange, acting like they were neon shades when they were muted tones and perfect. Sandra had all the feels, but struggled to release control and accept change. Gordon put in a smoker area that was no longer a bomb threat. The new menu was a hit, with a mac and cheese connoisseur, saying it was the best in Sacramento. The chef said he was the proudest he’s been in fifteen years, and hoped it didn’t go back to the way it was. Gordon reached out a few months later, but there was no response. Looking at online reviews, apparently the chef did not get his wish. Gordon told us that Sandra went back to the old menu, and the comments were not favorable. Even Gordon can’t win them all.

This was the finale. Think Gordon has time to come into my life and fix everything in between shows?

🔥 Hell’s Kitchen premieres Friday, September 28th.

🚫 Speaking of Not Making It…

I guess Thomas is not so charming anymore.

https://people.com/tv/southern-charm-thomas-ravenel-ashley-jacobs-split/?xid=email-email-peopledaily-2018081516PM-tout1&utm_source=peopledotcom.wordpress.com&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=people-daily&utm_content=2018081516PM&eminfo=%7b%22EMAIL%22%3a%226La3OLHdehcLEz%

👠 Despite It All, She’s Come a Long Way, Baby…

Countess