(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
In today’s GH Flashback, the 2019 Nurse’s Ball kept going with an episode from May 22nd, 2019. Chase found out that Ryan had killed the owner of the cabin in Canada, and set a trap for Laura and Curtis. Ava said they all knew where he was headed next. Nina griped about Willow to Michael, while Shiloh accosted Willow in the hallway. Willow said she didn’t answer to him, but he got in her face, shaking his finger at her. She admitted that she was pregnant when she left Dawn of Day, but said she’d lost the baby. Olivia and Ned did a duet of Get Closer as themselves (no Eddie Maine this time). Sonny told Josslyn about Stone, and how Stone was still with him. He said when times get tough, Stone inspires him, and Oscar does the same for her. She just didn’t know it yet.
Backstage, Scotty told Ava that she deserved better, and asked her who was there when she came off the stage. (Hint: It was him, not Doc.) Ava called her Cedar Mountain house property managers, and asked that the property be opened, adding she’d pay generously for the inconvenience. Shiloh grabbed Willow, but Michael intervened, and said if Shiloh wanted to get to her, he’d have to go through Michael first. Michael decked Shiloh, and told him to get out of town, but Shiloh said he wasn’t going anywhere because he was a father. Back at the Ball, Lucy introduced Valentin, saying she didn’t know if he was the second, third, or fourth most infamous Cassadine, but she knew he was the most talented, and he sang Nothing Without You to his ladylove (old) Nina. Scotty confronted Ryan, who he thought was Doc, and when he grabbed Ryan’s arm, he ended up with Ryan’s fake hand in his. And I don’t mean they were holding hands; Ryan’s hand literally came off. Ryan knocked Scotty out with a wrench, saying, never let it be said he never had the upper hand. Freddy Krueger’s got nothing on Ryan. Shiloh told Sam about his child, but said he didn’t believe Willow had lost the baby, and he was going to find it. Sam pretended to be empathetic, saying she knew what it was like to have a child kept from you. Josslyn stalled, and thought she was letting everyone down, but Jax told her that she wasn’t, and the only opinion she should care about is her own. She didn’t have to prove anything to anyone, and if she followed her heart, she’d know what to do. She said doing the right thing is really hard, and Jax said he was in her corner, no matter what, and Oscar was too. Mac asked Lulu when she’d last talked to Laura, and Ryan watched as Ava slipped out.
Chase told Olivia and Ned that Ryan was presumed alive and on his way back to Port Charles. Epiphany found Scotty on deck, and thought he’d had too much fun. Sam used Shiloh’s own crap on him, telling him to breathe, and let peace flow through him. He thanked her for her commitment, and said he needed her to be in the Trust. Lucy was excited, happy, and proud that Josslyn decided to return, and Josslyn sang the song she and Oscar had written, A List of Things To Do. It kind of reminded me of Burn from Hamilton. Josslyn saw Oscar in the audience as she sang.
Ava went to her mountain cabin, and said, come and get me, Ryan. Lucy said Josslyn reminded her of why she’s honored to be part of the event. It makes you laugh, and makes you cry. It’s about great big feelings, and she hoped great big money. Shiloh told Sam there was a fight coming, and to give him her strength. Willow confessed to Michael that she told Shiloh that she’d lost the baby. Brad tried to get Lucas to leave, but Lucas had put two and two together, and said Willow and Shiloh were Wiley’s birth parents. Chase put out an APB for Ava, and Scotty said he wasn’t liquored up; he’d been clubbed over the head by Ryan. When Lucy called for the crew to bring down the rigging, along with the rigging came Doc, hanging there in a straitjacket.
At the cabin, Ava ignored her phone, and got her gun ready, along with a martini. No surprise, Ryan showed up.
📽 Reeling You In…
You can watch all the reels submitted by the actors for the Daytime Emmys here:
A retrospective and update on the couples of 90 Day Fiancé. According to his Instagram, Jesse is traveling as an actor, entrepreneur, and speaker. Translation: he doesn’t have a real job.
Pride month has gotten somewhat lost amid more immediate issues, but it can still offer another opportunity to broaden your horizons. On the entertainment front, from true stories like Prick Up Your Ears, Boys Don’t Cry, and Milk, to the brilliantly written Priscilla, Queen of the Desert and TLC’s latest effort Dragnificent, there’s a whole host of colors in the rainbow. At present, I think we could all use a pick-me-up, and while conventional romcoms are not my thing, one of my favorite films is Trick. I actually saw it by accident, stumbling on it when it was on rotation on LOGO years ago. The title might lead you to believe it’s on the sleazy side, but not at all. It’s about a poor young dude, living in NYC, named Gabriel (Christian Campbell), who’s just trying to get alone time with his date Mark (J.P. Pitoc). Gabriel is also a playwright, working to get his musical off the ground with the help of his best friend Katherine (Tori Spelling). Katherine has one of the funniest monologues about sh*t I’ve ever heard, and Enter You from Gabriel’s musical will be stuck in your head for days, if not for life. You can check out the particulars here:
Hating people because of their color is wrong. And it doesn’t matter which color does the hating. It’s just plain wrong. – Muhammad Ali
No human race is superior; no religious faith is inferior. All collective judgments are wrong. Only racists make them. – Elie Wiesel
Be genuine. The world is watching. – Tank Sinatra (aka George Resch)
Instead of looking at the past, I put myself ahead twenty years and try to look at what I need to do now in order to get there then. – Diana Ross
If no one has ever heard of you, can you really be canceled? – Anonymous poster regarding MTV’s cancellation of Taylor Selfridge’s special. I have no clue who she is either, so this resonated.
The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any. – Alice Walker
What I don’t understand is why they had to dress like extras from Coming to America 2. – Trevor Noah regarding Nancy Pelosi, et al, wearing African kente cloths to a memorial for George Floyd.
You can’t make decisions based on fear and the possibility of what might happen. – Michelle Obama
No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite. – Nelson Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom
If there is a book you want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, you must be the one to write it. – Toni Morrison
🛴 Rolling Into the Weekend…
Yes. We still call it that. With things not back to normal – or whatever that’s going to be now – everyone is still figuring it out as they go. So don’t feel bad if you’re feeling bad, but if you’re feeling accomplished, roll with it. Regardless, if you’ve got the time, use it wisely. Stay safe, stay supporting one another, and stay finding the humor in things.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Today’s Friday Flashback GH– from April 1, 2015 – revisited when Luke went to the house he’d grown up in, and flashed back to April 1, 1963; the night he inadvertently killed his mother, and deliberately killed his father. It was also when Dee Wallace was on the scene as Luke’s sister Patricia.
🍊 Remember Her…?
You should. Jeana was one of my favorites on The Real Housewives of Orange County. An OG who only lasted a few seasons, she actually seemed to keep the real in the housewife. She and daughter Kara have seen their share of tragedies lately, but I’m sure Jeana considers her exit from the show a blessing.
I saw a millisecond of the RHOAReunion, but even done virtually in quarantine, the women all talked at once. I couldn’t understand why Andy didn’t just cut some mics off. That would have been sweet. Their mouths moving, but nothing coming out. Like it is with sound, minus the sound. NeNe was still telling Kandi that she’d never amount to anything. The one who had a couple of small parts on two now canceled series, telling the Grammy winner who just won The Masked Singer that she’s a loser. Okay.
🦍 Also recommended: Godzilla King of the Monsters, now on rotation on HBO, SHO or one of those O’s. Obviously, this is not something to watch for a great storyline, but if you’re craving special effects and giant creatures, this one’s for you. And they’re all in it. Mothra, Rodan, King Kong, a bunch of monsters who I have no idea who/what they are, and the king himself – Elvis Godzilla. I used to love those movies as a kid, and this is one of those times one hundred.
🦜 Quotes of the Week
We’re breaking the law; we don’t want to work with criminals. – Destiny (Constance Wu), Hustlers
No one looks stupid when they’re having fun. – Amy Poehler (I actually beg to differ on this one.)
The truth will set you free, but first it will piss you off. – Joe Klass
Lana is real; anything can happen. – AnnieSuwan Toborowsky, 90 Day Fiancé: Pillow Talk, referring to a woman showing up who we all thought was a catfish.
Consistency is the true foundation of trust. Either keep your promises or do not make them. – Roy T. Bennett
With great power… comes great need to take a nap. Wake me up later. – Rick Riordan
Aside from Dreidel, Dreidel, and that Adam Sandler thing, it’s an untapped market. – Arthur Spooner (Jerry Stiller), King of Queens, referring to Hanukkah songs.
I know that if we are to live with ourselves there comes a point at which we must relinquish the dead, let them go, keep them dead. – Joan Didion, The Year of Magical Thinking
I cannot compromise my respect for your love. You can keep your love, I will keep my respect. – Amit Kalantri
There is one friend in the life of each of us who seems not a separate person, however dear and beloved, but an expansion, an interpretation, of one’s self, the very meaning of one’s soul. – Edith Wharton
If you always do what is easy and choose the path of least resistance, you never step outside your comfort zone. Great things don’t come from comfort zones. – Roy T. Bennett
In every age, the good old days were a myth. No one ever thought they were good at the time. For every age has consisted of crises that seemed intolerable to the people who lived through them. – Brooks Atkinson (Boy, is that not the truth.)
How tall am I? Honey, with hair, heels, and attitude, I’m through this damned roof! – RuPaul
🌦 Trying To See Blue Sky…
It’s not looking good for my older dog, so if you’re so inclined, say a prayer for my little man; that if our time together is at an end, he go gently into this good night, to wait for me at the Rainbow Bridge. On the upside, my girl who had an old roughhousing eye injury come back to haunt her, is much improved and doing well.
Until we meet again, stay safe, stay human, and stay marching to the beat of a different drum. And add a little spice to your Memorial Day weekend.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Sonny tells Jason, the disease takes away everything that makes you who are, and you’re left with an empty shell. When he asks what Mike wants, Mike doesn’t say anything. Sonny doesn’t know if Mike doesn’t want to say anything, doesn’t understand, or he doesn’t know. If his dad wants to stay and fight, he has every right to do that. Jason says, of course (🍷), and Sonny says, then again, what is Mike fighting for? He has no quality of life – the doctors made that clear – and he has nothing to look forward to.His heart is still beating, but his brain can’t hold his memories. He’s lost his appetite, and they’ll have to feed him by putting tubes in him. Sonny doesn’t know how much more he should do, and his dad is confused. That’s where they’re at. Jason knows Sonny wants answers, but can only tell him what he’d want if he was in Mike’s place.
Laura opens the door to Lulu, who holds up an envelope. She says, see this?Nikolas and Ava are having a party to celebrate the unveiling of Franco’s portrait. Laura says she got one, hand delivered; fancy stuff. Lulu says she can send regrets for both of them if Laura wants, but Laura says, actually, it’s not what she wants.
At the MetroCourt bar, Nikolas tells Ava that he saw some of Avery’s drawings. She’s quite the artist. Ava says she can’t wait to show Avery’s stuff at the gallery, and he says, speaking of art, he ran into her favorite painter at the gym. She hopes he didn’t use Franco as a punching bag, and he says, why? Is there something or someone they should be fighting about?
Elizabeth tells Franco that Nikolas is trying be the person she used to know; trustworthy and loyal, and someone who values honor and integrity. If he ends up being that person, she’ll most likely be friends with him again. Franco says Nikolas is also the person who ran her sister out of town, and Violet has no mother now. Does she want to be friends with that guy?
Diane tells Michael and Willow to go ahead; she needs to talk to Carly. She asks if Carly is ready to be cross-examined by Nelle’s attorney. It’s not going to be pretty. Carly says she’s going to present herself as a loving grandmother and mother, who wants the best for Wiley, which happens to be true. The judge needs to know Nelle should never get custody.
Willow looks at a picture of her and Chase. She asks if Michael still has photos of Sasha, but he says he’s deleted them. Willow says she knows Michael is hurting like she is, but what makes it bearable is not being alone; they’re going through it together. Michael says when he needs a reminder of why they married, and why they’re there, he looks at this. He shows her a picture of Wiley.
Nelle practices her testimony. She say she doesn’t claim to be perfect, but has been given the most precious thing anyone can possess. She’s not asking for custody for herself, but for her son Wiley. Martin says, too saccharine, and not enough sincerity. Once more, with feeling.
Lulu asks if Laura is thinking of going to this charade. It’s just Ava’s excuse to patronize the little people, now that she’s queen of Spoon Island. Laura says Nikolas is still her son and Lulu’s brother, and Lulu says, he brought Ava into their family, and brought it on himself. She doesn’t see why he should inflict her on the rest of them. Laura says it’s important to show they still love him and he’s still part of the family, but Lulu says Laura wouldn’t be attending that ostentatious overblown party as Nikolas’s mother. She’s the mayor, and represents the city of Port Charles. Laura doesn’t think it’s a big deal, but Lulu says attending is giving Ava her stamp of approval; knowing Ava coerced Nikolas into marriage, and they’re both miserable, and that Spencer would rather stay in France than be there. Is she sure she’s prepared for that?
Ava tells Nikolas, like most talented artists, Franco is moved by powerful emotion, and she’s promoting his art. He says she’s promoting Franco’s ugly past, but Ava says he doesn’t mind. Nikolas says, Elizabeth does. She asks if he showed Elizabeth the letter from Spencer, and he says he told her that Spencer is willing to restore their relationship if he divorces Ava. Ava says Elizabeth must have loved that. Did he tell her how he responded to Spencer’s proposal? Did he choose his son or his fortune?
Nelle asks if Martin has any other unwanted advice. Is her dress too short? He says, just tell the truth, and let it stand up next to Michael, Carly, and Willow’s version. She says she’ll have Nina as a character witness. Julian comes in, and she says, her husband. He says, hello darling, and Martin asks if he’s been drinking. Julian says he had one shot for court, and Martin gives him a tin of mints. Martin leaves, and Nelle tells Julian that if she wins, Sonny need never find out that Julian knew about the baby switch. Stick to the script. Losing is not an option.
Diane asks Carly if Sonny will be in court, but Carly says, no; he’s with his father. Diane says it’s probably for the best, since his presence in the courtroom might be construed as intimidation.
Michael asks if Willow is ready to go head to head with Nelle’s attorney, and she says she has nothing to hide. He says he can’t say the same. He and his family are going to be dragged through the mud, and some of it is bound to splash on her. She says, for better or worse, and he says, they’re starting off worse. She asks if he means the honeymoon is over, and he says, when this is over, they’ll take Wiley and go somewhere fun. She says she’ll take him up on that.
Jason says he told the doctors before his first surgery, he didn’t want tubes and machines keeping him alive. Sonny says Jason didn’t have kids then. How would he feel for his kids to lose him? Jason says he’d never want his kids to go through what Sonny is going through; seeing him in bed, knowing he can’t recognize them, and can’t even feed himself. Sonny asks if he’d want them to sign a DNR, and Jason says he wishes Mike hadn’t put it on Sonny. Sonny says there’s a lot he and his dad didn’t talk about; a lot they didn’t share. Now it’s too late.
Ava says she’ll take Nikolas’s silence to mean he hasn’t talked to Spencer. Nikolas says, what if Spencer doesn’t want him without his money? Is Spencer really willing to lose the money and prestige that comes with being a Cassadine? She says, Spencer is still young. He’s still figuring out what’s important. But if he didn’t care, he would have been indifferent upon Nikolas’s return. Spencer loves Nikolas, and wants him, money or no money. He says, she’d like that because she gets it all. Guess again.
Elizabeth tells Franco, she knows Nikolas can be selfish, but he’s also incredibly sensitive, kind, and patient. Franco says it sounds like she’s already halfway there in forgiving him, and she says she’s trying to understand why one minute he’s a stranger, and the next, she sees flashes of the friend she used to know. He says, sorry; they don’t have to talk about it, but Elizabeth says they should talk. He admits they can’t pretend their feelings don’t exist, and she says her feelings for Nikolas are complicated. Like his for Ava.
Carly takes the stand, and Diane asks what the nature is of her relationship to Michael. She says she’s Michael’s mother, and Diane asks where she was when Michael got engaged to Nelle. Carly tells her, Ferncliff, a hospital for the criminally insane. Diane asks what was the reason she was there, and Carly says Nelle accused her of pushing her down a flight stairs at her baby shower. She was forced to plead temporary insanity. Diane says, with the help of friends, she managed to escape; isn’t that criminal as well? Carly says it is, but when the truth came out, she was exonerated, and her sentence vacated. Diane asks if Nelle ever visited, and Carly says she did, when she and Michael became engaged. Nelle said Carly was trapped, and she was going marry Michael, and in time, the family would forget Carly, and she’d be left to rot. She wanted Carly to know she’d won. Martin objects, saying her testimony is highly inflammatory, and Diane says, withdrawn.
Martin asks Carly what kind of business she’s in, and she says, hospitality. She owns the MetroCourt. He asks what business her husband is in, illegal or otherwise, and Diane says Sonny isn’t there to testify. Martin says, withdrawn, and asks Carly to explain what happened on April 24th, 1988. She tells him that Tony Jones kidnapped Michael, and received a suspended sentence. He asks what happened to Tony next, and she says she shot him. He asks what punishment she received for shooting her former lover, who was also her stepfather, and she says she went to Shadybrook mental institution. He says, and she’d believe her grandson would be safe in her less than stable care? Diane objects, and he says, withdrawn. Diane says, it’s a matter of public record that Nelle perjured herself in an attempt to secure a conviction against Carly for attempted murder. In simpler terms, Nelle lied to cause Carly grievous harm. She asks if Carly tried to retaliate, but Carly says, no. She would never do that. She loves her son and grandson too much to stoop to Nelle’s level. Michael is called to the stand.
Laura says Lulu always looks out for her, and Lulu says, translation; Laura appreciates her concern, but she’s going anyway. Laura says, someone has to look out for Nikolas, and Lulu says, he has a wife for that. Laura says, she’d love it if Ava would be the person to bring out the good out in Nikolas, but they know that’s not going to happen. Lulu asks if Laura thinks there’s still good to bring out, and Laura says, of course (🍷). Nikolas just needs the chance to show it. Lulu says Laura sees it that way because she’s Nikolas’s mom. What if he’s become a Cassadine through and through, and is as deceitful as the rest? Laura says, not Nikolas. She would never give up on him, just like Lulu wouldn’t give up on Rocco or Charlotte. There’s a knock at the door, and it’s Nikolas bearing flowers.
Franco tells Elizabeth, there’s nothing complicated about his relationship with Ava. She cares about his career. Elizabeth says, second only to Ava’s concern for herself. Ava comes by, and says that sounds like something her husband would say, and she wouldn’t put too much stock in someone who pretended to be dead for two years. She says she has something for Franco, and reaches into her bag. He says she doesn’t have snakes in her bag, does she? but she says, no; a check. It’s the balance due on her portrait, and he deserves every penny. I try to read it, and it looks like $16K.
Martin asks when Michael got to know Wiley. Michael says when he was asked to be Wiley’s godfather. He was honored to be included in Wiley’s life. Martin asks if that’s all he felt, and Michael says he felt a connection to Wiley; nothing supernatural, just the instinct that Wiley needed him. When he learned Wiley was his son, the bond grew stronger. He made a promise – a vow – to never let Wiley down or let anyone hurt him. Martin says, no one doubts his love for Wiley is true. He submits Michael and Willow’s marriage license as evidence, dated yesterday; the ink barely dry. Diane objects, and Martin says, he’ll rephrase. Given the timing, does Michael love his wife? Michael says, Willow is loyal and generous, and inherently decent. She’s courageous and compassionate, and sees the best in people, but she’s nobody’s fool. Yes, he loves her. Martin asks, then why didn’t he marry her earlier? Which begs the question, is he in love with her?
Michael says he loves Willow, but he’s not in love with her. Nelle whispers to Julian that she loves it. Martin says, Michael didn’t marry for love. He married to put on a show for the court; to project an image of a loving, stable couple. Michael says, it’s not that at all. He married for love. Willow’s love of Wiley is equal to his. Martin says he’s not asking if Michael loves his son. He’s asking if there’s mutual love that’s the bedrock of a genuine marriage. Absent of that, it’s a marriage of convenience.
Sonny tells Jason, he wonders if Mike is listening to music, something in his head, or nothing. They watch Mike, and Sonny says, they didn’t get lot of time when Mike left him and his mom. Jason says, Sonny got him back, and Sonny says he’s grateful for that. Jason says, not everyone gets a second chance. Look at Michael, fighting for the son he thought was dead. Now here Sonny is, fighting for his father, so Sonny will have him in his life. Sonny says he’s losing Mike a little more every day.
Nikolas asks Lulu how Charlotte is, and Lulu says, fine. He says, of all the mistakes he made, one of the worst was letting Charlotte believe he was her secret bodyguard. He hears Lulu is fighting again to keep her safe from Valentin. Does she have a court date yet? Lulu says she and Valentin agreed to continue with their 50/50 custody agreement, and Laura says she’s proud of Lulu, putting Charlotte’s needs first. Lulu hopes Nikolas doesn’t intend on giving her advice about raising children, and he says he supposes he can’t, but that’s why he’s there. He’s hoping they can give him some advice. Laura asks if something is wrong, and he says Spencer said he’s willing to welcome Nikolas back into his life if he dumps Ava. Nikolas gives Laura the letter, and she asks if Nikolas answered him. He says, not yet, and Lulu asks what he’s waiting for. His son in his life, and the wife he despises kicked to the curb. It’s a no-brainer. Laura asks, what’s stopping him?
Franco tells Elizabeth, check it out. Maybe they can plant the check, and get a money tree that will pay for Cameron’s college. Ava says the unveiling will be a huge success, and he’ll be swamped with business. Elizabeth says, along with a reminder of the past he worked hard to put behind him. Ava agrees it’s unsavory, but there’s no such thing as bad publicity. Elizabeth suggests Ava try working on bringing out the best in Nikolas, and Ava asks what makes her think it’s there? Elizabeth says she’s seen it.
Michael says he and Willow will work to provide a loving, stable home for Wiley. A marriage of convenience? Far from it. It came at a cost, but Wiley is worth it. Martin has no further questions.
On the stand, Willow tells Diane, adoption was the hardest thing, but she had to protect her baby from his father. Diane says, who was? and Willow says, David Henry Archer. He changed his name to Shiloh when he founded the cult Dawn of Day. Diane says, and before he married Nelle, he was previously convicted of murder, drugging women before he raped them, and kidnapping. The trial transcripts show the depositions of the women this man drugged and raped;this man whose widow wants to assume sole custody of Wiley. How did Willow feel when she learned another child was alive and her son was dead? Willow says, the grief was unbearable, but at the same time, she was so happy for Michael. Diane asks why she didn’t stay away, and she says Michael asked her to stay in Wiley’s life. Wiley had already been through so much, and been through so many changes, Michael knew the best thing he could do for Wiley was to give him a real family. One with the both of them. Martin asks if there was another side, a darker side of her involvement.
Laura says, so if Nikolas divorces Ava, he loses his money, Windymere, and Spoon Island. Nikolas says, Spencer’s legacy, and Lulu says, Ava is no dummy. Spencer is a good kid with expensive taste, and a long list of necessities. Laura says, all Spencer needs is his father. He felt betrayed because Ava backed up Valentin, and he’d do anything to punish her. Nikolas doesn’t need them to tell him what to do. Just be a father, and everything else will take care of itself. Lulu says she needs someone to translate, and Nikolas says their mother will. He leaves, and Lulu asks, what was that about?
Ava hopes Elizabeth can put aside her misgivings, and join Franco. Not for her, but for Nikolas. Elizabeth suggests she and Franco go back home together after work. She goes to finish up, and Ava says she thought by promoting Franco it would be good for him and his family. If he feels like he’s being exploited, or that it will have any negative impact on the boys… He says the boys know who he is, and the mistakes he’s made. He wants to be honest, and a good stepdad. He hopes one day they forgive him for who he was.
Martin says, Willow became a teacher of the third grade, and he asks if she’s still employed by the school. She says, no, and he asks, why not? She says her employment was terminated because of parental complaints. They said she kept inserting herself in her student’s lives, and disregarding their parent’s wishes. He asks if that’s how she intends to care for Wiley; ignore the wishes of the woman who gave birth to him. What if she decides she knows better than the father himself? Who will be there to protect Wiley from her?
Diane says the principal must have refused to give Willow a letter of recommendation, but Willow says, no; she received one. Diane submits into evidence, Willow’s glowing letter of recommendation, and asks who Willow’s current employer is. She says she’s part of a pediatric teaching program at GH, and Diane submits her current performance evaluation. She has Willow read it out loud, and it says she’s compassionate, caring, and respectful of other employees, her students, and their parents as well.
Jason asks if Sonny remembers when Mike was bartending. He could always connect, and find something to talk about; some crazy story. Jason didn’t realize it then, but he can see now that Mike was trying to win back Sonny’s trust, and be someone Sonny could count on. Then he’d gamble, lie, and get in trouble, and after that, Sonny would shut down. The disappointment was like a wall between them. And then Mike would go back to work, and try to find something else to talk about, trying to tear down that wall. Sonny says he should have been more forgiving, and not so hard on Mike. Jason says maybe he’s not saying it right. Mike never gave up. He just accepted the wall, because he knew it was his fault it was there in the first place, but he kept trying to tear it down because he’s Sonny’s dad. Mike loves him, and wants him to be okay. What Mike wants is for Sonny to be okay. If Sonny wants to keep him there or let him go, he’s going to be doing what Mike wants. Jason wipes his eyes (!), and says he’s going to take off. Sonny decides to stay a while longer. He wants to be with his dad. He tells Jason that he appreciates it.
Sonny says, all right, dad, taking the earbuds off Mike. He asks if Mike wants to watch TV. Maybe the Yankees are on, and continuing their home run streak. He knows MickeyMantle is up there, looking down on the Yankees, cheering. He says, guess what? He still has the baseball card Mickey signed and gave to Mike. He’ll never forget Mike telling him it was going to be worth more than gold. He remembers that.
Laura tells Lulu, she’s just reminding Nikolas not to underestimate Spencer. She thinks if he’s open and completely honest, Spencer won’t disappoint him. Lulu asks if there’s something Laura isn’t not telling her, and Laura says she can’t see into the future; she could be wrong. Lulu says, even if she is – which is highly doubtful – her capacity for forgiveness and understanding are amazing. Lulu is in awe of her. Laura says she’s in awe of Lulu, her sweet, loving, and smart daughter. She hopes Lulu’s brother has learned his lesson and is willing to change.
Nikolas calls Spencer. He says he got Spencer’s letter, and he’s ready to respond.
Ava says she looks forward to seeing Franco at the party, and kisses him on the cheek. She says, Nikolas is hoping to see him as well. She leaves, and he asks if Elizabeth is ready. She says, yeah, but seems distant, and walks past him. He takes the flowers, telling her not to forget them. They get into the elevator, Elizabeth still being weird.
Martin calls his first witness – Nelle. Willow takes Michael’s hand, and squeezes. They look at each other.
Tomorrow, Brook accuses Olivia of having an affair, Valentin says nothing is ever as black and white as it seems, Nina tells Jax that she doesn’t know if she should stand up for Nelle, and Martin asks Nelle why she deserves sole custody.
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills
Garcelle got together with her equally gorgeous group of non-Housewives girlfriends. They talked about Garcelle’s divorce, and Garcelle said she’d been blindsided by her husband’s cheating, but her girls had been there for her.
Kyle said Denise would like them to think nothing ruffles her feathers, but Kyle wasn’t buying it. She was seeing another side of Denise, and wondered where it came from. I guess Kyle is so one-dimensional, she can’t understand that people can have different facets to them.
At Denise’s house, Sami was getting ready for her Homecoming date. Last year, she had gone with friends, but this time around, she had a real date with a boy she’s crushing on, and was getting pink hair for the occasion. In Denise’s interview, she said she was struggling with parenting. Sami was starting to behave badly, hoping for a reaction. She said she and Charlie hadn’t been the wild couple people thought. He was sober when she married him, and she was six-months pregnant when they divorced. Erika griped about Denise having an issue with her talking about the threesome in front of the kids, when Denise was free with her happy ending story, and no one judged her. Man, this issue is really pissing me off. For one thing, Denise isn’t coming from a place of judgement. She didn’t want her kids hearing an adult story. And apparently, Erika doesn’t understand, it was a different audience when Denise talked about her sex life. It was just the women on a camping trip. Like, is it really that hard to grasp? Erika had a private dance rehearsal for Chicago, because, you don’t want other people to have to work doubly hard to make your ass look good. The cast also sent her a welcome video that was really sweet.
HarryHamlin was off doing a play with Stephanie Powers. He was loving it, but sorry he couldn’t go to the DNA launch. Dorit and PK had a meeting with the restaurant guy, as Dorit was going to design a room in one. PK said by the time she was done, she would design the whole restaurant, put on another level, and add on a hotel. Dorit said she always gave 120%, which is mathematically impossible, and always irritates me when someone says it. I know, very Sheldon of me. PK was all interested in whether LVP knew about Dorit’s project (the guy said he had no reason to be telling her, and rightly so), and Dorit said she wasn’t trying to compete with or follow in LVP’s footsteps.
Erika invited everyone over to her house for a meeting with her astrologer friend, Shawn. LisaR showed up in the exact same pink jacket dress Erika was wearing, which caused LisaR to scream at the top of her lungs. Tom hung out for a drink with the girls, and was quite charming, telling a story about how he was in a John Wayne movie. He played a guy who was shot, and fell off a roof. In her interview, LisaR thought the evening could either be fun or an epic disaster, and we flashed back on several of the parties that were the latter, including the dinner party from hell. When Shawn arrived, Tom wisely took that as his cue to leave. Shawn talked about each woman’s sign, their moon sign, and ascending sign. He said Denise had an intensely complicated side, hidden to most. Kyle’s eyes bugged out, and got even buggier when Shawn said that if you break Denise’s trust, inside, she’d be figuring out how to even the score, and taking her time with it. In Denise’s interview, she said, she’s never plotted revenge. At least not yet. In Kyle’s interview, she wondered what Denise had in store for her. Because even in Denise’s sign traits, Kyle has to be the center of attention. Unless there was a lot we didn’t see, it seemed like all Shawn did was tell the women what kind of people they were, which seemed like a waste of time. He pointed out that Teddi gravitated to one person, usually an earth sign (Kyle), and Dorit said, if Kyle would just admit the rules that apply to the others don’t to Teddi, it would be all good. In Garcelle’s interview, she said that Kyle wants to be liked by everybody. They went over the Dorit freaking out because Sutton said she might freak out issue. Sutton said she didn’t deserve the way Dorit reacted, and Dorit said they weren’t friends yet, so she didn’t know if Sutton would make a scene. In a voice-of-reason moment, Kyle said that was the dumbest thing ever.
In her interview, Garcelle said, the more she got to know Kyle, she could tell Kyle was great with surface stuff – like, I love your bag – but she didn’t care enough to get to know people. These women were so wrapped up in themselves, she could do naked cartwheels on the table, and they wouldn’t notice. On the way back from Erika’s place, Garcelle, Denise, and Sutton shared a limo. Denise said Kyle always comes back to Kyle. In Garcelle’s interview, she said they were being catty, but that’s what girlfriends do. And Kyle deserved it. I like Garcelle. So far. Denise said Kyle talks at you, not to you. Back at Erika’s house, she said she thought the relationship between Kyle and Teddi was strange because Teddi could do no wrong, and Kyle claimed Erika had no close friends. Erika said she had plenty of close friends, and considered Kyle to be one of them.
Next time, a trip to Santa Monica, Teddi thinks Dorit possibly dislikes her, and LisaR confronts Denise – who can’t catch a break – about allowing Charlie’s hookers into her children’s lives. Unreal. Even Jesus ate with hookers, and I’m sure Denise doesn’t introduce them that way.
🗽 The Real King Takes a Final Bow…
Jerry Stiller left behind some fine work, and watching him in King of Queens never gets old.
I was surprised to find out Fred Willard was 86 years old, and then I realized how many things I’ve enjoyed him in for so long. It’s like he’s always been there.
Speaking of films, I caught The Joker this weekend on cable. Hey, I know I’m behind, but I’m not going to put a second mortgage on the house to go to the movies – God forbid I want popcorn. I thought it was well worth watching, but I did wonder if Joaquin Phoenix was allowed to direct himself. Just do what you want, Joaquin. I have to make some calls.
🌧 When It Rains…
I have a second sick dog. Thank God for small favors, it’s not as bad; an old eye injury has come back to haunt her. But it’s like, come on already. Entertainers are dropping like flies, along with the general public, but at least it looks like we’ll be able to venture out soon. How weird will that be? Stay safe, stay alive, and stay true to your school.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
On the phone, Brook says, disturbing the peace… Yes, it was Chase again… No; I’m not making a habit of it… Hello? Dad? Chase says, tough love, and she says her father is a busy man. She asks if she can make one more phone call, but he says she only gets one; like last time, and the time before that. She says, too bad there’s no loyalty program. He tells her, go ahead, and she asks, what’s the catch? He says, none. He’s just curious. If her father won’t help her, he wants to see who will.
Nelle goes into Charlie’s, and tells Julian that he’s just the man she wanted to see. He says they’re closed, but she says, the door is open. He says they’re just closed to her. She says, of all people, she thought he would understand her struggle to put the past behind her, while the Corinthoses hold it over her head. He says he doesn’t even sell Sonny’s coffee anymore, and asks what she wants. She says she wants to make him a generous offer. From the heart.
Diane tells Michael to repeat what she said. He tells her, I will not let Nelle bait me in court. She says, now, Willow, and Willow says she won’t let Nelle bait her either. Diane says, let Nelle roll out her manipulation and histrionics, while they remain calm and stay the course, and Michael will be the same loving, committed, stalwart presence that he’s always been. Michael asks if she thinks he can manage that, and she says, of course (🍷). But she’s seen Willow give way to anger in the courtroom against Shiloh. Nelle is just as bad, if not worse. Willow says she understands, and she’s ready for Nelle. Diane says the two of them make an excellent team. They both know Wiley’s favorites, how to put him down for a nap, and his first words. Nelle is practically a stranger. Michael asks if that doesn’t support Nelle’s argument that she deserves more time with him. Diane says, let Nelle argue what’s best for Nelle, and they’ll argue what’s best for Wiley. After all the trauma Wiley has been through, it’s crucial that he stay with people he loves and trusts. They’ve already proven they’ll do what it takes for him.
Julian tells Nelle, she has five seconds. She asks why he’s in such a rush. There’s a light crowd, and it’s not like he has any family to get back to. Is anyone even speaking to him, besides Lucas and Wiley? He says, time’s up, and she tells him, don’t be a baby. They have one horrible thing in common. They’re both victims of Brad. He left Nelle unconscious by the side of the road after she gave birth to Wiley. It’s too bad she didn’t remember until after it came out. Julian says, bad timing. What he finds tragic is that she expects him to believe Brad pulled a number on her. She asks if that’s a compliment, but he says, no. What does she want? She says she wants to offer him a spot in her son’s life. On one condition.
Brook says, Dusty, pick up, but gets voicemail. She hangs up, and Chase says, don’t tell him that she’s run out of people to turn her down. She says, cut to the chase, Chase, and he says, according to the report… She asks if says anything about abuse of power or false arrest. He didn’t like her calling him out for betraying his girlfriend, and if he had any decency, he’d admit she’s not the only guilty party, and let her go. She might have a big mouth, but she’s not a lying jerk like him. He flashes back to lying to Willow about having his pretend affair with Sasha, and he says Brook is right. She says, what? and he says, about him; about everything. Goodbye. She says he can’t just leave her there, and he says she still broke the law. She tore up the citation, and disturbed the peace. Being right doesn’t change that. She asks if she’s supposed to sit there until tomorrow, and he says she has a phone. Either find someone to get her out, or spend the night in custody. Either way, he doesn’t give a damn.
Diane says, Nelle’s lawyer might try to discredit Willow, as a woman unwilling to relinquish a child that’s not hers, but no one, aside from Michael has shown more backbone and been willing to sacrifice more than she has. And they have the legal documents to prove she’s put Wiley’s needs first. It’s gold. Willow and Michael thank her, and Diane leaves. Michael says, Willow heard her; she’s gold. Willow says he’s not so bad himself, and he says the only way she’d be a better advocate is if she married him.
Julian tells Nelle to run it by him one more time. She says, what’s complicated? Wiley’s custody suit is tomorrow. She wants him to testify on her behalf, as Wiley’s former grandfather and character witness, and tell them what a wonderful mother she is. He says he’d be lying under oath, but she says he knows the truth is that Wiley would be better off with his mother than with Michael, who’s not Julian’s favorite person. He laughs, and he says, the child in question, who he used to believe was his grandson, is better off with the same woman who left his father to die in a burning car? She says she was under stress because Michael was trying to take the child from her, and her hormones were raging. He says he’s not going help her, and she says he will if he wants to stay in Wiley’s life. When she has sole custody, Wiley can call him grandpa again if he wants. Again, it’s a very generous offer. Once she has sole custody… He says she likes saying that, like it’s a possibility. She says, it’s a lock. Once she has Wiley, he’ll never see a Corinthos or Quartermaine again – not even Willow – but he’ll have access. Julian says he can’t imagine Sonny being too happy, and she says, Sonny and Carly will suffer even more; they’re on the same page. He says, they’re not even in the same book. He loves Wiley, and cares about what happens to him. If anybody asks, he’ll say Wiley is better off with his father, and his mother is a heartless monster who only uses him as a weapon. So by all means, invite him to court to testify on her behalf. His phone rings, and he asks what the hell they want. Absolutely not. On second thought, he’ll be right there. Nelle asks if everything is okay, and he tells the waitress that he needs her to watch the bar. And don’t serve Nelle. She’s done here.
Chase goes into Charlie’s, where Nelle sits without a drink at the bar. He flashes back to Willow coming home, and telling her that he has wine and takeout, whatever she wants. She asks him to just hold her. Nelle says he looks like he could use a drink and some company. He says, no thank you, and she asks if he’s that afraid of her. He says that’s not the word he’d use to describe how he feels about her. She says, so he does have feelings for her. Now they’re getting somewhere.
Michael tells Willow, when they talked about getting married to protect Wiley before, it wasn’t an option for her. She says, it turns out, her situation has changed. She flashes back to seeing Sasha and Chase making out on the couch, and telling Chase that, never in a million years did she think he’d do this. When he said he loved her, she thought he meant forever, but she didn’t know him at all. She tells Michael, drastically, and Michael says, he knows it’s not how they imagined their marriages or futures, but that doesn’t mean they can’t make a partnership that works. She says, if they do this, she needs to be upfront, and he says he expects nothing less. She tells him, despite what he did, she’s still in love with Chase. He’s the first man she loved, and until they broke up, she didn’t plan on loving anyone else. She’s not sure she’s even capable of it. Can he marry a woman who will probably never be in love with him? He says if they commit themselves to loving Wiley, and raising him together in a family that respects and supports each other, that’s all he can ask for. She says, okay then, and he says she needs to know she’ll be marrying a Corinthos and Quartermaine. Two powerful families, unique in their traditions and customs, with a lot of secrets. It’s like joining a club you can’t resign from, and life will be very different if they do this.
Julian says he paid Brook’s bail; let’s go. She promises to pay him back, and he says, damn straight. She thanks him, and he says, don’t mention it. He might have left her there, but she stopped him from throttling someone.
Michael tells Willow, they may not love each other romantically, but she knows how much he profoundly values her friendship. He flashes back talking to her about the grief group and her introducing herself; him saying he was nervous about speaking in the group, but then saw her face, and talked about Jonah; her telling him that she’s wiling help Kristina by telling her about Shiloh; Willow telling Michael about the adoption, and him saying he’s glad Wiley has her. He remembers Willow in jail, and then playing with Wiley. She tells him that she feels the same way. He’s helped her so much, from the support group to everything since. He’s been her rock. He says she’s been there for Wiley, which means she’s been there for him, so she’s been his rock too. He relies on her honesty. She says she relies on his too. She wishes there was a better way to say it, but she’s in awe of his integrity. He says, some people call it self-righteousness, and she says, there’s that in there too.
Chase tells Nelle that he can pay for his own drink, and no one should accept a beverage from her without a toxicologist checking it first. Nelle asks if he wants to sit down, but he says, no. Life is short; he doesn’t have time for her games. She says, one would think he wasn’t single, and had a hot teacher warming his bed. They’re both single, so who knows? Maybe she’ll give him a second chance. We flash back to Nelle going to his hotel room in Florida, and seducing him. He wonders how it is she’s become more delusional. He would have thought she’d reached a threshold by now. She says she gets what she wants. She’ll get Wiley, and if she wants Chase, she’ll get him. Anyone who underestimates her, including his friend Michael, is delusional. Chase stomps out, and Nelle heads the other way. To the bathroom?
Finn calls Chase, and asks where he is. Chase says, Pier 55; why? Finn says he talked to Willow, and Chase clearly didn’t take his advice. Chase says he’s not in the mood for a lecture, and Finn says, what about a beer? Does he want to meet at The Rib in fifteen? Chase tells him, some other time. He hangs up, and looks at the water.
Julian hears Brook come into Charlie’s, and says they’re closed. She says she doesn’t want a drink, and he says he figured she’d be on her way home. Why did she decide to call him to spring her? Isn’t there a houseful of Quartermaines who will send a butler? She says they used to have a butler, but he left in the 90s; it’s just housekeepers now. He says, bailing her out isn’t in the job description? She says he wasn’t her first call. Or her second or third. She got tired of reaching out, and hearing, I told you so. He suggests she should have called her father, and she says he was her first phone call, and her first, I told you so. Julian asks what made her think he’d get her out? and she says she has leverage. He proved that when he showed up, but he says, it was a good excuse get out of a bad conversation.
As Chase looks at the water, he remembers meeting Willow when she was crying in her car, and seeing the pamphlet for the grief group. He flashes back on bringing her home for the first time, and her saying she has no interest in being in his lair; her apologizing for overreacting, and him telling her that he likes her, and wants to spend more time together as a couple; her saying she wants that too. He remembers her throwing away her letter of resignation, and saying she’s staying; her saying he’s her first relationship, and thanking him for standing by her through the Shiloh trauma; and him saying she’s the hero, and he was just the backup, and kissing her.
Finn finds Chase at the pier, and says he can see why Chase didn’t want to meet at The Rib. It’s much better ambiance there. Chase says, it’s perfect, and Finn says, the smell of fish… and whatever that is. Chase appreciates Finn coming and wanting to help, but he can’t. Willow is gone because he wanted her to go, but knowing it was right doesn’t make it hurt any less. Finn says, believe him, he knows.
Willow tells Michael, it’s just her way of saying she knows he’ll always be straight with her, and treat her with the respect she never had until she met him. Michael says, and Wiley. He loves everything about Wiley, of course (🍷), but he especially loves the way Wiley smiles at her. We flash back to Michael introducing Wiley to her as his godson, and her saying she’s not able to stay away. They smile.
Chase says he appreciates Finn tracking him down. He’s sorry he acted like a jerk. Finn says, if it’s any consolation, Willow probably thinks it’s a family trait. Chase asks what he said, and Finn says he mistakenly believed Chase took his advice, and told Willow the truth. They talked for a while at cross purposes, and she probably thinks he’s okay with what Chase did. Why didn’t Chase tell her it was staged? Chase says, that would have been selfish. It’s not about how bad he feels, but what’s right for Wiley. He knows what Nelle is capable of, and whatever it takes is worth it. Finn asks what he can do, and Chase says, not a damn thing. It’s already done. Finn gives him a beer, and Chase toasts to Willow, a beautiful and kind woman, who he will always love. He could have been happy spending the rest of his life with her, but she wouldn’t have been happy if Wiley was suffering or hurting. So this is what he had to do; this is how he shows his love. He drinks.
Brook tells Julian, if he’d turned her down, she would have called his bluff and gone to Sonny with her suspicions. He says thanks for reminding him how she holds his life in her hands. She says, fortunately, she doesn’t have to use her leverage. It’s best for everyone, especially Lucas. It would break his heart, and he’s been through enough. They toast to Lucas, and Brook says, accommodate the occasional favor, and she doesn’t have to tell anyone that he tampered with Brad’s car. They clink glasses, as Nelle listens in.
Chase tells Finn, the first time he and Willow met, she was sitting in her car crying. She didn’t seem helpless or fragile. She’s beautiful, even in tears, and he could tell there was something rare and strong about her. Then he got to know her. People must have thought he was trying to rescue her, but she didn’t need rescuing. She’s so determined, and so fierce in her quiet way. He laughs, and says, it took a long time for Willow to love him, but he was a goner in the first ten seconds. Finn says he hears that. Chase says he got used to thinking they had a lifetime, and part of him still can’t stop thinking they won’t. He tells Finn, thanks, and Finn says, for the beer? Chase says for respecting his decision, even though he doesn’t agree with it. Finn says he thinks Chase is a well-intentioned idiot. Love has a way of making fools out of all of them. Chase says, he appreciates Finn coming, but… Finn says, he’d rather be on his own? and Chase says, yeah. Finn tells Chase, call him, even if he just wants Finn to sit with him. Chase thanks him, they hug, and Finn leaves.
Michael tells Willow, his son loves her, and he knows she loves him. So if she agrees, they’ll still have a marriage based on love; for each other as friends, and love for Wiley. She gets up, and he asks what she’s thinking. She flashes back to Chase asking if she still considers his apartment his lair. She says she considers it the place where he is; the place she feels happy and safe because she’s with him. She remembers them telling each other, I love you, for the first time, and him saying he knows what a good person she is, what a good mom she’ll be, and how he definitely wants kids with her. She tells Michael, it’s not the marriage she imagined, and he says, him neither. She says, but she has faith they can make it work. He says, if that’s what she wants. If not, no harm, no foul. She says, Wiley deserves a safe, happy future. One with parents who love and care for him, and care about each other, and she would like to be part of it. So her answer is yes. She’ll marry him.
Tomorrow, Cyrus is sure he and Jordan will cross paths again; Lucy tells Sasha that she knows what it’s like to be labeled the town tramp; Nelle tells Martin they need a counter move now; and Michael asks if everyone is ready for a wedding.
Below Deck Sailing Yacht
Adam tells Jenna, he’s used to flying solo, and it scares him to change it. Jenna says, this isn’t what it should be like. It either needs to be fixed or he pissed all over something she believed was there. She’s put him first in a lot of things, and it hasn’t always been reciprocal. Adam says he can be closed off, and she says he’s not used to supporting a partner. He says she’s probably right. He shuts down. She asks if there’s a reason why, and he says, maybe it’s because he traveled so much as a kid. She says he readily showed her affection, so it’s there, but he needs to trust her, and she needs to trust him. He says he has hard time with that, and she says she does too. She’s scared. He says he’s sorry for what he said, and they hug. In his interview, Adam says emotional attachment is hard for him. His parents worked internationally, and he was moved all the time. He’d go in and out of schools, make friends, and then goodbye. He wants a great relationship, but didn’t think he was capable of it. A producer asks if he thinks he’s the problem, and he says he knows he’s the problem. He tells Jenna that he’s going to make a valiant effort not to clam up. He’s sorry for that.
Guest Dina tells Kerry, tomorrow is going to be her day, and Kerry says she’s going to bed. Jenna sits on Adam’s lap in the crew mess. Georgia comes by to ask Jenna a question, but says, sorry, as you were, and keeps going. In Ciara’s interview, she says, they’re so wrapped up in each other, they’re not paying attention to anyone else. It gives couples in yachting a bad rep. Georgia comes back, and says, trying this again. She asks when they’re starting in the morning. Everyone goes to bed.
Byron drains the oil that had leaked. Guests Jennifer and Mark meet with Glenn and Jenna. Jennifer says this is probably never going to happen again, and they want to make sure to get the most out of every moment, and do activities. In Glenn’s interview, he says, it’s heart wrenching. The guests could ask for anything. He wants to make it the charter of a lifetime. Jenna tells Georgia, sorry about last night. Georgia says she’s not changing her vote, but Jenna says, it’s complicated. They need to work out some things, and there’s more to it than Georgia knows. In Georgia’s interview, she says, since they’ve gotten on the boat, Jenna’s half the person she thought she was, and Adam is showing his true colors. This guy is going to screw Jenna up later.
Breakfast is served, and Jenna tells the guests they’re going to do water skiing, tubing, and waterboarding, then have cocktails on the beach. Georgia and Madison straighten up the cabins. Madison says, someone has to do the work, instead of sitting in the galley. Jenna pops in, and Madison isn’t sure if she heard. Jenna tells them she’s going to clear everything from breakfast. When she’s gone, Madison says Jenna makes her uncomfortable. Paget and Chris work on deck, and in Paget’s interview, he says, Chris has brought a new lease on life to the boat; he’s very spongy. Little does he know he has very small shoes to fill. The guests jump off the boat into the water, and Jenna asks Madison to relieve Georgia in the laundry room, so Georgia can go on break.
A guest asks Byron for some vodka, and he tells Jenna. She asks why they told him, and he says, because she’s not up there. Jenna tells Adam that she’s going to lie down, and he asks if she wants him to come; he’s got some free time. He asks if her minions are lying down, and she says, Georgia is on break and Madison is on laundry. She asks Madison if she wants be on service. In Madison’s interview, she says, whew!We’re good. Adam tells Jenna, it’s his first break all season. In Madison’s interview, she says, Jenna isn’t in her bed, and Adam isn’t in the galley. We’re supposed to be working, not sleeping on someone’s d*ck. Madison gripes to Ciara, and in Ciara’s interview, she says, if someone isn’t doing their job properly, someone else has to do it, and it’s not fair. Madison says she knows there’s just one more charter, but still… Chris watches the guests in the water, and in his interview, he says, it’s astonishing that Kerry has cancer. She’s such a positive, vibrant person. He’s always been positive, but it’s a reminder that, no matter how sh*tty your life can be, there’s always something to be positive about. In Jenna’s interview, she says, given that she’s given the majority of her life in yachting, at some point, she needs to be selfish. She deserves this feeling, and she’s enjoying every minute of it.
Glenn asks who’s on service, as he helps Madison. In Madison’s interview, she says, thanks for being a third stew. In Adam’s bunk, Adam tells Jenna, he wishes they could do this every day. Ciara tells Glenn, Madison is on service and laundry, so Jenna can take a nap with Adam. She left the guests. Glenn asks if the guests are okay, and she says, they are, but they can’t have no one on service. In Ciara’s interview, she says, it’s none of her business, but she can give her opinion if the captain is asking for it. She’s been working in yachting a long time. She tells Glenn that Jenna spends more time in Adam’s lap than working. She adds that the guests want the inflatable hotdog. Madison asks Georgia to check the cabins while the guests are in the water. Several of the guests try to get on the hotdog at once, and fall off. Glenn asks Madison if there’s a problem. She says she thinks as adults, they should be able to handle it, but it happened a lot this weekend. Although they just have one charter left. Jenna and Adam hug. The guests finally manage to get on the hotdog, and it takes off, pulled by the tender with Chris driving.
Jenna asks about the evening’s weather, and Glenn says, it’s not supposed to be windy. She tells him the guests are having a PJ party. Chris helps Paget lift a water vehicle called a seabob, and in his interview, he says, as he was lifting, he felt his back go out. He’s spent his life playing rugby and working on yachts; two of the worst things for your back. He’s used to just getting on with it. Guest Dino tells Kerry that she’s a role model for him; so positive and living in the now. Kerry says it’s a shame she had to go through this to wake up. Jenna tells the stews that at 6:30, the guests are going to the beach. Then they’re having a PJ party tonight. She tells Madison to get the PJs for the crew. Adam and Jenna go out on the tender, and Mark passes out the PJs they’ve gotten for everyone. In Chris’s interview, he says he has a high threshold for pain, and when he’s got a job to do, he just gets on with it.
Jenna comes back, and tells Madison, the guests are ready to go. She’ll clean up, and Madison and Georgia can go with them. In Madison’s interview, she says Jenna’s tone is demoralizing. I dunno. She sounds like a normal boss to me. Chris, Paget, and Ciara also go with the guests. Glenn looks over his glasses at Adam and Jenna goofing around. In his interview, Glenn says the last thing he wants to do is upset people who are face to face with the guests on charter, but he doesn’t want lovey-dovey stuff in the crew mess. It’s unprofessional, and needs to stop.
Georgia welcomes the guests to their private beach. Chris tells Paget, Georgia’s shorts are particularly short. Paget says Chris noticed, and Chris says, every day. Back at the boat, Adam cooks, and Jenna cleans up. On the beach, Georgia brings out her guitar. Kerry suggests Paget sing and take his clothes off. Georgia says they’ll do one of Paget’s songs. In Chris’s interview, he says he’s picking up flirtatious energy from Paget and Georgia. The tender starts to float away, and Chris runs to grab it. It’s time for the guests to go back to the boat, and Paget tells them that they’re the most fun guests yet. As Paget dismantles the umbrella, Georgia says something suggestive about getting it in the hole, and Paget says her mind is in the gutter. He asks, what’s going on with Chris? and she asks, why? Is he curious? He says he begs her pardon. In Georgia’s interview, she says, it’s difficult, because she finds him endearing. She has moments where she wonders how it’s possible someone is so like herself. She hasn’t found anyone she’s had a weakness for. Knowing the season is ending is torture for her.
Kerry tells the guests to put on their jammies. Glenn and Byron set up the dining table on deck. The stews put their PJs on, and they’re cute. Button down short sleeve tops and matching shorts, maroon with pinkish piping, and various sleep masks to go with them. Chris blows up helium balloons, and inhales some, giving a weather report in a helium voice. Ooh, the table has fairy lights; my favorite. Byron says Madison has been in a grumpy mood, and she says just because she isn’t perky doesn’t mean she’s in a bad mood, which definitely makes her sound like she’s in a bad mood. Byron tells Glenn that he looks like Aladdin in his PJs. Everyone comes up, and stands in a line in front of the guests. Jennifer tells them to take their walk, and they’ll judge them. The winner gets a prize. Everyone does a crazy dance or model walk, and the guests take pictures. Chris says if he’s going to do it, he’s doing it properly. He does a bump and grind, slides into the hot tub, and ends with taking his shirt off. In his interview, he says, did it hurt? Yeah, but it was worth it? 100%. Chris gets the prize of a fancy robe and $200. In his interview, he says, it’s fantastic. It will probably go into a massage for his back. The guests are served risotto to start, which always makes me think of Gordon Ramsay yelling at chefs.
Georgia tells Madison that she’s taking a break, and Jenna calls Madison to the galley to help serve the main course; surf and turf, with chateaubriand and lobster. One of the guests says, if food shuts the table up, it’s good. Kerry says she’s going to cry when they have to leave. Guest Jacque says, it’s a special gathering, and Jenna says, it has a lot of meaning. It’s nice to be part of it. Kerry says she’s never eaten so much good food in her entire life.
Chris takes some meds in the morning. Guest Mark dives off the boat. Paget drops his radio while lifting the seabob (which is now officially a pain in the ass), and slips. In his interview, Paget says he felt his hamstring go. In Chris’s interview, he says he swears their crew has been cursed. They have to just push through the pain or they’re screwed.
It’s the last day of charter, and some of the guests jump off the side of the boat into the water. Jenna tells Georgia that someone is leaving clothes piled in a ball in the laundry room. Adam says, it’s because clothes keep being left in the washing machine. In Madison’s interview, she says, Jenna and Adam are the Kim and Kanye of yachting. They’re pretty to look at, but you don’t want to be in a room with them for more than three seconds. Ciara asks if Paget is okay, and he says, it really hurts. Glenn wants to look over everything. In his interview, he says, after the oil accident, he wants to make sure all the i’s are dotted, and t’s are crossed. He doesn’t want anything else to bite them in the ass. He tells Byron that he wants to send Chris up the rig. In Chris’s interview, he says, it’s dangerous, going up 60 meters on the mast. He’s putting his life in the hands of someone else. There’s a lot of potential for things to go wrong, but it’s what he lives for. Should he be doing this? Absolutely not. Does he want to? Hell yeah. He gets into a harness, and goes up, Byron holding the rope below. In Glenn’s interview, he says, the mast is 62 meters from the water, or 190+ feet. In his interview, Chris says he feels most alive doing scary, fun, adrenaline filled stuff like that. It’s the way life should be lived. He finds that a light isn’t working, changes the bulb, and comes back down.
Glenn asks the deckhands to put away the swim platform. Adam makes breakfast, and Kerry calls it, the last supper. Jennifer says her favorite part of the trip was seeing them in the hotdog, and Kerry says she doesn’t think she’s laughed that hard in a long time. Glenn docks the boat. Madison complains about helping with the luggage, and Georgia says, it’s part of the job. In his interview, Paget says, life’s not fair. As rich as you are, you might not be here. You need to live every moment like it’s your last breath. There’s no excuse not be grateful. Jenna says their favorite part was making Kerry happy, and Kerry says, laughter is the best medicine. Dino says they’ll never know how much the trip meant. They leave, and Glenn blasts the horn.
Chris tells Glenn about hurting himself when he was lifting the seabob. He says he can still do the job, just slower. Glenn suggests seeing a doctor, and tells Chris about getting an injection when he was injured. In Chris’s interview, he says, it sucks. There’s no mercy when it comes to an injury. If you hurt yourself, you’re off the boat. Glenn tells him, keep an eye on it, and let him know how he’s progressing. Jenna tells Madison to start making beds. Glenn radios everyone for a charter debrief.
Glenn says, it was charter number eight, and the ultimate charter. It was the most challenging, having the hydraulic oil spill on the deck. He tells Chris a doctor will be coming, and they’re going to retire the seabob. He thinks service has dropped a little compared to earlier, and wants to talk with them about that. He wants to make sure they iron out any issues moving forward, and finish on a high note. In Jenna’s interview, she says, it’s complete bullsh*t. The guests are always happy, and that’s a result of her guidance. Glenn says, they have another charter tomorrow, and need to flip the boat quickly. Their tip was $12,700, or $1400 each. Georgia says, it was the sweetest charter. They made such an effort to help each other enjoy themselves. In her interview, she says, she’d love to have a friend group like these people. They’re her kind of people. Glenn tells them to eat lunch, and get back into it. They have a quick glass of champagne, and some food. Chris tells Madison to have a seat, but she says she has a lot to do. In her interview, Madison says she doesn’t think Jenna wants to accept responsibility for what transpired this season. She should have been called out long ago. Jenna tells Adam that she’s pissed. They should have come to her. Tell her what the guests said. She’s trying to control her rage.
Glenn requests a doctor for Chris. Chris finds Georgia in the laundry, and asks if she’s back in her hole already. She says it’s safer in there. Paget lies down. Georgia suggests to Madison that she shouldn’t have spoken to Ciara about her issue with Jenna, since Ciara will go directly to Glenn. Madison says, don’t flip on this; she needs someone in her corner. In Georgia’s interview, she doesn’t know if Madison likes to play the victim, or thinks she actually is the victim. We flash back to Madison bitching, and she says, they’ve all been effected. Madison isn’t the only one who has to deal with this sh*t. Madison says she’s not saying anything against Jenna. Georgia says, it’s a combination of things. Jenna’s lack of performance has gotten progressively worse, and Paget and Chris have been hurt. They’ll have to pick up the slack on the last charter. Jenna is on the defensive, so let her be angry, and when she calms down, they’ll see how she acts.
Glenn asks if Jenna has a minute. In his interview, he says Jenna made a choice to get involved with Adam, and now her work life and personal life have run together. He tells her, a couple of things have come to his attention, and they’ve got a big problem.
Next time, Chris needs an MRI scan, the last charter of the season, Glenn is concerned about illegal substances on board, and says a guest will be in deep sh*t if he finds drugs in one of the cabins. Captain Lee kicked someone’s ass off the boat for that once.
🛥 FYI, Below Deck Mediterranean will return on Hannah, Hannah, June 1st.
🏰 I watched the Downton Abbey movie over the weekend. Twice. It was great to see the Crawley’s back again, and all the servant politics. It’s the usual suspects, with the plot revolving around a visit from the queen. If you loved the show, you’ll love the movie.
🔎 Still Missing…
The Shahs of Sunset reunion. And absolutely no info. Zilch. Zero. Nada. What is it? A lawsuit? A restraining order? Everyone’s computers crashed on the same day? What?
🕯 Oh Say Do I See…
There seems to be the glimmer of hope on the horizon that we’re going to have a soft quarantine opening soon. Someday, you will know what day it is again. Until then, stay safe, stay following the guidelines, and stay remembering that giving yourself a haircut is a bad idea.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
Shahs of Sunset
Vida fauns over Baby Shams while out to lunch with MJ and Tommy. MJ says she had to cancel her baby shower because she was on bedrest, so she’d like to have a Sip N See to introduce the baby to everyone. In MJ’s interview, she says, traditionally, a Sip N See is having a few ladies in the living room to meet the baby. (Not according to Phaedra, RHOA. It’s more like a wedding with a baby, instead of a bride and groom.) She says, Persians put their own spin on things. They have it catered, decorate onesies, and tweak it a little. She tells Vida and Tommy that she wants a county fair theme. She’s thinking about having it at the Houdini mansion. Vida asks if that’s not better for Halloween, but MJ says it’s a gorgeous place. Tommy says it’s a beautiful mansion, and he thinks MJ can pull it off. MJ tells Vida that she talked to Reza, and saw everybody. Reza seemed genuinely remorseful, and said he was dropping the charges against Tommy. Vida asks if she’s inviting him to the shower, and Tommy jumps in, saying, no. She says she can’t because of the restraining order. In her interview, MJ says, in a perfect world she wishes Reza would be welcome, but there’s no way she can even entertain the thought until he drops the restraining order.
Reza and Adam go to a pottery making class. Adam asks if it beats Reza’s beekeeping thing, and Reza says the bee thing was amazing. He wishes Adam had been there. He had a really nice time, but then MJ said something to Paulina that upset her. Adam says, MJ is making a lot of people upset. In Reza’s interview, he says the reentry into his and MJ’s friendship is a bumpy flight. The attendants are still able to serve you, but there’s a lot of turbulence. He tells Adam, if his and MJ’s friendship is limited or not, Tommy having a felony record along with a newborn isn’t cool. He thinks karmically, the right thing is to not pursue criminal charges, and he’d rather do the right thing. Adam agrees, and says, at the end of the day, they’re in a great place, and everything is positive. He doesn’t care if Reza doesn’t go through with the criminal charges, but he still wants the restraining order in place. Reza says he totally forgives MJ and Tommy, and wants things comfortable for everyone, and to co-exist, but Adam says they’re where they’re at because of MJ and the Tommy situation, and he’s sticking by the restraining order. In his interview, Reza says he doesn’t know what he’s supposed to do. He’s caught between two people he loves. Adam says he’s glad they’re in a better place, and moving forward.
Destiney takes her pup Frank Sinatra with her to look for a baby gift. She calls Mike while she’s at the store, but he says he’s not going to the Sip N See. He says he was going to come, but then MJ made Paulina feel some sort of way. That shouldn’t happen. Destiney says, sometimes the stuff comes out of MJ’s mouth is toxic. In Destiney’s interview, she says, when they were in Hawaii, they were talking about bonds and how friendships matter. Does Mike want to lose that? She buys $250 worth of baby stuff.
Assistant Sienna tells MJ, everything is good. MJ asks her to text the guests that she’ll see them at 2:30, so they’re not late. Everyone starts to arrive, and it’s an amazing set up; games, all kinds of fair food, a donut wall. Reza says, it’s very MJ, and Nema says, it’s the most Iranian thing in the world; a three-month-old having a DJ at their party. Mike texts Nema that he decided not to come, Destiney arrives, carrying a load of balloons, trying to navigate the million stairs up to the party in her heels.
Mike and Reza have some batting practice. At the party, Shervin tells Nema, GG isn’t coming either, and we see her having some dental work done. Nema says, what the hell? In Nema’s interview, he says, whatever their personal drama is, this is about MJ’s son. Party planner Lenora tells everyone that MJ and Tommy are coming, as Destiney finally makes it to the top of the stairs. Nema tells her, Mike’s not there, and she says he felt some type of way (the phrase of the night) about MJ’s comment to Paulina. He’s feeling that she disrespected him; that’s his woman.
MJ tells Shervin, she’ll love GG from afar, until things change. Shervin says, Mike isn’t coming either, and wonders what happened to their ten year friendship. MJ says she feels bad about what she said to Paulina. She had her guard down, and it was in the moment, but she thinks Mike doesn’t want to show up. She thinks it’s a deeper emotion than hurt. She thought he cared, but he’s shown her nothing. He wants to look good in front of his girlfriend, and she’s glad he’s not there.
Nema tells Sara, he can’t wait for Mona to have kids. He won’t be having any, since his parents effed him up too much. Sara says, break the cycle, and Nema says, easier said than done. He’s afraid he’ll repeat the mistakes his dad did. Mona says, it’s his choice. Sara takes Nema aside, and says she lost her dad suddenly in a car accident. He’d just dropped her off at work, and her dad got T-boned in a high speed police chase. He died instantly. When she hears him say he can’t get over it, she thinks he still has a dad. Cherish that. Nema says, a lot of people chime in, but only a few get him to stop and think. He wants to think about what she said.
Tommy takes the mic, and says, his wife is the most legendary creature that has ever graced the planet. When he sees his son, he falls in love with her ten times more. MJ thanks everyone for coming. If they’re there, it means they love them, and it means a lot. Having her son is everything, and she hopes she gets to pass along the things her father taught her. Tommy says if Baby Shams grows up to be half the man MJ’s father was, they’ve done their job as parents. In MJ’s interview, she says, it’s a dream come true. She’s sad that some of her friends have shown that whatever they’re doing in their lives is more important than her baby. She toasts to Baby Shams.
Mom Fatima visits GG, bearing Persian herb stew, among other groceries. In her interview, GG says her mom is her best friend, especially through the pregnancy process. Her mother has been her human punching bag, but GG appreciates that Fatima has been there for her. She tells Fatima that she went to the doctor, and she’s starting the process again in a month and a half. She’ll be doing injections for five weeks. Fatima tells her, congratulations. In GG’s interview, she says, there was a crack in the road, and she stumbled, but she’s going to keep going. She shows Fatima the needle, and it looks gigantic. Fatima tells her, say it’s for the baby, so she can do it with satisfaction. GG says she’s getting emotional, and Fatima says she wishes GG will be a good mother. GG says she had a good teacher, and hugs Fatima.
Mike tells Paulina, he’s going to Sara’s freedom party. We flash back to the disaster of a pool party, and in his interview, Mike says, the last one sucked. Oh sh*t; here we go again. Paulina asks if everyone is going, and says, at some point, they all have to take responsibility for their own actions. Mike says he’s concerned about not going to the Sip N See. They meet Mike’s parents for dinner, and Mike wears a gold medallion that his grandfather had gifted his dad, and his dad passed to him. He thought, why put it in a safe, when he can wear it proudly? Mom Sue asks how his project is coming. In Mike’s interview, he says his parents have doubts about his capabilities. He tells her, it’s going really well, and his dad asks if he’s got proof. Mike says his project manager emails him several times a day on the progress, and it looks good. Sue says he’s almost there, and Mike says, it’s going to be a good year. Sue says she’s proud of him. It’s a big deal. Mike set his mind to it, and he’s doing it. In his interview, Mike says, all he’s wanted is for his parents to be proud. It only took 41 years.
Nema goes to lunch with Mona, half-sister Sara, and dad Fred. In his interview, Nema tells us that his dad had another child with his stepmother, but he’s always looked at her like a full sister. She’s starting at UCLA in the fall, and he’s proud of her. He tells a story about Sara shutting off the X-Box in the middle of them playing, when she was two, and him thinking, he can’t do this parenting sh*t. Mona asks Fred if Nema should have kids, and he says, every dad wants grandchildren. Nema says, no way, and apologizes for bumming everyone out. Fred comes around the table, and hugs him. Nema gets emotional, and goes outside, and his dad follows. Nema says he’s tired of being angry. In his interview, he says he didn’t cause this. The actions of his mom and dad did. We flash back to Nema talking to his therapist, and saying he’s more angry at his dad after reading his mom’s letter. He tells us, he’s had twenty-five years of small talk with his dad. Fred says he knows how much he hurt Nema, and doesn’t want him to suffer. Nema means everything to him, and he hopes Nema can give him room in his life, because he loves him. Nema says, they don’t talk, but his dad says Nema is his son, and he loves him. Let’s fix this. Nema says, at this point, it’s too late, but Fred says, they’re ready for it. He wants them to be close, and wants to help Nema. Nema hopes so. In his interview, Nema says they have had a sincere moment of closeness in years. It’s been like a game of chicken. When they get back to the table, Fred says he loves all of them, and Nema says he forgives him and his mom. He doesn’t want to carry it anymore. He can’t spend the next 35 years like the last ones. He suggests they have more regular meetings as a family.
Tommy asks MJ if Reza is going to be at Sara’s party. MJ says, the scene of the crime. Tommy says he has a bat in the car; he’s got a softball game. MJ tells him, no jokes like that.
In Reza’s interview, he says he left Hawaii thinking he’d be dropping the charges. But Adam is clear that dropping the restraining order isn’t an option.
In Destiney’s interview, she says she has no issue with Sara. She dated Sara’s brother; however, the last time, it was a disaster. We flash back to that. She says she can still be nice and sweet; that’s who she is. Plus, she can rub it in his face that she’s cute. When MJ arrives, she says, do-over, and in her interview, she says she has hella PTSD just walking in. In Reza’s interview, he says talk about going back to the worst experience. He hopes he gets three, four, or five sheets to whatever wind. He blows a kiss to MJ, who tells Vida not to attack him. Vida swears she’s not going to attack anybody. GG sees Sam, and in her interview, she says she needs to have a talk with Destiney. She doesn’t know what Destiney saw in that guy. The way she talked, GG thought he would look like James Bond. WTF?
Reza and MJ step away, and he says he’s trying to avoid her mom. He says he was glad they’re in a good place, making forward motions, but when he walked in, he heard Vida talking about him to Nema. MJ says she wants Reza to say hello; just acknowledge her. Reza gives Vida some polite conversation, and moves along to the bar. Mike tells Nema, he’s yet to get an apology from MJ, and Nema says he thinks it was wrong of Mike not to show up for the Sip N See. Mike says there’s plenty of time for them to catch up. Reza joins them, and Mike says he wasn’t there either. Reza says, it was because of the restraining order. He’s not going to file charges; he doesn’t want a felony case for Tommy, MJ, or the baby. But as far as the restraining order goes, Adam feels safer with keeping it in place. They don’t want to risk another moment of impulse control. Nema asks if MJ knows, and wonders how their relationship can survive. In Reza’s interview, he says, Adam wants him to take a stand for him and their marriage. He’s going to respect his husband’s wishes. How can he not?
Nema asks MJ how it went with Reza, and she says she hasn’t asked if everything is dropped, and Nema tells her that Reza isn’t dropping the restraining order. He just said it. In MJ’s Interview, she says she’s really hurt. She doesn’t believe Reza would make that choice, to double down on something that damaged their friendship beyond recognition. He’d assured her that he was dropping everything in his power. She tells Nema that their friendship is built on lies. Destiney joins them, and Nema says, there’s drama. Reza comes in, and Nema says, perfect timing. A conversation came up about the restraining order. MJ says, everything they talked about was a lie. Nema tells her, that’s not what he said, and she says Reza also talked to other people, and she doesn’t like anyone else being involved. Reza says, what transpired in his household… and MJ says, he changed his mind? He says they’re not pursuing the felony charges, but what if Tommy comes back in six months with a gun instead of a bat? MJ says, so he’s worried about the future? and Reza says, 100%. MJ says if there’s going to be a future between them, please don’t do this. He needs to give her credit for 30 years of being his friend. That’s why she apologized. She’ll burn this house down if he doesn’t lift everything. He says he’s sorry, and she says she can’t do this. In Reza’s interview, he says he doesn’t want the restraining order to be the nail in the coffin of his friendship with MJ. But at the same time, he had to pick between two people he loves. He’s still married, and picked his husband.
On the balcony, MJ yells, these people are full of sh*t, and she doesn’t need to be there. In Mike’s interview, he says, they’re not a bunch of fair-weather friends. This has gone too far. How did they get to this place? In her interview, GG says, certain people will find a happier ending, and certain relationships are completely done. Reza yells for everyone to come and take a family photo, and the guests all gather by the pool. In MJ’s interview, she says she’s heartbroken and gutted. She was open to fixing the friendship, but wonders how they can ever get back from this. She leaves the party.
Next time – the Reunion.
💿 For the Record…
Today on GH’s Flashback Friday, it was an anniversary episode from 2014. I don’t remember seeing this, but I might have still been dealing with repairing the house after Hurricane Sandy. AJ died after Sonny shot him, Lucy was still married to Doc, Noah had broken up with Bobbie, and the Nurses Ball was on the horizon. Since there were flashbacks within this flashback, we saw three different Carlys, and saw Sonny when he was practically an infant. At the end, AJ was met by Emily, Edward, Lila, and Alan, and took the stairs up to heaven. Which is really questionable.
For some reason, my brain translated Phaedra to Rosa. Probably because of Porsha’s misunderstanding of the Underground Railroad. History and pop culture have somehow meshed in my brain.
Remember, No one’s more important than people! In other words, friendship is the most important thing – not career or housework, or one’s fatigue – and it needs to be tended and nurtured. – Julia Child
There are two ways to be fooled. One is to believe what isn’t true; the other is to refuse to believe what is true. – Soren Kierkegaard
David is not a terrorist. He’s a Catholic. – woman being catfished on Dr. Phil
We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars. – Oscar Wilde
It is never too late to be what you might have been. – George Eliot
It’s no use going back to yesterday, because I was a different person then. – Lewis Carroll
Well-behaved women seldom make history. – Laurel Thatcher Ulrich
The most common form of despair is not being who you are. – Soren Kierkegaard
Nobody wanted to be in this situation. It is how we react to it that will define us as people. – David Toborowsky, 90 Day Fiancé: Self-Quarantined
You were born with wings, why prefer to crawl through life? – Rumi
Life is a shipwreck, but we must not forget to sing in the lifeboats. – Voltaire
I had to think of a new and creative way to embarrass my children. – Sarah Michelle Gellar on why she dyed her hair pink during quarantine, TheSkimm. (She sounds like my father.)
📝 Summing Up the Week…
You made it through another one. And I’ve added more things to my list of what I never want to hear/see again, like WFH (I’d actually thought it mean what fresh hell when I first saw it), and #alonetogether (I just want to be alone). The doors are slowly starting to open, and you’ll be out there again soon. See you when it’s time to sail away on Monday. Until then, stay safe, stay on your good behavior, and shake your groove thing like nobody’s watching. Unless they are.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
Shah of Sunset
Clips from Memory Lane are interspersed with where everyone is at now. A producer asks MJ what holds them together, and she says, love. We see a clip of what’s to come between her and Reza, and it’s not love.
We rewind to a month earlier. In his interview, Reza tells us that he lost 50 pounds. He’s trying to get his body from the 20s back. He didn’t appreciate it when it was happening, and it goes away quickly. He says he and Adam are getting better. Adam and Reza plan for a housewarming party, and we flash back to them in the process of building. The new house is gorgeous, except for the backyard, which Reza declares a disaster. He isn’t sure if MJ can make the party, and hasn’t invited GG yet. We flash back to the reunion, where GG tells everyone that she’s being sued by Shalom, as the result of something Mike, MJ, and Reza did. Reza says he doesn’t want to be a bitchy queen, so he’s inviting her.
GG tells her friend Yasmin that she hasn’t been invited, and she’s pissed. Yasmin tells her to take a breath, and wait. GG says she’s been giving everyone their space, but Yasmin thinks GG should actively mend some relationships. GG thinks she can do it with Destiney, and she loves Adam, but she’ll deal with Reza in time. In GG’s interview, she says she has embryos on ice, and she’s going to get pregnant, No doubt she’ll stop smoking weed when it happens. Yasmin says there are so many horror stories about ruined bodies, but GG says she’s going to be a MILF. Yasmin cooks something, and it sets the fire alarm off.
At the market, Destiney tries to get Mike to try natural Viagra, but he says he doesn’t need it; he’s Persian. Mike has a new girlfriend, Paulina, and it’s the first time he’s dated a Persian girl. She’s a vegan, and he goes to Destiney for cooking tips. Mike tells Destiney that he knows how to treat a woman. Destiney is skeptical, considering what happened with Jessica, but Mike says it was a bad relationship. We flash back to some of that. He says Paulina has completely changed his vibe. In Destiney’s interview, she says, dating is a bitch. It’s like finding needle in a haystack, and needle the needle is rusted. With her bad luck, and Mike being hooked up, she feels like she’s in Groundhog Day and Twilight Zone at the same time.
Reza talks about Adam’s butterfly incubator, and how he has a flare for parenting. Adam says MJ is ready to pop, and Reza asks if he still wants to have kids. Adam says he’s having second thoughts, and Reza asks if it’s because of relationship. Adam says, partly, but Reza gets stressed out easily, while he’s at the other end of the spectrum. If the baby pukes on Reza’s Gucci shoes, it might cause friction. Then Reza will resent the kid and/or Adam. The bottom line is, it’s part Adam’s career, and part Reza’s attitude, and also their past history. Reza says he’s confused and thirsty. He’s having some water, and moving back to Iran.
Reza meets Nema for a drink. Nema is all happy about his new veneers, and shows Reza that he’s wearing his gold chain. Reza says Nema’s Persian went from a 6½ to a 10. Nema asks how married life is, and Reza says, great. We flash back to two seconds ago. Nema says they’re late bloomers. He’s on the upswing, but everyone is wifed up and married. Even Mike is with new ex-wife number two. Reza says, Paulina is rich and her ex is rich. In Reza’s interview, he says, Mike won the Persian girlfriend lottery.
Mike makes dinner for Paulina. In his interview, he says he’s completely changed his life. A year ago, he was living the single life, but he’s 40, and doesn’t want to stay single; he wants a family. He found someone to give him what he’s looking for in life. Everything is amazing, from their deep discussions to the way she kisses him. He says, when you know, you know, and he knows. She’s his soulmate. Aww! She pronounces the food delicious, and he says she’s everything he wants in a woman, and he loves her. She wonders why she never met him before, and she says she got married young, at 19. She wasn’t looking something serious, and hearing he cheated, she would have said he didn’t deserve a second chance. In his interview, he says he made sure he was transparent and honest with her. He doesn’t want to repeat his mistakes. He tells her that he’s completely different. She says he adores her children, and she wants to marry him. He says when they’re ready, it will be great.
GG and Destiney meet for lunch. Destiney orders a heathy dish, while GG stuffs her face with pizza, among other carb-laden things. GG tells Destiney that she felt cut off from everyone, but had a different kind of friendship with Destiney. She felt like she’d popped off at Destiney – we flash back to the reunion – and apologizes. Destiney says they’re different people, and GG says she couldn’t take it anymore; she’s apologizing. Destiney tells GG that she’s too aggressive, and we flash back to about a dozen examples of that. GG insists it was only one time. She gets up, and says she’s done with it, and yells that Destiney is lying. She’d never raise a hand to one of her best friends. Destiney reminds GG of an incident at the fair where GG shoved her, and GG walks out. At this point, the whole restaurant is watching. GG smokes some weed, and comes back. She tells Destiney that she needed a minute. She kept reaching out to Destiney, and wants her to understand. She asks where Destiney wants to go with this. Destiney says she gets GG, and thinks they should take it day by day. In Destiney’s interview, she says GG is cuckoo, but she loves her. GG takes Destiney’s hand, and asks Destiney to feel her and her apology. In GG’s interview, she says it’s more familiar for her to be turnt up than to calm down. Destiney says, it means a lot.
Reza, Adam, and an entire team prepare for the party. In his interview, Reza says he’s going full-on Annette Bening in American Beauty – I will sell this house today. He says Adam isn’t as neurotic, and will give him sourpuss, but he’ll hug and love Adam, and everything will be fine in the hood.
Reza thinks a bunch of drunk Persians and lanterns may not mix. In his interview, he says Destiney is a genius with cocktails, and he asked her to come up with a Persian cocktail or two, to feature on the menu. The backyard was Beverly Hillbillies, but party planner Kevin Lee waved his magic wand, and spread gold fairy dust everywhere. It does look fabulous. Destiney instructs the bartenders on her creations, and in her interview, says she loves their culture. The spices are on a whole different level. Adam finds the first drink a little tart, and Destiney says, Reza likes tart. Adam says, not a tart attitude. In Destiney’s interview, she says she can’t look at Adam without feeling horrible. He sent some raunchy-ass stuff to her friend Ali. We see a clip of Ali showing her his phone, and saying he doesn’t know what Adam’s intentions are. In her interview, she asks, how you tell someone you care about, you’ve heard some sh*tty-ass information about their relationship? She doesn’t want to believe Adam cheated, but something is going on.
Everyone begins to arrive, including Mona, Shervin, and some childhood friends. Reza’s friend Sara doesn’t have a lot of Persian friends in LA, so he introduces her around. In Mike’s interview, he says you never come to someone’s house for the first time empty-handed, and he sent the biggest bunch of flowers possible. He finds his flowers on display, but realizes there’s no card, and shows Reza the card that should have been with them on his phone. In Reza’s interview, he says he loves Paulina, and she dresses impeccably. Everyone compares jewelry, saying things like, this is Cartier; this is LV, until Mike finally says, this is my dool (slang for penis). I literally lol.
GG shows up, bringing the cutest succulent garden, and a llama balloon. She says Reza is skinny, and he says he stopped eating. She starts to go out to the patio, and turns around. She tells Reza, she has to go. She didn’t think Shervin was going to be there. Reza says he didn’t know she and Shervin had beef. Mike tells her not to run off, and she, Mike, and Reza, sit on a side patio. In her interview, GG says she was hardcore focused on her company. We flash back the her launch event, and she says she found out Shervin got involved in the CBD space too. It was a stab in the back. Reza asks to talk to GG alone, and Mike makes himself scarce. Reza tells GG that he loves her, and wants to be back in a good place. He’ll be hurt if she leaves. They haven’t been talking, but he loves her, and wants the best for her. Her life has been off limits, and he does better when he’s in her life. GG says they don’t get along because they’re too similar, and Reza says, almost identical. She says, it’s like the Bloods and Crips uniting. He says, you go, Nipsy, and they hug.
Mike continues to look for the card, poking through the bouquet. Outside, Paulina talks about her tattoos, and says she wants to add her and Mike’s wedding date. In Nema’s interview, he says, Paulina wants to marry Mike yesterday, but he has a tendency to have a wandering eye. She says, the two of them until death. GG sees Nema, and in her interview, says, it’s like walking chicklets. In Nema’s interview, he says, maybe the moment has passed where they’d be friends who have hot sex. Instead, they’re friends who go to brunch. Reza announces they’re playing charades. Destiney is the first up with pogo stick, and Shervin has booty call. Destiney finds Mike still looking for the card, and says Ali told her something about board game night; they played strip Jenga. I’m not sure how anyone could say that with a straight face. We see a clip of Ali telling Destiney that Adam has been playing with other guys. Mike asks what if Destiney’s SO played strip poker with chicks? and she says she’d cut his d*ck off.
Destiney and Mike go to a private area outside with Reza. Mike says he doesn’t think it’s true, but supposedly Ali got weird tests from Adam that had sexual undertones. He thinks Adam can be funny like that. Destiney says Ali told her that when Reza was out of town, Adam played Jenga, and they were all naked. Reza says, okay… and Destiney says she didn’t want to tell him, but Reza says he wants know. Either he and Adam will end up together or apart, but whatever happens, he’s glad they told him. He thanks them, and says he’ll get to the bottom of it. Either some weird sh*t is going on, or it’s innocuous. Either way, always tell him. He excuses himself to say goodbye to some guests. When he comes back, Mike says, maybe it’s nothing, but Reza says, always tell him, and let him decide. Mike says, Destiney told him. Destiney tells Adam that she loves him. In her interview, she says she feels like a POS. they worked so hard on their marriage, and she’s the messenger who’s effing it up. Who wants to be a part of that?
The guests are mostly gone, and the DJ packs up. Adam sits outside with Reza, and Reza asks if Adam was playing strip Jenga there, or somewhere else. Adam screws up his face, like he smelled something bad, and… to be continued.
This season: MJ delivers Baby Shams, Mike proposes, GG gets pregnant, and MJ and Reza go to war. Parties, possums, Tommy wants to break Reza’s legs, Destiney is spiraling, and Mike does drag. New friendships, new relationships, new struggles, new hope.
🎭 Read All About It…
Mostly because I didn’t watch it. I was thrilled to hear Bong Joon Ho was the big winner, since Snowpiercer is one of my favorite films, and horrendously underrated.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Mike tells Sonny, it’s time to get this show on the road, and Sonny says, ready. Carly plays Here Comes the Bride on her tablet. Yvonne walks in to the music, and kisses Mike. Everyone smiles.
In quarantine, Sasha tells Michael that he doesn’t have to stay, but he says he has the time. She tells him that he said that a half hour ago. It’s an important day for his grandpa. He says, she’s important too. She says, Mike is getting married. She’s just lying there like a zombie. So much for keeping it casual. Michael guesses it’s too early for her to move in, and she says they should probably table that. He tells her, but he has a U-Haul outside. She laughs, then coughs. She says, tell Mike congratulations. Michael leaves, and sees Finn in the hallway. Michael asks if he’s found the virus, but Finn says, not yet. He asks if Michael has heard from his contacts on his father’s island. If there are other cases, he can better understand how Sasha got infected.
Nina tells Jax that she’ll be working remotely for a while. He asks if everything is okay, and she says her daughter is in the hospital. She came back from Puerto Rico with a virus, but they don’t know what kind. She could be in GH for a couple of days or… She says she doesn’t know what’s going on with her daughter. She starts crying, and says, sorry. She’s not being professional. Jax says she has a right to be upset.
At the MetroCourt, Laura thanks Chelsea for agreeing to meet her. Chelsea says Laura is hoping to contact her late brother; correct? Laura asks if Chelsea can help her with that.
Ava walks into Charlie’s, and asks why there’s a for sale sign. Julian says, sorry. He didn’t want her to find out this way. She asks if he’s selling the place, and he says, that, and he and Kim are leaving town.
Also at the MetroCourt, Curtis is staring into space, and Jordan says, hey. He tells her, sorry. He was trying to keep his mind off what happened last night. He just can’t help thinking, if he and Drew would have gotten there earlier… She says they still did good. Shiloh is in jail, and there’s no way hell a judge will release him. It’s a win. He says, not for Elizabeth.
Elizabeth tells Franco that she knew he’d come back. He had to. Nothing or no one can keep them apart. She asks if she can get him anything, and he says he needs to speak to his superior officer immediately. She doesn’t think he understands, and he says, tell him Chief Andrew Cain needs him right now. Hmm… I think she’s the one not understanding
Michael tells Finn, no one has reported an outbreak. None of the staff or guests have any symptoms.The guests are all accounted for, except for one whose information is incorrect; Sandy Lance. They had breakfast together. Finn says they need to track her down. Michael says that doesn’t explain why Sasha would have been infected, and he wasn’t.
Hayden hopes she’s not interrupting, and Nina says, not at all. She was just telling Jax that he daughter is in the hospital. She’ll be fine. It’s just a little virus, and they’re trying to nail down a diagnosis. Nina is on her way to see Valentin at GH. They’re going to stay there until they know more. She can be contacted on her cell. Jax says work is the last thing that should be on her mind. She needs to be with her daughter, and make sure she gets better. She thanks him, and leaves. Hayden says, well done. That was quite a performance.
Stella sees Jordan and Curtis, and asks how come they’re not answering their phones. Jordan says she was supposed to disconnect and unplug. Stella says, that’s nice, except for those trying to reach them. Curtis asks if something happened, and Stella says they’ve got themselves a third cousin once removed in London. Isn’t it wild? They had an incredible conversation. She married a member of the family in the armed forces, and bounced all over, but is currently in the UK. She doesn’t have much extended family, and can’t wait to meet Stella. Curtis asks when she’s coming to Port Charles, and Stella says, she’s not. She offered to fly Stella out to London.
Laura asks if Chelsea is sure she wants to do this at the MetroCourt. Chelsea says she loves it there; it has wonderful ambiance. Laura thought she needed something like tarot cards, and Chelsea says she doesn’t believe, does she? Laura admits she has doubts, but Chelsea says, that’s okay. A lot of her clients do – at first. Laura asks if her skepticism won’t interfere with Chelsea’s work. Chelsea says the spirits are usually willing to talk to her. Whether Laura believes is up to her. They join hands, and Chelsea asks who Laura is trying to reach. Laura says her brother, Jonathan.
Doc tells Drew that Cabot’s experiment appears to be successful. Drew asks if Franco thinks he’s him, and Doc says, he identified himself as Chief Petty Officer Andrew Cain, and thinks he’s deployed in Afghanistan.
Elizabeth backs up, and Franco says, pardon me, ma’am, and asks her to let him leave. She says he needs to listen, but he says she can’t keep him against his will. He says she keeps calling him Franco, and she says, that’s who he is. He says he’s Chief Petty Officer Andrew Cain, but she says he’s Franco Baldwin, and she’s his wife. Look at his hand; it’s his wedding band. On Valentine’s Day, at the PCPD, she vowed to love him forever, and said he’d freed her soul. He doesn’t remember any of that? He says, no ma’am. He’s sorry. He’s never seen her before in his life.
Sonny says they’re here today to join Mike and Yvonne in holy matrimony. It’s an important union. More important than the law permits, or the paper that holds it together. It’s more than that. The most important thing is family, whether it’s one or two, or whatever you choose it to be. It’s unconditional love, and unconditional support and forgiveness. It’s never too late for family, and guess what? They’re going to start a family. They all laugh, and Sonny says, there will be bad days, but if they reach out and care for each other, the good days will outweigh the bad. That’s love. That’s family. Family always watches out for each other, and always has each other’s backs – always.
Stella tells Curtis and Jordan that she’s going to London. She has vacation time saved up, and might as well use it. Since she’s making the trip, she wants to travel to Europe too. Who knows when she’ll get the chance again. She says they don’t seem enthused, and Curtis says the cousin wants to fly her out on her dime? It’s a mighty generous move by a stranger. Stella says, thirdcousin once removed. He says sorry he’s skeptical, and Jordan says, it does seem forward. Stella thought they’d be happy. They’ve been pestering her for months to seek her relative out, and she finally has. Curtis says they’re happy for her, but he doesn’t like the idea of her meeting them in London. Stella doesn’t know her; she could be crazy. Stella says she’s not staying there. She’s cashing in on her hotel points. If they’re crazy, she’ll retire in peace at her hotel. Jordan says she’d be disappointed, and Stella says, inLondon. She also said her daughter-in-law is the police commissioner. They’re being paranoid. Curtis says, they’re being cautious. Let him do a background check before she leaves. Stella says, okay, but hurry. She’s flying out tonight.
Elizabeth says Franco is confused right now. He’s Franco Baldwin, her husband. He says he doesn’t know what kind of operation she’s running here, but she needs to step aside. There’s somewhere he needs to be. She says, Franco, please, and he ask why she keeps calling him Franco. Outside, Drew and Doc hear them, and come into the room. Doc asks for some phenobarbital. He tells Franco that he’s been through a traumatic event. Franco tries to leave, but Drew stops him. Epiphany gives him a shot, and he asks what they did to him. They have to let him go.
Ava asks if Julian was intending to tell her, or was he just going to send a postcard when he settled in… He says, Manhattan. It was Kim’s idea. She wants a change of scenery. Ava suggests he take Kim on a vacation, but he says, it’s too hard for her to be in Port Charles. There are too many reminders of Oscar, and face it, she has no roots in Port Charles. She wants a fresh start, and he wants to be part of it. Ava says, too damn bad.
Chelsea concentrates, and Laura asks if Chelsea has found her brother. Is he trying tell her something? Chelsea says, sorry; she can’t reach him. There’s nothing. It’s almost as if he doesn’t exist. However, she does have a message from Laura’s sister.
Sonny has Yvonne repeat the vows. When he gets to, till death do us part, Yvonne interrupts, and says, forever and always. It’s Mike’s turn, and he says being with her has to be the best time in his life. She makes every moment seem exciting and new. He’ll be lucky if he makes her half as happy as she’s made him, but he promises to give it one helluva good shot. He tells Sonny, sorry, Father, and Sonny says, it’s okay. Mike promises to love and honor Yvonne, and cherish her always and forever. Sonny asks for the rings, and Carly gets them gives them. Sonny asks if Yvonne takes Mike to be her husband. She does, and he asks if Mike takes Yvonne to be his wife. Mike says he absolutely does, and Sonny pronounces them husband and wife. He tells Mike that he can kiss the bride. Mike does, and they all smile and laugh.
Epiphany comes out of Franco’s room, and says he’s back in the bed. Doc says he gave Franco a little something to relax, but he won’t be out for long. He’s going to talk with the neurologist and see if he can get answers. He tells Drew and Elizabeth, hang in there. Elizabeth asks if Cabot was right, and Franco has Drew’s memories. Doc says it’s far beyond anything he’s seen before. He’s ordered an MRI, but he thinks it’s important to confront Franco with the facts. He’s not Drew Cain; he’s Franco Baldwin.
Nina visits Sasha, and asks how she’s feeling. Sasha says she’s been better. Nina is sure the stuffy room doesn’t help, and Finn says the room with the jacuzzi was booked. Sasha laughs and coughs. Nina says she knows they were told to take precautions, but Finn has no idea if Sasha is contagious. He doesn’t recommend her leaving until they find out what she has, but he’ll leave them to discuss it. Nina tells Sasha there’s no real reason she can’t take Sasha home. Sasha says, sorry, but she’s following Finn’s recommendation. She needs to stay there.
Jax tells Hayden, it wasn’t a performance; he feels terrible. Hayden tells him, regardless, they shouldn’t ignore the unexpected opportunity. If he gets Nina to trust him, they can use it to their advantage. Jax says he’s been in Nina’s shoes, when Josslyn was sick. Hayden says, the fact remains, Sasha’s illness has given them an opening.
Chelsea tells Laura, it’s a blonde woman, dressed in white, possibly a nurse. She’s quite a chatterbox. She said she misses gossiping with Richard. Laura says she doesn’t know who it is. Chelsea says she wants to give Laura her love, and is glad she found her happily ever after with Kevin. Chelsea suddenly looks in the distance, and says Laura’s son is in grave danger.
Laura asks, what kind of danger? Chelsea says she can help Laura, but they have to discuss payment. Sorry; it’s not volunteer work. Laura gets it, and asks, how much? Chelsea says the message from her sister is free, but this will be $300. Laura says, $300?! and Chelsea says she’s not forcing Laura. Laura wishes Chelsea took credit cards, and Chelsea says, it’s 2019.Of course (🍷) she can. Laura says, before Chelsea swipes, can she have a minute? She steps away, and calls someone, saying, please pick up.
Ava tells Julian she can’t believe he’s running away with Kim to deal with her loss. Julian says, she’s inconsolable. Ava says Kim isn’t the only one surrounded by reminders. Julian knows losing Kiki was difficult, but Ava says, it’s more than that. It’s been hell. Her phone dings, and she glances at it. She says, now perfect strangers are lining up to tear her to shreds. Julian says, bored people with nothing better to do than try to hurt her. She says, it’s working. It’s starting to weigh on her.
On the phone, Laura asks if they’re sure everything is okay. She says, don’t worry. Everything fine. She just got something in her head. She goes back to the table, and Chelsea asks if they’re good to go. Laura says, no, and Chelsea asks if something is wrong. Laura says she just talked to her son. Chelsea asks if he’s okay, and Laura says, perfect. He’s absolutely fine, but what Chelsea is doing there is not. It’s a violation of penal law 165.135. Fortune telling is illegal in the state of New York.
Curtis thanks someone on the phone, and tells Jordan, everything checks out. No red flags. She asks why he looks disappointed. He says he’s not, but she tells him, come clean. He says he’s going to miss Stella. Jordan says, it’s just a couple of weeks, and it’s a great opportunity. He says he doesn’t want to be selfish, but he loves how close they’ve gotten. Think how they were at this time last year. He’s proud of how they’ve grown as a family. He’s going to miss Stella being around all the time. Standing behind him, Stella listens. He says, like when they were kids. They were tight as a family. He doesn’t like the idea of her travelling by herself at her age. Stella coughs, and says, what age? That she reconnected with a family member means the world to her, but she’ll always be there for him, like in the old days. Watching the Corinthos family deal with Mike, and Marcus deal with Yvonne, brought up the sacrifices she’s made. She doesn’t regret it for a minute, but Tommy is gone, and Curtis and TJ are grown men, and in good hands. She needs to live her life. It might be a little trip to him, but it’s much more to her. it’s everything she’s been putting off for years. She finally has a chance to do something for herself. Does that make sense? Curtis says, perfect sense. He tells her, go, and have an incredible time. She’s earned it. She says she has, and they hug.
Carly tells Sonny that he did a beautiful job. He says, it was nothing, but she says, it was a big deal. Not everyone could have doneit. She tells him, look at them; they’re so adorable. Sonny says, for a moment, before the ceremony, he thought Mike recognized him. Carly says she’s glad. Michael tells them that he’s going to take off. He wants to check on Sasha. He says Mike told him to let the reverend know he did good. Sonny says, message received, and Michael leaves.
Franco asks where is he, and what have they done to him? What did they give him? Doc says, it’s a mild sedative. Does Franco remember him? They spoke earlier. Franco says he doesn’t know any of them. Doc says he’s a doctor, and they’re all looking out for his best interests. He says sure they are. That’s why abducted him. Where are they keeping him? Doc says just give them a chance to explain, then he can decide what he believes. Franco says it doesn’t sound like he has much choice. Doc knows it’s jarring, but he’s in the US. Franco says he was deployed to Afghanistan, but Doc says, no; he wasn’t. He’s not deployed, and he’s not Andrew Cain. Franco asks why Doc is saying that, and Drew says because he isn’t. He’s Andrew Cain.
Sasha tells Nina that Finn isn’t sure what she has isn’t contagious, and she doesn’t want Charlotte to get it. Nina says, Charlotte can stay with her mom; Lulu would love it. Sasha says what if Nina or Valentin get it? and Nina says they’ll up their vitamin C. Sasha says she can’t take the risk. She’s staying there until Finn finds a cure. Nina says, he will, and Sasha will get better. Sasha asks what makes her so sure? but Nina doesn’t know. She says, maybe a mother’s instinct.
Hayden tells Jax that she thinks it’s in Helena’s trophy room, but Jax says he’s not taking advantage of Nina’s concern over her daughter. Hayden says she understands. He says he’ll be in touch.
Doc tells Franco, the memories he has belong to Drew. He’s Franco Baldwin. Doc gets a call, and he says it’s someone who specializes in memory study. He wants to drop in on him, and promises he’ll be back. Franco looks at Elizabeth, and asks if she honestly believes she’s his wife. She says she is his wife. He looks at Drew, and says Drew really believes he’s him? Drew looks nothing like him. Showing him a mirror might be an idea.
Julian suggests Ava steer clear of the comments section. Ironically, it’s the same thing he told Kiki during her lawsuit. It was good advice then, and it’s good advice now. Ava says it proves he can’t leave her. He centers her. He says he’s moving to Manhattan, not Siberia. She asks if he isn’t worried Kim is just leaving to avoid her grief. He asks if there’s a better reason, but she says that’s not the kind of pain you can outrun. It follows you wherever you go. She learned the hard way.
Chelsea tells Laura that she knows all about the code. She hands Laura her business card, pointing out that it says forentertainment purposes only. She appreciates Laura’s patronage, and tells her consider the clarification on the house. She was also serious about the warning. It’s not Laura’s son in Africa. It’s the other one she should be worried about. Chelsea leaves, and Laura is like, wha…?
Stella says she has some serious packing to do, and Jordan asks if she’d like a ride to the airport. Stella says TJ is taking her. It will be her last chance to see him before she goes. They hug, and Jordan tells her to have an amazing trip; send pictures. Stella says she will, and tells them to take good care of each other. Cheerio. Jordan tells Curtis, the mystery of the long lost relative has been solved. Curtis says, sort of.
Sonny tells Carly, it’s been a rough couple of years. Carly says it wasn’t easy, but they got through it together. Sonny says they have to keep it up. Why let Mike and Yvonne have all the fun. She asks what he’s talking about, and he says he was just thinking they should renew their vows.
Finn says he’ll have the results of Sasha’s blood tests soon. Michael comes back, and asks how she’s doing. She says he’s sweet, and she hopes he didn’t leave early because of her. He says, maybe. He realized he belonged there with her.
Ava tells Julian that she considered leaving Port Charles a thousand times, but realized she can’t outrun her grief. Julian says, you learn to live with it, and it becomes bearable if you confront it head on. Kim will have to face it sooner or later, no matter where she’s living. Chelsea walks in, and Julian says Ava fires one psychic, and turns around and hires another? Ava says she’s not defending herself for the way she’s dealing with her grief. If he’s not going to judge Kim, don’t judge her. She goes over to Chelsea, and thanks her for coming. Chelsea asks, what’s up? and Ava says her brother is leaving town. That means it’s even more important for her to make contact with Kiki. Chelsea says, Kiki isn’t ready, but don’t worry too much. Her brother isn’t going anywhere.
Laura sees Doc, who asks how it went. She says she was sure Chelsea was a charlatan, but she was convincing. She gave Laura a message from her sister Amy. Doc says, amazing. Does she think it was genuine? She says she was starting to, when Chelsea said her son was in grave danger. He says, Lucky? She says she was upset, but called him, and he was fine. Then Chelsea said she was talking about her other son. She didn’t seem to know he was dead though.
Hayden makes a call, and says she was hoping to hire a charter to Spoon Island – undetected.
Nina looks in Sasha’s window, and sees her with Michael. Jax joins her, and says he thought she could use some company, or at least decent coffee. She thanks him.
Elizabeth tells Franco that Drew looks different because he was hit by a car, and had facial reconstruction. Franco isn’t sure he buys that, but Drew says, it happened. Franco says if that’s him with a new face, how do they explain his own face. Elizabeth says he hasn’t looked in a mirror, has he? He says, sure; he’ll play along. He doesn’t know how long the two of them can keep this up though. Elizabeth hands him a mirror, and he looks at his reflection.
Tomorrow, Maxie tells Peter his mind games aren’t working during the softball game, Hayden tells Jax the clock is ticking, and Drew tells Franco that he’s not going anywhere.
⚓ Loving Roger Howarth getting to do something different.
The Real Housewives of Orange County
Tamra tells Eddie that Kelly wants to see the house. Vicki does too, and she wants to get it all over with at once. She was also thinking of inviting the neighbors, but Eddie says he wouldn’t invite the neighbors with these women. They have to live with the neighbors.
Jolie takes a tennis lesson, with Kelly playing her alongside instructor Hadley. Afterwards, Kelly and Jolie sit. Kelly tells Jolie that she and Brian are thinking about a skincare line for teens. We see a clip of Brian discussing designing a travel kit with Kelly. Kelly says they want Jolie to be the face of the line. She’ll promote it on social media. Jolie says her social media is private because people call Kelly a cokehead. Kelly says she’s never done coke in her life, but Jolie says, that’s what people are saying. Kelly says, because Vicki said it. We flash back to the reunion where Vicki alluded to Kelly doing coke. Jolie reads, why is your mom such an effing loser-ass bitch? When she’s not drunk, she’s high on coke. In her interview, Kelly says she used to love Vicki, but her daughter’s gotten a lot of bullying on social media. Now she hates Vicki. She has no idea of the magnitude of hurt she’s done to Kelly’s family.
Sophie is getting ready for the winter formal, and Shannon tells her to put on her dress. In her interview, Shannon says Sophie is a seventeen-year-old, and acts like she’s twenty-five, but she trusts Sophie. She’s a good kid, and Shannon has to let her fly. Sophie comes out in her dress, and Shannon says it’s one millimeter from her ass; it’s really short. Sophie says God gave her nice, long legs, and she wants to show them off. Shannon says God also gave her a nice vagina, but don’t show that off. Shannon says she’s going out too, and Sophie gives Shannon some rules (yes, you read that right). No bringing home someone she doesn’t know, no drinking to the point of not remembering, no dancing with strangers, and have a good time. Sophie’s date Christian arrives, bearing a wrist corsage. Shannon wants photos, and calls Christian the boyfriend. Sophie says, he’s all red now. In Shannon’s interview, she says it’s her job to embarrass her children. One down. She trusts Sophie’s judgment. She thinks Sophie has a good gut. We see a clip of Sophie reciting with Shannon, if you do drugs, you die.
Emily tells Chef Alex that her father-in-law and mother-in-law’s birthdays are close to each other, so they’re having a dinner for them tonight. In her interview, she says she and Shane have been married ten years, and it’s a little bumpy right now. Shane is studying for the bar, and there’s no communication. They’ve had some high highs and some low lows. We see a clip of them at the counselor, and Emily is saying she thinks it was easier for Shane. He didn’t go through the physical and emotional things she did to get the embryos. In-laws Larry and Pary arrive, and Emily introduces them to Chef Alex. Her sister-in-law Shireen joins them. Everyone sits for dinner, and Alex serves. Shireen wonders if Shane is going to make an appearance. Emily says they don’t know the plan if Shane doesn’t pass the bar. Shireen says when she was taking it, her father said, if she passed, they’d celebrate with dinner, but if she didn’t, they’d still be hungry, so they’d go out to dinner. In Emily’s interview, she says she’s sure Shane feels like he has a ton of bricks on top of him from all the people wanting him to pass the bar. She tries to FaceTime with Shane, but says, he must be in the library. He calls, and tells her that he feels like he’s being hounded; it’s getting to be a level of harassment. No one respects him saying he doesn’t want calls. Is he supposed to call and ask how it’s going? Emily says, forget it. In her interview, she says she feels like she deserves more respect for taking care of everything. She’s hosting a birthday for his parents, and everything is on her. It’s a lot. Well, yeah. Shane is a big baby. She didn’t know that before? She lights the candles, and they sing Happy Birthday. One of the kids blows the candles out.
Braunwyn’s mother, Dr. Deb, looks like Betsey Johnson. In her interview, Braunwyn says her mother is larger than life. Growing up, her mom was a single mother in a rock band. She wanted to be famous, but then went to medical school, and graduated at the top of her UCLA class. She met Braunwyn’s stepdad, and went back to school to become a doctor. She had a family practice for a long time, and then went to Burning Man.Burning Man changed everything. Dr. Deb is connected to energies, and talks to angels. She asks if Deb has the schedule, and if she’s good. In Braunwyn’s interview, she says when she was growing up, her mom didn’t have much time, so she was shuttled to different family members. That’s why she thought it was important to be a stay-at-home mom. She wanted it so much when she was a kid. The grandma her kids have is nothing like the mom she had growing up. Which is a good thing. She’s fun now. They call her Rainbow Deb.
Kelly checks out Gina’s new house. In Gina’s interview, she says when they moved to the house in Coto, she thought it was her happily ever after. When things didn’t work out, she needed a change. Kelly helps Gina pick out an outfit for a date. Gina says the guy she’s going out with talks like an adult. Kelly says, try dating a thirty-year-old who’s a complete moron. We flash back to one of the many dudes who were on her bench. I think they called him the milk man. Kelly asks if Matt is dating, but Gina doesn’t know. She tells Kelly, he always says no, but maybe. Kelly wonders if he asks Gina. In her interview, Gina says she’s nervous about Matt’s reaction. She doesn’t want to do anything to mess up their co-parenting. She has to put the kids’ needs, and the needs of the family in front of her own. She tells Kelly, dating after being married is so weird, and Kelly says, it’s hard.
Braunwyn scatters rose petals on the floor. Sean comes home with roses. He says he hasn’t seen the place decorated yet. In her interview, Braunwyn says the last time they celebrated Valentine’s Day together, she was pregnant with Bella and so sick. She thinks it’s important for them to have their own space. They’re never alone. In Miami, they had a love shack where they could be by themselves. When they moved, they knew it was important to have a place where they get to be Sean and Braunwyn. She tells him about Kelly, and says her friend Gina is going through a divorce. It reminded her of what they went through when he was traveling. Jacob called him bye-bye daddy. Sean says he didn’t want to be away from the family so much. When he was at a meeting with some bigwigs, he’d asked what they’d change about their lives, and they all said they’d give it all up to spend more time with their families. That’s when he knew he needed to be home. In Braunwyn’s interview, she says she loved him and the kids, but hated the situation. They were so caught up in who they were supposed to be, they never talked about things like preferring less money to having him home.
Tamra reminds Eddie of their first Valentine’s Day. He was out of the country, and sent her chocolate-covered strawberries. She asks if he remembers. He says he does, and she says, no he doesn’t. He says she’s right; he doesn’t. She says he’s a bad liar.
Braunwyn leads Sean to the bedroom.
Emily asks which kid stinks. The dog drinks out of the toilet, and then kisses her. In her interview, she says, Happy Valentine’s Day to me.
Eddie and Tamra go out to eat. Eddie gives her a box. Inside is a pair of Valentino shoes. In her interview, Tamra says she thinks Eddie has a shoe fetish. Whenever it’s her birthday, or Valentine’s Day, or she wins a competition, she gets a new pair of shoes. They order, and toast to their good life. Tamra says the last year wasn’t horrible, but not one of their better years. We flash back to Eddie going to the hospital for surgery. In Tamra’s interview, she says, since Eddie had heart issues, seeing a heart is a big deal to them. She tells Eddie about going with Shannon to her follow-up for her non-surgical facelift. She looks good. She says, last year, she knows Eddie might have been annoyed with Shannon – we flash back to Eddie saying, Shannon thinks her sh*t doesn’t stink – and he asks if she’s excusing last year. Tamra says, absolutely, and he asks if she’s doing the same with Vicki. She says a big part of it is that she doesn’t trust Vicki. Vicki texts that she hates Gina; then she hears from Gina that Vicki called and was so sweet. When Gina got the DUI, Vicki sent her the article and laughed. You don’t worry about someone, then talk sh*t about them. She thinks Vicki is the most insecure person she’s ever met. In her interview, she says she’s known Vicki for fourteen years, but can’t figure her out. She has an angel/devil thing going on. She likes Vicki’s sweet side, but she has a horrible side. She never knows which Vicki she’s getting. She tells Eddie, the party is Saturday, and there’s a lot of work to be done,like tomorrow. He says he has a clear day tomorrow, and she says she loves him.
Tamra gets ready for the party.
Kelly can’t believe Vicki is going to be there. She doesn’t want to deal or talk to her. Shannon asks who else is coming, and Kelly says, Joe. Shannon says, Joe who? and Kelly says, Joe mama.
Emily tells Gina, the last time she was there, she threatened to kill Kelly. We flash back to that. She says her goal is to not threaten to kill anyone. Gina says, it’s good to have goals.
Tamra oversees lead caterer Jennifer. The guests begin to arrive. Gina tells Tamra that she’s met Braunwyn, and she’s cool. She has seven kids. Tamra asks, why? Emily brings flowers in a vase. Kelly says, Tamra is stepping it up. Emily tells Shannon that she looks good. In Shannon’s interview, she says, is she excited to see Emily? No. She has nothing to say to her. Sorry. Emily says she needs to get on the Shannon whatever-happened-here. Kelly asks if Emily didn’t see Shannon’s Insta-stories about her fitness journey. We see a clip of Shannon on a walk with her dog Archie. Emily says Shannon blocked her on Instagram. In her interview, Shannon says she doesn’t know where she stands with Emily. It’s the year of positive and fun. She and Tamra blocked her at same time. In Emily’s interview, she says nothing has changed in her relationship with Shannon. Shannon thinks tequila is in order. Sean and Braunwyn arrive, and in her interview, Tamra says, they’re a super cute couple, and full of energy.
Tamra gives the upstairs tour. Yes. Her house is beyond anything we ever had or will have. She says her big decision every day is which staircase to take. Shannon tells Braunwyn about how she married late, and got pregnant on her honeymoon. Ryan asks where Emily’s husband is, and Emily says, he’s studying for the bar. He guesses they won’t be having a beer together, but Emily says they won’t when he’s done either. He doesn’t drink; he’s Mormon. Kelly tells Braunwyn that she hopes Vicki doesn’t talk to her. She doesn’t like her. Tamra tells Shannon, Vicki is coming. She’s said she’s going to bring up the pig video. Shannon says, that sounds like something you’d see in a mafia movie. Tamra says Kelly sent Vicki a pig instead of a text, and shows Shannon a video of an emoji pig talking in Kelly’s voice, and giving Vicki the business. In Tamra’s interview, she says Slade called Vicki a pig on stage. We flash back to Slade trying his hand at stand-up, a billion years ago. Kelly knows it’s a sore subject. Vicki even had her nose done because of it. It’s really a low blow.
Vicki and Steve arrive. Tamra drinks as fast as possible out of Shannon’s glass, and nearly chokes, saying, it’s straight tequila. In Vicki’s interview, she says finally, Tamra moved to Coto; to her hidden gem, where it all started. Braunwyn says her mom told her, not everyone is going to love you, and if they do, you’re doing something wrong. Vicki comes outside, and says hello to everyone. Kelly tries to blend in with the woodwork. Someone asks about Sean’s necklace, and while he’s explaining, Vicki gets overly interested, and a little touchy-feely. In her interview, Braunwyn says she doesn’t think Vicki is flirting with her husband, but eww. He might be young enough to be her son. Vicki says hasn’t met Braunwyn, and Shannon introduces her. Lunch is served. Vicki tells Steve that she’s doing tequila. He says he’s doing water. Kelly says she’s not engaging with Vicki. No way. Her strategy is to stay TF away from Vicki. She’s like a disease, and Kelly isn’t about to catch anything.
Kelly disappears. Gina says she’s going to get a drink, check her makeup, and keep it moving. Tamra tells Vicki that she knows how to clear a room, but Vicki says it’s not her. She tells Emily about the pig video. In Emily’s interview, she says she gets it. She’s been there. We flash back to the reunion, and Emily saying that people are calling her fat ass and disgusting. She says, if you go after people’s looks, or their body, or how they’re built… She just doesn’t do that. Vicki says she’s had a couple of tweaks. Emily says she has to use the bathroom, and goes inside. Tamra says, another one down, and Tamra and Vicki are left alone. Inside, Emily tells Kelly about Vicki showing her the pig emoji. Kelly says Vicki left out what she’d sent first. It was a huge text about what Kelly should and shouldn’t do, and her response was a pig emoji. In Kelly’s interview, she says she used the emoji because she didn’t want to type out a dissertation on why Vicki is a POS. She just sent a mirror image of what Vicki looks like. Oink, oink.
Vicki tells Tamra that she was going to say something to Kelly, but she walked away. She doesn’t understand, since Kelly sent a text saying she forgave Vicki. Then people talk, and it lights the fire again. Tamra says Vicki is the one who claimed Kelly did cocaine. She tells Vicki to do her best not to say anything. Retaliation isn’t best. Vicki tells Tamra to try it. In Vicki’s interview, she says, at 57, she’s doing her best to look good, but there are some things she can’t change. Tamra isn’t a good friend, but she was at one time. Inside, there’s a discussion about who insulted who first. Tamra tells Vicki that she wants to set it up, and leaves Vicki standing by herself outside.
Tamra looks for Kelly. She tells Kelly that she had a conversation with Vicki, who would like to talk. Kelly says she doesn’t want to, but Tamra suggests if it’s not what Kelly wants to hear, walk away. Kelly says Vicki completely ruined her reputation. Kelly has nothing to say to her. In her interview, Kelly says she’s upset that Tamra and Shannon haven’t picked lane. They’ve hated Vicki forever. We see clips of Vicki’s various run-ins with them. Kelly asks why they’re choosing Vicki over her. It doesn’t make sense. Eddie says he could use a tequila drink, and wonders if the girls need more tequila.
Tamra tells Vicki that Kelly doesn’t want to talk, and Vicki says, good. She has other friends. Tamra says Vicki can’t be an a-hole, and Vicki asks if she’s siding with Kelly right now. Tamra says she is, and Vicki asks why they’re sitting on the sidelines. Tamra says because they’re not involved. Vicki says, Kelly isn’t innocent; they’re both wrong. Shannon suggests Vicki asks what she can do, and Tamra says, how can she make it better? Vicki says they have to help her.
Vicki asks Kelly if she’ll talk, but Kelly says she has nothing to say to Vicki. Vicki says she has the message where Kelly says she forgave her, and follows Kelly inside. She asks if Kelly thinks she’s a beauty queen. You don’t talk about women like that. Kelly says, no, she doesn’t think she’s a beauty queen, and get out of her face. Braunwyn jokes, it’s going really well. Tamra tells Vicki that she hurt Kelly’s feelings. Kelly repeats she has nothing to say to Vicki. Leave her alone. She goes back outside.
Kelly sits on a patio couch. Eddie and the other guys watch, amused. Vicki follows Kelly to the couch, and sits across from her. She says she cares about Kelly, but Kelly says, no she doesn’t. Tamra and Shannon literally sit on the sidelines. Kelly says Vicki doesn’t understand what she’s done to her. Vicki hurt her daughter. Vicki says she doesn’t want to hurt Kelly’s daughter. Kelly asks if Vicki has ever seen her do cocaine.
Next time, Vicki claims to know more than she said, Shannon has dinner with Braunwyn, and Gina tells Emily that she can’t talk about it.
👶 Oh Yeah, That Kid…
I can’t say as I remember him from One Life To Live though.
Whoever decided it was a great idea to bring V.C. Andrews’s books to life on Lifetime, deserves a promotion. While I loved the original, atmospheric film version of Flowers in the Attic, the ending wasn’t faithful to the book. Once I got past Heather Graham as Corrine – and mostly because it looked like she hadn’t aged since she was Roller Girl in Boogie Nights – I enjoyed Lifetime’s take on the Dollanganger saga. Grabbing onto their own coattails, at present the Casteel family has a weekly gig at the network. The books aren’t even close to being good literature. The dialogue is unnatural, and the stories are cringeworthy; yet somehow, they became a right of passage during the late 80s and early 90s. I’ve read quite a few of them, and forget at what point I stopped. Oddly enough, V.C. Andrews kept writing long after her death in 1986, which is probably a testament to how formulaic the books are. Yet I watch, fascinated, with millions of other viewers, the same way we read years ago. I do wonder though, if Jason Priestly ever hesitates in the middle of a scene, thinking, this is the stupidest thing I’ve ever said, even if he was on Beverly Hills 90210.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Maxie shows Ava dresses from the Crimson closet, but nothing is suitable. Ava is concerned they don’t share the same vision. Maxie says she’s trying to get a sense of Ava’s vision, so she can pick the perfect pieces to tantalize readers into wanting to read the riveting interview inside. She has to scream survivor, but whisper victim. Ava says, that’s the problem. She’s not a victim, and that includes the image she wants to project on the cover. She gets a phone alert for dinner with Kiki.
Curtis tells Jax to contact him after he’s checked out Curtis’s references. Don’t believe a word Drew tells him; he’s biased. Jax takes it they know each other. Curtis says they’ve dumpster dived together, dug up a crypt, and narrowly escaped suffocation in a locked room filled with smoke. Jax tells him, say no more. He’ll have HR send the paperwork. Curtis leaves, and Josslyn joins Jax. He asks if she wants something to eat, but she says she’s already had breakfast, with her surprise new family member. Jax says she must be referring to Sonny’s cousin. He tells her, don’t worry. He didn’t take the bait either. If it gets too crowded there, she can always move in with him.
Curtis calls the hospital, saying he wants to make arrangements for Jordan’s discharge. He says, say what?… She what?
Chase hears applause, and goes out into the squad room. Jordan says she’s back on feet, and well on her way to recovery. She thanks them for their support and well-wishes. It helped more than they know. Now back to work. Chase says, nicely done, and Jordan says she’ll have to relinquish her position to the acting commissioner, and tells Chase that Mac Scorpio will be taking over. He says he has no problem with that, but does she? Is that why she’s there?
Jason meets Michael, who says Willow trusts him, so he knows he can tell Jason. The man who OD’d in Beecher’s Corners was Willow’s father.
Carly startles Bobbie at the hospital reception desk. Bobbie asks if everything is okay, and Carly says she’s just picking up some prenatal vitamins. Bobbie is glad, since there’s only one family emergency allowed at a time. Carly asks, who’s sick? Bobbie opens the door to the examining room. Brad is there, and says, it’s getting worse.
The judge announces, David Henry Archer vs Willow Tait. He asks where Diane’s client is, and Diane says she’s been unavoidably detained, but will be there shortly. The judge hopes so, since he intends to move forward whether she’s there or not. Shiloh smiles.
Willow tells Nina to let Charlotte know she’ll cherish the photobook. She has to go. Lulu says she can’t go, but Willow says she’s already late. Elizabeth says they have one more thing for her, and Lulu promises it will be worth the wait. Principal Schultz walks in, and says, before she goes, he’d like a word with he about her future there at the school. Willow sees a call from Diane coming in.
Josslyn asks how she’d move in with Jax, since he doesn’t even have a place. He says he’s about to make an offer, but just needs her stamp of approval. She tells him not to buy something based on whether she likes it, and he says he wants them both to like it.. She says she’s not sure about moving. She’s comfortable with her mom and Sonny. Avery would miss her, and a new baby is coming. Jax says, no pressure. They’ll fix up a room for when she visits, and if things change in the future, they’ll deal with it. She says, it’s strange to think about the future. You assume things will happen, and people will be there, but sometimes they’re not. He says, never let your head hang down. Never give up and sit down and grieve. Find another way. She says, Satchel Paige. He used to tell her that after a rough volleyball game. Oscar was always quoting things too. He was a nerd that way, and she loved it. She supposes that’s because Jax does it too. He asks if she’s saying he’s a nerd? and she says, not even. She says it’s hard to think about anything right now, and he says he has something that might help. He grabs her hand, and says, let’s get out of here.
Ava looks at her phone. The message asks if she wants to confirm the reservation. Maxie asks if she’s okay, and Ava says everything is fine. It’s just one of those appointment reminders from a restaurant out of town. She and Kiki went last year after the article on Dr. Bensch came out. Kiki was worried about talking to Ava, and how she would take it, but when the truth came out, she was so proud. She thought they were moving forward to a new, stronger relationship. She wanted to go back to the restaurant, but Kiki was too busy with med school. So she made Kiki promise when she was done for the summer, they’d go back; a year from the date the article ran. She never dreamed she’d have to cancel because… of what happened.
Michael tells Jason that Willow blamed herself for her father’s death. She was supposed to meet him when Shiloh announced it was time for her initiation. Jason says, so she was being drugged and tattooed while her father was dying. Michael says she doesn’t think it was an accident. She thinks Shiloh murdered him. She’s sure of it, and so is he. Jason says him too. They just have to prove it.
Carly asks, what happened? and Bobbie says, Brad has been complaining of severe abdominal cramps. Lucas is on his way. Carly asks what the doctor said, but Brad says the doctor can’t help him. No one can. It’s too late. He’s dying.
Willow sees she missed the call from Diane. She says she wasn’t aware she had a future at the school, and Principal Schultz says he was misguided, and apologizes. He’s officially inviting her back to be a member of the teaching staff next year.
Chase asks if Jordan knows how long Mac will be filling in. She says her recovery is a work in progress. Mac is a consummate professional, and the PD is in good hands. Curtis walks in, and she asks what he’s doing there. He says he could ask her the same. What the hell is she doing?
Bobbie says maybe the ER doctor could look at Brad, but his abdomen isn’t rigid and he has no fever. His blood pressure is elevated, but there’s no indication of immediate danger or dying. Brad thinks he could have stomach cancer, but Bobbie says he should know it presents differently. He says he feels awful; maybe it’s an ulcer. Bobbie says she can arrange for a test, and Carly says it wouldn’t hurt to rule it out, but does he really think he has an ulcer? He doesn’t know, and asks what Bobbie thinks. She thinks he has a bad case of acid reflux or he’s having an anxiety attack.
Jordan asks Chase to give her and Curtis a moment. She asks Curtis where he gets off, chastising her in the middle of the squad room? He asks where she gets off, signing herself out without telling him? she wasn’t aware she needed his permission. He says he’s her husband and partner. He loves her; till death do them part. She could have at least allowed him to escort her out after major surgery. She says, sorry. She should have waited. He says she didn’t because she wanted to come there, and knew he’d be against it. He says Mac’s got this, and she needs to take it easy. She says she feels fine. She feels so good, maybe she doesn’t need to rest. Maybe she’s ready to resume her role as commissioner.
Principal Schultz tells Willow that a group of parents came to him with their concern about her termination; almost her whole class. Not only the parents, the faculty too, lobbied on her behalf. And the numbers don’t lie. Almost all of her students have improved their grades. In reevaluating the whole year, her assets outweigh her missteps. She’s a gifted educator. Willow thanks them for what they did on her behalf. She knows not everyone agrees. Nina says it’s true she didn’t speak on Willow’s behalf. but as it happens, she does agree, and thinks Willow should stay. The principal says, since Willow’s students are on a field day, maybe she wants to go over her contract with the union rep. Willow asks if they can schedule it for another day. Nina asks if she has somewhere better she needs to be.
Diane calls Chase, telling him that she’s calling from the courthouse. Willow is late and not answering her phone. The judge isn’t having it, and is going to start without her. She tells Chase, find her and get her there immediately. He says he’s got it, and jets. Diane runs back into the courtroom.
Jason tells Michael, according to Spinelli, Willow’s father had no history of substance abuse. Michael says Shiloh doesn’t typically attend the initiation ceremony until later, and Jason says giving him time to go to the hotel. Michael says Willow told him that Shiloh slept with her after he murdered her father. Jason says, someone else took the rap. Carol Lockhart. She served some time, and is now waiting tables in Beecher’s Corners. Michael says Jason is on the town’s radar, but Jason says he’ll find a way around it. Michael suggests he go in Jason’s place.
Maxie tells Ava that they can reschedule. Nina will understand. Well, probably not, but Maxie will convince her. Ava says she agreed to Midnight in the Garden of Good and Ava, so that’s what they’re going to get. She wonders about the other choices, and looks through the clothing rack. Jax comes in with Josslyn, who asks what Ava is doing there. Jax tells her, be nice. Ava chooses a dress, and leaves to try it on. Jax tells Josslyn that Ava is contracted to do the cover. He’s going to try and teach Josslyn a valuable lesson. You don’t have to like or approve of people you do business with, if it’s a mutual, beneficial agreement. Josslyn asks if the next one can not include Ava. He says it can be arranged. Maxie asks what she can help with, and Jax says he wanted to run something by Nina, but she can also weigh in. He’s thinking about a summer internship there for Josslyn. Maxie thinks it’s a great idea. She can teach Josslyn everything she knows, and Josslyn will probably be running the place by the end of the summer. She says, hold that thought, and runs off. Jax asks what Josslyn thinks. Josslyn says she thinks he should have asked her about it first.
Brad asks if Bobbie thinks he’s a hypochondriac. She says he mentioned that he was under stress. Is there something going on that would cause him extreme anxiety? She can order the tests, or Doc is back on staff. He says he’d rather take the endoscopy. Bobbie says another option is talking to his mother-in-law. Brad says he didn’t want to trouble her, and Carly says he hasn’t told Bobbie what’s going on?
Willow says she’s sorry. She’s honored and happy, but has somewhere she really needs to be. Nina says after the parents moved heaven and earth to have her reinstated, she can’t even stay to thank them? Willow says they have her sincere appreciation. Chase runs in, and says they have to go, and she flies out the door with him. Nina says they can see where her priorities are.
Diane requests a brief recess. The judge asks if Shiloh had any difficulty getting to court on time. Zara suggests perhaps Willow stalling, and Shiloh says she could be fleeing with his child as they speak. Diane says, first he has to establish that there was a birth. Zara says they’ve established that Miss Tait had a child, and Diane asks how they obtained privileged information. It’s protected under HIPPA, and Willow never signed a release.
Jax agrees he shouldn’t have assumed, and Josslyn asks why he did. Her mom does it all the time, but he never does. He says the last time he saw her excited was when she was there with Maxie. Josslyn says they weren’t talking about Crimson; it was something else entirely. She thinks it would be fun, but he can’t sign her up for things like she’s six and it’s volleyball. He says he’ll do better, but she has to admit volleyball turned out good; she’s crushing it. He’s proud of her, and he’s not apologizing, because he loves her. She says she loves him too, and they hug.
Curtis tells Jordan, let him get this straight. She’s ignoring the doctor’s advice, and jumping back in to a fast-paced, intense job. Go for it. She says he’s usually not sarcastic, and he says she’ll set her recovery back. Why risk it? Mac is more than capable of holding things down while she’s away. She says that’s what she’s worried about. He says she’s not that insecure, and Mac doesn’t want her job. She says she’s on medical leave, and disability only pays 50%. In the meantime, her medical expenses are soaring. He doesn’t want her worrying, and says he took a job that will more than make up the difference.
Lulu asks Franco and Elizabeth what they make of Willow’s leaving. Franco gets a call, and Elizabeth says she doesn’t know why Willow wouldn’t stick around to go over her contract. Lulu wonders if Willow wants to come back. She tells Elizabeth that she got the wedding invitation, and she’s looking forward to it. Elizabeth says, it’s just a reception. Franco and the boys insisted they have a party. Lulu says she knows Elizabeth said she was happy to exchange vows in a prison cell, but come on. Elizabeth says, okay; she’s happy. She tells Lulu about the venue. Done with his call, Franco asks what they’re talking about, and Elizabeth says, the reception; she kind of into it. He says, don’t be. He doesn’t think it’s even going to happen.
Carly meets Lucas in the hallway, and tells him, Brad is okay. Bobbie thinks it’s just stress. Brad told her everything. Lucas guesses he’d better face the music. He can’t let Brad to it alone. He goes in the examining room, and Brad says, Carly ratted them out. She says, for their own good. Lucas says he’s sorry, but Bobbie says they have a lot on their plate, and not to worry about it. She asks if they’ve spoken to Alexis, and asked what the chances are that the court will unseal the records. Lucas says, theycan’t be unsealed, and Brad says, the records don’t exist. Bobbie says, the time for anything less than full disclosure is over. Spill. Lucas says he told Julian, and Bobbie says, he got rid of the records?
Willow comes running in. Diane tells her, calm down; she got there. There’s been a recess, but the judge is going to rule once they resume. Willow says, but she wasn’t there, and Diane says he’s allowed to rule without hearing her.
Nina comes back to Crimson with Valentin. Valentin tells Josslyn that he enjoyed her performance at the Nurses Ball. She’s a talented young woman. Maxie says she’s there about a possible internship, but Jax says he might have gotten ahead of himself. He has another matter to discuss with Nina though. He, Nina, and Valentin go into her office. Valentin closes the door, but Jax says it’s a business matter. Nina says, it’s fine. Whatever he has to say, he can say in front of Valentin.
Maxie says Josslyn isn’t feeling the internship? Josslyn says, it’s not that she doesn’t want it. She thinks it would be fun. It’s just that her dad got the wrong idea when he saw their conversation. Maxie asks if she didn’t tell him about reaching out to the other side. Josslyn says, no, but she did talk to Lucy, who gave her some good advice. She tried a séance with some friends. They tried reaching out, and she thinks it worked. Oscar was there with them. Ava overhears.
Jax tells Nina that he’s hired a new head of security. He believes she’s worked with Curtis before.
Jordan says, so Curtis is now head of Aurora security? He says he just needs to sign the paperwork. She asks if it’s something he truly wants, or is he doing it because of her and the bills piling up? He wanted to remain self-employed. Is he taking a corporate gig because of her. He says, it’s not your typical corporate gig. Hypothetically, he was hired by one party to run a long con on the other party.
Franco tells Elizabeth the venue has a mold issue, and they’ve canceled all reservations. She says she knew it was too good to be true. Franco says they wanted to do it nice, and Lulu says, maybe they still can, after what she put them through. Franco says, no one blames her. They’re just glad it’s over. She says she’d still love to make amends. She owns the perfect venue for a wedding reception, and says she’d be honored to have it on The Haunted Star – free of charge. Elizabeth doesn’t think it’s such a great idea.
Bobbie says, leave it to Julian to make it worse, but Lucas says, he only did what he was asked. Now there’s no record. She says, that they know of. Does he think there’s something else out there? He doesn’t know, but Carly says, Shiloh is a master manipulator. There’s a good chance he’ll realize Wiley is his son. Lucas says, there are no records to tie them together, and Bobbie hopes he’s right. It could easily go the other way. When the records are unsealed, the court will realize they were tampered with. Bead says, his stomach, and Lucas asks for a moment alone with him.
In the hallway, Carly tells Bobbie, sorry. She knows from experience cover-ups don’t always work out. Bobbie says she’ll be back soon. She has business to take care of.
The judge comes back, and says it’s nice of Willow to join them. She says she’s so sorry. If she could just explain… He says, it’s not necessary. He’s made his ruling, andthe court is ruling in favor of the plaintiff, David Henry Archer aka Shiloh.
Nina tells Jax that she’s worked with Curtis, and he’s a good friend. He asks if she approves, and she says, in theory. Taking a corporate job doesn’t seem like him. Valentin says he does have financial pressure after Jordan’s transplant, but Nina wonders why he didn’t mention it to her. Jax says she’ll have to ask him.
Josslyn tells Maxie about how they thought, if Oscar could hear them, he’d be laughing his ass off. It’s true; he would be. They all relaxed and started to remember the good times and funny things. They were still holding hands, and Trina saw the water ripple. Maxie asks if they thought it was Oscar, and Josslyn says, that’s why the glass was there. If the spirit visits, they signal their presence by rippling the water. She swears Oscar was with them. She knows it sounds crazy. Maxie says, not to her. Josslyn says, feeling him there, and being together and happy felt good. Like he was okay, and it gave some sort of closure. It meant everything to her. Ava looks at her phone, and confirms the reservation.
Jordan says, Curtis is working with Valentin to spy on Jax, and the job is a cover? Curtis says, it’s a win-win, and he gets a corporate salary. Jordan says what he’s doing is a felony, and he says he’s not stealing secrets; he’s just gathering information and providing a useful service. Jordan says, he’ll be head of security? He says he’ll be tightening the ship, and making sure the company is safe. She asks how he thinks Drew will feel, and he says, if he turns up something, that’s good for Drew. She doesn’t like it. Jax has an excellent reputation. He’s a brilliant businessman. She’d choose him over Valentin. Curtis says he would too – if he was looking for a bestie. This is business. Jordan says, exactly. Why is he choosing to do business with the bad guy?
Elizabeth tells Lulu that The Haunted Star holds unpleasant memories for Franco. Lulu understands, but Franco says he thinks it’s the perfect place. Lulu says the last thing she wants is to stress them or trigger sadness on a day that should be their happiest. Franco says he’s been thinking a lot about this kind of stuff. The past is past, and a place is just a place. They get to choose the energy and memories. He chooses happiness with their friends and family, but it’s her call. Elizabeth tells him that he keeps saying he’s doing it for her, but it’s for the both of them. She says, if he’s sure, and he says he is. What could possibly go wrong?
Bobbie goes to Charlie’s, and Julian says, oh Lord. What brings her by? She says her grandson. Julian says she sees more of Wiley than he does. He seems great, and Lucas and Brad couldn’t be happier. She says, no thanks to him, and slaps him across the face.
Michael goes into diner. The waitress says they’re closed, but he says he only needs a few minutes. Is her name Carol Lockhart? Outside in the car, Jason listens in.
Shiloh thanks the court. Willow asks Diane, what happens now? Diane says, it’s a temporary setback. They’ll file an appeal to overturn the order. The judge says Willow is ordered to turn over all relevant information on the child she gave up for adoption to the plaintiff. Shiloh smirks, and I say, that’s not how any of this works.
Tomorrow, Bobbie tells Julian that he might have lost Wiley for all of them, Sonny thinks he’s found a way for Dev to stick around, and Jason won’t let anything happen to someone.
Below Deck Mediterranean
I’m just going to say it. I think Aesha and Anastasia are one person. It’s driving me nuts. Not only do their unconventional names start with the same letter, they look alike.
10:15. Captain Sandy says they failed today in the food department. Mila tells Anastasia at least nothing was sent back. The captain tells Hannah that they’ll give the guests a hardy breakfast. Jack asks if Mila requested Anastasia, and Mila says the captain told Anastasia to go to the galley. In his interview, Jack says he feels bad for her, but it’s her own doing. She’s completely incompetent. The size of her balls are huge. She has to be mental to take on this job.
In Aesha’s interview, she says she’s drawn to Jack. Their personalities click, but she’s not going out of her way to find a guy. The guests go to bed. Anastasia says she was sh*tting her pants during dinner service. She calls her mom, and tells her all about it. Mila comes in, and talks to Anastasia’s mom in Russian, and says Georgian girls are great. Everyone goes to bed. João gets a message from Brooke, telling him, good luck. Colin says he and João have gotten closer because of sympathy over Brooke.
Mila wants to show Captain Sandy that she doesn’t need help. The captain tells Jack to haul anchor. I hear wrong and think one of the guests ordered scrapple, but it was scrambled eggs. I’m relieved. I went through a scrapple phase many years ago, but no one should eat scrapple, especially on a luxury yacht. The guests toddle in for breakfast. Captain Sandy calls João to the bridge. Anastasia does cabins. Mila attempts to make pancakes, but their misshapen and awful, reminding me of the one and only time I made pancakes, and they were better. She throws them out. The guests are hungry, and demanding the pancakes. Hannah wonders, how hard can they be? She sees that Mila is using boxed batter, and says, a chef who doesn’t know how to make batter is a problem. Mila suggests Hannah cook, and Hannah says Mila already has her third stew. She’s been serving sh*t to guests, so don’t come at her with anything. In Hannah’s interview, she says, a chef who can’t cook pancakes is not an effing chef. One of the guests (Jennifer’s husband?) complains about it taking an hour to make pancakes. He’s bailing. In the captain’s interview, she says she’s given Mila multiple chances. We flash back to the nachos… and the cake… and the crab. Captain Sandy says, she can’t make pancakes? Come on.
Hannah tells the guests sorry about breakfast, but the dude says it’s fine. Sandy suggests lunch ashore to Jennifer, saying she’ll join them. She tells Jack to do something with his hair. She tells João that she’s friendly and kind, but now she’s getting pissed. Anchor goes down in Villefranche-sur-Mer. The captain tells Hannah they need quality of food. In her interview, Hanna says had a look at what’s causing her anxiety. The best thing she took out of it was, if there’s anything she can’t control, there’s no point in stressing about it. Just do the best you can and hold on for the ride.
Hannah makes reservation for eight people at two. The captain calls Anastasia to the bridge. She wants Anastasia to run with dinner. It’s the guests’ last meal, and she wants it to be amazing. In Anastasia’s interview, she says it’s a lot of pressure to control the galley, but from what she’s seen, she’s the better chef. The water toys are out, and the guests play. Jack takes Jennifer out on a jet ski, and she flirts with him. In his interview, he says he knows where the line is, but he’d risk his life to bang Dr. Jen; never mind his job. He tells Travis that he hasn’t had sex in ten days, and they were up close.
Captain Sandy calls Mila to the bridge. She thinks Mila is overwhelmed. Being brutally honest, she’s having Anastasia do dinner. She’s sorry, but she needs Anastasia to cook. Mila asks if the guests were happy yesterday, and the captain says, no. The steaks had no flavor, and they weren’t seared. Mila stupidly says, they ate them, and Captain Sandy says, they were hungry. She needs Anastasia to take the lead. Mila says she’s happy to work together in the galley. In Mila’s interview, she says it does strike her ego, but she’s not a quitter. She cries in the bathroom.
Hannah asks Anastasia if they can do an Italian dinner, and they go over some things. Mila says if Hannah doesn’t want to discuss it with her, she can cook herself. Hannah says that’s not what she get paid for, and the food is being sent back by the guests. In her interview, Anastasia says she can’t listen to them. Mila says Hannah is doing a perfect job, and Hannah says the guests are happy with service, but not the food. Mila gripes that Hannah isn’t talking to her face, and Hannah tells Mila that she’s saying it to her face. Anastasia needs to cook because her food is sh*t.
The guests and Captain Sandy go to a restaurant on shore. In his interview, Jack says his hair has always been a mess, but it’s never been an issue. João tells him, it has to be proper, and Jack says, business in the front, party in the back, making a high pony. João laughs. In her interview, Anastasia says she’s used to being the third stew, and just asking what she should be doing today. Now, she needs to write a menu, and she has no idea where Mila is. In Mila’s interview, she says she’s being tolerant (ha-ha! interesting word choice), but it’s not limitless. There’s a piece of meat the size of a dinosaur leg on the counter, and Anastasia asks Mila what it’s for. Mila says it’s just something she wants to cook. Anastasia say she’s getting stressed. She needs space, and the meat keeps appearing.
The guests love the restaurant. Colin talks to his mom on the phone. In his interview, he says in the ferry world, you work eight to ten hours, and go home. In yachting, it’s random people. and he has to get used to them. Sandy loves the view in the restaurant. There’s no wind, and she can see the boat. She doesn’t know if Anastasia is the right solution. It’s a massive job, and she hopes Anastasia doesn’t crack.
João helps Hannah. Aesha feels like they’re all doing the time for someone else’s crime. In Anastasia’s interview, she says she’s using her mom’s meatball recipe. She guesses they must be Georgian balls. In Mila’s interview, she never expected Anastasia to be giving her instructions. She’s not feeling it. João tells Hannah that he messaged Brooke, and she says he’s not even drunk. In his interview, João says he’s been opening up to Hannah, which is surprising. In her interview, Anastasia says Mila is her sous chef tonight. She can make a simple salad, but that’s the extent of it. She can’t take a risk that the guests will return the food.
Hannah meets the guests with hand towels. In her interview, Anastasia says she’s vegan, but tries everything she makes. You have to make sure everything tastes good. After she tastes the meatball, she spits it out, and in her interview, Mila says, effing vegans. The guests give high praise to Aesha’s margaritas. The deckhands discuss their dating profiles. Colin asks if Travis’s is small d*ck, big heart. Travis reads it, and Colin asks how many matches he gets. Travis says, about seventeen a year. They talk about stranger danger, and Colin says his word was snuffleupagus. But then he told his mom that he’s twenty-nine; he’s a big boy now.
João moans about Brooke to Captain Sandy, who tells João that he’s a good person, and did nothing wrong. He says he never trusted anyone, and giving his trust was the hard part. The captain says he’s got to feel it. Have a cry; it’s healing. In his interview, João says as much as he tries to hide how he feels, he can’t bottle his emotions when it’s someone he trusts, and he’s opened up to Captain Sandy. The captain says they’re not going to sleep together, but he can trust her. In João’s interview, he says she reminds him of his mom. She hugs him, and tells him that he can come to her any time. She loves him. They hug again.
Hannah asks João to pop the towels in the laundry. She wants to keep Aesha on cabins, and asks if the deckhands can do service with her. Travis says he and Jack can do it. Captain Sandy is eating with the guests. Hannah tells Anastasia, whose reaction is, arrgghh! She’s already cooked, so she can’t take the captain’s preferences into consideration. It’s another person to judge her, who also happens to be her boss. The guests take pictures on deck. Aesha hates doing the cabins. She’s a people master, and she can’t talk to the bed. Hannah tells Anastasia that the guests aren’t sitting yet, and Anastasia is annoyed because the appetizers have been plated, and there’s horseradish foam involved. In her interview, Mila says she sees Anastasia’s panic. And I see that she seems to be enjoying it. Like it’s Anastasia’s fault the guests didn’t like Mila’s food.
The appetizer is served is served, but neither Jennifer nor Sandy eat raw meat, so Hannah brings theirs back. Anastasia says carpaccio is an Italian staple, and there was nothing on the preference sheet. She shrugs, saying they can eat the salad. In Anastasia’s interview, she says, if they don’t like her food, that’s on them, imitating Mila, Colin eats the shunned appetizers, and the salad goes out. Aesha tells Jack that she’s proud of him for learning the washing machine. He tells Travis that he’s jacking he plates like he’s the best waiter in the world. They joke around, and Anastasia tells them to be quiet; she needs to concentrate. In Jack’s interview, he says he finds a girl who bosses him around quite attractive.
In Mila’s interview, she says if Anastasia wants to serve dry meatballs, go for it, again smirking. Spaghetti and meatballs are served. In her interview, Captain Sandy says, it’s not groundbreaking. Now she’s nervous about every meal that comes out of the galley. One of the guests announces they’re a meatball expert, and everyone eats in silence for a moment. The meatballs are pronounced well done – not as in tenderness, but as in done appropriately. The captain is thrilled that the guests are happy. Anastasia says the dessert is in three parts. In her interview, she says she wants to do something she knows tastes good, and she’s making affogato, but a lot of the dessert is smoke and mirrors because it’s interactive. She explains the dessert to the guests, telling them it’s basically gelato with a shot of espresso, but she’s added a shot of Grand Marnier. Pancake dude asks if she’s sure she isn’t Italian, and she says, fuggedaboutit. The captain says, it’s the best part of the meal. Hannah and Anastasia high-five in the galley. In Hannah’s interview, she says she wouldn’t be happy if she was in Mila’s position, but she seems to be taking it in stride. That means either she’s really patient or used to it.
While they do the dishes, Hannah asks if Colin is homesick, and he says, a little. She says she doesn’t feel it anymore. A few of the guests sort of dance. Anastasia calls her mother. One of the guests (not pancake dude; other dude) says he’s going skinny-dipping. In Travis’s interview, he says there’s a universal love for skinny-dipping. One of the women decides to jump in with him, and Travis thinks she’s in shape for an old bird. Sexy.
It’s the last day of charter. In her interview, Mila says it’s not in her nature to give up. You have to adapt to different things, and not see them as a problem. Jack asks João what the plans are, and João says dinner and drinks. He doesn’t think Mila is going to stay. Travis hopes there isn’t a yelling fest at Mila tonight. In the galley, Anastasia tells Mila her pancake batter is too thin, but Mila says they’re Russian pancakes, which are more like crepes. If she says so. The guests believe it, and like them though. Captain Sandy calls João her protégé. In her interview, she says she’s interested to see where he goes in life. He’s hungry and grateful for all of his experiences. The guests pack.
The crew gets in their whites. Hannah says the saving grace was that the guests were Captain Sandy’s friends. João asks Hannah if she thinks Mila is going to get fired. She does, and he says chefs do about 50% of the work. They work alone, and it’s all about the food. Hannah tells him the tip is divided, no matter who does how much work. I’d always thought that was kind of unfair. The deckhands dock the boat, and Captain Sandy tells them, well done. The crew says goodbye to the guests. Jennifer says they were impressed how Captain Sandy managed the staff, along with their concerns. The deckhands were in the water, engaging, teaching, and helping them, and it didn’t go unnoticed that she made changes that made the experience better. She gives the captain an envelope, and it’s kiss-kiss, back to work.
João tells Jack not to bring back any loose strangers. Jack asks why they need loose strangers when they have loose crew members. Hannah asks Aesha how she feels about Jack. Aesha says she likes watching him, but she’s more attracted to him as a brother. Hannah says she’s not supposed to be attracted to her brother, even though we both know what she meant. Time for the tip meeting.
Sandy says they all know there were challenges in the galley. She thanks the deck team. and commends Hannah. She tells Anastasia that she loved the dessert. Well done (phrase of the night). The tip is $i8K, $1430 each, which the captain didn’t expect. Aesha says she thought it would be closer to $500 total. In his interview, João says it’s because the team pulled together. In Hannah’s interview, she wonders who would accept a tip when they almost single-handedly effed up the charter. Hannah has a smoke, while chatting with Anastasia. Aesha jokes around and blows a fart near Hannah’s head (I kid you not). Hannah says Aesha is the dirtiest bitch she’s ever met in her life.
Captain Sandy says no matter how many times she’s talked to Mila, it’s always, yes, captain; she has respect. She calls Mila to the bridge. Hannah tells Anastasia she worked hard to help Mila. The captain says Mila’s attitude is amazing, and she can see Mila has passion for what she does. I wonder if the captain and I are seeing the same person. Other than crying in the bathroom a couple of times, and gloating over Anastasia having it tough, she’s sleepwalked through the whole season. Captain Sandy says, it’s a pleasure coming into the galley. In Mila’s interview, she says during charters where the food was great, and there was a problem with the captain, she thought maybe it was her personality. Hearing that Captain Sandy thinks she has a great personality is pleasant [sic]. Not exactly what the captain said, but again, did I miss something? A whole lot of something? She tells the captain that she wants to show she can do it. She wants to prove it to her. In Captain Sandy’s interview, she says, it’s hard to find a chef mid-season. If she has no chef, she has no charter. What does she do?
Dammit. I guess we have to wait until next week to find out.
Next time, a serious wind comes up fast, Anastasia is scared, the crew parties, Colin isn’t fitting in, and the anchor ends up on deck.
👻 At Least He’s Not a Ghost This Time…
But Stuart Damon has lunch with some ghosts from Alan’s past.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
Fear the Walking Dead
Daniel listens to the blues. He puts Skidmark’s collar on, and tells him, let’s add to the collection. Skidmark takes off and barrel races some zombies in a parking lot. As they get distracted by the cat, Daniel stabs them in the head. He pops open the door to an empty store. There’s gunfire, and a zombie falls out. He turns it over, takes keys off of their belt, and says, thanks for the car. He loads the car up with supplies, and tells Skidmark, three traps to check, and they’re going home.
The record ends. Daniel puts his guns back in the rack, and puts away the supplies. He takes a page off the calendar, and sets it on fire in the grill. He puts a can on the grill, and heats up some chili. He puts the record back on. I guess he likes this song. Daniel eats, and shares his plate with Skidmark.
On the radio, Sarah asks Victor, what if he finds Charlie? but Victor says, he won’t. Charlie was at the stadium for weeks before they found her. Charlie sneaks around some cars, and sees a covered plane. Victor radios Charlie, and says, when he leaves, open the gate. Skidmark hangs with Charlie. She opens the hangar, and Daniel calls for Skidmark. Charlie gets in the back of Daniel’s car. He puts some guns in the back, without seeing her hiding under a blanket. He goes back in, and she tells Victor, he’s gone. Victor says, get out of there. but she says she can handle it. and gets back under the blanket.
Dylan looks at The Little Prince, and Lucy says she gave the book to someone his age once, and it helped them both through tough times. John tries to get June on the radio, but has no luck. He says they’re still looking for Shari. Alicia says she and Morgan are going into the woods; the web of the dead has to be on the other side. Dylan says, they’re not in the woods. Alicia says, they? and Dylan say they saw them when they first came and set up camp. Alicia asks why the kids didn’t tell them, and Morgan says they don’t have to be afraid. He shows Dylan a map, and asks where the camp was. Dylan points, and Alicia says they’re going to find their friend, and find the people who did this. Luci says she’s going to fix the CB, get Victor, and see what’s up with the plane. Dylan says he’ll help. The sooner they get the plane, the sooner they can leave, right? Luci says, the sooner they can all leave. Morgan leaves with Alicia.
Victor uncovers the plane. He says it’s not his color or style; he prefers a G-4, but she’ll fly. He’s going to load her up, and bring her to his friends. He goes inside to check out the controls, but there are none. On the radio, he asks where the six-pack is. Sarah asks if he’s talking about brew or abs; although he won’t find either. He says, the instrument gages. He needs them. He sees a note on the windshield that I don’t understand – something about canal 8. Daniel is on the radio, and Victor takes out his gun, asking where Daniel is. Daniel tells him, relax; he’s nowhere near the warehouse. If was there, he would have made good on his promise. Victor wonders how he knew, and Daniel says he knows Victor. He was right. Victor hasn’t changed. Sarah gets on the radio, and says she knows Daniel’s got a beef with their friend, and it’s justifiable, but why not give them the plane, and let them be on their way? Daniel asks who this is, and tells Sarah to stay away from Victor. He has a talent for hurting anyone near him. Victor says he hasn’t hurt anyone, and Daniel says he sent a child to do his dirty work. He tells Charlie, show yourself, and Charlie sits up. Victor says, if he hurts her… Daniel says he’s not going to hurt her. He’s going to save her from Victor.
Sarah asks if Victor is going to sit there like a turd in a toilet. He could be talking Daniel into giving them the plane. Wen says it’s hard to talk with your head blown off, but Sarah says that’s not happening to anyone. She asks if Victor is giving up because Daniel doesn’t think he changed. They need to keep cranking, and get that bear in the air. They need to get Charlie; and get everyone else. Victor says he can’t fly the plane without instruments. Wen says the instruments have to be somewhere. Don’t make him look by his lonesome. Victor laughs, and says, come on. They join him, and look through the lot and warehouse.
Charlie asks where Daniel is taking her. He says he’s not going to hurt her. She says he shouldn’t blame Victor. Daniel says he knew what he was doing, and Charlie says, he has his reasons. Daniel says she’s a child, and he knows better. She looks at a map that he’s labeled Collection. She asks if he set up the traps, and he wonders if she’s been watching him. She says, no, and he says he didn’t. She says he’s been disarming them: why? He says she asks too many questions, and puts come music on his boombox, placing it on the dashboard.
Dylan asks Luci what the book is about, and how can it help? She says, a pilot crashes his plane in the desert. He finds a prince who’s left his planet, and is traveling from place to place, Dylan asks why the prince left, and Luci says, to learn things, and meet new friends. Dylan asks what he what learned, and she says, to look beneath the surface, and not be afraid of the unexpected. She tells him that if he wants to talk, he can talk to her. He goes inside to get tape for her, and radios Annie and Max, He says, ollie,ollie, oxen free. Max asks if he’s alone, and tells him, be careful. He says they cut down more growlers by the gas station. Dylan says the people they met didn’t do it. They’re just trying to find their friend. Annie says, who did this then? In the distance, they see someone in a uniform and helmet dispatching zombies, and they hide under some bushes. Luci comes in, and sees Dylan just standing there. He says he couldn’t find the tape. Luci says, it’s in the back. Let’s go.
Daniel stops at a bodega, and tells Charlie, wait there. Skidmark comes with him. He looks into the store, and zombies press against the other side of the window. He tells Skidmark, this one going to be tricky. Charlie is there, and says he can slip in the back way, throw something like a can of artichoke hearts – no one ever takes those – and he can get what he needs while she covers him. That’s what she used to do when she was on her own. Sometimes she would use music to distract them. Except she didn’t kill people to do it. Daniel knows what she’s thinking, and says he didn’t do this. He inherited the warehouse from someone who did kill, so things could sit on a shelf. She asks, why are those things stillthere? and he says, it’s hard to find people to help these days. She says, that’s not true. One came to his door asking for help. Now go find artichoke hearts.
Daniel tries the back door. It’s locked, and he messes with the lock using a knife. Skidmark looks in the front window, and the zombies gather. He jumps onto the ledge, agitating them more. He moves to the other window, because the writers want to give me a heart attack, since we can never have nice things on these shows. Inside, a zombie sets off a rigged machine gun, and the windows shatter. The zombies walk through, Charlie and Daniel run to the car. Daniel calls for Skidmark, who jumps inside. He says, one day he’s going to leave Skidmark behind, and they take off.
Charlie asks Daniel how much ammo he has, and he says, half of what it would take. He doesn’t want to draw more of them. They can outrun the herd, but it’s going to grow, and he needs to stop it. He’s going to lead them to the warehouse, and pick them off one by one.
Alicia and Morgan get to where the campground is supposed to be, but there’s nothing. Alicia thinks Dylan must be confused. Morgan says, he’s been though a lot, and she asks if Morgan thinks he’s telling them everything. He calls Luci, and says they’re at the coordinates Dylan gave them, but there’s no camp, and no sign there ever was. They’re going into the woods. He says if John and June come into range, have them meet there. Dylan says, no. Go to the old utility road. Morgan asks, what’s there? and Dylan says, just go. Morgan says they want to make sure what happened to Annie and Max doesn’t happen again, and Dylan says, they’re not dead. They lied.He lied. They faked whole thing. Morgan asks, why? and Dylan says they were scared. He’s sorry, but they need help. Please? Morgan is like, dammit!
Annie and Max wait. Max asks if it’s clear. Annie thinks they left, and peeks out. She doesn’t see anything, and tells Max, okay. Release the bond. He lets go of the rope holding the zombie roadblock, but the first zombie turns around and knocks Annie down. A cluster of zombies looms over her, and Max pulls her out. They get away, but she’s limping, and their gun gets left behind.
Charlie radios Victor, and says she’s fine. Valentin asks where the instruments are, and Charlie says with them. Daniel asks if Victor thinks he would leave them where Victor could get them. Victor is begging him. Their friends lives are in danger. He asks Daniel to bring the instruments back, and Daniel says, they’re doing that, but they picked up some friends. Charlie says, there’s a herd behind them. Daniel tells Victor, make sure the gate is in place. If they have to, they’ll climb over. Sarah says, there’s a bit of a hole – about 36 feet wide. They had to break the fence to get the bird out of its cage. Charlie asks why Daniel is laughing. He tells her, he said he would help, and they’re going back like this. Instead, he’s putting their lives at risk, the same thing as Victor did. He stops the car, and asks if Charlie knows how to drive. She says, kind of, and he tells her to take the instruments to Victor. Take the plane, and go. Charlie doesn’t want to leave Daniel, but he says her friends need help, and they can’t be helped without the plane. He’ll take care of the herd. She asks, how? and he says the same way she used to. He gets out, and takes the boombox with him. He tells her, go, and she gets behind the wheel.
Daniel leads the herd, and Charlie watches in the rearview mirror. It’s lucky this herd isn’t too fast.
Victor says, Daniel just handed them over? She says they would have led the walkers there, and Victor says Daniel would have hurt them like he hurt Daniel. Sarah says they’ve got to get that bear in the air. Victor gets Daniel on the radio, and Daniel says he’s sorry about what happened. He’s sorry he tried to kill Victor. Victor is sorry Daniel is in pain, but if he’s putting himself in danger to teach Victor a lesson, don’t. Daniel says Victor still thinks it’s about what he did to Daniel at the dam. Victor asks, what is itabout then? and Daniel says the same thing it’s always about with him – lies. Alicia asks what he means, and Daniel says, tell them how he kept Daniel from Ofelia. Victor sighs, and Daniel wants to hear him say it. Victor tells the others that Daniel got separated from his daughter. Victor said he knew where she was, but he lied because he needed something from him. When Daniel finally got to her and found her, it was too late. Daniel says Victor wasted time he didn’t have. He couldn’t tell her what he wanted her to know. Charlie asks what it was, but he says, it doesn’t matter now. Charlie says they can’t just leave him. Victor said he wanted to help people. Here’s someone they can help.
Max and Annie limp through the woods. Annie says they can’t outrun them, and stumbles. The zombies bear down on them, but Morgan and Alicia come up behind them, and pike the zombies in the head. Annie asks how Alicia and Morgan found them, and Morgan says their brother said they were in trouble. Alicia says he was worried about them. Annie says they have no idea what’s going on. Morgan says they’re not going to hurt them, and it’s just the four of them now. Suddenly, a bunch of armed kids surround them, and cock their guns, pointing them at Alicia and Morgan. Annie says, it’s not just them. Morgan throws his stick down.
Daniel walks down the highway, leading the zombies. Victor says he’s sorry. He’s not asking Daniel’s forgiveness, just a chance to show Daniel that he’s not that man anymore. Let them help him. Wen says he’s been itching to bring down the hammer for some time now. They’re coming in hot. Daniel looks in the distance, and sees Al’s truck barreling toward him. It stops sideways on the road, and the gun window opens. Daniel runs to the truck, and Sarah says, now! Wen pulls the lever, but nothing happens. She says, again! but it’s the same result. Daniel bangs on the truck. Sarah opens the door, and kicks at the zombies, but there are too many. Daniel slides underneath. Sarah tells Victor, they’ve got a problem.
A flatbed truck carrying the plane joins them. Underneath Al’s truck, Daniel stabs zombies in the head, one by one. He’s lucky they haven’t figured out a way around the other side. Victor gets out of the flatbed, and tells the zombies to come that way. They move toward the flatbed. Victor gets into the plane, and starts it up. The zombies begin walking into the propellers, and get sliced up. After there’s no zombies left walking, the engine quits, and the plane is covered in blood.
Victor helps Daniel up, and gives Daniel his hat. Daniel says he’s not going to shoot Victor in the face. Victor pats him on the back.
Luci lifts the communications tower back up, and thanks Dylan for helping. Annie radios, and asks what Dylan told them. He says, they’re telling the truth; they just want to help. Annie says, that’s stupid, but Morgan says they can help each other. Alicia asks them to please put down the weapons. Max appeals to Annie, and she nods. The kids lower their guns. Morgan says he thinks the people who were there before, the people who scared them, are the ones who took Al. Who are they? The offer still stands. They just need to know where Al is. Max says they can help find Al, but they can’t leave. Alicia asks, why? Morgan says the people who are back at the camp are their parents, right? Annie says, they were, and Morgan says he’s sorry.
Daniel burns another calendar page, and heats up a pot of something. Charlie asks what Daniel was going to tell his daughter. Daniel says, every day brings a chance to start over; a chance she has to get it right. Something tells him that Charlie needs hear it too. She asks where he’s going. He says there’s a reason he’s been on his own this long, and he needs to take care of it. She asks if he wants company, but he says her friends need her. He tells her that he set the record player up, and asks her to look after Skidmark. He says they’re welcome to stay until they find their friend. Consider everything theirs, except this. He takes a cigar from Sarah, and says a friend wanted him to save it until things get better. He nods at Victor, and leaves.
Before going out the door, Daniel looks back, and watches them eating. Skidmark jumps on the table, putting his face in everyone’s plates, and Victor pets him.
Luci gets radio going, and calls Victor. She asks how it’s going with the plane. He says he managed to help someone using it, but in doing so, the engines were damaged beyond repair. He wishes he had better news, but they’ll find a way to bring Al home. Dylan tells Luci, the pilot crashed in the desert. How did he get out? She says, he fixed the plane. He put it back together, and flew away. Dylan says, if he could do it, so can she.
Annie explains they had weapons and uniforms. They saw two, but there could be more. Alicia tells Morgan, this place isn’t safe. Morgan says he and his son stayed after the point they shouldn’t have. Alicia is surprised he has a son. He says he couldn’t bring himself to kill his son’s mother either. She asks their names, and he says, Jennie and Duane. Max says, wait. He hears something. He tells everyone, getdown! and they all fall flat. A wind blows through, and Max says, stay down. A helicopter rises above the trees. Alicia asks, what the hell was that? Annie says, it’s the people; they came back. Max says he didn’t think they would.
Next time. Al doesn’t know how much longer she can stay, but she’ll get as much as she can. Al kicks ass, but takes no names – only videos.
🎭 Parting is Such Sweet Sorrow…
I was saddened to hear Franco Zeffirelli has gone to that great director’s chair in the sky. Best. Romeo, And. Juliet. Ever. I also loved his film adaption of the life of St. Francis of Assisi, Brother Sun, SisterMoon. His work was incredibly beautiful.
Crystal R. Fox (Hanna, The Haves and The Have Nots) is playing Bonnie’s (Zoë Kravitz) mother on BigLittle Lies this season. And just from hearing his voice for two seconds on the preview, I spotted ColsonDomingo (Victor, Fear the Walking Dead), who will be Ali in the second episode of Euphoria.
🐒 Because One Wasn’t Enough...
And a bunch of monkeys should take your mind off of it.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
Fear the Walking Dead
Alicia pikes zombies, while Luci circles X’s on a map. John knifes zombies in the head, and June cuts through the rope between them. Alicia gets Morgan on the radio. She tells him she’s by the turnaround. John says, there’s nothing new, but they’re keeping their eyes peeled. Luci says the roadblocks form a pattern, and John says they’ll figure out a way in. Morgan loses the signal. Luci says something about a gas station, but starts to break up. John and June come across another chain of zombies blocking the road. He says, these kinds of warnings mean serious people are on the other side. June says they’re serous people. John thinks the chances of finding Al are less and less as time goes on. Shots are fired at them, and John and June run back to the car. John says they don’t want any trouble. They manage to get inside the car, but the back window is shot out. John wonder who the hell that is, and Jun says, serious people. John says they need more firepower. Their luck just turned again.
Zombies climb a windmill tower. Tumbleweeds blow through a Western-type ghost zombie town. John and June get out of the car. She asks what this place is, and John says, his old stomping grounds. Welcome to the Gulch.
A sign says, welcome to Humbug’s Gulch. John thinks there might be a dust storm coming. June ask if he used to work there, but the wind is so loud, I don’t hear what he says, but the town is basically a tourist thing that had actors; not a real town. They come to a building that says Brothel, and John says this is where they find the weapons. The wind blew them where they needed to be. June asks if it ever blows somewhere else, and he says, no. They go inside, and upstairs. John tries a cabinet, but it’s locked. While he messes with the lock, June looks through a rack of clothes. John gets ready to shoot the lock, telling June it’s his last round, but she sees a key on the dresser. He opens the cabinet, which is full of guns and ammo. June thinks they’re good.
Alicia asks Luci how she’s doing, and if she can move her arm yet. She can’t, and Alicia apologizes for what happened. Luci says there are words and actions, and they took action. Alicia says they crashed a plane, but Luci doesn’t regret getting on it. Alicia tries to radio the kids, and tells them if they can hear her, get back to the van. Alicia hears Annie saying not to talk; they’ll hear. Alicia says they want to help, and Annie asks what’s wrong with her? Leave them alone. Alicia asks where are they? and Annie tells her, if she says, they’ll find them. Alicia asks, who? and Annie tells Dylan to hide. They’re cut off. Alicia says they can’t leave.
June radios Morgan and Luci, but gets nothing. She asks John how long thees things last. He thinks they can make it to the car if they hurry. She asks what it’s like if you get stuck in it. What if they don’t make it? He says it’s like midnight, and you can’t breathe. Maybe they should wait it out. He says they can load up in the meantime. He starts looking for things they can use, while June has a beer and some snacks. She picks up a Western show program, and asks if he was a good or a bad guy. He says he didn’t get into theatrics; his talent was trick shooting. She asks about the different tricks listed in the program, but he ignores her. He says they can’t just wait here. June says they can’t help if they don’t make back, but John says they can, and they go back out.
Someone starts to shoot, and they duck behind a building. John yells, hold your fire! They see the tires have been shot out on the car. Someone at the end of the street continues to shoot at them, and John shoots back. He and June run. Getting distracted by a Wanted poster, John turns back, and finds a gun in his face. It’s Dwight from The Walking Dead. He says, where is she? Answer him. June comes up behind Dwight, and clonks him in the head. John thanks her, calling her June Bug, and she says, not yet. They have to get him inside.
An unconscious Dwight is tied to a chair. John says whoever he’ looking for, he’s been at it some time. He looks through Dwight’s stuff. He says that’s a helluva burn, and asks if June thinks he had it before/ He’s all worn down looking for some woman. Maybe he cracked, and got confused. If he’s a killer, he’s in no shape to kill anyone. June says he’s someone who genuinely needs their help. They notice the wind has died down, and zombies are gathering. John says even if they pick them off, they’ll attract more attention, and eventually run out of ammo. Dwight starts to wake up, and John tells him, easy. June says it’s okay. Dwight tells John not to touch his stuff. John says they don’t mean him any harm. He asks who Dwight is looking for, and June says she has to treat his wound. John says whoever he’s looking for must be important for him to point a gun at Johns’ head. June reminds Dwight that they could have left him out there. John says they’re looking for someone too. They can compare notes, not trade shots. He asks if Dwight knows who’s responsible for blocking the roads, or what’s on the other side. He thinks whoever Dwight was looking for might have been trying to get away from some bad people. June says they just want to help, and Dwight says they can’t. No one can. The whole place is screwed.
Dylan tells Alicia that they’re near the fireworks stand. Morgan says he can’t raise John and June on the radio. Alicia says she knows what she should have said to those kids. Alicia and Luci hear a bang, and they run off the road. Morgan asks if they’re okay. Alicia gets out. She sees that one of the tires is flat, and she’s run over a board that has nails sticking out of it. Luci says, someone doesn’t want them there. Alicia says that’s means they’re getting closer. Morgan tells them stay where they are. He’s coming. Alicia tries to call the kids, but gets no response. She tells Luci, let’s go. Morgan will catch up.
Zombies claw at the door, and John says, it can only hold for so long. June asks if there’s another way out, and he says, the roof, but then they need to hoof it out of town. Dwight says his car is at the end of the street. He’ll give them the keys, and they can take it. Go. John says he’s coming with them, but Dwight says he can’t. He put a gun to John’s head. John says maybe he’s being presumptuous, but it seems Dwight has been separated from someone as dear to him, as June is to John. They didn’t always have the good fortune to be together, and John went to a dark place. He shot a man’s finger off because he thought the man knew what happened to June. If he hadn’t found her, he might have done something worse. Although the guy was a disagreeable a-hole. They can help each other. Who is he looking for? Dwight says, his wife; her name is Shari. Dwight, John, and June introduce themselves. John shakes Dwight’s hand. Dwight says if he can have his gun back, he promises to point it at something other than them. June says he’s going to need it.
They get the player piano going, and slip upstairs. Attracted by the music, the zombies bust in, and more pour in from outside. June, John, and Dwight go out the windows above the awning, which isn’t too steady. Dwight jumps down, and John is like, what? Dwight rolls around on the ground for a moment, and shoots a zombie. He tells John, get to the car. John drops down, and June keeps watch. Dwight tells John that he calls the zombies walkers. June runs to where there’s a wagon below, filled with laundry bags. She jumps into it. Dwight chops a zombie in the head with an ax. You can tell he’s in a lot of pain. John and June head for the car. These zombies are kind of fast. Dwight hesitates, and then goes in the other direction. June and John get in car, and June asks where Dwight is.
He’s sitting in the car John and June came in. He pulls all kinds of paperwork and maps out from behind the visors, and out of the glovebox, obviously looking for something. Zombies start to clamor at windows, and Dwight is like, sh*t. John calls him on the radio. Dwight picks up the walkie-talkie, and John asks what the car has to do with Dwight’s wife. Dwight says that’s why he came at them. It was her car. He tells John that they should go. He’s gotten them in enough trouble. John tells him, stay calm. He looks at the back of a car registration, where West on 30 is written. He says when his wife moves to a new place, she leaves him a message. He thought he’d find one in the car. The last one was on a registration, but there’s nothing in there. It’s been at least a year, and there have been a lot of dead ends. He asks where they found the car, and John says, it was at a campground. Dwight says, tell him, and June takes the walkie-talkie. She says, there wasn’t anybody there alive, but that doesn’t mean she’s not out there. She and John were somewhere else. Dwight looks at his gun, but I figure he’s not going to shoot himself, since they took the trouble of transferring him to this show.
Dwight tells them, go, but June says they’re not leaving him like this. He says he’ll get through, and John says they’ll find her. He found June. Everybody said she was dead. Dwight says he’s gone halfway across the country, and he’s always two or three steps behind. He thought maybe she just got a head start or he missed a message or two, but now he starting to see it. June says he doesn’t think he deserves to find her. He says he’s not like them. He did things… things they can’t imagine. June says, they all have. Dwight says he’s still doing things. He tried to kill them because he thought maybe they’d done something to her, but they didn’t. There was nothing to find, and he might have killed them for nothing. It doesn’t matter if he’s alive or dead; he’s never going to find her and make it right/ That’s who he is now. June says, just don’t be that person. Giving up is just as bad… John tries stop her, but she says, heneeds to hear this. He’s giving up because he thinks he doesn’t deserve his wife. She did the same thing; she ran from John. Dwight says, this is different, but June says, it’s not different. John almost got killed finding her. Shari is still out there, and if he’s choosing to believe she is, that looks like she hasn’t given up. And if she hasn’t, how can he? The cluster of zombies scrabbles at the windows and drools, looking at Dwight inside the car. Dwight cries a little, and says he can’t get back to them. He won’t be able to. John says, leave that to them.
Alicia asks if the kids copy. She and Luci walk down the road, and Morgan pulls up with a truck. He says, anything? and Alicia says, either they don’t want to answer, or they can’t. Morgan says, they could stillbe listening, so keep trying. Talk to them. She radios, saying she has to tell them something she should have told when she was with them. She lost her mom and her brother. She knows how much they’re hurting, and how scared they must be. Not because she’s been there, but because she’s there now, and wants them to know they don’t have to do it alone. If they’re listening, tell her where they are. Her group can help. The kids might not believe it, but she promises if given a chance, they will. She gets silence. Morgan nods. Alicia says, let’s go.
John sets down his bag, and takes up his rifle, and June backs him up. John starts shooting, and says, come to me. Dwight shoots a few zombies through the back window. John keeps shooting, taking out a handgun with his other hand. June’s gun won’t work, so she whacks a zombie with the butt of the gun. John keeps shooting. Dwight gets out of the car, and uses the butt of his gun to hack a zombie in the forehead, but the zombie falls on him, and he’s pinned. What’s left of the zombie crowd around his car notices. John runs to June, who says she has one shot left. He grabs her gun and tells Dwight, raise the ax; hold it. He shoots the ax head, and the bullet ricochets off, killing the two zombies closest to Dwight. He frees Dwight from the zombie trapping him, and tells June, that’s a San Antonio split. They help Dwight up, and John says that’s only the second time he pulled that off.
Inside, John looks through Dwight’s stuff from the car, while Dwight carves a message into the wall. John says it wasn’t her car. The VIN number on the registration doesn’t match the car. She could be out there, or left a message in the car she was actually driving. John says he used to be cop. Law enforcement is a thing of the past now, but he’s trained. It serves a purpose once in a while. Dwight thanks him.
John tells June that he went by Six Gun Sam when he occasionally took part in theatrics. She kisses him. and he thanks her for what she said to Dwight. She says, he needed to hear it, and John says, he did too. He’d been questioning what he has, and why he deserves it. He couldn’t share his feelings, and by doubting it, he was taking it away from them, and neither one of them wants that. Morgan arrives with Luci and Alicia.
Morgan asks, what is this place? and John says he used to work in a place like this. He didn’t know the dividends were going to pay. Dwight comes out, and says, Morgan? June says, they know each other? Morgan says they come from the same place. Dwight tells Morgan that he’s following Shari. When her trail hit Georgia, everything seemed to drive her this way. He wants Morgan to understand what happened, but Morgan tells him that he doesn’t have to say it. Not now. He knows how it ended for Dwight. They’re all trying to start over. Morgan asks how long Dwight’s been stuck there, and Dwight says, longer than he’d hoped. Alicia asks if he knows what’s keeping them away with the blockades of the dead. He says he’s only been able to go so far. He can show them.
They go to where some dead are chained together as a blockade. Dwight says he tried to make his way around them, but they’re strung up everywhere. It’s as far as you can walk. Alicia says, not for long, and they all take out their guns. Alicia’s radio comes alive. It’s Max, and Alicia says the group came for them. They’ll be okay. He says they got the message, and they’re on their way to them. They’re at the truck stop. Everyone stops what they’re doing, and they leave.
Alicia smiles, and says, it’s starting to feel like they’re on the right track. Morgan believes they are. Luci suddenly says, what’s that? and Morgan says, it’s the van the kids were driving. Alicia says, no.
The same kind of ropes that were tying the zombie blockades together, are wrapped around the van. They cut the ropes off, and find a blood-covered Dylan lying on the backseat, barely conscious. Alicia asks where Max and Annie are.
Elsewhere in the woods, someone ties up a zombie, and checks out a map. Annie asks Max if he thinks they bought it, and he says, definitely. She says, Dylan might crack, or they might figure out why they’re here, and who took their friend. Annie says they have to make sure they’re never bothered again. She says he sounds scared, but he insists he isn’t. They leave, having put together another zombie blockade.
Next time, Victor uncovers a plane, the cat still lives, and Victor tells someone to open the gate.
🐩 Come On, Baby, Do It For Mama…
I would be remiss in not mentioning this week’s passing of an amazing actress. MidnightCowboy is one of my favorite movies ever, and I love the story about Maureen Stapleton thinking Sylvia was a real hooker.
📡 Although it will never happen, I try to get my money’s worth of the too much I spend per month on the 500+ channels, most of which I don’t watch. This weekend, I was able to catch The Hate U Give on HBO. I don’t really review films, but it’s worth seeing. It’s well-written and thought provoking, the acting is superb, and the end both heart- breaking and hopeful. Catch it while U can.
💍 I’m loving the insanity that is the 90 Day Fiancé franchise, even though I have to watch in bits and pieces, due to FWD and NOS4ATU competing on Sunday night. If you haven’t seen the latter, it’s another brilliant piece of work, and Zachery Quinto is scary as hell. My favorite thing about 90 this season is the addition of PillowTalk, where the nicer people who have been on the show (there are some couples, but also friends and relations), watch the episodes featuring the worst couples, and comment on them. I literally lol my way through it every week. The only thing I like more than watching TV, is watching someone else watch TV. I’m not sure what that says about me…
🌴 A Mini Mental Vacation…
Hoping all the father’s out there had a wonderful Father’s Day, and the rest of you had a weekend filled with whatever takes your fancy. Alas, Monday morning and work come all too quickly, so enjoy the beach on me. Just ignore that dude with the dark sunglasses.
What I Watched - TV With Theresa 